Lucky's apartment building was engulfed in flames. Liz stood in shock as the firetrucks sprayed water on the fire.
"Lucky!" she screamed. Lt.Teggart whirled around to find her running towards the burning building.
He caught her in his arms, "You can't go in there Ms.Webber."
"Like hell I can't!" she cried, fighting him, "DOn't you get it, Lucky's in there!"
"Elizabeth, if it's confirmed he is, there is nothing you can do my getting yourself killed!" He restrained her still.
Liz went still in Taggerts arms as the medics rolled a gurney out of the building. On it lay a body bag, complete wiht a corpse inside.
SHe tried to make her way to the stretcher, "Lucky, my god no!"
Taggert looked deeply into her eyes, "YOu don't want to see him like this."
Liz broke down in heart-wrenching sobs. Lt.Teggert held her as she broke down and cried. Finally when she ahd quieted he took her over to the curb and sat her down. "Listen, I"m going to find you a blanket or somehting ok?"
Liz nodded mutely, hiccuping. Taggert squeezed her shoulder and went to see if anyone in hte area had somehting he could use to keep her warm.
MAc Scorpio stood staring at the raging blaze, where only moments before an innocent kid had lost his life. As Taggert walked up behind him he said, "THis is so horrible."
TAggert almost sounded like he was about to cry, "Is there any chance it's not him? THose two kids were joined at the hip, I don't know waht Miss Webber will do without him."
Mac sighed and turned around, "It's him Taggert. We found a necklace on the body. Luke has already identified it as Lucky's." MAc held it out to Taggert, "Give this to Miss Webber, she can keep it." MAc turned away abruptly, trying to hide his tears at the injustice at the whole thing.
Taggert held teh necklace in his hand. It was a NY subway token on a chain. God only knows waht sybolism this simple piece of jewelry had in the kids life.
He was about to talk to Elizabeth when Sonny walked up. Taggert hissed at him, "Well, if it isn't Mr.Corinthos. Look at waht happened to your partners business, Mr.Straight and narrow, An innocent lost his life thanks to your legitimate connections."
Sonny looked stricken, he ignored Taggerts jibes, "Lucky?"
TAggert nodded bitterly, "Yeah, a 16 year-old kid died here tonight. All because of whim he chose to rent an apartment from."
He stopped as he heard LIz walk up behind him, he turned away from Sonny to find her standing behind him. He immediately quit his tirade at Sonny.
"Elizabeth," he siad gently, "They found something on hte body, we thought you might like to have it."
He held out the necklace to Elizabeth. She took it in her trembling fingers. When she realized waht it was she gasped,"My God!"
SHe began to shake uncontrolably, "It's Lucky's, I agve it to him."
Taggert gave her his coat, "Why don't you go sit down Elizabeth. I'm going to go find you that blanket."
He left Elizabeth standing there beside Sonny. She held the necklace with the token up in front of her face. She smiled, a sad, bitter smile.
"I gave this to him," she said softly to Sonny. "It's a NEw York subway token. We were going to move to New York together, did you know that? Well, i guess you wouldn't, I mean his dad just found out."
It became too much. Liz's lower lip trembled and she let out a loud sob. He was gone. Her Lucky was never coming back. They had promised to love eahc other forever, and now this. Her knees became wobbly and she couldn't stand. Sonny caught her as she collapsed to the ground.
"Lucky," she moaned as Sonny held her against his chest. The necklace in her hand was almost hot against her skin, as if it was burning a hole in her hand.
Taggert came back. He didn't say anything horrible in front of Liz, but he lifted her from Sonny's arms, "If you see your partner Mr.Corinthos tell him I want to see him, you and your father down at the station for questioning tomorrow morning."
He turned to Elizabeth, "Would go wait in the squad car Elizabeth? I'm going to drive you home, I don't think you're in any shpae to be walking."
As Liz walked away Taggert urned to Sonny again, "Don't even think about running, if you do I will hunt you down."
