Category Archives: Flash Fiction

November 8, 2020

This entry is part 10 of 18 in the Flash Fiction: Shot in the Dark

Written in 30 minutes. Went a little over. No spell check.

Cassadine Island: Inlet

Elizabeth winced as Jason lifted her out of the dingy, but did her best to hide it. Everything was on fire, and she was pretty sure she was going to rip her stitches by the time this was done—

But she couldn’t risk Jake not going with Jason or Sonny, fighting them and drawing attention. She couldn’t take that chance—and from the grim expression on both their faces—she knew that they still agreed.

Even if Jason was probably itching to throw her back in the dingy and send her back to Laura, bobbing along on the small speedboat.

“We wait for Spinelli’s signal,” Jason reminded them both as he took out his phone, waiting for the text. “As soon as they’re in position—” He nodded as Spinelli’s message came in. “Okay, Patick and the others are going in.”

“We’re following you,” Sonny reminded him, before wrapping his hand around Elizabeth’s elbow, firmly. “Let’s go.”

Wordlessly, they set off on the short trek through the dense trees, Elizabeth trying desperately to hide how hard it was to breathe or keep moving. She stumbled over a weed, and Jason started to turn back.

“No, go—” Elizabeth sucked in a sharp, shallow breath. “I’m okay—”

“I got her, Jase. We’re halfway there,” Sonny murmured in her ear as Jason reluctantly moved forward, listening to the directions Spinelli was giving him in the ear piece. “We’re going to get to your boy, and then we’ll go home and laugh about this one day.”

She felt something warm against her skin, then the slow itch of something dribbling down her side. She pressed a hand to her wound, then looked at it—the red staining her fingertips.

Sonny hissed, lifted his head to call out to Jason who was pausing at a stream, getting some more information about where to cross.

“No. We’re not there yet,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. “Sonny—”

He grimaced as they caught up to Jason, but he said nothing. Jason turned to them and Elizabeth made sure she was slightly behind Sonny, where part of her body wouldn’t be visible to him.

“The cottage is two hundred feet away. Spinelli says it’s a straight shot. And the others are almost at the bunker with Robin.” Jason hesitated, met Elizabeth’s eyes. “We need to pick up the pace. We can’t let them off the island before us more than a few minutes—”

“Two hundred feet between me and my baby?” Elizabeth clenched her jaw. “I could run that if I had to.”

Jason nodded. “The stream isn’t deep here,” he told them, “not more than a foot. Let’s get moving.”

—

Nikolas checked his watch and looked over at his nephew, playing on the ground with a toy motorcycle. He checked out the window again, then wondered if maybe—

“Uncle Nikolas,” Jake said, pitching his voice low because Stavros was sleeping in the other room and no one interrupted Stavros’s naps. Not even small children who were being groomed to be the perfect Cassadine son. Nikolas gritted his teeth. It was the future Helena had wanted for Spencer once, but Stavros had taken a shining to Elizabeth’s brash, bold son with the big blue eyes and friendly smile.

He’d wanted him, he’d told his mother. Whatever Helena had wanted to for Jake, Stavros said he deserved a chance to raise a child. And why not Laura’s grandson?

Nikolas had been desperate to keep Jake’s paternity from them—his only value—the decent treatment was only because of the Spencer blood ties, but sometimes he saw his father looking at Jake strangely—

“Uncle Nikolas,” Jake repeated, drawing Nikolas’s attention. “We should wait in the garden,” he told him.

“I—”

Then Nikolas saw something out of the corner of his eye—a movement in the trees just beyond the house. He saw a trio coming out of the trees—Jason, Elizabeth, and Sonny. He was going to get out of here. He was going home to his son—

“Nikolas?”

He heard a voice from the back of the cottage. His father was awake. Damn it! He should have given him more—

Nikolas picked Jake up, motorcycle and all, and lunged towards the door. They had one chance to get this right, and he would be damned if Jake didn’t go home today—

“Uncle Nikolas—”

Nikolas burst out of the door and loped across the short field of grass between the cottage and trees.

“What the—” Jason began, confused, pushing Elizabeth behind him. She cried out and fell to the ground. Worried, he turned—

“Mommy? Daddy?” Jake said, brightening. He shoved himself away from Nikolas, almost hurtling to the ground and closing the gap. “Uncle Nik said you were coming!” He threw himself at his father as Jason, in shock, closed his arms around his son.

“Let’s go,” Sonny ordered, hauling Elizabeth to her feet. “Damn it—” he said at the same time Jason saw the bloodstain on her side. Elizabeth swayed.

“Mommy?” Jake whimpered. “Daddy, Mommy’s hurt—”

“Nikolas!” A roar sounded from the cottage, and Nikolas turned to see his father at the door. The fury on Stavros’s face—the other man went back into the cottage, and Nikolas grimaced.

“We have to go—” he began.

“We’ll never make it in time!” Elizabeth said at the same time. “Get Jake out of here!”

“Mommy—”

“I’ll slow him down,” Nikolas said, swallowing hard. His chance to get off the island was done now. He had to stop Stavros from coming back out—and it was him or Elizabeth.

There was no choice at all.

“Nikolas—”

Jason shoved Jake at Sonny, then lifted Elizabeth into his arms. “Stop him,” Jason ordered, and then they disappeared into the trees. Nikolas closed his eyes, thought of his son, then went back to the cottage.

Jake was safe. Wanting anything else had been selfish. He needed to stop his family once and for all.

—

Elizabeth cried out as Jason sloshed through the streams, and his heart was pounding—she was bleeding so much he could feel it against his skin. “We need to stop—we need to rewrap—”

“Can’t—” she panted, closing her eyes. “Jake—he has to be safe—”

“I’ll get Jake back to the boat,” Sonny promised as he held the wide-eyed child against his chest. “Elizabeth—”

“No! No! He needs one of us—” Elizabeth looked at Jason. “Please—”

“Not going to happen,” Jason bit out. “Sonny, get back to the boat.”

“Daddy?” Jake asked.

“I have to take care of Mommy,” he told his son, drinking in very feature of his precious son. “I love you. We both love you.”

“Jason—” Elizabeth sobbed as he lowered onto the ground and Sonny disappeared, taking Jake with him. “No! No! You have to go!”

“Not without you—” Jason tore off his short, tore it into two quick strips, pressing one hard against her wound—she only stopped herself from screaming in excruciating pain by biting her lip so hard as Jason used the other strip to tight it tightly around her waist. “He knew us,” she panted. “I didn’t—” Tears streamed down her cheek. “He knew us. Nikolas must have—”

“We can thank him later,” Jason muttered. He got to his feet, but before he could lift Elizabeth into his arms, he heard the crack of a branch. He whirled around — only to see a furious man with dark hair and eyes aiming a gun at him.

“If you move, I will shoot her in the head,” the man snarled

Jason was face to face with Stavros Cassadine, Elizabeth bleeding out behind him, and his own gun tucked into his waistband — but if Jason moved —

He swallowed hard.

—

Half a mile away, just as Anna was joyously hugging her daughter and Robert was growling at them both to get into the damn boat—Patrick’s head whipped around at the sound of a gunshot echoing over the island.

“Oh, damn it—” he swore. Robert—”

The other man pressed his ear piece. “Spinelli—” His face blanched. “Sonny got off the island. With Jake. But not Jason and Elizabeth.”

November 7, 2020

This entry is part 10 of 27 in the Flash Fiction: A King's Command

Written in 20 minutes. No time for spellcheck.

Jason scowled at the man sitting across from and kicked him under the table before looking at his pale wife, the flushed cheeks and shy smile he’d enjoyed waking up vanished. “Don’t listen to him,” he cautioned her. “You won’t be alone.”

“No.” Elizabeth took a deep breath and her lips curved, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “No, I won’t be alone. But someone will.”

Francis pressed his lips together to stare at the other man. “We’re going,” he said, in a clipped tone to Johnny, “to check on the horses.”

“But—”

“Now.” The blond got to his feet and snagged the corner of Johnny’s kilt fastened over his shoulder. The two of them disappeared out of the common room.

“You must think I’m silly,” Elizabeth said, nervously reaching for her spoon and pushing the porridge around in the wooden bowl.

“No,” Jason said with a shake of his head. “I’ve seen a witch burning,” he admitted. “When I was younger,” he added, seeing her eyes rounded. “I was passing through a smaller village and an older woman was put to the stake. Their healer. They burned their healer because a sickness had swept through the village, and they thought more should have died.”

“They burned her for not letting them die,” Elizabeth said flatly. She stared at the porridge. “At home, in Annan, when the plague came through the shire, they burned three witches. My father was the magistrate who sentenced them.”

Jason tilted his head, wondering why the subject troubled her so. It wasn’t a happy topic, but there was something in the tenseness of her shoulders, the way she avoided his gaze. “Elizabeth?”

“My father,” Elizabeth continued softly, “took me to see the burnings. My sister and I. To warn us that women had a place in the world and that we ought to be careful.” She looked at him. “I had only seen eight summers.”

She’d been a child. Jason swore under his breath and reached over to squeeze the hand resting on the table. “We’ll leave tonight—”

“No. No—” she added when he shook his head. “And we should go to the bonfire in the town square. You said that Perth is the closest town to Braegarie,” Elizabeth said. “You trade here, don’t you?”

“Aye,” Jason said uneasily.

“People know you,” she continued. “Your family. If we left on the eve of Beltane when we were supposed to stay—” She sighed. “It will be easier to go and pretend. I’m all right,” she said.

“If you change your mind—”

She smiled faintly, pushed her bowl back. “You said we might go to the market? That would be nice.”

—

The days were long at this time of the year, and dusk did not fall for many hours. If she ignored the preparations for the Beltane feast and bonfire around the market, Elizabeth thought that this was one of the happiest days of her life. She was walking side by side with her husband, a man who had decided to look past the way their marriage had begun and accept her and their future together. In fact—

Elizabeth glanced up at her husband as he negotiated with a fruitseller in the square. She was quite fortunate that the regent had chosen such a good man. And a handsome one, not that such things should matter, she told herself. And they didn’t. Except—

“What?” Jason asked as he passed her one of the apples he’d just purchased. “You look flushed,” he continued. “Are you feeling well?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth muttered, then bit into the apple and looked away. He wanted children, he’d told her. And she knew enough that the more frequently they shared a bed, the more quickly she would conceive. Would he want to be with her again tonight? Would he wait until Braegarie—

A few paces in front of them, Elizabeth saw an older woman standing by a table, arranging some clothing and fabrics. She started to tug on Jason’s hand, wanting to look more closely at them — but then she saw a group of men coming up behind the other woman, towards she and Jason. She could see the word forming on his lips even before his voice rang out over the crowd, extending one finger in their direction.

“Witch!”

November 1, 2020

This entry is part 9 of 18 in the Flash Fiction: Shot in the Dark

Written in 58 minutes. Spell checked, but not reread for typos. I’m gonna be honest here, y’all, this is one story where I am flying by the seat of my pants. I have no idea what’s next.

Mykonos, Greece: Flat

Jason cradled Elizabeth’s head with one hand while taking in the wound to her abdomen. With gritted teeth, not taking his eyes off the woman bleeding out in front of him. “Get him away from me or this time he’s not coming back from the dead.”

With tears streaming down her face, Laura helped Luke shove a struggling and still bellowing Lucky down the hall. She shoved her son and her ex-husband into the bedroom, turning back to Jason. “How bad is it?”

“Sonny—” Jason looked at his best friend as the older man knelt on Elizabeth’s other side, taking her wrist in his, monitoring her pulse. Spinelli hovered in the background, biting at his nails.

