Chapter 2: Lost and Found

Lucy woke up late the next morning, long after the sun had risen – the consequence of being a chronic night-owl. Her side of the bed was empty, again. After rising and looking around the area, however, she found that Emmet was missing. She peeked inside the breakfast area where they had had their Special Breakfast. Empty. The daffodils were still sitting in their container in the middle; Emmet had evidently forgotten to throw them out. Or maybe he didn't want to end any signs of yesterday's Specialness, Lucy thought. He's sweet like that. Indeed, yesterday had been a very special day – their best in a long time. Was Emmet trying to one-up his plans from yesterday for an even bigger surprise somewhere?

Lucy slowly crossed over to the other various parts of the house: The TV room, Living Room, Planty's Room, Kitty Room…all the rooms Emmet's imagination and skill as a Master Builder put to use were up…and empty. Her friend was nowhere to be found, not even out in the back where their special swing-set was.

That's strange...she thought, confused by his absence. Normally, he waits for me before we start the day together. But he's not here. Anywhere. She walked to the door, grasped the handle, and looked back once more on their empty home before heading out. Maybe he's already at the building site. He worked so hard yesterday that he probably just wants to go back and make sure everything is up to snuff.

Lucy started sprinting down their hill to the city below, looking left and right at every angle for any glimpse of Emmet's familiar orange construction vest. Soon she was right in the heart of Syspocalypsestar, with its citizens hustling and bustling past each other, laughing and playing without a care in the world.

The only one who did have a care right now was Lucy. She was starting to worry – her friend had just disappeared all of a sudden, with no note or any hint of where he had gone.

She ran to the newest construction site area where Emmet's coworkers and other volunteers were putting up the latest buildings in their expansion project. She took a quick glimpse; she could see many construction workers hard at work, but still no sign of Emmet. Although he was described as generic and ordinary, she'd come to know him well enough so that even he could stick out in a crowd to her.

He's not here either, she thought in dismay. She started to run past the site before stopping in her tracks and turning around. It won't hurt just at ask. Maybe they saw him somewhere earlier.

She looked for the nearest person to call to, hoping they would have more information. She spotted a female construction worker near the bottom floor of one of the newer skyscrapers that had been completed. Lucy struggled to remember her name – Emmet had told her all about his team that he had worked with back before the incident with the Kragle had happened, and knew everyone by name and what they enjoyed (even if they didn't really know him that well in return).

Gail! That was her name! I think… Honestly, it had been a while since she had seen many of the construction workers. Many of them had taken darker personas once the war with the Duplo aliens had begun, and Emmet mostly stuck close by to her and their close friends rather than return to his team. Once peace had been restored, however, he had jumped at the chance to help rebuild in any way that he could, and was ecstatic to work with his old team again…even if they hadn't noticed his absence much in the past five years. Emmet had been deemed 'The Special'…but it really seemed to Lucy that Emmet was special to her.

"Hey! Are you Gail?" Lucy yelled out for her attention, still standing near the entrance gate of the complex.

The female construction turned around. "Who's asking?" she called back.

"I'm looking for Emmet! Emmet Brickowski?"

Gail's features turned perplexed and she gave her a shrug.

"The Special?" Lucy tried again. Still no sign of recognition. "He's a construction worker who's been helping out here! I'm trying to find him!"

Gail looked upwards, hailing for the attention of another construction worker. "Hey Frank! This gal she's looking for someone named Emmet? Know someone like that?"

The construction worker peered down at his colleague – this one had a scruffy beard and seemed to be the one in charge. "Who?"

"Emmet? She says she's looking for someone named Emmet? Do we know someone like that?"

"Emmet?" Frank asked, also confused. He lifted his helmet up to scratch his head. "Emmet…" he mumbled.

Lucy's heart sank. All of Emmet's efforts as The Special during their struggle with President Business…his well-meaning but ultimately-unnecessary rescue for Lucy and their other friends that had been taken by Sweet Mayhem…had none of it really mattered to anyone? Did Emmet really not matter to anyone…aside from herself?

She was pulled out of her head when she heard Frank's voice again. "…Is he that guy that went on that crazy space-cadet mission a few weeks back?"