"YOu saw what the reprocussions of this is, for God's sake you just saw waht this is doing the Miss Webber. It's not just your relations getting hurt this time, it's other people's. I blame one person and one person alone, you. I know you don't own it, but guess who's the head gangster. See you tomorrow Mr.Corinthos."
Taggert turned abruptly away, leaving Sonny standing there. He blamed himself, God knows he did. If Lucky died at the hands of one of Morenp's arsonists, he wouldn't live to see his next birthday. If it was someone else they would pay, Sonny would see to it. He ahd seen Luke's shell-shocked expression as he found out his first-born child was dead, he could only imagine Laura's pain. He had held Liz as she expressed her all-consuming grief. That one was the hardest to watch. It had made him realize just how young Lucky ahd been, they never should ahev elt him get involved in the business at all. He had so amny poeple who had cared about him, adn who's hearts were breaking now.
Taggert walked towards the squad car, feeling mixed emotions. Anger at Sonny, empathy for Lucky'd loved ones, guilt for not being able to do anything.
As he got in teh squad car he checked for Elizabeth in the back seat. "Shit!" he swore as he realized she wasn't there. Where ahd she gone?
Liz sped down the sidewalk, clutching the necklace tightly in her hand, tears streaming down her face. She ran towards the woods, she woulddn't be found and could mourn her beloved Lucky in peace.
The boxcar still stood there just as it had before, Lucky's old home. She jumped in teh opening and looked aorund.
It was the same as it ahd been before. Excedpt, Liz's paintings had faded with time. She trailed her fingers over them as she remembered all the times eh ahd visited Lucky here. THey ahd kissed for teh first time here.
Liz sat, curled up in the corner, and remembered.
If you ever leave me
Life will go on
Stars will still be
Bright as diamonds in the sky now
Even if you said goodbye now
Oh, the clock wouldn't stop, no
That sun would keep shining down
If you weren't here with me
This world would still be spinnin' 'round
But baby there would be
Lizzie: "Ok."
Lucky: "You want me to fall down and break something, don't you?"
Lizzie: {She leads him towards the doorway} "No. But we have to do it this way. There's a surprise in the boxcar, and if you open your eyes you're going to see it."
Lucky: "Well, I’m going to see it sooner or later."
Lizzie: "Stay. {She climbs up into the boxcar} But I want everything to look just the way I want it. Ok, give me your hand and step up. {Lucky holds his hand up and she helps him inside} I won't let you fall. Come on."
Lucky: "Ok. Now what?"
Lizzie: "Just stay here." {She goes off behind him}
Lucky: "Ok."
Lizzie: "Ok, you can look." {He turns around and she's holding a guitar. Lucky looks very surprised}
Just no living without loving you
How could I ever survive
Just no living without loving you
It would be like living without being alive without you
Lucky: "Mine? As in I don't have to borrow my cousin Sly's anymore?"
Lizzie: "Yours."
Lucky: {He takes the guitar, looking at it} "That is so cool. That's unbelievable. You bought me a guitar?"
Lizzie: "Well, actually, I found it in my attic--something else of my Uncle Tom's."
Lucky: "You're kidding. He had an instrument like this and he went to Africa without it?"
Lizzie: {They sit down} "Gram says he never played it much, so she was looking for a good cause to donate it to because grandfather spent way too much on it to throw it away."
Lucky: "Your grandmother thinks I’m a good cause?"
Lizzie: "Most days. But I didn't want to take any chances, so I just said I had a friend who plays. {They laugh} I got it restrung. The guy at the shop says it sounds great. And I thought it looked a little plain, so I bought these decals to decorate it with."
Lucky: "You did all this?"
Lizzie: "Mm-hmm."
Lucky: "Man, this 1960s stuff is awesome--the peace sign, the yin and the yang and stuff."
Lizzie: "Well, good. I thought painting it might be a bad idea."
