"Miss Webber, how do you do?"

Elizabeth watched him as he stood in front of the desk smiling at her, hands linked together in front of him, his eyes giving away no emotion. She felt the fear come back, its powerful grip taking hold of her like it did nearly nine years ago on that park bench. She fought it back, resisted the urge to vomit and gripped the gun tighter. She was not going to let fear win this battle.

"I hope that when I leave this office I don't have to step over the body of my guard?" she asked with raised eyebrows. Cool, calm, reserve. Sonny would've been proud.

He laughed softly as he motioned towards the chair in front of the desk and instead of waiting for an invitation sat down, adjusting his suit coat, "The only thing your guard will be dealing with later is slight headache and the wrath of Jason Morgan."

"What is it that you want, Alcazar?" Elizabeth asked as her fingers caressed the trigger.

"I wanted to apologize for our last meeting," he stated smoothly, "I fear that it wasn't under the best of circumstances."

"Which time do you mean?" she asked a slow smile forming on her lips, "The time you hired someone to kill me or the time that you tried to kill me?"

"Ah," he said as he crossed one leg over the other, "I fear that you have me confused with someone else."

"Was that the idea?" she asked, "Make me, and everyone else, think that I'm losing my mind?"

"I really have no idea what you are talking about, Miss Webber," he said sadly, "It is really a shame that the nuptials were never shared."

Elizabeth gripped the edge of the desk with her free hand and told herself to hang onto to her patience. She could not let him bait her and bringing up Sonny was certainly doing that, "I'm going to ask you one more time, what do you want?"

"I wanted to introduce myself," he said leaning forwarded and holding out his hand, "I'm Lorenzo Alcazar."

Elizabeth stared at him like he had just grown another head. Lorenzo Alcazar, as opposed to Luis Alcazar who was already dead. She pressed two fingers to her temple. She was beginning to think that she was going crazy but then again people had a habit of coming back from the dead in this town. Maybe it was Luis trying to be someone else.

"I think it would be best if you leave," she said.

"I know that you don't believe me," he said, "I was outraged to find out what had become of my brother and I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I haven't had thoughts of doing away with your fiancé Sonny Corinthos, however," his smile grew, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, "I just only recently arrived in Port Charles and my first stop was to see you, Miss Webber, to apologize for all the things that my brother has done to your family."

"Your brother?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "Your twin brother?"

Lorenzo laughed, "The family resemblance is strong."

"If what you're telling me is true..."

"It is," he said as he uncrossed his legs and settled further back into the chair, "You see I found out that Luis was obsessed with this woman and it seems she was driving him mad. He wanted nothing more than to kill the men who had hurt her."

"I was there," she said dryly, "No need to repeat it."

"Luis took things too far," he said, "It seems that he was hurting innocent people who were getting caught in the cross fire. I don't think you ever had any intention of moving in with Jason Morgan that quickly and bringing Zander Smith with you…"

"Okay, you are here, you introduced yourself and now I'm through listening with you, so go," she said.

"I can tell that you don't believe I'm here to apologize," he said.

"No, I don't," she said, "Because your brother did a hell of a lot of damage and instead of having Port Charles put him on trial Sonny killed him, himself, and I was there the day he came home with Luis' blood on his hands. So no, I don't believe that you are sitting across from Sonny's fiancé telling her that you want nothing but peace between us."

"It is the truth," he said.

Elizabeth snorted, "Try selling that to Carly."

"Actually, she's the next…"

Lorenzo was slightly startled and his mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise when Elizabeth pulled the gun out from under the desk and aimed it at him. There was something dark floating in her eyes and he knew that the smile she wore was not friendly.

"If you go near her I will kill you," she said quietly.

"I knew that Mr. Morgan was the type of man who would shoot first and ask questions later," Lorenzo said as he stood up from the chair, "That is why I decided to approach you. I want you to know, Miss Webber, that I mean you or your family no harm. Luis let his passions rein control of him, I wanted to come to Port Charles to undo some of the damage. I would never harm a woman and I'm sorry that my brother would wish any on a woman as beautiful as yourself."

