Lucky was silent, his eyes never leaving his father's. He didn't hug Nikolas back, he was just dump in his arms. The truth was, the only thing Lucky could feel was pain. Faison made it very clear to the young man that he wasn't agreeing with his partner about letting him go, and he made him understand that with one last beating. The worst of them all. But Lucky didn't care. He took every punch and kick Faison threw at him, knowing that he would be back with his family soon, with Elizabeth, and Emily, and everyone else. "I'm here Nikolas" Lucky said quietly, absently patting his brother's back. "I'm back."
Luke was crying. Tears was falling down his face and his hands were shaking on his bed. Thoughts were going through his mind at 100 miles an hour. The first ones were thoughts of guilt. Why didn't know he his son was still alive? Why didn't he sensed it? It was obvious that Lucky had been through hell and made it back. His skinny form, skinnier than when he "died", his face full of pain when Nikolas crushed him in an embrace was indication that he suffered physical trauma wherever he was. But his eyes were what hurt Luke the most. What he saw in them. Hurt, pain, desperation and last, emptiness. Something died inside of him. Something Luke knew his son would never be able to get back. Faith in his father.
"Dad" Lucky said quietly. "I learned about the accident. I came as soon as I could" Lucky didn't want to say as soon as they let him come, because he remembered Faison's threat when he left. That he wouldn't be the only one paying with his life if he talked. Luke would lose his daughter, too.
Nikolas let go of his brother and looked at his father. Lucky was back. Luke was thrilled. Nikolas was, too, but he felt like he didn't belong in the room anymore. "I'm gonna go make a call and check on Lulu" He said quietly, but he knew no one heard him.
"I'm so glad you are back" Luke said quietly, and reached for his son. Lucky walked to the side of the bed and sat on the chair Nikolas just left. "Are you gonna be OK?" Lucky asked quietly, fearing he came too late. "Yes I will, Cowboy, they found a donor" Luke answered and smiled at his son. "You are really here?" He asked weakly. "Yeah dad, I'm really back. For good"
Luke looked at his son for a long moment, trying to engrave his face in his mind, in case it was all a dream. "Where---" Luke took a deep breath, hoping his voice wouldn't sound like an accusation. "Where were you all this time?"
Lucky took a deep breath, hoping the explanation he prepared wouldn't hurt his father too much. "I guess I'm truly a Spencer dad, I needed time to myself, away from everyone I knew. But I also knew you wouldn't let me go, so I had to make you believe I was dead"
The look on Luke's face killed the last human part of Lucky's heart. His father was now crushed, to believe that he was so horrible, the only way Lucky could get away from him was to fake his own death, hurting everyone he loved and cherished in the process. But at least, with that explanation, Lucky knew Lulu was safe, since Luke would never think he was lying. As long as Luke was hurting, his baby sister would be able to grow up.
"Was I that horrible?" Luke asked in a whisper, unable to hide the pain he was feeling. "No, dad, but I needed time on my own. I was Luke's son, Laura's son, Elizabeth's boyfriend. I needed to be me, you know, Lucky Spencer. No one else. I needed my own identity to know where I wanted to go with my life". Luke took a deep breath and looked at his son. Something was off here. "And to do that, you needed to find someone who looked exactly like you, who had the same dental record not to mention DNA? Lucky, that's simply impossible."
Lucky thought for a moment. This wasn't how this was suppose to go. It was suppose to break his father's heart, not make him question his reasons and how he did it. "There was this guy, this homeless guy that lived behind the bike shop, he asked me if I could let him sleep in, since he was sick, and I said yes but when I woke up he was dead, so it gave me the idea. I changed my records at the hospital to match his and left"
Luke couldn't help but chuckle. "Lucky, who do you take me for? I might be in the hospital after a car accident, but I'm not brain damaged. First of all, you would've reported the death to the police" Lucky started to say something but Luke cut him off. "Second of all, you learned from the best how to change your identity and dropped the face of the earth without a trace. And last but not least, you believe in God. Why, I don't know, you don't take after me, but you do, and you wouldn't have let a man go to his grave under another identity. Isn't it like a blasphemy or something?"
"Look, I'm here now, isn't that enough?" Lucky asked, getting mad. He should've known this was a trap set by Faison and Helena. He would never be able to fool his dad. "What do you think happened? I was kidnapped? Do you think I'm stupid enough to let that happen? Like you said, I learned from the best, so just drop it. Or I can go right back where I came from"
"Whoa Cowboy, take it easy, it seems like I hit a sore spot." Luke said. "Fine, you are here now, you are right, what you did doesn't matter" But it did matter, and Luke made a promise to himself to find out what his son was terrified of, and what happened to him to become so full of hate like that. ‘But you know, you've been gone months and I nearly died. What does a guy have to do to get a hug around here?"
Lucky slowly bent down and put his arms around his father's neck and Luke felt his eyes once again fill up with tears as he felt how cold Lucky's embrace was. But slowly Lucky opened up to his father's love, and his embrace became stronger. It was clear to Luke that his son, his Cowboy, was desperate not to let go. Luke was taken all the way back years ago, when Lucky was just a little boy, and Frank's men had found them. One of the men entered by his room, had put a gun to the three year old boy's head and said he would pull the trigger if the kid so much breathed. When it was all over, Lucky ran in his father's arms and held him just the same, with a fear of letting go.
"It's ok Cowboy, you're home now" Luke said softly, caressing his son's hair slowly. "Just promise you'll never leave again and I'll think about not grounding you"
Lucky chuckled through his tears and finally broke the embrace. "I missed you too old man" he said with a smile. "How come Nikolas was here? Isn't he the one who hit you?"
Luke smiled at Lucky, but his mind was going at 100 miles an hour. Now was not the time to tell him about his half brother being his full brother. Luke didn't know how Lucky would react to the news and he didn't want him to shut down. "Well, you see Cowboy, that's the best part, when I was between life and death he promised to be my slave until I was back on my feet, and trust me, I'm holding him to that promise"
Laura nearly run in the hospital, hoping it wasn't too late, but when she saw Nikolas walk back and forth in front of Luke's room, she knew. "Nikolas" I whispered and ran in his arms, holding him tight.
"Mother" Nikolas said quietly and saw Stefan a couple of steps behind. The reality of the situation hit him. He realized he wasn't Stefan's son anymore. He didn't know how to address to him so he didn't. For now. "He will be OK, Luke will be OK"
"Thank God" Laura whispered and put her hands on Nikolas' cheeks. "What about you? Are you?" Nikolas smiled at his mother. Did she knew all along? Or would she be as shocked? "Yes, I'm ok. I'm not the one who nearly died"
Laura made a move to enter the room but Nikolas stopped her. "No, not yet, someone's in there with him" Nikolas said quietly. "What? Who? I'm sure Luke wouldn't mind" She answered as she tried to move again. "Mother, I said wait" By the tone of his voice Laura stopped in her track. "I'll find out if he can see you" Nikolas added and opened the door, poking his head in.
"Sorry to interrupt, but someone's here to see you" Nikolas said with a smile, his eyes going from Lucky to Luke. "Well, who is it?" Luke asked his oldest son. "It's mom, dad"
‘DAD?" Asked three people at the same time, one inside the room, and the couple standing outside
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