Stolen Memories Chapters 11-15

 

Chapter 11

 

 

Lucas arrived at Sonny's penthouse at the appointed time and was shown inside by a guard at the door. Sonny was coming down the steps as he entered. He reached out his hand to shake it.

"The guard at the door didn't freak you out did it?"

Lucas smiled, "No, not at all. In fact it didn't surprise me to see him." It was odd how he had found his way to the penthouse without any problems and seemed to know just where to go, even that there would be a guard at the door.

"I hope you plan on sticking around this town for a while. I've got a lot of work you can do. In fact I have a delivery you can make for me tonight. It's out of town, though; will that be a problem with your kid?"

"No, I'll just take him with me. It isn't dangerous is it?"

"You're not afraid are you?"

"No, not for myself."

"You have my personal guarantee that no harm will ever come to your boy."

"Why are you being so nice to me? Is it because I look like him? Like Lucky?"

"Maybe. I had a real soft spot for that kid. He was one of a kind."

"What happened to him?"

"Mysteriously disappeared about three years ago, presumed dead. I never believed that though. I've been leading my own investigation since it happened. Haven't turned anything up though."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, I will. I have confidence that I will soon. So, you ready to get to work?"

"Sure."

He handed him several envelopes with addresses on them. "Most of these are local addresses, but this one needs to be delivered early tomorrow morning in upstate New York, so you'll have to leave later tonight. If I were you I would mention it at the day care that you won't be bringing your kid in tomorrow. They tend to worry when people are there one day and don't come back the next."

"I will, I'll tell either Emily or Elizabeth, whichever one is there." He hoped it would be Elizabeth.

He reached out to shake Lucas' hand again. "I'm glad to have you working for me, kid. I'll have more important stuff for you do soon."

Lucas shook his hand firmly. "I really appreciate this, Mr. Corin…Sonny."

"You know, you've never asked me about the pay."

"It doesn't matter how much, just so I have some money coming in to feed Chase and keep a roof over his head."

"You'll have plenty for that. In fact here's an advance. $500. You're a good father. Chase is a lucky kid.."

"This is too much, I can't accept it."

"You'll learn in time not to argue with me. Take it. I'll give you the rest when you get back."

He didn't know what to say, so he just said quietly, "Thanks."

Lucas turned and started for the door and was just closing it behind him when Sonny called out to him again, "Listen kid, you ever need anything, anything at all for you or your kid, promise me you'll come to me."

Lucas still couldn't understand why he was being so nice to him, but he had no doubts that he was sincere. He nodded and pulled the door shut.

When he had finished making the local deliveries, it was time to pick up Chase. He got there just as a lot of other kids were leaving, so there were a lot of parents inside. He decided to wait outside for a few minutes until there was more room. He saw a small girl playing with some other kids on the swing set. He was struck by how beautiful she was, with long blonde wavy, hair, and the sweetest smile. Elizabeth's smile. This had to be her child. She looked so much like her, except for the eyes. They were a deep azure blue, like Chase's. In fact, when Chase came running up to him with the little girl following behind, he was struck by their resemblance to each other.

Chase ran to him and Lucas picked him up and hugged him. "I missed you today, cowboy."

He heard someone come up behind him. "He missed you, too, Mr. Stevens."

Lucas turned to see Elizabeth standing just a few feet away from him. The same feelings were back that he had had when he had first seen her. He felt awkward since having the dream about her so many times. The way they had been in the dream had been so intimate. It was all he could think about. Chase got down and began playing with Loren again.

Elizabeth was the first to speak. "I saw a friend of mine today, Sonny Corinthos. He told me he was going to give you a job."

He nodded. "I have to make a delivery out of town tonight, and he told me to be sure to tell you that Chase won't be here tomorrow."

"You're taking him with you?"

"I have no choice. I don't know anyone in town."

"Well, you know me. I'd be happy to take him for the night."

"Oh, I couldn't let you do that. I couldn't impose on you that way."

"It wouldn't be imposing. Remember I offered. Besides, he and Loren love to play together. It's like they've always known each other."

Chase and Loren had overheard the conversation and both started begging him at once to let Chase stay. He knelt down and said, "Well, if Elizabeth is sure, then all right."

At that, Loren ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up and hugged her, and was rocked by that same sensation he had felt the first time he saw Chase. He knew it would be difficult to speak and when he looked at Elizabeth he saw tears in her eyes, just as he felt them starting in his own.

"I knew this had to be your little girl. She looks just like you. She's very beautiful."

"Thank you. Everyone says we look just alike. But she doesn't have my eyes." She looked at him then and said, "She has her father's eyes."

