CHAPTER ONE



SEPTEMBER, 1996



	Lucky Spencer watched, but couldn’t move as the
oncoming car wheeled towards him, out of control.


	
	“Hey kid!  Lookout!” someone shouted from nearby; but
still, Lucky was powerless to move.



	Lucky blinked as he felt someone push him out of the way,
his body rolling from either the push or the car, he wasn’t sure.



	He came to a sudden stop; pain shooting through his
shoulder.  He looked over as a young woman of about 20 or 25
slowly picked herself up off the ground.



	She knelt down next to him, “Hey kid, you okay?”



	Lucky tried to sit up, but couldn’t, the pain in his shoulder
stopping any movement.



	“Looks like you popped your shoulder.  Just lie still and
we’ll get you to the hospital.”  As the woman pulled out her cell
phone, she continued to talk.  “Shame I couldn’t read the plates on
that car.”



	As she quickly called 911, Lucky finally found his voice. 
“Yeah,” was all he could say.



*****



	The ambulance roared up to the emergency entrance of Port
Charles General Hospital.  The ER doctors with head nurse Bobbie
Jones rushed out to meet the EMT's.  Bobbie was shocked to see
her nephew, Lucky Spencer, being wheeled in with neither of his
parents anywhere around.



	She also noticed that a young girl that she’d never seen
before was with him.  The girl had a few cuts and scrapes, but
nothing that looked serious.  Lucky was awake, but obviously in a
lot of pain and wasn’t saying much.



	Bobbie wanted some answers, abruptly she asked,  “What
happened?” 



	“The kid, he’s gonna be okay, right?” the girl asked.



	“Lucky’s in good hands, now answer the question.”



	“Someone nearly ran over him and then took off.”



	“How are you involved?”



	The girl was getting flustered.  “That’s something that I will
only tell his parents or the police, and since you are neither, I’m not
saying.”



	Just then, Luke Spencer rushed in.  Bobbie went over to
him.  “Barbara, what happened?” he asked.



	“Lucky was in an accident, but he’ll be okay,” Bobbie said
reassuringly.



	Luke nodded, “I wanna see him.  Where is he?”



	The young woman watched as Bobbie lead Luke to the
trauma room.  She took a good long look at Luke and then walked
over and sat in the nearest chair to Lucky’s trauma room.  A song
popped into her head that she hadn’t heard in a long time.  Slowly
and softly, she began to whistle, “You Are My Sunshine.”



*****



	After a while, Lucky limped out of the trauma room with
Luke following closely behind.  Lucky’s arm was in a sling and he
had a small bandage over a cut on his forehead.  They were
obviously continuing a conversation.  “I don’t care, Dad,” Lucky
argued, “she saved my life and I want to find out who she is.”



	The young woman stood up as Lucky and Luke came out of
the trauma room.  “Hey kid,” she called out to him.



	Lucky hobbled over to her and offered his good hand for
her to shake.  “Thanks for everything.  By the way, my name is
Lucky.”



	“And so you are.  I’m Lisa.”



	Lucky continued, “And this is my dad.”



	Luke extended his hand, “Luke Spencer.”



	Lisa shook his hand cautiously.  The current that passed
between them was tangible.  Fortunately, they were the only ones
that noticed it.  “Hi,” was all she could say.



	Luke continued, “Bye the way Lucky was talking, I had you
pegged as older, but you’re just a kid yourself.  Anyway, Lucky
told me what you did by pushing him out of the way.  It was real
gutsy.  We owe ya.  Come by my club, Luke’s, and I’ll treat you to
anything you want.”



	Lisa shook her head, “That’s really not necessary, Mr.
Spencer.”



	“Luke, please.”



	Lisa smiled, “Okay, Luke.  Good bye Lucky.”  With that,
she turned and walked away.



	“Interesting,” Luke muttered softly.



*****



	Lisa walked back to Kelly’s hoping just to sneak up to her
room without being seen by anybody.  No such luck.  Ruby was
standing behind the counter and watched as she walked in.



	The first thing she noticed were the cuts and bruises on
Lisa’s face, “What happened to you?”



	Lisa shrugged, “Just a little accident.  Everything’s
fine.”



	Ruby poured her a cup of coffee, “Something else is on
your mind, isn’t it?



	Lisa sighed, but managed a weak smile, “Yeah, Jake had to
let me go today.  Not enough work to pay me as a full time
waitress.”  She shrugged again, “Now what do I do, Rub?”



	“You do what I told you to do when you first came to
town.  You walk right over to my nephew, Luke’s, club and you
ask him for a job.”



	“But I...” Lisa tried to argue.



	Ruby cut her off, “No buts about it.  You go now and I’ll
call Luke and put in a good word for you.”



