Francis tried to swallow the smirk that appeared on his face when Elizabeth climbed into the passenger seat of the Cadillac STS and slammed the door shut behind her.
"Just drive," she rumbled as fastened her safety belt and folded her arms across her chest, "Don't go to Bobbie's. The shrew is there picking up Michael. Give her enough time to throw a fit and get out before trying to get in a ten mile radius of that place."
Francis bit his lip and slid his eyes towards her before moving them back to the rearview mirror and easing the car out onto the street. He missed this Elizabeth. The one who use to get all fired up and ready to take you down when you crossed her. The one whose blue orbs danced dangerously as they were doing now. The one who had spunk and wasn't afraid to show it.
The little spitfire was back and sitting right next to him. He could kiss the man that created the change in her. He wasn't even going to ask what happened, he was simply grateful something did.
"Do you know what that idiot did to me?" she huffed as her foot started tapping against the custom made carpets.
In that moment, Francis would've guessed that Jason was the one who brought back that old spark.
"He set up a trust for me!" she practically shouted, "A freaking trust, Francis! I mean, I could care less about any of this money, you know how I feel about all of that, but a trust requires a trustee and can you even guess who the trustee is? Take a wild guess!"
Francis had to run his hand over his mouth to cover the smile that was reappearing. Man, he sure loved his boss Sonny Corinthos. After all these years the man still knew.
"Jason Morgan," Elizabeth laughed bitterly as she let her head fall back against the seat, "We can't even stand the site of each other and now I have to ask him for money each month. Till I'm 25, Francis, that is a year and two weeks away. I can't do this, I can't. There has to be some way to get out of it."
She was squirming and rambling and Francis wanted nothing better to do than pull over and call Johnny and Max. They were going to get a kick out of this as well.
"And he thinks he's slick," she scoffed. "I know what he's trying to do and if that man wasn't already dead I'd kill him myself. He just…he didn't get it. Jason hates me and I know he's trying to fix something that was broken before it even started." She looked at him with wild eyes. "You know, when I turned 25, he probably would've waited a week and went right back over to Alexis and had that trust set up till I was 30. I wouldn't put it past him, he just didn't…"
Elizabeth stopped and reached up to feel her cheeks, which were now wet with silent tears, happy tears. Tears that for some reason she really didn't mind shedding.
"He did this for me. He loved me," she said quietly.
"I know," Francis said as he reached over and squeezed her hand.
"Then for Sonny," she smiled as she looked away, out the window at the beautiful changing leaves. "No, for Jason I'm going to fix this. I'm going to make things right."
She squeezed her eyes shut as the wind slid through the window and danced across her face, "But I've got a long road ahead of me and I'm going to need Sonny with me every step of the way."
Sonny bit back a laugh as he opened the penthouse door and came face to face with Elizabeth's backside covered in a pair of pink pull on pants that read 'Princess' right across her bottom.
It was a cute bottom too.
"I can't find it," she mumbled, head buried in a box.
"Find what?" Sonny asked, draping his coat across his desk chair.
"The book I'm looking for!" she exclaimed as she popped out of the box in her white tank top and pony tail that barely held her hair, "I was going to sit down and start reading to the baby." A soft smile came across her lips as she ran one hand across her slightly swollen abdomen, "My doctor said it would be good for me to read to the baby. I had the perfect book Sonny and it's lost."
She motioned to the sea of boxes that now cluttered his living room. She was great at packing and horrible at unpacking. She knew it was driving Sonny crazy but she was making some progress. All her art supplies were unloaded.
"I'll help," he said as he unbuttoned his sleeves and stared to push them up his bronzed arms, "What book are we looking for?"
"It's no use," Elizabeth said as she plopped down on the arm of the couch, "It's gone. I must've misplaced it somewhere. I've been through everything."
"Elizabeth," he said as he walked towards her and placed two hands on her shoulders, "We'll find it and maybe start unpacking in the process, but I can't help you unless you tell me what book you're looking for."
Elizabeth's eyes averted his and she started to nibble on her lip before she provided him with the answer he was looking for.
"It was a travel book," she said quietly, "About Italy."
Sonny smiled softly as he kissed her hair and pulled her into a tight hug, "I'll tell you what. I'll help carry these boxes up to your room and we'll start unloading them. Then maybe we'll find the book, ok?"
She nodded, albeit sadly and shuffled over to a box in a pair of bunny slippers. Adorable Elizabeth Webber, still a child at heart.
"Take a light one," he said as she lifted a box, "That better be light."
"It just has Boris in it and a few other stuffed animals," she shrugged and made her way up the stairs, "I can do this on my own."
