by Jera
Recap: Lucky had been on the road for two weeks, he and Liz talked on the phone to keep on with each other's lives.
Lucky practically jumped over the steps to get to the door of the Spencer house. He swung the door open and yelled out Liz's name. Laura, Nikolas and Lulu were the ones that hurried in from the kitchen. They were all happily surprised to see Lucky. All of them rushed over to Lucky, Lulu beat everyone else and hugged Lucky.
Lulu: Lucky! You are home!
Lucky squatted down to give Lulu a kiss, smiling. His eyes searched around the living room.
Laura: It's so good to have you home! But I thought you weren't supposed to be home till tomorrow?
Lucky stood up, hugged and Laura and Nikolas.
Lucky: I thought I was too. But the performance that was scheduled for tomorrow got canceled...........where is Elizabeth?
Nik: Um, I think she's over at the theater....did she tell you that she got a job there?
Lucky: Yeah, she did. She's over there right now? I thought for sure she'd be home.........Isn't it kind of late?
Nik: Well, I think she wanted to get everything done tonight, so she can be home when you get here tomorrow.
Laura: Why don't you go wash up and I'll heat up some dinner for you? I'm sure she won't be too much longer. Where is you luggage?
Lucky: Um.....on the front lawn...mom, I'm not hungry, I'm gonna run over to the theater to see Elizabeth, OK?
Laura: But......
Nikolas put a hand on Laura's arm, and smiled at her. She in turn sighed understandingly.
Nik: Mom, I'll take Lucky over there. It's on my way anyway.
Laura: All right, you guys be careful. Lucky, don't be too late, OK? You must be tired...........
Nikolas and Lucky were already half way out of the door, they squeezed in a good-bye before closing the door. Laura shook her head, smiling, looked down at Lulu.
Laura: Don't grow up too fast, OK?
Liz put the paint brush down and stepped back to look at the scene she had just finished.
Liz: Well, I guess it'll have to do.
Lucky: Oh, I think you are underrating yourself here. It's beautiful.
Liz spun around when she heard the familiar voice that she'd been dreaming about day and night even though she could hear his voice anytime she turned on the radio.
There he was, in the flesh. His tall frame leaning against the door to the entrance of the basement workshop where she was painting. Liz stared at the backlit figure as if trying to convince herself that it was not a dream. As Lucky walked toward her, his face broke into a brilliant smile. Liz flung herself into Lucky's open arms which circled around her tightly at the moment she touched him.
Liz: Oh, Lucky!!
Lucky: Hey, there.
Liz stood on her tip toes and met Lucky's eager lips with her very own. His mouth slanted over hers with sheer passion that was tender and heated all at the same time. Their mouths moved with hunger for each other that had no way of expressing for several weeks, their bodies racked with jolt after jolt of pure pleasure as they crushing intimately against each other. Lost in a sea of desire and yearning, Liz felt Lucky's hand up and down her spine, then in her mass of hair. The seemingly endless, drugging kiss was making desire surged through both of them, building a fire that intended to swallow them completely. Fighting to keep themselves in control, they dragged their lips away, and took in an unsteady breath. Lucky's lips curved into another smile moments later.
Lucky: Now I'm really home.
Liz: Lucky, I thought you weren't supposed to come home till tomorrow night!
Lucky: Well, the last concert got canceled, I made V change our flight so I could get home tonight!
Liz: Oh, I wish I knew! I was hoping that I could at least welcome you home in some clean clothes and a clean face.....here I am, probably looking like something the cat dragged in!
Lucky grinned as he looked over Liz with her torn jeans, dirty work T-shirt, and a shining young face, all with paint on them. His thumb gently wiped away a smidgen of blue paint from the tip of her nose as he spoke.
Lucky: You are the most beautiful thing I've seen in the past three weeks.
Liz smiled as Lucky descended toward her, prepared to drown them both in the mist of desire once again.
As the junior year of high school came to an end, Lucky had became a house hold name. That summer he stayed busy writing and preparing for the recording of his second album which was released that fall. Liz had to spend her senior year without Lucky in the same school with her. He kept up the school work by working with a private tutor. Though he was constantly on the road, he always tried to come home as much as he could. Liz had been working at the theater company, and building an impressive resume for herself as a set designer as well as a custome designer. She missed Lucky terribly whenever he was away, but she had no longer felt as if she had nothing outside of the relationship with Lucky. She had found out how good she was at doing all the backstage work, which she intended to major in in college.
