Its the dead of night and Elizabeth is sitting up in the bedroom she's to live in while this mess with Sonny is being dealt with. A part of her wondered what was wrong with Sonny? Why would he defend someone that rapped his wife and hurt his sister? For a man that puts women's safety above anything else, his family's safety, how could he defend someone like Ric?

Sure, if she thought about it, Ric's family too, but there has to come a point where you say enough is enough and cut all ties. It was bad enough that everything with her husband was a lie. It was bad enough that she couldn't trust her own judgement because she had screwed up so badly with Ric, but she and Sonny went back years. She held him when he lost his baby with Carly. She got down on her knees and she held him while he cried. She held him until he was ready to let go and she felt his pain.

Looking back, she understands that her and Sonny's friendship died long ago, but there was no way that she was worse than Ric. Sure, she hates Carly with a passion, not like the feeling isn't mutual, and she can't stand Courtney any more than she can stand Carly, but she's never hurt either women. She's never taken their choice away or caused them unspeakable pain. Running her fingers through her hair, Elizabeth pushed off the covers and walked over to the window.

Sleep has evaded her since she was arrested. The night just kept playing over and over again. Staring out of the window, Elizabeth tried to think of better times, happier times. Every time she tried to think of a good time, a bad memory will block it out. She tried to think of anything, ANYTHING, to override the memories, but nothing came up. The anger started to bubble up when all she could see as she stared out the window was Ric's face. Laughing at her. Telling her how stupid she had to have been to fall for all his crap.

Grabbing the first thing she could get in her hands, Elizabeth threw it as hard as she could at the wall. She was just so angry and hurt. Jason jumped out of bed and ran for her door when all he could hear was her screaming. She was screaming so loud, he could hear the tears within them. Pulling open the door, Jason found her kneeling on the floor, her entire room practically destroyed. Walking carefully around the destruction, Jason knelt down beside her, her eyes meeting his once she realizes he's there.

"I hate him." she states, the pain so vibrant in her eyes. "I hate him for making me believe in him."

She stares at him as if waiting for him to say I told you so, but Jason doesn't. He doesn't speak. He just waits for her to get it out there because he knows that she's been bottling it up for the last few days and it was time for her to just lay it out in the open. To bare all and hopefully overcome it all.

"I trusted him! I trusted him to love me and to be honest!" Elizabeth nearly shouts. "Why am I always falling for men that don't really want me? Lucky didn't want me! He wanted Sarah! He'll always want Sarah, even though they're not together right now...they will be. You...I wasn't enough for you! I wasn't good enough for you. Then there's Ric...god, Ric. He only wanted me to get at you. As if I even mattered enough for to bother you. Ric's whole life was about you and Sonny. Why am I never enough? Why am I never good enough? Answer me, dammit!"

Jason simply wraps his arms around her as she starts to cry. Even as he's holding her she's shouting why wasn't she good enough, but he didn't speak. He just let her get it all out. He'll talk to her when the emotion has run its course, but for now, he'll just hold her. Jason didn't know why she believed all the things she believed, but he'll deal with it later. Right now, all she needs is for him to hold her and he'll do that. Because no matter what he said in that moment, nothing would sink in and he wanted her to hear him when he spoke.

Carly paces her mother's living room. With Sonny the way he is, she had to get Michael out of the penthouse for the night. She had so much to think through, for the first time, Elizabeth is the one that plagues her thoughts. She couldn't help but feel responsible for what Elizabeth did. She wanted the muffin faced woman to open her eyes, but she never thought that she'd kill that bastard. Carly couldn't help but feel guilty because she helped break the woman and it wasn't right. No matter how much she can't stand her, it wasn't right for her to bring up Elizabeth's rape, even if Ric did the same thing to her.

Guilt and regret are two things that never sit well with Carly, even more so when its over a person she can't stand and doesn't even like. Normally she would be all over Jason for choosing Elizabeth over his wife, but circumstances aren't normal. Sonny is after the blood of a woman that Jason cares about and, no matter how much she hated what Courtney's going through, Carly couldn't be upset about it. Jason would do the same thing if she were in Elizabeth's position and it was only fair to accept Jason doing it for the muffin.

"What's got you up this late?" her mother spoke, turning on the light. "Or do I not want to know?"

"Its complicated." Carly sighs, walking over to sit on the couch. "I don't really have to tell you much since you watch the news."

"This is about Elizabeth?" Bobbie guesses, confused as to why her daughter would be losing sleep over a woman she can't stand. "Why would her situation keep you awake?"

"Ric is...well, was Sonny's brother." Carly explains. "Now that Elizabeth has killed Ric...well you know how Sonny is with family."

"Of all the underhanded things that I've heard about Sonny...I cannot believe he's going after Elizabeth." Bobbie shook her head, knowing there was nothing she could do about it.

"Yeah, well, Jason has gone against Sonny and now everything is just so mixed up." Carly got up and started pacing again. "Jason's protecting Elizabeth at all costs and it just might cost him Courtney. I want to help her, but I can't tell Jason to not save Elizabeth, it wouldn't be fair. Not when I had a hand it what she did."

"Had a hand in it, how?"

"I told Elizabeth about what Ric did to me and Courtney." Carly says regretfully. "I rubbed it in that he wasn't the man she thought he was and I may have used her own rape against her."

"Oh, Carly!" Bobbie exclaimed, truly disappointed about that.

