‘Cause it’s you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it’s you and me
And all of the people
And I don’t know why
I can’t keep my eyes off of you
– You and Me, Lifehouse

---

Sunday, May 7, 2000

Brasserie Montmartre: Dining Room

Sonny tossed down his napkin and watched as Elizabeth disappeared down the hallway to the restrooms. He met Jason’s eyes across the table. “Maybe we should get the check and go back to the hotel. I’ll fly back tomorrow, and we can forget all of this.”

Jason grimaced, pushed his dinner around the plate. They’d avoided Sonny all day, but for some reason, Elizabeth had wanted to keep their plans for dinner. Maybe she’d hoped for a miracle.

“Elizabeth told you about this morning, didn’t she?” Sonny wanted to know. “Because we were fine before—”

“We weren’t fine.” Jason set his fork down with a clatter. “I just wasn’t saying anything. And yeah, she told me. Because she felt like she’d made things worse—” He clenched his hands into his fists when Sonny just lifted a brow. “She just made things clearer. You’ll never understand the real problem, and until you do, there’s no point in pretending. Thanks for coming out.” Jason reached for his beer. “At least now we know—”

“The real problem? Because I tried to help—”

“Because you can’t stand to be powerless.” The Rolling Rock hit the table with a thud, harder than Jason meant to, drawing stairs from some of the surrounding tables. He shook his head. “You meant well with the prenup and threats to Carly. But you couldn’t just let me forgive you in my own time. You had to push.”

“Is this about reminding you if that night doesn’t happen—” Sonny growled. “You’d still be trailing after Carly—”

“I’d still have hope of getting Michael back,” Jason said quietly, and Sonny closed his mouth. “That’s what you killed that night. The only way I’d be his father again would be to keep Carly in my life. I already cared about Elizabeth. No, if I don’t stay in her studio for a few weeks, we’re not here today. But that has nothing to do with you.”

Sonny took a deep breath. “Okay, fine, but—”

“Until you get it, until you understand that I make my own choices, my own mistakes—I’m not coming back. I can’t take orders from a man I don’t trust. I didn’t forgive you right away after you thought you solved my Carly problem, and you turned it around so that you were the one telling me to stay away. Making it your decision. It’s mine.”

“It’s Elizabeth’s—you told me—”

“It’s ours,” Jason corrected, “and we’ll make it together. That’s the part you can’t seem to understand because you wouldn’t be able to give anyone control over you. You never could.”

Sonny stroked his chin, leaned back in his chair. “There’s a truth to that,” he admitted roughly. “And maybe I was impatient. Maybe I wanted you to forgive me faster than you were ready to. But that doesn’t make me a bad person—”

“I never said it did.” Jason sipped his beer again. “I just said I’m not ready to take orders from you. We’re staying out here for a while. Elizabeth’s going to get a doctor, we’re getting a place.”

“I’m sorry.” Sonny exhaled slowly. “It feels like I’ve pushed you further away, and that was the last thing I wanted. I just—” His voice caught, and he looked away, quickly clearing this throat. “I wanted it to be okay. I’m sorry. You’re right. I can’t stand not being able to fix it. So I tried to force it. I need the control. The power. I always have.”

Jason hadn’t really expected him to admit it so quickly and wasn’t sure what to say in response. Before he could, Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom and slid back into the chair next to Jason, her eyes darting nervously between them.

“I’m sorry for this morning,” Sonny told her. “You were upset—rightly so. I was being arrogant to take credit for how things ended up.”

Her brows raised and she looked back at Jason for a moment, confused, then focused on Sonny. “It’s okay—”

“No. It’s not. You were trying to take care of Jason, and you were the only one listening to him. I guess—I thought if he could see what happened as having a silver lining—” Sonny looked at Jason. “You might be able to let it go sooner.”

Jason reached for Elizabeth’s hand and drew it into his lap. “I am letting it go. But that doesn’t mean I can go back to my life the way it was before. I don’t want to. What I have now is better. We’re staying out here for a few more months. Maybe longer, I don’t know. But our family is still in New York, so we’ll come back eventually.”

“I can make that enough for now.”

Jason nodded, then looked at Elizabeth before returning his attention to Sonny. “When you go back tomorrow, Elizabeth is going with you. She needs to get a few things and fly back.”

“I wasn’t really preparing to move here temporarily when I packed a few weeks ago,” Elizabeth said, her cheeks flushing — she hadn’t known Jason was actually going to ask Sonny take care of the transportation. “I can get a flight if it’s too much trouble—”

“No, no—” Sonny waved away her concern. “Of course.”

“Oh. Thanks. I appreciate that. Really—” Elizabeth waited for Sonny to meet her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Anything I can do, I will.”

