Chapter 22
By the time Jason got to the warehouse, Sonny was already there. He looked up from his desk and said, "You're late." Seeing the half-smile on Jason's face, he smirked. "Got held up, did you?"
"Yeah, well... it happens," he answered good-naturedly. He was feeling too good about his life, and especially his relationship with Elizabeth, to let his friend's teasing bug him. "So, what are you working on?"
"Benny and I have been going over the information on the disk Philippe gave me. The more I study it, the more I realize that Jules Lafontaine was a freaking genius! He tied his operation up in so many knots, his successors will need a year to unravel them." He paused and looked at Jason. "There is also some information on Alexander Cranton."
At the mention of Cranton's name, Jason's good mood evaporated. His newfound happiness was at risk as long as this man was a threat. What worried him most was the danger he posed for Elizabeth.
Shoving his hand through his hair, he asked, "Is there anything we can use?"
"I'm not sure yet," Sonny responded. "Our main problem is that he's disappeared. He went to ground the day of your run-in with him and my men haven't been able to find him."
Jason swore. "That's just great! It's hard to guard yourself against attack when you don't even know where your enemy is!" His frustration was obvious.
"We'll find him, Jason," Sonny responded sympathetically. "In the meantime, I've doubled security and called in a few favors from people who can help us locate him faster."
"Thanks, Sonny," Jason said gratefully. "Can I take a look at the information you have on Cranton? Maybe something will jump out at me." He shrugged, knowing he was grasping at straws.
Sonny handed him the file. "There is something else on this disk that I found interesting. Jules included a copy of his will. According to this, Michelle Lafontaine is about to become an extremely wealthy young woman." He glanced down at the document he was holding. "Of course, Philippe inherits the majority of shares in Lafontaine Shipping, but Michelle will receive the remainder. There is also a clause that stipulates should one predecease the other, the surviving heir gets it all." Sonny whistled. "They're going to be one of the world's richest brother/sister duos, that's for sure."
Perusing the information in front of him, Jason tried to keep his mind on the task at hand - finding and neutralizing Alexander Cranton. Somehow, his thoughts kept drifting back to Elizabeth and the life he hoped to share with her. Before they could make any plans, though, he had to eliminate this current threat.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth spent the morning organizing her things in her new home. Home - she liked that word. That's what she wanted to have with Jason and it seemed like he wanted the same thing. He had cleared out some drawers for her and there was lots of closet space for her clothes. Jason's dress clothes certainly didn't take up much.
In the spare room, she was setting up her art supplies. For the time being, she was going to use it for painting and her work for Chloe. As she went through her canvases, she came across her painting of "The Wind". Smiling, she remembered how connected it always made her feel to Jason, especially when he hadn't been around.
Elizabeth took the painting with her and descended the stairs. She crossed the room and placed it on the mantle above the fireplace. Stepping back, she knew that this was where it belonged. She had painted it for Jason, kept it for him while he was gone, and now it was in its proper place.
A knock at the door interrupted her musings. She went close and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's Johnny, Miss Webber," he replied. "Your grandmother is here to see you."
Opening the door, she said, "Thank you, Johnny, and please call me Elizabeth." She smiled warmly.
He returned her smile and nodded. "All right, Elizabeth," he said and then stepped sideways to allow her grandmother to pass. "Mrs. Hardy." He nodded respectfully and returned to his post.
"Gram," Elizabeth exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad to see you." She hugged her enthusiastically, before closing the door.
"Hello, Elizabeth. I received your message about your move from the studio. What I don't understand is why?" Audrey said quietly.
Elizabeth sighed. How was she going to explain everything to her overprotective grandmother? "You've been out of town for the last few weeks, Gram, and a lot of things have happened while you were gone." She took a deep breath and plunged in, "I broke up with Lucky and I'm with Jason now." She waited for the explosion.
"Oh Elizabeth," she responded sadly. "I know that things weren't going well with Lucky, but to turn to Jason Morgan... You know how dangerous his lifestyle can be. How can you put yourself at risk like this?"
"I love him," Elizabeth stated simply. "It's worth the risk to be in his life and have him love me." There was really nothing else she could say. She could never convince her grandmother that being with Jason didn't involve some danger, because it did. She just hoped her Gram could respect her choices.
