A new face after the race

Chapter 63

Lucky watched from the sofa as Emily leaned down to pick up Morgan and walked toward the couch where he sat. When Emily sat down next to him, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, where they watched the scene before them.

Michael, Melissa, Lulu were crowding around the tree, looking at all the presents that were scattered under the decorated Christmas tree. They were wrapped in blues, reds, greens, whites, yellows, purples and had big bows on them as well. Each young child was figuring out which one they wanted to open first, shaking them slightly, testing their weight.

Jason, Luke, Laura sat on the sidelines drinking eggnog, having a conversation over the children's curiosity. Elizabeth, Jax and Skye were invited to Emily and Lucky's Christmas celebration and open house, but each had their own celebration to go to. Skye and Jax were with Skye's family for the holiday and Elizabeth was with hers.

Lucky had eventually told Emily of their decision of their god daughter's name, when Emily was more recovered and she surprisingly took it relatively well. Much better than Lucky thought and Emily liked it, she thought it was an honor to her mother. So the names were set there and problem absolved.

Then the other problem of Sara and her baby was resolved weeks ago, much to their knowledge, they were a little preoccupied. Sara and the father were working things out naturally and Sara was shaping up nicely, becoming a better citizen, granddaughter, expectant mother and such.

The final problem Emily and him had to face was her catching up on all her school work and tests. Emily had started all those health problems right after midterms, so it could have been worse. But Emily had done all her reading, every essay and made up every test and just recently finished her third semester, still at the top of her class.

He was very proud of her for that, but in doing so, they had little time together. Emily was always too busy for him and a part of him understood that he had to sacrifice it for Emily to get all that credit to her degree, but a true part of him missed her. Truly missed her, they weren't set to move into the house until at least January so they were still living at separate places and that never helped the loneliness he felt.

He really wanted to get out of the house though, now that he was officially moving out his mom was more clingy and more over protective than ever, giving him tips of yard work, cleaning up after himself (even though, isn't that why he has Emily?), paying bills and so on. She was officially driving him nuts with all those tips. He knew she meant well, but it got a little annoying after you hear it, oh, fifteen or thirty times.

But other than that, everything was fine for once in their lives. Sonny and Morgan and Michael had moved to Port Charles, so Emily was closer to her family. She and Sonny were still….well their relationship was hard to describe actually (a/n: really, it is.). They could stand to be in the same room, but was unable to make conversation with each other. They tolerated each other because of Michael and Morgan, but the chances of there anything beyond toleration was slim to none.

But other than that, no real trouble near, it all seemed to fade with the holidays. Everyone was here with loved ones, safe, protected and taken care of. That was how Lucky liked it.

"Hmm…Lucky?" Emily called to her boyfriend who was looking at a wall, probably lost in thought.

Lucky snapped out of it and looked at her in his arms. "Yeah, what is it?" He asked her, never getting over how beautiful she looked, vibrant and lively. She was dressed in a red long sleeve shirt and black pants, no real areas showing but she still couldn't have looked better, except in one instance that hasn't happened just yet.

Emily motioned to where Lulu and Melissa was whispering in the corner, by the Christmas tree. "What are our little sisters up to?" She asked him, suspiciously. It must be big, and planned, so that must mean they had helped, also known as Lucky and the rest of the Spencer's'.

Lucky searched for an answer Emily would buy and was failing miserably but that thankfully went unnoticed as Morgan started bawling. Emily leaned up and tried calming him down. It helped none, so Emily got up from the couch and returned Morgan near the presents, hoping that those would distract him.

She took a small one wrapped in Santa Claus wrapping paper and handed it to Morgan who bought the distraction easily.

Lucky smiled at the picture that was before him; Emily, who was very much alive and healthy and all the kids around the tree, especially Morgan who was the apple of Emily's eye. He leaned back and settled down to watch the Christmas magic, only hoping there was a little left for later.

Sonny got up out of his seat and went to the Christmas tree to take over Morgan duty. Emily gladly gave Morgan up and Sonny took it from there.

Emily returned to Lucky and sat by him again as Melissa and Lulu separated to talk to their parents, only to return to the window and watch it, through it more specifically, obviously for snow.

"So, are you going to answer my question?" Emily asked him.

"The question about Melissa and Lulu?" Lucky asked her, avoiding the question again expertly, or so he hoped.

"Hmm…yeah, what are they up to? I know they can't do it alone, which makes me believe that someone is helping them." Emily explained and waited for an answer patiently.

Lucky looked at Emily and saw Lulu and Melissa wink from the window from the corner of his right eye. Then they turned away again and left Lucky alone in explaining.

"They are planning something." Lucky told her straight forward, without the details.

"Planning what?" Emily continued to ask; now knowing that Lucky was the means of it. He wouldn't be this oblivious if it was otherwise.

Lucky was again saved to answer as Lulu and Melissa screamed for joy at the window, jumping up and down in excitement as white show started falling slowly from the skies.

"It's snowing!" Lulu screamed and she and Melissa hugged each other, jumping up and down still.

Michael joined them and observed the weather as well, Sonny bringing Morgan and cooing to him about what it was and such. The other adults just laughed at the kids' excitement and smiled.

