Fic: Rescue Me (2/?)
Title: Rescue Me (sequel to Save Me)
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Angst, AU
Warnings: None (for now :D)
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: For Save Me, the first story in the series, which you need to read to understand this one.
Characters: Luke/Reid, Past Luke/Noah, Other Misc Characters
Disclaimer: As the World Turns and it's characters are not mine, no matter how much I enjoy playing with them. :)
Summary: Come and rescue me, only you can set me free
Author's Note: Many thanks to stl29tide for being an awesome beta. You rock! Also many thanks to alissablue for once again helping me out with totally EPIC research. :D Nearly two months have passed since the end of Save Me (Save Me ended at the end of January - it's the middle of March now). Luke and Reid are still living together, but still adjusting to their relationship. Luke's life seems to have settled down, until he and and Lily do a TV interview that sets of a chain reaction of events no one could have predicted. Jade is/did not going through any Daddy drama - I'm ignoring the whole Derek Coburn is her dad thing because they just handled that really badly. Also, Katie is already pregnant in this fic - I decided to skip the Henry/Vienna surrogacy storyline as well.
“Hey, cuz.” Jade said, flopping down next to him on the couch. Luke was surrounded by paperwork, his laptop on his lap as he typed away. “What’cha workin’ on?”
“You remember my friend Reg, from OU?” Luke asked her.
“Tall, dark hair, cute, and unfortunately for the female population, gay?”
“That’s the one.” Luke laughed. “He and his boyfriend were denied an apartment because they’re gay.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” Luke replied. “So I told them the foundation would back them and help them fight it. I’m just waiting for mom to get home so I can run all this past her.”
“That’s awesome.” Jade said. “It’s nice to see you so focused on something.”
“Instead of where I can find my next drink?” Luke looked at her, an eyebrow raised. Jade lifted her arms in surrender. “Sorry.” He turned back to his laptop. “So, what that landlord did is definitely illegal.” He showed Jade the website he was looking at.
“So now what?”
“Now we just have to prove it.”
*
“Hey, you.” Reid turned around, coming face to face with the perky blond addressing him.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was laced with concern as he bent down and kissed her cheek.
“Check up.” Katie answered, patting her belly. “And I just got done, and wanted to see if you were interested in taking a pregnant girl to lunch.”
Reid checked his watch. “If it’s cafeteria lunch. Can your stomach handle that?”
“I’m sure the baby and I can agree on something.”
She linked arms with him, and they headed for the cafeteria.
*
“Mom, you remember Reg, and this is his boyfriend Richard.” Luke introduced. Lily shook their hands.
“Luke told me what happened.” Lily said. “That’s just awful, in this day and age, where people are still being denied equal rights.”
“I just wanted to give you guys an update, maybe brainstorm a little about what we can do to get this guy and landlords like him.” Luke told them, as they all found seats in Lily’s living room. “I did an informal poll of the gay community, and this is not the first time Mr. Reese has turned away gay couples.”
“I knew it.” Reg replied. “So what can we do?”
“I was thinking of staging a protest or a rally?”
“What about a class action lawsuit with the other people who were denied?” Richard chimed in. Luke nodded.
“That’s a good idea too.”
“I’ve got a great idea.” Lily interrupted. “What about going public?”
“Public?” Luke looked at his mother.
“Sure. Go on tv and really draw attention to those landlords and others like him.”
“Who do we know that would let us do something like that?” Richard asked.
“Me.” Lily smiled. “I’m part owner of WOAK.” She got up. “Why don’t we all go down to the station and talk to Kim?”
*
Reid practically inhaled the sandwich in front of him, and for once, Katie was eating almost as much as he was.
“Don’t eat too much salt.” He cautioned her, taking the snack size bag of potato chips off her tray.
“Hey, I want those.” She nearly snapped.
“You should eat some fruit.” Reid told her. Katie’s eyes narrowed.
“I will if you will.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Then give me back my damn chips.” She said, holding out her hand. He smirked.
“You pregnant women are so grouchy.”
“You’re lucky I like you, Dr. Oliver.” Reid glanced up at her, and the tv playing in the corner of the lunchroom caught his eye. Specifically, the person on the tv.
