And here comes some more, please let me know if you want the next part.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~
Quagmire
Part VIII
~Penthouse~
Frozen in disbelief for a minute all Elizabeth could do was lie there. This couldn't be happening. She was supposed to be safe here, so none of this could be real, it had to be a dream. But the breath on her face, the pressure on her body when he pressed his into hers felt real, the hand he had over her mouth, was cutting off her air, so it had to be real.
His hand was on her hip and she felt it move its way up her body, revulsion triggered her fight instinct and she began to struggle. But the harder she fought the stronger his grip became. His leg was over hers pinning her to the bed, his body was pressed so tight against her it was difficult to move her arms, her struggles soon proved futile yet she still fought. He wasn't going to win this time. Not this time.
Twisting her head she managed to change his hold on her until she could open her mouth. Elizabeth wasted no time in closing her teeth around the fleshy skin of his fingers. Her attacker groaned and slapped her hard across the face. Dazed her struggles stopped for an instant, mouth free she was able to speak. "No. Don't touch me."
"Elizabeth," he whispered her name. "You know you want me."
"Not again, please not again," she begged.
"You belong to me Elizabeth now," he caressed her jaw, "and forever."
"No," Elizabeth yelled trying to break free of his hold.
"Elizabeth."
"No, don't touch me." Elizabeth woke with a start, still caught between reality and the dream world she simply reacted when she registered that a man was sitting beside her on the couch, holding her shoulders.
Flailing wildly with her hands she knocked his hands away and shoved him back as hard as she could. Desperate to get away she kicked out and caught him on his side. She kept moving until she backed over the arm of the couch and crashed hard to the floor. The instinct to run was still upon her and she tried to rise, but couldn't because of the afghan that had wormed itself around her legs.
"Elizabeth?" Sonny Corinthos spoke her name cautiously and moved closer to the obviously terrified girl on the floor.
"No," Elizabeth cried and tried to untangle the blanket.
"Sonny stay back you're going to spook her even more." Carly moved to the other side of the couch and came up beside Elizabeth. "Are you doing okay now?"
The feminine voice penetrated the fog she was in and Elizabeth shifted her focus from the blanket to the blonde beside her. "Carly?"
"That's right," Carly confirmed relieved to see recognition in Elizabeth's eyes. "You took a spill off the couch. Are you okay?"
Confused Elizabeth looked around, and belatedly recognized the living room. It had been a dream after all. Her attacker wasn't here. He hadn't pinned her to the bed in her room. She hadn't been fighting with him at all, but her hand still throbbed, why was that?
"Let me help you up," Carly reached out but Elizabeth hissed and jerked away. Recognizing the signs Carly backed off. "Okay you do it."
Embarrassed at her overreaction Elizabeth averted her eyes and freed her legs from the confining afghan, then made her way to her feet.
"Are you okay Elizabeth?" Sonny asked.
Focusing on him when he spoke Elizabeth realized that he was the reason her hand was hurting. "I hit you didn't I?"
"It's okay," Sonny dismissed her concern.
Shaking her hand out Elizabeth ignored his words. "Jason's not here, at least I don't think he is, or maybe that's just a dream too."
"He's out," Carly confirmed.
"Of course he is," Elizabeth whispered.
"Are you doing okay? Jason told me what happened to you," Sonny asked in concern.
She had lost it in front of two people she couldn't afford to lose control with. That wasn't good. She needed to stay in control.
"Elizabeth?" Concerned by her expression Sonny reached out to her.
Feeling his hand on her arm she jumped back from him and almost crashed into the fireplace.
Sonny held up his hand. "I'm sorry I startled you."
"You didn't," Elizabeth shook her head. "Jason's not here. But you already knew that right? After all he's probably doing something for you, like always."
Sonny's unease was growing by the second. From the moment he'd entered the penthouse and heard Elizabeth's nightmare, to her increasing agitation and refusal to look at him, Sonny was growing more and more concerned for his friend. Judging from Carly's unusual silence so was she.
"Why don't you sit down? Jason should be here soon, you can rest until he does," Sonny pointed to the couch.
Her hands were shaking and Elizabeth hated that. The dregs of the nightmare along with the sedative she'd been given were making her head foggy. She felt unsure, scared and the only thing she could do was lash out. "You almost sound like you care."
"I do care."
Elizabeth laughed, startling all three of them. Sonny reached out again and she batted his hand away. "Since when?"
"You're my friend Elizabeth, you went through something awful today," Sonny spoke slowly and kept his voice even trying to calm her.
"Wrong," Elizabeth snapped angrily. "We were never friends. I was a convenient tool for you when Jason refused to speak with you, that's all."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is, I was a tool, nothing more and when my usefulness dried up you couldn't get away fast enough. I became one of the bodies that you stepped all over to get what you wanted," she informed him snidely. Moving carefully around Carly she began backing to the stairs.
"I know you're angry with me," Sonny started.
"Wrong again, I don't care about you." Elizabeth backed into the pool table and let out a shriek. Mortified she bowed her head and whispered. "Jason's not here."
"I know," Carly answered softly.
"I'll go upstairs, you can wait for him here. You don't have to leave, I'll leave. I'll stay in my room," her mind was racing so fast it was hard for her to finish a thought but one idea refused to die. "I won't come out while you're here, so you don't have to make him leave to talk. I won't come out," she promised.
