Chapter 18
Anna looked up at Frisco in annoyance. "Lucky is the man I love. Does it really matter?" She snapped. Lucky was seriously injured and all Frisco wanted to know were the salacious details of their romantic interest.
"The man you love." Frisco repeated slowly. "Anna I'm not going to judge...."
"Good then don't." Anna snapped in reply. "Just help me to help him." She smoothed Lucky's hair back gently. "Come on darling."
Lucky could smell her, could feel her. He kept getting weaker and the thought of giving up was becoming stronger and stronger. Still, he had to reach her. He strained to the surface, ignoring the mist hovering at the horizon in favor of consciousness. Consciousness and pain. As his senses sharpened the knife edge of pain almost took his breath away. He was hurt and badly but for her he would fight and for her he would live. He had to taste freedom again in Anna's embrace.
Lucky kept his eyes closed as the sounds and feelings became more clear to him. He hurt, badly but the pain was nothing he couldn't handle. It was a fair price to pay for the rest of his life. He took a deep breath to fortify himself, very aware of the wet feeling of his blood on his skin. Things weren't good but they could be much worse.
"Anna?" Lucky whispered as his eyes opened slowly. "You mean everything to me." He was out of strength; he was exhausted. All he could do was to meet her eyes and convey all his love to her, whatever the personal cost to him. He reached for her and and missed once, then grasped it gently.
Anna thought she had dreamed the husky whisper, but as she met his eyes, she could see that Lucky was aware and alert. "Hello love." She whispered as she stroked his hair again. "Relax. We'll have you out of here very soon. I know it hurts very badly, but it isn't as bad as it feels darling."
"Lucky it's not really." Frisco piped up. The young man had lost a lot of blood but he would be all right, thanks in good part to the WSB getting there in time. "At least we didn't fail in everything." Frisco commented quietly. "Lucky the bleeding is slowing. Just hang in there. The paramedics will be here in a couple of minutes."
"All right" Lucky managed as he looked at the guy. That was Felicia's husband wasn't it? "Thanks." He added softly before turning back to Anna.
Anna gave Lucky an encouraging smile. He didn't look so deathly pale anymore. The life in his eyes was shining, though clouded by pain and she could see the fight in the set of his jaw, and in the way his hand curled possessively around hers. "You stay with me." Anna encouraged. "We have to shock this town darling."
There it was again, Frisco thought. She was promising forever to the boy, when clearly she'd choose between Robert and Duke. But would she choose between them? As Frisco watched Lucky and Anna, he felt as if he was intruding on a very private moment. They shared so much with a simple glance. Frisco sighed; remembering how love had been for him. Love, it seemed so foreign a concept between Anna and Lucky. But the proof was there. She cared for the young man and not in a friendly way.
"Anna?" Frisco started as something occurred to him. He was torn between his friendship for Anna and her husband, as well as his loyalty to the WSB. "You know that Duke and Robert are alive and in there?" He gestured down the hall with a sharp jerk of his head.
Anna has had enough. "Frisco Jones how dare you." She said in a low voice. He had stooped far to low this time. Damn him and his loyalty to all the wrong things. "You have no right to start this and don't give me that innocent look because I know exactly what you are doing. Yes, I know that Duke and Robert are here and I'm shocked and elated but the man I love is seriously hurt. Now, shut up and help him, or let me be alone with him because I am not leaving Lucky's side, no matter how many old loves you parade in front of my eyes."
~*~
"Laura settle down." Luke said in a soft but deadly voice. "I'll tell you everything as soon as you're rational. Our son is alive, this is good. Just focus on that instead of the what ifs."
Laura just stared at Luke. How dare he accuse her of being irrational? "My son is alive, doesn't that give me a right to be a little excited?" Laura asked Luke as her voice trembled with emotions.
Luke held Laura close absorbing her trembles as he shared his own. They were united in grief, in excitement, in the hope of a future with their son. "We're going to get him home sweet darlin' just you wait and see." Luke said into her hair.
Laura pressed closer. There was a familiarity to his embrace that bespoke of happily ever after and of a united family. They would be all right as a family, as long as she and Luke could fins a way to get along.
Luke was becoming uncomfortable with the closeness of Laura's body. At times like these, his body forgot that they had divorced. He stepped back slowly, noting in his peripheral vision that Lesley was making a graceful exit from the room. "He'll be okay Laura. I feel it in my bones. The cowboy is a little hurt right now but he will be back and he'll be the son we saw right before the fire. We waited a long time for that didn't we?"
"We did." Laura allowed. She crossed her hands over her chest in a defensive measure and sighed. "What do you know? How is he mentally, physically, emotionally?"
Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know darlin. I just don't know. V showed me some pictures of him and he looks older and beaten"
"Beaten?" Laura's heart flew into her throat.
"Yeah both physically and emotionally. I'm sure this hasn't been any picnic for him darlin' In fact I'd say it was the norm at Helena and Fasion's little house of tortures."
~*~
When the formerly marrieds had gotten closer, Lesley Webber had started feeling like an outsider. She knew that Luke and Laura were no more, but their level of intimacy naturally lent to an exclusionary state to those outside it. Those outside it right now were herself and Luke's new friend. Lesley wondered how she was doing. It must have been a shock to have them burst in as they did, and the fact that Laura had taken over Luke with a few words.
Lesely exited the bedroom and found the woman lending against the wall. She looked so young and so alone that Lesley's heart went out to her. "How are you doing honey?" she asked warmly.
V focused on the woman as the ghost of a smile touched her lips. "I'm managing I guess. Everything is just so out of control." She laughed nervously.
"Excitement tends to follow Luke honey. You should know that if you'll be getting serious." Lesely said. She pulled the woman into a brief hug, touched by the loneliness that surrounded V.
"Thank you." V whispered. She was touched by the gratitude of this near stranger. "How are they doing in there?" She asked as she motioned to her bedroom. She was slightly jealous of the bond Laura had with Luke, even though she wasn't worried about the state of her relationship. It was hard to see him embracing the past so easily.
"She's coming to terms with it. So is Luke. He didn't know for very long when we burst in did he? I can still see the wonder on his face."
"No he didn't." V said as she shook her head. "Maybe five minutes but no more had passed." She looked at her watch and stared at the ceiling as if trying to figure something out then reached for her cell phone. "They should be in by now and have word on Lucky. Let me call and get an update. I'm sure it went well. What problems could there have been?"
Chapter 19
As Nikolas heard the young man's words, his heart stopped for a moment. "Father?" He asked as he closed the few feet between he and the boy in a single stride. "Who are you and what do you want with my family?"
Alex regarded Nikolas for a long moment. While they were similar in height and age, Nikolas held himself in a much more regal manner. Alex could tell his bearing from the proud set of his shoulders and the way he assessed the situation. He would be a staunch ally but a formidable enemy.
"Hello Nikolas." Alex began quietly.
"Who are you?" He turned to Stefan. "Father? Alexis? What did he mean?"
Lulu tried to remain out of the adult conversation and busied herself studying the good-looking young man. He looked about as awkward as she did. "Hi." She said with a welcoming smile. As Luke Spencer's daughter she was used to being the welcoming committee. "I'm Lulu what's your name."
