Okay, I'm well aware that everyone likely hates me. But I didn't forget you, and I didn't drop off to torture you, I swear. Things got really, really nuts, and I'm not just saying it. I got sucked into work, I'm off and on revisiting the worst fight I've ever had with my mother, who is currently going through a divorce, and lots of other details, which apart are minor, but together have compounded into "my life sucks." So writing took a backseat, despite the love and wit you have all shown me, so I'm really, very sorry, and then this took even longer, because after having made you wait so long, I wanted the chapter to be long and you know, slightly worth waiting for. So, don't hate me TOO much, okay?
Anyhow, without further delay:
And Miles To Go Before I SleepOct 31st
"Jason, there's no way you can say no!"
"No?" He quirked an eyebrow.
"No! It's you sister's engagement party! Everyone there will be friends or family, and I'm going out of my mind shut in this apartment!"
"It's too dangerous."
"Look, say we stay here. Maybe a gas leak, or a freak meteor kills me. We don't know what's going to happen, and I'd rather my last night be spent having fun than quivering with terror under the bed sheets." Then she blushed. "Or under the bed sheets at all."
"You don't enjoy our time there?" Jason couldn't help needling her.
"You know I do. But I want to go out." Her jaw took a familiar, mulish tilt, and Jason knew he was about to lose an argument. Besides, she was right. There was no way to predict the future, and she would probable be as safe at the Chinese restaurant celebrating Em and Nik's engagement as anywhere else.
"Oh all right." He gave in.
"Really?" She grinned and gave him a quick hug. "Oh, what am I going to wear? I need a costume. I can't go buy one, I have to make one…" Her voice faded as she ran upstairs.
He smiled, even with the looming threat against her, he was so happy. Just hearing her made his heart beat faster, and he was determined that nothing happen to her. How could he live if she was gone? It wasn't even a possibility.
An hour later he was standing at the door. "Elizabeth! We're going to be late."
"I'm coming!" He heard her fly down the stairs, then stop. "Close you eyes."
"What?"
"Close them. I want to make a presentation of my costume."
He sighed for effect, but obeyed.
"Okay." Her voice now before him, "Open."
She was dressed in a flapper girl dress, with a headpiece improvised out of a headband and a feather, her hair in curls. "Guess what I am?" She said archly.
"A, uh, 20's girl." He grasped at straws.
"No, silly," She winked, laughing, "I'm a gangster's moll."
"Wha-" He hushed as she kissed him.
"Ready?" He let himself be ushered out, and was reluctantly amused by the cheek of her costume.
OOO
The engagement party was everything an engagement party should be. Giddy, sentimental speeches, free flowing champagne, good cheer and laughter. Everyone was thrilled that Emily and Nikolas were finally together, finally able to spend their lives together. And the guest, and the guest of honor, all noticed the new, tender affection Jason and Liz were showing each other.
Carly, never Elizabeth's biggest fan, could be heard to say grudgingly that Jason looked as happy as she'd ever seen him, while Sonny just smiled knowingly. Skye laughed when later, in the bathroom, Emily jumped up and down and squealed. Monica and Allen began mentally envisioning their grandchildren, and Lucky took a personal moment to say a nostalgic last farewell to his first love.
The good time was from time to time interrupted by a frat party across the way, where the drinking had started early and continued heavily. The staff of the restaurant was apologetic though, and the extra champagne was welcome.
Joyful though it all was, after awhile Jason felt as if his head would explode. The tension of waiting, wondering what possible threat there could be to Elizabeth was taking its toll, on her as well. He watched her, laughing, and could see the strain on her face. Surrounded by their friends, family and acquaintances, it didn't seem possible that some thing bad could be looming over them, but the knot in his chest continued to tighten. He found himself drifting off, his eyes glazing. What was it? What was going to happen? He heard Lucky's voice beside him. –Call Lucky. Lucky was part of the dream. And Emily and Nik. -RSVP for Em's Wedding, they were part of it too. Tonight, they knew it was tonight, but it had to be at the restaurant somehow. He had to get her out. His eyes met Elizabeth's and she saw the horror in them. She quirked her head towards the door, raising an eyebrow. He nodded briefly, and they both stood hastily.
"Oh! You're not leaving are you?" Emily looked back and forth between them, her voice only half-serious. She was torn between her desire to have them stay, and her delight that they had finally seemed to realize they should be together.
