Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. This is so much harder to write than my regular stuff because I have to move things around a lot. I am glad you are enjoying the story. And I know people were worried when you read Elizabeth was married to Sonny, but please, would I really let that happen where they had sex. MB is not someone I like seeing in romantic scenes.
Chapter 2
As Elizabeth and Jason went down the elevator, she felt her mind race as she tried to think what to do, but knew that no matter what, she was not losing her son. Not for anything or anyone. Meanwhile Jason's own mind was going between anger and pain as he led her to his car and tersely asked for directions.
Jason's mind went back to the day he realized that he wanted more, much more than a fling with Elizabeth, the day he had decided he wanted a lifelong commitment to the woman he had spent so brief a time with...then to his son before thoughts about his own childhood reared their ugly head.
He had never thought to marry, his biological father's numerous affairs notorious in their small town as well as the rumors about his mother. Not that Susan had been a saint, she hadn't been. But she had been there, through it all for him.
He would never forget the day he went to visit with his father, the names his brother had called him, the names his supposed aunt had thrown about. He had been five and had gone home and said he wasn't going back there, EVER as he held back the tears.
His mother had tried to reason with him, until he had shouted at her all that had happened and how he had been called a bastard. She had sat down, then called Monica, telling the woman in a very calm tone that Jason would not be returning to that horrid house and nothing would change that, that there was no amount of money in this world that would get her to send her child back to where deliberate and malicious harm had been inflicted on him.
She had gone to court, dealt with accusations of feeding him lies, been repeatedly labeled a bad mother, until the day the judge had been in the hospital and had overheard AJ and his pals circling a six year old Jason and calling him a bastard and saying the sort of cruel things boys would to someone they perceived as weaker than them.
The court case had gone away, the Quartermaine bitter at losing contact with Alan's son, Edward even going so far as to try and get the head of GH, Steve Hardy to fire Susan. It hadn't worked, the doctor had stood by his nurse. Jason would see them, at his school events, but they never approached him again.
All contact had been cut off, with money being deposited into an account for his welfare but no cards, no presents and most importantly no more publicity.
He had thought Elizabeth was different than the Quartermaines, that in spite of everything she didn't judge him for his beginnings but now learning the truth, that he had a son and she had kept him from him was hardening his heart, causing him to shut down even as they drove to her house, the silence in the car deafening.
Elizabeth went between trembling in terror at how Jason was reacting to Jake and trembling and trying not to cry as she finally admitted to herself that she was in love with this man. But the little voice in the back of her mind just kept saying. "Do you think he will love you, now that he knows the truth, don't delude yourself, you know who and what he is, he is going to hate you, blame you for this. For a child he didn't want."
As they drove, Jason came to a decision. He would force her to marry him, threaten to take their child away if it became necessary, but he had no intention of allowing his own child to be raised the way he had been. As he tried to rationalize it, all that came to mind was this.
He would have her, in his home, in his bed, he would have a child, someone to love. Someone who would love him and not betray him and his son's mother would stay, because whatever else, Jason believed that Elizabeth loved her son.
When they arrived at her house, Elizabeth quietly unlocked the door and announced to Isadora that she had brought home a guest.
Jason gave an angry snort, she thought she was going to hide this, hell no. Walking to the woman in front of him, he said "Hello, are you my son's nanny?"
Taken back, she said "I am little Jake's nanny, like I was for his mother before him."
Nodding, he said "I would like to meet my son, Elizabeth."
She had come to realize in those few moments what she had done, the damage she had caused this man as she saw him looking at the photos on the mantle. She could see the pain but more importantly the way he looked at Jake like he was the be all end all of his existence.
Had she kept the secret to protect her child or had she done so to protect herself... to avoid facing things all those months ago. She had vowed to hate Jason Morgan for the rest of her life, Sonny had egged on that hate while alive but she should have let it go the minute she found out about the baby... maybe she had, maybe she was just now coming to face that some part of her felt guilty, like she was betraying her family by falling in love with this man, this man who had given her the most precious gift of her life. Jake.
"Elizabeth, I am waiting." he said wanting to shake her as she stared at the photos he had been looking at only moments before. Reaching for her hand after the nanny had left, he guided them up the stairs stopping to say "Which way?"
Numb, all Elizabeth could do was point. Jason didn't let go, he didn't trust her not to find a way to keep him from his child, his child. That was going to take some getting used to.
Lifting the little boy who had woken up the minute they entered the room, Jason felt his heart soften when he saw Elizabeth in their son.
Sitting down in the rocker, he eased it so that he could rock his son back to sleep. Laying him down in the crib, he looked at Elizabeth and felt torn by two different urges. One to make her pay for what she had denied him, denied them both and the urge to hug her and say all would be fine.
Because all wouldn't be fine, at least not until he had tied her to him as many ways as possible. He was not losing his family again but he would not beg. He would have her asking him to marry her, he would never let himself be that vulnerable, not after this.
"You and I are moving in together. We are going to be raising this little boy as a family."
"No, Jason, please?" she asked her mind racing as she tried to find a way to fulfill her plan and marrying Jason would blow that. "I can't marry you."
"I don't recall asking you to marry me." he said evenly. "And you will live with me, you will sleep in my bed and we will be just like every other normal married couple or I will take you to court, I will do whatever it takes to be a full time father to my son."
Elizabeth watched as his eyes went to the sleeping child and saw the tears and felt sick at what she had stolen thinking he wouldn't want to be part of. "Jason, please think about this, think about what this is going to do to Jake."
