YOU MUST READ THE AUTHOR'S OR YOU WILL BE LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Author's Notes

I am going to incorporate a large ensemble cast (Jason, Elizabeth, Ric, Carly, Sonny, Lorenzo, Sam, Alexis, Courtney, Jax, Nikolas, Mary, Emily, Lucky) and have several different story lines going on at once. Besides those mentioned above Bobbie, the Quartermaines, Lois, the teens, all of these characters will be involved in things. This is an ambitious tale. And I really hope you want to read more. If you do I'll post a few more chapters as quick as I can and then put it into rotation with my other stories. I'm averaging two chapters a week and am going to try to push it to three, but with the length of my chapters and my schedule it's not the easiest thing to do, unless I cut the chapters down.

Critical changes/ideas in this fic:

1. The story begins in the last week of June. Elizabeth is still pregnant I'm keeping this true to the real timeline. The only people who know Zander is the father of Elizabeth's baby are Ric, Elizabeth and Zander. No one else knows anything. Everyone believes Ric is the proud papa to be.

2. Ric is suspicious of Kristina and Alexis but has no proof. And someone else begins to have suspicions as well.

3. Sam is pregnant but I played with the conception date, I'm saying she got pregnant in late April. When Sonny told her that Carly and the kids were moving back in she thought they were over got drunk and slept with Jax. The next day Sonny and her made up, so the paternity question is still a issue. As the story begins news of her pregnancy is just now starting to break. So there is no Jason issue.

4. Elizabeth is trying to get a divorce from Ric who is fighting her every step of the way. She did leave town briefly but not because of an overheard conversation between Ric and Sonny, remember no one knows. She wants out of the marriage for another reason as you will soon see. Elizabeth never confronted Zander in the so-called catastrophic event of the fire. She was never at the hotel. Ric did blackmail/threaten Zander into signing his rights away. Elizabeth voluntarily told Zander about the baby even after Ric warned her not too.

5. Zander was presumably killed in the fire.

6. Courtney and Jax still have their little bet going on. As the tale begins he has no idea Sam is pregnant and the child could possibly be his.

7. Nikolas has his memory back and has returned to his life, but things have changed. He has changed and so has everyone else. In other words things will never be the same again. Emily, Lucky, Mary, Lorenzo there are a lot of twists going to happen.

8. Lorenzo has lots of irons in the fire and is going to be involved in a lot of these premises in a variety of ways.

Disclaimer: I own everything. All of GH lore is mine, mine I tell you it's all mine. ABC merely thinks they own it but it's mine.

Distribution: Just ask me first.

Feedback: I'm not holding my breath it seems people reply in the beginning then taper out. But if you have any ideas you can put them in a reply and I might factor them in. As I mentioned its going to be large convoluted tale which will have several story lines and characters.

Okay I'm shutting up now. Read. Enjoy. Reply.

Steph

Tangle Box

Chapter 1

How do you feel about that?

Courthouse

As usual there was a definite hum of anticipation in the air. Newcomers to the District Attorney's office were so thrilled to be there they always compared the hum to a feeling of excitement just like when you were about to leave on a much-anticipated vacation. But those who had worked in the office for longer than a month compared the hum to the electric fence that surrounded a prison, trapping them inside.

The excitement that a new D.A. brought to the office had long since faded and the feeling had returned to the countdown to the next holiday as being too far away. Every new D.A. seemed to arrive spouting the same clichés I'll clean up the streets, I'll get the drugs off our streets, I promise to get rid of the mob. Those easy to remember catch phrases that all politicians use to get elected then promptly forget about once they are.

Ric Lansing, the current D.A. was no different, he'd made those same promises to the constituents when he had taken over for Scott Baldwin a few months ago. His promise to get rid of the mob was a little more strident then prior D.A.'s but most figured that would fade with time. The buzz in the Courthouse hadn't been about the D.A.'s promises but on the D.A. himself. Rumors of kidnapping, unlawful detainer, drugs, were whispered in the hallowed halls once the new D.A.'s back was turned. These types of rumors were the kind that titillated an office and lingered long in the minds of others.

There was a long understood, if unspoken, rule that if you wanted to know the real dirt on someone all you had to do was make a careful inquiry of a few people that worked on the third floor of the Courthouse. Those select few, along with a few select people at the hospital had the pulse of the community at their fingertips, not to mention ears big enough that they made Dumbo's look small.

So the buzz about Lansing had started long before Scott Baldwin mysteriously disappeared and Ric Lansing's equally mysterious and unexpected rise to the D.A. position. The current theory was that he had something on the mayor and had blackmailed his way into the position, but there were other theories as well. After Lansing's arrival in the office the rumors about him continued to fly and only seemed to get juicier the longer he was in office.

The old timers in the Courthouse were waffling between two predictions for the ambitious new D.A. Part of them believed that Ric Lansing had staying power and would be around for years to come, while others figured he'd be killed within a year. If you were so inclined you could even place a bet on what you thought the outcome would be in the Bailiff's lounge in the basement.

The D.A.'s office went through a change every time a new D.A. came into power. The organization always had to be tweaked lest they be compared to the outgoing, or otherwise known as the losing D.A. But through all the different D.A.'s and their deal making processes and prosecution there were some things that remained the same, namely the support staff of the office itself. The new D.A. invariably brought in their own assistant or secretary but the majority of people in the office were ones that had been there for years and would still be there long after the D.A. was gone.

