Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four:
Bad Timing

A room in the Marquis Hotel, Manhattan.

Emily comes out of the bathroom, pulling a brush through her hair. She's all ready dressed and ready to leave for the tea room… which means she now has to do what she's been dreading… wake Lucky up.

She stops just inside the door, and leans against the oak dresser on the opposite side of the room, dropping her hairbrush onto it. He hasn't been sleeping well, that's obvious. His position and the state of the bedclothes, even though he fell asleep on top of them, suggest a restless few hours. She spent most of the time out of the room, taking care of every conceivable detail she could imagine. She was scaring herself… in fact, it would have scared a large portion of the people she knew… but she was finding herself thinking like Lucky. And it really wasn't that hard. Just… Think things out, follow those rules, and don't do anything stupid.

No. That wasn't true. It was hard. It was… Complicated. It was a kind of “hard” she liked. Like logic problems, or particularly complex novels. It was the same kind of rush, and she was sort of proud of how she'd handled things. At the same time, she held an anxious feeling in her stomach that she'd made some sort of mistake someplace, or that Lucky would profoundly disapprove of some choice she'd made. Normally that wouldn't feel this scary… she'd just tell him to get over it… but she was on unfamiliar ground now. And Lucky was in his home element. It was strange to think that for Lucky, being on the road was the same thing as visiting a childhood home or something. He hadn't grown up anywhere, so in a way, he'd grown up everywhere.

Emily stares at Lucky on the bed, deep in though, when she suddenly remembers the time. She looks down at her watch and swears to herself. 2:15… all ready late. It's going to take at least fifteen minutes to get to the restaurant, which gives Lucky exactly half an hour to get ready. He's a guy, Emily, she reminds herself. Not NEARLY as complicated. Still, it's time to get him up. She walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge, looking down at him. He's lying on his stomach, his head turned towards her. Another sign of a restless morning is the fact that his hair is damp from perspiration, and heading in about a million different directions. She rests her hand on his back and bends to kiss his forehead. He stirs slightly, betraying the fact that he's not quite as dead to the world as he appears. She rubs her hand up and down his back and whispers to him.

Em: Rise and Shine. (Lucky groans and buries his face in the pillow)

Lucky: (muffled) No. (Emily rolls her eyes, as her hand slides up to his neck. The muscles in his upper back are giving new meaning to the word “tense”. She starts to rub his neck, trying to work out the tension that makes the muscles feel like steel chords, while still talking to him)

Em: You like to make my life difficult, don't you? I spent about ten minutes getting you to GO to bed and now I'm going to spend ten minutes getting you out of it. (Lucky, in response, rolls over onto his back and tries to open his eyes. He immediately shuts them against the light)

Lucky: (grumpily) Why is it so bright in here?

Em: Windows. Two exposures. And it was much worse this morning.

Lucky: I don't care, it's still too bright. (He puts his arm over his eyes in protection.) Where are we?

Em: New York.

Lucky: No, I mean…

Em: The Marquis. Open your eyes, it's nice.

Lucky: I don't wanna.

Em: Lucky… (Lucky, stubbornly refusing to struggle to full wakefulness, and obviously not into this contrary conversation, rolls back towards where Emily is sitting, and blindly pulls her towards him. Emily is feeling half starved for affection, and she finds herself sliding down onto the bed and wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him. All the while, an incessant voice in her head chirps away about the time. She wills it to shut up as Lucky's lips find hers and she melts into the kiss with him. For the first time in ages, Emily feels like this is something she recognizes… the way his lips are moving against hers, the soft teasing way he deepens the kiss, she feels lightheaded. She squeezes her eyes shut, as if trying to block anything else from entering the moment. Lucky's hands move up her back and into her hair… Which slides easily through his fingers. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lucky realizes that something is amiss. He runs his hand through again and it slides through with equal ease. Lucky pulls back with a start, a confused look on his face).

Lucky: Wha… What did you do?

Em: (smiling, a little nervous) I was wondering how long it would take you to notice. (Lucky blinks and Emily pushes herself up on her arm to look down at him. Her hair is nearly half it's previous length, cropped at the shoulders and several shades darker. He reaches up again, and runs his hand, a little more purposely, through the hair, looking at it as it slips through his fingers. He looks back at her)

Lucky: Tell me you did this while I was asleep.

Em: I got this done while you were asleep.

