No Ordinary Love

Jason has done the unthinkable and Elizabeth is unable to forget. Will they ever be able to mend their broken promises? Rated: Mature-NC-17.

Go directly to chapters 11-20

Elizabeth drummed her fingers lightly against the maple colored boardroom table. She was hardly listening to what her lawyer was saying as Diane rattled off legal jargon. She didn’t care, it didn’t matter to her how much or little of her husband’s wealth she would acquire. In fact, the thought of getting money and property just because you divorced someone was humorous to her.

There was no need to argue over who kept the china or the beach house or who would move out of the home they shared and who would stay. Her husband had already made that decision for her. He gave up everything... told her that whatever she didn’t want he would take. How noble of him, she thought. Too bad the man that she had been married to for four years was anything but noble.

“Elizabeth, you can sign here.”

She picked her pen up and signed the area specified then set it back down when Diane went back to explaining the next chapter of the divorce settlement. She tried like hell not to look in the direction of her brooding husband. Instead she focused on her hand that was strumming away at the table only to look up when Diane deemed it necessary to sign or initial a dotted line.

Even though she had not glanced his way since she entered the office she knew that he had yet to take his gaze off of her. She could feel him boring holes into her skin with his eyes. He wanted her to look at him to stare into those pleading eyes of his and rethink the divorce. That reason alone is why she refused to acknowledge his presence, for if she took the chance and looked at him she might do just that.

“Initial here.” Diane directed her.

Elizabeth scribbled her initials and dropped the pen back to the table. How many more pages would they have to go through. All it took was one signature and some fingerprints to get married but to get divorced you had to sign and initial more than fifty different documents. If only it was as hard to get married as it was to be divorced. Then maybe she would have never taken that leap of faith to begin with.

Diane summoned her attention by clearing her throat. “Will you be keeping your last name or going back to Webber?”

“I will-“

“She’s keeping it.”

Now it was time to look at her husband. “You don’t answer for me anymore!” She spat at him pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. Regaining her composure she turned back to her lawyer and answered for herself, “Yes I will be keeping my last name.” She told her calmly.

“Very well” The impeccably dressed woman said as if she had not been witness to Elizabeth’s outburst. “Then sign here.”

Ignoring her husbands very audible huff, Elizabeth once more scratched her signature across the given line.

“Almost done.” Diane told her, sensing Elizabeth’s agitation.

Elizabeth smiled warmly and hoped it was true. She needed to get out of the close proximity of her husband. Being this close to him only brought up unresolved feelings but then again she wasn’t sure that her feelings would ever be resolved where he was concerned.

“One final signature and the divorce will be processed.” Diane said pointing at the blank area on the last page, “sign here.”

Elizabeth tried to fight back the tears that pricked at her eyes. She tightly closed her lids and reminded herself that this was the way it had to be. Her husband ruined their marriage and there was no going back. She would not let herself be humiliated by him any more than she already had. Picking up her pen one last time she took a deep breath and pressed the ink to the paper. Slowly, as if having an out of body experience, she saw her name being written out before her.

Elizabeth Imogene... Her breath caught in her throat as she forced her hand to finish her name... Morgan.

There, it was done. Now she could leave her marriage to Jason with her self respect. She wouldn’t dare sit back and turn a blind eye to his misdeeds. She had too much respect for herself and her daughter.

“It’s your turn, Jason.” Diane said, pushing the paper toward him.

Elizabeth quickly glanced at him. His face was set tight and the muscle in his jaw ticked furiously as he roughly scratched his name next to her signature. She shot her stare back to her fingers when he looked up from the paper he’d just signed.

“All done.” Diane announced as she gathered up all of the scattered legal papers from the table and placed them in a manila folder. “Elizabeth, feel free to call me if you have any questions.”

“I will. Thank you, Diane.” Elizabeth said pushing herself away from the table. She grabbed her purse from the chair next to her and turned to leave without giving her soon to be ex husband a second glance.

Her heels clicked feverishly down the hallway. She couldn’t get away fast enough. All she wanted to do was go home and climb into her bed and cry herself into a deep sleep. If she could only make it to her car before the water works came, she would be doing all right. Tears began to sting at her eye’s but she blinked them away. Not here not now.

“Elizabeth!”

Not him. Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone? Why couldn’t he just accept that they were over? She quickened her pace but in vain, Jason’s long strides had him at her side in no time.

“Will you just talk to me?” He pleaded with her.

Ignoring him and pushed through the buildings exit doors and into the parking garage. He followed close behind but she paid him no mind as she walked toward her car.

“Elizabeth you can’t just act like I don’t exist. We have a child together for Christ sakes.”

His words triggered something in her, making her stop mid step. “Don’t you dare bring Libby into this Jason.” She ground out, poking at his chest. “Tell me...were you thinking about Libby when you were fucking your little whore? What about when you got her pregnant?”

Jason stared at the little finger stabbing at his chest. He had nothing to say. She was right.

“No, I didn’t think so,” She snapped, stepping away from him and to the drivers side of her car. “I’m telling you now, before you get any ideas about why I kept Morgan as my last name- I did it for Libby.” She paused and thought about their little girl. Libby was the best part of both of them. “She is innocent in this whole mess...and there is no reason for her to grow up having people wonder and ask her why her mommy’s last name is different from her own.”

Jason seemed to think her statement over. He nodded in agreement.

“And after five years of being married to a man who was married to his job and more committed to his whore than his wife, I think I've earned it.” She finished before she slid into her sleek Mercedes slamming the door closed behind her. She shoved a dark pair of sunglasses above her nose and started the engine. Taking a deep breath she pushed down on the clutch and shifted into first gear letting the car screech out of it’s parking space.

She wasn’t out of the garage a full minute before the first tear fell. This time she didn’t try to force them back. She had been doing that for the last year, pretending not to hurt when she was dying inside. Laughing when she wanted to scream and smiling when she wanted to cry. But not ever again. She wouldn’t hide behind the tinted windows and thick frames for another second. Taking her sunglasses off and rolling down the windows of her car she let all the tears she had been hiding finally fall free and finally be seen.

Loud banging on the front door boomed through the penthouse pulling Elizabeth out of her sleep. It was the first night in months where she had actually slept through the night peacefully and had someone not rudely awakened her at- she glanced over at the clock- 6:24 a.m., she would have still been enjoying her worriless slumber.

Her plan was to sleep until noon at least. With Libby staying the night with Audrey and her art gallery closed due to construction, she had no obligations and nothing to do but sleep. That was until- Bam! Bam! Bam!

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Elizabeth murmured, kicking the sheets away from her body and swinging her feet to the floor. She grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed and pulled it on, loosely securing the sash in a knot before heading out of the room.

“Elizabeth!” Bam! Bam! “Elizzz-za-beth!”

Bare feet quietly padded down the stairs. Bam! Ba- “What?” Elizabeth droned yanking the penthouse door open.

“Well,” Brenda huffed, “Is that how you greet your best friend?” She asked breezing by Elizabeth and into the house. The Brunette carelessly dropped her Louis Vuitton-Neverfull to the floor then plopped down on the couch.

Elizabeth paused at the door watching her friend leisurely kick her heels upon the coffee table before pulling the latest edition of Vogue from her monogrammed purse and thumbing through it without sparing her a second glance.

Looking up to the ceiling as if she was able to see straight through to the heavens, Elizabeth couldn’t help but wonder what she had done to deserve this so early in the morning.

“Good morning Mrs. M.”

She had been so busy trying to figure out Brenda that she completely overlooked her guard. “Max, I’m sorry, good morning.”

“It’s no problem.” He leaned in close so that only Elizabeth could hear his words. “I tried to keep her away,” He tilted his head in the fashionista’s direction, “But she never listens to me.”

Elizabeth waved his concern away. “Don’t worry about it Max. She never listens to anyone. Thank you.”

The broad guard smiled and closed the door leaving Elizabeth and Brenda alone in the living room. “I’m going back to bed.” Elizabeth dryly informed Brenda then headed for the stairs.

“No... Come sit, talk with me.” Brenda pleaded patting the cushion next to her.

“Bren, I don’t feel like talking, I feel like sleeping and that is exactly what I am going to do.” Elizabeth ignored her friends continued protests and climbed the stairs for her room. After slipping back into the cool sheets she settled down closing her eyes and welcoming the already descending sleep.

It wasn’t long before she felt a heavy intrusion flop down next to her. Without opening her eyes she groaned, “Brenda, go back downstairs.”

“Sorry, can’t do that Elizabeth.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you need a friend right now.”

Elizabeth lifted her head from the bed, “You know what I really need right now?” She asked lifting a pillow. When Brenda shook her head no Elizabeth answered her own question, “Sleep.” She let her head fall back to the bed and buried it under the pillow.

Brenda ignored her request for sleep. “So how did yesterday go?”

“It went,” Was Elizabeth muffled response.

“How did Jason look?” Brenda probed.

“Like Jason.”

“I mean...” Brenda drawled out, “Was he upset or calm?”

Elizabeth removed the pillow from her head, “He was stoic... and brooding.”

“Typical Jason.” They both nodded in silent agreement. “He brought it on himself.” They nodded again. “Don’t kill me," Brenda hesitantly began, "But I honestly thought that after Courtney lost the baby, you two would work things out.”

Elizabeth drew her bottom lip into her mouth. “Yeah, me too. But things were just too far gone.”

“He’s still in love with you and you can deny it all you want but you are still in love with him too.”

Sighing Elizabeth looked to her friend. “Sometimes love isn’t enough.”

“And sometimes it's everything,” Brenda countered.

Wanting the conversation to end Elizabeth got out of bed and walked to her closet in search of something to wear.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed.”

“To go where?”

“What is this 20/20? I’m going to the gallery to check on the construction progress.”

“I thought you wanted to sleep.” Brenda said sheepishly.

“Like I was going to get any more sleep with you here.”

Brenda giggled and hopped off the bed, “Good, after we leave the gallery let’s go to Kelly’s and grab a bite to eat. I can already hear the apple turnover’s calling my name.”

It had to be the fifth shot of tequila that pushed him over the edge and into hangover status. At the time drowning himself in a bottle of Jose Cuervo seemed like the right thing to do- now-not so much. Jason regretfully shifted in his bed. The subtle action left his head pounding. Groaning, he lay completely still waiting for the ache to level out.

He shifted once more and felt a warm body nestled close to him. He wasn’t alone in the bed.

Without opening his eyes he replayed the previous night’s events in his head. After he left Diane’s office he drove around eventually ending up at Jake’s where he tied on more than a few drinks. Then... He was drawing a blank and he didn’t like it. Lifting his lids just enough to steal a glance at the woman accompanying him he cursed himself realizing it was Courtney. A very naked Courtney. He lifted the blanket to peep at his state of dress... no definitely undress. Fuck, he bemoaned. How could he have slept with Courtney again?

Courtney moaned in her sleep and pressed her body against his.

All Jason could think about was getting out of the current situation. He didn’t feel like talking to her and as she grinded her body against his he realized that he really didn’t want to go for a round two with her either. Hell, he couldn’t even remember round one. His only choice was to brave his splitting headache and get the hell out of his hotel room.

Cautiously so as not to wake the sleeping blond he removed himself from the bed. Blood rushed to his head upon standing causing a hard throb to shudder through his body. He fought to keep himself upright under the strain it caused. Regaining his countenance he started toward the bathroom for a shower being sure to sidestep the used condom that lay haphazardly on the floor. It was a good thing that in his drunken stupor he remembered to use protection. The last thing he needed at this point in his life was a child with Courtney.

“Jason.”

So much for a quick escape. “Go back to sleep Courtney. I have a couple of meetings today that I need to get cleaned up for.”

“Mmm, can I come with you to... clean up?” She asked, seductively.

“I don’t need the distraction.” He mumbled before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him, then locking it for good measure.

