Chapter 162 -- Bits and Pieces.
The Brownstone.
Bobbie enters through the front door, looking disturbed. She hears the sound of
Luke murmuring to someone and tapping on the computer. She closes her eyes,
fortifying herself and cursing, for easily the billionth time in a short
lifetime, Laura Vinning Webber Baldwin Spencer. She turns and walks into the
living room. She stops, taking in the frighteningly domestic scene, Luke working
on the computer and talking occasionally to Michael, who is leaning against his
shoulder, standing on the couch. She blinks.
Bobbie: Luke! (Luke looks up) Luke, what are you doing?
Luke: (turning back to the computer) Joining the 21st Century. It's about time,
don't you think?
Bobbie: (crossing the room) Please. You and that laptop…
Luke: Is this a problem?
Bobbie:… Are nothing but trouble. (She comes over and picks Michael up. He
protests and turns in her grip, forcing her to drop him back down on the couch.
She looks down at her grandson, perturbed.) Michael? Aren't you going to say hi?
Michael: (leaning back against Luke) Hi. (Bobbie frowns, though she can see
what's happening here… She can't imagine the last time Michael was around
another male. She sits down, feeling ill. She opens her purse and begins to dig
through it)
Bobbie: When was Carly here? (Luke begins to shut down the laptop)
Luke: Ah, who knows. She'll be thrilled you're here.
Bobbie: I can't believe I didn't get back before she got here. She's terminally
late.
Luke: Got her own clock. You used to be that way. (Bobbie nods, pulling a toy
truck from her bag. She holds it up)
Bobbie: Michael! (he looks over at her) Truck? (Michael looks at the toy then at
Luke)
Luke: Go for it, kiddo. (Michael crawls over the arms of the couch and moves to
Bobbie. She snatches him up into her lap and dumps him there, leaving him a
little stunned. He gets over it when she gives him the truck. Luke watches,
realizing something is going on).
Luke: What's up with you, someone slip a fly in your soup?
Bobbie: Luke, listen… I have Michael until Carly comes back, and he's far beyond
the playpen stage, so just listen to what I have to say and then leave… because
that is what you're going to have to do.
Luke: (darkening) What are you getting at Barbara?
Bobbie: I went to the house. Your house.
Luke: Barbara… I asked you stay out of this…
Bobbie: And you believed that I would about as much as you believe the earth is
flat. Come on.
Luke: What did you do?
Bobbie: Not a thing. Nothing. Luke. She wasn't there.
Luke: That happens, Bobbie. As much as we'd both like to believe my wife is
lying on the heap on the floor weeping… she's stronger than that.
Bobbie: God, you are wearing blinders where she's concerned. (Luke sighs, and
shuts the computer off.)
Luke: Are you done?
Bobbie: Not even close. The house was… Luke, it was shut down. Do you
understand? There was a pile of mail, there was no sign that anyone was there…
or coming back. It was empty. Luke… (Luke gets up) Luke… I think she's gone.
(Luke doesn't look at her, just moves to the chair his jacket is slung over,
picks it up, and walks out of the brownstone, letting the door slam behind him.
Bobbie flinches, then lets out a long breath. She stands up, letting Michael
slip off her lap. Michael turns and looks after Luke, obviously unhappy with
this turn of events. Bobbie reaches down and takes Michael's hand) Come on,
Michael. Let's get you some lunch, huh?
* * * *
AJ's Office, ELQ Headquarters.
Carly stands by the window, staring out the window. She has her thumbs tucked
in the pocket of her jeans, purposely dressed down from the clothes she wore
when she was masquerading as a corporate wife. This whole thing is giving her
hives. She should have gone to the mansion. At least there she would have been
on a ground floor. She and AJ should never meet at great heights. She jumps when
the door clicks, then turns, taking a deep breath, as AJ enters, flipping
through a folder. He kicks the door shut and starts over to the desk. He looks
up, and stops short, his expression going from mild annoyance to cold rage in a
matter of seconds.
AJ: How the hell did you get past my secretary? (Carly shrugs smiling mildly)
Carly: Denise has never been that bright, AJ. (she looks around, moving from the
window) So you finally got Ned's office, huh? Guess it couldn't have been as
sweet since you didn't get to throw him out bodily…
AJ: What are you doing here?
