Chapter 13
~ Kelly’s ~
Gia was regretting this before it even happened. But next to Nikolas’s reaction her mother’s meant the most to her. Pregnancy was not something she or Nikolas planned but now that it was here it was the best thing to have happened to them. She hoped she could get this across to her mother, she hoped she would understand. Looking at her watch again waiting for her mother to arrive Gia was slowly losing her nerve.
Florence- Hey sweetie… sorry I’m late. Got caught up at work.
Gia- That’s ok… [rising to greet her mother] I wasn’t here too long.
Florence- [kissing Gia on the cheek] I’m sorry still. [smiling] Did you order yet?
Gia- No I was waiting for you.
Florence- [concerned] Is everything ok? You don’t look so good.
Gia- I’m fine mom… just a little tired.
Florence- Oh ok… you should really try and get some rest.
Gia- I will mom.
Penny- [smiling] Do you want to order now?
Florence- Yes… I’ll have the chili.
Penny- Gia…
Gia- [as queasiness came over her she quickly covered her mouth] I…
Florence- Gia… is something wrong with you?
Gia- [shaking her head] No… I just have not been able to keep anything down lately.
Florence- Really… maybe we should cancel lunch so you can go and rest.
Gia- I’m ok… it comes and goes. I’ll be all right in a few minutes.
Florence- [a strange look coming over her face] Gia…
Gia- [looking down] Yes momma….
Florence- [taking in Gia’s ashen face] Gia… please tell me you’re not pregnant.
Penny- I’ll… I’ll came back when you’re ready to order.
Gia- [slowly looking up] Mom…
Florence- [shaking her head] Oh Gia…
Before Gia could respond Florence quickly rose and left Kelly’s. Needing her mother’s approval Gia ran behind her. After several minutes Gia finally caught up with her mother.
Gia- Momma…mom please…
Florence- [disappointment clearly evident on her face] Oh Gia…
Gia- [taking her mother’s hand] Momma…mom I didn’t plan for this to happen.
Florence- [pulling her hand away] Gia do you know what you’ve done?
Gia- [softly] Mom…
Florence- Gia… of all the things you could do or be… why?
Gia- Nikolas and I…
Florence- Nikolas and you…[shaking her head] you have no concept of the real world. For once Gia think…
everything I planned for you… everything I hoped you could be…
Gia- I can still do it.
Florence- [shaking her head] No you can’t… Gia I thought you had more sense than this. I hoped you would realize what a waste your life had become…
Gia- [softly] A waste?
Florence- Gia you could have been anything… anything you put your mind to but instead your happy and content with being some man’s bed warmer.
Gia- Momma it’s not like that…
Florence- It’s not…[cold eyes staring back at her intently as she shook her head] Gia I am so disappointed in you.
Gia- Mom… [tears slowly welling in her eyes] I knew you wouldn’t be happy but…
Florence- [laughing sarcastically] Happy… what is there to be happy about?
Gia- I’m trying to make the best of this situation and…
Florence- [cutting her off] What are you going to do now?
Gia- What do you mean?
Florence- I know… I hope you don’t plan on keeping this… this…
Gia- Mom… this is our baby… Nikolas and mine… [tenderly touching her stomach] this is our baby and we want to keep it. We want…
Florence- [shaking her head] This is a mistake.
Gia- How can you say that?
Florence- Easily… you just don’t realize…
Gia- [wiping away at her tears refusing to cry in front of her mother] No you don’t realize… you don’t realize how much… how badly I wanted your support and…
Florence- Well I’m sorry… I can’t and won’t give you that.
Gia- Momma…
Florence- No Gia… you don’t realize that you are ruining your life and I won’t stand by and let you do it. I won’t go along with you just because you want me to.
Gia- Mom please…
Florence- [shaking her head] This is a mistake and nothing you do or say will make me believe that it’s not.
Gia- But Nikolas…
Florence- No… that’s it Gia I don’t want to hear anymore.
Gia- [pleading as she reached for her hand again] Mom please…
Florence- [pulling her hand away] No Gia… I can’t accept this… I won’t…
Again before Gia had the chance to reply Florence turned and walked away from her. Unable to fight them anymore Gia stood where her mother left her and silently cried. How could her mother be so cruel and not accept the things going on in her life? How could she not be willing to stand by her side and give her the support and guidance she would need? How could she not care? Lowering her head Gia let her tears fall freely down her face. The pain too great Gia sat down on the nearby bench covering her face with shaking hands. With only Nikolas there to support her how would she make t through her pregnancy?
Nikolas- [softly as he came upon her] Gia…
Gia- [looking up she spoke softly] Nikolas…
Nikolas- [quickly coming to sit by her] Baby what’s wrong?
Gia- I… I told my mom about the baby.
