MY MOTHER'S SON
Authors Note: In this story it is assumed that Lawrence Wolenczak is in jail for the abuse of his son. Everything about Lucas's mother is made up except for her name from other stories.
Sara: Yep, Elfy stuff to come, towards the end of this chapter. Glad you like the last chapter. Please keep reading.
Shady Lady – Yes, how dare she. When I was trying to come up with relatives, one for Lawrence was natural, but it took a while to think of a sister. The slap across
Lucas's face was just an add in to heighten the tension of the moment. But I think it worked. Ben has been given full permission to help you. LOL
Jess – Sorry for the long delay – humble apologizes. No excuse – like my other stories, just no time to write and other fandoms and family etc.
Kiddo – Here is the next chapter of this one for you. Thanks for reading all of my stories. Makes me want to write more to hear all the readers out there review.
Cadnobach – Thank you so much for the wonderful review. Glad you like my original characters and liked the way they were introduced. So happy that it wasn't confusing for everyone, because that was an initial concern. I have always wanted to a Cynthia story, but paint her in a slightly different light. She is no angel, but sometimes there is a reason for someone's personality and the way they are.
Kas – Writing more. So you want to know what's going on – this chapter will probably cause more questions than answers, but I hope you enjoy it.
Author Note – Like "The Secret Device" – no excuse or alibi for my updating delay. Real life and my family emergencies that you don't want to know about.
recap of what happened in the last chapter:
Bridger had not known anything was wrong at first. He had his arm around Lucas as he stood beside the teenager. Kristen and Ben stood on the boy's right side for support. As soon as Lucas recognized who the pair were, Bridger could feel the boy's shoulders tense up.
Lucas leaned back towards Henry "Who the hell invited them Henry?" he demanded, not able to hide the contempt from his voice.
"I don't know Lucas, I am sorry, I didn't know they would be here" Henry replied.
Before Ben or Henry could move to stop the pair, they had already approached the gathering and were now only a few feet from Lucas. Kristen didn't recognize either of them and nobody had said who they were just yet.
Something about the woman's features though sent a shiver up Bridger's spine. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but it was almost as if he had seen her somewhere before.
"Lucas, I am so sorry about your mother's passing" the woman now said as she attempted to put her hand on the boy's shoulder. Lucas however was not having a bar of this woman anywhere near him and pulled away violently, causing Bridger to take a step back in order to maintain his balance.
"Tsk Tsk, you still don't hold a grudge against me do you Lucas?" the woman asked with an air of sarcasm in her words.
"You are not welcome here so get out" Lucas shouted back angrily not wanting to hear anything she had to say.
Before anybody could react, there was a resound slap as the woman's hand struck the side of the boy's face.
Lucas lifted his hand to the reddened area but refused to display the utter shock that he felt at the physical blow he received.
Both Ben and Bridger were about to demand why the woman had struck him but Henry shook his head briefly at both of them signalling that everything was under control.
The woman herself now seemed to show her own shock at what she had done.
"Lucas.......I am sorry.........I don't know what came over me" she began to say.
"Hitting people just runs in your family" Lucas said back through clenched teeth and then walked away from the entire group, not wanting to say anything more to her or even give her one more second of his time.
"We will attend the reading of the will tomorrow" the woman coolly told Henry and then turned around and headed back towards the car with the man. The fellow had not said a word during the whole episode nor tried to introduce himself to anybody.
"The vultures are out already" Carmel could be heard to say a little too loud as she showed her own dislike of the woman. With Carmel it was just assumed that she didn't like very many people at all.
But Lucas's reaction had been a total surprise and a little worrisome.
"Let's head back to the house Beryl" Carmel now said as she tried to walk away from the tense situation. Beryl nodded at Uncle Wally signalling that she too wanted to head back.
That just left Henry, Ben Kristen and Bridger standing beside Cynthia's grave with the minister. He too had been a little left in the dark by the appearance of the man and woman. Lucas was standing a few hundred metres away beside a few other headstones in the cemetery. The minister bid his goodbyes to them and headed over towards the boy, happy enough for the service to be completed.
"Who was that woman and why did she hit Lucas?" Ben now asked Henry. The question was on everybody's lips.
"Her name is Amanda. His name is Jerry. She is Lawrence's sister." Henry replied, knowing that the crew wouldn't take long to make the connection. Bridger now nodded his head as it struck him why the woman had looked so familiar.
She looking very much like her brother, even down to the hair colouring and the facial features. No wonder Lucas couldn't stand to be around her. Every time he looked at her all he saw was his father.
Kristen looked over towards Lucas and saw that the minister had already walked away. The teenager was now standing on his own looking back towards them around the grave.
