Elizabeth and Lucky are on their way over to the penthouse, as are Mulder and Scully.  Em and Nik have
just started their shift at the docks.

At the DocksŠ..

Emily was nervous. Her and Nikolas had never actually discussed the kiss they¹d shared in the gazebo, so
she doesn¹t know whether she should bring it up or not.

 <This is the first time we¹ve really been alone for a long period of time since the kiss.>  she pondered
silently. <Maybe I should just be blasé and talk about a neutral subject.>  she concluded finally.

"So, I see you and Lucky are getting along better."   She said causally,   "Even the banter between you two
earlier had a friendlier feel to it."

"Yeah, I think we might actually end up being friends.  Imagine that."   Nik said then added,   "Thank you for
bringing us together."

"I didn¹t do anything but maybe speed things up a little.  You two would have gotten together eventually."
  She said, declining credit for His and Lucky¹s new found kinship.

"That¹s not true.  You gave us some commonality, besides our mother."   Nikolas insisted, nervously aware
that he was running out of things to say.

<Should I bring it up?>  he thought.  <A lot has happened since that night.  Maybe she¹s forgotten about it
already.>

"NikŠ"  Em started.

"EmŠ"  Nik started.
 
After Nikolas realized that they¹d spoken at the same time he concedes,   "Ladies first."   he said.

"Oh, no, it can wait.  You go first"   Em said nervously.

Nik took a deep breath and began,   "Well, I¹ve been thinking, about the other night when I, uh when we
spent the night in the gazebo."   He said, stopping momentarily to gauge her reaction.   "I had a nice time."

"Yeah, me too."   Em admitted shyly.

Feeling more confident now that he knew she enjoyed herself too, Nik ventured into riskier waters.

"So, do you want to do it again sometime, uh spend more time together I mean not uh, well that too but not
only thatŠerrŠ"   Nik said stumbling over his words.

<He is so cute when he¹s fumbling.  Then again, when isn¹t he cute?>  Emily thought siliently.

"It¹s okay, I know what you mean."   She finally said, letting him off the hook,   "In case you¹re wondering, I
don¹t mind that you kissed me."

"Really?  I was afraid that I was rushing you, especially considering everything that¹s happened lately."  Nik
said with a sigh of relief.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I¹ve sort of been thinking about it a lot, you kissing me I mean.  Before it
happened, all I could think about was when and how it would happen,"   she said pausing for a moment
 before she continued,   "And now that it has happened, all I can think about is when it¹ll happen again."   she
admitted.

Nik smiled at her and said,   "Well, there¹s no time like the present."   He said and then began to lean
towards her.

Emily chuckled playfully as she leaned towards him and said,   "But who¹ll keep an eye on the old cronŠ,
err,  your grandmother."

Nik laughed at her slip, realizing that his brother¹s off-beat sense of humor was beginning to rub off on her.

"Don¹t worry, I can do two things at once."   He promised as he leaned in further.

"Well, in that case, I¹m game."   She said, just as his lips touched hers in a short but sweet kiss.

Afterward, they both lingered for a moment before Nik lowered his head a second time.  This time, his
hands went into her hair at the base of her neck.

<His hands feel so good on my skin, in my hairŠ..> she thoughts trailed off as the kiss deepened slightly.

<I should stop. We are on duty.>  he thought reluctantly.

A moment later, Nik broke the kiss slowly, but his hands stayed where they were.  They sat looking at one
another.

Emily spoke first,   "Uh, we should probably get back toŠ"   she trailed of breathlessly.

"Yeah, you¹re right."   Nik agreed as he began to withdraw his hands from her hair.

In an effort to get his mind off kissing Emily again, Nik decided to initiate the conversation.

"So, what do you suppose she¹s doing in there?"   he asked.

"Origami?"  Emily suggested randomly.

Nik turned to look at her incredulously.  At second later, they were both in fits of laughter.
 

At the penthouseŠ..

Lucky and Elizabeth arrived first.  When they got there, Jason was standing beside the window in deep
conversation with Michael.  He quickly released Michael to Lateasia¹s custody when Reynaldo ushered
them in.

"Good, you¹re here."   He said, then turned to Elizabeth and inquired,   "I trust your boss will be here
shortly?"

"Yeah, we called him before we left the docks."   She said, then added,   "So, Lucky told me that you had
some information to share concerning the PC killer."

"Ah yeah, but first I need to know everything you know about the murders, including all the forensic data."
 Jason said.

Lizzie B. looked at him as if he were insane.   "Why should I tell you anything?  I don¹t know you from
Adam, and besides your girlfriend, neighbor, or whatever you want to call her is one of our major suspects.
 If I told you anything you¹d probably just use it to get her off."   Lizzie B informed him defensively.

"Carly, is Michael¹s mother, nothing more, and she didn¹t kill any of those people."  Jason returned calmly.

"Elizabeth¹s right, Jason."   Lucky admitted reluctantly.   "As much as I hate to think that Carly was the
person who attacked me, she is our number two suspect at this point.  Just talking to you is a conflict of
interest."

"Let me guess, Helena Cassidine is number one, right?"   Jason informed them, then added.  "How long have
you been staking out her place?"

"You had me followed, you ought to know."   Lucky returned acidly.

