I’ve got to know
Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas
Where do lonely hearts go
Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas
Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas
– All Alone on Christmas, Darlene Love

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December 24

Metro Court Hotel: Ballroom

The gala had been in full swing for nearly two hours before Jason was able to track Elizabeth down. She stood with her assistant, looking tired and harried. He might have to make that one week vacation more like two at this rate.

He’d overheard his Ward cousins speculate on the real reasons Elizabeth had left her job with Ava Jerome, and if sleeping with Jason was part of the incentives. If this was the kind of treatment she was experiencing at the hands of the people in his family, it was no wonder she was avoiding him.

“Elizabeth…” He stepped up to her. “Kiki, could you give us a moment?”

The younger brunette blinked and looked at her boss in panic. “Um, if I say no, do I get fired?”

Jason scowled. “No.”

“Okay.” Kiki lifted her chin. “So, um, no.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Kiki, go deal with the catering. I’ll handle the sagging banner.” She folded her arms and turned to Jason. “Hey.”

Her posture and the set of her mouth screamed Don’t touch! So Jason kept his hands at his side. “Ah, I’ve been looking for you—”

“Well, I’ve been working,” she interrupted. “Maybe some people have nothing better to do than drink champagne and be a pain in the ass, but I’ve been fighting fires all night.” She looked away. “Listen. Things—they’re moving really fast.”

That did not sound promising. He stepped towards. “Elizabeth, wait—”

“A—and my career is important to me, okay?” She held up a hand, her face frozen in a pleasant expression as if to ward off gossip from those who may be in earshot. “So…I’m just…I’m reevaluating my choices. I’m not…I’m not interested in being one of many.”

She had seen the call from Sam, he was sure of it now. “You’re not, Elizabeth.” He reached out for her arm, but she turned to the side to keep away. “I can explain about this morning—”

“You-you don’t have to.” She backed up. “We—we never said it was exclusive. A-And you know, it’s for the best. Like I said, I love my job. I want to keep doing it with ELQ.” She pursed her lips. “So let me just do my job, okay?”

She walked away, and Jason didn’t follow her. He was not going to make a scene in the middle of the Metro Court ballroom. It would only make the gossip worse.

And she didn’t deserve that.

So he’d find her after the party, or talk to her after Christmas. Give them both time to calm down.

The Loft: Living Room

When Elizabeth trudged home the early hours of Christmas, she found Robin sitting up, watching Christmas cartoons, with Nadine sprawled out on the sofa, her feet in Robin’s lap, sleeping.

“You…waited up.” Elizabeth’s lip trembled, and she let her silver purse fall to the ground.

“We did. Or at least we tried. After you called to say you’d be home tonight.” Robin pushed Nadine’s feet away so she could stand. “What happened?”

“Oh…just twenty-four of the most humiliating hours of my life. Most of Jason’s family thinks I’m a social climbing whore and those who don’t are probably just slapping his back and offering him a cigar.” Her eyes burned. “And he’s married.”

“Whoa, what?” Robin’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t sound right—”

“Or he was. And he’s been talking to his ex on the phone for weeks.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m such an idiot—”

Robin wrapped her arms around her and the tears started to fall. “Hey, I’m sure it’ll be okay in the morning. We’ll discuss it in detail over Christmas breakfast. I’ll make mimosas since it’s too early for wine.”

“You guys are the best.” She sniffled.

Robin started to steer her towards Elizabeth’s bedroom. “I guess you guys had a fight about the ex.”

“No.” Elizabeth collapsed on her bed and reached for the straps of her heels. “I—just told him it was moving too fast.” She closed her eyes. “I’m just one in a long line of ELQ floozies for the Quartermaine men.”

“I think it’s probably more complicated than that.” Robin leaned against the doorframe of the room. “But we’ll sort it out in the morning.” Her smile was dim in the shadows of the darkened room. “Merry Christmas, for what it’s worth.”

“Merry Christmas,” Elizabeth murmured in response. For what it was worth.

December 25

Quartermaine Mansion: Family Room

Sometimes Jason liked his family, but most of the time he marveled that not only was he a biological member of this circus, but that he’d been raised with them.

He sipped his coffee and stood in the corner of the room watching as his father handed out gifts from under the Christmas tree to various members of the family.

“I thought for sure you’d bring that nice Elizabeth,” his grandfather said, joining him with a snifter of brandy and a cigar. “After you brought her to the party—”

Jason clenched his teeth. “She has her own family.” Or did she? She was close to her roommates, but she did have family in Port Charles?

