~*~Chapter 25~*~

Liz slowly makes her way back to her suite. She closes the door behind her and sighs. Had she really been there an entire month? The days just melted into each other the longer she is there. She goes over to her desk and sits down, pulling out a fresh piece of paper.

Dear Lucky,

A month. It’s been an entire month since I was last in your arms, since I last felt your lips on mine, heard your sweet voice. On one hand it seems like just yesterday that I was brought here, but at the same time, it feels like an eternity has passed.

I’m tired, Lucky. I wake up in the morning and pray that this will be the day you come and rescue me. I share my meals with Helena and Sergei, spend some of the afternoon out in the garden, or roaming the grounds. It seems that I’ve behaved as she wanted, and I have more freedom around here now. Not that it matters. After all, it’s an island, so I can’t exactly go far. At least they don’t lock me in my room every night. I have the freedom to explore the house if I so desire, or to walk outside until my legs are too tired to carry me any longer. Then I come in for dinner, listen to some music or maybe even watch a movie if she is feeling generous, then go to bed, praying that this will be the last night I have to spend here. The next morning, the cycle continues, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this hope.

From what I’ve gathered, this is pretty much the same life your mother lived here. Exploring the gardens, sitting up in her room, writing letters, being forced to sleep with a husband she doesn’t love on a regular basis. Sergei doesn’t come to me every night anymore, so I suppose I should be thankful for small favors. He’s not quite as horrible as I used to think. He talks to me sometimes, when she’s not around. He asks about you and Luke, about Nikolas, his twin brother. He’s curious about the family he was never allowed to know, and for that I do have some sympathy for him. At the same time, something tells me that as long as he’s under Helena’s wing, that he can’t be trusted, so I have given up making him my ally, at least for now.

Lucky, something has happened. Oh, this is going to be so hard. I used to dream of the day I could say this to you, how happy we would be, but now, whenever I think about it, I just get this terrible feeling in my stomach. Once again, I am reliving your mother’s experience, almost to the letter. You see, I just found out today that I’m pregnant. Yes, I’m going to have a baby. How is that for the ultimate in irony. Sure, the child is a Spencer, but it’s father isn’t the Spencer I had always hoped to have a child with. How ironic is it that my baby’s father is one of the children Laura had while she was imprisoned here? I suppose that’s all part of Helena’s plan.

Why, when it seems like nothing can possibly get any worse, does this have to happen? I didn’t want things to happen this way. I just wanted to live my life quietly, watching the sea by day, looking at the stars by night, waiting for you to save me. Maybe now I have to face the truth. Either Helena is right, and you truly are dead, or you’ve given up on me. No matter what the reason, the outcome remains the same. I have a child to worry about now, and I can’t keep up this naive prayer that I will be rescued one day. Helena doesn’t plan on losing this time, I’m here for good, and I might as well accept it and try to make the best life possible for this baby.

I wish things could have ended better, that we would be together for the rest of lives, like we planned, but sadly, life doesn’t always work out that way. I knew when I became a Spencer, that there were certain dangers attached to the name, and now I’m living one of the worst. I don’t blame you, I never could. I love you, Lucky, you will always be in my heart. I will never, ever forget you.

Love, Elizabeth

“Good night, Lucky,” she whispers, her voice catcihng. “Dreams of gold.”

She stands up and climbs into bed, pulling the covers up around her chin, then cries herself to sleep.

~*~

Helena paces around the study, waiting for Sergei to come back from the mainland. Finally, the door opens and he walks in.

“Were you waiting for me?’ he asks, carefully approaching her.

She smiles and takes him by the shoulders. “Sergei, I have wonderful news for you.”

He flinches momentarily from her touch. “Really? What is it?”

“You’re going to be a father! Isn’t that wonderful?” she asks, grinning widely at him.

He stands there in shock for a moment. “Elisha’s pregnant? Already?”

“We just found out today. The plan is working perfectly! In less than nine months, there will be a new baby around here.”

Sergei sits down in a chair and rubs his head. “A baby. My baby.... wow.”

~*~Chapter 26~*~

Luke sighs and sits on the couch next to Laura. “So, babe, what do you want to do today?”

She shrugs and lays her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe visit Nikolas and Emily? I haven’t seen her in a few days, I’ve been wondering how she’s doing.”

“Last I heard, Nikolas was driving her crazy, trying to do everything for her,” Luke chuckles. “Sound familiar?”

