Reliving The Past

Chapter 51

Franco watches as Elizabeth sleeps. Looking at all the bruises and swelling in her face. He makes a mental note that she's still beautiful with all the bruises. He looks at her bruised arms. And wonders what on God's green Earth would make anyone want to hurt this sweet, wonderful person. He tries to find a spot on her that is untouched. Then he wonders if any of them managed to rape her. There was no talk of it. But her dress was ripped. He catches himself feeling heart broken. But he tries to talk him out of believing it happened. You know, the 'she would have said so this time' argument. He can't see her not telling them and letting these people get away with it.

Then Franco notices Elizabeth's hands opening and closing in her sleep. He can't tell if she's dreaming or having a nightmare. He watches her face. She seems to be getting more agitated. A few little moans. Franco goes to wake her up for fear it will turn to a full on nightmare. As he leans over and goes to touch her shoulder, she opens her eyes. But she doesn't see Franco.

"I won't let you do it again! Do you hear me? Not again!" Liz grabs Franco by the shirt. At his chest and grips it good. Pulls him down close. "I will kill you before I let you touch me or anyone else again you sick bastard." Elizabeth's face is stone cold serious. It gives Franco a chill down his back. He gently puts his hands over hers.

"Elizabeth, it's Franco. Wake up. It's ok. You are safe." Franco says, looking her in the eye. He can see the recognition slowly flow into her eyes. He grip slowly loosens.

"I'm sorry Franco." Elizabeth let's go. She rubs her hands together. Shook by the events that just happened. "What happened? Why was I holding you like that?" She seems a bit confused.

"Honey, you were having a nightmare. So I was going to try to wake you up. But as I got close, you must have acted out your dream. But it's ok. If that was a replay of what you said to them, I'm so damn proud of you. Oh, who are we kidding? I'm proud of you anyway." Franco smiles at her. He wants to kiss her and hug her, but he's worried about hurting her. Either physically or mentally.

"Oh you charmer. I never thought so many places on my body could hurt. I didn't even know there was a place in my back that hurt. Well, I know it's there now." Liz chuckles, holding her stomach.

"Do you want something for the pain? I know you said you don't want to take meds ever again. But if you are in pain, please think of taking over the counter. I don't like to see that face wincing in pain." Franco says, barely touching her cheek. He gently brushes his finger over her left cheek. Liz closes her eyes and smiles.

"Part of me does. Part of me doesn't. Right now, the doesn't is winning. Is my dad still here?" Liz asks.

"Yeah. He's in a meeting with Monica. I think he's trying to talk Monica into letting him have guest privileges here at the hospital. While he's in town anyway. Do you want me to get him for you?" Franco says, ready and willing to do anything for her.

"Well, I need to see my dad, Jason, Mac and I would like to go see Jackson." Liz says, not looking at Franco. Almost like she didn't want him to see what she was thinking.

"Ok. Which one first?" Franco says, feeling a little weird.

"If dad is in a meeting, then let's go with Jason and Mac. After I speak to dad, I will see if he will let me see Jackson." Elizabeth fusses with her bedding. Franco backs away and leaves.

Outside her door, Franco worries that maybe they did do something that she's not saying or just doesn't want to remember. But he continues on to fetch Jason and Mac. Then see after Jeff. Once Franco finds Mac and Jason, he sends them to her room. And he continues on to Monica's office.

Mac and Jason walk into Elizabeth's room.

"Hey there. How you feeling Liz?" Mac asks.

"I've been better Mac. But thanks to you and your expertise, I'm alive and safe now." Liz says, smiling.

"Well, when we find the other's that got away. Maybe when you are feeling up to it, you can look at the photo of the people we have. Then make sketches of the ones that got away." Mac says, just throwing the idea out there.

"Sure. Maybe tomorrow. I'm still in some pain. But I don't want meds. But by tonight I might change my mind. That might put me in a better state of mind. I just wanted to say thank you so much for all you did." Liz reaches her hand out to take Mac's, but she winces in pain before she can take his hand. He gets close and puts his hand on hers.

"Are you sure you don't want any meds?" Mac has concern written all over his face.

"I'm still finding places that hurt on this body." Liz chuckles as she holds her stomach.

"Let me get you a doctor in here. You are looking a little off." Mac says, and leaves the room.

"Wow, can you imagine being his daughter?" Liz smiles.

"Elizabeth, you do look off." Jason says.

