Emily stared out the window in her room. It had been raining for three days straight, ever since she left the hospital. And even though it had stopped late in the afternoon, the ground was still wet and the sky was still gray.

Emily sighed. Although Monica and Alan had told her not to leave the house, she had to get out. Being cooped up was making her crazy.

She walked over to her dresser and changed into a pair of jeans and a white, cotton long sleeved shirt. After taking two wrapped gifts off of her desk, she placed them in her shoulder bag and grabbed her black blazer. The only people in the house were Cook and Reginald. The rest of the family had gone to the PC Grille for dinner after Emily had insisted that she would be fine alone. This would be her only chance to get out into the fresh air. Emily walked quietly down the stairs, and slipped out the front door.

As she walked through the park, she pulled her blazer tighter around her chest. It was colder than she had expected outside, but the fresh air was good, and she inhaled it gratefully.

She stopped walking as she came upon an old wishing well. In the last few years, she had come to this same spot whenever she needed time to think. It was sort of her solace. She had often come to this place to make a wish, but regretfully, not many had come true. Fishing a penny out of her pocket, she made one final wish and tossed it in. Leaning over the side, she watched it fall into the darkness, and a moment later, heard a tiny splash as it hit the water.

She put her hands in her blazer pockets to keep warm and started to walk away.

"Emily!"

Emily stopped walking. Had somebody called her name?

"Em, wait up!"

Emily turned around to see Lucky jogging towards her.

"Hey," he said, once he caught up to her.

Emily smiled. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

Lucky looked over at the wishing well. "I sometimes come here when things aren't going so well." He looked up at his friend. "What about you? Shouldn't you be inside?"

"I was getting sick of being inside." Emily replied. "I needed to get out." She rubbed her hands together to keep warm. Noticing this, Lucky took her hands.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go to Kelly's and warm up there."

Emily smiled and started to walk beside him.

"Lucky, do you remember a few years ago, when we were here at the park…And we were looking at the stars. Um, I asked you a question…I-I asked you what you wished." Emily stared at the ground as they walked. "And you said-" Emily cleared her throat. "You said that you wished you could hold the world."

Lucky stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Lucky, do you remember?" She wanted to know.

Lucky nodded. "Em, what are you saying?"

Emily opened up her purse and took out a small present wrapped in gold and green wrapping paper. "I got this for you-a long time ago. I was going to give it to you for Christmas, before…well, you know."

Lucky took the present from her and stared at it.

"Open it." Emily whispered. "Please."

As he opened the box and took out the tissue paper, he grew silent.

"Em-" He said softly as he gazed at present.

"I found it at the mall, and I remembered." Emily said. She could feel tears start to form. "I remembered what you said about wanting to hold the world in the palm of your hand."

She wiped away the tears that had started to fall.

Lucky looked up at her, his eyes glistening. "Come here." As Lucky opened his arms, she walked into them, and he held onto her tightly.

Emily laughed out-loud at the joke that Lizzie told and grinned. Going to Kelly's with Lucky and meeting up with Elizabeth and Sarah had put her in a great mood. As she glanced over at Lucky, she caught him watching her with a smile on his face. She grinned as he winked at her.

"So are you going to the party?" Sarah was asking her.

Emily turned her attention away from Lucky. "What party?"

"The Valentine's party at Mr. Spencer's club that we told you about less than five minutes ago." Elizabeth said. "Lucky, stop winking at Em, it's distracting her." She teased.

Emily only laughed and nodded. "I guess I'll be going. That is, if I can get out of the house for the night without Monica or Alan coming with me."

"You can't be serious." Sarah said.

"You haven't been around the Q's have you?" Lucky intervened. "Trust me, she's serious."

"We'll just have to do some persuading then." Lizzie's eyes sparkled.

Emily grinned and looked at her watch. "Oh, wow." She gasped, standing up. "If I'm not home in fifteen minutes, I'll surely be grounded." She grabbed her blazer and purse off the back of the chair and stood up. "I'll catch you guys later."

She waved goodbye and stepped outside into the cold, night air. Behind her the door opened.

"Hey Em, wait up. I'll walk you home."

"You don't have to do that. I'm pretty sure that I can make it on my own."

Lucky shook his head. "I don't know about that." He teased. "Maybe I should come with you to make sure."

