Jason Morgan was exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he had done so much manual labor. Becoming a gunslinger made you quick with a weapon and a fast getaway on a horse but he couldn't remember the last time he held a hammer and a nail and his shoulders were screaming in pain because of it.
Word had gotten around town that Jason was planning on staying and had been looking into things that he could do. A couple of roofs needed patching, some side walls needed fixing and he even helped repair the door on the livery. He was doing everything he could to make sure that he was in hearing distance of the woman who was now caretaker to his home.
Closing the door behind him he stepped into his foyer and looked around. Elizabeth was nowhere visible which meant she was cooking dinner or probably still cleaning something that was cleaned five minutes ago.
Dropping his hat on a peg by the door, he started towards the kitchen when he noticed the family room. The shades were still wide open even though the sun had began to set and the light illuminated a figure that rested on the couch. Elizabeth looked as if she had fallen asleep with a cloth in her hand.
Stepping into the family room, Jason moved closer to the couch and felt a smile creeping on his face. For the first time since he had met Elizabeth she actually looked peaceful. Her face was relaxed, she was breathing softly and her eyes were fluttering in her dream state. She wasn't tense, she wasn't looking over her shoulder and she certainly wasn't afraid that someone was going to try and touch her. She looked even more beautiful asleep than she did awake and Jason wasn't aware that it was even possible.
Shaking those thoughts from his head, he turned back towards the hallway, intent on making something for dinner so she wouldn't try her hand at cooking again. The last time she did she caused a small fire and spent a few hours into the evening cleaning up the iron stove. He wanted to laugh at the coal that scuffed her face and tell her how adorable she looked but he didn't think she'd approve. He was contemplating sandwiches before he left the family room but the whimpers behind him caused all of his thoughts to stop.
He turned and saw Elizabeth thrashing on the couch, her dream quickly turning into a nightmare. The cleaning cloth flew out of her hand and her nails came out as she clawed at the air above her and kicked at whoever was approaching.
He hurried to the couch and tried to avoid her flailing arms as he crouch down beside her and shook her gently, "Elizabeth, wake up."
"No, stop it, please, no!" she turned and pushed at him, causing him to loose his balance and fall to his knees, "Get away from me! Someone help me! Help me!"
Her screams had turned into sobs which were tearing at Jason's heart. He hated touching her because he knew how much it scared her but it was something that had to be done. She was in the midst of a horror that she had lived and he didn't want her to relive it again. He took her by the shoulders and shook her, causing her to sit up and hit him smack on the shoulder. This time he landed on his back and she landed square on top of him.
Elizabeth blinked her eyes open and scrambled away with a cry as she realized what had happened. When she was settled back against the bottom of the couch she looked around, letting it sink in that she was in Jason's home and that she was safe.
He had sat up from where he was on the floor but kept his distance from her until he saw her blue eyes focus once again. Then he slide towards her but managed to keep his body still a few feet away so that she could have breathing room.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said quietly, "I sat down on the couch because I was a little dizzy but I didn't expect to fall asleep," she looked down at her hands before she let her eyes finally meet his, "Sometimes I can't sleep at night and last night was one of them," she looked around her again, "I didn't finish the room."
"It'll be here tomorrow."
"Jason you pay me to…"
"Elizabeth," he said softly as he reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently, "I'd rather you just sit here and relax, calm down. If you go home like this Laura is going to ask questions and that's going to upset you even more."
She let out a bitter laugh, "You know that part of me so well," she looked over at him again, "I should have had dinner ready for you," when he opened his mouth to respond she sighed and moved her head back against the bottom base of the couch and closed her eyes, "I should've cleaned, I should've had dinner ready, I should've fought harder, I should've learned how to use a shot gun, I should've screamed louder," she felt a tear slid down her left cheek, "I should've taken a gun to my own head before I let them do what they did to me."
Jason watched her as the pain etched back into her features. Her shoulders became tense once again as her body reverted back into that of a scared young woman who was afraid of her own shadow. He wanted to tell her that she didn't want to take her own life. He wanted to tell her that one day she might be able to get over this horrible ordeal. He wanted to tell her that he was glad she survived, he was glad she was here, but he knew that none of things mattered. The pain and the torture mattered right now to Elizabeth and he couldn't take those things away.
He licked his lips as he tried to find something to say, "Elizabeth…"
"They shot my father first," she said softly as her eyes blinked open and she stared out the window into the small town of Charlesville, "Once they were sure he was dead they came after us. One of them rode right up to me and told me to be prepared to die. I was, I saw them killing Sarah and my mother but I don't think they really killed them right away," she looked painfully thoughtful, "I just think that my mother and sister gave up easily and that they died spiritually even before their bodies did. I didn't want that at first. I wanted to live. Even as they drug me off into the bushes, behind a clump of rocks and one of them removed his breech cloth, I still wanted to live because I wanted these bastards to pay for what they did to my family and what they were going to do to me."
