Chapter Three

"I am not doing this with you today, Lucky. Take the boys for their weekend visit or tell them goodbye and I will take them back home. Either way, stop talking to me like I am a child."

"I am just concerned, Liz. You should have called me," Lucky protested. He cast a dark look at the man standing a couple feet away while Shioban distracted the boys. "You let a criminal stay with you instead of just picking up the phone and asking for help. What were you thinking? Do you have to keep repeating the same mistakes?"

Jerking her arm out of his grasp, Elizabeth ignored her ex husband. Walking over to the boys, she hugged them both. "You guys be good for daddy and Shioban, ok. Make sure to have lots of fun." She pulled Cam into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Cam." Picking her youngest son up and tickling his belly, she kissed his cheek. "Mommy will miss you, Jakie. I love you!"

She waved at them as Lucky led them out of the park after sending her another fuming look. She exhaled in relief that he had finally got the hint that she was not going to discuss this in front of the kids. Turning to head back to Johnny, she jumped and then stumbled at how close he gotten without making any noise.

Reaching out he steadied her and offered her a wink. "Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that you are alright. He seemed pretty angry."

"He always is," she muttered under her breath. When his eyes met hers, Elizabeth shook her head. "Do you want to grab some lunch? I'm hungry."

Johnny nodded and followed her out the park and toward Kelly's. Once she couldn't see his face, he frowned, thinking on the comment that he was sure that she had not meant for him to overhear. It had taken all of his control not to knock the detective out when he had grabbed Elizabeth roughly after he had figured out that Johnny was there with her.

Holding the door open, he followed her into the diner. "Do you want to eat here or get takeout? I'm good either way."

"Um, let's just eat here." She slid into a chair at an empty table and looked over at him as he sat down.

"Do you care if we run over to the penthouse after we eat? I need to grab some more clothes and personal items to take to your house."

"Yeah, that's not a problem." She offered him a smile. "I am just really thankful that you are helping me out."

Johnny shrugged. "Like I already said, it's not a big deal."

Georgie appeared and they both ordered sodas with burgers and fries. Elizabeth giggled as she walked away to turn in the order. Catching him watching her, she shrugged. "You really were right. People look at us weird."

"Sorry if it bothers you."

She shook her head. "It's fine. At least Georgie just looked surprised instead of pissed, like Lucky."

"I think he was just mad that you didn't call him."

Elizabeth snorted. "Nope. He gets upset if I talk to anyone who is male unless he approves. You would think that his controlling nature would focus on his girlfriend now, but unfortunately I am still on the receiving end of it too."

"You mean that he is still telling you how to live even after your divorce a couple years ago?" Interesting, he thought.

She smiled at Georgie as she delivered their lunches. "Thanks, Georgie."

The younger girl nodded and smiled. "Not a problem, Liz. Enjoy!"

Turning back to Johnny, Elizabeth snatched a fry and popped it in her mouth. "I've learned to ignore it. He just likes to push my buttons."

They finished their lunches while keeping to lighter topics of conversation. Johnny kept a close watch on the people coming into the diner and noticed that while Elizabeth spoke with several that entered, she did not seem close to them. It was almost like she was keeping everyone on the fringes of her life and only floating out to socialize every one in awhile. He had just finished up and was waiting on her to eat the double chocolate fudge brownie that Mike had brought out to her when Sam walked in followed by Jason.

Sam looked at their table and her eyes widened as she sat a couple tables over. Jason's icy blue eyes flashed before he schooled his features into his normally stony visage. Johnny looked over and saw that Elizabeth was still eating her desert without acknowledging their presence. Silently applauding her, he reached over and snatched a small piece of the chocolate confection.

"Hey!" she laughed, making an attempt to grab back her food.

Popping the bit of food into his mouth, he flashed her a wicked grin. "I just wanted a taste."

"Then get your own. Chocolate is my weakness and I don't share!"

Smirking, he shook his head. "You just did." He pulled his wallet out and tossed a fifty on the table. "Let's get out of here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pulling his muscle car into her driveway, Johnny reached out and grasped her arm softly to stop her from getting out. "Wait, Elizabeth. Your front door is cracked open and I specifically remember locking it." When she turned frightened eyes toward him, he popped the glove box open and handed her a handgun. "Can you use one?"

"Um, yes," she whispered.