“Pulse is thready, but there—” Sonny exhaled on a hiss. “I didn’t see how long the blade was. If we pull it out—looking at where it is—”

“Where’s Patrick?” Jason demanded. “Laura, call—”

“I’m already on the line—” Her face pale, but her fingers steady, Laura had pressed Robert’s contact information and put the phone on speaker. “Robert?”

“Laura—”

“Where are you? Elizabeth’s been stabbed and we could use a surgeon.”

“What the hell—” came Patrick’s shout from the background. “How the hell—”

Jason ignored that, and focused on Elizabeth. “Elizabeth? Can you hear me?” Not like this. He couldn’t lose her like this—not after everything—not before they could bring Jake home—

On a low, soft moan, her eyelids fluttered, then closed. Her face scrunched. “Hurts.”

“What do you think? It’s not high enough for the liver—”

“But it might be deep enough to hit the kidney—”

“Patrick is five minutes out,” Laura said, coming to them, getting down on her knees. “What can I do? How can I help?”

The bleeding had slowed, and Jason calculated how much had actually pooled beneath her. “She’s not—she’s not bleeding out. At least not that I can see. If I pull out the knife, that could change—” He knew how to compartmentalize. How to put things into pockets in his brain and separate out the now from the fear and the worry.

He just couldn’t manage it for longer than a minute or two before it all came flooding back in, and the terror swamped him. He couldn’t go home without her. Couldn’t look in Cameron’s sober eyes and tell him his mother wasn’t coming back—

“Elizabeth, can you look at me? Just open your eyes—”

Her lashes fluttered again and a sliver of the blue was visible. “Make…it…stop.”

“I will, I promise. Patrick will be here, and he’ll help me stop it. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to get Jake and take him home to his brothers.”

“Jake.” Elizabeth’s head lolled to the side as she drifted again. “Jake. Wanted to…see him…hold him—”

“You will,” Laura promised. She pressed a fist to her mouth as Sonny put a hand around her shoulders. “Elizabeth, we’re going to bring him home—”

“Cam…” Elizabeth forced her eyes open, found Jason’s. “Cam. Don’t…can’t leave him.”

“You’re not going to—”

The door behind them shoved open as Patrick stormed in, followed by Robert Scorpio and Anna Devane.

“What the hell is going on?” Patrick demanded as he skidded across the floor to Jason’s side.

Laura struggled to her feet, with Robert’s help. “Lucky did this,” she said to Robert and Anna in a low voice.

“I guess that’s the shouts and grunting I hear—” Robert said, squinting in the direction of the closed door. “Is that where Spencer is?”

“He could use a hand,” Laura said, her voice calm and steady, unlike her hands which were trembling as she turned back to the crowd on the ground. “Lucky tried to stab Jason, but Elizabeth got in the way.”

“We’ll sort this out,” Anna promised Laura. “Trust Patrick—”

“Okay, okay—it’s—” Patrick took a deep breath. “Spinelli, you need to get me something like looks like a scalpel—sterilize it. I need towels. I need—shit—” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I need to wash my hands. I need something to sew. Needles, thread—”

“We’ve got an emergency kit, Patrick. It has everything.” Anna pulled her son-in-law to his feet and went with him to wash her hands.

“This is my fault,” Laura said, staring down at Elizabeth’s prone figure. Jason looked at her, frowning. “I listened to Luke. She already begged us not to make her do this again. She didn’t come here to take on the Cassadines. I should have told Luke to keep Lucky away.”

“As soon as I know she’s okay, I’m going to the island, I’m getting my son,” Jason said, tightly, “and I’m taking her home. You can save the world without us. She and the boys are all that matters.”

“Jase—” Sonny put a hand on his shoulder. “She’s too stubborn to go out like this—” But his voice faltered because even he knew the universe didn’t give a shit about that kind of thing.

“All right.” Patrick turned away from the sink. “We need to move her to higher ground so I can get a better look at things. Clear that table—” he nodded at the longer table against the wall. Jason, Sonny—at either end. Laura, I need you to make sure that knife doesn’t move a centimeter. Spinelli—” He looked at the pale, oddly quiet tech. “Whatever you were doing to find Robin and Jake, get back to it. When she wakes up, she’ll want to know the plan.”

“Got it,” Spinelli said, swallowing hard.

“I’ve done brain surgery by flashlight at gunpoint,” Patrick said, “and my patient lived—” He met Jason’s eyes. “This is a cake walk. Let’s get to work.”

Cassadine Island: Lab

Nikolas paced the stretch of the room, glaring at Robin as she poured over notes and codes. “This can’t be this hard. I need to get Jake off this island.”

“That’s the goal, Nikolas, but you can’t rush this. And remember—by now my parents and Patrick have to be in Greece. I hope like hell he brought Jason and Elizabeth. We’ll get off this island and they’ll be ready with an escape route home.”

She turned back to her research. “I just don’t know how some of this computer stuff works. I never listened when Spinelli talked. I just made him do everything.”

“We just need to get past security long enough to get down to the docks. Once we’re on one of the boats, I can have us in Mykonos in thirty minutes.” Nikolas closed his eyes. “Valentin is coming, Robin. He’s the last piece of the puzzle.”

“Nikolas—”

“It’s my fault. I kept waiting. I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t say anything when I found my father. I didn’t say a damn word when my grandfather showed up—but Jake.” His terrified eyes found Robin’s. “She sits him at the table like he’s part of the family. I promised him I’d get him home—”

“And we will—”

“I should have told Jason ages ago. I just—” Nikolas sat on the cot where Robin slept. “I wanted to be the hero,” he admitted. “I wanted to be the one who brought the Cassadines down. Permanently. And I wanted to bring Jake home to Elizabeth.”

“You were selfish and stupid—” Robin looked over as another monitor beeped. Her smile spread as she recognized the code.

thinking of changing pain in the ass to phoenix we landed baby and I brought the whole damn army sit tight we’ll get you out of this

“It’s Patrick,” she breathed. “He’s here. Oh, God, he’s here, and we’re going to be okay—” Her breath caught as she typed back in response.

will buy you all the race cars you want. maybe even a real one i love you we’re waiting for instructions

“Robert and Anna are with him, I’m sure.” Nikolas took his first easy breath. “Okay. I hate to leave you—”

“But you need to stick as close to Jake as you can. I’ll get word to you through Stefan when he brings my meals.” Robin got to her feet. “We’re too close to being done with this—”

“We just need to be gone before Valentin lands tomorrow,” Nikolas reminded her. “Tell Patrick we’re on a deadline. Whatever Helena and Mikkos are planning—it starts when Valentin gets here.”

“I’ll tell him.”

Mykonos: Flat

Robert and Luke emerged from the bedroom, grim-faced. Luke had a black eye while Robert’s shirt had a tear in the sleeve

“Where’s Lucky?” Laura demanded.

“Handcuffed, tied up, bound, gagged, and sedated,” Robert said. He examined. “Bastard bit me.” He nodded at the table where Elizabeth was laying, a sheet pulled over her and her head resting on the pillow. “What about Elizabeth?”

“Is she okay?” Luke asked.

Jason glared at him. “No thanks to you. How many times are you going to make Lucky Spencer her problem to fix? He did her one good turn fifteen years ago, Luke. Don’t ask her to do this again.”

“I—” Luke swallowed. “I won’t, but—”

“The knife wasn’t as long as we thought,” Patrick told him, washing his hands. “Missed the organs, just took in the meat.”  He sighed as Laura shuddered. “Sorry.”

“No, better than the alternative,” Laura began as Patrick pulled his phone from his pocket, grimly. “What is it?”

“Robin. She sent me a reply earlier, but I didn’t see it and she just sent another one—” He stared at it. “We need to get them out now. She says whatever is going to happen starts tomorrow. They’re just waiting on Valentin.”

“I hate deadlines,” Robert muttered. “What’s the plan? Spinelli, what does security look like?”

“While Patrick was finishing up, I got the specs on the security cameras and got through the network.” Spinelli twisted on in his chair. “I got eyes on the whole island.”

“Where—” Jason started across the room, but Spinelli put a hand up.

“I got it up on the flat screen—bigger monitor,” he explained as he switched on the screen in the front of the room. “Island has one dock area where boats are kept, but there are a few inlets where I think you could land some people. Particularly if you’re coming in low-tech.” Spinelli brought up a a satellite image that highlighted the areas he talked about. “The building we saw on the plane—”

He flicked the camera to the front entrance as Nikolas emerged. He turned to talk to someone inside, then walked away. “No cameras inside that I can see, but—” He flipped to another one. “This cottage near the maze has cameras in the common space, and in—” Spinelli swallowed hard as he brought the image on screen.

A little boy with light blond hair was surrounded by toy cars and trains, his face lit up with smiles and laughter.

“This is—” Jason swallowed hard as he drank in the image of his son. “This is right now.”

“Right this second, Jake is in the cottage on the edges of the Cassadine estate,” Spinelli said his own voice a bit wobbly. He cleared his throat. “The cottage is less than a thousand feet from one of the landing spots I highlighted.”

“The other building where Nikolas was—” Patrick hesitated. “How far from the cottage?”

“About half a mile. The whole island is maybe a mile long,” Spinelli clarified. “And I agree, the messages the good doctor has been sending you are from that part of the island. Robin is in that building.”

“We’ll land two boats,” Anna decided. “One team to go in after Robin, and the other gets Jake. We get them off the island and we regroup. They’re more important than whatever the Cassadines might be planning.” She paused, looking at Laura. “Unless Nikolas is with one of them—”

“We can’t get him on this trip,” Laura confirmed. “Jason, I’m sure you and Sonny will go for Jake. I’ll go with you. Patrick, Robert, Anna—”

“I have to go.”

The slurred voice came from behind them as they turned to find Elizabeth struggling to sit up, wincing as she propped herself up on her elbows.

“Careful,” Patrick hissed, rushing to her side. “You’ll tear the stitches—”

“You can sew me up later—” Elizabeth swung her legs over the side. “I’m going.”

“Elizabeth,” Jason began but she shook her head.

“No. No. A thousand feet. I can manage that. I can. And Jake—” Her voice shook. “He might not remember you, Jason. He won’t know Sonny or Laura. He knows me. He’ll come with me quietly.” She held Jason’s eyes. “I need to be there. We’ll come home, and Patrick can patch me up on the way back to Port Charles. Once we get Robin and Jake off the island, we need to be in the air as soon as we can.”

“She’s right,” Anna said. “If we have a prayer of pulling this off, we need to be off that island before they even know we’re there. Spinelli—”

“I can loop security cameras and distract any guards. I wish I had more time to know how people move and find a safe time—” Spinelli grimaced. “But we can make it work.

“We can’t take the chance of Jake struggling because he doesn’t know you,” Anna told Jason with regret.

Jason dipped his head. They were right, and he only had himself to blame. Jake had been gone almost two years—there wasn’t even much of guarantee he’d know Elizabeth but— He looked at her. “All right,” he said finally. “Let’s get down to it. We’ll get Robin the details so she can be ready and do what she can on the island to help. Let’s get our son.”

Cassadine Island: Off the Coast

Ignoring the stabbing pain in her side, Elizabeth watched as Laura navigated the boat to a slow stop, floating about fifty feet from the inlet that Spinelli had highlighted on the map. Jason and Sonny got the rubber, motor dinghy into the water.“Laura, I need you to promise me something.”

Laura looked at her and shook her head. “Absolutely not. Don’t you dare say anything stupid like leave you behind if I need to. I’m not going back to my grandsons without you. And if  you think Jason would leave you—”

“He’ll put Jake first, just like I am.” Elizabeth closed her eyes, took another bracing breath. “I’ll get to the cottage. I know I can make it that far. But I don’t know if I can make it back—”

“Elizabeth—”

“I’ll get Jake to Jason, and I’ll make sure he’s safe. I’ll try like hell to get back, but Laura—”

“In the unlikely event that you don’t get back to the boat, I will get Jake off the island—”

“You asked me to save your son a long time ago,” Elizabeth said and Laura blanched. “I’m asking you to make sure you save mine.”

