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PART NINE

- Alexis' House -

Elizabeth was surprised to see Bobbie at Alexis' door the next morning. Her boss was carrying a box with a number of carry out containers in it. "Good Morning, Elizabeth!"

"Good Morning, Bobbie... is something wrong?" She paused for a moment and stepped back allowing her to enter.

"I wanted to bring you breakfast and apologize."

"Apologize?" Elizabeth followed Bobby to the coffee table and watched in awe as the older woman set out enough food to feed several people.

When Alexis appeared in the kitchen doorway with her coffee cup Bobbie waved her in. "Well, after I heard from Kimmy about what happened last night, I wanted to come and talk to you."

Alexis took the plate that Bobbie put in her hands and sat down on the sofa. "I was planning to call you this morning to talk about it."

Elizabeth looked between the two women. "Oh no... did Katherine complain about me?"

Bobbie laughed. "No, far from it... I called her to let her know that she's no longer welcome in my diner if that was how she was going to behave." She looked at Alexis. "And Katherine was informed that the least she could do was give Elizabeth a few days of paid leave-"

"At the very least," Alexis grumbled around her toast.

"I'm sure you can handle any other... negotiations," Bobbie winked at Alexis. Turning back to Elizabeth she set a plate in her lap and put a fork in her right hand. "And you, I hope you're going to listen to the doctor and rest that hand."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I will.. it's my left hand. I only started pouring coffee with my left so I could write out tickets with my right. So I've got nothing that I really do with that hand anyway."

After she set up the food for Elizabeth and Alexis, Bobbie bent over and placed a kiss on the girl's forehead. "Well, take care of yourself... I can't lose my best girl."

"Thanks, Bobbie..." Elizabeth curled up on the couch and enjoyed her breakfast.

-A few hours later-

Nikolas drove up to the house and smiled. Elizabeth was sitting on the porch, her bare free propped up against one of the posts, her long lean legs visible beneath the short length of her pants. Her camisole top exposed more of her porcelain skin to the sun and his eyes. She was putting on sunscreen, but when she saw him step out of his car she set the bottle down with a laugh. "Hey!"

Walking up, Nikolas looked at the discarded bottle. "Need some help with that?"

"Sure!" Elizabeth sat up on the bench and turned her back to him. "I can reach everything else except the back. I was just going to go in and ask Alexis to help me."

"Glad I showed up at the right time then." Picking up the bottle, Nikolas squeezed some of the lotion in his hands. Working the lotion between his hands for a moment, he began to smooth the sunscreen in to her shoulders. "This must work wonders."

Elizabeth sighed. "Hmm? How so..."

"You're so pale and you're always outside, I was beginning to wonder how you stayed so pale."

As soon as the words were out his mouth he swallowed hard. Thoughts of Elizabeth's pale skin were NOT something he needed to consider. Were NOT something he could think about if he wanted to remember that they were doing all of this to ensure the safety of his baby.

And sadly, as he shifted his hands down her back and massaged the lotion into her shoulder blades, Elizabeth moaned slightly, arching her back under his tender ministrations.

"Well," she sighed, "now you know my secret... so there's no more magic left for you to decipher." She turned her head slightly to the side to look at him. "So I guess you're done with me, huh? All the excitement and romance... it was so good while it lasted."

He had nothing to say after that. It was in face the very opposite. He wanted to open his mouth and say all the sweet things and pretty words that a girl should hear from a man who was courting her, but Nikolas knew... that those words really weren't something she wanted to hear from him.

Feeling the absence of his hands on her back, Elizabeth sat up a bit and turned to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Laughing off the odd feelings that twisted in his gut, Nikolas shook his head. "I'm fine.. I was just thinking about... well, my father called me this morning and asked if I'd bring you out to Spoon Island today."

"Spoon Island? What's up?" She sat up more and grabbed her blouse from the railing.

"He didn't say much, just that he wanted to talk to us both at the same time."

