When a human being becomes used to sorrow, then sorrow disappears;
Obstacle after obstacle fell on me, and the road was easy.

The sunlight was streaming in through the blinds, falling in neat pinstripes across Jason's bare chest. Elizabeth's cheek was pressed against his shoulder, her arm limply thrown over the hard plane of his chest as she slept. Her dark chocolate hair was fanned out across his shoulder and pillow and their bodies were pressed together under the covers.

Jason was the first to wake up, blinking slowly as the sunlight shone into his eyes. The room was warm and cozy and even though he was too stiff to move, he was almost…comfortable. Especially since the only thing separating Elizabeth's soft, warm body from his was a thin cotton t-shirt.

His hand rubbed the curve of her hip soothingly as a slow smile ran across his lips. It didn't take long for his thoughts to drift back to the events in the shower the night before, and his body began to hum pleasantly under the flow of memories. Elizabeth murmured something in her sleep and shifted against him, and Jason turned his nose into her hair and inhaled. She smelled like his soap, she was wearing his shirt and nothing else, and she was in his bed. It just couldn't get any better than this.

She awoke slowly, as if reluctantly letting go of the soft blanket of sleep that stretched over her. Jason watched, utterly enamored, as she blinked her eyes lazily, those dark, hazy sapphire orbs slowly taking in her surroundings. She shifted her body slightly, lifting herself up a little on one elbow as she regained her bearings, and he could see the flicker of surprise that ran across those expressive eyes. His heart sank when he realized that maybe she didn't feel the same way she did last night, but then those still-sleepy orbs met his and Elizabeth smiled warmly.

That single smile warmed his heart and chased all his doubts away, and Jason's eyes twinkled up at her as she braced herself on her elbow and grinned down at him. There was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes that told him her mind was going back to relive exactly what he had been reliving.

"Good morning."

He just couldn't resist. "It will be if you take your shirt off."

She rolled her eyes with a grin and gently leaned down to kiss him. He responded eagerly, limply grasping her neck with one hand because his arms still hurt, and Elizabeth braced herself above him and kissed him long and hard. She could feel his body heat soak through her shirt and the brunette pulled back before he got too excited.

"Unbelievable," she whispered, dropping kisses on his rough, stubbly cheek. "You're unbelievable."

"Unbelievably good in bed, you mean," he murmured, turning his face into hers and seizing her lips once more. "Take off your shirt and I'll show you just how good."

"I'll take your word for it for now," she replied saucily, pulling away and twining their fingers together. "How are you feeling?"

"Stiff," he replied honestly, wincing after trying to move. "Very stiff."

"I think I'm going to call the doctor now," she replied, sitting up and brushing her hair back out of her face. He could hear the concern in her voice, the guilt over having put it off this long even though he'd ask her to. "You need to get checked out."

"Can't you take care of me?" he asked softly, reaching for her again. She allowed him to pull her back down and cuddled up against him, her palm flat over his steadily beating heart.

"I can't set broken bones, Jason," she whispered with a chuckle despite the fact that she didn't find anything funny about the situation.

"I don't think my ribs are broken."

"Well, a doctor can tell us for sure," she reasoned, reluctantly rising up out of bed. "I'm going to ask one of the guards to call him and have him come right over."

"Elizabeth, wait-" His eyes darted to hers as she got out of bed, the cranberry colored t-shirt still hanging off her body. Jason knew he couldn't put it off much longer – despite the fact that they both actually seemed to be on the same page about last night, they still had some things they needed to discuss and get out in the open. "We need to talk-"

The shrill ring of his cell phone on the nightstand interrupted him. Seeing that he wouldn't be able to reach the slim silver device, Elizabeth quickly scooped it up, turned it on, and handed it to him as he lay in bed. Jason's intense blue eyes never left hers as he spoke into the receiver.

"Morgan."

"Jason. It's me."

"Sonny." He shifted slightly in bed as Elizabeth bit her lip and crept away to get dressed, not wanting to impose. "What do you need?"

"Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh."

A brief pause.

"Well? How are you doing?"