Carly: Does this mean you're CEO now? (AJ narrows his eyes)
AJ: Are you sizing me up again, Carly?… What, if I make CEO, you'll consider
going round two? (Carly's jaw tightens, but she forces herself to remain
detached)
Carly: (glancing back at him) It was just a question. That's all.
AJ: (Moving to his desk) I don't have time for this, Carly. (Carly turns around
and leans against the window)
Carly: Really? Not for any of it? (AJ opens his mouth to respond, then stops)
AJ: (carefully) Is this about Michael?
Carly: (taking a breath) I wrote you a letter…
AJ: Months ago.
Carly: (getting ticked) I still wrote you a letter.
AJ: Is there trouble, Carly? Do you need money?
Carly: No! No, I'm fine. And if I needed MONEY, I wouldn't… (Stops and takes a
steadying breath) Everything is fine. I'm fine. Michael is fine. (She stares at
the desktop) I read about Emily in the paper.
AJ: (going through papers in an effort to look unaffected) You didn't read about
Emily… you read about Lucky.
Carly: I read about both of them. How did… How did that work out?
AJ: (looking up) Excuse me?
Carly: Your Grandfather and that reward. Did it… Help?
AJ: Is she home?
Carly: No, well… I thought it might have given you a clue at least.
AJ: What's the matter, Carly? Did your partner in crime leave you out of the
loop?
Carly: Lucky is not… (She stops, pressing her lips together) I just… Emily was
always nice to me, I wanted to know how you were handling this.
AJ: (narrowing his eyes) You don't know where they are, do you?
Carly: Oh, what do you think? No one knows where they are! (AJ smiles slightly,
pleased to have put the pieces together)
AJ: And that's why you're here. Well, sorry to disappoint you, Carly… But I have
nothing to say to you. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. (Carly
bristles, but forces herself not to go off just yet.)
Carly: (as steadily as possible) I'm here because… I was thinking that maybe it
was time for us to open the lines of communication again. That's it.
AJ: Come on, Carly… You don't think I put that letter together? Lucky put you up
to that, didn't he? And Now… Lucky? Or maybe someone else… is putting you up to
this!
Carly: Putting me up to what? Just what do you think I'm doing here?
AJ: Obviously you want something. You *always* want something and it's not to
make some kind of good Samaritan house call to see how I'm handling my sister's
disappearance. Do you want to know how we're handling it? We're not. That
simple. Once the lid got blown off, and the cops got involved? Everyone worked
double time to get it squeezed back on again. Taggert's still sniffing around
but that's just because he thinks he can take down Jason… and everyone's
forgotten what the God damn issue was in the first place… which is, we don't
have one God damned clue where my sister is. (He sneers at her) And I know
better than to ever *try* asking you.
Carly: Hell, AJ… Our side doesn't know a damn thing either, ok?
AJ: What, the great Luke Spencer is stumped in the disappearance of his own son,
huh? (Carly makes a face. Ok. This is her cue. She slides off the desk, walking
across the room.)
Carly: Luke doesn't *care* ok? He's got bigger problems right now.
AJ: What are you ON? Luke doesn't *care*? (AJ round the desk after her)
Carly: Never mind. Just… Forget it, ok? It's none of your business, anyway.
AJ: Something else going on here?
Carly: (glancing back at him) Nothing that effects the mighty Quartermaines,
that's for sure.
AJ: If it effects Emily, it effects us.
Carly: I doubt Emily even knows.
AJ: Knows what?
Carly: (after a moment) Luke and Laura split. (AJ stares at her)
AJ: Right.
Carly: I'm not kidding. Luke's camping at the club and hanging around my
mother's… He's not going anywhere near her.
AJ: And what the hell does this have to do with Lucky?
Carly: I don't know. Except he was having problems with his parents, that might
have more to do with him taking off than anything.
AJ: It doesn't have a damn thing to do with it! Don't try to turn this into some
kind of domestic dispute… Jason helped them take off. This is about Lucky, Jason
and Emily's aunt. Nothing else… it doesn't take a genius to connect the dots.
Carly: (innocently) Emily's aunt?
