Written in 60 minutes.

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Jason had been on Elm Street Pier, crossing over towards the street when the call came. And at Max’s words — “Sonny’s at Kelly’s and he’s pretty ticked off at Miss Webber. Something your sister said, I think. You should get over here.” — he’d been off and running, his heart pounding at the thought that Elizabeth might end up like Carly—

He’d jerked open the door to the diner so hard that the jingle of the bells sounded harsh and strangled. Sonny was at the counter, Elizabeth standing behind it, her eyes wide, her cheeks pale. Max hovered by nervously.

And three or four tables listening to every word. Jason swallowed hard, released the door, then stepped forward.

Sonny turned, his eyes hard and dark. “Good. She said she wouldn’t answer any damn questions until you got here. Maybe we can get somewhere.” He shot Elizabeth a look so filled with loathing and disgust that she swallowed hard, looked down. “She keeps talking in circles.”

He wanted to drag Sonny away from her — wanted to take him by the arm and shove him through the door, into the car, and just tell Max to keep driving. And maybe if it had just been the three of them, Jason would have done that—

But there were witnesses, and not only could Sonny not be seen as irrational or unstable, but there couldn’t be any hint of issues between them.

Jason crossed the room, putting himself between Sonny and Elizabeth. “I’ll answer any questions you want,” he told Sonny. “But we should go somewhere and talk. These people—” He gestured around them, and Sonny looked now, squinting then blinking rapidly. He hadn’t even noticed them, Jason realized. “These people just want to eat. So let’s go talk. You and me, I’ll—”

“No, I don’t want to talk to you. I want her—” Sonny jabbed his finger past Jason. “Courtney said it was because of her, so that’s what I want—”

“Elizabeth will come with us then.” Jason shifted, turning slightly so that he could see them both, met her eyes, hoping she could see the plea. Just let me get him out of here. I’ll take care of it.

She nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’m done in twenty minutes,” she said. “I—”

Mike appeared from behind her, emerging from the kitchen, his own eyes dark and worried. He set a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “You go on ahead, sweetheart. I’ll take care of it. Go get your things. Michael and Jason, you should wait in the courtyard, all right?”

Jason looked at the other man, at Courtney’s father, knowing he’d heard whatever Sonny had said. He didn’t want Mike to find out this way — he’d always been there for Jason, especially when Sonny had been gone. “Yeah. We’ll wait out there. Sonny?”

“Don’t try to sneak out the back,” Sonny warned her, and Elizabeth nodded, then disappeared into the kitchen. He turned to Jason, those eyes still flat, hard, and furious. “Let’s go.”

Kelly’s: Kitchen

“You okay, Lizzie?” DJ asked as Elizabeth came in, tried to open her employee locker with shaking fingers. “I called Mike as soon as—”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” She exhaled slowly. Jason had told her Sonny wasn’t doing well — that he’d been having issues, but he’d never really gone into the detail. And the Sonny she’d always known would never have started that kind of confrontation with witnesses.

“You sure you’re okay to go with them?” Mike asked from the doorway. He came over, brushed her fingers aside and used his master key to unlock it. “Say the word, and I’ll make them leave—”

“Mike—” Elizabeth hesitated. “It’s not what you think—”

“I don’t think anything right now other than my son doesn’t look well, Jason looks a little panicked, and you?” He handed her purse she’d stowed inside. “You look worried. So if you don’t want to go, then I’ll make Jason deal with it. Sonny’s out of the diner now. That’s the important thing.”

She didn’t want to go, no, but Jason had made the suggestion, not Sonny. He wouldn’t have done that unless he’d felt like he had to. “No, it’s okay. Thank you.” She met her manager’s concerned gaze. “Thank you.”

“I like Jason, I always have. He’s been like a son to me, you know. Whatever’s going on, I trust him to do his best by everyone. Including my daughter, I suppose. You’d better get out of there if you’re going.”

Kelly’s: Courtyard

“You can go ahead to the penthouse,” Jason told Sonny. “I’ll bring Elizabeth—”

“We go in the same car so you can’t get your stories straight,” Sonny retorted. “Max, call back the car.”

“We came in the limo. Dougie is circling the block,” Max told Jason as he moved aside to take out the phone, but he sent Jason an apologetic look. “I’ll get him back here right now.”

“Where the hell is she?” Sonny demanded, craning his neck, looking through the courtyard. “If she’s trying to get out of this—”

“Trying to get out of what?” Jason snapped before he could think better of it, and Sonny scowled at him. “She said she’d come with us. She’s coming. What else do you want, Sonny?”

“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” Sonny retorted, stepping towards him. “You don’t make the rules, I do—”

Jason opened his mouth, but then Elizabeth stepped out, her purse clutched her arm. “Sorry, I had trouble with the combination on my locker. Um, where—where are we going?”

Sonny reached for her, as if to grab her arm, but Jason stepped in front of him. He didn’t care if they were in public, if people were still watching from inside the courtyard. He didn’t care if Lorenzo Alcazar himself strolled into the courtyard — Sonny wasn’t going to lay a hand on Elizabeth.  “You don’t touch her. She’s coming with us, but you don’t come near her. That’s the deal.”

Sonny furrowed his brow, uncertain now. “I—” He looked at his hands, then at Elizabeth just past Jason’s shoulder. “I wasn’t going to.” His tone had changed. There was less edge now. “We’re—we’re just going to talk, aren’t we?”

“Yes. We’re going to talk,” Jason said. He nodded when Max stepped back towards them. “The car here?”

“Yeah. Yeah. We’re all set.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

The ride back to Harborview Towers was short, tense. For a moment, Sonny had seemed to shift back into his old self, and Elizabeth wondered if that meant the danger had passed — but Jason didn’t seem to think so. She’d sat next to him in the limo, on the side seat along the windows while Sonny had sat alone in the back, looking pensively out the window. She’d wanted to take Jason’s hand, to just reassure him she was here, but she was afraid it would have set Sonny off.

Max hurriedly opened the door in front of them, and Sonny strode in first then whirled around to confront them when Jason closed the door, but kept himself between Sonny and Elizabeth.

“So start talking.”

“I—” Elizabeth began, but Jason held out his hand. It was different now. They were at home, and Jason didn’t have to be as careful. He wasn’t going to put her at Sonny’s mercy.

“I want to know what the question was,” Jason said. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know what the problem is, Sonny, or why you think Elizabeth owes you any answers. So before you start interrogate her, start with me.”

Sonny pursed his lips, then stabbed a finger in Elizabeth’s direction. “Courtney told me to ask her why you’d broken up. Why you’d told my sister that you never loved her. You slept with her, didn’t you? You’re having an affair behind my sister’s back!” His voice began to rise, and Jason grimaced. He’d made a mistake — he’d tried to refocus the attention on him, but it had only pushed Sonny back to the edge—

And damn Courtney for unloading on her mental unstable brother who’d already put his hands on one woman, and sending him in the direction of another woman. A man who saw betrayal as the worst crime that could be committed against him—

“What happens with Courtney is my business—” Jason flattened a hand against his chest. “Mine. I’m the one to blame if there’s blame to be given. Elizabeth doesn’t answer for any of that, okay? She’s not part of this. You be angry with me.”

“You’re not even going to deny it?” Sonny demanded, his eyes burning. “You betrayed my sister and you’re not even going to try to lie—”

“No, I won’t. I made mistakes, and I hurt people that matter,” Jason said carefully. “I decided you were right. You remember, don’t you? Months ago, you told me Courtney wasn’t right for me. That we wouldn’t be happy. You were right. I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner.”

Sonny squinted, confused by that. “I was…I was right?” He looked down at his hands. “I was right. You—I told you to leave my sister alone,” he said more to himself. “Why didn’t you listen?”

“I thought I knew better. Okay? But I didn’t.” Jason stepped towards Sonny, sensing that he was really starting to shift and dial back. “I didn’t. Why don’t you and I talk about it, and I’ll have someone take Elizabeth home?”

“Elizabeth.” Sonny lifted his eyes, looked at her for the first time. “She said it was your fault. But you—you were here first. I don’t understand. How does that make sense?” He turned in a slow circle. “Where’s Carly? She’ll know. Courtney’s her friend. When did that happen?” he asked Jason. “Where’s Carly? Where’s Michael?”

“They’re not here right now. Sonny—”

“I’m wearing my jacket—” Sonny looked down at his sleeve. “Did I go out?” He looked up, looked at Elizabeth again. “Elizabeth. You’re here. Good. Good. I told Jason it’s good that you’re here. That you’re safe here. Alcazar, you know—he’s ruthless. He shot at you in a hospital, he’ll keep trying to hurt you.”

Jason swallowed hard. Sonny had slipped into a different time, and that always made this harder.

“I’m glad to be here,” Elizabeth said softly. “I know you and Jason will keep me safe. You always have.”

“Have we?” Sonny squinted. “You were kidnapped. Weren’t you? Jason was looking for you.”

“He found me. I’m okay. Why don’t you let Jason take off your coat? You look warm,” Elizabeth suggested. She shot Jason a look, as if asking for permission to move towards Sonny. Jason started to shake his head, but she was already stepping around him. Reaching for his jacket.

Sonny let her remove it, staring at it with confusion. “Why am I wearing that? It’s too hot for that, isn’t it? Where’s Carly?” He took Elizabeth’s arm, and Jason jolted, but it was a gentle one. “It’s good that you’re here,” he repeated. “It’s good. Jason misses you when you’re away. But you’re going to be a doctor. We’re going to be so proud of you, Robin.”

