Laura stared at her sons in shock. The last thing that she had
expected was to see either of her sons visiting her, but to have them come
together? Even though she was worried at the thought of what could have
brought them together, she was thrilled that they were getting along.
"Nikolas? Lucky?" she said tears coming to her eyes. She stepped up to them
and grabbed them both into a hug. "Oh my baby's." She held them for a
minute and neither one could help hugging her back regardless of the reason
that they were there. She pulled back and looked at them. "Lucky what on
earth happened to your face? Where's your father? Where's Stefan? Oh listen
to me babble." She wiped her cheeks. "Come in, we have plenty of time to
talk. Who's that with you? Emily? How are you?"

        "I'm good, Mrs. Spencer," Emily said.

        Lucky pulled Liz forward and said, "Mom, this is Elizabeth Webber,
Audrey's granddaughter. Jeff Webber is her father."

        "Oh, of course," Laura said. "How is your father? I haven't seen
him in years. He was like an uncle to me." She looked carefully at Lizzie.
She had noticed the look on Lucky's face when he looked at her. She wasn't
sure but she had a feeling that this was her sons first love.

        "He's good," Lizzie said, looking nervously at Laura. She felt a
little out of place. Everyone else knew each other. She felt like she was
intruding.

        Laura realized that Lizzie wasn't feeling too comfortable, so she
smiled reassuringly at her. "That's good to hear. Come in everyone." They
moved into the living room. "Mother and Lesley Lu are still sleeping, but
you can see them later. Let's see. You've probably had a long ride. Did you
get any sleep or did you drive all night?"

        "We drove all night, mom," Lucky said looking at her carefully.

        "You must be so tired. Do you want to sleep for a while?"

        "Mom, we really need to talk to you."

        "Well, let me at least set the girls up. They would probably like
showers and naps after driving all night." Laura said realizing that
whatever had brought her sons together was serious.

        "I'd love a shower," Lizzie said. "But I don't know about the nap."
She glanced at Lucky who smiled reassuringly at her.

        Laura noticed the look, and she recognized the fear in Lizzie's
eyes. Why was Lizzie afraid to sleep? She took the girls upstairs, while
Lucky and Nikolas waited for her in the living room. She came down a little
while later and looked at her sons sitting next to each other on the couch.
They were comfortable and at ease in each other's presence. She had longed
for this day, the day when her sons would relent and like each other,
regardless of the feud between the families. She walked into the room and
sat down across from them.

        "What happened? What's wrong?" Laura asked, looking from Lucky to
Nikolas and back again. They looked at each other. They weren't sure where
to start.

        "Well, Mom," Lucky said. "I'm not sure exactly where to start. I
guess maybe a couple of months ago, when there was a shoot out at Luke's.
They were aiming at Jason. One of his bodyguards was killed...and Nikolas
was shot."

        "What!?" Laura exclaimed. "And no one told me? Oh, Nikolas, if I
had known I would have been there! I...I Oh, god. How bad, Nikolas?" Lucky
got up to make room for his mother as she went and sat next to Nikolas,
grabbing ahold of his hands. He shifted uncomfortable, not sure how to act
towards her. She felt a little hurt at how uncomfortable he seemed with her
actions, but she knew the reason for it.

        He held her hands and looked at her. How do you tell your mother
the details of how you were shot? "Pretty bad. It was, ah...it was to the
throat. I would have died if Jason hadn't done a tracheotomy. Oh, here's
something interesting. Luke helped save my life. He even rode in the
ambulance."

        Laura didn't look surprised at this information, but she let the
matter rest.  Nikolas continued. "I couldn't speak for a while, but Robin
and Emily helped me, and I eventually got it back." Laura noticed the way
he said Emily's name and realized the reason for Emily being there. Both of
her son's seemed to have found love in her absence.

        "Are you and Emily close?" Laura asked. Nikolas looked uncomfortable.

        "Um, well yeah. She's a great friend. I don't know how I would have
gotten through the last few months without her." Laura smiled. She was glad
that Nikolas had come to care for Emily. Even with her problems of the last
year, Laura knew that there were few girls as caring and special as Emily.
She was about to ask him another question but the heat was taken off of
Nikolas when LuLu came downstairs and recognized Lucky who was standing
within view of the bottom of the stairs. "Lucky!" LuLu yelled. "I missed
you soooo much! Where's daddy? I have so much to tell you."

        Lucky grinned at the sight of his little sister and picked her up
and gave her a huge hug. "Dad couldn't come, but look who I brought
instead," Lucky said, pointing at Nikolas.

        "Nikky," Lulu cried. "I haven't seen you in longer than I haven't
seen Lucky even. I missed you both sooooo much, so I wished and I wished
and I wished to see both of you and here you are." Nikolas laughed.