"It wasn't a space-cadet mission!" Lucy shot back. "He went to rescue us!" Even though we didn't actually really need rescuing after all…she thought more somberly.

"…Yeah, Frank, I think you're right," Gail replied after Lucy's outburst. "I remember him. Young guy, too peppy, even in this part of town." She put her hand on her chin. "Except this morning…" she said more quietly.

Lucy heard the morning part, even from her distance. "This morning?" she repeated.

"Yeah, he walked past here this morning. Didn't look like he was clocking in today – he seemed to have a lot on his mind." Gail frowned and looked down the route at the other facades. "Shame for that – we could have used the extra hands today."

"Do you know where he went?" Lucy called back for her attention.

"He was heading down past the city, down the clear area…no buildings down there. Nothing but an empty field."

Lucy's heart stopped in her chest. "…I think I know the place you mean," she replied quietly.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing. Thanks for your time – I'll go and find him!" Lucy answered before running down the direction Gail had pointed out and disappeared from her view.

Lucy found Emmet sitting on the grassy hill, overlooking the scenery below. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear her coming up behind him. "Emmet! There you are!"

Emmet turned his head around, surprised. "Lucy?"

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you okay?" She sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression one of concern. "When I woke up, you weren't in any of the other rooms in the house. I thought you went on ahead…maybe to work, or to get a coffee…but some of the construction guys told me you were out here." She peered down where he had been gazing all this time. "What are you doing way out here anyway?"

Emmet's face remained neutral, something which set alarm bells in Lucy's head. This was not like him…not at all.

He pointed his hand down to the valley below. "That's where it happened. Where all this began." His other hand waved around them. "That's where you saved me."

Lucy remembered. The Dryar System…That was where Rex had exiled Emmet, to live out his years banished from everyone he had ever known or loved…all so that Rex could prove his point, and Emmet would end up becoming him. Lucy shuddered involuntarily, trying to imagine what it must have felt like. She had come to save him, right when Rex was attempting to break Emmet…both his body, and his soul.

"I did. But you ended up saving me first, Emmet." She pulled his head to gaze into her eyes, looking at him seriously. It was important to make this point, especially after her brief chat with the other construction workers. "I want you to remember that. You taught me not to be so hard of a person, and to like myself for who I am. That it was okay to laugh, and have fun, and not be so serious and broody all the time." She exhaled. "So…really…it's all thanks to you."

She hoped that would cheer him…but Emmet remained quiet, and almost…depressed. "I had a nightmare last night," he finally spoke up, so quietly that she could barely hear him.

She was quiet for a moment. She felt so badly for him that she wanted to hug him – there was no need for nightmares in this new life of theirs. What was the problem?

"What happened in it?" she asked him in kind. She wanted to pay attention – the last time he had dreamed something so intense, it had ended up coming true, and their almost ignoring it almost led them all to ruin.

Emmet exhaled. "Well, it's…hard to say," he began. "It just felt so…real. I was in darkness…like under the Dryar. And I couldn't move, either, just like there. I was just lying there, for a long, long time. It felt like ages. Nothing was happening. I didn't even know if I was awake or asleep. I tried to yell out for help, but nothing came out of my mouth."

Lucy listened quietly. This, too, felt familiar to her as she had experienced something like that quite recently.

"Finally, after what seemed like forever, I saw a small light. It slowly got bigger…and then I saw…I saw all you guys. You, Batman, Metal Beard, Benny, Unikitty…all of our friends were dancing, and having fun with the Systarans, and partying…having a great time."

Emmet was silent for a longer moment. "…I wanted to be part of it, too," he whispered. Lucy sat uncomfortably next to him. "I tried yelling out again, calling for you guys to notice me, to know that I saw you guys…nothing came out. I couldn't move…I couldn't talk…I could only watch." And scream in my head, he finished to himself.

They sat in silence next to each other for several more minutes. Lucy finally broke the silence. "Emmet…I don't know what to say. Really. That's just horrible. You're right…that is a nightmare." Her hand reached down to his leg, patting it, in a futile attempt to comfort him. "But you just have to remember…it was just a dream. You're here now, with us." She couldn't help herself any longer. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, hoping that her touch would help to make him forget. "You're never going to be alone like that. Promise."

