Explanation: The only time I turned into GH during this awful set of storylines was the day the 2 Luke's made his ungodly appearance. Guess what? The 2 Luke's are here as well. To make it sort of less confusing, if Luke speaks it's the bad Luke, if he's only thinking it's the real Luke.

As always let me know what you think and if you want more of this story.

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Betrayal, Loyalty, and Love

Chapter 5

~Luke's~

"Is someone there?"

Her voice drifted down to him and he paused on the stairs. It was no use tipping her off before he was ready. He waited where he was, one foot hovering above the next riser, barely breathing, until he heard her footsteps begin again, and move away from him. He waited another minute before moving again, being careful to step over the stair that always squeaked. He could hear her by the door, the sounds of jangling keys caught his ear and made him smile in the dim light.

"Lucky, Luke are you here?"

Her voice was muffled and he knew that she was in the apartment, so he stepped clear of the stairs and moved to the doorway. And there she was, her back was to him, but she looked very pretty in her sky blue sundress with its spaghetti straps. Her brown hair was piled high on her head, in deference to the heat no doubt, but those few loose tendrils framed her neck nicely.

"Now this is a nice surprise." He spoke at the same time he slammed the door behind him, closing them inside the cluttered apartment.

Elizabeth whirled around her hand on her throat, she let out a cry of fright that turned into a nervous laugh of recognition. "Luke you startled me."

"You're going to need to work on your breaking and entering skills sweet thing, if you want to have a job in the field." He kept his hands on the doorknob behind him and never hesitated before locking it.

"I still have the key Lucky gave me." Elizabeth explained holding up the key.

"So what brings you into this den of inequity sweet thing?" He moved away from the door.

Elizabeth looked at him oddly for a second before speaking. "I was looking for you. Nikolas said you didn't show up this morning."

"Doing the bidding of the Cassa-pup huh?" He edged closer. "And I had such high hopes for you."

"I was worried about you Luke."

He preened at that and touched her arm. "I've been okay, but I'm better now that you're here."

She shifted back slightly, breaking contact. "I have something to tell you."

"Why is it that all you women ever seem to want to do is talk?" He asked stepping closer to her. "Whatever happened to taking the time to smell the roses?" He closed his eyes and smelled her hair. "Or smell you. You smell good sweet thing."

Elizabeth stiffened and stepped away from him. "Are you okay Luke?"

Stop it you're scaring her. You know her history, she isn't Felicia back off. Luke's subconscious was screaming the words. "I'm just fine," he said with a slow smile.

Elizabeth eyed him warily and sat down on the couch. "I need to tell you about Lucky."

"What did the Cowboy do now?" He sat down beside her.

"He thinks he hurt you," Elizabeth explained. "He thinks he might have even killed you."

"Well I'm right here." He shifted closer on the couch and picked up her hand. "Can't you feel me?" Luke watched the wariness enter Elizabeth's eyes and felt sick. He didn't want to say these things to her. He had never even considered saying anything at all like this to her. But the words were coming out of his mouth anyway, and he hated it. Whatever had been in that shot Lucky had given him, was coming to life, and it sickened him.

Elizabeth nervously pulled her hand free of him and pressed herself farther into the arm of the couch. "Still he thinks he did, so he broke up with me last night. He's afraid he might hurt me."

"My son must be crazy to walk away from you." He shifted closer still until he could feel the heat coming off of her body. "Do you need a shoulder to cry on?" Don't you touch her, don't you dare touch her. He brought his hand up to her bare shoulder and wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger. "Because I'm here for you sweet thing."

"I-I'm okay Luke." She turned to look at him.

Luke could see the trace of fear in her eyes and it disgusted him. He hadn't seen those eyes from her since the rape had first happened, and then later when she had found out what he had done to Laura all of those years ago. "Lucky will come back to you." His index finger had slipped free of her hair and slipped under the thin strap on her shoulder. "He won't be able to stay away from you for long, sweet thing, there's too much Spencer in him for that."

Elizabeth shot to her feet and backed away from him.

"Problems?" He stayed where he was on the couch his face the picture of concern. Luke saw the confusion and doubt enter Elizabeth's eyes and it hurt him to see it. Stop playing mind games with her.

