And just like that, life began to change for the residents of Port Charles, New York. Who knew that when a group of heartless men stormed the Metrocourt Hotel, there would come so much love and happiness? Four couples that didn't exist before the hostage situation became some of the strongest the beloved city had ever seen. The results were unpredictable but predestined. Things had worked out exactly as they were supposed to be. Best friends fell apart and came together again. Old loves found a way to keep on loving but in an entirely different way. People previously scared of taking even the smallest step ended up taking the biggest leap of all.

Exactly four weeks had passed since Elizabeth had given birth to her son in the darkest of circumstances. After a two-week period in the hospital, both mother and son had been released without any complication. Surrounded by their family and friends, they had been happy to go home to Wyndamere. Jason and Carly had been by their side along with Nikolas. Once unimaginable, the two women had come to some sort of an understanding for the sake of Jason and his son. Elizabeth made peace with the fact that Carly would be a part of her child's life for even she had to admit that the blonde was a good mother. Carly had accepted that Liz's life would forever be entwined with Jason's but only as Jake's mother. What she had said months ago remained true – it didn't matter, Carly was the one who had his heart.

"We'll bring him home tonight right at six," Carly promised as she took the baby carrier happily from Elizabeth. It was the first time the nurse had allowed Jason to take Jake for the entire day. It had been a big step for both of them, but Carly had promised that she would help. The boys were excited to be able to spend the day with their new step-brother, which Michael had pointedly said was in name only. Jake was his brother just as much as Morgan. A look of mutual adoration had passed between Carly and Elizabeth.

"That sounds great," Nikolas said from behind Elizabeth, resting his hand on the small of her back. "Lucky and Em are going to drop of Cam around the same time."

"It sounds like you are going to have the whole house to yourself," Jason smiled. "It will probably be nice to have some quiet. You might be able to get some rest."

"Spencer is going to be here for a few more hours before Mike picks him up," Elizabeth explained. "He's pretty excited to spend the day with his grandson. Nikolas and I are going to go for a ride this afternoon. I haven't had the chance to do anything fun since the baby was born."

"Well, enjoy your day," Carly said as Jason slung the diaper bag over his shoulder. She smiled up at her fiancée, secretly loving how well he wore the paternal role. "Tell your mommy goodbye, Jake."

"Bye, Jake," Elizabeth cooed, bending down to kiss the top of her son's downy head. Nikolas followed suit, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Call me if there are any problems."

"There won't be," Jason proclaimed. "Try to relax and enjoy your day. Don't worry."

"Thanks, I'll try," she said before closing the door behind them. Turning around, she managed to smile bravely at Nikolas briefly before her face faltered. A single tear rolled down her rosy cheek. It was always hard to leave your child with someone else for the first time. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he comforted, wiping the tear away with the back of his hand. "I love you, Elizabeth, you never have to apologize to me for the way that you feel. If you want to cry, cry."

"I don't want to cry," she insisted. "Instead, I want you to take me upstairs and make love to me. This house is empty for the first time in months, and who knows when we'll get the same chance? We can be as loud as we want."

"Did I mention that I love you?" he chuckled as he scooped her into his arms.

"A million times," she giggled.

Turning serious, he gazed down into her eyes. "I want to be your husband."

"It's just a formality at this point," she retorted, "but I want to be your wife."

"So, you want to?"

"Yeah, I want to," she laughed as they kissed again, sealing their engagement.

At the Spencer house, Emily was busy in the kitchen pouring chocolate chip batter into the waffle maker. Cameron sat on the counter beside her, carefully watching the light and waiting until it turned green. Lucky was setting the table, pulling plates and juice glasses from the cabinet. It was an easy routine, something they had become accustomed to over the past few weeks. As he laid the last fork next to the plate, Lucky looked through the window into the kitchen. That beautiful woman and incredible little boy – that was his life.

He watched them interact for a few moments. Cameron giggled as Emily accidentally spilled a bit of batter on her wrist. Licking it off, she turned to him. "You think that's funny?"

Cameron nodded Emily dug her fingertips into his sides, sending him writhing on the granite countertop. "Stop, stop, stop!" he pleaded.

Finally relenting, she grinned at him devilishly. "That will teach you to laugh at me."

"Is it almost time to eat?" Lucky asked as he breezed into the room.

"This is the last one," Emily answered.

Lucky picked Cameron up from the counter and brought him over to the sink. "Wash up," he ordered, helping his son lather his hands with the peach-scented soap. As Emily waited for the waffle maker to finish its last cycle, she watched her boyfriend interact with his son. That amazing man and his wonderful son – they were now her life.

While Cameron sat down at the table, Lucky helped Emily carry the food into the dining room. Before they ate, Lucky asked his son to give the blessing. Bowing his little head, he folded his tiny hands. "Dear God, please bless the food we are about to eat. Bless Mommy and Daddy and Jake. Bless Aunt Emily and Uncle Nikolas and Spencer. Bless Auntie Lulu and Uncle Dillon and Grandpa Luke and Grams and Grandma Laura. Bless Aunt Bobbie…"

"Wrap it up," Lucky told his son, well aware that he would list everyone in his life if he wasn't reigned in.

"Bless us all. Amen," Cam concluded.

"Thank you, Cam," Emily remarked.

"Guess what, Daddy?"

"What, Cam?"

"I'm very lucky because I have a mommy and a daddy and an Emily and a Nikolas that all love me," he said knowingly. "I also have a baby Jake and Spencer. I get to live with two whole families."

"You are lucky, Cam," Lucky acknowledged. "How would you like it if Emily lived with us all the time forever?"

