Lizzie shivered and breathed in the cool nite air, trying unsuccessfully to calm her nerves. She glanced at her watch and quickened her pace.
Staying late for Ruby wasn't a problem, considering how nice she had been during . . . everything. But walking home alone was another matter. Lizzie paused by the docks and looked at Wyndemere. No matter what Luky said, or how obnoxious the Cassidines were, that was some house.
''Elizabeth''
Liz spun around, fear constricting her throat. The word seems to be carried on a breath of wind, with no real direction no real aim. Liz stepped back and squinted at the shadows. She choked back a sob as a masked man came towards her.
''Bad, bad girl.'' He whispered softly.'' I told you not to say another word. Do you know what happens to girls like you?''
God not agin, oh please, oh please NO! Her mind screamed in protest as her body remained frozen. It's happening again.' Liz thought as the figure approached her. A part of her wanted to just give up, to let this sicko do what he had come to do and hope he killed her in the protest. But a larger part of her saw Lucky's tearful, guilty blue eyes and forced her into action. ''Go to hell'' She snarled and without a moment of hesitation, took a dive off the docks.

Nikolas sped down the beach, easing Sheba into a gallop. The silver moonlight illuminated everything on the waterfront, from the crashing waves to the rocks and shells. Nikola sighed as his gaze swept over the beach. He wished he could share this with someone, how beautiful the island realy was. He had tried with Sarah but the timing was always wrong and Robin, well she had made it clear Jason was still an important part of her life. Nikolas spotted a dark form lying on the beach and groaned, hoping it wasn't Malavi, one of the missing hounds. He hopped off of Sheba and walked towards the edge of the water. Nikolas stopped about 20 feet,a strangled cry escaping his lips. By the moonlight he could clearly see the human, unmoving form of Elizabeth Webber.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucky tapped on the window again, hating to wake Lizzie up, but freezing all the same. After a few minutes he moved a couple windows down and knocked softly.
''Wha-whadda you want?'' Sarah mumbled groggily letting, Lucky inside.
''Lizzie wouldn't wake up so-''
''You decided to bother me up instead?'' Sarah sighed and climbed back into bed. Lukcy rolled his eyes and tip-toed down to the next room.
Opening the door he spotted a lump on the bed and figuring it was Lizzie, pulled out his blanket and fell promptly asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nikolas held Liz's shivering body against his own, thanking whatever higher power that Wyndemere was only a couple walking minutes away. He kicked the door open and quickly deposited Liz on the couch, carefully covering her with a blanket. ''Uncle! Mrs. Lansbury!'' Nikolas groaned, remembering he was completely alone, tonite of all the nites, the servents had to be on strike and Stefan was away with Katherine. He picked up the phone and dialed 911.
'' This is Nikolas Cassidine I'm at Wyndemere, I found Elizabeth Webber washed up on the beach . . .no she's alive, but defintely suffering from hyppthermia. . .''Nikolas rolled his eyes,'' because it's about 20 degree's outside and lower than that in the water. . . . . .15 minutes? Are you crazy she could be dead by then!'' Nikolas slammed the phone down angrily. He picked up Liz and carried her up the stairs.
"Don't worry,'' he soothed,'' I'll help you.''

Nikolas laid Liz on the bed gently, trying not to wake her. One of the first things he learned about hypothermia in his tutoring, was the the body generated heat in sleep faster, and the second, Nikolas groaned softly, was that you had to get the wet clothes off the person immediately. He contemplated waiting for the paramedics but knew the 911 operator was just babying him. It would take about 15 minutes to get across the lake itself, and 15 back. He knelt on the floor beside the bed and raised her arms, peeling off the sopping wet sweater. He threw it aside and grimaced, Lizzie was gonna kill him, he thought painfully. Nikolas gently pulled of her tee shirt keeping his eyes carefully averted and did the same with her baggy jeans. Once this was over he wrapped her shivering form in a huge, down quilt, and held her softly. "Lizzie, Lizzie you hafta wake up now." He murmered. Though his voice was calm he could feel his heart beating irractically. Maybe he should ahve woken her up, he had read about story's of hypothermia victims dying in thier sleep, he groaned, holding her closer."Lizzie, please wake up, please?"

