A/N – Thanks for the comments. Glad you liked the extra chapter yesterday. This fic is pretty complex. Hang in there.
Chapter 15
Nicole is surprised to see Liz but opens the door and Bobbie leads her inside.
"Someone killed the manager at the diner and Liz found her."
Nicole is stunned. "Sit her over there," she said pointing to a couch.
"She asked to come here instead of going home."
"I'll take care of her. I'm Nicole."
"I'm Bobbie. Thank you." She kissed Liz's head and then left.
"What can I do?"
"I'm just so shocked. It could have been me."
Nicole put her arm around her. "Why don't I run you a hot bath and we get you out these clothes. I know it won't change anything, but seeing the blood…"
"Okay."
She went upstairs and then turned on the water and put some bubble bath liquid inside and then went to find something for Elizabeth to wear. When everything was prepared, she went back down and got her.
"Where's the baby?"
"Francis is spending some time with her. He took her to a petting zoo."
"I'm sure she'll like that."
Nicole guided her into the room. "There are some sweatpants and a t-shirt in there and a towel. Take your time and when you come down, I'll make you something to drink."
"Thank you."
Nicole went back downstairs and called Johnny and he told her that he'd look into it.
Elizabeth took about a half hour to soak and then got dressed and headed to the living room.
Nicole put her book aside and then moved to the kitchen. "What would you like?"
"Do you have hot chocolate?"
"Yup. I'll make us both a mug."
"Thanks."
"Elizabeth, have you given any more thought to my offer?"
Liz shook her head. "No, but you do have guards. Maybe it's for the best."
"Francis would make sure you are protected. Do you know my brother?"
"Yes. He leaves me very big tips at the diner."
Nicole slightly smiled. "He has a big heart. I know most people think he's tough, but he's a marshmallow underneath that tough exterior."
"He's kind of like Jason?"
"Yes."
"They left a message saying I'm coming for you next. I don't know if they meant one of the waitresses or Bobbie."
Nicole gasped. "Then that settles it, I'll make the arrangements. I'll have a guard accompany you back to your place later and you can pack."
"I don't know how I can repay you."
"That's what friends are for."
"Well, I really appreciate it."
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Johnny met Francis at the zoo.
"Hey."
He smiled when the baby reached for him and gave her hugs and kisses.
"What's up?"
"Someone killed the manager, Tammy, at Kelly's."
"What?" He liked the younger woman. She had spunk.
"Elizabeth found her."
"Is she okay?"
"Yes. She's with Nicole."
"Good. I didn't realize they were friendly."
"It happened after I found her at Jake's."
"I heard about Jason. I'm sorry."
Johnny kissed the baby's forehead as she pointed to a bird.
"I'm going to do everything I can to get him out. Nicole asked Elizabeth to move in. Did she talk to you about it?"
"I've been crazy busy, so no, but I'm not opposed to it."
"Thank you. I try to keep an eye out on her because she's important to Jason and she's a good person."
"I did a background check on Ronnie. He's a piece of shit. I'm sure Sonny doesn't care, but he just might get more than he bargained for. There's an international trail of shittiness for years. If you give Ronnie an inch, he takes a mile."
"Sonny needs to go down, but for now, we'll monitor them and discretely cause problems. When I get some evidence to free Jason, I'm on it and then, we can finalize the plan to bring Sonny down." There is no way he's willing to do it without Jason. He deserves his revenge.
Francis has no problem with that as long as Sonny doesn't mess with him. The families would not accept them attacking Sonny because of Jason, especially since he pleaded guilty and was not Francis's employee, so they have to play this the right way. He scans the area and when they are sure that Johnny can slip out, he secures his baseball cap and leaves.
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The next morning, Elizabeth settles into her room at Crimson Pointe. When she had gone to the studio, Lucky was nowhere to be found.
Nicole popped into the room. "Want to do some shopping?"
Liz put aside her sketch pad. "I'm game."
"Ali will be with us."
"That's fine." Liz and the little muffin had hit off.
"I have to pick up a prescription for her at the hospital, you can visit Epiphany."
"Can I introduce you?"
"Sure…"
Liz followed her downstairs and picked up Ali. "Hey, baby girl."
She smiled and patted Liz's face.
"Did you make a list of what you want?"
Ali nodded like she understood.
"I have the smartest baby ever," Nicole said as she grabbed the diaper bag.
Rico opened the door. "Can I get something?"
"Nope. I'm good."
They followed him to the car and Nicole put Ali in her car seat and Rico was joined by another guard named Chris.
When they got into town, they stopped at a baby store to get a few things and then headed to the hospital.
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Jason left his cell and went outside, hoping to get to use some weights. When he got to the area a few guys stepped in front of him and crossed their arms.
"Where you think you going? Pretty boy…"
Jason stared back at the man.
"So, you think you got it like that?"
