It was the day of the Homecoming dance. All the kids were on a high because their football team had won the homecoming game the previous night. Truth be told, the whole town had reached the pinnacle of euphoria because of the win.
The Crimson Point High rivalry against Port Charles High was legendary. It was a week long celebration leading up to the big game on Friday Night that most of the town participated in, attended or both. ELQ and Corinthos-Morgan Imports were no exception. Over the years Jason and Edward had become the benefactors of a Friday afternoon parade that started at the school and ended at Barristers Wharf at the end of Elm Street where a pep rally was held that included a huge bar-b-que. Kelly's put on a big spread and everyone enjoyed Mike Corbin's famous traditional southern bar-b-que feast handed out by his Kelly's wait staff.
Oh, and of course they served heaping bowl's full of their famous chili.
Shops closed early, city hall shut down and school let out in time for the parade. Local media attended and reported on the veritable who's who. Edward always led the parade as the Grand Marshall and this year Cameron drove him in his 1933 Auburn Roadster Convertible because Joey begged the old man to allow him to drive the Mayor in his 1934 Packard Convertible. Cam convinced his great grandfather to let Joey drive the mayor in his favorite car as a sign of good faith because he was going to need Giambetti support with the City Council as well as the Mayor's when ELQ tries for the rezoning of the Elm street piers early the next year. Besides, it was fitting for the future mob boss to be toting the made mayor who had been on the mob payroll for years and had held the title of Mayor for as long as anyone could remember. Morgan drove his mother and step father in Edwards 1947 Buick Roadmaster convertible and several of their friends drove behind with the Police Commissioner, the District Attorney, the Fire Chief, the outgoing Homecoming King and Queen and several other prominent figures. All total, Edward had fourteen cars in the parade this year.
Edward always rolled out his selection of classic cars from the 20's, 30's and 40's for the start of the parade where the town's officials and leading business owners rode. It had been a tradition for years and Edward spent most of his fall planning for the Homecoming parade. In recent years, it was what he looked forward to most because his beloved grandchildren were attending the school. Somehow it took on an even more special meaning because of them.
His favorite year was when Ella had sprained her ankle practicing for her Jazz/Tap class' routine for the parade. She was maybe nine and she was so distraught that she would not be able to participate in the parade that she had locked herself in her bedroom. The only thing that pacified her was when Edward and Monica came to the house and Edward offered for her to ride at the front of the parade with him. Monica took her and bought her a special gown and tiara and Edward had a sash made just like the one he wore but it said "Great-Grand Marshall" instead of "Grand Marshall" in gold glitter.
Back to the game.
As I said, PCH was playing their most hated rivals. The game was close; it was anyone's game up until the last minute. It was a last ditch effort on the part of the PC Tigers to send a hail mary pass forty five yards over the heads of New York states number one ranked high school defense. Port Charles star quarterback Kobe Johnson sailed the pigskin though the air with fifty eight seconds to go on fourth down from their own thirty two yard line. The ball found the long fingers and then was tucked safely into the bread basket of Malcolm Drake, the talented senior wide receiver at Crimson's twenty three yard line. A quick twist and a leap over the fallen cornerback then a complete three sixty and a short sprint across the middle of the field guaranteed a straight line into the end zone. Jack and Gino heroically tackled the Crimson Point Bulldog's two hundred ten pound safety thwarting any chance of the defenses avoiding the touchdown that effectively tied the game. 30-30
The team celebrated in the end zone and the cheerleaders, Cece, Anna and Molly included, charged the end zone to set up for their inspiring field goal chant that would bring the crowd to their feet.
With pom poms flying and the girls all screaming
CHECK OUT THE SCORE
YEAH WE WANT ONE MORE
FIRE IT UP
FIRE IT UP
SO THIS IS IT
YEAH THE WINNING KICK
FIRE IT UP
FIRE IT UP
The entire Alan Quartermaine Memorial Stadium was on their feet.
All of the kids and most of the parents were at the game. Partly because they were alumni but mostly because their kids were involved somehow. Everyone who was anyone in Port Charles was in the stands for the game. Everyone except for the Key Quartermaine family members.
