Back To Life

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Staring out the window of the private plane charted specifically to fly her to safety, Elizabeth was torn between maintaining her safety and being with Jason. On the one hand, sure, she's safe, but at what cost? What if the distance and time puts an end to what could have been before it ever truly began? Letting out a deep sigh, she shakes her head, knowing she had to stop thinking like that or it'll drive her truly insane. She kept her sanity through her captivity and she refuses to lose it now.

"Honestly, this is quite the plane they have," her grandmother's voice pulls her out of her thoughts. "I wonder how much it'd cost to get one of these for myself."

"Probably more than either of us could afford, unfortunately," Elizabeth replies as a smile graces her lips. "Thanks for coming with me, Gram."

"As if I'd let you take off on your own after just getting you back," Audrey countered with a soft smile. "Though, admittedly, the hospital was quite surprised by my sudden leave of absence request. Add in that I'm going to Puerto Rico of all places...well, the rumor mill will be churning on it for quite some time, that's for sure."

"Someone's gotta keep them satisfied," Elizabeth says with a soft chuckle, relaxing back into her seat, accepting that this is her reality for now. "I can just see the look on Lucy's face."

"Oh, that woman, honestly," Audrey shakes her head. "It's as if that woman survives off of the latest gossip."

"I hear it's practically her lifeline," Elizabeth teases, laughing at the look on her grandmother's face. "You pretty much saved her life."

"Oh hush," Audrey chuckles at the thought. "I have missed you dearly, child."

"I've missed you every single day, Gram," Elizabeth says with her whole heart. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't around when I came back."

"Well, that's one instance I'm glad you didn't have to live through."

"Me, too."

Leaving it there, the two relax into their seats, waiting out the rest of the flight in anticipation. After a couple more hours, they prepare for landing, getting to the safe house within the next hour where they go over security protocols. Once they are thoroughly debriefed, the guys set themselves up on perimeter all around the house, ensuring that they remain protected for as long as they are there. Showing her grandmother to her room, Elizabeth helps her grandmother settle in before moving on to her bedroom to do the same.

Jason waits for confirmation that Elizabeth has been secured in the safe house before he gives Sonny the all clear for them to proceed with the plan. Bringing in Luke to the mix didn't seem like a logical plan to Jason, but he accepts that it's something that Sonny had to do. With the long standing feud between the Spencers and Cassadines, Sonny felt it was only right to include him, but not until he laid down a very hard truth. No matter what happens, Helena doesn't walk out of this alive, even if Sonny has to pull the damn trigger himself.

"You think I don't want the old bat dead as much as either of you?" Luke looks at them both in disbelief.

"All I know is that you've had more than enough chances and she's still alive," Sonny states, holding up a hand to Jason, knowing it was his place to stand up to his friend. "Take it however you want."

"She doesn't make it out of this," Jason states. "One way or another, this ends tonight."

While they prepare to take out Helena Cassadine for her part in this entire mess, Nikolas and Lucky are handling the other part of this chaos, Lucky's wife. Jason feels for the man, losing Elizabeth the way he did just to lose her all over again for a marriage that wasn't real. A marriage that was only brought into existence to end Lucky's entire family. Starting with him. For weeks now, his wife has been slowly poisoning him, making him weak and susceptible to her control. Something she has in common with her grandmother. The need for absolute control.

"How could you do this to me?!" Lucky shouts at her as she strapped to a chair, anger flooding his entire being. "I trusted you! I loved you! How could you do this?! Dammit, Sam, answer me!"

"I never wanted to hurt you," she voices through the tears falling down her cheeks. "I had no choice! She would have killed me if I didn't do it!"

"NO!" Lucky shouts. "You had a million chances to tell me the truth! A million chances to ask for my help! I would have done whatever it took to help you! I would have done ANYTHING for you, Sam! ANYTHING!"

"Please," she begs of him. "Please, I'm sorry."

"You took my choice. You played me and you tried to kill me," Lucky snaps at her. "God! You're sorry? Sorry? Are you kidding me?! Do you really believe that's supposed to fix everything! You stole my life! MY LIFE! To hell with you and your apologies."

"Nikolas, please, I'm your family," she turns to Nikolas, seeing she wasn't going to get anywhere with her husband, begging him to see reason. "I'm your blood! Please, you can't let him do this! You can't let him kill me."

"Lucky is my family. Emily is my family." Nikolas states, glaring at her as he continues. "Elizabeth is my family! And you tried to destroy that. You and Helena tried to destroy MY FAMILY! Whatever happens next, you brought it upon yourself."

"Please," she pleads with them. "Please don't do this."

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Lucky states icily. "Now? Now it's my turn."

"Wait! What are you doing?" Sam struggles as Lucky starts to inject something into her arm. "Lucky, please, please don't do this! PLEASE!"

"Goodbye, Sam." Lucky states, emptying the contents into her arm. "I hope you burn in hell."

"Transports waiting," Nikolas says after a long moment, placing a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "She'll never see the light of day again."

"Get her out of my sight," Lucky states, rising to his feet, turning his back on his wife, hating that he didn't have it in him to end her life right then and there. "I never want to hear about her again."

