The Heart Remembers - Part 11

Webber Residence:

Lucky stretched dreamily before opening his eyes to glance at the clock on the nightstand. It was only 3:30am, but he was already wide-awake. A smile spread across his face as he glanced down and found Elizabeth snuggled peacefully against his chest.

Waking up to find Elizabeth in his arms was still a new joy for Lucky, one that he knew he would never tire of experiencing. The smile on Lucky's face grew even brighter as he recalled the passion filled hours he and Elizabeth had shared before falling into an exhausted sleep.

Moving slowly, Lucky carefully slid out from beneath Elizabeth pausing when he felt her stir and then murmur his name softly.

Once Elizabeth settled back into a peaceful sleep, Lucky slid the rest of the way out of bed and slipped into his boxers. He then stretched again before walking over to the desk sitting diagonally to the bed.

Searching the desk, Lucky located a pen and pad and began the task of putting together a guest list. He grimaced when he recalled how Chandler had pestered him relentlessly about becoming involved in the planning of their wedding.

Lucky hadn't had any desire to be a part of any of the planning for that wedding, but for his wedding to Elizabeth, he couldn't wait to get the planning underway. Lucky thought of all the people he wanted to be in attendance when he married Elizabeth and his fingers were unable to keep up with his mind.

Forty-five minutes later, Lucky had an extensive list with no end in sight. He jumped when he felt Elizabeth's hand on his shoulders. ''I am sorry,'' Elizabeth laughed, reaching down to place a tender kiss on Lucky's cheek before beginning a gentle massage of his shoulders.

''It's ok,'' whispered Lucky. ''You can sneak up on me anytime as long as you seal it with a kiss. How long have you been awake anyway?''

''Not long,'' answered Elizabeth. ''I woke to find myself in bed alone, I don't like that, by the way. I looked around and saw you sitting over here hard at work on something. What are you working on so earnestly?''

''Our guest list,'' reported Lucky enthusiastically. ''Our guest list?'' Repeated Elizabeth, a surprised expression on her face. ''Yeah, hey, what's that surprised look for?'' Lucky questioned, taking Elizabeth's hand and pulling her around and into his lap.

''Well Lucky, it's 4:15 in the morning, I guess it's just strange to find you, a guy up so early working on a wedding guest list,'' answered Elizabeth.

''See how much you know, besides I was wide awake at 3:30 so I decided to get this show on the road. We don't have a lot of time left to plan this you know,'' said Lucky.

''That's right, as of today we only have 11 more days before the big day,'' said Elizabeth, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

''Sweetheart, since we are talking guest list,'' said Elizabeth hopping off Lucky's lap and rushing over to the dresser, returning a minute later with another pad.

Elizabeth handed the pad to Lucky and watched as he flipped through the pages. ''You made a guest list too?'' ''But of course I did.'' ''When?'' ''The first night after we were together and you asked me to marry you. I did exactly what you did. I woke up before dawn that morning and made out this guest list.''

Lucky beamed up at Elizabeth. ''I should have known, you would have had this covered already,'' said Lucky shaking his head as he surveyed the extensive list.

''Elizabeth, we have a problem,'' announced Lucky after a few minutes of scanning the list she had made. ''What?'' Elizabeth asked becoming nervous.

''You may have made a list, but it's only half complete,'' said Lucky frowning thoughtfully. ''What do you mean?'' ''Well, the only people you've included on this list are our friends in Port Charles, our families and some other people here I have never heard of.''

Bending to look closer at the page Lucky was looking at intently, Elizabeth smiled. ''Those are people I knew in Colorado and some are friends I met when I lived in New York.''

''Oh, I see,'' sighed Lucky, still frowning. ''What?'' ''Well, Elizabeth that's great, but it's still not complete because my friends in LA and friends from school aren't included.''

''Right,'' said Elizabeth giving Lucky an apologetic look. ''I counted all your family members you've told me about and all our friends and family here in Port Charles. Plus my friends from elsewhere but I guess I forgot about your friends.

Lucky what are we going to do? Our church only seats 100 and my list is already 125, so I knew I needed to eliminate people,'' finished Elizabeth, beginning to panic.

