CHAPTER 26

''Young Mister Spencer is here to see you, Mrs. Cassadine,'' Ari said, leading a really nervous Lucky into Helena's study.

''Very well, thank you, Ari,'' Helena nodded to her assistant before turning her attention to the young man in front of her.

Helena looked at her grandson up and down, before she admitted to herself that he looked horrible. 40 hours out of the 48 she had allowed him had passed, and it was clear that he had not slept, nor had he changed or showered. She felt a tiny pang of guilt at what she was putting him through, but then she remembered everything that rode on his willingness to marry her and her guilt disappeared. Her whole future, her child's future, depended on this young man and she would not let anything, not even guilt, ruin her plans. She had waited too long for them to unfold.

Lucky stared at her, waiting for her to say anything to him, to somehow show him that what he was about to do was the best thing for everyone. The last time that he had left, it hadn't because he wanted to. He had turned his back on his family and everyone he cared about because he hadn't had any other choice. Now, today, he was doing it willingly.

Lucky had left Stefan the day before without saying anything about his decision. When Stefan had said that he would use everything in his power to get Helena and Lucky's wedding invalidated, Lucky had stood up and walked out. Stefan had called him back, but Lucky had just kept on walking. At this moment, Stefan was dead to him. More than anyone, Stefan should have understood why lucky needed to do what he was doing to keep the child from the harm that Helena was capable of, even if the child turned out not to be his.

More than anyone else, Stefan should've known that Lucky would never be able to let another human being go through the kind of humiliation, the kind of self-disgust, that both Stefan and Lucky had gone through with her. Lucky would not allow that to happen, even if he had to marry her and be with her every single day for the rest of his life to prevent it from happening.

When the silence thickened, Lucky cleared his throat. He didn't want to be the first to talk. Being here was humiliating enough. Because It showed Helena that she had him right where she wanted him. It showed her that she had succeeded in whatever she wanted to accomplish by marrying him. The acknowledgment would have to be done by her orally, before it was done by him. There were a lot of things that he was ready to do for the child, but saying out loud that he would marry her without her asking for his answer was not one of them.

''Did you have a good visit with your father?'' Helena asked him as she looked at him with a sly smile, letting him know that she was still watching his every move.

''Yes, I did. Although, your spy sure did a good job of trying to prevent me from seeing him. You can call off your watchdog now, Helena. I'm here. Leave Mrs. Lansburry alone.''

''My, Lucky, for a young man, you seem to take an unhealthy liking in very older women,'' Helena taunted him, loving the sight of his jaw tightening under the wanted provocation. ''Is she as good as I am?''

''I didn't sleep with her!'' Lucky answered, falling straight into her trap. ''Now, don't we have business to discuss?''

''Like what?'' Helena asked innocently. ''I didn't know that I had any business with you.''

''You know damn well what kind of business we have,'' Lucky said through his teeth. ''Like who is going to finance my leaving the Country. You know damn well that it is illegal for us to be married here. We have to go to Greece and I am not paying my share of the trip.''

''Okay, Lucky, let's make sure that I understood well. You are agreeing to marry me, but I have to pay for everything? Isn't it the husband's job to prevent for the wife?''

''Maybe, but in this case it's different. I'm being coerced into this marriage, and you know it. Besides, if you wait for me to have that kind of money, then you'll be in for a long wait. The kid will be in college by the time that I can afford the kind of life you're used to.''

''I am not holding a knife to your throat,'' Helena said, pretending to be insulted by his insinuations. ''You are here of your own free will.''

''Let's just get one thing straight, *grandmother*,'' Lucky said, his finger pointing at her angrily. ''You may not be holding a gun to my head, but I am not coming into this marriage willingly. You are holding something against me, the life of an innocent little baby that might be my own. This will not be a marriage made of love, and I will not pretend that it is. We will not share a bed, we will consummate our marriage only to make sure that no one can get it invalidated, but that is all we are going to do. You have your life, and I have mine. I have no intention of changing anything. I won't be your darling husband. I don't want to be married to you, and I will make sure that you never forget it.''