"Yes, it will be even harder to keep an eye on him now. Nikolas can't, you can't, Laura's out of town, and now I can't." She nervously twisted the strap of her purse in her hands. "This is going to set our plan back."

"Oh the plan." He got to his feet and waved her concerns off. "I have everything under control."

"Have you found something out that can help Lucky?"

Stavros is alive and him and the old bat are controlling Lucky, get him out of town, get yourself out of town. "I'll help my son." He began to move around the back of the couch while he spoke.

"How? Nikolas and I…"

"Stop." Luke threw a lamp against the wall. "Don't ever mention the name Cassadine in this house again."

Elizabeth jolted in surprise, her eyes whipped to broken glass on the floor. "Luke what's wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me and there's nothing wrong with my son either. Especially now that he's seen the light about you, and he now sees you for the lying slut you are." Shut up don't do this to her, Luke was screaming in his head.

"Luke?" She focused on him again her eyes filling with tears.

"Don't waste them crocodile tears on me baby, they don't do a damn thing for me." He smirked. "It is going to be so nice to tell you what I really think of you."

"I-I don't understand."

"You don't understand?" He jeered moving into her space. "What? Did you think that no one saw how you played Lucky? That no one would notice that you've been lying to him for months. That you have kept him dancing on a string while you were off with Morgan every chance you got."

"I did…"

"Save it little girl. I watched you disappear for several hours a night, every couple of nights, and I know you were with Jason, the King of Understatements. And that was when my son wasn't even cold in his grave. But of course no one else saw that. You knew just how to play it, your eyes," he gestured to her face, "would fill up on cue. Your bottom lip would start to quiver, the neediness you projected would come off in waves. And until the Cassa-freak opened his big mouth, no one even had a clue what you were doing." He leaned closer until he felt her breath on his cheek. "No one knew that you'd been spreading your legs for Jason for months."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and covered her mouth. "I never did that Luke, I loved Lucky."

SHUT UP. Don't do this to her. She doesn't deserve it, especially when it's not true. Don't hurt her. "Spare me from the love of a fickle woman. You and Lucky were having problems a few months ago, and you were spending all your time with Morgan." He touched her arm and she brushed his hand away. "Then the moment Morgan leaves town you cozied up to my son, like nothing bad had ever been said between you, like you hadn't been lying to him for months. You probably couldn't wait to get him back in your bed and under your spell."

"You don't know anything Luke." Elizabeth cried and headed for the door only to come up short when the handle wouldn't turn.

"Oh I know you sweet thing." He was behind her quickly, crowding her against the door, his hands once again on the bare skin of her shoulders. "I married one of you, a faithless woman who lied to all the men in her life. A woman who was so desperate to be loved and so needy for it, she would hang on to someone she didn't really love, so she wouldn't have to be alone." Luke could feel her shoulders shake under his hands and tried to make himself move them off of her, but instead they began to caress her skin. He began to do something he hadn't done since Lulu had gotten sick. He began to pray. He prayed that he would regain control of his body and his mouth, before he did something truly horrible.

"Why are you saying these things?"

Luke could hear the pain and tears in her voice and it broke his heart. "What's the matter does the truth hurt?"

She fumbled with the lock on the door.

"Don't leave sweet thing." He bent down so his breath was against her ear. "I've been looking forward to spending some time with you." I'm begging you stop this now. He pressed against her. "You feel so good."

Elizabeth let out a sob and tugged on the door, the lock finally gave and she turned the handle.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him, she cowered back against the door. Luke was disgusted with himself when he saw the terror and betrayal in her eyes. His mind went back to another pair of blue pain filled eyes that had once looked at him like that. He raised his finger in warning. "You stay the hell away from my son. You tell the Cassa-pup that too. If I see either one of you near him." He ran his finger down her cheek then moved it in a slicing motion over her throat.

Elizabeth moved quickly shoving hard at his chest, the movement caught him off guard and he staggered back a step. She twisted the door handle and wrenched the door open, and let out a cry of fright when she saw Lucky on the other side of the door.

"Elizabeth?" Lucky's voice rose in surprise and recognition. "Are you okay?"

