princeofncthing - Tumblr blog

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“Don’t bother.  It is a rehash of the facts of your death and speculation about your return.  It is not the best written thing I have ever read but it will sell papers.” Gia knows how this kind of thing works at this point in her life.  The media love to sink their teeth into a juicy story and the stuff she deals with on a regular basis is the juiciest.  Her offer to Nikolas is genuine and she nods her head when he seems to gravitate towards it.  “Don’t worry about it.  It is child’s play.  There is a fine line between the freedom of the press and an individual’s right to privacy but I know just how to walk it.  If you do appear in the paper again, I will make sure it’s off the front page and is barely more than 500 words.  No picture.”  She smiles, determination clear on her face.  She means what she says. 

She knows that the last thing Nikolas wants to do is throw himself into this fight.  It is written on all over his face — but the difference between what he wants and what he thinks is right are too very different things.  He wants to ensure that Spencer has the life that he had been born into and Gia can understand that in some respects.  Although children seem out of the cards for her, she has an inkling what that kind of love is like and she knows it pushes people out of their comfort zone.  

She nods her head.  “Then we will do it.  We will fight to the bitter end and ensure that Spencer and you are rightfully returned to what was taken from you.”  She decides that she has to beef up her research into Valentin to make sure that she knows exactly what she is getting herself into.  She closes her eyes when he mentions how Valentin had been the one who had put him so close to death in the first place.  “He has had an interesting upbringing from what I can tell — which admittedly, is just bits and pieces and rumors at this point.  He is good at covering his tracks and looking like he is an upstanding gentleman.”  The fact that he had shot Nikolas is proof to the otherwise.  “But you should know that there is a further complication — involving your sister.  Have you meet your niece Charlotte yet?”

Nikolas is already keenly aware of how lucky he is to have run into Gia, but she’s managed to prove that thought about a thousand times over. His grasp of the law is perhaps better than the average person, but nothing compared to Gia. She’s savvy and astute, continuing to impress him each and every day by the strides she’s making on his behalf. He nods a few times as she tells him that she’ll take care of the privacy issue. “Thank you. When I think about the big picture, something like my name making headlines barely makes the cut, but the less I have to worry about, the better. It’s a small thing, but... it makes a big difference. Thank you—again.”

It shouldn’t surprise him that she seems to know what he wants, but it does. So far she’s only ever asked and not assumed, but the questions she’s asked all feel purposefully posed. Like she knows him, and therefore knows the answers almost as well as he does. Maybe she’s just as surprised as he is. It’s been decades, after all. He couldn’t say why, but Nikolas likes that thought. The idea of someone being pleasantly surprised that they know him is more appealing the more he thinks about it.

It makes it easier for him to be honest with Gia. They have a past, but it’s not so fresh as to be staring them both in the face. They have a history, but they still have to get to know each other all over again. It’s less daunting. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. I can handle what happened to me, but my son... He spent the last few years thinking he was an orphan. He had to cope with losing everything he’s ever known, and god, my mother had to send him to a boarding school in another country to try and protect him from this man. He can’t get away with doing that to my son.” Spencer has suffered the most, and he won’t ever forget that. Still, Gia’s right when she mentions the complication that is Valentin’s daughter. He still doesn’t know what to make of the fact that she is also his sister’s daughter. Lulu gave him a slight explanation, promising a better one later, but he doubts it will help. The whole situation sounds demented. “I have, yeah. Lulu brought her and Rocco over for dinner. She gave me a short, and complicated, explanation about how she and Valentin share a child. I don’t want anything negatively impacting her, if I can help it. If there is a trust fund for Charlotte put in place by Valentin, I want her to keep that.”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“Hopefully you no longer need to repeat the story over and over.  I see The Spectator ran a full piece on your miraculous return from the dead.  Nice picture by the way…” It had been an old one, dug up from the achieves somewhere.  She gives him a bit of a teasing grin and then leans back in her chair.  She already knows what she wants (lets not pretend that she hadn’t been eyeing the menu from her phone before he had showed up).  “If it bothers you to have all of this splashed over the papers I can speak to them on your behalf.  It is a very lawyer-y thing to do and I can get all my client values his privacy bitchy.  I am good at things like that.”  He used to know that and one day will again.  

He is settling into an old life with a new way of looking at it.  He needs time to bring those two things together and he does not need the press breathing down his neck as he does so.  She will be happy to get them to shut their mouths.  Something like that is child’s play — and it will truthfully give her one more reason to justify why she has left her life in New York behind (well, more accurately, her job thus far).  

She waits as he makes his decision.  She wonders if he has thought it before she brought it up.  He has to have, right?  You don’t find out you’re a prince and then ignore everything.  Even if he has thought about it long enough to leave it behind that is something.  When he speaks, she realizes he has gone the other way.  She nods her head, understanding his reasoning perfectly.  “ — okay.  This will be the harder part of course.  Not only are we fighting for control of your family’s assets but that family just so happens to be the Cassadines.  Not exactly known for playing fair.  That doesn’t mean I am saying we should just give up — I just want you to realize we are in for a fight,” she cautions.  She then waits a beat or two, knowing that saying his name might bring up uncomfortable feelings for Nikolas.  But she has to.  “What do you know about Valentin Cassadine?”

When Gia reminds him about the front page article The Spectator ran about his return from the dead, Nikolas drops his gaze with a quiet sigh. It was a strange thing to wake up to, there’s no doubt about that. He went from being an unknown dock worker to being a wealthy prince whose photos are splashed on a newspaper. “I saw the front page — haven’t been able to want to read it, yet.” The way he says yet suggests that Nikolas doubts he ever will want to read it. It makes Gia’s offer tempting. “You could? That would be... helpful. It’s not my biggest concern, but seeing my face as a headline...” He trails off with a shake of his head. “Not having to deal with it again would be nice, but I don’t want to add to what you’re already doing for me.”

He still has to figure out how he’ll pay her for all her legal aid. It won’t be a problem if the Cassadine fortune is returned to him, but there’s no guarantee that will happen. Gia even comes right out and says that it will be the hardest part of all, and Nikolas doesn’t feel anywhere near equipped for this kind of fight. He’ll try for his son, but he imagines he’ll make for being a star-client: never doing or saying anything without Gia’s approval.

