Shattered Web

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they are all owned by ABC and anyone else that owns General Hospital. I'm just borrowing them, so they can play in my world, until the writers of GH realize their doing it wrong.

Rating: It's going to be a definite "R" even if it doesn't look that way right now.

General Summary: Someone uses the memory of Lucky to tear Elizabeth apart, and Jason is the only one that can hold her together.

Chapter Summary: Terror takes Elizabeth to the only person who can help her.

Authors Note: If you want to say you like it, please do; if you want to say you hate it, well that's ok too. Let me know what you think. This is probably going to be a weekly updated story, seeing as how I don't have a lot of time between work and school, but I'll try my best to get them out faster if people like it.

Dedicated: To my Grandmother, who showed me the wonders of a far off place called Port Charles, as I sat eating cup-of-noodles after school. Also to my sister, who convinced me two years ago, that the girl named Lizzy wasn't a bitch after all. Karen, you rock!

Chapter 2

Her chest was burning. That was the only thing she recognized about herself or her surroundings. Faster and faster, she pushed herself down the quiet midnight streets of Port Charles, heedless of what could be out there, because it had to be better than what was back where she'd come.

Another idea entered her head suddenly, numb. But not just the type of numb that accompanies too much snowman building in the park; but the kind that stops your heart, and grips your chest. The kind that makes your head swim, and your thoughts only focus on one thing, get away.

At first she'd just run blindly out of her house not caring where she was going, when suddenly one name popped into her head, Jason. He would take care of her, he cared about her. He was a mobster with a gun! If anyone could protect her, it was Jason. He could make it stop, he could save her from the bad things in her house, and the even worse things in her mind.

The numbness was starting to take over. Along with her lungs, her legs burned from the unfamiliar exercise. But the worst was that the only coherent thought she could keep running through her head was that Jason was the only one who could help her, because Lucky was dead, his body laying in her bed.

The terror was overwhelming, all she could see was the immediate ground in front of her, and Lucky's dead body. Sobbing as she continued to run, she barley recognized Sonny's building, instead she ran by instinct right through the front door, and past the guard station. Slamming into the up elevator button, Liz's sobs rang and echoed through the empty building that housed her only comfort.

Before the doors were fully opened, she was in the elevator, pushing the button that would take her up to the penthouse and Jason.

The long ride up to the top of the building afforded Liz the opportunity to catch her breath. Clutching at her sides, her gasps for precious oxygen sounded all around her in the hollow room. She could hear herself crying and the numbness threatened to send all her fears into darkness. Struggling to maintain consciousness, Liz staggered out the doors and ran towards Jason's apartment, noting absently that there were no guards to announce her presence. Instead Liz started to pound on Jason's door, she tried to call for him, but she was still struggling to fill her vacant lungs with oxygen.

Time passed like eternity as Liz pounded on the door, tried to call Jason's name, and relived every colored detail of the last hour. Too much time, she realized, Jason wasn't there. Suddenly, she thought of Sonny. Sonny, he could help me, he might know where Jason is!

Racing back down the darkened hallway, Liz started pounding on Sonny's huge oak door. Both fists hit the door, and echoed back at her, reminding her just how alone she was in the middle of a dark hallway. Panic found her voice for her. "JASON!!!! PLEASE, JASON, PLEASE!!!"

She didn't recognize her voice, to her it sounded like someone else, someone completely different calling to take the one person away that could save her. She couldn't let that happen, "JASON!!!"

She heard the deadbolt click out of the door and back into the recesses of the frame. Not waiting a moment longer, Liz grabbed for the door handle and pushed with all her might. Giving way under the pressure, it flew open, and Liz raced into the brightly light room.

"Elizabeth! What's wrong?!" Liz didn't hear Sonny's voice, instead, she looked into the room and saw the one man that she knew could protect her, Jason. Sobbing tears of relief, fear, and exhaustion, Liz ran to Jason and allowed the man to envelop her in his arms.

"Elizabeth, what happened? Are you all right? Elizabeth?" Jason was nearly as panicked as she was. Liz wasn't known for getting hysterical. The closest he'd ever seen her to the way she was now, was the night Lucky died. "Elizabeth, you have to tell me what happened." He tried to remain calm, but inside he was being ripped apart feeling her small body wracked with violent tremors. Holding her closer to him, he felt her soaking wet body. Her hair was stringy from the rain that fell outside, and her clothes were soaked and clinging to her small shivering frame. "Elizabeth, whatever's wrong, I'm going to help you Elizabeth, but you have to tell me what's going on, ok?"

