Luke Spencer had been walking for at least a couple of hours now, trying to figure out what to do next. A two-week trip to Europe hadn't turned up anything on Lucky, and he cursed Faison and Helena again for what they had done. His son was alive. Even before Mac Scorpio had found the recent photograph of Lucky in Faison's office, Luke had known it was true. Faison had escaped and disappeared, but he had written a letter to Luke, telling him that his son was alive and that Helena had him. Luke wondered for the hundredth time how he hadn't figured it out on his own. But where was Lucky now?
A noise behind the barrels that he was walking past caused Luke to freeze. Probably a rat, but years of watching his back made it necessary to check. Just as he turned toward the sound, he was knocked flat by a body flying at him. Before Luke could even get a look at his attacker, the guy rolled off him and took off in a dead run.
Luke immedieately jumped up and gave chase. The kid was fast, and Luke never would have caught him if he hadn't tripped over something and ended up sprawled in the snow. Even then, he was scrambling up and doing his best to take off when Luke grabbed him from behind and caused him to hit the ground again. Luke had to use all of his strength to try to subdue his assailant. He pulled him up from the ground, and froze in disbelief when the kid raised his head. His heart stopped beating for an instant as he looked into the terrified blue eyes of his son.
Lucky would not let this goon take him back. He would die before he would go back into captivity. He thought he had gotten away until his toe caught on something buried under a recent snowfall and he found himself being grabbed from behind as he tried to gain his footing in the slippery snow. Strong hands hauled him up off the ground and whirled him around until he was looking straight at his pursuer. He recognized Luke at the same moment that his father's eyes widened in amazement. "Dad?" he whispered, almost afraid he was dreaming, as he had dreamed so often of this moment..
Luke could scarcely breath, much less talk, so he couldn't answer. Instead he pulled the boy to him in a tight bear-hug, his tears falling unheeded down his face.
At that moment the whole past year caught up with Lucky and he broke down, sobbing on his father's shoulder, until he remembered where they were and he pulled back. "Dad, it's not safe here! They're looking for me, and if they find us they'll...they'll..."
"Son, you're safe with me," said Luke in a tone that Lucky knew from experience was not to be argued with. "But let's get out of the cold, my club's just around the corner."
"I know," Lucky answered, "That's where I was trying to go in the first place, but I was going to wait until it got completely dark, and then..." he paused, remembering the painful scene on the docks. he saw that Luke was looking at him expectantly, so he continued. "And then you came along," he finished.
Luke could tell by his son's face that he had left something out, but he didn't push it. Instead he flung his arm across Lucky's shoulders and said, "Well, you found me, or I found you I guess. C'mon Cowboy." His voice broke on that last word as he and Lucky made their way through the snow to the club.