New Imperial Hotel: Jason & Elizabeth’s Room

Elizabeth leaned against the bathroom door and watched Jason tug back the comforter. “Do you think Sonny gets it this time?”

He hesitated, then jerked a shoulder. “Maybe. More than before, I think.” He sat the on the edge of the bed, his back to her. “I should have asked if you wanted to go back with Sonny. If you’d rather fly back without him—”

“I can handle Sonny. And it would be more comfortable on a private jet,” she admitted. Elizabeth leaned in so that their shoulders brushed. “Are you sure you’re okay with me flying back with him? After the last few days—”

“It’s not an issue,” Jason said with a shake of his head. “It’s good that he came out and we talked. I couldn’t do that back in Port Charles, not really.” He met her eyes. “I’m not angry with him anymore. Or upset about what happened. I don’t need to be. You’re here, and the baby—it just wiped all of that clean.”

“But?” she prompted.

“I tried to stay in Port Charles to make the job work because after Michael, it was all that I had. But it’s not anymore. And I don’t need it the way I used to.” He leaned in, kissed her softly, stroking his thumb across her chin. “So we can wait until I’m ready to trust Sonny again.” He hesitated. “Are you sure you’re okay with not going back?”

“After you left that last time…” Elizabeth laced her fingers through his. “I was still so sure that Port Charles was what I needed. I wanted a home, to belong somewhere the way I never had growing up. I found it for a while with Lucky, and when he died, I promised myself I’d never let a person be everything to me again. I wouldn’t wrap my entire existence around theirs. Home had to be a place. Something that couldn’t be taken away.” Their lips brushed again, and she smiled, the tips of her fingers touching his jaw. “But you can’t belong to a house or a city. You have to belong to someone.”

His brows drew together, and he shook his head. “But—”

“You have to belong to yourself,” she corrected, and his expression smoothed out. “You told me that once about Michael. About wanting him to be safe and protected until he could make his own choices. Because the Quartermaines would see him as a possession, and he deserved to belong to himself. That’s what I realized after you left. I needed to be able to be okay on my own. To trust myself. I couldn’t do that before. And maybe I never would have if you hadn’t left. So to answer your question,” she said, “I’m just fine with not going back. I have everything I need right here.”

Monday, May 8, 2000

Portland International Airport: Gate 45

Staying in Portland to make plans for the next few months made sense, but Jason began to have second thoughts as he walked with Elizabeth and Sonny through the airport to the gate where the private jet would leave, then waited as Sonny checked in with the pilot and flight attendant. She’d been back in his life for a few weeks, and now he had to watch her fly away—

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Elizabeth quieted his thoughts by leaning up to kiss him. He rested his hands on her hips, keeping her close to him. “I’ll be back Wednesday. Thursday at the latest.”

“Call me when you land,” he told her. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ears, trailing his knuckles down her cheek. “And when you get to the house—”

“I promise.” He kissed her forehead. “It’s not like the last time,” Elizabeth said. “We’re not saying goodbye.”

“I know.” He just liked his life better when she was right beside him. “I’ll miss you.”

“You’ll love all the silence,” she teased. She kissed him again, then stepped back, started to walk away but he caught her hand. She turned to look at him. He wanted to say something—but he didn’t. He let her hand go, and she smiled once more, then followed Sonny through the door to the boarding bridge—and back to Port Charles.

He waited, watching as the plane rolled away from the gate and towards the runaway. It was nearly ten more minutes until they were cleared for takeoff. Then Jason headed back through the airport for a taxi back to the hotel.

Private Jet: Cabin

Elizabeth glanced out the window at the fluffy clouds that passed. Two hours into the flight, and she and Sonny had managed to avoid speaking to each other. Only five more hours, give or take the time for landing.

She set aside the sketchpad and focused on the man sitting on a chair that matched the sofa where she sat. Sonny was perusing a contract — the same paperwork he’d taken out shortly after the pilot had switched off the seatbelt signs. Was he really reading or avoiding her, too?

“Thank you.”

Sonny jolted, his head jerking up to stare at her. “What?”

“For coming out to see Jason. For the ride back to Port Charles,” Elizabeth added. “I know…I know it didn’t turn out the way you hoped it would, but—”

Sonny set aside the contract and rubbed his eyes. “After that night,” he said slowly, “Jason couldn’t look me in the eye, and he didn’t trust me anymore. He questioned everything and shut down every time we were in the same room.”

Elizabeth waited, unsure what to say to any of that. It must have hurt for Sonny to go through, but she wasn’t much concerned with someone who had brought on his own problems.

