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Chapter 21

Jason knocked on the door to his mother's office and waited for her to look up before entering. Since what they were going to discuss was private he closed the door behind him before taking a seat. "Hello."

"Jason, welcome home. Lila said that you were out of town." Monica put down her pen and leaned back in her chair.

"We got in this morning and went right out to the house." He told her. "I had a visit with dad." Since waking up from his coma his relationship with the family had been a tumultuous one. With more years of them not speaking than years where they were happy with each other. Right now things were good, but Jason was wondering if the pendulum was about to swing in the other direction.

"We?" Monica wanted to know. She assumed Jason had gone away to come to terms with Sam's death.

"Elizabeth and I." Jason would leave everyone else out of this. "We got married a few days ago and wanted to have a visit with Lila."

"You married Elizabeth?" Monica asked confused. "Why?"

"I never got back together with Sam." Jason told his mother. "If you had bothered to ask me, I could have told you that. Instead you simply swallowed every lie Sam told you." He said before stopping and getting his temper under control. "Even if I had reconciled with Sam that would not have excused your behavior towards Elizabeth, who has always been my friend." He pointed out. "Would you like to explain to me why you've been acting like you have, because this is your one shot at keeping me from walking away for good. From you, not the rest of the family." He wanted that clear.

"Sam said that Elizabeth was trying to break the two of you up." Monica said quietly. Jason was right, she hadn't bothered to confirm the story she was given.

"Considering that I spent the entire summer not speaking to Sam, why would you believe her?" Jason wanted to know.

"Your father and I have been down that same path more times than I care to admit. I just figured the two of you were still in the process of working things out, and Elizabeth wasn't happy about that. Liz has been in love with you for years." Monica saw that she had surprised her son with her observations. "I thought she wasn't taking losing well."

Jason just looked at his mother. "Are you going to admit that you wanted me with Sam because she was willing to make sure that you stayed front and center in my life while Elizabeth supports my view of what our relationship should look like? Or did you think I didn't pick up on that?" It was his turn to surprise his mother. "We were doing fine, I'm happy to have you and dad back in my life. If you want more time with me then I'm the one you need to talk with. Not Sam and not Elizabeth."

"I'm sorry." Monica knew he was right.

"Thank you. You also owe Elizabeth an apology. There will be no relationship between us if you don't give her one. If you put me in a position of having to choose, you will lose." Jason said making his stance clear.

"You're right I do owe Liz an apology." Monica said nodding. "My behavior has cost me enough." She should be the Chief of Staff, but understood why she wasn't. The only person she could blame was the one looking back at her from the mirror. "Congratulations, please tell her I said that."

"You can tell herself." Jason said standing up. His wife and his mother getting along really was the goal. So he would push Monica to reach out to her new daughter in-law. "She will be back to work tomorrow."

"I will look for her." Monica could only hope that Liz accepted the apology. At the moment the nurse was the one who would decide if they could have a relationship or not.

"Good." Jason said looking at his mother. "Skye has also returned home." He told her. "I told Francis I would stay out of that, but I think you already know what I would say."

"The same thing that Emily has been saying. The same thing your father said last night." Monica had been screwing up royally lately. "I forgave Alan, but still blame Skye for something she didn't even have a say in. I need to do better."

"Hopefully you will." Jason walked around the desk and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later." He told her before walking out of the office.

Alone Monica gave some thought to what her son had said before getting to her feet, grabbing her coat, and heading out of her office.

Monica had to end up calling Emily to find Liz. A stop at the address where she lived before the marriage revealed it was now empty. Liz's neighbor was coming home and she told the surgeon that a truck came for everything last week.

Now she was parking in front of Audrey's home. Since Monica didn't see Jason living with Steven her Chief of Staff must have moved as well. Taking a deep breath she got out of the car and grabbed two of the gifts from the back seat. Hopefully the guard standing at the door would help bring everything else inside. She rang the doorbell and waited.

"Monica." Elizabeth said surprised to find her mother in-law standing in front of her. "Jason isn't in."

"I actually came to see you. May I come in?" Monica wanted to know.

"Uh, sure." Elizabeth said stepping back to let the other woman in. "May I take your coat?"

"Thank you." Monica put down her packages and took off her outerwear.

"Would you like some coffee?" Elizabeth couldn't figure out why Monica would come here to see her. They weren't even talking before Liz married Jason.

"No, thank you." Monica said looking around, it had been years since she had been in this house. It was always a loving and warm space.

