Author Notes: Carly is not the bad guy, but she will try and get Journey back together. I know Courtney is being really understanding and forgiving, but I think Courtney would. I mean look at how she treated Sam when she thought Sam was pregnant with Jason's child. Sorry no angst, I'm not that good at writing that.
Big thanks to my Beta Reader FoxyCC02!
Pairing: Jason/Elizabeth;
Summary: Part 3 of my Cameron Series. Jason wants to marry Elizabeth; Courtney and Elizabeth talk.
Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital or its characters.
Rate: PG
Category: Drama
Timeframe: December 2003
New BeginningsIt had been two days since the dinner at Sonny and Carly's. Jason had not said anything all night after Carly and Sonny explained what happened. Jason left as soon as he could; he needed to get some air. He could not believe Carly had gone that far. He knew she wanted him and Courtney back together but he never knew she would actually think about not telling him or Elizabeth the truth.
For two days now he had been on an extended bike ride, going as fast as he could; only stopping when he had to. He needed to think, but he knew it was unfair to Elizabeth. She was sitting in her studio wondering what he was thinking, if he wanted their child or not. That was when he decided to come back and go see Elizabeth, because they needed to talk.
"Hey," Carly greeted walking into Kelly's.
"Hey," Courtney replied.
"What is that," Carly asked.
"College stuff, I'm starting classes soon," Courtney chirped.
"I know you mentioned it once or twice," Carly said. "Can you go to school and work full time here."
"Yes," Courtney answered sternly.
"So what are you majoring in," Carly asked with a sigh.
"Social services," Courtney stated.
"You want to be a social worker," Carly smirked.
"Yes and one day I want to open up a foundation for children and teens," Courtney told her. "To help get them off the streets and make sure they don't end up in gangs and crime."
"That's a big dream," Carly insisted. "But I think if anyone can do it, it's you."
"Thanks," Courtney giggled. "So is there a reason you are here or did you just stop in."
Carly bit her bottom lip, she did come there to talk to her about Jason. To make sure she understood that even though Elizabeth was pregnant with his child they could still be together. Jason could be a father to their child and still be her husband. They had been over this before but Carly could not accept Courtney just throwing away their love and marriage. And if they were not going to fight for it, she would.
"All because Jason is the father doesn't mean you guys can't be together," Carly told her.
"Carly we've been over this," Courtney sighed. "I don't want that life."
"What life, a life with a man who loves you," Carly asked in a pleading voice.
"He might love me but I can't handle the violence and the lies," Courtney explained. "I want to be with someone who can tell me the full truth when I ask them without fear for me. I want a life without guards, bullets, and fear."
"But you love him," Carly argued. "That makes all those bad things seem so small."
"Maybe for you Carly but I also loved AJ. And we weren't meant to be and neither are me and Jason," Courtney explained. "And if we hadn't rushed into it, if we had given ourselves time we would have known it. AJ and I had only been divorced a little over a year when we got married."
"So you're just going to let her have him," Carly asked. "You're not going to fight for him?"
"Carly, you might not understand or accept this, but yes I'm letting Liz have him so I can have my life back," Courtney smiled. "For the first time since I came to Port Charles I am free and I have to tell you it feels pretty good."
Elizabeth hated this feeling; morning sickness had to be the worse thing she experienced so far in this pregnancy. Even thinking about food made her want to throw up and it didn't help that the women next door was a student chef. She seemed to be cooking all day. She used to love the smell of the food she cooked but lately she seemed to hate it, or at least her stomach did.
A small smile grew across her face as she heard a bike outside; she remembered when that sound meant the world to her. It meant Jason was here and they were going to go for a ride. The sound stopped, so either he turned the bike off or had drove away. She could still remember when Jason slept on this couch. Either when he was living here with her four years ago after he had been shot, or when he was staying here so he could watch Sonny's warehouse. Getting up she went to her painting pulling out her best work yet—The Wind. Elizabeth was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door.
"Hey," Jason greeted. "Didn't know if you would want me to use my key"
"You still have it?" Elizabeth asked with a grin.
"Yea do you want it back," Jason asked going to take it off.
"No you keep it, use it when ever you want," Elizabeth smiled softly. "Come on in."