AJ: Look. I don't know why Lucky took off or why he felt the need to drag my
sister along with him… my mother seems to think she was in just as much trouble
as he was… but it sure as hell is more complicated than some kind of family
rift.
Carly: Well… you can decided whatever you want, all I'm saying is… Luke and
Laura are having big problems. And that's what the focus for them is right now.
AJ: So… What? Where does this put you? We both know you're not in the habit of
looking out for other people.
Carly: Well, who the hell am I supposed to go to, AJ?
AJ: Oh, here's a thought… Jason?
Carly: AJ.
AJ: Oh, right… Can't very well turn to him, not after what you put him through.
(He frowns) Hey, wait… You're just keeping him from his nephew… You're keeping
me from my son… I guess maybe you should think twice before coming to me too,
huh?
Carly: (heatedly) What the hell makes you think I would come here just for
kicks? You think I ENJOY your company or something?
AJ: This would be my point… what the hell do you want?
Carly: God, AJ! Can't we just… Talk for a minute. I mean… Do we HAVE to focus on
everything that's happened, can't we just try to be human with each other?
AJ: (putting a hand to his head, looking seriously dizzy) Whoa. Deja vu. (He
looks back at her) Isn't this the place where you get all weepy and look at me
with those big innocent eyes of yours and then DESTROY MY LIFE?
Carly: DESTROY WHAT LIFE, AJ??? I mean… Seriously, destroy working 15 hours a
day, trying to convince everyone you're better than a ghost brother and a cousin
who is so disillusioned he'd pretty much all ready left the building? Believe it
or not, I tried! I gave you a son…
AJ: You tried to keep me from my son when he was born, then you turned around
and took him right back again.
Carly: (stepping back and putting up her hand between them) I did what I had to.
AJ: Which justifies damn near anything for you Spencers, doesn't it? (Carly
chokes)
Carly: Spencer? Excuse me. I just about slipped in a big pool of irony. (She
sits down on the edge of his desk) You know what? I thought we were going to be
able to do this, but now, I'm seriously reevaluating.
AJ: Do what?
Carly: Have a conversation. About Michael.
AJ: Gee, sounded to me you were talking about Lucky.
Carly: I asked a question about your missing in action little sister… who I
actually like, by the way… I thought it was polite. (AJ leans against his desk,
crossing his arms)
AJ: I'm not buying.
Carly: I'm not trying to sell you a damn thing.!
AJ: Right. Like you'd let me within spitting distance of Michael!
Carly: I don't have a restraining order, AJ…
AJ: You know what? I do see him.
Carly: What?
AJ: General Hospital Day Care? I've watched him through the window. Do you know
what that's like? Watching your only child… a child you've barely been given a
chance to know… behind glass?
Carly: (swallowing hard) I don't… (She stops dead, unable to pretend this
doesn't terrify her. She's not sure how stable AJ… or any of the Quartermaines…
are. And she's long subscribed to the theory that Michael's only safe when he's
miles away from them) No one ever told me that. (She looks up at him sharply) I
don't trust you.
AJ: (incensed) You don't trust ME????
Carly: (yelling over him) Let's just get that out of the way right NOW. And if
you ever want to see your son again…
AJ: You haven't changed a bit, have you? Willing to use your son to get what you
want?
Carly: (muttering) I don't even remember what I want anymore. (She puts a hand
to her head) What are you saying, AJ?
AJ: Nothing. Not a thing. (Carly looks at him fiercely)
Carly: Stay away from him. Ok? This dialogue is officially closed. Consider your
one chance blown. (She turns on her heel and walks out of the office, slamming
the door behind her. After a moment, the details of the conversation begins to
sink in for AJ)
AJ: Jesus… What the hell is she going to do now?
* * * *
Hotel Room, Athens.
Emily lies cradled in Lucky's arms, smiling ever so slightly to herself. God,
she hates feeling this happy in the middle of chaos. On the other hand, if she
didn't have little tiny moments of feeling giddy and in love and just thrilled
about all of it, then she would probably have been completely miserable for the
past three years. Good timing is not something she's been blessed with, so she
has to make do.
Emily twists herself around in Lucky's arms and rests her chin on a fist that,
in turn, rests on Lucky's chest. His breathing is steady and slow, his eyes
shut. She watches him carefully a moment, then starts kissing gently up his
chest, allowing her hair to drag along his skin, up to his neck. When she
reaches his mouth he lets out a barely audible groan and his mouth turns to
hers, capturing it as he kisses her thoroughly, rolling her over onto her back.
