— August 6, 1944 — 

Elizabeth frowned and leaned over to turn up the radio. “Jason,” she called across the diner.

Jason looked up from his card game with Jake Holden and Ned Ashton. “What?”

“Come listen to this. There was an attack on Japan this morning,” Elizabeth reported. The second the words were out of her mouth, the few patrons they had that evening abandoned their tables and crowded around the counter. Jason pushed past them, still slightly limping on his left leg. “Something about a bomb.”

She twisted it as high as she could and they listened as silence as the reporter told them that a B-29 plane had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

Ned nodded firmly. “Serves them right for what they did to us in ‘41.”

“You think they’ll surrender now?” Courtney Quartermaine asked, anxious for her husband to return from war. She glanced at Caroline Ashton who just shrugged.

“What’s an atomic bomb?” Caroline asked. “Is it new?”

“Yeah,” Jason replied. “It’s a pretty…pretty drastic act to take. The bomb probably destroyed a good part of the city, if not all of it.”

Elizabeth widened her eyes. “Just one bomb?” she asked, surprised.

“It’s a big bomb.” Jason switched off the radio. “I guess the end will be coming soon.”

“Yeah, it’s just the Japs now,” Jake said firmly. “Ever since that crazy man committed suicide back there in April, it’s just us against them.”

“We’ll destroy them,” Ned declared. “We have more resources, more manpower.”

“More allies,” Caroline interjected. She shook her head. “Still…there must have been innocent children in that city. It seems such a shame that they had to die.”

“There are no innocents in war,” Ned said.

Jason shook his head. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d gone.”

Ned shrugged. “Not like you saw a lot of action, either. What, one or two battles before you were injured?” His mouth twisted into a smirk. “And now you’re here, sponging off Bethie—”

“That’s enough, Ned,” Elizabeth snapped. She stepped forward. “Everyone go back to your tables, please. I’ll keep the radio on for updates.” She saw Jason exit through the kitchen and looked at Courtney. “Cover for me and turn that radio on, okay?”

— Alley — 

He was leaning against the wall when she came out the back door. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Jason shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Don’t sell me that. You’ve been in a rotten mood ever since we got back from Los Angeles in May.” She crossed her arms. “I figured it was because of your leg but maybe not.”

Jason scowled. “I don’t like you supporting me.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re my fiancé. I’m not supposed to support you?”

“When I asked you to marry me, I didn’t realize I wouldn’t have any kind of hope for a job anywhere.”

She exhaled slowly. “You think that matters to me?”

He shook his head. “It matters to me .”

Elizabeth stepped towards him. “Do you remember the day you proposed?” she asked. She moved to lean against the wall next to him. “It was right after we got back from our first date and we saw that Cary Grant movie. We were on our way back to your room and Dr. Hardy stopped us and said his niece wanted to know if we’d set the date.”

“And I asked you if you wanted to get married in the fall,” Jason said quietly. “You looked so surprised when I pulled out that ring.”

“Jason, this diner…it’s just a way to pay the bills. So what if right now you can’t work?” She shrugged. “The war will end and you’ll find something. Dr. Hardy said the limp wouldn’t be permanent and you’ll be able to work on cars again once your hand is healed better.” She moved to stand in front of him. “Ned Ashton has always had everything handed to him on a silver platter—he only works to make more money. So don’t pay any attention to him. You are not sponging off me…you do your fair share.”

“Like what?” he scoffed.

“Who fixed the stove last week?” she asked pointedly. “And who fixed Mr. Holden’s car last night when it wouldn’t start? Who fixed the door upstairs that Lucky Spencer broke? Jason, just because the diner is in my name—it doesn’t make it any less ours.”

He straightened the best he could on his leg and stared down at her. “How is that I got so lucky?”

“You had nowhere else to go on your last night in town,” Elizabeth murmured.

He cupped her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her. “When I woke up in that hospital,” he told her after pulling away and moving his hands down to her waist to tug her closer. “I thought I’d seen an angel.”

“Such a charmer,” Elizabeth teased. “Come on. You know if you leave Jake too long, he’ll try and swipe some of your poker chips.”

September 12, 1944

Jason —

I hear you’ve taken up permanent residence in Port Charles, New York. Seems a lot of people are headed there these days. I know for a fact that the last time I saw Johnny and Zander, they were boarding a train for your fair coast. I sure hope Chloe and Emily have waited around.

The reason for this here letter is the invitation that probably came in the same batch of mail. It’s all fancy like–Brenda picked it out herself. It’s for the wedding next month. Apparently, the second she found out that the Japs surrendered, she set the date. She was that sure I’d be back. You gotta love her devotion.

I’m inviting you and your pretty fiancée to come spend the week of the wedding in Chicago with us. I’ve told Brenda all about you and she can’t wait to meet you. She said however that if you managed to get yourself married before she got me to the altar, she’d kill you, so I hope you didn’t set the date yet.

We’ve got a telephone now at the house; I’ve got the number below so give us a call and we’ll set up the details. Sure am looking forward to meeting Elizabeth properly.

Sonny

— October 4, 1944 — 

Elizabeth was almost bouncing in her seat as the train hurtled towards Chicago. “I can’t wait to get there,” she said, excited. “I’ve never been to Chicago.”

Jason grinned and stretched his arm over the back of the seat, curling around her shoulders. “Well, from what Sonny says, Brenda’s got the entire week planned so don’t plan on seeing much of the city.”

“Oh, but we’ll come back, won’t we?” Elizabeth asked, turning her gaze towards him. “We’ll visit them and everything, right?”

“Oh, he is whipped,” Zander muttered to Johnny from across the car. Johnny snickered but his girlfriend Chloe elbowed him in the ribs.

“That’s enough out of you,” she warned him.

“Yes, ma’am,” Johnny said meekly.

Zander started to laugh but then felt his ear being pinched by his own fiancée. “Alexander Smith,” Emily Quartermaine said testily. “Who’s whipped?”

“I am, ma’am,” Zander said obediently.

