Lucky and Elizabeth lay together on the bed that he had slept in as a child. He knew that his parents and sister were asleep down the hall and he wanted nothing more than to run to their rooms and wake them and tell them that he was alive, that he hadn't died in the fire more than two years before. He watched Elizabeth as she slept in his arms. He knew she was exhausted from the events of the day. He wished they could stay this way forever, to always be safe in each other's arms and not have to deal with the very real evils that existed outside this room.
Elizabeth stirred and he kissed her on the forehead, stroking her hair. She spoke dreamily, "Lucky?"
"It's okay, I'm right here. Try to get some sleep."
He had pulled her into his arms as soon as he had climbed in the window, putting his hand on the side of her face and whispering, "I had to see you again, Elizabeth." His lips had found hers and he had kissed her, gently at first, then more desperately, his tongue finding hers. They had tasted each other's tears as they released all of the emotions of seeing each other earlier in the church. He had been afraid to kiss her this way then, afraid that he would never be able to leave her if he did. And as he had kissed her in his old bedroom, he had known that he was right; he would never be able leave her again, and that everything was about to change for both of them.
They had kissed and held each other and cried for the time they had lost and the love they still felt so deeply for each other. Elizabeth had pulled away slightly and looked up into his eyes and whispered, "Lucky, please make love to me."
He wanted to; God, how he wanted to; in fact he had dreamt of this moment every night since he had been gone. Every night since the night they had spent in New York just before the fire, and had almost given in to their feelings. But the time hadn't been right then; they had both known it. And he knew it now, even as he kissed her again; even as his hand reached under her shirt, an old John Lee Hooker T-shirt of Luke's that he recognized. He knew it even as his hand covered her breast and he felt the warm, soft skin that he had so often imagined in his dreams. His longing for her was all consuming. He had pulled the shirt up over her head as she fought with the buttons of his own shirt. He had pulled back for a moment to help her. He had removed his shirt and pulled her close, their bodies touching, her skin warm against his, and he had felt her heart beating against his. The feelings had overwhelmed him. He had gazed at her, tears welling in his eyes, and had no effort to stop them. "You are so beautiful, Elizabeth." They had continued kissing for some time, content just to be together, until finally she had taken his hand and led him to the bed. She had lay back on the bed and pulled him down as he had continued to kiss her, his hands in her hair, their breathing becoming more erratic. His lips had moved from her mouth to her neck. He had traced a line to her breast until his lips covered her nipple and he tasted the sweetness of her. He had thought he would drown from the emotions of being with her like this.
Suddenly, he had pulled away from her and stood up, picking up her T-shirt as he did. She had sat up as he handed her the T-shirt and watched as he ran his hand through his hair and said, "You should put this back on." She had pulled the shirt to her chest, but did not put it on. "Lucky, what is it? Don't you want me? Did I do something wrong?"
He had paced in front of her for aa moment and then had knelt down on the floor in front of her and looked up at her, and had taken her hands in his. "No, sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong. How could you even think that? This just isn't the right time or place for this. You deserve so much more than this. Our love deserves more than this."
"But we've waited so long to be together. We may not see each other again for a long time."
"I'm doing everything I can to get back to you for good. I made you a promise and I won't break it. I want our first time to be special, and it can't be special here in my old room, with my family asleep down the hall, thinking I'm dead. It just isn't the right time Elizabeth, though God knows I want nothing more than to make love to you right now."
She had smiled sadly and put her hands on the sides of his face, "I know you're right, Lucky." At that she had pulled his head to her naked breast and he had put his arms around her waist, and they had stayed that way for some time, with her stroking his hair and whispering that it was all right, she really did understand. Then she had looked down at him and whispered, "Will you stay with me tonight?"
He had nodded, and picked up the T-shirt again, and smiled, "But you had better put this back on." She had taken it from him reluctantly and pulled it back over her head.
After they had gotten in bed they had talked about what Elizabeth was doing now; about her classes at the art school in Port Charles, about how she just hadn't been able to bring herself to go to New York without him. She had told him how close she was to Luke and Laura now, and how they thought of her as their daughter. She had told him about Sonny and how he had caught her as she had fallen to the ground the night of the fire. She told him that since that night Sonny had been her guardian angel, her protector, and had always been there when she needed him, and had seemed to have an uncanny way of making her feel better.
Lucky had already known that. He had told her that after he left her at the church, he had waited outside until she left to be sure she was safe. When he had seen Sonny arrive at the church, and then followed the car to his parents' house, he knew that Sonny had taken it upon himself to watch over her. What he had not told Elizabeth was that he had seen one of Sonny's men keeping a watch on the house when he had climbed up to the window.
Lucky was unable to sleep. His mind was racing in a million different directions. He knew what he wanted to do, what he had to do. but was unsure how to do it.
Elizabeth stirred again as the morning light shone through the window. She cuddled closer to Lucky as he kissed her softly on the lips. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I didn't want to waste a minute."
"It's okay, you needed the sleep. And I loved watching you sleep."
She smiled, then looked serious. "You haven't told me anything about where you've been, Lucky. I want to know."
"It's such a long story, and I don't have time to explain all of it. But the man who took me is named Faison. He has this old vendetta against my father. He took me to use as bait against him, though I never was able to figure out how I could be used as bait when no one knew I was alive. He is just a sick and twisted man, and he derived a lot of pleasure out of hurting my father by making him think I was dead."
"Did he mistreat you? Is that what happened to your eye?"
"I was insolent and he struck me. But for the most part, he didn't hurt me, at least not physically. His particular brand of abuse is mental. He was always taunting me with threats of hurting you or Lulu, or my mother. But he never did. I wonder now if her ever really would."
"But how is it that you're free? I don't understand."
"Oh, I've been a model prisoner. I learned a lot from my father you know. I learned how to never let them break you, no matter what.. He tried to brainwash me, to make me depend on him and hate the people I had loved. So I played along, and fought it with by thinking of you. He thinks I have no feelings for anyone in Port Charles anymore, that I am totally devoted to him. So I am allowed my freedom with the stipulation than I never contact anyone from my past. I don't know if he trusts me or not. But I'm sure he has someone following me. " He smiled, "I learned how to lose a tail from my father, too. I wish I could wake him and my mom up, let them know I'm okay."
"They would be so happy, Lucky. You have no idea what they have been through. Your mother especially. She is just now starting to act like her old self again. Your father has dealt with his grief more privately, but it's been just as real."
"Hopefully it won't be long before I can tell them. But for now, I really have to be going. I should never have stayed this long. And I have to check in with Faison by noon every day, see what kind of dirty work he wants me to do for him. That's one of the conditions of my freedom."
"What kind of dirty work?"
"It's best than you not know right now."
He got up from the bed and headed for the window. She followed him and he pulled her close, his face in her hair, "It won't be long, Elizabeth, I promise."
"You're going to do something aren't you? I can see it in your eyes."
He nodded and leaned down to kiss her goodbye. "I can't go on living like this. Now that I've seen you and been with you like this, I know I can't live without you. For awhile I really thought I could let you go, let you get on with your life, as long as I knew you were safe and I could see you from afar. But I know I can't now. I want to be with you. I need to be with you."
He opened the window and climbed out, and turned back to her as she called his name.
"Lucky? What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to see Sonny."