Notes: If you read the blather on the prologue this story will make a lot more sense. Remember it is totally my creation after April 20, 2001.
Plea: Please reply. Like it or hate it, let me know.
Her Greatest Mistake
Chapter 3
~Penthouse~
"Sonny?" Carly called walking down the stairs, and glancing around the empty room.
She crossed to the bar and poured herself a drink, her hands couldn't help but shake when she thought about the difference a couple of hours could make. Two hours ago Sonny and her were at Luke's for a rare night out, and now, she gulped her drink, now, Sonny was god knows where, Jason was on his way home, Emily was terrified in the guest room, and Elizabeth was…
"It's not my fault, I didn't know." Carly said out loud pouring herself another drink. "I didn't know." She repeated softly.
She set the glass down, went to the door and opened it. "Johnny where's Sonny?" She asked before looking at the guard. "Pete, what are you doing here?"
"Johnny went with Mr. Corinthos, I don't know where they went."
She nodded, and began to close the door, "Do you know if Cal is with him too?"
"No it was Francis." Pete answered turning back to the hall when he heard the elevator stop, "Mrs. Corinthos."
"What? Oh I'm not here." Carly told him shutting the door in his face.
She leaned against the door for a minute before moving back to the bar to pick up her drink. She had to talk to Cal before Sonny or Jason did. She never wanted Elizabeth dead, but she wasn't about to let the girl wreck her life now. She was going to make sure Cal kept his mouth shut.
Her hand shook, slopping the drink on the floor, when she moved to the couch. Sonny was right they needed to deal with these feelings now, before Jason arrived. She could see Sonny drawing back, blaming himself already. She had to reach him. She wouldn't let him pull away from her, not now, not when he needed her so much.
She sipped her drink, and as much as she hated to admit it, Jason cared deeply for Elizabeth. She smiled ruefully, she couldn't understand it and she had certainly tried to stop it, but Jason still cared for her. She was going to have to be the strong one for both Sonny and Jason.
"I need to speak with Sonny. Is he there?"
Carly flinched when she heard Elizabeth's voice. She ran a hand through her hair. It wasn't her fault. She needed to get this guilt out, so she could help the men in her life. She sat in the darkened room alone, with tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry Elizabeth I didn't know."
~Docks~
Lucky crouched back, further under the dock, when he heard footsteps above him. He didn't know how long he had been sitting in the damp; he was still waiting for the voices in his head to go away.
"Get off!" He screamed kicking the rat off his shoe. He covered his mouth to shut off the noise of his keening so he wouldn't be heard. They found you if you made noise, he had to be quiet.
His eyes darted around peering into the darkness he was hiding in. The only light was from the streetlamps that slid through the slats of the dock above him. Unbidden a memory entered his brain, he had stayed here once before with Elizabeth.
He smiled slightly, remembering, he hadn't been able to sleep, he had to stay awake to watch her sleep, to make sure nothing touched her and she wasn't scared. In the morning he had snuck away to get the bear she had forgotten at Audrey's.
Lucky sat on the damp ground his expression softening in remembrance; her brown eyes had lit up when she saw the bear. He had been in love with her even then.
"Elizabeth." Just saying her name gave him a sense of peace. The rats had come back to chew at his shoe and pant legs, but they went unnoticed by Lucky, he was wrapped up in the memory of her smile.
"No! Lucky please stop."
Lucky jerked made alert once again by the sound of her voice. "Elizabeth?" He looked around but couldn't see her anywhere.
"Come out Elizabeth." He got to his feet, sending the rats to the ground, scurrying away from him, while he wandered the small area.
"My bear, we left in such a hurry, I forgot him. I didn't realize it until last night. Thanks Lucky."
"I'd do anything for you Elizabeth." He explained to the image of the 15 year old Elizabeth in front of him. He had found her and the voices had stopped, she always made the voices stop.
"Please Lucky you're hurting me."
He shook his head, the image of Elizabeth had changed, she was older now, her hair was short, she wore more make-up, she was crying and she was bleeding from the head. Horrified he reached out to her. "Elizabeth?"
"Why are you always hurting me Lucky?" The bleeding Elizabeth asked him.
