Chapters 89 & 90

 

 

Chapter 89: Fix It

"We need to talk, Mom," Lucky says, even before Laura has a chance to put away her purse.

"Lulu." Laura closes her eyes and sighs.

Lucky crosses his arms and glares at his mother angrily. "Exactly, major meltdown, Mom. And about Stefan Cassadine no less. What were you thinking when you let him get his hooks into her? He's got her flippin brainwashed!"

"Keep your voice down unless you want to upset Lulu further," She hisses. "I didn't LET him do anything, it just happened. Near as I can tell it started the night Luke died.... none of us were in any condition to help Lulu, if you recall."

Lucky scowls. "That's what he does, Mom! He preys on people at their weakest. That time he whisked her off to Switzerland is a perfect example."

"Just stop right there, okay?" Laura snaps in exasperation. "Lulu went looking for Stefan the morning Aunt Ruby died, remember? He didn't come looking for her. And taking her to Switzerland put him at risk with the authorities."

"Yeah, right." Lucky snorts and walks away towards the living room. " And in perfect position to draw you both in. You know, Mom. I get really tired of having to remind you about the Cassadines. Seems like when Dad was alive you didn't have any trouble remembering how dangerous they can be."

Laura's eyes flash with anger as she advances on him. "You sound like you did two years ago, Lucky. Are you including Nikolas in that statement?"

"No, of course not." Lucky paces back and forth for a couple minutes. "I just don't like Count Dracula hanging around Lulu, it's got to stop."

"Why do you think Lulu's so upset, Lucky? Because I'm trying to sever the connection between them." Laura sits down on the couch and runs her fingers through her hair in agitation. "And it may be too late, she's already so attached to him."

Lucky sits down next to Laura. "Lulu scared me today, Mom. I've never seen her like that. She locked herself in the bathroom and when I broke down the door, she attacked me! She kept screaming at me that it was my fault, that she hated me! Where did she get that from?"

Laura looks at him long and hard. "From you."

Lucky shakes his head. "No."

"Yes, Lucky, you. I can't teach her not to hate when you are so consumed by it," Laura says. "If I'm going to get Lulu through this, I need your help."

"Name it."

Laura puts her hand on his knee. "I need you to spend time with her, lots of time with her. The reason she's so attached to Stefan is because he's there for her when we haven't been. She needs her brother, a man she can look up to."

Lucky gets up and starts pacing the room again. "How am I supposed to do that, go to school, and run the club?"

"I don't know," Laura answers quietly. "I just know Lulu needs all the male influences she can get right now. And if she's going to get through this, someone else has to fill the void of Stefan's absence. Nikolas will do his part when he returns of course, but she needs more than that."

"How am I supposed to do that when she's refusing to talk to me?" Lucky asks. "I never knew she could carry such a grudge. And who the heck is Timmy?"

"Damn." Laura covers her eyes as weariness overcomes her. "Timmy is a cat Nikolas and Stefan adopted for Lulu. He lives at Wyndemere. She's probably upset that she can't see him right now. I don't know how much more she can take, Lucky."

---

"Dr Rothchild, I am pleased you were able to return my call so promptly." Stefan settles himself on the couch while he speaks into the phone.

"You said it was urgent, Mr Cassadine." replies Gloria Rothchild. "I assume this is about the little girl you spoke to me about a couple months ago?"

"Yes, I am afraid things have deteriorated rapidly since then. As you may remember, her brother Nikolas recently married and he's been away on an extended honeymoon. I am afraid she has taken his absence badly."

Gloria nods her head. "Given the loss of her father recently, that's not unexpected. She's particularly vulnerable to any separation now. What is confusing to me is how you are involved. Usually it's the parent that calls."

"Nikolas asked me to look after her while he was away. The situation has deteriorated to the point that it can't wait for Nikolas to finesse this with the little girl's mother." Stefan takes a deep breath. "I just received a tearful call from the little girl myself. To say she is distraught is an understatement. I would rather discuss the details in person."

Gloria frowns. "I see. This is a highly unusual request, Mr Cassadine. I don't know if you realize what a difficult position you're putting me in. I never see a child without the parent's permission. It's considered unethical."

"I am quite certain Nikolas can convince LesleyLu's mother to let her see you once he returns. I wouldn't dream of asking you to do anything unethical." Stefan answers, unbuttoning his coat with his free hand. "He will be back tomorrow. But given your reputation, I knew your schedule would be full. I thought it prudent to get in touch with you now."