"Sorry Em, I'm exhausted." Liz grimaced apologetically. "Congratulations again though. Both of you!" She came around and gave Nikolas and Emily hugs. "I couldn't be happier for you both."
As she hugged Emily a second time, the words, "I want details soon, missy." Were whispered in her ear. She forced a grinned, nodding, and waved at everyone as she moved toward the door. Jason made his own hurried goodbyes, and stood beside her, the guards arranged outside.
"What is it?"
"It's here, somehow. We have to get out of here."
He made her wait as he walked out, conferring with the guards. They assured him that the coast was clear, and he escorts Elizabeth outside, where Jason's men immediately surrounded her on all sides. While they had been eating, snow had begun to fall, and the world around them was still and white. Most would revel in its beauty, but Jason noted it with dread, remembering how Elizabeth had speculated that pomegranates meant winter. Where was the car? Tension crackled the air, everyone's nerves on high alert.
"Heeyyyy!" A drunken slur broke the silence. The inebriated group of college boys came out of the restaurant behind them. Too drunk to realize the danger they were in, they focused on Elizabeth. "Hey pretty woman, what're you need all these man in black," the group snickered. "for? We could show you a good time, you know stiff, but not like these stiffs." They all cracked up.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood?" Jason stepped out of the circle of guards to stand between them and the boys. "Just keep walking."
The leader of the pack, and the drunkest, protested. "Nah. I think the pretty girl wants to come with us." He said belligerently.
"I don't, actually." Liz could be heard saying.
"See?" the boy said, stupidly. He companions nodded in agreement. "What's up, you not letting her go when she wants to come with us? I think we have us here, a, um… you know… chick in distress and shit."
"And you're what, my knight in shining armor?" Liz voice had a clearly sharp, sarcastic edge, which was unfortunately lost on the guys.
"Yeah!" the leader shouted, and the entire group lunged at Jason and his men. Liz, the smallest person there, and directly in the middle, was forced to drop and crawl her way out of the mêlée. As she stood on the sidewalk, just outside the group, watching the efficient way Jason, Max, Johnny and the rest dealt with the drunken idiots, her phone rang. She was about to answer it when their car, long overdue, pulled up across the street, unable to park in front of the restaurant because of the fight. Sonny, Nikolas and Lucky all ran out, but were immediately entangled in the brawl.
Jason, seeing the vehicle, called out, "Elizabeth, get inside the car." He was fighting his way free, but fell when one of the downed boys grabbed his leg, tripping him. Elizabeth stopped pawing through her purse to find the phone and started across the street. A car revved in the distance, and time slowed as Jason watched, lying on the ground. His mind, so damaged from the accident that had forged him as Jason Morgan, began to work in a new way. A car. That was a kind of box with a name. The red glass from Italy: glass could be stained with blood.
He began to pull himself up just as the headlights from a car bathed the street in light. Too slow, he was moving to slow! Elizabeth whirled, throwing a hand before her face to cut the glare, and the car, seemingly unaffected by the trap of time lunged forth at her. Too slow! His mind screamed at him. It's too fast, Elizabeth thought, even as she began to hurl herself to the side. She felt a force slam into her side, and she was thrown to the sidewalk, her lead hitting the snow-covered cement with a hideous thud. It was too fast, she thought again, as the world was swallowed in black. Only this time she meant not the car, but her life.
"Elizabeth!" Jason resisted the urge to move her, as Monica and Allen rushed to them.
"Move out of the way Jason." Monica gently but forcefully pushed him from their path. Carly came and stood beside him, holding his hand.
"She'll be fine Jason."
"She's unconscious." He bit off the words.
"Yeah, but it's because she hit he head, rather than being plowed down by a car, so, she'll be fine." They looked at the car, which had plowed into the back of a building down the street. Lucky had dragged the driver out of the car, and pinned him to the sidewalk. "You saved her life Jason, Never doubt that."
"Jason?" He abandoned Carly at the sound of Elizabeth's voice.
"I'm here." At Monica's okay, he gathered her into his arms. "I'm here."
"What happened?" She tried to get up, but he wouldn't let her.
"You hit your head on the curb. You'll be fine. Just sit."
"But, the car. I thought…" She craned her neck, trying to see.