"She's fine Cowboy, she's just upset. She told me how the two of you broke up." Luke thought desperately trying to think of a way to warn his son, about the minefield he was walking into. "I tried to explain that sometimes things like this happen, that sometimes love can't always be enough."

Elizabeth brushed the tears from her face. "I need to go."

"Yes you should go." Luke spoke from behind her. "My son and I need to talk."

She stepped past Lucky and into the hall.

"Elizabeth don't come back here."

"Dad." Lucky turned on his father in surprise.

"Do you want her showing up here every five minutes? Remember the young mafia don isn't in town anymore, she has no one else to bother."

Lucky's face closed off at the mention of Jason. "He's right Elizabeth. You better give me back your key." He held out his hand for it.

Elizabeth hesitated then worked the key off of her key chain, she held it out to him, but her hand was shaking so badly she dropped it on the floor. "I'm sorry to bother you." With those words she turned and hurried towards the stairs. The clatter of her high-heeled sandals spoke at how quickly she was moving.

"Women." Luke snorted in disgust and stepped back inside the apartment.

~P.C. Grille~

Alexis sipped at her coffee and tried to focus on the open file in front of her, but it was no use, she couldn't make sense of the words, even though it was a document she had written herself. Giving up for now she pulled off her glasses and leaned back against her chair.

The past 24 hours had been so confusing and draining for her. First seeing the necklace, then Nikolas' betrayal, reliving her mother's final moments, then the comforting from Sonny that had turned into so much more. It was no surprise that she was confused. What was a surprise was that she was thinking at all.

Alexis smiled wryly at that thought, it really shouldn't surprise her, thinking was what she did best. She was in her element when her mind was attacking a problem. She would focus on a problem, break it down, until she found its weakness and knew how to beat it. Logic was her greatest weapon, unfortunately her feelings were her biggest weakness.

Whenever she had tried to follow her heart in the past she had been let down and hurt. She had learned how to keep a part of herself in reserve, never fully committing to anyone completely. That had drove Ned crazy and it was one of the reasons that they had broken up again.

She shifted in her seat and stared blindly out of the terrace doors, the last thing she felt like doing was to think about Ned. She reached for the brochure that was hidden by the file on the table. She needed to focus on this, the necklace was what was important in her life right now.

The brochure was new, only a day old, but the page that held the picture of her necklace was already careworn. The tip of the page was ripped, and the page itself was stiff as a result of her tears. But the necklace was still visible, still beautiful, and she had no trouble picturing it on the smooth graceful column of her mother's neck.

Her mother had been the only one in her life to love her unconditionally. She had been so young when her mother had died, but she could remember that love, and the loss of it, when she died, still haunted her. A part of her had always searched for that acceptance and love in other people but she had never found it. She doubted that she ever would.

She traced the necklace with her finger, she just needed to wait a little longer. Sonny had promised her he would get it for her and she believed him. Even if she could never hold it in her hand, she wanted it, she needed it. If Sonny couldn't get it for her, she would find another way, because she would never let Helena keep it, or ever buy it from her, even if she had to kill Helena to get it, she would do it.

"That is one gorgeous necklace."

Alexis jolted in alarm, her hands tightened on the brochure, while she looked at the man who had taken the seat across from her. "Is this one of the days that we're talking Ned?"

"I hope we always talk Alexis." Ned smiled winningly at her.

"Lately its more like we argue everyday." Alexis corrected tucking the brochure in her file.

"I don't want it to be that way Alexis, it's just you…"

"Stop Ned I don't want to fight with you today. I'm tired, I have to get to Court and I'm not in the mood for a lecture of how my association with Sonny and Zander will ruin me." She began to put her files in her briefcase. "So let's just skip all of that and get to the ending where one of us stalks off in a huff. I nominate me for a change."

"Wait Alexis." Ned got to his feet when she did. "I really don't want to fight with you. I will always lo…care about you. Or am I supposed to stop that too?"

She could see the truth in his eyes and it made her feel guilty. Guilty for going off on him like that, and also guilty for what had happened with Sonny. There really wasn't a reason for that though, her and Ned had been over for months now, but she still felt it. "I'm sorry I had a bad night and I'm taking it out on you. Now I really do have to go."

"Wait." Ned moved quickly and caught her arm before she could get out of the room. Alexis jerked her arm away and he looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong Alexis? Please tell me, let me help you."

