"I can't believe this day is finally here," Nadine declared happily as she watched Nikolas finish carefully packing the photographs and artwork that had come to fill her room over the past two weeks. She had tried to get up to help him, but he had insisted that she reserve her strength for the car ride home. Today was a big day for both of them. It marked the first time someone would officially live with him other than Spencer since Emily had died and the first time Nadine had stayed with anyone other than her family for more than a few days. Thought neither of them had confessed it aloud to the other, they were both mixed with anxiety and excitement over the next phase of their relationship. Both understood that it wasn't a permanent situation, but Nadine couldn't help but feel like it could be if they wanted it to be.
Nikolas smiled up at her as he secured the latches on her suitcase and propped it up against the window sill. He had sent for the town car earlier when the doctors had come to complete her final exam, meaning that it would be there any minute. He was excited about finally bringing her home. His days had been spent with Spencer in the mornings and at the hospital with Nadine in the afternoon. Some nights he would sit by her bed for hours, others she would force him to go home and get some real sleep in his own bed. "I know, it'll be nice for both of us to get back to normal, whatever that is at this point," he teased. "Honestly, I'm just happy that you are finally and truly okay. I know that you still have a lot of recovering to do, but it's nice not to break out into a sweat every time my phone rings, worried that something else happened to you."
"Aw, you worry about me?" she teased as he propped himself up on the mattress near her waist. A slight blush worked its way up his neck as he reached across for her hand. Since he had been spending all this time with her at General Hospital, he felt the need to do that all the time. He was always holding her hand, brushing his thumb inconspicuously over her wrist, if only just to feel her pulse to remind him that she was still alive. Nadine had survived nearly dying, and she was still here with him. "Seriously, Nikolas, thank you for everything you've done over the past two weeks. I know that I could have made it through this without you, but I wouldn't have wanted to."
"Nikolas, the car is waiting downstairs for you," Leyla announced from the doorway. The beautiful Persian nurse was dressed in dark purple scrubs, indicating that she was still on duty. Nadine was thankful for that relationship as well during her time in the hospital. Leyla had been a faithful visitor, her time spent at Nadine's bedside only surpassed by the Cassadine prince. She would come in each day to make sure that her best friend got little girl time, giving them both the opportunity to gossip about the men in their lives. Leyla had begun to admit that she was secretly a little more than enchanted with Jax's constant pursuing. Nadine relished the chance to dissect the details of Nikolas' latest declaration. "Looks like you're finally getting out of here, eh? I guess I'm just going to have to trudge out to Wyndamere now to see my best friend."
"You are always welcome, Leyla," Nikolas responded with a polite smile. He called down to the driver to assure him that they would be down in a few minutes. "I'm not sure what hospital protocol is here. Does she need a wheelchair or can she just walk out?"
"A wheelchair," Nadine answered for him. A defiant grimace had appeared on her usually sunny features as she thought about having to be rolled out of this room. She had been working so hard at physical therapy the last week so that she would be strong enough to go home. The last thing she wanted to do was get in that chair and admit that she wasn't as progressed as she would have liked. Now, she watched as Nikolas picked up her pair of suitcases and waited patiently for one of the orderlies to come in with that wheelchair. "Wait, is Prince Nikolas Cassadine actually going to carry his own luggage?"
"No, I am not," he retorted pointedly. "I am going to carry your luggage downstairs, Princess Nadine Crowell. I know that I may not know normal things like where my staff keeps the vacuum, but I am perfectly capable of taking your bags down to the car." The two of them exchanged an amused look, completely forgetting that Leyla was even in the room with them. That actually happened a lot. They spoke their own language in a way, something that usually happened only after years of being together. Nikolas sat the baggage back in an armchair next to the door when a man appeared with her wheelchair. Nadine smiled excitedly as she swung her toned legs over the edge of the bed. The orderly started to reach for her hand to help her into the chair when Nikolas called out to stop him. "Actually, if you don't mind, I would like to help her. I figure I should get used to it since I am going to be taking care of her."
"You are not going to take care of me, and I am not going to be using this wheelchair at Wyndamere," Nadine argued as she slipped her small hand into his. Nikolas chuckled at her jutted chin and simply shook his head. She was one of the most stubborn people he had ever known. With his other hand guiding her back, they managed to make a smooth transition from the hospital bed to the chair. Nadine squirmed in the seat for a minute, trying to make herself comfortable. When she was finally satisfied, she nodded happily. Just as she was about to ask Leyla to take her downstairs, there was a knock at the door. "Lucky, Elizabeth! What are you guys doing here?"
"They're here to help me get you home," Nikolas answered for them before resting his hands on the handles of her chair. She looked up at him confusedly over her shoulder. "Lucky, if you could get her bags in that chair, I'd like to push her downstairs."
It was Nadine's turn to giggle as she pressed her foot down firmly on the ground so that he couldn't push her forward. Lucky and Elizabeth laughed in unison at her rebellious gesture. "Wait, so you never had any plans of actually carrying my suitcases downstairs, did you? I should have known that the Prince was never going to do a task that is so obviously beneath him. Why did you even have them come here? Your driver just could have done all this. That is what you pay them for, which you are always reminding me when I try to do anything for myself."