She ran her fingers across her face and wiped away her tears, "He was the leader, I could tell, he had more feathers in his hair than the others and the way he barked orders at them in his grunted language. You could just feel the power radiating off of him. He took me first, he took me twice, and then he left me to them. I had them all counted but it was such a blur after…" she stopped as the tears overwhelmed her and the sobs came out, "And they took a break and they mounted me in front of the leader and we rode for a while and the whole time he kept touching me and feeling me and I could feel his…"
Elizabeth shuddered and then sighed when she felt Jason squeeze her hand again. She could feel him trying to give her some of his strength that was held in his firm grip, "We stopped again and they ate and decided not to feed me. I wasn't sure if they wanted me weak or strong. At times they enjoyed my screams and at other times they seemed to enjoy me being lifeless. And when they were done with me and they couldn't use me anymore for the night that's when they beat me and they tortured me with their sticks and their crude looking weapons until I was bleeding and bruised. Then they picked me up again and we moved on once more."
Jason could hear her sniffle beside him and he kept a tight hold on her hand, encouraging her to continue on if she wished or to stop if she felt she couldn't go on. He knew that he couldn't look at her however because it would be too painful and he would want to cause himself harm for not being there when she truly needed him.
"That was when I wanted to kill myself," she whispered, "I almost gave up until something inside of me told me not to and I tried to escape while I was tied to a tree but they came after me again and they almost took me once more until someone else saved me, another Indian, and he took me back to his tribe and kept me there, living with me as his wife, but he never touched me, never attempted to. He wanted me to stay there with him but I told him I couldn't and he told me that I would not be accepted into the white world but I didn't listen. I made him drop me off at that town and then when they didn't accept me I was all alone, on my own, trying to figure out a way to go on. I should've gotten a knife, I should've sliced my own wrists with a rock because before I knew it there was some other guy, trying to…" she broke down again as she tugged on his hand and turned to look at him, her blue eyes revealing her tortured and damaged soul, "And I was so scared that I was going to have to live through that again and I knew that I wouldn't have been able to. I wouldn't have been able to survive that again Jason. If he had taken me I would've thrown myself in the fire after he was done. I wouldn't have been able to handle it but then you showed up and you saved me and you brought me back here and you are trying your hardest to give me a new life."
"Elizabeth," he choked as he felt his own tears overwhelm him, "Elizabeth, it's not…"
"And it's so hard," she cried, "Because I see them, all the time, when I'm not with you they follow me, they haunt me, and I'm trying to let them go, I am, but it's so bad, Jason. It's like I can still physically feel them touching me, cutting me, raping me. You can't see the blood on the outside but its inside. My soul is still bleeding Jason. Make it stop, make it stop like you did with that other bastard, make it stop," she was pounding at his chest with her fists, "Make it stop Jason, make it stop."
That was the one thing Jason couldn't do, he couldn't make her pain stop, and his body was now becoming consumed with the sobs that he was crying for her. As she continued to fight him, he wrapped his arms around her, he pulled her tight against him and this time she didn't pull away. Her hands gripped his shirt, her face buried in his chest as she cried out all the pain and misery that she was going through. And Jason buried his face in her dark curls, crying too.
"I think this is the most beautiful hotel that I have ever been too," Sam blushed as she moved away from the changing room and towards Sonny, who was seated on a couch, "Not that I've been to a lot of hotels, although I know that people assume…"
"I don't assume anything when it comes to you," Sonny smiled as he took her hand and pulled her down beside him, "I'm glad that you're having a good time and I knew that you wouldn't be able to find it in Charlesville that's why I've brought you to Baker's Flats. Michael said he had a great time when he came here with Lulu Spencer."
Sam laughed softly as she reached for the brandy glasses and handed one to Sonny, "That's one thing about Georgia, we never had a million tiny towns name after a famous man. Though, I wouldn't have minded a 'Sonny's Village'."
Sonny chuckled as he took a sip of his drink, "I don't see that happening anytime soon."
"People always regarded you with distaste?" Sam asked curiously, "Even when you lived back east," she smiled sadly when she saw the dimples slip from Sonny's face, "You are going to have to talk about her at some point. You won't be able to move on with your life if you don't."
"I'm here with you," he said quietly as his eyes moved towards the window, "I don't think that now's the time to start talking about my dead wife."
"Sonny," Sam said softly as she placed her drink down and took his hand, "Caroline was a big part of your life and that will never go away. She gave you a beautiful son and a few happy years. It's a time that you're never going to forget and something I can never compete with and I don't want to. We, hey," she said taking her other hand and turning his face to look at her, "We both had completely different lives before we met one another and we can't change that. It made us who we are today. I doubt very much you would have wanted to be with the spoiled Southern belle that giggled incessantly."
