"I thought the whole point of cashing in a favor was for it not to be work on me." Lucky grumbled as he placed Cameron in the wheelchair.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Lucky's grumblings. "I thought that was free baby-sitting for a year. And Cameron asked for Morgan and Lance to come with him. So technically this brainstorm was all your idea."
"Daddy, go!" Cameron pointed towards Robin's car. "Morgan here."
Elizabeth laughed as Lucky pushed Cameron towards the movie's entrance. Initially Lucky had been concerned about the growing press interest and exposing Cameron, but she had been able to count down the seconds till he caved once Cameron had started getting excited. Big pushover. All Cameron had to do was smile just the tiniest bit and Lucky would give him whatever he wanted.
If only it worked that way for her. Despite Robin's advice, she still hadn't worked up the courage to confront Lucky on what he had said. It was one thing for him to say it when he thought she was sleeping. It was a whole other thing to confront him on it and find out he changed his mind. So despite all her words about being a grown up and facing this head on, she did what she always did best. She avoided the subject entirely and prayed both that he wouldn't notice it and that he would.
"Are you excited?" Robin asked as she and Patrick closed the distance between them and their friends. She bent down in front of his wheelchair and reached for Cam's hands. She still hadn't told Patrick about which movie they were going to see, just that Cameron had asked they come along. He had melted like a stick of butter at just the mention of his little cousin.
Cameron nodded. "Hi Roby!"
"Hey Cam! Can you give me a high five?"
"Patty!" Cameron eagerly offered up his hand. "Where you been?"
"Well I would have been to visit you sooner, but I had to get through the hidden mines and bodyguards your dad has been hiding you behind." Patrick smiled, messing up Cameron's hair.
"Don't give him ideas." Elizabeth cautioned. She turned towards Lucky. "For the record, I'll drop Cameron off at your mom's myself if you do any of that."
"I was not considering that." Lucky protested. "For long" he added under his breath. The bodyguards in this town were a joke. They always stuck out instead of blended in with the surroundings.
"His luck he'll end up blowing himself up." Patrick snickered.
"You saying you wouldn't be out there helping him bury them?" Robin challenged not looking convinced.
"Roby?" Cameron pulled on Robin's hand, causing her to look down at him. "Roby, where Morgan?"
"He rode with Lance." Robin promised, standing to her full height. "They're parking."
"Aunt Bobbie?" Lucky caught Patrick's eye and exchanged a similar look. "You know maybe this is too much excitement for one day..."
"Oh no you don't." Elizabeth put her hand on Lucky's arm. "You will not ruin this for Cameron with your issues."
"That goes for you too." Robin warned Patrick, a withering look in her eyes.
"Cameron!" Lance called, almost launching into the wheelchair with Cameron until Cruz picked him up by the back of his fire engine red shirt holding him a foot off the ground.
"Slow down there Lancelot." Cruz told him before setting him on his feet.
"I missed you!" Lance addressed Cameron.
"I miss you too." Cameron nodded at him. Turning to his face upwards he waved. "Hi Cruz!"
"Hey Sport!" Cruz greeted him, tickling him under the chin. Bobbie was just behind him, but she hadn't made her presence known. Realizing this, he reached his arm out and latched his hand around her waist, startling her slightly.
Robin watched for Patrick's reaction but, save a tightening of his jaw, his expression didn't change. "It's so good to see you guys! It's been too long!" She insisted, throwing her arm around Bobbie's shoulders.
"What do you girls say? Take the kids in and make the guys get the popcorn and candy?" Robin suggested, giving Patrick a wide smile.
"I'm not a kid." Morgan stressed impatiently coming up behind the group.
"Then I guess that means you're helping us get the snacks." Cruz pointed out.
"That sounds like a perfect plan." Elizabeth moved behind Cameron to steer the wheelchair. "Come on kids, we have a movie to pick out."
"I don't suppose either of you happen to know what's playing?" Patrick asked the remaining group as the girls and kids retreated to the ticket counter, Morgan trailing behind.
"No. Elizabeth continently took the movie listings from me when Cameron asked about this." Lucky shrugged. "She had some crazy idea about we'd take them to see Alien vs. Predator or something."
"What's wrong with that?" Patrick wanted to know. "It's all fake anyway."
"She muttered something about warping them for life. I don't know." Lucky shrugged.
"You realize the second they realize what movie the kids want to see, all three of them are going to start complaining right?" Elizabeth whispered to both Robin and Bobbie as they stood in the ticket line.
"You make it sound like we have to tell them." Robin whispered back, unconsciously parting Morgan's hair with her right hand.
"Normally I am all for honesty in a relationship," Bobbie paused to hold Lance back from launching himself yet again into Cameron's wheelchair. The five-year-old completely thought it was a new ride. "However in this case it may be better to just let them find out on their own."
"But how are we going to get them in the theater? There's a sign hanging over the door that says what is playing." Elizabeth argued, bending down to tie Cameron's shoe.
