Note: This is the last chapter. PLEASE read the Author's Note at the bottom.
LRS #34: Baby, Baby, It's A Wild World
This takes place several weeks later.
"Jason, get up."
"Mmphth."
"Jason…"
"No."
"Jason, get up off this bed."
"No."
A brief pause.
"Okay, how about you just get off me?"
Another brief pause.
"No."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh and began to squirm under him in an effort to free herself from his strong grip. Jason moved with her as she writhed, refusing to give an inch. Currently, the two of them were tangled up in his sheets as they lay on his bed with the afternoon sun streaming in through the blinds. Jason's parents were at work and little AJ was out with his friends, which left the house completely empty. And if they hadn't been exhausted from Sonny's all night party the evening before, they probably would have been up for enjoying it a bit more than they did.
"Dammit, Jason!"
His rusty chuckles were lost in the warm cavern of her neck where he was currently hiding his face. Jason's strong, broad form was crushing Elizabeth to the mattress underneath him, but he knew she didn't mind – she always told him that she liked it when he held her like that.
Her small body squirmed underneath him and Jason could feel his blood rush south when her naked thigh rasped against his side, curling around his leg. "Jason, get off."
A wicked grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That can be arranged."
Try as she might, Elizabeth was unable to contain her giggles. "You have a one-track mind, you know that?"
His warm, soft lips pressed a tender kiss to her temple before moving down to flirt with the delicate shell of her ear. "I can't help it."
"Jason…"
"Five more minutes," he got out, letting his lips trail down her neck in an attempt to remind her of what he could accomplish in that short amount of time. She resisted for a moment until he found the one spot under her ear that drove her wild. Those small hands of hers wrapped around his neck, raking through the soft hair at his nape, as one of Jason's palms skirted her side. Elizabeth moaned softly when his rough fingers trailed over the smooth skin low over her belly before venturing lower.
"Five more minutes," she agreed breathlessly, gripping his shoulders when she felt the light pressure of him against her stomach.
Jason's mouth captured hers fiercely and he probed her thoroughly, never ceasing his ministrations at her center. Their tongues dueled sensually, teeth clashed with primitive need, and it wasn't until Elizabeth mewed into his mouth that Jason pulled back for a quick gasp of air.
"Better make that ten."
"I can't believe we're finally done." Brenda Barrett looked ready to collapse with relief as the foursome grabbed their usual table at Kelly's. Elizabeth quickly followed suit, her elbows hitting the table with a dull thud. It was late afternoon and the four of them had spent all day shopping – or rather, Brenda and Elizabeth had spent all day shopping for last minute knick-knacks. Sonny and Jason were already done, a minor detail they never missed the opportunity to point out. And after going through list upon list, all of the girls' necessary items were stowed away in multiple shopping bags in Jason's trunk and backseat.
"Let's never do that again," Elizabeth wheezed, dropping her forehead onto her arms. "If I have to buy one more pair of bathroom flip-flops or any more underwear, I'm going to scream."
"Hey, think of it this way – the more underwear you have, the less often you have to do laundry," Brenda contributed, immediately reaching for the cheese fries that a waitress set on their table.
Jason frowned at her as he reached for his soda. "That's disgusting."
Brenda just crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him, leaving the sandy-haired boy to scowl at his burger. "Anyway, how nice was it of your dad to do some of your shopping for you?"
"Very nice," Elizabeth agreed emphatically. "He hasn't been freaking out at all – if I wasn't getting so much stuff out of the deal, I'd be worried. He spent two hours online last week looking up the perfect microwave for me to take to school."
"Lois is taking care of that for us," her best friend announced, referring to her roommate for the upcoming school year at NYU. "I'm in charge of the TV and DVD player – no sweat, since I'm just taking my own."
Jason frowned at her. "So tell me, Brenda – you shipping off to a vacation resort or going to school?"
"Stuff it, Morgan," she retorted, making a point of stealing some of his curly fries just to upset him. "You'll be sorry when you're sitting alone, bored out of your mind, in your barely furnished dorm room and we're watching special DVD editions of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour."
