Home Sweet Home by pinkcow4

[JRK Archiver]

Authors Note: Hey all. This is a loose adaptaion of 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Hope you enjoy. Please note, I am a feedback whore.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it. Please don't sue! You won't get any money!
Rating: PG-13
Author: Kim


Prologue

"Careful! Don't fall now!"

Elizabeth Webber dismissed his warning with a roll of her eyes and continued her trapeze walk on the bridge railing.

"Emily's going to kick my ass if something happens to you."

Elizabeth expertly and gracefully spun on her toe to face him, not even teetering in the slightest. Her brown pigtails whipped around her shoulders. Hands on her hips, she scowled at him. "Is that the only reason you're hanging out with me, Jason Morgan? Because Em begged you to so that she can play hide 'n' seek with Prince what's-his-name?"

Jason looked up at her from his spot on the bridge. "No, I'm hanging out with you 'cause I want to."

She smirked at him. "Aww, better be careful Jase, or I'll start thinkin' you like me or some- whoa!"

In her taunt, she lost her balance and almost fell backwards off the bridge railing. Fortunately, Jason was able to catch her hand in time and pull her towards him and solid ground. She barely landed on her feet, with his arms around her waist to support her. His face was only a few inches from hers, and from that proximity she could practically see through his light blue eyes.

"What if I do like you?" he asked with a grin, half teasing and half serious.

"Ha!" she retorted, pushing him away and standing on her own two feet. "You're so funny sometimes Jase."

His face showed indignation and hurt. "I'm serious! What if I said I liked you and I think we should get married?"

She gaped. "Are you crazy?! We can't get married!"

He crossed his arms. "Why not?"

"I'm too young to get married," she replied with all her 8-year-old wisdom. "I've got too much living to do first."

She turned around and skipped down the bridge and back towards the house.

"How about after you've done your living?" he yelled, running after her.

"Sure," she replied easily, without turning her head. "But you've got to do your living too you know."

His short and quick strides caught up to her and he stood in front her, blocking her path. He spit in his hand and then stuck it out to her. "Okay, then we gotta deal?"

She scrunched her face in disgust, but then also spit in her hand and clasped his.

"Deal."

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter One

17 Years Later

"Did you fall asleep with the paintbrush in your hand again?" Brenda asked with a grin.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because there's paint in your hair."

"What?" Elizabeth replied, her brows furrowing. She touched her ponytail and grimaced when she felt the hardened oils. "Damn. I have a date tonight."

Brenda quirked an eyebrow. "With Ric, the lawyer right? Don't worry sweetie. I'm sure he won't mind helping you wash it out with a hot shower."

Elizabeth laughed, but smacked her agent/friend on the arm with her paint rag. "Hey! We're going to a charity benefit for kids, okay? Strictly G-rated."

"Sure, sure. But afterwards?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Can we focus, please? My very first solo gallery opening is tomorrow and all you can jabber about is my sex-life?"

"So you admit there is a sex-life??"

"Brenda!"

"Okay, okay," Brenda replied, her hands up in defeat. "I'll stop. So long as YOU stop worrying about the opening. It's going to be great and you know it."

"How do I know?"

Brenda put an arm around the girl and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Because I don't work with anyone that is less than great, and THAT you know."

Elizabeth had to smile at that. It was true, Brenda Barrett did not, under any circumstance, work with anyone that she did not believe in. Her clients were some of the most popular and successful artists in the world. It was a pure stroke of luck that she had stumbled upon one of Elizabeth's earlier paintings, which coincidentally, had been Elizabeth's first painting upon arriving in Italy seven years ago. She had painted the view from the rundown apartment she was staying in at the time. Though a far cry from her presently owned lush suite, the insect infested hole was all she could afford at the time, but through her window she could see all the lights in Italy and it had sparked hope in her. She had wanted to ingrain that feeling and so had put it down on canvas.

During her first months, she made very little money with her paintings, and so, she had to take up various odd jobs to pay for rent and food. Her first employer, a professor, had been extraordinarily kind and as gratitude, Elizabeth had given him her painting as a thank you. This professor turned out to be one of Brenda's old college friends. During a visit to his home, she saw the painting and immediately demanded to know who the artist was.

As they say, that was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Elizabeth had few friends in Italy, even fewer who were from the United States and could speak English with her. Besides just being a terrific agent, Brenda was also Elizabeth's best friend, one whom she could laugh with, confide in, cry to, and most importantly, whip her into shape when things got tough.

"Why are you getting so worked up?" Brenda continued. "It's not like you haven't had an opening before."

"But this will be a one woman show! Just me!" Elizabeth pointed a finger to herself to emphasize the point. "All the other shows I've done have been little sub-plots or tiny appetizers in comparison to the real artists."

"Sweetie, you are a real artist."

Elizabeth tried to slow her anxious breathing. "Are you sure?"

Brenda nodded. "Positive."

"Positive," Elizabeth repeated, also nodding, trying to sound as certain as Brenda did.

"Now, enough of this unnecessary worriment. You've got a hot date! Come on, I'll help you pick out something to wear."

Elizabeth let Brenda drag her to the bedroom. "Ah, it never fails, the three passions of Brenda Barrett: art, sex and clothes."

*****

"You seem unusually happy," Elizabeth remarked in Italian, with only a slight American accent, as they rode in the limousine to the banquet hall. "You hate these things."

Ric grinned. "I know. Still do."

"So why are you all giddy? Are you up to something mister?"

"Me?" he feigned innocently. He reached over to lace his fingers with hers. "You look stunning. That alone can make any man giddy."

She beamed. "Always the charmer."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Elizabeth was perfectly content to simply lean against his strong frame and listen to his breaths. It had been so long since she felt this... happy. All her earlier worries about her impending gallery opening washed away the moment he pooled her into a warm embrace. It was amazing the effect he had on her.

She sighed contentedly.

"Tired?" he asked.

"No," she replied, smiling. "Just happy."

He returned the smile, truly touched by her words.

Something through the window behind his head caught her eye. "This doesn't look like the way to the hall." Confusion settled in. "Where are we?"

"We just need to make a quick stop."

Elizabeth was still bewildered, but decided to keep her questions at bay. A short time later, the limousine came to a stop. Elizabeth looked out the window, but could see little with the dark sky above them. Ric opened the door and tugged on the hand that was still clasped with his.

"Come on."

"Where are we Ric?"

"You'll see."

She raised a suspicious eyebrow at him but followed. She exited the limo and took a sweeping gaze around.

"Do you recognize it?"

Her mouth was open in a silent gasp. "Oh my..."

"This is-" he began.

"-where we first met," she finished.

He smiled, pleased that she remembered. They were atop a cliff, looking over the city. "You were sitting over there on that tree stump, sketching the view. I was merely taking a walk, trying to clear my head because of a fight I had with my sister. And there you were, a vision of beauty."

She looked around, awed. "I remember. I could hear you muttering curses before I saw you. And then you stopped, as soon as you saw me. You said I took your breath away."

"You still do." He leaned down and enveloped her lips in a scorching, but sweet kiss.

She peered up at him after the kiss was broken. "What are we doing here, though?"

"I wanted us to go back to the beginning, for our new beginning."

She had a quizzical look on her face. "New beginning?"

He stepped back slightly and took both of her hands into his. "Elizabeth, I love you. You are the sunshine in my life... how's that American saying? Apple of my eye, cream in my tea..."

She laughed lightly. "Coffee."

He blushed, but went on. "Right. I've never met a woman like you. Strong, independent, smart, generous, beautiful. I can't imagine my life without you."

Realization dawned on her. "Ric, what are you saying?"

As he got down on one knee before, she gasped and widened her eyes. He pulled out a velvet box from his coat pocket and opened it to her. She stared into the sparkle of the biggest diamond ring she had ever seen in her life. "I'm saying, I don't want to imagine my life without you. Elizabeth Quartermaine, will you marry me?"

*****

"You WHAT?!?"

Elizabeth sighed. She should've expected that that would be her friend's reaction. When Elizabeth didn't reply, Brenda let out another screech.

"You said NO???"

Another sigh. "No, I said, I'd think about it."

Brenda looked at her friend as if she'd grown another head. "Wha-, but... ah... think about what?"

Elizabeth walked briskly about the gallery, trying to busy herself with setting up for the gallery. The opening was just a couple hours away.

"I don't understand," Brenda sputtered, following Elizabeth around the building. "Did you, or did you not, just last week, go on and on about how he was the man of your dreams?"

"Yes," Elizabeth replied tiredly.

"And didn't you also say that you were head over heels in love with said man of dreams?"

"Yes," she repeated.

Brenda spun Elizabeth around to face her. "So, what, WHAT in God's green earth do you need to think about?"

Elizabeth turned away and started walking again. "Marriage is an important step, okay? I'm not just going to walk into it lightly."

Brenda rolled her eyes. "Oh, what a load of crap."

"I'm serious!"

"So am I. Elizabeth, you love him, right?" When her friend nodded, she went on. "He makes you happy? He's everything you've ever wanted?"

"Yes." Elizabeth had stopped pacing the floor.

"Then why won't you marry him?"

Elizabeth struggled to lift her head to meet her friend's eyes. She let out a long and ragged breath. "Because... I'm already married."

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Two


"Because... I'm already married."

Her friend stood still, unblinking and in shock. Elizabeth reached a tentative hand out to Brenda, gently nudging her.

"Brenda?" she asked uncertainly.

"You're WHAT?!"

Elizabeth shook her head. She shouldn't have expected any less of a reaction.

"Married."

"But... wha-, I don't... this is-!" Brenda sputtered on, unable to form a coherent thought or find the right words. Finally, her mouth formed a thin line. "There are no words."

Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Do you always have to be so dramatic?"

"Dramatic? Me?! Who just dropped a BOMB on me about already being married like something out of a bad soap opera! I've been your best friend for the past five years and you just failed to mention this to me?"

"It wasn't important."

"Wasn't important?!"

Elizabeth picked up a stack of business cards and tried to organize them, though they were already perfectly stacked. "What are you, a tape recorder? Please stop repeating everything I say."

"How is you're already being married not important?" Brenda asked, hands on her hips.

"It's not," Elizabeth insisted. "I mean, I've been trying to get a divorce from him for years. Since the day I left the states, in fact. He just refuses to give it to me."

Brenda wrinkled her brow. "Why?"

"Because he's a stubborn, selfish, self-centered pig, ok? I don't know. You're asking me? I just keep getting the papers sent back to me, unsigned." Elizabeth scowled. "Ugh... and I got billed by the lawyer everytime too."

"So why didn't you fight him and drag his ass through court?"

