Chapter 113

Lucky came bounding into the living room of the Victorian. "Hey, Nikolas. We have the house to ourselves now. Frisco just left. He's not coming back until about ten tonight, and then he's leaving Port Charles on Sunday afternoon. He's taking out Maxie and Georgie for dinner. He doesn't see them very often."

"Those are his two girls?" Nikolas questioned. He was sitting on a chair with his briefcase opened and files and papers spread before him in a neat arrangement. His tie was removed, but he still wore his dress shirt and trousers from the wedding. He wore a slightly exasperated look on his face, a result of his struggles with the General Hospital paperwork that he couldn't foist off onto the newly hired MBA that was supposed to relieve his burdens. It was only 3:30 in the afternoon, but he was already sporting a black, five 'o clock shadow as he had a heavy beard for a young man.

"Yeah. His and Felicia's."

"Oh, I forgot. It seems like Mac is their father."

"I guess he is in a way since Frisco is never around. He's always setting up missions like the one here. Sometimes he travels to Africa or Asia and who knows where else."

Lucky sat down in a chair beside Nikolas, and a wistful look crossed his face. "I miss running around the world. Maybe I'm like my dad. I like to be on the move, not stay put in one place. It's boring."

Nikolas regarded his brother with interest as this was a topic that neither had discussed previously. "How long have you lived in Port Charles? Ten years?"

Lucky nodded. "About that long. Before moving here we never stayed in one place longer than a few years. Usually only a few months. Dad always made it an adventure, so it was cool. But after awhile I got tired of leaving my friends behind." Lucky grew nervous and started chewing on his fingernail. He shrugged and lowered his head as he stared at the floor. "I don't have any friends from those days," he added. His eyes dimmed with an unreadable emotion. "I always had to control everyone, be the ringleader. If I couldn't have it my way, I wouldn't play. I'm sure they didn't miss me when I moved away."

"Prince Lucas," Nikolas teased.

Lucky bust out laughing. "You could say that."

"Maybe we have more in common than we realize," Nikolas said. "Stefan and Luke, as much as they hated each other, both raised us to be princes, masters of the universe."

"No kidding," Lucky said wryly as he shook his head. "What are you going to do about your princely duties? They're coming up in four years."

"Three years," Nikolas corrected. "My birthday is two weeks from today."

Lucky frowned with surprise. "I didn't know that. Did I ever know your birth date?"

Nikolas shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Oh," Lucky responded. "Sorry. I was too busy hating your guts to notice?"

"That's close," Nikolas sighed.

Silence entered the room as the two brothers remained lost in their thoughts. Harley started barking in the back yard, and Lucky rose from his chair. "I'm going to give the dog a walk and get out of your hair so you can finish up your work. Do you want to go to the mall later? There's something I've been meaning to do."

"Sure," Nikolas said. He'd been wondering how they'd fill the time that evening and was grateful that Lucky saved him the trouble of planning an outing.

"Did you bring anything casual to wear?" Lucky asked as he looked his brother up and down with a hesitant expression.

Nikolas brushed his trousers self-consciously. "I don't have any jeans if that's what you mean."

Lucky sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. I'll dress up, and you dress down, how's that?"

A smile played on Nikolas' lips as he realized they sounded more like sisters discussing wardrobes than brothers planning to hang out at the mall. Lucky was so quirky at times, but Nikolas liked it. His brother kept him on his toes.

~*~*~*~

"You never told me what you wanted to do at the mall," Nikolas said as he opened the door to his Mercedes. Lucky slipped inside the front seat and grinned. "It's a secret.".

"Am I going to like this secret?" Nikolas questioned.

Lucky shrugged and spoke nonchalantly. "It has to do with me, not you, so don't sweat it."

Nikolas glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "Are we going to eat out?"

"Can you cook?" Lucky asked.

"No. Can you?"

"I burn anything I touch including PopTarts."

Nikolas nodded. "Let's eat out. I need to go back into the house and retrieve the medicine dispenser. Wait here."

