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.
~*~
�Ric�s going to bring Erica by the house later tonight.� Elizabeth informed her grandmother. She
couldn�t rid her face of the subtle smile she�d been carrying with her since this afternoon. She was
just so happy that Ric finally knew the truth.
�Now see, don�t you feel better?� Audrey laughed. �Oh that smile on your face�I�ve missed that
smile.�
�So have I Grams.�
�Elizabeth?�
She turned around to see Monica Quartermaine standing at the door. She went over to her and
embraced her. �Hi Dr. Quartermaine. How are you?�
�Oh, I�m fine sweetheart. How are you?� Monica pulled back and searched her daughter�s best
friend�s face.
�I�m good.� Elizabeth said honestly.
�How are you doing, Audrey?� Monica asked walking to the bed.
�Oh, stop worrying about me. I�m doing fine.� Audrey let out a weak laugh. She pretended to be
okay, but Elizabeth could see the pain in her eyes. Of course her grandmother wouldn�t explain
what was going on.
�Hey, could I talk to you for a minute?� Elizabeth asked Monica.
�Of course dear. Would you like to walk to the elevators with me? I�m on my way to meet Alan.�
�Absolutely.� She turned to Audrey. �I�ll be right back. Okay, grams?�
�Sure, darling. Take your time.� As soon as she forced the words out, Elizabeth noticed Audrey
close her eyes and turn her head to the side. Whatever was happening to her wasn�t good. She
wasn�t used to seeing her grandmother so weak.
Elizabeth followed Monica out the door and started toward the elevators with her. �Okay. I need
to know what�s going on with my grandmother. Is she really as fine as she says? Because she
looks terrible.� Elizabeth felt tears sting her eyes.
Monica�s eyes dropped. �Elizabeth, Audrey has Congestive Heart Failure.�
Elizabeth didn�t understand. �What is that? It doesn�t sound good.� She couldn�t mask the worry
in her voice.
�I�m afraid it�s not.� Monica went on, her voice getting more and more compassionate. �It�s a
build-up of fluid around the heart. When that happens, the heart has to pump a lot faster to keep
the blood going.�
�So that�s why she�s been so tired. It�s because her heart is working overtime.� Elizabeth felt a
wave of optimism hit her. Her grandmother�s heart just needed to get rid of the water and then
she�d be okay. It wouldn�t have to work so hard to keep up.
Monica noticed Elizabeth�s hope and looked down. She didn�t want to squash her faith, but she
couldn�t let her go on believing that everything was going to work out. Because in all likelihood,
it wasn�t. �But Elizabeth, all of this extra work is damaging her heart.�
�What are you saying? Is she going to be okay? Tell me she�s going to be fine.� Elizabeth felt her
heart start to race.
�Liz, honey, the prognosis is�poor.�
�The prognosis is poor?� Elizabeth repeated. �What does that mean? I don�t get it. Is she going to
die?� Monica looked down. Elizabeth�s body went numb. She could barely feel herself fall to the
floor.
�Elizabeth,� Monica knelt by her side. �Are you okay?�
�I�m just�yeah. I�m fine. I just didn�t eat this morning. I�m just a little weak.� Elizabeth let
Monica help her up.
�Let me get you checked out, okay?�
�No, Monica, I�m fine.� Elizabeth brushed herself off, as she stood on her own. �You just caught
me by surprise. I wasn�t expecting that. I mean, I knew it was bad, and I had a feeling, but I tried
to block it out.�
�Okay. I understand. It�s a lot to hear.� Monica squeezed her arm. �Do you want me to walk you
back to Audrey�s room? Or I can take you somewhere else?�
�No, no, I�m fine. Go meet your husband.� Elizabeth didn�t want to rely on anyone or become a
burden.
�Okay, but I expect to see you soon. You need to come by the house and bring that little girl that
Bobbie has been talking about. I�m sure Emily and Lila and everyone would love to see you.�
Monica smiled at her.
�Oh, just try and keep me away.� Elizabeth let out a weak laugh as Monica entered the elevator
and it closed.
When Elizabeth turned around, she ran into someone. �Excuse me�� She started before she saw
who it was. �Oh, Carly, hey.� Elizabeth tried to hide her utter dislike for the blonde, but it wasn�t
working.
�As I live and breathe�if it isn�t little miss break�em and leave in the flesh.� Carly smirked at her,
obviously impressed with her witty one-liner.
�You know, no matter how much I love these little chats of ours, Carly, I really can�t deal with
you right now.� Elizabeth tried to pass her, but Carly put her arm out.
�Bet you�re thinking you�re going to walk back into Ric�s life and mess him up again, aren�t
you?� She gave Elizabeth a look that could kill.
�How are Ric and I any of your business?� Elizabeth shot a glare of her own.
�Ric�s my brother-in-law, and I don�t want to see him hurt. So you better watch out, got that
Webber?�
Elizabeth laughed. �Do you think anything you say is going to effect me or what I do?� When
Carly just gave her a warning glare, she continued. �I thought you hated Ric, anyway. What
changed?�
�He�s Sonny�s brother. And I realized Ric and I are a lot alike.�
�Wow, good one. If you wanted to keep me away from him, just compare him to you. Now I�ll
stay away.� Elizabeth laughed again. �Don�t meddle in this Carly, you don�t understand
anything.� She walked past her.
�Oh,� Carly started. �You mean I don�t understand that the two of you have a child together?�
Elizabeth turned around. �And how do you know anything about it?�
�Well, I�m not stupid.� Elizabeth interrupted her with a giggle. �Ha, funny. Anyway, your little
girl looks just like him.�
�Okay, you�re right. Erica is Ric�s daughter. What are you getting at here?�
Carly got serious. �Well, I suggest you take yourself and your daughter as far away from Ric as
possible, before you screw up his life again.�
�Well, Ric is out with Erica right now. He wanted to spend some time with his daughter.�
Elizabeth implied Ric�s knowledge of his child.
�You told him?� Carly asked shocked.
�Yeah, I did. He had a right to know.�
�He had a right to know five years ago, Lizzie.� Carly pointed out. �But you didn�t think it was
necessary back then. So why now? Screwing him up once wasn�t enough? Come back for some
more kicks?�
�Why do you keep saying that I screwed up his life? He�s fine.� Elizabeth hated how vague Carly
always was.
Carly let a smile spread across her face when she thought of something to piss Elizabeth off. �Has
Ric told you what he�s been doing? Or I should say who.�
�Excuse me?� Elizabeth didn�t like her condescending tone.
�Yeah, Ric didn�t just sit around and wait for you. He�s moved on. Quite a few times, I might
add.� She laughed. Ric had been quite the bed hopper these past few years.
�What Ric did when I was gone is his business.� Elizabeth hid her jealousy. She didn�t have a
right to feel it. She left him. �But now that I�m back, we�re going to be working things out.� With
that, Elizabeth made her way back to her grandmother�s room. She didn�t want to waste the time
she had with her Audrey bickering with Carly.
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