Jason's mood changed from happy to sour as soon as he checked the mail. Tara always collected it for them, leaving it on the coffee table so he could sort through it later. The task had been pushed aside when Elizabeth called asking if he and Michael would be interested in joining she and Zander at the movies that night.

He immediately said yes and the four ended up seeing the newly released ET: The Extraterrestrial. Jason felt love and admiration swell up in him when he recalled the way Elizabeth lit up at watching Michael connect his fingers and said, "ET, phone home" much in the same way the alien in the movie did. Her bringing Zander along made the evening feel much less like a date, and more like a family outing.

Jason and Elizabeth had rarely been alone since the night of the stolen kisses in her bedroom. Her attitude towards him hadn't necessarily changed, but she still wouldn't agree to a date. It wasn't that she wasn't interested, because she told him she was. More so, it was her fear for her job, and her concern for Michael. Whenever they were together, Elizabeth was sure to invite Zander along so they could "hang out" or have Michael there and listen as the child went on and on about how things were going for him. Jason wondered if Elizabeth knew that what she was doing was only making them both love her more.

That was what he was thinking about until he began sorting through the mail. Light bill, water bill, telephone bill. Nothing new. But then, stuck in the mix was a long white envelope post marked Florida, and the return address identified the letter as being from Carly's mother. Jason immediately ripped the back seal off the envelope and pulled the white paper from its home. Folded inside of the note Virginia had sent was another sealed white envelope with his name on the outside. The handwriting was like that of another sealed white envelope he'd received all those years ago.

Quickly Jason scanned what Virginia Benson wrote him, hoping that he'd find some explanation for this sudden contact from Carly. Instead she told him the letter had come to her from San Francisco, a note from Carly, which she attached, asking if she could forward this to him. His hands began to shake at the same time his vision blurred. After all of this time, after things were finally so right for him, for Michael, Carly decided to contact them.

He didn't know if he wanted to know what she had to say, but he knew he couldn't leave the letter unopened. Tearing at it, he pulled out a plain white index card. Written on it was a phone number, the words "call me" and her name. His mind was racing a mile a minute as he considered what he would possibly say to her. What she could possibly have to say to him.

Jason stood on shaky legs and made his way to the bedroom where Michael slept. He peeked in the door and heard his son softly snoring, even though it was just after eleven. He smiled sadly to himself, wondering what the child's mother was about to do. He wondered if Carly was about to wreck Michael's life again. No, he decided, she wasn't. He wouldn't let her.

Unlike other nights, Jason was careful to pull Michael's bedroom door shut when he left. He made a note to open it again before he went to bed, but right now he needed his son to not hear the conversation he was about to have. On his way to his bedroom, he stopped by the bathroom and washed his face. Jason knew he was only trying to buy himself time before he made the call that could possibly wreck his life.

He shut the door to his bedroom too. The cordless phone lie on the bed where he'd tossed it after Elizabeth called. The card he held in his hand with Carly's number was crushed because he fisted it in his hand. Jason sat on the end of his bed and reached for the phone. He braced himself for the worst as he dialed.

The phone rang three times before a man answered. "Hello?"

"I need to speak with Caro—" his voice broke. Sighing, Jason continued, "I need to speak with Carly, if that's okay."

"May I ask who's calling?" he inquired.

"Yes," Jason hesitated. "Please tell her it's Jason. She'll want to talk to me."

"Hold on a sec."

Jason listened as the man carried the phone through out rooms looking for Carly. He listened to the stranger calling her name, then he heard water running and a brief conversation between the man and Carly before she came on the line. "Jason?"

"It's me, Carly. Your mother sent me the card."

"Oh Jason," she whispered. Carly looked up and glared at the man who was standing above her, glaring. "Do you mind?" she asked him. Satisfied when he turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door in his wake, Carly returned her attention to the phone. "I didn't think you'd call. It's been so long."

"Your choice, not mine Carly. Let's make this short. What do you want?"

"I just…" she began. Carly stood from the bathtub and reached for her robe. She pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder as she knotted the belt at her waist. "How is he, Jason?"

"He has a name," Jason growled. "It's Michael. You didn't leave before we named him, Carly. He's your son, his name is Michael."