"Thanks! That's what every girl wants to hear. It's not like I was fight for my life. Oh and I have this feeling you didn't follow my rules. I haven't remembered much of what happened on Spoon Island. But I have this gut feeling you didn't follow my instructions. Call it a hunch or that I know you so well. So how many times did you fall out of line?" Liz looks not happy.

"Well, the last time I did I helped you. So I don't want that to count that against me. But there was a few times that I wanted to just go in. But Franco stopped me. I still don't like him." Jason says, putting his two cents in.

"Well, you did better than I thought you would. And Jason, we are going to talk about Franco. I don't care why you like or don't like him. He is my friend and has helped me a lot. You weren't here. And Lucky wasn't here. He was. Jake likes him. And so help me God, if you try to keep Jake and Franco apart, you will wish for certain death. That precious boy has been through so much. And Franco makes him smile and laugh." Liz takes a pause to calm down.

"Well sure. Most people look at Franco and laugh. They can't help themselves." Jason says, trying to be funny.

"STOP! That is what I mean. I'm not good enough to be friends with you like we used to be. Yet I am not good enough to have a friend. I am sick and tired of all this judgement coming from you Mr. High and mighty. Well, it ends here. I don't have a say in who you hang out with and love and live with. By golly, you are not going to have a say in my life anymore! I have had it! I made a mistake. We all make mistakes. Even you have made a few in your lifetime. I never claimed to be prefect. But I am claiming to need someone in my life that is there for me without reservations. Who my boys feel comfortable with and like. We have a son together. So we will always be tied together. But we WILL talk things out before any decisions are made. And you will NOT bully me into what you want. If I have to I will treat you like I do the boys. If I feel you are bullying me that will be a week of no seeing Jake. You know I don't like to do that, but you also need to know I don't like to be bullied. Now, please leave. I need to try to get up and use the little girl's room." Liz tries to move her legs. "AHH! Ok. This isn't going to work."

"May I help you?" Jason asks.

"Yes please. I have to go really bad." Liz makes a face. Jason comes over and slides an arm under her legs and one arm around her back. He lifts her gently. She still winces. He carries her into the bathroom. Sets her down in front of the toilet.

"Thank you." Liz says.

"Your welcome. When you are done, let me know and I will come back in and carry you back. But please, take the meds." Jason says, backing out of the bathroom and shutting the door.

A few minutes later, Jason hears a faint noise.

"Elizabeth, did you call me?" Jason asks. No answer. He opens the door and finds Liz on the floor passed out. He picks her up and gets her back to her bed. Then he hits the call button.

"Can I help you Mrs. Webber?" The nurse says.

"She collapsed in the bathroom. Get a doctor in here. NOW!" Jason tries to get her to wake up. She starts to move her head a little. She opens her eyes.

"Jason, what happened?" She seems confused.

"Elizabeth, you were in the bathroom. I don't know what happened. I was waiting for you to call me to take you back to bed." Jason says, trying to help her jog her memory of what happened.

"Oh. I got up. I was washing my hands and the pain was so great." Liz holds her stomach.

"That is it. You are taking the meds. You are in too much pain. And no this isn't being bullying. This is a friend that can't stand to see you in so much pain. And if you don't, I'm telling your dad on you." Jason says, then gets a grin on his face.

"Oh, are we going to play the parent card? Then I will tell your mommy that you don't play well with others." Liz says, smiling.

"Duh! She already knows that." Jason chuckles. Liz joins in.

"I know. It's just that my dad doesn't really know me all that well. You and Monica have been like so far away but so close." Elizabeth looks so sad. Franco, Jeff and Griffin all rush into her room like there was a fire.

"Well, what did I do to get so many handsome men to come to my aide?" Liz asks, batting her eyes and smiling.

"We got word that you collapsed. We can't let our most beautiful and special patient collapse on us. What happened?" Griffin asks, looking at her chart.

"She needed to use the bathroom. She couldn't move herself. So I carried her there and let her do her thing. But then I heard something. I went in and found her on the floor unconscious. I picked her up and carried her back in here and called for help. She said something about pain. Give her pain meds." Jason says.

"Jason. Stop." Liz says, putting her hand on his. "Yes, I think I need to be on pain meds. Just no shots ok?" Liz says, shivering at the thought of another needling coming at her.

"Honey, we can give it through you IV. So no pills or shots. Sound good?" Jeff asks.

"Yeah dad." Liz smiles at her dad. She's still shocked to see him there.

"I will order it. A nurse will be in shortly. I will come back and see you soon Liz." Griffin says, leaving.

"May I have a moment with my father please?" Liz asks, looking at Jason and Franco.

"Sure." Both Jason and Franco says at the same time and they leave.