"We can always distract them." Robin suggested, a wicked grin splayed across her face.
"There are children present Robin. Your idea of distraction will scar them worse than the movie they want to take these three to see." Elizabeth pointed out, trying to hide her grin.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Miss Elizabeth." Robin murmured with a scowl. "That isn't what I meant."
"Sure it isn't." Elizabeth laughed. "Can't hide that smile from those who know."
Bobbie grimaced. She liked both young women very much, however these were her nephews they were talking about. "In addition to children, the aunt is also present. So non-gutter related comments please?"
"Bobbie, I promise, the only one who is referring to the gutter is Elizabeth. We are three intelligent women. Surely we can come up with something...eh...G-rated." Robin countered, handing out the tickets.
"We are three intelligent women but you my friend drag me down to the gutter with you." Elizabeth took control of Cameron's wheelchair, pushing him towards the usher. "I'm thinking we let Morgan and Lance push Cameron in. That will freak all three of them out." Robin and Bobbie smiled in agreement as they noticed that the guys were heading toward them.
Glancing to her left, Bobbie's eyes widened when they settled on a bright new poster displaying a movie that would have the guys cringing. She nodded the kids over and said in her softest, sweetest voice, "Who wants to go see Enchanted?"
A loud chorus of "Yeah!" resounded from all three boys. Lance and Morgan took off in a dead run, taking Cameron along with them, squealing in delight. Turning to see the reaction on the guys' faces, Elizabeth, Robin, and Bobbie almost could keep from laughing as their mouths dropped in unison and they proceeded to race after the little boys, almost dropping the popcorn in the process.
Trying to keep down the giggles, Elizabeth led the way to the usher, handing him the tickets. "They are with us."
"I don't get it." Patrick proclaimed as they exited the theatre two hours later. The dancing popcorn made more sense that the ending of Enchanted. To keep themselves entertained, he, Lucky, and Cruz had started a popcorn fight which ended in stern looks from their girlfriends and a warning from the usher.
"Me either. I mean, the dude from Can't Buy Me Love?" Lucky shook his head. "He's attractive?"
"Why couldn't we have just seen Outbreak in theatres again? He's the first one to die." Cruz remembered, wincing when Bobbie elbowed him in the side.
"Men don't understand these things at all." Elizabeth remarked to Robin and Bobbie. "Besides it was what the kids wanted to see remember?"
"How could we forget?" Patrick grumbled, holding open the door for his friends to pass through. "Next time, we're taking them to see Die Hard. Now that's a well-rounded movie. You've got your action, comedy, moral compass..."
"Your cursing, your body count." Bobbie countered.
"There have to be bad guys, Aunt Bobbie. You wouldn't want a bunch of brain-dead assassins coming after you, now would you?" Patrick tried to explain, winning a threatening look from Robin when she picked up on who he really talking about.
"Careful, careful." Lucky muttered. "You want to keep a good thing going, not shoot it in the foot."
"Lucky's having to give you advice? How could I not have seen this sooner?" Cruz teased, biting the inside of his cheek.
"Daddy? I go to Annadale?" Cameron tugged on Lucky's hand.
"Sorry Champ, but Annadale only exists in the movies."
"But Giselle came to see us. I go see her." Cameron insisted stubbornly.
Lucky fixed his eye on Elizabeth and Robin. "This is both of your faults."
"Cam, Giselle lives in the movie. She isn't real." Robin told him, watching a look of pure confusion settle in his dark eyes. "Just like cartoon characters only having four fingers." Cameron glanced down at his hand and counted his fingers.
"Oh." Cameron counted his fingers again just to make sure. "Lance, Morgan you come play today?"
Morgan frowned. "I have to go visit my stupid brother."
"Morgan Stone Corinthos." Robin scolded, patting his right shoulder. "You know your brother misses you. Cam, maybe you can come to our house next weekend?" Robin asked in a light, hopeful tone.
"That sounds like a great idea." Elizabeth chimed in before Lucky could turn it down.
"Ohhh now she is arranging play dates for Cameron?" Cruz teased. "I take it back. Seeing this movie was worth it."
"Can I still go?" Lance wanted to know, looking at Cruz. He had long since figured out that Cruz was the weakest link of the two and that, if he really wanted to go, he would most likely have to break him before Grandma would ever consider budging.
"Well it's alright with me if..." Cruz couldn't even get the sentence out before Lucky and Patrick doubled over with laughter.
"Alright enough!" Bobbie shook her head at her nephews and gave Cruz a look of pity. "Lucky, do you mind? I can come by and get him whenever."
"You're going to rest." Cruz argued firmly. "I'll pick him up." He told the group.
"Fine. Whatever." Lucky shrugged. This afternoon had been going well until that reminded him exactly why his friend and aunt had come together. It was becoming less weird, but it still freaking him out. "Come on Lance. You and Cam ride in the back."
"The drive to A.J.'s is at least an hour and a half one way, but I'll call you when we get back." Robin called to Elizabeth.
"Deal." Elizabeth waved.