2
Luke Spencer stood on the porch of the cottage, a bouquet of roses in his hand. He swallowed down the nervousness that raised in his stomach. It’s been days since he’s talked to Faith and their daughter. Days spent thinking of ways to break through the icy receptions Portia gave him. Despite Faith’s gentle encouragement to give her father a chance, Portia had remained steadfast in hating Luke and all things a part of him. But today he decided, was going to be the day he got his daughter back from Helena’s evil manipulations.
It was Faith that answered the door. Her green eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and pleasure. She wasn’t expecting Luke, but she enjoyed seeing him. "Luke. What a surprise. What can I do for you?"
"I want to see our daughter. I thought it was about time we sat down and really got to know one another," Luke cleared his throat, hoping that he wasn’t stepping on Faith’s toes about this. She also had time to make up for with their daughter.
"It’s funny that you’re here. It’s almost time for dinner and I had invited Lucky and Elizabeth over so Portia could get to know her little brother. She might as well get to know her father while she’s at it," Faith ushered Luke into the cottage.
"Dad," Lucky got to his feet as Luke entered. Faith again took a double take. Indeed, Lucky was a young replica of his father.
"Hey Cowboy," Luke went up and hugged his son, being sure not to squash the flowers.
"What are you doing here?" Lucky pulled away from the hug, setting his father between Elizabeth and himself. Ever since the kidnapping Lucky has been a little clingy with his father. Luke wasn’t complaining. It has been so long since Lucky had really needed him, he was enjoying the extra attention from his son.
"I came to see your sister," Luke explained, just as Portia came downstairs.
"I thought this was about getting to know my brother better. What’s Luke doing here?" She glared at the eldest Spencer.
Faith got up to go to her daughter. "Luke had just dropped by to see you," She pulled her daughter the rest of the way down the stairs. "Now stop being impolite and say hello."
"I can’t believe you," Portia hissed. "You know how I feel about him. How could you invite him into our home, know what he’s done?"
"He’s done nothing. It was all Helena’s lies and you know it. Now go greet your father and brother."
Rolling her eyes, Portia sauntered over to Luke and Lucky. It was Lucky she greeted first. To her surprise, her smile was genuine. There was something about her newly found brother. She was finding it harder and harder to hate him with his mischievous blue eyes and the lop-sided grin she’s only seen when he’s with Elizabeth.
"Hi Lucky. I’m glad to see you here," she smiled. The smile faded when she turned to Luke. "Luke. What a surprise to see you here. We weren’t expecting you."
Luke grinned. "That’s me sweet heart. Popping in when you least expect me. Just ask Cowboy here."
Lucky just rolled his eyes and laughed when she looked at him curiously. "Believe me, he’s hard to get rid of. I’ve tried."
"Oh," Portia nodded. "I believe that. Mother!" She turned to Faith. "Shall we head for the dining area now? We don’t want the food to get cold."
"Follow me," Faith nodded, leading her guests over to the table she had set up.
"So! What’s for dinner!" Luke rubbed his hands eagerly. "I am starved."
Faith laughed, remembering Luke’s appetite. "Well it’s good to see that some things never change."
Luke only smiled, also taking a
stroll down memory lane. "You still love Vanilla
pudding?"
"Of course," Faith blushed, surprised that he
remembered such a small detail.
"That was Cowboy’s favorite too. Ain’t that right Lucky?" Luke slapped Lucky’s shoulder.
"Dad, that was a million years ago. I haven’t liked Vanilla pudding since Canada," Lucky shook his head.
"I like vanilla pudding," Portia shrugged. "Helena and I used to feast on the stuff."
Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The subject of Helena made her increasingly uncomfortable. The woman had kidnapped and tortured her boyfriend and best friend. Because of her, Lucky’s joy for life was now gone. "Umm…can we change the subject please?"
"Why?" Portia asked, a bit offended. If she wanted to talk about Helena, that was her right. "She was my grandmother. I want to talk about her. I don’t tell you to stop talking about your grandmother."
"That’s because my grandmother isn’t a kidnapping, blackmailing, homicidal witch," Elizabeth openly glared at her soon to be sister in law.
"Elizabeth," Nikolas’s voice held a warning.
"Well at least Helena wasn’t obsessed with a dead man," Portia got to her feet.
"Oh yeah? What do you call Stavros?"
"That’s enough," Lucky got to his feet, having enough of the argument. "Enough about grandmothers. This is supposed to be about us getting to know one another better."
"Lucky’s right," Nikolas nodded. "So Portia, Elizabeth, set down and no more talk of Helena. She’s dead. Let her remain that way."
"Hear hear," Luke raised his glass in agreement, just as there was a slight knock at the door.
"I’ll get that," Nikolas got to his feet and went to answer the door to Laura. "Mother."
"Hi Nikolas. I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner here, but I…" Laura’s voice faded and her face reddened when she glanced at the dinner table to see Luke laughing at his own joke, trying to break the tension between his daughter and Elizabeth.
