Disclaimer, authors notes everything back in Chapter 1 *S*
"Whaddya want?" a gruff voice grumbled into the phone.
"Luke? Listen, I need you to get over here now! I've got some big news for you."
"What is it?" Luke queried, taking his feet off the table to sit up, the tone of her voice making him instantly alert.
"Just get over here." She told him hanging up before he could reply and began dialing again.
"Hello?" The sleepy male voice from the other end of the phone mumbled.
"Nikolas, it's me."
Nikolas Cassidine sat halfway up in bed rubbing at his eyes, one shock of dark hair hanging across his forehead, looking for all the world like a sleepy little boy.
"What is it Alexis?" He queried tiredly, pushing the covers off and rising to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair and scratched his well-muscled abs before hitching his dark green silk boxer shorts up higher and making his way into the living room to check on the time.
"Nikolas, I have something very important to tell you, but I can't do it over the phone, I need you to come over here."
"Now?" Nikolas covered his face as a yawn overtook him. "Can't you tell me in the morning?"
"No, it's too urgent! Look can you come over to my penthouse, I promise to explain everything when you get here." She pleaded.
"Fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes." He acquiesced before hanging up the phone and going in search of his pants.
Fifteen minutes later, Alexis paced the room like a caged tigress, wondering where Nikolas and Luke were. She'd had time to go change and restack the files that had fall off the bed a second time when she'd gotten off it to go change and they still hadn't shown up. Her nerves were wound so tightly that she almost screamed when there came a knock at her door three minutes later.
Pulling it open, she was relieved to find Luke standing there looking like a disgruntled bear in his rumbled shirt and pants.
"Hey Tash," he greeted entering the apartment without being asked. "So what's with all the cloak and dagger stuff? I thought that was my end of the business." He teased.
Before Alexis could answer however there came another knock on the door. She stepped over and opened it, allowing Nikolas entrance. Luke eyed his estranged wife's son suspiciously and Nikolas returned the favor.
"What did you call me down here for?" Nikolas questioned his aunt purposely facing away from Luke.
Alexis sighed heavily as Luke continued giving Nikolas the evil eye. Reaching for the top folder in the pile that sat neatly atop the table she handed it to Luke, and gestured for Nikolas to get closer so he too could see what it said.
"Cowboy's alive!" Luke exclaimed in astonishment, his mouth dropping open as the file slid from between his nerveless fingers.
Sonny groaned and rolled over in his bed as hands shook him awake.
"What? What is it?" he queried of Johnny who loomed over him looking worried.
"Luke Spencer wants to see you boss. He says it's important."
Sonny sighed and sat up grumbling bout how everything was important to Luke. "Tell him I'll be right there Johnny.
As he was pulling on a shirt Brenda stirred and woke up realizing he wasn't there keeping her warm.
"Honey? Where you going?" she queried sleepily as he buttoned the last button on his shirt.
"Nowhere babe, just out to the living room to talk with Luke. I'll be right back." He promised dropping a kiss on her forehead as he made his way out of the room.
"Mmm, kay. Tell Luke hi." She replied, stretching languidly before curling up under the covers once more.
"What can I do for you Spencer?" Sonny queried, stifling a yawn as he padded barefoot into his living room, the ankles of his light gray pants swishing against the plush carpeting.
"I need you to put some men on my sister and Laura's mother for a few days." Luke said not wasting time with pleasantries.
"Why?" Sonny asked only mildly interested in Luke's latest scheme.
"I'm going to be out of the country for a while. My son's alive."
"What do you mean Lucky's alive?" Elizabeth Webber's sleep dimmed eyes widened in shock as she gaped at the dark haired twenty year old boy who was half in, half out her window, just like his brother used to. The same brother who had died almost two years ago. Or so they thought, and now, here she was, being told to pack a bag and be quiet about it so they could go rescue said brother, the love of her life.
"Exactly that, but we need to get a move on, so get your stuff together, write Audrey a note and let's go! We still have to tell Laura and then get all the way cross country before morning because Helena doesn't know we know yet and we want to keep it that way." Nikolas explained in a rush, the excitement in his being barely restrained as he all but started jumping up and down as Elizabeth flew around the room grabbing clothes and shoving on sneakers.
