Second Chances: Chaos
The sound the latch made as it came into contact with the door frame was all Elizabeth needed to hear for her tears to begin falling – first silently then turning into uncontrollable sobs that filled the sparse living room. Standing just beyond the heavy wooden door Max was still able to hear the clear reverberation of Elizabeth's cries. It took all he had not to leave his post to see if she was all right. Hearing her cry broke his heart. After all that she and his boss had been through to finally be together – Max wondered if they would ever catch a much needed break.
Elizabeth drew her legs close to her chest wrapping her arms around her shins letting her chin rest on her knees. All she could do was stare straight ahead in her best attempt at aligning her thoughts. Jason had just been arrested. She had watched Taggert handcuff the man she loved and drag him out of his own home. Just moments before all of it she had been lying securely in Jason's arms. Now suddenly she was sitting there alone fearing for the man who had come to be her everything. In her mind she knew that Jason had been through far worse and had come out of all of it unscathed. Elizabeth knew that Justus was a stellar attorney who knew the ins and outs of the world Jason and Sonny lived. Yet for her Ric was the wild card in this all. She knew exactly what her ex-husband was capable of and going after Jason by any means possible wasn't beyond the realm of his thinking.
Elizabeth stood up and began pacing the floor looking for any way to expend the nervous energy that filled her. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to going to the PCPD to support Jason wasn't an option. In fact knowing Taggert she was sure it would only serve to make matters worse. But sitting there alone in the penthouse wasn't an alternative either. She was already going stir crazy and Jason had been gone less than a half-hour. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the photo of Sonny and his family that sat high up on the mantel. It now dawned her that Jason had made no mention to Max of clueing in Sonny to what was going on. That confused her but then again the state of Jason's friendship with Sonny Corinthos as of late was confusing. For Elizabeth it was almost like all those years before when she had found Jason shot. He hadn't wanted to discuss what had happened to his relationship with Sonny then and it was very similar now. The only difference for Elizabeth this time around was that she was much better at reading Jason now. He carried the same distant look in his clear blue eyes now as he had then. It was a look of betrayal. Elizabeth was all too familiar with such a look. She had seen it mirrored in her own eyes on more occasions than she cared to recall.
She let out a heavy sigh as her eyes came to rest on the picture of her, Jason and Emily from years ago. A lump began to grow in her throat as reality that Emily was gone hit her again. Somehow being with Jason had eased that loss in a way she couldn't explain but witnessing the pleasure Detective Taggert had taken in slapping his handcuffs on Jason and dragging him off to the police station had Elizabeth fearing the worst. What if this was the one time that Taggert would get his way? What if somehow Justus couldn't make it all go away as he had done so many times before? The burning question that Elizabeth hadn't let her self think about finally pushed its way to the surface – what if she lost Jason? That notion wasn't even remotely acceptable to her. Hell would freeze over first before she was going to lose him because of something Ric had ultimately set in motion months ago. Elizabeth was well aware of the fact that Jason wouldn't like what she was about to do but she had no choice but to approach Sonny.
After changing out of her pajamas Elizabeth stood before the door to Sonny and Carly's penthouse. Johnny gave her a nod as she knocked softly suddenly losing her nerve but before she could turn tail and run the door swung open revealing Carly's very pregnant form.
"Elizabeth?" Carly's questioned.
"I need to speak to Sonny." Elizabeth spoke firmly.
"Come in." Carly ushered the younger woman into the room. "He's in the kitchen. Sonny!" she called to him from where she stood. "Why don't you sit down?" Carly suggested sensing that something was definitely wrong.
"What – you need to be quiet Carly or the soufflé will fall....oh Elizabeth," Sonny stopped short when he saw the petite brunette in the middle of his living room.
"Jason's been arrested," she said before either of them could say a word.
"WHAT??" the pair said in unison.
"On what charge?" Sonny questioned knowing full well that he hadn't sent Jason out on jobs in weeks.