"I knew it!" Laura pushed her way pass Nikolas to stand in front of the table, glaring at Faith.
"Laura," Luke got to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? The question is what are you doing here and with this…harlot!" Laura glowered.
"Mom stop," Lucky got to his feet to stand next to his father.
"Don’t talk that way about my mother!" Portia stood out of her chair, blue eyes ablaze with anger.
"Laura, I don’t know what you are talking about but…" Faith tried to explain.
"But nothing! You’re trying to use my son to get those claws of yours into my husband!"
"I’m doing no such thing," Faith gaped at the accusation.
"Well then what is he doing here then?"
"Mother calm down. Luke showed up unexpectedly. He wanted to spend time with Portia, so I asked him to stay for dinner. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me," Nikolas intervened.
Portia frowned. In the past month staying with Nikolas, she noticed that he always took his family’s troubles on his own shoulders and here he was again, taking Laura’s anger at faith on his shoulders as well. She wondered when he would break. Because shoulders can only hold so much.
Laura grew silent, just looking at her eldest son, trying to decipher whether he was telling the truth or not. "Is this true Lucky? Did Nikolas ask Luke to stay?"
Lucky’s face drained of color. He looked at Luke who’s had enough. Things with Laura have been over for a while now. She had no right to stand here acting like a wronged wife.
"That’s enough Laura! I’m not going to set here and let you interrogate our son, just because you’re a little jealous! You have no right to be! You made it perfectly clear a long time ago that our marriage was over! So don’t you dare put on that faithful wife act! You’ve been anything but!"
"Luke…"
"No Laura! Just shut up and listen! Portia is my daughter! If I want to drop by I will! If I want to have dinner with my daughter and her mother, that’s my purgative! You don’t tell me what to do! You lost that right a long time ago! The moment you decided to leave me for Stefan!"
Laura blinked back tears, looking for a friendly face, someone to think of as an allie. She found two. "Lucky, Nikolas…will you please walk me home? It’s getting late…"
"Lucky’s getting to know his sister Laura," Luke’s voice was hard and his eyes were as cold as ice. "Nikolas can walk you home."
Laura glared at her husband, determination burned in her eyes. "I want both of my sons with me Luke."
Luke opened his mouth to say something else, but Lucky stepped in.
"It’s ok dad. I’ll go. There’s sure to be other times that I can talk with Portia," helping Elizabeth out of her chair, he joined Laura and Nikolas at the door.
Laura glared at Faith. "I suppose you’re happy. You’re getting what you wanted. Luke’s angry with me and now you and your daughter have him all to yourselves."
"That’s your doing Laura. Not mine," Faith shook her head.
"Mom come on. Let’s get you home," Lucky and Nikolas got her outside, leaving Luke alone with Faith and Portia.
"I’m sorry about that. Your dinner for Portia and Lucky is ruined. Laura’s a bit childish at times," Luke sighed.
"Well since dinner is a bust and I’m not hungry anyway, I’m heading upstairs," Portia left the room, not even looking at her father.
"She really hates me doesn’t she?" Luke watched his daughter mount the stairs, his eyes sad. He wanted a chance to be a father to his newly found daughter, but it didn’t look like she was going to let him.
"Give her time Luke. She has all that stuff with Helena to wade through. Give her some time and she’ll warm up to you eventually," Faith reassured her ex-fiancée, tenderly touching his hand.
They both gasped at the electricity of that one touch. Looking into each other’s eyes, they both realized that something was still there. What it was, they didn’t know, but it would be interesting to explore it.
"Luke…," Faith began, not sure how to broach the subject after the scene with Laura.
"Shhh. Now is not the time. Later. We’ll discuss it later," he placed a warm finger on her lips.
She just nodded in agreement. "I guess you better go. It’s late and I have to clean up."
"Ok," he slowly got to his feet. Hand in hand they walk to the door in silence. "I again apologize for ruining dinner."
"It wasn’t your fault," Faith sighed.
"No, it was Laura’s. She had no right coming in here, slinging insults like she did."
"She had every right.
She’s your wife."
"Soon to be ex-wife," Luke snored, stuffing his hands
into his pockets. "She gave up all rights to title of wife
when she began taking up with Stefan."
"She’s the mother of your children."
"So are you," Luke
smiled sheepishly. "What is it Faith? Why do you keep coming
up with excuses?"
Faith frowned, confused. She wasn’t aware that she was
making excuses. "What do you mean?"
"You keep making excuses for Laura. Why?"
She blushed and smiled. "Because you love her. Even now you love her still. There must have been something about her that made her deserving of such a gift."
"It’s a long complicated story. I’ll tell you about it when we have more time. But right now, I think it’s best if I head home," Luke opened the door. "Good night lady bug," he smiled, using the nick name he had used for her when they were together, causing her to blush.
"You still have that Spencer Charisma huh Luke?"
"Always," Luke laughed, walking off into the dark night, leaving Faith staring after him. Longingly and Portia standing at the top of the stairs, her emotions swirling. What exactly does the future hold for her parents? Only time will tell.