Viva Las Vegas (Alt. Version) by TheJavaGirls

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty

Watching the tape was one of the worst forms of torture Jason Morgan had ever experienced, and having worked for Sonny for the last four years, he'd been through his fare share of pain. His insides burned when he saw several different clips from the hotel security tapes as Carly sneaked around the place like she owned it. Hiding behind corners or large plants when one of them got too close. It was all the proof he needed to put a price on her head.

It was his heart that ached as he watched the elevator door shut in Elizabeth's shocked face, and with a blink of an eye, a large shadow appeared behind her, knocking her soundly on the back of the head with a fire extinguisher. Her small and delicate body crumpled to the ground.

After that, all he saw was red.

The last part of the video wasn't in the black and white, but instead it looked as though someone was holding a video recorder. Elizabeth, his Elizabeth. The woman he was married to and had made an oath to protect, was tied to a chair. Her beautiful chestnut curls looked knotted. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, as her head hung painfully to the side.

On the floor next to her was Carly. Unfortunately, for her, she was still breathing.

The letter that had been wrapped around the video tape was an elementary style ransom note. Selected letters and words from magazines telling of the time, place and amount needed for Elizabeth's 'safe' return.

"Jason. . ." Emily's voice sounded distant. As though she was trying to communicate with him from twenty yards away. He could hear Sonny barking orders to Max telling him to get Benny on the phone. Something about needing funds immediately. Brenda was sniffing softly to the side. "Jason." This time he felt a slight tug on his arm. "Your bleeding."

Looking down at the crushed glass in his hand, Jason couldn't figure out when exactly he'd picked it up. But he could barely register the pain of his bleeding palm. Not when his heart had been ripped from his chest.

"Jesus." Francis appeared out of nowhere with a first aide kit in hand. It took a little work on his part to convince Jason to let him see the damage he'd caused. "Jason, we're gonna find her."

"I know." With a numb nod of his head, Jason took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. Fought to gain control of the fear that was growing in his chest. It wasn't going to help anyone if he lost it. Especially Elizabeth. He needed to become the unfeeling Borg everyone called him when they didn't think he was listening.

"Emily I want you back in your room until this is over." Seeing that his younger sister was ready to argue, Jason turned cold eyes her way. "NOW!"

Johnny to the initiative and stepped forward. Placing firm hand on her shoulder he started to half push, half guide her out of the room. His hold tightened when she tried to pull away and his face remained blank when she started to curse at him. It wasn't until she kicked him soundly in the shin that he winced slightly, before swinging her up quickly over his shoulder. Nodding in Jason's direction, he strode toward the door.

"Brenda." Sonny raised a brow, and tilted his head toward the door and Johnny.

Looking ready to argue, Brenda quickly weighed her options. Remarkably, she snapped her mouth shut as she walked over and gave Sonny a kiss on the cheek before departing.

"I'm done playing nice with Carly." Jason's cold tone nearly chilled the room. "I have given her more than her fare share of chances." Waiting for Francis to finish bandaging up his hand, Jason stared at the red bleeding through the white cotton.

"I know." And Sonny did. Lord did he know. He'd stood back and watched silently and sometimes not so silently as Jason did his best to keep Carly from self-destructing. Jumping through hoops and giving up on his own needs just to ensure that Michael had some form of a home. But she'd finally had pushed to hard. Had gone past the line that not even Jason could over look.

Jason took a deep breath. Blinked once. "When we get Elizabeth back." His voice only faltered slightly. "I'm going to divorce her. She doesn't need this crap in her life. She's too young for this. I put her in danger by only thinking of my want and needs. I should've sent her home."

"That's the stupidest bunch of crap I have ever heard coming from a man's mouth." Jason turned toward the sound the interruption, and found himself staring at one annoyed Gina Gianni. "And having been surrounded by males the majority of my life, I have heard some humdingers."

"Mrs. Giann-." With a wave of her hand she stopped Sonny in mid sentence. "I'm not here to socialize. One of my men told me what's going on." Seeing the look of confusion cross the men's faces, she gave an unapologetic shrug. "This has been my home for over twenty years. It'd amaze you how fast news gets around here."

"The situation is under control." Jason tried to keep his tone neutral.

"That's wonderful." Her eyes met his, "I assume then that you've located your young bride?" The question hung in the air unanswered. "That's what I thought." Her mouth pinched as she took a seat. "Let's get to business boys."

Jason and Sonny looked at one another, not entirely sure she was speaking to them or the massive apes she brought with her. "Has there been a ransom yet."

Sonny nodded to Francis, who handed her the letter they'd just gotten done reading.

"I see." With a distasteful glance at the letter, she handed it back to the waiting guard. "How original. Anything else?"

"Mrs. Gianni, you really don't need to bother yourself with this." Jason words sounded polite enough, but everyone understood the underlying meaning. Women had no place in this part of the business.

"Mr. Morgan, I admire your need to shelter us weak, defenseless females." Though she smiled at the men in the room, her eyes were dead cold. "But if you'd please drop the bullshit I would deeply appreciate it. I have been married to the business for more years than I can count. Its been a long time since I've been ordered from the room for my own good. We may be in a business arrangement, but this is my home. And nobody shits in my yard and gets away with it."

Francis coughed, trying to wipe the smile from his face. Max didn't do such a grate job of hiding his shock at the older woman's colorful words. Choking on the laughter bubbling from his chest, he almost needed to leave the room.

"So if we're understanding one another clearly, let's get on with it."

~~~*~~~

Time seemed to be going at a snails pace. No scratch that, it was going slower than a snail. It was going backwards. Elizabeth kept her eyes closed as she fought against the need to cry at situation. She'd never felt such pain as her head pounded. Sending white hot shock waves through her skull. Her arms and legs had long ago lost all feeling.

The only saving grace in the entire situation, was the fact she'd been able to fool the bastard who was pacing behind. Still thinking she was unconscious, he'd left her alone since he'd knocked Carly to the ground. Instead, he'd kept himself entertained by talking out loud as to how he was going to spend the ransom.

She didn't care if he planned on buying a tie-dyed poodle with a diamond chain. As long as he stayed away from her she was just fine.

Somewhere in her muddled thoughts she heard the sound of a phone ringing. The man's muted voice sounded angry, almost tense. He cursed several times before she heard his heavy footsteps behind her.

"Carly." His voice barked, and Elizabeth held her breath. "Wake up you stupid bitch."

After a few painful minutes, Elizabeth heard Carly's distinct groan as she came to. "Untie her. We've got problems."

Every muscle Elizabeth could still feel tensed.

"You hit me." Carly sounded shocked. As though somehow she'd been unjustly abused.

"Yeah, well if you don't get your ass off that floor I'm gonna do more than hit you." The guy sounded as though he meant business. "The bosses bitch of a wife shoved her nose where it don't belong. This hotel is gonna be crawling with guards any second."

"Good." Elizabeth nearly choked. How stupid could a person get? Talking back to the person who just knocked her on her ass. Who could point the finger right back at her. "Cause when Jason finds you, there's not going to be enough left of you to feed to the fishes."

"Fist of all, stupid, we're in Nevada. Not much water. Second, I doubt there's a lie good enough to get you off Morgan's shit list. But most important. You crapped in Gina Gianni's yard. Which means you no longer need to worry about your constipated knight and his bongo playing boss."

It was like an eternity before Carly responded. At first it was a bunch of muttered gibberish, that ended in an icy, fine. Before she knew it, Elizabeth felt her bindings being loosened.


~~~*~~~

"There." Mrs. G held up a hand. "Rewind it a little, then pause."

Jason gritted his teeth together and did as he was asked. He was ready to combust. No, he was ready to throw the damned TV out the window. This was getting them no where. For the last twenty minutes they had combed through the video for any clues. For something that could get them some sort of scrape to work with.

Realistically he knew the tape was the only real thing to go by. But the need to escape the room and start terrorizing the hotel staff was pulling hard at him. There was nothing like knocking a few heads together to get the information they so desperately needed.

"Right there." Mrs. G tilted her head slightly. "Rewind one more time, turn up the volume." Throwing a disgusted look over at Sonny, Jason did as he was told. "What an idiot." The older woman muttered to herself and shook her head in disbelief.

"Excuse me?" Standing up straight, Jason stared at her in disbelief.

"Your wife-."

"Elizabeth isn't an idiot." His lip curled and he took a step closer.

"Mr. Morgan I am fully aware that Elizabeth isn't an idiot. I am talking about her kidnapper." For a glimmer of a second she gave Jason a compassionate smile. But just like that it was gone. "They're in the basement. If you look closely at the last clip of Elizabeth you can see the feather's of a costume. There's also the distinct sound of one of the furnaces." When no one moved, Mrs. G stood up from her position on the couch and raised an amused brow at the men around her. "Are you going to stand around, or do I need to rescue the girl also?"

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-One

"So what's the plan? Traipse down there like a herd of elephants?"

Looking up from his Glock 29, Jason looked over his shoulder, and inwardly groaned at the sight of Mrs. Gianni flanked by her small army of men. "Welcome to Barnum and Bailey's circus. I thought I told you to stay with Emily until this is taken care of?"

Johnny shifted and visibly winced. "Yeah. Sonny sent Brent down to take my place. I have a feeling I'd suffer less damage wondering into hostile territory wearing a Sunday dress and stilettos." Looking in the direction where the regal matriarch was waiting, Johnny gave a humorless chuckle. "I like Mrs. G and all, but come on Jason, she's got like ten overgrown baboons with her. There's five of us - ."

"You got a point here Johnny?" A muscle ticked along Jason's jaw line. It was rubbing him the wrong way having to take orders from a woman who barley reached his elbows. The last thing he needed was Johnny throwing in his two cents worth. "What happened to you?" Taking on Johnny's tussled hair, disorderly clothing and swelling eye, Jason almost chuckled, until he noticed a very familiar shade of pink lipstick on the guard's collar.

To Johnny's credit, he had enough decency to look a little uncomfortable. Instinctively he touched his injured eye, wincing. "Your sister has one hell of a right hook. Something about not appreciating the way I took her back to her room."

Raising a knowing brow, Jason took his gun and ran it along Johnny's collar. Stopping where the pink started. It was meant to be a little, intimidating, and from the way Johnny gulped Jason was satisfied to have hit his mark. "About that."

"Yeah," Jason lazily drawled, "About that . . ."

"Jase this really isn't the time or place to get into . . ."

"That?" Knowing he shouldn't be getting any pleasure out of putting his pal through the wringer, Jason had to admit it was better than allowing the gnawing fear of Elizabeth's disappearance devour him. What he really wanted to do was tell Sonny to shove all this polite, political crap and find Elizabeth. The only reason he hadn't shot everyone the bird, was because Mrs. Gianni and her men knew the hotel like the back of their hands. And he wasn't one to piss on an advantage like that. So that let Johnny in the spot light.

"Yeah. Maybe after we find your wife, and you two have some time alone together, we can talk about it."

Something dimmed in Jason's eyes, blowing out a long breath Jason let out a dry laugh. "Man she must be riding your ass about being a wuss."

