"Hey Johnny," Elizabeth said quietly as she stepped off the elevator with her arms wrapped around her waist.

The crazy weather of Port Charles had snuck up on them again. Yesterday she couldn't leave the house without her warm wool coat and today she was fine in just a sweatshirt. Frustrating at times but she wouldn't have it any other way.

She turned to the right, approaching Alexis' penthouse door, ready to knock before turning around and walking back towards her own penthouse.

"Johnny?"

The bodyguard looked at her with raised eyebrows and a question in his eyes.

"The other day, when I flipped out on you, after the services…"

"I don't remember anything, Miss Webber," he stated with a small smile tugging at his lips.

Elizabeth nodded and turned back towards Alexis' door. She took another step before she turned around, running towards Johnny and flinging herself into his arms, hugging him with all her might.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, any of you," she said quietly as she felt tears prick her eyes, "Sonny trusted you with his life and I want you to know that I trust you with mine."

Johnny's arms easily came around the smaller woman's waist and returned the hug just as vigorously. She was the little sister he never had and he would protect her with his life. He knew that Francis and Max felt the same way.

"I'm here, whenever you need to yell," he smiled as he tugged on the cap she was wearing.

Elizabeth smiled back as she leaned up and placed loud kiss on his cheek, "You're staying for dinner, no arguments, I've had enough of those lately."

Then she finally made it back over to Alexis' door, knocking once before it was opened by the smiling attorney, "Hey, extra school work that needs to be taken care of?"

"No," Elizabeth said chewing on her lip, "I was able to reschedule my exam. It was all over the news so the professor…she knew and um, it's not a problem."

"Well, that's good," Alexis said giving her a small smile, "If this is about the…"

'This is me needing a friend," Elizabeth blurted out.

Alexis opened the door wider and Elizabeth stepped in, her sneakers making tiny squeaking noises as they moved across the hardwood floor. Alexis thought she still looked as exhausted as the day the explosion happened. She knew that it would take time but Elizabeth seemed to be in so much pain. It was so difficult to watch.

Alexis took off her glasses and placed them down on top of a file folder she was reviewing before the petite brunette knocked on her door.

"If you're busy, this can wait." Elizabeth said.

"Liz, you know you can come to me," Alexis said as she placed her hand on the younger woman's shoulder, "I know you are younger than me, a lot,' she stressed with a smile, "But over the past four years…"

"When everyone else shut me out of their lives," Elizabeth sighed and plopped down on Alexis' comfy couch. She pulled her jean clad legs up under her and tugged the hat off of her head, revealing a puffy ponytail. "I just…this just snowballed on me Alexis and I just have this feeling that it is going to get worse before it gets better."

Alexis sat down across from her in her favorite leather chair and clasped her hands together, "You aren't making any progress with Jason?"

Elizabeth shrugged, "Last night, I think we made some headway. I really don't want to go into…" she frowned and rolled her eyes. "I come over here looking for advice and then keep things from you."

"I know some things are private," Alexis said quietly. "And I know they need to be kept that way. You'll tell me what's necessary for me to give you the best advice you ever heard."

Elizabeth felt a smile tug at her lips as she looked at Alexis. This woman was another reason why she wanted to become an attorney. She was strong, fierce, loyal and had quick wit, someone Elizabeth had come to admire and truly wanted advice from.

"I really don't know where to start, Alexis," Elizabeth said. "Maybe…maybe with when did you know?"

Alexis smiled softly and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest, "A lot sooner than either of you did."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Elizabeth asked, "I mean why didn't you knock some sense into me?"

"Because me and the guards were having too much fun," Alexis said with a small laugh, "We all knew how you and Sonny felt. We saw the devastation on your face the morning Jason left, the devastation on his when Carly packed her bags and moved out. We all knew that the two of you were going to swear off love. It didn't come as much of a surprise to any of us that you decided the best place to be was content with each other."

"And we were," Elizabeth insisted.

"But that contentment grew into love," Alexis said as she leaned up and reached out to take Elizabeth's hand, squeezing in gently, "The whole town knew that you and Sonny loved each other, you two even knew that, it was obvious that you cared deeply for each other, it was written all over your face. Somewhere along the line…"

"I crossed the line and I shouldn't have," Elizabeth said quietly, "I'm just glad that he…"

"He knew Elizabeth," Alexis said quietly, "And he crossed it too. I think he realized it after he proposed to you. I think he realized it the day he made up the will and that's why it was specified the way it was."

Elizabeth ran her hand over her face, sniffling and trying to wipe away some tears. She wondered if there was going to be another day in her life when she didn't cry.

"God, Alexis what did he know?" Elizabeth asked, "That he was in love with me or that I was still in love with Jason?"

Alexis sighed as she moved over to the couch and sat down beside Elizabeth, patting her thigh gently, "Sonny was still in love with Carly, you knew that."

"Of course I did," Elizabeth said, "I don't know why. I do know he was too damn stubborn to go after her."

"Almost as stubborn as you were about JJ."

Elizabeth looked up at her startled.

"I'm an attorney, I'm not stupid," Alexis said with a smirked, "And Jason's already been here to see me."