Audrey looked closely at her granddaughter and saw the truth in her eyes. Elizabeth was in love with Jason Morgan and nothing she could say would change that fact. Accepting the inevitable, she said, "I love you, Elizabeth, and I want you to be happy. I would choose differently for you, but love doesn't happen according to anyone's plan. Just please be safe."
Tears in her eyes, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her grandmother and held her tightly. "Thank you for understanding, Gram. I will be careful and Jason is doing everything he can to protect me. I am happy, you know. Happier than I've ever been."
Pulling back, Audrey said, "I'm really sorry I missed Chloe's Spring Fashion Show. I heard you were a great success. I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth."
"Thanks, Gram, and speaking of Chloe, I have to get to work soon." As she spoke, the cell phone Jason had insisted that she carry started ringing. She picked it up and said, "Hello."
"Hi," Jason said softly. "I was just thinking about you and thought I'd check in. How is everything going?"
Her heart fluttered the way it always did when she heard his voice. "Everything is fine. I spent the morning settling in and now my Gram is here."
Knowing how unhappy Audrey probably was with Elizabeth's new living situation, Jason grew concerned. He hated being the cause of friction between Elizabeth and the only family she had in Port Charles. "Are you OK? I imagine she's pretty upset about us. I'm sorry, Elizabeth."
"It's all right, Jason," she responded quietly. "I can't say she was thrilled at first, but she understands that we love each other and she accepts that I'm going to stay with you."
Somewhat reassured, he replied, "I'm glad. I don't want to cause problems between you and your grandmother, Elizabeth. I know how much she means to you."
"I love her, Jason, but I have to live my life my way and make choices that make me happy. And I can only be happy with you." Her voice trembled with emotion.
Touched, Jason cleared his throat and responded, "I need you, too." He paused. "Elizabeth, there's something you should know. Alexander Cranton has dropped out of sight. Until we can find him, Sonny has added extra security. If you notice more people shadowing you, don't worry. They're our guards. And make sure that Johnny arranges a car for you to go to and from work, OK?"
"Please try not to worry. I promise I'll follow all the rules. And Jason," she began.
"Yes," he replied.
"I love you."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Elizabeth looked around, she thought that everything was just the way she wanted it. The lights were low, soft music was playing, the candles on the dining room table were lit, and the wine was chilling. The dinner she had picked up on her way home from work was being kept warm in the oven and Jason would be home soon.
As Jason entered the penthouse, it took his eyes a moment to become accustomed to the dim lighting. When he caught sight of Elizabeth, his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a halter-necked dress in deep violet that bared her shoulders and accentuated her curves. She looked incredibly sexy. He shrugged out of his jacket and approached her.
"Hey," he said huskily. "What's all this?"
The flicker of desire she saw in his eyes made her pulses race. "This will be our first dinner here together and I just wanted it to be special," she explained softly. "I didn't have time to cook so I picked up a really amazing lasagna from an Italian restaurant near work. I hope that's OK."
"That sounds good." He let his fingers gently trail down her neck and across her bared shoulder. "You look beautiful."
She shivered in awareness. His touch always affected her this way. She took his hand and led him to the table. "Come on. Let's eat before the food dries out in the oven."
Elizabeth served the food and poured the wine. As they ate, they discussed the day and what they had done, while the current of electricity continued to run between them. When they had finished eating, Elizabeth stood and walked to Jason's chair, and asked, "Will you dance with me?"
He followed her to an open floor space and took her in his arms. The music was soft and slow and he held her close to him as they swayed together. "Thank you for doing all this," he said. "I like coming home to you."
Elizabeth's head was nestled under Jason's chin and his hands were stroking her back lightly. "I like it, too," she replied softly. Her arms were around his neck and she used them to pull her body up closer to his.
Jason moved his head back slightly so that he could look into her eyes. There he saw the same need that he knew was reflected in his. He moved his hands up to cup the back of her head and leaned in to kiss her deeply, drawing from her a response that set his body on fire for her.
Wordlessly, she pulled back, took his hand, and led him to the stairs. Without breaking eye contact, they entered the bedroom and became lost in each other. Together they had found the place where they belonged, where the outside world couldn't touch them. This was home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By the time Jason got to the warehouse, Sonny was already there. He looked up from his desk and said, "You're late." Seeing the half-smile on Jason's face, he smirked. "Got held up, did you?"
