Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Elizabeth awoke early, after only a few hours of sleep. Slowly, trying not to wake Brenda - although, surely, such precautions weren't necessary as her best friend could sleep through a hailstorm and once did just that - Elizabeth crept into the bathroom. She hung her denim shorts and t-shirt from the door handle, dropping her underwear and bra on the door knob. The tank top and cotton shorts she used as pajamas were discarded onto the bathroom floor and she stepped into the hot shower, the steam enveloping her like a blanket.

She stood still a moment, just letting the water cascade over her tired and aching muscles. Her mind, still foggy from a lack of sleep, was slowly waking up now under the scalding spray.

Elizabeth rubbed her neck gently, trying to undo the tight knots she found there. Her back was sore, too, and she reminded herself to dig out some Tylenol from the dashboard of Mr. Barrett's Lexus.

Last night had been pure Hell.

Spending three and a half hours in the holding cell at the Clover County Jailhouse with a very irate Jason was not her idea of a relaxing vacation.

The shower roared around her and Elizabeth bent her head back, moaning softly when her neck muscles protested bitterly.

Her father was going to kill her if he ever found out. The world would be short one Elizabeth Imogene Webber.

The night had been a rollercoaster, as it turned out. The evening around town was wonderful - she had a great time with her friends. Dinner started out horrendously but ended marvelously, and when Jason had finally kissed her in the thicket, she could have sworn she'd died and gone to heaven.

And what a kiss! She blushed at the memory, quickly swiping her hair back from her face and reaching for the shampoo. After more than two months - ever since they began talking - of tiptoeing around her, Jason had finally kissed her. She had originally worried that he would just peck her on the lips and pull back immediately, making sure she was okay with it and treating her like a little doll and absolutely infuriating her in the process.

But no. Not at all.

He'd frenched her. Mauled her.

And she'd be lying if she said she hadn't loved every delicious minute of it.

But the horror began when four rookie cops broke into the thicket and aimed large flashlights at them, demanding that they freeze and put their hands in the air. When Jason stepped in front of her to shield her from the glaring light, they'd barked at him to move and then physically pushed him out of the way.

They'd been brought to the jailhouse almost immediately, the cops spouting something about robbery and indecent conduct. As it turned out, the teenagers they had seen earlier had apparently stolen a copious amount of liquor from their fathers' supply cabinet, and empty bottles and cans of said liquor had been found near the thicket where she and Jason were. When the officers heard movement inside the foliage enclosure, they'd barged in first and asked questions later.

Despite her and Jason's protests that they had nothing to do with such activities, they had been made to wait in the jailhouse as the officers tried to sort things out. Apparently, their commanding officer was having some family emergency and had left them in charge, further adding to Elizabeth's aggravation. She knew Lieutenant Sherman - she had helped jump his car the last time she was here. He was a wonderful man and knew both her and Brenda from their many visits, and if he had been present, the whole matter would have been cleared up in an instant.

But that was not so. Instead, the cops seated her and Jason on the wooden bench and ran around like chickens with their heads cut off as they also tried to manage the other business at hand. When much time had passed, Jason grew increasingly impatient. His harsh words and irate behavior convinced the cops he was one of those typical adolescent delinquents and they tossed the two of them in a holding cell.

This further enraged Jason, and the tall blonde spent the next two hours pacing furiously and muttering obscenities under his breath. Elizabeth sat silently on the makeshift bed, just watching him. Her lips were still swollen from his assault, and his hair was still mussed and unruly from hers.

At long last one of the cops came over and Jason demanded a phone call, which he received. In literally ten minutes, a disheveled and frantic Sonny and Brenda showed up at the jailhouse. They'd brought all the necessary identification that both Jason and Elizabeth had conveniently left in their room, and vouched for their friends' innocence. Their alibi seemed strong, and only one phone call told the cops that the foursome had indeed been at the Four Leaf Clover Restaurant and Bar all evening.

She and Jason had been released immediately amidst a hurricane of apologies. Elizabeth had nodded politely but when she opened her mouth to speak, Jason simply grabbed her hand and blustered out of there, Sonny and Brenda struggling to keep up.

On the walk back to the hotel, Jason didn't say a word, choosing instead to huff indignantly and glare at anything that moved. Sonny already had several jokes on hand about indecent conduct and there being really strict laws about not getting it on in the bushes, but the lethal glint in Jason's eyes and the humiliated set of Elizabeth's shoulders kept him quiet.

Brenda walked quickly next to him, her arm linked with his. She sighed periodically, looking more at Elizabeth than Jason, and Sonny knew she was worried about her best friend. He was too, for that matter - not about Jason, but about the petite brunette whose hand was still held hostage by his. Jason was a strong kid, he knew that. He seemed only angered by their little stint in a holding cell, but Sonny had to wonder what was going on through Elizabeth's mind. Hopefully, her brief career as a criminal hadn't scarred the little honor student for good.

They'd gone back to their hotel rooms, and Jason only mumbled goodbye to Elizabeth before turning his back on her and ascending the stairs to his room, taking them two at a time. Sonny quickly kissed Brenda and reassuringly squeezed Elizabeth's shoulder before running up himself.

Elizabeth lathered her hair, taking her time. The suds covered her small hands, making them look like giant blobs of foam. She piled her hair atop her head, her fingers massaging her scalp as the water pounded over her shoulder blades. The steam began to clog her throat slightly, but she didn't mind.

When she had trudged into their room, Brenda had quickly shut the door, kicked off her shoes and pulled Elizabeth to the bed. Predictably, she demanded to know what had happened, and before long, Elizabeth felt herself pouring out the entire story.

Brenda jumped up and down with glee upon hearing how Jason was the one to man-handle her, and kept saying over and over how romantic it was. Elizabeth said she'd change her tune if she had the living daylights scared out of her by four cops while she was swapping spit with the resident god.

