Chapter 1
I'm A Bitch...
April 2000
Waking up gasping for breath, Elizabeth leaned back against her headboard and tried to figure out what her dream had been about then gave a bitter giggle as she thought about all that was going on. Lucky, the man she had thought she would love always, the boy she had thought dead was alive and home.
Getting up, she went to her small refrigerator and took out a soda, needing the sugar, needed to figure this out in her head. She didn't know why it was so important that she do so tonight, but she got the feeling that if she didn't something terrible was going to happen.
Taking a sip, her mind going back to her sight of Lucky, how happy she had been, how realized she had felt and tried to figure out why it bothered her that was all she had felt. Still restless, she moved to her window, looking out at the water, she had tried to express what she was feeling in her art but all she had gotten was a painting that she had used black to paint over. Resting her head on the window, she could feel the dew that was starting to gather even as she felt her brain scrambling for answers as to why nothing felt right.
Deciding that nothing was going to jump out and say "Hey, this is the answer, Elizabeth got dressed and went out for a walk in the early morning air just as the sun was rising. Seeing the workers at the Corinthos/Morgan warehouse starting the new day, with the overnight shift leaving and the day workers coming in, Elizabeth thought about Sonny and what was going on with his life and gave a heavy sigh. At least her life didn't suck as bad as his life did right then.
Slipping into Kelly's she saw Penny setting up for the day, grabbed a muffin and still carrying her soda headed out, trying to make sense of her unease. At the docks, she sat down on the bench, thinking about while Lucky was missing and how much she had wanted him to not be dead. She had gotten her dream but something was missing, something was off. But what? She asked herself.
Walking to her grandmother's, she slipped inside and up to her old room and laid down on her old bed. Thinking about Lucky sleeping on her floor, to keep her feeling safe was a memory that normally warmed her heart. Now it just left her wondering, asking questions she was uncomfortable with the answers to.
Standing, she hurried down the steps, grateful her grams was at GH already as she heard something and rushed out the door. Standing there on the porch, she didn't know what it had been that she had half heard but whatever it was just increased her confused feelings.
The city of Port Charles was coming alive as she took the shortcut through the park to GH. Stopping suddenly, Elizabeth looked around to think. When had she gotten comfortable with entering this park all alone? When had she stopped thinking about her rape every single time she had been required to enter the green space.
Trying to shake this off, this desire to find the answer to whatever was bothering her, she hurried into the bustling hospital. Getting off the tenth-floor elevator she saw her grams talking to Bobbie Jones and her ex-husband, Amy Vining with her sister, Lucky's mother. Stefan Cassadine with Nik and some blond... Her confusion growing, Elizabeth felt like she was being suffocated while greeting each of them. All were smiling, happy and asking about Lucky and she wanted to growl that she had a life outside of her ex-boyfriend.
When Nik asked something, Elizabeth was shocked at the urge to scream and hurried away leaving his question unanswered as she tried to get control. Rushing into the nearby church, she saw it was the one where Lucky and she had been stranded in that blizzard and left just as quickly.
Practically running, Elizabeth saw she was down the street from the Spencer house, and turned, taking the shortcut needing to get away. But why? Why was she avoiding the boy she had promised to love forever? Why was she feeling so alone in a crowd?
Everyplace she stopped, everyplace she saw added to her burden, deepened her need to get away. Even stopping in to see Emily and hearing about the latest mess with Juan just made her feel like there was pressure on her like she was a shaken bottle of soda ready to explode.
Seeing yet another well-meaning person who was only interested in Lucky, in her grams, Elizabeth wanted to hit something, someone. But had no idea what or why was driving this need, this desire to escape, to get away from them.
Realizing she had finished her drink a while ago, Elizabeth saw that it was almost noon and that Jake's was now open. Stopping in, she bought another soda from the brash woman who owned the bar and sat down in a corner booth, liking that this would allow her a few minutes to escape.
"Miss Webber, would you like something to eat?" asked the woman as she looked at the young girl with concern. She had been sitting in the booth for almost three hours, not moving, not drinking her soda, just sitting there.
