Author's Note: The title of this story comes from the Arabic concept of acquiring wealth (Khums), where Ghanima is referred to as "the spoil of war".
The story was inside me since I saw the prompt somewhere, and I'd written parts of this story out already. But now in honour of having passed the 100 members mark at my site (Rain's World), I decided to finish it.
The poem speaks pretty much for itself: Only when you become something other than what you are do you truly know what you're made of.
It's an alternate vision of Luis Alcazar's murder and the trial that followed. As usual it's dark and not very couple-friendly. You have been forewarned. Its basically about love and its motivations, whether they be noble or selfish, they exist just like everything else within us.
Prompt: The Seven Year Itch
Instructions for a Commando
Paint everything black. Your knife,
strop on the long nerve (enclosed).
Repeat three times the invocation
of silence, that the thin peal
of escaping life may not betray you.
Consider each step as the last
rung on the ladder to hell. Bring
no food, no light, no
ambitions. If fires break out
in you, cover them, pressing the afflicted part
to the earth. When you must,
scream as the dog or stone.
So when they come to find something
at least it will not be you.
She'd waited a long time for this moment and she was going to relish it to her heart's content. She felt those arms around her, and the wind as it rustled through her hair. She felt the sunlight warm her skin and behind closed eyes, she remembered exactly the shapes of the clouds over the wide blue horizon. She remembered the scent of love as it permeated everything around her and the embrace of the ones she cherished. This was a moment in time that crystallized everything and she wouldn't soon forget it.
When they parted, she looked deep into his cornflower blue eyes and said, "Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me, this was all you. You never gave up hope and here we are, clear and free."
"They're beautiful, each and every one of them," she stated as she surveyed their family and the celebration in front of her.
Tears glistened in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, watching their friends and loved ones enjoying the festivities taking place in her honour inside Kelly's. "This is all for you. After all these years, who'd have thought, we'd be here again and together, all of us."
"All this time, you, Sarah and everyone else, you were the only ones keeping me going, making me believe that there was a way out."
"I love you, Elizabeth, and no matter what I would have found a way for all of us to be together again."
"Hey, what are you two doing out here, the guys are getting restless, they'd like you to come and cut the cake already." Emily's intrusion parted the two and all three turned back to head inside Kelly's where streamers and balloons hung from the ceiling and a huge banner welcoming her home completed the decorations.
It was hours after the party, when everyone had headed home, that she sat on the bench by the docks. It had been an overwhelming day for her and all she wanted now was to enjoy the sound of water and the sight of the cloudless night sky with the stars shining down on her. She had anticipated the sound of boots scraping across the wooden floors as they came upon her. She didn't bother to turn and acknowledge the familiar intruder, even as she felt the loss of the solitary moment. She was silent as she heard another set of foot-steps, these ones lighter but strutting with the same level of determination, heels clicking on the wooden planks.
"Elizabeth?"
She turned to the sound of her name and came face-to-face with the woman that had robbed her of love, freedom and a future brighter than the sun. "Yes."
"I'm sorry about what happened. I really am."
"The trial starts soon, doesn't it?" When the older woman responded with a short nod, she continued, "I hope you have better luck than I did."
"I never meant for this, I hope you know that."
"All I know is that you're a hypocrite and a liar, but then again with the company you keep, that should've been a given."
"Elizabeth," he interrupted her, trying to keep the peace.
When she looked up at him she saw why. In his arms slept a little girl while by the woman's side stood a wide-eyed younger version of her staring at Elizabeth fearfully.
"I never meant for this to happen."
Elizabeth ignored the woman's words of cold comfort and stared deeply into the young girl's eyes instead. She recognized them well. Around the edges she could tell that Corinthos blood flowed through those veins. When the little girl shied away, Elizabeth straightened up and turned back to them. "I know. You just never stopped it either."
Without waiting for a reply, she left. She knew what it was like to face the end and though she wouldn't wish it on anyone, a small part of her did want to see the woman pay.
"Your witness." The prosecutor turned towards the defence table and motioned.
"Ms. Webber, have you ever been in love with Mr. Morgan?" The defence attorney began as the prosecutor took his seat.
