(Author's Notes- Hi everyone!! We're glad people are reading and liking this story!! Please spread the word around! :-)
Disclaimer - (We're trying to cover everything we can) The characters in no way represent real people: hence Characters (Not real) GH & their characters DO NOT belong to us,we are simply using them in a story which is fiction. We DO NOT own GH or its characters. All characters are belong to and are the property of General Hospital and ABC Television Network / Studios. :'( Rats...
Please Read and Review!! Thanks! --Cleopatra1 and E.B.F.R.)
-Chapter 1
The audience full of proud parents watched as Christine walked through the water and to the phantom who was sitting looking at a music box with a monkey on top. She cautiously walked toward him, fearful of what he could do given his broken physical state. She said nothing but, took the sapphire ring from her finger, giving it to the phantom as a memory of her. He took it and the damsel left with her one true love.
The curtains fell and all audience stood up, applauding as the actors and actresses emerged, bowing to them. They bowed once more before getting out of sight.
"Wasn't she wonderful Alan?" Monica asked, blowing her nose quietly and wiping a few tears that fell from her eyes.
"Yes, Emily was wonderful. What do you say we go meet her in back and give her our congratulations?" Alan asked, helping his wife up.
Behind the curtains, in the changing room Emily was washing off the makeup from the performance off. She got the blush off as the door opened and shut quickly, causing her to turn and look at who entered.
She gave a big smile as she saw her boyfriend, Juan. He was holding a single red rose in his hands. She went to him and he gave her a tender hug and a peck on the lips. When they pulled away, he had a red lipstick outline since Emily had yet to wipe off the bright red lipstick she used for the play. She laughed and grabbed a tissue, wiping any trace of it off him.
Juan pulled her near, his arms around her waist. "You were great Em." He complimented her.
"Was I? My voice broke a couple times and I wasn't sure if that ruined the play?" Emily asked, reluctant to believe him.
"I didn't even notice." Juan insisted.
Emily smiled at him and worked on getting the thick, black mascara off. Her character had too much on, at least half the bottle, Emily complained.
Juan made himself comfortable and watched her clean up her face. "Do you want to go get something to eat after you're done?" He asked.
"I wish I could, but it's going to be a long day tomorrow and I need to finish some homework and go to sleep early so I don't fall asleep in court." Emily explained as she continued to clean the mascara off.
Juan shook his head. "I don't know why you're testifying for that guy in the first place. He kidnapped you and threatened you with a gun." Juan argued.
"Juan, I don't want to get into this with you." Emily dismissed the issue immediately because she wasn't sure of her feelings for the situation yet.
"Well, I do." Juan announced and made Emily stop her cleaning so that he could have her full attention.
"Juan, look we've been through this! I'm defending him because…" Emily started to say but Juan interrupted her.
"Because he's innocent! I have heard that time and time again and I still can't understand why. There were so many witnesses to your kidnapping that you over all people shouldn't believe that. And I have to note that that excuse is getting really old." Juan screamed, his tone getting louder by the word.
"But it's true." Emily insisted quietly, like a small child being scolded.
"I don't care if it's true!! You're my girlfriend and that means I own you, and will therefore do as I say. And I am telling you to NOT, under any circumstances, defend him." Juan said, fury burning in his eyes as he stalked closer to Emily.
It was too close for Em's comfort, so she backed up a few steps. Emily knew she was cowering, but truthfully Juan under fury was a bad thing. She took a deep breath and answered his demands.
"Juan." She started, "you are my boyfriend, but that doesn't mean I belong to you. I am not a possession, but a person with feelings who values independence. So I will therefore do what I want to do, and what I want to do is testify, defending Zander." Emily talked back bravely even though she was scared out of her wits.
Juan's eyes look as if flames were sprouting and took a big step towards Emily, towering over her. Someone thankfully decided to interrupt.
"Knock, knock?" Monica says as she and Alan walk through the door, causing Juan to immediately but calmly step back away from Emily.
"Mom, Dad." Emily greeted brightly, relieved that Juan wasn't near her anymore.
"Mr. and Mrs. Quartermaine." Juan said politely, containing his anger.
"Juan." Monica acknowledged. Alan grunted as to answer his presence.
"Emily you were wonderful!" Monica gushed.
"Thanks." Emily replied, giving her mom a hug.
"You look exhausted." Alan commented as she hugged him. He stepped back to study Emily more closely.
"That's going a little overboard dad. I am just tired. And I still have a little homework to do, so I have to get that done." Emily answered, wincing at that thought. She felt like she was about to collapse as it was.
"I'm glad you know that you have to get that done first Emily, but remember you need your rest too." Monica responded.
"Yes Mom." Emily replied, her eyes slightly rolling.
Monica changed the subject. "I saw your friends in the audience. Knowing them they, won't miss a showing. They're probably waiting for you to come out." Monica chuckled, while Juan (unbeknownst to the others) silently seethed with fury.
