Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It’s a revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we’ll sing hallelujah, we’ll sing hallelujah
– Changes, Taylor Swift

---

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth stared at her collection of dresses that still fit and pursed her lips. “I should have bought something new. Emily was right. I’m going to be sitting up there, worrying about how fat I look because everything is too tight.” She glared down at her abdomen, which seemed to have grown overnight.

Jason stepped up behind her, knotting his tie. “We have time if you want to stop by Wyndham’s,” he offered. “You could change at the courthouse.”

“No, I hate shopping. I’ll just take too long, we’ll miss the entire hearing—and this is stupid to worry about—” She walked away from the closet and sat on the edge of the bed. “No one cares what I wear. I just—God—” She dipped her head, took a deep breath. “The only thing that remotely fits is the dark red.”

Jason glanced over at the closet, saw the dress in question, but didn’t ask why she wouldn’t wear it. He knew. They’d hung all the clothes back up last week, and neither of them had spoken about her closet binge since. He still wasn’t sure if she was really up to this, but she’d made the choice a week ago and hadn’t backed down again. Jason was just here to do whatever she needed to get through it.

“I should wear it.” Elizabeth got to her feet, walked over to the closet, and took the dress off the hanger. “He likes me in this color. He said so. The judge—he should see Vinnie thinking about that.”

“Elizabeth—”

She looked at him, her eyes a little wild, her breathing just slightly faster. If he checked her pulse right now, it would be racing. “I know he can’t use that as evidence, but before he takes this case away from Scott—before he dismisses the case—he should see who Vinnie is. Who he’s helping.”

Jason took the dress from her, tossed it on the bed, then took her hands in his. “Elizabeth—”

“I’m fine,” she told him, her teeth clenched, yanking them back. “Stop—” Elizabeth closed her eyes, tried to take a deep breath, but choked on it as tears started to slide down her face. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. I’m sorry—”

“Hey.” Jason drew her into his arms, his chest aching. He hated that he couldn’t do anything more—that he couldn’t make this case go away—that he couldn’t make any of this stop. “Just take a deep breath.”

“I’m t-trying—”

He led her over to the side of the bed and took out of the portable oxygen tank they still kept on hand. She hadn’t had had a panic attack in a few months, but that terrible night when she’d almost passed out after they’d made love the first time was seared into his brain.

He couldn’t just stand here and listen to her struggle to breathe.

Elizabeth fitted the tube over her nose and switched it on. Then closed her eyes as she concentrated on her breathing. He held her hand, counted through the breaths with her, his fingers to her wrist. Jason’s own tension started to ease as her breaths gradually became deeper, her pulse slowed down.

“It sneaks up on me sometimes,” she admitted a few minutes later. Elizabeth met his eyes, and she smiled at him—tired, but genuine. “You’ve got this whole thing down to a science.”

“I can’t breathe for you,” Jason told her. He pressed his lips to her forehead, lingering for a moment. “This is the best I can do.”

“We’ll take the tank with us,” she told him. “I don’t want to risk anything so far away from Kelly and Monica. I—I’m doing so well, you know?” Elizabeth removed the mask, and Jason found the bag they had traveled with earlier that summer when she’d needed it more often.

She stood up and removed her robe, then reached for the dress and stepped into it. “Can you zip it?” she asked, pulling her hair to one side.

“Are you sure you want to wear this?” Jason asked as he grasped the metal tag and slowly drew it up her back. Elizabeth turned to look at him, and he was relieved to see her expression was calmer than it had been. Stronger.

“I look great in this color,” Elizabeth told him. “I have a lipstick that matches, and I’m not—” She rested her hand on his chest, leaning up to kiss him briefly. “I’m not letting him steal that from me. I like my hair color, I like wearing it long, and I look amazing in red.”

“Yeah, you do.” Jason smiled down at her, tucking her hair behind her ears. “You’re going to do great today.”

“As long as you’re with me.” She squeezed his hand and then over to her vanity to apply her makeup. She picked up the tube of lipstick, twisted off the top, and smiled at the shade.

She was going to make sure the whole world know exactly how much Vinnie Esposito liked seeing her in red.

Syracuse, New York

James F. Hanley Federal Building: Hallway

Dante’s steps slowed when he turned a corner and saw a small crowd outside of Court Room B where the hearing would be held today. A crowd of Quartermaines.