“You don’t fight fair,” Laura whispered fiercely. “But I didn’t either.”

“We’re mothers. We can’t afford to.”

“Ready?” Jason asked, taking Elizabeth’s hand. He squeezed it. “I’m going to lower you into the dinghy—Sonny is waiting—”

“Ready. Let’s get our son.”

October 30, 2020

This entry is part 9 of 27 in the Flash Fiction: A King's Command

Written in 63 minutes. Had to take a minute to double check some garment situations and the existence of something in Perth in 1514.

Johnny was wise enough to say very little to Jason or his wife when they returned to the clearing and mounted their horses to complete the journey to Perth. T

hough he knew it would grate at Johnny and Francis to stop in one of the largest towns in the Highlands for several days, Jason knew that they’d be able to find rooms and resupply themselves for the final ten days of the trip, though he planned to supply themselves for at least two weeks. He hoped Elizabeth would be able to pick up the pace once they had rested, but Jason wanted to be ready for anything.

He also had other plans for their stay in Perth.

They reached the boundaries of the city just an hour or so before dusk fell, but the inn Jason and his family had usually favored was close and they were able to stable their horses and arrange rooms before complete darkness fell.

“This is the last inn before Braegarie,” Jason reminded Elizabeth as they left Johnny and Francis in the common room and climbed the steps to their room. Inside, he lit the lamps and turned to her. “We’ll stay two, maybe three days, but after this—”

“It’s back to the tent,” Elizabeth said with a nod. “I understand. And I thank you for taking this journey so slowly. I—” She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “I know you’d make the trip in half the time—”

Less than that, but Jason just nodded and kissed her forehead gently. “I’ve arranged for a bath after supper,” he told her. “Enjoy the comforts while you can.”

“That sounds ominous,” Elizabeth replied, but she was smiling and her eyes were lit with a spark he’d not seen before. “Thank you.” She paused. “Today, you made it clear that you would…”

“Elizabeth?” he said when she trailed off.

“That you would like us to…make a true marriage of this,” she managed, her voice fading slightly. He tipped her chin up, intrigued by the flush that had spread across her cheeks. “If we are to stay a few days here, then maybe—” She cleared her throat. “M-Maybe we should start tonight.”

He stilled, furrowing his brows slightly as he took in her words, scouring for any other meaning than the one he wanted. “Start,” he repeated. “Do you mean—”

“Well,” Elizabeth said, “I’m not entirely sure I understand everything, mind you,” she continued, “but I don’t imagine sons or daughters appear under a bush.” She glanced at the bed, then at him, before dropping her gaze again. “Unless you wish to wait—”

“I don’t,” he assured her, speaking so abruptly that she had barely completed half of her statement before he blurted his answer. “I just want you to be ready.”

“I don’t know if one is ever ready,” she replied, “but I think we’d both do better if we…” Elizabeth made a face. “I’m sorry. I’m making a mess of this.”

“You’re not.” Jason cupped her face in his hands, kissing her swiftly and fiercely, drawing out the embrace until she was clinging to him, her breath shallow and her eyes dazed. “You couldn’t.”

“So tonight,” Elizabeth said.

“Tonight,” Jason agreed, even though waiting another minute might likely kill him. “I’ll go tell the innkeeper we’re ready for our supper.”

——

Downstairs in the common room, Johnny sulked over an ale, glaring at the frothy liquid. “M’face feels like I ran into a tree,” he muttered.

“Looks like it, too,” Francis agreed, cheerfully as he ate his stew. He watched as the innkeeper’s wife, a maid, and another man dragged a tub up the stairs. “Will you leave off making the lass feel like a bad penny?”

“I know I punched him at least three times,” Johnny continued, “but his face has not a mark on it. Unfair.”

“You made a crude statement about his wife,” Francis reminded him. “You’re lucky that Jason didn’t leave you in pieces for the crows. Will you stop?” he repeated.

“It’s my job to challenge Jason,” Johnny reminded Francis. “But I’ve told him that he’s a fool and that he’s putting his trust in the wrong person. He has—” He rubbed his jaw. “He has, uh, rejected that advice.”

“That’s one way to say it.”

“He’ll regret not getting to the bottom of her secrets,” Johnny predicted, “but I’ve given up making all of us miserable. I will, however, be first in line to remind him of this day when I’m proven right.”

“Cynical bastard,” Francis retorted, lifting his ale and taking a long swig.

——

Elizabeth hung back by the hearth, her wrapper tied tightly around her body as Jason held the door open and the tub was removed. She’d decided to throw all her caution and good sense to the wind inviting her new husband to bed her—she thought maybe his kisses might make the rest of it worth it. She’d heard maids complain about the act over the years, though one or two had seemed to like it.

But she’d never thought marriage for her. She’d never dreamed she might have a husband of her own, but now she was married to…a man much larger than her, she realized with a start as Jason walked towards her, still wearing the knit shirt and kilt.

“Are you all right?” he asked, taking a hand in his. “You can change your mind—”

“No,” Elizabeth said quickly with a fervent shake of her head. “No,” she repeated. “It’s just—” She licked her lips, looked up at him. “I’m a bit nervous is all,” she admitted. “I’ve—well, obviously I’ve never—” She huffed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Jason told her. With his other hand, he traced the line of his jaw and her eyes fluttered closed. “It’s important that you speak the truth to me,” he continued, and her heart skipped a beat — because that was never going to happen — but when she opened her eyes and met his again, he continued speaking. “If something hurts you,” he said, “or you wish to stop, you’ll tell me?”

“Aye,” she managed though she thought maybe if he just kept touching her, all would be well because sparks and shivers were sliding through her and surely, even if parts weren’t that nice, this would be. And they’d be close. She’d like to be close to him, to feel him become part of her.

If the world was kind to her, this would be the man she’d live with for all the rest of her days and maybe, just maybe, there would be babies. Oh, she would really like babies—

“You’re thinking too much,” Jason told her, with a wicked grin. “I can see the thoughts and worries in your eyes—”

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said blankly, even though she wasn’t really sure why she was apologizing. “It’s difficult to stop—”

“I’ll do my best to help, ” he said. He kissed her and made the world disappear, at least for a little while.

——

The next morning, Elizabeth was sure that her face was bright red with embarassment as Jason walked her down the stairs to the common room where they were meeting Johnny and Francis to break their fast.

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest longer?” Jason asked as they came to the bottom of the steps. “You didn’t sleep much.”

Elizabeth’s cheeks heated as she ducked away, looking at the floor. She heard him laugh lightly and when she looked at him again, he was smiling. He did have such a lovely smile—so much better than the scowl he’d worn so much of the time she’d known him. Maybe things really were better now.

“That’s not what I meant, wife,” he teased.

“I really am okay,” Elizabeth assured him. She turned to look at the common room, a bit worried about facing Johnny and Francis. Especially Johnny. Wouldn’t they know? Would Johnny be more angry?

But she was Jason’s wife now—truly—so she lifted her chin, and she and Jason went towards the room and the low table where his men were seated.

“Good morning,” she said politely as she sat on the empty bench across from them. “Did you sleep well?”

“Aye,” Francis said. He flicked his eyes to Jason. “We’re staying another night?”

“Maybe two,” Jason said as he handed Elizabeth a bowl of porridge. “Is that a problem?”

“No, I didn’t realize how close we were to Beltane,” Francis said. “The festival begins tonight with a bonfire in the townsquare—”

“Beltane?” Elizabeth repeated. She pushed her porridge around her bowl. “I wouldn’t have thought such a large town would celebrate something like this.” Her heart was racing but she endeavored to keep her breathing even, her voice calm.

Beltane. The harvest festival that sometimes drew the witch hunters, looking for old pagan believers who worshipped the old gods and gave blessings to them.

“You don’t care for Beltane?” Johnny said with a furrowed look. “What do they do in the Lowlands?” he sneered. Jason glared at him.

“We have Beltane in Annan,” Elizabeth said faintly, the flashes of fire in her mind. She took a deep breath. “I simply didn’t realize how close it was to May. The days have…” Her hand shook slightly so she put her spoon down, and put her hands in her lap. She looked at Jason. “Will you want to go to the bonfire?”

“If you’d like,” Jason said slowly. “There’s a large market in the square. We’re going to resupply there.”

A large crowd preparing a bonfire. Elizabeth forced a smile, then looked across the table, startled to find Johnny staring at her.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of the old faery and witch legends,” Johnny said. “My sister used to hide beneath the bed on Beltane, sure that the faeries were coming to get her.”

“H-hardly,” Elizabeth said. “There’s no such thing as faeries. Or witches,” she added.

“No,” Jason agreed, “but witch hunters are common enough, and they’ll be out tonight. Especially in Perth,” he added. Elizabeth stared at him. “They burned a woman two years past on Beltane. She had a fit,” he continued, “and they suspected witchcraft.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “I—I didn’t know.”

“Not a safe place to be,” Johnny added, and she looked at him, her eyes wide. “A woman alone is suspicious enough, but on Beltane night? You might be taken up for a witch.”

October 26, 2020

This entry is part 8 of 16 in the Flash Fiction: Not Knowing When

Written in 55 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

The last thing Jason wanted to see when he opened the door to the penthouse an hour later was people sitting on the sofa. He knew Brenda would be lurking, but why the hell were Sonny and Benny with her—

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose as she walked in behind him, setting a duffel bag on the desk. Jason put down her suitcases—he’d been strangely relieved when she hadn’t just put things back into the single bag she’d brought with her in September. The majority of her clothes were now in his penthouse.

And Brenda’s luggage was still at the base of the stairs, a glaring reminder of how close he’d come to ruining everything.

“I’ll go upstairs,” Elizabeth began, but Brenda shook her head.

“Oh, no, if this trio of morons is going to be deciding how the hell to save my life, I am not going to be the only woman in the room.” Brenda sprang up. “Look, I know we got off the wrong foot when I almost married your husband—”

Jason scowled at her, but Brenda kept going, “But in a very strange way, I’m like a fairy godmother, you know? Because if I hadn’t dragged him to Vegas, Sonny wouldn’t have dragged you there either, and now I’d be married to him.”

Elizabeth squinted. “Wasn’t that the plan?”

“Yes, and I think we can all agree marrying this—” Brenda flicked her eyes at him, frowning. “Well, some people like him but it would have been a terrible mistake. Tell her, Jason—”

“Huge mistake,” Jason muttered.

“Elizabeth, maybe you should go upstairs—” Sonny said. “Brenda’s just upset with the plan we came up with—”

“Upset?” Brenda whirled around, her dark eyes flashing dangerously. “Upset? Listen, Don Corleone, just because one time in my life, I was dumb enough—” Her hands were shaking, Jason noticed, and reluctantly he looked at Elizabeth.

“This is going to sound really insane, and I am so sorry,” he began.

“But Brenda could use someone in the room without testosterone,” Elizabeth finished. Her smile was thin, but he didn’t think it was disappointed. “I understand. Brenda—”

The other woman turned back to her. “They want to send me away. Lock me up, just like Luis. I can’t lose my life again—”

“I don’t want to lock you up,” Sonny said. “I would never do that to you.” He exhaled slowly. “I suggested the island,” he told Jason. “With guards to keep Alcazar from finding her—”

“But why can’t we talk about options that keep me in Port Charles? I don’t—” Brenda closed her eyes. “I just want some control,” she said after a moment. “It’s been four years, Sonny. And I wasn’t allowed to do anything. I couldn’t contact my friends. My family. I don’t know how much time I have left before—”

“I don’t understand,” Elizabeth said, “and maybe I’m not allowed to ask this, but, um, can’t you just…” She made a wave with her hands, looking at Jason. “You know.”

