LEAVING THE HEARTACHE BEHIND

Elizabeth Webber leaned against the now deserted boxcar, reliving the past. A past when Lucky Spencer still loved her. Sighing, she hopped up into the abandoned car, noticing how all of her drawings were fading over time. They were being taken away by the elements, just like how Lucky’s love was taken away by Helena.

Hot angry tears spilt from Liz’s eyes as she wondered why their love wasn’t strong enough to survive. It seemed so solid and unbreakable before the fire that had taken Lucky away the first time. She could still hear his soft voice as he sung the song he had written specifically for her. The deep emotion that had filled those words. How could something so deep and true be taken away so easily…so permanently? And how could her own sister play off that? She had once thought Sarah was her friend. But now…that all seemed to be a lie. With one blink of her eye, Sarah wiped out any chance of Liz and Lucky finding their way back to one another. It just wasn’t fair.

She had tried to move on. She tried to forget all that her and Lucky had shared, but it was hopeless. Fate kept drawing her back here, to a place where her and Lucky had been safe and happy. A place where their love had first revealed itself in a simple kiss. Why? What was the point of holding onto the past? It wasn’t going to make Lucky love her again. It wasn’t going to take away the knowing pain in her heart. In all honesty, it was only making it worse.

“Elizabeth?” She looked up to find Nikolas just outside the doorway. Her eyes narrowed with anger and betrayal. If Nikolas hadn’t asked Helena to erase Lucky’s love for her, Lucky and Liz would be married right now. Happy and free.

“What are you doing here?” She glared at her former friend.

Nikolas shrugged. “Remembering when my brother still considered me a friend. How about you?”

“Remembering how Lucky and I were before you had his love taken away,” She angrily glowered at him.

“Elizabeth, I can’t tell you how sorry I am…”

“Did you really hate me that much Nikolas? That you had to take Lucky’s love away from me like that?”

“I don’t hate you Liz. I never did. Yes, I was angry about the Jason situation. But I never meant to hurt you. In fact, you were in that closet. Why didn’t you step out and stop her?”

Elizabeth didn’t bother to hold back her tears. “I don’t know. I guess…I guess I thought we were stronger then anything Helena could do to him,” anger flashed in her eyes again. “But still…you didn’t have to…”

“Nikolas? Elizabeth?” A voice spoke up from out of the darkness. Both Nikolas and Elizabeth stared into the darkness, trying to capture a peak of the owner of the voice.

“Who’s there?” Nikolas called out.

Elizabeth frowned. That voice….it sounded so familiar. So much like Lucky’s before the fire. But it couldn’t be. The Lucky she knew was out on a date with her oh so loving sister! A fresh dart of pain ran through her at this thought, but she pushed it back. Right now she needed her concentration on the approaching stranger.

“Don’t you recognize me man?” the figure stepped out of the darkness. Both Elizabeth and Nikolas stepped back in shock. They definitely weren’t expecting Lucky…the Lucky before the fire to step out of the shadows. He was thinner and taller. His hair now hung to his shoulders, but it was still Lucky. They Lucky they knew from the year they all became friends. The unbrainwashed Lucky. But how could this be? If this was indeed Lucky, then who was the boy they’ve all thought was Lucky for the past two years?

“L-Lucky?” Nikolas stared at him in shock. “It can’t be…”

“It is,” Lucky nodded, knowing that disbelief was expected. Helena of course did a good job of replacing him in his family’s lives.

“But how…who…what exactly is going on here? How can you be Lucky when Lucky returned to us two years ago?” Elizabeth hopped out of the boxcar.

“It was a trick. Helena had also kidnapped my cousin Sly and did some plastic surgery to make him look similar enough to me that we could be mistaken for one another. Then she brainwashed him with my memories. After that, they both left, leaving me in that cold steel room I’ve been in for the past three years, hoping that my dad would see through Sly’s act. But he didn’t. So I planned my escape myself. It took me six months, but finally I got out. This was the first place I thought to come to.”

Tears spilt from both Nikolas and Elizabeth’s eyes as they listened to his explanation. But still, Nikolas couldn’t let down his guard. Helena was so sly and conniving…this may be another ploy to make his mother unhappy.

“How do we know what you say is true?” Nikolas narrowed his eyes. “That you really are Lucky Spencer?”

Lucky looked at Elizabeth and recited their vows word for word. “That was what had gotten me through the past two years. Knowing that you were alive and free.”

“Oh Lucky! It is you!” Elizabeth cried, running into his arms as she felt all the pain wash away.

“Oh my God, it is you,” Nikolas’s eyes widen in shock, not noticing Gia walking up behind him.

“Nikolas? What’s going on here?” Gia slipped her hand into her fiancée’s, noticing how his eyes teared up at the sight of Elizabeth hugging a boy that looked slightly familiar. “Who is that?”

“Gia, that is my brother. That is Lucky,” Nikolas wiped away his tears.

“Nikolas sweetie, that’s not Lucky. I just saw Lucky in Kelly’s with Sarah.”

“No, that was Sly Eckert, Lucky’s cousin you saw,” Elizabeth pulled away from the embrace. “This is the real Lucky.”

“Wait a minute, I’m confused,” Gia turned to Nikolas. “Please, start from the beginning.”

“Helena brainwashed my cousin Sly into believing he was me, while I was still locked up. She had him return to Port Charles and take my place,” Lucky explained, not letting Elizabeth’s hand go. “I escaped a couple of months ago.”

“Oh my God,” Gia gasped. “That explains why Lucky’s in love with Sarah now…I mean Sly?”

