CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

It’s been five hours since Luke’s release from jail and Lucky’s argument with his father. That put to the side, Him, Elizabeth, Beth, Emily, and Nikolas set out on Kelly’s patio planning the wedding.

"Now we have the bride’s gown…what are we going to do about the bridemaids?" Beth asked, taking a sip out of her cherry coke.

"I always liked pink," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Too cliché, besides, I look awful in pink," Emily shakes her head. "That’s what Juan says anyway," Emily sighs, thinking of her boyfriend.

Lucky can’t help but roll his eyes. In his opinion Juan was a jerk. The only reason he was allowing the kid to be a usher was because Emily begged Elizabeth to talk him into giving her boyfriend a place in the wedding. Em knew that Liz would be able to talk him into anything.

"Fushia?" Beth suggests.

"Ugh no," Elizabeth shakes her head. "That dress reminds me of my sister Sarah?"

"How is Sarah by the way?" Nikolas asks curious.

"Great. She’s thinking about coming back to attend PCU. Which is great for Grams since I’ll be living with Lucky full time," Elizabeth smiles at her fiancee.

"How about royal blue? Goes with Nikolas over there," Lucky laughed, catching a glare from his brother.

"Perfect!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I like that."

"Me too," Emily nods.

"So do I," Beth’s eyes light up.

"Sweetie, you’re a genious," Elizabeth kisses Lucky.

"There you are," Katherine Bells saunters up to the table and places two possessive arms on Nikolas’s shoulders.

"Uh, Kat hi. I didn’t know you were going to be here," Nikolas looks up at her, becoming more subdued than he was before. Lucky frowned noticing the change in his brother.

"Lucky, it’s good to see you back. Elizabeth was a wreck since your departure. Always clinging to Nikolas…"

"He was being a friend Katherine. Something you should learn about," Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Well I’m back now. I’m sure a lot of things are going to change," Lucky wraps a arm around Elizabeth.

"And you are?" Kat frowns when she turns to Beth who was staring at Nikolas, shock, disbelief, and disappoint in her eyes.

"Beth. A old friend of Lucky’s. I came to help him with his little sister Laura."

"Oh. Well it’s nice to meet you. But if you’ll excuse us, Nikolas and I have somethings to talk about. Come along Nikolas. We have some deception business to talk about, plus some other personal items…"

"Nikolas can’t go yet. We’re discussing the wedding for Elizabeth and I next week. Nikolas is my best man. It’s required that he’s here," Lucky grabs his brother’s hand, preventing him from going anywhere. Elizabeth just sets there watching the scene. The only reason Nikolas was so vulnerable to Katherine was because of Lucky’s departure. But now that Lucky was back…Katherine was going to have a real fight for control of Nikolas’s life.

"But what we have to discuss…" Katherine begins.

"Can wait," Lucky turns to his brother. "Right Nikolas?"

Nikolas swallows. He had never refused Katherine before. Plus she was pregnant with his child…what if this involved the baby? But then again, Lucky was right…something just didn’t’ feel right about the situation. "I can’t go yet Katherine. This is my brother’s wedding to the woman he loves and it’s only once. We can discuss deception later."
"But Nikolas...," Katherine tries to protest.

"Later!" Nikolas reinserts his decision. "Now go home. I’ll see you tonight."

Katherine glares at Lucky, and then glares at Beth, picking up on her attraction to Nikolas. "Fine. Just remember that after you’re done with your little friends here, that me and OUR baby will be waiting for you."

Katherine throws one last glare in Beth’s direction then leaves.

"Who was that?" Beth asked.

"Katherine Bell. Cradle robber," Elizabeth bites her lip when Nikolas glares at her.

"Let’s be nice ok Liz? She is the mother of my child," Nikolas sighs. "I better go after her. She really looked upset and that’s no good for the baby."

"Nikolas…" Lucky begins to protest.

"Lucky, let me do this. That baby is my responsibility and unlike our mother, I’m not going to abandon it," Nikolas takes off after Katherine.

"She’s so old," Beth shakes her head.

"She’s a liar and money grubber! She married my cousin Ned for his money, and she was engaged to Nikolas’s uncle, but when that didn’t work she went after Nikolas," Emily checks her watch. It was getting close to the time for her to meet Juan.

"She also thought there was something going on between me and Nikolas this summer when Lucky was gone," Elizabeth crossed her arms. "She is such a witch."

"She was especially jealous when she caught him spending any time with us…girls his own age," Emily laughed.

"Plus he has some abandonment issues. I mean he forgives mom, but he’s still carrying a lot of pain," Lucky explained.

"Port Charles sure is a complecated city," Beth shakes her head.

"Well Dorthey, you’re not in Kentucky anymore," Lucky laughed, catching a glare from Beth.

"Hello Cowboy," Luke walks up behind his son, his hands stuck in his pockets, his face solemn.