Jason paused. “That’s on the table, too,” he said.

“We’ve talked about this,” Sonny said, with a warning look. “He’s protected by the government—you wanna bring down more heat?”

“You got any other ideas?” Jason demanded. “Brenda shouldn’t be so desperate to get her life back that she suggested marrying me for protection.”

“Well, that, and your sparkling personality,” the woman in question muttered.

“I thought it was about your—” Sonny hesitated. “I thought you wanted someone to take care of you at the end,” he said finally as Benny looked away.

“I can do that with a power of attorney,” Brenda said. “It’s a side benefit. But I thought I might have a better chance of surviving if Jason was standing in front of me. I never said it made sense, Sonny. I said I was desperate.” As an afterthought, she shrugged to Jason. “No offense.”

“Then—”

“If the man Elizabeth overheard on the pier was someone watching Brenda, Alcazar isn’t giving up,” Jason said. “He’s not going to let Brenda go. It doesn’t matter where she goes, where we send her—”

“Sonny—” Brenda turned her attention on her former fiance. “If I thought I could get away with it, if there was any other way—I’d do it myself. I just want to live again.”

Sonny held her eyes for a long time, then nodded. “All right,” he said finally. “But that’s where the two of you are out of it,” he said to her, before looking at Elizabeth.

“Don’t wanna be in it in the first place,” Elizabeth grumbled, “but Alcazar keeps shooting at me.”

Sonny and Benny left then with plans for Jason to head over to the warehouse later that evening to work. Brenda went up to her room, waiting for Jason to deliver her luggage.

Elizabeth followed her, busying herself with her own unpacking, still not entirely sure how she’d gone from listening to Courtney tell her about her future romance with Jason to married to him and back in the penthouse.

A smile flitted on her lips as she closed a drawer in the bureau. She couldn’t wait to go to work the next morning. She and Courtney were working the opening shift.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone tonight,” Jason said. He closed the bedroom door behind him, looking at her with a hesitant expression. “And I don’t know if I can call to tell you.”

“Okay.” Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t—” He sat next to her, drew her hand into his lap, playing with her fingers. “That I wasn’t around when you were here last. Every time I looked at you—” Their eyes met. “I was lying to you. And I hated it.”

“I know you can’t tell me everything,” she said. “And I don’t want to know. But I also need to know when you can’t say something. Like right now—I would have been worried if you left and didn’t come back tonight. I’ll still worry,” she added, “but not the same way.”

“It’s been a while since where I was mattered to someone,” he admitted. “I’ll do better this time.”

“I’ll do better, too,” she assured him. “I wasn’t fair before, and I’m sorry.” Elizabeth frowned as he reached for her left hand, his fingers sliding over her ring finger.

“Do you want a ring?” he asked after a long moment. “I can get one.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, considering the question. She should say yes. They were married. It was real and within a few days, everyone would know. Everyone would look at her hand and ask questions.

“I don’t know,” she said finally. “I know—I’m not sorry that we did it—that you dragged me into the chapel to win an argument—” Elizabeth smiled when he winced. “And it’s not like I’m telling you that I want undo it. I’m here. And I want to make this work. I just—”

She waited, trying to find the right words, hoping she wasn’t hurting him by being honest. He didn’t look upset—only curious. He tipped his head, encouraging her to finish.

“We got married on a whim,” she said. “We didn’t plan it. That’s not—it’s not how I want to make promises to you, Jason. You know? So, no, right now, I don’t want a ring.” She leaned forward to kiss him lightly, hoping it could take the sting out of her words.

His hand, strong and warm, touched her neck, his long fingers tilting her chin to the side to deepen the kiss. “You deserve more than Vegas,” Jason murmured.

“We both do, but I’m still glad we did it.” Elizabeth’s eyes drifted close as his mouth moved down her jaw. “Did you lock the door?”

“Yes,” Jason confirmed.

“Then if you don’t know when you’ll be home—” Elizabeth scooted back on the bed towards the headboard and grinned at him. “We should make the most of it.”

Kelly’s: Kitchen

The next morning, Elizabeth breezed into the kitchen and flashed a bright smile at the cook who was busy with his morning prep. “Morning, DJ.” He saluted as she hung up her purse and went into the dining room to start the side walk.

Courtney was already there, frowning at her smile as Elizabeth joined her and started making the coffee. “I thought you’d quit.”

“Why? Because I flaked my on shift yesterday?” Elizabeth shrugged, measuring the coffee. “I promised Penny I’d cover for her soon, and Mike said it was okay.”

“But—” Courtney edged away from her. “You…were mad at me the last time we talked.”

“I was,” Elizabeth said. She pressed the on button, then turned to face the other man fully. “But then I ran into Sonny, and he asked me to go to Vegas with him to see Jason.”

“Jason—” Courtney squinted. “Vegas? What—”

“And Jason and I talked about it, but it’s okay now. It’s easy to mistake a crush for something else,” Elizabeth said. “But I don’t have anything to worry about—”

“You don’t—”

“No, not since I moved back into the penthouse.” Elizabeth stared at her hand. “Jason and I decided to wait to get rings, but—”

“Rings? Penthouse—” Courtney held up her hands, her blue eyes wide. “Elizabeth, what the hell—”

“Jason and I got married in Vegas,” she explained patiently, enjoying the flash of anger in the other woman’s eyes as Courtney clenched her jaw.

“You—” Courtney cleared her throat. “You married Jason. Jason Morgan.”

“It was spontaneous, but—” Elizabeth went around the other woman to start unstacking the chairs. “But I’m glad you told me what you did. If you hadn’t, Jason and I might not have talked. At least not so soon. And once we’d sorted things out—well, we were in Vegas—”

“This is a joke, right? Or—or it’s business.” Courtney lifted her chin. “Taggert came in here yesterday, asking about you. Zander’s dead, didn’t you hear? Is that why Sonny took you to Vegas? Did you see Jason doing something?”

“No, believe it or not,” Elizabeth said softly, “Jason married me because he loves me. And I said yes because I love him.”

“No. No. I know what I felt, what he felt—”

“I’m sorry, Courtney,” Elizabeth said, attempting to keep her temper, “but you were wrong. And it would be best if you just forgot about it. You’re married—”

“This is a trick. You’re tricking the police, and you’re just trying to be mean to get back at me. You’re probably in the guest room again,” Courtney accused, her eyes flashing as she stormed out from the counter.

“No, Brenda’s in the guest room.” Elizabeth folded her arms. “I’m in Jason’s bed.” It might be small of her to enjoy this moment so much, but damn it—Courtney had pretended to be her friend.

Hurt flared in Courtney’s expression now as her lip trembled. “But he said—he told me—he told me it was over with you—”

“He thought it was. Now it’s not. Get over it.” Elizabeth walked away from her, and didn’t even flinch when she heard the bell over the door jingle as it swung open.

“Where did Barbie go?” DJ asked, leaning out from the kitchen. “We’re opening in ten.”

“She got some bad news,” Elizabeth said, returning to the counter to finish prepping for her shift. “I’ll take care of the morning rush.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

“You don’t have to worry, Carly already left for the club,” Sonny assured Jason as he handed him a cup of black coffee. “What did you find out? Can we get a line on Alcazar?”

“It might be easier than we thought,” Jason said, “since he’s in the hotel—”

They both turned at the sound of raised voices in the hall. Jason sat the coffee on the desk just as the door flew open and Max threw up his hands. He couldn’t stop the blonde who shoved her way in without tackling her.

“Sonny—” Courtney drew up short at the sight of Jason. She glared at him. “I hope you’re happy.”

Jason frowned, confused. “What—”

“If you’re here to tell me AJ dropped dead in the middle of the night,” Sonny said, “then, yes, I’m very happy—”

“I’m not talking to you,” Courtney snarled at her brother. “I’m talking to Jason.”

“Jason would also be happy with that news—”

“Sonny—” Jason said with a shake of his head. He looked back to Courtney. “I don’t know what’s going on—”

“What’s going on is that you lied to me,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You told me that you and Elizabeth were over, that it never really started—”

Sonny pursed his lips as Jason just stared at the other woman, baffled. “Uh, what am I missing?” He looked at Max who was waving his arms. “Max–

“So why the hell did you marry Elizabeth Webber two days after you kissed me?” Courtney demanded.

“You know,” Taggert said from the doorway where he’d just appeared around the corner from the elevator. Max dropped his head with a sigh. “The universe is really on my side these days.”

October 25, 2020

This entry is part 8 of 18 in the Flash Fiction: Shot in the Dark

Written in 59 minutes. No time for spell check.

Mykonos, Greece: Flat

Luke checked his watch, wincing. “I gotta get back to my place. Lucky will be wondering where I am, and if he starts thinking I’m against him—” He looked at Laura. “What do I do with Cowboy?”

“Bring him here,” Laura said reluctantly, shooting Elizabeth an apologetic look. “If Helena does have him under her control again, seeing Elizabeth might shake him into saying something. And if it doesn’t, well—”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose at being volunteered to play even a small role in Lucky’s nonsense, but it would be important to learn whether or not Lucky was being his normal jackass self or a new breed of brainwashing had taken hold. She left the Spencers alone to determine the best way to deal with Lucky and went back over to Spinelli’s computer desk where Jason and Sonny were studying some of the prints they’d made.

“Hey, Luke is gonna bring back Lucky,” she warned them. “But Patrick should be here—” she checked her watch. “In about an honor—”

“Spinelli’s getting closer to the security cameras,” Sonny reported. “He’s found the network—” He hesitated, looked at Spinelli. “What did you say?”

“I found the network, but decrypting it might take a while,” the younger man said. “Unless Robert and Anna can do this faster—”

Elizabeth started to reply, but her phone beeped and she picked it up. “It’s Dante,” she said as she pressed play on the speaker. “Dante?”

“Listen, I don’t want you to worry—”

“Where are the kids?” Elizabeth demanded.

“I got to Patrick’s place and found Maxie and Lulu tied up,” Dante said. Sonny scrubbed a hand over his face. “Apparently, Joss hitched a ride to the house—and distracted them—they can’t really explain it—”

Elizabeth hissed. “Are they gone? How long?”

“No more than half an hour,” Dante assured them. “They left Aiden in the living room with a Lunchable and the remote. He’s watching cartoons, so he’s fine—”

A Lunchable and remote. Elizabeth shoved the phone at Jason to put her head in her hands. “They could get into a lot of trouble in thirty minutes—”

“Clearly, but Carly and Michael are on it. Joss thought she turned off the tracker on her phone, but apparently Carly put one on something else Joss carries because, well, she doesn’t trust her. They’re on their way to the airport, and Michael is meeting them there.”

“The airport,” Jason repeated. “What were they planning to do, hijack a plane?—”

“They didn’t give details because, and I’m quoting Cameron here, only dumb villains monologue and give away the plan.”

Sonny snorted and turned away before Elizabeth could set him on fire with a glare. “Ask Carly where she got the tracker because I’m gonna need to lojack my kid when I get home. Thanks, Dante.”

“Honestly, tying Maxie up and gagging her is probably the best thing that’s happened to me,” Dante said easily. “I’ll keep you posted, and we’ll put the kids under closer watch. We underestimated them.”

“You have my permission to use the handcuffs.” Elizabeth took the phone from Jason and hung it up. She looked at Laura who came over now that Luke had left. “Cameron, Emma, and Spencer — with help from Joss — tied up Maxie and Lulu and made a run for it. They’re tracking them to the airport.”

