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Chapter 2

Sonny paced the large front room of the safe house and waited for his visitor to arrive. He'd gotten a call from Johnny saying that Luis wasn't a problem anymore. Normally that would be the signal that it was time for Sonny's miraculous return from the dead, but this situation wasn't normal. It hadn't been since he had looked down at the body of the shooter and made a decision that changed everything.

Jason hadn't even blinked when Sonny made his announcement. Just nodded and started putting things in motion. It helped that they had the blessing of Maximus Giambetti. So instead of returning to the penthouse and making plans to deal with Damian Smith, Sonny was waiting in seclusion.

A car pulled up and he hurried to the door. It opened before he could reach it and in the span of a single heartbeat he was holding his wife in his arms. "Are you okay?" For a whole week they hadn't been allowed to see one another. Sonny didn't want her leaving the penthouse so she had stayed shut up inside. That must have been hell for her, but she had done as instructed.

"I'm fine. We are both fine." Carly said rubbing her tummy. "I've been so worried about you." She said letting the tears come.

"I'm okay. Jason made sure of it." Sonny literally owed the blonde his life. It was Jason who put together the plan that nabbed the shooter. "Come sit down. How is Michael?"

"Good, he's too little to understand that anything is wrong. He misses you though." Carly said smiling through her tears. "I told him that we would all be together soon. That's what's been getting me through this, the fact that in about a week this will all be over."

"Are you ready for that?" He had, in typical Sonny fashion, made his snap decision without consulting his wife. Thankfully she hadn't bitten his head off. In fact Carly had cried tears of relief.

"I am. Are you?" Carly needed to make sure. She had thought for several hours that her husband really had been gunned down. It was only after he was in the secured house that Jason told her the truth, she hadn't believed him until she spoke with Sonny herself. When he told her what was going to happen she had wanted everything to happen that night.

Sonny was getting out. He had decided that he had too much to lose by staying in Port Charles. He was putting her and their family before his need for power. This hit had provided him the unexpected chance to change the course of his life and he was going to take it. Once before this opportunity lay in front of him. He could have just stayed on the island after Ava died, but he had come home and found Carly and they had Michael. Had gotten a chance to be a husband and a father. With the new baby on the way he wanted to give his family security.

"I am." Sonny said kissing her softly. "Once we are gone we won't be coming back."

"I know, and I'm okay with that." Carly was surprised by that. Until hearing that her husband was dead she never would have even thought about walking away from Jason. Yet in that moment when she thought she had lost Sonny, her focus became clear. She loved Sonny, more than anyone other than her children. She had promised God that if she got a second chance with her husband, that if maybe there was some kind of mistake, she would do better. Be better. So when that chance arrived Carly kept her word.

While she wanted Jason happy, she no longer felt the need to try to control how that happened. She had justified her behavior by saying that since he set her up with Sonny, who was perfect for her, she needed to find Jason the perfect woman as payback. Carly had liked the idea of Jason with Sonny's sister. Before the bullet that changed everything she had been trying to push Elizabeth out of Jason's life, so that Courtney could take her place. Carly thought Courtney was a better fit, even if Jason didn't. That behavior was done, if Elizabeth was who her best friend wanted she was fine with that. For the remainder of her time in Port Charles Carly was going to behave. "I think Jason and Elizabeth are having problems."

"What happened?" Sonny was glad Jason had found love. In the weeks before his death Sonny had done everything he could to keep his sister from wrecking that. Courtney had been a pain in the ass since she arrived in the city, Carly had only encouraged the behavior. "Courtney?"

"I think Zander." Carly had no use for the thug wannabe.

Sonny just shook his head. The dark haired kid wasn't going to be an issue after tonight. "What did he do?"

"He told Elizabeth you are still alive. I have no idea how he found out." Carly had been told to pass this information along. "Jason was leaving to go talk to her before I left to come here. I hope they work everything out."

"Me too." Sonny would check when Jason called tomorrow. "You can't change how you treat her."

"I know." Carly felt a great deal of guilt where Elizabeth was concerned. The brunette had been over everyday helping to take care of Michael. Making sure Carly was okay. Despite Carly being the biggest bitch on the planet to her, Elizabeth had not hesitated to put that aside. "I wish I could say thank you. She's been really great to me and Michael this week. She's actually a really nice person, and perfect for Jason."

Sonny thought that was just the height of irony. Now that Carly wanted to apologize and consider a friendship with Elizabeth, that option was off the table. "In order for this to work, you have to do what people are expecting to see. If you change anything people will wonder why. We can't have that."

"I won't mess this up." Carly promised her husband. "I brought pictures of Michael, from this week." Nothing about the little boy had changed but she knew this would make Sonny happy.

"I miss him." Sonny said smiling at the picture. "He's going to have a good life. A safe life."

"He will. Both our children will." Carly said as she put her head on Sonny's shoulder.

For a moment they stood there looking at one another. Jason hadn't been looking for Elizabeth when she came along. After the disastrous end to his time with Robin he had no intention of getting involved in another serious relationship for a good long time. Then he got shot and one month in this tiny studio changed everything. It took months for them to both admit they wanted more, and after all that they had to fight through they were standing on opposite sides of the room glaring at each other. Anyone else Jason would have washed his hands of, but Elizabeth he didn't want to let go.

