Second Chances: The Reveal
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sound of the swinging door caused Elizabeth to look up hoping it was Jason. Over the last week he had taken to coming into Kelly's for coffee and sometimes a meal. Since their ride she had felt they had settled into their easy friendship once more. It was a stroke of luck that she had never thought they would be able to have again. She was disappointed to see that the individual entering the little diner wasn't Jason but just another Port Charlian, as Luke liked to call those that lived in the town.
The lunch rush was in full swing leaving Elizabeth little time to stay unhappy about the lack of Jason's presence. She had heard that Faith Roscoe was again making trouble for Sonny with the five families so Elizabeth assumed that Jason would be busy handling the fail out. Still she longed to see him. Jason had a way of making her feel that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to - and she was going to need that for her first meeting with Alexis Davis to discuss her divorce from Ric.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ric stopped short as he entered the courtyard in front of Kelly's. Immediately his eyes were drawn to one of Sonny's goons doing a poor attempt at hiding in plain sight. He shook his head as a smirk filled his face. He knew how much Elizabeth disliked being guarded. She had told him as much when they had first gotten together. He certainly planned on using that information to his advantage.
Ric walked confidently into the other man's line of vision as though he didn't know he was there. He needed him to reveal himself since Ric knew what Jason had instructed the guard to do. Ric smiled again as he saw through the reflection in the glass door the man pull out his cell phone as he walked inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Jason," Max began, "Lansing just went inside Kelly's. How do you want me handle this?"
"Damn him!" Jason spat.
"Do you want me to go inside?" Max questioned. "I could make up some excuse."
"No, stay where you are. Lansing isn't a threat at the moment." Jason couldn't believe he had just heard himself utter those words but part of him couldn't risk Max being revealed. He couldn't chance the fragile start that he and Elizabeth had been making. "Just stay close and the minute things get out of hand you know what to do."
"Yes sir."
Jason leaned back in his leather chair rubbing his hands across his weary face. He had been up for the better part of the previous night going over strategy with Sonny on how to remove Faith Roscoe from their lives - only to have gotten no where. She was like a leech and she wasn't about to let go.
He let his eyes rest on the photo of he, Emily and Elizabeth that was perched on his desk. He wasn't one for photos or any kind of real decorations but having that picture in plain sight felt right to him so he left it. Jason traced the outline of his sister's face not sure he would ever get over her being gone forever. Then his finger moved toward Elizabeth's broad smile. It was the same smile she wore after every one of their rides. The shrill ringing of his cell halted his train of thought.
"Morgan," he said into the mouthpiece. "What? When? I'll be right there." Jason grabbed his jacket and headed for the penthouse door. Faith was up to her old tricks.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ric took a seat at a table he knew was in Elizabeth's section and watched her as she made her way around the room attending to her customers. "Can I help you?" she asked sweetly before looking up to see Ric sitting before her. Immediately her body tensed and that action wasn't lost on him.
"I'd like it if we could talk."
"I don't get paid to talk. I get paid to work."
"I'll take a coffee, black. Is that better? Can we talk now?"
She turned the cup on the table right side up and filled it. "Anything else?"
"You," he said pointedly. "I want you." Ric reached out and tried to touch her but she quickly pulled away. "I've been calling you all week and you don't return my messages..."
"Doesn't that tell you anything?" She cut him off flabbergasted by his perseverance. "I don't have anything to say to you Ric that doesn't require an attorney present."
"What?" He shook his head as though he hadn't heard her correctly.
"I think you heard me. I don't have anything left to say to you. All I want is for this nightmare of a marriage to be over."
Ric wasn't able to hide the pain that flashed in his eyes. She thought their marriage had been a nightmare? "A nightmare?" he questioned her.
"If you aren't going to order, I have other customers I need to get to." The last thing Elizabeth wanted to do was stand in Kelly's and debate the shortcomings of their marriage. She didn't have the time or the energy for it anymore. All she wanted to do was put that part of her life to rest and try to move on.
