AN: Thanks so much for the feedback! I'm glad you guys like this! The last two chapters have been pretty short, and I think this kind of format works better for me. Also, I think I might change the rating to R, because the next few chapters might have some pretty serious issues, and there may be some sexual content (!).
"Hey! Hey, buddy!"
Ric snapped his head up, finally drawing his attention to the bartender, who it seemed had called his name more than once.
"Buddy, you got any place to go?"
Ric thought hard. Was it so late already? Jake's was almost totally devoid of customers, another glance at the clock and Ric saw it was after two. Faith had left much earlier than she usually did in the night, and now Ric was to go home by himself. "Yeah, I'll go home," he said, downing the last of his drink. He stood up, a little unsteady, and fished around his pockets for his keys. He couldn't find anything there, not even any money attached to his clip. He looked at the bartender curiously.
"Looking for these?" The bartender held up Ric's keys. "Yeah, your lady friend slipped them to me before she left." Ric held his hand out for them. "You've got to be insane if you think you're getting these back, man. I'm not crazy enough to throw my liquor license away on you, no matter how much money you spend here. Why don't you call that chick back here to come pick you up?"
Ric groaned to himself. He would not call Faith. "No, no. Call my wife. She'll come pick me up."
The bartender looked at him curiously. He had seen Ric leave with Faith many times. "You mean, that hot blonde you're always in here with isn't your wife?"
"No!" Ric said, holding up his left hand, still wearing the ring he'd never taken off. "Just call her, will you?"
* * *
Elizabeth was dreaming again. It was the dream she still had every once in a while, of looking down into a crib, seeing that perfect little face. "Hi angel," she cooed to her beautiful, sleeping baby. "You know how much Mommy loves you, don't you? Yes, yes, you're my little angel."
Then the baby stirred, and cried, and Elizabeth turned to get a bottle to soothe it, and when she turned back, she was looking into the stern, angry faces of Carly and Sonny Corinthos. And they were holding the baby. "No," Carly said firmly. "This is our baby. And your husband stole it from us, to make you happy. This is all your fault."
And then the phone ring. Elizabeth woke with a start, glancing at the digital clock next to her bed. It was after two, who could be calling at such a late hour?
"Hello?" She groggily picked up the phone.
"Mrs. Lansing?" It was a man's voice that she didn't recognize.
"Who is this?"
"I'm sorry for calling so late, ma'am, this is Joe Gibbs over at Jake's Bar. Your husband's three sheets to the wind, he needs you to come pick him up."
Elizabeth fought back angry tears. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "I don't have a husband."
"Oh no?" Joe Gibbs sounded uncertain. "Look, there's this guy here with a wedding ring, and there's no way he can drive home, and he told me to call his wife at this number. Look, normally we'd just put him in a cab, but he won't get in one. He said he'd only go home with his wife, or he'd drive himself."
Elizabeth groaned, throwing back the covers on her bed. There was no way that she'd let him get behind the wheel and hurt more people. She didn't care how much he'd done to her, she wouldn't have his death on her conscience. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
* * *
Though Elizabeth tried to mentally prepare herself for seeing Ric, she still gasped at the sight of him. He was walking slowly, like a practiced drunk, not like a man who had just gone on a bender for the evening. When he sat down in the car next to her, Elizabeth pushed herself all the way over to the door on her side. "Hi sweetheart," he said, his voice thick. Elizabeth didn't answer him. "Thanks for picking me up. Do you remember the way home?"
Elizabeth glanced at him in surprise. "Of course I do. I lived there all summer. You still live in the house in the woods?"
He smiled, looking so stupidly happy, Elizabeth felt her skin crawl. "Of course, it's our home, sweetheart. Where we'll bring up our children. I always knew you'd come back to me. And here you are."
Elizabeth turned away from him, so he couldn't see the tear fall down her cheek, and drove in silence. This man that she had loved so much was a crazy, pathetic drunk. She would never have believed it when she first saw this polished Harvard lawyer, this dark and handsome Prince Charming. The man who had held her body warm against his own, and made her feel things she had never thought possible. But this wasn't the man she had loved so much. That man was a lie.
When she got to the foot of the long driveway, she stopped the car abruptly, and turned to him, giving a cold stare. "Don't look at me like that. It's your fault we're not together now, it's all your fault my life fell apart," he said, sounding sure of himself, the way he sounded in a courtroom.
"No, Ric. None of this is my fault," she answered bravely, willing herself with all her might to believe her words. Thankfully, he took the hint, and got out of the car without any more foolish words of them being together.
