Chapters 93 & 94
Chapter 93: This Could Take A While
The next morning, Laura settles Lulu in her lap. "I have something important to tell you."
Lulu looks up at her mother, her intelligent blue eyes studying Laura seriously. "Did I do something bad?"
Laura gives Lulu a squeeze. "No honey, it's nothing like that. In fact, I think you'll be pleased with my news. After a long talk with Dr Rothchild, I've decided you can see Stefan as much as you like, within reason of course."
"Really?!" Lulu's eyes widen with amazement and her mother nods. "When can I see him? Can we go see him today?"
Lulu's enthusiasm makes Laura chuckle with relief. It suddenly dawns on Laura that she's been a bundle of anxiety the last few days, and now it's gone. Laura kisses Lulu on the forehead. "You'll have to be patient a little bit longer, punkin. There are a few things I need to get straight with Stefan and Lucky first. Can you handle waiting a day or two?"
"Did I hear my name?" Lucky asks with a yawn while he stumbles down the steps. "What's going on?"
Lulu hugs her mother effusively. "I can, I promise. Oh Mommy! Thank you! I'll be good, I promise." She gets somber for a moment. "I'm sorry for all the mean things I said."
Lucky rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "Did my ears just deceive me or did my little sister just apologize?"
Laura smiles at her children. "Yes, you heard right. You're forgiven, Lulu. Could you leave your brother and I alone to talk? And I mean REALLY alone?"
Lulu bows her head meekly and heads for the stairs. "Yes, Mommy. I'll be good. I'll close my door and even put music on."
"What's going on that I don't know about?" Lucky asks, running his hand through his mussed hair. "Lulu... happy, repentant and obedient? I'm not going to like this, am I?"
With a sigh, Laura acknowledges the relief she felt a moment ago is gone. "Come into the kitchen and I'll tell you all about it while I fix you breakfast."
"Here's your breakfast," Gina says proudly as she puts a plate of eggs and toast in front of Nikolas. "I know it won't taste like Mrs Lansbury's cooking, but I hope you'll like it anyway."
Nikolas pushes his chair back from the table and pulls Gina into his lap. "I'm sure it will taste delicious..." He pulls her face down for a passionate kiss. "Too bad you didn't serve it to me in bed..." He deepens the kiss, his hands resting possessively on her slim waist.
Gina breaks the kiss reluctantly." "Fat chance of that when you're up at the crack of dawn practicing Tai Chi with Stefan!" She teases. "Now at least try it. It's our first breakfast in our own little place within Wyndemere and I want it to be special."
"Any time we spend together alone is special," Replies Nikolas in a soft voice filled with longing. Then a thought occurs to him that makes him smile. "Why don't you feed it to me?"
With a grin Gina delicately places a forkful of eggs in Nikolas' mouth, pulling the fork out of his mouth slowly. "I'd love to... though it could take a while at this rate."
Laura's clasps the dining room chair for support and her eyes blaze with determination. "I won't let you bully me into doing something that will harm Lulu! I WON'T!"
Lucky stands at the doorway of the Spencer homestead, his face a mask of rage, a muscle in his neck throbbing menacingly. "Fine, I'll see the damned shrink. But If you think I'm just going to lie down and let Stefan weasel his way into my sister's life, you and that useless shrink are more idiotic than I ever dreamed! Over my dead body!" Lucky bellows. Without waiting to hear Laura's response, he slams out of the house.
Laura collapses into the dining room chair, looking very much like a limp dishrag. "Dammit, why am I ALWAYS the bad guy? This is insane!" Several minutes pass before the trembling of her body subsides. Once it does, she picks up the phone to make a long distance call. "Yes, Dr Rothchild, this is Laura Spencer. I just spoke to my son, Lucky, and he has agreed to meet with you. But just as expected, his agreement has more to do with changing your mind that reconciling to the idea. Anyway, give me a call so I can arrange an appointment for him at your earliest convenience."
"I'm really sorry about this, Alexis," Tom apologizes, calling her from home as he packs. "I don't normally cancel appointments on such short notice, but this opportunity landed in my lap, and I just couldn't turn it down."
