Chapter 32
February 2003
Thank you to Trini12180, leeleelayla5, and diamond2225leo for your reviews. To the other reviewer, I'm sorry you feel I am rehashing stories with some tweaks. You are right; I can do better. I plan on editing past chapters to clean up the story. If you can stick it out through the Panic Room story, it will change from recaps. This will be the turning point in their relationship. I am sorry for disappointing you and making my story hard to follow.
In the following chapters, I will use parts of the "Liason What Ifs" story in the New Reality story. It will follow that timeline.
Summary:
Alexis discovers Cameron is Zander's father. Zander is caught by Elizabeth attempting to plant drugs in Carly's club; she stops him and tells Ned. Ned fires Zander and washes his hands of Faith.
Carly is dizzy, and Sonny wonders if she is pregnant.
Brenda leaves PC after a failed engagement with Jax. Jason takes her to the airport and promises she'll have a place to stay if she returns.
2/10/2003
Alexis's client provides a police report showing that the railings' bolts from Alcazar's PH were loosened. Skye admits she has no memory of anyone near Alcazar at the railing. Alexis provides the suspicion that Skye is the guilty party. She also reminds Scott of her theory of an international agency deciding that Alcazar was a liability, and they got rid of him. Scott will always be dealing with reasonable doubt in the Alcazar case, and Scott should mark the case as unsolved and let it go! The killer meets with Scott and Alexis, and she cuts a deal. When she explains what Alcazar did to her and her children, Scott decides the case would embarrass him if he loses. He does not want to charge her and agrees to use Alexis' theory of an international agency as the culprit. He marks the case as closed. Felecia returns home and confesses to Mac what she did and why. While furious, he understands and says he still loves her. They remarry.
2/14/2003
Jason hears Courtney yelling at Sonny across the hall in the PH. He listened to Courtney beg for Sonny's approval to be with Jason. Jason shook his head and took off on his motorcycle. He drives by Kelly's and parks in the alley. Elizabeth is closing up from working a shift and walks toward her studio. He clears his throat. Startled, she turns around. "Jason?"
"Hi! I wasn't sure if you would be working or if you were still volunteering at the hotline."
"No, I decided not to do it this year. It was therapy for me and a way to heal. I think it's time to move on to helping others. I've been thinking about what my dad and Gram said about trying nursing. It's more stable than my art. I could still have that as a hobby."
"Are you up for a ride?"
Elizabeth's eyes sparkle. "It's been a while. Yes, tonight is a nice night."
Jason takes her to the estates and tells her Brenda has left town. He tells her he's missed her.
"I've missed you too, but the annulment doesn't change things. You will continue to put Carly and Sonny first. I loved it when we traveled two years ago. It was just you and me. I need someone who will put me first."
"I loved that too. I want to put you first. I'm sorry." He kisses her forehead and takes her back to her studio.
Zander gets his hopes up after a recent phone conversation with Emily.
Despite disliking Ric and some of the things he's done, I hated this s/l of him making Carly think he raped her and having Elizabeth defend Ric. I've changed that.
At Jake's, Faith's employee drugged Carly's drink. As the drug took effect, he attempted to leave with her, but Ric showed up and made him leave. He called Jason, told him what happened, and offered to bring her to his PH. Jason glared at Ric but said thank you and took Carly to the pink room, where she passed out on the bed. Jason called Sonny at the warehouse, and when Sonny arrived, Jason relayed to Sonny what Ric had told him.
Ric continues to woo Elizabeth. She tries to ask Ric about his family, but he evades her questions. She also questions why he wants to work for Sonny so much.
Elizabeth and Ric were at The Cellar when Sonny and Carly arrived at the Speakeasy. Ric approached Sonny to get a job with Sonny again as his attorney. Sonny was leery about Ric but appreciated what he did for Carly. He said he'd consider retaining him as his lawyer. While Ric and Carly discussed club business, Sonny ordered one of his men to do a more thorough and complete background check on Ric. Jason wonders why Sonny keeps taking Ric's guff. Sonny replies: "I have something he wants, and when I know what it is, I'll know how to proceed! I must know what his game plan is."
March 2003
Summary:
Carly is pregnant.
A hit woman fails to complete a hit on Sonny and hits Ric instead.
