A/N – Thanks for the comments! * Guest – I'm not sure who you are directing your anger towards, JZ or JO. I'll assume JZ because JO has done nothing wrong, but they are all going to be around each other and be friends so, you'll just have to deal. I've been focused on Liz/Jason this whole time even with them in the story, but complete closure with the exes will come next chapter. * Trini12180 – Remember there is no mob, so killing could only happen at the hands of the police. * Leki-Reti – She said she is not in love with John, but yes, her denial is strong re: Jason lol. Guest – re: them not getting any younger lol. * ilovedana53 – Jason knows. Now we just need Liz on board.

Chapter 27

Elizabeth sat next to Jason.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. I think Johnny's going to end up dating Katherine."

"Does that bother you?"

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't."

He didn't say anything, figuring she needed to talk.

"She's lucky. He's a good man."

"You could have him back if you wanted too."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to him. My heart just isn't there."

He started to ask her something and John walked into the room.

"Hey," she said standing. "What are you doing here?"

"You were hurt. Where else would I be?"

Jason tried not to react, but he wanted to roll his eyes so badly.

"Hello Jason."

"John."

"I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

She disappeared and John walked over to Jason.

"You want her. Don't you?"

Jason slightly smiled. "And you think you can have her. Don't you?"

John grinned. "I know I can. I just have to be patient. I find it amusing that you, on the other hand, think you have a chance."

"She's Elizabeth. Who wouldn't want that?"

John sat down. "I already got rid of one guy. Do you really think that I'm going to let you walk away with her after all the years I've missed with her?"

"Frankly, I don't care what you do. She doesn't want you."

"We'll see about that. What makes you think you stand a chance?"

"That's mostly for me to know. You see, unlike you, I don't have to do anything but be myself. I don't have to manipulate her or convince of her of anything. You can't say the same."

John's expression didn't change. "Arrogance might be your downfall."

"It's not arrogance. I truly respect her and she knows that. It's not about what I want, it's about what she needs and if she wanted you, I'd step aside."

"How gallant. I don't believe that for a minute."

Jason smiled. "If you want to make a fool of yourself, have at it."

Elizabeth walked back in. "Now, where were we?"

"I'm going to go find Lila."

"She's probably in the kitchen with Cook."

Jason left and John sighed.

"What?" Liz asked.

"I'm just so sorry that you were hurt. Are you sure you're okay?" The bruises on her neck looked painful.

"I'm sure. I mean, I'm a little scattered emotionally, but I'm safe for now."

"And what if he comes back?"

Liz closed her eyes. "I can't go there."

He moved next to her and pulled her into his side. "Come stay with me. I'll make sure no one gets near you."

"Thanks, but Jason wants to take care of me and he let me do the same for him. I'm where I need to be."

"What about clothes?"

"Alice went to get them."

"I guess you have everything covered."

She noted the sadness in his voice. "Why don't we have dinner after I'm feeling a little better."

Their eyes met. "I would love that."

"You can even invite your sister if you want."

"You want to eat with Claudia?"

Liz smiled. "I think that you're right. She does seem a lot different."

"Why don't you bring Jason? I'm sure he would like to get out of the house."

Her brow rose. "Really?"

"Yeah. Why not. He's important to you and if I'm going to be hanging around more, I want to get to know your friends."

"So, you're going to stay in town?"

"Yup. I might have to jet to the City here and there, but that's the plan."

"And Claudia is staying too?"

"For some reason, she just doesn't trust me."

Liz laughed. "Why don't we go somewhere to eat tonight?"

"I would love that. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I can wear something around my neck. I don't want him to win." Even though she was scared, the man that attacked her didn't know her and she wouldn't be by herself. She needed to prove to herself that she could move on.

"I'll make the arrangements. I have a suite at the Metro Court. Why don't we eat in there, that way it's casual and away from prying eyes."

"Deal."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Sarah walked into the living room. "I passed John on the way in."

Liz stood and they hugged. "He just left. I've been so worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"I came here for you."

They sat on the couch and Sarah stared at her neck and then looked away.

"I'm okay."

"Lucky took Maxie back."

Liz groaned. "Unbelievable."

"I know. She must suck like a hoover with that big mouth of hers."

Liz laughed.

"Seriously. She's beyond annoying and she never shuts up."