She knew that Lucky was planning on going to college as well. He wanted to major in computer science, and perhaps taking some music courses. They had both been sending out application for colleges and receiving the acceptance letters from a lot of them, yet she knew Lucky was considering just staying at PCU since Port Charles was where L/B located. Liz's face darkened at the thought. PCU didn't offer the major she was looking for. So far, she was thinking about the Tisch School of the Arts in NYC which is offering her a very generous scholarship. She was going to have to leave Port Charles one way or the other. Lucky knew that. They hadn't talked about it much, but they both realized that once they were out of high school, there was a chance they wouldn't live in the same city. Sure, they could try to get into the same school, but it could make it hard for Lucky if he was going to stay with L/B. Nikolas had stayed in Port Charles his first two years in college taking all the general requirement courses despite Stefan's grimace. He was planning on going to Columbia for the remaining of his college years. Liz knew that Nikolas had stayed in Port Charles for the most part because he didn't want to leave Laura, Lulu, and Lucky. She smiled. It was a good thing he stayed. He'd been a wonderful friend to her this past year when Lucky was constantly away.
She didn't want to be apart from Lucky. She didn't want to live in a city without him, but she couldn't see any other way for both of them to be able to pursuit their dreams. Lucky knew that as well. It was a no win situation no matter how much she ponder about it.
They would have to talk about it very soon. It was the middle of March already.
Lucky apparently had thought of the exact same thing because he was the one that brought up the subject while they were finally alone after the family dinner when he came home from the last trip. Lucky studied all of their acceptance letters and sighed.
Lucky: SO, which school is your first choice?
Liz's palm covered half of her face while she stared at the papers spread on the floor in front of them.
Liz: You ...... want me to say whichever one you are going to, don't you?
Lucky looked over to Liz, his expression serious.
Lucky: Elizabeth, I would never ask that of you. You know that.
Liz sighed, covering her face with both hands.
Liz: I know.....I just said that because I wanted myself to be able to say it.
Lucky wrapped his arm around Liz, putting his head against hers.
Lucky: But you can't, Elizabeth. It wouldn't be like you to say that.
Liz: Why not? I love you, and I want to be with you all the time!
Lucky: I know, baby. I want to be with you all the time too. It hurts me everytime I have to leave. But, baby, you are very strong willed, and I know you have a dream to follow, too.
Liz: Do we have to live in two different cities just because of that?
Lucky: It looks that way....... so, you didn't answer me. Which school is your first choice?
Liz turned to look at Lucky in the eyes. They were troubled as she was sure her own were.
Liz: NYU. As in, New York.
Lucky nodded, looked up at the ceiling.
Lucky: I need to stay in Port Charles. At least for another two years. L/B is not big enough to have another studio set up in New York just so I would be able to do my work there whenever I'm not in school.
Liz nodded. It was the answer she had expected to hear. Yet it didn't make her any less sad. Lucky held her closer to him, his voice husky.
Lucky: Do you think I'm selfish?
Liz jerked her head up.
Liz: Selfish? Lucky, you are the least selfish man I know!
Lucky: That's not true. Look at me, I've been constantly away this past year, and now I'm so selfish that I'm not going to even live in the same city as you just because of this stupid.....music business!
Liz put her hand on Lucky's face, and made him look at her.
Liz: Lucky, I've been very proud of you this past year. Have I told you that? I have, and I am. Music is your dream, and it takes a very brave and strong person to go after it. You are so very good at it. Your music is so beautiful, and I think the world should be so lucky to have the privilege to share it. As I have. You would never ask me to give up my dream otherwise you would have asked me to stay in PCU with you. I would never want you to give up your dream for me. It would be like asking you to give up part of who you are! And I happen to love you, just the way you are. You, are not selfish. Do you hear me?
Lucky's tears came like a rush of tide swallowing him whole. He pulled Liz into his arms and hugged her tight.
Lucky: What have I done to deserve you? I don't deserve you!
Liz's face was wet, she couldn't tell which were her tears and which were Lucky's.
Liz: Oh, Lucky! I'll come home as much as I can, I promise. Nikolas is going to be in New York too, I'm sure he'll let me come back with him whenever he was coming back. I'm sure it's going to be quite often considering how protective Stefan is of him.
Lucky: And I'll go see you as much as I can. I'm sure New York would be an important stop for promoting the albums.
There it was, the decision they had dreaded to make for months. They had to be apart for a while to reach for the stars. It wasn't an easy one, yet it was necessary no matter how much they didn't like to be living in separate cities.
Lucky dipped his head, and kissed Liz gently, each tasted the salty tears that was the hope for their future, and the ache in their hearts.
"Every Time We Say Good-bye" by Simply Red
Every time we say good-bye I die a little
Every time we say good-bye I wonder why a little
Why the gods above me who must be in the know
Think so little of me they allow you to go
When you're near there's such an air of spring about it
I can hear a lark somewhere waiting to sing about it
There's no love song finer
But how strange the change from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye
When you're near there's such an air of spring about it
I can hear a lark somewhere waiting to sing about it
There's no love song finer
But how strange the change from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye
TO BE CONTINUED.........................
