A/N: In answer to some of the questions I have been sent, ...Johnny O is going to be playing with both Carly and Sam, mainly because I like the idea of the two of them at each other's throats. Someone asked about AJ, well, I loved Sean Kenan in the role, never did like Billy Warlock, he just never fit to me. In my mind I would love to see Roger Howarth take it over, so that is who I am seeing as AJ.
Chapter 9:Coming Together
Weaving the strands together make for a stronger fabric
Elizabeth slowly edged closer to the bathroom, then inside. Hearing Jason begging her to talk to him, she said "I need Uncle Tom."
Going to find him, Jason saw the door open just enough for the graying blond to slip through. Moving closer, he listened as the doctor helped her put on some more of the soothing pain medication and talk to her about what she had learned.
Hearing her denigrate herself, Jason just bowed his head. How had things gotten so out of hand? When he felt the door opening, he looked up in Elizabeth's pain filled eyes and said "Please just listen to me, you did nothing wrong."
"I can't deal with this right now, Jason. Just let me get back into bed. Maybe in the morning I will feel more up to this." she said moving across the room just as Epiphany entered. When the large woman had helped Elizabeth get comfortable, Jason moved to the doorway.
"I just want you to know, no matter what... I love you. I always have and always will." he said leaving her to her peace. When Tom exited soon after, he asked "What do I do now?"
"There is only one thing you can do, give her space and be there when she is ready to come to you. It will happen. You missed what she said after you left. She said she loves you too but doesn't deserve your love." With that Tom laid a comforting hand on Jason's shoulder as he passed him on his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
Tom was soon in the kitchen telling AJ about how Epiphany had been suspended at GH for laying into Lainey when she had found out what the doctor had done in regards to Elizabeth. "I invited her before Elizabeth was burnt."
!!*!!
Sitting against the wall, across from her door, Jason soon fell asleep like that, until Cam and Jake came into the hallway. "You check."
"No." said a giggling Jake. Cam sighed then walked over and poked Jason in the arm, then the chest.
Pretending to still be sleeping curious as to what they would do next, Jason soon found out when Cam said "We should use water, like they did in the cartoon."
"Okey." said Jake as the light footsteps rushed away. Jason soon found out exactly what that meant when Jake and Cam returned. He felt the warm water poured on him and then the sound of Epiphany coming into the hallway and asking what they were up to.
"We wanted to wake Jason so we did what Spongebob did, but we used warm water so we didn't scare him." he said proudly. Jason raised one eyebrow, then thought to himself to find out exactly what this Spongebob did and why he would be encouraging this type of behavior.
Epiphany said "Well since it looks like it worked, you two get down stairs and eat breakfast. Then join me, your mom should be awake by then and she wants to see the two of you."
"Okey." said Jake who then grinned at the wet man starting to stand.
"Maybe Mommy will go to the beach with us, Jason." said an excited Cam as he rushed off to get something to eat.
Epiphany let out a quiet chuckle before suggesting Jason go dry his face. "Our girl should be waking up soon. You just take the time with the boys while she is getting on with the healing."
With a bowed head, he replied "She wouldn't have needed to heal if I had just taken the time to tell her what was going on instead of trying to protect her."
"Well, that one is between you and her, but Jason you might want to take a look at why you can tell everyone else but not the woman you love what is going on with your life." With that, she walked back into Elizabeth's room then turned to stare at the brunette trying to pretend she wasn't eavesdropping.
"As for you, I know your life hasn't been easy, but you might want to take a good look at why this all came to pass and start with that second kidnapping of your little boy. Think good and hard on why on earth you would ever trust that moron Spencer with your safety let alone Sam McCall."
Elizabeth just moved to the window and watched the trees swaying in the breeze. Then she turned and said "There were two reason, one I was waiting for Jason to step up, he has never done that. I was trying to make a decision. Did I want to spend the rest of my life playing second fiddle to Carly with my own family or did I finally walk away. As for Lucky, I had no one else to trust."
Jason had been walking away when he heard what the nurse had been saying to Elizabeth and had intended to let it go for now, but instead he opened the door and said "I have never made you play second fiddle to Carly."
With an angry whirl Elizabeth turned and said "Really, shall I point out all the times I have done so. First there was when I got out of GH after being kidnapped, you left me alone barely minutes after getting home to rescue her from what? Her own stupidity. There there was Sonny's fake death and that entire mess. You let her run me down all over town, you have NEVER ONCE told her to mind her own business, you just stand there like that Borg that Taggert used to compare you to waiting for orders from Sonny or Carly."
