Chapter 9
Time seemed to stand still, as they stood just holding each other. Finally, Jason pulled back and led Elizabeth to sit on an old stone bench.
"I'm going to tell Michelle about us," he confessed quietly. "I don't want to hurt her, but I can't live a lie."
"Tell me about her, Jason." She wanted to understand what had happened to him over the past year, even if it was painful. "Tell me about your life in Paris."
Jason looked at her closely, then sighed. "When I went to Sonny last year and asked him to send me somewhere on business, I was in a bad place." He paused, and Elizabeth reached over to hold his hand. Comforted, he continued, "Sonny had a situation to take care of in Paris, so I went. I thought maybe I would find Robin and work some things out."
"And did you?" she asked.
"Yeah. We talked and straightened things out. It was good for both of us." Jason laced his fingers with hers, enjoying the feeling of closeness. "Robin is seeing a med student and she's happy. I'm glad we're friends again."
"That's what I want for me and Lucky - to be friends again," she said.
"It will happen. Just give it time," he advised.
"I know. Anyway, tell me more about Paris." Elizabeth was bracing herself for what he had to say about Michelle.
"Well... Robin dragged me to an art show and introduced me to her friend, Michelle, who was showing her work." Jason glanced at Elizabeth to see how she was taking this, but he couldn't tell much from her expression. "I had just heard from Emily that you and Lucky had stayed together after his recovery, so I decided to try to forget about you." He looked at her fondly. "You're not an easy woman to forget, Elizabeth Webber." He leaned in and kissed her lingeringly, lovingly.
"So what now?" she asked breathlessly. She reached out and touched his face, hardly believing that he was real.
"Michelle already suspects something," Jason said pensively. When Elizabeth looked a question at him, he explained, "She noticed the way I looked at you at the Grille, and put it all together. We never discussed you before we came to Port Charles, and yet, she figured out that you were the reason I went to Paris." He shrugged.
"I saw the sculpture that she did of you," she said quietly. "Jason, she's in love with you."
Jason looked at her earnestly and stated, "I'm sorry about that, but I never told her that I loved her, Elizabeth. I couldn't. You were always in my heart."
Tears ran freely down her cheeks. "I love you, Jason Morgan. You are my heart."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason entered Sonny's building, still thinking of Elizabeth. She filled his heart and his mind, and he was still having a hard time believing that she loved him. As he exited the elevator, he paused, knowing that his conversation with Michelle was going to be difficult. She had been a good friend to him, but it had been wrong to get involved with her when his heart wasn't free. Now he was going to hurt her. Sonny was right - life was messy.
Just as he inserted his key in the lock, Johnny called to him, "Hey, Jason. Sonny needs to see you right away." Seeing Jason hesitate, he continued, "He said it's important."
Jason sighed, pocketed his key, and walked to Sonny's door. Johnny opened it and said, "Jason's here, Sonny."
Jason took one look at Sonny's face and knew that something was really wrong. "What happened, Sonny? Is it Carly or Michael?"
"No. They're fine," Sonny reassured him. "The tension in Paris finally erupted and there was a coup. I just got word. Jason, Jules Lafontaine is dead and his son is missing."
The new hit Jason hard, rendering him speechless for a moment. Michelle's stepfather, whom she idolized, and her stepbrother, Philippe, whom she adored - dead and missing.
"Does she know?" he demanded hoarsely. His own grief was starting to assert itself. He had liked and respected Jules and Philippe Lafontaine. They had become friends during his time in Paris.
Sonny's voice was full of sympathy. "No. I thought it would be better coming from you. I'm sorry, Jason."
"I don't know how I'm going to tell her, Sonny. Michelle's mother is dead and Jules Lafontaine WAS her father, in every way that counts. They were really close." Jason wearily passed a hand over his face. "Do you think she's in any danger?"
"I've already assigned two men to her and having her stay at the penthouse makes things easier." He watched Jason closely, noting the unhappiness in his face. "This isn't going to be easy for you, is it? It's going to complicate your life even more."
"Yeah." Jason sighed heavily. "I can't think about that, though. Right now, I have to go and tell her what happened." As he headed for the door, he suddenly realized that this could affect business. He turned and asked, "Do we know who was behind the takeover?"
"I haven't got all the details yet, but it looks like it's connected to the Russians." Sonny looked grim.
Jason swore. "It's going to get ugly, isn't it?"
"It sure looks that way, but don't worry about it right now." Sonny approached and clasped Jason on the shoulder. "Go be with Michelle and leave business to me. We'll talk later."
Jason was grateful for his support. "Thanks, Sonny. I'll call you."
As he approached the other penthouse door, Jason remembered how he hadn't wanted to hurt Michelle with the revelation of his feelings for Elizabeth. Now he had to give her news that was far worse, far more devastating, and there was nothing he could do to soften the blow.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Time seemed to stand still, as they stood just holding each other. Finally, Jason pulled back and led Elizabeth to sit on an old stone bench.
