Emily Quartermaine stood and watched the ice skaters fly across the rink as the sun streamed through the glass roof. She was wearing a faded pair of denim jeans and a white tank top, her brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. She wore very little make up, the somberness of her mood a direct contract with the summer gaiety around her.

School was out and it was time to have fun. But all she wanted to do was cry.

She watched one couple skate, watched the girl fall and the guy catch her, helping her up and steadying her. She saw the easy way his hands fit on the small of her back, the way they were always touching as if they couldn’t stand not to.

She knew that feeling. Had had that feeling.

Damn Nikolas. Damn him. Damn him. How could he do this to her? How could he get her to trust him again and then do this? How was she supposed to go on? God. It had been hard enough to move on after that fiasco with Katherine but she had managed. She had found Juan and for a little while she had even managed to make herself believe that what she felt for Juan was the real thing.

But that had been before. Before she knew first hand what it felt like to be wrapped in his arms. Before she knew just how wildly her heart could beat when it heard him whisper I love you.

Oh God. If Nikolas Cassadine had been hell to get over before she didn’t have a prayer of getting over him now.

She still loved him. She had always loved him. For all she knew, she always would love him.

But she wasn’t sure if she trusted him anymore. She wasn’t sure if she ever could trust him again. And what was love without trust?

Heartache. Pure and simple heartache.

My love, there´s so many ways I want to say I love you
Let me hold you in my arms forever more

From the third level above her, Nikolas watched the girl he loved with hungry eyes. He took in the quietness of her stance and felt the sadness she seemed to radiate. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and beg her to forgive him, beg her to give them another chance.

He forced himself to stand still, forced himself to be content watching her from a distance, to know that physically at least she was safe.

She needed time. Time to get over her shock. Time to come to terms with what she had learned. Time to realize that his one night stand with Liz had nothing to do with their relationship.

Time to remember how much he loved her. How much she loved him.

It would happen. It had to happen. Because if it didn’t, he shuddered as his future without Emily stretched in front of him long and dark and cold and bleak.

Suddenly he tensed as he saw the dark haired youth approach her. Damn. Double Damn. Juan. The jerk. How dare he come sniffing around Emily like some puppy? Didn’t he know that Emily was HIS? Nikolas felt a sudden urge to challenge Santiago to a duel.Something deadly with sharp instruments. Lots of blood. Santiago’s blood. He could almost feel generations of Cassadines cheering him on, pushing the bloodlust that filled him to new heights.

He could hear Will’s voice in his head. Give her time. Don’t push. And above all don’t do anything remotely Cassadine like.

He supposed giving in to the sudden urge to tear Juan Santiago apart limb by limb would be a Cassadine thing to do.

He tried to resist. And for all of one minute and forty five seconds he succeeded.

Then Juan Santiago made the mistake of touching his fingertip to Emily’s cheek.

And before he knew it, Nikolas was halfway to the escalator.

You have gone and made me such a fool
I´m so lost in your love

Emily turned away from Juan to watch the ice skaters some more, her discomfort in his presence an almost palatable thing.

Seeing her unease, Juan backed up a little. He had her where he wanted her, he could afford to be patient.

Emily silently wished that he would go away and leave her alone with her thoughts. And then she would remember what those thoughts were and she wondered if any company, even his company, was better than listening to the voices running through her head.

“I wish you would let me help you.” Juan kept his voice friendly and light. “I hate to see you this sad.”

“I’m not sad...” She begins but Juan shakes his head.

“I know you. I can see it in your eyes...” He reaches up to wipe away a tear. “And I can feel it in your tears.”

Emily closes her eyes at his touch, not because its his touch but because it isn’t HIS. “I don’t think we should be having this conversation.” She shakes her head softly. “Somehow I don’t think talking to your old boyfriend about problems with your new one is something people do.”

“Why not?” Juan’s voice is soft and melodic and Emily finds herself drifting back to a time when his affection was the balm her wounded spirit needed. She’d been so lost after Lucky’s death and Nik’s desertion to Liz. Nik. Liz. A sudden anger burns through the cobwebs in her mind.

