Author's notes: This is just a small chapter I wrote on a whim. It has potential to become a story too but I'd like to see if anyone is interested in reading it first. I know the timeline is not at present time but it starts off at real storylines and will be AU following that. Also, the title is a work in progress so if you have any better ideas or thoughts on it, I'd appreciate them as well. There's a small, and perhaps, controversial sentence on Elizabeth but otherwise there is no comments for fans to be wary of.

Prologue

The Quartermaine mansion was a flow of activity on that day. The driveway and subsequent road sides were full of parked cars, which annoyed the neighbors as they were used to their privacy and more parking space. Any neighbor who complained, however, were invited to the party inside and joined the festivities. The atmosphere inside was joyful and relaxing. There was tension between some guests due to divorces, affairs, or work related issues but were confined to small disagreements. That wasn't why they were there and it would have been rude to their hosts to get too much into it, so people moved on to converse with other guests.

The guest of honor stood in the middle of the grand hall, smiling and laughing as she took congratulations on her graduation. She was now a licensed doctor, like her parents, and was looking forward to employment. College wasn't easy with all the unexpected events that took place during it. Her own battle against breast cancer, her eldest brother's death, and divorce took its own weight in problems. Today marked a different life for her though as it gave new beginnings, something she needed. Even the annoying flirting between her recent ex-boyfriend Nikolas Cassadine and the married Courtney Matthews couldn't ruin her day.

Soon enough, the crowd got to her and Emily excused herself to get some air, walking out to the balcony. She owed a lot to the Quartermaine family as they took her in after her mother died. She was truly lost at that time and needed to know that someone cared. The following years weren't any easier to be sure but it would have been worse without them. Sure, it seemed like the only times they did care was when crisis happened but she had come to decide the family was a selfish one and learned to accept that. Now she hoped to make them all proud by making the name a good one in a medical profession.

Her oldest friend, Lucky Spencer, joined her a few minutes later. "You know, I never thought I'd say this but there are far too many people in that mansion that can fit." Lucky told her, causing her to laugh.

"Well, we never really expected this many people either. We were certain that the mention of other guests would scare people away." Emily explained.

"Giving the history of this town's people, I'd think so too but I guess they made an exception in your name. You're the person with the least enemies I think and yet you still find it practical to be civil with them anyway." Lucky guessed, leaning his back against the stone balcony.

Emily smiled gently. "I'm looking for a simpler life and have come to a realization that there are many people who I will not get along with and accepted that. I don't want to turn into my parents who are constantly bringing up damaging news." Emily went through a period of that and is not proud of it but decided to learn from it and stop such destructive behavior.

"That's probably a good idea. If there is anything we learned from our parents, it's to be practical in the way we treat people." Lucky agreed, knowing what chaos followed after surprising revelations. "Still, it must be hard with Courtney and Nikolas."

"Courtney is too pathetic to fight against," Emily passed off, continuing "but Nikolas is just kind of embarrassing. I knew what he was like when we were friends but I truly thought he'd be different. I guess that crush I had on him as a kid needed true betrayal to finally kill it."

"Well, if you are looking at it that way he succeeded perfectly." Lucky added, looking into the party. "I don't see Jason." Lucky observed as he watched Sam talk to Bobbie.

"He's not here. He declined the personal invitation I gave him on grounds that he didn't want to ruin the day." Emily answered, knowing as much as he cared, he couldn't handle that big of a gathering.

"So he sent Sam instead?" Lucky guessed as Sam moved away from Bobbie.

"Yeah, he gave her a card to give me. It's on the table with the other gifts I received." Emily murmured, using her hand to point in the general location of the table.

"Now that is one guy you can count on never changing." Lucky commented, turning around suddenly.

Emily was confused until she acknowledged that Elizabeth was looking for someone. "It's getting that bad then?" She didn't have to be specific as Lucky knew what she was referring to.

"I'm that transparent huh?" Lucky asked, sighing. "It's so hard to make the relationship work if Elizabeth won't recognize there are issues at all."

"So why don't you just give up?" Emily inquired, knowing it was nearing that point a long time ago.

"It's just so hard to give up on what potential there is." Lucky answered.

"Potential is all Elizabeth has Lucky. She makes herself look so great and strong in the beginning but near the end is always looking for a reason to cheat and walk away and claim it to be okay because she's the victim." It was a sad but true fact that Emily didn't want to acknowledge for a while.

"Yeah, well I'm preparing an ultimatum then. She either changes that or there won't be anything between us, not even friendship. I'm not gonna be one of her boy toys again." Lucky sounded confident enough but Emily knew Lucky still had the potential to back down with his indecisiveness.

"Well, if you are avoiding her before then I suggest you excuse yourself for a walk in the garden because she spotted you." Emily told him and he quickly took Emily's word for it and disappeared down the path.

Elizabeth entered the balcony, searching the grounds for her boyfriend. "I could have swore he was out here," Elizabeth said to herself and then faced Emily. "Lucky was here right?"

"Yeah, he just went to check the parked cars. Apparently he heard an alarm go off and wanted to make sure nothing suspicious was occurring." Emily half lied.

"He's not working." Elizabeth commented, huffing with impatience.

"You know Lucky, he loves playing the hero." Emily commented lightly.

"That's true. Maybe I can catch up with him and help." Elizabeth excused herself as Emily slouched her head. She still had a stress headache and finals and graduation were done yesterday. It would take a lot more time to renew herself apparently.

While she liked the party, a part of her also wished it was smaller and more intimate but her parents had assisted in making it large. She looked up to the sky, frowning when she saw dark clouds coming in. She stared for a few seconds longer before she turned as she saw her mother coming towards her.

"Emily, more guests are arriving." Monica told her, making a hand gesture to come in. Emily nodded her consent and stood straight, looking once more at the clouds approaching. Planting a welcoming smile on her face she walked away from the balcony and entered back into the rush.

While Emily was back to socializing, the rain started but with the party at its max, few noticed, too busy enjoying the company and food. There was something different about the storm though as there was a foreboding sense to it that things were about to change. Smiles would become frowns and light, pleasant chatter would become loud, expressive arguments.