"Assault and battery."
"Assault and battery?" Sonny parroted. "Of who?"
Elizabeth hesitated for a second knowing full well the name that was about to slip passed her lips was the root of the troubles between the mob boss and his enforcer. "Ric," she whispered finally.
"Damn!" Sonny growled.
Carly stood quietly watching her husband's reaction. She feared this day would come. Feared that Sonny's unyielding position concerning his mother's other son would cost him the only true brother he had.
"Taggert came storming into the penthouse with a warrant. He handcuffed Jason and well...." Elizabeth's voice faltered as she caught the sob that was threatening escape in her throat. She certainly didn't need to break down in front of either of them. "Max called Justus, but...." Elizabeth wavered once more.
Sonny's stare was fixated on Elizabeth. Emotions of anger and concern played tug of war with his brain. What the hell had Jason done? He knew that Ric was off limits. What was he thinking? It was then Sonny averted his gaze to Carly and he understood clearing what Jason Morgan was thinking.
"Sonny," Elizabeth's soft questioning voice brought his attention back to her. "I don't know what's going on with the two...."
"I'm going," he said before she could finish her thought. He glanced at Carly who was reading her husband's mind.
"Go, you need to go." She assured him.
Before reaching for his suit jacket draped over the back of a chair Sonny turned and looked at Elizabeth. "You need to stay here until I get back." The last thing he needed right now was for Faith to take another pot shot at her.
"I'll just go back to Jason's and wait," she said following behind him.
"I'd feel better if you would just stay here," Sonny stressed.
Elizabeth looked back at Carly sitting on the velveteen sofa and felt her stomach roll end over end. Leaving her and Carly alone in a room never turned out good. However she nodded in agreement as Sonny closed the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason sat inside the PCPD's interrogation room as he had done on numerous other occasions. He focused his steely gaze on the two-way mirror knowing full well that Marcus Taggert was doing the same. While Jason's face was vacant of any readable expression his mind was full of questions – questions about Ric Lansing.
Jason hadn't been able to speak to Max before the elevator doors closed other than to have him call Justus for him and that bothered him. A knot in the enforcer's stomach tightened at the thought that somehow Lansing had managed to free himself from his prison. It didn't bother Jason that Ric had had a death wish by having the audacity to actually file charges against him it was the idea that Ric was free to again approach Elizabeth that made Jason's mind race. He was unable to control the wild thoughts that besieged him. The notion of remaining calm, cool and collected was a difficult one for Jason. It seemed anytime that Elizabeth was added to the equation the demeanor that he was famous for became null and void.
"I'm here to speak with my client." Jason heard Justus' voice just beyond the door before it swung open.
"You're going down Morgan," Taggert said almost gleefully.
Justus waited for the sound of the closing door behind him before speaking. "What the hell is this all about? Max called and said you'd been arrested on assault and battery charges? That's so not like you Jason."
"Make them go away. I need to get out of here," Jason said so matter of fact.
"I'd love to if I knew what the hell I was dealing with." Justus leaned forward looking his client, his cousin square in the eye.
"Ric Lansing."
Justus let out a deep sigh at the name. He was well aware of what Sonny's half brother was capable. The file Jason had complied on Ric and given to him to read was over two inches thick and contained a laundry list of offenses committed by the man. "Can you be a little more specific man?" Justus was already tired of Jason's monosyllabic approach at conversation.
Jason rubbed his free hand against his face not even sure where to begin the tale. Yet he found a way. Justus listened as he filled in the gaps that Ric's file hadn't held. "You did this without Sonny's knowledge?" Justus questioned noticeably stunned by that fact.
"Yes. I couldn't make him understand and I wasn't about to wait for something else to happen. I could have lost Elizabeth twice now because Lansing just doesn't know when to quit." Jason made no apologies for his actions.
"You know you really fucked up here though. Leaving a man still breathing isn't really like you Jason."
