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Chapter 7

The next morning Liz came downstairs with a very happy Cameron on her hip. That was his normal state, it was a rare day when he didn't wake up smiling. That grin only got wider when they walked in the kitchen. He squirmed on his mother's hip and she put him down on the floor knowing exactly where he was heading.

"Hi buddy." Jason said smiling at the little boy who had run over to his side. He enjoyed anytime he got to see Cameron, and if that involved getting to push him on the swings then the day was even better. "Want to come up?"

Cameron nodded and grinned.

"Okay." Jason reached down and sat the little boy on his lap.

Francis was cooking and now laughing at the two of them. Cameron was leaning back onto his friend smiling, and clearly happy with the world. "Is a waffle okay, I've got a blueberry one ready to go?" Francis asked plating the item. It was for O'Brien, but kids came first.

"That's perfect." Liz took it and cut it up. Currently her son was eating waffles plain, a couple of months ago he wanted them with butter. Cameron wasn't super fussy but he let you know if he didn't like something. "Here you go baby." She also had a sippy cup with milk. Last night she noted the house was child proofed. Whoever owned it didn't mind having small people around.

"Fanks momma." Cameron said picking up a piece of waffle with his fingers. In public he had to use a fork, at home she didn't mind if he didn't.

"You're welcome." Liz said laughing. That never failed to crack her up. She grabbed some juice and leaned against the counter just watching her son and Jason. They just seemed to fit with one another. In a way that Cameron never fit with Lucky. Her ex-fiancé's inattention to her son hadn't left any scars for which she was grateful. When Lucky left his life Cameron didn't even seem to notice. If Jason disappeared tomorrow her son would realize it. Just another reason that they needed to figure out what happened now.

"There is another booster seat." Skye let Jason know. Lila Rae was sitting in one.

"This is fine. I haven't seen Cameron in a while and I like having him so close." Jason said accepting a piece of waffle that the little boy was holding up. Every few bites the small child would extend his arm upwards. "Buddy make sure you don't give away all your breakfast."

"Kay." Cameron said eating another piece.

"Are you eating breakfast?" Jason looked over at Elizabeth. She shouldn't be skipping meals.

"I'm not in the mood for waffles." Elizabeth answered. Before she could eat anything her stomach needed to settle. The pregnancy wasn't the same as her first in terms of sickness. She had learned that after getting up she could have juice, but needed to wait about thirty minutes to attempt food. She wasn't throwing up but nausea was an issue.

"Cam and I can make you anything you like. Right Cameron?" Jason offered before looking at the little boy.

"Right." Cameron said nodding as he ate the last of his waffle.

Liz tried not to let the fact that he was being so caring get to her. He wasn't being great with Cam or offering to make her breakfast to earn points. This was just him being who he was. At his core Jason liked taking care of people. She just hadn't ever truly felt that she ranked very high on his list of those he gave his time too. "I'll probably just have toast now and then a snack later."

"What activities are on the docket today?" Johnny asked gathering up plates.

"We're not on a cruise ship." Francis said laughing. He knew the ladies were going out, Skye mentioned it before going to sleep. She also mentioned something about spending a large chunk of Jason's money. As an opening salvo Francis approved. His friend could more than afford to buy Liz the nice things she deserved. Chloe and Skye were going to have to push some though because Liz wasn't a shopper by nature. Especially with other people's money.

"We are going out." Chloe announced pushing her plate aside. She had been hungry this morning. "Shopping. Liz and Cameron need more things. They should be fashionable during their captivity." She said poking at her cousin some.

"There are some fantastic boutiques over near the two big resorts on the island. I'd love to get a peek at just who a noted designer puts in her closet." Skye said with a smile. She owned quite a few of Chloe's pieces, including her wedding gown.

"How many times have you been here?" Elizabeth asked from over by the counter. She was munching on a piece of toast that Francis just made her. The decision to not sit at the table was a deliberate one. It just put her too close to Jason. Just because she was angry didn't mean he didn't still make her motor hum. The baby hormones weren't helping.

"About eight or nine." Skye said looking at Francis who just nodded. He was cleaning up. "Starting with our honeymoon. We came down and stayed for almost a year while we first figured out where we wanted to live, and then had work done on the house."

"Do you own the island?" Chloe asked Jason. Although the house didn't seem like him. It felt more like Lila, who could have decorated the space for her grandson.

"Lila owns it." Jason told his cousin. "She is letting me borrow it. If you ask I'm sure she'll let you come down as often as you like. She probably hasn't mentioned it before now because she knows you really like Puerto Rico."

