A/N – Thanks for the comments. I did post late on Friday if you missed it. This Jason situation is brutal and I think his conversation with Carly is the most cringeworthy scene I've ever written, but Jason has nothing else to lose and she has hurt him badly, so he lets her have it. After the accident, Jason was pretty much cringeworthy 24/7, so you've been warned.

Chapter 12

The news of Jason's arrest was leaked to reporters and was on the front-page the next day eliciting varying responses from people who know him.

Monica was livid about Epiphany and couldn't believe that Jason was somehow responsible. The whole family was in an uproar except for Emily and Lila. While they are upset, they were not trying to hang Jason out to dry, so Lila called Justus and asked him to go to the station and check on her grandson.

Emily decided to pay Liz a visit to find out what she knows about Epiphany's friendship with her brother. Jason needs help and there is no way she'll turn on him. She's disgusted with her parents, Tracy, and grandfather for being so quick to throw Jason under the bus. While she gets that her brother had turned his back on the family, there were good reasons for that and the family was partly responsible.

After going to Kelly's and finding out that Liz has the day off, she went to the studio first before going to Audrey's.

Liz paused to look out the window of her door. After swearing she saw Lucky again the night before, she is being more careful. "Emily?"

"Hey. Can we talk?"

"Sure, come in."

They moved over to the couch and sat.

"I guess you read the papers," Liz said.

"I did. Taggert finally got his wish, I guess. What do you know about Epiphany and Jason?"

Liz blew out a harsh breath. "Emily, I—"

"Please tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone aside from Lila and you know she can keep a secret."

Liz stood and then started to pace. "Sonny and Carly betrayed him, Emily, and then Jason was shot."

"What!"

"Epiphany found him in the snow bleeding to death, and she nursed him back to health."

"How do you know all about this?"

"She had to go out of town and I was doing more than house sitting."

Emily's mouth dropped open. "You were helping her?"

"Yes. We—Jason and I bonded."

Emily slowly stood. "What do you mean by that?"

"We like each other."

"I am completely gobsmacked," she said before plopping back onto the couch. "You and my brother?"

Liz nodded.

"But, you weren't over Lucky?"

"I was trying to let him go. You know that. Jason listened and gave me good advice and just let me be. He's the best listener and Emily, I didn't plan for it, but I kind of developed a crush."

"Wow. And the feeling was mutual?" She just couldn't get over it. Liz is so innocent and law-abiding and as much as she loves her brother, he simply is not.

"He likes me, but he doesn't want me to be hurt by his lifestyle."

"Have you kissed?"

Liz's eyes filled with tears. "Yes, right before he was arrested."

Emily tried to process everything. "I knew that skank was going to ruin his life. I can't believe Sonny would turn his back on Jason like that."

"Supposedly, he was trying to show Jason that Carly is a slut."

"By sleeping with her and then marrying her?"

Liz would have laughed at Emily's incredulous expression if the situation wasn't so dire. "Yes."

"They are just so sick. Jason must have been so hurt."

"Sonny's betrayal really messed with his head. Carly—let's just say his eyes are open where she is concerned and he wouldn't spit on her if she were on fire."

"Good, but I'd like to bash her in the head with a bucket."

"Get in line…"

"Epiphany and Jason? I just can't see it."

"It was oddly entertaining, but they love each other. I don't even know how to explain it, but they just fit. She is loving and supportive and encourages him to think from a different perspective and Jason appreciates her friendship. He'd do anything for her."

"Which is what makes this all the more devasting..."

"Yes. I'm scared he won't fight, Emily. He's blaming and punishing himself. Do you think you could get him a lawyer?"

"Lila called Justus, but if Jason refuses our help, there is nothing we can do."

"Can you try to go talk to him?"

Emily nodded. "I'll text Justus and let him know I'm coming down there."

Liz hugged her. "Thank you. Let me know what happens, okay?"

"I will."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Jason is pushed into the interrogation room and then Justus appears.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Lila sent me."

Jason's attention settles on the desk. "Well, she's wasting her time. I'm guilty. Tell her to just let it go."

Justus is stunned. "Jason, you want me to tell Lila that you killed this man and let you rot?"

"Yes."

"And do you think she'll believe you? You've never just given up before. What is this about?"

"It's the way it should be. Tell her I love her, but she needs to stay out of it."

Jason's right eye is almost all the way closed and bruising. His lip is split and the other side of his face is one big dark lump.

"Did they have a doctor look at you?"

"Yes. Taggert is covering all his bases."

"And?"

"Unfortunately, I'll live."

Justus doesn't even know how to respond to that. For a long moment, there is just silence. "Do you want to die or go to prison for the rest of your life?"

Jason stares him down. "I'm a killer. Isn't that what the family thinks? I deserve it. I'm sure you'll get no arguments from Edward on that one."