"I knocked you out of the way. To hard. I'm sorry."
She stopped looking around and focused on him. "What are you sorry for?" She asked tenderly.
"You got hurt, I let you get hurt."
"Jason." She subdued a laugh. "You saved me. You idiot. I'd rather have a bump on the head than a pretty coffin." She kissed him. "I'm fine, thanks to you."
"Jason. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Lucky hovered above them.
"Ah, sure. Emily?" Jason began to stand
"Yeah." Emily sat down next to her friends, wrapping her arms around Liz. "We'll be right here."
Lucky led Jason a little ways away. "I, well I thought you'd like to know the identity of the driver.
"You know who it is? I took a look earlier, while Elizabeth was…out, but I didn't recognize him."
"I do. It's Tom Murty. He was paroled. I guess they've been trying to get in touch with Liz without success."
Jason's brows drew together. It was familiar, but he couldn't quite-
"He raped Elizabeth."
Jason felt the white light of murder go off in his brain, and the only thing that stopped him from killing the man right then was his knowledge that Elizabeth wouldn't want to have to visit him in prison.
Liz didn't take it as well. "The man who tried to run me down is the same piece of slime who… " Her voice trailed off. After a silent moment, Jason hovering worriedly about her, she stood up, walked over to Murty and crunched down on his balls with a booted foot, putting all her weight behind it. Tom screamed shrilly and writhed on the ground. When he recovered the ability to speak, he began screaming about assault and so forth.
Lucky looked skeptical, "Well, that's odd, I didn't see anyone assault you. Did anyone else?"
Nikolas shrugged, "Looked like an accident to me." He 'accidentally' knocked Tom in the head walking away.
"The man clearly tripped." Sonny added, stepping on Tom's hand as he left.
"It's sad how clumsy people can be." Emily agreed, spitting in his face.
"But what can we do about it?" Carly asked rhetorically, bracing a stiletto heel on his calf for leverage against the snow.
"But trying to blame his two left feet on someone else? That seems uncivilized." Jason landed a jab in the kidney just as the cops pulled up.
"Nice catching up with you Tom." Elizabeth finished. "I look forward to seeing you at your trial, when I have you put away for life. Also, my friend, Sonny Corenthos, you may have heard of him, is going to make sure you have lots of friends in lock up." She stared at him coldly, "I'm sure they'll take real good care of you." She watched as the police hauled him away, her spine rigid.
As soon as he was out of sight, she sagged against Jason. "Oh my god."
""It's over. He'll never be a threat to you again, I promise." He wrapped her in his arms, and despite everything that had happened, she had never felt safer. "I'm taking you home."
OOO
"I still don't get all the clues." Jason said, handing Elizabeth a mug of hot chocolate and sitting beside her on the couch.
"Well, I've been working on that. It was kind of easy now that the solution is…available. See, all the paintings, they're about things being a façade. The clues aren't apparent. One represented winter, and the other one, The Wind, was about speed, and, I think, machines, since I saw the wind with you, on your bike. " Liz read off the list the had made days before. "You figured out the one about red glass, and Emily and Nik's party, and the box. But I think Lucky was about luck, not the person, luck is fortune, fortune cookies, Chinese place, etc. Jakes is about the past, like your old number. A person from the past."
Jason shook his head. "What good were they? We, well you, only figured it out after."
"They were enough. I'm here, right? If you hadn't had those dreams, you wouldn't have been with me at the party. I would have walked across that street and died. They were enough."
"You're right." They sat companionably for a minute, before Jason spoke again. "So, you're my moll, right?"
She smiled into her cup. "Uh huh."
"What, ahh, exactly does being a moll entail?" He smirked at her.
She put down the cup. 'Would you like me to give you a history lesson?"
"I truly would." He answered, going in for the kiss.
TBC
P.S. I fervently hope that I got the name of Elizabeth's rapist right, and that there were not a ton of confused readers. I didn't want to put a disclaimer at the beginning, for fear of giving it away, but if I am wrong about the name, please tell me so I can fix it. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion he may have been killed off on the show, so, obviously, if he was, I revived him, etc.
La la la.
I'm not going to harass you for reviews, because I expect that you want to zip off and read the next bit, but I do expect you to review that, because I have a serious need of approval (this you know) and I desperately need a fix. )