"It's very simple, Elizabeth." he said "You have two choices, live with me and our son or live without both of us."
"Jason, I can't." she said her voice breaking not realizing her refusals were only fueling the fire, the need to win her. "I can't do this, not unmarried. I won't."
"Fine, I will agree to marriage, with conditions." he said. "We live as man and wife, no birth control, and if you leave, the children stay with me."
Broken, she looked at him and said "Why are you doing this to me?"
"What is your answer? Yes or No?" he asked holding his breath until she slowly nodded yes. "Fine, then I want you ready tomorrow morning at nine. Do you understand me."
Shaking, she said "Yes."
"And Elizabeth, if you run away... know one thing, it will be a very bad mistake." he said before kissing his son on the head then taking his leave. In the car, he made some plans and was taken home.
Once at the only place he felt safe, Jason let it all out. His anger, his disappointment that the woman he loved, the woman he had put above all others had done this. Had kept this from him. Falling asleep as he made plans for their future, he swore, that by Christmas things would be different.
The next morning, Elizabeth was in her living room with Isadora and some strange looking geek as witnesses marrying Jason. When he slid the ring on her finger then gave her a very functionary kiss, she wanted to cry for what she felt like she was losing. Somehow, something inside of her knew that this was wrong.
Jason was holding his son as Francis made arranged help for the nanny to supervise the moving of what was needed. "We will be at the hospital."
Seeing Elizabeth's expression he coldly said "There is someone I want to meet Jake."
As he watched his son, he could see traces of himself besides his eyes and yet he could see Elizabeth in their little boy. Looking across at her, it took everything in him, all his self control not to tell her how beautiful she looked.
As they stepped onto the geriatric ward, Jason looked at his son then Elizabeth before saying. "Stay out here, please."
Elizabeth was holding a sleeping Jake as he slipped into the room. "Mrs. Hardy, Audrey... it's Jason."
"Oh, my sweet, sweet boy, how are you?" asked the frail woman in the bed. She looked at his eyes and said "Oh dear, I have seen that look before."
His eyes went to the tiled floor as she reached out with her wrinkled fingers and said "She came back, didn't she? I told you to give her time."
"She hurt me." he said hoarsely. "We have a child, a son, but she didn't tell me, she wasn't going to tell me."
Audrey listened to his story, her brows crinkling a bit then said at the end. "Jason, I think you are wrong. I think your past is influencing your emotions. Have you asked her? Asked if she was going to tell you?"
His hands shaking as he moved to the window, he said "I can't, I love her too much, if she lies... I will know it and that...."
"Would kill you, but what if she was going to tell you? How would you have reacted to finding out this late?" she asked gently. "Jason, this love you speak about, it comes with other necessary parts, and a major part of those is trust and respect. You need to tell her the truth about what happened in Colorado, and you need to trust her with your heart."
"I'm scared." he said. "I... I don't think I am someone people can love, other than my mother, no one ever has."
"That young man is a lie and you know it. I love you and if you would ever have a conversation..."
"Audrey, thank you, but that isn't going to happen." he said firmly. The Quartermaines were a sore subject and he had no intention of going there even with her. "And I love you too."
"Where is she? Your Elizabeth?" she questioned.
Jason tensed then said "I left Jake and her, outside. I will be right back."
Meanwhile outside in the hall, a blond woman Elizabeth knew as Emily's mother had seen her and approached. "Oh, Elizabeth, how nice to see you."
"You too, Dr. Quartermaine." she said with a smile. Seeing her look at Jake with a curious expression, she said "and this is Jake, my son."
"Oh, then you went through with the treatments." she said a bit surprised. She had always thought that Elizabeth was more traditional than that.
"No." she gave a quick laugh. "I had him in a slightly less unconventional way. I met a guy, fell in love, left town, gave birth, came back and before I could tell him he found out, was angry then married me. Completely in the normal range for Port Charles."
"Oh, I am so happy for you, for you both, well all three of you." she said grinning at the still sleeping baby. "I know we have never discussed it, but I knew the truth about your marriage. I let it go because of my love for you, for your mother. I just never understood why she never divorced your father after finding out the truth."
Elizabeth felt dizzy, was seeing black spots as she looked at the cardiologist. "My dad had an affair?"
Jason walked out and saw how pale Elizabeth was and quickly encircled her in his arms before turning to speak to the blond who had turned white herself as she realized Elizabeth didn't know. "Stay away from my wife and my son. You and your family, minus Emily are not welcome any where near us. Do you understand me, Dr. Quartermaine?"
Now it was Monica's turn to sway as she looked between Elizabeth and Jason then down at the little boy in her arms. Before she could say anything, Jason had taken them into the room and with a glare at her closed the door in her face.
"Mom, are you okay?" asked AJ as he came down the hall. Lifting her up, he called for help then heard what she was saying. "Mom, who is married, who is a father?"
Monica looked at her son, and shut down just as Alan rushed into the room where they had brought her. Telling AJ she would be fine, she was finding it hard not to snap at the reason Alan and she had lost the little boy she had loved the instant she met him. AJ saw the way his parents closed ranks and would have guessed it was about that bastard Jason, but for the words marriage and kids. His brother would never find a woman desperate enough to marry him.
Jason had soon introduced Elizabeth and Jake to Audrey who looked exhausted by the end of their half hour visit. Kissing her forehead and promising to return, Jason was escorting his family out when he saw Alan by the elevator. "Stay here."
