Elizabeth Returns
1
C.J. took her key out to go into the beach house. After inserting it she noticed, it wasn't locked. She furrowed her brow thinking it had to have to been locked, her and Matt had been away for the last two weeks and they made sure to lock up before they left with Vince Novelli to fly them all to Hawaii. Then she thought to herself, 'Roy must have left it open last night when he came by to check on the place.' She was about to open it, when he came up behind her, grabbing her by the waist.
"You didn't make it in fast enough..." she heard Matt say and then began tickling her. She started laughing and kicking her legs. He was relentless and laughing himself. Their time together away was just what the two needed and had acted like kids almost the entire time in Hawaii, in Tahiti, well...they definitely acted like two very happy, consenting adults on a mission.
She squealed out, "Stop! Please...I promise...I promise..." she turned in his arms, but before she could finish her sentence, he silenced her with a kiss. Then she continued, "I promise, I will acknowledge you as the supreme practical joker if you will just let me go."
Matt smiled back at C.J. and told her, "Fine...I'll let you go for now." He then drew her in for another long, intense kiss. Then frowned after she smiled at him and then turned around. Before relinquishing her to pick up her bag he whispered in her ear, "Tell me again, why we have to go into work this afternoon when we could be doing much more...productive things?" He started nibbling on her neck.
C.J. smiled and told him as she leaned back still in his arms, "Because, according to Chris some client, who won't identify herself really needs you." She turned back around and told him, "And I know what it's like to really need you..." They kissed again and she told him, "So, come on. The sooner we meet with the client, the sooner we get back to those more productive things." She winked, he released her, they picked up their bags and headed in.
They got in and started toward the stairs when Matt bumped into her chuckling, "Move it slow poke."
She chuckled back, "I'll move it as fast as I want to." They both laughed, until they saw her and froze.
Elizabeth was waiting at the top of the stairs. She just stood there and smiled a nervous smile.
Both Matt and C.J. just stopped. C.J. swallowed and was about to turn around when she heard Matt put down his bag and then felt him put his arm around her waist again.
Elizabeth said, "Hi Matt...I hope you don't mind...I still have a key." Matt and C.J. just looked at each other for a second. She continued, "The office told me, you and C.J. took off on some vacation again. I thought about waiting for you there, but...well...I just thought this would be better. I wanted to see you in private."
Matt started to say, "Elizabeth, I..."
C.J. could feel his grip tighten around her and turned around, "Matt, look, I'll take these upstairs and you can talk to Elizabeth."
Matt looked closely at C.J. knowing that his former fiancé standing in their home would bother her. He wanted to make sure C.J. knew who he loved and wanted in his life now. So he started, "No, C.J. you don't have to go anywhere. Anything she has to say to me, she can say to you. I..."
C.J. just smiled back and told him, '"No, really, its fine. I'll just be upstairs." She winked one more time and then smiled as she walked past Elizabeth with her bag.
Elizabeth then smiled at C.J. as she did her and told her, "It's good to see you again, C.J." Matt then started to walk up to her and she smiled and said, "I know I should probably wait until she leaves, but I just can't." She then threw herself into his arms and said, "I missed you so much."
Matt pulled her arms back and she looked puzzled. He started, "Elizabeth...C.J. and I..."
She interrupted him, "I know, I know. You two just got back and she's making herself comfortable in that spare bedroom. I just couldn't wait to see you. I made a huge mistake, Matt. I never should have left you." Then she tried to kiss him, but he pulled away from her and started to walk her into the living area overlooking the patio.
She sat down and thought that perhaps he just wanted to make sure C.J. wasn't able to see them and then giggled and said, "You never were shy, but I understand. She still has feelings for you I'm sure. Look, why don't we tell her we're going to get something to eat and then head over to my house. Its not that far, I..."
Matt then interrupted her, needing to clearly set things straight, "Elizabeth, C.J. and I married 6 months ago." She looked horrified and about to cry but he continued, "I don't know what you needed to see me for, but if it's to get back together, I can't. I'm in love with C.J. and I can't and won't do anything to jeopardize what I have with her."
Elizabeth blinked a couple of times and then swallowed herself. She told him, "I just...I just didn't think you felt that way about her. You never seemed to act like you loved her when we were together and that was only..." She then stood up and turned back to Matt who was looking at her intently.
He was watching her, hoping she wasn't hurt too bad. Even though they had not married, he still felt for her. It just wasn't nearly as close to love as what he felt for C.J. Still, he didn't want to hurt her.
She turned back around and took his gaze another way and then completed her sentence, "that was only 6 months ago. You married her right after I left?" Elizabeth looked down and said with a small smile, "You married her because you couldn't be with me, didn't you? But we can be together now, I realized..."
Matt shook his head and stood up walking to her and putting his hands on her shoulders, "No, that's not why I married her Elizabeth. I married her because I love her and I can't imagine my life without her in it, as my wife. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but she's who I want to be with, whether or not you were wanting to take me back. I'm sorry."
Elizabeth looked down again and swallowed, "Well then...don't worry about me. I'll take my business elsewhere." She started to walk off with tears in her eyes and Matt watched her. When she got about halfway down the stairs it hit him that she said business.
He looked confused and then stopped her, "Wait! What do you mean business?" Matt started down the stairs and met her.
She turned back to him and said, "Someone is trying to kill me. They've already tried twice. I came back because I realized that I have enemies too and that maybe together we could find out who this was, working together and then we would be together. I thought I could show you how I can handle danger myself, thinking you'd be proud of me."
Matt then slowly took her in his arms for a second as he could see she was rattled, and told her, "Come on, why don't we go back upstairs and you tell us everything and we'll figure this out and stop them. Alright?"
