As Luke sank into his chair and poured himself a scotch Claude entered his
office. "What do you want me to do with the guy at the bar", Claude asked
as his boss offered him a drink. "Take him to the back room and get him
something to eat. Tell him your doing a good deed or something.", Luke
said as he stared into his drink. "He doesn't seem the type to buy that
boss", Claude replied as Luke sighed again. "He isn't", Luke said with a
chuckle, "just tell him something, Claude and show him the spare room back
there". "You sure about that", Claude asked trying to decide if Luke had
finally had too much to drink? "Yeah", was Luke's only reply for a minute.
"Tell him your boss said that whatever he needed for as long as he needs
it is on the house and if he wants to discuss it with me I'll be in my
office. Don't give him my name.", Luke finished. Claude stared at his
boss for a minute before he went to do his bidding.
Luke looked at the picture of his family and then carefully turned it face down on the desk. He hoped Laura would understand why he was handling things this way because he wasn't sure he did. He closed the bottle of scotch and reached for the phone as he thought about what could have kept Robert away for so long. With another tired sigh he dialed the phone.
Luke finished punching in the first set of numbers and leaned back in his chair and waited. "What", she barked into her phone as a greeting. "Hey Annie", Luke replied. "I've told you never to call me that, Spencer", Anna replied as she watched the two men regarding her across the hotel lobby. "Did you want something specific or did you call just to annoy me", Anna finished. " I called because you need to rethink your trip to good old Port Chuckles", Luke said as he swirled his drink in its glass, "And to warn you that you're probably going to get some unexpected company".
"Mac has a big mouth, and how did you know about them", Anna asked impatiently. "They've invaded Port Charles tonight", Luke responded tiredly. "Why", Anna asked impatiently? "I, they haven't bothered to tell me", Luke said as he played with his glass. "I just wanted to warn you, Anna. And tell you maybe you should reconsider coming home", Luke finished softly as Anna's volume began to increase.
"Now, you decide it's not a good time for me to come", Anna practically shouted into the phone. "No, I think you should come tonight", Luke answered her well rubbing his tired eyes. "Why", Anna found herself once again asking? Luke replied, "Either come or don't, just be careful". "What aren't you telling", Anna demanded to know. "I don't know", Luke quietly stated. "I'll see you in a couple of hours", Anna said as she hung up the phone.
Luke tried to do some calculations on the time difference as a way of delaying the next call. Who was he kidding no matter what time it was in Paris, Robin wasn't going to be happy with his call. "Hello", Robin said into the phone as she bent to make the bed. "I didn't wake you, did I sweetie", Luke asked as he tried to come up with an argument she would listen to without telling her the whole truth. "No, I have an early exam this morning", Robin replied as she sat and waited for Luke to get to his point. "How many more to go", Luke asked conversationally. "You didn't call to talk about my exam schedule Luke", Robin replied with a hint of exasperation.
"I think you need to get out of Paris for awhile", Luke finally responded. "Why", was Robin's simple question? "There's something going down and I think we all would feel a lot better if we knew you were someplace safe" Luke replied. "That really didn't answer my first question, and define we", Robin said as she began to pace. "Do you how much you sound like your mother", Luke asked with a half laugh. "Luke", Robin said threateningly. "I don't know what's happening and we includes Mac, myself and at least one of your godfathers", Luke replied imagining the frown on her face matched the one on Anna's a few moments ago.
"You need to do better than that", Robin said testily. "I intend to, I just need more time", Luke said, "and I would prefer to know your safe in that interval". "Robin please, humor a tired old man. I don't care whose safe house you pick, mine, Morgan's or Corinthos'. Or you could come home. Please just trust me that Paris is not going to be a good place for you to be." "What if I go see Mom", Robin asked relenting as she heard the worry in Luke's voice. "She's on her way here", Luke replied as he tensed waiting for her explosion.. "What", she screamed into the phone. "Someone had to agree to referee between Frisco and your uncle because adding me to the mix is bad all around", Luke quickly stated before she could work up a full head of steam. "He didn't mention he was heading to Port Charles when I talked to him the other day", Robin seethed.
"If you want to be angry at your Mom for coming home without you, your choice but just remember that she had a life here too, one that didn't revolve around you Robin", Luke commented, "There are things she needs to do on her own". "I know", Robin replied with a sigh. "So you'll take my advice", Luke asked cautiously? "I promised a friend, I would attend her concert this afternoon. I'll let you know after that", Robin said quietly. "Be careful", was Luke's last comment as he hung up the phone.
