As they walked toward the brownstone, Bobbie said "I'm going to hold
you to spending the evening with us". "Why would I change my mind", Tony
asked. "Because you never asked who Santa was", Bobbie said on a laugh.
"Unless it's Stefan Cassadine, I don't see any problems", Tony commented.
"Unfortunately, this Santa tends to leave a wider path of destruction in
his wake", Bobbie said wryly, "and if she throws him out he's your house
guest not mine". It took Tony a minute to process the last piece of
information and after he did he groaned and asked, "How long did you leave
them alone for". With a laugh he and Bobbie continued to the brownstone.
"Do you want to go for a walk", Nicholas asked Emily as they stood on the steps at the brownstone. "No, I would rather stay here", Emily replied coldly. "Em", Nicholas started. "Why are you here Nicholas", Emily asked. "I was worried about you", Nicholas said as he reached for her hand. Emily jerked her hand back and said, "I take it this means Gia didn't show at the party". "That has nothing to do with this", Nicholas said. "Yes, it does", Emily insisted, "I'm tired of you only caring when it's convenient". "I've always cared", Nicholas started to say. "That's why I found you in bed with Katherine", Emily interrupted.
"I thought we worked through that", Nicholas said harshly. "So did, I, but apparently we were both wrong", Emily replied. "I'm sorry Emily, if I could go back and relive that night, I would", Nicholas said as he looked her in the eye. "Than why do you keep doing it", Emily asked as she fought to keep from crying in front of him. "I don't", Nicholas responded. "Than exactly how did you end up engaged to Katherine, or freaking out over the fact Liz was dating Jason, but my being threatened by Sorel didn't even leave a blip on your radar. Maybe we should discuss how Liz got all of your attention after Lucky died. I know you both loved him, but he was my best friend. Better idea, why don't we discuss how you ended up dating the person who was blackmailing me. What, you don't have an answer for any of those Nicholas", Emily finished as she sank down on the steps.
Nicholas sat down next to her and stared straight ahead for a moment. "Why didn't you come to me, especially after Lucky died", Nicholas asked. "I don't know", Emily said as she watched the snow start to fall. "The truth Emily, please", Nicholas requested quietly. "I was afraid I was not important enough for you to care", Emily said as a tear made it's way down her cheek. "You had Juan", Nicholas accused. "He paid attention to me, and listened to me, like Lucky had. He gave me a reason to stay sober that summer", Emily admitted as she starred at her shoes. "I'm sorry", Nicholas whispered. "For what", Emily asked on a sigh.
"For falling into Katherine's schemes, for not being a better brother to Lucky, or a friend to you", Nicholas said as he buried his face in his hands. "This isn't meant to make you feel bad, Nicholas", Emily said as she thought about reaching out to him. "You can't make me feel any worse than I usually do", Nicholas hesitantly admitted. "The problem is Emily, you make me feel good about myself and the world and everything. And I cherish that. The problem is that my family is the exact opposite of that, and it hurts when I have been with you and Lucky and Liz and then I have to deal with them. So maybe I keep hoping that if I push you away enough you will stop coming back and I won't have to see what I can't have", Nicholas said as he stood and looked down on her.
"Running away again, Nicholas", Emily asked as she looked up at him. "It's clear you don't want me here", Nicholas said as he turned his back to her. "Just because Laura and Stefan have a tendency to run every time it gets tough, doesn't mean you have to", Emily said as she stood. "If I really didn't want you here, do you think we would even be having this conversation", Emily said as she wiped her tears away. Emily searched for a way to reach him as he stood there in the snow, lost. Finally she made her way down to the sidewalk and gently touched his back.
"We made a promise Nicholas, to always stick together, the four musketeers. It meant something to me", Emily said in a whisper. "Did it mean anything to you", Emily asked trying to get through to him. "It meant, I finally belonged", Nicholas said so quietly that Emily had to strain to hear him. "So why do you keep trying to push us away", Emily asked as she tugged his arm to get him to sit on the bottom step with her. "It's easier to push you away than to wait for you to walk out on your own", Nicholas honestly admitted. "We haven't, I haven't left yet", Emily said determinedly. "No you haven't, but maybe you should", Nicholas said as he took her hand.
Emily smiled as she squeezed his hand and said, "Here's the deal. I'm tired of dating guys that want something from my family. I would like to try going out with a guy who doesn't care what I look like in the morning, or that my family is nuts. So do you know anyone who fits that description". "Lucky, but I don't think Liz is willing to share", Nicholas said as Emily hit him in the arm. "Seriously, Emily, I thought about it, but I don't want to hurt you", Nicholas said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "If it doesn't work at least we're friends and I can stop torturing myself over this", Emily said. "My family", Nicholas started. "Isn't the one I'm going to be dating", Emily finished. "Helena", Nicholas once again started. "Doesn't want to do this", Emily said as she leaned over and tenderly kissed him.
"We will deal with both of our families, together", Emily said as she stood. "Right now we should probable get back inside and make sure Robin is okay", Emily commented. As Nicholas hesitated, Emily asked, "Would you rather spend this evening at Wyndemere with Stefan or at the mansion with grandfather". "No", Nicholas said on a laugh as they headed back up the steps.