"Yeah, well... it happens," he answered good-naturedly. He was feeling too good about his life, and especially his relationship with Elizabeth, to let his friend's teasing bug him. "So, what are you working on?"
"Benny and I have been going over the information on the disk Philippe gave me. The more I study it, the more I realize that Jules Lafontaine was a freaking genius! He tied his operation up in so many knots, his successors will need a year to unravel them." He paused and looked at Jason. "There is also some information on Alexander Cranton."
At the mention of Cranton's name, Jason's good mood evaporated. His newfound happiness was at risk as long as this man was a threat. What worried him most was the danger he posed for Elizabeth.
Shoving his hand through his hair, he asked, "Is there anything we can use?"
"I'm not sure yet," Sonny responded. "Our main problem is that he's disappeared. He went to ground the day of your run-in with him and my men haven't been able to find him."
Jason swore. "That's just great! It's hard to guard yourself against attack when you don't even know where your enemy is!" His frustration was obvious.
"We'll find him, Jason," Sonny responded sympathetically. "In the meantime, I've doubled security and called in a few favors from people who can help us locate him faster."
"Thanks, Sonny," Jason said gratefully. "Can I take a look at the information you have on Cranton? Maybe something will jump out at me." He shrugged, knowing he was grasping at straws.
Sonny handed him the file. "There is something else on this disk that I found interesting. Jules included a copy of his will. According to this, Michelle Lafontaine is about to become an extremely wealthy young woman." He glanced down at the document he was holding. "Of course, Philippe inherits the majority of shares in Lafontaine Shipping, but Michelle will receive the remainder. There is also a clause that stipulates should one predecease the other, the surviving heir gets it all." Sonny whistled. "They're going to be one of the world's richest brother/sister duos, that's for sure."
Perusing the information in front of him, Jason tried to keep his mind on the task at hand - finding and neutralizing Alexander Cranton. Somehow, his thoughts kept drifting back to Elizabeth and the life he hoped to share with her. Before they could make any plans, though, he had to eliminate this current threat.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth spent the morning organizing her things in her new home. Home - she liked that word. That's what she wanted to have with Jason and it seemed like he wanted the same thing. He had cleared out some drawers for her and there was lots of closet space for her clothes. Jason's dress clothes certainly didn't take up much.
In the spare room, she was setting up her art supplies. For the time being, she was going to use it for painting and her work for Chloe. As she went through her canvases, she came across her painting of "The Wind". Smiling, she remembered how connected it always made her feel to Jason, especially when he hadn't been around.
Elizabeth took the painting with her and descended the stairs. She crossed the room and placed it on the mantle above the fireplace. Stepping back, she knew that this was where it belonged. She had painted it for Jason, kept it for him while he was gone, and now it was in its proper place.
A knock at the door interrupted her musings. She went close and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's Johnny, Miss Webber," he replied. "Your grandmother is here to see you."
Opening the door, she said, "Thank you, Johnny, and please call me Elizabeth." She smiled warmly.
He returned her smile and nodded. "All right, Elizabeth," he said and then stepped sideways to allow her grandmother to pass. "Mrs. Hardy." He nodded respectfully and returned to his post.
"Gram," Elizabeth exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad to see you." She hugged her enthusiastically, before closing the door.
"Hello, Elizabeth. I received your message about your move from the studio. What I don't understand is why?" Audrey said quietly.
Elizabeth sighed. How was she going to explain everything to her overprotective grandmother? "You've been out of town for the last few weeks, Gram, and a lot of things have happened while you were gone." She took a deep breath and plunged in, "I broke up with Lucky and I'm with Jason now." She waited for the explosion.
"Oh Elizabeth," she responded sadly. "I know that things weren't going well with Lucky, but to turn to Jason Morgan... You know how dangerous his lifestyle can be. How can you put yourself at risk like this?"
"I love him," Elizabeth stated simply. "It's worth the risk to be in his life and have him love me." There was really nothing else she could say. She could never convince her grandmother that being with Jason didn't involve some danger, because it did. She just hoped her Gram could respect her choices.