"Joseph¹s only been tailing you for a couple of days.  Your dad didn¹t ask me to keep an eye on you until
after you were attacked.  He just wanted to make sure you were at least healthy."   Jason admitted,
  "Besides, Joseph doesn¹t report back to me or Luke about where you are and what you¹re doing.  He¹s
just there to make sure you¹re safe. Okay."

Just then the door opened to admit Mulder and Scully.  Lizzie B. seemed to relax when she saw that they
had finally arrived.

"Hey Boss, nice of you to join us."   She exclaimed.

Mulder nodded to Lucky and Elizabeth, and then addressed Jason.

"So, what¹s this all about?"   he inquired,   "Lucky told me that you have some new information."

"Yeah, but first I need to know that our relationship will be a reciprocal one.  I want access everything that
you know about the murders, the suspects, and the crimes scenes."  Jason told him.

"No, first you have to convince me that telling you anything is in my best interest.  After all, we both know
that your friend Carly Roberts is in this up to her neck."   Mulder said shrewdly.

"Okay, I¹ll admit that Carly is involved with Cassidine, but she didn¹t kill any anybody."   He replied,   "In
fact, from what Carly told me, Cassidine is trying to pin it on her."

"A likely story."   Elizabeth muttered, skeptically.

"How do you know that they aren¹t in cahoots?  And even if they aren¹t how do I know that you or her or
both of you aren¹t lying to me?"   Mulder asked Jason.

"Because Carly told me that Helena threatened to kill Michael, and she would never say that unless it were
true."  Jason said earnestly,   "You were here the other day, you saw how much she loves her son, and how
protective she is of him."

"He has a valid point, Mulder."   Scully said.

After a minute, Mulder said,   "Okay, I¹m willing to buy into this deal, on one condition."

"Anything."  Jason replied shortly.

"You tell me who really fathered that baby of hers."   Mulder said.

"A.J. fathered Carly¹s baby."   He replied.

"How do you know?"   Scully chimed in.

"Well, for one thing because she told me, and since I hadn¹t slept with Carly for at least two years before
Michael was born I know it¹s not mine."   Jason admitted.

"Why did she lie?"   Scully asked

"I think I know the answer to that question."   Mulder said,   "Let me guess, she didn¹t want your brother
and the rest of the Quartermaine wolf-pack raising her son, right?"

"I see you¹ve met them."   Jason said humorously.

"Just briefly, thank goodness."   Mulder replied, then added,   "Okay, we¹re on.   What do you want to
know?"
 

Meanwhile at the docksŠ..

Nik and Emily continued to watch Helena¹s movements, although she is not very active on their watch.
 Emily is tired and is beginning to nod off.

"I¹m sorry, I didn¹t sleep very well last night."   Emily said as she realized that she¹d fallen asleep.

"It¹s okay."   Nik said compassionately,   "So, when did you start having the nightmares again?"

"Oh, no, it wasn¹t that.  I couldn¹t sleep because I was so excited about our watch today."   She explained
happily,    "Do you know that Mulder is the only adult I know that thinks I¹m capable of doing more than
tying my shoelaces.  No one has ever trusted me to do anything this important before, I mean think about it,
we¹re actually helping Mulder and LizzieB catch a killer."

"Well, I guess it could be pretty exciting when you put it in those terms."   Nik agreed,   "Listen, if you want
to take a nap, I can keep watch by myself for a while.

"Okay, but only if I can use you as a pillow."  Emily said playfully.

"Be my guest."   He replies.

With that Emily leaned her head against his shoulder and drifted off.
 

Back at the penthouseŠŠ

"Was there anything unusual about Alexis Davis¹ murder? Was anything out of place, out of the ordinary
found there?"  Jason inquired.

"Why would you want to know that?."   Scully requested, becoming intrigued.

"This morning when Carly met with Cassidine, I assume you know about their meeting since you had
Lucky and Elizabeth watching the docks as well as her yacht,"   He stopped long enough for Mulder to
confirm this before he continued,   "Anyway, when they met this morning, Cassidine told Carly that not only
did she know about Michael¹s paternity, but also that she had taken the precaution of implicating her in
Alexis Davis¹ murder just in case Carly ever decided to go the police.  Cassidine assured Carly that no
matter who her alibi was, it wouldn¹t stand up.  Now, I took that to mean that she had planted some item of
Carly¹s at the scene."

"The hair, Mulder.  The hair that we found must belong to her."    Scully divulged.

"What hair?"  Jason asked.

"We found a ton of blond hair in Ms. Davis¹ hotel room.  It was on the floor, in the victim¹s hand, and on her
person.  Since all the other crime scenes were clean, other than the bodies that is, we assumed that the hair
was planted by one of the murderers in order to implicate the other."   Scully explained.

"So, there are definitely two different killers?"  Jason asked.

"We think so, but we¹ve been having a hard time identifying the second woman.  We¹re pretty sure that
Helena Cassidine is one of the players, so it¹s just a matter of finding the second woman."   Elizabeth said,
  "That¹s why the Boss had Lucky and I watching Mrs. Cassidine, we were hoping that she¹d contact her
partner at some point."

"And when Carly showed up, you just assumed it was her."   Jason finished for her,   "How can you be so
sure that there are two of them?"