Alex looked down at the young girl and smiled. "My name is Alex." He replied quietly before meeting Nikolas' eyes again. "It is good to meet you Nikolas. As for who I am..." He trailed off as he looked at his parents. "There are others more qualified to answer that question."
"Yes Nikolas." Stefan stepped forward and rested his hands on both of the boys' shoulders. "This is better done inside. Won't you and Lesley Lu accompany us?"
Nikolas glared at the other young man before nodded. "Of course father."
"I love the sundaes here." Lulu shared with Alex, before taking his hand. "You should have their hot fudge. It's the best ever."
"I'll keep that in mind." Alex said as he allowed himself to be dragged into the large building. With Stefan in the lead they quickly maneuvered the corridors until reaching a vacant boardroom. "Cassadine Industries leases this room." Stefan explained. "We often have guests visiting from other countries who have need of our facilities and would rather not leave their hotel."
"We know." Nikolas tried not to snap, but between his curiosity about his family situation and worry about Laura, his patience was tapped out.
"Nikolas I will demand that you address me with respect. Sit down, be quiet and you will get the answers you are so desperately seeking."
~*~
Anna had had enough. "Frisco Jones how dare you." She said in a low voice. He had stooped far to low this time. Damn him and his loyalty to all the wrong things. "You have no right to start this and don't give me that innocent look because I know exactly what you are doing. Yes, I know that Duke and Robert are here and I'm shocked and elated but the man I love is seriously hurt. Now, shut up and help him, or let me be alone with him because I am not leaving Lucky's side, no matter how many old loves you parade in front of my eyes."
Frisco opened his mouth to speak again, then snapped it shut at the anger in her voice. He had better watch his step, he thought. She really thinks the world of Lucky. "Anna I just wanted to make sure the shock wasn't too much for you." He started, knowing how lame the words sounded as they escaped his mouth.
"I lived with Faison all of these years." She began in an icy tone. "You have no idea what I can and cannot take. I will deal with them Frisco, in my own damn time."
"Touché." Frisco whispered. He spotted the paramedics as they negotiated the thin tunnel and gave Lucky an encouraging look before turning back to Anna. "I take it you'll be riding with him and not your rescuers?"
Anna nodded decisively. "I am. They have their fellow agents around them." She looked down to Lucky. "I'm changing the subject Frisco. Tell me about Lucky's injuries."
"Yeah tell us." Lucky echoed faintly. He was strengthened by the strong stand Anna was taking in defense of their love, but his strength was at an all time low. The constant beatings, the sleep deprivation and low protein meals had all drained him long before the bullets had cut into skin and sinew.
"Well ." Frisco began before ruffling Lucky's hair. "You'll be ok now that help is on the way. You had one bullet go in and out just under your ribs. It's a pretty big wound Lucky but it looks clean."
Lucky nodded slowly and motioned to his leg and shoulder. "One went in there." Frisco motioned to the outside of his thigh, an inch or so below the younger man's hip "It's still embedded. You have a flesh wound to the shoulder and you just took a nick to the head. I bet it won't even scar." He replied encouragingly.
Lucky grinned, rather hoping he'd have a tiny scar. "I'll be ok?" he replied in an exhausted tone.
"Of course you will." Anna said with her gentlest smile. She held his hand as the paramedics arrived and started their emergency first aid. They would take him to General Hospital, Anna knew, and would facilitate the reunion with his family there. That would be good for both of them, as she too had friends in Port Charles even after all the years had passed since she had lived there. Everything would be all right now.
~*~
Laurel thought for a moment, wondering how to phrase her statement. "Lucky is thought dead by my family. Don't you think my return just after his will be a lot for my family to handle? Couldn't we spend a couple of days alone together? You can teach me freedom."
Ari gave her a bright smile and nodded. Her grace and selflessness amazed him. "I will see what I can arrange."
"Wonderful." Laurel replied as she snuggled against his strong chest. "When can you find out information about Lucky?"
Ari consulted his watch and calculated the time difference. "The raid should be over by now. Let me telephone my contact." He dialed in to Sean Donelly as they settled back against each other, eyes on the silvery sea before them.
Sean reached for his phone distractedly as it started chirping. Only two people had that number, Venus and Ari. Since Robert and Duke were flushing their eyes, he felt confident in answering the call. "Hello Venus or Ari," he said into the secure handpiece."
"Hello director." Ari's voice softened in respect for the man that had rescued him from his previous life.
"How is she Ari?" Sean questioned. Laurel had been the key to the rescue of the Spencer children for some time. Faison and Helena had kept moving the girl and even Ari's lofty status as both Helena's assistant and WSB agent had not garnered any details for a long time. Finally, Helena had put Ari in charge of the young girl, and the WSB rescues of both of the Spencer twins could commence.
"She is fine." Ari assured as he reflexively pulled Laurel closer. "We're getting to know one another and she's ready for a change of scenery."
Sean chuckled at that. "And of freedom I imagine."
"Yes." Ari agreed. "How did phase one go and can we start phase two soon?" He rubbed Laurel's back as he spoke. There was something in Sean's voice that he could almost discern. As a fissure of unease ran down his spine he wrapped his arms around his young charge, wedging the phone against his shoulder. "Sean? How did it go?"
Sean sighed as he glanced at the agents. "Not as well as it could have Ari. Helena and Faison made their way back here, gassed out agents, shot Lucky when he took off in pursuit of them, and managed to get away.
Ari sighed into the phone. "How bad is he Sean?"
"Lucky?" Laurel stirred in his arms, looking up to read the expression in his eyes. When Ari totally avoided her, she snatched the phone from his grasp. "Look here you, tell me how my brother is now!"
Chapter 20
Frisco sighed as his phone rang. "Anna you see to Lucky." He said quietly before stepping a few paces away to answer his cell phone. In truth he wanted to be outside of this damp place. The nearness was crushing him in its completeness. He had no idea how Anna and Lucky had managed to survive mostly intact.
"Jones here." He said into the chirping piece of electronics. It was his WSB issued model, so only one of a few people was calling. It was likely either Ari or V.
V gave Lesley a smile as Frisco picked up. "Hi Jones." She said into the phone quietly. "Is it done? I have the parents here and they know and....um...." she trailed off at a loss for what to say. She knew it was a serious breach of protocol for the civilians to be informed of a mission when it was still ongoing, but circumstances had hardly been by the book.
"They're with you?" Frisco asked in surprise. "Keep your voice calm, V." He said in a gentle tone. He had worked with the redhead since her start with the WSB and knew how her emotions sometimes swirled out of control. She tried and she was well meaning but sometimes she just couldn't help herself.
"No problem Frisco, why?" she said in a light tone.
"Is something wrong?" Lesley had been a doctor for far too many years. She could read body language flawlessly and V was exuding a sense of worry.
"Because we botched it V." Frisco admitted with a heavy sigh. "Faison and Helena were waiting for us and their men gassed Robert and Duke. Anna and Lucky gave chase and the kid was shot."
