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Here's the next part of "Reclaiming Forever." I hope you all enjoy it. Things are really starting to pick up steam now.

Amy

"Reclaiming Forever," Part 11

Lorna's eyes darted back and forth between Lucas and Felicia as they stood staring at each other in silence. Lucas finally broke the silence: "I meant what I said, Fanny. I'm not going anywhere. My being back in my old apartment is a big part of my proving that to you, to all of you."

Lorna's gaze swung back to Felicia, who looked disconcerted at Luke's announcement. She shook her head as if to clear it and said, "Lucas wants to see you."

"He does?" Luke asked hopefully. "And Jenna and Dean are okay with it?"

"With a few conditions," Felicia replied. "I have to be there, we can't fight, and you cannot lie to him."

"Why would I lie to our grandson?" Luke asked.

"I still don't know why you lied to ME!" Felicia exclaimed. Then, regaining control of herself, she continued, "But those are the conditions. Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it," Luke replied before Felicia had even finished speaking. "When and where?"

"When and where?" Felicia repeated. "Ah...tomorrow afternoon, 2:00, my apartment?"

"I'll be there," Luke said firmly. "I'll be there at 1:30." Lorna looked at her father again and saw hope and excitement mingling in his eyes. "Will Jenna and Dean be there too?" he asked.

"No," Felicia replied. "Jenna's not ready to see you yet."

Luke couldn't conceal his disappointment completely. "But she is letting Lucas see me," he said. It was half-question, half-statement.

"He asked to see you," Felicia said. "We went over to Cass and Frankie's today, and he thought that we were going to see you. You really have Dean to thank for this, because Dean promised Lucas that we would talk it over and get it set up and then he could see you. And Dean always keeps his promises to his family."

Luke knew that Felicia didn't add, "Unlike you," but he also knew she was thinking it. So did Lorna.

"I have to get upstairs to TOPS," Felicia said, pushing the button for the elevator then. "I'll call Jenna and Dean from there and arrange everything for tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll be there," Luke repeated as Felicia boarded the elevator.

"I'll call you later, Mom," Lorna added.

"Fine," Felicia said with a nod as the elevator doors slid closed.

After Felicia was on her way upstairs, Lorna turned to look at her father again. "Lucas wants to see me," he said in amazement.

Lorna grinned. "He's a great kid. You're gonna love him," she said.

"I already do," Luke replied. "And now I get to...I really get to spend some time with him, and get to know him."

Lorna put an arm around her father's shoulders. "See? It's a start. You've got me on your side, and little Lucas. The others will come around, Daddy."

Luke smiled, and inside, he prayed that Lorna was right, and that the others would come around...and sooner rather than later. He had already missed five years with his family and he didn't want to miss anything more.
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Iris sat on Lucas's couch the next afternoon, idly thumbing through the latest issue of Brava. "Well?" Lucas asked. She looked up to see him standing by the fireplace wearing tan linen slacks and a white oxford dress shirt with a coordinating yellow-and-tan-striped tie.

"Speaking as someone who's been a grandparent for almost five years, I strongly advise against wearing anything light-colored around anyone aged newborn to five," Iris replied. "And this is a two-year-old child, Lucas, not someone you're taking out for a business lunch. You really don't need to wear a tie."

Lucas fumbled with the knot of his tie, his palms slick with sweat. "You're right," he said. "But most of my wardrobe is light-colored. You really think the tan pants are a bad idea?"

Iris gestured to her own emerald green skirted suit. "I'm not wearing this because it's the height of summer fashion this year," she replied. "At least, that's not the main reason I'm wearing it. You don't have a pair of blue jeans?"

Lucas made a face. "I haven't worn blue jeans since I was 17," he said. Then he paused, considering. "Do you think I have time to go out and buy a pair?"

Iris shook her head with an amused smile. "I've never seen you so nervous," she said. "He isn't going to care what you're wearing, Lucas. He just wants to see you."

Lucas finally got his tie undone and yanked it off. He caught a look at his watch as his hand holding the tie came down. "It's already ten after one!" he exclaimed. "I'd better go change!" He hurried back into the bedroom.