Lucky: Good. I didn't think I was that out of it. (Emily narrows her eyes, trying to examine his expression)

Em: You don't like it, do you?

Lucky: Huh? Emily. (He sighs, as if this is going to take infinite patience) It looks good. Don't be such a girl.

Em: (hitting his arm) Don't be such a guy! I wasn't talking about that. It does look good, I'm happy with it, thank you very much. I mean you don't like that I did it… That I changed my hair without telling you I was doing it.

Lucky: I'm… I'm a little confused… I thought you'd kinda nixed the idea.

Em: No, I was just adjusting. But I had to do it. I can think clearer this way.

Lucky: Why?

Em: Because… I just don't feel like I'm being watched. Maybe I don't look that different…

Lucky: You look different.

Em: Ok. But that's not the point. The point is I can already tell I feel different. I think this is what Clark Kent must have felt like when he put on the glasses. You know… he looked pretty much the same but he FELT like a whole different person. I feel like I can pretend to be “Jessica Brandon”, or whatever my name is.

Lucky: Jessica Brennen. Brennen. You have to remember that.

Em: You're stepping on my moment here. Fine. I'm Jessica Brennen, who is confident and capable and has absolutely no reason to look over her shoulder… and no one will ever guess I'm actually mild-mannered Emily Quartermaine.

Lucky: Mild. No, that's not a word you ever put in the same sentence as “Quartermaine”.

Em: (heavily) Tell me about it. (She looks down a moment, frowning)

Lucky: Hey. Don't go there. It's not going to help you.

Em: (Looking up at the ceiling) I won't. If that's how we handle stuff.

Lucky: (changing the topic) When did you… WHERE did you do this?

Em: Well… There's a salon in the hotel lobby, but I thought that was too close for comfort so I just went out into the city and found a place that looked kinda competent and wasn't totally crowded. I would have just done it myself… but I thought that it'd look… Well, like I did it myself. And teenaged runaways don't usually have their hair dyed and streaked and… You know. The whole stupid thing. So I thought that if it looked kinda natural… And didn't look like I was TRYING to look different, that would throw people off more than something really obvious. (She frowns) It makes some kind of totally convoluted sense if you think about it.

Lucky: (smiling) God… You actually sound like…

Em: You.

Lucky: No. I was thinking… (He stops dead and shakes his head) Doesn't matter. (He reaches over and pulls her towards him again. Emily slides easily across the bedclothes and back into his arms. Lucky lets his eyes close, a part of his brain objecting, as always. However… Emily looks incredible. She looks normal. And he's been waiting too long to hold her again. He nuzzles up against her neck, refusing to give this too much thought) Was that all you did while I was asleep or is there more going on?

Em: No. (she feels her mind cloud a little. She wraps her arms around his neck, wondering just how long he intends to continue this) I got some other stuff taken care of. You know. Like actually went out and DID stuff.

Lucky: (Laying a light kiss against her neck) Like what?

Em: Uh… Are you seriously expecting me to answer that?

Lucky: Why else would I ask? (Emily sighs. What the hell has gotten into him all of the sudden?)

Em: I figured out where we're going, the fastest way to get there… it's cab, by the way. Except I've heard it's hell on earth to actually GET one.

Lucky: We'll manage.

Em: AND I made sure we're going to have something to wear to this place. You didn't exactly pack for…

Lucky: (pulling back) That was it!

Em: What was?

Lucky: That was what I was trying to remember. That Nikolas, of course, goes and picks some place I've never been that you have to dress for…

Em: I'm sure he had his reasons.

Lucky: Yeah, his ongoing quest to drive me crazy.

Em: He's not trying to drive you crazy. (Lucky rolls his eyes, and rolls onto his back, pulling Emily with him. Emily laughs softly, realizing she probably should have extricated herself from this about three minutes ago. Yet, it feels incredibly good to have him paying her this kind of attention. As out-of-right field as it feels. She looks down at him) So there you go… that was my day. Shopping, a visit to the salon and finding the best way to get to the Russian Tea Room. Who says rich girls don't have marketable skills? (She smiles wryly at him, but Lucky doesn't laugh. No, rather he's just staring at her, intently. She feels her stomach knot.) What? (Lucky shakes his head slowly. She has color again, her eyes are bright and clear. She looks healthy again. And she hasn't cringed or pulled away from him once. He reaches up and slides his hand down the side of her face)

Lucky: You look beautiful.

Em: (laughing) Oh? Dramatic hair change… Is this what I have to do to get your attention?

