Prompt: Beautiful Suffering.

Part 17

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen or heard from you in what? Two years, and this is the welcome I get." Carly said as a look of hurt appeared on her animated face. "I just heard from Momma that you were back in town and I wanted to come see you."

Jason cursed as he stood up from the couch. He held out his hand to help Elizabeth stand. He placed his arm over her shoulders, pulling Elizabeth into his side. Jason's face held no expression as he faced his ex-lover, but Elizabeth could feel the tension roll off of his body in waves. "What do you want?"

Carly threw her purse on Jason's desk—no doubt showing that she planned on staying for a while—as she stepped further into the penthouse, shooting daggers at Elizabeth with her glaring eyes. "I told you I just heard that you were back in town." Carly's eyes softened as she looked back at Jason. Elizabeth wanted to snort in disgust at the wounded puppy-eyed look Carly was giving Jason. "Can we please talk?" Elizabeth could hear the fake tears in the woman's voice before Carly turned her gaze to Elizabeth and the animosity returned. "Alone."

Elizabeth returned Carly's glare with one of her own. She felt Jason squeeze her shoulders, pulling her into his side even more when he spoke. "Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Elizabeth."

Tears gathered in Carly's eyes, Elizabeth rolled hers. Carly was just like her sister Sarah. When Sarah couldn't get her way she would turn on the water works, puff out her bottom lip just like Carly was doing. She grew up with Sarah and saw the way her sister manipulated to get her way enough to know that Carly was pulling the same act. When Jason's grip didn't lessen, when she looked up and saw that not only was his expression blank, but so was his eyes, she knew he wasn't falling for Carly's act. She also knew the other woman wouldn't leave until Jason at least talked to her. Elizabeth was secure enough to leave the room to allow Carly to say what she had to say.

She looked up to Jason and smiled when he looked down at her, his expression softening. She studied his eyes for a moment, looking to see if he needed her there for support or just wanted her to stay. She didn't want to leave him with Carly, but she knew it would only become ugly if she stayed in the room. When she found what she was looking for deep within his eyes, she squeezed his side with her hand. "It's ok; I have to take a shower anyway." When Jason's eyes narrowed slightly, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear, "I won't be long."

When she went to pull away, Jason cupped her cheek and leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. Elizabeth knew it was his way of reassuring her. As she pulled out of his arms, walked past Carly without casting a single glance at the other woman, she smiled to herself.

She didn't need the reassurance.

Jason watched as Elizabeth walked up the stairs and turned the corner. He didn't want to face Carly. Everything had been going good for him and Elizabeth, why the hell did Carly have to come around and interrupt them? His expression became blank once more as he turned his gaze towards Carly. The tears were gone and she was now smiling at him before she rushed forward and threw herself in his arms.

"I'm so glad your back Jase. I've missed you so much."

Jason reached behind his neck to remove her arms from around him. He grabbed her wrists and had to pry them away her hold on him was so tight. Holding onto her wrists, Jason took a step back and dropped her hands. He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Carly's expression held the innocence of a virgin on her wedding night. "I told you. Momma told me you were back in town and I had to come see you. Didn't you miss me Jase?"

"I know what happened at Kelly's."

Carly shrugged her shoulders. "I figured she would go straight to you." She took a step closer to him which Jason countered by taking a step back. Her eyes became sad. "I'm sorry, ok. I just…" she clicked her tongue. "I spoke before I could think. What do you expect? I mean, I come back from vacation, find out that after leaving with no goodbye to me, you are back in town and have been for a couple of months. I was so excited and then I found out that…that girl was staying with you and I went off."

Jason said nothing as he stared at her. He just wanted her to finish and leave so he could be alone with Elizabeth again. "Where did you find her anyway?" Jason's head ticked to the side at Carly's disgusted tone. "I thought after Robin you would be over the short, brown-hair, doe-eyed little girls. After me, how could—?"

"That's enough. You've said what you had to say; now you can leave."

Carly raised her hands in defense when Jason went to walk past her towards the door. "Alright, I'm sorry, I wont insult the princess," Jason glared at her, she smirked. "That was the last one, I swear."

Jason was reluctant but he stopped. Raising his eyebrows in annoyance, he waited for Carly to go on.

"Aren't you happy to see me?"

"What do you want Carly?" Jason sighed.

Carly lowered her eyes to the floor, when she looked back up at him her hers were shining with tears, one spilled free but it did nothing to Jason. Two years ago, that would have affected him. But it did nothing to him now. He spent two years away from Port Charles and Carly and during that time his emotions grew harder. It hurt him, nearly killed him when he left to think of Michael and Carly living with AJ, being the family he thought they once could have been. But his time away hardened his heart towards Carly. He began to realize that she was nothing but a manipulator and unless his every thought, every action was about her, Carly could never love him like she had once claimed to.

"I want to know why you left without saying goodbye."

Jason's body became even more rigid. Past anger that he kept bottled up inside began to seep through tiny holes until he couldn't hold back anymore. He placed his hands on his hips and glared at her. "What did you expect me to do? Stay in Port Charles and watch as you, Michael, and AJ lived as a family?"

"I told you I had a plan. I told to trust—"

"Damn it Carly. I told you to trust me. But you couldn't. You were always making up schemes, doing one thing after another to make my life miserable. I could not stand by and let you use Michael as a way to get to me every time you needed something." And she had done that, time and time again. It was hard for Jason to leave Michael with Carly and AJ, but he couldn't allow either one of them to use the boy as a weapon against him. If he had stayed in Port Charles, that would have happened.

"I never used Michael against you. I would not use my son like that."

Jason shook his head and looked away. It was pointless to argue with Carly. She saw only what she wanted to see and never listened to anyone else. He didn't even want to have this conversation with her, didn't want to have her in his home that he shared with Elizabeth. Instead of fighting with her, he remained silent, closing himself off from her. She no longer had a hold on him.

