Ethan had been standing outside Kristina's door long enough to know that Sonny Corinthos still didn't approve of his feelings for Kristina, not that he could really blame him. All of the things that he said were true. He was older, he was married and he was part of a very dangerous world. It was also true that Kristina hated the violence that surrounded her father, and Ethan had invited that into his life the day that he agreed to work for Johnny. Although his part in the business was nominal these days, he was still a target because of his associations with the Zacharra family.

He supposed that it was somewhat hypocritical of Kristina to love and accept him so easily given the relationship she had with her father. Sonny had been correct in pointing out that some of the things she hated about her father were things she'd have to accept with Ethan. He knew that he was a far cry from the type of man that most parents would choose for their daughters, but that didn't seem to matter in the slightest to Kristina. She had loved and accepted him completely from day one. That was the part that made him know that he would never give up on her, not even with the worst intimidation from Sonny or his not-so-friendly enforcer, Jason.

It was only when he heard Sonny ask, "Do you really think Ethan will be around to see his commitments through?" that he was moved to act. There was a lot more going on in the conversation between father and daughter, but Ethan wasn't about to let Sonny cast doubt on his intentions. Kristina mattered to him in a way that no other woman had before in his life, and age and a marriage seemed trivial by comparison.

"Do you think I can answer that for myself?" he asked as he came into the room. Kristina's face lit up as their eyes met, and Ethan wondered if he could ever draw tired of her reaction. She looked at him as if he was something special, and in her reverie, he could almost believe that he was. "I'd say that we should have this conversation in another place, but I think that Kristina should hear everything that I have to say to you."

Sonny nodded his head in permission. He may not have wanted to deal with the young man, but he was Luke's son. For that reason and perhaps because of the look in Kristina's eyes, he knew that he had to hear him out. He owed both his old friend and his only daughter as much.

"All of your concerns are very real concerns, I will give you that," he told Sonny. "But the thing that you are missing here, the crucial missing piece, is that Kristina isn't the only one who is in love here. I love your daughter more than anything. Yes, I am married, and yes, I am older than her. I can do something about one thing, can't really change the other. Ultimately, it isn't up to you how big of an issue those things are. That is between Kristina and me. I know that certain issues have to be dealt with. I am not foolish or naïve enough to think for even a moment that your daughter should have to settle. The truth is that she deserves much better than me. However, her heart, thank God, settled on me. I am the only person that she wants to be with, and I won't let that pass me by."

"That's all well and good, Ethan, but that doesn't answer any of the questions that I ask."

"I am committed to your daughter completely, Sonny," Ethan said unabashedly. "The truth is that Kristina is already at risk just by being your child. I can't change that any more than you can at this point. I can, however, make sure that I don't add to that danger. I already have plans to talk to Johnny about ending our business relationship. I plan to use all the money that I saved working for him to give to Maya so that we can end our marriage. My dad can get a quick divorce through the Dominican Republic, and that can be taken care of in a matter of days."

Kristina smiled proudly before moving her gaze to her father. "Any other questions?"

"How are you going to support yourself, let alone Kristina?"

"First of all, I think that we are a long way off from me needing to support Kristina. She is still in high school, and I hope that she will see her plans to attend college through," Ethan said, looking first at her and then over at Sonny. "As for taking care of myself, not that it is exactly your business, I am going to talk to Edward. He has been interested in grooming me for ELQ. Though I am not sure he will still want me now that I am not part of the family, it's an honest living. If that's what it takes to keep Kristina, I can push paper for awhile or do whatever Edward needs done there."

Kristina hated the thought of him being cooped up in an office. She knew that he would be unhappy, but it seemed like a sacrifice he was willing to make. "I am sure that Carly could find something around the hotel for him if I ask her," she suggested. "Or he can always get a job working on the docks. They are always looking for help at the shipping yard. Ethan doesn't have to spend his entire life working in the mob. He cares enough to walk away."

That was a low blow, and Ethan wasn't about to play into their game. "It's not going to be that easy, but it seems like it's what needs to be done right now. I know that Alexis has concerns as well. I am open to talking and discussing and explaining as much as I need to so that you can have a good relationship with your daughter. I just won't be used – by either of you – as a way to be angry. I love your daughter; that's not going to change. You can send Jason after me, do whatever you have to do. I'm not afraid to go through any of that. I'm only afraid of losing her."