The boy opened his mouth and then snapped it shut, shaking his head. "There's so much wrong with that statement that I just don't know where to begin."
"I wonder what my roommate will be like," Elizabeth mused aloud, swirling a cheese-covered fry in a blob of ketchup. "Lily Rivera. Pretty name, isn't it?"
Sonny's dark brows furrowed together. "You mean, you haven't talked to her yet?"
"Well, we've emailed back and forth to make sure we don't double up on stuff," Elizabeth explained, "but we've been playing phone tag something terrible. I haven't been able to get a hold of her, nor her me." She popped her fry into her mouth with a little shrug. "Well, I guess I'll find out next week, huh?"
"I hope she's as cool as Lois," Brenda announced helpfully, stealing a pickle off Jason's plate and kicking him under the table when he tried to swat her hand. "Lois Cerullo. Kick-ass chick from Brooklyn – I think I'm in love with her."
"And that's enough for me," Jason sighed, tossing a crumpled napkin on the table. He attempted to get up and away from Brenda's random off-beat comments, but was shoved back in his seat by Elizabeth.
"You're just nervous because you haven't heard crap from your roommate," Brenda snipped. "Already, the two of you seem perfect for each other."
Jason scowled and Sonny chose the moment to quickly intercede. "What's the guy's name again?"
"Goes by Jagger, I think."
"As in Mick?" Brenda chirped, pulling her buzzing phone out of her purse.
Jason rolled his eyes. "Yes, Brenda, as in Mick. I'm rooming with a Stone."
"Probably – that stuff comes easy once you hit the dorms," the brunette joked, giggling to herself. "Lots of leafy things to smoke."
"Okay, let's see," Sonny cut in once more, pointing at his girlfriend. "Lois Cerullo, cool Brooklyn chick, right?" She nodded and he moved to Elizabeth. "Lily Rivera, pretty name and not much else known, right?" When it was confirmed, he moved to Jason. "Some dude named Jagger, no last name or anything else." His best friend nodded and Sonny pointed to himself. "Francis Corelli, computer geek. Yup, I think we're all covered."
Elizabeth smirked and reached for her soda. "So, for the next ten months, here's to driving someone else insane for a change."
The scene in the Webber dining room was something out of a Da Vinci painting – it was the Last Supper. Well, minus Jesus Christ and a handful of disciples.
Jeff sat at the head of the table, as usual, Caroline to his right and Sarah next to her, with Elizabeth on his left. Everything was as it always was, though this was no ordinary dinner. It didn't start at seven on the dot; conversation wasn't sparse; food wasn't delivered methodically to the mouth; dishes weren't picked up immediately and deposited in the dishwasher.
Instead, dinner began once Jeff, Caroline, and the two Webber girls were finished loading all of Elizabeth's stuff into the car for the drive down to Columbia in the morning. Everything was packed away in the minivan Jeff had rented for the weekend, and Elizabeth's room was almost bare except for her bed, dresser and desk. And when dinner began, it lasted much longer than it usually did. The four of them spent more time talking than they did eating, and they lounged in their seats for a long while after they were done, still talking and laughing together as a family.
It was everything that Jeff never remembered missing; the opportunity to sit back with his girls and just talk. He and his wife were constantly at the hospital, Sarah was always at school, and now Elizabeth would be leaving, too. It was moments like this that reminded him just how much of their lives he and Caroline had missed.
But today, there were happy overtones to the depressing realization. He got to sit back and watch Elizabeth's blue eyes twinkle as she laughed; he got to watch Sarah toss her long blonde hair over her shoulders as she teased the youngest Webber; he got to watch his wife watch the girls with a look on her face that he was sure mirrored his own.
It was already dark when they finally got up and cleared the dishes away. Elizabeth was sent out of the room to make sure the keys to the van were somewhere in the living room – thus preventing a frustrating occurrence the next morning – and she watched curiously as her father reached for the telephone. Something in his demeanor made her suspicious, but she soon forgot about it as she continued to search for the keys.