"'Cause then I'd have to go back home and I don't want to. Besides, I figured I'd never see him again and that I'd never meet anyone or ever fall in love again anyways, so why bother? I mean after my first stellar experience at marriage, I wanted nothing to do with it again." Elizabeth ran a frustrated hand through her hair and sighed. "And then Ric happened and... suddenly it's important again."

Brenda shook her head in disbelief. "I just still can't believe this. You're married."

"Yeah, we've covered that."

"And you're seeing someone."

"Mmm-hmm."

"It's like, an affair or something. Oh my god, it is an affair. Elizabeth, you have a mister!"

Elizabeth scrunched her face. "What the hell is a mister?"

Brenda looked at her friend as if the answer should be obvious. "Mistress, male."

Elizabeth sat down on a white bench in the middle of the gallery and rested her face in her hands. "Brenda, you are NOT helping."

Her friend sat down and put a warm arm around her friend. "Actually, I'm kind of impressed. I never figured you had it in you."

Elizabeth moaned.

*****

"Thank you so much," Elizabeth replied in Italian, a generous smile on her face.

"I mean it dear," the gentleman said. "I've never seen such fine work. I see great things in your future. I'll keep in touch."

They shook hands and he left her to admire another one of her paintings. The opening had occured without no untimely incidents and so far, she had been given nothing but praise and admiraton. Relief settled in her, only to washed away once she spotted Ric a few feet away from her, pretending to not see her while he looked at a painting. Elizabeth took an encouraging sip from her champagne flute and made her way towards him. When she arrived, he smiled warmly at her.

"Hey," she said nervously.

"Hello."

It was difficult to look him in the eye. "I didn't think you'd come."

"I couldn't miss this. It's a big day for you." He looked around and took note of all the admiring guests. "Looks like a success."

Elizabeth smiled a sheepish grin. "Yeah. I was worried for nothing."

They were silent a long while before she spoke again. "Ric, I'm sorry for last night-"

"Oh, no need to apologize," he cut her off. "I understand that you don't want-"

"No!" she said, almost too loudly. She looked around, hoping no one heard her outburst. Only Brenda, on the other side of the room, had. Satisfied, she turned back to Ric. "No, it's not that I don't... it's just... it kind of threw me."

Ric looked confused. "But why? You know I love you."

"Yes. And that too, that... I never expected any of this." She made a sweeping gesture with her arms. "My own art gallery, success, happiness... those are all things I've always wanted, but I've never expected to get any of them. Least of all you."

She took his hand in hers and stood close. "When I left the United States, it was to run away. I've spent my entire life running away. I'm really good at it. And when you proposed last night-"

"Running away was the only thing you could think of," Ric finished thoughtfully.

"Well, yes," Elizabeth answered, but that wasn't where she was going with her train of thought. "But-"

"No, I understand. I scared you."

"No, what-"

"I'm sorry that I scared you. That's not what I want. I just want you to be happy."

Elizabeth seemed truly touched by his words. "R-really?"

"Yes. I love you and if I could spend the rest of my life making you happy, nothing else would matter. You'd be my number one priority. So if waiting for you-"

He could not finish his words for Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him with everything she had.

"Yes," she said when they finally broke the kiss.

Hope and uncertainty glinted in his eyes. "Yes, what?"

She pressed a short kiss to his lips. "I'll marry you."

*****

"Whoa, I think I'm blinded."

Elizabeth simply smiled.

"I think I could fit my house in here. Or at least pay for it with money left over."

The girls admired the engagement ring a while longer in the privacy of Elizabeth's suite.

"So how did he react to it?"

"He was happy, what else?" Elizabeth asked, still smiling.

Brenda pushed her friend's hand down so that Elizabeth could focus. "He was happy that you're already married?"

Elizabeth's features turned sour. "Oh, that."

Brenda's jaw dropped. "You didn't tell him?"

"What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to tell my fiancee that I'm already married?"

"By moving your lips and wagging your tongue, that's how."

ELizabeth rolled her eyes, a gesture she was getting far too used to. "Brenda, for a best friend, you've been really irritating lately."

"Elizabeth, you can't marry one man while married to another. It's wrong, not to mention illegal in some places."

"I know. But I can't tell Ric that I'm married! He'll never forgive me and I'll lose him forever."

Brenda was silent as she thought to herself. "I hope I can find it."

"What?"

"My brown sweater. My grandmother made it for me. I always bring it with me when I fly. Keeps my nerves down."

"Fly?"

Brenda got up for the couch and headed towards Elizabeth's bedroom. "Well, we can't take a boat. That'd take too long."

Elizabeth stood to follow. "We?"

"You can't expect me to go alone. I don't even know what this guy's name is, let alone what he looks like."

Elizabeth could pratically see the screws turn in her friend's head as she started rifling through the closet.

"What guy?" she asked carefully. "And what are you doing in my closet?"

Brenda started flinging various items of clothing towards the bed. "It's summer in the states, so a few sundresses might be nice. Oooo... I really like this maroon skirt of yours. Remind me to borrow it one day."

"Brenda..."

"I don't know how long we're going to be gone. Packing is such a pain."

"Brenda!"

The hurricane of clothes finally stopped. Brenda stood up straight, a blouse in one hand and a pair of jeans in another. "What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? Packing," she replied simply.

"It's obvious what you're doing, but it's not obvious why."

Brenda reached up for the suitcase at the top of the closet. "You need clothes when you travel, right? You can't wear the same thing everyday."

Elizabeth was getting worried. Brenda's train of thought was going exactly where she feared. "Where exactly are we traveling too?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Where exactly are you from again? You never really explicated. Just something about the east coast." Brenda started folding the selected items of clothing and stuffing it into the suitcase.

"No, no no no no no no no." Elizabeth promptly began taking clothes out and putting it back into the closet. "I am not going back."

Brenda grabbed her friend by the arms to still her. "Elizabeth, we have to."

"Why?"

"You're engaged to one man while married to another and you're asking me why?"

Elizabeth tried not to begin a tantrum, but felt severely on the verge. The very idea of having to return home was frigtening. She had left that place with no intention of ever coming back again. The place, the people, the memories... she had tried to shut them away forever, and though she failed miserably, she had no desires to come face to face with them.

"But I don't want to!"

"Elizabeth Imogene Quartermaine! You are a grown up. You have a problem and you need to deal with it. Pronto!"

"We have to go back to Port Charles to do that?"

Brenda's eyes lit up. "Port Charles, is it?"

Damn. Too much info.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest some more, but her friend wouldn't have any of it.

"This is NOT up for discussion. Now where is your passport?"

"But-"

"Passport!!"

Brenda was not going to back down, that much Elizabeth could tell. When her friend got an idea in her head, she refused to let it go. Elizabeth sighed and collasped on the bed in defeat. Brenda was right. She was a grownup and this needed to be dealt with immediately and in person. The papers would just be sent back again if she tried her previous tactic. She'd have to face her fears. She'd have to face him.

"Bottom drawer of the desk in the living room."

Brenda went to the other room to retrieve the booklet. Her voice floated in through the bedroom. "I hope it's not expired. We don't have a lot of time here and I don't think you want to mess with an emergency passport." Elizabeth heard the sound of drawers opening and closing. "Here we are. Awww, cute photo. You always- what the hell? Who the hell is Elizabeth Webber?"

Sigh. Her eyes closed. She had some 'splainin' to do.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Three


She leaned back into the spacious seat. She had never flown first class before but Brenda would agree on nothing less. Elizabeth would have been perfectly suited with coach, but as she stretched her legs out in the spacious legroom, she decided it wasn't too bad. She gazed out the window and could see nothing but darkness in the night sky. They had been flying for a couple hours now. Booking the flight had been easy, despite the short notice. Packing was a pain, as always, but the most difficult part about leaving was telling Ric.

She had had explained it was a family emergency, a white lie about her Gram being sick, one for which she hoped she wouldn't get struck by lightening for. Ric had wanted to come along for support, but after a long debate, she was able to convince him not to bother. She'd be back in no time to start planning their wedding.

Brenda fidgeted in the seat beside her. She flipped through the pages of an American magazine, one after another, each with a slap. Besides making brief instructions and demands, the brunette said little else.

"Don't you think," Elizabeth whispered into the quiet of the plane, "that insisting on coming with me and then giving me the silent treatment the entire way is a bit absurd?"

*Slap.*

"Brenda..."

"I just don't know who you are anymore. How can I talk to someone I don't even know." *Slap.*

"You know who I am."

"No," Brenda replied seethingly, slamming her magazine shut. "I know Elizabeth Quartermaine. Remember her? She has an art gallery and a fiance in Italy. YOU are Elizabeth Webber, who has a husband in the US, who, by the way, you still haven't told me his name, which means that you have yet ANOTHER name that I don't know about."

Elizabeth sighed. "Those are just names, Brenda. I'm still the same Elizabeth you've known and put up with for the past five years and counting."

"And yet I was never informed of your real name or marital status?"

"When I first left home, I was trying to make a fresh new start. I wanted to leave behind my past. That meant change, of EVERYTHING. So I cut my hair, moved to Italy, made new friends and began a new life."

"And all that included changing your name?"

Elizabeth looked at her fingers while they played with the hem of her red sweater. "Well, yeah. Wouldn't you? I mean, what kind of name is Webber? It's sounds like bad toes or something. You're lucky, you're name is Brenda Barrett. Brenda Barrett... it just rolls of your tongue. Elizabeth Webber... blah."

"But Elizabeth Quartermaine?"

"Sounds almost like royalty, right?"

Brenda shook her head while rolling her eyes. "So what about the marriage? You still haven't explained that."

"I was trying to run away, remember? I just didn't talk about it. People didn't ask. I'm young enough that they just assume I'm unmarried. And by the time you and I became friends... it's not as if I could've just brought it up in normal conversation."

Brenda sat silent with her arms crossed and her foot moving back and forth quickly.

"You understand, don't you?"

Brenda slowly slid her gaze towards her friend. Finally, "Yes."

Elizabeth smiled, full of relief. She leaned in for a hug. "Thank you."

"But there's nothing else, right?" Brenda questioned, pulling away. "No kid somewhere, or twin, or second husband?"

"Nope," Elizabeth confirmed. "No more secrets. Everything else I've told you is true. I grew up with my Gram while my parents were busy taking care of other people. I have an older brother and sister somewhere but I haven't seen them in years, and I mean years, even before I even left Port Charles."

"Okay," Brenda nodded, satisfied. Except for one last thing. "So are you going to tell me about him?"

"Him whom?"

"The hubby?" Brenda replied tiredly.