Confused Sonny stared at his wife.
"Jason won't leave," Carly promised. "When he comes back Sonny will talk to him here, he won't leave you alone again."
"I can be alone," Elizabeth flared briefly, before bowing her head again. "It's just," she twisted her hands trying to come up with an excuse.
"It's his house, he shouldn't have to leave it," Sonny offered.
The sound of his voice triggered Elizabeth's anger again and her head flew up. "That never stopped him before. Whenever you needed him too, he walked out the door and never looked back."
Taken aback by her quickly changing mood Sonny decided to agree with her and keep his mouth shut. So he simply nodded.
The phone chose that minute to ring and Elizabeth jumped again. Anger gone, she stared at the phone. "I won't come out of my room, so you don't have to make him leave," she whispered then turned around and ran up the stairs.
"Jesus what the hell was that?" Sonny demanded as soon as Elizabeth disappeared from sight.
"Nothing you would understand," Carly murmured.
"What?" Sonny snapped at her then headed for the phone, but it stopped ringing before he could answer it. "Jason told me about the morgue, but this seemed more than that. Her nightmare, the things she was saying, something else is going on."
"Leave it alone Sonny," Carly turned on her husband.
"Why?"
"I know this is going to be hard for you to do, but I need you to try. Find Jason and get him here, now," Carly ordered. "Try to remember when you were his friend, and her friend, and get him here."
"Why is everyone insulting me lately?" Sonny demanded. But Carly ignored him and moved up the stairs after Elizabeth. "I know how to be a friend," he continued on. "Jason is my best friend he has been for years," he reminded the empty room.
Disgusted with himself when he realized what he was doing Sonny stalked to the door and opened it. "Where the hell is Jason?"
"He had something to take care of," Francis answered.
"Where?"
"I don't know, he didn't tell me."
"Find him," Sonny ordered. "Get him here now."
"I'll try his cell," Francis pulled out his cell and hit a memory button. "It says he's out of the service area," he announced after a minute.
Frowning Sonny paced away then back again. "Find Benny, see if he knows where Jason is. Then find Jason and bring him back here."
Francis nodded and opened his phone again.
"What are you doing? I told you to find Benny, not call him." Sonny reminded him sharply.
Although this had been a moment he'd been dreading, now that it had finally arrived he had no more concerns. "Jason ordered me to stay with Elizabeth no matter what. I'll call Benny, and then Manny, and have him track Jason down."
"I'll be here with Elizabeth," Sonny reminded him. "It's okay for you to go,"
"I'm not leaving her," Francis kept his eyes trained on his boss.
Stunned Sonny stared at him in disbelief. Francis was disobeying a direct order, in favor of one of Jason's orders. When had he lost control over his own people? And why?
"I'll find Jason for her, but I'm not leaving my post." Francis gave a passing thought to the fact he might have just signed his own death certificate. Sonny hadn't been acting like himself for months now, so there was no telling what he might do in the face of his rebellion. But he never gave it more than a thought, and dialed his phone. If Sonny wanted him dead there wasn't much he could do about it right now. But there was something he could do to help Elizabeth, he could find Jason for her.
~Pentonville~
Tom Baker curled up in a ball, coughing hard he did his best to hold his spleen inside his body. He hurt so bad, he couldn't even groan when he was yanked to his feet again. His legs refused to support him and he collapsed to his knees, but that wasn't good enough. He was soon picked up and thrown headfirst into the bars. He wished he could say that was the first time it had happened but he would be lying. The punch came against his kidneys and blood spurted out of his mouth in reaction, gasping in pain he slid down the bars. "No more."
"I didn't you knew what the word no meant," Jason reminded him.
"I," he coughed, "I told you everything."
"Maybe you did, then again maybe you didn't," Jason answered. His hands were throbbing, yet he was still eager to hit Baker some more. He was good at violence but he had never taken pleasure in administering a beating before now.
"I did," sobbing Baker curled in a ball again, "please."
Jason bent over and grabbed Baker by the head dragging it up he closed his fist again and prepared to strike. The muted sounds of beeping came from his watch and he reluctantly dropped his hold on Baker and he collapsed back on the ground. "It won't do you any good to complain about what happened to the guards they won't believe you, no one will. And if you try I'll just have to come back here sooner than I planned."
"I won't," Baker promised the man he could barely see because of all the blood in his eyes.
Crouching beside Baker Jason leaned closer to him. "This isn't over. If I find out you lied to me, I will be back, and I won't stop." Satisfied with the warning Jason moved out of the cell and gave a soft whistle. The cell door closed tightly behind him. "Remember Baker, I'll always be watching you."
The words were enough to end what little control Baker had been clinging too, and the mixture of fear and pain had him emptying his bladder. He remained immobile, listening to the sound of Jason Morgan walking away from his cell. Somewhere deep inside of him, in a place the pain hadn't reached, Baker began to plan. He was going to pay for the beating Morgan had just given him. The bastard was going to pay.
~Penthouse~
The soft knock on the door had Elizabeth off the bed in a heartbeat. Her heart was still going double time when Carly opened the door and walked inside. Mortally embarrassed over her behavior downstairs Elizabeth tried to brace herself for the tirade she knew was coming.
