Safe Haven – prt 5
"And then you fold the whites in – don't beat," Betty instructed, letting Elizabeth observe the technique over her shoulder. "Hand me the buttermilk, will you, dearie?"
"Sure," Elizabeth nodded, scampering over to the fridge to retrieve what the cook had asked for. She had spent the last two hours at Betty's side in the kitchen, and she already had a couple new recipes under her belt that she wanted to try out later. And she knew for a fact that Nikolas would love the pastries they were making now. "Here we go."
"Wonderful!" Betty beamed, looking remarkably happy considering the fact that she had just been given a pint of milk. She was a short, stout woman with long brown hair that she kept rolled up in a tight bun, and Elizabeth was enjoying her company immensely. When it came to frittatas and soufflés, there wasn't a thing that the woman didn't know, and considering that Elizabeth only knew how to make popcorn and brownies, her guidance was more than welcome. "The wonderful thing about buttermilk is that it's really creamy and has very, very little fat. This is going to be excellent."
She went back to stirring, humming to herself along with the songs Elizabeth had playing on the mini boom-box plugged into the corner by the dishwasher, leaving the petite brunette to watch from a distance. And inevitably, Elizabeth's thoughts began to wander.
She had arrived at the island yesterday around noon, and it was already afternoon, almost evening. And still, she and Jason had been tiptoeing around each other. She'd be lying if she said that something inside her didn't hurt when he stood awkwardly every time she entered the room, the way his eyes never seemed to quite meet hers dead-on, the careful way he handled her, like a broken bird. Something inside her was hurting because this wasn't the way she and Jason had ever been before; they never had to act around each other before. And that was exactly what they were doing.
The reasons were obvious, and that was what made it hurt all the more. No matter how much they tried to gloss over the past, how hard they tried to pretend it didn't exist, it wouldn't work. The past still lurked between them; she could see it in the shadowy depths of his painfully blue eyes, and she had a feeling he could see it in her skittish gestures and jerky movements, in the deep crimson bloom of her blush. All the emotions she had tried to escape in Port Charles so many months ago – the longing, the desperation, the pain, the guilt, the frustration, the feeling that if she didn't pull his lips down to hers and finally taste him, she'd just burst – those feelings had followed her to the island.
And with Jason's arrival had come other emotions, as she knew they would. The guilt increased tenfold; guilt at having shut him down without a second thought, guilt at rubbing her love for Lucky in his face every time he got too close. And he was so concerned about her – sitting beside her until she woke up, always walking close by in case she got dizzy or felt weak, blowing on her soup, which she still couldn't believe really happened – and that just made it all worse. She didn't deserve his kindness after the way she treated him, but he gave it regardless. That was just the kind of man Jason Morgan was.
Sooner or later, they'd have to talk about what happened between them. They'd have to fix it. But it would probably have to be later rather than sooner, seeing as how whenever Jason got within a five-foot radius of her, every single coherent thought flew from Elizabeth's head.
It was a rather strange phenomena; she had seen Jason half-naked almost every day when he had stayed at her studio the first time. She had seen how muscular his chest and arms were, how well-defined and utterly drool-worthy. But it hadn't affected her then; her primary concern was getting him better. When Jason had come back again, she had been with Lucky. She had done her best not to notice his perfect muscles, the way his jeans always fit him perfectly, the way his t-shirts stretched across his chest, the way his eyes sparkled and his lips curled, how soft his mouth looked…it had been a challenge, but she had succeeded.
And now they were stranded on an island together. Alone. Well, alone with their feelings.
Yesterday had been one of the most nerve-wracking days of her life, she remembered with a sigh. Even Betty humming along to ABBA's "Dancing Queen" didn't pull Elizabeth from her sullen musing. There had been that moment when she was standing in nothing but a towel and had to ask him for her clothes, which was absolutely mortifying. She thought there had been some spark of their old connection when he was feeding her the day before, but that had ended with the soup and Jason had seemed to withdraw even more.
And then there was the time that she needed the razors that one of the guards foolishly left on the absolute top shelf of the cabinet, leaving her with no choice but to climb on top of the counter in an attempt to retrieve the package. Jason had shown up again, as silent as a sentinel, and had neatly lifted her off the smooth surface and retrieved the razors himself. Inwardly, she hoped that his awkward muttering and lack of an excuse when he left her in the bathroom was some sign that he had been as affected by the encounter as she had been.
