Elizabeth sat in Kelly's sipping her cup of tea and trying to finish the sketch she'd started that day in the park. Alexis and Jax had showed up at her penthouse that morning for Isabelle. Their excuse had been they were taking her shopping. Alexis told her that Sonny had seen Isabelle regularly while she was away and she hadn't. Without a lot of argument from Elizabeth, they'd taken her.
Elizabeth had bundled up in a coat and headed for the park with a sketch book and Joey in tow. She hadn't been there an hour when she decided she was completely uninspired. Elizabeth had packed up her things and headed for Kelly's. She and Tammy shared a warm reunion before Elizabeth had ordered a cup of tea and retreated to the table next to the jukebox.
Kelly's owned a lot of great memories for her. She'd fallen in love for the first time behind the counter. Inside those doors, she'd found her first real family. She and Jason had danced for the first time one cold November night. Elizabeth smiled at the memory. She'd been trying to forget Lucky, but her attempt wasn't successful. It was after that night when Elizabeth began to realize how deep her feelings for Jason ran.
She stared at the picture of Jason as he stared back at her. It was the same picture she'd started the day in the park. Slowly, the dream from that night was coming back to her and she couldn't help but wonder how much of the dream Jason remembered. Or if he would remember that she'd told him about Isabelle?
That was another thing. She'd never meant to lie to him about their daughter. When she stood in the penthouse three days ago and he was asking her about Isabelle, Elizabeth had frozen. She wasn't prepared for it yet. She was going to tell him the truth, but a part of her needed to know why he was staying. A small part wanted him to stay for her and not because he had a daughter.
"Okay, a large part," she admitted to herself in a whisper. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at herself. Talking to herself in a public place was not the smartest thing.
In frustration, she dropped the sketch book and pushed back in the chair. Grabbing her tea cup, she approached Tammy who stood behind the counter.
Tammy gave her a warm smile and wordlessly refilled the cup. Elizabeth wanted to talk to her some more, but the lunch time crowd was at full force. Tammy had the diner to herself and Elizabeth was tempted to grab an apron off the rack and help out. Of course, she hadn't waitressed in years and probably wouldn't know what to do.
Elizabeth took the cup and made her way back to the table. The diner was full of docks workers and Elizabeth checked her watch. She knew she should probably get back before Alexis and Jax returned, but she allowed herself to finish the cup of tea and went back to the sketch.
~*~
Jason watched her from the window. He'd been watching her for a while now. She was sketching and sipping her tea. Something she used to do in the morning when they lived together. What concerned Jason the most though was that he'd obviously been watching her for at least half an hour now and her guard had yet to approach him.
Jason narrowed his eyes at Joey. The little bit of research he'd done on the man hadn't turned up much. A relative of Benny that had screwed up more than once. Much to Jason's dismay, Sonny had refused to take him off Elizabeth. He felt the boy only needed a chance to prove himself. Jason was all for that, but he wished that someone more experienced—Johnny or Francis, for example—had been placed on Elizabeth and her daughter.
"Who you protecting?" Jason asked the guard.
Joey eyed the man who was speaking to him. He'd been standing at the window watching Ms. Morgan for awhile now. He'd seen the man speaking to his boss, the other bodyguards, and his charge. Some of the exchanges had been tense, while others were friendly. Joey didn't quite know what to think of the guy.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Joey denied.
"Oh, come on." Jason stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and glared at the man. "You fit the type."
"The type?"
"Dark suit, cell phone, scanning the area every few minutes. Not to mention, you hover over that chick in there."
"I'll repeat it for you if you're slow. I don't know what you're talking about."
"So, do you work for Corinthos or Stryker?" Jason continued. "Corinthos, probably. I mean, you're guarding Elizabeth Morgan after all."
That caught Joey's attention. Who was this man and what did he know about Ms. Morgan?
"Or," Jason drawled. "You could be a Stryker spy."
"Look. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you need to stay away from that woman."
"Why? Jason Morgan hasn't been around in years. She can't possibly mean anything to him."
"I'm not talking about Morgan," Joey warned. "From what I heard, she's the personal property of Mr. Corinthos. They've got a kid together."
"A kid, huh?" Jason knew that this couldn't possibly be true. Sonny would have never betrayed him like that. "I find that hard to believe."
"Is that so?" Joey questioned. "Then why does he have a guard on her twenty-four seven? Hell, he even moved her across the hall from him."
