Chapter Eight
Gia broke through Laura's gentle arms and raced to Stefan's crushed Jaguar, shrieking Nikolas' name. She bent down and reached into the car through the shattered passenger window. The sound of sirens was faint in the background. "Nikolas, answer me!" Gia screamed. "NIKOLAS!" She ran her hand down the side of his face, where blood was seeping down. She drew her hand back and looked at her blood-soaked hand.
"Gia, help me, please. You have to help me." Nikolas' weak voice rang in her ears, even though the words had not come from Nikolas; he was unconscious. She stared at him wide-eyed.
Gia woke with a start. She'd had the exact same dream ever since the funeral two weeks ago. Every time the exact same thing happened and every time she woke up at the same place in the dream.
She rolled over and placed her hand on the empty side of the mattress. Nikolas' side. He had been so adamant about having that side. She had taken for granted all of the trivial things, like which side of the bed they slept on. Everytime she leaned back, she expected to feel Nikolas' strong, protective arms slide around her waist and feel his warm breath on her neck. What she would give to be in his arms again.
Gia slid out of bed and slipped on her green summer robe. The bright rays of sunlight that peered into the room made her angry. Her life was anything but bright and Mother Nature just had to rub it in her face. Gia walked to the dresser and picked up the framed picture of her and Nikolas. Lucky had taken it on the docks during one of Gia's photoshoots. She smiled slightly at the memory as her index finger traced Nikolas' handsome face. She felt tears welling up so she quickly set the frame back in its place.
Gia left her bedroom and descended the stairs of Wyndemere slowly. She heard laughter coming from the living room directly below her so she quietly sat down on one of the steps. Lucky and Elizabeth sat on the couch together having coffee. Gia wanted to kick herself for agreeing to live with them. Even though Wyndemere was huge, she felt like they were always there, breathing down her neck. They had already made themselves at home and she despised that very much. She knew they still felt uncomfortable living at Wyndemere, and a part of her was glad. Maybe it was just spite. Maybe it was remembering when she caught Nikolas and Elizabeth in the shower together. She knew that it had been a complete accident, but it spoiled her to ever sharing a roof with Elizabeth again. She hated how they were always inviting her to do things with them: go to lunch, go to dinner, go visit Laura, go anywhere. It was like they pitied her and that drove her nuts. What made her the most angry was that they were so happy together while she was all alone. She knew Nikolas would probably laugh at her for it, in that joking way he always did.
Gia stood up and cleared her throat to announce her presence. As she desceneded the remaining stairs, Lucky and Elizabeth turned to greet her.
"What are you doing today?" Lucky asked, an agenda clearly on his mind. He and Elizabeth stood up and stood opposite Gia. Gia just shrugged. "Mom and Lulu are coming over for lunch in a couple hours. You should join us. Mom would love to see you."
"Um.Maybe," Gia replied. She motioned to the door. "I should go feed Sheba."
"I already did," Elizabeth told her. Gia just stared at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I overstep my boundaries? I didn't mean to, I just thought-,"
"No, it's-it's fine. I'm not dressed anyway." There was an awkward pause. "Did Mrs. Lansbury cook breakfast yet?"
"No, Elizabeth and I went to breakfast with Emily, so we told her not to. She's making a big lunch right now. If you're hungry I'm sure she would whip something up for you."
Gia sighed heavily. "No, that's okay. I'm gonna go get dressed." Gia ran upstairs and stormed into her room. She slammed the door and wrang her hands as if she was strangling someone. "I feel like a guest in my own freaking house. Nikoas, I just do not belong here without you."
Meanwhile, in Greece
"Be careful, Mrs. Cassadine was very clear about making sure he was transported safely," Damian snapped to the two men as they pulled a man on a stetcher out of the car. They were in front of the Cassadine Estate. "Have you given him the next dose of the drug?"
"Not yet," one of the men responded. "It doesn't matter. The last dose hasn't worn off yet and even if it had he is too injured to do anything about it."
"Well make you sure you give it him as soon as you get him into his room. You remember Mrs. Cassadine's instructions, correct?"
"Yes, we remember," the other man huffed. The two men carried the stretcher carrying Nikolas into the palace. Damian took one last drag of his cigarette and threw it onto the ground.
"Nikolas Cassadine," he grunted. "I hope you enjoyed your life back in Port Charles while you had it. From here on out everything changes."