They'd stayed up for hours talking about the events of the evening. Brenda quickly hurried through what transpired between her and the Don before eagerly turning the conversation back to Jason and Elizabeth. She told her best friend that Sonny suspected Jason was nervous, and Elizabeth begrudgingly agreed, still frustrated that he didn't feel comfortable around her despite all the time they spent together.

The suds from the shampoo cascaded down her back and Elizabeth nodded to herself. After all, what was the use if he still walked on eggshells around her? What had they really accomplished then?

Brenda repeated what Sonny said about a friendly atmosphere and a romantic one, but Elizabeth was too tired to listen. She apologized repeatedly to her friend for dragging her out in the middle of the night before realizing that Brenda hadn't said what she and Sonny had been doing ever since she and Jason left. Brenda shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner and replied that they just walked over to the beach and sat and talked for a while.

Then she, too, announced that it was late, effectively putting an end to the barrage of questions Elizabeth was already preparing. Though resenting her silence, Elizabeth could do little but yawn as she pulled on her tank and shorts, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She finished scrubbing the rest of her body with the complimentary loofah the Dancing Crab supplied. The thing that perplexed her the most was Jason's odd behavior. Before, he was always so free around her, never the least bit uncomfortable. He teased her about her height, listened intently as she rambled, even chased her around and threatened to throw her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Brenda told her such behavior from boys was completely natural. And then when he came to Clover, she knew he was genuinely happy with the prospect of spending his spring break with her instead of getting drunk and hooking up with a different girl every night on the beaches of Mexico. They'd spent so many hours just sitting and talking on the beach, playing volleyball, swimming, and he'd even rubbed sunscreen all over her body every morning. But then he froze up during dinner at the Four-Leaf, ignited the night in the little thicket by the gazebo, only to turn sour and sullen after their little brush in with the long arm of the law. He hadn't even kissed her goodnight, even though he'd wrapped his tongue around hers not four hours earlier!

Boys, she huffed. Dad was right - there's no such thing as a nice teenage boy. But then again, he might be just a little bit biased.

She turned the water off and wrapped the large, fluffy green towel around herself. She quickly dried her hair, twisting it into a knot to keep it out of her face as she dried the rest of her body and changed. She donned her undergarments, threw the towel over the rail of the tub, and pulled on her favorite denim shorts and small white Herman's Hermits t-shirt.

In a flash, she was out of the bathroom, grabbing her hemp necklace - the blue one, of course - from the dresser along with her purse. She let down her hair and brushed it out. It was almost dry and she pulled it into two pigtails tied just under her ear. It took her only a minute to locate her brown leather flip-flops from the night before and she slowly slipped out of the hotel room, leaving a quick note for Brenda to find on the dresser.

The morning was crisp and hazy as the sunlight chased away the darkness. The moon was still visible, a ghostly crescent against the powder blue. But that would change within minutes. Mornings always arrived quickly in Clover, jumping in to the soft sky as if they were just waiting for the right moment to pop out and scare away the darkness.

She walked quickly away from the hotel, eager to put some distance between herself and it. Because if Brenda awoke, she'd just jump out of bed and chase her down, and as much as Elizabeth loved her best friend, she just needed some time alone this morning.

The gravel crunched underneath her thin flip-flops as she made her way down the dirt road shortcut to town. The morning smelled like cantaloupe, as it always did. The grass was thick and wet with dew, which was glistening like pearls in the weak morning sunlight.

She passed the doctors' office and the pottery store where a cat-shaped cookie jar watched her with giant green eyes. Next was the antique store, filled to capacity with paintings and furniture and old jewelry. Marleen's was across the street, and faint movement inside told her that George and the boys were almost ready to open it for the day. Shops in the town always opened at the arrival of the first strong rays of the sun. Emmitt ran outside to change the sign from Closed to Open, and smiled brightly at her as she walked past. She waved, grinning, and he scurried back inside to help his mom and dad.

Next came one of her favorite shops in Clover - Dot's Trinkets. It was a charming little store with soft green shades over the bay windows and clean white trim all around. A silver wind chime always hung in the front, decked out with colorful beads and exotic feathers, promising surprises and wonders inside.

Dorothy Lanata - or Dot, as she liked to be called - had opened the shop many decades ago, and Elizabeth loved to spend time with the spirited elderly Italian lady. She was short, even shorter than Elizabeth was, and kept her white hair styled in a cute little boycott. She always wore pastel colors - soft greens, pinks, yellows - with capris and leather sandals. But Dot's jewelry was the most sensational part of her outfit - just as unique as she was. Her earrings ranged from brightly colored paperclips to peacock feathers, and her bracelets were glittering rhinestones and gold links. Her necklaces were Elizabeth's favorite - everything from hemp to silver and emeralds to simple beads.

Dot was the one that had gotten Elizabeth started with hemp necklaces. She'd noticed the young girl one summer night when her parents were dancing at the Clover Fair, and Elizabeth had run away because she was bored. Pretty soon, she had her seated on the curb in front of the store and they were talking about her favorite hobbies and colors and school subjects. Elizabeth wanted to know more about the store - what did she sell? What were some of the trinkets for? And before long, Dot had pulled out the hemp Elizabeth pointed questioningly to and shown the ten-year old how to weave it together into a necklace, adding as many beads or stones or feathers as she wanted.

That was the first time Elizabeth explored the shop. She found rolls upon rolls of hemp, as many bundles of yarn as there were colors under the sun, a startling array of beads and gemstones and feathers, and hundreds of other items that had made her eyes widen.

