Later, Spinelli and Georgie decided they needed some exercise. It was a nice night and Kendra loved being pushed in her stroller. Spinelli dressed her warmly and they took a walk through the park.

Lulu had decided to take a walk, too, wanting to clear her head. She couldn't stop thinking about Spinelli. What if he'd been in that fire? She could have lost him.

She was jealous of that new guy, TJ. He and Spinelli seemed close. She and Spinelli had been close once. Now he was confiding in everyone but her, even a virtual stranger like Terry Jordan. She knew it was her own fault, but that didn't make her any less envious of Georgie and TJ, the intruders in her life, the ones taking Spinelli away from her, both as a friend and a boyfriend.

She knew that at this very moment he and Kendra were probably with Georgie again. They'd been with her when he'd found out about the fire. Georgie had called him about Kelly's; she'd overheard that conversation. She wanted to smack Georgie for telling him Lulu had been the one to find Mike. Spinelli had been obligated to tell Jason, who was now having some of his guys spy on every move she made.

She knew Jason wanted to protect her, but it still annoyed her. He'd done it without her permission. She'd tried to resist, but he'd insisted. She hated having people tell her what to do. How dare he spy on her for any reason when she specifically told him she didn't want guards? It didn't matter that she would be safer; it took away from her independence.

Spinelli had been distant with her. He was making an effort to be her friend; the fact that she'd been asked to watch Kendra today proved that. But she also knew he was still angry with her and had still not completely forgiven her for the tabloid article. Georgie and Nadine were busy; she knew he would have preferred to leave Kendra with one of them. But then the Coffee House had burned down and Lulu hadn't needed to baby sit. Spinelli had thanked her, and she knew his thanks were sincere, but how could she prove herself if circumstances kept getting in the way?

Suddenly, she felt someone grab her. She looked and saw that it was one of The Russians; they had the same tattoo as the guys who had burned down Kelly's.

"Hey! Let me go! Help me!"

She prayed that Jason's guards would hear her. Now she seriously regretted giving them the slip. How could she be so stupid? Hadn't her associations with Johnny and Logan taught her anything? Why did she keep making the same mistakes? Now these guys were going to kill her an it was her own fault. If she'd listened to Jason, this never would have happened.

Fifteen minutes earlier, she'd managed to ditch her guards by acting as if she were going for a run; she pretended to jog at first, then suddenly had broken into a run, going as fast as she could. She was sure she'd been just a blur to the guards. She ran into some bushes and came out the other side; she'd taken a short cut through to the other side of the park.

Now she could go where she pleased in the park without being spied on, but only now did the drawback to her brilliant plan hit her full in the face. The guys Jason and Spinelli feared would come after her to silence her about Kelly's and Mike had her now. She had no help now because she'd thought she'd been so clever.

As she lost consciousness, she realized that her death was her fault. These men were going to kill her because she couldn't comply with a request made for her own protection. She had no one to blame but herself.

"She's a real witch when she's upset," Georgie was saying. "Clarice single-handedly got the December issue of Crimson out while Kate was recovering and all Kate could do was trash her every move. Jax came in and sang Clarice's praises and then Kate sent us both home."

"Why is she upset?"

"Sonny," Georgie said simply.

"Is the wedding off again, then?"

"Yeah, she doesn't approve of the way he handled her shooting. She didn't want him to go after Karpov."

"He does what he wants and cares nothing for anyone else's point of view."

"You sound angry."

"I hate the way he's been treating Stone Cold after everything he's done for him. He acts as if-"

He broke off, seeing a figure lying still on the ground. He saw blonde hair and a familiar outfit.

"Lulu?"

Georgie followed his gaze and gasped. They ran toward her. Kendra laughed, thinking the faster movement of the stroller was a game.

But then she realized that Daddy wasn't laughing. He was scared. She started to cry.

"She's alive," Georgie said, bending over Lulu. She must have hit her head when she fell."

"The Russians."

Spinelli didn't realize he'd verbalized his thought until Georgie spoke.

"Are you sure?" she asked, taking out her cell to call for help.

Spinelli picked up Kendra and began to rub her back, trying to calm himself, as well. He knew she was reacting to his fear.

"She saw them burn down Kelly's and attack The Senior Sir; they wish to silence her."

"But it doesn't look like she struggled. She's bruised, but that could have been from the fall. Maybe she just slipped on the stairs."

"I hope you're right, but I fear it is unlikely in this particular instance."

Matt Hunter was Lulu's doctor. Why was it that he acted his most annoying and arrogant when Georgie was there? She still hated that he was living in Maxie's room. But that would not be her problem in January; she would be with Spinelli and Kendra.

Lulu's tests came back OK and Matt said she would regain consciousness soon. Georgie stayed with Kendra while Spinelli went into Lulu's room. She knew they were friends and he was concerned for her. Georgie was, too, but she still had to fight a pang of jealousy. Lulu was trying to take him from her. She wouldn't put it past Lulu to use this to her advantage. Spinelli had a good heart. Georgie hoped he would see through any made up drama lulu might try to pull him into and refuse to be taken in.

"Why did you ditch your guards?" Spinelli asked, frustrated, when Lulu regained consciousness.

She stared up at him, slightly confused, for a few seconds. Then she remembered.

"I know, it was really stupid. I'm sorry."

"What were you thinking?"

"I didn't wanna be spied on and I felt like Jason was telling me what to do."

"Look where your constant and childish defiance gets you every time, Lulu! You could have been killed! Why do you keep deliberately endangering yourself?"

"Don't yell at me," she whined.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry. I just- you scared me. You're my friend; I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know."

She smiled inwardly. He was concerned about her. He was worried about her. She hadn't planned it, and this wasn't the best way to get his attention, but it was a good start.