"So we're going to be parents," Jason sighed.
"Seems so," Elizabeth said. "I just wish I could remember it."
"I didn't think I could get that drunk," Jason admitted.
"So how is this going to work?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well first of all we need to get you a new place, you can't live here," Jason told her looking around.
"Yea, Nikolas offered to let me stay with him and Emily," Elizabeth mentioned.
"Or you could move in with me," Jason offered. "In my spare room until we find you a place."
"I don't know Jase," Elizabeth confessed.
"Elizabeth I remember living here, it's not healthy and it's only until we find you a place," Jason explained.
"Johnny and Max are all ready on their way aren't they," Elizabeth said looking at him.
"And Francis," Jason smirked.
"Okay but we start house hunting tomorrow," Elizabeth ordered.
"Okay," Jason said shaking her hand but she knew he was up to something.
"This is going to work, us as parents," Elizabeth decided.
Jason knew this was too easy but he also knew Elizabeth, she always knew him. And even though they hadn't been on the best terms as of the last year he knew things would get better. He looked around laughing when the memories came back to him. He remember their make out session on this couch, he remembered his recovering from the gun shot wound on this couch. This was a special couch, it was their couch and it might have even been the place their baby was conceived if he could remember.
"The Wind," Jason mumbled with a laugh.
"You never did take it," Elizabeth sighed.
"I told you it's not a thing you take but come back to," Jason reminded.
"And have you came back to it," Elizabeth asked softly
"Yes but the question is, does the artist want me to," Jason asked.
"She does," Elizabeth muttered.
"We always seem to do this here," Jason laughed.
"It's our place," Elizabeth reminded him. "We lived here together."
"Seems like so long ago," Jason sighed.
"Yea it does," Elizabeth agreed.
"So do you think we could debate the idea of you moving in for good," Jason asked.
"I did that with Ric," Elizabeth stated. "I don't want to get married just because of our baby."
"Me either," Jason agreed.
Elizabeth sat down on the couch, she knew this was coming. She knew that Jason would want them to try and be a family. And it didn't help that she had feelings for him. That in her heart she knew that she loved him and that he loved her but he always pushed her away. Just when things started to get serious he pushed her away.
"We've done this before," Elizabeth told him. "Thought about being together."
"It's different now," Jason promised.
"Why, because I'm pregnant," Elizabeth asked harshly. "And what kind of proposal is that."
"I only pushed you away because I loved you beyond words, it would have killed me if I got you hurt," Jason explained.
"I'm not marrying you," Elizabeth stated firmly. "Not yet, anyway."
"Take all the time you need," Jason told her with a smile walking towards her. "I'm a patient man."
"And we aren't doing anything dating or otherwise until our divorces are finalized," Elizabeth said putting her hand up.
"Agreed," Jason smirked.
"And stop agreeing with me," Elizabeth asked frustrated. "I don't know if this is a good idea.
"It might not be but we'll never know," Jason replied. "What do you have to lose?"
Courtney walked into her loft she smiled as she saw Rosie sleeping by the couch. She hadn't lied to Carly, for the first time in a long time she left free. She could decide something without telling someone so they could see if it was safe. She didn't have to worry about what she said and to who she said it to, she could just talk. And as much as she loved Jason, she knew deep down they weren't meant to be. And she knew if they had taken their time, they would have figured it out. And they did, and in one week she would no longer be his wife and she would once again be Courtney Matthews.
She had two messages from Carly wanting to talk some more but she wasn't up for another round. Then there was a message from Brian. They were going to the movies tonight and she was actually looking forward to it. She didn't know where their relationship was going but she liked his friendship. She also liked that he supported her idea of becoming a social worker and her idea of a foundation for children and teens. Just then someone knocked on the door.
"Hi," Courtney greeted.
"If you want me to go," Elizabeth said moving to leave.
"No come in please," Courtney smiled.
"Um I don't know why I am here really," Elizabeth confessed.
"I was actually going to try and find you tomorrow," Courtney admitted. "I didn't know if you are still living at your Studio."
"I was, but I'm moving in with Jason," Elizabeth mumbled.
"So you two are together now," Courtney asked.
"Yes and no, he wants to give it a try but I don't know," Elizabeth told her.