Emily laughs in the kiss, winding her arms around his neck. He ignores this, and
only pulls back when air becomes necessary. Emily grins up at him.
Em: I knew you were just pretending to be asleep…
Lucky: If I hadn't been, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have lasted. (Emily laughs
again)
Em: Still… I got you. (She puts her hand to his face, searching his face with
her eyes) How're you doing? (Lucky weighs this a moment, then shrugs.)
Lucky: I'm fine. (He lowers his mouth to hers again, but when she closes her
eyes to accept the kiss, he moves to kiss her neck, letting his hand wander down
her body. Emily laughs slightly, covering his hand with hers)
Em: Wait… Lucky… Come on, stop that!
Lucky: (between kisses) Stop what? (Emily sighs, closing her eyes. What is she
doing? To hell with this. She is not going to try to ask for details now, it's
beyond stupid and it'll only succeed in making her feel far away from him and
right now, she just doesn't want to do that.)
Em: Lucky… (Lucky lights brushes his lips along her shoulder and back, laying a
light kiss at the hollow of her neck. )
Lucky: What? (Lucky pushes himself up on one arm, looking down at her. Emily
smiles slightly, shaking her head.)
Em: Nothing… I'm not going to do it today… (Lucky looks at her oddly) As you
were. (He laughs and descends to kiss her. He pauses over her mouth, then pulls
back slightly. He knows exactly what she was doing, and can't help but feel
guilty about it. He reaches out and gently traces her lips with his fingertips.
Her eyes close immediately and her hand travels up his arm, sliding around his
neck and pulling him down to kiss her again. He's more than aware that this must
be bothering her. It seems to be an endless topic of conversation… the fact that
she has to pull teeth to get him to tell her anything. He frowns, pulling back
from her. She opens her eyes again, looking up at him in confusion. After a
moment, he smoothes her hair back from her face)
Lucky: (quietly) I hate hurting you… You know that right?
Em: (bewildered) You… Weren't hurting me.
Lucky: I know… (He looks down at her, warring with himself. After a moment he
drops his head and takes a deep breath, answering the question he knows she left
unasked.) We talked. (Emily blinks)
Em: You… You and Nikolas? (Lucky sighs and rolls away from her, aware that he's
going to have to have a serious conference with his brain. There's just no way
to say that and let it end there.)
Lucky: I don't know if it was a fight… (He smiles wryly, remembering the
euphemism Nikolas used for Lulu's benefit.) It must have been a “heavy
discussion”.
Em: (struggling to sit up) Wait a sec… (She looks over at him, in complete
shock. So *this* is how you get Lucky to open up? She wonders just what she'd
been wasting her energy on. Lucky looks over at her. Now that this is getting
stirred up he can feel it coming forward almost unbidden. He stares at Emily's
expectant expression)
Lucky: (after a moment) It wasn't like fighting with him usually is, you know?
I… I just said stuff and he Actually… Heard it. Does that make sense? (He sits
up slightly, turning to face her) Like… usually it's garbage in, garbage out…
its like “This kind of remark deserves this kind of response.” Its clockwork.
It's almost predictable. This wasn't.
Em: (murmuring) I knew something happened.
Lucky: He just… It started OUT like a fight. (He laughs a little) He called me a
brat. And then… I just… He looks at me some times and I think he thinks he knows
everything there is to know about me. And it drives me nuts. I don't… I don't
think anyone else has ever made me feel simple. But he does. (Lucky stares down
at the bed spread a long moment) And then I look at the way everyone else looks
at him and that feels simple too. Like he's an open book, like there's nothing
else under that… And I wanted him to know it wasn't true. (He stops again. Emily
opens her mouth to speak, then thinks better of it) He admitted it, Emily. (He
looks up at her, finally) He admitted he did it on purpose, that he… wanted to
ruin my life. When he first saw me. (Emily stares at Lucky in shock, the pieces
of her conversation with Nikolas coming together) And Then… HE said he was
sorry. Like that changes anything. And I just stared at him and I thought “You
got it. You always knew you had every reason to hate him and no reason to like
him and he just admitted to all of it.” (Lucky's expression clouds as he tries
to force the next part out) Emily… I stared at him so long and I thought “I can
hate him again.” Like… He'd just totally justified everything I ever thought of
him. (He looks pained) But I didn't hate him. I didn't… Like him, hate him, none
of it… (He shakes his head hard) I keep going over it… and I just… I don't even
know what I think. (He groans in frustration and falls back onto the bed again)
This doesn't make any sense. (Emily bites her lip, assimilating this.)
