CHAPTER EIGHT: LOOSE ENDS
Lu sits silently by Lisa's bedside as she sleeps. She glances up and looks
out the monitoring window, and seeing Jason standing there, she smiles and
goes out to him.
"How's she doing?" he asks.
"A little stronger than yesterday. She wakes up and talks a little, then
goes back to sleep. I guess that's good."
Jason nods, "Yeah, I'm sure it is."
"So when is Lucky going to be back? He said he was running a personal
errand for you and Lisa."
Just then, Lucky comes in carrying a sleeping Zachary. Laura isn't far
behind. "Hey Lulu."
"Lucky, Mom," she acknowledges both of them. "Who's that?" she asks about
the little boy.
Laura turns to Lucky, "I'll hold Zack up to the window, so Lisa can see.
Then, I'll explain everything to Lu."
Lucky nods, as he hands Zachary to her, "Thanks Mom. For everything."
After entering Lisa's room, Lucky quietly walked up to her bed. "Hey Lisa?"
he calls out to her softly. She stirs slightly. "Lisa," Lucky continues,
"Zachary's here."
Lisa's eyes snap open and immediate fill with tears, "Zachary! My baby?
Where?!?"
Lucky helps Lisa to sit up enough that she can see Laura holding Zack up to
the window. "He's safe now," Lucky assures her.
"He's okay?" she asks, not wanting to take her eyes off of him.
Lucky smiles, "He's just fine. He slept most of the way here."
"I wanna see him."
"You can't just yet, ICU rules and all, but as soon as you get in a regular
room, I'll bring him in."
Lisa just nods and eases back into bed. Lucky adds in a soft voice, "Now
you have to hurry up and get better, because I don't know how to take care
of a baby." He looks over and sees Carly standing in the doorway, motioning
for him to come out. "I'll be back soon," he tells Lisa before leaving.
*****
Laura, still holding Zack, takes Lu aside. "What's up?" Lu asks her.
Laura smiles, "This is Zachary, Lisa's son."
Lu's eyes widen in surprise. "I didn't know Lisa had a son."
"She hasn't seen him in a long time. Lucky knew that he could get Zachary
back for Lisa. And he knew it would make her fight to hang on."
Curiously, Lu asks, "So why hasn't Lisa seen her son?"
Laura gently puts a hand on Lu's arm, "It's not because she didn't want to.
She was kept from him. Lisa can explain everything when she's better."
Lu nods, "Okay. I'll let Lisa and Lucky tell me all about it. But I don't
understand why you went with him?"
"Lucky asked me to, to help watch Zachary and make sure the child was
okay." Laura strokes her daughter's hair lovingly. "You know how rare it
is for Lucky to ask anything of me...of anyone. So I jumped at the chance
to help him."
"And is he? Okay, I mean? Zachary, that is."
Laura smiles, and glances back at the window of the ICU room. "He's just
fine. Probably will be much better once he's back with his mother."
*****
Lucky meets Carly in the hall, "What's up, Carly?"
"It's great that you're visiting her to raise her spirits, but try not to
wear her out."
"Nurse's orders?" Lucky smiles.
"You betcha." Carly nods, "It's bad enough that Jase has beefed up her
security. The docs weren't happy, but I convinced them it was okay."
Lucky leans over and kisses her cheek, "You're the best, Cuz."
Carly raises an eyebrow, "Only because you're family."
"I have another favor to ask."
Rolling her eyes, Carly sighs, "Oh Lord. What is it?"
"I need someone to help me with Zack, Lisa's kid. I don't know anything
about kids."
Carly smiles, "Of course. I'll come by your apartment after my shift is
over and see what I can do to help."
CHAPTER NINE: THE GOAL ACHIEVED
Stefan tries not to make it obvious that he's anxiously awaiting the return
of his wife. He smiles as he sees her exit the launch and quickly puts on
his reading glasses and sits on the sofa with a book.
Laura enters and steps up behind him, wrapping her arms around him, "See, I
told you we'd be fine."
Rising, Stefan comes around to embrace her and they kiss warmly. Smiling,
he asks her, "Then I assume that your trip was successful?"
Laura smiles, "Very. Lisa and her son will be back together as soon as
she's out of ICU. Lucky is taking care of Zack until then."
"Excellent, and you are back where you belong. Here in my arms." He
continues to hold her, "How are Lucky and Lesley Lu adapting to their new
family members?"
"Lucky acts like he's known Lisa forever. Even though she didn't know Luke,
Lucky feels like she's someone that he can freely talk about his father
with."
Stefan nods, "And I can see how she would want to know about her family."
"And as for Lu, she and Lisa haven't bonded yet, but I think she's curious
about her. She has spent a lot of time at the hospital when she didn't have
too."
"It is imperative that we be careful. Lisa's occupation doesn't exactly
keep her out of danger. Lesley Lu will have to have her security
heightened."
Laura sighed, "Just don't make it obvious. I know that Staci has blatant
bodyguards, considering what happened, but Lu is getting to the age where we
don't want to push her away with what she sees as overprotectiveness, or
scare her to the point where she's scared of her own shadow."
