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The boy smiled to himself as he came upon his father's club. Through the windows he could see people dancing. The lights were down low and couples held onto each other and gazed into their partner's eyes lovingly.
He had never been one for love and Valentine's day. For two years he had hung out with Emily on February 14th, renting sappy videos (Emily's choice, of course), and eating popcorn at the Quartermaine mansion. That seemed almost like a tradition until last year, where his infatuation with Sarah took the place of their friendship and traditions, of their jokes and memories.
He couldn't believe how he had almost thrown it all away. He stared sadly at the couples dancing. What Marianne said was true, he guessed, you never realize how much you have until it's gone.
And she almost was gone.
Lucky Spencer took another glance inside before moving on. As he walked around the corner, he stopped short. The flower he was carrying dropped to his side. Right in front of him was Emily, sitting on a circular bench with flowers behind her, wrapped in Mark's arms.
He should have known that it would have never worked, he should have been smarter. The hurt and disappointment in his face disappeared as he raised his head. Spencer's don't get hurt, he told himself. They don't get caught off guard.
But that didn't stop the ache in his heart. He looked down at the white rose in his hand. He felt as if his heart was being torn in two. He came to the realization that he had lost her, he had lost Emily. Not only as a best friend, but as anything more that could have been.
He lay the rose down on the bench behind them and, unable to look at the two, turned around and walked away.
Emily Quartermaine smiled as she looked up into Mark's handsome face.
"Thanks for listening to me. It really meant a lot."
Mark's only response was a smile. He looked up at the club and said, "do you want to go in now?"
Emily nodded and stood up. As she reached beside her to get her purse, she caught sight of something on the bench beside her.
"Mark, hold on a minute."
Walking around the bench, she picked up the white rose. A card was attached to it and she recognized the familiar scrawled letters that read, For Emily .
She looked up then, able to catch sight of a figure walking away in the darkness.
"Lucky?" She called out. Emily noticed how the figure's step slowed at the sound of her voice and she ran to catch up with him. "Lucky!"
As she ran toward him, he stopped and turned around. Emily was shocked and unprepared by the anger in his face. He stared at her long and hard.
She held up the rose. "Was this from you?"
Lucky nodded and responded, "it was."
She stared up at him, shocked at his harsh tone. "Lucky, what's going on?"
Lucky looked away and stared at the club. Following his gaze, Emily immediately understood.
"Lucky, this is about Mark? But Mark and I are just friends."
"Oh yeah? Some friendship you've got there."
"What?" She exclaimed, "what are you talking about?"
"I saw the two of you, Emily, I saw the way you two kissed. It hardly looks like all he wants to be is friends."
He turned to walk away, but Emily grabbed his arm.
"Don't you walk away from me, Lucky Spencer. Tell me what the hell you are talking about." she demanded.
"Don't be so blind Emily, you know very well what I'm talking about, so cut the bull. You claim that you and Mark are just friends, but by what I just witnessed it's far more than that. And if it isn't then that's some friendship you've got going." He turned again and angrily walked away.
"Don't you dare lecture me on friendship, Lucky Spencer. What would you know about it?" She yelled after him. "Huh, Lucky? What would you know about friendship? How would you know how Mark feels?"
Lucky turned around and shouted back, "I know exactly how he feels, Emily. I know exactly how it feels to need someone that isn't there for you and I know exactly how it feels to fall in love with your best friend."
She stared at him in shock. He walked over and angrily grabbed the rose out of her hand. "Don't you get it, Em? Don't you get this?" He angrily thrust the rose into her face. "It isn't about Mark. It's all about you and me, don't you get it?" He stared at her hard, his eyes narrowing. "You never know what you had until you lose it." He told her, mimicking Marianne. He threw the rose down to the ground. "Well, I can't lose you because I never had you."
Emily stared after him as he stormed off. She bowed her head as tears streamed down her chin and fell onto the perfect white rose at her feet.
The mansion was dark and desolate, the only light was from the electric candles glowing in every window. Opening the front door, silence greeted her. No criticism was being tossed about in the parlor, no clanking of the silverware was heard in the dining room, and no timers were going off in the kitchen. Everyone was out and the silence was deafening.
Emily slowly climbed the stairs in the dark and walked into her room. She tossed her coat onto a chair and solemnly curled up on her bed. She shut her eyes, trying to block out the memory of Lucky's anger. The rose remained clenched tightly in her palm, tucked under her chin as she stared at the wall. The radio was playing soft love songs, but she had no strength to turn it off. She closed her eyes as tears began to fall freely.
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
So many memories filled her mind. Memories of their meeting, memories of school functions, memories of family crisis...they all kept replaying over and over again.
