Emily turned over on to her side and tried to get comfortable, feeling very lonely in the massive bed. She missed her husband, she thought to herself as she opened her eyes to look at the empty spot next to her on the bad. She missed listening to him breath, she missed his arms around her, she even missed the sound of his taking a shower in the morning.

The cell phone she clutched rang and she answered it eagerly.

“Morning beautiful,” a soft and beloved voice whispered to her.

Emily laughed. “Are you talking to me or Jason?” She relaxed knowing that the line was secured, one of the side benefits of having a brother who was a mob boss.

“You. Definitely you. I missed you last night.”

“I know. I missed you too. Are you ready to play Tom Sawyer today?”

“Does that make Helena Injun Joe?”

“Only if we get to lock her in a cave someplace?” Emily sighed. “I hate not sleeping next to you.”

“Me too. But we agreed that it was too dangerous for me to be there with Helena hanging around Port Charles. I don’t think any of us expected her to just saunter into Kelly’s.”

Emily shivered. “How I managed to just walk by her without slugging her in the face once or twice I will never know.”

“You were leaving that privilege to me?”

“You wish.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Okay. All right. Lousy. Every time I closed my eyes it was like I was back in her compound in Mexico. I hate that she was in the same room with us. I have no idea how I will manage to be polite to her today.”

“Just remember that all those cameras are watching.”

“No pressure at all Spencer.”

Lucky laughed. “How’s Jonathan?”

“Sleeping. He had another dream last night. This time Helena killed Diablo and then you and me.”

“Poor kid.”

“He’s tough. We both are. We’ll be okay.”

“Just remember that what ever happens today, I love you.”

“I know. The same here.”

“Hey, do me a favor?”

“What?

“When you see my mom ask her if she’ll watch Jonathan for us?”

“Any particular reason, Mrs Spencer?”

“Only that when this nightmare is over I want to make mad passionate love to my wife.”

“I think that can be arranged.”

Wyndemere

Nikolas walked into the house following his sunrise ride along the cliffs. He’d been up half the night checking and rechecking the arrangements for today. Nothing could go wrong. Once and for all his grandmother, he wouldn’t call her Helena Cassadine anymore, was going to pay for her crimes. She was going to pay for killing his father. She was going to pay for terrorizing his mother. She was going to pay for the death of his daughter’s grandparents. All of it. She was going to pay for all of it. But most of all she was going to pay for what she did to his son.

He walked into the study and locked the door behind him. Reaching into the corner closet, he removed a well polished and well cared for gun, checked to make sure it was loaded, and put it in the holster in his jacket. Part of him hoped that he would not have to use it. But a greater part of him hoped that he would.

If his face was dark and withdrawn when he entered the kitchen, his housekeeper put it down to stress from due to the memorial service. The housekeeper herself had supervised the decorating and setting up of chairs in the ballroom. She was just glad that there was no body, supervising the placement of a casket was, in her opinion, above and beyond the call of duty for even Cassadine housekeepers.

As befitted a Cassadine housekeeper though, she said nothing just poured the master a cup of coffee.

Nikolas looked over at Stephanie who was hitting her spoon against the bowl in an abstract pattern.

“Stephanie? Are you okay?”

Stephanie shook her head. “I just feel so sad because Uncle Lucky died. I heard Lu and Ruby crying last night and it made me cry to. Why did Mommy have to die? Why did Uncle Lucky have to die?”

Nikolas ached for his little girl and for his sisters. They had decided that not only would the girls be more comfortable at Wyndemere away from the press, but they would also be safer away from Helena. Ruby especially needed to be kept away from Helena in case she lost her temper and let the truth out. Nikolas was over twenty years older than his youngest sister and the few times he had encountered Helena over the last two days he had been hard pressed not to call the bitch Maria.

“Your mother died in an accident. Accidents just happen. They don’t have a reason. That’s what makes them so hard to bear. When your mother died I never thought I’d be happy again but you know what? I found someone who made me very very happy?” He smiled at his daughter. “You. You made me feel better and I still miss your mother like crazy some days, but then I look at you and I know that your mother left me a very precious gift. She left both of us a gift really. She left us each other.”

“Maybe that’s what Uncle Lucky did. He left you and Jonathan a gift- he left you each other. You can help Jonathan just like you helped me when Mommy died. And I can help Jonathan too, can’t I?”

“I think Jonathan could use all the support he can get today, especially the love of his little sister.”

Stephanie smiled and Nikolas felt the cold hard steel of the gun under his jacket and smiled back.

Later that morning

Maxie took the launch to Wyndemere accompanied by her mother and her stepfather. The boys had been left behind with a babysitter and for once Maxie wished they had come along, their energy and high spirits, while out of place at a memorial service, would have been a welcome diversion from the thoughts running rampant in her head. Like what if something went wrong? What if they had underestimated Helena? Stop playing what ifs Maxie, she berated herself strongly, you know that’s a game that you will lose and you can’t afford to lose, there’s too much at stake.

