Chapter Eighteen:
The First Goodbye

Port Charles
The Big House In The Woods

For the first year or so that he knew of
the existence of his half-brother Nikolas
Cassadine, Lucky Spencer had hated his older
sibling with a vengeance. Then, gradually, they
had become friends. At some point over the
years before Lucky had left town, they had even verged on the edge of
being friends.
All of that was over. Lucky stood at the
window and looked out on the forested
landscape in front of him. It was three o’clock,
almost the agreed upon time when Nikolas
would arrive to pick up Jonathan. Just when he
had begin to adopt Emily’s belief and faith that
just maybe everything was going to be all right,
he was about to lose a child. He didn’t care what
genetics had to say, as far as Lucky was
concerned that boy upstairs packing was as
much his son as the child Emily carried, maybe
more so because of what they had been through
before.
He had spent two hours on the phone to
Scott Baldwin, but Nikolas’s preemptive strike
could not be ignored. Until they could all face a
judge, Nikolas had custody.
The silence in the house was
overwhelming. It should be filled with laughter,
Emily’s as he and Jonathan taught her the fine
art of playing poker or Jonathan’s when and
Emily had decided to make a cake from scratch.
It was the first time he truly regretted the fact that they had no pictures
from the last six years together.
He listened to the ticking of the clock
and hated the fact that he couldn’t stop it. He
almost smiled as he remembered Jonathan’s
reaction when they had gotten home last night
from the airport.
The first thing Lucky had done was to
force Emily to go upstairs and rest, the look of
utter exhaustion on her face was almost painful
to see. When she had gone, he and Jonathan had
simply stared at each other for a long minute.
Then Jonathan had gone into the closet and
pulled out the backpack they still had hidden
there.
Lucky had watched in amazement as
Jonathan dumped the contents, reached around
for the passports, and picked three.
“I say we are the McMartins bound for
Ireland. Mom read me a story about Ireland once
that was really neat. I’ll help you pack Mom’s
bag while she’s sleeping and....”
Lucky looked at his son with heartbreak
in his eyes.
“We can’t run this time.”
Jonathan’s face revealed his shock.
“Dad? We have to run. I know that we just got
here, but grandma and grandpa and the Q’s
they’ll understand. The house is great but its just a house. We can be on
the next plane out of this city. It doesn’t have to be Ireland. I really liked
Canada when we were there. Or even Brazil.
Or..”
“No. Jonathan no.” Lucky said as gently
as possible.
“But if we don’t go than I have to go
with him and he’s a Cassadine and he’s...”
“Your father. My brother. He’s not
Helena.”
“But he’s not you! You are my father. I
belong here.”
“And you will always have a home here.
Always. I will always love you. You are the son
of my heart and I will always be here for you. I
would do anything for you. You know that.”
“Then why...” Jonathan’s voice trailed
off and revealed his confusion. He looked at his
father and a dawning awareness grew in his
eyes. “It’s mom isn’t it? The doctor in New
York...it was bad news wasn’t it? Tell me!”
“Sit down,” Lucky motioned to his son
and they both sat on the leather sofa.
“Dad, just tell me. We always promised
each other no secrets.”
Lucky looked at Jonathan and could
almost see Emily looking back at him. “All right.
You know that we went to New York to see the
heart specialist, right?” At Jonathan’s nod, he
continues. ‘The doctors ran all kinds of tests on
your mom and on the baby. That’s mostly why
she’s so tired right now. They found that your
mother has a disease.”
“A disease like cancer?” Jonathan asks in
a shaky voice.
“No, not cancer. It’s an infection, like
strep throat. Only this infection is attacking your mom’s heart and making
it weaker and weaker.”
“Can they give her some medicine?”
Lucky smiles. “They are. That’s why we
have to stay here so that the doctors can give
your mother the medicine she needs to stop the
infection and get well.”
Jonathan stares at his father. “If they can give her medicine that will make
her better, why are you so scared?”
Lucky shakes his head. “You are just like your mother. You see right
through me.” Lucky says with a half smile. “The medicine is
experimental. There’s a good chance it will work.”
“But there’s also a good chance that it
won’t work?” Jonathan hears what Lucky doesn't say.
Lucky nods and Jonathan pales. “Then I
can’t leave. I can’t go away right now. Mom
needs someone to stay with her and take care of
her. Don’t make me leave. Please let me stay.”
“I wish I could.” Lucky ruffled
Jonathan’s hair. “Don’t worry about your mom.
I’m going to be here to take care of her. And
your Grandma Monica will be here to help. With
my luck, the entire Quartermaine family will
move into the spare bedroom. I may just want to
come and stay at Wyndemere with you before
the week is up.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“I know. But I promise you that it won’t
be forever. You know my email pass codes, leave
as many messages as you want and you’ll take
the cell with you. Call home as much as you
want.”
“Alan was going to take me to get a new
dog.”
“I’ll talk to Nikolas. I bet he’d love to
have a dog at Wyndemere. Maybe a Great
Dane? He does have those stables.”
Jonathan didn’t want to giggle, but he
did. Lucky smiled at him. “You see, it won’t be
that bad.'' Lucky forces himself to be optimistic for both of their sake's ''
Wyndemere ...is Wyndemere. I’ll let you judge it for yourself. You’ll get
to spend time with Stephanie.”
“I want to be with you.”
“Jonathan...” Lucky sighed softly.
“Sometimes part of growing up is realizing that
we don’t always get what we want.”
“What about Helena?”
“Nikolas will keep you safe. If he
doesn’t, your uncle Jason’s guards will still be
with you. Maybe not on the island, but the
minute you are off the island they’ll be there.
Plus I have this for you.” Lucky reached into his
pocket and pulled out a small electronic device
the size of a quarter.
“What is it?”
“Something I should have gotten for you
a long time ago. Jax helped me get one in New
York. It’s a tracking device. It’s programmed to
send a signal, like an SOS. I installed the receiver into my lap top, so if you
ever need me, really really need me, press the button and I will come and
get you come hell or high water or a million Helena Cassadines. You have
my word as a
Spencer.”
Jonathan sat silently for a moment
fingering the tracking device. Then he looked up
at his father. “I still don’t want to go.”
“I still don’t want you to go.”
“Daddy?” Jonathan’s voice catches.
Lucky smiles. “What?”
“Can you please hold me?”
Lucky reaches over and pulls his son
close to him, gently rubbing his shoulders as he
listens to his son cry.
“I love you,” he says over and over again
never really sure if he is heard.

