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21.) Acute Betrayal

(Still 3 years prior - Just after leaving Johnny's)

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the young man said as he walked to the door and opened it. He was surprised to see her. It was rare that she would come to town. "Elizabeth?"

"Are you going to stare at me or are you going to be a gentleman and let me in?"

Johnny opened the door and let Elizabeth in. "You've looked better." Elizabeth merely rolled her eyes, before Johnny continued, "Then again, you've looked worse. Did Anthony do that to your face?"

"Ah, well no, that was courtesy of Carly," Elizabeth said.

"Damn, what did you say to her?" Johnny asked.

Elizabeth pointed to her face, "This was in retaliation for breaking Jason's picture frame of Michael that was on his mantle."

Johnny smirked, "Finally snapped, huh? I didn't know you had it in you."

"That's because I don't have it in me. Anthony broke the frame the other day, when he paid me a visit," Elizabeth replied.

"How bad?" Johnny asked. "Did he touch you?"

Elizabeth shrugged, "I'm not here to rehash the blow by blow."

Johnny shook his head, "What did Jason say?"

"About what?" Elizabeth asked.

"About what Anthony did? Surely, he's angry. Has he threatened him?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes, "Jason doesn't know that Anthony paid me a visit, hence Carly's reaction. They think I broke his frame intentionally, because he's openly dating the vapid tart, Courtney."

"Jesus Liz, why didn't you say anything?" Johnny admonished.

"Oh please, don't you pretend like you don't know why. Anthony threatened me like always. I'm not saying a word. Anyways, that's not why I'm here. I need answers."

"What answers did you need?" Johnny asked, as he crossed his arms in resigned anticipation.

"How long have you known I'm not a Zacchara?"

"Years, but you know that I wasn't allowed to say anything."

Elizabeth's eyes watered, "Who's my real grandfather on my mother's side?"

"You're going to get me into a world of trouble, you know that," Johnny said, shaking his head, "You're a Giambetti, Elizabeth. You're very important, in the mafia underworld. You're also Son-."

"Sonny's daughter." Elizabeth said as more of a statement, rather than a question.

"How did you find out?" Johnny asked.

"Don't worry about that. Did you know that my marriage was fake, before I got married, Johnny?"

Johnny reluctantly nodded his head yes.

Out of anger, and out of character, Elizabeth struck him. "How could you let me marry him knowing that everything was a farce?"

"I thought that if he got to know you, he would give you a chance," Johnny answered,

"Well guess what he got to know me. Unfortunately, Anthony, Trevor, and Ric have obliterated my character. They destroyed my marriage before it started, and you knew it wasn't real. After everything that we've endured over the years, you let me walk into this and allowed me to hope that there was some happiness out there. How do I get past this betrayal. I would have never done that to you Johnny. You were the only family I had, and you knew that Jason didn't care about me. Did you know that Sonny was my father when I was being traded like cattle for territory?"

Johnny nodded again, tears running down his cheek, his jaw ticking at the hurt. "Yes." He answered, in a barely audible whisper.

Elizabeth raised her hand again, but held her hand in restraint. She turned to leave instead. "Where are you going to go?" Johnny asked.

"I don't know," Elizabeth replied, going to the door.

"Wait," Johnny said in desperation.

"Don't worry Johnny, I won't let on that I know. I won't betray you." Elizabeth said as she walked out. Johnny pleaded with her to come back, but she ignored what he had to say. She just needed to leave.

Elizabeth drove back to Port Charles, and parked in the Towers' garage. She sat in her car for a while trying to come to terms with all that she'd learned. The tears just wouldn't stop. Taking a deep breath she decided that she would accomplish nothing by just sitting in her car. She slowly made her way to the elevator. She noted that Jason's bike was here, and thankfully Anthony's vehicle was not, 'Thank God.'

She was in no mood to put up with this shit storm that had become her life, as of late. She just hoped that Carly and Courtney weren't lingering in Jason's penthouse. As she opened the door, she noted that no one was downstairs. It was early evening, so more than likely everyone was out. She slowly made her way to her room, and started changing. Once she was in a pair of sweats, she collapsed on the bed. That was when she realized that she wasn't home alone. It appeared that they were at it again. "That bed is going to fall through the ceiling," Elizabeth said to herself.

"Oh Jayson, it's so good," Courtney mewled.