"That was Carly," Sonny said with a laugh, "I mean besides the giggling. She was spoiled, we both were, and when we set our eyes on one another it was love at first sight. I couldn't resist her, which was difficult since I was living at her mother's boarding house. One night, I eventually ruined her, although Carly fought me on the phrasing of it, and we had to get married. I don't regret it and neither did she. Bobbie helped us when I was in law school. She made is easier for us to raise our son and I'll never forget that. That's why when I see a good man coming into town looking for a room I tell him I'm booked and send him over to the boarding house."
"Still taking care of her after all these years," Sam smiled as she leaned closer to him, "That sounds like the Sonny Corinthos I know."
He smiled and ducked his head when he felt his cheeks redden, "I made partner as soon as I graduated law school and that made my parents more willing to accept my family and my wife. They always thought that Carly was dragging me down when in turn it was her forcing me to do better, to become the best damn attorney Boston had ever seen. I clawed my way to the top and I made sure that she had one of the fanciest houses in town and enough money to buy all the things she would never need. I should've known that life was too good," he sighed as he placed his brandy glass down and pulled away from Sam, running his hands over his face, "We were married for thirteen years before she was taken from me and I could tell you almost every moment of our life together. It was too good to last forever."
"She sounds like a wonderful woman," Sam said as she slid her arm around Sonny's shoulder, "She sounds like someone who made you want to get up every morning and be a better person."
He laughed and shook his head, "And look at me now. I can't imagine what she would think knowing that I'm running a saloon and allowing our son to live in it. Carly was always spunky and she was very much a fighter like myself but there was this side to her, a delicate side, that not a lot of people saw. I see it in Michael every day."
"Did you ever find out who did that to her?" Sam asked softly as he pulled her closer to him.
"Yeah," Sonny sighed, "With the help of…" he tensed for a moment, "Of an old friend I was able to find out who killed my wife and when the sheriff didn't help me, I took matters into my own hands."
Sam had a feeling that his tight grip meant Johnny was the one who helped him. He also didn't relax any when he mentioned that he was the one who went after his wife's killers. Pulling away she leaned up towards him and placed a kiss on his lips.
"There are women back in Georgia who think that I should have killed myself, like my mother, instead of selling my own body to survive. They would have applauded me for finally murdering those Yankee bastards that touched me but to give myself to them willingly is unforgivable," she whispered as she ran her fingers along his jaw, "I will not regret or be ashamed of what I've done to bring me here. I use to feel terrible for being a…a whore but if that is what I needed to do to find my way to you then I don't regret it."
"This," he said as he ran his hand up and down her bare arm, "This is hard for me sometimes because I feel like I'm betraying my wife still. There has never been anyone else for me but Carly and I'm afraid that with there being someone else…"
"Sonny, you don't have to…"
"Yes, I do," he said, "Because you make me feels things that have lain dormant inside of me for the last six years. I've been with plenty of women Sam, you know what I do for a living, and you are the only one that makes me smile, makes me have a good time, makes me feel like I'm actually living again. It scares the hell out of me but I can't fight it anymore and I'm tired of it. I want to enjoy being with you. The guilt just gets overwhelming sometimes."
Sam smiled, "Society hates us already so I say that we take our time with this, work through it and find out what's actually going on here. I have no airs about us spending time together and enjoying one another and if we have to drive into another town to have a dinner with some peace and quiet and few stares that's fines by me."
"It's not going to always be like that," Sonny said, "I will get Charlesville to accept you."
"Let's do one battle at a time," she smiled before looking around the candlelit room, "Do you have any ideas on how we can spend the rest of the evening?"
"I have one," Sonny said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her on his lap, "I want to hear all about the spoiled Southern Belle who giggled too much, starting from birth."
Sam laughed as she placed a soft kiss on his jaw, "I'm not sure about from birth but I can start with a story that resulted in a tantrum because my pigtails were not curled just so."
"Now that I'd love to hear," Sonny grinned.
"Excuse me," Lu said as she patted him on the shoulder. She looked startled and took a step back when he turned around and faced her. He was much larger than the last time she had seen him, "Hello."
Jason nodded and tipped his hat, "How are you doing, Miss Spencer?"
"Oh none of that," Lu said with a smile and a wave of her hand, "I've known you since as long as I can remember, before that really, you know you can call me Lu, just not Lulu."
"Us knowing one another so well," Jason said crossing his arms across his chest, "Is what why you look so terrified of me right now?"
"Well," Lu said clasping her hands together, "The last time that we spent any time together you wanted to be a doctor, then you left town suddenly and I left town and when you came back I heard all the…I heard that you had decided to do something else with your life."
"And that gossip has made you afraid of me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not afraid," Lu scoffed, "Really Jason you are very intimidating, with a gun or not, and right now, yes I admit that I'm slightly intimated but this has nothing to do with me. I'm here because I came to ask you a favor."
"I'm not going to kill anyone for you," Jason said turning back around to the denims he was looking at.
Lu gasped behind him and poked him again, "That was not funny. I'm here because of Elizabeth."