        "Well it's good to see you too, little sister." Lucky put Lulu down
and she ran to give Nikolas a hug. Nikolas held her close. He had really
missed this little girl. She was so untouched by this feud that was carried
out between the two families. Untouched by the hatred. She loved him
because he was her brother and she didn't care what his last name was.

        Laura said, "Why don't the three of you visit for a while. The
conversation can wait." She gave them looks that said, 'She missed you and
she wants to see you for a while and she really doesn't need to hear this
conversation.' They nodded and the three of them visited and Lulu told them
all about what she had been doing since she last saw them.

        Laura watched them, unable to believe that she was actually
watching all three of her children playing on the floor together. She sat
back contented for the first time in a long time. It only lasted a short
time however because about twenty minutes later the peace was broken by
Emily yelling for Lucky.

        "LUCKY! COME UP HERE, QUICK!" Lucky was on his feet and halfway up
the stairs before Nikolas and Laura could even react. Nikolas picked Lulu
up and the three of them followed Lucky up the stairs. Lucky found Emily
outside one of the guest bedrooms crying. "She's having another one of
those dreams. She wasn't going to go to sleep, but she was just so tired. I
can't get her to wake up."

        "Thanks, Em," Lucky said. He saw Nikolas Laura and Lu coming up the
stairs. "Keep them out here, okay?" He went into the room and shut the door
behind him.

        "What is it?" Laura said. "What's wrong?" Nikolas noticed that
Emily was crying so he handed Lu to his mother and went over and put his
arms around her.

        "She's having a Nightmare," Emily said.

        "They're horrible, Mother," Nikolas said, looking at Laura with
tears in his eyes. "I've never seen anything like it."

        "What are they about?" Nikolas and Emily looked at each other, but
neither said anything. "Nikolas?"

        "I think Lucky or Liz should tell you." Nikolas said. They all fell
silent and waited, looking at the door to Lizzie's room. They could hear
Lizzie screaming and the soft murmuring of Lucky's soothing voice through
the door.

        Meanwhile in the room, Lucky was trying to wake Lizzie up. He spoke
to her softly. Just talking to her, not touching her. He just talked until
his voice penetrated. He had tried waking her and he now realized that that
didn't really help her. He thought that maybe if he talked to her long
enough she would realize that it was him. That he was there and that he
wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

        Elizabeth struggled with her attacker. She could see Mr. Murty's
evil grin, and she screamed at him, praying that he would go away, and that
it would be over. Slowly, slowly, she began to hear a voice. It was Lucky.
Lucky was there. She was safe. In her dream Mr. Murty disappeared, but
Lucky was was still there. She would be okay. He was gone.

        Lucky watched as Lizzie relaxed. He could tell that the dream had
changed. He took her hand and sat next to her for a while. He knew that the
best thing for her would be to sleep now when she was no longer in the
nightmare. He sat just watching her for a while before he realized that
everyone was probably waiting for him in the hall. He reluctantly let go of
her hand and quietly opened the door and left the room. He looked at
everyone, noticing that Lesley had joined them in the hall, and then said
softly, "She still sleeping, but the dream's over. Em, will you go in and
sit with her while I explain things to Mom? She needs the rest but she
shouldn't have to suffer through those dreams."

        Emily nodded and went quietly into the room. "Hi, grandma," Lucky
said to Lesley. "How are you?"

        "I'm well, Lucky," Lesley said smiling at him. She held out her
arms and Lucky went over and gave her a hug. Nikolas had greeted her
earlier when Lucky had still been in the room with Lizzie.

        "Mom, will you take, Lu?" Laura said to her mother. Lesley nodded
and took Lulu into her room. "Lucky, what was that about? What's wrong?"

        "Let's go back downstairs," Lucky said still speaking quietly. "I
don't want to wake her. She needs this sleep." Laura nodded and the three
of them went solemnly down the stairs. Nikolas again took his seat on the
couch, and Laura sat in the chair across from him.

        Lucky couldn't sit down. He began pacing. "That is what brought us
to one of the reasons that we're here." He said. "The night of the
Valentine's dance, February, 13, Lizzie was attacked in the park,...and
raped." Lucky could barely say the words. "I found her. She didn't
recognize me. Nothing." He stopped pacing and looked at his mother. "It was
horrible, Mom. I didn't know what to do, how to handle it. She wouldn't go
to the hospital, so I brought her home and brought Aunt Bobbie to see her.
She's been having these dreams ever since. They had gotten better, but they
just caught the guy, when he tried to do the same thing to Emily. The
dreams, they've come back only now they're even worse. You wondered what
happened to my face? She had another dream on the way down here. I couldn't
get her to wake up."