"Elizabeth, wait." He reached for her arm again this time she wasn't able to break free. "At least let me apologize for the other day at the cemetery. I don't know what got into me..."
"Seems to me you never do!" Elizabeth cut him off as she jerked her arm away with enough force to nearly spill the pot of coffee she was holding in the other hand.
"I didn't mean to frighten you. I just needed you to hear me." Ric's voice pleaded with her to at least give him a chance to explain.
"I've heard enough Ric. How many more lies do you expect me to believe? It's over."
"I'm not the only one who lies to you Elizabeth!" Ric stated firmly as his gaze went to the window. He could see the shadow of the man Jason had tailing her.
"What? What are you talking about?" Elizabeth knew she shouldn't have given anything that fell from Ric's mouth credence but she couldn't help herself.
"I'm not the only who lies to you." He repeated enjoying having the upper hand.
"If you have something to say Ric just say it."
"You think that Jason is such a truthful guy don't you? The mighty Jason Morgan.brain damaged Jason Morgan doesn't lie does he?" Ric enjoyed the pained look that had come to rest on Elizabeth's face. He loved every minute of laying the seeds of doubts toward Jason in her head.
"No he doesn't." Elizabeth agreed even though not that many months ago she had accused Jason of that very act, lying to her, but she wasn't about to give anything away to Ric.
"Well I would rethink that if I were you."
"What the hell are you talking about?" She had had enough of his game playing and riddles.
"Come closer." He instructed.
"Why?"
"Just do it and you will see why in a minute." Elizabeth did as he asked. "See that shadow out there?"
"Yes."
"Do you recognize it?" Before she could answer he continued. "That's one of Sonny's men. He's been tailing you for weeks now."
Elizabeth's mouth fell open. The man Ric was talking about was Max. He had guarded her during the whole Sonny - Alcazar mess.
"So, I take it you didn't know?" Ric sneered glad he got the reaction he was looking for.
It took Elizabeth a minute to regroup from the reveal. She was more than a little angry that she was again being guarded but she couldn't - wouldn't let Ric know that. "Sonny's men come in here all the time. It's nothing for them to be out in the courtyard."
"Oh really?" Ric cocked his brow.
"Yes." She couldn't stop her mind from racing with so many random thoughts. Why was Jason having her followed? Or was it Sonny whose orders Max was complying with? She hadn't a clue but she was about to find out. "Penny," she called to the waitress across the room. "Can you cover me for a while? I have to go out."
Penny gave her a questioning glance but agreed just the same. "Sure."
"Thanks." Elizabeth removed her apron, walked over and laid it on the counter before heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Ric asked innocently.
"None of your business," she muttered preoccupied with her own thoughts.
Ric sat back and watched the exchange between Max and Elizabeth taking place just beyond the doors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth hit him with her acquisition before he ever saw her coming.
"Miss Webber." he stammered. "I was about to come in for lunch."
"Oh really?" Elizabeth didn't believe a word he was saying. Max's expression looked like that of a child who had just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Yeah, what's today's special?" He continued to play his fake reason for lurking outside of Kelly's.
"Crow," she retorted.
"Huh?" He was honestly confused by her response.
"That's what you will be eating when I figure out what's really going on here!" With that said Elizabeth walked ahead of him knowing full well that Max would follow.
"Miss Webber, wait..wait." He finally caught up with her enough to reach for her shoulder to stop her. "Where are you going?"
"To where ever Jason is."
'Shit' Max thought to himself. He was so busted.
"Are you going to take me or should I get a cab?" Max knew, from the many times prior he had guarded Elizabeth that it would be much easier for all concerned if he just did as she asked. And even though he knew that Jason was going to be pissed about all of it he would expect him to do what Elizabeth had wanted.
"Of course I'll take you. The car is around the corner."