Blinking slightly, Johnny's face turned an unbecoming red. "I aint no wuss."

"So you've waited over a year to tell me you're in love with my sister because . . ." Yeah, he was being about as mature as a third grader, but at least this was something to distract him.

"Who the hell said I was in love with her?" Clearly flustered, Johnny twitched like a bug under a magnifying glass.

"Oh, so you just used her last Forth of July when you two were messing around on my couch." The guard looked like a sinking ship. His expression looked as though he was about to make one last ditch effort to fight, but in the end he calmly gave up and allowed himself to be dragged down.

"I wasn't using her. It was more like her attacking me." With a deep painful groan, Johnny shook his head, trying to dislodge the memory. "But, you're right." Licking his lips and taking a quick sweep of the room to make sure no one else was listening, Johnny swallowed hard. "I. I am in love with your sister."

Jason stood staring at his friend, replaced his gun in his holster and placed a hand on Johnny's thick shoulder. "It's about time you big fat wuss."

Johnny looked back at Jason a little shell shocked, before a wide cheesy grin spread across his face. "I aint no wuss."

~~~*~~~

Sonny took a look at the chaos surrounding him and wished furiously for a strong, smooth glass of Whiskey. As much as he enjoyed the monitory gain he and Jason were getting from their new partnership in the casino, he could do without the rest of the insanity.

"Mrs. Gianni we really do appreciate how you want to help. But really, it's not necessary." Trying to turn on the charm, Sonny soon found the small woman's icy eyes pointed in his direction.

"There's no need to blow smoke up my ass Mr. Corinthos. If our roles were reversed, me in your territory with a loved one missing, partnership or no partnership, would you sit back and allow us to take action?" Not waiting long to allow him to mull over her question, Mrs. Gianni smiled, cold and calculating. "And I also know how you and Me. Morgan feel about this intrusion."

"No -." Feeling as though he'd deeply insulted the older woman, Sonny felt like a young boy who'd just insulted his own mother.

Waving off the rest of his reply, Mrs. Gianni rolled her eyes. "And to tell you the truth I'd feel the same way put in the same situation. But there is a method to my madness." Turning to her men, she gave a curt nod and the well trained monkey's headed toward the door. "Consider us a smoke screen. Making that disgusting rat who took Elizabeth feel as though they've pulled a fast one over on us."

"I'm not following." Hating the knowing way the woman gazed at him, Sonny tried to remind himself he was a grown man with a very successful business.

"I've already explained how to get to the basement." Checking her purse, she seemed satisfied and snapped it shut sharply. " My men will be making a scene in the lobby and the main casino. Giving you guys time to get Elizabeth and make that shlub pay."

Seeing that they weren't going to have to drag a parade of over dressed Olympic sized men along with them, Sonny gave a short bark of laughter. Deciding never to cross paths with the pie baking, Grandmotherly Mrs. Gianni, Sonny graced her with a quick kiss on her soft cheek. "You are a gem."

"Noted." Patting his cheek in return, Mrs. Gianni's eyes glimmered. "I expect your lovely fiancé and the Morgan's for dinner tomorrow night."

"As you wish." Chuckling as the woman waved and made her exit, Sonny wondered how and where he decided that woman shouldn't be included in the business.

~~*~~

The basement of the hotel was a maze of concrete hallways. They'd passed several hotel employees, busy with their daily routines. Maids stacking large fluffy towels on over laden carts. Grumbling to one another about rude customers and the state of some of the rooms. Maintenance crews skirted past the five large men as the walked without hesitation.

"How many freaking rights have we taken?" Grumbling under his throat, Francis nodded at the group of young bellboys who'd stepped out of a room that appeared to be some sort of a break room. "I can't see anyone being stupid enough to take Elizabeth down here. Too many people."

"Mrs. G said there's a unused corridor down here. Storage area." Max rolled his neck, satisfied with the loud cracking noise that made Francis wince.

"If its used as storage, how can it be unused?" With a cocky grin, Johnny ignored the rude jester Francis gave him.

"How come you've been such a damn wuss about talking to Jason about Emily?" Johnny's face flushed as the other two men gave one another a high five.

"Screw off -."

"Take your next left." Jason cut Johnny off.

Slowing down as a unit, they each were a little surprised to find the hubbub of the hotel staff had dwindled down to nothing. Johnny held up his hand and signaled the rest to stop.

"Did you hear that?" In a hushed tone, he took a step closer to the corner where they were to take their next turn. A door slammed shut and silence followed. All five men pulled out their weapons and waited. When all they were greeted with was silence, Johnny dropped his hand and signaled to the rest that he'd go check it out.


~~~*~~~

She knew she was on the ground. A different ground than the one she'd been staring at the last few hours, but still she was lying on her side on whitish linoleum. Her head hurt worse in this position, if that was humanly possible, but she still refused to give up the ruse of her being unconscious.

Not that she hadn't slipped off now and then.

It worried her that she couldn't hear anything. The man. Carly. There was no voices. No sound of feet pacing nervously nearby. It was as if she'd been dumped somewhere. And hope started to grow.

Slowly tilting her head to the right, Elizabeth saw she was in a hallway. More importantly an empty hallway. Before she could move any further, the sound of rustling clothing behind her had her blood run cold.

Then within a blink of an eye the world exploded around her.

Out of thin air, Johnny seemed to just pop-up at the end of the hall. Gunfire, loud as cannons went off above her head. Elizabeth didn't even have a chance to scream before Johnny hit the ground. Blood already appearing on the front of his white shirt. And for the first time in her life, Elizabeth knew fear.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Two

Death. Never wanted, but always expected. Never convenient, picking a choosing it's timing at the worst possible moment. Death was just another added 'feature' of the lifestyle he choose. Whether it was ridding their world of an annoyance, a threat. Or could be like now, watching helpless, as a comrade fell. It was part of life's ironic circle of life. The only thing that mattered, was how one lived. How they spent their days. The chances they took. The people they affected. It was a never ending cycle that didn't mean a damn until the person dying was someone you knew.

None of these thoughts skimmed through Jason's head. It all happened so fast. One moment Johnny was looking over his shoulder, throwing them his trade mark smirk. Then with a blink of an eye, the bone shattering sound of gun fire echoed off cement walls.

Standing only ten feet away, Jason found his heart lodged in his throat as Johnny clutched at his chest and dropped to his knees. The man who had taught him how to shoot with deadly accuracy so many years ago, was now bleeding on the ground.

"Jase." Feeling someone tugging on his arm, Jason had half a mind to brush off the intrusion. Instinct ruled his mind. Johnny needed help. The man who had stolen his sister's heart, but had been noble enough to keep his distance, needed him.

"Don't be stupid." Sonny's dangerous tone cut through the fog in Jason's head. "You'll just get yourself shot." Though his tone was still dark, Jason knew Sonny was already beating himself up.

Guilt. It was just another wonderful feature of their life. When one of their employees were taken down, it was much more than a possible down sizing. It was losing a family member. A matter not taken lightly.

"We passed a hallway." Already on his way back from where they came, Francis had his firearm in his palm. "I'm gonna see if I can get that bastard from behind." Not waiting for Jason or Sonny's permission, the large man's back was already halfway down the hall.

"We need to be careful." Letting go of Jason's jacket one finger at a time, Sonny looked his long time friend in the eye. Searching the steel gray orbs to make sure they were on the same page. "It's apparent they're playing for keeps, and they have Elizabeth."

Shutting his eyes against the pain, Jason gave a numb nod and again tried to clear his head. "He should've been wearing a vest."

"He was." Max's usually boisterous voice was barely above a whisper. "He always wears one."

Snapping his attention back to his fallen friend, Jason's lip curled. "Then would you care to explain why he's swimming in a pool of blood?"

When no one spoke, Jason clenched and unclenched his fists. "I'm going."

"Wait for Francis." Sonny's words were wasted on deaf ears as Jason edged toward the connecting corridor. "Or don't."

Taking each step with deadly intent, he unhooked his pistol from his side. "I'm gonna throw my weapon where you can see it."

Silence engulfed the hallway, but he did as he said. The loud sharp echo of metal hitting cement bounced of the walls. Taking another step, Jason was feet away from Johnny. A flash of relief ignited in his chest when the other man let out a ragged breath.

Turning his deadly gaze down the hallway, Jason found a gun pointing at his chest.

But that wasn't what made Jason's blood run cold. It was the motionless form of his wife's body lying discarded on the floor. Her hair hung limply across her face, almost covering her eyes. She looked so small, so delicate.

"I sure hope you brought the money Morgan." The man on the other end of the gun stepped past Elizabeth, barely missing her tiny hand with his heavy boot. In his other hand he dragged Carly from behind. Bound and gagged, she twisted to free herself from his grasp, only to be harshly shoved from behind.

"You can have this Bitch for free." Jason watched with little satisfaction as Carly crashed to the ground. Nor did he bother himself by trying to catch her. "If I were you, I'd get rid of her. She's a little used up, if you know what I mean. But I'm sure you already knew that."

Still not saying a word, Jason kept himself in check when Carly crawled over to him on her hands and knees. Her mascara smudged eyes pleaded with him as her mouth babbled incoherently. He wanted to lash out at her. To kick her in her tear stained face. But he didn't have the time to waste.

"Jason please, please don't be mad. I-I was just mad and upset, it was all talk. I had no idea he'd take me seriously." He'd never noticed before that very moment how badly her voice irritated him. Every other word out of her pouty little mouth was a lie, the half her latest scheme. There had been a time when he'd found her somewhat attractive. But having to deal with her selfishness over the last few years, her looks faded. She did look used. "Jason he's insane. You have to believe me. I told him to leave Elizabeth alone."

"Don't!" Keeping his eye on the gun pointed at his chest, Jason winced when he felt her hand tugging on his jacket. "You have no right to even say Elizabeth's name. You crossed the line Carly, and you're going to find that life is about to get real tough."

"You can't mean that." Anger was now slurred into her words. "We have a family together."

"No I have a family. You have a little boy you use as leverage." Wrenching her hand from his clothing, Jason took a step away.

"So, about my money?" Jason barely blinked at the smirking man's request. Taking his time, something he didn't have to spare, he deliberately allowed his eyes to drift to Elizabeth. To skim over her small form. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes. The other man's gaze followed Jason's gaze. "Don't let the bumps and bruises worry you none. She'll wake up sooner or later, without a single memory of this . . ." Waving the gun slightly to the right as he searched for the right words, he chuckled softly. "Business deal."

"I don't do business with men who beat women. Especially when the woman is my wife." Jason growled from deep inside.

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "Not all of us have the money to be that noble. I'll remember that little rule when you fill my accounts with green." Movement on the floor caught his attention. Carly was inching her way to Morgan's discarded gun. He could just shoot her now but he was curious to see who she'd use it on.

Jason was about to lift his eyes from Elizabeth when he noticed that her eyes were slightly open. Picking up on other little motions, Jason's lips curled into a humored smirk. So she'd been playing possum. Clearly awake and alert, Jason couldn't be more proud.

"Walk away now and I'll let you live."

