Where Will All Come Home?

Chapter 10
Luke was reading, when Alexis came back into the penthouse.
"There's a new guy on duty at Sonny's. He didn't come on until
three o'clock, so he didn't see Lulu leaving. He's calling Johnny
to see if he knows anything else."

Luke nodded silently and looked back at the small book in his hands.

Alexis crossed her arms across her chest and shivered a little. She uneasily shifted her weight from one foot to the other."What are you reading?" she asked.

"Lulu's diary. I picked the lock."

The diffused gray light from the window washed over his face and hair: the window and man a study in shades of gray. For the first time, Alexis found herself calculating the difference in their ages. She looked down at her fingernails, and using a thumb nail pushed the cuticle back on her index finger so roughly that it almost bled."Do you want me to call Lucky? Maybe she went to see him."

"Go ahead." Luke didn't look up.

Alexis called Audrey Hardy's house, and got Lucky. Luke could tell from her end of the conversation that Lucky was clueless. He glanced back down at the diary, and thought that it was a good thing Lulu hadn't been writing in it very long. She seemed to add entries pretty often.

"Try Bobbie's house," he suggested. He had gotten to late October in the diary. He hoped that she expressed herself clearly and often from that time on, because he needed to understand her better in order to know why she left and where to look for her. If he had taken the time to understand her better....

He looked out the window. The snow continued its relentless, silent smothering of the city. He had no time for self-reproach, when his little girl was out in that. He resumed reading.

Alexis dialed Bobbie's number. Luke heard her leaving a message on his sister's machine. He continued. He had finally found the entries he needed. He read steadily to the end of the diary. In her last entry, dated the previous night, she discussed Mike and the motor they were building and the nice customer at the bar. It was a happy entry. He flipped back and read the late October entries again, swiped at his eyes, and stood up.

"I think I know why, but not where," he told a nervy Alexis.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a knock at the door made her jump instead."That could be her!" Alexis sprang toward the door as she spoke.

Taggert stood outside with another officer.

"Good evening." He smiled thinly.

"We weren't actually expectin' company, but come on in," said Luke, tucking the diary into a handy pocket.

"Cassadine called and reported Lesley Lu missing. Is that correct?" Taggert looked from Luke's closed face to Alexis's cautious one.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Alexis pushed her hair back with one hand, and looked helplessly at Luke.

Taggert nodded."How long has she been missing?"

A dark-haired female officer standing behind Taggert unobtrusively took a notebook and pencil out of her pocket.

"Since before lunch," Alexis admitted.

The female officer goggled."When did you notice she was gone?" the woman blurted out. Taggert gave her a look. She bit her lip, looked down at the notebook in her hands, and made a quick notation.

Luke neither moved nor spoke. Alexis glanced at him, and went on."There was some -some confusion. Luke left her here, but when I finished my shower and came out, Lulu was at the door. She said she was going out with her dad, that he was waiting for her."

For the first time, Luke looked interested in the conversation."Exactly what did she say? Can you remember?"

Alexis thought for a moment."That she had to hurry because Lucky was waiting. No. Something about 'Daddy loves Lucky, and he won't want to keep him waiting'."

Luke turned abruptly and crossed the room to look out the window facing the street.

"So, you didn't notice she was gone for quite some time?" Taggert led her gently."Cassadine says for several hours. Is that right?"

Alexis nodded.

"Did she leave a note or anything? Taggert raised his voice and looked at Luke's back."Maybe, there was a fight this morning, some kind of disagreement?"

Luke didn't respond; he seemed entranced by the falling snow.

Turning back to Alexis with some annoyance, Taggert was surprised to catch the self-possessed attorney awkwardly wiping her tears away with the palm of one hand. He gently touched her shoulder with one large hand while handing her his handkerchief with the other.

"These things happen all the time. From our viewpoint, a fight's good. An eight year old runaway is usually easy to find.

";As long as she's on her own. The problem is that Cassadine says he dropped in at Luke's yesterday evening to wish her a good weekend. She was alone in the bar with a strange man and ..."

Alexis inhaled audibly."Luke?"

He turned to face them."There was a fight in the kitchen. I couldn't take her in there. She was standing on a stool inside the bar, talking to a customer. I was gone maybe five, ten minutes. Then we left for Mike's." He shrugged as he took in Alexis's distraught face."She didn't disappear from the bar," he added quietly.