“I don’t want to have this conversation with you.” This time the words are stronger and Juan realizes that whatever inroads he has gained have been lost.

He nods. “Just remember that I will always be here for you to talk to.”

There is silence between them for a moment before he continues. “If you won’t talk to me about him, do you mind telling me why your brother has two guards on you instead of the usual one?”

She starts to deny it but he stops her. “You forget I work for Sonny too. I know what bodyguards look like.”

She shrugs. “It’s nothing. Jason’s just being cautious.” She instinctively knows that she doesn’t want to talk to him about the pictures, about the fact that they were doctored, or that there is somebody out there who hates her enough to do this to her.

“Emily!”

She turns gratefully to see Jessica approaching, sipping from one soda and holding another in her hand. Handing Em the soda, Jessica turns to Juan and greets him with a cool nod. Juan returns her stare just as coldly, before making his good-byes to Emily, and walking off, leaving the two girls alone.

Jessica shrugs. “Whatever did you see in that would be Ricky Ricardo?”

Emily tries to think of something and fails. She lifts her shoulders slightly. “What did you ever see in Christian “The Last Living Neanderthal To Walk The Earth” Vega?”

The two girls stare at each other for a moment before they both begin to giggle.

“Point taken.” Jessica says. “I won’t throw Juan in your face and you won’t ever bring up Christian again.”

“That sounds like a deal.” Emily looks around. “Where’s Will? I thought the two of you went to go get something to eat together.”

Jess smiled. “We did. I made him wait in line for some pretzels. He should be coming along momentarily.” Jess smiled brightly. “In the meantime, did you see that dress in that window over there.....”

And oh, we belong together
Won´t you believe in my song?

“See,” Will said in a low voice to Nikolas as he let go of his hold on Nik’s shoulder. “I told you to let Jessica handle it. My God Nik you are lucky Jess and I spotted you. If you had charged in there like a jealous bull.....”

“Emily would be furious me.” Nik’s voice was dramatically calmer than it had been a few minutes ago when Will had caught up with at the bottom of the escalator and pulled him to the side. “I know. I ....just the thought of his hands on her....”

“Let it go man. Emily’s not about to do anything stupid like go back to that jerk. Not unless you do something else stupid that drives her back to him. “

“I won’t.”

Will gave him a look of complete disbelief.

“Okay. I’ll try not to.”

Will looked at him consideringly before nodding. “Look. I gotta catch up with them before Emily gets suspicious. If she knew that Jess told me where she was going to be and I told you.......”

“I know. Thanks for this man. If I can’t hold her, I can at least look at her.” He expelled a deep breath. “Even if its not enough.”

Will put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll get her back.”

Nik nodded. “Or die trying.”

Will shook his head as he walked away. “As a Cassadine you should know better than to go around making statements like that.”

Lady, for so many years I thought I´d never find you
You have come into my life and made me whole

Juan sits in front of the window at Starbuck’s, his eyes narrowed as he watches Emily walk down the mall in the other direction with her friends. He still remembered the way they treated him when he had gone to Llanview to visit Emily last Christmas. The blonde especially. Treating him like he wasn’t good enough for Emily. He grins to himself. If his plan worked, he’d be in a position soon enough to ensure that neither Jessica or Will remained Emily’s friend for much longer.

He’d already succeeded in driving a wedge between Emily and Nikolas. All he had to now was make sure that the gap between the two lovebirds stayed as wide as he could make it It was so simple. All he had to do was be her friend. Her good friend. The kind of friend she could lean on when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Then he’d make her fall in love with him again, it hadn’t been that hard the first time. Once Emily was at his side, Jason would have no choice but to name his loyal and steadfast brother in law as his heir apparent. Or maybe he wouldn’t even wait that long. There was some kind of division between Sonny and Jason, had been for a while now. Maybe it was time to take over Jason’s role in Sonny’s organization....

“Mr. Santiago.”

