September 25, 1998

(Nikolas and Emily walk up to Liz's front porch)

Emily: "I’ll understand if you don't want to do this."

Nikolas: "No, it's ok. Lucky can help. That's all that matters. Our differences won't get in the way."

Emily: "What if he's not here?"

Nikolas: "Well, then we'll ask Elizabeth where he is, track him down, and track down the person who did this and make sure it never happens again." (Emily rings the doorbell)

Liz: (Opening the door to let them in) "Hi. What brings you two here?"

Emily: "We're looking for Lucky."

Liz: "Both of you?"

Lucky: "Emily. Hey. (Noticing Nikolas) Are you the 'we'?"

Nikolas: "Yeah, that's right."

Lucky: "Emily, remind me to give you a little advice about choosing your friends."

Emily: "Lucky, we're not doing that today, ok?"

Lucky: "What are we doing?"

Emily: "Is your grandmother home?"

Liz: "No. Why?"

Emily: "Because I’m in trouble."

Lucky: "What kind?"

Emily: "Well, it's --" (She looks at the envelope)

Nikolas: "This is a photograph someone's threatening to put on the internet--a nude woman with Emily’s face on it."

Emily: "The envelope was delivered to my house. There's no postage. There's no return address. No idea who did it."

Lucky: "Anyone contact you?"

Emily: "Well, only by the note inside. The picture is fake. I mean, I’d never pose for anybody like this."

Liz: "You didn't have to say that, Em. We know."

Lucky: "People can doctor photographs to show any sick thing they want. I learned that firsthand from Nikolas' grandmother."

Nikolas: "The photograph came with a demand of $20,000."

Liz: "Or they'll post it on the internet."

Nikolas: "Right."

Emily: "Right."

Lucky: "Can I see the note?"

Emily: "Well, you don't need to, Lucky. I mean, it just says to start saving my pennies."

Nikolas: "You don't need to see anything, ok? All we need from you is a couple codes for breaking in information banks on the net."

Lucky: "Well, but, Nikolas, wouldn't that be wrong?"

Nikolas: "Yeah, that's why we came to you."

Lucky: (Looking at Emily) "You ready to work?"

Nikolas: (Going over to the couch to sit down, he gets out his laptop) "Yeah, this is--this is what we got so far--the photo of Emily’s face was lifted from a photo shoot that she did last week. Now, I’ve keyed in a list of obvious suspects, from the photographer on down to the janitor, and then I searched the web for sites that specialize in this kind of--here you go--that specialize in this kind of crap to see if there was a match."

Liz: "Good thinking."

Lucky: "It seems to me that whoever's behind this has his moves down pretty smooth. It means that they've maybe done it before, possibly with the same body, using a different face. If that's true and I can somehow find the body somewhere on the web, maybe that'll lead us to the blackmailers."

Liz: "Hmm. Sounds like a plan."

Lucky: "Only one problem. I need to see the photo."

Emily: (Looking uncomfortable) "Well, now?"

Lucky: "I need to know what I’m looking for, Em."

Emily: (She hesitates and then hands over the envelope) "I’ll be on the porch." (She turns to leave)

Liz: "I’m going to go with her." (She follows her)

Lucky: (Lucky pulls out the picture and both he and Nikolas reluctantly look at it) "Ok."

Nikolas: "This guy better hope I never meet him in person."

Emily: (Out on the porch steps) "I know it's not really my body, and I probably shouldn't even care. But people thinking that that's me is almost as bad as if it really was me."

Liz: "Lucky and Nikolas know it's not your fault. They're not going to judge you."

Emily: "What about the rest of the world? If those pictures go on the internet, everybody is going to think that I’m a slut. My family's going to be mortified and furious. You don't know what it's like to live in my house under normal circumstances. Throw something like this in the mix--"

Liz: "It's not going to happen. Lucky and Nikolas are going to find whoever's doing this and stop them."

Emily: "Maybe you can't relate to how I feel, but looking at that picture is like--is like a violation of everything that's personal to me."

Liz: "You know, Em, I can relate. Something bad has happened to me, too."

Liz: "When someone makes you a victim, they gain power over you. And even though you know you didn't do anything wrong, you start to believe that it's all your fault."

Emily: "What happened to you?"

Liz: "Do you remember the Valentine's Day Dance?"

Emily: "I didn't go."

Liz: "Neither did I. I lied about some jock inviting me, and I got all dressed up and then went to the movies by myself. After the movie was over, I went home through the park. And then this man grabbed me and he dragged me into the bushes. And then he raped me."

Emily: (Shocked) "What? What did you--I mean--what did you do?"

