Patrick and Elizabeth lie in bed as he gently made circles along the scar at the bottom of her abdomen.
"What did it feel like?" he asked innocently for a doctor.
"What do you mean?" she murmured.
"Pregnancy, the c-section?"
"Pregnancy with Cam was weird. I mean I had lost Ric and my baby…and then I got pregnant with Cameron, and I just remember feeling happy, sad, scared, confused, and overjoyed. The birth I don't remember the pain; I just remember the joy of him…its something I will never forget" she said tearing up at the memory.
"Oh"
"Babe, what's up why the prenatal q and a session?" she asked smiling.
"I have this patient…the one from Greece…she doesn't remember anything. She has a c-section scar…from about two years ago…I just…I wanted to understand what it is like for her not to remember her child" he said a bit mystified.
"Uh-oh is this the ever arrogant Patrick Drake going soft?" she told him.
"Nurse Webber do you detect anything soft around her?" he said pulling her into his muscular chest.
"Nope" she said cuddling in.
It was one of the boring benefits for the hospital and Nikolas was making his rounds when Maxie walked in.
"Hey you" he said encircling her waist with his arms.
She smiled and warmed against his embrace as he pulled her out to the quietness on the terrace.
"Oh my dear sweet Nikolas where is that charming little boy of yours tonight?" they heard come from the side of them.
The couple turned to see Helena smiling wickedly at them.
"He is at home with the nanny and the bodyguards" Nikolas said dryly.
"Oh my Nikolas I don't know why you would imply that I wish to do harm to the little Prince's perfect head" she told him infuriating him.
Nikolas was about to turn to leave when Helena turned to Maxie.
"Well hello my dear I don't think we have met. You are the commissioner's daughter, right Miss Jones?"
"Yes, I am" Maxie said as politely as she could through gritted teeth.
"Oh my Nikolas I see you have followed the rest of the Cassadine men and their weakness' for blue eyed blondes" she told him as he made his way to leave.
"Although I am happy that it was not the Quartermaine brat who sired the heir…even if it was an ex stripper adulteress" she said watching him go.
It was at that moment he let go of Maxie arms and practically lunged at Helena grabbing her upper arms firmly.
He put his face so close she could feel the anger radiating from him, "if you ever utter another word about Courtney so help me God woman I will kill you" he spat at her.
He then thrust her away from his body like a piece of garbage.
She smiled cruelly as she watched him stomp away.
"Are you okay?" Maxie asked waiting until Nikolas was settled into the car and driving.
"I'm sorry" he stated simply.
"What for?"
"I didn't want you to have to see that…my family" he told her still fuming.
"Nikolas…I know all about your family, heck half the town grew up on ghost stories about them…but I don't care about them…I care about you, and Matthew, okay?" she asked as he pulled up to her apartment.
"Wanna come up?" she asked.
His mind was preoccupied, "I promised Matthew I wouldn't be home too late" he said smiling and leaning in for a quick peck.
"Okay call me later" she said as she ran up and disappeared inside the door.
He parked his car and began the walk to the launch across the docks.
This was the one place he couldn't escape it…their first kiss was there, the place they walked after they made love for the first time…this was their place. Her in the green halter top, or her running shoes looking perfect with her hair pulled into a ponytail. He swore that if he closed his eyes he could see her…with her bright big smiled beaming back at him. He knew the tears were there, and yet he did nothing to dry them. As he heard the launch approached he smiled sadly.
"I love you Court, always" he said whispering into the sea filled wind.
He climbed into bed with Matthew who was half asleep in his attempt to wait up for him.
"Have fun daddy?" he asked sleepy voiced.
"Nope, I missed you too much to have fun" he said kissing atop the boy's head.
"Miss you too Daddy…daddy tell me the story about mommy" he asked yawning.
Nikolas smiled at their usual bedtime story, "well your mommy was the most beautiful person your daddy had ever laid eyes on. But it took daddy a long time to notice…but once her really took a good look at her; he knew that your mommy would change his life forever" he started out and twisted the fairy tale version of the story for their son.
The next morning he awoke a tad later than usual, which Sam still considered obscene and made his way downstairs to where he knew his son would be.
It seemed to be a tradition that every morning Alexis and Matthew would be first to rise. And while everyone slept tucked upstairs they had their ritual. That is where he found them sitting at the breakfast nook; Matthew with the funny pages and Alexis with the New York Times chatting.
"Aunt Lexis" he asked.
"Yes sweetie" she said peering over her newspaper.
"My daddy said my mommy was a Princess" he told her grinning.
"Well that's exactly right. See your daddy is a Prince; so the girl he loves the most, your mommy, was the Princess" she told him.
"Does that mean Maxie is going to be the new Princess and mommy won't be a Princess anymore" he asked sadly.