"I don't blame you or him; our marriage was over before it started," Courtney stated.
"Much like mine to Ric," Elizabeth laughed. "I just didn't want you to hate him or me."
"I don't, I can't live that life," Courtney told her.
"I heard your going to PCU, maybe I'll see you," Elizabeth replied.
"Really are you taking some more art classes," Courtney asked motioning for her to sit.
"No actually I'm going for some pre-med classes," Elizabeth sighed. "I want to be a doctor."
"That's great," Courtney exclaimed. "You'll make a great doctor."
"I miss our friendship," Elizabeth admitted.
"Me too," Courtney laughed. "Our friendship ended because of Jason and it came back because of him too."
"Thank you, you could be so mad at me and hate him," Elizabeth said.
"That won't change anything, I love my new life and in time others will too," Courtney declared.
"By other's you mean Carly?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.
She means well," Courtney explained.
"I know," Elizabeth replied.
Courtney looked at her and a part of her wanted to be angry but couldn't. She wanted to yell at her and call her a home wreaker but couldn't. Courtney couldn't find it in herself to hate either of them, because in some way they found each other for a reason. She had almost a great year with Jason, and she would treasure that but she also experienced the worse pain with him. She had her life now, and Elizabeth had hers, so there was no reason she couldn't accept this and be friends with them.
"You should be with him Elizabeth," Courtney told her. "I give you my blessing for what it's worth."
"What," Elizabeth asked in shock.
"Jason, you should let your heart decide not me Carly or even Jason," Courtney explained.
"I'm so afraid," Elizabeth admitted. "He has this tendency to push me away."
"He won't this time, if you hadn't walked out on him that day, you'd be with him now," Courtney insisted.
"I don't know about that," Elizabeth mumbled.
"I do, if that day never happened then we wouldn't have gotten together," Courtney said.
"Thanks Courtney," Elizabeth sighed. "I have to go, Francis is waiting for me."
"Elizabeth, don't be a stranger," Courtney said.
"Ditto," Elizabeth said back.
Courtney watched Elizabeth leave and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She was on her way to a wonderful life, they both were. Elizabeth got into the car and smiled at Francis, who had no idea why she was here. He expected to see her coming down mad or crying. Not with a wide smile on her face, and actually seeming like she knew what she was doing.
He looked up to see Courtney in the window, and for the first time he saw her relaxed. Even from this distance he could tell that she had changed. And the changes fit her, much like this life fit Elizabeth. Driving off Francis started towards Harborview Towers, to take Elizabeth home.
"Hi Jase," Carly said as she and Sonny walked into his Penthouse. "What's going on here?"
"Elizabeth is moving in with me," Jason told them. "And I proposed to her."
"Man this is sounding more and more like our beginning," Sonny smiled.
"Except the whole hating each other and betraying your best friend," Jason reminded him.
"What did she say," Carly asked.
"She said no," Jason sighed.
"So did Carly," Sonny smiled. "Even took it back a couple times."
"She said she needed time," Jason explained. "She needs to know that this is about more then our child."
"What about Courtney," Carly asked. "You guys could still be together."
"Actually they can't," Elizabeth said walking in. "Courtney just gave us her blessing."
"She's here?" Sonny asked.
"No I went to see her," Elizabeth explained. "And she's happy for us Jason, she want to be our friend."
"I'd like that," Jason admitted. "So does this mean we're getting married?"
"Not yet, I still need to think about that," Elizabeth admitted.
"Why would you go to see her?" Carly finally asked.
"I needed to talk to someone," Elizabeth explained. "And I found myself there."
"We'll leave you guys alone," Sonny said. "I can see you have a lot to work out."
Carly watched Jason hug Elizabeth, she closed her eyes and welcomed it. This could not be the beginning of them, once they saw that they didn't belong together then they would end what they had going on. But something deep down told her that would not be happening. The door shut and it no longer seemed the same. This place was always changing, to Jason's place that she hoped would be hers, to Alexis's home, to his home with Brenda then Courtney. And now it was his home with Elizabeth and in seven or so months their child. Carly didn't like change, when she found a pattern she liked she wanted it to always be the same, but like Courtney told her sometimes things happen for a reason, maybe this was one of them.
The End