Disclaimer: You know the drill�no affiliation to ABC, Disney, GH, Rick, Becky, or the other
characters�I only wish that I were.
Summary: Elizabeth returns to Port Charles after five and a half years away with a surprise for
Ric.
Author�s Note: Okay, This is assuming that Elizabeth finds out all about Ric and his agenda after their date to the art museum on the night they made love for the first time. She left town without so much as a good-bye to anyone. She hasn�t kept in contact with anyone, and she changed her last name to Hardy so no one could find her.
~*~
Elizabeth sat on the park table watching Erica ride down the slide. They�d only been there for
twenty minutes and she was already making friends. Erica was good at making friends. When
Elizabeth was little, she was the girl in the corner watching everyone else have a good time. That
probably explained why she turned into such a schemer when she grew up. She had a lot of time
to think.
�Hey there, Darlin��
Elizabeth quickly spun around when she heard the familiar voice. �Luke!� She jumped up and
threw her arms around his neck. �Oh my god.� Elizabeth felt tears sting her eyes. She didn�t know
how much she missed him until now. �How are you?�
�I�m fine sweetheart.� He pulled back to study her face. �But the real question is how are you?�
�So much better right now.� Luke had always been like a father to her because her own father
was never around. �I saw Lucky yesterday.�
�Yeah, he told me. I ran into him yesterday. I didn�t realize you�d be back so soon.�
�Well, as soon as you called me about my grandmother, I called into work and Erica and I headed
back.� Elizabeth grabbed hold of Luke�s hand. �When I talked to Lucky yesterday, he didn�t
know anything about you helping me get out of town, or you visiting me, he didn�t know anything
about me.� Elizabeth paused before smiling at him. �I just wanted to thank you. I know it must
have been hard keeping that from your son.�
�Honey, I promised I wouldn�t. You know I never go back on my promises. I�m assuming that�s
why you came to me in the first place.� Luke smiled.
�Luke, you are much more than reliable to me. You have been so kind me since day one.
Everything you�ve done for me, there�s no way I could ever repay you.� Tears started to drip
down her cheeks.
�Oh, darlin�, you know I�m happy to help.� He gave her a kiss on the forehead. �Now why don�t
you tell me what�s got you so emotional?�
Elizabeth let out a giggle while she dabbed away her tears. �Oh, I�m fine. It�s just being back here
is so strange.�
�Did you see Ric?�
Elizabeth smiled. He knew her so well. �Yeah. I haven�t gotten to tell him about Erica yet. Every
time we get together, he gets mad at me and leaves before I get the chance.�
�Give him time, precious. He�ll come around.� He put his arm around her.
�Thanks Luke. Talking to you always helps.�
~*~
Ric pulled his car into an empty parking space in front of the big slide. Before the shifter was in
park, Michael and Matthew were out and running to the playground. Ric got out of the car and
sat on the hood. He loved spending time with his nephews. They were the best part of his family.
Ric was trying to enjoy his day off, but he couldn�t stop thinking about Elizabeth. Why had he let
himself fall back into that old habit of loving her? It only brought him pain. He just needed to
forget about her.
A breeze brushed past him, and he caught the subtly scent of lilac. Elizabeth had been wearing
lilac the night before. She was always covered in a flowery perfume. It made being with her feel
like he was standing in the middle of an open flower field. It made him want to start singing �The
Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music.� Up until this point, however, he�d managed to prevent
that from happening.
�Hey there, stranger.� A woman called out to Ric.
�Oh, hey, um�� She looked familiar, but he couldn�t remember her name.
�Livvie.� She helped him out.
�Yeah, I know. It�s just been a long day.� Right. He�d met her at The Recovery Room, a
restaurant and bar across the street from General Hospital. �So, how have you been?�
�All right.� She let her tongue slowly slid over her bottom lip before forming a seductive smile.
Her lips were gorgeous, full, and pouty, but they didn�t draw him in and make him need to kiss
her. Her hair was dark and it fell around her face in messy layers, but it didn�t scream at him to
touch it. Her body was perfect. She was full of all the right curves, but it just didn�t feel right next
to his.
She didn�t fit with him like Elizabeth did. No matter how beautiful she was, being with her wasn�t
worth the work. And Livvie didn�t make him work at all.
Ric rubbed his eyes with his hand. He let it fall down his face and land on his neck, before letting
it drop to his lap. He had to stop thinking about her. She was in love with her child�s father. She
didn�t want to be with him.
�You�re awfully quiet today.� Livvie ran her hands over his back. She started to massage his
shoulders. �Is there anything I can do?�
Ric laughed. He had a beautiful woman hitting on him, and it wasn�t effecting him in the least.
�Probably nothing your husband would like.�
�Well, what Jack doesn�t know, won�t hurt him.� She slid her hand between his legs, gently
stroking his inner, right thigh.
He needed to get away from this chick. She was starting to creep her out.
�Uncle Ric, Uncle Ric!� Matthew ran up to him. Livvie pulled her hands to her sides. Saved by
the child, the laughed to himself.
�What is it?� Ric noticed a little girl by his nephew�s side. She looked almost�familiar.
�I want you to meet my best friend, Erica.� Matthew stated, excitedly.
�Well,� Ric slid off of the car and knelt beside her. He raised his hand in front of him. �That is a
beautiful name, Erica. My name is Ric. It�s nice to meet you.�
She put her hand in his. �Nice to meet you too, Ric.� She smiled at him. �That�s my daddy�s
name, too.�
�Really?� Ric asked. �Is your daddy here?� He didn�t think he knew any other �Ric�, but the little
girl reminded him of someone.
�I don�t know my dad. I�ve never met him.�
�Well, I�m sorry to here that.� He didn�t grow up with his mother, so he could relate.
�It�s okay.�
�So who are you here with?� Ric asked the little girl. He felt a connection to this little girl, like he
knew her, but he didn�t.
�I�m with my mom. Do you want to meet her? She�s just on the other side of the slide with my
Uncle Luke.� Luke? He wondered if she meant Luke Spencer, Lucky�s father. He�d talked to him
a few times. He seemed like a good guy. But Luke�s only niece was Carly. It must be another
Luke.
�I would love to.� He looked back at Livvie. �Maybe I�ll see you around.� He left without a
good-bye. He took hold of Matthew and Erica�s hands and let them lead him around the park.
When he saw Elizabeth talking to Luke Spencer, he froze.
�Mommy, this is Matthew and his Uncle Ric.� Erica told her mother. Elizabeth slowly stood to
face Ric. �That�s my mommy and my Uncle Luke.�
Ric looked from Elizabeth to Erica. He bent down and looked into the little girl�s eyes. They were
familiar. He couldn�t believe he didn�t guess before. They were familiar because it was like
looking into a mirror. She had his eyes.
�Is she�� Ric couldn�t finish the question. He looked up at Elizabeth. She just smiled and nodded
her head.
Ric looked back at Erica. He ran his hands through her dark, brown curly hair. She was his. She
was his daughter. He had a daughter.
FanFiction
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