Lucky squinted at the computer screen, trying to decipher the notes Mac had left for him in the case file. Since losing Elizabeth, Cameron and Jake, he'd found it harder and harder to concentrate on work. At first, he thought this would be the one place where he could lose himself. In his work, he could focus on doing some good in the world rather than dwelling on the negative in his own life. There was so much going on beyond himself, and it was time he started to think about that.

He'd spoken to Sam earlier. Hearing her talk about her lack of family and friends had reminded him once again how lucky he was. Despite their obvious shortcomings, his parents had always been there when he really needed them and they were able. Nikolas and Lulu were his biggest supporters, always there no matter what else was going on in their lives. And Emily, his best friend since the age of eleven, was the kindest, most compassionate soul he'd ever known.

For a long time, Elizabeth had been at the top of that support list. She had been so many firsts to him, namely his first love. Their friendship, relationship and eventual marriage is what had sustained him during his darkest days. When he found out about his mother's rape, it was Elizabeth who had been there to support him. In the face of her breakdown, Liz was the first one there to hold his hand. Even when he had broken her heart and destroyed their marriage, she somehow managed to help him get through his pill addiction. He had no idea she had been lying the entire time.

"Enough feeling sorry for yourself," he scolded himself silently. There was no strength to be found in dwelling in the darkness. Seeing his father drink himself into a stupor countless times had taught him that much. It would be so easy to give into his natural instincts and cravings. A tumbler of scotch and two white pills would be his greatest escape. Yet, if he could get through this, he knew that he could get through anything. He needed to turn to the light or he would fall into an abyss that he'd never be able to escape.

Reaching across the desk, he pulled the old-fashioned black rotary phone toward him. Wracking his brain, he searched for the right person to lift his spirits. Deciding on his baby sister, he dialed her number and prayed that she would answer her cell phone. He hadn't spent much time with her lately, and this was his opportunity to slowly start to build that relationship back.

"Hey, Lucky!" Lulu chirped as she answered the phone. Lucky could hear Edward and Tracey fighting in the background. Not for the first time, he was thankful that he was old enough to have escaped the chaos of living in the Quartermaine mansion. His poor sister had been forced to deal with the repercussions of their father's marriage to Tracey. "I haven't talked to you in forever. Where are you at? Work?"

Lucky laughed at her breathless conversation. "Yeah, just putting in a few extra hours doing some paperwork," he answered. "Actually, I was going to see if you wanted to meet me for dinner. I know that there is probably a lot going on there, but it'd be nice to see you. I could come by and pick you up at the end of my shift."

"And pass up a night of dining with the crazies?" she scoffed sarcastically. "That actually sounds pretty great. In fact, I have an idea. Why don't I call Nikolas to see if he wants to meet us somewhere? It's been too long since the three of us were alone together. No kids, no significant others, no Dad."

"Speaking of Dad, have you heard from him lately?" Lucky inquired. It wasn't rare that Luke would disappear for weeks on end, but it worried Lucky that he had Laura with him. "He hasn't called me since he left, but I thought that maybe he would check in with you or something."

"I haven't heard a single thing," she told him. "I don't think Tracey has heard anything either. I wish he'd check in soon just so we knew how they were doing. I know that this isn't unusual for Dad, but he has Mom. I'm worried about her."

"Don't worry, Lu," he soothed. "Everything will be fine, it always is. Anyhow, I should be out of here in less than an hour. Call Nikolas and set everything up. I'll come by the house as soon as I'm done."

After hanging up with his sister, Lucky put in a call to his father's cell phone. "Dad, it's me," he said. "Things back in Port Charles aren't going so great, but that's not why I called. I just wanted to see how things are going with Mom. Lulu is getting worried, and frankly, so am I. Give one of us a call so we know what's up. We miss you."

With his phone calls done, Lucky went back to analyzing his latest case. It wasn't anything exciting, just a routine burglary to a house near the park. There wasn't much evidence found at the crime scene, so the leads were limited. The details were so mundane that he quickly found his mind drifting back to her. Only this time, the woman in question wasn't his wife. Rather, he was thinking about the night on the roof with Sam.

Before that night, his contact with the petite brunette had been fairly limited. She had come around last summer when he was in rehab. He knew now that it was because she was thinking about telling of Elizabeth's one-night stand with Jason. Save for a few random conversations at the hotel and getting stuck in the elevator with her at GH, they hadn't spoken in months. Barely acquaintances, things between them had always been limited because of her position as a mobster's girlfriend and his place as a cop. If he was around, it was usually to the detriment of the man she had loved.