"I can't." She whispered looking straight ahead. "I can't talk to you Ned. Not about this."

"Alexis please."

"No I'm sorry Ned." She stepped away from him. "I just can't."

"Alexis." He called after her but she never even looked back.

~GH ICU~

"Sonny."

Sonny turned away from the window when he heard his name. "Zander." He crossed quickly to the bed. "I'm glad you're awake."

Zander closed his eyes and shifted slightly, it was hard to move even though the pain was deadened because of the drugs, his chest still felt like it was on fire. "Been here long?"

"No. How you doing man?"

"I'll live." Zander managed a small smile. "Unfortunately I hear Sorel's alive too."

"I don't want you think about Sorel." Sonny's eyes went cold. "He won't be a problem for you anymore."

Zander shook his head, Sorel had always been a problem for him. It was true, that thanks to Sorel he had met Emily but everything else Sorel had done was evil. He hated Sorel more then he thought was possible. "I don't care if he comes after me, as long as he stays away from Emily. She can't be hurt anymore."

"She won't be, she's safe."

Zander heard the certainty in Sonny's voice and focused on him. "How do you know that? Do you know where she is?" A part of him hoped he did know, because then he might be able to find out where she was. But another part of him hoped Sonny didn't know. Sonny had been making some mistakes lately, so if Sonny knew there was a chance that Sorel did too.

"No I don't know where she is." Sonny rested his elbow on the bed. "But she's not alone."

Jason. Zander shook his head in relief, he was glad that her brother was there for her. As long as he was nothing else would happen to Emily and for that he was grateful. "I'm glad she's safe."

"She is, apparently she had a breakthrough last night." Sonny rested his chin on his hand. "How would she feel about knowing you aren't trying as hard as she is?"

"What do you mean?"

"Zander you knew Sorel was armed, you knew he had Carly and Alexis, and yet you went in there, with nothing more then a crowbar. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know." Zander looked away from his probing gaze. "When I heard Alexis' voice coming from your Penthouse, then Sorel's I just lost it. Next to Emily, Alexis is the most important person to me. Sorel had already hurt Emily I couldn't let him hurt Alexis too." He forgot himself and leaned forward, letting out a groan when the pain ripped through him.

"Take it easy." Sonny pushed on his shoulders lightly to ease him back down.

Zander closed his eyes to battle back the worst of the pain. "I just needed to…"

"I know, he pushed you too far and it was time to push back." Sonny interrupted. "And you felt like you had nothing left to lose."

"Yeah kind of like you I guess." Zander saw Sonny's look of surprise and went on. "A bomb strapped to your chest, you weren't wrapped too tightly yourself."

Sonny got to his feet and moved to look out the window again. This time his focus was the ICU room that was visible across the hall.

Zander could see the uniform of a cop across the hall and knew that was where Sorel was. Anger was back inside of him and he tried to control it. "Is he still critical?"

"I told you, you don't have to worry about Sorel anymore." Sonny kept his back to him.

"I will worry as long as he is alive." Zander's voice hardened. "He won't leave this hospital."

Sonny turned and moved back towards him until he stood at the foot of the bed. "Listen to me, Zander, because I'm only going to say this once. I will handle Sorel. You just need to concentrate on getting out of here."

"Excuse me." Nurse Amy Vining spoke from the doorway. "I need to examine Zander."

"I was just going." Sonny patted Zander's foot. "You remember what I said Zander."

Zander waited until Sonny had reached the door. "And you remember what I said."

Sonny hesitated briefly then kept walking. His eyes flicked automatically to the cop standing guard in front of Sorel's door. Zander had sounded so determined he was worried. Zander was a hothead but the kid had some good instincts. He was going to have to keep a close eye on him. Neither, Alexis or Emily would ever forgive him if he let something else happen to Zander. Hell he would never forgive himself if Zander did something stupid trying to get Sorel.

"Boss."

Johnny's voice caught his attention and he began to walk towards the elevator. "Yeah Johnny?"

"Adam let me know that Francis called while you were in ICU."

He lowered his voice and focused on Johnny. "Did something happen to Elizabeth?" He demanded as the elevator doors closed.