"It doesn't matter what he or anyone else thinks, what matters is how the jury votes."

"There isn't going to be a jury."

"What?"

"I'm pleading guilty. I don't want you representing me, so you can leave now."

Justus sighed. He could see the finality in Jason's eyes, but he also saw pain and grief. "Fine, have it your way."

He walked out and told the cop to wait, another visitor is coming. When Emily approached, he stopped her.

"He's determined to go down for this. I've never seen him like this."

Emily nodded. "Thank you for trying."

"Tell your grandmother I said I'm sorry."

"I will."

She took a deep breath and then entered the room.

Jason growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Don't yell at me, Jason. Elizabeth and I are worried."

He muttered under his breath. "It's better than you both stay away from here. There is nothing to fix. It's done."

"You're giving up?" she said as she threw her hands in the air.

"I'm guilty. It's done."

"This is so stupid!"

"Well, maybe I can blame it on the brain damage then."

She leaned forward, pointing her finger as she scowled. "Don't you take that tone with me! I have never treated you like you were damaged. How could you just give up? This is going to break everyone's heart including Epiphany."

He cringed at the sound of her name.

"She took a bullet and then you abandon her? What the hell, Jason? She loves you."

"And look where that love got her? She is in a coma, Emily, something Taggert reminds me of every chance that he gets."

Tears welled in her eyes. "Please don't give up. She would want you to fight. You can't do this, Jason. Please don't plead guilty."

He stared at her for a long moment. "You can go now."

A sob tore through the room. "You are throwing everything away. Elizabeth still wants to be with you. I love you and so does Lila. Please don't leave us."

"Elizabeth will be fine. She deserves more then I can give her. Take care of her, Emily."

"No. You need to get out of here and take care of her."

"Dammit, Emily. I'm not going to fight. Just go home and stand beside her, she'll need you."

"This isn't over."

"Yes, it is."

She ran out of the room crying and Carly, who had been waiting in the shadows, slipped inside.

"What the hell?" he said as she closed the door.

Carly immediately started to cry. "Jason, please call Sonny. He can help you."

"Are you on drugs? Sonny is dead to me."

She gasped. "Don't say that. We have to get you out of here."

"There is no "we", Carly. Now get the hell out of here right now, or I'll call the guard."

"You can't give up on Michael."

"It's too bad that you didn't think about what is best Michael before you married Sonny. Now leave."

"Why are you giving up like this? All you have to do is apologize to Sonny and he'll forgive you and get the charges dropped." She knows that she hurt him by marrying Sonny, but she is falling in love with him. While she'll always love Jason, she had come to realize that if they are together, it probably wouldn't end well and then she'd lose him. Being best friends was just the better option.

He almost laughed. "Did he tell you that before or after you sucked him off?"

You could hear a pin drop in the room as a stunned Carly just blinked at him.

"What? He treats you like a whore and you come back for more so you can shop on his dime. I hope he's worth selling your soul for because when the bullets fly, he'll throw you in front of him in a heartbeat. You're just a piece of ass to him. He hates you, but can't stop fucking you because you offer it so freely and he thinks he's sticking it to me." God, he hates the sight of her.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"What? I can't tell the truth, but Sonny treats you like a prostitute and that's okay? He thinks he has everything now—you and Michael and he'll throw it in my face every chance he gets." Just the thought of Michael being around Sonny sickened him.

The dam broke and Carly's body recoiled as if she were punched.

Wanting to put an end to their friendship once and for all, he continued. "Tell me, does he hold you or tell you how much he loves you afterward, or does he just hand you a credit card and tell you to go shopping?"

He has never ever spoken to her like this. "You shut your filthy mouth! I am not a whore. He loves me!"

"If it walks like a duck…"

She screamed at the top of her lungs, prompting Taggert to run into the room.

"I am not a whore! You're going to pay for this Jason! I am not a fucking whore!"

Jason smiled. "Believe what you want, but I know the truth and so does everyone else. Sonny married you to show me that he can have whatever he wants, it's a good thing that I don't give a shit about you. You are nothing to me."

Carly shook so bad, she collapsed, and Cruz had to drag her off.

Taggert glanced at Jason. "I guess you're not her best friend after all."

"If anyone else had said that, I might have laughed."

Marcus shot him a look. "Have you ever laughed?"

Jason sighed. "Can I go now?"

"What happened to your lawyer?"

"He's not representing me."

"Then you'll get a public defender."

"Fine…"

Tagger's head tilted. "What is your game, Morgan?"

"There is none."

A guard pulled Jason to his feet and then led him back to his cell.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Johnny pulled back, shocked by what he had just heard. Jason had never talked to anyone like that. And why is he willing to have a public defender?

He left the station and then called his police contact, Andy Capelli. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Jason has lost it. He's going to plead guilty."

"Fuck!" he said hitting his steering wheel.

