Warning: For this to make sense, please read the Notes at the beginning of the Prologue.

Standard Begging: Don't forget to reply.

Her Greatest Mistake

Chapter 1

July 3, 2001

~Studio~

Frightened she cowered on the floor, her hands wrapped over her head in a vain hope of self-protection. She was already so numb with pain and shock that she didn't even feel the blows anymore. It took her a long time to realize that the blows had stopped. She opened her eyes and focused on the man's shoes in front of her. She swallowed hard when they moved in closer to her again, and were pulled up slightly when he crouched beside her, and began to rub his hand over her hair. She could hear him murmuring to her but it was hard to understand him over the roar in her ears. The only thing she knew was that she would break soon if he didn't quit touching her.

"Remember now, this is our secret, you won't like what will happen if you talk," he said again the words finally penetrating the fog of pain she was in. He kept running his hand over her soft brown, hair ignoring or not caring that it was matted with blood in some places. "Don't worry I'll make your excuses, do you want me to bring some ribs later?"

She raised her head to peer at him then in shock. Who was this man in front of her? He couldn't be Lucky Spencer, Lucky would never do this to her. She closed her eyes to shut out the image of him standing there staring at her with a smile on his face and madness in his eyes.

He bent then and ran a hand over her face, before crossing to the door and leaving, she heard the click of the lock behind him and she finally took a deep breath, only to cry out in pain when a sharp pain pierced her side.

She moaned and collapsed back on the floor of the destroyed studio, how long she laid there she didn't know, finally she pushed herself to her knees and tried again to get to her feet. Pain entered her body immediately from everywhere. She gripped the overturned couch in an effort to use it as leverage to raise herself off the floor, screaming in pain when she did so. Finally she made it upright, she couldn't stand up all the way the pain in her side wouldn't let her but at least she was on her feet.

She headed towards the door, walking heedlessly over the paint and debris that littered the once clean studio floor. She had one thought running through her head, and that thought was enough to make her keep moving in spite of the pain. She made it to the door and paused to rest against it, finally she unlocked the door and left, leaving a bloody handprint smeared against the door when she did so. She had to talk to Jason it was the only thing that she could think.

~Panama~

Jason Morgan ran hard along the beach clad only in his shorts, the heat of the day, and the fact he was 10 miles into his run caused sweat to run freely over his body. There was a breeze coming off the ocean and tried to cool his hot skin but he felt nothing, not the breeze, not the heat, not even the burning in his lungs as he pushed himself further.

He was trying but failing to outrun his thoughts. For a man who prided himself at living in the present, he found himself unable to let go of the past. He couldn't and wouldn't let go of the memory of one conversation; no that wasn't true he wasn't able to let go of any of their conversations. So day after day he pushed himself harder, faster, longer trying to escape the memories. His body and his mind were near the breaking point as the man who could not dream suddenly found himself haunted by a pair of sad eyes.

"You need to go and I have to stay," Elizabeth said with a sob.

He took a step back, "With Lucky?"

She nodded, "I have to help him, I might be the only one who can help him."

He used some of his precious breath to curse himself so he increased the tempo of his run, oblivious to the many admiring eyes on him he continued to push himself in his need to outrun her sweet voice.

He had been running since that night in April, over 2 months ago, and he hadn't outrun her words yet. Sometimes he thought he didn't even want to. He had spent the time tracking Sorel's men and telling himself to forget her, it was what she had asked of him so he had tried.

"W-what about you and me?" Jason asked roughly, he felt like someone had a vise on his heart.

"I need to let you go, I'll lean on you for as long as you let me and that is not fair to you. You deserve someone who will put you first. You deserve that more than anyone I have ever met. I can't. No, I won't ask you to wait around while I help Lucky.

"I decide what's fair for me." He argued.

"I told you that once and you didn't listen to me. This time I am not going to listen to you. I'm setting you free, because I need you to be happy and safe, or as safe as you'll let yourself be. Be happy Jason, that's what will make me happy, knowing that you're happy."

He pulled up then, the burning in his side too much. He bent over at the waist and tried to pull some much needed oxygen back into his lungs. He stood upright again, resting his hands on his hips to stare out over the ocean, finally he began to move down the beach to his hacienda.

He needed to find a way to let her go before it killed him. She had made her choice and although he hated it, he had to respect it. In some aspects Sorel's bomb attempt had been a blessing, it gave him distance from her. If only he could find a distance from her memory. He shrugged then and kept moving up the beach, his work for Sonny had ended last night, when he had caught the last man. It was time to figure out where he should go next. He sighed heavily when he realized that the two places he wanted to go the most were impossible for him to go to at all, Italy and home.

~Penthouse~

She leaned against the elevator car wall and tried to keep alert, she knew from the reaction she had gotten from the cabdriver that she must look awful, but she didn't care, she had a goal, talk to Jason and that mantra was running through her head sustaining her.