That staff learned early on that Lansing tended to be more hands on then his predecessor especially when it came to the area of organized crime. If you wanted to talk about organized crime in Port Charles you had to talk about Sonny Corinthos and that topic led to another quickly known quirk of Lansing's. They quickly learned it was best not to mention Corinthos name until Lansing had had at least three cups of coffee in him. If you broached the topic too soon it could be dangerous on your eardrums.

Another fact that had been quickly discovered was that he had a knack with the ladies in the building. He could be extremely charming when he wanted to be and yet, there was something about him that made the women a little nervous. Maybe that nervousness was caused by the rumors that surrounded him, or maybe it was the look in this eye, whatever the reason the nerves could act as a deterrent.

Lansing wasn't a womanizer the way Baldwin had been but he did like to flirt. But though he may flirt one thing was perfectly clear, flirtation was as far as it would go because he loved his wife. Of course that was the way things had been. They had changed rather severely in the last few months. It was no secret that his wife was divorcing him while he tried to block every attempt to get it finalized with a ruthlessness that he'd once only shown in the courtroom. There were two things Ric Lansing was determined to do. One was to get Sonny Corinthos behind bars the other was to hold onto his wife.

With all the rumors swirling around him, along with the ruthlessness he showed on a semi-daily basis there was no wonder that office sympathy was firmly with his wife Elizabeth. The staff had been a witness to several heated arguments between the couple. It seemed all she wanted was a divorce before her baby came and he refused to give her one. It was hard to feel sympathetic to Lansing when you knew what a bastard he could be. But it was easy to feel for a pregnant woman.

That feeling was what was prompting Grace Philips to break an ironclad rule she'd made years ago and get involved. Grace had worked in the D.A.'s office for 35 years and during that time she'd seen some good ones and bad ones pass through the office. She had quickly sized them up and knew on which side they fell within five minutes of meeting them and she was rarely wrong. Instinct told her Ric Lansing was going to be trouble. She never listened to office gossip, choosing instead to make up her mind, but had she listened she was sure her instinct about him would be proven right.

Between her feelings about Lansing and the fact Elizabeth Lansing was pregnant Grace had come to the decision to help the expectant mother. She'd been married for 38 years but the good Lord hadn't seen fit to bless them with a child, so her heart always remained filled with love and went out to Elizabeth.

So there was a mixture of reasons why Grace decided to risk her pension and quite possibly jail time on that bright June day. She'd never been much of a gambler but she rolled the dice in a big way when she walked into Ric Lansing's office with a large sheath of papers for him to sign. She had timed her entrance perfectly. He was on a conference call with the court and in the middle of his presentation, so other then glaring at her he automatically began signing each paper she set in front of him. Grace couldn't help but hold her breath when he came to the critical document about halfway through the stack. Would he notice it was different then the others? Would he see the blue backing and pull it out to study? She barely breathed while he signed it and moved quickly to the next.

Grace waited until she was back at her desk to begin shaking. Paging through the papers she retrieved the blue-backed one and quickly notarized it. She wasn't really breaking her oath. Ric Lansing had signed the document in front of her and that was what she was attesting too. The fact he didn't realize what he was signing was only a small detail and easily ignored. Checking her watch she picked up her purse. "I have to run out for a minute Helen. Can you watch my phone?"

"Sure. Don't forget you're retirement party starts in about 45 minutes," Helen reminded her.

"When have I ever turned down cake?" Grace asked as she headed for the door and heard Helen's distinctive cackle come from behind her.

Grace's heart was still in her throat when she entered the park and hurried down the path towards the benches near the statute of the town's founder. When she saw the brunette attempting to pace in what was nothing more than a waddle she couldn't help but smile.

Elizabeth Lansing paused mid-step. Biting her lip in a nervous habit she was trying to break she watched the older woman draw near. "Did it work?"

"Yes it did." Graced crowed triumphantly, pulling the papers from her bag she presented them to Elizabeth. "One set of divorce papers signed and notarized."

"Oh my god." Elizabeth clutched convulsively at the papers. She had been fighting for months to get him to sign the papers and now she finally had them. Somehow it seemed fitting that she had accomplished that through trickery, since most of their marriage had been based on trickery. "I don't know how to thank you."

"You can thank me by taking care of your baby." Grace brushed off the gratitude. "It's nice to do something good on my last day of work."

"Are you sure I can't pay…"

"Now hush," Grace cut her off. "My retirement was planned long before I met you, so was the round the world cruise I leave on with my husband in the morning. I did this because I wanted to, and because I knew I couldn't lose my job."

Elizabeth wasn't sure what she had done to deserve Grace Philips help but she would be grateful to the woman for the rest of her life. "Thank you."

"I better get back. Their giving me a send off complete with cake and I never miss the overly sweet frosting of store-bought cakes." Grace hurried away.

Sinking on the bench Elizabeth could only watch the blue-haired elderly woman scamper away. She'd done it. She had gotten the divorce papers signed. She didn't have to worry about being married when the baby came and what was a huge relief to her. Since finally figuring out that Ric would never change, that his vendetta for Sonny would only get more out of control and more people would get hurt. She knew she needed to keep her baby as far from Ric as she could.

When she looked in the mirror in the morning she was finally able to look herself in the eye again. Since marrying Ric she had changed in so many ways she had barely been able to recognize herself. The further away she got from Ric the clearer her thinking became. She had a lot of things to make up for, but the person she owed the most too was no longer around to forgive her. She hated the part she had played in Zander's destruction and eventual death. She knew the guilt she felt over that would never leave her. But there were others she owed an apology to and now that she could finally break free of Ric she could get started.

She had been desperate to get the divorce on file before the baby came. Since Ric wasn't the father of her baby, and if they weren't married when the baby arrived, he would have no legal claim on the child at all, and that was desperately important to her. There was no way she would risk her baby and that meant she would do anything to get the divorce through, including tricking Ric into signing the papers.