Emily didn't protest and soon the two were walking along the street in silence. As they came to the front door of the Quartermaine mansion, she turned around to face her friend.

"Thanks for walking me home."

"No problem." He replied.

"I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

Lucky nodded. "You sure will. I'll see ya."

Emily watched as he turned and ran down the front steps.

"See ya." She whispered, a smile touching the corners of her mouth.

As the warning bell rung the next morning, kids raced to their first class of the day. Emily swore under her breath as she tried to balance her books while opening her locker.

A kid ran past her, causing her to knock her books to the ground.

"Hey!" she called out. The boy looked back and shrugged before continuing on to his first period class. Emily sighed as the second bell echoed in the empty hallway.

"Well, there's no use in hurrying if I'm already late."

She got down on her hands and knees and started picking up the textbooks and the loose papers that had managed to get scattered everywhere.

"Need help?" A voice over her shoulder asked.

Emily looked up. "Mark!"

Mark grinned. "Hey Em." He bent down to pick up some of her books.

"Thanks." She said, once he handed them to her. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I go to school here now. My cousin's Alexis Davis." He explained, seeing her confused expression. "My parents are away and so I'm staying with her."

Emily nodded in understanding. As she looked down at his cast, she grinned. "I've been meaning to ask you. How was your getaway?"

Mark laughed. "It was classic. It should have gone down in history."

Emily nodded. "Uh-huh…dynamite or nail file?"

"You mock my intelligence." Mark chuckled. "Dynamite if you must know."

Emily laughed. "Figured." She turned around and shut her locker.

"So, are you going to the party at Luke's on Saturday?"

"Sure am. My cast is coming off tomorrow and I have to show it off somehow."

"Ah, going back to the scene of the crime." Emily teased as they walked down the hall.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Really, and I thought they were glad to get rid of me. They were blowing up balloons and everything."

Emily laughed as she stopped at the door of a classroom.

"I hope to see you Saturday."

"Yeah." Mark said. "Me too."

Emily smiled and walked into the classroom. As the door shut behind her, Mark watched through the window as she said something to the teacher and then took a seat in back. As he walked away on his crutches, he smiled. Maybe Saturday was the chance he was waiting for. The chance to let Emily Quartermaine know how he felt.

Emily Quartermaine groaned as she reappeared from inside her closet.

"One hour." She said. "One hour, and I still don't know what to wear."

"I've told you, the red one you wore to the last dance looks fantastic on you." Liz glanced her the mirror on Emily's vanity and fixed her hair.

"I can't, it's being dry cleaned." Emily sorted through her various dresses and muttered, "I don't even see why I'm going. It's just gonna be couple after couple dancing and having fun."

"It's Valentine's Day, Em. Everyone goes out, dateless or no."

Emily held up a dress to her body and looked at herself in the mirror. "I guess." She walked into the bathroom to change. When the door opened again, Liz whistled.

"Trés chic."

Emily laughed and looked at her dress in the mirror. She wore a long pink dress that had a slight silver tint to it. The spaghetti straps showed off her bronze shoulders, and the dress color was perfect for her smooth complexion.

Emily turned around and grinned. "Okay, so you did it."

Liz looked at her in the mirror, mascara brush frozen in mid-air.

"Did what?" she asked.

"You got me into the spirit of Valentine's Day."

Liz grinned and went back to applying her make-up. "I knew I would. We've got the party, we've got our friends, now all we need is a little romance in the air."

Emily laughed as she began to twist her hair up into a French twist. "Liz, I'm sure you won't have any problem finding that."

Lucky Spencer put his money into his wallet and tucked it into his back pocket for safety. He had saved up for two weeks and he definitely wasn't taking any chances. He ran a comb through his hair and gave himself a quick glance in the bathroom mirror. Tonight was Valentine's Day. The day of love, the day of chances. He was definitely going to take his chance at telling her how much he cared. He had lost her friendship once before, he wasn't going to mess up again.

As Lucky walked down the hall, he glanced into his room, a picture by his bed catching his eye. Yes, he this was most certainly the time to tell Emily how he felt.

The party was already underway by the time the girls arrived at Luke's. The stereo system was cranked up high and couples were already on the dance floor. Emily looked around the club before finally spotting Lucky's dad behind the bar. She walked up to the bar and smiled.

"Hi Mr. Spencer!" She yelled over the pulse of the music.

