Second Chances: Butting Heads
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason looked back across the hallway and wanted nothing more than to be curled up on his leather couch with Elizabeth. He wasn't sure how much rest she would have actually gotten but it was certainly more appealing than arguing with Sonny, which was inevitably going to happen. Jason had a hard difficult time wrapping his mind around why Sonny couldn't just write Ric off. A.J. had committed lesser offenses and Jason hadn't any trouble retaliating when the need arose. It was one of those things that he knew he would never comprehend.
Jason ran his hands across his face and pushed a hard breath from his mouth as he turned the knob and entered Sonny's penthouse house. Jason steeled himself for the next round of how to get his boss/friend to see how dangerous his little brother truly was.
"Carly home?" Jason asked as he closed the door behind him.
"Her and Bobbie went shopping for the new nursery."
Jason didn't know if he should be happy or not that Carly wasn't at the penthouse. He knew there was a very big part of her that didn't understand Sonny's reluctance at ridding them of Ric's presence from their lives either. He couldn't believe that he would have actually welcomed her meddling for once. He would have laughed if it hadn't been such a bizarre thought.
"I thought we should talk in private and you know how she loves to listen at the top of the stairs." Jason and Sonny shared a smile - the first smile in days to pass between them.
"You pegged her right on the money," Jason agreed. "So what's so important?"
"Well I wanted to let you know that after you left the warehouse the other day. I had our guys go over you bike with a fine tooth comb."
"Why?" Jason questioned.
"I just wanted to be sure we didn't miss anything."
"And?" Jason held his tongue. It upset him that Sonny hadn't taken him on his word about what caused the accident.
"You want a drink?" Sonny offered him the glass of scotch he just poured. Jason put up his hand to indicate he wasn't interested. "I've got beer in the kitchen."
"No thanks. What did you want to talk about? I don't like leaving Elizabeth alone."
"She's staying with you now? That was fast."
Jason looked at Sonny unsure how he was supposed to take that last remark. It wasn't that long ago that he was congratulating him on finally making a commitment to Elizabeth but now there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"With everything that's going on I thought it was best to have her close." Jason decided against any further explanation.
"What do you mean what's going on? What happened to Elizabeth now that would make you think she needed to stay at your place?"
Carly stopped cold hearing her husband's words. Elizabeth Webber was staying at Jason's? Elizabeth was right across the hall? She dropped her hand from the doorknob she had just been about to turn. Showing Sonny her latest purchases for the baby's nursery would have to wait. Carly left the bags beside the door and strode across the corridor to Jason's penthouse. Without even bothering to knock she breezed inside as if she owned the place.
"That was fast," Elizabeth said as she made her way from the kitchen holding a steaming cup of hot cocoa. "I know I'm supposed to be." Elizabeth expected to hear him scolding her for not doing as she was told but stopped short when she realized it wasn't Jason standing before her. "Something I can help you with?" She settled back down on the creamy brown leather of the couch as she made her remark.
"What catastrophe is Jason saving you from this time?" Carly spouted annoyed at how comfortable Elizabeth looked sitting there in Jason's shirt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So why is Elizabeth staying at your place?" Sonny asked again as though he deserved an answer.
"I want her there. And I'd like to get back to her. So what did you need? You said you had the guys go over my bike again." Jason waited for Sonny to respond.
"Yeah. It was just like you said. It was that master link. The guys said it was definitely tampered with."
Jason felt his features harden - something that rarely ever happened with Sonny, but it angered him that for what ever his reasons were he seemed not to trust Jason's judgement.
"We.I," Jason corrected himself. "Already knew that. Anything else?" He looked toward the door as though to indicate he wanted to leave.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"No catastrophe for me, but maybe it will be for you." Elizabeth smiled. She was going to enjoy twisting the knife just a little. Carly was forever making it clear to her that Jason, Sonny - any man within her reach somehow belonged or was tied to her. Elizabeth had had her fair share of run ins with Caroline Benson Corinthos to know just what buttons to push.
"What the hell are you talking about? I know about the accident. I'm sure you played on Jason's sympathy and that's why you are staying here." Carly wanted to sound so sure of herself but even to her she could hear the doubt in her voice.
"Think what you want to think, Carly."
"If you have something to say Elizabeth, say it!" Carly's fangs began to show.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Some place you would rather be?" Sonny's eyes followed Jason's toward the door.