"You are right about that..." Gloria flips through her appointment book. "I have an afternoon free next week... that should give Nikolas enough time to bring the mother around."

Stefan seizes the opportunity. "I will send the Cassadine jet and arrange for a chauffeur to pick you up at your office and another to escort you from the airport to Wyndemere. Thank you, Dr Rothchild." He hangs up the phone and dials an long distance phone number. "Nikolas, it's Stefan. You need to come home as soon as possible..."

---

The Spencer family sits around the dinner table after dinner. Lulu has devoured her dinner and is chattering at them as if nothing's wrong. "Can we go to the park tomorrow, Lucky? I really want to feed the ducks!"

Lucky smiles easily. "Sure thing, short stack! We'll do it at the crack of dawn."

Lulu rolls her eyes dramatically. "Yeah, right! More like lunch time!"

Laura chuckles and Lucky gives Lulu a dirty look. "Brat!" He teases.

"Lucky, why don't you clear the table while Lulu and I pick out a movie to watch?" While Lucky clears, Lulu climbs into her mother's lap to cuddle. Laura kisses the top of her head before releasing her."You seem better this evening, punkin. Are you feeling better?"

"Yup." Lulu says, jumping down from her mother's lap . "Stefan's going to fix it."

Lucky opens his mouth to protest but Laura stops him by giving him a warning look. "Really?" Laura asks Lulu. "How so?"

Lulu shrugs noncommittally. "He fixes everything." She pulls at her mother's arm and drags her towards the door. "I want to watch Pinnochio tonight!"

---

The next day, Nikolas and Gina arrive at Wyndemere, the picture of happy newlyweds. After much embracing and laughter, Gina retires upstairs to unpack, leaving Nikolas and Stefan alone. Nikolas pours them both ice tea. "You wouldn't tell me what was wrong on the phone when you asked me to return early. What is it?" Nikolas asks.

Stefan becomes serious. "It's LesleyLu."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Laura saw fit to terminate my relationship with her." Stefan runs his fingers through his hair. "As you would expect, LesleyLu is taking it very hard."

Nikolas sits down across from him. "What the heck happened? You and mother were getting along quite well before I left. She didn't seem the least bit phased by your relationship with my sister."

"Laura became frightened of our growing closeness, my guess is it threatened her loyalty to Luke." Stefan looks at the ground and shakes his head. "My main concern is LesleyLu's emotional wellbeing. I received a tearful call from her yesterday, asking me all sorts of questions about the hatred between Lucky and me. Unfortunately she overheard the argument her mother and I had. The timing of this couldn't be worse, Nikolas, with you away on your honeymoon."

Nikolas swears. "This calls for major damage control. I will go over there tomorrow first thing."

"Not a great way to end your honeymoon, I am afraid," Stefan replies, his voice filled with regret. "I put in a call to Dr Rothchild last evening. I will be flying her in next Wednesday to see LesleyLu. Laura has no inkling of this, of course; she would not welcome my interference."

Nikolas nods. "Smart thinking; I should have no trouble smoothing the way if I choose the right approach. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that my little sister has been acting up. Not with the major tantrum she had right before the wedding."

Worry lines wrinkle Stefan's forehead. "That little girl has been through too much these short few months. To think my carelessness might add to her distress..."

"Carelessness? What carelessness?"

Making love to her mother too soon. Stefan gulps at the thought that a few hours of exquisite pleasure might result in irreparable damage to Lulu. Covering quickly, he says outloud, "Allowing her to become attached to me. I was careless, I knew Laura would object and Lucky wouldn't tolerate it. I let my own affection for LesleyLu cloud my better judgment."

"LesleyLu was in need when Luke died," Nikolas argues. "Noone else was in any condition to help my sister, except you. Don't punish yourself for helping her."

"I will just have to find a way to fix it. Even if it is at my own expense," Stefan says quietly. Even if it means giving up the love of my life, he says to himself.

......................................

Emily wakes slowly to the feel of soft kisses on her cheeks and neck. "Mmmmm.. who could that be?" She snuggles closer to the source of the affection. She gasps, eyes wide when she feels a cold hand splay across her bare stomach.

"Miss me?" Lucky chuckles, his head propped up on his other hand so he can look down at her.

