Chapter 13

Coop had been waiting for Lizzie at the Beacon for at least 15 minutes now. It was only a five-minute drive from the Spaulding Mansion, so he was getting a little worried. She sounded very upset on the phone, so needless to say, there was something wrong, but he didn't know what.

Lizzie had finally made it to the Beacon. She had ran for the last fifteen minutes, and that wasn't easy in her high heel shoes. She peaked in the window of the Beacon and saw Coop sitting on the couch in the center of the lobby. She smiled when she saw him. He always made her smile even on the worst days, and this definitely, qualified as a horrible day. She opened up the door and walked inside, trying not to show how tired she was.

Coop looked over his shoulder when he heard someone come in the door, and sure enough it was finally Lizzie. He got up and walked over there to her.

" Hey! Where have you been.." Coop started to ask, but Lizzie quickly interrupted him.

" I'll explain later. We have to go NOW!" she said, dragging him off to the roof of the Beacon.

Over at the Spaulding Mansion, Alan had started to feel a little bad for locking Lizzie in her room, so he had went up to check on her.

Finally arriving at her door, Alan knocked. " Elizabeth, I am coming in." With that, Alan unlocked her door and opened the door. He saw no Elizabeth.

" Elizabeth? Where are you?" Alan said, getting a little angry. She had somehow snuck out of her room and went to see that Cooper boy. He knew exactly where they were, and he was going to find her right now. But the one thing he didn't know was how she got out of her room. First guess would be the window, but she had been scared of heights since she was a little girl. But that didn't matter, he was going over to Company to find his granddaughter and talk some sense into her.

Lizzie was still dragging Coop up the stairs to the roof when they finally made it to the top step. Lizzie walked out and looked around on the roof to make sure the coast was clear, then once again, dragged Coop behind her up to the roof.

"Okay, we're here. What are you being so secretive about?" Coop asked, finally relieved to be on the roof where he could talk.

" Just let me get off these perilous heels. They are killing my feet." Lizzie said, taking off her shoes.

" Perilous heels?" Coop asked, laughing. " I didn't know you talked so proper."

" Well, your feet would be killing you to if you just ran for fifteen minutes in high heels." Lizzie said, finally getting her other shoe off.

" You ran? Here?" Coop said, immediately concerned. " Why did you run here instead of driving your car?" Coop asked.

" Because my grandfather would have known I left the house if he had seen my car gone." Lizzie explained.

" Why do you care if your grandfather knows where you went?" Coop asked. " I mean, you're an adult, and you can do what you want. I thought you had already told him that much." Coop said.

Lizzie sighed and looked up at Coop after throwing her shoe down. " He kind of…" Lizzie began to say.

" Lizzie, what did he do to you? You're acting very strange." Coop said, wondering what in the world was wrong with her. " Are you feeling okay?" He asked very concerned.

Lizzie smiled to herself, obviously feeling very cared about. This was about the third time tonight he had asked her if she was feeling okay.

" Yes, Coop I feel fine. My grandfather found out that I was going to see you tonight, and he told me I couldn't go." Lizzie said, very casually.

" What else happened? I know you Lizzie, and I know you are not being completely honest with me, so what else happened?" Coop asked, getting very concerned.

" It doesn't matter, Coop." Lizzie said, trying to get him to leave the subject alone.

Coop wasn't budging. " Yes, it does matter. Now what did he do to you?" Coop pressured.

" He locked me in my room and wouldn't let me out." Lizzie finally said, sitting on the edge of the roof.

" He what?" Coop said, now feeling a rush of anger. " He locked you in your room just so you wouldn't see me tonight?" Coop finished.

Lizzie looked up and had tears in her eyes. " It was horrible. I can't believe he would do something like that to me." Lizzie said.

Coop sat down beside her as she started to cry. " How did you get out?" Coop asked her.

" I climbed out my window. Just like the way you come in." she said smiling through her tears

" Well, I think it is time I went and had a talk with your grandfather," Coop said, standing up and getting ready to leave.

Lizzie jumped up and grabbed his arm. " Coop please don't." Lizzie said, begging him not to go.

" Lizzie, your grandfather locked you in your room and then forced you to climb out the window, and all the while you are supposed to be relaxing and taking it easy so that you will have all of your strength to fight off this cancer. Your grandfather is responsible for this and I have had it. I am going to go and tell him off once and for all." Coop said, once again trying to leave.

Lizzie pleaded once again. " Look, Coop, I know what my grandfather did was wrong. But we have to remember; he doesn't know that I have Leukemia again. Don't get me wrong, I am not defending him. He had no right to treat you the way he did the other night and to treat me the way he did tonight, but just do as I did and learn to deal with it." Lizzie said, trying to make him see her side of things.

Coop sighed and looked at her. " Lizzie, I really think…" Coop began, but Lizzie interrupted him again.

" Please Coop, don't let my grandfather, who isn't even here, ruin this night for us. We deserve a little fun and that is exactly what is going to happen here tonight." Lizzie said.

Coop finally gave in, not wanting to upset her even more. " Okay, you win. So, what are we going to do on the Beacon rooftop? Coop asked.

" You know, about three months ago, we were up here and you saved my life. This place has had a lot of excitement." Lizzie said, smiling at Coop.

" Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Coop said. " But we need to make some more excitement for this place to remember. So, Elizabeth Spaulding, can I have this dance?" Coop said, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

" Yes, Mr. Bradshaw you can." Lizzie said, standing up by grabbing onto Coop's hand. " Wait a minute, there is no music?" Lizzie said, wondering how they could dance without music.