Another man chuckled. "Word has it that Corinthos is protecting you, but we have ways of getting around everything."
"I'd sleep with one eye open," the other man said as his eyes raked down Jason's body.
Jason brushed by them and grabbed some free weights. After that, he did some pushups and situps and arm lifts. By the time he finished, it was time to go back in and he headed for the showers. When he was done, he wrapped the towel around him and came face to face with Carter.
"Nice abs…"
He ignored him and then went to get changed.
"You know, glaring at people is not going to make you any friends."
Jason pulled on his underwear and then finished drying off and slipped into the standard uniform.
"Alright, be that way, but someday you might need me and I just might be tempted to look the other way." He's convinced that eventually, there will be a price on Jason's head and he's not above turning his roomy in for some incentives.
Jason tracked him until he left and then headed back to his cell.
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Elizabeth enters Epiphany's room. "You're sitting up higher."
"I'm doing well. I have a good incentive."
"Jason?"
"Yes."
"I moved in with Nicole."
"Good. I heard what happened to Tammy from the news and that you found her."
"It was awful." Liz plopped onto a chair. "Bobbie closed the diner down for a few days."
"It's going to be hard going back."
"Yeah. According to Rico, Francis doesn't want me to go anywhere without a guard."
"What's he like?"
Liz smiled. "Francis is probably a little older than you and handsome. I think he tends to be quiet, but he was really nice and made me feel welcome."
"Good."
"So, when are they letting you out?"
"I think I have to stay for a few more days. I swear they are holding me hostage."
Liz chuckled. "Face it, Epiphany, you're loved."
"Uh—huh. Stan was here earlier. He looked tired like he is burning both ends of the candle."
"I'm hoping that he gets to take some time off soon."
"Me too…"
Nicole entered the room.
Epiphany smiled when she spotted Ali. "Oh, she is so pretty. I can see her daddy."
"Yes and she's mischevious like him too. I'm Nicole."
"Hello. I'm Epiphany and it's nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of my friend."
Ali curiously studied Piph.
"She is too rambunctious for you to hold right now."
"Well, once I'm back to normal, I'll have to visit."
"You are always welcome to the house."
"Thank you."
Liz smiled. "I think you two are going to get along fabulously."
"Is Epiphany a troublemaker too?"
"Is the sky blue?" Felix said as he entered the room.
"I don't recall her asking you," Piph said.
Liz chuckled. "Nicole, this is Felix. How was your trip?"
"It was fabulous, darling." He had gotten to know Liz a little better since Piph had taken the younger woman under her wing. She is his favorite waitress.
"When did you get in?"
"It was late last night. I was going to visit you, but ended up crashing."
"The diner is shut down."
Felix frowned. "Why?"
"Someone murdered Tammy."
Felix's draw dropped. "That's horrible." She had always been very nice to him.
"Yeah…"
He gave her a hug. "I'm glad that you're okay."
"Me too. Well, we have to go, but I'll see you later, Epiphany."
"Okay. Be safe…"
Felix waited until they left. "She is not okay."
"I know. I've got to heal fast. My peeps need me."
He smiled. "Well, until then, I'm open to doing your bidding."
Piph smirked. "Okay, first, I need to get Francis Corelli's direct number out of his file and address just in case. Elizabeth is staying with him."
Felix looked completely appalled. "Epiphany Johnson, that is so not legit."
"You haven't seen anything yet. I'm going to get my boy out of jail no matter what I have to do."
"Who?"
"Boy, you have a lot to catch up on."
He shut the door. "You need to spill."
"Jason and I are close."
His head tilted and then his eyes narrowed. "How close?"
She rolled her eyes. "Get your head out of the gutter. He's Elizabeth's."
He grinned. "Does she know that?"
"Uh, yeah. I think you left your mind on vacation. Anyway, while I'm not against being a cougar, Jason is too young for me."
"Age is just a number."
"True. We are friends, to answer your question, and he needs me, so I'm going to deliver."
"What's next and how are we busting him out of jail?"
"We get evidence and if I have to, I'll call in the big guns."
"I like big guns."
"Felix! Focus!"
He sighed. "I really missed you."
"Ditto. I might need you to steal a wheelchair for me."
"You have heard of renting one, right?"
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever…just get me one. I'll need it for my field trip. When is your next day off?"
"I have one in three days cause I'm pulling a double tomorrow."
"Perfect. I'll have Stan borrow a van and we'll be good to go."
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Mac sighs as he reviews some of the evidence from the scene. Whoever killed Tammy left no fingerprints or anything else useful. They also covered up their tracks electronically because there was nothing captured on surveillance equipment in the area.
Delores plopped into the chair across from him. "We've hit a dead in, boss."
"I know. Hopefully, this isn't a serial killer."
"Cruz and I are going to go on patrol later. Maybe it's better to have more of a police presence right now."
