The Brush Off Grown Up Style
Conclusion
~Rehabilitation Center~
She had been waiting for two days. Well technically that wasn't true. She had been waiting for months to talk to him. The last two days only seemed like forever because she knew it was almost time to see him. Nervously Elizabeth rubbed her hands over the smooth fabric of her pencil thin lavender skirt. With her matching soft mock turtleneck sweater of the same color she looked poised and in control.
But she wasn't.
There was too much riding on the next hour or so for her to relax. There was too much tension inside of her, for her to be in control. But at least she looked the part. She chewed on her lip and took her seat again. Not that her looks would mean a thing though. Jason always saw through what she said or did. He knew when she was lying, when she wasn't. She wasn't going to fool him with some illusion of poise, but she still felt like trying.
She looked up when the elevator dinged announcing it's presence and held her breath as the doors opened. It escaped in whoosh when a woman walked out and down the hall. Elizabeth slumped back in the chair in a mixture of disappointment and relief. She had thought she was prepared to see him. She had thought she was ready until Emily said he was on his way, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. The rest of her conversation with Emily had passed by in a daze as she went over in her mind what she needed to say to him and how to say it. She might only get once chance with him and she didn't want to blow it.
The stairway door opened and she glanced over, more in relief to be sidetracked from her thoughts, then curiosity. Her senses seemed to go to red alert when she recognized him. The black jacket was the same one she had held onto countless nights before. The black jeans fit snugly but not too tight and led into black boots. The shirt was gray and she had no doubt that it was one of those soft long-sleeved fleece ones that he seemed to favor.
His attention was focused on a slip of paper in his hand and she was glad for that. It gave her a minute to get t her feet, to study him, to collect herself and prepare for the conversation that was to come. At least it should have.
In truth she never got passed the studying part.
She knew she had missed him but she wasn't aware of how much she had, until right then when she was faced with him again. Her eyes drank in the sight of him, and he looked good. From the darker then normal spikes of his close-cropped hair to the fading remnants of the tan on his hands, he looked good. And she wanted him back in her life, more than almost anything else.
He began to move away from her without looking up, heading down the hall to Emily's room. She stood there watching Jason move as indecision wracked her. Maybe it was better is she just let him go, at least for now anyway. She could wait until he returned to Port Charles to talk to him again. By that time she might have her life in a little more order. If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that other than rebuilding her relationship with her Grandmother and ending things with Lucky she hadn't done a whole hell of a lot yet. She was still trying to find a way to become Elizabeth Webber independent woman.
Was it fair of her to want to drag him back into her world before she had a chance to discover who she was? For weeks she had been so sure it was, but now, faced with his departing back, she was beginning to believe it wasn't fair to him.
She could leave. He didn't know she was here. No one knew she was here, besides Emily and her Grandmother. Emily wouldn't say anything if she asked her not too. And she knew her Gram would be only too happy not to mention her presence to Jason.
She wanted their friendship back. That mush was true. But she wanted it on equal footing this time. The last few times he had returned it seemed that it was all about what he could do for her, and not what she could do for him, and that wasn't right. She didn't want a friendship based on what she could do for him, or what he could do for her. She wanted an equal friendship this time. She didn't want to hurt him again. She couldn't bear it if she hurt him again. So maybe she should wait to approach him, until things got more settled.
Jason hesitated in his advance down the hall, at the same time she decided to let him go for now, and wait until he came back to Port Charles to talk to him. She picked up her purse and headed for the elevator.
"Elizabeth?"
Jason's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Too late," she muttered before turning to face him. "Hi Jason. It's good to see you."
"I'm surprised to see you here," he moved closer.
The elevator doors opened and people began to spill out, forcing her to take a step back from him so she wasn't trampled. It also gave her a minute to fight the urge to give him a hug in welcome. She knew he wouldn't pull away from her, but she didn't want to force it on him either. "I was able to get in touch with Emily after Sorel was killed," she explained when the crowd thinned out. "I've been traveling and I decided to come see her," and you, was the end of the sentence, that of course she didn't say.
"That's good, I know she missed you," he shoved the paper in his pocket and focused on her. "I bet she was glad to see you."
"Surprised is more like it." She corrected with a smile. "She looks great, I'm glad the second surgery seems to be working. I really can't say that I'm happy with the fake Dear John phone call brush-off she gave to Zander, but I'm the last person who should be allowed to criticize another's decision." It was easy to talk when she was nervous. She could talk chapter and verse when she was nervous, and she was definitely nervous. That surprised her a little bit, she never used to be nervous around him.
