A/N – Thanks for the comments! Glad you were pleased with the surgery outcome.
Chapter 24
Liz walked by a bedroom and saw Jason. "Hey. Why are you up here?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
She sat next to him. "You don't have to lie to me."
"I know."
"Then why did you?"
"I don't know how to explain how I feel."
"Try. I won't go until you do," she said.
"I just—I don't think I should be here."
"Why?"
"Because she wouldn't want me to stay with them. It just feels wrong."
She squeezed his hand. "I understand."
"I don't even understand."
"It's your conscious. Even though there is a disconnect with your memory, on some level, you feel like you are betraying your mom."
He nodded.
"Jason, what if it's not that simple?"
"What do you mean?"
"From what I know, it seems like your reactions to all of this have been very black and white." He looked a little confused, so she tried to think of another way to explain it. "You only knew a part of the story and your anger fueled your reaction. Part of you can see that maybe the Quartermaines are not bad, but that's in direct conflict with the rest of you who spent a long time struggling and probably hating your father. You feel bad for judging your mom because she was all you had, but that doesn't make it right to judge your dad so harshly when he didn't know."
The more she made sense, the more upset he felt. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Just know that you can tell me anything."
"Thank you."
Emily popped into the doorway. "Ready?"
"I'll be right there."
She quickly left the room, realizing that she had interrupted something serious.
"Just say the word and I won't go."
He shook his head. "You deserve to go out and have some fun."
"How about I sneak back later and stay here tonight."
His lip slightly quirked upwards. "Really?"
"Yes."
"I would like that."
"It's a deal!"
She left and he closed his eyes, wishing he had the guts to stop her from going at all. He needed her.
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Sarah stood and ran right into Francis.
"Sarah, it's getting dark. You probably shouldn't be on the docks."
"I lost track of time."
He studied her for a moment. "You look like you could use a friend."
"I don't want to bore you."
"Let me walk you to your car and we'll talk there."
"Okay."
They quickly made it to a lot and then got inside her SUV.
"Have you ever done something really stupid? I mean epically stupid, but you can't take it back and are not sure that you would even if you could?"
"Yes."
She looked over at him. "Really?"
"Of course. I'm a guy. We're always making epic mistakes."
She smirked. "I'm seeing someone and I want to believe that it can work, but it's destined to fail."
"Do you love him?"
"No. It's new, but it's twisty and when it comes out, it's going to cause some huge problems with my family."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah."
"Why do you want twisty?"
She shrugged. "It's what I know? I guess love has never been easy for me. Maybe I'm just a drama queen."
"Maybe, you underestimate your worth?"
"Maybe."
"Sarah, I think you may be asking for trouble."
"I know. I just—I'm tired Francis, but it's like I'm sitting on the tracks and I know the train is barreling down the tracks, but I can't step away. What is wrong with me?"
He put his arm around her. "You want to be loved."
"Is that so bad?" Tears were now streaming down her cheeks.
"No. For your sake, I just wish you'd pick someone less twisty."
"Me too." She wiped her face and took a deep breath. "Thank you for listening."
"Anytime. You okay to drive?"
"Yes. Do you need a ride?"
"Nope, my car is close, but thanks." He got out and headed back to the docks. Sarah and Elizabeth were different, but he liked them both. They were stronger than either one realized. He just hoped that Sarah wasn't in to far over her head.
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Liz closed her eyes as she threw back a shot. "Yum."
Emily laughed. "Keep em' coming Coleman."
"You got it beautiful."
Steven took a swig of his beer. "Delicious."
"Is Patrick coming?" Liz asked.
"No. He wanted to stay close to Epiphany who is doing great by the way."
"To Epiphany," Jolene yelled.
A chorus of agreement went out as they all drank to their recovering colleague. A song came on the jukebox and several of the ladies went on the dance floor. Francis walked in and smiled as he watched them. Coleman handed him a beer.
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Patrick rubbed Epiphany's hand as he sat next to her with his eyes closed.
"You're going to rub a hole in it."
He smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"Like someone was poking around in my head."
"Do you need meds?"
"I just pushed the button. Why are you here?"
He scowled. "You know why. Where else should I be?"
"Out drinking with everyone else."
"I'm right where I'm supposed to be."
"And what is her excuse?" she said looking at Amelia who was standing in the doorway.
Patrick looked over his shoulder for a second. "Guess she didn't want to let you out of her sight either."
"I don't even want to see what you did to my hair."
"We only shaved what we had too."
"You know better than to touch a black woman's hair."
Amelia grinned.
"I'll buy you some more."
"Oh no he didn't…"
Amelia laughed and walked in. "We could do a comb over."
"You're as bad as him."
"Sometimes, bad is good," Patrick said with a wink.
