Second Chances: The Games Begin

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elizabeth reached for her coat and keys. She was due at Kelly's in fifteen minutes for her shift. Quickly she closed the heavy steel door to her studio with a loud thud and smiled. Jason had been true to his word and Max and the other guards had kept their distance. Even though she knew Max was lurking around the corner it was nice not to see him.

"Bye Max," she laughed as she walked passed him on her way out of the building.

"Morning Miss Webber."

She stopped and turned around to look at him. "Please call me Elizabeth." She requested.

"Morning Elizabeth." He corrected himself per her asking. "You on your way to Kelly's?"

"Yeah, I have the morning shift and.." She stopped to check her watch. ".I'm going to be late."

Max shook his head as he watched her scurry down the hallway to the steps leading to the outside. Even though he knew how much she disliked being guarded, she never once took her frustrations out on any of them. She was a true lady and Max hoped that this time around Jason wouldn't let her slip through his fingers. Feeling he had given her ample time, Max pulled on his overcoat and headed to his normal spot outside of Kelly's diner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elizabeth peered inside of Kelly's. Many of the tables and the counter were already filled with morning patrons waiting for their usual coffee and breakfast. Just as she was about to reach for door a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Elizabeth." Jason's voice came from behind. He could feel her stiffen under his touch and immediately wondered why she was tense.

"Jason, hi." She sounded relieved to see him. He looked at her questioningly trying to gauge what was going on behind those beautiful azure eyes. "You here for your coffee?" she asked.

"You okay?" he inquired ignoring her question.

"Yeah, fine why?"

"You don't seem fine."

"I'm fine really. Coffee black right?" She turned around and began heading inside.

"Elizabeth, look at me." He stopped her and made her turn to look directly at him. "What's going on?" His concern was evident.

"Nothing." She didn't want to tell him over the past several days she had been getting hang up phone calls, one right after the other sometimes, at her studio. She talked herself into believing it wasn't anything more than prank calls, having done that herself as a kid.

"Are you sure?" He pressed. Max hadn't mentioned anymore run ins with Ric Lansing or anything out of the ordinary happening in Elizabeth's life. Maybe he was just over reacting, but he would speak to the guard about it anyway.

"Yes, I'm sure." She stressed. "So coffee black and maybe something to go with it?" she asked with a smile that took Jason's breath away.

"I'd love to but I can't. I need to get to the warehouse.business." He watched that beautiful smile only Elizabeth had fade from her face. "How about a ride when you get off work?" He immediately asked hoping to make it up to her.

"I'd love it."

"What time are you off?"

"Around two," she answered.

"I'll be here at two then." Impulsively Jason leaned in and kissed her softly. It took them both by surprise. "I'll see you later." He rushed off not knowing what had gotten into him.

Elizabeth leaned against the door letting out a deep sigh as she lightly ran her fingers over her lips. He'd just kissed her. Jason Morgan the man of little emotion had just kissed her. There hadn't been any danger. He hadn't just rescued her, nothing. He had just flat out kissed her. She couldn't help but let out a squeal of delight as she walked inside Kelly's. Her shift wouldn't be over soon enough.

Ric stepped back inside the men's restroom after watching the scene unfold before him. Jason Morgan had just kissed his wife and she had enjoyed it. The vein at Ric's temple began to throb. Where was the fallout he had expected? What happened to Elizabeth's need for the truth, her need not to be lied to? How had Jason Morgan gotten away with all of that and he hadn't been able to?
He splashed some cold water on his face and tried to regain his composure, which was difficult at best. He had to find a way to hold it together or he didn't stand a chance of winning Elizabeth back. He stepped out of the men's room and observed her as she went merrily about her business as waitress. There was a spring in her step and she looked so very happy to him. He felt his chest constrict knowing the reason for her elation and it slowly killed him inside.