He saw Alexis catch her breath, "no sweetie, your mommy will always be your daddy's princess, want to know why?" she asked getting close to his face.
"Why" he whispered trying to hold in the giggle.
"Because your mommy gave your daddy you…and for that reason she will always be Daddy's princess" she told him kissing his forehead.
He seemed to take that answer well and settle back into his "reading." Nikolas composed himself before entering.
"DADDY!" Matthew exclaimed.
"Hey buddy, Whatcha doing?" he asked picking him up.
"We are reading the paper, silly!" he exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air.
He loved Matthew's expressiveness, a trait obviously passed down by Courtney. The little boy's emotions could be read by a simple glance, a smile, and the way his eyes lit up.
"Dada, go see mommy now?" the boy asked of their morning ritual.
"Yep, you ready" he asked.
"Uh-uh, down first…please" he said as Nikolas sat him down and he ran through the house.
"I heard what you told him" Nikolas said eying Alexis over the paper.
Alexis didn't nod she just looked over her glasses as he spoke again, "thank you" he told her.
"For what? For telling a little boy the truth. Those of us who doubted your love for Courtney in life…we were wrong. I saw it the day you lost her Nikolas…and the day you gained Matthew. I only wish I would have realized sooner; Courtney was an amazing woman, and I wish I could have got to know her better…but now I can make up with it by loving her son in a way that honors her memory" she told him looking into his eyes.
He closed his eyes and smiled, "you know you are my favorite Cassadine, right?" he asked.
She smiled but could offer no response because Sam spoke instead, "hey what am I chopped liver?" she asked padding down in her pajamas.
"Oh it's you again" Nikolas teased.
"Whatever you say Prince" she said smiling pouring coffee.
"Auntie Sam, why are you awake so early?" Matthew asked running through the door again and into her arms.
"I'm going to go pick up Uncle Jason today from the airport" she told him tickling him.
"Yes! Uncle Jason is back!" he cried happily.
"Can I go with you to pick him up/ I want to see planes land. Please?" he asked excitedly causing all the adults to smile.
"Yeah buddy, but let's go see your mommy first, okay?" Nikolas asked taking him back into his arms.
"Okay daddy, I got something special for mommy too" he said grinning.
They made the short trip to the cliffs that surrounded the Island. Nikolas sat at the edge and just looked out. Looked out over the same ocean…he knew that when he did that before that she must have been looking out too…they were destined to find each other.
"How are you feeling" Patrick Drake asked as he came into the patient's room.
She was simply standing there staring out the window at the ocean.
"You ever wonder if there is someone staring at that same ocean wondering the same thing as you?" she asked.
"I guess I had, but I found her" he said dimples ablaze.
"Then you are a lucky man" she said smiling wide her whole face lighting up.
"That I am, so how are you feeling" he asked again.
"Physically, I feel great…emotionally…I'm confused" she told him.
"Any flashes of memory?" he asked checking her pupils.
"Tiny bits, mostly I think from when I was a kid…I don't know why, I just do"
"Well that's a start" he told her sitting down.
She was quiet for a long second before speaking quietly, "I have had a child, right?" she asked tears in her voice.
"Do you remember?" he asked.
"No, but my scar…I knew what the scar was from" she said sounding sad.
"Listen, you will remember, you just go to give it time" he told her wanting to believe his own words.
It left her with a sense of loss…how could she just not remember her child she wondered…and why would those brown eyes just not leave her alone?
Elizabeth Webber opened up the box of pictures looking for some to finish Cameron's scrapbook. She was looking for the ones from she and Lucky's wedding when she spotted a familiar face. There looking dashing as always in his tux was Nikolas, brightly smiling with a blonde in a red dress on his arm. They looked so happy…she wished so much that she could have shared in their happiness. She took the picture and placed in on the mirror reminding herself to call Nikolas.
"Matthew, what's that" he asked the little boy clutching something from the yard.
"I found this when we were talking to mommy…it was real pretty" he said opening up his palm.
Nikolas couldn't believe what he saw when Matthew opened up his palm. There lie Courtney's engagement ring…the one he never got to place on her finger, the one he had thrown in the stream. Right there in their son's hand. He took it from the boy and patted his head before he left with Sam.
He didn't know what to do with it…it had come back again to him, and he just didn't feel right throwing it away. So he set it on his bureau the platinum and diamonds shining under the light illuminating the room.
"Honey, I'm home" Patrick announced coming through the door.
"In here" Liz yelled from the bedroom.
He walked in and put his keys down glancing up at the mirror. What he saw would changed the course of their lives.
He gasped audibly before grabbing the picture…there was no way…no way at all…but it had to be…and he knew in that moment that stranger with no memory was no stranger at all.
A/N: Sorry it took so long, I go through these droughts…but I do have a plan for this story, so I really hope you are still enjoying. I appreciate everyone who reads and reviews, you guys are awesome!