Chapter Twenty-Five:
We Are Family

The Spencer House

Nikolas stands at the bottom of the porch, and looks up at the house, with typical disdain. He's never liked it here, it's a physical representation of everything he was shut out of. On the other hand, it's the middle of winter, and it's not like he can take Lulu to the park, as he does in the warmer months. He ascends the stairs, and knocks on the door. Laura answers quickly, and smiles at him lovingly. It's a look he always feels an immediate need to reject, even though he'd hate her to greet him any other way. He takes a deep breath.

Nik: Hello.

Laura: Come in. (She stands aside, holding the door wide for him, welcoming him into her home. He takes a moment to take in the surroundings before stepping in. He turns back to her, as he takes off his coat)

Nik: Where's Lesley Lu? (At those words, Lulu appears at the top of the stairs. She smiles at him and his heart immediately melts. She walks carefully down the stairs, attempting to be mature. She always imitates Nikolas's formal nature when he's around, suppressing the desire to just run to him. She can't keep the bounce out of her step as she reaches the landing, and Nikolas opens his arms to her. She leaps up into his arms. Nikolas hugs her tightly. Laura watches the scene, her heart singing. Lulu and Nik's relationship gives her hope that one day her oldest son will feel comfortable in this house.) Hello, little sister.

Lulu: Nikolas! (She is absolutely glowing in his arms. Laura clears her throat.)

Laura: I'll let you two visit. (She turns and walks into the kitchen, Nikolas watching her go with a little regret. He puts Lulu down, and she takes his hand, leading him to the couch.

Lulu: I've got more pictures to show you.

Nik: Great. (he sits down and Lulu gets a stack of picture from school that she carefully placed on the coffee table. Nik takes them from her and starts to flip through them. Lulu climbs up on the couch next to him, and leans against him, quietly watching him look at her pictures. Nikolas smiles as he hits one of the park where they go in the summer) Oh... I know this place.

Lulu: It's our park.

Nik: Did you draw this from memory?

Lulu: Uh huh. I haven't been there for awhile. Not since you last took me.

Nik: Laura doesn't take you?

Lulu: Why do you call her that?

Nik: What?

Lulu: Laura. Why don't you call her Mom?

Nik: (smiling slightly) Not everyone calls their mother "mom".

Lulu: Lucky does.

Nik: I'm not Lucky.

Lulu: (exasperated) I know that! (she leans against him again, and frowns) You still come to see me. (Nikolas looks down at her in surprise)

Nik: Lucky doesn't come to see you?

Lulu: Sometimes he does, but he never stays long. I don't think he likes it here. (Nikolas looks around the room trying to make sense of what Lucky could possibly dislike about this place. His eyes fall on a picture of Lucky, around age twelve, on the front steps of the house with his dog. Nikolas looks away from it quickly).

Nik: Does he say why?

Lulu: He says school. But you go to school, too.

Nik: Yeah... (he pulls Lulu onto his lap) But sometimes people get caught up in how much stuff they have to do, and they... forget.

Lulu: I think Lucky's forgotten me.

Nik: Lucky would never forget you. Maybe he just doesn't know how much you want to see him.

Lulu: But ... Wouldn't he want to see me too?

Nik: (heavily) I don't know what to tell you, Lesley Lu. Lucky and I haven't spoken in awhile.

Lulu: Why do you hate him so much?

Nik: (startled) I don't hate him.

Lulu: He says you do.

Nik: When did he say that?

Lulu: I don't know. But he said it.

Nik: I don't hate him.

Lulu: He doesn't hate you either.

Nik: I'm not so sure about that.

Lulu: He doesn't. I know.

Nik: How do you know?

Lulu: Because. He always asks me about you.

Nik: (surprised) He does?

Lulu: Yes. And you never ask about him.

Nik: Lucky and I.... That's hard to explain. (Laura reappears in the doorway, with juice on a tray. She freezes when she hears the topic. Nik notices her, but continues.) We have a hard time communicating. But we do have one thing in common. We both love you.

