Prologue: In the park, after Elizabeth refuses Jason's offer and leavesPrologue:
In the park, after Elizabeth refuses Jason's offer and leaves.
Jason stood for a long time after Elizabeth had gone, staring at the last spot
he'd seen her as she walked away from him – out of his life. He felt empty, and
the cold was seeping in – into his bones, into his heart.
"I don't want to be free. I want to be with Lucky." Jason could hear her words
echo in his head. He should have known that Elizabeth would choose Lucky. She
had told him often enough that she loved Lucky, and yet, he had allowed himself
to hope. Jason knew that she felt something for him, but it just wasn't enough.
Where did he go from here? The idea of spending each day in Port Charles,
waiting to run into Elizabeth and Lucky, made him feel like he was dying inside.
Pulling himself together, Jason knew what he had to do. He needed to talk to
Sonny.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason entered the penthouse, noticing the balloons, and remembered Carly's
invitation to Sonny's party. He looked around, but only saw the guest of honor.
"Happy Birthday, Sonny. Sorry I'm late. Where are Carly and Michael?" he
asked.
"Carly took him upstairs for a bath. He was covered in cake and ice cream."
Sonny took a closer look at Jason and noticed the look of strain on his face.
"What's wrong, Jason? Did something happen with Sorel?"
"No. It's not about business." Jason sighed. "I need to get out of Port
Charles for a while, Sonny."
He waited for Jason to elaborate, but when he didn't, Sonny suggested, "Well, I
have a couple of problems that you could handle for me. One is in Florence, and
the other is in Paris. They're both fairly complicated, so you could choose
where you'd rather go." He waited, watching for clues to what was bothering his
friend.
Jason shuddered at the very idea of going to Italy so soon after Elizabeth's
rejection. "I'll take Paris," he said quietly, surprising Sonny. Jason knew
that Sonny expected him to avoid Paris because Robin was there. Suddenly,
seeing Robin didn't seem like such a bad idea. Some things had never really
been settled between them. Maybe now was the time to do it.
"OK." Sonny agreed. "I'll send someone else to Italy. When do you want to
leave?"
"As soon as possible," Jason answered. "I have a favor to ask first, though."
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Do you remember when Lucky Spencer attacked
me?" When Sonny nodded, he continued. "Something is not right with him, Sonny.
I'm really worried about Elizabeth's and Emily's safety. I think he could be
dangerous."
The anxious look on Jason's face convinced Sonny of the serious nature of his
request.
"OK. What do you want me to do?" he asked.
Jason sighed. "Just keep them safe, Sonny. Make sure that Lucky doesn't hurt
Emily…or Elizabeth." The pain in his voice told Sonny more eloquently than
words, what was hurting Jason.
"Consider it done," he promised.
"Thank you. I'm going to see Emily tonight and explain everything. I'd like to
leave tomorrow." Jason looked at his friend with sadness in his eyes. "I'll
call you when I get there."
"Take care of yourself, Jason." Sonny watched Jason leave, not knowing when or
if he'd be back.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1
Ten months later…
At the P.C. Grille:
Elizabeth let the conversation wash over and around her without really taking it
in. She felt like she was stuck in a repetitive cycle, and she didn't know how
to free herself. Free. That's what she wanted to be – free. Someone else had
wanted that for her once, but she had sent him away.
"Elizabeth. Did you hear what I said?" Lucky asked impatiently. "Nikolas and I
were just talking about the four of us taking a trip together some time. What
do you think?"
Elizabeth tried to focus her attention on the people at her table. Nik, Gia,
and Lucky were all looking at her strangely, and she knew that they were
starting to wonder what was wrong with her.
"Whatever you guys decide is fine with me," she said quietly.
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, Elizabeth." Lucky's frustration was
beginning to show. Nikolas and Gia looked uncomfortable and she couldn't blame
them. There were a lot of tense moments between her and Lucky these days.
Something had to be done about it and soon.
Just then, Lucky's focus shifted from her as he looked towards the restaurant's
entry. His eyes grew wider and he whistled softly, as he said, "Wow!"
Elizabeth looked over to see what had drawn his attention. Entering was one of
the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her artist's eye appreciated the
contrast between the inky blackness of her hair and the porcelain whiteness of
her skin. When the woman glanced around the room, Elizabeth noted that her eyes
were the most unusual shade of aqua. About 5'9", slender, wearing a
figure-hugging, calf-length dress the same color as her eyes, the newcomer was
stunning.
"I wonder who she is," Gia queried. "She certainly didn't buy that dress
locally. That's a Paris original if I ever saw one."
Gia would know, thought Elizabeth. She was glad that Laura and Carly had chosen
Gia to be the F.O.D. Elizabeth had hated posing in front of the camera, while
Gia was a natural. Gia had become the center of a very successful campaign, and
she and Elizabeth had actually formed a sort of friendship.
"She looks familiar," Nikolas mused. "But I can't place her."
Suddenly, the newcomer shrieked, "Chloe Morgan! Mon amie! Que fais-tu ici?"
Elizabeth hadn't even noticed Ned and Chloe at a table in the corner. It showed
how distracted she was.