"Fine, fine," he got out, his eyes darting over to Elizabeth as she pulled her jeans on and the enforcer noticed with due appreciation that she was going commando – probably because both their undergarments were lying in a soggy puddle on the floor of his shower. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Carly took me to the hospital last night. Slight concussion, they said, and I'm supposed to stay off my feet for a couple days because of that beam that fell on my legs. They said I was lucky I didn't break anything."

"Yeah, that's good." His gaze was still trained on her as she whisked his shirt off and pulled on her sweatshirt before searching for her purse and keys.

"So? What's your story?"

"Huh? Oh. Uh…Nothing much. Superficial cuts, and I think I did something to my ribs."

"Well, you'd better get that checked out as soon as possible," his boss and best friend commanded. "Why haven't you called someone already? That's dangerous, Jason-"

The enforcer's eyes widened when Elizabeth turned and waved to him, signaling that she was going to leave. Without thinking, he called out to her. "Wait, Eliza-"

Sonny's laughter cut him off. "Wait, wait – Elizabeth's there? Hell, no wonder you didn't call a doctor!"

Jason growled into the phone, still looking at the petite brunette. "I'm not going anywhere," she assured him, buttoning her coat. "I'm just going to go call the doctor and pick up some breakfast, okay? You talk to Sonny – I'm sure you have some…business to clear up. I'll be back in a flash – I promise."

Reluctantly, he nodded and watched her flash him a quick smile before slipping out of the room. Sighing, Jason settled back on the pillows and listened to Sonny's laughing voice tease him right before Carly squawked with disgust in the background and the moblord turned to comforting her instead of teasing him.

Outside, Elizabeth had almost collided with Francis the instant she stepped out of the room. She stammered out a hello, utterly mortified at the thought of Francis knowing that she had been with Jason all night – and most likely having a pretty good idea of what they were doing all night besides sleeping. The bodyguard didn't say anything much, but his little smirk said enough as he followed her down the stairs. After he ordered Adam to take his post and call the mob doctor, the two of them exited the establishment to the waiting car outside.

"Where to, Elizabeth?" Francis asked out of habit, sliding into the limo behind her and pulling the door shut.

Her sapphire eyes glittered merrily. "We're going to go pick up a special Webber Anytime Remedy for Jason. Kelly's, please."


Penny Twan poked her head out of the little kitchen above the swinging green double doors, not even slightly phased at the sight of Elizabeth standing in the cozy diner with an armed guard at her side. "It'll be ready in about ten minutes, okay, Elizabeth?"

The brunette smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thank you, Penny – you have no idea how much this means to me."

"It's not a problem," the Taiwanese waitress smiled warmly back. She had more than a vague suspicion as to what this particular order was for – or who it was for, rather. The news had spread all over town – how Jason and Elizabeth had stared each other down as the world burned around them, and how Elizabeth later broke things off with Lucky and disappeared herself. It didn't take much to surmise her whereabouts for the rest of the night. "You wanna hang around until it's ready?"

The brunette nodded, sliding her purse off her arm and taking off her coat. "I'm going to make some coffee, too, while I'm at it, okay?"

"Sure thing," her friend chirped, disappearing behind the double doors to finish preparing the order. "Just holler if you need me."

Francis glanced around the diner and shuffled up to the counter as Elizabeth began to pour two cups of coffee. "I can't believe you work here."

She glanced up at him, a little smile curving her lips. "I can't believe you never come here."

The bodyguard shrugged guiltily. "Well…I normally grab something from the little shop by the offices."

"Oh, Francis," the little brunette huffed playfully, sliding him his steaming coffee and the sugar. "When will you learn? Nothing can beat Kelly's coffee and turnovers – and our sandwiches aren't half bad, either."

"Tell you what," the elderly Italian smiled, lifting his mug to his lips. "I'll make a point of stopping by more often – how's that?"