“Oh.” Laura couldn’t fight the giggles. She pressed her hands to her mouth, but the mirth slipped out. “Oh, my. Did Dante take pictures?”

Jason put an arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders. “It’s okay. Carly and Michael are on it,” he assured her. “You’ve always wanted to gag Maxie.”

“This is insane. The kids are trying like hell to throw themselve in the middle of the nightmare and you’re all laughing— ” Elizabeth stalked away, storming out onto the terrace. Jason winced, and followed.

“I shouldn’t have laughed,” Laura said, her humor sliding away. “She’s scared for Jake—”

“Jason will take care of it,” Sonny assured her. “Let’s look over these maps. Tell me how much this has changed.”

Port Charles Airport: Drop Off Entrance

Cameron slammed the door on the taxi and shoved a pile of cash at the driver while Spencer lugged their duffles out of the backseat. “Okay,” he said. “We got to the airport. How do we get to Greece?”

“I reserved tickets,” Spencer said. “I used my father’s credit card, and we’re traveling as unaccompanied minors—” He peered at his phone and the email with the information. “We just gotta avoid everyone until the flight to Mykonos—”

“Oh, balls,” Jocelyn Jacks said with a sigh as she saw the tall, blonde man leaning against the glass entrance. “How’d he get here so fast?”

“What?” Cameron turned, his stomach sinking as he recognized Joss’s older brother. “Damn it! Your mom must have put something on you.”

“Going somewhere?” Michael Corinthos asked, sauntering over, his hands in his pockets. “How were you planning to get to Greece?”

“Unaccompanied minors travel all the time,” Spencer said loftily. “And my father never pays attention to credit card bills. I stole one last year and he never noticed. I only use it in emergencies.”

“Passports?”

“I brought mine,” Joss volunteered. “Spencer always has his because he’s a Cassadine. We were at Emma’s house, and—”

“I grabbed mine when we were packing. I never used it before,” Cameron explained, “but one time, my mom was going to take us on a trip and we all got one.” He’d had to slide it out of a drawer where it sat next to Jake’s. Aiden didn’t have one—his mom must have gotten them before Aiden was born.

Michael frowned. “This might have been dumb enough to work.”

“But Mom doesn’t trust me,” Joss complained. “What did she put the tracker on? Oh my God, did she like, open me up while I slept and slap it on my ribs?”

“Yeah, not telling you. Let’s go. We’re going home.” Michael looked at Cameron. “Dante had to call your mother in Greece, Cam. And she was not happy.”

His stomach sank. “He’s my brother,” Cameron said, dully. “I gotta help bring him home. Wouldn’t you try everything to bring Morgan or Joss home?”

“I would,” Michael said, “and part of me is pretty impressed by the four of you.” He met Cameron’s eyes. “But your mom has been through enough, Cam, and you know that. Don’t ask her to worry about you. And Spencer—”

“I’m a Cassadine—this is a matter of honor.” Spencer sniffed. “You have no right to tell me what to do—”

“Really? Because your mom and my mom were best friends,” Michael said. “And my mom wouldn’t want Courtney’s son getting hurt. You’re not just a Cassadine, kid. You’re my cousin, too. And Aunt Courtney took real good care of me.”

“My dad took off with my grandparents,” Emma complained, “and I don’t get to know anything.” She pouted as Michael picked up her duffel bag. “I just wanted to help.”

“I brought the rope,” Joss said when Michael started herding the four of them towards the parking lot. “Would you believe Dr. Patrick didn’t have none?”

“Shocking.”

Mykonos, Greece: Flat

The sun was just starting to set over the Adriatic Sea as Jason joined Elizabeth at the terrace as she looked out at the distant lump of land where the Cassadine estate could be found.

“He’s just across the water,” Elizabeth said. “And he’s sitting in the middle of some of the worst people in the world, Jason. It was one thing when it was just Helena and Stavros. I was scared, but I didn’t think they’d hurt him. But I don’t know Mikkos. And this Valentin—Luke said Helena is terrified of him.” She looked at him. “If we get this close to getting Jake back and lose him—”

“We won’t,” Jason told her. “We’re not going to get this close and go home alone,” he added. “I might not know much about the Cassadines, but I’m a pretty good shot, and I know how to follow orders. Robert and Anna—Luke and Laura—you were right. This is what they do. And you and I—Spinelli and Sonny—we’re smart. We think on our feet.” He tipped her face up to his. “We’re going to get our son back,” he promised her. “And we’re going to stop the Cassadines from coming back.”

Elizabeth leaned forward, her forehead resting against his chin. “And then Dante calls, and Cameron’s trying like hell to get here because he wants to help. Part of me is just so angry and scared—”

“And the rest of you is proud,” Jason said. “Because you’ve raised a really great kid who’d put his life on the line for his little brother without even blinking.”

“He’s just a baby.” Elizabeth swiped tears from her cheeks. “They’re all just babies. He shouldn’t be worried about this. He’s barely eight years old, Jason.”

“Barely eight, and without even taking a minute, he and Spencer put together plan to get to Greece, and Emma and Joss agreed to help because they’re best friends. There are worst in the world than finding out you’ve got a strong, independent kid who could take on the world.”

“I know.” Elizabeth’s mouth twitched. “They left Aiden with a Lunchable and a cartoon.”

“Resourceful,” Jason said and she laughed. Her phone rang and he handed it to her. “It’s Michael. He probably has them.”

Elizabeth took the phone and put it on speaker. “Michael?”

“Mom?”

“Cameron—” Elizabeth closed her eyes, relieved. “Baby. You’re with Michael?”

“He found us at the airport. I—I’m sorry. I just—” There was a pause as Cameron’s voice faltered. “I just want to find Jake. I want to bring him home.”

“I know you do. I’m so proud of you, and I love you so much. Jason and I were just talking about how amazing you and Spencer and the girls are to get that far. Did you have tickets? What about passports?”

There was a pause. “Dante said you didn’t want to reveal your plan,” Jason said, “but I think it’s safe now.”

“I found my passport in your room, Mom. I saw it once when you were getting my birth certificate. It was next to Jake’s. Spencer got tickets on a credit—” There was a scuffle. “Uh, I don’t know how Spencer got them.”

Tickets and passports. If Michael and Carly had been ten more minutes behind the kids, would they have been able to stop them? Elizabeth sighed. “Michael, are you there?”

“Yeah, hey. We’re on our way to Mom’s place. Dante is coming over to hang out. For some reason, Lulu and Maxie are tapping out.”

“Please, I did the world a favor,” Joss said from the background. “They should always be gagged.”

“Anyway, Mom’s got this. She’s always one step ahead of Joss mostly because Mom already did worse than Joss is ever gonna try—”

“I’ll find that tracker!”

“I’ll call you if they break out again,” Michael said.

“Okay, thanks. Cameron, I love you,” Elizabeth said. “But if you decide to tie up Carly and gag her—”

“Make sure you take pictures this time,” Jason offered.

Michael snorted. “We could make a lot of money selling those.”

“Bye, Mom. Bye Jason.”

She hung up the phone, looked at Jason. “We’re going to get our little boy, aren’t we?” she said softly. “We’re going to get Jake and bring him home.” She slid her phone in her pocket, then reached up to kiss him fiercely. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

They stood there for another minute, looking out over the island but then Laura came out on the terrace. “Before you decide to just swim over,” she said, “Luke’s on his way up with Lucky.”

“Well, I guess I’m back in the Saving Lucky business,” Elizabeth muttered, but Laura shook her head.

“No. It’s not like that, sweetheart. If Helena has control again, it’s not on you to take care of it. It’s me. And Luke. We should have finished this a long time ago.” Laura lifted her chin. “But I think seeing you—with Jason—it might shake Lucky enough. If he thinks giving Jake back to you will win you back—”

“You always did piss him off just by breathing,” Elizabeth said even as Jason made a face. She focused on Laura again. “Michael called. They have the kids.”

“Oh, good. How close did they get?”

“Honestly, ten more minutes, and we’ve have a child army ready to go to war,” Elizabeth admitted as they went back inside. “I think they might stay put for a while, but—”

The door opened and Lucky stumbled in, blinking at the crowd of them. Spinelli got to his feet, Sonny angling himself slightly in front of the younger man, unsure what Lucky might do or say.

“What’s—” Lucky looked around. “Mom—” His eyes found Elizabeth. “Why—you came. You came to help. Dad told you? He told you Nikolas stole our boy—”

“No, Nikolas stole my son,” Elizabeth corrected, gently. “Min and Jason’s. We’re here to get him back. To take him home.” She slid her arm through Jason’s, smiled up at him. “Together.”

Lucky shook his head. “No—No, that’s not—” He looked at his father who sighed. “That’s not how this is supposd to happen.”

“Cowboy—”

“She—” Lucky’s hands fisted at his sides. “I’m supposed to—I’m—” He glared at Elizabeth. “You’re doing it again. You’re ruining everything!”

“How am I ruining anything?” Elizabeth said coolly. “You left Port Charles and made it very clear that you didn’t want me or any of my boys in your life.”

“No, no, no—this is wrong.” He took a step towards her, and Jason’s hand tightened around hers, tugging her back slightly. “I’m supposed—you’re supposed to come back to me.”

“According to who?” Elizabeth asked. “I’m telling you how it is—”

“Damn, she said that if I killed Nikolas, I could have Jake back!” Lucky raged. “If I could bring him home, you’d love me again! She promised!” He turned his fury to Jason. “You’re always ruining everything—”

He lunged at Jason, pulling a knife from beneath his jacket. The room exploded in chaos as Jason tried to shove Elizabeth aside just as she pushed him away—over balancing them both—Lucky crashed into them, sending them all to the ground.

“God damn it!” Sonny growled as he waded in. Luke grabbed Lucky by the back of the jacket—just as blood began to pool on the floor. “Who the hell—”

“It’s not me,” Lucky said dully—his face crumpled as Jason rolled over and shoved Elizabeth on to her back—the knife shoved into her gut. Elizabeth stared blankly at the knife, then at Lucky before her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out.

October 24, 2020

This entry is part 5 of 41 in the Flash Fiction: Signs of Life

Written in 59 minutes. No time for spell check. Forgive any issues with the ending. Dad called as I was writing the kiss, and even though I ignored his call, it was right next to my computer, and my brain got very confused, then there was no time to fix it.

December 30, 1999

Kelly’s: Parking Lot

Carly scowled as her keys slid out of her hand and dropped with a clink to the ground. She started to crouch down to retrieve them but her foot slid out from under her, kicking the keys under the car. Wincing, she glared at the glint of silver mocking her from just out of reach. “Fine,” she hissed to the world.

She got to her feet, determined to go into the diner and force someone to get her damn keys for her. She was a Quartermaine now—she wasn’t supposed to be rolling around on the ground like a nobody.

Carly hitched her purse over her shoulder and started towards Kelly’s, but the roar of a familiar motorcycle stopped her in her tracks and she grinned. Jason might be angry at her, but she knew she’d talk him down eventually and he wouldn’t leave her in the lurch. She turned to the street, waiting for his bike to turn into the lot—but it sped right past her, around the corner of the diner, towards the alley—and someone was riding with Jason, her arms wrapped him, frizzy brown hair peeking out from underneath the helmet.

She growled and stalked towards the alley, determined to put a stop to this once and for all. Jason needed to stop playing in the playpen and concentrate on what was important — getting her out of her marriage. That was the only reason he was getting distracted by that child—he was bored—

Carly heard the motorcycle’s engine switch off, so she stopped at the corner, waiting for Elizabeth to go inside—

Only to see the little brat hand him the helmet and say something to him that Carly couldn’t make out from where she was standing. Jason grinned—her eyes narrowed—she knew that particular smile, the jerk—

Then she stared as Jason put his arm around Elizabeth’s waist, pulling her against him and kissing her. Not on the cheek. Not on the forehead. But on the mouth—and clearly not for the first time the way the little bitch curled up against Jason and all but climbed into his lap—she might as well straddle him on the bike, Carly thought bitterly.