Lizzie woke up surrounded in a cold, dry cloud, or at least thats what it felt like. It took a minute to realize she was in a bedroom, wrapped in the softest blanket she'd ever felt. She tried to speak but her words came at fits of coughs and chokes. Liz distinctly felt someone's arms tighten around her, saying soothing, undistinguishable words, and leaned her head back, grateful for the warmth.The last thing she remembered was the guy coming after her and--- Lizzie gasped and struggled to get out of. . whoevers grasp. As hard as she tried he was stronger, and bigger. "Not again." She rasped, twisting frantically. Her voice cleared and this time, she thought with grim satisfaction, she was gonna scream with all her might.

Nikolas clamped his hand over Lizzie's mouth, trying frantically to calm her down. "Lizzie, it's me, Niko-" He gasped painfully as Liz bit down on one of his fingers and fell off the bed. Distangeling herself from the blankets she lunged for the nearest weaopon, an antique candle stick. Nikolas winced and scrambled off the bed. "Liz, it's me Nikolas, it's ok." He said softly, holding his hands out. He shivered involuntarily as she looked into his eyes, without a flicker of recognization. Nikolas approached her slowly, and she took several, unsteady steps back, her hold on the silver stem tightening.
"You won't get me." She said softly," Not again, not ever again."
"Lizabeth, calm down it's me, Nikolas.I want to help you."
"LIAR!" She screamed, throwing the candle stick at him. Nikolas ducked and winced as the candle crashed into the doorway above his head. Lizzie collapsed to the floor, sobbing softly. "Lizzie, your sick, you need to get to the hospital." He expained gently, trying not to alarm her. She backed up until she was pressed against the wall, her eyes narrowing in recognition." How could you?" She whimpered raggedly," how could you do this to me." Blinded by her tears Liz brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her, shivering uncontrollably.
"Why?" Nikolas crawled towards her slowly, freezing as she turned to look at him. Her eyes were wild and glassy, filled with raw pain and despair. Hypothermia hadn't done this, he realized painfully. Someone or something had. Her anguish and terror were real, and that made his blood run cold. For the first time since he was little, he wanted to cry.

Lizzie closed her eyes as the room started to spin. Nikolas Cassidine. How could he. She didn't even have the energy to cry anymore. When she looked up she was surprised to see his eyes glistening with tears. Maybe,, Liz thought hopefully, maybe it wasn't him, maybe she really was sick. She shivered again and glanced down. A horrfied gasp escaped from her lips as she realized for the first time that nite that she was clad only in her bra and panties. He had stripped her, and she was on the bed, he was about to,,, "Oh god." She moaned and brought a hand to her mouth as she felt the bile rising. Liz struggled against the black haze enveloping her mind as everything turned dark. She was so tired, too tired. The next thing she knew Nikolas was wrapping her in a blanket and carrying her to the bed. With her last remaining strength she opened her eyes and looked up at him imploringly. "Please," she whispered faintly," please don't hurt me anymore, not again. . ." The room spun and turned black. Liz didn't feel Nikolas's tears falling onto her face and his words fell on deaf ears.
"I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever again."