She had visited Dot every single time she came to Clover ever since then. She'd always stop in to buy more hemp and beads - even if she didn't need them - and she and Dot would talk about everything the old woman could think of. Was school going well? How was Pre-Calculus going, with that teacher she hated so much? Did Sonny win the Student Union election? How was Lauren - er, make that Petey's - softball season going? Was she being scouted yet? How were Ms. Bedford and all the other editors? Was her sister doing well in college? Were her parents still at General Hospital? Oh, they switched over to Mercy? The two of them chatted for hours as customers drifted in and out of Dot's little store, smiling at the sight of an elderly lady prattling on behind the counter and the charming young woman who hung on to her every word.

Dot had the best collection of beads the whole world over, and Elizabeth sometimes spent hours mulling over them all, not noticing how Dot would lean against the counter behind her and just watch, a soft smile on her face. There were some really incredible beads - beads with letters etched onto them, tye-dyed Christian crosses, beads that were melted to form peace signs and yin-yangs and even the Porsche logo, which she had gotten to make a necklace for Brenda with. There were smiley faces and two-dimensional models of old cars and airplanes, even Pac-man beads.

Dot smiled when Elizabeth stepped in to the store, instantly abandoning her cash register and running over to swoop the young woman into a hug.

"Honey, it's so good to see you again," she beamed, tucking loose strands of Elizabeth's hair behind her ears and gently smoothing her fingers through the pigtails. "You look wonderful, darling - how is everything?"

"Well, not much has changed since three days ago," Elizabeth grinned, shaking her head slightly.

Dot laughed and spun around to link elbows with her. "You know what I mean, Ellie, and don't pretend you don't."

Ellie was the name of Dot's childhood best friend, and she always called Elizabeth by that name. And the young woman had no complaints - she loved that name with all its charm and wholesome elegance.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dot," Elizabeth lied, batting her eyelashes innocently.

This earned her a hard, skeptical glare from the shorter woman. "Poppycock," she spit out. This was followed by a sigh and a wistful shake of her head. "I don't suppose you need me to spell it out for you? Well, if I must, I must."

Elizabeth bit her lip as the glittering cornflower blue eyes met her own.

"But I'll ask you again - how is everything?"

There was a pause as Elizabeth blinked, thinking of how best to answer. "Fine," she smiled genially, with a quick shrug of her shoulders.

This was not the answer Dot wanted. "I mean, how is everything with that gorgeous blonde hunk that's attached himself to your hip?"

Elizabeth's jaw dropped open. "Dot!" she cried, unable to stop the laughter that bubbled up when Dot's blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "You - you can't say that!"

"Why not?" Dot shrugged, winking devilishly at her younger friend. "Honey, when you're my age, you can say whatever you want about whoever you want, and I will say this - that boy has a nice caboose."

"WHAT!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her face flushing. She spun around instantly, covering her eyes with her hand and unable to believe what she had just heard. "Wha - Oh, my god - you - you can't - oh, boy."

"You agree," Dot asserted with a sinister smile. "Don't pretend you don't, because your reaction argues otherwise."

Elizabeth just shook her head in disbelief and denial, her eyes not moving from the older woman, causing Dot to chuckle.

"Oh, honey, I wasn't born yesterday," she clucked as they walked over to the counter. "I may not be a spring chicken, but I'm still familiar with the sight of young love."

Elizabeth snorted, rolling her eyes. "Love. Riiiiiiiiight."

"You know what I mean," Dot responded, waving her hand. She picked up a comb from under the countertop and brushed her white hair before putting it back in its place. Elizabeth waited as she moved out from behind it and dropped her purse on it as they moved to the bead aisle. All their best conversations took place in the aisle full of glittering metal and plastic.

"So tell me about this boy," Dot insisted. "You said his name was Jason?"

"Mm-hmm," Elizabeth nodded as she trailed her fingers lightly over the sparkly square beads that reminded her of puddles of rainbow-tinted oil on the black pavement. "Jason Morgan."

"Morgan," Dot repeated, leaning a shoulder against the corner of the aisle. "Oh, that's right. So tell me more about him - we hardly got any time to talk before. Brenda sure was anxious to get you to the beach."

Elizabeth nodded. "That was where he and Sonny showed up," she informed Dot, who already had an idea of what had happened. "They flew down here to surprise us and spend spring break with us."

"I assumed that much," Dot nodded, a sinister sense of amusement kicking up the corners of her Gingerbread Spicy painted lips. "Especially when I saw you two dancing at the Four Leaf."

With a gasp, Elizabeth spun around. Dot almost laughed at the look on her face. "You saw that?"

"I was there, honey," she replied in a voice as smooth as honey. "I had a good seat, too."

Blood flooded Elizabeth's face, coloring it a deep shade of red. "Oh."

Dot's grin grew. "He's quite the dancer."

Elizabeth nodded and turned away, unable to look the older woman in the eye. Dot watched her from a distance, her eyes softening and the mischievous gleam in them disappearing. She stepped closer, a pace away from Elizabeth now, and when she spoke her voice was gentle and had lost its playful and teasing tone.

"Honey, I can see you have something on your mind - something about Jason. You know that you can always talk to me about it."

Elizabeth drew in a deep breath, slowly turning around. Dot's eyes were kind and patient, and she found her resolve weakening. "It's kind of a long and confusing story," she admitted. "And I don't even think I know how to tell it."

"But those are the best kind of stories," Dot smiled, crossing her arms against her shoulder and leaning her hip against the aisle.

Elizabeth sighed, her gaze dropping down to the floor. "Well, Jason and I have been in the same school for three years, like I told you, and I never really noticed him until this year. For the first time, we had two classes together - Psychology and Calculus. I don't know why I never noticed him before - you've seen him, Dot; he's gorgeous. That hair, those eyes, that smile..." she trailed off, a silly grin playing over her face. "Oh, he's amazing. I just love to look at him."