Jason shook his head. "Corinthos taking his partner's wife? Not likely. Sonny Corinthos is a man of honor."
"I don't know. Morgan left her high and dry. Mr. Corinthos too. He was lonely and she was there. From what the other guards tell me, he got her pregnant and she moved away so her husband's family wouldn't find out."
"Tell me, how long have you worked for Mr. Corinthos?" Jason inquired.
Joey puffed his chest out with pride. "Six months," he answered. "My cousin Benny got me this job."
"Is that so?" Jason cocked an eyebrow and stared at the young man. "Well, I wouldn't get too comfortable." Jason pulled the door to the diner open and glanced back at Joey. "Oh, by the way, you really shouldn't spread lies. Especially about Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan's wife." Joey didn't get the chance to get in another word before Jason slipped in the door of the diner.
He watched through the window as Jason approached Ms. Morgan's table and she glanced up at him. Joey wondered whether he should intervene. Mr. Corinthos told him on more than on occasion to never leave his post. Of course, this man could be a distraction sent by Stryker. Or, he could be a hit man.
"Yeah right, a hit man," he muttered. "You've seen one too many episodes of The Sopranos. This is Port Charles—it's never had a hit man problem before." Joey took another look at the man. Tall, spiky blond hair. A worn leather jacket to protect him from the cold. But under the leather jacket, he'd noticed the bulk. The man was packing and he was in there with his boss' girlfriend.
"Shit," he swore and pulled the door open. "You screwed up again, Joey."
He approached the table with ease, not wanting to create a scene. That was another rule of the Corinthos organization. What rule was that again? Two? Ten? Hell, they were all running together.
Joey unbuttoned his suit jacket so he'd have easy access to his gun. The two were speaking in quiet tones, but from the expression on Ms. Morgan's face, it was not a pleasant conversation.
"There a problem here?" Joey asked from behind Jason.
Jason turned to the guard again. "Took ya long enough, Joey. You know, if I worked for Stryker, she'd probably be dead by now."
Elizabeth watched the confrontation between the two men and wondered what they were talking about?
"Ms. Morgan," he began to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't know–I thought–"
"No," Jason cut in, "you didn't. That's the problem. You didn't think. If you would have thought, you would have noticed my gun out there. If you would have thought, you would have noticed all the questions I was asking about Elizabeth. If you would have thought, I would have never made it through those doors."
"Jason," Elizabeth said quietly. She reached out and touched his jacket sleeve. "He messed up."
Jason looked down at her and suppressed his smile. He wondered if she even realized she was holding his hand. "Him messing up can cost you your life, honey. Don't you understand that?"
She nodded her head at him. "I do." She removed her hand and pressed it to her chest. "I know about the situation with Stryker, okay? I know that Sonny wants me protected at all costs. But it was you, not one of Stryker's men. He made a mistake, Jason. God knows you've made enough of them."
Jason tried not to but he flinched at her words anyway. "Elizabeth–"
"Since it's obvious that you haven't been formally introduced. Joey, this is Jason Morgan. Your boss. Mr. Corinthos' partner."
"Mr. Morgan." Joey suddenly had a hard time speaking. This man-the man he'd freely given information to-was his boss? "Mr. Morgan, about before–"
With a wave of his hand, Jason cut the man off. "Yes, about before. Let's get another thing clear, Joey. You will not disrespect my wife or Mr. Corinthos again. Do you got that?"
Joey gulped. He'd screwed up again. "Yes, sir."
"Good, now get outside on the door. Take your job seriously Joey, or you might not have one. Same goes for your life."
Jason left the threat hanging in the air. Joey dropped his head in defeat and went back to the courtyard.
When Jason turned back to face Elizabeth, he met a steel blue glare. "Did you have to do that?" she asked sharply.
He dropped his head and wondered if he would ever win with her? "Do what?"
"You scared the poor kid to death!" her voice rose. Several of the docks workers turned to look at her, but turned away when Jason took a seat. "I didn't say you could sit down."
"Elizabeth, there are no more seats."
She shrugged her shoulders in response. "Then go eat somewhere else."
"Elizabeth," he sighed. "Can't we just talk? No Alexis, no Sonny?"
"I'm not sure we have anything left to say to each other, Jason." Not knowing what to do, Elizabeth lifted her tea and drained what remained in the cup.