"Dad," Lucky turns around, not bothering to smile. He’s still a little hurt from the argument the day before. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a visit from your big brother yesterday. He kind of chewed me up and spit me back out. Made me see what type of father I was being to you and I guess in his eyes I’m no better than that Calvin McCoy…"

"Dad…don’t," Lucky was about to interrupts but stops when Luke raises up his hand for silence.

"He was right cowboy. I may not lay a hand on you, but browbeating you with threats is practically the same thing and I’m sorry. I should just accept the fact that you invited Stefan to set with us. I don’t like the decision…but it’s your decision and that’s what matters."

"What are you saying here dad?" Lucky gets to his feet, turning to face his father.

"Lucky…understand that my feud with the Cassadines have been going on for a good long time. It was one of the things that kept my blood running when I had nothing else going for me. For a while it was the most important thing to be besides staying ahead of Frank Smith. Then you came into my life. A little boy that needed me and for once I put all that hatred aside to take care of you. To love a little boy that hadn’t known very much in his short life. And loving you Cowboy was the best thing I’ve ever done. I don’t regret a second of it. And that love…it caused me to put that feud aside for a while. Then Nikolas showed up…and the feud again took center stage. For a while…you and your mother were just pawns to use against the Cassadines. You were my little soldier and Laura, the grand prize I guess. Then the rape came out and you were so angry with me…then you made peace with Nikolas. I should have taken a lesson from that, but I didn’t. Now the McCoys are in town…wanting to destroy my family with the help of Helena Cassadine and in my own way I’m helping by hanging on to that vandetta. I’m allowing that witch to win."

"So what are you saying here dad?"
"That I’m through. Fighting against the Cassadines are fruitless. Right now especially. You need me Cowboy and by golly I’m going to be there for you. I’m going to place you above this stupid feud, and set next to vlad at your wedding next week. I’m going to set up there and watch my only son wed the woman he loves and the mother of my grandchild. I’m sorry Cowboy. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t love you or that I love the feud more," Luke felt tears come to his eyes.

Lucky, tears streaming from his own eyes goes and hugs his father thankful that Luke has seen the error of his ways. "Thank you dad. This means everything."

"Thank your brother. He came into my office yesterday and told me what a horrible father I was being towards you. And he was right. So I’m going to make a change Lucky. For now on you become before any feud I may have with the Cassadines."

Elizabeth sat back and smiles at the father/son reconciliation. She knew just how much Lucky needed Luke and was hoping that this day would come before the wedding, so Lucky can have the man most important to him there.

"Well ain’t this sweet," Calvin McCoy strolls up.

"McCoy," Luke lets go of Lucky and steps in front of him, making sure that McCoy didn’t get anywhere near his son. "What do you want?"

"Wondering about our invitations to the wedding. It’s only proper for your real folks to be invited don’t you think?" Calvin looks over Luke’s shoulders at Lucky.

"His real parents will be there. Now get out of here before I throw you out!" Luke speaks up for Lucky.

"This is a restaurant Spencer. I can be here if I want," Calvin crossed his arms.

"This is MY restaurant and I can kick you out. Now get out of here before I have your friends the PCPD pick you up!" Luke gets up in Calvin’s face.

"Enjoy your freedom while it lasts Spencer. You’re going to regret taking my son and so is your pretty wife," Calving growls.

"That’s one thing I’m never going to regret. If I had to do it all again…I would."

Calvin just smiled. "Like I said. Enjoy yourself. And tell Cassadine that tomorrow we’ll be by to pick up our daughter."

"Like hell you will," Lucky speaks up. "You’re not going no where near Laura!"

"We’ll see what a judge says about that," Calvin grins, at getting the reaction he wanted from Lucky. "With Mrs. Cassadine on our side, we can’t lose."

"Get out of here," Luke growled. "And stay away from Lucky and Laura or you’ll be so sorry…"

"Is that a threat?" Calvin smiles evilly.

"No. It’s a promise. Now get out of here," Luke growls through clinched teeth.

Calvin smiles and does as he’s told for once.

"I wish you hadn’t done that dad…something’s up," Lucky sighed. "I don’t like that smile he had on his face. It was so arrogant. Like he was planning something that we don’t know anything about."

Luke sighs and hugs his son close. "Don’t you worry about that none Cowboy. You just worry about making Miss. Webber here the most happiest bride in Port Charles come next week."

"By the way Lucky, is the church booked?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, no. It was all filled up. But Stefan has agreed to let us use his garden. He said it’s a perfect place for a wedding," Lucky nods. "I know it’s not our church, but It’s romantic."

Elizabeth laughs. "Well then that’s fine. As long as I’m marrying you, anywhere is perfect."

"Come on you three. Let’s go do some more preparing," Luke smiled, placing a arm around both Lucky and Liz.

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