“I figured it would be,” he admits. No one who is willing to murder a relative for money would be willing to hand it all back over just because they didn’t quite get the job done. “But I’m willing to do what it takes for Spencer, and the rest of my family.” From what he’s learned, he and his son are not the only decent Cassadines. He’s also got an aunt and some cousins who could benefit from the fortune being put back into his hands, rather than the hands of Valentin Cassadine. When Gia asks what he knows of the man, he gives a slight shrug. “Other than the fact that he shot and pushed me out of a window? Not much.” The man seems to keep a relatively low profile, though Nikolas isn’t much of a sleuth. “From what I’ve learned, he seems to be a good businessman with a bad personal reputation.”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“She was probably too overjoyed just to lay eyes on your face to go into too much detail.  I know I was.  I mean, I was also painfully drunk…” She makes a face at that memory.  Or that partial memory.  Seeing him had been such a shock to her system, it had been no wonder she lost the contents of her stomach the way she had.  “I hope you enjoy yourself…catching up with old faces is important Nikolas.  I am sure before long you’ll be remembering them in great detail.”  In the meantime, she doesn’t mind being nosy on his regard.  He doesn’t know it but it will hardly be her first time doing so.  It is just how she operates.  

They will be, she decides to herself.  His memories will be.  She has to count on that.  Part of her reasoning is selfish.  Although she would help him no matter what, she can’t help but wait for that day when he looks at her with a sense of familiarity.  Like he remembers all the good.  Even all the bad.  She wants to be a whole piece in his mind, not just fractured bits.  Again, selfish but some things never change for her. She may have matured over the years but there is always going to be that part of her that looks out for herself.  

“The legalities are starting to become a bit less mired.  For instance, your death certificate no longer exists.  You are officially alive again on paper.  That may not sound like a lot but it is a huge step forward for the rest of what needs to be done,” she says and then she turns her attention to the obvious thing that needs to be discussed.  “I guess what I need to know now is — do you want it back?  The Cassadine heir title.  The money, the house.  Do you want that part of your life back?” She honestly has no idea what he will say to that.

Nikolas smiles, unsuccessfully veiling a quiet laugh. “It just made for a memorable start to getting my life back.” Certainly never something he could forget, though it does dawn on him that he likely had a treasure trove full of memories he swore he would never forget. Right now all he can do is hope they are just locked away, and not gone for good. Gia seems more convinced of the former than the latter, so he’s got to have a little trust in that. “It’s been getting easier, for the most part. To meet people who were a part of my life.” The strangeness is slowly starting to fade as this becomes his new normal, though he’ll never stop feeling bad about the disappointment that shows up when the people who love him realize he really doesn’t remember them.

If anything, he feels it’s harder for them than it is for him. For him, most of the interactions are the same. He explains and apologizes, and they have to grin and bear it and hope for the best. It doesn’t matter whether they are his son, his cousin, his friend, or an old lover. For now, he just has to work on getting to know everyone all over again in the chance that he’ll never remember them otherwise.

Just one of the many things on his to-do list. He nods along, following Gia’s explanations on his current standing. “It does sound like a lot, to me. Thank you — any progress is good progress.” He knows there’s a lot more to come, but he’s happy to celebrate the fact that he’s legally alive again. Nikolas was just giving up on that possibility a month ago, and now it’s a reality. His gaze flicks back up to Gia when she asks him about what he wants in regards to his family inheritance. It’s a good question, and he pauses before answering. “I... I want it back for Spencer. He’s my priority, and all of that is just as much his as it’s apparently mine. I know he wants it back, so I have to try.”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“Damn straight,” she comments when he says it, not even the least bit ashamed to admit it.  She had once used her tactics to bulldoze people for her own selfish reasons.  Now she likes to think she has pointed that skill in a much more useful direction.  Some may call her different names for that but she doesn’t care.  She only wants to win.  Or when her morals are all pointed in the proper direction, do the right thing. 

That is what she is trying to do here.  Do the right thing.  Make sure that Nikolas is safe with his family and with his legacy intact.  She hasn’t been totally idle while her job is being taken away.  She has looked into Valentin Cassadine and the more she reads the more she realizes that he is the typical lot — mad with power and willing to do what is necessary to achieve it.  Part of her hopes that after she left Port Charles that Nikolas kept that part of him to a minimum.  He has never needed to be like the worst of the Cassadines to reign.  She hopes he knows that. 

“Maria,” she repeats, playing the name on her tongue.  She makes a mental note to start digging.  Covertly of course.  Nikolas wants her help but he probably does not want her prying into all aspects of his life.  She just can’t help herself.  In this regard, she is his ex, not his lawyer.  She needs to see where he has gone after they fell apart.

“It’s okay.  I may have been gone a long time but some things really haven’t changed.  Port Charles still has a lot of familiar faces to me, despite everything and I am sure that sooner or later they will be familiar to you too.  In the meantime, I think you’ve got the best people surrounding you to help you find your way,” she says and she means that.  She has never really spoken all that highly of Elizabeth Webber but she figures Elizabeth is in the perfect position to help when it comes to the missing pieces in Nikolas’ life.

He grins to himself over Gia’s confidence. Nikolas may not know exactly what he was like before the accident, but he’s got a good feeling that Gia’s confidence in combination with her personality and sense of humor is one of the reasons why the two of them were, at one point, supposed to walk down the aisle. She may have filled him in on some of the reasons why they didn’t make it that far, but Nikolas still wonders. He wonders about Maria too, but there was only a month between them. Certainly not an engagement ring.

Then he reminds himself that it was back in 2002, and he should really be focusing more on his future right now than his past. He might still want his memories back, but he needs to work on legally becoming Nikolas Cassadine again, and reclaiming his fortune and estate. “Yeah, I... I actually didn’t catch her last name. I’m supposed to be meeting with her again, for dinner.” He figured it was harmless enough, and besides, Maria came all this way just to see how he was doing. Dinner is the least he can do.

He refocuses on Gia when she speaks up again, and nods along. “You’re right. Between my family and friends, my memories... well, they’ll either be there or they won’t.” He isn’t really fond of the latter, but it’s a possibility he need to accept. “I should be focusing on the future, anyway. How are the legalities surrounding my presumed death sorting out?” A lot of his relationships and property dissolved because he was declared legally dead. That, or passed to the next Cassadine heir, which apparently is his attempted murderer and not his son. Nikolas has absolutely no idea where to go from there. “Is there anything I should be doing?”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“I like to think that put that spark to better use now a days.  I no longer raid cupboards without replacing things.  I put my argumentative powers towards the better good.”  She makes a face, knowing that is not exactly true,  She is a lawyer after all.  She has represented her fair share of people that have made her skin crawl.  Hey, at least she can put that down as a plus when she thinks about how she has been cut from her firm.  She will no longer have to represent complete scum bags. 