"Oh... right." She mulled over various memories regarding him, ranging from the good ones to the bad ones. And as it always happened whenever she thought of him, a painful throb ebbed deep inside of her until it became a furious rage.

"All you need to know is that it was one gigantic mistake."

*****

The cab dropped them off in front of a cottage by the lake. From the outside, the only difference Elizabeth could ascertain were fewer flowers in the flowerbed and grass a slight too high. She looked over the lake, it's surface glimmering under the afternoon sun. There was a small bridge where she thought she saw a boy running after a little girl trapezing along the rail of the bridge. Elizabeth shook her head and looked back to the house.

"Well," she said, holding her arms out. "This is it."

"Home sweet home?"

"No, this is his home- or was. It would be his last known address to me... and I guess mine too if I had ever stuck around. So yeah, home sweet home."

The feeling she drew from that deduction was peculiar, something close to that feeling when you came upon one's old baby blanket or lucky hat. It was comforting. If anything, this home was more of home than any other place she could think of, next to Italy. She'd spent nearly everyday of her younger life here whenever her Gram was busy, and that was often.

"You didn't have to come with me, Brenda. You could've just stayed at the hotel."

"Pbbft, and be bored to tears? Besides, I know you need me here to give you the right shove. So go up there and knock already."

Elizabeth groaned. "Do I have to?"

"I can knock for you, but you still have to do the talking."

Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay, I can do this." When her feet didn't move, she looked over at her friend. "Can I get just a little shove?"

Brenda stifled a laugh and gently pushed her friend towards the steps.

Determined, Elizabeth raised her hand and knocked three hard raps.

"Coming!" a woman's voice yelled from inside.

Who was that? Suddenly, Elizabeth lost all nerve and started to turn around and run. Too late, she realized, as the door swung open.

"How can I help you?"

Stunned, Elizabeth froze. She recognized that voice. She slowly spun around. The other woman smiled at her.

"Yes?" she repeated.

Elizabeth gaped. The hair was longer and gone were the childish curls. Also gone were the pudgy cheeks and stark silver braces. In their place were well-defined cheekbones and a bright smile. It was the same smile that could've glowed in the dark, with or without braces.

"Em?!"

Recognition finally dawned in the woman's eyes. "Elizabeth?!"

"Ahhhh!!!" they screamed together as they jumped into a fierce hug. They pulled back, but still held hands as they jumped up and down. So excited were they that they kept talking at the same time.

"Oh my god, when did you get back? I almost didn't recognize you! When did you cut your hair? I've missed you so much!"

"Jeebus, I can't believe it's you! You look so great! It's been too long! How have you been doing?"

The two girls prattled on excitedly while Brenda watched amused.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Brenda said, jumping up and down with them. "Introduce me!"

Elizabeth laughed when she finally remembered about her other friend. "Brenda, this is my oldest friend in the world, Emily."

"Hey," Emily feigned indignance. "I'm not THAT old. We're the same age!"

The girls giggled.

"And Emily, this is my agent/confidante/gal pal, Brenda."

"Nice to meet you, Emily," Brenda said, extending a hand.

Emily took grasp of the hand and smiled warmly. "Same here. Are you from Italy?"

"Oh no," Brenda answered with a wave of her hand. "I just live there. I'm from the Los Angeles, in California."

"Oh. I hear they have great weather. AND shopping."

Brenda nodded in agreement, smiling. She could tell she was going to like this girl.

"So," Emily said, turning back to Elizabeth. "What are you doing here? I had no idea you were in town."

"We just got here," Elizabeth explained. "We came straight from the hotel." Emily waited for Elizabeth to continue and when she didn't, Brenda nudged her and gave her a pointed stare.

"Um," Elizabeth began nervously. "I came to talk to your brother. Is he home?"

"Oh," Emily replied with a small tone of curiosity. "He's not here. That is to say, he doesn't live here anymore. Jason has a place across town now."

"Jason, is it?" Brenda asked.

Elizabeth ignored her. So he had moved out. Why wouldn't he have? Seven years had passed after all and he was a full-grown adult now.

"In fact," Emily went on, "I don't live here anymore either. I just drop by once in awhile to water the plants, though I guess you couldn't tell by the state of my mom's flowerbeds."

"Oh gosh," Elizabeth gushed. "Is your mom here right now? I'd love to see her."

Emily's eyes cast downward and her once bright smile dimmed. "No, actually. Mom passed away a few years ago."

"Oh my..." Elizabeth was speechless. She felt the wind knock out of her. Paige Morgan had been the closest thing to a mother to Elizabeth. Her own mother certainly never fit the bill. Paige had been the one to teach Elizabeth how to make brownies and had also been the one to explain the finer arts of finger painting. Paige was also the one to take Elizabeth to her first art gallery.

"What happened?" she finally managed to ask.

"She had cancer," Emily returned sadly. "She was sick for a really long time, but thankfully she went quietly in her sleep."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know how to get in contact with you. I would've asked Jase, but he wasn't too helpful at the time. I know it was hard for him too and I didn't want to bother him with... stuff."

Elizabeth knew what Emily inferred by 'stuff,' i.e. her.

"I wish I had known. I would've wanted to be here for you... and Jason."

Emily smiled in appreciation. "It's okay. I mean, it was hard... but you know Mom. She laughed and smiled through the whole thing. She had a good and wonderful life. That made it easy--or easier--to let her go."

A sad silence hung in the air as they all absorbed or re-absorbed the story. Elizabeth nearly felt like bursting into tears for the loss, but then felt as if it was too little, too late. A startling thought crept into her mind. What else had changed?

"If you're looking for Jase," Emily said, breaking the misty quiet, "he's probably at work."

"Oh. Does he still work at the auto shop?"

"Sure, if you count owning the place as work."

Elizabeth was flabbergasted. "He owns 'Bob's Auto Shop?'"

"Yeah, except now it's 'Jason's Auto Shop.'" Emily clarified. "He's actually doing lots of things now."

"Like what?"

Emily opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed it instead and she pondered. "I'm sure Jason will tell you all about it when you see him. The shop is still in the same place, just a little bigger and more modern." Emily laughed then turned to Brenda. "I tried to get him to let me decorate it once but he wouldn't have any of it."

"Ugh, men," Brenda retorted.

"Right?"

"Hmm," Elizabeth said as she thought to herself. She hadn't known what to expect when she'd finally agreed to come back home. She supposed a part of her had thought everything would be the same, but so far, it was quite the opposite. Jason owned a business? There was a blast of cold water. Since when did he have career ambitions beyond 'making enough to last a Friday night at Jake's?'

"I guess I'll go see him now. No time like the present."

"Okay," Brenda replied. "Do you mind if we use your phone to call a cab, Emily?"

"No," Elizabeth answered, stopping her friend. "It's okay. I'll just walk. And I think I should go alone."

Brenda paused and scrutinized Elizabeth. "Are you sure? I don't want you to chicken out."

Elizabeth dismissed her friend's worry with smile. "Yeah, I'm sure. I think this is something I need to do on my own. And plus, now you have someone to keep you company, that is, if you don't mind, Emily?"

Emily put an arm around her new acquaintance. "Oh no, I'd love to. I could find a few things to amuse ourselves with, though I'll warn you. The whole city of Port Charles could probably fit on the campus of UCLA. But while I give the tour, I think I might enjoy hearing a few 'Elizabeth does Italy' stories."

Brenda's eyes lit up. "Oh, only if I get some of 'Elizabeth: The Early Years."

Emily giggled. "Deal. So we'll meet up later, Elizabeth? You know us girls have a lot of back-story to get through. I've got a few boyfriends and ex-boyfriends to tell you about, besides Nikolas of course."

"Whoa, there's more Nikolas stories? We'll definitely have to check back together later then." Although, she wasn't sure how she was going to break Ric to her 'husband's' sister.

Elizabeth exchanged good-byes with her friends, pleased to see them getting along so well. She should've figured that her newer best friend would have many similarities with her older one. Emily asked if she could give Elizabeth a ride, but Elizabeth insisted on walking and going alone. She needed time to think about the news she'd heard today, albeit old news to her. She also needed to think more about what she was going to say to Jason, as well as brace herself for whatever Jason may say to her. It was going to be a long conversation.

They had a lot of catching up to do.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Four

She still remembered every street corner and every avenue. Whether that was comforting or disturbing, she couldn't decide. On the surface, it seemed that nothing in Port Charles had changed. The park was where she remembered it, the docks hadn't been moved, and Kelly's still only hired girl waitresses. People nodded a friendly hello to her on the streets; some may have even done a double take if they thought they had recognized her. Even the air was the same.

But even if things seemed the same on the surface, it was a far cry away from reality. Things had changed. If the death of Paige Morgan hadn't alerted her to that, then the renaming of 'Bob's Auto Shop' to 'Jason's Auto Shop' certainly did.

Never in her wildest imagination could she have foreseen Jason running a business, let alone owning one. Jason wasn't the businessman type. He didn't wear suits and ties and didn't sit at stiff board meetings. All right, so owning one auto shop did not compare to being CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, but for Jason, it might as well be the same. Jason was rebel, a rogue, and a free spirit. He was the type to throw some crap into a backpack, leave a note, and make his way down the east coast by taking odd jobs.

She sighed at the thought. He had often entertained to her the idea of doing just that. Leave everything behind in Port Charles and live life on the edge. No plans for tomorrow or the future, just living in the moment and enjoying it.

And that was exactly what she had done. She left everything behind and made no plans. Simply lived one day to the next. Except that she had done it alone. Not together as they had discussed while playing pool or lying next to each other by the lake. But what choice did she have? After everything had happened, she couldn't go away with him. She couldn't even stand to be in the same room with him without wanting to beat him to death or curl up into a ball and cry.

But as she looked back on the days before she left Port Charles, she no longer felt sadness or tears. Only the anger remained, and it came swiftly whenever she thought of him. She had loved him once. She had even been willing to run away with him. And for what? To be disappointed on an hourly basis, rather than just a daily basis?

Even across the Atlantic Ocean, he continued to disappoint her and piss her off. He fought the divorce every time her $300 and hour lawyer called. The papers were sent back every time, and the last time, they had been torn in half. She had given up then, not because she still wanted to stay married to him, but because she didn't have the strength in her to fight anymore. She was busy with other things, such as her art and paying rent. Thoughts and worries of Jason had to be pushed to the back of her mind. She simply planned on never seeing him again. To that end, she solemnly accepted that she would never fall in love again.

But that was before Ric snuck into her life and brought with him his heart. Not only did he love her, but also worshiped, honored and cherished her. Furthermore, he wanted to promise to do it forever. Elizabeth knew that Ric would keep his promise. He always kept his promises.

