What Happened to Forever?

Chapters 65-66

~*~Chapter 65~*~

“I can’t believe the week is almost over. I don’t want to go back,” Elizabeth says, nestling into the crook of Lucky’s arm.

He looks down at her and kisses the top of her head. “Me neither. I talked to my dad today, and he said that nothing’s really happening. This whole thing may have just been some false alarm.”

“I was so sure that was it, though. It fir so perfectly.”

He smiles. “Remember, that thing was just a toy. It was probably just random letters, and we just looked too deeply into it. As much as we don’t want to, we’re going to have to go back tomorrow. Tammy can’t cover for you at Kelly’s forever!”

“I know.” She sighs, looking up at him. “But until then, you’re all mine.”

He kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’m always all yours.”

“I’m going to miss this. I’ve gotten used to having you next to me while I sleep.”

He sighs. “Me, too. Hey, why don’t you move into the cottage with us!”

She laughs. “Oh, yeah. Gram would love that! I’m sure Nikolas wouldn’t be too thrilled either.” She notices the hurt look on Lucky’s face. “I’m sorry, you know I’d love to live with you, but I think it would upset too many people.”

He nods sadly. “Yeah, I know. It was worth a shot, though! Better luck next time?”

She laughs. He looks so pitiful, like a little kid that just found out there’s no Santa Claus. She throws her arms around his neck. “Come here, handsome.” He smiles as she pulls him down to her for a passionate kiss.

After a few minutes, he breaks away from her, trying to catch his breath. “You know, you’re making it very difficult for me to be a gentleman here!”

She grins. “I know, but I trust you. We agreed to wait until we were married, and I know that you would never break that agreement. In the meantime, I plan to torture you.”

He laughs. “Well, I’ll take your torture any day! I’m glad you trust me, though. You know I’d never force you to do anything, right?”

She nods. “Of course I do! I trust you with my life, Lucky. Now will you get back here so I can kiss you again?”

“Mmm, your wish is my command.” She giggles as he leans in for another kiss. They spend the rest of the night in each other’s arms, in pure bliss, unaware of the events unfolding back home.

~*~

Luke is walking along the docks, trying to clear his head. Something about what Lucky and Nikolas told him a week ago was still bothering him, but he couldn’t quite place what it was. He spots Sonny, sitting alone on a bench.

“Hey, partner, how’s it going?” he asks, sitting next to him. He notices the sad look on his friend’s face. “Everything okay?”

Sonny sighs. “Sure. Some days I just can’t stop thinking about her, you know?”

“Brenda?”

“Yeah. I don’t even know what reminded me of her this time. I know I should be able to move on by now, but I can’t. I think the problem is that no one can measure up to her, you know? Also, I’m reluctant to put another person that I care about in danger, and as long as I’m running the territory, that’s a very real possibility.” He sighs again.

Luke has never seen him look so forlorn. He pats him on the shoulder and smiles. “Just keep looking. Some day you’ll meet someone and fall in love again. It may take time, but it’ll happen.”

“I hope so. I really do want to have a family, and we both know I’m not getting any younger!” They both laugh. Sonny’s spirits seem to be up a little.

Luke looks around, suddenly nervous. “Did I interrupt anything here? I mean, were you meeting anyone?”

Sonny shakes his head. “Nah, I was just sitting here, thinking. I come out here to clear my head sometimes. I think the water helps soothe me or something.”

Luke nods in agreement. “I was actually doing the same thing. It’s peaceful here tonight. Almost too peaceful.”

Sonny chuckles. “You getting paranoid on me, man?”

Just then they hear one of Sonny’s bodyguards yell, “Hey!” They both duck instinctively as a bullet whizzes over Luke’s head.

“You okay?” they both ask each other quietly, listening to the bodyguard trying to subdue the gunman.

“Okay, boss, I’ve got him!” he yells out. Sonny stands up carefully and marches over to the man.

“Who sent you?” he asks forcefully. The man refuses to answer. After roughing him up for a few minutes, the man finally breaks and tells him that he was sent by Nelson Bartolli. Sonny proceeds to get all the information he has on the man, including his hiding places. He makes a few phone calls, and sends some of his men after him.

Luke is shocked. If Lucky and Nikolas hadn’t warned him, he would never have urged Sonny to take extra guards with him. The man that stopped this guy was one of those extra guards. If he hadn’t been there, Luke might have been shot.

“I’m out of here, partner. Let me know when it’s all clear for my kids to come back,” Luke whispers to him before leaving. His mind is reeling from the realization of what could have happened tonight.

~*~Chapter 66~*~

The next afternoon, the four teens are packing up their belongings and preparing to leave the country house.

