Chapter 10
Luke and Laura were trying to find their way out of the cave, but kept walking in circles. All they had for a light source was the small candle that was behind Laura while she was trapped in wires. Luke spoke up, "Angel, we have been walking in circles for hours! I can't tell left from right anymore. I feel like we are walking through the same tunnel every time and go in a circle. We are getting nowhere".
Laura said, "Come on, Luke. We can't give up! We have to find our way out to save Robert! Come on, let's try this tunnel over here. Maybe it will be the one".
Luke sighed. "Laura, you know we'll take that tunnel and take the tunnel after that and it will lead us right back here. Let's just sit down and regroup. Also, it's difficult walking through a tunnel with one shoe and smelly clothes from the waterfall."
"Fine. Let's sit against the rock wall over there."
Luke and Laura sat down against the wall and remained silent for a few minutes. They have been trying to find their way out of this cave for hours. They aren't as young as they used to be and trying to escape evil Cassadines was never their favorite past time. Laura looked over at Luke. She observed his face and how he looks the same as the day she met him, but older. She sees how life took an impact on Luke's once youthful face. Laura thinks back to all the times they were in danger, all the good times they shared, and all the times they broke each other's heart. Laura spoke up in the silence and said, "Luke? Can we talk?".
Luke's faced showed that he was confused by Laura's question. "Talk? Laura, we have been talking since the moment I found you."
"No, Luke. I mean talk about us. About our relationship."
"What about it?"
"I feel like we never closed the book on us. We always closed the chapter, but never the book. You know?"
"Angel, we closed the book on our relationship decades ago. I don't know what you are talking about."
"When we got a divorce, a month later we were falling back into old habits. And before the ink on the divorce decree was dried, we were back together. Then, I got sick right before we were going to get remarried."
Luke interrupted and said, "What are you saying? That if you didn't get sick we would be married and living happily ever after?".
Laura said, "No, no, no. We definitely would have run into all the problems we never resolved. Anyway, I woke up and you threw me a fake wedding, meanwhile you were married to Tracy. Then, I went catatonic again. When I woke up for good, I found out the truth about you and Tracy. My heart broke, but I was happy you found love again. But then we kissed and you offered to come to France with me. We still weren't over. Then, life went on. I was in Paris with Scotty and you and Tracy lived your lives. I came back to town and we went on an adventure to find LuLu and through trying to get our daughter back, we came to the agreement that we didn't fit anymore, but I always had you in my heart and mind."
"You are always in my heart, Angel. Always. You own it. Are you saying you want to get back together and try again?"
"No, Luke. I don't. Not anymore. I always thought I would want to try with you again anytime the opportunity would present itself. I mean you owned my heart for a very long time. We were addicted to one another. But the addiction has finally subsided. I don't need you like I used to. And you don't own my heart anymore and I don't own yours. New people do."
"Doc and Tracy."
"Yeah. I never thought I would find someone to own my heart again, but there he was, you know?"
"You really love this dud, don't you?"
Laura laughed. "He's not a dud, Luke. He is one of the best men I have ever known."
"Does he treat you the way you deserve?"
"Better than I could ever imagine", Laura said. She then had a far off look on her face. She said, "He's so kind, smart, patient, protective, and loving. He's funny and charming, too. He looks at me like I painted the moon. He makes me feel like a kid again."
"I am glad. Truly. You deserve more than I could have ever given you. I gave you a rough life, Laura, and I am so sorry for that. You never deserved it. I am sorry for dragging you around the globe while being chased by goons. I am sorry for cheating on you with Holly and Felicia. You never deserved it. I am sorry for making you feel like a whore for sleeping with Stavros to survive Cassadine Island. And I am so sorry for treating Nikolas like a piece of shit, when I should have accepted him for being who he always was: your son."
Laura had tears rolling down her face. She caressed Luke's face and said, "Thank you. I am sorry too. I am sorry for keeping Nikolas from you. I'm sorry for not telling you about my relationship with Stefan on the island. I know we talked these subjects to death but I want you to know that I thought you were dead. I really thought I was going to be trapped there forever. I should have told you everything that happened during my captivity when I escaped. I'm so sorry for everything."