"She's up here!" Nikolas called to the paramedics downstairs. He blew on Liz's icy cold hand and murmred a silent prayer.
"I'm Frank Scanlon. What happened here?" He asked briskly. Frank and the other paramedic lifted Liz off the bed and onto the stretcher, keeping the quilt tucked securely around her. Nikolas looked at Frank closely.
"Aren't you the one that fell off the building?" He asked suspiciously," are you sure your feeling well enough to carry her?"
He rolled his eyes and lifted the stretcher. "I'm not gonna drop your girlfreind ok?" He retorted testily. He glanced at her bare arm hanging down. "Please tell me she didn't go skinny-dipping."
"No, I had to get her clothes off," Frank paused and turned to stare at him. Nikolas hung his head shamfully." I'm sorry, but she was so cold and wet-"
"Don't worry about it kid, you just might have saved her life. Do you know her family?"
"Yeah, Audrey Webber." He replied, following them out the door. Frank groaned and walked faster. "I'm assuming you know Mrs. Webber?"
"I do, and she's not going to like this one bit. Why don't you follow the ambulance and call her."
"Can I ride with Lizzie?" Nikolas asked hopefully.
"'Fraid not," Frank loaded the stretched onto the ferry,"not enough room in-" Frank trailed off and smiled. Nikolas had walked over to Liz and was tucking the blanket around her. He put his hand on Nikolas's shoulder gently.
" Why don't you start those calls now?"
~~~~~~~~

"What the-" Lucky said groggily. Sarah pushed on his shoulder urgently.
"Get up!" She whispered fiercely." Gram will be here any minute!" She kicked his sleeping bag under the bed and shoved him in the closet.
"I just can't believe it!" Audrey cried, walking into Liz's bedroom." How could she not call me to pick her up?"
"Gram it's not your fault. Lets just get some of Lizzie's clothes and hope we can meet the ambulance at the hospital."
Lucky froze. Only two words registered in his sleep-deprived mind, Lizzie and Ambulance. Cold water couldn't have woken him up better. He watched thought the slits in the closet door and Sarah grabbed some of Liz's clothes. After checking that Gram was starting the car she opened the closet.
"Wait a couple minutes until your sure we've gone and get to GH. I'll say I called you or something." Sarah said running out of the room. Lucky waited a couple minutes, which seemed like an eternity and started his long run. He sighed and stuck his thumb out. There was no way he'd make it on foot. Oh god, Liz, his mind cried mournfully, if something had happened to her,,, deciding not to finish that thought he hopped into a pick-up truck. "General Hospital?" He asked hopefully.
"On the way." The man replied with an easy grin. Lucky smiled half-heartedly and leaned his head against the window, staring at the blurred houses. She was going to all all right, she had to be. Lucky sighed and closed his eyes, she was his savior, and once again he had failed to be hers. His tears, like the mans smile, went by un-noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~

Nikoals paced outside the I.C.U and crashed into a chair. Seconds later a disheveled looking Sarah and Audrey walked into the hall. Instantly he was bomb-barded by questions. Holding his hand up, he started tiredly.
"Liz washed up on the Spoon Island beach, I called 911 and she's in there." Nikolas summed up.
"Is she going to be O.K?" Sarah asked tearfully as Audrey hurried over to the resident on call.
"I don't know," he sighed," she woke up briefly and seemed pretty out of it. Dillusional behavior is one of the first steps of Hypothermia." He explained gently at Sarah's blank look. She sniffed and threw her amrs around him.
"Oh Nikolas, I'm so scared."
He patted her back uneasily. "Great." He mumbled into her blond hair.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucky peeked around the corner and grimaced. What was Cassidine doing here? He grinned, seeing his annoyed expression at Sarah's ourburst of emotion. "Whadda ya know," he said softly," I actually feel bad for Nikky." Glancing around he saw Audrey in a heated discussion with another doctor. Both Nikolas and Audrey's back was to him, and taking a chance, he creeped around the corner, slipping into the darkened room. Walking to the bedside he sat down, brushing a strand of damp hair of Liz's forehead. She didn't deserve to be here, he thought tearfull, gently holding her hand, she was to beautiful, to . . . . young. Lucky choked back a sob and brushed his lips across her small hand." I'm so sorry," he murmered brokenly" I messed up again. I'm sorry-" He caught his breath as Liz's eyes fluttered open.
"L-lucky?" She rasped, licking her dry lips.
"Yeah I'm here Liz, I'm right here." He said, clutching her hand tighter." Are you ok, who did this to you?"
Liz closed her eyes and mumbled something. Lucky moved closer.
"You have to speak up, I can't hear you. Please Liz." He pleaded softly, squeezing her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at him dazedly. Muttering something before falling back asleep.
Lucky dropped her hand on the bed and stood up, swaying slightly. He had heard her say the one name he would have killed to know. He felt surprisingly empty, but the next second all that was washed away to be replaced with something stronger, and more satisfying. He opened the door slowly,focusing on one face, one person, one hatred. "Oh Nikolas." He said softly, stepping into the hallway." Maybe you have more Spencer in you than you think." He inched closer to his half-brother, his fury mounting. How dare he look sympethetic, confused even, Lucky sneered, clenching his fists tightly. Sarah gasped as thin streams of blood ran through Lucky's fingers, where his nails had bitten deeply into the skin.
"Lucky,," The minute Nikolas opened his mouth, Lucky lost any semblance of control.
~~~~~~~~~~

