Everyone stood to look towards the door as Elizabeth began her walk to her groom, the biggest smile on her face when she saw him waiting for her. She looked to the crowd that was there to celebrate them and she beamed brighter. As she passed Sam Morgan she was the happiest she'd ever been in her life. The hateful woman had to sit there and watch Elizabeth claim Jason like she always should have. Good, let her have a front row seat to my victory. The euphoria had her floating on cloud nine as she neared her goal…she was minutes away from becoming Mrs. Jason Morgan - thank you God! She beamed ten watts brighter as she reached him and they turned to Father Coates. This was it!
Jason listened as the Priest went through his dialogue, glancing every few minutes at the expectant bride. He noticed how deliriously happy she was and he remembered when that was all he'd wanted to give her. She had been his friend and had nursed him back to health and he wanted to repay her kindness and her love, so he'd wanted to marry her and give her boys his name. As he looked at her next to him he thought of all that she'd done to get them to this point. The modesty and thoughtful sweetness had all been an act. She had willingly allowed his family to continue to suffer when she could've helped them. She had smiled and encouraged him to forget about his past, to ignore his doubts and the need to know his identity, when she had all the answers. But the thing he could never forgive, the thing that bridled him the most about her treachery, was she had knowingly kept him from his son. He stared at her in her jubilation, listening as Father Coates got to the vows.
"Elizabeth, will you take Jason Morgan to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you love and cherish, honor and protect him, keep yourself only unto him, for as long as you both shall live?"
Her smile was ear to ear, "Yes, I do!" This was it - it was finally, finally happening! Jason was hers!
Father Coats asked, "Jason, will you take Elizabeth Webber to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love and cherish, honor and protect her, keep yourself only unto her, for as long as you both shall live?"
Jason smiled wide, holding her hands and staring deep into her greedy expectant, lying eyes, honing in on the light in them as he answered from his heart, "No." He watched as the light dimmed in confusion, the smile crashing to a glorious death. "No, I don't!"
Shock sounded all around the room and at the altar. Father Coates was taken aback, clearing his throat as he asked, "Ahem, I'm sorry? Jason, did you say no?"
It gave Jason immense pleasure to drop her cold hands and look over to where his wife sat stony faced as she fought the anger that wanted her to rip the woman apart right there in God's house. "I already have a wife! I already love, cherish, and honor Samantha Morgan!" He turned his head back to the open mouthed, shocked nurse as he finished, "And I will, as long as we both shall live!"
Elizabeth knew her ears had failed her. This was a joke, a very inappropriate, ill-timed joke her almost husband was playing on her. "Jason, what're you doing?" The ice in his blue eyes sent a shiver running down her spine.
"What I'm doing, Elizabeth, is making sure you understand once and for all…I don't want you! I don't want to marry you! I don't even want to know you!"
One hand flew to her throat as the other palmed her stomach as though to keep its contents in. "Jason, how can you say these things to me? What's the matter with you?"
Carly had been uncharacteristically silent and well-behaved up to that point. She moved to the woman, a slow applause leaving her hands as a cruel smile formed on her face. "Nothing's the matter with him, Elizabeth and that's the problem…for you!" She stopped with her face in the nurse's, "See, you just proved once again that you have no idea who Jason Morgan is! Once again you built yourself this elaborate fantasy world that you thought you could cram him into and he would just be your little puppet forever…well guess what sister - AIN'T HAPPENING!" Carly swept the room with her hands, "All these nice people get to finally see your true traitorous, faithless, deceitful colors."
Elizabeth was in a tailspin. What was happening? She should be Mrs. Jason Morgan - right this minute Father Coates should be announcing to Sam and the whole town that she'd won! What was this? She turned big dopey eyes to Jason, the coldness in his seeming to double as he stood there allowing Carly to say those terrible things to her. "Jason, please, why is she talking to me like this? Stop her from saying these things."
"She's doing quite well. It's either she says them or I will."
Her gasp was as audible as the rest of the room as she took a couple steps back from him. "You don't mean that!"
He could barely contain the anger threatening to consume him, "I know, Elizabeth! I know that for months now you've known who I am. I know that you've plotted and schemed and lied and played everyone around me all this time, including my wife and child!"
The slap of his words swung her head to look to Sam, who couldn't sit any longer. "You desperate, worthless bitch! How long did you think you could get away with this? How long did you think you would keep my son away from his father, huh?" Sam was upon her, the fierce look in her eyes and the anger in her tone causing Elizabeth to back away from her in fear as she and Carly both advanced even as the nurse backed away.
Oh, my God! They knew? They all knew! How, how did they find out? As she panicked and looked around at their faces she realized that they all set her up. The tears for once didn't have to be manufactured, they rushed to her eyes in stunned disbelief and shame. She leaped forward and grabbed his hand, "Jason, please, I was going to tell you! I wasn't going to keep it from you forever!"
