Prompt: Drop Dead.

Part Twenty-Nine

Her hair was just how she had wanted it all those months ago. It was pulled to the top of her head, secured by what seemed like thousands of bobby-pins with ringlets falling free to spill over the back of her veil. Her makeup was just as she had imagined it would be, light but noticeable. Her lips a lush pink and glossy for that kissable look.

The dress fit perfectly, maybe even better than it would have on her original wedding day. It was a strapless dress, hugging her in all the right places. The skirt was just as big as she had remembered. Puffing out in a Cinderella type style, making her feel just like a princess.

It was perfect.

And she hated it.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the tears from rushing to her eyes, burning them with the intensity in which she tried to hold them back. She wanted to be strong. As much as she hated Joshua and her family, she needed to do this because it was her only choice. Jason's freedom was at risk.

With as much faith as she had in him, there were just some things that she couldn't let him fix. If she were to deny Joshua, then the bastard would have Jason locked away. She was sure that Jason would figure a way out of it, maybe even run away. But that wasn't the life she wanted for him.

He deserved to be in Port Charles with the people he loved.

She cursed as a tear spilt past her lashes and landed on her cheek. She looked in the mirror, a bitter smile appearing on her face as she saw that her tears did nothing to ruin her makeup.

Damn waterproof mascara.

She wanted to look upset, she wanted to look miserable, she wanted to look horrible.

Just as the notion of running her fingers through her hair to upset the perfect style ran through her mind, the door to the bridal suite opened, her mother and Sarah filing through.

"Oh, Lizzie, you look marvelous!" Her mother exclaimed. She looked the perfect part of dotting mother, giving away her youngest child.

More like selling her youngest child.

"Mothers right, Lizzie. You look beautiful."

Elizabeth could only stare at them. Her expression showed them nothing.

Alesandrea's smile faded a bit at her daughter's cold look. "Well, no reason to linger. The ceremony is about to begin."

As her mother turned around to leave, Elizabeth's voice stopped her. "Why are you doing this to me? What have I ever done to you?"

Elizabeth could see her mother's back stiffen before she turned back around. "I'm not doing anything to you."

"Kidnapping me, making me marry a man I don't even love—"

"You love, Joshua. You two have been together since High School."

"You just don't get it. I left because I caught him in bed with someone else! I left because I realized that my family didn't even care about me or what I wanted. I finally found something good, I finally found a place where I belonged and you all had to come and ruin it. Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

The fake concern, the dotting mother look left Alesandrea's face as she stepped closer to her youngest child. "You really are an ungrateful little brat. Your father and I have given you everything. And the one time… the one time we need you, you're going to get selfish and blame this on us." Her mother clucked her tongue, shaking her head. "Such a typical Lizzie move."

Elizabeth took a step closer to her mother, wanting to smile when the older woman took a step back, obliviously not prepared for the once quiet daughter to stick up for herself. "First of all, you and dad put yourselves in this position. I didn't make you lose all of your money. Your poor business skills did that. Second, don't call me Lizzie." She moved closer, backing her mother against that wall. "And you may have given me things, belongings, but you never gave me what I wanted the most…love. But I found that with someone, I've found a family and you are taking it away from me."

She backed away, disgust written all over her expression. "I hope you're happy."

"Well," Alesandra pushed away from the wall, straightening her designer dress. "Come Sarah, you need to line up to get this started. The quicker we marry her off, the better."

Their mother huffed as she walked out of the room, not waiting for Sarah. Which was just fine, considering the middle child stayed behind, eyeing Elizabeth with a saddened expression.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, turning, surprised to see Sarah standing behind her. She had forgotten that her sister was even in the room. Chest rising and falling with her anger, Elizabeth closed her eyes, turning away from Sarah. "Just go, Sarah. I'll be out in a second. You all don't have to worry. I'm not going to run away."

"Elizabeth, I'm… I'm sorry. I had no ide—"

"You know what. I don't care anymore. Just go."

"I know I'm not the perfect sister, but I never wished for you to be this miserable."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You and Steven hated me growing up. The two of you always tried to make my life miserable, what's the difference now?"

Sarah sat on the couch as her sister paced back and forth in front of the window. She was sure that Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to jump out of it, towards freedom. "That was different. We were kids and I thought that Steven was the most wonderful older brother. He picked on you so I did the same. It was stupid, but I just followed in his footsteps. It was either join in with him or have him against me."

"That makes me feel so much better." The sarcasm was more then evident.

"You have a right to be angry. For what it's worth, I hope everything works out the way it's suppose to, I really am sorry."

As Sarah made her way towards the door, Elizabeth couldn't help but lash out. It didn't matter that Sarah was trying to make amends, it didn't matter that her older sister seemed like she was going to be her only ally in the years to come, nothing mattered. Elizabeth was too damn angry for the situation her family forced her into and Sarah was the only one there at the moment to take it out on.

"When Joshua and I are married, you don't have to worry about sneaking around to sleep with him. You can even sleep with him in my own house for all I care. I know the two of you shared the same bed he and I did when we were just dating. What would it matter when we're married?"

When Sarah turned to look at Elizabeth, there were tears in her eyes. "I was jealous of you when you started dating Joshua. I even maybe hated you. I didn't care that I was being a slut by sleeping with my sister's fiancé, but that changed. Everything changed when I saw how miserable you were when you woke up. I never said this to you before, but no matter how angry or how stupid I was when it came to you, I always thought you were strong. As stupid as this sounds, and I know a lot of things sound stupid when they come out of my mouth, I look up to you."

