Fic: Down the Rabbit Hole (50/52)
Title: Down the Rabbit Hole
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Romance, Angst, AU
Warnings: Implied rape, Implied incest (I'm not sure I need this one, but Zoe and Luke are technically related)
Rating: R to NC-17
Spoilers: None
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: What if Zoe succeeded in her plans to have Luke's baby?
Author's Notes: This story picks up right after Luke has promised Reid that his foundation will donate money to the new wing.
So, I'm thinking one more real chapter, and then the epilogue, making 52 chapters total. Having said that, the last chapter and the epilogue are unwritten, so the number could change.
As I said last night, I am not done in this verse. I unwittingly set myself up for a fantastic Rose as a teenager story with some decisions I've made throughout DtRH, and I can't wait to explore them with the boys and a 16 year-old Rose! I'm not sure when I will start it (I'm going to do a different fic next, and then come back to this verse), but it's tentatively title "Every Rose Has It's Thorn".
Previous Chapters: Prologue/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 21/ 22/ 23/ 24/ 25/ 26/ 27/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32/ 33/ 34/ 35/ 36/ 37/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/ 42/ 43/ 44/ 45/ 46/ 47/ 48/ 49
Reid sighed with relief as Luke let the gun drop to the floor.
Luke was a lot of things: Fierce, loving, loyal, passionate, and stubborn. He wasn’t a killer. Reid would never let him become one if he had anything to say about it.
Then Zac dove for the gun, and Luke was on the ground, groaning. Reid immediately knelt down to check Luke, Rose cradled in his hands.
Zac cocked the gun, aiming at Reid. A gunshot ran out, and then Zac hit the floor. Rose screamed, startled by the loud noise. Reid’s surprised eyes looked up, and saw Noah, the he held pointed in Zac’s direction, looking shaken to the core. Reid glanced around and saw that Damian was gone.
Figured.
“Police, freeze!” Margo’s voice sounded from the doorway. Reid fought the urge to laugh.
The Oakdale police department: always too little, too late.
Reid ignored what was going on around him, holding Rose close and examining Luke.
“Luke, can you hear me?” Luke moaned, and Reid breathed a sigh of relief. The EMT’s came in, and Reid backed up to give them room to work. One of them tried to take Rose from him, and Reid refused. He already knew that Rose was fine - hungry, tired, and scared - but fine.
Reid rode in the back of the ambulance, holding Rose, while they worked on Luke. Reid offered up as much information on Luke’s condition as he could, while another EMT checked out Rose.
It only took a few moments to reach the hospital, and Reid was following the EMT’s into the ER. They wheeled Luke off into an exam room, and Reid watched, feeling helpless. He knew that Luke would rather he be with Rose.
“Reid!”
Reid looked up, hearing his name called. Lily Walsh was making her way towards him. She reached him quickly, throwing her arms around him in a hug. He resisted the urge to jerk out of her grasp, instead just holding onto Rose.
“You found her.” She said, pulling back and touching Rose lightly.
“Luke knew where to look.” Reid managed to get out.
“Noah called and told us what happened.” Lily’s eyes filled with tears. “Holden went to the police station to be with him. Is Luke okay?” She asked.
“I think he will be.” Reid answered. “They’re working on him now.” Rose chose that moment to start wailing. Lily held up the diaper bag. “I brought some of her things.”
“Thanks.”
“I should probably take her home.” Lily said, digging in the bag for a bottle.
“No!” Reid exclaimed before he could stop himself. Lily was taken aback by the force of his answer. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her the real reason - that he didn’t ever want to let Rose out of his sight again - so he told her the next best thing. “Luke will want to see her the minute he wakes up.”
Lily smiled a knowing smile.
“I’m sure he will.”
*
When Luke opened his eyes, the last thing he expected to see was Reid, asleep in the chair next to his hospital bed. He was holding Rose, and she was asleep too, snuggled into his neck.
Luke smiled, content to watch them. He didn’t know how long he lay there, just watching. His mom slipped into his room after awhile, looking surprised to see him awake.
“Hi, honey.” She kept her voice low.
“Hi.” He whispered.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Better, now that Rose is back where she belongs.”
“He really loves her.” Lily nodded at Reid. “And you.”
“More than I think he ever thought he could.” Luke told her. Lily smoothed back his hair, kissing him gently on the forehead.
“I’m glad you two found each other.”