As they walk to the sofa, Stefan tells her, "Lesley Lu has requested
Alexander as a guard. She said that he would blend in. We can just assign
an anonymous back up, in case of trouble. She need never know he's there."
"Alexander seems to be a very competent guard. And I'm sure it didn't go
unnoticed by Lu that he's a very attractive man."
Stefan feigns shock, "Lasha, has another man piqued your interest?"
She laughs, "Of course not. But I know how my teenage daughter thinks."
She wraps her arms around him lovingly, "You're the only man for me, Stefan
Cassadine."
As they kiss, Staci skips into the room, "You guys never stop!" she laughs.
Stefan looks at Laura, "Now there is another one that is growing up too
fast."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about," she says flopping into the
chair across from them.
"What's on your mind, Anastacia?" Stefan asks.
"I want to learn how to take care of myself, so nothing like the last few
months can happen again."
"Have you talked with your parents about this yet?" Laura wonders.
"I wanted your advice on how to ask them."
Stefan looks in her young eyes and sees how much she's aged beyond her 11
years. "What kind of self defense are you considering?"
She shrugs, showing again the young girl inside, "Well, I don't know...what
would be good for me? Other than my Tai Chi, and the stuff Uncle Lucky was
teaching me, I mean."
Laura stands up and hugs her granddaughter, "Why don't you let us talk to
your Mom and Dad and we'll see what we come up with. Okay?"
Staci smiles, "Thanks, Grandma."
*****
ONE WEEK LATER...
In Lisa's hospital room, Lucky quickly puts Zachary in Lisa's outstretched
arms. Lisa's tears finally brim over as she cuddles her son tightly to
herself. "How's Momma's big boy?" she coos to him.
Zachary wraps his pudgy little arms around Lisa's neck, "Mommy!" he
exclaims, crying a little, then stuffing his thumb in his mouth.
Not wanting to take her eyes off her son, Lisa only glances up at Lucky,
"Has he been okay for you?"
"Just fine, especially now that he's here with his Mommy," he replies,
smiling. "You want me to go?"
"No, please stay." Lisa looks at Lucky quickly, "Lucky, thank you." She
hugs her son again.
"Least I could do, considering what you did for Staci. Besides, you're
family," he says proudly.
Lisa looks from her son to her brother, "Thanks, Lucky. I don't think I can
say that enough. It means a lot to me."
Jason comes in the room slowly and smiles when he sees Zachary in Lisa's
arms, "Now that's what I like to see."
Lisa smiles and ruffles Zachary's hair, "I'm never going to let this rascal
out of my sight again."
Jason smiles again, "Good for you. Now, I have an assignment for you."
Lucky turns to Jason, "So fast? She's not even out of the hospital yet."
Jason raises his hand to Lucky to indicate that he'll explain. Then he
turns to Lisa, "When you get out of here, I'm sending you and Zachary to
Puerto Rico. I want you to take a month to relax and get to know your son
again. I want people to know that you're there. There will be business
going on here that I want you clear of."
"Are you sure, Jason? I'm not afraid to get my hands a little dirty."
Jason nods, "Yeah, I know. And I appreciate it. But you need to take care
of your son first. You're going to be running New York and Atlantic City
when you return. Several of the old timers are comfortable with your name.
They liked your grandfather and mother and are looking forward to working
with the new Smith."
Lisa laughs slightly, "Well that's a side of the family I never thought
would get me ahead in the world."
Lucky looks at her seriously, "Just be careful, huh? I hate seeing you in
the hospital."
"Not as much as I hate being here, Lucky," Lisa admitted.
Jason heads for the door, "Your guards will stay outside the door and make
sure that you're okay."
"Thanks Jason," Lucky and Lisa echo each other.
*****
Outside of the room, Emily Bowen-Quartermaine-Hardy sits back in one of the
chairs in the lounge on her break and sighs. She had just seen Lucky go
into Lisa's hospital room, carrying a small child. She thought back to what
she might have told him when he came to visit her in the hospital a couple
months back. She pretends to hear the words come out of his mouth.
..........
"What I wanted to say is that I love you Em, I always have, always will. If
you had told me you were pregnant, I would've married you and raised the kid
as my own, even if it was Tommy's." Lucky starts baring his soul, as a tear
escapes down his cheek, "I would've done right by you, Em. All you would
have had to do was give me a chance. Why couldn't you give me a chance,
Em?"
Emily sheds her own tears, "Lucky, it just wasn't that simple. I wanted to
tell you, but knowing you like I do, I was afraid you'd take off. That
you'd feel betrayed because I slept with someone else."
Lucky shakes his head, even though he knows she's probably right, "No, babe,
I could've dealt with this. If you'd told me the truth, instead of just
telling me half of it."
..........
Emily drifts back to the reality of her situation. She hadn't told Lucky
that the child she had been carrying was his. Instead, she had lied about
it, telling Lucky that it was Tommy Hardy's. And she had married Tommy.
She sighs again, unhappily and wonders if she's made a terrible mistake.
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