1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
1.1 Chapter Twenty
Jason's mind focused in on the long curving stretches of country road. In his peripheral vision he could see blurs of greens and browns mixed in with the blue of the sky.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Elizabeth screamed. He felt her one arm drop from his side and another tighten around his waist.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see an arm flying above his head, flailing in the wind. At that glance Jason laughed and stepped on the gas. Their bodies surged ahead into the horizon.
~~
Jason swung his leg off the bike and slid the helmet off his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Elizabeth. She had already hopped off the bike and replaced the vase in the compartment with her helmet. "That was great!" Elizabeth giggled.
Jason smiled. He had missed her smile. "Yeah. It was." He began walking towards the house and Elizabeth followed.
"Jason, can we talk?"
Jason turned and nodded, "We can always talk Elizabeth."
Adjusting the path he was taking, he led Elizabeth into the small garden behind the house. They came to a fair-sized tree which had a garden table surrounded by four chairs shaded under its hanging boughs. He gestured to the chair on his left and watched Elizabeth sit down placing the vase on the table. Jason then took a seat opposite Elizabeth. "What is it?" he asked concerned.
"Jason…are we okay?" she asked point blank.
"What do you mean?" Jason didn't quite know what to say. He thought he'd been treating her the way she wanted.
"Jason, are we still friends?"
"Yeah. Of course."
Friends. He had always been just a friend. It seemed destined that he would remain that way. He looked at Elizabeth and his throat seemed to close up on him. His eyes closed, trying to leave behind the dreams he had once hoped to live with her. "Yes," he said breathily.
***
At that Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. Even though everything seemed to be the way they used to be, there was just no sense of ease between them. She looked at him in the eye and she saw the distance between them. "I'm sorry Jason," she apologized.
He stared at her like he could see right through her. "You don't have to be sorry. You made your decision."
Elizabeth didn't know what to say. At one time Jason's friendship had meant everything to her. He had been her strength…or at least had helped her find her strength. He had been a part of the woman she had become. "Jason…do you want to be friends?"
Elizabeth knew he would always be her friend, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted. He loved her that much. She had never had a relationship like the one she had with Jason. He never presumed anything and always asked what she wanted. Jason talked to her like she was strong and smart enough to make her own decisions.
Jason didn't say anything. He had understood what she was asking.
"I know you wanted something from me when you left Port Charles for the last time and I couldn't give it to you. Can you really tell me that you can forget all the things you felt for me and still be my friend?"
He slouched back into the garden chair and rubbed his eyes. "I won't lie to you Elizabeth, you mean something to me. You always will. I will always think of you as something more than a friend, but I accepted your choice when you told me that you loved Lucky.
"So you're not going to tell me 'I told you so'?" she asked resting her chin on the palm of her hand.
"No," he laughed. He sat up and put his hand on hers. His face had grown somber, "Elizabeth, I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy and if being with Lucky would make you happy, then I'll be happy for you. I have to say I was wrong about Lucky. After his attacks, I was afraid he was going to hurt you Elizabeth, but he didn't."
"No he didn't," Elizabeth said hesitantly. "Not in the way that you mean, anyway." Elizabeth got up from her chair and leaned against the truck of the tree. "But did he hurt me in a way that I didn't think he would again."
Elizabeth had felt used after finding out that Lucky didn't love her. She felt dirty after thinking about how he had touched her and used her that first night back at Kelly's. Elizabeth shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of those thoughts.
"Elizabeth," Jason's voice so tender, whispered in her ear. He had gotten up without her noticing and stood behind her.
She turned and looked into his eyes. "Oh, Jason. Why did he do that?" she cried and buried her head into his warm chest. Elizabeth felt her body begin to expel all the emotions she had thought she'd dealt with. Elizabeth felt his arms slowly close around her and rock her gently until her sobs had subsided.
***
The days flew by after that day in the garden. Jason had felt Elizabeth open up to him once more. She hadn't told him everything in detail, which suited Jason fine. What he knew of the situation he'd heard from Sonny and now Elizabeth. It had taken her two days for her to talk about the wedding. Or almost wedding.
In between that time, they had visited local museums and Elizabeth explained the pictures to him and the sculptures and the feelings they evoked. They had lunch in little corner cafes and he had taken her on several motorcycle rides in between.
Now they were sitting outside again, but this time on the patio, facing the gorgeous vast countryside. They could even see the little villages dispersed in between the patches of trees.
"I came back like we had planned when Helena's plan had been averted. You have no idea how excited I was when Nikolas had let me know that everything was okay and then hearing Lucky's voice. A natural disaster couldn't have kept me from coming home. I waited for Lucky in his room and he was so surprised. I asked him if he remembered…and all he could do was kiss me…sorry," Elizabeth apologized as Jason lower is head at the mention of anything intimate between herself and Lucky.