Dot smiled warmly, and the understanding in her eyes slowly chased Elizabeth's embarrassment away. She trailed her fingers against the metal railings separating the beads before slowly dropping to her feet on the waxed floor, sitting cross-legged as she usually did when they talked. Dot remained standing, as always - slight rheumatism and arthritis made it difficult for her to get up from the floor.

"But we never talked. To this day, I don't know why. We'd see each other in the hallway. And yet we'd both look away or pretend not to see, and I don't know why. Sydney told me at first that it was because Jason was nervous, and another time when he walked by me and looked away and started whistling, she told me it was because he was just trying to be funny."

"Boys his age have a strange sense of humor," Dot remarked wryly, rolling her eyes. Jason reminded her of her first husband, a charming, debonair clown by the name of Elmer. He'd been her first true love and their marriage had always been filled with laughter and love until a sudden heart attack took him away from her.

"Tell me about it," Elizabeth huffed, rolling her eyes. "So then, like I told you, he picked me up after I fell in front of Sydney's locker. And you know, I still haven't thanked Johnny for that."

Dot chuckled, sniffing daintily and waiting for her to continue.

"After that, things slowly picked up. We shared an umbrella during a thunderstorm, I gave him a Valentine's balloon which he probably just popped and sucked the helium out of later, and then we just started hanging around each other more. I mean, not outside of school, but just in class and at lunch. We talked about everything, Dot, everything. I always have such a great time with him. He's one of those few people who can talk me off a ledge - I'll be freaking out about something and, boom, Jason will be there with some funny story or another and he'll just calm me down like only a few people can. Sonny was good at that, too - he'd always give me little pep talks to get me through it. But he's got his hands full trying to tie Brenda down, which is as hilarious as all heck because she knows that she really likes him, but she's still giving him the run-around to keep him on his toes. And it's working."

Dot smiled. That Brenda was a character. But unfortunately not interested in hemp or trinkets, so that was that right there.

"We went down to New York and had a great time. I guess it was technically like a date, only it wasn't, really, because we did everything in a huge group. It was like a no-pressure date, which was cool. And then we got here and so did the boys, and it was really cool. We spent hours on the beach, just talking and laughing and swimming and making sand castles - that Sonny would stomp on, of course - and playing volleyball and just having so much fun."

"What was the sunscreen situation? Ask, Trick, or Offer?"

Elizabeth smiled at Dot's point-blank question. "Well, he offered himself to..you know."

Dot smiled. This Jason was a sharp tack. "Go on."

"So we go out to dinner yesterday and it was...terrible. I mean, I guess it wasn't that bad, but...Ugh."

"What happened, Ellie?"

Elizabeth blinked back a surprising wave of unexpected tears. "He froze up. He barely talked, kept bumbling around, and it was just so awkward. And I mean, what good is all the time we've spent together if he still feels so nervous around me? That's not progress - that's nothing. I mean, we might as well be right back at square one. What was the point of coming all the way down here to be with me if you're just going to clam up?"

"You seemed pretty cozy on the dance floor."

Elizabeth nodded. "That was...nice. He was better after we danced. He kinda loosened up and I was like, okay, good, now this is the Jason I know. And when we slow-danced - Oh, Dot, that was incredible. I've never felt like that before - I've never danced that way with a boy before and felt so...light. Ethereal."

Dot didn't blink at the ridiculously sophisticated vocab word the brunette casually tossed into her everyday conversations. "What song?"

"Dancin' in the Wind."

"Hm."

"It was perfect, too. Something about how it feels just like we're dancin' in the wind, and we can dance all night. I really could - I mean, dance all night with him like that. I mean, I wasn't even dancing, Dot - I was floating. I've never felt that way before."

Dot smiled to herself. Elizabeth always employed repetition when she was affected - and this Jason Morgan seemed to have her very affected.

"And then we went back to the hotel, and Jason and I went for a walk. He wanted to see the gazebo at night, so we took the shortcut through the meadow and he was the same old Jason - not the one that didn't know what to say during dinner and not the one that didn't have to say anything while we danced. He was Jason. He was laughing and yelling and making jokes and it was just like we've always been."

Elizabeth clicked her unpolished nails against the shining tiles. The click click click was the only sound in the shop.

"And then I showed him the thicket by the gazebo. I just thought he'd like it - he's kind of a nature guy, you know? And me and Brenda sometimes hang out there, so I showed him. And we were just standing there, looking up at the stars and the moon - oh, they were so bright and close, Dot - and all of a sudden he said something about how he thought I was beautiful."

Dot couldn't suppress the smile that instantly lit up her face at those words, and she didn't bother to try. She instantly decided that she liked this Jason fellow - any man capable of saying that to a woman point-blank deserved a badge of bravery. And it was about time Elizabeth heard that - she didn't have the highest self-esteem when it came to her physical appearance, and that bothered Dot because Elizabeth was a simply lovely girl.

Elizabeth was blushing, but she forged on anyway. "And then he kissed me."

Dot's eyes widened, and for a moment the old woman wasn't sure of what to say. "Ellie - your first?"

"Mm-hmm."

Dot bit her lip, convinced her foolish grin would end up cracking her face. She did her best to keep her mouth shut and not prod Elizabeth about it further, but failed miserably. "Tongue? Or not?"

If possible, Elizabeth turned an even brighter shade of red. "Tongue."

"A little or to an almost-choking extent?"

"Try halfway down my throat."

"Oh."

There was a long pause as Dot just watched Elizabeth, who stared straight ahead at the ladybug beads.

"And...did you like it?"

Elizabeth buried her face in her hands before the words had completely left Dot's mouth. "God, yes."

Dot's merry laughter echoed through the store as the older woman clapped her hands together in glee over Elizabeth's answer. "Oh, Ellie!"

"What?" Elizabeth's voice was muffled by her hands.

"You're too much," Dot answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. The girl was a riot, especially with her God, yes answer. Priceless. "But go on."