"Sounds good. Let me know if you find anything."
She left and Mac called Frisco and left a message and then dialed another number.
"Mac?" Anna said.
"Hey, I need a favor."
"Shoot…"
He smirked. "We had a murder and the Spencers were involved."
"Helena?"
"Yeah."
"You're not going to like this, but she had been in contact with Faison."
Mac groaned. "Great, as if one psychopath wasn't enough."
Anna grinned. "They went underground, so either they are plotting or have already set something in motion."
"Well, if you happen to come across them, let me know."
"I will."
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Elizabeth stopped at her studio before going to visit Epiphany. On her way out, she went downstairs to throw out some trash and gasped when she saw a leg jut out from behind the dumpsters.
She waved to the guard and he rushed to her side.
"What's wrong?" Rico asked.
"There's someone back there."
He pulled out his gun and checked it out. "It's a guy. He's out cold."
Liz peeked around him. "Lucky!" she said loudly before moving to his side. She felt for a pulse. "He's still alive. Can you call 911, please."
"Okay."
She tried to check him for injuries but didn't find anything.
"They are on their way."
"He's going to be pissed because he's been hiding. Everyone thinks he's dead. To be honest, I'm glad you're here and see him too. I thought I was going batty."
Rico smirked. They hear sirens and Rico steps back into the alley and flags them down.
The ambulance driver slammed on the brakes right in front of the dumpster and hopped out. Liz stepped back as they put a mask on Lucky and stabilized him.
Once he was inside, Rico and Liz rushed to the car and headed to G.H.
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Liz ran alongside the gurney and when Bobbie came into view, she tried to pull her aside, but it was too late.
"Is that Lucky?"
"Yes."
"But how?" Her eyes filled with tears.
"Helena took him and he swore me to secrecy last week. He wasn't ready to reveal himself because he wasn't sure what she did to him."
"What do you mean?"
The gurney was pushed into an exam room.
"He has mood swings and he doesn't really seem like himself. There are moments of clarity, but he's kind of all over the place."
Bobbie is having problems processing it. "I have to call Luke and Nikolas."
"I'll call Nikolas and Emily and you call Luke."
"Okay."
Liz started dialing. "Nikolas?"
"Elizabeth? Is everything okay?"
"No. Um, I need you to come to the hospital. I'm in the ER."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'll explain everything when you get here. Is Emily around?"
"I'm at Kelly's and she just walked out. I should be able to catch her and bring her with me."
"Okay, talk to you soon."
She moved to the waiting room and started to pace, chewing on her bottom lip as she wondered if her friends will be mad at her for hiding such a big secret. It took them about fifteen minutes to get there and they rushed to her side.
"What is going on?"
"I think you should sit."
Nikolas and Emily glanced at each other and then did what Liz asked.
She took a deep breath. "First, I've known for about a week or so and I was sworn to secrecy. I hope you can forgive me because I was scared to break his confidence."
"This sounds serious," Emily said.
"It is. You see, I wasn't going crazy. Lucky is alive and has been watching us. He was just too scared to make contact because he's afraid that Helena and Faison did something bad to him."
Nik stares at her incredulously. "What?"
"He's in exam bay seven. I found him behind the studio in the alley near the trash bin. He was unconscious. I don't know how to describe him, but he's different."
"In a good way or bad?" Emily asked.
"I'm not sure I can answer that."
Nik is dumbstruck.
Emily stares at him. "Are you okay?"
"I need to see him for myself," he said emotionally.
Liz holds out her hand and he takes it and she leads him to the exam bay and he moves into the doorway and gasps.
"Oh my God."
"It's crazy, right?" Liz said.
Emily starts to cry. "This is a miracle. I just can't believe it."
"Bobbie knows and she called Luke."
They went back to the waiting area.
"You must be so happy. Now, you can be together again."
When Liz averts her gaze as Nik and Emily glance at each other and then back at her.
"Elizabeth?"
"I spent so long trying to move on and then when I finally do, he comes back. I'm not in love with him anymore, Emily, and I don't want to hurt him, but I can't lose myself either. I know this sounds bad, but I can't be more than friends with him."
Emily swallows hard. "Maybe you just need time." She is shocked, given how long Liz had mourned, that she doesn't want Lucky anymore.
Liz shook her head. "I don't. I know how I feel. We're not the same people. Lucky probably needs more help than I can give him."
"So you're just going to turn your back on him?" Nik said loudly.
"That's not what she's saying, right Elizabeth?" Emily said.
"I'll be his friend if he's okay with that, but I can't promise anything more than that."
They are in shock and it's a lot to process.
Bobbie left the exam room and approached them. "They are going to do some scans. It's probably a good idea in case Helena implanted something."
"You're probably right. Is he awake?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, and he asked for you."
"I think maybe Nik should see him first."
Bobbie gave her a quick hug. "Okay."