"JUST once, Jason, just once I would like to have heard you defend me with something other than a weak, Carly don't. But then you would have to face that she manipulates you with your true son. Michael. But no, we can't mention him can we? Or how you have done EVERYTHING for your BROTHER'S SON and fought like HELL FOR HIM. But for Jake, hell no. WHY NOT? Because you don't really care, you pretend to feel the emotions, but in truth, you wish any other woman but me was his mother."
Stunned at the anger he stood there while she continued. "Carly called my son's BASTARDS, YOUR SON A BASTARD, yet, you have continued to kiss her ass. But since you were allowing that bitch Sam McCall to still hang around, I don't care that you aren't the Jason that was screwing the whore. YOU, YOU JASON, you are one who let her hang around. You wouldn't get out of that world for Jake, but you sure as hell did for Mikey, you went to the FBI for that piece of scum Spinelli, but heaven forbid you even leave town without telling Carly to rescue Jake. Didn't think I knew about that one did you?"
Jason felt his anger rising, but when she added "So, go back to Carly, go back to your true family go back to the woman who said my death because of Diego didn't matter as much as your hands being hurt. Because my leaving my sons orphans didn't matter as much as your ability to wipe away the users in your life's mistakes. Oh, I have that wrong, only one of my son's would have been an orphan, my body wouldn't have hit the ground before Carly would have been telling Jake to call her Mommy with you standing there doing your usual silent bit instead of telling her to back off because you gave that woman your balls years ago, didn't you?" she mocked before turning back to the window.
Epiphany had rushed off to get Tom, but they along with AJ just stood in the hallway while Johnny got the boys out of the house on Tom's orders before they heard the arguing.
"Are you finished?" asked Jason evenly. When she just snorted and said "I could go on all day."
"Well my turn now. What about that bastard Spencer, he has emotionally abused you for years, I have had to stand by and do nothing, because if I stepped in I was the bad guy. Same with that asshole Ric, and that user Zander. I have never felt like you wanted me to be first in your life."
"Wrong again, but then maybe it went over your head because your blood was all at your belt line from watching that whore Courtney strip." she snapped.
"No, even then, I never felt like I was first. Whatever else, even if they didn't truly love me, at least Sam and Courtney were willing to put me second behind themselves, with you I have a long list of people who were more important to you." he said.
"Well, now you know how I felt for years. Does Saint Carly and Sonny know where you are, wait that's right. They don't you had to get a body double to get away." she replied.
"I had to fake your death to get you away from that loser Lucky Spencer, who the minute you were gone, started running you down, but hey, it's only the people in my life who are users, isn't it?" he snapped back.
"I have spent my time here, facing that Lucky wasn't who I wanted him to be. Can you say the same for Carly?" she said "At least I thought I loved Lucky, what is your excuse? That she let you be who you were, like hell she did. She let you be who she wanted you to be."
"I know." was all he said. "I realized how bad things were finally, but on the subject of Carly, how am I suppose to know how she treats you if you never tell me. This is the first I ever heard about her calling the boys bastards, about her telling you your death wouldn't matter."
"Well if you don't do anything about the other crap that happened right in front of you, how am I supposed to make you believe me she is saying this crap. If I get video footage would that have sufficed?" she mocked back.
"I would have trusted you." he protested.
"No, you wouldn't. You would have done the easy thing and pushed me away, anything to keep your true son in your life, isn't that why you didn't want to leave after Michael was hurt, because you would have had to let him go? I am amazed you are here now, unless, do you have people watching keeping an eye on the poor misguided future murderer?"
"Actually I do, because I am scared at what he might do next." he said.
"Funny, yet you couldn't be bothered with Jake or me. I think you just proved my point." she said with a smug grin.
"That was why I sent Johnny O'Brien. He was supposed to be protecting you, letting you know what was going on. I have NEVER left you or our boys unprotected."
"No, at least once or twice you sent the fox in the guise of Sam to watch the hen house. How did that one work out, oh, I recall our son was kidnapped, and you couldn't even bother to stop long enough to check up on me. Instead you ran off with that bitch who more than likely was involved with his kidnapping both times." She said letting it all out.
"I thought she was. That was why I was keeping her close." he said beyond frustrated with her. If she had felt these things, why hadn't she said anything.
"Let me guess, you couldn't go to the police, poor Sam you felt sorry for her, after all she can't have kids anymore? Isn't that how it goes. Courtney hits me, your prove it and cover up. Carly does stuff like that all the time, you cover it up. What were you going to do this time, Jason. Give her money and sent her out of town?"
"No, I was going to kill her, like I had promised." he said calming down knowing he had to get it all out.