"I can't believe he hasn't redecorated in here yet," Carly's eyes swept the room. "Alexis' taste is marginally better than the banana's but he still needs to redecorate."
"Banana?"
"Hannah the banana, the fed," Carly explained with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Oh." Unsure where Carly was heading and unwilling to remain still Elizabeth moved to the dresser, keeping a wary eye on the blonde's progress into the room.
"Did you know I always wanted to be popular?" Carly asked absently and catching sight of the flowered bedspread she barely controlled the shudder. "In junior high, in high school, I always wanted to be a part of the in crowd. One of the cool, popular ones."
"I think everyone did at one time or the other."
"I know but I worked at it. I wanted to be Carly," she smiled wryly. "Carly Roberts was everything I wanted to be," she saw the confused look on Elizabeth's face and explained. "Back then I was Caroline. Caroline Benson, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Caroline had no father, her mother was a part-time drunk and full-time Southern Belle. I hated Caroline I hated everything about her life, about her mother. Mama Virginia, who always talked too loud, flirted too much, and never wore the right clothes."
Fascinated Elizabeth picked up her hairbrush and began to work it through her hair while she listened.
"Carly was everything Caroline wasn't. She was rich, she was blonde, and she was beautiful. Her parents doted on her, she had a horse, and a convertible, basically she had anything she wanted. She was popular, and for some reason she wanted to be Caroline's friend." Carly moved to the window and stared out at the night. "We did everything together, where there was one, the other would soon appear. I tried out for cheerleader because Carly did, I joined the pep squad, the school plays, anything Carly did, I did, and I did it also to be popular."
"One night we went to a bonfire party, it was the night before the homecoming game. I was only invited because Carly wanted me there, but I didn't care. I had finally made it to the in crowd and there was no way I was going to leave that party. Especially not when Chad Rogers started talking to me. Chad Rogers was the King of our school," she singsonged mockingly, bitterly. "He was the Captain of the football team, star Quarterback, most popular, most rich, most handsome, and he was talking to me. Little Caroline Benson whose prior claim to fame had been when her mother had made a pass at the principal when she chaperoned the school dance a few months before."
Forgetting about the brush Elizabeth turned around and focused on Carly.
"He'd never spoken to me before that night. He wasn't with his girlfriend, but I didn't notice. I also didn't notice how my glass never seemed to get empty. We danced, we talked, we laughed, and somehow we made it in a bedroom. I didn't mind it when he kissed me, he was Chad Rogers, how could I mind? But soon kissing wasn't enough, and when I was pinned under him on the bed, I began to mind," she picked some lint off the curtains. "He didn't seem to hear me, no that's not true, when I said no he just covered my mouth with his hand. When he grew tired of that, he stuffed one of the football players jacket's sleeve in my mouth."
"I can still hear the sound of the party, the music that was being played, I can still taste the leather of the jacket," Carly blinked the images away. "He got off of me, kissed my cheek, and told me he'd give me a call. He never noticed the tears, the way I jerked away from him, or the new crimson stain on the football jackets."
Horrified Elizabeth sank on the bed.
"He never did," Carly turned from the window. "Call that is, I never spoke to him after that night. I saw him in school two days later, his arm around his girlfriend, he walked past me like I wasn't even there. No he never called, but his friends did. I had finally made it in the in crowd."
"Did you ever tell anyone?"
"Carly knew, she smiled sadly, and said being popular wasn't what I'd thought it would be was it?" Shrugging the memory away Carly moved to the bed and perched on the side of the mattress. She had no idea what had compelled her to speak of the memory of that night. Other than Carly she'd never told anyone what had happened to her. She hadn't planned on telling anyone, yet once she'd entered the room she knew she had to tell Elizabeth.
"That's so wrong," Elizabeth whispered. "What he did to you was so wrong."
"It was a long time ago."
"It was five minutes ago," Elizabeth corrected her. "You should have been able to go to a party and have fun. Just like I should have been able to walk through a park on Valentine's night."
Carly nodded in agreement. "How old were you?"
"Fifteen, and too mortified to go home and face my grandmother in my brand new dress, that she had bought for me, and admit that I had been stood up in favor of my sister."
"That had to be rough."
"It was years ago," Elizabeth tried to dismiss it.
"It was five minutes ago," Carly reminded her.
"How could you face him, day after day? I could never do that. I hear Tom Baker's name and I freeze, I can't imagine being in the same room with him."
"I hated it, and I hated him, I still do," Carly admitted.
"You had to be strong, I was never strong, I did so many things wrong," Elizabeth admitted sadly.
"You turned him in, maybe not immediately but he was still punished. I never said a word, that's not strong," Carly pointed out. "Did you know Michael has had 15 footballs in his life? Every time he gets one, I throw it away a few days later. And I can't tell you how many football jackets I've burned over the years. Does that sound strong to you?"
"You survived," Elizabeth whispered.
"Yeah well so did you. That's a hell of a lot more than most." Carly reminded her.
Elizabeth nodded and began picking her hair out of the bristles of the brush. "Carly are we bonding?"
"Christ I hope not," Carly shuddered.
The horrified expression on Carly's face made Elizabeth smile.
~*~*~*~*~
"Where the hell were you?" Sonny pounced as soon as Jason opened the door.
"Out." Jason shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the chair. "Where's Elizabeth?"
"Upstairs with Carly. She freaked out earlier," Sonny informed him.
