Elizabeth wrapped her coat tightly around her body, the December wind biting as she exited Wyndams, gripping the red shopping bag in her hand. A sweater for Gram, and the shoes Emily had been eyeing tucked safely inside.

She stopped and dug into her pocket, pulling out a dollar when she heard the ringing on the corner. "God Bless you," said the woman as Liz deposited the green bill into the bright red can. Elizabeth simply nodded her head, trying her best to smile at the cheery, older woman.

Elizabeth walked down the street, trudging through the snow covered sidewalk and making her way through the various Port Charles citizens out and about. All of them scrounging to find last minute Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Loved ones. She gave quick thought to what the term meant, and what the Holidays meant when the one you really loved was gone.

She sat down upon the bench at the corner, waiting for the next bus to arrive. She looked up from her task of putting on her gloves, as the sound of singing floated over to her frozen ears. She sighed as she spotted the carolers across the street. It was December 20, 1999, colder than Antartica and they were singing.

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me....

Elizabeth sighed as she looked down, wondering after sitting on the bench for exactly one minute, what was taking the damn bus so long. Although she wasn't quite sure what her rush was. Where was she in such a hurry to get to? Home? Kelly's? Did it matter? He wouldn't be there. He'd never be anywhere again.

Please have snow
And mistletoe
And presents on the tree...

I might as well just sit on this bench and freeze to death, she thought as she rubbed at her red nose.

"Oooh, that woudn't be good," said a voice, suddenly out of nowhere.

Elizabeth looked up and into the crystal-blue eyes of a silver-haired stranger that stood in front of her. A man that she swore had not been their a second ago. "Excuse me," she said, looking around. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes," he said quietly, sitting down next to her on the far end of the bench. He smiled at her, noticing the complete bewilderment in her eyes. "I was just commenting on your comment about freezing to death."

Her eyebrows knitted together as she watched the man straighten his coat and pull at his collar seemingly to keep warm. Although he lacked both scarf and gloves.

He seemed to be in his mid forties, but his hair...his hair had gone completely gray. No, not gray. A sparkling luminouscent silver, and despite the wear and tear on his once black coat and beige pants he looked almost, dapper. As if he'd be quite handsome with his hair combed and a nice suit to put on. "I didn't say that out loud," she said, her eyes watching his every move with rapt suspicion.

"Didn't you?" He said smiling. His teeth gleamed of white. "You must have."

Elizabeth leaned against the bench, pulling her shopping back up in front of her. What was this guy's deal?

"Anyway," he began as he looked towards the carolers. "I was just saying that I didn't think freezing to death would be a good thing. That's bound to be unpleasant experience. Wouldn't you think?..." his voice trailed off as he looked back towards the confused girl. He continued at her silence. "Well...I think it would be, and I'd hate for you to end your life in such a horrible way. Afterall, it is Christmas and you have the chance to have QUITE the MERRY one!"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and shook her head. Who the Hell was this guy, and why was he talking to her as if he knew her!? "Oh yeah...Merry Chistmas," she said sarcastically, then plastering a huge, fake smile on her face.

The man laughed. "I know...I know...it's not a very merry one is it?...It is a pity to see you so sad Elizabeth."

Elizabeth nearly jumped off of the bench at his mention of her name. She was completely unnerved by his games. "How did you know that?"

"What?" he asked, innocently.

"How did you know my name?!" She spat.

He quickly dug inside his tattered coat pocket, pulling out a crumpled slip of white paper. It looked like it'd been in his pocket forever. He looked like he'd had that coat forever. "Well, it says right here....Elizabeth Emmajean Webber," he looked up, staring at her wide eyes. "You are her aren't you?"

"Who the Hell are you!?" She yelled, standing up.

"My, my, my!" He said, smiling. "I heard you were quite the spitfire...but I didn't believe them...I guess they were right," he added, slighty chuckling. He understood her confusion, but her behavior really was quite entertaining. The look of shear disbelief was always the same. Each one of them. Every year.

Elizabeth shook her head, as her mouth hung open. "Who the Hell is THEY?" 'The better question is,' Liz asked herself silently...' Is why are you still talking to this guy?'

"Oh, please! Please don't leave Miss Webber!" He said standing as he read her thoughts once again. "I promise you....you'll want to hear what I have to say."

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was serious now. Very close to leaving, and that could not happen. It simply couldn't.

Elizabeth sat back down upon the bench, much to her chargin. She had no idea why she was listenting to this strange guy, but something in his eyes made her stay.

"I was sent here to help you," he started out slowly, looking into her eyes.

"By who?"

"That I can't say...not yet...BUT!" he added quickly. "I assure you...I can help you."

"With what?" She said flattly, beyond annoyed.

"I've got an offer you can't refuse," he said then, in perfect Godfatheranese in an attempt to make her laugh. She was not amused.

He cleared his throat as he continued. "Tough room.....ok....here's the deal: Have you ever wanted to go back in time?...Reverse something?....Anything?"

Elizabeth chuckled bitterly. "Yeah...who hasn't?"

"Well, Liz...I've got a way for you to do that.....I've got a time machine."

She looked at him for a moment, expressionless. She then stood, picked up her bag and smiled. He was obviously an escaped mental patient from Ferncliffe. "Good day, sir" she said as she began to walk away.

