Chapter #15 – Blame and Explanations

Chapter Rating- PG-13

"Emily?" Elizabeth asked, not sure of who or what to believe.

Emily refused to look at her. Her blue eyes boring into Luke, and Nikolas', desperate for him to help her out of this.

"Boys, why don't you eat in your room okay? You can eat in there and you're not in trouble. Us grownups have to talk." Nik told his sons.

"Okay…Mama are you ok?" The boys asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine." Emily said, voice slightly wavering, but flat.

Emily's head followed in the boys' direction as they quietly and obediently went into their room.

"Darlin' why didn't you tell us who you were? We still love you regardless." Luke asked.

"Maybe I had reasons I can't speak of right now Luke." Emily said voice emotionless.

"But–" Luke began

"Luke, leave her alone. She's been through enough." Nikolas said walking over to her.

"Look! No one was supposed to know the truth ok? I put those I love at risk just by telling Nikolas the truth. Luke, you know what I'm doing. You've done it – keep your identity hidden. You have no idea how essential that is to me right now. Emily Quartermaine is dead. I can't be her anymore, I've changed too much! Most of my reasoning for what I do and what I've done is because of those two little boys who just walked out of here." Emily said trying desperately not to cry and keep her stress level down.

"I just can't do this anymore right now. I've got a lot of things on my mind and I'm just trying to make things work."

"Darlin'–"
"Luke, not now okay? Please?" Em begged.

"I know I have a lot of explaining to do. I intend to do so, but aside from when, I never wanted to lie. It was so hard to tell Nikolas the truth of who I am. That was such a huge risk you guys can't even fathom right now. It's also surprisingly scary to me that I was able to get away with lying to you guys for the past few weeks. But nonetheless it never made me proud of it." Emily said after turning her attention to Lucky, Elizabeth and Laura (who was already on that side of the room).

She soon turned to Nikolas and looked into his eyes. He pulled her close, kissing her forehead as she exited the room to go lay down.

When Emily was gone, Nikolas decided to take the brunt of what she might have gotten. But not before he made a few comments of his own.

"Way to go Luke." Nikolas said sarcastically as soon as he realized his wife was out of earshot.

"Sorry, but it had to be said." Luke replied.

"Did it? Did you have to put her under that type of pressure? It's bad enough that she's under stress to begin with. This didn't help her any." Nikolas growled.

"Ok bro, I understand that you guys had your reasons. But it's just us. We're the 4 Musketeers remember? (No matter how long ago that was.) Who are we gonna tell?" Lucky asked, hurt evident in his voice.

"I don't know – Her parents & family maybe? Look – she told you. She already took the biggest risk just by telling me. This isn't easy for any of us and if we could have gotten home sooner trust us- we would have." Nikolas said.

"Still—"

"Luke no! I'm not about to let my wife, my children or anyone in this room get hurt!" Nikolas said, reaching his boiling point.

"Look we need a plan. If we don't have a plan, we're fighting blindly and we're fighting a losing battle." Nikolas said after taking a few deep breaths to decrease his temper.

Food forgotten, everyone present gathered to strategize a plan. No one heard the phone ring where Jasmine was.

She then came out, arms wrapped around herself in self-comfort and protectiveness for the little girls she was carrying. She was not looking well, and looked absolutely terrified.

"Baby are you ok? What's happened? Here, sit down." Nikolas said rushing to her side, only to discover she was trying to control the shaking that was consuming her body.

"No…I'm, I'm not ok…That was him Nikolas. He, he said that he knows we're all in Port Charles and that he can't wait to see us again. He'll get back what's rightfully his: you and me." She replied, trying not to break down.

"What about the twins?" Luke asked.

"He said he thought about it, but said the boys didn't matter to him anymore because they are not Nikolas' sons biologically. He said as soon as I give birth, if one of the twins is a boy, he'll take the baby away as well as Nikolas and teach them by any means necessary to become the Cassadine and the Cassadine Heir. He said if the other baby is a girl that I could keep her, but she and I had better be prepared to do as we're told at a moment's notice, no matter how much we protest. If we refuse we were to be severely punished. Though he said that he doesn't think he'd hurt my baby girl. Just me. He said he'd use me as a bargaining chip of sorts. If Nikolas does as he's told, then he gets time to spend with me. If not…if not, then to serve as his punishment I'll be punished, and whatever the punishment is, Nikolas would have to watch." Jasmine continued, sobbing into Nikolas' shoulder as Nikolas put his arms around her and held her tight.