"Well, for one thing I doubt if someone as rich and influential as Helena Cassidine would do her own killing,
secondly, the hotel maid that I spoke to said that she saw two women, a shorter brunette arriving and then a
taller blond leaving a couple of hours later.   Now, we were thinking that it was the same woman incognito,
but it also could have been two.  Either way, you have to figure that the brunette was real, since she showed
up first and committed the murder.  Up until now, we just assumed that the brunette was trying to pin it on
Helena, but now we know that she was actually implicating Ms. Roberts.   The way I see it, either, the
brunette probably killed Alexis, then returned later as a blond in heels to plant Carly¹s hair to make it appear
that Carly committed the murder and lost her hair in the process.  Or the brunette killed Alexis Davis and
Helena herself returned later and planted Carly¹s hair for the same reason."  Mulder detailed.

"And I can tell you first hand that the person that attacked me was not as tall as Cousin Carly, or Helena
Cassidine either for that matter."   Lucky said,   "Logically, there has to be another women involved."

"Okay, my big question at this point is why is Helena Cassidine so fixated on Ms. Roberts in the first place?"
  Mulder asked,   "Why would she blackmail her at all?"

"Carly saw something she wasn¹t supposed to see."   Jason told them,   "The night of Jax¹s murder she
couldn¹t sleep so she took a walk along the docks.  While she was down there, she stumbled upon
Cassidine and one of her cronies, along with Jax¹s dead body.  Cassidine warned her not to say anything or
Michael would get hurt.  After that, she had Carly watched which is how she found out about Michael¹s
paternity as well as Mulder and Elizabeth¹s visit to the penthouse the other day.  Apparently, that spooked
her because that¹s when she contacted Carly and asked to meet her this morning.  And you know the rest."
 He finished.

"Well, Boss now at least we have conclusive proof that Helena is one-half of the duo."   Lizzie B. said,
  "Ms. Roberts can attest to her involvement."

"Yeah, but we still aren¹t any closer to finding her partner in crime."   Mulder lamented.

"You know, I hate to be the one to bring this up, but I think that Carly is next, on the hit list I mean."  Lucky
announced.

"Yeah, I¹m been thinking about that myself."   Jason admitted,    "Carly¹s the next logical target, because she
can I.D. Helena as the guilty party.  And judging from what Carly told me this morning I think they¹re
planning on pinning the murders on her afterwards, starting with Alexis Davis."

"This could work in our favor.  If we set up a trap using Carly as the bait, we may be able to catch both
Helena and her silent partner."   Mulder suggested.

"Whoa, I don¹t like the sound of that.  I¹m not taking any chances with Carly¹s life; if something happens to
her what am I supposed to tell Michael?"   Jason said addressing the threesome.

"I have to go with Jason on this one Boss, besides we don¹t know for sure that she is the next victim.  It
could just as easily be Stephan Cassidine or any one of the Spencers.   Mrs. Cassidines hates them all.  And
let¹s not forget the next target could also be someone from the brunette¹s hit list."   Lizzie B. said.

"How about we compromise.  We could set up a sting somewhere public where we could invite all the
potential targets, that way we¹d each be assigned to a specific person.   Then we just wait and see what
happens."  Lucky suggested.

Seeing the validity of Lucky¹s compromise, Scully revised it even more.   "It would have to be a social event,
otherwise we¹d have a hard time getting everyone to come.  The location would have to be public enough to
lure the killer into a false sense of security, but private enough so that the area could be marked off and easily
patrolled."   Scully chimed in.

"I suggest Wyndamere.  It¹s on an island, and my dad and I know that place like our own backyard."  Lucky
suggested.

This comment was not wasted on Lizzie B.  She smiled at him and said,   "I guess you¹ve made your
decision about your parents."

"Yeah, I guess I have."   Lucky reluctantly admitted.

"This plan could work."   Mulder concluded, then turned to Jason and asked,   "What do you think?  You
game?"

"Yeah, I¹m in, as long as I¹m the one guarding Carly."  Jason insisted.

"Cool!"   Lucky and LizzieB said in unison.

"We¹re going to need a couple of planning sessions, so everybody can be on the same wavelength.  We
need a date, and a time to go along with the place.  Someone has to notify Mr. Cassidine and let him know
we¹ll be needing his house as well as his island for a couple of days.  Someone needs to touch base with
Nikolas and Emily, and let them know that we¹re calling off the surveillance.  We also need a definite list of
all the players involved, as well as each person¹s assigned person or duty.  If this plan is going to work
organization is the key."   Scully explained.

"Lucky and I will touch base with his parents."   Lizzie B. offered.

"Good, I¹ll call Nikolas and Emily and fill them in and then tomorrow Scully and I will go and talk to Mr.
 Cassidine about the house and the island."   Mulder said.

"I¹ll talk to Carly and let her know what¹s going on."  Jason said,   "Why don¹t we all meet back here
tomorrow evening at 5 o¹clock and we can start setting up the master plan.   That should give Emily plenty of
time to get out of school.  Oh, and Lucky you bring your parent along, too."
 

Everyone nodded in approval and the group began to disperse.
 
 

Chapter 18

After the group dispersed, Jason headed over to Carly¹s with Michael.  Lucky and Lizzie B. headed back to
the PC Hotel in one of Jason¹s limousines, where Lizzie B. wasted no time in calling Lucky¹s parents to
arrange a meeting.  Because they had several stops to make, Mulder and Scully decided to take a cab.
 
