ABC/DISNEY owns GH and everything associated with it. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks for the support! I wasn't going to say anything but my hubby said it would wreck my whole day if I didn't get it out.

Chapter 36

Downstairs the guys all sat in the living room at a total loss. None of them had any idea what to do at that moment. The last half an hour had left them feeling raw and they couldn't even begin to comprehend how the woman upstairs felt.

They were still sitting there in stunned silence when Jason came down the stairs. "Thank you for coming over." He finally said. Elizabeth was upstairs getting dressed. Much to his surprise she intended to go to school today. Nothing he said would change her mind. He was going to go for a very long bike ride. If he stayed inside of Port Charles he would go kill the Bakers. They needed to die, and would, but he needed to be smart about it.

"How is she?" Maximus asked Jason. "How is my little girl?" She'd been a baby still when she was so horrifically brutalized. There was nothing he could do to make it right, but all those involved would suffer. All the way back to those who took her from him.

"She's holding it together, I have no idea how though." Jason admitted. "Elizabeth is going to school today. Cody, you and Cooper will go with her." Jason told the guard.

"She's going to school?" Cody repeated surprised. He'd be in the closest bottle after reliving something so awful.

"Elizabeth said that it helps her to keep to her normal keep an eye on her. If she needs to come home then bring her. She can be stubborn." Jason told Cody. "Call me if you think she needs me." He would have no problem carrying her off campus. "I need to go back up to check on her."

Since they were not needed Johnny and Francis headed to the office. They would hold things down until Jason returned. Their boss was going to go for a ride to clear his head. While he was riding, they would each come up with various scenarios for dealing with the Bakers. They would not live to see another week. Normally they didn't hurt women but in Thelma Baker's case they were going to make an exception.

"I have no idea how anyone survives something like that. But she did and she's still really open and caring. Not at all guarded." Francis said breaking the silence.

"All I could think was that I have a sister the same age as Elizabeth. I would kill some fucker if they hurt her that way." Johnny said to his friend. "How is she not terrified of us?"

"She's a survivor." Francis said in awe. "She's also very strong."

"Stronger than I could ever be." Johnny just shook his head. "She was fifteen. She was still a baby. Who looks at a fifteen year old and does that?"

"You are looking for it to make sense and it won't. Tom Baker was an animal and his parents are no better. We will get justice for Elizabeth." Francis vowed as his friend nodded in agreement.

Maximus, Max, Milo and Cody were still in the living room. They were also trying to make sense of what they had heard. There were having about as much luck as Francis and Johnny. None of them would ever hurt a woman that way. Let alone a young girl.

"What can we do for her Poppa?" Milo was at a total loss. His sister had been so cruelly used and then lived in terror until she found the strength to speak out. To know that her rapist had taunted her with his vile acts had damned near broken Milo.

"We will take our cues from her and Jason. We will let Elizabetta know that we love her." Maximus would be there to listen as the people who covered up what had been done to his baby girl begged to die. It was Jason's right to take their lives, but as her father he would be there. If Max or Milo were to do something so vile he would not protect them. Despite them being his sons, some things were unforgivable.

"I will make breakfast, if Liz is going to school she should eat something first." Max said moving to the kitchen. He would make something light.

When she came downstairs Jason was waiting in the kitchen. After checking on her he'd come down to find Max preparing to cook. He'd stopped him saying Elizabeth wasn't hungry. Then he threw everyone out, telling Cody to come back when it was time for her to leave.

There was no sign of either of her guards as she entered the kitchen. But someone would be back soon. It was almost time for her to leave for school. She had worried that she and Jason would be awkward with each other. Earlier had been very rough but at the same time extremely intimate. "Hi."

"Hey." Jason responded reaching for another coffee mug. She looked tired and he wanted to send her back upstairs to get some more rest. Instead he made her a hot chocolate.

"Thanks." She said taking the mug and having a sip. Chocolate really did make everything better. "Are you going to be busy today?"

"No, I'm going to go for a ride. But I'll be back for dinner." Jason told her as he came to stand beside her.

"Okay." She leaned against him and his arm snaked around her waist. Everything inside her relaxed at his touch. "Who's with me today?"

"Both Cody and Cooper. I had to tell your brothers they couldn't go. They almost got into a fist fight over who was going to tag along." Jason had been amused watching the two men this morning. It was clear that they were both in protective overdrive. Neither of her brothers was happy with him right now, but Maximus understood.

"That's a bit much don't you think?" Three guards for a day of classes seemed excessive.

"Maximus reminded them that you would want to be as close to your normal activities as possible. That finally got them to back down. I have plans for us on Saturday." It was Valentine's Day and he had no idea just how bad it would be. "Do you want me to cancel them?"