A look passed between them, a look Lucas could neither define nor ever forget. A look that would haunt him during his overnight trip and prevent him from getting any sleep. It was a look that spoke volumes, a look of…what? Love? Was this what love at first sight felt like? Was that what he was feeling for Elizabeth? He had to get out of there and away from her to think about what was happening to him. Yet, all he wanted to do was stay with her and lose himself in that look forever. The look felt the same as the dream…full of peace and love, the likes of which he knew he had not felt in some time.

He put Loren down gently, and spoke so softly, she could barely hear him. "I'd better be going. I can drop Chase off around 8:00 if that's okay. I'd like to spend some time with him before I leave."

"Of course. Let me write down my address. I'll be right back."

"Just tell me where; I'll remember."

"It's a small house, two streets down from here…216 Maple Street."

"I'll see you in few hours then. And thank you…" He turned to Chase. "Come on, let's go get something to eat and then I'll take you to Loren's house."

Chapter 12

Elizabeth

Mr Stevens would be bringing Chase over about eight. I left the day care at six thirty and drove straight home. I needeed to clean up a bit before he saw what a terrible house keeper I was.

Lucky was coming to my house, the house we had shared unofficially before he disappeared. The house that would have been our house once we were married, and we would have been married soon after we found out I was pregnant.

Lucky was coming home. No, not Lucky. Not coming home. Mr. Stevens. Mr. Stevens was bringing his son to stay the night at my house. With me.

I had to keep reminding myself to stay calm and breathe. If I forgot, even for a second, I knew I would go out of my mind. He was so close, and yet so far. Sonny told me I had to be careful, I didn't want to freak out everytime I saw him. I needed to be calm, I needed to relax and let him come to me on his own terms.

Dear God it was hard, so hard, to be patient. I missed Lucky so much, and he was finally home, but he didn't remember me. And I still didn't know what had happened to him, where he had been for three and a half years. And just how did he get a son that was so close to Loren's age? Maybe he had met someone else, and he ran off with her, because she was pregnant. Maybe she told him she was pregnant before I had the chance. So he chose her, and made it look like something awful had happened to him.

He'd left me a note saying he'd gone to the store. We needed milk and he wanted to buy me more cold pills. He said he loved me and he'd be home soon. But he never came home. Detective Taggert came by the house two days later to say they found Lucky's car, abandoned at the side of the freeway about 300 miles away. There was no sign of Lucky anywhere.

Until now. Mr. Stevens was my Lucky. I knew it as sure as I knew my own name. He was my Lucky and he had found his way back to me. He was coming home to me and our daughter.

Eight o'clock came and went without a word from Lucky--Mr. Stevens. I had to remind myself to call him that. Stevens. What was his first name? I didn't even know his first name!

Loren and I sat on the front porch for a long time. I held her in my lap and she played with my hair. How wonderful it would be if we were only waiting for Lucky to come home from work.

I looked at my watch to see it was after nine. Something pulled inside me and I wanted to throw myself down on the floor and cry. He wasn't coming. He had changed his mind, and he wasn't coming. He was probably halfway to Cleveland by now. I wouldn't blame him if he had hopped in his car and started driving, anywhere, just as far away from Port Charles as he could get.

I took Loren inside and walked around with her for a long time. I tried three times to put her in her bed, but each time I turned around and kept her with me. She was my only true link to Lucky, and I felt like I would lose that if I put her down. Like when she was born, and I no longer carried a part of him inside me. I had felt so complete, even though Lucky was gone, he was still with me. Then she was a little person all on her own, a living, breathing piece of Lucky with his blood inside her, and I had nothing. Nothing but her to hold on to.

I froze when I heard the car in the drive, like I was in suspended animation, and I couldn't really believe he had come. I could not move, could not even breath, until the doorbell rang.

Chapter 13

Lucas took Chase home and fixed him dinner and spent a few hours with him, and explained to him that he had to leave but would return the next day to pick him up from Loren's house. It was after 9:00 when he arrived at the small house on Maple Street and rang the doorbell.

Elizabeth answered the door, holding a sleeping Loren in her arms. "I was beginning to think you had changed your mind."

"No, it's just hard to leave him. I delayed it as long as possible."

"I know that feeling. Please, come in. Loren has been waiting for Chase, but she fell asleep just a few minutes ago. Why don't we put them down together."

"That's fine, Chase is pretty tired, aren't you cowboy?" Chase nodded and buried his face in his father's neck.

"Cowboy, that's an interesting nickname."

"I don't even know why I call him that. It just came out one day and it's stuck."

She nodded, knowing that he called him "Cowboy" because that was what his father, Luke, had called him. She hoped one day soon he would remember that and so much more. "Follow me; the bedroom is upstairs."

They put the two children to bed and she watched as Lucas tucked Chase in, leaning over to kiss him and whisper to him as he did. He stood up and glanced at Elizabeth, "I think he should go right to sleep."