"I know." He chastised himself for running out leaving the job unfinished but after hearing about the drive by shooting his only thoughts had been about only Elizabeth and getting to her.
"How the hell did Lansing get away and more importantly what on earth possessed him to turn you in?" Justus asked knowing full well that both were rhetorical in nature.
"I don't know and frankly I don't care at this point. You just need to get me out of here. I don't like leaving Elizabeth vulnerable."
"Understood." Justus nodded. "Before I can do anything I need to see the evidence the cops have against you." Just as the attorney was standing up and reaching for the door Sonny entered the small room very much to Jason's surprise.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carly looked on as Elizabeth paced in front of the French doors that led to the terrace only stopping momentarily to see if Jason and Sonny were home. "Why don't you come sit down?" she suggested.
"I don't want to sit down," Elizabeth stated.
"How about a drink or something?"
"I don't need you to play hostess Carly," Elizabeth said sarcastically. "I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. I'm well aware of what you think of me."
Carly chose to ignore the opening she would have once used to spew her list of reasons why Elizabeth was wrong for Jason.
Much to Elizabeth's shock Carly remained silent only pouring herself and her guest a glass of orange juice. "Here." Carly offered it to her. "Sonny says it's good for you," she said with a weak smile.
Elizabeth accepted the glass and returned Carly's smile with one of her own despite trying not too. She had a pang jealousy run through her as she watched Carly waddle her way back to the sofa. Instinctively she laid her hand against her own flat stomach and recalled the life she had lost.
"I'm sorry you lost your baby," Carly said as though she was reading her mind. "You do know that Sonny would have never pushed you down the steps?" She half stated half questioned.
"I know," Elizabeth whispered. She had been the one to sit with Sonny the day that Carly had lost their baby in a very similar situation. She knew how devastated he was by that loss and in her heart she understood that he would have never inflicted that pain on another. He may have been many things but that cruel wasn't one of them. "I tried to make Ric understand... but he just couldn't – wouldn't listen."
Carly nodded. She had been privy to Ric's rants about how Sonny had cost him his child and that he was going to pay for that. She understood that no amount of rationale made him change his mind.
"I know you think I was a fool to not know he was holding you in our home." Elizabeth looked down as she spoke afraid to meet the other woman's eyes. "I swear to you Carly I didn't know. I should have listened to Jason the first time he approached me about it. I just couldn't. I didn't want to believe that Ric was lying. I wanted so desperately to believe that he had put his vendetta against Sonny aside. I wanted to believe that he had changed. None of this would be happening if I had just let Jason explain...." As hard as she tried to stop them the tears escaped her eyes just the same.
"Jason's arrest. He went after Ric?" Carly asked ignoring Elizabeth's talk about her time in the panic room. She still wasn't able to completely forgive the tiny brunette sitting across from her. Carly knew it would be a long time before she would be able to put that behind her.
"Yes. I knew when he left the penthouse two days ago he was going after Ric then when he never came home..."
"That's when you came over here looking for Jason." Carly finished her thought for her.
"Yes. I was hoping Sonny knew where he was. I wanted him to be out on some business for him...."
"So now what you are going to use this as another reason to leave Jason? He didn't act the way you wanted him to so he's not worthy of your love?" Carly's fangs were drawn again in defense of her long time friend. Admittedly old habits died hard for her.
Elizabeth could have kicked herself for allowing herself to be lulled into believing that she and Carly could even be civil to one another. She squared her shoulders and stared down the blonde banshee before speaking. "Jason could have killed Ric for all I care! That wouldn't have changed how I feel about him. I love him!" Elizabeth said deliberately.
That declaration stunned Carly into silence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you doing here?" Jason asked Sonny.
"I'm going to get that information I need," Justus said leaving the pair alone.
"Elizabeth came over and told me you had been arresting for assaulting Ric."
"And what you are here to ball me out about it?" Jason was immediately defensive.
"What the hell's going on with you Jason? You're never this sloppy."