"No, no, no. I wouldn't hurt you." Lucky shook his head, backing away from her. "I love you."
He looked at her again, and she was gone, all he could hear was her crying. Her tears always broke his heart. He brought his hands up to his ears to block the sound. He paced the small area, trudging through the puddles of water, muttering to himself.
"You're killing me." The words were a gasp, as she fought for air.
He stared down at his hands, "NO!" He yelled plowing his fist into the pylon. "You don't understand." He yelled and began to run, to run away from her voice and her tears. "No."
~Jet~
Jason stared blindly out into the inky blackness of the night sky. The blackness seemed to go on forever, just like a void.
"Do you know what nothing feels like?"
He flinched he could still see her, see how she looked that night, the night he really spoke to her the first time. The tight black jeans, the heavy make-up, the dark halter top, her eyes filled with pain and anger, her eyes a reflection of his own.
"Yeah, that's pretty much where I live."
He pressed his hand against the cold window she couldn't be dead. He shook his head, trying to clear the thought from it. He had halfway resigned himself to the fact that he might never be with her the way he wanted, but as long as he knew she would still be around, the hope sustained him. He remembered another conversation he had with her.
September 1, 1999
She started to back away, to leave him alone in the park with his thoughts, she stopped and focused on him again, worrying her bottom lip. He would soon discover she did that a lot.
"I might regret saying this because, you know the great thing about you is that you never try to make me feel better and everybody does that, and now I'm about to do it to you." She halfway smiled at him.
Jason shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down at her. "Okay."
"At least you know Michael's around. You can hear about him, watch him grow up from a distance, and maybe someday." She stopped and shrugged, "Well you never know right?"
He studied her for a long minute, "You never know."
"See ya." She smiled at him and left.
The plane bucked, hitting some turbulence, drawing him back to the present, she had been right. He could watch Michael grow up from the sidelines, it wasn't what he had hoped for, but he could still see him when he was in town. That was how it was going to be with her too, it would hurt, but as long as he knew she was okay he could do it
"Lucky killed her."
He clenched his fist and headed to the small bar set-up on the plane. He unlatched the refrigerator to get a beer. He had to keep moving to outrun Emily's voice. It always found him when he was still. It just couldn't be true. He would know if she was dead, wouldn't he?
He thought back to the first time he had told her goodbye, he didn't know how hard it would be on him and her until he had actually done it. The light in her eyes, that he had seen whenever she was with him, had died. She had gone stiff, a small, polite, fake smile was pasted on her face. It was the first time the fake Elizabeth had made her presence known when she was with him, and he had hated it. The guilt he felt for making her retreat into that shell ripped at him. So he pressed her for the truth, and then it got even harder.
"Don't ask me how I'm feeling if you don't want to know."
He drank his beer, moving back to his seat. He picked absently at the label, on the bottle, while he remembered her argument and her tears.
"These people, am I one of them?" Her eyes weren't empty then, they were angry and a little desperate.
Jason shifted on the bench, moving closer to her. "Yes."
She closed her eyes and shook her head in denial. "No, you're wrong. I don't hurt because of you Jason, I would hurt without you."
Her voice had taken on a pleading edge, that he hardened himself too. She had come to mean so much to him, but he couldn't stay. Staying would hurt so much more, and so many people.
"Do you know how hard it is to lose the only person who believes I can figure out my own life?" She asked him, her eyes pleading with him.
He took her hand. "You're not losing me, I'm just going away."
This time when he left he hadn't even told her. He always told her, either in person or through Emily, but not this time.
"I am in love with you."
His grip tightened on the bottle, he couldn't face her after that. He wouldn't have been able to leave her alone. He had to leave for Sonny, and for her, but if he saw her again, he wouldn't have been able too. God why hadn't he seen her again?
He focused on the window, his face set, his eyes cold, and empty at the moment. He was going to stay this time, until he found her, no matter what. He was going to find her.
"No, I'll see you later."
~Studio~
Sonny took an involuntary step back from the smell and the blood he saw in the closet.
"God." Johnny muttered looking in the closet. He gestured to a rucksack on the floor, "The smell is coming from there."
