An Impossible Love - Chapter 4

Frisco thought long and hard before he decided to go back to Port Charles. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind and thought maybe he wouldn't mind seeing them again, even if from a distance. He wanted to see for himself that they were happy. The reports he had asked for weren't satisfying enough. He wanted to know for sure. After he made his choice, he informed his co workers and they reluctantly agreed to let him leave. They were worried of course, because Lucky was gone as well, but Frisco assured them that he would keep in contact and that he trusted them to look after the base.

The hard part was telling Issabelle. She would not be happy. Everyday for years he had visited her. Before he even knocked, he heard her voice, "Come in."

He stepped inside and wasn't all that surprised. He didn't bother asking because she did that sometimes to freak him out. Hardly anything seemed strange to him anymore. She was writing something, probably in the diary he had gotten for her last Christmas.

"Hey, Frisco." She looked up and noticed the glum expression on his face. "What's the matter?" She closed the diary and went to him. "Is everything okay?"

Frisco licked his lips before answering, the best way to say it would be the direct approach. "I'm going away for a while, Issabelle."

Issabelle gave him a blank look, "Going? How long?" She asked causually, as if she didn't care.

"For a few days. Not long. I just have some business to take of, that's all."

"Oh." She turned and went to her bed, sitting cross-legged. She felt like she was about to cry, she had only seen it done on television, humans cried often. She had tried it once, thinking of something sad and concentrated hard, but she still couldn't do it. She didn't know how to do it, but when she did, she found it was ridiculously simple. The tears just came, running down her cheeks in a jagged line.

Frisco sighed, "Issabelle, don't cry." He went next to her and put his arms around her shoulders. "I won't be gone long, I promise. I just have to do this. I have to make sure they're okay."

She looked up, and gave him a knowing glance. "Yes, I understand. You love them and want to make sure they're happy." She wiped the tears from her face. "Don't worry about me, Frisco, I'll be fine. Go," She stood and pulled him with her, "Go, and see for yourself that they are happy."

Frisco smiled, his eyes shining with tears, he touched her face, "You are wonderful, Issabelle, you make *me* happy." His voice quiet but sure. "You're like a daughter to me."

Issabelle let another tear slip from her eye. "And you're like a father to me." She reached up and touched his face, wiping away his tears. She smiled, "Now, the sooner you go, the sooner you return."

Frisco nodded, "Right. I'll see you in a week." He took his hand back and went to the door, he paused wanting to say something but decided against it. "Good bye."