He swallowed hard and felt his mother next to him squeeze his hand as Ned and Lois broke away from the family and approached them. It was the first time Dante had seen Brooke’s parents since Taggert had given them the transcripts.

“Dante.” Lois stepped forward, then embraced him tightly, leaving her hands at his shoulders when she stepped away. “I just want you to know that I love you. I know none of this has been easy on you. That it’s going to get even worse, but I—” She looked at her ex-husband for a moment before focusing on Dante again. “I’m so proud of the man you grew up to be.”

“Couldn’t have done it without you and Ma,” Dante told her. He looked at Ned. “I’m just—I’m sorry we couldn’t see it earlier. Couldn’t do more.”

“What you’re doing today is enough,” Ned told him. “I just—” He hesitated. “I want you to know that I appreciate you giving us some warning about the tape—the transcript—it was…”

Lois slid her arm through his, her other hand squeezing his bicep tightly. “It was tough to hear,” she said, finishing Ned’s statement. “We’ll always regret that Brooke didn’t feel ready to talk to us about it, but it doesn’t change my mind about my little girl at all.”

“I’m glad,” Dante said. He looked at Ned. “Lu Spencer told me—she’d heard about the transcript from Lucky—and it circulated with Lucas and the others. Lucas—she talked to him about it. He knew. He said—he said now that it was in the open if you want to talk him—”

“Maybe we will. Once we put this away inside.” Lois lifted her chin. “We’re going to win today, Dante, but I know—”

She trailed off, focusing behind him. Dante turned and swallowed hard when he saw his grandmother and aunt—Vinnie’s mother—glaring at Lois as they walked past. When Marta Falconieri and her daughter, Francesca Esposito, saw Lois’s mother, Gloria, standing with Edward and Tracy Quartermaine, their eyes narrowed.

“Oh, shit,” Olivia murmured.

“Uh—” Ned turned, narrowing his eyes but then saw his mother step in front of Gloria Cerullo, fold her arms, and raise a brow. “Is there enough security?”

But Marta and Fran must have thought twice about saying anything before the hearing, not wanting to be barred from the room. Instead, they simply went inside. Lois exhaled, relieved.

“I’d better go over and talk Ma out of ripping Frannie’s hair out,” Lois said.

“And we should go in and make sure they’ve saved seats for Elizabeth and her support group,” Ned told Dante and Olivia. “We need at least two rows.”

“Almost time,” Oliva said to Dante as they followed Ned inside the courtroom, ignoring the Falconieri family on the other side of the room. “Whatever happens today, baby, you’re doing the right thing. Never forget that.”

Hanley Courthouse: Court Room B

Elizabeth flashed a hesitant smile at Lois in the front row before looking back at the group of women that had arrived just after they had. Their seats were in the second row. She gestured for Renee, Veronica, Dana, and Wendy to go in front of her. She made sure to sit next to Renee, taking her hand in hers for another squeeze.

“It’ll be okay,” Elizabeth murmured. “You can do this.”

“All I have to do is sit here and not throw up.” Renee squared her shoulders. “No problem.”

Jason settled in a seat next to her, Sonny, Carly, and Bobbie filing into the row behind them. A minute later, Lucas and Felix joined them. Lucas leaned forward. “Hey. Protest is still going strong. Maxie said the RAINN coordinator says there might be five hundred people.”

“Five hundred—” Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “It felt like thousands when we came up the stairs—” She twisted in her chair to look at Lucas and his boyfriend. “Thank you. Tell Maxie and the others the same. No matter what happens here today.”

In front of her, Ned and Lois had taken the front row with Taggert, Mac, and Dante. Behind the and in front of Elizabeth’s row, Edward, Tracy, Gloria Cerullo, and two other people Elizabeth didn’t recognize were seated. Their side of the courtroom was packed.

Behind the defense table, there was a cluster of reporters and the Falconieri family. Elizabeth was gratified to see there weren’t many people in support of Vinnie.

He didn’t deserve it.

A few minutes later, the judge called the court to order and asked for the defendant to be brought in. Elizabeth tightened her grip around Renee’s hand on one side, and Jason on the other, as Vinnie Esposito walked into the room.

She hadn’t seen him since that terrible day in September when he’d lied his way into the penthouse. He looked at her—their eyes met—and then his eyes dropped down, taking in the color of his dress. When Vinnie met her eyes again, he was grinning.

Her stomach rolled, and bile rose in her throat. She forced it back down. Elizabeth arched a brow at him as if to say you are nothing. His smile faded, and she waited — she didn’t care how long it would take —

Finally — Vinnie looked away first, his lawyer poking him in the shoulder.

