Faithe and Lucky came running around the corner with Nikolas, Sonny, and
Stefan close on their heals. Liz and Alexis were standing outside of the
room looking anxious. Lucky and Faithe held their breath when they saw
Laura come out of Luke's room. Laura turned towards them and smiled
brightly at them, pure joy covering her face. All them let out a sigh of
relief. They knew from Laura's face that Luke had woken up.
Lucky ran up to his mother.
"He's awake!" Laura said hugging her son.
Nikolas and Sonny walked forward thankful for the good news. Stefan, seeing
the joyous celebration turned and walked back to his office. Liz hugged
Lucky when he let go of his mother and Nikolas hugged Laura. Alexis and
Sonny stood back smiling. Outside a window rain started to fall down on the
city of Port Charles and no one saw Faithe turn and leave.
Lucky, Laura, Liz, Nikolas, Alexis, and Sonny all gathered around the door
as Dr. Scanlon walked out of Luke's room.
"Well, he's awake and he seems to have received no residual effects from
the prolonged unconsciousness. We'll have to keep him a few more days and
run some more tests but I see no reason why he can't go home by the end of
the week." After everyone thanked him and hugged him Joe Scanlon left to
see another patient.
Everyone crowed into the room to see a very weak, but very much alive Luke.
Everyone hugged him, even Alexis.
"You scared us, don't you ever do that again." Laura said taking his hand.
"I won't I promise. It hurts too much to get shot." Luke said shifting
uncomfortably on the bed, and getting a laugh out of everyone.
"Well he seems all right." Alexis shot.
"What happened?" Luke asked the crowd.
"Chrystos shot you." Lucky said shortly.
Luke looked around the room and frowned. "Where's Skeeter? She did get off
the island OK right?" He asked worried.
They all looked around and for the first time realized that Faithe wasn't
with them.
"She was right behind me." Nikolas said.
"So she's OK?" Luke asked again. "Everyone's OK?"
"Yeah everyone's fine. You're the only one that got himself shot." Laura
said trying to lighten things up, but that only ended up darkening
everyone's expression.
"I should go find Faithe." Nikolas said and started to leave.
"Wait." Luke said and then it seemed like he was listening to something.
"Is it raining?"
"Yeah it is." Laura answered.
Luke smiled, "She's outside. Try the docks." He said to Nikolas.
Nikolas looked at him in confusion, but he took his advice and left for the
docks.
"So where's Chrystos?" Luke asked knowing that something else happened.
"He's dead." Lucky said holding onto Liz's hand tightly.
Luke raised an eyebrow in questioned.
"He was lookin' like he was going to let us go but at the last minute he
tried to shoot us and Faithe pulled her gun and shot him."
"How is she?"
"She's been pretty out of it for the last few days, but she's seems better
now." Liz said.
Just then an orderly came into the room. "I was told to give this to Alexis
Davis." He handed Alexis the folder and left.
Alexis held the folder in her hands and just stared at it as Liz came over
to stand beside her.
"Whoa, Stefan wasn't kidding when he said rush." Sonny commented.
"This is it." Alexis murmured opening the folder. As she read the contents
the words seemed to blur in her mind. All the words except the ones that
said "100% match"
She looked up at Liz and nodded wordlessly. Lucky came up behind Liz and
put his arms around her waist.
Liz let out a shaky breath and looked at Alexis with tears in her eyes.
Lucky kissed her cheek, withdrew his arms, and gave her a slight push
towards Alexis knowing that what she really wanted to do was hug her
mother.
The two women held each other tightly, having finally found each other.
There would be a long road ahead but this was the first step.
Laura wiped a tear from her face, she never really liked Alexis but seeing
her like this gave her a new appreciation for the woman.  Luke blinked a
few times to hold back a tear and Sonny made a mental note to give Mike a
call. Lucky smiled, knowing that Elizabeth had just been given the thing
she always wanted but didn't know she was looking for.
 
 

~I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you
Every thundercloud that came was one more I might not get through
On the darkest day there's always light and now I see it too
But I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you~

Nikolas got out of his car at the docks and pulled his coat around him
tightly. What had started out as a slight drizzle had turned into a steady
hard rain. Lightning flashed across the sky followed moments later by
crackling thunder. Nikolas shivered and tried to pull his coat tighter. He
never really liked the rain; the thunder always seemed like some sign of
doom.

~I hear it falling in the night and filling up my mind
All the heaven's rivers come to light and I see them all unwind
I hear it talking in the trees and on the window pain
And when I hear it I just can't believe I never liked the rain~

Faithe stood at the edge of the docks looking out over the water. She was
completely drenched now. Her hair and clothes clung to her. She didn't have
a jacket and the cold was starting to penetrate her skin. But she didn't
really care.

~Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you
Liked the rain always calling for you I'm fallen for you now
Just like the rain~

Nikolas walked onto the docks and spotted Faithe near the edge. Nikolas ran
up to her.
"Faithe, you're soaked!" Nikolas rubbed his hands up and down her arms in
an effort to warm her. "You're freezing too, come on I have my car. Let's
get back to the hospital..."
"No wait..." Faithe stopped his efforts to take her to his car. She took
his hand and held it tightly.
"Faithe we're going to catch pneumonia..."
"Shh... just listen."