''Well, if you feel that way, Lucky, then why get married at all?'' Helena asked, getting up. Lucky felt the life of the baby hang by a thread just by the way she was looking at him. ''I will not have my son feel his father's hatred for his mother. I will not allow it. If you don't want a real marriage out of this, then let's just forget the whole thing and I will tell my doctor that the appointment I made for the abortion still stands. Have I made myself clear?''

''You do that, and I will make sure that you don't survive it, either. Have I made MY self clear?'' Lucky spit out. ''Be ready to leave in 2 hours.'' Without saying anything else, he walked out.

''Oh, Lucky,'' Helena chuckled, ''you may think you can make me not survive the abortion I am never going to have, but trust me, my darling boy, you won't survive this marriage. In fact, you won't even be here for the birth of the new Cassadine Prince.''

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

''Roy!'' Luke said as his best friend was about to leave his hospital room, ''Can you do me a favor, man?''

''Anything, you know it. What can I do for you?''

''Can you check up on Lucky for me? I'm kind of stuck here for at least another week, and I haven't seen him in 3 days. He stormed out of here and never came back. The detective I hired told me that he spent a lot of time at the Haunted House, with Dracula, but I want someone I trust on his tail. Can you do that?''

''Your boy doesn't even know me, Luke. I've only met him once since he's been back. How can I keep an eye on him?''

This was not going well. How was Roy suppose to do what Helena wanted him to do if Luke trusted him with Lucky?

''That's even better. He won't recognize you when you trail him. You're the only one I trust, Roy. Please, bud? For old time's sakes?''

''Look, Luke, Lucky's a big boy and I'm sure that he can take care of himself,'' Roy said, trying his best to get out of spying on Lucky for Luke. When he saw Luke's crestfallen face, though, he changed his tune with a sigh. ''All right, I'll check on him, I'll make sure he isn't in any kind of trouble and I'll get back to you.''

''Thanks, bud. I'll owe you one,'' Luke said gratefully before he received a big hug from his friend.

''Anytime,'' Roy answered, patting his friend's back. ''I'll be your eyes and ears while you are in here where Lucky's concerned. I know how much that boy means to you.''

''You have no idea,'' Luke said sadly, letting his concern for the boy he loved as he own shine through his hurtful eyes. ''Well, I'll see you later. Call me if you hear anything.''

''I will. And you take care of yourself. The world is a pretty boring place without you in it.'' Roy answered from the door, getting a deep chuckle from Luke.

''I'll bet,'' the man answered at the closing door. ''Cowboy,'' he sighed, looking at the ceiling, ''what did you do to need Steffin's help so bad?''

''Are you talking to yourself again?'' Helena asked as she walked in Luke's room.

''What do you want?'' Luke asked with a sigh, sitting up in his bed. He hated being in this helpless position with the dark queen by his bedside.

''Aren't you happy to see me?'' Helena asked silkily. ''I thought, after all the time we've been away from each other, that you would at least miss me!''

''Oh I missed you all right, like I missed having my head drilled without pain killers!''

''Please, darling, let's not get nasty. I only came to say good bye.''

''You're leaving? Stop kidding, life wouldn't be this good. I hope it's a one way trip to hell!''

''I wouldn't go there without you, my dear,'' Helena said with a smile. ''I do intend to come back, after I've accomplished what I have in mind.''

''Don't do me any favors!'' Luke said gruffly, about to buzz for a nurse to remove the bug in his room.

''Please, Luke, can we bury the hatchet?''

''In what part of my body?'' Luke shot back. ''Really, Helena, get out of here before I become mad. Whatever you want to taunt me with, it won't work.''

''Fine, I'll be on my way, then.'' Helena said agreeably from the door. ''I just don't think this is the right way to talk to your future step-daughter-in-law.''

''What do you mean?'' Luke asked at the closing door as his body shot up to go after her, ignoring the searing pain as his injuries stretched to the limit. ''HELENA!''