Just a little note from me:

Hey guys -

I just wanted to thank everybody for their lovely feedback. It's really helpful and means so much to me. In regards to this story, there is significantly more to it, but I did decide to abandon it this past November. Since I feel like people fell out of character and all that, I've decided not to post it here, because it's not really work that I can be truly proud of.

Saying that, I have started another Lucky and Elizabeth fic which is coming along nicely. I'll begin posting that when I'm sure it will be completed (I hate leaving people hanging), so stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

Angie

Elizabeth squeezed Lucky's hand tighter in hers as she watched Lucky's family enter the room behind Luke. While Tony monitored his vitals, Bobbie, Luke, Amy, and Lesley all crowded around Lucky's bed, looking at him hopefully. Elizabeth fought the urge to jump up and start pacing around the room. She had never felt so scared in her entire life.

Finishing up with the various machines, Tony turned to address the small gathering of people in the room. This was always hard for him. Having lost a child himself, he never knew quite what to say to somebody who might lose theirs. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he received an encouraging nod from Bobbie before he began to speak.

"Just to forewarn you, there is a very small chance that Lucky may wake up. But the more time that passes, the less the chance that he will ever regain consciousness. So when everybody's ready, I'm going to remove the ventilator from Lucky's throat, and then we're going to shut off the remainder of the machines that are sustaining him." Tony took in a deep breath as he looked to the tear stained cheeks and worried expressions of those around him. He watched as Luke shifted uncomfortably and tried to offer him a small smile. "Whenever you're ready."

Luke looked to the women in the room with him, watching as they all nodded their consent. Taking a deep breath, he looked to Tony. "Let's do this."

Tony approached Lucky's bed and carefully removed the tube from his throat. "So far so good." He mused to himself. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to Luke, who placed his hand tentatively around the cord that supplied the energy for the machines. Closing his eyes, Luke tightened his grip and yanked on the cord.

Elizabeth sandwiched Lucky's hand between hers, bringing it up to her face. "Feel this Lucky. Remember what you're fighting for." After seeing Luke pull the plug, Elizabeth squeezed her eyes tightly closed, hoping there would be a new scene unfolding in front of her when she reopened them. Feeling her whole body tight with tension, she held her breath, waiting for an answer.

Bobbie wrenched her hands uncomfortably as she watched Luke pull the cord out from the wall. She felt worry coarse through her body. She had already lost so many people in her life. BJ. Laura. She couldn't lose her nephew too. She studied Tony's face closely, looking for some kind of reaction from him. After all this time, she could still read him easily. But right now she had no idea what he was thinking, and that scared her.

Tony carefully examined the patient that lay before him. Taking his vital signs, Tony lost all sense of professionalism as he turned to face his ex-wife and her brother. His voice cracking, he delivered the news. "I'm so sorry. He's gone."

Tony watched as Bobbie fell to her knees before Luke wrapped his arms around her. Seeing Amy and Lesley console each other, he started to walk towards the door so that the family could grieve in private.

After hearing Tony's statement, Elizabeth's eyes snapped open. Staring blankly into space for a few seconds, she could hardly register his words in her mind. It didn't make sense. How could Lucky die? This was the thing that was supposed to force him to come back to life, wasn't it? Overcome with grief, Elizabeth collapsed onto Lucky's chest as the tears spilled freely from her eyes.

Feeling her pain consume her, Elizabeth found small comfort in the steady and gentle beat of his heart beneath her. "His heart.." Elizabeth raised her head up a few inches as the realization hit her. Turning to face the rest of the room, Elizabeth raised her voice. "He's alive."

Elizabeth nervously paced in a small section of the hospital room as Tony examined Lucky once more. Luke and Bobbie stood dumb struck, as if they didn't dare hope that this was possible. What if this was just a false hope that was ripped away from them again?

Finishing with his examination, Tony gasped in surprise. "I…I don't believe it." He stammered, trying to make sense of the situation. A few minutes ago, there had been no heartbeat, no breath, no indication that Lucky was alive at all. Now, all of his vital signs appeared to be normal. Turning to look back at Tony and Bobbie, he felt horrible for all of the unnecessary pain that he had caused them. "His pulse is normal, he's breathing on his own...he's alive."

The room remained silent as everybody digested this new information. Luke felt a wave of relief go through his entire body. "Well what do you know. Maybe this miracle thing has some validity after all." Luke pondered to himself as he watched Tony make his son comfortable.

"What happens now?" Lesley questioned, breaking her silence.

