Epiphany

Part 2

A grave sigh escaped her lips as she watched the hotel entrance fill with guests. She stood by the balcony doors, gladly watching everyone socialize. She wasn't in the mood to bump into certain people and cause a scene. Spying the reception desk, she noticed that it was empty and decided she was safe to move into a cluster of people.

Elizabeth moved quietly and as easily as her seven month pregnant stomach would allow her. Reaching a server, she knowingly selected a glass of sparkling water, bypassing the long champagne flutes. Sipping the cool liquid, she welcomed the ease that traveled through her tired body.

Searching for a kind, familiar face, she found Emily and Nikolas walking towards her, hands linked. Nikolas was in a classic black suit and Emily was still in her caramel colored winter coat. Smiling at the obvious happiness that radiated off of them, Elizabeth moved towards them with graceful steps.

When she reached them, Emily pulled her into a tight hug. "You look amazing," she uttered in awe, pulling away to admire Elizabeth's dress.

"Absolutely stunning," Nikolas agreed, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

Elizabeth's smile broadened. "Thank you. You two don't look so bad either," she joked, a twinkle in her cobalt eyes. "Considering how late you are, may I ask what was so important that occupied your time?"

Emily blushed as Nikolas focused his brown eyes on his newly shinned black shoes.

Elizabeth exploded into a fit of laughter at their embarrassed expressions. And soon, they joined in on her laughter, just like they had when they were teenagers.

Rubbing her free hand over her swollen stomach, she watched Nikolas take Emily's coat to reveal the light green dress she wore. They shared a private moment as Nikolas leaned forward to whisper something into her best friend's ear, causing her to giggle. Her heart wrenched at their intimacy and love.

Casting her eyes down at her stomach, Elizabeth concentrated on the life that was growing inside of her.

Her baby.

In less than two months, she would be holding her child in her arms. Kissing her child and Cameron goodnight every night. Telling them about Italy and the amazing sights they would someday visit. Everyday she would remind them of how much she loved them and give them the support she had never received from her parents. With every fiber of her being, Elizabeth vowed her children would have everything they could ever need. Except for one thing.

A father.

Tears filled the young nurse's eyes at the silent thoughts. Elizabeth had never set out to deprive her children of a father or an actual family. But her life had different plans for her and in the end; the best decision for her was to raise her children on her own. Giving one man false hope by letting him rely on an innocent child to make his life better was as wrong as it was to ask the man she loved to sacrifice his happiness to be a father to her child.

Her dimmed eyes dropped to her swollen stomach. Her hand came to rest over her child. "Don't worry," she reassured her baby in a low tender voice. "Your daddy may not know about you, but I know that he already cares about you. He'll be there for you when you need him. I promise." A soft kick told her the baby had heard her whispers.

A soft pull at her elbow brought Elizabeth out of her reverie. Emily hooked arms with her and observed her face with a concerned gaze. A sad smile tugged at her best friend's lips as she regarded her.

"Are you worrying about that again?" she asked without any hesitation.

Bowing her head, Elizabeth forced a smile. "I can't help it," she admitted. The corners of her lips dipped and she blinked away the tears that burned her eyes. "It just hits me at the most random moments. Always lurking around in the back of my mind."

"It's alright," Emily murmured gently, wrapping a comforting arm around Elizabeth's bare shoulders. "I'm here for you. Remember whatever you decide and whatever happens I will stand by you."

"Even if I push your best friend back to drugs and tear your brother's world apart?" Cynicism laced every word.

Emily stared her down with conviction. "Stop thinking like that, would you!" her best friend urged. "Whatever Lucky may decide to do with his life are his choices not yours. Jason on the other hand…" her friend trailed off, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"If Jason decides to walk away from something it will because he wants to," Emily assured her with a tight hug. "I know my brother and I know that he would never blame someone for his actions." She smirked at her with a knowing look. "Now, will you stop being a worry wart and start enjoying the evening?"

Elizabeth broke away from Emily as she discreetly wiped her tears away. "I'll try."

"Oh, no, you don't," her best friend pulled her back and gave her a stern look, but her gleaming eyes gave away her seriousness. "You're going to have fun tonight with Nikolas and me. No worrying and no pouting, young lady," she ordered, patting Elizabeth's stomach tenderly.

