Prologue
Sitting on the floor of her small bedroom that was formerly the nursery, Elizabeth carefully plays with the stitched handmade doll her babysitter made. Though it wasn't nearly as extravagant as any of the dolls that her parents purchased for her older sister, Elizabeth didn't care because she knew the kind of love that her babysitter put into making this doll and she loved it immensely.
She was pouring the doll - that she lovingly named Stitches - a cup of tea when she noticed the lively sounds of people rushing about outside of her room. Of course, being a little child, curiosity takes hold of her and she quickly rushes to the door to find out what was happening. Pulling open the door, she's greeted by her siblings dressed in the most beautiful of clothes, by golly were they beautiful.
"Why do you look like that?" she questioned curiously, confused about why she hadn't gotten such beautiful clothes.
"We're going to a party," her sister, Sarah, grants her as their brother, Steven, continues down the stairs to the front door where their parents are waiting. "Go back into your room."
"But..." she called back out, rushing to the top of the stairs, still not understanding. "Can I go? I want a pretty outfit, too."
"You're too young," Sarah throws back as she rushes down the stairs. "Go back to your room."
"But I want to go!" she exclaims, gaining the attention of her parents with the outburst. "Why can't I go?"
"Maria!" her mother, Carolyn, calls out as she ushers the children out the door with her husband. "MARIA!"
"Yes, ma'am?" Maria replies as she walks over, wiping her hands on a rag, confused by the outburst.
"Didn't I tell you to teach that child about refraining from making such outbursts?" Carolyn questions sternly, not bothering to even glance at her child as she's heading out the door. "I expect you to get a handle on that child. Thanks to this little outburst, I'm lucky if we get to the event on time. Next time, I'll adjust your paycheck accordingly."
"Of course, ma'am," Maria says as she follows after to close the door. "It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't."
Sinking to the floor, Elizabeth stares after her mother, tears falling from her eyes as her heart sinks. She wasn't sure where they were going, what kind of party they were about to enjoy, all she knew was that she was the only one that couldn't go. The only one that couldn't have the beautiful outfit. The only one her mother just couldn't bring herself to speak to directly.
"Hey, you, we have no time for waterfalls," Maria's voice is gentle as she walks over to where Elizabeth is now sitting on the stairs hugging the banister. "They're not going anywhere special, you know, just some crusty old party where no one has any fun. Do you really think you'd enjoy that?"
"...no?"
"Not even for a second," Maria assures her, pulling out a clean rag to wipe her tears away. "You're much better off here with me where we can have tons of fun and do all the best things."
"Like what?"
"Like what?" Maria mulls this over for a moment. "Well, it just so happens that I've prepared all the ingredients for my ultra mega special triple chocolate brownies and I'm in desperate need of an assistant. Know of anyone that would be willing to help me?"
"Oooh, me! ME!" Elizabeth hops to her feet in excitement, she has always wanted to help her mother bake but was always told she was too young to do such grown-up things. "I can help!"
"Sounds perfect," Maria smiles softly. "Let's get to it then, shall we?"
"Okay...wait...can Stitches come?"
"Absolutely," Maria assures. "Stitches is always welcome. How about this, you go grab Stitches and a hair tie to put up your hair then meet me in the kitchen?"
"Okay!" Elizabeth smiles brightly, the pain of being left behind all but gone from her mind as she anticipates the fun that's about to take place.
"Whoa..." Maria has to catch her balance when Elizabeth suddenly tackle hugs her from behind as she was about to head down to the kitchen. "What's that for little one?"
"Thanks, Maria," Elizabeth says as she hugs her tightly. "You always make me feel better. You're the best."
Maria didn't have much time to say much else because Elizabeth quickly rushed into her room to gather what she needed. Taking in a deep breath, Maria simply smiles and walks off to get the kitchen ready for her little helper. When she was first hired, Maria had expected a wild child with little to no regard for others. From the way the parents described the child, she had prepared so many lessons and was ready for a battle to get the child where they needed to be.
Then she met Elizabeth and none of it made sense. To Maria, she was like any other child, curious and excited to learn all the new things the world had to offer. Sure, Elizabeth was on the higher end of the energy scale, the kid sure takes a bit to keep up with, but in no way was she a problematic child. If anything, from the way the family treats her, Maria's truly surprised that she wasn't more problematic.
"Elizabeth?" Maria says softly as they're about to begin mixing the batter.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"If I promise to teach you new things like this and spend as much time with you as you need," Maria says carefully. "Can you promise not to do what you did today with your mother?"
"...I think so," Elizabeth replies after some true thought. "I'll do my best."
"Works for me," Maria assures. "Let's get started then, shall we?"
More than anything Maria wanted to take this child as far away from this place as possible, knowing that this family truly didn't deserve this child, but that wasn't her place. Though they neglect her, the child still has more here than Maria could ever offer on the run, so, she does the next best thing.
For the years to follow, Maria teaches Elizabeth things a mother should teach a daughter. Though she could never take that place in Elizabeth's life, she will show the child that she's deserving of love. For when the day comes that she leaves this place, she will know her worth and she will accept nothing less from those she allows in her life. That much Maria can guarantee.
Then came the day that neither Maria nor Elizabeth was ready for, the day of Maria's passing, leaving Elizabeth to live on and say goodbye to the one person in this entire world that truly loved her. By some miracle, though she's almost certain it was only to keep up appearances, her parents paid to have her buried properly, but the sense to not attend the funeral.