As Elizabeth shrugged on the thin blouse that she'd picked to wear over her camisole, Nikolas had to look away from the sight. Her movements tugged the camisole tight across her chest and the movement was incredibly distracting. "Sure... I don't have any plans for the rest of the day now that I have a paid leave from work..."

Nikolas was already on his feet, keys in hand.

"... I'll just grab my purse and I'll come right back out."

All he could do was nod and watch as she scampered back into the house and wonder when he'd be able to remember that they were only getting married for the baby.

- Wyndemere -

Stefan greeted them at the door with a smile. He offered Nikolas his hand and the younger man took it with only a moment's hesitation. When Stefan offered the same greeting to Elizabeth, she looked at his hand for a moment and then wrapped her arms around the gentlemen to give him a hug.

Looking at his son over Elizabeth's head, Stefan gave Nikolas a cautious smile. The tension was duly broken.

The elder escorted the young couple into the foyer and paused for a moment. "I was hoping that you two would come and join me in the gardens for a moment."

Elizabeth took Nikolas' arm in hers and looked up at her friend. "I've heard they are lovely."

"More than lovely," Nikolas admitted the truth, "I would love for you to see it."

Stefan preceded them out of the side doors and to the shade of the first portico. From there, they were able to see the first row of hedges. "These gardens have been designed and maintained by one of the best landscape artists in the world.

Stepping slightly away from NIkolas, Elizabeth advanced to the first row of hedges. She looked into the winding rows of foliage and colorful splashes of color that looked as though God himself had wielded the pain brush of this picture. "I can believe it," she sighed, "it is truly a lovely garden. I wish," she looked back at the two men and shook her head, "nevermind."

"No," Stefan encouraged her, "what were you thinking?"

Elizabeth, momentarily emboldened by their intent consideration, admitted her secret wish. "I wish I'd brought my sketchpad. This is a wonderful opportunity to sketch something so beautiful."

Stefan moved closer, with a kind of expression that Elizabeth would have described as sheepish, if she didn't know better. "Well, I have to admit after Nikolas mentioned your love of art and your skill. I made sure to have paper and pencils on hand for you." He nodded toward the gardens. "I have some items waiting on a bench for you. I thought that you might enjoy the activity and perhaps Nikolas would have the chance to ride for an hour or so."

Elizabeth saw the spark in Nikolas' eyes and smiled. "I know he's been missing it." She turned to her fiance. "I'll be more than happy entertain myself while you ride."

"You wouldn't mind?" Nikolas could barely contain his happiness. "I would like for you to come with me," he began, "but your hand-"

"Yeah," she sighed, "but I'm also a beginner at best so if you had to wait for me to get the hang of it, you'd never have fun. Go ahead!"

With a happy grin on his face, Nikolas leaned in and brushed a kiss on her cheek before he walked off toward the stables.

Elizabeth tried to ignore the flutter of feeling in her middle as Nikolas walked away. His kiss had been one of friendly affection, but the reaction it had caused was nothing of the kind. Embarrassed by her own reaction, Elizabeth struggle to focus on their kind host. "You've made him really happy."

Stefan took the compliment with a smile of his own, gesturing toward a break in one of the hedges. "Thank you, Elizabeth, I did want to continue bridging this gap between us."

Elizabeth preceded him into the hedge maze, but then found an easy stride beside him. "You're being kind and thoughtful, Mr. Cassadine, that's the best way I can think of doing it."

"Good," he truly meant his words to the younger woman, the more time he spent with her the more he understood... and approved of Nikolas' choice, "because there's one other thing I'd like do for him... well for the two of you."

They entered a central area of the garden and Elizabeth had enough room to turn and look up at him without hurting her neck. "Really? What's that?"

Stefan drew in a cautious breath and then let loose his words. "I'd like to pay for your wedding."

Elizabeth was still with shock. She almost managed not to trip over her feet.

With a steady hand, Stefan set her back squarely on her feet. "What would you say to that?"

"Mr. Cassadine, that's a really sweet offer." She looked up at him with a cautious glance. "But I'd have to say no."