Sonny focused on the bag in relief, she hadn't been in there. The relief didn't last long, he focused on the blood that was spattered on the walls. "Open it."
Johnny nodded, moving carefully into the closet, to hunch over the bag and work on the knots. He was being careful, trying not to move or touch anything, he didn't want to destroy any evidence.
Prayers Sonny didn't even know he remembered ran through his mind while he stepped away from the closet. His eye fell on the blinking red light of the answering machine. Sighing he made his way over to the one piece of furniture that was still upright. He picked up a paintbrush and pressed the recall button on the machine.
"Elizabeth darling are you there?" Audrey Hardy's voice came from the machine. "I hate to bother you, I'm looking for Gatsby. I know that he probably just got spooked because of some early fireworks, but I am still worried. Lucky always knows where to find him, could you ask him for me? Oh, Mrs. Powell, my neighbor said Lucky came by earlier, do you know what for? Anyway I hope you are feeling better, I have missed seeing you. I hope I'll see you at the picnic tomorrow."
"Gatsby is a cat." Francis explained when the machine clicked off.
"I think I found him." Johnny called from the closet; he had opened the bag, exposing a decapitated black cat.
"Christ." Sonny closed his eyes, while Francis made the sign of the cross.
Johnny closed the bag and moved quickly out of the closet.
"Francis, you're up." Sonny's voice was ragged.
"What?"
"You were a cop, give me you're first impressions on what happened here." Sonny moved to the open window. There was no breeze tonight and it was stifling in the small studio. The smell emanating from the closet was beginning to penetrate the room.
"The message from Mrs. Hardy came in at 6:10 tonight." Francis began, "Even though decomposition has begun on the cat, it was still only killed a few hours ago. The heat and the enclosed space are aiding the decomposition."
"The head is missing."
Sonny turned to stare at Johnny. "What?"
"It's not in the bag with the cat, and it's not anywhere in the closet. Lu…He took the head." Johnny stopped himself from saying his name, but the thought had been exposed.
"Go on Francis." Sonny turned back to lean on the windowsill.
"There is too much blood, in here and in the closet to have come from the cat." Francis studied the closet again. His voice had taken on the monotone edge of giving a report. The memory of the crime scene training he'd had was coming back to him, it was easier now, to separate himself from the victim. "I know Emily had a head wound and even though they bleed, I think there was another victim. I need some time and equipment to analyze the blood spatters but I feel confident in saying there was someone else…" He stopped when he remembered who the other victim most likely was.
"Jason will be here by 4:00 a.m.," Sonny spoke up. "Get everything you need and work the room. Call in Joey to monitor and help. If either one of you starts feeling nervous, leave, I don't want you caught here by the cops." He put his hands on his hips. "I'll bring Jason here when he lands so you have a few hours."
"Are you sure that is wise?" Francis asked, "You know who the other victim would be."
Sonny had moved back to the upright table, this time he hit the memo button on the answering machine.
"Hi, you've reached 555-6789 I'm probably ignoring you so leave me a message and I will call you back so you can yell at me."
Elizabeth's voice entered the destroyed studio; the laughter was evident, in her tone.
"Elizabeth." Sonny murmured, "Jason would come here anyway, you need to have some answers for him."
Sonny headed for the door, he needed to get out of here, away from the smell, the violence evident in the room reminded him of his time with Deke. He shook his head to push Deke out of his head, and pulled out his cellphone. "Cal, have you found Spencer yet?"
"No. I've checked, Kelly's, Luke's, the Cassadine kid's place, even the Spencer house, no sign of him anywhere." Cal admitted.
"Have you checked the docks around Pier 29, near the Cassadine yacht? He's there a lot." Sonny asked moving down the hall.
"I'm on the docks right now."
"Good." Sonny stopped, the memory of another conversation entered his head.
~December 3, 1999~
Jason was leaning against the wall of the boxcar, bleeding and shivering in the cold; Bobbie was bending over him, when Sonny drew Elizabeth away.
"Guess I lied to you, huh?" She asked almost fearfully.
Sonny ran his hand through his hair, before focusing on her. "Who else did you mention this to?"
"No one." She shook her head, her eyes darting back to Jason who groaned.