He stepped into the steaming hot water and let it wash away yesterday’s and last night’s indiscretions. It seemed like the more he tried to fix the problems between Elizabeth and himself the bigger of a hole he dug them into. What could possess him to sleep with Courtney again? He had spent the last seven months since Courtney miscarried trying to make up for cheating on Elizabeth with her and he jumps right back into bed with the woman when the ink was barley dry on his divorce papers. No wonder Elizabeth didn’t believe that he was able to stay committed to her anymore, he was doing a horrible job of it.

Back a year ago when the affair with Courtney started he had tried to rationalize his actions away. He placed the blame everywhere but on himself. He blamed Elizabeth for being to busy with her gallery. He blamed Sonny for assigning him to look out for Courtney. He blamed Courtney for seducing him. He even blamed Carly’s disdain for Elizabeth and love for Courtney for driving him into the arms of the other woman. The truth was it was no ones fault but his own. Somewhere along the line he lost himself and in the process he lost his wife.

When the affair was brought to light a rapid domino effect took place. Sonny was livid and lashed out, Elizabeth was hurt and embarrassed, his daughter’s life was turned upside down. Everyone took sides. Brenda and Sonny sided with Elizabeth and Carly along with Emily stayed true to him, though he was without a doubt in the wrong. That was Carly and Emily for you. Standing by him even when he had gotten a woman besides his wife pregnant during an adulterous affair.

After the fall out he wanted more than anything to get Elizabeth back and he honestly thought that after Courtney lost the baby that they had the perfect opportunity to bridge the rift between them. But Elizabeth saw things differently. She was convinced that he was no longer the man she knew and had fallen in love with all those years ago in Italy.

Now Elizabeth was divorcing him, his best friend hated him, Brenda could hardly look at him and his four and a half year old daughter was wondering why daddy lived in a hotel room instead of at home with her and mommy.

The only thing left to do was let her go. What was the point of holding on if it only hurt her. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause her any more pain. Elizabeth wanted to be free of him and after all he had put her through that was the least he could do. Willingly free her from their broken marriage give her whatever she wanted and hope that they could remain civil for their daughters sake.

Now if he could only get his heart to believe the words his mind was spewing.

At only twenty-six years old Elizabeth had made a name for herself in the art world. She was praised for her eye for fine pieces and many came from around the world to get a look at the beautiful paintings, sculptures and photography that [i]E. Morgan Gallery Inc.[/i] had on display.

People looked up to and respected her in the art world. Up and coming artists looked  to her for advice and the more seasoned ones wanted to show their work at her gallery. She was a success and that knowledge made her proud.

“Things look great,” Elizabeth assured her contractor after a full walk through of the premises.

Her  art gallery hadn’t been in need of a face lift but with the divorce weighing heavily on her and the gallery being her only escape she decided that sprucing up the place might actually help spruce up her mood. For the most part it did help her by giving her something to focus on other than Jason and her failed marriage.

An exuberant Brenda tugged Elizabeth’s shoulder into a lopsided hug. “I love all of  the change’s E.”

Elizabeth smiled at Brenda’s nick name for her, “Thanks Bren. I hope that the viewers and buyers like it just as much as you do.”

Brenda gave her a bubbly smile, “Oh they will and if they don’t then they don’t know what true beauty is.”

She was in awe of not only how far Elizabeth had come but their friendship as well. What had started out as two mob wives confiding in one another had turned into and unlikely but unbreakable bond.

Brenda thought about the little girl who had come back from Italy with Jason a married woman. Elizabeth was still wet behind the ears and just a kid at a mere twenty one years old. Brenda could still remember Jason bringing Elizabeth into Sonny’s penthouse and introducing her as his wife. Sonny didn’t look at all surprised, Brenda on the other hand had been shocked.

It was hard for her to comprehend that the young girl she remembered as Lucky Spencer’s girlfriend was married and to Jason of all people. She couldn’t, for the life of her, understand why such a promising young woman would want to be tied down to a downer like Jason Morgan. With his one word responses and glacial stares. She was sure that Jason had bullied the tiny wisp of a woman into that alarming union.

After getting to know the young woman better she found that Elizabeth wasn’t the type to be forced into anything. She was free spirited and strong willed and she knew how to handle Jason “The Grinch” Morgan. Elizabeth also had the ability to make Jason smile and sometimes laugh - a real laugh. No, Elizabeth was not the fragile porcelain doll many viewed her as. She was a strong woman and Brenda was happy to call Elizabeth her friend.

They finished their inspection of the new and improved E. Morgan’s with Elizabeth signing off on the last bit of paperwork from the contractors. Brenda then shuffled Elizabeth off to Kelly’s for a late breakfast.

Jason’s hangover was subsiding but his stomach now ached for food. He contemplated going back to his hotel room, sleeping the last remnants of his headache off and ordering room service chili. The only problem was that the hotel’s chili sucked. The only place that served his favorite version of chili was Kelly’s and the only other person who could make it taste as good as they did, was his wife.

A slow smile played on his lips as he thought about the lengths that Elizabeth had gone just to learn how to make his favorite meal. She knew how much he loved Kelly’s chili so she enlisted the help of Mike to assist in teaching her how to make it. Elizabeth had been secretive about the whole thing leaving Jason to wonder what she was up too and why she was spending so much time at Kelly’s.

Then one night she surprised him with her very first lone attempt at making the red-hot substance.

The beefy meal wasn’t her crowning achievement but it was the best batch of chili he had ever tasted. Maybe it was because she followed it with a second, even bigger surprise. After they had finished eating the chili Elizabeth handed him a tiny box with shiny gold wrapping. He hadn’t been expecting the chili let alone, a gift and he sure hadn’t been expecting it to contain a pregnancy stick with two solid blue lines.

Eight months later Libby Audrina Morgan made her way into the world. They couldn’t have been happier. Now look at them. Fractured, broken shells of their former selves, all because of him.

Brenda and Elizabeth gabbed and laughed through their breakfast. Elizabeth only poked at her french toast not eating it while Brenda gulped down two apple turnovers and all three slices of Elizabeth’s bacon. She was stabbing into her friends french toast when Courtney and Carly hustled in through the door.

“Suddenly I’m not so hungry anymore,” Brenda mumbled dropping her fork down to her plate.

Elizabeth turned to see what had taken her friend’s appetite away. “Ugh. The Doublemint twins. Ignore them.” She said turning back to the table.

The two blonds either didn’t notice Elizabeth and Brenda sitting only feet away or didn’t care because they continued their loud, crass conversation without a care.

“His divorce will be finalized in a few months and he will be free to move on without guilt.”

“Do you think he is really all that guilty?” Carly asked, “He did sleep with you just last night.”

Courtney smirked, “You’re right, and he didn’t seem to have a bit of guilt this morning if you know what I mean.” She winked.

“Oh, you’re bad,” Carly teased.

“You know what?” Elizabeth asked her friend. “We should go.”

Brenda was two steps ahead of her, already waiving their waitress over before Elizabeth finished the sentence. ‘Thanks Georgie, you were great,” She said handing the young server three ten dollar bills. “Keep the change.”

Elizabeth was up and to the door before Brenda had a chance to grab her purse. She hung around the entrance of the diner waiting on Brenda and was shocked when she saw her friend not walk to the door but instead step over to the two blonds.

She vehemently shook her head no as Brenda positioned herself between Carly and Courtney. Brenda ignored her, tossing Elizabeth a devilish grin before opening her mouth to give the two blonds a piece of her mind. Elizabeth was out of the door before the first insult was tossed.

Elizabeth loved her friend and she appreciated that Brenda wanted to stand up for her but she didn’t feel that they were worth it. Carly and Courtney were in a class by themselves and stooping to their level only left her feeling all sorts of filthy.

Elizabeth was on her way to the car to wait for Brenda when she spotted Jason rounding the corner she was headed for. It was too late to turn back and she would see him tonight anyway while dropping Libby off at his place so she figured that instead of running from him she would just face him.

Upon turning the corner Jason’s eyes immediately locked with Elizabeth’s. He had not expected to see her at Kelly’s the day after they’d signed divorce papers and seeing her right in front of him, looking so damn gorgeous caught him off guard. He let his eyes rake over her. She was dressed in a simple deep blue scoop neck tank top and a  fitted knee length white skirt. Her blue stiletto pumps accentuated the soft calf muscles of her shapely legs.

He would give anything to feel those legs wrapped tightly around him again. “Hey,” He offered.

Elizabeth noticed the way that Jason had just ravished her body with his eyes and cautiously replied to his greeting, “Hi.” She tried, in vain, not to take every inch of his masculine frame in. It was hard considering he was so damn sexy. Even in a Hanes T-shirt and jeans he was able to make her swoon.

She forced herself to recall the unsavory conversation between Courtney and Carly she had just overheard. That was the only way she would be able to snap out of her unwanted thoughts of him. It worked. Elizabeth pulled her eyes from his and allowed the bitterness she had for him to seep back into her system.

She easily spun on her heel and took off in the opposite direction. She had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she needed to get far away from her husband at that moment. Elizabeth had been so determined to get away from Jason  that she didn’t notice that he had followed her and was rapidly closing the distance between them. In fact she didn’t know that he was behind her until he grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him.

Shocked and surprised Elizabeth stuttered  her words. “Ja- wha- Jason! What are you doing?”

What was he doing? He had no clue. All he knew was that he was unable to watch her hurting anymore. “I-I don’t know,” He confessed.

She was so close to him he could smell her sweet scent. It invaded his senses arousing him and angering him at the same time. Realizing their close proximity and his strong hold on her arm he abruptly let her go. “I’m sorry.”

Unsure of what he was apologizing for the only answer Elizabeth was able to offer was, “It’s okay.”

Husband and wife stood in awkward silence, neither knowing what to say next.

Breaking the silence, Jason cleared his throat before he spoke. “Do you want me to pick Libby up from Audrey’s?”

“No.” Elizabeth answered too quickly. Jason’s recent actions were sitting less than well with the elder woman at the moment and Elizabeth felt it was best not to add insult to injury. “No, I’ll get her and drop her off at your place in two hours.”

He nodded in response, then took a deep breath before he spoke again, “Elizabeth...”

“Elizabeth you would not believe the way I told those heifers off!” Brenda’s voice interrupted Jason’s words as she burst from the diner. She stopped short after finding Jason with Elizabeth. “Oh no you don’t.” She wagged a perfectly manicured finger at the enforcer.

“Bren -” Elizabeth started only to be cut off by the fiery brunette.

“If you’re looking for your mistress, she’s inside. Although I don’t know why you let her off her leash to begin with,” Brenda snapped.

Jason choose not to pay Brenda any attention. “Elizabeth if we could -”

Brenda inserted herself between the two, cutting off Jason’s words and giving him her back, “I think we should go,” She announced then stepped to the side to wait for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked from Brenda to Jason, “I think we should too,” She agreed before sidestepping her husband and walking off with Brenda.

Jason turned and watched the two dark-haired women casually stroll away. Frustrated, he ran a rough hand over his eyes then walked back toward Kelly’s only to stop mid step remembering Brenda’s admission about Courtney and Carly dining there.

Jason weighed his options; His favorite chili from Kelly’s and deal with Courtney or the sub par chili from his hotel? Suddenly, room service chili sounded very appealing.

“Libby? Gram’s?” Elizabeth called out as she walked into the house she had spent the latter part of her teenage years in. The place hadn’t changed one bit  in the nine years since she had declared her independence and moved into her studio. Even her bedroom was the same. “Libby?”

“Hello Elizabeth. We were just in the back yard.”

“Oh,” Elizabeth turned to see her grandmother coming in through the back door, “Hi Gram’s, is Libby on the tire swing again?”

“Yes she is. She loves that swing,” Audrey answered before leading them into the kitchen. “Hot chocolate?” She asked, pulling two mugs from a cabinet.

“It’s kinda warm out,” Elizabeth said taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“That never stopped you before,”

She was right. “Sure, hot chocolate sounds good.”

Audrey nodded and went about moving through the kitchen, preparing the hot chocolate that she knew her granddaughter loved. “Libby told me that she will be with her dad this weekend.”