Elizabeth and Max rounded the corner and were no longer in Ric's line of sight. He was pleased with himself. Soon enough Jason's little lie would prove to be his downfall and Elizabeth would be back where she belonged - in her husband's arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sound of the swinging door caused Elizabeth to look up hoping it was Jason. Over the last week he had taken to coming into Kelly's for coffee and sometimes a meal. Since their ride she had felt they had settled into their easy friendship once more. It was a stroke of luck that she had never thought they would be able to have again. She was disappointed to see that the individual entering the little diner wasn't Jason but just another Port Charlian, as Luke liked to call those that lived in the town.
The lunch rush was in full swing leaving Elizabeth little time to stay unhappy about the lack of Jason's presence. She had heard that Faith Roscoe was again making trouble for Sonny with the five families so Elizabeth assumed that Jason would be busy handling the fail out. Still she longed to see him. Jason had a way of making her feel that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to - and she was going to need that for her first meeting with Alexis Davis to discuss her divorce from Ric.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ric stopped short as he entered the courtyard in front of Kelly's. Immediately his eyes were drawn to one of Sonny's goons doing a poor attempt at hiding in plain sight. He shook his head as a smirk filled his face. He knew how much Elizabeth disliked being guarded. She had told him as much when they had first gotten together. He certainly planned on using that information to his advantage.
Ric walked confidently into the other man's line of vision as though he didn't know he was there. He needed him to reveal himself since Ric knew what Jason had instructed the guard to do. Ric smiled again as he saw through the reflection in the glass door the man pull out his cell phone as he walked inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Jason," Max began, "Lansing just went inside Kelly's. How do you want me handle this?"
"Damn him!" Jason spat.
"Do you want me to go inside?" Max questioned. "I could make up some excuse."
"No, stay where you are. Lansing isn't a threat at the moment." Jason couldn't believe he had just heard himself utter those words but part of him couldn't risk Max being revealed. He couldn't chance the fragile start that he and Elizabeth had been making. "Just stay close and the minute things get out of hand you know what to do."
"Yes sir."
Jason leaned back in his leather chair rubbing his hands across his weary face. He had been up for the better part of the previous night going over strategy with Sonny on how to remove Faith Roscoe from their lives - only to have gotten no where. She was like a leech and she wasn't about to let go.
He let his eyes rest on the photo of he, Emily and Elizabeth that was perched on his desk. He wasn't one for photos or any kind of real decorations but having that picture in plain sight felt right to him so he left it. Jason traced the outline of his sister's face not sure he would ever get over her being gone forever. Then his finger moved toward Elizabeth's broad smile. It was the same smile she wore after every one of their rides. The shrill ringing of his cell halted his train of thought.
"Morgan," he said into the mouthpiece. "What? When? I'll be right there." Jason grabbed his jacket and headed for the penthouse door. Faith was up to her old tricks.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ric took a seat at a table he knew was in Elizabeth's section and watched her as she made her way around the room attending to her customers. "Can I help you?" she asked sweetly before looking up to see Ric sitting before her. Immediately her body tensed and that action wasn't lost on him.
"I'd like it if we could talk."
"I don't get paid to talk. I get paid to work."
"I'll take a coffee, black. Is that better? Can we talk now?"
She turned the cup on the table right side up and filled it. "Anything else?"
"You," he said pointedly. "I want you." Ric reached out and tried to touch her but she quickly pulled away. "I've been calling you all week and you don't return my messages..."
"Doesn't that tell you anything?" She cut him off flabbergasted by his perseverance. "I don't have anything to say to you Ric that doesn't require an attorney present."
"What?" He shook his head as though he hadn't heard her correctly.
"I think you heard me. I don't have anything left to say to you. All I want is for this nightmare of a marriage to be over."
Ric wasn't able to hide the pain that flashed in his eyes. She thought their marriage had been a nightmare? "A nightmare?" he questioned her.
"If you aren't going to order, I have other customers I need to get to." The last thing Elizabeth wanted to do was stand in Kelly's and debate the shortcomings of their marriage. She didn't have the time or the energy for it anymore. All she wanted to do was put that part of her life to rest and try to move on.