"Well, there's no definitive answer. There's every indication that he should wake up soon. But we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility that Lucky might not be the same. It's possible that Lucky may have sustained any number of injuries." Tony paused to let this information sink in. "I am very hopeful. There was little chance that Lucky would even survive, so the fact that he did causes me to lean towards a perfectly healthy recovery." Tony forced a smile on his face as his inward conflicts wrestled within him. What had he done? Finishing up with Lucky, he exited the room quickly so that nobody could see his pained expression.

Bobbie saw a quick flash of emotion cross Tony's face. Silently removing herself, she shut the door securely behind her before catching up to him down the hallway.

"Tony!"

He stopped in his tracks, and turned around to face her. "Bobbie."

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you did in there. I mean, my nephew is alive, and probably well on his way to a full recovery, and I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there. Thanks for taking care of him."

"I stood there and took his vitals. It wasn't exactly a life-saving procedure. But Bobbie, look…don't get your hopes up, okay? Lucky hasn't even woken up yet, so don't get too ahead of yourself."

She watched as he shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Lucky's name. Seeing that same expression make a brief appearance across his features, she moved closer to him, watching him closely. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

Tony was amazed. After everything that had just happened with Lucky, it shocked him that Bobbie was so concerned about him. Smiling gently, he wasn't really surprised. That was just how Bobbie was. It was one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her in the first place.

Bobbie gently guided him over to a small sitting area. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Tony looked into her eyes, and his mouth started moving before he could stop it. "Why are you wasting your time with me? I almost killed your nephew."

Emily fidgeted nervously as she waited for her call to be connected. Wrapping her fingers around the phone cord, she was about to hang up when she heard the familiar voice flood the line.

"Emily? Is that you?"

"Nikolas. It's so good to hear your voice."

"You too, baby. Is everything okay?"

Emily hesitated before she decided that this wasn't anything that could be said over the phone. "Can I see you this afternoon? I have something really important to tell you."

Luke Spencer crossed the hospital room and took a seat on the vacated stool next to his son's bed. Looking around the room, he saw the physical toll that this was taking on everybody. Amy and Lesley both looked exhausted, their eyes swollen and red. Looking to Elizabeth, Luke couldn't help but smile. She had taken up her previous position on the edge of Lucky's bed, holding his hand and talking to him softly.

"Well, I think that now the worst is over, we should all take a quick trip to the cafeteria. I think some coffee would do me good." Lesley looked around her, hoping somebody would accept her invitation. Amy nodded her agreement. "Elizabeth, are you coming?"

Elizabeth turned to face Amy. "What if he wakes up? I don't want to leave him alone."

"I'll stay with him, Elizabeth. Amy and Lesley are right. You've been here for hours, and a walk might do you some good."

Elizabeth nodded at Luke's words. A couple minutes away might help refresh her, and she could see that he wanted to spend some time alone with his son. "Well, I could check in with the nurses station…"

"Good." Amy smiled at her before tugging on her gently to lead her out of the room.

Closing the door firmly behind them, Elizabeth parted ways with the women. Heading to her mailbox, she was surprised by a delivery man standing in the doorway.

"Elizabeth Webber?"

"Yes, I'm Elizabeth."

"These are for you." Handing her a large bouquet, the man walked away before Elizabeth had an opportunity to thank him.

Placing the flowers on a nearby table, Elizabeth couldn't help but admire their beauty. They were white roses, each one crisp and perfect. She smiled as she inhaled the sweet scent of them. But why would these be delivered to her, of all people? Who would do this?

Reaching for the card that was tucked haphazardly inside the bouquet, Elizabeth felt a wave of emotion overtake her as she glanced at the familiar handwriting. The messy scrawl could only belong to one person. Opening the card carefully, she began to read.

Elizabeth –

I'm sure that these don't require an explanation. You are one of the most amazing women that I know. You're brave and strong, and Cameron couldn't have hand-picked a better mother.

The night we shared in the church will always be a precious memory to me. Even though time has passed and things have changed, I will always be thankful that you are a part of my life. As we grow closer, I look forward to the future, and I promise you this – whatever happens, I will be there. I don't know what the future holds, but I hope that you'll continue to be a part of it. I admire your strength, your courage, and your capacity to love.

Happy Valentines Day,

Lucky

Elizabeth clutched the piece of paper close to her heart. With everything that had happened, she had completely forgotten that today was February 14th. She had to smile to herself. She had no idea how or when Lucky had planned this, but it was one of the most special gifts that she had ever received.