“Really/” Luke asked.
“Really.” She smiled. Luke stared at Reid and Rose for a few minutes.
“What happened after Zac attacked me?”
“Well, according to Noah, he tried to shoot Reid.”
“What?” Luke gasped loudly, and Rose made a stirring noise.
“Noah shot Zac.” Lily continued.
“Is Noah okay?” Luke wanted to know.
“He’s doing as well as can be expected.” Lily answered. “Noah…He killed Zac.” Luke couldn’t speak for a moment. “It’s being ruled as self-defense, so he’s not in any trouble, but…he’s pretty shaken up.”
“Yeah.” Luke breathed.
“He’s going to come by in the morning to see you.” Luke nodded.
“Damian?”
“You know your father.” Lily said, her tone wry. “God knows where he is.”
“He did the right thing today.”
“He did.” Lily agreed.
“I hope he stays gone.” Luke told her, keeping his voice quiet.
“Me too, honey. Me too.”
Luke saw Reid shift in the chair, eyes blinking as he started to wake up. Lily followed his gaze.
“I’ll let you two talk.” She said, kissing his forehead again. Reid was sitting up straighter and adjusting Rose as Lily walked out of the room.
“Hi.” Luke looked at Reid.
“Hi.”
“How long has she been asleep?”
“A few hours.” Reid stood up and leaned over, handing Rose to Luke. He took her with shaking hands, feeling her familiar weight. Luke couldn’t help the tears that came to his eyes as he stared at Rose, knowing how close he came to losing her. He grabbed Reid’s hand, pulling him down for a kiss.
“I love you.” Luke said.
“I love you” Reid pressed his forehead against Luke’s.
“Sit with us.” Luke slid to one side with a wince, patting now empty space on the bed. He looked torn for a second, and then Reid slowly sat down on the bed. Luke wasted no time, lying against him. Reid put his arm around Luke’s shoulders, holding him close. “This is perfect.” He murmured.
“It is now.” Reid whispered, kissing Luke again.
“Let’s stay just like this, okay?” Luke sighed happily, pulling away from the kiss after a moment. “Forever. Just like this.”
“I could get used to that.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, and Reid was finally the first one to look away.
“Maybe without the hospital bed though.”
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Romance, Angst, AU
Warnings: Implied rape, Implied incest (I'm not sure I need this one, but Zoe and Luke are technically related)
Rating: R to NC-17
Spoilers: None
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: What if Zoe succeeded in her plans to have Luke's baby?
Author's Notes: This story picks up right after Luke has promised Reid that his foundation will donate money to the new wing.
So, I'm thinking one more real chapter, and then the epilogue, making 52 chapters total. Having said that, the last chapter and the epilogue are unwritten, so the number could change.
As I said last night, I am not done in this verse. I unwittingly set myself up for a fantastic Rose as a teenager story with some decisions I've made throughout DtRH, and I can't wait to explore them with the boys and a 16 year-old Rose! I'm not sure when I will start it (I'm going to do a different fic next, and then come back to this verse), but it's tentatively title "Every Rose Has It's Thorn".
Previous Chapters: Prologue/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 21/ 22/ 23/ 24/ 25/ 26/ 27/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32/ 33/ 34/ 35/ 36/ 37/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/ 42/ 43/ 44/ 45/ 46/ 47/ 48/ 49
Reid sighed with relief as Luke let the gun drop to the floor.
Luke was a lot of things: Fierce, loving, loyal, passionate, and stubborn. He wasn’t a killer. Reid would never let him become one if he had anything to say about it.
Then Zac dove for the gun, and Luke was on the ground, groaning. Reid immediately knelt down to check Luke, Rose cradled in his hands.
Zac cocked the gun, aiming at Reid. A gunshot ran out, and then Zac hit the floor. Rose screamed, startled by the loud noise. Reid’s surprised eyes looked up, and saw Noah, the he held pointed in Zac’s direction, looking shaken to the core. Reid glanced around and saw that Damian was gone.
Figured.
“Police, freeze!” Margo’s voice sounded from the doorway. Reid fought the urge to laugh.
The Oakdale police department: always too little, too late.
Reid ignored what was going on around him, holding Rose close and examining Luke.
“Luke, can you hear me?” Luke moaned, and Reid breathed a sigh of relief. The EMT’s came in, and Reid backed up to give them room to work. One of them tried to take Rose from him, and Reid refused. He already knew that Rose was fine - hungry, tired, and scared - but fine.