V visibly started when Frisco said the words. "This may sound like a strange question but can I ask what time and where the last event occurred?" She asked. Her tone was breathless; her mind was racing. Could the couple in the other room have somehow felt their son getting shot, she wondered.
"Twenty minutes ago maybe, why do you ask?" Frisco replied, copying her tones and phrasing.
"I'll have to tell you soon. And where is everyone now."
"Anna's attending to the kid. He's injured but I think he'll be ok. Robert Sean and Duke are all together."
V nodded even though she knew Frisco couldn't see her. "His family wants to see him. Where shall we rendezvous?"
"Oh V I don't think that's a good idea." Frisco began.
"Jones this isn't your call to make. These parents need to see their son." V wasn't about to give up on this point. When he didn't immediately answer, she pressed onward. "Tell me Frisco or I'll go to Sean right now. You know he'll cooperate."
"All right." Frisco sighed. "They'll be brought to the safehouse or GH as we'd discussed all along. They have doctors on staff, but V, prepare the parents. There have been a lot of changes in the kid and they need to know this I'll advise you of our location when the paramedics assess the boy."
"I will Frisco." She assured before disconnecting the phone. She smiled at Lesley. "They're not in any danger. I'll take you and his parents to see him."
"Thank you honey." Lesley gave the younger woman a gentle hug.
"It's the least I could do." V felt as personally responsible for the WSB failure as she knew the other agents must be feeling. And she was forbidden to tell them about their lost child.... She shivered for a moment and then squared her shoulders She would do this with all the dignity that she could muster.
As V entered the bedroom she could feel the tension thrumming through the room. "I have news about your son." She told the couple quietly as she tried to ignore her feelings of jealousy at their intimate way with each other.
"Where is he?" Luke asked as he moved toward V."
She flushed and looked uncomfortable. "I can't say, I'm sorry. I'm waiting to hear back on their location now, but as soon as we have that I'll drive you there."
"All of us?" Laura asked in a near frantic tone.
V gave Laura's hand a gentle squeeze as her empathy outweighed her jealousy. "Of course Laura. Do you want to bring your other children as well? I have to warn you, it might be a lot for Lucky to deal with right now."
Laura bit her lip as she considered this. "No I think it's best that they don't come along now. Lu is only eight years old after all and it might be a lot for her to comprehend. But, can my mother come along? Lucky might be hurt and my mother is a doctor."
"Of course she can." V said in her gentlest tone. "I'm going to change." She walked to the closet and grabbed some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.
"He's out and he's free." Laura's tone was one of awe as she reached for her ex-husband and mother. "We're going to bring Lucky home."
~*~
As Anna squeezed Lucky's hand she gave him a small smile. "Won't be long now, luv." She assured quietly.
He looked up, gazing deeply into the warmth and understanding of her eyes. "We going to Gh or a safehouse?" He had overheard Frisco speaking on the phone and was curious. A safehouse would make him feel a lot more comfortable, though with the amount of WSB power behind them tit was unlikely they'd be attacked at GH.
"I don't now luv." Anna said thoughtfully. But I'll be here for every step of the journey." She started to step forward as the paramedics began moving Lucky but was restrained. "Let me go." She said in a low dangerous tone.
"Are you family?" The paramedic replied evenly.
Anna hesitated for a moment. Then nodded. "We're as close as a man and a woman can be and you will not stop me from going with him. "She warned quietly. When the man stood his ground one more moment, she gently but firmly removed him from her path. No one would stand between she and Lucky.
"Anna what about Robert and Duke?" Frisco's shocked tone echoed down the corridor.
"They can fend without me Frisco." She called back. " They have for many years now. I'll tend to them only when I know Lucky is being seen to."
Frisco's sigh echoed around Anna as she hurried after the stretcher. "I hope you know what you're doing Anna." He replied to her retreating form. With a final shake of his head, he pulled a handkerchief out and wiped Lucky's blood from his hands. He moved toward the main chamber purposefully, wondering how his friends were taking Anna's decision to go with Lucky first.
~*~
Sean sighed as he glanced at the agents. "Not as well as it could have Ari. Helena and Faison made their way back here, gassed out agents, shot Lucky when he took off in pursuit of them, and managed to get away.
Ari sighed into the phone. "How bad is he Sean?"
"Lucky?" Laurel stirred in his arms, looking up to read the expression in his eyes. When Ari totally avoided her, she snatched the phone from his grasp. "Look here you, tell me how my brother is now!"
Ari raised an eyebrow, but kept his arms firmly around the younger woman as she barked her order into the phone. Though Sean didn't know it yet, he had to provide Laurel with answers.
"Your brother?" Sean started for a moment. "Well Hello Laurel. It's nice to hear your voice."
"Thanks." She replied shortly. Pleasantries could wait but her brother's condition was another story entirely. "What happened to Lucky, please tell me." The Spencer attitude was gone and in its place, a tumultuous vulnerability reigned.
Sean sighed and ran a hand through his hair, nodding as he saw Frisco enter the room. He could take her attitude but vulnerability? Well, he had always been a softie for tears. "He'll be ok honey." His warm voice conveyed tenderness and reassurance.
"What happened to him," Laurel asked again. "I want answers not promises."
Sean sighed. She was as hard to deal with as her father was, it seemed. "He was shot." He said simply.
Laurel gasped and sagged against Ari slightly. "Where? How bad. You tell me now or there will be hell to pay."
Sean had to smile at her attitude. "Laurel it's not life threatening from what I can hear, but I just don't have much information yet. As soon as I do, I'll call Ari and he can pass the news onward to you."
"You better" Laurel's anger had lost some of its fire in the face of her worry. "Please, I know it's impossible, but can you let him know that someone out there loves him very much?"
Sean swallowed hard, touched by the young girl's vulnerability. "Laurel I promise you, I will help Lucky fight with everything he has. He'll be ok. Just you wait and see."
Chapter 21
"I'll keep that in mind." Alex said as he allowed himself to be dragged into the large building. With Stefan in the lead they quickly maneuvered the corridors until reaching a vacant boardroom. "Cassadine Industries leases this room." Stefan explained. "We often have guests visiting from other countries who have need of our facilities and would rather not leave their hotel."
"We know." Nikolas tried not to snap, but between his curiosity about his family situation and worry about Laura, his patience was tapped out.
"Nikolas I will demand that you address me with respect. Sit down, be quiet and you will get the answers you are so desperately seeking."
Nikolas glared at the other young man and sat sullenly on an uncomfortable hard chair. He speared everyone save Lulu with an angry look.
"Nikky don't be upset." Lulu pleaded quietly. She looked from her new friend to her brother. "Please be friends?"
Nikolas just shook his head faintly as his attention was riveted on Stefan. "Tell me what you have to say." He said, tension evident in his voice.
Stefan motioned Alex into a chair then stood between the boy as Alexis took her position opposite him. "Alexis may be more qualified to tell this." Stefan began.
"Someone please tell it." Lulu pleaded. She trained her large eyes on Stefan until he spoke again.
Stefan swallowed and nodded. "Alex is Alexis' son. He was raised elsewhere."