That was last night. The day had fled by
in a flurry of activity. Somehow holding it
together far better than he was, Emily had busied
herself packing Jonathan’s stuff. His parents had
both been over that morning and for lunch along
with most of the Quartermaine’s, but Lucky
wanted Jonathan’s leave taking to be as private
as possible. The last thing any of them needed
was Luke and Nikolas to go at it or for Edward
to start threatening to call more lawyers. He and
Emily had been up early discussing it and had
decided that fighting the order and creating a
scene, would just make it harder for Jonathan.
Nothing could make it harder for either of them
than it already was. Nothing.
He smiles softly when he feels Emily
come up from behind him and put her arms
around him.
“How are you holding up?” She asks
softly.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that
question?”
“I’ve already decided that I’m going to
breakdown the moment Nikolas’s car drives off.
But until then I’m hanging in.” She is silent for a moment. “I noticed that
you got the backpacks out?”
He nods. “Jonathan did last night. I
told him we couldn’t run this time.”
“Are you sorry?”
“No! Of course not. I admit, the thought
of taking Jonathan and running is tempting. But
you were right what you said on the plane about
Nikolas having some rights. Scott says that the
courts are more and more listening to the child in
custody hearings. All we have to do is wait for
the court hearing and we’ll get him back.”
“I wish we never had to lose him.”
“Me too. Where is he? It’s almost time.
I’m actually kind of surprised Nikolas isn’t
early.”
“He’s upstairs on the phone to your
sister I think. I don’t know how I’m going to
manage to say goodbye to him.”
“You’ll do it because I’ll be right here by your side.”
“I have told you today that I love you?”
“Only about a dozen times, I could stand
to hear it a dozen or so more.” Lucky whispers to her softly.
She is about to reply when they are
interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Nikolas.” Emily says. “I’ll go get
Jonathan.”
“I’ll get the door.” Lucky says heavily.