And no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn't go away. She opened her eyes to find herself staring once again at the picture that was taken at the picnic. The bright moonlight cast a glow on Lucky's face, and she could see his handsome features clearly. She shut her eyes again, wanting to block out the image. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and fell to her pillow as she clutched the white rose.
"I'm sorry, Lucky." She whispered.
Remember the good times that we had?
I let them slip away from us when things got bad
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun
Wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one
Lucky Spencer lay on his back, arms folded beneath his head, eyes focused on the ceiling. The radio was playing love songs that would normally make him gag, yet he was too tired to turn it off. Anger filled his face and sadness pained his eyes.
It was wrong, he thought. All of it was so very wrong. The way they had yelled, the way she had cried, the way he had told her he loved her...
Lucky turned his head as he tried to shake the memory away, and caught sight of something shiny on his desk. Sitting up, he reached for it, and held the tiny object in his hand. Memories rushed through him as he stared at the crystal object, and pain creased his brow.
"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, unsure of what she was trying to say.
"Lucky, do you remember?" She wanted to know.
Lucky nodded. "Em, what are you saying?"
He watched as 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. Lucky could see that tears were starting to form in her eyes. "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.
"You gave me friendship, Lucky. I wanted to give you the world."
Lucky hugged her tighter. "You already have Em, don't you know that? You already have."
Now, as Lucky stared at the tiny crystal world, the anger faded from his face. Tears filled his eyes as he gazed at the picture of Emily and himself on the nightstand. He had ruined their friendship before, he wasn't going to lose her again, no matter how much he messed up. He clutched the crystal object in the palm of his hand and whispered,
"It's your turn to hold the world, Em."
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
It was all too much, these feelings she had. As tears cascaded down her cheeks, she opened her eyes and stared out at the moonlight. She wanted to be angry at him. She wanted to stand there and scream at him in fury. She wanted to throw things and curse and yell in rage, but she knew that she couldn't. She couldn't because she felt the same way.
I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much too deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard
Emily unclenched her fist and stared at the white rose, lost in her thoughts.
"Why did you have to go and say that, Lucky Spencer?" She wondered aloud, her voice raised. "Why did you have to say those words?" She sighed and pressed the flower to her heart. "Why couldn't we just have gone on as friends, why do you always have to make things so complicated?" Her voice softened as she gazed at the picture on her nightstand.
"I wish you hadn't told me, Lucky, because now I have to admit that I love you too."
But I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
Mark Davis stared at the party going on inside of Luke's. Hidden in the doorway, he no longer felt a part of this celebration, no longer felt a part of Valentine's day. He had waited for Emily at the entrance of the club, and had watched as she rushed off after Lucky. He could hear them, their voices loud and clear, as they weren't standing far away at all. And Mark knew, the minute Lucky admitted that he loved Emily, that he was out of the picture, out of Emily's life forever.
He should have realized it sooner, the bond between Lucky and Emily. He should have realized that he didn't belong, but as he and Emily started spending more time together, his feelings for her grew stronger. He was blinded by his feelings, though, and the pain he felt now was worse than anything he could imagine. <,/p>
I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light
Mark sighed as he walked away from the club, thrusting his hands into the pocket of his jacket. Although he knew that she loved Lucky, he still cared for her. He doubted that would ever go away. Emily had given him a feeling that no one ever had. When he was around her, everything seemed safe and comfortable, and he knew that she had felt the same way. But now it was gone and it wouldn't be the same.
As he walked along the street, he looked up and saw a couple walking hand in hand, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.
Valentine's Day, he thought, the day of love, romance, chance...to anyone who is lucky enough.
As the couple passed him, he turned around and watched as they disappeared around a corner, feeling a pang of regret. As Mark turned around, he caught himself staring up at the Quartermaine mansion. He whirled around to look at the street name and realized that he had walked this far without even knowing it. Turning back around, he saw that there were no lights on. Only the electric candles lit up the windows, causing shadows to play along the bricks. He gazed at the house with a heavy heart and said softly,
"I don't blame you Emily."
And he didn't. They had both found something in each other that they seemed to be missing in their own lives. And he would never forget all of the jokes, laughter, and talks they had shared.
And I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
Mark stared up at the mansion, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"So long, Emily Quartermaine. Just remember, it's not the lights, it's you."
Without another glance back, Mark turned around and walked down the street, saying goodbye to Emily Quartermaine, saying goodbye to Port Charles.
And I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
As Emily crossed the room to her window, she saw a figure walking away in the dark. Peering closer, she was saddened to see it was Mark. Pain creased her forehead as she thought of him. I'm sorry! Her mind called out, but she didn't say a word, didn't make an effort to run out to him. She knew by the way he walked and by the way he held himself, that he was leaving Port Charles, and that he was saying goodbye.