She had just located them twenty minutes later on the floor of the coat closet when the doorbell rang. A smug looking Jeff smiled at her as he entered the foyer to open it, and Elizabeth looked up in surprise as the four Morgans entered her house.
Her boyfriend slid her a confused look and she just shrugged before greeting his parents and little AJ. The young boy quickly ran off to the den to watch television – one of the few means of entertainment he found in the house – and Jeff invited the family in. Boston University started the same day as Columbia, so Jason was leaving in the morning as well. His family would be driving him down there, staying for the day to help him move, and then he'd have Student Orientation the same day as Elizabeth and the both of them would begin classes the next day. Sonny and Brenda didn't have such a rushed schedule; they were leaving tomorrow as well but had a week-long Orientation period, and then classes after that. Still, they'd all be together in the morning before they headed off.
"Dad, what's going on?" Elizabeth's dark eyes darted suspiciously from her mother to her father. "I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you," she added for the benefit of Jason's parents. "But what's going on?"
Jeff opened his mouth to answer, but the doorbell cut him off. "I'd better get that," he replied smugly, pulling the door open only to reveal Sonny and his parents. "Why, hello there!"
"Daaaaaad."
Adella smirked at Elizabeth, stepping into the foyer with her husband and son as Jeff rolled his eyes. "I thought since it's…your last night here," he gestured vaguely to the foyer and the three teenagers gathered there. "That it might be nice to see your friends the night before."
She could have melted right there. Jeff watched as a large smile bloomed across her face, making her eyes twinkle, and he had just awkwardly cleared his throat in preparation to say something equally awkward when the doorbell interrupted him once again.
"We're here!" Brenda announced, stating the obvious as she waltzed into the foyer followed by her parents.
"Come on in, come on in," Caroline grinned, ushering the large group out of the foyer. "Elizabeth, some of your other friends should be joining us soon, so be sure to keep an eye on the door. You kids go into the family room – we'll be here in the kitchen."
Jason was already opening the screen door that led out onto the patio to let in the soft summer night breeze as the rest of his friends dropped onto the couch. The adults retreated to the eat-in kitchen with wine and other refreshments, and Elizabeth was left standing in the threshold of the family room, thinking about how sweet it was of her parents to share their last night together with her friends.
She didn't have long to stand and muse, though – the doorbell rang just then and Brenda trotted barefoot into the foyer to answer it. Before long, their closest friends were assembled in the cozy family room with enough food to feed an army; Luke and Taggert were first to arrive, then came Jenny, Emily, Carol, Felicia, Brendan, Lexi Cassidine, Sydney, Michael Quartermaine and Ace. It was a small bunch but they more than made up for it in terms of noise.
It was an easy, laid-back gathering and the teenagers spent most of the time talking and eating, with reruns of Saturday Night Live providing more than adequate background noise.
Caroline winced when she heard a loud thump come from the family room, followed by Sonny's loud declaration that everything was fine. The inky black summer sky just outside the kitchen window looked incredibly inviting, and she suggested that they all take their drinks outside. The other adults agreed and before long, they were all settled on the front porch.
It was probably the first time that all eight of them assembled together, despite the fact that their children were so close. Jeff and Caroline had met Sonny's parents at several school functions since Elizabeth and Sonny worked so closely together, and the Corinthos' family knew the Barretts pretty well due to Sonny and Brenda also 'working' closely together. Alan and Jeff were close friends for decades, and even though they had drifted apart a few years ago, it wasn't difficult for them to get back into the old swing of things. Other than that, they had never all met together at once. The Morgans barely knew the Barretts, and Jeff and Caroline's relationship with Mike and Adella was that of acquaintances.
And that was why Caroline was so pleased that the evening had turned out this way; it seemed to fit that they should all be spending the evening together when their children would be heading out in the morning. Everything had come together and found them under the stars, reminiscing about baby teeth and disastrous first days of school. Everything had come together.