In this chapter, there is a two-way telephone conversation.  Let¹s just pretend that there¹s a split screen and
you can hear both sides of the conversation so I won¹t have to do the whole scene-switching thing okay?
 

At the Spencer houseŠ.

Laura was in the middle of helping Lulu towel off after her bath when the phone rang.

"Luke, honey would you get that please."   Laura shouted down to her husband.

"Sure thing, Babe,"   he replied as he made a mad dash for the phone.

"Hel-lo."   Luke answered.

"Hel-lo, Mr. Spencer?  I don¹t know if you remember me from last week butŠ."   Lizzie B. started.

"Yeah, you¹re the brunette who came along with the detective, looking for Lucky.  How is he by the way?"
  Luke inquired sadly.

"He¹s fine, Mr. Spencer.  Actually he¹s the reason I¹m calling.  You see, I¹m sort of the welcome wagon
slash neutral party here."   Lizzie B. said nervously.

"Sorry, Darlin¹, you lost me about thirty seconds ago."   Luke informed her in a perplexed voice.

<Okay, here goes nothing.>  she thought.   "Lucky, that is, Lucky and I would like to invite you and Mrs.
Spencer to breakfast, tomorrow morning at 10 o¹clock if that¹s possible?"  she said.

Not believing his ears, Luke readily agreed,   "Just name the place, and we¹ll be there with bells on."

"I¹m, uh, well we¹re staying at the PC Hotel, room 506b."   Lizzie B. said.

"Okay, we¹ll be there."   Luke said.

With that the conversation ended.  As soon as he hung up the phone he began frantically calling his wife.

"LAURA!  LAURA!"  Luke shouted as he ascending the stairs as quickly as possible.

Laura came running,   "What, Luke?  Who was that on the phone?"  she asked.

"You¹re not going to believe this!  That was that cute little brunette who came around asking questions about
Lucky."  Luke began.

"The investigators from last Thursday?"   Laura inquired.

"Yeah.  Well, that was her on the phone, she and apparently Lucky too, have just invited us to the PC Hotel
for breakfast tomorrow morning, well actually it sounded more like brunch."   Luke finished happily.

"You¹re kidding?"   Laura exclaimed, then asked curiously,   "Why?"

Luke looked at her strangely, and said,  "Do you really care?"

"No, not really."   she said realizing that it didn¹t matter.  "What else did she say?  How is he?"

"She said that Lucky is fine."   Luke told her, then added hopefully,   "She also said that she was our
welcome wagon."

Laura couldn¹t believe her ears,   "Do you think it means that he¹s starting to come around?"

"I hope so darlin¹, I hope so."   Luke said pensively.

Meanwhile at the PC HotelŠŠ

As soon as Elizabeth hung up the phone Lucky began to have doubts.

"Maybe this wasn¹t such a good idea after all."  Lucky said, skeptically,   "I mean, I can¹t just act like nothing
ever happened."

"Remember what we talked about the other night?  You shouldn¹t try and pretend nothing happened, instead
you guys should put the past behind you, and try to start over."   Lizzie B. suggested.

"You mean like wipe the slate clean?"   Lucky said, incredulously,   "How can you say that?  You don¹t even
know what they did."

"Whatever happened between you and your parents, the bottom line is that they are still your parents.  And I
can tell that you still love them or else what happened wouldn¹t bother you so much."   Lizzie said insightfully.

"Yeah, in my mind I know you¹re right, but I still have all this baggage that I can¹t get rid of."  Lucky told her
sadly.

"Lucky, what exactly are you so afraid of?"   she asked him.

He looked at her, tears in his eyes, and said hoarsely,   "I¹m afraid that I¹ll be just like my dad.  As much as I
used to want to be exactly like him, that¹s just how much I hope I¹m nothing like him right now."

"Lucky, I get the feeling that this incident between you and your parents has more to do with you than them?
  Lizzie B probed gently,   "Why are you so afraid of being who you are?  You¹re a wonderful person, at
least with me you are, and part of that is because of your dad, so concentrate on that.  See the good in him,
too.  It¹s like with Nikolas, before you took the time to know him, you hated him because you focused on
the bad.  He wasn¹t your brother, or even a person to you, only a living reminder that your parents had lied
to you.  You mistrusted him because to you he was a manifestation of the mistrust you felt toward your
parents as a result of their lie.  Nobody¹s perfect, Lucky.  In any relationship, you have to take the good with
the bad."   She told him sincerely.

"You don¹t understand.  He raped her.  He did the same thing to her that Tony did to Emily."  Lucky
revealed emotionally.

"Yeah, I know."   Lizzie B. admitted,   "Your dad raped your mom."

"You knew?  HowŠ, how did you find out?"   Lucky asked perplexed.

"I¹m a licensed P.I., Lucky.  I figured it out.   The only reason I work as Mulder¹s assistant as opposed to
his partner is so I can have more time for my art."   Lizzie B. admitted.

"You mean you slept in the same room with me, on the couch with me even after you discoveredŠ."   He
trailed off,   "How long have you known?"

"Since the night we had the picnic on the balcony.  The night you first kissed me."   She admitted.

Lucky was completely awed by her.  He couldn¹t take his eyes off her.   "How can you be so calm?  How
can you even stand to be around me?  How could you let me touch you after you knew?  My father is a
rapist, how could you have possibly known that I wasn¹t one too?"

