Chapter 37

In the tunnelŠ

Lucky is standing next to the entrance to the catacombs, where Elizabeth
disappeared, nearly an hour ago.  The small opening through which she¹d
crawl was now completely sealed by rock and stone.  He was so completely
absorbed in his thoughts that he did not hear his father¹s approach nor did
he take note of his presence.

"Lucky?  Did you hear me?  I said it¹s time to go."   Luke informed his son
solemnly.

When the words finally sunk in, Lucky simply shrugged his shoulders,  "I¹m
not leaving."   He returned calmly.

"We¹re out of time, Lucky.  We have to go now."    Luke repeated.

"What part of Œno¹ didn¹t you understand?"   he said,   "I¹m not leaving her
here."

"No, it¹s you who¹s not understanding, this is not optional.  We¹re leaving,
whether you like it or not."  Luke told his son, sternly.

Lucky still made no move to leave.

"Lucky, please don¹t make this harder than it has to be.  You¹re not the
only one suffering, you know. Everyone lost someone tonight, Jason, Mulder,
Brenda, Sonny, hell even your mother.  Do you know that right now, Sonny and
Jason are the only thing keeping her in that chopper."   Luke told his son
sadly.

"She¹s not dead, and you know it!"   Lucky said becoming agitated.

"Did I say she was dead?"  Luke returned angrily,   "Look, I agree with you,
she¹s not dead.   But we will be if we don¹t get the hell off this island."

"What do you mean Œwe¹?"   Lucky asked flippantly, then added seriously,
"Trade places with me for just a minute would you?  Can you honestly say
that if you were in my position, if that were mom down there, that you¹d
just up and leave?  Don¹t even bother to lie, because there¹s no way in hell
I¹m buying it."

"Look maybe you¹re right, I don¹t know, but I do know that I¹m not leaving
YOU here.  So, just make up your mind right now, is it gonna be the easy way
or the hard way?"    Luke challenged.

"Don¹t do this, dad."   Lucky warned,   "I meant what I said."

"So, that¹s it, huh?  Guess it¹s the hard way."   Luke said, as he came
towards his son.

The instant he moved Lucky pulled his right hand out of his pocket.

"Stay  back."   He ordered calmly, as he pointed the gun at his father¹s
chest.

"Come on, Lucky, you don¹t honestly expect me to believe that you¹d shoot
me."   Luke said with a humorless laugh.

"Try me."   His son returned.

Unfeathered, Luke continued toward his son.   "Where¹d you get that thing
anyway?"   he asked.

"It¹s Elizabeth¹s gun.  She took it off before she went to get Emily."   He
answered,   "Don¹t, I said stay back."

"No, you¹re gonna have to shoot me.  How do you think your mother would feel
about that, huh?  Losing two sons and a husband all in one night."   Luke
said, as he continued his advance.

"She¹s not dead!"   Lucky insisted.

"No, but she is gone, which is what we should be, now give me that!"   Luke
ordered, as he took his final step towards Lucky and pulled the weapon out
of his hand.

Luke then tucked the weapon safely away before he reached out to his son.
Lucky snatched his arm away, and a struggle ensued.  After a minute or so
Luke got the upper-hand and gave Lucky a swift knock on the back of the
head, which temporily disoriented him.  He then swung Lucky over his
shoulders and hastily made his way back to the chopper waiting on the roof.
 Once they were on the roof, Lucky renewed his struggles.  Luke took a
second to knock him out completely this time before he continued on his way.
 He quickened his pace towards the helicopter, where Sonny, Brenda, Laura,
Jason, and Mulder, were waiting.

"Jesus!  What happened?"   Sonny asked, spotting Lucky¹s now unconscious
body swung over his father¹s shoulder.

"Luke?"   Laura said, questioningly.

"Still no sign of her?"   Mulder asked sadly.

"Long story, no time to explain."   Luke said as he releaved his son to
Jason and Sonny,   "What¹s the clock say now?"

"Just under four minutes."   Jason replied.

Once they were all secured inside the helicopter, Mulder signaled for the
pilot to take off.  They¹d just cleared the bay when the timer hit zero.
There was a loud series of explosions.  The entire island quickly went up in
smoke, so much so that the house was completely obscured by it.

An hour laterŠ.

Lucky stood staring out into space on the roof of the police station.  He
hadn¹t spoken since they¹d arrived.  He¹d merely exited the Helicopter, and
gone to the edge on the roof where he could look out to the island.
Nothing definite was visible because the smoke had yet to clear.

Luke and Laura stood only a few yards away observing their son.  Laura is
fearful that he will eventually jump.  Luke is also hesitant about
approaching him, but for a different reason.  He doesn¹t know how to help
his son, so he decides to give Lucky the space he seems to need.  While
Laura on the other hand decides to try and talk to him.

"Lucky?"   Laura said, cautiously approaching her son.

"Don¹t."   He warned.

She immediately stops, unsure of what to do next.   "Lucky?  Please talk to
us about what you¹re feeling or at least move away from the edge so we don¹t
think you¹re suicidal."   She pleaded.

He did neither, he simply continued to look out.  It had begun to rain
lightly, but he was oblivious to it.

Luke came up behind his wife, and put his arms around her.   "Time to go.
There¹s nothing eles we can do.  When he¹s ready to let us help him, he
will."   Luke told her.

"We can¹t just leave him here, it¹s raining.  Where will he sleep?"   she
argued.

"Where ever he goes he won¹t sleep a wink, but listen don¹t worry he¹ll be
okay.  Both Jason and Mulder said they offered him a bed for the night.  He
has somewhere to go if he doesn¹t come home."   Luke assured her,  "Let¹s
go."

