Show: General Hospital

Title: Las Vidas de los Corinthos' II: Chapter 8

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: I've taken certain reader's suggestions about a little matter concerning Liz's love life to heart.

Read and you'll see what I mean….

*~*~*~*~*~*

New York City (one week later.)

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

The husky well-modulated voice came somewhere to her right. Slowly, Liz turned her head,

flicking cool blue eyes at the speaker.

He grinned at her demeanor and Elizabeth found her mouth reluctantly tugging up at the corners.

"Yes, it is," she finally admitted, turning away from the handsome dark-eyed stranger beside her.

"What do you find so beautiful about it?" he asked conversationally.

Liz cocked her head at him as if she couldn't quite believe he was still talking to her. He arched

an eyebrow and looked at her expectantly. Elizabeth rolled her eyes but turned back to study the

painting. "Confusion," she answered softly, turning to look up him with a small smile on her face.

She paused. "What do *you* see?"

The man kept his eyes on the painting, his gaze intensifying as each second passed. "I see the

confusion as well. This is the first time I've seen this artist's work, but I'm amazed at the depth of

emotion and passion he's conveyed."

Liz arched an inky eyebrow. "He? How so? Do explain," she invited, looking up at him with

interest.

The man shrugged his shoulders and launched into a long passionate diatribe about what he

'saw' in the painting. Elizabeth watched in fascination as this tall, handsome man talked so

eloquently about the painting. He spoke with his entire body, not just his mouth, but with his

hands and eyes and even his thick dark inky hair that brushed against his shirt collar, and

Elizabeth could feel the tingling awareness deep inside that each woman possesses around an

attractive man.

After about five minutes of talking, he paused and grinned bashfully. "I'm sorry. I have a tendency

to go on and on about art that I like. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Daniel Toreno. And you

are…?" he trailed off expectantly.

Liz grinned mischievously. "Check the name of the artist. I'm *him*," she announced before

turning her back on him and striding out of the gallery onto the street.

Elizabeth wished she had eyes in the back of her head to catch Daniel's reaction. Indeed it was

priceless. On her announcement, his eyes immediately dropped to the artist's signature in the

bottom right hand corner of the painting: E. Corinthos. He stared at the scrawled writing for long

almost indeterminable seconds before a smile slowly found its way to his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Port Charles (dinnertime)

It was a rare occurrence – Sonny was home before Alexis. He had popped a casserole in the

oven and, after fixing himself a stiff bourbon and plopping onto the sofa, the telephone rang.

Sighing in fatigue, he snatched up the phone from the cradle.

"Corinthos," he all but barked into the phone.

There was a long pause on the other line.

"Who is this?" Sonny demanded.

"Dad?"

It was Elizabeth, Sonny realized in surprise. "Elizabeth? Is that you, querida?"

There was another long pause as though Liz was debating whether or not to answer. "Si, Papa,

it's me."

"It's been a while, querida," Sonny continued, after the awkward silence between father and

daughter continued. "Que pasa?"

"I know it's been a while but I had some… *issues* to sort out."

"And have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Sorted those *issues* out?"

Liz sighed on the other line. "For the most part," she answered quietly.

Inside Sonny's heart was slowly breaking. It had been over two months since his blowout with

Elizabeth and thing still had not improved between them. "That's good, querida," he replied,

surprised and proud that his voice had not cracked.

"I'm surprised you didn't send in the cavalry when I didn't call," she too was proud that she had

managed to say that without a degree of bitterness.

Sonny's half-hearted grin was full of mirth. "Believe me, querida, your mother wanted Francis to

check on you, but I thought it would be best if we gave you some space." Sonny waited with

bated breath to hear her response.

Liz said nothing. "Speaking of Mom," she finally continued, "where is she?"

Inwardly, Sonny sighed. **Oh well, it was worth the try** he thought sadly. "She's not here," he

admitted, rubbing the stubble on his cheeks. "She and Ric are working late again."

"That's too bad," she replied after a while. The silence stretched on again. Liz could hear Sonny's

heavy breathing on the line. "Well… could you please tell her I called?" she asked, infinitely polite.

A tear threatened to spill over. "Sure, querida. I'll tell her as soon as she gets in."

"Thanks." Liz made to set the phone on the cradle when Sonny's anxious call stopped her.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes…?"

"Te quiero, querida," he blurted out.