"I am not a dog, stop treating me like one." she snapped. Jason was upset then thought back to their conversations that day and gave a quiet chuckle in spite of what was waiting on the other side of the room. Reaching out, he lifted her head and said "I am sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
"Well it sounded like you were saying stay rover, good dog." she said. Jason couldn't help himself, bending down he pressed his lips against hers and said "I won't do it ever again, unless talking to Spinelli."
"What is a Spinelli, wait maybe I don't want to know.." she said before pointing to the wait area, "I will be there when you are done with whatever you need to do."
Jason sighed then said "No, I guess you have to start to hear about this soon."
Alan started to speak but Jason held up his hand, "I don't know how much Emily or Elizabeth unknowingly told you, but here is all you need to know. Yes, I am married and we have a son. He is wrapped up in this blanket, take a good look, this is as close as you and anyone with Quartermaine blood will ever get to him."
Elizabeth looked between then wondering about the tone and why Jason would talk to Emily's father like that. She kept quiet, certain she was missing something, something important when Edward came off the elevator they were waiting on. "Alan, what are you doing talking to that waste of Quartermaine blood? He is a---"
Elizabeth had never liked Emily's grandfather, and while she was grateful for the information he had imparted to her, she wasn't going to stand for the comments. "Mr. Quartermaine, if you can't keep a civil tongue while talking about my husband, I will be sure to let Ms. Lila know when I drop off her painting."
Blinking, Edward looked befuddled for a minute then said "Oh, it's you, you sweet child, you don't know what is going on here, this degenerate is my son's mistake."
Walking on to the elevator she looked at Edward and said "No, it is you who don't know what is going on, Jason is my husband, and this is our son. And when Lila doesn't get her picture, be sure to let her know that I won't stand for you talking about my family that way."
"But Elizabeth, Lars and Helene would want me to warn you, you have no idea..."
The iciness in her eyes caused Edward to back away once again feeling like the struggling young man he had been when trying to court the lovely and aristocratic Lila Morgan. He sighed as the door closed, then said "It's such a shame, I had hoped she would marry your son when he finally matured. The idea of Lar's granddaughter, marrying into our family..."
Alan looked at his father and shaking his head walked away without pointing out, that Elizabeth HAD married into the family. Returning to his wife, he held her and said "Edward showed up."
Bursting into tears, Monica said "Why can't he just leave it alone?"
Neither wanted to think of the real reason, that Edward resented Jason for standing on his own two feet, for being a maverick, unlike AJ or Tracy's son Ned who found bitterly for any crumb of compliment from the old man.
Alexis was reading the papers the court had dropped off when her husband entered the room. With a sigh, she looked at Ric and said "We have to talk."
"I can't, I am late for court. Something to do with Corinthos." he said annoyed. "The man died almost two years ago, why can't he stay out of our lives. After the way he chased after you... then made you executor of his will. Shameless."
"Ric, wait, we have to talk." she said as she went after him. "It's about why you are going to court."
Turning, he said "Corinthos? What of it?"
Swallowing her fear, she said "Please, sit down."
She was feeling weak when she sat down opposite the man she loved, the man who for some inexplicable reason had moved out of their home almost four months ago. The man who wouldn't be coming back when he heard what she had to say. Another reason to loath that woman, why couldn't she stay away and let things be?"
"Alexis, what is it? Is this about my new apartment in the Morgan building. I know you don't like him, but frankly, I don't give a crap." he said thinking that hopefully she didn't know about Claire yet.
"No, it's about Kristina." she said "And Sam."
"What has that tramp you call a daughter been doing, we had a deal, Alexis, she stays far away from her sisters." he warned thinking about the night he had been drugged and had woken up the next morning with a sex tape on his bed.
Him with the wife of Nik Cassadine and AJ Quartermaine. Either would have been enough to destroy his career in politics, but both of them, and what had happened that night, no one would care he was not in his right mind.
"I need to tell you something." she said choking on the words. "When Sam came to town, she uh, she was in some serious trouble, the kind that needs serious money to get out of. I didn't have the money, and I would never ask you for it. But she needed help. Anyhow, it was right about when Sonny was hanging around."
"How does this involve our daughter?" he asked looking at the photo of the eleven year old in her school uniform.
"I told you I needed money, Sonny made me a deal. In exchange for bailing Sam out of trouble, he needed a favor. A big one." she said shivering. "And while we were in New York taking care of it, I slept with him."
Ric shook his head, to get rid of the thoughts that were now consuming him. "What did you say?"
"I slept with Sonny, I am so sorry Ric, but he is Kristina's father and that bitch Elizabeth is forcing me to tell you the truth or I have to sign the papers to relieve myself as controlling her trust."
Ric just stared blindly at the fireplace, her words floating over him. "So if you agreed to release her trust, she would have kept quiet, I would have never learned the truth?" he asked in disbelief. "Then why not sign the papers? Why not let me keep believing that Kristina was mine?"
"I won't let her win. I can't." she said then saw his face as he looked at her.
"You loved the bastard, I remember when she came to town, how shocked we all were at how young she was but you... you oh my god, you were jealous, you wanted him and god, Alexis, what was I? Second best. You let me marry you, thinking we were having a child together."
"There is more." she said the tears flowing. "She is threatening to tell that Sonny did something else..."
"What?" he asked. "Is he Molly's father as well?"
"No, god no. I promise you, I was faithful to you." she said then confessed. "The money that I gave you, the money for your campaign, it came from him."
Ric fell to his knees and said "Please tell me that my election, my entire career as DA wasn't funded by the man whose past was … god, Alexis. You take away my daughter, my career and..."