Laura reluctantly followed her husband back inside the station, her eyes
fixed on Lucky until he was no longer visible.
 

ElsewhereŠ

Sonny, Brenda, and Jason have just arrived at the penthouse.  They all wore
the same somber expression.  Jason hesitated at the door to his penthouse.
Sonny and Brenda who had already entered, looked back at him questioningly.

"You coming?"  Brenda asked.

"Naw, you two go aheadŠI¹m thinking about taking a walkŠ."   Jason trailed
off, listlessly.

Brenda walked over and gave him a silent hug, before returning to Sonny¹s
side.  Jason walked back towards the elevator, while Sonny and Brenda
entered the penthouse.

Brenda knew that her husband had something on his mind.  He¹d been silent
for too long, not that his silence was odd in itself.  Sonny was not what
she¹d call a talkative person, but tonight she could tell that he was hiding
his pain behind the stillness.  And if there was one thing that she¹d
learned about Sonny after all this time, it was that trying to make him talk
when he didn¹t want to was a very bad idea.  She simply let him be.

She sat down on the couch, and leaned her head back against the pillows,
while Sonny walked around.  He, like Jason, seemed listless.  She watched
him through half-closed lids, wondering what was he was thinking.

Sonny became increasingly agitated, by both her calmness and the deafening
silence in the room.  He reached out and purposely knocked a vase off the
table.  It shattered loudly into a thousand pieces on the floor.  Brenda
took this as a sign that he was ready to accept her comfort.  She got up and
walked over to where he stood, reached out, and touched his hand.

"Sonny?  Your hand?"    she said, noticing the blood.

He turned and looked over at her with an expression of pure anguish.  After
a minute, he took her hand and quickly led her up the stairs and into one of
the bedrooms.  Once inside, he quickly closed the door, and brought her up
against the back of it.  He was standing just a few inches away from her,
when he reached out and took her face into his hands.   His expression was
one of both pain and guilt.  Again, she wondered what was going on with him.
 

She looked at him lovingly and longingly, trying to express to him how much
she understood and forgave him for whatever he thought he was guilty of.

Somehow, sensing her acceptance, he ended his silence.   "I kept you there
because I wanted you there."   He revealed abruptly,   "It had nothing to do
with the accident, your mother, her condition, nothing!   I wanted you with
me, so I created a reason for you to stay."

Brenda simply continued to look at him, her expression unchanged by his
admission.  This seemed to upset him even more.

"Don¹t you get it!"   Sonny shouted, moving away from her suddenly.
"There¹s nothing wrong with her, there never was."

"How?"   she asked, curiously.

"It wasn¹t hard, I hired the doctor."   He admitted, looking away from her.
 He walked over, sat down on the bed, and dropped his head into his hands.

"Why her? And not you?"   Brenda asked, advancing towards the bed.

Her question seemed to confuse him.    "You wouldn¹t have cared even if I¹d
hired fifty doctors to tell you that I was on my death bed and wouldn¹t last
throughout the week."   He explained sadly,   "But Ronnie, she was a
different story.  You were so protective of her, so afraid of losing her
again."

Brenda came to stand directly in front of him.   "Why are you telling me all
this, now?"   she said gesturing helpless,  "What difference does it make?
Surely, you must have realized by now that I wanted to stay, just as much as
you wanted to keep me there.  Mom¹s illness, make-believe or not, was just a
convenient excuse."

Again, he was surprised by her words.   He looked up at her and searched her
face.

Sensing that there was a deeper reason for his guilt, Brenda continued to
probe.   "What¹s different now?   You were obviously not planning on telling
me this, so what¹s changed?"   she asked him.

"Tonight, changed it!"   He told her, he then stared at her for a moment
before his continued.   "I realized that I wasn¹t the only one who needed
you.  Robin needed you too; your death is what pushed her over the edge.
Not having you drove her to insanity just like it did to me."

This admission seemed to break him.  He looked away and ran his hands over
his hair in despair.

Finally understanding the reason for both his guilt and his grief, Brenda
reached out and put her hand in his hair.

"SonnyŠ"   she started, but she got no further then his name.

He encirled her waist with his arms, and looked up at his savior.   "Forgive
me, please."

Brenda leaned down and kissed his forehead.  This was all the encourgement
he needed.  He pulled her on to his lap, and lavished her with kisses,
between which he repeatedly expressed his remorse.

"I¹m sorryŠI¹m so sorry, BrendaŠpleaseŠ I¹m sorryŠ."   he rambled on
emtionally between kisses.

Brenda returned his affection with equal passion,  "It¹s okayŠ I¹m hereŠI¹m
right hereŠ"
 

ElsewhereŠ

Mulder sat alone in his hotel room.  Inside, it is completely dark, and his
thoughts were filled with memories of Scully and Lizzie B.   He hears their
voices and sees their faces coming to him in the night. Their lost haunts
him because it reminds him of when he lost his sister so many years ago; the
memories of all three women start to mingle together in his head.

"Truth or dare, Mulder?Š.Sure thing, bossŠ..Mom said so, FoxŠ."

Unable to make the voices stop, he falls into a restless sleep under their
cruel assult.

"Why, Rhett, darling, I¹m so glad you could join meŠ. Thank you for taking
my case, Mr. MulderŠ. My name is Scarlet, Dana Scarlet Š."

"You know, Boss that¹s not very healthyŠ. Hi Boss, Dr. Scully, I hope you
have a nice eveningŠ Sure thing, BossŠ"

"Fox, you promisedŠ.It¹s my turn, FoxŠ.Help me, Fox, FOX!  FOX!Š.."
 