Jason wasn't sure how to answer those remarks. They weren't at all what he was expecting.
"This is all you have?" Justus said as he and Detective Taggert marched into the interrogation room joining Sonny and Jason.
"It's all I need counselor. It's a signed complaint against anger boy....I mean Mr. Morgan."
"Like hell it's all you need Detective!" Justus countered. "It's your complainant's word against my client's. It's circumstantial at best and you know it."
"Can't you ever give it a rest Taggert?" Sonny inquired as he shook his head.
Justus laid the papers that Ric had signed on the table. Jason could see the tell tell signs of blood smeared on them just below the signature. He suppressed a smile knowing full well that the nylon ropes Ric had been tied to the chair with had done significant damage.
"Can you put my client anywhere near Mr. Lansing at the time in question? Do you have a single witness that can attest to the altercation that Mr. Lansing says happened between him and my client?" Justus fired off his questions.
"Morgan isn't one for witnesses if you know what I mean?" Taggert gave Justus a knowing wink.
"Jason's been working with Max and Johnny on the warehouse books for the last couple of days. When he's not with them he's with Elizabeth," Sonny stated.
"Oh right...so you expect me to believe the statements of a mob moll and your lackeys Corinthos?" Taggert snorted.
Jason tightened his jaw and clenched his fists at the reference to Elizabeth as a mob moll. Easily Sonny rested his hand on Jason's shoulder knowing the storm brewing within his friend.
"Apparently detective you have no real evidence to hold my client any longer. All you truly have is the word of a man with revenge running through his veins. All you have is a jilted husband looking to make trouble for the man his ex-wife is now in love with. Not a case that will hold up in court."
"I have enough to hold him!" Taggert pressed.
"Well let's find out if your superiors agree with you, shall we? I'm sure that Mac Scorpio would be interested to hear about the million dollar law suit I intend to file against you and the department for its harassment of my client. Shall we go find him?" Justus made a sweeping motion with his hand toward the door.
Taggert swallowed the angry roar that hung in his throat as he removed the handcuffs from Jason's wrist. He couldn't risk the reprimand from Mac since he had been warned several times already about his persistent need to hound both Corinthos and Morgan. "You're free to go," he said nearly choking on those words.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Cat got your tongue Carly?" Elizabeth said to the woman standing before her with the deer in the headlights look in her eyes.
"You're not angry with Jason for going after Ric?" Carly was having trouble wrapping her mind around that thought. It wasn't at all what she had expected to hear.
"No."
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight. You knew that Jason was going after Ric and you just let him?"
"I guess so. I didn't know for sure but I have my suspicions."
Carly was utterly dumbfounded. "I can't believe it."
"What's not to believe? For all that Ric's done I thought you of all people would be jumping for joy at the thought of Ric being eradicated from the picture."
"I would...I am...I just..."
"Just what Carly? Shocked to find out I'm not as pure as you once thought me to be. I told you before I am nobody's angel. You just didn't want to believe me. It was easier to believe that Jason's only feelings for me were gratitude and mine for him were only those of being his savior. You were wrong about me then and you are wrong about me now. You wanted me to run from Jason over this so you could say I told you so to him. Well it's not going to happen, Carly. I am done running away from the best thing that's ever happened to me."
With that being said Elizabeth turned and headed for the doorway. She didn't care that Sonny wanted her to stay there and wait for him. She couldn't be in the same room with Carly any longer. It was the sound of glass shattering on the floor and Carly's voice crying out in pain that had Elizabeth stop in her tracks. She swung around to see Carly crumpled against the sofa with her hands cradling her abdomen.
"Carly!?!?!" Elizabeth rushed to the pregnant woman's side. "Carly?" The panicked look in her eyes told Elizabeth all she needed to know. "Hang on!" She rushed across the room and threw open the door her voice bouncing off the walls as she screamed. "MAX....JOHNNY....FRANCIS.....ANYONE!!!!!!!!"
