The Ripple Effect by iletudrive

[JRK Archiver]

SUMMARY: Jason & Elizabeth: Jason returns in the midst of the Dead Ted debacle, and neither he nor Elizabeth know how to handle their newfound feelings.

BACKGROUND INFO: This story begins on August 21, 2000 when Jason came back the first time, and in the middle of the Dead Ted storyline. So there will be actual dialogue from the show, but a hell of a lot of deviation from it as well. After the Nurses Ball, where Carly went after A.J., Sonny never took her to the island, and they are not getting along. Other than that, Alexis is engaged to Ned, Sonny has been arrested because of Carly. Emily is the only one who knows something is wrong with Lucky. That’s all for now.

~*~~*~~*~
NEWEST info Steph has been giving to people about this fic.

Things to remember for this fic:

1) It's set during the time of Jason's first return in August 2000, before all the screwing over.
2) Dead Ted is going on.
3) Sonny is trying to stay out of jail after Carly mistakenly got him arrested.
4) Lucky's brainwashed only no one knows it.
5) V/Jax are in it.
6) Eddie's Angel debacle is still going on with Alexis.
7) And well there's a lot going on. I don't know how to write small cast stories.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 1


~Docks~

Elizabeth Webber sat on the dock looking out at Spoon Island, she had been sitting there for a long time, trying to deal with the latest bad run-in, in a long list of bad run-ins with Lucky. She was so tired of feeling this way, so tired of getting her hopes up only to see them go splat because of Lucky. Maybe it was time to let go of Lucky entirely.

She began to swing her legs over the murky water of the Port Charles River. She knocked a rock into the river and watched the effect it’s intrusion caused on the water. The ripples formed where the rock landed then gradually moved away until it was calm again, at least on the surface anyway. But underneath the surface, the rock was still falling, and there was no telling what kind of damage it would cause.

If she were big on metaphors she would compare herself to the water. The surface she projected to everyone was calm, sometimes serene, with only the occasional deviation or ripple when everything got to be too much for her to bear. She picked up a rock and dropped it in the water to start the ripple action again.

But underneath, she was pure havoc in motion. The fake smile and image she projected day after day, was such an ingrained part of her that it was starting to smother her. She had started to lose her temper today at Kelly’s after Lucky had told her again how she should be with Nikolas, and then Emily had followed on his heels with Lucky still loved her. She had snapped back, and both of them had looked at her with such a look of surprise and hurt, that she had immediately stifled her temper, and smiled.

She shook her head it amazed her that no one knew she was pretending. That in fact she was angry and lying to everyone all the time. Who knew she was such a good liar? She smirked she wished she had been this good at lying back in her Lizzie days, she would have gotten away with so much more, if she had been.

She laughed softly, she got away with it because no one expected Elizabeth to lie. She glanced up at the darkening sky, when was the last time she hadn’t had to pretend? Her face softened into a smile, with Jason.

She glanced back at the bench where he had told her goodbye. He would know she was pretending. He would see through her fake smile in a heartbeat. Who was she kidding if he were here, she probably would have enough guts to stop pretending entirely. God she missed him. She missed riding with him, laughing with him, but most of all she missed talking to him. Losing him had been hard.

Jason shifted closer to her on the bench and took her hand. “You’re not losing me, I’m just going away.”

“Yeah well for how long Jason?” She muttered. She felt a shiver down her back and glanced around, it felt like someone was watching her. She didn’t see anyone else on the dock, so she went back to her thoughts. Lucky kept saying that they had changed, maybe he was right. No. He had to be right, he was convinced that she belonged with Nikolas, so he had definitely changed. But she hadn’t changed, she was still the same, wasn’t she?

She thought about it and let out a laugh. “Well you moved out of Gram’s into your studio, you stood up to everyone over your friendship with Jason. You let people believe he was your lover to protect him. You were accosted by a crime boss, had a bomb in your studio, treated a gunshot wound, started college, got an F, had a bodyguard.” She stopped for breath. “Gee Elizabeth I guess you have changed too.”

“And now I’m talking to myself.” Elizabeth groaned.

“You think your face looks funny when you’re taping me up, you should see your face when you’re painting something that isn’t working.” Jason said shifting slowly on the couch keeping one hand on his side, while he did.

“And how do you know it wasn’t working?” Elizabeth asked in curiosity, because she had been stuck yesterday.

“You talk to yourself.” He told her with a smile.

Her eyes widened in shock. “I do not.” God she couldn’t have done that.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It was just a little.”

She leaned closer, bracing herself. “Well what do I say?”

“I don’t know.” Jason shrugged, flinching a little at the pain that movement caused him. “You kind of mutter.”

She laughed at the memory, then glanced around again, uneasy all of a sudden. She got to her feet, suddenly aware that it was night and it was getting darker by the minute. She picked up her purse and headed towards her studio. Maybe it was time to try to put another feeling on paper. Anger would be a good one. She started up the stairs, only to come to a stop at the top. She felt eyes on her again, and this time she knew who they belonged too.

“Elizabeth.”

She turned around, for her eyes to confirm what she already knew. Jason Morgan was standing by the water’s edge, he was dressed in a brown shirt and blue jeans and he was smiling at her.

“Hi.”

“Jason.” Her smile bloomed across her face, lighting up the evening. She flew off the stairs and ran over to him. He opened his arms and hugged her, lifting her off her feet when he did. “You’re back.” She tightened her arms around his neck, relishing his embrace. He hadn’t held her like this before, she had wasted a lot of time with him.

Unsure of where that thought came from she pulled out of his embrace, but kept her hand on his arm, afraid he might disappear if she let him go. “So where have you been? When did you get back? And does Emily know yet?”

Jason smiled at her. He had missed her a lot while he was gone, he didn’t know how much until he looked out the window of the warehouse and saw her sitting on the dock. He’d left Benny behind without a word in his haste to get to her before she left. “Late yesterday and no I have not seen Emily yet.”

Thank God he was here. Some of the worry and dread she had been carrying around for weeks had already vanished at the sight of his face. “But I can tell her right? I mean it’s not a secret?” She moved her hand down his arm to take his hand. “Because.” She broke off her eyes going darker and his hand tightened on hers in response. “Oh God Jason, please you have no idea how amazing it is that you’re here right now. Emily really needs you.” And so do I.

Jason put his other hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” He could see from her eyes that something was haunting her.

She wanted so badly to tell him, but she knew it was Emily’s story to tell. “All I can say is that a lot has happened. But she really, really misses you. So can I call her?” She smiled up at him begging with her eyes to get her way. “Like now. Please.”

He shook his head, he could never say no to her. “Yeah sure.”

She reluctantly let go of his hand and dug in her purse for her phone. “I can’t believe you’re here. This is so incredible.” She missed the warmth of his hand, so without thinking she reached out to touch his arm, while she touched re-dial on her phone. “So are you alright? Where have you been?”

Before he could answer, Emily answered the phone and Elizabeth stepped away to talk to her. He studied her, she had changed in the last seven months, and it was more than a new hairstyle. He couldn’t help but feel a pang at the loss of her long curly hair. The change was more than just physical, her eyes weren’t so haunted anymore, she seemed more confident and comfortable as well. The way she was dressed seemed to show that as well. He glanced at the dark red sleeveless shirt and black pants, it was similar to the outfit she was wearing that night in Jakes. But her attitude tonight was completely different. She looked amazing and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of her. He shook his hand to clear that thought and focused on her end of the conversation.

“Only the single best thing that could have happened.” Elizabeth looked over at him and smiled. “Now trust me, you’re going to kick yourself for wasting time on the phone when you could’ve gotten here faster, so hurry up.”

He watched her close the phone and shove it in her purse, he knew something was wrong.

“I cannot wait to see the look on Emily’s face when she sees you. She is going to flip.”

Jason took her hand, leading her to the bench, he waited for her to sit before he spoke. “Why has she needed me? What’s going on?”

Her eyes were guarded. “I’ll let Emily tell you.”

Jason sighed, he wouldn’t push her. “You look different.”

“Different?” She repeated making a face. “I’m not sure it that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

He tugged on her hand, shooting her a look. “Definitely good.” He studied her face. “You look older somehow.”

She flushed lightly, feeling the weight of his stare, her stomach gave a slight lurch. Get a grip Elizabeth, she ordered her brain, this is just Jason. “Well I am older.”

“I haven’t been gone that long.”

“Yes you have.” She said quietly before going on in a rush. “A haircut, I guess a new attitude. Lord knows I needed one.”

“I don’t know.” He shifted on the bench moving closer. “I like the old Elizabeth Webber.” He had left a girl, whom he had been thinking about too much and returned to find a woman. A woman that he already knew he would think about even more.

“I’m still the same brat I always was.” She didn’t remember having so much trouble breathing when she had sat beside him before. Nervous of his close scrutiny of her she changed the subject. “Do you remember when we sat here and you said goodbye and I said, ‘No. I’ll see you later’?” She laced her fingers with his. “I knew I’d see you again.”

“I thought about you a lot.” He admitted. She hadn’t stopped touching him since she saw him, not that he minded. “How’s your painting? Was your professor better than the first guy you had?” He frowned remembering the night he had found her so upset because the professor had hated her work. He had blocked a lot of that night from his memory, but he could still remember her pain.

She shrugged. “Well he seemed to like me better, so that’s good, and I’m learning new techniques.”

“Do you like what you’re painting now?” There was still a hint of sadness in her eyes and he wondered the cause.

“Sometimes.” She grinned at him. “I still think my painting of the wind is the best I’ve ever done.” That’s because it was for Jason. She shook her head clearing the thought. She shifted on the bench so she was facing him, their clasped hands resting on her knee when she brought her right leg up to cross a foot under her knee. “I’ve bet you’ve seen the wind in a lot of different places, right?”

Jason reached out and brushed a stray strand of her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her skin felt so soft under his fingers. He was used to touching her hand, not her face. “No I’ve only seen the wind with you.” His finger lingered on her skin for another minute before he let it drop. “But I have been a lot of places.”

Just breathe. You suck your stomach and air in and then you push it out. That was how you breathed. She had been doing it for almost 19 years so why was she having problems remembering how to do it now? Feelings she didn’t know she was capable of having were exploding inside of her, and all he had done was lightly brush her cheek. She forced her attention back on the conversation. “Like where? Did you make it to Italy? They say the light in Italy is different than anywhere else in the world.”

“No. I didn’t make it to Italy, so I’ll have to take your word for that.”

She shifted again moving closer to him on the bench, she couldn’t believe he was here. She didn’t remember the last time she had felt so happy. “Then where did you go?” She backtracked remembering that he didn’t like a lot of questions. “Besides Minnesota. When Emily got that postcard, we sat around for weeks trying to figure out why you’d go there.”

Arsonist. A.J. Carly. Michael. “I was looking for someone.” He said simply.

“Oh.” Her eyes were bright with curiosity but she let it drop.

“I found him in Indiana.” He always seemed to answer questions with her that he would ignore from other people. “After that I started traveling for fun, just seeing whatever I wanted to see.”

Elizabeth sighed wistfully. “I can’t wait to do that. To go anyplace I’d like.”

He could hear the sadness in her voice. “Have you been okay?”

It was funny how four little words could bring her down. Jason, her friend, the only one she could be fully honest with was back in town, and to tell the truth, she didn’t want to get into the whole Lucky situation with him. Not yet. She had missed him so much, she’d rather just sit and listen to him talk. “I’ve been fine. So where else did you go?”

“Elizabeth.” Jason said with a sigh.

She rolled her eyes. “I forgot for a minute.” He looked at her in puzzlement. “I forgot that you’re the only one who sees through me, and calls me on my pretending.”

“Why are you pretending?” He thought she had stopped doing that. He knew what happened to her when she pretended too much, and the pressure got to her. She went looking for a release and it wasn’t always in a good way.

“It’s been difficult since Lucky came home.” She admitted finally, turning her head to look at the water.

“Lucky?” He repeated in shock.

“You didn’t know?” She thought sure Sonny would have told him, to ease his mind. Although they had never discussed it, she knew he felt some guilt over the fact Lucky had died in his building. The same type of guilt she used to feel because she was the one that had given Lucky the candles she thought had killed him. It was useless and it had no merit but it was still there.

“He’s alive?” Jason asked stunned. A sense of relief and a sense of trepidation moved through him. Relief that his friend wasn’t dead and that Elizabeth had her love back. Trepidation because he had started to have feelings for her. Those feelings were one of the reasons that he had come home to Port Charles. Seeing her tonight had only solidified them for him.

“Yeah.” She focused on his face. “Turns out he was kidnapped by Faison and the body they found was somebody else. It was put there to make us think it was Lucky.” She shook her head. It still seemed a little unreal to her. “I guess Helena Cassadine figured out he was alive and rescued him.”

He wondered why she still seemed sad, when Lucky was alive, it didn’t make sense, unless. “Is he okay?”

“He’s alive.” She said immediately running her hand through her hand before speaking. “He seems alright.” She pulled away from him and moved to the water’s edge. That wasn’t fair. Lucky was alive, alright, and not in love with her anymore.

“Then why are you upset?” Jason asked standing beside her but keeping his eyes on the water.

“Let’s not do this now. You’re back for the first time in over seven months and I would rather talk about anything than Lucky.” Elizabeth said brightly pasting a smile on her face.

Jason glanced over at her and waited.

She turned back to the water with a sigh.

Elizabeth was quiet for so long that he was about to let it go. He knew she would tell him eventually. That was the way their relationship worked, she could tell him anything, and normally did. It had started with that first meeting in Jakes and in the months that followed they only got closer. Even though he had been gone for over seven months, he was amazed at how easy it was to pick back up where they had left off. Like only a night had passed. Everything was the same except for one thing. He was more aware of her as a woman than he had ever been.

He focused on the water, he had begun to develop feelings for her, feelings that went beyond friendship, after he was shot. He could still remember the first time he really thought about her that way. It was a couple of days after he was shot. She was checking him for a fever and her hands were cold so she pressed her cheek on his forehead. She smelled like snow, pure and sweet. His feelings for her seemed to grow and change the entire time he stayed with her in the studio, but he also knew it was too soon for them to act on them. She was still in mourning, and he was dealing with Sonny and Carly’s betrayal. But he also knew that had he stayed around those feelings would have only gotten stronger and stronger. Coming face to face with her tonight convinced him, that his feelings had grown, even when he was away from her. It was an unsettling realization for him because Lucky was back now.

“Do you remember how you used to find me, all sad and missing Lucky?” She broke the silence, keeping her face averted from him. “You’d sit and listen while I told you how perfect our love was and how it would last forever.”

“Yeah I remember.”

“Well,” She turned to face him. “It didn’t.”

Jason turned as well, that explained the sadness. “When did he come home?”

“The end of April.” She clasped her arms around her waist. “You know at first I didn’t want to believe he was alive. I didn’t want to hope only to lose him again.”

“That makes sense.” He said quietly.

“Except that’s what happened anyway.” She turned to look at the water again. “Lucky’s alive, but he doesn’t love me anymore.”

Jason reached over and pulled her into an embrace, her arms looped his waist, and he rested his chin on her head. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I love him as much as ever.” She said softly, but did she? She banished the thought and went on. “When he was gone I had to pretend I didn’t miss him, and now that he’s alive I have to pretend that I don’t love him.” His chest muffled her words, but he didn’t let her go, and she pulled him closer still. “I’m so sick of faking how I feel. I’m just so tired of it.”

“You don’t have to fake anything with me.”

She pulled back to look up at him. “You’re still the only person who makes me feel I don’t have too.” She told him before moving back to rest her head on his chest.

They stared at the water, both taking comfort in the embrace, an embrace that went on too long, to be just an embrace between friends. Darkness had fallen around them, the water was a dark void, and the only way you knew it was there was the sound it made when it lapped up against the dock. Neither one seemed to want to break the silence or the embrace.

“Jason?”

Jason let go of Elizabeth reluctantly, turning to face his sister. “Hey.”

“Jason.” Emily cried running towards him relief in seeing him, made her eyes tear up.

“Whoa.” Jason caught her automatically, turning his head meeting Elizabeth’s eyes in concern. She just shook her head and moved over to them.

“Oh my God. Never, never go away. Promise me.” Emily begged pulling back from him.

“Hold on.” Jason framed her face in his hands, seeing her tears, when he did. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything is wrong. I mean Sonny got arrested, Carly lost her baby, Grandfather’s trying to get Michael back.” Emily rambled.

“Slow down.” Jason said waving her words off. “What’s going on with you right now?”

Emily sighed heavily. “I wish you would have been here.”

“Here for what?” He asked Emily before turning to look at Elizabeth. Something had happened and from the way they were acting it had to be something bad. “Will one of you tell me what is going on? I can’t help until I know.”