Elizabeth was highly amused by these events. When Zander and Johnny had returned in Port Charles late in August, she’d immediately become fast friends with their significant others, Chloe and Emily while the boys had done wonders for Jason’s disposition. The three were already looking into an old building to renovate for a garage.

“So, Elizabeth, the wench here says you’ve set a date finally,” Zander said, earning him a smack in the arm from said wench.

“It’s just going to be a simple wedding,” Elizabeth reported. She leaned against Jason’s side. “Just friends and family. It’s two weeks after we get back from Chicago.”

“Is Ned walking you down the aisle?” Emily asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. “No, Jake Holden is. We made an agreement last fall. He said that when this war was over, Jason was going to come home and we were going to get married. And I told him that if that happened, he’d give me away.”

“He’s the guy who’s always at Kelly’s, isn’t he?” Johnny asked. “The old guy, who’s always telling you to call him Jake.”

“That’s him. He’s a sweet guy and I think he’s really looking forward to this.”

“I think the whole thing is so romantic,” Chloe sighed dreamily.

“You think the Wizard of Oz is romantic,” Johnny grumbled. Chloe glared at him and whacked him in the shoulder again. “Ow, damn you woman!”

Jason shook his head. “You’re never gonna learn. If you’re going to insult them, you don’t do it to their faces.”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “Oh, is that right, Jason Morgan? And what do you say behind my back, huh?”

“Nothing,” Jason said quickly.

“Right.” She smirked. “That’s okay. Just think about the horror stories we girls share behind your back.”

Jason frowned. “What horror stories?”

“Oh…nothing at all,” Elizabeth said sweetly. She twirled the slim gold ring she wore on her ring finger. “Life with you is just peachy, darling.”

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously but she just continued to smile until she couldn’t resist it and started to laugh.

— October 24, 1944 — 

Jake held out his arm. “You ready for this Bethie?”

Elizabeth smiled and slid her arm into his. “I’ve been ready my whole life…Jake.”

Jake grinned. “That’s my girl.”

+4

— February 20, 1945 —

Elizabeth was shuffling through a stack of papers and some letters when Jason woke that morning. She always arrived before he woke and didn’t leave until after he went to sleep. He wondered how much sleep she was getting, but he was so grateful for her presence he didn’t think of it much.

“Morning,” she chirped. She smiled brightly at him. “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine,” Jason answered. He shifted and sat up. “What’re all those?”

“Mail,” Elizabeth replied. “Courtney Quartermaine, the girl I left in charge of Kelly’s, she sent me some invoices, order forms and things. There’s a letter from Caroline, too. You’ve got some mail, too. A letter from Sonny and one from Johnny.” She handed him the letters and started to open her letter from Caroline. “I think I’ll work on the diner stuff while you’re in the therapy room.”

“I have to do that again today?” he asked, irritated.

She laughed. “You have to do it every day. You want to walk right?” She started to skim Caroline’s letter. “Oh my God!” she squealed.

“What?” he asked.

“Ned asked Caroline to marry him!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “This is so exciting, she wants me to be the maid of honor!”

“How long have they been together?” Jason asked, eying his false fiancée.

“Oh, god, since Ned returned from Harvard Business School,” Elizabeth replied. “About four years now. Caroline just adores him.” She sighed and set the letter aside. “It must be so exciting for her to be getting married.”

He frowned. “Do you want to get married?”

She glanced up at him, her heart skipping a beat at the question. She laughed, thinking herself silly. “I guess, some day. Mr. Holden is always telling me that I should already be married. He married his wife when they were barely eighteen. I keep telling him I’m only nineteen, that’s there’s time but he just won’t listen.” She laughed. “He made me promise that he can walk me down the aisle.” Elizabeth shrugged. “But, sure I guess I do want to get married. What about you?”

“I guess. I mean, my dad left my mom when I was only three,” Jason told her. “But I don’t think all marriages are like that. Your Mr. Holden and his wife seemed to get along pretty well.”

“Oh, they were so sweet. The used to come in for coffee every Sunday after church,” Elizabeth told him. “He worshipped her. Some men come in and complain about their wives. Not Mr. Holden. It was always about how beautiful his Sadie was and how kind and compassionate and how much he missed her. He couldn’t say enough wonderful things about her.”

“It does sound worth it. I mean, if you marry the right person for the right reasons,” Jason replied.

“Well, I’m not getting married unless I’m in love,” Elizabeth told him. “My parents got married because they were from the right families and were the right age and everything was right…I don’t want that for me. I want my husband to love me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Jason said. “I think everyone wants that. You shouldn’t have to settle for less.”

“Exactly,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “You get it–my grandmother never did. She kept trying to get me to get engaged to one of the Quartermaine kids, like AJ. But then he went and eloped with Courtney. The family never got over that–she’s just a waitress after all. It’s not like she owns the place.”

“Some people are just snobs,” Jason replied. “Port Charles is really old-fashioned that way, isn’t it?”

“What? Because we have snobs and people marry because of the right families? I don’t think that’ll ever go out of fashion,” Elizabeth replied. “Don’t get me wrong, my grandmother was a wonderful person and I adored her. But she always equated money and success with happiness and I just don’t map my life out like that.”

“So you’d be happy with a garage mechanic from Wilmington?” Jason asked, his tone half-serious, half-teasing.

She studied him for a moment before answering. “I think I’d be very happy with a garage mechanic from Wilmington,” Elizabeth replied softly and completely serious.

They stared at each other until Dr. Hardy entered. “Good morning, kids,” he greeted cheerfully. “Time for therapy.”

Jason grimaced. “Can’t I skip a day?”

Dr. Hardy laughed. “No. But the quicker you get through this, the quicker you and your fiancée can walk down the aisle.”

Elizabeth flushed, as she had every time someone had referred to their upcoming wedding or their engagement. It was almost ridiculous, but she was really getting attached to this idea. Seeing Jason, getting to know him more…

“Well, then I guess I’d get started,” Jason replied. Elizabeth stood and retrieved the wheelchair from the corner of the room. They’d fallen into a routine the last three days. She’d help him into a wheelchair, wheel him to the therapy room with Dr. Hardy at their side and then she’d retreat to the small courtyard where she’d work on diner business, write letters or read a book. Jason would meet her there and they’d eat lunch before he returned for another round of therapy.

