Chapter Seventeen
"Jason?" Elizabeth burst through the door of the penthouse. "Jason!" The apartment was dark, and for a moment, Elizabeth thought it was empty. A movement, barely visible, caught her eye. "Jason?" She whispered, unsettled.
"Elizabeth." His voice was loud compared to hers. "I assume you've come to pack?"
"Pack?" she echoed. Her mind registered the way he was slurring his words. As her eyes adjusted, she saw him launch himself from his chair and lurch forward.
"Pack! Where's Ric? Is he waiting in the hall?" He walked by her and flung open the door. "Ric?" He yelled, surprised to see only a startled Max before he slammed the door.
"What? Why would Ric be here? Are you drunk?" The questions tumbled out. Elizabeth had never felt like such a fish out of water.
Jason stood, waveringly, by the desk. "Not drunk enough." He paused, and then burst out, "But if you think I'll ever be drunk enough to let Ric raise my child, you are wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong-"He kneeled over, collapsing on the floor with a thud.
Elizabeth sighed. She knew there was no way on earth she'd be able to move him, so she placed a pillow under his head and a blanket over him. After some consideration, she also put a trashcan in easy reach, just in case. When all that was done, she stepped across the hall.
Carly opened the door at her knock. She hissed at Elizabeth. "If you weren't pregnant, I would smack you silly, you stupid bitch." Elizabeth pushed on the door as Carly tried to slam it in her face.
"What in the hell is going on?!" She pushed into Carly's living room.
"You broke his heart, again!' Carly screamed at her. "And don't think I wont make you pay."
Tears of frustration clouded Liz's eyes. "But how?" She wailed. "I don't know what's going on?"
"Oh please. You didn't 'know' that going back to Ric would break Jason's heart?" Carly derided her.
"But I haven't!"
"What?" Carly looked stunned.
"I haven't gone back to Ric. I don't know why everyone keeps saying that." Elizabeth rubbed her forehead, a headache rapidly forming.
"You haven't one back to Ric?" It was Carly's turn to parrot.
"No!"
"Huh." Carly sat on the couch. "Well. Jason thinks you have."
"I know." Elizabeth's tone was dry. "He's lying on the floor, passed out drunk."
Carly was amused. "Really? I've never seen Jason drunk like that before."
"It's something special, alright." Elizabeth sat on the ottoman facing Carly. "Now, why does he think I've gone back to Ric?"
"I don't know. He came stomping through the hall while I was on my way out, and when I ask what was wrong, he mumbled something about you tossing his heart in a blender and having gone back to Ric before slamming the door behind him. He wouldn't open it again, no matter what I said." She paused, "you know, Jason doesn't ever use euphemisms. I bet he was already drinking when I saw him."
Elizabeth sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better go back over and wait for him to wake up. I'm sure everything will work itself out in the morning."
They stood awkwardly. "Well, good luck." Carly said. Elizabeth nodded, and walked slowly across the hall. She let herself in and stared at Jason, still completely out of it. Tenderness overcame her, and she kneeled next to him, running her fingers through his hair and along his jaw.
"Oh Jason," she sighed. "How could you ever think I would leave you again?" She lay down on the floor next to him, inserting herself in his arms, using his shoulder as a pillow. Snuggling up, she remembered the morning after they had slept together. How hurt he had sounded. Sending him away had been so difficult, but she had done it for him.
She had been so happy when she had awoken after their night together. But as she lay there, her face buried in his shoulder, listening to his heart beating, doubts began to overwhelm her. He loved his wife. She was the other woman. Jason was a good man. She knew, if she let him, he would tell Courtney what they had done, and leave her for Elizabeth. He would never admit that he had make a mistake. Especially since she was blind. Elizabeth felt nauseated at the idea that he might be with her out of pity, and she knew that it was up to her to make sure he left, didn't tell anyone, and went back to the life he really wanted.
But it had been so hard. And when she found out she was pregnant. Well. That had been selfish too. Even though her sight had come back, she still knew that any relationship between them would be one of obligation. She didn't want to be a burden, and she didn't want to love a man who loved her for giving him a child. And it had been easy to let Ric take care of her.
She cursed herself for taking that easy way out. Everything was so messed up now. Even as she ranted at herself, she began to drift of into sleep. By anyone's standards, it had been a long day. Even the floor seemed comfortable. She yawned, and closed her eyes, knowing that this might, in any case, be her last chance to sleep in Jason's arms.