"You've stuck up for what you believed in. You even left and went out on your own. I want to leave this place so bad, and you know what that feels like. Everyone thinks I'm so stupid, and I have been. I hate how everyone looks down on me, but I could never leave. I'd be too scared."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to tell her sister that she could do it, that being on her own wasn't that hard. She truly believed that Sarah could leave this hell hole that had been their family. But no words came out. She still couldn't believe that Sarah was saying all of this to her.

"I just want you to be happy, Elizabeth. You're the only one who deserves it."

Sarah made it all the way to the door before Elizabeth finally found her voice. Even if it was only a strangled whisper, tears clogging her throat. "You deserve it, too."

Sarah only smiled a sad smile. "I didn't before, but hopefully that will change now."

Before Elizabeth could ask what she meant, Sarah was out of the room.

Elizabeth felt like she was going to throw up. She had forgotten how long the aisle was that lead her to Joshua and the priest. She felt sick that she had to plaster a smile on her face. She was already warned about raising suspensions and what would happen if anyone questioned why the bride looked so miserable.

She had once looked forward to walking down the aisle with her arm linked with her fathers. She felt that it might make her feel more like his daughter. But now she wanted nothing more than to remove her arm from his, especially after the way he greeted her before they began to walk down the aisle.

"I guess I should thank you."

"Don't." She had replied, wanting nothing from her father.

But he had ignored her, just like he always had. "You're really doing this family a favor. It's about time you know. Just don't screw this up like you tend to do with everything else."

Her only response was to dig her freshly painted nails into his forearm, giving him a sweet smile when he scowled at her.

"You could walk a little faster." Her father muttered as the continued their long walk down the aisle.

"I'd like to delay my walk towards hell as much as I can thank you very much." She muttered right back, the smile still plastered to her face as she looked at her guests. Anywhere but at Joshua standing by his best man, waiting for her.

"Don't be so damn dramatic."

"I hope you know that I hate you."

Jeffery missed his step at her declaration. "You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. Why are you so surprised?"

"You're mother told me you were being extra bitter this morning."

"Wouldn't you be if you were being forced to live a life you hated?"

Her father scoffed. "I never knew you hated the life your mother and I provided for you."

Elizabeth looked up at him, her fake smile never faltering. "I guess you never knew me at all."

The reaction that caused him provided a sick kind of happiness within her. If she was going to be upset, then she wanted everyone else who was causing her to go through with this as much pain as she was feeling. Her gaze strayed towards Sarah who was looking anxiously at the entrance of the church. She didn't know if her sister realized this, but the bride was usually the last one to walk down the aisle.

Elizabeth was paying more attention to her sister that she didn't even realize her father had walked away, placing her hands in Joshua's.

He bent down, whispering in her ear as they walked towards the priest. "You look so beautiful."

"Drop dead."

He squeezed her hand. "Watch what you say. We wouldn't want anything to go wrong."

The ceremony began, causing Elizabeth's chest to tighten. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Her vision was becoming blurry and it was when Joshua reached up to wipe her cheek that she realized she had been crying. To everyone else, she was the blushing bride, crying with joy at the notion of spending the rest of her life with the man standing beside her. But to her, her family, and Joshua, they all knew she was crying because of what they were making her do.

She hated this.

Her heart began to pound when the priest spoke the one request she prayed someone would answer.

"Anyone who opposes this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Elizabeth's ears began to ring as she waited, prayed, begged in silence for someone to speak up. Her own mouth opened but closed again when Joshua's grip on her hand tightened.

She looked up at the priest, her eyes shinning with tears. He smiled down at her.

She heard Joshua sigh when no one said anything.

There was silence.

No one objected.

The priest continued and Elizabeth felt her freedom slipping away. Everything she had worked so hard for, everything she did to get out of the clutches of her family was for nothing.

No, she told herself, that wasn't true. Even though she was being forced to marry Joshua, at least she got to meet Jason. At least she got to find out what real love was, got to experience it first hand. The past couple of weeks had been wonderful. The ups, the downs, all of the in-betweens had been perfect.

All because she was with Jason.

Even if her life was over now, she at least got to have what she did with Jason. And she would remember it for the rest of her life. No matter how miserable it was going to be.

Suddenly, she heard Sarah gasp. Elizabeth looked over towards her sister, found her staring at the back of the church, a smile on her lips.

Elizabeth's eyes opened wide as a chill ran down her spine. Before she even looked, she knew.

Turning around, she saw Jason standing there, at the entrance of the church like an angle dressed in black to come to her rescue.

Without even thinking, without even caring, Elizabeth pulled out of Joshua's grasp before he even knew what was going on and began to run down the aisle of the church, towards Jason.

He met her half way.

Arms thrown around his neck, Elizabeth hugged him like she never had before. She pressed her face against his neck, tears spilling from her eyes as joy over washed her at seeing him. She couldn't believe that it was true, that he was there. But he was and she was never going to let him go.

She was in the arms of the man she loved and she was never going to let him go. Nothing else mattered anymore.

Just being near him, feeling his arms tightened around her as she kissed his cheek, his lips, Elizabeth knew that everything was going to be all right.

Jason was going to make sure of it.