A/N – Thanks for the comments! I always appreciate them.

Chapter 23

Elizabeth let out a scream as her mind went from the basement to the park with Tom hovering over her. Jason darted up and sat next to her. "You're safe."

She is trembling and he just wants to hold her. "Am I?"

"What can I do?"

She wants Tom gone but figures he's already doing that.

"May I touch you?"

He had barely gotten the last words out before she dove against him.

"I'm taking care of it, Elizabeth. I promise."

"I know. I just—I hate that you have to."

He thought for a moment, before carefully speaking his thoughts. "I want to. I should have before."

"Even if you make him go away, he'll still be in my head."

"Did you think about it all the time before Faith?"

"No."

"It took time to get to that place though."

"I'm tired."

He kissed the top of his head. "I know. I'm tired of people taking advantage of you because you are the best person I know—well, you and Lila."

She almost chuckled before retreating. "I think I'm ready to talk to someone."

"I'll let Audrey know."

"Thank you."

"Move over…"

She edged to her left and then Jason lay on his back before she moved next to him.

"Better?"

"Yes."

"Good. Go sleep."

She slept the rest of the night. Monica and Audrey were giddy when they spotted them in the morning.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

Emily snuggled against Johnny and then her eyes popped open as he grinned.

"Good morning."

She groaned and then rolled onto her back. "Why do I feel like I have a hangover?"

When he didn't answer, her eyes grew big.

"My father spiked the tea, didn't he?"

"That was me," Tracy said.

"Aunt Tracy!"

"You need the rest."

Alan, who was walking by stopped. "Did you steal them?"

Tracy smirked. "I have an arsenal in my room in case I need to off your wife."

Alan shook his head. "Wait until I tell her."

"As long as she keeps her nosey butt out of my room, I don't care."

Johnny laughed.

"I can't believe you drugged me!"

"Oh, get over. You slept through the night. You should be thanking me. I'll have Cook make you some food."

She left as Emily struggled to shake off her grogginess.

"Are you okay?" Alan asked.

"I think so."

"While her tactics are questionable, I thought about drugging you too," Johnny admitted.

She punched him on the arm.

"Ow!"

"Big baby."

He ran into the bathroom as she sat up.

Alan peruses her. "Epiphany is almost here."

"Why?"

"She insisted on checking on you herself."

Emily shook her head. "I think I might run away to the island. Jason will protect me."

"He called earlier to make sure you were behaving. I can't prove it, but he may have asked Epiphany to stop by."

She groaned. "I need a restraining order."

"You need to lay back and do what your father tells you to do," Epiphany said as she sauntered into the room, grinning when she spotted Johnny. "I knew you'd look good first thing in the morning."

He winked. "If I knew you were coming, I would have cleaned up more."

"Hello," Emily said, "Get on with it so I can pee and eat."

"Do you kiss Lila with that mouth?"

"All the time and she never complains."

Piph chuckled. A saucy Emily is better than a cowering one. "Why are you so grumpy?"

"Tracy drugged me."

"Get over it. Who do you think supplied her?"

"Epiphany!"

"Relax, I'm kidding."

Emily brushed by her and went into the bathroom.

"She's feisty. I like it."

"Me too," Alan said. "I'll see you downstairs."

"Did Cook make some bacon?"

"Yup…"

"I'll be right there."

Johnny laughed.

"How is Elizabeth?"

"I haven't checked today, but she's hanging in there."

"Good."

Emily emerged and walked right by them.

"She is so rude," Piph said.

Johnny held out his arm and Piph gripped it. "I'll escort you there."

"Thank you."

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Elizabeth eyed Jason. "Why are they smiling so much? Did your mother just giggle?"

Jason wiped his mouth. "I think so."

"They are scaring me."

Francis chuckled.

"Me too. Maybe I should call a doctor."

"Make it two doctors. They'll need one each."

Audrey glanced at them. "More pancakes?"

"No, this is good," Jason said before taking another bite."

"No thanks," Liz said before taking another bite. She's getting her appetite back.

Monica took a sip of her coffee. "I have you set up for a video call at 11:00.

"Thanks." She's dreading it in one way, but she can't stay in a bad place.

"We are going on a shopping trip today, so you have the island to yourselves."

Elizabeth's eyes narrow. They are up to something.

Jason eyed Francis.

"Cody is going with them and taking a few of the other guards. They'll be fine."

"Anything you want?" Audrey asked.

"If you see something Lila would want, tell Francis and he'll pay." He has a special credit card. "Emily too…"

Monica smiled. "I will."

"I would like a onesie for the baby," Elizabeth said.

"Done," Audrey said as she finished cleaning up. "I'll go grab my hat and purse."

Jason's attention went to Elizabeth. "After your appointment, if you're up to it, we can go down to the beach."

"Okay. We'll play it by ear."

He nodded, unsure of what her mood will be.