He shook his head and motioned her to go on. "Well, we made love that night and everything seemed to be going well. I mean, it seemed like things were back to normal. If you can call anything we've been through and how we've lived normal anymore."
"How did you find out?"
"Who else? My wonderful and helpful maid of honor," she said cattily, "Gia.
Jason looked at her in disbelief. "Gia?" he questioned.
"Yes. Since Em was away recovering, I asked Gia. I mean, I understood her a little bit more after the Helena fiasco. I know she does really love Nikolas and so her character can't really be that horrible. I can't say much else for her personality though."
"Wow!" Jason exclaimed.
"Jason, did you go help Emily?"
Jason nodded his head. "Yeah, I was there for a few months before physio and then when she started to walk on her own. She's doing really well." He smiled at the thought of Emily. He had been actually frightened when he'd heard what had happened with Em. Jason couldn't bear to think what he would without her.
"I'm glad. I haven't talked with her for a while. Were you there when she got together with her new boyfriend?"
Jason remained silent for a moment. "I was there…in a way."
Elizabeth looked at him strangely.
"Tell me what happened next?" Jason changed the subject.
Elizabeth looked seriously tired at the thought of telling the ending of her story. "Well, I didn't believe Gia at first, I thought she was trying to mess up my wedding. So I left the room. I came back eventually and told her that I'd forgiven her or the jealousy or whatever her problem was and started the wedding procession. But when I got to the altar and we were saying our vows…" her voice faltered.
Jason grabbed her hand and tried to comfort her. "It's all right. Tell me what happened."
"I looked into his eyes and I couldn't for the life of me find the love that he had been ready profess to me. I confronted him on it. He was all set to lie, but I forced him to tell me the truth. In front of the closest family and friends, Lucky told me the truth. He hadn't remembered." Tears were welling up in her eyes; she took her hand away from Jason's warm grasp and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I don't know why I'm still so upset about it. I got over it!" she laughed.
Jason looked at her and knew that she was lying to herself and to him. "Obviously you didn't. Elizabeth after something like that, you don't just get over it in the span of a month. I mean, you loved Lucky in the deepest and most loyal way. You still love him."
Elizabeth looked at Jason and closed her eyes. Wiping her nose with the tissue in her hand. She'd been carrying one of those around with her for the past two days. Especially when they'd begin talking about the wedding.
"Jason, I told him it was over: the wedding and the whole charade. I just gave up. And that's when I met Jaime."
"She comes along at good times huh?" Jason laughed.
"Yeah. She listened just like you. No judgement, just acceptance ya know?" she sniffled, dabbing her runny nose.
He couldn't agree more. Jaime came along when he'd been lost in what he was supposed to be doing. He had to stay away from PC, but he was Sonny's right hand man. It felt awkward to be away from his friend, both of them. He'd been touring Italy for a while. Jason knew though, that his heart belonged in Port Charles.
At first Jaime was a distraction for Jason. Her effervescent personality made him smile something he hadn't done since he arrived in Italy. They had fun touring around Italy. It was good for him to at least get to show someone around Italy, even if it wasn't Elizabeth. Jason then found out who she was. She was having a tough time with her family and their "business". And then they both realized they lived in the same world. Not quite imprisoned by it, but shackled to it with a long leash. He had chosen his shackles. Jaime had been born into it.
"Jason, what do you know about Jaime?" Elizabeth inquired.
"The same things you know about her. With her, what you see is what you get."
"I highly doubt that," Elizabeth said.
"Why?" Jason didn't want to get into something he couldn't reveal to her. Jaime had trusted him not to reveal who she was or who her family was.
"Well, the other night I saw you guys fighting," she explained.
"When?" Jason couldn't remember fighting with Jaime.
"Well, it wasn't real fighting. You were in the lower basement room…" she was trying to find the words.
"Oh, we were sparring!" Jason explained.
"Yeah. That's what I meant!" she laughed. "Well, that certainly doesn't come out of her personality if you know what I mean…"
"I think you just have to get to know her a little more Elizabeth. I think you will see her strength."
"I know she's strong," Elizabeth stuttered. "Jason, how long have you known her?"
Jason thought back, counting the months. "I think around seven to eight months."
"Jason, I know you guys are friends…" she seemed to hesitate when finishing her thought. "Are you guys or have you guys…I mean, are you more than friends?"
Jason was taken back in surprise. He was about to answer when Donnie rushed in, interrupting their conversation.