"Objection, Your Honour! Relevance?" The prosecutor declared, standing up to refer to Judge Mackenzie.
"The prosecutor opened the door to this line of questioning when he referred to Ms. Webber's ties with Mr. Morgan." Richard Lansing responded without missing a beat.
"Over-ruled. I'll allow it but remain on topic." Judge Mackenzie replied as he motioned for Elizabeth to continue.
"Yes, about seven and a half years ago."
"Why'd you stop?" Ric continued.
"I overheard him telling his mistress, Ms. Matthews, that he had once cared for me but never loved me and that whatever I thought existed between us were my own self-delusions. That confession killed any affection I had left towards Mr. Morgan."
"So it would stand to reason that you hated him?" Ric asked.
"Objection, Your Honour! Leading the witness." The prosecutor stated.
"It's just a question about the natural progression of their relationship status, Your Honour." Ric explained.
"Over-ruled. Watch your step Counsellor." Judge Mackenzie said, pinning Ric with his eyes before he nodded towards Elizabeth to continue.
"No. I pitied him for a while and then I became generally indifferent towards Mr. Morgan."
"So why did you confess to killing Mr. Alcazar then?"
"I didn't do it out of some kind of leftover affection or love. I did it because the memory of that night came rushing back to me in a certain way." Elizabeth stated.
"What's to say that you aren't remembering it the wrong way now?" Ric prodded.
"Memory is an imperfect thing but evidence isn't. My lengthy appeal proved quite clearly that I was not the one who killed Mr. Alcazar." Elizabeth said decisively.
"So you do admit that you had one set memories then and another set now?" Ric asked shrewdly.
"No. I was quite clear. I said memory is an imperfect thing but I never said it was different. My recollection was not complete. It is now." Elizabeth clarified.
"What pieces had you conveniently forgotten?"
"Again, you are claiming that I forgot. I didn't, I blocked them out. There's already been an expert witness testifying that I suffered from PTSD. This was just one of its manifestations. If you're going to ask me something, ask me out right. I don't lie and I don't talk around things." Elizabeth said coldly with just a hint of derision detectable.
"Your Honour, I would like to term Ms. Webber as a hostile witness."
"Counsellor, you opened this line of questioning and she's answered to the best of her abilities." Judge Mackenzie was quickly getting annoyed with the defence attorney.
Ric leaned over to hear the defendant whisper something in his ear before he straightened up and continued. "Yes, Your Honour. Couldn't it be claimed, Ms Webber that the prosecution retained you at the hefty price of $ 5 million? That in fact, as their star-witness, this case is based solely around your recollection after your conviction was overturned?"
"I have neither the expertise nor the authority relevant to answer this line of questioning. Please clarify." Elizabeth replied quietly.
"I'll re-phrase it. Please tell me if you are following me here. I'm paraphrasing ofcourse. You've indicated that you suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress which caused you to block out various parts of the night Mr. Luis Alcazar was murdered. You lost several hours of memory and this PTS episode also caused you to become incommunicado for several more days. During this time you were locked up in your studio with no contact from the outside world. When you did emerge you remembered nothing. Weeks later, during the trail proceedings against Brenda Barrett and Jason Morgan you stood up in the middle of the courtroom and openly admitted to having killed Luis Alcazar. You were eventually convicted because you did not contest the criminal charges brought against you. And yet four years into your sentence you recanted your confession and you began appealing that ruling. When the verdict was eventually overturned after three long years of exhaustive appeal, you were acquitted and cleared of all charges. The slate was wiped clean on you and you were issued monetary restitution for your apparent wrongful conviction. Now you've been retained by the prosecution to state your recollection of the night in question. These same memories that you blocked out which are now the basis of proof upon which my client, Ms. Alexis Davis is to be indicted. My question to you Ms. Webber is this: isn't it rather convenient that you now remember details that were once sketchy to you at best? In fact you claimed earlier to have forgotten they existed and only after spending four years in a maximum security facility were you able to recall them and that too apparently to much great accuracy. Why should we believe these so called recovered memories of yours at all?"