Chloe rose from the table and met the woman halfway. "Michelle! I live here
now. What are you doing in Port Charles?" The two women embraced
enthusiastically.
"I will tell you in a moment, Chloe, but first you must introduce me to this
very handsome man behind you." Michelle smiled at Ned, who had come up quietly
behind Chloe.
"Oh, Ned. This is my good friend, Michelle Lafontaine. Michelle, this is Ned
Ashton, my ex-husband." Chloe laughed at her friend's surprised expression.
"It's a long story. I'll fill you in later."
"Enchante," said Michelle, as she proceeded to kiss Ned on each cheek. "Any ex
of Chloe's…" She left the sentence dangling.
Ned chuckled. "My pleasure. Hmmm. Why do you look so familiar?" he mused.
"Have you ever heard of 'La Belle Michelle'?" queried Chloe.
"Of course! The famous disappearing French model!" Ned looked at Chloe's
friend with interest. "There must be a story there somewhere."
"Zut! Chloe! You know how I dislike that nickname! And there is no story. I
did not choose to be a model in the first place, and I simply stopped when I had
had enough."
"I'm sorry, Mich. We don't have to talk about it anymore. That IS how we met,
though, Ned. Michelle modelled for me in one of my Paris showings."
"It is all right, Chloe. I am happy that we met and became friends, and I am
very happy to see you here. I am feeling a little lost." Michelle flashed them
a mischievous smile. "My escort is taking longer than he said he would."
"And would this mysterious escort be the reason that you are in Port Charles?"
asked Chloe.
"Bien sur. He had business in the U.S. and I had not been here for some time,
so I came along. I cannot wait for you to meet him. I think that he might be
'the one', Chloe," Michelle enthused.
"What about Jean Louis, Andre, and Marc?" teased Chloe, with a twinkle in her
eye. "It seems to me that I've heard this before."
Elizabeth's table was close enough for them to overhear the conversation.
Nikolas said quietly, "That's why she looks familiar. I think that I may have
seen her at a Paris showing once. She was much in demand a few years ago, and
then, she just dropped out of sight. I wonder what she's doing here."
Elizabeth was a little curious, too, but it wasn't enough to take her mind off
her problems with Lucky. She needed to make some decisions very soon. Just
then, Michelle's voice rose a little and recaptured Elizabeth's wandering
attention.
"Ah. Here he is now, Chloe. I know that you are going to like him. Cheri,"
Michelle called. "Come and meet my friends." She extended her hand towards a
man dressed in black.
As he turned and walked towards them, Elizabeth gasped. It was Jason.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In the park, after Elizabeth refuses Jason's offer and leaves.
Jason stood for a long time after Elizabeth had gone, staring at the last spot
he'd seen her as she walked away from him – out of his life. He felt empty, and
the cold was seeping in – into his bones, into his heart.
"I don't want to be free. I want to be with Lucky." Jason could hear her words
echo in his head. He should have known that Elizabeth would choose Lucky. She
had told him often enough that she loved Lucky, and yet, he had allowed himself
to hope. Jason knew that she felt something for him, but it just wasn't enough.
Where did he go from here? The idea of spending each day in Port Charles,
waiting to run into Elizabeth and Lucky, made him feel like he was dying inside.
Pulling himself together, Jason knew what he had to do. He needed to talk to
Sonny.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason entered the penthouse, noticing the balloons, and remembered Carly's
invitation to Sonny's party. He looked around, but only saw the guest of honor.
"Happy Birthday, Sonny. Sorry I'm late. Where are Carly and Michael?" he
asked.
"Carly took him upstairs for a bath. He was covered in cake and ice cream."
Sonny took a closer look at Jason and noticed the look of strain on his face.
"What's wrong, Jason? Did something happen with Sorel?"
"No. It's not about business." Jason sighed. "I need to get out of Port
Charles for a while, Sonny."
He waited for Jason to elaborate, but when he didn't, Sonny suggested, "Well, I
have a couple of problems that you could handle for me. One is in Florence, and
the other is in Paris. They're both fairly complicated, so you could choose
where you'd rather go." He waited, watching for clues to what was bothering his
friend.
Jason shuddered at the very idea of going to Italy so soon after Elizabeth's
rejection. "I'll take Paris," he said quietly, surprising Sonny. Jason knew
that Sonny expected him to avoid Paris because Robin was there. Suddenly,
seeing Robin didn't seem like such a bad idea. Some things had never really
been settled between them. Maybe now was the time to do it.
"OK." Sonny agreed. "I'll send someone else to Italy. When do you want to
leave?"
"As soon as possible," Jason answered. "I have a favor to ask first, though."
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Do you remember when Lucky Spencer attacked
me?" When Sonny nodded, he continued. "Something is not right with him, Sonny.
I'm really worried about Elizabeth's and Emily's safety. I think he could be
dangerous."
The anxious look on Jason's face convinced Sonny of the serious nature of his
request.
"OK. What do you want me to do?" he asked.
