Early the next morning, Lucky sat alone at the kitchen table, slowly drinking a cup of hot coffee. It had been a long time since anything felt perfect to him, but right now, that moment, he knew that his life had finally found the balance he had been looking for. Smiling to himself over the edge of his mug, he found his eyes drawn to the doorway where Sam stood. Clad in a plum silk robe with her hair falling wildly over her tanned shoulders, the mere sight of her took his breath away.
"Good morning," she smiled as she came into the kitchen. She pulled a mug from the cupboard and filled it with the rich espresso Lucky had made when he got up over an hour ago. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Never better," he admitted as she joined him at the table. Lucky took the mug from her and sat it on the wooden surface before reaching out for her. Pulling her into his lap, he reveled in the feeling of her against him. He still couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to have found her. "I talked to the realtor a little while ago. We can stop by and check out the place this afternoon."
Sam sighed happily. "Perfect," she retorted. "What are you doing this morning? I was thinking about going over to the park for a run? Maybe we could run by and see the boys when we're done. I know it wouldn't make Elizabeth happy, but I've missed seeing them all this time that we've been apart."
Lucky knew that his girlfriend was correct and that he was likely going to have a long conversation with his ex-wife and the mother of his children. Elizabeth wasn't going to like it, but he was determined to make this work. "Actually, I am going to run by the hospital to see my brother," he told her. "I haven't talked to him since Lulu came home, and someone should probably run by there to see him."
"I can go with you if you like," she offered.
He shook his head. "I am going to drop by the Quartermaines to pick up Lu and take her with me. I think it's time that the three of us spend a little time together. My family has been so disconnected lately, and now that I am finally getting a grip on the situation, I want to make sure that we spend that time together."
Pressing a kiss on his cheek, Sam smiled at him warmly. "I love that you are such a family man," she praised him. "Why don't you spend the morning with your siblings and I'll go by and visit Alexis and the girls? I'm sure that Kristina and Molly will be excited to hear that we are going to be living near them very soon. I haven't really spent much time with them lately."
"That's all going to change now," he promised her. "More than ever, I realize what is important, and that is my family. For a long time, the only person I could ever count on was Lulu, and she was just a little girl. Now that I'm an adult, I have an older brother and a baby sister. I have two sons and a great network of extended family. And I have you to share all of that with, McCall."
"Well, I didn't really have a family either growing up," she acknowledged. "There was my brother, but I was always on the run and didn't get to spend time with him. I had my father, but Cody only wanted me around when he was running a scam. It wasn't until I came here that I realized what I had been missing out on. If I hadn't run into Jax, I would have never found my mother, my sisters or Nikolas. I wouldn't have found you."
Lucky wrapped his arms around her slender waist and stared intently into her eyes. "I missed you," he whispered as he stroked her hair absently. "All those weeks without you, I drove myself crazy thinking about you. Now, I just want to enjoy each moment that I get to spend with you. I am in love with you, Samantha McCall. I could be like this with you forever."
Dillon propped himself up on his elbow to watch over a sleeping Lulu. She was curled into the side of his body, her every curve fitting against him perfectly. He had almost forgotten how whole he felt when she was in his arms. Anytime he was without her felt like a piece of him was missing. In the early hours of twilight, he took solace in the completeness that he felt again. Lulu was more than just some girl he had known once upon a time. She was his family, his best friend and his soulmate wrapped up all in one. Being there with her now was all he had dreamt of for the past two years.
"You know that I hate it when you stare at me," she murmured without opening her eyes. Dillon chuckled automatically as a mischievous par if hands came up to bring him down to her. Nipping playfully at his bottom lip, Lulu captured his mouth in a deep kiss. She didn't even care that she had morning breath. She just wanted to feel him again. "On second thought, you can look at me all you want."
"Good because I have had to go entirely too long without being able to look at the way I am looking at you right now," he sighed as he settled contently next to her. Lulu pulled the cotton sheep further up to them before rolling over on top of him. She rested against his taut body, searching his eyes for the slightest hint of how he was feeling. "This is the best morning I have had in a really long time."
"In case I haven't said it enough, thank you for coming back for me, and I don't mean just to rescue me. I'm so happy that we're finally in this place where we can be honest about how we feel," she confessed. Dillon reached up to finger the tips of her blonde tendrils. "It took us a long time to get here, but I don't regret any of it, Dil. I don't think I could ever appreciate what I have if I hadn't gone through that. I've been selfish for a long time, immature and self-righteous. That person is gone."