Concerned Jason began heading for the stairs.
"Jason we need to talk about things," Sonny called after him.
"Not now." Ignoring his friend he kept moving up the stairs.
"Jason," Sonny yelled.
"Not now Sonny. If something is going on with the business, get Johnny to handle it. I'm not leaving her," Jason snapped back.
"With everything that Elizabeth is going through do you honestly think I'd ask you to leave?" Sonny asked and when Jason didn't answer the world dropped out from underneath him. "You do think that."
"Yes I do," Jason answered bluntly. "And if you try to make me choose…"
"I wouldn't," Sonny barely managed a response.
Jason nodded and began moving up the stairs again.
Sonny sank on the couch, his eyes finally open to the man he had become in the past year. Distaste filled his mouth and his soul.
~*~*~*~*~
"Elizabeth?" Jason knocked and pushed open the door.
"She's in the shower," Carly waved him in.
"Again?" He frowned at the closed bathroom door.
"She's entitled." Carly rose from the bed. "I'll be leaving now."
"Are you okay?" Jason caught her arm when he saw the tear tracks on her face.
"Old ghosts," she whispered. She took a step towards the door then turned around. "Jason you're the best man I've ever known, and the best I ever will. So don't screw things up because you think you can't have things or people in your life if Sonny doesn't approve."
"What happened?"
"Maybe I'll tell you one day, but not now," Carly kissed his cheek. "I still don't like the muffin. But whoever is doing this to her needs to be torn apart, and I'm counting on you to do just that." Her gaze fell on his bruised knuckles. "Maybe you've already started." With a final smile she walked out of the room.
Frowning more because of her mysterious words than anything else, Jason studied his hands. His knuckles were pretty shot.
"Did you hurt your hands?"
The soft question caused him to turn in surprise. Elizabeth was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, her damp hair was brushing her shoulders. She was wearing his shirt again, and it hid most of her frame. Her legs were covered by sweats, her feet with socks. Makeup gone, her face red because of the heat of the bathroom, she looked like a teenager.
"Not really," he quickly tucked them in his pockets before she could see them.
"I wasn't sure when you'd be back," Elizabeth forced herself to walk into the room. "Sonny was looking for you."
"I saw him," Jason moved closer.
"I thought you went somewhere for him," she admitted.
"No," he waited until she crawled into the bed, then pulled the covers up to her waist. "I was checking on something for you."
"Oh," she couldn't help but feel relieved. Even though she hated that he'd left at all, she was glad it wasn't for Sonny. "I kind of got mad at him."
"He probably deserved it."
Startled Elizabeth looked up at him. "You're not mad?"
"I'm mad," he admitted. "I'm mad at whoever is doing this to you, I'm mad at myself for hurting you the way I did, and I'm mad at Sonny for changing. So yeah I'm mad."
Elizabeth reached over and covered his bruised knuckles with her hand. Ignoring the implications of the bruises she brought her other hand up to his smooth cheek. "I'm tired of being mad. Just for tonight, can we let the anger go?"
Leaning into her hand Jason nodded. "I'm sorry I left."
"No apologies either," she pressed a finger to his lips. "Tonight it's just you and me. No anger, no guilt, no apologies, okay?"
"Okay," Jason readily agreed.
"Good," she tried to smother a yawn and failed.
"Why don't you get some rest," Jason urged.
Elizabeth nodded and lay back on the bed, and Jason immediately brought the covers higher up. Leaning closer he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight."
"Wait," she caught his hand before he could walk away.
"Did you need something?" Jason sat back down.
"Can you…" she hesitated for a long minute. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
"Yes."
She patted the mattress beside her and he was glad she had her eyes closed or she would have seen the surprise on his face. Rising his attention was caught by the sight of blood on his jeans near his ankles. "Just let me change, I'll be right back."
"Okay," Elizabeth sat up and leaned against the headboard. Her brain was telling her that she had just made a mistake. That asking Jason to stay with her was a mistake of epic proportions, but her heart told her a different thing. She was too tired and scared to fight with herself any longer. Jason made her feel safe, so she wanted him around, she'd deal with the consequences of tonight, in the morning.
~Wyndamere~
"I know Grandmother I miss Lesley Lu, too," Nikolas paused to listen to his grandmother Lesley Webber. "Soon I hope. Right now the doctor's tell me that too many visitors isn't good for mother anyway." A soft knock sounded on the door and Nikolas waved the newcomer in while finishing up his call. "I'll talk to you soon. I love you."
Nikolas hung up the phone and frowned at his guest. "I was pleased you decided to come."
Andreas Popodopoulous nodded immediately. "I came as soon as you sent for me Master Nikolas."
Nikolas gritted his teeth at the subservient tone, but was smart enough to use it to his advantage. "When you worked for my Grandmother she relied on you to find things out for her did she not?"
"Yes."
"You found people who didn't want to be found, right?" Nikolas pressed.
"Yes."
"I want you to find someone for me. And I want you to find him immediately," Nikolas picked up the letter opener from his desk, and couldn't help but notice the way Andreas eyes immediately locked on it. Swallowing his disgust over his actions Nikolas concentrated on the end result he was trying to achieve and went on. "You will do this for me right?"
"Of course," Andreas nodded desperately. "Anything you want."