The workmen were standing nearby waiting for everybody to leave before they started filling in the grave. Kristen wanted Lucas to be away from that if possible. She didn't think that that was something that he needed to see.
"I should really go and get things ready for the wake" Henry now said.
"I'll go and talk to Lucas" Ben offered, dead parties not really being his scene. He didn't know why they had parties for dead people. It seemed like such a silly idea. Normally he wasn't one to knock back a party invitation but these sort of parties just left him feeling uncomfortable.
"We can go and help you Henry", Kristen offered, indicating her and Bridger. The Captain looked to the teenager and felt that he should be there for Lucas but then seeing the almost pleading look on Ben's face to get out of being involved in such things, nodded his head in agreement. Given the circumstances maybe Ben was thebest person for Lucas to be with right now.
Ben headed off towards Lucas whilst Bridger and Kristen followed Henry back towards the house. The workman now moved in and began the task of filling in the giant hole.
Ben made sure that Lucas was well out of view while that was all happening.
An hour or so later, Ben suddenly appeared amidst the preparations for the wake. Bridger and Kristen were helping Henry to lay out the plates of food before everybody arrived.
"Where's Lucas" Bridger asked. He hadn't even heard Ben or him come back from outside.
"Upstairs in his room, that's why I came to see Kristen. I think she should take a look at him for a minute." Ben said with concern in his voice.
Kristen and Bridger immediately excused themselves for a few minutes and headed up the stairs to Lucas's room. When they got there, Ben carefully opened the door and they all went inside.
Upon entering, everybody made sure that they were extremely quiet. They could see Lucas stretched out on his bed, apparently sleeping. Ben pulled Bridger and Kristen away from the bed for a few seconds to explain what had happened since leaving the gravesite.
"We went back to the grave after the workmen had finished covering in the hole" Ben said. "At first we just sat there in silence. He didn't say anything and I just waited for as long as he needed me."
"After a while he started to feel a bit cold. I told him to come inside so we did. He wanted to use the back door to avoid everybody. I just thought you should look him over Kristen. He looked so tired and distressed out there just before. I am just worried about him." Ben said honestly.
Kristen smiled at Ben's openness. It didn't take a genius to work out that Ben cared for Lucas just as she and Bridger and Henry did. She now walked over towards the bed to try and gauge if it was just emotions that was wrong with Lucas.
She felt a lump rising in her throat as she gazed down at the sleeping figure. His blond hair was fanned out on the white pillow as he slept. His face was free of all worry and sadness at the moment, almost untouched. It was slightly red from his crying but no other unnatural shades of colour that Kristen could see.
She put the back of her hand to his cheek to feel for warmth and was relieved when she felt a normal skin temperature. Lucas mumbled something incoherent at the touch to his face and now turned over on his side and fell into a much deeper sleep.
Bridger busied himself with taking the boy's shoes and socks off while Kristen loosened the tie around his neck and removed his suit jacket. He hadn't awoken during any of their administrations.
Once they were sure that he was comfortable enough, Kristen draped a warm quilt from the bed over his sleeping form and the three of them left Lucas to sleep in peace.
When they were in the hallway again, Kristen informed them that there was nothing wrong with him that a nice long sleep wouldn't fix. She made a note to tell Henry and the others not to disturb the teenager until he woke on his own later on.
story now continues over the page:
A few hours later and Lucas emerged from his room reluctantly, knowing he would have to spend some time facing his incorrigible relatives at his mother's wake.
The teenager had dressed in a navy blue suit, not black. He knew it was the traditional colour, but he didn't want to feel anymore depressed than he already was about his mother's death.
By the time someone noticed, he was descending the main staircase. There were about thirty people in the room at present and he was sure he only knew about 10 of them. He had no idea of who might have invited the other 20 or so virtual strangers, but at the moment he didn't really care.
"Lucas," Henry said as he emerged from the chaotic kitchen, bearing another tray of finger foods. No sooner had he taken a step towards the hoards, then Aunt Carmel was already reaching out with a chubby hand towards the delectable morsels.
Henry decided to throw caution to the wind and attempt to get on her bad side right from the beginning that night. Lucas's mother would not have taken issue with such a ploy had she been alive, and he had already declared that Carmel had outstayed her welcome and needed to be brought down a peg or two.
"Sticking to your diet again I see, Madam," he whispered so that only a select few heard the comment, mostly Bridger and Kristen and Ben who had no intention of mingling with the unfamiliar crowd.