He touched her arm, "You got to tell me because they could be in danger."
"Sonny I went to the hospital, got Bobbie, and came back here, okay? I swear I didn't tell anyone." Elizabeth snapped glaring at him briefly before looking at Jason again.
His eyes widened in surprise, it was the first time she hadn't behaved timidly around him, or acted like she was afraid of him. She was loyal to Jason even when he hadn't been. He blocked that thought. "You got to understand something okay?"
He moved in front of her, shielding Jason from her view so he would have her undivided attention. "You cannot breathe a word of this to anybody. It would not only fix Jason with the cops, but whoever did this could pick up a scent, and they're going too use you to go after him. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
She looked him straight in the eye. "Yes."
His respect grew; she asked no questions, showed no fear. "You can't come back here."
There her strength faltered, her eyes grew cloudy. "That I can't promise you, Lucky used to live here."
"Cal there's an old boxcar about a ¼ mile outside of town, off Fremont. Spencer used to live there." Sonny paused, pinching his nose before continuing. "He's dangerous, but I need him alive, so watch your back."
"Yes sir."
He hung up and nodded to Johnny, "Let's go back to the penthouse, I want to check on Emily."
~Docks~
Cal tucked the phone in his pocket, turning away from the docks, when something caught his eye. He turned his head and saw Lucky Spencer crawl up on the dock, from below the pier; he was scrambling and kept looking over his shoulder like someone was chasing him.
His hand automatically moved to his gun, the boy looked wild, half-crazed, and covered with blood. When Lucky backed up towards him; he could hear the boy muttering. A brief thought of Luke crossed his mind. He played cards with Luke every week; he hesitated, and then let his hand drop from his gun. "Lucky."
Lucky whirled around. "Who's there?"
"It's Cal, Lucky." He said softly walking slowly towards him, keeping his hands in view, "How are you doing?"
Lucky brought his hands up to his head, his face riddled in confusion. "It's so loud in my head."
"Is it?" he moved forward a few more steps.
"Have you seen Elizabeth?" Lucky asked suddenly, focusing on the other man. "I can hear her but I can't find her."
"Elizabeth?" he repeated, "She's at Kelly's she asked me to find you."
"She is?" Lucky smiled, "Good, I've been worried about her."
"She's been worried about you Lucky. We better go see her." He edged closer.
Lucky nodded shuffling closer. "Of course she's at home. Why didn't I think of that?" He stopped clutching his head again.
"Please stop Lucky."
"I didn't mean it." His voice was so weak, that Cal could barely hear it.
"Of course you didn't Lucky, let's go, you don't want to keep her waiting." Cal touched Lucky's arm.
Lucky moved with him then, the whispers in his head had come back. He focused on the bloodstain on his shirt. He looked at Cal, to him Cal appeared to have blood on his hands, "It was you."
"What?" Cal kept his grip on his arm, to propel him forward, "What did I do?"
Lucky's breath was coming in pants, the anger was growing inside of him, and it was this man's fault. He had hurt Elizabeth; he was keeping her from him. He had to find Elizabeth. "Kill him." The voice whispered in his ear. He cocked his head he could almost recognize it. "Kill him."
They were walking along Elm Street now heading for the corner; Lucky began edging closer to the street. Cal countered keeping between Lucky and the street, "So she is at Kelly's?"
"Yes, she's waiting there for you."
"Did she get the ribs from BBQ Heaven?" Lucky asked edging closer.
"Yes, she got them." Cal answered, his eyes on his car across the street. Hopefully they could get closer before Lucky realized they weren't going to Kelly's.
Lucky's eyes went blank, they never ate at BBQ Heaven only Eli's. It was true, this man had Elizabeth. The emptiness that was always inside of him, filled with rage, he grew calm, he knew what he had to do. He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach.
Cal stopped immediately turning back to hover over him. "Lucky are you alright?"
Lucky sprang up into Cal's stomach, propelling him backwards, driving the breath from him when he connected with a car. Lucky grabbed Cal's head and began to slam it into the trunk of the car.
Cal tried to break free but in his madness Lucky had too much strength for him. He struggled for another minute before an explosion of pain entered his head and everything went dark.