He buttoned his suit coat and made his way to the door before he stopped and turned around, smiling softly at her, "If you are ever in need of anything, Miss Webber, all you have to do is ask. I wish there were a way to prove to you that I mean you no harm."

"Leave, get out of town," she said as she stood up from the desk and moved closer to him, "Because once Jason finds you, and he will find you, he will kill you simply for looking at me."

Lorenzo smiled sadly and shook his head, "It is a shame that he didn't feel that way four years ago or else maybe he would have stayed in town."

The last string of Elizabeth's patience snapped and she aimed the gun at Lorenzo, firing and taking off a piece of the wood door frame. He looked at her curiously, actual pride showing in his eyes.

"A fiery temper to match that beauty," he said as he bowed again, "Good day to you, Miss Webber."

Elizabeth kept the guns trained on him until he disappeared from her view. She cautiously stepped out of the office door and waited until she heard the main warehouse door close. She looked around and found Max, sitting on the floor, back against the wall and his head slumped over. She hurried to him and knelt down, checking for a pulse. He was alive but out cold. He probably wouldn't wake up for another half hour judging from that enormous bruise on the back of his head.

She leaned down and kissed his forehead, "You forgive me for this and I'll make sure Jason doesn't flip out on your for not seeing Alcazar coming."

She jammed the gun in the back of her gray pants and stood up, reaching for her coat that was on the rack in the inside of the office door. Then she started to run, through the building and outside onto the pier. As she went hurrying along the docks she made a mental note that if things were about to get chaotic again in the small town of Port Charles she needed to go back to wearing jeans and sneakers.

Carly was startled as she opened her front door only to be pushed back inside by a gun totting Elizabeth Webber, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Where's Michael?" Elizabeth asked as she flicked the lock on the door and then moved around Carly's home to check on the front windows, anything that was accessible on the ground level.

"Michael is at school," Carly said with her hands on her hips, "And I hope that you weren't running around town waving that thing around." It was then that Carly noticed Elizabeth was wearing shiny red pumps, "You ran in those things, I'm impressed."

"That's fantastic, Carly," Elizabeth said as she slid the gun back into the waistband of her pants, "Had I known seven years ago that's all it would've taken for you to like me I would've done it then."

"I don't like you," Carly asked folding her arms across her chest, "What do you want?"

"Alcazar is back," Elizabeth said, "Is someone on Michael right now?"

"Marco," Carly said, "Jason just hired him. Do we need to go get him?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't think so. I don't think that he's going to come by today, at least not after our conversation."

"Today? Conversation?" Carly ran her fingers through her hair, "What the hell is going on? Does Jason know what you're doing?"

"Jason doesn't think that Alcazar is a threat. He told me this morning that there was no trace of him," Elizabeth said taking another look around the house. She saw pictures up on the shelves and the bookcase that revealed happier times with Carly, Sonny and Michael. Elizabeth hated that she helped destroy that.

"Okay, wait, wait," Carly said with a laugh, "Are you sure that are not seeing things again because Luis is dead, Sonny killed him."

"Thank you for reminding me but I was there," Elizabeth said, "This Alcazar claims to be Luis' brother, Lorenzo. He said that he's only here to apologize for what Luis has done to us, the females in particular."

"You had a full fledge conversation with this psycho?" Carly asked as she stepped towards Elizabeth, "You're crazy."

"So you keep saying," Elizabeth said with pursed lips, "All I know is that Max was knocked out cold, Alcazar walked into the office and said that he was sorry and that," her blue eyes moved away from Carly's, "he had nothing to do with Sonny's death."

"That's a lie!" Carly screamed, "If what you are saying is true he obviously came back for revenge and killed Sonny."

"Why did he stick around then?" Elizabeth asked, "He finished the deal, why hang around and try and be friendly with me."

