Chapter 6
Elizabeth awoke in her studio to the sound of birds outside the window. Spring was almost here and, for the first time in a long while, she felt free to make her own choices. Though painful, she was glad that she'd been honest with Lucky. That had been a week ago. Now she was getting used to living on her own terms and she liked it.
As she got ready for work, Elizabeth thought about the conversation she'd had with Chloe about her designs. She was really excited about the plans Chloe had for her.
Searching for a missing shoe, Elizabeth noticed her painting of 'The Wind' in the corner. Her thoughts drifted back to Jason. She hadn't seen him since the night at the Grille, but she had certainly thought about him. She wondered what he was doing in town and how long he was going to stay.
It saddened her to realize that the last two times Jason had come home, she had been one of the first people he had contacted. Now that she had pushed him away, she could no longer expect him to include her in his plans. Knowing this in her head didn't help to ease the pain in her heart, though.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth's workday was so busy that she barely stopped for lunch. In fact, she wouldn't have if Chloe hadn't insisted. Once again immersed in her designs, she barely noticed when someone entered the office.
"Michelle!" exclaimed Chloe. "I'm so glad that you stopped by."
Upon hearing Michelle's name, Elizabeth couldn't resist taking another look at the new woman in Jason's life. She sighed. She was just as stunning as Elizabeth remembered. Who could compete with her? She thought to herself.
"Chloe, ma chere. I wanted to see your new designs and have a nice talk. Do you have the time?" queried Michelle. She glanced around the office until her gaze came to rest on Elizabeth. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as she recognized the young woman that Jason had shown an interest in. In the spirit of 'Know your enemy', she asked Chloe to introduce them.
"Michelle, this is my very talented protégée, Elizabeth Webber. Elizabeth, this is my good friend, Michelle Lafontaine."
Each woman cautiously sized the other up, not sure what to expect. The quiet was broken by the sound of the door opening. It was Nikolas.
"Hello, Chloe. Would I be able to speak with Elizabeth for a moment?" he asked.
"Sure. She's due for a break anyway." Chloe smiled at Elizabeth. "You've been working too hard. Take some time and relax."
"Thanks, Chloe," she said quietly. She motioned for Nikolas to follow her to her desk.
Michelle watched them closely, intrigued by the quiet intensity of the young man. "Who is he?" she asked Chloe. "He looks familiar to me. Would I have met him before?"
Chloe laughed. "You do have a good eye, Michelle. I don't think that you've ever met him, but you do know someone who is related to him. That's Nikolas Cassadine."
"Non! Really?" exclaimed Michelle. "That is Justin's cousin? The one he complains about all the time?" Michelle laughed freely. "He is the prince, who stands between Justin and real power?"
"Exactly," Chloe said with a smile. "He conveniently forgets the ten other people who stand between them." They both chuckled at this memory of their friend.
Elizabeth wasn't having as much fun as Chloe and Michelle. In fact, if Nikolas told her one more time how much she was hurting Lucky, she thought she'd scream.
"But Elizabeth," Nikolas tried again. "You know that you're Lucky's anchor and that he's lost without you. Why are you doing this to him?"
"I'm not trying to hurt him, Nikolas," she explained for the third time. "I need some time by myself to figure out my own life."
"This is ridiculous!" Nikolas stated angrily. "Everything was fine until Jason came back."
Elizabeth was quickly losing her patience and her temper. "That's not true. Lucky and I were having problems long before Jason came back. Ask Gia. I'll bet she's not surprised that we broke up. And I haven't even spoken to Jason!"
Nikolas looked at her strangely. "What did you mean - about Gia not being surprised?"
She sighed heavily. "It has been obvious for some time that Lucky and I were having problems. Gia could see it and we talked about it. I know how close you are to Lucky, and I think that clouds the way you see us."
Just then, the door opened and Nik's eyes narrowed. Elizabeth turned to see who had come in. It was Jason. Their gazes locked and held for a moment.
Nikolas drew her attention back to him. "Want to tell me again how Jason has nothing to do with this?" Nik spat sarcastically. By now, Chloe and Michelle had stopped talking and could hear everything.
"Nikolas, I am not having this conversation with you. Now stop before you say something you'll regret," Elizabeth warned. She turned to walk away, but Nik grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Let her go, Nikolas." Jason's voice was laced with anger.
Nikolas was too upset to contain himself. "Always Elizabeth's protector, aren't you? Stay out of this Morgan! You've caused enough problems already."
"Nikolas!" exclaimed Elizabeth, embarrassed that Chloe and Michelle had overheard his comments. "Stop this right now. I have made my decision and it's final. And you know what, Nikolas Cassadine? I don't need a protector any more. I do just fine on my own."