"No, sir, Mr. Spencer, she didn't." Taggert agreed."But Mr. Cassadine called us in, because he saw his mother seated in a corner of the bar, watching your little girl. He says he stayed at the bar until you called Lulu away. Given Mrs. Cassadine's history with her own family and yours, he felt he had to call us."

Luke shook his head, and raked the fingers of his right hand through his hair."I never saw her. She must have come in while I was in the kitchen. Lulu didn't mention seein' her."

The female officer intervened again."Did the child leave a note? Anything to make you think she left under her own power, besides her comments to Ms. Davis?"

"Show it to her, Alexis." Luke rubbed his eyes wearily.

The officers reviewed the note, and gazed at Luke and Alexis speculatively. Taggert dispatched the woman to Lulu's room to look at her things, and Alexis accompanied her. Once they were out of the room, Taggert spoke.

"What does she mean by the note?"

Luke looked Taggert in the eye for the first time."I believe she has the mistaken impression that I don't want her here."

"Do you have any idea where she went?" Taggert asked.

"No."

The two women came back downstairs. The officer spoke at once.

"The room's clean. There's nothing of hers in there, except a small overnight bag and a backpack with a tape recorder, drawing pad, crayons, a book, and a couple of small games."

Taggert looked impatient."You haven't had time to check the closets or drawers."

The woman stared at Luke with ill-concealed contempt."It's a guest room. It's not a child's room. The bed is made and her bags are packed and lying in the middle of the bed. It didn't take long to look at her things. The tape recorder has only one tape, and it's fixed so that it can't be taped over. There's nothing there."

"I should have introduced you to the officer with me, Luke. This is Detective Victoria Jamison of the Juvenile Division. I think you've met Alexis Davis at the courthouse before, haven't you Vicky?"

Both women nodded, but neither spoke. The phone rang and Alexis dived for it."Luke, Bobbie wants to talk to you." She handed him the phone.

"Has anyone found Laura yet?" Detective Jamison asked Alexis.

"Is she missing too?" Alexis pressed her right hand against her temple.

Taggert grimaced."We don't know. She left Wyndemere this afternoon before Mr. Cassadine got home, and he can't seem to locate her either. We were hoping that she was with the little girl."

Luke got off the phone."Bobbie just got in from work. Lucas went to a Scout event with Tony this afternoon, but he's home now. Bobbie says they haven't seen Lulu. She has seen Laura though. One of the kids in her program got beaten up in a street fight, and she spent most of the afternoon sittin' with the kid at the clinic before they decided to transfer him to the hospital. Bobbie thinks she was goin' back to her office, and then home."

The doorbell rang and the female police officer answered. She did a double-take when she saw Johnny at the door. Apparently she recognized him.

Johnny ignored the two police officers and addressed Luke and Alexis."Sorry for the trouble, folks. Did you lose track of Lulu today?"

Luke motioned him into the room."Yeah, you guys didn't see her, did you?"

Johnny thought a moment."Sonny never talked to you about it, but we've been covering Lulu for months. I just talked to Cassadine, and he's on his way to your sister's house to pick her up. His security people and ours were tripping all over each other a while back, so we made a deal. When Lulu's with you, we cover her. His people take over again on Sunday afternoons when she goes home. Sorry for the confusion, but the guy on duty across the hall is new and didn't know enough to help you. Then, it took him a while to get through to me."

Luke exhaled loudly."She's at Bobbie's? You're sure?"

"Yep, she went in a window earlier today, and she's been there ever since. She's tricky, but not tricky enough to throw us yet." Johnny grinned."We don't interfere with her activities unless they look dangerous, but Mr. Corinthos - well, none of us - would ever forgive ourselves if something happened to her!"

"Thank you so much, Johnny." Alexis's eyes watered again.

"No problem. Rico's on duty now, so if you spot him when you get to Ms. Spencer's, you'll know why he's there. He checks in fairly often, and hasn't reported any recent movement." Johnny nodded at Luke and Alex and went out the door.

Luke stuck his hand out."Thanks for your help, Taggert," Luke said."I genuinely appreciate it, but we can take it from here."

"I think," said Detective Jamison," that I would be more comfortable if we went along. I would prefer to see the child myself tonight. We had an official complaint from Mr. Cassadine. And besides that, Laura's a friend of mine."