        "Oh, Lucky," Laura said, feeling for the girl who was obviously a
huge part of her son's life.

        "That brings me to a question." Lucky said, though he wasn't sure
quite how he could ask this question.

        "What question?" Laura asked.

        Lucky looked at Nikolas and then back at his mother and asked
simply, "How could you marry dad... after he raped you?" There was no
judgment in his word, just pain, pain at what she had gone through, what
HIS father had put her through. "I just have to know. I just gotta
understand, cause I watch Lizzie, and I can't. I can't even imagine...How,
Mom?...How could you marry a man that raped you?"

        "Oh, Lucky," Laura said. "It wasn't the same thing. I knew what
would happen if I stayed. I knew, and I stayed anyway. He told me over and
over to leave, but I stayed."

        "That doesn't excuse what he did, Mom! He raped you!"

        "Lucky, I love your father, and no one, not even you, has the right
to question my decisions regarding that night. I made my own decisions. I
forgave everything that happened and you have no right to question that
choice. I loved your father before it happened. Maybe on some level I even
wanted it to happen. Nothing will change the fact that your father made a
horrible mistake and he hurt me. But it's history. It happened once, Lucky.
Once! And ever since and even before, your father has treated me with
nothing but respect and love. He was drunk and he was sure he was going to
die."

        "You're still making excuses for him!" Lucky said.

        "No!" Laura said angrily. "I'm explaining it, Lucky! There is no
need to make excuses, because what happened, happened between Luke and I
before you were born. We're past it. He made a horrible mistake, but he has
more than made it up to me. It was nothing like what happened to Elizabeth
and of the two of us it was always Luke, not me, that called it rape. Your
father will never forgive himself for that night, but I did. A long time
ago. There's no need to be angry at him on my behalf, Lucky. I know that it
hurt you to find out, but it's not your right to hate your father. I
forgave him, Lucky. I forgave him. That's all that there is to say. I can't
make you forgive your father but I will tell you that if I can forgive him,
you should be able to."

        Lucky let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. "I'll try, Mom," he
said. "I know that it happened to you and that if you tell me that I
shouldn't be mad at him, then I shouldn't be mad. I just can't let go of it
that easily." Laura walked over to him and gave him a hug.

        "I know Lucky," she said. "And it will take time, but you have to
remember that it is not your place to hate him." Lucky nodded. "Now another
question. How did you find out?"

        Nikolas sighed. "I told him," Nikolas said.

        "But it was just as much my fault," Lucky said quickly. "I was in
the park, looking for clues and Nikolas walked by. He said hello and I did
one of my stupid hotheaded fits. I provoked him about Stavros, and he told
me about dad."

        Laura gritted her teeth and looked at Nikolas. "How did you find
out about that?" She asked him her anger apparent.

        "Uncle told me."

        "And how did he know?" Laura asked. She noticed Lucky relax a
little at this question. "You thought I had told him?" she asked
incredulous.

        "I couldn't believe that you would," Lucky said defensively. "But I
didn't know how else he would have known."

        "Research," Nikolas said. He felt her anger and was sure that part
of it was directed at him. "I'm sorry that I told him," he said. "I...I..."

        "Oh, no, Nikolas," Laura said, realizing that he thought she was
mad at him. "I'm not mad at  you. Not at all. It's not your fault. You
shouldn't have been told in the first place. That is Stefan's fault."

        "That bring us to our second reason for being here," Nikolas said.
"Lucky in his anger with Luke, made a dangerous alliance." Lucky looked a
little embarrassed. His father knowing about this was one thing, but having
his mother find out what he had done wasn't going to be pleasant.

        "What did you do, Lucky?"

        Lucky looked at the floor, almost scared to tell her. "I'm uh...
I'm kinda working for Helena Cassadine."

        "WHAT!? LUCAS LORENZO SPENCER!!! That is unacceptable. Nothing,
nothing, should be allowed to push you from your family into Helena's
clutches. Nothing!" Nikolas felt sorry for his brother,

        "I'm sorry, Mom," he said. "I just figured that she might be able
to tell me a few more secret's, that you and dad had failed to tell me and
what do ya know, it paid off."

        "What did she tell you?"

        "Oh, only that my uncle is really my dad," Nikolas said. "When were
you going to tell me, Mom? When was I finally going to find out that Stefan
was my father?"

        "I'd kinda like the answer to that myself, babe," they heard from
the doorway. They turned and saw Luke walking into the room.

Chapter Thirty One

        "I wasn't going to tell anyone," Laura said. "I planned on waiting
for just this point. Helena held all the cards. She told me that if I said
a word to anyone, she'd kill Nikolas. I believed her."

        "Why?" Luke asked. "You know as well as I do that she would never
hurt the heir."