"I know when she had the setback and had to have surgery again, that she decided it was better to let Zander go, rather then make him wait in limbo for her again. But I can't help thinking that she was wrong to do that. Her letters used to be full of such hope for the future and determination to get better, and now they aren't."
By now Jason had cocked his head and tucked his hands in the back pocket of his jeans while he studied her. She couldn't help but smile at the expression on his face, he always looked at her like that when she went off on a tangent. "I sort of went off there didn't I?" She asked sheepishly.
"You have that tendency," he agreed with a nod. "So were you going to see her now?"
"No, I've been here pretty solid for the last two days. I've said my goodbyes and we have a plane to catch in the morning." Moment of truth time, she realized. She examined her hands hoping to find the answer there. But the pink 'Prissy' nail color was all she saw. It looked like she was on her own.
"Actually I was waiting to talk to you. Emily said you were on your way."
"Then why were you leaving?" he asked inclining his head to the elevator.
"Nerves I guess," she shrugged then steeled herself to go on. "I wanted to apologize to you, and see if there is anyway that we can try to rebuild our friendship."
"We are friends." Jason answered immediately.
A smile lit her face and happiness took root until she saw his stance. His tone of voice had been aloof, and his stance was formal, so the words, no matter how sweet to her ears, were empty. On a sigh of disappointment over having her fears proven correct she sank in a chair. "No were not. Not really."
Jason took a seat on the couch beside her. "I'm not lying."
"I know that," she sat up straight and met his gaze. "You don't lie and I know that. I've always known that, and that is yet another thing I need to apologize to you about. I doubted what you said about Lucky, I even called you names, and all the time you did nothing but tell me the truth. I can't begin to tell you how much I regret that."
Jason shrugged. "It's in the past."
No it wasn't, she could tell that much, from the cool look in his eyes. "Not yet it isn't, and it won't be until I finish this." She searched her mind, trying to think of where she wanted to begin. "You know I had this whole speech outlined in my head. I had weeks to hone it to perfection, and now that it's time to give it, I've already slipped off track and forgotten it."
She shook her head and twisted the purse strap in her hands. "Maybe that's for the best though. Because now I'll have to speak from my heart, and that's something I'm just learning how to do again." She focused on his face and saw a hint of confusion in his eyes, or was it tiredness? "I meant what I said, a part of me knew you weren't lying about Lucky attacking you." She couldn't help but notice how flat his eyes went at the mention of Lucky's name, but she continued on. "You already knew that though, you called me on it when I kept following you. A part of me knew, but I wasn't ready to admit it. I'm sorry I hurt you by doubting you."
"Elizabeth what's past is past. There is no use in discussing it now." Jason shifted on the couch.
"Believe me, I don't like bringing this up, anymore then you like talking about it. But I have too. I need to do this so I can go on," she wrinkled her nose in an uncomfortable realization. "I thought I was getting better about my selfishness, but I guess I still am a little bit selfish, because I need you to hear this. I need you to forgive me, or if you can't do that, to see if you can move past it, and let us start over again."
"If this is about the way we left things in April, you made your decision."
"I know and I stand by my decision to stay, and that isn't what I'm apologizing for." On that she was firm. "Staying was the right thing for me to do. But hurting you wasn't. I spent weeks, no months, abusing our friendship, and even though I have no right to ask this of you." She met his eyes again, "I want us to be friends again."
Jason sighed heavily and she couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable he looked. Maybe she should have waited to talk to him after all. She let out a shaky breath, in for a penny in for a pound.
"I can see where I went off track with you so clearly in my mind. I've relived it dozens of time in my head. You don't look back, while I've spent so much time looking back, that for a long time I forgot how to move forward."
As usual he was quiet, his eyes on her face as he listened to her. He had that ability to focus on her and what she was saying so deeply that it was like she was the only person in the world at that moment. At times she had found that scrutiny to be uncomfortable, but that was when she was trying to hide from him.
She wasn't hiding anymore.
"It was Valentine's Day last year. I watched you run into that burning building, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like you weren't even afraid of being burned."
"I was afraid," he admitted softly. "But there was no other choice for me, Sonny was in there."