Lucky: (softly) You have my undivided attention. Besides… (He slides his thumb slowly across her bottom lip) It's not like I'm that hung up on your hair… (Emily stares at Lucky and immediately understands she's now officially in trouble. Nonetheless, she lowers his head to kiss him without hesitation. Lucky responds immediately and things quickly get heated. Emily is barely conscious of Lucky rolling her over onto her back until she feels his weight against her and the sharp demanding pain of her ribs complaining loudly. She lets out a cry against Lucky's lips, and immediately wants to shoot herself for it. She knows where this is going. This is where the guilt comes in, this is where he retreats from her. Oddly enough, this is not what happens. Instead Lucky slides down her body, pulling her blouse out of her skirt and parting the buttons, pushing it up to expose the injured rib to the air. Emily, her breathing getting steadily less regular, closes her eyes as Lucky's lips lightly brush against the skin over the broken ribs. He's done this before, but for some reason, not to the same effect. He repeats the action and Emily feels a shudder go through her in response. Uh oh… Her mind starts to race as Lucky continues to kiss across her abdomen, pulling apart the remaining buttons. Well THIS is timing for you, a voice, the far too familiar logical part of her brain, speaks up. Go and make sense of this, will you? Emily shakes her head and tries to concentrate on the moment. On how unbelievable it feels to have him touching her like this. She could stay here forever, she's certain of it. Oh, right. Forever isn't really an option. In fact, five minutes isn't an option. She feels Lucky's hands move up to her neck, moving her locket aside from where it rests against her collar bone, and placing a soft kiss at the hollow of her neck. Uh… Well… Maybe five minutes is ok. She reaches up and threads her fingers through his hair, quickly losing her sense of place and time. She'd be surrendering completely except this demanding little logic voice won't leave her alone. And It's not concerned with the Tea Room. No, instead it's nattering on about how little sense this makes. Emily takes Lucky's face in her hands and pulls him up to meet her lips in a deep kiss. His arms move around her waist, under her now-open blouse, and pulls her over onto her “good” side, bringing her close against him. He MUST know what time it is, the voice tells her. He's got to be doing this for a reason. Yeah, Emily thinks, the same reason *I'M* doing this. I'm seventeen, I've had a bad month and it's been awhile, leave me alone. Uh huh, the voice counters. Right. Hormones. He's had pretty tight reign on them, though, hasn't he? And now, forty minutes before you have to go to meet his brother, he suddenly decides to get amorous? Yeah. No connection there. Emily feels herself go cold as Lucky moves away from her lips, and returns to her neck. Damn. She forces her eyes open and sneaks a quick look at her watch.)

Em: Lucky. (He doesn't answer) Lucky. Come on.

Lucky: What?

Em: We have to stop. (Lucky, aware, in some way, that this was coming, sighs and pulls up to look at her, sliding his hand down her back and placing it lightly over the injured ribs)

Lucky: Did I hurt you? I'm trying…

Em: No, no. No, I don't think I'd care if you did.

Lucky: (brushing her hair back) I'd care. (He descends and kisses her deeply. Emily feels her resolve melt away. Ok, fine. If he wants to avoid this, she can think of worse ways… No. No, wait. She doesn't want that. She feels her mixed emotions, love, lust, anxiety, insecurity, all of them, mixing around inside her stomach, like some sort of emotional stew. God… She WANTS this. What is she doing? She wants this, but at… What? A better time? Ok. A time when she knew there wasn't something coming up he didn't want to think about or when they were running serious risk of being LATE for the thing that he didn't want to think about. She wants to believe this is 100%, about her. But when was anything with her and Lucky ever just about the two of them? Lucky rolls her back over onto her back and she finds herself arching against him as he starts kissing down her breast bone, his hand reaching around to undo her bra. They are dangerously close to the point of no return. She has to stop this, she has to make sure he at least realizes part of what doing this will mean. She shakes her head, letting out a moan/whine)

Em: Nikolas. (Lucky stops immediately, leaning his head against her shoulder)

Lucky: What did you just say?

Em: (clearing her throat) Uh… Nikolas.

Lucky: (out of breath) You really know how to ruin a mood, you know that?

Em: You know what I mean. Nikolas at the Tea Room? The whole reason we're here?