 

Chapter 38

Mulder awaken suddenly to the imaginary screams of his sister¹s voice.   He
sat up in the couch and wiped the sweat from his brow.  Giving up on the
prospect of sleep, he promptly got up, pulled a jacket over his rumpled
clothes, and headed back to the police station.

On arrival, Mulder headed straight for Commisioner Scorpio.   "Commisioner,
I just came down to see if you were any closer to getting that resuce
mission assembled."

"We¹re no closer than we were when you left.  Look, I told you, until the
smoke clears and we can assess structural damage, and determine a safe
course of action, sending a ground crew is both useless and dangerous at
this point."   Mac explained.

"So, what you¹re really saying is that all you¹ve done is sit on your ass
for the pass two hours.  Is that right?"   Mulder concluded,   "Well, I wish
you¹d told me what your plan was before I left, instead of wasting my time.
If you¹re not going to look for her, then I¹ll do it myself."

"Whoa, there, Mr. Mulder."   Mac said reaching out to stop his retreat,   "I
didn¹t say nothing was being done, I simply said that a ground-based search
party was out of the question.  Right now, we have people out on the bay,
near the perimeter of the haze, searching the water, and analyzing the
content of that smoke."

Mulder relaxed a bit at this news.   "What have you found out so far?"   he
asked.

"Well, we haven¹t found anybody yet, dead or alive.   We know for sure that
the substance that¹s surrounding the island is not just smoke, but a
combination of smoke and gas.   It¹s definitely poisonous and more than
likely deadly if inhaled in large supply.  That fact in itself doesn¹t bode
well for your partner¹s survival."   He explained.

"The gas wouldn¹t have killed her, she had a gas mask with her when she
disappeared."   Mulder informed the Commisioner.

"Good, that certainly increases her odds of survival.  Look, the best thing
for you to do rightŠ."  He started.

"Look, if you¹re about to tell me to go home, put on a brave face, hope for
the best, think happy, happy thoughts, or whatever the hell it is you
usually tell the families of missing persons, skip it!   I¹ve heard it all
before, and let me tell you something, it didn¹t work for me then, and it¹s
not working for me now.  You either give me permission to join the search
team or I¹ll start one of my own."   Mulder told him in no uncertain terms.

Mac looked at the determination on his face, and decided not to argue.
"Taggart!  Front and center."   He shouted over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"    Taggart answered as he came up front.

"Charter another boat, and take Mr. Mulder out to join the search party.
And make sure he has all the necessary equipment."   Mac ordered.

"Yes, sir."   Taggart nodded in agreement, and departed to carry out his
orders.

"Thank you."   Mulder said, and then added simpathically,   "I appreciate
this, and I am genuinely sorry about your niece."

"What is there to be sorry about?"   Mac asked sadly,   "She not missing
like your partner Ms. Webber, nor was she kidnapped like your friend, Dr.
Scully.  I¹m the one who should be apologizing to you, my niece is partly to
blame for this mess.  She made her bed, and let me assure you, as soon as we
catch up with her and Helena, I¹m going to make her lie in it."
 

ElsewhereŠ

"Laura, the sun will be up in an hour or so.  Why don¹t you try to get some
sleep, I promise I¹ll wake you if he shows up."   Luke said.

"No, I¹ll wait down here with you.  I wouldn¹t sleep anyway."   She replied,
  "I hope he doesn¹t catch anything being out in this weather."

"Where ever he is I¹m sure he¹s fine, physically at least."   Luke assured
her.

Just then, they heard footsteps on the porch.  Laura immediately stood, but
Luke stopped her.

"No, wait until he knocks."   He told her.

The footsteps continued towards the door, but there wasn¹t a knock right
away.

OutsideŠ.

Music begins to play.   ŒHome Again¹ sung by New Edition.

Lucky stood just outside the front door of his house, soaking wet from head
to toe, clutching the portrait that Lizzie B. had painted of him inside his
jacket.  He wonders whether or not he should have come.

I¹ve been away for much too long
I hope you still feel I belong
I didn¹t mean to cause you pain
Nothin¹ to lose, much more to gain
So can you stand the rain?

Luke and Laura open the door to find Lucky standing there.  His eyes are red
from crying, and he wears an exprssion of pure sorrow.  He takes a hesitant
step forward, while Laura bridges the gap, and pulls him into a tight hug.

Just when I thought that we were through
I found me way right back to you
I can¹t change what happened in the past
And won¹t promise this time it would last
Can you stand the rain?

The sence switches to the penthouse, where Sonny is under the covers with a
now sleeping Brenda.  Her head rests on his bare chest, and he has his arm
wrapped around her.  He stares out into space, finally at peace with the
night¹s events.

So on the story goes
Heaven only knows
The road of life will turn
A lesson we will learn
And no one know but fate, how we¹ll end
People who know
They say you can¹t go, Home Again
But if you ask me
I¹m happy to be, home again.

Across the hall at Carly¹s, Jason stares out of the window at the sunrise,
in an attempt to control his fear.  He does not yet want to think about the
possibility of never seeing Carly again, while at the same time he wonders
what life will be like without Robin.

I stand here all alone, confused
ŒCause I like living, with or without you
Will our story end
Like a fairy tale
Or just another heartbreak
Only time will tell

The Quartermaines are just arriving at the estate after visting Emily in the
hospital.

So on the story goes
Heaven only knows
The road of life will turn
A lesson we will learn
And no one know but fate, how we¹ll end
People who know
They say you can¹t go, Home Again
But if you ask me
I¹m happy to be, home again.

Lucky is lying down on the living room sofa, while his mother sits nearby
trying to interest him in some hot soup.