"Yes. And I am trying to figure out what was so urgent you needed be over here right now. You haven't told me anything we didn't already know."
Jason let out a frustrated sigh as he tried to tame the hostility he felt seething from within. He had grown tried of Sonny questioning his loyalty every time the mood struck him. He had proved time and time again that he was loyal to a fault where Sonny was concerned.
"I just wanted to be sure."
"What - you didn't believe I knew what was wrong with my own bike? Come on Sonny what's really going on?"
"It wasn't that I didn't believe you ."
"What then? What was it?" Jason suddenly found himself showing emotions that he had always kept from Sonny. Even when he had walked in on the remnants of the night that Carly and Sonny slept together, Jason had never expressed his true anger, hurt and despair.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You might want to sit down. I don't need you fainting on me." Elizabeth knew that comment had been snide but she let it come forth anyhow. She loved watching Carly's eyes fill with fury.
"I'll stand," Carly said just to be obstinate.
"Suit yourself." Elizabeth took another long sip of her drink and let her adversary's animosity ferment a little longer.
Carly paced in front of Jason's desk. Elizabeth watched her in delight. It was heaven to see Carly stew in her own fury. Finally when the blonde couldn't take the silence or the smug look on the petite brunette's face she flew into action.
"You like playing house?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened at that remark. It was like the phone call from earlier in the day came up from the ground to smack her in the face. "It was you!" she stated in disbelief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sonny stepped back thrown by Jason's outburst. He clenched his fist around his glass of scotch tormented by the warring voices in his head. There stood Jason, a man who he had taken under his wing. A man who had laid down his life for him more times than Sonny chose to recall. A man who he had trusted his business too when he couldn't run it himself. What was he doing questioning his allegiance? But he found himself doing it just the same.
"I had the guys go over your motorcycle so that they would know what we are dealing with. So that when they started snooping around in Faith's camp they would know who to look for."
Jason closed his eyes and tightened his jaw to the point that he heard it pop. Faith again, he thought shaking his head slightly.
"As soon as we know who messed with your bike, we'll send Ms. Roscoe a little message of our own."
"Sonny it wasn't Faith! I know it in my gut. It wasn't her. Why can't you open your eyes and see that this is all so Lansing?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What was me?" Carly returned with no clue to what Elizabeth had meant.
"I can't believe even you would stoop so low."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. The little call you made to my cell phone earlier thinking that you were going to scare me away. Fat chance!" Suddenly knowing who the culprit was gave Elizabeth new found vigor.
"You think I called you?" Carly stared at her with astonishment in her eyes. "Why would I waste my time?" She didn't know what Elizabeth was even talking about.
"You'd do anything if you thought that it meant keeping Jason and I apart. It's not going to work this time Carly. Jason's through pushing me away to protect me," Elizabeth said matter of fact.
Carly hated the way that other woman sounded so sure of herself. "I don't have to do anything to keep the two of you apart. You'll manage to screw it up again all on your own!" She taunted.
For a brief second Elizabeth almost turned tail and ran as she had weeks before when Carly mocked her. But not now, she knew that Jason loved her and had for as long as she loved him. She wasn't about to let Carly of all people mess that up. "And you should know right? Since when it comes to men you are the master at screwing..I mean screwing up.
"You bitch!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"And why can't you focus on anyone but Ric?" Sonny countered Jason's question.
"It's Ric, all of it - messing with my motorcycle, the shredded divorce papers Elizabeth got, the phone calls, all of it's been him."
"Why would he want to hurt Elizabeth?"
"Are you hearing yourself? That's what Ric does! He's done it already! Where were you all those months when he was holding Carly? How can you just forget that?" Jason had long since dropped his cool exterior.
"Who says I've forgotten?"
"Haven't you? I mean hell I have gotten rid of men for lesser reasons on your orders."
"He's my brother," Sonny nearly whispered.
"Well he's not mine!" Jason said his blue eyes simmering with fury.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth stood nose to nose with Carly. She wasn't about to back down. Not this time. She wanted no parts of being that meek little girl that everyone thought needed protecting.
"What Carly? The truth hurt? Or is it the fact that you can't stand that Jason has come to me more times than he's ever come to you? He's trusted me when he knew he could never have trusted you!"
It was now time for Elizabeth's words to cut through to Carly's soul. While she was grateful to have Sonny a part of her heart would always belong to Jason, even if they were only friends. "Shut up."
