Helena tapped her fingertips together lightly. Smiling in glee at the wonderful news she had just received. Lucky Spencer had left the God Forsaken home of his mother and taken up residence at Jake's.

"Quaint Lucky...very quaint," Helena said wickedly to herself. Thinking of his last accommodations.

Suddenly the phone rang, shaking her from her thoughts. She picked up quickly, anxious for any more news on her favorite subject: The Spencers.

"Yes," she said, her jeweled hand sliding along the receiver. "You're certain?....The Webber girl has decided to shack up in the little dive as well?.....Aww splendid. Yes....it is very nice that he should have company this time......thankyou. Yes....keep me apprised of any and ALL new information."

She hung up then, placing the phone back in it's cradle. "Yes...splendid indeed."

~~~~~~~~

Lucky rolled over, a small moan escaping his lips as the first signs of a new day peaked in through the old blinds. The same blinds that had done absolutely nothing the night before, to lessen the glow of the neon sign that hung above the window. Not that he'd actually seen much of the red glare. Not that he'd seen much of anything but her. All of her.

He snuggled in closer to her now, wrapping his arms around her bare waist and pulling her to him. She was so warm. So soft.

He noticed her grin slightly, before her mouth settled back into a slumbering pout. He placed his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled. The scent, the silkiness of her skin taking him back to the night before when they'd made love and then fallen into a blissful sleep. The most peaceful sleep he'd had since.......God since when? 'April 16, 1999,' his mind answered thoughtfully.

So why was he awake? What had awaken him at.....What the Hell time was it anyway? Lucky turned his head away from Elizabeth slightly, looking at the clock that sat on the nightstand. '7:30 a.m. ......why am I awake?'

Could it have been the fact that the words he had said to Elizabeth the night before still haunted him? Still plagued him? Had awaken him from a tranquil sleep?

Elizabeth turned in his arms, facing him now and wrapping her arms around his neck. The inside of her leg moved up the outside of his on it's own volition. He gently brushed her hair out of her eyes as her head settled into his neck. There was that grin again. He'd never seen her smile in her sleep before.

'That's exactly why you're awake, you idiot!' He thought. 'Here she is so beautiful......so willing to do whatever is necessary to make you happy......even move in here against her better judgement....and you go and say the worst....the WORST thing you could ever say to her...ever!...What the Hell is wrong with you!.....You need serious psychological help! THAT's what's wrong with you.'

He sighed and his hand slid slowly, methodically up her thigh, coming to rest on her lower back after a time. She stirred again, and her eyelids began to flutter under the heavy cloak of sleep that had enveloped her only a few hours ago. She looked up into the startling blue eyes that looked down at her.

She smiled widely in response to the weak grin that he gave her, and stretched a little, pressing herself closer to him. "Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning," he said, his voice hallow. His eyes vacantly focused on something on the opposite wall. Something behind her.

What was wrong? Her body froze in reaction to his voice, to the saddened look in his eyes.

"What is it, baby?" She asked, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. A small grin tugged at the side of her mouth as she thought of a way to lighten his mood. At least she hoped it would have that effect. "How 'bout I make you feel better again?"

Lucky shut his eyes tightly, and turned away from her. His back the only thing she could see now. 'Ugh...Lucky...what is it?....' She thought, biting her lip as she allowed her hands to travel up his back and come to rest upon his strong shoulders. Too damn strong.

She let her fingers message them for a few moments before, hoisting herself up and placing her head in between his head and his shoulder. She whispered softly in his ear. "Lucky...tell me what's wrong."

He reached up, intertwining his fingers with hers and pressing the back of her hand to his lips. He couldn't keep it there long. He couldn't let on that he was about to lose it, that his lips were trembling something awful. But she already knew. She could already feel it in his back. She could already feel his entire body beginning to tense up under the pressure he was putting himself under. Or maybe the pressure she was putting him under. Who could be sure?

Lucky licked his lips and shook his head slightly, wiping quickly at the corners of his eyes. "I can't believe what I said to you last night.....I can't believe you're still here."

Elizabeth, moved up closer to him, and raised her head pressing a tender lingering kiss to his temple. She was determined not to let him do this.