"He doesn't want to stop there, they never do," Carly snorted as she walked towards the couch, "You've been around this business for how many years, Elizabeth and you still don't have a clue. Mobsters don't stop at just one thing, they want everything and that's what Alcazar wants, he wants Sonny dead, he wants Sonny's territory and he wants…"

"Sonny's family," Elizabeth finished quietly, "Where the hell does that leave Jason?"

"Where it left Sonny," Carly whispered as she dashed for the phone, "I'm calling him."

"No!" Elizabeth said grabbing it from her, "You are grasping at straws. I may be fairly new to the Mafia life but I've had a little of Gangster 101 and I know that things aren't always what they seem. It could be true that Alcazar wants to do what you are claiming but it could also be true that he is trying to make amends, some mobsters have hearts."

Carly snorted again, "Sonny and Jason are a rare breed. I can't believe your buying into this."

"I'm not buying into anything," Elizabeth said as she held the phone tightly against her chest, "I just don't want our children having to go to school with twenty bodyguards unless its absolutely necessary. I think we both agree on that one, Carly."

Carly hated it, but she nodded. Michael was well aware that his father and Jason lived outside of the law and that sometimes bodyguards were necessary but she wanted his life to be as normal as possible and she was leery of adding extra guards unless they were needed.

"There are a few other things I think you need to know," Elizabeth said as she set the phone back down on its cradle, "It's not nearly as important as what I've just told you but…" she walked towards the bookcase and smiled sadly at a picture that was taken only a few short months ago with Michael and Sonny, their day at the zoo, "I'm moving out of the penthouse. I know that you won't want to move back in there but I won't sell it or rent it until I receive your say so."

"Is Jason throwing you out?" Carly asked and then laughed out loud, "Did he finally wake up and see to your schemes? It's about damn time."

"Okay," Elizabeth smiled, "We aren't going to point out schemes Carly because I simply do not have the time to tally yours up. JJ and I need a home of our own and that is not it, that was Sonny's home, that's your home and I'm reverting it back over to you. Do what you want with it."

"I'm not moving back in there," Carly said, "Not after you threw me out."

"Seriously, seriously," Elizabeth said as she placed her fingers to her temples again, "Johnny escorted you out that night and if you really wanted to you could've come back the next day, Carly. The only person who has really succeeded in throwing you out of anywhere was Jason."

"He didn't…"

"I don't want his money," Elizabeth said as she made her way to the door, "I know that Jason agrees with me on that so I'll make sure that he cuts you a check by the end of the week."

"What's the catch?" Carly asked as she came to stand behind Elizabeth who was opening the front door.

Elizabeth turned to her as she stepped outside, "There is no catch, Carly. All of that money belongs to you and Michael."

"Sonny left it to…"

"You have to fight me on everything, don't you?" Elizabeth asked quietly, "Sonny loved you more than he could ever love me, let's leave it at that." She turned away, ready to walk down the stairs, trying to blink the tears back, "Wait, I forgot," she said as she turned back to Carly, a ghost of a smile on her face, "I didn't want to disturb Jason because he's busy. He's on a date. I think her names Sandra, Sarah, Sam, something like that."

"A date?" Carly squeaked as she placed her hand on her chest, "Jason Morgan doesn't date."

Elizabeth shrugged and turned away again, this time making her way down the path and away from Carly's house, a real smile appearing on her face. She remembered the torture that Carly had put her and Jason through when they were simply friends. If she had to deal with Carly Corinthos then so would Sam McCall.

Elizabeth strolled lazily through the park, taking in the frigid air of Port Charles and the bare trees. It was almost the middle of November and she knew that the first snow would be falling any day now. She couldn't wait, she loved snow. It made everything seem so pure.

She was taking her time because she knew that Jason was already going to kill her. When she left Carly's she called JJ's day care school and found out that his father had actually picked him up early. A phone call and short conversation with a bus boy at Kelly's helped her find out that JJ was indeed enjoying his sundae with Bobbie and minus Jason.

He was probably back at the penthouse fuming, yelling at Max for screwing up and then for not going to the doctor's to get his head checked out. She could just imagine his rage when she walked in the door. But she needed this, wanted it, the peaceful time to herself, something she hadn't felt in a very long time.