Dillon had to admit that she hadn't been the girl that he had fallen in love with two summers ago, but they had each needed to take an individual journey before they could start their voyage together. They were changed people, but the heart of who they were still remained. "You want to know the moment I knew that I was in love with you?"
She felt like a girl as she giggled. It was the kind of conversation movies were made of but that all girls secretly wanted to have. "Tell me."
"Well, I told you for the first time in the living room of your parents' old house when you were on those crutches, but I had actually figured it out a few weeks before," he explained. "You were still staying at the Quartermaines, going to class because my mom was making you. Anyhow, I came home after a long night at the library and went to your room to tell you good night. Only instead, you were bent over your desk, asleep on top of your textbook and notes."
It was a strange moment to fall in love with someone, but that was the one where Dillon had known that what he felt for her far surpassed anything he had ever had with anyone. He had loved Georgie the best you could love someone at 17, but he had grown up when he had fallen in love with Lulu. She was everything that he wasn't and everything that he was all in the same breath. The unexpected wonder she brought was endless but all-encompassing. It was what he wanted for the rest of his life.
"I knew that I loved you from the first time you kissed me here," she admitted, "but I didn't really understand how deep that ran until the day of my parents' wedding. When you danced with me, it was the perfect ending to the best day of my life. I'm so glad that you were apart of that."
Outside a horn honked and Lulu shot up from the bed, apologizing for her sudden departure. In the intimate romanticism of their first morning together, she had neglected to tell him that she was heading over to General Hospital to see Nikolas. Dillon watched her thrown on her clothes from the comfort of the bed, laughing when she cursed at not being able to find her shoe. When Lucky hit the horn for a second time, she brushed a kiss over his cheek and promised to be back as soon as she could. Two seconds later, he was alone in the boathouse, but he didn't really feel like he was without someone. Burying his face in the pillow and inhaling her soft scent, Dillon knew that he would always have her and would never have to be alone again.
The scent of stale hospital coffee and overcooked eggs filled the room as Nadine slowly woke from the deep slumber that had lasted far longer than she had expected. Opening her clear blue eyes, she looked around blurrily before remembering where she was. Shifting uncomfortably in the cramped bed, she suddenly remembered not only where she was but who she was with. Glancing at the sleeping man beside her, Nadine felt like she should be more anxious or afraid. Instead, she couldn't remember a time when she'd been so calm or at ease.
"I can't believe you spent the entire night with me," Nikolas announced as he opened his dark eyes. His gaze found hers immediately as a small but curious smile played on his pert lips. "I was sure that I would wake up to find you gone. I figured you would make some excuse about not wanting someone to find us together or something."
Nadine shook her head. "Nope, no excuses," she replied. "I told you that I wanted us to have a chance, and I meant it. Maybe it's not the best thing for my career to sleep in the hospital where I work with the primary benefactor, but my heart just doesn't seem to care. I'm not sure who brought the food in here, but someone has already seen us. Even if they hadn't, I don't want to hide us."
"Good because I'm pretty proud that I could get such a beautiful, compassionate nurse to fall for someone like me," he boasted. Underneath the surface, he really was surprised that Nadine had fallen for him. He couldn't believe he had gotten so lucky twice. "Look, I know that you have to work today, but I was hoping that you could bring Spencer by tonight for another visit. That is, if you don't have any other plans."
"That is the best offer I've gotten in a very long time," she accepted before kissing his cheek. Looking over at the tray, she wrinkled her nose. "I can't believe that they try to feed this poor excuse for food to sick people. It doesn't even look appealing let alone smell or taste good. What we need are a couple of apple turnovers from Kelly's."
"I could have someone bring some to us," he offered. "I'm sure that someone on my staff wouldn't mind running over there when they bring by my mail in a little while."
Nadine laughed softly to herself and shook her head. "Actually, I need to run by my apartment and change before my shift starts. I can run by the diner and pick us up some dessert on my way back to work. Just because we're together doesn't mean that I am going to start relying on you for everything. I've been taking care of myself for a long time."
"Oh, so we're together?" he deadpanned.
Nadine raised an eyebrow defiantly. "If you think you can handle it."
"Well, then I suggest a compromise," he proposed. "I like to take care of the people who are important to me, and part of that may include doing things for you from time to time. I love that you are independent, but I want you know that it's okay to depend on me."
"Alright, if you want me to depend on you, then you're going to have to learn to let me be there," she countered. "I am a caretaker by nature, and I can pretty much guarantee that I am going to want to take care of you. We're alike in that way. We take care of the people that matter. What do you say to that?"
