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"What about my mother?"
"Lucky, maybe you should sit down..."
"Aunt Bobbie, what is it?"
"Lucky your mother left today to
go looking for Luke."
"I already knew that. I saw her on her way to the airport. So what?"
"Lucky, not long after it left the
airport the plane disappeared from
radar."
"What are you saying?"
"They aren't sure where she is.
They believe the plane may have
crashed."
"No, that's not possible. They have to be wrong. Please just . . ."
Bobbie began to walk towards Lucky,
"I know your upset. Try to calm
down. Like I said they aren't sure
yet what has happened." She reached
out to hug him.
He jerked away from her touch. "I
need to get out of here." He turned to
leave. As he walked outside he
heard Liz's voice, "Lucky, wait!" She
stepped out onto the porch with
him and shut the door.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, I need to be alone and think. But, thanks for offering."
"Just know that I'm here for you
if you need me. You've always been
there when I needed you and now
I'll get the chance to repay you."
"Elizabeth, you don't owe me anything."
"Well I want to help you, ok? If you need anything . . ."
"Just leave the window unlocked ok?"
"I always do."
Lucky attempted to smile, but already
tears blurred his eyes. As he
turned to leave Liz caught his
hand and said, "Anything, ok? No matter
what time." Her eyes were also
filling with tears. It hurt her so much
to see him in this much pain. She
knew that through all their problems,
he still deeply loved his mother.
"I promise you're the first one
I'll come to. Thank you." He hugged
her quickly and ran off.
He wasn't sure where he was going.
He just knew he had to get away.
Before he knew it, he found himself
standing on the same spot where he
had seen his mother that same morning.
Was it really possible that she
was gone? He could no longer hold
back the tears. They fell freely down
his cheeks as his body shook with
sobs.
He was startled by a hand on his
shoulder. He looked up into the
tear-filled eyes of Nicholas Cassadine.
Lucky jerked away and tried to hide
his tearstained face, "What do you
want?"
Nikolas looked even more hurt. "I
just thought that maybe . . . you
might possibly care about what
had happened to Laura," his anger grew as
he spoke, "obviously I was wrong.
You still don't care about anyone
but yourself." He turned and began
to walk away.
"Wait, you have no right to talk
to me like that. She's MY mother!!
You have no idea what I feel like
right now!"
"Your mother? She's my mother too!
You still can't accept that can
you? You are such a selfish brat!!
I lost my mother for the first
sixteen years of my life! She abandoned
me Lucky. For you. It was always
for you. I was never as important.
And you chose to give that up. It
just wasn't enough for you was
it? Finding out that your mother
wasn't the fairy tale princess
you grew up to think she was ruined
your whole perfect little life.
Well at least you had that life for a
while. If anyone here doesn't have
the right to grieve it's you.
It's your own fault that you don't
have a mother anymore. You gave
up on yours, mine was stolen from
me. And now it's too late for both
of us."
As Nikolas spoke, Lucky just stood
there, his anger growing deeper and
deeper. When Nikolas finally turned
to walk away Lucky could no longer
control himself. He shoved him
as hard as he could. Within seconds the
two brothers were fighting, trying
to relieve the hurt that they felt by
attacking each other. It seemed
that nothing could hurt them worse than
they already hurt. Suddenly Lucky
pulled back.
"Listen Nik, this is stupid. We
aren't going to solve anything by
fighting. I know she was your mother.
I accepted the fact that you're
my brother a long time ago, I just
don't admit it much. It's just
that it's easier to take this out
on you than it is to accept it."
Nikolas eyed Lucky cautiously and
doubtfully. He wasn't sure what he
had expected from his brother,
but that certainly wasn't it. "What are
you trying to say?"
"I just realized that I let my own
stupid pride take away the last few
months I could have spent with
my mother. I never stopped loving her
though. And the one thing I can
do is try to remember her memory and
carry out what was probably one
of her last dreams. For me to give you a
chance."
"Lucky, we don't know if she's dead
yet. You may want to wait before
you say something like that."
"I'm not saying we're going to be
immediate friends, but I'm
willing to give it a try. OK?"
He held out his hand to Nikolas.
Still a little surprised, Nikolas
took Lucky's hand and shook it.
Lucky nodded and began to walk
away.
"Lucky, wait," Nikolas said impulsively,
"Where are you going to stay
tonight?"
"I don't know."
"You could stay at Wyndemere if
you want. That way we can wait for news
together. There's always a chance
. . ."
"Yeah. But it's a really small chance.
I really think I need to be
alone for a while."
"All right, it was just an offer."
"But Nik . . ."
"Yeah."
"Thanks. Maybe soon." Lucky then
walked away, leaving a very surprised
Nikolas standing alone.
Lucky went back to the boxcar and
tried to sort through everything that
had happened that day. For hours
he just sat there staring off into
space trying to understand. Why
had his mother gotten onto that plane?