Of course she also doesn’t have a steady paycheck.

One step at a time.  

“There is nothing wrong with a bit of arrogance, Nikolas,” she tells him with a pointed look.  “Especially if you have earned it.  I mean…if you can totally take back everything that is rightful yours — your title, your company, your family home, well, I think that earns you an arrogant smirk or two.” She finds herself eager to lay eyes on this Valentin Cassadine.  After all, he is the one who cost Nikolas all those things and so so so much more.  She knows Nikolas is more concerned with his family and he should be.  Gia can take care of starting the process of wrestling everything back from Nikolas’ so called killer.  Her attention is on that idea so she almost misses when Nikolas says he has met another piece of his puzzle.  “ —- the woman you dated?” she repeats, knowing she has completely been caught off guard.

She pours over the menu as she decided to process the newest information while he is considering some of his past.  “Uh, the Quartermaines, right.  I am not sure.  I mean, I was long gone before you got together with Emily.”  In fact, she had been surprised really when she heard. She would have thought he would end up with Elizabeth.  Hadn’t that been Helena’s masterplan after all? She sets down the menu and gives him a compassionate look.  Regardless of what she thought of Emily, the poor woman is dead and she can’t imagine how confusing that is to Nikolas.  “You might be better off asking Laura or Elizabeth about that.” 

“You’re a force to be reckoned with.” Nikolas doesn’t notice how he says that like he has absolute certainty. It just comes out. He doesn’t question it; doesn’t even think about it. It’s true enough in his head that he doesn’t have to. From the moment they met one late evening in a Grecian bar, she proved that to him. She laid out his identity for him while completely wasted. If that’s not a show of fire, of spark, he doesn’t know what could be.

When she talks about how some arrogance is fine so long as it’s earned, he laughs under his breath. He certainly doesn’t feel like he’s anywhere close to having earned a reason to be arrogant, but she does make a good point. If he manages to reclaim all that he’s lost, who could blame him for taking deep pride in that? Nikolas just wishes he could find the drive to take back what is his. The problem remains that it doesn’t feel like his. Talking with Spencer has helped, but at this point, his son will be the only reason he starts the fight to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. “I’ll.... I’ll keep that in mind. In case the time comes.” He wants his life back, but knowing where to start is a whole other story. There’s still so much he needs to worry about, and it gets more complicated by the hour. When Gia questions him about the latest complication, Nikolas can only nod. “Yeah. I wasn’t expecting it either. I don’t know why, but...” He shakes his head, unsure where he was going with that train of thought. “Her name is Maria. She came to see me the other day, all the way from California. We’d only been together for a month before I was presumed dead.”

Which makes it hard to know what to do in that situation. He isn’t sure if he should wish her well, or try to reconcile. He doesn’t know what Maria wants from him either, but he hopes to find out when they get together for dinner. One thing at a time, he reminds himself. With as deep of a past as he has to pull from, there’s still so much to learn. Nikolas nods when Gia explains that he’d be better off asking someone else about his history with his late wife’s family. “Right — of course. I keep forgetting you’ve been away from Port Charles for much longer than I have.” It’s just so easy to talk to her that it slips his mind.

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“Maybe.  But part of me thinks that you enjoyed giving me a hard time so you could wind me up.  Not that it took much back then.”  Again, she can still get wound up but she likes to think she has pointed that energy in the right directions instead of letting it spill all over everyone else.  “You used to call me Sparky.”  She makes a face, as if she hates the nickname but if she is being honest, she had loved it.  It had given them their own thing, as they stayed in their little cottage away from all the troubles Port Charles threw at them (or more realistically the Cassadine family).  

She gives him a look realizing that he might not feel exactly how she is picturing him.  She has to remind herself that beyond the memory loss, they have been on such different paths in the past decade or so.  “The Nikolas I remember was.  He had that arrogant I’m a prince thing going on but it wasn’t so in your face.  That’s where I get that confidence from,” she explains to him.  She can’t help but break into a big smile as Nikolas explains his son’s point of view.  “I like that.  You’re in it together.  Not just you and Spencer, Nikolas.  You have a lot of people rooting for you.”  She is just one of many at this point but she doesn’t feel ready to pull back just yet.  

She can’t help but quirk her brows at the familiar gesture of him pulling out her chair.  She knows better than to read too much into it even if she wants to.  “It has been that long.”  She huffs a sigh.  “That makes me old,” she laments with a shake of her head.  “I don’t know.  Maybe I need to start looking at it from my more mature point of view.  Back when I was here, the Quartermaines owned everything legitimate.  They still do.  I just hope that also don’t have that smarmy rich look down on you feeling.”  She pauses, considering some of his history.  “Sorry, I know you married into that family.”

“That sounds about right.” He smiles, wishing he could remember that more clearly than just the feeling he gets. “I’ve seen you argue with lawyers. You’ve got a lot of fire.” That was probably the draw to getting her all wound up; he wanted to see that fire. Nikolas smiles as she mentions again that he used to call her Sparky. That still remains as one of the few things he’s actually gotten right about himself without realizing it. “Yeah, I... I remember calling you that on the plane. I still think about that, sometimes. How the memory is there, but... just out of reach.” At least that is more comforting than thinking they are gone for good. He’s quick to stop dwelling on that though, and smiles over at Gia instead. “It’s a good nickname.”

Now that he thinks about it, he had to have been confident to willingly rile up Gia. He doesn’t quite have the instinct now, but for some reason he can see that changing if they keep spending time together. “I’ll take the confidence, but I hope I left the arrogance behind.” It’s been long enough since he and Gia last saw each other than he figures it’s a possibility. Arrogance isn’t a great look, but Nikolas isn’t surprised that he used to be. He is a prince, and at the time he was in his early to mid twenties. It just makes sense. His smile softens a little as Gia reminds him that he has a lot of people in his corner. “I’m meeting more every day. Family, friends, and recently...” He pauses, almost unsure if he should talk to Gia about this, but after a quick second he doesn’t see why not. “I actually just met a woman I was dating before I disappeared.”