"Well, there's not much else to say, except that we were busted by the cops."

"What?"

"The cops broke into the thicket and took us in. Long story short, they thought we were the bunch of kids that knocked off some liquor, and Sonny and Brenda had to come down with our licenses and credit cards and reinforce our alibis. And then we were let to go, after three and a half hours in the jailhouse, two of which were spent in the holding cell."

"Sherman wasn't around?"

"Family emergency."

"Figures. Those rookie cops are worthless - they couldn't catch a fly with honey."

"Meh."

"There's more to this story, though, isn't there?"

"Yeah."

"Feel free to expand."

"Jason was...Ugh. OK, basically, he didn't say a word to me while were sitting by the desks, and he just paced back and forth when we were in the cell, and he didn't say anything but four-letter words on our walk home - none of which were directed at me, don't worry - and he just mumbled goodbye over his shoulder and ran up into his room."

Silence stretched out like a blanket between them as Dot processed this.

"Oh, boy."

"In a word, yeah."

"What can I tell you, hon? Boys are fools."

Elizabeth looked at her then, her eyes narrowed and dark lashes framing the sapphire blues. "But why did he act like that, Dot? Why? I mean, first he was kissing me like...like that in the thicket, and then he doesn't even say anything to me after that? What - Why would he act like that?"

Dot regarded her carefully, her lips pursing into a thin line. "Ellie, I wish I knew. I wish I had the answers for you, sweetheart, but I don't. And there's only one person who does."

"Yeah, but I don't want to talk to that person."

Dot smiled. "I know you don't, darling, but you can't run away from him."

"No. He'd catch me. He's a runner."

"I hear runners make sensational lovers."

Elizabeth's head snapped to look at her. "OH, you - Shush! You did not hear that!"

"OK, fine, but what if it's true?" Dot teased. "Are you going to let a little misunderstanding keep you from exploring the hypothesis?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "You're terrible."

Dot just laughed. "I'm allowed to be."

"You take advantage of that fact."

"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I still say you hunt Caboose-Boy down and make him tell you exactly what crawled up that chiseled rear and died."

Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from laughing, knowing it would only encourage the strange woman standing in front of her. "You have a one-track mind, Dot, and it's going nowhere."

"Yeah, but I'm always right where I want to be."

"Where's that?" Elizabeth teased. "The gutter?"

"Don't knock it until you've tried it," Dot winked. She wasn't really like this, and they both knew it, but she just enjoyed teasing the bashful girl. "Maybe Caboose will take you there sometime. You can visit me."

"Oh, dear Lord." Elizabeth pinched her nose, chuckling to herself as Dot snickered. "You are bad."

She glanced at her watch then and reluctantly stood up. "I should get going, Dot, but I'll stop in again soon - maybe this evening."

Dot nodded, standing straight and walking Elizabeth to the counter. "Just think about what I said, Ellie. Talk to him. Find out what he's thinking. There's just no other way, honey."

Elizabeth nodded, reaching for her purse.

"And besides," Dot added softly. "You never know what you might miss if you don't seize this." Her voice dropped lower. "I almost missed my chance with my Elmer because I was stubborn and let my pride get in the way after we fought. But my mother gave me the same advice, and it all worked out in the end."

She stopped, just studying Elizabeth.

"Is Jason the first boy you've ever felt this way for, Ellie?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Dot's face melted into a smile of sympathy. "Oh, darling. The first ones are the most confusing." Elizabeth laughed. "But don't worry - things have a funny way of working out the way they're supposed to."

Elizabeth smiled warmly at her friend. "Thanks, Dot."

"Don't thank me," Dot replied, shaking her head. "Just go find Mr. Caboose and talk to him."

"I think I will - eventually." With that, Elizabeth turned and ducked out of the store, laughing as Dot yelled at her.

The morning was much brighter now, and the sun was shining warmly. The town showed more signs of animation now as Elizabeth made her way over to Marleen's.

Emmitt was fixing the window display of canned peaches when she walked in. He gave her a toothy grin as soon as she walked in. "Lizard!" he exclaimed, abandoning the peaches. She smiled at the greeting - all the children in the town had adopted it.

"Hey, Emmitt, how're you?"

"Fine, thank you," he smiled. "Did you come for breakfast?"

"Just some juice actually."

"Get the orange," he recommended. "That's my favorite."

"Me, too," she agreed seriously. "I think I will."

He smiled up at her and went back to his peaches, and Elizabeth walked over to the counter, smiling at George's wife who stood behind it.

"Hi, Beth," the woman smiled.

"Hi, Emma," she responded warmly.

"Have a seat, honey," the woman offered, gesturing to the leather stools.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Thank you, but I just wanted to get some orange juice and sit out on the dock."

Emma smiled at her. "Of course, darlin'. Here you go." She slid a tall glass bottle of orange juice across the counter at Elizabeth - extra-pulpy, her favorite.

"Thank you," Elizabeth replied, sliding change back at her. "See you at lunch."

This was greeted with light laughter as Emma waved back at her as she made her way for the door. "See you then, dear."

The seagulls were already out in full force as Elizabeth walked toward the ocean, pulling her straw from the wrapper and stuffing the paper in her purse. The juice was cool and she sipped it sparingly, wanting to save it for when she was actually on the dock.

The boathouse appeared before her, all the boats already out for the day. Not that there were that many to begin with, though. Her flip-flops clomped against the wooden planks as she walked out onto the pier, staring out at the ocean.

She mulled over whether to sit down on the pier itself, but the white stains told her the seagulls and their feces had beat her to it.

No matter, she thought. The boat house, though small and run-down, had a great little swing out front where you could just sit for hours and stare out at the ocean. Plus, it was under a little lean-to, which was good considering she hadn't bothered with any sunscreen.