She felt Jason’s muscles tense under her hand, and his hand squeezed hers even harder. She almost winced, but when she looked at Jason, his face was expressionless. The look she knew had earned him the nickname of Borg from Taggert years ago.

“He doesn’t scare me,” Elizabeth murmured. Jason glanced at her, but his face didn’t change. “He can’t ever scare me again. I promise.” She looked down her row, saw the other survivors with their hands clenched. Renee was looking down into her lap. “We’re okay,” she told her. “We’re stronger together.”

“It doesn’t feel that way right now,” Renee managed on a shaky breath. “But okay.”

The judge called the courtroom to order, and Elizabeth tried to concentrate as both attorneys gave their opening remarks—she knew one of the men at the defense table was the United States Attorney who had signed on to support Vinnie’s petition, but Vinnie’s lawyer was the one making the arguments.

The lawyer didn’t say anything Elizabeth wasn’t expecting. The PCPD was corrupt, blah, blah, the system was prejudicial, blah, blah—scapegoat, framed—all the things Scott had told them to expect.

Scott’s opening held no surprises either. He referred to Elizabeth’s testimony and the DNA evidence, only briefly mentioning Vinnie’s own statements.

“Almost time,” Elizabeth murmured to Jason. He squeezed her hand in response.

“I wish I could be up there with you,” he admitted under his breath. Their eyes met, and she smiled at him.

“You will be. I’ll be looking at you and remembering that I’m strong. He can’t break me.”

“The state calls Elizabeth Webber to the stand,” Scott said. He turned to her, and Elizabeth knew he wanted her to look at him as she walked to the front of the courtroom—to focus only on him—but Elizabeth wasn’t going to let Vinnie think for one moment that he would win today.

Elizabeth smiled at Jason, at the survivors, released Jason and Renee’s hand, then slowly stood. As she walked towards the front of the room, she looked directly at Vinnie, then lifted her chin, then looked away.

Scott hid a smirk as she calmly walked to the stand, was sworn in, then sat down, her eyes on his. He offered her a reassuring smile. “Good morning, Elizabeth. It’s okay if I call you that, right?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said.

“Please state your name and address for the record.”

“Elizabeth Imogene Webber, 122 Harborview Drive, Port Charles, New York. Penthouse Four.” She folded her hands in her lap, found Jason’s eyes in the audience, and felt herself settle.

She could do this.

“Elizabeth, today, we’re going to be very brief,” Scott told her. “On September 24 of this year, do you remember where you were?”

“Yes, I was at home.”

“By yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have any visitors?” Scott asked.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone, but the front desk called to tell me that Detective Vincent Esposito was waiting to question me.” Elizabeth flicked her eyes over to Vinnie, then focused on Scott.

“Do you see Vincent Esposito in the courtroom today?”

“Yes. He’s sitting there at the defense table.”

“Let the record reflect that the witness identified the defendant,” Scott said. Returning his attention to Elizabeth, he continued, “What happened when you received the call?”

“I agreed to speak with him, and the desk sent him up.”

“Did you know the defendant? Had you met him before?”

“I didn’t remember him,” Elizabeth told Scott. She looked at the judge, found him focused on her. She looked at Lucky, sitting in the back row with Cruz. Let her eyes drift to the support group, particularly Renee. “But once I saw him, I realized I had met him before. He’d questioned me a few times over the years.”

“Can you describe those encounters?” Scott said, scratching his temple.

Elizabeth did so, recalling the shooting at Luke’s and her fall at Rice Plaza. “If there were other times, I don’t remember.”

“Thank you,” Scott said. He held up a sheaf of documents. “I’d like to enter into evidence police reports corroborating Miss Webber’s statement, as well as six other police reports detailing incidents involving the defendant and Miss Webber.”

“Noted.” The judge took the reports. “Continue.”

“Elizabeth,” Scott said. “You said you didn’t know the detective at first. Why did you let him upstairs?”

“I knew Lieutenant Taggert was busy out of town that day,” Elizabeth said. “And I’d been working closely with other members of the PCPD. I knew his name was familiar. I—” She hesitated. “I trusted the PCPD.”

“The defense suggests that you had reasons to resent the PCPD,” Scott said. “Is that true?”

“Objection, leading the witness—”

“Sustained.”