Liz sniffled on the other line. "I love you, too, Dad."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Port Charles (later that night)

The casserole had long since been removed from the oven and placed whole into the freezer with

a ton of other leftovers, before the key turned in the lock and Alexis quietly tiptoed into the dim

apartment. She waved goodnight to Johnny in his position next to the door and quietly shut it

behind her, praying to all divine entities that Sonny was already sleeping.

The lamplight behind the couch snapped on, just as she thought she was home safe. **Damn!**

No such luck.

"I thought you would be in bed," she spoke up, setting her briefcase on the couch and kicking off

her heels. At Sonny's silence, she took stock of him and felt her heart squeeze in alarm.

She could see the salty tracks of dried tears on his cheeks and his eyes were bloodshot. He had

been crying. Instinctively, her eyes immediately sought out the brandy, bourbon and whisky

decanters. Amazingly, all three were relatively full. **At least he hadn't been drinking.** She

caught sight of the empty tumbler on the table. **Much**.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning his face to look at her.

"Elizabeth called."

Those two simple words spoke volumes. "And?" she asked, wanting him to continue. "What

happened?"

"Nothing much… except talking to my daughter was like talking to a brick wall on a stormy day in

the middle of February. Just as cold and as productive."

Alexis sighed and loosened her hair from its tight confines in the bun at the nape of her neck. "Go

on," she invited, taking his left hand and rubbing her thumb lightly across his knuckles, an action

that had always calmed him in the past.

"Nothing happened really," he continued, sighing loudly. "She called to speak to you, not to me. I

told her I'd tell you she called as soon as you got in. I told her I loved her, too," he added on,

seemingly as an afterthought.

The thumb stopped rubbing. "And?"

Sonny looked at her, his dark eyes swimming with sadness. "She told me she loved me too,

surprisingly."

"Of course, she loves you, Sonny. No matter how strained things are between you two, she

knows that you will never stop loving her, and the same goes for you."

"I hope so," he replied, squeezing her fingers. "I sure do hope so."

*~*~*~*~*~*

New York City (the next day)

This time it was Adema's 'Unstable' blaring on Elizabeth's stereo when the phone rang.

Reluctantly, she paused her paintbrush in midair and turned down the volume ever so slightly

before reaching for the cordless.

"Yello," she called loudly, sweeping a long line of yellow ochre paint onto her canvas.

"Hello!" the person on the line called just as loudly.

"Hello!" Elizabeth called again impatiently.

"Hello! Elizabeth?! Elizabeth, is that you!"

"Mom! Mom!" Elizabeth replied, immediately reaching across and lowering the volume. "Mom, I'm

here!"

"Gosh, Liz, that music is loud enough to wake the dead!"

Elizabeth chuckled. "Jeez, Mom, you sound just like Grams."

"Brilliant woman that she is," Alexis shot back sarcastically.

Elizabeth chuckled again.

"You're working on something new, aren't you," deduced Alexis. "That's the only time you play

music loud enough for the dogs only to hear."

"Ha, ha," Liz replied sarcastically. "For your information, however, I *am* working on something

new. In fact, I'm working on a whole set of new stuff because… I have my first Gallery showing!"

"Oh my God, Elizabeth! That's fantastic!"

"Well, actually, I don't actually have my *own* Gallery showing yet, but one of my paintings is in

the Schmidt Gallery downtown and I was speaking with the curator just an hour ago and she says

already three other promoters are interested in my work!"

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you. I have a dinner meeting with the curator tonight at Carmen's to talk about prospective

promoters. I'm so happy right now, Mom."

Alexis smiled on the other line. "I know, I can hear it in your voice." She paused, considering

whether she should continue. She did. "I take it that you didn't tell your father… he would've been

so proud too –"

"Please, Mom," Liz cut in, "don't start."

"I'm just saying –"

"Mom!"

"Ok, fine! So am I going to get to see these paintings everyone is going so gaga over?" she asked

teasingly.

"Of course. Can you get into the city? We can do lunch. The curator wants to meet you. She's

heard about your escapades with the New York Justice Department," she replied, chuckling.

"Does she now?" Alexis replied, chuckling as well. "Well, I must make sure I don't disappoint."

"Is Friday good for you?" asked Liz, adding a sweep of crimson to the canvas.

"Friday's fine," agreed Alexis.

