Well, the build up is getting there.

I really liked this chapter.

Mostly Noah's POV!

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty

One Step Closer

Noah stood inside Lucinda Walsh's office at WorldWide. His palms were sweating and he was wringing his fingers. He could not stop fidgeting. He felt like a kid being sent to the principal's office. Lucinda Walsh was a force of nature in a thousand dollar suit. She ate guys like Noah for breakfast. But she was also one of the most loyal and loving women he had ever met. She doted on her family and that included her grandson Luke. He knew the next part of his recovery would be talking to Luke and he was going to need help with that.

"Hello darling, what can I do for you?" She asked as she took off her glasses and set them down on her desk. Noah closed the door and walked across the room to her. She looked up at him with a loving, but worried gaze.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Walsh. I need a small favor," Noah said and he saw her eyebrow arch up. He had her attention.

Lucinda was intrigued. She had known Noah for quite some time and he never asked for help. He was much like her grandson that way. Noah was always adamant about doing things himself. She respected him for that. Possibly the only good trait he got from his bastard of a father.

"I must say, you have my attention, my dear boy,"

"I thought I might. As you can tell, my eye sight is better,"

"Lily told me that the operation was a success. I am very happy for you,"

"Thank you. But I wanted to ask you for a favor. I want to go see Luke and I…,"

"Say no more. I think I know where you're going with this," she said as she stood up and walk around her desk. He was nervous and glanced down at the floor. She was barefoot. She had kicked her high heels off as she sat at her desk. This very human action on her part made her less intimidating. Noah felt himself relax. He smiled slightly and look back up and met her gaze.

"I will arrange for a WorldWide jet to take you to Chicago as well as a car to meet you at the airport. I assume that you have not been cleared for driving yet?"

"No, ma'am. I have to wait six months to be medically cleared,"

"Ok. I will also make sure that you have a place to stay. Just in case. Now that does not mean that you have to use," she said with a wink. Noah could not help but blush. She was actually suggesting that he stay with Luke. It wasn't every day that Luke's grandmother pushed him to sleep with Luke. This conversation was getting a bit too open for him.

"I'll pay you back for everything," he said. But Lucinda would have nothing of it.

"No, you won't. You go and bring my grandson home. That will be more than enough payment for me. You hear me?" She said with a smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Walsh," he answered back with a smile of his own.

"Now, you go and pack, while I make the arrangements for you. Come back in one hour," she said and then walked back around her desk and got on the phone. Noah nodded and turned to leave. He was but one step out the door when he heard her voice.

"Noah?" He turned back to face her. "Don't call me Mrs. Walsh. Makes me feel old. You are family, you can call me Lucinda," she said and then winked at the young man. Noah could not help but smirk and quickly ducked out. Lucinda got on the phone with her travel agent and started make the arrangements. She was so glad that Noah was finally getting off his ass to fix what was broken between him and Luke. She had not interfered in the problems with Luke and Noah as much as she wanted to. Luke told her before he left to not try anything. No secret fix-up's or rendezvous'. Just leave it alone. But now she could interfere. Noah had asked for her help and that was what he was going to get.

Noah walked into the house and Lily came out of the kitchen to meet him. His appointment should have been over 45 minutes ago. She was worried about him, but she fought the urge to call to check up on him. He was finally getting some freedom back after almost six months of having a constant shadow. She didn't have the heart to take that away from him.

"Noah, are you ok? I was starting to worry,"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I went to see Lucinda," even saying her name to a third party felt odd. But he would have to get over it. Once Lucinda Walsh insists, you just go along with it. Noah hung his coat up and saw that Lily was surprised and little confused. "I asked for her help. I'm going to Chicago to see Luke,"

Lily fought the urge to jump up and down like a little girl and hug him senseless. She was sure that her huge grin was enough of a hint to show Noah that she was happy about this.

"She's arranging everything. I'm supposed to be back at WorldWide in about 45 minutes and I still have to pack," he said as he walked through the living room. He had so many things running through his head right now and he did not want to make Lucinda Walsh wait for him. Lily let him rush upstairs to pack for his trip.

Ten minutes later Noah came back down with a small carry-on bag. Lily had not moved. She wanted to see him off. Noah looked a like a five year old going to his first day of school. He was excited but still very nervous. He saw Lily standing there and could not help but smile.

"Say hi to my son from me. Tell him to call me,"

"I will," Noah stepped toward the door and stopped in his tracks. He pulled open his bag and tore through its contents. He was looking for something. He wanted to be sure that he packed it. Lily looked at him and she wanted to help, but how. He had it nearly all unpacked before he realized he left it in his room. He dropped his bag and ran back up to his room; taking the stairs two a time.

There sitting on the desk was what he was looking for. It had been there for all these months and he wanted to be sure that he brought it with him. He palmed it and went back downstairs.

"Find what you wanted,"

"Yeah, I almost forgot it. I'll make sure that I tell Luke to call you,"

"Have fun; be careful. And Noah?" She called out as he was halfway out the door.

Noah turned back to her.

"Yeah?"

"Just tell him what's in your heart. Ok?" Lily gave him a half smile, a little peck on the cheek, and light caress on his arm. Noah bowed his head to hide his blushing and stepped out to meet Lucinda.

