Chapter 4

Jake saw her father and shouted, "Daddy!"

She jumped up and threw herself into his arms.

He held her in his arms, taking her in. "You look beautiful, honey."

At that moment, the wedding planner stuck her head in the door.

She pointed to Jake. "You have to get over to the dresser, like, now."

Elizabeth watched her daughter's and her husband's faces and made an executive decision.

"I don't think it's really going to take an hour and a half to put on a dress. Jake and Jason need some time together."

"If you leave things to the last minute, it will look like you waited until the last minute," the wedding planner shot back.

Jake stood up and went to the door, "I'm gonna have some personal time with my Daddy now. Because, what are they gonna do, start with out me?" She shut the door in the planner's face.

"I'm going to check in with your brothers and cousin," Elizabeth said, heading for an alternate exit. "They should be in with the stylists and…"

Jake piped up, "You're worried Cameron is going to make the towel girl cry and Spencer will run off with the hair stylist?"

"Something like that. Also, I think this moment calls for a cold, refreshing adult beverage," she smiled at her girl and her man, "You two have some Daddy/Baby time. I'll just be down the hall."

Elizabeth was gone, leaving Jake snuggled against her father on the couch.

"Okay, Mom's been telling me the whole Webber/Morgan Love Saga. But she didn't talk about what you went through after Uncle A.J….." she paused, wondering if she should bring it up. "I never really talked about it."

"Why?"

"She didn't press me and if she wanted to know she'd ask. I have told her what I could."

"What do you mean 'what you could'? You've never talked about it all. We, the sibs and I, know you had a brain injury, but no one has told us much except for when Grandpa Allan goes on about how it was all Uncle A.J.'s fault."

"I can tell you what I was told and the bits that I remember. But a lot of that time is a fog that I can't get through even now." She thought for a minute, worried about her father. "Will it bother you talk about it?"

"If it does, I'll stop."

"Like when you 'don't' argue with Mom?"

"What?" he chuckled.

"Mom says you argue by not talking at all. It drives her bat-poo and she ends up going with the compromise. Says it irks her to no end."

"Yes, like that. It gets overwhelming. I just have to stop."

"Okay. If you'll tell what you can, I really do want to know about you."

"I'll do my best. You know about the accident. I didn't, not even when I woke up. I couldn't understand anything they told me. I didn't recognize my family. I'd been in a coma a while, I don't remember how long, but long enough to make your grand parents wonder if I would ever wake up."

"I couldn't be with my family because there was so much pressure to be Jason Quartermaine again and I didn't know who he was. It was a long road to become myself as you see me now. I was a blank slate."

He continued, "I went to a dozen or more doctors, had every scan and blood test known to man. Which is why I have only walked into a hospital willingly three times in the last 26 years."

Jake smiled widely, "To see me and the bros."

"Yes. All of the care and therapy was hard by itself. Your Grandmother and Grandfather thought I should remember who I was before, and they pushed me. So, I shut them out. The only people not trying to make me 'Jason Quartermaine' again were your Great-grandmother Lila and your Aunt Emily."

"And she was the one who reminded you about Mom," Jake put in.

"Yes, but she was subtle, not pushy, and it worked. I also found that carpentry and building focused me, so I could think in a straight line. Which made it easier to remember the people I really cared about, even if it was just a little bit."

"Thank God you did, or else me and the sibs wouldn't exist."

"Well, that's about it, honey. Long, hard road, your Aunt Emily's subtle persistence, and running into your Mom again."

"That is what I understand to have lead to Cameron."

Jason smiled.

"Yes, that lead to Cameron, but also to me understanding myself better and becoming the man I am today. Jason Morgan."

Jake had a sudden thought and jumped off the couch.

"Daddy, I am Jake Morgan, and I'm marrying John Jax. That will make us John and Jake Jax. Daddy! I'll be Jake Jax!"

"Well, you don't have to marry him."

"Daddy!"

"We could just slip out. No one would be the wiser."

Realization dawned on Jake.

"You're teasing me."

"Maybe a little, but if it freaks you out, you can just run off to Uzbekistan."

"But, Daddy, what will I tell my fatherless child."

A cold stare comes over Jason's eyes as they bulge slightly.

"You believed me," she sang," You believed me. I'm not pregnant, there's no baby, " she continued to sing.

He stood and took her hand.

"Which is good, because now you won't have to explain to the guests why the groom is in the hospital."

"Daddy."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter whether you are or not, you wouldn't be the first woman in our family to walk down the aisle with a roast on slow cook."

