Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry it has been so long between updates but bronchitis has kicked my butt and I've been fighting to get over it but the damn thing is persistent. Hope you guys enjoy and hopefully, I can find time between coughing and sleep to get more chapters out. Guest Reviewer Debbie, yes I could probably get more chapters out quicker if I wasn't working on more than one story but I normally try to get them out as quick as possible, this bronchitis is the only reason they have slowed down so badly. I can try again to work on fewer stories but it never seems to work out that way. For the most part, I was only planning on finishing off unfinished stories but every once in a while, something pops into my head and my muse demands I write it, whether I have one or twenty on the go. Hope you understand.
Chapter Sixteen
Elizabeth didn't have much for composure but using the last bit that resided deep within, she jumped from her seat. Looking at the people looking back at her and unable to handle the varying degrees of pity, she said, "I'm fine, please stop looking at me like that, stop worrying, I'll be fine…"
She knew she wouldn't have a better chance that at this moment, she excused herself to use the bathroom, hoping, maybe even praying a little, that they would sit around and talk about her.
When Epiphany made a move to follow, she quickly said, "No, I need a moment alone, please, just…give me a minute." Knowing her window of opportunity was quite possibly dwindling, she rushed through the door, making sure to close it.
As soon as the door clicked closed, Elizabeth made her way to the front door. They might mean well, but the last thing she wanted to do was look and listen as they tried to make sense of the incomprehensible. She'd barely budged the door before Marco turned her way.
"I'm just going down to the lobby, I need some fresh air. Sonny said he'd be out to brief you shortly." Elizabeth lied.
She watched Marco wrestle with her words. "Why didn't Sonny just tell me himself?"
"I mentioned I was going down, so he said I could relay it, if you want, you can go speak to him yourself." Elizabeth said, barely holding her emotions in. Acting like a basket case wasn't going to garner the reaction she needed, she kept reminding herself.
"I should call Enzo up…" Marco said, still waffling with what would be the right course of action.
"Is he the guard in the lobby?" Elizabeth asked, her freedom quickly coming to an end, if she didn't get out of here now.
"Umm…yes…" Marco offered.
"I'll tell you what, how about I meet him in the lobby." Elizabeth said as she entered the elevator and pushed the appropriate button.
As the doors closed, Marco pulled his phone from his pocket, a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Enzo, Miss Webber is on her way down, do not let her out of your sight."
Disconnecting, Marco retook his position by the door, his sense of dread increasing.
XxXxXxX
Elizabeth exited the Elevator in the parking garage, hoping she'd given herself enough of a head start to get out from under everyone's watchful eye.
As she emerged from the garage, she thanked her lucky stars as an empty cab was parked at the curb. Yanking the door open harder than she intended, she slammed her body into the backseat. "Can you take me somewhere…secluded? I'm new to the city and would like a moment to just breathe."
The cabbie thought about her request for a moment before he slowly began to nod his head, "Yeah, I think I know the perfect place." Before pulling away from the curb.
It wasn't until she could see Harbor View Tower's in the distance that she took a deep breath, which started to accelerate when she saw the lumbering form of Enzo looking in the cabs direction.
The drive took longer than she thought but once the cab driver pulled to a stop at Vista Peak, Elizabeth felt like she could finally allow herself some honest emotions. After paying the cabbie and swearing she had a cell phone in order to call another cab, he finally left her alone or so she thought.
Sitting on the bench, Elizabeth could feel the tight bands of a panic attack trying to take over. It didn't happen often anymore but often enough that she was fighting the fear of a worse panic attack. She'd never been alone when in the grips of one so intense.
Her breathing was becoming erratic and the telltale darkness that she almost wanted to welcome started to move closer and closer. If the darkness wasn't dimming her eyesight, then the copious amount of tears would have. Using the last air in her lungs, Elizabeth screamed, "IT'S NOT FAIR!"
As the attack rendered her unconscious, Elizabeth welcomed the reprieve. She had the rest of her life to worry and be angry about her lot in life, who needed to be conscious for all of that.
XxXxXxX
Mac watched the water flow below, finding an oddly comforting presence in being in his niece's favorite place. He wasn't a religious or spiritual man but if asked in a court of law, he'd swear she was there with him.
Losing her to that horrible disease had been hard enough but having to put up with the stupidity of his brother and sister-in-law, was slowly driving him insane. One minute they were waxing and waning about it being their fault and then minutes later, it was his fault that Robin died and her parents weren't there for her.
Scrubbing his eyes, clearing the last vestiges of tears from his cheeks, Mac took a deep breath. If the pressures of his job and his…family didn't let up, the idea of running away from home, even at his age, was starting to look better and better.
Felicia was probably the biggest of his worries/issues. Since she cheated on him, he couldn't get past it. Maybe if it was anyone but Luke Spencer but it hadn't been and while forgiving her, just so he could continue to raise the girls he considered his, he didn't think that would do anyone any good.