ŒCause we may never ever pass this way again
Just give me one more chance
Let me come home againŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ

Mulder sits near the front of the motor boat.  He is starting to become
disenchanted by their lack of progress.   <At this rate, she¹ll die of old
age long before we get to her.>  he thought in frustration.

"Hey, fellas, do you think maybe we could speed it up a little?  We¹ve been
out here for almost two hours and we¹ve only covered a few yards of water."
 Mulder said impatiently.

"Look, Mr. Quick Stuff, you¹re already on file as having interfered with an
on going criminal investigation, not to mention, unauthorized surveillance,
so I suggest that you pipe down and let us do our job."   Ordered one of the
crew memebers.

"I had authorization.  Special Agent Scully was offcially assigned to this
investigation by the FBI, and I was working in conjunction with her.  And
just so you know, a warrant was issued, giving us permission to have a
surveillance team on Mrs. Cassidine."   Mulder informed him.

"Yeah, well, that¹s convenient considering Agent Scully isn¹t here to
dispute your story."   The crew returned nastily.

"Do you have a problem with my being here, if so I suggest you take it up
with the Commissioner because he is the one who put me on this operation."
Mulder said, a subtle warning in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeahŠ"   the crew trailed off.

"Shhhhh.  Be quiet!"   Mulder ordered suddenly.

<I could have sworn, I heard something in the water.>   Mulder thought, as
he listened intently.
Once again, he heard it, a disturbance in the waterŠ
 

ElsewhereŠ

Jason was still looking out the window, when a knock on the door brought him
back to reality.  He was at a loss as to who it could be, no one but
Reynaldo knew that he was at Carly¹s place.

He walked over, answered the door, and was surprised to find Bobbie standing
there.

"Hi, Jason, I wasn¹t expecting to see you here."   Bobbie said in surprise,
 "Are you taking care of Carly?"

"What?"  Jason asked, confused by her words.

"You know, while she¹s sick.  Actually, that¹s why I¹m here, to see how
she¹s doing."  Bobbie said, handling him a bowl of soup,  "The kids and I
made her some soup last night, well it was mostly me butŠ."

"Bobbie, stop."   Jason said sharply,   "Uh, Carly¹s not sick, at least she
wasn¹t when she told you that yesterday."

"Okay, what¹s going on?"   Bobbie asked,   "Where is Carly?  And what has
she doneŠ.lately?"

"Carly¹s missing."   Jason informed her bluntly, running his hand through
his hair in frustration,   "Listen, before I get into it, where are Michael
and Lulu?"

"They¹re still at my place with Lateasia.  I didn¹t want to expose Michael
to Carly¹s illness, and I couldn¹t get in touch with Luke and Laura so
dropping off Lulu was out of the question too."   Bobbie told him, then
asked,   "Look, are they involved in this too?   And what makes you think
that Carly¹s missing, I just saw her yesterday."

 "Why don¹t you sit down, it¹s a long storyŠ.."
 

ElsewhereŠ

Lucky is sitting on the sofa in the living room, looking at the portrait
that Elizabeth painted of him.

"She paint that?"   Luke asked, referring to Elizabeth.

"Yeah, she just finished it a couple of days ago."   Lucky replied, not
taking his eyes off the picture.

"It¹s nice.  It sure beats those stick-figure creations of Lulu¹s that your
mother has hanging up on the frig."  Luke said, in an effort to lighten the
mood.

Lucky sighed, and proped the painting up against the coffee table.    "You
know, you don¹t have to Œcomfort¹ me.  I¹m not suicidal, or depressed, or
even sad.  I just miss her, that¹s all.  Okay, maybe I¹m a little worried
too, but it¹s not because I think she¹s not coming back.  I know she¹s not
dead."    Lucky told his dad confidently.

"And why is that exactly?  I was there, and I saw what you saw, so explain
to me why it is that you and Mulder are the only ones who are absolutely
convinced that she¹s alive somewhere, just waiting to be rescued?"   Luke
asked.

"Because that¹s the way she is, she doesn¹t let you down."   Lucky returned,
  "She said she¹d come back and she will.  It¹s just taking a little longer
than I expected."

"Is that why you¹re here, because you¹re Œtotally¹ convinced she¹s coming
back?"   Luke probed.

Lucky looked over at his father for a minute before he answered.   "I¹m here
because I didn¹t want to be alone, anymore."   He returned calmly.

Just then Laura entered the living room, carrying a big tray of food.   "I
hope you guys are hungry because I made my world famous hungry man breakfast
this morning.  Well actually it¹s more like lunch."  Laura announced.

"I can¹t, I need to get down to the police station, and see if there¹s any
word."   Lucky said as he stood,   "I also wanted to swing by GH and check
on Em."

"The hospital called this morning, she¹s still in a coma."   Luke informed
him, sadly.

"Lucky, you should eat something before you go."   Laura suggested.

"Naw, I¹ll just catch something fast on the way."   He said as he continued
towards the door.

Just then, someone knocked.

"I¹ll get it,"   Lucky said as he reached the door,   "Can I help you?"

There was a man standing there.   "Did somebody order pizza?  Extra
pepperoni?"   he asked holding out the box.
 

Chapter 39

On the bayŠ

Mulder was still trying to identify the distrbance that he¹d felt, when his
cell phone began ringing.  He immediately reached into his jacket pocket.

"Yeah?Š.Are you sure?Š.What about the others?   Okay, I¹ll be right there."
 Mulder sasid, as he hung up his cell,   "Turn this boat around, now.  We¹re
going back."

"Hold up there, Mister.  You ain¹t giving the orders around here."  The
crewman returned.

Just then, the radio on the boat went off.  He reached over to answer it.
After a minut, the crewman said a final,  "Š.yes, sir."   into the receiver
befroe he hung up.  He then turned to the driveer and ssaid.   "Well, you
heard the man.  Let¹s go"

With that, the driver turned the boat around and headed back to the docks.
 