The first hurdle had been cleared thanks to Grace. Now she needed to clear the next one. Pulling her cell from her bag she called her attorney's office. "May I speak to Alexis Davis please?"

Ms. Davis is out of town until tomorrow.

"This is Elizabeth Lansing and I have to see her as soon as possible." Elizabeth tapped the papers against her thigh.

If you come by tomorrow around 11:30 I'm sure she'll see you.

"Thanks I'll be there." Elizabeth pushed awkwardly to her feet. If she had to wait a day to get these papers on file she knew she needed to find a safe place to hide them, because if Ric discovered he'd been tricked he would be furious.

Courthouse

Ric hung up the phone with a sly smile. He had won the preliminary motion and left his colleague cursing on the phone. He loved getting the better of defense attorneys. He had always been a fabulous attorney and now he finally had a job that could showcase his brilliance.

"Mr. Lansing?" Helen knocked once on the door then opened it. "We're having the farewell party for Grace. You wanted me to remind you so you could make an appearance."

"I'll be out in a few minutes." He sent her a charming smile that had her backing out of the room with a blush on her face.

Grace Philips was a smart lady he was sorry to be losing her. She was always on time, kept out of office politics, and he'd never had any trouble with her. In fact she had never made a mistake around him. Well she hadn't made a mistake until today. Frowning in memory he paused in straightening his desk. She knew no one was to interrupt him when he was on the phone especially not when he was speaking with the court but she had. What was strange was that she had continued inside the room even after seeing that he was on the phone.

If today hadn't been her last day that move would have earned her a reprimand. You had to be on the top of your game when you spoke to the Court not splitting your attention between the Judge and trying to figure out which line you should sign. The file he was holding slipped from his fingers when one of the documents he'd signed flashed in his mind. The document wasn't a subpoena or a letter, it had been another type of document entirely. In fact with the blue backing on the document it looked like a divorce decree.

"No." He tried to shake the thought away. His denial lasted another minute before he hurried for the door. He needed to get some answers from Grace.

E Street Gallery

"Ahhhh there is the most precious woman in the world." Jack McPhee brushed past a customer in obvious delight when the gallery door opened. "Darling that color does nothing for you." Grasping Elizabeth's arms he leaned close and kissed her cheeks then tutted his disapproval. "I told you lavender is your color."

Well used to Jack's theatrics Elizabeth merely smiled. "The baby disagrees with you."

"Well I'll be having a long talk with that child whenever she decides to grace us with her presence." Jack promised.

"The baby could be a boy," she reminded him.

"Darling that will be even better. I've always done well with boys, men on the other hand," he laughed loudly. "Bella why are you still on your feet? Sit. Sit." Taking a proprietary hold on her arm he led her to a chair.

Elizabeth was content to let him fuss. It was nice having someone mother her at times. With her Grandmother in Africa she didn't have a mother-like figure in her life. Her visits with Jack filled that need though she would never tell him that.

"What did you bring me?" Jack clasped his hands in anticipation.

"I have three new pieces they're in my car." She held out her keys, which Jack grabbed and tossed to an unsuspecting assistant who had to dive for them.

"Go. Do not put a spec on them or I will flay you alive." Jack warned the hapless assistant then turned to Elizabeth with a smile. "I sold the last piece I had of yours last week."

"Really?" It was hard to keep the surprise from her voice. She didn't think she'd ever get used to hearing that someone had bought her work. She was, according to the local art reporters, a budding talent. It still seemed unreal to her. The fact she partially owed her success to Ric unnerved her but she could live with it. She realized that Ric had only arranged for her to have a showing of her work to keep her away from the house so she wouldn't discover Carly but his trick had some unexpected results.

The show had been a success. Or at least what was considered a success for a debut artist. She hadn't even gone to the showing having been in the hospital at the time. But even without her there the show had gone on and amazingly some of her work had sold. Her work had impressed Jack, who was the gallery manager, and he'd made a deal with her to have the first right to buy any new pieces she produced.

The fact she was now a working artist thrilled her for several reasons. But the most important reason was that she didn't have to depend on Ric for anything not even alimony. What she was making for her work wasn't a huge amount but it was enough and the income seemed steady enough so when Ric had introduced alimony as a stall tactic she'd turned it down flat. Yet at the same time he was financing her new life because she never would've had a show without him. But as far as she was concerned she owed him nothing.

"I don't have the check here. The boss is supposed to bring it by later today." Jack's ramble turned into something that caught her attention.

"I'll have to come back tomorrow and get it. The money will definitely come in handy. The pieces I brought in today will be it until after the baby's born. It's getting hard for me to reach the canvas."

"Bella no more work for you." Jack cried. "Now it is up for me to sell your magnificent work. I shall not let you down."

"I hope not," she patted her stomach. "We don't want to get evicted."

"Is that hot, but nasty husband of yours still giving you problems? Because if he is," Jack lowered his voice to what he considered a whisper. "I know people."

She couldn't help but grin at his dramatics and loyalty. "Actually I think Ric is about to be put in the past."

"If you change your mind Bella let me know I'd love to talk to him."

"You just want to flirt with him again," she teased.

Jack merely hummed and got to his feet. "You call me if you need anything."

"I will." She promised and let him help her to her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"We'll have tea and dish." Jack decided in that instant. "Ciao darling."

Elizabeth always felt dazed when she left the gallery. Jack seemed to have that effect on people but she couldn't help but love his extremes. One minute he could decimate an assistant and the next would practically trip over himself to offer her a pillow. She also appreciated his hard as nails negotiating tactics. He never let a piece out the door until he'd wrung every possible penny he could from the buyer.

