I know I don't get to update often, but I will be even more MIA in the following months. I have exams coming up so I will trying my best to concentrate on the schoolwork. I will try my best to get some writing done, so when I am free again I will a ton to update. I am also closing the offer for access to theVIP Lounge at my site on the first day of May and will open it sometime again in the near future. If you're still interested please visit my profile for the link to IC. Also there's only two chapters left in this story.Thank you all for your reviews.
Part VII
The world seemed to spin on its axis for everyone, but her. Everything in front of her moved in high speed as she stood by and watched. They all had lives to live. Families to go home to. Someone to love them. Elizabeth once had that, but now she struggled to hold on.
It had been two weeks since Cameron had received the blood transfusion from Jason. The transfusion had nonetheless saved his life. Cameron's recovery only brought on only more heartbreak for her. She was more than relieved for her child's full recovery, but with his revival came a lack of mother and son time. She didn't mind that Jason spent time with their son, but it left her on the outside looking in.
Jason now looked after Cameron while she worked. From time to time she only got to see Cameron in the morning when she kissed him goodbye before handing him over to his father. After that she saw him enjoying his father's company when she got home or while he slept in his crib. The nights that he stayed with Jason, Elizabeth felt alone and empty at night listening to the silence in her apartment instead of Cameron's breathing on the baby monitor.
When she was around Cameron and Jason, the bonding that she saw only made her heart ache more. They bonded day by day, familiarizing with the other's traits and habits. She could have spent time with them, but the minute Jason caught sight of her in a room, his eyes went cold causing her to find a corner to disappear to.
Elizabeth had barely spoken more than ten words to Jason ever since Steven had led him away to draw blood on Christmas Eve. Ever since then she kept her distance from him. When she got too close she felt his anger towards her in waves that brought tears to her eyes. He barely spoke to her and if he did it was about Cameron. His words were so terse and cold that she wasn't able to get past the lump that formed in her throat fast enough to answer him.
Every time she spotted Jason with Cameron, her heart shattered. She never in a million years would have thought Jason had fathered her son. She remembered every moment of her one night with Jason, but when she had held the pregnancy stick that read positive, the slightest idea that the blue eyed enforcer that captured her heart years ago was the father of her child had never crossed her mind. Her eyes turned moist as the wave of guilt hit her again. It was her fault that Jason and Cameron had lost time with each other; because she didn't think to consider that her son was the result of giving in to one night of need.
Elizabeth had bumped into Dr. Meadows in the hallway, which gave her the perfect opportunity to ask questions. After five minutes of stuttering she had been able to ask the questions that had floated around in her head the moment that she realized that Cameron and Jason had the same blood. The answers were just as she had suspected. Dr. Colon, her gynecologist in Napa had made a miscalculation with her dates and Cameron's arrival was not early, but indeed the correct due date. Her gynecologist had brushed off Cameron's early arrival only because he was fully developed and weighed in at seven pounds. Dr. Meadows' hypothesis about Cameron's conception had only cleared the fog in Elizabeth's mind. The inaccuracy of few weeks of Cameron's conception had not only led to the death of her child's assumed father, but the destruction of her relationship with his biological father.
Brushing away a tear that had escaped down her cheek, the young nurse attempted to concentrate on the work in front of her. It didn't work. Inhaling deeply, Elizabeth pushed away from the nurse's station, circling to the other side. As she did, she came face to face with a warm friendly smile. Sonny sat with his elbows on the counter, face cradled by his hands, as he watched her with soft concerned brown eyes.
Elizabeth smiled at him in greeting, but her fake smile didn't work on the older man. His face only darkened with concern.
"Hi," she mumbled. "Can I help you with something?"
"No, not at all," he straightened. "But I hope there is something I can help you with," he got right to the point as he wiped away a forgotten tear from her cheek.
Her startled wide eyes stared at him in false confusion. "What—what do you mean?"
Wiping his mouth, Sonny looked around him for a second before focusing on Elizabeth again. "Emily told me about Cameron," his tone an octave lower. "And I've seen Jason. He's not the same. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Tears pooled in her eyes as the memory of cold unfeeling eyes flashed in her mind. A warm hand settled over her shaking one. Looking at her hand, she found Sonny's hand over hers in comfort. "I'm fine," she croaked.
Sonny squeezed her hand as he watched tears roll down her face. "No, you're not." She finally looked up and his heart broke at the pain he saw etched on her young face.