"I'm not moving," Lucky answered in a bored tone of voice. After Nikolas exited the vehicle, Lucky began running his fingers over the tan leather seats and examined the intricate German-engineered cockpit of the vehicle with its precise instrumentation. He shivered when he reflected that Stefan had driven this car regularly and must have left behind plenty of Stefan molecules. As far as he knew, Lucky could be sitting on a Stefan hair. He lifted up in the seat and brushed fiercely as he tried to catch his breath. He felt shaky but knew he couldn't mention it to Nikolas. He wished that Nikolas would have brought the Jaguar instead. Lucky chuckled. Then I'd be sitting on a long, blonde bimbo hair. He played with the steering wheel. I'm going to ask Nikolas if I can drive the Jag when I get my license back. One of these days...

Lucky yawned loudly and craned his neck to look back at the house. Nikolas was still in the house. Must be re-reading Tony's instructions, Lucky thought bitterly. They don't trust me to take care of myself. Not that I blame them, but still...I survived for years on my own, on the run or living on the streets. Why do I need this constant babysitting? Does it matter anyway? They can't do anything if I decide to run. I'm an adult. It's not against the law. Lucky ran a hand over his face and yawned again. I'm so tired. They're castrating me with these drugs. Chemical castration. What will Nikolas do if I refuse to take them? Nothing. He can't do anything. What's he going to do, pry my jaw open? Sheesh. He leaned against the door, his head against the window and his shoulders curled up protectively with an arm around his middle. Lucky fell asleep almost instantly. He was exhausted with the big wedding, the constant social interaction with a variety of people and the tension of trying to win back his girl while struggling to keep hallucinations at bay.

Seven minutes later, Nikolas returned with a medicine dispenser in hand. He knew that he should have returned more quickly, but the Cassadine in him insisted on re-reading the instructions that Tony had left in order to determine the correct evening medications. I hope Lucky's not mad at waiting so long. He's usually so impatient. Nikolas breathed in sharply with surprise when he saw Lucky sprawled against the door, his mouth parted and his breathing heavy and regular. He's fast asleep. I'm tired, too, so I'm sure Lucky must be. It's been a long day. I'll try to be quiet so he can nap while I drive to the mall. It's so much further now that they live in the downtown area. It must be twenty miles away.

Lucky never stirred while Nikolas drove through the streets of Port Charles on his way to the expressway entrance ramp, but once they were on the highway, Lucky started to jerk and mumble. Nikolas shot him a glance several times, but it seemed like Lucky was dreaming, so he left him alone while concentrating on his driving. Nikolas felt his heart jump through his chest when Lucky suddenly screamed, "NO!"

Lucky frantically moved around in his seat, caught and trapped by his seatbelt and frantic to get away from whatever he'd been dreaming. When he started slapping and pushing at the door, Nikolas instinctively pressed the child lock button on his console so Lucky wouldn't jump out of the car. When Lucky swung around, his forearm caught the side of Nikolas' head, and Nikolas' startled reaction caused the Mercedes to swerve dangerously over in the direction of the concrete divider. Two tires ran up over the concrete, and Nikolas felt the car go out of control. Wrestling with the steering wheel, he managed to keep the car in the correct lane.

Nikolas started shouting Greek curses at the top of his voice while Lucky blinked in surprise as he reoriented himself to his surroundings. Both brothers were panting hard and red-faced.

"You nearly made me run us off the road!" Nikolas shouted in Greek. "Why did you do that?" Lucky stared at him, not understanding the words but picking up their meaning from Nikolas' tone of voice. He stared wide-eyed at Nikolas, never having seen him lose control over his emotions to that degree.

"Cassadine," Lucky intoned. "I don't speak Greek."

Nikolas sputtered angrily and shot Lucky a murderous glance. "I said you almost killed us by going off like that and hitting me. We almost crashed."

Lucky coughed and rubbed his face with his hands. "I'm sorry. Lately, I've had tons of nightmares. I've been blaming it on the drugs, but I don't know. I didn't mean to, Nikolas."

Nikolas firmly pressed his lips together in a thin, white line. "I know. I just don't like being scared like that. I must be allergic to adrenaline."

Lucky laughed. "Your sense of humor isn't bad. Now if we can work on your fashion sense..."

~*~*~*~

"Mom?" Emily carried a bowl of popcorn into the family room and sat by Monica on the sofa. Monica looked at her daughter and smiled. It had been a long time since Emily had sought out her company. Their relationship had been strained for months since their fight about Lucky and Emily's choice to attend Port Charles University. Lately, Emily seemed to have confided in Edward, but the crotchety old man wasn't talking to anyone.