“I’ll see you at closing?” she heard Jason asked, Elizabeth nodding and smiling at him. She waved and went inside. Jason watched her go, and Carly was not at all happy about the way he was smiling.

It looked like she was going to have to remind him who came first around here.

Kelly’s: Diner

Elizabeth smiled sunnily at DJ who just squinted at her, since the last time the cook had seen her, she’d tried to freeze herself into feeling nothing the night before.

“You look better, Lizzie,” DJ said. He flipped a pancake. “You pulling another double?”

“Mmm, until break is over in January, I took all the hours Bobbie would give me,” she said, hanging up her jacket and purse. “You, too?”

“If I let anyone else make the chili,” the cook said with a sigh, “we’d go out of business. Miss Ruby said no one ever made it like me.”

Elizabeth smiled wistfully, remembering the owner of the diner who had passed away earlier that year. Ruby Anderson had taken a chance on Elizabeth even though she was the worst waitress ever, and the tough as nails woman had had always had a soft spot for her. “Without you, this place would have fallen apart,” she told him, then went out to start her shift.

A few hours later, as she was finishing the first half of the lunch rush and gearing up for the late lunch shift workers from the docks, she noticed Bobbie coming in, smiling at Penny who was handling half the diner that day.

Elizabeth went behind the counter to check on the carafes of coffee, trying to avoid the redhead’s notice. She was grateful that Bobbie had been wrong the night before, but part of her couldn’t quite shake the notion that Bobbie knew Jason better than Elizabeth did. Had Bobbie said something to Jason? She knew she should just trust Jason—he said what he meant, and wouldn’t lie to her.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t also have a deep streak of kindness—but maybe that was just her insecurity again, Elizabeth decided. She was listening too much to the people around her who said she’d never be Jason’s type, but he didn’t kiss her like she wasn’t his type—

Except he wouldn’t just want to kiss her. That thought had slid into her head like an assasin somewhere between the third and fourth pots of chili, and Elizabeth knew the topic of sex would come up faster with Jason than it had with Lucky. It hadn’t really ever come up with Lucky, except just that once and she knew Jason wouldn’t pressure her but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get bored—

“You look like you’re trying to figure out peace in the Middle East,” Bobbie said with a smile as she came around the corner to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Elizabeth smiled tightly. “I didn’t pay a lot of attention in history,” she said, “but even I know that’s probably not going to happen.” She cast her eyes over the diner, wincing when she saw her last customer leave—Penny’s section still had a handful of diners, but Elizabeth was done for the moment.

“I’m sorry,” Bobbie said. “About last night. I really shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Bobbie—”

“No—” Bobbie put a hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “You’re part of my family, the way that Jason is,” she added. “And I suppose I never saw it coming because in my head—” she sighed. “In my head, it’s still supposed to be Lucky.”

Elizabeth’s throat tightened and she stared blindly at the counter. “And it’s supposed to be Carly for Jason,” she muttered.

“No—well—” Bobbie pressed her lips together. “Yes, I guess maybe. Which sounds terrible since she’s married, but—”

“But you thought Jason would get her out of the marriage with Michael and they’d be a family.” Elizabeth folded her arms, picking at a loose thread in her sleeve.

“I did,” the other woman admitted. “But that’s selfish of me because Jason is a good man who deserves to be happy. And he was right—he gets to make that choice.”

“You talked to him?” Elizabeth asked, frowning. Oh, God, what had she said—

“Nothing, except that I had heard he’d moved out and was glad. He was very annoyed with me, worried I might have given you the wrong idea about how he felt,” Bobbie added. “I realize now that I heard what I wanted to hear. What I expected to hear.”

“Because Jason and I don’t go together,” Elizabeth finished when Bobbie said nothing else. “We don’t fit. I know that.”

“Elizabeth—” Bobbie tilted her head to the side. “You know, I might have agreed even a week ago, but I think I just didn’t see how much you’ve grown up. You’ve been through so much, baby. I wish I could protect you from the world, but I can’t. And Jason absolutely deserves to be happy. He shouldn’t be cleaning up after my daughter or Sonny for the rest of his life. You’re both young enough to take a risk.”

Elizabeth frowned. “You don’t look like you believe what you just said.”

“It’s not that. Just because Jason is ready to let go of the last year—”

“That doesn’t mean Carly is.” Elizabeth bit her lip. And part of her wondered if Jason really was ready to move on from Carly. He’d been tangled up with her for years—had been rushing to her rescue barely two months ago. She was supposed to think that a few months of being around Elizabeth would change that?

“Just be careful,” Bobbie cautioned. “Carly can do quite a bit of damage, even when she’s not aiming directly at you.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Hallway

 

Jason nodded at Johnny on the door. “He wanted to see me?”

“Yeah,” the guard said, shoving the door open. “Yo, Mr. C. Jason is here—”

“Good, good.” Sonny waved him in and Jason reluctantly stepped over the threshold, avoiding the other man’s eyes. Was it always going to be this way? When Robin had hurt him, she’d left town and it had been easier to get over it. To find some understanding, even regret for how everything had worked out.

But Sonny and Carly were always in his face—even if Sonny wasn’t demanding forgiveness the way Carly was—Jason was finding it harder than he thought to face the whole thing. He’d stayed too long in the studio—had hoped by the time he’d left, his brain would have let it all go. But it just wasn’t.

“I heard from my guy at the PCPD,” Sonny said. “You didn’t tell me Taggert had already gone after Elizabeth. He got a search warrant?”

“Nothing to tell.” Jason looked at Sonny’s forehead. It was easier than meeting his eyes. He didn’t know what he’d find there or if he even wanted to know. “Elizabeth handled it and he walked away. Taggert knows there’s nothing in the studio. He wanted to scare her.”

“She doesn’t scare easy,” Sonny said, folding his arms. “This isn’t going away—”

“I’m meeting with Justus tomorrow,” Jason said. “He’ll take care of it. Taggert can’t prove anything and Elizabeth can talk circles around him.” He smiled then, not realizing it, remembering the frustrated bafflement in the other man’s eyes as Elizabeth had efficiently demanded the search warrant and located an error, forcing him to back down. She was tough than she looked.

“I know that,” Sonny said. “I’m pretty intimidating when I want to be, but ever time I tried to turn it on her to get you out of the studio, she just—” He shrugged. “Either ignored me or talked me around until I was agreeing with her.” He paused. “But the PCPD is still coming after you for Moreno—”

“They can do whatever they want,” Jason replied. “As long as Elizabeth is out of it.”

“She’s not giving an alibi?” Sonny asked. “I thought she’d want to—”

“I don’t think she’d refuse,” Jason said slowly, hating that he even had to have this conversation, but Sonny’s business depended on keeping people out of jail so he, at least, had a right to know whether or not Jason was about to be arrested. “But I don’t want her to lie for me.”

“If it comes down to proving you were somewhere else—”

“Carly knows I wasn’t with Elizabeth,” Jason told Sonny with a shake of his head. “So—”

“Actually—” Sonny winced. “She does know. She saw you dancing with Elizabeth. At Kelly’s.” At Jason’s scowl, he sighed. “That’s why she was here,” he said. “She wanted to know how long that was going on. And I probably—” He hissed. “I egged her on. Didn’t tell it was probably innocent.” Sonny eyed him. “Whether or not it would be now—”

“It’s none of her business what I do,” Jason said, stiffly. “She married AJ. She made her choice. I’m making mine.”

“Okay,” Sonny drawled, waiting as if Jason would volunteer more but there was no way Jason was giving Sonny any more information about his life. Not when Sonny seemed to doubt the way Jason ran his life. He’d wanted to take Carly out of his life, so he’d taken her. Jason didn’t  want to know what Sonny might try if he didn’t want Elizabeth around.

No one going to take her away from him, unless Elizabeth didn’t want him anymore.

“Carly knows you were with Elizabeth that night. She doesn’t know exactly when you got shot. So if Elizabeth gave an alibi—”

“I’m not asking her to lie for me,” Jason cut in. “And that’s the end of it.”

Kelly’s: Diner

“So, really,” Elizabeth said to Francis as he stacked another set of chairs on a table as she mopped one half of the diner. “You just sit all day and watch me work? That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Francis said. “Mostly—” he hesitated.

“Mostly it’s to make sure the warehouse guys know I’m being protected,” Elizabeth said with a half smile. “I’m not an idiot. I told Jason about Sorel’s guys, and you showed up the next day.”

“That might be part of it,” the guard said, with a shrug. “Mr. C also likes you. Said you were top priority.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she’d ever thought about being the top priority to a man who was a notorious gangster, but nothing in her life had gone the way she’d planned since she’d moved to Port Charles. In fact, dating the number two guy in the local mob and needing a guard was probably the least traumatic experience she’d had so far. “Well, that’s probably a good place to be if someone has to be on a list.”

“It’s not bad.”

The bell over the door jingled as Jason opened it, nodding to Francis. “Hey.” He glanced at Elizabeth. “Can I—”

“Sorel’s guys sat in Penny’s section,” Elizabeth said as she moved the mop over to the section where Francis had stacked the chair. “They said nothing, just like yesterday.”

Jason winced, then tipped his head to the guard.

“Night, Miss Webber,” Francis said as he took his coat from the rack and put it on. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Corelli.”

Francis flashed a grin as he left and Jason made a face as Elizabeth finished mopping the diner. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound like he was reporting back to me—”

“It’s his job,” Elizabeth said with a shrug. She picked up the bucket, waving him off. “I let Francis stack the chairs because I couldn’t stop him,” she said as she went into the kitchen to dump it. “I don’t mind closing and cleaning up. Bobbie pays extra.”

Something was off, Jason realized as he watched Elizabeth efficiently finish all the tasks and put on her coat. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” Elizabeth hesitated, then looked at him. “Yeah. It’s just—” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s silly, but I guess I’m still—this is weird, right?” She met his eyes. “A few days ago, we were something else. And now, we’re—whatever. And it’s just—” She bit her lip, then leaned up to kiss him, blushing furiously as she stepped back. “I’m allowed to do that now and not just think about it.”

Jason returned her grin, swallowing her smile as he kissed her again, letting himself push everything else away. He sucked in her bottom lip into his mouth, soothing the nicks she’d caused by biting it.  “I know,” he murmured, as he drew back. He wound one of her curls around his finger. “But I like it.”

“Me, too.” She smiled again, slid her hand in his, and then they left to take the cliff roads.

October 23, 2020

This entry is part 8 of 27 in the Flash Fiction: A King's Command

Written in 52 minutes. Basic spell check.

“At least I know you didn’t nothing stupid last night,” Johnny muttered as he helped Jason to see to the horses while Francis took Elizabeth down to the stream to wash and stretch her legs.

Jason glared at him. “What does that mean?”

“She can barely meet your eyes,” Johnny said, with a shrug, “and you don’t look like a man who’s enjoyed the marital bed—”

Jason grabbed Johnny by the fabric of his tunic, shoved him against the tree. “You think because we grew up together that you can talk about my wife that way?” he growled.