"I didn't do it, she did." she said fiercely only for Ric to say "No, she didn't. You should have never lied, my god... this is why my father hates you, hates your daughter. How did you get him to keep quiet?"
"I didn't." she said."
Alexis looked at him and said "I did go to Sonny, he laughed at me and said that I had done all he wanted, he had obtained what he wanted from me and that I couldn't even do that right. He wanted a son."
Ric walked to the door and then looking at her said "I was hoping to deal with this over the weekend, but I filed for divorce. And I am not ending our marriage because of what happened here or twelve years ago. I am ending it..." with a bitter chuckle he said "I am ending it because your daughter created a sex tape where she drugged me and let those two bisexual bitches she calls friends use me. I found out five months ago, I have an STD, Alexis. I had to give the health department a list of names. My career was f-ed, either way, but now, thanks to you and what you told me... I guess it really doesn't matter. Oh, and Claire Walsh..."
"What about her?" she asked wondering what the ADA had to do with anything.
"She is pregnant, it's mine." he said leaving her sitting there numb until she had come up with a plan. Calling Luke she said "You owe me."
"What do you want darlin?" drawled out the man leaning back in his chair smoking a cigar.
"I want you to destroy Elizabeth Corinthos, I want her decimated." she said shrilly.
"No can do, the Cowboy wants her for his wife, even has the perfect way to convince her to marry him." he said then hanging up said to Lucky. "You might just get Lucky, she will go to someone else after me, let Alexis ruin her, then you can sweep in as her hero."
Elizabeth was wondering where they were going as Jason just seemed to drive, then they were out in the middle of nowhere. She knew this spot, this place. She had often come out here while painting. The melancholy estate with the burnt out house and statues in the yard called to her on a primitive level. "Jason?"
"Alan, is my sperm donor." he said levelly. "He found out about me while my mother was pregnant but reunited with Monica and told my mother to get rid of me. Wrote her a check for an abortion. I found it after my mother's death. The memo line... the memo line said for medical procedure."
Elizabeth sat quietly trying to reconcile this with the man who had always been so kind to her.
"Mom went away to have me, to a friend of hers, a former nurse. When I was about four she came back, her cousin had died and she had to attend the funeral. The Quartermaines showed up. I was just a kid, you know. There was this lady, she smelt nice, was in a wheelchair." he said his voice catching for a minute.
"She asked me my name, I still remember standing there proudly announcing "Jason, Jason Morgan Moore. Then the gasps, the looks and then the shouting. My Mom was trying to get to me and this woman, with dark hair was there, swearing and saying she didn't hold up her end of the deal."
His mind was in the past as he said "I didn't understand, but the nice lady had picked me up when I was crying and was wiping my tears. There was this little boy there, he came over and said "Get away from my grandmother. She is mine, she loves only me."
"Then there was a man, he came over and was so nice as he removed me from her lap, I remember smiling at him." he said his voice practically gone. "He turned to her and said "Lila, my love, it looks like we have another grandchild. I was so lonely, I thought, wow, I have grandparents, I didn't even know what the word meant but I was so certain it would be good things."
"Then a man in a dark uniform rolled her away and the man I was grinning at looked at me and said for me to stay away from his wife, that I was an wanted bastard who should have never lived. That I was a mistake. Something that should have died. Then he put me down and I fell, I remember cutting my knee and not feeling it, I was so sure that something was wrong."
"My mom came over and I was hearing words like slut, whore and gold digger." he said. "I was sure they weren't talking about MY mother, not the woman who loved me. I didn't see them again for almost a year but I knew my mom was crying herself to sleep a lot. Then one day, Mom took me to this store, it was a thrift shop and bought me this outfit. It was a little big but she said I would grow into it that it was good material. That she had a surprise for me that day. That I was going to be meeting my family."
"I could see she was trying too hard but I didn't want to disappoint her. She took me home and gave me a bubble bath, anyhow, she dressed me in this outfit and a car pulled up in the driveway. I was put in the backseat and I remember asking if she was coming along. The man in the uniform closed the door before she could answer and then getting in drove down the road. He pulled to the side and said he was told to tell me the rules."
"The rules." he said bitterly. "I was not to touch anything, I was to address everyone as Mister or Mrs. No talking to the other kids there, I was not to play with the toys unless invited to. I was to tell no one who my mother was. I was not to speak unless spoken to."
"We pulled back onto the road and went up to the house I could see from mine. I remember being excited to be visiting it. It was pretty from the distance, with all the flowers. The door opened and I was ordered inside and told to stop looking around. Inside I could hear people shouting."
"They were talking about me. Then this boy came up, the one from the funeral and he pulled my hair. Then his own and went in and said I had pulled his first. I was sat on the stairs for two hours, told not to move. Then this boy came in, he was friends with AJ. He looked at my outfit, then said that I was wearing the clothes his mom had given to the thrift store. That he could tell by the arm, where his mom Laura had sown them using red thread."
Elizabeth felt her heart ache as he kept talking. "It got worse as the day went on, then Alan showed up with his wife, asked why I was on the stairs. When I told him, the maid said I was lying. Monica, sat down next to me and asked me why I would lie?"
"I refused to say another word, just demanded to be taken home. They said no, that it was time for dinner and we went in to eat. Alan and Monica were trying but I didn't like the food, and refused to do more than try it. I spit out the soup and the woman I now know as Tracy said my mother should teach me some manners. I had had it and snapped too bad her mother hadn't taught her some and that it was wrong to lie and swear."