~Luke's~

"So what can I do for you Cowboy?" Luke asked when Lucky closed the door.

"Dad." Seeing his father overwhelmed him. Instead of the anger he normally felt when he looked at Luke, he felt relief, he really had thought he had hurt him. He moved in closer and surprised his father by hugging him.

"Well what's all this?" Luke hugged him back.

"I thought you were hurt." Lucky could feel the tears building behind his eyes. "I thought I hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Luke pulled away and cupped Lucky's face in his hands. "Lucky you could never hurt me."

Lucky sighed in relief, if his father was okay, then maybe he was only dreaming. If that was the case then there was no reason for him to stay away from Elizabeth anymore.

"Lucky what has that girl done to you?" Luke asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth. What has she done to you?" Luke crossed to the desk and began to search the drawers.

"Elizabeth?" He asked in confusion. "She didn't do anything."

"Lucky that's not true, she's been playing you for months now." Luke pulled a cigar out of the drawer. "Now she's convinced you that you tried to hurt me. You don't hurt people."

"She di…"

"It's like she wants to have you all to herself. She's jealous of anyone else you let in your life." Luke began to roll the cigar in his hands. "I mean when was the last time you saw your sister?"

"I was going to see her a few weeks ago." Lucky started. "But…" he trailed off.

"But who stopped you from seeing her?" Luke asked.

Lucky was quiet while he thought about that, Elizabeth had kept him from seeing Lulu, and now Lulu was out of town.

"I see you realize it too." Luke began to fiddle with his lighter. "Isn't it strange that Elizabeth began to cling about the same time Jason Morgan left town."

Jason, even now just hearing his name could make him mad. "She loves me."

"Lucky you know better then that." Luke paused to light his cigar. "I'm sorry to say this son, but you need to hear it. The only reason she is here with you is because Morgan left town. Everyone knows it, that's why she's so desperate to keep you away from everyone else, so no one tells you how she's been playing you."

"I realize that I have feelings for Jason too."

Her words from that awful day came back to Lucky.

Luke puffed on his cigar. "Why else would she try to convince you that you hurt me? If not to keep you away from me?"

Did she do that? Lucky was getting confused, he ran his hand through his hair trying to think.

"It's better that you cut her off." Luke puffed smoke rings in Lucky's direction. "Besides Morgan will be back. He always comes back. Do you really want to go through that hell again when he does?"

"I never stopped caring for Jason."

"No." Lucky snapped that was one thing he was sure about. He wouldn't let Jason dictate his life again.

Luke smiled proudly. "That's my boy. Besides if she's cheated once she'll do it again, just ask the Cassa-pup."

Lucky turned to look at him. "What about Nikolas?"

"You can't tell me that you don't know how much time they spend together. How she visits him on the yacht and he comes to her studio. The studio she didn't want you to stay in." Luke flicked his ashes on the carpet. "And didn't he dump Gia because he had feelings for Elizabeth?"

"Yes." Lucky frowned when he remembered the time he had walked in on them in the bathroom. Nikolas was in the shower and she was in a towel. "Yes he did."

"You're well rid of her and the Cassa-freak." Luke's smirk turned evil "Right?"

"Yeah." Lucky agreed quietly, but his hands were clenched in fists of rage.

~West Coast~

"So Sergei doesn't have a clue what happened. He just thinks we're ignoring him, and he's getting more and more upset. And the whole time he's talking we're laughing because Dana put a bulls eye on his ass." Emily giggled.

Jason smiled he loved to hear her laugh. Her eyes were sparkling and she kept shifting on the bed. It was the best mood he had seen her in since he had gotten here. He would listen to her stories forever if it meant she would keep smiling.

"So anyway Dana's always doing stuff like that, she's so funny." Emily reached for her soda. "She's been here the longest and her PT is going so slowly but if doesn't seem to phase her. But whatever you do don't mention hockey around her, she's a rabid fan."

"I'll remember that." He took her empty can from her, and threw it in the trashcan by the dresser.

"Nice shot, two points."

Jason just nodded. "So how are you doing today?"

"I'm doing good. No," she corrected herself. "I'm great. I only wish they would let me work longer in therapy."

"Emily you can't rush things, you heard the doctor, if you try too much too fast, you could backslide."