~When the cloud is rolling over thunder striking me
It's as bright as lightning and I why I didn't see
That it's always good and when the flood is gone we still remain
Guess I've known all along I just belong here with you falling~

"I don't hear anything, just the rain." Nikolas said completely confused.
Faithe looked up at him and smiled. "Exactly." Faithe looked back out at
the water.
"My mother used to love the rain." Faithe smiled, seemingly caught up in a
memory. "No matter what we were doing, no matter where we were, every time
it rained, we would just stand out in it and watch and listen."

~Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you
Liked the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now
Just like the rain I have fallen for you
I'm falling for you now just like the rain~

Faithe smiled sadly, "My dad always hated the rain. Whenever he got rained
on he looked exactly like a drowned cat." Her smile faded. "But after my
mom died, the first time it rained, my father and I had just had a fight
and I ran out of the house. He caught up with me about two blocks away, and
then it started to rain.  We both just stood there, staring at each other,
crying our eyes out. And every time after that he stood outside with me
when it rained. I know he hated it, but it made us both feel closer to
her."

~And when the night fall on our better days
And we're looking to the sky
For the winds take us high above the plains
I know that we'll find better ways to look into the eye
Of the storms that will be calling
Forever will be falling~

When she finished her story Nikolas believe she had just told him that. He
thought they were growing closer, but he wouldn't let himself believe it,
until now. He also realized that he was relaxed. Thunder was crashing
around them and he didn't flinch, and he wasn't cold anymore.
"I understand why you like the rain." He whispered.

~Like the rain I have fallen for you, and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just
Like the rain I have fallen for you, and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just
Like the rain I have fallen for you, and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just~

A few moments of silence went by, just the two of them watching and
listening to the rain in a completely comfortable silence. It was like the
rain was protecting them from the outside world, all the obstacles could be
ignored and all the walls were down.
"We need to be getting back, Luke is awake now and..."
"Cassadine?" she said interrupting him.
"Yes?"
She smiled. "Shut up and kiss me."
Nikolas smiled and happily granted her request. He took her face in his
hands and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle but passionate kiss. They
both pulled back and smiled. Then Nikolas put his arm around her and they
walked back to his car.

~Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain~

Song credit: "Like the Rain"  by Clint Black from "The Greatest Hits"
album. Written by Clint Black and Hayden Nicholas

Epilogue

~Going nowhere real fast
Holding on tightly with a lose grasp
I see hope at last
Asking questions without a clue
Start with assumptions that break in two
I'll be gentle with you~

Faithe and Nikolas entered Luke's hospital room hand in hand. Faithe's face
lit up when she saw Luke. Faithe went to Luke's bed dragging Nikolas behind
her, for some reason she wasn't willing to let go of his hand just yet. She
hugged Luke with her free hand and he gave her a questioning glance. She
just smiled; she didn't exactly know what was going on with her and
Nikolas, just that she wanted him with her.

~Then I almost say
Those things I've prayed
As I lose control
I almost fall
Away~

Liz and Lucky looked at each other and smiled, knowing that their friends
had finally given up on being stubborn and let themselves care for each
other. Liz snuggled into Lucky and tightened her arms around him. She was
so thankful to have him.
Lucky smiled as he felt Liz's arms around him. She was always there for him
when he needed her. She always said that he did so much for her, but the
truth was that every time it felt like the problems in his life were going
to swallow him whole, she kept him from drowning.

~Hollow shoulders and cold hands
The day sees through you, but my dreams can't
It's the Promised Land
So I try with all my strength to set me free
But my faith in hope returns I can't shake this disease
It makes me believe~

Alexis looked at her daughter and her boyfriend. It felt so good to finally
say that, if only in her mind. Her daughter. Her eyes welled up with tears
for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. She felt a hand on her
shoulder and she smiled when she saw that it was Sonny. She would always be
thankful to him for bringing her the news of her daughter. She knew it was
silly, but he was the one who had told her.

~Then I almost say
Those things I've prayed
As I lose control
I almost fall
Away~

Stefan sat in his office with a snifter of brandy. He frowned as he thought
of Nikolas' attachment to the dangerous Miss Reynolds. He had never
approved of the association with the Spencers, but it had been a necessary
evil if he was going to win Laura away from Luke. But now Laura was with
Luke and Nikolas was becoming closer everyday with his brother and Faithe
and even Luke. This couldn't happen

~Then I see a Light and it speaks to me
It's gonna be all right if I don't succeed, tonight~

Ilias kneeled next to the headstone and placed the flowers on the ground. A
few tears escaped his eyes as he placed his hand on the cold marble.
"I will never forget." He whispered.

~But I don't want to wait no more
I don't want to wait no more
I don't want to wait no more
So be gentle with me
I don't want to wait no more
So take me away~
 

Song credit: "Away" by Scarlet Road from the "God Candy" album. Written by
Jonathan Jackson.

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