Probably because Jason wasn't around to slather it on you, a cheeky little voice in her head spoke up.

Elizabeth snorted at the thought, taking another sip from her juice as she walked backwards across the pier. That was the Dot in her making herself known.

"Crazy lady," she muttered, swirling her straw around in the juice as she turned under the lean-to in front of the swing.

"Who's a crazy lady?"

Elizabeth nearly jumped into the air when she heard his voice, but managed to keep her feet planted on the ground. No, she didn't jump, but her heart certainly did. She tried to swallow past its newfound position in her throat as her wide blue eyes met an equally blue pair.

"Who's a crazy lady?" Jason repeated lightly, tapping his toes against the wooden planks from where he was sprawled comfortably across the swing.

"I - no one," Elizabeth replied, her hand tightening around her juice bottle. "Just someone I - no one."

Jason quirked a brow at her but didn't press her, instead gesturing to the swing. "Wanna join me?"

She regarded him suspiciously, her fingers on her straw again. Why was he being so nonchalant, especially after last night? "S-Sure."

She walked toward him slowly, still watching him carefully, and slowly sat down on the swing.

They sat in silence for a moment, and Jason began pushing the swing slowly, rocking it back and forth.

"Beautiful day," he offered, his eyes traveling across the ocean. Elizabeth was seated sideways, facing him, and she narrowed her eyes at the casual conversation.

"Yeah. They all are."

He looked at her then, steadily, without letting his eyes waver.

She waited for him to say something but when he didn't, she brought her straw up to her lips and glanced at the Atlantic, failing to notice how his eyes fell to her lips as they puckered to accept the straw.

One hand settled on her knee, playing with the frayed end of denim shorts. She remained staring out at the ocean, pretending to ignore Jason. Whenever she pulled this tactic on Sonny, he eventually couldn't take it and started talking.

And Jason was no different.

"Look, Elizabeth," he sighed, looking earnestly at her. She pretended to be surprised at the sound of his voice and made a production out of turning to look at him, batting her eyelashes as if he'd just summoned her from an entirely different world.

"What?" The single word was tinged with innocence, making Jason swallow uncomfortably.

"I - we have to talk."

She widened her eyes at him. "Oh? So now we're going to talk?"

Her words threw him for a loop. "Uh...yeah?"

"Oh." She nodded, her bottom lip protruding slightly as she smirked. "So after an entire night of you ignoring me in the slammer and practically running away from me into the safe refuge of your room, and now you want to talk?"

He studied her carefully. "You're angry."

She sucked in a deep breath, offering him a cold, small smile. "Now, whatever gave you that idea, Sherlock?"

"Look, Elizabeth, I get that you're upset, but I can explain-"

That was it. "You can explain?" she cried, leaping up from the bench and ignoring the small bit of juice that sloshed onto her hand. "Oh, this'll be rich. Go on, Morgan, explain. Explain to me why you clammed up tighter during dinner than Alcatraz security and why I didn't get a damn word from you after we were arrested!"

"Ok, first," he began, rising slowly from the bench with one finger raised. "We weren't arrested - they said they'd make absolutely no documentation of it as long as we didn't sue their pants off. And second -"

She didn't even let him finish. "You are unbelievable, you know that?"

Now it was Jason's turn to respond with some irritation, which he did. "Well, how about you actually let me get a word in edgewise, Webber?"

"Fine." She stood solidly, her arms crossed over her chest and watched him with narrowed eyes from under a furrowed brow. "Go."

He took in a deep breath through his nose, his intense blue eyes boring through hers. "First, I'm sorry about last night. About everything, I mean - dinner, getting arrested, the kiss-"

The impact of his words hit her faster than anything in her life ever had, and she was pivoting hard on her heel out of anger and frustration and a desperate urge not to let him see the sudden wave of tears that sprung to her eyes.

The kiss? He was sorry about the kiss?

Well, of course he would be, another little voice told her. After all, think about it - this is Jason Morgan. Yeah, that's right. Did you really think he'd want to waste his time with you after your performance during that lip lock? He's experienced - you, on the other hand, were standing there with your mouth flapping like a fish out of water.

Even as she told the voice to #$ off and furiously blinked away her tears, Jason's hand wrapped around her elbow.

"Elizabeth-"

"Let go of me, you jerk!"

Her words surprised him because his grip loosened for an instant before he snapped himself out of it and pulled again - harder.

"I said let go!" Her words whipped through the air as he quickly wrenched his hand back, pulling her to him. Her hands found his chest and pushed, her blue eyes blazing with fury. "Damn you, Morgan - don't you understand English? Let me go!"

"Not until you listen to me, Webber," he replied, struggling to maintain his hold on her. The fact that she was fairly writhing in his grip and wearing a pair of short denim shorts made it difficult for him to remember what he was going to say. "Damn it - will you just hold still for one second?"

"Only if you let go!"

"Fine!" He withdrew his hands from around her, even stepped back a step. She watched him warily, rubbing her arm protectively where he grabbed her.

"Look, like I said, I'm sorry about dinner and jail and-"

"And the kiss," she tossed back bitterly. "I know, and believe me, it doesn't surprise me in the least."

Her words had him doing a double-take. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She drew herself up to him, her blue eyes blazing with sparks of anger. "That I'm not surprised you're sorry," she repeated flippantly. "That I know it wasn't supposed to go that far and that you never meant to do it." OK, so she didn't really know that, but she'd believe it if he did. "And don't worry, it's my fault."

In her anger and humiliation, she didn't notice the total confusion on his face.

"It's my fault for being delusional enough to think that you knew what you were doing and that on top of that, you meant to do it. But don't worry," she added, throwing her hands in the air. "I know that now, thank you very much."

Jason still hadn't recovered from his sudden attack of confusion. His brows furrowed as he stared at her as if she'd just randomly started shouting the lyrics to Eidelweiss in Russian. "What are you talking about?"