Edward watched from his special Q family box high above the fifty yard line of the newly built stadium he had built in his son's name as his youngest great grandchild, his only great granddaughter, ran down the cement steps to the sidelines to cheer the boy of her dreams on to victory. He clapped Jason on the back as both men watched Ella run to the edge of the field, dig into her pocket and hand off an unknown object to the kicker, JJ Zacharra, before he strutted to the middle of the field.
Grandfather and grandson exchanged looks and Monica and Elizabeth both rolled their eyes at the matching scowls on the men's faces.
"What did she just give him?" Jason asked as he turned to look at his wife with wide, concerned eyes.
"Her lucky coin. JJ uses it to mark the field where he wants the place holder to stand the ball." Elizabeth responded as she stood from the plush red leather couch with the bright yellow throw pillows with red letters "PCH" embroidered onto them.
Jason grunted his disapproval as he walked to the spot where his wife stood.
The Q box was the one and only skybox at the stadium and only Quartermaine family members had keys. A matching box was across the field used for announcers, coaching staff and local sports media. The school janitor, who incidentally was Alice's nephew, was paid a healthy stipend directly from Edward himself for his extra care in cleaning and preparing the box for the family's weekly arrival for the games.
Jason and Edward had fought daily over The Q Box when ELQ was building the new stadium on the lot behind the school that Jason owned and donated to the school board solely for the purpose of building a new school sportsplex. It was the property between the high school and the newly built elementary school and Jason made sure the school board allotted enough space for the elementary school children to have a playground and access to the soccer, baseball and football/track fields when needed.
The Q box had windows on all sides so that they could watch the inner stadium games as well as the baseball and soccer fields on the opposite side. It had a small kitchen, a restroom and could easily fit ten to fifteen people. It had doors on both sides as well as an elevator. Jason hated it because it was too pretentious but Edward insisted that it simply made good sense to have their own private place away from the throngs of society's common folk. Especially when the scouts wanted to come see Jake play baseball.
Cookie, Cook's granddaughter had taken over the responsibility as the Quartermaine chef years ago when Cook passed away and her talents for what Jason called "sports" food was legendary. She made the best chicken wings, potato skins and homemade salsa with handcut nachos. She put out an excellent spread for the games. Yet she always made sure that the caviar, mini quiche and pate' was in place for the upper crust attending with Edward.
Jason looked down at the plate in his wife's hand. She had pate' and pigs in a blanket. He smirked, "Still in the middle of the road, I see." and he reached down and grabbed two of the pigs in a blanket and popped both into his mouth.
"I cannot believe you are still eating. You really need to watch your diet honey. I've seen you eat more today than you normally eat in a week." Elizabeth commented as she stretched her arm as far as she could to keep her plate away from her husband's reaching claws.
"Babe, I need my energy. Cam and I had a long pick up game of basketball after the parade with Joey and Morgan. Besides, I haven't eaten that much. Just a turkey leg and some wings."
The pick up game was in the driveway at the Quartermaine Mansion. Jason had come to pick up Cameron and his friends after they returned all of Edwards classic cars that they drove in the parade.
Joey and Morgan beat the pants off of Cameron and Jason. While Monica insisted it was a game well fought, Edward continually told Cameron he would have had the game won had his father's old bones not held him back. Jason on the other hand insisted it was because he was playing in his motorcycle boots.
Edward was much more on target than Jason in the theories of why the Morgan boys lost. Especially since all three of the kids were dressed up because they were driving in the parade and Edward insisted each driver have on at least dress pants, a button down shirt and a tie.
Monica didn't care either way. All she saw was her son in her driveway playing basketball. Just like he used to with his brother when he was in high school and college when he was Jason Quartermaine. She even went inside and brought out an old photo album with a picture Reginald had taken of them playing with Brenda Barrett, Emily and Lila sitting off to the side. The boys were probably twenty one and twenty three and it was one of the last pictures of Jason back when he lived there. She knew because she could see the pumpkins lining the entrance.