"We could have been a family if you hadn't left Jason."

Silence.

"I only married AJ as a way to get Michael away from him."

"Where did you go on vacation to?"

Carly's forehead scrunched in confusion at the sudden change in topics. "To the Caribbean."

"Who did you go with?"

"AJ and Michael."

Jason looked away, annoyed that Carly still held a look of defiance at accepting that everything between them—their friendship, everything—was over and had been for two years. Both Sonny and Emily had kept him informed on how Michael was doing. Neither spoke much of Carly or AJ, knowing that Jason didn't want to know about them.

"You're still married to AJ."

"Because you left!"

That wasn't the point. Carly claimed to have loved him, the way she was looking she probably still thought she loved him. She claimed that she only married AJ to get Michael away from him. She said she wanted the three of them to be a family, but because he left she stayed with AJ.

Carly always only thought about Carly.

"Go home to your husband."

With that, Jason walked past her and towards the door. His hand was reaching for the doorknob when she wailed at his back. "I love you Jason! I only stayed with AJ because you left and I had no other choice. Please don't do this, we could be happy together. I'll…I'll get a divorce from AJ and then we can be together just like we always planned."

He scrubbed his hands over his face with force as he turned around to face her. "I don't want to be with you Carly."

She rushed to stand before him. "You're only saying that because you're hurt. I know you Jason, better than you know yourself. You still love me, you still care about me. We could finally be together. Forget about AJ and your little friend upstairs. We could—"

"Leave."

"—be a family. I can't leave you Jase. You love me."

That was always her defense. If she wasn't using Michael, she threw around the love word. It sickened him to know that at one time he fell for it. Looking her in the eye, Jason spoke in a clear, stern voice, never blinking. "I don't love you."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "How can you say that after everything we have been through?" When Jason rolled his eyes, Carly's face hardened as she pointed towards the stairs. "It's her isn't it? She's got you wrapped around her finger just like Robin did."

Jason's expression hardened even more. "Leave Elizabeth out of this."

"I know that the two of you haven't been together that long. Momma told me that Elizabeth was new to town. How did she sink her claws into you so fast? Hmm? She's not good enough for you Jason and you know it. The little slut must be great in bed for you to keep her around."

Jason's hand reached out and grabbed Carly's arm in a tight embrace. He grabbed her purse from his desk and steered her towards the door. "Don't ever talk about Elizabeth like that again."

Carly yanked her arm out of his hold. Her eyes were full of fire as she glared at him. "You're only going to grow bored of her Jason. She can't keep you happy like I can. The little bitch—"

"Enough!"

Carly jumped back at the force and anger in Jason's voice. She studied him for a moment before a look of disgust crossed over her face. "Are you in love with her?"

On the outside Jason showed no acknowledgement to her question. He didn't blink, didn't say a word, and just looked at her with an expression that showed nothing. Inside his chest tightened, his mind began to spin. Was he in love with Elizabeth? He didn't know. Jason didn't think he knew how to love anymore. He liked Elizabeth, a lot. But love?

Before he could think more into the question that he now posed to himself, Carly pointed her finger towards him. "She is only going to end up hurting you Jason."

"Leave."

Elizabeth reached the landing at the top of the stairs when she heard Jason's one word command. She didn't even have to look at him to know that he was angry and wanted Carly gone. Elizabeth didn't say anything as she waited to see what was going to happen. She didn't want to ease drop, but if Carly didn't leave in five seconds, Elizabeth was going to have to lend Jason a hand in kicking the other woman out.

Carly tried to calm her features enough to try one more time to stay. "Think about Michael. You loved him at one time. Can you be so heartless to turn your back on him?"

Elizabeth wished she hadn't left the two of them alone. If that one statement from Carly was telling enough, she was most likely trying to get Jason back. It disgusted Elizabeth to hear Carly use her son as a way to get to Jason and the way he stiffened at Carly's words, Elizabeth was more than positive that Carly used Michael against Jason in the past. Jason only talked about Michael to her for a short time, but in that time, she could see the love Jason had for Michael. It broke her heart to see the pain in his eyes as he spoke of the little boy and how he had to give him up.

Jason loved Michael and Elizabeth would be damned if she let Carly hurt Jason that way.

"Jason told you to leave."

Both Jason and Carly looked up at the stairs at the sound of Elizabeth's angered voice. Elizabeth locked her gaze with Jason's and saw the slight hint of pain in his blue depths before she walked down the steps and came beside him. She wrapped her arm around his back and squeezed him as she glared at Carly. "So leave."

"Listen here, this is Jason's home, you can't tell me what to do. Why don't you run along and find something else to do."

"This is my home as well, and I'm telling you to leave." Jason's hand had been resting on the small of her back since the moment she came downstairs and wrapped her arm around him. As she faced Carly, his hand moved up her back until his fingers lightly touched the back of her neck. His thumb began to rub back and forth in a gentle, soothing motion.

Carly turned her gaze to Jason. "We still have a lot to talk about. Please."

"Leave."

Carly glared at the both of them. "This is not over." With that, she turned and stalked out of the penthouse, slamming the door behind her.

Jason looked down into Elizabeth upturned face. Her eyes showed warmth, her slight smile eased the tension in his body. Her hair was soft and wet against his hand. She was so small against him, but yet, her slight frame offered him support he didn't know he was asking for and she didn't know she was giving. Just the feel of her in his arms made everything that happened in the last twenty minutes with Carly disappear.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

Everything except for her question.

Are you in love with her?

Pulling away from Elizabeth's lips, Jason still held her in his arms as he looked at her face. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Not only on the outside, but the inside as well.

"Are you ok?" her voice was soft, understanding.

"I will be."