"Goodbye Mark." She said softly. "Thank you for your friendship."
Weep not for the memories...
She ran down the streets, past the houses and cars parked along the side of the road. The cold air pierced through her, as she didn't even stop to grab a jacket. Her hair flew out behind her as her sneakers pounded on the cement. The streetlights provided practically no light, but she didn't care. She knew this street like the back of her hand.
Throwing open a gate, Emily Bowen-Quartermaine turned and ran up the driveway to the front door. Hurrying up the front porch, she ran past the wooden swing that was hidden in the dark, and rushed into the house. Silence greeted her. Shadows created by the moonlight danced along the walls. She stopped short right inside the doorway as she gazed into the darkness. Her heart fell as she saw only crayons strewn about the carpet.
A sound from upstairs caught her attention, and she turned her head toward the staircase. Joy leaped through her as she raced up the stairs. She grinned as she hurried along the hallway, nearing closer to one of the bedrooms. The sound was clearer now, and Emily heard the unmistakable sound of soft music. She smiled as she recognized one of her favorite songs. She closed her eyes for a moment as she paused outside the doorway, taking in the lyrics, gathering strength.
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
She turned the corner of the doorway and opened her mouth to speak. But the smile faded from her lips and the light in her eyes died as she regarded the empty room. She glanced about, her brown eyes skipping from one object to another. But nothing would change it, no one was there. She bowed her head and slowly walked down the hall. Sticking her hands in her pocket, she pulled out the white rose and ran her thumb over the smooth texture of the petal. The music continued to play, reaching her ears.
Sometimes when all your dreams may have seen better days
And you don't know how or why, but you've lost your way
Have no fear when your tears are fallin'
I will hear your spirit callin'
And I swear I'll be there come what may
She walked down the staircase slowly now, her heart felt heavy with sadness, yet she didn't cry. She was all out of tears. But she wasn't out of pain or sorrow. She wondered if her broken heart would ever be mended, wondered if it was meant to.
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
As Emily's foot fell on the bottom step, she turned toward the living room, her eyes sweeping over the house that was too familiar to her. She wasn't ready to leave, not yet. Wasn't ready to go out and face the world alone again.
Walking across the living room floor, she reached out to the pictures on the mantle and grasped one in her hand. Bringing it down, she stared at the face of the smiling boy. Her sad brown eyes regarded each feature. From his dirty blonde hair to his laughing blue eyes... Emily looked away. The pain seemed too overbearing, the ache in her heart was too painful.
'Cause even if we can't be together
We'll be friends now and forever
And I swear that I'll be there come what may
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
Gripping the picture in her hand she turned around, letting out a startled cry as her eyes rested on a figure standing in the doorway. The light from the porch rested on his dirty blonde hair and gave his handsome face a calming effect. The sadness was lifted from her eyes as they stared at each other. He glanced up at the staircase, hearing the music, but her eyes never left his face.
We all need somebody we can turn to
Someone who'll always understand
So if you feel that your soul is dyin'
And you need the strength to keep tryin'
'
I'll reach out and take your hand
"I thought you'd left." Emily said quietly.
Lucky turned to her and shook his head. "No." He responded. "I was outside, thinking, on the porch. And I saw you run inside." He stared at her, unsmiling, unmoving. "Why are you here?"
The question threw her off, and she looked down at the carpet. "I don't know." She said, honestly. She stared down at the picture of Lucky in her hands. "I guess I just needed to come and let you know..."
Lucky gazed at her, an expression of interest and confusion appearing on his face. "Let me know what?"
Emily shrugged, still staring at the portrait. "To let you know that I'm in love with you too." She raised her eyes to him, bracing herself for his reaction.
Though, she knew that she would never have been ready for the change in his expression. He stared at her, his eyes softer, a smile playing across his lips. He crossed the room in a moment and wrapped his arms around her, softly pressing his mouth to hers. The picture in her hand dropped to the couch, and she raised her hand to his face. As they pulled away, Emily's brown eyes searched his.
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh I will come to you
"I'm so sorry, Lucky." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Lucky shook his head and embraced her. "No, Em," he said, "I'm sorry. I wanted to give you the world, but all I gave you was pain."
Emily pulled away and wiped at the stray tears. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek.
"You did give me the world, Lucky, don't you know that?" She smiled as she laced her fingers through his. "I love you Lucky Spencer, I want you to know that right here, right now. I love you and I don't care who knows it. So no more running away, okay?"
Lucky grinned and bent down to kiss her again.
"Okay." He smiled.
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