"You had no right to throw my job in my face." Jason started. His blue gaze was pinning Elizabeth to the spot where she stood. "You knew who I was when you were first introduced to me. You knew who I was when you dragged me into this studio after I got shot. And you knew who I was when you said you wanted to be with me. So you don't get to throw my job in my face, and then storm out!" He finished through gritted teeth.

"I told you up front that I will not be discussing business with you. That there would be parts of my life you had no access to. I never lied to you Elizabeth." Which was all true. "I'm not going to spend my time and energy chasing after you every time something happens with the business and I don't tell you about it. I'm also not going to change who I am. Sonny's enforcer that was the man you took all those bike rides with. That was the man you agreed to move in with. I don't have time for little girl behavior. I spent enough time doing that with Carly. I don't have time to spend explaining that I'm not walking away from the mob. I did that with Robin. If you want to be with me then you need to accept that when I'm with you I will give you everything, but when it's time for me to work you don't get involved."

He took a minute. "You also don't get to yell at me and then walk out. You don't get to run and hide. There will also be no locked doors between us. I don't even have a home office because I want you to have full access to everything when you are in the penthouse. If you have a point to make, then do so. But I get equal time. That's how adult relationships work." He had to grow up some to be ready for Elizabeth, so he had every right to demand this of her. Being friends with Carly and in a relationship with Robin had taught Jason a lot. One thing he learned really quickly was that drama got old fast. Carly's was loud and in your fast, and Robin's had been the quiet weight of her pleas to walk away from his job, but both had worn him down. He wasn't going through either of those things again. Arguments happened in a relationship, but he wanted someone who would stand her ground and not make him chase after her.

"You need to make up your mind about what you want. It's nine o'clock." Jason didn't even have to look at his watch to know that. "If you are not back in the penthouse by midnight then don't bother to return. Don't bother to speak when we pass each other on the street. Just forget you ever knew me. I want you in my life, but I'm not going to put up with you not understanding and accepting that this is how it needs to be. I'm yours Elizabeth if you want me. But you have to accept all of me, and that means accepting my job." Without another word Jason turned and walked out of the studio.

Down on the street Francis was leaning against his car. "If she doesn't come down by midnight return to the Towers." Jason instructed.

"Okay." Francis had been surprised that Elizabeth left in the first place. This type of drama wasn't her. He'd gotten to know her pretty well in the time since she saved Jason's life. Elizabeth was rock solid. More mature than her years, and in his opinion the right woman for Jason. So tonight had been surprising. Apparently Jason just drew a line in the sand. Something he should have done with both Carly and Robin. Francis wondered how it was going to turn out.

In her studio Elizabeth stood and stared at the closed door for a moment before walking over to her couch and sitting. She had heard every word Jason said. Putting her face in her hands she thought about the past few hours. More specifically her behavior over the past few hours. While her temper could be wicked at times, tonight had truly been one for the books.

All the weeks of worry had exploded in one pretty big temper tantrum. She had felt shut out and like everyone was in on the secret but her. It was all too reminiscent of how the rest of her life had been. Her life before Port Charles. She had always been the odd one out. Steven was the revered son, Sarah was the perfect daughter, and Elizabeth was the child they hadn't expected. The one they didn't really know what to do with.

Her parents loved her, but they didn't understand her. Steven and Sarah were almost carbon copies of their parents. In looks, and intellect. Both were studying medicine because that was what Webbers and Hardys did. They went into medicine. Elizabeth on the other hand was short where everyone was tall. Brunette where everyone was blonde, and had blue eyes while everyone else had brown. Her family was boisterous and outgoing, while she was fairly shy. She was smart like her brother and sister, but her passion was art not science. Her parents told her to follow her heart, but it was Steven and Sarah they bragged about.

The move to Port Charles had enabled Elizabeth to step out of her older siblings shadows. She had come at fourteen to live with her Gram and attend high school. She made some friends, and met a guy who was really nice. Lucky had died in a car accident, but he had done something great for her before that. He had introduced her to Jason.

The man she would eventually give her heart too.

Which was at the root of tonight's behavior. She was in love with Jason, and it terrified her. The fear of not being enough ate at her. Fueled by Carly's constant outbursts to that effect. Still Elizabeth wanted to try, she wanted to know what it was like to be loved by Jason. And then tonight she tried to throw it away. The way he made her feel left her vulnerable, it was stronger than anything else she'd ever felt. Much stronger than the love she thought she felt for Lucky.

He had been right to call her out. Jason never lied to her, not once. She knew going in that there were parts of him that were off limits. Not because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't want her to have information that could place her in danger. With the police or his enemies. Her throwing his job in his face was like being married to a doctor, and getting pissed when he left to do surgery. She completely tossed logic aside when Zander dropped his bomb.

Which brought up another issue. Why was Zander about to try to kiss her? She didn't feel that way about him, something he had to know. Before she could step back Jason had kicked in the door, but now thinking about it, about Zander's behavior over the past few weeks she saw a pattern that turned her stomach. She suspected Zander was playing a game and she was the prize. Poor Em would be crushed, especially since it wasn't about Zander loving Liz, but about Zander pissing off Jason.

This was a mess of her creating. Now she had a choice to make. Looking at the clock Elizabeth asked herself what she really wanted. And if she was strong enough to follow through.

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