ElsewhereŠ

"Pizza, Lucky?  Is that your idea of  breakfast?"  Laura said, turning up
her nose.

"I didn¹t order it."    Lucky tossed back over his shoulder.

"Oh man, are you serious?  I must have the wrong house.  Is your name Lucky
Spencer?"  the delivery guy asked.

Lucky turned his attention back to the pizza man.  " Yeah, that¹s my name
but IŠ"  Lucky trailed off,  "Wait, how did the order read again?"

"Uh, large pan pizza with extra pepperoni."   Replied the delivery man.

Lucky smiled at this.   <Elizabeth!>  he though silently,  <It has to be.>

"So, did you order it or not?"  the pizza man asked, annoyed.

"NoŠ yeahŠ uhŠit¹s a long story.  Just give it to me, I¹ll pay for it."
Lucky said, distractedly as he reached into his pocket.

Lucky paid the man, and returnecd to the living room with the box.

Luke looked at his son in confusion.  "What was that about?  And why did you
pay for a pizza you didn¹t order?"  he inquired.

"It¹s from Elizabeth.  Don¹t you guys remember?  In the tunnel?"   Lucky
reminded them,  "She told me to pretend like she was just going out for
pizza, and the I asked for extra pepperoni."

Laura¹s face lit up at this announcement, as did Luke¹s .  Lucky chuckled as
he watched their faces dawn with realization.

"Yeah, but it she¹s alive then where is she?"  Laura asked,   "Why would she
send pizza, instead of just showing up herself?"

"She¹s on her way.  She sent to pizza to let me know that she¹s alright."
Lucky concluded after a
moment.

"Or maybe Helenas got her, and this was just her way of letting us know that
we should keep looking for her."  Luke said, pessimistically.

"Okay, assuming that Helena did have Elizabeth, do you honestly think that
she¹d let her get to a phone?"  Lucky said shaking his head,   "I don¹t
think so."

"Good point."  Luke admitted,   "Still, there¹s something wrong or else
she¹d have just come herself."

"Think positive, Dad.  She¹s probably on her way over here rght now,"
Lucky said hopefully.

Luke looked at his son and smiled,   "You¹re got it bad, Cowboy."

Just then the phone rang.  They all jumped silghtly, before Lucky headed
over to answer it.

"That could be her,"   he said as he picked up the receiver,  "Hello?Šun
yeahŠwe¹ve beenŠokayŠyes, butŠno Šbye."

Luke and Laura looked at him in strained anticipation.

"AhŠthat was Aunt Bobbie."   Lucky informed the, then added sheepishly,
"She¹s on her way over here with Lulu, and she sounded pissed.  Really
pissed.  And I think we can all guess why."

Laura looked up at her husband,   "Uh oh.  Time to face the music, Luke."
She said.

"You think we have time to go back into hiding before she gets here?"   Luke
quipped.
 

At the hospitalŠ

Mulder burst through the emergency  room doors, looking around wildy.

"I¹m looking for Elizabeth Webber.  I was told that someone fitting her
description was admitted into the emergency room."   He said hurriedly to
the first nurse he spotted.

"Just wait a minute, sir, and I¹ll check for you."   She said, as she began
typing on her keyboard.

After a minute, she looked up and ssaid,   "No Elizabeth Webber, but we do
have a Jane Doe listed.  Petite, female just over 5 feet tall, medium-length
dark brown hair, dark blue eyesŠ"

"Yeah, yeah, that¹s her.  Which way?"   Mulder asked, impatiently.

"Straight down the hall, third door on the leftŠ"  She instructed him,
"Sir, wait, you can¹t go in there now.  She¹s with the doctor."

But Mulder was already halfway down the hall.  He reached the door, and gave
it a short knock before he opened it.

He walked in to the room to find Lizzie B. sitting on top of the bed, while
the doctor was in the middle of taking her blood pressure.  They both looked
up in surprise at Mulder¹s arrival.

"Elizabeth!"  Mulder exclaimed.

"Sir, you can¹t be in here.  I¹m not finshed with myŠ"

"It¹s okay, he¹s with me."   Lizzie B. informed the doctor, then looked at
her boss,  "Hey, Boss.  What¹s with the formality?"

"IŠyouŠHow did you get here?"  Mulder asked,   "What happened?  Are you
okay?  Does Lucky know you¹re here?"

"Whoa, Boss, one question at a time."  Lizzie B. returned,   "I¹m fine.
According to the good doctor here, I just have a couple of bruised ribs on
my left side.  I¹ll be out as soon as he¹s done checking my blood pressure,
heart rate, yada, yada, yada."

"How did you get here?"   Mulder asked.

"Well, I swam to the docks from the island, then I just walked to GH from
there."   She said calmly.

"And promptly collapsed on the Emergency Room floor."   The doctor added,
"Ms. Webber is downplaying her ordeal quite a bit.  She¹s a very lucky young
lady."

"And you¹re letting her out today?"   Mulder asked the doctor.

"Provided that she follows my orders, and takes it easy for the next week.
No more heroism for a while."  He returned, as he wrote out her
prescription.

Mulder nodded in agreement, then turned back to her,   "You never did answer
the rest of my questions.  What happened?"

Lizzie B. grimaced.   "Can¹t they wait, at least until I get out of here, I
wanna see Lucky, I already tried him on his cell and at the hotel, and he¹s
not answering.  I don¹t know the number to his parent¹s place, so I was just
gonna head straight over there as soon as I get out of here."