"That's wonderful," Elizabeth grinned happily. "In fact-"

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

Francis turned on his heel, his hand already at his hip holster just in case, and both he and Elizabeth stared in shock at the intruder. Lucky Spencer, dressed in blue jeans and a navy blue down jacket, flipped his long blonde locks out of his face and stared coldly at his ex-girlfriend and her guard. His steely blue eyes flashed angrily and his lips were pursed in a thin white line as the boy rolled forward smoothly, a veritable panther cornering its prey.

"L-Lucky." Elizabeth blinked at him, not knowing what to say but knowing as sure as her next breath that this was going to be ugly.

He scowled darkly at her as Francis drew himself up to his full height, standing by protectively. "You've come outta hiding, huh?"

The brunette calmly set her coffee mug down on the counter and looked back at him with as much dignity as she could muster. "Francis and I are here for breakfast."

Lucky's lips curled into a sneer as he gave the stoic bodyguard the once-over. "Francis, huh? Tell me, Elizabeth – you doin' him, too?"

"Little shitpot-"

Elizabeth grabbed her friend's bicep through his suit jacket as Francis cursed and moved toward the younger man with murderous intent. "It's okay, it's okay. I'll handle this."

"I think you should let me handle it," Francis groused, his gray eyes narrowed lethally at the fuming young blonde.

Lucky rolled his eyes, lifting his arms to the side and puffing out his chest. "What, tough guy? You gonna shoot me right in the middle of Kelly's?"

The boy's stupidity only made Francis' blood boil. "If you take one step behind this counter, then, yeah, you can bet your ass on it."

Lucky glared hard at him, glowering as his eyes darted to Elizabeth who stood safely out of reach, protected first by Francis and then the glistening counter. "This is between me and Elizabeth."

The petite brunette gulped at the hatred which cloaked his voice as he said her name, and she could feel Francis' anger radiate off of him as the older man struggled to keep his temper in check. "You don't own her, pipsqueak," he growled, easing himself back onto the red leather stool but keeping his body tense. "So if you don't mind, I'm just going to sit pretty while you talk."

The young Spencer steeled his jaw, sensing the futility of the situation, and his cold topaz eyes arrested Elizabeth's. "Where were you last night, Elizabeth?"

Her fingers gripped the edge of the counter as the brunette reminded herself that she didn't have to answer to him anymore. "That's none of your business, Lucky."

"Fine, don't answer," he shrugged, feigning an amicable tone even though a hard glint flickered through his eyes. "I know the answer anyway." His stare bore into hers, turning her blood cold. "You were fucking that brain-dead asshole Morgan."

Francis was on his feet before Lucky could even finish his sentence, and the bodyguard's strong hands instantly fisted in the boy's jacket as he pushed him back forcefully. He heard Elizabeth yelling his name but he didn't care, pushing Lucky's back against the wall of the diner with such power that the structure rattled.

"You listen to me and you listen good," he growled, lifting the boy a good two inches off the floor and watching with satisfaction as Lucky's eyes turned fearful. "I don't give a shit that you're Luke's son – you watch your mouth around her. Is that clear?"

"Francis, put him down," Elizabeth commanded, jerking on his shoulder and looking fearfully up at the darkened stairwell. They were causing such a racket that she was afraid one of the boarders would come down, see Francis assaulting Lucky, and then call the cops to haul his ass off to jail. Sonny and Jason had enough problems as it was – they didn't need to deal with one of their top guards cooling his heels in a holding cell. "Francis, please."

With a grunt, the hardened bodyguard released Lucky and watched as the boy crashed to the ground. Elizabeth's arms were looped through one of his as her ex-boyfriend picked himself up gingerly, the fire still blazing in his eyes. "This isn't over, Elizabeth."

A harsh chuckle escaped her as Francis wrapped an arm protectively around her waist from the front, attempting to push her behind his broad back, but the brunette didn't budge an inch. "That's where you're wrong, Lucky – it's over, all right."

"It-"

"I left you," she replied in a deathly calm voice, her sapphire orbs turning hard and cold like his had been. "It was something I should have done a long time ago, but I didn't. I stayed. I stayed even though my heart was telling me to go. I stayed because I wanted to help you, I wanted to help you the way you helped me."

