Jane: You're a good man, Jax. You're a wonderful son. I hope Carly knows just how lucky she is.
Jax: You're my mother, you're biased.
Jane: Well, of course I am. Do you know, of all the things you've accomplished in your life, the thing I'm the most proud of is that you've always found a way to make family a priority. It's too bad Jerry couldn't do the same.
Jax: No, mom, Jerry would be here if he could.
Jane: Oh, I think you give him far too much credit. I mean, you postponed your marriage, you went traipsing all across Siberia to bail him out of yet another catastrophe, and he can't make an effort to show up on your wedding day? Oh -- as much as I love Jerry, he is selfish to the bone and I'm afraid he's never going to change.
Nikolas: Look, I don't want you here. Why can't you understand that?
Emily: Because you're lying.
Nikolas: Look, I'm with Robin now. If you can't -- if you can't accept that, then I apologize.
Emily: Nikolas, you can deny it all you want, but I know you, and I can see that you're in trouble. So stop shutting me out and tell me what's going on.
Nikolas: Yes, would you please get the launch ready? Emily's on her way down. Thank you.
Emily: I love you. Why won't you let me help you?
Nikolas: If you do love me, then you stay the hell away from here.
Emily: Why are you so determined to push me away?
Nikolas: Look, I -- I hate seeing you hurt like this. So if you would just please go home --
Emily: Nikolas, what are you trying to protect me from? What, is there somebody in this house?
Alexis: Hi. I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?
Nikolas: No, no, Emily was just -- she was just leaving.
Emily: No, I wasn't.
Alexis: Look, I can see that you two are in the middle of something, so if you could just tell me where Mr. Brosnan is, I'll leave you two alone.
Emily: Mr. Brosnan?
Nikolas: He's a -- he's a business associate of mine. He's staying here while -- while we finalize a deal.
Alexis: I was out in the yard picking wildflowers and I had one of those dizzy spells, and so he was very nice and he helped me back to the -- to the house, and he's been quite gentlemanly ever since.
Emily: He seems like a good man.
Alexis: Well, he seems to be. Actually, I have a favor that I'd like to ask of him.
Nikolas: And what is that?
Alexis: I was -- I was going to ask him if he could escort me to Jax's wedding.
Nikolas: No. No, you can't take him as a date.
Alexis: Why not?
Jane: Oh, he's been that way since he was a boy. He was always looking for new ways to challenge himself, and the greater the risk, the better he liked it.
Jax: Yeah.
Jane: Most children grow out of that in time -- you managed to -- but Jerry just seemed to get wilder as time passed. I pride myself on my independence and I try not to hover or meddle, but when I do let myself worry -- oh, I worry about Jerry. It's heartbreaking to me that nothing matters to him -- except possibly you.
Jax: You matter. Jerry loves you, you know that.
Jane sighs]
Jax: You just can't give up on him.
Jane: Hmm -- trust me, I've tried. Just when I'm ready to write him off for good, he shows up out of nowhere and charms his way back into my good graces. That's what I was hoping he was going to do today, that he would just show up at the wedding and surprise us, but it's not going to happen. He's much too caught up in his own adventures.
Jax: You know, mom, I actually feel sorry for Jerry, because he doesn't know what he's missing. I mean, chasing after the next big payoff can be exhilarating, but it's just -- it's hollow in the end. And that's why I'm so grateful that I've found Carly.
Alexis: I know why this might be a little embarrassing and difficult for me, but why are you having such a hard time with my asking mr. Brosnan to Jax's wedding?
Nikolas: Because we're in the middle of a very important business deal. I can't just ask him to forego a conference call so he can go out on a date with my aunt.
Alexis: Well, you wouldn't have to -- I wouldn't want you to -- I'd ask him myself.
Nikolas: You don't -- you don't even know him.
Alexis: I am standing up at Jax's wedding -- I'm the best person, okay? I -- I don't know most of the people there, and -- and the ones that I do know I -- I don't think I like. In fact, the only person that I do know and like is Jax. He would be my first choice of courtesy date, but since he's the groom, he's a little busy, which leaves Mr. Brosnan.
Nikolas: There has to be someone else, Alexis, come on.
Alexis: I am a bald mother of three, soon to be divorced. There aren't a lot of men knocking down my door. Mr. Brosnan has seen me at my worst, and he hasn't run screaming into the night. So do me a favor, have a heart, be a good nephew, give him that.
Emily: What's the problem with Mr. Brosnan?
Nikolas: He's a business associate of mine --
Emily: No, it's more than that. Is he the reason you're pushing me away?
Nikolas: Emily, I'm in love with Robin now. Okay? So if you have just an ounce of dignity left in you, then you'll just -- then you just leave it that, okay?
Robin: We have to be more careful, Patrick, from now on, we have to stay away from each other at work. No sneaking off to the supply closet or a meeting on the roof between rounds. Yeah, I know, I know -- I hate this as much as you do. But we cannot afford to be seen together in public -- at least as long as Craig holds Nikolas' life in his hands. I know -- I miss you, too. Okay, I have to go. I have to get back to Wyndemere before Craig notices I'm gone. I'll call you when I can, all right? Bye.