Lucky: Yeah, yeah. (He pushes him self up an looks down at her. God… He can't get over it. She looks incredible. And it's been so God damned long. He's known he was risking a moment like this for ages. If he let himself START kissing him it would take incredible reserves of strength, strength he seriously doubted he had, to stop. He's missed her for so long. And now here she is, lying with him, looking up at him… If she would just get up and walk away) You're right… (He starts to descend to kiss her again) I know you're right. (Emily lifts her head to meet his lips again, seriously wondering if she's lost her mind. Why can't she just make a decision and commit to it? She breaks the kiss)

Em: I'm serious.

Lucky: I know.

Em: Look… We have forty minutes. If we stop right now we can be somewhat on time. And if we're late… (She looks up into Lucky's eyes momentarily and realizes he's not REALLY listening to her. She knows that look, though she can't remember the last time she saw it. That “I could eat you alive” look. Her doubt regarding his motives lessen, and she feels her resolve slipping.) Uh… He might not think we're coming. Lucky.

Lucky: Yeah.

Em: We HAVE to stop.

Lucky: I know. (He leans in to kiss her with an entirely knew kind of passion. Emily feels immediately caught, once again. As much work as it was to call a stop to this before, she realizes, she's going to have to struggle twice as hard now. She's becoming steadily more confident that all this is about is how long they've been apart, physically, and the fact that they are finally some place where things are getting back to normal… well. Normal for them. She falls back onto the bed again, with him)

Em: Maybe… We can be a little late. (Lucky seems to agree with this decision, then pulls back slightly)

Lucky: No, you were right… (He forces himself to disengage.) You're right. (He tries to catch his breath against) Damn. He… He's not going to know if we're coming for sure. (Emily sighs and drops back on the bed)

Em: No, probably not. (Lucky looks down at her, and finds himself, once again, moving in to kiss her. Using every bit of self-restraint available to her, Emily rolls away from him, and slides unsteadily off the edge of the bed) No. Come on. We… We can just continue this later. (Lucky sighs heavily and nods, not entirely convinced, somehow, that will happen.)

Lucky: Yeah, ok.

Em: (Doing up her top) I mean… We'll be back here in just a couple of hours… (She drops her hands, feeling more than a little frustrated with the whole situation) Right?

Lucky: Right. (The both look at each other a long moment. Finally, Lucky cracks a smile) I guess I have to get ready.

Em: I recommend you start with a shower, your hair is totally insane. (Lucky laughs and runs his hand through his hair)

Lucky: Yeah, yeah. Wanna join me? (Emily looks up at him, a bit surprised, then laughs)

Em: OH, yeah. THAT'S the way to go. We'll never get out of here that way.

Lucky: Worth a try. (Emily smiles at him, her anxiety being put to rest. God, she loves him. She can't believe the stuff that was going through her mind… It doesn't bear thinking about. She turns away and starts to the dresser)

Em: Well, get up. We have no time, and I have to do serious repair work here. (Lucky groans and rolls over, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Emily stands up and walks back to the dresser where she'd dropped her brush, and starts fixing the damage done during the whole wrestling match. Lucky stares at the floor. Emily notices and puts down the brush). Lucky! Come on. We have twenty minutes here.

Lucky: (quietly, a discovery) I don't want to do this. (Emily stops brushing her hair and stares hard at the mirror, digesting this. Her stomach flips on her.)

Em: You what? (Lucky closes his eyes and shakes his head slowly)

Lucky: I really don't want to do this. (She turns to look at him)

Em: I'm assuming you're talking about Nikolas.

(Lucky sighs heavily flops back on the bed. It's the honest to God's truth and it's just hit him like a ton of bricks. The last thing on earth he wants to do at this exact moment is face Nikolas Cassadine. With anything. His stomach feels hollow, almost like it could echo, and the one thing it's echoing to him is that this is not going to be easy. No. In fact it's going to be incredibly painful. He has an overwhelming urge to just go back to bed and forget about it. Emily puts down the brush and turns to face him.) Let me get this straight… You call Nikolas and he says we have to meet him in New York in two days and doesn't even tell you why. No question, though. We're going. Then, we get hit by the mother of all excuses to blow him off and NOT ONCE do you even breath a whisper of a thought of NOT going to New York. No. Instead we sneak back into the states in a motorized CANOE and you drive all night, to the point of collapse, and now you want me to believe you don't want to do this?

Lucky: (heavily) Emily.