	“Right now?” Lisa asked.



	“Right now.  Scoot!” Ruby said harshly, but with a
smile.



	Lisa jumped off the seat, “I’m going, I’m going,” she said
with a slight laugh.



	Ruby had the phone in her hand by the time Lisa reached the
door.  Lisa turned back to her, “Thanks, Rub.”



*****



	Lisa walked apprehensively into Luke’s.  Luke was behind
the bar talking with an older man in his 50’s.  Luke looked up and
smiled when he saw her.  “Lisa, here to collect on that
dinner?”



	She sat on one of the barstools.  She ran her hand through
her hair nervously; a look that Luke recognized, but quickly
dismissed.  “Actually,” she said, “your aunt sent me over here to
ask you about a job.”



	“Ahh,” Luke said, understandingly, “You’re her new
tenant.”



	Lisa nodded, “Yes sir.”



	“So you’re new to Port Charles?” Luke asked, “How do I
know that you’re gonna stick around and not leave me in the
lurch?”



	“I wouldn’t do that,” Lisa said quietly.



	Luke smiled, “Good enough for me, see ya tomorrow night
at 6.  Be prepared to learn it all.”



	Lisa smiled too, “Thank you, sir.  You won’t regret it.”  She
stood up to go, then turned back around, “How’s Lucky?”



	“He’s a bit sore, but other than that, just fine.  Thanks to
you.”



	She smiled, “Good, I’m glad.  See ya tomorrow.”  She
headed quickly out the door.



	None of them paid much attention as one of the other
patrons stood up and followed Lisa out the door.



*****

CHAPTER TWO


	
	Two weeks later, Ruby watched as her nephew wandered
in.  Luke had a preoccupied look on his face which Ruby
recognized immediately.  She poured him a cup of coffee while he
plopped onto the nearest barstool.



	“I blew it, Rub.”



	Even though Ruby knew where this conversation was
heading, she pretended not to.  “What are you talking about?”



	Luke took a big gulp of coffee.  “My daughter.  No matter
how much I try to put her out of my mind, that’s all I keep thinking
about.  And now, with all of this stuff about Laura’s kid, it’s even
worse.”  He paused and thought, “Today’s her birthday, you
know.”



	“I know,” Ruby replied sincerely.



	Luke nodded absentmindedly then looked up at Ruby in
surprise.  That was not usually her response.  “What do you mean,
‘I know’?  Usually you tell me in no uncertain terms that I’m being
ridiculous and no amount of dwelling on the past will bring her
back.”



	Ruby looked guilty.  “Yes, but there’s something to be said
for remembering the four years you had with her.”



	“You’ve been thinking about her too.”



	Ruby nodded, “Yep.”



	Luke drank more of his coffee.  “I blew it, didn’t I?  I mean,
by not telling anyone.”



	Ruby glared at Luke.  This was always the part she had
trouble with.  “Now just wait a minute.  None of what happened
with her was your fault.  Your being there wouldn’t have changed
the outcome.  Besides, you said yourself that the police ruled it an
accident.  So why would you go around talking about it.  It was
very painful for you.”



	Luke stared into his coffee.  “What about Laura.”



	Ruby was confused.  “This happened way before you came
to Port Charles and met Laura.”



	“Yeah, but should I have told her?”



	“It wouldn’t bring Lisa back.  Besides, would it change
anything now?  Laura knows that you love her and that nothing will
change that."



	Luke wondered how Laura would react if she knew that
Luke also had another child.  One that died.  If he had told her
years before, he was sure that she would have supported him, but
now, with his reaction to Nikolas, it would change everything.  It
was enough to convince himself that he'd done the right thing.  "No
amount of time or wishing will bring my Sunshine back.  So why
change the status quo?  Just keep this between you and me, just like
we always have."



	Ruby nodded.  "That's best, under the circumstances.  And
we'll always take some time on this day to remember her."



	Luke looked around.  "Sounds good."



	Ruby tried following his gaze, but couldn't figure out what
he was looking for.  She faced him again, "I have to ask Luke, what
brought all of this up?  You haven't mentioned Lisa since Lulu was
born."



	“I nearly lost Lulu a copule of months ago.  I don’t think I
could’ve handled that.”  Luke drank the last of his coffee.  "And
then there’s your new tenant."



	"Lisa Smith?"



	"Yeah.  She's been working at the club for two weeks now,
and Lucky seems to have bonded with her since his accident.  It's
really odd Rub.  She's amazing, and she comes across as what my
Lisa would be like.  If she had lived."



	"Bobbie says that Lisa reminds her of you."



	"You know Rub, considering that Bobbie doesn't even
know about my Lisa, that doesn't make me feel any better."  Luke
stood up and with that, headed for the door.