"Fine," she complied, rolling her eyes, which was immediately followed by laughter. Just for tonight, she would listen to Emily and attempt to relax before she returned to the madness that was now her life.

"And here comes Nikolas."

Looking over her shoulder, Elizabeth found the Cassidine Prince moving towards them with a large bouquet of white roses in his arms. He beamed as he locked eyes with Emily. They shared a secret look before his eyes focused on her and he playfully winked at her. It comforted her to know that Nikolas and Emily had found their way back to each other and that their love had survived.

Emily squealed as he reached them, but instead of reaching out for the flowers, she hooked her arm with Nikolas and they both turned to her with mischievous brown eyes.

"What…Do I want to know what you two are up to?" Elizabeth asked cautiously, afraid of what answers she might receive.

"These," Nikolas announced in a very energetic voice, referring to roses, "are for you."

Dumbfounded, Elizabeth stood frozen in her spot as Emily took her sparkling water from her and Nikolas placed the flowers in her arms. "Me?" she asked completely confused.

"Yes, for you," Nikolas confirmed, grinning at her.

"It's the first phase of your baby shower," Emily added.

"Baby shower?"

"Yes, baby shower."

"Whose?" Elizabeth asked Nikolas.

"Yours silly," Emily answered.

Elizabeth gazed down at the bouquet in her arms and felt the soft prick of tears in her eyes again. This time they were happy tears. In the midst of struggling to keep up with her life, Elizabeth had forgotten about the small things that she should have treasured. Like her baby shower. Like the wonderful friends that she had who were there to support her through everything.

Over the past few months, she had allowed the secrets she held to eat away at her, but now she was ready to live her life for herself and for her children. She would face the future as it came at her.

Peering up at Nikolas and Emily, the young mother smiled, grateful to have them in her life. "Thank you," she mumbled, pulling them both into a tight hug. She held on longer than needed. An ease and comfort seeped through her body from their embrace. It left her content.

Pulling back, they all grinned at each other.

Wiping away a stray tear that trailed down his friend's cheek, Nikolas asked, "What do you say we all get some dinner?" He raised one jet black eye brow at them in question. "While I torment Elizabeth with what Emily has in store for her during the baby shower."

Elizabeth shrugged. "And I'll just tease you about your love life and that very obvious hickey below your ear," she challenged with a knowing smile.

Emily pursed her lips to suppress a smirk as Nikolas gawked at the pregnant brunette with his hand desperately covering the red welt on his neck.

"You pregnant women are vindictive," he grumbled, leading the two brunettes away from the lobby.

"Correction, all women have vindictive bones in their bodies."

"Aw, my poor baby," Emily cooed over her shoulder.

"Definitely poor me."

Elizabeth couldn't help, but laugh at her best friends. "Nikolas, we're not vindictive. We're more like smarter."

"Now my intelligence is being questioned." He shook his head in insult.

"Don't take it personally, Nikolas," Emily said sympathetically, a teasing smile spreading across her lips. "At one point or another, every man's intelligence is questioned."

The mother to be glanced down at the white roses she held, her artist eyes assessing the delicate curves of the flowers.

"Are you ready to decorate the nursery?"

"Not at all," the young mother admitted. "But I have ideas," she added quickly. "If it's a boy I want an airplane theme with clouds everywhere and colorful airplanes zooming around," her voice softened as her eyes glazed over, her hand gently rubbing her swollen stomach. "I would even get model planes and hang them from the ceiling with string. But if it were a girl I would paint some kind of scenery from Italy. Maybe the scene of a gondola ride with the sunset on one wall and then another of the glassblowers of Murano during the evening. And the San Giorgia Church and the Piazza El Campo like Ja—" Elizabeth cut herself off when she realized what she was saying and that Emily's undivided attention was on her. Glancing at Nikolas, she found him frowning, his focus on something ahead of them.

Shifting her gaze to what Nikolas was staring at, Elizabeth immediately felt a shiver of foreboding pass through her body as her blue eyes locked with a pair of angry brown ones. Her grasp on the white roses tightened, her pulse escalated. She felt Emily give her hand a squeeze of support before her best friend took a defensive stand beside her. Tension seeped off of Nikolas, his stance firm and his face-hardened, his gaze on the lone figure that approached them.