Lulu: (with uncharacteristic petulance) I wish you loved each other. (Nikolas says nothing. Laura comes to his rescue)

Laura: I brought you something to drink. (She walks over to them, and puts the tray down on the coffee table. She sits down on the edge of the armchair across from the couch, and smiles at Lulu.) Lu, why don't you get that picture book that you wanted to show Nikolas?

Lulu: Oh! (she looks at him) I got a new book. It has really good pictures, like paintings. Do you want to see it?

Nik: Absolutely. (Lulu leaps up)

Lulu: I'll be right back. (She runs up the stairs, in search of the book. Laura waits until she's up the stairs).

Laura: Have you... seen Lucky?

Nik: No. (pause) Lulu says that he's not coming by much.

Laura: No, he isn't. (they fall into silence. Nikolas clears his throat)

Nik: Well, I think he's probably caught up in what's happening with Emily.

Laura: Emily?

Nik: He.... He didn't tell you, did he? (Nikolas shakes his head, somewhat amazed that he knows more about Lucky's life than his own mother).

Laura: Is... Is everything all right?

Nik: I think so. He doesn't exactly confide in me. I just know he was really worried about Emily.

Laura: Oh. (she sighs heavily) What about you?

Nik: I'm a bit worried, too, yeah.

Laura: I mean, how are you, Nikolas?

Nik: (slowly) I'm fine.

Laura: And Stefan?

Nik: He's... (Nikolas's face clouds. He looks away.)

Laura: I just .... I understand that it was a tremendous loss for you.

Nik: Yes, it was.

Laura: I'm very sorry about Katherine, Nikolas.

Nik: I know. You're always sorry. (Laura sits back, stung. Nikolas feels immediately guilty) I don't know why I said that. I didn't mean it.

Laura: It's all right.

Nik: No, it's not. I'm regressing.

Laura: Nikolas, you're entitled to be sharp with me. I'm your Mother, I can take it.

Nik: (thinking that she doesn't look like she can take it) You're not here to be my whipping post. Or Lucky's, for that matter. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. (He stands up) I think I'd better go find Lesley Lu. (He starts towards the stairs)

Laura: Nikolas! (he turns back to look at her) Thank-you. (Nikolas nods, and heads up the stairs.)

Lucky's room.

Emily comes through the door, still shivering, her arms wrapped around her. Lucky follows, watching her. He closes the door, reaches out and grabs her shoulder. She let him spin her around and pull her back into his arms. She buries her head against his chest, pressed against him. Lucky savors the moment of having her back here.

Lucky: (whispering) The last thing your father said to me yesterday was that I'd never be able to do this again. (Emily pulls back slightly)

Em: I hope you didn't believe him.

Lucky: Not for a second. (He cups her face in his hands and kisses her. She responds immediately and things quickly reach a feverish pitch. Emily pulls back, suddenly)

Em: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. (Lucky steps back from her, so that he can see her better)

Lucky: (slowly) It's Ok. (Emily covers her mouth with her hand and shakes her head violently)

Em: I don't know what's wrong with me. I just feel like... (she tears up, much to her own surprise, and waves her hands around uselessly) I'm a mess! I'm a complete mess. (Lucky takes her in his arms again, gently, and rubs her back while she cries on his shoulder)

Lucky: (softly) It's Ok. You've earned it. (He strokes her hair with his hand.)

Em: (muffled against his chest) I hate this so much. I don't want it to last another second. (She pulls back and looks up at him) It's not even finished yet. I have to go back there and do it all over again.

Lucky: You don't have to go back there. There are lots of other places you can go.

Em: No. I have to go back. I have to face them, or I'll feel like I completely wimped out.

Lucky: You are not a wimp. No matter what you decide to do.

Em: Well, if nothing else, my English books are all there, and I have an exam tomorrow.

Lucky: (groaning) Can we keep school out of this for a moment? (Emily pulls away from him)

Em: I actually CARE about school, Lucky. I know that's a foreign concept to you --

Lucky: I'm just saying I think we've got more important things to deal with right now, Ok? (Emily sighs, and sinks into the bed.)

Em: At least worrying about school is predictable. My family, if I can still call them that --

Lucky: Emily. (For some reason, this talk is disturbing him. She looks up at him.)