Alexis, who is standing at the hospital's nursing station, gives a pained sigh. "Well it sounds like it couldn't be helped. May I ask what the opportunity is?"
"Apparently the keynote speaker for the annual conference for psychologists specializing in the field of criminology abruptly dropped out. The conference starts on Monday, but I have to leave today to get myself oriented and prepared. This is quite an opportunity. Only the most prestigious criminologists are ever invited to speak at these conferences." Tom pauses to zip up his suitcase. "I hate to do this, but I won't be able to see you for a few weeks. Gail Baldwin has offered to step in if needed."
Alexis purses her lips in annoyance "Thanks, Tom. But I don't think I'll need her. I should be fine while you're gone. Good luck!" Alexis closes her cell phone. "Damn you, Stefan. Can't you leave well enough alone?"
"Did I just hear you use Stefan's name in vain?" Laura asks, startling Alexis by coming from behind. "I didn't mean to listen in, but I couldn't help it."
Alexis turns and gives her a sardonic smile. "'d like to skewer my cousin just about now."
Laura smiles knowingly, an angry glitter in her eyes. "Funny, I want to do JUST the same thing. Let me guess, he's been interfering?"
"How'd you guess?" Alexis replies with feigned surprise. "Have you just about had it with him?"
"Yes, and I was just about to tell him so."
Suddenly an idea occurs to Alexis. "I think it's time we combined our resources. You up to hearing my idea?"
"I think I'm going to like what you have in mind." Laura links her arms with Alexis. "Tell me all about on the way to lunch. My treat."
Lucky runs up the stairs to Emily's room two at a time. He stops suddenly at her door, barely holding himself back from pounding on it. He knocks. "It's me, Em."
"Come on in, the door's unlocked." Emily is turning off her computer when Lucky enters the room. Immediately she sees the desperation on Lucky's face. "What's wrong, Lucky? You look like you've been hit by a freight train."
Lucky paces furiously. "Just about! Stefan Cassadine happened... AGAIN! Somehow he's found a way to keep his claws in Lulu.... and he used that damn lady shrink to do it this time. She's got to be on his payroll, that's the only way to explain it."
Emily follows Lucky's pacing like a ping pong match. "Explain what? You've lost me."
"Dr Rothchild has convinced my mom that my sister has to be able to see Stefan or it will damage her permanently. Dammit, didn't she listen to anything I said about that vulture? Why is it I'm the only one that sees that he's evil?" Lucky stops his pacing to look out her second story window to the street below. Why? Why did his father have to be dead?
After watching the anger spewing from Lucky, Emily realizes this isn't the time to confront him on his feelings about Stefan. She knows he's too emotional, too angry to hear anything contradicting his belief. And if Emily tried, she'd just become the enemy. The time would come when he was calm enough to hear what she had to say. "I wish there was some way I could help you..." Emily replies softly as she stands behind him wrapping her arms around his waist. "I wish there was some way I could help Lulu too."
Unable to resist the tender comfort she offers, his tense shoulders sag in defeat. Sadness overwhelms Lucky as he turns around to show her his wet cheeks. "God I wish my dad were alive. He'd know what to do, how to fight Stefan. I can't seem to beat him on my own. If I could just see my dad again... just once." His voice breaks with emotion.
Emily hugs him tightly, fighting to hold back her own tears. "I know, I know."
Chapter 94: Cuts Like A Knife
Emily's room above Kelly's Diner. Emily comes out of bathroom after a shower to find Lucky dressing. He looks up apologetically. "Sorry, Em. I have to jet."
Emily looks crestfallen. "So soon? I thought we were going to spend the morning together.. have breakfast, hang out on campus."
"My Mom called while you were in the shower. She set up an appointment for me with Lulu's shrink for this morning." Lucky scowls at the thought. "I wish I hadn't promised to go, it's not like the lady's going to listen to me while she's on the Cassadine payroll."
Deciding that it's time to take the bull by the horns, Emily addresses Lucky in an uncharacteristically harsh tone. "Sounds like you're the one that's not listening."
Lucky, who was just about to kiss her goodbye, stops short. "Why did you say that for?"
