Jason stood looking at his reflection in the mirror. He straightened his black bow tie again and deluded himself with the notion that this would be how he looked on his own wedding day. It was a day that was never to be for him. Jason let out a labored breath. His impatience with his father and his own thwarted efforts at finding the elusive Reggie, if the man even existed, were wearing Jason down. Each day that he accomplished nothing was another day Elizabeth had to be subjected to the likes of Anthony. It had been weeks since he had been able to see or even speak to her. When he had dialed the number he had for her cell phone, his effort was met with a recorded message saying that the number was no longer in service. Jason had gone as far as staking out the civic organizations that Elizabeth belonged to but he had come up empty handed in those avenues as well. It was literally as though she had dropped from the face of the earth. Given who Jason was dealing with that idea wasn't far off the mark and that terrified him.

Jason dropped his heavy body onto his bed as he searched for a way to pull it all together for his baby sister. This was Emily's big day. It was a day that both she and Zander deserved. It wasn't Jason's place to shroud the joyous occasion with his own misery. As difficult as it would be for him, Jason pasted on a happy face as he left his room to join the rest of the family and the photographer. The voices of Joseph and Cassandra from behind the half-closed door of the study halted him. "I can't believe you arranged a date for Jason without even asking him." Jason heard his father say.

"Anya is a lovely girl. She comes from a well-respected family... ..."

"That's not the point, Cassandra." Joseph interrupted his wife.

"That's exactly the point. It's time that Jason begins to get his life back in order. It's time that we all do," she stated simply.

"If only it was that uncomplicated my dear," Joseph sighed. Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mother had arranged for him to escort a woman he didn't even know to his sister's wedding. The entire idea of it was preposterous. "Jason is never going to go along with any of this," Joseph stated.

"He will if you go tell him to. You're his father, his boss," Cassandra spoke with double meaning. "He will have no choice but to do as you ask."

Joseph ran his hands along his weary face as he wished that the simplistic statement his wife had just made were true. Yes, there had been a time when Jason would have followed his orders to the letter but that time had long since passed. Joseph's orders and wishes no longer mattered. It was the affection, love that Jason held for Elizabeth Malucci that was the driving force for each and every one of his son's actions. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," Joseph remarked. "Jason has a mind of his own."

"Joseph, Anthony and Elizabeth Malucci will be attending Emily's wedding today. I will not have another scene like the one at the engagement party ruining the day!" Cassandra stated sternly. "It's time that Elizabeth Malucci understands she had no future with our son... ..."

Jason suddenly felt like a speeding bullet had pierced his chest. The burning ache radiated from his heart, down his arms until it filled his whole body. "YOU INVITED ANTHONY INTO OUR HOME!?! YOU INVITED HIM TO EMILY'S WEDDING?!?" Jason thundered into the room without warning taking both his parents by surprise.

"Jason, son, calm down," Joseph began.

"NO! I AM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN!!"

"Rocco and his family replied to the invitation long before his passing," Cassandra said. "I couldn't very well tell Anthony and his wife that they were no longer welcome."

"I DON'T WANT MALUCCI IN THIS HOUSE!!" Jason bellowed. "I don't want to watch him gloat... ..."

"Gloat!?" Cassandra turned to her husband confused by Jason's words. "Gloat? What does he mean by gloat?" she asked.

"Don't you think it's time that you were seeing to Emily?" Joseph questioned. He needed some time alone with his son. He needed to finally make Jason understand what was actually going on.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. She hated being dismissed in such a manner. "As a matter of fact I do," she huffed as she exited the room.

"Jason, can we please at least attempt to be civil to one another today? This is Emily's day. It's a day that shouldn't be tainted by our feuding," Joseph appealed to his son's devotion to his sister. Jason paced the floor before his father. In a little over two hours Elizabeth would be under his roof. He would be able to see her, to speak to her, and perhaps even touch her. For one brief moment he was almost giddy, yet it was the realization that she would be on Anthony's arm and not his own. That shattered the illusion for Jason. "Son," Joseph came forward and placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "I know you are hurting... ..."