"My statement during my appeal, which you have on file, clearly indicates the events of that night. It is corroborated by evidence gathered by the PCPD criminal forensics team. I remembered everything, if only after the fact. If you want to hold that against me, by all means go right ahead. If you want to find holes in my statement, be my guest. There are none. You asked your questions and I answered them to the best of my abilities. You want to sully my recollection, that's fine. That's your right. But I was proven innocent and I was cleared of all charges. If you're trying to pin it back on me, it won't happen. You don't have to believe me, but the facts don't change just because you want them to." Elizabeth's cold and controlled reply belied the rage brewing in her eyes.
Ric knew it was futile now, Elizabeth was no longer of use to him; he'd just entered the realm of possibly alienating of the jury so he tried to do damage control. "I'm done with this witness."
As Elizabeth was excused, she knew that there was a pair of ice-blue eyes that followed her journey to the back of the courtroom. It took everything in her to ignore them and not sneer back at him. She knew how to hold it in. Seven years in Hell had taught her exactly how to hone her vengeance into a finely sharpened blade and how to thrust the dagger right where it would do maximum damage. Now all that was left for Elizabeth was to wait like Patience on a monument, smiling at grief, was not this hate indeed?
Elizabeth Imogene Webber had survived the worst but it did not fill her with relief, it only made her wary. She had money to her name now but she still needed to find a purpose. Life couldn't go back to what it had once been. Her hands did not want to take up a paint brush; her eyes did not note the different colours in the wind anymore. Everything was now shades of grey. It was time that Elizabeth put the past behind her and found a way into the future. She might be in limbo and without direction at the moment, but it didn't mean she didn't know what she wanted.
Elizabeth had waited seven long years for this. She'd hardened her heart and blackened her soul all for a cause that would soon bear fruit. Seven long years she'd languished in a prison cell surrounded by the worst dregs of humanity. She'd faced down the worst in human nature and she'd overcome it only because of the rage that had burned deep inside her. It was the flame that ignited everything within her. From it she drew life, and fanning that fire with thoughts of vengeance was all that had kept her going for so long.
Alexis was free and in the clear. Brenda was cavorting around Europe. Sonny and Jason had done everything to ensure Alexis' role in Alcazar's death was never uncovered and now it was all for naught. For four long years she'd suffered with the guilt of having taken a human life only to find out that she hadn't. And when she'd tried to prove her innocence, two men who she'd once thought of as friends, had tried to block every available channel of recourse. Sonny had done it at his brother's behest and because he couldn't let the mother of his only daughter languish in prison. Jason had done it for the beloved fiancée who turned out to be Alexis' long lost child. Both men had been driven by reasons of love and family and had for once in their lives joined forces with Ric Lansing to protect Alexis Davis from being punished for the heinous crime she was guilty of.
Elizabeth remembered all those dark days. The midnight raids, the shower-room rapes, the endless torture, the solitary confinement that lasted for weeks on end. Elizabeth recalled every scar and how it'd formed, every bruise that was now gone, every incident that was now resolved. Elizabeth would never forget. And she would ensure that neither would Corinthos, Morgan and Davis. If it was the last thing she ever did, Elizabeth would have her revenge.
Ultimately, it was her hunger for retribution that led her to Lorenzo Alcazar. During the first four years of Elizabeth's incarceration Lorenzo had not retaliated against her. He'd let her suffer without really wanting more because he'd been too busy re-building a gutted empire. When she'd appealed the ruling, Lorenzo had gotten curious and when he'd dug deeper, he'd discovered the truth. Alexis had recently given birth to Molly and Lansing had gone to see Corinthos. It was something quite untoward as most were well aware of the animosity between the half-brothers. Lorenzo had watched with growing interest as Corinthos dropped the custody suit against Alexis Davis with regard to Kristina almost immediately thereafter. And Lorenzo had been extremely fascinated when Morgan's live-in fiancée had moved in with her newly discovered birth-mother. The alarm bells had gone off in his head and a plan had formed.