"I do love it there. I always get so inspired." Chloe grinned because the last time they went she had gotten more than that. This baby was conceived at Jason's casino.

Johnny just smirked knowing what she was thinking. "So are we needed for this shopping trip?" He was always up for new clothes.

"No." All three women said in unison.

"Milo has to go then." Jason said not caring if they didn't like it. A heavy security presence wasn't needed but they should have some protection.

"That's fine." Chloe figured that would be the case anyway. Most days she didn't have a guard because she didn't like being followed around. It was one of the rare things she and Johnny still fought about. When Liz forgave Jason she would get a guard, and wouldn't complain. Which meant Chloe wasn't going to get a choice. Johnny would just assign her someone.

"Cameron can stay here with me. We'll hang out and get into trouble." He said tickling the small boy who squirmed and laughed.

Johnny looked out the corner of his eye and watched Liz eat the scene up. He wondered if his friend had any idea of how much of the work of being forgiven he was doing. Jason's love of her son was going to ease Liz's ire faster than anything else. But at the end of the day Jason was still going to have to step up and prove he was ready to be a husband as well as a father.

The ladies also noticed Liz and shared a look. They did want their friends to get it together. It was clear that they loved each other, they just had some issues to get through. Not even giant ones. They needed to stop repeating the habit of letting others come before each other. If they could do that, then everything would work out fine. "So shopping." Chloe said looking at Jason with a raised eyebrow.

Without a word he stood up with Cameron in his arms. That made the little boy giggle, and Jason pulled out his wallet. Sitting down he opened it and removed a card. His pale blue eyes landed on Elizabeth's dark blue ones. She was chewing her lower lip which didn't surprise him any. This would not be something she was overly comfortable with. "I didn't know the right sizes to get. I asked Skye to pick up what you guys are wearing today. I would like it if you got anything you wanted while you are out." He said taking the first steps in the groveling dance.

Elizabeth was in a vibrant blue sleeveless sheath dress that stopped right at her knees. Skye knew Elizabeth well from her time in Port Charles and had used that to guide her during the shopping trip. She also wanted something that Jason would enjoy looking at. It was paired with blue flats because Skye figured Liz would be chasing Cameron, but for shopping they worked well too.

Francis, Johnny, and Milo just beamed like proud parents at what Jason had said.

"We don't need much." Elizabeth said quietly making herself get up to retrieve the card. It felt heavy and she knew that was her self-conscious telling her to give the piece of plastic back.

"Get whatever you like. I'm sure Chloe and Skye can recommend some things." Jason said knowing they were certainly going to help Elizabeth spend his money. Or try to. There was just only so much she would purchase, even though he'd happily let her buy out an entire store. The money didn't mean anything to him, her being happy was all that mattered.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said taking the card. They did need clothing. "What is our time line, I mean you aren't requesting ransom so exactly when are you returning me to Port Charles?" She wanted to know.

Jason just grinned turning on the charm. "No clue. I figured we would stay until we knew what we were returning home too." In other words what their relationship would look like.

"My job is not going to be there forever." Elizabeth pointed out.

"I'll build you a hospital of your own if they fire you." Jason said and watched her blush some.

"Steven knows I'm gone." Elizabeth picked up on what he didn't say. "I'll strangle him when we get back." She said annoyed at her big brother. "We need to go shop." Now she was ready to spend money. Jason found time to talk to Steven and plan this escapade, but didn't talk to her.

"Have fun ladies." Francis said getting a smooch from his wife. He managed not to laugh when O'Brien simply got a peek on the cheek. His wife was still mad at him. Cameron got a kiss from his mom and Jason got nothing, not even a see you later, as the ladies walked out.

"I'll grab the sunblock and we can take the kids out to do something fun." Francis suggested. No point in sitting around the house, they were in paradise and should enjoy that fact.

"Have you ever shopped with Liz before?" Chloe asked Skye as she pulled a lovely dark green dress off the rack and held it against the red head. "You would look stunning in this."

Skye took the garment and draped it over her arm. "Not in person, we Skyped and emailed when I was putting together the nursery. She's very talented and was really generous with her time."

"I agree to both those statements. Every year Liz does the design for the limited edition Nurses' Ball t-shirts. Every year what she creates is amazing and it always sells out. She never lets me pay her." Chloe made sure Liz got her ticket to the gala for free each year as well as a free gown to wear. If she went, which Liz rarely did. She generally worked so that other staff could attend the event. "She isn't buying anything."

They were in shop number four and Liz had yet to make a single purchase. "That will change when we get to the children's boutique."