Francis watched from the corner of his eyes as she shook her head once. "But now – this…You don't want to help me anymore, Lucky. You just want me to stay with you and live the way you want me to. And I can't do that."

"I never said-"

"You don't get to dictate what I do, where I go," she ticked off on her fingers, her other hand curling into a fist at her side. "And you don't get to tell me who my friends are."

Lucky's lips curled in disgust at the unmistaken message behind that last line. "Some friend," he sneered. "Fuck-buddy's more like it."

Francis surged forward, seeming fully intent on breaking the boy's neck, but Elizabeth dug her heels into the floor and held him back. "It's not about love anymore, Lucky," she continued in a lethally deliberate voice. She didn't care if she was hurting him – she was done caring about him altogether. "It's about control. Power. And I'm sorry to break it to you-" those dark sapphire eyes glittered wickedly "-but you ain't got it anymore."

Penny crept out from the kitchen holding two containers, sealed and ready to go, and hung back, observing the encounter. She had almost been afraid to come out, but then the order had been ready and she reasoned that Elizabeth would probably want to leave here sooner rather than later. She had come out just in time to see Elizabeth defiantly flip her hair back and really give it to her manipulative, cold-hearted ex-lover.

"I'm not in love with you, Lucky," she declared in a low voice. "I don't know when I fell out of love with you. You know what else I don't know? When I fell in love with Jason."

A muscle in Francis' jaw ticked as he watched Lucky's body tense. He had always pegged Elizabeth as a sweet-tempered young woman, but he was rapidly realizing that she gave as good as she got and wasn't afraid to get on anyone's toes – or stomp all over someone's colossal ego.

"So you see, Lucky, it is over." She slipped her fingers casually into her back pocket, cocking her head at her former boyfriend. "Jason's with me, I'm with him, and you're alone. And you can rot in Hell for all I care."

Without bothering to spare him a second glance, the brunette turned on her heel and snatched up her coat and purse. Penny's stunned, wide eyes met hers and Elizabeth quickly grabbed the two containers from her as well. Francis held out one arm for her, wrapping it around her shoulders as she approached and shouldering his way past Lucky so that the young man stumbled back against the jukebox.

She stepped into the freezing February morning clad only in her jeans and sweatshirt – she hadn't bothered to put on her coat in her haste to leave – and Francis quickly ushered her to the waiting car. They got in and as the driver pulled away, the elderly Italian bodyguard noticed with a prick of satisfaction that his young charge didn't glance back once.


"Pick us up at the other side," Francis instructed the driver as he and Elizabeth got out of the limo. The little brunette had requested quietly that she'd like to take a walk through the park to clear her head. Besides, she figured that they should probably give Sonny and Jason some more time to sort through business matters. And so Francis had tucked the two sealed containers away in the back of the limo and instructed the chauffeur to pick them up at the other entrance to the park.

Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of her coat as Elizabeth shuffled down the pathway with her guard at her side. Francis watched her carefully, a small frown tensing his features. Her head was lowered, her gaze on the ground directly in front of her, and her lips were pursed in deep thought. And he didn't like it.

He wasn't a fool to not realize the gravity of what had happened back at the diner. It was no secret how Lucky and Elizabeth had come together, and how the petite brunette had been inconsolable when he had supposedly passed away. But he had no idea of the troubles in Paradise that were building up from before his boss even showed up in town again. He had no idea about the ultimatums, the orders, the tantrums – and the knowledge of the little blonde psycho's mind games made him want to go back to Kelly's and ram the little shitpot's skull through the window.

But the biggest shock was the vehemence with which Elizabeth spoke to him. He hadn't been present for the showdown the night before, when the defiant little brunette had chucked her flowers to the ground for the second time – this time, purposefully. Because of that, he had no basis for comparison for the little conversation at the diner. She had not only told him that she didn't love him – a shocking declaration to begin with – but she had told him that she was in love with Jason and that not only that, Lucky could rot in Hell.