        "Stavros' son, no. But Stefan's? In a heartbeat. Besides, when she
told me, I had no reason to doubt that she could kill a Cassadine child."

        "What do you mean?" Nikolas asked.

        "You're a twin, NIkolas. Helena killed your sister when you were
born. An example, she told me." Laura started to cry. "My poor little
girl." Laura took a deep breath. "She told me that I was to do things her
way, or you would die, just like your sister. Stavros and Stefan were told
that she had died of natural causes and of course they believed her."
Everyone stared at Laura in shock. They'd had no idea. Luke went over to
his wife and put his arms around her. He couldn't stand to see her in so
much pain. She looked up at him her eyes begging him to believe her. "Can't
you understand that I had to do it. Please understand that I had to sleep
with them."

        "Why, Laura? Why did you have to sleep with them?" Luke said
looking down at his wife with pain in his eyes.

        "Because...I thought that I was already pregnant. I had to try and
make it look like Stavros was the father. Stefan was kind. I knew that if
he thought that he was the father he would care for him, and not let Helena
hurt him. I begged him to change the results, that if it were shown that he
or you were the father. To make sure that Stavros was shown to be the
father. In order to protect my babies. I had to protect my babies. Stefan
tried, but he told me that the results showed Stavros to be Nikolas'
father. I couldn't believe it, I had been so sure. I had been so sure that
I was already pregnant. Don't be mad Luke. Please. I had to do it. I had
to."

        "Oh, baby. I'm not mad. I love you. Nothing will ever change that.
You are everything to me. I understand that you were forced into this."
Laura smiled at him through her tears. She should have known that he'd
understand.

        "What happened then?" Nikolas asked, amazed at this new
enlightenment of his history.

        Laura continued her story. "It was widely known that the test had
been done and it was announced later that Stavros was Nikolas' father.
Helena came to me later. She told me that she had changed the results. She
had seen that Stefan was Nikolas' father and that she knew that this above
all else would give her power over me. All she would have to do is tell
Stavros that the results had been changed and that Stefan was Nikolas'
father and he would have killed Nikolas and me, not to mention Stefan. He
would have killed him, Luke. What could I do? She told me to jump, I asked
how high. She told me to leave the island I left. When I tried to return,
she met me at the airport. She told me that I was lucky. She had decided
that Nadia's death had been too long ago for me to remember the
consequences of my actions. She said that she had arranged for a reminder
of what would happen if I ever tried to see my son again. She told me that
my mother had been killed. I never tried again. How could I?" She looked at
Nikolas, "She told me that if I tried to see you she would kill you and my
entire family. See, an heir by Stefan, was better than none at all, but she
would have killed you in a second if I defied her, because there was always
another chance for Stefan to have a child by someone that wasn't me.
Besides it hurt me to be away from you and to have you hate me. She felt
that having my child hate me would hurt me worse than having my child dead,
but she was wrong, I would much rather that you hate me, then have you
dead. This last time when I left, it was the same thing. You might say that
Helena was too sick to make much of a threat, but she was well enough, long
before she came to town. Well enough to let me know what would happen if I
didn't leave town. She had decided that you were becoming too attached to
me, that you were beginning to trust me, and to love me. So she sent me a
little warning."

        "What?" Nikolas asked.

        "She sent me a..." Laura swallowed, she could barely think about
it. It had hurt so much. She continued tears streaming down her face. "She
sent me a baby doll, one of the ones that looks like a newborn...with it's
head cut off, and a little card saying, "Remember Baby Nadia?"  I knew
exactly what she meant, so I left. I want to make one thing clear Nikolas.
I never chose Luke, Lucky and Lulu over you. I chose your life over your
hate. I could live with your hatred but not your death. I couldn't be the
reason that another one of my children died. I couldn't! I just couldn't!"
By this point Laura was sobbing, and she could barely get the words out.
Luke, Nikolas and Lucky stared at her in shock. The horror and fear that
Laura had had to go through at the hands of this woman, far exceeded what
they had imagined. Luke held onto her tightly and buried his face in her
hair. He couldn't blame her for anything that she had done. She had had
nothing but the right reasons for everything she had done.

        Luke leaned back and looked into his wife's eyes. "Baby, none of
this is your fault. Helena is the cause of it all. She is the one that
killed your baby. She was the cause of her death, not you."

        "What do we do, Luke? What does she want now?" Laura said. "Why now
after all this time?"

        "I don't know baby, but I will say that it's good that we're all
here. We got a few things to iron out." He looked at Laura again, "Helena's
made her move, baby. She wants control back. The pieces are beginning to
fall into place for her. She's going after Stefan. We have to find a way to
protect Nikolas before he's taken down in the crossfire."

Next Part
I'll Always... Menu
Main Menu