AN/

Sorry I posted the wrong chapter but I fixed it fairly quick so no big deal in the end. So glad to see new ppl joining and ppl from the beginning still enjoying this. Please enjoy this chapter as well and if you do? let me know! :)

Another Chapter on the longer side again to make up for the small memorial day weekend hiatus 3

It was late. So late it was technically just early. But Laura's day wasn't starting, no, the previous one had yet to end. She had something she needed to do before she retired to her home for the evening and be able to sleep. She needed to see her son.

"Epiphany!" Laura called out seeing her at the nurses station.

"Mayor Collins," Epiphany greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I need you to tell me where Ava Jerome- Ava Cassadine's room is." She said hopeful to get an easy answer, eager to get to her son. Franco didn't just tell her about Ava's condition when she asked, he told her her son's condition too. He sounded a mess and while she wasn't sure why he was so upset she was gonna be there to help him through whatever it is.

"She's in 303," Epiphany said after typing a few things into the computer in front of her.

"Thanks." She said giving her a sincere yet tired smile as she turned away and headed down the halls. Sure she's spent time in GH, more than anyone wants to, but she wasn't perfect with the layout. She wishes Kevin was here, he'd know exactly where to go. When she called to tell him not to wait up any longer for her he offered to join her. She couldn't accept though. It was late and it's not like Nikolas needed him.

She finally found the room with the right number she knocked gently to let him know someone was here before stepping in. As she opened the door her heart hurt. He looked tired and he looked so upset as he did nothing but just watch over her.

"Nikolas, it's me." She announced closing the door behind her.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers for a moment before returning his attention to Ava.

Laura walked over and set her purse down on the counter. She looked at him again, same as he was seconds ago and probably how he's been since he was allowed to be in here. Being a mom she felt like she should know the right thing to say, but why was he so upset? Yes it obviously was about Ava, but what aspect in their web of issues was bouncing around in his brain right now.

"Where's Julian?" Was the first thing she could think to say, to break the ice and hopefully get some form of a response from her very silent son.

She almost thought he wasn't gonna answer, a long time of the machines beeping as the only sound in the room before he did.

"He went home." His voice was weak and came out strained as he spoke. "He wanted to stay but so did I and he doesn't like me or trust me. We agreed we didn't wanna argue incase she could hear."

"That was probably a good idea." Laura said finding herself a spot in the other chair in the room.

For the first time she looked at what her son couldn't even take his eyes off of. She laid there still. She looked almost fragile. Most people wouldn't equate that with Ava but Laura had seen Ava at some moment she could only describe as so. Still this was different and unsettling as she saw the machines she was hooked up to.

"It's bad." Nikolas said suddenly noticing from out of the corner of his eyes Laura staring at her.

She was shocked he spoke without being prompted but if he was going to talk she was gonna let him. It was good for him to talk and she wants him to be able to talk to someone about whatever he's feeling.

"She lost a lot of blood and now she's in a coma." He finished.

She thought about what to respond. She could tell him Valentin would pay but she was always worried that he wouldn't and while him being this upset wasn't fun to see him being angry at a time like this wasn't ideal. She thought about telling him that people come out of coma's all the time, but she also knows that people sometimes don't.

She just wanted to say something that would help her son. If she couldn't help ease his mind about Ava's medical status then she'd have to try and ease his mind of something else. The thing she could see was making him this upset.

"What's on your mind," Laura asked. "Your worried and you are rightfully so. But there's more than just this. I'm shocked to see you this upset, this is more than just about Ava being in a coma."

She wasn't wrong.

"Mom, my wife's in a coma and your shocked i'm this upset?" He asked defensibly.

"I'm not talking about that," She interjects before he could get upset with her. "The other thing that's upsetting you. I know you Nikolas, and I know whatever the other thing is probably happened before Ava was even attacked."

Nikolas could lie. He's lied to his mother before, not that he's proud of it. He'd have to have the energy to do so though.

"Your right." He admits.

"You can tell me Nikolas." Laura encourages reaching out for his hand to hold in hers.

"It's Ava." he offered up, not wanting to go into detail. Not yet.

Laura took a moment to see if he was telling the truth. She believed he was, and she trusted her son.

"It's guilt isn't it? That's the look you have." She stated. "I've been trying to place that look in your eyes and it's guilt."

Yes. Yes, he was guilty. For so many things. Too many to count.

"I know what your guilty about, honey." She sighed.

He would be worried if he thought there was any way she knew about him and Hayden, about the fight with Ava, about how he could have tried to fix things and failed before this all happened and made him feel as though he might never get the chance to make things right. He'd let her take his guess.

"You know I was there Nikolas, she came to me that night." Laura explains. "She called me and my heart broke. Not just because it always did at a mention of you but because I knew something was wrong. That night I know now was all real but all I saw was Ava so frantic and so positive of something that just couldn't be."

Nikolas realises she's talking about when he first came back and what he caused Ava by staying silent and by even going back and seeing her.

"I feel guilty too. I was the one who pushed her to get herself committed. I was doing it for all the right reasons but she was a mess and she left her daughter and it was for no reason!"

"Mom-" Nikolas tries to stop her.

"No, Nikolas I'm not trying to judge you. I'm just trying to explain what I saw. And I know you went back and you haunted her. I know you brought up Kiki and I know you had them switch her meds to disorient her. Those things were cruel, they were of a Cassadine. But you know what? Your feeling guilty about them, which shows you aren't all Cassadine and you aren't all bad."

He appreciated this, he truly did. He's pretty much felt guilty about those things since they happened. He knows his mom is trying to ease his guilt, but unless Ava forgave him for it nothing else could. He wasn't even thinking of those moments until she brought them up, wincing at the memories of this woman who he'd last seen in Greece fainting in his arms at the sight of him- at the man she saw die.

He was mad at her, but seeing her again in person after all that time gave him mixed feelings. He was falling for her when they were together. She was such more than he thought. And as he ran from his life he realized he and her weren't too different. She was special. That's why when he caught her in his arms he held her just a little bit longer and a little bit tighter than he'd normally have. It's why he pressed his lips to the top of her head and smelled her hair, the familiar floral scent filling his nose.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm really guilty about that." He told truthfully. "I don't think feeling guilty makes it better though."

"It might," Laura says. "You never know what Ava might think about that."

He shook his head. He'd laugh at the notion if he was in a better mood. "Ava isn't like that, she doesn't want an apology, she's like me, she likes to get even."

"Nikolas I know you weren't here, and I know a lot has changed since you've come back into Ava's life, but I was here and Ava had such a soft spot for you."

That only made him feel worse.

"She might surprise you and accept an apology when you get to ask her." Laura says offering up a hopeful smile.

But he's used all of his chances up with Ava. An apology on anything would be a miracle. While he wanted her forgiveness the miracle he needed was just for her to wake up and be okay.