Emily looked to Elizabeth in question, Elizabeth nodded in her head in encouragement. “I needed you Jason, it all started when…”

“Hey everybody, what’s going on?” Lucky Spencer called walking up to the trio. “Jason it’s great to see you.”

Jason was close enough to Elizabeth that he felt her response to seeing Lucky. Tension had caused her body to jerk upright, breaking contact with his. He glanced at her and saw the wary look in her eyes, when she faced Lucky. “Yeah.” He replied studying Lucky, he looked so different it was hard to believe that it was the same Lucky Spencer. “You too.”

“When did you get back?” Lucky shifted subtly edging Emily behind him so he faced Jason.

“Last night.” Now he could read the uncertainty on Emily’s face. What was going on?

“It’s great to see you, but we all have to get going.” Lucky said.

“Lucky I was just about too…” Emily began touching his arm.

Lucky cut her off. “I’m sure you have a lot of family stuff you need to fill him in on, but can’t it wait? We need to get to Kelly’s.”

“Lucky.” Elizabeth stepped closer. “Emily has really missed Jason, this is the first time they’ve seen each other.” She explained slowly, trying to reach him, he was acting odd again. “I think they need to catch up.”

“Well it’s not like he’s going anywhere right?” Lucky snapped at her.

That was enough for Jason and he moved closer to Lucky. “You know I’ll walk Emily over when were done. Kelly’s isn’t going anywhere either.”

Lucky’s eyes widened in surprise at the challenge in Jason’s words. He had gotten used to the kid glove treatment, that most people seemed to use on him. He didn’t like it but sometimes it came in handy. He squinted in the dim light focusing on Jason’s calm face. He wouldn’t get the kid glove treatment from Jason, he could see that already. A feeling of anger coursed through him, when he saw how close Elizabeth was standing to Jason. She was standing beside Jason when she should be beside him, he shook his head, beside Nikolas. “See the thing is.” Lucky said suddenly aware of the silence. “It’s kind of important.”

“Lucky.” Elizabeth tried again, putting her hand on his arm.

Lucky shrugged it off. “Don’t make a big deal about this Elizabeth.” Elizabeth belongs with Nikolas. “Beside Nikolas is there waiting for you.”

Elizabeth groaned stepping back from him in disgust, not this again. “And your point is?”

“Elizabeth you be…”

“Enough.” Elizabeth snapped. If she heard him say that one more time she was going to scream. “Fine I’ll go to Kelly’s with you and Emily can stay here with her brother.”

“No.” Lucky cried.

“Hey Jason?” Sonny’s voice interrupted the tense scene and Jason turned to see him walking down the docks in their direction.

“I guess Sonny’s here to see you.” Emily said quietly. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” She clutched his arm in panic. “You will be here tomorrow won’t you?”

Jason patted her hand. “I’m staying at Jakes, and my cell phone number hasn’t changed.” His eyes flicked to Elizabeth to make sure she heard him, and she nodded. “Call me.” Again he was addressing both of them.

Emily hugged him. “It’s really good to see you Jason, I’m so glad you’re back.” She let go and turned around heading for Kelly’s.

“Come on Elizabeth.” Lucky said shortly when she made no move to follow.

“You know I got things to do at home, I’ll just get the update tomorrow.”

Lucky took her hand. “You know this is important. You need to be there.” His eyes were soft for a moment and then he went on. “Besides there’s Nikolas to think about.”

Elizabeth jerked her hand away. For a second, just a second, she had thought the old Lucky was back. But she was reminded again that the old Lucky didn’t exist anymore. How many more times would she have to be reminded of that fact before she finally accepted it? “Fine I’ll catch up.”

“Elizabeth…”

“She said she’d catch up.” Jason interrupted. He didn’t like what he was seeing.

“Fine.” Lucky snapped walking away.

Elizabeth stared after him before turning to look at Jason. “Welcome to my world.” She said bitterly.

“What’s going on?” Jason asked quietly.

She looked past him, to Sonny, who was waiting a few feet away. “Another time Sonny’s waiting for you.”

Jason pinched his nose in frustration. He did need to talk to Sonny. “Call me.”

“Count on it.” She said smiling at him. “Hi Sonny. Bye Sonny.” She called before walking away.

“Elizabeth.” Sonny called after her with a smile.

She stopped a step away, and turned back to give Jason another hug. “Did I tell you how much I missed you?”

He hugged her back. “I missed you too.”

She stepped back reluctantly. “See you later.”

Jason nodded, watching her until she was out of sight before turning to face Sonny. “What the hell is going on with Lucky?”

[JRK Archiver]

~Kelly’s~

“Okay now that we’re all here.” Elizabeth said rolling her eyes at Gia. “Why did you stop Emily from telling Jason what’s been happening?”

“Jason’s back in town?” Nikolas asked. That’s all he needed.

“Whose Jason?” Gia asked determined not to be left out of anything.

“Yes he is and Lucky practically dragged me away from him.” Emily explained taking a drink of her soda. “What is your problem?”

“You were going to tell him.” Lucky told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yes. He could help us.” Emily retorted.

“He would know what to do.” Elizabeth added.

“This Jason knows what to do with dead bodies?” Gia asked. Who were these people? They were more messed up then she thought.

Emily ignored her. “So why did you shut us down?”

“We agreed that we would keep this between us.” Lucky said.

“Well we’re not handling it very well.” Elizabeth replied. “He could help, no questions asked. This whole mess could be over with tonight.”

“I think I like this Jason.” Gia said.

“You won’t once he finds out you blackmailed his sister.” Elizabeth told her with a glare, before turning it into a smile of anticipation. “You know that’s another reason to tell him.”

Gia shifted nervously in her seat. “He’s her brother.”

“Among other things.” Emily leaned closer to Gia and lowered her voice. “Of course we don’t talk about those things.” God it felt so good to make this bitch uncomfortable.

Elizabeth met Emily’s eyes and she swallowed her laughter. “Of course, just because we don’t talk about them, doesn’t make them any less real.”

“Elizabeth leave her alone.” Nikolas said tiredly. It was already happening. Jason was barely back in town and Emily and Elizabeth were already changing. “Getting back to the point.”

“Yeah. Why shouldn’t we tell him? He’ll know how to fix the problem.” Elizabeth repeated turning to face Lucky again.

Lucky clenched his fists under the table, her unquestioned belief in Jason infuriated him. There was a time when he was the only one she believed in like that. Now it looked like she didn’t even believe him at all anymore, she wanted Jason to fix things but that was his job.

“Yeah.” Emily was saying. “If my brother had been in town when this whole thing started, I would’ve gone to him right away.”

“I thought you said, you didn’t want him to know.” Lucky snapped. Now Emily was beginning to doubt him too.

“I’m for anyone who gets me out of this mess.” Gia said. “What?” She asked catching Nikolas’s glare. “Anything has got to be better than what you can think of.”

Emily ignored the dig. “I didn’t want him to know at first, because I didn’t want him to think less of me.” Elizabeth reached over and patted her hand in comfort. “But I know how stupid that was now, he could never think less of me.”

“That’s right, he wouldn’t.” Elizabeth agreed. “Besides Emily is his sister, he will do whatever it takes to get her out of this no questions asked. I say we call him.”

“No.” Lucky snapped slamming his drink on the table causing the others to look at him in surprise.

“I think,” Nikolas said trying to take the attention off his brother. “What Lucky means is the fewer people who know the better.”

Both Emily and Elizabeth shook their heads. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak and Lucky cut her off.

“Besides the only reason he is back is to help Sonny. Do you really want to distract him from that.”

“Now who is Sonny?” Gia asked she needed a scorecard.

“He could do both.” Elizabeth said stubbornly, although Lucky did have a point. A point she didn’t really like. Was the only reason Jason was back to help Sonny? If so, did that mean that once he did, he would leave again? She didn’t like to think of him leaving. Some of the happiness she had been feeling ever since she saw Jason faded.

“Besides,” Lucky lowered his voice. He had found the angle he needed to back the girls off, and he would use it so he remained in control. “We are talking about the murder of a cop. The last thing Jason or Sonny needs is to be involved in the murder of a cop.”

Emily blanched. “I don’t want to get my brother in trouble with the police.”

“Why can’t I know who Sonny is?” Gia demanded. She wasn’t surprised when she was ignored.

Emily looked at Elizabeth. “I think maybe Lucky is right.”

“Why is it okay for you to get me involved in the murder of a cop but not this Sonny or Jason?” Gia commented loudly, getting their attention.

“You stupid little witch…” Elizabeth began leaning across the table her eyes flashing.

“Look it.” Emily interrupted. “You’re the one that involved yourself in this whole thing. You.” She poked Gia’s shoulder. “Followed me to a motel room, and then blackmailed me all right? You put yourself in this position. We’re.” She gestured around the table. “Just trying to get you out of it.”

“Alive Gia.” Elizabeth said leaning back. “Although why we’re trying to save your scrawny ass I don’t know.”

“So we’re agreed?” Nikolas asked trying to stop the argument. “No one tells Jason.”

Lucky nodded immediately, after a minute, so did Emily, then Gia. He looked at Elizabeth. “All of us need to agree.”

“I still think…”

“Look it’s Emily’s problem.” Lucky snapped drawing her focus on him. “Isn’t that what you keep telling me? She said no, so you won’t tell him.”

Elizabeth chafed under the order, she glanced at Emily and caved. “Whatever.” She decided that she would tell Jason if things got out of control, she would go to him without a second thought. Emily winked at her, as if she knew what Elizabeth was thinking and agreed with her.

“So which one of you is paying?” Gia asked biting into her burger.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 2


~Docks~

“Hello to you too Jason.” Sonny said with a smile.

Jason shook his head and smiled. “Sorry. Hi Sonny, Johnny.” He stuck out his hand.

Sonny took it in relief, he hadn’t seen Jason since January. They had spoken several times in the last several months, but that was all business. The last real personal thing they had discussed was the information on the arsonist that Jason had found. Information that he’d used to get Michael and Carly away from the Quartermaines.

He watched Jason shake hands with Johnny but blocked their conversation. It was true that Jason had said he had forgiven him for betraying him with Carly, before he’d left town, but Sonny was still worried. He knew he had damaged the trust in their relationship severely not to mention hurting Jason in the process. He still felt tremendously guilty over the whole situation, even with Jason’s forgiveness.

Sonny sighed heavily, he knew that the guilt would only grow, because he had done an even more unforgivable thing. He had fallen in love with someone else. He had risked his friendship with Jason for Carly, and in the end he couldn’t even love her. He wondered if Jason could understand and forgive him for that. He also wondered if Jason would stay around, he hoped so, he had missed his best friend. Finding Jason with Elizabeth, before Jason had even found him, gave him some hope that Jason would stick around.

“So what’s the deal with Lucky?” Jason asked again, when Johnny took a few steps back to give them privacy. “Sonny?”

Sonny was jolted back to the present, there was enough time to deal with that later. “What did he do?”

“Basically he ordered Emily not to talk to me.” Jason shook his head. “He practically drug her and Elizabeth away from me.”

“Well I see Elizabeth still doesn’t respond to orders.” Sonny smirked. “She sent him away to talk to you some more.”

“Yeah.” Jason nodded, that had surprised him. It thrilled him but it also surprised him. “I know he’s been through a lot, but why does he have a problem with me? He can’t blame me for the fire, he was kidnapped.”

Sonny moved towards the water. “I think it has to do with Elizabeth.”

“Why?” Jason followed him to the edge of the dock.

“Her and Carly don’t get along.” Sonny said simply.

“That’s an understatement.” He’d had to step between them on more than one occasion. What surprised him was how much Elizabeth seemed to enjoy her little fights with Carly. “But what does she have to do with this?”

“Carly saw me with Elizabeth a few weeks ago.” Sonny rubbed his forehead. “It was totally innocent.”

“But Carly lost it.” Jason finished for him. When would she grow up?

“Yes, between that and her own insecurities when it comes to Elizabeth, she retaliated.” Sonny sighed heavily, he was sick to death of her pettiness. “She wanted to hurt Elizabeth so she told Lucky her version of you two living together.”

Jason groaned.

“Even though she knew you were there because you were shot, she neglected to mention that part to Lucky, and instead laid it on pretty thick that the two of you were lovers.”

“Why? Elizabeth has never done anything to her.” He couldn’t help but ask why, even though he knew, that was just the way Carly was.

“Well.” Sonny crossed to sit on the bench, resting his elbows on his knees. “When you were shot you wouldn’t let me or Carly help you. You went straight to Elizabeth.”

Jason kept his back to Sonny, even now, there were a lot of things he didn’t like to remember about that time. He had forgiven both of them before he ever left, but that bitter taste of betrayal still stung sometimes. “I didn’t go to Elizabeth she found me.”

“I know.” Sonny studied Jason, noticing the tense look in his shoulders, the hurt was still there, at least partially, he sighed in regret before going on. “But later on, when I came to help you, you were adamant that Elizabeth would help you. You kept telling me to go, that Elizabeth was coming with a first aid kit. Even when I told you I sent her away, you were convinced she was coming back, in the end you were right she showed up with her own help.”

“Elizabeth can be very stubborn and loyal when she helps a friend.” Jason said simply.

“I found that out.” Sonny said with a wry smile. “She was the only one you would let near you. You let her help and no one else. Carly can't get past that. She hates that she failed you and Elizabeth didn’t.”

Jason walked over to the bench and sat down next to Sonny. “You must be getting used to Carly, you have her nailed.”

“Carly’s not that hard to read.” Sonny said with a laugh.

“No she’s not. In her own way she’s loyal too, you just have to realize that she thinks backwards, so what she thinks is help really isn’t.”

“That’s why I’m facing prison time for drug trafficking.” Sonny said disgustedly.

Jason sighed, he hadn’t seen Carly yet, but he was sure he knew her reasons already, she was just trying to help. Carly trying to help always led to trouble. He remembered something he’d heard, and he pushed Carly’s antics to the back of his mind. “I’m sorry about the baby.” He said quietly, keeping his eyes on the water, knowing not to make a big deal out of things, or Sonny would just shut down.

Sonny looked down at his hands, the wound was still raw. “How long have you known?”

“Since tonight, Emily let it slip.” He paused for a minute before going on. “Are you okay?”

“It’s hard.” Sonny said finally. “Each day it gets a little easier.” He hadn’t talked about the miscarriage with anyone. He rubbed a hand over his chin. That wasn’t true, that night in the hospital he had spoken with Elizabeth. He shook the thought away he didn’t like thinking about that dark night. He realized now that he had been waiting to talk, because the only one he could talk to would be his brother, his best friend, Jason.

“I was wrong about Carly in one respect.” Sonny broke the silence, feeling Jason’s eyes on him, but he didn’t interrupt. “All those times I called her a bad mother, I was wrong. She wanted that baby, she fought so hard for the baby, that losing him almost sent her over the edge.”

“Is she okay physically?”

“Now yes. The doctors gave me a choice, only it wasn’t a choice. Carly’s life or the baby’s.” He realized his hands were clenched, so he carefully opened them, smoothing them out. “That isn’t a choice. The baby was too young to live without his mother, but he was still alive. I had to give them permission to kill my son, because if we waited for him to die naturally, Carly would have died too.”

Jason closed his eyes, knowing how hard that had to have been for Sonny. His friends had gone through hell and he hadn’t been around. “That was probably the hardest decision you ever had to make.”

“Yes.” Sonny shrugged. “But I didn’t have a choice.”

“It was a hard decision but one that is easy to live with though.” Jason commented keeping his eyes on the water. “Because if you had waited and Carly had died, I wouldn’t be here talking to you now. You wouldn’t have been able to live with yourself. So as hard as it must have been for you, you made the right choice, the only choice.”

The words were simple, in his usual style Jason didn’t offer any platitudes, but he managed to say the one thing that made Sonny release the burden he had been carrying around since that night.

After a few minutes Jason broke the silence. “How did it happen?”

Sonny took a breath to center himself. He had to be calm because he had a feeling Jason wouldn't be. “We took Michael to the Quartermaines to see Lila. Carly got into an argument with A.J.” He noticed that Jason had already clenched his fists. “They were on the stairs, and she fell.”

~Kelly’s~

“Are you sure about this Em?” Elizabeth asked, stepping behind the counter to get more soda for them.

Emily glanced back at the table and lowered her voice. “For right now yes. The cops, especially Taggert would love to nail Jason. If there is the slightest chance he could get in trouble.” Her voice trailed off. “I can’t do that to him.”

“I know Em.” Elizabeth sighed. “I agree, but this whole plan worries me.”

“Lucky thinks it’ll work and you know his plans, they normally do.” Emily said trying to convince herself.