Juan looked up from his espresso as his visitor sat in the empty seat next to him at the coffee bar, but he didn’t look at his visitor.

“You’re late.” Juan said simply.

“You seemed occupied when I arrived with Miss. Quartermaine. It seemed best to let you finish that conversation before we started this one.” The voice paused. “I take it that your little plan is working.”

Juan smiled. “Like a charm. Thanks to the information you told me about Nikki’s one night stand with his brother’s girlfriend, Emily is almost mine again. Getting Liz to cooperate and pose for those pictures was a breeze. It seems she wants your grandson as much as I want Emily.”

“What Miss. Webber wants or doesn’t want is irrelevant.” Helena Cassadine spoke flatly. “Nikolas is the future of the Cassadine legacy. He is the only grandson of my beloved Mikkos. For him, the future is golden and bright. I won’t let him tarnish it with a foolish liaison with the likes of the Emily Quartermaine.”

“Don’t worry. When I’m through with them Emily and Nikolas won’t even want to be in the same room with each other.”

“It’s what I’m paying you for Mr. Santiago. It’s what I’m paying you for.”

The lone figure sitting at the edge of the coffee bar lowered his newspaper. Johnny had been given orders by Jason to follow Helena Cassadine as quietly as possible. . He wondered what Jason would say if he found out that Juan was meeting with Helena. If it had something to do with Morgan’s little sister, than he didn’t want to be there when Morgan confronted Santiago.

Forever let me wake to see you each and every morning
Let me hear you whisper softly in my ear

Jessica and Will were waiting outside the bookstore for Emily to emerge from the science-fiction session, when something caught her eye in the window of the store next door.

Pulling Will along with her, Jess walked closer to the dress in the window, a smile glowing in her face as she saw it up close. A wedding gown.

It was an off the shoulders white satin gown embroidered with crystals that seemed to be lit from within.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered softly, lost in the enchantment of the dress and the daydream of wearing it as she walked down the aisle to marry Will.

“It’s not half as beautiful as you are,” Will slipped his arm around her from behind and nibbled at her neck. “Nothing in this world is as beautiful as you are.”

She smiled at his words and turned to face him. “I missed you last night.” She reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

“That’s good because I would hate to think I was the only one suffering last night.” He pulls her closer, loving the way she fits against him, like she was created for him as surely as he was created for her. “I kept having these wild dreams about you and every time I turned to you to make the dream come true, all I found was an empty bed.” He grinned. “And then there was Nik’s snoring which was loud enough to wake the dead.”

“You poor baby...” Jess whispered with a smile as she nuzzled her head against his shoulder. “I suppose I’ll have to find a way to make it up to you.”

“I can think of a few suggestions,” Will whispered one or two in her ear, delighting in the sudden redness that stained her cheeks. He wondered if she would be this easy to embarrass when she was eighty. He had a feeling the answer would be yes.

Desperate to hide her blushing cheeks, born of equal parts embarrassment and a quiet curiosity to know whether what he suggested was even possible, Jess turned back around in his arms and looked at the wedding dress in the window.

“Someday, Jessica Buchanan you are going to be one beautiful bride and I will be the luckiest groom that has ever stood at the alter and waited for the woman he loves. We will stand in front of God, our families, and our friends and we will promise each other out loud and in public what we’ve known since the moment you opened your eyes in that hospital room.”

“What’s that?”

“That we belong to each other. Everything I am and everything that I ever will be is yours. You don’t only have my heart Jess, you have my soul, my dreams, my hopes, my fears, my everything. Sometimes I love you so much that I don’t know where I stop and where you begin and that’s when I realize that when it comes to loving you there is no beginning and no ending, there just is.”

Jessica turned to look at him, her eyes shining with tears. “Every time I think I know how much I love you, you do something or say something that makes me fall a little more in love with you.”

His lips claiming hers, Will pulls Jessica into a tightly passionate embrace.

Emily, coming out of the bookstore, stops and stares at the two of them. A distant smile on her face she turns away from their happiness. She loves them, but being around them right now is just a reminder of what she has lost.