"They are assigning him a public defender."

"What's the worse he can get?"

"Life in prison without the possibility of parole…"

"Jesus Christ…"

"I've got to go."

Johnny is livid that Jason is throwing his life away. Somehow, he has to get Elizabeth in there. She might be the only hope.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

That evening, Elizabeth closes up as Johnny slips into the diner.

"Can you come with me?"

"Where?"

"I'm going to get you in to talk to Jason."

Her heart starts beating faster. "Did he ask me to come?"

"No. He's going to be mad. Elizabeth, he refused Justus's help and he's going to plead guilty."

"What?"

"I know. You're our last hope. I don't have any evidence to clear him. That will take time. I'm still going to follow all the leads, but if you can somehow convince him that he should fight, it will buy some time."

Her hand goes to her chest and then she takes off her apron and grabs her purse. "Let's go."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Luckily, the station is pretty dead, so Andy easily brings Jason to the interrogation room without being noticed and lets Johnny in a side door and leads him there. Stan is monitoring and will erase the video surveillance.

When the door slides open, Jason looks up and is shocked.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing?"

She crosses her arms, trying not to be affected by the fact that his face looks like someone ran over it and then put the truck in reverse to repeat it. "That is my question for you. Why are you throwing your life away?"

He can't even look at her because it hurts too much. "I'm doing what's best."

"No! You are being a fucking martyr!"

His gaze locks on her, stunned by her language.

"Do you really think this is what's best for me or Epiphany or your family? Well, it's not, Jason. Please don't do this. I need you. They need you."

"Elizabeth, just stop! Turn around and walk away. You deserve so much better. I'm a killer! I did this and I'm taking responsibility for it."

She wants to punch him. "Tell me something, are you trying to convince me or yourself? You are giving up and if Epiphany knew what you were doing, she'd beat the shit out of you."

"But she can't because she's laying in the hospital in a coma. God only knows how much pain she will have to endure because of me if she ever wakes up. I'm toxic, Elizabeth."

She leans closer. "Those lies are not going to keep you warm at night, but I could."

Their gaze is locked as they silently do battle.

"Goodbye, Elizabeth. Guard!"

She pushed him. "You are so infuriating!"

He is stunned when her hand darts out and connects with his good cheek. "Snap out of it! I will not lose you like this!"

"You've already lost me," he said, trying to keep his voice firm.

She moves closer.

"What are you doing?"

Grabbing his head she presses his lips against his and Jason bites back the pain spreading through his injured lip.

She pulls back and leans her forehead against his. "You are everything to me. Can you see how much this is destroying me? I thought that I finally was getting my life back and you helped me open my heart back up and now, you're stepping all over it and I don't understand why. Help me understand."

A tear slides down his face. "I can't do this." He sharply inhales, trying to memorize her unique smell.

"You can. Please explain it to me. Don't break me again."

She fixes him with her gaze, trying to ignore the tears falling down their faces.

"I'm nothing, Elizabeth. I can't let you throw your life away for me."

"It's my life."

"I know that, dammit, but you aren't thinking clearly."

She scoffs.

"Elizabeth, Epiphany almost died. She still could die and it could have been you. Don't you see that? You have no future with me because there will always be someone waiting to take you away from me. Let me go. Go on with your life and open yourself up to someone who could really make you happy and won't get you killed. The accident changed me forever. I'm not supposed to love."

"Love is a risk that I'm willing to take."

"It shouldn't be a death sentence."

She threw her arms around his neck and bawled as he wishes he could hold her, but knows it's for the best that he doesn't. Every sob is a knife in his heart and resolve, but he truly believes that by going away, he can protect everyone and that he deserves all of this due to his decision making since the accident. He not only has blood on his hands, but he also has hurt so many people. A part of him truly believes that maybe everyone would be better off if he hadn't of survived the accident.

"I will never give up on you. I don't know how, but I'm going to spend as much time as possible trying to get you out."

He hopes that isn't true and prays that she'll just get over him eventually and wishes he could do the same, but he doubts that the ache for her will ever wane.

Pulling back, she wipes his tears away and then takes a deep breath as she hears Johnny knock.

"I'll never give up you on, Jason Morgan. You're stuck with me and when Epiphany wakes up, she'll feel the same way. So, you can try to throw your life away if you want, but you have no idea what you're truly up against because when I set my mind on something, I won't stop until I get it."

He can't believe the look of conviction in her eyes. It leaves him speechless as he watches her slip out.

A/N – God it's so hard stopping there. Johnny will confront him tomorrow and then have a talk with Nicole about Jason's mindset. Our boy is just in pain and I really tried to stick to the fact that when something is in Jason's head, it's hard to alter how he sees it. That is definitely because of the brain damage. He has been through so much and sometimes, you just reach a point where you are tired of fighting against neverending enemies, even if one of them is yourself.