When she finally pulled away, she made him hear her words as she lay her cheek on his. "Well, believe it....I'm here to stay............Lucky's there's nothing you could do or say to make me leave ok?....I'm never, ever leaving you.....Ever."

He swallowed hard, painfully, and turned over quickly. He cupped her face in his hands and placed his lips against her forehead. His tears falling in earnest now. How did she manage to make everything ok? "What did I ever do to deserve you?" He asked, pulling back, gazing into the deep oceans that were her eyes.

"You were born," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and moving closer.

Lucky groaned, she made his heart ache inside sometimes. And now as she got closer. As her leg moved up and hooked around his hip, other things began to ache as well.

They couldn't do this now. Making love was no longer an option without protection. It had happened twice already. It had taken every once of will power they could muster last night, not to continue to make love after that first time. Liz had suggested he go to the store, but he hadn't wanted to leave her. If truth be told, she hadn't wanted him to leave the warmth of their bed either. Their bed. The thought of it being their bed, and not HIS or HERS had made her sleep so soundly, so peacefully. Had made cuddling, almost enough. Almost.

Lucky closed his eyes as her hands moved torturously up his chest. She kissed him lightly in the hallow of his neck, and her lips continued upwards until they met his chin. His hands reached out of their own accord, cupping her bottom and bringing her closer to him. "God......we can't........Elizabeth, we can't," he whispered as she continued to kiss him.

She knew they couldn't. She knew they had already risked too much twice already. That the third time would most definitely be the charm if the second hadn't already been.

Yet somehow, she wasn't worried about last night. Something inside of her would not let her regret one moment of anything they had done together. It had felt so right. So completely and totally right. Just like this did. But now it had to stop. Her common sense had finally decided to make an appearance. Her common sense hadn't even explained to her grandmother that she had moved out yet. How in the world would she ever explain a baby? Yep, it was time to engage her brain a little bit. Even though her brain was having a hard time making any decisions right now.

She pulled away slowly, her lips wanting more. Her whole body needing more. "I know," she panted. She laughed out loud in the middle of her gasps as she looked at his face. "Get up and go to the store Lucky....now."

 ~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello," Laura said softly as she opened the door a bit wider, allowing Luke entrance into the home that they had once shared. "How are you?"

Luke sighed as he walked towards the couch. "Is the Princess around?" he asked, ignoring her question. She didn't really want to know how he was right now. He still couldn't get the look his son had given him out of his head. The look of pure contempt. The same contempt he had aimed at the Devil's Spawn. The spawn that she had created with the Devil himself.

Laura's eyes followed him as he tiredly sank down into the cushions. Ignoring her questions had always been a bad sign. "She's down the street at her friend Elena's house......did you two have pla - "

"She's where?!" Luke asked, shooting up from the couch.

Laura's eyes widened, her eyebrows arching in surprise. She kept her voice calm. "She's at her friends house..." her voice trailed off as he stalked towards the door. "Luke where are you going?!"

Luke spun on his heel, facing her. "Laura....In case you haven't noticed...your lover's mother still has a score to settle! She already kidnapped one of our kids....you itchin' to get rid of LuLu now too?"

Laura's hand flew to her mouth, covering it as an immediate sob escaped her throat. Luke looked down at his shoes, thrown by his own heinous outburst. He looked up after a moment. "I....I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that - "

"No," Laura said quickly, waving him off, as the tears began to fall. "You're right...you're right."

Luke shook his head, and moved towards her hesitantly. His arms moved slowly around her shoulders as he embraced her. "No, I'm not," he whispered in her ear. His hand moved in circles against her back. "I'm not right at all.......I didn't mean to say what I said..."

Laura pulled away, shakily wiping at her eyes. He reached up, tenderly brushing a fallen tear away with his thumb. She felt a shiver run up her spine at the mere contact. Luke felt it too.

"I'm just a little out of it since yesterday..." he said then, shaking himself quickly of any thoughts he was having.

"Yesterday?...What happened yesterday?"

Luke scratched the back of his head, surprised that she didn't already know. Astonished that the hospital rumor mill, namely Amy hadn't spewed the whole story in 2.5 seconds. "Lucky didn't tell you?"

"Didn't tell me what?"

"That he and the Prince had a run-in?"