And now she was completely silent and staring at her feet as she shuffled through the park, and that worried him. Keeping a steady pace at her side, the bodyguard glanced down at his oblivious little charge. Had she told Jason how she felt? Or had she just said all that about loving him out of spite? He wouldn't blame her if she had – after all, it was in the heat and anger of the moment and everyone always said over-the-top things when they flew off the handle.

But Francis almost hated to think about that. As much as the guards pretended that nothing was out of the ordinary, they had all picked up on how their boss' relationship with his petite little artist friend had changed. She wasn't just the friend that had pulled him out of the snow and nursed Jason back to health – she was much more. It was clear that the enforcer wanted her, and it was oddly disconcerting to come into work and have to watch the love-struck mobster fake a platonic relationship with the young woman.

And if Elizabeth didn't mean what she had said, especially after what presumably happened between the two of them the previous night…well, then, he'd be sure to request out-of-town assignments immediately just to keep out Jason's way when the news broke.

Still lost in his thoughts, Francis looked up in surprise when he noticed that Elizabeth was walking ahead of him a couple steps now. There was a noticeable spring in her step when he caught up with her, and when Francis looked down into her eyes, he found them sparkling and surprisingly content. She flashed him a little smile and tossed her bangs out of her hair as they continued their brisk walk, and Francis couldn't help the little smirk that claimed his lips. Sometimes, it seemed that he, his friends, and their boss worried a bit too much over nothing.


"You're a good girl, Carly."

The tall blonde tossed her bodyguard a wry smirk over her shoulder. "Cram it, Johnny."

"No, I'm serious," the Irishman laughed, lifting up the paper bag he held. "Who else would run out at this hour just to fetch their husband a few bottles of freshly squeezed orange juice?" He snickered wickedly as she punched his shoulder, switching the bag to the other hand and wrapping his free arm around her shoulders. "You're a good woman, Carly Brown."

"And you're getting a pay cut," she laughed despite herself, matching steps with her favorite bodyguard. "Hey, as long as Sonny doesn't make me drink any of the stuff, I'm perfectly happy to be Florence Nightingale for him."

They continued walking easily through the park, taking the shortcut to Teddy's house, which was right near the Brownstone. She had let her son stay there for the night, not wanting him to come home to a penthouse full of doctors and Sonny's blood. But now that her husband was all bandaged up and healing nicely – and all the bloody clothing and sheets had been thrown away – it was time to bring her boy home.

The pair rounded the corner and practically collided with another pair, and Johnny reached for his holster immediately, blinking when he saw that Francis was doing the same.

"John?"

"Sorry, Francis," his friend muttered, dropping his coat back in place. The Irishman's green eyes darted over to Francis' charge as Elizabeth and Carly sized each other up warily. Sure, they had been on speaking terms during the fire, but that was yesterday – no telling what today would bring.

"What are you two doing out here?" Carly asked suspiciously, looking from Francis to Elizabeth and back again.

"We…went to Kelly's," Elizabeth got out awkwardly, stuffing her hands back in her pockets. "I wanted to pick us up some, um…breakfast."

The 'us' didn't go unnoticed by Carly, and the blonde instantly recognized the situation. Little Miss Muffin had spent the night with Jason – and was now running out to get him some food just like she was running out to get Sonny some fresh juice. If the whole damn thing wasn't so disturbing, she would have laughed.

"Yeah, we're, uh, doing the same."

Elizabeth smiled politely at Johnny, her brows furrowing when she noticed the heavy bag in his hands. "What's that?"

Carly glanced at her guard and shifted her weight from one high-heeled snakeskin boot to the other. "Orange juice." Elizabeth nodded, and the blonde quirked a brow at her. "Why?" she challenged, a hint of amusement in her voice. "What did you get?"

Elizabeth grinned crookedly, tossing her bangs out of her eyes. "Chicken noodle soup."

And Carly Corinthos, for all her trash-talking and smart-mouthing, just couldn't help herself – she laughed. Seeing her laugh, Elizabeth joined in with a chuckle as the two bewildered guards just stared at each other.

"Oh, shit, we gotta go," Carly huffed, still smirking, as she grabbed Johnny by the elbow. "Before this gets any weirder and I invite you to go shopping or something like that."