Unlike her soon-to-be-ex-husband.

The auto shop came into view. Elizabeth clenched her jaw, determinedly. Jason had refused to give her the divorce before and she knew that today wouldn't be any different. But if Jason was stubborn, Elizabeth was relentless. She was going to get that divorce even if he had to chain him up and hold his hand to do it.

*****

"Didn't you already ask me this morning?" He picked up another invoice and pretended to study it in hopes that his friend would leave him alone.

"I did, Jase," Carly replied. "And you totally blew me off."

"And did you stop to think that maybe that meant no?"

Carly snatched the paper out of his hand to force him to look at her. "Jason, please? Just take her out to dinner or something. I'll even give you money. Who knows, you two might hit it off."

Jason snorted. "It's too late to hit if off. I already know her and you know that I don't even like her."

Carly dismissed Jason's attitude. "Give her a chance. She's changed."

"Yeah, I'll bet. She must be a little taller now, right?"

Carly groaned inwardly. Why did Jason always have to be so difficult? "I'm serious. I know you always thought she was an airhead in high school, but that's not the case anymore."

Jason regarded Carly with narrowed eyes. "So what's the case now?"

Carly tried to find the right words. "She's... a sweet girl."

Jason shook his head. He knew what that meant. "I know she's Sonny sister and all, but I find her... irritating." Now there was an understatement. "If she's so great, you can continue entertaining her yourself."

"I have been," Carly cried, exasperated. "For the last two weeks! Ever since she came back to visit, Sonny and I haven't had any alone time at all."

"Carly-" Jason tried to protest.

"Please, Jason. If not for me, then for Sonny?"

"Carly-"

"PLEASE?"

Jason put his face in his hands and shook his head. He really, really, REALLY, didn't want to, but he knew his friend wasn't going to leave him alone until he said yes, and he still had a lot of work to do that afternoon. "Fine," he groaned out. "When?"

Carly smiled, victorious. "Tomorrow night. Just come get her at the penthouse."

"Alright. But just dinner. And she's NOT spending the night at my place."

"That's fine," Carly acquiesced. "Just take her out and bring her back late is all I'm asking."

Jason nodded and allowed her to hug him in gratitude. "Now get out of here so I can get some work done."

Carly said her good-byes and left his office out the back door. Finally alone, Jason went back to work and sifted through the invoices. He was missing an important one and began opening and closing drawers in the desk in order to find it. He almost missed catching a glimpse of the picture of a brunette in one of the drawers. He allowed himself a second to reminisce about the blue eyes and bright smile, but only a second. He had a bike to work on and the customer expected it tomorrow morning. At the rate he was going, he'd have to be at the shop for the rest of the afternoon. That was in addition to the stack of paperwork on his desk.

'Why'd I decide to buy the shop from Bob again?' he thought to himself. An image passed briefly before his mind. 'Oh, that's why.'

He let the thought slip from his mind as he began work on the motorcycle. He was working for a good half-hour when he realized that somebody was standing a few feet away from him, near the entrance of the garage. The afternoon sun was at her back, so he had to hold his hand up to shield his eyes in order to see her. As he looked up at her from the floor, he could only see a dark outline and glimpses of her face. But even from that viewpoint, he could appreciate the shapely calves, slender waist, round bust and dark hair.

Leaning up on his elbows, he gave her his most dashing smile. "May I help you, Miss?"

"Sure." The lady pulled a sheath of papers from her tote bag and threw them at his chest, along with a pen. "You can start by giving me a divorce."

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Five

"Oh my God, Liz was right. They do have the best pancakes here." Brenda took another heaping forkful into her mouth and moaned appreciatively.

Emily laughed. "For a girl with your figure, you sure know how to pack it in."

Emily decided to start the tour of Port Charles at everyone's favorite hangout, Kelly's. It was a popular spot for both young and old, simply because of its good food and friendly ambiance.

"Liz used to work here, right?"

"Yeah," Emily confirmed. "Both of us. It wasn't too hard of a job and the owner, Bobby, is really nice. Sometimes she rents rooms upstairs to drifters."

Brenda took a look around the restaurant, impressed with the quaintness. The place looked as if it could've come out of 'Little House on the Prairie.' Growing up in LA and then living in Italy, she could only see places like this in the movies.

"So, how long have you and Elizabeth known each other?" Brenda asked.

"Oh gosh," Emily replied, leaning back in her chair and thinking back. "Almost since before I can remember. My mom used to volunteer at the hospital where Liz's grandmother worked. We were these five-year-old-pigtailed-nightmares that ran all over the place because we didn't have anything else to do." She chuckled lightly. "We used to get into all kinds of trouble, and it was usually Liz's fault too, though if you ask her, she'll try to deny it!"

Brenda's eyes widened. Elizabeth was the perfect citizen in Italy. "What kind of trouble?"

"Let's see... there was the time we let Monster out of his cage and he ran a muck, first through the lake, then through the white living room. Then there was when she took Old Spencer's toupee and made a kite out of it. Oh, and then there was that time in high school were we snuck into Jake's and almost got arrested for starting a brawl-"

Brenda almost choked on her coffee. "Brawl? Elizabeth Quar- er, Webber?"

Emily laughed, but shrugged at the same time. "Somehow, she convinced me to dress up in these tight jeans and go play pool. These guys started hitting on us and it was obvious we were way in over our heads. Luckily, Jason came by and helped us out by beating the living day lights out of everybody."

"Whoa, chivalrous."

"I guess. But we almost got taken to the police station. Not to mention Jason was pissed at us for being there in the first place."

Brenda nodded thoughtfully. She never knew this side of Elizabeth before. Back in Italy, she was quiet, if not perfectly polite and sweet. And then there was Jason. She'd only heard bits and pieces about him so far, but everything was interesting.

"So that means Liz and Jason have known each other a long time too?"

"Yeah. He pulled her hair when we were kids, put spiders in her food in junior high, and took her to dances in high school. What had started as puppy love eventually turned into high school sweethearts."

Brenda smiled. "What a pretty story."

Emily smiled too, though hers was a sad one. "Too bad there's no happy ending." She had always hoped her best friend and her brother would work out their differences, but as the years rolled by, she knew that hope was futile.

"Liz is here to finalize the divorce, isn't she?"

Brenda could hear the disappointed note in Emily's voice. She felt bad to be the bearer of bad news. "Yeah. Sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. I just... they had this first love glow about them, you know? Like some kind of magic or something. They were a constant. I thought they would last forever." She laughed softly. "But that's just foolish, isn't it?"

*****

Jason only half recognized the voice at first, but it was when the papers and the word 'divorce' were thrown at him did he realize who was standing above him. He got to his feet slowly, barely registering that the papers slid to the floor beside them. At a better angle, he could see her clearly now. He still towered over her petite frame. Her hair was cut just below the shoulder and straight now, not the same mass of curls she maintained in high school. In addition, her lips were fuller now and her cheekbones more defined. Her blue eyes were darker and looked as if they had seen too much and wasted too much time worrying. But overall, she was more beautiful than he remembered.

And she was pissed.

"You come back after seven years and I don't even get a 'Hi, how're you doing sweetheart?'"

Elizabeth scoffed. "I haven't called you 'sweetheart' a day in my life and I'm not going to start now."

"I'll give it a go then. How are you doing, *sweetheart*?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he wasn't going to just hand over this divorce to her. "I'd be peaches and roses if it wasn't for this thorn of a marriage in my side."

"Sorry to hear that, sweetheart." He turned and walked towards the back of the garage to his workbench.

"Cut the crap, Jason," Elizabeth replied as she picked up the papers from the floor and followed him. "I'm here to get you to sign these papers. And if you get any bright ideas about tearing these up, I've got another set right here." She patted her tote bag to prove her point.

"Don't I even get a kiss?" he asked with a smirk, ignoring the papers that she was nearly shoving down his throat.

"How about you kiss my ass?"

He turned to her. "I did, once, and as I recall, you enjoyed it very much."

Her face became red from both embarrassment and anger. "Jason, I'm serious."

He waggled his eyebrows. "About kissing your ass? Why, I'd love to."

She whacked him with the papers. "I meant about the divorce! I want you to sign these papers right now. Look, I've even marked them for you so you can't mess it up like you do with everything else."

"Well thanks for the assistance," he replied sarcastically, "but I think I'll pass."

He stalked away from her. She was ready to pull her hair out. "There is no 'pass!' And there is no 'go,' just a STOP-pulling-this-shit and sign the fucking papers."

"You know, sweetheart, you're still beautiful when you're angry." And that wasn't a lie. Her chest heaved, her faced burned with heat and her eyes glowed with an intensity. "Though, you're always beautiful, so I guess it doesn't matter."

Elizabeth glared at him. "Don't try to sweet talk me. I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work."

"What am I trying to do?" he asked, blinking innocently.

She had his number. "You're trying to distract me with compliments so that you don't have to do what I want you to do. You've pulled it a million times before, and it may have worked then, but it's not going to fly today."

"So you know it's a compliment? Funny, I didn't hear a thank you."

"You'll get a thank you as soon as you sign."

Jason rubbed his chin and pretended to be think it over. "Nah," he finally returned.

Elizabeth felt an irresistible urge to scream. "Nah? NAH?! This isn't a request, it's an order!"

"Where's the fire? There's no need to rush."

She was aghast. "No need to rush? I've only been trying to end this farce of a marriage for the past seven years!"

"Hey," Jason snapped, his teasing demeanor gone. "You're the one who left for seven years without so much as a phone call or a postcard. You're the one who made this marriage into a farce."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe her ears. He was going to blame her? She started opening her mouth to yell at him and fire back at him all of his faults in the relationship, but thought better of it. She forced herself to take a deep breath and to calm down before she spoke.

"Look, Jason, I don't want to talk about who did what to whom and why and when or whatever. I just want to end it, okay? And I'm- why won't you give me this divorce? You're right, we haven't seen each other in years, so what the hell are you holding on to? There's nothing left."

"Nothing left." he repeated slowly. Just as quickly as his teasing demeanor had changed way into one of anger, his anger melted away into thoughtfulness. He slowly walked back towards her and stopped a feet in front of her.

"There's nothing left between us?" he asked softly.

A very subtle glint sparked in his eyes and Elizabeth wasn't sure what to make of it. She replied warily. "Nothing that I can see."

"What about our past?"

"A past is a past, Jason, and that's where it is too--in the past."

"I see." He took another step towards her and she backed up instinctively, only to feel her back hitting the workbench. In such close proximity, she allowed herself to examine him closely.

