Nikolas bit his lip when ‘dad' escaped his mouth, but it was already too late. Everyone heard him and they were waiting for an explanation. But come to think of it, so was he. Did Laura know? If she did, why didn't she say anything? The young man slowly opened the door, revealing Luke in his hospital bed, and Lucky sitting by his side. Laura stood there, shocked. This couldn't be. She was having hallucinations. Her mind was trying to rationalize Nikolas calling Luke dad. Lucky was not really alive, was he? Wouldn't she have sensed it if he was? Wouldn't she have felt something?
Nikolas moved to Stefan and took him out of the room, knowing he had to give Luke and Laura time alone with Lucky. He was also the one who had to tell Stefan about the paternity test. The man who raised him and loved him as his own deserved to hear him from Nikolas' mouth. "Nikolas, please tell me what is going on here. Why were you still in Spencer's room" Stefan asked as he sat down, his real question still on his lips but unable to ask. Why did you call Luke dad. This was eating him alive from the inside. But Stefan quickly recovered. This was just a plot. Luke lost his son, so he tried to take Laura's other son and claim him as his own. "And why was a man looking like Lucky sitting by his bedside?"
Nikolas took a deep breath, actually happy he could stall a bit. Breaking Stefan's heart was something he thought he would never have to do. For Luke Spencer no less. "I don't know how it's possible, but Lucky's alive. He showed up out of nowhere. I don't know where he was, I'm just glad he is home." Although, Nikolas was feeling guilty for the thoughts he was having. Yes he was happy Lucky was alive and mostly well, it was the greatest gift God had given him, except for one thing. Now Nikolas would never know how far he and Luke could've gone. Because the young man wasn't stupid. He knew too well that the reason Luke was so responsive to him being a Spencer had been the fact that he was still hurting from his only son's death. But now Lucky was home again. There was no place for Nikolas in Luke's life. Luke would have back everything he ever had with Lucky so why would he need Nikolas, a man who didn't know how to drink beer? Who didn't know card tricks, or jokes? Who never even had a nickname in all of his life? The young man shook his head and looked at Stefan with tears in his eyes. "You won't like what I am about to tell you, but I love you and respect you too much to insult your intelligence with a phony lie. You heard me call Luke Spencer dad. And I'm sure you want an explanation"
"Yes Nikolas, I did hear you" Stefan said quietly as he tried to read the expression in his son's eyes. There was a sadness Stefan had never seen before, not even all the times Laura put him aside for her Spencer family. A sadness that was killing Stefan's heart. "And you are right, I am curious to know what the charade was about"
Ok, this is it. Put a dagger through the man's heart. The only man who never abandoned you, who sacrificed everything for you, who loved you all of your life and put aside his own happiness for your sake. "Monica Quartermaine did the blood work to see if I was a match for Luke" Nikolas started slowly, looking at his shoes. "She found out the blood type listed on my chart wasn't the right one, and she also saw I had the same as Luke Spencer's. So she took it upon herself to perform a paternity test." Nikolas looked up for the first time and saw the man he believed to be his father wipe a single tear from his cheek. His eyes was closed as he was waiting for the last words to hit. "Luke is my father"
"Mom" Lucky said quietly and moved to Laura. She seemed about to faint any time now. "I'm here, it's really me"
Laura's head was spinning too fast, and she collapsed in her son's arms again. When she came to, she was laying next to Luke in his bed. "I'm sorry" she said quietly to her husband. "Lucky, I don't want to know the why, or the how. Are you here to stay? That's all I need to know"
"Yes mom, I'm here to stay. I'm not going anywhere. But I want to know something though" Lucky said as he looked at his father. "Why did Nikolas call you dad just now?"
"Oh, that" Luke said casually. "Well, you see" Luke sighed. There was no easy way to say this. "Nikolas got tested for my transplant and they found out he was my son. Not Stefan's. We don't know how it's possible, and why it didn't come out when he was shot, but the truth remain" Luke looked at his son. "You got your wish Lucky. Nikolas is your full fledged brother"
Laura looked at her husband then her son. Lucky was biting his lips and honestly didn't know what to say. So this was why Nikolas was here, playing cards, Luke laughing and bluffing like he did with Lucky when he was younger. This was why Nikolas was having what he wanted most out of life. A father with whom he didn't have to be formal, but himself. "So what happens now?" Lucky asked slowly.