She loved her life, this life, when she had it with Jason and Sonny. The bodyguards that he warned would once take away her freedom had actually become her family, brothers that she needed and counted on, people who didn't turn away from her simply because she made a bad decision or fell in love with someone they didn't approve of. She no longer knew what she would do without them but at times, just like a normal family, she needed her space.

Elizabeth hadn't had that space in close to five years. When Jason showed back up the last time her life had been a whirlwind, being kidnapped and then almost killed, she was followed around by Francis and Johnny and then when she moved in with Sonny, Max had become a part of her bodyguard rotation. She never went anywhere without anyone in that time period in her life. This was like being on the back of Jason's motorcycle, a little bit of freedom.

She knew that few paces away she would reach the fountain, the place that changed her life and helped make her into the strong woman that she was today. She often detoured her route to walk by the bench, needing to know that she conquered the fear, that she was able to overcome, but at night she still couldn't stand the sight of it.

Today, after running into Lorenzo and then dealing with Carly, Elizabeth needed a reminder of her strength, her independence. She was startled when she saw a petite brunette sitting there, head in her hands. Even more startled when the brunette looked up and she was staring into the eyes of Sam McCall.

"Hi," she smiled softly as she stood up from the bench, "It's nice to finally meet you."

Elizabeth stepped towards her, her arms wrapped around her waist. For some strange reason she was glad that she was carrying a gun, "I wasn't aware that you knew who I was."

"I saw you at the hospital, approaching Jason and his son."

"Our son," Elizabeth corrected for her.

"I'm so sorry," Sam said as she held out her hand, "I'm Sam McCall, it's nice to meet you."

Elizabeth shook her hand, "I'm Elizabeth."

"Jason has told me so much about you," Sam smiled as she clapped her hands together, "And your son is adorable, I understand why you're crazy about him. I'm glad that I finally had the chance to meet you. You seem to mean a lot to…"

"If he told you anything at all about me," Elizabeth said, "You would know what Jason and I were and are to each other. You would know that standing here talking to me would be like you standing here talking to your husband's ex-wife for the first time."

"He never said that you two were that close," Sam said quietly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you…"

"Jason and I have a child together," Elizabeth said, "That seems pretty close to me."

"Oh," Sam said, "He made a reference to that being a one night stand."

Elizabeth felt the color drain from her face, "He said what?"

"Oh, no, no he didn't say it," Sam said as she patted Elizabeth's arm reassuringly, "He just said that you weren't very intimate friends and I assumed…"

"Have you heard of Carly Corinthos? Ask her about assuming," Elizabeth quipped as she folded her arms across her chest, "Are we done here?"

"I didn't mean to upset you, Elizabeth," Sam said softly, "I just want to introduce myself to you after hearing…"

"That I'm both a one night stand and a wonderful mother to JJ?" Elizabeth cooed, "Why Sam, that was awfully nice of you. Excuse me."

Elizabeth started to move around the woman who was eerily the same height as her when she felt Sam grab her arm, holding her in place.

"I don't want you going back to Jason and telling him lies," Sam said, "You misinterpreted…"

Elizabeth pulled her arm away, "Jason and I do not lie to each other."

"So you were upfront about screwing his best friend?" Sam asked with raised eyebrows.

Elizabeth took a step back, feeling as if she had just received a blow to the stomach. What in the hell had Jason been telling this woman that he barely knew? She stepped forward, wanting to hit Sam, wanting to hurt her. She then smiled and stepped back again.

"You're not worth the energy," Elizabeth said quietly as an evil smile slide across her face, "And if you ever, ever, hurt Jason or come near my son I will kill you."

She then turned around and started to took a few steps before turning back, her fist connecting with Sam's left eye and park of her cheek. She felt satisfied when the woman cried out and crumbled to leave covered ground, holding the side of her face.

Elizabeth turned back around and made her way through the park, intent on heading home and dealing with Jason Morgan.