“Lucky.” Elizabeth glanced at the table and lowered her voice. “You know Em Lucky hasn’t been himself since he’s come back. So there is no guarantee that his plan will work, in fact, it worries me.”

Emily averted her eyes she hated lying to Elizabeth but Lucky was adamant that she not know, that he was having problems remembering things, and was losing time. She had been trying to help him, but she didn’t agree with his decision not to tell Elizabeth. She could see that Elizabeth was distancing herself from Lucky more and more everyday. She was afraid that once Lucky and her did figure out and fix his problem, it would be too late for him and Elizabeth. She shook her head too late? That could never happen. Lucky and Elizabeth were perfect together, they had a love she aspired to have. She frowned at least they did before the fire.

“Emily?”

“Huh?” Emily blinked at Elizabeth in confusion.

“Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked with a grin. “You zoned out on me there.”

“Yes.” Emily sipped her drink, she just had to keep giving Elizabeth hope so she didn’t give up on Lucky. “You’re right Elizabeth, Lucky has changed. But one thing hasn’t changed is…”

Elizabeth stifled a groan she knew what was coming.

“His love for you.” Emily finished.

Elizabeth snorted. “Funny he seems to forget that every time he tells me to be with Nikolas.” She leaned over the counter. “I guess it just must slip his mind then.”

“You know he doesn’t mean that.” Emily argued.

“You could’ve fooled me.” Elizabeth muttered. “Look Emily I know you mean well.”

“I’m just telling you the truth.”

Elizabeth stifled a scream, maybe if she were calm, Emily would hear her. “Like I said I know you mean well, that you love us both and you are only trying to help. But you’re not.” She sighed heavily, maybe if she spoke the words out loud, it would be good for her too. “I’m coming to realize that it might be time to give up on Lucky.”

“No.” Emily’s eyes filled with distress.

“Of course it is.” Lucky said at the same time. “Because there is no us anymore. We’re just friends.” Lucky smiled. “The only us around here is…”

“Don’t say it.” Elizabeth warned him.”

“You and Nikolas.” He finished mechanically.

Elizabeth screamed loudly in frustration, stilling all the conversation in the room. “If you tell me that one more time I am going to break something, maybe you.”

Lucky and Emily stared at her in shock.

~Table~

“Looks like the perfect princess is having a meltdown.” Gia told Nikolas, who ignored her getting up from the table to go to the counter.

“Hey Blondie.” Gia said loudly getting the attention of a guy at another table.

“What?” He asked turning to look at her.

“Nothing, I’m just checking to see if when I think I speak, something actually comes out. No one over here seems to hear me.” Gia said, ignoring the way the guy moved his chair farther away from her.

~Counter~

“Are you okay?” Nikolas asked her in concern.

Elizabeth threw the rag down. “Let’s settle this once and for all.” Elizabeth snapped moving around the counter to stand in front of Nikolas. She glared at Lucky. “Please listen for a change.” She turned to Nikolas. “Do you want to be with me?”

“What?” Nikolas asked in confusion.

“Just answer. Do you have any romantic feelings for me?” Elizabeth demanded, biting back a winch when she remembered there was a time not so long ago that he did want more from her. She swallowed a groan hopefully he was past that now.

Yes, I’m in love with you, the words ran through his mind, and he opened his mouth. “No, we’re only friends.”

Elizabeth sighed in relief before turning to Lucky. “Did you hear that?”

“Yes you’re friends now.” Lucky argued taking hold of her hand. He felt the jolt of awareness, he always did when he touched her but he went on. “But now that you know we’re over, you can move on to being more than friends, just like your supposed to.”

Over? How could they be over? How could she turn her back on a miracle even when the miracle told her too? “Alright if were over. What makes you think I would ever look at Nikolas as more than a friend?”

“Because you two are meant to be together.” Lucky swallowed the distaste that came from saying those words. “Besides who else would you turn too.”

Jason his name and face popped in her head immediately causing her to gasp in surprise. That wasn’t right Jason and her were just friends. He was older than her, and he would never think of her that way.

There is no word for what I feel for you.

She shook the memory away. “Nikolas is not the only man in town Lucky. When I want to date again, it will be the person I choose.” She poked Lucky hard in the chest. “Me. Not you.” She turned away. “Sorry Nikolas.” She murmured before heading for the table and picking up her purse.

“Where are you going?” Nikolas asked.

“Anywhere but here.” She muttered causing Gia to laugh. “Home.” She turned back. “Or is that not allowed?”

“Wait Nikolas can drive you.” Lucky said immediately causing Emily to groan. “It’s too late for you to walk alone.”

She closed her eyes feeling the sting of tears. “You’re right Lucky it is too late.” She said walking out the door.

~Docks~

Cold anger worked its way through Jason. His voice, when he spoke was cold. “He pushed her?”

“I don’t know, probably not.” Sonny admitted braced for the icy look Jason leveled at him, he continued on. “You know Carly, she never walks away. She doesn’t know how to quit, she just keeps pushing and goading trying to get a response. She does that to everyone, but especially with A.J. Apparently he had her arm, she jerked away, and lost her balance.”

Jason’s jaw was clenched tight, he tried to reign in his temper. A.J. had a knack for making him lose his control. He forced himself to listen to Sonny, when all he wanted to do was find A.J. and kill him. He could see the truth in what Sonny was saying, but still. “Is that what you think happened?”

Sonny rubbed his jaw. “I’ll never be positive, but it could be. Either way I can’t touch him. One day Michael might need something from A.J., you know if he gets sick or something.” Sonny sighed. “I can’t kill him. Although a big part of me wanted too, when it happened.”

“Had he been drinking?” Jason asked.

“No.” Sonny admitted. “That’s another reason, he was sober when it happened.”

Jason got up and paced to the edge of the dock. Even in the weak moonlight he could see the outline of that god-awful crane A.J. had to buy, even though it was too big and useless in the harbor. He took a deep breath trying to control his anger. If Sonny was okay with it he had no choice but to be okay with it too. He clenched his fists, then why did he want to hit something?

“Jason?”

He turned to see Elizabeth walking towards him a smile on her face.

“I didn’t know you’d still be here.” She stopped in front of him. “I have got to tell you again how good…”

“What the hell are you doing Elizabeth?” Jason cut her off.

Her smile died at his tone. He had never spoken to her like that. “Are you okay?”

“Why are you on the docks alone at this time of night?” His temper was already raging and when he realized she was alone it doubled.

Elizabeth backed up a step, away from the anger in his eyes, anger that was directed at her. “I-I was going home.” She started by him. “I’m sorry I bothered you.” She smiled weakly at Sonny and hurried towards the stairs. She hadn’t been prepared for his unexpected attack. Prepared? She had never even considered it.

Her actions and the hurt in her eyes got through his temper. “Elizabeth wait.” Jason followed her. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to go off on you.”

She paused on the stairs but didn’t turn around. “It’s okay. Goodnight Jason.” She started moving again.

“Please.” He said softly pinching his nose in frustration.

The word stilled her movements and she turned to face him. She saw the anger and frustration on his face. How many times had he found her in a bad moment? How many times had he listened while she cursed the fates or cried? Was it so wrong for him to have a bad moment? “It really is okay Jason.” She smiled at him. “I don’t want to interrupt, I do need to get home.”

The smile was real, just like that he was forgiven, he sighed in relief.

Sonny got up from the bench where he had been watching them with interest. He knew she would calm him down. “Please don’t leave on my account, Elizabeth, I have to be going.” Jason turned to look at him. “I’ll call you in the morning Jason.” He smiled at Elizabeth. “Goodnight.”

“Night Sonny.”

Jason watched him go.

“Do you want me to stay or go?” Elizabeth asked from behind him.

Without turning around he held out a hand to her.

She walked down the steps, slipped her hand in his, and walked with him to sit on the edge of the dock. She smiled to herself, when he let go of her hand to brush the dirt off the dock, before he let her sit. He always did that for her, it was just another part of Jason, his gallantry. She knew it wasn’t a word associated with Jason Morgan, but he was at least with her.

Shaking her head she settled down beside him, leaning back on her hands to study the stars. “It’s a nice night. For once there’s no humidity. I don’t know where you’ve been, but it’s been real nasty around here.” She leaned farther back to rest on her elbows. “The studio has been roasting, no A.C. I hope it will ease up soon, it is almost September.” She was babbling but she was trying to take his mind off whatever was bothering him. “God school will be starting soon. I’m going to be a sophomore in college. I bet many a person in my family has lost money over that little fact.”

“Sonny told me how they lost the baby.” Jason said quietly. The anger had lessened, making it easier for him to speak to her. “I didn’t know about it until tonight, when Emily mentioned it.”

“God what an awful way to find out.” She sat up touching his hand to try to offer some comfort.

Jason turned his hand under hers, and laced their fingers, he wasn’t even aware of doing it. “He had just told me A.J.’s role in it when you showed up.” He turned to look at her. “I am sorry, I snapped at you. I didn’t mean it, I guess I needed an outlet and you crossed my path. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” With her free hand she reached over and lightly touched his face. “You are my friend and you were in pain. It was okay for you to snap at me, because you knew it wouldn’t change anything between us. That once I knew the why, the words would be forgotten.”

He leaned into her hand smiling slightly. “I knew all that did I? I guess I’m pretty smart then.”

Her eyes met his, and the hand that she had brought to his face to offer comfort started to tremble slightly. She dropped it quickly, her nervous stomach was back, she had just wanted to comfort him, and all of a sudden she felt tongue-tied around him. What was going on with her tonight? Suddenly nervous she tried to lighten the mood. “What you are is human. Thank God, there were times you worried me.”

“What do you mean?” She had just withdrawn from him, and he wondered why.

“Well here I was this emotional basket case that you continually had to pick up or at the very least listen to all the time. Sometimes you were so calm and in control, even when you were in pain that you worried me." She smiled at him. “But when I saw you bleed, my fears were alleviated.”

“It’s good to know my being shot was such a relief for you.” Jason teased with a grin.

She punched his arm. “Oww.” She said shaking her hand, relieved that it was back to normal between them. The awkwardness she had felt a minute ago was gone, and he was just Jason again. “I was wrong you are made of iron.” She said with a laugh, that he joined.

After a minute, Elizabeth turned serious. “So are you okay?”

“I guess.” He sighed, scrubbing his hand over his face. “It didn’t happen to me, it wasn’t my baby, but still, the thought of what A.J. did.”

[JRK Archiver]

“So you think he did it deliberately?”

Jason was quiet for a long time while he thought about her question. He remembered a time after his accident, when he and A.J. had managed to form a tentative relationship. The only reason they had was because, the guilt A.J. had felt over his role in the accident had faded enough that he was willing to see Jason Morgan instead of Jason Quartermaine. Of course that was before Carly and Michael. “I don’t know. I’m not always rational when it comes to A.J.” He said finally.

“I don’t know what happened that day on the stairs, I only know what Emily thinks.” Elizabeth said quietly. “She thinks it was an accident, because of the way A.J. reacted to it.”

Jason looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“If A.J. had done it deliberately, he wouldn’t have been able to handle the guilt.” She explained. “But Emily says even though he still drinks a lot of the time, she thinks he’s pretending to be worse than he really is. She picked up his glass one time by mistake and it was water not vodka, but he was acting drunk anyway.” She turned to face him. “What I’m trying to say if he had pushed Carly, there would have been vodka in that glass, not water.”

He turned back to look over the water again, and thought about what she had said. He could see the truth in her words, and the rest of the anger dissipated.

Lightning lit the sky, followed by the distant sound of thunder. “Come on you better get home, before you get drenched.”

“Jason you see that ugly building over there?” She pointed over his right shoulder. “That’s where I live, I think I have plenty of time to get there before the rain starts.”

“You moved back in the studio?” Jason asked in surprise. He thought she might have looked for someplace else, after the bomb threat.

“Yes.” She nodded a proud smile on her face. “I knocked the wall down that led to the storage area next to my studio, so it’s bigger and I have a bathroom.” She leaned closer to him. “Plus a sink with warm water, in case someone wants to come by and fall in again.”

Jason laughed. “That was a one shot deal.”

“Pity.” She said with a laugh.

Lightning lit the sky again. “Okay I’ll go home, you probably just want to leave so you won’t get your bike wet.”

Jason looked at his watch.

“Do you have to be somewhere?” She hoped not, she wasn’t ready to stop talking to him.

“No. I was just seeing how long it took you before you mentioned my bike.” He got to his feet. “After all that is the only reason we’re friends.”

“That’s not true.” She forced a glare in his direction and let him pull her to her feet. “I also keep you around so you can kill the spiders in my studio.”

“They still a problem?” He couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how she had all but climbed in his lap, when she saw a spider last winter. It had spooked her enough that she had forgotten he was hurt.

“Not too much.” She said walking towards her studio, the fact she kept hold of his hand, while she walked, went unnoticed by her. “I do think I have every bug killer known to man in my studio though.”

“You know.” Jason commented opening the door that led inside the building. “It’s this time of year that they come inside.”

Elizabeth shifted closer to him while they walked up the dimly lit stairs, her eyes scanning the ceiling for spiders. “It is?”

“Yes, they hunt for a new place to live before it gets cold.” Her grip on his hand had tightened when he continued to tease her. There was something about her that brought out a sense of humor in him like no one else did. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “But you did say you have every bug killer imaginable.”

She paused at her door. “Why don’t you come in?”

Spooking her wasn’t a very nice way to get an invitation inside, but he wasn’t going to turn it down. “Sure I have a few minutes.”

She unlocked the door, flipped on the light and led the way inside the studio. Jason followed slowly, he already saw something he didn’t like. She still had the same old single bolt lock. With that large window, and the single bolt, it was far too easy to break in. He made a mental note to change some things while he was here.

He looked around the widened studio. The right side of the studio hadn’t changed that much, it was still overflowing with painting materials, the couch he had slept on for weeks was still where it always was. She had put up some decorative screens to curtain off the sleeping area to the left. He could see the outline of a double bed and a few dressers. Space was at a premium on the left, but the right side was still mostly open. He knew immediately that the studio side was where she spent most of her time.

“Be it ever so humble.” She said putting her purse down by the answering machine, with a flashing red light. She already knew who had called, Emily, Nikolas, and maybe even Lucky. She was tired of dealing with them for one night so she ignored it, and instead crossed to the sofa, collapsing on it with a groan.

Jason followed sitting beside her. “Rough day?”

“Yes.” She kept her eyes closed. “But the night was better.”

“Really?” He asked following her example and resting his head on the back of the couch.

“Yep.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “You see an old friend of mine, finally decided to come back to town.”

Jason looked around the studio, he always felt comfortable here, and he knew it was because of her. Her warmth seemed to be everywhere in the place. He tilted his head, to the side catching the edge of something familiar on the far wall. He got up crossing to the living area of the studio, and coming to a stop at the foot of her bed, to look at the wall over her headboard.

“You didn’t take it with you.” Elizabeth said from behind him, moving closer. “So I hung it to make sure nothing happened to it.”

He stared at his painting, she had named it The Wind, he was glad she had hung it. He looked around again, and realized that it was the only painting she had hung. He looked at her in question.

“It’s still the best thing I’ve ever done.” She shrugged. “I haven’t done anything else that deserves to hang beside it.” She touched his arm. “It’s still yours though, so when you have the place to hang it, I’ll give it to you.” She half hoped he would say he wanted it now, because that would mean, he was staying around.

He nodded, suddenly aware of how close they were. The hairs on the back of his neck had risen when she touched his arm. His attraction to her was growing and he had just got back in town.

“I still love him as much as ever.”

Her words from earlier tonight, reminded him why any romantic feelings he might be having for Elizabeth would not be returned. In fact they might even wreck their friendship and he didn’t want that. He moved casually, breaking the contact and heading towards the couch. “Do you like living here?”

“Yeah. This place is fully mine now, it’s my name on the lease, and I pay the rent. It’s nice not having someone tell me what to do all the time.” She grimaced, although that was what Lucky was trying to do to her. She sat on the arm of the couch and banished Lucky from her mind. It seemed wrong to think about Lucky when she was here with Jason. That surprised her, she used to think of Lucky a lot when she had been with Jason. That was different, came a small voice in her head that she had dubbed Lizzie, that was when he was dead.

“You haven’t had any problems then?” Jason asked.

“Nope.” She said immediately before heading for the mini-fridge. “You want something to drink?” She asked trying to change the subject. She didn’t know if Sonny had told Jason about the couple of times Sorel had tried to get near her again. Or the fact she’d had Francis assigned to her for about 6 weeks. She was afraid that if he knew he might try to end their friendship again, or even worse leave town.

“No I’m fine.” He shifted on the couch, it was still as uncomfortable as ever.