"I don't know Cowboy" Luke said with a smile and tears in his eyes. He never thought he would be able to use this word without hurting ever again, and there he was, talking to Lucky and using the name he wore all of his life. "To be honest, I have no idea. We didn't talk about it, or about what would happen once I get out of here. We were just enjoying each other's company. Do you know how I wished you were here to see it?" Luke asked his son tenderly. "I played back over and over in my head the day at Kelly's, when you told me I had the right to kick Nikolas out, since I was the owner now and I said if you liked him, maybe he wasn't so bad. You were so hopeful that day, that maybe I wouldn't judge your brother by his last name anymore, and it hurt me to know that you would never be able to see it. And there you are"
Laura was silently crying, seeing the man she loved for so long live again. You don't know what you have until you lost it, and they took their children for granted, thinking whatever they had to say to them could wait another day, another week. And God showed them it didn't work like that, it could all be over in the matter of seconds, and now, Luke knew it. He knew about Nikolas, too. As if he was reading her mind, her husband looked at her wet cheek. "How much did you know about this?" Luke asked quietly.
"This is simply impossible Nikolas" Stefan said as he got up. "I had paternity tests made when you were born, and had them changed in case someone questioned you being the rightful Heir to the Cassadine legacy. Luke Spencer can simply not be your father". The words escaped his mouth but Stefan knew it was true. Everything that happened surrounding Nikolas' birth. Him being 2 months premature but still be 8 pounds, fully developed. The doctor said sometimes it was normal, and even though Stefan didn't believe it, the tests showed he was the father. Stefan was taken back to the day Laura left, when she was suppose to come back. The day she made him promise to always look after Nikolas. She didn't know he was listening outside the nursery, while she said her good-bye to their son. ‘I'm sorry, my son. You will have to be raised in a lie, but that's all I can do to save your life now, one day you will understand. One day you will know the truth and take your rightful place by my side. It's my promise to you'. This was not because Nikolas would have to grow up believed to be Stavros' son. This was because he would have to grow up as a Cassadine, period.
"Father, please" Nikolas said quietly as he saw a look of pure hatred in Stefan's eyes. "Don't start the war again. Luke didn't know. In fact, he believed it was a plot to destroy him, just as I am sure you are believing it now. But I beg of you, on your love for me, don't go in there and accuse him of setting you up, don't run to plan your next move in this feud. This doesn't change the fact that I love you, with all of my heart. You are still my best friend, and I will always be grateful for the years and sacrifices you made for me. All I'm asking is for a chance to know my father. Just like I wanted with you when you told me you believed you were. I wanted to get to know you as my father, instead of my uncle. That's what I'm asking you right now. To give me a chance to know Luke as my father, instead of as an enemy. I want to know why loves him so much. I want to know why Laura always chose him over me. I want to know why he is so special to them. But that doesn't change the fact that you are special to me. I will never, ever turn my back on you, even if he asks me. But don't make me choose. Because I won't"
Stefan just stood there, half numbly. This was the last straw on Laura's betrayal. She made his heart bleed for Spencer one last time. He didn't answer Nikolas, he just walked right into his enemy's room, enough to hear Luke ask Laura how much she knew. "She knew it all" Stefan said before the woman had time to answer. "She knew from the start, but she kept quiet. Even when I threatened to tell you about her and I if she didn't leave Port Charles with her mother, she knew those were empty threats. What I would like to know is why"
Laura was trapped. She couldn't help but look around the room and all she saw was hostile faces. Even Nikolas, standing next to Stefan, was waiting for her answer. Only Lucky looked like he didn't care anymore. "To save mine and Nikolas' lives" she answered quietly and saw Stefan about to say something. "Oh Come on Stefan, we agreed that if your mother knew Nikolas was not the prince she would simply dispose of him, but what if you knew? I was pregnant when Stavros kidnapped me, but what would have been our faith if I had told I was carrying the first Spencer child? I would've been killed right away. Our only chance was to pass Nikolas off as a Cassadine, long enough for me to find a way out of that island. But when you and I started to be lovers, I knew it was too late, that I could never take him back to Luke. At least I knew if you believed you were his father, he would always be loved and protected, even if he wasn't with his real family"
"What's next mom?" Lucky finally asked. "When I went to see you last year, after Nikolas told me about Stefan, you told me there wasn't anything more to tell. No more lies. I remember I said "But I keep finding stuff out, Mom. And it's like there's no end." You told me "If I were to tell you that this is the end of it, would you believe me?" All I wanted was the truth. And you looked at me in the eye and said "You know it. You know it all now. There isn't any more" so now is it the end of it?" Lucky asked his mother with a cruel smile. Being with Helena and Faison all these months made him cynic. "What is there left to find out mom?" He looked at his father with a smile. "Who knows? Since Nikolas is the Spencer son, maybe *I'm* the Cassadine's"
Laura didn't answer his sarcastic comment but thought if only you knew, Lucky. If only you knew.
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