Luke grasped Laura's hand and gave it a squeeze. He said, "Angel, you never have to apologize. You were just trying to survive. I made you feel horrible for it."
Laura said, "All is forgiven, Luke. Let's just close the book on all the anger and hurt we caused and be friends."
Luke scoffed and said, "Laura, we can never just be friends. We have too much between us."
"Luke, we have to. We need to close the book on us to fully be happy with the ones we chose. Kevin and Tracy do not deserve to always second guess our love for them. I mean, Tracy's my best friend and I don't want her to think every time I speak to you I am professing my undying love. And every time your name comes up, Kevin tenses up and thinks I'm going to leave him. They don't deserve that. Kevin deserves my undying love and Tracy deserves yours."
"So, I guess this is truly the end of Luke and Laura, huh? I am now just Luke and you are now just Laura. No attachments to one another."
"We will always be connected through Lucky and LuLu, but we go through life with other people now."
Luke nodded and said, "I'll miss you."
Laura, with tears streaming down her face, said, "I'll miss you, too."
The two exes hugged and finally closed the book on their relationship for good. While they were hugging, they heard a familiar voice call out, "Dad! Are you in here?".
Luke and Laura looked at each other in shock and said simultaneously, "Lucky!".
After hours of trying to figure out the pin to open the cave, he finally landed on the right set of numbers. He ran inside and began screaming out for his dad. He knew he had to be in here. Lucky was running around the dark cave, in and out of tunnels when he heard two familiar voices call out his name. "Mom and Dad?!", screamed Lucky.
"Lucky! It's us! Your mom was trapped in this cave! I found her, but we can't find our way out! It's super dark!", screamed Luke.
"Dad! Is mom okay?!"
Laura screamed, "Lucky, honey, I'm fine! I am so glad to hear your voice! We have to get out of here and help Robert!".
Lucky said, "Yeah, well we also have to help Tiffany!".
Luke responded, "Tiffany Hill?! What is she doing here?!".
"I brought her with me to come save you guys! She went to search in the main building for any one of you three and she radioed me about an hour ago saying goodbye! She was probably captured!", replied Lucky.
"Jeez! Okay! Well, Cowboy, come find your mother and me and we can go save Scorpio and Elsie Mae from Cassadine!", said Luke.
"Mom and Dad keep yelling out! I have a flash light with me! Just keep screaming and I'll get us out of here!", said Lucky.
"He's definitely your child, Laura. He brought supplies with him", Luke said to Laura.
Lucky began following his parents' voices. There were many different paths in this tunnel, but he was determined to rescue his parents. Lucky and his parents were screaming back and forth in hopes that lucky could follow the sound to his parents. After many trials and taking different routes, Lucky found his parents. Laura stood up and rushed into her son's arms. "Oh Lucky! I am so glad to see you! Are you okay? How is everyone at home? How was our disappearances explained?", asked Laura in a rush.
Lucky let go of his mom and said, "I'm fine, Mom. I was so worried about you guys. Whoever took you guys made everyone believe all of you died! We had funerals and everything. I truly believed that you and Robert were dead, but then Tracy came and told me about Dad dying and I knew something had to be up. So, I went to Ireland to think and I called Tiffany. I knew she would be the most informative when it came to Spencer-Scorpio adventures. I think I remember a way out of here. We have to get back to the main house. Tiffany was taken. Do you guys have any idea to where Robert could be?".
Luke replied, "Robert is in the main house. Valentine Cassadine made one of us stay and help him program the weather machine and the other could search for your mother. He gave me whathe thought was an impossible clue, but I figured it out. He said if I didn't find your mother before he programmed the weather machine then your mother would never go home. So, I found her and set her loose from the wires she was tied with. This means the weather machine hasn't been programmed yet. Robert has been holding off information. Tiffany smart but under pressure she gets nervous. So, we have to save Tiff and Robert, immediately."