But that had been nothing compared to this morning. She had gotten up early after going to bed very early the night before and had padded into the kitchen to grab some food, noticing that Trey and Paco were gone, probably at the guard house, leaving the large house almost empty. How the hell was she supposed to know that Jason liked to stand on the verandah in his silk pajama bottoms and drink coffee in the morning? At least he didn't sleep in the nude.
Betty smirked at the deep blush that suddenly bloomed on her young companion's cheeks, having her own suspicions as to what was getting the petite brunette so excited. "Oh, girls, they wanna have fun. That's all they really wa-ant, the fun-"
"Good God, Betty!" Trey's irritated growl snapped Elizabeth out of her suddenly X-rated thoughts. "Must you torture the cat?"
The cook glared at him, deciding that spitting in his chili that night would serve the doctor right for insulting her voice. "Out of the kitchen, Trey – you know you're supposed to be watching your cholesterol."
"I'm the doctor," he reminded her gruffly, pouting at the pastries she was sliding into the oven. "I'll decide when I'm supposed to be watching my cholesterol." Elizabeth giggled, grabbing his attention. "And the doctor also says that the kid needs to watch what she eats, too."
The brunette rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Taking me down with you, huh, Doc?"
"That's what they taught us in medical school," came the answer. "Have you seen the paper, Bets?"
The cook huffed, dusting her hands off on her apron. "Mr. Morgan left it in the library this morning."
"Excellent," Trey announced, stuffing his hands into his pockets and preparing to exit the room without excusing himself, as was his way. "There's a little matter of Social Security that has piqued my interest these days. Save a pastry for me, doll."
"Don't bet on it," Betty huffed as the doctor strolled out. "Elizabeth, dearie, I have some other things to see to this morning. Will you be a sweetheart and check on the oven in about twenty-five minutes?"
"Sure," Elizabeth nodded, smiling when Paco entered the kitchen. He grinned at both her and Betty as the older woman quickly strode from the room. "Hey, Paco. Didn't see you this morning."
"I was at the guard residence, señorita. A few things needed my attention. And how are you this afternoon?"
"Very good," she replied happily, pulling herself up onto a stool with little difficulty. Her strength was quickly returning, but she suspected that still wouldn't stop Jason , Paco or Trey from treating her like a little china doll. Although she had to admit that there were times when she didn't altogether mind. "Betty showed me how to make biscotti."
The Spaniard laughed. "Ah, yes, she loves to have a pupil around to instruct – she'll be teaching you much more, I suspect, before you leave the island." There was a brief pause and then he spoke again. "Señorita, pardon my asking, but when do you think that will be? That is, when are you planning to leave?"
"Trying to get rid of me, Paco?" she teased, trying to avoid the question. "Am I really that much trouble?"
He grinned at her, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Paco, she had learned, was quite the caffeine addict. "Not at all, señorita; I'm just wondering how much longer I have to enjoy your magnificent company."
Her smile was wide and bright. "Ooh, see, now, flattery will get you everywhere." He only smirked, awaiting an answer. "And to be honest, I'm not sure when I'm leaving. Things are dangerous back home and I won't even be thinking of leaving the island until they've calmed down. I have friends in Port Charles who know I've faked my death, and they'll call me when everything is safe." If they're still alive by then, a voice in the back of her head reminded her. "Until then, we're free to hang out."
"That is comforting news," Paco offered, sipping the strong black liquid in his favorite mug. "I rather enjoy this…hanging out that we do. But tell me – so far, how do you like your stay? Is there anything else you are needing? Anything we can do?"
"Oh, no, everything's perfect," Elizabeth assured him warmly. "You're all so wonderful and so kind, and I really like staying here. I mean, where else would I get chocolate chip waffles for breakfast every morning?"
The guard chuckled, setting his mug on the island where she sat and taking a seat on the stool next to hers. "Yes, well, she's happy to have the chance to make them now that you are here – Betty can never get us other guards to eat them. She's thrilled with all the praise you heap upon her, señorita."
"She's great," Elizabeth replied honestly. "And so are you – you've been so wonderful ever since I came here." She cocked her head to the side, studying Paco as he blushed. "You know Francis Corelli, right?"
"Francisco?" Paco asked in his thick accent. "Oh, yes, of course."
"You remind me a lot of him – he used to guard me once, back in Port Charles. You and him are very alike: you're both very kind and you always know the right things to say to make me comfortable. Having you here is just like having him here."