Lucky quickly grabbed both pads before leading Elizabeth over to sit on the bed facing each other. ''Ok, this is not a crisis just a challenge.

We just need to put together one guest list from our two lists. Apart from your friends in Colorado and New York and my friends in LA, Connecticut and elsewhere we should have identical list.

Let's just start over and combine both lists,'' finished Lucky infecting Elizabeth with his calm demeanor. ''You are right, it's going to be just fine,'' said Elizabeth taking a deep breath. ''What should we do first?'' Elizabeth asked looking at both lists.

''We'll just make the list together, from scratch,'' said Lucky. ''We'll just turn to a fresh page and start writing down only those people we absolutely want at our wedding, eliminating those we don't have to invite,'' finished Lucky.

An hour later after working diligently to complete the guest list, Elizabeth did a final count. ''350! Lucky we can't fit 350 people in our church,'' exclaimed Elizabeth loudly.''

''Lucky, when I did the guest list and counted all your family, both sets of your family I might add. All my family and all our friends in Port Charles, as well as my friends in New York and Colorado, I only got 125. Now we add your friends in LA and your friends in Connecticut and other places and suddenly we are up to 350.''

''This is not good,'' said Lucky frowning. ''No it's not,'' accused Elizabeth, narrowing her eyes at Lucky. ''How do you know all these people anyway?''

''My Steele mother is the social queen of the century. She knows everyone and if anyone gets left off it's like a big insult. Elizabeth, we are so dead,'' said Lucky suddenly.

Phone conversation between Laura and Theresa:

''Theresa 450?'' ''Laura, that's the best I can do, if I trim this list down any further, I will cause a social fall out the likes of which you've never seen before. Oh, I forgot the Benningtons of Naples, what was I thinking. I have to include them Laura, trust me it would be a complete disaster if I don't.''

''How many of them are there?'' Laura asked dreading the answer. ''They are a family of 28 so that brings us to 478. Goodness, where is my head tonight, it must be fatigue,'' said Theresa.

''Laura?'' Theresa said gingerly. ''Yes Theresa?'' ''There are more.'' ''Who?'' ''The Barrington's, the Carter's, the Andraski's, the Chamber's, oh and the Forb's, how could I have forgotten the Forb's?'' Theresa declared in horror.

Laura threw herself down on the floor dramatically. ''Are you sure that's it Theresa? Maybe you forgot the Spellings of Los Angeles or the Kennedys to Massachusetts,'' stated Laura heatedly.

''Oh, noooo! Oh, Laura,'' cried Theresa, clutching her chest with one hand and shaking her head. ''Laura,'' said Theresa after she had recovered slightly. ''You've just headed off a disaster of such an enormous proportion that I feel I am going to be sick with relief. Can you imagine the kind of fall out that would occur had I forgotten to include the Kennedy's, oh I can't let myself think about it.''

''Theresa, there are too many people on this guest list,'' said Laura suddenly exhausted. ''You are right Laura. I can't think, it's too much. There is no way we can plan a wedding this large in 11 days. This is a catastrophe. We need more time. We need a month. What am I saying? We need 3 months. No, six month. Yes, we have to tell Lucky and Elizabeth that we need more time. Yes, yes, that's the only reasonable answer.''

''Theresa, snap out of it,'' said Laura. ''Pull yourself together and put down that bottle. You saw Lucky and Elizabeth at the party. They are hell bent on having this wedding in 11 days. We have to make this work and the only answer is to trim this guest list,'' finished Laura holding her breath to await Theresa's response.

''No! No! No! No! No!'' Theresa shouted at the top of her lungs, waking a disgruntled Michael. ''There is no way we can trim this guest list. I told you. To not invite these people would be catastrophic.''

''Then what do you suggest we do?'' Laura asked becoming indignant. ''We need more help. Yes that's it. We will get professional help with this. I know just who to call too and it will be marvelous. The Calloway's! I almost forgot the Calloway's,'' yelled Theresa, quickly jotting down their names.

''I need sleep,'' said Laura groggily. ''Yes, get some sleep Laura. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We've got people to call and a long flight ahead of us not to mention plans to make. Yes, get some rest. We leave at 11am,'' finished Theresa hanging how, while still jotting down names.