Lucky: "Well, that was a wise choice. Yeah, me with 24-hour access to a guitar. {Looking at the guitar} This is--this is the greatest present anybody's ever given me."
If you ever walk out this door
What would I have left to live for
What would there be left to do now
What would I be without you now
Oh, the clock wouldn't stop, no
Each day would go on just the same
There would still be air to breathe
It wouldn't stop the sun and rain
But baby there would be
Lizzie: {Lucky strums the guitar} "Have you always played an instrument?"
Lucky: "No. But I always knew I would. Music just always mattered a lot."
Lizzie: "Because of a teacher you had or--"
Lucky: "No, because of my dad."
Lizzie: {Looking upset} "I’m too nosy."
Lucky: "I have to give credit where it's due. My dad, he has the world's greatest taste in music. And you should see the records and c.d.’s he's got. He could start a radio station tomorrow. I mean, rhythm and blues, jazz, real butt-kicking rock. I mean, he taught me the way some parents teach their kids the alphabet. One night it was Etta James, next it was Janis Joplin."
Lizzie: "Male bonding over the blues. It does sound pretty great."
Lucky: "It was. Now, see, that's what the club was supposed to be about, too. You know B.B. King? He played on opening night. {Lizzie looks surprised} Yeah. I mean, maybe now the club's better known for people or cars being shot up or blown up, but back then there wasn't anyplace half as cool as Luke’s. There wasn't anybody half as cool as the man."
Lizzie: "I’m sorry."
Lucky: "Why?"
Lizzie: "It seems so far away."
Lucky: "You know, I never thought that I would feel as close to another person as I did to him. Then you happened." {Lucky strums the guitar}
Lizzie: "What if somebody had a request?"
Lucky: {Looking at her and smiling} "Well, if it was you, I think she could ask for just about anything right now."
Just no living without loving you
How would I ever survive
Just no living without loving you
It would be like living without being alive without you
Lizzie: "Would you mind playing the song you wrote for me?"
Lucky: "Elizabeth, you have the tape. You can hear it whenever you want."
Lizzie: "I know, I know, but I don't have the tape now. I only have you. And besides, you said you didn't like the way it came out, that you could do better. Of course, I think the tape is perfect, so I might be hard to convince. But here's your chance. Please, just this one time?"
Lucky: "Remind me to learn how to win an argument with you." {Sighing, he begins to play}
That sun would still keep shining down
If you weren't here with me
That world would still be spinnin' 'round
But you know I would have nothing
Won't have no life if I don't have your loving
If I don't have you with me
Baby there would be
Lucky: {Singing} Elizabeth {He stops playing}
Lizzie: "That was--thank you."
Lucky: "It's the guitar." {They smile}
Lizzie: "Is it ok? Is it the right size?"
Lucky: "Yeah, yeah. I don't want you to go, but I don't want you to get in trouble, either."
Lizzie: "I hope you don't freeze tonight."
Lucky: {Looking at her in amazement} "You know, everything about you is the best--the best there is. {He puts the guitar aside and they both stand up} Ooh. All right. Come on." {He jumps out of the boxcar and reaches up to help her down}
Lizzie: "Here, help me. Oh." {She stumbles down and into his arms. They stand together for a minute, inches apart and then he kisses her lightly. They draw back slightly, and then she moves forward to kiss him again. They draw apart and smile at each other and then walk off, hand in hand}
Just no living without loving you
How could I ever survive
Just no living without loving you
It would be like living without being alive without you
Liz sobbed remembering taht day. They had been so ahppy together. Why did he have to go and leave her all alone? He was her life, how would she survive without her angel by her side?
Lucky had been her whole world. TI was scary how much he had come to mean to her. Now that he was gone, it was as if a part of her was missing. Like an arm, a leg, a heart. Lucky hd been the other half of her. Without him she would never be complete.
Curled up in the corner of Lucky's former home Liz fell into a deep, dream-hilled sleep, clutching Lucky's necklace close to her heart.
© 1999 kathryn789@hotmail.com
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