"You can dish it out but you can't take it?"
"What makes you think this time will be any different for the two of you? You've proven over and over again that you run in the eleventh hour. You aren't cut out for the life that Jason and Sonny lead. Why don't you do us all a favor and go back to where you came from?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I told you Ric's off limits, Jason!" Sonny walked over to where his loyal enforcer stood. Jason towered over him yet he wasn't backing down. "I'll handle Ric when I feel the time is right."
"Would that be before or after Elizabeth becomes his prisoner like Carly or winds up dead?" Jason's features returned to their stoic nature. He was certain that Sonny wouldn't budge from his point of view. It was part the control freak in him and part needing to be right. Jason didn't care anymore. He would do what ever he had to do to protect Elizabeth not matter the cost to his relationship - working or otherwise - with Sonny.
"It won't happen." Sonny sounded so sure of himself.
"The hell it won't."
"I've put a few men on Faith. As soon as she slips up which she's bound to do since she always does this will all be over. Trust me, Jase."
"No." Sonny stood wide eyed starring at the younger man in disbelief. "I can't. My trusting you has cost me Elizabeth once before. I won't let it happen again. You didn't believe me when Carly was kidnapped that it was Ric and you don't believe me now. But that doesn't make what I am saying any less true."
"Is it possible you are just gunning for Ric because of Elizabeth and not the other way around?" Sonny couldn't believe he heard that comment escape his lips but it had just the same.
Jason stormed out of penthouse four without even bothering to dignify Sonny's question with a response. That had been the last straw for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm right what Jason wants me. And that kills you doesn't it Carly? You said Jason would never love me. Well you were wrong about that. Jason's always loved me."
"You'll never be his Robin!" Carly was running out of ammunition to spew in her foe's direction.
"And I don't want to be."
"You really think he loves you? You know Jason - he's always playing the hero. That's all you are to him is another person to rescue. He'll get tired of you soon enough."
As much as she hadn't wanted those words to effect her they had. That was her Achilles heal in her relationship with Jason. And Carly knew it.
"All of this is just some knee jerk reaction to Emily's death. You know it, I know it and Jason will figure it out soon enough! You'll never be enough for him!"
"That's enough Carly!" Jason's voice brought silence to the angry blonde.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason looked back across the hallway and wanted nothing more than to be curled up on his leather couch with Elizabeth. He wasn't sure how much rest she would have actually gotten but it was certainly more appealing than arguing with Sonny, which was inevitably going to happen. Jason had a hard difficult time wrapping his mind around why Sonny couldn't just write Ric off. A.J. had committed lesser offenses and Jason hadn't any trouble retaliating when the need arose. It was one of those things that he knew he would never comprehend.
Jason ran his hands across his face and pushed a hard breath from his mouth as he turned the knob and entered Sonny's penthouse house. Jason steeled himself for the next round of how to get his boss/friend to see how dangerous his little brother truly was.
"Carly home?" Jason asked as he closed the door behind him.
"Her and Bobbie went shopping for the new nursery."
Jason didn't know if he should be happy or not that Carly wasn't at the penthouse. He knew there was a very big part of her that didn't understand Sonny's reluctance at ridding them of Ric's presence from their lives either. He couldn't believe that he would have actually welcomed her meddling for once. He would have laughed if it hadn't been such a bizarre thought.
"I thought we should talk in private and you know how she loves to listen at the top of the stairs." Jason and Sonny shared a smile - the first smile in days to pass between them.
"You pegged her right on the money," Jason agreed. "So what's so important?"
"Well I wanted to let you know that after you left the warehouse the other day. I had our guys go over you bike with a fine tooth comb."
"Why?" Jason questioned.
"I just wanted to be sure we didn't miss anything."
"And?" Jason held his tongue. It upset him that Sonny hadn't taken him on his word about what caused the accident.
"You want a drink?" Sonny offered him the glass of scotch he just poured. Jason put up his hand to indicate he wasn't interested. "I've got beer in the kitchen."
"No thanks. What did you want to talk about? I don't like leaving Elizabeth alone."
"She's staying with you now? That was fast."
Jason looked at Sonny unsure how he was supposed to take that last remark. It wasn't that long ago that he was congratulating him on finally making a commitment to Elizabeth but now there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"With everything that's going on I thought it was best to have her close." Jason decided against any further explanation.
"What do you mean what's going on? What happened to Elizabeth now that would make you think she needed to stay at your place?"