Silence greeted Elizabeth's announcement. Angry, Nikolas stalked out, slamming the door. Elizabeth glanced at Jason to see his reaction to her attitude with Nik. He was smiling slightly, as if in approval.
Actually, Jason felt like cheering. He was glad to see the return of the spunky girl who had defied everyone and taken care of him when he was shot.
She returned his smile, happy that Jason liked the real Elizabeth, the one she was rediscovering.
Michelle, disturbed by the obvious connection between them, spoke, drawing their attention to her. "Jason, you received my message asking you to meet me here." She drew closer to him, threading her arm through his.
Jason felt uncomfortable with Elizabeth and Chloe watching them. He had been so busy catching up on business with Sonny, that he hadn't really sorted out any of his personal stuff yet.
"Johnny told me you were here. Did you need something?" He focused his attention on Michelle, not sure what to expect.
"Mais, oui. I need to find a studio and I thought Chloe might be able to help." Michelle spoke, impatience edging her voice, "I need to work, Jason. You know that."
Jason felt guilty for not renting her a studio sooner. He knew how important sculpting was to her. Affection for her softened his voice, "I'm sorry, Michelle. I should have looked into it before now."
Her good humor restored, Michelle retorted, "Non, non. I know what is going on. You are hoping that without a studio, I will not be able to finish my new project." She laughed wickedly. "I am correct, am I not?"
Jason looked distinctly uncomfortable. "We'll talk about it later," he said, frowning.
"I was only teasing, cheri," she said. "Well, Chloe, any ideas for renting a studio?"
Chloe had been watching this interplay with great interest. For Elizabeth, observing the obvious affection between Jason and Michelle was a painful lesson in how Jason must have felt watching her with Lucky.
Chloe considered the request and answered, "I'm not sure, but Elizabeth might be able to help. She has her own studio."
Jason's eyes swung quickly to Elizabeth, who looked taken aback at the suggestion. He jumped in, saying, "No. It's OK, Chloe. I'll call a realtor and line up some places to see."
"Actually, there is a studio available in my building," Elizabeth offered. She looked at Jason and said, "It's the big one, on the floor above mine."
"That place was a wreck when I was there last." Jason paused, remembering the last time he had been in Elizabeth's building.
"I know, but the landlord has totally renovated it. He knocked out a wall, so it's more open and a lot brighter," she enthused. "Heck, I'd rent it if I could afford it. The light is much better than in my place."
Jason smiled. "Your studio isn't so bad. Hey, it has a great walk-in closet."
Elizabeth laughed, remembering the times he had needed to run into the closet, so that no one would know he was there. "Walk-in or hide-in closet?" she teased, and then stopped, realizing how their banter could be misinterpreted. It was just so natural to talk openly with Jason, that she had spoken without thinking.
"I would like to see it, Jason," Michelle said. Keeping her eye on this young woman, who seemed so familiar with Jason, seemed like a good idea. "May we go now?" she asked.
"We can't, Michelle. I have my bike," Jason explained.
"Oh, Jason. You and that bike." Michelle shuddered. "C'est si dangereux! Can you believe he tried to get me to ride on it with him? What woman would want to risk her life that way?"
Jason looked at Elizabeth intently, and said quietly, "You'd be surprised."
Elizabeth hid a smile, a warm feeling spreading through her at Jason's reminder of their rides. They had been special to both of them.
Michelle continued addressing Chloe. "He actually got Philippe involved in racing the stupid things. I was not happy with him about that."
"How is Philippe?" inquired Chloe.
"He is a rogue, as always," responded Michelle fondly. "My brother still insists that you are the reason that he cannot stay with anyone longer than a few months at a time."
Color rose in Chloe's cheeks. "Michelle! Don't be silly. Philippe was never serious about me."
Elizabeth was amused to see the normally composed Chloe so flustered.
"Hmmm. I am not so sure, Chloe," mused Michelle. "Maybe you will get the chance to find out soon, hein?"
"I have to go," Jason interrupted. "Sonny is waiting for me at the warehouse. I'll call to set up an appointment to see the studio, Michelle. Bye, Chloe." He turned to face Elizabeth, and hesitated. He wanted so much to be able to talk to her, but he couldn't right now. "I'll see you later, Elizabeth." He knew that she would understand what he was trying to tell her.
