Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.
Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.
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BREATHE
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Standing by the window with a cup of hot cocoa, Elizabeth stares out at the warehouse that has been burnt to the ground. Sleep had been far from her grasp last night, so many thoughts running through her head, making it completely impossible to get any peace of mind long enough to sleep.
It wasn't lost on her that she had pretty much set in motion the very end of her relationship with Lucky. She had been so concerned with Jason that she hadn't truly realized what she had said to Lucky, until now. He had told her it wasn't like last time, but for her it was exactly like last time. Someone she loved was caught in a burning fire, her heart hanging in the balance as she waited for the truth that would either make or break her.
The only difference, one that obviously started something that couldn't be undone, it wasn't Lucky in the fire. It was Jason. After so many inner debates, she had finally gotten her answer. She wasn't sure when it happened or how, but she loves Jason and she couldn't bear to lose him. Even if it meant losing Lucky.
In a way, Elizabeth is losing someone because of that fire and she honestly didn't know how to feel about it. For as long as she can remember, her love for Lucky was strong and vibrant, a never ending kind of love. Yet, somehow, the love she had felt has come to an end and its only a matter of time before she faces Lucky and puts an end to their relationship for good.
"Hey." Jason's soft voice speaks from behind her, causing her to smile slightly when he places one hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah." she replies, setting down the cup before turning to him. "What about you?"
"I'm fine." he says simply, looking at her intently, obviously trying to read her mood. "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Not much." she admits, sighing softly. "Had a lot on my mind."
"Why didn't you wake me?" he asks, feeling bad for having slept through the night. "I would have stayed up with you."
"You looked so peaceful." she says fondly, having watched him for a while after he fell asleep. "Besides, you looked like you needed a good night's sleep."
"And you don't?" he counters. "You should have woke me up."
"Fine." she smiles slightly. "Next time, I will."
"You better."
"Bossy, much?" she smirks when he arches his eyebrow, as if to say 'oh, no you didn't'. "I should get ready for work."
"And I should get going." he concedes, even though he wanted to do anything but leave her. "Thanks for letting me stay last night."
"I needed you here." she says simply, staring into his eyes. "Will I see you later?"
"Count on it."
"I will."
Grabbing his jacket from where they tossed it last night, Jason takes one last look at her before pulling open the door. A part of him had thought that last night would change things between them, that they'd somehow fall into something more than what they are, but it didn't seem like anything has really changed. Jason had been so sure that he had seen something in her eyes, something that portrayed how deeply she felt for him, but now he sees that he was only projecting.
"Jason, wait!" Elizabeth walks over to him, smiling slightly when he looks at her questioningly.
Without another word, she wraps her arms around him, prompting him to wrap his arms around her. For a long moment, the two of them don't move, simply holding each other in a warm embrace, closing their eyes for however long the hug lasts. Too soon, for his liking, Elizabeth pulls away, but not before placing a soft lingering kiss on his cheek.
"See you soon." she whispers before pulling away. "And be safe."
"See you soon." he replies before walking out of the studio, waiting for the door to shut behind him before he turns around and touches on hand to the door. Maybe things really have changed between them.
He could be reaching and nothing had changed, but - for the first time since he got back - he's finally got a sliver of hope. Something he didn't have before the fire, something he's hoping will continue to grow as time goes by. For as long as he has some form of hope where Elizabeth is concerned, Jason is willing to wait and be patient.
"You look happy." Francis comments when Jason walks down the steps.
"I'll be back later." Jason says simply, not even bothering to comment or deny it. "Make sure the guys search the rubble for anything that wasn't destroyed in the fire. Then have them start loading the trucks with the debris."
"Already got them started." Francis counters, shrugging his shoulders. "You know that we can handle it if you want to spend your day with her."
"I'll be back later." Jason gives as his reply before walking up the opposite staircase and heading to his apartment.
After watching Jason and Francis talk, Elizabeth decides that its past the time for her to get ready and gathers her things. Just because she had the shock of her lifetime last night, it didn't mean that her shift at the diner will wait for her to come to terms with it. She made a promise to Emily to cover for her and she didn't feel like going back on that. So, without further delay, Elizabeth sets out to face her day. Hopefully, without a confrontation with Lucky until after the lunch rush.
"Morning, Liz." Tammy greets her when she walks into the diner. "I heard Emily asked you to cover for her."
"Customers wait for no one." Elizabeth laughs softly. "Bobbie come in, yet?"
"Nope." Tammy shakes her head, handing over an apron and order booklet. "Not coming in today. Something about Lucas coming down with a slight fever, I think."
"Oh." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Okay, well, can I get the pot of coffee?"
