Author's Notes: An update! And on the anniversary of L&L2's first wedding! How perfect is that?!
Slamming his fist against the front door, Lucky felt slightly better. It was stupid, childish, and slightly insane but he didn't really care. It was summer and he knew his sister would be trying to sleep until noon if she could help it. Not today. Not after what happened last night.
He was planning on making as much noise as possible this morning. Let her just try to sleep through this morning. Cameron wouldn't wake up until he smelled the pancakes coming to the table. His mother would just look at him strange, probably yell at him, but he could handle that. At least he was pretty sure he could handle that. Maybe he'd only keep it up until the first time his mom gave him that look. Then he would move on to plan b. Whatever that was.
Lucky gently put Cameron down on the couch, still sound asleep. Sitting down next to his son, Lucky ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Of all the times his sister had to show her Spencer timing she had chosen last night to do it.
"Thank you for the dance Miss Elizabeth." He had thought the song was longer than that. He could have sworn it was.
She smiled shyly, looking into his eyes with her blue ones then quickly looking back towards the stage. She moved her eyes back to him, and whispered as quietly as he had.
"You're welcome."
The crowd around them was applauding and cheering Courtney. Elizabeth had blinked first and turned towards the stage, clapping her friend's performance. Reluctantly he joined her. He was fairly certain Courtney wouldn't even notice if they cheered or not, but he did owe her one hell of a thank you for that dance even happening.
Lucky considered himself a decent dancer, but a first dance was always awkward. Where to put one's hands, how close to hold your partner, what pace worked best for the two of you. As confident as he could be on the dance floor, Lucky knew during a first dance there would be at least one time when there would be a bump or an accidental stepping on the foot. It was part and parcel of the whole first dance experience.
Except with Elizabeth. Somehow they just worked. Where a misstep normally occurred, they had glided across the floor. He hadn't pulled her too close, which surely would have sent her screaming out into the night. Thanks to years of hanging out in his dad's bar, he had been able to correctly read when the drunks near them were about to stumble right into them.
Courtney switched tempos for her final song, having selected Better Than Ezra's "Desperately Wanting". As the crowd began to pump their fists and slam into each other, he had followed her back to the table they had abandoned. Elizabeth bit her lip as she rearranged herself on the chair and mischievously smiled at him. "Do you normally dance that well to poor excuse passing as music?" She threw the words from the pool part back in his face.
He leaned in closer to her, partly so she could hear his answer and partly to try to catch the scent of her perfume again. It had teased him throughout the dance. "Wonderful as Courtney may be, I think that had more to do with my partner than the music selection." Lucky leaned closer, pushing her hair behind her ear to whisper directly into it.
"I have a feeling you dance divinely to any music"
Even in the low light of the bar, he could still see the blush starting on her cheeks and working its way up her face. When she finally turned to face him, he was relatively certain she was surprised at how close they really were. She opened her mouth to speak and he found himself focusing on her lips.
"I'm just a girl, living in captivity..."
Lucky groaned as he fished for his cell phone. Lulu. "Yes?"
"Hey Lucky, I'm sorry to interrupt..."
"No you're not."
"Where are you? It sounds way too fun for you to be there."
He had taken a breath. Lulu had done him a favor tonight. He had to dial it back a notch. "I'm sorry Little Bit." The nickname always worked to soften his sister's mood.
It worked like a charm. "Listen, I wouldn't have called you but Cam's got another new monster. And nothing is working to get rid of it. I think the presence of Super Monster Killer is needed."
Lucky looked sideways at Elizabeth, who was watching Courtney start to dance on stage. "You really need me?"
"I've gone through three cans of Monster Spray."
Duty called. "I'll be right there."
"Thanks Big Brother. And I really am sorry."
"It's ok Sweet Pea. I'll see you shortly." He hung up the phone and gently tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder. For a split second he thought he felt her tense up but he convinced himself he had imagined it.
"I'm really sorry but I've got to go."
Elizabeth smiled at him. There was something off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but that was definitely not the smile she had on before. "Don't worry about it. I'll tell Courtney you had to go. Be safe!"
She whipped her head around quickly, dismissing him as effectively as when she had hustled him out of her classroom. He started to get the sinking feeling in his stomach that she had overheard his conversation and drawn one very wrong conclusion. Lucky made a move to explain to her, but the crowd roared Courtney's conclusion and Elizabeth jumped up to meet the other woman at the foot of the stage. Whatever explanation he had, it would have to wait. He had a new monster to kill.
Some part of him reminded him that Lulu hadn't any idea what had transpired. She was just trying to get Cameron to bed and it wasn't working. And he was the one who had chosen not to identify his sister as the caller. And it certainly couldn't be her fault that he had not gotten Elizabeth's phone number and she wasn't listed in the phone book.
