Chapter 15

The next morning, everyone got up at the same time. It was one more day until Lincoln's case, and everyone, especially Elise, was extremely anxious. They all headed down to the lobby. Sucre, Westmoreland, C-Note, T-Bag, and DRS were all talking and playing cards. Bellick and Pope were sitting at the couches. LJ and Olivia were standing by Veronica, Nick, Lorena, Michael, Kellerman, and Lincoln, who were all discussing about the next day. Elise was pacing up and down the halls, biting her nails, talking to herself, and manyy other unusual things that she wouldn't usually be seen doing. Michael went up to her finally, to stop her from pacing up and down the hall.

"Elise, you've got to calm down."

"How can I calm down? My father lost Terrence Steadman, and the case is tomorrow… This is terrible, it really is. I can't believe that all of this happened. I should've stopped before it got too far…"

Michael stopped her before she could say another word.

"What do you mean by 'you could've stopped her?'"

"Well, ya'll already know that I knew about the conspiracy, I also knew about the plan beforehand…which means…" Elise smirked and turned the other way, "that since I knew about it beforehand, and I'm on Lincoln's side, we can throw down that old tyrant of a Vice President for good."

Kellerman walked over to her.

"It won't be that easy, Elisabeth."

"Why do you say that?"

"You'll need more proof of knowing about the conspiracy in advance."

Elise looked at Kellerman, and the way she looked at him, he knew what she was thinking.

"Oh, no, Elise. You can't—"

"Hey, you got us into this mess, and now you are going to get us out of it. Anyway, you owe it to me, big time."

"Hey, listen, I don't owe you anything."

Elise took out a shank that she had in the back of her pants and held it to his throat.

"Oh, really?"

Kellerman gulped, and subtly shook his head. Michael looked at Elise in an entire new light. She was no longer the sweet girl he knew long ago. She was a determined woman, risking everything for what she knows what to be right.

Elise put the shank back and walked over to the doors. She walked outside and sat down on the bench. She looked up at the sky and scoffed.

Someone walked behind and put one of their hands on her left shoulder. Elise looked up to see who it was.

"Hello, Linc."

Lincoln sat down beside her, and put his hands between his knees. He looked across the street and saw a few kids coming in and out of a general store.

"It would great to be free."

"Free from where? Prison? Your conscience constantly gnawing at you? Life?" Elise took out a cigarette, lit it up, and a breathed in deeply.

"From everything. I want my life to be back to normal," he looked at her after he said that. Her body tensed up a bit. Last night's argument was coming up again in her mind.

"And I also want your's to be, too. I know you may think it won't, but it can."

"how?"

"You'll be with Olivia more, you won't need to always have to go on missions…you'll have more friends than you started with."

Elise smiled.

"Elise, I got a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you not the sweet little girl I knew from so long ago?"

"People change. After having Olivia, my entire outlook on life quickly changed. I had to save my child, but at the same time, I wanted to be away from the cookie-cutter life without committing crimes. That's when I joined the Special O.P.S. I became a monster when I joined. I became a monster, and I liked it. And because of that, I never went back to my normal ways."

Lincoln looked at her.

"For all those who deserve to die, I let them die," She looked at him, "and those who didn't, I let them live. That is why I changed, Lincoln. Because I finally saw that there was so much injustice in the world, and I saw that I could help."

"The problem is that you're helping out too much and draining yourself dry. Anyway, I don't think you were a monster, Elise. As you said, there was just so much injustice in the world, and your mind changed. That was it."

Elise smiled at him. Lincoln the walked back into the hotel, leaving behind a changed Elise. Was she really a monster all these years as she had said, or was Lincoln right? All she knew was that she would have to be a monster tomorrow, irregardless of the consequences it will bring. She stared across the street awhile longer, and then, her cell phone rang. She flipped it open, and saw the name "Johnson" on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hello Colonel. Listen, I've got your father on the line."

"Ok." Elise waited a few minutes until she could hear Desmond on the other end. "Hello?"

"Hello, Elise. I've got really good news."

"Did you get Steadman?"

"Yes we did."

"Where was he?"

"We're in D.C. now. He found out about us tracking him down, and thought it to be smart to return to D.C."

"Ok, so where are you now?"

"Look to your right, and you'll see us driving down the street."

"Ok, but give me a second." Elise ran into the hotel, and then, stood up on the table. "We've got Steadman!"

Veronica walked up to her and looked up.

"How is that possible?"

"If you coome outside with me, then you'll know."

She jumped from the table, and outside, being quickly followed by the rest of them. Once they got outside, they saw the rest of DRS, and they also saw Elise's father holding onto a man with light brown hair, and in a business suit. He was squirming around, and looked afraid, but arrogant. His hands and ankles were cuffed, just so we wouldn't get away that easily.

"Well, well, well. Terrence Steadman." Elise walked up to him.

"You can't do anything to me, you whore."

"I know I can't. But, you can do something for us."

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

"You could testify against your sister."

"Eat shit!"

"Well, it's either that or going to jail…"

Terrence just looked at her and then spit in her face. Everyone started towards him, but elise stopped them. She then looked at Terrence.

"You know what, Terrence? I know a few inmates who would love to have you in prison." She then turned to T-Bag. "Which of your boys has been needing a bitch?"

T-Bag smirked, and Elise turned back to Terrence, who looked as though he was going to die.

"Fine… I'll testify against Caroline. Just promise me that you won't send me to prison."

"Terrence, you and I both know that I don't keep promises to low-lives." She smirked, and Terrence lowered his head in shame and defeat.

Later that night, everyone was in Elise's room, and she was discussing about all of the evidence that she had.

"….so, all we need to do now is wait. All of this evidence should be substantial enough to get Lincoln out."

"But, what if it isn't enough?" Nick asked her. She looked at him.

"Then, I'll make them believe our evidence and prove him innocent."

Nick swallowed hard.

"Are they that scared of you that they will let you force them into changing their minds?" Nick asked Elise, but she didn't answer him.

"I told you guys that the entire Judicial system is dead scared of Elise." Lorena told Nick. The group looked at her. "Even the Vice President and President are afraid of her?"

Lincoln looked at Elise.

"Why are they afraid of you?"

She looked down at the papers, sighed, and looked up.

"Because I'm not afraid of anything that they say, or do to me. Anyone who is anyone would be afriad to stand in front of the American Supreme Court, but I'm not. I know their weaknesses and their flaws. I know what they are always planning to do, and because of that, they are afaid of me."

"But why?"

"Because I could hit them back even harder, that's why. Anything they have for me, I throw something even bigger, better, and more sufficient at them. They're not as scary as you think once you get to my level of monstrosity."

"So it's a pretty good thing that you're on the good side, Miss Elisabeth…" Pope said, and smiled at her.

Elise smiled back at him, and then, something crossed her mind.

"Henry, once this is over and done with, do we have to go back to Fox River?"

"Unfortunately, yes. You do."

The Fox River crew all looked extremely dismayed at this news, and they all just sat down.

"Is there anyway of getting out?" Elise looked determined.

"Well, there are different ways. How about you and I discuss about this later on, Elisabeth."

Elise nodded, and looked at the guys. She smiled at them.

After a few more hours about discussing the case, everyone went to bed. Elise stayed up a little while longer, and sat on the window and looked to the sky. This was going to be her last day of freedom, before she and her friends would have to go back to Fox River. But, it was only one day more until the fate of her dear friend. She didn't know what to be more worried about. She guessed she was more worried about Lincoln, now. Anyway, being at Fox River wasn't that bad, since she now had friends to talk to.