He knew of Elizabeth's past. Life never cut her a break. She had lived through a horrible nightmare when she had first arrived in Port Charles. Once she had her feet back on the ground, life had decided to be vicious again, taking her first love to only miraculously return him to her as a stranger. Elizabeth's life was a never-ending roller coaster, from befriending Jason to fighting the town and those she loved to hold on to her friendship. Being associated with the Spencers didn't help her situation much. It only brought more threats and heartache that her young heart didn't deserve. The recent arrival of his brother had only spun her world off its axis for the worst.
He had tried to be a good friend when their friendship had been stronger, but from the moment her and Jason ended, he had neglected her. It was wrong of him to have done that when she had been nothing but kind to him. Now, looking at her sorrowful face, the only thought that ran through Sonny's mind was helping her. Helping her to bring some joy into her life, even if it meant whacking some sense into his best friend. He had seen her as a little sister at one point and now it was time for him to be that surrogate brother again. Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear he softly asked, "Have you talked to him?"
"No," she sighed. "He—he doesn't care what I have to say."
"Elizabeth," he stopped at the sight of Bobbie entering the nurse's station. He flashed his mother-in-law a warm smile before turning back to the brunette before him. "Let's go somewhere more private to talk," he spoke as he flashed a suspicious glance at Amy. "Where there aren't any gossiping nurses around."
The young nurse followed him quietly to the waiting area of the fourth floor. As he waited for Elizabeth to take a seat, he saw something move in the corner of his eye. Flicking his eyes in the direction of his movement, Sonny understood who their lurking observer was. Nodding his head once in the direction of the hidden watcher, the dark head took a seat besides Elizabeth.
"Now," he started, he held his hand up when she opened her mouth. "Tell me honestly how you are?"
"Sonny."
"Elizabeth," he said quirking an eyebrow at her. "I know you're hurting, but it's not worth it, when Jason is mad for no reason."
"He has a reason," she interjected.
"How?" Sonny growled. "From what Emily told me you didn't know that Cameron was Jason's until Christmas. He shouldn't be blaming you for that."
"But, it was my mistake," the young mother argued. "I should have made sure that Zander was the father. I made a mistake and Jason has the right to be angry. "
Sonny shook his head.
"It was my responsibility to know who the father of my child was—not Jason's. He and Cameron are the victims in all of this." She brushed away a tear.
The older man began to protest the comment, when Elizabeth changed the subject. "I thought you'd be angry at me?"
He frowned at the change of subject. "We're not talking about me here."
"I know," she murmured, leaning against the comfy hospital couch, giving her tense shoulders a reprieve. "It just occurred to me that you're not angry. I was expecting some hostility from you or at least Carly."
"I'm not following," he said honestly.
"Jason cheated on your sister with me," the shame evident in her voice. "You didn't like me much when I was with Ric. I thought this would only make you hate me more," she muttered as her eyes drifted shut.
A half smile graced Sonny's face as he watched the young woman beside him. She was the same old Elizabeth with the same old notions that the whole world was against her. You couldn't blame her for having that mindset. Gently, he clasped their hands together. Elizabeth's eyes flashed open in surprise. "Yes," he drawled, "I hate to admit Carly and I were…jerks when the whole Ric fiasco took place."
Elizabeth chuckled at his wording of their behavior. "Seriously? I didn't notice," the sarcasm dripping from every word.
"Yes really, but we didn't have the right," he replied regrettably.
"Well, I wasn't very um…how do I say this, very civil myself," Elizabeth admitted with her nose crinkled.
Sonny laughed. "We all made mistakes then," his face became serious, "but that was the past and that doesn't matter any more. As for Courtney, it pains me to say this, but she did this to herself. She pushed Jason right back into your arms and you have nothing to be ashamed of. And I'm happy for Jason. He finally has a family of his own, even though he's being an idiot at the moment."
Elizabeth shrugged.
"Do you love him?"
Eyes riveted on the floor, she nodded her head. She could have lied, but her eyes spoke the truth.
"Then that's all the reason I need to accept you as family."
"You don't have to," she said softly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"I want to and have."
A tear rolled down Elizabeth's pale cheek. Silently, Sonny pulled her to him and wrapped a protective arm around her. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," he murmured to her. Elizabeth said nothing in response, just accepted the comfort he offered her.
