Growing up as the son of Luke and Laura Spencer meant experiencing a childhood that was so far from normal that you couldn’t even spot it in the distance. When other kids his age had been planning their summers around Little League games and their falls around soccer games, Lucky had been busy learning how to pick a lock and the fine art of crafting a fake I.D.

And if some small part of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer the III had sometimes yearned to be invited to a slumber party or to build a tree house in the yard, he generally managed to hide that part from the rest of the world. After all, slumber parties were out when you might have to move in the middle of the night and what good was a tree house if you weren’t going to be around to join it.

Sacrificed to the vagabondness of his childhood had also been any real religious education. No Sunday school. No boring mornings spent listening to sermons from the pulpit. In fact, aside from the obligatory wedding for a marriage that wouldn’t last past sweeps or the funeral service for someone who was actually still alive despite being declared dead by half of the staff of General Hospital, Lucky had never really been in a church or given much thought to religion.

He did know that he believed in God.

It was the only thing that he could come up with that explained the insanity that was Port Charles.

Oh yeah there was a God and he, no probably all things considered a she, had one hell of a twisted sense of humor.

Which was why, when Lucky saw the train coming straight for the truck, he had enough time to do two things.

The first was to hope that they were far enough out of Port Charles that identifying his corpse would be the work of someone other than the PCPD.

God knows if he left it to that police department they would discover that he was really a long lost Cassadine or worse yet a long lost Eckert or something.

Not that either would surprise him.

The second was to whisper a vaguely remembered prayer from the time he had spent two weeks hiding in a French monastery.

All of which is a long winded explanation as to why, when he dared to open his eyes again, he was a little surprised to realize that the prayer had worked.

Only he was vaguely surprised by how cold and terrifying Heaven felt as he stared at the cold marble columns and the golden throne in front of him.

And somehow he had never imagined that God himself would have eyes that blazed fire or hold thunderbolts in his clenched fists.

Or that those thunderbolts would be released in his direction.

Instinctively he dived and rolled in the opposite direction as the bolt landed near him.

“Who dares to invade my privacy?” God’s voice rolled like Thunder and Lucky put his hand over his ears to stop the echoes that hammered throughout the room.

He was about to reply when a moan caught his attention and he looked around to spot a dazed Emily lying on the floor.

Ignoring the furious God, Lucky raced to Emily’s side as she sat up, gingerly touching the side of her head where a nasty bruise was forming.

“Emily? Em, you okay?” Lucky’s voice was frantic even as he realized the stupidity of his question. If they were both dead, how in the world could she be okay?

Emily nodded and then winced as her head ached. “I’m fine. Honestly.” She looked around her in a daze. If she didn’t know better, and really she didn’t know better, she could have sworn she in Ares’ temple on Olympus. But that couldn’t be because despite the marble and the columns this place was somehow cold and intimidating and Ares place had been strangely warm and welcoming and Ares didn’t have white hair and he wasn’t in the habit of throwing lightening bolts and....

“Oh my God!” Emily’s voice was a strangled whisper and she started to stand even as Lucky pushed her back down and the flash of lightening swooped over her head.

“Who is that?” Lucky whispered as he tried to protect her with his body.

“I think that’s my grandfather.”

Lucky looked up quickly and then shook his head. “Okay I admit that I see a certain resemblance but the last I checked Edward throws money and bribes around not bolts of lightening.”

Emily shook her head. “Not that grandfather. My other grandfather.”

“Okay, we have to get you to a hospital because obviously you hit your head harder that I thought only I’m not so sure there are hospitals in heaven because really what would be the need and ...”

“Lucky we’re not in heaven.”

Lucky threw her a wounded look. “Okay I admit that I’ve never pretended to be a saint but I don’t think I’ve done anything that bad....”

Emily sighed. Men and their egos. You had to watch everything you said because... “I didn’t mean that. I meant that we’re not dead.”

“Right. We got hit by a train Em, remember. Train. Big metallic object. Going very fast. Boom. Bang. Splatter.” Lucky shrugged. “What you think this is some kind of Passions and somehow we got mysteriously rescued at the last moment by some supernatural force? Please. We have to be dead.”

Okay, so explaining wasn’t going to work, even if she knew HOW to explain. That left her only one choice.

She pinched him. Hard.