The statement sounded more like a question to Elizabeth. “Yes, this is her weekend with Jason.”

Audrey grunted, “Do you really think it’s safe?”

She was in no mood to discuss the dangers of Jason’s job again, “It’s safe Gram’s. Jason has guards.”

“You say it so casually Elizabeth, like it’s normal for a child to grow up surrounded by guards.”

Elizabeth fought to keep her eyes from rolling. How many times had they had this conversation? Audrey didn’t even change up the words. It was just rinse, wash, repeat and it was down right annoying. “What would you have me do? Not let Libby see her father?”

“I wish you wouldn’t have gotten mixed up with him in the first place. But it’s too late for that now isn’t it?” Audrey set a mug in front of Elizabeth then took a seat across from her. “I always wanted more for you Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth stared blankly into her mug. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “By more you mean Lucky, right?” Without looking up she blew on her coco and waited for her grandmothers ‘Lucky is holier than thou’ speech.

Audrey looked to her granddaughter, “Well, he did help you through one of the worst points in your life. He is a police officer, on the right side of the law mind you. He is a kind, loving husband to Emily and a wonderful father to their sons. He-”

“Gram’s,” Elizabeth cut in. “ I don’t need a recap of Lucky’s life. I have lived in the same town as him for years. Yes, Lucky helped me through a horrible time but we would have never worked. He was not the man for me.”

“And Jason was? Look at what he did to you Elizabeth. He cheated on you and got another woman pregnant.”

Elizabeth gave Audrey an indignant glare, “Thanks for bringing that up every chance you get.”

She brought the mug to her lips and took a quick sip the steaming liquid. Too quick because she earned a scalding burn to her tongue and corner of her top lip. “Damn it!” This was not her day. Elizabeth placed the mug back on the table and pressed her fingers to the burn.

“Elizabeth, you really need to watch the words-”

Elizabeth was already preparing her rebuttal when Libby’s scream flooded through the back door and into the kitchen.

Startled, Audrey and Elizabeth rushed to the back of the house. Elizabeth reached the back door before Audrey and saw her daughter laying on the ground, flat on her back-knees bent and feet planted against the ground, holding her arm in pain.

Elizabeth immediately ran to her daughters’ side. She carelessly dropped to her knees and landed on  a sharp rock that scraped the bare skin of her knee. Ignoring her own pain, she focused on her daughter. “Libby, baby are you okay?”

Libby’s long dark tresses splayed against the green grass. Her skin was flushed red and  her cerulean blue eyes, duplicates of Jason’s, were brave, not a tear in sight. She looked up at Elizabeth as she struggled to get up from her current position.

“Don’t move her!” Audrey called out to her before disappearing back into the house.

Elizabeth followed her grandmother’s advice. She made sure that Libby stayed completely still and  assured her that everything would be fine. “What happened?” She calmly asked.

“I fell from the branch,” The little girl pointed with her good arm to the long branch sticking out from the large tree.”

Elizabeth looked from the tree back to her daughter, “You tried to climb the tree?”

Libby smiled triumphantly and shook her head no, “I [i]did[/i] climb the tree.”

Mother and daughter shared a small giggle before Audrey reappeared in the doorway with a first aid kit. When she made it to them, she gave Libby a quick once over. Seeing that the only injury sustained was to the little girls arm, she helped the four-year-old up to sitting position.

Elizabeth watched Libby stay brave and completely aloof to her injury. She couldn’t help but smirk at the sight. Her daughter had just fallen from a tree branch suspended at least six feet above them and the only noise she made had been her initial scream. Elizabeth figured even that wasn’t from the contact with the ground but rather the fall from the tree.

She stroked her daughter’s auburn locks and spoke soft soothing words while Audrey gingerly examined the girls’ tiny limb. Libby remained calm. The only clue to the little girls pain was shown through her wincing when Audrey touched a sensitive area of her arm. Libby’s disposition came as no surprise to Elizabeth or to Audrey for that matter. It was not in her nature to overreact.

Libby looked to Elizabeth, her face was set in a brave smile, “I’m okay mama, really I am.”

Elizabeth hushed her protests and continued stroking her hair. It was just like Libby to try to reassure her when she was the one hurt. She was so much like Jason it was sometimes scary.

After a thorough inspection of her great granddaughter’s arm Audrey sighed wearily, “Well, from what I can tell it’s not broken but I think she should go to the hospital to be sure everything is fine.” The elder woman waited for Libby’s displeasure and sure enough it came.

“Do I have to go?”

Audrey and Elizabeth exchanged glances. “Yes Libby you have to go,” Elizabeth told her before she  scooped the little girl up in her arms and carried her around the house to the car. After securing Libby in her seat and telling Audrey that she would call with any news she got behind the wheel and headed for General Hospital.

They were late. Jason had tried Elizabeth’s cell phone three times, each one going to her voice mail. It wasn’t like Elizabeth to be late or even cut her phone off especially when she was with Libby. After the third hour passed with no call from her, he even thought about calling Audrey’s, hoping that Elizabeth and Libby were still at her house. The only problem with that choice was that if he called and they weren’t there he would have to endure Audrey’s ever present criticism where he was concerned.

He and Audrey endured each other but only for Elizabeth and Libby’s sake. When they weren’t around all bets were off. Audrey became as snippy as she wanted to be and he got his subtle digs in here and there also.

Pulling his cell out of his pocket Jason hit send only to  receive her voice mail again. He pushed down his gut feeling that something was wrong by reasoning it away. Elizabeth had to have a perfectly good explanation for being late, not calling him and having her phone off. At least she better have a damn good explanation.

With all other options exhausted, he decided to call Max to see if Elizabeth was at the penthouse. He knew that Elizabeth hated to be checked in on and always gave her guards strict instructions to not disclose her whereabouts to him but at the moment he just didn’t care about her wishes. He wanted to know where she was and if she was okay.

Just as he was about to call Max his phone vibrated in his hand. Jason flipped the cover open, sure the caller was Elizabeth about to ramble off some excuse to him. Truth be told he didn’t care for or need an excuse just as long as his girls were fine. “Elizabeth.”

“No Jase it’s me Emily.”

“Sorry Emily, I was expecting a call from Elizabeth.”

“Actually, that’s why I was calling... Elizabeth brought Libby in with a broken arm.”

“Broken arm! How did she-”

“I don’t have the details, I only saw them in passing. I just thought you needed to know.”

“I’m on my way.” Jason hung up. Grabbing his keys, he headed out of the door.

“See, it’s not that bad now is it?” Elizabeth teased her daughter about the tiny exam room they were waiting in.

Libby scrunched her nose up, “It smells.”

Elizabeth laughed at her. “You’re right.  It does.”

“Why is it taking them so long?” Libby asked, holding her arm tightly to her side.

“I wish I knew.” Elizabeth tapped her foot on the white linoleum floor and glanced at her watch. They had been at the hospital going on four hours.

There must have been a full moon out because the ER waiting room had been packed and the hospital staff was moving at a snails pace tonight. Since Libby’s arm appeared to not be broken they ended up having to wait behind all of the more serious injury’s, which were plenty, before they were seen.

That took about two hours then they had to wait for ex rays to be taken and now they were waiting for the results. Libby had been a trooper and Elizabeth was thankful. Most four year olds would be antsy and inpatient but Libby wasn’t most four year olds.

There was a knock at the door followed by a tall, handsome, dark-haired man peeping in on them.

“Libby Morgan?”

“That’s me.” Libby answered.

The man walked in and Elizabeth saw that he was wearing blue scrubs. Tall, dark and handsome was a doctor and a fine one at that. Elizabeth scolded herself for thinking about the doctors looks at such a inappropriate time.

“Hello Libby, I’m Dr. Drake but you may call me Patrick.” He turned his attention to Elizabeth. “Well this must be your big sister?” The doctor gave Elizabeth a boyish grin.

Oh yeah, he was cute, “Her mother. Elizabeth Morgan.” She corrected then held her hand out for the doctor and he took it in a firm shake. His hand lingered a little longer than proper but Elizabeth didn’t mind.

“So is my arm broken or not?” Libby asked making both doctor and mother drop hands.

Elizabeth gaped at her daughter, “Libby that was rude. Apologize to the doctor.”

Pouting, she offered an apology, “Sorry.”

“It’s quite all right Libby.” Patrick said, “If I was in your position I would want to know if my arm was broken too. And to answer your question, no, your arm is not broken but it is sprained.”

Elizabeth looked to the doctor with question etched across her face, “Sprained?”

“It’s a lot like a sprained ankle.” Patrick explained, “I’ll wrap it in a sling for you Libby and it should stay that way for at least a week. After that your arm will be as good as new,”  He assured both mother and daughter flashing a sincere smile that showed off a set of handsome dimples. “Let’s get started.”

Patrick went about fitting Libby’s arm in the sling. His gaze traveled to the worried mother more than a few times. He let his eyes fall over her figure. She had an amazing body from what he could tell. Curves in all the right places. Lush pink mouth, big blue eyes and the softest milky complexion he had ever seen.

He also noticed that she was unattached. No engagement or wedding band adorned her slender ring finger. Why she wasn’t taken, he had no clue but he did know he wanted to find out more about her.

After Patrick finished wrapping Libby’s arm, he gave her a red lollipop. She was an adorable little girl, she actually looked a lot like her mother big blue eyes dark hair, adorable smile. He glanced at Elizabeth sitting quietly watching them. “What happened?” He asked motioning toward her mouth.

Elizabeth touched her lip realizing he was referring to the burn, “This? It’s nothing.  I just burned my lip earlier.”

Eager to help the beautiful woman, Patrick pulled out a small tube of medicated burn medicine from a nearby drawer. He surprised Elizabeth by kneeling down on one knee and reaching for her face. “I’m just going to apply a thin layer to the burn.”

Elizabeth nodded and let the doctor work his magic. He carefully dabbed a cotton swab in the ointment and applied it to the corner of her mouth. “It was hot chocolate.” Elizabeth’s confession was breathy.

“Mmm. Hot chocolate,” Patrick replied.

Elizabeth let her deep blue eyes drop to Patrick’s bright hazel ones. He really was a good-looking man. Her face flushed at the thought. There she was again thinking about how great the doctor looked.

“Daddy!”

Libby’s exclamation had Elizabeth jerking away from the doctor. Jason stood at the doorway staring strangely at the sight in front of him.

Patrick stood up and stepped away from Elizabeth. The tension in the room was suddenly palpable. The man at the door, apparently Libby’s father, stayed silent while Elizabeth tripped over her words.

“Jason how did you... What are you...Libby just- well she...” Flustered Elizabeth looked to her daughter for help, “Libby?”

Libby shrugged her shoulders, “I sprained my arm,” She assisted.

Jason was fuming. His daughter was sitting in a hospital room with her arm in a sling and his wife was... what exactly? Aggravated by the sight and wanting his daughter near, Jason strode across the small room to Libby. “Are you okay sweetheart?” He asked, inspecting the sling.

When she nodded, Jason picked her up in his arms. “Is my daughter finished?” He asked the doctor without making eye contact with the man who had just been too close to his wife for his liking.

“She’s done.” Dr. Drake turned his attention away from the other man back to Elizabeth. “Bring her back in a week, just to be on the safe side.”

“I will do that Dr. Drake,” Elizabeth smiled at the doctor as she stood up.

“Please, call me Patrick.” The Dr. ordered.

“Patrick,” Elizabeth played back, doing her best to ignore the evil eye her husband was giving her.

Fed up with his wife’s googly-eyed manner, Jason grumbled a “thanks” under his breath before walking out of the exam room with Libby in tow.

“Please forgive him.  He’s not a people person.” Elizabeth tried explaining Jason’s actions to the doctor.

“Is he your husband?” Patrick was fishing for any clue as to whether or not the gorgeous woman was taken. “I’m sorry that’s none of my business.” Patrick looked away, slightly embarrassed by his own forwardness.

“Yes and no.” She blurted out without thinking. Her admission made the doctor eyes snap back in her direction. She shifted under his intense scrutiny. “I don’t really...”