Ric goes after Faith and forms an alliance.
Sonny orders Jason to find out who Faith's silent partner is.
Ric wants to destroy Sonny.
Ric tells Faith he believes that she is responsible for the shooting the previous evening.
At Kelly's, Ric tends to his stitches, bleeding through his bandage. Elizabeth visits him and notices the bloody bandage. She offers to help. "I have experience treating wounds like this, but I warn you that I'm not a nurse like my grandmother. Ric lets her take a look and rebandage it. He pulls her in for a kiss.
After making love, Ric tells Elizabeth what happened was a mistake. Hurt, she asks why they could not be together. He says he had come to Port Charles with a plan and could not be distracted. He asks if they could see each other secretly. She replies, "I won't hide my relationship. If you can't accept that, call me when you are no longer distracted. Maybe I'll be available." Ric relents but warns her he will stick to his plan, and she may not like his actions.
Sonny ordered Ric to prove his loyalty by rubbing Faith out. After Ric turned him down, Sonny surprised him by offering to put him on a retainer.
April 2003
Summary:
Emily returned home to a welcoming family. She explained that she needed some time off between rehab and college. She confesses her health status to Monica and Alan. Her parents say they know. The school sent information, but they are there for her. She doesn't want anyone else to know she has Breast Cancer.
Emily has reunions with Jason, Lucky, Elizabeth, and Zander. Zander and Emily reconnect, but she refuses to disclose her Cancer.
Sonny and Carly have an ultrasound. The baby appears healthy. They discuss if it is a boy; they will name him Morgan Corinthos after Jason.
Tracy Quartermaine and her son Dillon return to PC.
Ric tries to cast shade on Faith, colluding with Jax. Jason accuses Ric of lying. Ric tells Faith that the only way to destroy Sonny is to go after Jason first. Sonny knows Ric is Faith's silent partner. Sonny wants to know why Ric has targeted him. Sonny and Jason trick Ric. Jason goes after Faith.
Elizabeth worries that Faith and Ric are involved.
4/1-30/2003
Elizabeth fills Emily in on the details of her relationship with Ric.
Jason waits outside the diner, spots Ric coming downstairs from his room, and watches him kiss Elizabeth. Ric spots him and goes outside to confront him. He asks Jason if he is spying on him now. Jason scowls at him. Ric taunts him and says, "I'm the one Sonny trusts over you. You lost Elizabeth when you chose him over her." Jason punches Ric, slams him against the doors, and warns him never to question his loyalty to Sonny.
Ric takes off, and Elizabeth comes out and asks him what he did to Ric. Jason warns her to stay away from Ric and that he is bad news and can't be trusted. Ric goes to his new apartment to unpack. Elizabeth comes by to see his new place. Elizabeth hopes her visit will uncover things she doesn't know about him. Ric distracts her from probing by kissing her, and they make love.
Faith calls Ric. He isn't pleased she called him while Elizabeth was there. Elizabeth overhears him telling Faith he will take care of Morgan and that she can do her own thing. Elizabeth makes an excuse about having a class she forgot about and needing to leave. Ric asks her what she overheard. He says he was advising Sonny's new accountant about helping Jason with the business. Elizabeth questions what his true feelings for her are. He tells her she is the best thing in his life and wants it to stay that way. Elizabeth leaves.
Jason arrives, and Sonny tells Jason to get rid of Faith but to let Sonny deal with Ric himself. Sonny grabs Ric and takes him to a safe house. When he returns, his guard Paulie is dead, and Ric is missing. In the meantime, a wounded Ric arrives at Elizabeth's empty studio and slips inside. Elizabeth arrives, rushes to Ric's side, and frantically tries to stop the bleeding.
Ric tells her he can't tell the police and asks her to cover for him. Ric explains to her that he confronted Sonny about being a criminal and a killer and that Sonny now wants him dead. Ric takes off. Sonny calls Jason and tells him not to kill Faith and explains over the phone that Ric escaped and killed one of their men. He tells him they need Faith to tell them where Ric could be hiding.