“Maxie?” Felicia approached her daughter. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve been so quiet.”

“I’m worried about Emily. Losing Lucky was tough on her, especially with the complications of her pregnancy.”

“And what happened with Helena in New York. It was a good thing that you and Jason were there to help her rescue Jonathan.”

“Do you mind if we don’t talk about it?”

“Talk about what? Jason or what happened in New York?”

“Both,” Maxie said grateful when the launch docked and she could see Nikolas waiting for her. She walked up to him and accepted his gentle embrace. “Are Emily and Jonathan here yet?”

Nikolas nods. “The Quartermaines and the Spencers are in the gardens and Em and Jonathan are with them. Most of the guests are beginning to converge in the ballroom.”

“Nikolas,” Mac greeted the younger man. “My condolensces on your loss.”

“Thank you Mac. Lucky was a special person. His loss will be felt by all of us.”

“Nikolas, I’m going to go find Emily and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“I appreciate it Maxie, A lot.” His warm brown eyes smiled at her before he turned to Mac and Felicia. “Can I show you to the ballroom?”

“No thanks. I know my way,” Mac replied as he led his wife and children in the direction of the ballroom, his eyes kept darting to Maxie. If he wasn’t mistaken and he didn’t think he was, his stepdaughter was up to something.

Maxie made her way down a side path around the house to the gardens in the rear. She was dressed all in black, black pants, black silk blouse, and a black jacket. Under the jacket, carefully concealed, was her holster and her gun. A knife was strapped around her calf.

Even as alert as her senses were, she still jumped when a voice called her name.

“Maxie.” She closed her eyes, letting that voice wash over her and bring with it the memories she was doing her best to hold at bay.

She turns. “Jason.”

For a moment, their eyes lock and the rest of the world disappears as if it never really existed. Maybe it didn’t. Maybe the only real thing in her life was right in front of her.

She doesn’t need to see the effort it is taking for him to keep a distance between them, she knows the effort its taking her to do the same.

“How are you?”

Maxie smiled. “Besides missing you?”

Jason’s eyes blazed. “Maxie..”

“No, I’m sorry,” Maxie took a deep breath and a step backward. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.” She smiles. “I’m fine. A little nervous about today, but fine.”

“You don’t have to be nervous. Everything is set. The island couldn’t be more secure and my men are stationed everywhere. No one is going to hurt you or Emily or Jonathan.”

What about you? she wants to ask but doesn’t. God this is hard. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she’ll tell Mac and Felicia she’s going back to El Paso. Distance has to help. It has to.

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Maxie nods. “I was on my way to find Emily and Jonathan. I’ll see you later?”

Jason nods casually, but the intensity of his gaze as it follows her belies the casualness of her pose. For the first time in his life as Jason Morgan, Jason feels a rage of anger against Sonny for dragging him into this life, even as he recognizes the unreasonableness of that anger, no one dragged him into this life. He is where he thought he wanted to be. God how could he have been so wrong.

When Maxie disappears from sight, Jason turns and heads in the other direction.

In the garden

Jonathan sits on a bench overlooking the ocean, Stephanie pressed against him quietly. Jonathan smiled at the little girl, of all of the things that had gone down since that day on the beach, discovering that he had a little sister had been one of the best.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ruby and Michael standing next to each other behind him.

He smiled at them.

“How are you doing?” Ruby asked softly, pain of her own coloring her blue eyes. Jonathan bit his lip, he wanted desperately to tell her, to tell them all, this his father was alive but he couldn’t. Not yet. Damn if this charade wasn’t harder on him than he expected. He was surrounded by his closest friends and they were all experiencing grief of their own, but they were setting it aside to comfort him.

He stopped suddenly as he looked around him. Friends. For the first time in his life, he had friends. They were family too, but above and beyond the ties of blood the four of them were linked by ties of friendship. For a boy whose only friend before this was a dog that he had treasured, the idea of being surrounded by friends was overwhelming.

“Jonathan, are you okay?” Stephanie asked softly, touching a tear as it fell down h is face.

“I’m fine squirt,” Jonathan replied with a smile. “I’m just glad that all of you are here.”

“You know its strange to think that Lucky was a family to each of us. My brother, your father, Michael’s cousin, and Stephanie’s uncle.” Ruby’s voice was little more than a whisper. “I’ll miss him.”

Michael’s arm went around his cousin and he let her bury her head in his shoulder. “We will all miss him.” Michael agreed and then looked up at his cousin. “Is that an earring?”