"Whoever it was is probably gone, but stay here and keep the doors locked. I will be right back." He quietly got out and shut the door while easing his gun from the behind his back.

Elizabeth watched, terrified, as he stealthily made his way into her house. She didn't know whether to pray that Tom was in there and that Johnny caught him, or that he was already gone. While she wished the nightmare would end, she also did not want Johnny to get hurt while helping her out.

Walking through the destroyed house, Johnny was enraged and sickened at the mess that he found in Elizabeth's bedroom. All her clothes had been ripped to shreds and scattered throughout the room. The words,You won't escape me, bitch! I'm going to love seeing you again, princess!, was written on one wall in bright red lipstick with, I dream of you every night. Have you missed me?, on the opposite wall. Frustrated, he growled as he cleared the rest of the house and then called the PCPD as he walked back to his car. Hanging up, he nodded at Elizabeth and she hesitantly joined him in the driveway.

"He is long gone. However, he destroyed the house. The only rooms untouched were Cam and Jake's." When she started to tremble he pulled her into his arms and held her. "I will make sure that he is caught, Elizabeth. I promise you that."

When Dante and Mac showed up they both looked over at them grimly before entering the house. When she started to follow them inside, Johnny tightened his hold on her. "Just wait. Let them do what they need to and then you can go in if you insist."

"H-how did h-he get in?"

"He kicked in the back door. The front must have been left unlatched when he left."

Dante walked back out and called for the crime scene investigators while Mac walked over to where they were standing. Looking at Johnny questioningly, he asked if anyone had went in before he arrived.

"I entered the house when we got back from lunch after noticing that the door was open. I had Elizabeth stay in my car and I came back out after making sure that no one was in there."

"Elizabeth, was your van here while you were gone, or did you meet Johnny?"

Paling even more, she sighed. "Johnny drove when we left this morning. My van has been here since I got home from work yesterday evening."

"We have to process the house, Elizabeth. And your backdoor needs to be replaced." Mac scrubbed the back of his hand over his forehead. "Lucky has the boys this weekend. Do you have anywhere to stay until at least tomorrow?"

"Elizabeth will be at my penthouse," Johnny offered up, ignoring the quick look that Dante shot him.

"Is that ok with you, Elizabeth?" Mac questioned, worried about how pale she was.

Pulling herself together and standing straighter, she nodded. "Yes. I will stay with Johnny until my house is finished being processed. Can I get some clothes out first?"

Mac touched her shoulder as she started to walk by. "Er, all of your clothes were destroyed, Elizabeth. They aren't salvageable."

"We will get you some things at the mall before heading back to my place," Johnny told her quietly. Looking up at Mac, he nodded at the older man. "Can I get her out of here?"

"Of course." Mac watched as the Johnny led the shaken woman back to his car with a raised eyebrow. Shrugging aside his curiosity about her company, he turned back to Dante. "I want Tom Baker found!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost three am when his phone rang and woke him up. Johnny quickly snatched the cell and answered. "Zacchara."

"Hey, it's me. I found him waiting around outside of Liz's house. We took him to the warehouse on Pier 52. How is Liz?"

Johnny looked over at the woman that was passed out on his couch. She had fallen asleep while watching a movie with him. He had stayed up with her until after midnight because she had not wanted to sleep. "She is hanging in there. I am going to wake her and tell her that I am leaving. I will be at the warehouse in about half an hour."

"I don't know if telling her that you have him is such an good idea."

"Would you rather she live in fear? Because I guarantee that the PCPD will not be finding Tom Baker's body after tonight." He sighed at the silence that greeted him. "Why else do you think she agreed to me staying with her during this? She knew that I would take care of the problem permanently."

"Fine. I'm just not happy with her being aware of what is happening."

Johnny snorted. "I'm not giving her details. Geez." He snapped the phone shut and moved over beside the couch. "Elizabeth, wake up, sweetie."

Her eyelids fluttered before rubbed at them and stretched. "Is it morning?" she groggily mumbled.

"Not yet. I have to head out for awhile."

Shooting straight up she started to get up. "What is wrong? Where are we going?"

"No, everything is fine. Actually it is really good. Some of my men found Baker." He saw her sapphire eyes widen in surprise and relief. "I have to go meet them."