“Helena was able to remove Lucky’s love for Liz because she had placed it there in the first place. If Sly really was Lucky, nothing would have made him stop loving her,” Nikolas stroked his chin.

“Or mad you stop being brothers,” Gia pointed out.

“What?” Lucky was confused.

“Helena had brainwashed Lucky…I mean Sly to forget our love…,” Elizabeth sighed. “Right now he’s dating Sarah.”

“Your sister?” Lucky looked at her in disbelief. Elizabeth just nodded. “Man, how much damage did h e do?”
“A lot,” Nikolas nodded.

“Ahem,” Gia nudged Nikolas, noticing that he hadn’t introduced her yet.

“Oh! Lucky, may I introduce my fiancée Gia Campbell. Gia, this is my brother. The real Lucky Spencer.”

“Wow, you look more like Luke and Laura then our cousin,” She smiled at they shook hands.

“It’s nice to see my brother happy and with someone his own age,” Lucky smiled

“Lucky disappeared around the time I got with Katherine Bell,” Nikolas laughed.

“So Sly has completely convinced everyone he’s me huh?” Lucky asked, his eyes thoughtful.

Nikolas guiltily nodded. “Lucky, we’re so sorry. If we had known…”

“There was no way you could have known. Helena had planned this down to a t. I’m just sorry for all he pain Sly must have caused you,” Lucky’s eyes fell on Elizabeth, knowing that out of everyone involved, she was the most affected.

“There’s no need to apologize Lucky. It wasn’t your fault. It’s not even Sly’s. It’s Helena. She should be the one here apologizing,” Elizabeth hugged him once more.

“So…what do we do now? Do we go tell Luke and Laura?” Gia asked.

“Lucky, the ball is in your court. What do you want to do?” Nikolas looked at his brother, who couldn’t take his eyes off Elizabeth. All the love he had harbored for the pas two years was now glowing in his eyes.

“I just came back to say good-bye. I’m not returning to Port Charles. I’ve had enough of the Spencer/Cassadine war. This is my chance to escape all of that. Let Sly be Lucky Spencer. I just want to be free,” Lucky sighed apologetically at his brother. “I know we haven’t had much of a chance to be brothers and I’m sorry for that.”

“Hey don’t be sorry. You’ve been a good brother. And believe me, I do understand why you’re not reclaiming your life here. You have a chance to break free and I don’t blame you for doing so. I wish I had the chance you have.”

“I do too bro. Maybe someday the chance will come.”

“Maybe,” Nikolas wiped away a stray tear from his eyes.

“Lucky…what about me? Is this good-bye too?” Elizabeth fearfully asked, afraid of his answer. What if it was? How would she survive knowing that she really had lost him? It’d be even worse when she thought Sly was Lucky.

“Well…actually, I was hoping that you’d come with me. That we could start a new life together,” he took both of her hands in his and squeezed tightly, praying that her answer would be yes. If it wasn’t, he didn’t think he’d be able to leave her behind.

But Lucky needn’t have worried. There really was nothing to hold her in Port Charles anymore. Collage was just about over. Grams had Sarah now and the Spencers…they had Sly as Lucky. They didn’t need her and Em was gone as well. Everything she had in the world was right there in Lucky’s eyes, so full of love she had missed for all these years.

“Just me and you?” She asked, not able to believe what was happening. It was like a dream.

“Just me and you sweetie,” Lucky smiled, wiping a tear away from her eyes. “No Helena, no feuds, just me and you.”

“Girl, you better go for it,” Gia placed her hands on her hips.

“This is what you’ve always wanted Liz. A peaceful life for you and Lucky,” Nikolas nodded in agreement.

Elizabeth smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. Enjoying the feel of his arms pulling her close. “Yes. Yes Lucky, I’ll go away with you.”

Both Gia and Nikolas clapped happily as Lucky lifted her off the ground and twirled her around.

Two hours later, after returning to the brownstone to pack her things, Elizabeth returned to Lucky who was listening to Gia’s account of Sly’s exploits as Lucky Spencer.

“I can honestly say that I like you a lot better. You’re much cooler then he is.”

“Thanks,” Lucky laughed. His smiled widened as he saw Elizabeth approaching, suitcases in hand. “I’m ready.”

“Great,” He took one of the cases away from her. He turned to Nikolas, his smile sad, a tear appearing in his eye as he realized that he was saying good-bye, perhaps for good. “I’ll keep in touch. I promise. Take care of Lulu and mom for me. Make sure that Sly doesn’t revert back to any of the orders Helena had given him.”

“Good-bye Lucky,” Nikolas hugged h is brother one last time. “Good luck and take care of Elizabeth. She deserves to be happy after all she’s been through.”

“I will,” Lucky pulled away and turned to Gia. “It was nice meeting you Gia. Keep Nikky here out of trouble.”

“I will,” Gia wrapped her arms around Nikolas’s waist.

“Nikolas…I’m…I’m sorry for all the mean things I’ve said to you in the past. I was hurting over Luck…I mean…,” Elizabeth stammered, not sure of what to call Lucky’s confused cousin.

“Hey, it’s ok. I understand,” Nikolas nodded. “I’m so happy that you two are together and happy again.”

“Good-bye Nikolas,” She hugged him.

“Good-bye Elizabeth. We’ll miss you,” Nikolas released her so she could return to Lucky. “Well good luck you two.”

“Bye,” Both Lucky and Elizabeth smiled, before walking away into the night, hand in hand, knowing that come what may they’ll always love and have each other. Looking back at the city lights of Port Charles, tightly clutching Lucky’s hand to hers, Elizabeth knew that she was leaving the heartache she had felt earlier far behind.

THE END

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