"Only you would flirt with someone who just had their brains scrambled and needs a comb over."
"You have a pulse. That's his only criteria," Amelia said.
"Ouch."
Piph grinned. "She definitely has got your number."
"No she doesn't. I haven't given it to her yet."
"It's just a matter of time Drake Jr."
"Who says I want it?" Amelia asked.
Patrick rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you two just go find a supply closet and get it over with?"
"Epiphany!" Amelia said. "I'm not cheap."
Piph grinned. "It doesn't mean you're cheap, just human."
"Did you remove her filter while you were in there?"
Patrick chuckled. "She never had one to begin with."
"And you still loved me."
"Damn right."
"I'm going to take a nap in the on call room," Amelia said before squeezing Piph's hand.
Piph waited until she left to speak. "You could join her."
"Epiphany!"
"What? I didn't mean go have sex. I meant sleep."
"The only place I'm going is to get some coffee."
"Patrick, go to bed. You need your rest. Someone will wake you up if there are complications. Please. You have to take care of yourself."
"Okay."
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The party was roaring at Jake's as everyone let off some steam. More people had joined in on the fun, including Robin, Leo, and Kelly.
"So, word is out that you and Jason had something going on," Robin said.
Kelly's mouth dropped open.
"Did you really think that was going to be kept secret?" Steve asked.
"I don't know what the big deal is."
Liz took a sip of her drink. She was definitely feeling it.
"He is so hot," Jolene said.
Robin grinned. "You are trashed."
"That doesn't change my opinion."
John walked in and Jolene groaned.
"He's really hot too."
Liz bit her lip and Felix almost snorted.
John grabbed a beer and then their gaze connected and he smiled.
"Elizabeth, are you going to hit that or what?" Jolene asked.
Liz choked on her drink and Felix patted her on the back. "We're just friends."
"Uh-huh."
John walked over to them. "May I join you."
"Have a seat," Jolene said pulling out the one next to her.
"What happened to your face?" Robin asked.
"I was mugged."
"Where?" Kelly asked.
"The docks. At least they got the asshole."
A song came on that Emily liked and she grabbed Steven and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Elizabeth grinned. Emily was doing a sexy dance and his brother didn't quite know what to do with his hands.
Felix followed her gaze and laughed. "I think I love drunk Emily."
Robin laughed. "Me too."
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Stefan opened his door and Sarah pushed past him. "Come in."
She sat down and waited for him to join her.
"What's going on?"
"I've been thinking a lot about what happened and I'm scared."
"To be with me?"
She nodded. "I always screw up when it comes to men. I'm scared to trust you."
"I already told you that I'm not perfect and I do want to try and see where thing goes. For now, why don't we keep it to ourselves? If we decide we want to move forward, we can come out and tell everyone. That way, there's no pressure."
"Are you worried about your job?"
"Maybe a little. Your father is the chief of staff."
"Don't worry about him. I'll handle it."
"Sarah Webber, will you go out on a date with me?"
She grinned. "How exactly is that being under cover?"
"I thought that maybe I could take you to dinner in Antioch on Saturday. I can book us a room at some hotel and we can spend the night and come back in the morning."
"Okay."
He kissed her softly and then it quickly got out of control and they went into the bedroom and made love.
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Andrea threw her phone down. Sarah still wasn't answering and she needed to know what her daughter heard. She had gone over to her apartment a few times and there was no answer. Tomorrow morning, she had a shift, so hopefully she would catch her there.
There was a knock on her door and she was surprised to find Jeff standing there.
"Come in."
"Have you found Sarah?"
"No."
Jeff ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm worried about her."
"You and me both." She couldn't take back hitting her daughter. It was done, but somehow, she needed to find a way to apologize.
"Did you hear that John is in town?"
Andrea rolled her eyes. "Yeah."
Jeff smirked. "You never liked him."
"Did you?"
Jeff shrugged. "Eh. He was alright."
"He always looked like he was up to something."
"That's true, but he loved our daughter."
"Are you ready for our session tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Andrea handed him some water. "I told you that I'll do whatever it takes to fix us."
"You just need to be honest with me."
"I can do that."
Jeff wasn't sure about that. Andrea had more issues than most people realized and getting her to share them was going to be a chore.
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"You are so trashed," Felix said looking down at Elizabeth whom he was pretty much holding up at this point.
She grinned at him. "Feel good."
"I'm glad."
Someone tapped him and he brows went up.
"Mind if I cut in?"
Felix looked down at Liz who shrugged.
"Take good care of her."
"Always," John said before pulling her into him.
"You're supposed to be resting."
"I'm fine."
She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Unwinding. I had a busy day. You look beautiful."
"Thanks."
His hand ran down her back and she bit her lip.
Robin smirked. "They look very comfy."