"Thanks." She smiled at the assistant who held the car door open for her and awkwardly got behind the wheel. The seat was back further then usual so she could fit behind the wheel, but that meant her toes barely reached the pedals. Another week and a few more inches and driving would be out entirely.

For a minute she simply sat there and tried to catch her breath, she felt unusually tired today. Wearily she checked her watch. She still had some groceries to buy and had to get the divorce papers hidden until Alexis could get them on file. Ric would possibly contest the legality of his signature but it would be his word against Grace's and she put her money on the elderly lady and Alexis. Even if the truth eventually did come out, it wouldn't be until after the baby was born and that was all that mattered.

Alexis had told her that it was important for Ric to be her ex-husband by the time the baby came otherwise it would be difficult to keep the baby from him. But once she had her divorce and Zander's name was on the birth certificate he would have no claim on her child and that was exactly what she wanted. Ric wasn't the man she thought he was, there were times he scared her, and there were some unsettling times that she thought he might even be a killer.

Shuddering at the thought she tried to shake her unproven suspicions from her mind and started her engine. When she reached for her seatbelt she was struck by numbness in her arm. That had happened several times through the day and she rubbed at her neck trying to loosen the tension. It was probably a pinched nerve in her neck because of her awkward sleeping position. If it still bothered her tomorrow she'd go to the doctor but for now she had too many other things to deal with.

Courthouse

The party was well underway by the time Ric made his appearance. Grace was surrounded by her well wishing, soon to be former colleagues and he immediately began plotting how he could get her alone. The more he considered her unusual behavior and the more he pictured the paper he'd signed without reading, the more convinced he became that he'd been tricked.

Keeping his quarry in sight he moved around the fringe of well-wishers and made conversation when he couldn't avoid it. He was well aware of the rumors that swirled about him and wasn't about to give more grist to the gossipmongers. He also knew about the pool concerning him and was determined to make people lose their money because he wasn't going anywhere.

As D.A. he had a seat of power in town. He was able to go after Sonny and others from a position of strength so he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. The only problem he currently had in his life was the fact Elizabeth was determined to divorce him. Because he loved her he was determined to get her back.

He loved her, she loved him and with the baby coming she needed him as much as he needed her. On some level she must have realized that otherwise she would have told people that Zander was the father of the baby she was carrying. The fact she hadn't, because she continued to let people believe he was the father convinced him that she still loved him even if she was angry with him. If he could ride out her anger things would eventually settle between them and he would finally have the family he always longed for.

There was no way he was going to let the divorce go through not when he was so close to having it all. That meant if Grace had pulled a fast one on him he needed to find out and fix it before anyone else found out. When Grace headed for the hall that led to the restroom he seized the chance and followed her. "Grace."

Startled by the call Grace came to a halt. This was the moment she'd been dreading all day. There was a chance that he'd figured out what she'd done and if he confronted her about it she wasn't sure what she'd say. "Mr. Lansing." Turning she offered a tentative smile. "Did you need something?"

Ric saw the uneasy look in her eyes and that only increased his curiosity. "I wanted to speak with you."

"About what?" She asked nervously.

Hearing the breathless quality in her voice Ric immediately knew that if he had to break her he could without too much effort. "Why trying to convince you to stay of course." He stepped closer. "Or was there something else you wanted to discuss with me?"

The softly delivered yet cold question convinced Grace that he definitely suspected something. But 35 years in the D.A.'s office had taught her a few things. Suspicion didn't mean a damn without proof to back it up. All she had to do was deny everything and by the time her lie came out she'd be out of town. "I'm sorry Mr. Lansing I'm ready to retire. My husband and I are leaving in the morning on an around the world cruise."

"That's nice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Ric's smile was charmingly deceptive. "I'm sure you have your paperwork in order don't you?"

Not built for lying she flinched when he said paperwork and unwittingly gave herself away. "Y-yes."

"The last of it was signed earlier today wasn't it?" His tone was one he used to his best advantage in the courtroom.

"Yes." She backed away. "I need to use the restroom. It was nice working for you Mr. Lansing."

Seeking confirmation for something that was becoming sickeningly clear to him he caught her hand before she could turn away. "Are you sure there isn't anything you want to tell me?"

"If there is I'm sure you'll hear it soon enough."

Before Ric could react to her admission two women entered the hallway and Grace used their entrance to walk away from him. Infuriated Ric ignored their greeting and headed directly for the elevator. Even though Grace hadn't come out and admitted what she'd done what she had said convinced him he'd been tricked into signing his divorce papers. He had to get them back before they could be filed with the Court clerk. He knew Alexis was at an out of town hearing today so that gave him the night to get the papers back.

E Street Gallery

"Lorenzo." Jack practically cooed at the sight of his boss. The man may be straight but he knew how to wear his clothes, Jack always appreciated that in a man.

"Jack." Lorenzo Alcazar sent a distracted smile in his direction and scanned the mail. "Anything new?"

"Elizabeth was here. She brought us three new pieces and they are very good. Our little discovery is improving with every effort." Jack praised his favorite artist.

"That's good." Lorenzo had been pleasantly surprised by the quality of Elizabeth Lansing's work. He'd let Ric book the show in his gallery out of curiosity and a desire to see what the man was up too and had ended up making a tidy profit on her work. "Did you tell her I had a check for her?"

"Yes and if you ask me its not a moment to soon." Jack groused. "That bastard of a husband of hers is bleeding her dry in legal fees by fighting the divorce."