"What's up, Emily?" she asked.

Emily scooped up a handful of popcorn and nibbled. She looked up and met Monica's gaze. "I invited Lucky to the house on Wednesday. Cook is going to prepare us a special dinner. If that's a problem, you need to tell me now so I can make other arrangements." Emily wore a slightly hurt look on her face, expecting her mother to protest her relationship with Lucky.

Monica held her breath and then let it out slowly. She chose her words carefully. "I saw you talking to Lucky at the wedding today. You've been having problems." When Emily looked surprised, she said, "You've been moping around the house since your date. I know you've spoken to Edward. You didn't come to me, so I respected your privacy and didn't pry. Does that surprise you?"

Emily nodded and scooped up more popcorn. "Yeah. A little."

Monica reached out and touched Emily's arm. "I'm not going to offer my opinion about your boyfriends unless you ask me. If you want him here, then, yes, Lucky is welcome in our home."

Emily's cheek twitched. "Why do you hate him, Mom?"

"Oh, honey, I don't hate Lucky. Not at all. I've been concerned about his problems and whether they might overburden you. You're a young woman, and his situation is serious. I'm a mother. I'm concerned, that's all."

Emily looked down at her lap and played with the popcorn in the bowl, letting the fluffy pieces tumble from her restless fingers. "I know he has problems. I've thought about breaking up with him because of some things he did. But I can't help it. Every time I look at him or talk to him, my heart jumps and all I want to do is be with him. Is that so terrible?"

Monica shook her head. "No," she replied.

"Lucky wants to talk to me, to explain to me why he acted the way he did. He says there are things I don't know. Grandfather recommended that I hear him out."

"If you feel that strongly about him, then you should listen to what he has to say."

"That's what I thought, too." Emily hesitated. "He looked so nice at the wedding, didn't he? I haven't seen him that happy since, well, since before I went to France."

Monica smiled. "The whole Spencer-Jones clan was on cloud nine today. Bobbie has been radiant for weeks. They need to bottle that happiness and sell it for millions."

Emily laughed and sank back further into the sofa. "I know. Bobbie was so beautiful. Her suit was gorgeous, but it wasn't that. It's like her face was shining with light."

"Tony, too," Monica added. "That family deserves some good luck."

"Yeah, they do," Emily agreed. She cleared her throat. "Is it so wrong to love someone who's imperfect? You and dad are still together in spite of dad's drug addictions. Do you look down on me because of my problems with drugs?"

"No. I guess it's easier to overlook faults in someone you love than in the boy who is dating your daughter."

"That's right. He has to be perfect, a Ken doll from a good family with money and preferably an M.D., right?"

"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Monica replied breezily.

"I love a real person, not a doll. And besides, look at all of the crazy antics of the doctors at General Hospital. Who can judge?"

Monica grinned in spite of herself. "You make some good points, Emily. You've grown up quite a bit this year. You sound like an adult, not a child."

"Thanks, Mom."

~*~*~*~

"Are you ever going to tell me this secret of yours?" Nikolas complained as the two brothers walked nearly the entire length of the mall.

"Hold tight," Lucky explained. "We're almost there. I checked on the location of it the last time I was here with Tony. I've been thinking about it for awhile."

"What?" Nikolas asked with exasperation.

Lucky stopped. "This," he stated as he stood in front of a small piecing booth. "I'm gonna have my ear pierced again. When Faison took me, he stole my earring and wouldn't let me wear it. Said he was going to destroy all traces of Spencer in me, including that. Now, I've decided that I'll take back my Spencerness. Faison can't keep that from me. It's mine. Besides, I liked wearing an earring. So here we are."

"I can't believe you're doing this," Nikolas sputtered.

"Watch and learn," Lucky replied. "Hey," he motioned to the girl. "I want to get my left ear pierced. It's been pierced before, but it grew back."

The salesperson, a tall black girl in her early twenties, nodded. "We can do that. I can pierce it right over where it was done before. Do you want to show me the earring you wish to buy with that?" Lucky pointed to a thick gold hoop. "That one," he said. It was almost an exact replica of his father's favorite earring. Dad will have to have his redone, too, when he gets out of prison. Only he had three holes. Hassle.

