Chapter 52

Lulu pushed on the front door of Wyndermere and nearly fell through as Alfred pulled it open.

"Good morning Miss Lulu"

"Alfred, tell the truth now, do you have e.s.p or spy cameras or something?" she asked as she shrugged off her jacket.

"A good butler anticipates, Miss Lulu" he said holding a hanger out to her. "Mister Young is waiting for you in the drawing room. I have a pot of coffee and fresh scones waiting."

Standing on her tiptoes, she placed a small kiss on the older man's cheek. "You rock Alfred."

"I most certainly do not rock Miss Lulu but thank you," he smiled at her.

Nervously Lulu walked in to the drawing room. It had been less than 12 hours since she had seen Ethan but it felt like a week - she was dying to see him but afraid that he would decide she was too much to take on. She chuckled to herself, who was she kidding, of course she was too much to take on - she was a Spencer after all and Spencers were not for the faint of heart. She pulled on her sweater and tried to smooth her hair - she suddenly wished she had lip gloss with her. Stopping in the doorway she saw him sitting on the couch, cradling a coffee mug between his hands. His long legs bounced up and down as he stared off in to space. It was obvious that she wasn't the only one who had a sleepless night.

"Hey" she called to him quietly.

He looked over at her, his blue eyes still haunted. "Hi." He set the mug down on the table. "I hope you don't mind but Nathalie said it would be okay if I waited."

Crossing the room, she sat down on the couch close enough for their legs to touch. "I didn't think you would be here."

"Where else would I be?" he asked. He hated the strangeness between them. In a short period she had come to mean so much to him, he knew he was likely too invested in her but he couldn't help himself. Lulu made him feel normal after years of not feeling anything. He just hoped it wasn't too late, that he hadn't walked out on his father for nothing and that he'd wind up alone.

"I just thought... - I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to walk away."

"I don't want to" he whispered. "Not ever."

Lulu dropped her head. "I'm sorry I yelled at you last night" she said quietly, staring at the ground.

"Are you okay?" Lulu nodded. "I told my dad off and came after you but I couldn't find you." He sucked in a sharp breath. "He told me if I kept seeing you he would cut me off financially."

Her head snapped up in surprise. "Ethan - oh god - oh no."

He shook his head. "It's okay - I'll get a job and a student loan - it's not like a million other students don't do the same thing."

"I don't want you to change things with your dad because of me."

"It's not because of you - it's because of him." Blinking rapidly, he breathed in slowly. "That's not my dad - the way he spoke to you - that's not who he is."

Lulu reached for his hand with Nathalie's words about what a difficult time he's had echoing in her head. "I'm really sorry."

"Me too," he said closing his eyes in relief as her hand closed around his. "That's not my dad" he whispered. "That's not the guy who stayed at my bedside day and night"

Still holding his hand she turned to face him, tucking her legs underneath her. "What do you mean stayed at your bedside?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Anyways, I'm glad you're okay."

"Nuh-uh - no way" she said forcefully. "You don't get to throw that out there and then dismiss it like it's no big deal. Why were you in the hospital?"

Ethan picked up the plate from the table and offered it to Lulu. "Scone?" he asked. "I've had two already and they're really good."

Lulu shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from Ethan's. Normally so calm and cool - she often teased him about being zen - he was so tightly wound this morning. "Ethan." She put her hand on his. "Talk to me." With his breathing ragged and unable to meet her gaze, he chewed on his lip. "It's about your mom, isn't it?" He nodded. "You got hurt when your mom was...."

"Murdered. My mom was murdered."

Lulu stroked the hair along the nape of his neck. "You don't have to tell me."

"I do." He inhaled sharply. "I need you to know why I can't completely cut my dad from my life."

"I don't want you to do that..."

"I should though - I should be able to cut him off completely for what he did and what he said to you but I can't."

Lulu continued to play with his hair letting her fingers gently massage his neck. Neither spoke for several minutes as their respective pain and fear hung in the air. Ethan shifted on the couch moving closer to his girlfriend. "I was on my way to hockey practice" he started, his hand clammy and trembling inside Lulu's. Remembering the number of people who held her, loved her and transferred their strength to her when she needed it most, she held his hand tightly. "My parents had bought me a Range Rover for my 16th birthday."

"Nice ride" Lulu teased gently.

