I know this chapter was a little long in the coming, but my muse decided to go on hiatis and the weather was wonderful and all that silly stuff, but at long last, here is a small update. I don't believe there is anything overly risque about this chapter, but I will classify it as Rated M, just to be on the safe side...

Chapter Twenty-One

Lucky had finally been able to leave the stuffy room. He had waited till midnight had pasted, almost assuring that no one would be awake and around to see what he next had to do.

He didn't look forward to the task at hand, but in order to maintain his freedom, it was the only thing he could do.

Pulling the stiffening form from the tub, Lucky tried to quickly move the body from the bathroom to his car, but even the svelte form of the woman proved to weigh an astronomical amount now that death had taken her. Struggling and breathing laboriously, Lucky finally managed to deposit her form in the trunk of his car. Repeatedly he had to quench the almost inescapable urge to throw up. His stomach though was not the only traitorous thing this night.

The muggy weather was not conductive to laboring work, sweat poured from his pores, drenching his previously clean shirt, leaving dark sweat stains beneath his arms.

Moving as swiftly as possible, Lucky locked the trunk, went back to his room, grabbed his belongings and then carelessly tossed them into the back seat. There was no way his clothes or other personal items would share the trunk with the dead woman. She had barely been worth sleeping with, briefly he wondered how he could have slept with her, but then the previous night returned with a vengeance and he took comfort, even a small amount from his excessive drunkenness.

He left his room key in the room, not even wanting to be bothered by dealing with the idiot who was working. Lucky sped from the hotel and the memories that lay entombed within.

Once on the highway, Lucky wondered if his previous throughout plans would really be adequate or not. He had intended to dump the body on a deserted little road where little traffic traveled, but he really began to wonder if that was entirely wise, considering he was sure he had missed certain evidence that could convict him. While he was sure he could survive jail, he really didn't look forward to the possibility.

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Elizabeth delighted in Jason's skilled hands. And while she tried very hard not to think about Lucky, the sexual tension in the room, was something she couldn't deny, nor could she forget that the only other sexual relations that she had had thus far, had all been sadist in manner. Lucky had not once touched her affectionately, that is to say, not since he returned from the kidnapping.

They had shared many wonderful days and nights, exploring one another, but had never taken the next step. First base had been the only thing they had enjoyed, back then they had not been in a rush, they felt like they had all the time in the world. Then suddenly Lucky was gone and all those longing touches were gone, filled with grief and anger.

Then just as suddenly, he was back, except the boy she had loved was not the boy she remembered, he was older, perhaps wiser, but it wasn't something she wanted to contemplate. She had given much, trying to show this new Lucky that he was still loved, that she wanted to be with him, help him the same way he helped her. But for some reason, perhaps he resented her, that she had been able to go on, whatever the reason, he took a perverse joy in causing her pain.

Now here she was, with probably, no, there was no probably about it. The best man that there ever was and she was thinking of Lucky. That was not fair to Jason and it wasn't fair to her. She deserved to discover happiness with Jason, but until she could close that chapter of her life, she was doomed to reflect on it, more so than she even wanted to. She really did want to make love to Jason, to feel something that doesn't involve pain. Perhaps it was time that she tried to talk to someone, but who could she talk to and who would want to listen to her bellyaching…

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Sonny watched his son sleep, comfort was not easily found, but as he watched Michael sleep, he took some sense of peace. If he would have been honest with himself from the get go, perhaps Carly would be in his bed, awaiting him making love to her. Instead he had gone off and alienated her, all because he was insecure with her demanding relationship with his best friend.

And while logic told him he was being an idiot, his heart and mind demand that he speak up, and so he had. Now he ran the risk of spending many lonely nights, alone in his bed.

Michael gurgled in his sleep, but remained asleep. The boy had cried for over an hour when Sonny had tried to put the boy to bed. It was almost as if Michael realized that his mother was gone and possibly not coming back. Perhaps that alone was enough to worry the small child, but it also worried Sonny, his heart seemed to physically hurt.

Once assured the child would sleep through the night, Sonny slowly trudged towards his room and bed. The darkness was unrelieved, but he preferred it that way, at least he could pretend that he wasn't alone, because the darkness was so absolute that he could lie without fear of a brightening destroying the illusion.