Jonathan blushed. “Yeah, Mom finally said I could get one.” He didn’t add that it had really been his mother’s idea and that the small gold earring concealed a tracking device. Lucky had argued for an implant, but Jason had pointed out that an implant could be used to find him by people he didn’t want finding him. At least with the earring, if he felt the need he could lose it and remain hidden.

“I like it,” Stephanie said. “It makes you look like a pirate.”

Ruby shook her head. “It’s not the earring. All Cassadines look like pirates one way or another.”

“I thought Cassadines were vampires?” Jonathan smiled.

“Vampire pirates?” Michael offered with a grin and without really meaning too, the four of them burst out laughing.

Twenty feet away, Lu Spencer stood next to Jamie Martin as she talked to Emily. They looked in the direction of the children and smiled at the laughter.

“I like Jonathan.” Lu said solemnly. “He reminds me of Lucky. I mean I know that biologically he is Nikolas’s, but he still reminds me of Lucky.”

“He does doesn’t he?” Emily smiled but that smile darkened as she saw the expression of pain that crossed Lu’s face. “I’m sorry that Lucky and I didn’t get a chance to visit you at college. But you do know that he was very proud of you.”

“I know.” Lu’s blue eyes softened as Jamie’s arm tightened around her wrist. “Excuse me, I want to go check on my parents.”

Emily smiled as Jamie led Lu away and the smile deepened as Jamie drew her into a quiet corner of the garden and then into his arms.

“There’s something to smile about this morning?” Maxie whispered in her ear and Emily nodded in the direction of Lu and Jamie.

“Young love. I think Lu may have finally found the man of her dreams. I like him.”

Maxie watched the young lovers with a pang in her heart. “How are you?”

“Desperate to have this over. Speaking of which,” Emily checked her watch, “I think its almost time to begin.”

“You’re eager.”

“The sooner we get started, the sooner we can all get on with our lives post Helena.”

As Emily walked over to get Jonathan, Maxie stood surrounded by people and wondered why the air seemed somehow colder and the clouds far more menacing than they had been a minute ago and why she felt so very very alone.

They had decided to hold the memorial service in the ballroom. Chairs had been placed in rows for the guests to sit in and flowers, white roses, lilies of the valley, baby breath nestled in green ferns and leaves, along with white silk ribbons decorated the room. Nikolas had hired a pianist who played softly on the baby grand in the corner of the room.

A table at the front, covered with a green tablecloth with vases of flowers on it, displayed several a large picture of Lucky. The front two rows were reserved for family and Emily and Jonathan took their seats in the center. Luke and Laura sat next to Jonathan. Nikolas with Stephanie beside him sat next to Emily. Lu and Ruby, the Quartermaines, Bobbie, Lucas and his fiancée Serena Baldwin, filled out the rest of the first two rows. The remainder of the rows were filled with people who knew Lucky as a teenager or worked with him before he left town or just wanted to support three of the most prominent families in the community who were united in their loss this day.

In the back, alone except for a few of her goons, sat Helena Cassadine.

As the room began to quiet down and a hush fell over the crowd, Lu Spencer kissed her boyfriend on the cheek and stood up. Making her way to the front, she stopped to briefly hug Emily and her nephew before standing at the podium.

“On behalf of my family and the Quartermaines, I want to thank you for being her today to help us remember and celebrate my brother’s life. This song is for you Lucky. I couldn’t have asked for a better brother and I couldn’t have loved a brother more. This song is also for you Emily because I know its how Lucky felt about you.”

Taking a deep breath, Lu nods to the pianist and begins:

Every night in my dreams
I see you. I feel you.
That is how I know you go on.

Lu’s voice is crystal clear and each note seems to touch the heart directly. In her black gown, her long hair unadorned, and her blue eyes brimming with tears, the picture she paints is as heartbreaking as the song itself.
Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on.

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you’re here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never go till we’re gone

Emily reaches out and puts her arm around her son’s shoulder as she closes her eyes and lets the music fill her. Next to her, Nikolas takes her other hand and holds it tight. She opens her eyes and smiles tremulously at him. They had shared so much growing up. Then, although he never knew it, they shared a child. She’d grown used to thinking of him as the enemy because of the custody fight, but that had changed since Lucky’s “death.” Now she realized that she and Nikolas were bound by love, a shared love for a son they both adored and for a man they both loved in different ways.

Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold to
In my life we’ll always go on

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you´re here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Maxie wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and tells herself that its the song, The song is sad and melancholy. But Maxie knows that its not the song. They could be singing “Walking on Sunshine” and Maxie would feel sad. It was funny in a twisted kind of way. They were all here to say goodbye to Lucky, but it wasn’t Lucky that was dead. But something was dying here this morning. Something was being laid to rest even if Lucky was not. Those dreams Maxie had clung to that somehow despite everything she and Jason might have a happy ending were being buried this morning. And for Maxie, the pain was like nothing she had ever known before.
There is some love that will not go away
You´re here, there´s nothing I fear,
And I know that my heart will go on
We´ll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

There was a stunned silence as the last notes faded away and Lu made her way back to her seat.