He chuckles quietly as he joins her at the table, tempted to tell her that old feels like it should qualify people in their late sixties, not their early forties, but he decides to keep his mouth shut on that matter. Besides, when she starts talking about Port Charles, he forgets all about it. “Right — Emily Quartermaine.” He feels a pang of sadness when he thinks about her. He doesn’t know if that’s a partial memory, or if he’s just sad to think about the dead ex-wife he can’t remember. “I haven’t talked to any Quartermaine’s yet. Do you think I should? I have no idea if I was close to them when I was married to Emily.”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

“You don’t remember this,” she begins, feeling very comfortable saying this with just a hint of teasing in her voice (she has a feeling he will get what she is going for).  “But before we got together officially, we lived together in this little cottage.  I was a terrible roommate — my biggest flaw, eating us out of house and home.  You used to open a cupboard looking for something only to find that I had eaten it out underneath you.  I would like to say I was sorry but I am afraid I was something of a brat back then.”  She still has hints of that now, only she likes to think it is more refined.  More mature.  She has been called a bitch more than once within the last year and she wears that label with a certain measure of pride.  

As they wait for the elevator, Nikolas speaks of his first meetings with his son.  She has a look of sympathy on her face.  No doubt he has put a lot of stock into these first few meetings.  She wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he had hoped that Spencer would trigger something beyond a familiar feeling.  She knows he is desperate to get his memories back but she doesn’t think that it will be that easy (did she mention that she is also researching treatment options in her newly freed up time?).  “I think he got that confidence from his daddy,” she comments as the doors slide open.  She steps in and waits for him to do the same before jamming the bottom for the restaurant.  “I am glad that you got to talk to him. I know you are still worried about doing and saying the right thing but surely…that has helped with nerves?”

Gia falls silent and soon enough he is asking after her.  She forces a smile as she has already decided to keep her lack of employment to herself for now.  She doesn’t need him feeling guilty for something that has not been a choice of his.  She has done this to herself.  It is her mess to clean up.  “I am good.  It’s strange…being back here.  Port Charles and I have a love/hate relationship.  For instance, I love that Kelly’s is still kicking…that’s a diner by the way.  I spent a lot of time there.  But at the same time, it feels like there are some things that never change about this place.  Or maybe my memories are just a little too loud sometimes.”

There’s a small smile on his face as he listens to Gia tell him something about their past together. It’s such a contrast from the stories Maria told him, not necessarily in a better or worse way, but he feels more connected to Gia’s story. There’s a blunt honesty she has, even about herself, that helps him imagine the way he must have felt back then. The specificity adds a lot to it as well. “I think I would have been much more willing to let it slide back then if I had any idea what you were going to do for me in the future.” He chuckles a little, and presses on in a similarly teasing manner. “Putting my life back together is well worth a couple hundred bucks in groceries, I’d say.”

To say the least, that is. Nikolas still hasn’t figured out what he’s going to do to repay her for what she’s done. Money feels like it would be too easy, not that he isn’t going to pay her in full for her legal aid, but he feels like he needs to do something more. He doesn’t have it in him to let her kindness go underappreciated. Even now, she supports him by asking about his son, and how their reunion went. “You think so? Am I confident?” He certainly hasn’t felt that way for the past few years, but he’d love for that to start changing. Preferably, sometime soon. “It has, yeah. Finally seeing him in person, getting to talk to him... it’s helped. He — he even said,” Nikolas pauses to chuckle, “he even said we’re in this together, now. He’s taking it in stride.” And while he’s grateful for that, it also makes him more worried about disappointing him down the line if his memories don’t come back.

He’s happy to turn his focus onto Gia’s life as they step off the elevator and into the Metro Court’s restaurant. They are led to their reserved table, and out of absentminded instinct, Nikolas pulls out Gia’s chair for her before he joins her on the seat opposite her. “That’s only natural, right? It’s been... how long did you say? Fifteen years since you were last in Port Charles?” He imagines there’s lifetimes of memories here for her to unpack. “I take it most of those things that never change aren’t good things.”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

Gia has her head in a bunch of legal papers, wracking up hours that she will never bill for.  For one thing, she is no longer associated with her law firm and another — this is Nikolas.  She can’t imagine charging him for restoring what is rightfully his in the first place.  However, she can’t help but feel that first twinge of panic when she considers what she is going to do after all this.  Somehow she can’t see herself returning to New York and looking for another firm.  It seems pointless.  It has taken years to get where she got at her old one and she has thrown that away pretty quickly.

Funny, the twists and turns that life takes. 

She closes the folder full of papers with neat little sticky arrows to show Nikolas where he needs to sign.  Thankfully, he has called her for a dinner to check up on her progress.  She is about to tell him that he is a few notarized documents away from bringing him back to life.  She has the power! 

Dressing casually for a legal meeting is a nice for the change and she smiles as she opens the door.  “Totally.  I am starving.  I have done well not to order room service today.”  A practice that has to stop given that she will have to budget herself until she figures out what she is doing next.  “So I hope you know that you are going to witness me clean up.” Her smile curves into a grin and then she is grabbing the folder off the desk. 

With the door shut behind her, she looks over at Nikolas.  “You saw Spencer?” she asks, knowing that it had been in the works the last time they talk.  “How did it go?  I am sure it was a little strange…instant daddy type thing but…how did it go?” 

Seeing Gia’s smiling face is a change from the past couple of days. As much as he did manage to make Spencer smile, most of them felt partially disingenuous or held sadness behind them. The same could be said for Maria, whose smiles held more loss then they did joy from what he could see. Gia’s smile on the other hand seems sincere and happy to see him in a way that doesn’t only suggest relief. They have moved beyond that stage, which is probably why it feels easier to be around her right now.

“Good,” he starts, mirroring her smile, “we’re getting lunch. I sure hope you’re going to eat.” Teasing her feels so natural that he doesn’t even think to question why, he just comes right out with it.

Nikolas steps back as she exits her hotel room, and starts down to the Metro Court Restaurant once she’s ready. He’s a little nervous when she bring up Spencer on their walk toward the elevators, but only because he’s still worried about how he handled the situation. He can’t tell what Spencer thinks or feels now that they’ve been reunited in person, and it kept him up half the night. “Yeah, I did. He got in yesterday morning.” He spent the few hours before his arrival just pacing the floors while Laura went to pick him up from the airport.

“It was strange, but... he’s a bright kid. He understood what was wrong, and...” Nikolas pauses for a second to chuckle. “He has a lot of confidence. He’s certain that I’ll remember everything before Christmas comes around.” He sure hopes his son is right. “We spent all of yesterday together, and this morning. Just talking. He was sleeping when I left; poor kid is jet lagged beyond exhaustion.” Nikolas smiles to himself as they reach the end of the hall, and he calls the elevator before glancing over to Gia. “How are you?”

