Chapter 36 The dinner party this night was for a select section of the family. Only the people that were directly related to the main house was there with the expectation of Mikkos close friends. A huge table set up for seventy plus guests were placed in the ballroom. Mikkos sat at the head of the table and Victor place was set up at the other end. This did two things and they were. Showing the family that Victor shared in everything that Mikkos had and the other was to show that Helena wasn�t part his life. On Victor�s side of the table, Alex was to his right and Carly was sitting to his life. Mikkos had put Luke on one side of him and Stefan on the other with Laura sitting near Stefan. The children were located in the middle of the table with the other family members filling in the empty spaces. The table was full and everyone sat around chatting waiting for things to get started. Victor hit his glass and the room went quiet. He then stood up and looked around at all the guests and said, �I want to be the first to officially welcome you. This weekend is very specially to me. My daughter, my pride and joy has finally found someone to love her. Jason, is a very loving young man and I know he will do right by my daughter.� Victor held out his hand and Carly took it. She stood up and smiled brightly at the people in the room. She took pride in knowing that Victor was Mikkos equal and she knew this gave her more power in the family then any of them would ever have. �Carly, I want to say that you made me proud and I hope you and Jason have the life that I always dreamed you would have. I know that Jason loves you just as much as I love Alex and that makes this much easier to do.� Carly nodded her head and Victor looked at Jason. Jason took Carly�s hand and stood up. �Jason, I want to welcome you to this family and I am going proud to have you as my son in-law,� Victor said. �Thank you,� Jason said and he looked at Carly. �I don�t know if now is the time to do this but why not.� Carly looked at him puzzled and Jason pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket. �I love you, Carly. I know I don�t say it words but I hope my actions will always tell you what I can�t say. So, to show you how much you mean to me. I am giving you this. I got it from my grandmother. She gave to this to me to give to you. It was given to her as a token of my grandfather�s love and now it is mine token of love to you,� Jason said and he opened the box. Carly stood their crying because she knew this was Lila�s way of welcoming her into the family but it also showed her that Jason truly loved her. She took the ring and placed it on her hand. She then pulled into her arms and they embraced. �Thank you,� Carly said through her tears. After they sat down, Mikkos was the one that took the floor next. �I don�t think I can top Jason�s act love. So, I�m not going to even attempt it,� Mikkos said and paused for a moment and looked around the room at everyone that had had attended, �I realize that it has been a long time that I have sat at the head any table with any of you. I�m grateful that you have showed up here not only to celebrate with my brother in daughters up coming wedding but also to celebrate me with my expanding family. When I was young but not so wise I fell in love with someone that I thought I would grow old with but that didn�t happen. Events that I could not control took her from me and it also took my son as well or that is what I thought. I learned that I had been wrong and a few mouths ago, I found that son. I also sound out that I have grandchildren as well. I would like to introduce them to you.� Mikkos then point out Luke, Lucky and Lu. Luke�s smile was a fake as it can be. He wasn�t happy about this little introduction but he did keep his cool and the dinner went on without much trouble. The servants started to serve the family and the small talk began. Nikolas introduced Lucky to the group of kids that sitting around them. Lucky liked some of them but the four older boys gave Lucky the kid of looks that only meant trouble. Lucky ignored them and busied himself talking to young girl about his age. �What�s your name?� �Bethany,� the young girl said smiling brightly at Lucky. �How you�re related to this family?� Lucky asked with a smile on his face. �Mikkos� grandfather and my great grandmother were brother and sister,� Bethany said with a smile. �Why they call you Lucky?� Lucky laughed and said, �My father always said he was lucky when I was born. It kind of stuck.� �I like it,� Bethany said and that is how the conversation got started. Lucky took one look at the plate in front of him and was totally lost. He though it could be a fruit or some kind of strange vegetable but it wasn�t so sure. It looked green pinecone to Lucky. Lucky looked at the others around him and watched as they slowly opened it up. Lucky figured he would try it and see what happened. The problem was he couldn�t really use his right hand that well yet. So, he was forced to do this left-handed and when Lucky tried to open up the strange pinecone with his fork. He impaled himself. The pinecone went flying and Lucky yelp in pain. He stuck his hand under the table and bit his lip trying hard not to cry. Most of the group around him laughed at him. Laura started to get up but Stefan stopped her. He wasn�t so sure that Lucky needed his mother at this moment. He figured wait and see what Lucky did before any reacted. �You ok?� Nikolas whispered. Lucky nodded his head and picked up the pinecone and placed it on his plate. He then looked at the group in front of him and said, �I�ll be back.� Lucky left the table and vanished behind servant�s door. Laura got up and went after him and found Lucky standing by Ms. Lansberry as she looked over his hand. �How bad is it?� Laura asked. �I cut it open,� Lucky said still clamping his jaw shut to keep from crying. Laura looked at his hand and said to Ms. Lansberry, �Go get Alex for me.