"I say it's a pretty good deal," he answered. "In fact, I am going to depend on you to bring me back breakfast. You were right about this hospital food, it's atrocious. I'm going to have to do something about that. Maybe my chef can plan a menu and train the staff…"
She couldn't help but giggle at him as she leaned over and kissed the tip of his nose. Nikolas reacted immediately, tickling her sides to elicit another wave of giggles. He liked the sound of her laugh and often found himself missing it when she wasn't with him. It was such a silly thing, but it had always been the way he'd known that he really cared about a girl. Eventually, the tickling turned into wandering hands as she moved against him. Her fingers found their way to his hair as he slid his hands down her back. Finally, her mouth met his in a deep, long kiss.
"Um, excuse us," Lucky said from the doorway, catching them both off guard. Nadine buried her face in Nikolas' shoulder sheepishly while he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "We didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, you're not interrupting anything," Nadine assured them as she gathered herself. "I was actually just getting ready to leave and get us some breakfast. I have to be back here pretty soon to care for actual patients."
Lulu giggled as she pushed her brother into the room. "Well, it's clear that your bedside manner is very healing," she commented as she flopped into a chair in the corner. Lucky laughed under his breath as Nadine shoved her stuff into a striped tote bag. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"Yes, you did," Nikolas called her out teasingly. Nadine was surprised to see yet another side to him, a carefree older brother just poking fun at his younger siblings. She liked this part of him as much as she liked all the other faces of Nikolas. Leaning down, she kissed him briefly. "I'll see you later?"
"I'll be back with your turnover very soon. After all, I have to take care of my favorite patient," she promised before waving goodbye to Lulu and Lucky.
"Well, well, well, Big Brother, it looks like you have found something to fill your time while I was missing," Lulu said as she came over to hug her brother. Nikolas held her for a long time, thankful to see she was safe and alive. "Just so you know, I'm fine. Lucky and Dillon rescued me just like they promised you that they would."
Nikolas looked at her to make sure that everything really was fine. Looking at his little sister, he knew that she was happier than she had been in a very long time. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't be there, Lu."
"Nik, I'm just glad that you're in the hospital finally getting the help that you need," she retorted. They had lost so much already, and she couldn't bare the thought of losing one of her brothers. They were her stability. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you and Lucky both there to save me."
"I'm going to have the surgery tomorrow," he told them. "I know that I shouldn't have fought you on this for so long, but I thought that I was going to lose everything if I stopped seeing Em. I didn't realize all the things I would be holding on to my choosing to live. You two and Spencer are a big reason why I want to live."
"And Nadine," Lucky added with a knowing smile. "I'm glad that you have someone. Emily would be, too."
"Thank you for that," Nikolas told him as Lucky stood behind Lulu. "I think she would be happy for me. I think that this is what she would want. Maybe Emily brought Nadine to me. I don't know. I just know that this feels right."
"I know the feeling," Lucky and Lulu said in unison.
Nikolas looked from his brother to his sister. "Wait, are you back with Sam?"
"The anger just doesn't seem to matter as much anymore."
"And you and Dillon?"
"We got a new beginning last night. I plan to take full advantage of that."
"Well, what are the odds of that?" Lucky snorted. "All three of us found happiness on the same night. It's about time that we were lucky in love. I wasn't sure that it was ever going to happen, and then it happened all at once."
Nikolas shook his head. "No one could have predicted this."
"No," Lulu agreed, "but Mom would have loved this." At once, all their thoughts shifted to Laura Spencer, their guardian angel. She would have loved to be able to see her children so happy. She would love to see Nikolas falling in love again and coming into his own as a father. She would love who Lucky was when he was with Sam and the look in his eyes when he watched Cameron and Jake. She would love Lulu finding forever with her best friend despite all the things that had happened before. She would have loved everything about that moment.
"Mom is loving this," Lucky told them both. "She's here with us now, I just know it."
He wasn't sure if he believed that exactly, but Nikolas was willing to take a leap of faith for them. "I'm sure she is."
Nikolas sat up and held his arms out to Lulu. She moved in to hug him tightly, thankful for everything that had made this possible. Lucky wrapped his arms around her from behind, making the circle complete. There were many important relationships in life – between lovers, between parents and children, between friends. Each of them was equally important and equally strong in their own way. However, on that day, Nikolas, Lucky and Lulu were grateful for the unconditional, unbreakable bonds between brothers and sisters. Without that love, life wouldn't be the same.
Fin.