Jason arrives at the studio and questions Elizabeth when he sees the bloody bandage. She is torn on divulging what Ric told her about Sonny threatening to kill Ric. Jason is surprised Elizabeth would think of him so badly, but he leaves. He calls one of the men to follow her, hoping she will lead them to Ric. Ric calls Elizabeth. He asks her to hide his contacting her and not call the police. She starts to wonder if Jason is right about Ric using her.
Ric hides in the trees outside of Kelly's. Elizabeth is inside working while Courtney is at the counter. He calls Elizabeth and asks if she can do what he asked. She pretends to be talking to her grandmother when she sees that Courtney can hear her. Elizabeth says yes and leaves. Courtney waits and follows her at a distance. Sonny's bodyguard, Max, says he will follow Elizabeth. Jason finds files with a picture of a woman from Ric's desk at his place. He brings the information to Sonny. Sonny realizes that Ric is obsessed with his life for some reason. Jason says he has someone tracking Elizabeth's movements, and he suspects she will eventually lead them to Ric. Jason gets a call from Max telling him where Elizabeth is. Jason goes to the park and finds her talking to some man who isn't Ric. Jason tells the man to leave and accuses Liz of using the man as a decoy to allow Ric to escape. Jason criticizes her for protecting Ric. She says, "There once was a time I covered for you."
"Ric hasn't called the police, which means he is hiding something." Elizabeth struggles with what Jason said because she remembers when Jason wouldn't let her call the police. She hesitates but agrees Jason has a good point and listens. Despite their recent differences, he's been honest with her. She tells him she honestly doesn't know where Ric is.
May 2003
Summary:
Monica scheduled Emily's surgery at Mercy for a lumpectomy.
Sonny stops Jason from killing Ric.
The truth about Ric's motives is revealed.
Elizabeth has surprising news, a significant life change, and a devastating accident.
Faith is jealous, and Elizabeth pays the price.
Ric takes revenge up a notch.
Emily began chemotherapy.
Emily confesses her Cancer to Nikolas and asks him to fake a romance to spare Zander the guilt of taking care of her. Nikolas agrees and begins to pay attention to Emily.
Zander confronted Nikolas about his feelings for Emily.
5/1-9/2003
Ric enters his new apartment, thinks about Sonny, loses his temper, and throws things. Elizabeth turns on the lights and walks to Ric. She slaps him across the face and accuses him of lying and using her to get to Sonny. Ric explains that she wasn't part of the plan and that he loves her. She doesn't believe him and storms out when Faith is on the other side of the door. Elizabeth accuses Ric of sleeping with Faith to get to Sonny as well. Elizabeth takes off as Ric tells her he loves her. Faith tells him she came over to talk to him about their deal. Ric tells her it's over, and they are no longer partners. He says he will destroy Sonny himself. He has something else in store for him. She tries to get Ric into bed again, but he turns her down, saying he loves Elizabeth.
Elizabeth tells Courtney that Ric has lied to her, and she came to see her to get the truth. Courtney explains that Ric is Sonny's brother and has been working for Sonny so he can get his revenge on him and destroy him. Elizabeth is shocked by this news but realizes it explains much about Ric and his actions.
Ric is visited later at home by Liz. She tells him she came to say a few things to him. She tells him she knows Sonny is his brother and asks him if he was telling her the truth when he said that she was separate from what he was doing with Sonny, that she wasn't part of his plan, and that he came to have feelings for her. He tells her he is telling the truth.
"When you were plotting to destroy Sonny, did you ever think about dropping your vendetta against Sonny and try being happy with me instead?"
"I did think about doing that several times, but in the end, I couldn't give up on my plot to get revenge on Sonny."
"Therein lies the problem. You didn't destroy Sonny but became just like him instead. I can't be with someone actively trying to destroy Sonny and Jason."
5/10-16/2003
Elizabeth stops by Ric's apartment, and Faith answers the door. Elizabeth asks Faith if she's been sleeping with Ric. Ric shows up and tries to get rid of Faith to talk privately with Elizabeth. Elizabeth doesn't want to hear his excuses about Faith. When she presses him to choose her and give up his revenge on Sonny, he doesn't answer. She slams the door behind her. Faith taunts Ric, and he gets angry, and it turns to passion, and they have sex.
Ric goes to Kelly's to see Elizabeth and convince her to give him another chance. She confronts him about his sleeping with Faith. He doesn't deny it. He says he does things like that when he's hurt about losing someone he cares about. Elizabeth says he sounds just as arrogant as Sonny, and if he genuinely cares about her, he'll stay away for good.