"I'll be up in a second," he said flashing those dimples, "But you better have started."
A small genuine smile appeared on her face, "Yes sir."
He watched her petite form disappear up the stairs and into the dim hallway before he made his way over to the door and motioned for Johnny.
"I need a favor," he said pulling out a large bill, "I need you to run to the bookstore for me."
"Bookstore?" Johnny asked with raised eyebrows, "Um, ok."
"Pick up any and all travel books you can find on Italy," Sonny said, "As quickly as you can."
Johnny nodded and accepted the money from Sonny. "Is this for Miss Webber?"
Sonny shook his head sadly, "This is for Jason."
"Oh thank God you're here," Bobbie said as she was slipping on her coat, "Elizabeth was suppose to be here over an hour ago and I'm assuming she was avoiding this place because Carly stopped by to pick up Michael. Anyway Jason I just got called into the hospital and I was going to drop JJ off at the penthouse can you do it for me? There's an emergency."
Before he could answer Bobbie was placing a kiss on his cheek and running out the door, telling him to stop over as soon as he gets a chance. She wanted to hear all about his travels.
Jason stood there by the front door not sure what to do next. He was alone in the Brownstone with his son and while he wanted to run in and grab the boy, hold him in his arms and never let him go, he didn't want to frighten the child away and he wasn't sure how the child would feel about him.
He wasn't sure how his own son referred to Sonny Corinthos. He just hoped it wasn't by the word father.
Mustering up all his courage Jason stepped into the foyer and peaked his head around, looking for a tiny little boy with chestnut brown hair and his piercing blue eyes. Jason Morgan Junior. A smile appeared on his face when he remembered his son yelling it proudly.
"JJ?" he called quietly.
As he stepped into the living room he saw the little boy's head turn and look at him curiously. He then stood on his little chubby legs and gave him a small smile.
"Hi."
"Hi," Jason said walking over and kneeling down in front of the toddler. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. "I'm not sure if you remember me…"
"You were at my house the other night, during the storm," JJ said as he looked around for something, anything that wasn't Jason's eyes, "I don't like storms."
Jason couldn't help but smile. His son was embarrassed because he was afraid of thunderstorms. Jason felt his own heart tug, wanting to be there to comfort JJ when the next storm came. He would definitely be there.
"Can I tell you a secret?" JJ nodded eagerly, "I don't like storms much either, the thundering anyway. I think the lightening is pretty cool, the way it lights up the sky."
"Me too!" JJ exclaimed, "But the booms are really loud."
Jason laughed slightly and nodded, "They are pretty loud." He held out his hand to his son, ready to introduce himself, a little unsure of what to say if the child asked about his name being Jason Morgan too. "I'm Jason…"
JJ looked at his hand and giggled before pointing at him with a little digit, "No you're not."
Jason looked at him curiously wondering if Bobbie or Carly or even Michael had said anything to the young toddler before he had a chance.
"You're my Daddy."
If Jason hadn't been the kind of man so in control of his emotions he probably would have fainted. Hell that's what he wanted to do, pass out dead away on this floor and wake up to some bleach blond telling him this was a very bad dream. But that couldn't be possible, not when the spitting image of he and Elizabeth Webber was standing in front of him, looking at him with identical soulful eyes, proclaiming that Jason was his daddy.
He had to get up and take a few steps back, take a breath and wondered what in the hell Elizabeth was trying to do to him.
"Mama told me all about you," he said. "I have your picture at home, and the one above my bed, I love that. Took me forever to get Mama to give it to me, I really love it though. Can I ride on your motorcycle?"
The questions, the responses, so many things were swirling around in Jason's head. This child, his son, simply knew him by a picture, probably by stories that were told to him by Elizabeth and Sonny. He wasn't replaced, no one else was a father to this child, but then again neither was he. Yet somehow he was etched into his life, he hated her for doing that, but he was also glad that she gave JJ something to hope for.
"You look sick."
Jason felt sick, but he shook his head and knelt back down in front of the child, ready to start firing off his own questions, but JJ still wasn't done.
"Is that what happened to Uncle Sonny? Is he sick too?" JJ asked as his smile turned upside down in a frown that broke Jason's heart, "I asked Aunt Carly but she wouldn't say."
Aunt Carly, Elizabeth must love that.
And Uncle Sonny.
JJ still had yet to learn the fate of his Uncle. He knew that Elizabeth probably wanted to wait until she was able to get past the services and burial. She would want to be in control when she told her son that the only male figure in his life was never returning.
She probably wanted to make sure that Jason was going to stick around before promising JJ anything.