After therapy was done for the day, they’d go back to his room where she’d give him the dinner she’d brought from town. The breakfast here was okay, but they’d quickly learned that the military hospital food was worse than normal hospital food. Elizabeth had found a diner across the street from the boarding house and had taken to getting lunch and dinner there.

After dinner, they’d play cards or she’d write a letter for him since he was left-handed and had trouble writing with his burned hand. Once he’d fallen asleep, she’d leave and return early in the morning.

She was attached to this routine and it made her feel good to be doing something for him. They were both alone in the world and she liked being around him. She liked it a lot.

“I’ll see you for lunch,” Elizabeth told Jason when they reached the room. “Have fun.”

He grimaced. “Yeah. Right.”

She laughed and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be in the courtyard.”

Jason stared after her as she walked away and Dr. Hardy smiled. “That’s a sweet girl you got yourself there, Private Morgan.”

“Yeah, she is, isn’t she?” Jason replied. He frowned. “I don’t see a lot of the other wives and girlfriends around here.”

Dr. Hardy shrugged and wheeled him inside the room. “Well, a lot of the soldiers are from all over the country and their wives can’t afford to come to LA and stay for a long time. And for some, it depresses them. Your Ms. Webber is a refreshing rarity around here. Don’t let that one go.”

“I won’t.”

— Courtyard —

Elizabeth set aside her invoices and started going through the stack of bills Courtney had forwarded.

“You know, you don’t realize how tall you are until you don’t stand up for a while.”

At the sound of Jason’s voice, Elizabeth glanced up and squealed. “Oh my god, you’re walking!”

He nodded and lowered himself onto the bench next to the table. “Short distances. With a cane.”

“That’s incredible!” She stood and switched sides, sitting next to him so she could hug him. “I am so excited. I can’t believe how much progress you’ve made!”

“Yeah, Dr. Hardy was surprised, too,” Jason replied. “I want to thank you…for staying these last few days. It’s really…it’s really helped.”

She smiled. “It’s no big deal. I wanted to stay.” She bit her lip and looked away.

“But I’m getting better now. I’ll probably be out of here in a few weeks,” Jason told her.

Elizabeth stared at him. “You want me to leave?” she asked, hurt. She looked down at the wooden table, blinking at the stinging tears. She’d been so stupid. Allowed herself to get attached to her role as the doting fiancée. Now she’d have to back to serving coffee to happy couples and being by herself.

“It’s not that,” Jason told her. “I just don’t want you putting your life on hold for me.”

“I don’t feel like that’s what I’ve been doing,” she said softly. “I…” Elizabeth trailed off and looked away. “Never mind. I’ll just…I’ll say goodbye to Dr. Hardy on my way to get my bag from your room.”

“Elizabeth, wait,” Jason said, grasping her elbow before should could stand. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“Then why did you even bring it up?” she asked.

“Because I don’t’ want you to stay out of obligation, either.” He met her eyes. “I haven’t really had anyone in my life, not like this. It was me and my mother until she moved to Florida. Sonny, Johnny, Zander…they’re friends but now that I’m out the war, I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again.”

“Jason…”

“I know it’s stupid, but since you’ve been here and everyone thinks we’re engaged, I…guess…I let myself want it to be true. I like the idea of spending all this time with someone, with you.”

“I feel the same way,” Elizabeth replied. “And it’s not stupid. I mean…we’re pretending to be engaged. It’s natural to get attached to the idea.”

“It’s not the idea I’m getting attached to,” Jason told her.

She looked away and flushed. “We…we should eat before you have to back.”

“Dr. Hardy’s springing me this weekend, just for a few hours,” he reported. Elizabeth refused to meet his eyes as she unpacked the picnic hamper and placed a paper plate in front of him and pulled out some sandwiches.

“That’s good.”

“There’s a movie house in town.”

“I noticed. I pass it on my way here,” Elizabeth replied.

“Do you want to see a movie?” Jason asked.

She frowned. “Are you…are you asking me out on a date?” she asked incredulously.

“Well, it’s not a date exactly,” Jason replied. “We are already engaged, after all.”

She sighed. “That’s true.” She studied him. “What’s going on here?”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked, as she unwrapped a sandwich to put on his plate.

“We barely know each other,” Elizabeth protested.

He frowned. “How can you say that? We’ve been writing each other since August. We’ve spent every waking moment of the last four days together.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I care about you. And I think…there’s something between us.”

She hesitated. “So…what’s playing?”

0

~ February 16, 1945 ~

Elizabeth bit her lip and checked her appearance one more time in her compact mirror before entering the military hospital. Her hair was neatly curled, her makeup applied correctly, not to overdone, not too light. Her white blouse was pressed, her navy blue skirt was smooth, not a wrinkle in sight. Her hose had no runs in them, her shoes weren’t scuffed.

All in all, Elizabeth looked prim and proper.

She approached the desk where an intimidating soldier was seated. “Excuse me?”

He glanced up, raked his eyes over her figure before reaching her eyes. “Yes?”

“I’m here to see Jason Morgan,” she said softly.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he replied. “Only family.”

But he has no family, Elizabeth wanted to say. Instead she found herself telling him something completely different.

“I am family,” she said. “Fiancée.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He shoved a book at her. “You need to sign in, ma’am and I’ll have someone show you to Private Morgan.”

“How is he?” Elizabeth asked, almost fearfully.

The soldier frowned. “Weren’t you informed of his condition?”

“Of course,” Elizabeth fumbled. “But I was just making sure it hasn’t changed.”

“He’s still in stable condition, Ms…” he trailed off and looked down to where she’d signed the book. “Ms. Webber. He’s still drifting in and out consciousness. The infection had us worried, but he seems to be pulling out of it now.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I’d like to see him now.”

—-

She sat next to his bed in the tiny room and set her purse aside. He was lying completely still on the bed, his face pale. His left arm and leg were bandaged heavily.