Iris, still wearing her amused smile, was about to resume her seat when there was a knock at Lucas's front door. "I'll get it, Lucas!" she called. She strode to the door and opened it. "Lorna! Come in," Iris said.

Lorna entered her father's apartment. "Iris, what are you doing here?" she demanded.

Before Iris could answer, Lucas returned to the living room. "Okay, these are the darkest clothes I own that aren't black, because it's just too hot for--Lorna, hi." Lucas stopped and looked at Lorna and Iris uncertainly. He was wearing a pair of navy blue Dockers and a light blue button-down shirt with white stripes with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.

"Hi, Daddy," Lorna greeted her father. She could tell he was nervous, so, for the moment, she put aside thoughts of delivering a verbal smackdown to Iris Wheeler.

"How do I look?" Lucas asked, momentarily shifting his attention to Iris.

Iris smiled yet again, but this time it was with warmth, and no trace of amusement at all. "You look like a grandfather," she replied.

Lucas smoothed a hand down the front of his shirt. "So it's okay?"

"It's perfect," Lorna assured her father.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Lucas exclaimed. He hurried to the closet by the front door, opened it, retrieved something from the top shelf, and then turned to face Lorna and Iris again. "I got him this," he said, holding up a toy fire engine in a box. "You said he loves fire engines. I remembered that right, didn't I?"

Lorna's heart melted at the sight of her father so nervous about spending time with little Lucas. "Yeah, he does," she said. She crossed the room so that she was standing in front of her father.

"Okay, good," Lucas said. "Because I wouldn't want to get him something that he hates. I want him to--"

"Daddy!" Lorna exclaimed loudly. Shocked, Lucas trailed off and looked right at her. "Breathe," she said. Lucas nodded, swallowed hard, then took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Little Lucas will love this fire engine," Lorna said. "But...well..."

"What? What?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"Well, since Jenna and Dean are being...not the most reasonable people in the world right now, especially Jenna, I was just wondering if maybe...well, maybe they might think you were trying to buy little Lucas's affections," Lorna said haltingly.

The realization hit Lucas like a ton of bricks. "You're right," he said. "I would never do that! But I don't want Jenna and Dean to think I'm doing that. So okay, no fire engine today. I'll save it. For Christmas. Christmas is coming up in a few months, right?" Lucas went back to the closet and returned the fire engine to the shelf. "That's good thinking, Lorna," he said. "Your mother might see it that way too, and God knows she's angry enough at me as it is."

"But she's going to be there today," Lorna reminded him. "That's progress."

"She's going to be there because Jenna and Dean don't want me to be alone with my grandson. We both know that," Lucas said.

"But Mom is still going to be there," Lorna replied. "This is a good thing, Daddy. Besides, little Lucas has her wrapped around his little finger. She won't blow up at you in front of him. And who knows? Maybe she'll even take a lesson from the kid and remember why she adores you."

"My daughter the optimist," Lucas said, gesturing to Lorna but looking at Iris.

Iris approached them then. "I remember when Dennis came out of the delivery room in his scrubs, carrying that tiny pink-blanket-wrapped bundle," she said. "I was such a wreck, I was trembling. But he put her in my arms and stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me so he was holding both of us while I was holding my granddaughter for the first time, and he said, 'Mother, I'd like you to meet your granddaughter, Sarah Iris Wheeler.' And when I looked into her little face for the first time, I realized that I could do this, that I could be the kind of grandmother that that little girl deserved. And the same thing will happen for you and little Lucas today, I just know it." Iris smiled at Lucas encouragingly.

Lucas looked at his watch again. "Well, it's time I got upstairs," he said.

Lorna hugged her father fiercely. "Everything will be fine," she whispered in his ear. Then she drew back and straightened the collar of Lucas's shirt, which didn't really need straightening. "Call me later and let me know how it went, okay?"

"I will," Lucas promised.

"Have a good time with your grandson," Iris said.

Lucas smiled, but it was still tinged with nervousness. "My grandson," he said. "Okay, I'm off." He kissed Lorna's cheek, hugged Iris, then left.