"I got up and when Alan said to sit down that we don't leave the table without being excused, I said too bad. And went back to the stairs." he stopped talking then told her about what happened after that.
"The only other time before today that I ever spoke to Alan was the day I graduated high school. He tried to give me money for college. I ripped the check up and threw it in his face. Told him to go home to his new child. Emily was a kid, they had just adopted her. I would see them with her, see how they treated her, loved her and it hurt."
Wiping the tears he was unaware were falling, he said "Emily, though, she refused to leave me alone once she knew about me. She just stuck around until I talked to her. We aren't close, I won't allow it, but I am civil with her."
"Jason..." when he looked at her she said "I wasn't going to keep Jake a secret, I thought about it, I will admit that. But I knew... I knew I had to tell you. I thought you would hate being a father, that you would be angry with me. I didn't mean to get pregnant, I swear."
Jason held her hand his grip tightening for a minute, then worried he might be hurting her, loosened his grip. "Then why?"
"I was sure it would be either you wanted us to go away or you would want to claim him as your heir, with me on the outside looking in." she said. "I spent my whole life feeling like that. I never felt wanted."
"Me either." he said. "My mom loved me, but no, I don't think she wanted me. I ruined her life."
"I doubt that, Jason. Mothers, we..."
"Elizabeth." reaching out, he cupped her head, "Not everyone, is as well, naive or sweet as you are."
Looking down, unable to meet his eyes, she said "I blackmailed Alexis Davis and Olivia Falconari, how can you say I am sweet."
"What?" he asked stunned.
"Sonny, he had kids with them, Dante and Kristina. Dante knew, but I don't think Ric does about his daughter. Anyhow, I wanted my trust, I found out that Sonny had no legal right to tie it up like that, that it was from my family. The money, everything I thought you took, the money that belonged to my mother... not Jeff., I just don't get why?" she said bewildered.
"I don't understand, I had the corporation request all moneys your father owed be returned." he said. "He had to sell everything."
"Sonny led me to believe that, but no, my mother's estate was all mine. Jeff had no control of it. It's why he got into the trouble he did. When my mother died, the income was tied up for me, and rather than change his standard of living, my father... my father... he embezzled the money." she finally admitted out loud.
Debating, Jason decided that telling the truth was for the best. "Elizabeth, when Monica announced your father had had an affair, was that the first you ever heard of it?"
"Yes, how could he, I mean, he cheated on my mother? Do you know who the woman was? Did you find that out when you looked into his finances."
"I didn't know of the affair then, I only learned of it while looking for you." he said. "Elizabeth, it wasn't another woman."
"What? But I thought he had an affair?" she asked then seeing Jake fuss, got out of the car and went to remove him from the car seat.
"Elizabeth, he did. It just was with a man." he said closing his eyes.
Elizabeth started to add it up, "S-sonny?" she asked. "But why didn't he tell me?"
"Because there was more to it. Your father... after your mother's death. He was going to lose custody of you, your aunt was making noises about taking you away. Sonny and he had been long term lovers and Sonny was upset that your father was making plans to marry again. For your sake."
"How do you know this?" she asked in shock even as she paced with Jake.
"I was looking for a company at about the same time, needing to expand, I had too much capital since my first takeover was a success. Sonny resented me, I was the new kid on the block, the truth about my parentage making some I dealt with resent me. No one warned me that there had been rumors for years about your dad's company. I took it over, thanks to it's financial shape, it almost bankrupted me."
"I recovered, but in turn, ruined your life." he said sadly. "I just don't know why he married you."
"He was not a bad man, at least not to me." she said leaning against the car. "We made a deal, we lived in the same house, traveled together, but we were like roommates. I learned he had women, didn't care because it wasn't like that with us... then he found out he was ill."
"He told me about Dante, about Kristina. Then a reporter showed up, Trevor Lansing. He works for the Zachara group." she said while his lips twisted. Trevor was a scum bucket but the man knew how to do his research.
"He had found out Sonny's secret, he outed it to me in front of Sonny. I remember after he left, Sonny's crowing that I had fooled the man. Funny thing, I saw his expression and realized that I had been fooling myself. There were hints all along. There was this guard, Max. They were close, I remember them together all the time. Then he went away. Next I heard he was living with a man. I should have paid better attention, but he fooled me."
"When we first met, that night you said something about your dignity."
"I was so angry, people were gossiping about Sonny's death, claiming he died having sex with me. He had those rumors spread by Alexis and Olivia in exchange for giving them money and hiding the secrets of their kids." she said.
"Sonny died of prostate cancer. The rumors about me being pregnant, and miscarrying was so he could go back to sleeping with women, after Trevor showed up. He was all about keeping up appearances."
"Then why the community center, why the legacy?" he asked.
"What legacy? Alexis Davis ruined what Sonny was doing there." she said pissed off. "I did it for the kids, Sonny grew up poor and swore that he would make it possible for kids like him to have a safe place to hang out, to learn to do all those things that rich kids did. I may not have liked him very much by the end of his death, but that center, that was the one thing Sonny and I agreed upon."
"I spent the year after his death, doing research, visiting similar centers all over the country. In between I painted and found out the truth about my estate. Sonny never knew of the Villa my mother owned in Italy. I went there, thinking about things, planning. Then I came to do what I had promised. Alexis was against it, she controls the part of the estate he left for that as well."
"Why if she hates you, would he put her in control?"
"Sonny had no idea that Alexis loathed him as much as me. She was great at covering it up. And unlike the rumors, all she controls is the money in the trust. Until I sold it before coming home, the estate controlled a fifth of the Olive Oil production in Italy." she said looked sideways at him.