"Lucky, I love you dearly, you know that," Emily says in a softer tone as she takes his hands. "But I think you have to face the fact that you might be wrong this time."
Lucky looks at her like she's sprouted another head. "You can't be telling me you think Lulu should see Stefan?!"
"Just hear me out, okay?" Emily gives him a pleading look as she squeezes his hands. "You remember a few years ago when you thought Nikolas was the worst thing that could happen to Lulu? It turned out you were wrong and you admitted that after Nikolas helped rescue Lulu from Victor Cassadine."
Lucky glowers at her when he sees where the conversation is going. "This is totally different!"
Emily presses on. "Has Stefan done anything that's put Lulu in danger? Ever?"
"It's only a matter of time!" Lucky retorts.
"Why does Lulu like him?" She asks, changing tactics. When Lucky tries to pull away, she holds on tighter to his hands. "Please, Lucky. See this through with me."
"I don't know!" He answers in exasperation. "Because he spends time with her and she thinks he's nice. But that's just what he wants her to think." Lucky's voices rises in volume with each sentence. "Don't you see, he's trying to take my dad's place! With my mom, with Lulu... Well I'm not going to let it happen! NEVER!"
Emily meets his anger. "You know what I think? I think you're so busy trying to protect your dad's memory that you're lost in the past! You're even willing to sacrifice Lulu's wellbeing for it. Never mind that your mother, Nikolas, Me, and most of all the psychiatrist all say that Lulu needs Stefan. Never mind that Lulu's having nuclear meltdowns on a regular basis. No, it's more important for you to perpetuate this idiotic Spencer Cassadine feud. When are you going to see the feud's over? When are you going to let go of the past and live in the present? What's it going to take for you to let it go?"
Lucky, infuriated by her words, breaks away from her. His voice is ice cold when he answers her. "So you've decided to side with the rest of them. Fine, you do that." Before she can stop him, he storms out of her room, slamming the door open so hard it bangs against the wall.
Emily collapses on the bed, muttering to herself, "Oh Lucky... please let go before it's too late."
A very pregnant Alexis waddles into the Penthouse dining room at the same time Cassidy is setting out breakfast. "This looks delicious! I'm famished," Alexis gushes as she lowers herself gingerly into one of the chairs. "I really can't wait to deliver this.. 'whale' I'm carrying."
Cassidy chuckles between sips of tea. "Should be any day now, right?"
Alexis rubs her beach ball shaped tummy. "Yes, Emma Goldstein said if I don't have this baby by the end of the week, she's going to induce labor."
"And I'll be right there holding your hand and helping with the breathing. Good practice for when I give birth in seven months. I have nothing on my schedule for the whole week," Cassidy says as she passes the freshly baked scones.
"Thanks again for agreeing to be my Lamaze partner," Alexis replies while smearing fresh strawberry jam on her scone. "The AIDS dedication is tonight, why don't you come with me? I'd love your company."
"Would you mind so terribly if I didn't?" Cassidy asks apologetically. "I just don't feel like a big party right now. Not with all the chaos in my life right now. Unless you need me to be there as part of Sonny's family..."
"No, we have plenty of representation with Mike and Jason there... " Alexis winces suddenly and holds her stomach. "Oooh!"
"Are you okay? Are you in labor?" Cassidy rushes to stand up.
Alexis' face relaxes after it passes. ""No, it's just another Braxton Hicks contraction. Emma said I could expect them to get stronger as I get closer to giving birth."
Lucky strides angrily behind Gloria into her office. "So how much is Cassadine paying you to give my Mom such great advice?"
Gloria's eyes narrow slightly. "Actually your mother has insisted on paying for treatment."
Lucky sprawls out in one of her chairs, putting his dirty shoes up on the nearby coffee table. "Nice racket you have going, getting paid twice."
"Why don't you tell me exactly what you're getting at, Lucky?" Gloria asks, finding herself getting irritated despite her training on counseling hostile patients.
He sneers at her. "I know you're on the Cassadine's payroll so you would tell my mom that Lulu should see Stefan. It's only a matter of time before I have proof. Once my mom sees it, she'll put an end to this crap."
