Second Chances: Confrontations
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone :o) I thought I would post the next chapter before everything gets too crazed here at my house..hosting the holiday festivities. Thanks again to all of you who have passed along your comments to this story. It means so very much to me that you all are enjoying it. I hope this is just the beginning on many more GH fics to come.
Lisa
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Ric strained to see Elizabeth as she left the church with Max.
"Stop looking at her!" Jason ordered coming to stand directly before Ric obscuring his view. It was unlike Jason to let his words and actions express his feelings. It could have been the stress of Emily's death or just the hatred he had for Ric Lansing that had him dropping his steely mask.
"She's still my wife," Ric countered knowing that that short sentence drove Jason Morgan crazy.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sonny finally spoke.
"Paying my respects to my wife's best friend," Ric said most sincerely.
Jason felt his blood boil in his veins at the audacity the man before him possessed. He stood there acting as though all his offenses against Sonny, Carly and Elizabeth never happened. He acted as if he was innocent of it all. Maybe it was because for all of his crimes there had never been any punishment that led Ric to act and feel the way he did. If it had been up to Jason, Ric Lansing's exit from this world would have been full of every minute of torture he had caused those that Jason loved.
"Do you have a death wish?" Sonny smirked.
"Should I?" Ric returned with his own cocky smile.
The brothers stood within inches of one another starring eye to eye. Ric was confident in the knowledge that his elder brother's love for their mother would provide him the safety net he would always need. Sonny was far too concerned with family to ever kill his own brother, his mother's son. He thoroughly enjoyed this ability to twist that knife.
"Yes," Jason said from his clenched jaw. He knew he had over stepped his bounds but his anger had gotten the better of him.
Ric cocked his brow and gave his brother a questioning look. "He speaks for you now? I thought you weren't capable of any thoughts except those that Sonny put in your mouth." He turned and looked at Jason as he continued speaking. "Funny Elizabeth never mentioned your ability for free thought, either." Ric watched as the mention of Elizabeth's name evoked a fire behind Jason's ice cold eyes.
"I don't ever want to hear you say her name." Jason barked as he clenched his fists at his sides. "You are the monster that let Faith poison your own wife!" Carly had recounted to Sonny and him how Ric hadn't believed her when she had told him what Faith had done. It was just one more thing in the long list of offenses Ric had perpetrated against the woman he claimed to love so dearly.
"What's the matter Morgan? You can't really think that Elizabeth is falling for this grieving soul act of yours?" Ric questioned in his own taunting way. He was well aware of Jason's feelings for his sister. She had been the one Quartermaine that still kept him even remotely tied to that family. "We all know your damaged brain can't feel ANYTHING!" Ric stressed that word. "At least Elizabeth knows when I tell her I love her it's more than just words someone taught me to say."
Jason had had enough and with Ric's last remark he lunged at him wrapping his hands securely around Ric's throat. He hadn't felt this much anger surge through him since he had woken up from the accident and couldn't wrap his mind around what he was supposed to feel.
"Jason..JASON!" Sonny tried his best to put his body between the two men. "Jason, man STOP! Look at where we are." Sonny gestured to the hallowed walls that surrounded them. "This isn't the place for it."
Suddenly, Jason's head snapped back and Emily's open coffin came into view. He was mortified at his actions. In her life he had always kept his business away from her but in her death he was doing the exact opposite, yet he couldn't discern if this wasn't more personal than it was business. He dropped his hands from around Ric's neck and left the church without looking back.
"Jason," Sonny called to his retreating back. "Jason!" Sonny called to his friend as he glared at his brother. "This isn't over Ric," he said in a menacing tone.
"No it's not." Ric concurred as Sonny walked out of the church in search of Jason.
Sonny made his way outside just in time to see the red taillights of Jason's motorcycle heading off into the distance. "Damn," he muttered as he looked back inside St. Michael's. Ric was gone. Sonny descended the stairs to where his limo sat. It comforted him to at least know that his wife and Elizabeth were safe within the confines of the penthouse. They had guards with orders to shoot Ric Lansing on sight if he dared set foot in the building.
That order had been the hardest one that Sonny had ever given. He had to protect his family - would do anything to protect Carly, their unborn child and Michael but it pained him still to know that that order would kill his mother's other son. If he had known where Jason might have gone Sonny would have had Marco follow but since he didn't he headed home to wait for him instead.
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Elizabeth climbed into Sonny's limo after Carly. The two women sat quietly during the ride to the Corinthos penthouse. There was no love loss between them. Carly had made it perfectly clear that she would never accept Elizabeth in Jason's life. Elizabeth hadn't cared about what Carly thought but she did know that it made things difficult for Jason from time to time.