"We'll just tag along, Luke," Taggert agreed.
__ __ __

Bobbie's living room at the brownstone seemed crowded by the time Luke, Alexis, and the two policemen joined Bobbie, Tony, Stefan, and Lucas. Luke explained that Lulu had been traced there, but Bobbie reiterated that Lulu had not been seen at the brownstone.

"I already told Stefan that we haven't seen her today," Bobbie explained patiently.

"How about it, Lucas?" Luke inquired."Is Lulu hiding here somewhere?"

Lucas looked at Luke a little too innocently."No, Uncle Luke, she's not here. I'd know if she were. We've only been home for a little while."

"Do ya mind if I look, Bobbie? Sonny's guys are no dummies. They say she came in a window, and never left."

"Sure, Luke. I'll help you." Bobbie and Luke left the room.

"Son, if you know anything...." Tony began.

"It's important, Lucas," Taggert added."It's been snowing today, and if she's outside, we need to find her."

Lucas's face turned beet red with indignation."I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. I wouldn't leave Lulu outside in the snow!"

Stefan, who had been seated on the sofa, stood up and stalked over to Alexis, who had gone straight to the fireplace and stretched her chilled hands out to the fire. She reluctantly turned to face her furious brother.

"That, you, of all people, would let a child of that age go unattended...." he hissed at Alexis."It is inconceivable to me that you could have been so thoughtless. I no longer comprehend anything about you."

Alexis looked at him levelly for the first time. He noticed her swollen eyes and the lines of tension in her face. In a tremulous voice, she asked,"Must you always think the worst of me? Is there nothing left of the boy who was my world?"

Stefan said nothing, but he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She gratefully rested her head on his shoulder. He touched the top of her head with his lips, then slowly rubbed her back as if she were a child in need of comfort. While he held her, he listened to Taggert talk to Lucas.

"No. No, you wouldn't leave anyone out in the snow to freeze," said Taggert."But you might feel that your loyalty to your little cousin means you have to fib for her. Maybe, she's mad at her dad and doesn't want to talk to him. And you are on her side. But, we need to find her. She's pretty small to be outside alone after dark."

The doorbell rang, and Tony rose to answer the door. He reluctantly showed Carly into the room just as Luke and Bobbie returned from a fruitless search of the house.

"Hey, Mama," smiled Carly."Just thought I'd drop by for a while. Hey, kid. Quite a crowd you've got here." She looked quizzically at Bobbie as she walked over to ruffle a flustered Lucas's hair.

"Oh, Carly. Honey, this is a bad time. Uncle Luke has a problem. Lulu is missing."

"Ah," Carly nodded."A family crisis. No need for me here. Only real family members required. Sure, I can take a hint." She started for the door."Or a direct request to disappear. Spencer hints usually arrive with the subtlety of a blunt instrument to the back of the head."

"Carly!" Bobbie reproved."Every thing that happens in the world isn't about you! Your Uncle Luke needs support. The last thing we need is a tantrum from you!"

"No, and look who's missing. Do you even see the irony here? You and Uncle Luke - the magic circle of two – is this a long time Spencer tradition or just a special wrinkle the two of you thought up for your generation?"

"Carly!" Bobbie's patience had been tried to the limit."I don't know what you're talking about, but...."

"Let me spell it out. You and your brother's parenting philosophy is unique. Cherish the boys. Discard the girls."

Carly turned toward Luke."What does Lulu lose by running away from you? The thrill of your classic 'All Spencer women are whores' speech at her engagement party? Or had you already shared that with her? She's only eight, but hey, it's never too early to find out where you stand in the family."

"Shut up! You're making that up!" Bobbie shakily pulled her hand back just before she slapped her daughter's face.

"Gosh, Uncle Luke, I'm making that up." Carly stared insolently at Luke a moment longer before returning her attention to Bobbie."Ask your sweet little friend, Felicia. She heard him. Better still, ask him."

"Luke, I'm so sorry ...." Bobbie turned toward Luke as she began to apologize.

"I said it, Bobbie. I did." He got up and walked into the kitchen alone.

Alexis stood up straight and stared after Luke as if she'd never seen him before. Stefan pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and began carefully wiping Alexis's tearstained face. Everyone sat in silence except Detective Jamison. Her pencil scratched busily on her notebook until the door bell rang yet again.