"Morgan, don't fuck with me. I walk now, I wont make it to the street before I'm wrapped in plastic wrap and keeping the frozen meats company." Taking a deliberate step closer to Elizabeth, Kurt watched the way Jason's jaw clenched. "So, I was thinking I'd take the Misses with me for a little bit. Until I have the money and can disappear."

Tilting his head to the side, Jason analyzed his enemy. "Here's what I was thinking. You drop the fucking gun and I'll end your pathetic life -."

"Jason, behind you!" Elizabeth's terror filled voice filled the hallway. Making Kurt jump in shock and causing Jason to spin around just in time to watch Carly pick up his discarded weapon. Barely in her grip, two shots went off.

Death. It always comes. Whether after a long tiring journey, or right in the middle. Young and old. Tall and short. It happens to all.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Three

Slowly slipping through the fog in her head, Elizabeth felt a pain in her chest that had her gasping for air.

"Easy." A gentle voice soothed away some of the pain. "Elizabeth can you hear me?"

"How is she?" Another voice, barely above a whisper, came from the other direction. Elizabeth fought to open her eyes, but found it too exhausting. Instead she allowed the voices to lull her back to sleep.

"The doctor said she's going to be fine."

"Good." Brenda looked down at the young woman she'd only meet days ago, and felt sick. So much pain, and it wasn't even close to being over. "I'll stay here if you want to go sit with Johnny."

Emily laid her head on the bed near Elizabeth's hand. "I can't believe this is happening. It's my fault you know. I'm the one who invited her here. Did you know we were going to do Spring Break at Ft. Lauderdale?"

"But you came here for my wedding instead." Sucking on her lower lip, Brenda sighed. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine."

"How about we call it a tie and both feel like crap?" Taking Elizabeth's hand into her own, Emily brought it to her lips. "I wont be long."

Watching Emily gather her stuff, Brenda waited until the younger woman left the room. Tears caused by pent up emotions slipped from her tired eyes. They'd been room hopping the last two days. And she was so worn out. Emotionally and physically. But she couldn't let go yet. Not until they all got through this. Then she'd lock herself in her room and have a good cry for a week, maybe two.

"I thought I told you to go back and take a nap." Sonny's concerned voice came from the doorway. "You're exhausted."

"Who isn't?" Wiping the moisture from her eyes before her fiancé could see, Brenda sucked in a deep breath of stagnant hospital air. "Honestly, I'm still having a hard time believing any of this happened."

Caressing her cheek with the back of his hand, Sonny let his eyes drift over to the bed. "Still hasn't woken up?"

"Not yet." Shaking her head listlessly, Brenda took Elizabeth's hand into hers. "But occasionally I get the feeling that she can hear us." Looking up, her eyes read volumes. Better to keep the conversation limited.

"How's Emily holding up?" Kneading her shoulders, Sonny felt a better when she started to relax.

Her muscles tensed again. "Her best friend is in the hospital. The love of her life in ICU -."

"Shh, I know. What I meant, does she need anything?"

"No." Sighing, she leaned back against Sonny's chest. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just. This is all. My head is going in a hundred different directions."

Kissing the top of her head, Sonny wrapped his arms tightly around the tiny woman in front of him.

~~*~~

"I'm starting to wonder if you're staying asleep so you don't have to face me." Brushing a light brown lock away from his forehead, Emily drank in every curve, every freckle, every scar. She was terrified she'd walk into Johnny's room one day and find it empty. "I know you O'Brien. You're just being a big fat baby."

Watching the green line of the monitor on the other side of the bed, Emily thanked God every time it went up and down. With each beep, it meant that Johnny was hanging in there.

"Max told me you and Jason talked." She wouldn't break down. Not here, not now. If there ever was a time she needed to be brave, it was now. "He wouldn't tell what about, but I have a theory."

Taking a shaking breath, she looked out in the hallway to where the hospital staff were going about their daily routine. Laughing and joking with one another, while her life was falling down around her. And there wasn't a thing she could do.

At that very moment, Jason was probably feeding Michael breakfast. While packing up the house he and Carly had shared. He was planing on taking the penthouse across the hall from Sonny and Brenda. He'd refused to listen to her, or to anyone, when Elizabeth's name was mentioned.

Convinced now more than ever, that Elizabeth was better off without him. They had argued the night he'd packed his bag and left for New York. They fought the next day when he'd called to say he'd arrived and already had met with Alexis, who was currently drawing up divorce papers. After that, Emily took great pains not to talk to her brother, and when she found herself cornered she refused to talk about her best friend. The entire situation was making her sick.

Three floors down, Elizabeth's kidnapper lay in a cold drawer in the morgue. It seemed that one Kurt Logan, had the misfortune to get behind the wheel after a long night bar hopping. It didn't seem to matter to the local police or the coroner, that Mr. Logan had been dead long before his car went off the road.

Death, pain, anguish. Until her dying day, Emily would never forget the look of terror in her brother's eyes when he'd burst into her hotel room. Elizabeth clutched tightly to his chest. Blood from his shoulder smeared the front of his shirt, but he hadn't seemed to notice.

He'd stayed by Elizabeth's side the first twenty-four hours. Holding her hand, stroking her face. It wasn't until Mrs. Gianni's personal physician announced that Elizabeth needed medical assistance, from doctors who still had their diplomas hanging on their walls.

Jason had waited for the nursing staff to get Elizabeth comfortable before kissing her one last time. He'd stopped by Johnny's room, said his good-byes and left before Brenda raked him over the coals, again.

"Emily." Max came rushed to the door, his face slightly flushed as his eyes glowed with happiness. "She woke up."

~~*~~

She knew he was gone. The second before she'd opened her eyes, Elizabeth could just feel that he wasn't there. Now she didn't know what hurt more, her head or her heart.

"Elizabeth!" Emily came rushing through the door, her eyes bright even though they were rimmed with dark circles. "Thank god you're awake."

Offering a shaky smile, Elizabeth accepted her friends heartfelt embrace. Everyone seemed to be taking turns talking. The hospital room was filled. Sonny and Brenda sitting by her bedside, Max and Francis at the foot of the bed. Emily was perched on the empty spot on the bed beside her, gently stroking her hair.

But no matter how many people were in the room with her, she couldn't help the cold sweep of emptiness consume her. What she wanted, was to see a pair of warm, comforting blue eyes gazing back at her. Telling her everything was going to be all right.

"Where's Jason?" She hated how tiny and afraid her voice sounded. But the panic inside her chest was making it hard to think.

Nodding toward Francis, Sonny waited until the guard closed the door to her room before speaking. "How much do you remember?"

Licking her dry, chapped lips Elizabeth thanked Emily for the cup of water pressed into her hand. Taking a deep swallow, she gave herself a moment to process the images that were haunting her. "Some maybe, it's just . . . I can't tell what's real or a nightmare." There had been gunfire. She was sure of that. And blood. There had been so much blood. "He's gone isn't he?"

Sonny's face shadowed. "You don't need to worry about that bastard getting his hands on you, ever again." Confused, Elizabeth's brows knitted together.

"Sonny." Leaning over to her fiancé, Brenda patted his back. "I think she's asking about Jason."

The room grew quiet, and everybody seemed to find the floor extremely interesting. It wasn't until Emily cleared her throat. "Could you all give us a moment?"

Looking slightly relieved, Max and Francis both made promises to be back later that day before they hightailed it out of the room. Sonny and Brenda said their good-byes, and with said eyes they left.

"Emily what's going on?" Closing her eyes, Elizabeth braced herself for the pain that was coming. She could feel it. Something inside her was already dying.

"I was so scared for you. No one knew what was going on." Clearly skirting the topic Emily tried to find a way to force the words she'd been reciting in her head. Ever since her no good brother had called from Port Charles, she knew she'd be left explaining. Not that Jason was the type to shirk his responsibilities. But with Carly, how had he put it? Gone. He needed to get to Michael and make sure there were no snags where the little boy was concerned.

"He's leaving me." Guilt was written all over Emily face, and Elizabeth gulped past the anger and pain that was suffocating her. Choking down a strangled laugh, she covered her face with shaking hands. "He left me."

"Jason's blaming himself for what happened." Picking at the hospital issue bedspread, Emily's eyes burned. "If it means anything, I know he loves you. He came close to losing you, and I really think it scared him."

"And he doesn't think I'm scared?" Pain gave way to the wave of anger that whipped through her.

"He had to be with Michael. If the Quartermain's found that Carly was, gone, they'd try anything to get their hands on him."

Emily's words made her feel about an inch big. Here she was feeling sorry for herself, when a little boy had lost his mother. "How did she . . . She is dead, right?"

Shrugging her shoulder's Emily shook her head. "I haven't been able to get much from the guys. I know Johnny was shot. If it weren't for his vest." Sucking in a deep breath, Emily's body began to tremble. "He could've died. He still could. The bullet grazed an artery, he lost so much blood. There must have been some kind of altercation. Because Jason was also shot. But it was a clean wound. That's all I know."

Elizabeth remained silent for a moment. "I can remember a little bit."

"You don't have to say anything right now."

"I remember hearing Carly and some guy fighting."

"Kurt. The jerk who helped Carly." Fire blazed like Hades in Emily's eyes. "He's also the one who shot Johnny."

"Then I was lying on a cold floor. I saw Johnny. I watched him get shot." The memory was sharp as a knife. Slowly the fog began to recede. She remembered Carly, on her knees begging Jason to listen to her. To help her. He'd brushed the blonde to the side. Which was probably made Carly do what she did.

She'd watched as Carly crawled on hands and knees to a black object on the ground just feet from where Jason left her. It didn't register that Carly was holding a gun, until she watched the other woman lift it toward her husband. She'd yelled out in warning. And Carly moved her aim past Jason's chest, to where she was lying helplessly on the ground.

Two shots rang out. Almost sounding as one, but in the echo, Elizabeth knew there had been two.

Jason took one in his shoulder, and while he struggled to remain on his feet, Francis had snuck up on Kurt. On the other end of the hallway, Carly look unnaturally white. And Johnny was leaning on his elbow, lowering his other arm.

"Johnny shot her." Almost numb from the shock, and pain, Elizabeth ignored Emily's surprised expression. "She'd tried shooting me with Jason's gun. Everything happened so quickly. Jason jumped in front of her and got hit. He'd been trying to protect me."

"Elizabeth," Looking confused, Emily made a face in reflection. "You were lying on the ground, right?"

"Yeah."

"He got shot in the shoulder. If you and Carly were both on the ground, wouldn't she have hit his leg if she was aiming for you?"

Closing her eyes against the queasy feeling in her stomach, Elizabeth didn't know what to think. It didn't make sense. "I don't know. I guess everything is all screwy in my head."

"Well you've been through a lot. Why don't you rest for a little bit?"

Already half asleep, Elizabeth's eyes fluttered opened. "I know he's going to divorce me. So please stop worrying about how you're going to tell me." Without another word, she drifted off into slumber.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Four

“I don’t feel right about this.” Emily said gloomily. Her bloodshot eyes swept across the hotel room and started to water. With a sniff, she lowered herself down on the side of the bed , and watched as Elizabeth took the last of her clothes from the closet.

