Laura slowly walked over to Lulu trying to fathom what she was seeing. A large bruise ran across Lulu's right cheek below a slice mark, her lip was purple and swollen. Laura pressed her hand to her mouth trying to sustain a small whimper. "Why her, why my little girl?"Laura thought as she walked closer. The click clack of her heels echoed throughout the ghostly quiet room. Lulu had finally fallen asleep. Laura walked over to where Bobbie laid and gently shook her shoulder. "Bobbie, hey." She said waking her Bobbie.
Bobbie looked up at her ex- sister-in-law , a bit surprised. "Laura, oh my God. Hello. When did your plane get in?"She asked slowly sitting up and gently letting Lulu's hand slip from her grasp.
"About twenty minutes ago. I dropped my things off at my mother's and came here. Bobbie…"She said looking at Lulu. Tears started to stream down her eyes. "What happened, how did this happen?"Laura asked not really sure if she wanted the answer. "Who did this to her, where is Luke?"She asked, the questions just flew out of her mouth all at once and she could find herself becoming hysterical.
Bobbie eased off the bed, careful not to wake Lulu, and walked over to Laura taking her in her arms. "Laura, I really don't know. Lulu hasn't talked to anyone really. She has said a few things to me, but it's mostly been about how she feels that this is her fault. She's been asking for you though."Bobbie said holding Laura as she felt herself begin to tear up. "She doesn't want to see anyone but you. She hasn't slept much though and she hasn't let me leave her side. She's scared Laura and she wants her mother."
Laura wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled away from Bobbie a little. "I am here. I am right here…and I want to help her. I need to help her."She said sighing a little."I just don't know how. I don't understand why this happened to her. "Laura asked the air searching for a plausible answer.
"Laura, I know, but you have to stay strong for her. "Bobbie said trying to help. She looked down at Lulu and shook her head a little. "Laura, she thinks that this happened because of something she did. She said that this was her fault."
Laura's eyes widened. "Oh no, Bobbie no…"she said frowning. "This isn't her fault…no." She said wanting to shake Lulu and wake her right then and there to reassure her. "This didn't happen because of her, this happened because of some else."
"I know that and you know that Laura, you just need to let her know that."Bobbie said looking at her watch. It was 10:30 a.m. and she needed to go home and shower before her shift started. "Laura, I have to go home and shower before my shift. I will be back later, but Liz is on duty right now of you need anyone."
"Bobbie, where are my sons?"She asked as she walked around the bed to take Bobbie's place.
Bobbie looked up at her and sighed a little. "They're in the cafeteria with Robin. Nikolas is having a hard time because Lulu doesn't want to see any of her brothers. Lucky is walking around silent. I think that he is seeing Elizabeth when he looks at his sister. As for my brother, I don't know." She said sighing. "I just don't know. I will be back later."Bobbie said walking over to Laura and giving her a hug and a tight squeeze. "She's a Spencer, we are survivors. She will get through this."Bobbie said giving her a somber smile and walking to the door.
"Bobbie."Laura called after her. "Thank you."She said smiling slightly.
"What are sisters for?"She asked then walked out closing the door behind her.
Laura looked around the room taking in the melancholy atmosphere. She sighed heavily as she looked over at Lulu. She walked over to the bed and sat down, gently putting her arm around Lulu, and pulling her close careful, not to wake her. She took her hand feeling the warmth of Lulu's hand against hers. Laura smiled as she looked down at her little girl's hand and smiled as she realized how perfect it fit in hers. Lulu had always been Laura's little girl, even if she did act like Luke. As she held Lulu's hand her mind flashed back to a time when Lulu was only eleven and they had destroyed the kitchen making cookies for her Sunshine Girl troop.
Flashback*
The timer on the oven seems to be more of a hindrance than a helper as Laura hit the buzzer trying to stop the annoying sound. Lulu stood with her hands over her ears watching as Laura struggled with the time. "Mommy, this is not working."She said in an exasperated tone. This had been the fourth time that they had tried to pull together a batch of cookies.
Laura looked over at Lulu sighing as the buzzer finally stopped. "I know honey, I'm sorry. I told you I wasn't any good at this baking stuff."Laura said laughing a little as she put on her oven mitt and pulled out blackened cookies that resembled hockey pucks. She set the tray down on the table next to two more cookie sheets which resembled the one she had just pulled out. "I'm sorry Lulu."
Lulu looked up at her with a big smile on her face and started to laugh. "Mom, it's okay. I know that this isn't working. Aunt Bobbie and Grandma said that it wouldn't. Grandma said that you can't bake to save your life. "Lulu said as she continued to giggle, repeating what her aunt and grandmother had told her in secrecy.
"Lesley Lu, I am…"Laura started to say knowing she was right. "Well then, why, if your aunt and grandma told you that I couldn't bake, did you ask me to help you?"Laura asked confused and a little upset.
Lulu looked up at her still laughing and walking over to her. She took her mother's hand in hers and smiled. "Because Mom, I don't care if you can bake or not, I just wanted my mommy to help. "She said as she hugged Laura.
Laura smiled and hugged her back. "I hope you have this attitude when you're fifteen and I am always wrong."She said with a small shake of the head. "What can we do with all of these cookies and your bake sale is tomorrow, oh no."