“So are you going to be in town for a while?” She asked pulling out a bottle of water. “Or do I need to try to see you all I can in the next few days?”

“I’ll be here for a while.”

“Good.” She let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding and smiled at him.

He smiled back and caused her stomach to drop again. Flustered she crossed back towards him, tilting the bottle up to take a drink while she did. She had almost reached the sofa when her foot caught on a forgotten bag tripping her, she lost her balance and fell towards the couch on top of Jason.

“Oof.” The air went out of him in a rush at her surprise landing, His arms went around her to steady her, holding her in place so she was partially in his lap, with one foot still on the floor.

“Sorry.” She said with a giggle.

“Clumsy as ever I see.” Jason teased. “Or did you see a spider?”

“Enough with the spiders.” She ordered between laughs. “I never claimed to be graceful.”

“Good thing.” He told her with a laugh.

She pulled back to respond and the laughter died. His face was a few inches from hers, their eyes were close to eye level. She lost herself in the mesmerizing quality of his blue eyes, she bit her lip, suddenly unsure of what was going on here.

Jason was a little unsure himself, she made no effort to move away, and her eyes seemed to grow even darker while she looked at him. He reached up and lightly ran his thumb over her cheek, before bringing it down to her chin, and pressing down on it, so she released her bottom lip. She still made no effort to move away and he shifted his hand to the back of her head, applying a little bit of pressure to bring her mouth down to his. She kept her eyes open and on his, leaning towards him.

Ring

Jason froze in his movements, her mouth hovering over his.

Ring

Coming out of the sensual fog that his touch had created inside of her, Elizabeth pushed at his chest to get to her feet. What the hell was that?

Ring

“Are you going to get that?” He asked trying not to look at her face afraid of what he would or wouldn’t see there.

Ring

“Right.” She turned away trying to even her breathing. She couldn’t help feeling both disappointed and relieved at the interruption. For a wild minute there she had thought he was going to kiss her. Her nerves were still tingling in anticipation of a kiss that never happened and probably never would.

Ring

She reached for the phone only to stop when Lucky’s voice came over the answering machine. She had completely forgotten about Lucky. She stared at the phone in shock, how could she have forgotten about Lucky, the man she loved? The man she was supposed to be with forever, had been forgotten because of a potential kiss from Jason. A near kiss that was probably only a figment of her imagination anyway. She shook her head. What was the matter with her? She knew her and Lucky were having problems, but she was still in love with him right?

“So Elizabeth what I’m saying is that you shouldn’t have run out of Kelly’s like that. I know you were upset, but it’s dangerous to be on the docks alone, especially at night. Look we all agreed to keep Jason out of this, so don’t go back on your word. This is our problem, it doesn’t concern him, we agreed to keep him out of it. I can, I mean we can take care of this ourselves, he’ll only mess it up.”

Lucky’s words penetrated and she stifled a groan knowing Jason had heard every word, but she still didn’t pick up the phone.

“You should be there by now, so if you are painting please pick up. I know Nikolas tried to reach you earlier, you should have let him take you home. You shouldn’t worry him so much, especially because the two of you…”

“I’m here.” Elizabeth snatched up the phone, turning off the machine. The last thing she wanted Jason to know was not only was Lucky not in love with her, he wanted her to be with Nikolas of all people. She didn’t know why she didn’t want him to know, but her feelings concerning Jason had been all over the place tonight.

“Are you okay? I was getting worried.” Lucky asked.

“Yeah.” She could hear the relief in his voice and closed her eyes, he still cared, and that should be enough to make her hang on right?

“So you were listening the whole time?”

“Yes, I don’t want to fight anymore tonight, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow Lucky.”

“Wait.” Lucky twisted the phone cord in his fingers, and looked down at the paper on which he had written his real feelings for her. ‘I love you, I’m sorry’ were on the paper. He opened his mouth to tell her that. “You need to call Nikolas he was worried when you took off like that.”

“Lucky I told you it’s late. I don’t want to do this now.” She snapped. “Goodnight.” She hung up the phone on his sputtering reply and took a deep breath trying to control her emotions and facial expressions before turning around to face Jason. “Sorry.” She said with a tight smile when she turned finally.

He moved over to her, the fake Elizabeth was back, and he didn’t like it. “Elizabeth, I just want to help.”

She knew that, and she also knew she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from talking to him eventually. But was it so wrong to want one night with him, before she dumped all of her problems on his broad shoulders? “It’s late Jason.”

Jason sighed heavily before nodding. He wouldn’t push, at least, not tonight. He knew Elizabeth, she wouldn’t be able to keep what was bothering her from him for long. “I’ll see you soon.”

Relief coursed through her and she opened the door for him. “Goodnight.”

“You know how to reach me, when you need to.” Jason said pausing in the doorway to look at her.

When, not if, he knew her so well. “And you know where I am.”

“Goodnight.” He said softly before stepping out in the hall.

“Jason.” She called stopping him a few steps from her door. “I really am glad you came home. I don’t think I can tell you how much I missed you.”

His grin was quick, lethal and it sent a shiver through her. “I missed you too Elizabeth. Now go inside and lock your door.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do too.” She flared at him, deliberately leaning against the doorjamb, making no move to go inside.

“No way, I know better.” He said immediately waiting for her to do what he told her too.

“Good.” She said stepping back inside. “Because I am so sick of that I could scream. Night.” She told him one more time before closing the door and locking it.

Jason stood in the hallway, staring at her closed door, tonight hadn’t been what he’d expected. In some ways it had been better, and in other ways worse. He shrugged, heading down the stairs. There were a few things that he knew. Lucky Spencer was back in town, but he wasn’t back with Elizabeth.

He opened the door, stepping out into the late summer rain, he also knew that Emily and Elizabeth were in some kind of trouble and although they wanted to tell him, Lucky and probably Nikolas had convinced them not to. He glanced up at her window, now he knew another thing for sure too, something he had barely let himself think about while he was gone. He was in fact crazy about Elizabeth.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 3


~Studio~

Elizabeth leaned against the door and chewed on her bottom lip. Jason was back in town, and a few minutes ago he was holding her in his arms, giving her every indication that he was going to kiss her. What shocked her was how much she had wanted him to kiss her, how much she still wanted him too.

She rested her hand on the doorknob, she was in love with Lucky. Just because he was behaving oddly, and pushing her away, didn’t mean she didn’t love him. After all they had promised each other forever, so how could she give up on him? She turned and unlocked the door, besides Jason was just her friend, he would never think of, or see her as anything else, so she had probably only imagined the whole thing.

“There is no word for what I feel for you.”

She twisted the doorknob and opened the door. Nope it was definitely her imagination, only the thing was her imagination normally wasn’t that good. Besides she reasoned with herself, while she headed down the stairs after Jason, he was older than her, and he was gorgeous in that rugged sort of way, so what could he possibly see in her?

“Not a damn thing.” She muttered. So she was just going to go back upstairs and forget these last few minutes ever happened, instead she opened the door and stepped out into the soft evening rain. “Jason.”

Jason turned back when he heard her call his name. She walked down another step but stayed in front of the building, while he crossed back over to her. She used the time to study him in the dim light coming from the streetlamp, his features were hidden in shadow. She knew that some people thought he never showed anything of what he was feeling on his face, but she knew where to look and how to read him. Jason cared so much about the people he loved it was amazing.

“Elizabeth did you need something?” He asked coming to a stop in front of her. With her a step above him, they were almost eye level.

She searched his face, for what she wasn’t quite sure, now that she was face to face with him again, she had no idea what to say. The rain fell on them both, plastering their clothes to them, neither one seemed to notice, his eyes were locked on her brown eyes.

“Elizabeth?” He repeated touching her hand.

“Jason I-I don’t know what…” She trailed off when his hand moved slowly up her arm, a shiver shot through her at the contact. She had never felt so excited and nervous all at once. His hand was at her shoulder, he ran it slowly over the bare skin of her neck, to rest it lightly at the base of her throat. Everywhere he touched, the nerves inside her seemed to dance. His other hand had moved to her hip, then slid around to the small of her back, before he began to move it, over the damp material of her shirt, in lazy circles.

Her muscles went lax and she leaned against him, her chest resting on his. His body was so firm and hard, and her body at the moment was soft and quivered as his light caresses continued. Her eyes remained open and locked on his, they didn’t speak, except with their bodies and their eyes. The need and want coming through them seemed to surprise them both, but neither one wanted to pull away.

He lightly traced her jaw line, before he ran his thumb over her lips. She felt his touch on her lips and opened her mouth in response. His eyes darkened, he closed the gap between them, lowering his head to meet hers. Her hands were on his hips, she angled her head up, craving the touch of his mouth on hers, her eyes drifted shut, and she could feel his breath on her face.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Elizabeth jerked upright in bed, she was panting and disoriented, it took her a minute longer to find her alarm and shut it off. She collapsed back on the bed, feeling an ache of disappointment at the interruption. She rolled on her side, pulling a pillow to her chest. That was a first. She had dreamed about Jason before but nothing like that. Normally it was about them riding together, once they were dancing, but, this was the first romantic dream she’d had about him.

Her body was tense, and she couldn’t help but glare at her alarm, wishing it had rung five minutes later. She buried her face in the pillow, she needed to get herself under control. Lucky was who she loved, who she should be dreaming about, not Jason. Whatever had happened last night with Jason was only hormones. She crawled out of bed heading for the bathroom, she wasn’t a nun, she was bound to feel things at times. “Yeah a hormonal reaction that any man could have triggered.” She told herself in the mirror.

“Hormones can be controlled.” She muttered and she would control them. She wasn’t about to lose Jason because of one silly dream that she had already forgotten. The next time she saw him, the awkward moments, of last night would not be remembered or repeated. “I’m in control.” She stepped in the shower, and turned the water on full blast. She ducked her head under the icy spray, after all it was only a dream.

~Docks~

Elizabeth had her head down, and was fumbling with the snap on her bag, when she started down the steps, and ran into something hard. Strong hands reached out to steady her, while her bag went flying. Her body reacted immediately to the touch, she knew who was holding her before she even looked up. “Sorry Jason.”

Jason smiled down at her. “No problem.”

He still had a hold of her arms, they were standing close enough to each other, that if she moved a few inches closer she would be pressed against him, just like she had been in her dream. Her dream. God. Her face went red and she jerked out of his hold, hurrying down the last step to pick up her papers.

“Thanks. I’m such a klutz sometimes it’s a wonder I’m not a walking bandage.” She shoved some papers in her tote bag. “To top it off, I’m a late klutz, I was supposed to meet Chloe 15 minutes ago but I just couldn’t seem to get moving this morning…” Her face went red again and she kept her eyes averted when he squatted down beside her to help pick up her things. “I swear I don’t know why Chloe doesn’t fire me. I think I leave her in a lurch more than I actually help her.”

Jason half-listened to her babble, something had happened to make her very nervous. She only talked this much and this fast when she was trying not to think about or say something else.

“So that’s where that was.” She murmured holding up a paintbrush. “I’ve been looking for that, I wonder what else is in here. I swear my bag is like a bottomless pit, it can make anything disappear…”

He touched her arm, and she stopped talking like he had found her off button. She went very still, but still refused to look at him, now he was getting worried. “Did something happen Elizabeth?”

Happen? What could have happened? She had just had a dream about him, followed by a fantasy when she was fully awake, and in a cold shower no less. “No.” She said standing up, shoving the rest of the things in her bag.

He stood up as well, holding out some papers. “You seem upset.”

She reached for the papers, being careful not to touch his hand, when she did. “I’m fine.”

He kept a hold of the papers, until she forced herself to look at him. She could see nothing but concern in his blue eyes. She closed her eyes for a minute and swallowed hard. She needed to get a grip and put this behind her, because this was Jason, her friend Jason, and she wouldn’t do anything that could make her lose him. She opened her eyes and focused on him again. “I really am fine, it’s just been one of those days.”

He looked doubtful, but finally handed her the rest of her things. “Do you need a ride to work?”

Her eyes lit and a smile floated across her face. “On your bike? Do you even have to ask?”

He smiled at her delight, whatever had shaken her, seemed to have disappeared as soon as he mentioned the bike. “Sometimes I think you hang around me just for my bike.”

“No of course not.” She paused, shooting him a grin. “Although it does add to your appeal, which I’m sorry to say, needs some help sometimes.”

“It does?” He asked taking the bag from her.

“Yes.” Elizabeth teased, the awkwardness she had felt a few minutes ago, forgotten as she fell back into their normal relationship, and headed for his bike. “When you go into your silent intimidator mode, you seem to scare most people away.”

“That’s because I don’t want to talk to them.” He said matter-of-factly, handing her the lone helmet.

“I know, but most people don’t…” She stopped and began to laugh. “I forgot you’re not like most people.”

“Yes I am.” He said defensively.

She rolled her eyes, when he leaned against he bike, to glare at her. “I meant that in a good way. So I get to drive right?” She asked giving him the smile that always worked on her Grandfather.

“No.” He pulled the key from his pocket.

“Come on Jason.” Her hand closed over his on the key and she stepped closer, looking up at him, pleading with her dark eyes.

He couldn’t seem to stop himself from leaning closer to her, bringing his face close to hers. “No.” He whispered.

“Jason, come on it’s been months.” Why hadn’t she noticed how blue his eyes were, before?

“Exactly my point.” Jason murmured, her hair smelled like vanilla, and he liked it. “It’s been months since you’ve been on a bike so you’re not driving.”

Her face moved into a pout. “Jason, what do I have to do to convince you?” She asked huskily, his proximity was causing her stomach to go crazy again.

He smiled slowly, sending shockwaves through her. “Well you can…”

“Now this looks cozy.”

Elizabeth groaned in recognition of the voice, bowing her head to rest it briefly on his chest, before turning around. “Gia.” She said flatly.

Gia’s eyes moved from the bike to the man standing behind Elizabeth, the man was to borrow a phrase, sexy as hell, and from the looks of him wrapped up in Elizabeth’s perfect princess act. She shook her head, how did the girl do it? “Elizabeth I almost didn’t recognize you without your adoring entourage.”

Elizabeth sighed setting the helmet on the seat, before she gave into temptation and threw it at her. “I’m running late Gia, so why don’t you say whatever is on your small little mind and leave.”

Jason was surprised at her tone, the only other person he heard her use it on was Carly. He wondered what this Gia girl had done to warrant such animosity.

“Now Elizabeth be nice. Where are your manners?” Gia told her sweetly, crossing over to them. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Elizabeth shifted in front of Jason blocking her approach. “No I’m not.”

Gia scowled at her before smoothing out her features. “Well then I’ll do it. I’m Gia Campbell.” She said to Jason holding out her hand, and smiling at him flirtatiously.

Jason glanced down at her hand but made no move to take it, he could read the falsity about the girl easily enough. “Hello.”

Elizabeth grinned at Jason’s response or should she say lack of response.

Gia frowned. “You know in this country it’s customary to say your name when someone tells you theirs.”

“So.” Jason said shortly.

Elizabeth bit back a laugh, she was relieved that Jason hadn’t been taken in by the other girl’s beauty, like everyone else seemed to be.

Gia turned to glare at Elizabeth. “He must be another member of the Elizabeth Webber fan club.” She crossed her arms and studied her. “How do you do it?”

“Gia I really don’t have time to listen to your crap right now.”

“No.” Gia went on. “First I thought you were with Nikolas, then it was Lucky, and now it’s this guy.” She shook her head. “How do you keep them straight?”

“Jason.” Elizabeth picked up the helmet from the seat. “Let’s just go.”

“Jason.” Gia repeated, studying him through calculating eyes now. “Emily’s brother Jason? The one who knows what to do with dead…Ow!”

Elizabeth stomped hard on Gia’s foot to shut her up. “Run along Gia, there’s no one here for you to blackmail.”

“I was just going to say…”

“Now Gia.” Elizabeth snapped.

“Fine.” Gia said before flouncing away.

Elizabeth counted to ten in her head, tapping on the helmet as she did, before turning to face Jason with a smile plastered on her face. He was leaning against the bike, half-sitting on the seat, his arms were crossed over his chest while he watched her. He looked like he was prepared to wait there all day. She swallowed a groan. “So is that offer of a ride still open? I really do have to get to work. Chloe has a conference call with Milan in about 20 minutes and I need to get things set-up.”

Jason made no effort to move. “I know what to do with dead what, Elizabeth?”

“Jason.” She bit her lip, she had promised not to say anything. Even though she didn’t agree with what Lucky was doing she had promised both him and Emily. She was a little unnerved to realize that she was worried more over the idea of breaking a promise to Emily than to Lucky.