The sound the latch made as it came into contact with the door frame was all Elizabeth needed to hear for her tears to begin falling – first silently then turning into uncontrollable sobs that filled the sparse living room. Standing just beyond the heavy wooden door Max was still able to hear the clear reverberation of Elizabeth's cries. It took all he had not to leave his post to see if she was all right. Hearing her cry broke his heart. After all that she and his boss had been through to finally be together – Max wondered if they would ever catch a much needed break.
Elizabeth drew her legs close to her chest wrapping her arms around her shins letting her chin rest on her knees. All she could do was stare straight ahead in her best attempt at aligning her thoughts. Jason had just been arrested. She had watched Taggert handcuff the man she loved and drag him out of his own home. Just moments before all of it she had been lying securely in Jason's arms. Now suddenly she was sitting there alone fearing for the man who had come to be her everything. In her mind she knew that Jason had been through far worse and had come out of all of it unscathed. Elizabeth knew that Justus was a stellar attorney who knew the ins and outs of the world Jason and Sonny lived. Yet for her Ric was the wild card in this all. She knew exactly what her ex-husband was capable of and going after Jason by any means possible wasn't beyond the realm of his thinking.
Elizabeth stood up and began pacing the floor looking for any way to expend the nervous energy that filled her. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to going to the PCPD to support Jason wasn't an option. In fact knowing Taggert she was sure it would only serve to make matters worse. But sitting there alone in the penthouse wasn't an alternative either. She was already going stir crazy and Jason had been gone less than a half-hour. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the photo of Sonny and his family that sat high up on the mantel. It now dawned her that Jason had made no mention to Max of clueing in Sonny to what was going on. That confused her but then again the state of Jason's friendship with Sonny Corinthos as of late was confusing. For Elizabeth it was almost like all those years before when she had found Jason shot. He hadn't wanted to discuss what had happened to his relationship with Sonny then and it was very similar now. The only difference for Elizabeth this time around was that she was much better at reading Jason now. He carried the same distant look in his clear blue eyes now as he had then. It was a look of betrayal. Elizabeth was all too familiar with such a look. She had seen it mirrored in her own eyes on more occasions than she cared to recall.
She let out a heavy sigh as her eyes came to rest on the picture of her, Jason and Emily from years ago. A lump began to grow in her throat as reality that Emily was gone hit her again. Somehow being with Jason had eased that loss in a way she couldn't explain but witnessing the pleasure Detective Taggert had taken in slapping his handcuffs on Jason and dragging him off to the police station had Elizabeth fearing the worst. What if this was the one time that Taggert would get his way? What if somehow Justus couldn't make it all go away as he had done so many times before? The burning question that Elizabeth hadn't let her self think about finally pushed its way to the surface – what if she lost Jason? That notion wasn't even remotely acceptable to her. Hell would freeze over first before she was going to lose him because of something Ric had ultimately set in motion months ago. Elizabeth was well aware of the fact that Jason wouldn't like what she was about to do but she had no choice but to approach Sonny.
After changing out of her pajamas Elizabeth stood before the door to Sonny and Carly's penthouse. Johnny gave her a nod as she knocked softly suddenly losing her nerve but before she could turn tail and run the door swung open revealing Carly's very pregnant form.
"Elizabeth?" Carly's questioned.
"I need to speak to Sonny." Elizabeth spoke firmly.
"Come in." Carly ushered the younger woman into the room. "He's in the kitchen. Sonny!" she called to him from where she stood. "Why don't you sit down?" Carly suggested sensing that something was definitely wrong.
"What – you need to be quiet Carly or the soufflé will fall....oh Elizabeth," Sonny stopped short when he saw the petite brunette in the middle of his living room.
"Jason's been arrested," she said before either of them could say a word.
"WHAT??" the pair said in unison.
"On what charge?" Sonny questioned knowing full well that he hadn't sent Jason out on jobs in weeks.
