Wolves-- Chaptes 11 & 12
~11
May 10, 2005
The next morning
Robbie came down the stairs dressed and ready for the day. She was wearing a bright smile to mask the pain of a major hangover. Lucky was sitting on the couch watching cartoons with Lulu. He turned his head and saw her.
“Lulu honey, could you go in the kitchen and put our dishes away. We don’t want Mom to catch us eating in here.” He said handing her the cereal bowls.
“OK Lucky, but remember tonight is your night to do the dishes. Good morning Robbie.” She said as she went to the kitchen.
Lucky smiled. “She likes having someone to share the chores with.”
“Yeah that’s the best part about big brothers.” Robbie said quietly.
“I’m sorry.” The both said at the same time.
“You’re sorry? What do you have to be sorry about? I’m the one who snapped at my best friend when I was drunk.” Robbie said guiltily. She sat next to Lucky on the couch.
“No, if I was your best friend I should have seen this sooner. I just expected you to come with me and help me try to get Elizabeth back. I should have seen that it would hurt you. I never should have made you come.” Lucky said staring intently at the coffee table.
“Lucky, have you ever known anyone who could make me do anything I didn’t want to do?” Lucky shook his head. “Then don’t beat yourself up. I wanted to come, it was my decision. And it’s a good thing I did too, cause you could have never done this with out my help. You would have let your wounded pride run you away.”
“You’re right I would’ve.” Lucky turned his to look at her. “And I would’ve come running straight back to you.”
Robbie shook her head sadly. “No, I would have made you come back here and stick it out, cause I know you could never be mine again.”
“I do love you Robbie.”
“I know.” Robbie reached out and hugged her best friend. “I know”
“Well I better get going. I need to get to Elizabeth’s.” She said pulling away from him.
Lucky just nodded.
“I’ll see you later.” She said and then left the house.
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Elizabeth unlocked her door and walked into her apartment. Her dress was wrinkled and her hair was a mess, she had spent the entire night in the boxcar.
“Liz is that you?” Nikolas said coming out of the kitchen. But he rushed to her side as soon as he saw her. “Honey what happened?”
“Nothing.” She said evasively.
“You didn’t come here last night. Where were you?” Nikolas asked, more worried than angry.
“I just spent the night somewhere, OK?”
“Evidently it was somewhere outside.” He said picking a few leaves and twigs from her hair.
“I went to the boxcar OK? I needed to think.” She said defensively.
“And what did you think about?” He asked with a sense of dread.
“Everything. You, Lucky, Robbie, Luke, Laura, Lulu, what food we’re going to serve at the next gallery showing. Everything.” She looked at him and saw the worry on his face. “Nikolas I just have a lot of things rolling around in my head right now and I just needed to clear some of it out.”
“Am I one of the things you cleared out?” He asked quietly.
“Oh Nikolas, no.” She quickly reassured him. “I’m marrying you.”
He heart almost ached at what she said. Her brain kept telling her over and over again that it was Lucky who had hurt her, making her grieve for him when she didn’t have to. She almost believed it now. The voice in heart was getting further away.
“Well why don’t I make us some breakfast…” He started to say.
“No Nikolas I’m fine. You go home and I’ll see you later today. I’m pretty tired, I think I’m just going to go to bed.”
“OK, are you sure?”
Liz smiled, “Yes I’m fine. Now go!”
“OK, I’ll se you later.” He kissed her cheek and left.
A few moments later there was a knock on the door.
“Nikolas, I’m fine.” She said as she opened the door, but she was surprised at the person on the other side.
“Can I talk to you?” Robbie said.
“Sure.” Liz said opening the door for her to come in.
“I think you have some questions you want to ask me.” Robbie said sitting down on the couch.
“Yeah, Lucky said that you were the reason he didn’t come home sooner.”
“That’s right. About a month before Lucky started remembering things, my father died.” Robbie said quietly. She couldn’t believe she was actually telling Liz this. The thing she would do for Lucky.
“I had four brothers too so they took care of most of it. Jon helped out a lot though.” Robbie saw the confusion on Liz’s face. “That’s what we called Lucky for the four years he was with us before that. Lucky got his memory back and then I got another shock that Lucky felt responsible for, so he stayed a little while longer. But then two of my brothers were out on the fishing boat and they got caught in the storm and the boat capsized with them down below. They died. So Lucky stayed to help after that. I never asked him to stay but I needed him.”
Liz was frozen; she couldn’t say anything. It was a heartbreaking story, but what was even more horrible about it was that Robbie was telling the story like it didn’t happen to her.
“My other two brothers decided to keep our little fishing company and things went pretty good for a while. Then Mark, he was the oldest of the original four, he was our always our savior. If he was there we could survive anything. Lewis, the youngest, didn’t untangle the nets the night before and one of the tangles caught Mark by the foot when they were releasing the nets. It dragged him out to sea and he drowned before we could get the nets back in.” Robbie looked down at her hands and cursed silently because they were shaking.
“About a week after that, Lewis committed suicide. He couldn’t handle the pressures and he felt like he had killed Mark. Lucky stayed with me until I sold the company and settled the estate. It took awhile but then we made plans to come here.”
Liz was stunned, she had never even thought someone could loose so much so quickly. She tentatively put a hand on Robbie’s shoulder, but Robbie stood up quickly and walked to the window.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Liz said quietly.
Robbie just nodded.
