Chapter Seven:

They stood below her balcony contemplating their next move.  "What if she doesn't want to come with us?"  Maria asked as she started up the latter in front of Isabel.

"Then we make her, all right.  Just keep moving."  She said.  "God…I don't know how my brother do this on a regular basics."

"It's actually very easy once you get use to it."  Maria reassured her smiling as she remembers the many occasions she and Liz had used this latter.

"Ssssh…"  Isabel stopped.  "I hear something."

"Oh my God…that's Liz…"  Maria murmured as she listened to the angry words being screamed above her.

'You will never be half the man my father is.'  The heated words drifted down to them seconds before the sound of his slap ricocheted around them until it was replace with a loud thump.  Their hearts racing they made their way quickly up the latter, pulled themselves over the edge and ran to Liz's window.  She was standing in the middle of her room, her body held stiff, her hands balled tightly into fist at her side.  'I hate you.'  She screamed.

Pulling the window open they made there way inside.  Liz was so consumed with her anger, her pain that she didn't realize they were there until Maria touched her arm.  Wiping at her eyes rapidly she pasted a smile to her lips.  "Hey what are you guys doing here."  She asked.

"Don't you even try it."  Maria scolded enfolding her in her arms.  "Why didn't you tell me…God Liz…what were you thinking?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?"  She said pulling out of Maria's embrace.

"What the hell happen to your face?"  Isabel demanded, her voice cold from the rage running through her.  'How can she stand there and protect him?  God…she was wrong.  She shouldn't have convinces Max to wait.  If she hadn't things wouldn't have gotten to this point.' She tried to blink back the tears, but she couldn't.  They ran down her face echoing the rage, the pain, the guilt surging inside her.

"I…I… fell…there's nothing wrong…I'm just clumsy…Maria you know how clumsy I am."

"Yea…I know Liz."  She said looking up at the ceiling her tears blinding her.  "Yea… I know."

Grabbing her hand Isabel pulled her toward the window.  "Let's get out of here.  I think I've had enough of this place."

"What…where are we going?"  Liz asked, but she let Isabel pull her through the window and down the latter without a fight.

At the sound of the door opening Max strung to his feet. His disappointment hit him hard when Maria walked through the door alone.  'Oh God they couldn't convince her to come with them.' He screamed in her head.  "Where is she, Maria?"  He demanded looking pass Maria.

Sighing Maria ran her hand over her face.  "She's coming…she's right behind me, Max.  Isabel is keeping her away for a few minutes.  I…I…"  She cried her body overcome with the sobs raking through her.

Max felt his heart slammed inside him.  He wanted to push Maria from in front of him and race to Liz…his beloved Liz.  "What is it!"  He yelled his fear overcoming him.  "She's alright right?"  He demanded even though he knew…he knew with everything inside him that she wasn't, but he hoped…God…he hoped that his fear racing inside him was for nothing.

"Max…she's…he…he hurt…her…God…he hurt…her."  She said between the sobs overwhelming her.

He stood watching her.  He felt numb as if he was caught in a time warp and he was suspended in time.  He could hear Maria speaking, could hear the others ask questions, but he couldn't comprehend any of it.  And then she was there, standing in front of him and he felt his rage exploded inside him at the sight of her.

"Max!"  Michael yelled pulling him around to face him.  "Get a grip…I know what you're feeling, but you have to get control."

Pulling forcefully away from Michael, Max turned back to Liz.  She was standing hesitantly in the door way as if she wasn't sure she wanted to come in.

"Liz…"  He moaned, his pain so evident in his voice her head snapped up to his and their eyes collided.  His breath lodged in his throat so forcefully that it almost choked him when he saw the hand print on her face…her beautiful face.  He didn't try to stop the tears that ran down his cheeks, didn't try to control the rage racing inside him any longer.  He would make that bastard pay for what he did to her.

He knew what she was going to do before she even took a step, but he didn't try to stop her as she ran into Michael's bathroom and locked the door.  Closing his eyes he tried to damp down the rage railroading him. 'Get control.'  He screamed in his head.  'Get control.'  He repeated as he took a deep breath.

"Oh my God…"  Kyle moaned when Liz passed him and he saw her face.  "Screw doing the right thing."  He yelled closing his eyes as he fought the tears the strung into his eyes.

"Kyle!"  His father shouted turning to look at him.

"No…dad…didn't you just see her?"  He demanded.  "He can't get away with this…he just can't."

"He won't."  Valanti directed his statement to all of them.  "He won't."  He repeated, even though everything inside him wanted to do exactly what the others wanted to do, but he let his training, his damn training over ride his need for revenge for the sweet soul violated.

He stood at the bathroom door; his head leaned against its frame.  "Liz…please open the door."  He begged.  "Please…let me in."

Taking a deep breath his closed his eyes.  He knew he could open it if he wanted to, but he wanted her to let him in so he waited what seem like an eternity before he heard the lock turn.   The soft click of the lock brought him admittedly up right.  He waited for her to open the door, but when she didn't he grabbed the handle and opened it himself.  Closing the door behind him he watched her.  She was sitting on the floor, her knees drawn up to her face.

"I've made a mess of everything…haven't I?"  She said not looking up at him.

He dropped to his knees in front of her his heart braking.  'How can she blame herself for what he did to her?'

"No…" He reassured her.  "Liz…you did nothing wrong…nothing."

"That can't be, Max.  It can't."  She cried.  "He's hated me since I was a little girl.  I had to have done something for him to hate me.  Something I can't remember."

"You can't remember it Liz…because there's nothing to remember."  He said.

She looked up at his statement.  "You're wrong."  She cried, her tears running down her face.  "I did something…I did…"

"Liz…when was the last time you actually spend time with him before now?"  He asked cupping her face within his hands.

"I…I…don't know."  She admitted.  "I think I was about five."  She said her brows drawn in a frown.

"What can a five year old do to make a grown man hate them to the point that he would hold a grudge against them for over ten years?"  He could see that he was finally getting through to her as he stared into her eyes.  "Liz…think…think…sweetheart…what could you have done?"

"Nothing."  She whispered covering her eyes with her hands.  "Nothing."  She cried as she lunged into his arms holding him tightly to her.  "Oh God…it wasn't my fault…it wasn't my fault."

"No."  He reassured her holding her his eyes closed as he rocked her in his arms.  "It wasn't your fault."

As his tears ran down his cheeks he held her to his heart.  Guilt coursing through him that he couldn't protect her from this.  That he couldn't make all the bad memories Mike have in flicked on her disappear.  'How could something so tragic happen to such a beautifully soul?'  As he felt the anger simmering inside him, demanding retribution, he knew with everything within him that he was going to make Mike pay for what he's done to her.  He knew…even if he didn't know exactly how… he knew that he couldn't rest until Mike understood the huge mistake he'd made, until he'd felt the pain Liz had to endure all these years.  He knew and if it took years he would wait patiently if he had to, but he knew he would revenge the pain he'd caused her.