AN:
So this is it. Another one in the can. WOO HOO!! Actually I have a hard time when a fic ends. It's like saying goodbye to a friend. An annoying friend that drives you crazy but still. This fic turned out way better than I thought. I hope that you have enjoyed it too.
~Kelly~
Chapter Four: Old Loves
Surprisingly the zoo wasn't as bad as Nikolas thought. He imagined total chaos from the three boys. But instead, they were fairly well behaved. Well for three little boys anyhow. In the end, it was worth it. He had enjoyed spending time alone with the boys. Now if he could only figure out what was bothering Elizabeth tonight. "Sweetie are you okay?"
"Um... yeah I was just thinking."
"I can see that," he said running a hand down her back. Nikolas knew something was bothering her and he hoped she'd be willing to talk about it. "You've been quite tonight."
"I ran into Lucky at the hospital," she finally said after several moments of silence.
"How did it go?"
"Tense. He's still hurt and angry not that I can blame him."
"And that's why you're quite." he said understanding the confrontation couldn't have been easy on Elizabeth. Nikolas knew she hate fights especially with Lucky. His brother always knew exactly which buttons to push.
"Partly." she agreed quietly. It had shaken her how angry Lucky still was. She placed a kiss to Nikolas's chest before asking, "Do you ever wonder if I loved Lucky more than I love you?"
"No because I know I give you things he never could. He... can't give you what you need to be happy. Where is this coming from? Lucky?"
"He asked me how it felt to be second to Emily."
Nikolas did not know how to respond at first. The last thing he wanted was Elizabeth to ever feel this way. Maybe she didn't but he needed to know how she responded before saying anything else. "And what did you say?"
"I didn't know what to say. Thankfully Patrick broke things up about then."
"Did..." Nikolas paused and took a deep breath. They had been having many of these talks lately. Yet somehow, Lucky and Emily had not come up. "Liz you didn't believe him did you?"
"I don't know. I know better than anyone how much you loved Emily."
"You're right I loved her a lot and when she died I thought it might kill me but it didn't. I moved on very slowly but it happened. And then there you were. You are not second to Emily not to me. I just... I never let myself think about you that way. I could not be that selfish. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I think so."
"Let me explain it like this. I may have fallen for both you and Emily but it's not the same. There are things I love about you Emily didn't have."
"Like what? Elizabeth asked before she could stop herself. After a moment she said, "You don't have to answer that."
"I think I do and for the very reasons you tried to stop me. Emily understood my family in a way no one had before but they scared her. I sometimes even scared her. When I would get in one of my dark moods... I know it bothered her. But you-- you're not scared. I know you don't like them but you don't run from me either. You know what it's like to be discarded by your parents. Laura may care for me now but I don't believe she did before I saved Lulu. Stefan was the closest thing I had to a parent and Audrey pretty much raised you."
"Yeah even though she wasn't exactly expecting me to show up on her door," she said laughing at the memory.
"I wanted you then but I was too busy playing games with Lucky..."
"It was better this way."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah because I didn't see you as anything other than a friend until that kiss at Jake's."
"That was a really good kiss." Nikolas agreed causing her to grown.
"You have such an ego that I won't tell that I agree."
"Well I appreciate that," he said kissing her deeply. When they finally pulled apart, Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder causing them both to relax. "Are we okay?"
"We're better than okay." Elizabeth promised as Nikolas's arm wrapped tighter around her body. The room grew silent as the lovers drifted off to sleep secure in what they had found with each other.
~THE END~