“Let me guess, you want to tell me, but Lucky told you not to.” He said, from her silence he knew he was right. He felt hurt, even though he had no right to be. Hurt that she had chosen to listen to Lucky instead of talking to him. He couldn’t identify what else he was feeling, because he had never felt it before, he just knew he didn’t like it.

“Jason I’m sorry, I promised.” She said quickly, hoping he would understand. He seemed to withdraw from her, and she realized she had hurt him, she hadn’t thought she could.

The awkwardness between them was back, this time for a different reason. Her grief over losing Lucky, and his over losing Michael and Robin’s betrayal, might have been what brought them together in the beginning, but there was so much more between them now. He knew how loyal she was, and that if she made a promise, she would do anything not to break it. He wouldn’t put her on the spot by making her choose between him and a flesh and blood Lucky. Not only would he never give her an ultimatum, he also didn’t know who she would choose, and didn’t want to risk losing her. So he pushed the hurt away. “Come on I’ll take you to work.” He said tiredly, turning to get on the bike.

“Jason.” She touched his arm. “If it was just me, you would be the first person I would tell. I need you to know that.”

He turned back to look in her eyes, he could see she meant what she said. “When you’re ready, I’m here.”

Her smile was small but genuine, and she moved to the bike in relief. “Jason…”

“No.” He said straddling the bike. “You’re still not driving.”

Her smile grew. “Okay but only because I want to go fast.” She pulled on the helmet. “Next time though, I drive.”

“We’ll see.” He said waiting for her arms to come around him, before putting the bike in gear. He already knew he would let her drive. He relaxed slowly, feeling her lean against his back, when he took the curves. He’d had other riders on his bike, but he never felt as comfortable with anyone else but her. He could feel her body shake with laughter as he increased his speed. Nope Elizabeth was the only one who he felt belonged on his bike as much as he did.

~Penthouse 3~

“Ned, I can’t take off and fly to St. Louis just because you want me to.” Alexis Davis said propping the phone between her shoulder and her head, while she began to put files in her briefcase. “Why? Ned I have clients that are depending on me, deadlines to meet.’” She paused to listen pulling a file back out of her case. “Besides the last thing we need is Eddie’s Angel to make an appearance, the press is starting to die down. I don’t want it to start up again.”

She snapped her briefcase closed and looked around for her purse. “Ned of course I want to be there, I just can’t right now.” Her suit jacket was draped over the chair. She thought about it for a second then set the phone down, missing part of his latest diatribe, while she hurriedly slipped it on. She picked up the phone and realized she hadn’t missed a beat. “Sonny isn’t my only client.” She said tiredly, trying to explain this again, for what felt like the millionth time. “But he is the one that needs my help the most right now.”

She glanced at the ring on her finger, sometimes it felt like an anchor weighing her down. “I know we’re getting married Ned, but I guess I don’t see the rush.” She opened her door and headed towards the elevator. She tried to juggle her purse, her briefcase, and hit the call button but couldn’t. She smiled gratefully at Johnny when he pressed the button, the smile froze when she saw Sonny standing behind him.

“Morning Alexis.” Sonny said with a smile.

Alexis nodded at him, very aware of Ned continuing to speak in her ear. “Ned you know that’s not true.” She said finally when he paused giving her an opportunity to speak.

The elevator doors opened and Sonny gestured for her to precede him in the car. “He has a lot to say this morning.” He commented.

Alexis covered the receiver. “Do you mind.”

“No.” Sonny said with a grin, flashing those damned dimples of his at her.

Alexis turned ignoring him.

“I just thought you might like to talk to someone instead of at them for a change.” Sonny continued, ignoring the glare she shot him.

“You know nothing of my relationship with Ned.” She hissed at him.

“Alexis you wound me.” Sonny clasped his hands to his chest in over-exaggeration. “Who do you think keeps you supplied in paper bags?”

“Now look…” She broke off turning back to the phone. “Of course I’m still listening to you Ned.” She sighed turning away from Sonny slightly. “You knew I was an attorney when we met, that I have my own life, apart from you. Why are you trying to change the rules now?”

Sonny watched her, he knew she and Ned were having problems, major problems, and yet they had still gotten engaged. It didn’t make sense to him. Their problems would only get worse with marriage not better, but it wasn’t his place to say anything.

“And when our relationship started I was dating a CEO not a wannabe rock star.” Alexis snapped fed-up with his demands. “Ned? Ned are you there?” She hung up slowly, she hadn’t meant to hurt him, she was just getting tired of his behavior.

“Are you okay Alexis?” Sonny asked quietly.

She looked into those warm dark eyes of his, noting that they were filled with concern, not amusement, like she thought they would be, and they almost did her in. “I’m fine.”

Sonny took her hand, he had gotten used to the jolt that he always received when he touched her. He was enough of a masochist that he even looked forward to it. Call it cosmic justice, he had finally fallen in love again, after Brenda, and it was with a woman who used him as a sounding board for her own love life. Perhaps this was a punishment for all the people he had hurt, he didn’t know, he just knew, he wanted to be in her life as more than just a client, so he continued to be her confidant.

“Sonny.” Alexis repeated. “It’s time to get off.” He had been looking at her with such an expression of pain and loss, she wondered what he was thinking about.

“Right.” Sonny dropped her hand and nodded for her to exit.

Alexis missed the contact immediately, lately when he touched her even casually, she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Even when she was younger, no man had ever made her react like that, she had thought she was immune until recently.

“Can I drop you somewhere?” Sonny asked pausing by the limo.

“No.” Alexis told him. “I need my car, I have a lot of outside appointments today.”

Sonny nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

“Sonny.” Alexis stopped him before he could get in the car. “I have a little more checking to do, but we’re going to need to talk about your defense strategy soon.”

“I know.” Because of Carly there was a good chance he would go to jail. He lowered his window, watching Alexis move to her car. Carly was also the reason he couldn’t go after what he really wanted. With a sigh of regret he raised the window. “Let’s go Johnny.”

~Penthouse 4~

“Mr. Morgan it’s good to see you.”

“You too Pete.” Jason shifted the package he was carrying to his left hand, and shook the other man’s hand. “Is Carly inside?”

“Yes Ms. Benson is inside.” He knocked before opening the door.

“Who is it Pete?” Carly called from her perch on the couch.

“It’s me.” Jason said walking into the room.

“Jase.” Carly shrieked, jumping off the couch and flying across the room to hug her best friend. “God I’ve missed you. Everything is such a mess.” She said starting to cry.

Jason hugged her back. She was nothing but trouble, abrasive, rude, and jealous all the time, but she was his friend, and he simply couldn’t see his life without her in it. He knew why she was crying and he just held her while she did.

~Kelly’s~

“Why is she here?” Emily demanded sullenly when Nikolas and Gia entered the courtyard.

“She’s a part of this Em.” Lucky said patting her hand.

“Don’t remind me.” Emily muttered under her breath.

“Are we waiting for Elizabeth?” Nikolas asked when he joined them at the table, automatically pulling Gia’s chair out for her, before sitting.

“No, she’s at L&B working. Her shift doesn’t start until later.” Emily answered.

Gia snorted. “Working right.”

“What do you mean by that?” Lucky asked.

“I saw her earlier and she sure wasn’t working.” Gia said cattily. “Unless it was how best to reel in a hunk.”

“What?” Nikolas demanded.

“Sorry guys, looks like you two have been replaced by a man.” Gia said nastily. “She was with that guy.” She pointed to Emily. “Your brother Jason, they looked might cozy. In fact I thought she was going to hit me for interrupting them.”

“They’re just friends.” Emily snapped. Gia always had to try to start trouble.

Nikolas burned with jealousy but he controlled it and looked at Lucky who had a far off look in his eyes. “I’m sure it was nothing. Gia tends to exaggerate.”

“Exaggerate?” Gia huffed. “I was there, not you, they were in a clinch.”

“What?” Lucky snapped out of his reverie at her words. “They were kissing?”

“Well…”

Lucky grabbed her arm. “Answer me.”

[JRK Archiver]

“Ow, you’re hurting me.”

“Lucky let her go.” Nikolas ordered. Lucky’s behavior worried him but it also confirmed what he had been telling himself ever since Lucky had returned. That despite what Lucky said, he was in fact, still in love with Elizabeth. He felt an unreasonable sense of loss, because he was in love with her too, but he knew he would never act on it, and even if he did, she didn’t feel the same, about him.

“Sorry.” Lucky said immediately, letting her go. He was as surprised at his actions as everyone else was. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but would you answer the question.”

Gia eyed him warily, rubbing her arm, she knew when to be honest. “No they weren’t kissing.” She glanced at the red mark his hand had left on her arm, and went on. “But I interrupted them, before they could, they left together then, on his bike.”

“They are friends.” Emily enunciated slowly. Both of them had told her that, when she had confronted them after the Christmas party last year. She hadn’t believed it when Elizabeth had told her, but she had believed Jason. He’d only been back a day, and she knew Elizabeth hadn’t heard from Jason while he was gone, so nothing could have happened between them. Besides Lucky was back, and she loved Lucky, so nothing ever would happen. She glanced at Lucky, and remembered what Elizabeth had said the night before about giving up on Lucky, that wasn’t good.

“If you say so.” Gia muttered. “But those two weren’t looking at each other like they were just friends.”

Lucky couldn’t help feeling betrayed although he had no right to feel it. He had told Elizabeth for months that they were over, that she should be with Nikolas and let him go. He never allowed himself to consider the possibility that she might listen to him, and turn to someone else. Deep down he knew she’d never look at Nikolas, even when she had kissed Nikolas awhile ago to make him jealous, he knew she didn’t mean it, but Jason.

“They lived together. The whole town knew they were sleeping together, and you hadn’t even been dead a year.”

Carly’s words came back to him, and he clenched his fists under the table. He didn’t hear the conversations going on around him, he only heard Carly’s words, and he only saw the way Elizabeth had stood next to Jason last night. They way she wanted to tell him their problems, wanted him to take care of things for them. His gut twisted, when he remembered the way she believed in Jason.

“They lived together.”

“Lucky are you okay?” Nikolas asked softly drawing him out of his thoughts.

“Yes.” He shook his head to focus on the situation now. “What about you? It can’t be easy to hear she’s with Jason. After all you are in love with her.” He said automatically as soon as he saw Nikolas’s face.

“Lucky.” Nikolas sighed wearily.

“Why don’t you tell her to stop?” Lucky asked. If he told her that, she would stop, and Jason would be gone. That would be perfect, Jason would be gone, and she would be his again. He shook his head, Nikolas’s again.

Nikolas looked at him in surprise. “Lucky this is Elizabeth no one tells her what to do. Trust me you especially don’t want to try to tell her who she can or can’t see.” He was amazed that Lucky even suggested it.

“But if she loves you she would do it.” Lucky argued.

“Lucky.” Nikolas snapped, his voice rising for a second before he controlled it again. “She loves me as a friend, nothing more. I almost lost her friendship once, because of Jason, I’m not going to risk it again.”

“Does he really have that much of an influence on her?” Lucky couldn’t believe that Elizabeth, his Elizabeth, could have changed that much.

Nikolas glanced over at the girls, and was surprised to see that Emily was actually speaking with Gia, with no bloodshed, he turned back to Lucky and kept his voice low. “She’s a different person around him. She moved out of Mrs. Hardy’s house, when she forbid her from seeing Jason. She left a party full of her friends, when Jason and I fought to be with him, she basically kicked me out of her life, for weeks over him. She had a b…” He stopped, he didn’t know how Lucky would react to the bomb incident so he moved on. “She defends him, and will turn on anyone who says bad things about him. You’ll see soon enough, what happens.”

“That’s not good.” Lucky muttered, he didn’t like that at all.

“Maybe you can reach her. You can make her understand that Jason could get her killed.” Nikolas pressed him, maybe that would be how they could find their way back together. Lucky was already jealous of Jason, he just needed a push, and he would drop his insistence that he wasn’t in love with her.

“I can try.” Lucky shrugged. “But we’re just friends.”

“Oh God.” Gia cried suddenly, lurching to her feet and racing away from the table towards the docks.

“Emily what did you say?” Nikolas asked tiredly.

“Nothing.” Emily shook her head. “She just looked up and took off.”

Lieutenant Marcus Taggert and Assistant District Attorney Dara Jensen entered the courtyard. Taggert glanced towards the docks, there was something familiar about that girl with braids, who had just raced out of here.

“So there’s been no progress in finding Ted Wilson?” Dara asked.

Taggert focused on her again. “No one has seen him since July 3rd, the night he disappeared.”

“Do you still believe he’s dead?” Dara asked sitting at a table.

The conversation at Emily’s table had stopped, while all three strained to hear what was being said at the other table.

“He’s a good cop.” Taggert told her. “He wouldn’t just leave like that. Besides we found his car in the river, wiped of prints, but pushed over that cliff just the same. No something happened to him. After all of this time, I think a body is the only thing we’ll find.”

“There hasn’t been much in the press lately, and that’s good.”

“We want whoever killed him to think we’ve backed down.” Taggert said his eyes blazing in anger. “Then they’ll get stupid and we’ll have them. He was a cop. One of our own, and I won’t rest, the department won’t rest, until we find him, and put his killers on death row.”

“I know you won’t.” Dara agreed, when her beeper went off. “Neither will I.” She glanced at her beeper. “It’s the office I got to go, maybe we can finish this over dinner?” She asked getting to her feet.

Taggert got to his feet as well. “I have plans with Hannah tonight.” He said. “But I’ll walk you back, and we can talk on the way.”

Dara turned away a frown on her face at the mention of Hannah, she barely glanced at the people at the table beside them as they walked away.

Nikolas rubbed at his eyes. “We’re running out of time.”

“Look the rave is in 2 or 3 days.” Lucky said immediately. “We just need to find out where, and everything will be over with.”

“I still don’t like this, it’s my problem, and you won’t let me help.” Emily told them, taking a drink, her mouth felt awfully dry at the moment.

“You know why Emily. This Zander Smith guy knows what you look like. It’s too dangerous for you to go.” Lucky explained.

“Well it sounds like whatever you have planned, is dangerous for you, so I should be there.” Emily argued.

“Don’t worry.” Lucky said cockily. “I have everything under control.”

Emily looked at Nikolas and she read the same thought she had in his eyes. Why were they not reassured?

~Penthouse 4~

“Are you calm now?” Jason asked after Carly had been quiet for a few minutes.

Carly stepped back and gave him a watery smile. “Yeah.” She moved to the bar and poured herself some water. “It’s so good to see you.”

Jason got some water of his own, set the package on the desk, and followed her to the couch. “You too.”

“I should’ve known he would call you.” She grumbled. “That is why you’re here right? Because I messed up Sonny’s life. Or…” A tiny flicker of hope went through her. “Did you miss me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes to what Jase?” God he could be so frustrating.

“Yes to both of your questions.” He said simply sipping his water. He knew by coming back, that Carly would more than likely try to cling to him, like he was her lifeline. She always depended on him to help her when she was in trouble. He always had in the past, so he knew she would expect it from him again.

“You didn’t even say goodbye.” She said softly, the hurt visible in her eyes. “How could you not say goodbye to me?”

He met her stare without blinking. “Because you would have never let me go. You would have done something stupid, to try to get me to stay.”

“Because I love you Jason.” Carly told him. “You’re Michaels father, we are a family. You’re right I would have fought to hold onto that.”

“That’s just it Carly, that’s one of the reasons that I left.” He sighed heavily shifting to sit on the ottoman in front of her. “Carly you weren’t in love with me. I had to leave, to make you see that.”

“Yes I am.” She had to be in love with him, because if not that meant she was in love with Sonny, and that just couldn’t be true.

“You love me like a friend, they way I love you, but your not in love with me. I had to make you see that, and you never would have, as long as I was around.”

“Michael…”

“I had already relinquished my claim on Michael.” Jason told her shortly and that still hurt, God he missed that little boy. “I couldn’t let you use him, to try to get close to me again.”

“I was fighting to save our family.” She argued a tear slipping down her cheek.

“We hadn’t been a family since you married A.J.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Why did she always give him a headache? “You’re a good mother, most of the time, but when you brought Michael to get me to see you.” He stopped. “I knew I had to leave, I wasn’t going to let anyone, including his mother, use him, or confuse him.”

“How much do you know?” She asked avoiding his words, because he had only spoken the truth. She had used Michael, because she knew if she showed up at his door with Michael he would let her in.

“I know you lost the baby.” He took her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“You know I found out I was pregnant the day you left. God I needed you, when I went to find you, you were gone, and everyone seemed to know it but me.”

“Sonny was there for you.” Jason said.

“Not at first, but when he found out I was pregnant, and realized it was his, he was.” She continued on nastily. “But before that he could care less, and once I lost the baby, he stopped caring again.”