The kids all laughed because Jason had really long hair back then. He took the ribbing well but Jason eventually asked his mother to just plain stop the trip down Jason Q memory lane because it never did anything more than piss him off and make her cry. They had a good relationship now and he always hated when she would bring up the past. No matter how many years passed, he still harbored bad feelings from right after his accident and the years that followed. Time and understanding and even new found relationships with his mother and grandfather could not change that.
Jason grabbed his wife by the waist because he knew if he could just get her body close, his arms were much longer than hers so she would never be able to keep her plate away from him then.
"And you had a double cheeseburger at Kellys for lunch with Spinelli and Cody and then you finished Ella's corndog and pretzel when she had to get in line with her 4H girls in the parade and then you ate the bag of peanuts and don't think I didn't see you actually ate dinner with Edward. What was that by the way?"
"Grilled tuna and roasted garlic potatoes"
"See" she slapped his hand as he picked up her last pig in a blanket but it did no good, he shoved it in his mouth before she could stop him. All he could think was that he was glad she didn't know about the chicken salad wraps that Cookie made for him and the boys after the basketball game. She'd probably hit the roof. He really HAD eaten a lot.
"See what? I'll work out twice as much tomorrow." He leaned in and licked the shell of her ear then bit her lobe growling "Tomorrow's Saturday babe, shower sex. So lay off my eating habits. I have feelings too." He leaned back and looked into her eyes feigning hurt feelings to which his wife promptly clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes again at him.
"Oh brother..." she was cut off by the shouting around the stadium as it erupted in glee. Elizabeth and Jason both looked up just in time to see the scoreboard change to 30-31. The PC Tigers had won the game with ten seconds left on the board. "Yea!" Elizabeth jumped with glee.
"Jason did you see it?" Spinelli burst in through the door of the skybox from the stands.
Oh, Spinelli doesn't speak so oddly anymore and in most situations actually calls people by their names. Although when nervous or in work related situations, he still fumbled through his odd way of speaking and called himself "Grasshopper" and Jason "Master". Oh and of course he 'performs' for Big Pappy at their weekly luncheon.
The kids had picked up most of his Spinellisms when they were little so they carried on the nicknames. The only nickname that stuck and was always the name that rolled off of his tongue was "Maximista" and he even used that name when pledging to honor cherish and obey during their wedding.
Yes, he said obey. Maxie did NOT.
No point in lying in church I suppose.
"No I missed it." Jason said watching the field and scanning for his daughter in the crowd. Edward helped because the old man had his eyes trained on his great granddaughter. All it took was for Jason to follow the old man's sightline to find his little princess.
The team was carrying JJ off the field and as soon as they got to the sidelines they put him down right in front of Ella. Jason, Spinelli, Edward, Monica and Elizabeth watched, all with very different emotions as JJ grabbed a hold of Ella, picked her up off the ground and spun her around while he buried his helmet-less head in her neck and hair.
Jason felt his daughter was too young for any boy's attention. Spinelli had always hoped for Jack and Ella to have a whirlwind romance that would end in their marriage effectively solidifying Spinelli as a relative of Jason's. Edward didn't like the Zacharra's at all and would never approve of Ella dating any mobster related boy. Monica saw so much of Emily in Ella she simply longed for the days when Emily was first experiencing young love and Elizabeth knew that Ella was experiencing such and just hoped she had instilled enough wisdom in her daughter to handle the mature feelings. Jason was so OVERprotective that she worried her daughter was TOO naive to handle anything, much less teenage boys.
Jason made the first move and Elizabeth dropped the china plate in order to catch her husband before he did something drastic. Edward picked up the slack and shuffled feebly to the door but Monica stood in front of it, effectively stopping the progress.
"What's going on?" Maxie asked turning from the buffet table where she had piled plenty of vegetables on it.
"Maximista, beloved, why don't we leave and go find Jackal and Georgie. I want to congratulate our offspring on his triumphant attack of the defensive dude effectively evening the digits to the hated foes and forging the way for the perilous punter to carry the triumphant Tigers to victory."