[princeofncthing]

the company you keep

There’s no other way to describe his life right now other than a complete whirlwind. It’s not that he should be surprised that he’s been getting life-altering news and having hard conversations just about every other day, but it’s been difficult to take in. The latest edition came in the form of a long conversation with his son. His heart swelled the moment he saw Spencer, but it broke by the end of the day when he had to accept the fact that not even seeing his son was able to bring back his memories. He would have taken even one; just a glimpse of the memory of his son being born, or his son taking his first steps, or going to his first day of school.

He got nothing of the sort. It’s disappointing, but at this point it’s not out of the ordinary. To comfort Spencer (and himself to a lesser degree) Nikolas focused on the fact that he has his son back, and his son who once thought of himself as an orphan has his father back. Their reunion was more emotionally charged than any of the others he’s had thus far, which is why he was so sure that his memories would come back with it. No such luck. After Spencer went to bed that night, Laura reassured him that he just needs to give himself more time.

So he took her advice, and after spending the morning with his son, he decided to call up Gia and set up a lunch date so they could talk about his legal standings. He can’t imagine it’s easy to bring a dead man back to life, so he figures it’s important for him to get some updates on how that’s going. On top of all that, Nikolas has been wanting to see her for the past few days anyway. With all of the new faces around, Gia is the most familiar to him. She’s easy to talk to. He could use that right about now.

Nikolas shows up to her Metro Court room right on time, knocking and awaiting her answer. He smiles when she opens the door. “Hey. Ready for lunch?”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

“I can only imagine what it has been like — finally being able to connect dots and then getting to see then.  You must have been over the moon.  I am sure that Laura was too.”  She can easily put these words in Laura’s mouth.  Any mother would be overwhelmed with happiness at being reunited with the child they thought was dead. “I am glad you understand.  I don’t feel as foolish now.  I almost turned away before knocking.  Then my hand was doing it and I figured it would be silly to turn and run at that point.”

She can see him processing everything she told him.  Nikolas Cassadine has an expressive face — she might not know how to read it all yet but she can see that there is a lot a going behind those eyes of his.  She gives him the appropriate bashful smile when he returns the compliment.  Her head lowers and she smiles up at him.  “Jury is still out right now.  But hey, that just means I have another chance at that impression,” she jokes with a shrug of her shoulders.  She grips her designer clutch with both hands as she continues to play the part of the long lost lover, just itching to see him again.  

“I wouldn’t be able to tell,” she confesses.  “That you are playing this by ear.  Honestly, you are handling this conversation with the same level of grace and warmth that you always do.”  She gives him a look, a sort of just maybe lift of her brows.  “So in a way, you are acting like you.  The you everyone remembers.  It is just an unconscious thing.  Those specific memories will come when they are ready.”  But not too fast, she thinks.  She prefers him like this.  A blank canvas to manipulate. 

“Okay, dinner.  Maybe later this week?  I shouldn’t stay away for too long,” she confesses as if the idea of going back to California is already a painful one for her.  “I am staying at the hotel near the hospital.  The Metro Court?  Have you heard of it?”  She shakes her head.  “That’s stupid of me to say.  Well, I am staying there.  You can get in touch with me by asking for Room 515.”  She gives a pause.  “I feel like I have taken up enough for your time today.  I know how overwhelming it all is  — so I’ll leave you to your family…”

As Maria mentions Laura, Nikolas smiles fondly. He had no idea what kind of mother he was coming home to, or if he was going to come home to a mother at all, but he was lucky enough to have an incredible one like Laura. “The more I think about the first time we saw each other since I came back, the more impressed I am with how well she held it together. A quiet strength, not too different from yours.” He turns his smile toward Maria at that. “I am glad that you decided to come see me. Really.”

The more people he meets from his past, the better. Though he isn’t especially looking forward to meeting the uncle who tried to murder him, Valentin Cassadine is technically the last person he saw before he woke up in the hospital without a memory. Maybe seeing him will bring something back and lead to a chain reaction. A big maybe, sure, but Nikolas can’t afford to lose hope. “Yeah, that’s right. You’ve got quite the advantage on me,” he says, his tone lighthearted. “You could know all my secrets, and I don’t remember any of yours.” But he’s just teasing, because really, that’s the case for everyone in his life.

Though there is definitely a distinction between family, friends, and a woman he was in an intimate relationship with. Nikolas has already been told by friends and family that he’s acting generally like he used to, but hearing it again from Maria makes it feel all the more comforting. After all, most people tend to act at least a little differently to the different people in their lives. “That’s... that’s good to hear. I’m glad I’m familiar to you — that I seem like the same man.”

It gives him a little more hope that he isn’t so far off the ledge that he can’t come back. “Later this week is fine. My schedule is pretty wide open these days,” he says with a chuckle. He does have commitments like doctors appointments and some legal issues that still need to be cleared up, but outside of that, all he’s doing is reconnecting with family. “I do know the Metro Court. I’ll be sure to get into contact with you soon.” As Maria gets ready to leave, Nikolas stands to accompany her out. “Of course — I’m sure you have a lot to think about, too. I’ll walk you out.” He leads her back to the foyer, where he opens the front door for her. “Thank you again, Maria. For coming all this way to see me. It was really good to meet you.”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

“I figure sending a postcard or calling would be too weird — if you can’t remember a face to go along with the name or voice,” she told him with a self deprecating shrug of her shoulders.  “I guess this seemed like the only logical thing to do.  Besides, it helps to see you in the flesh and know that you are okay.  I am a very visual person.” She laughs at her attempt at a joke and wishes she could know exactly what he is thinking right now.  She knows that he is grateful that she has come to visit but she wants to know if he truly believes what she is saying.

That they were once together.  

This is the first time she has ever tried anything like this.  She is used to taking the direct approach, spinning her lies around a great deal of sexual tension that her target can’t help but give into.  Now she is playing soft and supportive.  It is foreign to her but she likes to think that she is pulling it off.  Or at least she hopes so. 

“That’s all,” she says and suddenly wonders if she should have said longer.  She dips her head and does her best to look flustered.  “Let’s just say…that we kind of hibernated.  Lots of take out.” She leaves it unsaid that there had been lots of sex involved too.  He should be able to figure out that little clue. “But you…well, you left an impression.  You’re one of kind, Nikolas Cassadine.”

She nods her head at his coping mechanism.  One step at a time, one day at a time.  She just wants to be the one to guide those steps in the right direction (her direction).  “You are doing this the right way.  If there is a right way when you come back from the dead after a few years with no memory…” She waits a beat before she answers the question. “I actually bought a one way ticket.  I wasn’t thinking about a return date.  I should have I guess.  But I think I will stay for a few days.  Maybe we could do…dinner or something in that time?”