Luke looked up and smiled. "Miss Quartermaine, glad you could come. What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Lucky?"

"He isn't here yet." Luke said as he filled a glass of liquor for someone. "He had to run out and get something important." Luke's grin was mischievous, but Emily quickly caught on.

"And what would that be, Mr. Spencer?"

Luke laughed. "You sure are the suspicious one, aren't you Emily?"

"It's a Quartermaine trait." Emily grinned and waved goodbye.

She looked around the club before spotting Liz next to a guy from school. The song on the stereo turned to a slow song, and before she could get off the dance floor, someone took her hand and turned her around.

"Mark!"

"Hi Emily, would you mind if I had this dance?"

Emily smiled. "Not at all." She walked into Mark's open arms and rested her chin on his shoulder as they listened to the lyrics.

Someday when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow
Just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight

She could smell his cologne, a scent she had never noticed before. She realized, to her disappointment, that there were a lot of things that she hadn't noticed about him. Like the way he talked to her. Sure he would make jokes and kid around with her, but his expression was always one of softness and gentleness.

Oh but you're lovely
With your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me to love you
Just the way you look tonight

And the way he was holding onto her right now, his strong arms firm, yet gentle around her waist. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She tried to shake that last thought off, and she tried to convince herself that he was just a friend. He was just some one to joke around with, she'd never had feelings for him before. Still, she wondered if he noticed just how close their bodies were to each other. She wondered what his eyes would tell her.

Don't look up, she ordered. She knew that it was impolite to look up, unless you wanted to be kissed. Emily pulled away and looked up into Mark's face. Mark looked down at her, his blue eyes seemed so caring. He pushed back a strand of hair from her face.

"You look so beautiful." He whispered tenderly.

Emily smiled and looked down-her cheeks turning red, her face glowing. "It must be the lights." She laughed.

With each word, your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
Touches my foolish heart

Mark lifted her chin with his fingers and looked deep into her eyes.

"No, it's you."

He leaned in close and she closed her eyes. Their lips touched as he gently kissed her. As they parted, Emily looked deep into his eyes and smiled.

Lovely never, never change
Keep that breathless change
Won't you please arrange it
Cause I, I love you
Just the way you look tonight

Lucky Spencer glanced around the flower shop nervously. He had never been to a florist before, and he had no idea of what to get. All of his romantic instincts were gone, they had quickly been replaced with nervousness and anticipation. He walked up to the counter and waited for the woman behind it to turn around. He cleared his throat, causing the woman to finally turn.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I need to by some kind of flower. A rose, perhaps."

The woman smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but we're all sold out. It is Valentine's Day, after all."

Lucky sighed. "Yeah, I know. This was sort of last minute, though."

The woman walked around the counter to his side and asked him who the special girl was.

"Uh," Lucky began nervously. "It's kind of a long story. We used to be best friends, but then we sort of grew apart. Actually, it was my fault. I wasn't there for her through some rough stuff. Although she forgave me, I can never forget. We're friends again, but there's something more there." Lucky coughed nervously. He couldn't believe he was talking about his love life to a stranger, but the woman only nodded and smiled.

"Well, I think there might be something I can do for you, Mr-?"

"Lucky, Lucky Spencer."

"Hi Lucky, I'm Marianne. Just give me a minute and I'll be right out." With that, the young woman went in the back room.

Lucky stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and glanced around the shop that was overflowing with every kind of plant and flower imaginable. A moment later, the woman came out carrying a white rose.

"I thought you said they were sold out." Lucky asked, puzzled.

"My father gave me a dozen roses." Marianne told him. "It's sort of become a tradition with us. Basically to show me how much he loves me. I figure giving you one couldn't hurt at all. Besides, it's Valentine's day." She handed him the flower, and as he reached into his back pocket, shook her head. "Free of charge." She told him. She gazed at him thoughtfully. "May I offer you some advice, Lucky?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"My boyfriend died a year ago in a motorcycle accident. We were supposed to get married next month. The pain is still there and I know it always will be, but I learned some important things that I never would have understood if he hadn't died. Life's precious, Lucky. You have to take chances and let the other person know how much you love them before they're gone. Otherwise, they might never know." Marianne's voice seemed far away, and by the smile on her face, Lucky could tell she was thinking of her fiancée.