“No, no, I shouldn’t have asked. Where are my bedside manners?” He joked. 

“It’s fine.” Elizabeth assured him, “I should go.”

“Of course. I’ll see you and Libby back here in a week?” The doctor asked, his tone hopeful.

“Yes. One week.” Elizabeth headed for the hallway in search of Jason and Libby.

Patrick hung back in the exam room debating whether or not he wanted to try and guarantee that he would see her again. Just because Elizabeth said that she would bring Libby back didn’t mean she necessarily would. And what if she did bring her back? He couldn’t be sure that he would be the one to see them.  Another doctor might. That thought was enough to send him calling after her.

“Elizabeth?”

The brunette turned back to the doctor when he spoke her name. “Did I forget something?”

“No and yes.” He smiled, “You forgot this,” Patrick handed Elizabeth his card. “Call me if you need anything,” Elizabeth’s raised eyebrows made him add, “For Libby.”

“I will,” She quickly took the card and thanked him again before rushing off to a glaring Jason.

Patrick watched as the threesome stepped onto the elevator. They really made a beautiful family. Which begged him to wonder what had happened between Elizabeth and her husband to bring them to a yes and no marriage?

After thinking it over the physician concluded that Elizabeth’s yes and no marriage didn’t matter to him one way or the other. As long as there was a grey area in their union, which there appeared to be, there was room for him to get to know Elizabeth better. And that, Patrick promised himself, he would.

Elizabeth followed Jason, carrying a sleeping Libby, into the penthouse. He hadn’t spoken since they left the hospital. The last words he spared her were on the elevator, when he told her that Libby would probably be more comfortable sleeping in her own room for the night. She agreed and the rest of their trip home was wordless.

Taking Libby to her room, Jason disappeared upstairs.

Exhausted, Elizabeth stepped out of her heels and headed for the kitchen. After dealing with Brenda’s antics, Courtney and Carly’s earlier conversation, her Gram’s negative attitude and Libby’s sprained arm the only thing she wanted was a stiff drink. But since she and Brenda had finished the tequila off two nights ago a beer would have to suffice.

After dressing Libby in her pajamas and tucking her into her bed Jason returned to the living room. He had been silently fuming on the ride home. Not only had Elizabeth neglected to call and let him know about Libby but he found her flirting with a doctor when he arrived. Just thinking about the doctor being so close to Elizabeth had him seething. And the fact that Elizabeth actually seemed comfortable with the man bothered him even more.

He was jealous.

The last time he’d experienced the green eyed emotion was years ago when he returned to Port Charles with Elizabeth in mind and found that Lucky had beat him to the punch by returning from the dead. He had spent many days inwardly cursing the sight of Elizabeth with Lucky but in the end he had claimed his rightful place in her heart. Too bad he didn’t keep it.

Clattering coming from the kitchen brought Jason out of his thoughts. He started toward the noise nearly tripping over Elizabeth’s blue spiked heels. That was something he thought he would never miss; Elizabeth’s tendency to leave her many shoes strewn about the floor, but he did.

Reaching the kitchen entryway, Jason stopped and quietly watched his wife. He couldn’t see her head because she was leaning into the fridge but he could hear her. She was humming, slightly off-tune, and tapping one small foot on the hardwood floor. She pulled out a bottle of beer and turned to the counter letting the refrigerator door swing shut on it’s own.

A corner of Jason’s mouth cocked up in a half smile while he watched Elizabeth fish a bottle opener out of a drawer and pop the cap off. She was still oblivious to his preying eyes as she placed a bag of kettle corn in the microwave and set the timer.

Everything about the scene he was silently observing made him long for Elizabeth. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Jason’s voice surprised Elizabeth, who didn’t know he was behind her, causing her to visibly jump and spill a bit of the frothy liquid from her bottle.

Spinning on her heel she faced her husband and tried to explain. “Because it happened so fast,” She reasoned, “One minute I was talking to Audrey and the next Libby screamed out in pain. The only thing I could think to do was get her to the hospital.”

Elizabeth stopped talking, realizing that she still had no idea how Jason knew about them being at the hospital. “How did you find out anyway? Did my grandmother call you?”

Jason took two steps into the kitchen, “No Emily did.”

“Emily?” Elizabeth raised a delicately arched brow, “How would she know?”

“She saw you bring Libby in and thought her father would want to know about his daughters broken arm.” He paused and eyed her, "Didn’t you think I would want to know that my daughter was hurt?"

Elizabeth switched her beer bottle from one hand to the other, “It wasn’t broken Jason and it wasn’t Emily’s place to tell you it was.”

“She’s my sister Elizabeth.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” She retorted, wiping the palm of  her free hand on the side of her skirt.

“This isn’t about Emily,” Jason said, trying to stay on the topic. “It’s about Libby and broken arm or not, you should have called.”

Tiring of the tedious argument Elizabeth gave in, “You’re right.  I should have called. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

 Jason nodded and switched the conversation to what was really bothering him. The doctor. “You and the doctor looked cozy.”

“Oh please Jason.” Elizabeth flicked her wrist at him and took a sip from the cold bottle. There was no way she would be baited into an argument with him over nothing.

Unsatisfied with her response Jason pressed her for more answers, “Do you know him?”

Elizabeth replied nonchalantly, “No, I just met Patrick.”

“Patrick?" He huffed, "You’re already on a first name basis?” Jason tried to keep his tone even but his rising jealousy betrayed him causing his words to come out clipped with bitterness. A muscle in his jaw ticked up and down before he made himself ask his next question, “Do you like him?”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at her husband, “Do I question you about why you're sleeping with Courtney when the ink is barley dry on our divorce papers? No, I don’t, so give me the same respect.”

“I’m not still-”

“Save it Jason,” She snapped talking over the loud beep resounding from the microwave that let her know the popcorn was done. “I heard all about last night, straight from the horses mouth. If you want to keep your indiscretions discreet then you should really think about putting a muzzle on your girlfriend.” Elizabeth turned to the sink. “You should go,” She tossed over her shoulder.

Elizabeth was right. He should go. But something kept him rooted in the kitchen. Maybe it was the fact that though he could not see her tears but he knew they were there. Maybe it was just that he longed to be near her regardless of whether she wanted him around or not. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

Whatever it was that kept him from leaving also put his feet in motion; Jason swiftly diminished the distance between him and Elizabeth. It also had him plant his hands on either side of Elizabeth’s on the counter and made him press his chest to her back. That something must have been in the air because Elizabeth didn’t protest against his advances. Instead she dropped her head when he nuzzled his nose at her neck.

Jason inhaled her scent. She smelled like a cross between her shampoo and favorite lotion. Lilac’s and black raspberry’s. It was an intoxicating mix and that along with the silky warmth of Elizabeth’s neck had Jason’s blood rushing to his groin. He unconsciously grinded his middle against Elizabeth’s lower back and she responded by pushing her rear back toward his erection.

It had been so long since he felt her this close to him...  almost a year in fact. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed her and in that moment all he wanted was to make things right, he needed to fix what he had broken. With that in mind Jason let his tongue run tiny circles over her neck before seizing the shell of her ear. Elizabeth quietly moaned and dropped her bottle to the sink with a clang.

Jason took her response as an open invitation. Wrapping a large hand around her tiny waist, he spun her around and captured her lips with his. His tongue pushed into the moist crevices of her mouth. The sweet taste of her sent a shiver running through his body. Jason kept his mouth fused to hers as he slipped his hands under Elizabeth’s shirt. His fingers found the front clasp of her bra and once it was free they claimed her taut nipples.

Elizabeth arched her back and pressed herself into his touch. She welcomed the feel of his weathered fingers against her nipples as Jason squeezed and twisted the tiny buds between his thumb and index fingers. God, the man could still work magic with those hands.

Jason broke away from the kiss long enough to hoist Elizabeth’s bottom onto the counter top. He pushed her shirt above her breasts then engulfed one firm mound in his hand before taking the blush nipple in his mouth.

Elizabeth laced her fingers through his soft wheat colored hair. She closed her eyes enjoying his blissful ministrations and allowed her head to lean back and rest against a cabinet. Jason hadn’t touched her like this in months, well to be fair, she hadn’t let him. But man-o-man did she miss this... miss him.

Feeling the way Elizabeth’s fingers tightened in his hair when he nipped at her nipple, Jason repeated the action. Yearning to bring her more pleasure, he turned  his attention to the other nipple, drawing the hard bud deep into his mouth. One hand held tight to her fleshy mound while the other trailed up her smooth calf, behind her knee then between her thighs.

Jason slid his hand up her skirt and Elizabeth widened her legs to allow him better access to her. His hands found the less-than-there material of her panties and easily moved them to the side. He teased her wanton desire by lightly skimming his finger down her slit. In return, Elizabeth pushed her center toward his hand, letting Jason feel her hot and wet against his fingers. The teasing stopped and Jason gave in, giving her what she wanted.

A gasp escaped Elizabeth’s lips and filled the spacious kitchen as Jason thrust two fingers deep into her pulsing hot center. The forceful pump of his fingers coupled with the gentle ministrations of his mouth over her nipple was just about too much to take. In a fit of passion she called out his name. Jason hushed her cry by moving his hand from her breast and placing a single finger over her full lips. She quieted out of fear of waking Libby but still moaned deep within as she rode against his hand.

It felt so good to let herself be loved by him.

Rubbing his thumb over the engorged apex of her clit, Jason could feel the beginnings of her orgasm coming. He knew her body well, being that he had possessed it for six years. He knew just where to touch and how to touch to send her over the edge. The speed of his fingers increased, delving deeper into her wet chamber. He curved the tips of his fingers inside of her, earning a guttural moan from Elizabeth. Her muscles began to twitch around his fingers and he knew she was about to climax.

Jason finally moved his mouth from her breast and reclaimed her mouth in a quick kiss. He pulled away only to watch Elizabeth’s eyes as she climaxed over his hand. It was something that he loved to see and apparently she still knew it because she locked her eyes with his as her body jerked and clamped around his fingers. He watched her pupils dilate. Her normally bright eyes clouded over with ecstacy  and the sapphire orbs widened then darkened, turning deep indigo. She looked like a woman possessed.

Elizabeth called out his name again, only to have Jason mute her response in a hard, bruising kiss. His teeth nipped at her plump bottom lip then soothed it by running his tongue over the red flesh.

Bone-weary, Elizabeth reluctantly pulled away from Jason. Her weakened frame shrank back against the cabinet and her fully exposed chest heaved as she tried to level out her breathing.

Jason let his head fall to Elizabeth’s shoulder but he kept his fingers deep inside of her body. He kissed her shoulder lightly before whispering her name, “Elizabeth.”

 Her eyes fluttered open then dropped back down heavily, “Hmm.”

Loving the feel of her warm chamber wrapped tightly around his fingers, Jason pumped his fingers into her again, “I miss you so much,” Came his breathy response.

Elizabeth rocked against his hand but said nothing. What was she supposed to say... that she missed him too? She did, but what good would telling him that bring? It couldn’t change the past or make Courtney go away and it would not miraculously unsign their divorce papers.

His fingers stilled inside of her, “Elizabeth?”

“Yes.” She hummed with her eyes still closed.

“Look at me.” Jason waited for Elizabeth to open her heavily lidded eyes then repeated his earlier statement, “I miss you.” When she didn’t return his admission, he removed his fingers from her slick cavity. Stepping back, he looked long and hard at his wife. She was the picture of perfection everything he always wanted and everything he once had. But, he realized, she no longer wanted him the way he did her. The hurt Jason felt over that silent admission sent a pang straight to his heart.

Hot tears stung at the back of Elizabeth’s eyes then pooled on her bottom lids before slipping down her cheeks. She knew what her not returning his words would do to him but actually seeing it broke her heart. “Jason,” She called after him as he backed further away from her.

Jason didn’t stop so she hopped down from the counter. Pulling her shirt back down over her breasts she followed him out of the kitchen. He was already at the door before she made it to the living room, “Jason!”