Nikolas smiles at the sound of his laughter. It’s not often that people are able to laugh freely around him. They are more often worried or concerned about his his current state to focus on much else, which he doesn’t blame them for. The few lighter moments he’s able to get with each person who cares about him are a nice break from all the heavy uncertainty. “Well, I admire your ambition,” he tells her with a smile. “I know how badly I wanted to see my family when I first learned about them. It didn’t feel real until I saw them in person, so I know how you feel.”

He follows along her explanation of their relationship, which makes a lot more sense when she tells them they “hibernated”. Three weeks together in a foreign country, just the two of them, and Nikolas can see why he would have divulged that kind of information to her in that short amount of time. They must have had a strong connection; Nikolas wishes he could feel it now. “I’m sure I could say the same thing about you.” Though she has already left a hell of an impression in just the half hour she’s been here.

When she gives him a little bit of encouragement and reassurance, he genuinely appreciates it. He’s been blind every step of the way in trying to navigate his life, and because of it he can’t help but dwell on every possible mistake he might be making. He doesn’t even know who he is, so every decision he makes comes with the concern of having made it so differently from how he would have if he could just remember himself. “I’m glad you think so. I’m making it up as I go,” he admits, giving her a small smile.

It’s a bit of a surprise to learn that Maria didn’t plan a trip back, but he can imagine a shock like the one she got didn’t allow much time for planning ahead. “Yeah. Yeah, we can do dinner.” It’s the least he can do, and who knows, maybe he’ll remember something out of it. Every chance he gets for something like that is one he’ll gladly take. “It would be nice to learn more about you, and our relationship.”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

“It works both ways — you are lucky to have them and they are lucky to have you.”  She has done her research of course.  She knows the key players: mom (Laura; the mayor actually), brother (Lucky), sister (Lulu; what kind of name is that).  She has a feeling there are others that she should get to know as well.  People that might have missed her initial burst of research.  She decides that after she finishes this initial contact with him, she will hit the books sort to speak.  She won’t come up for air until she has a handle on who else might be giving him that support he is so grateful for.  

She lets out a sigh of relief. “Phew, I am glad that you think that way.  I didn’t want to come off as some kind of crazy stalker or anything,” she tells him truthfully.  “I debated a lot over the last day or so but in the end, I just had to come.” He follows up his statement with questions and so far, she has a very carefully prepared answer for each one he brings up.  “It’s okay.  To have questions.  I mean you’ve been sort of plucked up and placed in the middle of a lot of things.  I bet your mind is just full of them…” 

She gives him a soft smile, smoothing a hand over her dress.  “It was three weeks…well, closer to a month really.  Long enough to get that sort of new relationship sort of vibe but to still be unsure of where things are going,” she answers.  She had decided that anything longer than that might cause him to wonder why he didn’t mention her to at least one other person.  

She gives a little laugh at his self deprecation.  “I can’t imagine what that is like — not knowing what family you have out there, or if you have any at all.  I don’t know how you did it but I guess if the situations were reversed, I would have to make do right?  Keep going…” She trails off and then trains her gaze back to him.  “But now you are here and you are surrounded by loved ones.  I bet before too long, this will feel perfectly like home.”

He smiles, amused to hear that Maria was worried about coming off as a crazy stalker. “Not at all. You’ve been nothing but kind and helpful – I’m glad you gave me the chance to meet you.” Nikolas resists tacking on an again at the end of the sentence, because he feels like it goes without saying at this point. There’s no way he would have known he was seeing someone romantically before he disappeared, so it’s helpful to have Maria here to fill in some of those blanks. Everyone he’s reconnected with so far has been able to tell him something that no one else could.

Though he is surprised when she admits that they were together for just shy of a month. If asked, he would have guessed that they were together for at least a few months. Two, maybe three – long enough for them to have built up the kind of bond he got the impression they shared. “That’s all? I don’t know why I was expecting more. We must have spent a lot of time together in those three weeks.” He bases that off of her knowing a lot about him. Then again, it’s not like he knows much about himself. Maybe he’s just that open and honest of a person.

It doesn’t feel right, but at this point Maria would know that better than he does. There’s so many questions he can bombard her with, but he wants to take this as easy on her as possible. “That’s all I was able to do; put one foot in front of the other. One day at a time.” It got exhausting and disheartening after three years, but he did end up get what he dreamed of. He made it home. “I hope so. It’s already feels more like home that Greece ever did.” But he never allowed Santorini to become his home, not when he knew he had another one out there. “How long are you here for, Maria? If you don’t mind me asking. Is this just a short trip?”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

“It is hard in a way.  Because I wish I could see you look at me the way you did the last time we talked — but I get it and I don’t want you to feel guilt or anything.  I am not here for that,” she assures him, placing a hand to chest.  A symbol of emotion and sincerity. Honestly, if she can no longer pull off her schemes she has a job lined up as an acting coach.  She can school young starlets on how to ensure they are filled with nuisance and believable.  She doesn’t chew scenery.  She simply hits the right beats.  She dips her head as he acknowledges that she stands out for her travels (if only he knew she has been in the Metro Court for a few weeks now living off room service and having hot sex with mechanics).  “I couldn’t stay away.  It sounds silly I know.” She shrugs her shoulders.

“And I have never met Spencer.  Unfortunately.  I feel like I know him in a way — just given how you talked about him.  You’re a proud father, Nikolas, something that you may not remember but I am sure you will feel when you see him again,” she assures him.  She doesn’t know if Nikolas Cassadine truly is the type to have a relationship in secret, but then again neither does he.  Besides, she has her ways to ensure that it straddles the line of complete believability.  “I wouldn’t call us a secret. I think I would just call us new, in a way.  Feeling our way through things.  Who knows?  Maybe you were about to tell your son, your mom before…” She looks at the floor again, pressing her lips together.  “Okay, no sense in doing that.  It doesn’t help the situation and it certainly doesn’t help you and that guilt complex you seem to be building.”

She can hear the genuine pain in his voice at the thought of how those who love him had hurt while he was gone.  She actually feels sorry for him.  He has a big heart.  “You can’t go around beating yourself up.  Yes, it hurt — and I am sure that it hurt your mother, your son, your siblings more.  But it is not your fault.  I’ve had a good life, Nikolas. I promise.  I am sure that the others would say similar things.  Losing you gutted them but they have had good moments too.”