"Come into the living room." Elizabeth said to her mother in-law. "Cameron is still napping, he'll be done soon."

"That will give us time to talk." Monica said taking a seat. "I brought him some gifts."

"Thank you." Elizabeth would look in the bags later.

"I owe you an apology." Monica started. "I had no right to treat you the way I have been. That behavior will not continue."

"Thank you. I'm willing to put that behind us." Elizabeth knew that holding a grudge would only hurt them all in the end. She also knew that if they weren't getting along it would make Jason walk away from his mother.

"Just like that?" Monica asked surprised.

"I'm not saying how you treated me didn't hurt. Particularly when we were at the hospital. You disrespected me in front of my colleagues." Elizabeth said looking at the older woman. "I'm saying I'm not going to hold a grudge."

"That's very gracious of you." Monica said feeling really small.

"I love your son." Elizabeth made it clear that Jason was why she was willing to let this go. "You love him too. Us fighting will hurt him in the end."

"Is there a chance we can be friends?" Monica wanted to know.

"I like to think so. You are my son's grandmother, and it's important that he sees us having a healthy relationship. It's going to take work, from both of us, but I think we will get there eventually." Elizabeth explained her thinking.

"Congratulations on the wedding." Monica said relaxing some. She didn't think that this one meeting was going to make everything okay. She would have to prove to both her son and new daughter in-law that there would be no more bad behavior. "Did you take pictures?"

"We did. We also videotaped the ceremony. We showed that to Lila and Emily earlier today." Elizabeth said reaching for the wedding album. The photographer had gotten them the photos in record time. "I can send it to you in an email if you like."

"I would like that. I can watch it with Alan." Monica thought that would be a wonderful way to pass some time this evening. "Unless he saw it earlier."

"No, he hasn't seen it yet." Elizabeth hadn't even gone up to see her father in-law letting Skye and Jason have that time before Alan fell asleep. "It's time for me to get Cameron, why don't you stay and have a visit with him as well." Elizabeth offered.

"I'd like that. Thank you." Monica said opening the cover of the album to get a glimpse of the wedding.

"Hi." John said opening the door to his penthouse. "Come in. Welcome home."

"Thank you." Jason said following the younger man into the apartment. "Is Georgie around?"

"Not at the moment, she should be here in about an hour or so." John said heading into the kitchen. "Want some coffee?"

"No, I'm good." Jason waited while John got the brew going. "I wanted to stop by and check that you are okay."

"I am." John leaned against his counter and looked at the mob boss. "I wasn't kidding when I told Cody that. This day has been coming for years. I didn't see Carly being the one to kill Claudia, but in a warped kind of way it makes sense. They were basically the same person and it shouldn't surprise me that someone just like my sister took her out. Cody offered me Claudia's ashes, which was a classy move." John commented. "Georgie and I spread them up on the shoulder of the cliff road." He didn't want them in his house. Didn't want his sister's toxic energy lingering.

"Do you really think your sister would have gone after Georgie?" Jason got that John was more upset about what his sister had become than about her death. Which was a really sad statement and one he understood. Jason felt the same way when AJ died.

"I know she would have. She wouldn't have been able to resist. Before my father lost his territory Claudia was ready to do me in to prevent me from getting it." John said shrugging.

"Really?" Jason hadn't known that.

"Really." John poured himself a cup of coffee. "She would have eventually gone after Georgie because Claudia would think my girlfriend was the reason I didn't want to be your number two man."

"I already have a number two man." Jason pointed out.

"In Claudia's mind she was going to marry you, and I was going to replace O'Brien. I'm sure that part of her plan also included offing you at some point because her ultimate goal was to run her own territory." John told Jason. "I did mention, several times, that you were not going to marry her. Now do you see why I'm in therapy?"

"I am sorry it ended the way it did." Jason said to the younger man.

"You can make it up to me by letting me know what happens with Carly." John said with a smirk. "There is no way she's going to be able to stay away from you for long."

"That can be arranged. Do you want us to pull Georgie's guard?" Jason knew that Cody hadn't done so yet.

"Yes, and thank you for that." John said sipping his coffee. "Who did you marry?" The ring on Jason's finger was pretty obvious.

"Elizabeth." Jason said smiling. John would know Elizabeth because she and Georgie were friends.

"How did I miss that?" John asked shaking his head before extending his hand. "Congrats." He would need to tell Georgie and they could go pick up a gift.

"Thanks." Jason said smiling wider. "I need to get home, if you need anything you know where my office is."