He halted and turned back to her, his face desperate and his eyes, a tornado of emotions, “I can’t apologize anymore. You know how sorry I am for what I put you through but the words are meaningless if you can’t accept them, Elizabeth.” Jason walked  to her and cupped her face in his hands. “Will you ever be able to forgive me?” His crystal blue eyes searched her deep sapphire ones.

Out of habit, Elizabeth’s hands wrapped around his wrists. She opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to form the words to tell him that [i]yes[/i] she could forgive him. That she missed him and they could try again. As much as she wanted to her heart wouldn’t let her. It was worn out. The past year had taken it’s toll and rendered her emotionally spent.

Jason dropped his eyes from hers and his hands from her face. Running a tanned hand through his short spiked hair, he sighed deeply. “A- All right,” His voice was thick and shook as he spoke, “I’ll let go.” He turned and quietly left without looking back to his wife.

The door closed, leaving Elizabeth standing frozen in time and space. She listened to the slow foot falls of motorcycle boot’s thump away from the door and heard the elevator doors slide open. As the elevator doors shut closed so did her eyes, freeing the tears she didn’t know she had been holding back.

For close to a year she had been asking-no-begging Jason to stop holding on to her. She’d pleaded with him to just let her go. But now that he finally had, Elizabeth wasn’t sure if that was what she truly wanted after all.

“Another round?”

Fully immersed in his thoughts Jason barely heard Jake’s question. Even after nodding his head ‘yes’ he wasn’t completely sure he had heard what the bar owner had asked him.

“You wanna talk about it?” She asked, sliding him a shot glass filled with a dark tequila and a fresh bottle of Corona over the slick surface of the bar.

Jason thought the sullen look on his face would answer the question for him but looking at Jake he could tell that it didn’t so he answered, “No.”

“Well if you ever do...”

“I know.”

He heard Jake sigh as he threw back his third shot. She felt sorry for him but he didn’t deserve it and he didn’t want it. He had done nothing to garner pity from anyone and he would be damned if he took it. He turned his glare on the bar owner in an attempt to get her to leave him alone. It worked. Jake gave him one final look of sympathy then turned her attention to other patrons.

After leaving his-correction-Elizabeth’s penthouse, he hopped on his bike and let the Harley take him wherever it saw fit. No surprise, he ended up at Jake’s bar. The dive had become his place of escape. Jake’s was the only place he could go to get away from his real life and to get his mind off of Elizabeth.

Only one problem, his old pal Jose Cuervo was no longer able to relieve him of  thoughts of his wife. He had become numb to his hard liquor of choice. The drowning effect it once had was long gone and he was now swimming in his sorrows. Reliving them over and over. Replaying all of his many mistakes repeatedly in his head. He had become unable to close his eyes and shut the wrong he’d committed out. He no longer had the power to plug his ears and mute the cacophony of guilt he had.

He had cheated. No one forced his hand. He had lied to Elizabeth. No one made him. And he had not only lost his wife but his family as well. Those were the consequences of his actions and his alone.

Jason had been so contemplative that he didn’t notice the woman who had been lingering in the shadows, watching him the better part of his stay. She sauntered across the bar after Jake handed him his last round. And after he threw back his shot she slipped onto the bar stool next to him.

“You might want to slow down a bit.”

You might want to mind your own business, Jason thought. He didn’t look up to see whom the husky female voiced belonged to. His eyes remained fixed on the condensation droplets from his beer bottle that were pooling around his fingers.

“Strong-silent type, huh?”

Tipping the bottle to his lips, Jason ignored the woman. He hoped that she would take a hint and go away without him having to tell her he was uninterested.

“You’re not mute, are you?”

The crass comment made Jason cut his eyes in the woman’s direction. She was attractive; Dark hair, dark eyes, large breasts- probably fake- but who cared, nice body. Still, that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t feel like being bothered. “I’m not in the mood for conversation.”

She grazed a finger lightly over the back of his hand, “We don’t have to talk.”

The innuendo was not lost on him and had it been any other time he might have taken the woman up on her offer but at this point in his life he didn’t need any more complications. “I think I’ll pass.” He told her removing his hand from her touch.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Jason,” he answered, signaling for Jake. When she approached, he handed her his fare. “Thanks,” He grumbled before standing.

“Well Jason,” The woman stepped to the floor, “I’m Sam, it was nice meeting you.” She held her hand out to him but he didn’t take notice, seeing as he was hardly looking at her.

“Yeah, you too,” He mumbled, before striding away from her and out of the bar.

“I can’t apologize anymore.”

“Will you ever be able to forgive me?”

“I’ll let go.”

Jason’s head was swarming with the last words he had spoke to Elizabeth as he fumbled with the key card to his hotel room. Opening the door he breathed a sigh off relief when he was greeted with a pitch black room.

No Courtney. Why had he given her access to his room again? That’s right... because he was stupid. Was stupid. Not anymore. Whether he was going to be with or without Elizabeth, he didn’t know, only time would tell. What he was sure of  was that he would [b]not[/b] be with Courtney.

There was no future for them. There never had been. Courtney was nothing more than a distraction. He, sadly, used her when he had hit a ruff patch in his marriage. For a little while, when they were joined together, he was able to forget the problems that he and Elizabeth had at the time. Problems, that in retrospect, were minuscule compared to the ones that his cheating had caused.

Now his escape in Courtney had been replaced with an escape in alcohol. It had the same relieving qualities. Regretfully, it also dawned the same wearing off effect that left him with the real truth... That he was a screw up.

Bending down to pull off his motorcycle boots, Jason made up his mind.

No more drinking himself into a stupor.

No more self pity.

No more Courtney.

Sonny Corinthos was a man who didn’t trust easily. He rarely let people into his life and when he did he was weary of letting them get too close. But once you were in, you were in. And that is why up until the affair with his sister, Sonny considered Jason Morgan not only his most trusted soldier and business partner but his brother. Some brother he turned out to be.

He went against everything Sonny had asked of him. He let feelings of lust for Courtney lead him by the nose causing him to become sloppy in doing his job and making him dishonest with everyone he claimed to love and care about.

Then there was Courtney. Though he knew nothing of her before she appeared in Port Charles, she was his father’s daughter and that made her family and [i]that[/i] made her his concern. So when he found out that she was stripping to help pay her husbands debts he did everything in his power to reason with her. She had been head strong, though he preferred the term stupid when it came to her, and not listened. She wanted to do things her own way.

Courtney insisted on continuing in her sham of a marriage and helping her husband. That left Sonny with a dilemma. He needed to keep his sister out of harms way but she wouldn’t accept his help, knowingly at least. With that in mind he had assigned his most loyal man to keep an eye on her. Make sure she was safe. That had been the biggest mistake of his life.

Had he known that his putting Jason on that detail would lead to an affair with his sister and Jason cheating on Elizabeth, he would have let Courtney rot in that sleazy club. She had turned out to be a traitor anyway. Getting herself in cahoots with Carly and knowingly perusing a married man. She helped ruin a happy home. She helped tear his niece’s father away from his family. She helped rip his real sisters life apart.

“Sonny?”

He smirked, the olive complexioned  man knew that his wife had been standing behind him for some time. Sonny could hear Brenda’s presence before she spoke one word. He could feel her touch before her delicate hands gently rubbed his tense shoulders.

Her dark chocolate hair fell forward and brushed his cheek as she bent her head near his ear. “Are you coming to bed?”

Taking one of her small hands in his, Sonny guided her around the love seat he was sitting in, until she was standing before him. He slid his hands up her thighs, over the cool soft satin material of her night gown, and let them rest on her hips. “I’m not tired.”

Brenda ran her hands through his short dark curls. “I worry about you.”

“Brenda...”

“No, don’t Sonny.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t try to tell me not to worry about you. It won’t work.”

Sonny nudged her hips down and Brenda gingerly let herself be seated in his lap. She threw her long, slender legs over the arm of the love seat and settled into her husband’s arms. “You were thinking about Jason, weren’t you?” She asked.

“I was but I don’t want to talk about him right now.”

“Okay then... how was Michael? Did Carly give you any trouble when you dropped him off?”

“He was fine and Carly wasn’t there, Bobbie was. But I don’t want to talk about that either.” He traced a finger from behind her ear and down her neck.

“Well, what do you want to talk about?” Brenda asked, saucily.

Without another word Sonny wrapped one arm under Brenda’s knees and the other under her shoulders. He stood quickly, causing Brenda to break out in a series of high-pitched giggles, and started up the stairs not hearing the light knocking at the door.

Elizabeth stalled outside of Sonny and Brenda’s door. She was in the process of knocking when she heard Brenda’s laughter. Her knock must have been lost in the sea of giggles filling, not only their penthouse, but the hallway as well. Not wanting to interrupt an intimate moment between the two she stepped away from the door and went back to her penthouse.

After Jason left and she wiped her tears, Elizabeth spent a little time by herself, trying to make heads or tails of her reaction to him leaving. Why had she been so hurt to watch him walk away? Why had Jason agreeing to let her go hit her like a ton of bricks? Why did she wish she’d handled the situation differently?

All of those questions led her to penthouse four. She needed a friend to help sort things out or at least listen to her ramble. Brenda was always that friend but when she arrived at the door it was clear that Brenda was blissfully occupied by her own life.

Elizabeth found herself trying, unsuccessfully, to fight the feeling of jealousy that formed from hearing Brenda laughing so happily. There was a time when she used to be happy. When she was able to laugh out loud and mean it. Now it seemed that everyone was living their lives mirthfully and she wasn’t in on it. She would have laughed at the thought had she not fully believed it true.

It was like some sort of sick joke.

Jason had been the one to do wrong and she was the one who ended up alone while he was still laying up with Courtney. The irony of it all was disheartening. Why should he go on about his life, per usual, while she mopped around feeling sorry for herself?

Elizabeth stood in the middle of her living room with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

Why had she already resigned herself to live the rest of her life a spinster? She was still young, successful, smart... cute. She could have a new man in her life if she wanted.

Crossing the room to Jason’s desk, she pulled a business card out of her purse, after fingering it lightly she dropped it to the desk. Her eyes fell over the telephone that the card now sat beside.

Dr. Patrick Drake.

He was interested in her... wasn’t he? That’s why he gave her his card... right? He was flirting with her... or was he?

She tapped her fingers nervously on the phone before turning away from the desk. Maybe tomorrow.

Jason woke up, for the first time in weeks, without a hangover. He had Sarah…no, Suzie, Pam? Ah hell, who cared,to thank for that. Had "whatever her name was" not come on to him he would have stayed planted on that bar stool at Jake’s drinking beer and throwing back shot after shot of tequila.

Rubbing his hands over his eyes Jason said a silent thank you to whatever celestial being was responsible for putting the woman in Jake’s bar last night. She was just what the doctor ordered - Jason groaned at the 'doctor' part of his thought – Patrick. Elizabeth had just met him, yet last night she said his name so freely as though they were close.

He was being silly, he knew that Elizabeth hadn’t been seeing anyone, that he was positive of. But that didn’t mean the doctor, who was obviously taken by his wife wouldn’t try something. And that didn’t mean that Elizabeth wouldn’t accept.

That just wouldn’t do.

Jason could not sit back and wait for Patrick or some other man to swoop in and take Elizabeth from him. She was still his wife, until the divorce was finalized anyway, and he’d be damned if he let another man claim her as his own.

Sure, he had told Elizabeth that he would let her go but he couldn’t get his heart to agree with his head. It would be the bigger thing to do; let Elizabeth move on and find happiness with someone who would never put her through the things he had. But in this situation he just could not do the bigger thing.

With his mind made up, Jason threw the sheets from his body and moved from the bed. His steps took him to the walk-in closet of his hotel room, where he pulled a pair of well worn jeans from a hanger and a grey t-shirt from his neatly folded shirt pile. He was on his way to the shower when he heard a keycard slip through the outside lock followed by the knob of the door turning.

Either it was an enemy coming to take him out or it was Courtney coming to aggravate him. At this point he hoped it was the enemy.