The guard cocked a brow at her, sipping from his mug again. "I should take that as a compliment, no? I have heard of your attachment to Francisco; it's common knowledge how highly you speak of him."
Elizabeth smiled back widely. "Oh, yeah, I just adore Francis. Johnny, too – oh, and Max. How can I forget Max? Those three are a riot when they're together. Speaking of which, Trey reminds me a little of Johnny, only he says what he's thinking out loud. Johnny kinda mutters under his breath so Sonny and Jason never hear him. But not Trey."
"Oh, no," Paco laughed, "Trevor isn't like that at all; if he has something to say, he's going to make damn sure that everyone else knows about it."
"I've seen the way he talks to Jason," Elizabeth quipped, nibbling on her lip. "No one else talks to him that way, at least, to the best of my knowledge."
The guard was reaching for one of the biscotti that Betty had prepared earlier in the morning. "Trey and Jason have a…strange relationship, señorita. Trey used to be Sonny's doctor in Port Charles many, many years ago, and so he has known Jason since he started working for the organization. Then, he got shot in the chest – missed his lung by a quarter of an inch – and Sonny decided he'd be safer on the island; now, Trey divides his time between here and Puerto Rico. He has saved Jason's life on multiple occasions and knows Jason better than any of the other guards. And Jason always listens when Trey has something to say, even if he doesn't like it. Sometimes, of course, our Trevor uses that to his advantage."
Elizabeth giggled. "Yeah, I kinda guessed that. Still, he's a nice guy, even if he does like to call me Kid."
"You are a kid to him," Paco teased. "Even though there isn't too great a difference in age between the two of them, Trey still considers Jason a kid."
He looked up to see Elizabeth wrinkling her nose. "Jason? That just doesn't sound right."
Paco laughed. "I know it might not, señorita, but it has a lot to do with the way those two relate to each other. Jason has always relied on Trey for his medical expertise, and Trey always took the best care of Jason when he was hurt. –That is, aside from you, as I hear." Elizabeth blushed when the guard winked at her. "Jason was in Columbia a few months ago and a meeting went bad and he ended up with a gash in his side and one hell of an infection. Trey dropped everything and took the plane down there immediately, knowing he could wind up on the hospital bed next to him if he angered the wrong people. Similarly, when he heard that a friend of Jason's needed his help, he dropped everything in Puerto Rico and came to the island as soon as possible."
Elizabeth's eyes softened at that. Suddenly, the fact that he insisted on calling her "kid" despite her wishes to the contrary didn't seem like such a big deal. "That's…I don't know how I'm supposed to thank him for that."
"Thank him by getting better quickly," Paco suggested with a smile. "You are very important to Jason and Trey, señorita. They are both willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you are able to put this whole nasty business behind you."
"Yeah, well, I'm gettin' there," Elizabeth drawled, sliding out of her stool to turn off the oven as Betty had instructed. She felt Paco's eyes on her as she retrieved a glass of water for herself, mindful of Trey's directions to drink plenty of fluids. Everyone on the island had been so wonderful to her. And Jason…especially Jason.
More than anything, she wanted to make things right by him. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry that she was too foolish and too self-centered to handle things earlier in Port Charles, that she was sorry she hurt him in the process. But at least now they had a chance of having a fresh start. His absence had only made her feelings for him stronger; she was praying that her absence didn't have the opposite effect on his.
He was such an incredible man. And she hated to think that, because of something she did, something she said, he didn't believe that any more. Truth be told, Jason Morgan was the most amazing man she had ever met – physical appearances set entirely aside, she had never met anyone as genuine, compassionate, helpful, or caring as him.
And if he was indeed so incredible, then why the hell was she having such a hard time getting close enough to him to tell him what was going on?
Damn.
"I hate everything," she muttered to herself, not knowing that Paco heard her. The boom-box was still on, playing one of Elizabeth's favorite mixed CDs, and the brunette glared pensively at it, not hearing a set of footsteps advance into the kitchen. "Hey, Paco-"
She turned around, about to ask him for some personal insight into Jason – because, surprisingly enough, she actually needed it – when she saw Jason standing right next to him. Jason watched her, surprised when she almost spit out the water she was drinking.
Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be close to you.
Why do stars fall down from the sky every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be close to you.
Recovering quickly, Elizabeth glared at the source of the music. That was it – the boom box was going to have to die.
"You okay?"