Em: No, sorry. Maybe you think you don't want to do this, but obviously you're wrong. (Emily turns away, brushing her hair a little more furiously. She doesn't want to know about this. Not now. Lucky sighs, not picking up on Emily's mood)

Lucky: Fine. Want might be a strong word, but…

Em: You need to get ready.

Lucky: Uh huh.

Em: You've only got twenty minutes now. (Lucky nods and heads across the room to the shower. He pauses by Emily and stops, pulling her face up to his, and giving her another kiss. Emily tenses immediately) Don't. (Lucky stops, confused)

Lucky: What?

Em: Go have your shower, we're going to be late.

Lucky: Fine. (He backs up from her, his hands up. Emily turns back to the mirror, not acknowledging the gesture. Lucky feels his stomach knot again. Great. What's this about?) I'll go have a shower. (He turns, lowering his voice) A cold one. (Emily feels incredibly numb as she continues brushing her hair. Why did he keep doing this to her? Why the hell had everything gotten so twisted up in everything else that she couldn't even tell what was real anymore? She shakes her head violently. Doesn't matter, she tells herself. It's going to be over soon enough. Whatever is going on with Nikolas, it'll be over today, and she'll at least have a clue what's going on. Then she and Lucky can work on getting back on track. She stares at her reflection determinedly. He loves you, she tells herself. You know that. This is just… Messy. It can't be that way forever.)

Jason's Penthouse.

Jason, in a particularly bad mood, comes out of the back room. He's been on the phone all morning, pulling strings, calling in favors, and reminding himself for the five hundredth time, why he can't just have the Quartermaines bound and gagged and thrown into a warehouse some place until this is all over. The door opens and he looks up at Renaldo, who is giving him a look that, while obviously meant to mean something, isn't immediately readable to him.

Jason: (tersely) What?

Ren: You have a visitor. (Jason narrows his eyes at him. Not police, nor a Q… But someone who might be problematic. Great. Luke Spencer. This is just what his day needs)

Jason: (heavily) Send him in. (He turns away, pacing the length of the room. He hears the door shut behind him and waits for Luke to make his opening demand. Silence.) Whatever you think I can do for you…

Carly: Hey, I stopped asking you to do things for me a long time ago. (Jason turns around, startled, and stares at Carly)

Jason: What do you want?

Carly: Do you have any idea how many people in this town start conversations with me like that? (Jason looks at her blankly) Yeah, I know. I've set a precedent. And… I do want something.

Jason: What?

Carly: You've… You've been involved with this whole mess with my cousin, right?

Jason: Which one?

Carly: Jason, don't play dumb. I only have two, and one is five.

Jason: I meant which mess.

Carly: All of them, I guess.

Jason: Carly…

Carly: Ok, ok. This whole run out of town thing… the mess with Nikolas and that woman who died. I know you helped them.

Jason: I hear you did too.

Carly: Yeah, well… Lucky… I kinda owe him for life. At least that's the way he looks at it.

Jason: What do you want from me?

Carly: Ok. Well… That news report from my illustrious ex-in-laws… I mean, I've seen the Q-machine in action, I know what they can do…

Jason: I'm taking care of it.

Carly: How?

Jason: Carly.

Carly: Jason, come on. I know I'm not your favorite person… but we have history, that's gotta count for something. (Jason raises his eyebrows at her and Carly turns away, walking across the apartment towards the window) Come on. I know things came to kinda a crashing halt, and I probably made some pretty stupid decision… Ok. I KNOW I made some really stupid decisions… (She sighs and turns back to him) You're seriously overdue on an apology.

Jason: Apology won't change anything.

Carly: Ok, fine. But this has less than nothing to do with us. I just… I know that family too well. And I have to know that you're going to do something… Or that you've ALREADY done something. And I have to know what that is.

Jason: Why?

Carly: Jason.

Jason: Look. They're safe, that's all that matters.

Carly: Have you talked to them?

Jason: No.

Carly: Then how do you KNOW that?

Jason: We haven't heard anything!

Carly: Jason! Come on. It's not that simple!

Jason: Ok… Well, I don't know what you want me to tell you, because…

Carly: Fine. I'll spell it out for you… (She stops and frowns at him) Some things really don't change, do they?

Jason: No, they don't.

Carly: Jase, it's this simple. Lucky's my cousin, ok? He's about the only family I've got… or at least the only reliable family I've got.

Jason: I thought Michael didn't like him.

Carly: He scares Michael. I don't know what that's about. Maybe he reminds him of life at the Quartermaines.

