Chapter 21
After finishing the cake, everyone retired to the living room while Laura put Lulu to bed. They talked about Port Charles for a bit, filling Liz in on the local gossip.
“You know, I’m glad the Cowboy finally found himself a girl, even if you are a Cassidine,” Luke said, totally out of the blue. “I was beginning to wonder if he was going to spend the rest of his life with ol’ skillethead there.”
Lucky blushed, then turned to glare at Nikolas. Thanks for the warning!
Hey, I have to have some fun, you know! Nikolas replied, grinning wickedly.
“Thanks, I think,” Liz said, chuckling at Lucky’s embarrassment, even though she was secretly pleased at being called his girl.
“Dad, was that really necessary?” Lucky asked, rolling his eyes.
Luke pretended to think for a moment, then grinned. “You know, it really was! Oh come on, I’m your old man, part of the job description is to humiliate you in front of your friends!”
Luke turned to Liz once again. “So, what’s it like to suddenly find out you’re one of the bloodsuckers?”
Liz looked at him in confusion, not sure what to make of his question. Nikolas chuckled and leaned in to explain. “That’s Luke’s pet name for our family.”
“Oh, well, I’ve only met my mother and Nikolas, so I guess it’s cool so far.”
“You mean you haven’t met Count Vlad or the Black Widow?” Luke asked incredulously. Liz looked at Nikolas for a translation.
“Count Vlad is my father, Stefan, and the Black Widow is Helena. Actually, he’s pretty close with that one.”
Liz chuckled and shook her head. “Not yet. Although, I have met most of my future stepfamily,” she said, smiling at Emily.
“Oh yes, I heard about that. Sometimes I wonder which is worse. The Cassidines poison each other and try to steal each other’s money because they all pretty much hate each other, while the Quartermaines lie, cheat, kill, and drive each other to alcohol and drugs,” he turned to Emily, “no offense, Emily - but they claim to do it all out of love.”
Lucky laughed. “Yeah, kind of makes our family look normal!”
Luke tried to act offended. “Normal? How dare you call us normal! We’ll never be normal, that’s what makes us superior!”
Nikolas laughed and shook his head. “No, you just fake each other’s deaths, kill my family, and abandon your children...no offense, Mother.”
Laura rolled her eyes and sighed. “None taken, I guess. I’ll just pretend you were talking about Bobbie.”
“Are there any families in this town that aren’t dysfunctional?” Liz asked incredulously, causing them all to laugh.
“I don’t think so, but let’s see,” Luke said, counting off on his fingers. “The Jacks’s..nope, the Scorpios...nah, the Joneses...not really any of them left, but still a no...the Baldwins...uh-uh, then there’s Sonny, who’s one big dysfunction all on his own! I’m sure I missed a few, but trust me, if they’ve been in Port Chuckles for a while, they’re not normal!”
The clock over the fireplace chimed, and Luke chuckled. “Uh-oh, it’s midnight, the witching hour.” He grinned and looked at Nikolas, then Liz. “Aren’t you two supposed to turn into bats and fly away or something?”
Lucky stood up. “Okay, Dad, that’s enough. Elizabeth, maybe I should walk you home before he really starts with the insults.”
Liz laughed and followed him to the door. “Thanks for having me. It was fun, and it was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer.”
The others waved as Lucky opened the front door. “Be careful, Cowboy. Watch out for those fangs when you kiss her good-night!” Luke shouted with a wink. Lucky glared at him, then at Nikolas, who couldn’t help laughing.
Nikolas raised his hands in defense. Sorry, I really didn’t see that one coming!
Lucky just groaned and hurried Liz out of the house. “I’m so sorry for that! If I had known he was going to be so bad tonight...”
“Forget about it, Lucky, I had fun. I know he’s just kidding, so don’t worry about me,” she said, cutting him off as they got into his car. They drove to her house in silence, not sure what to say. A few minutes later, he turned down her driveway.
“Here we are,” Lucky said, turning to look at her. She smiled at him and nodded. “Um, do you want me to walk you to the door?” he asked awkwardly.
“Sure,” she said, climbing out of the car. They walked up the porch steps together, stopping at the front door.
“So, be honest. Did you really have a good time, or did my dad totally scare you away?” Lucky asked, turning to face her.
Liz giggled and shook her head. “I really did have fun, I swear. Your dad’s a riot. You know, he talks all that dirt about the Cassidines, but I have a feeling he really does like your brother, he just doesn’t want to admit it.”
Lucky nodded. “Yeah, I know. He’s stubborn that way. I think he liked you, too.”
“Really?” she asked, her stomach fluttering at the intense look he suddenly had in his eyes. “A Spencer liking a Cassidine? Is that a first or something?”
Lucky shook his head, leaning in a little closer to her. “No, it’s been known to happen before,” he muttered, licking his lips as he lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her gently, then stood back and smiled. “No fangs.”
Liz chuckled, her eyes still locked with his. “They’re retractable.”
Lucky laughed and shook his head. “Oh, you and my dad are going to get along just fine!”
She smiled and blushed slightly. “Well, your dad’s nice and all, but he’s not the Spencer I’m interested in.”
Lucky was startled for a moment by her boldness, but he quickly recovered. “That’s good, cause he’s taken. Trust me, you don’t want to have to fight my mom for him! She may look sweet and all, but she can be pretty nasty if her family is threatened.”
“I could tell that about her. I really like your family. It’s nice to see one so close these days. I love how you all tease each other and joke around. It’s so cute.”
“You know, I don’t think anyone’s ever called us cute before. I’ll have to tell Dad that one,” Lucky said with a smile. “Anyway, I guess I better let you go inside. Don’t you have to work in the morning?”
She nodded and glanced at the door. “Yeah, I do. I guess I’ll see you later then?”
“Definitely.,” he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her again. This time it was a little bolder, and she felt her knees turn to jelly. He pulled back and sighed. “Good night.”
“Night,” she whispered, waving as he walked slowly back to his car. Finally, she opened the door and went inside, letting out the breath she had been holding in. She sighed happily, then hurried up the stairs, waving her hand behind her as all the downstairs lights went out.
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