"Assault and battery."
"Assault and battery?" Sonny parroted. "Of who?"
Elizabeth hesitated for a second knowing full well the name that was about to slip passed her lips was the root of the troubles between the mob boss and his enforcer. "Ric," she whispered finally.
"Damn!" Sonny growled.
Carly stood quietly watching her husband's reaction. She feared this day would come. Feared that Sonny's unyielding position concerning his mother's other son would cost him the only true brother he had.
"Taggert came storming into the penthouse with a warrant. He handcuffed Jason and well...." Elizabeth's voice faltered as she caught the sob that was threatening escape in her throat. She certainly didn't need to break down in front of either of them. "Max called Justus, but...." Elizabeth wavered once more.
Sonny's stare was fixated on Elizabeth. Emotions of anger and concern played tug of war with his brain. What the hell had Jason done? He knew that Ric was off limits. What was he thinking? It was then Sonny averted his gaze to Carly and he understood clearing what Jason Morgan was thinking.
"Sonny," Elizabeth's soft questioning voice brought his attention back to her. "I don't know what's going on with the two...."
"I'm going," he said before she could finish her thought. He glanced at Carly who was reading her husband's mind.
"Go, you need to go." She assured him.
Before reaching for his suit jacket draped over the back of a chair Sonny turned and looked at Elizabeth. "You need to stay here until I get back." The last thing he needed right now was for Faith to take another pot shot at her.
"I'll just go back to Jason's and wait," she said following behind him.
"I'd feel better if you would just stay here," Sonny stressed.
Elizabeth looked back at Carly sitting on the velveteen sofa and felt her stomach roll end over end. Leaving her and Carly alone in a room never turned out good. However she nodded in agreement as Sonny closed the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason sat inside the PCPD's interrogation room as he had done on numerous other occasions. He focused his steely gaze on the two-way mirror knowing full well that Marcus Taggert was doing the same. While Jason's face was vacant of any readable expression his mind was full of questions – questions about Ric Lansing.
Jason hadn't been able to speak to Max before the elevator doors closed other than to have him call Justus for him and that bothered him. A knot in the enforcer's stomach tightened at the thought that somehow Lansing had managed to free himself from his prison. It didn't bother Jason that Ric had had a death wish by having the audacity to actually file charges against him it was the idea that Ric was free to again approach Elizabeth that made Jason's mind race. He was unable to control the wild thoughts that besieged him. The notion of remaining calm, cool and collected was a difficult one for Jason. It seemed anytime that Elizabeth was added to the equation the demeanor that he was famous for became null and void.
"I'm here to speak with my client." Jason heard Justus' voice just beyond the door before it swung open.
"You're going down Morgan," Taggert said almost gleefully.
Justus waited for the sound of the closing door behind him before speaking. "What the hell is this all about? Max called and said you'd been arrested on assault and battery charges? That's so not like you Jason."
"Make them go away. I need to get out of here," Jason said so matter of fact.
"I'd love to if I knew what the hell I was dealing with." Justus leaned forward looking his client, his cousin square in the eye.
"Ric Lansing."
Justus let out a deep sigh at the name. He was well aware of what Sonny's half brother was capable. The file Jason had complied on Ric and given to him to read was over two inches thick and contained a laundry list of offenses committed by the man. "Can you be a little more specific man?" Justus was already tired of Jason's monosyllabic approach at conversation.
Jason rubbed his free hand against his face not even sure where to begin the tale. Yet he found a way. Justus listened as he filled in the gaps that Ric's file hadn't held. "You did this without Sonny's knowledge?" Justus questioned noticeably stunned by that fact.
"Yes. I couldn't make him understand and I wasn't about to wait for something else to happen. I could have lost Elizabeth twice now because Lansing just doesn't know when to quit." Jason made no apologies for his actions.
"You know you really fucked up here though. Leaving a man still breathing isn't really like you Jason."