	"Give my love to Laura and the kids."



	"Will do," Luke called back to her as he walked out the
door.



	Ruby followed him to the door and watched as he walked
away.  When she was sure that Luke was out of sight, she turned
and walked behind the bar.  As she pulled out a piece of cake that
she was keeping behind the counter, she sighed, “I wish I could tell
you the truth, Luke.”  She stuck a candle in the cake and lit it with
a pocket lighter as she went upstairs.



*****



	Lisa picked up the phone in her room and dialed the
operator.  “Can I get an international operator, please?  Thank
you.”  She waited for a minute, then gave that operator the number. 
After a couple of rings, someone answered.  “Yes, hello, this is
Leezia,” she told the person on the other end.  She paused as the
other person talked, “I see,” she finally said.  “Well, do you have a
forwarding number or address for either of them?”  She sighed,
“Okay, thank you anyway.  Good bye.”



	She hung up the phone slowly and sighed again.  She
needed to hear his voice today.  Needed to hear him wish her happy
birthday and ask her how she was.  Needed to have him ask her
when she was coming home to him.  “Not now,” she said aloud,
knowing that would be her answer to the last question.  Would she
ever be ready, she asked herself.  All things considered, she doubted
it.  He could never understand what happened that fateful day
almost two years before.



	She’d built a new life without him.  For the first time since
she was a child, he wasn’t in her life, wasn’t around.  It was a
release for her, of sorts.  True, she’d had her problems, but she’d
overcome them by herself.  By herself.  And now she was alone. 
Turning 23 all by herself.  She started crying as she stared out the
window.



*****



	Ruby stopped at one of the upstairs door and knocked.  She
knew that Lisa was in her room, so when she didn’t get an answer,
she knocked again.  This time a small voice responded.



	"Come in."



	Ruby opened the door, slowly.  Looking around the room,
she saw Lisa staring out her window.  Lisa kept her back to Ruby,
but Ruby talked to her anyway.  "Lisa, I have something for
you."



	Slowly, Lisa turned around to face her, wiping away her
tears.  She smiled when she saw the cake.  "Rub, you shouldn't
have."
  


	"Happy Birthday, Lisa."



	Lisa stood and crossed over to where Ruby was standing. 
"Thanks."  Then a thought occured to her, “How did you
know?”



	Ruby held up the cake and ignored the question, "Make a
wish."



	Blowing out the candle, Lisa said, "Your family has been so
nice to me.  I don't know how to thank or repay you guys."



	Ruby sat the cake down on the dresser.  "Tell me the truth. 
That's all I ask."



	Confused as to what she meant, Lisa nodded a suspicious
agreement while adding, "I've never done otherwise."



	Ruby sat Lisa down on the bed and pulled over a chair and
sat in front of her.  "Why did you really come to town, and how
long have you been here?"



	"Just a couple of months before Lucky Spencer's
accident."



	"My nephew and your half brother."



	Lisa did a double take.  She wanted to say several things but
the words wouldn't come.  She was hoping no one would find out
like this.  How did anyone know?  She didn’t tell anyone.  "How,
when?  I don't understand."



	"I wondered a bit at first why exactly you were here, but
I've always known who you were."



	Ruby seemed sympathetic, so Lisa went ahead and told her
the truth as promised.  "When I heard about Lesley Lu's need for a
bone marrow donor, I was tested for compatibility.  I didn't
match."



	"So you've been here since then?"



	"Yeah.  Despite everything my father did to me, he shouldn't
have to lose his new 'Sunshine'."



	Ruby always wondered how Lisa felt about Luke, "What do
you mean, 'what he did to you'?" she asked.



	Lisa stood up and anxiously started pacing around the
room.  "He abandoned me, Rub!  If you’ve always known who I
was, then you should know that better than anyone."



	Ruby wasn't really surprised at Lisa’s attitude.  "I figured
that’s what you would be told.  Frank promised Luke that he would
regret ever being a father."



	Surprised, Lisa asked, "How did you know about
him?"



	Ruby motioned Lisa back to a chair.  "Lisa, please sit down,
there's something you need to hear from me."



	"I'm not going to like this, am I?"



	"No," Ruby admitted as Lisa sat back down on the bed. 
Ruby continued, taking Lisa’s hands in her own, "I've always
known that you were alive, and where you were.  Luke was told
that you were dead."



	"You mean you know about..."



	"All the years that you lived with the Cassadines, yes."



	Lisa was in shock.  After several years of feeling alone and
isolated, she now knew that someone else kept her life hidden from
her real family.  Collecting her thoughts, she finally exploded.



*****



	At the same time, Lucky was coming up to see Lisa.  He
stopped just as he got to the door and heard Lisa yelling.  He stood
back to listen to what was going on.



*****