Lucas wasn't out the door five seconds when Lorna turned on Iris. "I'm only going to say this once, Iris, so listen, and listen good. I don't know what kinds of romantic fantasies you may be harboring about my father, and I don't care. He and my mother are going to get back together eventually, and I will NOT let you ruin that, so you just stay away from him, or you'll have me to deal with, got it?"

Iris rolled her eyes. "Oh, good grief!" she exclaimed. "WHY does everyone think I'm on the prowl for Lucas?"

"Aren't you?" Lorna asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, I am not!" Iris exclaimed. "I am being a friend to Lucas. That's all."

"You were engaged to him once," Lorna replied.

"Yes, seven years ago, and he still ended up with your mother. Why? Because Felicia is the woman that he is in love with. I never stood a chance, then or now. But I like to think I'm wiser now than I was back then, so I'm telling you, as I told Paulina, I am not romantically interested in Lucas."

"Then why are you hanging around him all the time? And why are you encouraging him?" Lorna wanted to know.

Iris stared Lorna down, but Lorna being Lorna, she didn't even blink. "I once hurt someone I loved more than my own life. And I never got the chance to make up for causing that pain. I was doing what I thought was the right thing at the time. But in my case, it was far more selfish than it was for Lucas. He was trying to keep Felicia--and you and Jenna--safe. I was just trying to prove a point that I learned too late never needed proving." Her expression and tone of voice turned wistful. "I've lived with that regret every day for the last eight years. Lucas has already been away from Felicia for five. That's more than enough in the way of penance, if you ask me, which, I know, you didn't," Iris hurried on as Lorna opened her mouth to say something. Lorna closed her mouth. "I'm not interested in Lucas as anything more than a friend, Lorna," she concluded.

"And I'm supposed to believe that," Lorna said dryly.

Lorna was surprised when Iris laughed. "You are very much your mother's daughter, Lorna, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yeah," Lorna replied. "My father."

"I'm not a threat," Iris insisted. "And if you won't take my word for it, talk to Paulina. She'll vouch for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the office." Iris left then.

Lorna closed the closet door, which Lucas had left ajar after returning the fire engine to the top shelf. She caught sight of the fire engine in its box and smiled, then closed the door. "He already loves you, Daddy," she mused aloud. "And maybe he'll help Mom remember that she loves you too." Then Lorna left Lucas's apartment and went back to her own office.
**************************************************************************************************** *****

As he waited for Fanny to open the door, Luke rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants legs to dry them. The door opened, and there stood Fanny, beautiful as always in a purple pair of slacks and matching blouse. "Luke," she said, leaning against the door as he entered the apartment.

Luke took a good look around the apartment. Fanny hadn't changed much in the last five years. The couch had been recovered, and he noticed that all of the breakables and knick-knacks were now on the highest shelves, out of little Lucas's reach. Otherwise, he saw nothing drastically different from the way it had been five years ago. "Is he here yet?" Luke asked.

Fanny closed the door. "Not yet. Any minute now, though," she said. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Luke turned around to look as Felicia opened the door to reveal Dean standing on the other side, holding little Lucas.

"Gampa Luke!" Lucas exclaimed. He squirmed until Dean set him down, and then he ran into the apartment and straight to Luke, hugging his leg and looking up at him with a big, happy smile. "Daddy told me you'd be here! I'm glad ta see you!"

Luke bent, picked Lucas up, and hugged him fiercely, closing his eyes at the smell of baby shampoo and the feel of Lucas's chubby little arms going around his neck in a hug. He opened his eyes after a long moment, and Felicia and Dean could both see that his eyes were moist. "I'm glad to see you too, Lucas," Luke said in a husky voice.

Felicia and Dean exchanged a look, and Dean entered the apartment then and walked over to big Lucas and little Lucas. Big Lucas shifted his stance a bit and turned little Lucas in his arms so that the boy was facing his father, and Dean and Felicia could both tell that big Lucas still thought that Dean was going to take little Lucas away, and not let him stay. In that moment, Dean realized for the first time that Lucas respected his and Jenna's feelings, and that he was willing to give up time with his grandson if Dean said "No way."

But Dean just ruffled little Lucas's hair. "I'll be back in a couple hours, little man," he said. "You be good and have fun with Grammy and...Gampa Luke." The pause in between "Grammy" and "Gampa Luke" was only a few seconds, but still noticeable to big Lucas.