Elizabeth nodded and then said, "By us, you mean you and C.J., right?" She swallowed and then nodded, going back upstairs to the couch as Matt went to go get his wife.
C.J. had already unpacked her bags and looked at Matt's still sitting on the bed. She ran her hand over the bag and wondered what Elizabeth was telling her husband downstairs. Thinking back, she remembered how Matt seemed to take their breaking up before.
Matt broke her from her thoughts as he came in the room and sat down beside her on the bed. "I guess we know who that client was now." He took her hand and told her as she nodded her head, "Are you ok with this?"
C.J. looked at him and smiled, "Of course I am, Matt. I guess I'm just wondering if you are?"
Matt smiled, kissed her hand and said, "Yep, this is why I married you."
She looked confused and chuckled when she asked, "What do you mean this is why I married you?"
He told her, "Because, when any other woman I think would have been upset and not willing to help out her husband's former fiancé, you are not only willing but want to know how I feel about it too." Matt then softly put both hands on her cheeks and told her, "I love you, and only you. I know I've said this before, but I'm never leaving you." He kissed her for another minute.
Then he pulled back and put both his hands on her abdomen, smiled and said, "And you never know...we may already have that family on the way." He got a light in his eyes again and she smiled back at him.
She bit her lip and then said, "I hope so, I want that more than anything."
Matt took her in his arms again for another minute and told her not to worry. Then they got back up and went down to see Elizabeth who was using their phone.
"No, Kathleen, that's not how it went at all..." Elizabeth stopped and wiped her eyes when she saw Matt and C.J. walk around the corner, with their arms around each other. Then she ended the conversation, "I'll call you later from home." She put the phone back down and told them, "I hope you don't mind, but my friend wanted me to call when I got over here. She's been worried about me."
C.J. then spoke up and said, "No, we don't mind. Would you like something to drink, Elizabeth?" She nodded and asked for some hot tea. C.J. nodded and went to go get.
Matt then motioned to Elizabeth to sit down. "Now, tell me what's been going on."
Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath before starting, "I went back to Dublin after I left you. I wanted to be close to my father I guess, where he's buried anyway." She started to sniffle so Matt handed her a tissue and then urged her to go on. "I was a mess after leaving you. I would relive our last few weeks together over and over in my mind, trying to think of some other solution, some other outcome, some way for us..." She looked back at him and then seemed to collect herself, "I met a nice lady in town when I would go in to get this specialty Irish coffee. She was always coming in about the same time I was. Her name is Kathleen and we became fast friends. I told her about you and she was so supportive of me. She told me it was your loss and to get back on the horse sort of speak."
Matt smiled for a second and was happy, maybe even a little relieved she had someone to help her those first months away.
Elizabeth continued, "I went out and started seeing a local man, a nice quiet businessman. She set it up and he...well...he just seemed so different I guess. I held his complete attention every time we were together. But...he wasn't you." She then looked back at him and said, "I missed you so much. I thought again about coming back, but...I kept putting it off and then...well...then things started to happen."
C.J. had been brewing the tea and pouring it as she could hear Elizabeth upstairs. She wondered if Elizabeth knew she could hear her, but just poured it, took a deep breath and then took it out to her. "Here you go." She smiled as she carefully gave it to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth took a small drink as Matt mouthed a thank you to C.J. Matt then asked her, "What things started to happen Elizabeth?"
She put the tea on the coffee table as C.J. sat down in a chair opposite them on the couch and said, "The first time I was driving when my brakes went out. I didn't know what to do right away so turned off on a little side road that had a sharp incline and let it stop on its own." Matt tensed up, both women could see that. Then she said, "I told my housekeeper I was going to the cemetery out in the country and a couple of other people. I got stranded, but then when I did get some help and had someone look at it..." She looked up at both Matt and C.J. and told them, "he told me someone had cut the brake line."
C.J. then spoke up and asked, "When was that?"
Elizabeth answered, "About two weeks ago. Joseph, the businessman I had seen came rushing back. He had heard somehow and wanted to make sure I was safe. Then about a week ago...well...I was swimming in the pool at the house when I caught something out of the corner of my eye in the water. It scared me so I jumped out and started screaming. My gardener came running over and he captured it and killed it. It was a snake...a snake that isn't from Ireland, but from the Americas." She put her head down and said, "They said if it had bitten me, I would have died within seconds. There's no way of knowing how it even got there, but I think its fairly obvious that someone wants me dead." She took another drink, shaking as she did.
Matt patted her back and C.J. then said, softly, "Elizabeth, have you noticed anyone following you, either there or here?"
She shook her head and then C.J. and Matt looked at each other. C.J. knew that Matt would want her to stay with them and while she wasn't entirely comfortable with that, it would be ok. Her husband loved her and she knew that. He would always have feelings for Elizabeth and C.J. knew that one of the reasons she loved her husband so much and always had was his commitment to his friends. Elizabeth was one of those friends now, so she simply nodded to Matt and they communicated in that non spoken way they had in the past. He smiled a little grateful smile to her and then told Elizabeth, "Listen, why don't I take you over to your house and we'll pick up a few things. We want you to stay here with us..." She started to object but he continued, "Now don't argue with me. Neither of us want anything happening to you. Just because you haven't seen anyone following you or anything like that here, we don't want to take any chances."
Elizabeth smiled and said, "Thank you, both of you. I took a cab here so I don't have my car..."
Matt then took her hand and helped her up and said, "Why don't you go on downstairs, I'll meet you at the door." She nodded and left. Matt then turned to C.J. and took both her hands and simply said, "Thank you." Then kissed her briefly, they smiled to each other and then he left.