Christmas 1998
[At Wyndemere.]
Stefan: [Helps Lulu out of her coat.] "There we go."
Laura: "I'm sorry, I know we weren't expected here but Lesley Lu wanted to give her gifts to her brother."
Stefan: "You're always welcome here." [To Lulu.] "And you know what? There are several gifts under that tree that have your name on them."
Nikolas: "Hey!" [Picks up Lulu.] "Oh, what's the most beautiful little sister in the whole world doing here? I didn't know you were coming. I thought you'd be home watching for Santa. What you got here? Did you get me a present?" [Lulu nods.] "You did? Maybe I got you one or two or maybe three over there. You want to go look under the tree, huh?" [Lulu nods.] "Okay." [To Laura.] "This is a nice surprise. Merry Christmas."
Laura: [Smiles.] "Merry Christmas."
Nikolas: [To Lulu.] "Yeah, come on, sweetie." [They go to the tree.]
Stefan: "What's happened?"
Laura: "We have to tell Nikolas that you're his father now, before Luke does.
Stefan: "Are you certain?"
Laura: [Sighs.] "Yes. He as much as told me to my face tht he was going to tell someone. Whether that's Nikolas or Helena or The Port Charles Herald, I don't know. But I do know that he meant it, so we've run out of time.
[Nikolas and Lulu come up to them.]
Nikolas: "You're not going to believe this, but I have plans with Lucky and Liz and Emily tonight. But why don't you stay for dinner? I can be back that quick.
Stefan: "Yes, have dinner with us."
Nikolas: "Yeah, and then I can, I can take Lu up and we can watch for Santa through the telescope, huh?"
Stefan: "We insist."
Nikolas: "I can tell Mrs. Lansbury."
Laura: [Nods.] "All right."
Nikolas: "Okay." [To Lulu.] "Come on, sweetie, let's go tell Mrs. Lansbury that your mommy can stay for dinner. Come on." [They leave.]
Laura: "Stefan, tell him."
Stefan: "No. No. Not yet." [They sit down.] "I want him to have this one Christmas with his mother before we face the anger and recrimination that he's sure to feel when he learns that we've kept such a secret from him. It's Christmas Eve, I don't want to spoil it."
Laura: "No. No, it's a disaster in the making. Luke may have left me and gone directly to Helena. He may be laying in wait the second Nikolas steps off the launch."
Stefan: "Nikolas will be furious whenever he finds out. It doesn't--" [Nikolas comes in.]
Nikolas: "Everything all right?"
Stefan: "Yes, fine. We'll see you at dinner, then."
Nikolas: "Yeah. Lesley Lu is helping Mrs. Lansbury decorate ginger bread cookies. I'll be back as soon as I can. It's good that you're here. Thank you." [He leaves.]
Laura: "He may walk back through that door knowing everything."
Stefan: "He's never had a Christmas with the feeling of a complete family. If I can preserve that for him for the next twenty-four hours, it's worth the risk. At least for me."
Laura: "All right, then. But let's tell him tomorrow." [Stefan nods.]
[Laura, Stefan, Nikolas, and Lulu at dinner.]
"December makes me feel this way..."