"No, thank you. Jake," she replied with a heavy sigh. "I just wanted to get away from everyone I know. I just feel like I am always under the microscope like everyone expects me to be this person that I am... that is just it, I don't know what I am, or rather who I am anymore."
With a knowing smile, Jake said. "Well, why don't you tell people that you need the time to figure out who Elizabeth is, that you want to find yourself."
"They just won't understand. They all ..." she stopped talking as she realized that they all want her to be whoever made their life easiest. Lucky wanted her to be his girlfriend or with his brother depending on what was going on in his mind that day.
Emily wanted things to be back the way they were. Her Grams wanted her to be Lucky's Lizzie, not the Liz she was before her rape or the … she wouldn't go there, that hurt too much.
The Spencers all wanted her to be the one who fixed Lucky, not that they would admit he was broken, they all were burying their heads in the sand, expecting her, an eighteen-year-old girl to figure it out when less than six months earlier every single one of them had been telling her she didn't know her own mind.
As the pressure built back up, Elizabeth looked around Jake's, needing something even if she didn't know what.
"Well, well muffin, hanging out in a bar and it isn't even five o'clock." sneered the blond as she approaching. "I wonder what my cousin would think about Port Charles precious little angel being here."
Looking at the woman who only a month earlier had miscarried, then verbally attacked her for supporting Sonny over her miscarrying their child, Elizabeth shook her head and sipped her now warm soda.
"Hey, don't ignore me when I am talking to you." snapped the blond. "What are you doing here?"
"Carly, I am not in the mood. Walk away," she said feeling the pressure building and getting the feeling that something was about to blow.
"No, you stay away from Sonny, you stick to boys like Lucky, leave the real men alone. We all know you can't handle them, you get caught and scream rape." she sneered. "After all the sweet little angel can't face her mistakes.
Standing, Elizabeth was seeing red and Carly didn't have enough sense to shut up, sure that Elizabeth would do nothing and that her guards would protect her even as she kept running her mouth. "So, what are you up to, muffin. If you don't want me to draw my own conclusions, you had better answer me." she hissed.
Looking at Carly, Elizabeth said. "Walk away."
Heading out past the blond, she was at explosion point when the blond grabbed her arm and squeezed it, spinning her around. "What are you up to muffin, did you hear the rumors about Jason, is that why you are suddenly hanging around Jake's. Well, stay away, little girl. He is mine. He belongs to me. You were nothing to him, he made sure I was taken care of when he left town, but he didn't you and you know why? Because you are nothing to anyone. You are no one and no one gives a crap if you live or die."
"Release my arm, Carly," she said in a bored tone of voice.
"I want an answer, are you hanging around me, lurking to see my Jason. He loves me, he always will," she said then grabbing Elizabeth's shirt started to shake the petite brunette. "I am warning you, Jason doesn't care about you, it's me he loves."
"Carly, I warned you," she said then bringing her arms up inside of where the blond was clutching her t-shirt in her claws, she brought her elbows down hard on Carly's forearms. When the blond screamed and shouted, she said. "I told you to let me go."
"No, you hear me, no. You stay away from Jason, he is coming to see me, he loves me," she shouted then grabbed at Elizabeth's hair. Sighing, the brunette felt her rip out a few strands and balling up her fist punched the blond in the nose, drawing blood.
"You bitch, you hit me, you are going to pay for that," screamed Carly as she held her nose. "Do you know who I am. I am the wife of Sonny Corinthos, you whore, you are going to pay?"
Walking towards the door, Elizabeth was ignoring the blond, in a good mood as she felt the release of pressure from her inner demons but the blond didn't seem to be getting the message as she screamed that Elizabeth was a brainless whore who was going to lose everything important to her.
When she saw that Elizabeth was almost at the door, Carly rushed at her just as Elizabeth turned, her elbow hitting the blond in the mouth as she pushed Carly away from her. "Stop, just stop Carly."
"No, you bitch, you are going to pay," she shouted as she tried to bite Elizabeth.
Grabbing the blond's hair, Elizabeth yanked it back and said. "No biting, what are you five?"
"Wait until my mother hears about this," she said.