It was too late. Lulu stumbled down the stairs, rubbing her eyes with her hair still matted down. "You do realize some people are trying to sleep right you psycho?"
"Sorry."
Crossing by the couch on her way to the kitchen, she paused long enough to pat Cameron on the head. Satisfied he was still asleep, she turned around and flipped the bird. "Shove your apology up your..."
"Lucas Lorenzo Spencer and Lesley Lu Spencer!" Laura's stern voice reached both their ears from the kitchen door. "You both know better."
The siblings simultaneously lowered their heads in an identical manner and looked off the left. "Sorry mom," they spoke together.
Laura moved into the room, determined to complete the last of her breakfast preparations in peace. "You were about to be woken up anyway Lulu. You and I have an appointment with Dr. Shelley this morning. Go get dressed." Watching her daughter go back up the stairs she turned her attention to her son. "And don't you have to be going to work soon?"
Lucky shrugged. "I didn't sleep to well last night and Cameron's been having new monsters lately. I called in."
Laura immediately flew to where Cameron still lay curled up on the couch. "New monsters? For how long? Are they all still named Helena?"
"Just the past few nights. And yes."
Laura bent down to push back Cameron's curls and kiss the child's forehead. "Well it maybe nothing but I will always approve of you spending time with him."
She moved back to finish setting the table and paused. "If you aren't going into the office, could you do me a favor?"
Sure. Why not."
"I have a box of items for the hospital auction next week that I need to get over to Audrey Hardy's sometime today. Would you be able to drop it off there for me?"
"Not a problem."
Dancing through the living room, Elizabeth balanced her laundry basket on her hip. It was her first day off in two weeks and she was determined to be productive before she left to meet Robin for lunch. She caught the corner of her iPod before it dropped clear out of the basket and crashed to the laundry room floor. The music helped keep her focused and moving. If she wasn't moving, there was the very real possibility of her mind wandering back to last night at Jake's and the way it had ended. She didn't like to admit how late she had laid in her bed last night wondering what would have happened if he hadn't gotten that phone call. Or who exactly had called him. Someone important enough to leave suddenly, that was for sure. Maybe the mysterious Daphne?
"Just stop that." she whispered to herself. "You knew he was a player when you first met him. You need to listen to your instincts better that's all." She paused as she added the fabric softener to the load. "And learn to discount how hot a man is in your assessment of if he is date worthy."
Leaving the basket on top of the washer, Elizabeth returned to the living room, determined to clean the living room from top to bottom. It was only fair since it was her mail that constantly cluttered the comfortable room. And according to her doctors her grandmother needed to be nicer to her back. The bending and twisting that it took to collect to gather her magazines, flyers and bills off the coffee table would not qualify as being nice.
As she began to collect all her magazines in one pile for recycling, the last copy of US Weekly slipped from her hands. She closed her eyes in a grimace when her eyes registered the picture it had fallen open on. Someone up there must have it in for her. The very face she was trying to keep out of her mind was grinning up at her. With his arm securely around the shoulder of some singer she didn't care to remember at this point, smiling that grin he had directed at her several times the night before.
Elizabeth kicked the offending magazine. Feeling satisfied, she kicked it again. And again. She kicked until she succeeded in it hitting the wall with a gratifying thump. "Ha!" she laughed victoriously.
"Elizabeth?" Her grandmother stood in the doorway to the kitchen. "Are you ok?"
Embarrassed at having been caught acting like a scorned girlfriend, which she was decidedly not, Elizabeth offered up a small smile. "Just taking my work frustrations out on the junk."
Audrey raised an eyebrow, a clear indication she did not completely believe the explanation but she was going to let it go for now. "Darling there will be some items delivered here today for the hospital auction. Could you show them to the den when they come by?"
"Not a problem."
"Excellent. I have to run over to Mrs. Scantoni's quickly. I'll be back before you leave to meet Robin." Audrey moved towards the backdoor.
"Take your time Grams." Elizabeth continued with her bundling of the recyclables and sorting out the trash from what she still needed to keep. Humming along under her breath, she missed the first ring of the doorbell. When the chime rang out for the second time, she hurried over to answer.
"Hello." she answered cheerfully, speaking directly to the huge box that was held in front of her face.
She heard the low chuckle, already familiar to her. It couldn't be, she thought wildly. No way it was really him. The box lowered slowly and she found herself looking directly at the smile that had taunted her just minutes ago. Her blue eyes locked with his green.
"Well Miss Elizabeth." Lucky laughed. "Fancy meeting you here."