“I don’t want to go back,” Emily groans. She had been enjoying this trip immensely. Since Lucky and Liz spent most of the time alone together, it had given her and Nikolas time alone as well. She smiles, thinking of the wonderful days they had spent riding, and the romantic evenings when they would take long walks in the garden or swim in the pool under the stars. “Promise me we’ll come back here?” she says, turning to Nikolas.

He smiles warmly at her. “Whenever you want to come here, just ask, and we will.” He leans over and kisses her tenderly before returning to his suitcases.

“You know, for a guy you sure do pack a lot!” she says, laughing.

“Yeah, well, I have a lot of stuff.”

“You guys about ready?” Lucky asks, peeking his head into the room.

“Almost. You?” Nikolas replies.

“Yep. We’re going to take a quick walk in the garden. Elizabeth wants to see it again before we go.” He leaves before they can answer.

A minute later, the phone rings. “Lucky!?” Nikolas yells. There’s no response. “He must be outside already.” He sighs and runs out into the living room to grab the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey son. You okay?” Luke asks, noticing that he’s out of breath.

“Yeah, I just had to run in here to get the phone. What ‘s up?”

Luke chuckles. Nikolas was becoming more Americanized every day. “I thought you guys would want to know that you were right about that Bartolli guy. He tried to get Sonny last night, and almost got me in the process.”

Nikolas gasps. “Oh my God, Luke, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I ducked in time. The bullet went right over my head. If it wasn’t for your warnings, I wouldn’t have told Sonny to increase his guards, and the guy might have gotten away with it. Luckily, one of his extra guys spotted him in time to warn us. They caught him and got him to talk, so Sonny made sure Bartolli was taken care of. He assured me this morning that there’s nothing more to worry about. It’s safe for you guys to come home.”

Nikolas is stunned from the news. Luke had almost been killed. A year ago, that news would have had a completely different effect on him, but today he felt relief that everything was okay. “I’m glad you’re okay, Luke. We were planning on leaving in a few minutes anyway. They have Nurses Ball rehearsals later this afternoon.”

“Lucy must have been working overtime to get Lucky to agree to that!” Luke says, laughing.

Nikolas chuckles. “I think Elizabeth was the one who convinced him. She seems really excited about doing it.”

“So how come Emily didn’t rope you into joining her on stage, too?”

“She’s got that number with Ned that she does every year, and she said that this year it was all she wanted to do. It’s fine with me, though. I have no desire to make a fool of myself in front of the entire town!”

“I hear ya. Anyway, you get yourselves home right away, okay? Your mother misses you. And thanks for the warning. Something tells me you guys saved my life.” Luke was trying unsuccessfully to hide his emotions.

“You’re welcome, I guess, but I think you saved your own life by ducking so quickly. We’re all lucky that you have such quick reflexes.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re a Spencer living in the same town as a bunch of Cassidines, you learn to move quickly!”

Nikolas laughs. “You know, I said the same thing to Elizabeth not too long ago, except it was the other way around. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?”

“Great minds think alike, I guess. See you soon.” They say good-bye to each other and hang up. Nikolas takes a moment to collect his thoughts, then goes out to the garden to tell Lucky the news.

~*~

“It’s so pretty here. I don’t want to leave,” Elizabeth says. She’s sitting with Lucky on a bench, smelling a flower. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so peaceful before.”

Lucky gazes lovingly at her profile. “Well, it definitely becomes you. You practically glow out here.”

She turns and smiles at him. “I want a house like this someday. Our own place, away from all the noise and people, where we can just sit in the garden like this.”

“That would be nice. Someday, we’ll have that. I’d do anything I could to make you happy.” He brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes and she does the same to him. They’re about to kiss when they hear Nikolas calling them.

Lucky turns around. “We’re out here!” He looks back at Elizabeth and whispers, “This better be good.”

Nikolas walks quickly out into the garden, Emily trailing behind him. “There you are. Luke just called. He was almost shot last night, but he’s okay.”

“What! What happened?” Lucky says, frightened.

“He was on the docks with Sonny, and one of that Bartolli guy’s men shot at them. Because of us, he had convinced Sonny to beef up his security, so one of his extra guards was able to warn them, and they both ducked just in time. Luke said the bullet went right over his head.”

Elizabeth gasps. She hadn’t wanted to believe the warning they had gotten, but now she had to admit that it must have been true. “He’s okay, though, right?”

Nikolas nods. “Yeah, he’s fine. He said that Sonny called him this morning to tell him everything was safe again. I guess he found Bartolli and took care of him last night.”

“So, we can go home now?” Emily asks, not really wanting to leave, but knowing that her parents were waiting for her.

“Yeah, it’s all clear now,” Nikolas answers, putting his arm around her as they walk back into the house.

A few minutes later, the four of them are on their way back to Port Charles, thinking about how close they had come to losing Luke.