Laura hung up the phone and crawled wearily into bed next to Luke who was sleeping peacefully. Normally, she would have stayed up and watched Luke sleep for a while, but tonight she was far too tired to do anything but fall into a deep slumber.

Webber Residence:

''Lucky what are you saying?'' ''Well, when I was going to marry Chandler the guest list for that topped 650, I think. I wasn't involved in any of the planning, but I am fairly certain that's approximately how many people were invited.''

''650 people? Lucky, where do you put that many people? How do you know that many people?'' Elizabeth asked in astonishment. ''It's my Steele family. We socialize with a lot of people.'' ''Yes, I understand that, but Lucky, 650 people, what are we going to do?''

''Tell you what, let's just put away the guest list for a while and concentrate on something else,'' said Lucky soothingly. ''Lucky, we can't put this away now,'' said Elizabeth. ''We have to resolve this situation now, or our wedding is going to be a disaster. What are we going do?''

Elizabeth was becoming hysterical so Lucky knew he had to say something to calm her down. ''Elizabeth, remember we are not in this alone. We have my Moms and our friends to help us and really, what's the worst that can happen?''

''What's the worst that can happen? Lucky if we don't address this guest list fiasco the worst thing will happen. We won't have enough room to fit all the people we want to invite.''

''Ok, let's think about that for a minute, shall we? Ideally, we would like to be married at Mt. Hebron Baptist Church, but we can only seat 100 people there. We already know that we will definitely exceed 100 no matter what we do, so maybe we should change the venue to some place that can accommodate more than 100.''

''I guess we could do that. I love Mt. Hebron, but it doesn't really matter to me where we get married as long as we do,'' said Elizabeth.

''Ok, then it's settled we will just find some place else to get married. Listen, I'll talk to my mothers before we leave for Paris and together I am certain they'll be able to think of some place just right,'' said Lucky.

Elizabeth nodded, finally releasing the breath she had been holding. ''That sounds great, surely your Moms will be able to think of something.''

Elizabeth flopped onto her back, releasing an exasperated breath. ''Planning our wedding is going to be stressful.'' ''We won't let it be,'' Lucky said, lying on his side next to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth rolled to her side so she was face to face with Lucky. She became serious for a while looking at Lucky thoughtfully. ''Ok, what's wrong?'' Lucky asked Elizabeth, looking at her intently.

Elizabeth wiggled her ring finger, admiring the beautiful diamond and ruby for the millionth time. ''Is this the ring you gave to Chandler?''

Lucky looked at Elizabeth in shock, sitting up immediately and pulling Elizabeth into a sitting position to face him once more. ''Elizabeth no, absolutely not. I would never give you an engagement ring that was previously owned by an ex.

I didn't even ask Chandler to return the ring I gave her,'' finished Lucky, trying to hide the hurt he felt that Elizabeth would think he would offer her the same ring he gave Chandler.

''Lucky, I am so sorry,'' amended Elizabeth quickly. ''That was a stupid question, please don't be mad at me.'' ''I am not mad at you,'' said Lucky sincerely. ''I am however curious as to why you thought this ring may have belonged to Chandler.''

Elizabeth lowered her head ashamed for even bringing up the subject. Looking up Elizabeth sighed when she saw that Lucky was waiting patiently for her answer. ''It's just that we've been together almost every minute since we got back together and I couldn't figure out when you found time to buy me this ring.''

Lucky smiled understanding Elizabeth's dilemma. ''I see your point,'' said Lucky before explaining. ''My secretary, Martha, and I were at a Jewelry show not long ago and coincidentally she and I admired this ring. After you agreed to marry me the other evening, I called Martha and asked her to acquire the ring for me. She remembered it clearly and was able to secure it and get it to me at the party.''

Elizabeth's eyes opened wide as a thought occurred to her. ''When you disappeared shortly after we arrived at the party,'' remembered Elizabeth.

''Yep, I wanted it to be a surprise so I was trying to be sneaky. I never dreamt for one minute you would think it was the ring Chandler had, but it makes sense now that I think about it.''