Johnny shoved him back, and Jason lost his balance, hitting the ground. He scrambled back up and launched himself at Johnny. The two of them grunted and rolled—Jason wincing when Johnny landed a shot to his jaw, but Johnny’s nose spurted blood when Jason’s fist connected to it—

“Oh hell,” Francis muttered as he and Elizabeth returned from their short trip to find her husband rolling around on the ground with hostile Highlander. “I was hoping this would hold a few more days—”

“Aren’t you going to stop them?” Elizabeth asked, blinking up at the taciturn blond man. “Shouldn’t—”

“Johnny’s been asking for it,” Francis admitted. “He likes to needle Jason more than he should, and—” he glanced at her. “Well—”

“He doesn’t like me,” Elizabeth murmured. She wrapped her arms around her torso, staring at the men, wondering if they would truly kill one another.. She’d only really known her father and brother who were nothing like these brawny Highlanders.

“It’s not that—”

“He doesn’t trust me.” Elizabeth lifted his chin. “Neither do you. Or my husband.”

Francis nodded slowly. “It’s not personal, lass,” he said with a bit of color in his cheeks. “Just—”

“I’ve kept secrets,” Elizabeth finished. “And you three think that ‘tis so easily to transfer loyalty.” Tears stung her vision as Jason shoved Johnny again, and the other man hit the tree, grunting before he hurled himself at her husband again. “Would you think better of me if I had immediately told Jason everything that I had only just sworn to keep quiet? Why would you trust me if I broke my word? You’d only wait for the day that I did it to you.”

Francis pressed his lips together, accepted the truth of that. “Aye, well, you should know that Jason barely believes you capable of any real treachery,” he admitted. “Johnny barely trusts his own mother—” He winced as Jason punched Johnny again. “I should stop it,” he muttered. He strode forward, grabbed Johnny by the arm and shoved him back.

“Feel better?” Francis asked Jason dryly as he held Johnny back easily. “You’ve broken his pretty face more than his brother did last Michaelmas.”

Jason wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I won’t warn you again,” he told Johnny. “You’ll hold your tongue—”

“Someone has to watch your back!” Johnny exploded, “or you’ll let your—” Francis growled and the other man broke off his words, looking at Elizabeth, whose pale face suddenly colored and she stared at the ground. Johnny’s meaning was clear.

“You may not like it,” Francis told him in a low voice, “but she’s done naught to deserve the way you speak of her. You’d blacken the eye of any man who did so at home.”

“Please,” Elizabeth said softly. “I think there’s been a terrible—” Her voice faltered as she met Jason’s eyes. “This was a terrible mistake,” she finally said, but her voice was so low it barely carried on the wind. She turn and fled back into the woods.

Jason shot Johnny a scathing glare before taking off after her.

“He doesn’t even see that she’s wrapped him around her little finger,” Johnny muttered. “I’m his first, Francis. I’m supposed to challenge him—”

“Like it or not,” Francis said slowly, “she’s his wife. They took a vow in the church before God and king. She’s Lady Morgan now, and you’ve treated her worse than you’ve treated a tavern maid. It doesn’t matter what secrets or danger she’s carrying. Jason swore an oath to honor her. No one is asking you to trust her,” he said when the other man just rolled his eyes. “But show some damned respect until you know differently.”

—

Elizabeth didn’t even know where she was she was running, but the choice was made for her when she stumbled into the clearing she’d only just left with Francis, where the woods opened into a small stream.

Her chest heaving, her face flushed with shame and misery, Elizabeth stood at the water’s edge and contemplated the depth of the water. Could she go across? Simply disappear into the woods? Vanish from the world and all the people in it?

“Elizabeth.”

She closed her eyes. She’d heard his heavy footsteps behind her and hoped that he wouldn’t be able to follow—how silly was she to think she’d be able to hide from a man who likely knew these woods better than she knew the four walls of her bedroom at home.

“When we reach Perth,” Elizabeth said, relieved to find her voice steady, “you should leave me there.”

“To do what?” Jason asked, stepping up to her side, his broad shoulders brushing her arm. Elizabeth refused to look at him.

“It matters not,” she said, wishing she could dip inside his mind without having to touch him. She knew now the voice she’d heard the night before — not Jason’s, but Johnny’s, the angry man who had resented her every step of the way.

He was Jason’s first, the leader of his men, one of Jason’s most trusted warriors. And now he was quarreling with Jason, violently clashing over Elizabeth, over the secrets she kept.

How could she continue this way? She couldn’t tell any of them the truth. They’d never believe her, and she half thought Johnny would have burnt as a witch if she told them she had visions of thoughts and could hear snippets of conversations for which she hadn’t been present.

And Jason would never trust her enough to let her stay his wife. He wouldn’t chance breeding her madness and curse into his sons. Her father, in all his cruelty and anger, had been right. Elizabeth should have stayed behind.

Should have stayed quiet and invisible.

“It matters,” Jason said, “as you are my wife, and the regent has charged me with your protection.”

“It would be a mistake,” she said, “if we pretended that you could bring me to your home and others would not share Johnny’s distrust. I am not of your clan, I am from the Lowlands, and the regent forced us into this match. And—” Elizabeth looked at him, raising her chin to him defiantly. “You do not trust me.”

“Johnny disagrees with you,” Jason said slowly, “which was the source of our disagreement. I might find it difficult to accept that you keep secrets from me, but that is not the same as distrusting you.”

Elizabeth frowned, shaking her head slightly. “But—”

“And I’m sorry if you think that any of the kindness or care I’ve given to you was out of pity or a hope that I could trick you into telling me what you keep to yourself,” Jason continued. He reached for her hand, and she watched as he traced the lines of her palm, his larger, darker fingers dwarfing her own.

“I cannot tell you,” Elizabeth said softly, her breath nearly a sob. “I can never tell you.”

“I know you think that’s true,” Jason said, their eyes meeting. Not letting go of her hand, he used his other to touch her jaw. The way he had the night before. “Because your father convinced you not to. And your mother thought you should stay quiet.”

“I—”

“I am asking you to trust me,” Jason told her. “Not with your secret,” he added when she closed her eyes. “But with the rest of you. If you can promise me that your secret will bring me or my clan no harm, than I will take you at your word and not press you.”

Her eyes flew open, and Elizabeth blinked in confusion. “But Johnny and Francis—”

“Will do what I tell them,” Jason finished. “I won’t leave you in Perth, Elizabeth. Even in the Highlands, arranged marriages are common. We don’t have to be any different. I have a need of a wife. My aunt is getting older and will need more help running the keep. I want children. Sons to continue my line,” he added as her heart began to pound so fast she could hear it in her eyes. “And daughters.”

“Daughters,” she repeated, remembering their conversation the day they had wed. “Daughters would not be a burden?”

“I have a sister,” Jason reminded her. “And she was never a burden to me or my father. She’s married now, living on the Isles,” he said with a trace of wistfulness. “I haven’t seen her in more than a year. I understand the worry your brother had for you that day—it was the same I had the day Nikolas took Emily away, and I couldn’t protect her.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. It couldn’t be real. Couldn’t be possible that he was really handing her the life she’d wanted so desperately deep down inside without demanding everything in return. There was a trick somewhere—there must be—

“Elizabeth? Will you come with me?”

“I—” She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t force the words out of her throat, afraid that if she spoke them out loud, this moment would vanish and she would wake up back in the inn with an angry husband or worse — back in Annan, and this entire adventure nothing more than the dream of a silly girl.

Jason bent down to her, his lips brushing against her so softly they felt more like a caress than a kiss. And she saw it — saw what their future might be—seated beside a hearth, Elizabeth smiling at him, her body round with child—oh, and Jason holding another child in his arms, a smiling, laughing, beautiful little boy—her chest nearly ached from the vision—or was it just a dream—

“Yes,” she whispered against his mouth. She threw her arms around his neck, clumsily kissing him back with all the love she wanted to feel for him, for the dream he’d laid in front of her, and the desperate hope that he was everything he was promising to be.

October 20, 2020

This entry is part 7 of 16 in the Flash Fiction: Not Knowing When

Written in 57 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

He needed to change the locks on the penthouse. If he’d had another set of locks, he’d still be upstairs with Elizabeth where everything made sense. Instead, Jason was standing in his living room, glaring at a stricken Carly while Baldwin and Taggert awaited his answer to Carly’s question.

Why the hell had Sonny—

“Well?” Baldwin demanded, shoving the detective aside. “You marry the witness against you, Morgan, or what? Is that why Elizabeth didn’t show up for work today? You dragged her to Vegas?”

“If you have any questions for me, you can talk to my lawyer,” Jason said flatly. “And I don’t have one right now, so unless you’re arresting me—”

“Oh, we’re not here for you, Anger Boy,” Taggert sneered. “We got a material witness order for Elizabeth so we’re bringing her in—”

“What’s the criminal proceeding?” Brenda asked as she joined Jason’s side. “I thought you could only get them if there was a pending proceeding and you wanted to make sure she was available. So what’s the case? Who’s the bad guy?”

“Brenda,” Taggert said with an impatient sigh, “this doesn’t concern you—”

“Unless—” Scott gestured at the set of suitcases by the stairs that Brenda had been pawing through. “Unless Mrs. Corinthos here is wrong and the blushing bridal brunette is not Elizabeth Webber. Maybe we got the wrong idea—”

“What’s going on?”

Jason kept his expression blank as they all turned towards the staircase and Elizabeth stepped off the bottom stair. She’d taken the shower, so her hair was damp, already curling at the ends, and she’d put on the purple summer dress she’d left behind. She’d probably gotten impatient waiting for Brenda to bring her a top.

“So you are here,” Scott said, narrowing his eyes, looking at the luggage, then Brenda, then Elizabeth again. “You know polygamy ain’t legal in New York.”

“Polygamy?” she repeated.

“Carly here let your good news slip,” Scott continued, “but we were debating the actual identity of the bride since Brenda looks like she’s all moved in. Or maybe you’re just a really understanding type of wife. I mean, you practically look alike—”

“Elizabeth, we got an order to bring you down to the PCPD,” Taggert interrupted as Elizabeth just stared at the DA with wide eyes. “So—”

“Am I under arrest?” She folded her arms. “Because I need to call a lawyer—”

“No, we got questions and we want to make sure you answer them—”

“I don’t understand. How do you get a material witness order if you don’t even know the witness has any material?” Carly demanded. “You haven’t talked to her—”

“Carly,” Sonny hissed. “You’ve done enough.”

Elizabeth bit her lip, looked at Jason hesitantly, and he knew she was regretting the decision to come downstairs. He hated this. Hated her being in the middle of all of this, and hated even more than it was his friend that tippd Baldwin and Taggert off about their marriage. They hadn’t even really figured any of it out yet, and now—

“Where have you been for the last forty-eight hours?” Taggert asked. “You didn’t show up for work, and night before last, you were seen running from Pier 52 after gunshots were fired. You didn’t call to report them—”

“It’s Port Charles,” Elizabeth said, walking forward, glancing at Brenda who was next to Jason. The older brunette stepped back, but Elizabeth remained several feet from him, and he just wanted to reach out, take her hand, pull her close to him and make them stop asking questions. “Someone is always shooting at someone.”

Taggert lifted his brows. “I went to see you at your studio when we got the footage. It was almost three in the morning. You weren’t there—”

“No, I wasn’t. I flew to Las Vegas that night with Sonny.” Elizabeth twisted a silver ring on her right hand. “Jason was already there, and we were meeting him.”

“You closed at Kelly’s at midnight. You went to Vegas after that?” Taggert said. “What the hell is in Vegas?”

“We have a hotel on the Strip,” Sonny interjected. “The Cosmopolitan. We checked in around five AM Vegas time. You can call the hotel.” He flashed a dimpled smile. “We just got back last night—”

“Short trip,” Scott said. He focused on Elizabeth. “Marriages are public record, Elizabeth. All I gotta do is call the registrar in Vegas—”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said, making a face. “We got married that night when I got to Vegas. I’m sorry if I didn’t send you an invitation, but you know, you’re not exactly high on my list, Mr. Baldwin.” She flicked her eyes over Taggert’s. “You either, for that matter. “

“You got shot at on the pier,” Taggert said slowly, “then ran to Harborview Towers, hopped a plan with Sonny, and got married to Jason, and I’m supposed to think it’s a coincidence that Zander Smith showed up dead the same day?”