Lucky nodded as he took in this bit of advice.

"Thanks." He said quietly as he made his way to the door. "I'll remember that."

Emily bowed her head and smiled shyly. Her face turned a pale shade of pink as she blushed. When she lifted her head again, she saw him looking down at her.

"I don't know what to say." She said honestly.

Mark's smile faded. "Emily, oh, man, I'm sorry-"

"No, Mark…" Emily laughed and smiled. "I liked it."

The gentle smile was there again, on Mark's face, and Emily found herself glad to see it. As she looked around, she realized that the music had turned to a faster beat.

"Let's go outside." Mark suggested.

Emily nodded and started to follow Mark, when she noticed something.

"Mark, your leg!"

He grinned. "Yeah, I got the cast off this morning. I can't really lean on that foot a lot, but I told Amy that I wouldn't stay on crutches anymore than I had to."

"That's great." She smiled as she allowed herself to be led outside into the cool air.

"So, I take it you won't be skiing for awhile then, huh?"

Mark laughed. "What, and give up my chance to go back to the hospital? Everyone would be so disappointed if I didn't." He grinned slyly.

Emily laughed.

"You know, I was pretty bummed out about breaking my leg. But when you came in that day, everything seemed okay."

Emily stared down at the ground.

"You're different from the other girls I know, Emily. All of the girls I know pull crazy stunts just to get a guy's attention. And they're so caught up in how they look and being popular. You're not like that. You're mysterious and shy. You know so much yet you seem so vulnerable."

Emily kicked at the dirt with her shoes, not able to look at Mark. "Yeah, well, I've had a lot happen to me." She said softly. "Being popular and looks just aren't important anymore. Not when there is so much more to worry about."

Emily looked up as the music inside suddenly became clearer and the lights dimmed for a slow song.

She glanced up at Mark.

"There's a lot about me that you don't know, Mark." She replied to his unspoken words. "That night in the playroom at the hospital…I didn't tell you everything. That didn't even cover half of my life-what I told you. There's so much that you don't know, so much that you don't want to know."

Spend all your time waiting for that second chance
For the break that will make it OK
There's always some reason to feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day

"I do, Emily. I want to know everything about you. What you think, how you feel…you make me think, Emily. You make me wonder."

Emily lowered her eyes. "I don't want you to think less of me."

"I can never think less of you." He replied softly.

I need some distraction or a beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

Emily looked up. "Mark, why are you so nice to me? You make me feel so special. I-I've never really felt that way before."

"Because you are. It's as simple as that, Em. You are."

Her eyes lowered again, and she stared at her hands. "There's a lot about me that you don't know." She repeated. "There's oh, so much. I've made so many mistakes, and so much has happened to me and the people around me. And it makes me feel so horrible. There's this feeling that never leaves." She could feel his eyes on her, his deep, caring eyes. She turned her head, trying to avoid them. She had so much to say and only now was she brave enough to. "It's fear."

In the arms of the Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you feel
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here

"Fear?" Mark inquired.

Emily nodded and said softly, "yeah." She took a deep breath. "My mother died of cancer when I was twelve years old. That's when the Quartermaine's adopted me. For a long time, all I felt was pain and sadness…and fear. Nobody can possibly understand what I feel anymore. I feel sadness and pain…all the time. I miss my mother constantly. The Quartermaine's love me, I know they do, but it's not the same."

So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
That make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference, escape one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

"I've screwed up so many times, and I'm afraid of what will happen. Whenever I'm happy, it quickly goes away because something in my life happens and affects it. And whenever I'm in pain…well, the pain doesn't go away. I feel lost and alone all the time and like I can't trust anyone."

In the arms of the Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you feel
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here

She looked up to see his reaction and found him watching her intently, his eyes searching hers. "I didn't want to tell you because…" she took a deep breath. "because you make me feel so special and safe and I didn't want that to go away. I feel whole, like that missing part of me isn't missing anymore. Like I'm not alone."

She looked down, feeling embarrassed. "Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for being my friend."

In the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here

Mark reached out and took her hand in his. He lifted her chin with his forefinger and she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Thank you for trusting me."

Emily smiled faintly as they both leaned in slightly. Soon, his mouth touched hers in a gentle kiss. As they pulled back, he wrapped his arms around her and said softly, "You're not alone, Em. Just remember that, you're not alone."