Chapter 34

Elizabeth sat in the back of the limo nervously gripping her hands and staring out the window. For the millionth time since seeing Sonny, she wondered if this was the right thing. What if Jason turned her away? What if he hated her? What would she do then?

She didn't have an answer to that question. She didn't know what she would do. Right now her life was in chaos. Lucky was dead. Jason was in jail. Nikolas hated her, blaming her for Lucky's death. Her grandmother was insisting they leave Port Charles after the trial. She had even begun looking at art schools in the west that Elizabeth could transfer to. She didn't want to leave Port Charles. This was her home. She wasn't going to let her grandmother take her away from the only home she'd ever really known, even if she knew Audrey was trying to protect her.

She knew her grandmother was worried about her and her involvement with Jason. Audrey still blamed Jason for what happened even though Lucky pulled the trigger. She refused to believe that Lucky was the person Elizabeth said he was. Elizabeth couldn't blame her. She had kept everything that was going on between her and Lucky to herself. The only person who really knew what Lucky was like was Jason, and now it was hard for everyone else to believe Lucky was the controlling possessive boyfriend she claimed he was.

Looking back, she could see all the times she lied and told her grandmother she and Lucky were so happy. At the time, she didn't want anyone to know about the problems they were having. She didn't want anyone to see how unhappy she was. She shouldn't have been. Her first love had miraculously returned from the dead, what did she have to be unhappy about? But if she had confided in someone before Jason even came back, maybe none of this would have happened.

Oh, God, she needed to stop this. Stop with the second guessing and self blame. As much as she regretted the way she handled the situation, she couldn't change what happened. She needed to think about what she could do, she thought looking at the big grey building they were pulling into. She hadn't saved Lucky, but she could save Jason. She just needed to figure out how.

The limo drove past the main entrance and continued around to the side of the large enclosure. It stopped at a door with no handle. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She looked to Johnny sitting behind the wheel for guidance. He could see the question in her eyes from the rear view mirror.

"Wait inside, Miss Webber, while I go check things out," he said before he exited the car.

He walked to the door and knocked. After a few moments, the door opened. From her position, she couldn't see inside. She could only watch as Johnny went inside leaving her alone in the car. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she would have a heart attack. Should she go to the door and knock or wait for Johnny? Before she could make a decision, Johnny returned.

"Miss Webber, please follow me," he said after he opened her door.

She exited the car and followed him into the building. The door, she realized upon entering, was an emergency exit. She looked up and down the stairwell searching for the person who let them in but saw no one. Who was it? Where did they go now without someone to show them the way?

"This way, Miss Webber," Johnny said indicating the stairs going up.

She followed quietly behind both worried and excited at the same time. Each step was bringing her closer to Jason but it was also taking her deeper into the prison. Were they anywhere near the inmates? Would she have to pass any of them to meet Jason? Was she strong enough to walk in front of rapists and murderers? She wondered if her rapist was somewhere in this prison. Would she have to see him again? She shook her head to shake away her thoughts. None of that mattered if she saw Jason. She would do anything she had to to make that happen. Even face her old demons.

Johnny led her to the top floor of the building and into a deserted office. She wondered where the employees were. How had Sonny gotten them away from their desks so that she could be here? She looked around the office as if something on a desk or chair could give her the clues to figure it out? It looked like at least two people worked here, but not today. It didn't look like anyone had come in to work today. Were they all given the day off? How much power did Sonny have? She knew he was a powerful man, but she hadn't realized how powerful.

They stopped at the warden's office and Johnny gave a soft knock on the door. Elizabeth's eyes widened in amazement when the door opened and a short balding man welcomed them in. The third party Sonny spoke of was the warden?

"Hello, Miss Webber, my name is Anthony Krebs. I'm the warden of this facility," he said pointing to a chair for her to sit down.

"Thank you, Mr. Krebs, for indulging my request," she said nervously. Now that she was here, she realized just how much this person was risking to accommodate her desire to see Jason. If anyone suspected he was connected to Sonny Corinthos in anyway, he would lose his position at this facility. He might even become a resident of one himself. She wouldn't want that to happen.

"It is my pleasure, I assure you," he replied as he took his seat behind his desk. "I am glad to honour any request of Mr. Corinthos. He has always been very generous to me and my family."

Elizabeth nodded not sure how to respond to that. She didn't want to comment on Sonny's business, and she really didn't want to know how he and Jason ran their territory. She was just happy they both trusted her enough to let her in once and a while. She didn't need to be completely involved in that life. She was quite happy to paint and work at Kelly's and let Jason and Sonny take care of the business.

A knock at the door prevented her from responding to the warden's comment. Krebs quickly moved to the door and opened it just enough to talk to the person or persons outside. Elizabeth strained to listen, but only heard muffled sounds she couldn't make into words.

