| Chapter 23 Steven found Tracy in a small little apartment in New York. She had hit rock bottom after her marriage to a man in the local New York mob ended and she had been fighting to get back on her feet ever sense. Tracy was pleased and delighted to talk to Steven. She sensed he wanted her stock for more then the reason he stated on the phone and she was determined to find out what it was. "Ms. Quartermaine?" Steven said as he walked into her little apartment. "Tracy is fine. Mr. Spencer?" Tracy said with a puzzled look on her face. "I thought I knew all the Spencers. You related to Luke by chance?" "He was my father," Steven said not really feeling comfortable about calling Luke his father out loud to anyone especially to this woman. "Oh, I see. So, tell me why do you want my stock and don't play games. I know the Spencer family reputation. I'm not a fool," Tracy told him. Steven knew this was going to be hard but he didn't realize how hard until that very moment. "Tracy, you need money to start a life. I need your share in ELQ. Why not let me have my reasons and you name your price," Steven told her. "No, how about this? You let me in on your little plan and I'll lend you my stock," Tracy told him. Steven thought about this and said, "I can't. I have partners and they are not open to letting any one else in." "Ned, you mean. I heard my son lost control over ELQ and now he wants it back. Tell my darling Ned that if he wants my stock. He has to let me in on his little deal other wise. I warn father and blow all of you out of the water," Tracy said coldly. Steven looked at this woman and as a younger version of his mother and pitied Ashton at that very moment. He pulled out his cell phone and made a call to Ned. After telling him what she demanded, Ned said, "I should have known she figure things out. Tell her she has a deal but she only gets 5 more votes in the family and I'll pay her a nice small sum to vanish when this is over with." Steven hung up the phone and informed Tracy of her son's offer. Tracy took it but she had no intention of going away. She had plans of her own and this was just the start of it. Steven told her the plan and as he talked. He felt very uneasy with this woman. She could really cause problems for them if she decided to go with her own agenda and Steven had no doubt that she had one of those. He just hoped that she would go with their plan long enough for him to get a portion of ELQ and Carly get Michael back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` While, Steven was dealing with Tracy, Nikolas was tackling looking into ELQ's business records. Lucky was going to join him as soon as he handled school. He had been avoiding it for awhile now but he knew he couldn't do it forever. So, he went to school and even stuck around all day. Which amazed Lucky because after all that has happened school would be the last place he wanted to be, but he found it wasn't that bad and he got through it without much trouble. It was just after three that afternoon and he had forgotten something at home and so, he stopped by to get it. He had just walked into the house when he heard a load crash and his mother yelling upstairs. Lucky ran up the stairs and rushed into his parent's bedroom. Laura was standing in the middle of the room crying and screaming at the top of her lungs as she threw Luke's belongings everywhere. "Damn you Luke. Damn you to hell!" "Mom?" Lucky called out as he walked into the room. He knew that after all this time of trying to avoid it. The pain of loosing his father finally took over and she couldn't contain it any longer and this was the result. "What?" Laura asked as tears feel freely down her face. She was shaking all over and Lucky knew she on the verge of loosing it. Without saying a word to her, Lucky walked to his mother and wrapped his arms around her. Laura finally broke down the rest of the way and let the pain take over. "Why he die on me?" she cried as her son slowly guided her to her bed and sat her down on it. "I don't know," Lucky said with his own tears starting to fall down his cheeks. They sat there for a long time Lucky just holding his mother and letting her let out her grief. Finally after a good hour of crying Laura was physically and mentally drained. Lucky gently lowered her to the bed and pulled a cover over her. He then walked out of the room closing the door behind him. Lucky stopped in the hall to make a few calls. The first call was to his grandmother, who had taken Lu out on a play date that afternoon. "You need me to come home?" she asked worried that finally the stress has caught up with her daughter. "No, you stay with Lu and maybe take her to supper and movie. Mom is sleeping now and I think the quiet things are for her the better she is going to be," Lucky told his grandmother. "Ok, but call me if you need anything and we will come right home," Leslie told him. "We will be fine. You just enjoy your day," Lucky told her and then after saying a quick good-bye. Lucky placed his other call. "Nik," Lucky said as soon as his brother answered the phone. "Where are you?" Nikolas snapped at him, his voice full of worry. "I'm at the house. Mom finally broke down. I'm