She sighed in relief as Tammy approached the table, an order pad in hand. "Now that's a face I haven't seen in years," the older blonde exclaimed. "A visit from my favorite married couple today, what a surprise." Tammy missed the expression that passed over Elizabeth's face. "What can I get you?"
Jason lifted his eyebrow at Elizabeth, as if asking for permission to order his food. When she didn't give him a response either way, he ordered anyway. "You still got the number three?"
Tammy grinned, "The Jason Morgan special? Yep, we still got it. And a coffee, right?"
When Jason nodded his head she turned to Elizabeth. "What about you sweetheart?"
"Another cup of tea will be fine," she said politely. Elizabeth didn't miss Jason's frown. "What?" she asked.
"You aren't eating?" His concern was genuine. Since he'd been home, he'd hardly seen her eat anything.
"I'm not hungry."
"Please, Elizabeth?" Jason took the menu from the table and quickly scanned it for something he knew she'd eat. He glanced up at Tammy. "Get her a cup of chili and some bread?"
Tammy nodded her head and went to put the order in.
"Excuse me," Elizabeth said coolly. "I said I wasn't hungry."
"Humor me?" he asked. "According to you, we aren't going to be married very much longer, so just this one last favor?"
Elizabeth huffed and rolled her eyes. What she hated the most was that she was hungry. "What're you still doing here? I thought I asked you to leave."
"No, you just told me I couldn't sit down. I don't think the word 'leave' was ever mentioned."
"Did Jason Morgan just make a joke?" The laughing tone left her voice and she stared at him. "Really, what do you want?"
"I told you already. I want to talk to you—without Sonny and Alexis. Just you and me."
Elizabeth calmly linked her hands in front of her. The finger of her right hand brushed against the bare fourth finger of her left hand. She frowned when she realized he still hadn't given her the engagement ring back. Her frown deepened when she realized she missed the ring. "I don't have anything left to say–"
"Then let me," he cut in. "Then let me talk."
Elizabeth studied his face for what felt like a decade, trying to read what he had locked away behind the stoic look, wondering if he felt anything like what she was feeling. What surprised her most was that she found herself agreeing with him, "Okay."
"I'm sorry," he started. "I know I screwed up, Elizabeth. I should have never left."
"You're right," she agreed.
"But I'm sorry," he continued. "And I know that sorry doesn't fix anything. I don't know how to fix it. I only know that it can be fixed."
"I can't forgive you," she said cautiously. "I don't have it in me to forgive you."
"Elizabeth, I know you hate me. Thing is, you don't have to because I hate myself."
"I don't hate you," she said quickly. "I just…I just–"
"You're mad," he supplied. "Upset. Hurt. You felt abandoned."
Slowly, she nodded her head in agreement.
"And I felt guilty. Every time I looked at you, I saw what I had done to you."
Elizabeth shifted in the chair. "What're you talking about? What you did to me?"
"Sorel was my enemy, Elizabeth. Mine and Sonny's. He came after her so he could get to me."
On instinct, Elizabeth reached out and touched his hand. His skin was smooth and she felt a tiny shockwave of awareness travel through her. "I don't blame you, Jason. You couldn't control it and you shouldn't blame yourself."
Jason had the oddest sense of déjà vu wash over him. Just like the day at Sonny's penthouse when he'd heard her voice. It seemed to him that they'd had this conversation. "I know you're right. My head tells me that you're right. But not my heart."
"That's your problem, Jason. Listening to your heart doesn't always mean you're going to do what's good for you." Elizabeth released his hand and sat back in her chair. "The day you left; what were you listening to?"
"My head," he admitted. "My heart never left you. Coming back to you was coming home to my heart."
"Well, I've learned that sometimes you've just gotta listen to your head. I can't fault you for something that I do myself."
"What does your heart tell you?" he pried. Taking a chance, he reached out for her hand and gently covered it with his. "What is your heart telling you right now, Elizabeth?"
She looked down at their hands and felt the storm of emotions sweep through her. His large, calloused hands swallowed hers. Elizabeth couldn't help but remember what it felt like to have those hands comfort her. How he used them to soothe her and to excite her. The times he'd made love to her, he'd used those hands to explore her body. She loved those hands. They also made her think of the gentle way they fit together so perfectly. Where she was soft, he was hard, her curves a contrast to his angles.