Lulu looked at her with a devious smile. "Daddy owes me ten bucks, he said that you would only burn a batch of cookies, and you burned two, so how about we take that money and go and buy some cookies?"She asked with a large grin.
Laura shook her head. "You betted on me with your father? I think that I need new kids and a new husband."She spoke with a small laugh.
"You wouldn't get rid of me mom, you love me."Lulu said hugging her and holding her tightly.
"Yea, you're right Lesley Lu. You are my little girl and no matter how much you act like your father I love you forever and always."
Lulu looked at her and smiled. "I love you too Mommy. Now can we get out of here before you make me clean up this mess?"She asked in a serious tone.
Laura laughed and shook her head. "I swear you and your father are on a mission to drive me nuts."
End of Flashback*
The tears flowed in streams along Laura's face as she tried to steady herself. Her mind was flooded with memories of both good and bad. "Lesley Lu, my little girl, oh sweetheart, I just wish I could take your pain away. All of it."Laura spoke as the tears continued to fall. "I just want to take your pain away."She said as she pulled Lulu's sleeping form a little closer to her, holding her tighter.
Lulu began to stir as she felt someone's arms around her. She wanted to stay asleep forever as she remembered the night's events. She held her eyes tightly shut as she shuddered in the person's arms. "Aunt Bobbie, when will my mom get here?"She asked as she held onto Laura, still thinking that Bobbie was holding her.
Laura wiped the tears from her eyes and looked down at Lulu seeing that her eyes were still closed shut. "Lulu, momma is here."She whispered as she brought a hand to Lulu's face and gently stroked it, pushing her blonde curls back.
Lulu heard the whisper and opened her eyes surprised to see Laura. Immediately as she looked up at Laura she started to cry. Tears marched down her cheeks as she tried to sit up. "Mom, mommy."Lulu said wrapping her arms around Laura and holding her close. Lulu held tight to Laura as she cried deep sobs of pain. The pain echoed off of the walls of the room as she cried.
Laura held onto Lulu her heart skipping a beat as she held her close. Her shirt grew damp as she heard Lulu's sobs. Tears continued to roll down Laura's face as she held onto her daughter. "Momma is here. Everything is going to be okay. It will honey. I promise."Laura said slowly rocking Lulu back and forth.
All Lulu could do was cry as her mother held her. The pain the memories and the reality of everything seemed to ease away as she held onto her; so many times when Laura was sick Lulu had wished for a moment like this. "Mom, it was my fault. I let this happen."She cried as she held to her.
"NO Lulu. NO."Laura said trying to sedate Lulu's misplaced guilt. "You did nothing wrong. Do you hear me, nothing."Laura said pulling away from Lulu to look into her eyes. They were so familiar to her, so full of worry and pain. Laura's voice cracked as she talked to Lulu. "Nothing."
Lulu looked up as Laura held her back and looked down at her. Lulu knew that this wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help but to blame herself. "I turned my back on him. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings and I let this happen. He hurt me and it was because I didn't try to stop him. Was I asking for this; did I ask him to do this to me? I shouldn't have worn that dress. I should have called Lucky or someone to come get me. I should have done something."
"Oh honey, oh no. None of this was your fault. It wasn't anything you wore or anything you did. This happened because of what he did not you."Laura said as she pulled Lulu back to her and held her. "He did this because he was a bad man, with a sick mind."
"I just want this to go away. I don't want to talk about it. If I don't say what happened then I can forget it. It will all go away and I can just get on with my life."Lulu cried. Her mind was in a daze as the memories began to seep slowly into the present.
"Lesley Lu Spencer, by pretending that this never happened won't help anyone, especially not you. The pain will constantly find its way back into your heart at the most unlikely times. You cannot forget what happened, but you can get through this. Has Mac been to see you yet?"Laura asked worried. She knew that the odds of catching a rapist were slim if something wasn't done immediately.
"No, Aunt Bobbie asked him to let me rest last night, but that luxury will end soon. Lucky already said that I should have talked to the cops last night, but I couldn't mom. I don't want everyone to know what happened to me. I can't take the whispers and the stares. I hate the way Nikolas looks at me, like he is in pain. Lucky won't even look me in the eyes and Ethan hasn't even walked past my room. My brothers are disgusted with me and dad…"she said pausing. "He tenses up every time he looks at me. He looks like he wants to die. Mom, I don't know what to do, I can't do this. I hate myself."She said crying a little louder.
"Baby, please, Oh my little girl."She said sighing as she tried to console.
Lulu looked at her with the mention of the word baby. "Don't say that please. I hate that word. Don't call me ba….baby."She said flinching at the mention of the words. "Please don't, he…he called me that." The fear in her eyes widening as she looked up at her mother.
The fear in her eyes scared Laura as she looked at her daughter. "Okay, I won't. Can you tell me what happened Lulu, please, so that I can help you?"She asked.
"Mom, I just don't want to talk about it right now, please. I will later. Not right now. I can't. Please don't make me."Lulu spoke in a dull whisper. She held tighter to Laura not wanting to ever let her go.
"Later, Lulu, later…."Laura agreed. She was afraid and angered by what she was going to hear and not sure if she could take it. Right now all she wanted to do was hold her daughter and promise her everything would be okay, even if at the moment she wasn't even sure.