"What is it honey?" Jeff asks, pulling a chair up next to her bed and sitting.

"Daddy, I think we need to have a talk. I want to get to know you again. But I also need for you to get to know the new me. And I want to apologize for being the little brat I was in Boulder. Gram got a little of my brat attitude here. Before I was raped. Dad, that night changed my life so much. For the bad and the better. I still wish it wouldn't have happened, but I also would have missed out on the most amazing person I could ever meet. Before the rape I felt like I didn't belong in this family. Like no matter what I did, I was wrong. But when Lucky found me in the park crawling out of those bushes, I walked into a new life," Elizabeth readjusts in the bed as the nurse comes in. She hooks up a bag of liquid to her IV stand and connects it to the IV line. Then leaves.

"At first I was SOO scared. Lucky wanted to take me to a hospital. But I wouldn't let him. Then he wanted to call the police. I wouldn't let him. I was so scared for Gram to find out. I was in shock. I wish I had gone to a hospital. But Lucky took me back to his house. Luke and Laura's house. He tried to get me to see a doctor. But I said Bobby would be ok. But when he left to go get her, I showered. I again knowing that was wrong now. But I could smell him on me. Feel him on me. I had to get it off. Bobby helped me. But I wouldn't admit the rape happened. I thought if I didn't say it, it would go away. Or not have happened. But it did. And once I got home and put on a fake face for Gram, I got to my room. And showered again before climbing into bed," Elizabeth can't help but cry at the memory or the feeling. She couldn't look at him. Afraid of the disappointment in his face.

"I didn't sleep. I guess I would say I lay there numb. I felt like I didn't have a body. If I didn't move, then I could disappear into my covers so no one could see me. I told Gram I had caught the flu. So she pretty much left me alone. For two days. Lucky was worried. He brought my homework and helped me with it. He was the first person I admitted to that I was raped. And the first person to let hug me. Then Sarah saw my arms. They were covered from shoulder to wrist with bruises. She wouldn't let it go. So I told her. I hated the look on people's faces when I told them." Elizabeth closed her eyes and prayed that when she opened them that he would still look at her with love. But then she felt a finger under her chin. She opens her eyes and looks up through tears to see nothing but love and warmth in her father's eyes and on his face.

"Honey, I know you went through something so awful. I am so sorry that you had to go through it then and that you have to relive it now. You know your mother and I would have come back to support you. I'm surprised mom didn't tell us." Jeff says, gently holding Liz's face in his hands.

"We had talked about it. We didn't want you guys to worry or feel you had to come home. Or feel bad for not being here. Gram and I thought we were doing the right thing. Although I really would have loved to fall asleep in mom's arms while you chased away the monsters. Gram just didn't seem to have that level of comfort I needed. And the only person who was there to chase away the monsters was Lucky. Gram would have been mortified if I told you this. But Lucky stayed on my bedroom floor for weeks. It was the only time I could sleep. When I was around Lucky, I felt safe enough to sleep. He chased the nightmares away. Well, all but one time. We were watching a silent movie. I fell asleep, this was before Lucky left home. I hadn't slept real well for a few weeks. So I was so tired. I was having a nightmare. Lucky tried to wake me, but I thought he was Tom. I fought him so hard that I ended up nicking his face. That's when I told him how much I missed mom. Because Gram acted as if we didn't talk about it or think about it, it would go away. It made me feel dirty. Like I did something wrong. I didn't want to talk about it, but I also didn't want to be treated like a dirty little secret." Elizabeth tried to pull her face out of his hand to look away. But Jeff wouldn't let her.

"No Lizzie. You don't have to be ashamed or feel dirty. I would never let you feel that way then and I won't let you feel that way now. You had violence against you then and now. But you still are and always will be my baby girl. I don't ever want you to feel you can't come to your mother and me with anything. We will always be here for you. Even if we can't physically be here, we will always support you." Jeff gently hugs Elizabeth. She grabs onto him and hugs him so tight. Finally getting the hug and love she so craved from him. Jason and Franco watch from outside in the hallway.

"She's wanted that for so long." Jason says.

"I know. Now she finally got it." Franco says. Both just watch in joy for Liz. Not only did she take down her rapist. And most of the cult members. Now she got her father back and the comfort she so longingly needed from him. Franco is close to tears.

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I love hearing from you all. I have decided that this story is very near the end, but will flow into another story. Kind of a sequel. Not sure how many more chapters are to come. But thought I would let you all know. So keep those thoughts and ideas rolling in. Maybe they will be used in the next story/sequel. Thank!