"When I came home, I sold it, and while I am not in your income bracket, I am not poor." she said. Jason turned her and took Jake out of her arms and returned the now sleeping baby to his car seat and said "What were your plans, why did you return, besides Jake?"
"To right some wrongs." she said quietly. "Olivia runs around spending money that belongs to Dante, not her. I talked to him, once he got over my age. He is a decent guy but struggling to make ends meet. His mother refuses to help, telling him he needs to work for what he wants, the whole while spending his money and playing lady of the manor at Sonny's old estate. She has pretended she bought it but in truth, she is living there at my behest."
"Why if you don't like her?"
"Because she keeps Alexis in line. They are both guarding Sonny's estate for their own shares, well technically their kids shares, they keep each other honest."
"Elizabeth, I know we are dealing with a lot of issues, but can we try." he said quietly. "To be the best parents for Jake, for us. To be a couple? Would you be willing t-to, well maybe modify our agreement just a bit."
She felt sick, she loved him and knew she wouldn't be able to refuse him anything. Was this how she wanted her son raised, knowing she would do anything for his father, in spite of his not loving her.
"I will try." she said turning to him. "What next?"
"I have a house, the one my mother owned when she took up with Alan, it's nothing grand, not anything close to an Italian Villa or even my own condos."
"Yes. We do have to talk about Emily though. We are close, we have been close since the minute we met, are you going to be okay with her around?" she asked her eyes penetrating his facade to the man underneath.
"Yes, but not Monica or Alan, please?" he asked and holding her close when she nodded. Seeing her blush, he said "What is that about?"
"I uh, there is something we, uh, we can't... uh, I gave birth only four weeks ago. I am not supposed to well..."
Jason was confused. "Elizabeth, what is it?"
"We can't... at least until Dr. Lee gives me the okay." she said then saw his face and feeling frustrated just said. "No sex, for six weeks after giving birth."
Elizabeth and Jason arrived at the house where he grew up. He had gutted the interior, and had made it open with a less eighties feel. Showing her around, he felt like a sixteen year old again, with his first date. Well different than that, actually. His only date before college had been a geeky girl named Robin something. Anyhow, she had been dazzled by AJ a mere hours after their study date and had dumped Jason for him.
Elizabeth had showered and changed and was returning downstairs when she heard soft murmurs and stopped in the doorway watching as Jason held Jake in his arms and once again rocked him to sleep. Seeing him holding their son, it was like something out of an unknown dream.
Jason and she had made progress today, but would they continue? Would some day their marriage be based on something other than their son? Was there a chance that someday he would come to care for her as much as he clearly did Jake?
"Do you want me to take him?" she whispered.
Looking up, he smiled and said. "Not really, I just missed so much time."
"I'm sorry." she said only for him to look up and say "We both should have done things differently. I knew you were in Italy, my guy Spinelli found you and that you were returning. I was scared to come to you, to be rejected."
Over the next few weeks, their life fell into sync with one another. Jason soon learned that she loved to sleep curled up next to him while he found himself holding her tightly worried she would be gone in the morning. Jake seemed to have settled into a routine early as well. He would be feed around eight, then sleep through the night, then conveniently waking about a half hour before Jason would have normally awoken for work.
While Jason was dealing with business, Elizabeth had dealt with Alexis. The attorney had thought by outing her own daughter's paternity she would win. Too bad Elizabeth had meant what she said. One way or another she would have control of her mother's trust.
When Alexis had tried to ruin her in the press, Elizabeth had contacted Trevor Lansing and given him the file she had on Alexis' own secrets. The man had then done some researched and had found out the truth that she had thought well hidden.
Luke Spencer and she had tried to kill her stepmother, but instead had killed Stefan Cassadine's first wife. Elizabeth might have been willing to keep that secret for a later date, but she had had a run in with Lucky who apparently hadn't known she was married.
The discussion had ended with him in the harbor and her threatening to make public that he had slept with his brother's wife. When he had tried to deny it, she had taken pleasure in showing him the video on her cell phone. "Lucky, next time you are making plans for an assignation, don't do it on the public docks where anyone can overhear you."
He had fled, and Elizabeth had given Emily the video. She had been upset on Nik's behalf but Nik had hurt her too badly when he had stood there and acted like cheating with Courtney was no big deal pointing out that during the tumultuous times in her parents marriage, they had constantly cheated on one another.
Alexis had dug in her heels but Elizabeth had found a judge who ordered the attorney to release the trust. What she had done with it had set Alexis off even worse. Elizabeth had used the trust to pay for anyone who wanted a membership in the community center, running her plans to make it a private club only for those whose parents had six figure incomes.
With the news that Luke and Alexis were not going to be charged with murder, Elizabeth had expected it to be business as usual. But the attorney's clients were drying up and or leaving for the firm of Miller and Miller, and Luke's business was now in trouble. The SEC had shown up to audit trades and less than a day later, had called in the IRS.
"Hey, what has you staring out the window?" asked Jason as he returned home. "Were you watching for me?"
Turning, she smiled softly then said "No, I was thinking about whether hurting Luke would hurt you business wise?"
"No, Spencer and I had a deal in play, but he wanted Lucky to run it, I refused. I have loathed that little shit since we were kids." he said. Then looking around said "Where is Jake?"
"Isadora has him in the back yard. He loves the feel of the porch swing." she said.