While at every turn, Corinthos, Morgan, and Lansing had tried to derail Elizabeth's appeal, Lorenzo had ensured that it went to court. The week before her appeal hearing, Lorenzo had gone to see her, and when he revealed his role in her case, her eyes had darkened with suspicion before understanding had dawned on her face. Alexis had killed Louis Alcazar and Sonny and Jason had covered it up. And as always Karma was a bitch that'd spent seven years waiting for payback.
Mere months after she was acquitted, as Elizabeth settled back into a semi-normal life with Grams, Sarah, Steven, Lucky, Nikolas and Emily's support, she still could not forget Lorenzo's words. He'd been quite direct and he'd only said one word to her on the matter of Alexis' crimes, "Vengeance."
Elizabeth had taken that word to heart. Steven and Sarah tried to heal her with medicine and therapy, Lucky and Nikolas tried to heal her with fun and physical activities, while Grams and Emily tried to heal her with words and patience. But the only thing that worked was the simmering rage. The betrayal burned in her throat and at times it rose up within her like bile that continued to choke. While it ate at everything inside her, and when once her eyes would give away the emotions, seven years in purgatory had taught Elizabeth to become a black hole that let nothing out. It was easy to pretend to be relieved; it was easy to pretend to be happy, essentially, it was easy to pretend. It was harder to let it out than it was to keep it all in. Prison had taught her one thing above all others; the key to survival was to never let anything show.
On the outside, and to her family and friends, Elizabeth was in recovery. She saw a counsellor once a week; went out every weekend with her friends, and during weekdays she'd be at her studio, industriously at work, or so they thought. Her old studio was always only a short walk away from the pier, the same pier where Alcazar's yacht was docked. And it really worked to her benefit. To the outside world she was someone who was finding her purpose in life, but on the inside, Elizabeth was fighting to survive. Alcazar gave her something no one else did, someone to blame, someway to exact revenge, a reason to wake up in the morning. The day she shook his hand and agreed to go to work for him was the day she felt she could finally breathe again.
And so it began. Elizabeth became what she had once despised; her allegiances were no longer her own but had been bought in a deal that she knew would entail delving into the darkest parts of her soul. The grudge she held against those who had wronged her had festered on her mind for seven long years, and though the wounds were not visible, the invisible scars they left had corrupted her psyche, turning her into a creature she couldn't recognize.
Everything was planned and executed methodically. First Elizabeth ensured that the trial would see a speedy conclusion, life in prison was not a sentence good enough for a hypocrite like Alexis. It was better to have the self-righteous woman beholden to her. Alexis would always remember that it was Elizabeth who ensured that she was free. Thus after ensuring that she herself had no culpability on the witness stand, she had, in a calculated move to ensure Alexis' gratitude towards her, extended the olive branch and helped win Ric Lansing his case for his wife. It had been relatively easy. Without perjuring herself on the stand she had recalled the whole account of Luis Alcazar's death as she had been privy to it. Her account had left enough of an opening with regard to who had murdered the arms-dealer. While the prosecution had built a good case against Alexis, without a murder weapon and without a fully corroborated eye-witness account, they really had nothing to go on. Elizabeth had been with Luis as he died, but she hadn't been there when he'd been murdered. The evidence was inconclusive and Alexis was acquitted.
When Alexis turned to face Elizabeth as she heard the verdict, she smiled tremulously at her. In return Elizabeth shook her hand and congratulated her before walking away. It felt good to let Alexis feel like she was on top of the world right before the rug was pulled out from under her. And Elizabeth was glad she'd been able to do it without ever showing her cards.
The rest came easier for Elizabeth than anything else would have. Alexis was diagnosed with cancer before the year was even over, and while she was being treated, Alexis hid her condition from the rest of the world. Alexis didn't want to turn to anyone during the dark times before her. And as she drove away her loving husband and her beloved daughter, her destruction was assured.
And then it was in full swing, the systematic destruction of Alexis, Sonny and Jason. Elizabeth made sure to lend Alexis a sympathetic ear and push her in the direction of Sonny Corinthos. Having achieved better relations with Sonny and Jason, and with a little help from tech support she was able to place certain devices in and around Corinthos-Morgan businesses in order to spy on them and report their movements.