She laughs and smiles at him. “Yeah, I remember you doing the same thing when I was pregnant with Lucky. But, by the time he was born, you were so sick of me asking for things, you knew not to do it again with Lulu!”

“Nikolas will learn, too.” There’s a knock on the door, and they look at each other for a moment. “Your turn,” Luke says, smiling. Laura rolls her eyes and gets up to answer it.

“Lucky! Come in, how are you?” she asks, hugging him quickly. Luke stands up and smiles.

“Hey, Cowboy, how’s it going?”

Lucky sighs and shrugs. “Okay, I guess. I was just on my way to L&B, but I thought I’d stop by so you guys don’t sit around and worry about me all day.”

Luke chuckles. “Now, would we do that?”

“Yeah, Dad, you would. I know you’re concerned about me, and I appreciate it, I really do, but I’m okay. I’m not great, but I’m taking things a day at a time, and so far I’m still here. I stopped drinking myself into unconsciousness every night, at least.” His voice is distant, weak, like he barely has the strength to speak. He still looks tired and ragged, and although he’s been eating more regularly, he’s still much thinner than he used to be.

Laura smiles sadly and hugs him again. “Oh, honey, I know it’s hard. Have you given any more thought to seeing Gail or Kevin about it?” She had suggested a few weeks ago that he tried speaking to one of them about Elizabeth, but he refused. Finally, she had gotten him to agree to think about it.

Lucky shakes his head. “No, I’m fine, really. Right now, making this record is the best therapy for me. As long as I’m doing music, I don’t think so much about everything. Speaking of which, V is waiting at the studio, so I better get going. I’ll see you guys later.” He turns and leaves the house.

Laura turns to Luke and sighs. “I don’t know what to do for him. He’s so sad all the time.”

Luke reaches out and pulls her into an embrace. “He just misses her, that’s all. There’s nothing anyone can do to fix that, short of finding Elizabeth. Do you realize it’s been a whole month?”

She nods. “A month with no more clues than we started with. Luke, do you think there’s even a chance that we’ll find her anymore?”

“I don’t know, baby. I sure hope so.”

~*~

“I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up,” V jokes as Lucky comes into the small studio.

“Sorry, I stopped by my parents’. Took longer than I expected.”

“They worry about you, that’s all. So do I. Are you sure you’re ready to start recording today? I’ll understand if you want to wait a little longer.”

He shakes his head and picks up his guitar. “Well, don’t. I’m fine, really. Now, where do you want me?”

V points at a chair that’s set up in front of a microphone. “Right over there. I need to do a couple of things in the booth first, so just hang out for a few minutes. I’ll signal you when we’re ready.”

“Okay,” he says, sitting in the chair and situating the guitar on his lap. While V goes into the sound booth, he plucks at the strings to make sure it’s in tune. Once he’s satisfied with the tuning, he looks up at the glass that separates the sound stage from the booth, but V is still scurrying around, setting things up.

He sighs and starts to play, not really paying attention to what he’s doing, until he realizes he’s playing “Elizabeth.” He stops suddenly and rubs his face, trying to keep the tears from coming.

“Why did you stop?” V asks over the intercom. “That was really pretty.”

Lucky shakes his head and puts the guitar on the floor. “It’s not something I usually play. Um, do you mind if I take a break before we start? I need to get some air.”

Seeing that he was upset, she nods. “Of course. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

“Thanks.” He stands up and walks outside, taking a deep breath. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is bright, there isn’t a cloud in the sky. He can hear a flock of birds off in the distance, chirping and singing.

“I don’t know how to keep living without you,” he whispers, looking up at the sky.

“Yes you do.”

He spins around in the direction of the voice, tears filling his eyes. “Elizabeth...”

She smiles warmly at him. “Lucky, you have to go on. For me, for your parents, for Nikolas and Emily. They all care about you, they can’t bear to lose you again. Will you promise me? Promise that you won’t give up?”

He nods sadly, tears running down his face. “Don’t you know I’d do anything for you, Elizabeth? God, I miss you so much!” He starts forward to embrace her, but she quickly dissolves, leaving him alone again. It takes a moment for the realization to hit, that it was only an apparition, a figment of his imagination. He collapses to the ground, sobbing.

“Not again, don’t leave me again, Elizabeth!”

V stands in the doorway and watches him, her heart breaking. Lucky was definitely not fine!

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