In my eyes I see no one else but you
There´s no other love like our love

Her eyes filling with tears, Emily walks along the promenade in front of the shops on the second level. She stops in front of one store, staring blindly into the window. It hurts so much more than she had ever imagined it could.

There were so many memories, moments in time crystal clear in their detail. There were the quiet times when he would come over and keep her company as she studied. Or the days he would show up at school at lunch to rescue her from another Cafeteria meal. Long walks along the docks as spring began to give way to summer. The time in the boathouse when they had almost been caught making love by Edward. She shivered. It had been the closest they had ever come to going all the way. It had been after that night that Nik had started talking about the two of them taking a trip alone together. It had been clear what he had meant and even remembering the tone of his voice as he said the words made her heart race.

It was then as she looked up that she realized where she was. What kind of store she was in front of.

Her eyes glistening with tears, she looked up at the Christmas tree in the window, it’s artificial branches decorated with tinsel and golden ornaments. It was one of those stores that sold Christmas ornaments all year long. She reached forward and her fingers traced the outline of a golden star on the glass.

She will never forget that day. The sleigh ride through the snow. The inn in the middle of the snow covered woods. And most of all that Christmas tree. Each ornament lovingly hung by Nikolas because he loved her. Because he wanted to give her back the Christmases she had lost when her mother died.

No one had ever done anything like that for her. No one had ever loved her like Nikolas had. No one had ever made her feel like he did.

She might as well admit, if only to herself. No one ever would.

She was about to turn away, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” A soft voice whispered behind her and Emily could feel the shivers of desire running up and down her spine. Could he feel how his nearness was affecting her?

“It’s just a fake.” Emily forces herself to keep her voice calm and cool. “Just an artificial tree and a few cheap ornaments. It’s not real. And it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re wrong Emily Bowen Quartermaine. Wronger than you’ve ever been in your life.” Almost against her will, Emily turns to find herself staring into the warmth of his eyes. Drowning in them to be more correct. “It’s always been real. And its the only thing that matters.”

She knows he’s no longer discussing the display in the store window and her heart catches. She wants so desperately to believe him. “Nikolas I...” Her voice is breathless and her thoughts confused as she hesitates.

“I’m sorry. God Emily I’m so sorry. I lied about what happened between Liz and I, but I never ever once lied about my feelings for you. I love you. I love you. Only you. Always you.” She can see the tears in his eyes and the thought leaves her transfixed. Nikolas Cassadine is crying because of her. Unconsciously she takes a step forward even as every protective instinct in her tells her to run. “Please give me another chance.”

She opens her mouth to reply, but whatever reply she would have made is lost as she hears a voice calling Nikolas’s name. A very familiar voice. A voice that kindles the anger burning in her and tears away whatever was about to happen between the two of them.

The moment is lost and Nikolas knows it, but nonetheless he tries to save it even as he hears Liz call his name again.

“Em. It’s not what you think. I’m not here to meet her....”

Emily shakes her head. “I was right. It doesn’t matter. I’m meeting Jess and Will for a movie. I have to go.” Before he can stop her she turns and walks away.

And yes, oh yes, I´ll always want you near me
I´ve waited for you for so long

Liz smiles, a smile of quiet triumphant that automatically turns to friendly concern when Nikolas turns away from watching Emily to her.

“I’m sorry.” Liz offers the apology with a sincere smile. “I didn’t realize that you were talking to Emily or I would never have yelled like that and...”

Nikolas stops her. “It’s okay.” He lies heavily. He’d been so close. So damned close. He turns to Liz and starts to ask her what he wants he feels the mall begin to shake as the sudden sound of an explosion rocks through it.

Panicking, Nik takes only a split second to make sure Liz is okay before turning in the direction where Emily went.

He stops suddenly. The promenade where Emily was walking no longer exists.

Lady, your love´s the only love I need
And beside me is where I want you to be
´cause, my love, there´s somethin´ I want you to know
You´re the love of my life, you´re my lady