Jason sighed. "Just keep them safe, Sonny. Make sure that Lucky doesn't hurt
Emily…or Elizabeth." The pain in his voice told Sonny more eloquently than
words, what was hurting Jason.
"Consider it done," he promised.
"Thank you. I'm going to see Emily tonight and explain everything. I'd like to
leave tomorrow." Jason looked at his friend with sadness in his eyes. "I'll
call you when I get there."
"Take care of yourself, Jason." Sonny watched Jason leave, not knowing when or
if he'd be back.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1
Ten months later…
At the P.C. Grille:
Elizabeth let the conversation wash over and around her without really taking it
in. She felt like she was stuck in a repetitive cycle, and she didn't know how
to free herself. Free. That's what she wanted to be – free. Someone else had
wanted that for her once, but she had sent him away.
"Elizabeth. Did you hear what I said?" Lucky asked impatiently. "Nikolas and I
were just talking about the four of us taking a trip together some time. What
do you think?"
Elizabeth tried to focus her attention on the people at her table. Nik, Gia,
and Lucky were all looking at her strangely, and she knew that they were
starting to wonder what was wrong with her.
"Whatever you guys decide is fine with me," she said quietly.
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, Elizabeth." Lucky's frustration was
beginning to show. Nikolas and Gia looked uncomfortable and she couldn't blame
them. There were a lot of tense moments between her and Lucky these days.
Something had to be done about it and soon.
Just then, Lucky's focus shifted from her as he looked towards the restaurant's
entry. His eyes grew wider and he whistled softly, as he said, "Wow!"
Elizabeth looked over to see what had drawn his attention. Entering was one of
the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her artist's eye appreciated the
contrast between the inky blackness of her hair and the porcelain whiteness of
her skin. When the woman glanced around the room, Elizabeth noted that her eyes
were the most unusual shade of aqua. About 5'9", slender, wearing a
figure-hugging, calf-length dress the same color as her eyes, the newcomer was
stunning.
"I wonder who she is," Gia queried. "She certainly didn't buy that dress
locally. That's a Paris original if I ever saw one."
Gia would know, thought Elizabeth. She was glad that Laura and Carly had chosen
Gia to be the F.O.D. Elizabeth had hated posing in front of the camera, while
Gia was a natural. Gia had become the center of a very successful campaign, and
she and Elizabeth had actually formed a sort of friendship.
"She looks familiar," Nikolas mused. "But I can't place her."
Suddenly, the newcomer shrieked, "Chloe Morgan! Mon amie! Que fais-tu ici?"
Elizabeth hadn't even noticed Ned and Chloe at a table in the corner. It showed
how distracted she was.
Chloe rose from the table and met the woman halfway. "Michelle! I live here
now. What are you doing in Port Charles?" The two women embraced
enthusiastically.
"I will tell you in a moment, Chloe, but first you must introduce me to this
very handsome man behind you." Michelle smiled at Ned, who had come up quietly
behind Chloe.
"Oh, Ned. This is my good friend, Michelle Lafontaine. Michelle, this is Ned
Ashton, my ex-husband." Chloe laughed at her friend's surprised expression.
"It's a long story. I'll fill you in later."
"Enchante," said Michelle, as she proceeded to kiss Ned on each cheek. "Any ex
of Chloe's…" She left the sentence dangling.
Ned chuckled. "My pleasure. Hmmm. Why do you look so familiar?" he mused.
"Have you ever heard of 'La Belle Michelle'?" queried Chloe.
"Of course! The famous disappearing French model!" Ned looked at Chloe's
friend with interest. "There must be a story there somewhere."
"Zut! Chloe! You know how I dislike that nickname! And there is no story. I
did not choose to be a model in the first place, and I simply stopped when I had
had enough."
"I'm sorry, Mich. We don't have to talk about it anymore. That IS how we met,
though, Ned. Michelle modelled for me in one of my Paris showings."
"It is all right, Chloe. I am happy that we met and became friends, and I am
very happy to see you here. I am feeling a little lost." Michelle flashed them
a mischievous smile. "My escort is taking longer than he said he would."
"And would this mysterious escort be the reason that you are in Port Charles?"
asked Chloe.
"Bien sur. He had business in the U.S. and I had not been here for some time,
so I came along. I cannot wait for you to meet him. I think that he might be
'the one', Chloe," Michelle enthused.
"What about Jean Louis, Andre, and Marc?" teased Chloe, with a twinkle in her
eye. "It seems to me that I've heard this before."
Elizabeth's table was close enough for them to overhear the conversation.
Nikolas said quietly, "That's why she looks familiar. I think that I may have
seen her at a Paris showing once. She was much in demand a few years ago, and
then, she just dropped out of sight. I wonder what she's doing here."
Elizabeth was a little curious, too, but it wasn't enough to take her mind off
her problems with Lucky. She needed to make some decisions very soon. Just
then, Michelle's voice rose a little and recaptured Elizabeth's wandering
attention.
"Ah. Here he is now, Chloe. I know that you are going to like him. Cheri,"
Michelle called. "Come and meet my friends." She extended her hand towards a
man dressed in black.
As he turned and walked towards them, Elizabeth gasped. It was Jason.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*