Just a reminder...please remember that after Elizabeth walked out of the penthouse when Sonny returned from the "dead" everything in this story changed. I am not following the story lines that the show wrote. Some characters are arriving earlier and their reactions may be different.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far! I really enjoy hearing your feedback. Happy 4th of July! Everyone be safe!

Chapter Two

"She finally came back?" Sonny questioned softly. "Is she ok?"

Jason shrugged. "According to Johnny she is. He is the one who saw her last night. I assigned a guard rotation to her."

"Good. Did Johnny say anything else about her?"

"Not really. He said that she was different but couldn't really explain what he meant."

Sonny leaned back in his chair and frowned. "We need to talk to her. She has to be told so that we can set up precautions."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason sighed. "Do you really think that she is going to want to see either one of us? She left Port Charles because of us, Sonny. She was angry enough to stay away for five years and stay hidden from our best efforts to find her." He met Sonny's eyes and shook his head. "Elizabeth is not going to just come over for a chat because we ask her politely. She wouldn't even answer any of Johnny's questions about where she had been."

"We have to try, Jason," Sonny said in exasperation. "Maybe she will talk to us after she finds out that Courtney is gone from your life and that she was lying about being my sister."

Wincing at the reminder of one of his biggest mistakes, Jason looked over as the door opened. "Is there a problem, Francis?"

Francis Corelli looked between his two bosses and inwardly smirked at the tension in the room. "I need to take off. Liz just called and wants to meet for lunch. I figured that you two would want me to go considering that you have been trying to find her."

Exhaling in relief, Sonny nodded. "Go ahead, but ask her to contact me or Jason. We really need to see her, Francis."

"You know, it is amazing that you just expect her to come running after the way that you abandoned her before she left town. Weren't you the same man that told her that she was never your friend and that you owed her nothing, Sonny? And you, Jason, you were even worse. You told everyone in Kelly's that you never loved her and that she didn't matter anymore. I am sure that she will come running right over to see what you want," he scoffed before turning on his heel and leaving the silent room.

Slamming his hand on the desk in frustration, Sonny stood and started to pace. "He is right, you know."

Jason nodded, watching as Sonny worked himself into an angry fit. This was the last thing he needed to deal with this morning. "I know. I think that we need to give her time. She is stubborn, Sonny. Elizabeth is dealing with Audrey's death right now. Do you really think that we should just dump all this on her right now? I have guards on her. She will be protected until we can explain."

"Do you really think that anyone else is going to care that she needs time?" Sonny demanded with a glare.

"No, but I am telling you right now, pushing her will backfire. She will take off again and she has already proven that she can disappear without a trace."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Opening the door to the diner where she had worked for most of her teenage years, Elizabeth looked around and smiled at seeing that nothing except for the staff had changed. Waving at Georgie who looked up in surprise, she sat at an empty table in the corner. Shrugging off her light weight coat and placing it on the back of the chair, she looked up as Georgie approached.

"Elizabeth! Oh my God! It's soo great to see you," she enthused happily before dropping her gaze. "I'm sorry about Mrs. Hardy."

"Thank you, Georgie. How have you been?"

"Um, I just started college. I love it. How about you? How are you?"

Elizabeth pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'm pretty good. Just been seeing the sights and exploring places that I have always wanted to see." Looking up as a shadow fell across the table, she laughed and stood to hug Francis. "God I have missed you, Frannie!"

Tightening his arms around the younger woman that had won him over years before, Francis lifted her off her feet and swung her around before sitting her back down. "You look good, kiddo. And I missed you too!"

"Do you guys need anything to eat?" Georgie offered, wanting to give the two some privacy. She knew that they had been close before Elizabeth had taken off.

"I will have a hot chocolate with whip cream and a bowl of chili."

"Just a coffee, Georgie, for me. Thank you," Francis flashed her a smile as she left to get their orders. Looking back at the woman across from him, he shook his head. "I thought that you were gone for good after we searched and found nothing. I was shocked when O'Brien called me last night and then you this morning. Where were you, Liz?"

"I had to get away and think," she admitted softly. "I am so sorry that you were worried."

"It's fine. I understand needing to clear your head. It did take you awhile though."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "After you dropped your bombshell on me, I was lost."

Wincing, Francis sighed. "They would kill me if they knew that I had told you before I told them. I waited for three months after you left to tell Sonny. I wanted you to have a head start. He sent Jason looking right away."

"Too little too late," she growled with a shrug. "Does he honestly think that just because he is my biological father that I am going to forgive him. He told me that I had never mattered, Francis. Why should I care now that he knows and thinks that I am worthwhile?"

Knowing that he had no answer that she would accept, Francis did not touch that question. "Your twin brother and mother were tracked down. They are in Port Charles now."

She snorted. "Surprise, surprise. My mother kept my brother and didn't want me. Story of my life, Francis. I have no desire to see any of them, including Sonny or Jason. I am here to bury my grams, the only family that I had that loved me for who I really am. After that, well, I am gone again."

Nodding at Georgie as she sat their order down, he waited on her to leave before taking a drink of the coffee. "I wish you would stay. Johnny and I have missed you so much."

"I have missed you guys, too. But I have a life that I have to get back to. Only reason I came now is because grams was the only family that I ever felt close to. I loved her."

"I know you did, kiddo. She showed me the pictures. Was you going to tell me?"

Blushing, Elizabeth looked away and stared out the window. "No. Now you know why I have to leave. There is no way that I am telling everyone."

Grasping her hand in his and squeezing it, Francis sighed. "Liz, I think that the response that you get might surprise you."

"No!" she stated with conviction. "I was never wanted. I will not do that to my daughter, Francis. Grams should have never told you to begin with."

"He has a right to know that he is a father, Elizabeth."

"I'm only doing him a favor."

"Bullshit, Elizabeth! You are hiding away, afraid that you are going to get hurt."

Her large blue eyes flashed with emotion. "It's my choice, Francis. Drop it!"

"No, I won't drop it. You are being unreasonable. I love you like you were my sister, Elizabeth, but he is someone that I respect and care about too. Either you tell him or I will. You have a week to decide before I go to him," he murmured softly before throwing a fifty on the table. "I love you, kiddo, but you have to face your past, for everyone involved, including your daughter. Doesn't she deserve to have a father that will love her?"

She watched him leave as she wiped the tears that had started to run down her face. Shoving her food away, she stood and grabbed her coat. Looks like she needed to start packing. There was no way that she was sticking around Port Charles now.