She nodded awkwardly at his gruff question. "Yeah, just fine."
He strode closer, taking the almost empty glass of water from her and setting it blindly on the counter, all the while peering into her dark eyes. It gave her an opportunity to look back at him, entranced by the way his cerulean orbs sparkled and the golden halo the sunlight cast about his wild spikes. "You sure? I can call Tr-"
"I'm fine, Jason," she assured him, patting his arm in a gesture of familiarity before realizing just how unfamiliar the gesture was.
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair
And golden starlight in your eyes a-blue
Muttering darkly to herself as soon as Jason withdrew to pour himself some coffee, Elizabeth strode over to the CD player and jabbed the Next button – hard. "Stupid, pushy boom-box, reminding me of stuff I already know…of all the damn songs…what the hell…Pushy music…I'm doing the best I can here, damn it…"
"Did you say something, Elizabeth?" Jason's curious voice broke her from her dark reverie and Elizabeth looked up to find him staring at her.
"No, n-nothing," she replied, scowling at Paco when the guard dared to smirk. "I should get the things out of the oven."
The guard shook his head at his two friends. They would both rather occupy themselves with meaningless tasks than face each other – they really were perfect for each other.
"Dinner was fabulous, Betty!" Elizabeth crowed, stacking Trey's plate on top of hers and making her way for the sink. "Wonderful!"
"Magnificent!" Trey echoed grandly, winking at Betty who was doing her best not to show how pleased she was. "Superb!"
"Muy sabrosa," Paco added, sweeping up the glasses from the table. "But we still haven't decided – who's doing the dishes?"
"I will," Elizabeth volunteered, shooing Betty away from the sink despite the older woman's protests.
"I don't know how I feel about you doing the work here," Trey frowned, crossing his arms across his solid chest. He looked up when Jason stood, smacking his friend on the arm. "Well, Morgan, don't just stand there – help the kid."
Jason scowled at him but Trey was already on the other side of the kitchen, pestering Betty for dessert despite her pleas for him to consider the sugar and cholesterol and all sorts of other things that would rot his body from the inside out. He shuffled awkwardly to the sink where Elizabeth was already sudsing up the plates – there were just four of them, and she figured it would be better to do them by hand than stick them in the empty dishwasher to congeal. "Here, let me-"
"It's okay, Jason," she smiled up at him, brushing his hands away and accidentally getting a few small globs of soap on his fingers. "I'm good."
"Let's see what else you've got on this CD, señorita," Paco suggested, pouring himself some more wine and fiddling with the boom box. "Betty, do we have any more biscotti?"
"You finished them this evening, Don Juan," Betty jokingly groused.
"Ah, yes," Paco nodded dejectedly.
"Cheer up, Paco – we've got éclairs!" Trey announced, pulling a tray out of the fridge and holding it aloft over Betty's head. "Bets has been holding out on us."
Elizabeth laughed, finishing the plates and moving on to the glasses as Betty frowned at her friend. "I was saving them for after dinner," she replied witheringly. "Beth told me how she loves them and I was trying to keep them away from you, Willy Wonka."
"I'm tempted to ignore that cruel barb for one of these," Trey muttered, plucking a pastry from the tray. "Want one, Jason?"
"No."
"Your loss." He offered one to Paco, who immediately took it and looked for Elizabeth, who was almost done with the dishes.
"You know what would be great with that?" she asked, quickly rinsing the silverware. "Hot cocoa."
"Hot cocoa?" Trey echoed, wrinkling his nose. "It's summer, and you want hot cocoa."
"Sure," Elizabeth shrugged. "What does one thing have to do with the other?"
Jason grinned to himself. That sounded like something he would have said. "Cocoa, Elizabeth?"
"Definitely," she smiled up at him, finishing the dishes and wiping her hands on her pants. "There's nothing like curling up under the stars with a warm mug of cocoa. You should really try it sometime, Jason."
Sap.
Jason Morgan was a sap.
Sitting comfortably sprawled back on the white wooden swing on the back porch overlooking the white sand and sapphire ocean, he just couldn't get over how big a sap he'd always become when it came to Elizabeth. He quirked a brow at the mug of hot chocolate in his hands, and shook his head slowly. The marshmallows she had heaped on top – one was never enough, she had insisted – and he could smell the cinnamon despite the distance.
Sap.
"Hey, there!" She was beaming as she stepped out into the balmy night, letting her gaze stray appreciatively to the vast expanse of the cerulean ocean.