"That's just wrong, Dad."

"It's almost tradition. You were the flower girl at our wedding."

They both broke up laughing.

"But now, my love, you have to go put on the dress. Unless you want to get married in a robe. Which is valid, comfort-wise."

"Okay, um, do weddings make you more humorous? This is the most I've heard you joke, like, ever."

"Must be. Go get dressed."

As Jake was almost to the door Jason said, "I'm also in a good mood because weddings make your mother frisky."

Jake paused, her hand on the door knob.

"Everybody knows that. And eewww, Dad," she said, exiting the room.

Elizabeth was in the Groom's suite checking on the boys.

"Dexter let go of Nikolas, do you know how much it costs to do a whole half an inch of hair?" She turned to her eldest, Cameron, "Get Mommy a glass of champagne. Please."

Cameron went to get a bottle of champagne and Elizabeth turned to her sons, Dexter and Nikolas.

"Thank God you're boys, so we don't have to go through this trauma again."

Spencer added, "You don't have to worry about these two getting married, anyway. Who'd want those sorry excuses for…"

"Hey, I birthed those sorry excuses."

"Mom…." Dex and Nik said at the same time.

"I was just kidding anyway," Spencer said. "I hear tell Nikky has been cutting a wide swathe amongst the Junior-"

"And Senior," Nikolas put in.

"-girls of PCH."

"What have you been up to?" Elizabeth smirked at her youngest son, "Am I going to get a call from an angry father to arrange a shot gun wedding?"

"Um, no. They teach safer sex at PCH," he says, smirking right back.

"Good God Nikolas, that is far more information than I needed."

"Mom," Cameron said, walking into the room, "You want to talk about too much information? Dad left here looking for you, and all we could think was, 'Will Mom be wearing all her clothing at the wedding?' God forbid where we'll find you during the reception."

"Yeah, what were you planning? Because I have a hundred bucks that says the coat room right after the toast," Spencer laughed.

Elizabeth took it all in stride. Because she knew these boy's dirty secrets and wasn't afraid to share.

"Cameron, have you talked to Kristina Davis lately."

Cameron went white and sat down.

"And Spencer, there was a time that Jason thought I was obsessed with Playgirl. Now why's that?"

Spencer just looked at his shoes and then went back to getting a hair cut.

"Dex, Nik? You want some? 'Cause Mommy can go. What? Yeah, I've got three words for you. 'Lesbian Spank-"

They quickly cut her off. "No, we're good. Just fine," Dexter said. "We'll be over by the snack table being quiet," Nikolas put in.

Elizabeth gets the glass of champagne from Cameron and turns to leave. Just then, Jason enters. As he walks into the room, he looks around at his sons and nephew. He turns to his wife.

"The boys got mouthy again, huh?"

"Yeah, I took care of it."

"Well, Hon, Jake is with the dresser now."

"Okay, sweetie," she says walking by him, giving a firm pat on the ass, saying loud enough for everyone to hear, "I'll see you in the coat room after the toast."

The boys groan and Jason says, "What did you say to your mother?"

"Nothing, nothing, swear to God," Nikolas says, attempting to look innocent.

"Right. I'll just get my hair cut and pretend you don't know way too much about our love life."

"Won't we all, " Cameron said, and sipped some champagne. "Won't we all."

His cousin, Spencer, sat down beside him. "Your Mom is a trip." "Yes, I am aware." "Were you also aware that your girlfriend is wearing shoes from like three seasons ago?" "Um, no. And she's not my girlfriend, she's just my date for the wedding." "Next time she goes shopping, give her my number and I'll make sure she comes back a little more current." Cameron looked bored, drawling, "Whatever, Spencer." Spencer took a deep breath and said, "I need a drink and champagne goes right to my head, so I am heading for the bar. You good?" "Yeah, I'm fine." Spencer left and the hair stylist sidled up to Cameron. "Your cousin is gay." Cameron tried to play dumb. "What?" "Your cousin is totally gay." "Why would you say that?" "There was the shoe comment and then the whole Playgirl thing your Mother mentioned." "Uhhhh, well. Look..." "Okay, he's kind of hot, and I want to know if it's worth the shot. Plus hello, he's a prince." "Alright, then. Well, yeah, he's gay." "Good."

Jake turns as her Mother enters the fitting room.

"Are you ready to tell me more?"

Elizabeth makes herself comfortable in a chair and says, "I do believe I am."

End Interlude