The winter here's cold, and bitter
It's chilled us to the bone.
We haven't seen the sun for weeks
To long too far from home
I feel just like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh, darkness I feel like letting go

The rain was cold and harsh, but he barely noticed any of it. With his head bent against the downpour, he walked about town and thought of her. He should have called her back. He wished more than anything that he had, but his voice wouldn't allow and something held him back. All she wanted to be was a friend and he had pushed her away.

But he couldn't talk to her because he wouldn't know what to say.

For hours before returning home to confront Stefan he had sat at the docks staring at the murky water, trying to sort everything out. Was he angry or was he happy? He supposed that he was a bit of both. He finally had a father. And not just a father, but a mother and father. He wanted think himself as fortunate, but angry thoughts filled his mind. For his whole life he had been betrayed by the man he thought was his uncle. For years he thought that his real father was dead, and suddenly the truth was out that it was Stefan, not Stavros. But Stefan hadn't told him. His real father had denied it. Instead it came from another's lips. And those two pained him more than anything. In just one moment, all of the lies that he had been told were suddenly washed away by truth.

He only wished that he could be some other person, that he didn't have to think of any of this. He only wished that it all went away.

I never thought I could feel so low
Oh, darkness I feel like letting go

She smiled to herself as she waved goodbye to Tammy and headed towards her house. The rain was beginning to get heavy now, but she didn't mind at all. She was in a wonderful mood. Earlier that morning, she had been shocked to find Emily sitting on the park bench still in her prom dress and when Emily had told her that she needed a place to stay, she took her to the Hardy house to get Emily a change of clothes. They ending up leaving a short while later and spent the entire afternoon and evening outside of Kelly's, gossiping and eating pie. It had been a while, she had realized, since she and Emily and truly talked by themselves and it felt nice. She had hoped that Emily would agree to stay over, noticing that there was something troubling her friend, but Emily had only declined and apologized. With a promise to call, Elizabeth had said goodbye and watched while her friend hurried off. Then, she had gone to work until close.

Now as her hair matted to her head and the nape of her neck, she became increasingly aware of the pouring rain. She picked up her speed and tried to cover her head with her jacket, but that only resulted in the jacket becoming soaking wet as well.

A wail from right behind her caused her to look of sharply. An ambulance whizzed past and turned down the next street. A police car and yet another ambulance followed it. Confusion settled in as she turned the corner and saw the flashing lights through the blur of rain. Her eyes widened as she began to run, rain water splattering with every footfall. The paramedics were jumping out of the ambulance and rushing into the house. Elizabeth, tears running furiously down her face, followed them up the walk in panic and ran inside, a scream building in her throat.

''Gram!''

If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me up from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love

He walked into the empty house and glanced around. He hadn't gone back last night. He didn't want to talk to his parents; he wasn't ready to face that they were really going to separate. Instead, he had stayed with his Aunt Bobbie, who had told him that whenever he needed a place to run, he could always take cover there. And he was utterly grateful for her.

For he needed a place to take cover from everything that was suddenly erupting at home. It was hard to believe that after twenty years of marriage, Luke and Laura would be no more. His parents were splitting up because of him-of his rage towards them. It had brought everything out.

Everyone seemed to be running. Lucky ran from his parents, while his mother ran from Luke and the past...into the arms of Stefan Cassadine.

Standing in the entryway, he stared at the desolate house. Mom had taken Lesley-Lu to visit her mother and Dad, he guessed, was still at the club. And now, without either of them there, he felt alone. The house wouldn't be the same, he knew. The rooms that would be filled with laughter would now be filled with tears. Until they healed, that is. And Lucky wondered if it would be a long time for that to happen.

Staying in this place hurt him; it hurt him to face what was happening to his family. It hurt him to face that suddenly he was the one now who was losing not only a mother but also a father. And Nikolas was, as they found out that afternoon, getting both.

He walked upstairs and down the hallway, to his own room. Stepping inside, he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, wishing to block everything out, even if it was just for the moment.

It's better this way, I said
Having seen this place before
Where everything we said and did
Hurts us all the more
It's just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go

She felt betrayed by everything around her. The shadows mocked her and pointed fingers. They seemed to be laughing at her, taunting her.

'Emily Bowen-Quartermaine, you can't hold anything together, can you? Everything in your life always manages to get screwed up.'

And it wasn't just her self-pity. It was true. Somehow she had managed to push everyone close to her away. The family whom she loved, her brother whom she trusted, the friends whom she adored.

Anger no longer filled her heart. The anger had been washed away hours ago when she realized that she was no longer sure what she was angry at most. Instead, grief overwhelmed her. In a period of just three hours she had managed to not only feel lonely, but to be visibly alone. And she had done it all herself. She needed him. Why had he pushed her away?

They needed each other. She would have been there for him, she would have listened to whatever had been bothering him, but he had told her in his own way to go away...that he didn't need her anymore.

Glancing around at the shadows that surrounded her on the docks, Emily knew that they were right. She couldn't hold anything together, everything had fallen apart. Standing up with a destination in mind, she wondered if somehow she could pick up those lost and fallen pieces and find the strength to put them together.

If all of the strength
And all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love

Their worlds tumbled apart for the four of them that day. Sitting in the Quartermaine mansion, tears filled their eyes as they remembered the pain and heartache that that evening had inflicted. They avoided each other's stares as they silently re-lived the memories in their mind. Outside the night was dark. The shadows moved swiftly across the light of the moon as the dark clouds moved in.

It was going to rain, Emily realized as she stood and walked over to the terrace doors. The newsman had said that it hadn't rained for weeks here, but finally the drought had been broken. A loud rumble sounded far off in the distance and rain began to pour from the sky. Outside in Lila's garden, the flowers seemed to stretch eager for the rain to spill upon their petals and keep them alive.

Inside the Quartermaine mansion, Emily wished that the rain would fall upon her, washing away the memories. But it hadn't been able to wash the pain away then, and it wouldn't wash it away now. Turning back towards her friends, she caught Nikolas watching her with regret reflecting in his eyes.

Don't feel sorry, Nikolas. She pleaded silently. How could you have known?

And she glanced down knowing that he must be having the same thought. Turning back towards the garden, she watched as the water dripped from the petals and down the stem, sinking into earth.

Memories had a way of dredging up the most painful feelings. But it also helped in the healing. If the rain could help revive the flowers, then memories could help heal their hearts.