Chapter 16 "Oh my god! Look out!" Nikolas cried and covered his eyes. Emily rolled her eyes and elbowed Nik slightly in the side. "I can't concentrate on driving if you keep acting like I'm about to take out us both and half of PC!" "But you almost ran over that guy." Nik pointed behind them. "He was still on the sidewalk when I turned the corner. You just can't handle someone else driving your ever so precious car." Emily smiled. "You know I need the practice." "You need a lot of practice!" Nikolas joked. "I thought teaching Carly to drive was nerve-wrecking but you, you take the cake." Emily frowned and swatted at Nikolas. He laughed and ducked out of the way. "Turn left here and don't forget to use your signal light this time." Nikolas directed her. "Backseat driver." Emily muttered. She did as she was told. "And slow down, you're going too fast." Nikolas couldn't help throwing in. He chuckled. Emily gave him her best death stare, which of course didn't work on him but just made him laugh harder. "You're pushing it." It's been five weeks since that day at the docks. That conversation had made Nikolas and Emily closer. Nik's acceptance of what she did and why she did it helped. They'd become almost inseparable since. When they weren't together, they were talking on the phone or thinking about the other. Emily now knew Spoon Island as well as Nik did and Nik knew almost every inch of the Quartermaine estate. They did do things with other people. Emily and Carly frequently went shopping, a passion they couldn't control. And Nik saw more of Lulu. Once in a while Nik and Emily would arrange for a nice outing for Lulu, Michael, and Brooke Lynn, who was at the Q mansion more often than not lately. Just the other day, at Liz's insistence, they hung out with Lucky and Liz. Nik and Lucky had behaved friendly and it had nothing to do with their truce. Em had explained to Lucky about her feelings on their friendship and was surprised to hear him apologize and say he understood. Emily had had a good time though at times Liz and Lucky's lovey dovey act had made her want to gag. But mostly Nik and Em spent tons of time together doing stuff, talking, or just hanging out doing nothing. In the five short weeks since the docks, they'd become completely comfortable with each other. They'd become incredibly tight and best friends. Every Friday, after Emily's session with Gail, Nik picked her up and they drove around talking about her session among other things until they came up with something to do. Tonight they were going to rent movies. Emily pulled into the video store lot. "Did I tell you that Gail said I could join her teen group this Wednesday?" Emily said as she turned off the car. "No, you didn't. She just tell you today?" "Yeah. You wouldn't have believed how surprised I was when she told me. I thought I still had a long way to go." "Well this just goes to show you, you don't. You're on your way, Em." "I guess.' Nik held open the store door for her. "Thanks." "So what kind of video do you feel like renting? Maybe we could watch this again?" Nik picked up a documentary. "No." Emily plucked it out of his hands and put it back. "Remember what I rented when you made me watch this?" Nik shuddered at the memory. "BASEketball." "Yup. You know the deal, Nicky, no boring documentaries from you and no gross out movies from me." Nikolas sighed. "Don't call me Nicky. You've been hanging around Carly too much." "Aw, admit it. You like it when we call you Nicky, Nicky." "Never." His grin belied his words. "Hey let's get some horror movies! I'm in the mood to get scared." Emily went over to the horror section and quickly started picking out movies. "I'm so glad you let me help pick out the movies, Em." Nikolas said sarcastically. He stood beside her in line. "Uh-huh, yeah. Grab a couple of packets of popcorn, butter-flavored of course, I don't have any at home. And get some sodas." Nikolas grabbed the stuff. "You love bossing people around." He stated this as a fact. They paid for their stuff. "As much as you do." Emily grinned up at him. "Well, *I'm* driving back." Nikolas grumbled as they walked out. "I wouldn't have thought otherwise." Emily followed him to the car. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emily dropped the bags containing the videos and the snacks on her desk and flopped down on her bed. Nikolas started looking through the bag. "What videos did *we* pick out?" Emily started ticking the list off. "Scream 2 cause it was better than the first. Scream cause you have to watch it to know half of what's going on in Scream 2. Halloween cause it's a classic! Not very scary but a classic. Halloween H20 cause it's the best in the series. And Nightmare on Elm Street just because." "We're going to watch all these tonight?" Nik raised a questioning eyebrow. "Yes. You're a big boy, Nik. You can stay up late watching vids." Emily rolled over on her back. "Niiiikkk?" She drawled out sweetly. "Whaaaaat?" He asked doubtfully. He knew that voice meant she wanted him to do something. "Do me an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny favor? Please? Take the popcorn down to the kitchen and see if Cook will let you use the microwave, oh bestest friend?" "Em, that woman scares me. Probably more than these movies will." He faked a shiver and smiled. "She likes you more than she likes the family. She lets *you* into the kitchen." Nik sighed. "Okay. But you owe me. And I always collect." "I'm shaking in my socks." Emily grinned. "Thanks. Get some glasses with ice. I'll set up the movies and stuff." Emily got up to start closing the drapes and shutting off most of the lights. Nik went down the stairs and passed Ned and Lois on their way into the living room. "Hi Ned, Lois." He nodded and continued. "That boy is here so often, I think we better give him his own room." Ned said. "He's been here almost as often as you and Brooke." "Brooke's been wanting to see her father more often." Lois shrugged. "Somehow I don't think that's the only reason." "Well, I've been thinking about buying back L&B. I went to the new offices and even though I love Brenda and Robin, they're destroying my company. Brenda has become bored with it and leaves Robin to do all the work and Robin barely knows what she's doing. Brenda's been hinting that she wouldn't mind selling it back to me. I really want L&B back." "So that's the only reason you're here all the time?" "What other reason would there be?" "Oh, I could think of another." Ned advanced on her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nikolas returned carrying a tray filled with a big bowl of popcorn, two glasses and a plate of cookies. "Where'd you get the cookies?" Emily asked. "Cook likes my smile." Nik said smugly. He placed the tray on the nightstand and stretched out on the bed next to Emily. "What are we watching first?" Emily reached across him and grabbed a cookie. "Scream and don't worry, I fast forward through the coming attractions, I know how you hate them." "Cool, pass me the remote." "Why?" Emily placed the popcorn bowl between them. "I all ready fast forward." "Yes but you like to stop the movie and rewind to point out stupid stuff that only you would notice. We're not doing that tonight. So give me the remote." He reached for it. Emily put it behind her back. "No." She threw a piece of popcorn at him. "Yes." He threw one at her. "No." She threw another. Soon there was a full-scale popcorn war going on. Half the bowl was gone by the time it finished. It was everywhere. In Nik and Em's hair, on the floor, in the bed. Some even landed in her mouth. Laughing, Emily gave up. "Here." She passed the remote. "I can't take any more. My room is a mess!" "Thank you." Nik switched on the TV. "Let's watch some movies."