"I'll dress over at Laura's." she explained as she pulled her coat on over her sweats.
"Great, then let's go!"
"Wait. The note."
"Don't tell Audrey where we're going. Say you needed to get out of Port Charles for a bit to clear your head and I decided to come with you." Nikolas instructed picking up her backpack and sliding out the window. He was halfway down the tree when she finished the note and joined him, climbing quickly and quietly despite the lack of illumination save the almost full moon overhead.
By coincidence both Nikolas and Luke pulled up outside the Spencer house at the same time from opposite directions. After exchanging cool looks with Nikolas, Luke turned to Elizabeth as they walked up the pathway to his former home.
"Hey there little darlin, how you holding up?" he queried gently.
"I'm okay. In shock is more like it actually. I still kinda think this is a dream." She admitted as Nikolas and Luke both pulled out their keys and a mini battle waged over who would open the door before Elizabeth sighed heavily and unlocked it with her own key.
"I'll go get her!" Elizabeth announced peremptorily once they were in the door before heading up the stairs and leaving Luke and Nikolas in an uncomfortable silence. Nikolas shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered over to stare out a window into the dark early morning sky while Luke made his way over to the mantle piece, staring at a picture of himself Lucky, Lulu and Laura, all together before Lesley Lu had gotten sick. The love and happiness that permeated that pictured tugged at heartstrings he thought he had brutally snapped months ago.
But before he could do more than acknowledge the ache, there were footsteps on the stairs behind him. Spinning around he saw his wife, her beautiful blue eyes filled with hopeful tears.
"He really is alive?" She asked tremulously.
Luke nodded slowly in confirmation. "I saw the papers myself."
"Oh Luke!" She cried joyfully, throwing herself into his arms happy tears streaming down her face.
"He's alive and we're gonna get him back darlin, we're gonna get our cowboy back." He promised stroking her long blonde hair tenderly.
"Whaddya want?" a gruff voice grumbled into the phone.
"Luke? Listen, I need you to get over here now! I've got some big news for you."
"What is it?" Luke queried, taking his feet off the table to sit up, the tone of her voice making him instantly alert.
"Just get over here." She told him hanging up before he could reply and began dialing again.
"Hello?" The sleepy male voice from the other end of the phone mumbled.
"Nikolas, it's me."
Nikolas Cassidine sat halfway up in bed rubbing at his eyes, one shock of dark hair hanging across his forehead, looking for all the world like a sleepy little boy.
"What is it Alexis?" He queried tiredly, pushing the covers off and rising to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair and scratched his well-muscled abs before hitching his dark green silk boxer shorts up higher and making his way into the living room to check on the time.
"Nikolas, I have something very important to tell you, but I can't do it over the phone, I need you to come over here."
"Now?" Nikolas covered his face as a yawn overtook him. "Can't you tell me in the morning?"
"No, it's too urgent! Look can you come over to my penthouse, I promise to explain everything when you get here." She pleaded.
"Fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes." He acquiesced before hanging up the phone and going in search of his pants.
Fifteen minutes later, Alexis paced the room like a caged tigress, wondering where Nikolas and Luke were. She'd had time to go change and restack the files that had fall off the bed a second time when she'd gotten off it to go change and they still hadn't shown up. Her nerves were wound so tightly that she almost screamed when there came a knock at her door three minutes later.
Pulling it open, she was relieved to find Luke standing there looking like a disgruntled bear in his rumbled shirt and pants.
"Hey Tash," he greeted entering the apartment without being asked. "So what's with all the cloak and dagger stuff? I thought that was my end of the business." He teased.
Before Alexis could answer however there came another knock on the door. She stepped over and opened it, allowing Nikolas entrance. Luke eyed his estranged wife's son suspiciously and Nikolas returned the favor.
"What did you call me down here for?" Nikolas questioned his aunt purposely facing away from Luke.