"Your mother, Jason, Sonny. Take responsibility for your own actions, Carly." snapped Elizabeth as she started to leave yet again only for Carly to reach out and try to trip her just as Taggert and Mac Scorpio walked in.
They both watched as Elizabeth lifted her leg out of Carly's grasp and the blond fell face first into the floor. Looking around, they saw that there were no guards from the Corinthos organization to be seen just the man's new wife screaming as she started to stand up from her prone position on the floor.
Before she was even on her feet, Carly was charging at the brunette who moved out of the way and watched dispassionately as she rammed her own head into the jukebox, stopping it in the middle of the word to Meredith Brooks "I a Bitch."
"Truer words never were spoken," said Elizabeth as the blond was knocked out by the force of her own forward motion.
Hiding his grin, Mac asked, "Elizabeth what happened here?"
"I have no idea. I came in for a soda to get out of the warm weather and then Carly showed up," she said in disbelief as she recalled all that had happened to Mac and Taggert who was standing there in stunned silence as the incoming medics rushed to take care of Carly.
"Am I under arrest?" she asked worried about going to jail.
Taggert approached Jake who told the same story as the young waitress. Mac and he compared notes and assured Elizabeth she wasn't in trouble. "Do you want to press charges against Carly?"
Looking at the wrecked face of the blond as the medics rolled her past, she felt her lips twitching then said. "Uh, no. That is okay. I uh, think she punished herself enough. Jake might want to, after all, she ruined the jukebox."
The owner assured the cops she didn't want to then call Sonny Corinthos and gave him a blow by blow of what had happened. Hurrying off to see his wife, he grimaced as he realized his wife was in love with another man. The man he had betrayed by sleeping with her.
Deciding to free Carly, from their mistakes, he called Alexis and asked her to file papers annulling the marriage then entered the hospital in time to hear Carly telling her mother and anyone who would listen that Elizabeth Webber went crazy and attacked her while she was still weak from her miscarriage.
Sickened to hear Carly's version, he shook his head as Amy Vining and a few others lapped it up before rushing off, presumably to spread the gossip. Hearing Bobbie calling Luke, Sonny walked over and took the phone from her telling Luke to meet him at the old club then turning to his wife's mother he said. "She is full of it. Elizabeth stopped in to get a soda and Carly was the one who went bonkers. I talked to Jake and she gave me the whole story. Elizabeth didn't lay a hand on her, she only defended herself. As for being weak, if she was so weak what the hell was my wife doing in a bar?"
When the redhead started to protest telling him what Carly said about Jason and how Elizabeth owed Lucky her loyalty to not be chasing after the blond, Sonny snapped. "That was all in Carly's mind. Jason hasn't been in town for months. She saw me talking to one of my workers, who owns a bike and was convinced it was Jason. It wasn't but she went looking for him. Thankfully he isn't here right now to see the way your family is treating one of Jason's closest friends. Because as of right now, it stops."
"Thank you, Sonny," Carly said pleased as she left the room in time to hear herself described as Jason's friend. "I am so glad that you are on my side."
When she threw herself into his arms and started to cry, Sonny backed her out and said. "I'm not. I will mourn for the child we lost, but we are done. I know the whole story, Carly. You attacked Elizabeth, she did nothing to you. Now I would suggest you go home with your mother. I will send over yours and Michael's things this evening. I do have to ask, where was your son while you were at Jake's?"
"He is at Momma's," she replied her eyelids blinking as she tried to figure out what was going on. "I don't understand Sonny, what is going on?"
"It's simple. I had Alexis file for an annulment. If you want Jason so bad, go chase after him but I will tell you what he told me before he left. That finding you in my shirt that night hurt because he couldn't believe that I would betray him that way. Not that you would. See I knew that he was a bit confused about things."
"What things?" asked Carly getting upset. "Muffin face Elizabeth Webber?"
"She was a part of it, but mainly what to do about you. See he loves Michael but he doesn't want the package deal that comes with you being his mother. That he had started to see things clearly but was going to take you in his life anyhow out of his love for that little boy. I wanted him to see the real you, the you that slept with your stepfather, that lied and cheated your way through this town."
"You bastard," she said her hands shaking as she slapped him. "How could you?"