Liz: "Well, at first I just laid there in shock. And then I crawled out of the bushes, and that's when Lucky found me. And he took me back to his house because I refused to go to the police and I refused to see a doctor. And his aunt and his dad helped me the best they knew how."

Emily: "Oh, Liz, that's so awful."

Liz: "Yeah, I was pretty freaked. I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't want anyone to see me."

Emily: "Is that why you missed so much school?"

Liz: "Yeah. I told everyone I had the flu, but really I was too humiliated to leave the house. I just figured that everybody already knew and they were all laughing at me and saying that it was my fault and that I got what I deserved and--"

Emily: "I never heard anything like that, Liz--promise."

Liz: "I realize now it was all in my head because I only told a few people and they weren't saying anything."

Emily: "Besides Lucky?"

Liz: "My grandmother and Sarah--and Nikolas. He saw me coming out of a rape survivors meeting, but he promised not to say anything."

Emily: "Well, if he promised, then he won't say anything. Neither will I."

Liz: "I know. He's honorable, like Lucky. You know what's funny?"

Emily: "Hmm?"

Liz: "As much as those two are at each other all the time, they really do have a lot in common."

Nikolas: "You know, I have a macro set up for this. Why don't you use it?"

Lucky: "I don't want to miss anything."

Nikolas: "You're wasting your time, Lucky. Don't--" (He starts to reach for the computer)

Lucky: (Blocking his hand away) "Hey! You do that again and I’m out of here--with your computer, since you won't stop me from helping Emily."

Nikolas: "Hey, don't feel obligated. I can find someone else."

Lucky: "Oh, who? Some big-time programmer, the computer wonk at the local store?"

Nikolas: "Yeah, if I have to."

Lucky: "You've known Emily for five minutes. I've been her friend for years."

Nikolas: "Ok, I’m going to ask you this one more time--do you want to work together to find out the idiot who's blackmailing Emily or do you want to turn this into a battle of wills between you and me?"

Emily: "You seem so calm. If something like that had happened to me, I’d be falling apart."

Liz: "I was, for months. The only reason I got through anything was Lucky. When I couldn't stand to be alone, he slept on my floor in my room. Anything I needed, he's provided it. I don't know where I’d be without him, but I know it wouldn't be good."

Emily: "Lucky is an amazing person."

Liz: "Is it ok with your parents if you stay here late? Because this computer search may take a while."

Emily: "Yeah. All I have to do is tell them I’m with Nikolas."

Liz: "They trust him?"

Emily: "I do, too. I remember when I got that first picture in the mail. I didn't know what to do. And then when I got the second one, I figured I might as well just pay whoever it was off. So I kind of went to Nikolas and asked him for a loan of $20,000."

Liz: "You're kidding."

Emily: "No. He didn't even flinch. He asked what I wanted the money for, and when I told him I was being blackmailed, he said that he would put a stop to it. I just hope that that's possible because--"

Liz: "You guys were smart to come to Lucky. If anyone can figure out a way to find this guy, it's him."

Nikolas: "What are you doing?"

Lucky: "Forget the ad agency. I need the police department mainframe."

Nikolas: (Skeptically) "What, you can get in?"

Lucky: "Just watch. (He types a few words and then smugly holds out his hands in success) Photographs, Internet. Whoa."

Nikolas: "What? (Looking at the screen) You got names, web sites. This could take all night."

Lucky: "You in a hurry?"

Nikolas: "Start from the top and go through every one."

Lucky: "Ok." (He starts typing again)

Lucky: (Looking over at Nikolas, who is now on the computer) "Anything?"

Nikolas: "Lots of photos so far, but no composites. You want to take over for a while? My eyes are going nuts." (He gets up and walks a little ways away as Lucky takes over)

Emily: "Hmm. You know, after what you told me tonight, I’m starting to think that my situation could be a lot worse."

Liz: "Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't have the right to be nervous."

Emily: "I know. But as far as Lucky and Nikolas seeing that picture, it really doesn't matter anymore."

Liz: "See now? You're already making progress." (They laugh)

Emily: "Should we go in?"

Liz: "I think we're better off out here."

Emily: "Why?"

Liz: "Lucky works a lot better with Nikolas when no one's around."

Emily: "You know him pretty well, don't you?"

Liz: "Well, I should. I'm with him almost every day."

Emily: "So are you guys, like, friends or in love?"

Lucky: (From the house) "Got it. Come here, everyone. Look at this." (The girls go running in)

Emily: "What--what'd you find?" (Emily and Liz sit down by Lucky to see the computer)

Lucky: "Ready?"

Emily: "Yeah."

Lucky: "Check this out." (Everyone looks at the computer screen, then at Emily)