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Chapter Twelve

Jason drove the entire way, but as he saw the signs for Port Charles, he was beginning to feel the effects of blood loss, exhaustion, and outright terror.

As he pulled up to General Hospital, he felt the last of his adrenaline fleeing.

"Elizabeth, we're here. I think I'm going to need your help getting out and into the hospital."

Even though his voice was quiet, she stirred. "Oh God, Jason, why didn't you wake me, I would have driven."

"You and our baby needed the sleep; I wouldn't have woken you for anything."

"That is beyond sweet, but it was foolish."

"Not at all, my life doesn't make sense if you two aren't with me, I can't, no, I won't live without you, ever again."

"Jason, I was tired and stressed and a plethora of other emotions but stop treating me like I'm as fragile as spun sugar. I proved today that I could stand on my own. I took a man's life Jason, that will change me, whether you want it to or not. One thing though, I do not feel guilt at taking his life, it was either his or ours and Jason Morgan, I'm not done with you yet. You can trade me in on a newer model in 70 or 80 years."

"70 or 80 huh? What makes you think I'll wait so long?"

"I plan on plying you with my love and womanly wiles and lots of babies."

"Smart woman, I think you may have a deal."

"Good, now can we get you inside and taken care of? At some point, I'd like to sleep in our bed!"

"The further along this pregnancy goes the more bossy you get."

"You haven't seen anything yet. Let's go lover, your baby momma is hurting, hungry, and horny and…had-it."

"Had-it?"

"I was on a roll with the 'H' words, so…"

"Elizabeth, you are…fantastic, fabulous…okay, I'm exhausted, and my brain only has three things in it at the moment. You and our baby and sleep and sex, and maybe food at some point, but it isn't high on my priority list."

"If my mathematic skills are up to par, I'd say that was more than four."

"Hush, let's get this over with so I can get you home."

"Just remember this moment years from now. I hushed, but only because you look so pale you are almost Casper-like."

"Who's Casper?"

"Duh, the friendly ghost and just between you and me, I am wanting you in the land of the living."

"Let's go, I have no desire to be a ghost. I have too much to live for."

Elizabeth moved as quickly as her body would let her, but her body had stiffened up while she slept.

When she got to the driver side of the vehicle, she took a breath and controlled her face. Jason wouldn't lean on her if he discovered just how sore she was.

"Let's go big guy, the quicker…" Elizabeth said but stopped when she felt Jason's weight fully. They had made it maybe five feet before Jason began to slip from her hold.

She staggered as she tried to take the brunt of his weight but it was too much and he slid to the ground.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

To her, it seemed her shouts fell on deaf ears. When she was about to make the decision to go or stay, she heard footsteps.

"It's about time! Get him on a stretcher; there is no time to lose."

When she heard his groan, she thanked whatever deity that might have been listening. 'God had to be a woman.' She thought to herself wryly.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, what the hell would I do without you? What would our child do?"

"I'm okay sweetheart. You and baby…need to be checked out too."

His out of breath reply didn't really do much to calm her nerves, but she had to maintain her calm.

XxXxX

There both being admitted changed all of their plans, three days after being admitted, Elizabeth was released and five days for Jason, it was infuriating to say the least, but as they stepped through the house together, it finally felt like they'd made it home.

After countless hours of being interrogated about the GSW and a car accident that had never been reported, the police left the case open. It wasn't what either Jason or Elizabeth wanted but it was better than being thrown in jail for aiding and abetting a supposed murder.

The few days that they were gone, Mac had found and followed a lead, which had done wonders to exonerate Jason.

"How do you think they discovered the evidence that it was Carly who killed Ric?"

"I don't know but if I had to guess, I'd swear Sonny had evidence and kept it at the coffee shop. To be honest, I'm shocked that Mac didn't try to pin Sonny's death on me. What good fortune you kept receipts from the motel and that there were cameras in the office but not near the rooms."

"Did Diane tell you if you'd face any repercussions from my staged jailbreak?"

"I supposedly won't see anything but community service, 500 hours. I hear you got 1000 and you have to remain in Port Charles city limits for the next year."

"Yeah, it isn't all bad Jason. It could have been worse I suppose, but Lucky was pressing Mac for steeper charges. He wanted me and you both to never see the light of day. How you managed to get Mac to listen to Diane, you'll have to explain to me one day."