"I think I want to sit on the porch."

Both men rose when she stood.

Monica appeared. "Alright, Francis will check your pressure in an hour and look at the baby monitor."

"When did you go to nursing school?" Liz asked.

He smiled. "I got a crash course and passed with flying colors."

"Hmm. We'll see how you do."

Monica chuckled. "Have fun."

"You too."

Francis and Jason walked Liz to the porch where they have a view of the boat. Several minutes later, they observed as everyone boarded.

"Thank you, Cody," Monica said as she moved on board.

He assisted Audrey.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Want to sit inside or out?"

"I think we'll go inside."

He opened the door, and everyone took a seat.

"I hope you like shopping," Monica said as they pulled away.

Cody's eyes widened.; He seriously didn't think they'd be more than an hour or so.

They laughed.

"Are you single?" Audrey asked.

A smirk eased onto his face. "Are you asking?"

Their laughs filled the room.

"You couldn't keep up with me."

Cody chuckled. "I'm beginning to realize that."

"Well?"

"I'm dating someone."

"Darn…"

"Who were you going to set me up with?"

"A cute nurse…"

"Well, if things don't work out, maybe I'll agree."

Audrey smiled. "We'll stay in touch."

He's enjoying them. "I agree to your terms."

When they began to chat about all the things they want to purchase, Cody's attention goes to a guard in the corner who couldn't help but laugh at Cody's expression. They may need a bigger boat.

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Sonny handed Sam some flowers.

Her eyes widen with surprise. "Thank you."

"We drove past a flower shop, and I asked Max to turn around."

Now, her eyes are almost slits. "Did you do something wrong?"

He grinned. "No, I just wanted to do something nice for you."

Sam gave him a quick peck "Thank you."

He touched her belly. "You ready to go?"

"Yes, but I'm nervous."

"I'll be happy either way.".

"Me too…"

They are going to a clinic away from prying eyes to find out what they are having.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

Jason handed his phone to Liz.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Sam."

Liz smiled. "Hello. How is everything?"

Sam is aware of what happened. "I just got back from the doctor's office."

Liz's eyes widened as a curious Jason observes.

"Did you find out?"

"Yes."

"Well, spill."

Sam is happy she seems like herself even though she knows that Liz is probably struggling. "It's a girl."

Liz grinned. "I'm so happy for you. Are you happy?"

"Yes. It's even more real now."

"Will you go shopping with me when I get back?"

"I would love to." She has so much thinking to do like where she is going to live.

When Sam grew quiet, Liz decided to poke.

"What's going on?

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes." She knows Sam doesn't have a lot of people to talk to and it will be a good distraction.

"I just don't know what I want to do. I do love Sonny, but I don't feel secure with him. Suppose he turns on me?"

Liz sighed. "Go on…" Sonny does have a reputation for going off the handle.

"He'll never let me walk away. I know once Carly finds out we lied, she's going to make things very hard. She's already confronting me and telling me that Sonny is hers."

"That doesn't surprise me at all. Stand your ground."

"I have no problem standing my ground, but I am letting her hang herself. I think that is a better strategy right now because I can't fight."

Liz smiled. "We can both dream of smacking the shit out of her."

Jason's brow rose as Sam laughed.

"It's a recurring dream at this point."

"For now, just stay in the present. It's something I'm working on. Be happy about the baby and know you'll be a good mother whether you raise her with Sonny or on your own."

"I've taken care of my brother for a long time. He has special needs and is in a group home."

"So, you know how important that maternal role is. Just concentrate on being a good mom. Let the guards keep an eye on Carly. And you're not alone, Sam. We agreed to be friends, so you have options."

"That means a lot to me."

"Me too… Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure?"

"Emily was attacked by Helena's men."

Sam sat up. "Where is she?"

"At her parent's house but she'll be returning to Johnny's apartment. Can you check on her for me?"

"Of course… So, when are you coming back?"

She has a playful tone, which took Liz off guard. "I don't know. Why are you asking?"

"I need that pizza again."

Liz laughed, making Jason smile, but when she stared at him, he shifted nervously "Jason looks like he's gonna crawl out of his skin.

Sam heard him say, "You're up to something," and laughed.

"We need you to do something for us when we get back."

"Is it dangerous?"

"You ass could get bruised."

Sam has tears coming down her face as she cracked up. Sonny is standing in the doorway grinning. He's surprised she's talking to Liz but is glad she's happy.

Jason's eyes narrowed. "What the hell?"

"We need that pizza!"

Liz put Sam on speaker.

"Hell no!"

"Jason, if Sam needs a pizza, I need you to uh, get it for her," Sonny said.

"Fire me!"

Sam pouted.

"You made her pout, Jason."

"And? You don't know what they are asking."

Sonny shook his head. "It's a pizza for Christ's sake. I'll get it for you."

Jason grinned. "Oh, she'll just love you."

