Nikolas: Okay, I love you, bye. Hey.
Alexis: Okay, I've gone over the budget. We may be able to stave off bankruptcy proceedings if we just restructure in a few areas.
Nikolas: Any ideas on how I can pay for a wedding and a honeymoon?
Alexis: A wedding?
Nikolas: I'd prefer extravagant, but, you know, if that's too expensive, I'll settle for intimate and meaningful. You know, either way, I just want it to be perfect.
Alexis: Okay, you need to do intimate and meaningful.
Nikolas: Okay.
Alexis: I'm assuming that the bride is Emily?
Nikolas: Oh -- I'm sorry. Yes, yes, I -- I asked her and she said yes.
Alexis: I'm really happy for you.
Nikolas: Thank you. You know, I just -- I know that I'll love her for the rest of my life. As long as she and I are together, I think I can face whatever comes.
Emily: Morning.
Elizabeth: Hey.
Emily: Hi.
Elizabeth: Oh, boy.
Emily: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you okay?
Elizabeth: Mm-hmm. Just give me a minute.
Emily: All right. Which table do these go to?
Elizabeth: That one up there. Thanks.
Elizabeth: Thank you. This morning shift really isn't my favorite anymore but I'm glad I won't have to keep this morning sickness a secret much longer.
Emily: You've decided to tell Zander he's the father?
Elizabeth: Not exactly. You see, Ric and I, we slept together over our little ski getaway.
Emily: What are you going to do, buy a pregnancy test and pretend to discover you're having Ric's baby?
Elizabeth: You think it's wrong for me to do that to Ric?
Emily: Elizabeth, I think it's wrong to do it to yourself.
Emily: If Ric thinks the baby is his, he'll ask you to marry him.
Elizabeth: Probably.
Emily: Elizabeth, I loved Zander, but I married him for all of the wrong reasons, and I wound up hurting both him and myself.
Elizabeth: You married Zander out of obligation when you really were in love with Nikolas. Well, I'm really in love with Ric.
Emily: He is not the father of your child.
Elizabeth: Yeah, but he's desperate to have a child. For God's sake, he kidnapped Carly to replace the one we lost.
Emily: Okay, so he didn't tell you the truth, so it's okay to do the same to him?
Elizabeth: You're not getting this.
Emily: No, I'm not.
Elizabeth: Okay, do you know what would really hurt Ric? Telling him about Zander. But if I just keep quiet, then we can both have what we want. We can have each other and a child with two loving parents. Who knows -- maybe even a happy marriage. It's the best solution for everybody.
Emily: How can it work if it's based on a lie?
Nikolas: I have to go. I'm meeting Emily at her family's house to announce the engagement.
Alexis: Brace yourself.
Nikolas: Yeah, I know. I know the Quartermaines have never exactly been quite friendly to any of the Cassadines.
Alexis: When I got engaged to Ned, that's when the torture began.
Nikolas: Didn't they even care that Ned was happy?
Alexis: If Ned was happy, it would have ruined all of Edward’s fun. He said that if Ned wasn't already miserable, he would be miserable after being with me. As it turns out, he was absolutely right, but that's another subject.
Nikolas: Monica's always been understanding, though.
Alexis: Please be careful. There's a deep animosity lurking in the hearts of all the Quartermaines and the Kristina custody battle didn't help.
Nikolas: Well, they kind of have a point. I mean, the Cassadines haven't exactly been a shining example of sanity and stability. Now we can't even compensate by being filthy rich.
Alexis: See? It's good to know the resistance you're facing.
Nikolas: All I can offer Emily right now is my love. The people who care about her will want her to be happy. All others aren't worth my trouble.
Alexis: Nikolas --
Nikolas: What?
Alexis: You can't afford to be that arrogant anymore.
Nikolas: Look, the Quartermaines love Emily. I just -- I honestly think that they won't fight the marriage.
Alexis: Good. If that's the case, they'll welcome you with open arms.
Nikolas: Thank you.
Alexis: If they do, will you ask them for a loan? We need the help.
Nikolas: Okay.
Monica: Oh, Tracy, come on, admit it -- you have ulterior motives.
Tracy: My motives are as plain as day. I am a member of this family and I refuse to stand by and watch E.L.Q. circle the drain.
Edward: E.L.Q. will survive nicely, thank you, as long as you stay out of it.
Alan: You don't even have a right to call a board meeting.
Skye: I don't think she even has the right to vote.
Tracy: Are you all in denial?
A.J.: Here's a concept -- maybe my family actually has faith in me.
Tracy: Oh, well, then that would be a yes, you are all in denial.
Nikolas: I'm here. All right. Alexis just warned me that I can't afford to be arrogant, but you know what? I don't care if your family approves or not. I love you and I won't let anything stop us from getting married.
Emily: Okay. Um --
Nikolas: What? What?
Emily: I need a little fortification first.
Nikolas: Okay.
Tracy: You have absolutely no say in this.
Skye: Oh, I have grandmother's proxy.
Tracy: "Grandmother"?
Skye: Yes, she asked me to still keep calling her that so you better be nice to me if you want to get your foot into E.L.Q.
Tracy: This is your fault.
Alan: I have stayed close to mother and father while you've spent your life lying and cheating.
Tracy: Oh, please. With Emily and Skye in this house, it is crawling with interlopers.
Monica: Listen, you shut up about Emily, Tracy, or you're not going to have one hair on that dyed head left.