Nikolas: I'm really sorry that -- that it had to come to this, but -- but -- but it's -- it's over. Emily, I -- I thought that we could -- we could get back to the way we were, but I don't -- I just don't think that we can do that.
Emily: Why not?
Nikolas: "Why not?" "Why not?" Because -- because I don't love you anymore. And it doesn't matter how many times you come here, it just -- it just won't change my mind on that.
Emily: Nikolas, you're deliberately trying to hurt me and you would never do that -- that's how I know you're lying.
Robin: Stop deluding yourself. Nikolas is telling you the truth. How many times do you have to hear it -- or see us together -- to know that he is telling you the truth? You can't keep showing up here trying to convince him that something's wrong with him just because he's not in love with you anymore. It's pathetic and it needs to stop.
Robin: I know that this frail, pitiful act normally works for you, but Nikolas isn't buying it this time. So it's better for you to just leave now before you embarrass yourself any further.
Emily: The only one playing the frail, pitiful game is you, Robin. You know, when this all started, I was willing to make some allowances for you because I saw what you went through in that hotel. I was there -- remember? -- Pleading with Craig to save your life. I can't believe you're both doing this.
Robin: Oh.
Jerry: Bravo. Bravo. Although, I'm not sure that this was your most inspired performance. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to give the award to Intern Emily. She gives new meaning to the proverb "hell hath no fury," etc., etc. I have to wonder, though, how on earth was she prompted to come back and make an attempt I mean, you've already broken her heart, and there was no reason for Emily to believe that she had a chance with you, so -- unless -- unless you and Paddy Boy slipped up at work and gave something away.
Robin: Patrick and I barely spoke yesterday at work, and when we did we were at each other's throats. Neither of us gave Emily any indication that my relationship with Nikolas is a lie.
Jerry: Right. Why was she here, then?
Nikolas: Because she has faith in me, not that I'd expect you to understand.
Jerry: Oh, but I do.
Nikolas: Huh -- yeah.
Jerry: Yes, I do. I know that you and Emily are soul mates being kept apart by the most cruel of circumstances, but that was your choice, Nikolas. I was perfectly willing to involve Emily from the start, but you wouldn't hear it.
Nikolas: I was trying to protect her.
Jerry: And your good friends Robin and Paddy are paying the price. You sacrifice them so you could save your beloved little Emily. That hardly seems fair, doesn't it, darling?
Robin: I'm -- I'm sorry about Emily, that is not your fault.
Nikolas: No, it's okay. It's not your fault that you're stuck here with this psychopath.
Jerry: Hmm. Isn't it about time that he let bygones be bygones?
Nikolas walks out onto the bluffs and looks over them. He turns as Emily comes out of the trees]
Emily: Nikolas?
Jerry: Some people are too romantic for their own good, and I believe our Nikolas belongs in that category. After all, he insisted on pushing Emily away, and now he's unable to deal with it.
Robin: Well, you're not helping him -- you provoke him every single chance that you get.
Jerry: I simply enjoy testing people's limits. You know, I find there are very few people available in this world that are truly capable of putting another person's good ahead of their own.
Robin: That's true. Nikolas is one of those people. He would die before he'd let anything happen to Emily.
Jerry: What's the point of dying for love, to save someone who's going to die, too? Nikolas needs a lesson to take focus on the long-term objective.
Robin: So what is your long-term objective?
Jerry: Why, the same as you, darling Robin -- to live happily ever after with the people I care about -- and hell to anyone who gets in my way!
Nikolas: Emily -- you shouldn't be here.
Emily: I'm not going to let you push me away.
Nikolas: Don't -- I don't want to be with you.
Emily: You don't mean that, Nikolas, I know you! You would never hurt me like this without a reason, so please, just tell me, what is going on?
Nikolas: Don't -- don't --
Emily: Whatever it is, I can handle it. All you have to do is let me in. Please, Nikolas, what are you trying to protect me from?
Nikolas: Okay. Mr. Brosnan is Mr. Craig. He -- he broke in a few weeks ago, injected me with a poison, and now I have to get a counteragent every 24 hours or I die.
Emily: Oh, my God. Okay -- uh --
Nikolas: You have to --
Emily: Nikolas, we've got to get you to the hospital --
Nikolas: No, listen to me. There's nothing they can do for me, Emily. Robin's run several tests trying to isolate the poison, they can't -- the only reason I'm alive is because of craig's counteragent.
Emily: Why is he doing this to you?
Nikolas: Because he wants a new identity, and I'm the only one who can help him get it.
Emily: Nikolas, you should've told me.
Nikolas: I couldn't -- I couldn't. He said he would kill me and you.
Emily: Okay, I don't care how dangerous he is. I am not going to leave you alone --
Nikolas: Emily, there is nothing you can do for me. You have to get out of here.
Emily: Nikolas, I love you. We're going to get through this together.