While they talked, wine in hand, it wasn't unusual for one of the kids to linger in the foyer, talking to Elizabeth or one of the others, before announcing to the adults that they were heading home. The small bunch had dwindled down to a handful by the time they got up to head back inside. Jeff held the door open and the adults trailed into the house, shuffling past the rows of shoes still lining the little throw rug in the foyer.
Caroline was last, her empty glass dangling from her fingers, and for some reason, the sight of all those shoes – sneakers, clogs, flip-flops, heeled sandals – made her stop dead in her tracks. Jeff frowned curiously at his wife when he noticed her pale blue eyes, misty now with tears, trailing over each shoe in turn.
"Honey?"
Hayden and Adella turned around as well when Jeff made his way to his wife, and Alan and Monica lingered in the entranceway to the formal living room, watching the scene curiously.
Caroline just crossed her arms over her chest, lifting one hand to cover her mouth. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she furiously swiped away a few tears that dared to tumble down her cheeks. "Their shoes. Look at all their little shoes."
The tension left Jeff's shoulders as he realized what his wife meant. Wordlessly, and not even caring that they were in front of company, he pulled her into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. From the living room, Jason and Brenda's voices could be heard as the twosome yelled at each other, clearly having yet another disagreement.
Hayden and Monica chuckled, only slightly embarrassed at their warring children, and Adella's eyes were watery when Sonny's calm voice broke through the yelling as the boy tried to make peace between his best friend and girlfriend for the fifth time tonight. And when Elizabeth joined in to tease her boyfriend, Caroline sniffled and pulled out of her husband's embrace. He looked at her questioningly but she nodded, telling him silently that she was just fine.
It was merely a matter of indulging her sentimentality for a moment at the thought that tomorrow, those shoes would be leaving with four pairs of very young feet in them.
"I really feel sorry for you losers," Carol declared, throwing her legs over the armrest of the comfortable green couch she was currently draped across. "Still stuck with New York blizzards while I'm working on my tan down in Florida."
"Yes, and that's the fifth time you've said that tonight," Brenda reminded her, finishing off the last of her brownie. There was a faint trace of powdered sugar on her lips that Sonny promptly kissed away, prompting Jason to gag.
"Someone should get him some Lysol when he surfaces for air."
Elizabeth giggled and settled herself more comfortably in his lap. "Careful now, Jason – you don't want to start something. Took us fifteen minutes to separate you and Brenda last time."
Her sandy-haired boyfriend just rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms more snugly around her waist. "She was asking for it."
The brunette just laughed and snuggled back against his solid chest, letting her slender digits wander through his silky golden hair. Jason turned his face into her hair, letting his lips whisper over her temple before trailing downward to skirt the delicate arch of her ear. She twined their fingers together and they sat like that for a long while as Carol and Michael continued to dig into the popcorn and laugh at the old SNL clips.
Sonny and Brenda were laughing quietly together over something when Elizabeth closed her eyes and turned her face into Jason's neck. His spicy masculine scent greeted her immediately and she burrowed closer, letting out a little sigh when he tightened his grip on her. It was remarkable how comfortable and truly content she felt in his arms; how comfortable and content she felt with him in general, regardless of the situation. Jason made her feel treasured and beautiful, and always safe.
The past few weeks had been incredible, and she was sad to see them end with the introduction of school into their lives once more. She'd miss him terribly – his voice, the twinkle in his eyes, the way he held her, the way he loved her. But she never let herself linger on that for too long – they'd see each other again soon.
His lips nipped at her earlobe and she could feel the temperature in the room spike with that simple gesture. Jason never had to do very much to get her excited; as it was, she could barely resist him. Being with him was the best decision she had ever made, and she'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. And in the end, she was glad that she had waited until she did because when the moment came, she wasn't scared or uncomfortable. A little nervous about the pain, sure, but Jason knew that and proceeded gently and with caution to make sure he didn't hurt her any more than absolutely necessary.