"Oh I was all kinds of hot in it" he smiled weakly. "It was a Thursday - it was a special practice because we had a big tournament in Canada on the weekend, so I had just thrown my equipment in the back when my mom came out and said she wanted to come to practice with me. She'd been working late a lot and I hadn't seen much of her so she jumped in my truck and we headed to the rink." He closed his eyes as it all came back to him - the starless sky, the way the traffic light swung in the wind and the slightly acid smell to the air. "We were at a red light when these two guys pull open the back door of my truck and jump in. They pulled guns on us and ordered me to drive." Lulu's stomach began to twist and knot in anticipation. "My mom tried to reason with them, offer them the truck, money – she even offered her jewelry but they weren't interested. They forced us to a vacant lot and told me to turn the engine off. I tried to bluff them and say that I had hit a panic button but somehow they knew I was lying. We were ordered out of the car and I was told to kneel. They held my mom off to the side." His voice shook as the nightmare of that night played out before him. Wrapping her arms around him, Lulu held him tightly.

"The first guy put a gun to my forehead"

"Ethan" Lulu whispered in horror.

"And he started to pull the trigger but my mom broke free of the guy holding her and launched herself at him. His shot was off some and he hit me in the shoulder and not the head. I don't even remember the bullet going in me – no pain, no screaming – I was completely frozen. The guy smacked – I mean smacked – my mom across the face. It wasn't until I tried to get up that I even knew I had been shot. The second guy started to shoot and the bullet hit me here" he said, pushing his hair back and for the first time Lulu noticed a tiny scar buried in his hairline. "My mom," a small sob escaped his lip and she pressed her lips against his temple while rubbing his shaking arms soothingly. He took several deep breaths before starting again. "My mom threw herself on top of me and they filled her with bullets. There was no sound, they had silencers but the smell of the guns was overwhelming – I passed out. Convinced we were both dead, they took my truck and left."

Stroking his cheek, she pressed her lips near his ear. "I am so sorry" she whispered.

He nodded in recognition. "That was Thursday – the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital and it's Tuesday. My dad was there in the chair by my bed – he stayed with me the whole time. I didn't remember anything for a few days and then it all came back. I had nightmares – the shakes – the sweats – you name it. At home, I would wake up screaming and my dad would come to my room and stay with me until I was okay. That is my dad – I don't know who that was last night but that wasn't him."

She tightened her hold on him. "Last night doesn't matter" she said softly. "You'll find a way to make it up with your dad."

"Lu" he said tiredly. The fight with his father had been draining and looking for his girlfriend most of the night had exhausted him but the telling of his story, of the most awful night of his life, had sapped him of whatever strength he had left.

"Shh" she soothed. "You must be tired." He nodded sheepishly, afraid that he had revealed too much vulnerability to this girl who embodied strength and determination for him. She stood up and took his hand. "Me too – I didn't sleep very much last night…"

He relcutantly let her pull him from the couch. There was a large part of him that, having exposed himself, wanted to run and hide. Being a runner herself, Lulu knew this but had learned as recently as that morning that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to stand still. Gripping her hand, he let her lead him up the stairs and to her bedroom. She stripped down to her boy shorts and tank top while Ethan kicked of his shoes and let his pants and shirt fall to the floor. She held the covers back for him while he tentatively climbed in the bed. Once in, Lulu tangled herself around him lovingly running her hands over his bare skin. "Thank you for telling me" she whispered. Moved by her support and her taking care of him, he pressed his lips into the top of her head and said nothing. He had no words left for the moment.

*****
Annoyed at being pulled away from his blue prints by the shrill ring of his phone, he flipped it open. "Yes madame?"

"We have a new wrinkle"

"Oh?" he said, rolling his eyes. While Helena proved to be useful in terms of resources and funding, Bruce was finding her a demanding and difficult task master. Her obsession with her grandson's girlfriend was preventing him from executing his plans for the great Dr. Scorpio.

"The little whore is pregnant."

"Robin?" he asked in shock.

"Not Robin you moronic twit," she chided. "That whore my grandson is keeping. She is pregnant with a Cassadine heir – we need to get our hands on that baby."

"Are you sure she's pregnant?"

"Of course I'm sure" she spat. "My grandson was just here to ensure that I am properly locked up in this asylum – silly boy – he forgets that everyone has a price and I have all the money. My contact at the hospital faxed me her blood tests that were taken after your little debacle."

"Are you sure it's Nikolas'?"

"Though she is a slut and that will never change, I am sure this child is a Cassadine – what better way to sink her gold digging claws into his fortune and my grandson is too simple, too blinded by love, too impressed by her damage to see that."

