Chapter Twenty-Eight
Making sure that Sophie was completely asleep, Elizabeth slipped carefully from the bed. Her daughter had been clingy since she had arrived home from the hospital, which she could understand. It had taken her almost an hour to get the little girl to sleep. Standing beside the bed, Elizabeth leaned down and kissed her forehead while smoothing a stray curl off of her cheek.
Once back in the room where Jason was talking with Emily, Johnny, and Collin, she looked around. "Where is Lila?"
"Grandmother was tired. Reginald helped her to bed." Emily studied her friend and noticed that she had dark circles under her eyes. "Are you okay, Liz?"
"Yeah. I am just tired. I also hate staying in this house. The sooner I get one of the cottages ready, the better." She curled up on the couch next to Jason and snuggled against his side as he wrapped an arm around her. "Where is Francis?"
Johnny smirked. "He went to the hospital to watch over Georgie. I think playing fashion show got to him."
Emily scowled. "Oh, please. It wasn't that bad."
"Uh huh. Well, he is too soft. I would have never said yes."
"Whatever, O'Brien. You couldn't tell that little girl no anymore than Francis could." Emily sat up and glanced at her cell as it rang. A huge smile lit up her face. "It's Nik. I will see you all later." They all watched as she answered the phone and hurried from the room.
"How much longer are they planning to stay?" Elizabeth asked softly. "I feel bad that the last couple days of been so bad. I wanted Lila and Emily to enjoy their time with Sophie."
"They did," Jason reassured her. "Grandmother spent almost every minute with her. I think that they are leaving in two days. I know that Emily needs to get back to GH and I think that Grandmother misses Edward for some unknown reason."
"Jason," Elizabeth laughed and smacked his arm. "She loves him."
"Her heart is too good," he muttered.
"What about Georgie? Is she leaving with them?" Johnny asked, almost certain that they younger Jones girl was not planning on getting on a plane anytime soon.
Pausing, Jason shrugged. "I haven't really talked to her, but I would think so. The college semester is getting ready to start."
Collin snorted, bring their attention to him. He offered Elizabeth a look that she was familiar with. "Wanna bet?"
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Waiting until they were alone in the bedroom that Collin had set them up in, Jason watched as she leaned back against the headboard. This conversation was not one that he wanted to have, but he knew that Lorenzo was right. He had to warn her that Courtney was in town. "Um, we need to talk. There is something that you need to know."
Her bright blue eyes studied his. "I don't want to talk about Sonny right now, Jason. I know that I have to deal with him, but not tonight. I just want to be thankful that I am back home with you and Soph. Can we just relax for one night before everything comes to a head?"
Sighing, he shook his head. "It's not about Sonny."
"Anything else can wait, Jason. My main concern right now is Sophie and getting John better."
Easing beside her on the bed, he clasped her hand. "It's not that simple. We have a problem, one that arrived in Italy."
Her eyebrows dipped into a vee as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. "Um, what else could there be besides Sonny and Dante. Anything else doesn't matter. Manny and Luis are dead."
"It's Courtney," he told her softly. Watching as her face hardened and she blinked, Jason sighed. "Her and Trevor Lansing landed in Italy earlier tonight. They can't be up to anything good, Elizabeth."
Pulling away from him, she stood from the bed and walked over to the window that overlooked the gardens. "Why does your mistake concern me? I have nothing to do with your past with her anymore, Jason. I let that go. I had to, in order to move on with you. I may hate the fact that your were married to that bitch, but it is in the past."
Flinching at the tone, he walked up behind her. "I know that we moved past that, but there is more. Lorenzo said that they are traveling with a little boy that she has listed as my son."
Whirling around, eyes wide, she gave a humorless laugh. "Seriously? You had a child with her and just forgot to mention it!"
"NO!" He grabbed her arm as she started past him. "I did NOT have a child with her."
"Just like you had no child with me for several years?" Jerking away from him, Elizabeth eyed him. She could see the pain in his eyes and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Jason, if you have a child with Courtney, you need to know. Just saying that you don't, well, it doesn't make it true. She could have been pregnant when you left her and she never told you. Your record at knowing that you are going to be a father is not the best."