Sitting down, Jason said "I used to sit in that, reading all the time as a child. It was my hiding place. Where I was certain no one could see me. It's where I cried when I didn't want Mom to see, where I cursed at my lot in life as a teenager. Where I vowed to be richer, meaner and that I would own that house they lived in."
Hugging him, she said "Emily mentioned you didn't live here always."
"The burnt out shell we were at. My mom bought that, when I was little. She heard my vow. She bought it with the money my dad dumped on her. She thought it would make me happy. When I was making my first deal, I had planned on using it for collateral, it burnt down. I don't know who did it, but it was arson." he said his mind going back to that day.
Elizabeth didn't know how to broach the subject, but said "I uh, we have to talk. At least, uh, I went to GH today."
"Did the Quartermaines bother you?" he asked sharply.
"No, I saw your friends, Audrey. The nurse, Epiphany said she doesn't have long. But that isn't it either. I saw Dr. Lee." she said blushing.
"Are you okay?" he asked his hands reaching for hers. "Do you need--"
Touching his lips with her fingers to quiet him, she said "I am fine. She told me everything looks good and that I can resume normal activities. Tonight."
Jason didn't get it then looked up and she saw the look on his face, the moment he understood that that meant they could consummate their marriage. Calling Francis he said "Take care of the meeting tonight for me."
"Jason, wait..." Francis was a bit annoyed to be hung up on. Then looking at the calendar in his bosses office, tried to figure out what meeting. Looking on the executive floor he found the geek and said "What meeting does Jason have tonight?"
Pulling up the schedule, Spinelli said. "The one with Jasper Jacks, but there is no memo on what it is about."
Ric Lansing was leaving the police station for the night after talking to Captain Raynor when the tall blond rushed in and said "You have to deal with this. I am being blackmailed."
Ric looked at Raynor who looked at him then the woman who had entered his office and sat down in his chair while glaring at them. "Ric, tell him to arrest these two."
Taking the picture she was handing them, he asked "Why are you being blackmailed over Carly Quartermaine having sex with two men."
Grumbling to herself about incompetent help, Courtney pulled out the rest of the photos and said "Here."
Looking at them, Raynor was sick but more importantly curious. "Who are they?"
"I don't know their names, if I did would I be here?" she snapped. "I received a note, telling me to place fifty thousand dollars in a bag and drop it in the park. There is no way I am paying them that money. What money I have I have earned, every single stinking penny of it."
Taking the note, Raynor said "What is this about? What does your past mean?"
"Oh, nothing important, they just know that was married before. I mean, I earned that money too, after all I had sex with that creepy old man, so he died. I didn't kill him. His family tried to keep me from my fair share of the estate so I took the jewelry and sold it." she said shrugging.
Ric sat there, wondering what else they could get her to admit to but worried about the legalities asked "Are you sure you don't want a lawyer in here with you?"
"No, why would I need a lawyer, I am the victim." she said slowly, "What are you idiots? I mean, they are trying to steal what belongs to me?"
"Why not go to your husband?" asked the Captain.
"Because I am afraid he will figure out that I lied about being pregnant then miscarrying. Besides, whenever we are in the same room, all he wants to do is rut around on top of me and grunt while sweating." she said.
Ric hid his smirk when she kept talking. "Anyhow, I don't want him to figure out I pawned the diamond ring he bought for that little adopted nobody, I mean she left it, so it is a case of finders keepers, yah know."
"What about Carly and Sam, do you think you should warn them?" asked Ric. The captain felt his jaw drop when the blond announced that they could take care of themselves.
"Sam won't care, unless they found out she shot her third husband then lied that it was self defense. And as for Carly, well she isn't worried. All AJ cares about is winning over Jason and now that he has married that tramp Elizabeth, all AJ does is rage and whine. He ever ordered her to stop sleeping around with other men, and then had the nerve to suggest she stop hanging around with us, how dare he?"
"Courtney, we are going to take care of this for you. But I think for your own protection, at least for the next couple of hours, we need to put you someplace safe." said Captain Raynor.
"Okay, you mean like the hotel?" she asked with a sunny smile.
"No, see if these men have been following you, it has to be someplace unexpected, okay?" asked Ric now almost feeling sorry for the dumb blond.
"Okay, but where?" she asked her eye brows scrunched as she tried to think of someplace. The two men went back in forth with outrageous suggestions, then Ric said "I have it, how about the solitary cell downstairs, I can give you some paper and you can write down all that we discussed, okay. That way we can arraign them right away."
"Will it take long, Nik is still upset about Luke Spencer and is going to want to have sex again tonight, so I have to meet with Lucky first. I mean, he isn't very smart but he is prettier than Nik. If I sleep with him first, it doesn't make Nik as unbearable as he normally is."
"Uh, I promise, we will get right on it." said Ric as they left the room and had a female officer take her to the cell after giving the woman orders. Turning to the two plain clothes officers, Ric said "I want you two to go and pick up Samantha Jacks and Carly Quartermaine. Don't give it away, let them think it is about … I know, Sonny Corinthos, that we suspect his death wasn't an accident and have had a request to reopen the case."
Nodding the two men left, then Ric took great pleasure in calling Nik, Jax and then finally that little shit AJ down to the station. The three men arrived just as two of their wives while Harper and Cruz responding to a request from Raynor showed up thinking they were going to be working a private case for the man.
When they saw the others, neither were worried, after all those women had more to lose than the detectives did. Raynor pulled them off to the side, while Ric waited for their last guest Alexis. Once she was there, the female guard brought up Courtney then handed Ric the papers she had written. With a straight face he asked.