Nikolas gives her an appreciative smile, thankful that she’s understanding of this situation at hand despite how crazy it is. “I appreciate that. I’m starting to see just how lucky of a man I was to have so many kind, understanding people in my life. I couldn’t ask for a better support system through this.” It’s probably because he has no deep relationships to speak of (that he remembers) that allows him to feel connect quickly to those who were a part of his past. He’d like to think that there’s something in the recesses of his mind that sees them as familiar, he can’t be sure of that. When Maria calls her flight to see him silly, Nikolas shakes his head. “That doesn’t sound silly. It’s actually... really touching.”

She tells them that they were a new couple, just exploring their relationship, but from the way she talks about them it sounds like they must have had a real, instant connection. “New,” he repeats, nodding his head. “I can see why I wouldn’t have told anyone, in that case. How long were we together?” He pauses for a moment, watching Maria struggle as she wanders briefly down the what ifs. He can certainly relate to that. “I’m sorry for all the questions. It must feel like a lot — I don’t want to overwhelm you.” She might be putting up a strong front, but he can tell how emotionally charged this conversation is for her.

And yet she still finds the strength to try and make him feel better, while she’s struggling herself. While her beauty is the most obvious reason, Nikolas is quickly learning the deeper reasons why was attracted to her. “Thank you for that. I’m trying,” he says, giving her a small smile as if it counts as some kind of proof. “I’m really glad that you have been doing well otherwise. Luckily for all of us I’m not so arrogant to think that my loss was so devastating that no one was able to move on in these three years,” he adds, chuckling quietly. “But I’m happy that me being alive means something to people. I spent so long wondering if I even had loved ones to come home to.”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

“I don’t.  I actually live in California.  My family…well, we have always lived there.  After my parents, I figured that my sister and I needed a change.  Hence France.  She was excited to learn how to speak French and eat bread.” Belle laughs as if the memory is so real she can reach out and touch it.  “I stayed for awhile. Mostly because I met someone…” She trails off not wanting to overwhelm him with too much at once.  

“I’ve been back in California for awhile now.  But as soon as I heard…” She shakes her head and presses a hand to her lips as if she is struggling to keep the emotions from spilling out.  She is good at this, letting out a bit at a time in hopes of reeling them in.  She has seen it work time and time again.  “I just had to come, Nikolas.  To see for myself that you were really alive.  I am so happy.  Not only for you but for everyone you love…”

She takes a deep breath.  “I hope you and he have the reunion you both deserve,” she tells him before shaking your head.  “I know what it is like to loose both your parents.  I can be heartbreaking.  I would give anything to be in his shoes right now…” She pulls back once more, careful not to lay it on too thick.  She has debated about sticking to the idea of losing both of her parents, wondering if it is too on the nose but she thinks in the end, that it will give them something to bond over.

“You don’t have to apologize to me.  It’s not your fault,” she assures him but then she nods her head.  “We were…together yes, when you disappeared.  It was kind of new. You were in Port Charles some of the time, I was in France making sure my sister was settled.  We saw each other when we could…but then you were just…gone.”

Though he’s found himself in this position plenty of times since Gia found him inside that Grecian bar, this is certainly one of the most difficult cases of not knowing what to say. Nikolas wishes he had all the right words, and all the right memories, to help her through the shock she must be feeling right now. “I really do appreciate how far you went out of your way to see me. I know that might be hard to believe when I don’t have my memories of you, but it means a lot to me. Not just anyone would fly across the country for someone they haven’t seen in three years.” His voice is mostly gentle and sincere, with some levity tacked on at the very end.

From everything she’s said and done, Nikolas can tell that she has a big heart. He can’t help but feel guilt and empathy for Maria. To lose both her parents, and then be told that the man she was dating was presumed dead — that’s a lot of loss. “Did you ever meet him? My son?” He doesn’t like to think that he would have kept a romantic relationship a secret from his child. Mother and siblings makes sense, but his son? “Or was that secret, our secret... kept even from him?” He just wants to know what to expect when Spencer arrives, even though he already knows that nothing could prepare him for that.

Even if his memories came back to him all at once in this very moment does he think that he’d be any more prepared for seeing his child after they’ve been separated for three years. When she explains their relationship a little more, saying that it was new and they didn’t see each other especially often, Nikolas understands better why he might have kept that from Spencer. He figures he would have told him about a relationship if it was edging on serious, but from the sound of it, they weren’t there yet. “The more I learn about myself... the more I know that losing out on three years of my life isn’t the worst thing that came out of all this. The worst thing is how this affected the people in my life.” He wasn’t the one left to grieve, or wonder, or try to move on without a loved on. “I’m sorry, Maria. I just hope these past three years have been good to you otherwise.”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

It is like working with a blank slate.  Nikolas is quickly proving why she has been right to choose him from the other eligible money sources in Port Charles.  She continues to play the role of Maria, the more demure woman who is worthy of catching a prince’s eye.  “Actually, I’ve never met them,” she tells him when he speaks of his family.  She is lucky that she can work this angle, saving herself a lot of leg work.  “I only know of them because you spoke so fondly of them.”  She is carefully laying the ground work, going layer by layer and making it feel as if it is the most natural thing in the world. 

“So unless you in turn told them of me, they probably don’t know me.  We were…” She dips her head, letting herself blush.  “Well, sometimes you just want to keep some things a secret, you know?” She shrugs her shoulders and then sits down on the couch.  It is a heavy move, as if she needs to sit to hold all of the emotions she is feeling at the moment.  She looks to him as if he is the most important thing in the world.

“He’s coming home? I am glad.  You will be so happy to see him.  You talked about him too.  He is obviously growing into a great man — or at least you thought so when we spoke,” she trails off, pretending she doesn’t know the exact status of Spencer now.  Because she really doesn’t.  Research can only give her so much.  

Instead she nods at his question.  “It’s a bit silly — how we first crossed paths.  Moving in day at the school is so hectic.  Everyone trying to get settled and then say their last goodbyes.  I do it with my sister…” She swallows. “Well, because my parents — they died in a plane crash.  It’s been seven years now…” She has rehearsed all of this, prepared to shed a tear at just the right moment.  “Anyway, I was a little sad that day.  You were too — as the crowds died away we were one of the last few standing there.  It was only natural for us to go out for a drink.  Something to soothe our battered emotions.  Gosh, I think we talked well past midnight that first night…” And here comes the other foot.  “…and then of course, one thing lead to another…”

Nikolas doesn’t know enough about himself or his relationship with his family to know if it’s strange that someone he seems to have been close to never met his mother or siblings. As a prince, whatever that actually means or entails, he figures it makes sense that he travels a lot. His family apparently has its own island off the coast of Greece, and he’s got plenty of money to send his son to a luxurious boarding school in France, where he imagines he went to visit plenty of times.