Em: (heavily) I don't feel like I fit in there anymore. It's been going on for a long time. I thought yesterday after I talked to Monica... That was the first time in so long that I really felt like she was my MOTHER. And then, two hours later, she's right there with the rest of them, shaming me for loving you. (She shakes her head) I really thought, if anyone could understand, it was her. (Lucky sits down next to her)

Lucky: (quietly) Was it really rough?

Em: It was pretty intense. Not that I gave them much of a chance to say anything. I was ... It was like I wasn't even there. Like some crazy person had taken over my body and she was saying all these things, while I stood off to the side and listened. (She shakes her head) The look on Grandmother's face...

Lucky: (looking ill) Lila was there?

Em: Yeah... That was my fault. Monica and Alan wanted to keep it between the three of us, but I was so angry....

Lucky: It's not your fault

Em: (bitterly) Well, I was the one who insisted on screaming at them in front of --

Lucky: Emily! If this is anyone's fault it's mine. (Emily puts an instinctive hand on his shoulder)

Em: Lucky...

Lucky: (Standing up suddenly) No, don't. (He walks across the room, pained, then turns back to her). Look, I'll apologize to Lila, Ok? She doesn't deserve to have this kind of garbage in her life right now.

Em: It's not your fault!

Lucky: Yeah, it really is. I don't really care what Edward and AJ think about me, Ok? I tried to pretend it didn't matter as long as you forgave me, but... That was before it all landed in your lap. And Lila --

Em: I can deal with it!

Lucky: You shouldn't have to! I mean, look at what you're already dealing with!

Em: (sighing) AJ can really pick his moments.

Lucky: AJ wouldn't have any moments to pick if I hadn't provided him with a smoking gun.

Em: Technically I handed him the smoking gun.

Lucky: (annoyed that she won't just give this to him) TECHNICALLY, none of this would have happened if I hadn't listened to Carly. (they fall into silence. Finally Emily groans)

Em: There's no point in this. I mean, we can shift the blame around all we want, we're still in the same situation. And I really need to you not to be beating yourself up right now. It's over, as far as I'm concerned. It has been a long time. If I didn't believe you were sorry for what happened, or if I thought you'd meant any of this to happen, I wouldn't be here right now. I might be on a roof some place, but I wouldn't be here. (Lucky turns and stares at her)

Lucky: That is really not funny.

Em: It's a little funny.

Lucky: I try not to think about you and roofs too much if I can avoid it. (Emily sighs)

Em: Fair enough. I just... Right now I need some breathing room. I have to figure out what to do next.

Lucky: Well, if they're looking for you, this is the first place they'd come.

Em: I don't think they're looking. Yet.

Lucky: Probably not. But they will be.

Em: I know.

Lucky: Look, I know it's the second most obvious place for them to look, but Jason -- at least he's got guards.

Em: Instructed to throw out all Quartermaines on sight.

Lucky: It would give you a bit of time.

Em: I don't want to get Jason involved again.

Lucky: He'll want to be. Does he know anything about this?

Em: Yeah. I saw him the other day when I was looking for you. He doesn't.... blame you.

Lucky: No, he wouldn't. (He walks over to the phone and picks up the receiver, dialing from memory)

Em: Who are you calling. (Lucky looks at her pointedly) You know the number by heart?

Lucky: He owns half the club.

Em: Sure. (Jason answers)

Jason: Morgan.

Lucky: Hi, Jason. It's Lucky.

Jason: Uh huh.

Lucky: Look, we've got a situation here. With Emily.

Jason: AJ told them, huh?

Lucky: Yeah. Emily needs a place to stay.

Jason: Ok, look, I've got a meeting, but I'll send over my driver.

Lucky: Right... Which one is it this time? James... Johnny...?

Jason: Jacob.

Lucky: Sure. She's here at the club.

Jason: He'll be there in fifteen minutes.

Lucky: (Looking at Emily.) Ok. We'll be waiting. (Jason hands up). He's sending his driver.

Em: I can't believe that I have to drag Jason into this.

Lucky: You don't. Figure this way -- they'd come knocking on his door anyway. At least this way, he knows where you are when they do it.

Em: I hate my life.

Lucky: Don't. This is just a speed bump.

Em: I think I hit it too fast. (She stands up) Ok. Let's go.