"He doesn't know anything else that I know of. Just that we're in P.C." Jasmine said, still shaking.

"Shh…shh…I won't let that happen. I won't let you or anyone get hurt. It'll be ok…I know it's hard to calm down now, but you need to for the twins." Nikolas said quietly.

"Emily, didn't you say you were having girls this time around?" Laura asked.

"Mother, everyone for that matter, please try not to use that name." Nikolas requested quietly and Laura and everyone nodded.

"Yes, please don't…it's Jasmine now…I did say they were girls, but that does not leave this room."

"Did he say what happens if both are girls or boys?" Lucky asked.

"No…" Jasmine said.

"Who is this man Jasmine? Is he the twins' biological father?" Laura asked.

Jasmine simply nodded her head in shame.

Laura narrowed her eyes, apparently forgetting what she just heard, or most of what she heard in the last half hour.

"So…let me get this straight…Your sons were 3 years old by the time you met my son and you dragged him into this? Now his life is in danger, my husband, my youngest son and his fiancée as well as myself are all hauled into this mess because of you? Emily how could–"

"MOTHER! Stop it! That's enough! Don't you dare blame my wife for this. She's done NOTHING wrong! She was kidnapped at 16 ok? So was I. Our captor didn't let us see each other until 3 years later, and by that time my wife's name and identity were stripped away from her." Nikolas yelled, eyes narrowed, jumping to his wife's defense.

All were shocked at Laura's sudden blame.

"Laura, I understand your reasoning for blaming me, but please know I was telling you the truth when I said I didn't see Nikolas again until 3 years later. It took me everything I had not to break down and cry in front of him at the fact that he was alive and standing in front of me." Jasmine pleaded with the older woman.

"It took me another 3 years alone just to dare get the courage to tell him my real name, knowing the risk that I was taking. For 3 years, Nikolas was in the dark about me. If Nikolas were to ever slip up, the consequences would be deadly!"

"Deadly for who?You?" Laura asked angrily and incredulous that this once sweet girl could be so selfish.

"No, Laura! Deadly for those two little boys in the other room that Nikolas and I hold so dearly to our hearts and would die for in less than a heartbeat!" Jasmine cried out passionately.

"Jasmine…" Nikolas said, rubbing her shoulders, trying to decrease her rising stress level.

"Anyone, especially Nikolas ever reveals that they know the truth of who I really am, then I'll never see our boys again. For the first 3 years before I saw Nikolas again, they were the only ones who kept me alive and fighting. The only ones. I had no one else there to help me and tell me it was gonna be ok in the end. No one. Just my sons. Pure innocence. And you don't think that it rips me apart day by day, hour by hour, and second by second that I have dragged my sons, and everyone in this room into this? You don't think that hurts?"

Jasmine paused, closing her eyes, and taking a few deep breaths. Nikolas quietly tried to encourage her to go into the other room because the stress wasn't healthy. However, Jas knew she now had Laura's undivided attention and she was prepared to make sure Laura knew how dedicated she (Jas) was to protecting those she loves.

"Laura how long have you known me? I've been best friends with Lucky since I was 11!! You know that. You also know that I'd never purposely drag either of your sons or anyone else I love or care about into dangerous situations! Do you have any idea how much trouble I've gotten in over the years? Do you know how many times I refused to tell anyone in this room that something was wrong?"

"Remember…remember when we all got caught up in that whole mess in the summer of 2000? I was so freaked out. I couldn't call anyone or do anything. Lucky didn't know where I was. He found me. I didn't call or give him any type of clue where I was – he found me Laura terrified, alone, and shaking. I begged him not to call the cops because I already had a record from when I OD'd at 14. I panicked, so Lucky proceeded to call everyone else. I couldn't look anyone in the eyes, not even Lucky's. He'll tell you exactly what I said if you still don't believe me."

"Okay, that's it. You're going into the other room to rest right now. No arguments. You're too stressed." Nikolas said, fed up with this entirely pointless argument between his wife and mother.

"I have one more thing to say Nikolas."

"Laura, you have no idea how many times I've tried to take things on by myself that were way over my head. This situation here and now is one of them. Even though everyone is involved now, I'm still trying to keep everyone at a distance so if they do suffer at all, the consequences are as minimal as possible."

Jasmine couldn't read Laura's face and therefore wasn't sure of her reaction. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was.

"Mama, why are you yelling?" Anthony asked with Darien close behind, poking their heads out before Laura could speak.

Jasmine's head immediately whipped over to her sons.