More like a Spencer? What hell did that mean? "Lucky?" Nikolas looked into his half-brothers crazed eyes and had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Not good, he thought before feeling Lucky's fist crash into his jaw. He stumbled backwards, wincing more at Sarah's scream than at the punch itself. Before his reflexes could react Lucky pushed him against the hospital wall smashing his knee into his stomach. Nikolas felt the room spin and tried to block Lucky's next move, but knew in his case, blind fury was unstoppable. He dimly wondered why Lucky was so upset before his fist made contact with Nikolas's neck, rendering everything black.

"She's up here!" Nikolas called to the paramedics downstairs. He blew on Liz's icy cold hand and murmred a silent prayer.
"I'm Frank Scanlon. What happened here?" He asked briskly. Frank and the other paramedic lifted Liz off the bed and onto the stretcher, keeping the quilt tucked securely around her. Nikolas looked at Frank closely.
"Aren't you the one that fell off the building?" He asked suspiciously," are you sure your feeling well enough to carry her?"
He rolled his eyes and lifted the stretcher. "I'm not gonna drop your girlfreind ok?" He retorted testily. He glanced at her bare arm hanging down. "Please tell me she didn't go skinny-dipping."
"No, I had to get her clothes off," Frank paused and turned to stare at him. Nikolas hung his head shamfully." I'm sorry, but she was so cold and wet-"
"Don't worry about it kid, you just might have saved her life. Do you know her family?"
"Yeah, Audrey Webber." He replied, following them out the door. Frank groaned and walked faster. "I'm assuming you know Mrs. Webber?"
"I do, and she's not going to like this one bit. Why don't you follow the ambulance and call her."
"Can I ride with Lizzie?" Nikolas asked hopefully.
"'Fraid not," Frank loaded the stretched onto the ferry,"not enough room in-" Frank trailed off and smiled. Nikolas had walked over to Liz and was tucking the blanket around her. He put his hand on Nikolas's shoulder gently.
" Why don't you start those calls now?"

Nikoals paced outside the I.C.U and crashed into a chair. Seconds later a disheveled looking Sarah and Audrey walked into the hall. Instantly he was bomb-barded by questions. Holding his hand up, he started tiredly.
"Liz washed up on the Spoon Island beach, I called 911 and she's in there." Nikolas summed up.
"Is she going to be O.K?" Sarah asked tearfully as Audrey hurried over to the resident on call.
"I don't know," he sighed," she woke up briefly and seemed pretty out of it. Dillusional behavior is one of the first steps of Hypothermia." He explained gently at Sarah's blank look. She sniffed and threw her amrs around him.
"Oh Nikolas, I'm so scared."
He patted her back uneasily. "Great." He mumbled into her blond hair.