He cherished her that night just like he did every other time they made love. And it wasn't long before Elizabeth realized subtle differences to herself since that night. Whereas public displays of affection irked her before, she was understandably more tolerant of it now. But more importantly and more noticeably, she gradually felt much more comfortable in her own skin since that night. She was aware that she wasn't completely tragic-looking, but she had never really paid that much attention to beauty and makeup and personal appearances despite the constant pressure to do so in a high school environment. Perhaps the newfound confidence was because someone else was so comfortable in her body – literally, she mused with a wicked smirk as Jason shifted underneath her – but whatever it was, she welcomed the feeling.
He nudged her temple with his nose, jarring her from her silent reverie. "Hey."
Those darling sapphire orbs lifted to his. "Hey, yourself."
"I got you something."
He could see the confusion on her face, and then Elizabeth shook her head. "Oh, Jason, you didn't have to-"
"It's nothing big," he assured her, taking her palm and pressing something into the center of it. "Look."
He withdrew his large hand and she peered at the gift he had deposited in hers. A simple hemp necklace with red glass beads dazzling a million different shades of crimson under the golden lamplight lay in her palm, and Elizabeth's lips parted on a silent gasp.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, fingering the beads. They didn't feel like the plastic ones she was used to. "Glass?"
Jason nodded once. "Grandmother had them from her last trip to Italy, and I thought you might like 'em."
Her eyes misted and without another word, Elizabeth pressed her lips to his. Jason kissed her back thoroughly, pulling her close, and they only broke apart when the need for air became too great. "I love it," she whispered against his mouth before leaning in again.
"I love you," he murmured in reply, tangling one hand in her curly hair and using his grip to pull her closer. "Do me a favor."
Elizabeth nodded slowly, her eyes half-closed as her lips whispered over his. "Anything."
Jason framed her face tenderly in his hands, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. "Don't worry so much about this, okay?"
Those dark, slender brows furrowed. "Worry? I don't-"
He silenced her with a smirk and a gentle swipe of his thumbs over her porcelain cheeks. "I know you, Elizabeth, and I know you're worried about being so far apart. Don't be."
There was such quiet confidence in his voice that Elizabeth almost didn't know what to say. She closed her palm around the necklace he'd given her and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes. "Okay."
"Is everything ready?"
Jeff rolled his eyes at his wife. "Honey, you've asked that about twenty times in the past five minutes."
"Well, excuse me for wanting our daughter to be prepared when she goes off to school!"
He couldn't help but chuckle as he tossed his keys in the air. "She's not going to Cambodia, dear, she's just going downstate."
His wife ignored that and continued scrounging through her purse. "Where is that girl, anyway? Are she and Sarah still inside? Oh, Jeff, when she comes outside, be sure to give her some more money, will you?"
Normally the request would have brought with it a torrent of protests, but Jeff simply nodded. Sarah and Elizabeth emerged from the house, carrying only their purses, as Jason's jeep pulled up in front of the house. Alan was driving, and he waved at the girls before killing the engine and getting out with his wife and two sons. Elizabeth squealed and ran into Jason's waiting arms just as Sonny and Brenda's parents simultaneously pulled up and parked on the street.
Jason spun her around once before setting her down, and Elizabeth pulled back long enough to finger the necklace around her neck – the same one he'd given her the night before. It matched her cherry red t-shirt and the cloth belt she had looped in through the beltloops of her frayed denim shorts, and Jason nodded his approval. She was grinning by the time he lowered his lips to hers, and the young man took his time kissing her.
Jeff watched them uneasily, doing his best to keep quiet. Steve appeared at his side like a phantom, his chuckling taunts echoing in Jeff's ears before he and Audrey shuffled off to talk to Alan and Monica. The doctor rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. If he forced himself to be completely honest, he'd have to admit that his best friend's son wasn't half bad. And he certainly made Elizabeth happy, so that was probably all that mattered. Still…with the way the gangly deviant was kissing his little girl, Jeff couldn't help but glance longingly at the garden hose.
