Author's note:  I think I'm gonna be sick?  Just what are TPTB on?  Crack?  Sigh  I think I'll stay in my own little world…that or visit Egypt and that really really loooooong river.  snerk

Chapter 11

Elizabeth sat in front of the mirror of the elegant powder room at the Grille. She gazed at her reflection and couldn't believe what a night this was turning into. It was supposed to be a quiet dinner with Jason and her parents. Jason's first real public appearance in Port Charles was supposed to be understated. Instead Alexis invites Leo, who shows up with Francesca. What a time for her to finally appear in town.

And as if dealing with Lucky, Nikolas and Emily weren't bad enough, then Sonny and Carly have to show up. Fortunately, they either didn't see her party or chose not to acknowledge that she and her family were in the same room. Probably the latter, which was fine with her. Liz really didn't think she could handle another scene in the restaurant after the one with the Wonderland triplets. She had hoped that the next meeting between Sonny and Jason would take place somewhere private. The last thing she wanted was a public confrontation between Sonny and Jason with Francesca present. It wouldn't be pretty and was not something she wanted anything to do with. She knew Francesca too well. So far her friend had been cool but Elizabeth wasn't sure how long before Frannie blew up. They really needed to get the redhead out of the Grille before she went over to confront Sonny herself.

Elizabeth shook her head slightly and took out her lipstick to freshen up her lip color. She was just about to replace the lipstick in her bag when the door to the powder room opened. Elizabeth automatically turned to the side and using the mirror's reflection looked to see who had entered the room. She smiled when she saw that it was Carly that had entered the room.

Carly entered the powder room worrying about Sonny and hoping that he would keep his promise while she freshened up. She didn't want to return and find him in an argument with one of their best friends. She stopped suddenly when she realized that the person sitting at the mirror was Elizabeth. And the brunette was smiling widely at her.

"Hi," Carly said quietly.

"Hey yourself." Elizabeth turned in her seat to face her friend. "How've you been the past few days?" Her face showing what she hoped was an open and pleasant statement.

Carly sighed heavily and sat down on the other chair in front of the mirror. "Honestly? I've been better." She watched the smile fall and a sad statement fall over her friend's face.

"We aren't going to get past this are we? Me hiding this all these years." Elizabeth's voice cracked. She had been afraid that keeping the truth about Jason a secret would alienate Carly. And her friend didn't even know everything yet. She had told Jason this would happen and now she would be proven right. She was about to lose her best friend. The only real friend she had made in Port Charles when she was Lizzie, the one person that had always accepted her.

Watching Elizabeth, Carly could see her friend raising her walls to prevent from being hurt. Hurrying to make her feelings known she practically fell over her words. "No, no. No. It's not..that is." She paused trying to gather her thoughts and try to explain how she felt. "Elizabeth, it's just difficult ya know. I never thought you would…could, keep something like this from us, from me."

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth could no longer look at her friend, her eyes darting around the room trying to find something to fixate on. "I don't know what else to say. I don't know if I even deserve your forgiveness. I know how upset you were. And I wanted to tell you but…" She trailed off. As if explanations would help, she thought. She wasn't sure that she deserved the chance to explain.

Carly has watched as Elizabeth's eyes flitted around the room until they finally settled on her own hands twisting in her lap. She knew that Elizabeth hadn't realized she was muttering out loud. "They might help. And you do deserve it."

Elizabeth's head shot up, her eyes questioning. "The chance to explain," Carly offered. "I'd like to hear why you didn't tell us about Jason. About anything that apparently was happening in your life." It was the truth. Carly wanted Elizabeth to explain. To tell her why she didn't know about so many important things that had happened in her friend's life recently. "Please. Tell me. Make me understand."

"This really isn't the place," Elizabeth stated softly. "But I do want to tell you a few things though." Elizabeth hesitated momentarily, searching Carly's face understanding. "I just think we really need to really discuss this someplace more private."

Carly slowly nodded her agreement. She quickly looked around and then got up, went to the door and locked it. Elizabeth's eyes widened in disbelief at Carly's actions. "It's not completely private but we'll have a few minutes at least." She shrugged at her friend's gasp. "And this way if we're interrupted it won't be by someone walking in and overhearing something they shouldn't."

Resigning herself to the conversation, Elizabeth took a deep breath and began her explanations. "I never meant for it to come to this. I wanted to tell you about Jason. When I first saw him again after he left I was so sure that I could convince him to come back and that we could all work everything out. Well, that obviously didn't happen. After a while I wanted to just tell you that I'd seen him and that he was okay, but he didn't want me to say anything. Looking back now I can see that I probably should have told you anyway but-"

"He's hard to say no to," Carly finished for her. "I know exactly how stubborn he can be. But you're just as stubborn and if you really had wanted to tell us then you would have."

"But that's just it, Carly. I wanted to tell you so badly. And I almost did tell you, more than once. Then I'd remember Jason and how hurt he was that night I'd found him out at the boxcar. I'd remember seeing him again after he left town and promising him I wouldn't tell anyone that I'd seen him. I couldn't break my promise. He meant too much to me."

"Okay." Carly tilted her head and gazed upon her friend. "I can understand you not wanting to break a promise. I know there's a lot more to this but we definitely shouldn't get into that here."

Elizabeth released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thanks. You probably want to know about Alexis too, don't you?"

"Well, yeah. I'm mean, that was kind of a shock. You being a Cassadine and all." She suddenly grinned widely and nudged her friend. "I mean, who'd a thunk it. You, rich and powerful." She chuckled out.

"Hey," Elizabeth retorted playfully. "I'll have you know that I always knew I came from better stock that the Webbers."

"That you did. But why decide to tell everyone now? Is it because of that idiot of a cousin of mine?" Carly asked thinking of Lucky constantly trying to throw Elizabeth and Nikolas together. If there was one thing that she had always known it was that her best friend would never succumb to that prospect. Of course she never thought that her way out would be because she was the Prince's cousin.

"Partly, though that wasn't the only reason." She grinned thinking of the events before Sonny and Carly arrived at the restaurant. "You know, they showed up here tonight."

Carly looked at her friend. "Who? Lucky and Nikky?"

Elizabeth nodded her head vigorously. "And Emily. We told 'em."

"Oh my god. That must have been great." She laughed at the thought of how they must have looked.

"Yeah, it was kinda funny. But I almost felt sorry for Emily when I introduced them to my fiancé. Almost. She hadn't even noticed Jason was at the table until I said something, she was so wrapped up in what Lucky wanted." She sadly shook her head.

Carly frowned. She knew that Emily had done some things that really hurt Elizabeth over the years. The worst being the whole situation with Zander. She knew she had to do something to keep Elizabeth's mind off the memory of that fiasco

"I can't believe that no one's tried to get in here yet. Think we should go out and make sure that there's been no bloodshed yet?" Carly joked.

"Carly." Elizabeth's tone was serious. "Don't joke about that. You don't know how true that could be." She stood up. "But you're right we really should get back out there."

Carly quickly checked her reflection in the mirror. She hurriedly reapplied her lipstick and stood next to Elizabeth. "Well,' she smiled, "shall we go make sure that Sonny doesn't start a major mob war?"

Elizabeth shook her head at Carly as they walked to the door. "Don't even joke about that."

Once more Carly looked at her friend curiously thinking the comment seemed rather odd but shrugged it off and followed her out of the powder room and into the main room. Just in time to see Sonny walk over to the Jacks table.