When He Finally Had Enough
Jason walked out of the elevator of the Metro Court with Sonny. They were headed back from a meeting with the five families when they decided to stop by and have dinner before heading home. It was a long day, and even though Sonny was a master cook, they decided eating out would be quicker.
Walking further into the room, he noticed that it was quite busy for the middle of the week. It seemed that everyone he knew was there tonight. In the far corner were the Quartermaines. Cook must have burnt dinner again, he thought. The next table over was Lucky and Maxie. The site of them together sickened him. They both hurt Elizabeth so much. Of course, if they hadn't done what they did, then Elizabeth wouldn't be having his child. In a way, he was grateful, as horrible as that thought was.
He looked around and caught sight of Emily dining with Elizabeth. He hadn't known she would be here, but when he saw her, he felt a calmness rush over him. She was living with him now, her and Cam, and while at first it was strained, now he couldn't imagine them not there. He and Cam had become really close, and he had grown to love that little boy in just a short time.
He turned to walk over to their table when he saw Sam approach, venom emblazoned in her eyes. What he heard come out of her mouth shocked him.
"Well, if it isn't Jason's baby's mother! Guess we all know who the town tramp really is now, don't we?"
Anger Jason could not even describe ran through his body, and before Elizabeth had a chance to respond, he was standing next to Sam, whirling her around to face him.
"That's enough. Leave her alone, Sam."
"No, Jason. It's not enough. It'll never be enough. I'll never forgive her for taking advantage of our situation, and getting you into bed! She stole you from me. You were mine!"
His eyes that once were tender and warm when he looked at her went cold and distant. He realized that she was never the person he thought she was. He turned his head and looked at Elizabeth, noticing a tear falling from her eye, looking straight ahead. She caught his gaze and held it, noticing how his eyes changed from ice to blue warmth. She attempted a small smile, letting him know she was okay, that she could handle it. But he knew it was time for it all to end. He knew that she had been taking all the abuse about their night together. It was time to stop it.
He looked back at Sam, his cold expression again in place.
"No, Sam. If anyone ruined what we had, it was you. You keep telling anyone that will listen about how Elizabeth wormed her way into my arms. You say how she manipulated me into sleeping with her. Let me clear that up. Everything that happened that night, everything, was because I wanted it to happen. I was a mess, and she thought her marriage was over. We didn't do anything wrong. I don't regret it. I don't feel sorry about it. To be honest, I had wanted it for long before it even happened."
He didn't even hear the shocked ooh's and aah's from around the room.
"Jason, you don't mean that. How could you do that to me? We were engaged, we had plans. How could you sleep with someone else?" Sam looked down; looking ever-so like the damaged soul she wanted everyone to believe she was. In that moment, any feeling Jason had left for the woman standing in front of him was gone. He realized that indeed, he was played, but not by Elizabeth. His reluctance to divulge everything that had happened last night was because he didn't want to hurt Sam anymore than he already had. But it was time to stop. Elizabeth would not be blamed for doing anything wrong any longer.
He raised his voice to make sure everyone in the room heard what he was saying.
"I can ask you the same question, Sam."
Sam's eyes shot up, looking at him with her mouth wide open. She looked around the room at the staring audience and leaned in to whisper.
"Jason, please. You promised you wouldn't-"
"No," Jason interrupted her. "I'm not going to be quiet about this anymore. I want everyone to know what really happened. You know exactly what transpired that night, yet when you spin your tale to everyone, you leave something out, Sam."
Carly came rushing up to Jason, pulling on his arm. "Okay, Jase, you don't want to do this."
Sonny pulled Carly away and led her back to where Jax was standing. He looked at her in warning.
"Stay out of this Carly."
Carly shook her head and walked away toward the bar.
Jason sent a look of thanks to Sonny. He looked over at Elizabeth, who was sitting quietly. He knew she was willing to take all the nasty remarks that she had been given about carrying his baby, but she shouldn't have to. He was going to do everything in his power to set people straight. He normally couldn't care less what anyone thought of him, but this wasn't about him, this was about Elizabeth and Cam and their baby, and he would do anything to protect them. Even if that meant exposing Sam's dirty little secret.
He looked back at Sam, his gaze directly on her as he spoke.
"You forgot to tell everyone what led to me and Elizabeth to get together, Sam. You never told them what you were doing that night, did you? Did you tell them that you were having sex on the floor with your step-father?"
The room was silent then, the shocked looks of the patrons of the restaurant staring at Jason while he spoke.
He moved closer to her, his blue eyes never leaving her as he spoke.
"We came together that night because we were in the same place at the same time. She thought her marriage was over. Lucky was busy that night with Maxie. I just witnessed you and Ric all over each other. At first, it was all about comforting each other. Elizabeth has always been the one person I can open up to. She has never judged me. She's always been there for me, even when we weren't speaking. I listened to her, and she listened to me. You see, we have this connection, and in that one night, it all came back. The first time, it was about comfort." Jason moved his gaze to Elizabeth, his breathing turning heavy. "The second was about us. It was about her and me, and what we really mean to each other."
Elizabeth was sobbing softly listening to him speak. She never thought he would ever make such a display. She knew he would always be there to rescue her, but she never thought he would openly discuss his feelings for all of Port Charles to hear.
"I'm so proud to be the father of this baby. I'm proud that I can be the kind of father to Cameron that he needs too. I'm not sorry any of this has happened. I have a family now, and I have the one person in my life that doesn't dictate how I should feel or what I should do. I don't need anything else."
He looked around the room. "So if anyone has anything to say about my life, or Elizabeth, they can go through me."
He gave Sam one more hard look before moving around her, bending his knees on the side of Elizabeth's chair, softly caressing her cheek.
"You okay?"
All she could do was nod.
He stood up and took her hand, helping her out of the chair. In one moment, he had her in his arms, carrying her to the elevator, leaving a stunned and broken Sam in the middle of the room.
He pressed the button and turned to the crowd, giving each and every one a look that told them in no uncertain terms will he put up with their gossip and remarks about this woman any longer.
The elevator doors slid open and he walked inside, Elizabeth securely in his arms, her head resting in the crook of his neck. He was grateful that this strong woman was letting him take care of her.
The elevator doors closed, leaving them alone in the small space. She looked up at him, her hand softly caressing his cheek.
"I think that was more than anyone has ever heard to you speak," she joked half-heartedly.
He shrugged. "It needed to be done."
"Thank you. You didn't have to-"
"Yes, I did." He looked tenderly into her eyes. "Yes, I did."
She leaned in and kissed him softly, her lips lingering for a moment. When their lips detached, he leaned his forehead against hers.
"We're in this together, Elizabeth. You, me, Cam and the baby."
She smiled and nodded, laying her head back on his shoulder. They still had some things to work through, but somehow, they both knew that they were where they both belonged. Finally.