Caroline was still going through the final checklist and practically hyperventilating while she was at it, all the while muttering that it hadn't been this bad when Sarah had left home. Mike and Hayden made last-minute travel plans to stop for lunch before they arrived at NYU because one of them would be following the other. Brenda's fingers were laced through Sonny's as the two of them walked up to Jason and Elizabeth who stood together by the rented van.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, just looking at each other, and Elizabeth was the first to break it when she sniffled and pulled Brenda into a hug. That started the waterworks as far as the two girls went, and Sonny and Jason were left to awkwardly shuffle their feet and wonder when the sprinkler system would turn off. Monica smiled when the two boys finally shook hands and gave in to the prospect of a hug, being sure to clap each other on the back a few times to make sure they were being as masculine as possible.
Elizabeth hugged Sonny goodbye, leaving Brenda to mince on one foot then the other as Jason stared blandly at her. Finally, after he was sure she was sufficiently uncomfortable, Jason rolled his eyes and lifted his hands at the elbow. That was all the tall brunette needed, and with a squeal she launched herself into Jason's arms and proceeded to squeeze him until he was sure he'd choke.
"Aw, you do love me!" she crowed, pinching his cheeks as he struggled to get away. "I knew it! Give in to your feelings, Jason!"
"Bren, that's enough," Elizabeth laughed, managing to insinuate herself between the two of them. "What do you want to do – kill him?"
"With kindness," she grinned, blowing air kisses at the disgusted young man. Sonny laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, swinging her away from Jason as Elizabeth helped keep him back.
"Brenda! Come on, Buttercup, it's time to go!" Hayden Barrett was waving to his little girl, beckoning her over to the car.
"Michael, come on, now, son!"
"Beth, we'll be leaving soon, too, sweetheart."
That had quite the sobering effect on the foursome, and they said their last goodbyes as their parents started the cars. Sonny and Brenda walked off, hand in hand, a little nervous about the upcoming school year but relieved that they'd still be together at NYU. Jason glanced back to see AJ already hopping in the jeep, then turned back to Elizabeth.
It was time.
She barely had time to sniffle before his warm lips found hers in a soft, lingering kiss. The brunette kissed him back earnestly, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting him fold her up in his arms. Her tongue delved into his mouth and danced with his, as if trying to memorize his taste and hold on. When he pulled back, they were both panting for breath.
Closing his eyes, Jason pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you later."
The End.
Author's Note: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone that has consistently replied to this story, as well as anyone who has ever replied, and of course, those who have lurked without replying. I really appreciate the sentiments you've all expressed.
That being said, I have something I need to get off my chest. I hate this story. I hate it. I can't stand to look at it. I know lots of you love it and I don't mean to offend anyone by this; it's just what I honestly feel. Looking back on this story, I see nothing but mistakes. If anything, this is an exercise in how NOT to write a fanfiction story. And I guess, in a warped, twisted way, that makes this a worthwhile endeavor in its own right.
I was fairly young when I started this, and I often think back and wish I had never written it. As I said before, there are so many glaring mistakes in this that it makes me cringe whenever I think of it.
For this reason, I am embarking on a sequel. It shall be called Tales from Gotham and shall center on the same four characters. I wish to refrain from calling it 'the college years' and favor instead 'the adult years'. The only reason I'm doing a sequel is so that I may attempt to shoddily rectify the mistakes made in this story. The characters I have chosen were not 'in character' for the majority of the story, and I'd like to be able to change that.
In TFG, which I hope to release soon after finishing off another one of my stories, you will be shown, for example, what becomes of Jason's decision to go into business. You'll see Elizabeth discover a hidden talent; you'll see Brenda capitalize on something she's always had; you'll see what becomes of Sunshine Boy Sonny Corinthos. Every character will be brought around to what they inherently are, and I think it shall be quite a satisfying way to finish this slipshod attempt at a story.
Thanks again to all my lovely readers; I may not be too fond of this story, but there is no doubt that I really enjoyed sharing it with you.
