Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) thought Aiden resembled Lucky, so Liz did her own DNA test, proving Lucky was the father. An upset Nikolas kidnapped the child, only to regret his decision and return Aiden to Liz after she grieved when she thought her other son, Jake, died in a hit-and-run accident. Later, when Elizabeth briefly visited her sister Sarah Webber (Sarah Laine) in California, Nikolas hired Brook Lynn Ashton (then Adrienne Leon) as his business escort. Unfortunately, the two started developing feelings for each other, and when Liz returned thinking she'd give a relationship with Nik the college try, it was too late. While Nik preferred to be with Brook Lynn, an opportunity presented itself for her to expand her singing career by going on tour with a band, so she left town for a time.

Liz then became romantically entangled with A.J. Quartermaine (Sean Kanan) after his family's pickle relish business caused him to have panic attacks and she helped him through it. But when Nik got injured and she then helped him, A.J. became jealous, so she and Nikolas kissed. But, not wanting to hurt Lucky by dating his brother again, she tried making things work with A.J. However, A.J.'s alcoholism took hold of him, ruining his life, which tragically ended when Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) shot him. Nikolas himself would later be shot by Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) in 2016, and he was presumed dead.