Luke.
*
“The Luke Snyder Foundation plans to launch a broad campaign against landlords who discriminate against potential tenants illegally. Not just gay, lesbian or transgender people - anyone.” Luke said, gesturing with his hands.
“We intend to conduct research, raise public awareness, lobby for anti-discrimination laws, and build a class action suit against the property owners.” Lily added.
“That’s a pretty expensive agenda.” Kim commented.
“Luckily, we have the resources.” Luke replied. He hoped his nerves weren’t showing too much.
“Well, let’s talk about that.” Kim said. “It’s my understanding that this endowment came mostly from Luke’s father?”
“Well, Damian Grimaldi is technically my biological father, but the man that raised me is Holden Snyder.” Luke answered.
“And yet, Mr. Grimaldi gave you a fortune.”
“Which Luke decided to use to start a charitable foundation.” Lily continued. “He was able to take a painful family legacy and turn it into something positive. He could’ve just spent the money. I’m very proud of my son for being so responsible.”
“And is that why decided to work with Luke?”
“One of them.” Lily replied, nodding.
“What are some of the others?” Kim prodded her. She glanced and Luke and he smiled at her.
“I’m not entire proud of the way I reacted when Luke came out.” Lily admitted, emotion in her voice. Luke stared at her, surprised, but also dismayed to see that she was still blaming herself for something he’d forgive long ago. “Like many families, we let our ignorance and our prejudices affect our response, when our son was simply telling us who he is.”
“And you want to make it up to him?”
“Well, not only that.” Lily answered. “As we shared Luke’s experiences these last few years, I’ve come to realize two things.” As she talked about her realizations, Luke knew that he could keep letting his mother blame herself for her reaction back then. None of them had handled it well - himself included.
“I’d actually like to defend my parents a little bit here.” Luke interrupted. “When I came out, it wasn’t as bad as lots of kids have it. Lots of families cut their kids out completely.”
Kim pressed Lily for a few more answers, and Luke held his mother’s hand tightly. Kim wrapped up the interview then, and Luke breathed a sigh of relief as the interview was over.
**************************
Clip for this chapter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3yF87-8pfQ&feature=related
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Angst, AU
Warnings: None (for now :D)
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: For Save Me, the first story in the series, which you need to read to understand this one.
Characters: Luke/Reid, Past Luke/Noah, Other Misc Characters
Disclaimer: As the World Turns and it's characters are not mine, no matter how much I enjoy playing with them. :)
Summary: Come and rescue me, only you can set me free
Author's Note: Many thanks to stl29tide for being an awesome beta. You rock! Also many thanks to alissablue for once again helping me out with totally EPIC research. :D Nearly two months have passed since the end of Save Me (Save Me ended at the end of January - it's the middle of March now). Luke and Reid are still living together, but still adjusting to their relationship. Luke's life seems to have settled down, until he and and Lily do a TV interview that sets of a chain reaction of events no one could have predicted. Jade is/did not going through any Daddy drama - I'm ignoring the whole Derek Coburn is her dad thing because they just handled that really badly. Also, Katie is already pregnant in this fic - I decided to skip the Henry/Vienna surrogacy storyline as well.
“Hey, cuz.” Jade said, flopping down next to him on the couch. Luke was surrounded by paperwork, his laptop on his lap as he typed away. “What’cha workin’ on?”
“You remember my friend Reg, from OU?” Luke asked her.
“Tall, dark hair, cute, and unfortunately for the female population, gay?”
“That’s the one.” Luke laughed. “He and his boyfriend were denied an apartment because they’re gay.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” Luke replied. “So I told them the foundation would back them and help them fight it. I’m just waiting for mom to get home so I can run all this past her.”
“That’s awesome.” Jade said. “It’s nice to see you so focused on something.”
“Instead of where I can find my next drink?” Luke looked at her, an eyebrow raised. Jade lifted her arms in surrender. “Sorry.” He turned back to his laptop. “So, what that landlord did is definitely illegal.” He showed Jade the website he was looking at.
“So now what?”
“Now we just have to prove it.”
*
“Hey, you.” Reid turned around, coming face to face with the perky blond addressing him.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was laced with concern as he bent down and kissed her cheek.