Slowly, her tears subsided. Rubbing her arm in encouragement, Sonny gazed down at the young mother in his arms and flashed his signature dimple grin. In response to his smile, Elizabeth smiled timidly. Pulling away, she used both hands to make sure no tears remained on her face. A tearstain appeared on her purple scrubs.
"Hi Carly," Sonny said cheerfully beside her, causing her head to jerk up.
Carly Corinthos hovered above her with a pleasant face. Elizabeth quickly braced herself for the woman's sharp tongue, but instead the woman did the total opposite. "Hello, Elizabeth." It looked like Carly's momentary kindness towards her during Cameron's illness, wasn't temporary nor did she harbor any resentment towards her about her son's paternity.
"Hi," Elizabeth said cautiously.
"Did you have lunch yet?" Carly directed the question at her husband, but her soft brown eyes remained on the brunette staring up at her.
"No, I was waiting for you. Max will be bringing the boys over to join us."
Carly nodded her head in understanding. "Elizabeth, would you like to join us?"
She blinked her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn't hearing things. Her gaze flicked to an encouraging Sonny for a moment before she made her decision. "I-I would like to, if that's not a problem," she added.
"None at all," the older blonde remarked with a friendly smile. "Why don't you get your things and Sonny and I will meet you at the elevators?"
Carly watched the young nurse stride away from them with nervous steps. The weight of the world on her shoulders was visible even to her. She was going through hell and Carly could relate to her situation. Automatically her arm wrapped around her husband's as she felt him near her.
They watched together as the young mother walked around gathering her things, all the while pasting a forged smile on her face for the expense of others. The couple exchanged an agreeing look. She had heard everything. It was time for them to interfere with their best friend's uncharacteristic behavior before it was too late for him to change paths.
Two Days Later
She stood perfectly still in the doorway of Jason's penthouse, her white knitted hat fisted in her hand. As Carly moved closer to the young brunette, it became visible that her small frame was shaking. What ever for, she didn't know. Coming to a stop beside the young mother, Carly placed a gentle, calming hand on her shoulder. Elizabeth stilled under her touch. Giving her a reassuring smile, Carly shifted her brown eyes to view in the penthouse.
Jason was plopped on the couch with an excited Cameron. The young child was still in his jacket as his father tickled him. The little boy's bubbling laughter filled the penthouse. The proud father only beamed with pride.
Carefully watching the scene unfold before her, Carly quickly realized why Elizabeth was visibly shaken. She had brought Cameron over and Jason had yet to speak to her let alone look at her. Squeezing Elizabeth's hand once, Carly stepped into the penthouse. Sonny appeared beside Elizabeth with Michael, Morgan, and Kristina treading not far behind.
The children flew into the penthouse, bursting with energy. They immediately joined Jason and Cameron on the sofa. Michael began with his questions while Kristina and Morgan fixed their attention on the toy bin that now sat besides the sofa. Slowly, Elizabeth drifted apart from the group. She froze mid-step at the sound of her name.
"Elizabeth," Carly called out again. Once Elizabeth was facing her, Carly asked thoughtfully, "Why don't you stay for lunch with us?"
"Thank you," she paused. Her cornflower blue eyes flickered to her son and his father for a moment before she focused on Carly again. She gave the older woman a weak smile before continuing, "But I'm not wanted here."
Carly reached out, but Elizabeth was out the door before the older woman could utter a word. Turning sharply, her heated glare landed on Jason. The young man paid no attention to her. Carly shook her head in disappointment as Sonny came to stand besides her.
"Sonny, will you take the kids next door?"
Jason looked up, his eyes puzzled.
Rounding up the kids, Sonny took Cameron from a reluctant Jason. As he passed by his wife, Sonny leaned in and whispered. "If you can't knock some sense into him, I can punch some into him."
Carly smiled, amused by her husband's willingness to beat up their best friend. "If I can't, you can have a try at him," she murmured back, kissing him on the cheek. Placing a tender kiss on Cameron's forehead, Carly pivoted, facing her best friend, ready for battle.
Jason waited patiently, until the door closed shut before speaking. "Want to tell me what that was about?" He rose from his place on the sofa. He waited, arms folded over his massive chest.
His lack of awareness of his behavior only caused Carly's temper to flare. Getting a hold of her anger, she moved around him further into the penthouse. "Want to tell me what's wrong with you?" she retorted, collapsing onto the couch he had just vacated.
