"Hello" she answered her stomach tied up in knots.
"It's Cruz"
She held her breath until he spoke again, "I got good news...we went to the plane and I was worried for a second but Lansing opened the door and there were Carly and Jax canoodling on the couch...Lansing looked like he wanted to puke...so I really think we need to keep an eye on him...you think you want to have breakfast tomorrow...make a strategy plan" he asked.
"Sure...and thank you Cruz...for everything" she said feeling the emotion starting to spill.
Cruz smiled into the receiver, "any time...I am just glad your mom is okay"
Sam mumbled a teary eyed thank you before hanging up and speaking aloud to the air, "she's not my mom" as a lone tear making it's home on her cheek.
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Carly paced around the living room for the third time huffing and puffing. Jax just sat there watching her for awhile before she spoke to him.
"You know they are together, right?" she asked perched with her hands on her hips.
He had resigned himself to the fact so he just nodded his head, "they probably are"
"And that doesn't bother you?" she questioned.
He squeezed his eyes shut, "of course it does Carly...she needed help and she went to him...what do you suppose I do about that now" he questioned his accent seeming to get thicker when riled.
Carly looked to the man she loved, "I'm sorry" she said plopping down next to him.
As she looked at him she spoke again, "the thought of Sonny and Alexis together...it still bothers me" she said honestly.
He put his fingers under her chin, "do you still love him?"
"No, not like that" she answered knowing what was in her heart, "but, and this is going to sound selfish...I don't want Alexis loving him either"
"Well I don't want Alexis loving him...but how do we know where this is headed...can't they just be friends"
She rolled her eyes at her fiance, "yeah well last time they were just friends we got Kristina"
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Ric Lansing sat in his living room surrounded by broken glass. First had been the whiskey bottle, followed by an end table and then the mirror. Lorenzo Alcazar's men had thrown him off the property when he came trying to make a scene. Once again his brother had made a fool of him, but this time he was going to do something about it.
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He sat in the overstuffed chair adjacent to the couch and looked at her. She looked so peaceful when she slept. The last time he had watched her like this was the night they had finally made love...it was then she looked so beautiful wrapped in his sheets. Now she looked so small wrapped in the peace colored afghan. She had asked him to wake her if she drifted off, but he didn't have the heart to. Instead he let his eyes clothes and let his mind drift to a warm April night...the last time he had truly rested.
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The plane touched down in Boise in the still of the night. Elizabeth and Cameron were sleeping nestled under the airplane issue blanket. Jason couldn't remember the last time he had flown commercial but after leaving Port Charles the flight had been uneventful. Liz had sat quietly for most of the flight, Cameron's head had laid on Jason's lap while he let his hand play in the down like softness of his curls. He wondered how they had come to here...but with no question it seemed as if fate was leading them to this moment.
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When she woke it was dark the last embers of the fire burning. She had asked him to wake her but when she looked up he was sleeping half slumped over in the armchair. She didn't envy the back ache he was going to have in the morning. It crossed her mind to wake him, but instead she watched him sleep. Usually he had such a hard time resting, but he looked so peaceful. It was hard to believe they had come to this...once again him sleeping in the living room helping to chase away her demons.
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The SUV was waiting at the airport when they arrived. And as he strapped Cameron in the back he saw Elizabeth wipe a few stay tears in the front. When he climbed in the driver's side he turned to her.
"You okay" he asked worried.
She smiled, "nerves...I swear I am just a jumble of hormones"
He brought his hand over hers, "everything is going to be okay" he told her.
It was funny because when he said it like that and looked at her with those eyes she truly believed it.
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Ric Lansing woke up at the break of dawn and took a nice hot shower. Today was a new day and today was the day he would take back control of his life. So he dressed in his power suit and made his way to the airport...soon, very soon people would rue the day they messed with Richard Lansing.
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She woke up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee...she could get used to this.
"Morning counselor" he said already showered, shaven and freshly dressed.
She smiled through the wave of nausea, "morning" she said taking the mug of coffee he offered.
"Jason called...they are about an hour away"
As she put down her cup she looked at him and uttered no more than a whisper, "what do I say to her...I don't want to mess it up this time...with Sam..."
Sonny came and sat next to her wrapping an arm around her shoulder for comfort.
"I still love her...even after everything I still do...but I wonder sometimes if we never bonded because we weren't meant to" she said pulling back to look in his eyes.
He didn't know what to say so instead he just wiped the lone tear from her eye and sat in this moment with her.
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"It is not" she said pointing the croissant at him accusingly.
He laughed, "I'm serious; that is my favorite movie too" he said before contorting his face, "Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped" he recited from the Princess Bride.
It was the first time she had laughed in a long time. Cruz had surprised her with coffee and croissants as they sat on the pier and talked about some semblance of a plan.
Her laughter was interrupted by his cell phone, "Rodriguez" he answered crisply.
"Alright thanks man" he said before flipping his phone closed,
She looked up at him expectantly as he spoke, "looks like Ric is booked on the next flight to Martinique...maybe you should call Morgan and tell him"
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The sun had broken through the trees as they pulled off the main road to the safe house. Cameron was still sleeping peacefully in his car seat as they pulled up to the house.
Jason turned off the car and was about to open his door when Liz stopped him.
"Wait, what do I say?" she asked her bottom lip quivering.
It was a sight that killed him inside and he hated that this was a dragon he could not slay for her.
"Just be you" he told her again.
She nodded but stopped him again, "what if I told you I changed my mind"
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She came down the stairs as they heard the car pull onto the gravel. The shower had brought her clarity as she had wrapped her hair up in the one beautiful scarf she had brought. It hadn't originally been for her hair but she would make do. Sonny came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Ready" he murmured quietly.
"As I'll ever be"
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He paused for a second then turned to her, "have you?"
"I don't know...I'm scared Jase...that's my mom...my mom...I keep running it through my head over and over and still...what am I supposed to do, or say?" she asked obviously distressed.
"If you don't want to go in there...we don't have to...but are you going to regret it?"
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"They have been out there a really long time...maybe she changed her mind" Alexis said feeling her body tense up.
Sonny was worried the same thing but he wouldn't let them creep out in front of her...he would be strong for her.
"Come on, let's sit down, I'm sure" he was cut off by a knock on the door.
Alexis had seen Elizabeth Webber consistently over the ten years she was in Port Charles...but until she opened the door and saw her eldest daughter staring back at her; she had never truly seen her...the baby who was ripped away from her, with the eyes the color of her grandmothers.
Elizabeth watched as Jason carried Cameron in and then she looked. Looked at the cancer patient, the tough as nails attorney, one of the kooky Cassadines...that was who she was before...but today in the light of dawn Elizabeth saw just one thing...she saw her mom.
A/N: Sorry a lot of it is just filler...but I think it was needed. I hope you enjoyed...I really want to take the couple stuff slow because I feel like Liason and Sexis fans know all about the SLOW burn! Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviews...you guys seriously rock!