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Chapter 22

11pm

Nikolas was not sure bringing Kelly back to Wyndermere was a good idea. But she was a hard woman to resist.

In the Jag, his eyes had kept drifting from the road to her gorgeous legs.

On the boat, her hair whipped in the wind, her smile was magnificent in the moonlit, and her eyes stayed on his, dragging him into a private world where only what they felt mattered. There was no past, no future, only this woman wanting him to be with her.

Wanting him to love her for tonight.

In his living room, he poured them both a drink.

"I don't need alcohol to do this," she said "We're past that."

Nikolas moved close to her, he brushed her hair away from her face.

"Kelly, you amaze me. Do you know these lips," he kissed her "these eyes, these hands of yours, your sweet voice, all of you, you are in my dreams every night."

Her voice was husky as she told him, "I can be more than a dream, Nikolas. We can be..."

His lips merged with hers again and all her words were forgotten.

They moved together to the couch, kissing. A while passed and Nikolas pulled away, "We should slow down."

"I don't like to move slow."

"Kelly, I want to know all of you- your mind, your dreams, what makes your heart soar and fall- before I know your body."

"Look in the mirror, Nikolas. That is what makes my heart soar. You."

He smiled. "I don't deserve you, Kelly. And you don't really know what you are getting into."

She kissed his jaw, his cheek, his mouth.

"You're worth it, whatever it is." she said

Nikolas scooted back, though it was hard as hell to do, "Will you spend the night?"

"Yes."

"To talk. I want to tell you about myself, my family, and what it means to connect your life with that of the Cassadines."

Nikolas was determined to not let this amazing woman get hurt, even if he had to protect her from himself.

11: 15 pm

CRUZ AND ROBIN were alone at her place.

They sat on the couch, angled towards each other.

"You seem distracted," Robin told Cruz.

"Sorry. I was just wondering if Lucky is okay. He left pretty upset about Liz being here with Pete."

"Call Lucky and check on him. If he doesn't sound good we'll go and track him down."

Cruz raised an eyebrow, impressed by her, "You would go on a rescue mission with me?"

"To help a friend out, sure." Robin said

Cruz made the phone call and when he hung up said, "He seemed calmer. Said he was just going into a meeting. I think he'll be alright for tonight. I could tell he wasn't on anything."

"Good. Because as a doctor I can assure you there is no pill to cure heartache."

Cruz nodded and asked her, gently, "How have you been with healing yours this week?"

Robin answered honestly, " I have my moments. My symptoms come and go, you might say."

"I know that feeling," he said "This week I've suffered an ailment myself."

Robin scooted closer, concerned. Her hand covered his forehead to check for a fever. "What is it?"

"Missing you," he said tenderly.

Her heart flip flopped.

"Kiss me "she said, staring at his lips.

The cops lips curved into a sexy smile, Robin's heart sped up.

"Now," she ordered

He moved towards her slowly.

12: 30 am

AFTER THE NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS MEETING, Emily walked with Lucky up to his room at Kelly's.

Once they were inside, she said "You going to be all right?"

He replied bitterly, "Not going to jump out the window, if that is what you're asking."

"This window?" She joked "You wouldn't do very much damage anyway. Give it a go if you get desperate."

"Em." he voice warned her not to even try because there was no way she was going to make him smile.

"Luck." She grinned at him, and his face relaxed.

He let out a breath. "What am I doing living at Kelly's at this point in my life?"

"Recovering. It takes time." She met his eyes. "You can do it though. I believe in you."

Lucky looked away.

She gently used her hand to turn his face back toward her. "I always have and I always will. There's no giving up going on tonight or ever."

"Without Elizabeth I don't know if there is a reason to stay clean."

"Let me see your wallet."

He handed it to her. She took out a picture of Cameron.

"Here is your reason, Lucky. He's counting on you. I am counting on you. Being a hero might be hard but you are one to both of us."

Her arms wrapped around his neck and she heard Lucky sniffle. Many times he had helped her to make it through, and now she would help him. Maybe he had did more for her in the past, or her for him. Neither of them could say for sure.

No one was keeping score.

2 am

BROOKLYN stood outside the club with her boyfriend and watched her dad's limo drive away.

Lainey had seemed, to her, different than the sedate woman who dated Justus. Tonight she was all smiles and laughs.

Brooklyn was unsure how she was supposed to feel about this.