"And he's your friend," she nodded in understanding. "You would do anything for your friends, but it still scared me. It took so long for you to come out, that I was halfway convinced that I'd never see you again, and then you materialized out of the smoke, with Sonny." It was easy to recall the emotion she had felt at that moment. The emotion she still felt whenever she thought about that day. Fear, terror, and loss had morphed into relief, longing, and…
"After Carly you were the first person I saw."
Elizabeth blinked and focused on him again. "I wanted to see if you okay. To touch you in order to convince myself you were, but I didn't. Instead I left you there, coughing, in a spot you could have died in." She hit her thigh in self-loathing at that, even after all this time, she hated what she had done to him. "Instead of being your friend. Instead of being there when you needed a friend, I walked away. I walked away and that was when our friendship changed."
Jason ran a hand over his cheek, his face set in stone at the moment. "Lucky was there," he explained simply.
"I can't blame everything on Lucky," she interrupted him refusing to take the easy way out. Not this time. "I could have stood up for our friendship. I had done so in the past, several times. Yet this time I chose to walk away. The why's, the explanations, don't really mean very much, and after all this time they would only sound hollow. I can only say that I'm sorry and ask you for another chance. A chance to make things right with you. I can promise you that this time I won't walk away."
His eyes shifted from hers to the elevator when it dinged again, and a nurse got off. His gaze was so intense on her, that the nurse faltered a step, and touched her throat nervously when he didn't look away. Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the unease of the nurse, she didn't know whether to smile at the handsome man looking at her, or to run away. She had felt that way herself once or twice. Jason could be overwhelming at times, and she knew him, she could only imagine what the blonde nurse was thinking. The blonde gave a half-smile, to which Jason was oblivious too, and hurried away, darting several looks over her shoulder as she left.
"I already told you Elizabeth, as far as I'm concerned we are friends."
His words drew her attention from the amusing nurse. It took her a second, but when she recognized what he said, the first whiff of anger took hold. "Damn'it Jason I've had enough gratitude friendship to last me a lifetime," she huffed out a breath and her eyes lit in anger. "I know you. You might be surprised how well I know you, and I don't blame you, because I sure haven't acted like I do. But I do know you. You will always consider me a friend because I saved your life. But I don't want that type of friendship with you, or with anyone. Friendships borne out of duty, obligation, or gratitude, are the worst kinds."
She tucked the aggravating strand of hair behind her ear and hurried on. "I want you to be able to admit that were friends with the wry smile you used to have in your eyes, when you saw me. I want you to be able to relax around me again. I want you to know, that no matter what I won't walk away this time." She touched his hand when she made that vow. "In order to do that I need you to give me another chance to prove to you that I can be the type of friend I once was to you, again."
Jason looked down at her hand, which was still on his then searched her face again. "Are being friends all you want?"
"It's all I can handle right now," she whispered honestly. "I told you I've been traveling trying to make sense of my life. I realized that most of the changes in my life, in the last several years have been forced on me. That although it was my life, I only existed in it, I didn't live it. The first major change, came when I was raped. I changed because a part of me died that night. The person I once was, was gone forever, and I had to become a new person, not because I wanted too, but because I had too in order to survive."
"The second change was also forced on me, when Lucky died. Again I didn't have any control, or in any say in the matter. I had to change, because staying that person who loved Lucky and couldn't move forward without him, was slowly, but surely killing me. So I changed, and you helped a lot with that, like Lucky helped me after the rape. But it was different at the same time. I didn't build my world around you, like I did with him. Even if I had wanted too, you wouldn't have let me. Instead I built my world around myself," she looked down at their joined hands, a little surprised that he hadn't drawn away yet. "Although you did have a major role to play in that life, even after you left."
"Change was forced on me again when Lucky came back. I changed by trying to slip back into the Elizabeth that had existed before he left. It would have never worked, but it took me a very long time to see that, you might even say I had to die in order to see it," she said with a wry grin. "But I finally did."
"Now I'm changing again. But the difference is, I'm changing because I want to, not because I have too. And because of that, this time it'll work. Because all the changing, all the decisions, all the chances I'm taking, are all my decisions. They aren't being forced on me, they aren't being made because I have no other choice," she smiled again. "They are my choices, because I'm finally living my life for me. And one of those choices is to repair a friendship that once meant everything to me."
"It sounds like you're finally taking control of your life again," Jason murmured after a minute. "That's all I ever wanted for you. I just wanted you to be happy," he hesitated for another minute. "What does Lucky say about the new you?"
"Lucky?" she repeated in surprise. "Why should what he thinks matter?"