The priest from Queen of Angels opened the services with a benediction and a blessing. He smiled at Emily remembering the teenager who used to come to his church to seek sanctuary from her family.

Once the priest was finished, Emily stood and approached the podium.

Her eyes seek out her son and she smiles at him before she began.

“Before I begin, I want to thank you for being here today. As many of you know, my husband spent the first ten years of his life traveling internationally with his mother and father. As many of you also know, my husband and I spent the last six years of his life traveling. Because of that, Lucky had friends across the globe, many of whom can not be here in person but want and need and deserve to be part of this day. With the help of my husbands employer, Jasper Jax, we have arranged to have this service broadcast on the internet so that all of those who loved Lucky can remember him and even those who may never have met him can come to realize the special person he was.”

“When I first met Lucky, I was in desperate need of a friend. I was ten years old, my mother had just died, and Port Charles and the people in it were strangers to me. Lucky changed all of that. Lucky became my friend, my best friend as we were growing up. I won’t tell you all the things we did and the mischief we got into because my son is sitting in the audience and I don’t want to give him any ideas, but I will tell you that I knew if I ever needed him that Lucky would be there for me. When I returned to Port Charles and I met Lucky again, I realized that he was still my best friend. But as we got to know each other as adults, he became more than my best friend, he became the man I loved and a father to my son. Lucky Spencer saved my life every way that a life can be saved- physically, emotionally, spiritually. He kept me alive, he taught me how to believe in love again, and he restored my faith. He was my happy ending. But one thing I have learned since the explosion is that love never dies. Lucky’s love for me lives on in the child I carry. It lives on in the son we raised. It lives on in the strength he gave me to face the day. It lives on in each and everyone one of you who have made me feel loved over the last few days. I know that somewhere Lucky is watching at this moment and he is feeling our love for him as surely as we all feel his love for us. I invite each of you to share with us and to share with the world as we take this day and this moment to celebrate the life of Lucky Spencer.”

As Emily steps down from the podium, Luke stands up and the two of them embrace before Luke approaches the podium.

And so the memorial service goes. Luke remembers the camping trip that he and Sonny went on with his “Cowboy.” By the time he is done with the story, the mourners are both laughing and crying. Smiling past his tears, Luke concludes “I just want you to know that wherever you are Cowboy, I will always do my best to protect your wife and your children from any kind of threat, real or imagined. Just like I know you would if you were still here.” His eyes contacted Helena’s who nodded coolly.

In a small room set up in the guest cottage, Lucky Spencer watched on the internet. “Subtle, Dad. Real subtle.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Jason said as he stood next to the deceased. “Something over the top is exactly what Helena expects from Luke. If he was subtle she might get suspicious.” Jason looked at Lucky. “How does it feel to attend your own funeral.”

“Weird. I hate seeing my sisters suffer. My family is there and I can’t be with them. Seeing Helena in there is just making it worse.”

“I know. The thought of killing the bitch is crossing my mind at least once every second. Let’s just hope that she assumes the guy with the camera in the corner is the only camera we’ve got going. If she knew that we had hidden cameras throughout the estate, she wouldn’t be nearly as receptive to our little plan.”

“I know. Jax and V, are you guys sure you can handle this equipment.”

“Listen, I may not be the technical wizard you are, but I think I can punch a few buttons,” Jax complained.

“V?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he doesn’t touch anything important.” V smiled as her husband made a face. “And even if its been years since I was with the WSB, I haven’t forgotten that much. We’ll make sure the cameras catch all of the action once the memorial service is over.”

“Speaking of the service,” Jax points to the computer screen. “You ought to videotape this man. It isn’t everyday that the son-in-law gets to hear the mother-in-law say nice things about him.”

“Are you kidding?” Lucky grins. “I’m taping this whole thing. If Em and I ever get in a fight, I figure all I have to do is play this and she’ll forgive me for whatever stupid thing I did.”

“You think it will work?” A smile plays around Jax’s lips. “Maybe I ought to try it. What do you think of a mock funeral for me?”

“In your case? Keep it up and it won’t be a mock funeral.” V teases.

“Jason,” Lucky turns to his brother in law who is quietly staring at the computer screen.

Lucky looks and sees a familiar blonde sitting sadly.

“You love her, don’t you?” Lucky asks.

Jason nods. “But all the love in the world sometimes isn’t enough to make it right when its wrong.”

Not knowing what to say, Lucky turns away and leaves Jason to his silent thoughts.