Emily and Lucky just watched silently, in each other's arms, where they wanted to be. As far as they were concerned, there was no one and nothing else beyond this moment, this embrace.

Lulu and Melissa calmed but still watched the snow falling slowly, covering the grounds with white dew. Morgan was asleep on Sonny's shoulder and Michael was still playing detective with the gifts.

Then, the adults came and bunched around the tree as the moment, or one of them at least, they waited for what seemed like forever. They got to open one gift, but only one, and the kids' were sad about that, but took what they could. They carefully looked at one after the other with their names on it, eventually finding ones they wanted to open first.

Melissa and Lulu held medium sized packages, one wrapped in red wrapping paper with snowmen on it and the other with blue wrapping paper with snowmen on it. Michael had a little smaller one and was wrapped in white wrapping paper with silver snowflakes. Each gift had a blue or red bow on it, but the kids paid no mind to the bow, the only thing they wanted was what was inside.

Each was happy with what they got. Lulu and Melissa got two dolls that they hugged to death and Michael a bunch of spider man comic books. Michael ran up to his father and thanked him as did Lulu and Melissa went to their parents, or parent.

Emily and Lucky laughed at their joy, they were that age once too, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Michael came up to Emily with the comic books and they got into a serious conversation about Spider-man and his enemies, such as Dr. Octopus, Green Goblin and all those villains that everyone loved. Emily had liked super powers and such cartoons as a child, so they naturally got together in that area, talking the outfits, the schemes, the endings, all that stuff. Lucky had never been much for that superhero stuff, he just couldn't believe half those things could actually happen, obviously missing the whole point of it all.

As Emily and Michael discussed Spider man and the Mary Jane romance, Lucky's thoughts drifted to a few days ago, when he was at home and while Lulu and Melissa helped his mom set up everything for Christmas at the Spencer residence. Luke was grudgingly doing the same.

(Flashback)

Lucky was half asleep on his bed, coming home after a long day at work. The door burst open and two little brunette girls ran in. "Lucky!" They screamed. "Mom says you have to help." They said at the same time, giggling as if giddy, but that came with the Christmas spirit.

Lucky groaned and leaned back on his pillow, closing his eyes. "I'll help later." Lucky said and expected them to insist but as they got close to the bed they noticed a small black velvet box on Lucky's night table. The curious little minds opened it and awed and broke out in smiles.

"It's so pretty." Melissa commented as a rainbow got reflected off the angles of the stones.

"Uh, huh, it is pretty." Lulu agreed and studied it more. "This looks like mommy's engagement ring, just without these blue stones." Then it clicked and they laughed giddily again.

Lucky opened his eyes to find Melissa and Lulu running out of the room with it. He leapt up and went after the two runts. "Hey, you two little brats, give that back right now!" He ordered them but it was too late.

Lulu and Melissa was showing it to her mom as he ran in after them. "Mommy! Lucky's got an engagement ring almost like yours!" Lulu reported to her mom.

Laura frowned and looked at what Lulu had, first telling them not to take Lucky's things. "Lulu, you know better than to take your brother's things without permission…" Laura stopped as she saw what it was and Lucky was just approaching them. She looked to him. "Lucky, you aren't thinking of….are you?" She asked him and Lucky restrained from rolling his eyes.

Luke came strolling in with a box of multi-colored garland. "Laura, where do you want me to put…." Luke noticed the object in the box as well and whistled. "Nice engagement ring Lucky. When are you going to pop the question?" He asked Lucky and he was now the center of attention.

"That is still up for discussion, but I'm not if two little thieves don't give back the stolen property." Lucky threatened and Lulu and Melissa gave him back the box in a hurry. "Thank you." He said with strain and impatience.

Lulu and Melissa looked up at him and each other and screamed "Were going to be sisters!" happily. The scream echoed in Lucky's ears and he closed the box and put it in his pocket.

Lucky really rolled his eyes this time and rubbed his temples and decided to go back to his room. Laura tailed him. "Lucky, when were you going to tell me that you were thinking marriage?" She asked of him.

Lucky looked to his mom. "I wanted it to be a surprise, but obviously, its not anymore, now is it?" He responded.

"It's not like we will tell anyone." Laura reasoned, and then corrected herself. "Well, it's not like your father and I will tell anyone, your sister and her friend is a different story." Laura replied.

"That's nice to know." Lucky said sarcastically.

Laura smiled at him and patted his hand. "Don't worry; I'll go talk to them. I'm sure if we use the right leverage, they will keep their mouths shut." Laura insisted and left to do so, but Lucky only rubbed his temples again and slammed his bedroom door behind him as he entered it.

(End flashback)

Since then Lucky hadn't asked yet, and no one brought up the subject, even though Melissa and Lulu were helping the situation none by being all giddy and secretive. He was only glad Emily hadn't caught on.

He wanted it to be a complete surprise, a good surprise he hoped. He didn't know what to expect, didn't know what to think what could happen, but there was only one way to find out.

Lucky looked out the window and watched as the snow fell softly, silently. Lucky smiled and thought of the perfect place to do it.

Author's note: Two chapters to go…