Okay, so he still talks a little weird and has now taken to nick naming the kids but he's trying and that's all Jason can ask. And he called the boy perilous because he just knew that once Joey and JJ took over for their fathers a mob war would ensue just because they hated each other with a passion.
"Monica move out of my way. This is no time to block Jason and I from that scallywag. That poor defenseless little girl should not be cavorting with the likes of that...that...that...thug in training. Had I been more influential and not let Ms Johnson…"
"Toussaint" Monica, Elizabeth, Maxie and Leyla said in unison.
"What?...Oh, yes right" Edward truly looked confused then realized he had called Epiphany by her former name before she got married.
He became even more aggravated when he realized that what he was talking about was when she WAS Ms. Johnson. He lifted a shaking wrinkled hand and pointed at the women standing in his and Jason's way "as I was saying, I should have made sure that boy's father fried for the Baldwin boy's murder. Proof positive why no Zacharra man should be allowed to associate with impressionable young girls. Do you want our sweet Emily Audrey to succumb to the same fate as Lesley Lu?"
"EDWARD!" Monica admonished but Jason interrupted.
"Look Grandfather, Ella is not Lulu and she's not going to succumb to anything much less JJ Zacharra. Now Mom if you would please get out of my way, I would like to go down to the field and get Ella and Anna. The kids will be at the house soon enough and I prefer to be there when they are." Jason said as he pushed past his mother and jerked from his wife's grip.
Jason and Edward came to an agreement many years ago. In each other's company they would call each other "Grandfather" and "Jason" because "Old Man" and "Thug" were not names either wanted the children to pick up on. However, in a heated battle and sometimes just because old habits died hard, the old names flew regardless of who was around.
Jason, Spinelli, Maxie, Leyla and Nikolas all headed down to the field leaving just Monica, Elizabeth, Edward and Alice. Alice again blocked Edward from leaving and forcibly shoved Edward down into his wheelchair. Monica and Elizabeth shared a shrug and a sigh.
"Look Edward, why don't you and Monica go home tonight and then plan to come to the house tomorrow before the kids leave for the dance. We'll get some new family pictures since Cam is home this week."
"I…well that actually sounds nice. Should we dress for dinner or..."
"Edward, don't invite yourself to dinner. You are lucky after all these years that Jason and Elizabeth put up with you as much as they do. Don't push it. We've been invited to dinner on Thanksgiving next week and she's now inviting us for some family time with them before the kids' dance." she turns to Elizabeth "And I am so grateful for it. You don't know what it has meant to me over the years how much you and Jason include me in the kids' lives and treat the both of us as family."
"Well we love you and want you to be there. And stop thanking me. After fifteen years, I think it's a given. You ARE a part of our family." She hugged Monica and kissed the side of the older woman's cheek then looked at Edward. "But yes, you are invited to dinner and dress well. I'll make sure I get Jason and Cameron to do the same. We'll get some formal pictures just in time for Christmas cards. Ella will be in red so…black tie would be suitable."
...
The hot water felt good. She had been working in the rose garden prepping the bushes for winter all morning and once the kids stopped her to have lunch with them, pizza delivery, she knew it was time to take a shower before the house came alive with teenagers getting ready for the dance.
She and Jason had invited all of the parents and children to their house. The kids could all have pictures done with the photographer they hired. Once all the kids left, they were going to have a dinner party for the parents and then the guys would watch some football or talk business while the girls drank margaritas and gossiped.
Jason hated parties but allowed his wife these small affairs that they hosted. He had the kids' pool table serviced earlier that week, replacing the felt, balls and cue sticks and re-leveling the table. The kids didn't tend to their toys as much as he did but it wasn't feasible to have everyone in their dining room. He had Spinelli spend the morning setting up the TV's and satellites so that they would have plenty of games to watch and rented a Margarita Machine for his wife and her friends.
She loved those machines.