"I know damn well what his name is Jason, Carly spit back. "I messed up Jason, I know that. I'm sor—"

"Don't say it," he cut her off. "Don't tell me your sorry, because you're not. Why did you want me to call? Are you getting a belated case of guilty conscience and you thought you'd check in on your son five years after you left him? Well, let me tell you, you shouldn't have."

"Jason," she cried. "Don't be like this. Jason, we're family."

"No, we're not. Carly, you have exactly five seconds to tell me what you want before I hang up. And I won't call back."

"Jas—"

"One…two…I'm telling you Carly, I'm gonna hang up…three…"

"Ok, ok. I'm pregnant, Jason. And I'm engaged."

The news hit him like a ton of bricks. It wasn't that he was still in love with her. It wasn't that he really gave a damn about what she did. It was… "Are you going to run out on him and his kid too, Carly?"

"NO!" she cried.

"Then why are you telling me this? Here's a clue: find a quarter and call someone who gives a damn. Because I don't. Are we finished now? If so, I have to go."

"Jason, I wanna see Michael. That's why I'm calling. I want him…and you to come out to San Francisco and visit us. Meet my fiancée, please Jason?"

It felt like someone was reaching into his chest, grabbing his heart and squeezing as hard as possible. Jason closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I don't think that's a good idea, Carly. No wait, I know it isn't a good idea."

"Why not Jason?" she queried. Carly studied her nails, frowning at the chipped one on her left ring finger. Her eyes strayed to the two karat diamond set on the simple gold band and she scowled in distaste. It wasn't that it wasn't beautiful, because it was. And she would keep it, when she left.

"There are people here, Carly, that I can't leave behind. People who matter. Besides, Michael's in school," he explained. Logically Jason knew he could take a weekend and let the boy meet his mother. But something in him felt the best thing for Michael, at his young age, was restricting his knowledge of Carly to the picture on the child's nightstand. "I won't do that to Michael, Carly."

"He's my son," she told him. "We made him together. I have just as much right to him as you do, Jase. And I want to see him."

"He wouldn't understand," Jason hissed into the phone. "You leave him as a baby, but yet you're going to have another one?" He sighed, dragged his free hand over his face. "He's five years old Carly. He won't understand why you couldn't stay. I won't do that to him. You won't do that to him."

Carly squeeze her eyes shut at the unexpected tears. No matter what she told herself, she loved her first child dearly. But the tears were also for Jason and the coldness she heard in his voice. "What have you told him?"

"The truth, Carly. I told him the truth." No longer able to stand still, Jason pushed himself off the bed and began to pace. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he continued. "He doesn't want you. He wants a new mother. In fact, he's got one picked out already." Ok, so maybe that was a low blow.

"WHAT!?" she cried. "You bastard, what did you tell him?"

"I told you," Jason repeated. "I told him the truth. You can't see him Carly, end of story. When he's older, and if he wants to see you, then yes you can see him. But I'm going to protect him from you for as long as I can."

"Protect him? I'm his mother Jason!"

"You gave birth to him, Carly. You've never been his mother."

"I'll take you to court," she threatened. "I'll get a court order and you'll have to let me see him."

"Who are you fooling?" Jason questioned. "You and I both know not a judge in this country will let you near him." Jason paused and squeezed his eyes shut, not sure what to say next. "Besides, the Quartermaines will never let you near him. To them you're just a money grubbing whore. That's all you've ever been."

"That's not true," she whispered. "You know that's not true, Jason.

"I used to know that, Caroline. But then you proved them right…" Jason sighed. Sitting back on the bed, he glanced at the clock. He'd been talking to her for twenty minutes longer than he had wanted to. "I have to go, Carly. I won't call you again, and don't send me any more letters." Jason heard her talking animatedly into the phone making threats about Michael and her new husband as he clicked the off button. The phone fell from his fingers onto the bed and he considered what to do next.

Jason wasn't sure when he made the conscious decision to call her. All he knew was that the phone was ringing in his ear then Elizabeth was answering it. "I need to see you," he whispered into the receiver. Jason sighed in relief when Elizabeth promised she'd be right over. Of course she would, she was Elizabeth.