“Ouch,” Lucky yelped as he rubbed the red mark on his arm. “Hey that hurt.” He paused. “Hey that hurt.” The last was said almost gleefully as wild relief swept through him. “I’m not dead.” He started jumping up and down when another bolt came at them, the force of it knocking him back down. Even so he, grinned at Emily. “I’m alive.”

Emily sighed and shook her head. “Get a grip Lucky, it’s not like its the first time you’ve come back from the dead and I doubt it will be the last.”

Lucky started to grin and then stopped. “Right. We’ll if Mr. Not Satisfied With Normal Track Lighting over there is really your grandfather, what did you do to make him mad at you?”

“Me? What did I do? Why is everything always my fault? I mean just because he’s my grandfather and I did make the truck on the track and almost get us killed that doesn’t mean it’s my fault that he’s.....” Emily stopped as Lucky stared at her. She gulped and took a step back.

Lucky took a step forward. Neither teen noticing that the bolts had stopped flying for the moment. “What did you do to my truck?”

“It’s not your truck, it’s Mac’s remember. And I’m sure he has good insurance. I mean he’s probably out buying a new right now and....” Her eyes fell. “ImadethetruckstopbutIdidn’tmeantoonlyI’vegott hispoweranditdoesn’tquiteknowthedifferencebetw eemliteralandfigeraturiveformsofspeechand......” She shook her head. “You don’t want to do this Lucky? I’m your best friend remember. Grape snow cones. Brownies at Kelly’s. Lifelong pledge to always be friends.” She gulped. “Friends don’t strangle each other Lucky.”

“It was a new truck.”

“I’ll explain to Mac. Honest.” Not that she had a clue what she would say to him. Maybe she could blame it on Sonny somehow. Mac always blamed everything on Sonny anyway so it wasn’t that big of a stretch.....

“Mac will fire me.”

“No he won’t. I mean if he hired you despite the fact that your father is sleeping with his not quite ex-wife than he wouldn’t fire you over a little thing like a truck being destroyed.” Emily paused. “Oh at least I don’t think he would. No I’m sure he wouldn’t. He might not even notice that the truck is gone.”

“Em.”

“Okay so he’s going to notice but......” She smiled hesitantly at Lucky. “We’re still friends, right? You don’t hate me, do you?”

Lucky fought back a smile. “No Em. I’m confused and I’m upset but I don’t hate you.” His manner sobered. “When I saw that train coming and I knew it was going to hit us.....” His voice trailed off shakily. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He took a deep breath and expelled images of how many decades he would have to work to pay off the truck at what Mac was paying him. It wasn’t like he had other plans for the next twenty years of his life. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Their eyes locked and for a second Emily’s eyes glowed as something almost electric danced between them. They both took a step forward, close enough that they could feel the warmth emanating from each other, the electricity between them spiraling out of control.

It was as if she could touch the sparks between them if she just reached out....

And it was with a shock that she realized she could touch the sparks between them because they were being caused by a ball of electricity that seemed to be hovering between them, forcing them apart.

Furious for some reason she didn’t really want to think that closely about, Em turned to the figure on the throne.

“Isn’t that just typical? He’s going to strangle me for wrecking his car and you do nothing. Say nothing. But when it looks like something might actually happen that I want to happen you have to intervene and stop it. Is it genetic? Are all grandfathers like this? Or just my grandfathers?”

“You dare to talk to Zeus like that?”

“I dare all right.”

“Em. I don’t think its a good idea to get the guy whose throwing lightening around mad at you.” Lucky hesitated. “Did he really just say that he was Zeus?”

“Oh he’s Zeus all right. And just as arrogant as Strife and Cupid described him. They forgot to mention how pushy he is.”

“I’m not pushy.”

“I notice you’re not arguing the arrogant point.” Emily shrugged. “I suppose you want me to be grateful for rescuing us.”

“Gratitude from a child of Ares.” Zeus held up his hand mockingly. “Please my heart couldn’t handle the shock.”

Emily’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t talk about my father like that.”

“Thank you but I think I can defend myself.” Ares voice brought her head around as the God of War came up to stand next. “Father.” Ares indicated their surroundings with a wave. “Do you mind?”

Zeus scowled. “What if I said no?”

Ares grinned. “Do you want to explain to Mother how you arranged for Richard to win because you were jealous of her obsession with Rudy?”