The doors finally opened and she walked out towards Sonny's door, she wondered foggily why it was closed, it took a while for her to realize that Johnny was not outside the door like usual. She knocked on the door and got no response, she knocked again and there was still no response. Desperate now she pounded on the door, calling hoarsely for help, but it was no use Sonny was gone.

She backed away from the door until she hit the wall facing it, suddenly boneless she slid down the wall, leaving a bloody smear on the wall when she did so. She concentrated on keeping her eyes open but it was so hard, the pain and the blackness were reaching for her, and she bowed her head on her knees and gave into the comforting nothingness.

~Panama~

Jason let himself in through the sliding glass door and headed for the kitchen, he opened the fridge and pulled out the gallon of cold water and headed for the window over the sink. He gulped deeply from the jug for a long while, then he let some of the water splash over his face and onto his still heated body. He had no idea why the memories were so strong this morning, but for some reason he couldn't get her out of his mind. He stared unseeingly out the window his mind was once again on the past.

"If you ever need me," he broke off when she placed her fingers on his lips. He pressed a kiss into them and watched her slowly turn and walk away.

Without a word she ran back to him, his arms reached out and caught her pulling her into him. She reached up and dragged his head down to hers. His lips finally were pressing hers. Desire held back for so long raced unchecked between them. His hands went to the back of her head, to bury themselves in her soft hair. He tilted her head up, to change the angle and deepen the kiss. His tongue traced her lips seeking admittance. She opened her mouth and let him in and his tongue explored her sweetness. He felt her tongue enter his mouth and he closed his mouth around it to suck it.

He could still feel the intense emotion on his lips that all too brief kiss had awoken in him. He had wanted that kiss for so long but nothing had prepared him for the reality of it. Her sweetness, her surrender had unleashed such a powerful longing in him, a longing that he had never felt before. Did she know how hard it was for him to let her go when he could see in her eyes that she wanted what was between them as much as he did? That the need and intense feeling that were awoken in him were reflected in her eyes as well?

He groaned and walked to the fridge to put the water away, and leaned against the cool machine. He had to find his control, he thought briefly before he raced upstairs to take a shower.

~Penthouse~

"I don't care what you say Sonny, I know blood when I see it and that is blood," Carly said pointing to the stain on the elevator wall. "Someone needs to call maintenance."

Sonny nodded and the elevator doors opened, he, Carly and Johnny stepped out and turned to the penthouse.

"Oh my god!" Carly was the first to notice the brown haired woman, sitting against the bloody wall, her head resting on her knees obscuring her face.

Sonny and Johnny reacted instantly. Sonny pulled Carly behind him back towards the elevator. Johnny pulled out his gun and did a quick sweep of the perimeter, "All clear," he said crossing back to Sonny.

Sonny nodded and moved away from the elevator towards the woman and the door, "Carly go inside."

"No." Carly said.

"Carly," Sonny said wearily.

"No Sonny, this woman was left on our doorstep, our, so this is our problem." Carly broke off when she heard a moan from the woman in front of her.

She moaned again and shifted trying to lift her head, she had heard a woman's voice and was trying to find the owner, but it hurt so much. Finally she raised her head and focused on Sonny and Carly, they stared at her in shock, she could see their mouths moving, like they were yelling when they recognized her, but she couldn't hear anything, the roaring in her ears had started again as soon as she moved her head.

Sonny dropped into a crouch beside her to pick her up, she saw him yell something at Johnny, who quickly opened the door for him. A scream escaped her lips when he rose with her injured body in his arms, he carried her into the penthouse and gently laid her on the couch, Carly following close behind.

Johnny entered behind them and went to the phone to get a doctor, while Carly dampened a towel with the water at the bar, and brought it to Sonny.

"Jason," she managed to get the word out, although she couldn't hear it, she saw Sonny's eyes jerk back to her, so she knew she had spoken aloud, she swallowed hard and tried again, "I have to talk to Jason."

Sonny nodded, and his words finally penetrated through the pain, "You will baby, I just need to help you first, then I'll get him for you." He said pressing the towel to her injured face.

"No….now, I need to talk to him now," She shifted trying to get him to agree, breaking off when another wave of pain went through her body, she stifled the scream and tried again, "Please, talk to Jason now."

"Sonny get him on the phone," Carly said quietly from behind him, "She needs to talk to him and it's obvious she won't calm down until she does. Get him on the phone."

Sonny nodded and went over to the desk to get the cell phone that would direct connect him to Jason anywhere in the world. He couldn't help but focus on her when she moaned again. The rage in him was building, it was useless but it was there. Carly's eyes met his and she saw the anger in them, she smiled at him softly, before turning back to press the cloth to the cut on her forehead trying to stem the flow of blood.

Jason had just gotten out of the shower, and wrapped a towel his waist, when he heard his cell phone ring in the other room. Quickly he left the steamy bathroom, only one person had the number to that phone. "Morgan." He said picking it up.

"Jason," Sonny said before stopping. How was he supposed to tell him that he had failed to keep her safe?