"I will!" little Lucas exclaimed. He reached out an arm toward Dean, and Dean stepped forward to hug his son and then kiss him on the forehead. "I love you, Lucas," he said.

"I love you too, Daddy," little Lucas said.

Felicia walked Dean to the door. "Everything okay?" Dean asked quietly.

"So far so good," Felicia replied.

"Unless you call first, I'll be back in two hours," Dean told her.

"That's fine," Felicia said.

"Dean?" big Lucas called. Dean turned and looked at his father-in-law, holding little Lucas. "Thank you," big Lucas said, his voice thick with emotion. Dean dipped his chin in a nod of acknowledgment, then left, and Felicia closed the door behind him.

"So, what should we do first?" big Lucas asked.

"Fire engines!" little Lucas exclaimed. He scrambled out of Luke's arms and hurried toward what had once been Jenna's bedroom. He returned two minutes later carrying two fire engines in his arms. For the next little while, Felicia watched as Fire Chief Lucas and Firefighter Luke raced the fire engines, made siren noises (Lucas even got Luke to do an admirable impression of a fire engine siren), and worked to put out imaginary fires. She had always known Luke was good with kids, even when they were little more than kids themselves back Gold Street. He'd been a wonderful father to Jenna in the short time they'd had together, and had even accepted Lorna. But it had been a long time since Felicia had seen Luke with a kid, and this wasn't just any kid--this was their grandson, who was named for Luke. She marveled at little Lucas's easy acceptance of his grandfather, and though Luke had been nervous when he had arrived at the apartment, his nerves had all but vanished the longer he played with and talked to little Lucas.

When Lucas tired of playing with the fire engines, he went to put them away and came back with a box of 64 Crayola crayons and a pad of paper. "Gampa Luke, will you draw with me?" Lucas asked.

"Sure I will," Luke replied. But he didn't; he watched as little Lucas bent over his sheet of paper and worked diligently. His profile already reminded Luke a great deal of Dean; his hair was the same dark brown, almost black, shade as both Dean's and Jenna's, and he had Dean's big brown eyes, but a little boy version of Jenna's nose, and he also had Jenna's smile. He was completely focused on his drawing, and when Luke looked at the paper, the figures Lucas was drawing were recognizable as actually people. No stick figures here. With two such artistic parents--Dean's music, and Jenna's dancing and writing--it was no surprise their child was such a budding Picasso.

Luke felt the familiar ache in his heart as he watched little Lucas, realizing that he had missed the first two years of his life. He had never seen or held him as a baby, hadn't been there to feel him kick while Jenna was carrying him, or been pacing the hospital halls the day, or was it night, he was born. But unlike most of the rest of his family, and with the resilience and innocence only a child possesses, little Lucas wasn't upset or disappointed or angry at Luke for what he had missed. He was just thrilled that he had his grandpa in his life now, and Luke silently vowed to never miss another important moment of his grandson's life.

Little Lucas looked up from his drawing then and laid his blue crayon aside, his face flushed with happiness and accomplishment. "Wanna see my picture, Gampa Luke?" he asked.

"Sure!" Luke exclaimed heartily. But as Luke leaned forward to more closely inspect little Lucas's drawing, he bumped his elbow on the edge of Felicia's coffee table, sucking in a hissing breath through his teeth at the painful tingling sensation of catching his funny bone, exposed by his rolled-up shirt sleeve, on the table's sharp edge.

Little Lucas heard the "thud" of his grandpa's elbow connecting with the edge of the table, and the boy and Felicia both looked at Luke as he sucked in his breath in pain. "Do you have an owie?" little Lucas asked solemnly.

Luke looked at his grandson, suddenly so somber. "I just hit my elbow on the edge of the table, that's all," he replied, trying to be reassuring.

"It hurt when you did that," Lucas said.

"A little," Luke admitted.