“I can’t tell you what to think,” Elizabeth told him. “All I can tell you is that getting married to Jason had absolutely nothing to do with Zander or what happened on the pier.” She met Taggert’s gaze head on, and Jason knew that she’d phrased the response deliberately so that every word was the truth.

“Wait—” Scott held up a hand. “Morgan was already in Vegas?” His head snapped to Jason who just stared at him blandly. “When did you get there?”

“You can talk to my lawyer,” Jason said. “Elizabeth already told you. Our marriage doesn’t have anything to do with what happened in Port Charles.”

“I doubt that. We can subpoena flight records,” Scott reminded him. “Passenger lists. Car rentals. If you were in Vegas at the time of death—” He shrugged. “Then we can let this go.” He glanced at Elizabeth. “Unless Miss Webber—I’m sorry—Mrs. Morgan—” he said with such venom that Elizabeth nearly flinched. “Unless Mrs. Morgan wants to tell us what the hell she was doing on Pier 52 after midnight? Maybe getting rid of an old boyfriend to clear the way—”

Elizabeth’s mouth dropped as Jason clenched his jaw. “Lawyer,” he repeated. “Get out.”

“Is that it, Elizabeth? Wanted to make sure Smith couldn’t mess up a good thing? Got tired of playing them off one on another—”

Elizabeth put an arm out just Jason started to step forward, blocking him from commiting assault. “If you expect me to answer any other questions,” she said, icily, “then you should get an arrest warrant. Do I need to call my lawyer?”

“Do you have a lawyer?” Taggert asked with interest. He gestured at Jason and Sonny. “Their lawyer quit after her sister got blown up because of them—”

“I’ll get a lawyer within the hour,” she retorted. “And I’ll press charges for violating my constituational rights and for trespassing. We’ve told you to leave. Twice.”

“We’ll be in touch.”

Scott closed the door behind him as Elizabeth let her head drop down, her shoulders slumping. Jason looked at Sonny, who nodded.

“Carly,” he began.

“Wait—” The blonde frowned as her husband took her arm. “No, we need to fix this—why the hell did you get married? What is going on?”

“We’re going home,” Sonny told her, “so you can do all the yelling I ignored last night.” When they were gone, Jason turned to Brenda who put her hands up.

“I already told you I wanted to be anywhere else,” she reminded him.

“I need to get my things from the studio,” Elizabeth said to Jason. She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I can do that on my own if you can get a guard—”

“No.” He shook his head, then went over the closet to get his jacket and tossed her the one she’d worn in Vegas. “No, I want to get that done.” Jason looked at Brenda. “Don’t go anywhere. We still need to figure this out.”

“Always nice to be an item on the list,” Brenda said with a roll of her eyes, but Jason was already ignoring her and steering Elizabeth towards the door.

Studio

They didn’t talk on the ride over—Jason took her on the bike with a guard following in one of their SUVs so she’d have a way to get her things to the penthouse. The guard waited downstairs while she led him upstairs, unlocking the door and shoving it open.

She’d only been gone a few days, but already the studio felt like another lifetime. Elizabeth sat on the arm of the sofa and looked at Jason. “Do you think they’re really going to come after me for this?”

“No,” Jason said, but he didn’t sound nearly as sure as she’d hope he would. “No,” he repeated. “They wanted to piss me off, make me mad enough to give them something. Taggert still thinks I did this—”

“I don’t know, Scott sounded like he was halfway to a motive,” Elizabeth admitted. She stared down at her chipped nail polish. “I mean, you think he couldn’t sell it to a jury?”

“Elizabeth—”

“Imagine me, some kind of femme fatale,” she said, trying hard to force a smile on her face. “Got a rich lover on the hook, but I gotta make the last guy get out of the picture—”

“Hey—” Jason pulled Elizabeth up to her feet and into his arms. She pressed her face against his leather jacket. “We both know that’s not what happened.”

“No, it’s actually worse,” she admitted. Elizabeth tipped her head back to look at him. “And you said it yourself. Zander made himself your enemy, and I—I didn’t do what I should have. He didn’t matter to me. Not really. We weren’t even friends, and I only—” She sighed, sliding one of her fingers down the smooth material of his jacket. “I just went to see him in the hospital, and then Lucky was there, telling me what I couldn’t do—I wasn’t going to ask Zander to stay until that happened—”

“And then I came over and told you the same thing,” Jason said, with a slight wince. “I’m sorry—”

“It still doesn’t change what I did later.” Elizabeth stepped back, that false smile still on her face. “Maybe it was partly just being scared of being alone. Of not trusting that you and I were going to go anywhere. I don’t know.”

“You made a mistake—”

“And you forgave me because that’s what you do.” Elizabeth bit her lip as she picked up the suitcase she’d brought home from the penthouse two weeks earlier and flipped it open. “And I just run away. Isn’t that what you said?”

Jason came up behind her, drawing her against his chest, wrapping an arm around her waist. “That night—in Vegas—I didn’t mean it—I was just—I was angry,” he admitted. “At you, at Sonny, myself for letting it get so crazy—”

“You meant it.” Elizabeth turned. “You’re right. You forgive me, and I just go on to the next terrible thing. And the one time that you mess up, I didn’t even—” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have let you explain. Or just accepted it and forgiven you like you do for me.”

“Elizabeth—”

“Let’s just get this stuff and go. I didn’t even really unpack from when I moved out,” she told him. “You have so much to do, to worry about—”

“It can wait,” Jason insisted. He gently pressed her shoulder so that she faced him again. He traced his fingertips down her jawline, waiting for her to meet his eyes. “I know there’s a lot going on,” he began. “And we’re not—we’re not okay yet. You and me. We can’t fix everything with screaming at each other on the street and getting married five minutes later.”

She dipped her gaze down, her chest tightening. “I know,” she said in a painful whisper. “I wish we could just pretend the rest of it isn’t there.”

“Sometimes we will,” he told her, tipping her chin up again until she looked at him. “And sometimes we won’t. Right now, I just want us to promise each other something. I don’t want you to run away again when you get scared.”

“And I don’t want you to let me go because you think I’m better off.” Elizabeth gripped the sides of his jacket, leaned up to press her lips against his. “You were right,” she whispered against his mouth.

“When?” he replied, his breath hot against her cheek as his lips traced a line to the pulse point in her neck.

“Sonny told you were hurt, and I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to get to you,” she said softly. He drew back, their eyes holding. “I do love you.”

“I love you, too. I just wish I hadn’t shouted it at you the first time I said it,” Jason said with regret in his eyes.

“I’m glad you did,” Elizabeth said. “It was actually—” She bit her lip, then grinned at him, a more genuine one that she could feel down to the tips of her toes. “Once I got past the whole being screamed at part, I think it was kind of hot.”

He laughed, leaned his forehead against hers, tugging her closer. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Elizabeth pressed her mouth to his collarbone. “So let’s get my stuff, go home and deal with Brenda so we can be alone.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

October 18, 2020

This entry is part 7 of 18 in the Flash Fiction: Shot in the Dark

Written in 21 minutes. No rereading.

 

Mykonos, Greece: Flat

After Luke had shown them whatever he had on the phone, Elizabeth had gestured for Jason to join them at the table, and Luke didn’t even look that surprised to see him. Jason wanted to throttle the other man for the grief he’d brought to Elizabeth, for the lies he’d told—but a single look at the women told Jason that he was best just standing behind them and taking his cues from them.

So they’d returned to the flat where Sonny had taken Spinelli to get started. When Jason had admitted to Elizabeth that he literally had no idea how useful he’d be during all of this, he knew that Sonny felt even more useless. Sonny didn’t even go into the field anymore—he’d been delegating that to Jason for years. But Sonny knew how to look like he had things together, so putting him with Spinelli who was good at taking orders had been the best plan.

“All of the Cassadines,” Sonny repeated, staring at his former business partner. “Mikkos. Helena. The sons.”

“And Nikolas and Jake,” Laura said faintly. She went over to Spinelli’s computer where he’d downloaded Luke’s photos, looking for any extra information he could find. She stared at the photograph, the sight of Mikkos with both of his sons.

She could scarcely believe Stefan and Nikolas had thrown in with the murderous trio, and if Luke was right, if Valentin Cassadine, the most notorious double agent DVX and the WSB had ever employed, was on his way—

“This is Endgame all over again,” Luke said.

“It’s worse than that,” Elizabeth said. Laura and Luke frowned, looking at her. “Endgame was just Helena and Stavros. They wanted revenge against you, Luke. But Lucky told me stories about Mikkos. Stories that he’d heard from you all his life.”

“He’s the one that wanted to freeze the world,” Sonny said. “He’s insane—”

“He makes insane look normal,” Luke muttered. “How sure are we that the Dark Prince and Stiffin aren’t part of this?”

“I don’t know,” Laura admitted. “But—” She bit her lip. “Luke, the Ice Princess—”

“I broke it into pieces a long time ago,” Luke reminded her. “And it’s not nearly as powerful as anyone ever said. It was just a diamond—”

“And nearly everyone sitting at that table is supposed to be dead,” Elizabeth interrupted. “And if Lucky has been brainwashed again—Helena used the diamond to do that. She used it as a trigger.”

“Let’s just focus on getting eyes on the estate,” Sonny suggested, trading an uneasy look with Jason who felt as out of depth as Sonny looked. Brainwashing, diamonds, weather machines, dead Cassadines —”

“I’m working on the network now,” Spinelli said. “I can’t work any faster or I’ll be caught.”

Elizabeth’s phone vibrated and she glanced down at it. “Patrick, Robert, and Anna have landed in Athens. They’ll be here in another two hours.”

“They’ll know how to deal with Valentin,” Luke said. “Anna trained him at the WSB before he went rogue.”

“I’m going to go call the boys,” Elizabeth told Jason. “Patrick said they’re with Lulu and Maxie.”

But when Elizabeth went to place the call to Lulu’s cell phone, it went to voicemail, and disappointed, Elizabeth left a message for Cameron and Aiden, hoping that she’d be able to keep her promise and see them again.

Scorpio House: Living Room

Dante Falconieri shoved open the door to the house, grimacing as he saw the toys strewn across the living room. He’d gotten his wife’s voice mail at the end of a long overnight shift, and the last thing he’d wanted to do was help babysit anyone’s kids.

He frowned when he didn’t hear any sounds, so he went upstairs to Emma’s room, then just stopped and stared at the two women who were sitting on the floor struggling to free themselves—

They were seated back to back, with a a rope tied around their upper bodies, tying their arms down with their mouths gagged.

Dante dragged the gag from Lulu’s mouth. “What the hell?”

“Those are not children,” she seethed. “Those are demons from hell and we are never having kids—”

He untied them, trying not to snicker. “Where’d they go?”

“By now?” Lulu huffed. “I’m sure they’ve hijacked a plane. Oh, damn, where’s Aiden?” She rushed out of the room.

Maxie sighed, shoved her hair out of her eyes. “They left a letter,” she told Dante. “Spencer said it was a matter of honor, and Cameron said something about older brothers.”

“Did Emma leave a cryptic message?” Dante asked dryly as he picked up his ringing phone, unsurprised when he learned from Carly that somehow, Joss had also disappeared, leaving a letter about how her mom should understand, she’d do it for Jason.

Just another day in Port Charles, Dante thought grimly, as he called the airport and put them on alert for short people trying to get to Greece.