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Luke's bar was a tense meeting-place. Jason had called together everyone in the room to meet him for some reason he had yet to divulge. He was also 15 minutes late... "Not like your uncle to try to build tension..." Luke observed, nudging Lilly. No, it's not...'' she murmured in agreement. "Whatever Uncle Jason's got going on must be big..." she thought. Looking around the room, she took in all of the people inside. There was her Uncle AJ, Uncle Sonny, Aunty Carly, and her cousins, Micheal, Christopher, and baby Sable-Lynn, who had just celebrated her first birthday last week. There was also, of course, Luke and Lucky, and Tony and Ruby Rose. Tony and Ruby Rose, who were twins, had been her best friends ever since she could remember, but she had just started dating Tony about seven or so months ago... She nearly broke into a smirk remembering Micheal and Christopher's reactions when they caught them making-out for the first time... Suddenly, the doors opened, revealing Jason and Emily! "What?" "Em?" "How?" "Mommy?" Lilly squeaked. Suddenly, the room began swirling and the ground rushed up to meet her very fast... The next thing she knew, everyone, including Emily, was standing over her, while Jason was trying to keep a cold rag on her head. "Wha..." "Shhh... I didn't mean to scare ya, Lilly..." she sighed. "How... How are you alive?!" she demanded, skittering back, her eyes wide with shock. "I... I don't know, baby..." she admitted. "I don't remember anything past getting on that plane with your Papi`..." "People can't just... loose 16 years!" she snapped. "Yes, they can." Jason informed her. "More than hat, in fact. I'm living proof..." Lilly bit her lip and looked down, then back up at the face of her mother. "You... you don't know where you were, or what you were doing all this time?" "I'm sorry, Lilly; I don't..." "And, once you realized who you were..." "I called Jason to tell me what the heck was going on, and got to you as fast as I could!" she finnished. "My God... I've lost 16 years... Half the people I love are dead... I've missed my baby-girl growing up..." she trailed off as the tears started rolling down her cheeks... "Oh, Mommy... I'm sorry... I missed you so much!" she cried, throwing her arms around Emily's neck impulsively. "Shhhh... shhh... everything's gonna be okay, baby..." she soothed, returning the embrace and stroking her hair gently. Jason and AJ shared a glance, and walked off to the side to talk... "Jase... how... when..." AJ tried, his voice choked with the emotion of the moment. "I don't know, AJ..." Jason said, eyes misting. "I guess it's just one of those... miracles you hear talk about... Come on," he grinned, tossing a casual arm around his brother, "let's go back with the others..."
Two weeks later, Emily was finally starting to settle in with everyone and everything. She had learned how Elizabeth had never come back after marrying Nikolas... She remembered with a touch of sadness how she and Lucky never married; Liz ran off with Nikolas when the twins were still in the hospital... She also was getting quite attached to Lilly's dog; an Alaskan Spitz named Cosette, who had taken to her immediately. The boys were already calling her Aunty Em, and she was glad that she was still friends with Carly. She and Carly had had a rocky start all those years ago, but they had finally made friends after she'd married Sonny, and she was glad to have a familliar pattern to fall back on... Speaking of which, with Lucky, it was as if time had stood still. Almost as if they were still two teens, best-of-friends forever, never having been seperated. It really shouldn't've surprised her; it happened that way when he returned from being kidnapped by Faison. He seemed to have the best understanding of what she'd been through, having had his family think he was dead for a period of time as well...
Emily walked into Luke's, about to embark onto her first job. She was the newest loung-singer at the club, and this was her first night...
Emily stepped onto the stage, an odd feeling of familairity took over her, and she smiled as the soft music began to play...
''Well, I thought love was only true in fairy-tales. Meant for someone else, but not for me. Ah, love was out to get me. That's the way it seemed. Disappointment, heartache, on my dreams. But, I saw his face. Now, I'm a believer. Without a trace, of doubt in my mind. I'm in love. Oh, I'm a believer, I couldn't leave him if I tried. I thought love was more or less a given thing. Seems the more I gave, the less I got. What's the use in tryin'? All ya get is pain. But, when I needed sunshine on my brain, oh, then I saw his face. Now I'm a believer. Without a trace of doubt in my mind. I'm in love. I'm a believer, I couldn't leave him if I tried. Oh. Ahhh, love was out to get me. That's the way it seemed. Disappointment, heartache on my dreams. Ah, then I saw his face, now I'm a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind. I'm in love. Oh, I'm a believer, I couldn't leave him if I tried. Then I saw his face. Now, I'm a believer. Without a trace of doubt in my mind. And, I'm a believer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Said I'm a believer, yeah...''
Funny, she could almost feel his presence beside her on the stage, like so many times before as she sang. This song had always reminded her of him, the way he swept her off her feet, when she was begining to wonder if she'd ever love, or be loved. For the moment, she was back at the Nurse's Ball, singing ''Almost Paraidse'', wearing a blousy dress that would not draw attention to the impending birth...
''How ya doin', Em?'' Juan asked in concern.
''I'm okay, Juan; stop hovering.'' she admonished with a slight laugh. ''I'm not the first woman to ever get pregnant; I'll be fine.''
''Well, you're the first woman I've ever gotten pregnant, so I'm just gonna hover all I want to!'' he grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist.
''How'd I ever get so lucky?'' she sighed, leaning against him.
''You just knew where to look.'' he winked, kissing her mouth gently...
''Wow, Mami, you were great.'' Lilly beamed.
''Thanks, Flower.'' she grinned, using the boys' nickname for her.
''Hey, I'll see ya later, Mami; I got a date, but I didn't want to miss your first set.'' Lilly said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before she left.
''Bye, baby.'' she said, giving her a brief hug.
Where have I been that I've been missing this? she wondered.
''Hey there, legs.'' Lucky smiled, breaking into her thoughts.
''Hey, Spencer.'' she smiled back, trying to shake the cobwebs off her brain.
Suddenly, they were approached by a slightly stumbling man.
''Candy?'' he asked.
''Sorry, we don't have any on us, bub.'' Lucky said, rolling his eyes and making a face just like Luke might, which made Emily chuckle.
''No. Her.'' the drunk explained.
''Me?'' Emily asked warily.
''Yah; you're Candy Cotton, from 'The Crystal Chandalier', right?''
General Hospital's Friendship Forever