She smiled at him and explained,   "Because you aren¹t your father, and you never will be, because I didn¹t
and I still don¹t expect you to atone for someone else¹s sin, because I trusted you when you told me you¹d
never let anything happen to me, because of the way you looked at me the first time we met, Because I
know you still blame yourself for what happened to Emily, because of the way you touched me, as if you
were afraid I¹d break, because when you kiss me the way you kissed me the other night you wouldn¹t have
to rape me Lucky, because I¹d go willingly."

Lucky had tears streaming down his face,   "BabyŠ" he choked as he moved toward her and collapsed into
her arms.

"Please don¹t ever leave me, I can¹t do this without you, please!"  he rambled emotionally as he cried in her
lap.

Elizabeth smiled down at him and said,   "It¹s okay, I¹ve got you, and I¹m not going anywhere."
 
 

MeanwhileŠ.

"Mulder, we¹ve been standing out here forever.  Why don¹t you just call a cab?"   Scully said impatiently.

"Scully, I called a cab before we left the penthouse.  It should have been here by now."   He replied
checking his watch.

After a minute, Mulder broke the silence.   "I¹m a little hungry, Scully.  Do you want to swing by the
Outback after we drop off Emily and Nikolas."

Scully smiled secretly and said,   "Actually, I have other plans, Mulder."

"Oh, okay, maybe some other time then."   He said, surprised and a little saddened by her reply.
 
A moment laterŠ..    "Mulder?"   She said mischievously.

He looked down at her.   "Yeah"

"Would you be so kind as to honor me with your presence at my place tonight?"   Scully asked him.

"It depends.  What¹s on the agenda?"   Mulder asked, as his good mood returned.

"There¹ll be dinner, dancing, entertainment, and if you¹re nice, even a little intrigue."   She informed him.

Mulder merely looked down at her silently.

"I¹m cooking."   She continued nervously.

"Is that a good thing?"  Mulder quipped.

"Yes or no, Mulder?"   Scully said.

"Yes.  I¹d love to spend the night with you, Scully."   he replied roguishly.

The double meaning in his statement was not lost on her, although she said,   "Great, I¹ve already made
preparations."

Just then the cab pulled up in front of them.  Mulder was in the process of getting into the cab when Scully
stopped him.

"Oh, and MulderŠ.."

"Yeah, Scully?"   he replied.

"You will definitely still respect me in the morning."   She informed him sternly, as she stepped inside the cab.

Mulder followed her into the cab, still smiling at her announcement.
 
 

Chapter 19

Meanwhile at Carly¹s placeŠ

"Carly, I didn¹t have any other choice but to tell him. It was the quickest way to find out what I needed to
know."   Jason explained to her.

"Yeah, but how do you know that he won¹t tell someone.  You know the second Edward and the rest of the
Quartermaines find out, they¹ll try and take him away from me."   She pleaded.

"Trust me, he won¹t say anything, especially to the Quartermaines."   Jason reassured her.

"How can you be so sure?"   She asked worriedly.

"Well, for one thing, when I told him about Michael¹s paternity his exact words were ŒLet me guess, she
didn¹t want your brother and the rest of the Quartermaine wolf-pack raising her son, right?¹" Jason said with
a smile.

Jason watched as Carly broke into laughter for the first time in weeks.  The sound of her amusement was
music to his ears.

Still smiling from Jason¹s rendition of Mulder¹s comment, Carly inquired,   "So when exactly is this sting
operation supposed to take place?"

"Ah, I¹m not sure yet, but we¹re all meeting in the penthouse tomorrow to iron out some of the details.
 Don¹t worry about anything.   I¹ll be watching you the whole time, and I¹m not going to let anything happen
to you, okay?"   Jason assured her.

"Sure, however you want to handle it is fine with me.  I trust you, Jason."   She said.  Just then Carly heard
Michael in the other room.  Her eyes immediately lit up.

"Michael¹s here?"  she asked.

"Yeah, I thought you¹d want to see him."   He told her, as he rose to retrieve Michael from his play-pin.  A
minute later he re-entered Carly¹s bedroom with the baby.

"Hey, there, Mr. Man.  How ya doing?"   She cooed as Jason place Michael on her lap.

Jason watches Carly as she plays with Michael.
 

Back at the PC HotelŠ

Music begins to play,  "Valentine" sung by Martina McBride.
 
Lucky and Lizzie B. are still on the couch, where he remains in her lap, enjoying her touch.  Unsure of what
to say, Lizzie B. just keeps silent and strokes his hair.

If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you
If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I¹d still feel for you

Suddenly, just lying in her arms wasn¹t enough.  He pulled back and looked into her eyes.  <God she¹s
beautiful; mind, body, and soul.>  he thought to himself.  He continued to look at her, first her eyes, then her
hair, and finally her mouth.  He took in her expression, her beautiful expression of joy.  He couldn¹t stop
himself, he had to touch her.

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
You¹re all I need, my love, my Valentine

He reached out and touched her face with his hand.  She closed her eyes and leaned into his fingers, and
enjoyed the feeling that it gave her.  His hands then went into her hair, although his eyes never left her face.

All of my life
I have been waiting for
All you give to me
You¹ve opened my eyes
And shown me how to love unselfishly

"ElizabethŠ."  He whispered softly.