"If you truly believed that you wouldn't be telling me all about it." Gloria shakes her head in disapproval. "I'm a bit disappointed, Lucky. When I met with you last time, you didn't waste any time telling me your opinion of what's wrong with Lulu. You convinced me then that you only want what's best for your sister. Was I wrong?"
Lucky sits up abruptly, his anger right on the surface. "Don't you dare insinuate that I don't care about Lulu! She is the only reason I agreed to this farce of a session!"
"So let's get down to business and stop playing games," Gloria says sharply. "This is just wasting our time and your mother's money."
"I want to know where you get off telling my mother that Stefan Cassadine should be allowed to see my sister!" Lucky gets up and starts pacing. "Didn't you listen to anything I said in the last session?"
Gloria leans back calmly and watches him pace. "I listened to every word. You despise him, you think he's out to take advantage of your mother and your sister for some sort of revenge on your father."
"Why then?!" Lucky stops his pacing to watch her response.
"Because I also listened to your sister and your mother." Gloria goes to her desk and pulls out a file. "Do you want to hear what you mother had to say about Stefan and his relationship with Lulu?"
In a huff, Lucky crosses his arms. "No!"
"I never pictured you walking away from the truth, Lucky," She comments quietly. "I pegged you for the type of man that faces it head on."
Feeling trapped, Lucky slumps into a chair. "Fine, you aren't going to let up until you tell me, so go ahead."
Gloria looks down at her notes. "The only reason your mother gave me for preventing your sister's relationship with Stefan was your hatred of him. She sees him as only nurturing and loving of Lulu. She recounted the numerous things he's done for Lulu and her, including protecting her before and after Nikolas was born, raising Nikolas, saving Lulu's life twice, and flying Lulu to Switzerland when she needed her mother... to name just the highlights."
Lucky scowls. "Great, so he's a saint in my mother's eyes. Did she tell you all the awful things he's done to my father and our family? Or is she completely brainwashed by him?"
"Your mother shared both his good points and bad points as they related to Lulu," Gloria puts down her pad to study the young man in front of her. "I believe the truth is more complicated and convoluted than any of us can hope to understand. What is your greatest fear in letting Lulu get close to Stefan?"
"He's trying to take over my Dad's life!" Lucky blurts out. "Don't you get it? That's why he hanging around Lulu and my mom like a stray dog!"
"So you're afraid that if your mother lets Stefan and Lulu be close, he'll end up marrying your mother and taking Luke's place as Lulu's father."
Lucky's voice becomes thin with fear. "Exactly, then he'll have his revenge on my dad. The one he's been planning since before I was born."
"And you and your dad will be out in the cold," Gloria finishes softly.
Tears fill Lucky's eyes before he can stop them. "Yes."
Gloria crosses the distance between them and kneels beside him. "You really miss him, don't you?"
"Y.. Yes." Lucky's shoulders shake as he sobs. For the first time, Gloria sees the lost boy inside Lucky, the boy that's lost without his father. She rubs his back soothingly.
"Why did he have to die? Why did he have to leave me?" Lucky asks through his tears.
"I don't know. It doesn't make any sense, Lucky," Gloria whispers gently. "I wish I could tell you why, but there's never an answer to that question."
Lucky pulls himself together and shrugs off her comfort. "I'm fine. I'm not here to talk about me."
Gloria returns to her chair and watches him reerect the walls around his pain. She can see that it will take a long time for him to deal with his father's death. "Ready to talk more about Lulu?"
Lucky wipes the last of his tears on his sleeve. "Yeah.... so now you see the danger of letting him get close to Lulu, right?"
"I see why you're so afraid of it," She hedges. "Can I be really blunt with you?"
"I prefer it that way."
Gloria voice is gentle but firm. "Lulu's attachment to Stefan isn't going to go away because you want it to. Your mother's going to allow them to see each other whether you approve or not." When she sees him flare, she puts up her hand to stop him. "Let me finish. It's my opinion that everyone stands to lose if you block it. Your sister most of all because she needs everyone, and that includes both you and Stefan, to be on her side. Your sister needs both you and Stefan loving her, supporting her, and protecting her."
"I have to get out of here," Lucky says in a dead voice as he gets up to leave. "Thanks for nothing, doc."