“The man is old enough to be her...” Zeus began and then stopped. “Fine.”

A wave of his hand and the elaborate temple disappeared, to be replaced with a smaller, more intimate, and to Lucky infinitely less scary looking one.

Ares didn’t move. “And the rest?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.....” Zeus tried before snapping. “Oh all right.”

Another flash and the robes, white hair, and lightening bolts had also disappeared, to be replaced by a somewhat regal looking middle aged man with graying hair and a beard.

“Now apologize to Emily for scaring her and her friend?”

“No way. Besides you heard her. She wasn’t afraid of me for one second.”

“Father.”

“ALl right. I apologize. All I was doing was testing her. I had to make sure that she was really your daughter.”

“I assume you are satisfied.”

“Oh she’s definitely bad tempered enough to be the daughter of War.” With that, Zeus disappeared.

Ares shook his head. “I knew letting him watch that Disney cartoon was a bad idea. We went through the same kind of toga and temple phase after Clash of Titans came out a while back.” Continuing to shake his head, Ares turned to Emily. “Are you okay?”

Emily started to say yes, started to pretend like nothing big had happened, when she realized that she couldn’t and something inside her crumbled. “No. No I’m not okay. You have to take it back. You have to take it away before I hurt someone.” She turned away so that neither Lucky nor Ares could see her blink back her tears.

“Emily.” Ares put a hand on her shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes it was. The truck stopped and it wouldn’t go and I did it. I almost got Lucky killed and I killed the alarm clock even if Cupid was right and it came back to life I still killed and I don’t want super powers so take them back, okay? Please?”

“Emily?” Lucky’s voice was tinged with concern. “What are you talking about?” Lucky turned to Ares. “Who are you?” He peered at Ares closely noting his leather studded outfit. “You’re not a Cassadine, are you?”

Ares laughed but Emily took exception. “There’s nothing wrong with Cassadines. Besides, I thought you and Nikolas were past all that.”

Lucky shrugged. “Nikolas is okay, but that doesn’t mean I want to be invited to the Cassadine family reunion.” Lucky shuddered. “I’ve never been that fond of blood and tonic cocktails.”

“Lucky!” Emily protested. “Nikolas isn’t some kind of junior vampire. He’s nice and kind and considerate and...”

“Dating your blackmailer.”

Lucky rubbed the shin Emily kicked, still not sure why hearing Emily defend Nikolas prompted that remark.

“Children.” Ares voice stopped them both. “Honestly you too are worse than Strife and....well Strife and just about anyone else.” Ares turned to Emily. “You didn’t cause the truck to stop. It wasn’t you. There was a mechanical fault. The tank read as if it was filled but in reality it was empty. You ran out of gas. The fact that it happened on a train track, that was just bad luck. I’m just glad that Father was watching you and was able to bring you here..... before you were hurt.” He frowned. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

“I didn’t cause the accident. It wasn’t me.” A huge smile lit Emily’s face. “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me! Did you hear that Lucky, it wasn’t me.” Without thinking, Emily hugged Ares tightly. “Thank you.”

“You’re.... welcome.” Ares hesitated for a second before hugging his daughter tight. “I am glad you are okay.” He lifted her chin till she looked up at him. “How are you coping with... everything?”

“I’m okay.”

“No sign of....”

Emily shook her head. “None. And don’t worry because Cupid and Strife don’t let me go anywhere without them knowing and you know that is really is a little annoying and if it wasn’t for the fact that he who shall not be named wants to use me to destroy the world I would probably be freaking out over the over protective in the extreme bit but....”

“Emily.” Lucky broke in exasperated. “Would you please tell me what’s going on? Where are we? How can this be your father? And who is this he who shall not be named and why would he want to hurt you? It sounds something in a Harry Potter book.” Lucky frowned. “And how do we stop him from hurting you?”

Ares stared at the younger man, liking what he saw. It was obvious that he cared about Emily, but as a friend? Or as something more? Ares’ eyes darkened. Nobody was going to hurt his daughter.

He turned to Emily. “I’ve heard the weather at the South Pole is nice this time of the year. Say the word and...”

“No!” Emily’s voice was sharp. “God, you’re just like Endora on Bewitch. Blink him to the South Pole. Blink him to outer space. The next thing you know you’ll be blinking into a rat or something.”

