Chapter 13 Friday afternoon, Luke was at the state courthouse for his appeal hearing. He was still a little stiff but he at least was moving around more freely. Alexis was waiting for him when he arrived, �How are feeling?� she asked as Luke got out and the guard checked the cuffs around his wrists. �I�ll feel better when these are gone,� Luke said holding up his hands. �They will be soon. Let�s go,� Alexis said and they walked into the building together with the prison escorts right behind them. As they walked, Luke felt like he was reliving that nightmare of being convicted all over again. It took a lot of will power to remind himself that they were at the end of this run not at the beginning. �You alright?� Alexis asked noticing that Luke turned a little pail on her. �Yeah, just bad memories,� Luke said finally shoving all this feeling behind him. He looked at Alexis then and asked, �How is Lucky and Lu?� Luke asked. The last time Luke saw Lucky was when Mikkos dropped that bombshell on him. The prison moved him a little while later back to the prison hospital. The only word he got from Lucky after that was from Alexis when she came to talk to him about this day. So, Luke was starting to fear that Mikkos had taken the kids somewhere and he was never going to find them again. �See for yourself,� Alexis said as she shoved open a door and sitting at a table waiting for him was Lucky. �Dad!� Lucky yelled jumping to his feet and rushing to greet his father. �Easy, Cowboy,� Luke said hugging Lucky tight. �I�ll go see when we are up,� Alexis said to Luke. Luke waited until the door was closed before pulling back from Lucky and asking, �You ok?� �Yeah, going batty about being coop up on the island but other then that I�m fine,� Lucky said rubbing his finger over the chains around Luke�s wrists. �These will be going,� Luke said smiling at Lucky. �I know,� Lucky said just smiling. �Who else is here with you?� Luke asked. �Just Robert, Sonny and Bobbie. Mom stayed with Lu on the island. It took a lot of begging to get me here,� Lucky said grinning. �Why? Mikkos worried I�d take off with you?� Luke asked. �No, he was worried that Helena would take advantage of things and try to kill me,� Lucky said as he shrugged his shoulders. �Don�t worry about Mikkos. I�ll deal with him,� Luke said hugging Lucky again. �I know,� Lucky said just glad to be near his father again that everything that had been going on vanished out of his mind completely. ****************************************************** A little while later, Luke sat off to the side as Alexis argued their case. She started off at the small points and ended up with the big one that it was hard being convicted of murder when the victim was found alive. After Alexis was done speaking, the three judges talked quietly among themselves. The middle judge then looked at Luke. Luke stood up and faced the three people that held his life in their hands. Lucky grabbed Bobbie�s hand tightly and Robert put his hand over theirs. Everyone stood there holding their breaths waiting for the judge to speak. �This state owes you an apology. We can�t give you back those missing years. We do hope that you find away to forgive us and that you find away to pick your life once again,� the judge said. The two guards beside Luke removed the chains and at first Luke felt like he was dreaming. It took Lucky running to him and wrapping his arms around him to have realize that none of this was dream. It was real and he was finally free. Bobbie soon joined Lucky and the Luke had a small family reunion right there in the courtroom. Alexis stood off to the side and watched with this bright smile on her face. �You ready to go?� Robert asked Luke finally. �I was ready years ago,� Luke said wrapping his arm around Lucky�s shoulder and headed toward the door. It wasn�t until they got to the parking garage that Alexis finally spoke up. �I hate to be a wet blanket but Lucky has ride with me in the limo,� Alexis told the group. �Why?� Sonny asked looking at Alexis puzzled. Lucky rolled his eyes and said, �I promised that I would leave the guards,� Lucky said looking at the two bodyguards that had followed them to the garage. �Then I will ride with you,� Luke said hugging Lucky. �Thanks,� Lucky said with a smile. So, Robert and Bobbie went in Robert�s car and Sonny, Lucky, Luke and Alexis with the Mikkos men went in the limo. Things went smooth until they got to the interstate. Sonny and Alexis were chatting and Lucky was filling Luke in everything he had missed from the last time Lucky wrote his father. Suddenly, Sonny�s cell phone rang. �If you two aren�t paying attention. You have trouble heading your way,� Robert warned. Two semi-trucks and a van just moved into position. Luke and Sonny both looked at Alexis and asked, �This thing bullet proof?� �I think so,� Alexis said. �Let�s hope so,� Sonny said and he shoved Alexis down on the floor. Luke did the same to Lucky. Luke knocked on the glass that divided them from the drives. The window went down and he saw the back of the truck open up. �Don�t let them shove you into that,� Luke said. �Where do we go?