“Your grandmother thought she was quite lovely. Exactly what you need.” Edward tapped his cigar into the ashtray on the nearby shelf to rid himself of the ash. “I hope we didn’t come on too strong.”

Coffee wasn’t strong enough to be a member of this family.

“I’m not dignifying that with a response,” Jason muttered.

His grandfather huffed and rejoined his wife near the tree. For all his philandering (and Edward had at least two illegitimate sons to show for it), he had retained the love and devotion of his wife for nearly three-quarters of a century.

He loved his grandmother, but damned if he understood that marriage. Or that of his father and stepmother. Insanity.

“You look like a lost puppy over here.” AJ joined him, followed by Ned. “I’ve heard Grandfather muse on the absence of your one true love like five times.” He snorted. “They’re all true loves until it’s over.”

“Do you two have a point here?” Jason demanded. “I’m not in the mood. Someone must have said something to Elizabeth, because she was miserable last night. She didn’t even let me explain about the phone calls.”

Ned tugged on his ear. “Yeah, so…Olivia mentioned that she saw my mother near Elizabeth and her assistant early on in the evening.”

Oh, hell. Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. “Does no one have impulse control on this family?”

“And I saw Dad with her at the hospital party,” AJ said. “I tried to get closer to find out what was being said, but I only heard Brenda’s name.”

“I’m going to set this place on fire with every one of you inside.” Jason set his coffee mug down with a clack of the porcelain against the oak desk. “Let me get this straight. Yesterday—just yesterday—Elizabeth finds out I’ve been talking with my ex-girlfriend, my father tells her I was married once, and then your ridiculous mother probably mentioned something about social climbers?”

“Yeah, when you list it that way, it’s no wonder she walked out on you,” AJ said, in almost cheerful tone. “Couple that with Sam cornering her the evening before—” He put his hands up in mock surrender when Jason glared at him. “I only heard that today from Dillon.”

“So, some damage control is necessary,” Ned said. “It can be done. Kristina still married me even after she found out I had been married briefly to her sister.”

“Point of order—she found out after you were married and moved out for a month,” AJ reminded him.

Jason stared at the both of them. “And I consider the two of you friends. No wonder I’ve never had a relationship longer than two months.”

“Hey, I’ve been with Olivia for three years now,” Ned pointed out. “So, you know, eventually I figured it out.” He looked at AJ, who just looked at him. “Junior’s a lost cause, but he’s a half decent father.”

“I’m touched,” AJ said dryly.

Jason shook his head. “I’m going to go see her tomorrow. I’ll bring her gift and hope like hell she’ll talk to me. We work together, she can’t avoid me forever.”

“There’s the silver lining. If you can’t harass her personally, do it professionally.” AJ raised his bourbon in a mock toast. “Welcome to the Quartermaine family.”

When Jason only growled, Ned steered AJ away. “Let me get you away before he actually hurts you.”

December 26

The Loft: Hallway

When the door swung open the next afternoon, he found Robin Scorpio staring back at him, her eyes raised in expectation. “Ah…hey, Robin. Can I see—” He faltered when she just shook her head.

“Sorry, she’s not in the mood. We just split open a bottle of Riesling.”

Jason frowned, because she’d said that final part like it was supposed to mean something. Right, Elizabeth said she and her roommates took wine very seriously. “Ah, I guess you don’t use that for holidays.”

“Nope, it’s more to drink away various humiliations.” Robin pursed her lips. “Not romantically, so much. That’s usually the Moscato. Riesling is more general. You know, for being treated like a social climbing whore for two days straight, and finding out the guy you’re sleeping with is not only talking to an ex-girlfriend, but used to be married.”

She looked back to her blonde roommate, who was perched on the arm of the sofa. “Did I get it all?”

“Oh, and the one where her assistant is called a stripper,” Nadine said. “And um,” She paused. “I think there was something in there about the horrors of heels, but that’s more a female thing than directly his fault.”

“Right.” Robin turned back. “Listen. I know you’re a good guy. She knows it, too. She just…didn’t grow up in this town. Most of us are immune to the Quartermaines after so much exposure.”

“I barely blink when your dad pinches my butt these days,” Nadine said blandly. “Though I twisted his wrist the last time. That was awesome.”

Jason closed his eyes. “I know. And I should have…said something to them, but they don’t exactly listen.”

“I hear ya.” Robin tapped her fingers on the edge of the door. “So, I’d love to let you in, but she’s still working off her mad. If you talk to her now, you’re both going to say stuff you don’t entirely mean. Let her come to you.” She narrowed her eyes. “You are here to work it out right? Because if you’re just here to tell her it’s not worth the trouble—”

“I’ll twist your wrist right off,” Nadine said, rising to her feet. “Along with other body parts you might miss.” She cracked her knuckles and rubbed her hands together.