Ben had tried to laugh at the statement and had to have a drink to wash down the morsel of food that had caught in his throat as a result. He gave Lucas a warm smile and quick smirk as the teenager appeared at his side to catch the tail end of the bickering between the Butler and Aunt Carmel.
"Aren't you supposed to be working," Carmel hissed, before putting on a fake smile at a guest who had noticed the displeased look on her face. To avoid Henry altogether, she now waved at a complete stranger across the room, as though being friends and went to join them.
"Be careful, Madam, you don't want to hurry too much in your condition," Henry said with empathy in his voice. Ben had almost lost himself with that comment. He was liking this Henry more and more. Bridger was trying to hide his own smirk and Kristen was giving him a look of her own disapproval whilst trying to look serious as well.
The devil like glance he had received from Carmel was priceless and Henry had scurried away before she chose to make a spectacle of herself in front of everyone.
He didn't want to upset the wake for Lucas's sake and respected Cynthia's memory too much. When the three of them look towards Lucas, they could see him struggling to gain a smile. The episode had been funny enough, but it was plain to see that Lucas didn't feel like being cheered up at the moment.
"I think I will just walk around and say hello to a few people I know," Lucas said in a quiet voice, knowing that greeting anybody was the last thing he really wanted to be doing.
For the next half an hour the wake seemed to proceed without any incident. Everyone was in a subdued mood or at least tried to act like they were. Most of them were there for the free wine and food. There were those that thought Cynthia's loss was not such a huge deal.
Things were about to change though when Carmel suddenly appeared again near Lucas. She almost appeared pre-occupied, as though she was waiting for something to happen.
"How are you holding up, Lucas?" she had asked her nephew, but didn't look at him as she spoke, but rather casing the room as though looking for a familiar face.
"Alright I guess," Lucas replied, not having any idea what to really say when someone asked him that question. He didn't know how people expected him to be after losing someone he had barely known. Was he supposed to act like the grieving, lost son, or was he to appear upset and saddened, but distant and indifferent because of the lack of recent contact?
Aunt Beryl had seen Lucas too and her heart truly went out to the young man who did seem to be trying to please everyone, but not admitting the truth to his family or friends or even himself about how he truly felt towards his mother. To her, he did seem lost, not knowing what the future held or who to trust.
She was glad to see his SeaQuest friends were determined to stick by him through the entire mix of emotions. Beryl had come to like Bridger and Kristen, hoping that they could somehow become the family that Lucas had been missing for so long in his life.
She didn't quite know how to take Ben just yet, with his jokes and carefree personality, but decided his energy would prove a positive influence over Lucas when he was feeling so down.
Henry had almost finished serving food and drinks, and now brought out one final tray holding 6 wine flutes. Five of them were plain crystal, one had a patterned stem. He passed Lucas and his friends and offered to all, surprised when the teenager reached out to take one of the glasses.
In fact, they were all surprised to see Lucas reach for the alcoholic drink, but apparently none more so than Aunt Carmel. With an overacted display, she appeared to lose her footing all of a sudden and without warning, bumped hard against Lucas who in turn lost his own balance and the wine glass from his hand.
The glass and its contents shattered on the floor, causing the crowd to turn and go silent. Lucas was still seated on the floor, with Bridger holding out a hand and offering to help him up. Ben was looking back at Carmel, trying to work out why she had fallen against him like that. Kristen expression was one of downright dislike.
"Are you alright, Lucas?" Henry had asked, somehow avoiding the large woman himself but not being able to prevent her bulky frame from falling against the leaner teenager. "Clumsy cow," was also muttered underneath his breath somewhere.
"Oh, Lucas, I am truly sorry. I don't know what come over me. My ankle seemed to give way on me. I apologise and hope I didn't ruin your shirt?" Carmel now said.
"I am fine," Lucas said as he got to his feet and brushed away the glass shards from his navy jacket. The front of the jacket was turning dark from the wine and no doubt the fabric would dry stiff if not treated.
Lucas saw this as his one opportunity to escape the rest of the proceedings when he had been trying to come up with a plausible story. He could have said a million things, like he was tired and that he had other things to do, which were all partly true.
"If you'll all excuse me, I think I will change," he said, not waiting for an answer from Kristen or Bridger. Ben didn't like the situation at all and had attempted to follow the teenager to check on him.
Lucas had partly expected this to happen. If not Ben, then Bridger, but he had the same response planned out for either of them or anybody else that wanted to intrude.
"No thanks, Ben," he said dismissively and continued up the stairs with his back turned towards the wake.
Later that night, towards midnight, after everyone had gone from the house except the guests staying there, Kristen padded along the corridor, wanting to check for herself how Lucas was coping.