She opened her eyes at the sound of her name.  Their eyes locked and he leaned over and kissed her.  Their
kiss was deep and full of raw emotion.  After a minute, he pulled back and kissed her forehead, her cheeks,
and her hair.  He couldn¹t get enough of her.

I¹ve dream of this a thousand times before
But in my dreams I couldn¹t love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time
You¹re all I need, my love, my Valentine.

He shifted his seating on the couch, so that he was half-sitting half-lying on the couch length-wise with her
lying on top of him.  She laid her head on his chest.  He folds his arms around her, and sighs peacefully.  He
hands once again rest in her hair.

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
ŒCause all I need is you, my Valentine
You¹re all I need, my love, my Valentine.

He looked down at her and whispered,   "I miss having you all of my life."
 

At Scully¹s houseŠ.

Mulder and Scully are seated on the couch deep into conversation.  Their game of ŒClue¹ lay forgotten on
the table beside them.

"Oh! come on Mulder.  From what I¹ve seen, you¹re just as much a workaholic as I am."   Scully argued,
   "When was the last time you went on vacation, took a day off, hell got a good night¹s sleep?"

"It¹s funny you should mention that because I was just thinking about how much IŒm going to need a
vacation when I¹m finally finished with this case."   He told her.

"I¹m serious, Mulder."   she said.

He paused momentarily before he spoke.  "The only real vacation I¹ve ever taken was when I changed
careers.  I took a leave of absence from the University in order to decide on what I wanted to do."   He said
seriously,   "How about you?"

"Let¹s see, define vacation."   Scully said stalling.

"You¹ve never been on a vacation either, have you?"   Mulder accused.

"No, I haven¹t.  But I¹ve taken plenty of days off, that should count for something."   Scully said with a smile,
then asked,   "So, are you up for dissert?  I have cheesecake, I hope you like it."

"Yeah, I¹ll take a slice."   Mulder answered.

She got up and went into the kitchen to retrieve dissert.  A minute later, she returned with the cheesecake,
and two plates.  She was in the process of cutting two slices when Mulder asked,   "So, is this what you
meant when you said intrigue?"   He asked playfully, indicating the board game.

"Unfortunately, yes.  I exaggerated slightly when I told you about tonight.  ŒClue¹ was the most intriguing
activity that I could come up with on such short notice."

"Oh really?  Well, I can think of a much more intriguing game to play."   Mulder said suggestively.

"And exactly what would that be, Mulder?"   Scully asked, skeptically.

"Truth or Dare?  You game?"   Mulder suggested mischievously.

"As long as I¹m first."   She said.

"Be my guest."   He welcomed.

"Truth or Dare, Mulder?"   she asked.

"Truth."   He replied.

"Why did your parents name you Fox?"   Scully asked.

Mulder rolled his eyes.   "You would have to bring that up."   He muttered, then he said,   "I¹d like to think
that the doctor failed to wait a sufficient period of time for the anesthesia to wear off.  Consequently, my
mother was still under the influence when they asked her to fill out the birth certificate.  Had I been old
enough at the time, I would have definitely sued."

Scully laughed at his comical description.

 "All joking aside, I honestly don¹t know why my parents name me ŒFox¹."   Mulder admitted, then asked,
  "How did you know my first name, anyway?"

"I work for the FBI, Mulder."   Scully returned.

"I see."   Mulder said, then added eagerly,   "Okay, my turn."

"Be nice."   Scully pleased.

"Truth or Dare, Scully?"   Mulder asked.

"AhŠ. Dare."   She decided.

"Dance with me."   Mulder said.

"Mulder, there¹s no music."   Scully informed him.

Mulder glanced around the room until his eyes fell on a clock radio.  He promptly walked over, turned it on
and adjusted the tuner until he heard an old familiar love song.

Music begins to play.  "The Lady in Red" sung by Chris Deburgh.

Mulder then walked over to a still seated Scully and held out his hand.  She got up and took his hand as they
started to sway to the music.

I¹ve never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight
I¹ve never seen you shine so bright
I¹ve never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
They¹re looking for a little romance
Given have a chance
And I¹ve never seen that dress you¹re wearing
Or the highlights in your hair
That catch you eyes
I have been blind

Mulder and Scully instinctively moved closer together as the rhythm of the music took over.

The lady in red, is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
There¹s nobody here
It¹s just you and me
It¹s where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I¹ll never forget, the way you look to night

Scully sighed peacefully as she rested her head on Mulder¹s chest.

I¹ve never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I¹ve never seen you shine so bright you were amazing
I¹ve never seen so many people want to be there by your side
And when you turned to me and smiled it took my breath away
And I have never had such a feeling such a feeling
Of complete and utter love, as I do tonight

The lady in red, is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
There¹s nobody here
It¹s just you and me
It¹s where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I¹ll never forget, the way you look to night

As the song ended, Scully pulled back to look up at him.  Mulder stared down at her intently, as the familiar
longing to kiss her began to nag him.

I never will, forget the way you look tonight
The lady in red
My lady in redŠ..

When the music died, they were still lost in each other¹s eyes.  Finally, Mulder broke the silence and
whispered,   "Your turn, Red."
 
 

Chapter 20

The Morning afterŠ.

Elizabeth looked on as Lucky began to stir.  He looked so peaceful, so happy while he slept.  She was
reluctant to wake him, wanting him to be well rested for their meeting with his parents this morning.