Jason was sticking around and he was going to give his son the world.
He was also going to give Elizabeth a break. As much as it pained the both of him he knew that Elizabeth was taking the loss of Sonny a lot harder than he was, so he held out his arms and JJ walked into his embrace. Jason then carried his son over to the couch, preparing to tell him about what happened with Uncle Sonny.
"Did your mother ever tell you about heaven, JJ?" Jason asked as he handed the boy a familiar little motorcycle. The orange one he gave Michael all those years ago. He blinked his eyes rapidly a few times, trying to fight back the tears.
JJ nodded as he spun the wheels of the motorcycle with his finger, "Mama says that when it thunders that's all the motorcycle men up in heaven starting their engines."
Jason smiled softly. He would never be able to make up stories like that, he was grateful that Elizabeth was able to give his child that much. Now he had to figure out how to tell JJ that Sonny was up there in even with those 'motorcycle men'.
Elizabeth stepped into the dark foyer and was surprised to find Bobbie nowhere in sight. She was a little worried when she noticed the nurse's car missing from out front and even more so with a quiet house and opened front door. She was about to call out her son's name when she stepped into the living room and came face to face with a moment she had only dreamt about.
Jason was sitting on Bobbie's couch, JJ in his arms, playing with a toy motorcycle. Her steps faltered as she brought her hand up to her face, trying to choke back a sob.
Heaven help her for all the horrible things she had done. If she were Jason she'd hate her too. She had no right to deny this man the past three years of his son's life. What a cruel woman she was.
Jason heard a small whimper and looked up into the eyes of Elizabeth. So much pain, so much grief and even anger, towards herself. He wanted to reach out with his free hand, wanted her to take it so he could pull her close and tell her it was okay.
But he choked on the words and the room was silent until JJ broke it with his timid voice.
"Mama, Daddy's going to tell me about Uncle Sonny."
Elizabeth looked at Jason, surprise in her eyes and when he opened his mouth to say something she held her hand up, "Can I stay?"
Jason nodded slowly, not even sure what she would ask and motioned to the empty seat next to him on the couch. She took her coat off, laying it beside her and then sat down next to Jason, smiling softly as she rubbed her son's back and then kissed his hair.
"I missed you sweetie," she smiled.
"Mom," JJ groaned as he squirmed away and moved closer to Jason. Jason tried to hide a small laugh as his son tried to be macho in front of his father, the man who practically created the word.
If only things had been different, if only they hadn't hurt each other so many times, maybe this would be a happy moment instead of one that was so bittersweet.
"Is Uncle Sonny real sick, Mama?" JJ asked as he rested his head against his father's chest. It seemed so right, so natural.
"Honey, Uncle Sonny was sick, well, no, actually he was hurt," Elizabeth said quietly as she rubbed his leg.
The little boy's eyes looked up into Jason's, "Is that true?"
Jason nodded, "Some bad man hurt your Uncle Sonny," he said quietly, "He hurt him real bad, so bad that he can't come home anymore."
"You mean he won't be living with us anymore?" JJ asked looking back and forth between both his parents.
"No, he won't be living with us anymore," Elizabeth said as she leaned towards him and placed two fingers over his heart, "But he'll live right here, always, remember how I told you people stay with you always?"
"Like Daddy?" JJ asked as he looked up at his father, "You said that Daddy couldn't be here with me now but he'd be here always," he said pointing to his heart.
Jason had to look away from his son's innocent eyes. His own damn heart kept fighting back and forth between loving and hating the vixen that sat next to him.
"Like Daddy," Elizabeth choked out and then pressed her hand over her mouth. "Uncle Sonny loves you so much; he always will be looking out for you."
"He's with the motorcycle men," Jason said as his eyes met with Elizabeth's. He didn't know why he felt the need to say that, only that it felt right, just like this moment.
"I'm going to miss him," JJ said quietly and then Jason heard him sniffle. He looked down to watch the boy struggle, his lips trembling.
"It's ok baby," Elizabeth said, reaching out and pulling JJ a little closer to her, but still leaving him on Jason's lap, "It's ok to cry. Mommy's been crying a lot lately."
"I'm going to miss him," JJ mumbled again before throwing his arms around both Elizabeth's neck and then Jason's.
He watched his son, his tiny body shaking as he let out his grief, then his eyes moved towards Elizabeth's as she leaned against her son's check and tears, so many tears, slipped from her eyes as she whispered words of encouragement.
Jason then took a shuddering breath, with his chin resting against his son's head and his cheek against Elizabeth's hair, he let his own tears fall.