Jeremy sighed as he fell backwards onto the motel bed. In his hand, he held the file he had on Elizabeth. He rolled onto his stomach, opening the file.
Her picture smiled up at him and Jeremy couldn't keep himself from running his finger across her cheek. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you, Eliza…" he whispered, his voice resonating throughout the silent room as if he'd yelled. "That's the last thing I want."
Jeremy put her picture down, reaching for the first paper in the file. The file contained all the information he could ever want about Elizabeth Webber, ranging from her birth to present time. It included her lack of a close relationship with her parents, her rebel years, and even her PCU transcripts.
Leaning over, Jeremy picked up the picture once more. "Could you ever care about me?" he asked softly. "Could you?"
Silence.
A small smile came to Jeremy's face. "I knew you could. I could see myself with you, Eliza," he said, brushing his thumb against the glossy picture. "I could make you happy."
He looked back at the file, frowning for a second before turning his attention back to the picture. "I could make you happier than Lucky Spencer ever could."
Jeremy's head tilted to the side as he studied the picture. "If you knew what they were making me do, would you hate me."
Jeremy leaned forward, bringing the picture closer to his ear and a smile came to his face. "I knew you could never hate me Eliza…"
He took a deep breath. "Dad says him and I are alike… I may be attracted to you, but I am nothing like my father, you know that, right Eliza? I don't want to hurt you, I really don't."
He stared down at the picture. "He says I'm just like him, but I'm not… I'm not…"
The first days of spring were just around the corner and small buds were forming on the trees. Lucky took a deep breath, looking around before climbing up into the boxcar. Elizabeth's paintings had long since faded and a layer of dust covered everything.
The boxcar held so many memories for him. Memories of him and Elizabeth. It had been his home for a while, and it had been their escape. Escape from their lives, escape from the pressures around them, and escape to each other. So many things in their life had happened at the boxcar. It would never be just a boxcar to him.
Him and Elizabeth hadn't come back to the boxcar many times since the fire, and he missed it. "You were right," Lucky whispered to himself. "We both have changed."
They were both different and they were both living different lives than they were before the fire. But that didn't mean they couldn't be together.
"When you love someone as much as we love each other, you make it work."
There was a rustling off to the side and Lucky straightened, holding his breath. "Elizabeth?"
Emily's head peaked in the opening of the boxcar as she brushed her long hair out of her face. She gave him a small smile. "No, it's just me."
Lucky's face dropped. "I thought you were Elizabeth."
Climbing into the boxcar, Emily dusted off a spot and sat down next to Lucky, reaching out to grab his hand. "How are you doing?"
Leaning against the boxcar wall, Lucky closed his eyes and sighed. "I feel like my heart was ripped out. I still can't believe she doesn't love me."
"Elizabeth love you, Lucky. I know she does. You and Elizabeth had an amazing love."
Lucky was quiet for a moment. "I used to think that. But Elizabeth things she'd be better off with Jason."
Emily stiffened, not knowing what to say at the mention of her brother. "Did she say she wanted Jason?"
Lucky shook his head and snorted. "No, but she didn't have to. She broke up with me, and the next day, I saw her with him."
"That doesn't mean anything…"
"It means a lot, Emily," Lucky said harshly. "She lied to me for weeks about Jason. Elizabeth never used to lie to me. She can't stay away from him… she thinks she wants him."
"Elizabeth loves you…"
Lucky laughed bitterly. "She said that… but she also said she's not IN love with me anymore. What does that mean, huh?"
"Lucky…"
"It means Jason put ideas in her head to make her not be in love with me."
Emily bit her lip as she watched her best friend. She hated seeing him like this. "I don't know what's going on, Lucky… I haven't talked to Elizabeth… but you need to pull yourself together. You look terrible. When's the last time you ate? Slept?"
Ignoring her, Lucky reached into her pocket, pulling out the bracelet he'd gotten from Kelly's. The bracelet that was identical to the bracelet Elizabeth had been wearing when she was raped. He lifted it, peering at it closely.
"What's that?" Emily asked quietly. "Did you buy that for Elizabeth?"
Lucky shook his head, his eyes still on the bracelet. "This is the bracelet Elizabeth was wearing the night she was raped."
Emily gasped but Lucky kept talking. "Tammy said Elizabeth got flowers the other days and that the card said 'Happy Valentine's Day' on it. You know what this means right? It means someone's trying to hurt Elizabeth by using her rape against her."