Carly stopped cold hearing her husband's words. Elizabeth Webber was staying at Jason's? Elizabeth was right across the hall? She dropped her hand from the doorknob she had just been about to turn. Showing Sonny her latest purchases for the baby's nursery would have to wait. Carly left the bags beside the door and strode across the corridor to Jason's penthouse. Without even bothering to knock she breezed inside as if she owned the place.
"That was fast," Elizabeth said as she made her way from the kitchen holding a steaming cup of hot cocoa. "I know I'm supposed to be." Elizabeth expected to hear him scolding her for not doing as she was told but stopped short when she realized it wasn't Jason standing before her. "Something I can help you with?" She settled back down on the creamy brown leather of the couch as she made her remark.
"What catastrophe is Jason saving you from this time?" Carly spouted annoyed at how comfortable Elizabeth looked sitting there in Jason's shirt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So why is Elizabeth staying at your place?" Sonny asked again as though he deserved an answer.
"I want her there. And I'd like to get back to her. So what did you need? You said you had the guys go over my bike again." Jason waited for Sonny to respond.
"Yeah. It was just like you said. It was that master link. The guys said it was definitely tampered with."
Jason felt his features harden - something that rarely ever happened with Sonny, but it angered him that for what ever his reasons were he seemed not to trust Jason's judgement.
"We.I," Jason corrected himself. "Already knew that. Anything else?" He looked toward the door as though to indicate he wanted to leave.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"No catastrophe for me, but maybe it will be for you." Elizabeth smiled. She was going to enjoy twisting the knife just a little. Carly was forever making it clear to her that Jason, Sonny - any man within her reach somehow belonged or was tied to her. Elizabeth had had her fair share of run ins with Caroline Benson Corinthos to know just what buttons to push.
"What the hell are you talking about? I know about the accident. I'm sure you played on Jason's sympathy and that's why you are staying here." Carly wanted to sound so sure of herself but even to her she could hear the doubt in her voice.
"Think what you want to think, Carly."
"If you have something to say Elizabeth, say it!" Carly's fangs began to show.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Some place you would rather be?" Sonny's eyes followed Jason's toward the door.
"Yes. And I am trying to figure out what was so urgent you needed be over here right now. You haven't told me anything we didn't already know."
Jason let out a frustrated sigh as he tried to tame the hostility he felt seething from within. He had grown tried of Sonny questioning his loyalty every time the mood struck him. He had proved time and time again that he was loyal to a fault where Sonny was concerned.
"I just wanted to be sure."
"What - you didn't believe I knew what was wrong with my own bike? Come on Sonny what's really going on?"
"It wasn't that I didn't believe you ."
"What then? What was it?" Jason suddenly found himself showing emotions that he had always kept from Sonny. Even when he had walked in on the remnants of the night that Carly and Sonny slept together, Jason had never expressed his true anger, hurt and despair.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You might want to sit down. I don't need you fainting on me." Elizabeth knew that comment had been snide but she let it come forth anyhow. She loved watching Carly's eyes fill with fury.
"I'll stand," Carly said just to be obstinate.
"Suit yourself." Elizabeth took another long sip of her drink and let her adversary's animosity ferment a little longer.
Carly paced in front of Jason's desk. Elizabeth watched her in delight. It was heaven to see Carly stew in her own fury. Finally when the blonde couldn't take the silence or the smug look on the petite brunette's face she flew into action.
"You like playing house?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened at that remark. It was like the phone call from earlier in the day came up from the ground to smack her in the face. "It was you!" she stated in disbelief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sonny stepped back thrown by Jason's outburst. He clenched his fist around his glass of scotch tormented by the warring voices in his head. There stood Jason, a man who he had taken under his wing. A man who had laid down his life for him more times than Sonny chose to recall. A man who he had trusted his business too when he couldn't run it himself. What was he doing questioning his allegiance? But he found himself doing it just the same.
"I had the guys go over your motorcycle so that they would know what we are dealing with. So that when they started snooping around in Faith's camp they would know who to look for."
Jason closed his eyes and tightened his jaw to the point that he heard it pop. Faith again, he thought shaking his head slightly.
"As soon as we know who messed with your bike, we'll send Ms. Roscoe a little message of our own."
"Sonny it wasn't Faith! I know it in my gut. It wasn't her. Why can't you open your eyes and see that this is all so Lansing?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What was me?" Carly returned with no clue to what Elizabeth had meant.