Luke and Felicia both watched in surprise as little Lucas gently took his grandpa's large arm in his two pudgy hands and turned it slightly so that Luke's bare elbow was facing out. Lucas then leaned down and kissed the bruise already forming on Luke's elbow. Then he let go of his "Gampa Luke"'s arm and straightened, smiling. "There," he said. "When I bump my arm or leg and get an owie, Mommy or Daddy give me a kiss to make it better. Is it better now, Gampa Luke?"

Felicia suddenly couldn't breathe, and her eyes flooded with tears. Little Luke and Big Luke had really hit it off, and then to see Little Luke kissing Big Luke's sore elbow to make his owie better....She would have had to be made of stone not to react.

Big Luke was struggling to keep his composure, touched beyond words to the core of his soul at his grandson being so open to him, and trying to make him feel better, even though it was just a stupid, clumsy bump of his funny bone against the edge of Fanny's coffee table. "It's much better, thank you, Lucas," Big Luke replied in a thick voice.

Lucas smiled. "You're welcome," he said. "Here's my picture." Luke leaned close to inspect it again, and Lucas pointed out everyone. "This is me," he said, pointing to the smallest figure in the picture. "And there's Mommy," he had drawn Jenna with a pen and notebook in her hand, "And Daddy." Dean seemed to be wearing a pair of headphones and carrying something that Luke assumed, from the alternating black and white lines, was supposed to be a portable keyboard. "There's Auntie Lorna." He pointed to a figure with a phone to her ear, "And Uncle Joe," who wore a shiny policeman's badge on his chest. "That's Grammy," he continued, although Luke would have known that was Fanny by the fact that Lucas had drawn her wearing a big floppy hat and with what he could only assume was a pink feather boa around her neck trailing down to her feet. "And that's you, Gampa Luke!" he finished, pointing at a tall figure standing next to Fanny, dressed all in blue, with gray hair. "Do ya like it?"

"I love it, Lucas," Luke said. "You're very talented."

"That's what Uncle Cass says," Lucas replied. "And Aunt Frankie says it's 'cause I'm the child of two such artistic souls." Luke had to stifle a laugh at Lucas's serious, earnest quoting of Frankie.

"Well, Uncle Cass and Aunt Frankie are right," Luke replied.

Lucas smiled, then picked up his picture from the coffee table and held it out to Luke. "This is for you," he said. "So you'll always have a picture of all of us with you."

Luke felt a new kind of ache in his heart, this time one of tenderness and fierce love for this little boy. He gently kissed Lucas's forehead and then hugged him again, being careful not to crush the drawing. "Thank you, Lucas," he said.

Hoping to head off any potential emotional moments that she wasn't ready to face quite yet, Felicia spoke up then: "How about if we call up to TOPS and have Franco make us some chocolate ice cream sundaes?" she asked eagerly.

"With hot fudge an' whipped cream an' rainbow sprinkles?" Lucas asked eagerly, jumping up from his place on the floor. "Call him, Grammy! Call him!"

"Yeah, call him, Grammy," Luke said, giving Fanny a hopeful smile. Fanny smiled at the two Lukes as she headed to the phone and called upstairs and ordered three sundaes from TOPS.
**************************************************************************************************** *****

When Dean returned to pick up little Lucas, Luke reluctantly said goodbye to his grandson. Dean, his dad radar fully intact, said, "You had ice cream, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" little Lucas asked.

With a grin, Dean pointed to little Lucas's shirt. "Rainbow sprinkles," he said. "I hope you're still going to eat dinner. It's your favorite."

"Chicken nuggets?" little Lucas asked hopefully.

"And fries. We're supposed to pick up enough for you, me, and Mommy on the way home, how does that sound?" Dean asked.

"YAY!" little Lucas cheered.

"We better hit the road, little man," Dean said.

"Okay," Lucas agreed. He went to Felicia first and she got down on his level so she could hug him. "Bye, Grammy."

"Bye, Lucas," Felicia said. She kissed him, and he returned the kiss. "Love you, pal."

"Love you too," Lucas said. Then he went to Luke. Luke too got down on the floor, and got another fierce hug from Lucas. "Bye, Gampa Luke," he said.

"Bye, Lucas," Luke replied. "I'll see you again soon. I promise." Luke looked up at Dean. "That is, if it's okay with your daddy and mommy."