Scott pressed a hand to his chest, his face apologetic though Elizabeth knew they’d planned every word of her testimony in preparation. “Forgive me, I’ll rephrase. Miss Webber, how would you characterize your relationship with the PCPD?”

“When I reported my rape five years ago, Detective Alex Garcia was very kind to me,” Elizabeth said. “As was the ADA assigned at the time, Dara Jensen. When Lieutenant Taggert—I’m sorry, Lieutenant,” she corrected. “He was a detective back then—when he took over my case, he was also very kind. I never had a reason to suspect I shouldn’t trust the PCPD.”

“What about this summer? Did the PCPD do anything to change your mind?”

“Not the department themselves, but a few officers let me down,” Elizabeth said, slowly. “I was married to a man suspected of kidnapping Carly Corinthos. Ric Lansing. The lieutenant offered me a way out—he said if I wanted to go, he’d make sure I was safe. But I was afraid of what would happen if I left the house—of my husband,” she added quickly. “I was sure he was guilty, and I wanted to find Carly.”

She hesitated. “The Lieutenant assigned a guard for me. Not to watch the house or my husband—but a patrol car sat outside the house every day to watch me. On the day we found Carly locked in a panic room, when I had a pulmonary embolism and nearly died, Officer Rodriguez was inside with me, helping me look. Officers Spencer and Falconieri were also on patrol and involved in the case. They made me feel safe, and that feeling made it possible for me to still have access to the house so that Carly was found and came home safely.”

She looked at Lucky in the back. “I couldn’t have done that without the PCPD’s help.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “Unfortunately, earlier that same day, a report was made in the Port Charles Sun—and the Herald—accusing me of having an affair. Of letting Carly’s best friend into the house every day while Ric was gone. The PCPD—they knew we were looking for Carly, but Detective Capelli leaked an affair to the tabloids anyway, hoping Ric would make a mistake.”

She clenched her hands in her lap, remembering the terror of that morning. “Ric was furious—he attacked me, threw me across the room—I got away from him—I think I might have been okay—but I don’t know for sure.”

“That sounds like a good reason to hate the police department,” Scott offered with a half smile. “Withdrawn—” he said, waving his hand before Vinnie’s lawyer could stand. “Did that change your mind about the department?”

“No. It might have,” she admitted, “except Lieutenant Taggert saw the paper, and he was worried. He sent Officer Rodriguez in to make a welfare check and came himself. And the commissioner immediately admitted fault. They never tried to cover up for Detective Capelli. He was suspended the same day.” Elizabeth met Mac’s eyes. “They’re not perfect, but they did their best. And I would never blame the department for the actions of one or two officers.”

“In September of this year, did you give a press conference about the PCPD?”

“Yes. I had learned some information about the investigation of my rape in 1998,” Elizabeth said. “I found out that I had been lied to—that my rape kit had never been sent for testing. The man I thought had attacked me—his DNA should have been compared to my kit. He would have been excluded—”

“Objection, calls for facts in not evidence—”

“Oh, here are the DNA results that corroborate that statement,” Scott said, cutting Vinnie’s lawyer off. He set them in front in front of the judge. “That report excludes Tom Baker from matching DNA extracted from the dress Miss Webber wore the night of her attack. DNA that matched six other women.” Scott’s smile was thin. “DNA that also matches the defendant.”

“Your Honor, Elizabeth Webber’s DNA results should be excluded based on the evidence tampering—”

The judge cut off the other lawyer. “That sounds like an argument that ought to be made in pre-trial hearings.” He looked at Scott. “Report is in evidence. Anything else?”

“Just a few more questions,” Scott said to Elizabeth. “On the afternoon of September 24, 2003, what statements, if any, did Vincent Esposito make about your rape?”

“He said—” Elizabeth took a deep breath, found Jason’s eyes in the audience, and she felt herself settle again. She looked at Vinnie, met his eyes head on. “He told me that they knew that I had been the first. That there was something special about the first.”

Vinnie’s lips curved into a smile, and her stomach rolled. She’d been right—he couldn’t help himself. Without looking away from him, Elizabeth continued, “He reminded me that he’d questioned me in December 1997. He told me that I had been the first, but not the only.”

“Elizabeth,” Scott said softly when she said nothing else. Elizabeth blinked, then looked at Scott. With kind eyes, he continued, “What else?”

“He asked me if I knew why there had been other women.” Her voice trembled—just slightly. “He said that he’d tried to find someone like me. But they were never me.”