Jason turned on her with a look on his face that she hadn't seen before, and it took her a moment to place it…as disbelief. She let out a laugh at the realization, and he frowned causing her to laugh harder. "I'm sorry, I thought I told you," she gasped the words out. "So much for being ready for this conversation," she muttered brushing the tears, caused by her laughter from her eyes. "Lucky and I broke up."
He looked a little surprised at that admission. "Are you okay?"
She wasn't surprised that his first question would be one of concern for her. He'd always been that way. Even back in the beginning weeks of their friendship. She remembered the day after Katherine Belle had died, he had sought her out, to see if she was okay about it, because he knew she had been there. That felt like a lifetime ago.
"Elizabeth?"
"Sorry," she said with a start. "I'm fine. I decided to end things on my own. And Lucky decided on his own that we should break up, and we sort of met in the middle and broke up."
"I'm glad you're not hurt over it."
"I'm a little sad," she admitted. "Even though it was the right thing to do, it's hard to close off a dream for the final time. It would have been worse if we kept clinging to the past instead of moving forward though. You were right all along. Lucky was still sick, and things got a lot worse before they got better," she glossed over the details. "But he's in therapy now, and it appears to be working this time. I actually had a conversation with him the other day, that had glimpses of the boy I once knew in it."
"When you said that you were here with someone, I assumed it was him," he admitted softly, his eyes asking the question.
"Actually I'm with my Gram. I need to rebuild my relationship with her too. I sort of lost everything else in my life in trying to hold onto the past." She shifted so she was facing him squarely. "She gave me another chance. Will you?"
He was quiet and didn't answer right away, he even shifted his eyes away, to look at the elevator when it opened again, and she knew then how much she had hurt him. She didn't want to put him on the spot and hurt him even more.
"Jason I want a chance to remind you how good of a friend that I can be. But if your not ready, or don't want to offer me another chance, I won't push you." She got to her feet and when he went to rise she put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.
"I'll take the obligatory friendship that you have already admitted still exists between us," she smiled slyly. "I'll take that and use it to prove to you how good of a friend I am. I'll impress you so much that eventually when you call me friend you won't tense up."
He shook his head and she could see a trace of a smile on his lips and she clung to that. Taking a chance she rested her hand on his cheek, drawing his eyes to hers again. His skin was warm under her hand, the bones in his face felt strong under her touch and he made no effort to pull away, he only looked up at her.
"You see not only am I still selfish, in the fact that I'll take you in my life in anyway I can have you," she teased as she marveled at the texture of his skin. It was smooth in places, yet in others it was rough with the breaking stubble, on his cheek, and she filed the memory away. "I'm also following your request. You wanted me to be happy. Well it's taken me a few months, but I'm finally starting to do that. Don't forget how determined I can be, when I want something."
He nodded his head and she dropped her hand. "A brat is what I think you said."
Her smile was wide and hope surged inside her. "You got it in one. Just think about it." Giving into temptation she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead in a long lingering caress of farewell. Again he made no move to pull away from her, and when she finally stepped back his normally clear eyes were a swirling mixture of blues. "See you later."
Elizabeth turned and headed for the elevator, she didn't want to show him the tears that saying farewell to him caused. Luck was on her side and the doors opened as she approached it. She turned to look at him, he had followed her to the elevator, and the expression on his face wasn't as tight as it had been. "I forgot to wish you a Merry Christmas, it's next week, and I wouldn't want you to forget to get a tree."
"Tree's belong in the woods," he reminded her with a slow smile.
"Not with the right decorator." She grinned at him. "And you happen to be the paper chain expert after all."
The doors began to close as he shook his head, the smile still on his face. "See you later Elizabeth."
Elizabeth leaned back against the wall in relief. It looked like she had her second chance after all.
~Port Charles Hotel~
"Damn I forgot the Breezeway file."
"Do you want me to get it?" Elizabeth stopped buttoning her coat mid-motion and focused on her boss.
"No," Alexis Davis shifted her coat to her other arm. "I'll get it. I need to tell Lee something else anyway. I'll only be a few minutes. Wait here, and I'll give you a ride home."
"That's okay," Elizabeth fished her fleece-lined gloves out of her pocket. "I'd rather walk."
"Walk?" Alexis looked past her to the night visible through the door. "It isn't even 30 degrees out there."