He had not re-emerged from his room after walking up the stairs and Nathan's and Ben's attempts to knock on the door went unanswered. When they had become increasingly worried and tried to open the door, they found it locked. A sure sign that the teenager was not welcoming of any company that night.
Reluctantly they had decided to wait to see how the night progressed, although the three of them could not easily sleep, knowing that Lucas was just down the hall, tearing himself up inside and refusing to talk about it.
Even Henry had tried to reason with the teenager through the locked door to let them in, but his pleas also went unanswered. It was Henry who had alerted Kristen a few moments ago that Lucas's bedroom door was not open and where suspected he might had taken solace.
Bridger, Ben and Henry had all wanted to go with the doctor to see Lucas, but she had argued that Lucas would only be defensive again if they all turned up looking for him and pushing him into talking.
Lucas needed to recognize his own feelings for himself and show them when he was ready. If not today, then another. There wasn't a set timetable for grief and family and friends would just have to wait until Lucas was prepared to let them help him.
Kristen descended the stairs and before reaching the bottom could hear sound coming from a small room off to her left. She continued to be silent, not wanting to intrude on what could be a private moment. As she got closer, she noticed a long sofa in the room and a projector of some description mounted to the ceiling.
The projector was working and focusing images on the far wall. Lucas was sitting in the middle of the sofa, with plenty of room on either side from the side arms. He appeared to be sitting up straight and watching the images with great concentration.
Kristen watched the footage for a few moments before letting the teenager know of her presence in the room. The film showed a young blond woman frolicking and laughing on a beach, smiling and kicking the sand with her toes at whoever held the camera.
"Come on Lawrence, lets go for a swim," the woman had said in a happy voice. When she turned sideways to walk to the water, Kristen could see that she had been heavily pregnant at the time the footage was shot. This must have been Cynthia when she was pregnant with Lucas she thought, assuming that the Lawrence she had heard pertained to Lucas's father, Lawrence Wolenczak.
"Mind if I join you," Kristen said in a quiet voice as she walked around the sofa. At first Lucas jumped a little, not hearing anybody enter the room. Kristen could now see genuine large tears falling down his handsome young face as he continued to watch the film.
"Oh, honey," Kristen said, feeling like crying herself at such the shattering look on his face. She sat down and drew him into an unresisting embrace, his head resting on her shoulder as he let out a tide of emotion from that day.
Kristen didn't say anything at first, content just to support him when he needed it and show that she loved him dearly. She wanted to share his pain and let him understand that the death of a loved one was a very private and painful experience.
"Sorry," came the muffled voice through the sniffling and tears. He sat up and gave a half-hearted smile, thanking her for being there. He could not have done what he just did with Ben. Maybe Bridger, but Kristen was a woman somehow he thought she might have understood his mixed emotions towards his mother better.
"There is nothing to be sorry for, Lucas," Kristen assured him as she gently kissed his forehead, and wiped some of the tears from his face. She wanted him to cry. The macho image that had been portrayed to men over the years that tough men didn't cry or show there emotions was something that she hated.
Looking at this gentle young man before her, she could see how much he was hurting about his mother. There may have not been any recent contact with them, but that didn't mean that a son lost the memories of his mother. How she had once held him and hugged him and told him that she could make everything all better.
Lucas turned his attention back to the film, that had progressed a few years and now seemed to be showing a Christmas morning. Lucas looked to be about 6 years of age in the film, happily ripping parcels apart as his father once again held the video camera.
Cynthia Wolenczak came into frame, holding onto a cup of coffee and standing beside her husband as they both watched with pride as their son gasped in awe at the various presents that had been bestowed upon him.
"That was our last happy Christmas together," Lucas said as he watched the footage. His tears had dried a little, but that was now replaced with a mask. As though he didn't want to believe that things had gone from being that good to being very bad shortly afterwards.
"Make sure you hold onto the happy times, Lucas," Kristen said to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "There may not be as many as you would have liked in your life, but hold onto them and never let go.
"I don't know how I am supposed to feel," Lucas admitted to Kristen as she listened without accusal or judgment. "People expect me to just walk away or something, well some of them anyway. Just because she did that. But I can't seem to do that. I look back and although there is no past between us to speak of, she is still my mother."
"You don't need to listen to anybody or anything except what you feel right here," Kristen said as she placed her open palm over his heart. "This is where the truth comes from and it will guide you through these tough times."
"I am just scared that I won't be able to remember things about her. Like her hair and the smell of her over-rated perfume. How she always wore her pink earrings no matter if they didn't match the rest of her clothes. I just feel numb at the moment, like none of this has really happened, even though I had told myself many times that she is not coming back."