"Where is she?" Lucky kept asking the question each time he slammed Cal's head into the trunk, oblivious to the blood seeping into his hands.
There was a loud screaming noise and the sky lit up with fireworks. Lucky stared up at the sky that was now lit in colors, he let the head fall back to the car trunk, he was transfixed by the colors.
"You're Lucky, but I'm luckier."
"Elizabeth." Lucky's expression grew dreamy when he heard her voice again. He backed away from the car, and Cal slid from the trunk to the ground. "Where are you?"
He looked down at Cal, "Do you think so?" He bent down, and clutched the man by his jacket; he felt something hard under his hand. He reached inside the jacket and pulled out a gun.
Lucky stared at the colt. "You're right Cal, Mrs. Hardy will know where she is. Thanks." He smiled at the man, before stepping over his body and heading down the street. "I'll find you Elizabeth." He said running his bloody hand over the barrel of the gun, "Trust me I'll find you."
~Penthouse~
Sonny let himself inside the darkened guest room, and studied the girl lying on the bed, before moving inside, and sitting in a chair beside the bed. She looked so fragile lying there, so much smaller than normal.
"Is this what you felt?"
Sonny was startled when she spoke. "What do you mean Emily?" He leaned forward and carefully took her hand.
"When you let Jason down, is this what you felt like?" Her voice was weak, her eyes barely open, but her grip on his hand was strong.
"You didn't let him down baby, you could never let him down." He whispered, "You need to rest, he'll be here soon."
"You're wrong Sonny I did let him down." She shook her head; her mind kept replaying a conversation over and over in her head.
~April 3, 2001~
"Elizabeth gets to choose what she wants. I may not agree." Jason shook his head, "Look she's been a good friend to you, don't let it come between you."
Emily groaned, "I know, I just," She shook her head, "I just need, you know to pull back a little bit and cool off…"
He leaned closer interrupting her. "No, no, you need to stay close, especially now. Elizabeth needs someone to keep an eye on her."
She stared at him in surprise, "Why?"
He paused, and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Lucky. There's something, I don't know, something's going on. Whatever he's telling people, whatever they believe, there's something more. She has no idea what he is capable of."
"He saw, what I couldn't see, he asked me for one thing, and I couldn't do it." Emily moved on the bed, and moaned in pain. "I don't know how to face him."
Sonny crouched beside the bed, "Emily listen to me, you did nothing wrong. Jason knows that, he is not mad at you."
She shook her head.
"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked quietly.
She shuddered, "I have to tell Jason first." She looked at Sonny, "You know he's in love with her. I saw it and ignored it, but he is."
"I know." He whispered back.
"And now she's gone, and he's alone again." Her eyes locked on his "Next to Lila, he's the best person, that I have ever met, and he's always the one left alone. Why is that Sonny?"
"I don't know," he gripped her hand, "We're going to help him. He won't be alone during this."
"Yes he will," she whispered her voice going soft, sleep claiming her again, "He always takes care of us, she was the only one he ever let take care of him."
He sat in the chair long after she fell asleep, she was right. The only person Jason had let near him when he was hurt was Elizabeth.
Johnny opened the door slightly, "It's time to go to the airport."
Sonny nodded and moved her hand back to the bed. "We will help him Emily, I promise."
~Hardy House~
Lucky stared up at the window of her darkened room. How many times had he climbed the tree to her room? How many times had he slept on her floor? She had to be here. He tucked the gun in the waistband of his jeans, gripped the tree and began to climb.
~Airport~
Sonny and Johnny watched the plane taxi into position. "Johnny."
"Yes?"
"Next to Jason I trust you the most. You're the best person I have." Sonny looked at him. "I need you to do something for me."
"Anything sir." Johnny agreed at once.
Sonny smiled mirthlessly, "Wait until you hear it. I need you to stay with Jason every step of the way. I don't want him alone through any of this, when I can't be there, and even when I can, you're there too."
"Okay."
Sonny studied him, "He won't make it easy, and it's not what you're used to, but I need you to help him, I need you to keep him ali…"
"I will." Johnny promised.
"Good." Sonny focused on the door of the plane that opened slowly. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Jason in the door.