"I know," Emily huffed out a breath. "It's just so hard to be patient. I want to keep working, it finally seems like it's paying off."

He touched her hand. "I'm not trying to bring you down but, you have a ways to go."

"I hate it when you're logical, in other words I hate that about you a lot." Emily grinned and changed the subject. "Have you turned your phone on yet?"

"Yes."

"Have you heard anything?"

He heard the anxiety in her voice and leaned closer to the bed. "I'm not going anywhere Emily. I already told you that." He could see her shoulders sag in relief and he knew he made the right choice.

"I just thought since I was getting better, you might want to leave." Emily fiddled with the blanket. "I don't want you to put your life on hold for me."

"I'm not, I'm here because I want to be here." Jason broke off and focused on the door when it opened.

"Mail call." The cheery voice came from a young woman in a wheelchair.

"What did you do Dana? Mug the nurses again?" Emily teased.

"I'm helping." Dana replied sweetly. "You are so distrustful," she wheeled herself further into the room. "Be nice or no mail," she looked pointedly at Jason who got to his feet.

"Dana this is my brother Jason, Jason this is the girl I was warning you about."

"Traitor." Dana hissed holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you finally. Emily has spoken about you often."

Jason shook her hand and smiled down at her. "I've heard a lot about you too."

"Dana where are you?"

The call came from the hallway and Dana flinched. "Nurse Ratchett approaches." She shoved some envelopes in his hand and turned the chair towards the door. "Remember you've never seen me, I was never here."

"See what I mean?" Emily asked taking the two envelopes from him.

He couldn't help but notice when her face fell. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She smiled brightly at him.

"Emily."

"I was hoping to hear from Zander. I haven't gotten anything from him in a few days and I'm a little worried."

"I thought he doesn't know where you are?" Jason perched on the bed.

"He doesn't, he gives the letters to Skye and she forwards them on with Mom's and Grandmother's, she also delivers my letters to him."

"Is there any reason for you to think that she would stop doing that?" He didn't know very much about Skye. He just knew Emily didn't really like her, but other then that Emily hadn't said much about her.

"No she'll do it, she knows what will happen if she doesn't." Emily said ominously. "Are you even curious about her?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "She's just another person to me."

"Well you're not missing much." Emily looked out the window for a long time before speaking again. "Do you think you can find out if Zander's okay?"

"Emily, Sonny would have told me," he stopped himself. He really hadn't given Sonny a chance to tell him anything, and he couldn't say for sure that Sonny wouldn't hold that information back.

"I guess you're right." Her smile was weak. "I think I'll get some sleep before my next session."

He could see the sadness that she couldn't hide, but he didn't call her on it. He kissed her cheek and ran a hand over her hair. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Emily hugged the letters to her chest and closed her eyes.

Jason pulled the door closed behind him and moved slowly down the hall. He didn't like Zander and he may never like him. But how he felt about Zander wasn't important, how Emily felt about him was what mattered. And it was very clear that she loved him and needed him in her life. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the bright sunlight. It was time to check out what was going on in Port Charles. He needed to ease Emily's mind.

~Docks~

"What happened Francis?" Sonny asked quietly.

"Something happened at Luke's." Francis kept one eye on Elizabeth who was standing by the water's edge. "She'd been in a good mood, but then she ran out of Luke's in tears," he focused on Sonny again. "She looked scared, she kept running, even in those high heeled shoes of hers. She finally wound up here. I thought you would want to know."

Sonny nodded but his focus was on Elizabeth. "Do you know who was in Luke's with her?"

"Lucky showed up after she had been inside for about 20 minutes, but he was only inside with her for a few minutes before she ran out."

"Boss." Johnny hurried towards them a little out of breath. "Here you go."

Sonny took the scarf from Johnny. "You need to watch the rolls from Louie's bakery there Johnny, you're getting out of shape."

Johnny's mouth dropped open in shock and Francis snorted. Sonny ignored them both, moving down the docks towards her.

"Hello Elizabeth." He called out to her while he was still a few feet away from her, trying not to startle her. But it didn't work she jumped anyway.

"Sonny." Elizabeth whirled around. "You startled me," she turned away and brushed at the tears on her cheeks. "I didn't hear you."