Jason came to Sonny’s side, sent Elizabeth a look that had her stepping back. “She’s going to be a great doctor. Why don’t we go sit down?”

“Yeah, yeah, we should talk about Moreno. He’s a pain in the ass. Tell Lily—” Sonny’s eyes flicked to the terrace. “Tell Lily to come in. She’ll be cold. She’s too used to Puerto Rican winters. But that’s not how it is in New York. Tell her.”

“I’ll tell her. Come on, sit down—”

Sonny frowned, looked at Elizabeth. “You’re not Robin. Who are you?” The edge was back slightly, but it was panicked. “How did you get in here—”

“Sonny—” Jason blocked Elizabeth from his view, forced his friend to look at him. “You know me, don’t you? You know who I am.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Why are you asking stupid questions?” Sonny demanded, vaguely insulted.

“Then you know you trust me. Elizabeth is with me. You know her, too. Elizabeth. You knew what she meant to me before I did.”

Sonny squinted, then looked past Jason to Elizabeth, then back at him. “Elizabeth. You take her for rides.”

“That’s right.”

“You talk about her. You were happy. She was—” Sonny pressed his lips together. “She was kidnapped, and you found her. Then she came to stay here. Elizabeth.” He looked at Elizabeth. “You left. You left Jason. And he’s engaged to my sister.”

“Not anymore,” Jason said. “Sonny—”

“Right. Right.” Sonny backed away, dragged his hands over his face. “Courtney. She told me you broke up with her. Told me to ask Elizabeth. And I did. I went. I asked you. But I don’t know why. I don’t—what’s going on? How did we get back here?” He looked around the penthouse, and his eyes were clear now. “What’s going on? How did we get back here?”

“We came back because I wanted to tell you about Courtney without witnesses. It was none of their business,” Jason told him. “I’m sorry I hurt her. I never wanted that.”

“No. No. I told you it was a bad idea. I knew you couldn’t love her. But I let it go. I let it go.” Sonny let his hands fall away, falling to his side like a child might. “It’s—I can’t make it come into focus. Why isn’t it—why can’t I keep it in focus?”

“You need to sleep. Lay down, and it’ll be okay in the morning,” Jason told him. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Yeah, okay. I can—I can do it myself,” Sonny said when Jason started for the stairs. “You should take Elizabeth home. It’s not safe out there for a woman. Not alone.”

Jason stood there in the middle of the living room until he heard the door close upstairs, then he looked at Elizabeth. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for doing this to you, for putting you in the middle. I’m sorry—”

Elizabeth just shook her head, closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his waist. “Is it always like that?” she asked softly. He sighed, rested his hands on her shoulders, then down to stroke her upper back. Just touching her, hearing her quiet breathing soothed him.

“Not always. But that was the worst. He was…between a few different times. And he usually remembers faster. I’m sorry. I should have left you at Kelly’s—”

“But he might not have left,” Elizabeth said, lifting her gaze to his. “And you needed him to go quickly and quietly. I know that, Jason. I tried not to say anything that would upset him, because you’d told me he was struggling. I just—I didn’t have any idea how bad it was. You’ve been managing this on your own?”

“Mostly. He didn’t used to lose time like this. The moods just—he’d get depressed. Paranoid. But he’s been seeing Lily and his mother. Forgetting who people are.”

“Does he ever forget you?” Elizabeth asked. She slid her hands up to his chest. “What if he forgets you?”

“I seem to be the one thing he doesn’t forget,” Jason said, and the bitterness startled him. “I told you, I’m going to fix this—”

“You can’t fix this alone, Jason. And you shouldn’t have to. It’s awful watching it happen, and it must be awful for him to live through it. To constantly question his own mind and memories. I’m so sorry. For all of you.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m fine—”

“You don’t have to say that to me, Jason. You know that. You don’t have to be strong for me. Or pretend to have all the answers. This is one of those temporary problems you were talking about, isn’t it?”

“You—and this baby—you come first, so I—”

“This baby and I are perfectly fine right now. And we will be tomorrow and the day after that. Why don’t we go take one of those rides you told Sonny about and we’ll talk about what happens next.”

+42

Written in 65 minutes.

Kelly’s: Alley

I’m pregnant.

He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even form a single word. His mind had emptied and his entire world had narrowed down to Elizabeth standing in front of him and those words on repeat. Pregnant. She was pregnant.

Jason opened his mouth, then closed it, then shook his head on a quick, short release of air. “What?” He had to hear it again. Had to be sure that there wasn’t a mistake—

Elizabeth tried to tug her hand back, but he held firm. Her eyes were a bit too wide, and her lips trembled. “I’m pregnant. I—I took a test this morning. Three of them, actually, and they all—oh—” She gasped when he suddenly jerked her forward and kissed her. He framed her face, his thumbs stroking the line of her jaw.

“I just needed to hear it again,” he said when he drew back, then rested his forehead against hers. “We’re having a baby?”

“Y-yes. Yes.” Her trembling fingers touched his shirt near the collar and she licked her lips, smiling tremulously. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad? Mad?” Jason shook his head. “No. No. I could never be—” He kissed her again, and she slid her hands into his hair, clinging to him as he backed her against the brick wall of the diner. When they broke apart, he cleared his throat. “I know the timing isn’t great—”

“Story of our lives,” she said, but she was smiling.

“—but this—all of it’s temporary. The problems with Sonny—I’m fixing them. I’m going to fix them,” Jason said, more confident than he’d been this morning. “A-and Courtney—” he hesitated now, because whatever she’d done, she’d still had a miscarriage and had been told she couldn’t have children. “But all of that—it’s temporary,” he repeated. “And this…this baby—” He couldn’t stop himself from smiling when he said the word. “That’s what matters.”

“I—I just didn’t expect—I don’t know what I expected,” Elizabeth admitted, her fingers stroking the side of his neck. “Maybe mixed feelings—”

“I love you,” Jason said, and she closed her mouth, her eyes flying to his. “I meant that. The woman I love just told me we’re having a baby. There’s nothing mixed about that for me. Is—I mean, for you—” He paused. “Maybe it’s different—”

“No. No. It’s not. Which is what’s insane to me. I mean, God, it’s all such a mess. You were engaged until last night, and I’m still not divorced—but when I realized this morning the possibility — I was so happy.” Her eyes were soft, the hint of tears in the way her voice thickened. “I thought I was crazy to feel that way, but I love you. I spent so long messing it up, but I do, I love you, and this wasn’t the plan, but, oh, as soon as it was real, it was all I could think about, and you feel the same? Is it this real life? Are we both crazy?”

“If we are, then I’m okay with that.” He slid his hand down to cover her abdomen. She was carrying their child. Right now. How could he wrap his mind around all of that? “It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens next, we’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

He tucked her hair behind her ears, kissed her again, then slid his hand down her shoulders to take her hands. “But you need to get back to work, and I have to start solving those problems I talked about. I’ll come back after closing.”

“Okay. Okay.” Elizabeth kissed him one more time, then went towards the door, looking back to smile at him. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll be here.”

She disappeared through the back door, and Jason let out of a rush of breath, scrubbed his hands over his face. Okay. Okay. He had to focus. He had to get his life together because he was going to be a father again. First, he had to fix Sonny, and that was easier said than done.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Courtney dragged the suitcase down the stairs, the bottom thudding against each and every step. She looked around the living that she’d decorated so carefully and lovingly, her chest tight at the thought of Elizabeth coming in here and taking it apart. Making it her home. She didn’t care what Jason thought, Courtney knew she’d loved him, and damn him for making her feel too guilty to even lean on her best friend right now.

She twisted the ring from her finger and flung it towards the sofa, hearing the plink as it hit the hardwood floor. Good. Let him find it one day and think about her — think about what he’d thrown away.

Courtney lifted her suitcase and headed for the hallway, taking a step back when she saw her brother on the other side of the door, his hand poised to knock. “S-sonny.”

“Hey, I was coming to see Jason—” Sonny squinted at the suitcase in her hand. “What’s this? You going on a trip?”

“I’m—I’m going to stay with Carly.” Courtney edged around him, headed for the elevator. Sonny followed.

“That’s a lot of clothes, though. Jason’s okay with you moving in with Carly for a few days? I mean, I appreciate it, but I don’t—” He scratched his chest. “I don’t want you to mess up your life because of me. I—I’m going to get this sorted. Yesterday — it’s not going to happen again.”

“For Carly’s sake, I hope not,” Courtney muttered. She jabbed the elevator button. “And don’t worry about Jason. He won’t be lonely.”

Sonny tipped his head, his mouth pinched. “What does that mean?”

She pursed her lips, then looked at her brother. To hell with it. “Jason broke up with me and told me he never loved me.”

“What? What the hell happened—”

Courtney stepped onto the elevator and pressed the buttons to close the doors. As they slid together, she said, “Ask Elizabeth Webber.”

Warehouse: Office

Wanting to get the problems fixed didn’t exactly mean Jason knew how, and he’d been a little uncertain of that even before the distraction that was currently taking over his brain. Instead of thinking of ways to get Sonny help, Jason was thinking about the state of his will, and that it would need to be updated. And what he and and Elizabeth would discuss later — she’d spoken of taking space and time — that he’d needed more time before they could talk about their future, and he’d seen the wisdom in that. But now things were different — weren’t they? And she’d kissed him back—

Every time he tried to haul himself back into the current reality, he drifted again. There would be doctor’s visits, and Elizabeth definitely didn’t get health insurance from Kelly’s. There was her divorce to consider — how to get rid of Ric would have to be on the list of priorities —

Jason glanced up when one of the guards knocked on the open door. “Yeah?”