As soon as the door shut behind him, Issabelle said quietly, "I love you too."

~~~

The next morning, Lucky followed his sister. He knew it was wrong, and he could get in more trouble with her if she knew, but the thought of finding Elizabeth outweighed all of the possible outcomes. He watched Lulu leave the house from his window. Quickly, he ran down the stairs and was out the door in a second. He saw her turn the corner and kept in pace with her. He followed her towards a residential neighbourhood and ran past her when she stopped at a house. He rounded the corner and stopped, curious if this was where she lived. From his position on the street he could see the front door. The oak door opened and Lucky held his breath. Elizabeth stepped out and slipped on a pair of sunglasses. She and Lulu talked for a minute before setting out for their run. He memorized the house number and street name before going after them.

The day was cloudy, like yesterday. The forecast predicted rain in the next several days. Their pace was brisk, but nothing that he couldn't handle. All those years of training had kept him in shape.

He followed them to the park, where they parted ways. Lulu went off in the direction of home and Liz in another. He continued to follow Liz. She ran quicker when Lulu was out of sight and Lucky had to push to keep up. He didn't know why he was doing this, what would he say to her anyways? Hey, about that kiss you gave me the other night? Was it as magical for you as it was for me? Yeah right. He snorted in disgust and ran faster, she went into the trees, veering away from the path. He stopped, looking around in confusion. She was gone. He knew she was fast, but . . .

He went deeper into the trees and was surprised to find that he was in the spot where they had first met. Unknowingly to him, she had led him straight here.

"Why are you following me?"

Lucky turned, trying to find where the voice had come from. She stepped out from the bushes and smiled at him. "I ask again, why are you following me?" Her eyes sparkled with curiousity. She was not angry, or even annoyed. She wondered if he felt as drawn to her as she was to him. She had sensed him from the beginning, right before she open the door. It was she that suggested to Lulu that they cut it short for today.

Lucky wiped the sweat that was beading on his forehead, trying to find a suitable answer. He was breathing hard, the run had exhausted him, but seemed to have no affect on Liz. Liz sat on one of the benches and crossed her legs, waiting for him to reply.

"Well," He ran his hand through his hair, and blew air through his lips. "I don't know, exactly. I just wanted to meet you, Elizabeth." If she was surprised that he knew her name, she didn't show it. He knew they were masters at concealing their feelings.

She nodded, "That's understandable." She uncrossed her legs and leanded forward, pressing her hands to the stone. "You know what I am." She said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes." He said, not flinching at her hard stare.

"By law, I should kill you." She smiled again and stood. "But I won't." She took a step closer to him and asked, "Do you know why?"

Lucky gulped, What was wrong with him? He had followed a vampire and knew, damn it, that she could sense him, but a small part of him believed that she would not hurt him. He stood straighter, and replied with bravado that he did not feel, "No."

She nodded knowingly and circled him. "I don't know either." She eyed him warily, "Who are you? You seem to know what I am, yet you are not afraid. Have you met others like me before?" She questioned, she was curious about him, about what he knows about her.

"My name is Lucky." He stated, ignoring her other questions.

She stopped in front of him and gazed into his eyes, a blue that almost mirrored her own. "We'll see."

He chuckled at that, "You don't know how many people say that to me, especially women."

"I can see why." Liz said, touching the side of his face with the tips of her fingers. A warm flush settled across his cheeks. A strained moment passed before she whispered, "If I were different . . ." She let her voice trail off, she blinked and took her hand away. Her eyes beseeched him, pleaded with him, "You mustn't follow me any more." She turned her back on him, "Please. Leave me alone." And she was gone, leaving him standing there, alone. To stunned to follow her, he dropped to the ground and touched his face, still tingling from her touch.

~~~

Lulu entered the house and groaned silently. Her parents sat at the table, clearly waiting for her to come home. She brushed back the hair from her face and forced a smile. "Hi mom, hey dad." She shut the door behind her and went up to them. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, the phoney smile still plastered on her face. She didn't really want to know, she just asked out of politness.

"Sit down, Leslie. We have to talk." Her mother never called her that unless she was in trouble. Lulu was not worried, all they could do was ground her. It wasn't that hard to sneak out, she'd done it before and she would likely do it again. They've had this conversation a thousand times and Lulu practically memorized it. She took a seat across from them and knew what they were going to say, 'We're worried about you, sweetheart.' The same tired line, the same tired lecture. They didn't really care, they just didn't want to feel like neglectful parents. She would nod and smile and reassure them that it would never happen again and they would be satisfied, thinking that they've done their duty as parents.

"We're worried about you, Lulu." Her mother started, "You've been acting strange lately, not yourself." Lulu resisted the urge to laugh. She hadn't been herself in a long time and her parents finally took notice?

"First off, I want you to know that we love you and want what's best for you. And we will always love you no matter what." Laura watched Lulu's reaction, she got none and continued, "We know that you've been going out late, dressing like -- like --" Laura couldn't say it, it hurt to much, "And we let it pass, thinking it's all a phase that you're going through. But enough is enough, Leslie. I want you to stop dressing like that and stop hanging out with those people. They are obviously having a negative effect on you. What was wrong with Cindy? She's a wonderful girl. You never used to sneak out, or dress wild before." Laura sniffed, and said sadly, "I just want my little girl back, not this stranger in front of me."

Unaffected by her mother's speech, Lulu nodded, "I have been behaving badly and you are perfectly right. It is a stage that I'm going through. What's it called again?" She stopped and pretended to think, "The rebellious stage, I think. You shouldn't worry, I'll get over it." She stood and smiled innocently, "Can I be excused now?"

Luke, who held his tongue until now, said quietly, "Cut the crap, Lulu, and sit down."

A flicker of surprise crossed her face and she sat, wanting to know where this was going. He had never reacted before, it was always her mother that did the talking.

