Emily smiled as she stood behind the white picket fence and watched the train filled with kids go by. She was momentarily alone, Will and Jessica having ventured into a tobacco shop for a present for Jessica’s grandfather and Nikolas having wandered off for a moment.

Emily stood entranced by the Christmas decorations and the Santa land exhibit. The lights seemed to twinkle at her and the bright and colorful decorations seemed to welcome her. If she closed her eyes she could almost see herself as a young girl dragging Paige to the mall to see Santa. Christmas had been Paige Bowen’s favorite time of the year and, if Thanksgiving had become synonymous with the Quartermaines over the years, then Christmas would always remind her of her mother. Always.

Emily found herself blinking back an unexpected tear.

“Em?” Nikolas’ voice was soft and gentle. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Emily smiled as Nikolas came and stood beside her. “I was just remembering Christmas with my mom. And then last year with Lucky....” Emily’s voice trailed off.

Nikolas put his arms around Emily almost without thinking about it. “It seems strange to be celebrating Christmas without him.”

“I know.” The two friends fell into a comfortable silence. Emily was dying to ask Nik about Liz, who he hadn’t mentioned all day, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. Nikolas decided they both needed a distraction from the sadness of their thoughts. He pointed to the Santa holding court in the middle of the display. “So what are you going to ask Santa for?”

Emily laughed and Nikolas found himself smiling. “I think I’m a little too old to sit on Santa’s lap.”

“I’m not,” Nikolas surprised her by grabbing her head and pulling her into line behind some little kids.

“Nikolas we can’t do this,” Emily giggled in protest between laughing at the stares she and Nikolas drew from mothers up and down the line. “Somehow I don’t think standing in line for the mall Santa is a Cassadine holiday tradition.” Emily paused. “Not unless the Santa has dipped those candy canes in arsenic.” She deadpanned.

“Please,” Nikolas shrugged, enjoying the hint of devilment that played around in Emily’s eyes. “Arsenic is far too easy to trace. Cassadines are nothing if not subtle in their choice of poisons.”

“I’ll remember that the next time I want to poison someone,” Emily quipped. “You don’t have something that would work on sister-in-laws?”

“No, or I would try it on stepfathers.”

They each stared at the other, neither sure that the other was only joking.

Twenty minutes later a gleeful Emily was holding on to the photograph of her and Nikolas with Santa Claus. “You know,” she said looking at the photo consideringly, “I think I have a lot of blackmail material here. I can see the tabloids now....Cassadine Prince Bribes Santa Claus...”

“I did not bribe anyone,” Nikolas snatched the picture back as Jess and Will approached.

“Slipping the photographer a $50 to take a picture of both of us with Santa falls under the category of bribery.”

“And being a Quartermaine you would know about bribes?” Nikolas smiled sweetly. “Besides I did not see the problem with having both of us in the picture.”

“Other than the fact that it took her at least five minutes to reposition her camera?”

“Reposition what camera?” Jess asked curiously as the four young people met up again.

“Nothing,” Emily said easily. “Nikolas was just nice enough to make sure I got to tell Santa what I wanted for Christmas this year.”

“And did you tell him you wanted something tall, dark, and handsome?” Will asked with a flirtatious smile.

“What makes you think I didn’t take the high road and ask for world peace?” Will makes a face and after a minute Emily grins. “All right...I didn’t ask for world peace. But I did say that I wanted everyone I know to be happy for at least one day.”

“Which is about all the happiness the town of Port Charles could handle in one day before it self-destructed.” Nikolas chimed in. “If you’re curious I think she also asked for something shiny...I wasn’t sure if she met a piece of jewelry or a whistle for refereeing family dinners.”

“Have you ever considered which style is healthier- the Quartermaines who openly argue and try to destroy each other or the Cassadines who pretend to be polite but then scheme to stab each other in the back?” Emily inquired archly.

“Ouch. I think she got you on that one Nikolas,” Will smiled. “Score one for the lovely lady.” He moved forward to stand in front of Emily with only a few inches separating them.

“Are you sure that I can’t take you back to Port Charles with me?” Emily let her hands trail up Will’s chest.

“I think that can be negotiated,” Will began before Jessica interrupted them.

“Actually Emily I could use your help picking out a dress for New Year’s.” Jessica lied through clenched teeth, for some reason the sight of Em and Will’s flirtation was beginning to make her sick. “There’s a dance at the country club to celebrate the Millennium.”

“Wow.” Emily’s eyes shine for a moment. “That sounds like so much fun. A ball where no one gets shot at or pushed off a balcony or returns from the dead. Imagine dancing all night in the arms of someone you love.” She shakes her head. “I wish I could go.”

“Why not?” Jess asked. “You know my mom would love for you to extend your visit. I’m sure she can get you tickets.”

A cloud crossed Emily’s expression momentarily. “I can’t. Juan probably has plans for New Years.” Inwardly she grimaces. They probably don’t include an elegant ball.

“Invite him.” Jess says impulsively.

“I’ll think about it,” Emily says wanting to change the subject, not wanting thoughts of Juan to intrude on what has been a great day so far. Somehow it was a lot easier to pretend that Juan Santiago didn’t exist than to try to face the nagging realization in the back of her head that she and Juan were not destined to be Romeo and Juliet after all. “In the meantime I can definitely help you find the dress that will put a spark in not just Christian’s eyes but every male you are not related to at this event.”

“All three of them,” Jess says as Will groans.

“Nikolas my man I think that is our clue to go look at something manly before we get commandeered into helping the girls choose dresses.” He turns to his friend. “Come on the store down the mall has a special on big screen TV’s.”