He yanked his hand from her grasp, his voice as cold as his eyes, "Don't touch me! Don't ever lay your hands on me again!"
"Jason, please - I can explain!"
"Can you, Elizabeth? Go ahead - explain! Explain how you left me to rumble around in the dark for months, stumbling blindly through my own life in a town teeming with my family who were grieving and hurting over my death! Explain how you could know who I am and still plan to stand up in front of my wife and marry her husband?" He tipped his head to the side as he tried to make sense of any of it. "And then I want you to explain how you could look at my little boy and let me go on not knowing that I'm his father - explain that to me!"
Elizabeth couldn't think, she couldn't process what was happening. Her head was swirling as they closed in on her with their expectations and anger. Her lips quivered as her hands and eyes pleaded, "I just needed a little time to tell you, Jason. I wouldn't have kept it from you, I was going to tell you!"
"WHEN?" He was furious. "You've had seven months - seven months where you could have done it! Seven months where you could've actually been the decent human being that you pretend to be and tell me the truth. No - you wanted to keep me away from my wife, my son, from everybody who gave a damn about me! You looked at me everyday for seven months and told me how much you love me, all the while letting my child go without his father's love - how the hell could you do that?"
Carly laughed mockingly at her, "That surprises Jason because he's a generous, beautiful spirit who always thought he saw good in you, but not me. I've always known what a selfish, thoughtless coward you really are you scheming little bitch! You always act so innocent and vulnerable, always the victim…" Her lips were sneering by this point, "But you're anything but helpless aren't you, Elizabeth?"
Monica had come up from where she sat stunned and astounded, Tracy following closely. "Elizabeth, is this true? Did you really know all this time that my son was alive and kept quiet?" Her face was contorted with the confused questions running through her mind. "Why? Why would you do such a dreadful, appalling thing?" When Jason had come by the house the day before to tell her the joyous, wonderful miraculous news he hadn't said anything about Elizabeth knowing.
Tracy didn't understand why they all seemed so surprised. "What do you mean why? The little twit saw her opportunity to take something that didn't belong to her and she took it! I have no idea why you all thought she was so damn upright and sweet - look at her - the bitch is drenching in desperation!"
Elizabeth's knees gave out and her body fell to the floor in a swooping heap of tulle and lace, the tears rolling out of her as she collapsed in anguished despair. No, oh dear God no, this wasn't happening. He wasn't saying these horrible things to her, the whole town didn't just find out her secret. Then she felt loving arms surround her and lift her up, placing her gently on the closest bench, and as she looked up expecting to see the forgiving blue eyes of her always knight in shining armor coming to her as he always did, she was rudely disappointed to be looking into the dark eyes of her prince, not her knight. Nicholas had rushed to her side to defend her against their derision.
"Why are you all attacking her? She didn't mean to hurt anybody - just back off, will you?" He used his hand to dry her cheeks as he gave her a gentle smile. "It's okay, Elizabeth - it's going to be okay."
"Wanna bet?" Jason was going to serve both of them all the venom they deserved. "Spinelli?" he held his hand open, palm up as Spinelli stepped forward and placed a flashdrive in it. "Commissioner, I think you'll find this interesting." He held out the tiny object in the Commissioner's direction as he glared from Elizabeth to Nicholas.
"What's this?" The Commissioner moved forward to take the drive from Jason, very curious as to its contents. This wedding had already delivered far more surprises than expected, what more could this be here?
Spinelli was happy to fill in the blanks, "Only the most elaborate and intricate trail of deceit and thievery lain out by the Dark One in an attempt to acquire and hold the very heart of the Quartermaine dynasty at all costs." He looked at the prince with barely concealed contempt.
"Don't forget attempted murder." Jason added in that unique, quiet, deadly Stonecold voice that never failed to chill the heart.
The prince tried to hide the shock that took him over - surely they were bluffing - they had nothing on him. His smirk was jeering, "What's this - am I supposed to be scared? Should I be shaking in my boots at whatever falsehoods you have on that thing?"
The Commissioner was more than curious, "My laptop's in the car - I need to view this," then turning to the prince, "Mr. Cassadine, please don't leave the premises until we clear this up."
Jason smirked at the man's smugness. "Laugh now Prince Dick…I promise you won't be laughing for long. You do not steal my grandfather's years of sweat and tears, hurt my family to line your greedy pockets, keep me from my son and wife, and get away with it." He didn't miss the expertly masked fear and panic behind mocking eyes as he added quietly deadly, "And don't think prison is the worst thing that will happen to you." He was gritting his teeth in controlled anger. "I'm coming for you!"
The entire room was abuzz with wonder and questions. Elizabeth Webber had been unexpectedly humiliated and dethroned, obviously guilty of something as heartless as keeping her fiancé's identity from him! What happened to the sinless, irreproachable angel of mercy? Then on top of that, Nicholas Cassadine was a thief and a co-conspirator? What a helluva wedding!