Gia broke through Laura's gentle arms and raced to Stefan's crushed Jaguar, shrieking Nikolas' name. She bent down and reached into the car through the shattered passenger window. The sound of sirens was faint in the background. "Nikolas, answer me!" Gia screamed. "NIKOLAS!" She ran her hand down the side of his face, where blood was seeping down. She drew her hand back and looked at her blood-soaked hand.
"Gia, help me, please. You have to help me." Nikolas' weak voice rang in her ears, even though the words had not come from Nikolas; he was unconscious. She stared at him wide-eyed.
Gia woke with a start. She'd had the exact same dream ever since the funeral two weeks ago. Every time the exact same thing happened and every time she woke up at the same place in the dream.
She rolled over and placed her hand on the empty side of the mattress. Nikolas' side. He had been so adamant about having that side. She had taken for granted all of the trivial things, like which side of the bed they slept on. Everytime she leaned back, she expected to feel Nikolas' strong, protective arms slide around her waist and feel his warm breath on her neck. What she would give to be in his arms again.
Gia slid out of bed and slipped on her green summer robe. The bright rays of sunlight that peered into the room made her angry. Her life was anything but bright and Mother Nature just had to rub it in her face. Gia walked to the dresser and picked up the framed picture of her and Nikolas. Lucky had taken it on the docks during one of Gia's photoshoots. She smiled slightly at the memory as her index finger traced Nikolas' handsome face. She felt tears welling up so she quickly set the frame back in its place.
Gia left her bedroom and descended the stairs of Wyndemere slowly. She heard laughter coming from the living room directly below her so she quietly sat down on one of the steps. Lucky and Elizabeth sat on the couch together having coffee. Gia wanted to kick herself for agreeing to live with them. Even though Wyndemere was huge, she felt like they were always there, breathing down her neck. They had already made themselves at home and she despised that very much. She knew they still felt uncomfortable living at Wyndemere, and a part of her was glad. Maybe it was just spite. Maybe it was remembering when she caught Nikolas and Elizabeth in the shower together. She knew that it had been a complete accident, but it spoiled her to ever sharing a roof with Elizabeth again. She hated how they were always inviting her to do things with them: go to lunch, go to dinner, go visit Laura, go anywhere. It was like they pitied her and that drove her nuts. What made her the most angry was that they were so happy together while she was all alone. She knew Nikolas would probably laugh at her for it, in that joking way he always did.
Gia stood up and cleared her throat to announce her presence. As she desceneded the remaining stairs, Lucky and Elizabeth turned to greet her.
"What are you doing today?" Lucky asked, an agenda clearly on his mind. He and Elizabeth stood up and stood opposite Gia. Gia just shrugged. "Mom and Lulu are coming over for lunch in a couple hours. You should join us. Mom would love to see you."
"Um.Maybe," Gia replied. She motioned to the door. "I should go feed Sheba."
"I already did," Elizabeth told her. Gia just stared at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I overstep my boundaries? I didn't mean to, I just thought-,"
"No, it's-it's fine. I'm not dressed anyway." There was an awkward pause. "Did Mrs. Lansbury cook breakfast yet?"
"No, Elizabeth and I went to breakfast with Emily, so we told her not to. She's making a big lunch right now. If you're hungry I'm sure she would whip something up for you."
Gia sighed heavily. "No, that's okay. I'm gonna go get dressed." Gia ran upstairs and stormed into her room. She slammed the door and wrang her hands as if she was strangling someone. "I feel like a guest in my own freaking house. Nikoas, I just do not belong here without you."
Meanwhile, in Greece
"Be careful, Mrs. Cassadine was very clear about making sure he was transported safely," Damian snapped to the two men as they pulled a man on a stetcher out of the car. They were in front of the Cassadine Estate. "Have you given him the next dose of the drug?"
"Not yet," one of the men responded. "It doesn't matter. The last dose hasn't worn off yet and even if it had he is too injured to do anything about it."
"Well make you sure you give it him as soon as you get him into his room. You remember Mrs. Cassadine's instructions, correct?"
"Yes, we remember," the other man huffed. The two men carried the stretcher carrying Nikolas into the palace. Damian took one last drag of his cigarette and threw it onto the ground.
"Nikolas Cassadine," he grunted. "I hope you enjoyed your life back in Port Charles while you had it. From here on out everything changes."
