Ch 7
Jason was fuming. 'Courtney is pregnant. I'm going to be a father. Elizabeth is going to … what is Elizabeth going to do? Oh God, Elizabeth. This can't be happening now, not now. We're working things out. I'm getting what I want. Not now' Jason thought to himself.
He didn't know where to go. Should he go tell Elizabeth? No, she was still working at Kelly's. He didn't want to put this on her now. She was going to flip. And she had every right. Courtney was pregnant with his child. Jason wanted to punch something. And he knew exactly where to go. He revved the gas on his Harley 1200 Sportster and took off. He needed to clear his head. He needed to feel the wind. He mainly needed to be alone. As Jason took the cliff roads at break neck speeds, he swore he could hear Elizabeth screaming her excitement behind him. He smiled at the thought of her arms wrapped around him. This pregnancy was about to tear her world… no their world apart; and Jason was powerless to stop it.
Kelly's
Elizabeth was clearing the dishes from her last table of the day. She couldn't wait to get home; she was hoping that Jason was still there. She heard the bell above the door chime and hoped that it was Jason. She turned and saw Ric. She had forgotten completely that she was going to have to break up with him today. She had actually hoped that he wouldn't be around so that she could wait till another time, guess luck wasn't on her side.
"Hey there, beautiful." Ric said as he leaned in for a kiss.
Elizabeth turned her head so that the kiss landed on her cheek instead of her lips. "Hi, Ric. I'm glad you're here. We really need to talk." She said nervously twisting her hands together.
He knew what was coming but he played along.
"Ric, I'm really sorry. God, that's not a great way to start out. I... I've enjoyed getting to know you. You are a great guy and I'm flattered that you're interested in me. I don't exactly know what made you interested in me; I would think that a man like you would want a more professional woman. But anyway, I just have to say that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on and make you think that there was a chance at something more when my heart was really with someone else." Elizabeth stopped and looked up at Ric.
"Elizabeth, does this have anything to do with Jason Morgan?" he asked with fake concern.
Elizabeth shook her head 'yes'. "Ric, you knew that I was involved with Jason before you and well we just never got a fair chance to try. Neither of us was very committed to the relationship and it just sort of fell apart. We are both willing to try now. I'm sorry. I didn't expect this or mean for it to happen this way."
Ric lowered his head and stared at the ground. He had seen the joy in Elizabeth's face and wasn't sure that he could be the one to destroy that. He hated Jason Morgan but he loved Elizabeth Webber more. Unfortunately, he didn't love Elizabeth enough. He wanted his revenge on Sonny more than anything else in life; and this little plan of Courtney's was his way of getting it.
"I understand, Elizabeth. You have to follow your heart. I, too, am sorry that we didn't have a chance to really start a relationship. You are an amazing woman, Elizabeth Webber. And I mean that sincerely. You work and go to school, you're loyal and honest. Just the fact that you still want to be with Jason even though Courtney is pregnant with his child is commendable. Other women wouldn't be as accepting of something like that. Your love must be really strong." Ric said as he attempted to keep a straight face.
Elizabeth had followed Ric's monologue until he started talking about Courtney, Jason and pregnancy. She hadn't heard that. 'Ric didn't just say that Jason and Courtney are going to have a, oh my God. Pregnant? Courtney's pregnant with Jason's baby? NO!' Her eyes closed and tears began to fall.
Ric watched as the tears started and he wanted to make them stop. The only thing that he could think to do was hold her. He reached out and wrapped Elizabeth in his arms. She laid her head on his chest. "I'm guessing you didn't know about the baby, Elizabeth?" Ric asked
She couldn't speak, instead she shook head to inform him that she had not known. She couldn't move, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The man she loved was having a baby with another woman. She clung to Ric tighter; pulling him into her and holding on for dear life. Her head was swimming and she felt as if she might fall. Ric held her tight, closed his eyes, and wished that the embrace could mean something different. 'In due time' he thought.
The bell above Kelly's chimed again. This time the visitor was Jason Morgan. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What in the hell is going on here?" he demanded.
Elizabeth heard the voice and recognized anger. She pulled away from Ric and glared at the man that she loved.
"Elizabeth, what the hell kind of break up is this? Normally you don't embrace someone you're trying to get rid of." Jason said.
"Jason this isn't how it looks. Ric was just…" she was cut off before she could finish.
"This is Ric molesting my girlfriend, that's what it is. Or were you enjoying it?" he asked Elizabeth. Jason was in the need for a fight and Ric Lansing was a good a sparring partner as any. But he hadn't meant to throw the accusation at Elizabeth.
"What did you say?" Elizabeth demanded.
"You know Morgan; you might want to watch your mouth. She may have chosen you but I still believe that Elizabeth is someone to be honored and treasured and won't allow you to speak to her that way."
"I didn't mean it the way it came out, I'm sorry Elizabeth," he said.
"You know what, Jason? You are sorry. So, we spent the last two days together and you couldn't bother to tell me that you were going to be a father?" Elizabeth asked.
Jason's head shot up and his jaw clinched. 'She knew, how the hell could she know already? I just found out.' Jason thought to himself and then he saw the smug look on Lansing's face.
"You smug son of a bitch" Jason said as he lunged for Ric. Ric saw the attack coming and was ready to defend himself. He knew that he was no match for Jason. But then again, having Elizabeth watch Jason beat him to a bloody mess might be good for his plan.
"JASON" Elizabeth screamed.
But Jason heard none of it. He was in a zone. He had one focus and that was to hurt Ric Lansing, badly. Jason grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him down on a nearby table. Ric tried pushing Jason off but suddenly felt the side of his face explode into fierce pain. Jason was punching him repeatedly in the face.