They reached the door and Chase called out, "Daddy? I love you."

"I love you, too, Chase. I'll be home as soon as I can."

Lucas and Elizabeth walked downstairs together and she led him to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a bag and handed it to him. "I took the liberty of fixing you some food for your trip."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Well, I know how men can be; they don't always remember to eat when they should."

"That's very kind of you. Thank you."

She looked at him for a long moment, "You're a wonderful father, you know."

"Thanks. I love Chase so much it hurts sometimes. Is it that way with you and Loren?"

She nodded. "What happened to Chase's mother?" When he didn't respond and only looked at her with a bewildered look, she mistook it to mean that the question had upset him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry. It's just that Chase is such a sweet child, and I wondered what had happened to his mother." Lucas ran his hands through his hair. He wished he could remember Chase's mother. Had he loved her or mourned for her when she left him? He simply could not remember very much about her. "Don't be sorry. She died when Chase was a baby. We weren't together at the time, but she named me as his legal guardian."

Elizabeth nodded and understood that his vague answer meant that he did not remember much about Chase's mother either. What had happened to him? She longed to know what had happened to him.

"I really should be going."

"All right. Don't worry about Chase, I'll take good care of him.

"I know you will, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Mr. Stevens." She smiled at him. "You know, I don't know your first name, and Mr. Stevens sounds too formal."

"My first name is Lucas."

"Lucas. What's your middle name?" She smiled again, "I have this thing for needing to know people's full names."

"It's Lorenzo; Lucas Lorenzo Stevens." Even as he spoke his name it sounded foreign to him, especially his last name. He couldn't even be sure now that that was his real name.

Elizabeth could not speak for a moment, then said quietly, "Do you want to know my middle name? It's really awful."

He regarded her for a moment as if deep in thought. "It's Imogene. Your middle name is Imogene."

She felt the tears well in her eyes, ecstatic at this small sign that his memory had not been completely lost. She whispered, "Yes it is."

He looked confused. "How do I know that? I don't understand. It's not exactly a common name."

"Let's just say it was a lucky guess." She smiled to herself at the irony of her statement.

He nodded and headed for the front door. He turned to her, his hand on the doorknob. "I don't know how to thank your for this. I don't really know you, but I know I can trust you, just like I can Sonny."

She nodded and put her hand lightly on his chest. "I'll take good care of Chase."

"I'll be going then." At that he instinctively reached toward her and put his arm around her waist, pulling her to him as he kissed her lightly on the lips. Elizabeth was dizzy from the emotions this act stirred in her. He had done this very thing a thousand times In the past.

Lucas pulled away as if he had been burned. "I'm sorry; I am so sorry, I don't know why I did that…it just felt…I'm sorry, Elizabeth."

She fought the urge to cry, to put her arms around him and tell him that he was Lucky, that what he had just done was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. But she remembered Sonny's warning, to take it slowly, to let him remember in his own time.

"Lucas, please, it's okay, really."

"But I had no right…"

"I rather enjoyed it, actually, so please don't give it another thought."

But another thought was just what he would give it. In fact, it would be in his thoughts for a very long time, just as the look that had passed between them earlier at the day care center would be with him.

Chapter 14

Lucas drove the few hours to the small town where he was to make his delivery for Sonny and got a room at a small, cheap, hotel. After eating his fast food dinner, he turned out all the lights and laid down on the bed, with just the light from the television, with the sound turned down, flickering in the room.

He was lying with his hands behind his head, starting at the ceiling, thinking about the events of the past several days, wondering why so many things that had happened had sparked that feeling of recognition in him. From the moment he had touched Elizabeth, met Sonny, held Loren and finally to the moment he had kissed Elizabeth as if it were the most natural thing to do. He felt so drawn to her, especially since he had kissed her. He was still reeling from the emotions and feelings that she was stirring in him. In fact, he could barely think of anything else. He imagined what it would feel like to really kiss her, to feel her body close to his and to finally breathe in the scent of her hair. He could almost feel her lying beside him, her hands on him as they kissed. He suddenly sat up on the edge of the bed, and laughed softly to himself. He could not remember the last time he had felt such desire for a woman. He needed to take a cold shower.

He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower, but instead of turning on the cold tap, he turned it to lukewarm. He lathered his chest and arms and tried to forget about her, but she wasn't about to leave him now. She was right there in the shower with him and his hand moved to below his stomach. He imagined them lying together naked. He could almost feel her leaning over him, teasing him as she dragged her hair across his chest and leaned down to graze her nipples against his mouth, then teasingly pull them away. It seemed so real, as if it were a real memory and not a dream. He knew just how she would feel perched above him as she slowly lowered herself onto him. He knew just how their eyes would lock and be filled with the most incredibly pure love and desire for each other as they moved together. He was breathing heavily now, wanting this dream to become a reality, and soon felt so weak that he had to lean his other hand against the shower wall until he found the release he needed.