Elizabeth sat wondering and worrying about what was happening back at St. Michael's. She recalled Jason's reaction to Ric the day in the hospital corridor and could only imagine what might happen next. There was a part of her that wanted Ric Lansing dead. She no longer wanted to have to wait for him to pop up out of nowhere and beg for her love and forgiveness. She didn't want to have to be reminded of how foolish, stupid even, she had been for believing one lie after another that he told.
It frightened her that she wished another human dead. In all the times she had tried to wrap her mind around what Jason's job was for Sonny and couldn't, suddenly having Jason act on his boss' orders for offing Ric Lansing didn't seem all that bad. In the last several months she had come to a greater understanding of the bigger picture of life. No longer did she see things in such a black and white manner. She finally understood the grays that Jason had always been trying to get her to see.
"Ladies," Max said as he opened the door for them to exit the limo.
"I'd like to go to my studio." Elizabeth didn't want to be in Sonny's penthouse with Carly anymore than Carly wanted to have her there. Not to mention that Elizabeth just wanted to be alone with her memories of the past - Emily and Jason.
"Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan asked that you stay here until they arrive." Carly groaned at Max's remark.
"This isn't negotiable is it?"
"I'm afraid not." Max smiled weakly. He recalled how much Elizabeth never liked the guards and not being free to come and go as she pleased.
"Fine," she relented and followed them to the elevator.
Immediately upon entering the penthouse Carly headed for the stairs. Elizabeth was relieved. She wasn't up for being grilled Carly style. And she also didn't want to have be forced to look at the woman her husband held hostage right under her nose. Jason said that they didn't blame her but she couldn't believe that. In her mind how could they not? She knew that she would have if she had been in their position.
Elizabeth made her way to the mantle adorned with photos. Some were of Bobbie and Lucas, Michael, Sonny and Carly, but her eyes rested on the one of Jason. She wasn't able to take her eyes off of it. Absently she lifted the frame from its resting-place. How could she have ever walked away from him? They had just found their way back to one another and rather than letting Jason explain she threw it all away. She claimed not being able to trust him but look where she ended up - with a man who claimed to love her yet lied to her at every turn.
"Put that back." Carly's voice interrupted Elizabeth's thoughts.
"Sorry." Quickly she returned it to its place on the mantle.
"You think that being sorry is enough?" Elizabeth knew that Carly's question had nothing to do with the picture frame she had been holding.
"I don't know what else to say," Elizabeth admitted honestly wishing that there was some way for her to make up for what Ric had done all in the name of his great love for her.
"You don't know what to say? Now isn't that a first?" Carly spouted in disbelief. "Up until you found me chained to a wall you had lots of things to say. You couldn't do anything but sing your husband's praises. All the while he was playing you for some fool."
Elizabeth knew Carly had every right to her anger. She even understood it but that didn't make it hurt any less.
"I was wrong about Ric." Elizabeth whispered.
"WRONG!" Carly nearly shrieked. "You could have used that excuse the first dozen times we all tried to tell you what a sick bastard Ric was but that doesn't wash anymore."
"I know Carly. I know. I can't change any of that now. What do you want to hear from me? How stupid I was? How naïve? How blind I was to all of the strangeness going on right under my nose?" Elizabeth's voice rose with each question. "I was all of those things Carly and more. I was stupid to believe that he had changed. I was so eager to believe that my love was enough to change him that I let it blind me. I'm sorry that you got caught in the cross fire of my mess." Elizabeth wholeheartedly meant those words of apology knowing full well that Carly Corinthos would never accept them.
Carly did feel sorry for the girl standing before her. She had watched what hell Elizabeth had endured at the hands of Ric. She knew that he had been the master manipulator but right now she couldn't see past the terror that he had inflicted on her. "You think a mere apology is enough to make up for me being chained to a wall for months? You think that it can just take away the fear that Michael endured watching Ric drag his mommy away? You think that just an 'I'm sorry' from the miss perfect Elizabeth Weber is going to fix it all? You think that it makes up for me almost losing my baby?" Carly yelled resting her hands on her belly.
"I lost my baby!" Elizabeth countered with a similar yell. "You think that this is easy for me? You think that I want to look at myself every day and know what a mess I have made of my life? Don't you think that I know what I walked away from?" Elizabeth's voice escalated to a feverish pitch.
"You lost your chance with him!" Carly said knowing who Elizabeth was talking about. "You'll never get it back. You think that since you can share grief over Emily's death that you can have him again - YOU CAN'T! He's not going to love you! No one's going to ever love you Elizabeth!" Carly's hurtful words stung and brought a new rush of tears to Elizabeth's eyes. She had no comeback for them her only instinct was to flee the penthouse and in doing so she ran smack into Jason's chest.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone :o) I thought I would post the next chapter before everything gets too crazed here at my house..hosting the holiday festivities. Thanks again to all of you who have passed along your comments to this story. It means so very much to me that you all are enjoying it. I hope this is just the beginning on many more GH fics to come.