Liz took her hand. "Nice deflection. Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on with you?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it."

"Well, I guess I can't force you, but I don't like that you shut me out. We are family and I love you."

"I know. I just—sometimes you need some space to figure it all out."

"I don't mind that. Just tell me."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Liz leaned her head on Sarah's arm as she closed her eyes. "Whatever this is—whatever is eating you alive, it only has as much power over you as you give it."

Sarah swallowed hard. "I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

"Will you at least talk to someone if you can't talk to me?"

"I'll think about it."

"Okay."

"You must have been so scared," Sarah said.

"I was. It happened so fast. Thank God Robin came into the room."

"I owe her one."

"We all do. I can't even imagine what he would have done to Katherine or Kylie."

"How did you end up here anyway?" Sarah had found out she was there from Felix.

"Jason showed up at the hospital and insisted on it."

Sarah slowly smiled and Liz rolled her eyes. "I think he gets hotter every time I see him. You really need to hit that."

"I just broke up with Johnny."

"And?"

"Sarah…"

"You can take it slow Elizabeth, but Jason is a hot commodity and if you don't at least act like you want him, someone else will come along and claim him. Do you like him?"

Liz took a languid breath and then nodded.

"Then that's a start."

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Jason sat on the porch deep in thought. He was getting more memories back and struggling with them. The old familiar pain was coming back and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. He felt so conflicted being in the mansion. It was wrong because he felt he was disrespecting his mom. He had always put her on a pedestal because she was all he had. They had been through some pretty bad times, and those memories were starting to trickle in.

"Penny for your thoughts."

He turned and faced Lila who was standing in front of the sliding glass door. A smile lit up his face. "No more races?"

She grinned. "Nope."

"I'm trying not to use it as much." He was increasing his stamina slowly. It was hard because he really was tired of being tired.

"Just don't overdo it."

"Okay."

She sat in the chair next to him. "You looked like you had a lot on your mind. Do you want to talk?"

"I'm not sure."

"I won't tell anyone else and you won't hurt my feelings."

"It feels wrong that I'm here."

"Why?"

"My mom."

"I understand."

Their eyes met. "Really?"

"Yes."

She watched Jason curiously as he inwardly battled. Gone was the lightness that had been there before and that mad her sad. "You feel like you're disrespecting her memory, but what if it weren't that simple?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she brought you back here so that you could have a family. If you turn your back on us, wouldn't that be disrespecting her wishes?"

He hadn't thought of it that way. "Do you hate her?"

"At times I did, but that was a long time ago. She couldn't be all that bad since she raised a very good man."

"I don't feel like I'm good. I want—" he shook off the thoughts of wanting to hurt the man that attacked Elizabeth and Ric. "There are people that I want to hurt."

"Well, do they deserve it?"

The question took him aback. "Yes."

"We all have murderous thoughts from time to time. Ask your mom how many times she has wanted to kill Tracy."

Jason slightly smirked.

"What are you remembering that has you so thrown?"

"My mom didn't always pick the best men to be with. There were times that it got violent."

"Were you hurt?"

He nodded and clenched his fists as anger pulsed through his body, almost taking his breath away.

"Jason, focus on my voice. You are fine now. No one is going to hurt you. Take a deep breath."

Alan walked towards them and kneeled down. "Jason, open your eyes."

He was met with an intense glare that almost made him pull back.

"Every time I look at you, it makes me doubt her and it hurts."

Alan took a languid breath. "I'm sorry."

"You don't understand what it was like for us. I needed you and I don't want to hate her. I can't. I just can't!" he yelled.

Alan watched his son start to fall apart and he hugged him the best he could. The wheel chair made it awkward. "I'm so sorry."

Jason gripped his father's jacket for a minute and then pushed him back as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I can't." He rolled towards the screen door and slid it open and went inside.

Alan closed it and sat next to his mom. "I'm really worried."

"He's hurting. His memories are coming back and he doesn't know what to do with all of that emotion."

"I refuse to give up. I can see it in his eyes. He wants a relationship with us, he just doesn't know how to reconcile who his mother was in his head."

Lila squeezed his hand. "Then we'll be there for him. Give him some space. He just needs to work it out."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Liz walked into the bedroom. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

She froze in her tracks, noting how different he sounded. "Do you want me to cancel dinner?"