"Yes. I'll see you later, Jason," she answered softly, warmed by his obvious intention of seeing her again. As Jason, left, Elizabeth knew that they still had things to settle between them, and she was determined that they would get the chance to do so.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth awoke in her studio to the sound of birds outside the window. Spring was almost here and, for the first time in a long while, she felt free to make her own choices. Though painful, she was glad that she'd been honest with Lucky. That had been a week ago. Now she was getting used to living on her own terms and she liked it.
As she got ready for work, Elizabeth thought about the conversation she'd had with Chloe about her designs. She was really excited about the plans Chloe had for her.
Searching for a missing shoe, Elizabeth noticed her painting of 'The Wind' in the corner. Her thoughts drifted back to Jason. She hadn't seen him since the night at the Grille, but she had certainly thought about him. She wondered what he was doing in town and how long he was going to stay.
It saddened her to realize that the last two times Jason had come home, she had been one of the first people he had contacted. Now that she had pushed him away, she could no longer expect him to include her in his plans. Knowing this in her head didn't help to ease the pain in her heart, though.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth's workday was so busy that she barely stopped for lunch. In fact, she wouldn't have if Chloe hadn't insisted. Once again immersed in her designs, she barely noticed when someone entered the office.
"Michelle!" exclaimed Chloe. "I'm so glad that you stopped by."
Upon hearing Michelle's name, Elizabeth couldn't resist taking another look at the new woman in Jason's life. She sighed. She was just as stunning as Elizabeth remembered. Who could compete with her? She thought to herself.
"Chloe, ma chere. I wanted to see your new designs and have a nice talk. Do you have the time?" queried Michelle. She glanced around the office until her gaze came to rest on Elizabeth. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as she recognized the young woman that Jason had shown an interest in. In the spirit of 'Know your enemy', she asked Chloe to introduce them.
"Michelle, this is my very talented protégée, Elizabeth Webber. Elizabeth, this is my good friend, Michelle Lafontaine."
Each woman cautiously sized the other up, not sure what to expect. The quiet was broken by the sound of the door opening. It was Nikolas.
"Hello, Chloe. Would I be able to speak with Elizabeth for a moment?" he asked.
"Sure. She's due for a break anyway." Chloe smiled at Elizabeth. "You've been working too hard. Take some time and relax."
"Thanks, Chloe," she said quietly. She motioned for Nikolas to follow her to her desk.
Michelle watched them closely, intrigued by the quiet intensity of the young man. "Who is he?" she asked Chloe. "He looks familiar to me. Would I have met him before?"
Chloe laughed. "You do have a good eye, Michelle. I don't think that you've ever met him, but you do know someone who is related to him. That's Nikolas Cassadine."
"Non! Really?" exclaimed Michelle. "That is Justin's cousin? The one he complains about all the time?" Michelle laughed freely. "He is the prince, who stands between Justin and real power?"
"Exactly," Chloe said with a smile. "He conveniently forgets the ten other people who stand between them." They both chuckled at this memory of their friend.
Elizabeth wasn't having as much fun as Chloe and Michelle. In fact, if Nikolas told her one more time how much she was hurting Lucky, she thought she'd scream.
"But Elizabeth," Nikolas tried again. "You know that you're Lucky's anchor and that he's lost without you. Why are you doing this to him?"
"I'm not trying to hurt him, Nikolas," she explained for the third time. "I need some time by myself to figure out my own life."
"This is ridiculous!" Nikolas stated angrily. "Everything was fine until Jason came back."
Elizabeth was quickly losing her patience and her temper. "That's not true. Lucky and I were having problems long before Jason came back. Ask Gia. I'll bet she's not surprised that we broke up. And I haven't even spoken to Jason!"
Nikolas looked at her strangely. "What did you mean - about Gia not being surprised?"
She sighed heavily. "It has been obvious for some time that Lucky and I were having problems. Gia could see it and we talked about it. I know how close you are to Lucky, and I think that clouds the way you see us."
Just then, the door opened and Nik's eyes narrowed. Elizabeth turned to see who had come in. It was Jason. Their gazes locked and held for a moment.
Nikolas drew her attention back to him. "Want to tell me again how Jason has nothing to do with this?" Nik spat sarcastically. By now, Chloe and Michelle had stopped talking and could hear everything.
"Nikolas, I am not having this conversation with you. Now stop before you say something you'll regret," Elizabeth warned. She turned to walk away, but Nik grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Let her go, Nikolas." Jason's voice was laced with anger.
Nikolas was too upset to contain himself. "Always Elizabeth's protector, aren't you? Stay out of this Morgan! You've caused enough problems already."
"Nikolas!" exclaimed Elizabeth, embarrassed that Chloe and Michelle had overheard his comments. "Stop this right now. I have made my decision and it's final. And you know what, Nikolas Cassadine? I don't need a protector any more. I do just fine on my own."