"Great, I'll see you then."

"Bye, sweetheart, I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Carmen's (later that night)

The curator was almost half an hour late, and Elizabeth's waiter was paying way too much

attention to her. His eyes had a tendency to dip to the cleavage revealed by her low cut dress

each time he refilled her water glass or when he returned with the glass of Pinot Noir she'd asked

for. Just as she was digging through her purse for her cellphone to call the curator to find out

what was keeping her back, a shadow fell across her table. Thinking it was the annoying waiter

again, she didn't look up.

"You're a hard woman to get a hold of, Ms. Corinthos."

Liz's head snapped up and she found herself staring into the smiling black eyes of Daniel Toreno.

After getting over the initial shock of seeing him standing before her, looking so gorgeous in his

dark grey suit, she arched a dark eyebrow at him. "Is that so?" she asked haughtily.

"Yes, you are," he replied sitting down without an invitation, and signaling the waiter.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable," she suggested, after he'd ordered a scotch. "I'm expecting

someone."

"You mean, Connie?" he asked, referring to the curator at the Schmidt Gallery. He chuckled at

Elizabeth's confused look. "Well, Connie's not going to be here tonight. But, never fear, you don't

need Connie. After all," he continued reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a business

card, "*I'm* here." He handed her the card.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she read the card. "*You're* *the* Daniel Toreno? The one who

discovered and represented Virginie Lauden, Ethan O'Grady, Paul Swanson?" she continued,

calling out the names of famous artists he had discovered.

Daniel grinned. "The one and only."

"Well…" Liz exhaled sharply.

"And I would really like to represent *you*, Ms. Corinthos," he continued, the picture of

seriousness, all smiles gone from his face.

"You gotta be shittin' me…."

*~*~*~*~*~*

(Later than night)

"I don't usually do this," Elizabeth explained softly, opening her door and switching on the light.

She waved at Francis standing discreetly in the stairwell just down the hall, grinning inwardly at

his disapproving frown. Obviously her over-protective bodyguard thought Daniel Toreno was a

beau.

"Do what?" Daniel asked, removing his coat, and handing it to her.

"Show my studio work to strangers," she clarified, hanging up his coat.

"Well, I won't be a stranger for much longer…hopefully," he replied, walking slowly through the

apartment, his eyes taking in every detail. "Nice digs," he commented. "Must be a fortune in rent,"

he continued.

Liz refused to meet his gaze, striding purposefully instead towards her canvas corner. "A friend of

mine lets me rent it cheap," she lied.

"Some friend."

Liz said nothing. "Would you like to see the canvases only?" she asked, as he continued to stand

where he was. "I have some slides as well."

His dark eyes snapped back hers, all business. "Are they any good?"

"I think so."

"I'll be the judge of that," he replied.

Inwardly, Liz arched an eyebrow at his snappy comment, but outwardly, she said, "Do what you

will," and swept her hand out in invitation.

Daniel proceeded slowly between the mazes of canvases, surrounded by a riot of colour. His

eyes sought out every detail, critically accessing each painting, yet saying nothing. He came to

stand before 'The Wind', in its place of honour away from the other paintings. He stared at this

the longest, his features softening ever so slightly as he 'saw' what he could.

"This is a special painting, isn't it?" he asked.

Liz, who was growing alarmed at his critical silence nodded and quietly replied, "Yes, it is."

"Hmmm," Daniel replied, before resuming his walkthrough.

Ten more minutes passed, and Elizabeth's dread steadily grew. **He hates them** she thought.

**He probably thinks this was a waste of his time**. She felt like bawling.

"Do you have a particular theme?" he asked suddenly, shattering the near silence in the room.

"No," she replied, shaking her head and swallowing the huge lump of dread in her throat.

"It's a pity… but I can work with that."

Liz's eyes widened and a dazzling smile slowly crept to her features. "You like them?" she asked

incredulously.

Daniel grinned again and his black eyes sparkled. "To say 'like', Ms. Corinthos, is a gross

understatement."

Liz blushed. She had a feeling he wasn't talking about her paintings.

TBC…

A/N: Well folks, what did you think? R&R. Sorry for the delay, but school's back in session and

I'm really busy. Updates will come at least once a week, but don't be surprised if there is only an

update every couple of weeks. I'll try my best. Liason action coming very soon, I promise!