With no living relatives, those in attendance were the rest of the house staff along with a few lifelong friends, each of them giving her their heartfelt condolences, all too aware of what Maria truly meant to her. Incapable of having children, you were everything to her, one person said. Blood or not, another voiced, you were her daughter, I hope you know that.
And she did. Elizabeth knew just what she meant to Maria just as Maria knew what she meant to her. Standing there, tears frozen in her eyes, eighteen-year-old Elizabeth lays a single white rose down on the top of the coffin before touching her heart and closing her eyes, whispering a gentle goodbye to her true mother.
Getting back home, she packs up her things and Maria's, loading her car with the help of the staff who'll be the only people she'll say goodbye to. Inheriting Maria's estate, she has more than enough to start her life just as Maria always wanted, heart heavy and with no regrets, Elizabeth leaves the Webber estate without a single word to her birth family.
Once the realization of her departure dawns on them, however, they blow up her phone, demanding her return. Not that she answered any of their calls. They were never her family, something she was forced to learn from a very young age, and they deserved none of her respect.
You're being immature, her mother berated her, how dare you leave like this? After everything we have done for you, for you to be so ungrateful and disrespectful, why I must be cursed with a child such as you is beyond me. Get home now. And that was the last message she listened to before she tossed the phone in the trash and continued on her journey as far from them as she could possibly get.
...
...
...
If he had to describe what life was like after the loss of his mother, Jason Morgan would say that it was akin to living in a prison where every single decision is made for him. Though he can't really recall much of his life with his mother, he can recall the feeling of being loved and that was enough to keep him going through the years of living with the Quatermaines.
His stepmother, if she can even truly be called that, despised his existence from the moment she became aware of it. How could her husband, as a doctor, allow for such an atrocity to happen? Sure, she had been aware that an affair had been taking place but for him to allow a child to come from it was just plain stupid in her eyes.
It took all of his father's, and he uses that term loosely, business sense to get her to allow Jason to stay with the stipulation that Jason doesn't take the Quartermaine name. Not that he even wanted it in the first place. Wanting to give him a name connected to him, however, his father chose to give him the surname Morgan after the matriarch of the family.
Of all the people in that family, his grandmother was one of only two people that he found any connection with and that made him thankful to have been labeled with her surname as opposed to the main surname. Between his grandmother and his adopted sister, Emily Quartermaine, Jason found himself content in abiding by the rules of his life. For their sake, he'll bide his time until he's free of the constraints that keep him there.
"What's all this?" Jason questions his sister when he gets back to the boat house that doubles as his home, confused by the setup in the living room.
"What do you think?" she throws back, gesturing to her hard work. "It's your birthday dinner."
"My what?"
"Don't you remember?" she inquires curiously. "You said that I could throw you a small birthday party for your eighteenth birthday."
"Did I?" he mulls that over as he walks over to hug her in greeting, pulling away before tapping his finger on her nose. "Must have forgotten."
"I figured as much," she says with a shrug. "Bet you wish I did, as well, huh?"
"Maybe," he smirks slightly. "Though I'm pretty certain my birthday's not for another week."
"True, but then it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it?" she throws back. "Of course, knowing you, you would have just up and left the moment you turned eighteen. Right?"
"Eh," he says with a shrug. "Not without saying goodbye to you and Grandmother."
"Fair enough," she accepts. "But long before I could set up an actual party, right?"
"Right."
"Good thing I know you too well," Emily says before picking up the two gifts that she and their grandmother got for him. "Presents then food."
"Isn't it usually..." he started to say before letting his words fall off. "Sure."
Unwrapping the small one at her insistence, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by what he found inside, a set of keys with a picture of the motorcycle he had been looking to purchase. This being the gift from his grandmother. Of course. Seeing it brought into perspective her demeanor these last few weeks. From the look of the bike, she had to have not only purchased the exact model he wanted but it also came with all the modifications that he had wanted.
"Really?" Jason questioned when he opened the second box and found a helmet inside. "Have we met?"
"Placate me," Emily says simply. "Besides, it could come in handy if you ever take a passenger, right?"
"Don't see that happening, but sure," he accepts, setting the helmet down before pulling her in for another hug. "Thanks, Em."
"Happy birthday, Jason," she replies wholeheartedly returning the hug before allowing him to pull away, knowing he wasn't too big on being touched. "Promise me you won't be a stranger, okay? I know you're itching to get out on your own, but don't forget that you'll always have a place with me and grandmother, okay?"
"I know," Jason assures. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Letting to conversation end there, the two enjoy the birthday dinner before Jason walks his sister back to the main house, knowing how she felt about making the trip alone in the dark. Once she was safely inside the estate, he makes his way to the parking garage, knowing it wouldn't take much to find the bike, seeing as none of the Quartermaines were too keen on owning one themselves.
The moment he straddled the bike and started it up, Jason something deep within him come to life, almost as if he was finding a piece of himself that he hadn't known was missing. A slight smirk tugging at his lips, he hooks the helmet to the side of his bike before taking off into the night, truly ready for the start of his life. He may be entering this life with nothing but a sack of clothes and this bike, but that didn't matter. Freedom. That's all he could ask for. That's all he wants.