After a brief conversation, Krebs opened the door fully and waved the person outside to come in. Elizabeth stood holding her breath in anticipation of seeing Jason. He stepped into the room but kept his head turned to the warden as he continued to speak.

"Jason."

He stopped when he heard his name. For a moment he thought it was Elizabeth calling his name, but that couldn't be. Elizabeth wouldn't be here in Krebs' office in a maximum security prison. He turned expecting to see Alexis, instead stared into eyes he hadn't seen in over a month.

Neither moved. Both were too overcome by emotion to do anything but stare into each other's eyes. Neither noticed when Johnny and Krebs left the office closing the door behind them.

"Elizabeth, are you really here?" Jason asked unsure if who he was seeing was real or in his head.

She couldn't speak. She could only nod and gorge herself on the sight of him. His hair was longer then usual and he had lost some weight, but he was perfect to her eyes. When her eyes finally had their fill, her feet sprung into action and propelled her into his arms. She held him so tightly, she was afraid he couldn't breathe. She would have pulled back, but he held her just as tightly. She buried her head into the crook of his neck savouring the feel of his arms around her.

All her anxiety and doubt vanished. This was where she wanted to be. It didn't matter that her grandmother or Carly or Nikolas or the Spencers were against them. There wasn't anywhere on this earth she wanted to be if Jason couldn't be there with her.

Finally he released her just enough to pull back and take her face in his hands. He still couldn't believe Elizabeth was standing in front of him. This couldn't be real, and yet he was holding her in his hands.

Without speaking, they both moved closer until their mouths met and fused. Neither held anything back creating an explosion of sensation that nearly knocked both of them off their feet. The kiss was heightened not only because of their month separation but from their desperate need to assure themselves that the other was alive and well.

Jason's body pressed against hers, and she could feel his warmth in her breasts, in her thighs - and deep inside her, where desire had begun to stir and simmer. He drew a hand slowly down her back, tracing the shallow dip of her spine and then settling at her hip. He shifted her closer to him and she realized that she wasn't the only one who was becoming aroused by the embrace. Elizabeth rocked lightly against him eliciting a heartfelt groan for her efforts.

"Elizabeth," he muttered, cupping her face between his hands. "We can't do this, not here."

She didn't want to listen to common sense. She didn't care where she was, she just wanted to feel him on every part of her body and know that they were alive and together. She pulled him down for another kiss before he could say anything else.

He took the lead thrusting his tongue between her lips. His leg pushed between her, settling her even more firmly against him. He kissed her until her head buzzed from lack of oxygen. She didn't complain. Right now, she needed Jason more than she needed her next breath. Elizabeth was trembling when the kiss finally ended. And even more amazingly, he was, too.

He drew her to the couch by the far wall and pulled her down into his arms. She made no effort to resist. When he lowered her to the cushions, she pulled him down with her, sliding her hands over his shoulders to lock behind his neck.

He nuzzled her temple, rubbed his lips across her cheek, kissed the tip of her nose and chin. He nibbled at her lower lip and traced her mouth with the tip of his tongue. Even as Elizabeth concentrated on the pleasure he gave her with his clever mouth, she was aware of his hand slipping beneath the hem of her sweater. His fingers slid across her stomach, which contracted in reaction. He sketched a circle around her navel then finger-walked up her ribs.

He pulled back just far enough to lift her sweater over her head and discard it on the floor. He stopped when he saw the scar running down her chest. She gasped and tried to cover it with her hands, but he gripped them and brought them to her sides. He traced the scar with his finger then leaned down and followed his finger with gentle kisses. He rested his ear above her left breast and listened to her heartbeat.

Elizabeth gripped his head and forced him to face her. She could see the gambit of emotions flowing through him. He had almost lost her, and he didn't know if he could survive losing her a second time. She was so amazed at the depth of emotion he felt for her. She chided herself once more for not realizing sooner that this was who she wanted to be with.

She loved everything about him - everything she had come to know during the past two years, and everything she had discovered in the past half hour. She was deeply, desperately in love with Jason Morgan, and she was more than ready to show him. She pulled him down for another earth-shattering kiss.

She didn't know how it happened but the next time Jason looked down at her the remaining of their clothes had found their way to the floor. He needed a final assurance that this was what she wanted. Even though his body was screaming for completion, he was willing to stop if she changed her mind. She wrapped herself around him as an answer and he lowered himself to her.

She rose to welcome him when he joined them with one deep, smooth thrust. She gasped, quivered and then moved eagerly with him. The explosion came swiftly, rocking through her, forcing a cry from her throat. He held her, murmured her name, and waited until she'd wrung every ripple of pleasure from the experience before giving in to his own need. He stiffened and gasped her name. Holding him closely, she thought how right her name sounded on his lips - and knew she would never forget this moment of pure joy.

No matter what the future had in store for them.