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The Mourning After: Will Lucky's death reunite Luke and Laura?

This week, an unthinkable tragedy befalls Port Charles: Lucky Spencer is pronounced dead. And while no one that this tragedy touches ever will be the same--not Lucky's true love, Liz, or his half-brother, Nikolas--the turn of events hits the teenager's parents the hardest. Will this ultimate trial be the event that ends Luke and Laura's marriage forever... or the sad catalyst for them to rediscover the passion that they once shared?

"The ultimate goal [with Lucky's death] is to do the biggest thing we can do to GENERAL HOSPITAL," sums up headwriter Bob Guza. "What would that be? To break up Luke and Laura. But once you do that irrevocably, then the goal is to see if they can ever get back together again. That's the goal of the second part of the arc.

"As a fan myself, I'd like to believe that they can reunite," he adds. "I just think that it may take them a long, long time. They are forever my rooting interest."

As the week begins, Liz awakens to the forbidding sounds of passing sirens and realizes that they are heading in the direction of Lucky's new home above the motorcycle shop. She tries to call him to make sure that he is all right, but is unable to get through. With her concern growing, she quickly leaves to check on her boyfriend's safety.

Upon arriving, Liz's most terrifying nightmares are realized when she sees the building engulfed in flames and finds Lucky nowhere in sight. Luke confirms for her the worst: Lucky is dead.

Nikolas Keeps Stefan From Laura As Nikolas copes with his own raw emotions, he faces off with his father: Stefan wants to inform Laura of Lucky's fate. But, saying that it's not Stefan's place to do so, Nikolas puts a stop to the selfish outburst and tells him that Luke is on his way to break the news to Laura.

Shortly thereafter, Nikolas arrives on Laura's doorstep, and together they share their loss. Stefan arrives to offer a shoulder to a grieving Laura, but Nikolas turns him away and convinces him that Laura needs to deal with this on her own terms. "This is Nikolas stepping out from under his father's shadow," explains Guza. "He sees Stefan's inability to connect with most people, and makes up his mind that not only isn't he going to be that way, he's going to help his father connect."

Despite Nikolas's show of maturity, Lucky's demise hits him hard. "It sends Nikolas reeling," says Guza. "He has just connected to his brother--they have come through a lot together. And for Nikolas, being a part of a family has been a big deal. He was just at the point where he could start to enjoy the benefits of being a part of this family, and it's taken away from him."

Later, with her heart heavy, Laura tries to explain to Lesley Lu that her big brother has gone to heaven.

Lucky Reaches Out To Liz From Beyond The Grave At the fire scene, Liz retreats into an alarmingly unemotional and surreal haze. This can't be happening. Not now. Not Lucky. Although tears have refused to pass from her eyes, sweet memories of Lucky wash over her. Alone in her private world, she stares into the eyes of the picture of Lucky that she painted as she recalls the life together that they began to plan. "This is Liz's way of responding to tragedy and to horror--she shuts down," reminds Guza. "This is the way that she initially responded to the rape."

Meanwhile, Audrey tells Nikolas that Liz has yet to crack and that she has thus far been unresponsive to anyone and everyone. Paying her a visit, a gentle Nikolas brings Liz the sweater that Lucky left with his half-brother. They share their memories, and Liz finally breaks down when Nikolas assures her that Lucky's love touches her from heaven. "She's going to do some things in the wake of Lucky's death that she couldn't do in the wake of her own rape," says Guza. "And just as Lucky helped her deal with the rape, Nikolas is going to help her deal with the second major tragedy of her life--the loss of Lucky."

When Liz slips on Lucky's sweater, she once again feels close to him. And finally, she gets some sleep.

Luke Blasts Sonny At the same time, everyone begins to believe that Moreno, in an effort to destroy Jason and Sonny, was behind the disastrous fire that took Lucky's life. In a furious rage, Luke confronts Sonny with hard-hitting words of blame. "You said that you had everything under control--how could you let my son be in danger?" Luke rails. "When it looks like arson, Luke and Laura have a very good reason to believe that, with past history, Sonny and Jason could have been the targets," notes Guza. "So it allies Luke and Laura for a bit."

Unable to channel his sorrow, Luke deals with it in the only way he knows how--with anger. He gets a pistol ready and contemplates taking the matter into his own hands.