She found herself running her fingers through his dirty blonde hair. She was suddenly glad she’d given into Mr. Holden’s demand that she come and see him. No one deserved to be in a place like this alone.

She glanced around the room, taking note of the barren appearance. The only indication that someone was here other than the occupied bed was a closet slightly opened. She saw a shirt hanging out of it and assumed that Jason’s belongings had been sent there.

A sound from the bed drew her attention and she turned back to him. His eyes were slightly open, his face twisted in some pain.

“Jason!” She leaned forward and took one of his hands in hers. “Are you okay?”

“Elizabeth?” he murmured. His eyes opened a little more fully. “Is that really you?”

“Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked softly.

He shifted a little and looked around. “Where am I?”

“A hospital in Los Angeles,” Elizabeth told him. “You were injured and sent here.” She bit her lip. “Would you like me to get a doctor?”

“No. I’m…I’m okay.” He shifted again. “How badly am I hurt?”

“I don’t know. Your friend Zander Smith wrote me and told me only what had happened.” She tightened her hands around his. “I was so worried about you.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” he told her.

“I’m going to get a doctor,” Elizabeth said. “Just be safe. I’ll be right back.”

—-

She spied a doctor just down the hall. “Excuse me?” she called. He turned and smiled at her.

“Well, hello,” he said. His eyes crinkled when he smiled–he looked only a few years younger than Mr. Holden and Elizabeth found herself homesick for her substitute grandfather right now. “You’re a new face.”

Elizabeth smiled. “I’m here visiting Private Jason Morgan. He’s awake…but I can’t tell how much pain he’s in…” She looked back at the doorway to his room. “I don’t really know anything about his condition.”

“Well, I can help with you that. I’m Dr. Hardy,” he said, extending his hand. “Dr. Steve Hardy. And you are?”

“Elizabeth Webber,” Elizabeth answered, shaking his hand. “Dr. Hardy, about Jason…”

“I’ll come to see him now if it’ll settle your mind, miss,” Dr. Hardy replied. “Are you his wife?”

“No, no,” Elizabeth said quickly. “His fiancée,” she finished, lamely. She must remember to talk to Jason about this. “Is he going to be okay…I mean…” She bit her lip. “Dr. Hardy, can I be honest with you?”

“Sure thing, Miss Webber,” Dr. Hardy replied. He clasped his hands together and studied her.

Feeling uncomfortable with his scrutiny, she cleared her throat and looked away. She needed to find out exactly how bad Jason was and needed to come up with a way to get this doctor to tell her without giving herself away. She couldn’t leave Jason alone here. Not now.

“See, Jason and I…we got engaged right before he left,” Elizabeth began. “A-and no one else knew except the people we chose to tell. His friend, Private Zander Smith was the one who wrote me actually. But he didn’t tell me anything.”

“Of course,” Dr. Hardy nodded. “Well, actually, Private Morgan doesn’t know anything about his condition either. From what I understand he’s been in and out of consciousness since his injury.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Dr. Hardy, he was injured well over a month ago! Is he that ill?”

“No, no,” Dr. Hardy assured her quickly. “But his injuries have left with him with quiet a bit of pain and we’ve been careful to keep him sedated.”

“What are his injuries?” Elizabeth asked, impatiently. “Is he going to be okay?”

“Come with me, my dear and we’ll all talk together. I’m sure Private Morgan will want to see your face at a time like this.”

Jason was still awake when they entered and Elizabeth took that as a good sign. She moved to his side immediately and took a seat. “Jason, this is Dr. Hardy.”

“Hello,” Jason said warily. He’d was as awake as he’d been since the morning of the injury and was a little upset to find out it was February and most of his left side bandaged.

“Good afternoon, Private Morgan,” Dr. Hardy greeted affably. “Good to see you up and alert. I think it’d be a good time to talk about your condition.”

“I think so,” Jason agreed. He shot a look at Elizabeth, wondering how she’d managed to get in here with the family only rules firmly into place. Or how she’d found out in the first place.

“Your fiancée was worried that you being in and out so often wasn’t good, but I explained that you’d been in a lot of pain and we kept you sedated.”

“My fiancée?” Jason questioned. He eyed Elizabeth, who flushed a little.

“Yes,” Elizabeth told him, her eyes pleading with him to play along. “And it’s good thing you did propose the night before you left or they never would have let me in.”

Suddenly grateful for her, he grasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Best decision I ever made,” he told her softly.

Her cheeks flushed even more and she looked away quickly. He let their hands fall, but was careful to keep her hand in his. “So, doctor…” Jason prompted.

“Well, Private Morgan, the debris and such badly burned your left arm and leg,” Dr. Hardy began. “There will be some scarring and you’ll probably walk with a limp once you regain the use of your leg.”

Jason’s body tensed. “Regain the use?” he repeated.

“Yes, well, the burns damaged some nerves,” Dr. Hardy continued. “You’ll need extensive therapy, but there’s every chance that you will recover, I assure you.”

“This therapy,” Elizabeth said softly, seeing that Jason was stunned. “Will it be available here? I mean, will he have to stay here?”

“Yes, he will,” Dr. Hardy told her. “It might take a month or two, perhaps more. But as long as he works hard, he should be just fine.”

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “See, Jason? You’re going to be fine.”

“I heard him,” Jason snapped. He saw the stung look on her face and instantly regretted his sharp tone. “I’m sorry. I–”

“It’s fine,” Elizabeth said briskly. She looked back to the doctor. “Do you know of any hotels or boarding houses that I would be able to get a room in?”

Jason gaped at her, surprised she’d stay with him anyway. “Elizabeth, what about the diner?” he asked.

“Hush, the diner can take care of itself,” Elizabeth replied. “You need me more.”

Jason would have replied that he didn’t, but he didn’t really want her to leave either. “All right then. If you insist.”

“I do,” Elizabeth said firmly. She looked at the doctor. “Well?”

“There is a boarding house a few blocks away,” Dr. Hardy told her. “If you want, I’ll give my niece a call. She runs it. I’ll tell her to expect you.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, gratefully. She waited as the doctor jotted down the address and handed it to her. “I appreciate it.”