“Bobbie Spencer is here to see you.”

Bobbie. Bobbie would know what to do about Sonny, wouldn’t she? She’d have ideas. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

Carly’s mother came in a moment later and the guard closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry to interrupt—”

“No, I wasn’t—I wasn’t getting much done.” Jason got to his feet, gestured for her take a seat. “Is Carly okay?”

“She’s at the house, resting.” Bobbie set her purse on the chair instead of sitting down, and studied him. “You’ve been under so much stress  this last year. The trial, Carly’s kidnapping, and how close we came to losing Emily — now all of this with Sonny. I wanted you to know that I’m here. Whatever you need to do to help Sonny, I want to help where I can.”

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe you might be able give me some advice. Some discreet doctors I could talk to or something. Because I can’t—I have to get this settled.” He didn’t want to be called across the hall in the middle of the night when he had a newborn—and would Elizabeth want to live in the penthouse? He didn’t think he wanted to be there, but maybe he was already six steps ahead, because what if she didn’t want to live together at all— He realized Bobbie had said something and he missed it. “Sorry. Sorry. Can you—can you repeat that?”

“I could. But you might just tune me out again which isn’t like you.” She tilted her head. “Are you getting enough sleep, Jason?”

“Probably not. I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot on on my mind.”

“You know, it’s been a long time since you and I were close, but not that long. You’re part of my family, too, Jason. I hope you know that. What you’ve done for my daughter, and it goes without saying, you’re the best uncle Michael could have.” She paused. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed…a little relieved that Courtney had already left earlier. Are you two fighting?”

“We—” Jason rubbed his mouth. “No. We broke up. Last night. But it should have been weeks ago. Carly—she doesn’t know. About any of it. And I don’t want to upset her or—”

“Trigger her into helping, I’m sure. Well, I’d say I’m sorry to hear it, but now that it’s over, I have to say, I never liked the two of you together,” Bobbie said. “I hope you don’t mind me saying that.”

“I don’t.”

“I won’t tell Carly, though she probably wouldn’t be surprised. She mentioned things seemed a bit off. That you’d basically called off the wedding. I did…” Bobbie pursed her lips, hesitated, then continued. “I did notice you talking to Elizabeth at the counter. And she disappeared not long after you left. It’s none of my business—”

“She’s pregnant,” Jason found himself saying, because he wanted to say it out loud and he thought, of all the people in his life, maybe Bobbie would understand. “We’re having a baby.”

Bobbie opened her mouth, then closed it. She pressed two fingers to her lips. “Okay, so that wasn’t in my top five, but okay. Okay. Is she—how long have you known?”

“She told me this morning. In the alley. After I ended the engagement. It’s not an affair, not like that, Bobbie. I love her.”

“I know.” Bobbie cleared her throat. “Are you happy?”

“I am. Maybe I shouldn’t be—” And Elizabeth had seemed a little overwhelmed by his reaction, too, but Jason couldn’t help the way he felt, and he didn’t want to. “I know all the reasons why this shouldn’t be good news, but I can’t pretend to feel something I don’t. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“Then don’t.” She reached for his hand, squeezed it. “Congratulations. I suppose we need to get Sonny and Carly sorted out so you can focus on your family. Let’s get started.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

The rest of her shift flew by, and Elizabeth barely felt her feet touch the ground the rest of the evening, moving through the dinner rush almost entirely through muscle memory. She’d never expected Jason to be angry about but the baby, but the joy and excitement — she hadn’t wanted to hope for it, and she hadn’t let herself feel either until she’d seen it in his eyes.

But he was happy. Ridiculously so, she thought, and couldn’t ifght her own smile, sorting through her receipts and tips. It was absolutely insane for all the reasons she’d listed, and all the rest of the ones they hadn’t talked about yet. Jason’s job, his problems with Sonny, Carly’s innate dislike of her, the drama that Courtney would almost certainly cause when she found out—and that didn’t even begin to describe Elizabeth’s worry for Ric’s reaction. He’d completely lost the plot when Elizabeth had miscarried their child, kidnapping Sonny in retaliation. How would he handle Elizabeth being pregnant by Jason, the man Ric loathed nearly as much as his brother?

All of that was on her mind, but it wasn’t at the top of the list. Not after the way Jason had reacted. Temporary problems he’d called them, and he was right. None of that had to last forever, and at the end of it—they’d have a baby. Their baby.

What would Jason want to talk about tonight? Her studio definitely featured, she thought, and she knew she’d have to bend on that. She needed an actual bathroom. A bed. A kitchen—

So absorbed was Elizabeth in her imaginary argument with Jason about moving to a new apartment that she didn’t hear the jingle of the bell over the door, but she recognized the man who walked through it, passing the handful of tables still remaining an hour before closing.

Elizabeth set her receipts down as the man approached. “Sonny. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“It sure has.” Sonny stopped at the counter, flicked his eyes around. “I thought you’d left this job.”

“I did, but that was when—when I thought I’d have a different life. Fortunately, Mike had a spot for me. Can I get you some coffee?” Elizabeth asked, half-turning towards the row of hotplates behind her.

“You can tell me why my sister says Jason broke up with her. Why you’re the reason.”

Elizabeth’s fingers twitched on the handle of a carafe, then released it, turning back to Sonny. “That’s a question for Jason. Not me. I don’t owe you any answers,” she said carefully, noting that the guard who had come in behind him was slowly stepping towards the courtyard, his hand going for the inside of his jacket. Calling Jason? She hoped.

“You don’t owe me any answers?” Sonny lifted his brows. “You lived in that house for three weeks while my wife was being held hostage in your walls. You defended that scum while she screamed her throat hoarse.” His tone softened, adopting an edge she’d never heard directed at her. “We both know you owe me at least a few answers.”

“I owe you apologies. You and Carly. Which you don’t have to accept,” Elizabeth said, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. “Whatever anger you have for me, the disgust I feel for myself is worse. I was a gullible, stupid girl who could have done so much more to stop it.”

Sonny squinted, took in those words, nodded. “All right. So if you want to make it right, you tell me right now what my sister was talking about.”

“I think Jason—”

“I think Jason isn’t here and you are. You’re so sorry, Elizabeth, then you can do this favor me, can’t you? After all, haven’t I always been there for you?”

She licked her lips, saw the guard was in the courtyard now, the phone at his ear. She’d never be able to distract Sonny long enough for Jason to arrive. She flicked her gaze back to Sonny. “Emily. The night she almost died, Jason and I were there for each other. You now how much she means to us both. It helped us remember that we were friends once. All of us. You, me, and Jason. I could always go to you, Sonny, and you were there for me. I’m so sorry that you came to me last spring—that Jason came to me— and I didn’t do that for you. I wasn’t a very good friend. And I’m sorry.”

“You slept together,” Sonny said flatly. “That’s why my sister left. Why Jason told her he never loved her. That’s what happened that night.”

“I—” Elizabeth bit her lip, looked at the other customers who weren’t even pretending not to be listening. “I think this isn’t a conversation we should be having right now. We can call Jason—”

“If the answer was no, you’d say that. So it’s yes.”

“It’s—I don’t know what Jason told Courtney or why. That’s why you should talk to him.” She reached for the phone. “Why don’t we call him and ask him to come down?”

“I’ll get to him. But I’m not finished with you yet.”

+36

Written in 58 minutes.

Harborview Towers: Hallway

Jason approached Sonny’s door with an air of caution. “Hey. Is he up?” he asked Max.

“I…” The guard cleared his throat. “I’m not sure to be honest. I haven’t heard anything, and usually it’s…Mrs. C who lets me know. I didn’t know if I should go in or—” Max paused. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.” Jason twisted the knob, then pushed the door open. The living room didn’t look that much different than when he’d last left it — except Sonny was sitting on the sofa, his head in his hands, each fist clutching pieces of his disheveled dark curls. Jason exhaled slowly, then closed the door behind him.

“Sonny?”

His friend looked over at him, a bit blindly, then slowly got to his feet. “Carly. She’s…she’s not here.”

“No, she’s not.” Jason came around the sofa. “Let’s sit down. We’ll talk about where she is.”

“Is she—I don’t—” Sonny’s eyes were bloodshot, his mouth pinched. But he sat down, stared down at his hands. They were trembling. “Is she okay?”

“She’s all right. She went to stay at one of our safe houses. You don’t remember yesterday?” Jason carefully lowered himself to the coffee table.

“I—” He squinted, looked at Jason. “No. No. I came home. We had a meeting, didn’t we? At the warehouse?”

“Yeah. You came here, and I went to Kelly’s. What happened then?”

“I—” Sonny licked his lips. “I—I don’t know. Why is she at a safehouse? What happened? Did someone hurt her? Did someone get in—”

“You thought you saw Lily on the terrace.”

Sonny’s head whipped around, stared at the terrace. “No. No. Lily’s dead. I know she’s dead. She’s been gone a long time. I know that.” He focused on Jason again. “Don’t I?”

“Yes. You do. But sometimes you forget. Yesterday was one of those days. And you didn’t recognize Carly.” Jason paused. “You tried to find out what she’d done to Lily.”

Sonny pressed the heels of both palms against his eyes. “I hurt her.”