She was startled when he whipped back around to face her. She had never seen a man react so quickly to another women's name nor had anyone handled her as roughly as he when he took hold of her elbow and drag her towards a corner of the store
When he let her go she rubbed her arm, "Intimidating."
"What is this about Elizabeth?" he asked quietly as he looked around him, "Is she okay? She's not hurt is she? I left her last night at your house and told her to take the day off. I didn't think she was going to listen to me."
"She's fine," Lu said holding up her hands and even more sure that something was going on between Jason and Elizabeth, something they didn't realize, "I saw her the other night too and she didn't look well. I was more surprised when I saw her when she came home. I didn't expect a woman who had gone through all that she had to look as beautiful as she did. She really is quite striking. And she's just about the nicest person I had ever met in my life."
"Lu…" Jason warned.
"Sorry," Lu smiled sheepishly, "I said I saw her the other night. I was having trouble sleeping and I found her in our family room. She told me that she never sleeps anymore. That she's had such a hard time doing it after separating from you and although I'm not sure quite what that means I've surmised that you make her feel safe. And this poor woman needs to feel safe Jason; she's been through too much to not be able to have some tranquility in her life. We have to do something."
"What are you suggesting?" Jason asked, "That I permanently move into your guest bedroom?"
"No, no I don't think Papa would allow that," Lu said thoughtfully, "But you do live right next door so maybe you can tell her that if she leaves her window open you'll be able to hear her if she screams. Of course that means you would have to sleep in your own guest room and…"
"Lu," Jason said, "I'm not sure…"
"I know you want to help her just as much as I do," Lu said, "She has so many hurdles ahead of her. I see her every morning walking swiftly to your house, afraid that if she slowed down in those few steps, someone would stop her and force a conversation. She knows that she has to go out and face society one day but she keeps pushing it off for as long as she can. She cringes at the mention of any type of dinner or event. I want to be able to help her and I feel so helpless because there is nothing that I can do," she looked away from Jason and down at her gloved hands, "I know that you calm her, you make her feel reassured, and I was hoping that if there were some way you could convince her that you would be there, somehow, someway, my poor cousin would finally be able to get some much needed sleep."
"I heard some things too from the gossip hounds," Jason said, "And your not a bitch like they say," he grinned when she gasped, "I'll see what I can do with Elizabeth. I'm actually going to speak with her now if I can."
"Oh, thank you," Lu squealed as she stood up on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Jason frowned, "Don't do that again."
She laughed, "I won't, promise. Now if you'll excuse me I must go have a word with Kristina. Thank you again, Jason, even for listening."
Jason nodded as he moved away from the corner of the store and towards the exit. Lu hurried down one of the aisles and towards the counter where her friend was laying out the new candy they had just received from back east.
"Guess what?" Lu asked.
"You have a date with Jason Morgan?" Kristina guessed without looking up.
"That wasn't even funny," Lu frowned, "No silly. I spoke with my parents about Michael and told them that he wanted to travel back east with me and Mama said that she was going to write a letter to one of her friends and get him a job and a place to stay. Oh everything is working out as planned Kristina. I'm so enormously happy."
"Well I'm not," Kristina said slamming some candy on the counter, "Aren't you even going to miss me when you're gone, Lu? I'd never imagined that I'd lose you to the east forever. I thought that once you got back here you'd decide to stay."
"Oh Kristina," Lu said as she reached over and took her friends hand, "It doesn't matter where I live, we are always going to be best friends and with the railways that they are building its going to make it much more easier for us to see one another. You can travel back east to visit me and Michael! I'm sure you'll love it there. You might even decide to stay."
"I doubt that," Kristina smiled, "You know how I love horses and I don't think you can ride them around back east as much as you can here. But I do have to come for a visit, no matter what the parents say."
"Good," Lu said squeezing Kristina's hands, "I'm coming back later so we can have dinner together, it's on me, so tell your parents I'm sorry but I've been spending too much time with Michael and not enough with you and we must go out. I have to go speak with him and then I'll be back real soon. Save me some candy."
"Where are you going?" Kristina asked with a laugh.
"To see Michael," Lu smiled as she headed for the door, "I won't be too long. He'll probably go out of his mind when he finds out I had the nerve to walk into his father's saloon in the middle of daytime but I don't care. Jason just told me those old biddy's called me a nasty word and I'm going give them cause to say more things," she giggled, "They won't say any of them to my face and still invite me to their teas. I'll be back soon."
"Lu, I'm afraid that you have lost your mind!" Kristina called after her friend as she leaned over the counter. She smiled even more when she watched Lu make a wide berth of the next customer coming into the mercantile, "Hello Mr. O'Brien, how are you this afternoon?"
"I'm fine Miss Lansing," Johnny said with a small bow as he made his way towards her, "And how are you? I hope you're not working too hard sorting through all these delicious peppermints."