Lucas's head sagged a little more against Kristen's shoulder, as they watched the film on the screen, not really hearing what was going on. Kristen for the first time, getting a sense of who the real Cynthia Wolenczak was and what she had meant to those around her. Lucas, trying to recall each detail of her on film before they were erased forever.
Kristen had been idly running her fingers through his tussled blond hair, and looking down noted that Lucas had relaxed enough to fall asleep against her shoulder. She had no intentions of moving in case she disturbed him. She continued her gentle caresses through his hair, hoping that his sleep was restful and free of haunting memories.
About 2am, Kristen was gently awoken by Nathan's hand on her face. The projector had stopped running some time ago and the far wall was now in darkness. Lucas was still sound asleep against her shoulder and hadn't moved at all.
"Rough night?" Nathan enquired in a whisper, concern written across his face for both Lucas and Kristen. He hoped that she had at least gotten him to talk a little about his feelings, and judging by the closeness that they were currently sharing, some of that had been achieved.
"You could say that?" she replied but then put her fingers to her lips to suggest they continue the conversation away from the slumbering teenager.
Kristen was able to move with Nathan's assistance and allow Lucas to lie down fully along the sofa. Bridger had searched through a hallway cupboard and found a pillow and blanket. They didn't see the point in waking the teenager up just so he could go to bed. There was no guarantee that once his sleep was disturbed that he would be able to regain that relaxation.
The two of them now looked at the sleeping figure and wondered what other mixed emotions were yet to surface over the next few days. Kristen was the first to voice her opinion on that particular subject.
"How do you think he is coping?" came Bridger's question.
"I don't think he is Nathan, not really anyway. His solution seems to be to try and ignore the past like it never happened and lock his emotions and feelings away from the rest of the world," Kristen answered.
"Sounds like our Lucas on a normal day," Bridger tried to rationalise.
"Yes, but you can't see the desperate need in him to reconnect with his mother that I did tonight. He is trying to remind himself of his childhood through film and photographs. At the moment he is only causing himself more heartache," Kristen responded.
"What do you think he needs to do to accept what has happened?" Bridger asked.
"Not stay here for too long anyway. Everyday he finds something new to remind himself of her. And I don't mean necessarily go back to the boat straight away either. I mean a real break away for him so that he can have some genuine time to sit down and think," Kristen suggested.
"Lucas has to attend the reading of his mother's will tomorrow. Then I suppose there are a number of loose ends to tie up in relation to what will happen with what remains of her belongings and this house," Bridger said as he made a mental list.
"Yes, and I don't think the Will reading is going to help matters at all," Kristen remarked as she drew her lips tight together, trying to picture which other vultures from the household of relatives that would attend the beneficiary meeting with the solicitor.
"Tomorrow afternoon after it all, I think I will ask Henry to organise just you, me, Ben and Lucas, together for a quite chat and drink. One of the smaller rooms in this house, so that Lucas doesn't feel pressured to talk about anything he doesn't want to. Henry can join us too if he likes, but the rest of them can stay away."
"I am sure that Henry would certainly agree to something like that, Nathan. And Lucas would like that too, I am sure of it," she smiled, knowing that he always tried his best to think of Lucas and his feelings first.
Bridger and Kristen retired to their own room for what remained of the night, covering the sleeping teenager with the light blanket before they left and ensuring he was as comfortable as one could be on a couch.
It was about 8.30 am the next morning at breakfast when Bridger decided to approach Henry about his little idea from the night before. Lucas was yet to make an appearance, and the appointment at the solicitors office was at 10.00am.
Bridger drew Henry aside from his duties for a moment, whilst none of Lucas's other relatives were present to overhear the plans being made. Henry nodded his head as he listened, certainly agreeing to what the Captain was proposing and trying to think of the most suitable room in the house.
"The small sitting room in the front wing of the house would suit our needs," Henry thought. "It used to be one of Cynthia's favourite rooms in the winter, allowing the sun to shine through and warm it nicely for the afternoon. There is a small cabinet in there that we could use as a bar. Lucas used to spent a great deal of time in there too, after Lawrence and Cynthia began fighting and arguing so much. He used to think of it as his secret haven when he wasn't in his bedroom," Henry explained.
"That sounds good," Kristen said just as a sleepy looking teenager came through the door looking a little tired from the past day and a restless night.
"What sounds good?" Lucas enquired innocently, as he walked to the other side of the kitchen and reached for a coffee cup. He poured the hot dark liquid and didn't even bother to add his usual two teaspoons of sugar before taking a large swallow. It was slightly more bitter, but he was hoping it would help him stay a little more alert on his feet today.