No such luck, he thought turning around and facing Courtney. “What are you doing here?”

Courtney looked hurt by the question but bounced right back, “I’m here,” She said stepping toward him, “To see you.”

Jason brought a hand to his brow and rubbed hard. Letting out a long breath, he spoke. “Courtney, we need to talk.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing,” She said, reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck.

Jason caught her wrists before she could succeed at her attempt. He gently put her arms back down at her sides. To his dismay Courtney seemed to think that he was playing a game because she reached for his boxers. He moved back from her second attempt and Courtney looked at him and frowned.

“What’s wrong, Jason?”

Everything, but how could he tell her that? He led her on for months, got her pregnant, watched her shed tears over the loss of the baby and now he was supposed to say… what? That he used her… that he would never feel for her the way he felt for Elizabeth? There was no way to let her down gently. No matter what he said or how he said it in the end she would be hurt.

Might as well get to the point then, “Courtney… We’re over.”

“What? No. After all we have gone through to be together and now that we have a chance free and clear you want out?” She put her hand to her forehead, something she did when she was flustered. “Why?”

“I’m not in love with you Courtney. I can’t be in a relationship with you when I-”

“When you’re still in love with your wife,” she finished for him.

“Yes.”

“No.” Courtney flung her long blond hair back over her shoulder, “You think you are in love with her but you’re not. You’re in love with Libby and you want to put her family back together.”

Jason pursed his lips in thought, “You’re right,” He agreed, to Courtney’s pleasure. She nodded her head as if to say; See, I know what I’m talking about. Jason continued, “I want to put my family back together for Libby and for me.”

Obviously caught off guard by Jason’s admission, Courtney seethed. “You’re an idiot Jason! What made you come to me in the first place, huh? I’ll tell you what; your wife and her inability to put you first.”

Courtney inched forward, closing the gap Jason made between them earlier, “I have always put you first.”

Jason turned his head away from her. He knew this wouldn’t be easy. “Courtney you don’t know the whole story. You’re just assuming you do.”

“Oh, I know a lot Jason. I know that Elizabeth spent long nights at her office worrying about art stuff instead of you. I know that she distanced herself from the marriage before you ever slept with me,” she pointed at her chest, “I know that she neglected her own child, [i]your[/i] child for her art gallery.”

“Shut up Courtney!”

“It’s the truth, Jason. You’re just too blind to see it.”

“Elizabeth followed her dreams because I encouraged her to.”

“Yeah, she took that encouragement and ran with it, didn’t she.”

“Get out!” Jason yelled at her.

Courtney shook at his tone but didn’t budge. Tears welled in her blue eyes and her shoulders slumped, “It’s because I lost the baby, isn’t it.”

Jason’s eyes closed on sigh, “Courtney-”

“It’s because I lost your baby and the great “E. Morgan”- she motioned her fingers in quotations- still has your kid.”

Jason shook his head in exasperation, “You need to go Courtney.”

She seemed to think it over before deciding to leave. Courtney spun on her heel and stormed to the door. After flinging the door open she turned back to Jason, “You’ll regret this,” She spat in warning. And with that she stepped out into the hallway slamming the door behind her.

“Good morning, mama.”

Elizabeth turned looking up from pouring cereal into a bowl, “Good morning, Libby.” She put the cereal to the side in favor of picking up her daughter. “How is your arm feeling?” Elizabeth asked, securing Libby at her side.

“Muuuch better,” she drawled out, swinging her slinged arm out from her side for good measure.

Elizabeth widened her eyes in exaggeration, “Wow, you do feel better huh?”

“Yep,” Libby assured her mother nodding her head.

Elizabeth smiled, “Since you are feeling so much better then how about we go to the fair today?” She sat Libby in a chair at the table then went to pour milk in the Fruit Loops.

“Can daddy come?”

“Daddy?” Elizabeth hadn’t thought about Jason. It was his weekend with Libby and she had only stayed with Elizabeth last night because of her arm. He hadn’t called yet about picking Libby up but it was still early and he probably would.

“You know what? Your daddy should be calling soon,” she said placing the bowl in front of Libby along with the cereal box for her to look at. “And since it’s your weekend with him he might like to take you.”

The little girl seemed to mull the words over before placing her steely blue’s on her mother. “Then, will you come with us?”

Elizabeth sighed in desperation. How many times had she and Jason gone over this with Libby? It seemed like their child was becoming more determined with time instead of less affected like she had been in the beginning. “I don’t think so.”

It was Libby’s turn to sigh as she turned back to eating her cereal and looking at the puzzle on the back of the Fruit Loops box.

Elizabeth took the quiet time to straighten things in her kitchen. She was supposed to clean yesterday but had become distracted by… “Jason,” She whispered under her breath while taking in her still full beer bottle that lay discarded in the sink. She had dropped it when...

She stopped thinking as a small shudder passed through her. The things that Jason had done to her body on that very counter.

Elizabeth snatched her hand away from the counter top at the thought then blushed in embarrassment. She peeked over her shoulder at Libby, who was paying her no attention, then back to the counter. Her tryst with Jason from the previous night replayed in her head and she drew her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down to free the thoughts from her mind.

That shouldn’t have happened and would not happen again she assured herself grabbing the bottle from the sink and emptying it before tossing it into the trash can. With the same conviction she pulled a sponge and disinfectant spray from under the sink and began spraying and scrubbing the counter top on which Jason had made love to her body just hours ago.

“That’s better,” She said to herself after thoroughly cleaning the counter.

“What’s better?” Both Libby and Jason asked her in unison.

Elizabeth spun around in shock at Jason’s voice and Libby yelled “Daddy,” in surprise as well.

Jason walked over to the table and scooped Libby from the chair. “You feeling better?” He asked moving her long chocolate locks from her shoulders and back behind her back. “How’s that arm?”

“All better, I can even move it see...” She showed Jason the same way she had shown Elizabeth earlier and he chuckled at her in response.

After placing a soft kiss on her forehead he put her down on her feet. “It’s a nice day out,” Jason started looking at Elizabeth, Why don’t we all go to the fair?”

Elizabeth’s brows hitched up then down before settling in a straight furrowed line. How long had he been standing there?

“Yay!” Libby proclaimed loudly.

Jason fixed his eyes on Elizabeth and must have taken in her apprehensive state because he ushered Libby from the kitchen by telling her to go get dressed for their day.

Elizabeth waited until she heard Libby’s small footstep on the stairs before she spoke, “What in the hell was that?”

“What?”

“Jason.”

"What?”

Elizabeth huffed, “You can’t just tell Libby that we all are going to the fair together. You didn’t even consult me first.”

“What?” He asked for the third time, "We used to go to the fair together all the time.”

“Exactly, used to, as in the past, gone, over with, no more…” She turned her back to the him. Picking up the sponge she began wiping down the counter again, “You’re tricking me into this,” She told him, clenching the sponge in anger.

“Scrubbing it won’t make it go away,” Jason quietly told her ignoring what she had just accused him of.

At his words, Elizabeth stopped moving the sponge but still gripped it tightly in her hand, “You told me you were letting go.”

“I changed my mind.”

Elizabeth turned back to him, “It doesn’t work like that, Jason.”

“I don’t care how it works, Elizabeth. I’m not letting go without a fight."

“Jason...”

“Why don’t you get dressed? We can talk about this later.”

“No.” Elizabeth jutted her chin out defiantly, “I’m not getting dressed and I’m not going.”

Jason stepped toward her from his post at the table. The increasing closeness made Elizabeth uneasy but not as uneasy as the spark of steely determination in his ice blue eyes.

“Last night, after I left here I went to Jake’s.”

“Figures,” Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes.

Jason continued as if she had not said a word. “I had a couple of beers and about four…five, shots of tequila.” He stepped closer. “A woman… some woman, came on to me.”

“What’s your point?” Elizabeth asked becoming increasingly agitated by his display.

“I can’t, for the life of me, remember what she looks like or what her name is. Because the whole time she sat there trying to get me to pay attention to her I thought of you."

“Wow,” Elizabeth mocked him, “That’s nice. You were able to keep it in your pants because you thought of your wife. “Too little, too late,” She snapped, throwing the wet sponge at him.

He easily avoided the pitch and vanquished the remaining distance between them. “I told you that because I want to start over. I want us to be honest about everything the way we should have been. The way we used to be.”

There he was, living in the past again. She had spent months trying to get out of the past and move on with her present but here was Jason, pulling her back. She didn’t want to go back; she didn’t want to relive it. It was wonderful while it lasted but any semblance of wonderment between them was long gone.

Jason cautiously threaded his hands through her tangled mass of dark chocolate curls.

I don’t want to go back, Elizabeth thought to herself as he lowered his mouth to hers. I don't want to go back, her mind repeated as Jason pressed his lips to hers in a kiss. She didn’t, but somehow she was allowing her estranged husband to draw her into their years of splendor with one simple kiss.

They both pulled away when Libby’s footsteps were heard bounding down the stairs. Elizabeth turned, wiping the back of her hand over the single tear that escaped during the moment they’d just shared. Jason cleared his throat and turned to wait for Libby’s pending arrival.

“I’m ready!” Libby announced making her way back into the kitchen dressed in a pair of denim shorts and her pajama top.

“You look pretty, sweet heart, but I think that we should change your top,” Jason told her.

Elizabeth, done wiping the tear from her face, smiled at the sight. It was obvious that they had all forgotten the sling that prohibited Libby from removing her shirt by herself. “Your daddy’s right. Let’s get you out of your pajamas and into a new shirt.”

“What about you?” Jason asked before they could leave the kitchen.

Elizabeth looked at her pajamas then to Jason who was looking at her with hopeful eyes. She felt a slight tug at her hand from Libby. Looking down at her daughter she saw not only the eyes shared with her father but his hopefulness as well.

She had been tricked, bamboozled, and sweet talked into this but… “Fine. Let me get dressed.”

Though at first reluctant to go, Elizabeth had to admit that the fair had been fun not only for Libby but for her as well. She wasn’t sure how many times she had accompanied Libby on the Tilt-a-Whirl but she knew it was enough to loose count. Between that, the Carousel and the Fun House they’d both had their fill. So much so that Libby was now fast asleep in Jason’s arms.

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at the two from her place in the funnel cake line, she had never been able to go the fair without getting a funnel cake with extra strawberries and powdered sugar for the road. She found Jason’s eyes fixed on her and he didn’t move them even when she made it clear that she noticed his blatant stare down. Instead he widened his eyes mockingly and grinned cockily as if challenging her to protest his eyeballing her.

She sighed. 

Why did Jason have to look at her in such a way? She couldn’t control her desires for the man when his crystal eyes bore into her like that. Suddenly she felt naked under his stare. Vulnerable and unsure of herself. The same way she felt back in Italy right before the first time they had made love…

Elizabeth stood clothed only in a satin crimson robe at the foot of the king size mahogany bed. Her hands toyed nervously with the tight knot of her robes sash and she nibbled nervously on her bottom lip as she watched Jason strip free of his black cotton t-shirt.

The shirt hit the marble floor with a soft thud.

His chest was impressive especially under the soft glow of the moon light that streamed in through the window of the penthouse hotel room, the honeymoon suite to be exact.

Jason closed the distance between them in two long strides. His hand left his side to take refuge in her long amber flecked locks. He ran his fingers through the silky tresses and they came to rest at her nape. Cupping the back of her neck Jason gently tugged her forward.

His lips lingered for a moment above hers then he claimed her mouth the way he had many times before. But this time the strokes of his tongue were hungry, slowly and deliberately passing over hers. He manipulated her head to follow the rhythm he set forth and Elizabeth willingly obliged.

Jason’s free hand moved down the length of her cool satin robe settling at the hem that began mid thigh. His hand slipped under the crimson material and up her thigh. He groaned in Elizabeth’s mouth when his hand found the soft round crescent of her backside.

It seemed as though she surprised him as much as she did her self by going sans panties.