Ric finds Faith on the docks, and she knows it didn't go well with Elizabeth because of his mood. She suggests they cut their losses and move to Miami. He says he's not finished with his big brother yet.
5/17-24/2003
Elizabeth receives flowers from Ric and tells him she's not interested in anything he's said and doesn't want a relationship with him. She sketches in her studio and struggles with her feelings for yet another man who won't put her first. She puts her pad down and heads to Kelly's for lunch.
Faith sets a snake loose in Elizabeth's studio. When Elizabeth returns, she is bitten by the snake Faith left behind. Jeff stops by to visit his daughter after a shift at GH. When she doesn't respond to his knock, he tries the door and finds Elizabeth unconscious on the floor. He rushes her to GH. Jeff holds Elizabeth's hand as she wakes. Bobbie says Elizabeth hit her head after the snake bit her. Bobbie leaves to check the test results, and Jeff leaves to find Audrey.
Faith enters the ER cubicle and says, "I left you the snake as a warning. The next one will be poisonous if you stay with Ric."
"If you want Ric, you can have him."
Ric passes Faith in the hall and says, "If I catch you hurting Elizabeth again, I will kill you."
Ric finds Elizabeth and apologizes for her getting hurt because of his business.
Elizabeth says, "I did not get hurt because of your business. I got hurt because of your jealous ex." Ric leaves.
Bobbie returns with test results showing she is venom-free, but Elizabeth is pregnant. Elizabeth is shocked and begs Bobbie not to say anything to Ric or her father. She tells her she doesn't want this pregnancy, and Bobbie returns with information on an abortion. Carly has a pre-natal appointment and overhears her mother's conversation with Elizabeth. Ric returns with flowers. Elizabeth tells him to go away; she's not changing her mind about the baby. Ric realizes she is pregnant. He says he wants to raise their baby together. He's putting his vendetta toward Sonny aside for her. He promises to put her first. Elizabeth thinks he won't change but is softening toward him. Elizabeth tells him she needs time to think.
After Elizabeth finds out Ric's true intentions, she's left wondering if his only interest in her was due to her prior relationship with Jason. He became Jason's lawyer and then got involved with her. He is so focused on revenge. She told him her news and said he needed to put her first and give up his vendetta. She's walking along the docks, thinking about the news and how she feels. Looking at her feet, she nearly runs into Emily. "Oh, gosh, Em, I didn't see you. I'm sorry. What's wrong?"
"I had another fight with Zander at Kelly's. I came back to apologize, but he was gone when I returned. What's going on with you?"
"I'm pregnant. Bobbie told me."
"Wow! Are you okay with it?"
"I'm surprised. I didn't plan on this, but I think I want this. I don't know the first thing about being a mom. I didn't have the best role model. You know that guy I've been seeing, Ric? Well, I thought he was terrific, but now I'm not so sure. But the worst part is that part of me still loves him."
"What are you going to do? You can cut him out and tell him you never want to see him again. You can have this baby on your own."
"Em, I wait tables, have school, and can't earn an income painting."
"I have two words: trust fund, specifically mine. I can give you anything you need."
"What about Ric? He says he loves this baby. But I won't get involved in this war he has with Sonny. What am I supposed to do? I could move back home, but I don't want my dad supporting me either. Nine months is not enough time to prepare."
"Nine months is a lifetime. I have the money if you intend to raise it yourself."
"Em, I love you, but that is your money."
"I'm not going to need it where I'm going."
"What? Of course, you will need it."
"Elizabeth, I'm dying. I have Cancer."
"Oh, sweetie." Elizabeth holds her. She asks her questions about treatment options and the type of Cancer. Emily answers, but it doesn't sound promising. "Does Zander know? Jason?"
"Only Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Grandfather, and now you. I can't tell Zander. I won't drag him through it."
"Emily, he needs to know."
"I'll tell him. I promise.
"Promise me you will tell Jason, too. Your brother loves you."
"I will."
Elizabeth hugs Emily and says, "And I love you."