"You don't know a damn thing about me!" Jason seethed. "I am beginning to wonder if you know anything at all!!"

"I know more than you give me credit for!" Joseph countered defensively. "You expect me to be handling things with rouge abandonment. You want action, but son you aren't willing to play by the rules to get it. Your heart is leading you instead of your sense of good judgement." Joseph almost was pleading with his son.

"The rules no longer apply."

"The hell they don't. They have always applied."

"Not to Anthony!"

"So what, you now want to be drug into the depths where Anthony Malucci lives? You want to lower yourself to the likes of him to win?"

"If need be."

"Then son, you aren't any better than he is. And that's not the son I raised!"

"I don't give a damn anymore! If I have to play dirty to save Elizabeth than that's exactly what I intend on doing. With or without your help," Jason said calmly.

"You won't be doing that today! I will not tolerate any scene at your sister's wedding! I don't care what you think of me as a man, or even what you think of me as the head of this family but as a father I won't stand for your selfishness ruining this event. Am I making myself clear?!"

Jason was silent as he mulled over those words. It was true he had little respect for his father's power these days. No matter how he felt about Joseph and his lack of taking action when it was necessary Jason knew the his father was right. This day belonged to Emily and Zander. They deserved a wedding unmarred by his tirades.

"Jason?"

"This is for Emily and only Emily," he stressed.

"Fine. Your mother arranged for you to have a date for the day... ..."

"So I heard," Jason cut him off.

"Anya Summers is coming here today expecting to be escorted by a gentleman. Do you think that you can handle such a task?"

"I am sure that I can."

"Good. I think it's about time that we got to taking those photographs," Joseph said as he walked passed his son.

Elizabeth walked to the large front entry of the Morgan mansion on her husband's arm. He still reeked of perfume that wasn't hers. Anthony's late night activities hadn't left time for him to shower before they were expected for Emily's wedding. Elizabeth's stomach somersaulted with disgust as the thought of another woman's scent still lingering on Anthony's body.

"Remember dear," Anthony whispered in her ear as Jason Morgan came into view. "Be on your best behavior or suffer the consequences." Jason approached Elizabeth and Anthony. Dutifully he offered his arm to her as to escort her to her seat. Rather than taking Jason's arm she clung tightly to Anthony's. The action stunned Jason for a second. "It appears my wife prefers that I am her escort," Anthony observed smugly.

"This way," Jason said without acknowledging Anthony's dig.

Elizabeth sat next to her husband as the ceremony began. Her eyes were glued to Jason. He looked so handsome in his black tuxedo standing to the left of the groom. Not being able to take his arm moments before nearly destroyed her, yet she couldn't give Anthony any cause to act on his words. She feared even a simple wedding formality would be enough to set him off. She couldn't risk it no matter how much it wounded her. Elizabeth did her best to get lost in the priest's words.

"Welcome to the marriage of Emily Morgan and Alexander Smith. You have been asked to gather here to witness and share in the joy of this union."

Emily and Zander held hands as they turned to face one another. "There was a darkness for a long time and then there was light, and that light was you," Zander smiled as he spoke. "Your love has given me wings and our journey begins today."

Jason looked at Elizabeth as his brother in law to be spoke his heart felt words. For Jason those should have been words he was saying to her. They completely expressed how and what he felt for her.

"I pledge before this assembled company to be your husband from this day forward. Let us make our two lives one life. I want you for today, tomorrow and forever." The congregation watched as Zander gently wiped a tear from his bride's cheek.

"I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you love me they way you do." Emily's voice quivered.

Elizabeth felt the tears pooling in her eyes. It could have been her standing there saying those words to Jason. She let her gaze be drawn to him. In that brief moment their eyes locked on one another. It was like a window to her soul had been opened revealing all the feelings she still harbored for Jason. Anthony's threats of violence couldn't hide how she truly felt at that very moment. Elizabeth took advantage of the cliché of crying at weddings to let loose her pent up tears.