Jason cupped one soft cheek of her bottom as he deepened the kiss. Never breaking the kiss he moved them back to the bed. His hand trailed back down her thigh back over the outside of her robe once more, then rested on the curved expanse of her hip. He trailed his fingers horizontally from the outside of her hip toward her navel to the junction of the crimson sash.

Elizabeth broke away from the intoxicating kiss when she realized his intent. “Jason,” She whispered through her haze. Her hands grabbed the meeting of her robe as she looked away from him, embarrassed.

“Elizabeth…” The rest of his throaty words were cut off.

“What if I’m not enough?” She asked, afraid to look at him. “You have been with other women and-”

“They don’t matter.” Jason tilted her chin up so that her eyes met his, “Elizabeth you’re my wife, there is no comparison.” His hands met hers and gently moved them away.

Still unsure and scared that she wouldn’t live up to the other women he had been with Elizabeth protested, “Jason…”

Shh…” He quieted her as his expert fingers easily undid the tight knot. He let the sash fall loosely to her sides then slowly parted her robe. As the deep red material gave way he greedily drank in every inch of her unmarred form. “You are so beautiful Elizabeth,” he whispered as the robe hit the floor. His eyes never left the smooth porcelain skin of her body, “So beautiful.”

“Ah-um.”

A man behind her intentionally cleared his throat letting Elizabeth know that the line had moved but she hadn’t.

“Sorry,” she apologized. Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, Elizabeth quickly took a few steps toward the counter.

“What will it be?” A freckled faced boy asked her as she approached.

“I’ll have one funnel cake with extra strawberries and powdered sugar,” Elizabeth answered, still flushed and fumbling around in her purse for her wallet.

The red headed teen shook his head, “Sorry Miss, we just ran out of strawberries.”

“She can have mine.”

Elizabeth turned at the familiar voice, “Dr. Drake?” She half asked, half proclaimed.

“Elizabeth Morgan,” He smiled, showing off a set of perfect dimples.

As if she wasn’t already hot enough, the doctor had to go and add gasoline to the fire.

“I um… What are you doing here?” She silently scolded herself for asking such a dumb question. It was a free world. The handsome doctor could go wherever he pleased. “I’m sorry that sounded rude. Let me start over… What brings you to the fair?

Patrick motioned for them to step away from the food stand. He led her to a nearby shade tree and handed her his uneaten strawberry funnel cake.

“I couldn’t.” Elizabeth protested.

“You can,” he countered placing the paper plate in her hand.

Not knowing what else to say Elizabeth settled for a simple “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

They stood silently for a moment before Patrick filled up the empty silence. “I’m here with a few coworkers. The hospital was slow so we decided to come to the fair on a small break.”

“Oh. What if the hospital needs you?” Elizabeth absently inquired, her sapphire eyes fixated on his hazel ones.

Patrick grinned and tapped the pager that sat on his hip. “They can reach me.”

Feeling silly Elizabeth shifted her weight from one foot to the other, “Oh.”

“What brings you here?” He returned the question.

“Libby.” Instantly Elizabeth remembered Jason and Libby waiting for her near a bench just feet away. Her gaze shot to where her husband was standing and she locked eyes with an angry Jason.

Elizabeth, oblivious to Patrick’s bewildered stare, swallowed thickly past a lump in her throat.

Jason was mad. No, Jason was livid. His steel blue eyes narrowed in on her and Patrick and she could see the vein in his temple stand out against the tanned skin there. The muscle in his jaw ticked, unchecked and his free hand was curled in a tight fist at his side.

“Elizabeth. Is everything okay?”

The tiny brunette brought her attention back to the doctor. “I’m sorry, Dr. Drake-”

Patrick,” he corrected her.

“Patrick,” she nervously rectified, “I’m sorry but I need to go.” Without further explanation Elizabeth handed him back his generous funnel cake offering and stepped around him, walking off.

Patrick could only stare in silence as Elizabeth joined her husband and daughter.

“Jason, let’s go,” Elizabeth said quietly, hoping that Libby sleeping in his arms and the crowd bustling around them would keep him from approaching Patrick.

She heard Jason let out a heavy breath as if debating his next move.

“Jason.” Elizabeth repeated, desperate to keep him from causing an unnecessary scene. When his eyes fell upon her they were no longer harboring the hard steely gaze they had been just moments before. They were now calm and if Elizabeth wasn’t mistaken a hint of hurt flashed in his cerulean blues.

She might have felt a little sorry for him if his past transgressions no longer mattered, but they did and she didn’t.

“Let’s go, Jason,” Elizabeth said, her eyes lifting to the sleeping child in his arms.

Jason shifted Libby’s slumbering body further up on his hip and dominantly, for Patrick’s benefit, placed his free hand on the small of Elizabeth’s back.

And they left.

Jason wordlessly followed Elizabeth into the penthouse they once shared. He was thankful, for the first time in his life, that they ran into Brenda. She stopped them on their way into the elevator asking if Libby wanted to go for ice cream with her and Michael.

Libby was happy to see her aunt and cousin so she jumped at the chance. Elizabeth Okayed it, reluctantly, Jason thought. It seemed as though his wife didn’t want Libby to leave. Probably because with Libby around there would be a buffer between them and he wouldn’t ask her about the doctor, he figured.

She was probably hoping that he would let it go. He wasn’t. He hated using the opportunity to grab Libby’s over night bag to get answers out of Elizabeth but there were a few things he needed to know.

He was determined to get to the bottom of Elizabeth’s intentions with Patrick. He was fighting like hell to get them back to the place they were before his affair and he needed to know that Elizabeth was on the same page.

Jason watched her quietly step out of her shoes leaving her worn tennis shoes behind as she advanced to the stairs. Before she reached the landing he spoke.

“What’s going on with you and Dr. Drake?”

Elizabeth stopped mid step and turned back to him. She stared at him blankly, “Nothing’s going on.” Her response was simple.

The truthfulness of her tone was lost on him though and he pressed on, “You two seemed friendly,” he said, mentally recalling the way the strong red blush crept up her cheeks while she spoke to the doctor at the fair.

Elizabeth crossed her arms below the swell of her chest and she quirked a brow up at him, “Didn’t we just have this conversation last night?”

Jason recognized the annoyance in her tone. He didn’t answer the rhetorical question and after a brief silence Elizabeth finished her thought.

“Well the answer hasn’t changed Jason. I still don’t know him. He was nice at the hospital. And he was nice at the fair. That’s it. Leave it alone.” She lifted her arms and dropped them back to her sides with a heavy slap.

Leave it alone; if it was only that easy. Jason knew that Patrick was interested in Elizabeth. He could tell by way the man smiled at her and by the way his hands always seemed to want to reach out and brush a wayward strand behind her ear. He could see it in the way the man looked at her. Elizabeth, however, seemed to be oblivious to the obvious attraction that the doctor had for her. 

Jason knew that if given the opportunity Patrick would act on his feelings and he wasn’t sure that Elizabeth would turn him away.

The thought tore away at him. Just when they finally looked to be making headway. The fair had been, for a lack of a better word, perfect. They laughed Elizabeth smiled…a lot Libby had a good time. They were a family. Then Patrick had to come along and ruin it.

Turning away from Elizabeth’s exasperated sigh Jason placed his hands on the cool surface of his old desk…his only desk. He was being rash and any wrong word could make all the progress he’d made null. Elizabeth would retreat and push him away and they would be right back at square one.

Rethinking his approach Jason opened his mouth to apologize but paused when his eyes landed on the business card of [i]Patrick Drake, MD[/i]. It stared mockingly at him from its comfortable position by the phone. She had called him. Last night after they had been intimate she called him.

“You called him,” Jason said turning back to Elizabeth.

She was clearly confused by his words. “Called who?”

Jason picked the small white card up. Raising it mid air he showed her the “evidence” of his accusation.

Shocked would pretty much describe the look on Elizabeth’s face, followed by disbelief. Her features finally settled with anger. “I didn’t call him Jason. He was Libby’s doctor he gave me his card in case any thing went wrong. It’s only sitting by the phone because…”

The thin thread that Elizabeth’s emotions were hanging from seemed to have snapped int hat moment because her calmness was replaced with bitterness.

“You know what? This is pointless. If I want to date a man I will. If that man happens to be Patrick then fine, if not, then fine. Either way, it is none of your business.”

Jason matched her anger beat for beat, “It is my business, Elizabeth! You are still my wife. Our marriage isn’t finalized yet…” His voice trailed off when she broke into a soft chuckle.

The small chuckle turned into a full out laugh, leaving Jason confused by her sudden mood change. He watched as her shoulders shook with each gut wrenching explosion of pained laughs. Her eyes were downcast arms hanging limply by her side and she laughed continually.

The intensity of the guttural laugh increased causing her whole body to shake with tremors. Elizabeth looked up at him through a series of fractures and when she did Jason saw the true meaning behind her laugh…tears.

Her broken demeanor steamrolled right through his veins stopping in his heart, planting its self so deep inside that the pain in his chest made it hard for him to breathe. 

How had he not seen it before? Jason racked his brain in an effort to retrace the events of the past year. He replayed every smile, every laugh, every tear… Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t seen Elizabeth cry; not when she found out about Courtney, or the baby, not when he moved out, not when Courtney or Carly antagonized her. Never.

Sure he had seen her sad and mad, he maybe even saw a single tear a time or two but he wasn’t even positive of that. What he did know is that he had never seen her cry.

Elizabeth had been hiding from him. Hiding from everyone and he had to wonder if she had been hiding from herself. She put on a good front for Libby and smiled at the outside world, all the while she was dying inside.

“Elizabeth,” his own hurt barley allowed him to whisper her name.

“No!” She snapped through laughs and tears. “Our marriage never stopped you from taking care of your whore! It didn’t stop you from sleeping with her either or getting her pregnant.”

Seeing the hurt rolling off of her petite frame in waves killed him. All he wanted to do was comfort her. He wanted to take her in his arms and rock her until the pain bled away. He took a cautious step toward her and Elizabeth jerked away recoiling at his advancement.

“Our marriage never stopped you from parading your mistress around town and it sure as hell didn’t keep you from sleeping with her two days ago. So don’t you dare try to throw our marriage in my face when you are the one who ruined it!”

The raw emotion of her voice cut right through him and suddenly he felt small. He felt like an ass. “I’m sorry.”

“You can’t say that any more, remember?” She asked in reference to his words the previous night. “Nope. Guess not. Just another vow you made that was easily broken.” Her words quietly spliced through the room with a deafening bite.

Jason was at a loss. He had no idea how to handle the situation and for a man who’s life rested solely on his ability to rectify situations with a clear head and concise plan that scared him.

Then just like that, Elizabeth’s sobs stopped and the tears were and gone. She wiped her hands over her face brushing the remaining streaks away then straightened her slumped form and cleared her throat. “I’m going to grab Libby’s bag.” The mask was back in place.

How in the hell had he missed it before?

“Elizabeth.”

She groaned when her name passed through his lips. Why wouldn’t he stay away? Why did he have to follow her upstairs?

“I don’t want to talk.”

He ignored her and spoke again, “You don’t have to hide from me. I know you’re hurt I know-”

“Let it go, Jason,” her raspy words cut him off.

“I can’t, Elizabeth. I know I’ve made mistakes. Big ones but it’s over now. Courtney is out of my life and I just need you to see that we can work this out…if we both want to.”

The hopefulness of his statement made her cringe. Setting Libby’s weekend bag on her daughters neatly made Dora the Explorer bed spread Elizabeth smiled dryly at him.

“What is it that you don’t get, Jason? Can’t you see that I’m trying to move on with my life? Can’t you see that your declarations of love rip me up inside? Can’t you see that I love you so much that I can for get all of the hurt you caused this family with one single sweet nothing from you or touch from you?” She sighed.

She needed to make him see that she loved him too much to leave if he was still holding on to her. “As long as you hold on I can’t move on and what I need to do is move on.” Her watery eyes pleaded with him to understand what she was telling him.

“If you still love me then why can’t we be a family?”