Elizabeth turned the car back around, trying not to take notice of the familiar surroundings. It was well after four, and now she was wide awake. The thought of going back to her tiny studio apartment made her feel claustrophobic. No, Elizabeth was restless now. She needed fresh air.
She kept on driving, and found herself near the docks, Elizabeth sighed and got out of her car, being careful to lock the doors. She had always liked this time of day for thinking. It felt like there was no one else in the whole world.
Walking along, she found her way to her favorite part of the docks. It was so quiet here, and the water was endless. Being way over on the end, ships seldom stopped there. She sat down on the edge of the dock, letting her feet dangle over the water. It was so bitter cold, she could see the frost in the air. Thanksgiving was last week, and Christmas was on its way.
Elizabeth though of last Christmas, spent with Ric, in Kelly's. She rubbed her hands together for warmth, and caught sight of the wedding band she still wore. Very carefully, with her stiff fingers, she slipped the ring off her hand, and rolled it between her fingers a few times. Then, very swiftly, she threw the ring into the waters of Port Charles, watching it disappear into the blackness. She let the tears finally flow freely. She didn't have to be strong for anyone; no one could see her.
* * *
Lorenzo had not slept soundly for many years. In fact, it was difficult to remember a time in his life when he could fall asleep easily, without keeping one eye open for danger. So for him to be pacing his floors at four-thirty in the morning, still wearing his clothes from the day before, was perfectly normal.
What was not normal was this feeling he was having, like all the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He felt he was not alone. He felt he was needed. Was there, perhaps, something wrong with one of his ships?
He headed to the window to check, and swallowed hard at what he saw.
* * *
Elizabeth could hear footsteps approaching. Oh God, who would be on the docks at this time but muggers and vagrants? Quickly swiping at her tears, she turned to go, and for the second time that day, ran smack into Lorenzo Alcazar, and she made a strange, high-pitched noise of surprise.
"Mr. Alcazar! What…what are you doing here?"
He looked at her, expressionless, and pointed to a window in the building nearby that was lit. "I live up there, and I saw you down here. I could ask you the same thing, Ms. Webber. What are you doing here?"
Of course. He lived in Ric's old apartment. "Um…" she decided not to answer that question. "You know, you can call me Elizabeth."
She momentarily thought she saw something pass through his eyes. Surprise? Delight? "Well, thank you, and I insist that you call me Lorenzo." He sat down beside her on the dock, with no regard for his fine Italian suit and wool overcoat. "And you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here at this time?" He noticed the dark circles under her eyes, red streaks that her tears had left behind. "Elizabeth, if I'm prying, please, let me know."
Elizabeth tried to take a deep breath. She would not allow herself to fall apart on this man again. "It's nothing." He handed her a handkerchief and there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. Kindness and compassion. "I saw Ric tonight, for the first time since…since everything."
He nodded. "I've seen him from time to time, as well. He's…he's not the man you married."
"You can say that again."
"It really upsets you to be near him then?"
"No, it's not that. Though, it certainly didn't help. It's something he said."
Lorenzo took a deep breath. "May I ask what?"
"He told me it was my fault his life fell apart," and Lorenzo knew from the look in her eyes that she honestly believed it to be true.
"Elizabeth, I don't know you well at all, but I would like to say this," he began. "You're a kind person, maybe the only completely kind person I've ever met. And that bastard you married was sick. He hurt many, many people. And the sickest thing about it is that he truly believes that everyone but him is to blame. Please, just know that, nothing was your fault." Elizabeth looked intently at him. She had never heard him use so many words at once.
And she realized, it was all she had been waiting to hear. She'd had kindness from her friends, but nobody had said that, what she'd needed most of all. Just this man, Lorenzo Alcazar. The sky was beginning to streak with white, the start of dawn, and Elizabeth could see his strikingly handsome profile clearly when he turned to face the water.
As an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. It was the only payment she could think of for the service he'd done her again, saving her from herself.
She wasn't prepared for the shock in his eyes when he turned toward her. Nor was she prepared for him licking his lips and leaning forward and…
And then he was kissing her, and all of the shock from before faded to a pale surprise when Elizabeth felt the electricity and the warmth from her head to her toes. His lips moved gently against hers, and she heard her own low, light moan. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, and she opened willingly for him, deepening the kiss.
No other parts of their bodies touched, but she found herself unable to breathe when they broke away. Her eyes widened and he looked almost…scared? Who knew? He was the hardest man to read.
Elizabeth rose slowly to her feet…and just…and just ran away.
Lorenzo returned to a standing position as well, watching her leave, as the sky began to fill with light.
Such a private exchange, neither of them knew they were being watched.