"No," she said slapping his hand away when he reached for one, "And I'd be doing much better if you would stop teasing poor Lu. Don't," she said when he opened his mouth to respond, the grin that he gave her was even worse, "I was too far away to hear what you said but I know you said something to cause her nose to go up in the air. Really, must you torture her so?"
"It brings such joy to my life," he grinned as he slid a coin on the counter and grabbed a peppermint, "Even you must admit that she's a crazy minx that needs to be knocked down a peg or two. I think I'm just the man to do it."
"I don't think you know her as well as you think you do," Kristina said, "Because my best friend is a wonderful person, although the crazy part I will give you. She's insisting on going to speak to Michael right now about a job back east."
"Michael? Sonny's son Michael?" Johnny looked towards the door of the mercantile, "You allowed her to go into a saloon? Do you know what that would do to her reputation?"
"Did you really think I could stop her?" Kristina asked, "It won't be that bad. It's a busy day in the streets, hardly a patron will notice her, and she claims that she wants the elderly women folk to talk anyways. Really, if I thought that…" Kristina blinked when she heard the door shut behind Johnny, "I can't imagine why those two don't get along better."
"Good afternoon," Lu smiled as she approached the bar at The Devil's Gate saloon, "Mr. Corinthos isn't around is he?" She looked around in the near empty saloon, satisfied that the few man that were there were too preoccupied with the doves to notice her.
"Sonny?" Rachel asked with a small smile, "Sonny's out of town until at least tonight, possibly longer depending on how long the southern whore keeps him away. Would you like me to leave a message for him?"
"Oh no, that's quite alright."
"I'm sure it's real important for a woman of your nature to be sniffing around in a place like this," Rachel said as she poured herself a shot of vodka, "You're lucky these boys are busy. They'd go crazy over a girl like you."
"I'm here for Michael," Lu said holding her head high, "And I'm perfectly aware that he is not out of town. Could you please tell him that I'm here?"
"I ain't your damn maid," Rachel snorted, "You want Michael Corinthos, you march your pretty little legs up them stairs and make a left, he's about the third door in. Although, I'd knock first, boy's probably still passed out from last night and naked at that. That's how men sleep around here, not a stitch of clothes on 'em. I bet they cover up real good back east."
Lu shook her head sadly, "I know that Michael works here at night dealing cards. He thinks that it's enjoyable but I'm about to tell him he'll never have to do it again. Thank you for all your help."
Lu moved away from the mean spirited woman behind the bar and headed towards the wooden stairs that would take her up to the second level of the saloon. She had never been in one of these places before and while the bottom level looked innocent enough, the rowdy noises she heard from the second level were reminding her why everyone called this place sinful.
As her boots hit the floor she saw a few women walking around in robes and worn out stockings, talking and laughing while pointing out new ways to do their hair and speaking of the pay they received last night. It caused her to shudder and to quickly make a left and head down towards Michael's room.
She was crazy to come into a place like this but she was also crazy about Michael and she was eager to tell him about her plans for Philadelphia. They would finally be free of this crazy western town and be able to settle down and have a family.
Counting the doors, Lu looked around her as she approached the third one. She was hearing some strange noises coming from somewhere and she couldn't pin point the location. As she inched herself closer and closer to the room where Rachel said Michael would be she realized that his door was open a crack and that those loud noises were coming from behind it.
Knowing she should turn away but unable to resist, Lu flattened her palm against the wooden door and pressed on it gently, it slid open a few more inches beneath her hand and she had to slap her free hand over her mouth to prevent the gasp that desperately wanted to come out. Her stomach was rumbling and she fought hard to resist the urge to be sick.
Michael was sitting up in bed, leaning against the wall, his body naked, except for the sheet that covered the bottom half of his legs. There was a blond woman on top of him, moaning loudly, and bouncing up and down on his lap. Neither of them were aware that she was there and both of them looked to be in a good deal of pain.
Lu, however, knew they weren't in pain, pain was the last thing those two were feeling at the moment. Stumbling back from the door she turned around and hurried back down the stairs, flying past Rachel and anyone else that was left in the saloon. She ran as fast and as far as she could but she couldn't outrun the images in her mind.
Johnny turned towards Rachel after watching Lu race out of the saloon, "If I find that any harm has come to her I would make myself scarce if I were you."
Rachel laughed before she choked on her drink when Johnny grabbed her by the shoulders and nearly drug her across the top of the bar, "Let me…"
"I would never hit a woman, ever," Johnny said, "But you're not a woman, you're a whore, and you better mark my words. If she gets hurt because of what you sent her up there to see Rachel Adair, I will kill you."
He then pushed the soiled dove back away from him and hurried out of the saloon, hoping that he would be able to catch up with Lu. He looked down the boardwalk, which would have led towards her house, but he couldn't see her amongst the crowd. When he turned the other way he saw the livery boy fighting with someone who was blocked from his view. When Joe was pushed aside and a horse burst out a few minutes later with a rider on its back, Johnny didn't even have to look twice to know who it was.