"I know." He chastised himself for running out leaving the job unfinished but after hearing about the drive by shooting his only thoughts had been about only Elizabeth and getting to her.
"How the hell did Lansing get away and more importantly what on earth possessed him to turn you in?" Justus asked knowing full well that both were rhetorical in nature.
"I don't know and frankly I don't care at this point. You just need to get me out of here. I don't like leaving Elizabeth vulnerable."
"Understood." Justus nodded. "Before I can do anything I need to see the evidence the cops have against you." Just as the attorney was standing up and reaching for the door Sonny entered the small room very much to Jason's surprise.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carly looked on as Elizabeth paced in front of the French doors that led to the terrace only stopping momentarily to see if Jason and Sonny were home. "Why don't you come sit down?" she suggested.
"I don't want to sit down," Elizabeth stated.
"How about a drink or something?"
"I don't need you to play hostess Carly," Elizabeth said sarcastically. "I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. I'm well aware of what you think of me."
Carly chose to ignore the opening she would have once used to spew her list of reasons why Elizabeth was wrong for Jason.
Much to Elizabeth's shock Carly remained silent only pouring herself and her guest a glass of orange juice. "Here." Carly offered it to her. "Sonny says it's good for you," she said with a weak smile.
Elizabeth accepted the glass and returned Carly's smile with one of her own despite trying not too. She had a pang jealousy run through her as she watched Carly waddle her way back to the sofa. Instinctively she laid her hand against her own flat stomach and recalled the life she had lost.
"I'm sorry you lost your baby," Carly said as though she was reading her mind. "You do know that Sonny would have never pushed you down the steps?" She half stated half questioned.
"I know," Elizabeth whispered. She had been the one to sit with Sonny the day that Carly had lost their baby in a very similar situation. She knew how devastated he was by that loss and in her heart she understood that he would have never inflicted that pain on another. He may have been many things but that cruel wasn't one of them. "I tried to make Ric understand... but he just couldn't – wouldn't listen."
Carly nodded. She had been privy to Ric's rants about how Sonny had cost him his child and that he was going to pay for that. She understood that no amount of rationale made him change his mind.
"I know you think I was a fool to not know he was holding you in our home." Elizabeth looked down as she spoke afraid to meet the other woman's eyes. "I swear to you Carly I didn't know. I should have listened to Jason the first time he approached me about it. I just couldn't. I didn't want to believe that Ric was lying. I wanted so desperately to believe that he had put his vendetta against Sonny aside. I wanted to believe that he had changed. None of this would be happening if I had just let Jason explain...." As hard as she tried to stop them the tears escaped her eyes just the same.
"Jason's arrest. He went after Ric?" Carly asked ignoring Elizabeth's talk about her time in the panic room. She still wasn't able to completely forgive the tiny brunette sitting across from her. Carly knew it would be a long time before she would be able to put that behind her.
"Yes. I knew when he left the penthouse two days ago he was going after Ric then when he never came home..."
"That's when you came over here looking for Jason." Carly finished her thought for her.
"Yes. I was hoping Sonny knew where he was. I wanted him to be out on some business for him...."
"So now what you are going to use this as another reason to leave Jason? He didn't act the way you wanted him to so he's not worthy of your love?" Carly's fangs were drawn again in defense of her long time friend. Admittedly old habits died hard for her.
Elizabeth could have kicked herself for allowing herself to be lulled into believing that she and Carly could even be civil to one another. She squared her shoulders and stared down the blonde banshee before speaking. "Jason could have killed Ric for all I care! That wouldn't have changed how I feel about him. I love him!" Elizabeth said deliberately.
That declaration stunned Carly into silence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you doing here?" Jason asked Sonny.
"I'm going to get that information I need," Justus said leaving the pair alone.
"Elizabeth came over and told me you had been arresting for assaulting Ric."
"And what you are here to ball me out about it?" Jason was immediately defensive.
"What the hell's going on with you Jason? You're never this sloppy."