Relieved Nikolas put the letter opener in his drawer. "I need you to find my brother. I know he was in Europe 8 days ago with my mother. I need to know where he is now. And if he is back in the country I need to know how long he's been here. Can you find out for me?"
Andreas had long since learned never to be curious when a Cassadine made a request so he merely nodded and rose. "I'll get right on it."
"Good," Nikolas nodded in dismissal. He reached out and picked up a framed photograph that was on the desk. It was an old photograph, the people in it had changed so much he barely recognized them. Lulu was so much older now, Lucky had turned into someone unrecognizable and so had he. Even the room the photo had been taken in was gone now, the fire having destroyed it as well as so many of their lives. Elizabeth had taken the photo as a birthday present for Laura. And it was because of Elizabeth that he had just sent a man who had worked for his Grandmother, and possibly could still be working for Helena, even though she was in prison, after his brother.
The world had changed so much sometimes he wondered how it kept spinning at all.
~P.C.P.D.~
"You're telling me you can't find Timothy Baker anywhere?" Taggert snapped.
"Baker had plane tickets to JFK then on to Rome for 6 days ago, he never made the flights. He never checked out of his hotel, no one has seen him since he visited Tom Baker in Pentonville 7 days ago," Detective Andy Capelli reported.
Frustrated Taggert slammed some files around on his desk. "We need to find him."
"What did he do anyway?" Capelli asked.
"Just find him," Taggert ordered.
~Penthouse~
"Why do you think he's doing this to me?" Elizabeth asked softly.
Jason looked over at her, but in the darkened room all he could see was her profile. She had been quiet for so long he had hoped she'd fallen asleep. "I don't know."
Elizabeth shifted slightly so she could peer at him. "I had gotten past this, past him, and now I'm back jumping at shadows."
Jason rolled on his side, shifting the blanket so he remained covered. She was under all the blankets and the comforter, but the moment he'd crawled on the bed beside her, she'd sat up and pulled the extra blanket from the foot of the mattress and placed it over him. The glare she'd given him warned him not to mention the fact that he wasn't cold.
"I've met a lot of bad people in the world. For some they just like control."
"Like Sonny?"
"No," he shook his head. "I know you're angry with him, but Sonny at his worst would never do this to another person."
"I know that, I just meant, it's like he tries to control everyone around him. Maybe Tom Baker or whoever wanted to control me like that," she theorized.
"He only has the power if you give it to him, and you haven't done that. You've fought him every step of the way," he reminded her. "You're so much stronger than he is."
What was it about the dark that made people open up when they normally wouldn't? Was it because they couldn't see the eyes of the people they were talking too? Or was it something in the dark that just made truth telling the right thing to do?
"I don't feel strong. I woke up and you weren't here, and I told Sonny I would stay in my room if he wouldn't send you away again," she admitted ashamed at her weakness. "That's not being strong, it's being a coward."
"Don't call yourself a coward," Jason reached out and brushed the hair off of her cheek, and his fingers lingered on her skin. "It's not cowardly to need someone, sometimes."
"You never do," she sighed and closed her eyes.
The dark beckoned him so too, did the truth that he had hidden from himself and from her for so long. "You're wrong, on every count. I'm the coward here Elizabeth."
Confused she opened her eyes and stared at him.
"I do need someone, I need you, and that scares me. I'm not used to needing anyone, I haven't since Robin left, but suddenly I did. I needed you, and I couldn't handle that. So I ran, I avoided you, I hurt you, all because I was too afraid to let myself need you." Defenses gone he finally admitted the truth.
Stunned by the words and their meaning Elizabeth remained quiet. Jason shifted again, moving onto his back. She didn't know what to make of his admission, yet she knew it was the truth. The question was, had his truth come too late to make a difference?
Jason was afraid that he'd gone to far. The last thing Elizabeth needed, was him pushing her. But when he'd heard her call herself a coward for admitting she needed him, he'd had to speak. The instant she'd said the words he realized what he'd been doing to her.
"It's not cowardly to need someone, sometimes." Elizabeth repeated his words to him and shifted until her head rested on his chest. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Jason whispered back, stunned by her actions and her words, he decided not to question them. His arm was above his head and he was tempted to bring it down to rest on her back and draw her nearer. But decided to leave it where it was. There was no need to rush things. He listened for her breathing to slow and settle, once he knew she was under and no bad dreams had arrived yet, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.
~Basement~
Anger radiated from the man as he stalked from one side of the small room to the other. Muttering under his breath, his words were indecipherable but his mood was vicious. Elizabeth had gotten away from him again, and worse he'd almost been seen. Nikolas had been close behind him and that was unacceptable.
But the fact that made him the angriest. The fact that was driving his murderous rage wasn't that she had gotten away, or that he had been chased. It was the fact that at this very moment, Elizabeth was back in Jason Morgan's penthouse. That simply would not be tolerated.
"You will regret this Elizabeth." He warned one of the dozens of photographs on the wall. Yanking one of them off he stared her smiling face, hard until the only part of it that remained to him was her eyes. She had to be punished, he determined and began shredding the photo in even strips.
The strips fluttered to the ground and he automatically reached for another photo while he considered what he could do to punish Elizabeth. He'd worked his way through five photographs before the idea finally came to him. Grinning in the dim light he looked around his room to find the necessary materials.