"No. I haven't celebrated Valentine's Day in years, but I'd like to with you. Just something small, okay?" She asked him.

"I can do that." Jason said giving her a half smile. "Do you want to stay in?"

"It's important that I go out at some point on Saturday, otherwise I hide in the house. I have trouble going out once it gets dark so I make myself go out during the day." With her one day of hiding often led to two and before she knew it a week had passed without her stepping foot outside. She only felt this way around Valentine's Day, and honestly with each passing year it got better. This year would be rougher than normal, but not impossible.

"Alright." Jason could handle that.

"I'm not usually in the best mood." She told him casting her eyes downward. "I can get quiet and withdrawn."

"You can be in whatever mood you like. If you need space say so and I'll go work in my office." Placing a gentle kiss on her temple he pulled her closer to him. Jason understood needing time to process what was happening in your life. He just wanted Elizabeth to know she wasn't alone. That he was willing to shoulder her burdens with her.

The doorbell rang and they both looked at the clock. "That should be my ride. I need to get going." She stretched up and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll call you if I need you."

"See that you do." He mock growled at her before smiling. Letting her go was hard, but he had to trust that she knew her limits. She had survived before he arrived in the picture and she would survive if he was gone. He also had to trust that the men he sent with her would let him know if she needed him.

Carly gave Sonny another kiss as she waited for the pilot to indicate she could board the plane. She was going to Paris. She Carly Benson was going to Paris, France. How awesome was that? It was a business trip for Deception, but she would be sure to find time to do some shopping.

As CEO she had decided to re-launch the Face of Deception campaign. It had been successful before and it would be so again. Especially if Carly managed to sign the face she wanted. Gia Campbell, international supermodel would be perfect. The woman was currently in France preparing to walk the runways of some of the season's biggest shows. So if Carly wanted to meet with her then she needed to go to Europe.

The trip also served another purpose. While she was away little Miss Perfect was going to have her world rocked. The secret that Elizabeth had been keeping from Jason was about to be exposed for all of Port Charles to see. With Carly out of the country no one would suspect she was involved. By the time this trip was over Jason would be back where he belonged. With her and Sonny.

Best of all Elizabeth would be so humiliated that she would probably leave town. Then Carly could find the right woman for Jason. One that not only fit in his world, but wouldn't get in the way if Carly needed him. Sonny was great as a lover, but it was Jason who she really needed. "Sabrina!" Carly yelled at her assistant.

"Yes, ma'am." Sabrina was overworked and abused but the job paid well.

"Did you call the hotel and tell them Egyptian cotton sheets only." Carly had acquired a taste for the finer things in life.

"Yes ma'am. I also told them to stock Morgan coffee." Sabrina responded.

"Good." Carly saw the pilot coming. "I'll be back in a week and then we can celebrate Valentine's Day." Being away on the holiday sucked because she had to wait to get her gifts.

"Not a problem. When you get to the hotel check your bag." Sonny said smiling. He'd put a little something in to surprise her.

"That's mean. Now I'll be thinking about that for the entire flight." Carly pouted. Her bags had already been stowed.

"It's worth it." He kissed Carly again, already thinking of the dark haired woman he was having dinner with. There was no need for him to be lonely while his girlfriend was out of town.

"Sabrina, let's go." Carly walked off to board the private jet. This time tomorrow she'd be sipping champagne in Paris. A few days from now Elizabeth Webber would be gone. Everything was going just how she wanted it to.

The ability to track a package was both a good and bad thing. He could see that his gift had arrived at its intended location. Now he was driving himself mad wondering how she had reacted. He just knew that she would love it. But did she sigh in happiness or squeal in joy. Or maybe she ran upstairs and tried it on right away. He bet it was that last one.

This morning Carly had hopped a flight to who cares where. With her out of the city he could go back to concentrating on his girl. He'd managed to slip onto campus in time to watch her take her afternoon classes. She looked a little tired and a bit sad. No doubt it was because she missed him. He wanted nothing more than to just walk up and tell her that the wait was over, that they could just be together now. But until Carly was dealt with he could not.

What kind of champion left a dragon roaming free?

Instead he'd contented himself with seeing pictures of Lizzie in the paper. He smirked when he realized that he hadn't seen the blonde with the bad hair cut recently. Lizzie had dropped him like a hot rock when she got the last gift. When he let her know that he was still here and would be coming for her soon. He wished he could have been there when the news was delivered. Guys like that aren't used to getting dumped. But he should have seen it coming. Lizzie was too good for him, something he should have already known.

Tomorrow he would spend the day watching his true love. On Valentine's Day she would wear the items he sent her and think of him. Until they could be together it would have to be enough. Getting out the photo album he once again looked at his girl through the years. Carly would be dealt with when she returned, and then they could be together.

Thanks for the reviews, the follows and the favorites!