"I was just thinking about having a few games of cards in the front sitting room this afternoon," Henry said, letting himself fall as scape goat in case the teenager didn't warm to the idea. "We haven't done it for so long and there won't be too much else pressing after lunch."
For a moment Lucas didn't answer, only taking another sip from his coffee, his brow furrowing in thought and pondering the proposal being made. "Only if you don't cheat this time around," the teenager smirked and continued to drink he coffee.
Everyone in the room had been holding their breath, thinking that Lucas would turn down the invitation, but now were struck with what he had just said.
"Cheat!!," Henry said in a playful voice. "Now as I recall, that was you were the one who........," he said draping a arm around the teenager's shoulders. He was happy that Lucas had agreed. Hopefully it would do him the world of good just to spend some time out with people who knew and cared about him.
"Hey, Lucas, don't forget me. I still am poker champion back aboard the SeaQuest remember," Ben commented. He was worried about his friend, and looking for signs that what they were seeing was only a thin shell over a boiling tide of emotions that had yet to show through.
"In your dreams, Krieg!" Lucas shot back, "I have beaten you every time for the last three rounds."
"I think you are all forgetting something here," Kristen voiced in, her serious tone of voice putting them all slightly off guard. They were all expecting to get a lecture about the pros and cons of gambling and card playing.
"You all don't stand a chance against someone who was four times best card dealer in her senior year at college," Kristen said, laughing at the reaction she had gotten from the male population in the room.
All the men stood for a moment with their mouths agape that Kristen had even admitted to playing cards in the past, let alone declaring herself to be champion enough to be them all and hence be included in the little game that was being organised for later that day.
"You never told me.......," Bridger finally said, as they all felt a little easier with the light mood.
"No, I didn't.........," Kristen returned with a smile and sly look.
The mood of the morning didn't take long to change however. Firstly with the appearance of Aunt Carmel a few minutes later, boisterous and as obnoxious as the day before.
Lucas quickly drained the remaining coffee in his cup and made the excuse of having to get ready for the meeting to exit without having to face her over breakfast.
"Umph," was the snide reply from Aunt Carmel as he walked past. "You had better hurry up. Late as usual. Tardiness is not something I approve of."
"Nobody is asking you, Aunt Carmel, so shut the hell up," Lucas said in an annoyed tone of voice, his shoulders slumping a little at having to endure this horse-faced woman for any longer than necessary at the reading of his mother's will.
Lucas would have preferred not having to go at all. There was nothing to gain by him attending. But formality applied in this case and as being the closest next of kin and her son, it was deemed proper for him to be there for legal reasons. Nobody had actually asked him if he wanted to attend or not. It had just been shoved in his face that he was "expected" to go.
Kristen and the others in the room remained silent, not wanting to intrude, but a little disappointed that Lucas's mood had dissolved into depression so quickly. They were surprised, but relieved when Aunt Carmel had announced that she had made plans for the afternoon elsewhere from the house. They had no intentions of telling her about the little card game and relaxation time that had been discussed for Lucas's benefit.
When Lucas finally declared himself ready to go to the solicitor's office, he turned to the Captain, "You don't have to go you know, if you don't want to. It is probably going to be dull and boring anyway."
"I know, but I want to be there, even if it is only to support you," Bridger replied, happy to see a small genuine smile of appreciation on the teenager's face.
The solicitor's office was just your average sterile looking room that gave you the creeps, no matter what your reasons for being there. Thankfully for Lucas, the lawyer in charge of Cynthia Wolenczak's estate was prompt and on time.
All were called into a private conference room. The meeting consisted of Lucas, Aunt Carmel, Carl, Aunt Beryl and Walter. Bridger, Ben and Kristen were allowed entry after staunch argument for their need to be there for Lucas's sake.
Lucas couldn't help but feel unnerved with the confined space and all his relatives within close proximity at the one time. Both Aunt Carmel and Beryl were seated, as was Uncle Walter due to his age. Carl stood directly behind Carmel, who had yet to even acknowledge the teenager's presence in the room.
The tension was clear, even to the lawyer. Although related, some of the people within the room just wanted to know how much of a share of the pie they had received and be done with it.
"As you all know, we are here today to begin finalising the estate of the late Cynthia Wolenczak," the lawyer began.
Aunt Carmel snickered at the opening speech of the man, knowing that he spoke with compassion and care for someone he had never known and was only doing it for Lucas's sake, being her son.
Kristen had reached forth and taken Lucas's trembling hand in her own. The teenager was trying to hide his grief and hold everything in, even the contempt he felt towards Aunt Carmel, but for how long was unknown.