"Okay, all done Miss Webber."   The doctor announced,   "The shot I gave you
should take care of the pain for the next 3 or 4 hours.  After that, take 1
tablet every six hours for the next week.  The pain should¹ve subsided by
then.  I¹m scheduling you for a follow up appointment with one of our staff
doctors, a week from today.   By the way, you¹ll have to wear a unifrom home
because the outfit you arrived in is history.  There one under the bed;  you
can just tooss you hospital gown in the trashcan  when you¹re done
changing."

The doctor then headed for the door.

"Thank you, doctor."   Lizzie B. said, as she reached down.  She winced
slightly from the effort.

"Here, why don¹t you let me do that."   Mulder said, as he reached down and
pulled the navy blue uniform from underneath the bed,   "I¹ll wait outside.
Let me know when you¹re ready,  and I¹ll give you a ride over to the
Spencer¹s place."

"No, I¹ll take a cab.  Give me thirty minutes, okay?"   Lizzie B. requested,
  "Then you and the rest of the gang can come over, and I¹ll give you full
disclosure about where I¹ve been and what happened."

"You sure?"  he asked.

"Yeah, I¹m fine.  Lucky will take good care of me."    She assured him, then
asked,   "How¹s Em doing?"

"I guess you haven¹t heard then.  She¹s been in a coma since she was brought
in."  Mulder informed her gravely,  then added,   "The doctors are confident
that she¹ll come out of it, but you know there¹s always a chance that she
won¹t."

"Can I see her?  I mean, will it matter if I¹m not a relative?"  she asked.

"I think it¹s restricted to just the family, but they made an exception in
Lucky¹s case so you might want to give it a shot."   He told her, then
headed for the door.

"Ah, Boss, could we keep the extend of my injuries just between us, for the
time being?"   she asked.

"Yeah, but don¹t think that means you can disobey the doctors order."
Mulder warned her.
 

ElsewhereŠ

Brenda still lay beside Sonny on the bed.  Although she¹d been awake for
hours, she was reluctant to put an end to the monent that they¹d shared.
She was in the middle of a very blissful yawn when she, again, took notice
of Sonny¹s hand.

<Geez, maybe I should see to that.>  she thought as she began to move toward
the edge of the bed.

"No, don¹t move."  Sonny protested as he rolled over and pulled her back
into his arms.

"Sonny, you need to take care of your hand.  It might get infected."
Brenda insisted as she wiggled out of his grasp,   "I¹ll be right back with
the supplies."

As promised, Brend returned a few minutes later with a damp cloth, a bowl of
water, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and a ton of bandages.

Sonny looked at her with shocked amusement.   "You sure you got enough?"  he
asked humorously.

Brenda giggled,   "Better safe than sorry.  I mean, if it gets infected the
doctors might have to amputate."

"Brenda, you¹re pulling my leg."   Sonny returned, slightly nervous.

Brned put on a serious fave before she continued.   "No, seriously, and
that¹s not all.  Sometimes the infection spreads to other parts of the
body."   She said, glancing him up and down,   "Who knows what would be the
next part to go."

"Alright, now I know you¹re pulling my leg."   He said smiling at her joke.

Brenda was in the middle of patching up Sonny¹s hand when the phone rang.
Sonny¹s reached over an answered it.

"Yeah,Šthat¹s great, she alright?ŠListen, while you were down there did you
Šyeah, okayŠwe¹ll be thereŠHe hasn¹t been here all nightŠ."

At this point, Sonny turned to Brenda and asked,   "Do you know if Jason had
his cell with him when he left?"

"He didn¹t, I saw it on the table last night."   Brenda replied as she
continued working on his free hand.

Just then they heard a door opening in the distance.

"Hey, listen that¹s him now, Šyeah."   Sonny said in closing as he hung up
the phone.

"Okay, all done."   Brenda announced as she completed bandaging her
husband¹s wound.

"That was Mulder.  They found Elizabeth.  He¹s at GH with her right now."
Sonny announced.

"Is she okay?"   Brenda asked quickly.

"Yeah, she¹s fine.  They just let her out.  Why don¹t we get dressed and go
talk to Jason, that way I don¹t have to explain this twice."   Sonny
suggested.

"Cool."   She replied as she reached for her robe.

Five minurte later, Brenda, Sonny, and Jason all sat in the living room.

"So what¹s up?"  Jason asked.

"Mulder called.  They found Elizabeth, and she¹s fine.  She¹s been released
from the Hospital, and she¹s on her way over to Luke¹s place.  There¹s a
group meeting over there in thirty minutes time, so I¹m assuming that means
she has some new infromation."   Sonny explained.

"What about the others?"   Jason asked.

"No word on them yet, but whatever Elizabeth has to tell us maight help us
find them."   Sonny told him.

"YeahŠ"  Jason agreed, as he ehaded for the stairs.

Brneda stood up and went to picky up the phone.

"Who are you calling?"  Sonny asked her.

"The hotel.  I just wanna make sure Mom¹s okay."   She said as she was
dialing,   "I don¹t know why she insisted on staying there."

"I think it had something to do with Stephan Cassidine."   Sonny returned,
with a knowing smile.

Brenda rolled her eyes in annoyance, at the reminder of her mother¹s crush
on ŒSteffy¹ as she called him.
 

ElsewhereŠ.

Veronica is in the Dining room, where she had just walked up to Stephan¹s
table/

"Mind is I join you?"  she asked,   "They say misery loves company."

Stephan looked at her for a minute before he inclined his head in agreement.

"I am relieve to see that you are adequately dressed, Ms. Barrett."   He
said after a monent.

Veronica smiled,   "Coming from you, Steffy, I¹ll take that as a
complement."   She returned.