When she had first entered the garage, she was too preoccupied with shoving the divorce papers at him to scrutinize his looks. Now, however, with him close enough to feel the heat coming off of him, she had no choice but to notice the toned muscles under his t-shirt, muscles that had grown quite a bit since the last time she saw him. His rugged good looks had only become more rugged and more good over time. His jaw-line was more defined and his smile was more dashing. And then there were those eyes. The crystal blues hadn't changed a bit. She could still see through them.

Looking into his eyes, a feeling she had long ago locked away ached to break through.

"You cut your hair." It was a simple observation, without judgment or criticism.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

He let his eyes run up and down her. "What else did you change?"

"Jason-"

"Do you still wear daisy wreaths in your hair?"

Elizabeth started to feel nervous. She didn't know where he was going with this. Not to mention that the anger that had burned inside of her moments earlier seemed to sizzle into a different kind of heat. She wished he wasn't standing so close to her.

"You used to make them all the time, and you'd wear them right here." He lifted his hand and indicated where in her hair. "You even tried to get me to wear one."

"Yeah, like you'd ever listen to me."

He slowly traced his finger down the side of her face, and then skimmed his fingers on her bare arms. She bit back a gasp and forced herself not to shiver at his touch. She was suddenly aware of her breathing and rapidly beating heart.

"Oh, I listened alright." He leaned down closer to her. That feeling bubbled up inside of her again. She closed her eyes, not sure if it was because she was afraid of what was going to happen next, or because she wanted it to happen.

"You just never say what you mean," he whispered. Beat. Then nothing happened, save for Jason backing up and Elizabeth wondering what had just happened.

"Nothing left, sweetheart?" he questioned with a know-it-all smile.

Anger and embarrassment surged through her again. "Why you- what the hell?" She had tried to back away from the workbench but soon found that her hands had been handcuffed behind her to the workbench.

"What the fuck is this?" She didn't even wonder why he had handcuffs in his garage. "What the hell are you doing?"

Jason didn't answer. He merely smirked triumphantly and walked to the back door of the garage.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?! We're not finished here!"

To her shock and horror, she heard the rev of a motorcycle.

"Oh my God, you can't leave me here like this!!" She heard the motorcycle peel away until it faded away into the distance. Stunned, she could do nothing but gape in silence. He didn't even close up the office or the garage, he just left! After a short string of curses, she laughed bitterly to herself.

"Well, that turned out well."

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Six

She was going to kill him. That much he knew. But she would have to find him first. For now, he could be safe and alone with his thoughts.

Elizabeth Webber's sudden reappearance in his life had been nothing short of surprising and explosive. In all the time she had been gone, not once did he ever hear from her, save for the many times she sent divorce papers. He had always expected that she would return one day, if only to settle their unfinished business. Truthfully, he had been waiting for her. Sure, there had been other women in between--he'd readily admit that to her--but they all paled in comparison to her. No matter how beautiful or enchanting they were, he would always be waiting for her.

Even so, he had never known how he would feel once she did come back. Would he feel relieved or angry? Happy or sad? Would the reunion be tearful and heartfelt?

Ha. He had to laugh at that. Their reunion was anything but tearful. That's how it was between them. Whether they were blissfully in love or arguing at the top of their voices, there was always a surge of emotion and passion between them. And deep inside of him he knew that there always would be.

He pondered these things about him and his wife as he stared unseeingly over the water. The water lapped rhythmically against the docks. He barely heard the approaching footsteps that came down the stairs behind him.

"Jason?" Johnny O'Brien called out.

"Hey," Jason replied, turning his head to face his longtime friend. "Did you go to the garage?"

"Yeah," Johnny replied apprehensively.

"Did you let her go?"

Johnny scratched his head nervously. He didn't know how to answer his friend. "Um... yeah... she wasn't there."

Jason stood up from the bench. "What? How did she get free?"

Pause. "She broke the workbench. And, uh, she trashed the garage."

Jason rubbed his forehead with frustration. He shouldn't have expected anything less, but it still made him tired.

"And if the current state of your garage is any indication," Johnny continued, "when she finds you, she's going to kill you."

*****

"I'm going to kill him."

Both Brenda and Emily turned to the seething sound of their friend's voice. Elizabeth had just entered Kelly's. Her hair was a little frazzled, her dress a bit mussed, and her eyes raging with anger.

"Elizabeth," Emily said as she stood to help her friend to the table. "What happened?"

Brenda took note of Elizabeth's distressed appearance. "I take it that it didn't go well."

Elizabeth sat down and clenched her fists on the table. "I'm going to KILL him," she repeated. The handcuffs on her right wrist clanked on the table.

"Liz," Emily started. "Why do you have handcuffs on?"

"Your brother," Elizabeth explained acidly.

Emily wrinkled her brow. "Why would he... ew... You guys weren't doing anything kinky were you? 'Cause I really don't want to hear about my brother's sexcapades."

"My goodness, Liz," Brenda grinned, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "I'm learning so many new things about you."

"No!" Elizabeth replied exasperatedly. "He handcuffed me to the bench so that he could get away without signing the papers!" She rubbed her free left hand. "I was able to break one cuff open with a screwdriver, but the other one wouldn't budge."

Brenda picked up Elizabeth's right hand to examine the cuff. "Wait, so he just left you there?"

"Yes! Can you believe it? Who knows how long he was going to leave me there." She groaned to herself, then let out a small, angry laugh. "He'll be sorry when he sees his garage tomorrow."

Emily recognized the vindictive look in Elizabeths eye. It was the same look that she always got when Jason did something to piss her off. "Oh God, LIz, what did you do?"

She smirked. "Let's just say, he'll be out of business for the next few days."

Emily sighed. Why did they have to fight like that so much? If they just sat down and had one civil conversation, they might actually make a few steps forward instead of a million steps in circles.

"Where is he?" Elizabeth demanded angrily, breaking Emily from her reverie.

"Who? Jason?"

"Yes, where is he staying now? You told me he had a place across town. I'm going to find him and kill him."

"He lives at the Harborview Towers now."

"Fine, I'll- WHAT?!" Elizabeth exclaimed, shocked. First, she found out that he owns his own garage, now this? "Harborview Towers? How the hell can he afford a place there?"

Emily shrugged. "Business is doing well."

"At the garage?" Elizabeth asked, unconvinced.

Emily looked away nervously. "Sure."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Lizzie Webber, is that you?"

Emily breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Lucky Spencer had come to prevent her from answering Elizabeth's questions. Lucky approached the girls' table and pulled Elizabeth into a grand hug, spinning her around in the middle of the restaurant.

"Geez," Lucky sighed when he finally put the woman down on her feet. "Look at you. You're all grown up."

"Me?" Elizabeth replied, smiling. "Look at you!" She took in his police uniform and shiny badge. "You're a police officer now? Never in a million years would I imagine the son of Luke Spencer undertaking the role of law enforcement."

Lucky chuckled. "Yeah, I know. It just kinda, um, made sense one day."

Elizabeth beamed up at Lucky. He, like Emily, had been a true friend of hers while growing up. He'd always been there for her, especially as a shoulder for her to cry on. Elizabeth had long suspected that he had an unrequited crush on her, but he had never acted on it, for which she was glad. Lucky could never be anything beyond a big brother to her. Through it all, he had always remained a sweet supporter and dear compradre.

"Liz, why do you have my handcuffs on?"

Elizabeth looked down at her wrist, aware of the metal device again. She held it up for him to see. "These are yours, Lucky?"

Lucky dug around in his pockets and pulled out his key chain, then proceeded to unlock the cuff from Elizabeth's wrist. Elizabeth rubbed her wrist in relief, though she peered at him questioningly.

"Why would your handcuffs be in Jason's garage?" A few interesting scenarios played out in her mind and she held up her hands in retraction. "You know what? Never mind, I don't want to know."

Lucky looked at her naively, unsure of what she meant. "Jason just wanted-"

"No, seriously Lucky, I don't want to know." Elizabeth turned back to the girls. "Alright, Em. Harborview Towers, was it? Fine. I'm off to KILL someone. I'll talk to you guys later, you too Lucky."

"Liz, I think you should calm down first," Emily cautioned.

"Oh no, I think I need to get my feet ready for some ass kicking," Elizabeth replied, reassuringly. She was still pissed that he had simply left her chained and alone. That was in addition to running away from the divorce papers. "I don't want any of this anger to go to waste."

She turned around and went for the door, completely unaware of the waitress that was walking past her. In such a haste, she bumped squarely into the waitress, who was holding an armful of dishware and glasses. The two went down into a clattering mess.

"Oh my gosh," the waitress squealed. "I'm so sorry Miss, are you okay? Miss?"

"Liz?" Brenda gasped. She quickly knelt down beside Elizabeth and tried to clear away the mess. To her dismay, she found her friend unconscious with a bleeding gash on her forehead. "Liz?!"

*****

"You guys didn't have to take me to the hospital. I'm fine."

"I beg to differ," Emily argued. "Or, at least the stitches in your forehead do."

"A band-aid would've sufficed."

"Elizabeth," Brenda added, her hands on her hips for emphasis, "you blacked out. You didn't even wake up until we got to the hospital."

Elizabeth was ready to go another round of 'I'm fine' again, but was halted by the appearance of a new visitor in her ER curtain area.

"My own granddaughter and I had to find out she was in town through the head ER doctor."

Elizabeth winced, silently wishing that she was still in her unconscious state. "Hi Gram."

Audrey Hardy walked over to the bed while the other two women looked at each other. They easily shrank at the intimidation the older woman commanded and quickly, as well as discretely, bolted away from the area. Elizabeth tried not to curse them at their abandonment.

"Elizabeth Imogene Webber, were you even going to stop by at the house and say hello to me?"

Elizabeth reached out and beckoned for her grandmother to come closer. "Of course I was, Gram. I just needed to see Jason first to-"

"Jason Morgan?" Audrey questioned, eyes wide. "Well, I can see where your priorities are. Jason Morgan, then your grandmother."

"Gram," Elizabeth pleaded. She did feel guilty for not having announced her presence to the woman who was her surrogate mother and only open line of family left, but she had only come back to Port Charles for one reason alone.

"And why are you still talking to him? I thought you were done with that scoundrel."

"I am!" Elizabeth nearly cried. "I'm here to finalize the divorce. That's why I needed to see him first. I didn't want word to get to him before I could nail him. I was going to come see you right afterwards, as soon as I settled things with him, I swear, but then stuff happened." She gestured with her arms slightly, as if to point out her current situation in the hospital. She looked into her grandmother's eyes, desperately hoping that the older women would understand.

"Fine then," Audrey conceded. Elizabeth relaxed her shoulders, relieved. "So you'll come over to dinner tonight."