"You can't say I didn't warn you Elizabeth," he reminded her photo then began to hum while gathering his supplies.
~Kelly's~
"Frowning and sighing isn't going to get me to change my mind, so you might as well stop it." Elizabeth teased her companion.
"I don't know why you wanted to come to work." Jason shot back, his eyes scanning the courtyard for trouble.
"Several reasons. For starters Courtney just got released from the hospital this morning and won't be able to work for at least a week, Bobbie is a little better, but she's out for a few more days. Lee and Rita both pulled doubles yesterday to cover, and today is my turn," Elizabeth explained for the tenth time. "Besides the last thing I want to do is sit in your penthouse and wait for news. I spent days upon days doing that not too long ago, and I refuse to do it again."
Jason sighed. "Are you back to being mad?"
"No," she shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not accusing you I'm just saying the interior of your penthouse does nothing for me, especially when I'm there alone. And don't even try to tell me you would be there, I know you, you can't sit around and do nothing anymore than I can at the moment."
Jason had no choice but to agree with her assessment but it didn't mean he liked it.
"Besides," she played her ace. "I already told Lieutenant Taggert and Nikolas to meet us here." She couldn't help but smile at the expression on his face.
Seeing her smile, was almost enough to make him forget whom they were meeting, almost. "I really don't see why we need to include them in anything…"
Elizabeth raised a delicately shaped eyebrow in warning.
"But it's your decision," he finished glumly. When she moved inside of Kelly's he shot a warning glare at Francis who promptly quit smiling.
Elizabeth took off her coat, hung it on the hook and headed for the counter to stow her purse. Her mood had already picked up. Jason's little helper's had replaced the glass on the door, so the diner looked the same as it had days ago. She hadn't had any bad memory flashes from the last few times she'd been in the diner and for that she was grateful. She smiled at a few of her regulars and put on her apron.
"Francis is going to be inside with you all day, I might have to leave every now and then, but you can reach me on my cell anytime," Jason went over the details.
Nodding, Elizabeth filled a coffee cup for Jason then one for Francis, she listened to Jason talk and set the cup on the counter for Francis. He eyed the cup warily then looked back at her, Elizabeth grinned and pulled the sugar container from behind her back. Francis' sweet tooth was legendary.
"Are you listening to me?" Jason asked.
"Available on your cell, do not go anywhere with any strangers, do not take any candy from strangers, do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars," Elizabeth chirped.
"Never pick up a naked man walking backwards on the road at 2:00 in the morning," Francis chimed in.
"Good one," Elizabeth nodded her approval.
Frustrated Jason scrubbed a hand over his face.
The smile faded from Elizabeth's face and she moved back to where Jason was sitting. "I'm listening, but if I think about this, think about him, I'm going to go crazy."
"The back door is being kept locked, don't unlock it for any reason. The door to the staircase is barricaded again," Jason finished his list. "I'm not trying to bring you down, I just want you to know what is going on."
"So are you going to tell me how you got the bruises on your hands?" Elizabeth asked.
Jason focused on his knuckles and avoided her gaze.
"This concerns me, I'm the one who was chased through the morgue yesterday, I'm the one being terrorized I think I deserve to know everything," she pointed out her voice beginning to rise in anger.
"I know I just don't want to upset you," he looked her in the eye. "I saw Tom Baker last night."
Unprepared Elizabeth took a step back. "He's out?"
"No," he tried to reassure her. "I went to the prison and saw him."
Relieved she nodded, her gaze fell on his knuckles again and she realized something. "It wasn't a scheduled visit was it?"
"What?"
"You saw him on the sly right?" When Jason didn't answer she knew she was right. "Do I have to remind you what would happen to me if you get arrested?"
"You'll be safe."
"Physically maybe, emotionally I wouldn't bet on it. You saw how I was yesterday," she reminded him.
"I'm not going to get arrested," he reassured her.
"See that you don't," she ordered before moving inside the kitchen.
"So how is the muffin today?"
Habit had him glaring at Carly but there was no heat behind the gaze. Carly as usual ignored the glare, kissed his cheek and took the stool next to him.
Shaking his head Jason rubbed her lipstick off. "You're out early."
"It's hard to sleep in when you have preschooler," she pointed out.
"You look tired."
"Well you're your tactful self now aren't you?" Carly asked.
"You were upset last night, and I think you still are. Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Jason asked.
"Why so you can ride to my rescue again?" She shook her head. "This time I think I'll try to fix things on my own." She heard him groan and glared at him. "No plans, just reality."
"You without a plan?" He asked, disbelief apparent on his face.
"I'm just tired Jase, sometimes I don't even remember what I'm fighting for. Sonny's changed in the last year, and even more in the last month," as usual Jason was the only person she could fully let her guard down with. "I'm used to him shutting me out, shutting down on me, but this is different."
"Because of Brenda?"
Carly's mouth twisted in a sneer at the mention of her name. "If it was just Brenda I would still be in there fighting, no woman has ever scared me away," she reminded him. "But it's not just her. Sonny was changing before Brenda ever came back, and not for the better. You've seen him, you know what I'm talking about."
Carly having placed him in that awkward place between them Jason could only shrug an answer. "You changed too, you have still to tell him about faking your death."