"In Greece." Alexis put in as she noted Nikolas' expression changing to understanding.
Nikolas nodded enthusiastically now, even though some confusion still remained. "So he's my cousin." He said in relief. I thought...."
"Nikolas we are not finished yet." Stefan informed the younger man with a sympathetic look. "He is also my son."
~*~
"He's out and he's free." Laura's tone was one of awe as she reached for her ex-husband and mother. "We're going to bring Lucky home."
Luke nodded his head distractedly. "Laura excuse me please." He said as he shrugged out of his ex wife's embrace. He knocked gently on the bathroom door. "V?" He asked gently.
When the redhead opened the door, Luke gifted her with a gentle smile. "You clean up well." He said awkwardly as he wondered how to treat her. She was both lover and betrayer at the same time.
"Thanks." V replied with a faint smile. "Don't worry Luke, Lucky will be fine."
Luke nodded as he considered something. "He's hurt isn't he. That pain, he was hurt just now."
V flushed as she stared at the ground, mentally composing her reply. "Luke they said that he would be fine, but I'm afraid they just didn't give me specifics on if he was shaken up by the ordeal, or if he was wounded recently. I wish I could tell you more. You must hate me for all of this."
"I don't hate you." Luke replied quickly. "But I have some things to discuss. We have a lot to talk about." He said in a somber tone. "Like why you kept the fact that my son is alive from me."
"Luke I couldn't...." V started but he shushed her with a finger against his lips.
"Not now. When can we leave?" he asked her as he shifted from foot to foot.
"As soon as I hear back from the WSB." V replied. Get dressed." She said as she handed him his shirt. "Then we'll be ready to go as soon as they call." She bit her lip and started to speak again, but turned away instead, flushing with shame. They'd never have a chance now and she was to blame for destroying the best thing that had come her way in ages.
"This is far from over V." Luke whispered as he read her expression. She wasn't ready to hear the truth of his words, he realized, so he shrugged into his shirt and walked into the living room to wait.
~*~
Laura watched her husband as he moved toward V and sighed." Mom just for that brief moment..." She trailed off feeling stupid. It was so easy to feel whole and complete in Luke's arms. She knew rationally that the marriage they had forged together for so many years had died a very natural death. It still hurt beyond reason, though, to see Luke with another woman. The familiarity he and V shared was easy and natural. It bespoke of many months together or even years in an intimate relationship, not just mere days or weeks. She sighed and smoothed her hair down. She had no right to be jealous of Luke's new relationship no matter how familiar. They were divorced, having signed the papers two weeks ago. She had no hold upon the man anymore.
"It's easy to end a marriage but it's a lot harder to let go isn't it?" Lesley remarked sadly. She hated that her daughter was still pining over Luke. Laura needed to move on but there was no way that she was prepared to when she had never gotten over Luke.
"How do I?" Laura's voice was a plea. It seemed so much safer to focus on her former marriage. Then, she wouldn't have to face the guilt and anguish of her son having been alive without her knowledge. Where had their psychic bond gone?
"You look at him as the past Laura. Not your present or future." Lesley's words were weighted with the pain of her past. She and Rick had had such a wonderful marriage and family until the Cassadines had stolen her family from her as completely as they had her memories. When she had regained her senses, Rick had remarried. Lesley had stayed single ever since.
"Could you do that with dad?" Laura asked. Anticipation and fear welled up inside her and she tried to squelch them by engaging in an utterly normal conversation with her mother.
"It took time, yes but I had to Laura." Lesley gave her daughter a gentle hug. "Come on, you're a Webber. Go out there and attack this new relationship of Luke's with dignity not witchiness. You can handle this. You've dealt with so much more in your years darling."
Laura gritted her teeth and nodded. Her mother was right; she could do this and be a lady about it. After all the ghosts of her past weren't what was important here. Lucky was what mattered.
~*~
Anna stayed silent as the paramedics loaded Lucky quickly into their vehicle. The alternating blues whites and reds of the lights made a brilliant pattern on the walls of their prison. How could such a nondescript brown building have housed such horrors, Anna wondered.
It looked like a small school auditorium or one story office building. Yet within the walls had dwelled every conceivable horror. Anna wrapped her arms around herself comfortingly; she had to dispel the dark thoughts that coursed through her head in a macabre slideshow. How could she and Lucky get beyond their horrors to live a normal life? The beatings, the torture, they had become her life, they had become Lucky's life. Yet now, now freedom wrapped them in its sensual embrace, calling to them to forget. Anna sighed and slipped into that warmth. She would give herself over to it completely, if that meant she and Lucky had the possibility of a life together.
She stepped into the ambulance while she averted her gaze from the building. She was not prepared to deal with the horrors of what had happened there or what was to come. While she was happy that Robert and Duke were alive, she could not help the anger and jealousy that welled up inside her. They hadn't been prisoners for the last seven years; they had cherished their freedom. And they hadn't come to get her until Lucky had been there. How much had she really meant to them in the end?
Anna shook her head, verbally wrenching herself from her thoughts. "Is the pain bad Lucky?" She asked. Tension emanated off of him in waves. He was lying stiffly and as the paramedics worked on him, he flinched.
"Sometimes." Lucky allowed. Anna moved past the protesting paramedics to smooth his hair back. "You can do this Lucky. You can. You will." She encouraged. As she reached for his hand, she gave him a brilliant smile. "You can and will do this Lucky Spencer. You are free now."
"Free." Lucky echoed with a grim smile. "But he isn't dead Anna. Neither of them are. Will we be safe?"
"I will personally see to it that we are, Lucky. Remember I was a WSB agent."
Lucky's smile came a little more easily as pain medication began to enter his IV. "My own personal Xena." He said with a tight chuckle.
"That's right." Anna replied. "And Xena always wins."
~*~
"You better" Laurel's anger had lost some of its fire in the face of her worry. "Please, I know it's impossible, but can you let him know that someone out there loves him very much?"
Sean swallowed hard, touched by the young girl's vulnerability. "Laurel I promise you, I will help Lucky fight with everything he has. He'll be ok. Just you wait and see."
"He better be." Laurel choked out through her tears. "I'm so close to meeting him....please save him. Please save my brother.." She whispered. Her tears became too much for her, and the young woman pressed firmly against the solid comfort of Ari.
Ari pulled the phone out of Laurel's hand. "Sean I need to take care of her." His explanation was delivered in a tender tone that made Sean's ears prick up.
"Ari." Sean started then sighed.
"What?" Ari asked as his tone sharpened. He didn't have time for the director's curiosity now. "Yes I love her. And now I have to see to her."
The expulsion of words stemmed Laurels' tears for the merest of moments. She trailed her hand along his neck and cupped his cheek. "You love me?" She whispered torn between anguish and joy.
Ari depressed the power button on the phone and threw it aside. "Yes I love you." Ari's reverent tone almost made her knees weaken.
"With that." Laurel started in a firm tone. "We can get through anything. Forget Europe let's go to Port Charles. I have to make sure Lucky isn't hurt. And with you by my side, Helena and Faison would be insane to even look cross eyed at me. I'll be safe. How could I not be safe with you by my side?"