Dean nodded again, as he had earlier. "We'll talk to Jenna and call you again tomorrow or the day after," he said.

"Thank you, Dean," Luke said.

"You have your picture, don't you, Gampa Luke?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"Right here," Luke replied. He picked it up from the coffee table and held it up for Dean to see. "Lucas drew a family portrait for me."

"Let me guess, Auntie Lorna's the one with the phone at her ear?" Dean asked with a smirk.

Little Lucas missed the humor in his father's remark. "'Cause she talks on the phone all the time," he said. "Gampa Luke's standing next to Grammy, and he's all in blue 'cause that's what he's wearing, see?"

"Yes, I do. Great job, Lucas," Dean replied. "Okay, we have chicken nuggets and fries to get, so we better take off."

Little Lucas hugged Luke one more time and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Gampa Luke," he said, "and I'm glad you're not playing hide-and-seek anymore."

"I love you too, Lucas, and so am I," Luke replied. He hugged Lucas back, kissed his cheek in return, and then Dean and little Lucas left.

And Fanny and Luke were alone together.

"He's amazing," Luke said.

"Isn't he, though?" Felicia asked with a smile. Lucas had left his crayons scattered all over the coffee table, so she sat on the edge of the couch and started to pick them up and return them to their box. Luke sat next to her on the couch and also started to pick up crayons and return them to the box. They worked in silence for a few minutes, but then Luke spoke.

"I think we should talk, Fanny."

"We are talking, Luke," Felicia replied as she fit three more crayons into the box. "Or we were."

"I mean REALLY talk," Luke replied as he stuffed a burnt orange crayon into an empty corner slot of the box.

"I'm not ready for that yet, Luke," Felicia replied, being careful to focus on the box of Crayolas and not even look at him.

"Okay, I can respect that," Luke replied.

Now Felicia did look up and over at Luke. "That's funny," she said dryly.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," Luke replied, wondering where she was going with this.

Felicia abandoned the crayons altogether to focus her full attention and glare on Luke. "You say you can respect that I'm not ready to talk yet, but you didn't bother to tell me the truth five years ago! And if you had..." She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

"If I had, what?" Luke wanted to know.

"Never mind," Felicia replied, returning her attention to little Lucas's crayons.

"No, finish your sentence," Luke challenged her, still staring at her.

"Are you TRYING to make me angry, Luke?" Felicia demanded, now abandoning the crayons for good and standing up.

"I was under the impression that these days, I don't have to try," he replied, also rising to his feet.

"I said I'm not ready to talk yet!" Felicia exclaimed.

"And I said I respect that!" Luke exclaimed right back.

"Oh, I'm supposed to believe that?" Felicia asked sarcastically.

"You think I don't respect you?" Luke asked, shocked.

"You tell me, Luke! Do you generally lie to people you respect?" Felicia wanted to know.

So they were back to that again, Luke thought. "Dammit, Fanny, I HAD to do it! I couldn't take you away from Lorna! Or from Jenna!" he yelled.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'you couldn't take me away from Lorna or Jenna'? We all would have gone with you willingly!"

"And given up your entire lives and your entire careers in the process. You couldn't be a writer anymore, Fanny! Or a talk show host, or a restauranteur! Jenna couldn't have finished college, at least not under her own name, probably not at all! Dean would have given up his music to come with Jenna, because we both know neither of them would have gone anywhere without the other! And Lorna couldn't have continued working in music or PR! And you never would have seen Cass and Frankie, or Rachel. You think I didn't want you with me? You think I didn't want our daughters--BOTH of our daughters--with me? And even Dean? I did! Every second of every day for the last five years! But I couldn't rip your lives away from you!" Luke ran a hand through his hair after finishing his little speech.

Felicia was stunned speechless for a moment, never before having thought about or realized anything Luke had just said. "Then you knew this was going to happen. This was part of a plan," she said.

"A plan that went to hell in a handbasket when Sally Madison went off the deep end and shot me," Luke replied. "It wasn't supposed to happen like that, Fanny. Not at all."

"I don't want to hear anymore," Felicia said, turning her back to Luke and hugging herself.

But now that they had started talking, Luke didn't want to stop. He had to make Fanny understand why he'd done what he'd done. "Fanny, please--" he started.