“That’s not true.” Jason sighed, she hadn’t changed.

“What do you know? You haven’t been here.” She snapped. “You weren’t here when A.J. made me lose the baby, you weren’t here, when I went after A.J. with a gun. You weren’t here when Sonny decided he didn’t want to marry me anymore, because I wasn’t pregnant.” She got to her feet and stalked to the bar. “You weren’t here.”

“No I wasn’t.” He agreed. “But I know Sonny, he was probably the one who took the gun away from you.”

Carly shrugged. “Yeah he talked me out of it, and for a night, we shared our grief, but it didn’t last, a few days later I moved out.”

“I also bet.” He started moving to stand beside her. “That you were the one who said he didn’t have to marry you.”

He knew her so well. “We were only going to marry because of the baby so I let him off the hook.”

Jason studied her closely. “You’re in love with him.”

“No I’m not.” Carly cried nervously. “I love you.”

He shook his head. “Yes as a friend, but you’re not in love with me, and we both know it.”

“Yes I am.” She argued stubbornly. She had to keep a hold of him, because Sonny slipped further away from her everyday.

“Is that why you tried to wreck Sonny’s life by helping him?” Jason asked. “You forget, I know you Caroline, you only cause that much damage when you try to help in the name of love.”

“You know I never meant for it to turn out that way don’t you?” Carly begged him to understand. “I was trying to help Mike and get rid of Sorel for Sonny at the same time. Sonny was never supposed to be there, he wasn’t supposed to know.”

“Let me guess, you wanted to do this to prove that you loved him, to help him with Mike, and it all spun out of control.” He said wearily, he knew only to well how she thought.

“Yes you understand. Why doesn’t he?” She demanded angrily.

“Because you lied to him to do it, you put yourself in danger, you put his father in danger.” Jason explained the obvious reasons. If there were others, he didn’t know about them yet.

“It’s more than that.” She snapped. “He doesn’t believe me because he is looking for an excuse to be mad at me so he can kick me out of his life.”

“Carly he’s facing 25 years for drug trafficking, because of you, he has a right to be mad.”

“No it’s more that that.” She took a step away, only to whirl around and face him again, her face livid in anger. “He wants me gone because he is in love with someone else.”

“What?” Jason asked the surprise he felt evident in his tone.

“He is. Only he doesn’t know how to tell you, so he’s using this as an excuse to get rid of me.” Carly knew it was true. She loved Sonny, but knew he didn’t feel the same about her.

“Carly are you sure this isn’t just another one of your misunderstandings. You don’t always see what is really happening.”

“I don’t see what’s happening?” She yelled. “Well I can see this, he’s in love with your little friend.”

“Who?” Jason asked tiredly, the little headache had moved into a full blown one, and her shrieking wasn’t helping matters.

“That’s right he’s in love with Elizabeth Webber.” Carly said bitterly, noting the way his head jerked up to look at her when he heard the words. “She moved in on him the moment you left.”

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 4
~Jake’s~

Emily hesitated outside his door, she knew that they had decided to keep Jason out of it, but she needed to talk to him. She knew that despite what she had said last night, Jason could and would handle this without getting caught, hurt, or letting it interfere with whatever he was doing for Sonny. He could handle it, and this nightmare could be over with tonight. She realized that the only reason Elizabeth hadn’t said anything was because she had asked her not too, so Elizabeth would understand why she had changed her mind, in fact she was probably hoping she would change her mind. That was another reason to tell him, in some respects Elizabeth was closer to Jason than she was. At first that had really bothered her, but when she finally found out that Elizabeth had saved Jason’s life, it was easier for her to let that jealousy go.

She raised her hand to knock, and then lowered it again, Lucky wouldn’t understand why she told Jason. Lucky seemed to need this somehow. When he focused on her problem with Ted and what to do about it, he seemed to come back all the way and become the boy she had first met all those years ago. Of everyone in their group she had known Lucky the longest, and her relief at seeing him acting like his normal self at times, made her back his plan even when she didn’t want too.

But hearing Taggert with Dara Jensen earlier, made her realize that they were in way over their heads. She needed to get some help, and Jason would do this for her no questions asked. She knocked on his door and waited. Lucky might be hurt at first, but she knew that in this instance Lucky had bitten off more than he could chew.

She knocked again, louder this time. Besides this was her problem. She was the one that brought them into this mess. If anyone got hurt because of it, she didn’t think she would be able to handle it. And of everyone she knew, Jason was really the only person qualified to handle this. It scared her sometimes, to think about all the things her brother had done, things that she never ever wanted to know about. But in this instance, those things he could do, would definitely come in handy. Maybe she could finally get her life back, was that so wrong to wish for?

“What are you doing here Emily?”

Emily swallowed a groan, and turned to face Lucky. “I came to see Jason.”

Lucky studied her face, “You were going to tell him.” He accused, taking her arm and leading her down the hall to his room, he hurriedly unlocked the door. “Get inside we need to talk.”

~Kelly’s~

“Sorry I’m late Tammy.” Elizabeth called, walking through the door, and heading for the counter. “I’ve been behind all day.”

“It’s okay sweetie.” Tammy said walking out of the kitchen. “Only I have to run now, I need to make the deposit, and then I’m meeting Mike, so we’ll have to talk later okay?”

“Okay.” Elizabeth tied on her apron, and watched her walk out the door. She was very grateful that other than Lou, Kelly’s was vacant at the moment. Lou didn’t really count either, he always hung out the back door, smoking, or playing craps with the locals until he had an order to prepare. These were the times she liked it the best.

All dinner break, no work. She frowned, remembering the last time she had said that, and to whom. That was a night everything with Jason seemed to change, he had helped her get through a really bad night, and the next morning she had found him bleeding in the snow. She started filling saltshakers, the mindless chore gave her plenty of time to think, and her mind kept circling back to Jason.

Jason hadn’t pushed her for more details of what was going on, of course he never did, but she could see the distance and the hurt in his eyes. She hated knowing that she had put it there. The ride had been perfect as usual, she almost felt like things were back to normal between them, then she saw his eyes. She had frowned and he had taken the helmet from her hands and said he’d see her later. She smiled at that, knowing they were okay, that they were still friends, that her keeping something from him was okay with him, and that those strange feelings she had been getting about him were finally gone, and he was just Jason again. Then he smiled at her, he smiled at her and her stomach dropped to her knees. Before she could do anything else he was gone.

It was strange she had spent hours upon hours alone with him last year, and this January, she had even lived with him for awhile, and she’d never had one thought about him romantically. She moved around the counter to exchange the saltshakers on the tables with the full ones, then moved back behind the counter. That wasn’t entirely true, she’d had a thought once or twice right before he left, but she had always written it off as foolishness.

But now he hadn’t even been back 24 hours and he had invaded her thoughts, her dreams, her senses, hell every part of her. It didn’t make sense. She paused in the process of pouring salt in the empty bottles. Maybe it was because she was still in mourning when he left, and now she wasn’t anymore.

“Right.” She muttered in relief, and began moving again. The part of her that produced those kinds of feelings was working again. It made sense, Lucky wasn’t dead so she didn’t have to mourn anymore. Lucky was alive so she was allowed to feel these things again.

That’s not true. The Lizzie voice was back. Those parts of you woke up the last time you saw Jason and he kissed you goodbye. She groaned trying to drown out the voice in her head. He kissed you on the forehead and said goodbye, and all you thought for months was what if you had kissed him on the lips. Would he have stayed? “Oh shut up.” She finally cried out.

“Excuse me?”

Elizabeth’s face flamed and she looked up into Sonny’s smiling face. She hadn’t even heard him come in. She groaned again. “Forget I said anything.”

He took a seat at the counter. “I think that’s full.”

“What?” She looked down and saw a pile of salt that had overflowed from the shaker onto the counter. “Jeez, I should have never gotten out of bed today." She went red again, thinking about why she had shot out of bed this morning.

“Bad day?” Sonny asked with a smile.

“You have no idea.” She muttered cleaning up the salt, automatically tossing some of her shoulder. Sonny saw that and shook his head in amusement. “What can I get you?”

“Coffee for starters.” He said turning the coffee mug over. What the hell, he picked up some of the salt and tossed it over his shoulder as well. With Carly in his life he couldn’t have enough help.

She filled his cup. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” Sonny’s face turned serious, causing her own smile to fade. “I need to talk to you about Jason.”

~Penthouse 4~

Jason burst out laughing.

Incensed Carly slugged him in the arm. “Don’t laugh at me, it’s the truth.”

He caught her hand before she could hit him again. “Carly do you ever listen to yourself?”

“You don’t know.” Carly wailed. “Every time I turn around they are together, and she’s batting her eyes at him, giving him her Princess Purity Act. They even talk in this code, when I’m around.”

Code? He shook his head. “Carly they are only friends.”

“Friends like you and her were? I know girls like her, they are incapable of just being friends with a man. They refuse to be alone, so before they get rid of one man, they make sure they have another one on a string.” Carly sniped, pouring herself another glass of water.

“Carly…” He stopped himself, didn’t she realize she was giving an accurate description of herself.

“You left town and she was over here two days later. Sonny was already feeling guilty because you left, he was an easy mark for her, and believe me she knew how to use his guilt.” Carly whirled around to face him. “She never stops, every time she sees him, she’s all over him, clinging to his arm, talking to him like he’s the only one who can help her. And the way they talk, like they have some language only the two of them know. She is such a little slut and I…”

“Enough Carly.” Jason interrupted. “I didn’t come here to listen to your stupid accusations about Elizabeth. You have no idea what she is really like, so just don’t say anything about her at all.”

“Why did you come then?” She demanded.

“To say hello.” He stepped over to the table. “And to drop off a present for Michael.”

Carly leaned against the desk and studied him, he looked good, of course he always did. He still loved Michael too, she could hear it in his voice. Guilt washed over her, she hated the fact that she had hurt him over Michael. She remembered all of those times she had prayed for him to love her that way too, with his whole heart. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but he was right, she had never been in love with him. But she did love him, and she needed him in her life, especially with everything that was going on with Sonny. “So are you back for good?”

“I’ll be here for awhile.” Jason admitted. “At least until Sonny is out of trouble.”

“The trouble I caused.” Carly leaned back farther resting her hands on the desk and smiled at him. “You might be here for more than awhile then.”

“Maybe.” He headed for the door. “Don’t forget to give Michael my present.”

“Jase.” Carly called after him.

He turned to face her, watching her cross over to him. “Are we okay?”

“Yes.” He said simply, and it was true, the hurt was gone.

“Good.” She hugged him again. “I missed my best friend.”

“Don’t you mean your leash holder?” Jason countered before opening the door. “Goodbye Carly.”

Carly laughed it was good to see him. Is she had him on her side, she would get Sonny back, she just knew it. How could Sonny keep pushing her away with Jason here? She knew he still felt guilty as hell for hurting Jason, he wouldn’t add to the guilt by dumping her as well. She grinned, it was time to take care of something else too. She opened the door. “Pete can you have the car downstairs in 15 minutes? I’m going out.” She closed the door before he could respond, it was time to have some fun.

~Jake’s~

“Lucky if I want to tell Jason it’s my choice, it’s my problem not yours.” Emily said sitting on a chair in the small room.

“Wrong.” Lucky shot back. “It became ours when we moved the body. It became ours when we pushed the car in the lake, when we cleaned the motel room, when we hid Ted in the freezer at Wyndamere, when we…”

“Okay you made your point.” Emily interrupted him. “It’s just I’ve been thinking about it and I believe that Jason can make this problem disappear for all of us.”

Lucky sat on the bed facing her. “Em please, I couldn’t stand it, if you start doubting me too.”

“Lucky…”

“Please you, better than anyone else know what is going on with me.” He pleaded. “The only time everything feels normal to me is when we’re working on this. I need to do this.”

“Lucky it’s not just me, like you said, it’s not just my problem anymore.” She tried to explain. She didn’t want to extinguish the hope in his eyes but she was beginning to have doubts. She hated to admit it, but for the first time since she met Lucky, she doubted his ability to handle things.

“I know, but look how far we’ve come already.” He argued. “Please don’t take this away from me, and give it to Jason. I don’t want to lose anything else to Jason, I can’t.”

“You don’t believe what Gia said today do you?” She reached out and took his hand. “You know Elizabeth loves you. Jason is just her friend, like Nikolas is just her friend. Besides Jason is your friend too, don’t you remember how much he helped you when you left home?”

“They were lovers…Elizabeth belongs with Nikolas.” The voices warred in his head. Carly’s and one that he couldn’t identify, but one he heard whenever he saw Elizabeth.

“Come on Lucky tell me you know that.” Emily continued when he didn’t say anything. She saw the vacant far off look in his eyes, and knew he wasn’t there anymore. Every time he did that is scared the hell out of her. “Lucky.” She tugged on his hand trying to get his attention.

He heard Emily’s voice coming through the others in his head, and tried to concentrate on that. But it was difficult to block out the other voices.

“Lucky?”

Lucky shook the voices away. “She’s changed Emily. She is slipping away from me, and every time I try to talk to her, to really talk to her, I just end up pushing her farther away.”

“Lucky you’ve changed too, and Elizabeth doesn’t know why or what is going on with you. All she knows is you don’t want to be with her anymore, and then there are times, you act like you do, you are confusing her, and that is what hurts her.” Emily argued softly. “If she knew what was going on with you, she would be right her beside you, you have to know that.”

“No.” He snapped immediately. “I don’t want her to know.”

“Lucky you just said she is slipping away. You have told her for months that she had to let you go. What will you do if she starts to listen to you? Even Elizabeth will give up sometime, and I have to tell you Lucky, she’s getting close to doing that now.” Maybe if she told him the truth, it would shake him into action.

“You think she will because of Jason don’t you?” Lucky asked.

She sighed heavily. “They were only friends when he left.”

“But now?” He could hear the doubt in her voice and it twisted his gut.

Emily was quiet while she thought about it. She had seen a sparkle in Elizabeth’s eyes last night that hadn’t been there in months, no actually it hadn’t been there, since before the fire. The sparkle arrived the same time her brother did. “I don’t know.” She admitted finally. “If she has decided to give up on you, she might turn to Jason. The one thing I know for sure is that she will never turn to Nikolas.”

Lucky rubbed a hand over his eyes. Anger and jealousy had settled in his gut, he knew that Emily was telling the truth. He didn’t know why he pushed Elizabeth towards Nikolas, but he knew she would never do it. But Jason? He couldn’t believe that she would turn to him, he was so much older, and he was dangerous. He shook his head, he couldn’t see the appeal that Jason would hold for her. “I don’t want to lose her.” He said quietly, especially not to Jason.

“Then tell her the truth.”

“I can’t.” Lucky groaned. “I try, I really do, I look at her and I want to tell her I love her, and I open my mouth to say it and out comes…”

“Be with Nikolas.” Emily finished the phrase for him. If she was sick of hearing it she could only imagine how Elizabeth felt when she heard it.

“Yeah.” Lucky nodded wearily.

“Okay let’s try this.” Emily moved over and sat beside him on the bed. “Pretend I’m Elizabeth.”

“What?”

“I’m Elizabeth, now tell me how you feel.” She snapped.

“Emily…”

“Do it Lucky.” She ordered.

“Okay.” Lucky looked at her, trying to picture Elizabeth. “I love you Elizabeth, and I want you to be with me.”

“You know you can try to put some effort into this, I’m trying to help you here.” Emily swatted the back of his head, when she heard his lazy reply.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before trying again. “I love you Elizabeth.” He said opening his eyes. He didn’t see Emily anymore he saw Elizabeth. The Elizabeth before the fire, he reached out and touched her face. “Be with me Elizabeth.” He whispered before he kissed her.

Emily froze for a second in shock, when she realized he wasn’t stopping she put her hand on his chest, to push him back. “Lucky stop.”

“Be with me.” He repeated to Elizabeth before pulling her to him and kissing her again.

~Kelly’s~

“What about Jason?” Elizabeth asked quickly.

“He’s fine.” Sonny said reading the worry in her eyes. “Last night, were you able to calm him down?”

“Yeah we talked. When he left he was fine.” Elizabeth rubbed at the counter with her towel. “It was just hard for him to hear about A.J.”

“He told you?” Sonny asked in surprise.

“Yes. He needed to talk to someone.” She explained simply.

To say he was surprised would be putting it mildly, he had suspected that Jason had deep feelings for Elizabeth, and what she just said confirmed it for him. Jason didn’t talk, to unburden himself. Since Robin had left he was closer to Jason then anyone, and Jason still chose to keep things that bothered him to himself, or he would ride them out of him on his bike. The fact that he had told Elizabeth what was bothering him, told Sonny everything about her role in Jason’s life. He couldn’t help but be glad about that. He focused on her again. “Do you know if he blames me?”