Elizabeth mentally went over her guest list. Carly and Nik, Nadine but not Matt because he was on call at the hospital. Milo and Leyla and Max and Diane. A few of the other kids' parents were coming by to drop of their children but were not staying for more than pictures. Then there was Big Pappy, to which she outwardly groaned. He was a handful but she had asked if Monica would like to stay for the party. Oddly, those two seemed to get a long and Big Pappy always treated Monica respectfully instead of playing grab ass like he did with most women that weren't his 'Angels'. She would occupy him and keep him out of her hair or piss off the men.
Edward would stick around for dinner but then Cookie would take him home after she finished setting out the snacks in the game room for the guests. Johnny Zacharra was supposed to come and Jason had told him to bring a date but Elizabeth had no idea who he would bring. Lainey and Cody would be there, of course and Robin and Patrick said they would be there once their shift was over at nine.
In all she had a nice little party planned. The guests were a familiar group so everything should be fine. Unless Big Pappy or Edward started. Then all hell would break loose.
Robin and Patrick were keeping all of the boys at their house. Once the parents figured out that the kids had arranged for the girls to stay across the street from the boys, Milo decided that two of the Giambetti guards would be posted between the houses to make sure there was no co-mingling of the teenagers once the parents went to bed. Big Pappy offered to do it himself but Jake, Gino, Jack, Kobe and Mal all begged for guards. Big Pappy scared the shit out of the little 'Babbo's' or 'Cugine's' as he lovingly called them all.
For those of you that aren't part of the mafia, a Babbo is a dope or an idiot. JJ, Jack and Mal wore that moniker well according to Big Pappy. A Cugine is a young toughguy. Jake, Gino and Kobe fit that bill.
All of the teenage girls were spending the night with Ella at the Morgan house so many of the parents appreciated being able to stick around to make sure curfews were met and happy teenagers came home.
Those kids were actually pretty smart and Elizabeth knew she was going to have to stay on her toes or a lot of the men would come unglued before dinner and guns could be drawn by dawn.
Elizabeth had her eyes closed, concentrating on her mental check lists when she felt the familiar presence of her husband behind her.
"Shower sex twice, I like it." He growled in her ear.
"Jason, that's not the plan and you know it. I needed to shower after gardening and I thought you were going to be busy up until the kids started showing up." She replied in a huff as she thwarted her husband's attempts to grab her in places only he had touched since Ella stopped breast feeding.
Yep, only Jake was the grabby baby. He loved to grab her boobs when he was in her arms or stick his little fist down her shirt. Did I tell you that Jacob Martin Morgan was JUST like his daddy? Well he is!
"I'm done with what I needed to do. Besides, when I showed up at Metro Court, Carly wasn't there. So I came home. And it's a good thing I did or I would have missed out." He said as his hands traveled down her body.
He was good at overcoming his wife's thwarting attempts to stave off shower sex. She was slick and moist and smelled like her soap and it was the biggest turn on. Besides, she usually relented even if he had to chase her down. Sometimes that was more fun.
You know, the thrill of the chase and all.
"Carly huh? Why did Miss Wonderful stand you up? Hmm? Surely nothing is more important than her precious Jason."
"Elizabeth" Jason groaned. "Why must you…"
"ME?"
"Look, promise me you'll try with her tonight. I know you two fought, in the school yard no less but babe, promise me you'll try."
"It's not me Jason…It's never me."
Ignoring her because he knew that ninety percent of the time it WASN'T her he continued, "Well, I don't know what she wanted but she seemed pretty upset but then something was wrong with Cece's dress so…"
"Oh, well at least she's trying to be a mother. That's good."
"Carly is a good mother and you know it."
"I know no such thing. Morgan is excessive in everything and completely selfish. Cece…well honey I worry about her. She is too much like her mother and she's so young. She's going to get herself into a situation she can't get out of some day. Just like Mi"
Elizabeth cut herself off before she mentioned Michael. She and Jason had one big argument one day many, many years ago. Mostly it was about Morgan who, for the most part was a really good kid but displayed some of Sonny and Carly's worst qualities. Over excessive in everything he took an interest in. And Elizabeth worried he had Bi-polar disease just like his father because he could turn mean and ruthless on a dime. But his selfishness was what was the most disturbing. They had argued well into the night and most of the next day but when Elizabeth pulled out the characteristics that Michael was displaying before he was shot and put into the coma, Jason lost it. He took off on his motorcycle and they didn't see him until the next morning.