A tear slid down her cheek—she’d tried to hold it back. Scott stepped closer to her. “What did you think he was talking about?”

“I knew he was talking about himself. I knew that he’d raped me. He kept talking. I was trying to think about how to escape, but he kept talking. He said that he’d followed the signs—they’d looked like me, they’d gone to the movies like me, they’d stopped like me—”

Elizabeth took a deep breath, then focused on Scott again. “I tried to run, but he grabbed me before I could reach the door. He threw me on the couch. He was angry.”

“Why?”

“Because they—the other women—weren’t right. Because none of them were ever right.” Her breath was a little more rapid now, and she couldn’t look at Jason, couldn’t think about him. She kept her eyes on Scott. “He told me he didn’t want to hurt me. That he’d was sorry. He knew I hadn’t liked it. I tried to tell him I didn’t want it, but he didn’t care. He slapped me—he wanted me to look at him—but—”

Elizabeth closed her eyes. “I kicked him. I kicked him in the groin, and I managed to get away—just—just long enough to run upstairs. I knew I couldn’t unlock the door, I couldn’t get out, but I could go upstairs. There was another phone up there—” Her breathing was more shallow now, and she could feel the burning in her lungs.

She saw Jason lean forward in the audience—Oh, God. Not now. Not now. “I need—I need a minute.”

“Do you want a break, Elizabeth?” Scott asked softly. “Can I get her some water—”

“No. No, I can—” She shook her head. “I can do this. I just—” Had to remember it was over. It was over. That even if Vinnie got free somehow, it would still be over. Jason would make sure of it.

And with that in her mind, Elizabeth looked at Scott, and her breathing relaxed. She cleared her throat. “I ran upstairs to my bedroom and locked the door. I keep a baseball bat under the bed, and I grabbed it. Then I waited for him. He busted down the door, and I hit him in the knees. I swung hard, and I hit him. He must have hit the edge of the bed. I don’t know. I didn’t stop. I ran. When I got downstairs, Lieutenant Taggert and Jason were there. Then more cops—it all seemed to happen at once.”

Elizabeth flicked one more glance at Vinnie. “But he admitted to raping me when I was sixteen. He admitted to raping other women in the park who looked like me, and then he tried to rape me again. And it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the PCPD, that will always be true. You admitted it,” she said softly, speaking directly to Vinnie. “And you know it.”

“Please don’t speak directly to the defendant,” the judge said with a grimace. Elizabeth didn’t apologize. She just looked at Scott again.

“The PCPD made mistakes with my case, but they tried to make them right. The Commissioner admitted those mistakes, but they don’t change the evidence. They don’t change what Vincent Esposito said to me or what he did to me when I was sixteen or tried to do again in September.”

“No further questions,” Scott said after a long moment. “Can we take a brief recess so that Miss Webber can get some water?”

“Do you have any questions for this witness?” the judge asked Vinnie’s lawyer. The man hesitated for a long moment, then shook his head.

“No, Your Honor.” Elizabeth blinked at him in surprise. Scott had prepped her for that — she was ready — and he was just going to let her testimony go unchallenged? What did that even mean? She closed her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing, but her lungs were starting to burn—and she couldn’t quite drag in a full breath.

“We’ll recess for twenty minutes.”

---

As soon as the judge had called the recess, Jason had gotten to his feet, intending to come forward and help Elizabeth—but a bailiff held him back until Vinnie had been led from the room.

Jason didn’t even spare Vinnie Esposito a second glance—Elizabeth had done what needed to be done, and Jason wasn’t going to think about him again unless the system screwed this up.

By the time the bailiff let Jason go, Scott had walked Elizabeth over to him. “Do you need the oxygen?” he asked, worried because the security guard hadn’t let them bring her portable tank upstairs without a doctor’s note.

“No.” Elizabeth squeezed his hand, but her face was pale, and he could hear her breath—it was short, and her fists were clenched. “I think I just need some water.”

“I’ll get you a room.” Scott strode off to confer with the bailiff while Bobbie hurried over to check on Elizabeth.

“What can I do?” Edward demanded.

“Nothing—nothing, I just—” Elizabeth took a deep breath, but her vision was starting to swim— “I need some air—”

“We can use a conference room,” Scott told them, shoving through the crowd. Jason lifted Elizabeth into his arms and followed the DA through the front of the courtroom into a back room. He locked eyes with Bobbie, who nodded and hurried away.