"That's exactly my point I do crazy things, I always have and I always will, but that was the craziest. I walked away from Michael for weeks, with that stunt. Bobbie wanted me to tell Michael that Sonny was dead, and it hit me, someone told him I was dead," she felt the guilt rise inside of her. "That's not right Jase, I did that to get Sonny back, and now I don't know if I want him. How truly insane is that?"
"You never gave yourself enough credit," he patted her hand. "Maybe you should do what you've been telling me to do. Put yourself first, ahead of Sonny."
"Are you telling me to be selfish?" Carly asked in disbelief
Jason just shook his head. When the door opened behind him he shifted and met Nikolas Cassadine's gaze. "I need to go."
"I'll keep an eye on the muffin if she ever decides to bring me coffee," Carly snapped loudly.
"Be nice," Jason gave her a fruitless reminder and headed out the door.
"Did you say you wanted coffee?" Elizabeth walked out of the kitchen with a fresh pot.
"Finally," Carly flipped her cup over.
Sighing Elizabeth filled the cup then put the pot on the burner. It looked like she didn't have to be worried about things being different with Carly. In spite of what they'd talked about last night, it seemed the blonde still had the same attitude, which was lousy.
"You look a little better than last night," Carly commented to fill the silence. "The scarf is it new?"
Elizabeth fingered the light blue scarf. "Not really my gram gave it to me for Christmas."
"Audrey," Carly nodded. "That explains it."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't say anything, and it's a big step up from the granny skirts."
"You need a refill Carly?" Elizabeth yanked the pot from the burner and moved it closer to the blonde.
"Well if it isn't my two new favorite women." Dr. Chris Ramsey called cheerfully and took the seat next to Carly.
Although the temptation was strong Elizabeth bypassed Carly's hand and filled Chris' coffee cup. "How are you today Dr. Ramsey?"
"Elizabeth after everything we've been through I was hoping you'd call me Chris. After all I've seen you on daily basis this week," Chris teased. "I hope your bad luck string is only temporary."
Elizabeth's eyes darted to Carly.
"You were going to tell me about an angel weren't you?" Carly provided the distraction. "I've met one woman named Angel, believe me when I say the little slut definitely wasn't one."
"Ohh venom, that means it's a juicy story," Chris rested his elbows on the counter and leaned closer. "Details, I live for gossip."
Carly couldn't help but grin at his unabashed interest. "She had a fixation on white. Probably color blind, and let me tell you I didn't know they made so many ugly outfits in white before I met that woman."
Shaking her head Elizabeth stepped out into the diner. Her attention was caught by the men outside the door and with a nod at Francis she pulled on her coat and stepped outside.
"You cannot tell her, she's dealing with enough as it is," Nikolas implored the Lieutenant.
"Tell me what?" Elizabeth made her presence known.
Taggert looked over at her then back at the men he'd been arguing with. Nikolas shook his head no, but Jason nodded. Surprisingly he felt himself going along with Morgan. "Elizabeth," he stepped closer and took her hand. "Why don't you sit down?"
"No," feeling uneasy she pulled her hand away. "Tell me what happened. Is someone else hurt?"
"No," Taggert realized he was only making things worse by trying to sugarcoat things. "There was a fire last night. It was in the building your studio was in."
"Was?" Elizabeth asked.
"There's no easy way to say this, your studio and everything in it, is gone. The fire destroyed it all."
Shaking her head she sank slowly in the chair. All of her artwork, both the good and the bad were gone? It didn't seem possible. She'd worked for close to three years in that studio, how could it be gone? "Are you sure?"
"I just came from there," Taggert crouched down in front of her. "There's more."
"What?"
"The fire originated in your studio. The door had been jimmied, the locks removed, and someone soaked everything in the room with gasoline before they lit it."
"Was anyone hurt?"
"No, the firemen were able to save most of the second floor, and all of the first, but the third floor and above is a total loss."
"It was him wasn't it?" Elizabeth asked she looked to Jason for confirmation.
"Probably," Jason answered.
"We don't know that," Taggert reminded him grumpily and got to his feet.
"No one else had a motive to burn Elizabeth's studio down," Nikolas chimed in.
"Maybe she wasn't the target, maybe you were," Taggert pointed at Jason. "Someone had a blanket party all over Tom Baker last night, you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
"Stop it," Elizabeth surged to her feet and got between Taggert and Jason. "I told you I wouldn't let you use what is happening with me to further your own agenda."
Chastised slightly Taggert backed off. "Fine, I still haven't been able to locate Timothy Baker. The last place he was seen was Pentonville, over a week ago now."
Elizabeth glanced at Jason.
"There's a good chance that Tom Baker told his brother everything, and Tim Baker may be the one doing this," Jason volunteered.
Taggert's eyes narrowed in interest.
"Does Timothy Baker have a record?" Nikolas asked.
"Nothing since becoming an adult," Taggert hedged.
"What about his juvenile record?" Jason asked.
"You know juvenile records are sealed," Taggert reminded him.
If Nikolas didn't know better he'd swear that Taggert had just given them a hint to do something illegal and break into Baker's juvenile files. Nikolas' eyes moved to Jason, but as usual the stone face never gave anything away.
"We can't limit our search to just Baker," Jason was saying. "Have you found Lucky yet?"
"Jason," Elizabeth sighed.
