Sorry it has been so long between updates. Sigh, the cost of a college education- is it really worth it?

Anyway, thanks again to all those who take the time to review, I get all warm and fuzzy when I read them. And I mean that seriously.

Chapter Eleven

"Well.. I have to go, um, wash my hair. I'll see you later." Over the years, Carly had learned when to beat a hasty retreat, and the way Elizabeth and Jason were eying each other, she knew now was one of those times. Jason slipped into Carly's seat, but he and Liz seemed otherwise oblivious to her absence.

Liz spoke first. "I mean something to you?

Jason's lips quirked, "Something? Yes, you mean Ôsomething.

"You know what I mean!" She leaned forward, watching his face, which became serious again.

"You mean everything to me, Liz. You always have." He voiced the words with conviction, tired of dancing around the truth. Her eyes glowed, and she started to say something, but he forestalled her. "Wait, don't say anything. Just come with me, okay?" She nodded; thinking she would always, go anywhere, Jason asked her too.

They stood at the bluff that Jason had come to think of as "their" spot. He hadn't been there since Elizabeth had walked out of his apartment, following Sonny's "resurrection." Liz stood silently, waiting for him to explain what was going on.

She didn't have to wait long. He turned to her, asking, "You trust me, right?

"Of course I trust you," she burst out, then covered her mouth with a hand, "Sorry." She whispered from behind the barrier. He took her hand away from her face, and grasped it in his. "I have to tell you something, and I need you to take it on faith. The doctors said that you needed to remember this last year on your own, so I can't explain any why's.

She looked at him worriedly, but said, "Jason, right now I'm taking my whole life on faith, and that includes you. If you tell me something is so, then I'll know it's the truth.

Jason sat them both at a bench. "Elizabeth, I know you assumed that Ric was the father of your child, but he's not." Her eyes widened until the whites shown all around her pupil. "I am." She blinked.

"Huh," Elizabeth turned to look out over the gorge. Nodding her head, "huh. Interesting. Really, totally, did not see that coming.

Concerned by her reaction, he angled his body forward, craning his neck to try and see her face, but she saw the movement from the corner of her eye and turned her head away, shielding it from his gaze.

Liz had spent the last few days feeling as if she was walking around in a dream/nightmare. Every time she turned around she was confronted with the consequences of decisions she didn't remember making. If you had asked her a week ago, the week ago she remembered, if she could imagine being pregnant with Jason's child, she would have said it wasn't possible. That their relationship had been torn totally asunder. She would even have acted like it didn't matter, though internally, she had never stopped aching for that missed opportunity.

And now Jason wanted her to take on faith that they had created a child together. She believed him, of course. Obviously the child thing was true, her hand instinctively reached up to cover her stomach. And even if there was a reason to lie, she knew Jason would tell her the truth about this. She finally turned, and allowed him to see her face.

Jason was stunned. She was smiling. She giggled. "Yeah, just, totally out of left-field. She laughed. "But, sure, why not. Why shouldn't you be the father? I mean, I forgot everything else. Why wouldn't I forget our first time?" Her voice broke. "It's no big deal.

"Hey." He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "It was a very big deal. It was beautiful. And you will remember it. Just give it time.

She sighed. "Sure. Time. Jason?

"Yes?

"Does Ric know?" She waited anxiously for his answer.

"I have no idea, Elizabeth." He added reluctantly, "Probably the only way to find out would be to ask Ric.

"Right." Liz wasn't sure if she was ready for that. On top of everything else, she was still reeling from his betrayal. She hadn't talked to Jason about it, because, well, he was Jason, and it was Ric. It was a conversation she didn't imagine ever wanting to have. But it was like a nagging pain in her heart, to have been so wrong about him. She had loved him. No, that wasn't right. She did love him, even if she hated him too. Suddenly tears were rolling down her face.

"Liz? Oh, god Elizabeth. I'm sorry, I did this wrong. I just, didn't know how to do this.

She shook her head in denial. "No, Jason, it's not you fault. I just- can you take me to Lucky's?" His face and heart registered hurt, and she pushed on quickly. "It's not because I don't want to be with you, or that, well, anything like that. I just need something that's the same. I need someone who I can look at the same way.

Jason suddenly understood. "Okay, but, I should warn you-

"OH. MY. GOD." She said, stunned, her tears temporarily stopped. "I slept with Lucky too?!

"No! No, well, at least, not that I know of. I was just going to warn you that he's been living at Laura's house again, and that he's a cop now, just, so you weren't surprised.

She felt almost dizzy with relief. "That's alright then." As the panic receded, the tears began to flow again, as if they had a will of their own. She swiped at them uselessly, and Jason led her back to the car, gently helped he in, and took her to the man that had once been the focus of all his envy. Who was again, as he watched the way Elizabeth went in to Lucky's arms, as if returning to a safe harbor.

Until next time..

Please donate warm fuzzies to the author. Review!