Chapter Eleven

The waiting was hell on Dillon. He wanted to rush into Clark's room and blurt out "I'm your Dad!" but he didn't want to freak the kid out.

He heard from Lulu that Luke had pulled his Dr. Scwzagabergner routine again and been in Clark's room a few more times.

But Dillon waited until Clark was well enough to be released. On that day Dr. Phillips called Lulu and Dillon and told them to head into the city.

As they rode the elevator up to Clark's room Lulu was pale. She started to tremble. Dillon wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"He might hate me." Lulu whispered

"Then we'll fin d a way to make him love you."

"How do you do that?"

"Persistence. We have the rest of our lives to prove to him he can count on us."

The elevator doors opened.

They stepped out and Dillon's hand slid down off her shoulder to take her hand in his.

They walked down the long white hall. All around them was noise, doctors, staff rushing, carts in the hallway, but they saw or heard none of it. Together they were lost in thoughts of twenty years ago.

Lulu had cried, "It's my choice!"

Dillon had insisted desperately, "This is my baby too."

She had only wanted him to love her. If he had said, "You're the one I want to be with." everything might have been different.

But he couldn't and even before they had sex she knew that his heart was taken by Georgie.

It hadn't stopped her love for him. She couldn't control how her heart wanted him.

Lulu had said, "I know what I have to do."

Dillon had said, "You're killing my baby."

And it felt like a part of all of them, the part that could have been spent together as a family, did die.

So Lulu pressed hard on the gas pedal of the borrowed Bentley and drove until she could hear her own thoughts again. And found a safe place for the child she never planned to love as much as this.

Dillon and Lulu were broken hearted. Him for the loss of his first child. Her for the loss of her first love and the chance for a traditional family life for her, the man she loved, and her child.

Clark, sitting in a wheel chair, was speaking to the doctor, when they walked in, "I thought you couldn't tell me who the donor was? I have been asking for days and no one will tell me anything."

"I think I can answer your questions." Dillon said

Clark turned and his eyes got wide. "Dillon Quatermaine!" His mouth dropped. He said "Awesome! I love all your movies. What are you doing here? Visiting sick kids to cheer them up or something? You like dropped off the planet a few years ago. Are you making another movie soon?"

Lulu saw the same manic energy Dillon had as a teen in Clark.

"No, I'm here for you." Dillon said. "Can I have a few moments of your time ?"

"Of course you can! I'm a director, too. Well, I've only done student films in college so far. But I'm gonna be big. You're like... my...idol." Embarrassed he added quickly, " I mean I study all your films."

Dr. Phillips said "Page me if you need me, okay?"

"Thank you, doctor."said Lulu

Clark finally looked at her. His eyes narrowed. He said, "Are you someone famous too? An actress?

I have seen you somewhere before, haven't I?"

Lulu and Dillon sat down. She said, "You've seen me before but not on TV. I used to visit you when you were a little kid. The last time I saw you, you had just started kindergarten."

Confused he asked, "You knew my parents?"

"Yes, Miranda and Harris were wonderful people."

Clark looked down to hid his grief. "Yeah, they were." He looked back up "But what are you doing here? Did they make you like my guardian or something in case they died. Because I'm over eighteen so I'll be alright on my own."

"You don't remember me?" Lulu asked softly

"Sort of. You seem like someone I know but I can't remember anything specific. Did you stay close to my parents over the years?"

"Unfortunately no."

"So why are you here with a big time Hollywood director?"

"Because I read about you in the paper and I had to come. I knew you were alone because you lost your parents. Do you have any other family?"

"A grandmother. Why?"

"No one else?" Lulu prodded

"What are you getting at? Are we related?"

"Yes. Biologically we are."

"Biologically?" Clark repeated. Slowly the truth dawned in his eyes. "You know I was adopted,

don't you?"

"You know?"asked Dillon him

Clark said, "I always knew. But my parents didn't like to talk about it." he looked at Dillon "You're not here to make a movie about this, are you? I am so not interested in that. Plane crashes, malaria from Africa and a mysterious kidney donor might seem like high drama to you but this is my life."

"Mine too." said Dillon

"Hold on now. Is it you or her who is related to me?"

Lulu said , "Clark we're your birth parents. I'm Lulu Spencer. My name is on your adoption papers. And though I didn't name him at the time, Dillon is your birth father."

Clark's eyes darted back and forth, looking at both of them.

"No way." he breathed out

"It's true, son." Dillon said

"Son! Don't you dare call me that." Clark exploded "Where the hell have you been?"