The icy words cut through him. "Elizabeth..."
She raised a hand to stop him. "You have to know."
"I don't want to lose you because she is back and causing problems again. You are Sophie are my family."
Her eyes filled with tears but she struggled to blink them back. "Jason, even if you have a kid with her, you won't lose us." Taking a deep breath, she walked into his arms. "But the man that I love would never abandon a child of his just because who the mother is. You have to know for certain. Is it a lie to cause problems? Maybe. But it could also be the truth. I don't trust her, or her motives for showing up now. I won't lie. It hurts to think about it. But, I would never hold it against you or an innocent child."
Resting his head on top hers, he held her close. "I am certain that it is all a ploy. I just cannot figure out what she is trying to gain from it. But you are right. I have to know one way or the other."
"We will deal with this together," she whispered. "We won't let them tear us apart anymore. Making us doubt each other is how they got us apart the first time."
Bringing her face up, he touched his lips to hers. "I just want you and Sophie safe. With Lansing and her here, I want Johnny and Francis with you both at all times. They are up to something, Elizabeth. I can't figure out what yet, but they are."
Allowing him to hold her, she drew comfort from his presence. Elizabeth knew that the two were working some kind of plan, but it made her heart ache to think that Jason had a child with the woman that she held responsible for all the pain in the past. Praying that they were strong enough to survive the latest scheme, she closed her eyes and took the leap of faith to trust in his love for her and their daughter.
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The sound of the monitors steadily beeping woke Georgie. Untangling herself from John's arms, she eased carefully from the bed. Looking back at the man that she felt such a connection to, she sighed as she slipped her shoes on. She had definitely not expected this complication when she had boarded the jet to come to Italy.
Slipping from the room silently, she gasped as Francis touched her arm. He offered her a reassuring smile.
"Damn, Francis. You about gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry, kid. I just saw you leaving and thought that I would walk with you. Jerome said that you haven't really eaten all day. Do you want to go to the cafeteria?"
The two walked to elevators in silence. Waiting until the doors had closed, she yawned and stretched. "How is everyone back at the house?"
"Good. Having Elizabeth back home calmed Sophie down. Even though she held it together good, that little girl missed her mommy."
"I am surprised that you are here," she admitted as they got off on the cafeteria floor. "I thought that you would be with Jason since Elizabeth was released."
Arching a brow at her, he shook his head. "You know that Jason would not let you wonder about without any protection. You are in Italy with his family, Georgie. Then factor in that you haven't left the hospital since Zacchara was admitted, it could tend to drawl attention if anyone was paying attention."
Grabbing a hot chocolate and ordering a burger and fries, she shook her head at him. "I think that you are over processing things, Francis."
Ignoring her last comment, he led her to a small table where they would have some privacy. Adding some sugar to his coffee, he watched as she took a sip of her drink. "Do you really think that Zacchara being here hasn't attracted attention by his connections in Italy. Jerome has been running interference for him since Claudia and Lorenzo went to the hotel, but other families have been in and out all night, Georgie. Two made it in the room before I arrived. Needless to say, they were curious about you."
Blushing, she choked on the fry that she had been chewing on. "Please tell me that you are kidding."
Francis smirked. "You are so much like Lizbits sometimes. Did you think that no one would notice the quick connection between you two. I know that Jerome and Collin have, even before this. Now the other Italian families are noticing."
"We barely even know each other," she protested quickly.
"Georgie, I am not judging you or even warning you away. But I think that you need to talk to Elizabeth. She has lived in this life since she left Port Charles. Take her prespective before you get caught in the middle of something that you are not prepared for. I don't know if you realize this, but John is the head of the Italian organizations. It carries a danger of constantly being on guard on those that want your power."
Losing her appetite, she gave him a weak smile. "You made your point, Francis. But I am big girl and capable of making my own decisions."
Smirking at her with twinkling eyes, he winked. "So much like Lizbits it's scary."
