He hadn't left her side since he had first arrived the day before. All the ways he had failed her over the years, all the disappointments that he'd made her face, now it was all swirling around in his mind, torturing him. Way back in their past, when he'd tried to push her toward Nik and away from Jason, then there was his sleeping with Sarah, Maxie, and Sam. Had he done anything but bring her heartache and disappointment?

While he was sleeping with Maxie, she had turned to Jason [i]once[/i] and he got infuriated with her. But then again, he never [i]loved[/i] Maxie the way [b]she[/b] loved Jason. 'No', he shook his head trying to put that thought out of his mind. 'There was no deep love affair – no connection between them beyond Jake.' Anyway, it wasn't like Jason was going to step up and be a father anytime soon. Instead of leaving the mob to try to have a family, he took it over and made it all worse. There was no way she would ever go back to him.

And, after all, he was the one she ran away with. Lived in the boxcar with. They, with Emily and Nikolas, were the four musketeers. They shared the deep love and ultimate connection. At the end of the day he was her one and only. They had made an everlasting vow to one another. They had the permanent lock. He was it for her.

"Lucky?" Elizabeth asked, stirring from the deep sleep she had been in all this time. "Where's…" she blinked taking in her surroundings.

"You're in the hospital, Elizabeth." He whispered.

"Yea, how….how are the others?"

He looked at her with care in his eyes. He didn't want to upset her, but he had to tell her the truth, he couldn't lie to her again, not now. "Leyla, passed away last night."

"Oh my gosh!" She closed her eyes, obvious thoughts flooding her mind.

"It's okay now, Elizabeth, I'm here. You're going to be fine." He got up from the chair he had held vigil in, sweetly kissing her on the forehead while reaching for her hand and to give it a small comforting squeeze.

Her eyes shot to his. "What if I die, too?" she asked barely above a whisper, Her eyes pleading with him.

He shook his head, "You're not going to die Elizabeth."

Her eyes had filled with unshed tears as she replied to him, slightly louder this time. "You can't say that… know that….and my boys."

"They will be safe with me." He assured her as he gently squeezed her hand again and smiled down at her.

"And Jason?" she asked him.

Answering her quickly, "He agreed to stay away and let us raise Jake. He'll be safer away from his father."

"Lucky, I" she choked overcome with emotion.

"I love you, too." He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. After a moment of trying to deepen the kiss and her resisting his progress, he was struck with how wrong the kiss felt. There was no passion, no reciprocation of his feelings at all. Quickly, he pulled away and broke off the kiss, searching her eyes for confirmation of his thoughts.

"Lucky, I"

He sat back down, letting out a breath, "No, I think I finally get it. Our vows to love each other [b][i]forever[/b][/i], our [b][/i]'lock[/b][/i]', it means nothing anymore. Somewhere along the way you stopped loving me."

She rushed to reply because she had to make him understand that, that just wasn't true. "I never stopped loving you, and I never will…" She paused to carefully consider her next words. "It's just that, I gave a part of myself to Jason and never got it back. I couldn't even begin to ask for it or want to. It doesn't belong to me anymore, it's simply no longer mine to give. You deserve someone that can love you completely." She took a much needed breath, "Maybe Sam," she suggested, hopefully.

"We're over." He replied simply.

"Oh."

He stood and began walking toward the door, "I'm going to go get some coffee. I just need some time to think, ya'know?"

"Lucky, wait!" She called to him. She didn't want him to leave like this, upset. She wanted him to understand that she didn't mean to hurt him, but there was nothing she could do. Jason did own her heart.

His back still to her, he replied, "No, I just can't be here right now," then quickly walked out the door, leaving the room and Elizabeth in silence.

Lucky meandered through the halls of GH searching for and looking for something that he didn't know and nothing all at once. 'UMPH.' He turned the corner and walked right into someone's back.

"What the?"

"Excuse me." "Oh, it's[i]YOU.{/i]" he spat at the man in front of him.

Rubbing his hand down his face and letting out an annoyed sigh, "Do you want something Lucky?"

"Elissabeth'sss dying you know," He slurred, obviously high.

"Then why aren't you with her?" He asked with concern all the while his heart feeling like it was in a vice at the words. But, he kept his emotions in check because this is what they agreed upon and this is what they wanted, she wanted.

Lucky's eyes narrowed at him, "She wants you! Since I've come back from Helena, it's always been you. All this time, I thought we had what my parents had, but I'm so blind, we never did. It was you. [b][i]You're[/b][/i] the man that she wants to see when she wakes up in the morning, [b][i]you're[/b][/i] the one she wants to kiss goodnight in the evening." He shook his head as he finished.

"I…I heard you two talking, about how much you loved each other…" Jason choked on his words.

"LOVED, it's a funny word, isn't it? The past tense of love… like I LOVED that bottle of pills I swallowed but NOT ANYMORE… " He tossed his head back in a fit of maniacal laugher before continuing. "NOPE, now I LOVE danger boy, the one that's going to let her die without even going to see her." As if instantly sobering he added in a much softer voice, "Do you know what it feels like to come in second place, Jason?"

At that moment his eyes flooded with pent up tears. The unfeeling 'Borg', Mr. 'Stonecold's' heart was breaking and he was in tears. "Of course I do," he muttered.

"Then go to her, she might not have long." Lucky told him in defeat.

Wasting no time at all, Jason took off running to get to her. He had to get to her.

"JASON!" Carly yelled from the nurse's hub.

He didn't stop or even turn his head. His Elizabeth needed him, his Elizabeth was in trouble and Carly's dilemma just wasn't worth it right now, nothing other than getting to her was.

He continued down the hall.

"JASON!" Sonny yelled out, gun in hand, still looking for AZ. Again, he could care less. He'd gotten himself into the mess, why did he expect Jason to bail him out? How many times did he warn him? How many times had he said 'don't get with the Z's; don't trust Anthony'? It just didn't matter anymore.

He picked up his pace getting closer to her room.

"JASON! The toxins are missing. We need to find them before everyone dies." Sam yelled stepping in his path. He came to a dead halt mere inches from barreling her over.

[i]'I have to do something.'

'Go to Elizabeth.'

'But everyone in this hospital could die.'[/i]

He fought within himself not listening to Sam at all.

[i]'What does it matter if she is gone?' What does anything matter if she's gone and you didn't see her?'[/i]

He snapped out of his trance, side stepped Sam, and opened the door to Elizabeth's room. Rushing to her side, he grabbed her hand. Once again feeling a tightness in his chest at the sight of her tiny form in the hospital bed.

"Jason?"

"Elizabeth"

Blinking her eyes to be sure he was really there, she asked in confusion, "What… what are you doing here?"

"I had to see you… Lucky…" he began, turning away from her, his voice filled with anger. "I've been so stupid Elizabeth. And now, now I could lose you and I'm powerless to stop it. I can't protect you from this."

"You're here now, that's all that matters." She whispered.

He turned back to face her, his voice softer now. "I love you so much. I don't think I can walk away again. It hurts too much to not be near you. When I heard you yesterday with Lucky, Elizabeth, it was like a part of me died." His blue eyes were glassy with unshed tears as he walked back to the side of her bed.

She took his hand in hers. "I could never be with him Jason. My heart and soul want you, need you"

Locking gazes with her, he replied, "I'm not going anywhere this time."

Her eyelids closing, "I'm so tired Jason."

"It's ok, I'm here." He crawled into the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you Elizabeth," he murmured to her then gently placed a kiss on her temple.

She drifted back to sleep in his arms. Settling in for the night, no matter what happened, he wasn't leaving this woman ever again. He'd have to thank Lucky sometime for screwing everything up. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.