“Em.” Elizabeth, heard the way her voice cracked and took a moment to pull herself together. Her head still felt like an over played bongo, every muscle in her body screamed in protest when she moved. But it was better than how her heart felt.

“You know I love you. I’ve never had a best friend like you before, your practically my sis - . . .” Ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest, Elizabeth forced a smile. “Johnny needs you. The poor guy just woke up and confessed his love to you. I’m not about to stand in the way because of a few bruises.”

“You need me too.” Emily pointed out, clearly torn. “Why don’t you come back to Port Charles with us. You can stay with me at my parents.”

Almost dropping her cosmetic bag, Elizabeth saved it before her slip was noticed.“I can’t just leave school, my parents would kill me.”

Clearly wanting to explore her suggestion, Emily stood up from the bed and blocked the suitcase. “There’s no way you can catch up now.”

“Gee thanks.”

“That’s not what I meant. We’ve both missed enough that it’d take forever to catch up. If you come we can both start Fall classes at Port Charles University.”

“No.”

“It’s a lot bigger town then I’ve let on. There’s tons to do there. I promise. And if you worried about bumping into - .” Elizabeth’s mouth tightened enough to make Emily not say Jason’s name. “I’m just saying it’s a big town.”

“I don’t want to be without you either Emily.” Knowing her best friend was only trying to make sure everyone was happy. It was like a sickness with Emily. Wanting to smooth out all the wrinkles, make sure no one was upset, or feeling left out. Elizabeth knew it wouldn’t matter if Port Charles was the size of Texas. Just knowing Jason was in the same town would hurt.

“You’re still recovering.”

“I’m a lot stronger than you think.” She was lying through her pearly whites. But as long as Emily believed her that’s all that mattered.

“I never said you weren’t strong. Jesus Elizabeth.” Emily snatched the jeans Elizabeth was about to toss into the case. “Will you just say his freaking name. Curse him out or something. You haven’t even cried yet. After everything that’s happened, why haven’t you just broken down and had yourself a good cry? You can’t keep it bottled up.”

Grabbing the pants back a little more forcefully than she’d intended, Elizabeth made a great show of packing the rest of her clothing as Emily waited for a response. Not cry? Is that what her best friend thought? That since that horrible day she hadn’t shed a tear? If she were to say that every night she laid in bed, her body curled up like a baby until she wept herself into exhaustion.

She’d cry about losing Jason. Of almost dying. Johnny coming closer to dying. Jason almost getting shot. Knowing she’d have to say goodbye to Emily. Of being alone. But there was no way she could tell any of this to Emily. Or she’d feel even worse because she decided to stay with Johnny.

Apparently everyone was under the impression that her heart had become glacier. Or she’d claimed a space in denial land. No wonder everyone was tip toeing around her like she was some massive time bomb. Better to keep up the charade, then dump a load full of misery on the only person she’d ever been able to count on.

“What was he . . . “ Rolling her eyes at Emily’s smirk, Elizabeth forced herself to say his name this one time. “What was Jason supposed to do? Stay with a girl he hardly knows. Who he accidently married because he had a few too many to drink. Or go home to his son? Michael needed him.” With a careless shrug of her shoulders Elizabeth took a quick scan of the room, purposly skipping over Emily’s unsmiling face.

“You’re not even going to try and fight for him?”

Like he fought for me? A nasty little voice answered back in Elizabeth’s head. “What’s there to fight for? He doesn’t want me in his life Emily.” Needing to steer the conversation into safer territory, Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Can we please not talk about this my last night in town. I haven’t been allowed out of bed for the last week. I was stuck in a hospital bed for two weeks before that. Let’s go get Brenda, rent a few chick flicks and eat till we get sick.”

Reaching out and wrapping her hand around Emily’s, Elizabeth stopped and looked at her friend’s unconvinced face. “Em, I promise to have a good cry when I get home.”


~~~ November~~~~


“No, I don’t understand.” Gritting her teeth down to nubs, Elizabeth tried to keep quiet as the woman on the other end of the line finished repeating the same answer for the fifth time. “So let me get this straight. My electric bill, that’s in my name - for my apartment - keeps getting changed to a New York address?”

“Exactly.” The woman on the other end of the line breathed a great big breath of relief.

Squeezing her eyes shut and counting to ten, Elizabeth told herself not to lose her patients. Because once that happened, the people on the other end of the phone had a nasty habit of hanging up on her.

There’d been Juan from the phone company. Phoebe from the cable company. Some sweet little lady on the other end of the phone at the admissions office. And Gus. Well he actually just slammed the door in her face.

“Connie -.”


“It’s Candy.” The woman replied.

“Sorry. Candy, I’ve had a long day, so please bare with me.” Pausing to keep her tone in check, Elizabeth went on. “Is it normal for the billing address to just . . . change magically?”

“Not really.”

“Hmm.” Pursing her lips together tightly, Elizabeth nodded. “Okay. And is it normal for a bill, going to the wrong address, hundreds of miles away, get paid?”

“Well you could’ve sent in a payment without the statement.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. I could’ve. But I didn’t.” Her voice gradually growing louder, Elizabeth knew the conversation was getting no where. “And I know how did. I’ve asked you people every month for the last seven months to stop changing the mailing address.”

“Ma’am, if you can’t keep this conversation on a professional level, I will -.”

“Disconnect the call.” Elizabeth finished the woman’s sentence. “Here let me save you the trouble.”

Slamming the phone down with a few select words that would make a pirate blush, Elizabeth wished she could give the person responsible a few carefully selected words. For someone who wanted to stay out of her life, he sure did his damnedest to intrude.

For Christsake they weren’t even married anymore, hadn’t been since June. When the large envelope had been dropped off to her. No phone call warning her that it was coming. No little note telling her he wished her well and good luck in life. She would’ve taken a “Thanks for all the fun we had between the sheets”. But apparently she was no longer a blip on Jason Morgan’s radar.

She’d been so fired up, she’d almost called him to rake him over the coals. To tell him what a jackass he was. Of how he’d broken her heart. But it wasn’t until she’d picked up the phone that she realized she didn’t have his phone number. Seeing that it was unlikely that someone in the Mob would be listed, Elizabeth knew she could call Emily for it.

But then Emily would want to talk about it. To sit and analyze why Jason was acting like this. Talk about how perfect of a pair she and Jason would’ve made. Then she would have to hear how wonderful everything was going for Emily and Johnny.

Not that she hadn’t been thrilled when the two gotten engaged. Or how he’d found her just the right house and surprised her with it. Well she did hold back the gagging sound of jealousy she’d been feeling, only because Elizabeth wanted Emily to be happy.

By the time she’d stopped feeling bad about avoiding Emily the raging fire was back to a manageable size. Without waiting, she read over the neatly- almost uncomprehensible mumbo-jumbo. Crossing over the alimony amount and writing down that she wanted nothing, she’d signed on the dotted line. Sealed up the papers, licked a few stamps and walked it down to the mailbox, and a few more blocks, to a not so picky bar and got sloppy drunk.

The irony wasn’t wasted on her.

The sound of the phone brought her back.

“Hello?”

“Tell me you’re gonna come.” Emily’s cheerful voice broke through some of the gloom Elizabeth was feeling.

“Come where?”

“No, that’s not how it works.” Emily laughed. “Just say you’re gonna come.”

Getting caught up in her friends obvious joy, Elizabeth also laughed. “Fine I’m coming.”

“Great. Your tickets should be delivered today.”

“ . . . Emily you’ve lost me here.”

“Johnny and I have set a date. And though at first, I wanted to force you to keep the oath you made Freshman year to be my Maid of Honor, I wanted to give you a chance to back out. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I need you here a couple days before Christmas.”

Blinking, Elizabeth felt blindsided, by a big, out of control Mac truck. Which after some reflection she’d probably figure out was Emily’s entire plan. “Be where?”

“Port Charles silly. Johnny and I are getting married on New Year’s Eve. Now you’re fitting will be the day after you get here-.”

“Emily you know I love you - .”

“Elizabeth, before you finish that thought let me explain a few things to you. I’m getting married to a man my entire family, minus Jason, hates. My Grandfather calls me on an hourly basis with his bipolar episodes. My Mother is trying to be happy for me, but looks ready to start popping pills. Brenda is here for me, but as much as I like her . . . she’s not you. So I’m going to pull the insane-bride-on-a-rampage-card. I know I’m asking a lot, the whole you and Jason thing crossed my mind, but I can’t help being selfish.”

“Are you finished?”

“Are you coming?” Emily fired back.

Taking a look around the empty living room, Elizabeth groaned.

Squealing on the other end of the phone, Emily could be heard kissing the mouthpiece. “I knew I could count on you.”

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Five

Deep breathes. People always seemed to say that thinking that a few deep cleansing breathes could take away a building panic attack.

“Crap. It’s all utter crap.” Elizabeth mumbled under her breath and tried to dislodge her fingernails from the armrest. The plane had taken off over an hour ago. And the higher up in the air she got, it started to dawn on her that this was all too much. That there were some real serious issues that perhaps she should’ve cleared up before take off.

But instead, she was flying into it. Going to Emily’s wedding, where she’d without a doubt run into Jason.

“Sweetheart, I’m afraid if you don’t let go, they’ll need the Jaw’s of life to get you out of your seat.” The woman sitting in the seat next to Elizabeth patted her white knuckles, her eyes filled with compassion. “Hate to fly too huh?”

Up until that moment, the middle-aged woman had been snoring silently next to her. Elizabeth wasn’t entirely sure she wanted the intrusion. “Something like that.”

“Yeah, I hate to fly too.” Smiling the woman took a sip from the soda the attendant had left after take off. “Going to visit family?”

“No. My best friend is getting married.” Jason’s face flashed before her eyes again.

“Oh what a wonderful time of year to start a brand new life.” The woman smiled, sighing in the way only someone who’d never had their heart shattered could. “Are you in the wedding?”

Smiling back as politely as she could and returned her gaze to the back of the headrest in front of her, knowing she must’ve looked slightly constipated. “I’m the Maid of Honor.”

“I was the Maid of Honor in my Sister’s wedding three years ago. I met my second husband there. He was the Best Man.”

Snapping her eyes from the forward position, Elizabeth looked at the woman. “Excuse me?”

“My husband was Best Man.” The words didn’t really penetrate. Who was Best Man? Surely Emily and Johnny wouldn’t. No, it’d be Francis or Max. Fates couldn’t really be that cruel. Dear Lord she was going to hurl.

“Honey you look white as a ghost!”

“I don’t feel too good.”

“Here hold on.” Leaning forward, the woman rummaged in a black carry-on bag. “I usually don’t do this, but I can’t stand to see you so miserable.” Popping the lid off the top of a little brown bottle and shaking a pretty little pink pill in the palm of her hand, the woman kept talking. “I have to do quiet a bit of traveling for my job, and between you and me, I look a lot worse for wear than you do right now.” Setting the pill on the tray next to Elizabeth’s glass of wine she’d given up drinking. It was amazing how easy it was to get served a few hundred miles up in the air. “They help with anxiety. Make you a little sleepy, but it’s better than dwelling on the what ifs that never happen.”

Staring at the pink pill, Elizabeth had an image of Alice in Wonderland. Besides, hadn’t she learned in school not to take candy from a stranger.

“You don’t have to take it.” Snapping the lid shut, Ms Pill Pusher sat back again. “But if you do, promise not to drive directly after. I’d hate to be responsible if something happened to you.”

“Promise.” Elizabeth turned to thank the woman for her thoughtfulness and saw she’d fallen back to sleep again.

Letting out a deep breath, she tried closing her eyes. But each time Jason’s ruggedly handsome face would swim before her eyes. Her heart would lurch, while her stomach would drop altitude. Grabbing her travel CD from her travel bag, she shoved the headset on and concentrated on music. Closing herself relax a little, it wasn’t until Arvil’s voice started to blare, thanking some unknown jerk for dumping her, when Elizabeth was ready to start screaming.

She was past exhaustion. Lack of sleep, crappy sleeping habits, stress from finals and Emily’s pending wedding. Plus her on going fight with the utility companies.

Her eyes snapped open and rested on the pill sitting innocently on the tray in front of her. Looking sideways at the woman beside her, Elizabeth studied the woman. She didn’t look like some stung out drugie. And her doctor did prescribe the pills, so she didn’t go to the local high school for them.

Tapping her fingers on the armrest, Elizabeth tried to think of how taking the pill would have some horrible backlash. She could be allergic. Though she’d never, in her life been allergic to anything.

The nice woman had said they’d make her a little tired. In fact, she seemed quiet coherent when they’d been talking. Not once trace of being stoned.

There was another three hours to go.

“Eat me.” Elizabeth smirked, picking up the tiny pink pill. “Drink me.” With her other hand, she picked up the almost full glass of wine. “Cheers.”