1.1 Chapter Twenty
Jason's mind focused in on the long curving stretches of country road. In his peripheral vision he could see blurs of greens and browns mixed in with the blue of the sky.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Elizabeth screamed. He felt her one arm drop from his side and another tighten around his waist.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see an arm flying above his head, flailing in the wind. At that glance Jason laughed and stepped on the gas. Their bodies surged ahead into the horizon.
~~
Jason swung his leg off the bike and slid the helmet off his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Elizabeth. She had already hopped off the bike and replaced the vase in the compartment with her helmet. "That was great!" Elizabeth giggled.
Jason smiled. He had missed her smile. "Yeah. It was." He began walking towards the house and Elizabeth followed.
"Jason, can we talk?"
Jason turned and nodded, "We can always talk Elizabeth."
Adjusting the path he was taking, he led Elizabeth into the small garden behind the house. They came to a fair-sized tree which had a garden table surrounded by four chairs shaded under its hanging boughs. He gestured to the chair on his left and watched Elizabeth sit down placing the vase on the table. Jason then took a seat opposite Elizabeth. "What is it?" he asked concerned.
"Jason…are we okay?" she asked point blank.
"What do you mean?" Jason didn't quite know what to say. He thought he'd been treating her the way she wanted.
"Jason, are we still friends?"
"Yeah. Of course."
Friends. He had always been just a friend. It seemed destined that he would remain that way. He looked at Elizabeth and his throat seemed to close up on him. His eyes closed, trying to leave behind the dreams he had once hoped to live with her. "Yes," he said breathily.
***
At that Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. Even though everything seemed to be the way they used to be, there was just no sense of ease between them. She looked at him in the eye and she saw the distance between them. "I'm sorry Jason," she apologized.
He stared at her like he could see right through her. "You don't have to be sorry. You made your decision."
Elizabeth didn't know what to say. At one time Jason's friendship had meant everything to her. He had been her strength…or at least had helped her find her strength. He had been a part of the woman she had become. "Jason…do you want to be friends?"
Elizabeth knew he would always be her friend, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted. He loved her that much. She had never had a relationship like the one she had with Jason. He never presumed anything and always asked what she wanted. Jason talked to her like she was strong and smart enough to make her own decisions.
Jason didn't say anything. He had understood what she was asking.
"I know you wanted something from me when you left Port Charles for the last time and I couldn't give it to you. Can you really tell me that you can forget all the things you felt for me and still be my friend?"
He slouched back into the garden chair and rubbed his eyes. "I won't lie to you Elizabeth, you mean something to me. You always will. I will always think of you as something more than a friend, but I accepted your choice when you told me that you loved Lucky.
"So you're not going to tell me 'I told you so'?" she asked resting her chin on the palm of her hand.
"No," he laughed. He sat up and put his hand on hers. His face had grown somber, "Elizabeth, I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy and if being with Lucky would make you happy, then I'll be happy for you. I have to say I was wrong about Lucky. After his attacks, I was afraid he was going to hurt you Elizabeth, but he didn't."
"No he didn't," Elizabeth said hesitantly. "Not in the way that you mean, anyway." Elizabeth got up from her chair and leaned against the truck of the tree. "But did he hurt me in a way that I didn't think he would again."
Elizabeth had felt used after finding out that Lucky didn't love her. She felt dirty after thinking about how he had touched her and used her that first night back at Kelly's. Elizabeth shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of those thoughts.
"Elizabeth," Jason's voice so tender, whispered in her ear. He had gotten up without her noticing and stood behind her.
She turned and looked into his eyes. "Oh, Jason. Why did he do that?" she cried and buried her head into his warm chest. Elizabeth felt her body begin to expel all the emotions she had thought she'd dealt with. Elizabeth felt his arms slowly close around her and rock her gently until her sobs had subsided.
***
The days flew by after that day in the garden. Jason had felt Elizabeth open up to him once more. She hadn't told him everything in detail, which suited Jason fine. What he knew of the situation he'd heard from Sonny and now Elizabeth. It had taken her two days for her to talk about the wedding. Or almost wedding.
In between that time, they had visited local museums and Elizabeth explained the pictures to him and the sculptures and the feelings they evoked. They had lunch in little corner cafes and he had taken her on several motorcycle rides in between.
Now they were sitting outside again, but this time on the patio, facing the gorgeous vast countryside. They could even see the little villages dispersed in between the patches of trees.
"I came back like we had planned when Helena's plan had been averted. You have no idea how excited I was when Nikolas had let me know that everything was okay and then hearing Lucky's voice. A natural disaster couldn't have kept me from coming home. I waited for Lucky in his room and he was so surprised. I asked him if he remembered…and all he could do was kiss me…sorry," Elizabeth apologized as Jason lower is head at the mention of anything intimate between herself and Lucky.