"Come here boys." She said in a quiet, loving tone.

Both boys came over to her as she sat down on the couch.

"Why were you and Papa yelling? You said you never would, or at least never try to." Darien asked. The boys hated whenever Stavros had yelled at their mother.

"Boys, sometimes grownups yell when they're upset at something. They don't mean to yell, but when something bugs them it sometimes seems like the only way to say and explain things, when it truly isn't. Your dad and I didn't mean to yell at anyone. We don't like to yell, nor do we like to be yelled at ourselves. It's no fun." Jasmine explained, looking her sons in the eyes hoping to erase the fear that was there.

"Your mother is right boys. You really shouldn't yell at people, and always treat them with the respect that you would like to be treated with. We didn't mean to yell or scare you. Always know that we love you no matter what." Nikolas added, going over to his family.

"We love you too." The boys chorused.

"Mama, did you figure out names for the babies yet?" Anthony asked.

"No not yet. I don't remember if your dad and I told you but just in case we didn't, you two are going to have to little sisters to help take care of."

"Really?!" Both boys exclaimed with excitement.

"Yes, really." Nikolas confirmed with a smile.

"I always wanted a little sister!! Now I get 2!" Darien cried happily.

Jas couldn't help but let out a heartfelt laugh, while hugging and tickling her sons.

"Come on boys, let's go in the other room and see if we can narrow down the list of names." She said, escorting them there.

As the boys raced ahead of her, Jasmine stopped before reaching the doorway and mouthed "Thank You." to Nikolas who nodded in reply.

Nikolas spoke when the bedroom door was shut.

"I have no idea where that came from mother, but do you understand now? Do you see how good she is with our sons? How much it will shatter her to pieces if those little boys get taken away? I still don't understand how you could even think to blame her, especially when you know her better than that." Nikolas spat.

"Nikolas, I'm going to go with her, I want to check on her stress levels, blood pressure, and I just want to monitor her for a few minutes." Liz said, realizing the thick tension in the room between mother and son.

"Thanks that will definitely help." Nikolas replied.

Nik & Jas's Room-

Being able to teach her sons to read as well as reading to her sons was a great joy for Jasmine. They were doing well, and from what she could tell, they were reading at about a 2nd grade level – even at 6 years old. She was happy that her sons were advanced, but only encouraged them if they wanted to be and she and Nikolas never pushed them to any kind of excessive level.

Jasmine was proud and happy that her sons wanted to learn.

The three of them hadn't decided upon any names when Elizabeth poked her head in asking if she could check Jas's stress level and blood pressure.

"Are...are you mad at me?" Jasmine asked hesitantly.
"No. You had your reasons. Very good ones at that. But Lucky's right. We're still the 4 Musketeers - we always have been and always will be." Liz stated.
"Yeah, I know. I miss those days so much." Jas replied in a reflective voice.
"Me too." Liz replied.

"Jas, you may be annoyed at me for saying this, but this is going to be under doctor's orders. I'm putting you on bed rest for the rest of today and probably tomorrow."

"Liz no, I can't! I have to–"

"Jasmine, please don't argue. You're stress level is way too high, even for my comfort. It's border-lining on dangerous. Remember stress affects both the mother and the baby. You're under too much pressure and stress already, and that confrontation with Laura did not help matters any. As your doctor I am ordering you (sorry for the poor choice of words) to stay in bed." Elizabeth said, not giving Jas even the slightest chance to argue.

"Yeah Mama, aren't doctors supposed to know how to take care of you? Isn't that what you always say?" Darien asked his mother.

Elizabeth just smiled, knowing her best friend just got out-smarted by her own son.

Jasmine sighed. "Yes baby, your right. I do say that, and it is true. I give up, your Aunt Elizabeth is right."

"Boys you can sit up here with me if you'd like but you can't jump up and down (which you already know) ok? Just be very gentle and careful when climbing up here." Jasmine reminded them.

"We will!" Both boys exclaimed.

"Now I'm going to let you rest, and tell Nikolas that you're on bed rest." Liz said as she began to leave.

"No Liz don't…Then he won't let me do anything." Jasmine complained, almost whining.

"Would you rather have Nikolas watch over you, or your sons?" Liz said, smiling knowing she her friend in one of those positions where she wouldn't be thrilled with either answer.

Elizabeth laughed when Jasmine's response was to bury her head in her pillow. Jas's sons were playing quietly as Liz quietly left and shut the door.

(A/N- Please R&R, thanks! -E.B.F.R)