"I can't believe even you would stoop so low."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. The little call you made to my cell phone earlier thinking that you were going to scare me away. Fat chance!" Suddenly knowing who the culprit was gave Elizabeth new found vigor.
"You think I called you?" Carly stared at her with astonishment in her eyes. "Why would I waste my time?" She didn't know what Elizabeth was even talking about.
"You'd do anything if you thought that it meant keeping Jason and I apart. It's not going to work this time Carly. Jason's through pushing me away to protect me," Elizabeth said matter of fact.
Carly hated the way that other woman sounded so sure of herself. "I don't have to do anything to keep the two of you apart. You'll manage to screw it up again all on your own!" She taunted.
For a brief second Elizabeth almost turned tail and ran as she had weeks before when Carly mocked her. But not now, she knew that Jason loved her and had for as long as she loved him. She wasn't about to let Carly of all people mess that up. "And you should know right? Since when it comes to men you are the master at screwing..I mean screwing up.
"You bitch!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"And why can't you focus on anyone but Ric?" Sonny countered Jason's question.
"It's Ric, all of it - messing with my motorcycle, the shredded divorce papers Elizabeth got, the phone calls, all of it's been him."
"Why would he want to hurt Elizabeth?"
"Are you hearing yourself? That's what Ric does! He's done it already! Where were you all those months when he was holding Carly? How can you just forget that?" Jason had long since dropped his cool exterior.
"Who says I've forgotten?"
"Haven't you? I mean hell I have gotten rid of men for lesser reasons on your orders."
"He's my brother," Sonny nearly whispered.
"Well he's not mine!" Jason said his blue eyes simmering with fury.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth stood nose to nose with Carly. She wasn't about to back down. Not this time. She wanted no parts of being that meek little girl that everyone thought needed protecting.
"What Carly? The truth hurt? Or is it the fact that you can't stand that Jason has come to me more times than he's ever come to you? He's trusted me when he knew he could never have trusted you!"
It was now time for Elizabeth's words to cut through to Carly's soul. While she was grateful to have Sonny a part of her heart would always belong to Jason, even if they were only friends. "Shut up."
"You can dish it out but you can't take it?"
"What makes you think this time will be any different for the two of you? You've proven over and over again that you run in the eleventh hour. You aren't cut out for the life that Jason and Sonny lead. Why don't you do us all a favor and go back to where you came from?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I told you Ric's off limits, Jason!" Sonny walked over to where his loyal enforcer stood. Jason towered over him yet he wasn't backing down. "I'll handle Ric when I feel the time is right."
"Would that be before or after Elizabeth becomes his prisoner like Carly or winds up dead?" Jason's features returned to their stoic nature. He was certain that Sonny wouldn't budge from his point of view. It was part the control freak in him and part needing to be right. Jason didn't care anymore. He would do what ever he had to do to protect Elizabeth not matter the cost to his relationship - working or otherwise - with Sonny.
"It won't happen." Sonny sounded so sure of himself.
"The hell it won't."
"I've put a few men on Faith. As soon as she slips up which she's bound to do since she always does this will all be over. Trust me, Jase."
"No." Sonny stood wide eyed starring at the younger man in disbelief. "I can't. My trusting you has cost me Elizabeth once before. I won't let it happen again. You didn't believe me when Carly was kidnapped that it was Ric and you don't believe me now. But that doesn't make what I am saying any less true."
"Is it possible you are just gunning for Ric because of Elizabeth and not the other way around?" Sonny couldn't believe he heard that comment escape his lips but it had just the same.
Jason stormed out of penthouse four without even bothering to dignify Sonny's question with a response. That had been the last straw for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm right what Jason wants me. And that kills you doesn't it Carly? You said Jason would never love me. Well you were wrong about that. Jason's always loved me."
"You'll never be his Robin!" Carly was running out of ammunition to spew in her foe's direction.
"And I don't want to be."
"You really think he loves you? You know Jason - he's always playing the hero. That's all you are to him is another person to rescue. He'll get tired of you soon enough."
As much as she hadn't wanted those words to effect her they had. That was her Achilles heal in her relationship with Jason. And Carly knew it.
"All of this is just some knee jerk reaction to Emily's death. You know it, I know it and Jason will figure it out soon enough! You'll never be enough for him!"
"That's enough Carly!" Jason's voice brought silence to the angry blonde.