"Jason, please, JASON STOP IT!" Elizabeth screamed. She was trying to grab a hold of his arms. He pushed her off and continued to slam his fists into Ric's body.
Ric was barely conscious when Jason wrapped his hand around the man's throat and began to squeeze. Any awareness that Ric held onto slowly slipped away.
Elizabeth moved in again grabbed Jason's arms. "Jason please, listen to me baby. Please don't do this. Jason, please you're scaring me." Elizabeth whispered into his ear.
Jason blinked and it seemed that the world around him came back into focus. He saw that Ric Lansing was bruised and bloody. Then he noticed that his hands were on the man's neck. He heard Elizabeth. He was scaring her. 'Oh God, what have I done?" Jason thought as he released his hold on Ric's throat. He backed up away from Elizabeth and Ric. He looked around Kelly's and he noticed the broken table and dishes on the floor. Nothing else looked too out of place. He saw Elizabeth leaning over Ric and then suddenly she was gone. He could hear her talking with the 911 operator. 'Oh God' he thought again. 'I have to get out of here' Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
"Johnny, I know you don't work for me anymore, but I think I need a friend right now." Jason said into the phone.
"Jason, what the hell?" Johnny asked.
"I … uh. I'm at Kelly's. Ric Lansing might be … Elizabeth's calling for an ambulance. Taggert's gonna come after me. I have to get out of here."
"Alright, Jase. Me and Francis are on the way. If the cops get there before we do, go to Elizabeth's studio and stay put. Were there any witnesses?" Johnny asked.
"Just Elizabeth" Jason whispered.
"Take her with you. No don't. Leave her there. If she isn't there when the cops get there, they are going to go straight to her studio."
Jason nodded and closed his phone. He knew that the ambulance would be there soon and then the cops. He looked at Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, baby…" Jason stopped. He didn't know what else to say.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. She shook her head, silently telling him that she didn't want to hear what he had to say. She was holding Ric's wrist making sure she still felt his heart beating. It was faint but it was there.
Jason saw the pain in her eyes before he turned away. He ran out of Kelly's and down the docks to her studio. He, of course, still had his key. He opened the door and saw that everything was the way they had left it that morning. The bed was still tussled from their lovemaking. Their cups were still on the counter. Nothing inside their sanctuary had changed, but everything on the outside of it had. Everything was different now. She had seen him at his worst.
He went to make up the bed and that's when he noticed his hands. They well bloody and cut. Jason looked down at his shirt and saw blood there too. Jason was covered in Ric Lansing's blood. He needed to change. He needed to get cleaned up.
He flipped the phone open again. "Johnny, I need clothes."
"I know, boss. We already got it covered." Johnny said into the phone. "We stopped by the penthouse and got you some stuff. We will be there in a few minutes,"
Jason hung up the phone. He opened the door to the studio and stuck his head out. He needed to take a shower but he needed the coast to be clear. No one could see him there. He didn't want Elizabeth to get into any trouble. He took a towel out of the closest and headed to the bathroom. He started the shower and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked fine. Lansing hadn't gotten in one good swing. As he removed his clothes, he noticed all the bloodstains. He would have Francis burn them. He would need to get rid of all evidence. He stepped into the shower and felt the hot water scalding his body. He felt the water pour over his shredded knuckles and the pain there brought him back to the pain he saw in Elizabeth's eyes. 'She is going to hate me now.' Jason thought.
Johnny and Francis knocked on the door of the studio and received no response. Just then, they heard a noise coming from the bathroom.
"Jason" Francis said quietly as he knocked on the door.
"Yeah, it's me" Jason opened the door and accepted the duffel bag from Francis. In return, he handed the man his bloody clothes. "Get rid of them. Burn it all. I'm going to need a new jacket." Jason said matter of factly. He had been through this enough to know that evidence sticks to everything. And it was best for him to destroy it all.
Once he was finished dressing, he went back to the studio. Johnny was waiting for him in the hall. The two men walked into the studio. Johnny noticed the bed and the cups and pretty much every detail of the tiny room. Jason had gotten two days of happiness. 'Now all of that has pretty much gone to hell' Johnny thought.
"Alright, we have to get you out of here. You probably can't go to any of the safe houses. Sonny is still pissed and I don't think that he would rat you out to Taggertt, we can't be too sure. We've gotta get you some where that they will never find you."
"I could go to Europe, but I don't want to go that far away. I don't want to be away from Elizabeth." Jason said.
"Well then Elizabeth will have to go with you, Jason. You can't risk staying in town. You can't stick around for Elizabeth. She would want you to be safe." Johnny said to his friend.
"Elizabeth doesn't want to have anything to do with me. You should have seen the look on her face. She hates me. She saw that side of me that I never wanted her to know about. God, first Courtney and Sonny now this. What the hell is going on Johnny?" Jason asked. "I almost had everything I wanted. And now, I have nothing."
Johnny looked at his friend and former boss and took a deep breath. He had never seen Jason look this lost before. Jason deserved better.
"Come on, man. We need to get you out of here," Johnny said.
"I want to leave her a note. I need to talk to her, at least let her know that I didn't mean to…" Jason trailed off.
"Jason, you can't. If they come looking here for you and find a note, they will think she had something to do with it. We have to go. I'll contact her later. I promise. Now let's go." Johnny said pulling Jason behind him.
Jason stopped to lock the door, his door. The one he had bought to keep her safe. He ran his hand down it and then slammed his fist into the door leaving a streak of blood from his open knuckles.
Johnny pulled out a handkerchief and wiped at the blood until it disappeared from the door. He looked at Jason once more before pulling him out of the building and into the car.