Elizabeth's breath hitched at the pure hatred she found herself staring into. Samantha McCall glared at her, her facial features darkened, and her body language dangerous. In her hand she clutched a piece of paper, completely wrinkled and worn. She stalked towards them dressed in her receptionist's attire; her name tag pinned askew on her vest. She looked anything, but the pleasant woman Jason said she was. She came to a still in front of the small group, her hands fisted and her eyes blackened by rage.

A trickle of fear and caution overwhelmed Elizabeth's senses as she assessed the woman's threatening stance. Even when Elizabeth had called her on her idiocy of putting Jason's life on the line to save her, the woman had never been this cold and hostile. Something was wrong, she could tell from the tension that penetrated her evening with friends.

"I never believed the innocent act," she hissed through clenched teeth. "But I never thought you were the type that trapped men."

"W-what?" Elizabeth stuttered, tightening her grasp on the flowers until she felt the thorns bite into her skin.

"You slept with Jason when he was vulnerable," Sam seethed, "using my mistake to your advantage to get him into bed. But that wasn't good enough for you. You had to flaunt this child you're carrying in his face to keep his attention and even went as far making him believe it was his. Then, miraculously it turned out it wasn't his."

"Sam, please," Emily grasped her arm. "Please keep your voice down."

People had begun to gather around them with each octave that Sam's voice had risen.

"No," the woman shouted. "I have a lot to say and this is the perfect time to do so. Elizabeth here has been keeping a secret," she announced.

Curious eyes followed her every movement.

A calculating gleam appeared in her eyes as she observed Elizabeth's panic stricken face.

"This lying, manipulating, whore of a wife slept with a ring still on her finger," she spat. "And she thought she could get away with everything, but fortunately for the people of Port Charles, I've discovered her little secret," she waved the crumbled paper for everyone to see.

"I think you've said enough," Nikolas growled at his cousin, grabbing her arm.

"Oh, no, I've just gotten started."

Elizabeth felt her chest constrict as her eyes focused on the paper that Sam held. Sam knew. She knew everything.

"Please," she begged. "Please don't do this. Don't do this to this baby or Jason. Not here. Not like this. Please."

"You should have thought about that before you decided to jump into bed with another man," Sam said in a harsh tone. She stepped back, a look of determination mixed with hatred in her cold brown eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know Jason Morgan has wanted a child for a long time and in less than two months he will become a father."

The brunette mother-to-be helplessly shook her head. A throbbing developed in her skull. Her breathing quickened. A pressure formed on her chest. Her vision began to blur. She blinked hastily for it to clear. Her knees began to weaken. She felt her baby begin to squirm in her stomach and kick harshly before it began to thrash mercilessly.

"Sam, you don't know what you're doing."

"I know perfectly well what I'm doing," she sneered. "Jason no longer feels we're right for each other and I could only come up with one reason why that was. You. But then a little birdie informed me how betrayed the great all forgiving Jason Morgan will be once he learns of how deceiving his perfect little Nurse Webber is."

The baby kicked into Elizabeth's ribs sending a crippling pain raking through her body. She clutched Emily's stable arm.

"You should do this in private," Emily said through clenched teeth, slipping an arm around her best friend's unsteady body.

"It's okay," Elizabeth murmured to Emily, straightening and brushing aside her friend's arm. She wouldn't show any weakness to Sam. The woman didn't deserve to have the satisfaction of seeing her in a state of weakness. Caressing her stomach, she whispered to her child, "Sweetheart, just a few more minutes and we'll be home." Her baby informed her of its discontent with another swift kick.

"You're not good enough for him," Sam shouted. "You don't deserve him. You have no right to pull him into your world and take him from me. I love him, you only love toying with his emotions."

"You're wrong," Elizabeth gasped through the ache that overwhelmed her body. "He means everything to me." She felt warm tears fill her eyes. "I never wanted to hurt him. I just wanted him to be happy." She inhaled a shaky breath. "With you."

"How so very generous of you," Sam retorted. "Too bad it's all a lie. You're selfish. You used Jason and made sure he pitied you, while you let Lucky continue pursuing you. You don't have the grace to regret going after another man."

Elizabeth felt the anger begin to sizzle in her blood. Sam knew nothing about the situation. She knew nothing about her relationship with Lucky and what he had put her and Cameron through. She knew nothing of her connection to Jason and their past. "At least I had the decency not to sleep with my step father," the words slipped past her lips before she could reign in her anger.