Realizing that he was caught in a catch-22, Mac took a deep breath and let his thoughts go. There was no answer that was the right one, so ruminating over something he couldn't do anything about at the moment, was a lesson in futility. Of course he probably would have continued to torment himself with thoughts of what if and other possibilities if a loud and almost desperate scream hadn't broken the silence.
Hoping he was headed in the right direction, Mac almost tripped over the body laying crumpled on the rocky ground.
"Miss…Miss…" Mac said, shaking the young woman's shoulder. Getting no response, even though he could see her chest rising and falling shallowly, Mac decided something a little more drastic was needed. Dashing to his car, he grabbed the first aid kit he kept in all his vehicles. Finding the smelling salts, he grabbed that and a bottle of water before making his way back to the unknown woman.
Mac snapped the packet of smelling salts beneath her nose and watched as she almost violently reared away from the scent. He'd seen a lot of reactions, but none like hers. Reaching a hand out to steady her, he watched as she flinched from his touch.
He'd been a spy and a cop too long, to not understand her response. Looking at her almost fairy like looks, an anger boiled in his blood.
"I'm not going to hurt you miss. My name is Mac Scorpio, I am the police commissioner of Port Charles, you have nothing to fear from me." Mac said in a quiet but hopefully soothing voice.
An array of emotions flit across the young woman's face, shock, pain, fear but sadness was the greatest one.
"Excuse me; did you say…Mac Scorpio?" Elizabeth mumbled in shock.
Hoping to set her mind at ease, Mac said with a crooked smile, "Yup, that's me, been that my whole life…well, actually I'm Malcom but… What's your name? Do you know why you fainted?"
Unsure how to answer that, the emotions that her passing out had prevented, surged back with a vengeance and she burst into tears.
Wanting to offer comfort but unsure if it would be wanted, Mac fought his inner war of should he or shouldn't he but finally, the absolute agony pouring forth from the girl in front of him, forced his hand. He gently laid a hand on her arm and when she didn't thrust herself away from him, he carefully moved closer until she was encompassed completely in his arms.
The moment she was fully in his arms, it was like a deep, unknown fissure within cracked open. Having never laid eyes on the girl, he couldn't explain or even begin to understand this almost dizzying surety that he knew her or should.
XxXxXxX
Jason listened as everyone talked over and around each other, feeling like something was wrong but unable to pinpoint what exactly that could be. He had just stood up when the office door was flung open and Marco rushed inside.
"Boss'…we have a problem. Miss Webber…she said she was going to the lobby for some air and she promised to meet Enzo in the lobby but never arrived."
Knowing exactly what was wrong now, Jason forced his feet to move, looking over Marco menacingly. "Why in the hell would you allow her to go anywhere alone? You know she is in danger, of all the stupid, reckless, brainless…you should be drawn and quartered…" Jason spat at the younger man. Realizing his anger was misplaced but unable to get a leash on his temper at the moment.
Hoping that Sonny would get whatever information Marco had, Jason rushed from the room before he punched the man. Praying Enzo had something to offer.
He glanced briefly at the elevator but in his current mood, didn't think being cooped up would help him and taking the stairs would be faster.
Jason skidded to a halt beside the guard who was sweating profusely. "I don't give a shit where the breakdown was, we can deal with that after the fact, I need to know where she went!"
Cringing from the knowledge that a beat down could possibly be in his future, Enzo quickly spewed everything he knew.
Grateful that the guard had at least taken the initiative about finding out where the cab went, Jason raced back to the stairs and descended to the garage and almost breaking his fingers as he wrenched the motorbike's keys from his pocket.
XxXxXxX
Making the trip in 12 minutes, 3 minutes faster than he ever had before, Jason fishtailed into the small parking lot, almost taking himself and the bike out when he leapt of the metal beast without putting down the kickstand.
Elizabeth's name was on his lips before he realized he could hear, what sounded like a woman crying and a man, older if Jason's estimation was correct, crooning.
Deciding that stealth was needed more than being a bull in a china shop, Jason slowly made his way towards the bench that resided beneath an old oak tree.
Jason wasn't a man easily prone to shock but seeing Elizabeth almost snuggled into her father's arms, if anything was going to do it, that was it. The how's and why's and a plethora of other question's ran through Jason's mind but in that moment, he didn't think it mattered at all.
The sound of Elizabeth's sobs had grown almost silent, so Jason quietly made his way over to the two. Not employing his stealthiness, Mac head almost instantly snapped up.
"What the hell do you want Morgan?" Mac asked while trying to block as much of the young woman as possible.
"That is a story that is too long and too convoluted to tell all at once but you should know…the woman in your arms…she's your daughter." Jason said. Unsure if telling it so bluntly was a good idea but he didn't need the man arresting him when all he wanted to do was comfort her.
Mac looked at Jason with wide, unblinking eyes, "My WHAT?" Mac whisper shouted.
XxXxXxX