“I’m okay,” she managed as Scott shoved open the door. Jason put her on her feet just long enough to drag out a chair and help her sit down. “Just water. And some air. So many people—”

“I’ll get the water,” Scott told them. “You don’t have to come back, Elizabeth. We got everything,” He left them in the room as Jason knelt in front of her, taking her wrist in his, feeling for her pulse.

“Jason—”

“Just wait—”

Bobbie came in then, with both a portable oxygen tank she must have gotten from somewhere and a glass of water, Scott hovering in the background. “Elizabeth, I can call Monica—we can get you to a hospital or I—”

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth said, her teeth clenched, fighting the urge to yank her hand away. “I just—water. Please.”

“Bobbie, let’s give them a minute,” Scott told her, softly. “Come on—” He touched her shoulder. “Let’s go check on Ned and Lois.”

“But I just—”

“I’ve got it, Bobbie. Thanks for the oxygen,” Jason told her, and Scott was able to direct the well-meaning redhead from the room.

“Your pulse is fast, but not too bad,” Jason told her as he fitted the mask over her face and checked the gauge. “Just—just humor me, okay?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes but had to admit the oxygen helped. She sipped the water, closed her eyes, and felt herself her body begin to relax, and soon she could take a true, deep breath, expanding her lungs fully. It had been silly to reject it. After another moment, she took the mask off and reached for her water.

“I was afraid you’d jump out of your seat,” she admitted with a smile after she’d drained the glass and set it aside.

“Thought about it.” Jason leaned against the table. “But you got it under control. You did—” He met her eyes. “You did amazing. I knew you would, but—” he shook his head slightly. “You reminded me all over again how brave you are.”

“I wish I didn’t have to be,” Elizabeth admitted. “But I could see the others in the audience—I could see Renee, Dana—they seemed to get stronger the more I talked. I’m glad I could do this, and they didn’t have to.” She played the hem of her dress. “I was right about wearing this.”

“I didn’t—” Jason’s voice was tight. “I didn’t look at him. I wasn’t sure I would—” He trailed off, looked away. “You didn’t—we never really talked about that day in the penthouse. The words.”

“I knew I might have to testify about them in a sentencing hearing one day, and I didn’t want to say them more than once,” Elizabeth said softly. “I wrote them for my statement to Taggert. And Scott didn’t push me to say it when we prepped.” She grimaced. “I probably should have.”

“You did great,” he repeated. “And if Baldwin thought you needed to practice, he would have told you that. Dante will play the tape, and it’ll be over.”

“Kind of glad the other lawyer didn’t ask me anything,” Elizabeth told him. She managed a smile. “I was afraid he’d ask me about Capelli. About the tabloids. Kind of hard to say it was a lie now, huh?” she asked, touching her belly.

Jason covered her hand with his, his fingers longer than hers. The baby fluttered slightly, and Elizabeth smiled. “I can’t wait until he’s kicking hard enough for you to feel him too.” She leaned forward, kissed him lightly. He returned the brief caress, lingering.

“He?” Jason repeated. “Did you have an ultrasound I wasn’t invited to?”

“No, I just—” Elizabeth shrugged. “I just have a feeling. We’ll find out next week. Just in time for Christmas.”

There was a light knock, and Bobbie stepped in. “Hey. The judge is giving a two minute warning. Scott said you don’t have to come back for Dante’s testimony—”

“No, I want to.” She put a hand on Jason’s arm as she stood up. “I’m okay. Thank you. I didn’t even realize I’d need the oxygen.” She kissed Bobbie’s cheek. “I’m lucky to have you.”

“Feeling is mutual.” Bobbie hugged her briefly, then smiled. “Let’s get this over with.”

Hanley Courthouse: Courtroom B

It wasn’t as bad as Dante thought it would be. He waited while Scott and Vinnie’s lawyer waged a brief, but bitter, battle over the admissibility of his tape and testimony. Dante wasn’t entirely sure if he followed it all, but he knew that Scott had won when the district attorney had waved him forward to take the stand.

He was sworn in, and Scott took him through the prepared part of his testimony. His relationship with Vinnie, his work on the case, and the decision to visit him in jail. No, no one had known he was going. No, his superiors hadn’t asked. No—he’d just wanted to know why Vinnie had attacked Brooke.

He’d needed to understand.

When Dante arrived at that part of the testimony, he looked at Vinnie and his family for the first time. Aunt Fran was scowling, his grandmother’s face was blank, but Vinnie—God, he was smiling.