“You shook her. Had her by the wrists. She was upset. Scared. Sonny. Michael was here. With her. He saw it.”

“M-Michael—” Sonny swallowed hard, leaned back against the sofa, rubbing his forehead. “I put my hands on Carly. Michael it. I’m seeing Lily. How is—I don’t understand. Carly’s home. Carly’s home. She’s safe. Why can’t I make that enough?”

Because Ric Lansing had given Sonny one more horror story of a pregnant woman Sonny had failed to keep safe, Jason thought with some bitterness. If not for Ric, none of this would be happening. Sonny wouldn’t be losing touch with reality, Carly wouldn’t have been terrified enough to leave him, Michael wouldn’t spend so much time crying — and Jason could have a life without worrying about the next phone call.

But that wasn’t something Jason could say. Not right now. Ric wasn’t a problem they’d be able to solve overnight, but one way or another, Jason was going to end the psycho’s reign of terror.

“I don’t know,” Jason said finally. “But it has to change. We can’t keep going like this, can we?”

“No. No, we can’t. Tell me what to do.” Sonny sat up, looked at him. “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

General Hospital: Hospital Room

Emily was sitting in a chair by the window when Elizabeth peeked around the door. “Hey. The nurse at the desk said you’d been cleared for visitors.”

Emily beamed. “I’m being discharged tomorrow. Can you believe it?”

“No, I really can’t.” Elizabeth crossed the room, hugged her lightly, then sat on the edge of the love seat beneath the windows. “You’re in remission. Why can’t you go home today?”

“Oh. Something about my immune system. I can live with another day, especially since I didn’t expect to have any, much less five more weeks. I can finally get on with my life, you know? This has taken over everything, swallowed me whole.” She crossed her hands in her lap, then tipped her head. “You look good. Better than the last time I saw you.”

“Oh, well, the power of makeup, I guess. And a shower. I slept horrible, and I looked it this morning.” Elizabeth twisted her fingers in her lap. “But enough about me—”

“We’ve been talking about me for weeks, babe. It’s your turn. Come on. Are things okay? The divorce? Is there finally movement and that’s why you’re so happy?”

“Oh. I—no.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “No. Ric is fighting it. I filed, um, almost three months ago, but he’s just…using all the tricks. Alexis says it’ll be another three months unless he gives up.” She twisted the silver ring around her finger. “You think I look happy?”

“Well, happy might be pushing it. But there’s something, right? Tell me. Please. All I’ve talked about for weeks and months is doom and gloom cancer, you know. Let me have some good news if there’s any to be had.”

Elizabeth hesitated. “Well, I don’t know if it’s good news. Especially with the way the story starts. The night…the night we almost lost you, Jason and I ran into each other in the chapel.”

“I knew it! I knew something was up between you! Jason was all squirrelly and refused to talk about you, and you were all weird—” Emily coughed. “Please continue.”

Elizabeth pursed her lips. “All right. Well, we, um, we spent the night together. And yes, I mean it the way you think.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh. But—but Jason’s still with Courtney. I don’t—what happened?”

“It’s a long story, and most of it is sad and ridiculous. Jason thought—well, he’d proposed. That was supposed to mean something. So he decided to stay and try with Courtney.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “And I told him it was okay, and wished him happiness.”

“And he was being all weird about the wedding. I guess this is why he was pissed when she was telling me wedding plans about this month, huh?”

“Yeah, I think—and this is speculation—maybe she thought if she went ahead with planning it, she could just…sort of guilt him into it. You know? Maybe I don’t know. Either way, that was a month ago. Jason and I avoided each other. Until yesterday. When Courtney set me up to see them having lunch. He was really unhappy she did that. And then you called, and they argued, and I don’t know — there’s so much that happened.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Jason came back to Kelly’s last nigh, and we talked. He told me he’s  breaking up with Courtney. That he means it this time.”

“And you said awesome, I love you, let’s be happy?” Emily said hopefully. “Because any other ending is stupid.”

“I said he’s been doing with a lot, and that I believe he means it this time, but maybe he needs some time on his own to really think about what he wants. Away from Courtney. And me.”

Emily slumped again in her chair. “You’re no fun at all.”

“I told him I loved him,” Elizabeth added. “If that helps.”

“A little.” Emily squinted. “So you’re just happy because you think Jason’s going to be single? No. There’s more. There has to be. I refuse to believe this is the ending.”

“Well—there was one more thing. I realized this morning that I was…late.” Elizabeth met Emily’s eyes. “So I went to a drug store and bought a test.” Her best friend’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Shut up. Shut up right now. Except tell me everything. Right now.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Across town, Courtney was twirling a spoon in her coffee, half-listening to Bobbie Spencer wheedle and whine to Carly, wanting Carly to leave the safe house and move into the Brownstone.

After leaving Jason the night before, Courtney had intended to pour her heart out to Carly, making sure the other woman knew exactly how Elizabeth Webber had manipulated Jason into leaving her, but then Carly had looked so tired when Courtney arrived that she stopped —

Jason’s words had cut deep, and Courtney was a little ashamed that she had thought first about how miserable Carly was going to make Jason if he broke up with Courtney instead of thinking of how much Carly probably needed Jason right now. She hadn’t used Sonny or Carly to get to Jason, and she was going to prove it by keeping her mouth shut.

“I just think that you’d be so much more comfortable me to look after you. I could take care of Michael.” Bobbie reached for Carly’s hand, squeezed it. “Come home with me, honey. Courtney can…she can stay a few nights,” the redhead said, sending Courtney a hesitant look. “I just—”

“It would be like admitting surrender, Mama. Like really leaving Sonny instead of just taking a break which is all I’m doing right now. He’s sick, you know? He doesn’t mean any of this. He really doesn’t. I love him, and we were so happy last spring. Those last few weeks before—” Carly looked at Courtney. “Remember how happy we were planning the wedding?”

I’m leaving you because I don’t love you, and I’m not sure I ever did.

“Yeah.” Courtney cleared her throat. “Yeah, we were happy.” They had been, and if Jason could just stop thinking about Elizabeth Webber, they could be again. She paused. “I’m sure Jason already has a plan for all of this.” If he’d even bothered to think about Sonny last night, she thought bitterly.

“I’m sure he does,” Bobbie said. “But—” She pressed her fist to her mouth. “Oh, I’m just so angry at Scott. For not immediately arresting Ric Lansing. For hiring him! They had everything they needed — your testimony, Michael and Elizabeth as witnesses—” She let her fist fall to the table with a thud that rattled the silverware and utensils. “Damn it. How could he work with that psycho? Who would ever work with him?”

“Maybe Scott had a good reason,” Courtney said, and Carly looked at her sharply. “Well, you know, maybe there’s something Ric can get him—”

“Sonny,” Carly said. “That’s what Scotty wants. He wants Sonny’s head on a stick, he always has. He thinks Ric is the key. But putting him in power—letting him out in the world—how could anyone think he can be trusted? Much less working in the system? It’s not like it’s his word against mine. It’s his own wife’s—”

Elizabeth again. She was everywhere damn it. Courtney tensed. “Well, maybe that’s the problem. You weren’t there to interview. Michael’s just a traumatized child. And Elizabeth, well, you know, it’s not she’s the most reliable witness.”

Carly stared at Courtney as if she’d grown as second head. “What are you talking about? She’s his wife. She found me. She knew exactly how to get into the panic room. No, Scott had everything he needed, but getting revenge was more important. It makes me sick, Mama,” she said to her mother, her voice thick now. “To think him out in the world, just walking around like he isn’t evil. Everything he put me through, what he’s done to Sonny—”

“Scott’s done a lot of underhanded things in his life, but I made it clear to him that anyone who works with Ric Lansing, anyone who treats him like a human being and not a vile monster — they’re dead to me.” Bobbie touched Carly’s shoulder. “Honey—”

“You know—” Courtney started, then narrowed her eyes when Elizabeth emerged from the back of the kitchen, tying an apron around her waist. Their eyes met, and Elizabeth arched one brow before heading over to the register.

Carly followed Courtney’s hot eyes, then turned back to her. “Did you and Elizabeth have a fight or something?”

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Courtney muttered, tossing the napkin on the table. She shoved the chair back, and headed for the door.

Kelly’s: Parking Lot

No sooner had Courtney’s car turned the corner from Elm Street to Central Avenue than a motorcycle came around the other corner and pulled in the lot. Jason switched off the engine, headed for the courtyard, eager to find Elizabeth—

But he hesitated when he saw Carly and Bobbie at the table inside. He nearly stepped back, thinking he’d come return later, but then Carly caught his eye, smiled. He tugged on the handle.

“Hey.” Jason noted the third table setting. “Is—Is Courtney here?”

“Oh, you just missed her. She left maybe a minute or two ago. You probably passed her on the road.” Carly missed Jason’s relieved look when she looked back at her plate, but Bobbie didn’t. He sat in the seat Courtney had vacated.

“How are you doing?” Jason wanted to know.

“I’m okay. I’ve got my mother.” Carly squeezed Bobbie’s hand, exchanging a smile with her, before she refocused on Jason. “Have you seen Sonny?”

“I talked to him before I came here. He doesn’t remember anything, but I told him what happened. He’s…upset. Sorry for what he did. And he agreed with me that we can’t keep going on like this. Michael can’t keep doing it, and you—” He nodded at her rounded belly. “Neither you or the baby can either.”