" Well, we'll just make our own." Coop said.

Lizzie put her arms around his neck, while he put his arms around her waist. Lizzie laid her head on Coop's shoulder and they swayed back and forth.

" Coop?" Lizzie said, lifting her head off of his shoulder.

" What?" Coop asked looking at her.

" I was just wondering, what do you see in me? I mean no other guy has ever really liked me mostly because of all the horrible things I have done, but I mean, I have done nothing but horrible stuff to you and your family, but still somehow, you still like me." Lizzie said.

" For one thing, you are beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. And you have a big heart, way deep inside. You always have, I am just the first person to see it." Coop said, finally looking at her.

Lizzie was getting all teary eyed. " Do you really mean all those wonderful things?" she asked.

" Yes, Lizzie, I do. You are an amazing person full of laughter and courage. I have seen you take charge of this cancer and pledge to fight it as hard as you have to. Even, I couldn't be this brave about the fact that I had cancer." Coop finished.

" I just want you to know something. I mean, you know how hard it is for me to trust someone. I just don't trust people that easily. I have been let down time and time again when it comes to trusting people. To be honest with you, the only person I have ever fully trusted was my father, until now." Lizzie said, looking at Coop was a kind of half smile.

" What are you saying?" Coop asked.

" I am saying, I used to hate you. I hated you sooo much after what you did to me in court. Then I sat down and realized that you didn't even know that I had killed Carl all those years ago. And I realized that you didn't do this on purpose. You did it because you love your sister and your family. I really respected that then and I still do now." Lizzie continued. " My point is, I, like you, started to see you in a new light. To be completely honest with you, you are the best person I have ever known." Lizzie said.

Coop was more than shocked. " Lizzie, come on. I mean, I am not perfect by a long shot. You can't possibly think I am the best person you have ever met?" Coop said.

" Yes, you are. I mean I have never met anyone like you. You have forgiven me time and time again for stuff now that I think back on it that were totally unforgivable. And still, you are here with me supporting me through all of this. I fully and completely trust you." Lizzie stated, finally getting her point across.

" You trust me?" Coop said, very surprised.

" Yes, I do. You have proven that I can come to you with anything." Lizzie said.

Lizzie was suddenly overcome with emotion, and started to tear up again. Coop gently wiped away her tears as they began to fall. Then he leaned in and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Alan had marched all the way over to Company on his mission to find his granddaughter and that good for nothing Cooper boy. He opened the door to Company oblivious to the sign outside that said CLOSED.

" Where the hell is my granddaughter?" Alan said, slamming the door shut.

Buzz looked up from the paper he was reading. " Nice to see you too, Alan. What brings you by?" Buzz said, sarcastically.

" I know my granddaughter is here somewhere. Now where is she!" Alan said yelling.

" Alan, I have no idea where Lizzie is." Buzz said, trying to hide the fact that he knew she was with his son.

" She is here, and I know it. She is with your son, and he is going to fill her head with lies about our family, and I won't allow it." Alan said, getting very angry.

Just then Frank came barreling down the stairs. " Alan what the hell are you doing here?" Frank said.

" I am here to find your brother because my granddaughter is with him." Alan said.

" Alan, I talked to Coop earlier this afternoon and he told me that he had a date this afternoon and…" Frank started and then a light bulb went off in his head. He turned to Buzz who had tried to slip out of the room.

" Dad! Did Coop really go out with Lizzie tonight?" Frank asked, hoping the answer was no.

Alan jumped in before Buzz had a chance to say anything.

" My Lizzie could have any guy in this town that she wanted and she chooses your low life good for nothing brother" Alan said, getting madder by the minute.

Frank was getting just as mad. " Listen here Alan, I think that your Lizzie is a psycho. She is totally crazy.

Buzz walked over and yelled, " Stop it! Lizzie and Coop are probably on their way home right now and we can talk to them then.

Back on the Beacon rooftop, Lizzie and Coop were still kissing. Finally it broke up.

Lizzie slowly opened her eyes. " Wow," she said, looking at Coop and kind of smiling.

" Wow is right," Coop said smiling back at her. He looked at his watch and noticed it was getting pretty late.

" It is 11:30" Coop said, " we better start heading home."

" Can't we just stay up here a little while longer? I don't want to go home and face my grandfather." Lizzie said, sitting down.

Coop sat down beside of her. " Okay, but only for you," Coop said.

Lizzie laid her head once again on Coop's shoulder and closed her eyes. Coop put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

Alan was pacing the floor at Company. " Where in the hell has your son taken my granddaughter? It is past midnight now. I swear, Buzz, if your son has taken advantage of my Lizzie, I will make him pay." Alan said.

"Alan, calm down," Buzz started.

" I am staying here until Coop and Lizzie walk through that door." Alan said, sitting down on a chair.

Buzz said to himself, " This is going to be a long night"

Spoilers For Chapter 14:

Coop and Lizzie wake up in the morning to discover they spent the whole night on the roof

Alan is furious when Lizzie doesn't come home all night

Frank tries to tell Coop to stay away from Lizzie, but that falls on deaf ears

Alan Michael continues to deceive Alan

Gus joins forces with Alan Michael to bring Alan down

MAJOR SPOILER:

Phillip is Alive! He joins Gus and AM in bringing Alan down. Look for the three Spaulding brothers to take their own father down!

Meanwhile, Phillip finds out that Lizzie is dating Coop and he is shockingly okay with it, and comes close to telling her so, but alas, something gets in his way and Lizzie still believes he is dead.

I figured I would need Phillip alive in this story so that Lizzie could have her daddy's approval.

Whitney