Those had been the only two phone calls Luke had planned on making, yet he found himself picking up the phone for a third time. He was stopped from dialing the Boston number by the arrival of three WSB agents, telling Claude they were here to search the bar.
Luke looked at the picture of his family and then carefully turned it face down on the desk. He hoped Laura would understand why he was handling things this way because he wasn't sure he did. He closed the bottle of scotch and reached for the phone as he thought about what could have kept Robert away for so long. With another tired sigh he dialed the phone.
Luke finished punching in the first set of numbers and leaned back in his chair and waited. "What", she barked into her phone as a greeting. "Hey Annie", Luke replied. "I've told you never to call me that, Spencer", Anna replied as she watched the two men regarding her across the hotel lobby. "Did you want something specific or did you call just to annoy me", Anna finished. " I called because you need to rethink your trip to good old Port Chuckles", Luke said as he swirled his drink in its glass, "And to warn you that you're probably going to get some unexpected company".
"Mac has a big mouth, and how did you know about them", Anna asked impatiently. "They've invaded Port Charles tonight", Luke responded tiredly. "Why", Anna asked impatiently? "I, they haven't bothered to tell me", Luke said as he played with his glass. "I just wanted to warn you, Anna. And tell you maybe you should reconsider coming home", Luke finished softly as Anna's volume began to increase.
"Now, you decide it's not a good time for me to come", Anna practically shouted into the phone. "No, I think you should come tonight", Luke answered her well rubbing his tired eyes. "Why", Anna found herself once again asking? Luke replied, "Either come or don't, just be careful". "What aren't you telling", Anna demanded to know. "I don't know", Luke quietly stated. "I'll see you in a couple of hours", Anna said as she hung up the phone.
Luke tried to do some calculations on the time difference as a way of delaying the next call. Who was he kidding no matter what time it was in Paris, Robin wasn't going to be happy with his call. "Hello", Robin said into the phone as she bent to make the bed. "I didn't wake you, did I sweetie", Luke asked as he tried to come up with an argument she would listen to without telling her the whole truth. "No, I have an early exam this morning", Robin replied as she sat and waited for Luke to get to his point. "How many more to go", Luke asked conversationally. "You didn't call to talk about my exam schedule Luke", Robin replied with a hint of exasperation.
"I think you need to get out of Paris for awhile", Luke finally responded. "Why", was Robin's simple question? "There's something going down and I think we all would feel a lot better if we knew you were someplace safe" Luke replied. "That really didn't answer my first question, and define we", Robin said as she began to pace. "Do you how much you sound like your mother", Luke asked with a half laugh. "Luke", Robin said threateningly. "I don't know what's happening and we includes Mac, myself and at least one of your godfathers", Luke replied imagining the frown on her face matched the one on Anna's a few moments ago.
"You need to do better than that", Robin said testily. "I intend to, I just need more time", Luke said, "and I would prefer to know your safe in that interval". "Robin please, humor a tired old man. I don't care whose safe house you pick, mine, Morgan's or Corinthos'. Or you could come home. Please just trust me that Paris is not going to be a good place for you to be." "What if I go see Mom", Robin asked relenting as she heard the worry in Luke's voice. "She's on her way here", Luke replied as he tensed waiting for her explosion.. "What", she screamed into the phone. "Someone had to agree to referee between Frisco and your uncle because adding me to the mix is bad all around", Luke quickly stated before she could work up a full head of steam. "He didn't mention he was heading to Port Charles when I talked to him the other day", Robin seethed.
"If you want to be angry at your Mom for coming home without you, your choice but just remember that she had a life here too, one that didn't revolve around you Robin", Luke commented, "There are things she needs to do on her own". "I know", Robin replied with a sigh. "So you'll take my advice", Luke asked cautiously? "I promised a friend, I would attend her concert this afternoon. I'll let you know after that", Robin said quietly. "Be careful", was Luke's last comment as he hung up the phone.
Those had been the only two phone calls Luke had planned on making, yet he found himself picking up the phone for a third time. He was stopped from dialing the Boston number by the arrival of three WSB agents, telling Claude they were here to search the bar.