It turns out he had simply gone to see Michael. He did that when he needed to work things out in his mind. He came back, kissed his wife, said that even if she was right they were family and he expected her to accept them as such. Elizabeth agreed and rarely did she voice her opinion on the kids from then on. Only the occasional comments, more so now with Cece and many times it was Jason expressing his concern and just confirming what he was thinking or seeing with his wife regarding the girl that called him "Uncle Jason"
Come to think of it, that fight came around the time the kids started calling her Mwam…Morgan really WAS a little shit.
"Oh forget it." Elizabeth said as she stopped fighting off her husband's hands and backed him up to the bench ledge inside the shower stall and pushed him down.
She climbed up on him and wasted no time in sheathing him with her hot wet center. Five minutes later, her husband was gritting her name as he exploded inside of her. She jumped up, grabbed the liquid soap and loofa and quickly finished her shower. Her husband sat limp on the bench with his hands still open in the position he had held her hips in just minutes before.
As she went to step out of the shower she snapped her fingers in front of Jason's face.
"Honey, snap out of it. The limo's should be here any time now and…oh I hope you have plenty of cash in the safe. I forgot to go to the bank yesterday with all of the excitement."
"Huh, babe, c'mere" he reached out for her but she was too quick.
Sometimes you just have to give in, take the bull (or rather bull headed husband) by the horns and get it over with or you'll never get on with your day. Elizabeth was very efficient when necessary.
Jason hated when she did that.
"Jason, there is no time for your nonsense. I love you too. You were wonderful. Yadda Yadda. Now shower up and get dressed. Chop Chop mister"
Jason hated THAT too.
"Fuck Elizabeth, is it too much to want to hold onto my wife for two minutes after we make love? Did you even…"
"Oh please. We can talk about our children, baseball games, dinner menus among other things when we are…getting it on. We're not that lovey dovey couple. I never took you for one of those sensitive guys that wants to cuddle" Elizabeth scoffed, effectively cutting him off because he was being ridiculous. She flipped her long tresses over her head to wrap a towel around them and perch said towel atop her head.
Jason let out an aggravated breath and stood grabbing his own wash cloth and the bar of Irish Spring. He may be sensitive when it came to making love to his wife but he wasn't a pansy. He washed his balls like a man.
Except when he and Elizabeth got in the garden tub and she loofa'd him. He kind of like that but usually because it included sex of varying degrees.
"I didn't want to…well I did but I also wanted to feel you come apart from an orgasm in my arms. You know I love that."
"Only because it makes you feel like you are king of the mountain."
"Well I AM. And the castle. Don't forget that my little wench."
"HEY…I'm only the wench when you are the pirate. Get it straight Morgan."
"You're MY wench. All day, every day. Hey, let's say we take the boat out next weekend. I can kidnap you from the house. We'll play pirate and the wench. I'll ravage you in my ships quarters. We'll get one of Max's guards to stay at the house."
"How about Monica?"
"Well, only if she wants to. Last time I think the kids made her a little crazy. She's not used to teenagers anymore."
"She's fine. She'll enjoy it. And we can still get a guard for the house if it makes you feel better."
Jason turned off the water and stepped out of the shower taking the towel his wife handed him. He almost always used her towel. It drove Elizabeth crazy but he said she was so little she never got the towel wet drying off her petite frame.
"Mwam? Daddy?...MWAM"
"Shit, what does she want?" Elizabeth asked standing in front of the vanity dotting under her eyes with the Avon Anew Intensive eye cream. She swore by the stuff and truth be told, it had kept her face youthful way beyond her years.
Avon had sent her free products one time when she mentioned it in one of her blogs.
"I'll take care of her" Jason said as he placed a wet, open mouthed kiss on her shoulder then playfully bit it. "Finish getting dressed." He said as he pulled his shorts on that he wore just around the house. Not the game room or BG, mind you because who know who would be lurking around there but just the house where only Elizabeth and the kids saw him. He liked lounging commando and these shorts afforded him the pleasure.