Lucky moved again.  Elizabeth continued to observe him, thinking <I hope he¹s up to this.>

Just then Lucky¹s eyes fluttered open.  His glaze immediately fell on her face, and he smiled.

"Hi, handsome,"   Elizabeth said softly,   "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, yeah I did, that was maybe the best night¹s sleep that I¹ve had in months."  He said in amazement,
 "It¹s like I¹ve been holding my breath for the longest time, and last night was the first time that I was able to
let it out and breathe again."

He paused and looked at her a minute before he added,   "You did that for me, you know."

"I never told you this, but even before we met I felt this connection to you, I just had this feeling that you
needed me,"   she confessed,   "So, I came running.   My family is so self-sufficient, my parents, my sister
even my brother.  It¹s nice to feel needed."

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head and hugged her closer to him.   "You have no idea how
happy I am right now.  I was so afraid that things would change when I told you about my parents, that
you¹d look at me differently somehow.   I¹ve never been so glad to be wrong in my life."   He admitted as he
held on to her snugly.

They stayed like that for a while until the peaceful silence was interrupted by a knock on the door.  Lucky
instinctively tensed.

"Relax, that¹s just breakfast.  I ordered it while you were still sleeping."   She informed him,   "Your parents
aren¹t due for another forty-five minutes, but we probably should get up and start getting dressed."

Elizabeth got up, put on her robe, and headed towards the door.  She had ordered a wide variety of food,
which included both breakfast and lunch dishes.

"I hope you¹re hungry."  She called over her shoulder.

Lucky reluctantly got up and walked over to the cart of food.  He reached out and was about to take a
donut when Lizzie B. playfully smacked his hand.

"No, no, no, this is for when your parents get here.  Right now, we have to get dressed.  There¹ll be here
soon, and you don¹t want them to see us wondering around in our pajamas do you?"   Elizabeth admonished
lightly.
 
Lucky groaned, and then pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

Afterwards Lizzie B. breathlessly replied,   "Kiss me all you like, but you¹re still not getting breakfast until
after we¹re both dressed and seated with you parents on the other side of that table."

"And you call me a kill joy!"   Lucky said playfully.

They both took quick showers, and got dress in preparation for their guests.
 

Meanwhile at the penthouseŠ..

Jason awoke to find himself on Carly¹s couch.  He was confused for an instant before he remembered that
he¹d decided to spend the night at Carly¹s place.  He wanted to make sure that she and Michael were safe.
 Although he was a powerful man in his own right, Helena¹s threats against both Michael and Carly had
unsettled him a little.

He sat up and looked at his watch, <Hmmm, 9:15.  I should probably get going.>  he thought.  He decided
to check on Carly and Michael before he left.  He got up and headed for Carly¹s room.  He¹d move
Michael¹s crib in there last night just to be safe.

He entered Carly¹s bedroom to find Carly curled up into a tight ball, in the middle of the bed, sound asleep.
 Her arms were folded across her chest in a self-protective gesture.   Jason was disturbed by this.  <Why is
she sleeping like that?  She¹s looks like a frightened child.>  he thought worriedly.

Resisting the urge to sit down on the bed and comfort her while she slept, he walked over to Michael¹s crib.
 He was still sleeping soundly.  Jason reached down and touched Michael¹s face softly.

He then turned to leave, taking one last look at Carly.  <Does she always sleep like that?  Or was this stance
brought on by Helena¹s threats against her and Michael?>  Jason wondered with a frown.  He checked his
watch once more, before he headed for the door.

He walked out of Carly¹s front door to find Robin getting out of the elevator.

"Jason?"   she said incredulously, as she took in his rumpled appearance,   "Do you mind telling me what
you¹re doing coming out of Carly¹s apartment this early in the morning, looking like that?"  she questioned.

"Let¹s go across the hall, and I¹ll explain."   Jason said, wondering if he should tell her the whole story.

As soon as the door closed behind them Robin asked,   "Is that where you were all night?  I¹ve been trying
to call you, on the phone here and on the cell.   Is she the reason you weren¹t picking up?  Because you
were otherwise occupied with her?"   Robin asked angrily.

"No, Yes.  Ah, Hell!  Yes, I was occupied with Carly, but not in the way you think."   Jason began
explaining.

"Oh, and what exactly about her occupied you the entire night?"   Robin asked sarcastically.

"When I came home from my meeting yesterday, Carly was upset, so much so that I was the only person
that she¹d let anywhere near her.  After I got her calmed down, she told me that she was being blackmailed."
  Jason explained.

"By whom and for what?  Everything she has is yours."   Robin said skeptically.

"Helena Cassidine, and she¹s not after money, but she does want cooperation.  I spent the night on the
couch just to make sure that Carly and Michael were okay, until I can handle the situation."   Jason assured
her.

"Not that I believe for a second that Helena has any interest in Carly, but even if she did, Jason, don¹t you
think it¹s time you let Carly handle her own problems?"   Robin asked.

"No, not when they endanger her and Michael¹s health."   Jason told her.

"How can you even be sure that Carly really IS being blackmailed?"   Robin asked suspiciously,   "Please
don¹t tell me you took her word for it."

"Trust me, I know.  I¹d tell you the whole story, but right now I¹m in a hurry.   In fact, can we continue this
conversation tonight?  I need to check on some things, and I have a meeting later on today so I can¹t do it
then."   He said.