Joey said, "Great set tonight, babe."

"Thanks," she replied, distractedly, as she dialed her phone.

A male voice answered, half asleep, "Hello?"

She cried into the phone, "My dad is dating someone!"

"Who is this?"

She said the next two words slowly and loud, "WAKE UP!"

Dillon sat straight up in bed. "Brooklyn? What time is it?"

"My dad is dating someone. In all the daily emails you send me about Lulu, Spinelli and your Scooby Doo gang mysteries you couldn't mention that my DAD IS DATING SOMEONE?!"

"You said that like three times already."

"I want details."

"Lainey is a doctor at General Hospital.."

"I know all that, Dillon. I meant I want dirt. Is it serious with them? Is she good for him? Do you like her?"

"I don't know. Yes. And yes."

Brooklyn sighed. "You have to keep an eye on them for me."

"You want me to spy on my brother?"

"You spy for Luke Spencer. You spy for Blondie Spencer. But you can't spy for me, your own flesh and blood and the one person in the family who is always on your side against..."

"Okay, okay, I will spy for you."

"Thank you."

"Lainey really is nice," Dillon told his niece.

"I know that."

"So be happy for Ned."

"I'll try, Dil."

Brooklyn hung up. Her boyfriend, Joey, said "Getting a new evil step monster?"

"Evil? No." Brooklyn answered "Stepmother? Maybe."

4:30 am

Emily could barely recall the last time she went fishing. It had to be over four years before when she joined Lucky and Lulu on a ice fishing adventure. Lucky had been trying to make up for the fact that Luke wasn't around to take his daughter. Like that day, she figured, tonight wasn't really about catching fish.

By waiting outside at 3: 40 am, she had been able to avoid Milo ringing the bell when he arrived.

Now they sat on the grass next to the Quatermaine lake. The only light around them came from a lantern Milo had brought.

They softly spoke to each other as they held their poles in the water.

"I didn't know you were engaged once," Emily said, surprised at learning this new piece of information.

"It lasted about five minutes," Milo said "We were high school sweethearts. Then one day, we were around nineteen then, Miranda asked me to choose between my job and her..." His words trailed off, but the choice he had made was clear.

"Oh," Emily said softly

A moment passed. Milo watched ripples dance across the moonlit water. He held his breath as he waited to see if Emily could accept that he wouldn't be changing professions for her or anyone else.

She asked, "Do you ever regret your choice?"

He glanced her way, "Regrets don't change anything." His words were calm, resigned.

"I know but still...I have some. I wished some of my choices had worked out differently," she admitted "Although, if they had, I wouldn't be here so..." she smiled "maybe all those regrets are really gifts."

His eyes took in the image of her, an elegant casualness about the way she lounged next to him. She's amazing. Why would she want to spend time with me? I'm not that lucky. he said silently

Emily continued, thinking about how Milo made her feel safe and normal for the first time since the rape. When she was with Sonny she did her best to help him but everything around them was stressed, never did he give her this peaceful feeling she had with Milo.

"I wouldn't want to miss this... knowing you, Milo... for anything."

Every fiber of his being wanted to lean over and kiss her at that moment, but he waited too long, and she looked back toward the water.

Emily cried, excited, "I think I have a bite! Wow! I didn't think we would actually catch anything."

They both stood up and reeled in her line. There was a tiny fish on it.

"Awww, it's a baby." she said "We have to throw it back."

He removed it and tossed it back in.

"Have a good life, fishy," Emily said

"You're adorable." Milo said, his eyes stuck on her.

She looked at him, got serious. And he lost his breath.

Emily said, " Thank you. You're not half bad yourself."

Milo grinned. And started to wonder if the impossible could happen, could she fall for him? Could a guy who was background all day, a step away from the exciting players in town, finally be the one who got the dream come true?

"Want to go in?" he nodded toward the lake.

"Are you serious? The water is probably freezing!"

"You only live once," he challenged

For a moment they stared at each other. Then Milo peeled off his shirt and headed for the water.

Emily laughed, the sound ringing through the night air, and then, fully clothed, she followed him in.

Two minutes later they were dripping wet, holding hands and running from the lake to the house to warm up.

NOTE- The Milo and Em date was inspired by the Garth Brooks song Fishin' in the Dark. I haven't specified what time of year this story takes place but I have been imagining it as early spring 2007, since there has been no snow or cold weather mentioned.