''No Lucky, it was stupid of me to think that. I should have known you would have thought of some ingenious way to buy my ring without my knowledge,'' Elizabeth said, still annoyed that she had questioned Lucky about the matter.

''Elizabeth, it's ok really. I am glad you asked about it and I am glad it's cleared up. Nothing's changed you know, you can still ask me anything you like just like when we were together before. I have no secrets from you.''

''What's your life like now? I mean, it's has got to be a lot different from it was before. You are different from who you were before,'' Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

''In what way do you think I am different? And should I be worried?'' Lucky laughed as Elizabeth began stammering all over the place. Elizabeth, realizing that Lucky was just teasing her, grabbed a pillow and hit him over the head with it.

After a brief pillow fight, Lucky asked Elizabeth to tell him the differences she noticed in him. ''I don't know, you are just more regal I suppose,'' said Elizabeth at a loss for words. ''Regal? Me? You are joking right? Nicholas is regal, not me,'' said Lucky.

Elizabeth laughed, falling backwards onto the bed. She sat up again after her laughter had subsided. ''I don't know how to explain it,'' said Elizabeth giggling as Lucky sat upright and puffed out his chest to feign a superior air.

''It's more like you seem more unattainable,'' continued Elizabeth after she was able to stop laughing. ''Unattainable to you? Elizabeth, I have been falling all over myself since I met you and what's this more unattainable, like I was ever that before.''

''Oh don't get me started on before,'' Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes at Lucky. ''I remember a time when I first knew you when your were the most unattainable boy in the world to me. I would have done anything to get you to notice me, but to you I was completely invisible.''

''Now I know you are exaggerating,'' Lucky said, looking at Elizabeth in shock. ''I have never not noticed you Elizabeth, never. Sure, I was stupid for a while, but I noticed you and I wouldn't call myself unattainable even then. I didn't even realize that you were interested in me until much later,'' finished Lucky.

''That's because you were a dense little boy,'' said Elizabeth. ''Little boy? Take that back,'' complained Lucky. ''I will not take it back, you were 15 year old little boy and completely dense,'' insisted Elizabeth.

Lucky began tickling Elizabeth mercilessly until she begged him to stop. ''Take it back, take it back,'' insisted Lucky, not letting up on his tickling of Elizabeth. ''Ok, ok. I take it back, I take it back,'' surrendered Elizabeth when she was unable to breathe from laughing so hard.

Lucky and Elizabeth fell in a heap together kissing each other tenderly and playfully. Elizabeth sighed contentedly as she snuggled into Lucky's arms. ''And you call me unattainable,'' said Lucky looking teasingly down at Elizabeth.

''I meant if you didn't love me from before. If I had only just met you.'' ''I have wanted you since the first moment I saw you Elizabeth,'' countered Lucky.

Elizabeth thought about it for awhile before explaining further. ''You fell in love with me before Lucky and it didn't happen overnight either. I was in love with you forever before you fell in love with me and you fell for me only after we because such close friends.

I think that you were right about the heart remembering because I think that's why you reacted to me the way you did when we were reunited. Even though you had amnesia, even though in your head, everyone here and I were strangers to you, your heart responded to the love that was created between us all those years ago.

If you were just Malcolm Steele and had never known me before, I don't think you would have noticed me at all,'' finished Elizabeth.

''I don't believe that and news flash, I noticed you that first day we met outside of Kelly's. I think I started falling in love with you then, but was too young and immature to realize what it all really meant, so I went after what was simple and uncomplicated.''

''What do you mean you went after what was simple and uncomplicated?'' ''Elizabeth, you had to know how impossible you were then, how completely crazy you made me.'' ''As opposed to what?'' Elizabeth questioned, sitting up with Lucky.

''Well, Sarah. She was simple and didn't create any riot with my emotions, not the scary emotions that is. You, you were just scary to a little fifteen year old boy,'' Lucky smiled, conceding to her earlier description of him.

''So you are saying that what you felt for Sarah was easy and didn't stress you out while what you were feeling for me was stressful and you were afraid of it.''