Meanwhile, just down the hall, Nikolas was preparing to say goodbye to Brook Lynn just before her surgery. Patrick and Robin had been in a few times to prep her and go over a few things they would be looking for. They'd also met with both of the specialists, and Brook seemed pleased by their level of expertise in her particular case. When Robin had told her they'd be taking her back in a few short minutes, she had asked for a few minutes alone with Nikolas. There were a few things that needed to be said.

"Patrick knows that I am going to whisper, so don't even think about getting onto me," she warned him as they sat together in her bed. He was behind her, stroking her arm absently while listening to the sound of her breathy words. "I need you to know that if this doesn't go my way, if I can't sing, you don't need to take care of me. I am going to be just fine. I'll do the work and try my hardest to rehab my voice. But if they decide that this just isn't going to work, you need to accept that. I don't want to be your project, Nikolas. It's going to be hard enough for me without it turning into that."

"I hear you," he whispered, dropping a kiss on top of her head. He knew that it was going to be hard to just accept it, but if that's what she wanted, he'd do it. It was her life that was at stake here, her passion that was being called into question. "I'll do whatever you need."

"And I need you to let me support myself if I find out that my music career isn't going to happen. Whether that means going back to school or working for Edward, I need to know that you're not going to try to save me. I'm not some princess here, you know. I don't need saving."

"So determined," he chuckled in amusement. The truth was that he was proud of her for being so strong and independent. "I'll try to just support you without interfering."

"Good, I've said my peace then," she smiled, looking up at him over her shoulder. "Anything you want to get off your chest before they slice me open and poke around in there?"

"I believe that we are going to get a happy ending, but just in case things don't go our way – yes, our way because you're not in this alone – I want you to know that I am going to do my best to respect your wishes. But, with that said, I won't just walk away and not care. I am always going to try to help you because that's what you do when you love someone. I don't doubt for a second that you wouldn't do the same thing if the situation was reversed."

"I probably would," she acknowledged. "I just don't want to be like every other woman in your life."

"You're far from that," he assured her as Patrick came into the room. Nikolas slipped from the bed and stood nearby as the orderlies moved her from one bed to the next, careful not to bump any of her casts or to disturb the sling holding her arm into place. All the while, he kept his eyes locked firmly on hers. "You're going to be just fine."

"Yup," she smiled. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily." The orderlies arranged the blankets around her while Robin started to go over the medication she would be on and the timeline of the surgery. When everything was in place and ready to go, she turned her face so that Nikolas could kiss her. They exchanged whispered declarations of love before Brook set her face in a determined smile. "Alright, boys, let's rock 'n' roll."

Nikolas stood helplessly by as she was rolled out of sight. He wanted more than anything to be present as they did the surgery just so that he could hear what they had to say. However, he trusted Robin to always be honest with him, and for now, that just had to be enough. Heading back to the waiting room, he was surprised to find Elizabeth and Lucky sitting there. The two of them came over immediately, wrapping their arms around him a supportive embrace. While Elizabeth still didn't approve of Brook and Lucky still struggled with how badly Nikolas betrayed him, they had shown up when he needed someone most. He was even happier when his sister arrived a few seconds later, talking animatedly to and holding the hand of his son.

Spencer spotted his solemn-looking father and came ambling over as quickly as he could manage. Nikolas bent over to meet his son, wrapping him up in a tight hug. "Don't be sad, Daddy," Spencer pleaded with him. "Brook would want us to be happy and positive, remember? She's always telling you to stop being so serious and to smile. Please smile, Daddy, for Brook."

Nikolas closed his eyes as he held Spencer, allowing a smile to overtake his face. His son and Brook, they were what mattered most. She had to be okay because that is what they all needed. She had to be okay because both he and his son had fallen in love with her. She had to be okay because she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and the one he wanted to be the mother to Spencer and their other children. She had to be okay because she mattered that much to them. She had to be okay because Nikolas wouldn't really accept any other outcome.