Nikolas, who had found the prospect of watching Emily model dresses oddly appealing, found himself headed instead for a debate on whether in watching Monday Night Football clarity of the image or clarity of the sound was more important.

“Poor Nikolas,” Emily can’t help giggling. “I don’t think he even knows what a big screen TV is.”

“He’ll learn. Come on, let’s go look at dresses.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jessica pauses as she pulls a shimmery silver tank dress over her head. “So what do you think of Will?”

“I think you have pretty damned good taste in one night stands.”

“Emily!”

“Please,” Emily’s voice is muffled by the dividing wall between their stalls. “Tell me that you haven’t noticed that Will Rapapport is pretty much proof that God is a woman. Or gay.” There is the sound of the rustling of clothes. “That voice. That charm. Those eyes. And definitely that body. He’s a keeper.”

“He seems to like you...”

Emily is about tell Jessica that Will is just flirting with her and anyone with any eyes and an ounce of sensitivity could tell the guy was still hung up with Jess when she hesitated. Was that jealousy in Jessica’s voice? Emily had to admit that she barely knew Christian but what she did know she didn’t like. Will she liked. Besides, sometimes best friends should be the ones who fall in love and find happiness. She smiles. “I hope so. I like him a lot.” A true enough statement but one that could definitely be interpreted in many ways.

A moment later Jess emerged and Emily nodded at the way the silver dress glistened and hugged Jess’s curves. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

Jess looked in the mirror. It was hard to imagine that the bright eyed young woman looking back at her was the same depressed and tired individual who had spent the last few weeks barely getting out of bed each morning.

“Jess?”

Jessica Buchanan turned to her long time friend. “Do you think she still knows how much I miss her? Even when I spend the day laughing and having fun? You don’t think she thinks I stopped loving her?”

Emily bit her lip. Please let me find the right words. “She knows that you will always love her. Always. She can see that love in your heart. And because she’s a part of you she’s sharing in your laughter. The same way I know that Lucky knows that I will always love him and miss him no matter where I am or what I am doing. Sometimes I can feel how much I miss him and sometimes its just there you know. Sometimes I want to cry and sometimes I just want to go out there and live my life because I know that’s what Lucky would have wanted me to do. He was my friend and he wanted me to be happy. Just like Megan wants you to be happy.”

The two girls embraced for a moment before Emily pulled back. “We are not getting that dress stained with tears before you have had the chance to knock everyone’s socks off in it.”

“What about you? I really wish you’d let me help you pick out a dress, even if you don’t come to the ball you have to have some plans for New Years.”

Emily smiled. “You know what? I think I will. Having a cousin who’s a fashion designer is a lot of fun, but I have to admit that I’d love the chance to wear something that wasn’t designed by Chloe. It’s like its this prerequisite in Port Charles to wear one of Chloe’s dresses. I’d love to try something different. Something red and slinky maybe.....”

Emily pulled a dress from the display. “Now this.” She looked at the low cut red dress with a slit up the side that was probably designed to show off the length of her leg. “This is a dress that is meant to seduce a guy.”

Jessica nodded, even if in the back of her mind she couldn’t help wondering who Emily was set to seduce. Jess pointed to a different, more romantic, less seductive dress. “How about this dress?”

Emily shook her head fiercely. “It’s lavender. I really really hate lavender.”

Without offering any further explanation, Emily went to try on the red dress.

Nikolas and Will were sitting at the food court with their packages piled in front of them.

“So,” Will asked for the fifth time in four minutes. “Do you really think Emily will like the silver rose necklace I got her?”

Nikolas groaned inwardly for the fifth time in four minutes. “Yes. Yes. And yes again.”

“Somebody has lost the Christmas spirit...”

“Somebody is tired of seeing you hang all over their good friend who happens to be happily involved with another guy.”

Why in the world was he defending Juan? He’d be thrilled if Emily broke up with the Puerto Rican caveman. Emily deserved better than Juan. She deserved someone who would see the vulnerability that lay underneath the strength, the fragile butterfly and the dangerous lioness......

“Nik to earth. Come in Nik.”

Nikolas shook his head, disoriented by both his daydream and the fact that it was about Emily, it took him a second to connect with what Will was saying. < P> “I was just wondering what you were getting Liz for Christmas? Something splashy I imagine.”

“There was this ring I had my eye on,” Nikolas began teasingly, about to explain to Will that he had broken it off with his psuedo girlfriend before he came to Llanview, when they were interrupted by Jessica and Emily, the latter wearing a shocked look as she clutched her packages in front of her.

Nikolas cursed whatever stroke of fate that had cursed him with bad timing as far as Emily was concerned. He knew immediately that she had overheard him talking about a ring for Liz and misunderstood.

“Emily...” he began but she didn’t give him a chance.

“Are you guys ready to go back to Llanfair? Jessica has a headache.”

Jess is about to protest when she catches the desperate look on Emily’s face.

“Right. A headache. I think I should go home and lie down.”

Immediately a look of such intense concern crossed Will’s face that Emily felt a small sliver of guilt for the lie. Then she looked over at Nik and tried to imagine him giving Liz a ring and realized that she felt sick even if Jess didn’t.

So before Nik can say anything, he finds himself driving them back to Llanfair. On the way back, Emily sits in the back seat with Jessica and avoids meetinng Nik’s gaze in the rear view mirror. Nik shrugs inwardly. Llanfair isn’t that big an estate. She can’t avoid him forever and when he runs into her again he’ll explain. Explain what? That you know you were never in love with Katherine or Liz or even Sarah because.....Because what? The answer eluded Nikolas as he continued to drive