Anna looked up at Frisco in annoyance. "Lucky is the man I love. Does it really matter?" She snapped. Lucky was seriously injured and all Frisco wanted to know were the salacious details of their romantic interest.
"The man you love." Frisco repeated slowly. "Anna I'm not going to judge...."
"Good then don't." Anna snapped in reply. "Just help me to help him." She smoothed Lucky's hair back gently. "Come on darling."
Lucky could smell her, could feel her. He kept getting weaker and the thought of giving up was becoming stronger and stronger. Still, he had to reach her. He strained to the surface, ignoring the mist hovering at the horizon in favor of consciousness. Consciousness and pain. As his senses sharpened the knife edge of pain almost took his breath away. He was hurt and badly but for her he would fight and for her he would live. He had to taste freedom again in Anna's embrace.
Lucky kept his eyes closed as the sounds and feelings became more clear to him. He hurt, badly but the pain was nothing he couldn't handle. It was a fair price to pay for the rest of his life. He took a deep breath to fortify himself, very aware of the wet feeling of his blood on his skin. Things weren't good but they could be much worse.
"Anna?" Lucky whispered as his eyes opened slowly. "You mean everything to me." He was out of strength; he was exhausted. All he could do was to meet her eyes and convey all his love to her, whatever the personal cost to him. He reached for her and and missed once, then grasped it gently.
Anna thought she had dreamed the husky whisper, but as she met his eyes, she could see that Lucky was aware and alert. "Hello love." She whispered as she stroked his hair again. "Relax. We'll have you out of here very soon. I know it hurts very badly, but it isn't as bad as it feels darling."
"Lucky it's not really." Frisco piped up. The young man had lost a lot of blood but he would be all right, thanks in good part to the WSB getting there in time. "At least we didn't fail in everything." Frisco commented quietly. "Lucky the bleeding is slowing. Just hang in there. The paramedics will be here in a couple of minutes."
"All right" Lucky managed as he looked at the guy. That was Felicia's husband wasn't it? "Thanks." He added softly before turning back to Anna.
Anna gave Lucky an encouraging smile. He didn't look so deathly pale anymore. The life in his eyes was shining, though clouded by pain and she could see the fight in the set of his jaw, and in the way his hand curled possessively around hers. "You stay with me." Anna encouraged. "We have to shock this town darling."
There it was again, Frisco thought. She was promising forever to the boy, when clearly she'd choose between Robert and Duke. But would she choose between them? As Frisco watched Lucky and Anna, he felt as if he was intruding on a very private moment. They shared so much with a simple glance. Frisco sighed; remembering how love had been for him. Love, it seemed so foreign a concept between Anna and Lucky. But the proof was there. She cared for the young man and not in a friendly way.
"Anna?" Frisco started as something occurred to him. He was torn between his friendship for Anna and her husband, as well as his loyalty to the WSB. "You know that Duke and Robert are alive and in there?" He gestured down the hall with a sharp jerk of his head.
Anna has had enough. "Frisco Jones how dare you." She said in a low voice. He had stooped far to low this time. Damn him and his loyalty to all the wrong things. "You have no right to start this and don't give me that innocent look because I know exactly what you are doing. Yes, I know that Duke and Robert are here and I'm shocked and elated but the man I love is seriously hurt. Now, shut up and help him, or let me be alone with him because I am not leaving Lucky's side, no matter how many old loves you parade in front of my eyes."
~*~
"Laura settle down." Luke said in a soft but deadly voice. "I'll tell you everything as soon as you're rational. Our son is alive, this is good. Just focus on that instead of the what ifs."
Laura just stared at Luke. How dare he accuse her of being irrational? "My son is alive, doesn't that give me a right to be a little excited?" Laura asked Luke as her voice trembled with emotions.
Luke held Laura close absorbing her trembles as he shared his own. They were united in grief, in excitement, in the hope of a future with their son. "We're going to get him home sweet darlin' just you wait and see." Luke said into her hair.
Laura pressed closer. There was a familiarity to his embrace that bespoke of happily ever after and of a united family. They would be all right as a family, as long as she and Luke could fins a way to get along.
Luke was becoming uncomfortable with the closeness of Laura's body. At times like these, his body forgot that they had divorced. He stepped back slowly, noting in his peripheral vision that Lesley was making a graceful exit from the room. "He'll be okay Laura. I feel it in my bones. The cowboy is a little hurt right now but he will be back and he'll be the son we saw right before the fire. We waited a long time for that didn't we?"
"We did." Laura allowed. She crossed her hands over her chest in a defensive measure and sighed. "What do you know? How is he mentally, physically, emotionally?"
Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know darlin. I just don't know. V showed me some pictures of him and he looks older and beaten"
"Beaten?" Laura's heart flew into her throat.
"Yeah both physically and emotionally. I'm sure this hasn't been any picnic for him darlin' In fact I'd say it was the norm at Helena and Fasion's little house of tortures."
~*~
When the formerly marrieds had gotten closer, Lesley Webber had started feeling like an outsider. She knew that Luke and Laura were no more, but their level of intimacy naturally lent to an exclusionary state to those outside it. Those outside it right now were herself and Luke's new friend. Lesley wondered how she was doing. It must have been a shock to have them burst in as they did, and the fact that Laura had taken over Luke with a few words.
Lesely exited the bedroom and found the woman lending against the wall. She looked so young and so alone that Lesley's heart went out to her. "How are you doing honey?" she asked warmly.
V focused on the woman as the ghost of a smile touched her lips. "I'm managing I guess. Everything is just so out of control." She laughed nervously.
"Excitement tends to follow Luke honey. You should know that if you'll be getting serious." Lesely said. She pulled the woman into a brief hug, touched by the loneliness that surrounded V.
"Thank you." V whispered. She was touched by the gratitude of this near stranger. "How are they doing in there?" She asked as she motioned to her bedroom. She was slightly jealous of the bond Laura had with Luke, even though she wasn't worried about the state of her relationship. It was hard to see him embracing the past so easily.
"She's coming to terms with it. So is Luke. He didn't know for very long when we burst in did he? I can still see the wonder on his face."
"No he didn't." V said as she shook her head. "Maybe five minutes but no more had passed." She looked at her watch and stared at the ceiling as if trying to figure something out then reached for her cell phone. "They should be in by now and have word on Lucky. Let me call and get an update. I'm sure it went well. What problems could there have been?"
Chapter 19
As Nikolas heard the young man's words, his heart stopped for a moment. "Father?" He asked as he closed the few feet between he and the boy in a single stride. "Who are you and what do you want with my family?"
Alex regarded Nikolas for a long moment. While they were similar in height and age, Nikolas held himself in a much more regal manner. Alex could tell his bearing from the proud set of his shoulders and the way he assessed the situation. He would be a staunch ally but a formidable enemy.
"Hello Nikolas." Alex began quietly.
"Who are you?" He turned to Stefan. "Father? Alexis? What did he mean?"
Lulu tried to remain out of the adult conversation and busied herself studying the good-looking young man. He looked about as awkward as she did. "Hi." She said with a welcoming smile. As Luke Spencer's daughter she was used to being the welcoming committee. "I'm Lulu what's your name."
