Jason walked down the stairs without a word, barely acknowledging her presence. She grabbed his arm angrily as he started to walk past her.

"Wait."

She wasn't about to let him walk past her like she was nothing. Not without saying anything about it.

Turning him around to face her, she winced, his face an emotionless mask. It was like a slap in the face to have him close his emotions

off to her after all they'd been through.

"I don't deserve this Jason." Her eyes flashed like fire as she said those words. She felt the buried emotions rising to the surface, boiling over.

"What gives you the right to make decisions for me? What makes you think that it's ok to throw me away whenever you feel like it?"

Elizabeth could feel hot tears sting her face and she angrily brushed them away.

"You say that I'm in danger when I'm with you. I don't care. Everything's a risk when you love someone." Elizabeth could feel her anger draining

away as she looked into his eyes. Her eyes pleaded with him, tears shimmering in their depths.

"You're not safe with me." Jason choked the words out, speaking for the first time.

"I'm not whole without you." Elizabeth confessed, her voice thick with emotion.

Jason felt her words in his heart, wonderful and terrible at the same time. "I don't want to fight with you Elizabeth." Jason said, speaking with the emotions he dared not show.

"Then don't. You don't let anyone make decisions for you. So why is it fair for you to make decisions for me?" Elizabeth challenged, anger creeping back into her voice.

"There is no way I'm putting you in danger again, Elizabeth. I won't take the chance that someone could come after you to get to me. As hard as it is for me to stay away from you,

it would kill me if you got hurt .. or worse because of me."

Elizabeth couldn't help the sob that escaped her as she heard the finality in his words.

"Why can't you understand that?" Jason turned away from her, trying to control his emotions.

"I'm sorry." Jason said, his voice pained.

"I didn't want it to be this way, but I can't see you." Jason's voice took a note of sadness when he said this.

He hadn't known it would be this hard. It was ripping him apart to be away from her. But he knew it had to be done.

Finally, when there were no more words to be said, he walked away, leaving Elizabeth staring after him. He forced himself not to look back.

Because Jason knew if he did, he might've stayed forever.

------

Elizabeth stood, watching Jason walk away from her.  It seemed to be a never ending cycle. It was her that had always run from her feelings, but as he disappeared

from her view she realized that it was now Jason who was running from her.

Heaving a tired and frustrated sigh, she walked over and sat heavily on the bench. She stared out at the water  and remembered all the things they'd been through together.

All the times Jason had been there for her, all the times he'd saved her, even when that meant saving her from herself.

She was so caught up that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps. When a hand touched her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Elizabeth looked up quickly and met the slightly worried eyes of Bobbie Spencer.

"Are you okay Elizabeth?" She asked.

"I didn't mean to frighten you. I tried to call your name. Are you okay?" She asked again, her concern bleeding into her voice.

Elizabeth just stared at her, barely hearing what Bobbie had said. Blinking, she shook her head slightly, pushing the memories that engulfed her away.

Elizabeth smiled, feeling relief flood her that it was just Bobbie. "I'm okay. I was just thinking." She assured her.

"Well, I was just walking by and saw you and wanted to say hello. You really shouldn't be on the docks so late by yourself." Bobbie said disapprovingly, looking around at the gathering dusk.

Elizabeth's eyes flashed with pain and anger. "I wasn't alone, Jason was just here with me." Elizabeth said with a sigh, unmasked sorrow evident in her voice and face.

"I take it by the look on your face that everything's not okay between you and Jason." Bobbie noted, taking a seat beside Elizabeth.

"No." She said, feeling tears gather in her eyes. "Things are definitely not okay." She said quietly.

"Do you think it's fair that he just pushes me out of his life whenever he feels like it?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, surprising Bobbie.

"Why is he pushing you away?" She asked Elizabeth.

"He says it's to protect me. That his life is too dangerous for me." Elizabeth felt the tears rolling down her face as a wave of anger and frustration washed over her.

"But we've been through this before. He stays away to protect me but the only thing that happens is I don't get to see him."

Bobbie patted Elizabeth's hand, understanding her situation. "Jason is a good man. He loves you, I can see it every time you're together. And if you love him, fight for him. Even if that means fighting him." Bobbie said with a smile.

"Love is always worth the fight."

Elizabeth smiled at Bobbie, who'd always been good to her, no matter what happened between her and Lucky. "Thanks for the advice Bobbie." Elizabeth said sincerely.

"I have no intention of letting Jason go." She said, her voice etched with determination.