Chapter 25:

The game ended with the Yankees coming from behind to tie the game at the top of the ninth inning prompting the game to go into extra innings as the Red Sox failed to score a run at the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees finally pulled out a one run lead at the top fourteenth inning that the Red Sox failed to score. They celebrated the Yankees' win with a quick kiss on the cheek.

Matt and Lulu returned to Harvard Square to hit up the local brewery after the game. They got some seats at the bar toasting the Yankees win with a pint. Lulu's of course was non-alcoholic.

"That was a great game!" Lulu exclaimed as she studied the menu for a late night snack.

"It sure was!" Matt agreed. "I am glad that I came."

A server past them with a massive cheeseburger and a platter of fries, it smelled like heaven.

"That looks good, but it's huge. I think we need to share it," Lulu said.

"What about all the junk food we ate at the ballpark this afternoon, how can you still be hungry after all that food? Do you have a hollow leg or something?" Matt kidded.

"I am just making up for eating all that mush I had to eat for months," Lulu said. "I am ordering the double cheese and bacon burger."

She turned to the bartender to place their food order.

Matt smiled at Lulu over his rim of his glass and she smiled back. This day was better than he expected. The hospital knew he was out of town for the weekend so that there wasn't going to be a call interrupting their date. This date may just end with more than a peck on the cheek.

Dante drove nearly one hundred miles before he stopped to fill his tank and empty his bladder at a filling station. He really should have gone before he left Port Charles with all the beer he drank. He bought a large cup of coffee and a doughnut. Cops and doughnuts, he thought to himself. He was sure living up to the stereotype.

He had to get to Lulu before she did something stupid. From the sports station he listened to in the car, he knew that the game gone into extra innings. That bought his some more time. He needed to get to Lulu before she did anything with Matt out of anger.

He got back in his car. He knew that he had to tell her the truth. He just wished he was the one that told her. Dante hoped that she will take into account that he drove all night to get to her. He may have lied to her about who he really was and what his job was. He never lied to her about his feelings for her. He truly loved her with every fiber of his being. He just needed to show her. He needed to prove himself to her.

Dante still had four hundred miles to go until he got to Boston. That was about six hours. He just hoped he got there before it was too late. Dante gunned the engine and went back in the interstate.

"No way!" Matt laughed at a story that Lulu told him. "I can't picture that."

"It happened!" Lulu confirmed laughing as well.

She dabbed a French fry in the catsup, then shoved it in her mouth. "You got a little catsup," Matt gestured to the corner of her mouth.

Lulu used the back of her hand, trying to wipe it. She totally missed it. "Did I get it?" she asked.

"No." Matt reached over, wiping the catsup from her face with his thumb.

He took the bull by its horns, leaned in, and gave Lulu a lingering kiss on the lips. "I wanted to do that for a long time," he admitted, pulling back. "All those times that our dates being ruined didn't seem to be the right time."

"I am glad that you did."

Matt smiled. He reached for his wallet. "Let me pay for this meal and beer. Let's head back to your place, alright? It's getting kind of late."

Lulu pushed back their empty plate. "That is a great idea."

They walked back to Lulu's penthouse hand in hand. Bruno followed a distance away but remained on guard.

"I wished I could have caught you a foul ball or something," Matt disclosed as they got in the elevator to go to Lulu's penthouse.

"Maybe next time you come up. You can, baseball season is until October. The way that the Yankees and Red Sox are playing, they are going to meet in the post-season."

"You can count on it!" Matt exclaimed. "But this time we will be decked out in Yankee stuff from head to toe."

They entered Lulu's place. They sat down on the sofa. Lulu picked up the remote. "Let's see if the highlights are up."

She turned it on the sports show just in time to see the highlights of the game they attended.

"Look! We are on TV!" Lulu pointed to the screen, it had a good shot of her and Matt during the game.

"We were directly behind home plate, Lulu. We were bound to be on television," Matt pointed out.

"Still, it's cool seeing yourself on TV."

Lulu then wondered if Dante was watching the baseball game. If he did, then he saw her and Matt and what they did during the game.

Dante took a sip of his coffee, a bump in the road made him spill some of the searing liquid on his lap. "Damn it!" he yelled as the burning liquid hit his most tender spot on his body.

Dante didn't pay attention where he was going, his car drifted to the shoulder to the grassy embankment. Due to the late hour, he was practically alone on the Interstate so he wasn't endangered to hit any other vehicles.

Dante sighed. He tried to get back on the road. The car didn't move. He gave it more gas, he heard his tires spin. He was stuck. "No!" he yelled.

This wasn't good sign. He banged his hand against the steering wheel and turned off the engine. He reached for his cell phone and called AAA for a tow. The operator said most of the tow trucks were out on other calls. They would get to him as soon as they could. Dante sighed as he reclined his seat. It was already a little after midnight; he was in for long night of waiting. Thank goodness he stopped and got that doughnut.

Dante closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them a minute later. He really shouldn't have had those beers before he left. He really needed to pee. From the sign he past a few miles back, the next rest stop was fifty miles away. He was really screwed. He needed to pee and the closet bathroom was too far away to walk to. He looked at the darkened wooded area beside his car. That was the only option; he would have to go into the woods.

Matt opened his eyes; there was a poker tournament on the plasma television. He looked over; Lulu was asleep on his shoulder, her hair fanned out on his chest. Matt smiled. He and Lulu must have fallen asleep watching TV. He didn't want to wake her up because it would mean that they would go to their separate rooms. He knew that they didn't spend enough time together to take their relationship to the next level.

He would have to make do with this.