She couldn't stop. She could feel her last shreds of humanity slipping away and the darkness that had threatened to overwhelm her earlier was threatening anew. Gripping onto Jason, she clung to him, with her face buried in his chest. He was the only one keeping the bad things away.

Sonny had closed the door, and moved over to Jason and Liz, looking beside him to Luke he saw the pained and very concerned expression on the older man's face. They'd been discussing business when the pounding had started. At first Sonny had been startled and drawn his gun, which he kept inside the cushions of his plush couch; but then they'd heard her voice. So filled with raw terror that Sonny couldn't help but run to the door to let her in. What he saw broke his heart. Liz, the very girl that had withstood some of the most gruesome tests any person could, was rushing through his door crying for Jason.

Now she leaned into him, sheltered from whatever had hurt her by his strong and protective frame. Jason tried to reason with her, but the girl seemed beyond coherent thought or speech. Sonny watched Luke walk towards the hysterical young woman.

Since Lucky's death, Luke had taken Liz under his wing, helping her as best he could, and watching out for her like his son had. He was a good man.

Luke reached out a hand and placed it on Liz's shoulder. He shouldn't have, she wasn't ready for it. Jumping away from his touch, Liz let out a scream, and swung her body around Jason's so that she was behind him, sheltered from the unwelcome touch.

Suddenly, Liz recognized Luke. Moving from behind Jason, she moved right up into Luke's face and thrust a fist containing a picture in it. Gasping for breath through her tears, Liz began begging Luke, "Tell me it isn't him! Tell me! It isn't him, I know it isn't him. Luke tell me it isn't him!!"

Luke tried to take the picture from her, but Liz held strong. Jason came up behind her then and put both of his hands on her shoulders, after calling her name. The young woman seemed to relax under Jason's light and encouraging touch. Leaning into him, she allowed Luke to take the picture away from her. With the picture out of her hands all Liz could repeat was, "It isn't him Luke. Tell me he didn't look like that. TELL ME!!!"

Lifting the picture up to examine it, Luke had only to glance at it before quickly flinging his hand away to his side to escape the photograph. He could feel the bile rise up in his throat, and he fought it down by sheer desperation alone. "Luke?"

Her voice was so small, like a child begging for answers to a nightmare. "It isn't him is it?"

Luke nodded his head, he didn't know how to tell her the truth, so instead, he just nodded his head, yes.

Liz suddenly stopped crying. Instead, her legs gave out from under her, and Jason just barely caught her under the arms before she fell to the ground. She was no longer gasping for breath, instead she was staring out at a point beyond any of them, moaning to herself. The only visible movements she made were from her body still shaking violently from her cold soaking clothing.

"Luke, what the hell is going on?" Sonny had had enough of this. Here was a girl, practically a child, falling apart in his living room!

When Luke didn't say anything, Sonny strode over to him and shook him hard, "Luke man, Luke, what's going on?"

That seemed to wake both Luke and Jason up. Luke shook his head back and forth, as if to clear out the visions chasing him down; while Jason picked Liz up into his arms and carried her over to the fire that raged in the mantle. Sonny for his part, reached out and took the photograph from Luke's hand and read the inscription on the back, 'Lucky.' What he saw on the other side made his heart heave along with his stomach.

"Luke, Luke! You alright man?" Luke nodded his head yes, and took the picture back from Sonny, and move to the other side of the couch, and Elizabeth.

Staring with glassy eyes, into the fire, she looked lost and beyond frightened. Jason had her in his lap, and he was rocking her back and forth, trying to get her to talk to him. "Liz, it's going to be alright, whatever it is, it's going to be ok. I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"This isn't the type of hurt you can prevent Jason." Luke said as he kneeled before Elizabeth and brought the picture into her view.

Closing her eyes, and moving her head away from the image of Lucky's burned and chard body, Elizabeth ducked her head into the crook of Jason's neck and started to beg in a muffled whisper, "Please, Jason, make him stop…"

Jason couldn't take listening to Liz beg, she was too young, too good to have to beg, ever! Grabbing Luke's hand, Jason pushed the picture to the floor and glared at the man. "She said stop."

"Jason, listen, I need to ask her where she got this picture." When Jason wouldn't relent, and instead brought both of his arms around Liz protectively, Luke directed his plea towards Liz instead. "Liz, baby, listen. I need to know where you got this picture. Elizabeth, whoever gave you this picture, needs to be punished, baby. Ok? And I'm going to make sure that they get punished long and hard for it. But Lizzy, honey, I need you to tell me where you got this. Did it come in the mail? Is that where it came from? Liz, you have to tell me where you got this picture."