"Most likely. Thanks for coming back here. I'll see you guys later, when I get home." Emily said as she hugged her parents, escorting them out so she could clean up some more.
When her parent's left, Em turned around and headed back toward the mirror. While Em was concentrating on getting her makeup off Juan closed the door, wanting privacy. He debated locking it, but everyone was suspicious of him as it was.
Concentrating on getting the rest of her mascara off, as well as her eye shadow, Emily didn't see Juan come up behind her and grab her forcefully by the arms, spinning her around so she was facing him.
"Your friends are here? How many times am I going to have to put up with your friends?" Juan growled, scowling.
"A lot, now let me go." Juan's grasp tightened. "Please Juan, you're hurting me." Emily cried out in pain.
"Trust me, if you don't start shaping up and doing as you're told, this hold will tighten even more. If you really have no concept of what I could do to you…" Juan said as he was beginning to lean down for a bruising kiss.
That "kiss" never came.
"JUAN!!" Someone yelled from the doorway, who had heard the previous exchange between the couple.
"Nikolas!" Emily cried in relief after seeing who it was. Juan groaned, not wanting to deal with Emily's friends. He still had not yet taken his hands off her, but loosened his hold thankfully.
"I am only going to say this once and one time only! Get your filthy hands off of Emily now!" Nikolas said, voice growling with fury towards Juan who was holding Emily way too tightly for being only a boyfriend.
"Why should I? I'm her boyfriend; she's mine to do with as I please." Juan replied, using his automatic words when he talked to Emily. Juan soon realized that he had slipped up.
"First, Emily is human so she can be 'yours'. Secondly give me one good reason why I shouldn't enlist my brother's assistance as I pummel the crap out of you?" Nikolas asked as he stalked over to Juan where he loomed over the seemingly shorter teen, willing him to remove his hands from Emily.
"You can't. You can't hurt me because I'm under Emily's jurisdiction." Juan said conceitedly.
"Right this moment, I doubt Emily would care, in fact I think she'll thank me." Nik said confidently.
"Back off Cassadine! This is between me and Emily." Juan spat when he knew Nikolas was right.
"Yeah right, when I become President of the United States it will be." Nikolas said, wondering if Juan actually understood that he (Nikolas) could never be President given his birth place.
"Just back off Nikolas!" Juan yelled, attempting to push Nik away from Emily's side, but Nikolas stayed strong and he was strong enough that Juan wasn't able to move him an inch.
"Juan, please. Just go…" Emily said, looking down at the floor. She wasn't willing to look Juan in the eyes right now, not when tears threatened to fall.
To Juan crying was for babies. She needed to be strong if she wanted to be mature and grown-up in his eyes, though she wondered why she should have to be in the first place.
'Curse me being the emotional and sentimental type!' Emily thought bitterly to herself.
"We'll see each other around Cassadine." Juan said rudely as if it was a threat. "Emily, we'll convene this argument another time and if you love me, you'll prove it next time we see each other." Juan said, stalking out of the room.
"Oh I'll be jumping for joy" Nikolas said sarcastically.
Emily knew exactly what he was referring to. He'd been saying that for the past month and a half. Seemingly Nikolas also knew what Juan was referring to and it only infuriated him more.
He would order Juan's death if he even thought of forcing Emily to do that. Emily was his friend and no one would hurt her as long as he had a say.
"You okay?" Nikolas asked as he hugged her close.
Emily tried desperately not to cry, but being in someone's arms who actually respects her is a different story from the scary moments that took place before.
She broke and sobbed on Nik's shoulder. Nikolas comforted her as she let her tears of fear fall.
"Shh…Emily I promise, I'm not going to let him hurt you. In fact I don't want him near you." Nikolas held her and when Em sunk to the ground in sobs, he gladly went with her.
"I..I don't want him near me either…Nik, he scares me." Emily choked out as more tears fell and clouded her throat.
"Don't worry Lucky and I will protect you." Nik soothed her while she openly admitted her fear.
"Hey – just between us, I was even thinking of getting Jason in this. But I won't do that. I think that's a little extreme even for an ass like Juan." Nikolas said with a small smile.
Em gave off a smirk before a soft, very small smile came on her face.
"All right, come on. Let's wipe those tears away and go meet the others outside, have some fun." Nikolas said, helping Emily up and guiding her to the vanity.
"Okay…Nikolas? Thanks." Emily said, looking at Nik gratefully.
"It's nothing Em. You know whenever you need me, I'll be there, just ask." Nik replied, placing a simple kiss to her cheek as he left her alone, saying he wanted to give her some privacy to get dressed in normal clothes.
(Author's Notes - We hope you liked that chapter everyone!! More drama and action coming soon!! Please Read & Review!! Thanks!! --E.B.F.R & Cleopatra1)