He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He sat on the bed, running his hands through his wet hair as he realized he had still not rid himself of her The feelings were still there, stronger and more intense than before. He threw the towel on the chair laid back on the bed and tried to sleep, but sleep would not come for him that night. He would be haunted by thoughts of Elizabeth, thoughts of kissing her, and the desire to kiss her again, in fact to do much more than kiss her.

Chapter 15

 

Elizabeth

After Lucky--Mr. Stevens--left, I went upstairs to check on the kids. I could still feel his lips on my cheek where he'd kissed me, like a lovesick teenager. I had been that with Lucky once, I'd been sixteen when I realised what I felt for Lucky Spencer was love, true love, the kind of love that lasts forever.

He had been taken from me, but not the love I felt for him. I hadn't even looked at another man since the day I met Lucky, there was nevver any reason to. I knew he would come back to me, somehow. And he had, dear God, he had come back to me.

Loren and Chase were both asleep, their tiny bodies turned toward each other, each perfect little face wearing a smile. They were meant to be together, these two, because they were brother and sister. Lucky was their father, he lived in both of them equally.

But who was Chase's mother? Lucky--Mr. Stevens--said he didn't remember her much. He'd looked really uncomfortable when I asked about her. They hadn't been together when Chase was born, and upon her death, he was named the child's guardian.

There wasn't much time for Lucky to disappear, fall in love, and have a child Chase's age. Because for Lucky to make love to someone and create a child, he would have to love the woman. He loved me, and we waited, we were together and saying "I love you" to each other nearly a year before we made love. Chase's birthday was only two weeks after Loren's, and I was five weeks along with Loren when Lucky disappeared.

I lingered in the room with the kids for a few minutes, then went downstairs to call Sonny. Whenever I felt myself slipping out of control, I could count on Sonny to pull me back to reality.

He answered on the second ring. "Yeah?"

"Sonny, can you talk?"

"I've always got time for you."

I smiled. "Good, because I need you to help me make sense of this. He's Lucky, I know he's Lucky."

"I've got a tail on him, to make sure he's safe, Elizabeth."

"I'm not...I'm not worried about him, Sonny. I know you won't let anything happen to him. I was just sitting here thinking about Chase. I can't figure that out, Sonny. He's two weeks younger than Loren. If somebody kidnapped him and...and...there's just not enough time. He would have to be months younger, a month, at least."

Sonny was silent, but I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. Kidnapping was the most likely explanation for his disappearance, even the police agreed on that. But motive was always robbery or murder, revenge for someone or something his father had done.

"Maybe he was premature."

"I don't think so."

"Have you talked to Stevens about this?"

"He said he doesn't remember much about Chase's mother, they weren't together when he was born. I guess she died, that's when he got the baby."

"He probably didn't say where he was living?"

I shook my head then remembered Sonny couldn't see me. "No," I said weakly.

"Okay, Elizabeth. It's okay. When's the kid's birthday?"

"July fifth."

"I'll research little boys born that day and see what I can come up with."

"Thank you, Sonny."

"Get some sleep, Elizabeth."

"I will." I hung up the phone, but made no move to go to bed. I sat on the sofa and thought of Lucky. My Lucky. He had come home, he was within my reach, and he had no idea who I was or what he meant to me.

Loren and Chase found me asleep on the sofa, they woke me by climbing on top of me. I sat up, grabbing them both around the waist and kissing them. It felt so right to have the two of them there, with me, together. So easy to think we were a family, and Lucky had already left for work, or was maybe still upstairs snoring.

"Mama? Why you wasn't in your bed upstairs?"

"I guess I fell asleep down here last night, sweetheart." I glanced at the clock to see it was only ten after five. "You two are up awful early. Why don't you take Chase to the playroom while I fix us some breakfast."

"Yeah!" Loren jumped down from the couch and took Chase's hand in her own. "Come on, Chasey!" Chase giggled and followed her, ad something about his expression made me think of my sister.

I hadn't thought about Sarah for a long time. She had died just weeks before Lucky disappeared. We had never been close, and especially at the time of her death when she had been trying to steal Lucky away from me, but still she was my sister, and I loved her.

I could have sat all day thinking about Sarah and Lucky and a million other things, but a loud thump from the playroom had me on my feet. "I'm sorry, Mommy!" Loren yelped.

I knelt in the doorway and pulled her and Chase against me. "It's okay, baby. I know you ddn't mean to." I kissed them both then went to pick up the Little Tykes kitchen center that had fallen over. "I'm not angry, Loren. Just be more careful next time."

"Okay, mama."

I patted both their little heads, watched them play for a moment, then went to make breakfast.