“And you can’t either. I know Sonny and I have been a lot to deal with lately. You and Courtney seem so unhappy, and I hate that I’ve done this to you.” Carly’s eyes watered, and Jason realized Courtney hadn’t carried out her threat. Small favors. “I’m sorry. We were just talking about Ric working at the DA’s office, and how awful it is.”

“I’ll campaign for anyone who runs again Scott in the next election,” Bobbie said caustically. “I’m so furious.”

“But Ric’s not the problem right now. Sonny wants to get help?” Carly asked. “I’m so glad. I’m relieved.”

“It was a rock bottom moment for him. But maybe if I’d pushed earlier—” Jason shook his head. No point in wondering that. “I’m looking into a few options, but for right now, Sonny and I both agreed—and I hope you do, too,  that you should stay away.”

“With me,” Bobbie argued. “She should be with me.”

“No, the house is fine. It’s temporary.” Carly nodded. “It’s temporary. I’m going home to Sonny, and everything will be just like it was before. We’ll all be happy again.”

“Let’s just get through the first part,” Jason told her. He saw Elizabeth behind the counter, caught her eye. “I’m going to get some coffee and head back to the warehouse, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Jason. I know I’m a giant pain in the ass, but I couldn’t live without you, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I know.” He touched Bobbie’s shoulder, then went to the counter. He lowered his voice. “Hey.”

Elizabeth smiled, a bit cautiously. “Hey.”

“I need a coffee to go, and to know when your break is. If we could talk.” Jason paused. “Because I ended it. Like I said I would.”

Her lips parted. “Oh. You—you. My break is right now. Penny will cover for me. She owes me. I’ll get the coffee and meet you in the alley.”

Kelly’s: Alley

A few minutes later, Elizabeth pushed the metal door open and stepped out into the alley just as Jason came around the corner. They stared at each other for a long moment, before she stepped forward. “A little different than the last time we stood out here, I guess, huh?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He reached for her hand, his thumb stroking along her knuckles. “I wanted to come back after closing. Tonight. To talk. To just…see you. I know you said we needed time, and I get it, but—”

“No, after closing is good.” Elizabeth looked up, met his eyes with a little trepidation, then smiled. “We should talk. We have to.”

Jason tipped his eyed, squinting slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing,” she repeated when he tugged her forward another inch. “I promise. We can talk about it later. I shouldn’t have said anything, except we—”  She broke off when he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Oh, I can’t think when you do that.”

“Tell me what’s going on. Why do we have to talk? Did something happen?”

She shouldn’t do this now. Not like this, not here. Not on a ten minutes break. But he was looking at her with those eyes, his voice low and soft, and he’d broken up with Courtney — she couldn’t stop herself.

“I’m pregnant.”

+41

Written in 55 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

I slept with her because I wanted to. Because I’d wanted to for years, and for the first time, I realized she still gave a damn about me. Is that what you wanted to hear?

Courtney fisted her hands at her side, her face a bright cherry red. “Does it make you feel good to hurt me this way? Because I told Ric Elizabeth switched her shifts? That means I deserve this—”

“Ric isn’t just her ex-husband,” Jason bit out, taking a step towards her and she flinched. “He’s the man who locked your so-called best friend in a goddamn panic room for three weeks. He knocked her out in front of her five-year-old son and kidnapped her, threatening to murder her and take her baby. Or doesn’t that matter to you anymore?”

“I notice he’s still breathing,” Courtney retorted. “And you sure as hell had no problem using him in Venezuela—”

“Because we needed to rescue Carly!” The words exploded louder than he’d meant them to, and she turned away from them, from the bitter anger lacing through every word. “I would have worked with anyone if it meant bringing her home safely! What don’t you get about that? And after that, he was in the goddamn system—an ADA connected to Sonny disappears right now, they’ll be crawling all over us—you care so goddamn much about Sonny and Carly, why can’t you get that? Why does any of this have to be explained to you?” he demanded. “Ric Lansing is a psychopath who was so desperate to  get revenge on Sonny he didn’t care who he mowed down in his path to get to Sonny — he went after Carly, went after you—”

“And I can’t wait to see how you excuse your precious china doll, Elizabeth, from what she did,” Courtney said scathingly. “She argued with you every step of the way, refused to believe what was in front of her face—she didn’t believe Michael—”

“She didn’t want to believe it. And I had no proof,” Jason cut in. And he’d lost Elizabeth’s trust by that point — fair or not. “She’s never backed away from it once the truth was obvious. She’s divorcing him. Trying to get him out of her life, and you handed her schedule over to him like it was nothing—because she’s nothing to you, right? Just an obstacle.”

“If you’re waiting for me to apologize, you’ll be disappointed. She deserves whatever happens to her for not believing us about Ric until the last minute. She gets to waltz around being cruel and oblivious, and you’re going to reward her for that? You’re going to leave me after everything she put you through? That’s the deal breaker?” Courtney demanded. “After this last year, you’re going to leave me for some bitch who never believes you when she should. Or are you too brain damaged to remember Zander and Lucky Spencer?”

She snapped her mouth shut the moment the words had left her mouth, and Jason took a step back, swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean that,” Courtney said. “I’m sorry. That was a low blow. I’m angry, I’m hurt, but that’s—”

“I’m leaving you because I don’t love you,” Jason interrupted. “And I’m not sure I ever did. Whatever you think Elizabeth did, you pointed the same man who terrorized Carly and Michael in her direction. How am I supposed to look at you any other way? Elizabeth—whatever happens with her or doesn’t happen—that’s none of your business. Because she isn’t the reason this is done.”

Her eyes burned with fury, tears clinging to her lashes. “One mistake. I make one mistake, she makes a million, and we’re just done. I don’t even get a second chance—you’re just cutting me out—”

“One mistake,” Jason repeated. “So all the conversations you keep having with Carly about the wedding—the ones you swear you stopped—those weren’t mistakes? Bringing it up to me when I asked you not to, telling Michael he can be in the ceremony—you’re planning for something I told you I didn’t even want. You don’t think each time I had to hear it from someone else, I didn’t see what you were doing? But I can’t blame you can, you? You just watched Carly do the same thing to me. Keep repeating something until I stopped fighting it.”

“That is not what I was doing—I needed to believe it was still happening, okay? I needed to believe you still loved me—”

“And that’s why you brought up fitting into a wedding dress in front of Elizabeth. Because you needed me to love you?” Jason repeated, and her mouth settled into a mutinous line. “No, that was vindictive—”

“Protecting the whore that ruined everything—”

“I kissed her first,” Jason interrupted, and Courtney stumbled to a stop, just blinked at him. “How does that fit into the story you’re writing for yourself? I took her to Jake’s after closing,  and I stopped her from leaving, and I kissed her first. What’s your next excuse, Courtney?”

“I can see there’s nothing I can say that’s going to change your mind. Not tonight. But you’ll see. She’ll show you who she is, she always does, doesn’t she? But this time, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself because I’m not to wait around for you to get yourself together. I loved you! I was trying to protect the life we built—”

“And you did it by using Ric Lansing. What do you think Carly’s going to think if she finds out you were talking to him? That you were trying to help him?” Jason lifted his brows again. “What about Sonny? You think that’s going to help?”

“What if I tell them what you did?” Courtney retorted. “You cheated on me with the woman that protected Ric while Carly was in a panic room—you think she’s going to make a place in your life the way I did? You think they’re just  going to roll over and let you bring her back here?”

Jason picked up his keys. “I don’t really give a damn what any of you think. I told you. Keep the ring. Keep the damn penthouse. I just don’t want to look at your face again.”

“I don’t want anything from you—” Courtney whirled around, snatched up her purse. “I’ll just go back to the safe house and make sure Carly knows exactly what you did to me—”

“Good. Go ahead. Tell Carly on the same day her husband had a mental break from reality and put his hands on her.” Jason yanked open the door when she just stopped to look at him with a scowl. “Was Carly even really your friend or did you use her to get to me?”

“You think an awful lot of yourself, don’t you? You think I’m trying to manipulate you into marrying me, that I used my brother and my best friend—”

“A year ago you hated them both. You didn’t like me much either. So, yeah, maybe Courtney, I’m asking myself a few questions I should have a long time ago.”

“I hope you die alone and miserable.” She stalked past him, and he slammed the door behind her, flattening both hands against the surface, taking a deep breath.

He didn’t know where any of that had come from, only that every word had been the truth. For the first time in months—in years—he hadn’t calculated every word he spoke, trying to protect the people around him. And when the hell had he started doing that in the first place? Hadn’t he once prided himself on being better than the Quartermaines, on speaking honestly and openly, even when it hurt?

Maybe Courtney hadn’t deserved every ounce of anger he’d flown at her tonight, but the more she’d tried to defend herself — to justify using Ric Lansing’s obsession with Elizabeth as a weapon in the war between them — the more Jason wondered just how much of the last year had been real — if either of them had loved each other at all.

He dragged his hands over his face, took a deep breath. But he’d done what he couldn’t five weeks ago. He’d made a promise to Elizabeth that he was ending his engagement, and he’d finally done it.

Now, he had to face the consequences. He had no doubt Courtney would hurry to Carly and tell her side of the whole affair, casting Jason and Elizabeth in the worst light. And maybe she’d even scurry over to Sonny at some point. He could get to Sonny first, but maybe—

Maybe Jason wondered what his so-called best friends would do when asked to choose between Jason, who’d never done anything but put them first — and Courtney, the woman who had barely been around a year.