"Is Liz planning on being naked the enter time? Because I imagine that will bring Jason to his knees pretty quickly." Chloe said laughing.

"I think I'll try the naked approach the next time Francis is in trouble." Skye said laughing as well. "We may need to try a new approach. If she shows interest in an item just have them take it to the register, then we'll drag her up and make her pay." Then she looked at her friend's belly. "We'll have Milo drag her up."

Just then Liz came back from the side of the store she was browsing in. "I'm ready."

"Didn't find anything?" Chloe asked looking around thinking there had to be something in this boutique her friend would like. This was an established design house and one of her favorites.

"I found several things. I'm ready to go try the items on." Liz said grinning. "I didn't feel a pull for anything at the first three stores. I know the designers are popular right now. They just don't work with my lifestyle. I don't buy something if I'm not going to use it."

"You shop like Jason." Chloe said not all that surprised. "Let's get you ladies into the dressing rooms so that I critique your looks." The designer was in maternity clothes now and nothing in the shop would fit her.

"So how long before you forgive Jason?" Skye wanted to know. She started with the green dress. Coming out she stood in front of the three way mirror. "

"Nice." Chloe said from her chair. Milo was waiting out in the front of the store.

Liz came out also in green. "I've already forgiven him." She said turning to have a look. "Now I just have to tell him." She said with a wicked smile before laughing. "I needed to calm down first so I didn't say something I couldn't take back."

"Get that." Chloe pointed to Liz's dress. "Why did you forgive him so fast?" Although the not telling him yet promised to be entertaining.

"The man orchestrated all this just to have time alone with me." Liz said going back into the dressing room and changing while Skye did the same. "He left Port Charles at a time when people are running around being crazy because he wanted to clear things up between us. I can't stay angry at that." That didn't mean their issues were over, it just meant she was letting her anger go.

"Have you figured out what he wants from you?" Skye still wasn't clear on that.

"No. I've known Jason for a decade now, I'm not sure I've ever really known what it was he's wanted from me. We've never sat down and had that conversation." Liz admitted coming out, looking at herself and frowning.

"Reject pile." Chloe said from her chair. "What do you want from him?" She asked as Skye came out. "That is a keeper." Chloe told the redhead.

"You want me to be completely honest?" Liz asked turning to face her friends. She trusted both of them. They were obviously on her side, and the only people they would talk to this about was their husbands. Two men Liz would trust with her life and Cameron's.

"Yes. Because if you can be honest with us then maybe you can be honest with yourself." Skye told her friend.

"I want us together, as a family." Elizabeth said it out loud for the first time ever. "Marriage, house, dog, the whole nine yards. I want that more than I think I can make you know."

"Are you willing to fight for that?" Chloe wanted to know. That's what it came down to.

"If I know I'm not fighting alone. Then yes." Liz said taking a deep breath. "I've never been first with Jason, until now. I need to know that this isn't just a stunt. That'll I'll still be first. Even saying that I know there are times that the job takes precedent." She tried explaining what she was thinking.

"We both get it." Chloe said grinning. "I had my vacation relocated for this. Although I'm not complaining the island is gorgeous."

"Even when he walks out the door at midnight to handle business, you want to know that if Cameron spiked a one hundred and four fever Jason would find a way to get to the hospital." Skye looked at her friend who nodded. "We get it."

"You're the lucky one." Chloe looked at Skye. "Your guy is retired."

"I didn't ask that of him." Skye pointed out. "That's not a sacrifice I would have demanded. He wanted to be there for Lila Rae's early years. He didn't want to miss her firsts."

"You think Francis is going to come out of retirement?" Elizabeth thought she heard a strange tone in Skye's voice.

"I think he's ready to work again." Skye admitted. "I'm okay with that. I'm hoping we end up in Port Charles."

"Jason won't let him work for anyone else." Liz would love to have her friends close again. "Emily will freak out. You know that right? Having you around all the time is like her dream."

"I miss her. Now that she's done with school she's constantly working but we can still find time to hang out." Skye would need to find something to do with herself back in Port Charles when Lila Rae went off to school. They were also considering another child but that could happen back home.

"She's going to kick ass as a doctor." Liz said confidently.

"She will." Chloe was proud of Em. "So want to have some fun?" She asked with an evil grin. "Since you don't plan on telling Jason he is forgiven just yet."

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" Liz asked feeling Lizzie rising up.

"We need to go back to the first store. There are some things we are going to need." Chloe said smiling wide. Jason was about to get it with both barrels. After he was brought to his knees then Liz could tell him he was forgiven.

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