~~~~*~~~~


“I still can’t believe you got her to come.” Staring at the gate, Brenda watched as the plane started to unload.

“I didn’t give her much of a choice.” Standing on tiptoe, Emily tried to look over the shoulder of the balding man in front of her.

“Does Jackass know yet?”

“Brenda, when are you going to stop calling him that?”

“When hell freezes over.” Brenda answered sweetly between clenched teeth. “He’s lucky Sonny put his foot down and lifted the ban I placed on him coming into the penthouse.”

“You dumped a pitcher of lemonade on him as a Welcome back present.”

“That was an accident and you know it.” Brenda half-heartedly defended herself. “Didn’t you get her first class?”

“Yeah.” Looking around to make sure they hadn’t missed her coming off yet, Emily frowned. “You don’t think she backed out at the last second do you?”

“Let me see.” Tapping her finger on her chin, Brenda looked thoughtful. “She had to be tricked/guilt tripped into even agreeing to come and be in your wedding. Then there’s the inevitable encounter with Jackass. How do you think that conversation is going to go?” Clearly on a roll, Brenda stepped forward when the man in front of them left with the person they were waiting for. “Hey Jase, how’s it hanging? Date an raging lunatics I should keep an eye out for?”

The corner of Emily’s mouth twitched. “Stop. I have enough stuff I’m freaking out over that I don’t want to dwell on the negative.”

“Negative? Honey, that’s not negative, it’s nucleolar - Shit is that Elizabeth?”

Neither girl needed any conformation as they rushed forward to where Elizabeth was being led out by a harassed looking attendant and a guilty looking passenger.

“Elizabeth?” Getting to Elizabeth’s side first, Emily brushed aside the attendant who looked ready to strangle her friend.

“Em, is that you?” Not lifting her head, Elizabeth swayed a little and leaned her weight into her friend. “When’d you get here?”

“I am so sorry.” The woman on the other side of Elizabeth flushed and stared at Brenda with pleading eyes. “I didn’t know she was drinking wine. She looked so young, it never crossed my mind.”

“Slow down.” Brenda placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder gently.

“She was so tense. The poor girl looked like she was going to crack into a million pieces.” Wide eyed the woman shook while looking at Elizabeth in her current condition. “I gave her one of my anxiety pills. I take them when I have to fly. But they really shouldn’t take them with alcohol.”

“Ms. Corinthos?” Max’s voice came from behind, making both girls groan loudly.

“Max?” Elizabeth tried to lift her head. “I can’t see you.”

Looking like he was ready to start laughing, he quickly caught himself when Brenda shot him a sharp look. “Not a word Max. I swear not one single word to anyone.”

“Absolutely, Ms. Corinthos.”

“Why don’t you get Elizabeth’s bags while we get her to the limo.” Brushing the frantic woman away from Elizabeth, Brenda looked over at Emily. “Does this girl ever get cut a break?”

“No.” Emily answered gloomily.

“Your Sonny Corinthos’s wife.” The woman started babbling loudly, almost causing a scene. “Please, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to- .”

“It’s okay.” Brenda gritted out, while looking around at the curious glances they were getting. “You were only trying to help.”

Without waiting for another word, the two girls helped one, very stoned Elizabeth from the airport.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Six

“Here, drink this.” Emily placed a paper coffee cup into Elizabeth’s hand.

“That’s how all this started.” Giggling to herself, Elizabeth tried to bring the cup to her lips, almost missing and spilling the hot liquid down the front of her.

Ignoring Emily’s panicked expression. Brenda waited until Elizabeth finished drinking and looked at her. “We really need you to pull it together. Emily’s family is expecting us for dinner.”

Wrinkling her nose, Elizabeth concentrated on Brenda’s words. “You need me to act normal?”

Grabbing Elizabeth’s shoulders, Emily grinned brightly. Thrilled that they were finally getting through. “Yes, we need you to act normal.”

“I can do normal.” Sounding as though she might actually be able to do this, Elizabeth looked past Emily’s relieved expression to Brenda. “Who are you going to be?”

“Oh crap.” Letting go of Elizabeth’s shoulder’s, Emily fell back against the plush seat. “I can’t take her home like this.”

“Are you kidding?” Helping Elizabeth take another drink, Brenda grinned. “I mean she’s more sober than AJ’s probably been in the last month.”

“I can’t believe you think this is funny.”

“I can’t believe you don’t.” Snorting, Brenda took the coffee away from Elizabeth. “We could always take her back to my place until she sobers up some more.”

Looking at her watch, Emily shook her head. “Cook said she was putting dinner on the table at six. And you know how she is when people are late for her ‘special’ dinners.”

“We could shove her face into the snow.” Brenda suggested. The soon to be bride looked thoughtful. “It was a joke Emily.”

“You two need to calm down.” Elizabeth shook her head at the two of them. “I can be normal.” Giggling again, it took her a moment to get herself together. “No really, I can. It’s not like I’m going to start swinging from the curtains like Tarzan.”

“Elizabeth, you peed in Kelley’s parking lot when we were getting you coffee.” Emily exclaimed.

“Well I had to go.”

“Apparently.”

“Why don’t we just tell them what happened. It’s not like Elizabeth’s some kind of junkie. I’m sure they’d understand.” This time she and Emily looked at one another and started laughing.


“Whatever you girls are gonna do you better figure it out now.” Max called out as he turned the limo into the entrance of the Quartermaine estate.

~~~*~~~


“Do you really have to go?” Holding Michael close, Monica Quartermaine kissed her Grandson’s cheek loudly before handing him over to her husband to do the same.

“It’s almost Michael’s dinner time, and we need to go up to see Lilah.” Not meaning to stay as long as they had, Jason waited until Alan kissed Michael goodbye before taking his son into his arms.

“Why don’t you stay?” Knowing she was suggesting the impossible, Monica knew the answer before she offered, but she hoped one day to be surprised.

“Monica when are you going to give up?” Edward’s voice came from the doorway. “Jason doesn’t want anything to do with us. If it weren’t court ordered, he’d never bring Michael here twice a month, plus holidays. We’d never see hide or hair of either one of them.” Waving his hand in Jason’s general direction, Edward headed to the wet bar to pour himself a drink.

For the first time in a long time, Edward was actually right about something. If it weren’t for one un-bribable judge, he wouldn’t subject himself or Michael to these visits. They drained him. Having Monica with her searching eyes and hopeful invitations. Alan, working so damn hard on staying aloof, only it made him look more desperate than Monica. Then there was the old man.

Edward Quartermaine. The man was intrusive, opinionated and pushy. As far as Jason could see, Edward didn’t approve of anything anyone did, didn’t do, thought of doing. It drove him nuts to watch his Emily turn herself into knots each time she came home from school. But now she was home for good it was even worse.

He’d seen the way she’d tried to make the cranky old fart see what a good man Johnny was. Of how much she loved him. She’d been wasting her breath.

“Edward I thought you weren’t feeling well.” Monica asked.

“Well, I’m feeling better.” A flush grew around the older man’s collar. “And I came downstairs to make sure that delinquent doesn’t forget to stop by Lilah’s parlor before leaving.”

Zipping Michael’s jacket up, Jason tried to block out the bickering around him. Swinging the diaper bag over his shoulder, he picked up the toddler. “I’ll be here around two on Christmas.”

Not waiting for a reply, he hurried out of the room and up the stairs before they realized he and Michael had left. If he was lucky he could be out of the house before the war in the living room ended.

~~~*~~~

“Home sweet home.” Staring at the door, Emily breathed deeply before turning to Elizabeth who was staring up at the icicles hanging off the eves. “Elizabeth are you sure you can do this?”

“Why? Still thinking about shoving my face in the snow?” A wicked smile curled onto her lips as she studied the long pointy objects. Tilting back a little too far, she lost her balance and slipped off the step.

“I don’t know Tarzan, gonna swing from the curtains?” Offering her a hand up, Brenda looked into Elizabeth’s dilated pupils. “Stoner.”

“Princess.”

“Okay, Elizabeth please whatever you do, please don’t let my Grandfather get you mad.” Looking nauseous, Emily closed her eyes. “Just give the sign if you feel like you can no longer do this. Brenda and I will get you out.”

“Jesus Em, I’m starting to think you should’ve taken the little pink pill.”

“I know I’m acting insane. But I can’t help it. The seamstress mutilated my dress, the caterer thinks this is his wedding and keeps insisting that fish bake is the way to go. My Grandfather is acting worse then ever. He’s boycotting the wedding and anyone who’s supporting me. My mother is trying so hard to be happy that I think her face is going to crack.”

Still rubbing her backside, Elizabeth slipped in the same spot and almost ended up on the ground again. “Doesn’t anyone shovel their sidewalks anymore.”

Brenda and Emily looked over to where Elizabeth was now muttering to herself. Brenda nodded, her brows raised. “Hell, with all that other stuff happening, this is nothing.”