"I've been accused of being sneaky," Sonny offered a grin but she didn't smile back. "I wanted to return something to you."

"What?" She turned back to look at him.

"Your scarf." Sonny held out the bright blue scarf.

"Thanks I would have been missing this." She reached out and took it from him.

Sonny used the opportunity to study her. She didn't have any color on her face, the trail the tears had left were evident on her cheeks. But it was her eyes that drew him, they looked haunted.

Aware of his scrutiny Elizabeth stepped past him, moving towards the bench, rubbing at the mascara under her eyes. "I must look like a fright. The day is so warm, and no woman likes to admit that she sweats, but I'm afraid its obvious with the way my makeup is running."

Sonny trailed her to the bench and decided to play along. "You're perspiring."

"That's it." She smiled weakly and tucked the scarf in her bag.

She looked so tired, he wished she would confide in him. He had to figure out a way for her to know that she wasn't alone. He just needed to be careful in how he broached the subject. The best way to start was with Jason. "I talked to Jason today." He watched her reaction closely.

Elizabeth froze in her movements. "Is he okay?"

"Yes." Sonny wasn't surprised that her first question was if he was okay. "I shouldn't be telling you this, and you can't let anyone else know, but he's with Emily."

"How is she? Is she doing any better?"

Her demanding questions were the first spark of life he had seen in her. "He said she had a breakthrough last night."

"Thank god," her eyes filled. "When she walks again maybe the guilt won't be so…" she trailed off.

Sonny waited a minute to see if she would continue but she had turned to look at the water again. "I told him that you had asked about him.'

"I wish you wouldn't have done that. I'm sorry I dumped everything on you last night, the way I did. I was going to find you today and tell you to forget what I said."

"I didn't tell him that you loved him." He reassured her quickly when her movements got agitated. "I just told him that you asked about him." He wondered if he should have mentioned Jason at all. What if she wanted to know what he had said? If he told her, it would only hurt her.

"What did he say to that?" She kept her eyes on her hands but her voice was firm.

"He wanted to know if you were okay. He was afraid Sorel had come after you." He could at least give her that much. "I told him you were fine."

Elizabeth tilted her head and studied him. "What else did he say?" She asked after a minute.

Sonny looked away from her gaze. "We didn't talk very long."

"Sonny it will be easier for me to hear the truth," she touched his arm. "I can handle the truth. Believe me it's better then what my imagination will say."

Her words were quiet but compelling. He didn't want to hurt her, but she was right, the truth no matter how bad, was better then the unknown. "I asked him if he wanted to hear about you," he turned back to face her. Her eyes were locked on him and he saw a slight glimmer of hope in them before she banked it.

"Please Sonny tell me."

"He said he didn't want to hear about you." He said finally.

Her eyes went flat, and if it was possible, she got even paler, but her eyes remained dry, and large in her stark face. "Thank you for telling me. I know you didn't want too, but I really did need to know the truth."

Her voice was perky and it wasn't hers, Sonny felt horrible. He reached out to take her hand, and she shied away from him and got to her feet.

"He told me to make sure I kept an eye on you, and if you ever needed anything that I was to help you." He addressed her stiff back hoping to make her feel better. If anything his words seemed to make it worse. She hunched her shoulders and wrapped her arms around her waist, she seemed to draw inside of herself, as if trying to make herself smaller.

"Thank you again Sonny. I know you will help if I need something." Elizabeth turned to face him. "But everything will be fine. I need to go now."

"Elizabeth wait," he quickly stepped in front of her, stalling her movements. He wanted to take her hand trying to offer comfort, but looking at her he knew he shouldn't. She seemed to be so brittle at the moment, that he was afraid if he touched her she would break. "He doesn't know you love him."

"And he will never know." She took another step away from him. "He's moved on and I can't fault him for that. All I ever seemed to do was hurt him so its good that he moved on. Please don't tell him what I said. I know he's your friend and your loyalty should be to him, but please don't tell him. He's a good man, he would feel bad, or uncomfortable and I don't want that for him." Her voice broke and she covered her mouth for a minute before going on. "Please don't." She began to hurry away.

"Elizabeth." Sonny took a chance and caught her arm. Her skin was like ice. It was 100 degrees and her skin was like ice. "I won't tell him."

