Elizabeth smoothed her hands down her skirt, smoothing away any imaginary wrinkles.  The launched swayed as it went across the murky waters to Wyndemere.  After some more urging from Jason, Elizabeth decided she did want to see Nikolas.  It had been almost five years, she realized. 

When she and Jason left Port Charles that January, she never had intentions of letting the relationships and people who were so important to Lucky fall away.  Following the fight at the hospital, Elizabeth pulled back even more from Nikolas.  She had said goodbye, but it was tense.  In the back of her mind Elizabeth hoped they would be able to salvage the friendship one day. 

The small boat lurched to a stop and the pilot offered Elizabeth a hand in climbing out.  "Just have Mr. Cassadine ring when you're ready, ma'am." 

"Okay," she agreed.  Elizabeth smiled politely as the older man tied the boat to the pier and walked away from her.  She quelled the urge to call after him and ask if he could take her back.  Elizabeth could fell the butterflies in her stomach take flight.  She couldn't recall the last time she'd been so uncomfortable. 

After standing on the docks for several minutes Elizabeth finally forced herself to take a step towards the house.  Each step became easier as she focused on all the good times she, Nikolas, Emily, and Lucky once shared.  They had been so young then.  It was interesting how life had changed them all over the years. 

Elizabeth gave herself a last once over when she reached the door.  The black and white skirt fell to just below her knee.  Black heeled sandals added another two inches to her height and a loose fitting, sleeveless turtleneck sweater completed the ensemble.  Her only jewelry was the engagement ring and the silver chain around her neck. 

Finally, she knocked. 

If she was hoping they wouldn't be home all of her hopes were dashed when a familiar face opened the door.  "Hello Ms. Lansbury," she smiled.  "I'm here to see Nikolas."

"Ms. Webber," she housekeeper exclaimed.  "I'm glad to see you.  Mr. Cassadine has been expecting you."  The elderly woman led Elizabeth into the sitting room.  "Is there anything I can get you dear?" 

"No, thank you."  Elizabeth sat on the chaise lounge and folded her hands in her lap to wait.  She could feel the housekeeper watching her, but she didn't know why.  "Is there something else?" 

"I don't mean to be rude, Ms. Webber," she began.  Ms. Lansbury blushed and looked away, "But I noticed the engagement ring you wear.  I was curious if you and Mr. Spencer ever reconciled?" 

Elizabeth smiled as she shook her head.  "I am married, though.  We have two daughters." 

The housekeeper looked disappointed, but nodded anyway.  "As long as you're happy, dear." 

"I am," Elizabeth assured her. 

Their conversation was cut short when the parlor door opened and Nikolas came in.  He looked from the housekeeper to his guest.  Ms. Lansbury smiled at Elizabeth once more before turning to the man she'd known since he was a boy.  "Mr. Cassadine, will you or Ms. Webber need anything?" 

"No, thank you." 

The older woman turned towards the same door Nikolas just entered to leave.  She paused in the doorway and looked back at them.  "Will Ms. Webber be staying for lunch?" 

Nikolas turned his gaze to Elizabeth and he arched his eyebrows in question.  His deep brown eyes softened in a plea to his old friend to stay. 

Elizabeth smiled at Nikolas and slightly nodded her head.  "Yes, I'll be staying.  Thank you for asking." 

The housekeeper smiled warmly before she left the room.

Nikolas went to the small wet bar and poured himself a glass of water.  "Would you like some?" he asked. 

"No thanks."  Elizabeth played with the engagement ring, sliding it on and off her finger while he looked at her.  "It was nice of you to call." 

The Greek prince took a long swallow of his water.  "I've missed you Elizabeth," he admitted.  "After you left with Jason, I was angry.  I couldn't understand how you would give up your life to be with a thug." 

"He's not a thug!"

Nikolas pressed a hand to his chest.  "I know that now.  But then—then I was so in love with you.  I thought it was my responsibility to take care of you." 

"I know."  Elizabeth stood and began walking around the room, studying the paintings and antiques that decorated it.  "You couldn't understand that I never wanted to be anyone's responsibility.  Least of all yours.  Nikolas, I didn't need someone to take care of me…I just needed a friend.  And when you or any of the other people in my life wouldn't be that person?  I went looking for someone else.  Something else.  And Jason found me." 

"I see."  Nikolas finished his glass of water and sat it down on the table.  He came to stand beside her, but didn't touch her.  "I…I wanted to be your everything," he confided.  "But all I could see was Jason taking what I thought of as mine.  And it hurt me." 

"The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.  But I've learned that you can't make your heart love someone.  Or not love someone." 

Her words stretched between them as they both studied the Renoir on the wall.  Somewhere in the behemoth house, the cook was moving pots and pans, preparing their lunch.  Elizabeth could hear light footsteps in the room above them and assumed Robin was getting ready to come meet her. 

"How is Jason?" Nikolas finally asked.