He shook his head and motioned her to go on. "Well, we made love that night and everything seemed to be going well. I mean, it seemed like things were back to normal. If you can call anything we've been through and how we've lived normal anymore."
"How did you find out?"
"Who else? My wonderful and helpful maid of honor," she said cattily, "Gia.
Jason looked at her in disbelief. "Gia?" he questioned.
"Yes. Since Em was away recovering, I asked Gia. I mean, I understood her a little bit more after the Helena fiasco. I know she does really love Nikolas and so her character can't really be that horrible. I can't say much else for her personality though."
"Wow!" Jason exclaimed.
"Jason, did you go help Emily?"
Jason nodded his head. "Yeah, I was there for a few months before physio and then when she started to walk on her own. She's doing really well." He smiled at the thought of Emily. He had been actually frightened when he'd heard what had happened with Em. Jason couldn't bear to think what he would without her.
"I'm glad. I haven't talked with her for a while. Were you there when she got together with her new boyfriend?"
Jason remained silent for a moment. "I was there…in a way."
Elizabeth looked at him strangely.
"Tell me what happened next?" Jason changed the subject.
Elizabeth looked seriously tired at the thought of telling the ending of her story. "Well, I didn't believe Gia at first, I thought she was trying to mess up my wedding. So I left the room. I came back eventually and told her that I'd forgiven her or the jealousy or whatever her problem was and started the wedding procession. But when I got to the altar and we were saying our vows…" her voice faltered.
Jason grabbed her hand and tried to comfort her. "It's all right. Tell me what happened."
"I looked into his eyes and I couldn't for the life of me find the love that he had been ready profess to me. I confronted him on it. He was all set to lie, but I forced him to tell me the truth. In front of the closest family and friends, Lucky told me the truth. He hadn't remembered." Tears were welling up in her eyes; she took her hand away from Jason's warm grasp and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I don't know why I'm still so upset about it. I got over it!" she laughed.
Jason looked at her and knew that she was lying to herself and to him. "Obviously you didn't. Elizabeth after something like that, you don't just get over it in the span of a month. I mean, you loved Lucky in the deepest and most loyal way. You still love him."
Elizabeth looked at Jason and closed her eyes. Wiping her nose with the tissue in her hand. She'd been carrying one of those around with her for the past two days. Especially when they'd begin talking about the wedding.
"Jason, I told him it was over: the wedding and the whole charade. I just gave up. And that's when I met Jaime."
"She comes along at good times huh?" Jason laughed.
"Yeah. She listened just like you. No judgement, just acceptance ya know?" she sniffled, dabbing her runny nose.
He couldn't agree more. Jaime came along when he'd been lost in what he was supposed to be doing. He had to stay away from PC, but he was Sonny's right hand man. It felt awkward to be away from his friend, both of them. He'd been touring Italy for a while. Jason knew though, that his heart belonged in Port Charles.
At first Jaime was a distraction for Jason. Her effervescent personality made him smile something he hadn't done since he arrived in Italy. They had fun touring around Italy. It was good for him to at least get to show someone around Italy, even if it wasn't Elizabeth. Jason then found out who she was. She was having a tough time with her family and their "business". And then they both realized they lived in the same world. Not quite imprisoned by it, but shackled to it with a long leash. He had chosen his shackles. Jaime had been born into it.
"Jason, what do you know about Jaime?" Elizabeth inquired.
"The same things you know about her. With her, what you see is what you get."
"I highly doubt that," Elizabeth said.
"Why?" Jason didn't want to get into something he couldn't reveal to her. Jaime had trusted him not to reveal who she was or who her family was.
"Well, the other night I saw you guys fighting," she explained.
"When?" Jason couldn't remember fighting with Jaime.
"Well, it wasn't real fighting. You were in the lower basement room…" she was trying to find the words.
"Oh, we were sparring!" Jason explained.
"Yeah. That's what I meant!" she laughed. "Well, that certainly doesn't come out of her personality if you know what I mean…"
"I think you just have to get to know her a little more Elizabeth. I think you will see her strength."
"I know she's strong," Elizabeth stuttered. "Jason, how long have you known her?"
Jason thought back, counting the months. "I think around seven to eight months."
"Jason, I know you guys are friends…" she seemed to hesitate when finishing her thought. "Are you guys or have you guys…I mean, are you more than friends?"
Jason was taken back in surprise. He was about to answer when Donnie rushed in, interrupting their conversation.