"Yours, O'Brien's, and Paul's." John said walking his visitor to the door. After locking up he walked to the glass door of his terrace and looked across Port Charles. He was already planning on talking to his therapist about the fact that Claudia's death felt like he had been given a reprieve from a death sentence. Like for the first time in his life he was really free from the curse of being a Zacchara. Life was starting anew, and John was ready for that.

Jason locked the door to the house and turned around in enough time to scoop up Cameron who had come running down the hall to greet him. If that sight didn't fill his heart with joy nothing would, being a dad was going to great. "Where's mommy?"

Cameron pointed down the hall to the great room.

"Let's go see what she is doing." Jason said not putting the little boy down.

"Kay." Cameron said grinning.

"Hey babe." Jason had a smile to match his son's when he walked into the living room. "You went shopping?" His wife was sitting next to a small car.

"No." Elizabeth said getting to her feet. She had changed into blue jeans for this project. "Monica stopped by, this is one of her peace offerings." Liz said grinning. "I have been eyeing one of these up for Cameron for a while so I think your mom got some help from Emily. I hadn't gotten it yet because it's pricey."

"There aren't any pedals." Jason noted putting Cameron down. The little boy went over and when his mom opened the small door sat inside the car.

"At this age it's a push toy. It comes with pedals that you can add as your child grows. By his next birthday Cameron will be ready for them." Liz would store them until then. "Before I let him take it out, will you make sure all the screws are tight please?"

"Sure thing." Jason took the screwdriver, he could do that right now. "How did the visit go?"

"Good. A little awkward. Monica apologized, I accepted. She wasn't given the Chief of Staff position at the hospital because of me." Liz said still feeling guilty.

"Monica didn't get it because of her behavior." Jason told his wife. "That isn't on you."

"I didn't tell her about the baby just yet. I thought we should do that together." Liz said sitting on the arm of the couch watching Jason. Between checking the screws he was making faces at Cameron and that had their son laughing.

"We can tell her and Alan at the same time." Jason thought that would be nice. "All done, you did good. You said one of Monica's peace offerings, what else did she bring?"

"Several things, including that." Elizabeth pointed to the corner of the room.

"That's a huge box." He said walking over. "Super art table. It says for three and up." Jason read frowning.

"It will be fine." Liz said laughing at how protective he was being. "The rating is because it's comes with benches that don't have backs. I'll just get a couple of small chairs and it will be perfect for Cameron and Lila Rae to play at." They had tables like this at the hospital daycare and they served multiple uses. From snack table, to puzzle stations, and art centers.

"Where are you going to put the table?" Jason wanted to know.

"I figured in here, since we will spend the majority of our time as a family in this room. I don't see the need for Cameron to be put in another area to play." Liz liked spending time with her son.

"Good." Jason said smiling. "I'll put that together tonight after he is in bed. Something smells good."

"I'm roasting a chicken with potatoes and veggies." Liz was excited to cook this first meal for them. "It will be ready in about twenty minutes which gives me time to show you something. Come on Cameron."

While they watched he pushed the toy car forward with his feet heading for the living room entrance. "He figured that out fast."

"They have toys similar to those at daycare too." Liz explained. The center had an outside area for playing when it was warm out.

"Would he like a play set in the backyard?" Jason wanted to know.

"There is a brand new set out there." Liz said grinning. "Steven had it installed before he left. You can check that out after I show you this." She said opening the door to another room. Cameron was riding up and down the wide hallway. "This used to be my grandfather's office, I thought it would work well for your office. Steven took the desk."

"He should have taken it, that's a family heirloom." Jason wasn't upset with that. "This room is big enough that Cameron can play in here if I need to watch him while you go out." Just because she wanted to stay home didn't mean Elizabeth wouldn't have a life of her own. "How come you aren't making this a studio?"

"Not enough light. The rear bedroom upstairs gets amazing southern exposure so I'm taking that space for myself for the moment. I was thinking of having a studio built in the backyard when spring arrives. We have plenty of space." Elizabeth ran the idea by him. They wouldn't be putting in a pool, there was no need to go through all that when there were pools at the Towers and an enclosed pool at the mansion.

"I'll call the foreman of my construction crew tomorrow. The two of you can get everything planned now so that when the weather warms up he can just get started." Jason told her. "Will you decorate my office for me?"

"I would love to." Liz said smiling, she leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. "Welcome home."

"It took me a while to get here, but I finally made it." Jason said kissing her back.

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