"You forget I'm used to cold weather. I grew up in Colorado, not an island," she teased and seeing the concern in Alexis' dark eyes she hurried on. "It's only 6 blocks. The ice has melted, so has most of the snow, and I'll be on well-lighted and well-traveled sidewalks the whole way." Inspired she stuck her tongue in her cheek and continued on in a singsong voice. "So please mom can I walk? I promise I'll look both ways before I cross the street."
"Brat," Alexis chided. "Remind me again why I hired you?"
"You had a weak a moment." Elizabeth explained her expression serious. "Then as soon as I got through the door, I rearranged your office, so only I know where things are. Thus becoming indispensable."
"I knew there was reason." Alexis muttered, checking her watch again. "I need to hurry if I want to catch Lee then get changed before…" she trailed off hoping her assistant wouldn't catch the slip, but she was doomed to disappointment.
"So which 'friend' won the it's not a date, it's a dinner competition tonight?" Elizabeth asked causing her boss to groan. "Tall and blonde or dark with dimples?"
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not dating anyone at the moment." Alexis began to search her purse, for what she didn't know, but it was better then looking at the teasing expression on Elizabeth's face.
"Now come on Alexis we agreed. You are required to give me details that way I can live vicariously though your love life, since I don't have one."
"Jax and I are friends." Alexis explained patiently for the billionth time.
"So Jax is on tap for tonight?" Elizabeth pressed.
"Yes," she huffed." "Don't you have a walk to make?"
Elizabeth wrapped the scarf around her neck and smiled at the doorman before making a parting shot. "Live a little Alexis, grab on before the opportunity passes you by. Besides have you seen the way he fills out his…" she winked causing Alexis to glare at her. "I wouldn't let such an opportunity pass you by, trust me when I say you will regret it, if you do."
Alexis shook her head in surprise as her assistant left. Elizabeth had proven to be a great worker and an even better friend. She also happened to be right about Jax, he did fill out his…
"Is that smile for me?"
The accented voice drew her from her thoughts and caused her to flush. Damn Elizabeth.
~*~
Elizabeth hummed to herself as she walked along the path. The night was clear and the air was crisp and clean. She loved times like this. The night was cold, but because there was no wind, it seemed somehow warmer. Like she had told Alexis the sidewalks were clear, and she'd easily spotted and avoided the sole patch of ice, she'd seen thus far.
The quiet of the night beckoned her and she welcomed it gladly. She had shut herself off from such simple things like noticing how beautiful a winter's walk could be. She had avoided the simple pleasures for so long, that rediscovering them now, was a constant delight to her. Her life was taking off in a way that she hadn't seriously allowed herself to consider before.
She paused at the corner, waiting for the light to turn green and absently let herself wonder how she had gotten here. It was almost as if the fates were just waiting for her to take control of her life. Because once she had, things started falling in line.
Things like her job with Alexis. At first she had been a little unsure if she could handle it. Alexis had intimidated the hell out of her. She couldn't help but smile at that. She had seen Alexis flounder in her personal life. Vivid memories of helping her shop for a wedding dress for her ill-fated wedding to Ned assailed her. Her personal life might be out of control, but not her professional life. When it came to her work, Alexis was cool, confident, brilliant, in control, and intimidating.
Any hesitation that she'd felt in working solely for Alexis vanished quickly though. Not only did they work well together, they had also become good friends. Making friends with Alexis had illustrated how narrow she had let her life become. Her world had been centered around Lucky, with Emily, Nikolas, Gia, and occasionally Zander mixed in. It was scary to realize how lonely and isolated she had been.
But now the group of people around her was ever widening and for that she was grateful. She had met people through her classes, through her work, even where she lived. Her old friends were still included, they had been through too much together to ever be forgotten. But they weren't the only people in her life now.
The only person still missing was Jason.
At first she had been so hopeful, with how they left things at the hospital, but now, some 58 days later, without a peep from him, she was beginning to wonder. It was true that he was free to go where he wanted too, and he had made no bones about the fact that he loved to travel, but she couldn't help hoping that he would return home. She had thought he might, after Emily returned two weeks ago, but she admitted she hadn't seen him in at least a week, and she had no idea where he was going, when he had left her.
Well Rome wasn't built in a day. And she could be patient and stubborn when she needed too. So she would keep hoping he would return, but she wasn't putting her life on hold until he did. She wasn't putting her life on hold for anyone anymore. When he came back, then they'd see if their friendship could survive, but until then, she had living to do.