"I will and you are right, it isn't that bad. There's more to talk about isn't there?"

"You know it. Where do you want to start first?"

"I think you are the one with the most questions, so let me have it."

Taking a moment to arrange her thoughts, she wondered what the most pertinent questions were.

"You knew…fuck…why did you keep Johnny Z's resurrection from me? We may not have been 'in love' in love, but I gave him all of me that I could. Your continually pushing me away pushed me into his arms and his life. Jason, he and I shared…a child." It was too much, not only had she lost their child in the seventh month, but she was once again pregnant and terrified it would happen again.

"Just because our child died, doesn't make me love her less. Yet, not even a week after trying to pull myself out of a deep depression over my child's death, who never got a chance to live because of one of Corinthos/Morgan enemies. The man I did love was killed and I was alone. Where were you, where was the protection I needed then."

"Yes, I knew Johnny was alive but, I didn't find that out until late last year. By then, I didn't know how to tell you. O'Brien got me word but by then…Elizabeth, I wanted to tell you everything, but when we did get a moment, I was greedy and wanted it to be about us. Your child was a great loss and even though those selfish bastards I had aligned myself with didn't know it, I loved you even more, even though the child wasn't mine. I would have done anything to protect you, but at every turn I was shoved further away. We know now why…I swear to you, I will forever be sorry for what you lost."

"Jason, I love you, you are my husband and this is your baby but…I can't talk about that right now, it is as if the wound has been ripped open again. I…need something easier for the moment. Who wasn't loyal, who was?"

"The fool that I am and the sad fact that the list of who is, will be easier to list, don't look at me with pity, it was my own pride that led us here. O'Brien and Francis obviously are loyal, Cody, Johnny, Max, Milo and Marco. Although, Max and Marco are both dead, Max from the accident, his neck broke and there was nothing to be done, as for Marco, he…your father tried to save him but the gunshot wound was too damaging, it pierced the outer wall of his heart."

"I am sorry for all that you lost. What are you going to do now?"

"Why won't you ask me about your father?"

"What is there to ask? How long did you know he was my father?"

Could this talk get any more uncomfortable? She had avoided talking about it while they were in the hospital because there were always eyes and ears around, but now, barely home an hour and they were treading deep water.

When he took her in his arms, the tense set of her shoulders finally relaxed some. There were things that she needed to know and even more so, people she needed to speak with but for this moment, she needed her husband. The lying ass.

"I didn't know until just before Durant showed up. I still don't even know what Durant's full reasoning was for all of this. The truth is hidden behind a mountain of artifice. I feel like the biggest fool."

"Jason, what is done is done. There are a lot of what if's laying behind us and even more should have's and could have's, but they won't get us anywhere. The answers may never be ours to know. I can't, actually I refuse to look back. What matters in this moment and all moments to come, is you are my husband, I am pregnant with your child and…" She was about to continue but the incessant knocking on the front door, pulled her from her safe haven.

"I'll be right there." She shouted before turning back to Jason. "Can we agree that we will move forward, let past grievances, past lies go? I won't lie and say I don't need to speak to Johnny because I do and I will, whether you like it or not but know this, it has always been you Jason. There are no more false starts and danger speeches, it is too late, you walk and I will follow, to the depths and hell and back if I must, okay?"

"Okay."

XxXxX

It took almost six months for things to calm down, but life had finally settled into a slight routine. Being eight and some months pregnant, didn't leave Elizabeth with a lot of time.

She'd managed to forge a relationship with her father. Even though she welcomed him into her life with open arms, their relationship wasn't the typical father/daughter type. He treated her with fatherly concern but she saw him more as she did Francis, father-like but not. She couldn't explain it. It was what it was and that's all there was to it.

Perhaps so many years without a father figure had left the hole too great to bridge. It was still early though, they had the rest of their lives.

The one thing she did thank her father for often, was the fact that he used his own business to get Jason out of the mob, of course, that meant her dad was a figurehead again but now he was stationed out of Port Charles and there if and when she needed him.

She understood that some of his old acquaintances were unhappy when he took back the reigns, but with his newly expanded territory, there weren't many who could challenge him.