Elizabeth easily stepped aside to let the two pass without a goodbye – though, to his credit, Johnny did tip his head at her – and smirked up at Francis. "Not a word to Jason."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Elizabeth – besides, it's not like he'd believe me anyway."


The doctor had just finished bandaging Jason up when Elizabeth quietly slipped back into the room. The enforcer shot her a smile that made her knees melt as Dr. Coates scrounged around in his medical bag for some bottles, and Elizabeth set the paper bag she carried onto the dresser and took off her coat.

"Good morning, Miss-"

"Webber," she supplied to the dark-haired Spanish doctor, clasping her hands behind her back and moving closer to the bed and the patient. "But, please, call me Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth," he affirmed in a gruff voice, extending his hand to shake hers. "I'm Dr. Guillermo Coates – call me Bill." She smiled at that and nodded her head once as he placed a couple bottles in her hand. "The small white ones – make sure Jason takes those every morning with food, and without delay. The red ones are for night, right before he goes to sleep, and the larger yellow ones are to be taken three times daily with food. You've basically got your painkillers and antibiotics there, and if he takes them regularly until they're gone, he'll be just fine. If you have any questions – either of you – please don't hesitate to call me up. Jason has my number, don't you, Jason?"

The enforcer confirmed it with a tip of his head, his intense eyes straying again toward Elizabeth's slim figure as she studied the medicine.

"If he complains of any dizziness or migraines while on the medication, please be sure to call me immediately," Dr. Coates continued. "I'll give him a milder dosage and we'll see how that works. Remember, if there are any problems or concerns, give me a call."

"I will," Elizabeth replied with a grateful smile. "Thank you for stopping by."

The doctor nodded at them both and excused himself, quietly slipping out of the room, and Elizabeth set the bottles carefully on the desk in a neat little line. Jason's eyes arrested hers as soon as she turned around, and Elizabeth flashed him a sly little grin as she bent to scoop his maroon t-shirt off the chair where she had left it. She faced him this time while she changed, whisking her gray and pink sweatshirt over her head, hearing him groan at the sight of her bare chest underneath, and then pulled on the shirt she had worn the previous night. She wasted no time shucking her jeans and throwing them onto the recliner, and Jason's good arm reached for her as she slid under the covers to join him.

"You were gone for a long time."

She tilted her head, bracing herself over him on one elbow. "I know. I thought I'd pick us up some food and let you and Sonny work things out. Got back just in time, though."

He smiled in agreement and tugged lightly on the back of her neck, seeking her lips, and Elizabeth complied readily. She made love to his mouth, her soft lips pressing firmly against his warm ones, her hair cascading around them in a curtain of chocolate silk. She could feel him fidget beneath her and the brunette pulled away slowly, peering down into his mystical blue eyes.

"How you feeling?"

"Better now that you're back," he replied honestly, smiling down at her as she cuddled up against his shoulder. "What's in the bag?"

Elizabeth glanced at the dresser and then up at him, a wicked glint in her sapphire eyes. "Take a wild guess."

"Oh, no…"

"Chicken noodle soup!"

Jason covered his eyes with a moan, unable to suppress the little smile that crept to his lips at the sound of her laughter. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?"

"First off, you're hardly well enough, and second, no, I'm never going to leave you alone," she smirked, bracing herself up on one elbow.

The enforcer sobered up at her words and removed his hand from his face, now looking directly into her eyes. "Listen, Elizabeth, we need to talk."

She quieted down with a slight nod, nibbling on her lower lip until Jason pressed his thumb to it and pulled it free. "Okay."

"About last night…"

Try as she would, she just couldn't contain the mischievous grin that instantly curled her lips as memories of that steamy shower came to mind. "About last night…"

He quirked a brow at her, knowing that he was being teased. "I…I don't want you to-"

One finger to his lips instantly silenced him, and Elizabeth gazed back at him seriously. "Just stop right there, Jason." He stared at her, confused, and the brunette had to swallow roughly before she could continue. "I know what you're going to say – and I'm telling you right now that you're wrong. I'm not here because…because I feel like I have to be. Because I feel bad or worse, sorry for you. That's not why I showed up last night. That's not why I stayed."