Faith tries to block Elizabeth and Emily from entering Kelly's. Faith threatens Elizabeth, and Emily reminds Faith that Jason is her brother and that if something were to happen to Elizabeth, Jason would make her disappear.
After Faith threatened Emily, she slapped Faith across the face. Faith suggests Elizabeth was accident-prone and should be careful.
Ric goes to the PH and tells everyone he's dropping his vendetta. "Elizabeth is pregnant with my child, and she is asking for peace, and I've promised to give that to her." After Ric leaves, Jason thinks about finding Elizabeth to express concern. He's worried about Ric, but more importantly, he wants to remind her that she needs regular checkups to prevent what happened with their child from happening again. Few people know the truth, but he's concerned about her well-being.
Ric returns to his apartment to find Elizabeth waiting for him. He tells her he told Sonny he wants peace. He asks her to marry him, and she accepts. Ric arranges for them to be married at the Justice of the Peace and has rings selected. Jeff sent a note saying he was sorry he couldn't attend the wedding; he loves his daughter but thinks she is making a mistake. Ric made plans for a honeymoon in Italy and France, and Elizabeth doesn't have the heart to tell him she's already been there.
Faith overhears Sonny going to see Elizabeth. She gets into a verbal altercation with Sonny about Ric. "Elizabeth, you made a mistake marrying my brother. He makes poor decisions and needs to stay clear of my business." Sonny walks away, and Elizabeth heads in the other direction.
Faith watches the exchange and waits for Sonny to leave. As Elizabeth walks down a flight of stairs, she feels a hand on her backside, causing her to fall. Faith walks down the steps and kicks Elizabeth before walking away. Ric discovers Elizabeth in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. He rushes her to GH.
5/25-31/2003
Elizabeth's exam reveals she is okay. Her last memory is of her argument with Sonny and watching him walk away. Sonny comes to visit Elizabeth, and she asks him what happened. "Sonny, we were arguing about Ric, and you walked away. Did you see what happened?"
Sonny holds Elizabeth's hand, "Elizabeth, I am so sorry. I never should have gotten so angry and confronted you, especially while you are pregnant. I was angry at Ric and took it out on you. I walked away and don't know what happened to you."
Elizabeth tries standing to whisper, "Sonny, I want to talk to Jason. Can you ask him to see me?"
Sonny is about to ask why when Elizabeth stumbles and falls toward the floor. Sonny catches her, and she cries out in pain. Ric observes the exchange and blames Sonny when the doctor returns the news about his wife's miscarriage. Ric holds Elizabeth as she sobs. Ric sees Sonny outside the room and gets up to confront him and blame him for Elizabeth's miscarriage. Elizabeth pulls his arm back and says, "Ric, Sonny did not push me. He would never do that. Please, end this feud. I want to see my father and my Gram."
"Elizabeth, for you, I will try."
Ric holds Elizabeth as she cries. Jeff pushes into the room, and Ric leaves, only to hear Dr. Meadows tell Carly that her latest ultrasound shows her baby is healthy. Jeff wipes a tear from Elizabeth's face and says, "Dr Meadows told me you can have more kids. The miscarriage didn't damage anything."
"I'm scared, Dad. This is my second pregnancy. I haven't told Ric I was at risk. I only found out a few days ago I was pregnant."
"Are you thinking about Jason?"
"Yes, I asked Sonny to find him. I thought he might understand how I was feeling."
"Elizabeth, I hope Ric makes you happy. The marriage came as a surprise."
"I'm sorry, Dad, it was impulsive. I'm hoping he will change."
Sonny finds Jason and tells him Elizabeth is in the hospital recovering from a miscarriage. "Jason, why would Elizabeth want me to call you? I thought because of Ric, you weren't on good terms with her."
"Sonny, it's personal. I got a call from Jeff. He's offered to run interference. Please let Elizabeth know I'll be there soon."
Jason arrives and thanks Jeff for the call. He enters Elizabeth's room and asks how she is doing.
"How do you think? I told Ric that Sonny was not to blame. Emily was with me when Faith threatened me. She had a thing for Ric."
"Elizabeth, stop trying to be brave. I know what you are going through."
Ric enters and yells, "Jason, what are you doing in my wife's room?"
Jason exits and says, "Elizabeth, call me if you need to talk."
Elizabeth refuses to explain why Jason was there.