Liz is laughing so hard that she fell onto her side on the couch.

"Give me the address," Sonny barked.

Jason happily gave it.

"What do I ask for?"

"Just tell her the Liz special."

Sonny called Max to get the car ready to leave in an hour. "Honestly, Jason, I don't understand you some time."

"Call me when you get back." By that time, Liz should be out of her meeting and will probably need some humor.

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Elizabeth sat in front of the computer and waited as anxiety started to rise. Jason had gone outside with Francis and while she appreciated the privacy, she still hates him being further away. The call popped on the screen, so she clicked it on it.

"Hello, you must be Elizabeth."

"Yes."

"I'm Dr. Marty Saybrooke. Monica thought that you'd be more comfortable talking to me since I'm not affiliated with General Hospital."

"That's fine."

"I'm located in Pennsylvania and specialize in trauma from rape, but I treat all kinds of mental illnesses, PTSD, and trauma."

Liz is surprised but nodded.

"All I know is that you recently experienced a traumatic event."

"Yes."

"It would help me to know if something occurred before this that would make the event even more traumatic, but before we begin, can you just tell me a little about yourself?"

"Well, I'm a waitress, although I'm on hiatus due to the situation that I'm in. I'm an artist and love to sketch and paint."

"Nice…"

"I don't talk to my family much. My parents are doctors and left to do humanitarian work back when I was in high school, so I had to move and live with my grandmother."

"That must have been hard."

"I was rebellious and felt discarded, but apparently, that was selfish."

Marty took a few notes.

"Anyway, when I was fifteen, a guy I had a crush on was supposed to take me to a dance and I got ready and when he showed up at the door, he had forgotten and had asked my sister instead."

"Ouch…"

"I was humiliated and then decided to go to the park." Liz looked down "I was raped."

Marty nodded.

"Lucky, the guy that had stood me up, found me and it created a bond."

"Did you report it?"

Liz shook her head. "No. I was mortified. In hindsight, I wish that I had."

"Therapy?"

"No. Lucky was there for me and would sleep on the floor next to my bed. I was messed up for quite a while, but we ended up falling in love."

"Sounds like a complicated relationship."

"I guess you could call it that. Eventually, I thought he was dead and started to move on."

"You fell in love again?"

"It was new, and his life is complicated. He was in an accident several years back where his memory was wiped, and he had to start over."

"Wow."

"It was awful for him, but he found his way. He is the one who bought me here and had been trying to protect me."

"From?"

"My ex-husband and his crazy girlfriend. She kidnapped me and had my rapist, who is in jail for blackmailing Jason's sister, make recordings of what he wants to do to me when he gets out and she would play them to torture me."

Marty is stunned.

"It was bad. I was so scared for me and the baby."

"I'm very sorry that you had to go through all of that. The baby is fine?"

"Yes. I got lucky."

"Who is the baby's father?"

Liz shifted. "That's complicated. I had a one-night stand with a friend and got pregnant."

Noting her demeanor, Marty asked, "Are you ashamed of that?"

"In ways, I wish I hadn't gone there. Zander and I had slept together once before but he was also involved with my best friend, Jason's sister, on and off. I don't regret this child though. She'll be loved."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Just from the little you have told me; I think there are several things to talk about. I don't want to overwhelm you today but needed to get some background so that I know how to proceed. Did you get married after you got pregnant?"

"I was married to Ric who was probably a rebound from Jason and then I slept with Zander and re-married Ric which was a huge mistake because he did awful things to Jason's best friend and me, but I was scared of being able to do everything on my own. We're divorced. It just went through recently, but he refuses to let me go and thinks Jason is the father of my baby."

"That's a lot to process."

"It's like a soap opera. I just—I'm trying to make sense of my life and my equilibrium is so off. I feel like I can barely breathe when Jason isn't around." She tried to catch her breath but the anxiety is now overwhelming.

Sensing her distress, she asked, "Where is Jason?"

"Outside…"

"Can you get him?"

Liz is starting to shake.

"Nevermind," she said calling Monica.

"Hello?"

"Can you call your son and tell him to come back into the house?"

"Yes." She quickly called him.

"Hello?"

"Marty needs you in the house."

Jason took off running as a confused Francis followed. When he ran into the room, he froze for a second and then knelt beside her.

Elizabeth cried on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"For needing me? Never be sorry for that."

Marty watched as a calm Jason comforted Elizabeth until she was able to retreat.

"I'm sorry. It felt like a panic attack."

Jason grabbed the blood pressure and fetal monitor and put them on her. "What do you need?"

"Can you stay with me for now?"

"Of course."

Marty cleared her throat. "What do you think set it off?"

"I just—talking about Ric and knowing how desperate he just makes my skin crawl. Tom is at least in jail, but it hit me that Ric is still very much a threat."

Jason almost cursed under his breath. He can't touch Ric right now, but soon, all bets will be off.