"I can¹t, I have a night lab, and I¹ll be in class the rest of the day."   Robin lamented,   "That¹s part of the
reason I came over now, I wanted to spend some time with you before I got started.  I don¹t suppose you
could put off whatever it is you have to do for a couple hours and have brunch with me?"   she finished
hopefully.

"It¹s kind of important.  Why don¹t you call me when you get out of your lab, and we can set up something
for tomorrow, okay?"   Jason suggested.

Clearly disappointed, she nodded, gave him a hug and left.
 

Meanwhile at the PC HotelŠ...

Luke and Laura stood outside of Elizabeth¹s hotel room, nervously contemplating breakfast with Lucky.

"Luke, eventually we¹re going to have to knock on the door.  We¹re already late as it is."   Laura said
impatiently.

"I know, darlin¹, I know.  I¹m just having second thoughts is all.  This is the first time he¹s sought out our
company in a long time, and that was through a messenger so I don¹t think we should assume that he¹s ready
to accept us."   Luke cautioned,   "He even shunned us at the hospital, remember?  I just don¹t want you to
get too excited."

"Luke, I have doubts too, but we have to keep trying.   Eventually, he has to come around."   Laura said
optimistically,   "Look on the bright side, at least he isn¹t living on the street anymore."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that has more to do with our darling friend LizzieB than with us."   Luke said with
a grin.

"Do you suppose she¹s on our side?"   Laura said hopefully,    "I can¹t help but wonder if she¹s the reason
for Lucky¹s sudden interest in meeting with us.  I hope so, it¹d be so nice to have a friend on the inside."

"Yeah."   Luke said pensively, then added,   "Well, you ready to face the music?"

"Don¹t you mean pay the piper?"   Laura corrected.

"Whatever."   Luke returned as he knocked on the door.
 

Meanwhile inside the roomŠ.

"What do you suppose they¹re doing out there?"   Lizzie B. asked.

"Probably, wondering what we¹re doing in here."   Lucky said.

"I know this is a bad time to bring this up, Lucky, but do you think your parents will like me, that is you and
me, together?   I mean, the first time I met them, I preceded to question your father¹s parenting skills, and as
if that wasn¹t bad enough then I called your mother a shameless hussy,"   Lizzie B. lamented nervously.
  "Add that to the fact that you¹ve living with me, presumably in sin, and they¹ll probably think that I¹ve lost
my morals as well as my marbles."

"Relax, I don¹t think you have anything to worry about."   Lucky told her with a smile,   "Dad loves a good
one-liner from anyone, and you had mom the second she found out that you arranged this little meeting."

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"I guess it¹s time to face the music."   Lucky said as he and Lizzie B headed to the door hand in hand.

Elizabeth and Lucky opened the door to find a very nervous Luke and Laura standing there.  Elizabeth was
the first to speak.

"Hi Mr. Spencer, Mrs. Spencer, we¹re so glad you could join us."   She said, secretly nugging Lucky out of
silence.

"Hi."  He said shortly, although not unkindly.

"We were happy to hear from you; it was so nice of you to invite us."   Laura directed at both Lucky and
Lizzie B, then addressed Lucky and asked,   "How¹ve you been doing?  It¹s been so long since weŠ."

"I¹m fine, mom, really."   Lucky assured her.

"Why don¹t you come in and have a seat?"   Lizzie B. suggested, as she stepped aside, taking Lucky with
her.

Laura entered the room with a still silent Luke at her side.  The foursome made their way toward the table
where they all sat down.  Lucky never left Lizzie B¹s side nor did he let go of her hand, even after they were
seated.

Unable to stand the mindless chit-chat any longer, Luke finally spoke.   "What¹s going on, Lucky?"

"What makes you think that there¹s something going on?"   Lucky returned defensively.

"Oh, I don¹t know, you haven¹t spoken a kind word to us in months, and then out of the blue we get a
cryptic call from your girlfriend saying that you want to meet with us.  Call me crazy but I just assumed that
there was something going on since it seems unlikely that you¹re ever going to forgive your mother and I."
  Luke said with a touch of bitterness.

"LukeŠ"   Laura said warningly.

"No, it¹s okay, mom.  He¹s right.  There is something going on."   Lucky admitted, then added,   "But make
no mistake, that¹s not the only reason I wanted to see you."

Laura smiled tentatively at Lucky and then looked at her husband.  Luke¹s eyes never left his son.  Under the
table, Lucky was holding on tightly to Elizabeth¹s hand.

"Look, I know that things can¹t go on like this forever, and I also know that they can never be like they
were, but I¹ve been thinking that maybe we could start over and try to do this family thing again."  Lucky
said.  "Not like it was before with all the lies, and half-truths, and secrets but new and fresh and honest.  I¹m
done trying to understand what happened between you guys, that¹s your story not mine, and I¹m no longer
afraid of how it affects me.  I know now that what happened between you two had nothing to do with me,
and it never will."   He said glancing at Lizzie B. as he finished.

Laura had tears of joy in her eyes, while Luke was speechless.  Lizzie B. was the first to break the silence.

"Well, I don¹t know about everyone else but I¹m starving."   She said as she reached for a chocolate donut
with her free hand.

Lucky smiled at her, and took half of her donut with his free hand.  A weight lifted from the room.  The
foursome ate in silence, although not an uncomfortable silence.

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