"Wait, what?" As much as she wanted to please her grandmother, Elizabeth wanted to track down her jerk of a husband and make him an ex as soon as possible. She was ready to run from the hospital as soon as the hospital let her go. "Gram, I'd love to, but-"

"Wonderful," Audrey interrupted as she patted her granddaughter on the hand and stood up. "I can take you home with me as soon as they discharge you."

"But Gram-"

"Yes?"

Elizabeth gulped. The look in her Gram's eyes meant that there would be no room for discussion. Elizabeth accepted defeat. "Can I invite Emily and Brenda?"

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 7

"Eighteen months?! Alexis, I don't have eighteen months."

"Well," the lawyer replied coolly, "then you need to have his signature on those divorce papers."

When Elizabeth had come to visit her lawyer to inquire how long a divorce would take without the spouse's consent, she had hoped she would get better news. Unfortunately, all Alexis Davis could offer was '18 months' and a sympathetic smile.

"You don't seem to understand, my husband is as stubborn as a cow. Sometimes I think he's only refusing to sign simply for the sake of being antagonistic."

Alexis leaned closer over the oak table and folded her hands. "I don't know what to tell you, Elizabeth. Unless he signs the papers, it'll take more work and time to get the divorce any other way."

Tiredly, Elizabeth thanked her lawyer and left the room. She felt the onset of another migraine again. Between the exhaustive dinner with her grandmother the night before and the drawn out fight with the divorce, her nerves were starting to wear her thin. She walked over to the water cooler for some relief before leaving to run other errands. In the lobby area, a dark-haired little girl played with a coloring book while under the supervision of the secretary. The girl looked up at Elizabeth and smiled.

"Hi. I'm Kristina."

Elizabeth tried to smile back, but was sure she failed. "Hi. I'm Elizabeth."

"You look tired."

"It's been a long day." Elizabeth groaned inwardly. It was only noon, and already it was a long day.

"Did my mom help you?"

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "No, I wasn't able to get what I want."

"Oh." Kristina stopped to think for moment, then, "When I don't get what I want, I cry until I do."

Elizabeth had to laugh at that. "Does that always work for you?"

"No. Only sometimes. But if that doesn't work, then I'll scream. Once I threw something. Mom was really mad."

Elizabeth laughed again. It was amusing to envision herself stomping her foot or holding her breath until Jason gave up and gave her the divorce. But then, an idea came to her. It was as if someone had switched on a light bulb above her head. She thanked the little girl and went on her way.

*****

Elizabeth had not sought out to kill Jason the night before, so he had lived to breathe and see another day. Unfortunately, life was a burden this particular day, for he had to deal with the massacre that Elizabeth had left behind in his garage. He had come to his shop in the morning to find a disaster. The tool cabinet was smashed open, his tools were strewn about, nuts and bolts scattered the floor, the wooden workbench was in pieces, and the motorcycle he had been working on had been tipped over. It was near afternoon now and even with the help of Johnny and Francis, they would still have days of work ahead of them to repair and remodel the garage.

Jason stood up straight and massaged the tense muscles of his shoulders. He should've known better than to leave her alone when she was angry. An angry Liz was never a good Liz.

"Must've been some fight," muttered Francis as he walked by with a full trash bag.

It seemed as though that's all they did. Jason tried to recall the last time they had been alone together without arguing. It was a loooooong time ago.

"Why can't you two just 'discuss' calmly like civilized people, instead of trying to kill each other by throwing things all the time?" Johnny asked.

"Hey," Jason answered defensively, "Elizabeth did this all by herself. I wasn't even here for her to aim at."

"That's right, you left her alone and handcuffed."

"Serves you right that she totaled the place," Francis added.

Jason went back to work and tried to ignore his friends' remarks. He already knew it was wrong and didn't feel like hearing about it anymore.

"Why do you guys always do this to each other?" Francis asked. "Seems unhealthy, if you ask me."

"Well nobody asked you," Jason snapped back.

"If you just talked to each other," Francis continued as if he hadn't heard Jason, "instead of trying to rip each other's hair out, you guys might get somewhere. Just because you yell at each other, doesn't mean you hear one another."

"It's hard to hear anything when she's flashing divorce papers in front of you," Jason returned.

"What the hell is that all about anyways?" Johnny asked, still perplexed by the whole situation. When Jason had called him yesterday, the last thing he expected to hear was that the once dearly departed Elizabeth had yet again entered another scuffle with Jason over, of all things, their still-pending divorce. It was long ago assumed by all that when Elizabeth had left town, she and Jason had divorced as well. "How is it possible that you guys are still married? She hasn't set foot in this town for what--how long has it been now, six years?"

"Seven," Francis corrected.

"Right," Johnny continued. "Seven years you guys have been apart. For God sake's Jase, you've been with other women. I thought you took care of the divorce."

"I did," Jason mumbled. He had taken care of the divorce--by sending the goddamn papers back unsigned.

"No wonder she tore this place up," Johnny grumbled, displeased with the fact that he had to help clean the place up. It was Jason's mess, let him clean it up. "What's the matter with you? How could you let this go on for so long? You think you'd have learned your lesson by now, but no. As always, you have to be ridiculously stubborn and hypocritical. Who cares about how Elizabeth feels or what Elizabeth wants, as long as Jason gets his way, that's all that matters."

"What are you saying?" Jason asked, pissed that he was getting the third degree and not a drop of support from either of his friends. "Are you saying I should just give up and give her the divorce? That I should just let her go, no matter how much it kills me?"

Johnny looked at his friend squarely in the eye. His friend whom he had known since Little League and who had coached him on his 'first time.' His friend who had beat up the bully in third grade and who had gotten that girl's number for him when he was too shy to ask himself. "I'm saying that it's obvious neither of you are happy with the way things are and that you should FIX it. Whatever it is that you need to do. Maybe it IS giving her the divorce, maybe it's something else, I don't know, but I do know that the way things are right now, they're not right."

*****

Elizabeth smiled nervously at the black suited man standing by the glass doors of the Harborview Towers. She almost jumped when he moved to open the doors for her. Nodding warily, she entered the mahogany-walled and lushly carpeted lobby. At both ends of the lobby were two elevators. Directly across from the entrance was a receptionists counter, behind which sat a young woman with honey blonde hair. Though she had perked immediately at Elizabeth's entrance, Elizabeth noted that the girl was amusing herself with the computer, chatting away with an unseen companion. The girl was faintly familiar to her.

"Hi," Elizabeth said apprehensively, approaching the counter. When Emily had told Elizabeth of Jason's new residence, she had failed to mention the exact suite number. She would have to inquire about it with the receptionist, then stake out a watch at his door. "I was wondering if you could help me."

The girl squinted back at her, as if she too thought she saw someone familiar. "Sure, how may I help you?"

"Um, Jason Morgan, which-"

"Oh my God," the girl exclaimed, a smile spread on her lips as she realized who she was talking to. "Elizabeth? I heard you were back in town."

Elizabeth blinked. "Georgie Jones?" She was pleasantly surprised. The last time she had seen the girl, she had been a mousey little thing. When she wasn't candy stripping at the hospital, her head was always stuck in a book. "Oh my gosh. Look at you, you're all grown up!"

Georgie blushed. "Almost, anyways. I'm going to PCU now, and I'm studying art too."

"Really? Wow, I always figured you were going to go to medical or law school or something, you little smarty pants."

Georgie shrugged. "I'm still keeping my options open, but right now, art is really interesting. Although, I couldn't paint or draw to save my life. I just like studying art, not doing it."

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, I guess you could make a really good art critic one day."

"If you think so. I gotta say, though, I've seen some of your stuff and I think it's totally awesome."

Elizabeth was taken aback. She wrinkled her brow. "Where have you seen my paintings?"

"In my 'Contemporary Art' class," Georgie explained. "We were studying modern artists. Also, they had an exhibit of up and coming European artists at the PC Gallery a few months ago."

Elizabeth vaguely recalled allowing Brenda to showcase a few of her pieces in the states, but she had never inquired where specifically.

"Huh," Elizabeth replied. She was still dumbfounded at the fact that someone from home knew of her work in Italy. "But how did you know it was my stuff? I paint under a different name and I don't allow my photograph to be taken."

"I know. Dillion, my boyfriend, he's really good at figuring this stuff out. I pointed your name out in my syllabus to him because he's a Quartermaine and I thought it was interesting. He read your bio and noticed that the same time Elizabeth Quartermaine had started painting in Italy was around the same time that Elizabeth Webber had left Port Charles." Georgie looked worriedly at the older woman. Elizabeth eyes were wide with worry and bewilderment and her face was paler than before. "I mean, we only assumed. We could've been wrong after all. I don't want to offend you or anything-"

"No," Elizabeth replied, trying to shake the glaze out of her eyes. She put on a shaky smile. "It's just weird, hearing you talk about... it." She bit her lip as another thought gnawed at her. "Does anyone else know, about my alias, that is?"

Georgie shook her head quickly. "Oh, no. I figured you wanted to keep it a secret, that's why you changed your name right? Dillion and I haven't told anybody."

Elizabeth nodded and looked away absently. If a young girl and her beau could figure it, couldn't anyone else have? It wasn't that far of a stretch. Elizabeth Quartermaine... Quartermaine was a famous family name from Port Charles; and there was only one painter in Port Charles who had gone by the name of Elizabeth.

Georgie broke through Elizabeth's thoughts. "Anyways, did you lose your key or something?"

"What?" Elizabeth asked, startled out of her reverie.

"Your key, to your penthouse? With your husband, Mr. Morgan? Is that what you needed help with?"

Elizabeth blinked, confounded at first. Then, slowly, a bright smile and countenance broke through. She was very glad to have run into Georgie today. "As a matter of fact, it is."

*****

Jason did not return home until late in the afternoon, well into the evening. Cleaning up the garage as well as abating irate customer complaints had taken the entire day. Unfortunately, there would still be more work to do, but he would worry about that later. Now, he relished the idea of kicking back with a beer and maybe a book or some TV. He entered his penthouse and dropped the keys on the desk by the door with a clatter. Scrubbing his face tiredly, he moved to walk to the kitchen, but immediately stopped in his tracks upon spotting her.

He couldn't even begin to wonder how she had gotten in. Instead, he could only stare in stunned, but amused, silence. There she was, sitting cross-legged on his green pool table, a cue stick resting across her thighs. She had worn another sundress today and he appreciatively admired her long legs. She had finally come to kill him, but what a way to go.

She smiled smugly at him, as though she knew something he didn't.

"Okay, Jase, game's over. Either sign the papers, or your pretty little penthouse is going to look suspiciously similar to a particular auto shop in town." She picked up the cue stick in her hand and held it above her knee. All the while, she continued smirking. "Don't forget, you may have taught me how to play pool, but I taught you how to break a cue stick in half."