~*~



Twenty minutes after his phone call Elizabeth was standing at his door, knocking. She hadn't even bothered to change from her tank top and pajama pants, just slipping on a pair of flip flops and pulling a jacket over her. She'd at least had enough sense to call a cab and not try to walk through the park at that time of night.

When he opened the door, Jason looked old. His body looked tired and his eyes looked defeated. Elizabeth didn't protest when he pulled her inside and wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her close. She returned the hug, wrapping her arms around his bare shoulders. She was aware she was saying something to him, but didn't really pay attention to what they were… Nonsensical things mostly. Things she hoped would make him feel better.

Jason finally released her and stepped back. His hand went to the back of his neck as he worked on some invisible knot that had formed. "Thank you for coming," he said finally.

Elizabeth looked up at him through heavy lids. "You said you needed me. I'm here."

Jason closed the distance between them again and cupped her chin with his hand. "I love you," he whispered.

Startled by his admission, Elizabeth took a step back and her back pressed against his would door. "What did—what did you say?"

"I love you," he repeated. Jason took steps towards her, careful to not get too close. "You know that right?"

Elizabeth sighed in relief. "I love you too, Jase. We're friends."

He knew he was scaring her, and he hoped she loved him as a lot more than just a friend. But he let the subject drop, for now. "I just got off the phone with Carly."

The awkwardness was forgotten as she took the remaining steps to him. Her hand rested on his forearm and she stared up at him. "Are you okay? What did she want? What happened?"

Jason took her hand in his and led her towards his bedroom. He sat her down on the bed, then left. While he was out, he turned the nightlight in the hall on and cracked open Michael's door. When he returned Jason left the door to his room cracked, too. He sat beside her, taking her hand in his lap. "I got this letter from Carly's mom. Inside of it was a note from Carly asking me to call her. So I did."

"What did she want?"

"To tell me that she's pregnant and getting married. But also, she wants to see Michael."

"What did you tell her?" Elizabeth asked. Her thumb began to absently stroke his palm as she listened to him talk.

"Basically I said over my dead body. She threatened me with court. Then, I did the damndest thing." Jason glanced down, ashamed of his actions. His hand tightened around Elizabeth's, afraid that she would pull back when she heard what he did. "I threatened her with the Quartermaines."

Elizabeth lifted her hand to his face and tilted it so she could see him. "It's ok," she whispered. Her hand smoothed over his creased brow and lingered on the scar on his forehead. To Jason it felt like she was pouring her love into him. Leaning forward, Elizabeth touched her lips to his forehead, then to his cheek. Finally she reached his lips and she kissed him softly. Pulling back, her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "You don't have to be ashamed or embarrassed. You love that little boy, Jason. And you would do anything to keep him. The Quartermaines would help you."

Jason laughed sharply. "Except I'd have to make a deal with the devil for them to even consider it."

"Don't think about it," she whispered. Elizabeth leaned forward so that her body was being supported by his. She wrapped her arms around him in comfort as his came up to hold her there. "Just…feel," she whispered.

Jason shivered at her breath on his ear. His eyes closed on a sigh as she kissed the area below his ear. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Jason. Like I said, I love you."

"About that–" he began.

"No," she cut him off. "It's okay. I understand." Abruptly Elizabeth pulled back, disentangling their bodies. "Are you okay?"

Jason nodded. "I'll be okay, don't worry. Are you going to go back tonight?"

"I should. I mean, I don't want to put you out."

"You wouldn't be," he told her. "I would love if you slept with me tonight." Jason's eyes widened at his words. "I mean that in a totally non-sexual way," he tried to correct himself. "I meant…you would sleep, and I would sleep." His cheeks were stained crimson as he tried to dig himself out of the hole his words put him in.

Elizabeth smiled brightly at his embarrassment. Fighting back giggles, she took pity on him and nodded. Placing her hand over his mouth, she silenced his corrections. "I'll stay."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I am." Elizabeth stood from the bed and went and pulled the covers back. Slipping off her jacket and her shoes, Elizabeth slipped between the sheets.. "One condition, though."

"What's that?"

"I get the right side," she grinned. Jason nodded mutely as he slid into the bed beside her, grinning. When Elizabeth snuggled next to him, and his arms wrapped around her slender waist, all of his troubles were forgotten.

At least for tonight.