Nikolas- And…
Gia- [laughing trying best to cover her pain] And needless to say she wasn’t too thrilled.
Nikolas- Gia I’m sorry.
Gia- [shaking her head] I guess the “Granny loves me” socks and bibs are out huh?
Nikolas- [taking her hands in his] Gia…
Gia- [shaking her head as her tears began to fall again] I’m ok…
Nikolas- No you’re not… [softly] but you will be…
Gia- [softly as she looked down] How?
Nikolas- Because I’m here now…
Gia- [softly] I didn’t even get the chance to tell her that we were getting married…
Nikolas- Gia…
Gia- She said… she said our baby was a mistake. She said…
Nikolas- [lifting her chin to stare into her eyes] Gia listen to me… I love you, I have for a long time and when you told me that we were having a baby I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t but all I know is that every time I look at you, every time I hold you in my arms, every time I touch your stomach I know that it’s right. I know why my heart beats everyday, so no matter what anyone has to say, or what anyone thinks I know this is right. I know because I love you and I know because you love me back.
Gia- [softly touching his face] Nikolas…
Nikolas- [softly kissing her hand] You’re stuck with me Sparky…
Gia- [softly] You’re stuck with me too.
Nikolas- [softly smiling] Good… let’s go home.
Chapter 14
Cottage
Nikolas tightly held Gia’s hand as they entered the cottage. More than just the encounter with her mother something else was bothering Gia. He could see a sadness in her eyes despite her best efforts to cover it. Knowing the guilt placed on her by her mother Nikolas was determined to do whatever he had to do to put the smile back into her eyes. Nikolas looked at Gia as she attempted a small smile at him preparing to release his hand.
Nikolas- [softly] Don’t leave me…
Gia- Nikolas I’m really tired and…
Nikolas- Gia what’s wrong?
Gia- It’s just… [shaking her head] my mom and…
Nikolas- Your mother was wrong…
Gia- [softly laughing] Maybe you should tell her that…
Nikolas- If that’s what you want me to do…
Gia- [shaking her head as she softly touched his face] That’s ok…
Nikolas- [caressing her cheek] Gia you can tell me what’s bothering you…
Gia- [looking down] It’s nothing… I’m…I’m ok…
Nikolas- [softly] No you’re not… tell me what it is…
Gia- [softly as she tried her best to keep her tears at bay] What if…
Nikolas- [quietly] What?
Gia- [whispering] What if no one is happy for us? What if… what if everyone thinks we are making a mistake?
Nikolas- Gia… look at me… [as she slowly met his stare] every time I look at you I love you even more and I know that you love me too. I don’t care if everyone told us we were making a mistake...
Gia- Nikolas…
Nikolas- Gia… I love you and our baby… [smiling as he softly touched her stomach] our baby was made from our love and that’s all that matters.
Gia- But what if that’s not enough?
Nikolas- It’ll always be enough…
Gia- [softly as she gently covered his hand with hers] Ok…
Before Nikolas could speak again Gia quickly walked away from him going to stand before their picture window. Wrapping her arms around herself she knew the time had come clean about everything that was ailing her. Nikolas watched silently as Gia enfolded into herself. Whatever was troubling her was causing her much grief and until she told him what it was he was unable to do much about it.
Nikolas- Gia I’m not sure what’s wrong with you but whatever it is… I’m here and…
Gia- [softly] Nikolas I’ve been lying to you…
Nikolas- What?
Gia- [shaking her head as she continued to stare out of the window] I should have told you a long time ago but I was afraid of how you would look at me… I was afraid that…
Nikolas- That what? You have to know that whatever it is… whatever you have to tell me I’ll understand…
Gia- I’m sorry…
Nikolas- Gia what are you talking about?
Gia- [her back still to Nikolas] When I first found out I was pregnant I didn’t know what to do…
Nikolas- [softly] Gia…
Gia- I was lost and I needed someone I could talk to that wouldn’t judge me… someone who would just listen to me and be there for me.
Nikolas- Ok…
Gia- So I called the only person I could think of that would know how it felt to go through what I was feeling… someone who…
Nikolas- Who did you talk to?
Gia- [softly] I want you to understand why I did the things I did. I want you to understand the choices I made.
Nikolas- I will Gia but you’re confusing… I’m confused. Who are you talking about?
Gia- [softly] I don’t want you to be angry with me…
Nikolas- [standing behind her as he lightly touched her arm] Why would I be angry? You talked to a friend when you needed them most. You talked to…
Gia- [softly] Elizabeth…
Nikolas- [slowly] Elizabeth?
Gia- [looking down] Yes…
Nikolas- What made her call? I mean how did she know…
Gia- I called her…
Nikolas- You called her…
Gia- [nodding] Yes…
Nikolas- How did you know… I mean how did you…
Gia- I know where she is…
Nikolas- What?