Honestly, to Elizabeth, she figured he bought them in the fat kids section because they were wide enough to fit both of them in there but had a drawstring and they hung well past his knees almost to his ankles. They were ridiculous.
Elizabeth looked back at the vanity and smeared the dots of moisturizer under her eyes. Then dabbed the eye lifting serum then finished it off with the all over facial cream. She dusted a light layer of powder over that, smudged some eyeliner and charcoal shadow in the corners of her eyes. Then she finished up with some lengthening mascara and a light application of strawberry flavored gloss that had a hint of red tint to it.
Since Ella was wearing a red dress, she and Monica had decided to wear either tan or black. This way Ella would stand out. Both Mother and Grandmother doted over Ella and always tried to make her stand out in family photographs. Not that they needed to. She was a gorgeous girl. They both saw so much of Emily in her.
I know, I know. Emily wasn't even a blood relative but if there was ever a way to capture the essence of a person, Emily's namesake had captured it.
Elizabeth was done pulling a caramel colored sweater over her head when Jason came back into the room to change into his black jeans and black button down shirt.
Really, did you expect black tie? HA
Although Elizabeth did try to argue the black jacket until Jason threatened to leave and not come back until the photographer had gone home so she relented.
"Babe, what the hell are there two stretch limo's doing here?"
"The kids are taking them to the dance."
"Why? I thought everyone had dates and…"
"Jason, I told you about this. The kids all decided they wanted to go together. They have their dates but they are all riding together. Jeez, do you ever listen?"
"You never once said anything about a limo." Jason warned. He did not like the idea for several reasons.
"Jason I just said something while we were in the shower not twenty minutes ago. Stop being an ass. What's the big deal?"
"Well for starters, the boys aren't driving so they have two hands to grab all the girls with. Also, that means that damn JJ is going to be in the limo with Ella. Don't think I don't know what he's thinking. Finally, you are going to have Joey, Morgan and Cam in the limo with those young girls? What were you thinking? I assume you told them it was okay since you are in the loop about it."
"Jason honestly, there are so many positive things about them all taking limo's but you seem to focus on the most ridiculous things in that over bearing, over protective whacked out mind of yours. How about, no one will be drinking and driving. No one will be alone in a car with those young girls. No couple will be by themselves to get into trouble and Cameron and Jacob will be with Ella so I'd like to see JJ try something. He wouldn't make it to graduation if he did."
Jason pondered her argument for a moment as he finished buttoning up his shirt. Elizabeth walked up to him with a red tie and he swatted it away and scrunched up his face as if to say, 'are you fucking nuts?' and then finally he spoke.
Yeah, yeah…I know but it was one last ditch effort on her part.
"Well I guess you have a point. Two limo's so no one has to sit on anyone's lap. Hmm…I think I'll slide the drivers some extra cash to spy on the kids for me. A bonus to break any boy's hand that gets frisky with Ella. Namely that little nerd friend of Jacks and of course JJ. Actually they could make an additional bonus if…"
"Jason Morgan you will do no such thing! Will you just let those kids alone for once? These are growing experiences. If Ella has to learn to fight off some boys hands I would rather her do it in a limo with boys her own age and her brothers close by. Honestly, do you think it's a good idea to send her off to college when no one is there for her to learn all of that stuff? Or worse yet, be like me and learn the hard way."
Jason paused. He wasn't sure what his wife was saying but he wondered if she was talking about her rape or her marriage to Ric Lansing or that asshole Lucky or something else entirely. Either way, he didn't ever like it when she went there so he walked over and wrapped his arms around her.
"Babe, don't think about those things. I am here and nothing and no one is ever going to hurt Ella or you, especially you, ever."
"You can't guarantee that Jason and I just worry."
"You don't need to worry. I don't ever want you to worry. That's what I am here for. You just be happy. Always."
Elizabeth went to say something but Jason pressed his lips to her forehead and then laid his chin on top of her hair murmuring 'you'll always be safe' and she knew, he just didn't understand.