“No.” She said immediately placing her hand over his to comfort. “He knows you wanted that baby. That if you could have you would have died to save the baby’s life.”

Sonny closed his eyes in relief. “I knew that I guess, but with the way the baby was conceived, I wondered.”

Elizabeth was quiet, she didn’t know the exact circumstances of the baby’s conception. She knew when Jason got shot, he wanted nothing to do with Sonny or Carly, so it had to have happened before then. Even with all the pain he was in because of the gunshot wound, what had haunted him the most was what had happened between the three of them. She hadn’t known what went on, but later after he left, and she found out about the baby, she knew. Somehow Jason had managed to forgive them, but she could still read the guilt in Sonny’s eyes, it had been there ever since that morning she had burst into his penthouse to tell him Jason had been shot. “Jason doesn’t lie, you know that. So if he said he forgave you before he left, he did. So maybe it’s time you forgive yourself.”

“It isn’t that easy.” Sonny said softly. Betrayal was the one thing he had trouble forgiving, and could never forget. Mike, and Brenda, were two people, he exorcised from his life for a long time because of it. Eventually he had forgiven Brenda, but he had never forgot it. And life with Mike, well he just never went away. But this time it was him that did the betraying, and he didn’t know how to let it go, even if Jason had.

“Jason once told me that sometimes things happened fast, but you had to live through them slow. He’s right, that’s where the two of you are, but you two will get through this. I saw his face, when he saw you last night, he didn’t get all stiff, like he had been before he left last January. He’s back, more than likely to help you, so you have to know he’s forgiven you, so let it go.” Elizabeth repeated.

Sonny smiled slightly. “Are you giving me advice now?”

“Yes even though you’ll probably ignore me.” She smiled back. “Which could be a good thing. My life is such a mess right now, I have no right to give anyone advice.”

“Are things still rough between you and Lucky?” He didn’t know all the details, but since Lucky had returned, the times he had seen her, she seemed to be upset more than happy.

“There is no me and Lucky.” She corrected. “Or haven’t you heard, according to Lucky there is only me and Nikolas.”

“Nikolas?” Sonny asked in surprise. That made no sense to him.

“See you don’t get it either.” Elizabeth cried. “No one gets it. Everyone tells me that Lucky still loves me, that he needs me, but all Lucky ever says is that I should be with Nikolas. It is so frustrating. Everyone tells me how I should feel, what I should do.” She sucked in a quick breath then continued on, warming to her rant. “They’ll stop me and say don’t give up on Lucky he loves you, he needs you, he’s been through so much you can’t give up on him.” She scrubbed at the counter for a second. “And just when I am ready to scream enough, here comes Lucky and for a minute, he starts acting like the Lucky I loved, and then he opens his mouth and out flies be with Nikolas.”

She threw the rag in the sink in disgust. She didn’t even see Sonny anymore, she had been holding this in for so long she couldn’t stop it. “Like I was some freaking trophy and he was giving me to Nikolas. He doesn’t have a right to tell me who I do or don’t love, to tell me who I should be with. If he doesn’t want to be with me anymore fine, but he doesn’t get to dictate who I should date. If I wanted to be with Nikolas I would be with Nikolas. But I don’t want to be with Nikolas. I want to be with Jason. So why doesn’t Lucky understand that. Why does he keep pushing me towards Nikolas, I just don’t get it.” She paused to breathe again, then shut up entirely, embarrassed by her outburst. “Oh God. Can we just forget about the last minute?”

“So you want to be with Jason,” Sonny said after a minute. When she got rolling she reminded him of Alexis. He was thrilled that she had said she wanted to be with Jason.

“No Lucky.” Elizabeth corrected automatically.

“Elizabeth honey.” He patted her hand. “You just said you wanted to be with Jason.”

~Jake’s~

“Elizabeth I love you.” Lucky tightened his hold on a struggling Emily, practically devouring her with his mouth.

“Stop it Lucky.” Emily yelled twisting her mouth away from his. His eyes were vacant, they were focused on her but she knew he wasn’t seeing her. His hold tightened, and he pressed her back on the bed.

“Be with me.” He couldn’t understand why Elizabeth was fighting him, he knew she loved him, so why was she fighting.

“Lucky.” Emily managed to free her hand and she slapped him hard across the face, trying to bring him back to his senses. He was really starting to scare her.

Lucky’s head jerked at the contact, bringing him back to reality, he looked down stunned to see Emily lying below him on the bed, staring up at him with fear in her eyes. “Emily?”

“Yes.” She saw the recognition in his eyes and took a breath in relief. “Can you get off of me?”

He shot to his feet immediately. “God what did I do?” He saw the way she got off the bed, and moved to stand by the desk away from him, watching him warily. “I’m sorry Emily, I’m so sorry.” He moved closer to her, but stopped a few feet away when she took a slight step back. “Did I hurt you?” He asked when he saw her rubbing her arms.

“No.” She stopped rubbing her arms when she saw the look in his eyes. “You did scare me a little.”

[JRK Archiver]

“What is wrong with me?” Lucky asked quietly slumping back down on the bed.

“I don’t know.” She took a breath and moved closer, sitting in the chair facing him. “But we will find out.”

“I don’t even remember what happened. I was talking to you, I said be with me and the next thing I knew you slapped me.” He shuddered at the thought of losing control like that.

“Maybe it’s just that you are tired of denying that you love Elizabeth, and once you allowed yourself to admit it, you lost control. This just convinces me that you need to talk to Elizabeth.” Emily paused, “But without the actions.”

“I don’t know what if I lose it again? I don’t want to scare her, or even worse hurt her.” He said shaking his head slowly. “I don’t think I should.”

“Lucky obviously your heart is telling you what you want, which is Elizabeth. You just need to wrap your stubborn head around it and tell her.”

“Do you really think so?” Lucky asked he really wanted to believe her. He knew he was losing Elizabeth more and more everyday. But he had to believe that if he did tell her what was going on, she would come back to him, but did he want her to come back to him that way? A large part of him said no, that it wouldn’t be fair to play on her loyalty, but another part of him just wanted her to stand by him.

“Yes.” Emily said getting to her feet, “So come on let’s go tell her.”

“Wait.” He told her. “I’ll tell her I want to be with her, and love her, but not about the problems I’m having. I don’t want her to know about that.”

“Why? Lucky she’ll only want to help you.”

“I want her back because she loves me, not because she wants to help me.” He got to his feet, cutting Emily off when she went to speak again. “I mean it Emily, no one tells her, or I won’t talk to her at all.”

“Alright.” Emily agreed, as long as they were together, Elizabeth would find out soon enough and would help him.

~Kelly’s~

“No I didn’t, I couldn’t have.” Elizabeth muttered going pale. She was having crazy thoughts about Jason, but she couldn’t have said that, could she?

“Well you did.” Sonny saw the distress in her eyes and backed off. He had found out more than he’d hoped for anyway. “You need to think about what it is that you really want.” He patted her hand, dropped a $20 on the counter and headed for the door. “Goodbye Elizabeth.”

“Bye Sonny.” She said automatically still frozen in her tracks, trying to remember what exactly she had said to Sonny.

The door opened before he reached it and Nikolas walked inside. Sonny nodded at him in passing. Nikolas glanced at him, before heading for the counter and Elizabeth. He saw her paleness and unnatural stiffness and immediately jumped to the only conclusion he had. “What did Sonny do to you?”

“What?” The sharp tone in his voice caused her to focus on him. “What did you say Nikolas?”

“What did Sonny do to upset you?” He demanded.

“Nothing.” She picked up the dirty coffee cup and set it on the counter behind her, before moving to the register with the $20, and putting the $19.50 tip in her pocket. “What can I get you Nikolas?”

“Elizabeth…”

“Nikolas if this is the start of another lecture about who I chose to have as my friends you can stop it right now. I decide who my friends are, not you.” Elizabeth cut him off, moving from behind the counter to clean a dirty table.

“Look I know things are hard with Lucky right now.”

Elizabeth snorted.

“But you shouldn’t give up.” Nikolas persisted. “I think we might have gotten through to Lucky last night. I think he knows now that you and I are only friends.”

She shook her head. “Well you’re wrong Nikolas. He called me last night to tell me how I made you worry by walking out of here alone last night. We didn’t get through to him at all. His mind is like a broken record and it is stuck on the be with Nikolas groove. And you know what I’m getting pretty tired of it.”

“We were all worried. It was late and the docks are no place for you to be walking alone.” He didn’t like the resignation he heard in her voice.

“Who said I was alone?” Elizabeth asked moving to the counter again.

“What, you were with Jason?” Nikolas felt the familiar rush of jealousy at the thought of her with Jason. It was one thing for him to put aside his feelings for her because of Lucky. But he wouldn’t do it for Jason.

“He walked me home yes.”

“Elizabeth I know Lucky has hurt you, but you shouldn’t turn to Jason because of that.” The image of the time he had burst in the studio and saw her undressing Jason ran through his mind. Emily had believed them when they said they were only friends, but he had never really believed it.

“We were about to make love before you barged in here like the morality police.”

Her words, no her taunt came back to him. Lucky had told him a couple of weeks ago that the real reason Jason was there was because she was helping him after he was shot. But he still remembered all the times he had seen them together, the looks that passed between them, and the image of that day in the studio, was burned in his mind.

“Jason is my friend.” Elizabeth snapped slamming the dishes on the counter, drawing his attention back on her. “He will always be my friend, no matter what you say, what Lucky says, or what anyone says.”

“Come on, you love Lucky, if he told you to stay away from Jason because he was dangerous and could get you hurt, you would listen to him, wouldn’t you?” Nikolas pressed her.

“First of all, Lucky would never tell me who I can have as my friends, secondly if he ever did, I wouldn’t let him dictate to me who my friends are, anymore than I would let him tell me who to date.” She paused then went on angrily. “And lastly, what makes you think he would even care? He’s not my boyfriend, he wants me to let him go, he might be glad that I’m listening to him.”

“Does that mean you’re giving up on Lucky, to date Jason?”

The look on his face was pure shock, and it caused her to slip behind the ever-present mask she always had with her. “I didn’t say that. I just said that Jason will always be my friend, no matter what Lucky says, so you might as well drop the subject.”

“Elizabeth, remember what happened after he left? You had to have a bodyguard for weeks because of Sorel, you had a bomb in your studio.”

“Nikolas.” She cut him off. “I won’t tell you again, back off.” With that threat she stalked into the kitchen.

Nikolas sighed and moved over to a table to sit. It was starting all over again. Jason was hardly even back, and they were already fighting over him. It had taken him a long time, but he finally managed to get their friendship back on track. It had been damaged when he kissed her on her birthday, but it was strained almost to the edge by his jealousy over Jason.

After Jason left, he finally managed to get their friendship back on track, basically because she had refused to discuss her friendships with Sonny and Jason with him, and he had refrained from calling her on it. He knew he was still in love with her, but he had buried his feelings because her friendship was too important to him to lose. Now though he could sense her pulling away from him again, and it coincided with the arrival of Jason.

“Nikolas are you okay?” A blonde woman paused by his table, touching his arm in concern.

“Mom.” He stood up and gave her a hug.

“What’s wrong?” Laura Spencer asked sitting at the table.

“I just had a disagreement with Elizabeth.” He admitted.

“This has to be so hard on you.” Laura said patting his hand. She knew Nikolas was in love with Elizabeth, but she also knew, that he would never act on those feelings, not now.

“I can handle it.” He said softly. “I finally understand what Stefan went through for all those years though.”

“What do you mean?” Laura asked in confusion.

“All those years he was in love with you, and had to watch while you loved someone else.” He shook his head. “He’s a lot stronger than I gave him credit for.”

“Oh Nikolas.” Laura cried her eyes started to water at his words. She hated that her oldest son was in pain, because he was trying to help her youngest son. “I’m so sorry that you’re hurting because of Elizabeth and Lucky.”

“I had resigned myself to the fact that she will never love me the way I love her. I am all for her and Lucky getting back together, because I saw how much they loved each other. So don’t get me wrong I support that totally, but it’s beginning to look like that isn’t what Elizabeth wants.” Nikolas explained.

“What do you mean?” Laura glanced through the opening to look at a laughing Elizabeth in the kitchen.

“I mean I think she has given up on Lucky. She is starting to believe that they are over.” Nikolas said sadly.

“That can’t be right, she loves Lucky, of course she hasn’t given up on him.” She had too, Elizabeth was probably the only one who could get through to her son. She had done it once before, and Laura was counting on her to do it again.

“Maybe before, she would have hung on, but things are different now.”

“Why what’s changed?” Laura demanded.

“Jason’s back.” He said simply.

~GH~

“Did someone here page me?” Dr. Monica Quartermaine asked at the nurse’s station.

“Yes.” A nurse pointed to the lounge. “He wanted to speak with you.”

Monica rubbed her neck wearily heading for the lounge. She had been operating for six hours straight, all she wanted to do now, was eat and sleep. She looked in the lounge and stopped in surprise, “Jason?”

Jason turned around to look at her. “Hello Monica.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Monica cried tiredness forgotten.

He stood and gave her the hug he knew she wanted. He had grown to care about her a lot, to him she had finally become his mother.

She stepped back. “When did you get in town?”

“Yesterday.”

“Are you staying?” She couldn’t help asking even though she knew he probably wouldn’t answer her.

Jason shrugged saying nothing.

She could see his unease, and knowing how much he hated hospitals, she realized that he must have had a purpose to seek her out here. As much as she would love to believe he had come just to see her, she knew he must have another reason to hunt her down. “Well I hope you’ll be around for awhile.” She sat quickly before she gave into temptation and tried to hug him again. “You look good.”

He sat beside her reluctantly, he was already feeling trapped by this place, and he had only been waiting for 15 minutes. He hated the hospital so much, but he needed to speak to her, and he would rather do it here, than at 66 Harborview Road. “Thanks. I need to ask you something.”

“Okay.” Monica waited for him to go on, content just to sit beside him.

“Did A.J. push Carly or was it an accident?” Jason asked his eyes locked on her face, looking for a lie, and the truth, while he waited her answer. He had to know the truth, because if A.J. had done it deliberately he was partially to blame.

~Docks~

“So you want to try this again?” Emily asked.

“Try what?” Lucky turned from the water to look at her.

“Do you want to practice what you’re going to say to Elizabeth?”

“I don’t know, look what happened last time.” Lucky said pausing by the bench.

Emily turned to look at him, “Just talk to me, and try it again, I want to make sure you don’t freeze up, when we get there.”

“Okay.” Lucky shrugged. “I love you Elizabeth, be with me.”

“Good.” Emily grinned, “Now just keep repeating that and everything will go fine.”

“Be with me.” Lucky repeated looking into her face.

“I knew it. You sonofabitch.” A male voice came from behind Lucky.

Before Lucky could identify the voice, he was grabbed from behind and turned around, he barely had time to register Juan’s face before Juan’s fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering back into Emily.

~Kelly’s~

Elizabeth walked out of the kitchen and saw Nikolas in deep conversation with Laura. Judging from the serious look on Laura’s face, it was probably about her and Lucky. She sighed heavily, sometimes she felt so overloaded. She was only 19 and everyone was relying on her, to save Lucky, when sometimes all she wanted to do, was run as far as she could away from everything. But that would be selfish, and Lizzie was the selfish one, not Elizabeth. Well at least not visibly selfish anyway.

She glanced to the door, when it opened, swallowing a groan, when she recognized the latest customer.

Carly spotted Elizabeth behind the counter and smiled cattily, moving towards the counter. “E-liz-a-beth, you’re right where you belong as usual.”

“And where would that be Carly?” Elizabeth asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“With the rest of the help, behind the counter.” Carly said. “So get busy and serve me.” She flipped over the coffee cup. “I’m waiting.”

Elizabeth picked up the coffee pot, and thought about it for a long minute. Inflicting 3rd degree burns on the bottled blonde probably wouldn’t be very nice. Satisfying but not very nice. It was times like this that she hated being nice, she thought to herself, filling the coffee cup.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 5
~Docks~

Lucky fell hard into Emily sending them both to the ground. He pushed to his feet immediately and charged Juan, ramming his shoulder into Juan’s unprotected gut and driving him backwards until they hit the stairs.

Juan clasped his hands together and brought them down hard on Lucky’s back forcing him to let go. He followed it up by bringing his knee up and catching Lucky in the chest and sending him backwards.

“Stop it!” Emily screamed getting to her knees.

Lucky charged Juan again catching him across the jaw, this time it was Juan who left his feet.

“Lucky stop.” Emily cried getting to her feet and grabbing his arm before he could go after Juan again.