Reid rode in the back of the ambulance, holding Rose, while they worked on Luke. Reid offered up as much information on Luke’s condition as he could, while another EMT checked out Rose.
It only took a few moments to reach the hospital, and Reid was following the EMT’s into the ER. They wheeled Luke off into an exam room, and Reid watched, feeling helpless. He knew that Luke would rather he be with Rose.
“Reid!”
Reid looked up, hearing his name called. Lily Walsh was making her way towards him. She reached him quickly, throwing her arms around him in a hug. He resisted the urge to jerk out of her grasp, instead just holding onto Rose.
“You found her.” She said, pulling back and touching Rose lightly.
“Luke knew where to look.” Reid managed to get out.
“Noah called and told us what happened.” Lily’s eyes filled with tears. “Holden went to the police station to be with him. Is Luke okay?” She asked.
“I think he will be.” Reid answered. “They’re working on him now.” Rose chose that moment to start wailing. Lily held up the diaper bag. “I brought some of her things.”
“Thanks.”
“I should probably take her home.” Lily said, digging in the bag for a bottle.
“No!” Reid exclaimed before he could stop himself. Lily was taken aback by the force of his answer. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her the real reason - that he didn’t ever want to let Rose out of his sight again - so he told her the next best thing. “Luke will want to see her the minute he wakes up.”
Lily smiled a knowing smile.
“I’m sure he will.”
*
When Luke opened his eyes, the last thing he expected to see was Reid, asleep in the chair next to his hospital bed. He was holding Rose, and she was asleep too, snuggled into his neck.
Luke smiled, content to watch them. He didn’t know how long he lay there, just watching. His mom slipped into his room after awhile, looking surprised to see him awake.
“Hi, honey.” She kept her voice low.
“Hi.” He whispered.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Better, now that Rose is back where she belongs.”
“He really loves her.” Lily nodded at Reid. “And you.”
“More than I think he ever thought he could.” Luke told her. Lily smoothed back his hair, kissing him gently on the forehead.
“I’m glad you two found each other.”
“Really/” Luke asked.
“Really.” She smiled. Luke stared at Reid and Rose for a few minutes.
“What happened after Zac attacked me?”
“Well, according to Noah, he tried to shoot Reid.”
“What?” Luke gasped loudly, and Rose made a stirring noise.
“Noah shot Zac.” Lily continued.
“Is Noah okay?” Luke wanted to know.
“He’s doing as well as can be expected.” Lily answered. “Noah…He killed Zac.” Luke couldn’t speak for a moment. “It’s being ruled as self-defense, so he’s not in any trouble, but…he’s pretty shaken up.”
“Yeah.” Luke breathed.
“He’s going to come by in the morning to see you.” Luke nodded.
“Damian?”
“You know your father.” Lily said, her tone wry. “God knows where he is.”
“He did the right thing today.”
“He did.” Lily agreed.
“I hope he stays gone.” Luke told her, keeping his voice quiet.
“Me too, honey. Me too.”
Luke saw Reid shift in the chair, eyes blinking as he started to wake up. Lily followed his gaze.
“I’ll let you two talk.” She said, kissing his forehead again. Reid was sitting up straighter and adjusting Rose as Lily walked out of the room.
“Hi.” Luke looked at Reid.
“Hi.”
“How long has she been asleep?”
“A few hours.” Reid stood up and leaned over, handing Rose to Luke. He took her with shaking hands, feeling her familiar weight. Luke couldn’t help the tears that came to his eyes as he stared at Rose, knowing how close he came to losing her. He grabbed Reid’s hand, pulling him down for a kiss.
“I love you.” Luke said.
“I love you” Reid pressed his forehead against Luke’s.
“Sit with us.” Luke slid to one side with a wince, patting now empty space on the bed. He looked torn for a second, and then Reid slowly sat down on the bed. Luke wasted no time, lying against him. Reid put his arm around Luke’s shoulders, holding him close. “This is perfect.” He murmured.
“It is now.” Reid whispered, kissing Luke again.
“Let’s stay just like this, okay?” Luke sighed happily, pulling away from the kiss after a moment. “Forever. Just like this.”
“I could get used to that.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, and Reid was finally the first one to look away.
“Maybe without the hospital bed though.”