The fact that he didn’t know — that he wasn’t sure if they’d show him the same loyalty he’d given them— it reminded him why he’d gone to Elizabeth tonight in the first place, and why leaving Courtney was just the first step in the changes he needed to make.

Studio

The weak morning sun peeked around the thick shade Elizabeth had thrown up over the sole window, hitting her right in the face. She slapped a hand over her eyes, groaned, and rolled over, hoping that the universe might grant her just five more minutes of sleep.

The movement didn’t sit right, and her stomach lurched. Elizabeth grimaced, then sat up. After leaving Jason at the entrance to the building the night before, she’d come upstairs and finished off a bag of Doritos she’d found in her small food cabinet. That, and the last of a Mountain Dew from the mini fridge, was not sitting well this morning.

“Oh, choices were made and none of them were good,” she muttered, sliding her legs from beneath the light blanket on the sofa. Her head whirled, and she had the dizzying feeling of vertigo where the world was spinning but she was staying still. Actually, it felt she was still, the world was spinning, and so was her brain, so her skull was trapped in a twisted tilt-a-whirl—

“Okay, maybe we need to think seriously about eating better.” Elizabeth got to her feet. “Because if this is a preview of what it’s going to be like waking up in my fifties, I don’t like it. We’ve got to stop late night snacking.” She braced a hand against the brick wall. “Oh, but that doesn’t explain how my head feels—what the hell—”

And then something lurched upward abruptly and violently—that tell-tale awful feeling of her esophagus being used as a cannon in the wrong direction—Elizabeth clapped a hand over her mouth, stumbled to the door, then frantically lid back the deadbolt, twisted the bottom lock, threw open the door—

And managed to make it down the hall and over the toilet just in time.

A few minutes later, after shakily brushing her teeth and rinsing out her mouth, Elizabeth made her way back into the studio, intent on heading straight for the sofa and curling up into a fetal ball of misery.

“That’s it. Vegetables forever,” she told the universe. “I’ll even learn to cook them—” As she passed her answering machine, she saw the light flickering. Curious, she pressed play, then went back to the sofa. She wrapped the blanket around herself, climbed back on the sofa and leaned her head against the back, closing her eyes.

There was a message from her grandmother, left yesterday morning. “I know you’re avoiding me, Elizabeth, but really, I wish you’d call. I want to understand what’s going. How am I to make heads or tails of any of this if you won’t explain it? You get married and then you nearly die, and then you’re getting divorced—oh, Elizabeth. I just wish you’d call.”

“Keep wishing, Gram,” Elizabeth murmured. Her grandmother would never believe the panic room story. Not about such a fine upstanding man who was working with Scotty at the DA’s office. Scotty was the son of her best friends, Lee and Gail Baldwin, and well, Scotty wouldn’t hire a madman, would he?

“Miss Webber, it’s Dr. Meadows’ office. You’re due for a follow-up, just to make sure everything is all right after….after what happened last May. You can all us at…” Elizabeth tuned out the receptionist reeling off the phone number, and had nearly dozed off to sleep, wondering why she needed a follow up.

She’d had the clean bill of health in May, hadn’t she? The miscarriage had been a tragedy, but Elizabeth had decided to look at it as the universe giving her a break. If she’d been pregnant, Ric might have hid his true nature even longer—she’d be trapped with him. Not that it was the baby’s fault, but—

And she certainly didn’t need a follow up to confirm nothing was wrong after July. She knew she couldn’t take hormonal birth control anymore, not after the embolism. She’d figure out how Ric had managed it — an overdose of estrogen was really the only explanation, the doctors had said. Maybe she’d messed up her birth control pills?

She hadn’t even been on birth control—

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, her head protesting the movement. “Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit—” She threw off the blanket and stumbled across the room to look through the papers, trying to find the copy of the Port Charles Herald she’d carelessly tossed aside the day before. October 10.

Shit, shit, shit. Something should have happened two weeks after that night at Jake’s, and she’d just…she’d lost track of it. So much had been happening, and she’d never been that regular, not with all the stress she’d always been under—

But now—now, something was supposed to happen this week—three days ago, Elizabeth noted on the calendar where she kept track of such things.

And for the second time in a row—nothing.

That night—they hadn’t exactly been careful, had they? Elizabeth exhaled on a careful breath, pressed a hand to her abdomen, looked down. “Are you some kind of magnet?” she muttered. “Because I swear to everything if you’re knocked up again, I will be—”

Excited? Happy? Terrified?

“This,” she told her belly, “would be terrible timing, and since your possible father and I are always bad at that, I am almost definitely pregnant.”

She’d just told Jason the night before he needed some time on his own, hadn’t she? He’d talked about being exhausted by the pressure and stress of always being needed, of always having to center his life around Sonny and Carly—and of course, he’d never look at a baby that way. That just wasn’t how he was built—

But this really was not the plan.

“Okay, time to stop spiraling and be an adult. I can do this. I can do this.” She’d take a shower, she’d get dressed, she’d buy a test, and everything could wait until she found out if there was even a reason to be worried or freaking out in the first place.

+45

Written in 60 minutes.

Kelly’s: Dining Room

This was not a good idea.

Somewhere in Elizabeth’s fevered brain, those words were surely being screamed, but she couldn’t hear them over the pounding of her heart, the sensation of Jason’s hands in her hair, the feeling of his skin beneath her hands as she slid them beneath his t-shirt, stumbling backwards as she felt herself being lifted onto the table, heard the crash of the napkin dispenser hitting the ground—

“Wait, wait—” With willpower she didn’t know existed, Elizabeth turned her mouth away from Jason’s, drawing in much needed oxygen, but he never missed a beat, his lips nibbling down the line of her throat, to her collarbone— “Wait—” she said again—covering his mouth with her hands, and then got his attention.

They stared at each other for a long moment, and Elizabeth nearly forgot everything all over again except how right it felt to be in his arms, to have her legs wrapped around his waist—

If they’d been anywhere else—

“Anyone can see us,” Elizabeth said, because at least that much would get through to both of them. Jason closed his eyes for a moment, rested his forehead against hers, then stepped back, carefully tugging her back to her feet, keeping one arm around her waist. “The, um, windows—”

“Yeah,” he managed, his voice rough. He looked at all the glass, giving them an excellent view of the courtyard which was thankfully empty. But anyone could have walked past and watched Jason Morgan ravishing a woman other than his fiancee on the tables inside.

“What are we doing?” Elizabeth whispered. “What are we doing, Jason? Didn’t we decide we weren’t these people?”

“What kind of people are we then?” Jason stepped back, reluctantly letting his arms fall to his side.

“I don’t know, are you still engaged?” she asked pointedly, and he sighed, looked away. “We have heat, sure. And we’re good on our own. We’ve always known that. When it’s just the two of us, it’s perfect. No surprise that the sex is good. Amazing,” she corrected when he just looked at her. “But as much as I want to be here for you, to be your friend, I’m not going to be the one you turn to when your real life gets too hard. Because if you go home to her this time, I might lose my mind—”

“I haven’t told her yet,” Jason cut in. He stooped down, picked up the napkin dispenser, set it back on the table. “I was going to. Maybe right there in the courtyard. But then something happened, and I had to take care of it. When it was over, all I wanted to do was find you. See you. Maybe I should have waited. No, I know I should have, it’s just…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Never mind. You’re right. I’ll talk to her tomorrow and then—”

“What happened?” Elizabeth asked and he fell silent. “I don’t know, am I allowed to ask that?”

“You can always ask. I just…I just can’t always answer. But—” He dragged a hand down his face. “Sonny’s having issues. I’ve never told you how bad they are, but right now, it’s as bad as it’s ever been and I don’t think what I’m doing is enough. That’s why I can’t talk to Courtney tonight. She’s with Carly at a safehouse.”

Elizabeth sat down, dread flooding her veins. “Is she all right?”

“Yeah. Mostly.” He returned to his seat across from her. “Sonny thought he saw Lily. On the balcony. He didn’t recognize Carly. When Max got inside, he had her by the wrists, was shaking her. Michael saw it all.”

She reached across the table, found his hand, covered it with her own. He turned her hand in his own, rubbed his thumb across her palm. “Max got her across the hall, and he called me. He didn’t know Lily was dead. Couldn’t remember it. He knew me, though. So…that’s something. I sedated him. He’s sleeping. And I just…I wanted to get on the bike and keep going,” he admitted in a quiet voice, so low that she could scarcely hear him. “I calmed Carly down. Courtney got home. She didn’t want to go, but I told her to. I couldn’t deal with her just then. I didn’t know what I’d say or do. I didn’t even want to look at her,” Jason bit out. “I just wanted them all to go away. They did. But they never stay away.”

He exhaled slowly, stared down at their joined hands. “So I got on the bike, and I came here. I thought if I just saw you, even if I just looked at you, I’d…I don’t know. Feel something different. And I know that’s not fair to you—”

“Don’t make me break out the line again,” Elizabeth said, and he looked at her, startled by the interruption, by what she’d said, and his laugh was short, almost a bitter sound that he immediately stifled by releasing her hand and putting both hands over his face.

“I’m going to tell her. I know how that sounds,” he added when she said nothing. “I’ve spent the last month trying to get back something I don’t think existed in the first place, and I just—I don’t want to pretend anymore. I just want something that’s mine. Instead of—” Jason stopped, swallowed hard.

“No, go ahead, finish it. There’s nothing you can say to me that’s going to change how I feel, Jason.” Elizabeth tipped her head.