"See, I was thinking we were a lot alike, selfish to the core, greedy and impulsive. I am certain that if you hadn't pulled this stunt today, I might have even made this into a real marriage, but after hearing what you were claiming, what you believe. I don't think so. I was settling for a ready-made family, just like Jason. See your little boy, Michael is the only charming thing about you." he said walking away. "Oh, and Carly as of this moment, Elizabeth Webber is under my protection. She was before, you just didn't know it. Now, that includes from you. Go after her again, and the Quartermaines will get custody of Michael before the hour is up."
"Jason won't like you threatening his son," she said. "You just wait until I tell him."
Sonny looked at her and said. "His nephew, he is AJ's son. One more thing, Bobbie, I am going to tell Luke this and you can pass it on to the rest of that delusional bunch you call a family. There is something wrong with your nephew and an eighteen-year-old girl is too young and too sweet to be the one fixing him. Get him help, she is no longer going to be his crutch."
Walking out the door, he had an idea and his dimples were in full force as he made a few calls. "Can you get it taken care of quickly?"
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was at Kelly's, grabbing some ice for her hand. It had swollen from the one blow she had landed on Carly.
Hearing her name, she saw Lucky and Nik entering and counted to ten. "What?"
Taken back, Lucky pushed Nik down beside her and said. "I was thinking that Nik could take you to..."
Standing, her boiling point still high, Elizabeth said: "Nik, don't take this the wrong way but I am no more interested in a relationship with you than I am with your Uncle Stefan."
When Lucky started to protest, she turned and said "No, no more. I don't know what is wrong with you, but I am done."
Walking towards the door, she heard Lucky calling out to her desperately and turning said: "No, I meant it, no more."
Following her, running to catch up with her, Lucky grabbed her arm and said. "You are meant to be with Nik, you are supposed to be with him."
"No, I am not," she said then seeing the bus coming, got on it, annoying the blond and the man following her.
Calling his partner, he said. "She is on the bus."
Arriving at her grams, Elizabeth went to the kitchen knowing her grams had ice packs. "Oh my god, it's true. You beat up Carly today. Elizabeth, how could you do that? Why on earth would you be in that horrible bar?"
Turning to her grams, Elizabeth said. "I was getting a soda, I was thirsty. Why aren't you mad at Carly, she is the one who attacked me? Wait, never mind... I don't care. I have turned in my last assignment for school, I am going away for a few days. When I get back, I can deal with this, but now, now I need to get away from all of you."
Storming out, she was on her way home when she heard her name being called by a slightly familiar voice. Accepting the offered ride and then the bottle of water, she never even noticed when she fell asleep.
Two days later, Lucky figured Elizabeth had had enough time to figure out what she had done wrong and would be ready to beg for his forgiveness. Knocking on the door to the studio, he was getting angry with her stubbornness at not opening the door just as Emily arrived looking for her friend who had been avoiding her for days. An annoyed Lucky picked the lock and let them in. Standing in the middle of the room, he looked around stunned at the nothingness that he found.
"Did Elizabeth get another place?" asked Emily as she looked around the very clean and empty room. The only thing there was a painting facing the wall. Turning it, she saw it was the portrait of Lucky her best friend had painted the year before.
"What is going on?" asked Lucky as he drove over to the Hardy residence. Knocking, he heard something behind him and turning saw the neighbor.
"If you are looking for Audrey, she went out of town, I think her granddaughter went with her. Something about visiting her parents." she offered helpfully never seeing the darkness in Lucky as he stormed off leaving a shocked Emily there.
Meanwhile Luke was arguing with Laura. "I am serious, there is something wrong with Lucky."
"No, there isn't. Give it time, he has been away for so long. Things are just a little unsettled." she said sticking her head in the sand. "I am thinking about starting up a business, I need something to do with my time now that Lulu is a bit older."
Luke left, pissed off. First Sonny had dared to go back on their past agreement and threaten his son then his wife's attitude was not helping. Going to talk to Bobbie, he asked. "What is going on?"
"Carly, she wants you to locate Jason for her," she said sighing. Having her daughter living with her was not conducive to peace and quiet. "I know you can't stand her, but would you do it for me?"