"You need to choose a post," the girl indicated. She spread her hand across one area of the display. "There are many here to choose from."

Lucky frowned. "No. I want a hoop."

"But a post will heal better," she explained.

"Well, give me the post to go," he stated. "I want to walk out with a hoop in my ear."

Nikolas raised his eyebrows at the wheeling and dealing in front of him. He glanced at the girl's ear and wondered how much it hurt to have a hole placed in the cartilage. Not that he intended to find out. He rubbed his own ear protectively. This seemed like a silly thing for Lucky to do, but it wasn't his ear, so he held his tongue.

The girl sighed deeply. "Come around here," she instructed. "Don't blame me if it won't heal right."

"Whatever," Lucky intoned in a bored tone of voice.

"So you liked where the hole was before?" the girl questioned.

"Yeah," Lucky replied. She marked his ear with a marker and held up a mirror. "This okay?" Lucky nodded. "Ow!" he gritted out when she suddenly pierced it. "Why didn't you warn me?" Had it hurt that badly when Luke and Sonny had pierced it on that camping trip so many years ago?

~*~*~*~

Lucky walked away from the piercing booth with not only an extra gold hoop in a bag, but a necklace around his neck as well. The girl was a good salesperson and had mentioned the "get a piercing buy a necklace for 50% off deal" to Lucky. Lucky had chosen a simple gold necklace with a small cross pendant. He'd thought about buying one for Emily, but decided that their upcoming dinner would be best served with honesty, not a gift or bribe.

"You're next, Nikolas," Lucky said. He detected a tensing up of his brother's muscles. "We're not going to pierce anything," he teased. "We're going to buy you a pair of blue jeans."

Lucky led Nikolas to a store in the center of the mall and ushered him in. He stared at Nikolas for a minute, nodded and began pulling out pairs of jeans from cubbyholes. "Here are three sizes. Go try them on and see what fits."

Nikolas didn't even bother trying to protest and merely accepted the jeans, marching toward the fitting area at the back of the store. What can it hurt? I don't own any jeans. One pair is no big deal. Nikolas surveyed the store. But what if someone at the hospital sees me? I can't appear undignified.

Nikolas finally found a pair of jeans that seemed to fit, and he walked outside of the fitting room to seek Lucky's opinion. Lucky was leaning heavily against a rack of clothing, spacing out with a glazed look in his eyes. "Hey, Lucky," Nikolas called out.

Lucky jumped and turned toward the voice. "Looks good," he said with a trace of weariness.

Nikolas noticed that Lucky's face had a drawn appearance, and he decided to quickly change and make the purchase. Lucky continued to lean on the rack until Nikolas clapped him on the back. "Thanks for the fashion advice. Are you ready to go? Had enough of the mall?"

"Yeah, we can go," Lucky said quietly. The two brothers strolled toward the other end of the mall, in the direction of the parking lot. Lucky remained silent and slowed his pace. Nikolas began to feel uneasy. "Are you okay? Let's sit down for a second." Nikolas directed Lucky to an empty bench by a fountain. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"I don't know," Lucky said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I think there are too many people in the mall. I feel surrounded and scared. Maybe I overdid it today."

"Maybe," Nikolas agreed. "It's only a few more yards. Let's find the car and go home."

"What about dinner?" Lucky asked. "I'm hungry."

"Me, too. How about a pizza to go?"

~*~*~*~

"Tony, this is absolutely heavenly. However did you find this place?" Bobbie dropped her suitcase in the closet and walked around admiring their honeymoon suite.

Tony shrugged but looked pleased. "I asked around the hospital. One of the other docs had rented this place when she got married, and she raved about it."

"Look at the bathroom!" Bobbie called out excitedly, her voice echoing around the hard surfaces in the room.

Tony poked his head around the corner and smiled. "Wow." There was mirror everywhere with a large two-seater red, heart-shaped whirlpool tub and a sauna.

"Are you sure we're not in the Poconos?" Bobbie laughed loudly and fell into Tony's arms. Tony squeezed her tightly and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Right in our own backyard," Tony said. "I made our reservations for eight o'clock tonight. We have plenty of time to try out the Jacuzzi." Tony's eyes grew hazy with desire, and he kissed Bobbie soundly on the lips as he ran his hands up and down her back.