Jason: (coldly) That was your choice.

Carly: Believe me, I know. And if I ever forget, I have a lot of people to remind me. (She shakes her head) Why do we always end up on this topic?

Jason: I don't know. But I think that's why we stopped talking.

Carly: Fine. Ok… So I'll make sure you stay on the top of my list of people who think I'm inherently evil, and I'll leave you alone…

Jason: I don't think you're evil.

Carly: Coming from a guy in your line of work, that means a lot… But that's not the point. The point is… God, the whole town is peaking about this… it's everywhere. And I'm thinking… Wherever they are… Is there anyway to stop this?

Jason: I can't take back what the man said.

Carly: Well, what CAN you do? I mean, what are you doing? Are they going to be all right?

Jason: (heavily) Carly, they have to contact me before I can help them. And they haven't. So I guess that's all I have to tell anyone. Probably more.

Carly: More?

Jason: Carly! You know…

Carly: Yeah. Yeah, ok. I know what you mean… you hate being put on the spot like this. But do you get why I need to do it? (She runs her hands through her hair) I'm worried about him, Jason. I saw him the day they left, he wasn't exactly in top operating form, you know? I just don't want… I don't want him to get in any more trouble.

Jason: Ok. Look. This is all I can tell you: The Old man must have done this alone, 'cause the Quartermaines have been trying just as hard as I am to put the lid back on this thing. They've talked to almost everyone I've put someone out to lean on… media people, you know? Trying to get them to drop the story.

Carly: Has it made any difference?

Jason: A little.

Carly: Ok. Ok, I guess that's something.

Jason: I guess.

Carly: But you don't know where they are.

Jason: Even if I did, I couldn't tell you.

Carly: Ok. Ok, fine. I guess you've already told me everything I really wanted to know, anyway.

Jason: It's all I know.

Carly: Well… Thanks. For that, I mean it.

Jason: Don't let it go any further.

Carly: I won't. (She turns and starts for the door. She reaches it, then turns back) I know he'll take good care of Emily.

Jason: I know.

Carly: Yeah, I guess you do. (She turns again, wishing there was some way to close this distance. There isn't, though… it's old, going back to her marriage to AJ. She opens the door and exits the apartment, without looking back. She smiles weakly at Renaldo, then crosses to the elevator without a word. Carly hits the button on the elevator, feeling the typical mixed feelings she's usually assaulted with when she sees Jason. Thank God it's not something she has to do often. She looks up at the ceiling and watching the number climb. The elevator reaches the floor and opens up and Carly starts to board, but stops when she realizes the elevator has a passenger who is about to depart. Her jaw drops and she steps back, automatically. Luke looks at her with equal shock, then a slow grin spreads across his face.)

Luke: Haunting your old stomping ground, Caroline?

Carly: Uh… Yeah. But I'm leaving now, so don't mind me. (She moves to step onto the elevator, but Luke blocks her path)

Luke: You know… We never talk anymore.

Carly: Yeah, well… You haven't have any reason to threaten my life in months, so… What else is there?

Luke: Well, what you're doing here, for starters.

Carly: (arching an eyebrow) Probably the same thing you are.

Luke: And what would that be?

Carly: Looking for information on Lucky. Where he is… Look, I know there's no point in asking you…

Luke: Why's that?

Carly: Uh, cause you wouldn't tell me anything?

Luke: True.

Carly: Yeah, so… Sue me. I went to Jason.

Luke: Why?

Carly: 'Cause… What do you mean “why”?

Luke: Why? Why, Caroline? Why did you come to see JASON about LUCKY?

Carly: Because Jason helped Lucky leave, why else? (Luke just looks at her) Oh… Wait a second. You didn't know that.

Luke: I suspected it.

Carly: But you didn't KNOW it, did you?

Luke: No… And you did. And now I gotta ask myself, how? (Carly's smile fades)

Carly: Oh, great…

Luke: Yeah, you know… The more I think about it, maybe I can leave White Bread Don alone… Why don't we go someplace and have us a nice friendly uncle/niece chat. (Carly shivers)

Carly: Do I have a choice?

Luke: Do you ever?

Carly: (resigned) Ok. Lead on. (Luke steps aside and allows her onto the elevator. Carly steps past him and goes to the back of the elevator, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.) Of all the families in all the world, I had to be born into this one.

Luke: (pressing the button to close the door) Consider yourself lucky, little girl.