Lisa
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Ric strained to see Elizabeth as she left the church with Max.
"Stop looking at her!" Jason ordered coming to stand directly before Ric obscuring his view. It was unlike Jason to let his words and actions express his feelings. It could have been the stress of Emily's death or just the hatred he had for Ric Lansing that had him dropping his steely mask.
"She's still my wife," Ric countered knowing that that short sentence drove Jason Morgan crazy.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sonny finally spoke.
"Paying my respects to my wife's best friend," Ric said most sincerely.
Jason felt his blood boil in his veins at the audacity the man before him possessed. He stood there acting as though all his offenses against Sonny, Carly and Elizabeth never happened. He acted as if he was innocent of it all. Maybe it was because for all of his crimes there had never been any punishment that led Ric to act and feel the way he did. If it had been up to Jason, Ric Lansing's exit from this world would have been full of every minute of torture he had caused those that Jason loved.
"Do you have a death wish?" Sonny smirked.
"Should I?" Ric returned with his own cocky smile.
The brothers stood within inches of one another starring eye to eye. Ric was confident in the knowledge that his elder brother's love for their mother would provide him the safety net he would always need. Sonny was far too concerned with family to ever kill his own brother, his mother's son. He thoroughly enjoyed this ability to twist that knife.
"Yes," Jason said from his clenched jaw. He knew he had over stepped his bounds but his anger had gotten the better of him.
Ric cocked his brow and gave his brother a questioning look. "He speaks for you now? I thought you weren't capable of any thoughts except those that Sonny put in your mouth." He turned and looked at Jason as he continued speaking. "Funny Elizabeth never mentioned your ability for free thought, either." Ric watched as the mention of Elizabeth's name evoked a fire behind Jason's ice cold eyes.
"I don't ever want to hear you say her name." Jason barked as he clenched his fists at his sides. "You are the monster that let Faith poison your own wife!" Carly had recounted to Sonny and him how Ric hadn't believed her when she had told him what Faith had done. It was just one more thing in the long list of offenses Ric had perpetrated against the woman he claimed to love so dearly.
"What's the matter Morgan? You can't really think that Elizabeth is falling for this grieving soul act of yours?" Ric questioned in his own taunting way. He was well aware of Jason's feelings for his sister. She had been the one Quartermaine that still kept him even remotely tied to that family. "We all know your damaged brain can't feel ANYTHING!" Ric stressed that word. "At least Elizabeth knows when I tell her I love her it's more than just words someone taught me to say."
Jason had had enough and with Ric's last remark he lunged at him wrapping his hands securely around Ric's throat. He hadn't felt this much anger surge through him since he had woken up from the accident and couldn't wrap his mind around what he was supposed to feel.
"Jason..JASON!" Sonny tried his best to put his body between the two men. "Jason, man STOP! Look at where we are." Sonny gestured to the hallowed walls that surrounded them. "This isn't the place for it."
Suddenly, Jason's head snapped back and Emily's open coffin came into view. He was mortified at his actions. In her life he had always kept his business away from her but in her death he was doing the exact opposite, yet he couldn't discern if this wasn't more personal than it was business. He dropped his hands from around Ric's neck and left the church without looking back.
"Jason," Sonny called to his retreating back. "Jason!" Sonny called to his friend as he glared at his brother. "This isn't over Ric," he said in a menacing tone.
"No it's not." Ric concurred as Sonny walked out of the church in search of Jason.
Sonny made his way outside just in time to see the red taillights of Jason's motorcycle heading off into the distance. "Damn," he muttered as he looked back inside St. Michael's. Ric was gone. Sonny descended the stairs to where his limo sat. It comforted him to at least know that his wife and Elizabeth were safe within the confines of the penthouse. They had guards with orders to shoot Ric Lansing on sight if he dared set foot in the building.
That order had been the hardest one that Sonny had ever given. He had to protect his family - would do anything to protect Carly, their unborn child and Michael but it pained him still to know that that order would kill his mother's other son. If he had known where Jason might have gone Sonny would have had Marco follow but since he didn't he headed home to wait for him instead.
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Elizabeth climbed into Sonny's limo after Carly. The two women sat quietly during the ride to the Corinthos penthouse. There was no love loss between them. Carly had made it perfectly clear that she would never accept Elizabeth in Jason's life. Elizabeth hadn't cared about what Carly thought but she did know that it made things difficult for Jason from time to time.