"You never came back for me. "

Lucy let go, her heart skipping a beat. "What?" she whispered.

Emmet shook his head. "I mean…not you, you. But his Lucy…Rex's."

"…Oh."

"She never went back for him. None of them did." He finally stood up, but his gaze still peered over to the distance. "…Do you think they forgot about him?"

Lucy stood up alongside to him. "Now, how could anyone forget you?" She offered him a small smile. "You're kind…thoughtful, caring. Sweet. Anyone would be bananas to forget someone like you."

Emmet finally reciprocated her small smile. "Thanks, Lucy," he whispered. "You're right…it was just a dream." Even though it felt like it was Real, he still thought to himself.

Emmet placed his hand in Lucy's and together they started to make the walk back to town, putting the valley where the Dryar System laid behind, forgotten.

As Emmet slowly began to act more like his old self, Lucy became quieter and mostly listened…while also planning something in her head. She really wanted to make Emmet feel better, to put the past behind him, and look ahead to the future. More than that, she wanted to show that he was appreciated and valuable to the community…and to her as well.

She was inspired by yesterday's Surprise breakfast – it had gone so well and so smoothly, and she had so enjoyed it, that Lucy decided it was time to return the favor.

"Hey…stop for just a moment." She held both of his hands. "What if we…throw a Special party tomorrow?"

"A party?"

"Yeah! All our friends could be there. It'd be a great way to get the community together. What do you think?"

Emmet smiled – his first true smile for that day. "I really like the sound of that."

"You do?" Lucy sounded a bit more excited than she had meant to. Really, what she was concocting was a Special party…just for Emmet. It would be her surprise for him.

"Yeah! Tomorrow you said?"

"Yes!" Lucy looked at the city clock. It was already late in the afternoon – her search for Emmet and their quiet reflection on the hill had taken longer than she thought it would. "Ack! It's late! There's things I gotta take care of first!" She tried to sprint off, before remembering Emmet was still holding (and tugging) her hand.

"I'll help!" he offered.

"Uh…great! Actually, you should really make your way to the construction site. Gail and Frank said that they were worried when you wouldn't work today."

"…They did? Really?"

"Yup! I'd go see if they need anything they need any help with. Hey, you could even tell them about the party – maybe see if they're interested in coming?"

"You mean you want me to spread the word?"

"Great idea, Emmet! You spread the word, and I'll go ahead and start planning everything out."

"Awesome!" Emmet gave Lucy a vibrant high five.

"Teamwork!" she returned. "I've got to go get started. I'll meet you later back at the house, okay?"

"Sounds great! See you later, alligator!"

Lucy chuckled. She hated goodbyes, but this was more of a 'see-you-in-a-bit' parting than a final farewell. "After a while, crocodile!"

"What?"

"That's just something else I picked up. Later, Emmet!" She dashed before he had time to come back with another reply.

Although she had described the party as more of a town celebration their new lives together…she really wanted the message sent across that the party would be a means of celebrating Emmet.

And I know the perfect people to ask to help me make this the best party for him!

She was excited…but also terrified. Emmet's description of his nightmare was very vivid, just like his vision for Our-mom-agedon had been. What if this nightmare came true as well? And why was Emmet having all of these strange dreams all of a sudden in the first place?

More importantly…why was all of this drawing Emmet back to Rex, in some shape or form? Rex was gone – Back-to-the-Future'd; he'd coin the phrase himself while he was disappearing, his time-stream erased when Lucy came to rescue Emmet.

He still has a way of keeping us apart, she thought, annoyed. What Emmet did ask did worry her though…why hadn't Rex's Lucy gone back to find him in his time-stream? Before it was too late? Before he'd changed and grown bitter? She wondered if she would ever really know the answer.

A/N: So, originally this chapter was going to be longer, but my page count was in the double digits, so I'm going to split this one into two parts. What kind of party do you think Lucy will try to throw for Emmet? Will she be able to cheer him up at all? And what about about that strange nightmare that keeps bothering him? Hmmm...

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know any comments, questions, concerns...constructive criticism is appreciated! Until next time. :)