Monica, Alan and Emily are standing in the hospital foyer and Monica and Alan are pleading for Emily to go to the support group.
Emily: I am not comfortable talking about my cancer, especially in front of a group of total strangers.
Alan: Emily, support groups can be a Godsend when you're in a fight like this. I mean, joining one was a turning point for Monica.
Monica: Emily, I didn't want to go to Arizona to a wellness center. I didn't want to sit with a bunch of cancer patients. But I went and I sat and I listened, and I realized I wasn't alone. It really changed my life.
Alan: Look, maybe it can help you, too. Just -- just go to one meeting. Please, for our sake.
Monica: Please, Em?
Monica, Alan and Emily are standing outside the door of the cancer suvivors support group meeting.
Monica: You want me to go with you?
Emily: No. Thanks, but I have to do this alone.
Alan: Emily -- Emily, this is a positive step. We wouldn't be encouraging you to do this unless we thought it would help.
Monica: Listen, you think that nobody understands what you're going through. But those women in there -- they do, Em. I promise you, they do. I love you.
Alan: I love you, sweetheart.
They all hug and Emily goes over to the door. Peeking in, she stands in the doorway and listens to the ladies.
Woman: What about you? Are you okay?
Second woman: I still can't believe it about Susan. How many years had she been cancer-free?
First woman: Four.
Second woman: They found it in her lymph nodes.
First woman: Stage three.
Emily can't handle it, turns around and runs out of the room and then the little hallway, bypassing Monica and Alan.
Alan: Emily?
Monica: Emily?
Emily: I'm sorry, I can't do this.
Monica: Emily, wait.
Nikolas and Lydia are talking on the bluffs, Lucky is hiding behind a rock, spying.
Nikolas: I'm not biased against you.
Lydia: Oh, so being distant and aloof is how you show you like someone?
Nikolas: I was cautious, with good reason. It was clear from the beginning you weren't telling me everything.
Lydia: Well, now you know the whole awful truth. I'm a spoiled rich girl, and your uncle has decided that I would be perfect for you, which guarantees you're going to treat me as though I've got the plague.
Nikolas: No, I actually think you're very pleasant when you're not trying so hard or working an agenda.
Lydia: And you can be quite charming when you're not acting all suspicious.
Nikolas: There's a difference between suspicious and wary, Lydia.
Lydia: Please. Come on, somebody can't pour themselves a glass of champagne without you wondering what the ulterior motive is.
Nikolas: That's not true.
Lydia: Prove it. Let me take you out to dinner, and we'll see if you can sit for an entire two hours without suspecting me of something sinister. You see? You're already suspicious.
Nikolas' cellphone and he has to stop to answer it. It's Monica, she's at the hospital.
Nikolas: Excuse me. Hello?
Monica: Nikolas, hi. It's Monica Quartermaine. And -- well, I -- I need your help. Alan and I tried to get Emily to go to a cancer survivors' support group. And she lasted about 30 seconds. She just -- she just ran out, and we have no idea where she went. Do you?
Nikolas: When did this happen?
Monica: Just now.
Nikolas: Okay. I'll find her. Thanks for calling.
Lydia: Are you all right?
Nikolas: I have to go. Okay?
Nikolas has to leave to go and find Emily. He leaves and Lucky is still hiding behind the rocks.
Stefan reaches Lydia on the bluffs and they argue about the plan, Lucky is still watching.
Gia is reading on the park bench and then Emily walks by.
Gia: Emily?
Emily: Oh, Gia.
Gia: Are you okay?
Emily: Hi. Yeah -- no, I'm -- i'm a little distracted. I didn't see you there. Uh -- how are things going with --
Gia: Me and Zander?
Emily: Yeah.
Gia: I don't know. There's this huge secret between us, and I can't stop thinking about it.
Emily: Okay, you can't tell Zander I have cancer, Gia. You promised.
Gia: You're still in love with him, Emily.
Emily: Yeah, and I want him to be happy, and you're the one who can help him move on.
Gia: When you're through with the chemo, you're going to want him back.
Emily: Look, I don't even know that I'm going to make it through the chemo.
Gia: Hey, hey -- you're scared, you know, which is perfectly understandable. You're going to rally, and you're going to beat this. If Zander ever found out that I knew about your cancer and didn't tell him --
Emily: He'll never know you knew. I swear, I will take this secret to my grave. And who knows when that's going to happen, huh? In five months or in 50 years. The important thing is that you and Zander have each other. And I won't get in the way. And I'll never, ever tell him what you knew or when.
Just then, Nikolas walks into the park. He grabs Emily and pulls her away and out of the park.
Nikolas: Emily. Emily, I've been looking all over for you.
Emily: Why?
Nikolas: I'll tell you on the way. We're late already.
Emily: No, no -- wait. Late for what?
Nikolas: An important meeting that's pivotal to our future. Let's go.
Nikolas and Emily are in the hallway outside the group. They are arguing with eac other. Both of them are upset, Emily has tears in her eyes and Nikolas does too. His voice is hoarse with the knowledge that she has to live. She's crying.
Emily: The meeting started a half-hour ago. I'm already late. I don't even want to be in there, Nikolas.
Nikolas: Well, that makes sense. I'll tell you what -- you go. You go, and I'll go find Zander and tell him the truth.
Emily: That is blackmail!
Nikolas: Look, you are convinced that you are going to die. You don't want zander to watch that. I can understand. But let me let you in on a little secret, Emily. I don't want to watch you die, either.
Emily: I never asked you to. I only asked you to pretend to love me.
Nikolas: I don't want to lose you. I want you in my life, okay? Asking me for favors, fighting for every lost cause in the universe. But why won't you fight for yourself? I've done everything you've asked me to do, but now I need you to do something for me. You have to consider the possibility that you can survive this. You have to go in there with those women who have managed it, and you have to sit down and you have to talk to them. Yeah, that's blackmail. And you know what? I am better at it than you are.
Emily goes and opens the door and walks into the support group.
Woman: I keep thinking about how hard it is to explain --
Emily: Excuse me. I apologize for barging in. My fiance didn't give me any choice. My name is Emily, and the truth is I shouldn't even be here. This is group is for cancer survivors, and -- um -- I don't think I'm going to make it.
June gets up and welcomes Emily to the group.
Monica comes into the hallway and meets Nikolas.
Monica: Hi. Is Emily in there?
Nikolas: Yeah. She -- you were right, she didn't want to go.
Monica: Well, thank you for getting her here.
Nikolas: These groups have to work, Monica. I know Emily. Once she starts fighting, she won't stop.
Monica: You know you're beginning to sound like a real fiance?
Nikolas: I'm just someone who really loves Emily.
Emily is in the support group, listening to the ladies talk. She is ripping a cup.