Ric took a seat at the end of the counter and continued concentrating on his soon to be ex-wife. His face blanched at that thought. He didn't want an ex-wife. He wanted a wife and he wanted their child. He wanted the things that had been stolen from him. Ric wasn't about to give up with a fight.
He looked outside expecting to see one of Sonny's men perched at the door, nothing. 'Odd.' He thought to himself but decided to take advantage of it just the same.

"Elizabeth," he called to get her attention.

His voice stopped her cold. A harsh sigh escaped her lips as she did her best to ignore him.

"Elizabeth." His voice louder this time.

She stopped Penny in mid walk to the counter. "Would you please wait on Ric?"

"Sure." Penny agreed as she wondered when the attractive lawyer was going to give up. With the way Jason and Elizabeth had been looking at one another over the past few weeks, Penny knew it wouldn't be long before they themselves figured out what half the town already knew. "What can I get for you?" she asked as she filled Ric's coffee cup.

"Elizabeth."

"I don't believe she's on the menu." Penny joked.

"I want to talk to her," he said eyes trained on the petite brunette.

"Apparently she doesn't want to talk to you," Penny said bluntly.

"She's going to talk to me." Ric stood up and strode across the room to where Elizabeth was taking an order. "You can't avoid me forever!" He whipped her around to face him as the customers stared at him as if was possessed.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Elizabeth gaped at him wide eyed.

"I need to talk to you, right now!"

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth turned back and spoke to the young couple sitting at her table.

"Don't apologize for me!" Ric's grasp on what he was saying and his surroundings was ebbing.

"Let's go," Elizabeth finally said pushing him into the kitchen. The patrons at Kelly's had already seen enough of their floorshow. "What is wrong with you?" She asked exasperated by his behavior.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He countered her question with one of his own.

"You're supposed to be a bright man, Ric. You figure it out," she quipped.

"He's no better than me!"

"Who's no better than you?"

"Your wonderful Jason!" he spat.

"What the hell does Jason have to do with any of this? He wasn't the one who kidnapped a pregnant woman and intended on passing her child off as ours! He wasn't the one whose insane need for that child rather than the one I wanted to make with you almost cost me my life. In all the time I've known Jason he's never done anything but protect me - so yes for me he is wonderful!"

Ric felt the lump in his throat and did his best to swallow around it. Had she just said that she thought Jason Morgan was wonderful? The sound of Elizabeth's voice rang in his ears. "He kills people for a living, Elizabeth. That's his job. Do you get that?"

"Are you any different?" she countered. "What were you going to do with Carly after she had her baby?"

He couldn't stand there and listen to her defending Jason Morgan for a second longer. Every muscle in Ric's body tensed as she went on extolling the virtues of Sonny's enforcer. "You love him don't you?" His voice was quiet at first and far too calm. "Say it Elizabeth.SAY IT! Tell me you love Jason Morgan!"

Elizabeth pushed back the tears that stung her blue eyes. She couldn't, wouldn't let him see her cry.

"SAY IT - TELL ME YOU LOVE HIM!" Her silence only served to fuel his ire. That silence expressed much more than her words ever could.

"Elizabeth are you all right?" Max's strong voice came from behind them. She nodded knowing the moment she opened her mouth that the sobs would begin. "I think it's time you found a new place for breakfast, Mr. Lansing." Max wrenched Ric's arm tightly behind his back. Elizabeth saw a look of pain flash across his face.

She stood in the kitchen watching from the pass through as Max forcefully ushered Ric out of the diner with all of the customers viewing the spectacle.

"You okay?" Penny asked her friend.

"I'm fine." Elizabeth lied. Ric's anger had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Max dialed the warehouse and looked over as Johnny held Ric Lansing pressed against the brick wall outside of Kelly's.

"Jason," he began, "Lansing's at it again."

"Damn him! How's Elizabeth?" Jason squeezed the bridge of his nose and threw the pen he was holding on top of the books that were scattered on his desk at the coffee warehouse. Bobbie had always said he was good with figures but this morning he didn't believe it. There were some major discrepancies in the books and so far he couldn't discern why.