"I don't know how she even resists. He looks all kinds of naughty," Felix said.
Jolene pouted.
"Go cut in. She won't mind," Steven said.
Emily walked by and tripped and he grabbed her and she crashed onto his lap. "Hey."
Her lips were dangerously close and Steven was totally caught off guard. "Hey."
Felix snorted. "He is so in trouble."
"I can hear you," Steven said. His eyes were still locked with hers.
Smoothly, she slid her cheek against his and whispered, "Thanks for catching me." Her breath tickled his ear and then she got up and dragged Felix to the dance floor.
Robin and Kelly were cracking up.
"You should have just laid one on her," Jolene said.
Steve shook his body and then downed a shot. Emily was all kinds of hot and she was definitely getting to him. "Must be easy playing armchair quarterback. I dare you to cut in."
Jolene slightly smiled. "You think I'm scared?"
"You're still sitting here."
"Whatever," she stood and took a deep breath.
"You go girl," Kelly said.
Jolene sauntered over to the dancefloor and tapped on John's back. "May I cut in?"
He looked confused and Elizabeth giggled. "Uh—sure."
Robin and Kelly lost it.
Jolene pulled Elizabeth into her. "I couldn't give your brother the satisfaction, so I asked you instead."
Liz couldn't stop laughing. "Thanks for rescuing me. I think he was going to kiss me."
"Are you sure you don't want him to?"
"Positive."
"Cause for a minute, you looked like you were enjoying him."
"There's a lot of history there, that's all."
The song stopped.
"Thanks for the dance. Should I dip you?"
Liz laughed. "They would love that, but we'd probably end up on the floor."
"True."
They walked back to the table amid cheers. Jolene pulled John up.
"Now, it's your turn."
John smiled. Jolene cracked him up. "Alright." In the back of his mind, he was thinking that maybe it would make Liz jealous.
"So, how long are you in town?"
"I'm not sure, but I like it here."
"Is that because of Elizabeth?"
John slightly smiled. "Partly."
Jolene didn't say anything for a while and when the song was over she pulled back. "When you're done pining over someone who doesn't want to be with you, look me up. You'll have to grovel, but I'd eventually go out with you."
She walked away leaving a grinning John behind her.
Liz leaned her head on Felix's shoulder. "Home."
Emily looked over at her. "I can drop her off."
"You're not driving," Steve said.
"Of course not, I'm calling a cab."
"Good girl."
Coleman overheard the conversation and called one.
Liz ran to the bathroom and John was waiting for her when she got back.
"You're avoiding me."
"Why do you say that?"
"Admit it, you were glad that Jolene interrupted us."
She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "I was."
"Why?"
"You know why."
"I'm really trying not to be offended by the fact that you won't give me a chance." Before she could respond, his lips crushed her into a blazing kiss, leaving Liz a bit stunned when he pulled back. "Tell me you didn't like that."
Liz blinked a few times.
"Exactly. I'll talk to you later."
He walked away, leaving her flushed.
She leaned back on the wall, feeling a bit defeated. Having feelings for John wasn't something she wanted. It was a great kiss, but she still felt the same way. They were going to have a serious talk because it just couldn't happen again.
Emily found her. "You okay? The cab is here."
"I'm fine. I'll say goodbye."
She gave everyone hugs and then left.
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The giggling twosome entered the mansion and tried to be quiet going up the stairs, but couldn't stop laughing. Monica had left Jason's door open in case he needed them and as they were sneaking by, Jason called out and scared them, making them double over with laughter.
Liz crept into the room. "Did we wake you up?"
"No." He was actually waiting up.
"I'm going to my room. Yours is next door," Emily said before leaving them.
"Okay."
He watched her slightly sway and smiled. "You are wasted."
"I'm just buzzed."
"Uh—huh."
She climbed onto the bed and sat next to him.
"So, anything good happen?"
"Jolene hit on John."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"Did that bother you?"
"Nope."
He smiled. "That's good."
"I think Emily likes my brother."
"Are you okay with that?"
She shrugged. "I like her, but she'll have a lot of work to do."
He watched her yawn. "Come here." He held his arm out and Liz laid next to him and got comfortable. "You're not going to throw up on me are you?"
"Maybe a little."
He was silent for a few seconds and she busted up laughing.
"I wish I could have seen your face."
Her eyes were closed and he gently pushed back her hair. When he felt her breathing slow down, he spoke.
"Maybe someday, you'll like me."
She sighed and mumbled, "Already do."
He smirked. "How much?"
"A bunch."
"More than friends?"
A slight smile appeared on her face. "Uh-huh."
"Good, because I feel that way about you." He knew that she wouldn't remember the conversation.
"My Jason," she said slowly before drifting off.
You couldn't wipe the grin off of his face.