Luke and Laura followed Lucky through the cave and its multiple tunnels. Although it took multiple attempts, they finally found their way to the cave door, except it was locked shut. Laura said, "Oh no! What are we going to do? We have to get out of here to save Robert and Tiffany from Valentine!".
Luke said, "Angel, calm down. We'll get out of here. The pin is probably the same as it was getting in here. No worries. Let me put it in." Luke tried 7273, but no luck. It wasn't the passcode to get out of the cave. Luke tried 3727, but yet again it wasn't the right code. He tried every way the numbers 7273 could be formed, but nothing worked. Luke was getting frustrated. He had to get them out of this cave. They needed to reach Tiffany and Robert before Valentine even had the chance to manipulate them or freeze the world.
Lucky spoke up and said, "Dad, how did you figure out the passcode to get in her in the first place? It took me forever to find four digits that got me in."
"Your mother told me how Valentine likes to play mind games all the time. So, what word plays mind games with me and your mother? Rape. I tried it and it worked. So, now we all have to think of another four-letter word that messes with our minds. It will be the code to get out of here", Luke replied.
The trio began trading ideas back and forth on what the four-letter word could be. Rape was the only major instance in their history that messes with their minds. Lucky was heartbroken when he found out his mother was raped by his own father. He felt like his whole life was a lie. He thought his dad was the best man to ever walk this earth and that his mother was grace and truth incarnate. When Nikolas told him out of spite that Luke raped Laura, Lucky couldn't believe it. He doesn't regret getting angry and hurt by the truth, but he regrets treating his mother like a slut for it. He wasn't there. Who was he to judge? Lucky said, "Mom, I need to apologize to you."
Laura was shocked. "For what, honey?", she asked.
Lucky took a deep breath and said, "After Dad said that the original code was rape, it got me thinking about all those years ago when I found out about your rape. I am so sorry for the way I treated you. How I made you feel like shit. Mom, you are my hero. You survived so much. I feel horrible truly for treating you like you were the monster in every story. I understand now that I didn't have any right to know about it. I shouldn't have judged you about it or about anything related to Nikolas and what happened during your captivity on Cassadine Island. You are a strong woman and I am proud to be your son."
Laura wept while Lucky said his apology. She grabbed her son in a hug and said, "Thank you. You didn't have to apologize, but thank you. You will always be my first baby. The first baby I raised and could take ownership of. I am proud to be your mother."
Laura and Lucky released each other and smiled. This talk was a long time in the making. Although mother and son moved past the horrible year and a half when they were separated, the memories of that time constantly lingered. The Cassadines took so much from mother and son, but they will never take the love and admiration each had for the other. Luke observed his beloved ex-wife and son. Two of the greatest gifts life could have given him. The best years of his life were spent traveling around the globe with Laura's hand in his and Lucky by his side. Luke was determined to get them out of here and back where they all belong: home.
The trio continued trading and testing four digit numbers, but came up with nothing. They couldn't come up with any four-letter words that represent something horrible in their lives. They tried Helena, Mikkos, Stavros, Stefan, Nikolas, and Valentine's birth dates, but were denied every time. Laura could tell that Luke and Lucky were becoming discouraged. She knew that the Cassadines were secretly obvious. From the outside, you could never tell what a Cassadine meant, but once on the inside everything made sense. Laura knows that this code has something to do with the Cassadines. She tried to come up with four letter nicknames for all of the Cassadines, but none of them made sense. Lucky interrupted Laura's thoughts when he said, "Mom, was there any special dates or names that made Nikolas tick?".
Laura's eyes went wide in realization. "I know the code! It's Niky! I used to call him that when he was a baby. Beside my rape, Nikolas's appearance in Port Charles is what rocked our family to its core! Try 6459!"
Luke plugged those digits in and the cave doors opened. "Angel! You did it! You're a genius!", Luke exclaimed.
"Thank you! Now, come on! Let's go find Tiffany and Robert!", said Laura leaving the cave.