Elizabeth knew the ways in which to drive a wedge between Corinthos and Morgan. After all, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out exactly the right pressure points. As she worked towards those ends, Lorenzo Alcazar made sure to make every strategic movement to counter the business success of the C-M Organization. He had the business acumen to achieve that and much more. While their shipping lines were being undercut at every turn, Sonny and Jason were a little too preoccupied with their personal dramas to really care. It really was unfortunate, because the combined brain power of a former prison inmate who'd mastered the criminal enterprise in jail and an arms-dealer who had the business know-how and the necessary ruthlessness in spades, were more than a match for a little two-bit thug operation that Corinthos-Morgan ran.
Sam and Jason had broken up, or atleast Jason had broken up with the girl while she lay in a hospital bed recovering from a bullet hole. While that was in considerable poor taste, it really sweetened the pot for Elizabeth. She knew exactly what to say when. Getting an in with Jason and Sam was easy enough, she became a go between and then it was just an endless array of fun-filled mind games for her. Until what was meant to happen, happened. Sam, hurt beyond belief and losing all reason, slept with her step-father. Elizabeth sat at Jake's and drank a whole bottle of tequila to celebrate that inevitable event.
And that's when Elizabeth knew success was at hand. As she sat gulping down the liquor, she felt a blanket of warmth descend upon her. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a very long time. It spoke to something deep within her, telling her that she may have walked the path of shadows but she'd never truly strayed that far from the light. Maybe it was because everything was falling into place so easily, or maybe it was the fact that Elizabeth realized that without even really doing anything she'd achieved her objective. Elizabeth had planned it all out so carefully, but watching Sonny, Jason and Alexis react the way they did to their changing circumstances reminded her that they really didn't need an outside force to initiate their ruin, they were plenty good at it themselves. That was when the guilt faded, as well as any remorse she felt and then all that existed was acceptance. Elizabeth done what she had to do and while it was not a good thing she'd done, it did not mean that she alone was to blame.
Sonny, Jason and Alexis existed in a world where only their rules applied and it was time someone showed them that the real world did not exist based on their needs and wants, but instead it existed despite them. After that, it seemed that the darkness had abated, and Elizabeth had escaped with her soul intact. Miraculously, she'd not gone over the edge and everyday she thanked every deity she knew for the chance to hope to be whole once more. So instead of being an active participant in the destruction of the three hypocrites as she'd once hungered to be, she just sat back and enjoyed the show.
It was a strange experience, being a silent spectator as someone's life falls apart. Elizabeth felt something for Jason Morgan, she really did, but she didn't know if it was pity or empathy. For a very long time Jason Morgan had been her idea of everything that she wished she could have. He was handsome, he was patient, he was loyal, he was strong, he was loving, and he could be kind. Except, she hadn't seen that side of him in a very long time, or atleast she'd never been the recipient of such attention from him. So it was strange watching him fall to pieces before her eyes. She watched the darkness descend on him and it wasn't pretty, it wasn't even good looking. It was rough and raw and ugly, and as she sat on his couch in his penthouse, she couldn't help but smirk.
Eight years later Elizabeth was right back in this moment and even though the last time she was here, she'd sought to comfort him, this time she did nothing. She just sat and watched as he drank more tequila and proceeded to trash his apartment. First went some poor unsuspecting lamp that she was sure Sam had bought, and then he smashed some vases and ripped down some framed pictures. Finally, he proceeded to beat the crap out of his furniture. When she saw it denigrate to that level she got off the couch and returned to her interrupted game of pool.
What could Elizabeth really do here? Commiserate, maybe? Repeat some tired old clichés or even offer some unnecessary advice. But it was really difficult to do all that with a straight face. Instead she poured some more tequila out for Jason and went back to her game. Some time later, probably after she'd broken and run for the fifth time, he finally collapsed on the couch. He was quiet for a while after that.
"I didn't think she'd do that to me. I really didn't think she would."
Her reply was nothing.
"I know I kept pushing her away. I know I was wrong. I know I couldn't keep doing that to her. But she was on that rug, with him of all people. Why him?"
This time she knew the answer, "Because she knew that would hurt you the most."
"Why would she want to hurt me like that?"