A couple drawing closer caught her eye. The woman was small and blonde, while the man tall with dark hair. Their coloring and looks were the direct compliment of each other, yet they made a very striking couple. They were close together as they walked, as if they couldn't bear not to be touching. Her arm was looped through his, and her head rested on his arm. The expression on their face was one of such love and contentment, that her fingers itched to sketch them.
She turned around for one last glimpse of the couple, trying to memorize their expressions, then turned to hurry to her apartment, to put it on paper before the image faded. She took a step and the couple vanished from her mind when her eye fell on a man leaning against a motorcycle, a few yards away.
"Jason?" She stumbled to a stop, not wanting to move closer, in case he vanished.
"Elizabeth," he pushed away from the bike and took a step closer to her.
"God you're really here." Delight propelled her to move and she covered the last few feet between them to give him the hug that his arms were already open and waiting for.
"It's good to see you," he whispered the words in her ear as he lifted her from her feet, bringing their contact even closer.
His breath on her ear caused her stomach to twist a little bit, so did the feel of his body pressed against hers. But it was good kind of twist. One that she could get used too. He set her on her feet and she stepped back, her eyes shining in happiness. "I missed you."
"I missed you too Elizabeth." Jason dropped his hands. "Alexis told me I'd find you walking along here."
She saw the questions in his eyes. "I have a new apartment, it's a few blocks down. I also have a new job."
"Tammy told me that when I stopped by Kelly's."
Pleasure that he had been looking for her, or at the very least, asked about her, caused her smile to get even wider. "I told you I was taking charge of my life."
"Yes you did," he crossed his arms over his chest and his expression grew serious. "You also didn't tell me a few things."
Elizabeth huffed out a breath. "They weren't important."
"How can you say that?" He demanded. "You took a drug to promote the illusion of death. That is very important."
"It was also necessary at the time," she answered honestly. "I wasn't lying to you by not telling you. What was important to me the last time I saw you, was fixing our friendship. Not telling you what happened after you left town."
"Still," he took a hard breath and tried to bury the anger he felt over the risks she had taken with her life. "It was very dangerous to do."
"I know. But we tried to make it as safe as possible," she touched his arm and caused his eyes to focus on her again. "Don't you see that taking that drug was my burning building Jason?"
"What?"
"Lucky was then, and will always be my friend. He needed my help, so I took the drug. Just like when Sonny needed your help, you went into the burning building." She continued on when he went to interrupt. "I don't regret doing it, and I won't apologize for it. Just like I don't expect you to apologize for scaring me when you went in that building. I did what I felt was necessary, just like you did and no one will make me regret it, not even you."
Jason took a step away and rubbed a hand over his neck in frustration. He could tell from the tone of her voice, that she meant what she said. He could also see her point. He couldn't condemn her for doing whatever she had too, to help a friend. Not when he did the same, not when she had once done the same for him. The fact that it was Lucky she risked herself bothered him, but that was on a different level, one of jealousy. And it wasn't right,
"Jason?" The realization that he might never understand why she had done what she did, was staring her in the face and it scared her. "I'm sorry if you can't understand that. But I told you I wouldn't apologize for helping him. I've apologized to you, for everything I did wrong, and I hoped you would want to see if our friendship was worth saving. But if I need to apologize for helping Lucky," she shook her head. "I won't, even if that means we can't be friends anymore."
Jason let out a sigh and let the jealousy go.
Taking the sigh as one of agreement, she turned around and began to walk away from him, fighting the sudden feeling of tears that were welling up behind her eyes. "Goodbye Jason."
"Wait," he caught her arm before she took another step. "I understand Elizabeth, I don't like it, but I do understand why you did it."
She blinked away the tears and looked up at him. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Good," she sighed in relief. "So does that mean we can try to be friends again?" She bit her lip and waited for his reply.
He stepped away from her. "Do you know what today is?"
She nodded and waited.
"I was going to Jake's to play some pool. I was wondering if you want to go with me?" He inclined his head. "It'll be cold on the bike though, and you really aren't dressed for it."
"I don't feel the cold," she led the way to the bike.
He held out the helmet. "Since when?"
"Since now," she laughed and waited until he got on the bike before climbing on after him. "Happy Valentine's Day Jason."
He turned partially so he could see her face. "Happy Valentine's Day Elizabeth."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So that's my version of how I would have ended L&L2. Doing it this way seemed to keep the characters integrity, which is something I always want to see.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Stephanie