Bobbie giggled and tickled Tony. "I thought you'd never ask!"

~*~*~*~

Frisco entered the Ice Cream Palace with Maxie and Georgie. They'd spent two hours at the latest Disney movie, and the girls were in a good mood. Maxie had been sullen during dinner and had refused to talk, only answering Frisco's questions with one or two word answers. Georgie was simply content to have the attention of an adult and a fun outing, but she didn't remember living with her father and wasn't carrying a grudge. To her, Mac was her everyday dad, and seeing Frisco was an extra bonus.

Frisco rolled his eyes when the girls insisted on ordering ice cream sundaes. He knew they'd only be able to finish half of the dessert at best, but he was trying to continue the positive vibe that they'd all carried out of the movie and said nothing. Maxie began to perk up when Frisco mentioned rooming with Lucky. Felicia had been extra careful not to discuss Lucky's problems around the girls, and Maxie was unaware that Lucky had been in the hospital for over six months.

"So you're staying with Lucky?" she asked with real interest. "What is he like now?" She blushed and said shyly, "He seemed so grown up at the wedding, almost like a man."

Frisco's nerves were on alert. He blinked in surprise at the girl seated across from him in the booth. Maxie was no longer a little girl, but a blossoming teenager with other interests than playing dolls and collecting pretty stickers. He folded his hands on the table and gave his daughter a small smile. "Lucky isn't much different than he was years ago," he said evasively. When Maxie frowned at the lack of information, he added, "Lucky has a new dog, Harley. It's a big Rottweiler - looks fierce, but is a nice dog. He smelled lasagna on my hands and licked me so much I had a palmful of dog slobber." Georgie laughed delightedly at her dad's sense of humor, but Maxie merely tittered and concentrated on spooning up more of her sundae. Frisco looked closely at Maxie and asked, "Why all the interest in Lucky Spencer?"

Maxie shrugged and lowered her eyes. "He's nice. I just wondered."

Frisco frowned. Lucky was nineteen years old, and Maxie was barely thirteen, a baby in his eyes. "He has a girlfriend, Emily Quartermaine," he explained. "Besides, he's too old for you."

Maxie's face grew red, and her eyes flashed hate at Frisco. She stood up abruptly from the booth and flung her napkin on top of her sundae. "I just asked," she said angrily. "Why the third degree? It's not like you care anyway!" Maxie stalked off in the direction of the restrooms while Frisco looked after her in bewilderment.

"Don't let Maxie bother you," Georgie said in a confiding voice. "She slams doors all the time now. She's a pain."

Frisco's face softened at his youngest daughter's kindness. "Come here, Georgie," he motioned with a hand toward his side of the booth. Georgie slid out of the booth and repositioned herself beside Frisco. He pulled his daughter close and placed a soft kiss on her hair. "I love you, pumpkin," he said. "I'm sorry I'm not here for you and your sister."

Georgie smiled and snuggled closer to Frisco. "I love you, too, daddy. I want to see you more often, but it's okay. I understand."

Frisco was filled with sadness. "You shouldn't have to understand."

~*~*~*~

Nikolas groaned and leaned back in his chair. He wore a sick look on his face and held his hand over his stomach. "What have I done?"

"I hurt myself," Lucky agreed. He frowned and rose from the kitchen table, collecting three boxes and heading for the trash can. He piled the pizza boxes on top of it and dusted his hands with a clapping motion. A loud belch erupted from the direction of his brother, and Lucky cracked up. "Is that the Cassadine seal of approval?" he smirked.

"How did we eat three whole pizzas?" Nikolas asked in awe. "I'm going to die. I can feel it."

"Liked those specialty pizzas, didn't you?" Lucky teased. "Now you've had the Hawaiian special, the Greek deluxe and the Meatmonster."

"The Greek was the best," Nikolas exclaimed.

"Why did I expect you to say that?" Lucky replied. He suddenly was assaulted by a burp of his own and said, "Excuse ME."

"No excuse," Nikolas shot back. Lucky shook his head. The two brothers were enjoying each other's company and the smart remarks and cracks just cemented the deal.

"Do you eat like this all the time?" Nikolas asked.