Much to Jason's chagrin, her and Johnny Z had found their footing and become the best of friends. Since most of Port Charles still looked down their noses at her, she'd made do the best way she could.

They'd spoken at length about their past relationship and the child they lost. After months of tears at just the sight of one another, they were able to move forward, to where they should have always been. It was even Johnny who threw her a baby shower, of course the only people to show up were ex-guards and current ones, but it made her feel like she'd finally found the family she had been seemingly searching for, her whole life.

As some truths came out, Jason spent a night or two on the couch, but for the most part, Jason was as truthful as he could be, without bringing her further into danger. The past may be over, but it could still bite them in the ass.

Lucky was shot after trying to plant bugs in their home and when caught, he'd grabbed Elizabeth and went on the run, it didn't last long, but she had been fearful of all that she had to lose at his hands.

The cop's roadblock worked and she was quickly reunited with her husband, but for a week, Jason was a bear. He bitched and moaned about every little thing he could. The carpet on the stairs was too loose and she could fall, the stairs were too steep and she could fall, the windows were to low and she could trip and fall through them, the counters were ill-placed and she could fall and hurt herself…For a day, she thought he was going to just go to the nearest store, purchase the entire lot of bubble wrap and secure her with it and duct tape her to the bed.

After she'd told him, otherwise known as threatened him with a lifetime of no sex, he eased up. She would never tell another living soul, but his over reaction was rather sweet and endearing, if not completely annoying.

Jason had finally fessed up that Diane and Mac were an item and that was how he had gotten her to get Mac to trust you hadn't kidnapped him or really staged a jail break. It had cost her though, she wasn't allowed to buy a single 'NEW' item for six months and for the first three, it couldn't be used either.

Diane told her when her and Mac returned from fashion week in Milan, that she was kind of happy he'd put a kibosh on her buying things, it made her annual trip that much sweeter because she had saved so much money.

XxXxX

All in all, things were looking up. They still didn't have all the answers, but Carly, Sonny and Ric were no longer an issue on the Jason front, and Lucky was no longer an issue for her. Sam had absconded to parts unknown but the whole of Port Charles breathed a sigh of relief at her departure.

There was an August wedding date to renew their vows in front of friends and family. Another week at most and their child would be welcomed into the world. Life was busy but had never felt so complete or as fulfilling.

Jason was now an actual coffee importer, with a little coffee shop that was booming. Peccaminose Delizie, Sinful Delights in English, was the pinnacle of coffee shops. At Elizabeth's request, Jason had procured a baker who made the most decadent sweets and their entire little Port town, took sinful pleasure in his baked goods.

Life wasn't perfect, but it was good.

May Seventh they welcomed their little boy and their little girl. Keeping that little nugget of information from Jason was harder than she thought, but when he started gloating about the fact that she was having a boy and not the girl she thought she was, well, she had to give him the surprise.

Boy was he surprised. Jake came slowly into the world, almost silent in his entrance and so much like his father it was uncanny. Deb, she made her entrance quickly and screamed to the heavens but the minute she nestled into her father's arms…she quieted down and became the little angel, Elizabeth knew resided in her.

So yes, many questions were left without answers but the most important questions had answers daily. She could rage against the injustice of it all but as she told Jason so many moons ago, today matters and so does tomorrow, yesterday, is but a breath on the wind. The memories will remain, but the sorrows need not hold them in chains. Life and love was what they had coming to them in the future and whatever obstacles arose, they'd face them as they did this time, together.

"What has your mind spinning so hard?"

"Nothing actually, I was thinking about today, tomorrow and no longer being chained by a past that holds no water. The past, is an exhaled breath, useful but not needed for the now's and the tomorrows. We'll make life what we want, so long as we trust in one another."

"Trust, something we shall never be without again, Elizabeth Morgan."

"I love you Jason, and look forward to all the todays and tomorrows our future holds."

"I love you as well, my darling Elizabeth. Without you, all my todays and tomorrows would be hollow and without meaning, it is because of you, I have a life I love. Thank you, for all that you are and all that you do and all you give, you…you are the tie that bind us, the tie of it all. All I want is everything and with you, I have it!"

"As you are for me. Together, forever, let's get forever started now and just so you know, I have everything when I have you."

XxXxX

The End