"I give myself to you as your wife, and I promise here to treasure for all of my days the love we celebrate today. Let us bring together our lives and find ourselves anew each day." Zander smiled as he mouthed silently I love you.

"Emily, will you take Alexander as your husband, in happiness and with patience and understanding through conflict and tranquillity?"

"I will," Emily answered the priest. The congregation looked on as she slipped the ring over her husband's finger.

"Alexander, will you take Emily as your wife, in happiness and with patience and understanding, through conflict and tranquillity?"

"I will," he answered as well. Gently Zander placed the ring on Emily's delicate finger.

"In as much as Emily and Alexander have declared their love to each other before family and friends, I know greet them with you as husband and wife. You may kiss." Which Emily and Zander did without hesitation.

For the reception Jason played by the rules set down by his father. He dutifully mingled with Anya on his arm. It was almost a surreal feeling to have any woman but Elizabeth in that position.

Elizabeth watched from her table as the festivities passed before her. Absently she stopped a waiter with a tray offering champagne. "Thank you," she said to the man. She knew she needed the liquid comfort if she was to make it through the remainder of the day. She scanned the sea of faces in search of her husband who was busy working the room in an effort to garner support for his impending rise to power. It was the sight of Jason and a woman who Elizabeth had never seen before that readily caught her attention. She felt her heart climb into her throat. There was Jason – her Jason – smiling and laughing. He was smiling and laughing with a woman who wasn't her. Elizabeth's vision suddenly blurred with tears. Suddenly she felt so cold. Her once warm blood was now frozen in her veins. The stabbing pain consuming her left her breathless. She got up from the table without a coherent thought in her head. The picture of Jason and his date blinded her. Elizabeth moved through the crowd until she was almost inches within in inches of where Jason stood with his back toward her. She felt her body tremble with rage, disbelief, fear ... the mix was too strong for her to control. Just as she was about to reach out and touch Jason, Anthony's boisterous laughter snapped her back to reality. In her haste to put distance between herself and Jason, Elizabeth turned around running squarely into a waitress sending a tray full of hors d'oeuvres falling to the floor with a loud crash. The silence that that noise rendered was deafening as all eyes came to rest on her yet she still hadn't taken her eyes off of Jason and his date. Elizabeth scrambled away embarrassed when Jason's gaze finally met hers. She never even heard him calling her as she raced across the room, but Anthony did. With a sadistic smile, he stood on the sidelines and watched Jason chase after his wife.

"Elizabeth," Jason said softly as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't you have a date you should be attending to?" she asked as she shrugged off his touch.

"I'm worried about you. You don't understand. Anya... ..."

"Anya, what a lovely name. Anya Morgan what a pleasant ring that has!!" Elizabeth spat.

"STOP IT ELIZABETH!!" Jason barked. It was abundantly clear the anguish she felt at seeing him with another woman. It was the same for him each time he was forced to watch Anthony parade around with Elizabeth on his arm like some sort of prize.

"I have a husband to give me orders, thank you," she scoffed.

"That you do!" Anthony said as he stepped out onto the patio. "What's going on here?!?" his voice boomed.

"Nothing," Elizabeth answered as she tried not to stutter.

"I was just checking to see if she was all right... ..." Jason began.

"Save it Morgan! I thought you were smarter than this Elizabeth! Well your stupidity is my gain I guess," Anthony laughed maniacally his gaze trained on Jason. Elizabeth's eyes darted between the men. Without meaning to she had put Jason in danger. Her jealous fit, her inability to control her emotions had put Jason in jeopardy now, just as it had done to everyone from the very beginning. "I'll be seeing you soon, Morgan," Anthony said in a foreboding manner as he grabbed Elizabeth leading her back toward the reception.

Anthony spoke not a word to her the rest of the evening. He didn't have to. Elizabeth knew. It was that knowledge that she tried to drown with tequila.