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Eight

Jason fought through his muddled confusion long enough to register that she was threatening him with a cue stick, while at the same time, tantalizing him with glimpses of her bare skin in that slip of a sundress.

"How did you get in here?" he inquired curiously.

"Why, with my key, of course." She smirked haughtily at him from across the room as she sat comfortably on the pool table. She still held the cue stick in both of her hands. "But enough with minor details, back to the topic at hand. Either you give me what I want, or I break this stick in half and shove it up your ass."

Jason called her bluff. He merely crossed his arms and stared evenly back at her, refusing to back down. She raised an eyebrow. Obviously, he wasn't taking her seriously.

"Always so stingy with the words. Fine." She brought the cue stick down with a force on her knee and effectively snapped it in half. She then jumped off of the pool table and began to walk around, twirling the pieces of wood in her hands. "You want a wife, Jason? All right then, I won't disappoint--you're too good at that for both of us as it is. I suppose my first wifely duty will be to redecorate."

Jason winced inside.

"Are you a caveman?" she asked as she surveyed her surroundings. "Here you've got this great space and you've done practically nothing with it. And by the way, how the hell is it possible for you to afford a place like this?"

She looked over at him, but he maintained his silence.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Right, can't talk about business with the wife. Whatever." She pursed her lips, pretending to be in deep thought as she examined a plain vase on the mantle above the fireplace. "This vase, ugh, it's gotta go." She swung one of the sticks at the vase, immediately shattering it into several, tiny ceramic pieces which littered the wooden floor.

Jason closed his eyes. Why had he called her bluff? When Elizabeth said she would do something, she was going to do it.

"I don't know what you were thinking when you bought this couch. Beige and leather? Uh-uh." She pointed the sharp end of a stick down and plunged it into the material, and than began viciously moving it around to dig up the stuffing.

Jason bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from groaning. Hey, he told himself, it's okay. He really didn't like that couch anyways. And what the hell did he need a vase for?

Elizabeth threw her hair back over her shoulders when she finished massacring the couch. She was slightly out of breath from the effort. She then turned her attention to the coffee table. "I'm not digging this glass coffee table." With that, she flipped it on its side and then began whacking at it with the blunt end of the cue stick until it shattered. Elizabeth was uncaring of the shards that might have cut her bare legs, though she made sure not to step into it with her sandaled feet.

Jason tightly balled his fists. Glass always had cup rings left on it anyways.

Elizabeth smirked gleefully. She knew that she was getting to him, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She walked back over to pool table behind the couch, still twirling one cue stick in her hand. "And what's with the pool table, Jason? Do you think you're a frat boy or something?"

With one swift motion, she scratched the green fabric with the sharp splinters of the broken stick.

"That's enough!" Jason bellowed, finally breaking his silence. He wouldn't stand to see her tear the pool table apart. He quickly stalked over to his wife and tried to grab the stick out of her hands, but she saw him coming and ran. They played cat and mouse around the pool table as Jason tried to chase her. She kept the pool table between them at all times.

"Why do you make me do this to you?" she bit out at him.

"I'm not holding your hand as you demolish my living room!" he snapped back.

"If you'd just give me what you want I wouldn't have to! What do I have to do to convince you?"

They had stopped running for moment and were at a stall at either ends of the pool table. They watched each other's movement, ready to make any dash upon the others prompt. Elizabeth racked her brain, trying to think a way out of it all. Suddenly, it hit her. Jason could tell a sinister idea was boiling in her thoughts for her eyes brightened up and she smiled wickedly. She looked over her shoulder quickly at the desk by the door. He too looked over and saw what she saw. Fear washed over him.

"You wouldn't," he challenged.

The evil gleam never left her eye. She made a run for the keys to his motorcycle, with him hot on her feet. She made it to the desk and grabbed the keys victoriously. Unfortunately, as she went to the door to run downstairs, she found herself facing his broad chest. He stood in front of the door and effectively blocked her exit.

"Okay, okay," he said, holding his hands up in defeat. "It doesn't have to go that far."

She stepped back, but still clutched the keys tightly in her hand. "It doesn't?"

He clenched his jaw. Admitting defeat was never an easy task for him. "No. I'll..." and he paused to groan, "I'll sign the papers."

Elizabeth smiled and shined up at him. "Excellent. I knew you'd see it my way."

"On one condition," he added.

Elizabeth's face fell. Of course there had to be a catch. "I knew it. No way were you going to just give it to me, that would be too easy. So what is it? What do you want?"

He looked at her then. No matter if she was happy or sad, elated or angry, she was so beautiful. And it wasn't just her face or her body, but it was also her spirit. It sparked with life and determination. He'd lost her once and now she'd finally come back. How could he let her go again?

"Sleep with me," he declared.

A moment passed where she could nothing but gape. Then, with the same amount of force she put into breaking the pool stick in half, she slapped him across the face. He touched is stinging cheek and flexed his jaw around.

"Ow."

"You are such a disgusting pig!" Elizabeth fumed.

"You know, sweetheart," Jason returned without so much as batting an eye, "that hurts almost as much as the slap."

"I can't believe I was ever married to you!"

"Guess what, sweetheart, you're still married to me."

Elizabeth growled with anger, her blood surging through her veins and roaring through her senses. She couldn't believe her ears. He actually wanted sex in exchange for the divorce, like she was some kind of cheap floozy who would give it away to anybody. But then again, this wasn't just anybody--this was her husband. And as long as he refused to give into the divorce, he would always be her husband, through forever and eternity.

"Fine!" she agreed, though with much anger and despisement.

"W-what?" Now it was his turn to not believe his ears. When he had made the proposition, he had meant it, but he had never expected for her to accept it.

"If this is the only way I'm going to get rid of you, so be it." She angrily kicked her sandals off and huffily went to remove her earrings, then forcibly tugged her hair out of its ponytail. "When I came back to Port Charles, I said hell or high water, I was going to get this divorce. So you want sex? A last roll in the hay in exchange for a signed bill of divorce? Fine!"

With that, she lunged forward, grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him full on the lips. Her assault startled him at first and he stumbled backwards against the door. It was difficult to think with her tiny framed pressed against him and her lips bruising against him. A tiny voice told him that this was wrong, that it wasn't right to ask her of this, but the mere warmth of her protested otherwise. Being with her never felt more right.

On instinct, he pulled her tighter against him, with no space between them. He took the chance to explore her entire body, by threading his fingers through her hair and running his hands down her back and her sides. God, how he missed her. She still felt as soft as a flower and smelled just as sweet. The mere taste of her drove his senses wild. In sync, they moved together towards the couch, stumbling only slightly. They tumbled backwards onto the couch, with Jason on top, though he was careful not to crush her with his weight.

Elizabeth vaguely realized that her back was the couch. Somewhere between cursing him and agreeing to his proposal, she had lost all conscious thought. This was wrong, she knew it, but she forgot why. A daring hand ran up her leg, leaving tingles behind, and he snaked it under the skirt of her dress. He grabbed the curve of his bottom and pulled her flush against his already stiff arousal. She moaned despite herself.

"Jason? Jason!"

Delighted in hearing his name out loud, he continued on with his caresses.

"Jason!!"

Wait. That wasn't Elizabeth's voice. And it was muffled. And there was banging.

Abruptly pulling away, he looked at his door. Sure enough, there was someone knocking on his door and calling his name. He looked down at Elizabeth. Her eyes were glazed with passion but her burrow furrowed with confusion. He couldn't tell if she was disappointed or relieved.

Truthfully, she didn't know either.

He was sure pissed. Cursing, he stood up from the couch and stalked to the door while Elizabeth sat up and straightened her dress and hair.

"What?!" he barked.

Carly brushed past him, not even bothering to wait for an invitation. "Jase, what the hell is taking you so long?"

"Carly, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make sure you don't slink out of your promise. You said yesterday that you'd help me. She's been waiting across the hall for two hours now. *I've* been waiting for two hours now."

Jason ran a frustrated hand across his face. "Carly, this isn't a good time right now."

"Oh no you don't, I've been looking forward to this all day. What's so important-" She caught him looking over her shoulder and she turned her head to see what he was looking at. It was then that she finally noticed the irritated brunette sitting on the couch. "Lizzie Webber?"

Elizabeth didn't even bother sparing a smile. "Carly."

The two women were not friends and they never maintained the illusion that they were. If things between them were ever civil, it was only for the sake of mutual parties, such as Jason. Carly was head cheerleader and Elizabeth was the art geek. Although, that hadn't stopped Elizabeth from being voted Prom Queen her senior year, over Carly.

"What are you doing here, Muffin?" Carly asked, failing at hiding her disgust. "And what's in your hair?"

Elizabeth reached up to find white puffs tangled in her locks. It was the stuffing from the couch which she had liberated earlier. She pulled out what she could and promptly dismissed it. "I'm having a discussion with Jason."

"Okay... whatever." Carly sensed that something was up, but she didn't care. She turned back to Jason. "Jason, Courtney's waiting." She wrinkled her nose slightly at his appearance. "Change your shirt and then get your ass over there."

With that she left through the door, closing it behind her. Jason looked at Elizabeth to find her glaring hatefully at him.

"What?" A minute ago she had been sighing underneath him. What had he done?

"You're going out with Courtney now?" she questioned slowly. Jason didn't miss the note of venom that had entered her voice with Courtney's name.

He walked over to her and moved to caress her face, but she flinched away. Confused, he dropped his hand. "Carly asked me to do her a favor."

"By dating Courtney? Of course, she was always trying to set you guys up."

"I'm not dating Courtney, I'm-" Elizabeth's demeanor was severely crossed. "What does it matter?"

It mattered because Courtney was a slut-boyfriend-stealing-piece-of-trash-ho. Elizabeth answered oh-so-matter-of-factly, "It doesn't matter."

Jason smirked. "Are you jealous?"

Elizabeth choked a laugh. "Of Courtney Matthews? And you? In your dreams, Jason Morgan."

Jason nodded, knowingly. "Then you wouldn't mind then, if I did go out with Courtney tonight, right sweetheart?"

"Stop calling me sweetheart," Elizabeth scowled. "And yes, I would mind."

Jason quirked an eyebrow at her conflicting responses. "Why?"

"Because we're not finished here!" she retorted. "I'm in the middle of trying to get my divorce."

Jason regarded her with curious amusement. His mind filled with clarity. It had never occurred to him that his wife would ever be jealous of another woman, especially since she had been the one to runaway and try so hard to get the divorce.