"Ever since Lucky has been home, you've changed, it was like you were jealous of him or hated him. You pick fights with him or just plain out ignore him. He hasn't been here in a long time, I would think that you guys would be catching up, not bickering. I don't understand it, Lu, you guys were so damn close when he lived . . . when you guys were younger. I just want to know what's going on." Luke's eyes softened and he reached to take her hand. "You used to tell me things, all the time. I never got you to shut up. It was like you were a walking chatter box. And now, we hardly even say hello."

Laura touched his arm, she knew how much it was killing him to have his daughter pull away from him. She too, was scared of the future, it was empty and bleak without her children there, together. But not have Lulu with them when they've already lost Lucky, it was almost to painful to bear.

Lulu smiled wistfully, "I remember the talks we've had, the picnics, everything that we did together and I miss that too." She squeezed his hand, and was alarmed to feel how frail it was. "You know, I want to go back to that time, but I can't." She took her hand away and frowned. "It wasn't me that pulled away. It was you and your unwillingness to let go of the past, that finally severed the link between us." A look of dismay came over Luke's face, his daughter's words cutting into his heart. "I tried to keep us together, you must know that, but you wanted so badly to have what could never be . . ." Lulu choked back a sob, "So don't you go and say that I was the one pulling away, that it was me that never wanted to talk. I talked, I talked constantly, but you never listened. And after a while, I gave up. If you didn't want to let go, then there was nothing that I could do. The little girl that you want doesn't exist anymore, just as the Lucky that you want doesn't exist anymore." She got up and smile sadly at them, "I grew up, mom, and I'm ashamed to say it, but I've grown up without my parents." She took a step towards the stairs and said, "I'm not saying that I'm not bitter and feeling a little rejected, but I just learned to accept it. Just as you have to accept that you can't always get everything you crave for." She watched her mother's face crumble and her father began to cry. She hated seeing them so sad but if she couldn't get them to move on with her words, then her actions would have to do the talking. She took the first step and looked back at them, "You hear me now as I say these things to you, and you must think what an ungrateful daughter I must be, to insult you as parents, but do you really listen to what I'm saying? If you did, you would see that I'm not out of line, I'm just telling you how it is."

Luke stood and shook his head, "What you're saying can't be true, princess . . . it can't be." But somewhere deep in his soul he knew she was right.

Lulu tilted her head, her face clouding over when she heard the pet name that her father had given her long ago, "Okay, let's say for a moment that I'm delusional. What do you really know about me? Tell me. You should know something about me, something that only parents should know." They hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "I thought so. You can't answer me, can you?" She gave them an unblinking stare, "So you see, you really don't get a say in what I do or don't do." She turned and went upstairs, leaving her parents to think about what she said.

~~~

Liz never left, she was still in the park hiding in the trees watching him, curious of what he would do. She watched him as he sat there, a dazed expression on his face. He looked so cute, so tempting to touch, to gather in her arms and comfort. He got up slowly and glanced around, his gaze rested on her for a moment, and she held her breath, afraid that he could sense her. His gaze shifted, but came back to her. "How can this be real?" He asked himself quietly, but Liz could still hear him, just as if he was talking to her. "You just look at me and I'm paralyzed, not out of fear but of something else. I've never met anyone like you before, and I want to get to know you, if you'll let me." He let out a small laugh, "This may sound cheesy to you but I'm drawn to you, Elizabeth, like it or not." Liz stayed where she was, not daring to move. Lucky stood still, waiting for a reponse, he didn't know why he said those things, just that he had to. He hoped that she heard, because he really wanted to get to know her. He gave one last look around and left.

Liz came out of hiding and sat on one of the benches, shivering. It was not cold, far from it. What he said shook her to the core, making her question herself, what she knows. He felt like her, like they were destined to meet, destined to be together. She rocked back and forth, hoping to make sense of it all. But no matter what she felt, it could never be. Never. She had to thank her lucky stars that the elders had not found out. They were everywhere, they could be anyone. The punishment was death. She did not want to die. She will stay away from him. She had to, even if it meant that she would never know if he was the one that held the other half of her heart.