Sam looked at the pathetic woman still bawling her eyes out in search of sympathy and she wanted to rip her apart. Had she not been in the House of God she would have ripped her hair out and torn her limb from bony limb. "Shut the hell up you unscrupulous, conniving shrew! Nobody cares about your fake ass crocodile tears - where was your big bleeding heart when you were keeping Jason away from everyone, lying to his face and pretending to be someone you're not? You're lucky you're in a church right now!" She bent at the waist as she promised her, "But we won't be in here for long, I'll be seeing you soon, you bitch!"
Elizabeth wanted the church to open up and swallow her alive. Jason hated her, Sam and Carly wanted to beat her ass, Monica was disappointed and hurt and would probably fire her, and the whole town knew she had been desperate and pathetic enough to try to steal somebody else's husband from right under her nose…and had failed miserably. The public humiliation was stifling as she fought to breathe.
Father Coates recovered from the shock of the entire proceedings, finally able to move and attempt to bring everything back to order in the church. Clearing his throat he raised his hands to the crowd. "Everyone, it appears that we won't be having a wedding today after all, so if you could all please exit and give these good people some privacy to work this out among themselves…" he looked at the people at the altar as he added for their benefit…"amicably."
Jason was quick to interrupt him, "Father Coates, not yet, please." He turned to face the crowd who were moving to their feet and starting to leave the pews. "Everybody, if you could stick around for just a minute…" He turned to Sam and took her hands, bringing one to his lips, "I'm hoping we'll still have a wedding today."
The audience, stunned once again into hushed silence, sat back down, looking from one to the other of them in shared curiosity. Amy was beside herself with glee…no way was she missing any of this show.
Sam turned to Jason, surprised by his statement and stunned by the outpouring of love in his sparkling blue eyes. "Jason?"
He turned her hand over and kissed the palm, lingering as he stared in her eyes before he lowered her hand and bared his heart. "Sam, you're my wife…I knew that I wanted you to walk this life with me from the moment I realized that I loved you all those years ago. It was never a question of if we belong together, but how long we'll have together. I love you as much today as I did when we got married and I'll love you till I die. Since the day you said you'd be my wife I've had nothing but peace, joy and love for you and my children in my heart. You've always been it for me, Sam. I've never wanted and needed anyone more in my life and my heart led me back home to you, because Sam…my heart would know you anywhere!"
He moved his thumb to wipe a tear that strayed from her eye to tumble down her cheek, pausing to palm her face before he continued, "You're the love of my life. You're the mother of my son and the other half of my soul."
"Jason, I'm also the mother of your son. You can't do this - you can't leave us!" The nurse had finally fought off the overwhelming shock that had seized her heart when she realized what was happening in front of her. "Jason, you love me now, you know you do. Sam is your past, please - we can work this out! Jason, please?" She sobbed unashamedly.
Carly shoved the nurse roughly back to her bench. "Shut up you wretched, sniffling psycho! You lost! And you damn well knew you would, that's why you never wanted Jason to remember his life with Sam." She pointed a threatening finger at the nurse, "One more word out of your filthy mouth and I'll forget where I am and beat you into the ground right here!"
For Jason it was as if the woman hadn't even uttered a word. Releasing Sam's face he knelt in front of her, gripping both her hands as his eyes stayed locked with her beautiful brown orbs, "Marry me, Sam? Marry me again and make me the happiest man in the world - again. Marry me and walk through the rest of this life by my side, just like we were destined to. You're everything to me and the selfless, complete way that you love me gives me life. You're the best mother my son could ever have and I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire existence. Marry me - right here, right now…in front of everyone we know and love. Marry me again, Sam!"
Sam couldn't stop the tears that blinded her as she looked down on the one man who'd ever rocked her to her core and held her captive with just a touch, a kiss, the present look in his tender, sea blue eyes. She'd never been happier than when she was Jason Morgan's wife and Daniel Morgan's mother, and she wanted nothing more in life than to spend it with the two men who were her whole world. God didn't hate her - not at all. "Yes, Jason! Yes, I'll marry you!" She laughed through dripping tears and nodded vigorously as he rose to his feet and kissed her lightly on the lips. Then they both turned to a shocked Father Coates who was still standing with eyes opened wide as he tried to process the day.
"Father? Would you do the honors?" Jason looked from Father Coates to Sam then back again, "Will you honor us by renewing our vows?"
"Please, Father?" Carly was smiling wide as she turned to the Priest also, "Please help my friends?"
Everyone looked from one player to the other, riveted to know what would happen next. The day had been filled with surprises, one minute there was a wedding in progress - then it wasn't, then it was a reveal and defrocking of the town angel, and then it's a wedding again? But with a different bride? Wow. They were all so glad they came out for this one.