Elizabeth sat wondering and worrying about what was happening back at St. Michael's. She recalled Jason's reaction to Ric the day in the hospital corridor and could only imagine what might happen next. There was a part of her that wanted Ric Lansing dead. She no longer wanted to have to wait for him to pop up out of nowhere and beg for her love and forgiveness. She didn't want to have to be reminded of how foolish, stupid even, she had been for believing one lie after another that he told.
It frightened her that she wished another human dead. In all the times she had tried to wrap her mind around what Jason's job was for Sonny and couldn't, suddenly having Jason act on his boss' orders for offing Ric Lansing didn't seem all that bad. In the last several months she had come to a greater understanding of the bigger picture of life. No longer did she see things in such a black and white manner. She finally understood the grays that Jason had always been trying to get her to see.
"Ladies," Max said as he opened the door for them to exit the limo.
"I'd like to go to my studio." Elizabeth didn't want to be in Sonny's penthouse with Carly anymore than Carly wanted to have her there. Not to mention that Elizabeth just wanted to be alone with her memories of the past - Emily and Jason.
"Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan asked that you stay here until they arrive." Carly groaned at Max's remark.
"This isn't negotiable is it?"
"I'm afraid not." Max smiled weakly. He recalled how much Elizabeth never liked the guards and not being free to come and go as she pleased.
"Fine," she relented and followed them to the elevator.
Immediately upon entering the penthouse Carly headed for the stairs. Elizabeth was relieved. She wasn't up for being grilled Carly style. And she also didn't want to have be forced to look at the woman her husband held hostage right under her nose. Jason said that they didn't blame her but she couldn't believe that. In her mind how could they not? She knew that she would have if she had been in their position.
Elizabeth made her way to the mantle adorned with photos. Some were of Bobbie and Lucas, Michael, Sonny and Carly, but her eyes rested on the one of Jason. She wasn't able to take her eyes off of it. Absently she lifted the frame from its resting-place. How could she have ever walked away from him? They had just found their way back to one another and rather than letting Jason explain she threw it all away. She claimed not being able to trust him but look where she ended up - with a man who claimed to love her yet lied to her at every turn.
"Put that back." Carly's voice interrupted Elizabeth's thoughts.
"Sorry." Quickly she returned it to its place on the mantle.
"You think that being sorry is enough?" Elizabeth knew that Carly's question had nothing to do with the picture frame she had been holding.
"I don't know what else to say," Elizabeth admitted honestly wishing that there was some way for her to make up for what Ric had done all in the name of his great love for her.
"You don't know what to say? Now isn't that a first?" Carly spouted in disbelief. "Up until you found me chained to a wall you had lots of things to say. You couldn't do anything but sing your husband's praises. All the while he was playing you for some fool."
Elizabeth knew Carly had every right to her anger. She even understood it but that didn't make it hurt any less.
"I was wrong about Ric." Elizabeth whispered.
"WRONG!" Carly nearly shrieked. "You could have used that excuse the first dozen times we all tried to tell you what a sick bastard Ric was but that doesn't wash anymore."
"I know Carly. I know. I can't change any of that now. What do you want to hear from me? How stupid I was? How naïve? How blind I was to all of the strangeness going on right under my nose?" Elizabeth's voice rose with each question. "I was all of those things Carly and more. I was stupid to believe that he had changed. I was so eager to believe that my love was enough to change him that I let it blind me. I'm sorry that you got caught in the cross fire of my mess." Elizabeth wholeheartedly meant those words of apology knowing full well that Carly Corinthos would never accept them.
Carly did feel sorry for the girl standing before her. She had watched what hell Elizabeth had endured at the hands of Ric. She knew that he had been the master manipulator but right now she couldn't see past the terror that he had inflicted on her. "You think a mere apology is enough to make up for me being chained to a wall for months? You think that it can just take away the fear that Michael endured watching Ric drag his mommy away? You think that just an 'I'm sorry' from the miss perfect Elizabeth Weber is going to fix it all? You think that it makes up for me almost losing my baby?" Carly yelled resting her hands on her belly.
"I lost my baby!" Elizabeth countered with a similar yell. "You think that this is easy for me? You think that I want to look at myself every day and know what a mess I have made of my life? Don't you think that I know what I walked away from?" Elizabeth's voice escalated to a feverish pitch.
"You lost your chance with him!" Carly said knowing who Elizabeth was talking about. "You'll never get it back. You think that since you can share grief over Emily's death that you can have him again - YOU CAN'T! He's not going to love you! No one's going to ever love you Elizabeth!" Carly's hurtful words stung and brought a new rush of tears to Elizabeth's eyes. She had no comeback for them her only instinct was to flee the penthouse and in doing so she ran smack into Jason's chest.