The doctor left and Elizabeth bit her lip. “I’m sorry about the whole fiancée thing…but it was the only thing I could come up with on the spot. I came all this way and I didn’t want to be turned down.” She frowned. “Although I suppose I could have told them I was your sister, but–”

“Elizabeth,” Jason cut her off. She stopped and looked at him. “It’s fine,” he assured her. “I…it means a lot to me that you came and that you want to stay, but you don’t have to.”

“I am not leaving you all along here,” Elizabeth told him. “So get used to that.”

“Okay,” Jason replied, glad he didn’t have to talk her out of it. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry I was so short with you earlier. I just…”

“Jason, you got just a piece of bad news,” Elizabeth replied softly. “It’s fine.”

“I just…you came all this way…” Jason trailed off and eyed her. “Why did you?”

Elizabeth shrugged and looked away. “After I got Zander’s letter, I was so worried about you. He didn’t really have anything to tell me except that you’d been sent here and you were injured. Mr. Holden practically ordered me to come and see you.” She brushed a piece of hair off his forehead. “I’m glad he did.”

“So am I,” Jason replied quietly. “I’m really glad.”

0

~ December 4, 1944 ~

Elizabeth giggled and rolled her eyes. “Mr. Holden, you’re being ridiculous as usual.”

Jake Holden waggled his finger at his waitress and favorite person. “Mark my words, Bethie. When this war is over, you’re going marry that boy.”

“I’ve known that boy for all of five months. Three letters and a postcard,” Elizabeth said, her eyes sparkling, “do not mean anything.”

“Uh huh,” Mr. Holden murmured. “And how many have you written him?”

Elizabeth didn’t even blink. “Three a week,” she said, matter-of-factly. “But only because I don’t know if any actually reach him. I figure the more I write, the more likely a letter will get to him.”

“Just don’t forget your promise, Bethie,” Mr. Holden reminded her.

“And which promise would that be, Mr. Holden?” Elizabeth drawled, flipping through the stack of mail that the postman had left on the counter.

“First of all, girly, it’s Jake and secondly, that when you marry that boy, I give you away.”

“All right, Jake,” Elizabeth laughed. “I promise you that I will let you give me away if I ever marry Jason.” She pulled a letter from the stack and her eyes lit up. “Speaking of Jason…”

“I suppose that’s four letters and a postcard, eh, Bethie?”

Elizabeth ignored him and ripped the letter open, turning away from the rest of the diner to read it.

November 15, 1944

Yours,
Jason

Elizabeth looked up from the letter and smiled to herself. She turned to serve Mr. Holden, who grinned at seeing the sparkle in her eyes.

“Good news, Bethie?”

“Good news,” Elizabeth confirmed. She smiled. “He wants me to send him a picture.”

“Now, I told you, Bethie, that he was a good man, didn’t I?”

“Mr. Holden–”

“Now, don’t make me tell you again,” Mr. Holden threatened.

Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. “I’m sorry. Jake. You didn’t even speak with Jason. How would you know if he were a good man or not?”

“He took a liking to you, didn’t he?” Mr. Holden declared. “Smart man.”

“Okay. Well, I’d better go see to my customers.”

~ December 25, 1944 ~

“Mail call!” Johnny called out. He grinned. “I’ve got ten for Sonny,” he said, tossing the pack to the dark-haired man. “Eight for Zander. Seven for me.” Johnny paused and raised his eyebrows. “And gentlemen, we now have a new record for most letters received at a given time.”

Sonny glared at him. “What? Somebody broke my record?”

“Yup,” Johnny proclaimed. “I’ve fourteen for Jason.” He tossed the thick packet to the blonde across the room. “Looks the waitress had some time on her hands in the last six weeks.”

Jason scowled and decided to ignore Johnny for the rest of the day. He slit open the earliest dated later from late in October. It seemed that her letters were dated pretty close together, but came at different times. He’d gotten one from early in November the previous week.

Her letters were always full of news from the small town. She chatted about people he’d never met before like Courtney Quartermaine whose husband was in Europe or Ned Ashton who was dating her friend Caroline. She made sure to include some of Jake Holden’s stories about his late wife, Sadie and always ended the letters the same way, Love, Elizabeth.

She mentioned in one of the letters that she was writing three times a week simply because she wanted to ensure her letters would arrive to him. She worried about them getting lost sometimes.

She always made sure to tell him to be careful, reminding him the free meal she’d promised him once he returned. He had to smile when he’d read that. Like she already knew that Jason planned on returning to Port Charles rather than his hometown of Wilmington.

He opened her last letter and smiled when he took out a picture. She and two of her friends were sitting at a table outside of the diner. She was sitting in the middle, a broad smile on her face, her eyes sparkling. On either side sat a blonde, one with long hair and an apron. He assumed this was Courtney, the waitress she spoke of. The second blonde had shorter hair and dressed a little less casually. He assumed it was Caroline. He turned the picture over. Caroline, Elizabeth and Courtney. August 1944.

“You got a picture?” Zander asked, leaning over the top of the bunk. Jason sighed and passed it to him. “Cool, which one is she?”

“The brunette in the middle,” Jason replied.

“She’s pretty. Hey, this one looks like Emily’s cousin’s girlfriend,” Zander said.

“Caroline?” Jason asked.

“Yep. You ever met her?” Zander asked.

“Nope, but Elizabeth talks about her a lot,” Jason answered. “Can I have it back now?”

“What? Oh, yeah, sure.” Zander passed it back. “Hey, you ever ask her if she knows Emily?”

“Nah. Never got around to it. I’ll have to do it in the next letter,” Jason replied.

Zander was about to reply when the door to the large room was shoved open and a lieutenant appeared. “Men, let’s go! Some Jap planes have been sighted in the distance!”

Jason jumped to his feet, the picture of Elizabeth sliding to the ground along with some of her letters.

~ February 13, 1944 ~

Elizabeth stared at the pile of mail, not making a move towards it. Mr. Holden eyed her warily. “Bethie, the letters ain’t gonna bite.”