"Warm up your hand first next time!" she complains, drawing his head down for a kiss. "And yes, I missed you. Thought you weren't going to make it tonight."

Lucky rolls on top of her, kissing her deeply before propping himself up on his elbows. "Sorry, Em. Mom wanted me to spend some time with Lulu, then I had to put in some time at the club."

"No need to apologize," She replies, brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

..................................

Early morning at Kelly's, Carly arrives home after finishing the late night shift. She unlocks the door and reaches over to punch in the security code when she finds it turned off. "That's odd, I know I activated it when I left last night. What's going on here?" Quickly she tours the diner finding all the power out, even to the fridge and walkin freezer.

"I better get this fixed right away." Carly picks up the phone and dials. "Yes, I'd like to report..." She doesn't get any further when a male hand reaches from behind and hangs up the phone. "What the-?!"

Chapter 90 Help Me

Benny smiles at a startled Carly as he removes his hand from the phone. "There's no reason to call anyone, Carly. I shut off the power this morning so I could install the new fuse box."

Carly sags against the wall in relief. "You scared the hell out of me, Benny! Why didn't you say something?"

Benny, dressed in a ragged T-shirt and jeans, stifles a chuckle. "And miss scaring you half to death?" He wipes his blackened hands fruitlessly on a even dirtier rag.

Carly swats his shoulder playfully. "I thought you were a prowler. I almost had a heart attack!"

Benny's grin widens. "I suppose I should have warned you that I come from a family of practical jokers. I don't get to indulge very often." He motions her towards the fuse box. "Come on, if you want the power on in time for the breakfast rush, I'm going to need your help."

...................................

"Nikky!" Lulu dashes down the stairs and into his waiting arms.

"Miss me, Little Sister?" Nikolas says with a crooked smile as he envelops her in a warm hug.

"I thought you'd NEVER come home! You were gone forever!" She sniffles, her arms tightening around his neck when he tries to loosen her grip.

Laura watches the reunion from the sidelines, a smile tugging at her lips. "I think she missed you, Nikolas. So did I."

Once he realizes that Lulu won't release him, Nikolas lifts her up and carries her to the couch. "I missed you too, Little Sister."

"Where's Gina?" Laura asks, joining them on the couch.

"We split duty. While I'm visiting here, she's paying a visit to Alexis." Nikolas rubs Lulu's back comfortingly. "Hey, Sister. Will you let me take a look at your gorgeous face? It has been ages since I've seen it."

Lulu finally loosens her death grip and gives him a damp smile. Nikolas strokes her face lovingly and says, "That bad, huh?" Lulu chokes back a sob and buries her face in his chest. Nikolas tightens her arms around her. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere for a long long time. I promise."

Laura reaches over and strokes her daughter long brown hair. "She's had a very rough week. There were a few times I wasn't sure if we'd make it. She's needed your strength so much. I'm glad you came back early."

"You should have contacted me right away. I would have returned immediately," Nikolas gives Laura a stern look. "As it was, I heard about it from another source."

"I gathered that," Laura looks at her hands in embarrassment. "I just didn't want to ruin your honeymoon."

Laura's lame excuse astonishes Nikolas. Did she really think a few more days on his honeymoon were worth compromising his sister's wellbeing? Unable to keep the anger from his voice, Nikolas says, "Think again, Mother. You have to know family comes first."

..........................

A couple hours later, Nikolas and Lulu sit at Kelly's sharing a basket of greasy French fries. "Did Stefan ask you come back early?" Lulu asks out of nowhere.

The question startles Nikolas for a second. "Yes, he did. How'd you figure that out?"

Lulu shrugs. " "Cause he loves me and I told him I missed you. He'll do anything to make me happy, won't he?"

The question makes Nikolas smile, impressing him with how smart and intuitive she is. "Yes, he would. Maybe I should be jealous," He teases.

"No way!" Lulu laughs, stuffing another French fry in her mouth. "I've decided something."

"What's that?"

"I want Stefan to be my Daddy now." Lulu drops the bomb nonchalantly, her legs never pausing in the incessant swing under her chair.

The French fry Nikolas is carrying to his mouth stops midair. "Really? Have you told Stefan or Mother that?"

"Nope. Mommy would just get all mad. And Stefan would get all sad." Lulu leans forward and whispers a secret. "I know Stefan loves Mommy."

