Author's note- I finished writing this fic on Monday. I am posting two chapters today, then I will post the final two later this week. The story is slightly longer than I expected . I hope you like the conclusion I have crafted.
LUCKY left work but didn't go home. Instead he sat in his car and made a call on his cell phone. "Alexis? Yeah, it's Lucky Spencer. I need a favor. Can you come to the police station right away?"
A FEW HOURS LATER, JAX was sitting in his hotel suite, with angel baby asleep in his arms, when the phone rang.
Carly answered it, spoke for a few moments, and then hung up. When she looked at Jax, his heart sped up.
He asked, "What's wrong? Who was that?"
"Mrs. Walker. The police just contacted her. They know who the mother of angel baby is. She said we need to bring Isabella to her office in the morning."
"Why? Does her birth family want her back?" His voice was panicked, his eyes shot down to look at his daughter. Such a beauty, his little girl. She had to stay his little girl, or else, Jax was sure, his heart would break in such a way that it could never be put back together again.
"I don't know." Carly said, his voice shaky. "Can they do that? No! It's not right. They can't have her! We could run away."
Jax whispered, "We can't do that to her."
"I hate Maxie Jones!" Carly wailed, tears falling form her eyes.
"Hold on, did you say Maxie? Maxie is her mother?" Jax asked "Then who is the father?"
Carly's face froze. "I have an idea of who it could be...damn it. Your daughter may not just be a Jones."
Their eyes met and Carly continued," Isabella could be a Spencer, too. Maxie had an affair with my cousin Lucky."
Jax let out a breath. How could he fight two families in one small town all by himself?
"I need to call Alexis." Jax said
LULU sat on the stairs of her beach front condo, staring past the sand into the sky, a wild mix of colors caused by the setting sun as it crept ever closer to the ocean.
She was absorbed in memories, picturing a summer when she fell so deep in love with a guy that the rest of her life would forever bear the scar of losing him- though, in truth, had she ever had him?
Was there a moment, one second even, when he had loved only her? Lulu didn't know. It had always seemed to her that she was trying desperately to drag Dillon away from Georgie and over to her. The tug of war exhausted her, because she didn't want to have to fight it. It was beneath her. Yet, she did it- cause he was Dillon and her crazy heart kept saying it needed him.
Her mind was so wrapped up in thinking about him that when she noticed him standing at the end of the stairs, twenty steps down from her on the beach, Lulu was sure she was imagining him.
But then he spoke, "You left without saying good bye."
"Good bye."
He started climbing the stairs, she stood up.
"That's the thing, Lu, I don't want to say good bye."
"We don't always get what we want, Dillon. You need to go back home to...her. Just go and stop making this so hard."
"No."
She cocked her eyebrow at him, her voice challenged him when she asked, "No? Why the hell not? Is this your new favorite hobby since you dropped film making? Messing with my mind for the sport of it? Save your 'I'm your friend, Lulu.' speech. I've had enough of being your friend. All I want now is to not see you anymore."
She turned and walked inside the condo, leaving Dillon on the top stair with a look of heartbreak on his face.
JAX hung up his cell phone. "All I get is voice mail when I call, Alexis. I am going to have to find a different attorney if she does not get back to me soon. I want to know my rights before I walk into that meeting with the social worker in the morning."
"Get a shark. Someone who plays dirty," Carly suggested "I learned a long time ago that you can not be nice and be a winner."
"That is not always true."
"Jax! This is not the time to be civil, understanding or noble. You had better fight your ass off to keep Izzy with you and Robin."
He looked at the baby that Carly was holding, her heart shaped mouth, her few strands of light brown hair, they way Isabella's eyes could now focus on them. She knew who her family was: Robin, Patrick, Jax and Carly. She had grandparents that adored her in Anna, Noah and Robert. And On Sunday, at the Christening, she was supposed to meet Lady Jane. Isabella had a two homes, two stand in big brothers in Micheal and Morgan, and a huge group of people willing to do anything to keep her with them, to give her only the best life had to offer.
Carly said. "If you want me to I can talk to Lucky. But don't back down,. okay? You have to be willing to fight for her."
"Believe me I plan to," Jax said.
DILLON pulled open the screen door at the condo and followed Lulu inside.
"Hey!" he called after her as she stomped into the bedroom.
"Go back home!" she flung over shoulder
"Come back with me!" He called out, his voice as ticked off as hers.
Lulu was about to slam the bedroom door when she stopped and said, "That is not my home. Not right now. Maybe never again. I... need more time. Give it to me, okay?"
Softly, Dillon said, "I can't."
Lulu groaned and spun away. She walked further into the bedroom and sat on the bed. "Ugh, Dillon. I am so tired of you feeling sorry for me. I'm not your pet project, 'The Save Lulu Experiment.' Okay? I can get over what happened alone. I can...get over you. Give me some more time. Go back to Port Charles and live your life. Go to school. Give up this ridiculous business major and follow your heart." Her voice softened. "Go for what you love. I want you to do that. Make your life about what you have, not what you don't."
"I am, that's why I am here." He crouched in front of her on the bed.
"I don't get it." her eyes were confused.
Dillon whispered, "I'm going for my love. What I can't live without. You, Lesley Lu Spencer. You're who I love."
"No, I'm not." She said, shaking her head. Her eyes told him she wanted to believe it but couldn't risk hoping.
He stood and pulled her to her feet. His hand held hers when he said, "Yes, you are. I'm a fool for not saying this a long time ago. Maybe it would all be different if I did. But you're a lot braver than I am. I didn't know I could change my whole life... but then you showed up and did it for me."
"I ruined your life. You lost...oh, god, Dillon. You lost your chance to be a dad because of me. You lost your will to try and be a director. You lost..."
"I gained you."
"That's not much of a trade."