“You said you had a shock after Lucky got his memory back, what was it?”
Robbie winced, she had hoped Liz hadn’t caught that.
“Before Lucky’s memory came back, we were together. I loved him and he thought he loved me. But when he remembered you and the love you had, he couldn’t even think about loving me.” Robbie said quietly. “He was my best friend before he was anything else, so I decided I’d rather have him as that than nothing. And I wouldn’t trade his friendship for anything. He loves you Liz, he always did somehow.”
Liz nodded; she was trying desperately to absorb all the information that Robbie had given her. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
When Liz answered it she found Alexis standing there. Liz was still in her dress from last night.
“Liz you’re not ready! Remember, we’re all going to the Deception Spa to relax. V and Carly are already there.” Alexis said walking past Liz and into the bedroom. She proceeded to go through Liz’s closet and throw some clothes on the bed.
“Here, go change.” Alexis said pushing Liz towards the bathroom. Liz glanced back into the living room, but Robbie was already gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later
Liz was walking on the docks feeling completely relaxed. Ever since Katherine Bell had moved to Europe and Lucy had taken over Deception the spa was the place to go. Her heart was finally content. She was finally listening to it. After her talk with Robbie she had done some major thinking. She had decided that she couldn’t ignore her feelings for Lucky anymore. She was going to go straight to cottage to tell Nikolas that she couldn’t marry him. Liz smiled thinking about Lucky and how they would finally be together again.
She turned and started walking towards the stairs. A large sweaty hand clamped over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows. She tried to kick and scream but it was no use. The last thing she saw before the world went black was a leering smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~12
The next morning
May 11, 2005
The front door swung open and Carly bounded in with a huge smile on her face. She went straight Lucky and caught him in a huge bear hug.
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations for what?” Lucky said completely confused.
“Oh don’t try and hide it from me! Liz already told me. Where is she anyway?” Carly said brightly.
“Carly what are you talking about? Elizabeth isn’t…” Lucky was cut off by the door opening.
Nikolas stormed into the Spencer home slamming the door shut behind him.
“Where is she Lucky?” He demanded. He stalked up to Lucky and pushed him up against the wall by his shirt. Carly took a few involuntary steps backwards at Nikolas’ anger and Robbie came rushing down the stairs to see what was going on.
“What are you talking about Nikolas? Isn’t she with you?” Lucky replied bitterly. Robbie and Carly both rushed to Lucky’s side and pried Nikolas off of Lucky.
“Where is she?!” Nikolas yelled.
“Nikolas, calm down and tell us why you’re here.” Robbie said calmly. She knew that Lucky’s patience was wearing thin.
Nikolas took a deep breath and then spoke. “I went to her apartment this morning and she wasn’t there, her bed hadn’t been slept in. I figured she had stayed with Alexis or Carly or V so I didn’t worry. But I called V and she said that Liz was coming to my house last night; that she needed to talk to me about something. Since she never showed up I figured she must have come here.” Nikolas finished with bitterness in his voice.
“She never got to your house?” Carly said looking nervous.
“No, she didn’t. Do you know what she was going to talk to me about?” Nikolas asked Carly, calming down slightly.
“Um…well… not really.” Carly said apprehensively.
“Carly, out with it.” Lucky had a growing knot in the pit of his stomach, something was off.
Carly took a deep breath and looked at Nikolas with pity in her eyes, “She was going to call off the engagement Nikolas, I’m sorry.”
Nikolas closed his eyes and silently cursed himself for falling in love with her.
Lucky’s heart leapt with joy, but the wheels in his head were spinning too fast. Elizabeth wouldn’t just disappear if she had something so important to tell him and Nikolas. Something must have happened to her.
“Well Lucky if she isn’t here then where is she?” Nikolas’ voice broke Lucky out of his thoughts.
Nobody saw Robbie pale at the realization of what must have happened to her. ‘Damn you uncle!’ Her thoughts screamed.
“Carly, why don’t you take Nikolas into the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. Lucky you call Luke and tell him to get Mac over here ASAP. I’ll go to the hospital and see if Audrey has heard from her, and I’ll get your Laura while I’m there.” Robbie said getting her coat.
Lucky smiled at his best friend, he was so glad she knew what he needed and when he needed it.
Carly and Nikolas disappeared into the kitchen. Robbie opened the door and then turned around briefly. Her eyes locked with Lucky’s.
“I’ll get her back Lucky.” And then she was out the door.
Lucky narrowed his eyes at the now closed door. Something about the way she said that was eating at him. She had been hiding something from him for a while now and his instincts were screaming at him to follow her. He had never yet ignored his instincts and he was not going to start now. He grabbed his coat and yelled into the kitchen.
“Carly, could you call my dad for me. I’m going with Robbie.”
“Sure thing.” Was the response, and then Lucky was gone.
Docks
Robbie raced down the steps and looked around. This was the place she had seen him twice before so she figured that wherever he was staying must be near by.
“Come on, come on, you have to be around here somewhere.” She muttered. She stood still and looked out to the water for a moment, trying to think of something to do. She knew beyond a doubt that he had taken Elizabeth.
“Come on Uncle, I know you’re here somewhere.” She said aloud, she didn’t really expect a response but she got one.
“Have I become too predictable.”
Robbie whipped around and narrowed her eyes. “Faison, let Elizabeth go!”
Faison smiled evilly. “Why don’t you call me Uncle Caesar.”
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