“I don’t blink.” Ares said softly. “Or at least I don’t normally blink however if you would like....”

“No! Honestly. You have to promise me not to blink any of my friends anywhere or into anything or this whole father/daughter thing ends.”

“Not even .....” He bent over and whispered a name in Emily’s ear.

Emily hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. “Not even.” Emily stood firm. “Promise.”

Ares sighed. “ I promise.”

“Still waiting for explanations over here.”

Emily sighed. “Okay. You’re not going to believe this. I mean I was there and I don’t really believe it so I would understand if you didn’t it believe it and...”

“Emily!” Ares’ and Lucky’s voices echoed together.

Emily took a deep breath. “Right. Well it started like this....”

You shouldn't kiss me like this unless you mean it like that
Cause I'll just close my eyes and I won't know where I'm at
We'll get lost on this dance floor spinning around
And around and around and around
They're all watching us now they think we're falling in love
They'd never believe we're just friends
When you kiss me like this I think you mean it like that
If you do baby kiss me again

Two hours later, Emily laid back on the chaise lounge as one of the temple slaves fed her grapes. With Ares’ help, she’d changed from her 20th century clothes to a silk gown made of spun gold that set off the highlights in her hair. She’d enjoyed a bath in the sunken tub that had been scented with lavender and oil. Now she was being waited on by a young man who looked just like the lead singer of The Backstreet Boys. Suspicious, Emily looked closer. He looked exactly like.... No, not even Ares would do that, would he? She turned at Lucky’s voice.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course I’m listening to you?” Emily popped another grape into her mouth. “You were saying?”

“Emily...” Lucky looked at his friend closely. He still couldn’t believe the story she had told him, but considering where she was and who was sitting next to her as she said it he couldn’t not believe her, could he? “I was saying that when we get back home we have to make up a plan for keeping you safe. I’m sure your....family Cupid and Strife will be of help but they won’t be able to protect you like I can. You’ll move into Kelly’s with Liz and I of course and that way I’ll be able to protect you night and day...”

Emily sat up. “Move into Kelly’s? You and Liz 24 hours a day?”

Lucky nodded. “Of course we’ll have to tell Jason the truth. He and Sonny can double the guards on you.”

Emily shook her head. “No we won’t.”

“Come on Em. You heard Ares. This guy whose coming after you is dangerous.”

“Cupid and Strife can protect me fine, okay. I’m fine. Besides he doesn’t even know where I am or anything.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“No but I do know for sure that I am not moving into Kelly’s with you and Liz. And you’re not telling Jason. You’re not telling anyone the truth. Do you think I want Jason to know? Or Nikolas. My God Nikolas will think I’m some kind of freak and....”

“So what if Nikolas thinks you’re some kind of freak. Who cares what Nikolas thinks? I don’t. You don’t..... Don’t tell me you still have a crush on Nikki.” Lucky wondered why that thought made him want to squash under his feet. Why did he care what Emily felt for Nikolas? Emily was his friend and that was it?

“I don’t....” Emily threw up her hands in frustration. “You know what? Why don’t I stay here and you go back to Port Charles, without me, alone?”

“Stay here.” Lucky’s heart skipped a beat. “You can’t stay here.”

Emily sighed. “No. I know that. It was just....never mind. I wish I had never told you. Lucky you don’t need to go ballistic here, I’m going to be fine.”

“Right because I’m not letting you out of my sight....”

“And what is dear sweet Elizabeth going to say when I join the two of you in bed? Somehow I don’t think Liz is that open minded.”

Lucky blushed and then tried to shrug it off. “She’ll understand.”

“She’ll understand? No way.”

“Emily.”

“No stop it Lucky. Just stop it.” And before Emily knew what she was doing, Lucky grabbed his throat as he found that his voice had literally stopped working.

Emily smiled even as she looked guilty. “Don’t worry. It’s just my little power. You know Goddess of Disfunction, that’s me. Or demigoddess I guess. At least this way you’ll listen to me. When we get back to Port Charles you can’t tell anyone the truth, okay? And you can’t guard me 24/7 or do anything different. You have to promise me that you’ll trust me to take care of myself. I mean with Cupid and Strife’s help. Okay? Promise me that everything will be like it was when we go back to Port Charles.”