Alex looked down at the young girl and smiled. "My name is Alex." He replied quietly before meeting Nikolas' eyes again. "It is good to meet you Nikolas. As for who I am..." He trailed off as he looked at his parents. "There are others more qualified to answer that question."
"Yes Nikolas." Stefan stepped forward and rested his hands on both of the boys' shoulders. "This is better done inside. Won't you and Lesley Lu accompany us?"
Nikolas glared at the other young man before nodded. "Of course father."
"I love the sundaes here." Lulu shared with Alex, before taking his hand. "You should have their hot fudge. It's the best ever."
"I'll keep that in mind." Alex said as he allowed himself to be dragged into the large building. With Stefan in the lead they quickly maneuvered the corridors until reaching a vacant boardroom. "Cassadine Industries leases this room." Stefan explained. "We often have guests visiting from other countries who have need of our facilities and would rather not leave their hotel."
"We know." Nikolas tried not to snap, but between his curiosity about his family situation and worry about Laura, his patience was tapped out.
"Nikolas I will demand that you address me with respect. Sit down, be quiet and you will get the answers you are so desperately seeking."
~*~
Anna had had enough. "Frisco Jones how dare you." She said in a low voice. He had stooped far to low this time. Damn him and his loyalty to all the wrong things. "You have no right to start this and don't give me that innocent look because I know exactly what you are doing. Yes, I know that Duke and Robert are here and I'm shocked and elated but the man I love is seriously hurt. Now, shut up and help him, or let me be alone with him because I am not leaving Lucky's side, no matter how many old loves you parade in front of my eyes."
Frisco opened his mouth to speak again, then snapped it shut at the anger in her voice. He had better watch his step, he thought. She really thinks the world of Lucky. "Anna I just wanted to make sure the shock wasn't too much for you." He started, knowing how lame the words sounded as they escaped his mouth.
"I lived with Faison all of these years." She began in an icy tone. "You have no idea what I can and cannot take. I will deal with them Frisco, in my own damn time."
"Touché." Frisco whispered. He spotted the paramedics as they negotiated the thin tunnel and gave Lucky an encouraging look before turning back to Anna. "I take it you'll be riding with him and not your rescuers?"
Anna nodded decisively. "I am. They have their fellow agents around them." She looked down to Lucky. "I'm changing the subject Frisco. Tell me about Lucky's injuries."
"Yeah tell us." Lucky echoed faintly. He was strengthened by the strong stand Anna was taking in defense of their love, but his strength was at an all time low. The constant beatings, the sleep deprivation and low protein meals had all drained him long before the bullets had cut into skin and sinew.
"Well ." Frisco began before ruffling Lucky's hair. "You'll be ok now that help is on the way. You had one bullet go in and out just under your ribs. It's a pretty big wound Lucky but it looks clean."
Lucky nodded slowly and motioned to his leg and shoulder. "One went in there." Frisco motioned to the outside of his thigh, an inch or so below the younger man's hip "It's still embedded. You have a flesh wound to the shoulder and you just took a nick to the head. I bet it won't even scar." He replied encouragingly.
Lucky grinned, rather hoping he'd have a tiny scar. "I'll be ok?" he replied in an exhausted tone.
"Of course you will." Anna said with her gentlest smile. She held his hand as the paramedics arrived and started their emergency first aid. They would take him to General Hospital, Anna knew, and would facilitate the reunion with his family there. That would be good for both of them, as she too had friends in Port Charles even after all the years had passed since she had lived there. Everything would be all right now.
~*~
Laurel thought for a moment, wondering how to phrase her statement. "Lucky is thought dead by my family. Don't you think my return just after his will be a lot for my family to handle? Couldn't we spend a couple of days alone together? You can teach me freedom."
Ari gave her a bright smile and nodded. Her grace and selflessness amazed him. "I will see what I can arrange."
"Wonderful." Laurel replied as she snuggled against his strong chest. "When can you find out information about Lucky?"
Ari consulted his watch and calculated the time difference. "The raid should be over by now. Let me telephone my contact." He dialed in to Sean Donelly as they settled back against each other, eyes on the silvery sea before them.
Sean reached for his phone distractedly as it started chirping. Only two people had that number, Venus and Ari. Since Robert and Duke were flushing their eyes, he felt confident in answering the call. "Hello Venus or Ari," he said into the secure handpiece."
"Hello director." Ari's voice softened in respect for the man that had rescued him from his previous life.
"How is she Ari?" Sean questioned. Laurel had been the key to the rescue of the Spencer children for some time. Faison and Helena had kept moving the girl and even Ari's lofty status as both Helena's assistant and WSB agent had not garnered any details for a long time. Finally, Helena had put Ari in charge of the young girl, and the WSB rescues of both of the Spencer twins could commence.
"She is fine." Ari assured as he reflexively pulled Laurel closer. "We're getting to know one another and she's ready for a change of scenery."
Sean chuckled at that. "And of freedom I imagine."
"Yes." Ari agreed. "How did phase one go and can we start phase two soon?" He rubbed Laurel's back as he spoke. There was something in Sean's voice that he could almost discern. As a fissure of unease ran down his spine he wrapped his arms around his young charge, wedging the phone against his shoulder. "Sean? How did it go?"
Sean sighed as he glanced at the agents. "Not as well as it could have Ari. Helena and Faison made their way back here, gassed out agents, shot Lucky when he took off in pursuit of them, and managed to get away.
Ari sighed into the phone. "How bad is he Sean?"
"Lucky?" Laurel stirred in his arms, looking up to read the expression in his eyes. When Ari totally avoided her, she snatched the phone from his grasp. "Look here you, tell me how my brother is now!"
Chapter 20
Frisco sighed as his phone rang. "Anna you see to Lucky." He said quietly before stepping a few paces away to answer his cell phone. In truth he wanted to be outside of this damp place. The nearness was crushing him in its completeness. He had no idea how Anna and Lucky had managed to survive mostly intact.
"Jones here." He said into the chirping piece of electronics. It was his WSB issued model, so only one of a few people was calling. It was likely either Ari or V.
V gave Lesley a smile as Frisco picked up. "Hi Jones." She said into the phone quietly. "Is it done? I have the parents here and they know and....um...." she trailed off at a loss for what to say. She knew it was a serious breach of protocol for the civilians to be informed of a mission when it was still ongoing, but circumstances had hardly been by the book.
"They're with you?" Frisco asked in surprise. "Keep your voice calm, V." He said in a gentle tone. He had worked with the redhead since her start with the WSB and knew how her emotions sometimes swirled out of control. She tried and she was well meaning but sometimes she just couldn't help herself.
"No problem Frisco, why?" she said in a light tone.
"Is something wrong?" Lesley had been a doctor for far too many years. She could read body language flawlessly and V was exuding a sense of worry.
"Because we botched it V." Frisco admitted with a heavy sigh. "Faison and Helena were waiting for us and their men gassed Robert and Duke. Anna and Lucky gave chase and the kid was shot."