Elizabeth and Lucky looked from the blonde to the brunette in their little game of bantering tennis. "Yeah, Lucky would be the driver, too," Nikolas confessed. "That call downstairs was to him. We talked in code because I knew you would refuse to let anyone help you. It's hard enough for you to accept it from me. Anyhow, I asked Lucky and Liz to come help me get you home. I thought that we could celebrate your release with a dinner at Wyndamere with them. However, since you had to argue with me, that is no longer a surprise. Are you satisfied now?"
Nadine bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him sheepishly. He had just wanted to do something nice for her, and she had almost been a little mad at him for inconveniencing their friends. "I'm sorry," she apologized in a small voice. Nikolas shook his head with a reassuring smile before leaning down to kiss her cheek. He whispered his forgiveness into her ear in a low and suggestive tone, indicating that he just wanted to take her home. "Alright, if all my entourage is here, let's get out of here."
"Wait just a minute," Patrick announced from the doorway. He held a few sheets of paper in his hand, which he promptly handed over to Nikolas. "That is everything you need to know to take care of Nadine. Leyla told me that you had hired a nurse to come in twice a day to change out her bandages. The nurse will show you how to do it when she is in tomorrow just in case you should have to do it yourself. There are a few prescriptions for pain medication should she need it. There are also a few exercises she can work on between physical therapy appointments and a list of forbidden activities. Nadine, you really need to avoid as much physical activity as you can. It won't take much to tire you out, especially over the next few days. No walking up and down the stairs without help, no standing on your feet for long periods and no sex. Got it?"
Lucky stifled a laugh as he looked at Nadine's wide eyes and Nikolas' surprised demeanor. "Uh, yeah, we understand," Nikolas retorted as Nadine replied, "You don't have to worry about that." Nikolas looked down at the blonde with a slightly confused look. He didn't exactly like how adamant her last comment had been. She could at least pretend to be a little put off about not being able to be intimate with him. It wasn't like he was planning on bedding her the minute they got to Wyndamere, not that the thought hadn't crossed his mind a million times since she had been in GH. As if she could read his mind, she ran her hand up his arm and squeezed his wrist. "Yeah, so that kind of sucks, but you're just going to have to find a way to resist my charms."
Nikolas laughed appreciatively at her candor before dropping a quick kiss on the crown of her freshly washed hair. "If there isn't anything else, I think we are going to be on our way," Nikolas told Patrick. The doctor nodded his permission as Leyla leaned down to embrace her friend. She promised a visit soon and followed behind the foursome as they headed for the elevator. When the lift arrived, it was already packed with people. "Why don't you two go on down so that Lucky can bring the car around? We'll take the next one and meet you out front."
"Sounds good," Elizabeth agreed as she grabbed Lucky's hand and pulled him into the elevator. He was trying to protest, saying that it would be easier if they all just waited, when Elizabeth jabbed him sharply in the ribs. Nadine could hear her telling Lucky that Nikolas wanted some time alone with her just as the doors shut.
"Alone at last," Nikolas announced as he dropped to his knee in front of her chair. Even in the midst of the busy lounge, he managed to make her forget all of her surroundings and see only him. She threaded her arms around his neck and looked intently into his dark eyes. It was going to be pure hell spending all that time in Wyndamere and not being able to be with him – really be with him. She had hoped that they would finally take the next step when she went home with him. It was all she had dreamt about these past two weeks in the hospital. All of her reasons for waiting had seemed good at the time, but they no longer seemed to matter.
From the moment she had met him, Nadine had wanted Nikolas Cassadine. Now that she finally had his heart, she wanted to have all of him. One glance down at the faint outline of his rippled abs in that navy v-neck sweater reminded him just how much that was true. Shaking her head, she forced those naughty thoughts out of her mind and tried to think about anything else. "So, what's for dinner? You have no idea how much I am looking forward to eating real food. I've appreciated the contraband you've managed to sneak in here from Alfred, but I can't wait to sit at a table and eat an actual meal."
"Well, I thought that I would go a little crazy and order your favorite," he grinned. The snob in him would forever be perplexed by people's insane devotion to the obviously unhealthy food, but he would indulge Nadine's every whim and craving if it meant she would look at him the way she was looking at him now. "You know how hard this is for me, so you better appreciate it. There should be an extra cheese and mushroom pizza waiting for you when we get home."
Nadine clapped happily before throwing her arms back around him. "I am very appreciative, Mr. Cassadine," she promised in a sultry tone as she leaned forward in her chair. His hands slipped around her slim waist and pulled her slightly further toward him. "In fact, if we hadn't just received strict orders, I would show you just how appreciative I am."