He smiled, then his lips were on hers. Lulu tried to move away, but her mind lost out to her heart and she melted into him.
Dillon rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "You are worth more than any other dream I thought I wanted. Don't tell me I don't know who I love. I do. And it you, Lulu. Only you."
Finally. That is the one word that drifted though Lulu Spencer's mind at that moment. And then her lips were moving back toward his, not waiting to think anymore, she wanted to feel. To feel loved by the one guy that made her think risking it all just might be worth it.
THE NEXT MORNING, Mrs. Walker sat behind her desk. In the chairs in front of her sat Robin, Patrick, Jax, and Dara Jensen- attorney at law.
Robin held her daughter in her arms.
"The adoption is not final," Mrs. Walker said "We haven't been before the judge yet. So if the birth family chooses to go for custody they could petition the court for a hearing."
"Mac and Felicia have promised not to do that," Robin told her.
"Those are Maxie's parents, right?" Mrs. Walker said, reading over her paperwork.
"Right," Patrick said "So there is no reason this should affect Robin's having custody. Just because we know who are biologically related to Izzy doesn't change who her parents really are."
"I completely agree," Dara said. "The child is in a secure home environment with an abundance of love from all three of her primary parental figures. Considering the charges facing Miss Jones I don't think there should be any problem having a judge signing off on terminating her parental rights."
Mrs. Walker said, "Miss Jones is not the only person who may have a vested legal interest and, maybe even, right to claim custody. I had to inform the parents of Kyle Radcliffe, who Maxie is naming as the father, about the existence of the child. Also, I have spoken to a-
Her words were cut off by a knock on the door.
"Come in," she said
Alexis and Lucky walked into the room.
Mrs. Walker stood up and shook their hands.
"What is going on here?" jax said, a rising sense of panic in his tone.
"I was just about to explain about your concerns, Officer Spencer." Mrs. Walker said
FELICIA held Mac's hand as he rang the doorbell at Bobbie's house. Felicia's face was pale, her expression similar to someone who just survived a natural disaster. Long minutes passed before Bobbie opened the door.
Felicia could hear the sound of Lucas, Georgie and Maxie playing in the background of the house, running up and down the stairs, yelling "Tag!" and "Ready or not here I come!" during a game of hide and seek.
The sound of them being young and innocent, the memory of a time when everything was still perfect.
Bobbie asked, "It's kind of early, isn't it?" She looked like she had just crawled out of bed, except she was fully dressed, in the same suit she wore the day before. Her eyes connected with Mac, and suddenly took on a terrified expression. "What is it? What happened? Is it Carly? Luke? Not the kids! Oh god, don't tell me this." She spun on her heel and went into the living room.
They could see her hands shaking.
Felicia said , softly, "No. No. It's not that. They are all fine. We came to talk to you about Lucas."
"Together?" Bobbie asked "At nine in the morning? Did... do you know... who it was?"
"Someone confessed to being in the car at the time Lucas was hit last fall." Mic said
Bobbie collapsed onto the sofa. The next word was hollow, "Who?"
Felicia sat next to her. She took Bobbie's hand. "A young man named Kyle Radcliffe was driving the car. But he wasn't alone...Maxie was with him."
Bobbie thought back to the ugly scene with Maxie at the bar, she thought of all the birthday parties she threw for Maxie, of how Lucas loved her, how they were so close as cousins, she thought of BJ, and then Bobbie put her hand in her hands and sobbed.
ROBIN felt her body becoming weak as she looked at Lucky, she gripped her daughter a little tighter.
Her eyes met Patrick's. Though he was trying to be strong for her, she could see fear creeping into his expression.
Not long ago neither of them thought they were ready for a kid. The idea was not even on the edge of their mind. Being in love, being doctors, being young and unsure about what the future held, was enough of a challenge for both Patrick and Robin. But now that they had Isabella, they both knew she was what they wanted their future to look like.
Isabella brought into tight focus what they were to each other- family. Their was no more playing around about if they were committed or not. They were, to each other and her.
Patrick reached for her hand.
Alexis said, "My client..."
Jax butted in, " Your client? You could have called me about this!"
"There wasn't time. I'm sorry," she said, her eyes meeting his for a moment. And then she took back on her all business voice, "My client Lorenzo Lucas Spencer Jr. has petitioned the court for a DNA test of the minor child who was found in the park on the night of June..."
Patrick angrily corrected her, "Her name is Isabella Angel Scorpio Jacks Drake."
Alexis said, "Until she is adopted, I'm sorry, but no it is not."
Robin finally found her voice, she asked "Why don't you think Kyle is the father?"
Gently Lucky told her, "He might be. I just have to know for sure. I can't trust anything Maxie says. And I think we should get this all cleared up as soon as possible."
Robin, looking directly in his eyes, asked "Would you try and get full custody if you are the birth father?"
"Would you let me see her if I was?" Lucky asked
Robin said, "Yes! Of course. Just don't take my daughter from me. Please, Lucky try and see she is better off..."
Dara jumped in with "Hold on a moment. We will not entertain custody negotiations at this time. In fact, I don't think there should be a DNA test. We plan to file for a temporary injunction to stop any medical procedures from being performed on the baby. Her father, according to all the legal documents we have at this time, has been established to be Mr. Jasper Jacks. And he will be pursuing every legal option available to him to keep it that way."
"I just want to know the truth!" Lucky said
Robin let out a breath, "We all need to know that. Izzy needs to know that. Jax, please don't fight this. I want what is best for her and having the people who love her in court is not it."
Jax looked down, trying not to cry here in this room full of people. He couldn't even look at his daughter, or he knew he would lose it.
Jax said, harshly, "Do the damn test then."
Author's note- I figured no one is going to trust Maxie. She lies way too often for that.