Emily's mouth opened several times, but she couldn't get anything out. Who would do something that horrible? Guilt started to seep in. With everything that had been going on with Zander and the trial, Emily hadn't had the chance to talk to Elizabeth in a long time… and it looked like Elizabeth needed friends now more than ever.
"Oh Lucky…"
Lucky finally looked away from the bracelet. "I know how to make this better."
Emily's eyebrows raised. "What are you going to do?"
"I can make Elizabeth see that we are meant to be together. I was the one who helped Elizabeth after the rape. I was the one who held her together when she wanted to fall apart. I was the one who slept on the floor at night when she was scared."
"Lucky-"
"If someone is using her rape against her, Elizabeth won't be able to deal with it and she'll need me. She'll need ME."
A sinking feeling was starting to form in Emily's stomach. "Lucky…"
"I know just how to get Elizabeth to love me again." A slow smile came to Lucky's face. "She'll have to love me again."
"Lucky, what are you planning?"
"I'll help her… she'll need my help."
His voice was getting softer and softer and Emily was getting uneasy. "Lucky, maybe that's not-"
"She fell in love with me because I helped her with the rape…" His fingers moved over the bracelet. "If I help her again, she'll fall in love with me again… She will. I know she will…"
Elizabeth's hand shook as she brought it up to her face. "Lucky wouldn't do this, Jason… he wouldn't." She looked up at Jason when he grabbed her hand, rubbing it between his own.
Her hand was ice cold.
"He couldn't do this… he can't hate me that much, can he?"
Jason looked around, pulling Elizabeth away from Kelly's. "How did Lucky take the brake up?" he asked finally.
Elizabeth stopped walking, her eyes widening. "He… he was angry. He was hurt… but he would never use my rape against me. Jason, he wouldn't." Even as she spoke, her voice wavered.
"Lucky helped me through the rape. He was there for me when I didn't think I had anyone." Elizabeth shook her head. "He wouldn't do this to me, Jason… he wouldn't."
The two of them made their way back to Harbor View Penthouses and Jason could see the tears forming in Elizabeth's eyes. He wanted nothing more than to make those tears go away.
"I don't think he would do something like this," Jason said finally. "Lucky… loves you. No matter how much he's changed, I don't think he'd do this."
Elizabeth stopped outside the lower entrance to the Penthouses. "How can you… how can you say such nice things about Lucky after all that he's done to you."
Jason shrugged. "He hasn't done anything to me."
"He's so mean to you, Jason. He's rude to you every time he sees you. That's not right."
"That doesn't matter to me. Lucky is going to act however he wants to towards me. All I care about is that you're ok."
Walking inside Sonny's building, Elizabeth smiled. "I am ok."
Jason raised an eyebrow and Elizabeth's smile got a little bigger. "Alright… I WILL be ok, once we find out who is behind all of these reminders."
Pressing the button for the elevator, Jason reached for Elizabeth's hand. "We will find this person. I give you my word."
Giving Jason's hand a squeeze, Elizabeth nodded. "I know… I trust you Jason."
Not letting go of her hand, Jason let a small smile come to his face. "I like this," he said, motioning to their hands.
Elizabeth froze and looked down at their joined hands.
Jason inhaled deeply and held his breath, mentally berating himself for what he'd said. Earlier that morning Elizabeth had asked for time and here he was, saying the wrong thing; something that would make her uncomfortable. He usually knew when to keep his mouth shut, but it was getting harder and harder to be around Elizabeth and not BE with her.
"Elizabeth, I'm-"
"You know what," Elizabeth said, cutting him off as the elevator started moving up towards the second floor. She brought their clasped hands up and looked at them for a moment before softly speaking. "I like this too."
Her eyes met Jason's azure gaze and she inhaled deeply. The door to the elevator slid open, and not letting go of Jason's hand, Elizabeth turned to walk out only to stop short a second later.
On the other side was Carly, her hand still poised over the down button of the elevator as she stood, ready so step inside the shaft. Her eyes widened at the sight of Elizabeth; she had not been expecting anyone being in the elevator, and her mouth dropped open slightly when she saw Jason and Elizabeth's joined hands.
Glaring at the younger woman, Carly frowned, putting her arms on her hips. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"