"November 1, 1983!" He shouted, panicking as he stood up behind her. "It's the day you were born!"

Elizabeth continued to walk away. Anybody could know that.

"May 19, 1992 - you lost to your sister Sarah Audra Webber in a Spelling Bee...you have ever since called yourself a bad speller!"

She halted, her back still turned. 'How does he know that?' She thought. 'My God..who is this guy?'

"October 4, 1994 - you gave up ice skating...something you could have been really good at!....December 10, 1996 - you told your mother you hated her in the heat of an arguement and things were never quite the same between you! August 1, 1997 - you arrived in Port Charles and proceeded to reak havoc on that poor Hardy woman's life! August 8, 1997 - you ran smack dab into one: Lucky Spencer, and you were in love with his very being from that moment on....February 14, 1998...you were......."

He looked up from his list and his voice trailed off as she turned around, walking slowly towards him. "I was what?" she asked almost whispering, as she stood inches away. She suddenly felt like hitting him.

"You were raped...in a park...not too far from here." He whispered, his eyes soft. "It was a terrible, terrible thing."

"Who are you?" she asked soberly as she sunk down upon the bench once again. She ran her hands over her face, not knowing what to think anymore. Her mind was reeling.

He sat down next to her, looking at her as she stared off into the distance her eyes glazing over as she watched the carolers. He ignored her question.

"You can go back, Elizabeth...you can go back and change any life altering event that you want. Any of those I just mentioned....or anything else."

She shook her head once again and looked at him. "Are you one of Dionne Warwicks's buddies?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, utterly dumfounded.

"Nothing," she said looking down. "Ok...so let's say I take you up on your little offer here. I take a ride on your little...what did you call it?"

"Time machine," he answered seriously.

Elizabeth snickered. "Yeah..I go for a ride on your little time machine...and then what, how exactly am I supposed to CHANGE the event."

"Anyway you have to," he said again, staring into her eyes. "You would have 24 hours to alter whatever event you wished....the only catch is that you could not mention to ANYONE what you were doing. No one could know that you had experienced the day before. That you were trying to change things. If you told anyone the results would be catastrophic."

"Catastrophic huh?" she said, her voice hallow as she thought about the one day she'd want to change. She looked at him then. "So...um...what other dates do you have on your little datebook there....what other events can I change?"

"Oh! Anything you want!...These are just suggested dates...that's all."

She smiled weakly. "Ok..so what are the other SUGGESTED dates?"

The man licked his lips nervously as he looked up from the crumpled note. "April 12, 1999...and.."

"Wait...April 12?" she asked inquisitively.

"Yeah..you know...you and um...your boyfriend almost..."

"Oh! Oh!...Yeah...moving right along...what other dates...come on..I know there's got to be another one on that little piece of paper." It had to be there. It had to be.

"April 16, 1999" he said solemnly.

Elizabeth bit down on her lip and nodded. "I knew that one had to be on there," she said, nearly inaudibly.

"Well, what'll it be?" He asked suddenly, his voice cheery again.

Liz looked up. Man, this guy really thought she was stupid. 'Hell,' she thought to herself. Why not humor the guy?...Yeah, humor him until I can call the cops on his crazy ass!

"April 16, 1999," she answered flattly. Yeah..April 16th, Mister Time Travel Man...see what you can do about that one. Think we can go back and change fate? Think maybe you can send me back to that apartment that night and tell Lucky to wake up! Tell him not to sleep with my damn candles burning! Huh? You think maybe I can make him sleep on my floor that night? Make him NOT go home and burn to death in a stupid, idiotic fire?.....Yeah, whatever....Merry Christmas, Elizabeth. Why are you letting this wierdo play with your head?

"Are you sure?" he said, his eyes wide. "Are you sure you don't want any of these other dates...I think most people would go with the February date..."

"No," she said cutting him off. She looking angrily into his eyes, "April 16th."

He nodded slowly, noting her tone. She still thought she was being toyed with. "Ok," he said quietly. "But I must warn you, it is far more difficult to go back and change something that did not happen to you directly."

"Shows what you know." She said bitterly, folding her arms in front of her. "It did happen to me....directly."

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love-light gleams...

He nodded once again and grinned slightly to himself. "Ok," he said with a snap of his fingers.

I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams...

~*~

Elizabeth stretched as she rolled over in bed, the morning sun shining brightly through her window. She sat up and shook her head as she remembered the tail end of her crazy dream. "That was insane," she said to herself as she got out of bed.

She walked over to her window looking outside. Jeez...it sure is sunny out today for December, she thought. She brushed off the thought as she walked towards her dresser. Bobbie would kill her if she were late again. Suddenly her phone rang.

She turned around quickly, jogging over to her phone. "Hello, Hardy residence."

"Hey beautiful it's me...Nikolas just called me and he want's to know what time tonight...." his voice trailed off as no answer came. "Elizabeth...are you there?"

The receiver slipped in her hand as his voice hit her ear. The voice she hadn't heard in eight months. She swallowed hard as she slowly brought the phone back up to her ear. Her voice penetrated the air with about as much force as a feather. "Lucky?"

"Yeah," he said laughing on the other end. "Were you still asleep?....You sound kind of out of it."

Elizabeth looked up and across the room at the calender that hung by her mirror. The page was turned to April. It was definitely turned to April. "No...no..." she whispered. "I'm awake."