"Why do you insist upon butchering my name?  I have repeatedly requested
that you refer to me as Stephan."  He said, slightly annoyed.

"Okay, I¹ll make a deal with you.  I¹ll call you ŒStephan¹, if you call me
ŒRonnie¹, "  she offered,    "How about it?"

"Is there some reason why you dislike ŒVeronica¹?"   He asked.

She thought for a moment.   "No, I don¹t dislike it.  My given nameis just
so formal.  ŒVeronica¹ makes me feel like I¹m about to be reprimanded by the
Schoolmaster; ŒRonnie¹ fits my personality better."  She explained,   "So,
do we have a deal or not?"

"I will do my best to uphold my end of the bargainŠRonnie."   Stephan
returned reluctantly.

Just then, the waiter came over with a phone.
 
 

Chapter 40

Luke and Laura were sitting down on the couch having breakfast, while Lucky
paced back and forth across the floor.

"Lucky, why don¹t you sit down, relax, and have some breakfast."   Laura
suggested.   "If you keep this up you¹ll wear yourself thin."

"I¹m fine, Mom."   He replied.

"You know, Darlin¹, I think that your sythpaties are misplaced just a
little."   Luke said humorously,   "I¹m the one you should be worried about,
here.   I don¹t think anyone has survived the wrath of Hurricane Barbara
TWICE in one lifttime."

Lucky continued to pace, becoming increasingly agitated with each pass he
made.  Finally, he reached his breaking point, and sprinted for the door

"I have to do something, all this waiting is driving me nuts."   He said
hurriedly, as reached the door and yanked it open.

Standing there on the other side of the threshold was his Baby.   She smiled
at him broadly.

"Hi, Handsome."    She said.

For a moment, he seemed tranfixed by her presence.  Then, he closed the
distance between them and pulled her into his arms.   He rested his head on
her shoulder while his arms went around her waist.   She rubbed his hair
with one hand while the on her rested on his shoulder.

Luke and Laura took this as their cue to leave the room.

After a minute, Lucky pulled back slightly and began to lean down towards
her.  Just before his lips touched hers he whispered,   "I missed youŠ"

His kiss deep and slow, like that of a thirsty man who had been denied water
for too long.   When the kiss finally ended they were both breathless.

"Welcome back."    He said as he bent down and gathered her up in his arms.

"Oooo"    she sighed as she felt herself  being lifted off the ground.

He smiled down at her as he crossed the treshold,   "Get the door for me,
will you."   He ordered softly.

Her eyes never left his as she reached out and closed the door.   "Where are
we going?"   she asked.

"Trust me."   He replied.

He walked over to the couch and sat her down on it, before he joined her
there.

She glanced over at the table,   "I see you got my present."   She said as
she spotted the pizza box,  "I had the darnest time finding that pizza place
in the dark."

He chuckled lightly at her joke before he grew serious,   "You scared me to
death, Elizabeth.   You know that, don¹t you."   He said, looking at her
intensely.

She sighed apoligetically.   "Yeah, I know.  I tried to call you as soon as
I got off the Island but you weren¹t at the hotel, and you didn¹t answer
your cell."   She explained.   "I didn¹t know the number here, only the
address so I ordered a pizza and had it sent here hoping you would get my
message and know that I was okay."

He smiled down at her as she snuggled closer to his side.   "I knew you were
coming back.  Everyone else had their doubts, but Mulder and I, we knew."
He told her, frowning slightly at a forgotten memory.

"What¹s on your mind?"   She said looking up at his face.

"How do you do that?"   He asked in amazement,   "How do you always know
exactly what I¹m feeling?"

"It¹s not hard.  You have very expressive eyes."   She told him,   "Now,
tell me what¹s wrong."

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration.   "Look, you¹re probably
going to find out sooner or later, so I might as well be the one to tell
you."    He said sadly,   "Em¹s not doing so well.  In fact, she¹s about as
worse as she could be without actually dying."

"Yeah, I know, I just came for the hosŠ"   she trailed off.   <Ooops!>  she
thought.  She hadn¹t meant to let that slip.

He looked at her in surprise.   "You were in the hospital?"   he asked,
"why?"

"It¹s nothing really."   She explained, hurried.   "The doctor said I¹d be
fine in a week or so."

"Elizabeth, why were you in the hospital?"   he inquired, seriously,
noticing her outfit for the first time.   "What happened?"

She sighed, knowing that he wouldn¹t let it drop.   "I bruised a couple of
my ribs when I fell against the stone, but I¹m okay now."   She assumred
him.   "They let me out of the hospital, and all I have to do is take the
precription the doctor gave me, and go back for a check-up next week."

But Lucky was no longer listening.  His eyes were focused on her stomach.
He reached down, and pulled her uniform top out of her pants.  He then
lifted her shirt upward until he saw the bandages that covered the lower
left-hand side of her rib cage.   As gently as possible, he lifted the
bandages away.   She looked down at the top of his head as he caught sight
of her injury.

Although the skin wasn¹t broken, it was a virtual rainbow of discoloration;
Black, blue, purple, yellow, and red pigments could all be seen.

"Ah hell, Baby ."    he swore, looking up at her face,   "Why didn¹t you say
something?  I didn¹t hurt you, before when IŠ"

"No, Lucky, you didn¹t hurt me."   She reassured him quickly,   "The doctor
gave me a shot for the pain.   He also told me to take it easy, and I should
be as good as new by this time next week."

"How did you fall?"   he asked as he gently put her bandages back in place,
 "Did you slip or were you tripped?"

"I tripped on one of Helena¹s little surprises."   She informed him,
"That¹s not even the half of it, but the bottom line is I think I know where
she and the others are."

"What?  Where?"    He asked.