Nikolas sputtered at her uncharacteristic declaration and leaned back to look at her. Desire danced in her eyes as she ran her tongue across her bottom lip, dragging his gaze downward to land on her pert mouth. "I guess we'll just have to settle for this then," he murmured just before pressing his mouth to hers. The two of them became lost in the kiss until the elevator dinged.
"Oh, excuse me!" Monica Quartermaine exclaimed as she walked off the elevator and stepped around the couple to dodge Nadine's wheelchair. Her tone was surprised, not at all condescending.
"Monica, I'm sorry," Nikolas replied immediately, standing up to look at his former mother-in-law. It was the first time the cardiologist had seen them together, and he knew that it couldn't be easy to see him with someone that wasn't Emily. "I'm taking Nadine home today."
"We shouldn't have been blocking the elevator like that, Dr. Quartermaine, I apologize," Nadine reiterated. She was clearly embarrassed that they had been caught in a situation like that. She knew that it couldn't easy for either one of them given the nature of their relationship. Monica and Nikolas had been the two closest people to Emily, and they had shared in her loss. "We were just waiting for another one to come."
Monica smiled genuinely down at the blonde nurse and then up at the dark prince. "It's quite alright," she assured them both. "Nadine, I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better. I know what a relief it must be to get out of here. It's nice to see the two of you together looking so happy. Life doesn't always give us enough reasons to smile."
All three of them were quiet for a moment, each contemplating where the others fit into all of this. "Well, it's nice to see you back here doing what you do best," Nikolas praised her, reaching out to hug her awkwardly. Thankfully, their elevator arrived, and they were all let out of what was turning out to be an even more uncomfortable situation. "I guess that's us."
The doctor waved dismissively as Nikolas rolled Nadine onto the chair. Nadine only stared at her shoes as the doors slid shut, not wanting to be the first one to say something. Nikolas was silent too, his eyes fixed straight ahead on the panel of buttons. When the lift reached the bottom floor, Elizabeth was waiting at back door of the car idling at the curb. She could read a disconnect between the two of them immediately, wondering what had changed in the few minutes since she had left them. Lucky jumped out of the car and started to lift the bags into the trunk when Nikolas lunged forward. "Why don't you let me get those and help Elizabeth with the wheelchair?"
Lucky wrinkled his brow in confusion but shrugged as he went around to help Elizabeth. The nurse had already managed to get a clearly shaken Nadine into the backseat of the car when he took the wheelchair. Nikolas shut the trunk with a heavy thud and slid into the passenger seat. Liz looked at Lucky over the roof of the car, both of them trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, Lucky moved the engine out of park and pulled the car onto the busy street while Elizabeth tried to engage Nadine in light conversation in the backseat.
"What was that all about?" Nadine said loudly out of nowhere, earning an uncomfortable look from Lucky and a concerned sideward glance from Elizabeth. Nikolas frowned at her almost angrily in the visor mirror. She knew that he wouldn't appreciate her saying that, but she was so confused. He had pulled away completely. She could accept him being a little embarrassed or unnerved in front of Monica given the nature of their connection. However, she wouldn't let him make her feel like they were doing something wrong.
Nikolas raked his fingers through his hair as he tried to suppress his anger. He had always hated being called out in front of others. "Not now," he replied strongly. His tone was even but strained, indicating that she needed to drop it. However, he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't. She wanted an answer to something that he couldn't explain.
To his utter amazement, Nadine didn't press him. "Fine," she relented, crossing her arms protectively on her chest as she turned to look out the window. He hated that she was mad, but he refused to discuss this in front of his friends. "Lucky, you can just take me home to my apartment. I will not be staying at Wyndamere."
"Nadine, please," Nikolas pleaded frustrated, turning around in his seat to look at her. "Stop being so stubborn and just come with me. We'll talk about all of this later. You can't be home by yourself."
"I won't be," she countered haughtily, refusing to back down to him. "Leyla said that she could come stay with me if something came up, and I can have another nurse stop by if I need something when she is at work. I was taking care of myself a long time before I met you, Nikolas. I don't need you to do everything for me if I am going to be subjected to little episodes like that one back there."
He knew that she wanted him to argue with her, to try to convince her to come home with him. However, if she was going to play a game, he wasn't going to play with her. What had happened back there had been his fault, but she wasn't even giving him the chance to explain. "Fine, Lucky, you heard her," he shrugged. "Take her home."
The car stopped abruptly, sending them all forward with a slight jolt. Lucky threw the car into park, pulled his door open and got out before slamming it shut again. He then opened Elizabeth's door and helped her out. "No, I am not going to take her home," he told them both. "This is ridiculous. I have no clue what is going on between the two of you but you need to figure it out. If you're set on destroying this before it even really begins, you can just do it alone. We're not going to be apart of it. Come on, Elizabeth."
The brunette reached down and grabbed her purse before Lucky pulled her by the hand behind her. The two of them headed across the street and hailed a taxi before leaving Nikolas and Nadine alone again. Unlike earlier at the hospital, neither of them wanted to be around each other. They just wanted distance. Finally, Nadine's small voice filled the car. "Is that really what you want?"