"The document reads as follows ladies and gentlemen:"
I Cynthia Wolenczak of sound mind and body, do hereby give my last Will and Testament this 24th day of September.
With regard to all of my personal assets, including jewellery, cash, security bonds, real estate and shares, I bequeath these wholly and solely to my dear son, Lucas Wolenczak.
The room was silent. Lucas had certainly not expected to receive any of his mother's belongings due to their distant relationship. But in front of these people, here, now, to be told that everything had been left to him was almost impossible to believe.
So much so that Aunt Carmel couldn't hide the scoff that was on the tip of her tongue, "How could she do such a stupid thing. I knew she didn't give a damn about anyone but herself."
Aunt Beryl seemed upset and disappointed at the decision, but not angry like Carmel, more like hurt that Cynthia had seen it necessary to acknowledge the closeness that they had once shared.
"Typical. Leaves everything to him, when she barely even spoke to him," Carl spat digging his hands into the back of the chair with the frustration and sense of betrayal that he also felt at the terms of the Will.
Lucas had heard all of the statements made, on top of his own disbelief at being left his mother's assets. He didn't know what to say. Ben had scowled at Carl about his comments in front of the teenager, but he didn't want to cause a family dispute in front of his friend on a day that was already proving very difficult.
"I hope your happy," came Aunt Carmel has she stood and walked past Lucas to exit the meeting in disgust. "You retched little urchin. You just had to waltz back in here now when you were never here for her."
That comment cut Lucas to the core, barely able to contain the hurt that she had inflicted with such words. "She was never there for me," he shot back, clenching his fist, but forcing it to his side.
Aunt Carmel left the answer without further comment. The same couldn't be said for Carl though.
Beryl had given Lucas a brief embrace and congratulated him on her way out, although finding it difficult to hold back her own disappointment. She was whispering to Walter, the other able to catch a few words, "What are we going to do now?"
Walter had given Lucas a genuine smile, but supported his wife as they left, promising her that it would all work out somehow. To exactly what they were referring to, nobody in the room could be certain, but the unease that had been caused to all with the terms of Cynthia's will was plain to see for all involved.
Carl had walked particularly close to Lucas choosing his words with maximum effect, "This isn't over yet, boy!".
Lucas wasn't sure how to take the remark, feeling a little intimidated, given the circumstances. So much so, that he found himself taking an involuntary step backwards. Luckily, Bridger was right behind him, giving Carl a dark look that he reserved only for those few foolish enough to threaten Lucas in his presence.
Ben and Kristen too were determined to protect the boy too if necessary. They had not been able to shield the teenager from hurtful words from his relatives, but they would ensure that he was safe from them in case things turned decidedly nastier.
"You were just leaving," Bridger said as he pointed towards the door, almost ready to put himself in front of Lucas if the man chose to take a more physical approach to show his objection.
"I will take Lucas out to the car, you finish things up here," Bridger suggested to Ben and Kristen. Nathan had no intentions of letting him walk out there alone after hearing the various comments and threats.
The lawyer had a confused look on his face at the reaction that had been given to the Will, but Kristen and Ben assured him that everything was in order. After Lucas had left with Bridger, they had asked for confirmation that Lucas was indeed the sole beneficiary.
The lawyer stated the same again, indicating that there was quite an amount of money included, given the number of properties that Cynthia had maintained during her marriage to Lawrence and those she had accumulated after he was sent to prison.
The exact amount would have to be determined over the coming weeks as assets were liquidated as Lucas saw fit and instructions received on what to do with those that were to be retained.
Upon returning to Cynthia's house, Lucas and Bridger had explained to Henry about the terms of the Will. The butler had tried to appear surprise, but gave a poor effort in doing so.
"You knew about this?" Lucas asked, not out of anger, but shocked to say the least.
"Well Lucas, lets just say, I have known for an awful long time that your mother loved you very much. She might not have said it often enough to you or shown you the proper way. But she loved her as only she could, Lucas. With you gone in this house, she felt empty."
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Henry?" Lucas asked.
"Wasn't my place to do that Lucas. You don't know how many nights I saw her cry over wanting to call you and not having the courage to do so. I tried to convince her many times that you wouldn't turn her away, but in her eyes she blamed herself and couldn't get past the first step."
Lucas swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat at such admission of his mother's love for him.
Henry made sure he had the teenager's full attention with the next comment, "She loved you boy, with all her heart. Don't ever stop believing that."
The small group made their way to the small sitting room at the front of the house, but there was no further discussion about the game of cards.
Lucas looked to be deep in thought, trying to figure out where to go from here in his mind. The others were sympathetic enough to be there if he needed them, but to give him enough space too.