"If Morgan doesn't want to be found, he won't be," he said leaving.
Sonny hung up the phone, smiling as he thought about what he had just done. Deciding to get away for a few days, he had Max drive to the city wanting to get away from the fireworks he knew would soon explode.
In Bensonhurst, he stopped to see Lois's family and went to his favorite pizza spot as a kid. Seeing his ex there, he groaned. Olivia had been a mistake, he had been interested in her cousin but Connie had not been willing to sleep with him. So he had dated one and slept with the other.
Hearing someone calling her Mom, he turned to see a young man about his height and then the young man smiled. Stunned, he left quickly tossing down money and then had Max drive him to see Mrs. Cerullo. After talking to the older Italian woman, he got everything he needed to know except the why. Making a call, he asked Alexis. "Is my annulment final?"
"Yes, as of this morning you are a free man. She didn't fight it." replied the attorney. "Why?"
"You really don't want to know," he said grimly as he drove to the right house and knocked on the door. When the dark-haired woman answered, he said. "We are getting married, then you can explain why I have a teenage son that I don't know about."
When Olivia went to protest, he said. "Yes, or I blow Connie's little life out of the water. She may think I don't know but I have all along. I used to date a model. One day she had one of her magazines around, I saw the editors' face. Nice work, but she is still Connie Falconeri deep down."
Two days later, Elizabeth was still fuming as she glared at Francis and Johnny. "Will you two stop this boat. I wasn't going to stay with Lucky. In fact, I was leaving when you drugged me and kidnapped. Is Sonny really that upset that I let Carly beat herself up?"
Chuckling, Francis said. "Actually this is his way of saying thank you."
"Kidnapping as a thank you gift. A nice set of paint brushes would have killed him?" she said trying to be funny but really just being annoyed.
The blond man hurried to exit the plane as he grimaced at the heat. Wondering again why Sonny had him here, he went to change so he would blend in and then headed over to his house. Sonny had had it built for him a few years ago but he had never used it, but he had insisted the person he was sending down for him to watch would prefer it to the Casino and his large house.
Seeing the yacht docking, he went inside to get the ringing phone and missed the men attaching the gangplank. "Sonny, would you repeat that?"
"I just got married and it turns out I have a teenage son." said the man looking at his new wife and the sullen teenager who were in the limo with him. "I uh, I will explain when we come down in a few days."
Shaking his head at the news that Carly was out and apparently this Olivia was now in, he swore he could smell vanilla and oatmeal, scents he associated with Elizabeth. Turning he saw the girl walking down the docks and rushed out. "Elizabeth?"
Looking up, the brunette turned to grin at the two smirking men as she ran down the plank and over to the blond who soon gathered her up into his arms and said. "What are you doing here?"
Looking at the man who had fueled her dreams for the last few months, Elizabeth said: "Later, there is something I have wanted to do for ages."
Reaching out, she pulled his lips down to hers and whispered against his lips. "Kiss me."
Not even stopping long enough to blink, Jason licked his lips and ducked his head, kissing her, tentatively at first then bolder and hotter, finally pulling her even closer as he claimed the one person he regretted leaving behind. As their lips slowly parted from one another, he said. "What happened? Why are you here? Did something happen? Were you hurt?"
Running his hands down her body in a way too personal search for bruises or cuts, he saw her hands and said. "Who did this to you?"
"It's a long story and why don't we find some shade." she said smiling at him and then telling the two men "You are forgiven."
Once situated, he asked, "What is going on?"
"Well, it all started last month when Lucky came back from the dead,..." as she told him how she had soon figured out she wasn't in love with the blond and how everyone had pushed her to be with him, then how she had started to feel pressured. The night where she had just had to think, then needing to get away at dawn. "Anyhow, Carly kept egging me on, then she threw my rape in my face," she said speaking quietly.
Jason gave a quick grin, reminding himself to ask Jake for the video of the event. He knew the woman had had camera's installed a few months before he had left but no one else did. Hugging Elizabeth, he asked. "Can you stay?"
"As long as I want. I finished school as well. I just am going to miss my graduation ceremony, or I already did. I am not sure since I have no idea how many days it took to get here." she replied.
TBC