“If I don’t go through them, I don’t have to realize that there’s no letter from Jason. And if I don’t know there’s no letter from Jason, I don’t have to continue to be worried sick.” Elizabeth chewed her lip.

Mr. Holden reached for the stack and started to go through them. “Bethie, sometimes you just over dramatize things.” He frowned. “Well, this here is a personal letter for ya, but it ain’t from your soldier.”

“Who’s it from?” Elizabeth asked.

“A Private Zander Smith–”

Elizabeth snatched the letter from his hands and ripped it open; feeling dreadful and hoping like hell this letter wasn’t going to end badly.

January 1, 1945

P.S. Do you know an Emily Quartermaine? She’s my girl and I was just wondering seeing as how you knew Ned. Tell her that I love her and I can’t wait to come home to her.

Elizabeth lowered the letter and bit her lip, closing her eyes.

“Bethie?” Mr. Holden asked, concerned. “Is everything all right?”

“He’s alive,” Elizabeth said, shakily. She took a deep shuddering breath. “This is from one of his friends. There…there was a battle or something and Jason was injured. He was sent to a hospital in Los Angeles.”

“Well, he’s going to be okay, right?” Mr. Holden demanded. “You still owe me that promise.”

She managed a small smile. “I know, Mr. Holden. I think he’s going to be okay, but wouldn’t he have written by now?”

“It’s Jake and there must be a good reason for that,” Mr. Holden decided. “You’ve got only one course of action, Bethie.”

“I’m going to write him now,” Elizabeth promised.

“Uh uh, that’s not good enough,” Mr. Holden told her. “You need to go to the hospital.”

“Go to the hospital?” Elizabeth repeated. “But it’s in California!”

“What’s your point?” Mr. Holden asked.

“It’s three thousand miles away!” she sputtered. “And I can’t leave Kelly’s!”

“Pshaw,” Mr. Holden told her. “That Quartermaine girl can take care of it for a little while. And I bet that soldier of yours would love to see a familiar face.” He grinned. “Seeing as how he ain’t got no other family.”

She glared at him. “You’re doing a guilt trip on me, aren’t you, Mr. Holden?”

“Damn straight. Has it worked yet?”

She turned around and headed for the phone. “I’ll call Courtney,” she grumbled.

0

August 3, 1944 

Jason glanced over to see his best friend scribbling away on a pad of paper. He shifted and looked out the window of the train taking he and his fellow soldiers across the country.

They’d left Port Charles earlier that morning for the three day trip to California where they’d get on the aircraft carrier they’d be serving on for the time being. He’d spent far too much time at Kelly’s the night before and as a result was in no mood for a long train ride.

He let himself reflect on the intriguing young woman he’d met the night before. Elizabeth Webber was unlike anyone other girl he’d ever met. Vivacious, independent, and pretty. They’d talked over coffee until the early hours of the morning. He’d learned all about her grandmother who’d run the diner before her and he’d told her more about growing up in Wilmington, Delaware.

When they’d noticed the sun coming up, he’d had to hightail it back to the base, but they’d exchanged addresses and he’d kissed her on the cheek. For the first time since his enlistment, Jason had an urge to actually worry about coming home from the war.

“You look like you’re thinking about somethin’ important,” Michael “Sonny” Corinthos said finally. “You ain’t said word one since we got on board.”

Jason frowned. “Just thinkin’.” He glanced back over to the other man. “You writin’ to Brenda again?”

Sonny grinned. “She gets worried if I don’t write daily.”

Jason snorted. “She’s gonna have some problems when we get to the Pacific.”

“Nah. Not if I write a letter daily and date them accordingly,” Sonny replied.

Jason shrugged. “Whatever works for you.” He twisted in his seat. “You got some paper and a pencil I could borrow?”

“Sure,” Sonny replied, ripping off a sheet and fishing in his pockets for an extra pencil. “Who you writin’ to?”

Jason pulled a travel book about Hawaii about of his bag to lean on. “A girl I met back in Port Charles,” he reported, dating the letter. “I met her the last night I was there.”

“You met someone?” Sonny asked, skeptically. “For real?”

“Yes,” Jason said, crossly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’. You just kept to yourself the entire time we was in Port Charles. Kind of weird you met someone your last night. What’s she like?”

“She’s nice,” Jason replied.

“Nice. You wanna give some details?” Sonny pressed.

“She kind of owns Kelly’s, that diner on the docks,” Jason finally told him. “Her grandmother left it to her. She’s really great. Good listener, fun to talk to–”

“What’s she look like?” Sonny cut in.

“She’s pretty,” Jason admitted. “Curly brown hair. Blue eyes. She’s kind of short, though. Only comes about to my shoulders.”

“Ah, a petite girl. She kind of sounds like Brenda without the blue eyes.” Sonny nodded. “So you like her?”

“Yeah, I’m writin’ to her, ain’t I?”

“Jeez, you ain’t got to get so testy,” Sonny replied. “Look, I’ll write my letter, you write yours, okay?”

“Okay,” Jason agreed.

— August 10, 1944 —

Elizabeth strode into Kelly’s, clutching a stack of mail with one hand and the other perusing a newspaper. She set it all down on the counter, shouted a hello to Lou and started the coffee.

“Bill, bill, junk,” Elizabeth murmured flipping through the stack of mail. Her eyes lit up when she saw a personal letter postmarked from Iowa and the return address was Sgt. Jason Morgan.

“You look mighty happy there, Bethie,” Jake Holden remarked, sliding onto a stool.

“I am thrilled,” Elizabeth said happily. “Coffee’s not ready, though, Mr. Holden.”

“Now, Bethie, we done had this discussion about a hundred times,” Mr. Holden began.

Elizabeth slit the envelope open, ignoring her elderly customer and pulled the letter out.

August 3, 1944 

Sincerely,
Jason 

“Who wrote ya?” Mr. Holden asked, leaning forward.

Elizabeth sighed and set the letter back down on the counter. “You remember the soldier that was in about a week ago?” she asked. “When we talked about Sadie and Vista Point?”