She saw Sam's arm rise and her eyes fluttered close, but the blow never came. Cautiously opening her eyes, Elizabeth found Sam glaring at Sonny Corinthos. The older man was dressed in an expensive gray silk suit, his forehead wrinkled as he frowned down at the woman he held back.

"What is going on here?" he demanded.

Sam's blazing gaze returned to Elizabeth and she glowered at the petite brunette. "You're no better than me. You were a married woman."

"And I can never regret that night."

The honest words escaped her lips as another wave of thrashing took place in her womb.

"It gave me my child," she murmured.

"You lying—"

The rest of Sam's ranting fell on deaf ears as a piercing pain speared through her womb.

"Mommy's sorry, angel," the young mother rasped to her child as her grasp on the delicate white roses fell and her hands cupped her swollen stomach.

A glimpse of his beautiful pale blue eyes appeared before her eyes moments before she crumbled.

~*~

Jason stepped out of the harsh winter snow and into the bustling lobby of the Metro Court. The hotel was full of guests gathered for the annual General Hospital Gala. He hadn't planned on attending, but when he had reached the penthouse after failing to find her, he spotted his invitation on the coffee table and remembered that she would be in attendance.

His eyes traveled over the crowded lobby, searching for the petite brunette. A concierge appeared at his side and he offhandedly passed the man his black coat, revealing the suit he had on beneath. Dressed in complete black, Jason lingered in the threshold of the entrance for a moment.

He paid no attention to the Quartermaines with their gaze riveted on something across the room. He continued searching for one person in particular. He saw Carly paused besides the receptionist's desk as she gawked at something with Max beside her, watching as well. He saw Bobbie Spencer stare past the older man speaking to her, her gaze on something she found more interesting. Patrick and Robin rushed past him in a hurry to reach the other side of the room. Both of them appeared upset and defensive.

Jason's gaze once more swept across the room and he spotted the woman he had been desperately searching for. Relief swept through his body at the sight of Elizabeth. A whisper of a rare smile curved his lips.

Her body was facing him, her sapphire eyes on the small crowd that was clustered around her. Her brown locks framed her face and fell over her bare shoulders. She had minimal make-up on to mar her heart shaped face. Her flustered cheeks added a natural blush. The bodice of her purple dress, held up by flimsy spaghetti straps, cupped her breasts making them more distinct. The dress flowed over her womb carrying her growing child. The hem bordered by two strips of purple velvet fell right below her knees and in her arms was a bouquet of white roses.

She was absolutely breathtaking.

He admired her appearance for a few moments before he realized that something was wrong. His body grew taut and tensed at the panic that covered her face. Her chest heaved as she breathed in and out. Her hands were gripping Emily's arms. Her startling cobalt eyes were full of pain and worry. Her lips were pulled down in a miserable line.

Slowly, a throbbing appeared in Jason's temple. His hands automatically clenched at the pain that began to intensify. His breathing turned harsh. His vision began to blur, but he fought it to watch Elizabeth. All his muscles constricted as a sharp pain developed between his eyes. He fought to breathe, but lost the battle.

Jason's eyes instantly slid shut as the penetrating twinge in his head gathered momentum and overwhelmed him. Once again, he grasped his temples and groaned in anguish. Flashes appeared behind his closed eyelids again. This time the memories were more vivid.

He saw Elizabeth hovering over him. Her face was pained as she gazed down at him with eyes full of fear. She brushed his wet hair away from his forehead and murmured words, willing him to live.

"Please don't die."

The pain reached unbearable levels.

"You have to stay with me—"

He heard the sorrow in her voice.

"…for the baby's sake."

She was begging him to live for the baby.

"It's not Lucky's, Jason."

That made no sense to Jason. The pain began to lessen as the pull in his brain eased.

"This baby is ours."

The words filled his mind as the excruciating throbbing faded away.

His startled eyes snapped open and his gaze immediately sought out Elizabeth's. The epiphany hit him like a ton of bricks. His gaze fell to her stomach before they returned to her face. Her face was completely drained of color. He saw it all play out in slow motion. The pain flashing across her face, the white roses tumbling from her arms, and her eyes closing in agony. Her hands clutching at her stomach.

The womb that carried their child.

Her eyes locked with his for a moment.

"This baby is ours," he repeated in a strangled rasp.

Elizabeth fell to pieces as Jason's world shattered.