Henry poured drinks, except for Lucas who had refused, whilst the teenager walked about the room. His concentration had been drawn to the number of statues and little knickknacks that were on various shelves within the room.
"This used to be mom's junk room," he said with a little laugh. "Dad was always complaining that there was too much crap in here. They would go overseas for holidays, mostly without me, but to interesting places like Egypt and Greece. Mom would always bring back a little souvenir from each place and put it in here," Lucas reminisced.
"What is that little piece you are holding there, Lucas?" Kristen asked with genuine curiosity. She couldn't help but be a little saddened by his accounts of family holidays without him, but he seemed to be taking comfort in the objects that he knew had once been apart of his mother's life.
"This?" he held up, Kristen nodding her head in acknowledgement.
"This was one of her favourites, right Henry?" Mom brought this back from somewhere overseas, I can't remember where. Said it had come from the Gardens of Babylon. Dad always swore that she bought it from a two dime store in Chinatown."
Lucas ran his fingertips over the green jaded surface of the statue, as if trying to make a memory from it about his mother. He thought back to the first day he had saw her put it on the shelf. How for the next two weeks it had dominated the topic of conversation with any of their guests, until his father had gotten sick of hearing about it and threatened to smash it into a million pieces.
Somehow it seemed like only a few months ago, but Lucas knew that it was much longer than that. He continued to run his hand along the outside of the statue, until he came to the bottom, where he felt something else entirely. His eyes widened in surprise and he lifted it up to inspect it more.
"What is it Lucas?" Bridger asked, seeing the confusion and surprise on the teenager's face.
"A secret hiding place, it would seem," Lucas said as he tried to fit his finger into the small hold on the bottom of the statue. The hold probably indicated that Lawrence Wolenczak had been correct about its origins. What he didn't realise back then, was that inside it was a key, that now innocently fell out onto Lucas's open palm.
Lucas looked at it for a moment, placing the statue carefully back on the shelf and then examining the key closely with two hands, trying to look for identifying clues or markings on it.
Henry seemed to be just as surprised as Lucas about the key, having never known of its presence there before, even after Lucas had left home. "I wonder what it opens?" he asked.
"Seems to be a small key," Lucas commented, the shape being an unfamiliar one. It didn't look like a key to a door or a lock that he could recall.
"Oh well, probably something stupid that Mom did back years ago and forgot all about," Lucas said. He slipped the key into the pocket of his jeans. "I think I will go up to my room and kick back for a while."
"That sounds like a good idea," Kristen said, still a little curious like everyone else about the key and what it belonged to.
The remainder of the day passed by relatively quickly. Lucas had done as he had said and gone to his room. He had tried to sleep on a couple of occasions, but had not been able to rest properly, and after the third attempt, had given up altogether.
It was as he exited his room in search of a drink that he heard a noise coming from a room a little down the hall from him. He paused for a moment and tried to hear it again. Aunt Carmel and the others had returned to the house a couple of hours earlier, but had so far avoided Lucas and Henry as best they could after the meeting that morning.
As Lucas neared the room, he realised it was coming from his mother's office. Not a room that was overly used. His father's office was much larger and downstairs. Lucas had recalled his mother being in her office on many occasions at all. He wondered who was making the noise now.
There was another noise now, this time a larger thud, which made him jump a little, not knowing what caused it. He turned the door handle and stepped into the room, not really knowing what to expect.
"Henry!" Lucas cried out as he saw his butler friend laying prone on the floor near a cabinet. The man looked to be unconscious. Lucas looked about quickly for any signs of somebody else in the room, but could not see anyone else.
"Henry?" he asked a little louder, hoping to rouse his friend, but a little worried about the small trickle of blood that he saw on the man's scalp. He shook his shoulder, but again no response. He would have to go and get help from Kristen.
"Don't worry, Henry, I will be........," was all he got out as he half-turned, ready to stand and exit the room in search of Kristen's medical training. Before he got fully to his knees though, he heard a footstep and then felt a sharp pain to the back of his own head.
The teenager slumped to the floor beside the unconscious butler, both of them not moving.
TO BE CONTINUED....................
Hello everyone – yes I disappeared into the deep void, never to be seen again. I have no excuse or alibi as usual except to say that I have next to no writing time at the moment.
I am trying to update as quickly as I can with all stories, but I want the stories to work and not just update for the sake of it. I want people to enjoy reading too.
Sorry for the delay. Hopefully somebody is still reading out there.
Let me know what you think. The plot for this story has never changed and is hopefully gaining momentum now.
I don't think this is some of my better stuff – but anyway.
Thanks
JULES