“I didn’t think Jason would give me the time of day,” Sonny continued. “But I knew he was better when I got off that plane. When I saw you two together in the airport.” He met her eyes. “Our friendship will never be the same again, but maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe Carly wasn’t the only lie that he had to stop living. He had me on a pedestal, which I never asked for—” He smiled thinly. “But I loved it. I soaked up his loyalty and repeatedly asked him for more than I had any right to. We weren’t equal before.”

He was quiet for a moment. “You saved his life that night, Elizabeth. And you’ve kept on saving him—”

“He saved himself—”

“And you healed yourself after losing Lucky,” Sonny said. “But that doesn’t mean you didn’t need Jason to help you do it. Just like he needed you.” He nodded. “You’re good for each other. Not that my opinion matters, but I’ll offer it all the same.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to get a ticket for a return flight,” he continued. “I heard you and Jason talking about it on the way to the gate. The jet will be at your disposal so you can come back as soon as you’re ready.”

She nearly turned him down, but flights between Portland and Port Charles often had a layover — she wanted to be back with Jason as soon as possible. “Thanks. I’ll call as soon as I’m ready to go back.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

Alexis found Sonny already pouring himself a bourbon when she stepped inside the penthouse. “You left a message for me to come over?”

“Yeah.” Sonny turned to her, then set down the tumbler. “I need to update my will.” He scratched his temple. “Just who gets the money. The business stays the same.”

“You want to update your will at almost ten—” Alexis glanced at her watch. “Did something happen on the plane? You were due in a few hours ago—”

“Had to circle the airport a few times, and no. Nothing happened. Just…don’t see the point in waiting.” Sonny leaned against the back of the sofa. “I want to set up a trust fund for Jason’s child. Children,” he corrected. “Divided equally. I don’t think they’ll stop at one.”

“So it went well,” Alexis said, slowly. “If you’re leaving money to Jason’s kid—”

“It went as well as I deserved.” Sonny jerked a shoulder. “They’re not coming back. He doesn’t trust me and tossing threats at Carly was a bad idea.” He lifted his brows at her. “Which you told me.”

“I’m confused,” Alexis said. “What’s going on?”

“The consequences of my actions,” Sonny said dryly. “I tried to control one too many things, and Jason decided he couldn’t come back. That’s why I was out there — so he could prove to Elizabeth he’d be fine here, back at the job.” He picked up the tumbler again. “He doesn’t trust me,” Sonny murmured. “And I don’t know how to fix that.”

“So you’re going to leave your money to their kids?” Alexis asked skeptically. “How does that help anything?”

“It doesn’t. I just don’t have any other family, and the money, as it stands now, goes to Jason right now anyway.” He finished the bourbon and went back for another pour. “We’re fine. As long as there’s three thousand miles between us. They’re getting a place out there. He says they’ll be back eventually, but I doubt it. Why would he come back here?”

“For his sister and grandmother? It’s his home, Sonny.” She sighed. “No, you can’t control and manipulate a person into forgiving you. Believe me, I’ve tried. But that doesn’t mean he won’t ever get there. He asked you to go see him. You stayed a few days.” She folded her arms. “That’s progress. You just need to have patience—”

“It’s funny,” Sonny murmured. “I always thought he needed me more than I needed him. That I was the one with all the power.” He looked at her. “Hell of way to find out I’m the one who needs him.”

Hardy House: Elizabeth’s Bedroom

Elizabeth trudged back into her bedroom, dumping the carry-on the floor next to the bed and collapsing onto the mattress. The flight had felt so long, and then they’d had to circle the airport a few times—

Now she was back in Port Charles. Alone.

Elizabeth sat up, looked at the bed, and sighed. It had made sense for to come back on her own for this short trip, but she was really going to miss having Jason with her. She’d become addicted to spending every minute with him over the last few weeks, but—

She was an adult who had to do adult things. Including dumping out her dirty clothing into the laundry basket. She upended the duffel on the bed so that everything fell out—

And then a postcard fluttered out, resting on top of her jeans. Elizabeth stared at it, wondering if it was an old one that had been mixed in—

But it was new. From their hotel in Portland. She picked it up, then turned it over. There was no address this time, just a message.

I don’t want to go sleep without hearing your voice.

She smiled, running her fingers over the writing. She went to the phone on her nightstand, picked up the receiver and dialed the cell phone, marveling at how easy it would be to talk to him while they were separated. So unlike the last time—

And then it clicked to voicemail. Elizabeth hung up, confused for a moment before redialing. Voicemail again.

“Uh, hey. I’m sorry I missed you, I guess you’re out to eat or something. Our flight circled the airport, so by the time we landed, I just came straight to the house—but I’m here. Safe. Call me back, okay? I miss you already.”

She set the phone down, then went to take care of the laundry before grabbing dinner.

But he never called back.

← Chapter 26 | Chapter 28 →