"Elizabeth, wait." He reached for her arm again this time she wasn't able to break free. "At least let me apologize for the other day at the cemetery. I don't know what got into me..."
"Seems to me you never do!" Elizabeth cut him off as she jerked her arm away with enough force to nearly spill the pot of coffee she was holding in the other hand.
"I didn't mean to frighten you. I just needed you to hear me." Ric's voice pleaded with her to at least give him a chance to explain.
"I've heard enough Ric. How many more lies do you expect me to believe? It's over."
"I'm not the only one who lies to you Elizabeth!" Ric stated firmly as his gaze went to the window. He could see the shadow of the man Jason had tailing her.
"What? What are you talking about?" Elizabeth knew she shouldn't have given anything that fell from Ric's mouth credence but she couldn't help herself.
"I'm not the only who lies to you." He repeated enjoying having the upper hand.
"If you have something to say Ric just say it."
"You think that Jason is such a truthful guy don't you? The mighty Jason Morgan.brain damaged Jason Morgan doesn't lie does he?" Ric enjoyed the pained look that had come to rest on Elizabeth's face. He loved every minute of laying the seeds of doubts toward Jason in her head.
"No he doesn't." Elizabeth agreed even though not that many months ago she had accused Jason of that very act, lying to her, but she wasn't about to give anything away to Ric.
"Well I would rethink that if I were you."
"What the hell are you talking about?" She had had enough of his game playing and riddles.
"Come closer." He instructed.
"Why?"
"Just do it and you will see why in a minute." Elizabeth did as he asked. "See that shadow out there?"
"Yes."
"Do you recognize it?" Before she could answer he continued. "That's one of Sonny's men. He's been tailing you for weeks now."
Elizabeth's mouth fell open. The man Ric was talking about was Max. He had guarded her during the whole Sonny - Alcazar mess.
"So, I take it you didn't know?" Ric sneered glad he got the reaction he was looking for.
It took Elizabeth a minute to regroup from the reveal. She was more than a little angry that she was again being guarded but she couldn't - wouldn't let Ric know that. "Sonny's men come in here all the time. It's nothing for them to be out in the courtyard."
"Oh really?" Ric cocked his brow.
"Yes." She couldn't stop her mind from racing with so many random thoughts. Why was Jason having her followed? Or was it Sonny whose orders Max was complying with? She hadn't a clue but she was about to find out. "Penny," she called to the waitress across the room. "Can you cover me for a while? I have to go out."
Penny gave her a questioning glance but agreed just the same. "Sure."
"Thanks." Elizabeth removed her apron, walked over and laid it on the counter before heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Ric asked innocently.
"None of your business," she muttered preoccupied with her own thoughts.
Ric sat back and watched the exchange between Max and Elizabeth taking place just beyond the doors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth hit him with her acquisition before he ever saw her coming.
"Miss Webber." he stammered. "I was about to come in for lunch."
"Oh really?" Elizabeth didn't believe a word he was saying. Max's expression looked like that of a child who had just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Yeah, what's today's special?" He continued to play his fake reason for lurking outside of Kelly's.
"Crow," she retorted.
"Huh?" He was honestly confused by her response.
"That's what you will be eating when I figure out what's really going on here!" With that said Elizabeth walked ahead of him knowing full well that Max would follow.
"Miss Webber, wait..wait." He finally caught up with her enough to reach for her shoulder to stop her. "Where are you going?"
"To where ever Jason is."
'Shit' Max thought to himself. He was so busted.
"Are you going to take me or should I get a cab?" Max knew, from the many times prior he had guarded Elizabeth that it would be much easier for all concerned if he just did as she asked. And even though he knew that Jason was going to be pissed about all of it he would expect him to do what Elizabeth had wanted.
"Of course I'll take you. The car is around the corner."
Elizabeth and Max rounded the corner and were no longer in Ric's line of sight. He was pleased with himself. Soon enough Jason's little lie would prove to be his downfall and Elizabeth would be back where she belonged - in her husband's arms.