He stepped off of the boardwalk, in the middle of the street, and ran through the muddy road to make his way to the livery. The boardwalk was too crowded and this path would make it quicker, albeit a filthier way, to get to Lu. He tossed a gold coin at the still fallen Joe before he rummaged through the horses and picked out the best stallion that was stabled there.
"That's one of Mr. Alcazar's horses! You can't take Blackie! That's Mrs. Alcazar's horse!"
"I'm sure Emily would understand!" Johnny called after him as he leaned over the horse's mane and urged him forward with his heels.
He knew that Lu had a few minutes on him and he only hoped that she had picked out a dun horse in her haste to escape town. If she had hopped on a thoroughbred like the one he had he might not be able to catch up with her. As eastern as she was she grew up in the west and he knew that she had some type of experience as a horsewoman.
He was thankful when she was within his sight and he urged his horse to increase their speed, yelling in its ear and slapping it's heaving sides. He knew that you should never run a horse down unless you were fighting for your life but Johnny felt like he was fighting for someone's. Lu was upset and if she couldn't control the horse she was simply going to go over its head.
Pulling up beside her he started to shout at her but she didn't want to listen. When he reached for the horse's mane, Lu abruptly pulled up and practically threw herself from the animal. Johnny had to turn Blackie around in a circle before the horse angrily came to a stop and when he dismounted Lu was on top of him, pounding at him with her tiny fists.
"I hate you!" she screamed, "Its men like you that cause Michael to do those things that he's done! I know that he's been spending time with you in that saloon and I know that you told him that he could do whatever he wants and I hate you for it! I hate you!"
"Lu," Johnny said trying to grab her wrists, "Lu, you have to…"
"I wish that I never met you!" she screamed, "I wish that you never came to this town with your attitude and your careless lifestyle! I wished you stayed away from the man that I planned to marry and kept your influence away from him!"
"Damn't," Johnny said managing to push her away from him, "It's not my fault your boyfriend decided to sleep with a whore!"
Lu hauled back and slapped him across the face. She had done so before but this time her hand felt a lot heavier and she knew from the look on his face that it stung a lot more. She didn't look contrite and he didn't look angry but he did turn away from her.
"You can yell at me and throw a fit all you want," he said as he approached Blackie, "You can place the blame on me and slap me until the cows come home, Miss Eastern but that is not going to change the fact that Michael was up there in the bed with Courtney willingly. No one forced him."
Lu felt herself recoil and the tears pooled in her eyes, "How did you know it was Courtney? Oh…it's a regular. She's…she's the one that he's always with. They have this thing don't they, oh." Lu placed her hand over her mouth again and turned away from Johnny for fear that she was going to be ill.
He wanted to go to her, to comfort her in a way that he never had before. From the moment he met her he wanted her in his bed but now he wanted to brush those tears away, to make her feel safe, to let her know that this was not her fault but that of society's. He couldn't though, she didn't want his comfort, and he was tired of getting slapped for being the man that he was.
"For what it's worth," he said as he turned his head towards her, "He's an asshole." He watched her as her shoulders started to shake, as she tried to fight the tears that wanted to overwhelm her, "He's a prick, a bastard, and a whole lot of other things I can't say in front of you but mostly Lu, he's an idiot. If I had you on my arm you can be rest assured that I would not be leaving you to spend time with some ditzy tramp."
"Don't," she snapped as she turned towards him, "Don't stand there and lie to me and tell me things that you think are going to get me…because they won't, stop saying them right now."
"I'm saying the truth," Johnny said, "And I know that you don't want to believe me because since the first time we've met each other your claws have been out and my defenses have been up but I assure you that you are the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid eyes on and I don't care if I had to be celibate for the rest of my life, knowing that you were on my arm, that you were the one I would get to kiss goodnight would be enough for me."
She looked at him again, with those damn blue eyes, hopeful and filled with tears.
"It sounds like a lot of bull that I'm spewing out of my mouth but it's not," he said as he moved away from the horse and took a step towards her, "Because from what I hear around town, there is a soft side to you, you do care a lot about people, especially that piece of shit back in the saloon. There's nothing wrong with wanting pretty things and a better life and I, of all people, should not hold that against you. I just hate," he said as he reached out and touched her shoulder, "That a woman like you is wasting time on him."
Her shaking had stopped and the sobs no longer seemed to control her body but the tears still came, silently and slowly, rolling down her cheeks and onto the beautiful dress that was wrinkled and torn from her quick getaway.
"You have no idea what you do to people," he whispered as she turned towards him, "You have no idea what those eyes, those lips, that body, can make a man want to do. If Michael hadn't claimed you practically the moment you got back into town I guarantee you that the rest of the cowpokes in this town would be falling over themselves just to have you smile at them."
She sniffled and looked down at herself as if she didn't believe a word of what he said. Johnny swore that he heard a little piece of his heart break.