Alexis sighed heavily as Luke continued giving Nikolas the evil eye. Reaching for the top folder in the pile that sat neatly atop the table she handed it to Luke, and gestured for Nikolas to get closer so he too could see what it said.
"Cowboy's alive!" Luke exclaimed in astonishment, his mouth dropping open as the file slid from between his nerveless fingers.
Sonny groaned and rolled over in his bed as hands shook him awake.
"What? What is it?" he queried of Johnny who loomed over him looking worried.
"Luke Spencer wants to see you boss. He says it's important."
Sonny sighed and sat up grumbling bout how everything was important to Luke. "Tell him I'll be right there Johnny.
As he was pulling on a shirt Brenda stirred and woke up realizing he wasn't there keeping her warm.
"Honey? Where you going?" she queried sleepily as he buttoned the last button on his shirt.
"Nowhere babe, just out to the living room to talk with Luke. I'll be right back." He promised dropping a kiss on her forehead as he made his way out of the room.
"Mmm, kay. Tell Luke hi." She replied, stretching languidly before curling up under the covers once more.
"What can I do for you Spencer?" Sonny queried, stifling a yawn as he padded barefoot into his living room, the ankles of his light gray pants swishing against the plush carpeting.
"I need you to put some men on my sister and Laura's mother for a few days." Luke said not wasting time with pleasantries.
"Why?" Sonny asked only mildly interested in Luke's latest scheme.
"I'm going to be out of the country for a while. My son's alive."
"What do you mean Lucky's alive?" Elizabeth Webber's sleep dimmed eyes widened in shock as she gaped at the dark haired twenty year old boy who was half in, half out her window, just like his brother used to. The same brother who had died almost two years ago. Or so they thought, and now, here she was, being told to pack a bag and be quiet about it so they could go rescue said brother, the love of her life.
"Exactly that, but we need to get a move on, so get your stuff together, write Audrey a note and let's go! We still have to tell Laura and then get all the way cross country before morning because Helena doesn't know we know yet and we want to keep it that way." Nikolas explained in a rush, the excitement in his being barely restrained as he all but started jumping up and down as Elizabeth flew around the room grabbing clothes and shoving on sneakers.
"I'll dress over at Laura's." she explained as she pulled her coat on over her sweats.
"Great, then let's go!"
"Wait. The note."
"Don't tell Audrey where we're going. Say you needed to get out of Port Charles for a bit to clear your head and I decided to come with you." Nikolas instructed picking up her backpack and sliding out the window. He was halfway down the tree when she finished the note and joined him, climbing quickly and quietly despite the lack of illumination save the almost full moon overhead.
By coincidence both Nikolas and Luke pulled up outside the Spencer house at the same time from opposite directions. After exchanging cool looks with Nikolas, Luke turned to Elizabeth as they walked up the pathway to his former home.
"Hey there little darlin, how you holding up?" he queried gently.
"I'm okay. In shock is more like it actually. I still kinda think this is a dream." She admitted as Nikolas and Luke both pulled out their keys and a mini battle waged over who would open the door before Elizabeth sighed heavily and unlocked it with her own key.
"I'll go get her!" Elizabeth announced peremptorily once they were in the door before heading up the stairs and leaving Luke and Nikolas in an uncomfortable silence. Nikolas shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered over to stare out a window into the dark early morning sky while Luke made his way over to the mantle piece, staring at a picture of himself Lucky, Lulu and Laura, all together before Lesley Lu had gotten sick. The love and happiness that permeated that pictured tugged at heartstrings he thought he had brutally snapped months ago.
But before he could do more than acknowledge the ache, there were footsteps on the stairs behind him. Spinning around he saw his wife, her beautiful blue eyes filled with hopeful tears.
"He really is alive?" She asked tremulously.
Luke nodded slowly in confirmation. "I saw the papers myself."
"Oh Luke!" She cried joyfully, throwing herself into his arms happy tears streaming down her face.
"He's alive and we're gonna get him back darlin, we're gonna get our cowboy back." He promised stroking her long blonde hair tenderly.