going to stick around and keep an eye on her. Can you do this without me?" he asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just reading stacks of reports on ELQ. How is mom?" he asked as he started to get really worried about his mother. "She is asleep now. I can't tell how she is until she wakes up but I think she is going to be fine. She let out most her pain this last hour," Lucky told him. Nikolas took this in and was grateful that Laura finally let it out. She had been holding it for far to long now and everyone was starting to wonder if she would ever grieve for Luke. "How are you doing?" Nikolas finally asked him. "Fine," Lucky said. "You don't sound it," Nikolas said, "You sure, you don't want me to come over and be with the both of you?" "No, you do this and I'll take care of mom. Nikolas, I'm not going to fall apart and neither is mom. We just have to get past these bumps in the road." "Yeah, ok, but if you need me. Call me." Nikolas told him. "I will," Lucky said and he then hung up the phone. As Nikolas placed his own phone back on the cradle, He shook his head sadly. He wished he could wipe the pain away for both his mother and Lucky but that wasn't possible. Luke was gone and they had to find away to live with it. The only think any of them could do was be there for them when they needed it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Lucky spent the rest of the late afternoon cleaning up the mess his mother made. She was so tired that she didn't hear him move around the room and pack up Luke's things. He placed the boxes in the attic and then went down to fix a light supper. He was just about to sit down and eat when his mother joined him. "Hi," she said as she walked into the kitchen. She was feeling a little childish at that moment and wished she could have handled herself better. "Hi. How are you feeling?" Lucky asked. "Small," Laura said as she sat down at the table across from her. "Mom, you just lost your husband. You have a right to let go sometimes," Lucky told her. "I know but cursing your father wasn't right," Laura said. "He would understand. You missing him and sometimes the pain is to much. I packed up his things and placed them in the attic. You can look over the stuff later when you feel better," Lucky told her. "Thank you. I'm suppose to look after you not the other way around," Laura told him. "Mom, I'm not going to be over Helena in just weeks. If you wait until then to mourn dad, it might years. So, let out your grief and worry about yourself. I have friends and Steven to hold on to when I'm falling. You have the same people. So, give in," Lucky told her. "I want to but.." Laura said but then she stopped and didn't say anything for a long time. "But what?" Lucky asked her finally. "But, what if I can't do it here," Laura said. "Where then?" Lucky asked. "I don't know but this town. These places. All of them remind of Luke and I fight to hold on. I need time Lucky. I need time to think about the past and let out my pain. I can't do it here with people wanting me to be a different place in my grief. I loved him so much that I can't feel anything but pain right now," Laura cried and then she buried her head in her hands. Lucky placed his food down and moved over a chair to sit right beside her. He rubbed his hand over her back and said, "Go, somewhere and let it out. If you sticking around for me. I'm fine. I'm a fighter and I'm not going to hate you for it." "But, you need me," Laura cried. "Yeah, and I always will but you need this. So, I'm willing to let you have it. I'll stay with Ruby and we close the house. You, Lu and Grandma can go back to the Carolinas. There you can grieve and Grandma can get look after Lu. I will be fine and beside. We have the phone, the net and the airlines to keep in touch with each other," Lucky said tears filled his own eyes. Laura thought about this for a long time and the more she thought. The better the idea got. "You sure, you wouldn't hate me if I left town at least for a few weeks?" Laura asked him. "Why would I hate you? I'm the one that suggested it," Lucky said with a sly smile on his face. Laura couldn't help but smile along with him. "You are so much like your father. You put everyone's needs ahead of your own," Laura told him with a smile. "Well, who you think taught me," Lucky said with a smile. "Oh, that smile. All Luke," Laura said. "You know that is one thing that does help. I know no matter what I'm always his son and he did teach me all he knew. So, dad is with us but not the way we want it," Lucky told her. "I know baby. I want him back so bad but I can't have it. I guess it things would be easier if we had body to bury. Then we would have at least a place to go to feel near him," Laura told him. "I go the club," Lucky said. "How about you?" "I haven't found my place yet. I think that is the problem. I'm drifting and I have on place to grab on to," Laura told him. "Well, go find it. I'll be here and I'll be fine," Lucky said and then he got up and gave his mother a hug. They stayed that way for a long time. Both didn't want to let go for the fear of loosing each other in the mess their lives have become. Chapter 24 Back to Luke's Secret Past |