"Nicholas, Emily", what are you doing here", Bobbie asked as she and Tony joined them on the steps. "I hope you don't mind we're crashing your Christmas Eve celebration", Nicholas said. "Not at all", Bobbie replied as she gave Nicholas a hug. "I came with Jason and Robin", Emily explained, "and Luke dropped Nicholas off here so we could talk". "Jason and Robin", Tony asked. "They're back together", Emily said, as the other three stared at her and a large crash sounded through the house.
"Do you want to go for a walk", Nicholas asked Emily as they stood on the steps at the brownstone. "No, I would rather stay here", Emily replied coldly. "Em", Nicholas started. "Why are you here Nicholas", Emily asked. "I was worried about you", Nicholas said as he reached for her hand. Emily jerked her hand back and said, "I take it this means Gia didn't show at the party". "That has nothing to do with this", Nicholas said. "Yes, it does", Emily insisted, "I'm tired of you only caring when it's convenient". "I've always cared", Nicholas started to say. "That's why I found you in bed with Katherine", Emily interrupted.
"I thought we worked through that", Nicholas said harshly. "So did, I, but apparently we were both wrong", Emily replied. "I'm sorry Emily, if I could go back and relive that night, I would", Nicholas said as he looked her in the eye. "Than why do you keep doing it", Emily asked as she fought to keep from crying in front of him. "I don't", Nicholas responded. "Than exactly how did you end up engaged to Katherine, or freaking out over the fact Liz was dating Jason, but my being threatened by Sorel didn't even leave a blip on your radar. Maybe we should discuss how Liz got all of your attention after Lucky died. I know you both loved him, but he was my best friend. Better idea, why don't we discuss how you ended up dating the person who was blackmailing me. What, you don't have an answer for any of those Nicholas", Emily finished as she sank down on the steps.
Nicholas sat down next to her and stared straight ahead for a moment. "Why didn't you come to me, especially after Lucky died", Nicholas asked. "I don't know", Emily said as she watched the snow start to fall. "The truth Emily, please", Nicholas requested quietly. "I was afraid I was not important enough for you to care", Emily said as a tear made it's way down her cheek. "You had Juan", Nicholas accused. "He paid attention to me, and listened to me, like Lucky had. He gave me a reason to stay sober that summer", Emily admitted as she starred at her shoes. "I'm sorry", Nicholas whispered. "For what", Emily asked on a sigh.
"For falling into Katherine's schemes, for not being a better brother to Lucky, or a friend to you", Nicholas said as he buried his face in his hands. "This isn't meant to make you feel bad, Nicholas", Emily said as she thought about reaching out to him. "You can't make me feel any worse than I usually do", Nicholas hesitantly admitted. "The problem is Emily, you make me feel good about myself and the world and everything. And I cherish that. The problem is that my family is the exact opposite of that, and it hurts when I have been with you and Lucky and Liz and then I have to deal with them. So maybe I keep hoping that if I push you away enough you will stop coming back and I won't have to see what I can't have", Nicholas said as he stood and looked down on her.
"Running away again, Nicholas", Emily asked as she looked up at him. "It's clear you don't want me here", Nicholas said as he turned his back to her. "Just because Laura and Stefan have a tendency to run every time it gets tough, doesn't mean you have to", Emily said as she stood. "If I really didn't want you here, do you think we would even be having this conversation", Emily said as she wiped her tears away. Emily searched for a way to reach him as he stood there in the snow, lost. Finally she made her way down to the sidewalk and gently touched his back.
"We made a promise Nicholas, to always stick together, the four musketeers. It meant something to me", Emily said in a whisper. "Did it mean anything to you", Emily asked trying to get through to him. "It meant, I finally belonged", Nicholas said so quietly that Emily had to strain to hear him. "So why do you keep trying to push us away", Emily asked as she tugged his arm to get him to sit on the bottom step with her. "It's easier to push you away than to wait for you to walk out on your own", Nicholas honestly admitted. "We haven't, I haven't left yet", Emily said determinedly. "No you haven't, but maybe you should", Nicholas said as he took her hand.
Emily smiled as she squeezed his hand and said, "Here's the deal. I'm tired of dating guys that want something from my family. I would like to try going out with a guy who doesn't care what I look like in the morning, or that my family is nuts. So do you know anyone who fits that description". "Lucky, but I don't think Liz is willing to share", Nicholas said as Emily hit him in the arm. "Seriously, Emily, I thought about it, but I don't want to hurt you", Nicholas said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "If it doesn't work at least we're friends and I can stop torturing myself over this", Emily said. "My family", Nicholas started. "Isn't the one I'm going to be dating", Emily finished. "Helena", Nicholas once again started. "Doesn't want to do this", Emily said as she leaned over and tenderly kissed him.
"We will deal with both of our families, together", Emily said as she stood. "Right now we should probable get back inside and make sure Robin is okay", Emily commented. As Nicholas hesitated, Emily asked, "Would you rather spend this evening at Wyndemere with Stefan or at the mansion with grandfather". "No", Nicholas said on a laugh as they headed back up the steps.
"Nicholas, Emily", what are you doing here", Bobbie asked as she and Tony joined them on the steps. "I hope you don't mind we're crashing your Christmas Eve celebration", Nicholas said. "Not at all", Bobbie replied as she gave Nicholas a hug. "I came with Jason and Robin", Emily explained, "and Luke dropped Nicholas off here so we could talk". "Jason and Robin", Tony asked. "They're back together", Emily said, as the other three stared at her and a large crash sounded through the house.