Later, Laura blasts Luke for trusting Sonny and Jason with Lucky's well-being. If he hadn't trusted Jason and Sonny, she wouldn't have trusted them either. Luke tosses it right back in Laura's face, noting that Lucky wouldn't have moved away if he had felt comfortable in the home he shared with her. "Luke is very much a ticking bomb," hints Guza. "And down the line you are going to see some parallels between how Luke and Laura handle the loss."

Goodbye, Lucky, Goodbye Later, as Laura tries to prepare for Lucky's funeral, she bonds with Liz by suggesting that the service take place at the church where Liz and Lucky only recently spent their special Valentine's Day. Liz offers to speak at the funeral, but Nikolas refuses to do the same out of respect for Luke. He says that it's his gift to Luke from Lucky that he won't talk at the funeral because he knows how painful that would be for Luke.

After the service, Luke shares a moment on the side with the young woman whom his son so dearly loved. His kind words to Liz--that she was the best thing that ever happened to Lucky--cause the girl to break down in tears.

Liz Takes The Blame Eventually, Luke is comforted by an understanding and tender Tammy as a horrified, unseen Laura witnesses. "This is Laura coming to Luke, trying to connect in pain, trying to reach out to the love of her life, the father of her child who is gone," notes Guza, "and seeing him find comfort in a decidedly unlikely way."

So, afterward, alone in her empty house and believing that she never will recover from Lucky's death, Laura breaks down in her son's room, trashing it. "Laura has had to keep a lid on so much for so long," observes Guza, "that it finally comes to a head, and she just can't control herself."

Later, Luke and Bobbie see Lucky's ravaged room and realize that a devastated Laura probably has gone to Wyndemere to be with Stefan. "He is Laura's anchor, her rock," says Guza. "An important point to be made here is that Stefan is not 'working' this. He is not someone trying to take advantage of a horrible situation. And he, of course, has nothing to do with it. It's a genuine need on his part to reach out to her and help her in her hour of grief."

When the police reports at last come in, Luke and Laura are surprised but not cheered by the revelation that the fire was an accident, not arson. But the news causes more distress for Liz, who begins to blame herself for the fire. Remembering that she gave Lucky candles as a gift, when she hears that it was an accident, she believes that it was caused by those same candles.

The Future Of Luke & Laura Guilt-ridden, Liz goes to Sonny to ensure that he knows that he wasn't to blame for Lucky's death--she was. Coming undone with grief in front of Nikolas, Liz finally comes to understand that the fire was no one's fault. He encourages her to continue painting to connect with Lucky's spirit.

Meanwhile, an aching Luke confesses to Tammy that Lucky's death did not reunite him and Laura. But perhaps as time begins to heal the parents' wounds, they can rediscover the comfort they found in each other as lovers. As Guza notes, "The death of a child is a pivotal kind of incident for a couple's relationship. In many cases, it can save a faltering marriage. In many, many cases, it drives a further wedge. So we're going to explore the different possibilities with Luke and Laura. As a result of this, they will be forced together.

Sidebar: The Love of a Lifetime

Sidebar: Those He Left Behind: Lucky will never be forgotten by those who knew and loved him

There's a saying that if a person has touched another, he never can truly die. The affect [sic] that he has had on others will keep his spirit, and certainly his memory, alive eternally. And so it is sure to be with Lucky Spencer. Though the teenager walked this earth for but a short time, the impression that he made upon those who were near him will not be dulled anytime soon. Those whom he cherished were indeed... lucky.

Luke: Lucky's dad raised him to be a chip off the old block, so naturally, when they fought, it was no holds barred. But when they loved, it was deep, and it was forever.

Laura: Lucky's mother bequeathed to him her sensitivity; recall how fiercely protective he always was of kid sister Lesley Lu. In turn, he grew up to challenge his once-reckless guardian to account for her actions in the past.

Nikolas: When Lucky and his half-brother met, they hated each other. But over time, they came to see each other not as enemies but adversaries, kindred spirits born of the same blood.

Elizabeth: Lucky saw his friend through the most difficult trial of her life (until now), and gradually, their bond strengthened and blossomed into a pure and invincible love... a love that now is lost.

Bobbie: Lucky's worldly-wise aunt lent him an ear when his nuclear family exploded, and in turn, she always appreciated his sense of humor and his big heart.