"Is it just me or are you glowing?" Tammy questioned curiously, something about Elizabeth was definitely different.
"Its you." Elizabeth says before walking off to refill coffee cups around the diner.
For an hour or so, Elizabeth had thought that fate was on her side and Lucky wouldn't be coming into the diner that morning, but of course it didn't last for very long. The look in his eyes, as he walked downstairs and crossed the room to her, told Elizabeth all she needed to know. He didn't forget what had happened the previous day and he obviously understood the weight of what she had said to him.
"Can we not do this right now?" Elizabeth pulls him to the side, seriously not needing for the world to know all about her personal life.
"Why? Afraid to tell the world that you're in love with Jason Morgan the mob enforcer?" Lucky raised his voice, making sure everyone heard him. "Well, too bad!"
"Why are you doing this?" Elizabeth looked at him intently. "I get that you're angry..."
"No...you don't get the half of it!" Lucky snaps, glaring at her. "You go around pretending like you're still in love with me when, really, all you were waiting for was the opportunity to screw Morgan!"
"That's enough!" Elizabeth snaps, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the diner. "You have no right humiliating me, Lucky! Jason and I are just friends...nothing has happened to change that yet."
"Yet, being the operative word, right?!" Lucky shakes his head. "I can't believe you! You act like you're this great girl, but really you're just like any other mob groupie! Hell, you're just like Carly! I guess, I better warn cousin Carly because, knowing you, if it doesn't work out with Jason, she's gonna have to keep an eye on Sonny or you'll just go after him, too!"
"Screw you!" Elizabeth glares at him, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. "I admit I was wrong for what I did and said yesterday, but you have no right attacking me like this!"
"How did you expect me to react?" Lucky counters, give her a look that could possibly kill. "Just like last time...you're nothing but a pathetic slut and you know it!"
"Walk away." Jason's voice says from behind Lucky, causing both of them to take notice of him standing there. "Now."
"Oh, look, right on time." Lucky scoffs, looking between the two of them. "Always the savior, huh, Morgan?"
"Walk away, Lucky." Jason states through gritted teeth. "Now."
"This isn't over." Lucky threatens, turning his focus to Elizabeth. "Not by a long shot!"
Watching as he walked off, Jason swore to keep an eye on the kid, knowing that his threat was just as serious as any of his enemies. For now, though, his main priority is making sure that Elizabeth was okay. He wasn't sure what happened between the two, but he's absolutely certain that it had everything to do with him.
"You okay?" he asks carefully, seeing the tears frozen in her eyes.
"I don't know who that was, but that wasn't my Lucky." Elizabeth shakes her head, finally turning away from the direction that Lucky had left and facing Jason completely. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."
"Don't apologize for him." Jason says firmly. "He had no right attacking you like that."
"I know." she agrees, taking a deep breath. "It doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done. There's no going back."
"Wanna tell me about it?" Jason questions, gesturing to the empty table. "You don't have to if you don't want to, though."
"He's angry because of what I said yesterday." Elizabeth concedes, sitting down across from Jason. "I was so worried about you that I just didn't have the sense to filter what I said."
"What did you say?"
"I was staring out at the fire when I prayed for it to not be like last time." Elizabeth explains, seeing confusion in his eyes. "Lucky told me that it wasn't like last time because he was there, but..."
"But, what?"
"I told him that you weren't." Elizabeth says softly. "And then I ran out of my studio and down to where you saw me...I couldn't even begin to explain why...I just knew I had to be there."
"So...when you said that you didn't want it to be like last time...you meant..." he looked at her, trying to figure out exactly what she meant. "You meant you didn't want me to die like you thought Lucky did?"
"I didn't want to lose someone I love...like last time." Elizabeth watches his reaction to her words, obviously he couldn't process what she had just said.
"Someone you love." he says carefully. "Me?"
"I'm definitely not talking about Sonny." she counters. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...I just..." he shakes his head, trying to wrap his head around the fact that she just said she loves him. "What now?"
"Now I go back to work." she says, rising to her feet. "And you can think about what you want...and how you feel."
"What time do you get off?" Jason questions, rising to his feet, moving to stand in front of her.
"Five o'clock."
"Feel up for a ride?" Jason looks at her intently. "We can talk then."
"Okay." she agrees, smiling slightly. "See you then."
"Count on it."
"I will."
Leaning in, Jason places a soft lingering kiss on her forehead before walking off, completely forgetting about the coffee he had gone there to get. Knowing that Elizabeth loves him, suffice to say that coffee was the absolute last thing on his mind at the moment.
"You okay?" Francis asks him when he gets back to the burnt warehouse.
"I'm fine." he says simply, glancing at the wreckage. "Lets get to work."
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