Chapter 12

Elizabeth left Cameron and Jake in daycare and headed for the docks. In the two days since she had last seen Jason and ended their relationship, she hadn't been able to sleep or eat. The only pain she could compare it to was losing Lucky in the fire.

"Hey."

Elizabeth whirled around. "Lucky!" She pasted on her brightest smile. "How are you?"

Lucky leaned closer to her. "Better than you."

"What?"

"C'mon, Liz, I know you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can't fake it with me."

Elizabeth sighed and lowered her gaze. "It's nothing you want to hear, trust me." She raised her eyes and searched his face. "There's something different about you."

Lucky smiled. "Yeah, there is. I think I'm finally headed in the right direction." The smile vanished as he continued. "It only took losing my wife, kids, and brother, but I've made some decisions."

Elizabeth couldn't help stroking his cheek. "Oh, Lucky, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

Lucky grasped her hand in his. "I know. At least, I'm trying to accept it." He kissed fingertips. "I'm leaving."

Elizabeth's eyes widened, first from the unexpected show of affection and then from the surprising news. "Are you sure about this?"

Lucky nodded. "Yes, it feels right. I need to start over and Atlanta is a clean slate for me."

Elizabeth's thoughts tumbled from one beloved memory to another. "I can't imagine my life without you in it." Tears fell down her cheeks and he gently wiped them away.

"I'll always come if you need me." Lucky kissed the corner of her mouth. "I'll always love you."

Elizabeth hugged him close to her. "I'll always love you."

From the top of the stairs, Jason Morgan watched the pair, unable to hear their words but fearing the worst. He wasn't going to lose her to Lucky again. He left without drawing their attention.

gh

Alexis Davis slammed the folder down on her desk. How could that idiotic judge throw out her motion for mistrial? She had clearly made her case. Now it was on to plan B and she didn't like her client's chances.

"Good evening, Natasha."

Alexis groaned. Her day was just getting worse. "Helena, I don't have either the time or the desire to play your games. Get out."

Helena grinned and sat on the leather sofa perpendicular to the desk. "My dear, dear fool, I don't play games. Everything I do has a purpose." Helena picked an imaginary piece of lint off the cushions. "For example, I just had a lovely visit with your daughter. Astonishing that her fate will very likely be the same as her aunt's. Little Kristina was named for your sister, was she not?"

Chills ran down the lawyer's spine. "Leave my girls alone!"

Helena laughed. "Of course, I would hate to spill one drop of precious Cassadine blood. Then again, it's not exactly pure Cassadine blood, now is it?"

The phone and Alexis answered. She listened to Viola's panicked voice as she stared into Helena's smirking countenance. "Viola, I'll handle it. Just take care of Molly. Take her to Ric's."

When Alexis hung up, Helena stood. "Sweet Kristina. Her father took my great-grandson and I want him back. You'll see to it or Sonny's little girl will pay for her father's poor choices."

Helena left and Alexis collapsed onto her chair. Helena had her daughter. The fiend who murdered her mother now held her little girl's life in her hands. She should go to Sonny and let him handle this but there were no guarantees that Helena wouldn't kill Kristina to prove her point. Alexis hated it, but she was going to have to give the Cassadine matriarch what she wanted.

gh

Jason strode into his boss' office and slammed the door behind him. Sonny leaned back in his chair. "You look like I feel."

Jason scowled at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

Sonny nodded. "Good. Let's talk about Helena. She's trouble and Spencer won't be safe as long as she lives."

Jason simply stared at him. Sonny tapped his fingers on his desk. "Jason, you know I'm right."

"You want me to kill the old lady?"

"Yes."

Jason dropped into the chair. "I don't think I can."

Sonny raised one eyebrow. "Wanna run that by me again?"

Jason pinched his nose. "I want out. I need out."

Sonny watched his friend carefully. They had both here before, wanted a better life, a safer life. It never took. They were who they were and they couldn't change. "And then what?"

"And then what what?"

Sonny stood and grabbed a bottle of water. "You get out, you get the girl and the white picket fence. What do you do with it all?"

Jason furrowed his brow. "I live. I, hell, I don't know. All I know is that I need Elizabeth and the boys. I need them, Sonny, and this is the only way to have them."

Sonny sat back down and took a long sip of water. "You tried this once before, with Robin. Look how that turned out."

Jason nodded. "This is different. Jake is my son. Cameron is, too, even I'm not his biological father. And Elizabeth, she's not asking me to do this like Robin did. Elizabeth accepts me as I am but she's doing what she has to do to protect our sons." Jason paused as he replayed the scene from the docks earlier. "She chose Lucky once, hell, too many times to count. She was trying to keep her boys safe and she still is. I need to step up and do my part."

"I keep my children safe. It takes a helluva effort but they're safe."

Jason rose. "They were kidnapped. They've seen things kids have no business seeing. They live in a fortress with armed guards." Jason sighed. "That may work for you and Carly but it doesn't for Elizabeth and I have to, I have to be the man she needs me to be."

Sonny cursed. "Fine. Do what you have to do. But not until Helena Cassadine is taken care of."

Jason nodded again. "One more thing."

"You're pushing it, Jason."

"When this over, when Helena's dead, you annul your marriage and stay the hell away from my sister."

Sonny and Jason glared at each other. There had been times over the years when their friendship had splintered but they had always rebuilt it. In many ways, their partnership was the most important thing in their lives. They watched each other's back and took bullets for each other. If this was the end, neither was willing to back down. If this was the thing that shattered years of trust, each man determined to get his way.

Jason left and Sonny threw the water bottle at the closed door.