"I'm on my way out anyway. I'll get it." Carly opened the door."Whoa, folks!" she called."You're in luck tonight! Reinforced by a real Spencer!" Lucky walked into the living room and looked around. His face expressed total bewilderment as he looked at all the people gathered in the room.

"What's going on? Have you found Lulu yet?"

Stefan spoke."No. No, we have not, Lucky. Thank you for coming. Your Aunt Barbara has seen your mother though, so we no longer have to worry about her whereabouts."

"I didn't even know Mom was missing." Lucky spotted his father in the kitchen and excused himself.

Carly shook her head contemptuously, and started out again.

"Wait. Please." Stefan walked over to her quickly."I make no pretense of understanding your family's dynamics, but it is difficult for me to believe you came here by chance tonight." He took a deep breath."Our daughter is lost. It is snowing and dark. How....?" He choked."How will I ever tell my wife that yet another of her children is gone? If you know where she is...."

"It's okay," Carly smiled."I met Laura at her office and took her to Lulu. Then I swung back by here to reassure Lucas and wait for Laura. The two of them should be here soon. I told her I'd wait."

"Thank you." Stefan sighed."Where are they?"

"Carly," Bobbie began.

Carly ignored her mother, and smiled at Lucas."It meant a lot to me that you asked me for help. Thank you."

Lucas jumped up and ran to her."Thank you, Carly. I knew you wouldn't let us down." He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Lucas, you lied to us!" Bobbie looked at him."How could you?"

"I said she wasn't here, and she isn't. She left right before you came home. Lulu doesn't want to talk to Uncle Luke. She wants to talk to Aunt Laura, and Carly helped me get her. I knew you wouldn't help. You would have called Uncle Luke."

"Uncle Luke has been scared to death. It wasn't fair."

"I did what I thought was right, Mom."

"It's okay, son. We'll discuss this later, Bobbie." Tony patted Lucas's shoulder."I think you and I've had enough excitement for one night. How about I walk you to your room? You can teach me how to get to the second level of that game we were playing last weekend. The one with the racing trucks and cars." The two of them left the room together.

"I'm sorry, Stefan," Carly continued."I never told you where Laura and Lulu are. Up a tree." She smiled mischievously.

Stefan raised his eyebrows."It is very cold tonight."

"Laura brought Lulu's heavy coat with her this afternoon. She had planned to drop it off in case Luke wanted to take her outside, so that worked out nicely. They're fine."

While everyone's attention was riveted by Carly and Stefan's conversation, Bobbie backed into the kitchen where Luke and Lucky were leaning against the sink."Quick, Luke. Out the back door. Three houses down, the kids have a huge tree house. You can't miss it. Go down the alley. You'll never have a chance to speak to Lulu privately if you don't get to her before she has to face this mob."

Luke nodded and slipped out the back door."Thank you," he whispered as he went out the door. Bobbie smiled and put her finger in front of her lips. She closed the door quietly after him before going back into the living room.
__ __ __

In the tree house, Laura had pulled Lulu into her lap after bundling her up in her warmest coat."Now," she said,"That ought to be more comfortable."

"Being with you is always more comfortable." Lesley Lu wrapped her mittened hands around her mother's waist and leaned against her."Did you talk to Daddy yet?"

"Today? No. Should I have heard from him?"

"He doesn't want to adjust or partner with me. We were going to do a project to convince you not to make us see each other, but he won't even do that. So, I left him a note. I said he should tell you the truth, so you would let me come home."

"I'm a little confused. He told me about the project last week."

"He did? Are you mad at me, Mommy?"

"No, not at all. I'm kinda confused though. What Daddy said was that you asked him to do a project, but he didn't tell me what the project was. See, Daddy thought that if he agreed to do this project with you, it would give him time to make you like him. He wanted an excuse to spend time with you. I know the two of you have had some ups and downs, but his plan seemed to be working. I thought you were starting to get along real well."

"Daddy was sneaky!" Lesley Lu sat up indignantly.

"You were both a little sneaky, I think," Laura answered calmly.

"I don't want to go someplace where nobody wants me." Lesley Lu looked at her mother stubbornly.

Laura laughed."I can't tell you how many times I've heard your father say that same line. You are so much like him." She smoothed Lulu's hair back from her angry face.