“I’m glad Elizabeth has such good friends,” Jason said after a moment. He wasn’t scared. Not really. He held out the small rectangular box wrapped in silver. “Could you give this to her?”

“Hmm, jewelry as a peace offering. It’s not original, but there’s a reason it’s a standard.” Robin accepted the gift. “Any other message?”

Jason shifted. “Well, I didn’t—there’s no card, because—I thought I’d give it to her in person.” He coughed lightly. “I had planned to tell her it’s so we’ll always remember our first Christmas together, but…” He winced. “That sounds worse out loud than it did in my head.”

Robin considered him for a long moment before nodding. “That’s acceptable. If she wants to call you after this, then that’s up to her. I’ll…think about encouraging it.”

“Thanks, Robin.”

She swung the door shut then and turned to Nadine. “He looked contrite.”

“I think we should open it,” Nadine said. “Just to make sure it’s appropriate.”

Robin just rolled her eyes and headed for Elizabeth’s room.

The Loft: Elizabeth’s Bedroom

Elizabeth was curled up in her bed, watching Love Actually for the fifth time, sniffling. At Robin’s light knock, she hit pause as Mark was showing Juliet the sign that proclaimed her to be perfect to him.

Why couldn’t love be like the movies?

“Come in.” She drew her legs up so Robin could sit the edge of her bed and Nadine just settled next to her. “Who was at the door?”

“Jason,” Robin said. She handed her a silver box. “He wanted to talk to you, but settled for leaving this. I told him you were still working off your mad.” She tilted her head. “Did I overstep? Should I have let him in?”

Elizabeth looked down at her pink camisole and gray sweatpants. “Um, no. The next time I see him, I want to be past the wallowing part of the program.” She took the box. “Is it wrong I don’t want to open this?”

“No,” Robin said slowly, “but there’s a question I didn’t ask you yesterday. It was your day for being coddled.”

“And that part is over,” Nadine said, slinging an arm around Elizabeth’s shoulder and reaching into the bowl of popcorn. “Today, Robin becomes the speaker of common sense.”

“Ah.” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Which tells me you were mostly patting my head yesterday but you think I’m an idiot.”

“I think you have a reason to be annoyed,” Robin said. “I personally think that after three weeks of dating and roughly three months of knowing one another, the fact that he was married before should come up. Particularly if you’re together as often as the two of you were.”

“Even if you didn’t really get into the ex part of the conversation,” Nadine said, “marriage is different. So, Robin and I agree—that’s a faux pas there.”

“And the talking with his ex thing?” Robin hesitated. “I don’t know. I knew him in high school, which was a long time ago, but he wasn’t much for dating a bunch of girls at once. I’d ask him about it with an open mind.”

“But the rest of it, girlfriend?” Nadine said. “You know, the part where you’re accosted by the majority of Port Charles’ class of idiots and his family?”

“Not his fault,” Elizabeth sighed. “Which I’d mostly accepted two days ago. It was just the culmination of it.”

“So what you have to ask yourself, my love, is—other than the two points we’ve already discussed, what has Jason done to make you distrust him?”

“Other than the girlfriend and wife thing?” Elizabeth shook her head. “Nothing. He—he even suggested a trip after Emily comes back. He went into work on Christmas Eve, trying to clear his schedule a bit.” She closed her eyes. “But right after that, I saw the phone calls, and I stopped thinking about it—”

“So maybe you give him a chance to explain the two aspects we agree he’s in hot water over, and the rest?” Robin shrugged. “You chalk it up to not having to sleep with his family.”

Elizabeth laughed, and slowly began to unwrap the gift.

Inside the velvet lined box from Tiffany, laid a delicate diamond snow flake on a silver chain. “I shouldn’t let jewelry impress me,” she murmured.

“Tell her the message,” Nadine urged.

“He said—and I quote—that it’s so you’ll always remember your first Christmas together.” Robin smirked. “And he looked embarrassed to say it to us.”

“But he did.” Elizabeth removed the necklace and held the charm in the palm of her hand. “That has to mean something, doesn’t it?” She blinked and looked up. “Our first Christmas?”

“Yeah, I liked that part of it, too.” Nadine grinned.  “You gonna forgive him?”

Not yet, but…

Elizabeth smirked. “He does look fantastic just wearing black briefs. There is that to cling to.”

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