"That'd be okay," he decided before biting into his waffle.

Turning his gaze toward Emily, his eyes sparkled. "What do you think?"

Shrugging, she tried to match her tone to Cam's. "That'd be okay."

Lucky looked over at Cam and whispered, "Now."

Grinning, he jumped up and toddled to the kitchen. Coming back with a little box, he took his father's hand and pulled him over in front of Emily. Both of them dropped to one knee as Cameron held out a box to her. "Will you marry us?" Covering her mouth with her hand, Emily started to cry immediately. She couldn't get the words out, only managing to accept with a sob-ridden nod. "Yay! She said yes, Daddy. Emily is going to marry us."

Lucky grinned at his son and then at his fiancée. Leaning over his son, he captured her mouth wholeheartedly. Pulling apart, he scooped Cam up between them and wrapped them both in a hug. "That'd be okay," he thought to himself. "It'll be okay."

Stretching lazily in their bed, Robin curled up in the nook of Patrick's arm and languished in the fact that she didn't have to get up if she didn't want to. In fact, for the first time in far too long, they had managed to get the same day off. It had taken a bit of trading around in the rotation and Patrick would be worked a double shift to make up for it, but they both agreed that it was worth it. "This is nice."

"This is more than nice," Patrick mumbled without opening his eyes. His hands blindly new the route of her body, from the gentle slope of her nose to the smooth curve of her hip to the slight roundness that had formed at her belly. Her fingers met his to become splayed over her abdomen. The skin was starting to stretch slightly as the baby continued to grown inside her womb.

"I don't feel like I have any complaint in the world," she murmured. "I don't think that I have ever been this happy in my entire life. Everything has finally really come together for us. There are no loose ends, no unanswered questions."

"Dr. Scorpio, has the cynic become the optimist?"

"The optimist was always in there," she noted. "We just didn't let her out too often. Now, it seems that she has overpowered the cynic and buried her deep somewhere that she'll never be able to see the light of day."

"Oh, I know that my faithful cynic will return eventually," Patrick teased. "I wouldn't want her to stay away too long. She is the version of you that I originally fell in love with. You invaded my life and challenged me. I wouldn't want to lose the part of you that I initially fell for."

"Oh, so you prefer the cynic?"

"I prefer all of you," he answered. "While I may have fallen in love with the cynic, it's the optimist that keeps me hooked. I love that there are so many versions of you. We can banter, we can make love, we can be best friends and we can be adversaries."

"Well, Dr. Drake, that may be the most perfect thing you have ever said to me," she cooed. I can't believe that in a few short months, we are going to be parents."

"Four to be exact," he said, counting on his fingers. Moving his hands back to her stomach, he tried to envision what it would be. "Do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

"It doesn't matter," she decided. "I just want a healthy baby. I've been thinking about names, though."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"I'd like to name it Noah if it's a boy in honor of your father," she declared. "I'd like the middle name to be Anna if it's a girl for my mom."

"How about Noah Stone?" Patrick asked. "

"Noah Stone," she smiled. "Are you sure? Sonny already named Morgan after him so he has been honored, if that is what you are thinking."

"Robin, that is our son's name, I'm sure."

"Well, for a girl, I think Madelyn Anna Drake would be perfect, then."

"My mother's name was Mattie," he told her.

"I know," she replied. "We'll call her Maddy for short."

"I love it," he whispered. "I love you."

"Noah Stone or Madeline Anna," she repeated. "What do you think, baby?" The baby kicked in response, a first for their child. Patrick turned to Robin in wonderment, his eyes as wide as saucers. "I think the baby likes the names."

"That was amazing."

"It certainly is," she agreed. "Our life certainly is."

Lulu sat next on the bed to Dillon nervously, her foot twitching in beat with the timer. "How much longer?" she asked for the third time in thirty seconds. These three minutes seemed to be the longest of her entire life.

"Just a minute longer," he promised her soothingly, reaching over to take her hand. The plastic applicator sat on the between in front of them, teasing them with news that had the potential to change their lives. "It's almost time."

"I'm scared," she revealed. "This could be it."

"If it's not," he reminded her, "we will keep trying. We have all the time in the world."

"I just want this so much. We both do."

"Our baby will come when the timing is right, Lu," he told her. "Even if it's not now, you have to trust that it will come. I don't want you to be disappointed if we're not pregnant."

"I will be no matter what, Dil. You know that," she retorted. "Thanks for the we."

"I think we have proven that we're in this together, Lu. Not just this pregnancy but this life. No matter what happens, I want you to remember that you and I – our family – come first."

"I remember," she avowed as the timer chirped.

"Well, it's time."

Lulu picked up the applicator and clutched it in her hand without turning it over. She felt a sudden surge of confidence sweep over her body. "I don't need to look at it. We're pregnant," she announced. "This is our baby."

He turned, looked into her eyes and knew that she was right. "You're having our baby."

She nodded against him as she leaned into kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt the plastic applicator brush against his skin just as she devoured his lips, taking all of him in hungrily. Getting lost in the moment, he finally felt like he had all of her. He knew that he would never lose Lulu to the dark side. She knew that he would never run away like her father. They truly were in this life together, and it was perhaps the only thing they could trust in the entire world. As they pulled apart, she brought the applicator back between them. Dillon reached wordlessly down and turned it over in her palm. Two lines meant yes.

"I'm having our baby."

El Fin.

Thanks to everyone who has relentlessly read and reviewed this story over the past several months. It has been a long journey, one that I value above all else. For my usual readers, I do have another DiLu story planned, but it will not be a follow-up to where this one ends. This story has run its course, and I hope you all enjoyed the ride. Cheers.