"I know it was a low blow." Carly sighed, plopping down on the couch. "I know that I'm partly responsible for what Elizabeth did and I'm just conflicted on who to stand behind. Courtney...or the muffin."

"Don't choose a side." Bobbie suggests. "Just let things run their course. The one you should focus on is Michael. Let everyone else live their lives and just be there."

"Have we met?" Carly raised her eyebrow. "I'm not the sit back and watch type of woman. I have to be on a side and I'm just having a hard time figuring that out."

"Okay, fine." Bobbie took a deep breath. "What would Jason tell you to do in times like this?"

Groaning, Carly spoke the truth. "He'd tell me to count to ten, take a deep breath, and take a step back from the situation."

"Then do it." Bobbie leant over and kissed her forehead. "And get to bed because Michael will need you in the morning."

"Thanks, mom." Carly says before walking over to the window, Bobbie making her way up the stairs. "If only it were that simple."

Picking Elizabeth up off the floor, Jason carried her to the bed. He hates what this is doing to her, but the sooner she gets through every emotion that she's feeling, the sooner he'll be able to break through to her. So he laid with her in bed, he held her close, and he let her feel whatever emotion was running through her. The anger was out of the way, the room paid the price for that, but it was worth it to get the emotion burnt out.

The next emotion that rushed through her is the hurt. She's crying, her tears going silent because the sobs have stopped, but the tears were still falling. He tried to untangle himself from her, but she was gripping him so tight that it was impossible. So instead of prying her hold of him loose, Jason laid there and held her. He didn't know if this would help her or if nothing would change in the morning, but he had to hope for something. Without hope in a better tomorrow for Elizabeth, he'd probably fly off the handle too and she didn't need that from him. Not now. Not after everything she's been through.

In spite of himself, in spite of everything he believes in, Jason can't help but wonder what their lives would be like if he just fought a little harder. If he didn't follow his orders and told her the truth, if she had just trusted him a little more, if they were both stronger than they were. It hurt his head to think about it, but he couldn't help it. The thoughts found their way into his head and they didn't stop. She wouldn't be broken like she is. If only he went against Sonny sooner, she wouldn't be like this. She wouldn't be hurting like this.

Ric is of Sonny's creation and he never would have been in Elizabeth's life if not for him and Sonny. He tried to warn her, but she was too hurt to listen. He hurt her and he didn't mean to, but he did. Yes, he was hurt by her too, but he's strong enough to move past it. She wasn't strong enough and she turned to the next man to cross her path. Right then, even though he didn't like the man anymore than he liked Ric, he would have preferred if Lucky was the one she turned to. At least he wouldn't have destroyed her the way Ric has.

"I'm sorry." Jason whispers, taking a deep breath in as she sleeps in his embrace. "I'm sorry for whatever part I played in this. I'm just so sorry. I'll fix this somehow, I don't know how, but I will."

Settling in for the night, Jason closes his eyes as his arms secure themselves around Elizabeth. Her breathing was still shaky, even though she has long since gone to sleep. Holding her, a memory of a conversation he had with Courtney came to mind. He never really lied before until the lie escaped and there was no taking it back. He was amazed that she believed him, when the words were practically choked out of him. He didn't know what else to say. Should he have told her that, yes he did love Elizabeth, and yes she'd always matter.

He knew women enough to know that it would have been a huge mistake to divulge that part of him. He closed off the part of him that Elizabeth inhabited and he kept it away from the rest of his life. They both had their parts in the end of what they had and it wouldn't be fair to say that it was all Elizabeth's fault or his either. It ended and the why just doesn't matter at this point. Laying there with Elizabeth, he couldn't help think back. The lie started with Sonny's death and more lies grew from it. It was why he hate lying. You lie once and it just grows and grows until in consumes you.

"What's best for you, is for you to stay out of it." Sonny stated, staring at his sister as she tried to sit up. "What's going on between me and Jason has nothing to do with you."

"Sonny, please! I'm begging you." Courtney's tears started to fall. "Just leave Elizabeth alone and let Jason come back to me...please! I can't lose him."

"Jason made his choice." Sonny says without remorse. "It is what it is and you need to stop defending him. Unless you've missed it, he didn't choose you, Courtney."

"You forced his hand!" Courtney exclaimed. "He'd be with me right now if you weren't trying to kill Elizabeth."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sonny shook his head, grabbing his coat. "Regardless of what you have said, Jason chose to turn against me. I'm going to deal with him how I would anyone else."

"He sacrificed his life for you!" Courtney nearly shouts. "How can you treat him like any thug off the street? Jason dedicated his life to you! Why can't you let this go?"

"If it were you that Elizabeth killed and not Ric, would you want me to let it go?" Sonny countered. "I owe it to my mother to avenge Ric's death."

"Even though he raped your wife and nearly killed me?" Courtney challenged. "Why are you choosing to defend someone like that?"

"He's family." Sonny states before walking out the door, prompting her to call Jason's phone again, but only getting voicemail.

"Jason, please, rethink this. Sonny's not in the right mind to stop so that leaves it on you." Courtney pleaded, her voice a little shaky. "If you truly love me, stop this before it gets too far. Please, Jason!"

A/N: Thanks for keeping with the reviews.

This chapter was a little hard to write, a broken Elizabeth is never a sight I'd want to see, much less write.

Let me know what you think.

-ROCkER