"Hey, yourself."
"I finally found sprinkles," she announced, shaking a tiny canister of the coated rice topping as she joined him on the swing, which rocked slightly from her weight. Jason handed Elizabeth her own cup of cocoa, watching her discreetly as she lifted it up and inhaled deeply before shaking on the brown sprinkles. Her eyes, wide and as expressive as ever, turned to the sea once more as her lips curved into a small smile. "It's so beautiful here."
Jason dipped his head, sharing in the view. "It's nice."
She braced one slender, bare foot on the wood and rocked slowly, evenly, with a constant rhythm. Before long, Jason took it up and Elizabeth lifted her legs up underneath her, curling into a ball and using her change in position to discreetly scoot closer to him. He noticed but didn't let on, shifting slightly to achieve the same goal.
"Is that a boat house? Over there?"
He followed her finger and nodded. "Yeah. We've got a couple motorboats tied up behind there, and some waterskis and floatation devices in the boathouse itself. I can show you sometime, if you want."
"That'd be great," she grinned back, sipping her cocoa. Behind them, Paco, Betty and Trey along with some other guards were still fooling around in the kitchen. Betty was reorganizing her spice cabinet and the men were drinking and conversing. Elizabeth cringed when she heard Paco laugh and slip her mixed CD into the boom box once more. "So, how's your cocoa?"
Jason glanced down at the steaming beverage, the corner of his mouth twitching downward. "I haven't, um, tried it yet."
"Jason! Come on – take a sip. It's good. Would I lie to you, Morgan? I don't see what the point would be – you'd know right away."
That made him chuckle, and Jason cracked her that boyish smile she loved so much when he looked up at her. "But Elizabeth…it has marshmallows in it."
The brunette rolled her sparkling eyes, laughing at him. "Oh, Jason, just try it. I promise you'll like it."
He grimaced at the floating white fluff as he lifted it to his lips and drank.
Sap.
"So how is it?" Elizabeth persisted, grinning cheekily at him. When Jason removed the cup from his lips and looked at her, the brunette just couldn't help it – she burst into peals of unrestrained laughter. "Oh, Jason!"
"What?" he asked, genuinely confused. "What's so funny?"
Her lilting laughter merged with the notes of Neil Diamond's guitar, her bright eyes dancing with laughter. "You have a marshmallow mustache!"
Jason swore and removed a handkerchief from the pocket of his jeans, swiping the white foam angrily away. But Elizabeth continued to laugh, and gradually, he found himself doing the same.
"Where it began,
I can't begin to knowin'
But then I know it's growin' strong.
Was in the spring
Then spring became the summer
Who'da believed you'd come along?"
"Oh, Jason." She was smiling at him now, having successfully drowned out the sound of Trey singing in the kitchen. He stared back at her openly, curiously, taking in the way her mouth curved with amusement, the way her eyes shone bright in the dark of the summer night, the way her cheeks were flushed from laughing. Everything about her was so natural, so innocent, so foreign to everything he had grown accustomed to. She was his breath of fresh air – she always had been. Innocence, beauty, honesty, compassion like hers was hard to come by, some would say impossible all around. And yet here she was, gracing him with all of that. Sitting with him. Enjoying the stars. Sharing her hot chocolate. Being his Elizabeth.
Something shifted between them; he couldn't tell if the mood became heavier or lighter, but he was definitely aware of the change. The amusement had fled from her soft mouth, her even softer eyes, replaced instead with open and honest sincerity. Warmth flooded through his whole body when her small hand reached out with such alarming hesitance to hold his own, gently squeezing it where it lay on the bench. Jason looked up into her eyes, shining with the same heart-stopping sincerity, almost afraid of what would happen next.
"I'm so glad you're here, Jason."
"Hand touching hand,
Reaching out,
Touching me,
Touching you.
Sweet Caroline,
Good times never seem so good;
I've been inclined
To believe they never could…"
He nodded once, trying to remind himself of everything that had transpired between them. He would have to tread with care – she was here, after all, because she had given her life for Lucky Spencer and would surely be returning to him. Still, Jason couldn't stop the next words that came out of his mouth.
"I'll always be with you, Elizabeth, when you need me to be."
She looked back at him with those impossibly innocent eyes, one eyebrow lifting in an almost seductive gesture. "And when I want you to be?"