Laura's eyes grew wide once again. "What do you mean a run-in?"

Luke grinned weakly. "I mean my son's right hook has significantly improved...THAT'S what I mean."

Laura's mouth hung open in shock. "Oh..no...what happened?....are they ok?"

Luke snickered lightly and moved back towards the couch. "Nikolas is fine. He took a hard one on the lip......but it ain't like he's not used to the taste of...." his voice trailed off, noticing the look on her face. She was obviously not in the mood for his 'oh so humorous' vampire references. "And Lucky's fine..........I guess." Not that he would know.

Laura clasped her hands together in front of her, worry lines creasing her forehead. "Well, do you know what started it?" She already had her own suspicions. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know if they were correct or not.

Luke turned to her, his eyes seemingly looking straight through her. "Well.....it seems little Nikolas has taken a liking to Elizabeth.....ain't it sweet?....Like father, like son I suppose."

Laura shook her head after a moment, deciding to ignore the true meaning of his words. "I was afraid of that," she said quietly, almost to herself.

When she looked up, she knew she needed to change the subject and fast. Although the one that she was going to move on to, wouldn't be any more comfortable than this one. She didn't want to talk about it. But it seemed necessary. "Luke....I think....I think we need to look into selling the house."

Chapter 42

Luke turned around, looking down at the carpet beneath his feet. "Why would we sell this place?" He asked slowly, tiredly looking back up and letting his eyes glance over the space he now stood in. They landed on a picture sitting atop the mantel. A picture of a boy he once knew better than himself. A picture of his son.

Laura's voice only partially penetrated the thick haze that enveloped him. "I just think that it's time," she said, beginning slowly. Not knowing whether he was hearing her or not, with his back turned. "I thought I could make this place a home for Lucky...for LuLu....but.......Luke, he doesn't want to be here....He moved out."

Luke turned around quickly. "He what?"

"He moved out.....yesterday afternoon.....he said he felt...trapped....Luke I tried - "

Her voice came to a halt as Luke waved her off. "I figured he'd leave."

"You did?" Laura asked, somewhat shocked. The idea had never even occurred to her.

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Of course Laura......Cow -- Lucky, needs to make his own way....He's been locked up in a stainless steel dungeon for the last 9 months of his life. Do you really think he wants to be cooped up in some old, haunted house that he wasn't even too keen on BEFORE he was kidnapped?"Luke asked dryly.

Laura looked down, stricken by his words. "I suppose not," she whispered.

"Where did he go?" He asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the room that they had rebuilt their Port Charles life in. "Did he tell you?"

"No," Laura said, her voice still soft. "He wouldn't say....I don't think he even knew. He just knew he had to be away from here," she added solemnly.

"Do you need to be away from here too?" He asked, once again catching her off guard.

Her eyes suddenly welled with tears. She fought to keep her voice steady. If this was a decision she was going to make, she had to be strong. She'd made too many mistakes in her life. It was time to be honest. She was being honest right? She did need to leave here? Her time in this home had ended? She and Luke had ended?

"I guess I do," she said sadly. "I came back to this house, hoping to make it a home for my son. A home that he would remember and feel safe in.....feel like part of his life hadn't been stripped away from him....But I guess it doesn't work that way....Few things ever work out the way you hope they will."

Luke nodded slowly. They hadn't worked out the way he'd hoped. But boy had they worked. For a long time they had worked so well together. So inefficiently without each other. 'Nostalgia never did anybody any good Spencer,' he thought, shaking himself from his reverie. He looked towards the door. "So...you and Princess will be heading back to Wynde -.....wacko?" He asked, forcing a smile at the end of his question. God he hated the idea of his daughter in that place. Hated the idea of HER in that place.

Laura simply nodded, once again looking down at the floor. 'Why are you feeling this way!' she thought, her inner voice shouting at her. 'If this is your decision...why do you feel guitly?!....Why do you feel like you're dying inside?'

She finally spoke. "Yes...soon."

Luke ran a hand through his nearly nonexistent hair and began his walk towards the door. He gripped the antique knob and turned around giving the place a once over. Giving her a once over. His free hand reached instinctively to smooth a strand of hair out of her face, but retreated before it even met the silken strand. "Tell the Princess her daddy loves her,"

"I will.....goodbye Luke."