"No. I want to get out of here."

"Okay. Jason—"

"I'm going to take a nap."

Her breath hitched in her throat. Jason had never put up such a big wall and she decided that she hated it. "May I join you?"

He was silent for a moment and still hadn't looked at her. When his head finally lifted and she saw the pain, her eyes immediately began to tear.

"Please."

He didn't want to let her in all the way. Right now, he just couldn't go there.

Slowly she came to a stop in front of him and watched his jaw tick before gently swiping her fingers through his hair. "Come on."

He lifted himself from the chair and plopped onto the bed and pushed himself backward.

Liz got his leg situated on the wedge and then she laid next to him. For a moment, she stared at his hand and then moved hers over. Her finger slightly rubbed against his and she was relieved when he let her hold his hand. After a while, she heard his breathing change and looked over at him. Jason was pulling away just when she was ready to admit that she had feelings for him and his change in demeanor just wasn't going to cut it. Somehow, she needed to reach him.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

John pulled up to the mansion and helped Jason get into the car. Liz got in the back seat and John could tell something was wrong. He wasn't sure what to think. If they were going to be like this all night, it was going to suck. He found a station he knew she'd like and then got on the road.

When they arrived at the Metro Court, he valet parked and they slowly moved towards the elevators at Jason's pace. Claudia was standing in the hallway outside the room.

"Perfect timing." She hugged Elizabeth.

"This is Jason."

Claudia sized him up. He was very handsome and his eyes were stormy just how she liked it, however, she wondered if he was the reason Elizabeth had no desire for her brother.

"Come inside." She put the keycard in the slot and they all went into the dining room. "I hope you're hungry."

Jason was actually ravenous.

"The guys are having steak and we're having pasta."

"Sounds good," Elizabeth said.

Soft music filtered through the suite and soon, Claudia and Elizabeth were chatting up a storm.

John placed a cold beer in front of Jason. "Can you have it?"

Jason nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Jason took a swig. It was good and he understood why it was supposedly his favorite.

Liz sipped on some wine. It tasted good and she visibly relaxed.

Several times, Claudia caught her looking at Jason with a worried expression. He was quiet and she imagined twisty.

"Come here," John said standing up. "I want to show you something."

Liz glanced at Jason and then back at John. "Okay."

They went over to the couch and Claudia took the opportunity to engage Jason.

"So, how long are you stuck in that brace?"

"Maybe three more weeks."

"That sucks."

"Yeah."

"I read about the accident. When I was a little girl, I was trapped in an earthquake."

Jason's brows rose. "Really?"

"Yup. Apparently, I can scream really loud."

"I can attest to that," John said loudly.

"Shut it," she said playfully. "Anyway, they dug me out of the ruins of the hotel and I was dehydrated and had a broken arm, but fortunately made it through it. I had nightmares for months."

"Sorry."

She shrugged. "It is what it is. Maybe that's what made me so tough."

"Do you have another reason to be?"

"I work around a bunch of mental patients."

"Hey!" John replied.

She grinned. "You can't be thin skinned in the Zacchara household. Our father would you eat you alive."

"Be glad you had a father figure."

"You didn't?"

"No. It was just me and my mom."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure she did her best."

"She did. Can we go on the balcony?" He spotted a few chairs and he needed some air.

"Sure. Want to bring your beer?"

He nodded and she got up and retrieved his crutches and they relocated.

Elizabeth stopped thumbing through the photo album and watched them.

"He'll be fine."

"I know. He just had a rough day."

"Is that why you are so preoccupied."

"Yes." She smiled as she spotted a picture of them in high school. "My hair had its own continent."

John laughed. "I loved your puffy curls."

"They were unruly and I was constantly putting them on a time out."

He lifted his hand and touched her hair, something Jason could see from his vantage point. "You were always so beautiful."

She looked away. "You were biased."

"Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Downplay it. Face it, you're a beautiful woman." His head dipped down. "I really want to kiss you."

"I can't. I'm sorry."

Jason watched Elizabeth stand and slightly smiled.

"Earth to Jason."

"What?"

"Are you in love with her?"

"I don't know you well enough to answer that question."

"Fair enough. My brother is tenacious."

Jason rolled his eyes. "He doesn't know how to take no for an answer."

"They have history."

"And?"