Lorenzo agreed with the man's assessment and was surprised by how he felt about it. He didn't like the fact Ric wasn't letting her go when it was so obvious she wanted to be away from him. The only reason he could come up with to explain his concern for a woman who was essentially a stranger was that he'd once saved her life. Because of that he must feel partially responsible for her.

"She said she'd come by tomorrow for her check. Elizabeth also said that this would be her last work until after the baby comes." Jack studied the gallery with a critical eye. "I want to display her work in the west window and bleed anyone who wants to buy it dry before letting them leave."

"That's prime location are you sure her work is worthy?" Lorenzo asked.

"Of course its worthy." Feathers ruffled Jack stalked away and kept muttering. "Questioning my opinion…"

Amused Lorenzo watched his excitable manager go. He would defer to Jack's advice, he always did. But he liked to set Jack off whenever he could because it was amusing to watch him rage. After a minute he set the mail on the counter and decided to deliver the check to Elizabeth today.

Still fuming Jack turned to unleash another volley of displeasure only to discover his boss was gone. Unwilling to let his temper fade he turned again until he spied an assistant who hadn't had the sense to hide. "You clean out the west window to make room for the new pieces."

The assistant nodded.

"What are you waiting for?" Jack demanded. "Move like you life depends on it because it does."

Brownstone

Elizabeth was humming when she pulled up in front of her new home. Thanks to Bobbie she had a large two-bedroom apartment for her use. She knew Bobbie had given her a deal on the space because of their long friendship but she didn't let that stand in her way. Pride was something she had but she was also practical. She needed a nice, secure place to live with her child and there was no way she could afford such a nice apartment without Bobbie's unrealistic rental price. Who knows if she kept selling her work she might be able to start paying full rent before she had planned. Having Bobbie living upstairs was another bonus, a registered nurse on the premises was always a good idea.

The day was warm. In the month of June most days were but for some reason she felt warmer than she thought she should. A large glass of lemonade and a nap on the couch would rejuvenate her and all that was standing in her way was the grocery bag in the trunk. Leaning in the trunk as far as she could and reached for the bag.

"Let me get that for you."

Startled Elizabeth jerked and hit her head on the trunk lid. "What are you doing here Ric?" Turning she rubbed at the sudden pain on the back of her head.

"I wanted to see you." As always when faced with his wife he was struck with how beautiful she was. Elizabeth had always been a beautiful woman but pregnancy had brought a special glow to her that you couldn't help but notice. Today, however, something seemed different. She looked tired, more tired then she usually did. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Elizabeth crossed her arms over her protruding stomach. "I thought I asked you to contact Alexis if you needed to speak with me."

"I'm not going to go through an attorney to speak with my own wife."

"I won't be your life very much longer." She retorted angrily.

"It won't work Elizabeth."

"What won't work?" She asked crossly and began fanning herself with her purse. Why was she so warm today?

"Tricking me into signing the divorce papers. It won't work. The signature will never stand up in Court." Studying her face he looked for a tell.

"I don't know about any trickery." Elizabeth answered calmly. "All I know is that signed papers were delivered to me today. Your copy is probably waiting for you at the office."

"Why are you doing this to us?" When he reached out to her she shied away and he dropped his hands. "We love each other."

"How can you love someone when you don't even know them?" She asked sadly.

"You know me." Ric cried and reached for her again.

"No I don't." She evaded his hand by picking up the grocery bag and slammed the trunk lid closed. "I only know what you decide to tell me or when you have no choice because some lie blows up in your face. That's not what I want. You're not what I want. You're not good for me of for my baby."

"I love the baby." He whispered and it was true.

"Maybe you should have remembered that before you kil…." She stopped just short of accusing him of her deepest fear. "Ric I don't love you anymore. I want a divorce and I want you to stay away from me."

Devastated by her words Ric could only stare at her. Elizabeth used his immobility to her advantage and headed for her apartment. She was nearing the steps that led down to the garden apartment when he stepped in her path.

"Give me the papers Elizabeth." Ric was growing desperate. He knew if he stalled the divorce until after the baby was born it would be harder for her to extricate him from their lives. He also knew that in the eyes of the law if they were still married when the baby was born he would be deemed the legal father even if the paternity said differently.

"I don't have the papers. They were filed in the clerk's office." While she bluffed she kept her eyes locked on his.

Ric snatched the bag from her hands. "Let's talk inside."

"No." Elizabeth stubbornly held her ground. "I told you I don't want you in my home."

"That doesn't make any sense." Frustrated Ric began to yell. "Tell me what happened to change your mind about me. I can't fix things until I know what I did wrong. We were getting along. Zander was gone and we were moving forward then one day out of the blue you asked me for a divorce and left town. What the hell happened?" He demanded an answer to the question that haunted him at night.

"I won't discuss Zander with you, not with you." She hissed and took a step back. She couldn't tell him what she thought, that she believed he'd killed Zander, she didn't know what he'd do if he knew she suspected him. "I want you to go. Just leave me alone."

"Elizabeth?" Ric suddenly realized she was afraid of him and that horrified him.

"Is there a problem here?" Bobbie Spencer interrupted the argument by slamming the door.

"This is a private matter." Ric replied coldly and his glare ordered her to leave them alone.

"It's not a private matter when you're yelling on my front stoop." Bobbie was equally cold and hurried down the steps until she was beside Elizabeth. "I believe she asked you to leave. I'm not that nice. Get out."

"You don't want to get in the middle of this."

"And you don't want to threaten me." Bobbie warned him. She had been itching to go a few rounds with Ric ever since she found out what he did to her daughter. "This is my property Mr. Hot Shot D.A. and you have ten seconds to get off of it before I call the cops."

