Chapter 17

Emily stood in the middle as the two men glared at each other, both daring the other one to say something. She needed to try and diffuse the situation before it got any worse.

"Hey Sonny. I didn't know you were coming by here today. Is everything alright?"

He spoke to her but still kept his eye on Nikolas. "It's fine. I brought some toys over for the party tomorrow to give to the kids that can't be home for Christmas."

"That's nice. My shifts over why don't I go with you to take them?"

"No, Max is doing that." He put his hands in his pockets and nodded to Nikolas. "I want to hear what the boy prince has to say about how I'm going to hurt you."

"It was the end of a conversation Sonny and I think Nikolas is very much aware of my feelings towards his opinions concerning my life right now."

Now it was Nikolas that wasn't going to back down. "I said what I meant Sonny. You will hurt her. We all know the story of your first wife and Brenda and Carly who might I remind you almost killed Emily a couple of months back and don't forget Reese. Let's see did I leave anybody out?"

She watched Sonny tense up and wished her ex would let it go.

"You want to dish dirt on who's hurt who? It can't get any crazier than your family and that psycho bitch grandmother of yours. How many times did she try to have Emily or anyone else you were with wiped out? And what about the whole Connor thing, she put herself out there for you and in the end you couldn't even stand by her when she needed you the most. I was there when she was going through the worst of it." Sonny put his finger to his chest and then poked it into Nikolas's. "It was me not you so don't tell me that I'm going to hurt her. She's always known the kind of life I lead she wasn't in any way prepared for the one you offered her."

Both of them seemed totally oblivious to her standing there. She was angry with Nikolas for trying to tell her what to do and though she should be angry with Sonny as well she was surprised instead by the feeling of something else. After everything she had been through it felt good to have someone stand up for her to want to fight for her. Although she knew that she and Sonny were only friends it felt good to hear him defend himself for her benefit to someone else. It was also then that she realized that she loved him. He made her feel wanted and needed but most of all protected. 'Oh god tell me I just did not think that.' Emily closed her eyes forgetting, for a moment, the men standing on either side of her. 'I'm in love with Sonny Corinthos.'

"Maybe you don't have far to look for your secret admirer after all Emily. Maybe he's standing right here in front of you. The thing is Corinthos why be so sneaky about it or is slithering in and out at your own convenience the only way you know how to get what you want?"

Emily came back to attention really quick when Sonny pushed her out of the way to lunge at Nikolas. "You sorry piece of ….."

"What's wrong Sonny did I hit a nerve?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about Cassadine but if you value that pretty boy jaw of yours you'll shut it now. By the way if I want her to know something I'll tell her I don't need anyone delivering messages to the women in my life. I like the strait forward honest approach which is more than I can say for the way you handled sleeping with my sister behind Emily's back."

Emily couldn't control the situation and she feared what was coming if they didn't end this now. "Please both of you stop…."

"Straight forward?" Nikolas smirked. "Is that what you told Carly when you hid your then pregnant mistress Sam in the bedroom across the hall?"

Sonny never got to respond but like everyone else couldn't help but take note at the tone of the voice of the one that did.

"That's enough Nikolas."

Even her ex-husband knew it was time to stand down at that point. No one needed to look up to know the look on Jason's face right now. Nikolas knew enough about his former brother-in-law to take careful heed of those three little words.

"I need to go find Courtney anyway. Emily I will always care about you and I only want what's best for you and if that means saving you from yourself," he looked at Sonny, "or anyone else…"

She was exhausted and still reeling from her realizations. "You and I are over Nikolas. You have a new life and so do I, and who I am and who I'm with," lifting her eyes to meet Sonny's, "is no longer any concern of yours. Please just go."

Jason watched the rest of the scene play out before him and understood the look between his best friend and his sister even if they did not already realize it themselves. His worst fears were coming true and he knew that he would be helpless to stop it. Two of the most important people in his life had fallen for each other and the implications as well as the complications of their union would shake the people that knew them best to the core.

Emily never saw Nikolas walk away. Her eyes were held by his, the beautiful dark stained windows to his soul, in them she felt his fears, his frustrations and his pains as well as his happiness and joy both past and present then she realized that he saw hers too. She caught her breath as she hurriedly broke their newly formed connection. Emily couldn't speak she could only stutter. "I, I, I need, need some air."

Sonny reached for her. "Emily wait."

She kept her head down as she tore away nearly running into Sam on her way out. "I need to go."

Sam looked up to see Sonny start after her and heard Jason stop him.

"Sonny?" Jason shook his head knowing that his friend wasn't listening. "Damn it Sonny let….", barely feeling Sam grab his arm as he watched him follow her.

"Let him go Jason. Let them go. It's going to happen whether you like it or not. What will be will be."

"And what if it destroys them? He asked turning to look at his fiancé. "Sam they could hurt each other worse than anyone else has ever hurt them."

She touched his face wanting to comfort his pain and worry. "Yes but what if they could love each other better than anyone else has ever loved them?"

Jason couldn't answer. He knew Sam was right and if it were anyone else telling him this he wouldn't believe it but they themselves had defied the odds and who was he to tell his sister or his best friend they couldn't do the same.

Sam laughed and looked at her watch. "Besides Sonny knows he can't hide from you. Come on we're late for your appointment." Jason put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as he felt hers slide around his waste not looking back as they walked away.