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Jason noticed the change right away, it wasn't so much as a pulling away but rather a slow procedure that began with a distancing of lips, then emotions and finally bodies.

She slowly backed away, her butt hitting the far wall, her eyes still held that glossy passion, but her lips were pulled tight, almost disappearing in a thin line. Her posture became guarded and her eyes refused to catch his.

Not wanting to push, but knowing that sooner or later, hopefully the former rather than the latter, they were going to need to talk. While Jason believed he knew most of what went on, he knew there was much that he didn't and until she vocally expressed herself, there was not going to be any forward momentum in their budding relationship.

"Elizabeth, I understand that you aren't ready. I would never push, but will you please talk to me. If we are going to go anywhere, we need to communicate, please find it within yourself and within me to trust that I will not judge, that I only want to see you happy and well, your best interests are what lie at the heart of my concern." Jason said, stepping closer, making sure to move slowly, so as not to frighten her.

"I know, I really do. Don't you think I know that?" Elizabeth asked harshly, knowing she was once again being unjust, but the emotional rollercoaster that she was continuously on was driving her mad. She wanted one moment, one single moment where Lucky and the atrocities that he committed against her, to cease to be an issue, but that was something she wasn't sure could ever be, no matter how much she wanted it. "But where were you when all this was going on, why did you leave, if you cared so much, why were you not here to protect me and save me. You all but handed me to Lucky and allowed those horror's to happen, it is as much your fault as it is his!"

Jason flinched at her harsh words, but knew they were not meant to inflict pain upon him, then again, maybe they were. But they stung nonetheless, perhaps there was even some truth behind her words. If he had bothered to stick around, perhaps he would have been able to prevent all of this, instead, he had done what he had always done. He left, when things got too complicated, he ran. When Lucky returned and Elizabeth chose him, Jason had bowed out gracefully, allowing her the distance that he was sure she needed. If she truly wanted to be with Lucky, then it was not his place to push, now he saw his actions as cowardice and stupid, he had been in love with her, since he had all but rescued her from Jake's, he could have told her how he felt, but instead had allowed her to make a decision, without all the facts, so were her words not true, was it not his fault that she had gone through everything.

"Elizabeth." Jason said, his voice hoarse, his eyes filling with tears. "You're right, this was my fault. I should have stayed and fought for you, walking away was stupid, you have every right to hate me."

She heard the pain that inflicted his words and her heart shattered all over again. She had spoken in anger, wanting someone else to hurt instead of her. The months of pain and abuse finally swirling together, causing her to lash out at the one person who always believed, who was always there, even when he was gone.

"Jason, I didn't mean it, I was hurting and I wanted someone else to hurt, it wasn't fair of me. I always do that don't I, you are the one constant in my life and I keep hurting you, how can you love me?" Elizabeth asked, moving closer to him, finally pushing her grief and anger aside.

Jason had meant to speak, but her mouth on his stilled all thoughts and all words. Her hands pulled desperately at his shirt, in her aggravation, she simply ripped the shirt from his body, buttons popping, this way and that. He tried to find conductive thoughts, but her hot, velvety mouth was on his skin, searing his flesh, pulling from him a breathy moan.

Once his shirt lay in tatters on the floor, she worked her hands into his pants. First releasing his belt then removing it hastily. The sudden change in moods was awe inspiring and a little baffling.

The zipper on his pants hadn't stood a chance, in a powerhouse grip, she bothered not with lowering the offending contraption, but yanked with all her might, splitting the zipper and condemning the garment, either to the garbage or to a seamstress. Before he even knew what was happening, his pants were pooled at his ankles and her hot little hands were working the waistband of his briefs.

Jason sucked in a desperately needed breath as her small fingers grazed the hard, heated time of his obvious arousal.

Elizabeth pulled back slightly, wincing, fearful she had hurt him. But the passionate glaze alerted her to the fact that he had indeed enjoyed that brief moment of skin on skin, but before she could fully remove the last remaining vestiges that separated her eager hands, Max's booming voice could be heard, bellowing up the stairs, it was obvious the guard hadn't bothered to venture up the stairs, for the echo was solely coming from below. With a unladylike growl, Elizabeth walked out of the room and down the stairs, to see what the annoying guard wanted.

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Remember, feedback is always welcomed, and truly, it does speed my muse along.