And then he knew.

From the way she rolled her eyes and turned to the ocean for moral support, from the way she wrapped her arms around herself, the way her eyes softened and her lower lip trembled, he knew.

"Oh, #$," he muttered, running a hand through his golden hair. "Elizabeth-"

She simply shook her head once, turning away. But he knew better than to allow her to walk away.

And in her weakened state, Elizabeth was in no position to fight him off when he reached out and gently wrapped his long fingers around her wrist.

"Elizabeth."

Her name from those lips brought about a new wave of tears, and Elizabeth stared up at the bright blue sky, forcing them back before she allowed him to turn her around to face him.

He stepped closer, both hands on her arms, and looked searchingly into her eyes. She refused to look at him, looking instead at the sky, the ocean, the black dog on the beach that she could see over his shoulder...

"Elizabeth." His voice was gentle, and she hated it. Hated that he felt he had to patronize her like this just because she was a ninny whose eyes seemed to be a freaking automated sprinkler system. "I knew what I was doing."

She blinked at him, surprised, and his heart sank at the utter confusion and disbelief reflected in her eyes.

"Y-you did?" Her voice was foreign to her, and thicker with tears than she would have liked.

He nodded immediately, his eyes never wavering from hers. "And I meant to do it. Actually, I had been meaning to for a long time," he admitted, averting his gaze for the first time. "But I guess I kinda chickened out."

She still wasn't buying it, and he sighed deeply before going on.

"Look, what I mean to say is that I knew what I was doing when I kissed you last night."

"Then why did you apologize?" The question was a whisper carried atop the light ocean breeze.

He shrugged uncomfortably, withdrawing his hands from her arms and stuffing them into his pockets. "Because...because I was a total monster."

"What?"

His eyes were pained and embarrassed. Remorseful. "Elizabeth, I - I practically attacked you."

Oh. So that was it. She set her jaw firmly, a thousand thoughts running through her head. It all went back to walking on eggshells - he probably thought he was too rough and scared her off or whatever.

Her hands clenched into fists.

What the #$?

What did he think she was, some raggedy little doll that would fall apart with a good gust of wind? Someone that needed to be freakin' wrapped in cotton and protected?

Why were they all like this - not even just Jason, but all her male friends? Why did they try so hard not to offend her, not to upset her or be mean or physically rough? They weren't like that with the other girls - Petey and Jason fist-fought on an almost regular basis, Johnny was forever tossing Brenda over his shoulder and pretending to throw her down the stairs, and Jenny and Brendan were perpetually shouting insults at each other from opposite ends of the hall. Why couldn't they just be like that with her? Why couldn't they just be normal with her? Was that so much to ask? Why did they always have to baby her, protect her? Was it something about her that screamed weakness and a need for protection? Why did they have to treat her like she was so different - why did they make her feel like she was so different?

Jason didn't notice her aggravated stance. "Look, I basically mauled you right there, and... I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry." He shook his head in shame and her anger flared up again. "That's not at all how I wanted our first kiss to be."

And just like that, her anger melted away.

He had thought about their first kiss? He'd planned out how he wanted it to be? And all for her?

Feeling rather fickle but unable to ignore the happiness that swelled up inside her, Elizabeth stepped closer to where he stood with his head bent, her face soft.

"I didn't mind."

There. She said it.

He looked up at her in surprise, not sure of what to make of her assertion. His blue eyes clouded with confusion. "But, Elizabeth," he sputtered. "It was wrong, and-"

She cut him off with a single shake of her head, willing herself to step closer to him. They were almost toe-to-toe now.

"Who said it was wrong, Jason?" she asked softly. "And by whose standards?" He simply stared back at her and she sighed. "Why was it wrong?"

"B-Because," he sputtered as if the lone word itself was answer enough. "That's - That was no way for me to act, Elizabeth, after our first date, if you want to call it that. What kind of wacko does that? I practically dragged you into those bushes and rammed my tongue halfway down your throat-"

She blushed at the memory as she cut him off. "Actually, I dragged you into those bushes."

"Whatever," he replied. "It doesn't matter. The bottom line is that it was no way for me to act. I was raised better than that, Elizabeth, and I disrespected you last night, and I can't believe I did that."

Funny how you're only so worried about disrespecting her, the voice in Jason's head snickered. Oh, man. Hypocrite.

Jason ignored the voice as he usually did, and rubbed his neck with one hand.

Elizabeth was just watching him. Studying him. She blinked once, and he felt himself drawn in by her deep blue eyes. "Jason." Her voice was soft and understanding. He liked it when she said his name. "I'm not made of glass, you know."

He blushed, looking down at the wooden planks. The water shimmered below, twinkling up at him. "I know."

She smirked. "And in case you didn't realize it then, I was an active participant in this mauling, as you call it."

His head snapped up, and her smirk died when she looked into his smoldering eyes. "I - I know."

They remained silent for a long moment, both just watching each other. Elizabeth cleared her throat, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Jason," she tried, slowly sinking onto the porch swing. He followed suit, carefully watching her facial expression as she tucked a strand of hair that escaped from her pigtail behind her ear. "Please don't do that."

He blinked at her. "Do what?"

"That," she repeated. "Don't...don't worry about me like that. Don't worry, first of all, about saying something that I might not like, or doing something I might not like, and don't walk around eggshells when you're with me. I don't want that from you - I want so much more."

His eyes were growing increasingly wider at her words but she continued, knowing that if she stopped now, these things would never be said.

"I don't want us to have to be like that - I don't want you always trying to protect me from everything. Seriously, in general, what kind of life is that when you're so worried about protecting something that you can't even enjoy it to begin with?"

He nodded, listening intently.