"Sonny what's wrong?" He could hear the tension, anger, and pain in that one word Sonny had said.

"Sonny," she called struggling to get up from the couch. Carly tried to stop her, but she grabbed Carly's hand, "Help me up," she pleaded, Carly stood and helped her up. "Let me talk to him."

"Hang on Jason, someone needs to talk to you," Sonny said crossing to her quickly and placing the phone into her bloody hand.

"Jason," his name came out in a broken whimper, she swallowed hard and tried again, "I'm sorry."

"Emily?" Jason tensed, he could barely recognize his sister's voice.

Emily tried to focus, she had to get through this, she couldn't break until she told him, "Jason, I'm sorry, I let you down." She said with a sob.

"Emily it's okay, no matter what it is we will fix it," Jason said softly trying to soothe her, "just tell me what's wrong."

She shuddered before continuing, "You told me that something was wrong with him." She said with a choked breath, "you told me to keep an eye on him and Eliza-Elizabeth, and I did, but I didn't really believe you, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."

Carly reached over and placed her hands on Emily's shaking shoulders trying to soothe her, while Sonny kept his eyes trained on her, trying to figure out who she was talking about, it sounded like Lucky, but Lucky couldn't have done this could he? Johnny took up his post inside the open door, watching all three, inside he felt the anger that someone had hurt that sweet kid.

"Emily I need you to take a breath and talk to me," Jason coaxed keeping his voice even and quiet, even though a knot of tension had entered his gut.

"I was too late Jason, I didn't realize the truth until it was too late." Emily began again, her breathing becoming erratic, "there was blood everywhere, and I was to late. Everything was broken, and there was blood." She was beginning to hyperventilate, Carly reached an arm around the girl trying to hold her up, "I'm sorry Jason…there was so much blood," she stared off in space the darkest memories were beginning to reach out to her. When she went on her voice was a whisper, "The studio…destroyed…so much blood."

"Emily, just finish it quickly," Jason ordered quietly his heart began to beat faster, and the icy pinprick of fear raced down his back.

Emily took a deep breath, "It's Eliza-Elizabeth…blood everywhere…destroyed…I was too late…Lucky did it…Elizabeth is dead, Lucky killed her." She yelled the words that she didn't know how to say. Then shut down, the phone fell from her hands, she moaned and sagged back into Carly. The awful images of what she had seen racing through her mind.

Sonny stared blindly at her for a minute in shock, watching Carly ease the hurt girl back on the couch, he finally bent down and retrieved the phone, "Jason?" he asked finally, there was no response from the other end.

Sonny swallowed hard and gripped the phone, "Jason I need you to talk to me," he paused waiting, still nothing, "Jason talk to me," he ordered knowing the man was still there he could hear him breathing.

"S-Sonny," Jason's voice broke on that one word, Sonny could hear the devastation in the voice, and his heart broke for his friend.

"I'll take care of it Jason, I'll get people working on it tonight. All you have to do is get on the plane," Sonny said quickly. "You hear me Jason get on the plane, I will put everything in motion, you just get back here."

"Son…"

"Jason hang up and go to the airport, I will arrange everything from here. I am telling you to go to the airport." Sonny ordered harshly, he had to focus his friend now, he had never heard Jason unsure like this before.

After a long pause Jason said, "Okay," and then he disconnected the phone.

Jason stared around the room and tried to comprehend what had just happened. He shook his head as if trying to deny the words that Emily said. Elizabeth's voice entered his head instead.

"I love Lucky and I always will," she said keeping hold of his hand when he tried to pull it away, "But I am in love with you…Elizabeth is dead."

Jason shook his head in denial.

"I bet you've seen the wind in so many places," He sucked in a breath. "It's Elizabeth she's dead", he shook his head again and the voice got louder in his head. "O Come All Ye Faithful, her voice loud and deliberately off key." He began to prowl the room, his breathing becoming erratic.

"But I am in love with you" He clenched his fists, "yeah I'm kind of a brat that way…do I get to drive? Her eyes begging him." His lungs were burning again he couldn't seem to breathe correctly and the next wave of memories hit him. "Talking with you is like hearing myself think…I am in love with you…It's Elizabeth, she's dead Lucky killed her…I can't spend my life on the back of your motorcycle…more than a friend is okay, that's how I feel about you … when I imagine seeing Italy I imagine I'm with you…live here by myself with you …I am in love with you…Elizabeth is dead."

He brought his hands up to his ears trying to stop her voice, "I have to help him, I might be the only one who can help him, he needs me … I am in love with you … Lucky killed her … I am in love with you … there was so much blood … Lucky killed her … I am in love with you … she's dead … I am in love with you."

With a scream of rage, Jason picked up a chair and sent it hurtling through the patio door breaking it and sending the glass flying everywhere, "But I am in love with you." Her voice still echoed in the air.

"Elizabeth." He screamed, "What have I done?" He collapsed to his knees, for the first time in his life he let himself break. "Elizabeth."

"But I am in love with you."