"Do you really care or are you just being polite?" 

Nikolas closed his eyes and sighed heavily.  He ran a shaky hand through his hair before he turned to face her.  "I want to know about your life, Elizabeth.  And Jason is a part of it, correct?  So yes, I really want to know." 

"He's good," she answered.  "We're all doing well." 

"Jax said you have two daughters." 

"Yes."  Elizabeth broke his gaze and moved to the chaise where her purse lay.  Quickly she pulled the small photo album she kept inside and flipped open the cover.  Staring back at her was a picture of Abby and Isabelle at Easter.  "Abby and Isabelle," she told him. 

The prince could see both parents in each little girl.  Both had Elizabeth's wide smile, fair complexion, and curls.  But the crystal-clear cobalt eyes were Jason's.  "They're beautiful, Elizabeth." 

"Thank you."  Elizabeth tucked the album and slipped it back in her purse.  "And you?  Any children?" 

"No," he shook his head.  "Robin doesn't want to risk infecting our baby with HIV.  We've considered adoption—but neither Stefan nor Helena are too fond of the idea." 

"So what?" she challenged.  "It's your life, Nikolas." 

"Thank you," Robin said from the doorway.  The Cassadine bride stood there with her arms crossed over her chest looking between her husband and Elizabeth.  "I've said the same thing to him." 

From the look on Nikolas' face, Elizabeth knew he didn't to discuss this with her present.  Instead, she turned to his wife and smiled warmly.  "It's been a long time since we've met."  Elizabeth held out her hand to the older woman.  "Elizabeth Morgan." 

If Elizabeth was trying to be snide or gloat about her marriage, it didn't visibly affect Robin.  Her smiling expression didn't change as she shook Elizabeth's hand.  "I've heard a lot about you from – from Nikolas and Jax.  It's nice to see you again." 

"You too." 

Nikolas watched as the two women studied each other; almost sizing each other up.  If he wasn't sure of his wife's love for him, Nikolas might have felt jealous.  But Robin was—and always had been—protective of Jason.  "I'll go check with Ms. Lansbury about lunch.  Robin, you'll stay with our guest?" 

"Yes."

The prince left the room in silence.  Robin sat nervously in an armchair, perched on the edge.  "So…" she began.

"So?" Elizabeth repeated. 

"How's Jason?"  The former girlfriend stood and poured herself a glass of water.

"Jason is…Jason." 

"He still works for Sonny?" 

"Yes, he does," Elizabeth replied.  "He lives in Harborview Towers, across from Sonny." 

"But Nikolas said—"

"That I live in my grandmother's house," Elizabeth finished for her.  "I do." 

"So you and Jason aren't together, then?" 

"You're married woman, Robin.  I don't see how it's really your business." 

"I'll always care about Jason," Robin defended. 

Elizabeth couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips.  She felt the minuscule amount of respect she had for the woman begin to grow.  "I can understand.  Jason still supports foundations affiliated with HIV because of you.  Sonny does it for Stone, but he does it because of a promise he made to you." 

"He was generous with his money.  In the end, it was the only thing he was ever generous with." 

Elizabeth didn't miss the shot Robin just took at Jason.  She sat silently trying to control the anger she felt rising inside of her.  Any respect she'd just felt was instantly gone.  "You would say that, wouldn't you?"  Elizabeth gathered her belongings and stood.  "You never did learn to accept that Jason loved Michael more than you, did you?  That he was willing to allow Carly to control him, as long as he got to stay with Michael.  But instead, you took that away from him."  At the door, Elizabeth paused and looked back.  "Give my apologies to Nikolas.  It was great to see him again and I'll be at my grandmother's house, if he wants to see me.  I'm sorry I can't say the same for you." 

"Elizabeth," Robin called after her.

"What," the younger woman exclaimed.  She turned on her heel to face Robin.  "Not finished insulting my husband?" 

"I'm sorry." 

"I don't want your damn 'I'm sorries,' Robin.  They don't mean anything to me, but I won't sit by and let you insult a good man.  I don't have to listen to that." 

"Listen–" Robin began.  She clamped her mouth shut and studied the younger woman.  Elizabeth's eyes were glowing with fury, her fists were clenching and unclenching at her sides.  "I never planned to come face to face with the woman after me.  And never in my wildest dreams did I expect you.  Carly, maybe.  Most likely.  I just— I never expected it to be someone who actually deserves him.  Someone who really loves him."  Robin took a step towards Elizabeth and smiled.  "Please, stay for lunch." 

Finally, Elizabeth spoke.  "He really loved you, you know?  Even after everything that happened with Michael, he still cared."  She took a few short steps back into the room, closing the door behind her. 

Robin sank into the chaise lounge and waited until Elizabeth sat.  "In the end, I wasn't so sure.  I—I only wanted to get him away from Carly, that's all.  He let her control him, using Michael.  It was wrong and I just tried to help.  I never meant to rip his heart out." 