“You said it, last year. Sonny’s enforcer. First, last, always,” he muttered with a bitterness that she didn’t know he had inside of him. “I told you, that stayed with me. Don’t apologize for it—” he added when she opened her mouth. “You were right. That’s all I am. I live and breath Sonny’s life. His wife, his son, his sister, that’s my entire world, and I did it to myself. I did it willingly. Courtney fits, that’s what I told you,” Jason said, and she bit her lip. “She fits because she’s made Sonny and Carly her whole life. That’s all we talk about. Is Sonny okay today? Is Carly too stressed? What should we do to make sure Michael isn’t affected? How do I handle it if it’s a bad day? Or today’s a good day, so let’s make sure we don’t do or say anything that throws it off because it doesn’t take much—I didn’t even know my sister was dying until she had to tell me.”

“She wasn’t telling anyone, Jason,” Elizabeth said, reaching for his hand, but he avoided it this time. “But I know what you mean. She wasn’t telling anyone. But if either of us had been paying attention—we know her better than anyone. Between the two of us, we’d have wrestled her to the ground and dragged the truth out. You’re not the only one who feels like let her down.”

“I just don’t want it to be like this anymore. It’s not enough. It shouldn’t have taken a year for me to figure that out, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry it did. I should have ran after you that night. Stopped you. Never lied in the first place—”

“We’re not going to do that, remember? Think about the ways we hurt each other. You told me that, and now I’m telling you. I didn’t hold on when I should have. We both made mistakes. Let’s just…let’s leave that in the past where it belongs.” She cleared her throat. “And we don’t have to get into the rest of it. I really do understand why you haven’t…why you haven’t told Courtney. I can understand you wanting to wait until this is—until Sonny’s through this—”

“I’m not—that’s not what I’m going to do.” Jason frowned, his eyes sharp, focused on her, some of the misery burned away. “I told you. I realized what was important, and I came here to tell you that. I just—I got distracted by Ric, and then—everything else. I know—I know we can’t — you need me to end things and I’m going to. But I told you. I want my life to be my own again. And I want you in it.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“You don’t believe me—”

“I do. I do,” she repeated when he just shook his head. “It’s just—you’ve—there’s been a lot today. Emily’s news, and that scene with Courtney. Everything with Sonny and Carly, and then Ric—I just think maybe—if you’re ready to end your engagement, your relationship with Courtney, okay. I don’t know if…” She bit her lip. “This is going to sound insane, and it’s not what I want, so believe me, I hate what I’m about to say. But maybe you need time on your own. Just you. I mean, I’ll be here. Friends,” she added. “But it’s been a lot this last year. You came home, and there was Alcazar, Brenda, Ric, and—it’s just been so much. For both of us.”

“You’re probably right.” Jason grimaced, looked at his hands. “I’ve screwed this up,” he muttered. “From the beginning.”

“You did the best you could. I know you did, Jason. That’s just who you are. You tried so hard not to hurt anyone that you ended up hurting yourself the most. Everyone expects so much from you, and you’re just—you’re human, okay? Remember that. You’re not responsible for Sonny and Carly. For Courtney. For Emily. Or for me. We all make our own choices and mistakes.”

He nodded, then sighed again. He got to his feet, held out his hand and pulled her up. “I’ve missed you,” Jason said. He reached for her other hand, held them both in his, looked down at them. “This—right here—this is the most right I’ve felt in weeks. Maybe longer. That night, you know what I think about the most?” When she shook her head, he continued, “when we were just talking. Laying in bed, with you in my arms. I think about that all the time.”

Damn it. Her eyes filled. She leaned up, pressed her lips to his in a short, sweet kiss, cupping the line of his jaw. “I think about that, too. The rest of the night — that was amazing, and sure, that’s in there. But mostly, just being with you. It’s all I’ve ever needed.”

He nodded, his forehead against hers. “I have to go. Or I won’t be able to,” he admitted. “Can I—can I call you or come see you tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’d like that.”

“I’ll walk you to your building…and stay outside when you go up,” Jason said, and she laughed lightly. She scooped up her purse and the light jacket she’d grabbed.

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Jason sighed, dropped his keys on the desk, then just looked at the woman sitting on the sofa. “I told you to stay with Carly tonight.”

“She called her mother.” Courtney got to her feet. “I told her that we needed to talk. And we do. First, I need to apologize for today—”

“You knew her schedule, didn’t you?” Jason asked, staring at the wooden surface of the desk. “She switched to closing, but you knew she was on the lunch shift today, didn’t you?”‘

“Yes,” Courtney said, a bit hesitantly. “I did it on purpose. I guess I wanted to know what would happen—”

“You thought I’d be reminded of how guilty I’m supposed to feel and let you set a date for the wedding.” And now he looked at her, saw the irritation in her eyes before dropping them to the ground. “Did Mike give you the schedule?”

“No. I know where he keeps it. Jason—”

He nodded, rubbed his mouth. “And then you gave a copy of it to Ric.” When her mouth just tightened, and she didn’t deny it, Jason felt sick to his stomach. “You gave him everything he needed to stalk her. That’s what he’s been doing. Every night. Did you know that?”

“I guess I don’t need to ask where you were tonight. Did you get a quickie in before coming home?” Courtney demanded, folding her arms.

“You’re not going to turn this around on me. What I did — I did. And you know, it was technically wrong because of this, but I didn’t do it to hurt you. I didn’t,” he added, when she just scoffed. “Because I just wasn’t thinking about you at all.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what you think it does,” he retorted. “I was with Elizabeth, and I didn’t think about you until I answered my phone the next morning. Not once. Does that bother you?” he asked.

“You’re just being cruel now to get back at me for telling Ric—”

“No, I just stopped caring what you think or feel,” Jason interrupted, and she snapped her mouth shut. “Just like you stopped caring what I thought. What I felt. I told you I didn’t want to talk about the wedding. That I wasn’t even sure I wanted to get to married. That didn’t matter to you. You set today up to hurt me, to manipulate me into doing what you wanted.”

Tears glimmered in her eyes, but Courtney just lifted her chin. “I see the gloves are off. Okay, good. Good. Now that you’re not worried about protecting my feelings, why don’t you tell me why you did it? What changed if it wasn’t the miscarriage I had?”

Jason shook his head. “You don’t want to hear this, so let’s just end it here. You can have the ring. You can have this place, I don’t care. But this is done—”

“If this is done, then I deserve to know why after everything we’d been through, after everything this last year, why did you jump into bed with Elizabeth? Why did you nearly leave me over it? Why don’t you feel guilty?” she demanded.

“Because I didn’t know there was a chance,” Jason said, and she simply stared at him.

“What? What does that mean?”

“Elizabeth told me I’d ruined any chance for us the night she walked out,” he said, the memory searing like acid. “And I believed her. But that night, I realized she was wrong. I slept with her because I wanted to. Because I’d wanted to for years, and for the first time, I realized she still gave a damn about me. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

+46

Written in 59 minutes.

Kelly’s: Courtyard

It was with some pleasure that Jason watched Ric’s face flush, the raspy choked sound that only came from the desperate attempt to pull oxygen from somewhere. His fingers clawed uselessly at Jason’s hands, his feet dangling against the brick wall.

For every tear Carly had sobbed last spring, painfully admitting that she’d needed a paternity test because of what he’d done, for the nightmares Michael still suffered from watching his mother being carried off by a madman—for whatever Ric had done to land Elizabeth in that hospital bed, flatlining — dying in front of his eyes —

For every doubt and guilt Ric had introduced to Sonny’s fragile psyche already weighed by down by too many crimes —

There was nothing Jason wanted more than to watch the life slowly leave this man’s body. To be the reason he no longer walked around with that smug smile as if he’d done something special getting away with kidnapping and attempted murder.

“You know that feeling right now?” Jason asked. “Dizzy, right? Your brain is screaming for oxygen. I could crush your throat and put you out of your misery, make it quick. But we both know you don’t deserve that. Do you know how long it takes to choke a man? To suffocate him? Eleven pounds of pressure, and brain death is four minutes. Maybe five.” Jason squinted. “Maybe if I press a little harder—”

“Eliz—” The sound was barely audible, but Ric’s eyes were darting past Jason.

“Don’t let me stop you,” Elizabeth said, and Jason glanced behind him, watched her take a seat at one of the remaining tables. “Just clean up when you’re done.”

He knew she was only saying that because he’d never do this in front of her. Never make her part of it, but one day— Jason stepped back, slowly releasing Ric from his grasp. “The next time, you won’t be so lucky.”

Ric scowled, smoothed down his suit jacket. “Are you crazy?” he managed to push out his hoarse throat. “I’m a goddamn ADA—”

“Don’t remind me. Stay away from Elizabeth. That’s the only warning you get.”

“If Elizabeth didn’t want to see me,” Ric said, clearing his throat, “then she’d have called the cops. How many times have I been here? Eating breakfast, catching you at closing—”

Jason shifted so that he was standing between them, but could see Elizabeth’s unreadable expression.

“I did call the police, Ric.” She uncrossed her legs, then rose to her feet. “Last summer. When I woke up from the coma that you put me in. I can’t prove it, no, but we both know you did something. I called the police, Ric. I told them what you’d done. What I found in our walls. I saw Carly, I heard her screaming for help. But she wasn’t there when they went to look, so I guess—” Elizabeth tipped her head. “I called the police, Ric, and now you’re an ADA instead of waiting for trial. You work in the system now. What good would it do to report you for stalking—”

“Stalking—” Ric’s eyes darted to Jason who kept his hands fisted at his sides. Just give him a reason. Just one. “Don’t be ridiculous—”

“Every morning I opened, there you were. And as soon as I switched to the closing shift to get away from you, there were you were again. I’ve asked, Ric. You don’t come in on any other shifts. Just mine. I think I know where you’re getting my schedule,” she said, and Ric’s nostrils flared. “I suggest you tell your source that I’m done being pushed around.”