"No, Aunt Bobbie cooks real food."

"I've had some of that," Nikolas recalled fondly.

"I'm making up for lost time after all of that hospital slop."

"I have my MBA working on the food issue. It's a special project."

"Thank God. You're killing patients every day. Innocent bystanders, too."

Nikolas smiled and rose from the table. "You need to take your medications," he mentioned lightly.

Lucky's good mood evaporated suddenly and was replaced by a hot temper. He whipped around and said fiercely, "Who appointed you my psychiatrist, Cassadine?" His eyes darkened and reflected a challenge at his brother.

A lump rose in Nikolas' throat as he regarded his brother. Lucky's words and tone of voice gave him an uneasy sense of déjà vu, a remembrance of all the times that Luke had thrown similar retorts in his face. Lucky had never looked or sounded more like his father than at that very moment. Nikolas reflected that this same temper had killed his father and uncle, and he felt stunned and angry.

Lucky looked at the tight, blank expression on Nikolas' face, and it only made him testier. "I'll take my medications when I'm ready to," he declared as he patted his jeans, searching for his ever present pack of cigarettes and lighter. "I'm going out." Lucky slammed out of the side door and left a bewildered Nikolas in the kitchen.

Should I go after him? Nikolas wondered futilely. It's so hard to know how to react to his rapid mood changes. What do I do?

Lucky didn't go far, instead choosing to sit on the stoop outside of the door. He sat hunched over with his bad mood and rapidly lit up his first cigarette. He inhaled deeply and held the smoke in his lungs. Too bad Nikolas doesn't have any of that pot left over. I need to chill. He let out a long trail of smoke from his full lips. Of course, I'm supposed to chill on my own these days. God, I want a drink. He shook his head and rolled his shoulders. A sharp pain stabbed his earlobe when he moved his head too fast, and he carefully placed a hand over his newly pierced ear. Ouch. Crap. I don't remember it hurting this much before. Maybe I was trying so hard to be a tough guy when I was a litle kid that I ignored it. Story of my life. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

After finishing his cigarette, Lucky rose from the concrete stoop and walked back into the house. Nikolas was seated again at the kitchen table with a rigid posture and a frown on his face. Lucky felt a wave of shame and said, "I'm sorry, Nikolas. I don't like people telling me what to do. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Nikolas looked up gratefully, and Lucky continued. "You're only three years older than me, you know. It doesn't feel good to have you mothering me. Tony can't help it, so I can forgive him, but I don't know about you." Lucky met his brother's eyes. The two brothers stared at each other.

"I can understand that," Nikolas replied softly.

Lucky walked over to the kitchen counter and opened the medicine dispenser, depositing his evening dosages into his palm and seeking out a glass to fill with water. He swallowed the pills, and said, "I need to chill. Let's go make some music."

~*~*~*~

Nikolas was sitting on a chair and reading a book of recommendations for conquering the LSAT. Lucky came down the stairs carrying his Martin guitar. Lucky's eyes swept over his brother. "Is my playing going to disturb you?"

Nikolas looked up from his book and shook his head. "I'm reviewing this for the twentieth time. No problem."

Lucky bent his head over to get a better look at the book title. "Are you taking that test?"

Nikolas nodded. "I spoke to the university, and based on my previous schooling, they agreed to waiver an undergraduate degree and allow me to enter directly into law school if I receive a decent score on this test. I take it next week."

A pleased look flushed Lucky's face. "You listened to me," he said in amazement. "You talked to Alexis then?"

Nikolas nodded. "I spent the weekend with her recently, and she thought it would be a good idea. I can focus on international law, and it will prepare me for my duties as Prince. Running a hospital isn't as relevant. Apparently, there are quite a few legal matters to deal with, and not many people I can trust, so I'd better learn while I can."

"Cool. Will you be starting school like me, at the same time I mean?"

"I think so," Nikolas answered. "If I pass this test. It seems simple."

"We're both smart," Lucky stated. "We'll have Tony calling you Mr. Brain next."

"Tony is a nice man," Nikolas observed. "He's encouraged you all the way, hasn't he?"