Reading between the lines, she nodded that she understood what he was saying. "So it is finally over?"

"It will be soon. I didn't want you to wake up and worry that I was gone. Why don't you go on up to my bedroom and sleep. I might be gone for awhile."

"Are you sure? I can sleep on the couch or in the spare room so that you can get some rest when you get back."

Johnny shook his head. "I am positive. As for the spare room, it only has my piano in it. Head on up and I will see you in awhile."

Standing, she hugged him loosely and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much. I can never express how much help you have been." Padding her way up the stairs, she entered his room and laid back down. Finally able to escape the nightmare that she had been living, Elizabeth snuggled into the large bed and fell back asleep.

He headed out the door after watching her disappear up to his room, he nodded at the guard that he had posted last night after bringing her back to his home. "No one enters except for me, Tony. I shouldn't be too long."

"Yes, Mr. Zacchara."

Arriving at the warehouse, Johnny walked up to his second in command. "Where is he?"

"He is in the back room. I already worked him over pretty good. Do you want me to stay?"

"Tonight or in Port Charles?"

"Either. I finished setting up your business interests in Rome. So that is all set."

"I would rather you stay," Johnny admitted. "My father is starting to make a power play."

The other man shrugged. "That is fine. It is time to come back home. I didn't really want to at first, but if Anthony is getting ready to cause trouble, you will need me here."

"Get a clean up crew ready to move in. I want no trace of him being here. Tomorrow we will change up the guard rotation and introduce you." He started toward the room that the escaped Tom Baker was waiting in. Removing his gun and flipping the safety off, he acknowledged that this was the first time that he had not handed this type of job off to one of the other guys. He had every intention of making sure that the man knew exactly why he was dying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elizabeth rolled over and looked at the alarm clock, sitting up in surprise that it was after ten in the morning. Getting out of the bed, she made her way down the stairs slowly. Rounding the corner of the staircase, she gasped, shocked at who was sitting in the chair talking with Johnny.

Looking up at the sound she had made, Jagger laughed. "Hello, Elizabeth. Surprised?"

"Um, you could say that. What are you doing here? Um, I meant..." she trailed off, confused at seeing the him with Johnny.

Amused with her response, Johnny watched as she stared at Jagger. "Jagger works for me. He came back to help with a small problem that cropped up."

"Last I heard, you were the FBI."

"I was until Karen was killed. I went to work for Johnny a couple years later. How have you been?"

Sitting on the other side of the couch, she shrugged. "I'm doing ok. I have two little boys now. I am also a nurse at GH."

"I heard. You have done pretty well for yourself."

"Are you hungry? I can send someone to pick up some food?" Johnny offered.

She shook her head and bit her lip. "No, thanks. I actually needs to get home and clean it up."

"I sent a crew in early this morning. The doors and locks are replaced. They also cleaned the mess."

Her head jerked up in surprise. "I could have done that, Johnny. You didn't have to go through all the trouble," she protested.

"It was no big deal. Why don't you go shower and change. Then I will drive you over and make sure everything is done."

Both men watched her head back up the the stairs before Jagger spoke. "She hasn't really changed much. She was a sweet teenager when I left, but she is still just as beautiful." He raised his hands at Johnny's dark look. "Just an observation."

"Yeah, well, keep them to yourself."

Jagger shook his head, exasperated. "If you want more than a friendship, you are going to have to make it known, John. She was burnt badly in the past by another so called bad boy."

Eyes darkening at the mention of Jason, he only shook his head. "I want to take it slow and build up a friendship before I move forward."

"I think that you already have that. She let you help her, even though she hardly knew you. Elizabeth is a smart cookie, she knew exactly how you were going to handle that piece of shit if you caught him. Don't wait too long, Johnny. She isn't the type of woman that will be without someone for too long. She is too beautiful, compassionate, and men like the type of peacefulness that surrounds her."

Johnny knew that his friend was right, but was concerned about his business touching her quiet life. "What if Anthony goes after her?"

"You can't tell me that he isn't already aware that you have been with her for two nights. You and I know why, and that nothing happened except for you protecting her. But will your father honestly believe that? He is crazier than a loon, but he can read you, and you look at her with more than friendship in mind. I guarantee that she is already on his radar because of her connection to Morgan too," Jagger warned before shifting the topic back to rearranging some shipment times.