Letting out a deep sigh, Nikolas lets his people in, instructing them to fulfill their orders. From there, she'll be transported to a mental asylum for the criminally insane, under a false identity where no one will ever find her. Even if killing is not in his wheelhouse, Nikolas isn't above some good old torture. She will live out her days in a small padded cell. Away from civilization and human contact. Where she will never hurt anyone ever again. More than anything he wishes he could fix things for his brother, but there's no going back now. All they can do is move forward and hope for a better tomorrow all around.

Getting into the compound that Helena has been occupying wasn't quite as difficult as they had thought it would be. Jason couldn't help but wonder whether that was because she thought herself untouchable or if she had an exit strategy up her sleeve. Whatever the case may be, Jason doesn't care, it'll take a goddamn miracle for her to escape. After everything she has done to Elizabeth, after everything she has put her through, Helena's days are up. Sending in Luke as distraction, Jason and Sonny make their way around to the other side of the room, placing themselves right behind Helena.

The little song and dance that she runs through with Luke was one of the most disturbing things that Jason has ever had to listen to. It looked almost like a courtship of sorts and he wonders if that's how Helena managed to stay alive for so long. Like maybe Luke needed her to exist, needed the war to continue waging between them, like an addiction he just couldn't kick. Just as it looked like Luke was about to blow the whole situation, Jason makes his presence known, waiting long enough for her to turn around before firing off three shots to her chest.

"This is for Elizabeth," he states as he stands over her, firing one shot to her face, wiping that stupid satisfied grin from her face.

"You and I are done," Sonny says to Luke as his friend stands over Helena's body dumbfounded. "From now on, you're nothing to me."

"Corinthos!" Luke calls out to him as he heads for the exit.

"Five minutes," Sonny states sternly. "I'd hurry if I were you."

Without another word, Sonny walks out of the compound with Jason, instructing him to denote the bomb was they were far enough away, bringing the whole building down. Sonny had given Luke the benefit of the doubt, hoping that what happened to his son would be enough to get Luke to see that Helena needed to be taken out, but clearly the desire to keep fighting the Cassadines was too much for Luke. Leaving his people to ensure that there would be nothing left of that building but ash, Sonny and Jason make their way back to town, solidifying their alibis in case Luke does something stupid like trying to turn on them.

"It's done," Nikolas tells Jason and Sonny when they arrive on the island through the back way. "There's no way for her to get out."

"She better not," Jason states, an unspoken threat that he'll handle her just the same if she finds a way out. "Lucky?"

"He's taken off," Nikolas explains with a sigh. "He just needs time."

"Yeah," Sonny replies. "Don't we all."

"The launch will be here to take you back to town in a few minutes," Nikolas comments. "As far as anyone's concerned, you guys had dinner here with me and Em, the captain will attest to that."

With a single nod, Jason and Sonny head to the docks to wait for the launch to get to them, both thankful to have this entire crazy situation come to an end. A part of him wanted to talk to Sonny about what went down with Luke, but he knows that it's not time for that conversation. Eventually Sonny will open up about it and they'll talk it through, but for now they'll just let the silence remain about them. Besides, he has his own thoughts to sift through now that the danger hanging over Elizabeth is no longer a factor in his life. The big question now being where they go from there.

"Puerto Rico?" Sonny questions him once they step foot off the elevator on the penthouse floor.

"Yeah," Jason says after a long moment, realizing just what he needed to do. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Sonny assures. "Go on. Plane'll be fueled and ready to go by the time you get there."

"Thanks, Sonny," Jason replies. "For everything."

Making his way into his penthouse, Jason grabs his things, packing a bag before making his way downstairs to one of the cars, not wanting to leave his bike at the airport. Getting to the airport, he boards the plane, instructing the pilot to take off once he's seated. Letting out a deep breath, he braces himself for the four hour flight to Puerto Rico and seeing Elizabeth again.

Though they've only been apart for little over a day, Jason felt the anticipation of seeing in abundance, wanting to be with her more than anything. Needing to be with her. A part of him wondered how things will be when he gets there. If she feels like distance is still necessary, he'll give her that, not wanting to push things, but he just had to see her for a moment. To tell her that it was over. That she's finally safe. The moment he stepped out of the car in front of the safe house, he worries melted away when Elizabeth ran out of the house and right into his arms, holding him tightly as he held her, both thankful to be together again.

"Is it over?" Elizabeth questions as she holds tight to him.

"It's over," he assures her. "You're safe."

"Thank you," she whispers, closing her eyes tightly as his words seep into her heart. She's safe. "Thank you for coming back to me."

"Elizabeth," he says carefully, pulling away from her to meet her eyes. "I...if you still need time...if you need space..."

"I don't," Elizabeth replies quickly, a soft smile on her lips. "I may never be able to explain how it happened, but I do know that what's happening between us is as real as it gets. All the time and space in the world can't tell me anything that I don't already know, Jason. It's me and you."

"Are you sure?" Jason questions, holding her hands in his. "I don't mind waiting for you, Elizabeth. I'd wait forever if that's what it took."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Elizabeth says with her whole heart. "I love you, Jason."

"I love you," Jason whispers, his heart pounding against his chest as he reaches up one hand to caress the side of her face. "More than you know."