Chapter 4

~ Audacity ~

"That woman has a lot of nerve calling you!"

"Sweetheart, please," Nikolas begged. "Maybe she really has changed and wants to be friends-"

"Over my dead body!" Dawn informed him. Water splashed violently as she rose from the tub. She rubbed a towel over her wet body in brisk strokes. The sound of Robin's voice upset her so much that Dawn found it hard to see straight. "She doesn't want to be just friends with you. She wants you, Nikky!"

He finished bathing in the tub while he answered her. "That was twenty years ago! She never really wanted me. She was upset about losing Jason so she thought she wanted me-"

"Don't give me that psycho babble nonsense," she interrupted, pausing to give him a hard stare. "And don't you dare get out of that tub! You'd do it now to distract me and that's not fair!"

He gave her a pout that often weakened Dawn's knees and didn't fail to get to her this time. "Ooh!" She stamped her foot and spun around. "Okay, fine! Get out of the tub. Parade around the room dripping wet. I'm used to your little tricks Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine and they will not work. Not this time! I don't want you anywhere near that wretched woman!"

Nikolas coughed once and then started laughing.

"Don't laugh at me either!" Dawn demanded before racing from the bedroom.

Nikolas was fast on her heels. He grabbed the towel she held and pulled her inside his arms. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh, but you're so cute when you get angry like this."

"I don't feel cute," she mumbled, pouting. "I feel mad! How dare she call while you were... while we were... Damn her!"

He cupped her face. A sexy smile lit his eyes and curved his full lips upwards. "Is that what you're really mad about? But sweetheart, you cam-"

"That's beside the point!"

She tried to pull free, but he was too fast for her. He took her hand and led her to the large floor length mirror. "Look at us. We've been together for two decades! We have three wonderful children and we're still very much in love. In fact, I think we love each other more than we thought possible. Do you really believe that Robin Scorpio can do anything to destroy what we have? She tried before. It didn't work then. Believe me, if she tried again, it wouldn't work now."

"I suppose you're right," she said, turning to face him. Her hands rested on his hard chest. "Parties make me crazy. We rarely have good ones without something strange happening. Maybe I overreacted to Robin's call."

"We've had our share of strange happenings. Today won't produce any," he promised. "Robin's call was just a bizarre coincidence. Besides, you heard her. I think she's sincere. But...she's not important today. We are and the family we created. Today is a day for celebration and not worries. Got it, Mrs. Cassadine?"

Dawn smiled and nodded. "I got it, Mr. Cassadine."

"Good! Now, the last one to get dressed is a spoiled egg!"

This time, she laughed. "Baby, it's called a 'rotten' egg! Not a spoiled one!"

~*~

"Oh, my!" Keesha's gaze followed the tall form that brushed past her. "Was that David Duchovny? Dawn will have a fit if that man is David Duchovny."

AJ frowned. "Why? What's so great about him? Look at him. He's gotta be at least sixty."

"Big deal!" Keesha said, admiring the former star of the old sci-fi series The X-Files. "Believe me, Dawn won't care how old he is. Man, Nikolas knows how to show his love. This is great."

AJ's blue eyes rolled as he grunted. "Keesha, please don't tell me you're star struck. Aren't you a little too old to go ga-ga over some old fart like him?"

She couldn't hold in the giggle that bubbled out. "You're jealous. Ah, that's so cute."

His cheeks darkened to a shade of a dusty rose. "I'm not jealous, but I am surprised. That's all."

"Yeah, right," she said, unconvinced. "Don't forget I was standing right here beside you when the Cassadines made their grand entrance. I saw your jaw drop as Dawn floated down in the staircase and I saw how your eyes were glued to her legs. You should be glad that Nikolas didn't see your reaction-"

"Oh, should I?" he asked, his eyes beginning to twinkle. "Now, who sounds jealous?"

"You wish!" she countered, giggling again.

"Is this a private party or is anyone invited?" Gina asked, joining her two good friends. Tommy stood beside her. He smiled briefly at Keesha and AJ before turning his head to glare at Dominik and his two daughters.

"What's eating him?" Keesha asked Gina. "I've never seen Tommy that spellbound before."

"He knows about Ciarda and Alanna's feelings for Dominik."

"What about them?" AJ asked. "Don't tell me they both like him."

The women nodded in unison. AJ shook his head. He patted Tommy's back. "God blessed me with a son. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. Good luck, my friend."

"Thanks, AJ. But I think Dom's gonna need that luck more than me," Tommy said, "because if he hurts my girls, he will have me to answer to."

~*~

George barely heard Grace and Michael's comments about the party. His gaze had been drawn time and again to Noelle as she flitted around the party in a form fitting olive green dress. The attire was far too sexy for such a young girl, but dammit if it didn't look good on her. Years ago, Michael had a crush on her mother, Dawn, and now, George could see that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"...I don't know what's going on with them," Michael was saying. "He won't give me a straight answer."

"Mama won't give me one either," Grace said. "What about you?" she asked, nudging George. "Well?"

"What?" he asked, trying to grasp the conversation without outwardly appearing to do so.

"Mama and Uncle AJ," Grace began.

"What about Mama and Uncle AJ?" Marisa and Ben asked, joining them.

"I don't think anything is going on," George said. He looked at his younger siblings. "They think Mama and Uncle AJ have something going. It's just friendship."

"But he hasn't left her side all night," Grace informed them.

"So?" Ben asked.

"So," Grace added, "you two are still at home and are old enough to see what's what. Has Uncle AJ spent the night-"

"Whoa!" Ben said. He shook his head. "Come on. We're talking about our mother. That's disgusting!"

Michael agreed. "That is taking it a little too far, sweetheart."

"Why?" Marisa asked. "Mama is a healthy, beautiful woman. Why wouldn't she want a lover?"

"Oh, God, Marisa stop," George said. "What you said about Mama is right, but let's not speculate on her sex life. I don't want to think about it."

"So why are you guys over here talking about it?" she asked. "You three have been thick as thieves for weeks and Ben and I want in on it! Don't we, Ben?"

"Yeah!"

George looked at Grace and Michael. The couple gave a slight nod and George wrapped his arms around Marisa and Ben, guiding them to the back patio. Grace and Michael followed them. "Dad may be alive and Aunt Eve, too. We're planning to bring them back if they are."

"But what if they don't wanna come?" Ben asked.

The three older siblings stopped. They hadn't thought of that. Silence followed until Michael broke it. "We won't force either or them to do anything, but we need to know for sure."

"What can we do to help?" Marisa asked.

"You don't have to do anything," Grace told them. "Just sit tight. We'll know for sure tomorrow."