Gia- I know… I know where Elizabeth is.
Nikolas- [softly] For how long?
Gia- [looking up at Nikolas] What?
Nikolas- How long have you known? I mean she left without a goodbye and no one knew if or when she…
Gia- I’ve always known…
Nikolas- What are you saying?
Gia- Look Nikolas back then because of… somehow through everything that was going on between Lucky and Elizabeth, Elizabeth and I became really good friends and when she decided she had to leave…
Nikolas- [softly] You helped her…
Gia- [looking down again] Yes…
Nikolas- Why didn’t you say something? You never said anything… I mean all the times I agonized over her being gone and out there alone… why Gia?
Gia- Nikolas…
Nikolas- You could have said something… when I was throwing money to investigator after investigators hoping they would find something out. Or when I ready to go out and search for her myself…
Gia- Because there were other circumstances involved… I mean…
Nikolas- What?
Gia- Even though she didn’t tell me I knew…
Nikolas- Knew what?
Gia- [softly] She was pregnant…
Nikolas- [barely above a whisper] Pregnant? Are you telling me she was pregnant with Lucky’s baby and you never said anything?
Gia- Nikolas…
Nikolas- For two years Gia… two years you knew I had a niece or nephew out there and you never said anything. How could you do that? How could you…
Gia- It wasn’t Lucky’s… she wasn’t pregnant by Lucky…
Nikolas- Then who… [as his expression quickly changed] are you saying that… that… the baby… the baby is…was…
Gia- Jason’s… she was pregnant by Jason and she didn’t want to face the ridicule and drama that would come if she stayed in Port Charles to have his baby.
Nikolas- [as he sat shocked on the couch] Oh my God…
Gia- I wanted to tell you. I wanted to but I couldn’t… I couldn’t find the words…
Nikolas- [softly] How is… what did she have?
Gia- She had a daughter…
Nikolas- [softly smiling] A girl…
Gia- [as she retrieved a photo of Elena from her purse] Elena Nicole Morgan… my goddaughter
Nikolas- [softly touching the picture of a smiling Elena] Nicole?
Gia- Yeah she named her after you…
Nikolas- After me… why?
Gia- She said because in the end you were one of the few people who accepted her and Jason together. You didn’t pass judgment on them despite Lucky being your brother.
Nikolas- Why are you telling me this now?
Gia- For two years… two years I agonized and agonized over the decisions I made. For two years I found myself sitting and thinking that I should have made her stay. I should have done more than what I did but when I saw her…
Nikolas- [softly] Is she happy?
Gia- [softly smiling] Yes… she, Elena, and Jason are happy.
Nikolas- She’s with Jason?
Gia- [nodding] Yeah…
Nikolas- [softly] She’s with Jason…
Gia- Nikolas I never wanted to keep this from you. I wanted to tell you… I tried to tell you so many times but…
Nikolas- But…
Gia- I guess I’m a coward…
Nikolas- [softly touching her face] No…
Gia- Talking to my mom today I couldn’t help but think of Elizabeth because now I can finally see how she felt… [shaking her head] I realize we may not get much support as far as our baby or even our marriage is concerned. And seeing that we might be all we have real soon and I couldn’t go on keeping this from you.
Nikolas- I’m glad you told me… but Gia… even if the rest of Port Charles calls us fools for trying at happiness who cares. I have you and you have me and that’s all that really matters.
Gia- I didn’t like keeping this from you… I didn’t want to keep this from you.
Nikolas- I know…
Gia- [softly] I want you to… if you forgive me…
Nikolas- Forgive you? You did what you thought was best… you helped a friend when she needed you and…
Gia- I want you to talk to her.
Nikolas- Talk to who?
Gia- Elizabeth…
Nikolas- [softly touching Elena’s picture again] I’d like that… [as Gia rose to retrieve the phone] where are you going?
Gia- To call… to call Elizabeth so you can…
Nikolas- That can wait…[taking her by the hand] I want to tell you something first…
Gia- [softly as she sat beside him on the couch again] What is it Nikolas?
Nikolas- I understand why you did the things you did for Elizabeth. I can even understand what she thought she might have encountered had she stayed here pregnant by Jason but I want you to know this…
Gia- [softly] What?
Nikolas- No matter what… no matter what anyone says about us or our baby I want you to know that I’m happy. You’re all that I wanted and all that matters to me and nothing will change that.
Gia- I’m happy too…
Gently cupping her face Nikolas tenderly kissed her sealing the love and the commitment each gave to the other. They sat on the couching holding each other momentarily forgetting the call to Elizabeth and holding at bay the coming criticism that they knew too would soon come.