Elizabeth slowly rose from the bed, as she could hear Jason grunting in the throws of passion. "I don't know how much longer I can endure this shit." She grabbed her headphones and her iPod. She slowly exited her room and walked out to the terrace, and turned them up as loud as they would go. She took a seat on one of the loungers, and not for the first time in months, she let the tears fall, as the day and all of the emotions caught up with her. The one thing that truly resonated with her in these moments, was that she was alone. There was no denying that. She couldn't trust anyone, and didn't have the first clue on where to turn.

She must have been out there for a while, because she didn't notice that someone was out there with her. She pulled out her headphones, "Is there something I can do Francis?"

"I was looking for Jason," he said.

A scream came from the room above, "Oh yeah, um, Jason that's how I like it."

Elizabeth shook her head in disdain, "I believe you have your answer."

Francis nodded and turned to leave, but as he looked at her he felt compelled to ask. "Is the money really worth this kind of degradation?"

Elizabeth laughed mirthlessly, "I assure you, I don't know what you mean."

"Oh come on, is $10 million dollars worth being cheated on and humiliated to this extent?"

"I promise you, I don't know what you mean," Elizabeth said at her breaking point, "I suppose it never occurred to you that not all of us were in on the particulars of this 'so-called' agreement. I'm sure that it's occurred to no one here, that some of us thought this was a legitimate marriage and weren't privy to all the details."

"Are you claiming that you didn't know? I find that difficult to believe." Francis replied.

"Frankly, I'm beyond caring what any of you believe. You can go the way you came in," Elizabeth said, while nodding dismissively toward the door. She placed her headphones back on and let the outside world drift away.

It must have been sometime later,when she felt like someone was watching her. Elizabeth happened to look up, and noticed that Jason was on his bedroom's balcony dressed only in his sleep pants. He appeared to be studying her from his perch. He smirked down at her knowing that his bedroom activities clearly bothered her. It was fun to needle her a bit. Courtney had just left, saying something about going to dinner with Carly.

Elizabeth decided that she no longer cared, and turned away. She didn't care about the chill. She didn't care about fearing the Zaccharas, or Sonny, or Jason, or Courtney, or Carly. She was simply out of fucks to give at this point. She just chose to listen to her music and vibe.

She didn't hear the knock at the door, but Jason did and answered.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked.

"I'm here to check on Elizabeth, if that's okay with you?" Johnny said.

"She's out on the balcony," Jason said, nodding to the door.

"-She okay?" Johnny asked.

"She's the same vindictive person she always is," Jason said.

"You are a fool, man. Just let me see her." Johnny said.

"I'm not stopping you," Jason said.

Johnny walked to Elizabeth on the balcony. He slowly approached her and knelt down next to her, and slowly tapped her shoulder.

Elizabeth opened her eyes, and was surprised to see him. She was struggling to hide her misery. "Where's my Lizziebear?"

"She's still here. Where's my JohnJohn?" She replied with a small shy smile.

"He's still here. I'm here Lizziebear. You're not alone." He reached forward and placed his forehead against hers, "Just let go," he whispered. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone that you cried. Just let it out," and she did. Elizabeth was wracked with tears. Her JohnJohn held her as she cried, and eventually she cried herself to sleep.

Johnny picked her up, and walked her inside. Jason had changed, being that he had company (as unwanted as it was). He was now wearing a black t-shirt and his signature jeans. He was playing at the pool table. Johnny started to walk toward the up the stairs but Jason stopped him. "Her room isn't up there."

"Doesn't she room with you?" Johnny asked, "I mean you are her husband."

Jason smirked and shook his head casually, "Think again. Her room is down here, by her choice I might add. In what was the maid's quarters. Over there."

Johnny looked to where Jason was pointing and entered Elizabeth's room. He placed her on her bed and pulled the bedding back. She turned on her side, and that's when he saw a portion of the bruising on the back of her neck. He knew that handy work anywhere. That was his father's cane.

Johnny exited Elizabeth's room and approached Jason, "Do you think you could be a little kinder to her? She has no hope that you're interested in her. This isn't easy for her either. She's isolated here. I would also ask that you don't let anyone hit her anymore."

"I didn't hit her?" Jason said, defending himself.

"I didn't say you did, but Carly hit her. That's unacceptable." Johnny said.

Jason merely nodded, "Are we done here?"

Johnny nodded in affirmation, "Yeah, we're done, for now. Just stop mistreating her. She's a person, Jason. I know she's not your favorite person, but everyone has a breaking point."

Jason seemed to consider it and pointed to the door, "I"m not making any promises. There's the door."

Johnny walked to the door and looked back, "If you keep this up, you're going to lose the best thing you ever had."