The enforcer's forehead wrinkled in more confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I think you know," she said, skimming through a travel book that was on the coffee table.
"Why don't you enlighten me?" he remarked, growing impatient.
"Elizabeth."
Watching from the corner of her eyes, Carly spied Jason's transformation at the sound of the woman's name. His face grew emotionless. His blue eyes steeled. His body tensed. His spine stiffened and inhumanly straightened. "What about her?" he asked indifferently.
"Your treatment of her."
"What about my treatment of her?"
You could always expect Jason to be difficult for no apparent reason. Rolling her eyes, Carly struggled to keep a strong grip on her irritation and answered through clenched teeth. "The way you treat her, as in the fact you ignore the girl when she's in the room. You barely touch her, heck the distance that you keep between you two; a train can pass through." With every word Carly spoke her voice rose and she held nothing back. "All you can think about is Cameron, and guess what? Under these circumstances, you're making the wrong decisions, buddy."
He chuckled darkly. "You're the perfect one to judge me. You played this game not too long ago with A.J. and me."
"That was different," Carly retorted in a low threatening voice.
"Pretty much the same if you ask me," he replied back, his hands clenching into fists at his side. "A mother keeping a father from his son. Misleading one man while knowing the truth of another man's identity. Yeah, I think it's the same."
"That was different," she repeated. "She didn't know. I knew. That's the difference Jason." Throwing the book she held back on the coffee table, she rose from her place on the couch. Carly faced her best friend, ready to do whatever it took to get him to see right. "Elizabeth didn't keep Cameron away from you on purpose. She didn't even know that she was doing something wrong."
"She could have still come to me," he argued. "After she found out she was pregnant she could have come to me."
"Yeah right, Jason. How the hell could she have turned to you when you were engaged to another woman—wait, no, correction. You were married."
"To your best friend," he added. A suspicious look appeared in his eyes. "Which makes me curious as to why you would be defending a woman you hate and committed adultery with me, a woman who I cheated on your best friend with?"
Controlling her anger, Carly took a few steps closer to Jason. Staring up at him, she answered with fierce eyes. "Because I saw the true woman I denied she was." And she had. Over the last few days, she had spent time with the young brunette to discover similarities and differences between them. The one thing she knew for sure was that Elizabeth loved Jason and their child. In the past she would have never accepted the fact that Elizabeth was right for her best friend, but now she saw what everyone else had seen in her. She had no doubt that what Sonny was to her, Elizabeth was for Jason. She was a kind, loyal young woman that set out in life to love and care selflessly. She was the one thing missing in Jason's life.
"Jason, she cares about your son and would do anything for him, like any mother would for her child. That's why it doesn't matter to me that you cheated on Courtney. It was wrong, but you received something from it. A family."
Jason broke eye contact with her, but not fast enough for her to notice a shift in his eyes.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Jason Morgan would be selfish."
His alarmed cerulean blue eyes flew to meet hers.
"You're being selfish by putting yourself before the woman you love." She was seeing the effect of her words on Jason and she wasn't going to stop until he realized what he was doing. "You're thinking of only yourself and your need to be with your son. Elizabeth deserves to be with her child as well and she has been letting you do as you please only because she feels guilty."
A muscle ticked in his jaw as he shifted his view to the carpet of his penthouse.
"Elizabeth is barely eating, let alone sleeping. She's not herself anymore. She's just living with all this guilt. Blaming herself for everything. Elizabeth has justified your treatment of her, but it's wrong." Forcing Jason to look at her, Carly's pleading eyes reached Jason's mystified ones. "You're wrong. You're wrong to be pushing her away for something she had no control over."
"It hurts," his silent whisper reached her ear.
Tears burned her eyes at the soft admission. "I know it does, but you're only hurting yourself and Elizabeth. And eventually you'll be hurting Cameron with your ignorance."
Carly watched with a small smile as the tension slipped from Jason's body and his eyes softened with remorse.
"It's not too late. You still have time to ask her to explain and make things right." Cupping his cheek, Carly leveled his piercing blue eyes with her gentle brown eyes. "Jason, you have the chance to have a family. A family of your own. Don't let that chance slip away."
Jason waited patiently for her to answer the door.