As if he couldn’t wait for everyone to hear what he’d said. Christ.

A shiver danced down Dante’s spine as Scott brought out the tape recorder and hit play.

He’d heard the tape several times, had helped with the transcript, but Dante still couldn’t stop himself from feeling nauseous as Vinnie’s words floated out.

In the audience, Elizabeth closed her eyes, squeezed Jason’s hand as she heard Vinnie talk about her.

“High cut shorts, low cut tops. Oh, man. She had a way of smiling at you…that slutty red dress…”

She’d thought she was ready to hear him say it—she’d seen those words in her nightmares a thousand times since Taggert had shown them the transcripts—

But everyone had been right.

Playing the tape was so much worse.

But, God, he’d sounded so…excited…it had aroused him remembering that night—

Elizabeth swallowed hard, knowing it would get even worse. Knowing there was more filth to sit through—more for Brooke’s family to hear—

“…And I knew I’d be her first. That would make it special. Like it was with Elizabeth.”

In front of her, she saw Tracy Quartermaine press a fist to her mouth, Gloria Cerullo was crying. She couldn’t see Ned or Lois’s face. They were two rows up, staring directly ahead.

“She was a lesbo. Never drove stick, you know? Maybe part of me wanted to make her understand what she’d been missing—”

Lois lurched out of her seat, ran up the aisle, and out of the courtroom, gagging. Ned twisted to look after her, his expression anguished.

“It needed to be her.”

“So that’s why you went back. Why you went after Elizabeth Webber.”

“She’s my soulmate. She doesn’t understand that yet. But she will. One day.”

Bile rose in her throat, and Elizabeth couldn’t do it. God, Scott had been right—she didn’t need to hear this. Unsteadily, she forced herself to her feet and followed Lois out, hearing Jason’s steps after her.

On the stand, Dante’s eyes were burning with tears of his own as he watched his godmother run out of the room, followed by Elizabeth and Jason. Ned hesitantly followed them as the tape drew to a close.

“Sorry about Brooke. I should have figured it out a long time ago. That’s on me.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s on you.”

The tape clicked off as Scott looked at Dante, then at the judge. “No further questions, Your Honor. The state rests.”

The judge cleared his throat. “Let’s, uh, take a short recess before the defense presents their case.” He banged the gavel.

Scott turned to look at Bobbie, who was already hurrying out the door, followed by Carly. He briefly locked eyes with Sonny, who had remained seated. That didn’t surprise him. Corinthos had always been a selfish bastard.

“DA Baldwin?”

Scott frowned, then looked over to find the federal attorney that had been sitting at the other table. “Uh, yeah?”

“Let’s talk.”

Hanley Courthouse B: Restroom

Elizabeth stumbled into the ladies’ room, then into one of the stalls where she vomited. She threw up until her throat was raw until her eyes were watering and throbbing—

And then she slumped against the wall, the door still partially open. She closed her eyes and just sat there, her hands dangling limply at her side.

She heard the door swing open, then Lois’s quiet, but a ragged voice. “Elizabeth? Are—are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she said faintly, then looked up when Lois appeared in the stall doorway, her eyes red. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be—” Lois swallowed hard. “I thought I could do it. I read those words, I thought I could do it—but—” She clenched her hand into a fist and punched the stall, wincing. “He was so excited on that fucking tape—like he was a goddamn frat boy—”

Elizabeth’s chest heaved, and she started to cry again. She couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to live with this anymore. Why couldn’t it ever be over—

“—don’t give a shit what anyone—” Jason’s angry voice faded in, then out again as the door swung open, then closed. Elizabeth frowned as Bobbie appeared in the doorway, pale.

“Jason is going to get arrested in about five minutes,” she said dryly, her eyes red as well. “Come on. Let’s just go home. Scott can call us when the decision comes back—”

“N-no—” Elizabeth tried to stand up, then Lois and Bobbie both grasped her elbows, helping her to her feet. “No,” she said. She pressed her hands to her face, looked over at the mirror, and winced. “Oh, damn. Jason’s going to take me to the nearest hospital.”

“Maybe he should,” Lois said, a bit nervous. She brushed at Elizabeth’s dress. “You don’t look okay—”

“I—” Elizabeth shook her head, then walked over to wash out her mouth. Bobbie handed her some gum, “I’ll be fine. I just—you’re right,” she told Lois. “We shouldn’t have listened. If they let him go after that or if the U.S. Attorney still thinks he should take over the case—” She grimaced, then splashed some water on her face. She reached for a paper towel to blot at her makeup. Her eye makeup was smeared slightly, but she was able to clean it up. She could fix it later.