Ric glared at her for a long minute while he weighed her threat. She definitely meant what she said, knowing that he stepped back. "This isn't over Elizabeth. It will never be over between us."

"Goodbye Ric."

Ric thrust the bag of groceries at Bobbie and stalked off. Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off of him or take a breath until his car roared away. "Thanks for your help."

"Anytime." Bobbie smiled at the woman who had become a surrogate daughter and her smile faded when she saw the obvious strain on Elizabeth's face. "Do you feel okay?"

"I'm just tired." Elizabeth turned from the concern and made her way slowly down the three stairs that led to the outside door to the entry way and then to her apartment.

"You need to get more rest." Bobbie trailed her inside the Brownstone and waited for her to unlock the door.

"It's hard to sleep when you're carrying around a bowling ball inside of you." Elizabeth complained.

Bobbie chuckled at the familiar complaint and began putting the groceries away. "Nevertheless you need to put your feet up more often in these final weeks. With your history its better safe then sorry."

"Yes mom." The reply was half obedient and half tease and caused Bobbie to grin.

"You also need to avoid stress that means stay away from Ric."

"Tell him to stay away from me." Elizabeth countered.

"Don't worry I will." Bobbie promised. "I need to get to work if you need anything call me and I'll get Lucas to help you."

"I will." Elizabeth called out when the older woman began to walk away. "Bobbie thanks for everything. What you're doing for me means more than you possibly know."

"Just remember me when your rich and famous and we'll call it even." She made light of Elizabeth's words but her heart was warmed by them. She hesitated then decided to push. "Are you worried he might go for custody?"

"No. Not anymore." Elizabeth replied cryptically. "He won't get near my baby not now."

Bobbie wanted to press for more details but knew she had to get to work. "Remember call me."

"I will."

Opening her purse Elizabeth pulled out the divorce papers. She had stopped at the bank and had her signature notarized. All that remained was to get them on file with the court. Ric's visit confirmed he knew he'd been tricked. She didn't think he would be able to stop Alexis from filing the papers. The only way he could stop her was if he got a hold of them before she could get them on file. Sooner or later he would find out she had been bluffing when she'd said they had already been filed, and that meant he'd be back, so she needed to get them hidden, now.

The garden apartment, besides being huge and all hers, had also been a treasure trove of hidden delights. She'd discovered, mostly by accident that there were built-in false panels and cubbyholes in different places in the apartment. She'd found out that Felicia Scorpio-Jones had once lived in the apartment and figured Felicia had put them in. Somehow she couldn't picture the last tenant, Lieutenant Taggert, hiding things in hidden compartments.

Until now she hadn't had anything worthy of being hidden inside one of those cubbyholes. Now that she had she knew exactly which one she should use. Pushing off from the bar stool she got to her feet and the room made a slow spin. "Whoa." She gripped the counter until the dizziness passed. Her blood sugar must be getting low. She needed to add a snack to her lemonade.

Determined to get the papers to safety Elizabeth headed for the utility closet and took out a small stepladder. Soon she had the ladder placed in front of the built-in bookcases. Carefully she climbed to the top of the three-step ladder until she could reach the shelf that she had put some of her framed photos on. She moved the pictures to the side and pressed the trigger that exposed a small hole inside the wall and put the papers inside of it. The hole had been professionally done. She had only discovered it by accident so she knew it wasn't visible to the naked eye. But she took no chances and spread the photos out in front of the space.

Relieved she let out a heavy sigh and began to climb back down the ladder. A severe bolt of pain lanced through the left side of her body rendering her numb. She didn't even have time to scream before blackness overtook her and she fell.

"Mama." Carly Corinthos yelled as soon as she opened the door and moved through the small entryway into the living room. "Are you here?"

Muttering under her breath when she didn't receive an answer Carly checked the family room and living room but her mother was nowhere to be found. It appeared she had walked to work again because her car was parked outside. Carly hated when she did that. How was she supposed to know when Bobbie was home if she didn't drive her car every time she left?

Since Zander had taught her how to drive the year before she took great pleasure in driving as much as she could. In a way it was for Zander. His death had hit her hard even though she hadn't showed it. His death triggered memories of their friendship, memories she had blocked for months, and she felt bad that she had turned on him the way she had. Driving when she could was one way she could keep his memory alive. But she still wouldn't drive when the kids were in the car. There were some things she wouldn't risk.

Irritated that her mother wasn't there when she wanted to talk to her Carly headed for the door. She'd just reached it when she had a thought and turned around to look in the direction of the back stairs that led to the self contained apartment downstairs. There was a chance Bobbie was downstairs with her favorite new tenant, Elizabeth. She was tempted to break things up. Bobbie was her mother not Elizabeth's and she wasn't about to let Elizabeth get between them. She took a step in that direction before turning back to the door. She wasn't in the mood for a scene she had too many other things on her mind.

Carly headed outside and slammed the door hard to insure it locked before heading down the stairs. She only made it a step when she saw an unexpected sight. "What are you doing here?"

Looking up at the woman he loved Lorenzo felt his breath catch. Even when she was only glaring at him in suspicion she was beautiful. "Carly."

"Are you following me?" His gaze made her pulse stutter and that made her angry. It wasn't right that she was still attracted to him not after all he'd done.

"No I'm not following you. This is just an unexpected surprise." He smiled up at her.

"Yeah right." Unnerved by the smile she hurried down the stairs, coming to a stop on the last one so they would be eye level. "You and my mother have so much to talk about you always drop by her house in the middle of the day."