"She shaken." Max admitted. "The bastard was screaming at her. What do you want me to?"

What a loaded question that was Jason thought. He knew exactly what he wanted Max to do. He wanted to tell him to dispose of him yet he knew that wasn't his call - even though he was beginning to think differently about it. "Scare the shit out of him, mock execution style."

Max smiled at that thought. He was going to enjoy this.

"Have someone take him to one of the safe houses and show Mr. Lansing that I mean business."

"Right boss. Take him to the safe house and you know what to do," Max said with a smile to Johnny before heading inside to check on Elizabeth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ric could still hear the reverberation of the gun clicking beside his temple. He was strapped to a chair in one of Sonny's many safe houses as the guard discharged his firearm. To Ric's shock it had been empty. He shook his head trying to rid himself of that eerie sound mixed with the hyena type laughter from Johnny O'Brien as Ric defecated himself from fear.

"Next time it won't be empty." Ric recalled Johnny saying as he made his hasty exit.

Jason Morgan had humiliated him for the last time. Ric sat down on the edge of the bed he once shared with Elizabeth, a plan brewing in his brain. He would have Elizabeth again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elizabeth turned around and came face to face with Jason's concerned filled blue orbs.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Max called you, didn't he?"

"You expected him not to? And that promise about them keeping their distance - well you can forget that."

"Jas..." she began to protest.

"It's not negotiable. Max stays in plain sight from now on. Now are you okay, really?" Jason's hand found its way to hers. His tough skin caressed her creamy inciting as wave of electric pulses through the both of them.

Elizabeth swallowed a small sigh that wanted to escape past her lips. "I will be better after that ride you promised me." She grinned.

"You ready then?"

"In one minute. I need to get a few things from the back for the next shift."

"I'll go with you."

"You don't have to." She assured him, knowing full well that he wasn't about to listen.

Elizabeth climbed up the tiny step stool and retrieved the large containers of salt, pepper and sugar and handed them to Jason standing below her. She reached across the shelf stretching for the box of coffee filters that sat there and in doing that the step stool beneath her began to wobble. In that split second she found herself being cradled in Jason's strong arms. Their equally blue eyes locked on one another. Each could hear the other's heart beating wildly the storeroom was that quiet.

"T-t-thank you," she stuttered, as Jason lowered her feet to the ground yet never let go of her.

Again impulse over took him and he found his mouth capturing hers. He reveled in the taste of her as she allowed him to part her lips with his tongue. She tasted so sweet to him. Elizabeth moaned softly as their tongues danced around one another. He entwined his fingers through her chestnut locks and savored every moment as their kiss deepened.

"Oh excuse me.." Bobbie's voice startled the pair. Reluctantly they parted both immediately missing the heat that they shared.

"You ready for that ride?" Jason asked as he walked passed Bobbie.

"Yes." Elizabeth's cheeks were flushed not only from the excitement she had just experienced but embarrassment as well.

"See you tomorrow, Elizabeth," Bobbie called to her with a knowing smile.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jason handed Elizabeth a helmet neither wanting to acknowledge what had just happened inside.

"Can I drive?" she finally asked.

"You want to drive?"

"Yes!" She playfully punched him in the arm for the smirk that was on his face.

"You sure about this?" Jason asked from Elizabeth's usual vantagepoint.

"Yes, I'm sure." She enjoyed the way his body felt pressed against her back. She knew that he would really be doing most of the work when it came to driving and holding the bike up but she loved that he always allowed her to believe that she was the one in control.

The motorcycle started with a roar and they headed off down the road. Elizabeth felt exhilarated. She loved the wind in her face and the deafening sound it made in her ears. She loved the speed and feeling of being completely free.

She knew where she wanted to go. She wanted to watch another beautiful sunset with Jason from their stone bridge. As she rounded the bend with Jason's help something felt funny to the both of them. The bike shook violently and Elizabeth's screams filled the air.