Silence greeted Elizabeth's announcement. Angry, Nikolas stalked out, slamming the door. Elizabeth glanced at Jason to see his reaction to her attitude with Nik. He was smiling slightly, as if in approval.
Actually, Jason felt like cheering. He was glad to see the return of the spunky girl who had defied everyone and taken care of him when he was shot.
She returned his smile, happy that Jason liked the real Elizabeth, the one she was rediscovering.
Michelle, disturbed by the obvious connection between them, spoke, drawing their attention to her. "Jason, you received my message asking you to meet me here." She drew closer to him, threading her arm through his.
Jason felt uncomfortable with Elizabeth and Chloe watching them. He had been so busy catching up on business with Sonny, that he hadn't really sorted out any of his personal stuff yet.
"Johnny told me you were here. Did you need something?" He focused his attention on Michelle, not sure what to expect.
"Mais, oui. I need to find a studio and I thought Chloe might be able to help." Michelle spoke, impatience edging her voice, "I need to work, Jason. You know that."
Jason felt guilty for not renting her a studio sooner. He knew how important sculpting was to her. Affection for her softened his voice, "I'm sorry, Michelle. I should have looked into it before now."
Her good humor restored, Michelle retorted, "Non, non. I know what is going on. You are hoping that without a studio, I will not be able to finish my new project." She laughed wickedly. "I am correct, am I not?"
Jason looked distinctly uncomfortable. "We'll talk about it later," he said, frowning.
"I was only teasing, cheri," she said. "Well, Chloe, any ideas for renting a studio?"
Chloe had been watching this interplay with great interest. For Elizabeth, observing the obvious affection between Jason and Michelle was a painful lesson in how Jason must have felt watching her with Lucky.
Chloe considered the request and answered, "I'm not sure, but Elizabeth might be able to help. She has her own studio."
Jason's eyes swung quickly to Elizabeth, who looked taken aback at the suggestion. He jumped in, saying, "No. It's OK, Chloe. I'll call a realtor and line up some places to see."
"Actually, there is a studio available in my building," Elizabeth offered. She looked at Jason and said, "It's the big one, on the floor above mine."
"That place was a wreck when I was there last." Jason paused, remembering the last time he had been in Elizabeth's building.
"I know, but the landlord has totally renovated it. He knocked out a wall, so it's more open and a lot brighter," she enthused. "Heck, I'd rent it if I could afford it. The light is much better than in my place."
Jason smiled. "Your studio isn't so bad. Hey, it has a great walk-in closet."
Elizabeth laughed, remembering the times he had needed to run into the closet, so that no one would know he was there. "Walk-in or hide-in closet?" she teased, and then stopped, realizing how their banter could be misinterpreted. It was just so natural to talk openly with Jason, that she had spoken without thinking.
"I would like to see it, Jason," Michelle said. Keeping her eye on this young woman, who seemed so familiar with Jason, seemed like a good idea. "May we go now?" she asked.
"We can't, Michelle. I have my bike," Jason explained.
"Oh, Jason. You and that bike." Michelle shuddered. "C'est si dangereux! Can you believe he tried to get me to ride on it with him? What woman would want to risk her life that way?"
Jason looked at Elizabeth intently, and said quietly, "You'd be surprised."
Elizabeth hid a smile, a warm feeling spreading through her at Jason's reminder of their rides. They had been special to both of them.
Michelle continued addressing Chloe. "He actually got Philippe involved in racing the stupid things. I was not happy with him about that."
"How is Philippe?" inquired Chloe.
"He is a rogue, as always," responded Michelle fondly. "My brother still insists that you are the reason that he cannot stay with anyone longer than a few months at a time."
Color rose in Chloe's cheeks. "Michelle! Don't be silly. Philippe was never serious about me."
Elizabeth was amused to see the normally composed Chloe so flustered.
"Hmmm. I am not so sure, Chloe," mused Michelle. "Maybe you will get the chance to find out soon, hein?"
"I have to go," Jason interrupted. "Sonny is waiting for me at the warehouse. I'll call to set up an appointment to see the studio, Michelle. Bye, Chloe." He turned to face Elizabeth, and hesitated. He wanted so much to be able to talk to her, but he couldn't right now. "I'll see you later, Elizabeth." He knew that she would understand what he was trying to tell her.
"Yes. I'll see you later, Jason," she answered softly, warmed by his obvious intention of seeing her again. As Jason, left, Elizabeth knew that they still had things to settle between them, and she was determined that they would get the chance to do so.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~