Lucky glared at her.

“Just promise me Lucky okay?”

He continued to glare.

Emily sighed. It had felt good to tell Lucky the truth. Natural. Like keeping her true heritage a secret from him had somehow been wrong on some deep fundamental level. Still, she couldn’t let him do what he planned. She couldn’t let him get in the way. It wasn’t the fear of his being overprotective and smothering her that worried her, years of living as a Quartermaine and Jason Morgan’s little sister had accustomed her to overprotectiveness. No the real reason she wouldn’t let Lucky protect her was fear. Plain and simple fear.

She hadn’t forgotten any of Ares story about the dark sorcerer who sought to use her body as a host to travel back in time. She knew he was dangerous. Knew that he could kill her. Knew that if Lucky got in the way he would be killed. She worried enough about Cupid and Strife and they were Gods.

She wasn’t going to be responsible for the death of any of her friends.

And she especially wasn’t going to be responsible for Lucky’s death.

Neither was she going to mourn him again.

She didn’t think she could survive that experience twice.

Shaking her head sadly, Emily turned away from Lucky.

“Dad.”

As if on cue, Ares appeared. “Ready to go back to Port Charles so soon? I was hoping I could convince you to stay a little longer and....” He stopped as he saw the sadness in her face and realized that Lucky wasn’t speaking.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want him to forget.” She ignored Lucky’s silent protest.

“I thought you wanted him to know the truth.”

“I was wrong. It’s too dangerous for him to know the truth.”

Ares studied his daughter.

“Are you sure?”

Emily bit her lip and nodded.

A second later beautiful white moths swirled around Ares hand.

“What are they?”

“Memory moths. By the time they’re done your friend won’t remember anything about the accident or his stay on Olympus or anything.”

“They won’t hurt him, will they?”

“No, he’ll be fine.”

“And he won’t remember anything?”

“Not a thing,” Ares began as Emily’s effect on Lucky’s voice wore off.

“Finally. Em you can’t do this. You can’t let him do this. You need my help. It won’t be safe for you without me to protect you.”

Emily ignored Lucky, not an easy thing to do since he was grabbing her by the shoulders. Her eyes locked on Ares.

“He won’t remember anything?”

“Nothing.”

Emily nodded and before she could talk herself out of it, she turned to Lucky and kissed him.

Not a friendly kiss. Or a gentle kiss. But a passionate kiss. The kind of kiss she had dreamed about giving him since that day in Kelly’s when they had first met, even if she had been too young to realize what that jolt of recognition met.

Even if he was in love with someone else. Someone who was supposed to be her friend. And even if she was still confused over her feelings for his brother.

Emily drew back, ignoring the hammering of her heart or the dazed look in Lucky’s eyes.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered the words softly. “I didn’t mean to.... I mean I meant to.... oh God I’m sorry I just......” She touched his cheek gently. “It’s the only chance I’ll ever get to make that dream come true.”

“Emily I.....”

“Shhhh. It’s okay Lucky. You don’t have to say anything. I know you love Elizabeth. You won’t remember this. That’s okay. I just wanted....this moment. Just this moment, nothing more.”

“Emily I can’t....”

She closed her eyes and shut whatever else he was going to say out, remembering instead the feel of his lips on hers. “Do it.” She whispered softly.

She heard the flutter of wings surround her for a moment and when she opened her eyes, Lucky was gone.

Only Ares was there.

“He doesn’t love me.” The words were half statement, half explanation.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I am.” She turned away so that he couldn’t see her tears. “Can I go home now?”

Ares nodded even as she disappeared in a flash of white light he wondered what was worse, the sadness in his daughter’s eyes or the fact that she referred to someplace else as home.

Elsewhere

The stench of sulfur filled the cave from the old cauldron boiling over the open flame. The gnarled hand that stirred the pot ignored the blisters forming from the heat.

Instead he picked up the ball of herbs and oils whispering a silent enchantment to bind the potion before throwing it into the pot. The result was instantanous as a light exploded filling the cavern with images of a young girl with brown eyes.

And the predator grinned as he realized he had at long last found his prey.

Everybody swears we'd make a perfect pair
But dancing is as far as it goes
Girl you've never moved me quite the way you moved me tonight
I just wanted you to know
I just wanted you to know