The card slowly slipped from her fingers, as if everything were in slow motion. Elizabeth looked down at it, her hand coming up to her mouth as she felt the bile rise in her stomach.
She looked up, her eyes searching around the place to see if anyone was looking at her. She could see a few customers looking at her oddly, see their mouths moving, but it was as if she had cotton in her ears. She knew they were speaking, but she had no idea what they were saying.
Stumbling backwards, Elizabeth reached down, snatching up the card. She threw it in her bag, dropping it as quickly as she could, as if it were on fire, and ripped off her apron.
She couldn't breath, she couldn't think. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there. The walls were closing in around her.
She faintly heard herself yell out to Tammy as she shrugged her jacket on, hastily throwing her scarf around her neck. She didn't even hear Tammy call out to her, asking if everything was alright.
Pushing open the doors, Elizabeth stepped out, inhaling the night air. Her lungs greedily accepted the oxygen and she felt like she had just run a marathon. Her hand blindly reached out for support, landing on one of the outdoor tables as she leaned over, gasping for breath.
Elizabeth looked around for a second before pushing away from the table. All of the reminders she'd been getting were happening at Kelly's. Fear laced through her body as she shivered. It felt like there were hundreds of eyes on her at that moment even though there was no one in sight.
She needed to get away.
Near Kelly's, Francis stood, staying close to the building so that the shadows would hide him. He watched as Elizabeth pushed her way out of the diner, leaning against a table for support. She looked up, her eyes frantic and unfocused as she looked around. Immediately, Francis pulled out his cell phone.
"Tell the Boss we have a problem with Miss Webber again," he said, whispering into the phone. "We're outside Kelly's… she looks terrified."
There was a sound off to the side and he jerked his head towards it, listening. He heard a couple walking by and once he was sure they were harmless, he turned his attention back to his charge, swearing under his breath at what he saw.
She was gone.
Elizabeth stared out of the window as the cab made its way down the rode. Tears came to her eyes and she quickly brushed them away. She had to be strong. She was on her own now, and she had no one else to depend on… especially since Jason had just left.
"Why did you have to leave now, Jason," Elizabeth whispered as she hugged herself, burrowing into her coat. The heat was on in the cab but she couldn't keep herself from shivering.
"What was that, miss?" The cabbie said, peering over his shoulder quickly before putting his eyes back on the road. The young woman had looked completely distressed when he'd picked her up, mumbling to him where she wanted to go before snuggling up near the window, looking out. He tried to not get drawn into his customers, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for this woman. She looked terrible.
Elizabeth mumbled an answer, telling the driver that she was fine as another shiver took over her body. The cabbie nodded, keeping quiet as he peered at her through the rearview mirror.
Poor girl.
As he slowed near the dead end road off to the side, he peered back at the woman. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Elizabeth reached into her purse, pulling out the money as she reached for the door handle. "This is it… thank you."
The cabbie looked through the window of the passenger door. "There's nothing out here, miss. Maybe I should take you back into the city. It can be dangerous in the woods…"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, sir… this is where I want to be."
Shaking his head, the man took her money, sticking it in his money bag. "Whatever you say…"
Closing the door behind her, Elizabeth watched as the cab turned around, going back in the direction they'd come from before making her way down the road. When she got near the bridge, she stepped off the road, ignoring the fact that the melted snow had turned the grass into nothing more than mud as made her way around the ruined foundation of the old estate.
Hugging herself with her arms, Elizabeth tried to image the area with a huge mansion here instead of ruins as she walked through the area that used to be the gardens. She pictured it like the Quartermaine mansion, only bigger and more old fashioned. She could see the gardens in her head, with latticework archways marking the entrances. She could picture the roses, lilacs, and ferns lining the area.
Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth exhaled slowly. Everything was so peaceful here. That was one of the reason she'd come. She needed a place where she felt safe.
A place where she could feel Jason's presence.
This was the place she felt him the most. Out of all of the places in Port Charles, she felt his presence here the most. She felt him here even more than she felt him in her studio. They hadn't gone to the gardens a lot together, but this was the one place that she could call theirs. No one else in Port Charles knew about it. Not Lucky, not Emily, not Nikolas…
The gardens belonged to just her and Jason.
