Staring down at the blank sheet of paper, his heart aching with the pain deep inside, he tries to come up with the words that'll express his deepest desires, but they don't arise. The seconds tick on by, slowly turning into minutes, yet still the page remains blank.

His fingers go to grasp the pen in his hand, forcing himself to push past the hurt to try to focus, needing to get this out before she's gone forever. On and off the pen cover goes, the words still far from his grasp, still out of reach. How could it possibly be so hard to put to paper all the thoughts running through his mind?

Staring at the blank sheet staring right back at him, he feels his heart pounding furiously in his chest, the anxiety beginning to set in. Before he knows it, an hour goes by, and still the sheet remains blank. No words written, not even close to being covered by the words his heart insists on repeating in his mind. An hour spent sitting at this desk, in front of this blank sheet of paper, and still nothing.

Tears well up in his eyes as he stares at the piece of paper, memories flooding his mind, reminding him of the days that things had been good. When things had been so easy. Of days when words had not been necessary. Days when they could look each other in the eyes and they'd just know, without a word, what was on the other's mind. How he misses does days.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Tears running down her cheeks, ruining the makeup she had spent hours putting on, Elizabeth shoves article of clothing after article of clothing into her luggage. Heart aching from the pain felt deep inside, she packs up her life into a variety of luggage and boxes. For hours she had thought he'd come for her, but now she knows that its truly over. That its time to let go.

Though her head screams for her to accept reality, to just walk away without looking back, her heart betrays her. In spite of all she has done to put him from her mind, memories of their days together cloud her every thought. The love they had shared, the trust she had thought they had, all of it plays over and over in her mind. Reminding her of all the reasons why her heart just couldn't let go.

Lip trembling, she zips up the last of her luggage, dragging it out to her car with a heavy heart. Her gram has promised to send off her boxes to her once she figures out where she's going to settle down, but for now they'll remain in her small studio, awaiting the day that she decides to send for them.

With one last look into her home, Elizabeth shuts it with a soft thump, her heart breaking further with having to bid her studio goodbye. As much as she wants to believe that this is for the best, that the only choice she has now is to leave, the pain aches as vibrant as ever with the thought of leaving Port Charles behind her. Of leaving her life behind her. Of leaving him.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Two hours, four beer bottles later, and still the sheet remains bare, not a single word written. His legs have begun to go numb with the amount of time he has sat there staring at the page staring back at him. If only the words could form. If only they'd escape the recess of his mind to grace the surface of the paper before him. If only...

The minutes continue to tick on by, the tears remaining frozen in his eyes, the words frozen in his mind, and still he stares at the paper. The words refusing to form, refusing to make its way onto the paper, yet his hands still continue to attempt the impossible feat. Off and on the cover of the pen goes, the tip of the pen getting within an inch of the paper before he pulls it away again.

Now three hours later and still its a blank sheet of paper staring at him staring at it. Maybe if he could think it hard enough, the words would begin to form on the paper. Maybe if he thought it hard enough, the words would fall from his head to the sheet before him, but still it remains blank. Still his heart aches from the pain of the inevitable. The pain of inevitably losing her for good.

Glancing away from the paper for a moment, his eyes find the wall clock hanging just by the door, the time closing in on her flight departure. His chest tightening at the sight of the time, his eyes squeeze shut, as he takes in a shaky breath. Soon his head drops back down again, his eyes returning to the blank sheet of paper, staring at it staring at him.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Sitting in the airport, staring up at the information board as it depicts the flights that are boarding, arriving, and departing, the tears continue to fall down her cheeks. Slowly the seconds on by, bringing her closer and closer to her flight that will take her from this town, far away from everyone and everything she knows.

Bringing her feet onto the chair, she hugs her knees to her chest, staring blankly at the screen as the time grows closer and closer for her to board the plane and depart. Heart aching, body shaking, she waits for the time, torn between wanting time to fly and wanting it to freeze. Stuck between wanting to leave and never wanting to be anywhere else in the world.

"Liz." a voice comes from a few feet away, the soft tone causing the tears to fall harder than before. "Didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?"

"Johnny." she whispers, rising to her feet to throw her arms around him, proceeding to do the same to Francis, her favorite guards and close friends. "You guys didn't have to come."

"From the look of you, I'd say that we did." Francis counters, pulling away to meet her eyes. "You look like you're hurting more by leaving than you ever did living here."

"If I stay any longer, I will hurt more." she whispers, moving to sit back down. "Because the day will come that he moves on and that day will be the one that kills me if I have to be here to see it."

Without another word, her protectors and friends sit down on either side of her, taking either of her hands in theirs as they wait for the time to come that they say goodbye. In all the time that they've known each other, none of them ever believed that this is how they'd be saying goodbye.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Nearly five hours later, the desk now sits bare, the chair empty, the penthouse void of his presence. No longer could he wait, no longer could he hope and pray for the right words to fall onto the paper. No. Though his heart aches with the thought, he knows he must put the final nail in the coffin and say his goodbyes.

Speeding through the streets of Port Charles, he drives faster and faster, needing to get to the airport before her flight takes off. Slamming his bike to a screeching halt outside the airport, he sprints into the building, hoping and praying he isn't late. That he hasn't lost his chance to say goodbye to the woman that will forever own his heart.

"Elizabeth!" he calls out to her, his voice echoing through room, finding her at the gate about to walk through customs. "Wait. Please."

Her eyes have gone red, puffy from the crying she has done, as she turns her eyes to look at him. Moving out of the way, allowing other passengers to pass through, she stands frozen to the spot, staring at him staring at her as he grows closer and closer. He barely notices the two guards standing to the side as he makes his way to stand in front of her.

"Jason..." she whispers, staring up into his equally red, puffy blue eyes. "...what are you doing here?"

"I had to see you." he admits with a heavy heart. "I had to say..."

"Goodbye?" she guesses when he doesn't finish. "How can you say it when you can't even voice it?"

Staring into her eyes, he can see the pain that he had inflicted, the trust that he had broken. He wishes that he could go back and change what had to be done, but he can't. With the past behind them, there was only one thing left for him to do. Let her go.

"I'm sorry." he whispers, restraining from reaching out his hand to hold hers. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Goodbye."

"I..." she takes in a deep breath, her eyes drifting down to a piece of paper sticking out of his pocket. "What's that?"

"Nothing." he tries to shove it back into his pocket, but he's too late. She swiftly snatches it from him, unfolding it to find it blank. "I told you, its nothing."

"What was it meant to be?" she questions, having seen a similar paper like this a few weeks ago. He had said the same thing then, too, that it was nothing.

"A letter." he admits sadly. "I wanted to tell you that I was sorry...that I..."

"That you what?"

"That I love you...that I always will." he forces the words from his heart to make its way out of his mouth. "I had wanted to tell you so much, but the words never felt right and the right words never formed. Now, I know, its too late."

"Better late than never."

Without another word, she closes the distance between them, aching to feel his lips upon hers. The moment shocks him as much as the two guards that stand by watching the exchange. For only she knew that all she wanted was for him to show his heart to her. For him to let her in. To give her a piece of himself that no one else can take claim to. All she wanted was his love.

Moments later, they gather her things and head to his penthouse where she'll frame the blank sheet of paper and hang it upon the wall. Just over the framed blank sheet of paper, she places a delicately written label, one that they both now understood more than ever. As they hold each other in a loving embrace, the two stare at the label with a grateful heart full of love.

There's no words for what I feel for you.

The End