V visibly started when Frisco said the words. "This may sound like a strange question but can I ask what time and where the last event occurred?" She asked. Her tone was breathless; her mind was racing. Could the couple in the other room have somehow felt their son getting shot, she wondered.
"Twenty minutes ago maybe, why do you ask?" Frisco replied, copying her tones and phrasing.
"I'll have to tell you soon. And where is everyone now."
"Anna's attending to the kid. He's injured but I think he'll be ok. Robert Sean and Duke are all together."
V nodded even though she knew Frisco couldn't see her. "His family wants to see him. Where shall we rendezvous?"
"Oh V I don't think that's a good idea." Frisco began.
"Jones this isn't your call to make. These parents need to see their son." V wasn't about to give up on this point. When he didn't immediately answer, she pressed onward. "Tell me Frisco or I'll go to Sean right now. You know he'll cooperate."
"All right." Frisco sighed. "They'll be brought to the safehouse or GH as we'd discussed all along. They have doctors on staff, but V, prepare the parents. There have been a lot of changes in the kid and they need to know this I'll advise you of our location when the paramedics assess the boy."
"I will Frisco." She assured before disconnecting the phone. She smiled at Lesley. "They're not in any danger. I'll take you and his parents to see him."
"Thank you honey." Lesley gave the younger woman a gentle hug.
"It's the least I could do." V felt as personally responsible for the WSB failure as she knew the other agents must be feeling. And she was forbidden to tell them about their lost child.... She shivered for a moment and then squared her shoulders She would do this with all the dignity that she could muster.
As V entered the bedroom she could feel the tension thrumming through the room. "I have news about your son." She told the couple quietly as she tried to ignore her feelings of jealousy at their intimate way with each other.
"Where is he?" Luke asked as he moved toward V."
She flushed and looked uncomfortable. "I can't say, I'm sorry. I'm waiting to hear back on their location now, but as soon as we have that I'll drive you there."
"All of us?" Laura asked in a near frantic tone.
V gave Laura's hand a gentle squeeze as her empathy outweighed her jealousy. "Of course Laura. Do you want to bring your other children as well? I have to warn you, it might be a lot for Lucky to deal with right now."
Laura bit her lip as she considered this. "No I think it's best that they don't come along now. Lu is only eight years old after all and it might be a lot for her to comprehend. But, can my mother come along? Lucky might be hurt and my mother is a doctor."
"Of course she can." V said in her gentlest tone. "I'm going to change." She walked to the closet and grabbed some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.
"He's out and he's free." Laura's tone was one of awe as she reached for her ex-husband and mother. "We're going to bring Lucky home."
~*~
As Anna squeezed Lucky's hand she gave him a small smile. "Won't be long now, luv." She assured quietly.
He looked up, gazing deeply into the warmth and understanding of her eyes. "We going to Gh or a safehouse?" He had overheard Frisco speaking on the phone and was curious. A safehouse would make him feel a lot more comfortable, though with the amount of WSB power behind them tit was unlikely they'd be attacked at GH.
"I don't now luv." Anna said thoughtfully. But I'll be here for every step of the journey." She started to step forward as the paramedics began moving Lucky but was restrained. "Let me go." She said in a low dangerous tone.
"Are you family?" The paramedic replied evenly.
Anna hesitated for a moment. Then nodded. "We're as close as a man and a woman can be and you will not stop me from going with him. "She warned quietly. When the man stood his ground one more moment, she gently but firmly removed him from her path. No one would stand between she and Lucky.
"Anna what about Robert and Duke?" Frisco's shocked tone echoed down the corridor.
"They can fend without me Frisco." She called back. " They have for many years now. I'll tend to them only when I know Lucky is being seen to."
Frisco's sigh echoed around Anna as she hurried after the stretcher. "I hope you know what you're doing Anna." He replied to her retreating form. With a final shake of his head, he pulled a handkerchief out and wiped Lucky's blood from his hands. He moved toward the main chamber purposefully, wondering how his friends were taking Anna's decision to go with Lucky first.
~*~
Sean sighed as he glanced at the agents. "Not as well as it could have Ari. Helena and Faison made their way back here, gassed out agents, shot Lucky when he took off in pursuit of them, and managed to get away.
Ari sighed into the phone. "How bad is he Sean?"
"Lucky?" Laurel stirred in his arms, looking up to read the expression in his eyes. When Ari totally avoided her, she snatched the phone from his grasp. "Look here you, tell me how my brother is now!"
Ari raised an eyebrow, but kept his arms firmly around the younger woman as she barked her order into the phone. Though Sean didn't know it yet, he had to provide Laurel with answers.
"Your brother?" Sean started for a moment. "Well Hello Laurel. It's nice to hear your voice."
"Thanks." She replied shortly. Pleasantries could wait but her brother's condition was another story entirely. "What happened to Lucky, please tell me." The Spencer attitude was gone and in its place, a tumultuous vulnerability reigned.
Sean sighed and ran a hand through his hair, nodding as he saw Frisco enter the room. He could take her attitude but vulnerability? Well, he had always been a softie for tears. "He'll be ok honey." His warm voice conveyed tenderness and reassurance.
"What happened to him," Laurel asked again. "I want answers not promises."
Sean sighed. She was as hard to deal with as her father was, it seemed. "He was shot." He said simply.
Laurel gasped and sagged against Ari slightly. "Where? How bad. You tell me now or there will be hell to pay."
Sean had to smile at her attitude. "Laurel it's not life threatening from what I can hear, but I just don't have much information yet. As soon as I do, I'll call Ari and he can pass the news onward to you."
"You better" Laurel's anger had lost some of its fire in the face of her worry. "Please, I know it's impossible, but can you let him know that someone out there loves him very much?"
Sean swallowed hard, touched by the young girl's vulnerability. "Laurel I promise you, I will help Lucky fight with everything he has. He'll be ok. Just you wait and see."
Chapter 21
"I'll keep that in mind." Alex said as he allowed himself to be dragged into the large building. With Stefan in the lead they quickly maneuvered the corridors until reaching a vacant boardroom. "Cassadine Industries leases this room." Stefan explained. "We often have guests visiting from other countries who have need of our facilities and would rather not leave their hotel."
"We know." Nikolas tried not to snap, but between his curiosity about his family situation and worry about Laura, his patience was tapped out.
"Nikolas I will demand that you address me with respect. Sit down, be quiet and you will get the answers you are so desperately seeking."
Nikolas glared at the other young man and sat sullenly on an uncomfortable hard chair. He speared everyone save Lulu with an angry look.
"Nikky don't be upset." Lulu pleaded quietly. She looked from her new friend to her brother. "Please be friends?"
Nikolas just shook his head faintly as his attention was riveted on Stefan. "Tell me what you have to say." He said, tension evident in his voice.
Stefan motioned Alex into a chair then stood between the boy as Alexis took her position opposite him. "Alexis may be more qualified to tell this." Stefan began.
"Someone please tell it." Lulu pleaded. She trained her large eyes on Stefan until he spoke again.
Stefan swallowed and nodded. "Alex is Alexis' son. He was raised elsewhere."