Now, they were on the same side, and from what he knew so far, it was a good place to be. As silly as his comment about her place in his heart had been, it was true to how he felt. It was like she had come along and filled this part of himself he didn't know was missing. She was unlike anyone he had ever meant, full of complexity and depth that he couldn't even begin to understand. Sam had been through a lot in her life, spending most of it on the run. That was something that he could relate to, something to connect them. However, there was an unspoken sadness about her that he couldn't even begin to comprehend. Somehow, despite the fact she'd long had nothing, she had managed to survive it all. Bullets, heartbreak and loneliness couldn't hold her down.

An hour later, Lucky held the door open for Lulu as they entered into an empty Kelly's. The Spencer-owned diner had been vacated especially for the family dinner, something arranged by Lulu without her brothers' knowledge. "I can't believe you did this," Nikolas laughed as he turned on the lights. Lulu smiled widely before heading toward the jukebox. Dropping a quarter in the slot, she input her favorite selection and waited for the comfort of jazz to fill the air.

"Dad's favorite," Lucky acknowledge. He had recognized it instantly. Just as he had been thinking about his family a lot, he knew that his sister was, too. There was a sadness in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. For once, he knew that it wasn't about their parents. There was something else there. "What's going on, Lu?"

"Nothing," she lied. She closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. The lyrics embraced her like an old familiar friend she could always come back to and count on. "And we both know that's not true, but I don't really want to talk about it."

"I know it's hard that Dillon left," Lucky retorted. "I know we're not the same, but Nikolas and I are here for you. If there is anything you need, we can help. From what I remember, I used to be a pretty good big brother."

"The best," she smiled. "Honestly, knowing he is gone is harder than I thought it would be. It's been almost a year, but my feelings haven't changed. I just really miss him."

"I can send you to L.A.," Nikolas offered. Lulu shook her head, telling him that neither of them were ready for that. "Well, then, I can give you a hug instead."

Lucky watched on as his older brother hugged his younger sister. It still amazed him that the three of them had found a way to be so close. Family tradition dictated that they should hate each other based simply on their last name. Instead, they had always made it a priority to stay close. If nothing else, Lucky had known he had to get along with Nikolas for the sake of his mother and sister. Now, he was one of his best friends. "Okay, so, while we have the place to ourselves, I just have one question. Who is going to cook for us?"

"I've actually taken care of that as well," she assured him. She scrambled around the counter and pulled out three domed platters. "With the help of our beloved Mike, we have three dinners waiting for us. I got ribs from Eli's for you, Lucky. And Nikolas, I know how much you love apple pie from here. We also have some roasted potatoes, my personal favorite. It's not much, but it's enough."

"It's perfect," Nikolas replied, and it was. The dinner and its accompanying conversation was nothing life-altering, but it was what they needed. For just a little bit, they could forget about all the bad things going on and pretend that life was just perfect. Finally, Nikolas asked the inevitable question. "How are you doing without Elizabeth?"

"I'm waking up every day for my son," he said. "I may have lost Jake, but I am still dedicated to being Cam's father. I'm going to let Liz stay in the house so that they boys don't have to be uprooted. I figure that I can find a nice apartment near the station so that Cam will have somewhere to sleep when he comes to visit. I'm going to try to talk to her soon to see if we can work something out."

"I think she owes you that much," Nikolas retorted, the distain clearly insinuated. "I still can't believe that Jake wasn't yours. How could she have kept that secret so long?"

Lucky shrugged. "It doesn't matter now," he replied. "All that matters are the boys. Even if I am not a father to either of them, I still want what is best for them. A stable home with Elizabeth is exactly that. No matter how angry I am at her, I can't deny that. She loves those boys more than anything, and that's what they need. Everything I am going through is worth it."

"Mom would be really proud," Nikolas said without lifting his eyes from his food. It was a difficult thing for the brothers to be overtly emotional, but they had their moments. "These ribs are really great."

"Nik, I actually have a favor to ask," Lucky confessed. "That's part of the reason I was so happy you would be here. It seems that the aftermath of the affair isn't just having an adverse impact on me. Sam is really going through a hard time as well. She had her life ripped apart just like me, only she doesn't have our family to support her. You're her cousin. I was hoping that you could reach out to her."

Nikolas considered this for a moment. "I'm sure there is something I could do," he agreed. "I'll talk to Alexis and try to set up a Cassadine family dinner. You two could come if you want. It'd be nice to have everyone out to Wyndamere. Emily is always after me to entertain at home more."

"And how is Emily?" Lulu inquired, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

Nikolas reached across the table and swatted his sister. Lucky immediately jumped to her defense, pushing Nikolas gently. Before he knew it, they were throwing bits of ribs at each other in a full out food fight. It was silly and immature, but he couldn't think of anything he'd rather be doing. For the first time in a long time, life was good.