Jason dipped his head to look at her. "Tell me, Elizabeth. What is your heart telling you?"
"That I should throw my arms around your neck and never let you leave," she admitted. Her voice was a hoarse whisper. It grew stronger the more she spoke. "That I should call off this crazy notion of a divorce right now." She looked into his eyes and gave him a sad smile. "But mostly? It's telling me what I knew already. I'll never love another man the way I love you."
Jason's sigh was one of relief. She loved him. She loved him. "Then call off the divorce. Throw your arms around my neck. And know that I feel the same way about you."
Elizabeth shook her head in disagreement. "I can't do that. I've listened to my heart for years when it concerned you, Jason Morgan. I can't do that anymore. I have to listen to my head. I have to do what's best for me and I have to do what's best for my daughter."
"Isabelle," he murmured. Jason moved his hand away from hers and dug into his jean pocket. His fingers brushed against the cool metal of her wedding band before they closed around her engagement ring. He pulled it out and laid it on the table in front of her. "Marry me?" he asked.
"Marry you?" she repeated.
"Let me be the husband you deserve, Elizabeth. Let me be the husband you know I can be." He paused and slipped the ring on her finger. "Honey, we can work this out. We love each other."
Elizabeth shook her head, "No. We can't."
"Just listen to me. I want to be your husband, Elizabeth. I've told you before that I loved you before I knew you. It's still true. I want to be a husband to you and a father to your daughter."
"Isabelle?" she asked. Elizabeth wondered if Sonny had told him the truth, but then he'd said 'your' daughter.
Jason nodded. "Yes, Isabelle. Jason, Elizabeth, and Isabelle Morgan. The Morgan Family. What do you think?"
"You can't replace Abby with another daughter, Jason," she said quietly.
"I'm not trying to, Elizabeth. I'm not. I love you and I love your daughter already because she came from you. I'm sure she's perfect in everyway."
"No," she repeated. "Getting married isn't going to fix this Jason. You can't just put a big band-aid over what's wrong with our relationship. You left me and I can't forgive that. Even if I could, I don't think I could forget. If I took you back into my life—my bed—how long would it be before you left again?"
"Never," he vowed. "I'd never leave you again."
Tears shone in her eyes and she shook her head. "You say that. I want to believe you. I do Jason. But there will always be something in the back of my mind wondering when I'm gonna come home to a note telling me goodbye."
"Elizabeth-"
"No," she interrupted. "Let me say this. I won't do that to my daughter. I won't give her a father only to take him away the next minute. I won't do that to myself." Elizabeth began to push her sketchbooks into her bag and stood.
"Wait," Jason said. "Elizabeth, wait. I thought..." he ran a hand through his hair, "I thought you said you loved me."
Elizabeth reached up to touch his cheek and gave him a sad smile. "I do," she admitted. She raised her fingers to her lips and kissed them, then pressed them to his lips. "But sometimes love just isn't enough."
Jason caught her hand before she could pull away from him and smiled. He tugged on her arm and Elizabeth shifted closer to him. Jason reached up and cupped the back of her head to pull her down to his level. His lips feathered across hers and he smiled in satisfaction that she hadn't pulled away from him. He watched as Elizabeth straightened and began to leave, but he still hadn't let go of her arm.
"Let me go." Elizabeth pulled against him, but didn't move away when he released her.
"That's where you're wrong, Elizabeth. An average love might not be enough. But our love will always be enough."
"What makes us better than average?"
"There's never been anything average about us, Elizabeth. You know that."
Elizabeth nodded her head and smiled. It was the first time Jason had seen her genuinely smile since he'd been home. He wasn't surprised that her smile could still make his heart feel like it was in his throat.
"Maybe I do, Jason." She paused for a minute, wondering what to say next. "I need to get back to the penthouse. They should be bringing Isa home soon."
"Okay."
"Jax and Alexis took her this morning. Something about a shopping trip. I should really go."
Jason nodded his head in agreement. "Then go."
"They said something about never getting to see her." Elizabeth stopped and looked at him. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"
Jason smiled at her. "I missed it."
"Right." Elizabeth reached her hand up to touch his face, but dropped it in mid-air. "So I'll be going now. Goodbye, Jason." She turned towards the door.
"No, I'll see ya later Elizabeth," Jason called after her.
She stopped at the door and looked back at him. "I'll see ya later."