He didn’t understand.

“Because our family is broken!” Elizabeth felt the upset that she had been stifling for months begin to boil within. “We are broken Jason!” She screamed while motioning between the two of them. Her anger bubbled to the point where she was sure that she’d suffocate in it she didn’t get away from him. She needed to be ridded of everything that bound them. Maybe then he would understand, maybe then she could breathe again.

Moving past him, Elizabeth rushed out of Libby’s room and down the hallway to hers. She ran straight to the closet that once held Jason’s extra equipment. When she reached the door she swung it open in search of a specific item. Throwing shoe boxes out of her way she found a small black bag.

Tears ran down her face without abandon and she struggled to breathe pass the ever growing lump in her throat. Hiccups and sobs floated from her tear swollen lips as she unzipped the bag. She reached in and grabbed a pair of wire cutters.

Leaving the closet the Elizabeth stopped in her tracks when she met Jason’s piercing eyes.

“What are you doing, Elizabeth?” His soft spoken words flowed gently to her and spun around in her head until she became dizzy.

She realized that he thought she was losing it. Maybe she was. When he attempted to reach for her she jerked away. “Don’t,” was her single reply.

“Eliz…” The rest of the words died on his tongue when she shot him an unforgiving glare.

Turning her attention back to the task at hand Elizabeth crossed the room to her dresser. She opened her antique jewelry box, given to her by Brenda as a wedding gift. Rifling through all other jewelry she found what she was looking for. Her wedding ring.

Her fingers grazed the beautiful platinum band that held a single princess cut sliver of red Italian glass. Two small diamonds were set on either side of the glass. It wasn’t flashy but neither was she.

Elizabeth picked the tiny ring up between her thumb and index finger and her heart swelled as she surveyed the representation of the bond she once shared with her husband.
God, she loved that ring. She read the inscription placed on the inside of the band by Jason as a surprise aloud.

“I Promise.” Simple.

Two words that had once meant so much to her were now worth nothing.

Jason, who had stood silently watching her, must have finally realized her intent because he moved to take the wire cutter from her hand.

She felt him coming and quickly side stepped him. Rounding the king sized bed Elizabeth put the width of it between them. She placed the ring between the cutter’s sharp edges. Closing her eyes she whispered, more to herself than Jason, “Promises are made to be broken.” Then she cut through her ring. The delicate platinum band snapped easily and the glass splintered and broke into tiny shards in the palm of her hand.

She gasped as though realizing the weight of what she’d just done. She opened her eyes and looked at the last tie that bound them, completely destroyed. It was over now. So why didn’t she feel relieved?

A guttural sob escaped her tiny body and she dropped the remnants of the ring on her nightstand. She was unable to look at Jason as she fled the room they once shared.

Her feet took her down the stairs. Flinging the front door open she was greeted by a cheery Max. The guards face immediately fell slack when he saw the tears streaming down her face.

Elizabeth flung her lithe body into the guards open arms and let herself cry fully. Her body trembled with tears inside of the cocoon of Max’s arms. “I n- need…to get out of… here.” She whimpered.

Max motioned for Milo who automatically knew what his brother wanted. The younger Giambetti replaced Max’s post at the door and watched his brother escort Mrs. M. onto the elevator.

Anger bubbling over within him and no where to place it Jason slammed his fist in to the wall above the nightstand where Elizabeth’s ring sat. The plaster broke through leaving a hole in its wake.

Gathering his emotions Jason swept a hand across the table brushing the rings broken remains into the palm of his other hand. He wrapped the remnants in a tissue and shoved it in the pocket of his denim jeans.

Jason stood there in the silence of the room. How had he let things get so bad? When had he stopped knowing his own wife? He let out a tired breath. The sun was waning and dusk was fast approaching. He had to get back to his hotel suite. Brenda would be there soon with the last tie that bound him and Elizabeth together for life.

Libby.

This is where she went to think.

He had never been inside with her. Sure he followed her, it was his job, but each time he tried to tag along within she assured him it was unnecessary. He would agree, reluctantly, then take his stance outside of the elevator and wait for her to come out and tell him she was ready to leave. This time when he followed her inside she didn’t protest. Part of him wondered if she even knew he was there?

His first time witnessing what she did while hidden inside of the Corinthos-Morgan latest business venture felt odd. He’d only imagined what she did to occupy her time when she came down to the basement level of Harborview Towers and tucked herself away in the club. Now he knew that she paced, touched and inspected every inch of the construction site.

Max stood quietly by and abandoned beam and watched as Elizabeth slowly walked every inch of the unfinished club. His eyes never wavered during any of her three laps around the construction site. He kept close watch as she stepped over wooden planks, around strewn nails, and under low beams.

Elizabeth ran her fingers across the marble top of the bar that had just been installed. She then rubbed the dust that gathered on her hand off on her dark blue jeans.

Max frowned.

She looked like hell and seeing her like that killed him. Her hair was limp, eyes red rimmed, lips pale and her already fair skin was sheet white. She could have been mistaken for Casper.

At least she had finally stopped crying.

“I forgot my shoes,” she mumbled more to herself than to him.

Max looked down at Elizabeth’s small sock clad feet. Her white socks had turned brown on the bottoms from the saw dust particles that had settled on the slate floor. “I can get them for you,” he offered, happy that she was finally talking.

“No. It’s okay,” she said, meekly looking down at her feet. A small sigh passed through her pale lips and she slid down the length of the brick exposed wall, her shirt catching the entire way, until her bottom met the cold floor. Knees bent she wrapped her arms around her legs.

“Elizabeth,” Max started. He normally affectionately referred to her as Mrs. M. but considering the circumstances he thought Elizabeth was a better choice. “What can I do?”

A corner of the brunette’s mouth quirked up. Her eyes met his, tears welling in the dull blue orbs. “Nothing. No one can do anything anymore.”

Max shifted at the defeated tone in her voice. He pressed a large hand on a box of building supplies and pushed down to check for sturdiness. Seeing that it would hold his weight the guard sat down. “Do you want me to take you… Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth smiled with glassy eyes that looked at him but through him all the same. “I want to go nowhere…fast.”

Max bowed his head at her answer. He knew there was no way he could take Elizabeth where she wanted to go. He had no idea how to get to nowhere fast [i]or[/i] slow for that matter and he figured the only person who did was the one person she was trying to get away from.

Tilting his head Max scratched the back of his neck. “Any place else?" He asked hopefully.

Elizabeth chuckled quietly. “This place is going to be awesome,” she said obviously avoiding his question. She looked around the large expanse of the club with bright eyes.

“You’re decorating the place, right?" Max asked. He already knew the answer but he was desperate to keep her talking.

She nodded wordlessly.

“I’ll bet it will be real nice when you’re done with it."

Elizabeth gave him a watery smile. “You know this place was my idea?” When he nodded she continued, “Sonny wanted to open a strip club- no- gentleman’s lounge. I thought a simple lounge would be classier and less trouble. Brenda agreed. She convinced Sonny and Jason…”

“What?” Max gently urged.

She sighed, “Jason was so distracted at the time that I probably could have asked him to wear a pink tutu and he would have mindlessly agreed.”

Max grinned as did Elizabeth. The thought of Jason Morgan in a tutu…

“I didn’t know what had him so distracted at the time. I figured it was work. It was work alright.”

Max knew what she was getting at. “Courtney.”

“Why did he do it?” Her words were broken. Pleading. “I know I was busy with the gallery and my time with him was little but I never thought it would send him into the bed of another woman.”

“He was stupid.”

“Maybe I was the stupid one.” Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, I did take him for granted. I spent long hours at the gallery then all of my free time was spent with Libby. We hardly spoke. Whenever he would make plans for just the two of us I would end up canceling because something came up at work. Even when he would stop by the gallery to surprise me with lunch I was too busy to go."

“You were following your dreams.”

“That was the problem. I was so busy following one dream I forgot about my biggest dream. The one that had already come true. I was having an affair with my job.”

“That’s no excuse,” Max quietly retorted desperate to make her see that blaming herself for Jason’s affair was the wrong thing to do. “He had a choice, he made the wrong one.”

“So did I and should have chosen my family, Max. They should have come first, not my job.”

Max huffed. Pulling his mouth tightly to the side he thought of something to say. He wanted Elizabeth to know that Jason was to blame but he worked for the Morgan’s long enough to know that there was enough blame to go around. Though, Jason had committed the bigger of the crimes against their marriage.

“I sure could go for something sweet,” The guard said, trying to change the subject hoping that Elizabeth would oblige him. He watched as she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, a habit that he knew meant she was thinking something over. “You know I make a mean Root Beer float,” he added with a slight smile.

“Elizabeth smiled back, “Root Beer float?” She lifted her self from her sitting position and crossed over to him.

Max stood. “What about It?” He asked offering his arm to her.

Elizabeth looped her small arm through the crook of his meaty one. “You got yourself a date.”

Jason walked into the living area of his hotel room from the back of his suite where he had just tucked Libby into bed. The day that had started out with promise had ended in defeat.

He shoved a hand into his jean pocket. His fingers met the balled tissue that held Elizabeth’s mangled ring. They had been through a lot of ups and downs in the past year but he never thought they would come to this. He had been naïve to believe that after everything he had put her through that Elizabeth would accept him back with open arms.

Ignorance was bliss. But now he had opened his eyes and realized that his blissful thoughts were ignorant.

A hard knock at the door erupted through the airy space. Crossing the room he opened the door expecting to see Francis. Instead a tall blond whizzed passed him and into his suite.

Jason looked out into the hall in search of Francis. He found the guard posted a few feet down from his normal spot. “Francis,” Jason said in warning.

The guard shrugged his shoulders in defeat. “You know how she is.” He offered in his own defense.

Jason let out an exasperated breath. Yes, he knew better than most how she was. “Next time…”

Francis nodded.

Jason turned his attention back to the unwelcome visitor who had made herself comfortable on his couch. Sighing he closed the door. “What do you want Carly?”

The blond crossed one long leg over the other, “Courtney told me what happened.”

“Look-”

“No- you look, Jason,” she cut him off. “Courtney is the best thing that ever happened to you. She loves you, she understands you. She would never do what Elizabeth did to you.”

“I’m not talking about this with you Carly.”

“Why not?” She pouted.

She was impossible. “Because, it’s none of your business.”

“Courtney is my friend so what concerns her concerns me!”

“Keep your voice down.” He demanded through clenched teeth.

“Why, is Elizabeth here? Did she take you back already? Typical Muffin Face.”

“Elizabeth’s not here but Libby is. Now keep your voice down or leave.”

“Sorry,” she offered with a huff. “How is mini Liz?”

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, “Libby’s fine.”

“Good.” Carly said with a plastered smile. Glad that the obligatory cordials about Libby were over she moved the conversation back to its origin. “Now, about Courtney… She really wants to make it work Jase. You should at least hear her out.”

“There is nothing left to make work.”

Carly narrowed her eyes in his direction, “Are you back with Elizabeth?”

Running a tired hand through his wheat colored spikes, Jason sighed, “No.”

Carly’s eyes lit up with glee when he answered. She was sure that her heart skipped a beat as well. “Then…”

Jason waved her impending Courtney solicitation away, “No. I’m not talking to Courtney or working things out with her. Elizabeth or not, Courtney and I are over.”

Her earlier happiness left as quickly as it had come. “Jason,” she said softly trying to reason with him.”

“I said no, Carly.”

His words were stern and Carly knew there was no reasoning. “Fine,” she snapped. She grabbed her purse from the couch and walked passed him without another word.

After closing the door behind her Carly took a moment to close her eyes and count to ten. Jason usually helped her with that task but since it seemed as though her best friend was no longer in the business of helping her she settled for doing it herself.

A few moments passed and she opened her eyes and found Francis staring at her. “What are you looking at?” She spat in the guards direction.”

He smirked at her but said nothing.

Annoyed, Carly stormed off mumbling incoherently under her breath the whole way.

Francis settled back against the door, a sly smile painted on his face, “I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”

Chapters 11-20

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