And then she drops the truth of it all. Their relationship was a secret, and from there he can take a quick guess that it had to have been of romantic nature. “Oh.” It’s all he can think to say in a moment like this, but he quickly recovers. “Thank you – for telling me. You must not live in Port Charles, then?” That’s the only thing that would make sense, and from there, he wonders just how serious their secret must have been for her to come all this way after he was gone for three years. 

He must have shared a lot with her, for her to know so much about his family from his word alone. “I’m looking forward to seeing him. He’s been without parents for so long...” Nikolas stops himself short. Despite already being convinced that Maria was important to him before he lost his memory, he doesn’t want to dump his worries on her in the first ten minutes of them meeting. He’s still trying to process the fact that it sounds like they were dating.

Maria’s explanation both helps and hinders him. She tells him a little about how they met, a little bit about her and her past, and he just wishes that some of it rang a bell. Just the smallest glimpse of a memory he could pull to the surface. Anything. As usual, his mind is a dark cloud. “I’m sorry – about your parents.” He pauses to give her a softer smile, even if he’s tripped up over how she confirms their more physical relationship. “... and that I can’t remember any of this yet.” He presses his lips together, wanting to be as polite as possible. “Were we... were we together? When I disappeared?”

[princeofncthing]

first steps

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she says immediately, shaking her head for good measure. “It’s not your fault.”  She takes a deep breath as if she is pretending to hold onto her fragile emotions.  She thinks she is selling the whole overwhelmed by all of this look but she knows it is a fine line.  She has to maintain a balance so she doesn’t come off as needy or pushy.  “I am just glad that we get to see one another again.”  

She watched him closely, looking for any sign that he doesn’t believe her story.  Thankfully he seems to be swallowing it.  She has left it vague enough that if he does go digging it won’t be hard for him to find the basic facts.  She has left them like breadcrumbs should he choose to go searching.  “I can only imagine how excited Laura is. And Lucky.  Lulu…” She has the family names down pat.  She knows the ins and outs of his life.  A man like Nikolas Cassadine is not hard to find information on.  

She steps inside the home, a modest place compared to the castle in the harbor.  She is interested in seeing the inside of that but she knows it is all one step at a time.  “Not to mention Spencer.  Your son must be just…well, I know how I feel so I can only assume his over the moon.”  She gives him a wide smile.  “Don’t worry if you don’t remember me.  That’s not the point of all this.  I just wanted to see you again…”

A dozen different theories start rolling through his head, but Nikolas quickly decides it’s in both of their best interests if he just lets her explain who exactly she is to him in her own way. The emotion shaking in her voice makes him think of Elizabeth, but there’s something else there that he doesn’t know how to decipher. “Me too,” he says, and not without a polite smile. He still hasn’t gotten the hang of talking to people who know so much more about him than he does about them.

Maria names his mother and siblings with ease, and Nikolas doesn’t question it. “I’m sure they will be grateful that you stopped by – as am I. Laura isn’t here at the moment, but I can tell her you came around. Do you know her and my siblings well?” Knowing that would help him put a name to who she was to him. Family friend, or otherwise. Despite his curiosity, he doesn’t push her. Just as he isn’t used to meeting people who knew him in the past, Maria is likely out of her mind to see someone who’s suddenly come back from the dead.

He focused on pleasantries instead, stepping aside so she can walk into his mother’s home. Nikolas closes the door behind her, and starts going through his list of topics of conversation. It’s been helping him get through the most difficult part of these reunions: the beginning. “Spencer is actually on a plane home from France as we speak.” His smile edges more toward nervous when what he says sinks in. His son will be here by tomorrow, and he has no idea what he’s going to do. Nikolas tries to push that from his mind, at least while Maria is here. He gestures toward the couch, where he’ll wait for her to sit down before he does. “Still, I’m sorry. I know it must be difficult. Do you mind telling me more about who you are?”

[princeofncthing]

womanwithtwofaces​:

first steps

She felt his initial reaction and expected nothing less.  Of course Nikolas was going to be confused.  Of course he was going to wonder just who had latched onto him.  She held on for a moment longer, pouring on the idea that she had just been so overwhelmed by the news of his return.  Then she pulled back as he did, her eyes shining with a hint of tears.  

“Right, right,” she began quickly.  “I had heard.  I am sorry…” She took a deep breath, carefully walking that fine line of emotional and ridiculous.  She didn’t want to lay it on too thick.  He might get suspicious despite having nothing to base it off of.  “I just…seeing you, it hit me that it’s really true.  You’re back.  When you first disappeared, I hoped for a moment like this but after awhile I resigned myself to the idea that I would never see you again.”

She then snapped to something more reserved as if she had just realized how she had behaved. All an act of course.  She had intended to come on strong so she could walk it back and be more demure.  “Right, sorry again.  I am sure you’re tired of what appears to be complete strangers just hugging you,” she told him.  “We definitely used to know one another.  I’m Maria.  I know that doesn’t mean anything right now.  We met at the boarding school — when you were dropping off your son, Spencer and I was visiting my sister Florence.  Again, you don’t remember, that’s okay.  I just…I had to come see you.”

Her face is wrought with emotion, and Nikolas instantly feels bad for her. There’s panic and disbelief, along with relief and happiness. A similar reaction to Elizabeth, which doesn’t have him doubting that this woman knew him before he disappeared. Perhaps even long before he disappeared. He was bound to have plenty of friends, and he assumes this is another one. 

“I’m sorry for all the grief and worry that caused you. If I could change it, believe me, I would.” Losing out on three years of his life is nothing short of a tragedy. Nikolas still hasn’t quite come to terms with it. Meeting his mother, sister, niece and nephew, and his close friends has made him realize just what he missed out on. He has a feeling it might boil over when he sees his son. 

As she apologizes, Nikolas smiles politely and shakes his head. “It’s fine – I’m a lucky man to be able to come back to friends and family.” While he doesn’t have any suspicion about her in the first place, any small uncertainties are quelled when she mentions Spencer and how they met. It’s believable enough to him that he doesn’t question a second of it. “Maria,” he repeats, hoping it will ring a bell, but no such luck. “It’s good to meet you – or meet you again. I’m glad you reached out, I’m just sorry I don’t have better news.” He can’t begin to guess when his memories might resurface, but he can’t afford to dwell on that. 

He shakes his head, remembering himself. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t leave you standing out on the porch. Did you want to come in?”