Taking a seat on one of the only benches left in there, Elizabeth looked around. She could see the shadow of the statues over to her left but it was too dark for her to truly see them. She needed to come during the day so that she could really study them.
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth breathed deeply as a single tear tricked down her cheek.
"I need you here, Jason… I need you."
"Let me go."
Jason's jaw clenched as Zander strained against his bonds again, repeating what he'd been saying for the last half hour.
"I'm under orders to keep you here," Jason said tersely, his teeth clenched. Zander Smith was quickly getting on his nerves.
"This isn't right man," Zander said, pulling on the bonds that held his arms to the chair. "What do you think Emily's going to do when she finds out you took me, huh? She's going to be furious with you."
Jason's eyes narrowed. Who did this kid think he was, telling him what his sister would be feeling. "Emily will feel how she feels. Once I explain, she'll make her own decisions one whether or not to be furious."
Once again Zander strained against the ropes. "You think you know her? You don't know her at all. She-"
Jason slammed his hand on the table next to him. "Don't try to tell me how my sister feels."
Zander shook his head. "I don't know why she thinks you're so great. You're nothing but a brain damaged thug who sits around lusting over someone else's girl."
Jason's jaw clenched as he started counting in his head. People used to tell him to count when he was angry but he had never understood it. How would rattling off numbers make you less angry? But right about now, he was willing to try anything.
"You think no one sees the looks you give Elizabeth Webber?" Zander continued, watching as Jason glared at the table in front of him. "The night of the Deception Launch party, when Lucky and Elizabeth came home to Kelly's… you couldn't keep your eyes off of her."
Jason turned his angry glare towards Zander. "Do you know why you're here? Because you don't listen. Well you need to listen now. SHUT UP."
Turning away from the boy, Jason opened the file in front of him, hoping to ignore Zander by working. It wouldn't bother him so much if Zander weren't so right.
He did want Elizabeth.
And it angered him that Zander, someone who knew nothing of him, could see that. It frustrated him because he knew that Elizabeth was still devoted Lucky. It hurt because Elizabeth wasn't with him.
When he had been gone, he had thought about her. He knew she was with Lucky, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from turning to her. He had walked the streets of Puerto Rico with her in his head and when he went to Italy, it was only worse because everything in Italy reminded him of her. He'd see artists set up their easels along rivers, trying to paint the Eternal City, or he'd see vendors selling the art of nameless people and he'd think of her. It was even worse because while he was there, he knew that he would be coming back to Port Charles soon to help Sonny…
… and he'd be seeing her again.
Jason could feel Zander's eyes burning into him and it made him want to go over there and rip the boy's eyes out.
If only Emily didn't care about Zander so much.
Jason's fist clenched as he fought the urge to realign Zander's face. He could feel it already; It was going to be a long few days.
Francis ran his fingers through is blonde hair. He made his way down the docks, trying to stay in the shadows. He had just been to the studio, he had checked Kelly's, and he'd even sent someone out to Jake's.
Elizabeth Webber was nowhere to be found.
"No, no, no," Francis said to himself. Sonny and Jason would have his hide when they found out he lost his charge. He didn't know what would happen, but he knew it wouldn't be good.
He knew how important Elizabeth was to Jason – all the men knew it. And he'd seen first hand how protective Sonny was of her when he was asked to watch her before, when Sorel was threatening her. Elizabeth had somehow made her way into the hearts of both of his bosses and he knew he'd never hear the end of it for letting her run off.
Sighing, Francis pulled out his cell phone. Slowly, he looked down at it, trying to gather his courage. Sure, he could stand in front of powerful men like Sonny Corinthos and Joseph Sorel without blinking, and he didn't jump at the sound of gunshots, and he'd lived through explosions, fires, and shootings…
…But he was scared stiff about making this phone call.
There was a noise off to his side and Francis looked over with some trepidation. Looking over at a noise is what had gotten him in this position in the first place. He breathed a sigh of relief when Elizabeth came down the stairs of the docks, slowly making her way towards her studio.
He watched as she moved in front of him, her legs dragging as if she'd been walking for miles. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.
Rushing to keep up with her but staying in the shadows at the same time, Francis followed her to her studio waiting until he was sure she was inside before looking upward and whispering two little words.
"Thank you."