"There are a limited number of people who know enough about your rape to do this to you, Lucky is one of them, and he has had some problems. He also knows you, he knows your grandmother, and he knows your allergies. How would Baker know that?" Jason asked.
"What about my gram?" Elizabeth dodged the question with one of her own.
"You told me the only reason you walked away from the elevator yesterday was because you heard your Grandmother's favorite song, and thought she was there. How would Tom Baker know that?" Jason pointed out the fact that had occurred to him during the long night.
"Lucky wouldn't do this," Nikolas defended his missing brother.
"Is he in Europe or not?" Jason asked Nikolas point blank.
Nikolas hesitated then met Elizabeth's eye. "I don't know, Lesley hasn't seen him for days."
"Oh god," Elizabeth closed her eyes.
"That doesn't mean anything, he could be looking for Luke," Nikolas pointed out.
"I can't hear anymore," she turned to go back inside.
"Are you okay?" Jason was beside her in a step.
"I guess the night's over, and reality is here again," she murmured.
"We'll find out who is doing this. I promise you that," his hand covered hers on the doorknob and he gave it a squeeze.
"But what if the real nightmare begins after we find out who it is?" Elizabeth asked sadly and moved through the open door.
~*~*~*~
"Well as charming as you have been, I must leave," Chris downed the last of his coffee in one swallow. "Would you like to continue this over dinner?"
Carly couldn't believe his nerve. "I'm married remember?"
"So?" Chris grinned and gave her a wink. "Take care of your arm Elizabeth," he called to her.
"He's got to be crazy," Elizabeth commented.
"What if a man asks me out that makes him crazy?" Carly shot back angrily.
"If he asks you out knowing your married to Sonny Corinthos, he's crazy," Elizabeth retorted.
"Don't you have dishes or some other menial labor task to do?" Carly asked snidely.
Ignoring the comment Elizabeth picked up the dish bin and moved in the back room. Nodding to Don she moved to the sink. The water had cooled enough that it was manageable and she stuck the newest dishes in. There was something about the mindless chore of dishwashing that soothed her frazzled nerves.
She didn't want Jason to be right about Lucky. It was bad enough that Lucky had changed into someone unrecognizable. But if he was purposefully torturing her by using the memory of the worst thing that had ever happened to her, she didn't know if she could handle it. Lucky had been her rock after the rape. It didn't seem possible that he would use that against her now.
"I'll be right back," Don called and walked into the dining room.
Elizabeth nodded and reached for the next plate. But Jason had a point. Whoever was doing this to her, did seem to know her. Baker knew everything about the rape because he had done it. But there was no way he could know about her gram's favorite song. Or how could he have known she was allergic to raspberries and wouldn't eat the chocolate he'd sent? It wasn't like she had to wear a medic alert bracelet because of raspberries, so how had he known?
Sighing she tried to flip her hair out of her eyes when it fell forward. Puffing out a breath she blew the bangs free. Reaching for another plate movement from the side caught her eye.
~*~*~*~*~
"Drano?" Nikolas repeated.
"That's right, he laced the chocolates with Drano," Taggert repeated. "There was enough on each piece to induce vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, among other things, but one piece by itself wouldn't be lethal."
"What if someone had eaten the whole box?" Jason asked.
"You saw what happened to Courtney and Bobbie, because of the number of pieces they had. Their organs started shutting down, so if you had ate the whole box, you'd probably be dead," Taggert nodded.
"Don't sound so disappointed," Nikolas muttered.
"Have you found anything out about where they came from?"
~*~*~*~*~
"Elizabeth order," Don called out and set a burger on the counter.
Surprised Francis looked over at the kitchen.
"Elizabeth," Don called again and hit the bell.
"Isn't she in there," Carly asked Francis.
Ignoring the question Francis charged inside the kitchen.
"Jason!" Carly yelled.
"What?" Jason ran through the door with Taggert and Nikolas right behind him.
Carly pointed to the kitchen. "Elizabeth."
Racing into the kitchen the only people he saw were Francis and a visibly shaken Don. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Don answered. "She was here when I went to the bathroom, and not when I came back. I thought she was in the diner, but he says she never came out of the kitchen."
"He's right she never came out," Francis confirmed.
"Elizabeth," Nikolas called and looked around. The door to the stairs was still barricaded. No one could have done that from the other side of the door.
Jason moved to the back door, he reached out for the handle, but Taggert stopped him.
"Fingerprints," Taggert reminded him and pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the doorknob. "It's still locked."
"Open it," Jason ordered.
"Jase?" Carly called from the entry.
"Open it." Jason turned around and yelled at Don.
"The key is on the hook," Don pointed.
Jason paused long enough to pull on his gloves before picking up the key and unlocking the door. He pulled the door open and stepped out into the back alley. "Elizabeth?"
Taggert, Nikolas and Francis were hot on his heels, but it was apparent no one was in the alley.
Something partway down the alley caught Taggert's attention and he moved closer. Squatting he picked up a dirty rag off the ground and took a whiff.
"What is it?" Jason asked although he had a feeling he already knew.
"Chloroform," Taggert announced and reached for his phone to call it in. "It looks like he finally got her."
~Vehicle~
Humming filled the interior of the vehicle, its sound was stronger than the radio, so he switched the radio off. Smiling to himself he couldn't help but be thrilled with the thought of what was in his trunk. "It's finally time Elizabeth," he grinned and began humming again.