Bruce sighed silently as she railed against Nathalie – a frequent exercise that bored him. "So what are we to do?" he asked as she finished her rant.

"We are going to make sure that we have the baby – which means you no longer have two months – I want her in my custody within the next two weeks – make it happen Mr. Harris or your precious Robin Scorpio may be suddenly unavailable to you."

Flinching as she slammed the phone down on him, Bruce blew out a long breath and returned to his blueprints. Work was going to have to progress much more quickly if they were going to meet the new deadline.

*****
The weariness was so deeply embedded in Nathalie that she was tempted, as she walked from the launch to Wyndermere, just to lie down where she was and sleep on the spot. Whatever fight she had was surely gone and she was ready to surrender and sleep for months. Having decided to withdraw her appeal of the custody decision, she had spent the day at the hospital with her daughter – holding her, reading to her, singing to her and just being with her. Dr. Garcia had told her that if Grace continued to progress she would be ready to go home within the next two weeks. But she wouldn't be going home with her mother, she would go to her grandparents who had made it clear in no uncertain terms that they would stop at nothing to wrest control of Nathalie's children from her. Her only comfort was that Oliver would be there too so Grace wouldn't be all alone.

She had dodged several phone calls from Noah. Even more so that Patrick on Nik, he had the ability to see right through her or right in to her and she was too tired, too emotionally bankrupt to talk to him. Talking with Noah would force her to stop, to be honest with how she was feeling and how she was coping and if she did that she was afraid she might never find the strength to go on.

She called Nikolas twice more but wasn't able to reach him. She hoped he would come home soon; she needed him to come home soon. Her reliance on him, while at one time would have been distasteful to her – she was an independent woman after all, depending on another person was to be avoided at all costs – was now what sustained her. And if Nikolas came home then she could melt in to his arms and hear the one thing she needed most – that he loved her.

Alfred opened the door as she climbed the steps. "Good evening Miss Nathalie."

"Hi Alfred – how was your day?" she asked, stepping through the door and removing her coat.

"It was excellent thank you – and Miss Grace? How is she?"
Nathalie couldn't keep the smile from her face. "She is getting stronger every day Alfred – she was even asking for your cookies today."

The butler's cheeks flushed slightly. "I will" he cleared his throat, "I will make her a batch. You have someone waiting for you in the dining room"

"The dining room?" She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. She was in jeans and a sweater with barely a stitch of make up on. Whoever was there was just going to have to take her as she was. "Thank you Alfred."

Trudging to the dining room, she pushed open the double doors and froze in place. The light strains of cello music floated through the air and almost every surface was covered with candles casting a soft glow throughout the room. Leaning against the large, mahogany table, dressed in tuxedo and holding a single rose was Nikolas. Nathalie stayed rooted in her spot, staring with her mouth agape.

Bemused by her shock, Nikolas grinned while twirling the rose in his fingers. "Miss me?" Turning her head, she slowly looked around the room and was overwhelmed by the romance of it all. Looking back at Nikolas she blinked several times, unable to process the scene. "Nat?" he called to her, concern rising at her silence.

Hearing her name, she shook her head free of the fog and ran towards him, launching herself in to his arms. Surprised at how tightly she was holding on to him, Nikolas put the flower on the table behind him and rubbed her back. "Hey there" he said softly.

"I left messages all over the world for you" she said quietly in to his shoulder.

"I know but by the time I got them I was already on my way back here and just thought it would be easier to see you in person." Pulling back, he forced her to look at him. "Are you okay?"

She nodded as she gave him a watery smile. "I'm fine – I just missed you."

He captured her lips tenderly, letting his tongue gently trace the outline of her bottom lip before sweeping in to her mouth. It was a quietly, passionate kiss but one that left them breathless nonetheless. "I missed you too" he said as they came up for air.

"Are you okay?" she asked, running her thumbs along his browns, remembering the slightly haunted look to him before he left.

"I am" he smiled. "My grandmother is locked away in an asylum where she can't hurt anyone and I have power of attorney over her – she's out of the way."

"Good – that's good, right?"

"It's very good – on a number of fronts." His hands slid to her waist and he stroked her through her sweater. "It means I don't have to worry about her making a move against you or Lulu. It also means I get to do something I've wanted to do for a while now."

Nathalie rested her head on his shoulder. "What's that?"

Taking her by the hand, he led her to the terrace which was also covered in candles and flowers. He sank to his knees and reaching into his pocket held up a ring. "I get to ask you to marry me. Will you? Marry me?"