Chapter 4: Love and Rivalry

 

Emily, Lucky and Nikolas walk up the Quartermaine Mansion after taking
Raoul for a long walk.

Emily turns to speak to them. "Well, I have to go inside for dinner now.
Thanks for everything. I feel a lot better."

Nikolas reaches over to give her a hug. "Call me if you are upset, okay?
Anytime. Promise?"

E: "Sure, if you don't mind being pestered all the time."
N: "You could never bother me. We're friends, remember?"
L: "Nikolas is right. We're friends, and friends stick together. " He
gives her a hug as well.
Emily smiles at both of them. "Thanks guys. I couldn't have made it through
today without you."

Lucky and Nikolas walk off together.
L: "I hope she'll be okay. She looked pretty upset at first. Man, if she
had started using again... "
N: "I know. But she didn't. And she seems better now."

Lucky and Nikolas walk for a while in silence.
L: "So where are you headed to now? Back to Spoon Island."
N: "No, I have a shift at the hospital in a couple hours. "
L: "Well, I'm going over to Kelly's to pick up Lulu. Do you want to come
with me and see Lulu? I don't have to be home for a while."
N: "Sure. I'd love to see Lulu."

...............................

Alexis and Sonny are lying in bed holding each other. Sonny smiles at
Alexis as he caresses her shoulder. Alexis has a look of deep contentment
on her face.

S: "I suppose we should get ready for our date with the Spencers tonight."

Alexis groans. "Oh, do we have to? Can't we just stay in bed all night?"
She attempts to seduce him by drawing him into a passionate kiss. Sonny's
reply is to groan in pleasure. He ends the kiss reluctantly.

S: "Sweetheart, you know I'd love to. But Luke went to a lot of trouble
getting those tickets. We can't disappoint them."

A: "Oh, ok. I suppose we should be adult and responsible..."

Sonny kisses her forehead. "Besides, I want to share our happy news. You
up for a visit to the club to announce the news and celebrate?"

A: "You can't wait to tell Mike, can you?"

S: "Yeah. He'll be floored. Can't wait to see the look on his face."

Alexis gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom to shower. "Do you want to
join me? " She says seductively.

Sonny gives her a big grin. "Love to. But I have to call Luke first. How
about I join you in a few minutes?"

A: "Don't take too long. I'll lonely without you." Alexis closes the
bathroom door.

Sonny puts a call into Luke.

.............................

Lucky and Nikolas arrive at Kelly's. They see Lulu sitting at the counter
eating some ice cream. She smiles and jumps off the stool when she sees
her brothers.

Lulu: "Nikky!" She runs over and give his leg a bug hug. Nikolas picks
her up and gives her a kiss.

N: "Hey, princess. Enjoying your ice cream?"

Lulu: "Yup. Do you want some?"

Lucky: "Hey, Lu. What am I? Chopped Liver? Don't I even rate a 'hello'?"

Lulu rolls her eyes at Lucky's teasing. "Hi Lucky, I get to see you all the
time. I *never* get to see Nikky." She gives Nikolas another big hug.

Lucky watches Nikolas dote on Lulu. He clenches his jaw as he feels the
old resentment returning. First Emily's crush on Nikolas, now Lulu's
adoration. Seems like everyone thought Nik was perfect. Sometimes he really
hated his brother.

Georgie comes bounding in with Maxie and Felicia. Lulu runs to join them at the counter. Nikolas and Lucky sit at one of the tables.

N:"Thanks for inviting me to visit Lesley Lu. I really don't get to see
enough of her. With my classes at the University, my job at the hospital,
and Uncle involving me in the business, I hardly have any time to see her."

Lucky: "Sure, whatever. I did it for Lulu."

Nikolas notices Lucky's coldness, but doesn't respond to it. Instead he
returns the subject of Emily. "Emily's a sweet kid. If she can just stay
away from the dope, she'll be alright."

L: "I know she can do it. Look how much progress she's made in the last
year. I still can't believe all that's happened. Who would have thought
we could sit at the same table without trying to kill each other? But
you've done right by Emily and Lulu. If it hadn't have been for your quick
thinking, Emily could have ended up in jail or worse."

N: "Yeah, I know. I can still remember us rushing up to that cabin. If
you hadn't found Matt...."

L: "Well, you were the one who scared Matt into telling us where she was.
And you scared me too, man. I thought you were going to kill him. You put
on quite an act."

N: "Who said it was an act? The guy was scum and he set Emily up. He's
lucky to be alive. Anyway, I will never be able to forget the sight of
Emily running out of that cabin with blood all over her. I was sure she was
the one stabbed."

L: "Me too. She couldn't even talk. You took care of Emily while I
checked out the cabin. Dorman was dead. Alexis really came through for all
of us . We were so freaked out. She helped us call the cops."

N: "I thought we were going to lose Emily after that. It seems like she was
always getting high. She even tried to get some of the hard stuff. For a
while there you and I were taking turns bailing her out of trouble. It's
only in the last six months she's let us help her."

L: "Actually, it's only since she developed a crush on you. She's fallen
for you hard, man. "

Nikolas shifts in his seat uncomfortably. "She knows where she stands with
me. We're just friends."

Lucky: "You better not hurt her man, or...."

Nikolas's eyes flash angrily at Lucky's challenge. "Or what? Listen, I am
not going to discuss this with you again. I have to go anyway. See you
later."

Nikolas walks over to Lulu who is playing with Georgie at the counter. He
gives her a hug and kiss. "See you later, princess."

Lulu's faces falls as she clings to him. "Nikky, I don't want you to go. "

N: "I know. But I have to work. I'll visit you soon, though."
Lulu: "When?"
N: "How about this weekend?"
Lulu: "Ok. You promise?"
Nikolas gives her another hug. "I Promise. Be good, princess." Nikolas
leaves Kelly's.