"That doesn't surprise me," Elizabeth said as she got up and started to move around the room, "I don't blame him either. Wanted full custody didn't he?"

"In the heat of the moment," Alexis said, her eyes following Elizabeth's pacing, "I tried to tell him that what JJ needs more than anything else is both you and Jason. Have either of you told him about Sonny?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Last night."

When Elizabeth didn't offer anything else Alexis wasn't sure if she should bring up her next thought, "Did you discuss the terms of the will?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "Jason and I haven't really discussed anything. Last night was actually the first night we were able to be in the same room without arguing," She sighed as she pulled out her pony tail and ran her fingers through her hair, "And I hate that I missed those moments."

"You feel guilty that you missed those moments."

"Stop sounding like Sonny, damn't." Elizabeth practically growled.

"He did this for a reason," Alexis said as she stood up and walked towards Elizabeth, "Sonny knew…"

"I didn't want him to know," Elizabeth said, "I wanted him to know that I loved him that I wanted to be with him."

"You remember the first time you and Sonny kissed?" Alexis asked with a small smile, "You came running over here the next morning like your backside was on fire, rambling on and on about what a horrible friend you were, how you couldn't possible care for Jason as much as you did if you kissed Sonny, that you were just a cruel mean person?"

"I was," Elizabeth snorted, "I told you I needed to talk to you because Emily hated me."

Alexis laughed as she wrapped her arm around Elizabeth's shoulders, "But I got past that and I told you that what you were feeling was normal. You stepped back, Elizabeth, you and Sonny both backed off until you were ready to let go of the guilt."

"It took me two years to finally be able to stand up at Sonny's funeral and say that I'm not going to feel guilty about loving him," Elizabeth said quietly as she looked up into her mentor's eyes, her own brimming with tears, "I don't want to have to be standing at Jason's saying the same thing."

She moved away from Alexis, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "I hate this, I hate that I let things get to me like this. This always happens; I can never just love one person. I am so glad that God puts all these people into my life so I can care for them and love them but he needs to stop trusting me so damn much, I'm about to have a nervous breakdown."

"That wouldn't be good for JJ," Alexis said.

Elizabeth felt her own face light up for the first time in the past five days, "My son. No, I won't let anything happen to JJ. I'm going to get him through this," she took a deep breath; "Jason and I are going to get him through this."

"And you are finally going to knock the citizens of Port Charles on their asses," Alexis said with a small laugh, "I'm sorry but everyone just assumed that JJ was Sonny's…"

Alexis stopped when she heard a loud bang outside the penthouse, "What was that?"

Elizabeth shook her head as she went and pulled open the door with Alexis right behind her. She came face to face with Jason, who was bending down and picking up a box that rested at his feet. A small smile tugged at his lips when he looked at Elizabeth.

A smile that worried her.

"Hey."

"What is that?" Elizabeth asked as he moved towards the penthouse with the box, "What are you doing?"

"Moving my things in," Jason said as he motioned for Johnny to help him with the door, "This is all I have, a duffel bag from my bike and some things I had to pick up when I came to town. Thanks Johnny."

"No, no," Elizabeth said grabbing onto Jason's leather coat with both of her hands, "What do you think your doing? You're not moving in here."

"I believe those were the terms of Sonny's last will and testament," Jason said looking at her pointedly. He flashed her that smile again.

"No!" Elizabeth said stamping her foot, "Get out of my house. You said you were signing everything away."

"Changed my mind," Jason said as he continued to walk, pulling her with him.

"Um, Johnny, coffee?" Alexis asked.

"No!" Elizabeth proclaimed, "Throw him out."

"Love some," Johnny mumbled as he hurried over towards Alexis' penthouse and closed the door behind them.

Elizabeth ran around in front of Jason and started to push on the box that was in his hands. A little startled, he stepped back a pace or two but then resumed walking as if nothing happened. She felt herself struggle against the ruggedly built biker.

"Damn you," she groaned as he stepped into the penthouse.

"Hold this for me," he said as he shoved the box at Elizabeth and then pulled his coat off. "Thank you."

"Jason," she huffed.

He was flipping through some paperwork at the desk, warehouse things and while she was glad he was looking at them she wasn't at all thrilled with the idea of him moving into the penthouse. Sonny may have had a plan for the two of them but she wasn't about to follow it.

"How did we go from arguing with each other to living together?" she asked.

He ignored her so she dropped the box.

Jason turned around, looking at her curiously.

"Will you now give me the time of day?" she asked crossing her arms across her chest.

"I don't like this situation anymore than you do," Jason said as he bent down and picked up the box, carrying it over to the table and placing it down, "And whatever money Sonny left JJ is going to Michael."

Elizabeth sighed and ran her fingers through her hair again. She wouldn't fight him on that. She knew how much it would mean to Jason to be able to provide for his own son.

"Sonny wanted me to be your trustee, fine, I can do that," Jason said. "And he wants me to live with you? Fine I can do that as well but for the simple fact that I want to spend every minute possible with my son. Alexis seems to think he needs the both of us right now."