Dante's bladder couldn't take it anymore. He really needed to pee. If he waited any longer, he would have messed his pants. That wouldn't be good if he was trying to win his gal back. Dante crawled over to the passenger side door and got out. His feet sunk down several inches in the mud. No wonder his tires were stuck. He pulled his feet from the mud then headed to the woods.

He walked in several feet, Dante pretended not to notice that mosquito's were using his exposed skin on his arms as a buffet. He was there for only one reason; he found a tree he could use. He looked back to the road, he was certain that no one could see him. He unzipped his pants and began to do his business. He heard some rustling sound behind him. Dante turned to look; it was too dark to see what it was. He turned back. He really should lay off the beer and coffee before he goes on road trips in the future because he was peeing like a race horse.

He heard the rustling sound again, this time it was a lot closer. Dante continued to do his business.

All of a sudden, a black winged thing darted from the bushes. It startled Dante so much that he continued to pee. He ducked but the thing seemed to hover over him. Dante looked up, it was a bat! Dante finished, tucked himself back into his pants, and zipped up so fast the metal of his zipper was warm from the friction. He stumbled backwards to the safety of his car, waiting for the tow truck. He just prayed it was going to come before nature called again.

Dante must have fallen asleep. He was woken up by someone rapping on the windshield. It was the tow truck driver. Dante looked at his watch, it was four am. He still had many hours ahead of him before he made it to Boston.

The tow truck driver easily pulled out Dante's car from the muck. He offered to take Dante to a twenty-four hour service station. Dante declined, all he wanted to do was get to Boston and get to Lulu before it was too late.

Her pillow felt harder and more lumpy than normal. It also felt strangely warm too. She smacked it to get the lumps out of it. There was a muffled groan. Lulu opened her eyes. Her head wasn't resting on a pillow. It was resting on Matt's shoulder. Her other hand was on his lap dangerously close to his groin. She moved it.

"Oh, I am so sorry! Good morning, Matt." Lulu greeted, as she got up from the sofa. "I guess we fell asleep in front of the TV last night."

Matt rubbed his chest. "You hit pretty hard for a girl," he admitted. "I think I am going to get a bruise."

"You forget who my Father is. He and this goon squad taught me a lot of stuff when I was growing up." Lulu stretched. "Sorry, I wondered why my pillow was so lumpy."

Matt got up. "I am going to hit the shower. Maybe I can convince you to join me for breakfast later at Harvard Square?"

"There is cute little bistro there that does a killer Sunday brunch," Lulu replied.

"Okay. It's a date."

Matt was wrapped in a towel preparing to dry himself off when he heard a pounding on the front door. He poked his head in the hall; he heard the shower coming from. He tightened his towel as he went to answer the door. "Hey Lulu, I am answering the door!" Matt called back, not sure that she could hear him.

Matt opened the door, with all the security in place for Lulu, he doubt that there was any danger. He was very surprised to see Dante standing in the hallway.

Dante's eyes narrowed at he noticed that all Matt had on was a bath towel and dripping wet.

"Did you say something, Matt? Is someone at the door?" Lulu asked coming into the living room wearing a short cotton robe. She had a towel in her hand drying her hair as she walked into the room.

It looked to Dante that they just stepped out of the shower. It looked to him that Matt and Lulu had showered together. Dante clutched his hand into a fist.

"Just our old bodyguard from Port Charles," Matt called back. "I am going to change then we can head out for brunch."

Lulu watched as Matt went back to his room. "Why are you here?" she demanded in a soft voice.

"You wouldn't return any or my calls or texts," Dante answered, pushing past her to get inside before she had the opportunity to slam the door in his face.

"I don't recall inviting you in," she said coolly.

"I have been on the road for a long time, okay?" Dante said.

Lulu crossed her arms over her chest. "Bruno might let you use the bathroom at his place across the hall."

"You didn't return any or my calls or texts," Dante repeated.

"You really don't need to be a detective to figure out why I didn't do that. It could have saved you an eight hour, multi-state drive. I don't' want to…"

"Lulu, please…."

"I don't want to hear you explanations. I just want you to leave." She tried to keep her voice down, not to alert Matt.

"Lulu, please, I am begging…"

"I don't give a flying fuck. LEAVE!"

"If you really didn't care, I would be at the bottom of the Port Charles River," Dante pointed out.

"I didn't do that for you. I did it for me. I don't want to lose another parent. LEAVE!" Lulu pointed to the door. "I want you to go."

"Just answer me this Lulu; did you sleep with Matt to get back at me?" Dante demanded.

"I don't even think of you anymore. I want you to go. I want to move on with my life. I am going to."

"With Matty-Boy?" Dante demanded. "Why him?"

"Why do you suddenly care about me? It was your job, wasn't it?" Lulu demanded. "Did you suddenly grow a conscience or something? Was banging me all the part of the job? Did you and your buddies at the station get your kicks from it? Laughing about how stupid I was to believe the lies that come out of your mouth? That I believed that you loved me? Is that why it took you so long to say it back?"

Is that what she thought? She thought that she was a butt of jokes at the police station.

"Just give me five minutes to explain. Please after driving all night, you at least owe me that," Dante pleaded.

It was a plea that fell on deaf ears. Lulu shook her head. "You drove all night because even in your deceitfulness, you don't like the idea of me being with another man. You watched the baseball game didn't you? I want you to leave and never come back."

There was no reasoning with her. She was pissed at him and always would be. Dante hung his head. "It wasn't a lie," he muttered.

"Like hell it wasn't." Lulu opened the door. "You lied to me about everything."

"That may be true. I told you a lot of lies," Dante admitted as he headed to the door. "But I never lied to you about my feelings for you. I love you. I will always love you. If it takes the rest of my life I will get you back in my life."

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