"Maybe some other time, sweetheart," he replied as he patted her on the leg. He ran upstairs before she could argue, then came back down, shirt-less, and with a fresh t-shirt in his hand. "I'd love to finish up this matter, but it looks like I've got a hot date tonight."

He pulled his t-shirt on and then winked good-bye to her as he walked out the door. She wanted to pull those grinning teeth out of his mouth, one by one.

"Arggh! Jason!"

She stared at the closed door, her anger boiling in her again. Steaming, she picked up her purse where she had dropped it on the floor and fished out her cell phone. She furiously punched a number on speed-dial.

"Brenda? Are you with Em? Good. Meet me at the hotel, stat." Courtney's horrendous face flashed in Elizabeth's mind. "We've got an emergency situation."

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Nine


"So is this how you do it?" Courtney asked, her giggles grating on Jason's nerves. He tried not to vomit at the site of his 'date' awkwardly trying to line up a shot at the pool table, while at the same time, stick her ass and cleavage out. He fondly remembered when Elizabeth used to do that, however, she was much better at it.

"Yes," he replied tiredly and entirely un-amused. "You've asked me three times already."

She stood up straight, never letting her large teeth disappear from sight. "Well, maybe you can come over here and help me out," she suggested.

He chose THIS over what might've been one exhilarating, if not interesting, night with Elizabeth? He had to admit, when the opportunity to pull the jealousy card arose, he jumped at it. But now, as he was counting down the minutes to the evening, he wondered for the 112th time that night about the wisdom of his decision. For one, he was wasting the evening away as he tried to resist gouging he eyes out, and two, making Elizabeth pissed was never really a good idea--the state of both his auto shop and penthouse were good indications of this. Still, he considered it progress to elicit an emotion from Elizabeth regarding him that was neither anger nor pure rage.

"Courtney," Jason said, leaving his Elizabeth reverie to the back of his mind. "You're doing fine, you don't need my help."

Courtney pouted shamelessly, but Jason merely took a swig from his beer to block her out. He debated to himself whether he should get drunk to dull the pain of his company or remain sober in order to stay sharp on his wits and keep away from her pawing hoofs.

"I forgot, am I stripes or solids?"

Drinking to block out the evening was beginning to sound like a good idea. "It's still open. You're breaking and you haven't hit any balls yet."

"I can think of a few balls I wouldn't mind hitting."

"Waitress!" The words flew out of his mouth before they even formed in his mind. "Whiskey, PLEASE!"

*****

Gulp. Slam.

"Skipper?"

Gulp. Slam.

"Courtho?" Emily asked again, increduloused. "The beast?"

Gulp. Slam.

"You've got to be kidding me." Emily reached across the table and restrained Elizabeth's arm from throwing back another shot of Jack Daniels. Elizabeth gave a short glare, but kept her arm unmoving and gave no resistance.

"Trust me, I wish I was," she replied with a mixture of twisted sarcasm and bitterness.

"I just don't get it," Emily reiterated. "Why would he go out on a date with El Burro?"

"You're asking me? You're his sister."

Brenda toyed with the olive in her martini. "Okay, I'm completely lost. According to this conversation, Elizabeth's not so ex-husband has taken up with a donkey? Some new beast doll from Mattel?"

Upon Emily's short distraction with Brenda's question, Elizabeth quickly downed the last shot on the table. Emily sighed and shook her head.

"Long story, she's a ho who's had the hots for my brother since day one and has made no effort to hide it. Short story, we hate her."

Brenda nodded in understanding. "Gotcha. Hate her."

After calling the emergency meeting at her hotel suite, Elizabeth had shuffled them over to Jake's, never once mentioning on the drive over why. She merely stated that she needed to forget the evening as soon as possible. The entire ride over, she was silent but obviously disturbed. The anger seemed to roll off her like waves. In truth, she was hoping that Jason would be his predictable self and take his 'date' to his local hangout, but was disappointed, for many reasons she had yet to decipher, to find that he was elsewhere. After arriving at the bar and downing a couple of shots, she finally divulged the reasons for her agitation and need for forgetfulness. Emily had been aghast, to say the least, not to mention shocked.

"Coleman!" Elizabeth called sweetly to the shaggy-haired man behind the counter.

He approached their table with his ever charming and disarming smile. "How can I help you miss?"

"Can I get another round of shots for me and my girls here?" She leaned up and made a feeble attempt to whisper. "And while you're at it, can you just bring the bottle over here and leave it for us?"

He raised his eyebrows in concern. "Are you sure about that?"

"Of course."

Coleman looked over to Emily for confirmation, but all he got was a shrug. He agreed reluctantly. "Alrighty my dear, be right back."

"You really don't have anything to worry about," Emily insisted, after Coleman walked away and the shock of Jason's 'date' had worn off. "There's nothing going on between Jason and Corky. She hasn't even been around for a while. She moved away a couple years ago, something about a car accident. Seriously, that chick's license needs to be taken away or something--anyways, besides that, Jason doesn't even like her, he never has. You know that. He's always thought she was plain annoying."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Right. And yet, he would choose her to jeopardize our relationship with."

"What relationship?" Brenda asked from her side of the table. She had finished her martini by this point was playing with the olive again. "You're trying to divorce him, remember?"

"And don't forget why either," Emily added with a sharp tone. She noted the curiously stunned stare that Elizabeth gave her. Emily tried not to sound angry. "Brenda told me about Ric."

Elizabeth could only form her mouth into a silent 'oh.' She looked down, avoiding Emily's gaze. Coleman reappeared with the bottle of Jack Daniels, which Elizabeth accepted gratefully. She expertly poured three shots and then raised her own glass in the air for a mock toast, only to then quickly down the searing liquid without a second thought. She held the glass for a moment as she eyed her friend carefully.

"Are you mad?"

Emily thought it over. Truthfully, she had hoped that if Elizabeth ever did return, it would be to reconcile with Jason, but she was quickly realizing the pointlessness of that hope. "No. I'm just confused. You're engaged to be married to another man and all gung-ho about divorcing my brother, but then you're getting all worked up over him going out on a harmless date."

Elizabeth scoffed. "The beast, harmless? Hardly."

"Not that I'd ever be able to stomach the idea of having Whoretney as a sister-in-law, but why does it even matter to you?"

"You know, it's no wonder you and Jason are siblings, you guys ask the same questions."

"It's a good question to ask," Emily stated. She scrutinized her friend. "Are you jealous?"

Elizabeth quickly turned to face Emily. She declared adamantly, "I am not jealous!"

"So why are you so upset and desperate to drink the night away? YOU left him; YOU are the one who wants to end the marriage. That means he's free to see whomever he wants... no matter how much his sister disapproves."

"Look," Elizabeth explained, "just because I'm pissed as hell at him right now doesn't mean I'd want him fed to ol' horse-teeth." She shook her head in disgusted remorse. "I should've just slapped the ugly out of her that night."

"What?" Emily frowned.

Elizabeth hiccupped suddenly. She put a hand to her throat and stifled another one. The effects of the alcohol were beginning to encroach upon her, though she ignored it and moved to pour another shot. Brenda placed her martini glass in front of Liz's hand to block her way.

"I don't think so Miss, no more for you."

"Can't a girl get drunk with her best friends when she wants to?" Elizabeth protested. "You're always saying how we should get hammered together, and here I am ready and willing. I'm sure you've heard the stories of drunk Lizzie form Em here; dont you want to see her up close and personal? Come on, Bren."

Brenda stood firm in her intervention. "Maybe some other time sweetheart."

Her words triggered a flash of his cocky grin and smug expression.

"Maybe some other time, sweetheart," he replied as he patted her on the leg. He ran upstairs before she could argue, then came back down, shirt-less, and with a fresh t-shirt in his hand. "I'd love to finish up this matter, but it looks like I've got a hot date tonight."

Elizabeth stood up abruptly, knocking back her chair and toppling it to the floor. "Hot date my foot! He's supposed to be giving me a divorce, not gallivanting off with Skiptard! Not while I stand here breathing!"

Brenda looked up worriedly. "Sweetie, you're NOT breathing actually."

Emily nodded agreement, noting the way Elizabeth stood alarmingly stiff with her clenched fists and unmoving chest. "Can you please breathe, for us?"

"No," she replied, although she did start breathing again. "No time. Can't waste any of it. Let's go."

She was already halfway across the room by the time the girls could register her movements and hurriedly follow. Emily tried to pull some bills from her purse but Coleman shook his head no, indicating it was on the house. She smiled before addressing her erratic friend.

"Excuse me, but where are we going?"

Elizabeth spoke a hundred syllables a minute, slurring ever so slightly. "I'm going to take a cab back to Jason's and wait for him there, and I won't leave until I get what I want. You guys stake out wherever Boobs is staying and make sure nothing 'hot' happens there."

"Liz," Emily protested. "I don't think anything 'hot' will happen where Whorteney's staying, since she's probably staying with Sonny."

"Where's Sonny's?"

"Across the hall from Jason's."

"Oh." Pause. "Okay, so we'll just watch the hall together."

"Elizabeth," Emily tried to reason with her irate and drunk friend. "I don't think we need to stake out Jason's hallway."

"Yeah," Brenda interjected. "What if they go back to a hotel or something?"

Emily turned sharply towards Brenda. "Not helping."

"Oh my god, you're right," Elizabeth gasped with drunken distress. She put a palm to her head as she struggled to come up with a new plan. "Okay, then you guys go wait at his door while I drive around looking for them."

"You are NOT driving after all those shots," Emily stated sternly.

"Okay, then I'll do the stake out and you guys do the search and siege. Let's synchronize our watches or something."

"Elizabeth, are you insane?" Emily asked, still trying to talk Elizabeth into reason.

"No," Elizabeth replied coolly. "Anything else?"

"How about this," Brenda tried. "What do you hope to achieve by the end of this--what I'm sure will make a great anecdote in Cosmo--evening?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Elizabeth gestured wildly with her hands. "To annihilate this travesty!"

Emily cocked her head. "Which would be?"

"Courtney!" Elizabeth cried exasperatedly.

Emily stepped back, stunned but interested with Elizabeth's answer. "So ending your marriage is NOT your priority?"

"Well, I-" And then she paused. Elizabeth pressed her lips into a thin line and clenched her jaw. She searched her head for a retort, a suitable answer for her best friend's loaded question, but nothing came to mind that would absolve her of Emily's pointed observation.

"Best Friend, less commentary, please, and more support," she finally replied after a beat.

Emily pulled her keys from her purse, indicating she was on board and ready to go. She sighed warily, fearful that this incarnation of Drunk Lizzie was as destructive as the past version. "Best Friend merely wants to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into."