“Check up.” Katie answered, patting her belly. “And I just got done, and wanted to see if you were interested in taking a pregnant girl to lunch.”
Reid checked his watch. “If it’s cafeteria lunch. Can your stomach handle that?”
“I’m sure the baby and I can agree on something.”
She linked arms with him, and they headed for the cafeteria.
*
“Mom, you remember Reg, and this is his boyfriend Richard.” Luke introduced. Lily shook their hands.
“Luke told me what happened.” Lily said. “That’s just awful, in this day and age, where people are still being denied equal rights.”
“I just wanted to give you guys an update, maybe brainstorm a little about what we can do to get this guy and landlords like him.” Luke told them, as they all found seats in Lily’s living room. “I did an informal poll of the gay community, and this is not the first time Mr. Reese has turned away gay couples.”
“I knew it.” Reg replied. “So what can we do?”
“I was thinking of staging a protest or a rally?”
“What about a class action lawsuit with the other people who were denied?” Richard chimed in. Luke nodded.
“That’s a good idea too.”
“I’ve got a great idea.” Lily interrupted. “What about going public?”
“Public?” Luke looked at his mother.
“Sure. Go on tv and really draw attention to those landlords and others like him.”
“Who do we know that would let us do something like that?” Richard asked.
“Me.” Lily smiled. “I’m part owner of WOAK.” She got up. “Why don’t we all go down to the station and talk to Kim?”
*
Reid practically inhaled the sandwich in front of him, and for once, Katie was eating almost as much as he was.
“Don’t eat too much salt.” He cautioned her, taking the snack size bag of potato chips off her tray.
“Hey, I want those.” She nearly snapped.
“You should eat some fruit.” Reid told her. Katie’s eyes narrowed.
“I will if you will.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Then give me back my damn chips.” She said, holding out her hand. He smirked.
“You pregnant women are so grouchy.”
“You’re lucky I like you, Dr. Oliver.” Reid glanced up at her, and the tv playing in the corner of the lunchroom caught his eye. Specifically, the person on the tv.
Luke.
*
“The Luke Snyder Foundation plans to launch a broad campaign against landlords who discriminate against potential tenants illegally. Not just gay, lesbian or transgender people - anyone.” Luke said, gesturing with his hands.
“We intend to conduct research, raise public awareness, lobby for anti-discrimination laws, and build a class action suit against the property owners.” Lily added.
“That’s a pretty expensive agenda.” Kim commented.
“Luckily, we have the resources.” Luke replied. He hoped his nerves weren’t showing too much.
“Well, let’s talk about that.” Kim said. “It’s my understanding that this endowment came mostly from Luke’s father?”
“Well, Damian Grimaldi is technically my biological father, but the man that raised me is Holden Snyder.” Luke answered.
“And yet, Mr. Grimaldi gave you a fortune.”
“Which Luke decided to use to start a charitable foundation.” Lily continued. “He was able to take a painful family legacy and turn it into something positive. He could’ve just spent the money. I’m very proud of my son for being so responsible.”
“And is that why decided to work with Luke?”
“One of them.” Lily replied, nodding.
“What are some of the others?” Kim prodded her. She glanced and Luke and he smiled at her.
“I’m not entire proud of the way I reacted when Luke came out.” Lily admitted, emotion in her voice. Luke stared at her, surprised, but also dismayed to see that she was still blaming herself for something he’d forgive long ago. “Like many families, we let our ignorance and our prejudices affect our response, when our son was simply telling us who he is.”
“And you want to make it up to him?”
“Well, not only that.” Lily answered. “As we shared Luke’s experiences these last few years, I’ve come to realize two things.” As she talked about her realizations, Luke knew that he could keep letting his mother blame herself for her reaction back then. None of them had handled it well - himself included.
“I’d actually like to defend my parents a little bit here.” Luke interrupted. “When I came out, it wasn’t as bad as lots of kids have it. Lots of families cut their kids out completely.”
Kim pressed Lily for a few more answers, and Luke held his mother’s hand tightly. Kim wrapped up the interview then, and Luke breathed a sigh of relief as the interview was over.
**************************
Clip for this chapter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3yF87-8pfQ&feature=related