“You’ve got a point.” Putting her hand on the doorknob, Emily knew it was now or never.

~~~*~~~

“He’s grown so much.” Watching Michael teeter across the room, Lilah sighed. “So are you two ready for Christmas?”

“I hope so.” Jason chuckled as he thought of all the presents under the tree at home.

“Christmas is my favorite time of year.” A soft smile touched her lips. “The decorations, brightly wrapped packages. And most importantly family.” Laughing at the face Jason made, Lilah patted his hand. “Yes even this family.”

“I’ll take you on your word.”

“Oh you just wait. One day you’re going to find the woman who’s going to take your breath away. No, I think she’s going to have to be the type to knock you off your feet, literally.” The words hit home, and it hurt like a SOB. What would his Grandmother say if she knew he’d found that girl and shoved her away, literally?

“Michael and I need to get going.”

“I was hoping Emily would be here to see her nephew before you left.” Smiling again when Michael laughed at nothing in particular, Lilah went on. “Enjoy these years Jason, they don’t come again.”

Picking up Michael Jason brought him over so Lilah could kiss him goodbye. “We’ll see you Christmas afternoon.”

“Merry Christmas Dear.”

“Merry Christmas.”

~~~*~~~

“Mom? Dad?” Walking into the house, followed by Brenda and Elizabeth, Emily didn’t have to wait long before her parents and AJ joined them in the entranceway.

“AJ, when did you get here.” Kissing her older brother on the cheek, Emily could smell he’d been drinking.

“Just a few minutes ago, I was just bonding with Grandfather.” Smirking, AJ looked over to where Elizabeth was standing. “It’s nice to see you again Elizabeth. You’re looking prettier than ever.”

Elizabeth smiled weakly and tried to step away when AJ came over to give her a friendly hug. The last and only time she’d seen him was when he’d stopped in to visit Emily in Colorado. He’d gone out and gotten wasted, only to come back to the apartment and puke all over her.

Trying to put space between herself and the oldest Quartermaine sibling, Elizabeth whispered into Brenda’s ear. “I think I just threw up in my mouth.”

Brenda covered her laugh by coughing into her fist.

Seeing Emily’s pleading eyes, Elizabeth clamped her mouth shut. Looking around the room for something else to occupy her mind, she stopped on Emily’s father’s tie. The lines on it seemed to be moving in hypnotizing waves. And here she thought she was getting sober.

“I’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Webber.” Seeing that Elizabeth was staring wide-eyed at her father’s multi colored tie, Emily gave her had a sharp squeeze. “Elizabeth this is Alan and Monica Quartermaine.”

Knowing it was her time to perform, Elizabeth opened her mouth and for the first time in her life, found herself speechless. Instead she smiled and murmured a greeting.

“And this is my Grandfather, Edward Quartermaine.” Emily’s smile seemed to grow tight, and Elizabeth swung her eyes to the ever so famous man.

“It’s nice to meet one of Emily’s friends - who’s not tied to the mob.” Taking her hand in a firm handshake, Elizabeth felt Brenda pinch her from behind. “And you can ignore that deviant coming down the stairs.” Edward growled over her shoulder. “He’s not a person someone as respectable as yourself should become acquainted with.”

Not needing to turn around to knew who the old windbag was talking about, Elizabeth felt the room sway and knew it had nothing to do with a pill. The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise, as goosebumps ran the length of her arms.

“Don’t listen to him, he’s full of hot air.” Emily’s mother pulled Edward off Elizabeth. “I’d like you to meet our Son, Jason and our Grandson Michael.”

This was it. The thing she’d been dreading. And - screw that, the son of bitch was going to pay.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Somewhere in her befuddled mind, Elizabeth could’ve sworn she’d heard Emily whimper.

Fixing her ‘Ain’t I a precious angel’ smile on her face, she turned to find Jason just feet away, standing on the last step on the staircase. His expression unreadable, while he shifted the weight of a red-haired boy on his hip.

She’d been unable to stop the tiny flip her heart did, or how her stomach tightened up into the size of a golf ball. Keeping her eyes from traveling the length of him was an impossibility. Drinking him from his heavy boots on up, bringing her eyes level with his.

God she wanted to just lick him. Like a lollipop. How many licks would it take to get to the center of . . . Squeezing her eyes shut, Elizabeth ordered herself to focus.

She’d been wanting to find some kind of faults she’d over looked. Lip a big fat mole on the end of his nose, or some incurable - lumpy rash that distorted his face. But instead he looked better than she remembered. Wide shoulders covered by his black leather jacket, slim hips all snug in his faded jeans, long legs, and the face of a Greek God.

The bastard, he looked good on purpose.

“We already know eachother.” Even his stupid voice sounded like freaking honey with a touch of smooth whiskey. It just washed over her, making her almost ache for what could’ve been.

They so were not going to play it his way.

“Oh, I didn’t know you’d already met.” Elizabeth saw the confusion on Monica’s face, and wanted to be a dear by making things clear. “We’ve talked a few times on the phone, when he’d call for Emily. But I wouldn’t really say we know one another.”

Turning back to him, Elizabeth prayed the floor would stay still as she took the necessary steps to where Jason was standing, studying her like she was some ugly little bug he found grossly interesting. “It’s great to finally meet you. Emily’s always gushing on about what a gr-reat guy you are.”

Shaking his hand while shooting daggers at him with her eyes, Elizabeth went to pull away, only to find her hand encased in his much larger one. Trying again to pull away, her eyes flew to where their hands were joined and had an unnatural desire to bit him. But if she were to sink her front teeth into the back of his hand, Emily would probably lose it. So she opted to look back into his face again, with a nasty remark on her lips. But the angry, irritated smirk he shot back at her, made her forget what she was about to say.

“Nice to meet you.”

“And this is our Grandson Michael.” Alan tickled the toddlers chubby cheek.

AJ came to stand right behind Elizabeth, so close she could feel the creepiness oozing from him. “Who Jason stole from me. But that’s a little part of our family history we like to keep out of civil conversations.”

“Well perhaps you should’ve stayed sobber.” Edward snarled, his jowls shaking in his anger. “You wouldn’t have lost him to this - this hoodlum.”

“Will you both put a sock in it?” Monica cried out. “We a guest in the house who doesn’t need to know all of our dirty laundry.”

Alan glared at his father and son. “No wonder Emily doesn’t bring her friends around.”

“Oh, don’t worry. My family isn’t much better.” Trying to smooth things over, Elizabeth all but batted her eyes. “Just this year my sister had one too many while she was on vacation in Las Vegas. Ended up marrying some Schlub she didn’t know. She never seems to get anything right.”

Clearly taken aback, but interested at the same time, Alan and Monica exchanged glances with one another. It only took a few seconds before Monica asked. “What happened?”

“Oh, he ditched her.” Attempting lamely to snap her fingers, Elizabeth tried again until she got it right. “She’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Said one second they were talking about giving it a go, next thing she knows he vanished without a trace.”

“Well.” Seeing that Jason was clearly on the verge of saying something, Emily stepped in front of him and clasped her hands in front of her tightly. “That sister of yours never ceases to amaze me.”

“How sad.” Monica’s face looked horrified. “What did she do?”

“Came back home with her tail between her legs. Signed the divorce papers when they came.” Really into her role, Elizabeth sighed. “But, I told her that’s what she gets for being such a . . . well for being too easy.”

Snorting loud enough to echo off the walls, Edward shook his head in disgust. “That’s the problem with today’s youth. No respect for marital vows. No respect for themselves.”

Jason didn’t know if he wanted to wrap his hands around Elizabeth’s slender throat, or put her over his knee until she was black and blue. Both ideas were extremely appealing, but the thought of Elizabeth’s tight little backside up in the air . . . What he did know, was she was higher than a kite, and clearly on a roll.

He’d known the second Emily announced Elizabeth would be in the wedding it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing. He’d failed her miserably, from beginning to - well he failed her. And it would only be natural she’d harbor some resentment. Hell he’d been afraid of his phone for weeks, expecting to hear her injured voice on the other end of the line. Calling him out on his inexcusable behavior. But when weeks had passed into months he’d assumed she’d recovered and had gone on with life.

“Perhaps we should make our way to the dinning room.” Brenda’s voice struggled to overpower the warring voices. Casting an amused look at Elizabeth, she took the younger woman’s hand and started to drag her away. “Jason if you see Sonny let him know I’ll be home later.”

“Oh, you’re not staying for dinner.” Emily could’ve cried she was so happy. “That’s just a shame. Well you drive safe.” Kissing Michael on the cheek and trying to make a quick escape with the rest of the family as they made their way to the dining room, she felt Jason’s free hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

“Would you like to tell me what that was about?” Shifting Michael at his hip, Jason watched Emily squirm.

“Not really.”

“She’s stoned off her ass.”

“Not intentionally.”

“Emily . . .”

“Some woman on the plane felt sorry for her, because she looked ready to explode and gave her a pill to relax. But didn’t know Elizabeth had been drinking wine to sooth her nerves. So long story short, she mixed the pill with alcohol . . . and well she doesn’t have that high of a tolerance . . .” Clearly out of words to say, Emily deflated. “She didn’t want to come in the first place. But I forced her into it.”

In other words, this was all his fault, Jason thought.

“Help me with Michael’s coat.” Handing his son over to his confused sister, Jason dropped the diaper bag to the ground and unzipped his jacket. Tossing it over the banister, Jason turned back to Emily.

“You’re staying?” Clearly not thinking it was the best idea, Emily shook her head vigorously. Her hair swinging madly. “You can’t stay. No. No, Jason she’s out of her gourd right now. Saying and doing things . . . she’s going to make herself sick over this tomorrow.”

“A few words aren’t going to hurt me.” No, but the way her sharp little nails bit into the back of his hand still stung like a bitch. “This is my mess Emily.”

Seeing that Jason wasn’t really listening to her, Emily made one last ditch attempt to make him understand. “She mooned the parking attendant at the airport, then peed in Kelley’s parking lot when stopped there to get coffee.”” Pulling Michael’s bib out of the diaper bag, Jason looked at Emily as though he hadn’t heard her right. “ What you saw was the eye of the storm. She’s a menace right now, and you staying is only going to add fuel to the fire.”

“Do you want me to leave? I will if that’s what you really want. But Elizabeth and I have unfinished business, and sooner or later we’re going to have to talk.”

“Can’t it be January first?”

Smiling at her pleading tone, he lifted a brow at his younger sister. “You said she was flying in after Christmas.”

“I lied. Sue me.” Emily grumbled. Looking down at her nephew, Emily rolled her eyes. “Stay. But I’m warning you now - we’re having steak for dinner tonight.”

“So.”

