Justus is sitting in his office. He is thinking about the fight  that he had with Dara. He is about to call her when his secretary come in.

" Mr. Ward. These emergency faxes just came in from Jacarta. Should I call Mr. Ashton?"

" No, Peggy. I'll take care of it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jax is standing in the parking lot of the Outback. After taking his call, he's been trying to catch up with Dara. There was no answer at her apartment, work, LUKE'S, or the Outback. He was wondering where she could be. He thought he would try her apartment once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emily and Nikolas were going through the park when they ran into Bart and a group of his friends.

" Well, if it isn't little Emily and her protector. What's up, Em?"

" I thought I told you last time that Emily does not want to talk to you."

" Why don't you let the chick speak for herself."

" She doesn't have to speak on this occasion. Leave her alone."

" Or what?"

" Or, I'll make you sorry that you're bothering her."

" Nikolas, please, let's just go."

" I don't think little Nikki wants to go, Em. I think he wants to stay and play. Isn't that right, Nikki?"

" The name is Nikolas, and I can play any game that you want."

" Oh, big man can play any game ? Can you play this? (Bart brings out a huge switchblade)."

" Bart, NO! Come on, we don't want any trouble."

" Sorry, Em. I think that Wonderboy here wants all sorts of trouble. He has a big mouth. And people with big mouths need to be taught a lesson."

" Emily, go over there. I'll be fine."

" Nikolas..."

" Emily, GO!"

Nikolas and Bart go at it. Of course, a couple of Bart's boys try and help, but all that Tai Chi comes in handy. Nikolas fights like a pro, and they leave, but not before Bart gives Nikolas a deep slash that goes halfway downt he length of his arm.

" Nikolas, you're hurt! We have to go to General Hospital."

" Never mind me. Are you OK, Emily."

" Nikolas, I'm not the one who just took on 3 guys and won. Now, to the Hospital."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the hospital room, A.E. is lying there, listless. She is motioning to get something off the nightstand when Bobbie comes in.

"Hey you. Not that much moving for you. You had a prety serious injury."

" Alright. Would you please move the telephone so that I can use it?"

" Fine. Are you going to call your father?"

" I think that this would be a good time, don't you? All I could think about when that plane was going down is that I might never get to see him or by brother again. And that, in all this time, we haven't formally been introduced to one another. So, I will start. How do you do, I'm.."

Alan comes in.

"There's an emergency down in Trauma 4. You're needed."

" We will have time for intros later. I'll check on you later. Get some rest."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emily and Nikolas get into GH.

" Nikolas, please sit right here."

Emily goes over and sees Chris Ramsey.

" You're Chris Ramsey, aren't you?"

" Yes, I am, and you are.."

" Emily Quartermaine. I have a sick friend here."

" In case you haven't noticed, we have a lot of patients here."

" I know. But, it's my fault that he's been hurt. PLEASE come and look at him."

" You know, I really am busy.."

" In case you don't know, My Grandfather is on the Board of  GH, My father is the Chief of Staff, and my mother is the head of Cardiology. And the patient that I want you to see is Nikolas Cassadine. You may have heard of his uncle, he happens to be the CEO of GH. So, are you coming?"

" Yes."

They get to Nikolas.

" See, he's bleeding."

" Yes, I noticed."

" Well, Nikolas, I am going to get to a phone and call your family."

" Emily, no."

" Nikolas, you're hurt. They would want to know."

Emily leaves Nikolas with the doctor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Wyndermere, Stefan anwers the phone.

" Stefan Cassadine. Yes....yes...I'll be right there."

" Stefan, what is it?"

" I must go Alexis."

" Stefan?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jax arrives at Dara's apartment. He has the superintendent with him.

" Look, sir. I believe that there might be something wrong with Ms. Jensen."

" None of her neighbors have called anything in."

" The last time that I spoke to her, she was complaining of severe abdominal pains in her right side. Now, that didn't mean anything at first. But, you know, those are the classic symptoms of appendicitis."

" Wouldn't a smart lady like Ms. Jensen know she was sick."

" Yes, she is smart, but also stubborn as a mule. Maybe she's in there sick. And would you want that on your conscience, her being sick and you being unwilling to help me. I mean, what would it look like in the papers, "Prominent DA in apartment, yet the superintendant doesn't care enough to check." Think of all the bad publicity for you and your employer. The possible lawsuits, the backlash...How difficult do you think it would be to rent this place..."

Jax stops because he hears the lock click on Dara's door. Dara is standing there. Obviously upset.

" Mr. Murray, as you and Mr. Jacks can see, I am alive."

" Nice to see you, Ms. Jensen. Bye."

" Bye."

He leaves and Dara and Jax are just standing there.

" You left."

" You got a phone call. And I didn't want to be a bother."

" I never consider you a bother. I just HAD to take that call, that's all."

" I didn't want to be a burden."

" In all the time that we've been friends, I've always thought that I was the burden."

" Why would you think something silly like that?"

" The way that I've been moping after Brender."

" You're trying to get over your heart being stomped. When you find the right lady, things will click into place for you."

" Dara, uh, not that this conversation isn't titillating, but do you think that we should be having it in the hallway?"

Dara finally recognizes that they are in the hallway, she's in her bathrobe and socks, and begins to laugh.

" I must look a mess."
 

" Actually, you look quite good. You were looking a mess when you were in the penthouse today. Now, you're looking in top form."

" Liar. But, it earns you entrance into my humble abode."

" Thanks."

Jax and Dara enter her apartment.

" I'm fixing myself some tea. Want some?"

" Would love it."

Dara fixes it, and they sit on the couch.

" So, I guess you're wondering what would make me such a basket case."

" You said you had an argument with Justus."

" Yep."

" Wanna talk about it?"

" Nope."

" I could leave if you want to be alone."

" I don't want to be alone. And I don't want to talk." A smile creeps over Dara's face.

" Dara Jensen, what are you smiling about?"

" That I know what we can do. Are you hungry? Suddenly, I'm famished. You like pizza?"

" Love it. "

" Well, you call the one, Eduardo's. I have a magnet from them on my refridgerator door. Make my half sausage, mushroom and green peppers. And order a large antipasto. Extra house dressing on the side. Oh, and an order of breadsticks."

" And what are we going to do with all this food?"

" Eat it during....."she goes over to a big chest with videotapes, " A Dark Shadows Marathon."

" You're kidding."

" Nope. I have every episode on tape. Are you game?"

" Certainly. I'll also have the PC Grille send over some of the strawberry delight cheesecake. Sound good?"

" Heavenly."

Dara goes to set up for the DS marathon. She's feeling better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A.E. is resting in her room. She is trying to sleep and had dozed off. Stefan bursts into the room. His eyes are full of worry and fright. He looks at the young woman sleeping in the bed. She looks fo peaceful, he thinks. He tries to remember the last time that they had met.

A.E. opens her eyes to see Stefan standing there. At first, she thinks that she is imagining things.

Stefan slowly walks towards her and hesitantly asks , " Katya, are you alright?"

A.E. smiles slightly and says, "Hello, Papa. Long time."