Upstairs
The Big House In the Woods

Jonathan sat on the bed talking on his
cell phone
“I don’t see what you are so upset
about,” Ruby said on the other end as she
painted her fingernails. “I mean I know Nikolas
is not your favorite person but he’s not that bad
even if his housekeeper makes some strange
meals, but it all kind of fits with the decorating
so you get used to it.”
“If I’m stuck at Wyndemere,” Jonathan
says in exasperation. “Than I can’t help you and
Michael work on our plan.”
“Why not? Just yesterday didn’t we
decide that the first place to start would be
Wyndemere? I f you’re lucky, no pun intended
sorry, but you’ll find not only what we need, but
maybe some other deep dark Cassadine secret.
If some of the stories I’ve heard from my dad are
true, chances are you’ll find half a dozen bodies
buried in a dungeon somewhere.”
“I’m not interested in dead bodies. I want
to find what we need to nail Helena and prove
what the disk said. Something to nail Nikolas
would be nice too.”
“I thought you gave up on that,” Ruby
said. “I’m telling you the only person more
boringly straight and narrow than Nikolas is
probably our mutual cousin. You would never
know it by the way he is today, but Michael was
once raised by a mobster you know.”
“I know. You forget Jason is my uncle,
even if he is a little creepy at times.”
“Did you ever stop and think about what
your life would be like if you had been raised by
a nice, normal, and average family?”
“Are there any nice, normal, and average
families in this town?”
“In this town? Please. We drive them
away or burn them at the stake.”
“I almost believe you.”
“Most people do. It’s the blond hair and
blue eyes. People either assume I’m the
cheerleader type and simply not smart enough to
be devious or I’m the angelic type and too sweet
to be devious.”
“As long as YOU know how to be
devious.”
“Duh! I’ve already got our next step
planned. I think it’s time Michael and I visited
that warehouse again while you search
Wyndemere for clues.”
“Couldn’t we reverse that?”
“Nope.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Jonathan said, adding,“My mom’s coming
up. I have to go.”
“Hey Jonathan.”
“Yeah.”
“Wyndemere’s not that bad.”
Silence. “I guess I’ll find out.”
Ruby held onto the phone a second after
Jonathan hung up. Why had she given in to the
impulse to say something nice to the kid? They
may be united against Helena, but she had to
remind herself that this was only a temporary
alliance at best. Shaking her head, Ruby picked
up the cell phone again.
“Michael Quartermaine.”
“Hey Mickey.”
“I hate that nickname. You’re just lucky
I can’t think of an obnoxious nickname for
Ruby.”
“I’m not Lucky, that’s my brother.”
“God, that was awful,” Michael
sputtered. “Remind to teach you how to tell
better jokes than that one. To what do I owe the
pleasure or should I say what are you going to
talk me into next.”
“I was wondering if you wanted to go for
a drive tomorrow.”
“That sounds innocent enough. Where
and when?”
“Midnight. Katherine Bell’s warehouse.”
Michael groaned. “I was afraid you were
going to say something like that.”
“So are we on?”
“If I say no, you’ll just con someone else
into taking you.”
“I was going to call one of the Scorpio
boys. I’m pretty sure they’d be up to it.”
“Never mind. I’ll pick you up. Usual
place.”
“Thanks Michael.”
“Just promise to send flowers to my
funeral.”
“Nothing will happen.”
“It will when Uncle Luke catches us.”
Ruby said nothing knowing there was
nothing for her to say.