Lorenzo could see the curiosity that she tried to mask with her sarcasm and decided to make her work for her answers. "Why should it matter to you if I do speak with Bobbie?"

"Because she's my mother," she retorted. "We're no longer involved so you have nothing to talk to her about."

"Do you really think you're the only reason I'd speak with Bobbie?" He needled her temper and wasn't surprise by the response he'd got.

"You stay away from my mother." Carly ordered angrily.

"I will," he promised and waited for her to relax before going on, "when she asks me to."

Furious Carly was tempted to yell. Rationally she knew nothing was going on between Lorenzo and her mother but rational thought always took a backseat to her temper. Putting her hands on her hips she did her best to glare him down. "Look here…"

"Carly I don't have time for your jealous theatrics." Hiding his smile and knowing his statement would drive her crazy he cut her off. "I have someone to see."

"I am not jealous." Carly yelled.

"Right." Letting his smirk show he turned for the stairs that led to the garden apartment and had no doubt she would soon follow.

"Where the hell are you going?" Primed for a fight she wasn't about to let him make a comment like that and walk away from her.

"I told you I have someone to see." Walking casually down the stairs he opened the door and walked inside.

Carly stared after him in shock. He couldn't be going to see Elizabeth. She hurried after him. There was no way she was going to let Ms. Muffin Face get her claws into him. Determined to find out what was going on she tore through the door and ran into a waiting Lorenzo. The instant their bodies touched the temperature in the small entryway shot up. The strong pull between them was still there and they both felt it. Her eyes locked on his and Carly was slow to step back.

Lorenzo could see the banked desire in her eyes. She still wanted him that much was obvious. And her jealous reaction confirmed to him that she still cared. "Did you need something else?"

That was a loaded question if she ever heard one so Carly didn't answer and instead shoved him aside and knocked hard on the door. Both were surprised when the door swung open. "I'm only here to protect my mother if she's here. You and Elizabeth are welcome to each other." She pronounced and walked inside the unfamiliar apartment. "Oh my god."

"What?" Concerned Lorenzo hurried after her. It took him only seconds to see Elizabeth lying on the floor in the next room, but in that time Carly had already ran forward to help.

"Elizabeth?" Carly crouched beside the unconscious woman and carefully touched her head. "She's bleeding."

Lorenzo shoved the small stepladder out of the way and it flew back down the hall. "Is she breathing?"

"Yes." Carly checked her pulse. "It's thready and too slow." Barely remembered facts from her brief stint in nursing school came back to her and what she remembered made her believe Elizabeth was in bad shape.

"There's water on the floor." Lorenzo announced and they both looked at Elizabeth's protruding stomach and knew what that meant. Hurriedly he pulled out his cell and called 911.

Carly pulled an afghan off the back of the nearby couch and laid it on top of Elizabeth. "Tell them to hurry."

When Elizabeth moaned and moved Carly tried to calm her. "Don't move Elizabeth. Help is on the way." She could hear Lorenzo telling the dispatcher what was going on and took comfort from the fact he was here with her.

"Don't let him take my baby." Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open but there was no recognition in them. "Don't take my baby."

"No one is going to take your baby." Carly responded to the soon to be mom's desperate plea and took Elizabeth's hand in hers.

"Ric."

Carly grimaced at her former kidnapper's name. "He'll be contacted."

"No." Elizabeth's eyes cleared for a minute and locked on Carly. She didn't know what was happening to her but she knew it was bad and her only thought was her baby. "Don't let him near the baby."

"Who?" Carly asked in confusion.

"Ric. Don't let him near the baby. Promise me." Elizabeth clutched convulsively at Carly's hand. "Don't let him take it."

Carly shot a confused look in Lorenzo's direction.

"Promise." Her words began to slur as the pain in her chest came back. "Carly please."

"I promise." Carly vowed and was horrified when Elizabeth slipped into unconsciousness again. She could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance and knew it was only a matter of time before they arrived. She wondered if would be soon enough. When Lorenzo's hand covered hers and Elizabeth's she made no effort to pull away.

General Hospital

The clock had obviously been through a lot and it showed its wear and tear to the world. Even though there were wire bars surrounding the clock face the glass behind the bars was still broken. Broken or not the second hand still moved and it seemed to be moving very slowly.

Carly wasn't sure why she was still sitting in the waiting room. It wasn't like Elizabeth and her were friends but even though she had had found Elizabeth more than two hours ago, even though she had blood on her clothes from Elizabeth's head wound, Carly hadn't left. Maybe she stayed because she remembered how Elizabeth had tried to help when she thought Sonny was dead. Maybe she stayed because Jason would have wanted her too. Or maybe she had stayed because she remembered her promise to a desperate woman about her child.

A noise coming from her left drew her attention and a glare when her eye fell on a pacing Ric. The bastard had showed up about 45 minutes after Elizabeth had been admitted. She didn't know how he found out what happened but he'd walked in the door demanding answers and she had smiled when he hadn't gotten any. The only information any one of them had was that Elizabeth was in surgery having a C-Section.

Next a noise from her right caught her attention and she turned to look at Lorenzo. She couldn't figure out why he'd stayed. She still didn't know why he had been looking for Elizabeth in the first place, and that fact bugged her enormously. The three people in the waiting room hadn't said a word to one another but they were all aware of each other and glares were pervasive.

Carly rubbed at the bloodstain on her pants and tried not to think about what had made it but it was impossible. Elizabeth's desperate plea to keep Ric from her baby resonated within her. She couldn't help but remember when Michael had been kept from her when she went to Ferncliff. She couldn't help remember the months she'd spent in the Quartermaine mansion paralyzed by the threat of being sent away from Michael back into Ferncliff. She couldn't help but think about when Sonny had been planning to take the baby she lost from her. And more importantly she couldn't help but remember how desperate she had felt when he kept Michael and Morgan from her.