Sinking down on the padded chair, Elizabeth let her mind wander back to that night. To this day, that was still the most romantic night of her life. Looking back to the note, she wondered how much things had really changed. They had each moved on with their lives, in separate directions. They had become involved with new people, experienced different things. But still, something kept drawing them back to each other. And after receiving this very special gift from Lucky, Elizabeth realized that under the tough cop exterior, he still had the same heart. The important things never really changed.

Holding the note tightly, Elizabeth rose back to her feet and wandered back out into the hallway. Hopefully Lucky would be waking up soon, and Elizabeth wanted to be there when he did.

Luke felt almost giddy with excitement. After all of the doubts that people had planted in his head, he still knew best. Sure, what he just did may have been a gamble, but it was a risk that had to be taken. Lucky had pulled through. He would wake up soon, he just knew it. Nothing else mattered as long as his son was alive.

Luke shut his eyes, trying to contain his feelings. In the quiet of the hospital room, with the absence of the beeps and groans of the machinery, Luke's mind wandered to Laura.

Sometimes, when it was quiet like this, he could still feel her. He couldn't even remember all of the times that he had reached out to her at night, needing to feel her near, have her close to him. After all the time that had passed, that seemed to remain the same. She was a part of him, and no matter where she was or what condition she was in, she would never leave him. He felt her. And somewhere, deeply rooted inside of him, he felt her positive energy, her radiance, her light, reaching out to him as it must have done for Lucky. "Thank you, angel." He whispered into the silence.

"Luke?" He turned, hearing her voice call to him from behind. Shaking his head, he saw Elizabeth standing in the doorway.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

"Sure. Sure it is."

Elizabeth entered the room slowly, placing the flowers that she had carried with her onto the bedside table at the far end of the room.

Luke noticed how reluctantly she put the flowers down. "Who are those from?"

Elizabeth smiled softly. "An angel." She whispered.

Luke nodded in agreement. "I can understand that."

Bobbie and Amy slowly trudged up the stairs that led to Lucky's room. Their limbs fought them every step of the way, weak with the exhaustion and stress these last few weeks had provided them with. The coffee had tasted good, burning their tongues slightly. Tugging open the stairwell door, Lesley expressed the sentiment that they had both been avoiding.

"You know he might not wake up."

Amy nodded. "But he's breathing Lesley. He's alive."

"I just wonder how long we should wait here. Don't get me wrong. Lucky is my grandson and I love him. But how many days do we sit here by his side when there is a chance that nothing will happen?"

Amy thought back to all of her years working at this hospital. Pulling open the door to Lucky's room, she ended the conversation.

"Something will happen. We won't be waiting forever."

Luke and Elizabeth looked up as the women re-entered the room.

"I really appreciate the two of you being here. But you look exhausted. You should really go home, get some rest. I doubt that anything else is going to happen tonight."

"Thanks Luke, but we want to be here. Lucky is important to us too, and…"

"I understand that Amy. But there's really nothing else that you can do right now."

Lesley felt herself begin to get angry. So much had happened that had been out of her control, and she was so sick of it. She just wanted somebody to blame, somebody to take the fall for it. Laura. Lucky. When would all of this misery stop inflicting itself upon her family? Turning to Luke, Lesley felt herself losing her cool. "I wasn't able to be there for Laura, Luke. You took her away from me then. I won't let you do the same with her son."

Elizabeth shook her head. Things were about to get ugly.

Bobbie looked at Tony in shock. "Killed him? Tony, you've been Lucky's doctor for weeks. If anything, you're the one that has saved him."

Tony shook his head sadly. "No Bobbie. I am supposed to be a doctor. I am trained to save lives. But what have I done today? Encouraged Luke to take his own son off life support, convinced him that there was no chance that Lucky could survive. When we lost BJ…I swore that I would use my position so that no other parent would have to go through what we did, as long as I could stop it. But I failed. I made a promise to BJ, and I failed her. Again."

Bobbie tentatively put an arm around her ex-husband. He had begun to falter when he spoke of their daughter, and now, as she realized that he was being eaten up inside, she felt the need to reach out to him. But how could she possibly convince Tony that this wasn't his fault? Before she could find the words, he continued.

"I misread his vitals, Bobbie. There's no other explanation. How else could he have changed so drastically in a matter of seconds? If I can't do simple things, monitor a patient correctly, advise a parent without my own hang ups getting in the way, what right do I have to practice medicine?"

