PART FIVE

Sitting in the passenger seat of Nikolas' jaguar, Elizabeth fiddled with the ring on her finger. The simple topaz stone was beautiful and shone brightly in the sunlight that slanted through the windshield, but she couldn't help but feel the weight of it on her finger.

"Are you okay?"

She could hear the tension in Nikolas' voice and immediately brightened up. "I'm great… you?"

He looked over at her, with a look of concern. "I think maybe we should just go back to Alexis' house. Save these visits for another day."

"We need to do this today," Elizabeth felt the words crawl out of her throat, "time is something we don't really have if we want this to look real." She pulled her lips into a larger grin and hoped that Nikolas didn't notice the way her hands shook.

Nikolas kept his eyes on the road, but Elizabeth felt the tension in his body. He was going through so many different challenges… more than she was… and yet he was still concerned about her! Elizabeth reached over and settled her hand on his. She felt the sudden jump of movement as he looked down at her hand, so pale against his tan. She removed her hand so that she wouldn't distract him and settled back in her seat. "We'll be fine," she slowly drew in a breath, this should be the easy visit."

- Laura's House -

Laura greeted them at the door with hugs and ushered them into the living room where Lulu was playing on the floor in front of the couch. Elizabeth moved over to the little girl and sat down on the floor to say hello.

Nikolas hung back a little, asking Laura about herself and Lulu… to make sure that they weren't in need of anything.

Laura linked arms with her eldest and walked with him to the couch, only letting go when he sank to the cushions on Elizabeth's left. "Well, it's such a joy to see both of you!" Laura gave them a big grin. "Sometimes Lulu and I think this house is so big with just the two of us here… having the two of you visit is really a fantastic treat." She looked from the dark-haired beauty to the elegant form of her first born. "To what do I owe this pleasure."

She watched as the two met eyes in some silent communication of their own, before Nikolas reached out his hand to Elizabeth.

When the younger girl set her hand in his Laura saw the blue flash of sparkle on her left hand.

"Elizabeth?" Laura's tone was raw and her eyes watered with sudden tears. "What is going on? Why do you have a… a… an engagement ring on your hand?"

The younger woman looked up at her companion with an odd mix of fear and despair. "Well-"

"Mother," Nikolas watched as the word drew Laura's attention, "Elizabeth and I are going to be married this-"

"Going to be married?" Laura's hands pressed tightly against her heart. "Did I hear that right?" She looked from Nikolas to Elizabeth and back. "Married?"

"Yes," Nikolas continued, "as soon as we speak to Audrey and get her permission, we're-"

"So you haven't spoken to Audrey yet?" The tone of her voice was nearly shrill even though her expression was still mostly a smile. "Well, then we have time."

"Time?" Elizabeth sat forward on the cushion. "What do you mean?"

Laura's face flushed red. "Time to stop you two from making a horrible mistake."

- Deception Office -

Katherine's door swung open and before she could think of a particularly caustic curse to hurl at her secretary she saw Stefan Cassadine standing in her door.

Brightening her smile, Katherine stood and smoothed her hair back from her face. "Well, Stefan, I hope this is a happy visit?"

"Happy, Katherine?" His mouth did hold the promise of a smile. "Why would you say that?"

She enjoyed listening to his voice... that would never change. Stefan had a refinement from his years that Nikolas would attain someday. "Well, there is always a reason to celebrate."

His brown arched in reaction. He could smell her anticipation. She had news and wanted to share it. He was man that always wanted to know what was happening around himself, but he wasn't prepared to give her the satisfaction of 'shocking him'... yet. "Oh," he began, measuring his tone and the pace of his words, "are you moving away?"

The corners of her mouth pinched slightly, revealing the wrinkles she tried to hide with her perfectly applied makeup. "I should think that your manners would stop you from saying something so mean, Stefan."

"Really, Katherine?" He moved across the room, countering her actions. "You've done everything you could to separate me from my son. Why would I want you to remain in Port Charles?"

"Oh no," she waggled her finger at him, "don't put this on me... you kept a secret from him, Stefan... me? I just told him the truth."

He saw deeper into her words. She wasn't just talking about Nikolas being his son, no, Katherine had something else on her mind... and if he read her cat-like grin correctly, she wanted to tell him.

"Then what," he goaded her, "what is this news you're so eager to tell me. Go ahead, Katherine, tell me and see how much you can wound me this time."

- Nikolas' Jaguar-

Nikolas pulled into the parking lot of the nearest diner. When he removed the key from the ignition he turned slightly in his seat.

Elizabeth was sitting as still as a stone statue. Her hands clasped tightly together in her lap.. her eyes straight forward... her body so still he wondered if she was even breathing.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, I didn't think my mother would-"

"Rip me a new one for moving on so quickly?" A soft raspy laugh escaped her lips. "I can see how she would think that Nikolas... it's only been a few months. I was supposed to love Lucky forever and-"

He didn't wait for the tears. He didn't need to. With a quick twist of his wrist he'd removed her seat belt and pulled her over into his arms.

At first she was as stiff as a board, the only movement he felt in his arms was the hard rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to breathe past the sobs. He smoothed a hand over her back, the other arm tucking her securely in his embrace. "It's all my fault, Elizabeth. I'm sorry I ever thought to involve you in this."

She shook her head against his shoulder, muffling her voice every other moment. "No.. no.. you did it for the right reason, Nikolas. You're thinking of your baby." She pulled away enough that she could look up into his face. "Maybe we should have started differently. Maybe if we'd told her the real reason. Maybe," she looked down at her left hand, "maybe if I hadn't worn the ring when we walked in."

Nikolas looked down at her hand, taking it in his. Slowly he brought her hand up to his lips and gently brushed a kiss over her fingers and the ring that she'd put on at the store. "If you want to, we can tell her the truth... maybe it will help to have someone on our side."

He saw her think about it, her eyes reflecting the turmoil inside of her. He watched the shadows lengthening across her features.

"Maybe we should go and see your grandmother tomorrow... or maybe next week."

"NO," Elizabeth winced at the forceful tone of her own voice, "by now, your mother has probably called my grams. If we don't go and see her on our own. My grams is going to come and find us."

Nikolas nodded. "Then I guess i'd better take you home."

- Deception Office Parking Lot-

The chauffer was used to Stefan's changes in mood. While the man had all the good graces that breeding and training afforded him, there were times when emotion had taken hold of the elegant gentleman.

This was one of those times.

Stefan ignored his driver's customary inquiries and slid into the back of the limo without a look or a word.

Once the driver was back in his seat he didn't have to wait long for Stefan to give him his orders. "Back to the island."

While they drove to the piers and the launch, Stefan replayed the scene over and over in his head. The taunting smile on Katherine's face, the bite of her words in his ears, the hiss of breath as she whispered the words. "I'm pregnant... and Nikolas... your son... is the father."