“The night before they got shipped out?” Mr. Holden asked. “Yep. What, did the two of you hit it off or somethin’?”

“This is a letter from him,” Elizabeth confirmed. “He didn’t have any family or a girl to write to, so I suggested we write to each other.”

“That’s mighty fine of you to do,” Mr. Holden declared. “He seemed like an upstanding young man. If you had any common sense, Bethie, you’d have gotten a ring on your finger before he left town.”

Elizabeth smirked. “I knew Jason for twelve hours before he left town. That’s barely enough time to exchange vitals much less get engaged.”

“Nonsense,” Mr. Holden waved off. “I knew my Sadie for twenty minutes before I decided she was the woman for me. Sometimes you just know.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Sometime you do,” she agreed. “But sometimes, it needs to develop on its own. Jason seemed like a great guy. I’m sure he’ll make a woman very happy one day.”

“Comes to mind that you’re the one he’s writin’ to, Bethie. See, I knew Sadie was the one…but well, she took some convincing.”

“Mr. Holden–”

“Girl, I ain’t gonna tell you again!” Mr. Holden remarked. “It’s Jake or nothin’.”

“Jake,” Elizabeth grinned and shook her head. “Jason didn’t have anyone else to write to.”

“But he’s writin’ to ya now.”

“Because I suggested it,” Elizabeth reminded him.

“A man don’t have to listen to anything he don’t wanna do,” Mr. Holden said firmly. “That’s the problem with young girls today. You don’t put any faith in the men in your life. Always looking for an excuse or an explanation. Sometimes things just are the way they are.”

“All right, Mr. Holden. Tell you what, if I ever marry Jason, I want you to give me away,” Elizabeth told him.

“You start callin’ me Jake and we got a deal,” Mr. Holden responded.

— September 10, 1944 —

“Mail call!”

Jason looked up from his bunk at the sound of Sonny’s voice. They were currently en route to the Phillippines on an aircraft carrier and this was the first time there’d been any mail.

“You get a letter from Brenda?” Jason asked, sitting up.

“Yep. I got five of them,” Sonny said proudly. He set his aside. “Zander’s got three from Emily,” he paused to toss them to their dark-haired friend. “Johnny’s got two from Chloe.” He handed it to Johnny O’Brien who wandered away to his own bunk to read them. “Hey, you got one.”

“I did?” Jason asked, surprised.

“Yep. Postmark Port Charles, New York. August 11, 1944,” Sonny reported. “From your waitress friend.”

“I didn’t know you had a girl in Port Charles,” Zander Smith said from his position on the top bunk across from Jason and Sonny. “I bet Emily knows her.”

“Probably does,” Sonny replied. “Everyone knows everyone in that town. Now Chicago–”

“Sonny, give me the letter,” Jason interrupted impatiently. Sonny grinned and handed it to him. Jason wasted no time ripping it open and unfolding the letter.

August 10, 1944 

Love,
Elizabeth 

“Can I read?”

Jason looked up from the letter and glared at Johnny. “No.”

“Aww, I let you read the ones from Chloe,” Johnny whined.

“You read yours out loud,” Jason replied, almost disgusted. “No one wants to hear that stuff.”

Johnny shrugged. “So, can I read it?”

Jason rolled his eyes and handed the letter over to him. Johnny scanned it. “She sounds nice. She begged you to write her?”

“Nah. I ate at the diner she owns the night before she got on the train,” Jason replied, hopping down from his bunk and fishing through Sonny’s bunk for some paper and a pencil. “Told her I didn’t have anyone to write to back home and she told me to write to her.”

“She owns a diner?” Johnny asked. He whistled. “You got yourself a sugar mama, Morgan.”

Jason scowled. “She inherited it when her grandmother died and it’s not like that. She’s just a friend.”

“You got a picture?” Zander asked, eagerly.

Johnny glared at him. “How long you been listenin’?” he demanded.

“No, I don’t got a picture,” Jason replied. “We only knew each other a few hours.”

“You should get a picture,” Zander said, knowingly. “Somethin’ to keep you warm when you’re bein’ shot at.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Ever the fucking optimistic, huh Smith?”

0

Elizabeth Webber glanced up in irritation as the bell over the door jingled, indicating another customer. She gritted her teeth and ran a hand through her messy brown curly hair. The last she wanted was another person in this diner tonight. They were about to close down the kitchen for the night and once Elizabeth managed to convince Mr. Holden to go home for the night, she could go home herself.

Elizabeth looked up and instantly her irritation and frustration faded away. A young man took a seat at the counter, a few seats down from Mr. Holden. He was good-looking with short dark blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and angular features.

But what caught her attention was the uniform. He was in the military and more than likely shipping off to Europe or the Pacific within a few days. Everyone knew that the base near her hometown in Port Charles, New York was being emptied out. The soldiers were either being shipped overseas to the war or transferred to other bases. The least Elizabeth could do was serve him with a smile.

“Can I get you something to drink while you’re deciding?” she asked. He glanced up from the menu and met her eyes. She felt a little jolt–she’d never seen eyes that blue an clear.

The young man cleared his throat. “Uh. Yeah. Coffee. Black.”

Elizabeth nodded and moved down the counter to pour it. As she was pouring the dark liquid into one of the porcelain mugs, Mr. Holden reached out and touched her arm. “Did I ever tell you about the time Sadie and me went riding out by Vista Point?”

Elizabeth smiled. “No, Mr. Holden. You didn’t. Let me take care of this customer and we can talk all about it.” She set the cup in front of the soldier. “I’ll give you another few minutes–”

“No. I…just a cheeseburger and fries,” the young man told her.

“Sure,” Elizabeth replied, writing the order down. She gave it to Lou the cook and returned her attention to Mr. Holden. His wife, Sadie, had died six months ago and he came in like clockwork every night for dinner. The elderly man had been married to his wife for over fifty years and seemed a little lost without her.

“So, you and Sadie went to Vista Point?” Elizabeth prompted her other customer.