Jason frowned. “What source? Who’s telling him information about—” He swallowed hard, looked at Ric, who straightened his tie.

“I think you’d better go while you’re still able to walk,” Elizabeth said. “Because in thirty seconds, I’m going to go back inside and tell Don he can head out.” She flicked her eyes to Jason. “That work for you?”

“Sounds perfect,” Jason said, half-convinced she meant it this time.

Ric scowled. “You wouldn’t—” But Elizabeth was already turning towards the door, pulling the handle. “Fine. Fine. But this isn’t over.” He stalked out of the courtyard on that line, and Elizabeth sighed, rubbed her chest before looking at Jason.

“Can you—would you finish stacking these chairs? I need to go wash my face and tell Don he can go home.”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure.”

“Come inside when you’re done, and you can ask me that question.”

He’d have to, Jason thought, though it was the last thing he wanted to talk about. He folded up the last of the chairs, set the table to the side, then went inside the diner.

Elizabeth emerged from the kitchen a minute later with her coat and purse. She set them on a table, then pulled out a chair. She dragged a hand through her hair, then looked up at him expectantly. “Well?”

He sat across from her. “Courtney. That’s how Ric knew when you were working. That’s his source.”

“I don’t know for sure, but yeah.” Elizabeth plucked a napkin from the dispenser, kept her eyes down. “She’s been coming in pretty steadily on my shifts. And today? She planned that, but it’s not my regular shift. I only picked it up a few days ago. I can’t think of anyone else who might have a reason to want to cause trouble for me.”

“I’m—”

“Don’t apologize. What we did, that’s on us.” She looked at him now. “You went home, you didn’t lie to her about it, and she told you she wanted to try to work things out. And I didn’t do anything to stop you. I tried really hard to just step out of that because I wanted you to…to make the choice that was right for you.” Her voice faltered just a touch, but then she swallowed. Pulled it back. “We didn’t see each other for three weeks, Jason. I’m not blaming her for being angry. For hating me. I get that. But I do blame her for telling you that you could work things out and then dragging you here to make us both uncomfortable. To make you feel bad. And I sure as hell blame her for telling that psychopath my work schedule if that’s what she did.”

“I—I don’t know how to handle that. What Ric did to Carly, to Michael, I mean he kidnapped Courtney, too—” He shook his head. “But you’re right. He had to know you changed shifts. Mike never would have told him.”

“He wanted me to call you and Sonny when he found out Ric was coming in,” Elizabeth said, a half smile. “I can’t see him telling anyone, no. Look, it is what it is, and if you’re here to apologize for this afternoon, don’t. I know it wasn’t your idea. I just—” She made a face. “Don’t let her keep making you feel guilty, okay? I know—I know how easy it is to take on that kind of guilt and let it drown you—”

“I couldn’t understand why you’d choose something that made you unhappy over…anything else,” Jason admitted. “I do now. I stayed because…”

“Because you made her a promise, Jason. I know you take those seriously. And you loved her—”

“I—” Jason leaned back. “I don’t know. I thought I did. It felt like I did for a while, but maybe—” He looked past Elizabeth, squinting. “Maybe I was just lying to myself. I wanted to love her. To be happy. So I told myself I was.” He focused on her again. “And I’ve known her a year. I don’t think I ever let myself understand how hard it would have been for you to turn your back on Lucky at that point. I just—I thought you were unhappy, there was a chance maybe you could be happy with me, why wouldn’t you…” He trailed off.

“How do you reject a miracle? When he’s telling you he loved you all along, and he thought about you all the time, and that’s how he knew he’d make it—that our love kept him alive. Even when he was being brainwashed—” Her smile was wry. “A piece of him still knew I was out there waiting for him. And you know, I think he was telling me the truth. I really think that’s how it was for him. But me?” She made a face, looked away. “I thought he was dead, so I moved on. I let him go. And then when he came home, he didn’t want me. You know when he really started to get angry about it? When you came home. When he saw how I was around you.”

“I’m sorry—”

“It doesn’t really do any good to think about any of that now, I guess. Only that, yeah, it was hard to say no to a miracle. I kept him alive, he says. So how do I say, well, that’s great but I really think I want to kiss this other guy and see if maybe that’s better, so—” Elizabeth raised a shoulder. “Anyway. I get it. You make promises, and you care about people. And that’s how obligations and guilt start pushing you down until you’re drowning and you forget who you are. What you want to be. You don’t even exist anymore. Not as individual.”

Jason nodded, looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry. That I didn’t see it then. That I made that harder on you. I know I was angry and frustrated with you at the end—”

“You always do this,” Elizabeth interrupted, and he broke off, looked at her. She was leaning forward, resting her chin on her fist, her eyes soft. “Twist and turn the subject until somehow you’re reassuring me, apologizing to me.”

“I don’t like when you’re down on yourself,” Jason said after a moment. “You’re always taking on the blame for what other people do. Even now — you think there’s a chance Courtney is the reason your ex-husband is stalking you, and you can’t even hold that against me—”

“Because she’d have done that whether you stayed or not, Jason. It’s not about you. It’s about me. She thinks I’m trying to steal you, trying to tempt you away, and instead of focusing on you, she’s focused on me. Siccing Ric on me, coming in here to flash that ring, talking about the wedding—”

Jason grimaced, muttered under his breath. “I told her over and over again that I didn’t want to talk about that—” He dragged a hand down his face. “And if she’s doing this, I don’t even know how I can look at her. You and Carly don’t get along, but you didn’t even hesitate to report the panic room. Carly said you were trying to get the phone, trying to get her out when you collapsed. It would never occur to you do something like this—” He cleared his throat. “I came here to apologize for all of that, and now there’s just more I have to deal with—”

“I can respect if you want to deal with Courtney on that because Ric isn’t exactly just my ex-husband, but don’t take it on, Jason. I know you’re dealing with so much. With Carly, Michael, and Sonny. I don’t know if things are better — I hope they are. But I don’t want to be someone you worry about —”

“You’re not. I mean, I worry about you,” Jason added quickly, with a wince. “I think about you too much,” he confessed.

Elizabeth scooted her chair back. “We should—we should probably go. Before we start talking about things we promised we wouldn’t. Thank you for getting rid of Ric for me—”

Jason stood, stopped her from picking up her purse. “I came here to apologize, yeah, but also because something else happened today.”

“Jason—” she looked at him, and her eyes glimmered. “I’m tired. I want to be there for you, the way you’ve always been for me, I really do. A-nd I’ll be mad at myself later, but I don’t know if I can do this tonight and then have you go back to her—”

“I’m not,” Jason said. He caught her hand as it reached for the purse, held it. Her skin was so soft. He hadn’t touched her in nearly a month, and now he stared down at her fingers, so soft, paler against his darker skin, roughened from being outside and the warehouse. “I realized today when she told me she forgave me that I never asked her to. I’m not sorry about that night. Any of it.”

“Jason—” His name was barely audible, just really an exhale of breath between her parted lips. “Don’t—”

“I’m not sorry,” he repeated. “The only mistake I made was going home and not keeping my promise to you. I kept the wrong promise, and for that, I am sorry.”

She squeezed her eyes closed, her dark lashes against her cheeks. “I tried to do the right thing, you know. To send you away with my good wishes. Be happy, I told you, and I didn’t want to do that. You know that, right?” Her lashes fluttered again and her eyes locked on his, a little desperate. “I know I’m awful at telling you how I feel and where you stand, and I’m never clear or I’m too clear at the wrong times and we keep messing that up. I’m sorry for that. I didn’t want to use that. I didn’t want to use the regret and the maybes but I knew I could have. I did the right thing. We both did.”

“The right thing for who?” Jason wanted to know. He pressed their joined hands against his chest, tugging her forward just an inch. “It wasn’t the right thing for me.”

“You thought it was—a-nd I wanted to be what you needed — the way you always were for me, you never fought me—”

“I fought you all the time,” Jason said, with an almost exasperated laugh, and she looked at him, startled. “You’re remembering some martyr that never existed. I got angry with you, Elizabeth, didn’t I?”

“You—” She licked her lips. “Yeah. But—”

“Because I could feel this—” He cupped her jaw with his other hand, caught one of her tears with the pad of his thumb. “I knew what this was, what it could be, and I knew you felt it, too, and it drove me crazy that you couldn’t admit it. It was all I could do not to take you by the shoulders and shake you.”

“God, I wish you had,” she muttered, then bit her lip, looked at him. “Okay. So maybe I took the wrong lessons from two years ago—”

“Why are either of us thinking about the mistakes we made? I should have kissed you.”

“I should have taken your hand and never looked back.” Elizabeth looked at the joined hands still against his chest, traced the back of his hand with her index finger. “We did the right thing back then, too. I stayed and you went away. Why didn’t I think of that? Why—” She laughed, looked up at him now with bewildered amusement in her beautiful eyes. “Why didn’t I remember how it all turned out? Because here we are. Exactly where we always end up.”

“This time,” Jason promised her, “it’ll be different.” He slid his hand from her jaw to the nape of her neck, then kissed her.

*cackles* see you friday. 

+46