It seemed hopeless. Luke couldn't seem to get through to her, past the pain and disbelief. He was about to give up and call the police, when Liz lifted her head from Jason's shoulder and looked him dead in the eye.

"He doesn't look like that Luke. I know. He doesn't look like that. He's all dusty. He's all dusty…" She was fading again, and Luke knew it. Reacting fast, he touched her cheek with his hands and tried to ease her fears.

"Liz, I'm so sorry baby, but it is him. He didn't feel anything Liz. He didn't feel any of the pain." Luke was getting choked up, and he could feel the tears threatening to spill over; his resolve cracking.

"Luke?" He couldn't speak, only nod his head. "Luke, he's angry at me isn't he?"

"Angry? What do you mean Elizabeth, who's angry with you?"

"Lucky, he's mad that I don't miss him all the time anymore isn't he?" Luke shook his head no, but Liz didn't seem to see it, instead she continued, "He is mad at me. He's mad that I don't think about him every second; he's mad and he's angry. He doesn't want me to forget him." She was becoming hysterical, eyes wide, breath coming in short little gasps; the terror overwhelming her. "Oh god, I didn't mean to Lucky. I didn't mean too!"

She struggled in Jason's arms, but he held fast, soothing her with soft-spoken words, and gentle rocks. "Liz, no matter what you do, Lucky will always love you, and he would never, ever get mad at you for something like that. You know him Liz, he'd want you to be happy. He loved you so much, that's all he ever wanted for you. It's going to be ok, I promise."

That was it. A promise from Jason was never easily given, and it broke through Liz's fears. Leaning away from him, to look at him, she studied his face and finally spoke to him as if he'd asked her all the questions from the beginning.

"He doesn't look like the picture, I know 'cause he's lying in my bed. At home, he's lying in my bed at home, and he's all ash and dust. He even lit all the right candles. All lavender, like the ones from that night, the night he left and went away. It must be the candles, it must be the lavender. He's come back Jason, I know. He's lying on my bed in all dust and ash, waiting for me to come home. He's mad at me, I know he is. I know he is."

It tore him apart to listen to her talk like that, like she was doing something wrong by trying to live. Jason knew he couldn't let her think that, but he also knew she wasn't listening right now. So instead he tried to figure out what her words meant, since it was obvious from Luke and Sonny's vacant expressions they had no idea what she was talking about. Reaching a hand out, Jason took the photograph from Luke and studied the picture. Flipping it around, he saw the name inscribed on the back, and felt a pure and total hatred for who ever had done this to Elizabeth. Setting the picture down on the floor, he again wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and stroked her back calmly.

Then like lightening striking he knew what was going on. Looking towards Luke he began, "I took Liz home tonight, after her shift at the diner was over. She's staying at the house alone, Audrey's out of town, so I went to take a look around her house. I checked upstairs and noticed a note on her door with her name on it. Thinking Audrey had left something for Liz in her room I didn't go in and check it out. That must be it." Leaning into Liz, he nudged her head with his chin, causing her to look into his concerned face. "Is that it Liz? Did you open the note on your door and find this picture?" At her nod he continued, "And when you opened the door-"

"I saw Lucky's real body lying on my bed beside the lavender candles." Her voice was just above a whisper. "Lucky must be really mad at me, huh Jason?"

"No Elizabeth, Lucky didn't do this, you know he'd never hurt you like this, even if he was mad at you, which he isn't. Someone else did this."

"Are you sure Jason?" She was so small in his arms, needing his protection, needing him to reassure her that her lost love wanted her happiness, not her pain and suffering.

"I'm sure Elizabeth."

"Jason?"

"Yes."

"Jason, I'm cold." Only Liz could be so innocent and needy while still showing the world that even the pain around her couldn't keep her from being who she was.

"Jason, take her up stairs, and put her in the shower. That'll raise her body temperature." Sonny said from the couch where he'd been listening to the whole sad story. Disgust running through him like poison; he was going to kill who ever had done this to her.

Standing with Liz cradled in his arms, Jason moved to the stairs, and careful not to jar her too much, ascended the staircase.

In the bathroom, he stripped Elizabeth with the discretion of the doctor he would have been had he not taken that fateful car trip with A.J. all those years ago. By this time, she was shaking, teeth chattering. Jason, checked the water temperature and stepped, fully clothed, into the shower with Elizabeth Webber, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.