Jason wasn't sure how to answer those remarks. They weren't at all what he was expecting.
"This is all you have?" Justus said as he and Detective Taggert marched into the interrogation room joining Sonny and Jason.
"It's all I need counselor. It's a signed complaint against anger boy....I mean Mr. Morgan."
"Like hell it's all you need Detective!" Justus countered. "It's your complainant's word against my client's. It's circumstantial at best and you know it."
"Can't you ever give it a rest Taggert?" Sonny inquired as he shook his head.
Justus laid the papers that Ric had signed on the table. Jason could see the tell tell signs of blood smeared on them just below the signature. He suppressed a smile knowing full well that the nylon ropes Ric had been tied to the chair with had done significant damage.
"Can you put my client anywhere near Mr. Lansing at the time in question? Do you have a single witness that can attest to the altercation that Mr. Lansing says happened between him and my client?" Justus fired off his questions.
"Morgan isn't one for witnesses if you know what I mean?" Taggert gave Justus a knowing wink.
"Jason's been working with Max and Johnny on the warehouse books for the last couple of days. When he's not with them he's with Elizabeth," Sonny stated.
"Oh right...so you expect me to believe the statements of a mob moll and your lackeys Corinthos?" Taggert snorted.
Jason tightened his jaw and clenched his fists at the reference to Elizabeth as a mob moll. Easily Sonny rested his hand on Jason's shoulder knowing the storm brewing within his friend.
"Apparently detective you have no real evidence to hold my client any longer. All you truly have is the word of a man with revenge running through his veins. All you have is a jilted husband looking to make trouble for the man his ex-wife is now in love with. Not a case that will hold up in court."
"I have enough to hold him!" Taggert pressed.
"Well let's find out if your superiors agree with you, shall we? I'm sure that Mac Scorpio would be interested to hear about the million dollar law suit I intend to file against you and the department for its harassment of my client. Shall we go find him?" Justus made a sweeping motion with his hand toward the door.
Taggert swallowed the angry roar that hung in his throat as he removed the handcuffs from Jason's wrist. He couldn't risk the reprimand from Mac since he had been warned several times already about his persistent need to hound both Corinthos and Morgan. "You're free to go," he said nearly choking on those words.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Cat got your tongue Carly?" Elizabeth said to the woman standing before her with the deer in the headlights look in her eyes.
"You're not angry with Jason for going after Ric?" Carly was having trouble wrapping her mind around that thought. It wasn't at all what she had expected to hear.
"No."
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight. You knew that Jason was going after Ric and you just let him?"
"I guess so. I didn't know for sure but I have my suspicions."
Carly was utterly dumbfounded. "I can't believe it."
"What's not to believe? For all that Ric's done I thought you of all people would be jumping for joy at the thought of Ric being eradicated from the picture."
"I would...I am...I just..."
"Just what Carly? Shocked to find out I'm not as pure as you once thought me to be. I told you before I am nobody's angel. You just didn't want to believe me. It was easier to believe that Jason's only feelings for me were gratitude and mine for him were only those of being his savior. You were wrong about me then and you are wrong about me now. You wanted me to run from Jason over this so you could say I told you so to him. Well it's not going to happen, Carly. I am done running away from the best thing that's ever happened to me."
With that being said Elizabeth turned and headed for the doorway. She didn't care that Sonny wanted her to stay there and wait for him. She couldn't be in the same room with Carly any longer. It was the sound of glass shattering on the floor and Carly's voice crying out in pain that had Elizabeth stop in her tracks. She swung around to see Carly crumpled against the sofa with her hands cradling her abdomen.
"Carly!?!?!" Elizabeth rushed to the pregnant woman's side. "Carly?" The panicked look in her eyes told Elizabeth all she needed to know. "Hang on!" She rushed across the room and threw open the door her voice bouncing off the walls as she screamed. "MAX....JOHNNY....FRANCIS.....ANYONE!!!!!!!!"