Lizzie woke up slowly and groaned, raising a hand to her throbbing head. At that second Bobbie sailed threw the door and started checking her I.V.

"Morning Lizzie." She said cheerily. "How're you feeling?"

"Like someone hit me with a mac truck." She croaked, taking the water cup Bobbie offered. "What happened?"

"It seems you took a dip in the lake and Nikolas found you washed up on the beach." Bobbie looked closely. " So maybe you can answer my question--what happened?"

Lizzie sat straight up as her memories came flooding back to her. . .the man on the docks. . .waking up in Nikolas's bedroom. . .Liz whimpered, she also remembered thinking Nikolas was the rapist. A distinct pounding in her head ceased all thought and she dropped down tiredly. "Where's Nikolas? Is Lucky here? Oh man Audrey's gonna kill me."

Bobbie looked at her strangely." Yes, no, and since when did you start calling your grandmother Audrey?"

"Since she told me to drink warm milk and think happy thoughts as a therapy for rape." Liz answered bitterly. She frowned and glanced through the open door to the hallway. "Why isn't Lucky here? And where's Nikolas, I really should thank him."

"Lucky's. . .um. . he's in jail." Bobbie said gently."And Nikolas is in the E.R."

~~~~~~~~~

Lucky clenched his teeth and slammed his fist against the metal bars.

"You better cool down Spencer." Tagger smirked. "Cuz I don't think your daddy's gonna get you out of this one."

"I don't plan on calling him!" Lucky snapped, rubbing his hand gingerly. Taggert grinned and leaned against the cell.

" I can see the headlines now. Spencer Kills own Cassidine Brother." The cop shook his head and sighed dramatically. "And if you does live yu better believe that Uncle of his ain't gonna be to happy. So why'd ya do it anyways?"

"Remember Lizzie Webber, and how she was raped?" Lucky said softly." Take three guesses who the rapist is and the first two don't count."

Taggert stiffened and glanced sharply at the boy. He looked frightened and helpless. In one moment of anger he had possibly just thrown away his life. " Mrs. Webber fell into the lake and Mr. Cassdine saved her life. She's got the hypothermia to prove it." Lucky's face drained of color and he looked up. "Don't worry, your girlfriends gonna be just fine, you need to worry about you."

"I need to see her." He said simply.

"You hit your brother, who happens to be a Cassidine and Russian royalty at that, in the neck. You ripped open a blood vessel that surgery only four months ago had repaired, and if he dies, " Taggert paused and took on a softer tone," if he dies, you'll be looking at alotta jail time, whether they try you as an adult or not. I suggest you call a lawyer. In the meantime I'll be calling your dad for you. "

Lucky's face had remained impassive but at Taggerts last sentence he jumped up."No, I don't want my dad in this." He shouted.

"Too bad, your a minor and I hafta." Taggert yelled back, his smirk back in place." 'Sides, gloating is my favorite pastime."

Lucky watched him leave and slammed his fist into the wall a couple times, only stopping when the skin cut open. He winced and sighed miserably. He had to get out of there, Lizzie needed him . .but how. He closed his eyes and thought deeply, coming up and rejecting plan after plan. A couple minutes later he glanced at his bleeding hand speculatively and a wide grin broke out on his face. "I've seen the movie, read the book, and it's time to put it to use."

~~~~~~~~

"Oh god this is all my fault." Liz whispered weakly, after Bobbie had explained to her what happened."I thought that Nikolas was the reapist because he took my clothes off and--why did he take my clothes off?"

"You were suffering from hypothermia, he saved your life." She added, stroking her hair softly. "So you must have told Lucky somehow and he. . . . "

"Yeah." Liz agreed miserably. "Could you find my grandma?" Bobbie nodded and left the room. She got out of bed slowly and winced as her head protested violently. Walking over to the closet she grabbed some of the clothes Sarah had brought for her and changed quickly. Liz left the room, closing the door softly behind her.