Upstairs
The Big House in The Woods

“Jonathan,” Emily knocked gently on the
door. “It’s time. Nikolas is here.”
Jonathan looked around the room. He
could count on one hand the number of nights he
had actually spent here, but he knew he would
miss it like crazy.
He picked up his duffel bag. Most of his
other belongings had been sent to Wyndemere
earlier in the day.
He started to walk to the door and
stopped, putting the bag down shakily.
“I can’t do this. I can’t leave. I can’t.”
“Oh Jonathan,” Emily gathered her son
close. God he was getting to be so tall. Tall and
strong. So much stronger than she had been at
his age. She hated the necessity that had
produced that strength even as she admired the
strength. “It will be okay. I promise you. I’ll
come and see you on Wyndemere.”
“What if he won’t let you? What if
something happens to you? What if?”
“What if you end up halfway liking
Wyndemere? What if when we go back to court
in a few weeks you get to come home? What if it
turns out that you’re staying with Nikolas for a
few weeks isn’t that horrible an experience after
all?” Emily says softly. You know your great
grandmother Lila taught me how to do that.
When I was your age every time I said a what if
that was the worst possible thing, Lila made me
say a dozen what ifs that were the best possible
thing. She was.....” Emily takes a deep breath.
“She was the best thing about the Quartermaine
family and of all the things I’m most sorry for the fact that she died never
having met you.”
“It isn’t fair. I shouldn’t have to go.”
“You’re right. It isn’t fair. Life isn’t
always fair and sometimes its not even close to
it.” Emily lifts her son’s chip up so she can look
in his eye. “I don’t know how to make this easier
for you. All I can tell you is that you were given
a hand of cards and now you have to play them.
They may not be what you wanted them to be,
but they are what you got so you do the best
with them that you can. Go to Wyndemere. Get
to know your sister. Try to make the experience
a good one.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“Me too,” Emily whispers. “Come on.
Nikolas is waiting.”

Lucky opens the door.
“Nikolas.”
“Lucky.” Nikolas breaths deeply, trying
to ignore the obvious pain in his brother’s eyes
by reminding himself of what is at stake here. A
relationship with his son.
“Emily went to get Jonathan. They
should be down in a minute.”
Nikolas nodded. “Thank you for not
making a scene.”
Lucky shrugged, it was the only way he
could keep from strangling Nikolas at this
moment. “It was never our intent to keep you
out of Jonathan’s life. Just yesterday we were
talking about taking him to visit you at
Wyndemere.”
“You were....” Nikolas stops as Jonathan
and Emily come down the stairs. Emily holds
herself carefully, so carefully that Nikolas knows
she is in a great deal of pain. The fact that he
caused it bothers him. He has this overwhelming
and completely irrational need to protect Emily
from pain, even if the source of that pain was
himself.
Emily gives Jonathan a smile and one last
hug. “I’ll see you soon.”
Jonathan nods, he looks at his father, and
gives Nikolas an openly hostile glare as he heads
out the door. At the door, he drops his bag and
races over to Lucky, giving him the tightest and
strongest hug that he can. “I love you .”
Jonathan says. He whispers to his father. “Take
care of my mom for me.” Lucky and Jonathan
look at each for a moment, and then Lucky nods.
Jonathan clenches his teeth together. He
won’t do it. He won’t show fear or emotion in
front of a Cassadine. Any Cassadine. Especially
not this Cassadine. He nods towards both of his
parents, grabs the bag, and heads toward the
door.
Ten minutes later, Jonathan is seated
next to Nikolas Cassadine in the back seat of a
limo, holding Lucky’s tracking device tight in
the grip of his hand, fighting the temptation to
push it over and over. Every minute tells him
that he needs to be back with his mother and
father. He can’t shake the feeling that something
is wrong and he knows it has to do with HER. He
closes his eyes. He has to trust Lucky and Uncle
Jason to protect his mom. The only way he can
help his mom is to find Helena Cassadine and take care
of her once and for all. The only way he can do
that is to enter the Cassadine stronghold, even if he does feel like Daniel
entering the lion's den.
Nikolas contemplates making small chat
with this overtly hostile son of his, but decides
against it. There is, however, one thing that he
has to know.
“What did you tell Lucky before we
left?”
Jonathan looks at Nikolas with contempt.
Living with him is one thing, but liking him or
even tolerating him is another. “I told my father
to take care of my mother,” Jonathan says with
all of the bitterness and hostility he has been
storing up for almost 24 hours now. “My mother
is dying but you don’t give a damn about her, do
you?”
Both the accusation and the information
shock Nikolas into silence the rest of the way to
Wyndemere.

The Big House In The Woods
Emily estimated wrong. Jonathan had
barely climbed into the back seat of the limo
before she felt herself falling apart. Barely
holding it together with tears cascading down
her face, she waved to her son. When she knew
he couldn’t see her anymore, she turned and
buried her face in her husband’s shoulder. He
says nothing, just holds her close to comfort her
and ease his own grief.