"I SAID I don't want to hear anymore, Luke! Not now!" Felicia exclaimed, her back still to Luke. She felt her insides trembling. Luke had known he was going to have to leave her. And Jenna and Lorna. But it wasn't supposed to happen the way it did, with him getting shot. What did that even mean?

Luke knew better than to press his advantage right now. "All right," he said.

They stood there for a few silent moments, Felicia's back still to Luke. Then she spoke again. "You...What happened? Why did you leave me? Why did you leave US, Luke?"

For the time being, Luke decided to keep it simple. "Because I helped the Feds crack a very large, very profitable drug smuggling and prostitution ring that I found out Rick Madison was involved in. I had to do it, Fanny. And when I did, I had to go so far underground that everyone believed I was dead, because it was the only way I knew how to keep you and Lorna and Jenna and Dean safe."

Felicia whirled around and faced Luke now. "Rick Madison? Again? Or I guess I should say still. DAMN HIM!" she shouted.

"And damn me for bringing him into our lives, right?" Luke asked.

"I didn't say that!" Felicia replied.

"You were thinking it," Luke said.

"Don't tell me what I'm thinking!" Felicia said angrily.

"Why not?" Luke asked, taking a couple of steps closer to her until he was standing in front of her. "I know what you're thinking, Fanny, just like I knew what you were thinking when we were 17 and I knew what you were thinking five years ago at the hospital. You want to hate me, and part of you does probably hate me, but underneath it all, you still love me."

"Luke--"

But Luke kept right on going. "I saw it in your eyes the day of Lorna and Joe's wedding. That split second before the elevator doors closed, I saw it in your eyes, Fanny. You still love me. And I still love you. It's always been you. Only you. No matter how angry we make each other, no matter how much time passes, you love me and I love you." Felicia was no longer hugging herself, and Luke gently reached out and gripped her upper arms in his hands. She didn't move or even try to fight him. They stared into each other's eyes and Luke continued, "It's forever, Fanny. We were always supposed to have forever. And now we can, with no Rick or Sally or Feds or anything or anyone else to come between us ever again. That's why I came back, Fanny: to reclaim our forever."

A traitorous part of her brain registered the fact that Luke was touching her again, and it felt so good and so right, and that part of her brain was confusing the rest of her. "Luke," she said helplessly.

"I'll wait the rest of our lives for you if I have to," Luke vowed. Felicia had seen that look on his face before, and she knew he was being honest about that, and he would wait for her no matter how long it took. "I've waited for you before, Fanny, so many times before. When we were kids, I waited for you...and when I stepped out of that limo with those roses in the alley behind the police station...and every moment of every day of the last five years. If I have to wait longer, I will. That's all there is to it. I--"

Felicia couldn't take it any longer. Luke was touching her again, he was there with her, warm and alive and looking at her in the way that always made her melt, and without conscious thought, she cut off his stream of words by leaning forward and kissing him. Momentarily surprised, Luke stumbled a bit, but regained his footing and let his arms slide down to Felicia's waist to pull her into his embrace. Felicia wound her arms around his neck, and he finally responded to the kiss, kissing her back. And for those few seconds, everything felt right again.

But then Felicia realized what she had done, and she jerked back, away from Luke, breaking the kiss. They were both out of breath, and Luke had her lipstick smeared all over his mouth. Before he could say anything, Felicia smacked him one across the face, though not nearly as hard as she had when she saw him again for the first time at Lorna and Joe's wedding.

Stunned by first the kiss and then the slap, Luke was slow to react. Felicia, on the other hand, took off like she'd just been shot out of a cannon, scooping up her purse and keys from the desk by the front door and hurrying into the hall. It took Luke several seconds to get it together enough to go after her. He rushed into the hall. "Fanny!" he called. He saw her getting on the elevator, and even if he sprinted, he knew he'd never make it to the elevator in time to either stop her or get on board with her. "FANNY!" he called. But the elevator doors closed and Felicia was gone, and Luke was left standing alone in the hallway outside her apartment, wondering what to do next.

TO BE CONTINUED
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Made by Dean_FrankieCass_addict