The question stole the breath from his lungs and for a moment, Jason just stared back at her until his heart took over and said what his head wouldn't allow him to. "I'll be with you whenever you want me to."
"Now I look at the nightAnd it don't seem so lonely;
We fill it up with only two."
She gave him that Mona Lisa smile he had come to love so much, the one that sent his heart racing and made him want to beat his head against a wall at the same time. Lively music still poured from the open kitchen windows, sounds of Trey and Paco arguing and Seth and George laughing, but for Jason and Elizabeth all was silent, all was still, all revolved around that old white porch swing.
He had to break the silence.
Gruffly clearing his throat, Jason glanced away, breaking their intense staring contest. "Um, Elizabeth…did it – Did it hurt when they p-poisoned you?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "No, Jason, it didn't. It felt like I couldn't breathe for a moment, and then I got lightheaded and fainted, and that was when the poison really kicked in. That's what Nikolas said." Her gaze fell to his lap, where Jason's hands tightened forcibly around the black mug he held. "But, no – no, it didn't hurt."
Something inside her twinged painfully as she watched him stare out at the ocean, a myriad of emotions swirling around in his tense body. More than anything, she wanted him to know that she was just fine – and he was a good part of that. The poison didn't hurt her, and she was certain that waking up to find him with her had only helped her recovery, sped it along. Just because he wasn't there to physically protect her didn't mean that he hadn't done anything for her; his mere presence was a form of protection, a salve that soothed all that was broken in her heart, body and mind. He needed to know that.
"Jason-"
"How did you…How did you work up the strength to do it?" He knew it wasn't the right question; he didn't mean to ask that. "How…How could you do it, Elizabeth?"
The mood inside the house had changed already; Trey and Paco weren't arguing anymore, Seth and George weren't laughing. All Elizabeth heard was the quiet, rustling sound of their lowered voiced and the crinkling of the newspaper they read. The boombox had also been turned down, but still droned softly on, its notes smooth and lilting and carried away by the lazy summer breeze. Vaguely, as Elizabeth tried to form her thoughts into a coherent reply, she found herself recognizing Mama Cass' Dream a Little Dream of Me.
"It was the only way to save Nikolas," she whispered softly, "and the Spencers. Especially the Spencers." Jason didn't reply, just stared back at her with those intense cerulean orbs of his. "They're family to me, and they've always done so much for me. This was my chance to save them – all of them – and I did it without a second thought because I know they'd do the same for me."
"You love them," he whispered, meaning one member of the Spencer/Cassidine family in particular. "You'd die for them."
Her smile was small and crooked, pleased that he understood. "Yeah, I would. And I'd die for them again. They mean so much to me."
"I-I know." Jason's voice was shaky and he glanced down at the almost empty mug of cocoa he held. "Elizabeth, I need you to know something. When I got to the island, I didn't know any of what had happened. Sonny just called me and told me to get to the island because he had sent you there. I found out about the poisoning from Trey, and then I…I got upstairs to your room and…I don't know if you remember this or not, but I talked to you for a while and I was pretty…angry."
"You were angry with me?"
"For putting your own life in danger," he explained. "For willingly letting Nikolas and Helena poison you when one drop too much could have…" Jason didn't bother to finish the sentence. "I understand why you did it. And if I was in your place…I'd have done it, too."
Elizabeth's small, warm smile was short-lived.
"I would have done the same thing for the person I loved." Jason's fingers tightened around his black mug. "I need you to know that…that I'm not angry. I don't have a right to be. You l-love Lucky and you'd do anything to keep him safe."
Her eyes widened, and her lips fell open on an "o" of surprise. He couldn't think…Oh, of course he would. She'd given him no reason to think otherwise.
"You'd die for him, Elizabeth – I know that. And this'll…this'll all be over soon and you can go home."
Her hand shot out in a vain attempt to comfort him, to comfort herself. "Oh, Jason-"
Shoulders tense, Jason moved to stand as soon as her cool hand gingerly touched his. A cool breeze whistled by, fanning through Elizabeth's silky hair, caressing her lips that were still parted on a silent gasp.
"It's late; we should get inside."
Elizabeth snapped her mouth shut, blinking furiously. She had been dismissed. Jason's breath whispered on her forehead when he leaned in to press a kiss to her hairline before standing completely, but the familiar and tender gesture wasn't enough to pull Elizabeth free of the barrage of emotions that had suddenly arrested her heart and mind.
"Goodnight, Elizabeth."