"He knows that now," Elizabeth assured her.  "It took him awhile.  Add to that, Sonny and Carly's betrayal… Robin, you had to let him grow up—you had to let him be a man.  Even if you didn't like it." 

"You really love him." 

"More than anything."  Elizabeth looked down at the engagement ring and began playing with it.  "I would give up anything to be with him.  And I did—I gave up a lot to be his friend, and even more to be his wife." 

"Like your relationship with my husband?" 

"Nikolas didn't approve.  At the time, we were all in a dark place… and Jason actually brought some light into my life.  Nikolas couldn't understand that Jason was what I needed at that time.  He didn't approve.  And then later, when everyone thought we were sleeping together…Nikolas went ballistic, even went so far to pick a fight at the hospital Christmas party." 

"He told me.  Before we came back to Port Charles, we discussed a lot of what happened while I was away." 

There was a soft knock on the door and Nikolas' head peeked inside.  He smiled inwardly at the two women sitting and talking.  "Lunch is ready, if you are." 

Both women stood, and shared a secret smile.  Although they may never meet again, they had arrived at some sort of compromise.  Elizabeth had intentions of continuing the friendship with Nikolas and Robin…Robin understood why Elizabeth loved Jason. 

~*~

Later that night when Abby and Isabelle were in bed, Jason and Elizabeth were downstairs talking.  She had a bowl of popcorn and half a can of soda sat on the coffee table, her body stretched along his as they lay. 

"How was she?" Jason queried.  He had no intention of going to see her, deciding he didn't want to deal with the pain, but he did care.  "She was healthy?" 

"Yes," Elizabeth answered him.  "Healthy as a horse," she tried to assure him. 

Jason laughed as Elizabeth went to put a handful of popcorn in her mouth, but missed.  His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her back against him.  "And you were okay?" 

"Uh huh," she mumbled.  Elizabeth sighed when his hand made its way under her shirt and started tracing patterns on her skin.  "It was awkward at first." 

"Awkward?" 

"She…she made this bitchy comment about you.  And I—well, you know me." 

"Let me guess," he joked, "You defended my honor." 

Elizabeth nodded against his chest.  She reached down and twined their fingers.  "After all you've done for and because of her, I couldn't let her say bad things about you." 

"Then?"

"She complimented me," Elizabeth hesitated, "at least I think it was a compliment."  She stopped and bit down on her lip.  Elizabeth arched her neck to look at him.  "Robin said she thought you'd be with Carly, or someone else who didn't deserve you.  I think that means she approves." 

Leaning down, Jason brushed his lips across Elizabeth's.  "I don't care if she approves.  I approve."  He kissed her again, this one lasting a little longer. 

"What did you do today?" 

"What I do everyday. I thought about you and our family." 

"Awww, you're sweet," Elizabeth purred.  Reaching up, Elizabeth pressed her lips to his neck.  Jason pressed his hand into her stomach and began traveling upwards.  "J-Jason," she whimpered. 

"I've been thinking," he said into her ear, "about the future." 

"You don't plan ahead." 

"I do now.  Do you want to hear what I think about the future?"

"Sure…"

"Okay," he took a deep breath.  "I think we should renew our vows.  Have a real wedding this time.  Your family, my family.  The Qs." 

"The Quartermaines?" 

"Just hear me out."  Jason pressed another kiss on her forehead.  "I'll never be the son they had, but Alan and Monica are making an effort.  It's important that our children know their grandparents." 

"Just when I think it can't happen…when I think it's impossible, I start to love you more," she confided. 

"I love you too." 

"Was there something else?" 

"Uh huh," he stuttered.  "I…I was thinking of maybe a little brother or sister for Abby and Isabelle.  Hell, maybe one of both." 

"You're serious?" 

"I would never joke about this," he answered.  "So what do you think?" 

"I…I would love to have another child, or two.  But I don't want to rush this, Jason.  We didn't get it right the first time.  And even though we're here now, there was a long time when I thought I'd never see you again.  I know I love you…but I just have to be sure of you." 

"Okay," he agreed.  It always hurt him to look at the pain in her eyes when she talked about his leaving.  To think that he had been so selfish to leave her alone in the world, with his child.  It made him hate himself.  "That's all I can ask." 

Elizabeth settled against his chest again and smiled when he pulled her closer.  "Will you stay tonight?" 

Jason pulled the afghan down over them and turned off the table lamp.  His arm tightened around Elizabeth and he listened as her breathing slowed and she finally drifted off into dreamland.  He lay there for a long time, just being with her.  Emotions flooded him as he thought about what a wonderful woman he was married to.  And he sometimes wondered how she could love him back, but was always grateful that she did. 

As he was falling asleep, Elizabeth turned in his arms and tossed an arm over his waist.  He smiled and kissed her forehead.  "Man… it's good to be home," he whispered into the night.