Nikolas is getting more incredulous by the minute."How do you know all this?"

Lulu shrugs again. "I know 'cause he told Mommy so when she said I couldn't see him anymore."

"You listened in on their private conversation?" Nikolas frowns with disapproval. "You aren't supposed to do that."

"Nobody tells me anything! They all think I'm too young to understand." She pouts.

"That's no reason to listen in, Little Sister."

"Please don't be mad, Nikky." Lulu's eyes fill with tears. "Please."

"You better be careful using the tearful ploy, you're going to get burned one of these days." Nikolas gives her a mock scowl.

Lulu giggles at getting caught. She gets off her chair and climbs into his lap, batting her eyes at him charmingly. "So will you help me?"

"Help you with what?" Nikolas asks, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek.

"Help me make Mommy fall in love with Stefan."

....................................


Kevin motions Stefan into the Lighthouse. "You didn't waste anytime getting over here, Stefan. This must be important."

"Yes, it is of utmost importance." Stefan looks around anxiously. "Are we alone?"

Kevin eyes him warily, crossing his arms. "As a matter of fact we are. But you should know, I don't keep secrets from Lucy. Not even family secrets."

"Do you mind if I sit?" After getting approval, Stefan sits on the edge of the couch with his hands clasped in front of him. "This isn't about any family secrets, I am actually here to ask you some professional advice."

"Shoot." Kevin takes the armchair across from him.

"I wanted your professional opinion on something." Stefan pauses to gather his thoughts. "It has to do with how a young child would react to being forcefully separated from a loved one."

"You mean through death or divorce?"

"Actually, the child lost a parent recently." Stefan rubs his goatee anxiously. "And now stands to lose another loved one, but not through death."

Kevin rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Is this about Lulu Spencer? You called me about her over a month ago. I referred you to Dr Gloria Rothchild, if I remember."

"I have been in touch with Dr Rothchild. In fact she will be coming to Port Charles on Wednesday," Stefan replies.

"She really is the expert in this field, Stefan. You'd do much better getting your answers from her." Kevin watches as Stefan gets up and starts to pace. "And I can't really advise you unless you give me the full story. It's pretty obvious to me that you're uncomfortable talking about it."

Stefan stares out the window a long time. "My questions can't wait until Dr Rothchild arrives. And from what I know, once she starts working with LesleyLu she won't be able to discuss the case with me, due to confidentiality laws." He returns to the couch and faces Kevin head on. "I will tell you anything you need to know, anything that will help LesleyLu."

Stefan's sudden openness surprises Kevin. Clearly Stefan cared a great deal. "Why don't you start by telling me who LesleyLu stands to lose?"

After a brief pause, Stefan answers. "Me. LesleyLu and I have become quite close since her father died." Stefan briefly retells the story of the night Luke died and the visit to Switzerland. "Now Laura has decided that LesleyLu shouldn't see me."

"I see. Does LesleyLu know this yet?" Kevin asks.

Stefan looks at the floor and then back at Kevin. "Unfortunately yes. She overheard the argument in which Laura told me that LesleyLu couldn't see me any longer. LesleyLu called me a few days after, distraught at the idea of not being able to see or talk to me. The only way I could calm her was to tell her that I would attempt to change her mother's mind. My main concern is what this could potentially do to LesleyLu emotionally. There is a distinct possibility that her mother won't change her mind. LesleyLu is already so fragile..." In his distress, Stefan can't prevent the slight quiver in his voice.

"Your concern is well founded," Kevin says somberly. "Lulu is facing a third major loss in the period of what-- less than nine months? A child's ability to trust and love can be compromised with each subsequent loss. A child's natural response would be to protect itself by closing off emotionally, in other words withdrawing. That kind of behavior can be carried into adulthood if not dealt with at the time, as you and I both know. Has there been any acting out? Tantrums? Nightmares?"

Stefan gets up from the couch and turns his back to Kevin, struggling to control his mounting fear. "Yes, both nightmares and tantrums, all the ones I am aware of occurred before this recent decision by her mother."

"It's fortunate that Gloria is on the case, then." Kevin crosses the room and puts his hand on Stefan's shoulder. "There may not be much you can do for Lulu, especially if Laura remains adamant about severing the relationship."

Stefan nods, communicating his understanding. "I have to try," He says in an anguished whisper. "I promised her."