"In Greece." Alexis put in as she noted Nikolas' expression changing to understanding.
Nikolas nodded enthusiastically now, even though some confusion still remained. "So he's my cousin." He said in relief. I thought...."
"Nikolas we are not finished yet." Stefan informed the younger man with a sympathetic look. "He is also my son."
~*~
"He's out and he's free." Laura's tone was one of awe as she reached for her ex-husband and mother. "We're going to bring Lucky home."
Luke nodded his head distractedly. "Laura excuse me please." He said as he shrugged out of his ex wife's embrace. He knocked gently on the bathroom door. "V?" He asked gently.
When the redhead opened the door, Luke gifted her with a gentle smile. "You clean up well." He said awkwardly as he wondered how to treat her. She was both lover and betrayer at the same time.
"Thanks." V replied with a faint smile. "Don't worry Luke, Lucky will be fine."
Luke nodded as he considered something. "He's hurt isn't he. That pain, he was hurt just now."
V flushed as she stared at the ground, mentally composing her reply. "Luke they said that he would be fine, but I'm afraid they just didn't give me specifics on if he was shaken up by the ordeal, or if he was wounded recently. I wish I could tell you more. You must hate me for all of this."
"I don't hate you." Luke replied quickly. "But I have some things to discuss. We have a lot to talk about." He said in a somber tone. "Like why you kept the fact that my son is alive from me."
"Luke I couldn't...." V started but he shushed her with a finger against his lips.
"Not now. When can we leave?" he asked her as he shifted from foot to foot.
"As soon as I hear back from the WSB." V replied. Get dressed." She said as she handed him his shirt. "Then we'll be ready to go as soon as they call." She bit her lip and started to speak again, but turned away instead, flushing with shame. They'd never have a chance now and she was to blame for destroying the best thing that had come her way in ages.
"This is far from over V." Luke whispered as he read her expression. She wasn't ready to hear the truth of his words, he realized, so he shrugged into his shirt and walked into the living room to wait.
~*~
Laura watched her husband as he moved toward V and sighed." Mom just for that brief moment..." She trailed off feeling stupid. It was so easy to feel whole and complete in Luke's arms. She knew rationally that the marriage they had forged together for so many years had died a very natural death. It still hurt beyond reason, though, to see Luke with another woman. The familiarity he and V shared was easy and natural. It bespoke of many months together or even years in an intimate relationship, not just mere days or weeks. She sighed and smoothed her hair down. She had no right to be jealous of Luke's new relationship no matter how familiar. They were divorced, having signed the papers two weeks ago. She had no hold upon the man anymore.
"It's easy to end a marriage but it's a lot harder to let go isn't it?" Lesley remarked sadly. She hated that her daughter was still pining over Luke. Laura needed to move on but there was no way that she was prepared to when she had never gotten over Luke.
"How do I?" Laura's voice was a plea. It seemed so much safer to focus on her former marriage. Then, she wouldn't have to face the guilt and anguish of her son having been alive without her knowledge. Where had their psychic bond gone?
"You look at him as the past Laura. Not your present or future." Lesley's words were weighted with the pain of her past. She and Rick had had such a wonderful marriage and family until the Cassadines had stolen her family from her as completely as they had her memories. When she had regained her senses, Rick had remarried. Lesley had stayed single ever since.
"Could you do that with dad?" Laura asked. Anticipation and fear welled up inside her and she tried to squelch them by engaging in an utterly normal conversation with her mother.
"It took time, yes but I had to Laura." Lesley gave her daughter a gentle hug. "Come on, you're a Webber. Go out there and attack this new relationship of Luke's with dignity not witchiness. You can handle this. You've dealt with so much more in your years darling."
Laura gritted her teeth and nodded. Her mother was right; she could do this and be a lady about it. After all the ghosts of her past weren't what was important here. Lucky was what mattered.
~*~
Anna stayed silent as the paramedics loaded Lucky quickly into their vehicle. The alternating blues whites and reds of the lights made a brilliant pattern on the walls of their prison. How could such a nondescript brown building have housed such horrors, Anna wondered.
It looked like a small school auditorium or one story office building. Yet within the walls had dwelled every conceivable horror. Anna wrapped her arms around herself comfortingly; she had to dispel the dark thoughts that coursed through her head in a macabre slideshow. How could she and Lucky get beyond their horrors to live a normal life? The beatings, the torture, they had become her life, they had become Lucky's life. Yet now, now freedom wrapped them in its sensual embrace, calling to them to forget. Anna sighed and slipped into that warmth. She would give herself over to it completely, if that meant she and Lucky had the possibility of a life together.
She stepped into the ambulance while she averted her gaze from the building. She was not prepared to deal with the horrors of what had happened there or what was to come. While she was happy that Robert and Duke were alive, she could not help the anger and jealousy that welled up inside her. They hadn't been prisoners for the last seven years; they had cherished their freedom. And they hadn't come to get her until Lucky had been there. How much had she really meant to them in the end?
Anna shook her head, verbally wrenching herself from her thoughts. "Is the pain bad Lucky?" She asked. Tension emanated off of him in waves. He was lying stiffly and as the paramedics worked on him, he flinched.
"Sometimes." Lucky allowed. Anna moved past the protesting paramedics to smooth his hair back. "You can do this Lucky. You can. You will." She encouraged. As she reached for his hand, she gave him a brilliant smile. "You can and will do this Lucky Spencer. You are free now."
"Free." Lucky echoed with a grim smile. "But he isn't dead Anna. Neither of them are. Will we be safe?"
"I will personally see to it that we are, Lucky. Remember I was a WSB agent."
Lucky's smile came a little more easily as pain medication began to enter his IV. "My own personal Xena." He said with a tight chuckle.
"That's right." Anna replied. "And Xena always wins."
~*~
"You better" Laurel's anger had lost some of its fire in the face of her worry. "Please, I know it's impossible, but can you let him know that someone out there loves him very much?"
Sean swallowed hard, touched by the young girl's vulnerability. "Laurel I promise you, I will help Lucky fight with everything he has. He'll be ok. Just you wait and see."
"He better be." Laurel choked out through her tears. "I'm so close to meeting him....please save him. Please save my brother.." She whispered. Her tears became too much for her, and the young woman pressed firmly against the solid comfort of Ari.
Ari pulled the phone out of Laurel's hand. "Sean I need to take care of her." His explanation was delivered in a tender tone that made Sean's ears prick up.
"Ari." Sean started then sighed.
"What?" Ari asked as his tone sharpened. He didn't have time for the director's curiosity now. "Yes I love her. And now I have to see to her."
The expulsion of words stemmed Laurels' tears for the merest of moments. She trailed her hand along his neck and cupped his cheek. "You love me?" She whispered torn between anguish and joy.
Ari depressed the power button on the phone and threw it aside. "Yes I love you." Ari's reverent tone almost made her knees weaken.
"With that." Laurel started in a firm tone. "We can get through anything. Forget Europe let's go to Port Charles. I have to make sure Lucky isn't hurt. And with you by my side, Helena and Faison would be insane to even look cross eyed at me. I'll be safe. How could I not be safe with you by my side?"