For the last few hours, he had been anxious to get through dinner with the Corinthos family and head across town. Sonny had deliberately made him suffer by making him eat all his food and using him as a spectacle for his children. Carly only prolonged his stay by suggesting a game of Candyland that he couldn't refuse to take part in because of the kids. After two rounds, the couple decided to take pity on him and allow for him to leave. It didn't take him long to have Cameron ready.
It was snowing now, the remnants of snowflakes lingered on his leather jacket as they slowly melted away. Cameron sighed, burying his face into the crook of his father's shoulder. He pulled off his son's hat. "Where is your mom?" he asked his child.
The child slept on in response.
His hand was raised midair to knock when the door drifted open. On the other side, a shocked Elizabeth stared back at him.
He offered her a gentle smile that only intensified the confusion in her eyes.
Cautiously, Elizabeth widened the door and stepped out his way to let him enter. The small apartment looked the same as it had the first time he had visited, with the exception of a few books now scattered on the couch. Turning, he found Elizabeth leaning against the door with more emotions written across her face that Jason had ever witnessed. Tearing her eyes away from him, she reached out for Cameron. He willingly handed over their son.
Her gaze flashed to him once in unease before she walked straight into Cameron's nursery.
The sound of a door closing drew Jason's attention back to his surroundings. Elizabeth lingered by the nursery door with one of Cameron's stuffed animals in her hand. She was in a pair of plain blue cotton pajama bottoms and form fitting white long sleeved t-shirt. She looked more delicate then usual.
"Hi," he greeted her.
Her eyes cautious, she murmured back, "Hi."
Not one to ever dance around an issue, Jason got to the point. "I think you—we need to talk."
Her eyes picked a spot right above his shoulder and remained there. "Okay."
"How—how did you not know Cameron was my son?" his tone was low and harsh.
"Miscalculations by the doctor." Her eyes remained on the same spot on the wall.
He licked his dry lips expecting more, but when she didn't continue he asked, "You couldn't have made sure?"
"I know, trust me I know," her voice was hoarse. "You remind me of that little fact every time you look at me."
"You…"
"I what?" She probed when he trailed off. "I was the one that should have made sure that Cameron was really Zander's? I should have made sure that my doctor was correct on the time frame of Cameron's conception? I should have known that my son was an antibiotic baby?"
Jason's brows furrowed in confusion. "A what baby?" he asked his voice gruff.
"An antibiotic baby," she repeated, brushing away a tear. Her eyes were still diverted from his face. "I was still on antibiotics for my aneurysm when we slept together. Antibiotics can reverse the affects of birth control pills, making it very likely for someone to conceive. Just like I did."
He stared at a few moments as his mind processed the words she had just uttered. "You couldn't have figured this out earlier?"
Elizabeth's darkened cornflower blue eyes flashed to his. He watched as something snapped in her and pure anger appeared in her eyes. "You've been pointing the finger at me as if I've committed a crime. And in many ways I have, but you, Jason Morgan played a role in this disaster yourself. I could have come to you?" She scoffed. "What about you? You could have come to me as well when you found out about my pregnancy."
Realization bolted through him as she uttered her words.
"You know what's even more ironic," she asked, her words humorless. "You're the one that came to me and I gave in because I still loved you."
His eyes grew wide at her sharp declaration.
"And in the morning," she ranted on. "I was the one that woke up alone while you went back to your fiancée. I was naked and alone in an unfamiliar cold bed. Then, you pretended like nothing happened and I let you." Her bloodshot eyes bore into his as she spoke each syllable. "When I tried to bring it up, you waved me away. Now, you're the one placing the fault on me. Nice, Jason, real nice."
He reached out for her. She avoided his touch by side stepping him.
"A clandestine meeting. A clandestine child that no one knew about."
Jason swallowed roughly, watching as Elizabeth's tears continued to tumble down her face.
"There must be something really wrong with me," she spat. "After everything, I still love you. I shouldn't…yet I do."
Something inside him clenched sharply at her pained words.
"Elizabeth," he murmured trying to reach her again.
"Don't touch me," she whispered harshly. The tears now fell freely down her pale face. Wrapping her arms around herself, she whispered again. "Leave."
"Let me—"
"I want you to leave now." Her words were sharp.
Sighing in defeat, Jason took one last look at Elizabeth's tearstained face before doing as she asked and walking out her door. Closing the door softly behind him, Jason slid down into a slump in the hallway outside Elizabeth's apartment. Leaning his head against the wooden door, he stared at the ceiling as tears trickled down his face. What had he done?