Audrey looked closely at her granddaughter and saw the truth in her eyes. Elizabeth was in love with Jason Morgan and nothing she could say would change that fact. Accepting the inevitable, she said, "I love you, Elizabeth, and I want you to be happy. I would choose differently for you, but love doesn't happen according to anyone's plan. Just please be safe."
Tears in her eyes, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her grandmother and held her tightly. "Thank you for understanding, Gram. I will be careful and Jason is doing everything he can to protect me. I am happy, you know. Happier than I've ever been."
Pulling back, Audrey said, "I'm really sorry I missed Chloe's Spring Fashion Show. I heard you were a great success. I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth."
"Thanks, Gram, and speaking of Chloe, I have to get to work soon." As she spoke, the cell phone Jason had insisted that she carry started ringing. She picked it up and said, "Hello."
"Hi," Jason said softly. "I was just thinking about you and thought I'd check in. How is everything going?"
Her heart fluttered the way it always did when she heard his voice. "Everything is fine. I spent the morning settling in and now my Gram is here."
Knowing how unhappy Audrey probably was with Elizabeth's new living situation, Jason grew concerned. He hated being the cause of friction between Elizabeth and the only family she had in Port Charles. "Are you OK? I imagine she's pretty upset about us. I'm sorry, Elizabeth."
"It's all right, Jason," she responded quietly. "I can't say she was thrilled at first, but she understands that we love each other and she accepts that I'm going to stay with you."
Somewhat reassured, he replied, "I'm glad. I don't want to cause problems between you and your grandmother, Elizabeth. I know how much she means to you."
"I love her, Jason, but I have to live my life my way and make choices that make me happy. And I can only be happy with you." Her voice trembled with emotion.
Touched, Jason cleared his throat and responded, "I need you, too." He paused. "Elizabeth, there's something you should know. Alexander Cranton has dropped out of sight. Until we can find him, Sonny has added extra security. If you notice more people shadowing you, don't worry. They're our guards. And make sure that Johnny arranges a car for you to go to and from work, OK?"
"Please try not to worry. I promise I'll follow all the rules. And Jason," she began.
"Yes," he replied.
"I love you."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Elizabeth looked around, she thought that everything was just the way she wanted it. The lights were low, soft music was playing, the candles on the dining room table were lit, and the wine was chilling. The dinner she had picked up on her way home from work was being kept warm in the oven and Jason would be home soon.
As Jason entered the penthouse, it took his eyes a moment to become accustomed to the dim lighting. When he caught sight of Elizabeth, his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a halter-necked dress in deep violet that bared her shoulders and accentuated her curves. She looked incredibly sexy. He shrugged out of his jacket and approached her.
"Hey," he said huskily. "What's all this?"
The flicker of desire she saw in his eyes made her pulses race. "This will be our first dinner here together and I just wanted it to be special," she explained softly. "I didn't have time to cook so I picked up a really amazing lasagna from an Italian restaurant near work. I hope that's OK."
"That sounds good." He let his fingers gently trail down her neck and across her bared shoulder. "You look beautiful."
She shivered in awareness. His touch always affected her this way. She took his hand and led him to the table. "Come on. Let's eat before the food dries out in the oven."
Elizabeth served the food and poured the wine. As they ate, they discussed the day and what they had done, while the current of electricity continued to run between them. When they had finished eating, Elizabeth stood and walked to Jason's chair, and asked, "Will you dance with me?"
He followed her to an open floor space and took her in his arms. The music was soft and slow and he held her close to him as they swayed together. "Thank you for doing all this," he said. "I like coming home to you."
Elizabeth's head was nestled under Jason's chin and his hands were stroking her back lightly. "I like it, too," she replied softly. Her arms were around his neck and she used them to pull her body up closer to his.
Jason moved his head back slightly so that he could look into her eyes. There he saw the same need that he knew was reflected in his. He moved his hands up to cup the back of her head and leaned in to kiss her deeply, drawing from her a response that set his body on fire for her.
Wordlessly, she pulled back, took his hand, and led him to the stairs. Without breaking eye contact, they entered the bedroom and became lost in each other. Together they had found the place where they belonged, where the outside world couldn't touch them. This was home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*