Days after their trip to the cottage Emily and Lucky sat in Kelly’s still discussing Gia and her weird behavior.

Lucky- So what do you think?
Emily- Well Deanna said she didn’t see anything.
Lucky- So…
Emily- So what you think we still might be right about her and Elizabeth?
Lucky- Maybe…
Emily- But why would she keep that hidden? I mean…
Lucky- Maybe it has something to do with Nik or maybe…
Emily- You could be right.
Lucky- I only wish I knew when Nikolas was coming back.
Emily- Why?
Lucky- I want to see if he knows anything about her and Liz or if she’s keeping her secret from him too.
Emily- But we don’t even know if they still talk.
Lucky- True…but we also don’t know if they do. [pounding his hand on the table] Damn it I wish I could talk to Nikolas before she has a chance to cover her tracks.
Emily- [smiling] Well…
Lucky- What do you know?
Emily- [smiling] I overheard Ned on the phone this morning and it seems as if Nikolas will be coming in tonight…
Lucky- When?
Emily- I’m not exactly sure but…
Lucky- You think if we try and call him…
Emily- Doesn’t hurt to try.
Lucky- You have his number?
Emily- Yeah hold on… [searching her bag for her cell phone and Nikolas’s number] here it is right here.
Lucky- [smiling] Call him…

Nikolas smiled knowing he was nearly home. The pilot having told him that within 30 minutes they would make their decent into Port Charles he could not keep himself from smiling. Soon… soon Gia would be in his arms again and soon he would take the final step in making her his forever. Sitting back Nikolas imagined scenes of he and Gia laughing and loving with their children all around them. Children… where had this thought come from? Since Katherine and her false claims of pregnancy Nikolas had pushed the thought of children from his head. But now with Gia in his life slowly these thoughts and wants were returning. He smiled as images of Gia’s pregnant stomach filled his head. The thoughts of her weird food cravings and mood changes nearly had him laughing out loud. The ringing of his cell phone quickly brought him out of his thoughts of Gia and the life he knew they would eventually have. Hoping it was Gia Nikolas quickly answered.

Nikolas- [smiling] Hello…
Lucky- Hey Nikolas… this is Lucky.
Nikolas- Hey Lucky what’s up?
Lucky- Nothing much. You seem to be in a good mood… maybe I should be asking you what’s up?
Nikolas- [laughing] Nothing… just thinking about Gia.
Lucky- [softly] Oh…
Nikolas- Well… do you need something?
Lucky- You trying to rush me off the phone?
Nikolas- [laughing] No… I um I want to call Gia while she’s on my mind.
Lucky- Oh…
Nikolas- So what do you want?
Lucky- Where are you?
Nikolas- I’m on the plane. We’re about 30 minutes from Port Charles… why?
Lucky- Do you think you could come to Kelly’s before you head home?
Nikolas- What?
Lucky- Do you think you can come to Kelly’s first?
Nikolas- I want to see Gia and I want…
Lucky- It’s sorta important…
Nikolas- What if I come over there after I see Gia? I mean it can wait can’t it?
Lucky- Look Nikolas I can’t… I don’t really want to get into this over the phone but...
Nikolas- [growing impatient] But…
Lucky- This is about Gia.
Nikolas- [suddenly concerned] Did something happen to her?
Lucky- No but… you need to… could you just stop by Kelly’s before you go and see her?
Nikolas- Is this going to take long?
Lucky- No…
Nikolas- [sighing] Well… I’ll call Gia and tell her I’ll be a little later than I thought…
Lucky- [quickly] Don’t call her…
Nikolas- What… why?
Lucky- When you get here you’ll understand.
Nikolas- Lucky…
Lucky- I promise you… there’s… there’s just a few things I need to tell you before… I just need to talk to you first before you speak with her.
Nikolas- Lucky…
Lucky- Please Nikolas…
Nikolas- [sighing] Ok fine… but I really… I really need to get home to Gia…
Lucky- I understand Nikolas… I really appreciate this.
Nikolas- Ok… whatever…I’m not staying there long.
Lucky- I know…
Nikolas- I’ll see you shortly…
Lucky- [smiling as he hung up the phone] Ok…
Emily- Well?
Lucky- He’s coming.
Emily- You sure?
Lucky- [smiling] Positive.
Emily- [smiling] Good.

Nikolas hung up the phone slowly shaking his head. Slowly he and Lucky had rebuilt some type of a brotherly relationship in the last two years but there were still times when he just did not understand him. What Lucky had to tell him he did not know but he hoped it was something important considering how Lucky seemed to be stressing over it. Knowing how things were between Lucky and Gia as well as Emily and Gia he doubted they had much involvement with one another while he had been gone. Clearing negative thoughts out of his head he slowly called Gia needing to hear her voice.

Gia- [softly] Hello… [no answer] hello… [no answer] hello… [angrily after still no answer] who in the hell is this?
Nikolas- [laughing] Now is that anyway to talk to the man you love?
Gia- [laughing] Yes…
Nikolas- Yes?
Gia- Well you weren’t exactly responding to me so I had to go Brooklyn style on you.
Nikolas- [smiling] Brooklyn style?
Gia- You should hear what I really wanted to say.
Nikolas- I can imagine.
Gia- Where are you?
Nikolas- About 30 minutes away from you.
Gia- [smiling] Really?
Nikolas- Yeah… I couldn’t stand being away from you so I came home early.
Gia- Aww… you were missing me?
Nikolas- Sorta…
Gia- Sorta… well I feel real special now.
Nikolas- [laughing] You know I missed you Sparky.
Gia- [laughing] You better had.
Nikolas- [smiling] I did.
Gia- [softly] So you’ll be here in about 30 minutes?
Nikolas- Give or take a few minutes.
Gia- Well hurry up... I’ll make you dinner and…
Nikolas- Whatever you say Sparky…
Gia- We’re gonna have to come up with a nickname for you.
Nikolas- [laughing] Ok on that note… I’ll see you soon.
Gia- [softly] I’ll be here waiting.
Nikolas- [softly] I know…

Breathing a deep sigh wandered to the bay window looking out willing Nikolas’s car to come up the drive.

