CHAPTER 15

''What did she do now?'' Alexis asked Luke in a quiet voice

''She just took away my reason for living,'' Luke answered honestly. ''My whole life, the reason why I became an honest man,'' Luke saw the look Alexis gave him and he confessed ''tried to become an honest man, turns out it was just another one of her lies''

''Is this about Lucky?'' Alexis asked, but she already knew the answer. Something had happened in the small amount of time that had passed since she left and came back. Something that forever took away the sparkle of life in her former partner's eyes. ''Did he disappear again?''

''Lucky isn't my son, Alexis'' Luke finally whispered, the words hurting him like a thousand knives. The realization of what he just admitted dawned on him and Luke quietly started to cry. ''He isn't my son,'' he repeated, before he felt her arms wrap his shoulders protectively.

''Who's is he?'' Alexis asked, not that sure she wanted to know the answer.

Alexis' mind was going back to Laura, and thoughts of hate and physically harming the woman were flooding into the lawyer's mind. Laura had two wonderful men ready to fulfill her every wish and all she could do is lie to them. Luke was everything a woman could hope for, he was kind, generous, courageous, and he was ready to go against everyone for the woman he loved. And that woman was Laura. Alexis couldn't understand how any normal woman could turn her back again and again on that kind of man, the kind of man Alexis had looked for all of her life, the kind of man that she couldn't find in Ned, nor in anyone else.

''It seems that Lucky and his brother just traded places,'' Luke answered Alexis with a sigh. ''Turns out that Laura was pregnant with your brother's child when she left the island, and I guess she thought it would be fun to have a Cassadine raised as a Spencer since she had a Spencer being raised as a Cassadine''

''Did you talk to Laura?'' Alexis asked, hoping that he hadn't and she would be able to wring that little twit's neck before he had a chance to show her how much she had hurt him, again.

''No, she left after the truth about Nikolas came out and I haven't seen her since. I've had a hell of a day, that's for sure.'' Luke sighed. ''Remember when I told you that I didn't want to take Laura to court, I just needed someone to talk to?'' Luke asked suddenly

''Yeah I remember, I think you should, but that's just because I want to be able to charge you good money,'' Alexis tried to joke but saw Luke was serious.

''I changed my mind,'' he told her. ''Laura lied to Nikolas, to Stefan, to Lucky, to me, who knows what Lulu will find out when she is older. I want my daughter with me. Do you think we have enough ground for a custody battle?''

***************

''What do you mean, what was it like to be a Cassadine?'' Nikolas asked his brother, confused. ''I thought I told you what my life was like, is that what you want to know?''

Nikolas couldn't help but look at his brother with question marks all over his face. Things seemed so weird since Lucky had come back and Nikolas had trouble believing it all had happened in one day. He was dying to know what had happened to Lucky during the months that he had been gone, but he knew his brother wouldn't answer any of his questions. Furthermore, Nikolas had reason to believe that his brother would run if he was questioned. Nikolas decided to keep his curiosity in check for the time being, and to ask questions when the time seemed right.

''I mean, what was it like to be Stefan's son?'' Lucky rephrased his question for his brother to understand. ''I mean, I know that you thought he was your uncle for most of your life, but he was still the one who raised you, he was your father figure, how what was he like?''

''Well,'' Nikolas said as he scratched his cheek in nervousness, wondering what this was all about ''now that I think about it, he was a lot like us. I was the prince, so he had to make sure that I had the proper education, and I knew how to behave at all times, but he wasn't the stoic man I made him out to be. Granted, my childhood wasn't like yours, all jokes and fun, but Stefan was the best playmate I had for a long time.'' Nikolas laughed and looked at his brother. ''I remember one time, I was maybe 6 years old and I was sick with the worst case of the flu, and I was sad because I would miss the circus. Stefan had promised to take me because I had been able to impress some king, and when I got sick, I stayed in bed for days and the circus came and left. It was just before dinner time, I was reading a comic book that the gardener had been able to sneak to me, and the door opened and a clown walked in. It took me a while to realize that it was my uncle''

Lucky was laughing right along with his brother, trying to imagine Stefan Cassadine dressed as a clown. ''Somehow, I find that hard to believe,'' Lucky admitted and Nikolas got up.

''He nearly broke his leg trying to make me laugh. Mrs. Lansburry walked in, and took a picture,'' Nikolas said as he reached for an album and flipped through the pages, stopping at a specific page. ''His clown name was Spencerino,'' Nikolas recalled.

The picture clearly showed a laughing Nikolas with a smiling, disguised Stefan. Lucky looked at the picture for a long time, trying to stop the tears from falling down his cheek. This sounded like something he would've done for Lulu. ''Why didn't he just hire someone?'' Lucky asked finally.

''You know, I never asked him. To me, it was like the greatest gift in the world, because he was better than any clown. It just showed me that day that he would do anything for me, and he later told me he was willing to do anything just to hear me laugh, or see me smile. That always struck with me,'' Nikolas answered, his voice melancholic. ''Are you ready to tell me why you wanted to know all of this?''

''Laura was pregnant when she left the island. We are back to square one, Nikolas,'' Lucky told him bluntly. ''We aren't full fledged brothers. I'm a Cassadine''

***************

''Mommy, why are you crying?'' asked a curious Lulu as she walked into the living room

''Mommy's sad sweetie, that's all,'' Laura answered her daughter before she took the girl on her lap. ''I went to see daddy today, and he is very sick, so that made mommy sad.''

''Is daddy gonna be ok?'' the little girl asked her mother, her head on the side.

''I hope so,'' Laura replied with a sigh. ''I sure hope so, but you know what? You and I are gonna make him some cookies, for when he feels better. Would you like that? You would?'' She asked when Lulu nodded ''well, come on, let's go bake some cookies for daddy''

''Can the cookies wait a little?'' both women heard from the door and Laura turned to see Stefan standing in the doorway.

''Stefan, you scared me,'' Laura laughed as she put her hand to her heart. ''Haven't you ever heard of knocking?''

''I wasn't sure if you'd let me in,'' Stefan answered as he walked in. ''Hi, Lesley Lu, did you have fun at your aunt Amy's house?'' He asked the little girl and she nodded.

''Lulu, sweetie, would you mind going in the kitchen and getting the table ready for when we make the cookie dough? Thank you,'' Laura said as she watched her daughter leave the room slowly. ''What is it Stefan? If it is to talk about Nikolas again don't waste your time, and mine, because I already said what I had to say''

''No, actually, I am here to talk about Lucky'' Stefan answered coldly.

''What about Lucky?'' Laura asked nervously.

''Where do I start? You gave your explanation about how you hid Nikolas' paternity from my family, and I accepted that explanation, but surely you can't claim you hid Lucky's out of fear for your life, and your child's, since you claimed again and again that Luke would never harm you, nor a child. I'm really curious to hear why you felt you had to raise my son as a Spencer''