Alan: That's right, Tracy.
Dillon: You guys better leave now before the knives start flying.
Emily: If I waited for peace and harmony, I’d be 93 before making my big announcement.
Edward: What announcement is that, dear?
Emily: Nikolas and I are engaged. We're going to be married.
Monica: Well, we're very happy for you.
Emily: Thanks, mom.
Alan: You look radiant, sweetheart.
Skye: Of course she does. She's in love.
Tracy: Yeah, with a Cassadine. They're all inbred and --
Dillon: Mom, Nikolas is nobility. You should be happy.
A.J.: I think it's absolutely great.
Emily: Thanks, A.J.
Edward: I have never liked the Cassadines and I never will.
Emily: Grandfather --
Dillon: Give it a rest, dude.
Edward: Don't interrupt me, now. I was trying to say that I think Nikolas may be the best of the bunch.
Nikolas: Thank you, sir, I think.
Edward: And in an attempt to forge a bond between the two families, I might be willing to -- to let you invest in E.L.Q. Huh?
Nikolas: I appreciate the offer, sir. Unfortunately, I -- I can't accept. See, the truth is, I'm broke.
Edward: Well, then there's no way in God's green earth that you're going to marry my granddaughter.
Alan: Oh, don't be ridiculous, will you please?
Monica: Fortunately, Edward, you have absolutely no say in the matter.
A.J.: As if that'll stop him.
Edward: Why don't you two act like responsible parents once in your life?
Monica: We are! We're supporting Emily.
Edward: How can you allow your precious child to marry into a family of inbred lunatics who are bankrupt to boot?
Dillon: Oh, yeah, you know, because we're so much better.
Edward: Now don't start with me here.
Dillon: You know what? You're just all hot and bothered because Nikolas isn't going to bail you out --
Edward: You, young man -- you are a traitor to the Quartermaine name.
Skye: Why, because he told the truth?
Edward: No, because he's blurting out family secrets to outsiders.
Alan: What family secrets? He's going to be my son-in-law.
Emily: Hey, quiet! Thank you. Thank you. I need a moment with my family. I'll meet you back at your place?
Nikolas: All right, all right. Listen, I -- I love Emily with all my heart, okay, and I plan to spend my life making her happy. Okay? Okay. I'll meet you back, okay?
Emily: Okay.
Edward: Well, at least you managed to get him out of here without a fight. Now, what I want you to do, my dear, is go upstairs right now and write him a nice letter telling him that the engagement is off, huh?
Emily: I love Nikolas and I'm going to marry him and nothing you do or say is going to stop me.
Alexis: Good to see you survived the inquisition.
Nikolas: Could've been worse. Monica, Skye, Dillon, A.J. -- Happy for us. Alan -- a little less. Tracy, Edward -- appalled. But see, that's okay because Emily stood up to all of them.
Alexis: Good for her. She's my kind of gal. You know, you have the real thing in Emily.
Nikolas: Hmm -- yeah, well, not much else. See, Edward made it very clear to me that he wouldn't be lending me a dime.
Alexis: Well, it's just as well. Insolvency is preferable to owing the Quartermaines.
Nikolas: You found a way to downsize, reorganize, keep the family going?
Alexis: We may be able to hold out for a few months but when that freighter sank, you lost your last chance to avoid bankruptcy.
Emily: I love you all dearly. You helped me survive my fight with cancer. I know I’m incredibly fortunate that you took me in and you made me a part of your family.
Tracy: And if you're so damn grateful, why don't you do what you're told?
Emily: But I’ve made my choice and I know it's the right one.
Edward: Now, listen, Emily, there's no reason to rush into --
Monica: Edward --
Edward: What?
Monica: Shut up!
Emily: Okay, I'm going to lay some ground rules. You're all invited to the wedding, but only if you wish us well or at least keep your objections to yourself. I don't want anyone trying to talk me out of this marriage or doing anything to stop it and that includes lying, blackmail, and sabotage! At the first sign of anything underhanded, Nikolas and I will elope. Is everyone clear?
Alan: Yes.
A.J.: Mm-hmm.
Emily: Great. I am going to go see my fiancé now. Bye.
Alan: Bye-bye.
Nikolas: You made it. I was afraid they'd locked you in your room.
Emily: Yeah, I'm sure they considered it but it won't do any good. Nothing will keep me from marrying you.
Nikolas: Well, it's safe to say we won't be living at your house.
Emily: Who would want to?
Nikolas: We're better off living in a barn.
Emily: Yeah.
Nikolas: The way my finances are going, we might have to.
Emily: I'm sorry Helena and Stefan left you with such a mess.
Nikolas: Yeah, yeah. I was raised to be one thing -- Cassadine prince. Empty title, ancient fortune. Now it's gone. I have to go out and make a living and I don't even know how.
Emily: Well, you can.
Nikolas: Who would hire me?
Emily: Oh, lots of people. You're smart. You're well-educated. You have years of financial experience. You have wonderful people skills. You're -- you're charming. You're brave.
Nikolas: All of this according to you?
Emily: Yes. You can accomplish anything you want and if you ever doubt it, you have me in your corner to remind you.
Door opens.
Sam: I'm sorry to interrupt.
Nikolas: Excuse me.
Sam: Sam McCall. And you're Nikolas Cassadine?
Nikolas: Yeah, that's right.
Sam: Yeah? Hi. I have a business proposition that could make us both a lot of money.