"They¹re still on the island."    She responsed, shortly.

"Elizabeth, that¹s impossible. The island went up in smoke about five
minutes after we left on the last helicopter.",   He informed her,   "I
ought to know because my father had to knock me out to get me on it."

She shook her head slightly.   "You¹re wrong.  The island did go up in
smoke, but thats all it was, smoke. Everything is still in tact, you just
can¹t see it because it¹s not visible yet."    She explained,   "Look, I
don¹t want to get too deep into this before the others get here, but let me
assure you, both the house and the island are still standing."

"You called a group meeting?"   He asked.

"Yeah,"   she confirmed with a nod,   "If we¹re gonna take another crack at
catching Helena we¹re going to need a new plan."

"We?"   Lucky repeated disapprovingly.

"Of course ¹we¹."   She replied,   "I¹m the only person who knows how to get
in, now."

Just then they heard loud, angry voices coming from the distance.

"Who is that?"   Lizzie B. asked, looking at Lucky.

"Oh, that¹s just Aunt Bobbie.  She found out about what happened last night,
and she¹s not to thrilled about it."  He explained, before returning to
their originally topic,   "Don¹t change the subject, Elizabeth.  I don¹t
want you involved in this anymore.  You¹re hurt, and you should be resting
like the doctor said."

"But, I have to be the one to go."   She said,   "I¹m not as good with
directions as your father, and plus those explosions changed the catacombs.
Some of the tunnels that I came through when I went to get Emily aren¹t even
there anymore.  We¹ll have to get in by water this time."

"Elizabeth, you¹re not setting foot back on that island."   He said flatly,
 "I mean it, Baby."

"LuckyŠ"   she said as she stood up off the couch.  She moved a little too
quickly, and she began to sway.

"Elizabeth!"   Lucky exclaimed as he reached out and steadied her.  He
brought her slowly back down onto the couch.

"You¹re not up to this and you know it."   He told her, as he ran his hands
down her hair and face.

"I¹m fine."   She assured him.   "It¹s just the medication the doctor gave
me."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, he decided to change tactics.   "Okay,
what do I have to do to get you to take it ease for a while?"   He asked
her, playfully,   "Come on, Baby, name your priceŒcause whatever it is, I¹m
buying.   I¹m not above begging here."

He got up, and went over to the stero in the corner of the room.

"What are you doing?"   she asked.

He smiled at her over his shoulder as he put the LP he¹d selected on the
turntable.  He started to lip sync the words to the song as the lyrics
began,   "I know you wanna leave me, but I refuse to let you go.
If I have to beg, plead for sympathy, I don't mind, 'cause it means that
much to me."

As the chorus began he got down on his knees in front of where she sat on
the couch,   "Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin; please don't leave me,
don't you go.  Ain't too proud to plead, baby, babyŠ"

"LuckyŠ"  she started.

"Well I heard a quiet man, half a man, with no sense of pride, If I have to
cry to keep ya I don't mind weepin' if weepin' gonna keep ya by my side."
He mouthed to his Baby.

He joined her on the couch, lay his head in her lap and looked up into her
face with big puppy dog eyes,   "Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin;
please don't leave me, don't you go.  Ain't too proud to plead, baby, babyŠ"

Lizzie B. looked down at him, and couldn¹t help but smile in joy at his
antics.   "Lucky, you get up from there right now."  She ordered, trying to
sound stern,   "The others will be here soon."

"No, not until you agree to take it easy."   He returned.

"You¹re over-reacting, Lucky."   She told him.

Growing serious again, he sat up in the couch, and turned around to face
her.   "I¹m mad about you, Baby.   And I just don¹t want anything else bad
to happen to you, okay."  He told her sincerely,  "You don¹t have to be
strong all the time, Elizabeth.  This time, let me take care of you instead
of the other way around."

She found herself unable to denied his request.   "You win, Lucky.  No more
flying solo."  She said softly.

"Thanks baby,"   he said with a smile as he lowered his head and gave her a
quick kiss on the lips.

Just then, a mischevious giggled came from across the room.

"Lucky kiss ŒLizbeth,"   Lulu said as she pointed to her brother.

Lucky and Lizzie B. looked over at the door to the kitchen to find, Luke,
Laura, Lulu, and Bobbie standing there.

Lucky smiled.   "Lulu, come give me a hug."   He said as he bent down and
held out his arms.

Lulu immediately ran to her brother.

"Hi there, Lulu."   Lizzie B. said,   "I¹m surprised you remembered me."

"You came with Mulda Man."   Lulu replied over her brother¹s shoulder.

Luke, Laura, and Bobbie followed Lulu into the living room, where Laura
wasted no time in coming over to give LizzieB. a hug.

"I¹m so glad you¹re back."   She said, relieved.   "We were worried that
something might have happened to you."

"Watch it, Mom."   Lucky warned,  "She has a couple of bruised ribs on her
left side."

Lizzie B. smiled at his over-protectiveness.   "It¹s okay, I won¹t break."
She assured him.

Lucky sat Lulu down, and looked over at his father.   "What¹s that under
your eye, Dad?"   he asked, knowing full well that it was the beginning of
one hell of a shiner.

Luke rolled his eyes.   "Everyone¹s a comedian."   He said sarcastically.

"Hello, again, Lizzie B."    Bobbie said,  "I trust you¹re recovering well
from your ordeal."

"I¹m fine, Ms. Spencer."   She replied,   "Listen, I should probably warn
you guys.   I called a group meeting, and they should be here any moment.
We have a lot to talk about."

"Like what?"   Luke asked, perplexed,   "Spook Island¹s history, and so is
Helena, for the time being."

"Oh no, Mr. Spencer, that¹s where you¹re wrong."

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