"You have no idea how sexy you are, Miss Eastern," he said softly as he leaned down and wiped a few of her tears away, "You have no idea that a million whores in this world could still not equal to you. Lu," when her eyes met his he let out a long, slow breath, "Lu you have no idea."
"But I love him."
And those words caused Johnny's heart to break even more.
He didn't care that he seemingly lost the battle over Lesley Lu Spencer. He didn't care that the spunky eastern snob that he admired had fallen for a saloon boy that would never live up to her dreams. He didn't care about what his friends would think when they had learned that he was smitten with the type of woman that he hated. He cared that she was crying and he wanted to ease her pain, so he took her in his arms, and she finally let him comfort her.
Her sobs began anew as Lu clung to him, burying her head in his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. She was holding on to Johnny for dear life, her fingers twisting in his shirt and making sure that he was going nowhere. His body felt like a rock, solid and strong in the face of a desert storm. He whispered soft words in her ear, nothing that made sense, but they soothed her nonetheless. She felt his fingers tangle in her dark locks as she revealed in his strength.
They both felt something in this embrace, something they couldn't deny but knew that they had to. Lu wanted this warmth that she felt to stay with her always and Johnny couldn't shake the odd feeling of being safe in this woman's arms. Neither of them wanted to move, not even when they heard the approaching sound of a lone horseman, but Johnny forced her away from him. He wanted to make sure that her reputation was protected.
"It's getting late," Lorenzo Alcazar said as he brought his horse to a stop a few feet in front of Johnny, "I heard from the livery boy that something had startled Miss Spencer and I came to see if she was alright. I assured him that Mr. O'Brien probably had everything under control but we both thought it best that I check anyway. He also said something about a horse."
"I didn't kidnap Blackie, I borrowed him and paid for him as well as Lu…Miss Spencer's horse," Johnny said, "I think it would be best if you take her back into town. It would look better if she came with a married man instead of an unwed one."
Lu turned to look at Johnny and couldn't explain why she didn't want to be separated from this man, "Come with us."
"I'll catch up with you," Johnny said, "I'm sure you'll find me around the mercantile. I'm always picking up more supplies than Lorenzo needs," he forced a smile, "You going to be alright?"
"I'm okay," she said quietly, "Thank you for following me out here and making sure. I appreciate it, Mr. O'Brien."
Johnny watched her, detached, as she approached the small dun that she had taken from the livery. She climbed on sidesaddle, unlike the way she had ridden out of town, an adjusted her skirts while Lorenzo approached him.
"I think its best you stay in town for a few days," Lorenzo said quietly, "Lucky can handle things for now and maybe you can relieve him by the weekend. Emily's talking about inviting Elizabeth out to the ranch for a couple of day's anyway so we might as well all go back together," he gave Johnny a small smile, "I'll explain what happened to her horse."
"I'm sorry again," Johnny said as he adjusted his hat on his head, "But as you can see I was worried about Miss Spencer. She looked to be upset and I wanted to make sure that she was okay. There was no harm done to the animal although I did ride him a little hard."
"He's use to it," Lorenzo smiled, "Emily likes to race me on the ranch," he cleared his throat as he saw Lu approach them, "You did the right thing to make sure that she's alright. The sun's disappearing and she's not safe out here at night. I'll make sure to tell anyone that who says otherwise," he nodded to Lu, "Are you ready Miss Spencer?"
"Yes Lorenzo," Lu said with a forced smile, "Thank you again, Mr. O'Brien."
Johnny nodded as he watched Lu align her horse next to Lorenzo's and they started back into town at a slow trot. Lorenzo was right, the sun was quickly descending in the sky, and a few more minutes out there and Lu wouldn't be safe. As she became a mere spot on the horizon, he felt his blood begin to boil and his fists curl when he realized what could have happened to her if he hadn't have been there.
He wanted to wrap his hand around that whore's neck but more importantly he wanted to have a detailed conversation with Michael Corinthos, one that couldn't wait. He swung back onto Blackie's back and started towards town, bypassing the main road and heading towards the back, along the waterway where Charlesville pumped their water from. He found a drunkard, tossed a few gold coins out him, and passed along a message that would bring Michael Corinthos out of the saloon and away from prying eyes.
"Lu?" Michael asked as he hurried onto the boardwalk, "Lu where are…ah!"
Johnny's hands curled around the collar of Sonny's only child. He watched as Michael turned red and was slammed up against the wall that housed one of the lesser known saloons in town. They were in a dark alley, one barely big enough to allow two men in, and Johnny planned on having a long talk with Michael, mostly with his fists.
"I thought someone made it real clear that Miss Spencer was supposed to know about your trysts before you continued them?" he snarled as his knuckles pressed up against Michael's chin, "Was there part of Lucky's conversation that you didn't quite understand?"
"What concern of yours is it?" Michael asked, "I haven't had a…oh!" he sputtered and bent over when Johnny's fist connected with his face. He then shot up again when another punch met with his stomach, "Fuck!"