� the man asked. They saw no way out of this. They weren�t ready for this kind of attack. Luke looked off the side of the road. �The shoulder drive on that,� Luke said and the driver turned the wheel. Robert knew he couldn�t do much but sit back and wait for help to arrive. The trucks and that van just over powered him at this moment. So, he was forced to watch in horror as the driver of the limo fought to get free of the trap that had been set up for him. Luke�s plan worked a little bit but then a bridge came up and the driver was forced to go back on the road. �Anyone coming?� Luke asked. �No, why?� the driver asked. Luke didn�t reply. He just leaned over grabbed the wheel turned it as hard as he could. The limo hit the van sending it crashing right into one of the bridge's supports. Leaving the two trucks to deal with. �Now what?� Sonny asked. �I don�t know,� Luke said. The limo couldn�t out run the trucks. It had just as much weight as they did. Suddenly several police cars came into view. �Help!� Lucky said popping his head up. �Get down!� Luke ordered shoving his son head back down again. Luke thought the drivers of the trucks were going to fight but a few moments later. They pulled over shut down and waited to be arrested. The limo stopped as well. Everyone sat and waited until the cops figured out who was doing what to whom. �Can I get up?� Lucky asked. �Sure,� Luke said helping Lucky in a sitting position. �Thanks and thanks to these guy never going to get off that island,� Lucky complained. *********************************************** By the time, they arrived at the island Mikkos was in an up roar. �Where have you been?� He yelled glaring at the guards like this was all their fault. �Cool it,� Luke said as he walked in behind the group. �Daddy!� Lu yelled and she ran toward her father. �Hey, sweet heart,� Luke said picking up Lu and swing her around. �I think I owe you a bunch of kisses.� Luke said and he proceeded to kiss Lu all over her face. Lu just giggled and wiggled in his arms. �I missed you,� Lu said hugging Luke after he was done kissing her. �I missed you, too,� Luke said hugging her back. Mikkos cleared his throat and stood there glaring at Luke waiting for an explanation to all of this. �Yes?� Luke asked. He hated the guy already and he just got here. �I want to an answer to my question,� Mikkos snapped. �Lu, why don�t you and Lucky get my surprise,� Luke said putting Lu down on the ground again. �How did you know you had a surprise?� Lu asked eyeing Lucky coldly. �I�d be hurt if I didn�t have one,� Luke said and he patted Lu on the head. Lucky took his sister away living the adults alone to talk. Luke looked at Mikkos and said after the kids were gone. �Could you do me a favor and leave the fits to when Lu isn�t around,� Luke told him. �Fine. Now, tell me where were you?� Mikkos demanded. Robert laughed and said, �We were talking to the police. It seems that Helena hired some men to kidnap Lucky. They messed up.� �I knew it,� Mikkos said in frustration. �Easy old man, Lucky is safe and will be with me around,� Luke said and he walked away. �I have feeling this isn�t going to work out,� Mikkos said and he walked after Luke. Leaving Victor to get the story from the bodyguards. ************************************************ Luke found Lu and Lucky upstairs standing by a door. Lu was standing there grinning brightly act like this was Christmas morning. Luke looked at Laura and asked, �You know what they are up to?� �Yeah,� Laura said. She didn�t know if Luke was like it or not but she hoped he wouldn�t blow it for Lu if he didn�t. �Close your eyes,� Lu asked her father. Luke looked her then Laura then did what she asked. Lu grabbed her father hand and Luke was guided into the room. When Luke opened his eyes, he found that he was standing in a room filled with all of his belongs. �What�s this?� Luke asked. �Your room,� Lu said grinning. �You did say you were staying here right?� Laura asked. She thought Alexis missed understood Luke because she didn�t think that he really met it. �I did,� Luke said reading Laura�s mind. He just figured he tell her later what he was up to. �Oh, I forgot something,� Lu said and she ran off to her room. �I�ll go with her,� Lucky said figuring his mother needed say something without him in the room. Laura smiled at Lucky and she waited until the door was closed before saying anything. �What are you to?� she asked. �Trouble,� Luke said with a smile on his face. �I gathered that,� Laura said crossing her arms and looking at him intently. �What kind of trouble?� Luke smiled at her and told her what Mikkos said when he was in the hospital. �You think so to?� Laura asked. �I don�t know but if he wants to play this game fine by me. I�ll just make myself at home,� Luke said grinning. �You, me, our kids, the Cassadines all living under one roof? You think this place is big enough?� Laura asked laughing. �I don�t know. Can you live with it?� Luke asked. Laura stopped laughing and said, �If it comes to my children safely then I can live with it,� Laura said. �Good and don�t worry about me. I�m big boy. If you want Stefan then you can have him. I�m just doing this for the kids,� Luke told her. �I know. You wouldn�t need to play these games other wise,� Laura said and she kissed Luke lightly on the cheek and left to alone to be his kids. Chapter 14 Back to "A Father's Love" |