"Courtney, do you see the two men who were blackmailing you and your friends here?"
Sam and Carly looked at one another in horror. The ditsy blond had talked about going to the police but they had thought she was kidding, no one, but no one could be that stupid.
"Yes, that's them, right there." she said triumphantly pointing to the two detectives who stared at the blond in disbelief. "And I wrote it all down, everything they were using against us, including how Sam used someone else's egg to get pregnant with Jax's kid."
Alan entered their bedroom and asked his wife, "Do you want me to bring your dinner over there."
"No, I will eat, I know you want to watch." she said relinquishing her spot in front of the telescope to her husband. "Jason and Elizabeth just came outside a few minutes ago, the nanny handed them Jake and left for the night, I think."
Watching his son like he had done thousands of time before, Alan looked over and saw his wife's sad expression and said "I am sorry."
"You weren't at fault. I was the one who said that it was a quadruple by-pass and I needed your help. Who could have known that Edward would find a way to get Lila out of the house as well. That he would destroy any chance of Jason loving or trusting us."
"No, I could have pressed harder, I could have arranged for us to eat alone with him, I just had dreams of us, as a family." he said with a bitter snort. "Like Edward or Tracy would have allowed that."
"Your sister, she called today, wanting to come to town." she said. "I figured she had heard about Jason getting married and Jake. She had."
"She is never going to get over Mitch wanting Susan, It doesn't matter that Susan didn't want him. This was over thirty five years ago, yet Father and she are still holding a grudge."
"If it wasn't for Lila, I would throw the bastard out." she said. "He has ruined AJ. Michael is well on his way to being another Ned or him. Carly... that is why I am so happy Emily moved into that apartment Jason offered her."
Alan watched as Jason kissed Elizabeth, then went used his foot to make the porch swing move again. Standing, Alan went to the closet and retrieved the camera, grateful for the digital age. Attaching the long distance lens, he snapped the photo then went to print it.
Monica took the picture, her hand tracing the face of the little boy she had fallen in love with the minute she had seen him. Then wiped away the tears as she placed their son in his album of photos. All were the same to a certain extent, a boy, a teenager, then a man all sitting on a porch swing.
"No, wait." said Lila rolling in. Handing Alan a wrapped present, she watched as her son's hand shook as he opened the box. Inside were two albums, the first with photos of Elizabeth, strictly Elizabeth other than two with Emily and one with article about Elizabeth and Jason's being married.
"I think it is time to start a new one." she said closing the door behind her. "I spoke to Audrey today. I made her promise, I said we would try harder to reach out to him, she made me promise something."
"Mother?" said Alan, he could see the cool determination and the stubbornness that Lila rarely showed to anyone.
"She made me promise to tell Jason the truth, that it is way past time he learned it." she said. Reaching out, she said "Oh, my dears. Monica, you have loved that little boy like he was your own, Alan, you both walked away to keep from destroying his childhood. Susan sacrificed too, never moving away, never being allowed to move on. Well, I let it happen, out of the belief that some day, some day the man I love would change."
"Mother, we all agreed... you weren't the only one." said Alan.
"No, no more. Jason needs to know, he needs to know because he is a father now, he needs to know because he is starting his own family. He needs to know that you love him, that you two have always loved him."
At home, Jason carried Jake up to bed, seeing Elizabeth blush, he was worried. He had been alone since the night they had slept together, unable to bring himself to have sex with a woman, knowing that it would be just that, sex.
Now he was worried, he had never had much self control with Elizabeth, just seeing her made his want her. Returning to their bedroom, Jason saw Elizabeth standing in front of her dresser drawer biting her lip while staring inside.
With palms flat against her hips, he brought his hands together in front of her, while kissing her neck. "What are you thinking so heavy about?"
Blushing she said "What should I wear?"
Wanting to tell her nothing, but knowing she wasn't comfortable enough yet, he reached in and lift the first thing he found. "How about this?"
Giggling nervously, she said. "Jason, that was my hospital nursing gown so that Jake could feed."
Looking down, Jason felt himself stir and thicken and said to himself down boy before lifting another nightgown. "How about this one?"
Kissing him shyly, she took the soft green gown then went to her lingerie drawer. Seeing the same expression, then a puzzled look asked "What's wrong?"
"I can't find the panties that match my nightgown. The last time..." she had turned bright red and Jason saw her face then how she looked down and then back up at him. "You have them."
This time, he couldn't resist saying. "Then how about going without?"
Not sure what to do, Jason removed his shirt, hanging it up in his closet, then hearing the water turn off, looked towards the soft light from the opening bathroom door. Standing there, her arms clasped in front of her was his wife, his dream, his heaven.
Reaching out, he turned off the overheard light and then looked at his wife said "I think we start all over again, at the beginning."
Elizabeth said "No, I was too nervous that night. How about we start right where we are?"
Jason felt his heart stop when after all the time choosing, his wife slid the strings holding her gown in place out, then letting it fall to the ground in a quiet wisp of silk on silk as it slid down her body.
With the back light from the bathroom behind her, she stood there then said "I think you are a little overdressed."
Unable to move, Jason stood there while his shy and still very innocent wife undid his belt, unsnapped his jean and slid down the zipper. The rasping sound of it loud in the near silence of the bedroom.
"I think I need some help." she said as she moved her hand inside and tried to slide them down.
Jason kicked off his jeans, then picked up his wife carrying her to their bed, saying. "I love you."
"What?" she asked startled just as Jake cried out in his sleep.
TBC