She stood dumbfounded, blinking rapidly. Irrationally her hand went to straighten her hair, forgetting that she had braided it that morning in two low pigtails. Realizing that halfway to its destination, her hand flopped awkwardly back to her side, pulling at the side of her oversized orange t-shirt emblazoned with the words "County Jail Inmate" on the front. It had been a joke gift from a college roommate who went to work as a corrections officer. It was long enough to cover the well worn shorts that were stained and frayed, with a hole right smack on her behind. She only ever wore the outfit to clean and laundry in and today of all days she has to greet Lucky Spencer looking like a deranged Heidi on leave from her stint in women's prison.
Registering the box for the first time, she stood aside quickly. "Is that for the hospital auction?" Mentally she rolled her eyes for asking the obvious question. It wasn't like he was moving into her grandmother's home. Why the hell did he have her so flustered? She should be able to handle a conversation better than this!
"Yeah, my mom sent me on an errand since I am playing hooky from work today. Where should I put it?" He adjusted the box, giving her a clear view of his flexing arm muscles.
"This way." Lucky followed behind her to the den and placed the box down on her grandfather's desk. He paused to wipe his hand across his forehead. She was sure if he really was sweating or pretending but she did appreciate seeing those muscles flex again.
"I didn't realize you knew Mrs. Hardy."
She smiled a little. Her grandmother. She could talk about her grandmother. "I've known her for years." Seeing his eyebrow raise at her comment, she laughed a little. "She's my grandmother. I'm staying with her." His smile got wider at that. He was happy to learn that bit of information, she wondered. What was that grin about?
"Well that explains that I guess." He paused, and looked for all the world like he was gathering his thoughts. "Listen Elizabeth about last night..."
Oh no. She did not want to hear this. Elizabeth waved her hand. "It's not necessary. You had to leave. I get it. Courtney was fine with it. She only really minded when Lars got drunk and tried to feel her up."
"No you don't, see my sister called and she was watching Cameron..."
His sister? Cameron? If this was some game he was lower than pond scum to use his son like this. "Did Cameron get sick suddenly?"
"No. Well it sounds stupid, but did he ever tell you about the monsters named Helena that live in his room?"
She could recall the art class where she had the kids draw a monster. The rest of the class had drawn one. Cameron had drawn several and had named every single one of them Helena. Elizabeth nodded. "I think he drew a picture of them in class one day."
"Well for the past few weeks he's been seeing new ones and none of the usual methods of getting him back to sleep have not been working. So I had to leave. Actually that's why I skipped out on work today."
Elizabeth felt as big as an ant. He left her to take care of his son? 'See what you get for judging everyone by Max's standards?' she scolded herself. 'But Max had good explanations too.' A second voice reminded softly.
"I really am sorry. I was having a good time and didn't want to leave." Lucky had crossed the small space between them and was now standing directly in front of her. He offered a small lopsided smile. "Will you ever forgive me?"
It was the smile that did her in. She would probably live to regret this, but this one time she would give him the benefit of the doubt. "This time."
He chuckled softly. "Good. I'd hate to think you were mad at me." He nudged himself closer.
Without realizing it, she found herself moving closer of her own accord. "Nope. Not mad." Her voice had lowered to a whisper, matching his hushed tone.
If either one of them moved just one half inch more, their lips would be touching. The air became electrified as they both realized their position at precisely the same time. Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned closer to her, flipping one of her braids to uncover her ear.
"I forgot to tell you that you look wonderful today." Lucky whispered in her ear.
Blushing she looked down at the floor. "Liar." Why she continued to whisper she didn't know, but speaking at normal level would kill whatever was happening here.
"Didn't your grandmother teach you how to take a compliment?" He playfully pulled on the braid, and continued to play with the hairs bundled at the end.
She pursed her lips together in a pout. "Thank you then."
Lucky winked at her and released her braid. "That's better."
Elizabeth raised her eyes from the floor, immediately locking in with his green ones. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she noticed him sneak his tongue out to wet his lips. She unconsciously mimicked the motion as she felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her towards him, closing the miniscule distance that had existed.
He bent his head slightly, pressing his hand against her back with no more pressure than he had used the night before when they danced. "Did I mention I was sorry that we didn't get a chance to say goodbye properly?"
Elizabeth didn't trust herself to speak. She was fairly certain she couldn't speak at this point. She shook her head instead.
"Well I am." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than his lips pressed against hers lightly. For a fraction of a second she stood still and then responded, moving her arms up around his neck and moving her mouth lightly over his. His arms squeezed her closer to him, but he made no move to deepen the kiss. It was filled with promise and excitement, hints of things to come.
He broke away first and rested his forehead against hers. "Goodbye Miss Elizabeth" He slowly released his arms and backed away, heading towards the front door. "I will see you again."