She might not be the best mother in the world but she did love her kids. And she knew how desperately she had fought to keep them. And because of that memory she was very aware of how Elizabeth was feeling. Carly had never understood why Elizabeth had taken Ric back in the first place. But whatever delusion she had been under to do that had obviously been lifted and she finally knew what kind of man Ric really was. She didn't blame her for not wanting him anywhere near her child. But she also knew it would be difficult to do because he was the baby's father.

The payphone on the wall called to her but she remained seated. She wasn't going to call Jason or anyone else until she knew what was up with Elizabeth and her baby. Being Elizabeth's protector was a role she never thought she'd play but that was how she felt at the moment. But that didn't mean she couldn't protect Jason at the same time. The best way to do that was to keep him away until Elizabeth was out of surgery. Courtney had told her how concerned he had been for Elizabeth when she was hospitalized. She could only imagine how he would feel now. So she merely sat and bided her time.

Ric couldn't seem to do anything other than pace. He couldn't sit. He couldn't stand still. If he kept moving the fear couldn't take hold. He had almost lost it when he'd found out she was admitted to the hospital. That fear had only grown when he'd seem the blood on Carly's clothes. She had refused to tell him what had happened so that only made things worse as his imagination raced.

He couldn't help but replay his earlier confrontation with Elizabeth. He shouldn't have pressed her like that. She didn't need anymore stress in her life. And yet he really hadn't had a choice. He needed to get those papers from her. It hadn't taken him long to find out they hadn't been filed. That meant she still had them. But at the moment the papers took a backseat to his worry.

Lorenzo wasn't sure why he was sitting in a hospital waiting room. He'd had dinner plans with Sage but canceled them to sit quietly in a waiting room to find out about a woman he hardly knew. That unfamiliar yet nagging concern wouldn't allow him to leave until he knew she would be okay.

It wasn't as if they were friends. He knew he made her uneasy that was why he normally let Jack handle all the meetings with her. But he couldn't help but respect the way she was fighting to carve out a life for herself and her child. His spur of the moment decision to deliver the check to her probably saved her life and for that he was glad. But for now all he could do was wait and see if he had arrived soon enough.

"Bobbie." Carly was the first to spy the surgical nurse and quickly hurried to her side. "How's the baby?"

Spying Ric Bobbie chose to look at her daughter and tell her what she knew instead of him. "The baby was premature but everything looks fine with her. She's in an incubator for now but she wasn't underweight and all her organs were formed. She should be fine."

Carly sighed in relief. She knew the pain of losing a child and wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"What about Elizabeth?" Ric asked.

Bobbie averted her eyes. "Doctor Quartermaine will be out in a few minutes to tell you about her status."

"Wait Monica operated?" Carly was confused. "She's a heart surgeon why is she delivering babies?"

"I'll let her explain." Bobbie was exhausted and frustrated. She always felt frustrated when she was helpless and because it was Elizabeth she felt even worse.

"It's bad isn't it?" Carly whispered.

"I'm afraid it is Carly." Monica Quartermaine announced briskly from the door.

"What's wrong with my wife?" Ric rounded on her immediately.

"There were some unexpected complications with Elizabeth." Monica began.

"Cut to the chase Monica." Carly ordered her ex mother-in-law and current enemy.

"Fine. She had a stroke." Monica snapped.

"How can a woman in her early twenties have a stroke?" Lorenzo was the first to recover from the shock of the unexpected announcement.

"It happens," Monica turned to address him. "Its very rare and normally only occurs in families with a history of heart disease."

"Normally?" Ric felt a vise lock around his heart that was probably very much like what Elizabeth had felt.

"Elizabeth has no history of heart disease in her family. It's true that Steve died from a heart attack, but that is the only instance and there were other contributing factors to his death so we don't consider his death as being a pattern. Besides in most instances the heart disease effects more people when it comes from the maternal side."

"Then what caused this?" Ric asked.

"Right now we don't know. All I know is that a seemingly healthy young woman is now in intensive care. We won't know how bad the stroke was until she regains consciousness. All we can do now is monitor her progress and wait."

Once again flashes of memory from nursing school came back to Carly and a sickening feeling replaced the shock she was feeling. "Could drugs have been a factor?" She addressed Monica but looked at Ric.

"I'm sorry?" Monica asked in puzzlement.

"I want to know if drugs could be a contributing factor to her stroke." Keeping a rapidly paling Ric in sight Carly repeated her question. She could tell by his expression that he knew where she was heading with her pointed questioning.

"Drugs could be a possibility. Any drug will place strain on the organs, and continued use will only increase that strain. But I have to say her tox screen was negative and I know Elizabeth doesn't take drugs," Monica answered.

"Oh the drugging happened months ago." Carly replied breezily and stepped closer to Ric. "And it wasn't done by her choice or with her knowledge."

"Back off Carly." Ric warned her and tried desperately to process what Monica had said.

"What's the matter Ric don't you want people to know how you repeatedly drugged your wife in order to keep your secrets?" She asked loudly drawing passerby's attention. "Secrets like holding me hostage so you could steal my child?"

When Carly moved even closer to an obviously furious Ric, Lorenzo couldn't help but move closer as well. He wanted to be ready to intervene if it became necessary.

"Congratulations Ric your actions gave your wife a stroke." Carly practically spit the words in his face. "How do you feel about that?"