Elizabeth shrugged in response. And once more they lapsed into blessed silence. After he'd calmed down somewhat he joined her for another game. He lost badly, but that was kind of obvious, he was very drunk. After a while, he passed out on the couch. She covered him with a throw and went upstairs into the spare bedroom and slept the sleep of the dead.
The next morning Elizabeth took a quick shower and went back down into the war zone. She entered the relatively intact kitchen, brewed a fresh pot of coffee and made herself some breakfast. When she'd done eating, she poured Jason a cup of coffee and headed back into the living room to assess the damage. He looked like death warmed over, but he could be excused that, he had a rather bad hangover, he was nursing a broken heart, and as she neared him, he didn't smell pretty either. She could hear him groan loudly in response to the smell of coffee, reaching out blindly for the mug. She placed it gently in his hands before turning around and going back to get the toast, the aspirin and a glass of water.
Elizabeth didn't talk, and he grimaced appreciatively at her for the gesture. She waited until he swallowed down everything, then she leaned over him, gently brushed her lips against his forehead, turned quickly on her heel and headed to his front door. She opened it to come face to face with Carly Corinthos, who she side-stepped as she made her way to the bank of elevators. Within seconds she was separated by many floors from Carly and Jason.
The next time Elizabeth saw Jason, he was making his way down the stairs by the docks and to the bench where she sat slurping down her Very-Berry-Smoothie. He took a seat next to her when she smiled up at him. She turned back to watch the sea as he turned to talk to her.
"Thank you for that night."
"I would've done that for anyone."
"You stopped that fight at Jake's, you brought me back to the penthouse, you watched me trash it, you stayed the whole night, you listened to me, you fed me breakfast and you took care of me."
"Well, we were once friends and I've done the same for Lucky, Emily and Nikolas plenty of times too. So really, no need to thank me, that's what friends are for."
"Still."
"How about this? You never mention that night again and we call it even, okay?"
"You saved me, Elizabeth."
"I'm sure you'd have done the same for me." As she said it, it took everything in her not to smirk at the irony inherent in her statement and so instead, she slurped down her drink trying to remain solemn.
"If there's ever anything-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll let you know." They sat together in pleasant silence for some time, until she couldn't contain her curiosity anymore and asked, "So, did you go see Sam?"
"She dropped by the next day. She told me everything."
"How do you feel about that?" At this she turned to face him to get his reaction.
"I'm pretty sure it's over."
"Her and Ric or her and you?" She wanted to twist that knife just a little deeper so she pretended to be confused.
"We're over."
She feigned remorse as she said, "I'm so sorry to hear that Jason." There was really nothing else she could say, and now having quenched her thirst for information she really just wanted him to leave her alone. She'd wanted to enjoy a pleasant afternoon, and that involved not being relegated with Jason Morgan's latest dramas. Just another thing to add to the list of why prison was better; she'd never have to sit through Jason Morgan's endless love sagas.
He released a deep sigh and she shifted further away from him on the bench.
"Elizabeth, are you seeing anyone?"
"Well, I'm sitting here with you, aren't I?"
"I meant are you dating anyone?"
"At the moment, no. But I'm not really looking. You know what nothing feels like, right?" When he nodded in response she continued, "That's where I am right now. I'm at nothing and for once in my life I just want to be there. I don't want or need anything else right now."
"I lived like that for a very long time, but eventually I couldn't."
"Well then, here's hoping I can."
Elizabeth was getting bored. Yes, she'd set out with the plan of befriending Jason, and yes, it was working beautifully. But the man was utterly uninteresting and she really didn't have the patience to care. She knew his weaknesses and she knew them well, eventually he'd fall into her trap just like everyone else did. She knew it would be difficult to not fall into that black canyon within her. Somehow, while watching Alexis, Sonny, and Jason self-destruct, she'd learned to keep the shadows at bay. But the darkness still clawed at her heart. So as she sat in silence beside him, she envisioned her future and Jason's diminishing role in it, while Jason envisioned more than just a friendship between himself and the girl who'd once again saved him.
Sidebar: Hee....sometimes I really wish I could write fluff or romance, but all that comes out is angst! :D