Slumping down in his seat, Tony cupped his face in his hands. He hadn't meant to pour his heart out to Bobbie, and now that he had, he didn't know what to do next.

"Tony, look at me." She pulled his face up until his eyes were even with hers. "You didn't fail BJ, and you didn't fail Lucky. You are an amazing father, and you're one of the best doctors I've ever known. What do I have to do to convince you of that?"

Tony reached for her free hand, gently squeezing it in his. "I appreciate the concern, but I think this is something I have to take some time to think about. Besides, you should really be with your nephew. He's the one that needs you right now."

Standing up, Tony gave her one last look before walking away. Bobbie called after him. When there was no response, she stood up herself, taking a minute to collect her thoughts before heading back to see Lucky.

"We're not finished yet." She declared before heading off in the opposite direction.

Bobbie entered Lucky's room silently, hoping not to disturb anyone. Once the door cracked open, she realized that she had just walked into what could potentially escalate into World War III.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you had no right…"

"I did what I thought was best for her…what else would you have had me do?"

Bobbie tried yelling over the noise, but nothing seemed to break through to the two of them. Trying to collect her thoughts, Bobbie placed her hands over her ears to drown out the sound. This was the last thing Lucky needed.

Elizabeth looked down at Lucky, squeezing his hand tighter. She knew that everybody was upset, but she was giving them thirty more seconds of this until she kicked them out of the room. Deciding that their time was up, she rose to her feet. Feeling a gentle pressure on her hand, she froze. Bobbie whistled between her fingers, making Luke and Lesley come to an abrupt halt. As the room finally silenced, Elizabeth's small voice could finally be heard.

"I think he's waking up."

Luke took his place on the stool by Lucky's bedside. Watching as his fingers slowly began to twitch, he realized that Elizabeth was right.

"Everything else suddenly doesn't seem as important anymore, does it?" he questioned Lesley while they gathered around the bed. Finally wrenching his eyes open, Lucky looked at his father. Attempting to smile weakly, he croaked out words that everybody had been waiting weeks to hear.

"Some things just never change, huh Dad?"

Luke looked at him with a mixture of happiness and disbelief written on his face. "Cowboy…I…"

Lucky waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't really matter now. What happened to me?"

Bobbie stepped in closer to him, examining him closely. "Don't talk Lucky. You had a ventilation tube in your throat up until a few minutes ago, so don't strain yourself. We need to get you checked out and make sure everything is okay. We'll go over all of this later, okay?"

"Let's just leave it at this cowboy. You're awake now, and everything's going to be fine." Luke leaned in closer to his son, whispering softly in his ear. "I know I don't tell you this enough, but I'm so proud of the man that you've become. You're so important to me, and I don't know what I'd do without you, Lucky. I love you."

Lucky felt tears spring to his eyes as he watched his dad. Remembering his aunt's warning, he mouthed the words to Luke. I love you.

"Aunt Bobbie." Lucky called his aunt to his side so that he could speak more easily. As his father crossed the room, he leaned in close to her. "I know that you were probably the one fighting for me here, holding the family together. Thank you."

"I'm so glad you're alive Lucky. We were all really worried about you for a while there. But fighting for you…I don't know. I think you might want to thank her." She gestured over to Elizabeth's direction with a casual bob of her head.

Turning his head in the opposite direction, Lucky finally recognized that somebody had a tight grip on his right hand. Looking down at it, he slowly moved his gaze upward until he was looking into the most beautiful face that he had ever encountered. A huge grin spread across his face.

Seeing the look that had entered her nephew's eyes upon this discovery, Bobbie cleared her throat.

"Well, I think we should go and track down Tony, see what he has to say about all of this." Giving her family a pointed look, she followed them out the doorway, leaving one last demand for her nephew. "Remember what I said, Lucky. Don't strain your throat. Don't talk." With that, she closed the door behind her.

Elizabeth had promised herself that she wouldn't cry in front of Lucky. But now, as she saw his eyes tracing her face, she lost her resolve. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and start their slow journey down her cheeks.

Lucky continued to look at her, as if he wanted to remember every detail about her. Finally being satisfied, he brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the skin.

"Elizabeth…" she noticed that his voice sounded weaker, more strained.

"Shhh…you remember what Bobbie said." Putting her index finger lightly on his lips, she stopped any more sound from escaping from him. Nodding in agreement, he reached his hands out to her, drying the tears that had begun to fall.