He linked their fingers together, admiring the paleness of her smooth skin against the darkness of his rough hand. "I'm glad that you stayed."

A sweet smile kicked up the corner of her mouth. "Me, too." She paused for a moment as he kissed the back of her hand, a gesture so innocent and romantic that it damn near brought tears to her eyes. "Jason, I-"

"I know it was kinda fast," he cut in quietly, his intense eyes still glued to their hands. He just couldn't bear to look at her for the moment – right now, he just had to get this out. "I didn't expect it to happen either."

She raked her fingertips through the soft golden hair at his temple. "It feels right, though." The second hand on the clock quietly ticked as the brunette peered at him timidly. "Doesn't it?"

He was nodding with such conviction that Elizabeth didn't doubt him for a minute. "Nothing ever felt more right to me, Elizabeth."

His husky voice brought tears to her eyes and Elizabeth leaned in a little closer. "I saw Lucky at Kelly's today, when I picked up the soup with Francis." Her fingers gently stroked his cheek, soothing him, as Jason's eyes turned to ice. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told him." Her heart constricted painfully in her chest, and Elizabeth was unaware of the fact that Jason, too, was holding his breath. "I'm with you. And it's because I'm in love with you."

The breathless, whispered confession cut through all his defenses instantly, and Jason lifted a hand to cup her cheek and pull her to him. "Elizabeth, I love you, too."

She chuckled with relief, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against his. "Good to know that we're both actually on the same page, huh?"

"For once," Jason agreed in a rusty voice, combing his fingers through her soft chocolate locks and content to just hold her close. Elizabeth turned her face, her soft lips gently seeking his, and Jason returned the tender caress, deepening it gradually until their tongues were mating in a sensual dance. The kiss was long and intoxicating, stealing their breaths and clouding their minds with a rich, hazy fog.

Jason's breathing was erratic when they finally broke apart, panting for air, and his voice was almost desperate as he speared his fingers through her silky hair, frantically seeking her lips once more. "Thank you for taking care of me."

She resisted him long enough to gaze deeply into his startlingly blue eyes, and Jason could see the moisture that pooled in her wide orbs, clinging to the curly raven lashes in fat droplets. "I'll always take care of you, Jason," she whispered. "Just like you've always taken care of me."

He pulled her soft, yielding body to his, kissing her deeply and ignoring the pain that still lingered upon impact. She was his; he was hers completely. And despite the heartache, the anger, the loss and yearning, and all the harsh pain, it was the best Valentine's Day he had ever known when she molded herself against him, kissing him in affirmation of the love they shared as the chicken noodle soup cooled, abandoned on the dresser.

Let there be no more sleep ever, because she promised
In my dream she would meet me in real life.

The End.


Author's Note:

I cannot believe I have finished this story. This wonderfully heart-breaking, terribly daunting story. But I'm just so proud of it that I could burst. This story was supposed to be a simple six-parter that I'd have completed and wrapped up in under a month, but it turned into so much more. It was heartache by the chapter as I brought myself back to that wonderful and at the same time terrible scene – Jason fallen to the ground in front of the burning warehouse, Elizabeth dropping those symbolic roses.

Pallas was the one that said that scene was in her opinion the pivotal Liason scene, and I couldn't agree more. In that scene, you saw Liason for what they were at their core: two people so desperately in love with each other and too weak to struggle against what kept them apart. That was why this story was such a challenge for me as I continued to write it: That scene was so incredible, Steve and Becky's performances so alarmingly perfect, that I felt I would never be able to do it justice. I'm not sure at this point even that I have, but I know that I am damn proud of what has taken shape under my clumsy fingers.

Blaze is a whirlwind, and I couldn't be more pleased. Blaze. Friendship Set On Fire. It has been such an honor – a personal triumph – to write this story, and I thank those of you that shared it with me. Your kind words of support and encouragement will not be forgotten, and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all.