She bit her lip, not wanting to say anything, not even knowing what to say. Jason was right on so many levels. He needed to be with his son, he needed to take care of the business, he also needed to find out what the hell happened to Sonny.

But living together?

She curled her hands up into fists and pounded against her forehead. She couldn't go back there, go back to all those years where she would stay up late and wait for him, worrying about his safety. She couldn't go back to the time when she grieved with him, believing that Sonny was dead, wanting to take his pain away. She couldn't go back to the moment where they finally admitted it all, go back to the moment where it was all consummated.

Yet she had to live with him.

Sonny had to be sitting in purgatory for this alone.

"We can try it," Elizabeth said hesitantly, "I'll…I'll do my best to stay out of your way."

Jason shrugged as he went back to the desk and started to flip through some more papers, "I won't be around much. Well, I'll be with JJ and when he's either sleeping or at…school right?"

"Um, right, it's like the school you go to before preschool," Elizabeth said quietly, "Three days a week for a couple of hours. How did you know that?"

"I want to make sure I know where my son is at all times," he said softly.

'Since I didn't know I had one for three years' seemed to linger in the air between them.

"He'll be done soon," Elizabeth said, "So I'm going to go upstairs and get a shower before I go pick him up."

"I'll get him," Jason said.

"You really…"

"Take a bath, relax, get some sleep, eat," he said shrugging, "I'll get JJ."

"Ok," she said as he moved towards the stairs, "Ok, I'll see you when you get back."

"I'm going to take him to the park afterwards," Jason said, "We'll be back before dinner."

Elizabeth bit her tongue to prevent from saying anything. She had wanted to spend time with her son dearly, she had missed him so much over the past few days but she knew that didn't compare to missing three years of his life.

So she nodded and headed upstairs quietly, intent on taking that bath.

Jason sighed as he ran his hands over his face and sat down on the arm of the couch. He couldn't believe he was doing this, he couldn't believe he actually agreed to move in with her. He hated that it was still there, the feeling, the emotions, the connection.

He couldn't concentrate on her right now. There were a million other things he needed to worry about. The warehouse books needed to be done, people had to be paid, he still had questions that needed to be answered regarding Sonny's death and above all else he needed to spend some quality time with his son.

But he heard the water turn on upstairs and he could picture her filling up the bathtub, lacing it with vanilla and jasmine scents, her tiny naked body surrounded in all those bubbles.

With a growl, Jason grabbed his keys to the penthouse and hurried out the door, slamming it behind him. Hopefully Johnny would take that as a sign that it was ok to come out now.

"20!" JJ said with a giggle, "I can count all the way up to 20."

"And you did wonderful," Jason said as he picked up his son and swung him under his arm, "Now what do you want to do?"

"Go down the slide, over there," JJ pointed to a play area that housed some swings, a slide and a set of monkey bars.

He placed his son down on the ground and ruffled his hair. "Be careful, I'm going to let you do it by yourself but I'll be right here if you need me."

"Ok," JJ said. He threw his arms around his father and then dashed the few feet to the play area where he eagerly climbed up the stairs to the slide.

Jason couldn't remember the last time he felt this much pride. Was it when Michael was born and he held that tiny little child in his hands? His heart had swelled up so much at that moment he wasn't sure if anyone else could fit in.

JJ did, and watching his son laugh as he came down the slide made his heart swell once again. This is what love was. An overwhelming feeling of wanting to be around someone, wanting to take care of them, wanting what was best for them, wanting to give them everything in the world.

The emotion he felt for his son JJ.

The emotion he still felt for his son's mother.

"I don't know how I didn't see it," Carly said from behind him, "He's the spitting image of you as well as his lying mother."

Jason sighed as he turned slightly towards Carly, one eye still trained on JJ who was going down the slide again, "How are you doing Carly?"

His concern was for his best friend, the one who he knew was in a lot of pain. He didn't want to have to hear horrible things about Elizabeth; he didn't want to have to go there today, not when they seemed to finally be able to speak two words to each other.

"I'm ok," she shrugged, "Michael is getting out of school soon so I decided to take a stroll through the park before I went to get him," she smiled softly, "I'm glad you're here."

Jason motioned for her to sit down on the bench beside him, therefore she could talk to him and he could also keep a better watch on JJ.

"What's going on?" Jason asked.

"I tried to find you at Jake's," Carly said, "This morning, after I dropped Michael off at school. They told me you weren't staying there any longer. Jase, I hope this doesn't mean that…"

"Carly," Jason said as he looked over at her briefly, "We've had conversations about you being in my personal life. I don't want you there. Please."

"Jase," Carly said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I am not trying to tell you what to do here."

Jason looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Really, I'm not," she said with a smile, "I just want you to know everything, all the facts, before you start playing house with the little twit."

"Carly…"

"Hear me out, Jase?" she asked. "What have you got to lose?"

Jason watched his son play around with another little boy; he was trying to push him on the swing, having a hard time with his little body. He wasn't given up though, he was determined to give the other child one good push.

His son. He already lost three years of his life and he lost Elizabeth long ago to Sonny Corinthos.

Jason turned back to Carly, "Ok," he licked his lips. "Ok, I'll hear you out."

He had nothing else to lose.