If he had tried to talk to her,
would she have missed that flight? But
the question that bothered him
the most was If I had stayed at home, and
tried to work through things with
my parents, would she have had to
leave at all? It tore him apart
wondering. He sobbed with both guilt and
sorrow. Finally he got up. He ran,
not knowing where he was going, just
knowing he couldn't sit there any
longer.
Eventually he found himself outside
of Elizabeth's window. He found it
was unlocked just like she had
promised. The tearstains on her cheeks
gave away the fact that she had
cried herself to sleep. He didn't want
to wake her, but as he closed the
window she began to stir.
"Lucky?"
"I'm sorry. Go back to sleep."
"How are you? Do you want to talk?"
her eyes looked so caring and
concerned that it caused him to
lose control of his emotions. He had
thought he had no tears left, but
he discovered he was wrong. Elizabeth
hurried over and took him in her
arms. He cried against her shoulder,
letting all of the hurt come back.
"Oh Lucky, I wish I knew how to
make it better. I wish I could take away
the pain." He pulled back to see
her face and saw she was crying too.
"You are making it better. Just hold me, please."
They sat there in the dark, holding
each other and crying. Neither
saying a word, but their actions
communicating everything. Even after
the tears had stopped they still
clung to each other, not wanting to let
go. Finally Lucky pulled away.
"Will you stay here by me until
I can fall asleep?" he asked as he lay
down.
"Of course." Lucky felt her take
his hand and lay down beside him.
Suddenly a whole new set of emotions
went through him. Emotions that he
definitely wasn't ready to deal
with right now. He closed his eyes and
tried not to think about any of
it. He tried to let go and find relief
in sleep. Finally he concentrated
on the warmness of Elizabeth's hand
in his, letting himself relax and
fall into an uneasy sleep.
Lucky awoke the next morning to
find Liz still sleeping beside him. At
first he couldn't remember why
he was there, but soon it all came
flooding back. His mother. His
heart broke when he thought about it.
Think positive Spencer, maybe she's
still alive. He was trying to
think that way, but it was hard.
Especially since he felt responsible.
Liz began to stir beside him. He
turned to face her and attempted to
smile.
"Good morning sleeping beauty."
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm all right. Really."
"Well get up. Come on, I'll go make
you breakfast." Lucky began to
laugh. "What? I can make breakfast!"
He started laughing harder. "Well I
can!!! Fine I'll show you."
She led a still laughing Lucky to
the kitchen. And she tried to make
breakfast. She made a great attempt
at pancakes. And they almost looked
like pancakes. Lucky smiled at
her crestfallen expression.
"Thank you Elizabeth. I needed to
laugh his morning." He walked over and
gave her a hug. "By the way," he
said starting to laugh again, "you have
pancake mix all in your hair and
on your face."
"Well fine. If you don't appreciate
my cooking, then next time you can
cook breakfast for us."
"Deal."
Elizabeth went upstairs to shower
and change, and Lucky sat in the
living room and turned on the TV.
He began to flip to the channels, but
stopped when he saw a special report.
The screen was filled with the
wreckage of a plane crash. Please
God, no. He continued to listen as the
solemn voice of the anchorman told
that there had not yet been any
survivors found in the smoldering
wreckage. He didn't cry; he had
passed that stage the night before.
Instead he just sat there. As if he
was in a trance.
Tha's how Liz found him when she
came back downstairs. At first she
tried to get his attention, but
then she saw the television. She stopped
and watched the horrible, graphic
pictures that were flashed on the
screen. She said nothing, but took
Lucky's hand in her own. A few
moments later there was a knock
at the door.
Liz wordlessly walked to the door
and opened it. On the other side stood
Nikolas.
"Is Lucky here?"
Liz pointed to the couch.
"So he already knows. God, what
a horrible way to find out. They called
last night and told my uncle that
the wreckage had been found. I tried
to tell Lucky, before he found
out like this, but I couldn't find him.
Can I talk to him?"
Liz was surprised at the concern
Nicholas was showing for Lucky, but she
wasn't sure if Lucky would react
the same way. "Nicholas, I'm not
sure that's such a good idea .
. . Lucky's a little . . . out of it
right now."
"Please. I need to try."
Liz opened the door the rest of
the way and let him in. He walked over
and sat next to his brother. "Lucky?"
There was no response. Nikolas
put his hand on Lucky's shoulder
and looked him straight in the eye,
"Lucky please, it's Nicholas."
Slowly Lucky's eyes began to register.
He looked at his brother,
"She's dead Nik."
"I know," he said, his eyes filling
with tears. Lucky also began to cry.
Impulsively Nikolas embraced his
brother. Together they wept for the
mother that they had both lost
before they ever really knew.
Liz stood in the doorway, amazed
at what she was seeing. Slowly she
walked to the phone. She might
not know what to say to comfort them, but
she might know someone who would.