"Something like that," Johnny said as he grabbed Michael by the hair and slammed his head against the wall, "I knew your mother and I knew she wouldn't approve of this and I don't care what the fuck your father thinks. I do care that you hurt an innocent woman in all this just to scratch an itch from some buxom blond. I hope it was worth it, boy, because it looks like you just lost Lesley Lu Spencer because of it."
Michael glared at Johnny when he released his hold on him and shoved the man back, "You're jealous. Your actually jealous of me because not only am I living with whores and fucking them but because I have Lu too. I know that you've wanted her. I knew that from the moment I saw you looking at her. She's mine, O'Brien, and you'll never know what she's like in bed. Ah!"
Johnny slapped Michael hard against the mouth, busting his lip open. He then hit him in his back, knocking him to his knees, and Johnny gave him two swift kicks in the stomach with his boots. He bent down and grabbed Michael's hair again before shoving his face in the dirty ground.
"You want to continue this? Do you?" Johnny asked, "You better find her and you better get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness. I will try my damndest to convince her to stay the fuck away from trash like you."
Michael spit a mouthful of blood into the ground before he looked up at Johnny with a gleam in his eyes, "And when I'm done getting her to forgive me, you think about us moving back east, you think me marrying her, you think about all the babies I'm going to give her," he held onto his side as he struggled to his feet, "You think about the times that I'll be fucking Lu while you'll be here jerking yourself off."
Johnny's hand wrapped around Michael's neck and squeezed as he pressed the younger man back against the wall, "You tell the grim reaper I said hello."
"Let him go."
Johnny watched as Michael's face started to turn a sickly blue, ignoring the person behind him.
"Damn't O'Brien you will hang for this," Jason said hitting Johnny's arm with the butt of his gun, causing him to release Michael, "I'm sure whatever the hell this is about is not worth dangling on the wrong end of a noose," he looked down at Michael was on his knees and hands, gasping for air, "Are you alright?"
Michael pushed Jason's hand away and stumbled to his feet, clutching his ribs, "You'll pay for this. You mark my words."
Johnny was rubbing his arm and jerked his head towards The Devil's Gate, "Tell your father I said hello."
Michael brushed past both men as he spit out another mouthful of blood. He then stumbled his way towards the back end of the saloon where he slipped in, to avoid curious onlookers and whores with a lot of questions.
"Sonny is going to kill you for this," Jason said as he slid his gun back into his holster, "I hope that was worth destroying your friendship over."
"Sonny won't be that mad when he finds out that Michael was fucking a whore all the while courting someone else," Johnny said as his eyes moved from where Michael was, towards Jason, "He should've been a man and told the truth instead of sneaking around like a rattlesnake."
"Rattle snakes are deadly."
"So are drifters," Johnny snarled. He kicked the side of the wall with his foot and then punched it for good measure, "Thank you."
Jason looked at him curiously, "For what?"
"For stopping me," Johnny said shoving his hands in his pockets as he pushed past Jason, "Because tonight, after what he did, I would've killed him."
Johnny walked away, kicking stones in his path, as he made his way back towards the hotel where he was staying while he was in town. Everyone in town knew that Jason Morgan had a temper to be reckoned with but that had yet to be introduced to Johnny O'Brien's. It was even more deadly.
Elizabeth sighed as she wandered around her pink room in the Spencer household. She had once again been unable to fall asleep for fear that the horrible nightmares would return. Instead of reliving them through her dreams, she wandered through the hellish memories awake, and looked forward to the sunrise when she could have breakfast with her Aunt, Uncle and cousin before going over to Jason's.
She hated that she had become so dependent on him and what was worse was the breakdowns that continually happened in his presence. Jason assured her that he was glad she was allowing him to help but still, she felt like a burden at times, and wanted to do more for him than just clean his house.
Moving towards her window, Elizabeth thought of speaking with Emily tomorrow and maybe finding out what some of Jason's favorite foods were. She wasn't a good cook but she could try her hand at something he liked as a thank you for being there for her when she needed him. She knew it wouldn't be enough, nothing ever would, you couldn't possibly ever thank someone enough for saving you and showing you that people did care about you, whether you wanted them to or not.
Sighing, Elizabeth leaned on the windowsill and was startled upright when she saw a shadow by one of her Aunt's favorite trees in the backyard. The shadow moved away from the tree, stepping into the moonlight and Elizabeth realized it wasn't a shadow at all. It was Jason, tipping his hat at her and giving her a small smile.
Elizabeth raised her hand and waved slightly before she turned around and walked towards her bed. Jason was watching over her, as he had every night on the trail, as he did the night they had arrived at Emily's house, as he would for as long as she needed him.
She pulled down the covers and slid into bed, burying herself under them and clutching her soft pillow. She closed her eyes, with a trace of a smile on her lips and sighed. For the first time in a very long time, Elizabeth Webber had a peaceful sleep.