Noah held the folder Lucinda's agent had given him close to his side. He was to take the jet and there would be a driver waiting on the tarmac at O'Hare. There was also a piece of Lucinda's office stationary tucked inside the folder. When he was safely belted into his seat on the jet, he opened the folder and pulled out the slip of paper. There, scribbled in Lucinda's fluid handwriting, was Luke's address. It was one of the conditions of Luke's leaving Oakdale; Lucinda was paying for Luke's apartment. Lucinda told Noah it was only way that everyone would be satisfied with Luke leaving home alone. Lucinda said she and Lily would take care of the foundation if, and only if, she could pay for Luke to live in a nice, safe place.

Noah smiled at the thought of Luke arguing with Lucinda over this point. Both of them were stubborn to the core.

He ran his fingers over the black ink. This was Luke's home now. These short sentences were where he would find out if his future had Luke in or not.

By the time he landed in Chicago it was nearly eight and he was tired. He stepped into the "car" that Lucinda promised him. If this was a car, he had wings. It was a stretch limo with a sunroof and mini bar. He never felt so out of place in his jeans and layered t-shirts in his life. He reached into his bag and made sure it was still there. He took a breath; it was safely tucked into the side pocket. He breathed out a soft sigh and leaned back into seat. He told the driver to take him to the hotel that Lucinda booked for him.

Noah suddenly was nervous. If this was her version of a car, then he was afraid to see the hotel.

And there was a reason for that.

The first thing Noah noticed when they pulled up in front of his hotel was the huge, round, stained glass window in the middle of the hotel façade. The first seven or eight floors of the hotel looked like something out of movies from the 40's; all stone and ornate. The remaining forty floors were all glass. The sun had nearly set and it cast a purplish glow off the building.

"This is where I'm staying?" He asked no one, but the driver answered.

"Yes, sir. Mrs. Walsh said The Four Seasons,"

He walked into the lobby and felt even more out of the place. It was wall to wall marble. Inlayed and glossy, this place was way out of his price range. He had a feeling a night's stay here was his weekly wage at Java, but that was not important.

He was here just to sleep tonight, because tomorrow his was going to see Luke.

Sleep did not come that night. He managed to fall asleep about 4am, but that only lasted about 8am. He was able to get some breakfast into him and made a call to the car service Lucinda hired from him. He insisted on a normal car; one that did not have its own liquor license.

The car pulled up about half a block from Luke's building and he just sat there. His nervousness was over powering. He just could not make himself open the door.

What would he say?

How would he approach the whole surgery question?

Would Luke shut the door in his face or would Noah just kiss him until he couldn't breathe?

Noah was hoping for the later and not the former. He sat on Luke's street for almost a half-hour before he was finally able to pull the door handle and open the door. His right foot touched the pavement and as he stood there with one foot still in the car, he saw Luke come out of the building.

And Noah stopped breathing.

He looked just he had remembered. He had his messenger bag hanging across his body and his blonde hair blew back in the breeze. Noah quickly got back in the car and slammed the door shut. And he finally got to say something that every movie geek is dying to say.

"Follow that guy,"

The driver nodded in the affirmative and started down the street. Noah had never been so glad for traffic. They were able to blend into the background. They rode about one car length away from Luke for about five blocks until Luke ducked into a coffee shop. Noah laughed; of course it would be coffee. He sat in the car and saw Luke sitting near the window. He still took Noah's breath away.

Noah got the cell number from the driver and got out. This was it. He could feel his heart racing as he walked up the block to the coffee shop. He entered the place and stopped at the door. His feet wouldn't move. He snuck back and sat down across the coffee shop in a booth. He could see Luke sipping his coffee and playing with the cream packets on the table. Luke was always building little towers with the small white containers. He remembered putting them back after each visit Luke made to Java. Noah smiled while he watched him. It had been nearly six months since he had seen Luke and Noah could not help but stare. He was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He was wearing his army jacket that hugged his torso in all the right places. His hair was getting way too long. Luke kept brushing it out of his eyes. The only reason Noah liked Luke's hair long was when he got to brush it off his face; especially right before he kissed him. It was like opening a curtain to a beautiful view. Just when he had gotten enough courage to walk up to him, a blonde guy walked from the counter and then sat at Luke's table.

Noah felt that stab in his chest again. Was this the guy that answered Luke's phone? They seemed real relaxed around each other. Noah saw Luke laugh at "blondie" and he teased him. Noah felt any self-confidence he had built up over the last two weeks slowly leaving his body. He was suddenly that scared guy that he was when he met Luke. Unsure and confused. The only thing he was sure of was that he had to get out the there. He pulled out his cell and called the driver. He decided that he would wait outside. He got up and was out in the spring air before he lost it in the coffee shop in front of Luke.

The driver showed up a few minutes later and he was quickly ushered to the hotel. He didn't even hear the ambulance pull up in the background. Noah got into the elevator and into his room real quickly. He shut the door and nearly collapsed against it. He had been running on adrenaline since yesterday and a night of no sleep was catching up to him. He felt fifty years older. He was packing his bag to fly back when his cell rang. He looked at the display and saw "Lily".

"Hi, Lily. I'm on my way back…," he quickly said before she even had a chance to ask anything about Luke.

"No, Noah, stay there," her voice was panicked and she sounded out of breath. "I just got a call from Norwegian-American Hospital; Luke was just brought into the emergency room,"

Noah felt his legs give out; he landed on his knees in the middle of the hotel room. He couldn't speak; he just listened to Lily's desperate voice.

"Go to the hospital and stay with him. It'll take us a few hours to get there. We're taking one of WorldWide's jets and we will get there as soon we can. Just…just be there for my boy. Please," she was near tears and her voice was shaking; Noah wasn't too far off.

"I promise, I'll go now," he snapped his phone shut and ran out the door.

He needed to see him.

No matter what happened next.

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