Memories Revisited - Chapter 1

February 14, 2014

Liz Mansfiled sat on the plane looking out the window as she headed home to Port Charles. Her grandmother had just died and she needed to settle some things with Audrey's attorneys. Next to Liz sat her husband Daniel as he typed away at his laptop. Liz glanced over at him knowing he really did not want to be there, but was only going because he did not trust her.

At the beginning of their marriage almost 10 years ago things were wonderful. They had met while Liz was finishing up art school and Daniel was in his final year of Law school. Daniel was charming and so romantic; he made her feel special for the first time in four years. Liz was open with Daniel about her past including her rape. She never thought she would able to tell anyone about that, she was also open about the one time she was in love when she was a teenager. They shared a very short courtship, they met in March of 2004 and were married the following October. Liz was able to open her own small art gallery where she was able to display her work and Daniel got a job as a Jr. partner at a Los Angeles Law Firm. Los Angeles was where they had moved once Daniel got his job. Liz never wanted to leave New York City where they had met because it was close to home, close to her grandmother. Once they moved to LA, Liz rarely got the chance to go home and she always regretted not being able to spend more time with Audrey especially at the time of her death. Now she was dead and Liz was left with guilt.

Things in their marriage started to get bad about two years ago and got even worse about six months ago. Liz knew she was not in love with Daniel, she really never was because in her heart she could only love one man and he was gone. Had it not been for her two children, she would have divorced him long ago when the beating started. Daniel was obviously not the man Liz thought he was 10 years ago. Now a big time defense attorney Daniel was a changed man. The beatings started about three years ago when they got in a bad argument over Liz wanting to take the children to visit with Audrey and Daniel would not let them go. Daniel never liked Audrey and he told Liz she could go, but she was to leave the children home. When Liz refused to leave the children, Daniel for the first time slapped her hard across the face and once he started he never stopped. He would also threaten Liz and told her if she ever left him, he would hurt her and their children. Because Liz loved her children so much, she put up with the physical and sexual abuse. Dylan six years old and Gabrielle four years old were all Liz had to live for and should knew she would die before she let Daniel hurt them. So thinking she was protecting her children, Liz hid the abuse from everyone she knew. She would make up stories as to how she got the black eyes, or the broken arm and collarbone. No one really believed her, but Liz did her best to cover it up. During her last visit with Audrey, she asked Liz if Daniel had been beating her and Liz flat out denied it. So Audrey never questioned her about it again.

As she glanced out the window Liz brought her hand up to her cheek and rubbed her cheekbone, it still hurt from the other day when Daniel hit her. When Liz told Daniel that Audrey had died and she had to go back to Port Charles, she also told him she was going alone with the children. Daniel told Liz it was about time the bitch died and if anyone was going to Port Charles it would him and her only, no children. That was when he punched her right in the face. Daniel made Liz leave her children with his parents whom she despised so very much.

Daniel would also get upset when he would find Liz sitting alone and staring out the window. He would always accuse her of not loving him and being in love with another man. There was one time when Daniel accused Liz of having an affair with the guy she was once in love with. Liz would plead and plead trying to convince Daniel that it was not true. Daniel knew Liz was still in love with this man, actually she never stopped loving him.

As Liz glanced out the window she closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep. It was only when she was sleeping did she find peace. In her dreams she always so happy because she was always with Lucky. Liz had been in love with Lucky since she was 15 years old. He was only person she trusted after her rape, he was everything to her. They met in August of 1997 when Liz fist moved to Port Charles. From the moment she saw Lucky, Liz knew he was the one, Lucky on the other hand needed some convincing. It was not until Valentine's Day of 1998 when things changed. As Lucky helped Liz threw her rape somewhere along the line he feel in love with her. They were so much in love and it showed. They gave each other their hearts, souls, spirits, and then one incredible night; they gave each other their bodies. When Lucky and Liz made love to each other for the first time, all the pain of being raped was gone from Liz. Lucky was so gentle with her and it was truly beautiful. Liz never forgot that night; she would often go there when things got really bad with Daniel. Even today Lucky was helping her, even though he did not know it.

It was not until the summer of 2000 after graduation when things started to change between Liz and Lucky. They found themselves going into different directions, when finally after many tears they decided to break up. They were both extremely heartbroken, but were too stubborn to realize that each other was all they needed. That following fall Liz left for New York City to attend art school and Lucky got into the computer-programming program at PCU. As the months and years went on, Liz and Lucky would run into each other when Liz was home from school, but barely a word was spoken between them.

Liz had always longed for Lucky; she missed everything about him, his smile, his eyes, his touch, but most of all his love. She never stopped loving him even though she had found out he had gotten married a few years back. Lucky was happy and that made her happy, but she still longed for him.

It was not long before Liz's sleep was interrupted by Daniel nudging her. "Liz get up, we're landing." Liz opened her eyes and met Daniel's. "I don't understand why we have to do this, why couldn't we just sell that damn house from home? Why the hell did we have to come back to this hell hole of a town."

Liz was angered by his cold statement, which made her shoot back at him. "Because she was my grandmother and it is the last thing I can do for her."

Daniel grabbed the back of her neck and made her look at him. "Now I know you just did not talk back to me, you'll have to pay for that later my darling." He let go of her neck and pushed her away from him.

A stabbing pain flooded Liz's body because she knew Daniel always kept his word.