“That means Elizabeth has access to a sharp instrument.”


~~~*~~~

Peas were the craftiest little things. All round like and . . . green. A person had to be sneaky to get the best of this vegetable. It was a veggie right? No seeds inside. Or, was it a seed? Trying to pin one with her fork, taking her aggression out on it. Elizabeth frowned.

What did it take to get a rise out of Mr. Stick Up My Butt siting across from her. Since he’d taken the seat across from her she’d tried pushing his buttons. Apparently her ex-husband didn’t have any to push. Heck she’d even lowered herself and flirted with AJ. That hadn’t even earned her a flicker of an eye.

No, that wasn’t entirely true, he did look at her several times like she was some three year old acting out. If the table weren’t so wide, she’d kick him right in the shin. Stupid poo poo face.

To make matters worse she was slowing coming down. Hard.

“So Elizabeth.” Clearing his throat, Edward tossed his napkin on the table. “How do you feel about Emily’s intended working for the Mob?”

The tabled stilled for a split second before Monica and Alan exploded. Defending Johnny and reprehending Edward for his outburst.

“I think it’s a reasonable question.” Edward blustered. “She’s the only young lady at this table who hasn’t gotten herself tangled up with one of Jason’s associates.”

“Elizabeth feel free to ignore my father.” Leaning forward, Alan grimaced. “He’s old and set in his ways.”

“Why don’t you tell us how the school years been going?” Changing the subject to safer ground, Monica’s smile was pinched. “Any boyfriends?”

No Mrs. Quartermaine, but I did divorce your youngest son over the summer.

“Actually I don’t date much.” Or at all since Spring Break, and it was all Jason’s fault - Kill Joy.

Leaning back in his chair and swinging his arm over the back of hers, AJ leaned in and gave her an oily smile. “Oh come on, a beautiful girl like you?”

“I’m shy.” She was rewarded by a snort from Jason’s direction. “I’m sorry, I missed that?”

Busying himself by cleaning the food off Michael’s face, Jason mumbled nothing.

“Well don’t worry, this town is crawling with eligible bachelors.” Clearly cheering up with the thought of match making, Monica leaned up to the table. “Infact Casper Jax stopped by earlier.”

“Oh yes.” Agreeing with his wife, Alan picked up his wine. “Charming man. Australian.”

“He’s a jerk.” Jason’s jaw squared, as he told in soft tones.

Just happy to have her son join into the conversation, Monica considered his words. “I know you and Jax haven’t seen eye to eye in the past . . .”

“There’s Lucky Spencer.” Edward suggested. “His Father is good for nothing, but his Mother is an angel.”

“No, tell me more about Jax.” Sitting up a little taller, Elizabeth loved the way the stranger’s name made Jason practically growl. “Is he good looking?”

Warming to the conversation herself Brenda nodded wide eyed. “Tall. Blonde. Tan. Rich. He’s a real gentleman. And his accent is to die for.”

“Elizabeth.” Jason’s voice was low, but the warning was there.

“And he’s single?” Looking up the table and now ignoring the way Jason’s eyes were narrowing.

“I haven’t heard that he’s been seeing anyone.” Monica said. “Perhaps we’ll invite him over for tea tomorrow.”

Jason gripped the napkin in his lap until his knuckles turned white. He was going to kill her. He’d known she’d been testing him all night, and he’d taken it because he actually deserved it. But she was pushing him too far.

“That’s a great -.”

“We need to talk.” Standing up from the table, Jason dropped his napkin down and looked at Elizabeth. Seeing Brenda open his mouth from the corner of his eye, he gave her a look that clearly said to stay out of it.

“Sure, in just a sec.” Flashing him a hundred watt smile she hoped would blind him, Elizabeth turned back to Monica. “I was hoping to find someone to escort me to Emily’s wedding.”

But her words fell on deaf ears. Monica was staring at Jason with a look that looked befuddled.

“Perhaps you should ask your husband first.” The words had the room at a standstill.

Her head whipping up so fast she almost got whiplash, Elizabeth couldn’t think with the sound of blood pounding in her ears. A could sweat washed over her. Apparently she found a button. A red one.

“I don’t -. But I signed -.” The blood stopped pounding in her ears and stained her face red. Standing up like a rocket, she grabbed her water glass and almost threw it until she remembered the Michael. “Your not my husband anymore. Remember? You opted out. You can’t renig.”

“Will someone please explain?” Monica looked to her daughter, but Emily was in as much shock as everyone else.

“Are you to tell me the two of you are . . .” Edward looked back and forth from Elizabeth to Jason and laughed. “No, I don’t believe it.”

“I thought you were more into strippers and sluts?” AJ’s upper lip curled as he glared across the table at his younger brother. “Or is there something we don’t know about -.”

“Want a broken jaw?” Jabbing a finger at AJ, he waited until his older brother looked away. Running a hand across the stubble on his chin, Jason almost laughed. He could’ve done this better. Hell, he could’ve done a lot of things better. And a public outburst wasn’t how he’d planned on telling her.

But it was like Lila said. He’d found a girl who knocked him off his feet. Literally.

Now he had two weeks to find a way to knock the tigress growling back at him off hers.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“So how’s the missus?” Chuckling at his own joke, Sonny Corinthos looked up from the files he’d been working on when Jason walked in. Taking in Jason’s tired, washed out appearance he could tell life was a little rough for his long time friend. Well good. It was about damn time.

Pausing mid-stride, Jason frowned. “Brenda tell you?”

Leaning back, his eyes dancing Sonny tsked. “My wife gossip? No of course not.” Waving his hand in the air, Sonny rolled his eyes. “Of course she told me. Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Heading now to the wetbar, Jason growled deep in his chest.

Checking his watch and whistling low, Sonny shook his head. “Drinking before noon? Not a good sign buddy. Next thing you’ll be going to meetings with AJ.”

Knocking back some of Sonny’s strongest imported Whiskey, Jason whipped his mouth with the back of his hand. “She drives me insane.”

“Elizabeth hasn’t even been in town for twenty-four hours and she already has you drinking.”

“She all but spit in my face last night.” Turning around to Sonny’s laughter, Jason wondered why he ever thought he’d get some kind of sympathy here. He’d been up till four that morning warring with himself. Flip-flopping back and forth between fighting for Elizabeth or letting her just walk away.

“Was this before or after you used your impeccable verbal skills to tell Elizabeth the two of you are still married?”

Then there had been that. He’d humiliated her. Left her standing there blinking. Until a tear rolled from her eye and she dashed from the room. Thank God Max had been outside waiting to take the girls to Emily’s after dinner.

“I should’ve left.”

“You should’ve, but who could say no to a dinner at the Quartermaines?”

And hadn’t that been a real treat. Monica and Alan hounding him with questions he sure as hell didn’t want to answer, while Edward nearly yelled himself into a stroke.

“She was purposely pushing my buttons -.” It was a lame excuse, and seeing he couldn’t find a way to un-wedge his ass from his backside, it was all he had left to defend himself.

“No shit you say.” Getting up from the table to refill his own drink Sonny wondered when Jason took the bullet to the head. “You took off while she was all but in a coma. Sent her divorce papers without warning, messed with her bills. I’m surprised she didn’t remove your ballsack with a rusty saw.”

“I love her Sonny.”

“Jason you really are a Jackass aren’t you?” Looking at his friend like it was the first time he’d ever seen him, Sonny snorted. “There’s another thing I have to admit my wife was right about.”

“I’m being serious. I want her back.”

“So embarrassing her in front of the Quartermaine’s was the way you decided to go?” Cocking his head to the side, Sonny made a face. “I can’t say that’s quiet the way I’d try and win a girl’s heart.”

“Fuck you.” Glaring at his jerk of a friend, Jason turned his back and headed to the door.

“What do you want me to say Jason?” Waiting until Jason stopped, Sonny went on. “I don’t know where the hell you’re coming from anymore. You’re all over the place. Married a girl you didn’t even know in Vegas while on a drinking spree. Decided to throw caution to the wind and make a go of it. Then take off the first time you’re put to the test.”

“I thought she would’ve been better off without me.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? You know, I never got that.” His arms went wide as the liquid in his glass went sloshing over the side. “You think Michael’s any safer than Elizabeth would’ve been? It didn’t stop you from fighting tooth and nail with Bobby, then the Quartermaines over custody. What happened to Elizabeth had nothing to do with the business.”

“I know.” God he knew.

Clearly deflated, Sonny took a seat on the couch. “Jase, why didn’t you just file the papers?”

“I was going to, but I kept finding reasons to put it off. Michael got an ear infection. Moving back to the penthouse. Then I just couldn’t do it. I bought tickets, I was going to fly out to Colorado to see her.”

“To win her back?”

“Something like that.”

“And this is what you want? Elizabeth back? You better be certain, because if you break that girl’s heart again, I ain’t letting you back inside my home. I have my own marriage to protect.”



~~~~*~~~~

“Emily are you sure about this?” Standing in snow up to her knees, Elizabeth looked around the Quartermaine estate with mixed emotion.

“All my life I wanted an outdoor wedding.” Laughing at Elizabeth’s hesitation, she linked her arm through her friends and pulled her over to the edge of the pond. “You’re just not using your artistic eye.”

“Cause my artistic butt is frozen.”

Clearly not put out, Emily smiled. “Just picture it. White lights sparkling in the trees. Luminaries along the paths. The chairs will be facing the two evergreens over there.” Emily pointed in the direction of two medium sized Christmas trees. “A large arch between them where Johnny and the boys will be waiting. You want to talk about it now?”

“Nope.”

“So a sleigh is going to bring you, Brenda and I to the end of the aisle.”

Trying to envision Emily’s picture perfect wedding, Elizabeth couldn’t get past the fact she wanted all this to happen after sunset. It just sounded awfully cold to her. She hoped Jason froze his balls off.

“Food will be served inside, and we’re going to turn the pond into an old-fashioned ice rink with fires set up along the edge in containers where we’ll have chestnuts roasting.”

Looking over her shoulder at the ice, Elizabeth raised a concerned brow. “Is it safe?”

“Of course silly.” To make her point, Emily walked out onto the frozen pond. “I used to skate here all the time when I was a kid. You want to talk about it now?”

“Nope.” Taking a tentative step out on the ice, Elizabeth heard a sharp crack and her body went ridged. “Oh god the ice is breaking isn’t it?”

“No silly.” Slapping a gloved hand over her mouth, Emily laughed. “It does that. Just because you have an enormous butt doesn’t mean were gonna sink.”

“Bite me.” Shuffling her feet until she reached the bank again, Elizabeth didn’t let out the breath she was holding until she was back on solid ground.

“You can skate can’t you?”

“Of course. But back home we have these nifty places inside that grow ice. And amazingly, there’s not several feet of bone chilling water underneath it.”

“You’re a wimp.”

“Whatever. Me and my elephant butt feels more comfortable over here.” Rubbing her hands together, Elizabeth ignored the chill that was seeping into her bones. “Don’t we have a dress fitting to get to? I can’t wait to see the monstrosity your gonna make me wear.”

Sliding across the ice, Emily almost pitched over when she hit the edge. “I’m not the one with lime green heels that make me want to hurl.”

“I still can’t find those.”

“I know, I’m doing you a favor.” Kicking at a clump of snow, Emily let out a loud exasperated growl. “I can’t take it anymore. I gave you time this morning to get over your mile high headache. I’ve given you room today, waiting.”

“Nagging.” Elizabeth frowned.

“Yea, well you knew what a pampered, spoiled bitch I can be.” Emily shrugged her shoulders with out apology. “The only thing I can think is you have no idea how to start. So let me help you. What’re you getting your husband for Christmas?”

“That Bastard.” Unable to stop her upper lip from curling up, Elizabeth tried to regain some of her composer. The last thing she wanted was to come apart at the seems. Because if just one thread started to come unraveled she was going to fall apart.

“A lump of coal then?”

“Try a pile of -.”

“I’ve never seen him just lose it like that in front of the family - well besides from when he’d just gotten out of the hospital.”