Juan shot to his feet and came up on her other side, trying to get to Lucky again.

“Juan stop it.” Emily yelled putting a hand on both their chests to keep them separated.

“Get out of the way Emily.” Juan ordered. “This is between him and me.”

“Yeah move Em, this has been a long time coming.” Lucky said locking his eyes on Juan.

“You two are behaving like idiots.” Emily cried. She turned to Juan and shoved him back a step. “What the hell were you thinking attacking him like that?”

“I heard what he said to you, that he wanted to be with you.” Juan snapped. “You’re my girlfriend and he finally admitted he wanted to be with you, like I always knew he did. Don’t try to lie for him now.”

“Juan that wasn’t what he meant.” Emily rubbed at her sore elbow. “Even if it was there was no reason for you to hit him.”

“Are you hurt Emily?”

She whipped around at Lucky’s words. “And you, charging him like that. What were you thinking?”

“He hit me Emily was I just supposed to take that.” Lucky argued.

She shook her head in disgust. “It is ridiculous of me to think that the male ego would actually let someone talk about what happened instead of just reacting, with their fists.” She turned so she could move her eyes from both of them. “If you two idiots want to continue beating your heads in, you can do it without me.” She focused on Juan. “But you know me better than that, you’ve never walked in on me with someone else.” Juan shifted on his feet guiltily. She turned to Lucky. “And you, you know how he feels about you, and how he would take what he heard. You were just looking for an excuse to hit him.” Lucky refused to meet her eyes. “I’m leaving now, to let you little boys have your fun.” With that she brushed past them both and headed down the dock, leaving Lucky and Juan glaring at each other.

~GH~

Monica looked at him, the question surprised her, but it shouldn’t have. This Jason was different from the boy she had raised, but in a lot of respects he still thought the same. “It was an accident.”

Jason was quiet while he studied her face.

“Alan and Edward didn’t believe it at first, Alan even kicked A.J. out of the house. But I know it was an accident. A.J. has done a lot of bad things, but he would never deliberately try to harm a baby.” Monica went on. “He said it was an accident and I believe him.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time that he lied Monica.”

“No I know that. But I know my son. Even when I tried to hide the truth about A.J. to myself, I still saw it. When I was in denial over his drinking, I still saw it.” She explained. “When you’re a parent you see the bad in your child, even though you focus on the good, the bad is still there, you just ignore it.”

Jason shrugged, she believed what she was saying that was obvious. What had happened was in the past, both Sonny and Carly had dealt with it and let it go, so why shouldn’t he? He didn’t normally focus on the past, but he knew the way A.J. got when it came to him.

A.J. had originally gone after Michael because of him and that was before he even knew Michael was his child. A.J. had hung around Robin all the time, because he knew she was close to him. It was true that Carly and A.J. had formed a friendship on their own, but once she moved into the Penthouse with him, and even after the baby’s paternity was “revealed” to be Jason’s, A.J. kept coming around. Lila had once told him, and A.J. had told him repeatedly that Jason Quartermaine and A.J. had competed over everything and it seemed that A.J. was trying to keep that going with him.

When he left, A.J. didn’t have him to focus on anymore. Sonny had told him that A.J. knew that he provided the evidence that got Carly and Michael away from the Quartermaines, so in that sense he had beaten A.J. yet again. A.J. didn’t like to lose, and with him not being there Carly and Sonny were perfect targets.

“Jason?” Monica touched his arm, bringing his attention back to her. “Do you believe me?”

“I know you believe what you’re saying.” Jason said finally.

“The question is do you?” Monica pressed him, it had taken her a lot of time but she finally came to realize that she had been blessed with five beautiful children. Dawn and Jason had both died. But she still had A.J., Emily, and this Jason, and possibly a new life soon. She didn’t want her children at odds over something as serious as this.

Jason didn’t answer and got to his feet. “I need to go.”

Monica rose and gave him another hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

Jason smiled softly at her, and she caught her breath in that moment he looked so much like her other Jason she felt a flash of pain. “It’s good to see you too Monica.” He touched her hand and then was gone.

~Kelly’s~

Elizabeth set the coffeepot back on the burner, and turned away, ignoring Carly while she started to fill the sugar shakers. Carly began to tap her spoon against the saucer.

Tap-tap-tap … tap-tap-tap … tap-tap-tap … tap-tap-tap.

“Was there something else you wanted Carly?” Elizabeth asked after about a minute of the tapping.

“I was just thinking how sad some people could be.” Carly started, swirling her finger over the rim of her cup.

“Doing a little self-realization there Carly?” Elizabeth asked sweetly.

Carly glared at her. “Some people think they’re so close to someone else, when it turns out they really don’t matter to them at all.”

Elizabeth set down the sugar pitcher and moved towards the counter. “Why don’t you just spit out whatever is in your head today Carly, because I have other things to do.”

“Fine.” She snapped. “Jason’s back, but I guess you didn’t know that did you? Turns out you don’t mean a damn to him after all.”

Elizabeth smiled and placed her hands on the counter. “So he finally got around to seeing you. That’s good.” She leaned closer. “You see I saw him last night, this morning, I’ll more than likely see him tonight. So wasn’t it nice of him to squeeze you in finally?” She taunted.

Carly slapped her hand on the counter. “You stay the hell away from him, or I’ll pull your damn hair out.”

“Gee Carly, wasn’t it just last week you threatened to do that to me if I went near Sonny? You really need to learn some new threats.” She paused. “Because that one’s getting old.”

“Listen little girl.” Carly sniped. “You stay the hell away from Jason and from Sonny. You do not want to mess with me on this.”

“When are you going to learn that you don’t scare me. I’ll see who I want, when I want, and no one is going to stop me.” Elizabeth told her, her voice rising a little in anger.

~Table~

Nikolas turned back from the counter to look at his mother. “You see what I mean.”

Laura looked surprised. “I haven’t heard Elizabeth speak like that before.”

“That’s because the last time she was around Jason, you didn’t know about it until the end. So you never saw them together. She’s like that a lot around him. You never know what she’ll say, or to who.” Nikolas told her wearily.

“Mom, I know you say he’s bad news, but I like working at the club, I like working with Luke.” Laura said pulling her long hair back in a ponytail, before pulling at the top of her tube top trying to make it stay.

“Laura he’s trouble, Scottie doesn’t like you working there anymore than I do.” Lesley said sitting on the bed in the small room. “He’s your husband you should respect his wishes.”

“Like you respected your husbands?” Laura shot back, glaring at her through the mirror, while applying her lipstick. “I’m not doing anything wrong, it’s just my job. Luke’s my boss, and I’ll see him if I want too, it’s not like I’m having an affair with him.”

Laura frowned at the memory, it was hard sometimes to remember that she was ever that young and willful, she glanced towards the counter, seeing a similar look of derision on Elizabeth’s face that she had once directed at her mom. History was repeating itself, or so it seemed.

~Counter~

“I told you not to mess with me.” Carly said furious. How dare this little slut try to talk back to her. “I won’t warn you again.”

“What are you going to do Carly? Hit me again? Try it, you’re not pregnant this time, so believe me you hit me again, and I will be all over your ass.” Elizabeth warned her. She knew she shouldn’t be having fun with this, but confronting Carly like this, was fun to her.

Carly was seething with anger and she got to her feet. “Remember what I said little girl.”

“Don’t you get it Carly?” Elizabeth said before the blonde could walk away. “I don’t go looking for Sonny or Jason, they find me.” She leaned back and crossed her arms over his chest. “That’s one of the biggest differences between you and me. They want to see me, to talk to me, to be around me. Whereas they have to talk to you.”

“You bitch.” Carly headed towards the opening of the counter.

Elizabeth moved around to meet her.

“Carly stop it.” Bobbie’s voice sounded and she put her arm around Carly’s waist stilling her daughter’s forward progress and then moving in front of her.

Elizabeth continued around the counter so she stood behind Bobbie. “It’s okay Bobbie, we were just getting a few things straight.”

“How by hitting each other? I see enough blood in the hospital I don’t need to see it here.” Bobbie snapped, giving Carly a shove towards the door. “Come on Carly we’re leaving.”

“Mama stop it.” Carly yelled. “That bitch needs to learn her place.”

Emily entered the diner in time to see Carly try to get past Bobbie and head for Elizabeth. Her eyes widened when Elizabeth grinned and moved towards Carly only to stop when Nikolas stepped in front of her. What the hell was going on today?

“Elizabeth you don’t want to do this.” Nikolas said.

“Are you telling me what to do now too?” Elizabeth demanded. Her anger was still there, so it easily switched targets. “If so maybe you’ve been around Lucky too long.”

“No,” Nikolas tried to reason with her. “But you do work here, do you really think you should fight here too? Especially with Carly? Wouldn’t that be like letting her win?”

“Ugh.” Elizabeth sighed and stalked to the kitchen. “Then get her out of here.” She hated that he was right.

Bobbie had dragged Carly out of the diner while Nikolas was talking to Elizabeth, a very amused Pete followed his charge.

Emily looked at Laura, who just shook her head. “What happened?” She hissed at Nikolas.

“Carly tried to tell her to stay away from your brother.” Nikolas explained. “You can see how well that worked.” He moved back to the table, while Emily headed for the counter.

“Hey Em.” Elizabeth said breezily, she was still wired from her confrontation with Carly, but tried to keep her voice on an even keel.

“Were you really going to hit her?” Emily asked sitting down.

“Probably, although I haven’t been in a fight since 3rd grade, so I probably should practice before our next meeting.” Elizabeth said, making her hand into a fist, it probably packed more power then it had then too.

“Eliza…” She broke off. “Why is everyone fighting today? First Lucky and Juan, now you and Carly. Did everybody watch that fake wrestling show last night?”

“What do you mean Lucky and Juan?” Elizabeth asked. “Emily what happened to you?” She took Emily’s arm in concern when she saw some blood on her elbow.

“Juan decked Lucky and he sort of fell into me, and I scraped my elbow on the dock.” Emily explained twisting her arm, to see the cut.

“I’ll get a first aid kit. Stay there.” Elizabeth said disappearing into the kitchen.

“Are you okay?” Nikolas said from her side.

“Yeah it’s just a scratch.” Emily told him.

“Good. Where is Lucky now?”

“I left him on the docks with Juan. If they wanted to fight they were going to have to do it without me.” She told him.

Nikolas rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I better go stop them then.” He touched her back lightly. “Take care I’ll talk to you later.”

Emily nodded, while Laura and Nikolas headed for the door.

“Let’s see what we got.” Elizabeth said opening the kit, and pulling out some Neosporin and a bandage.

“You weren’t serious about hitting Carly were you?” Emily asked again, while Elizabeth cleaned her cut.

“Yes.” She looked up. “Does that surprise you Em?”

“Yes.” Emily flinched at the sting of the ointment. “Elizabeth you’re not like this what’s going on?”

“It was just Carly, you know how she is. You’ve had several run-ins with her yourself.” Elizabeth wished she would just drop it. Emily pressing her for details wasn’t going to lead anywhere good, her emotions were still all over the place right now.

“I know how she is, but you don’t respond to it, by sinking to her level.”

“What I’m supposed to just nod my head and agree, when she starts telling me I can’t see Jason or Sonny?” Elizabeth demanded.

“No of course not.”

“It’s my life, and I will see who I want to, no one will tell me otherwise. I thought you would understand that. How many people, myself included tried to tell you not to see Juan?” Elizabeth asked. “You didn’t listen to anyone, why should I?”

“See? You mean you’re dating Jason?” Emily asked in surprise.

Elizabeth fumbled with the snap on the first aid kit. “No, but if I was, I wouldn’t stop just because someone told me too.”

Emily was quiet for a long time, while she watched Elizabeth fidget. “Are you thinking about dating Jason?” She asked softly.

Elizabeth froze. Was she thinking about dating Jason? She couldn’t be, because that would mean she had given up on Lucky. “Elizabeth honey,” Sonny patted her hand. “You just said you wanted to be with Jason.” Sonny’s words came back to her, causing her to drop the first aid kit. She bent to pick it up, and sighed in relief when she heard Laura’s voice.

“So did Elizabeth fix you up?” Laura asked Emily. She had heard Emily’s question, and more importantly saw Elizabeth’s reaction to it. She saw it, and she worried about it.

“Hi Laura.” Elizabeth said when she stood. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, what can I get you?”

“Some iced tea would be good.” Laura told her.

Elizabeth poured her a glass, then moved into the kitchen.

Elizabeth never answered, the realization crossed Emily’s mind. What did that mean for Lucky? What did that mean for Jason? She closed her eyes, trying to bring back her first image of Jason last night. He had been standing on the docks holding Elizabeth. She concentrated hard, trying to remember his facial expression. He had been standing sideways, and there was enough light that she could see his features, before he saw her, what did he look like, it was almost there…

“Emily.”

Laura’s voice broke the image in her mind before it became clear. “I’m sorry, what did you say Laura?”

“Is your arm okay?”

“Yeah it’s just a scratch.” Emily got to her feet. “I need to go, will you tell Elizabeth I’ll be back later?”

“Sure. Goodb…” Laura’s voice trailed off, Emily was already gone.

“Where was she going in such a hurry?” Elizabeth asked moving back to the counter.

“I don’t know, she said she would be back later.” Laura patted the stool beside her. “Can you sit for a minute?”

“Sure.” Elizabeth said warily moving to sit next to her, she couldn’t help the tension that formed at the base of her neck. “What do you need Laura?”

“It’s about you…” Laura turned to look at the woman she considered her daughter. “And Lucky.”

~L&B~

Alexis groaned in frustration and began to hit her head, on the open law books in front of her. This was not going good. Every avenue she looked for, every brilliant idea she thought she had, none of them panned out. She could only see two options to help Sonny with his problem and neither one of them were good.

She leaned back against her chair. She fought hard for all her clients, but the need to help him was stronger than it was for her other clients. It was strange because originally she hadn’t wanted anything to do with Sonny. She had decided to help Jason with Carly’s case after she shot Tony, because she felt so guilty for letting Helena blackmail her into getting him off for kidnapping Michael. She then helped Jason get partial custody of Michael, as a favor to Ned, and also because she knew Jason genuinely loved the boy. That was supposed to be it.

She rubbed at the back of her neck, but that wasn’t it, she found herself getting pulled more and more into Jason’s situations with the cops, and then when Sonny returned, she found herself expected to help him too. Sure she bitched about it, but it was a thrill taking on Dara and the other D.A.’s and beating them. It was addicting, but she still thought she could walk away.

When Jason had left she almost thought she would walk, but Sonny had been persuasive. Then when the possibility of having to take the Quartermaines to court so he could see his child with Carly, their relationship changed again. She’d had to press him on his history, and he opened up to her about his childhood, and she knew then, that she could never walk away from him. She wasn’t used to losing, and she was enough of a Cassadine, that the idea and the deed never set well with her. She frowned at the books on her desk again, she wasn’t going to lose, there was another way out of this for Sonny, and she was going to find it.

“So is that how it works, you glare at the books, and the law changes for you?”

Alexis looked up with a smile. “V, when did you get back in town?” She got up to give her friend a hug.

“We got back late last night.” V told her, sitting in the chair in front of Alexis’s desk.

“So how was Alaska? Did you past muster?” Alexis asked.

The love and respect she had for her friend, allowed V to let herself slump in the chair. “I think the verdict is still out on that one.”

“I doubt that V. I’ve met the Jack’s family, they had to love you.” Alexis said encouragingly.

“When they met you, you weren’t auditioning for a place in their son’s life, and even worse, potentially trying to replace their beloved daughter-in-law.” V told her.

“Jax proposed?” Alexis asked.

“No.” V said quickly. Thank God he hadn’t done that. “It’s way to soon to be thinking like that, we just started dating six weeks ago. But I think his parent’s think I’m trying to take Brenda’s place.

“They loved her a lot.”

“I know, believe me I know that.” V began to tap her foot on the floor. “I know how much Jax loved her too, and I would never try to take her place, or try to make him forget about her. I just want to have my own place in his life.”

“You do, you have to know…”

“Alexis did you see a fax from Milan?” Chloe asked entering the room. “Sorry I didn’t know you weren’t alone. Hi V it’s nice to see you again.” She said politely.

V got to her feet quickly, dwarfing the smaller blonde, but feeling intimidated anyway. “I was just leaving, Alexis I’ll talk to you later.” She headed for the door, her eye may be untrained but she knew style when she saw it, and Chloe certainly had it. “Chloe.” She nodded at her as she passed.

Chloe looked after her before sighing heavily. “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”

“She’s not mad at you, she just feels uncomfortable around you.” Alexis said torn between her two friends. “You have to admit it was a rather unorthodox situation for awhile.”