� �Yes, Mrs. Spencer,� Ms Lansberry said and she went to do as Laura requested. Laura then took Lucky into the kitchen and started running water over his hand. �I really made fool of myself,� Lucky said finally. �No, you didn�t. It isn�t your fault that you can�t use your hand that well. So, don�t dwell on it,� Laura said and she hugged Lucky briefly. Alex showed up soon and in a few moments she bandaged Lucky�s hand again. The three of them went back to the meal and when Lucky sat down a young man that sat across from Lucky asked, �You ok?� �Yeah,� Lucky said trying hard not to blush embarrassment. �Nikolas told us what Helena tried to do. I�m sorry. I bet was scary burning like that,� the young man said. �It was,� Lucky said looking at Nikolas and he winked at him. Lucky realized that they no longer though he was a fool and that did help out a lot. So, the conversation went back to normal and the meal went on without any more trouble. Later as the group left the table and went to have drinks and as the group piled out. Carly grabbed Lucky�s arm and asked; �You ok?� �Yeah, I�m fine. I just feel a little dumb,� Lucky admitted as they walked along. �Don�t worry about it. I didn�t attempted to eat it,� Jason said from beside Carly. Lucky laughed and said, �I didn�t see dad trying either.� Lucky then went off to interact with the kids and Carly and Jason talked to the young adults around them. All the girl wanted to see Carly�s ring and everyone wanted to know about Jason. Who his family was and things like that there. Jason told them about the Quartermaines but avoided questions like why he had different last name. Most of them let the subject drop but two young woman wouldn�t. When they walked up the couple, Carly quickly grabbed Jason�s arm to show them that she wasn�t about to let him go. �Hello,� Carly the blond said as she walked over to the young woman. �Hello, Darnel,� Carly said with a cold look on her face. �Aren�t you say hello to me,� Lauren asked Carly. �Hello,� Carly said and she tried to guide Jason away but the young women just wouldn�t go away. �So, where did you meet?� Darnel asked Carly. Jason looked at Carly and knew that Carly didn�t like these ladies for some reason but he was polite and answered their questions. It wasn�t until they were walking way that Carly finally spoke. �I hate those bitches!� Carly said under her breath. �What they do to you?� Jason asked. �Those little liars have been looking down on me for years. They made it a point to remind me that I�m nothing but the bastard daughter of Victor Cassadine and the only reason he took me in was out of duty. If having this wedding does one thing, I hope it finally shuts them up,� Carly said her eyes flashing with rage. �Carly, it doesn�t matter what they think. I doesn't matter what any one thinks. I love you. I love the child we are going to have and we are going to have life together. So, forget about them,� Jason told her and he hugged her closely. Carly smiled at this and together they went back to talking to the guest and enjoying their night. ************************************************* It was late and everyone finally headed off to bed. Lucky walked into his room and started to get undressed. He had his robe on and was sitting in one of the chairs in his room listening to music and eating a sandwich he swiped from the kitchen when his mother walked it. �I wanted to check on you. How is the hand?� Laura asked. �It�s ok,� Lucky said. Laura nodded her head and started to leave when Lucky called out. �Ah, mom can we talk?� �Sure,� Laura said and she walked towards Lucky and sat in the chair beside him. Lucky sat up and looked at his mother intently. �I want to say I�m sorry for acting like a jerk lately,� Lucky said. �You weren�t a jerk. You were just angry and you had every right to be,� Laura said as she brushed her hand over Lucky�s cheek. �No, I didn�t. You were in pain as much as I was but I didn�t see it that way. I just thought myself and when Nikolas showed up I felt left out. I got even angrier. At you, him, Stefan everyone but the person I wanted to be angry with. Mom, It was me that did all of this. I put dad in prison. I caused all of this,� Lucky said and he pulled his legs up to his chest looking lost and very scared. �You? Why do say that?� Laura asked getting up and sitting on the edge the arm holding Lucky close to her. �It was my gambling and lying that helped Damion get to us. If I would have stayed out of trouble then none of this would have happened,� Lucky said. �Lucky, you didn�t do it. Damion was the one that set your father up. He used your father, you and me to do it. He knew what he was doing. So, blaming yourself isn�t right. As for what happened with Nikolas and Stefan. I should have told you the truth. I should have talked to you but I didn�t know how. By the time I knew what to say you were too angry with me to listen. I been trying ever since to make up for it,� Laura said holding him. Lucky thought about this and then said, �I guess we both messed up. Me for not telling you how I felt before this to far and you for not being open about all of it.� �Yeah but we know better now,� Laura said smiling at Lucky. �Yeah,� Lucky said and he thought about something and then said, �Mom, I might not like the idea that you and Stefan are together. Part of me will always want my parents together but if you care about him. I hope he makes you happy.� �Thank you Lucky and no matter who I�m with. I still care very deeply about your father. He gave me two perfect children and I will always be grateful for that,� Laura said. �I�m not perfect,� Lucky said. �You are to me,� Laura said and she kissed Lucky on the cheek. Laura left then and when she closed the door, she saw Luke standing in the hall smiling at her. �It help?� �Yeah, we are normal again,� Laura said with a grin on her face. �That�s good,� Luke said and with that he went back to his room. Laura stood there wondering how much Luke over heard but then she realized that he wouldn�t have listen in. He knew more about their son then she sometimes but then sometimes Laura knew more about Lucky then he did. It made a perfect balance and she hoped that balance would never be broken no matter where any them were in the world. Chapter 37 Back to A Father's Love |