Em: (softly) He apologized. (Lucky shakes his head firmly)
Lucky: That shouldn't matter.
Em: He took responsibility. That matters a little.
Lucky: It's just words. (Emily nods a bit. She looks up at him, her expression
tentative, as if she's about to deliver bad news)
Em: Lucky… (She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, uncertain whether this
is the right thing to say) When I came back… Nikolas asked me if I knew about
that, about the first time you guys met. And then he wanted to know how I could
stand him. (Lucky flinches) Lucky… it wasn't like he was looking for me to be
sympathetic or understand his side… it was like he just didn't understand how I
could… Know that and not hate him. (Lucky doesn't respond. She steels herself)
If you don't think he meant them, then… I can tell you. He did. It bothers him.
It bothers him every time he does something to hurt you and I know that Because…
Lucky: What?
Em: Because… when you guys had that fight, when I was in the hospital? And
Nikolas came to see me? (Lucky looks over at her)
Lucky: Yeah.
Em: He told me that he knew he hurt you. And that sometimes he does it on
purpose just to see if he can. (Lucky's face immediately darkens) I think 'cause
it's the only way he can know if he matters to you. (Lucky digests this a
moment, his expression fading into confusion. He turns away, focusing his gaze
on the ceiling again. It feels like everything is spinning around him. After a
moment, Emily moves to him and puts her hand over his heart. Lucky puts his hand
over hers, holding it tightly. Emily stares down at him) He cares about what you
think of him, Lucky. And as far as I can tell, that puts you in a pretty select
group of people. (Lucky swallows hard) You can do whatever you want with that.
But… If you trust my judgment at all… I'd never ever say it if I didn't think it
was true. (She sees tears begin to pool in Lucky's eyes, her own welling up as
well) I'd never do anything to hurt you like that.
Lucky: (suddenly) Do you care?
Em: What?
Lucky: If Nikolas and I… My mom wants us to be civil, my sister wants us to be
brothers to each other like we are to her and my Dad… (Lucky stops dead)
Em: What about your dad. (Lucky closes his eyes, shaking his head firmly) You're
mad at him, aren't you?
Lucky: Nikolas?
Em: No. Your dad. (Lucky's eyes fly open. He sits up, looking at her like she's
out of her mind)
Lucky: I don't have a RIGHT to be…
Em: (cutting him off) Yeah, you do! (She stops, realizing what she just said.
Lucky is just looking at her, so she forces herself to continue) I'm sorry. But…
Lucky. You can't even see straight when it comes to you and Nikolas and that's…
Lucky: That has nothing to do with my father. Nothing.
Em: He made it impossible for you to have anything to do with Nikolas! He made
it impossible for you to even mention him… I SAW the look on your face! I saw it
so many times when your Dad would throw around things like “Dark Prince” or
whatever the term of the week was and you would…
Lucky: (determined) I sold my father out for Nikolas. Yeah, I didn't like to
hear him mention. (Emily closes her eyes a moment, shaking her head. She opens
them again and looks at him sadly)
Em: There's a lot of ways to look at this. You have no idea how much time I've
devoted to seeing it from every single perspective I could find. (She meets his
eyes) And every single one, has you weighting Luke against Nikolas. One or the
other… there's no middle ground here. Keeping that secret was as close to it as
you're ever going to find. You didn't sell Luke out to Nikolas. You didn't sell
Nikolas out to Luke. You just… Didn't chose. That's all. (Lucky stares at her a
long moment, looking as if he's been frozen in time. After several moments he
shakes his head slowly)
Lucky: (hoarsely) I can't talk about this. (Emily nods, and moves closer to him,
wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into an embrace)
Em: You don't have to. I told you… I'm not doing that today.
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