''Yeah, of course I didn't have it all worked out that clearly in my head until much later after we were together, but that's how it was. That's why I know that no matter how or when you and I had met, we would have ended up together, because we are just meant to be together.''

''You really believe that don't you?'' ''Yes I do,'' said Lucky sincerely. ''I think fate planned our meeting, circumstances got in the way of our lives and fate insisted that we belong together no matter what the circumstances.''

''Have I ever told you how much I love you?'' Elizabeth whispered. ''Yes, but not so far this morning,'' answered Lucky. ''Well, how unforgivably rude of me. I love you Lucky, I love you from a place in my soul that no one else could ever touch.''

Tears filled Lucky's eyes, but he quickly blinked them back and took a deep breath never looking away from Elizabeth. ''I love you too,'' said Lucky simply.

Lucky and Elizabeth sat regarding each other for awhile before Lucky spoke. ''I think it's because I am older and have a more balanced view of life,'' said Lucky without warning.

''What?'' Elizabeth smiled a little off balanced. ''You have been trying to figure out the differences in me earlier and I am explaining what I think they are,'' said Lucky.

''I am more experienced than I was before so with that I think comes a certain level of maturity that I think only experience could provide. It's the same with you too Elizabeth, you are more mature than before. Also, I have been exposed to a different way of life, I mean my Steele family are as upper class as you can get.

I guess the life I have lived with them has made an impression on me which is hard to ignore. I can't run the company I run without a strong sense of confidence. I don't attribute that to social class though, because I was raised to be confident before. Again, I think experience has cemented that foundation.''

''Yeah, I think that's it,'' Elizabeth said smiling at Lucky. ''Is it difficult separating or joining your too lives, I mean is it confusing for you?''

''No, not at all, as a matter of fact, I feel more complete than I have felt in 10 years. Finding you again and finding Mom and Dad and the missing years of my life have kind of closed the gaps in my life. The loss was felt all these years and coming back here and remembering that is just the most incredible feeling. No, no confusion or difficulties here,'' finished Lucky.

''I am so grateful to the Steeles for loving you Lucky. I try not to think of what would have happened to you had Michael not found you and took care of you.''

''Don't think about that Elizabeth. Everything worked out and now we are getting married in 11 days,'' Lucky said looking at the early morning light streaming through the windows.

''Yippee,'' said Elizabeth bouncing into Lucky's lap. ''Lucky, we are going to Paris today,'' said Elizabeth her eyes wide with excitement.

Lucky smiled enjoying the look of pure happiness on Elizabeth's face. ''Yes, Paris here we come,'' announced Lucky rocking Elizabeth in his arms.

The phone rang and Lucky reached over to get it. ''Hello?'' ''Malcolm, good you are up,'' said Theresa breathlessly. ''Mother, what's wrong? It's six in the morning and you sound like you just finished running a marathon.''

''Oh, honey it's bad,'' continued Theresa. ''What's bad?'' Lucky asked becoming alarm. ''The wedding date sweetheart, you have got to push it back for at least a couple of months actually, I need six,'' Theresa said letting her voice crack.

Lucky breathed a sigh of relief. ''Oh the wedding date again. Mother you can stop using that feeble voice to try and get me to change the date. Elizabeth and I have decided and the date is set in stone, there will be no postponing of this wedding,'' announced Lucky firmly.

''But darling, the guest list is over 500 and there is just so much to be done and Laura and I would just be so grateful for just a little more time,'' continued Theresa sweetly.

Lucky groaned before firmly telling his mother again that he would not change the wedding day. He promised to call her later and quickly hung up the phone so his mother wouldn't make another attempt at emotional blackmail.

''Lucky what's the matter?'' ''My mothers want us to change the wedding date because they don't think they can pull a wedding of this magnitude off in 11 days,'' groaned Lucky. ''I knew it,'' exclaimed Elizabeth. ''I knew the guest list was impossible. Lucky what are we going to do?''

Lucky raked his fingers through his hair before getting up to pace the length of the bedroom, while Elizabeth sat on the middle of the bed looking frantic.

Lucky stopped his pacing suddenly and leapt onto the bed sitting Indian-style and facing Elizabeth. ''We could always elope,'' announced Lucky.