"Thank you." She pulled loose and began to walk away.

With every step she took, Sonny felt worse and worse. She made it to the top of the stairs before she began to run.

~Studio~

Elizabeth walked into her studio and slowly closed the door behind her. The sunlight was streaming in through the windows but she didn't notice or care. She carefully set her purse on her table and checked for messages. Then walked over to her fan and turned it on and opened her windows, her movements were stiff and mechanical.

"He said he didn't want to hear about you."

The words came back to her and she shook her head, she didn't want to hear them, but they wouldn't leave her head. She walked over to the painting on her easel. The Wind. It was her best work, and the only one she had kept out, after she closed up all of her paints.

"You really matter to me. We're clear on that right?" Her eyes held his, and she let her real feelings show in them, feelings that she had been surprised to discover she had. "You helped me discover the wind."

Jason tucked his hands in his pockets. "You painted me a picture of it."

"Not a very good one." It was hard for her to walk away from him.

"It's the best one I've ever seen."

She traced the painting with her hand. But she had walked away from him. That seemed to be where it all started going wrong. She kept walking away from him.

"Do you ever think about it?" She bit her lip and waited for his response.

"All the time."

Again he made the overture and she had run away from him. She had run to him and away from him, so many time was there any surprise that he had started to get fed up with it?

"Jason we can't be friends anymore."

She snorted and picked up the painting. God she was such a bitch to him, she told him that, and then not more then 20 minutes later she had changed her tune again.

"You're the person I can go to when I want to be myself. No expectations, no pressures to be happy. I don't have to be in love all the time. If I want to laugh, great, but if I want to cry or kick and scream, that's fine, too. How do I tell Lucky that sometimes I need somebody else? Lucky thinks being in love means being everything to each other. He believes I'm myself when I'm with him, and I am. I am, just not all the time."

Elizabeth moved over and picked up some brown wrapping paper, she spread a large sheet out on the floor, and then took a final look at the painting before placing it face down on the paper. Her mind kept torturing her, by forcing her to look at conversations of the past.

"She gets to do what she wants to do. Same as you."

"I'm not doing what I want to do." Elizabeth told him honestly. It was so nice to be honest for a change.

"I know."

The tears dropped on the brown paper, but she kept her hands busy, letting them fall. Just a few more pieces of tape, and it would be done. She turned the painting over, got to her feet and picked up a marker. Property of Jason Morgan she wrote that on the paper and then moved it over to her wall and hid it behind some other paintings.

"Jason like I said before, I'm going to tell Lucky everything. That I came here after the photo shoot, and that I saw you today."

"I, I don't care what you tell Lucky."

She was stung by the weariness in his voice but she couldn't help but go on. "I love him and I need to be honest."

"Stop," his voice was sharp. "Stop it. Stop telling me how much you love Lucky."

He didn't understand, at that point she was only beginning to understand herself. The reason that she would tell him that, was because she needed to remind herself, that she was supposed to be in love with Lucky. The truth was the more time she spent with Lucky the less she loved him, and the more time she had spent with Jason, the more she had loved him. When she realized that it had scared her.

"You can't, you can't keep following me telling me how much you love someone else."

Her hands shook as she folded up the last of the easel and put it in its carrying case, she moved to set it by the wall, but it slipped from her shaking hand before she could put it down. The box clattered open and pieces of her easel slipped out of their spots in the box. She just shook her head and moved over to the couch. The fan hit her, and she felt chilled, but she stayed where she was.

"I saw it with my own eyes, you attacked him."

She began to rub her arms, as the breeze from the fan kept hitting her icy skin.

"I hope I never see you again." She pulled the red glass from her pocket and threw it against the wall. When it shattered, something inside of her shattered as well.

Words had the power to hurt and remembering those seem to cut her, she could only imagine how they had hurt him. "Oh God." Elizabeth choked out and shot to her feet.

Francis barely had time to close the door across the hall, when her door opened and Elizabeth ran out of it, he had a quick glimpse of her white face, before she was in the bathroom at the end of the hall.

Perspiration was on her face as she leaned over the toilet, but there was nothing inside of her to throw up. She was empty inside and in more ways then one.

"He said he didn't want to hear about you."