Chapter 10
Kelly’s

Nikolas took a deep breath before walking into Kelly’s. Even before he and Lucky talked a sense of dread filled him and he knew that stopping here probably was not the best of ideas. Seeing Nikolas enter Kelly’s Emily nudged Lucky alerting him that he was there.

Lucky- [smiling as he came up to Nikolas] Nik…
Nikolas- Lucky… Emily. It’s good to see the both of you.
Emily- It’s good seeing you too.
Nikolas- [looking at Lucky] Where’s Deanna?
Lucky- She uh… she has a big test coming up so she’s home studying.
Nikolas- [as they sat at a nearby table] Oh ok…
Lucky- [looking down] Yeah…
Nikolas- [after a moments silence] Ok…I’m sure I didn’t come here for a talk about Deanna and what test she has to take. What’s up?
Emily- [as they sat down at a nearby table] Well…
Nikolas- [looking at Lucky] You said this was about Gia.
Lucky- Yeah…
Nikolas- Then what is it? What about Gia?
Lucky- There’s no easy way to tell you this…
Nikolas- Easy way to tell me what?
Lucky- [continuing] And after I finish telling you I don’t want you to think…
Nikolas- Just say it Lucky.
Lucky- Nikolas I… I…
Nikolas- You what?
Lucky- Exactly how well do you know Gia?
Nikolas- What?
Lucky- How well do you really know Gia?
Nikolas- This can’t be why you asked me to come here is it?
Lucky- Yeah but…
Nikolas- There are no buts, you had me thinking that this was of some importance so I delayed going home for [fanning his hands] this.
Emily- Nikolas…
Nikolas- [angrily] No… I can’t believe this.
Emily- You have to listen… listen to what Lucky has to say before you…
Nikolas- [interrupting her before she could finish] He’s not saying anything I want to hear.
Emily- [touching his arm] Please…
Nikolas- No… he’s wasting my and Gia’s time…
Lucky- [softly] Gia’s lying to you.
Nikolas- [turning to look at Lucky] What?
Lucky- [looking intently at Nikolas] She’s lying… I mean she’s not… she’s not being honest with you.
Nikolas- And what makes you think this?
Emily- Because we know…
Nikolas- [turning to look at Emily] You know what?
Emily- She’s keeping things from you…
Lucky- Important things.
Nikolas- Such as?
Lucky- Who she sees… who she talks to.
Nikolas- Where is this coming from? What ever happened that made you think Gia is being dishonest with me…
Emily- We don’t think… we know.
Nikolas- You keep saying that. What do you think you know?
Lucky- Look man it’s like this… we tried to do what you asked and keep an eye on Gia so we called over there…
Nikolas- And?
Emily- We heard something… I mean we heard someone there.
Nikolas- Who?
Lucky- Right now that’s not important…
Nikolas- What do you mean it’s not important?
Lucky- What’s important is that you know that you can’t trust Gia. You can’t…
Nikolas- What I can’t do is believe is this…
Emily- That’s not everything… tell him the rest Lucky.
Nikolas- [exasperated] What?
Lucky- We went to see Gia… you know just to make sure everything was ok and something was off.
Nikolas- [standing up] When you two decide to stop the “Don’t trust Gia campaign” call me until then…
Lucky- Someone was there…
Nikolas- [turning to look at Lucky as he sat back down] What?
Lucky- She had someone there.
Nikolas- Who?
Lucky- I don’t know but…
Nikolas- Are trying to say she’s cheating on me?
Emily- That’s not it…
Nikolas- Then what is it?
Lucky- You can’t trust Gia… she’s…
Nikolas- [angrily] She’s what?
Emily- Not the person you think she is.

Emily, Lucky, and Nikolas sat in momentary silence as their words took effect for Nikolas. Looking from Emily to Lucky Nikolas again stood up taking in a deep breath before he continued.

Nikolas- [softly as he began] I came here to listen to what you had to say about Gia because you said it was important. But from the moment I came in here you both did nothing but try and put doubt on Gia and it won’t work.
Emily- Nikolas…
Nikolas- [putting up his hand] No… I listened to you and now I want you both to hear me and hear me good. The next time I hear you say one word against Gia that’s it…
Lucky- Nikolas…
Nikolas- [pointing at Lucky] No… I don’t know what this was and right about now I don’t really care. One more bad word and I’m done.
Lucky- She’s…
Nikolas- She’s not a topic we will discuss. [looking from Emily to Lucky again] Do you hear me? One more word…

Before they had the chance to try and explain further Nikolas turned and walked out of Kelly’s fuming. Nothing they said or did would make him doubt Gia and the fact that they tried only angered him more. Slowly pulling Gia’s engagement ring from his pocket Nikolas knew what was important and no amount of innuendoes and hidden agendas would change that. Shaking his head he reached his car having to sit for a moment to clear his head and thoughts. Tonight would change his life one way or the other and the last thing he wanted was Emily and Lucky’s words distracting him what he had to do.

Emily- Do you think he believed us?
Lucky- I don’t know. Gia has him so blinded to the things around him…
Emily- [lightly touching his hand] Well then we’ll find a way to make him believe us.
Lucky- [softly smiling] Yeah... we will…