"See, what I think," Laura continued,"is that you and your daddy are both so frightened that the other one isn't going to like you, that you both keep backing off. But I know your daddy real well, and he loves you." She cupped her child's face in both hands and gazed at her intently."He does, Lulu."

"He loves Lucky, but I don't know about me," Lulu mumbled.

"I know you real well too, and you love your daddy. But I think that the big problem is you never learned to trust him."

"We waited for him a long, long, time, Mommy. And he never came. Never." Lulu shook her head from side to side."We were so sad. You and me both." Lulu buried her head against her mother's chest.

Laura stroked the child's hair, and then laid her face on top of the small head.

Lulu's voice was muffled by her position, but clear enough for her mother to hear."Finally, we quit waiting. Papa came, and we got happy again. I want to stay happy."

"Your daddy and I made some mistakes, and you got caught in the middle. I hurt him real badly, baby, and he was so angry, and so sad. He pulled away real hard, and the two of you never really got a chance to be together much."

"I couldn't get that mad at you, Mommy." Lulu looked up into her mother's face."And you couldn't get that mad at me. So mad, we went away, and never forgave each other. That couldn't happen to us, could it?"

"No," Laura comforted her little daughter."No, there's nothing in the world you could do that would make me stop loving you."

"I know that," Lulu sighed. She kissed her mother's cheek."You aren't crying are you, Mommy?"

"No, not yet." Laura smiled."Was I really the only Mom who cried at that Disney movie your class saw last spring?"

"Yes. Well, Nicole's mom probably cried. But she pretended her eyes were itchy."

"Hmm." Laura shifted her position slightly, and kissed Lulu's forehead.

"When did you stop loving Daddy?"

"Never stopped. Why?"

"He just stopped loving you?"

"No, he probably still loves me too. Sometimes, adults reach a point where even a great deal of love isn't enough. They may have lost their faith in each other, or want such different things from their lives that they can't find a way to live together any more. That's kind of what happened to us.

" But, you know, every time Lucky grins or you get that look in your eyes that tells me you're thinkin' up some kind of new plan..." A smile tugged at the corners of Lulu's mouth .

"Yeah, you know that look." Laura smiled back."Well, when I see it, that love I felt the very first time I ever saw your daddy's face, it echoes in my heart all over again."

Lulu leaned back against her mother."Do I have to talk to Daddy?"

"You tell me. What do you think?"

Lesley Lu sat up straighter."I have to see Daddy. Will you go with me?"

"Yes, I would be happy to do that. Let's go meet Carly at Aunt Bobbie's. Lulu, does your dad know where you are?"

"I left him a note, and I thought he would talk to you. I didn't tell him I was going to Lucas's, but anybody would know that. If I didn't go home, where else would I go? That's why Lucas sent me out here to meet you. Aunt Bobbie would have told."

"Honey, I hope he knew. What if Daddy thought you ran away? He and Alexis would be so worried."

Lesley Lu began to back down the ladder of the tree house."Only a big chicken would run away. I just left to think, and wait for him to straighten things out with you. Papa explained that to me. It's called a tactical retreat. It's not running away."

Lesley Lu was startled when her father's hands plucked her off the ladder."I think that you and I are the ones who need to get things straightened out!" he exclaimed, as he pulled her into his arms.

"Daddy, you're squeezing me so tight, I can hardly breathe." Lulu looked up."You're crying. What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry, baby. I've been so stupid. I love you. That's all. Too many good-byes. Not enough hellos."

Lesley Lu looked bewildered."But, Daddy, I never left you before! You left me."

"I am so sorry. Give me a chance to do better. Don't ever leave me again." He kissed the side of her face."Please."

Lulu nestled her face against his neck."Okay. I won't. I love you too," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Luke freed up a hand to help Laura down the ladder, and then put Lulu down on the ground, keeping a firm grip on one of her hands. He put the other arm around Laura.

"And thank you," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek. She touched his face and nodded.

"Let's go," Luke said to Lulu. Laura took her other hand, and the three of them walked back down the alley to Bobbie's house.

A cramped, silent Rico watched the three of them walk away, He nodded with satisfaction. Things had worked out okay. When they were far enough away, he got out of his snow-covered car, stretched, and scraped off his windshield. Then he climbed back in and started the engine. It had been a long day and his relief should be waiting in front of the brownstone. It was time to go home.