Elizabeth didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to think about it. If she could put her hands over her ears and hum till it all just went away she would. But it wouldn’t take away the sick feeling in her stomach, or worse, that tiny ray of hope that sliced through her.

But her raging anger had taken care of that. Damn Bastard. How the hell was she supposed to know there was more to the divorce process than just signing the stupid papers? It’s not like she made a hobby of it.

“So what’re you going to do now?” Emily’s words were hesitant, spoken in a soft voice.

“You said once your brother had a sick love for his bike right?”

“Yea.”

“I think I’m going to win custody of the damn thing and sell it for parts.”

“Elizabeth!”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” The girls trudged their way through the snow back to where Emily had parked her Durango, a gift from Johnny. It was a pretty little package, and Elizabeth wasn’t too surprised to here bullet proof windows and a tracker had been installed before the key had been handed over to her friend.

“So you haven’t made any concrete decisions?” Emily stopped.

Stopping also, Elizabeth opened her mouth, only to snap her jaw shut with enough force to loosen two of her molars. It took her a few failed tries but coherent thought came back to her.

“You still don’t believe it’ll work between Jason and I do you?”

“Well, you must.” Putting her nose in the air, Emily brushed past her. “Or you wouldn’t be so confused.”

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Thirty-Nine

As sneak attacks went, Emily’s was down right evil.

Preparing herself for the frontal assault in the shape of her five foot eleven estranged husband. Elizabeth was ready for her next encounter with Jason, well as prepared as she possibly be in her current state of mind.

But when Emily had received a phone call Christmas Eve that had her rushing out of the house with the promise to return ‘in a jiffy’, Elizabeth should’ve smelled the makings of an Em sized plan. Instead, with both Johnny and Emily out of the house, Elizabeth took advantage of the time to wrap the presents she’d bought the day before.

Keeping an ear open for Emily’s return, Elizabeth stopped in the middle of creating a perfect bow when the sound of a child’s laughter stopped her. Finishing quickly and throwing the comforter of her unmade bed over the loot, Elizabeth heard Emily’s laughter mixing with the childs.

“Emily?” Walking down the stairs of the Hansel and Gretel cottage Johnny bought Emily a few months back, Elizabeth stopped on the forth stair from the bottom and stared.

There in the middle of the living room floor Emily had a small red-head pinned to the ground as she blew bubbles on his stomach. Feeling as though she were intruding on a special moment, she tried to back track.

“Elizabeth, I’d like to introduce you to someone.” Emily’s voice had her stopping and retracing her steps back down the stairs. “This is Michael. You met the first night you were here, but . . .”

“I was high as a kite?” Smiling down at the little boy who was studying her back just as intently. “Hello Michael, my name’s Elizabeth.”

The year old’s brow creased for a moment before he smiled. His large blue eyes sparkled as he patted his bare stomach. “Mur!”

Lifting a brow and tickling her nephew Emily laughed along with him. “Jason gave his nanny the week off for Christmas and had a last minute meeting.”

Sitting down on the floor a few feet away, Elizabeth watched as Michael flipped over and got to his feet. He definitely was a cute little thing with the rosiest, roundest cheeks she’d ever seen.

“I thought you had a lunch date with Johnny’s mother today?”

“I do.” Her smile a mile wide, Emily sprang from the floor. “In about twenty minutes. Michael hasn’t had lunch yet, he usually likes Mac and Cheeses.”

Her eyes swung from where Michael was tossing Johnny’s Sport Illustrated magazines on the floor, to Emily who was currently making a quick retreat. “Whoa! I - Where? - Emily Quartermaine don’t you dare take another step.”

“He takes a nap around one.” Completely ignoring her now, Elizabeth kept one unsure and panicked eye on the toddler, and another blind sided and panicked eye on his scheming aunt. “There’s diapers in the blue bag on the table near the door, as well as a change of clothes. His favorite blanket and animal are over on the couch, and Jason should be by around three to get pick him up.”

“No. You can’t do this.” Looking over her shoulder at Michael Elizabeth found her mouth dry up and her throat tighten. This was low. “I’m sure Jason doesn’t want me alone with his son.”

Wrapping a scarf around her throat Emily paused. “Technically he is your Stepson -.”

“Not funny.”

“Not meant to be.” Pulling on her gloves, Emily’s smirk softened. “You’re not scared of a one year old, are you?”

Completely thrown off guard, Elizabeth rocked back on her heels. “No, of course not. It’s the confrontation with his father I’m trying to avoid.”

“Yeah I know.” Blowing a piece of hair from her face, Emily stopped in front of the door. “Listen, I may be going about this the entirely wrong way, but it’s not in my nature not to interfere. Your confused, Jason’s confused. Heck I don’t know who isn’t confused over the two of you right now. But there’s another piece of the puzzle you need to be aware of and I just thought the two of you might get to know one another.”

Opening the door, Emily watched Elizabeth gulp like a guppy. “Mac and Cheese for lunch. Nap at one. Have fun you two.” Quickly stepping out onto the covered porch and shutting the door quickly behind her, Emily rolled her eyes up to the heavens. “Godspeed.”

~~*~~

“He likes Mac and Cheese my aass - behind.” Talking in an absolutely ridiculous high pitched voice, Elizabeth watched as Michael shoved another handful of noodles into his mouth, only to spit them out again.

From the moment Emily has dashed out the door, nothing seemed to have gone right. It started with the thirty minute crying gag Michael broke into, making her feel completely helpless. After he sniffed his last tear away he went on a wild rampage through Emily’s living room, grabbing anything and everything he could get his hands on and seemed to be having a grand time doing it, which was maybe the reason Elizabeth hadn’t been too determined to make him stop.

That’d been followed by the ‘incident’ that still had her stomach in a knot. On his unsteady feet, Michael had tripped and bumped his head. Needless to say, the little guy wasn’t the only who ended up with tears in their eyes.

She could do this. She was great with kids. Kids loved her damn it! So why did she feel like she was made of all thumbs? And why was she asking herself such stupid questions and avoiding the real issue. She didn’t have to be a member of Mensa to figure it out. She was trying to make a good impression with an one year old who couldn’t even hold a spoon right yet. The more she tried to be perfect, the more high strung she got. Making the entire experience uncomfortable on the both of them.

Though it was hard to shake off the uneasy feeling, that what she was going through at that moment with Michael, could’ve been a daily thing if things had turned out differently. She’d be the one who knew when his nap was. Or what blanket he favored or animal he liked. And she sure as hell would know what his favorite food was, because no matter what Emily thought, it wasn’t Mac and Cheese.

Biting on her lip and watching Michael play with his food, Elizabeth let out a defeated sigh.

“Hey Mikey?” Taking the bowl away from the little imp, Elizabeth looked down into clear blue eyes. “You don’t mind if I call you Mikey do you?” Apparently not, because she earned herself a happy grin. “To tell you the truth, I can’t stand this stuff either.”

Tossing the plastic bowl in the sink, she walked over to the refrigerator to start rummaging. “Personally I’m more the spaghetti O’s with meatballs type.” Pulling out a container of cottage cheese and a peach she’d picked up from the store a few days before she prayed he wasn’t lactose intolerant. “But I don’t think we’ll explore the mess you can make with Chief Boyardee.”

Slicing up the fruit into manageable pieces and scooped the cottage cheese into a clean bowl. “But I also love mixing these two together. Not only does it taste great, it makes your Aunt gag.”

Clearly impressed, Michael watched wide eyed as Elizabeth sat down on a kitchen chair. Opening his mouth wide before she even got the food on the spoon. Holding her breath and hoping not to get sprayed with the mouthful of cottage cheese and peaches she just fed him, Elizabeth sighed with relief when he opened up for more.

“See, what did I tell you?” Feeding him more, Elizabeth allowed herself to relax. “Just a little secret between you and me, your Aunt has no taste when it comes to food.”

“Mour.” A chubby finger pointed to the bowl, not really caring about his aunts bad habits.

“So tell me Mikey, what do you think I should do with my life?” Spooning another portion into his waiting mouth, Elizabeth waited until he was finished to feed him more. “Because between you and me? I’m at a complete loss.”

Handing him his sippy cup of juice she smiled as he chugged away.

“I wish someone would just point me in the right direction. Heck I could handle a big whopping push right now.” Michael’s mouth opened again and Elizabeth complied. “It’s just your Daddy makes me so mad.”

“Da-Da?”

“Yea, him.” Looking around the room, Elizabeth felt foolish as she leaned in. “You want to know something Mikey? I miss him.” Feeling a little better for saying it out loud, Elizabeth scraped the last of the food onto a spoon, but Michael was ready to be released from the constraints of the high chair. Making cleaning him up a chore in itself as he twist and turned, making grunting noises as he tried to escape.

Using a damp wash cloth on smooshed up, dried noodles that stubbornly stuck to Michael’s red hair was more of a challenge then she was prepared for. After only a slight hesitation, Elizabeth scooped up the rambunctious boy out of his chair and hauled him off to the nearest bathtub.

After a disastrous splashing war, which she clearly lost by the look of her drenched clothing, Elizabeth managed to remove as much food as Michael would allow and let him play a little longer with his bath pals until his eyes began to droop. Pulling him from the warm bath and into a soft terrycloth towel, Elizabeth hummed as she took Michael down the hall to the guest room that was hers while she was visiting.

Laying him gently onto the bed, she tried to remember the words to the song that was now stuck inside her head as she dried him off and rubbed lotion on his chubby little arms and legs. His eyes fluttered shut and his thumb found it’s way to his mouth.

“You want to know another little secret?” Fastening the diaper shut and pulling on a clean pair of pants, Elizabeth cleared off the present that were hiding under the sheets and rearranged Michael before lying down for a moment beside him. “I think I could get used to this.”

~~~*~~~

The living room looked as though a war had been fought there.

Michael’s toys were strewn over the carpet, as well as a wide assortment of books and magazines. Apparently Michael had played his favorite new game, Clean off the tables. Closing the door quietly behind him, Jason unzipped his jacket and crossed the room to the kitchen. The signs of lunch littered the counters.

“Emily?” Turning back to the livingroom, Jason frowned. “Elizabeth?”

Heading back through the living room, Jason head a creak from overhead. His feet hit the stairs, taking them two at a time. Walking down the hallway he stopped in front of the bathroom door and let out a chuckle. If the living room was a mess, the bathroom was a natural disaster created by hurricane Michael.

Heading to the guest room where Michael usually slept, Jason felt his heart lodge itself in his throat, making it impossible to breath.

There lying cuddled in the middle of the bed, her arm protectively over his son, was Elizabeth. Neither moved as he inched his way into the room and lowered himself gently on the foot of the bed. Their silent breathing filled the room, as he watched.

God he wanted, to crawl under the covers next to her and wrap himself around the both of them. To just lay there holding them. Breathing in their scents while running his fingers through her silky brown curls. But if he did something so stupid it would probably only earn him a few well deserved claw marks.

Instead he’d have to resign himself to watching his son and Elizabeth sleep, as he contiplated on how he was going to fix the mess he created.