 ~~~~~~~~~

Liz stretched against the cool fabric beneath her, sighing as she turned towards the illuminated numbers of the alarm clock by their bed. Thirty minutes had passed since Lucky had gone to the store. It felt like an eternity.

She reached towards the foot of the bed and grabbed the flannel shirt that lie there. She brought it to her nose and inhaled the deep scent of the love of her life. The deep heavenly scent of her lover, intoxicating her. She quickly slid her arms through the sleeves and began buttoning it.

The day called outside as the light shown through the blinds. She sighed at the knowledge that reality and all it's trials were right outside. Right outside with her Lucky. The panic attacks she had suffered when Lucky had first returned were lessening, but times like these still made her chest tighten. She pulled his shirt tight around herself. 'Get up and do something,' she thought. 'That's what Gail said to do...stay occupied. Your mind is only obsessing...don't let it...'

She rose from the bed, quickly stopping in her tracks as her eyes fell upon the blue suitcases next to the bed. She sighed loudly. Audrey would kill her. She'd left without a moment's notice. Without a moment to think about what she was doing.

Sure she had thought long and hard about it after Lucky had asked, but once she'd decided to do it, to move in with him, she hadn't given it a second thought. If truth be told, she'd been afraid to think anymore about it. Afraid her better judgment would decide against it. But now, now it felt like the best decision she'd ever made. She wouldn't let Audrey or anyone else tell her any different.

Elizabeth lifted a suitcase on to the bed, and opened it quickly, searching for a pair of jeans and a decent top. It looked as if Lucky might be awhile, and there was no time like the present to face Audrey. "Face your problems...don't run from them," she said aloud, heading for the shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucky stared down at the various packages in front of him. 'Lambskin, latex...ribbed....who knew there were so many choices??...Jeez...just pick...latex is good right....oh my God...are you really standing here about to buy a box of rubbers!...'

He was. And he'd been standing in the same spot in the same aisle for five minutes. Why was this such a shock? They'd made love when he'd first arrived home, yet it was just now hitting him? Just now sinking in?

He had longed to touch her for months, to press his lips against hers. Dreamed about her day and night, and now....Now they had done far more than kiss. Now he was buying condoms.

'One day you're gonna meet some girl that makes your heart pump fast and your blood run a little hotter, and your........the point IS Cowboy...you're gonna wanna be real...um...close to her....real close...'

Lucky looked down at the shiny linoleum. Memories of Luke's Birds and Bees speech suddenly filling his head. How awkward his father had been. How completely disinterested he had been. Or at least had tried to be. He hadn't thought about that in ages. Hadn't thought about his father in.....

'Yeah, who are you kidding, Spencer?' His mind questioned. 'You think about him all the time....and what is it about him that you can't face right now?...Why haven't you given the guy the time of day since you got back...since he rescued your sorry ass? Since he shot Faison?...Why does that even matter to you? Huh?...What is that about?'

He must have stepped backwards during his trip down memory lane, because the next voice her heard was certainly not his fathers. "Hey! Watch it, will you!"

Lucky's face immediately morphed into a scowl. "Nikolas."

Nikolas stared back, his fingers wrapping tightly around the handle of the shopping cart in front of him. Of all the grocery stores in all the world. 'Keep walkin.'

Nikolas quickly greeted the man who had punched him only the day before. The brother who had punched him, without the slightest hesitation. "Lucky," he said quickly as he pushed his cart farther down the aisle, fully intending to leave the conversation at that.

His steps slowed, as his eyes came into contact with the merchandise displayed in front of his little brother. He grunted. The sound, a mixture of embittered laughter and frustrated disgust.

Lucky turned to look at him. 'Don't say a damn word Nikolas...I swear if you say one damned thing...'

"Is Elizabeth ok?" Nikolas asked, breaking into Lucky's silent demand.

"Like you care," Lucky spat, uncomfortably. 'Elizabeth again huh?...Never Liz anymore.....jeez...you really do that to get under my skin don't you...do you actually LIKE being hit Nikolas?' his brain asked silently.

"I do care Lucky...........Look, I just want to make sure she's ok. I'm really sorry if I upset her yesterday."

"She's fine," Lucky said quickly, turning back to the matter at hand.

Nikolas wasn't about to let this opportunity slide. "I'm really glad she's getting help....I mean seeing Gail....it's good for her."

Lucky ignored him, continuing to peruse the boxes before him. Some part of him, the part that wasn't completely unnerved, was happy that Nikolas spotted him, where he had spotted him. A certain part of him was glad he hadn't just been buying orange juice.

Nikolas shifted his weight from foot to foot as he thought of his next words. "For awhile there she was having a lot of trouble - "

Lucky whirled around. "You know what Nikolas...I'm fully aware of the troubles that Elizabeth had. I don't need a synopsis from you."

Nikolas nodded quickly. "Oh, ok...yeah, of course. I'm sorry....I just well, I'm glad she told you about all that. I'm just glad I could be there for her when she needed me. I'm glad she didn't turn to just anyone, you know?... I know a lot of guys would have taken advantage of a situation like that.....a beautiful girl throwing herself at them....but I knew she was - "

"What the Hell did you just say?" Lucky asked, suddenly unconcerned with the contraceptives behind him.

Nikolas' mouth dropped open in complete and utter surprise. At least that's what he hoped it looked like. "Oh my God...Lucky, I thought you knew about that afternoon....she had to have told you about that right?....Don't worry...nothing really happened...but it was.....It was Christmas.....I thought...Oh man, I thought she told you......."

"She told me," Lucky said flatly, quietly. He turned back towards the shelf blindly. His teeth bit down hard against his tongue. "She told me."