“Then we’ll just have to hope Buffalo can do better,” she said, turning back to the women. “Let’s go back out there before Jason does get arrested.”

She walked towards the entrance, and after a minute, Bobbie and Lois followed.

The hearing must have ended because there were a lot of people milling about in the hallway. Jason, Carly, and Ned were both just outside the bathroom, Jason glaring at a bailiff who was clearly stopping him from going inside. She could see Sonny sitting on a bench across the hall.

“I’m okay,” she told him as he came over to her, took her face in his hands. “Don’t kiss me,” she warned. “I threw up.”

Jason laughed, his voice slightly rusty as he wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him, thanking the universe for putting him in her life.

“You okay?” Ned murmured to Lois, touching the small of her back. “I’m sorry—”

“If they let him go, Ned,” Lois said under her breath, “if somehow—he gets out of this, I’m going to make him disappear. I know people.”

“We know the same people,” Ned reminded her, then kissed her forehead. “But agreed. He’s not going to get away with this.”

Lois sighed when the bailiff called them in. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.” She squeezed Ned’s hand and then followed the rest of the crowd into the courtroom.

Hanley Courthouse: Hallway

Carly walked out of the courtroom for the second time that day, anxious. “Vinnie’s lawyer didn’t even put on a case,” she said to Jason as he walked Elizabeth over to a bench. Carly looked at her mother, then at Sonny. “That’s good, right?”

“I hope so.” Elizabeth rubbed her eyes. She looked at Jason. “Hey, I want to go down to the gift shop. I need some toothpaste.”

“I’ll get it for you—” he started to offer, but Elizabeth shook her head.

“I need to walk, to move around.”

“We’ll wait up here in case the judge comes back,” Carly told them as Jason tugged Elizabeth back to her feet. She made eye contact with her mother.

“I’ll go with you. I want to get something to drink,” Bobbie said, following the pair.

“We could head home if you want,” Sonny said when they were gone. “Judge might not be back for a few hours.” He sat down on the bench, stretched his legs. “Might as well grab some dinner on the way back.”

Carly frowned at him. “I want to wait—”

“I mean, what’s the point? Elizabeth testified and got through it. She did good. But the rest of it is out of our hands—” Sonny shrugged. “What else can we do?”

“We can sit there and support—” Carly closed her eyes. “This is important to Jason, and it’s important to Elizabeth. Jason is my best friend, and I want to be here for him. You can go if you want. But I’m staying. I can get a ride back with Mama and Lucas—”

“Fine, fine.” Sonny put up his hands. “I’ll stay.”

Carly sat down, crossed her legs at the ankle, and stared straight ahead, blindly, barely seeing the other side of the hallway. Elizabeth’s testimony, like the press conference a few months ago, it had just proved to Carly once again that she wasn’t getting better. Not like Elizabeth was. She was recovering from two terrible things at once and could still stand up in front of the man who’d raped her and face him down—

Elizabeth was getting better, and Carly wasn’t. And the only difference between them was Carly had Sonny, not Jason.

And for a brief moment, Carly hated Elizabeth for having someone who loved her, who put her first. Who wanted to see her get better.

It was a brief flicker of that old resentment, and Carly forced it down. It wasn’t fair to blame Elizabeth for Sonny’s failures, for Carly’s blindness.

If Carly didn’t like the way her life was going, it was up to her to change it.

Hanley Courthouse: Court Room B

Scott had hoped the decision wouldn’t take more than an hour, but he’d acknowledged they might not hear back that day or even the next. Sometimes these things took weeks, he’d warned them.

It took less than a half hour.

The bailiff called them back into the courtroom, and Elizabeth frowned—realizing that the U.S. Attorney that had been sitting at Vinnie’s defense table was no longer there.

Ned had noticed the same thing and leaned forward to talk to Scott. Scott smiled, turned back to Elizabeth, with a thumb sticking up in the air. He thought it was a good sign.

“All rise,” the bailiff said.

Elizabeth and Jason stood as the judge came back in and called the court to order. She held Jason’s hand and reached for Renee with the other, flashing the teenager a hopeful smile.

Then looked forward to wait for the judge’s decision.

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