"I'm going to tell Michelle about us," he confessed quietly. "I don't want to hurt her, but I can't live a lie."
"Tell me about her, Jason." She wanted to understand what had happened to him over the past year, even if it was painful. "Tell me about your life in Paris."
Jason looked at her closely, then sighed. "When I went to Sonny last year and asked him to send me somewhere on business, I was in a bad place." He paused, and Elizabeth reached over to hold his hand. Comforted, he continued, "Sonny had a situation to take care of in Paris, so I went. I thought maybe I would find Robin and work some things out."
"And did you?" she asked.
"Yeah. We talked and straightened things out. It was good for both of us." Jason laced his fingers with hers, enjoying the feeling of closeness. "Robin is seeing a med student and she's happy. I'm glad we're friends again."
"That's what I want for me and Lucky - to be friends again," she said.
"It will happen. Just give it time," he advised.
"I know. Anyway, tell me more about Paris." Elizabeth was bracing herself for what he had to say about Michelle.
"Well... Robin dragged me to an art show and introduced me to her friend, Michelle, who was showing her work." Jason glanced at Elizabeth to see how she was taking this, but he couldn't tell much from her expression. "I had just heard from Emily that you and Lucky had stayed together after his recovery, so I decided to try to forget about you." He looked at her fondly. "You're not an easy woman to forget, Elizabeth Webber." He leaned in and kissed her lingeringly, lovingly.
"So what now?" she asked breathlessly. She reached out and touched his face, hardly believing that he was real.
"Michelle already suspects something," Jason said pensively. When Elizabeth looked a question at him, he explained, "She noticed the way I looked at you at the Grille, and put it all together. We never discussed you before we came to Port Charles, and yet, she figured out that you were the reason I went to Paris." He shrugged.
"I saw the sculpture that she did of you," she said quietly. "Jason, she's in love with you."
Jason looked at her earnestly and stated, "I'm sorry about that, but I never told her that I loved her, Elizabeth. I couldn't. You were always in my heart."
Tears ran freely down her cheeks. "I love you, Jason Morgan. You are my heart."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason entered Sonny's building, still thinking of Elizabeth. She filled his heart and his mind, and he was still having a hard time believing that she loved him. As he exited the elevator, he paused, knowing that his conversation with Michelle was going to be difficult. She had been a good friend to him, but it had been wrong to get involved with her when his heart wasn't free. Now he was going to hurt her. Sonny was right - life was messy.
Just as he inserted his key in the lock, Johnny called to him, "Hey, Jason. Sonny needs to see you right away." Seeing Jason hesitate, he continued, "He said it's important."
Jason sighed, pocketed his key, and walked to Sonny's door. Johnny opened it and said, "Jason's here, Sonny."
Jason took one look at Sonny's face and knew that something was really wrong. "What happened, Sonny? Is it Carly or Michael?"
"No. They're fine," Sonny reassured him. "The tension in Paris finally erupted and there was a coup. I just got word. Jason, Jules Lafontaine is dead and his son is missing."
The new hit Jason hard, rendering him speechless for a moment. Michelle's stepfather, whom she idolized, and her stepbrother, Philippe, whom she adored - dead and missing.
"Does she know?" he demanded hoarsely. His own grief was starting to assert itself. He had liked and respected Jules and Philippe Lafontaine. They had become friends during his time in Paris.
Sonny's voice was full of sympathy. "No. I thought it would be better coming from you. I'm sorry, Jason."
"I don't know how I'm going to tell her, Sonny. Michelle's mother is dead and Jules Lafontaine WAS her father, in every way that counts. They were really close." Jason wearily passed a hand over his face. "Do you think she's in any danger?"
"I've already assigned two men to her and having her stay at the penthouse makes things easier." He watched Jason closely, noting the unhappiness in his face. "This isn't going to be easy for you, is it? It's going to complicate your life even more."
"Yeah." Jason sighed heavily. "I can't think about that, though. Right now, I have to go and tell her what happened." As he headed for the door, he suddenly realized that this could affect business. He turned and asked, "Do we know who was behind the takeover?"
"I haven't got all the details yet, but it looks like it's connected to the Russians." Sonny looked grim.
Jason swore. "It's going to get ugly, isn't it?"
"It sure looks that way, but don't worry about it right now." Sonny approached and clasped Jason on the shoulder. "Go be with Michelle and leave business to me. We'll talk later."
Jason was grateful for his support. "Thanks, Sonny. I'll call you."
As he approached the other penthouse door, Jason remembered how he hadn't wanted to hurt Michelle with the revelation of his feelings for Elizabeth. Now he had to give her news that was far worse, far more devastating, and there was nothing he could do to soften the blow.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*