When Jason woke up, he was completely disoriented. Was he on the floor? He felt Elizabeth's form in his arms, and wondered briefly if he was going insane. He lay on the floor and stared up at the ceiling, and the previous night came rushing back. Elizabeth. Ric. Ugh. Headache. He felt Elizabeth begin to stir, and quickly extricated himself, fleeing from the room.
The sound of thudding footsteps brought Liz fully awake, She blinked, surprised to note that she had spent the entire night sleeping on the floor.
"Jason?" She called, not moving. There was silence, then the sound of footsteps, she craned her neck around and looked up at him. Silently she reached up a hand, and he pulled her up. Before she could even open her mouth, he started to talk.
"Look, I don't know what-"and before he could finish his sentence, she kissed him. It wasn't the average good-morning-how-are-you type kiss either. No, Jason was pulled into the whirling vortex of a I-love-you-please-spend-the-rest-of-your-life-with-me-and-we'll-live-happily-ever-after type kiss. When she finally pulled back, he stared at her with confusion, and no small amount of interest.
"I'm not going back to Ric." She rushed out.
"No?" Jason felt immensely proud of himself for having uttered a coherent word.
"No. I'm staying here with you, Forever." She said it with conviction, but then worry clouded her face, and she looked down. "If you still want me, that is."
"Hey." He lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "If I were laying cold and dead, I would want you." It was hardly classic romance, but Elizabeth's eyes clouded mistily, and her voice broke, "oh."
Jason kissed her. "I love you." He kissed her again. "I love you." Again. "I love you."
"And I love- oh shit!"
"What?" He grabbed her as she started to fall over.
"The baby. It's time." Just then her water broke. "It's totally time." She looked up to see Jason turn white as a sheet and squeak. And he didn't squeak a word. He just squeaked, "Are you okay?" She asked, amused despite herself. As if her words woke him up, Jason began to issue orders.
"Okay, you sit here." He walked out. Elizabeth hissed with pain and stared out the door after him. Moments later she heard a scuffle, and the sound of Carly's voice, raised with indignation and confusion. Elizabeth would never forget the sight of Jason, his arms around Carly's waste, carrying her through the door like so much laundry, while she demanded to be told what was going on. "Carly will sit with you." He deposited the other woman on the couch next to Liz, before leaving again, the two women watching him with wide eyes.
"I am SO sorry." Liz jumped to say, "I've gone into labor, and he started rushing around. I had no idea he planned to-"
"Don't worry about it." Carly rolled her eyes. "MEN. How do you feel?" Before Elizabeth could answer, Max and Johnny ran in, guns drawn.
"Miss Webber?!" They cased the apartment. "Is everything okay?!"
Elizabeth couldn't answer because she had buried her face in her hands, moaning, "oh dear god, "in a mortified tone.
"She's fine." Carly answered, "Why would you think otherwise?"
Johnny answered, "Because Jason came flying by us downstairs and said there was an emergency, and to get up here as fast as possible."
Carly sighed. "No. Elizabeth is in labor, and he's just panicking."
"What?" Max said, looking terrified.
"Labor? Are you sure?" Johnny began to sweat. "Should we call Mr. Corenthos?"
"I think we should." Max agreed.
"NO!" Elizabeth finally took her head out of her hands to shout at them. "No, thank you." She said more moderately. "It's a nice thought, but no. SAY!" She exclaimed, as if it had just occurred to her, "Why don't you two hang out in the hall, and we'll call you if we need anything."
"Well, sure, I mean, if you think that would be best.." The men, seasoned guards, spoke simultaneously as they fled the room.
Just as they left, Sonny came barreling in, "Why are the guards here? Is everything alright? What did Jason want?"
Carly stood, embracing her husband. "Everything is fine. Don't worry. Liz is in labor, and everyone is behaving like idiots. Jason, I assume, has gone to get the car, and then they'll go to the hospital. Sonny? Are you listening to me?"
"Elizabeth is in labor?" Sonny abandoned his wife to crouch in front of Liz. Taking a hand, he looked earnestly into her eyes. "How do you feel?"
"She's in labor, what kind of a question is that?" Jason walked through the door and snapped at Sonny. Sonny lurched out of the way as Jason swept Liz up and carried her to the elevator.
"We'll see you at the hospital. "Carly called after them.
"Jason, you are insane." Liz muttered, as the elevator doors closed.
"But you love me." He smiled smugly.
"That I do."
"Say it."
"I love you."
"I love you too."