“Yep. On our first date,” the man declared proudly. “‘Course, when I say we went riding, I mean we had a horse. Girl loved to ride. Said she loved the speed and the wind around her.”

“It does sound wonderful,” Elizabeth agreed.

“My Sadie was a gorgeous woman,” Mr. Holden remarked wistfully. “She liked you, you know. Always said you were a good girl, destined for better things than Port Charles, New York.”

“Well, that was very kind of her,” Elizabeth replied. “But I think I’m going to be here a while.”

“Order’s up, Bethie!” Lou called.

“Excuse me,” Elizabeth replied. She turned to grab the soldier’s order and set it in front of him. “Can I get you anything else?”

He shook his head. “No. Thanks.”

“I thought you were supposed to go the fancy schmancy art school,” Mr. Holden called, catching Elizabeth’s attention. She turned away from the handsome soldier again.

“I was,” Elizabeth admitted. “But when my grandmother died, someone had to run Kelly’s. A Webber has run this place since my great-grandfather opened it and I aim to see it stay that way. ‘Sides, I like Port Charles. It’s not that bad.”

“Girl like you deserves a fine house with a good husband taking care of her,” Mr. Holden said firmly. “Why, my Sadie never worked a day in her life. Spent all her time taking care of our house and kids. That’s the way it should be. Men should take care of women.”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Mr. Holden–”

“Uh uh,” Mr. Holden said, wagging his finger. “I’ve told a thousand times, Bethie. Jake. I call you Bethie, you call me Jake.”

“Jake,” Elizabeth began again, not able to fight a smile. “I like being independent. I like taking care of myself. Do I want to get married some day? Sure. Why not? But I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

“That’s what wrong with young women today. See, when I was young, we married our girls young. Didn’t let them get to twenty before we snagged them,” Mr. Holden replied.

“Well, Jake, things are different now. Why, I wouldn’t have to get married if I didn’t want to.”

Mr. Holden frowned. “Now, that’s just crazy talk.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll be here serving until I’m old and gray.”

“Well, I suppose I best be going home,” he said reluctantly. He reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

Elizabeth waved him away. “Your money is no good here.”

Mr. Holden opened his mouth to argue, but seeing the set of Elizabeth’s shoulders and the determined look in her eye, he sighed. “All right, Bethie. See ya tomorrow.” He stood and shuffled towards the door. Elizabeth smiled and reached for his dishes.

“Bethie, I’m headed out for the night!” Lou called. “Kitchen’s all cleaned up.”

“Thanks, Lou. See ya tomorrow!” Elizabeth called back. She put Mr. Holden’s dishes in the tub and reached for the rag.

The soldier frowned. “Oh. I didn’t…I didn’t realize it was that late.”

“It’s fine,” Elizabeth said. “Take your time.” She moved around the counter and started wiping down the tables. “So, are you being shipped overseas?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “I’m going to the Pacific.”

She set a chair on top of the table and moved to another table. “I can’t believe they’re shutting the base down,” she murmured. “It’s been open for so many years. I’m never gonna get used to not seeing men in uniform around.” She headed back towards the counter. “Are you from New York?”

The soldier shook his head. “Nope. I’m from Delaware.” He shifted. “You were nice to that guy.”

“Who? Mr. Holden?” Elizabeth asked. She shrugged. “He’s lonely since his wife died. Needs a little conversation every once in a while.” She eyed him for a second before smiling. “I’m Elizabeth. Elizabeth Webber. Most people call me Beth or Bethie. Kind of left over from childhood.”

“Private Jason Morgan,” the soldier said. “I can’t repeat some of the nicknames some of the guys got for me.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I’ll bet.” She shoved a curl behind her ear. “So, you got family back home?”

“Nope.” Jason sipped his coffee. “I lived with my mom until I was eighteen. I enlisted on my birthday. She got remarried and is living somewhere in Florida. We, uh, don’t keep in touch.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Elizabeth murmured. “My parents went to California after the stock market crash. They left me with my grandmother and…well, they never sent for me.”

“Sounds awfully unfair of them,” Jason replied.

Elizabeth shrugged. “Not a problem. I prefer New York anyway. I couldn’t live in a place that didn’t have seasons. I love sketching the trees in fall, the lake in winter–” she broke off, blushing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on like that.”

“No, that’s fine. So you’re an artist?”

“An artist implies I get paid for my work. I just sketch in between shifts,” Elizabeth replied. “What do you do? Are you going to be a career soldier?”

Jason shrugged. “Haven’t decided yet. I was gonna be a mechanic in Wilmington before the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. I couldn’t not enlist after that.”

“So, you’re twenty-one?” Elizabeth asked. “You look older.”

He grinned. “Working outside during the summer will do that to ya. How about you?”

“Me? I’m nineteen,” Elizabeth replied. “When are you getting shipped out?”

“Tomorrow,” Jason replied. “Tonight was my last free night before I was gonna go.”

“And you came to Kelly’s?” Elizabeth asked surprised.

He shrugged. “The rest of the guys are with their girls, y’know. I went a movie, came to get a burger. Seemed like a good way to spend the time.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “You scared about going to war?” she asked quietly.

“Not especially,” Jason replied. “Someone’s got go. I just…” He stopped and shook his head.

Elizabeth leaned forward. “What?”

“I kinda wish I did have someone back at home,” Jason admitted. “My best friend, Sonny? He’s got a fiancée in Chicago. Johnny and Zander are both dating local girls. Must be nice to have someone to write to, y’know? Someone who cares if you come home.”

Elizabeth rounded the counter and sat on the stool next to him. “Why don’t you write me?” she suggested.

“Really?” he asked, surprised.

Elizabeth nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll even write you back. And when you come home, you can have a burger on the house.”

He smiled at her then. “That’s nice of you to offer, Ms. Webber.”

“None of this Ms. Webber stuff,” Elizabeth insisted. “If we’re gonna be pen pals, you’ll have to call me Beth or Elizabeth.”

“Only if you’ll call me Jason,” he replied. He stuck his hand out and Elizabeth shook it.

“It’s a deal,” she replied, smiling brightly.

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