"And don't, don't try to think of how I'd like things to be - believe it or not, I don't believe in perfection or fairy tale fluff, despite what everyone seems to think. I'm not like that. Not at all. I didn't think of our first kiss in terms of a water fountain and fireworks going off in the background and the whole lifting the foot deal, or whatever the common fairy tale view of it is these days - I was perfectly fine with you licking my tonsils while we groped in the bushes."

Jason almost burst out laughing at her words, his shoulders shaking with the effort of holding it in. When he looked at her, he found her perfectly serious with just the faintest trace of amusement in her magical blue eyes.

"We weren't groping."

"Well, maybe you weren't," she teased playfully, and he almost lost it all over again.

"But seriously," she continued after he had regained his composure. His eyes still danced wickedly and his crooked smile was making it increasingly difficult for her to remember her next point of attack. The seagulls cried overhead as they circled the beach, but the pair sprawled comfortably across the porch swing of the little old boat house didn't even notice. "Please don't be that way. I mean, I appreciate the thought, I guess, but it's just gotten so old."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "I've been treated that way my whole life - do you know that? By everyone; friends, family, everyone. To this day, no one swears in front of me. No one tells any off-color jokes. No one is cruelly mean to one another. No one ever threatens to punch me or even horses around with me in that way. Everyone is always so careful around me, as if I'll shatter into a million pieces if they so much as look at me cross-eyed. I'm sick of it, Jason - and I really don't want that from you."

Jason cocked his head to the side. His blue eyes shimmered. "I never meant to make you feel that way."

She nodded reassuringly. "I know, I know you didn't."

The corner of his mouth hooked up. "But I have to admit, I can't blame everyone else that acts that way around you."

Her eyebrows pulled together into a deep V. "Why on earth not?"

"Because you're so little," he teased. "Of course you bring out the protective instincts in everyone around you. Everyone just looks at you and wants to take care of you, Little One." His eyes danced as he teased her. "You're just so tiny and smart and perfect that no one wants to see anything bad happen to you. Like, for example, if Johnny ever tried to pick you up and threaten to throw you down the stairs, you can bet that all the boys in the senior hallway would be on him in two seconds flat."

She smiled dryly at the mental image of Johnny being flattened into a brash Irish pancake by the senior boys. "And am I to assume that I bring out these same 'protective instincts' in you?"

"Naturally," Jason responded with a grin before something else occurred to him and the smile dropped off of his face.

Elizabeth watched his eyes change. "What? What is it?"

"I - Look, about jail last night - that's another thing."

She shrugged, not seeing where he was going. "What about it?"

"I am so sorry that you had to go through that."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at him. "What did I just say about eggshells, Morgan?"

He shook his head. "No, it's not because of that," he replied honestly.

"Then what is it about?"

He sighed heavily. "I - you were there because of me. I was the one that lost my temper and because of that, you had to sit in that jail cell." When he looked up at her, she saw the same remorse in his eyes. "And I am so sorry."

She scooted closer to him and their knees bumped. Neither of them made an effort to move. "You were with me the whole time."

He shook his head, still troubled and unwilling to let her alleviate the blame he felt he deserved. "That's not the point. You never should have had to be there. If I had just tried to talk to the cops or kept my cool-"

She silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. The move surprised him, and all he could do was stare at her as she softly shook her head. "You don't get it, Jason," she smiled softly. "We were in that together. They busted us both. It was never the question of you getting me into trouble, or me being there because of you. Ever. So don't even think about that. And please don't feel guilty. Besides," she added with a wink. "It's not like it was my first time in jail."

His jaw dropped.

It took several moments for his brain to kick back in gear and when it did, he wanted some answers.

"When were you in jail?" he demanded, staring at her in wonder.

"Not telling," she laughed, edging away from him. The swing rocked with her movement, and then with Jason's as he scooted forward and tried to grab him.

She writhed out of his grasp a few times before he finally latched on to her and began tickling her.

"Tell me," he demanded, laughing himself as she roared with laughter when his fingers danced over her stomach. "When were you in jail? And why?"

"Nope!" she cried, twisting and writhing to get away from him. But Jason wouldn't have any of that, and pulled her into his lap for easier access. "Not telling!"

"Oh, you're going to tell me, Webber," he growled, tickling her more furiously. "You're going to tell me."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Talk, woman!"

Tears were streaming down her face and she twisted helplessly in his lap. "Fine, fine!" Her hands found his shoulders and she pulled herself up, still sitting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned back against the side of the swing, eager to hear when and why perfect little Elizabeth Imogene Webber was thrown into the slammer.

"So," he chuckled into her ear. "Why were you in jail?"

She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, her body still reflexively shaking. "OK, I have to be honest...I was four years old."

Jason smelled a rat but let her continue without any trouble.

"It was the first time we visited Clover and my dad saved the life of Lieutenant Sherman's youngest daughter when she choked on something. So our families were hanging out one evening at the jailhouse because my mom made them a pie, and he let me try out his handcuffs, and then he locked me in the cell for three seconds and then let me out."

"Way to lie, liar," Jason huffed as he began tickling her again. She shrieked and writhed once more, her sudden movement sending one of his hands a short distance under her Herman's Hermits t-shirt. He withdrew it quickly and tickled her some more, laughing along with her. "You had me going for a minute. Worst story ever."

She succeeded in grabbing his hands and holding them away from her tummy, and when she was convinced that he wouldn't give her any more trouble with his wandering digits, she released him. "Well, I wanted to make you feel better."

He smiled, pulling her against him and resting his chin on her head. "Thank you."

She nodded, looking down at her juice which she'd long ago set on the wooden planks. After deliberating for a moment, she broke away from his embrace and reached down to get it, finally sitting back and letting him reassume his hold on her.

He sighed, smiling softly and gently caressing her side with his palm as she drank her orange juice.

"What were we fighting about?"

"I have no clue, man."