Lucky nodded. "Yeah. He's been there for me when no one else was. He's saved my life more than once. I don't know why he cares, but he does, so I don't question it. I'm lucky to have him as an uncle." Lucky began strumming several chords on his guitar and glanced shyly at Nikolas. "What was your father like? Your real father I mean, Stavros."

Nikolas laid his book down on the ottoman and laced his fingers behind his head as he propped his feet on the ottoman. "You'll hear different versions of my father depending on who's telling the story." He looked Lucky in the eye. "Laura probably gave you the less flattering view of Stavros." Nikolas cleared his throat and looked down at the floor as his mind sifted through his memories. "What's right to one person may be wrong to another one based on their culture or experiences," he explained. "My father was raised to be royalty and he expected the world to bow at his feet. Was that an unrealistic expectation? No. Not in his world. But, worlds collided when the Cassadines and Spencers interacted. From what other family members tell me, he was charming, my father. He was good-looking, educated, very intelligent with a fine sense of humor. But his weakness was women - blond women in particular." Nikolas laughed bitterly. "A family legacy - Stavros, Stefan, and Nikolas. What a sad trio." He ran a hand over the back of his neck, massaging the stiff muscles. "Obviously both my father and uncle were obsessive. I'm not sure why they obsessed over the same woman, but it ultimately killed both of them."

"Our mother," Lucky observed dryly.

"Yes."

"I think she likes the drama - men chasing her, fighting over her," Lucky said. "Too bad she's in prison now. Her major source of entertainment is gone. Wonder what's keeping her alive?"

"My father loved me," Nikolas interjected. "I have lots of photos of him holding me as an infant. I can tell by the look on his face. And Stefan confirmed it. My uncle tried to poison my mind when it came to my father - out of jealousy I think. But he didn't deny that my father wanted me."

"I know that my father wanted me. I never doubted it," Lucky agreed. "But with my mother it was shaky. Sometimes she acted so happy and pleased, but she'd change her mind at the drop of a hat. I couldn't figure her out. I was always afraid of doing something wrong or making her mad. I had to be so careful." Lucky's eyes misted. "I took her scraps of love, but it never felt like a whole meal, you know. I was the dog at her feet begging for a handout. People didn't know, even my dad. She was different when it was the two of us. She took her frustrations out on me. That's why I'm so relieved that Lulu is here with us now. I was scared with her alone." A tear fell down Lucky's cheek. "And there I was unable to protect her. I'll never get over that. I feel so guilty."

"Lulu's happy," Nikolas replied. "She's fine. Both of her brothers love her. She knows that."

Lucky wiped away his tear. "I guess."

"Will you play me a song?" Nikolas inquired.

Lucky brightened. "Sure. I've been working on this new song I heard on the radio. It has a lot of good acoustic guitar." Nikolas was surprised to hear his brother begin singing and very well at that. Lucky's tenor rang out huskily through out the Victorian with a pleasing melodic intensity.

Never made it as a wise man
I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'
Tired of livin' like a blind man
I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling

This is how you remind me
This is how you remind me of what I really am

It's not like you to say sorry, I was waiting on a different story
This time I'm mistaken for handing you a heart worth breaking
I've been wrong, I've been down, been to the bottom of every bottle
These five words in my head scream, "are we havin' fun yet?" *

Both young men jumped in surprise when they heard the sound of clapping.

"Frisco," Lucky breathed out in relief. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Too much fine music playing," Frisco grinned. He leaned against a wall. "You have a nice voice, Spencer."

"Thanks."

"Ditto," Nikolas agreed. "Very nice."

"I like to sing, I just forgot that I did," Lucky said. "How was your dinner?" he asked Frisco.

"Dinner, movie and ice cream," Frisco corrected. "It was nice spending time with the girls. The movie was entertaining - both for adults and kids. The girls are growing up."

"They sure are," Lucky observed. His eyes danced. "I couldn't believe how much older Maxie seemed at the wedding. She's pretty."

Frisco's eyes narrowed and swept over Lucky. "Yeah," he agreed without elaborating. "Time for this old man to go to bed. I'll be leaving the house early tomorrow morning. If I don't see you then, remember that you have my beeper number. Be sure to use it if you have any questions or concerns. You, too, Nikolas." Frisco patted Lucky on the back for reassurance.

Both young men watched Frisco disappear upstairs.

* lyrics from "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback

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