With a bitter laugh, she said "We all know how good your promises are, don't we Jason? Sam would die of old age before you fulfill that one, after all, she didn't hurt Carly's kid, just mine."
"Ours." he snapped. "Something you seem to forget, but then we both know you would have preferred Lucky be Jake's father."
"No, I wouldn't but at least Lucky didn't put his best friend's son before his, only himself. At least the boys had the semblance of the feeling he wanted them, even if it was only to screw with you. Why he bothered, I will never know, we both are well aware you don't give a crap. You just paid me off, just like your father did with your mother."
"What are you talking about? Moni-" he protested only for her to interrupt.
"Right, Monica who is your stepmother, Jason. Try Susan Moore, your biological mother, but then you don't give a crap about her, do you? Maxie and Sam made sure I heard all about it; that freak Spinelli dug up the research on her and your past. She took great pleasure in comparing the situations." she said bitterly.
"I don't know anything about it." he admitted. "But I have loved you for years, but you kept tearing out bits of my heart and tossing them away. It's why I let Courtney in, you were destroying me, I loved you, but my life... I wanted better for you but you wouldn't let me go. So I decided to put a stop to it, I am sorry I hurt you. I just wanted to stop hurting myself, don't you get that?"
"You were the one who lied to me." she reminded him. "I wanted a chance with you, I am not just talking about Sonny, that was work, but what part of watching that blond bimbo strip was work that I couldn't know about?"
"Sonny, I am sorry about that, he refused to let me tell you."
"Like I said, Carly and he held your balls in a jar. Did they give them back so that you could sneak around on your brother with his wife?" she said mocking him.
"You tell me, did Lucky give your permission to screw Nik?" he found the words out of his mouth before his brain realized what he was saying. Horrified his head came up and saw the matching horror on her face before she moved around him in tears. "Wait, I didn't..."
He watched as Elizabeth pushed past the three people in the hallway all of whom were staring at them. "Elizabeth... look, please"
Following her, he saw Tom stop AJ from following them, and knew that the doctor was letting them go to deal with this stuff.
Rushing out, he saw her in front of him and saw she was heading for the olive tree grove where the caretaker had warned him about the bees. When she had to slow down long enough to open the gate, he tackled her "Stop, there are bees down there."
"Get off me." she shouted and started crying. Seeing her red skin, Jason tensed remembering the burns. "I won't run, just get off me."
Rolling off her, Jason went to help her up, but she shook off his hands saying get away.
"No, we need to talk. I can't believe I said that, I never wanted to hurt you with that, I know we weren't together. I have no right..." Jason was frantic, he had never meant to throw that at Elizabeth, but he had been hurting, in part because everything she said was true, but also because the more she talked the less likely he thought they had of a future.
With a sad sigh, she moved into a seated position. "No, you were comparing the two situations, you were right. I have no excuse, even being sick isn't one."
"No, it is. Tom told me about the PTSD and that you had a relapse as a result of everything that has been happening for the last few years." he said. "Elizabeth, you and only you have the power to destroy me, my love for you... it terrifies me, it always has." Jason had to make her see what he was truly feeling.
"I don't understand. I love you, I have always wanted us to try but you would close up and tell me to stay away because of the danger, then I would see you with others. It was the part that hurt the worst this past year." she admitted wiping at the tears.
"Because they aren't you. I would hurt, but if you died, I would die." he stated as simply as he could. "Every single time you have been hurt in the last few years, it was because of me and my life. I can't deal with you dying because of me."
"So if I died because of a car accident, or the swine flu, you are saying you would be able to deal because that is what it sounds like to me." she said standing.
Joining her, he said "No, that isn't what I am saying. I just... Elizabeth, I ..." With a bitter laugh, he finally got it. "You are right, it wouldn't matter why you died, I would just regret what we lost, but I... when we... I ... when..."
Seeing whatever he was trying to say wouldn't come out, she said "I need to see the boys, if you don't mind."
"NO!" Seeing her surprise, he said "You can see the boys later, we are going to talk about this. I am trying to say, you are right. I just don't know how we are going to go forward from this. How do deal with my fear, because that is what it is, my fear, isn't it?"
"No, it's our fear. I just was so angry after Jake was returned, you have always made me feel like I wasn't good enough, strong enough to live in your world." she said sadly.
"No, that has never been it. Don't you get it, I look at Sonny's life and the women in it. Brenda went crazy, Carly did as well. Courtney ended up on drugs, Sam, she grew up in it, but it has turned her into this hard person who looks at everyone to see what they can do for her. Lily died, Kate was shot. Reese died."
"Brenda, had a history of mental instability in her family, Carly the same. Courtney ended up on drugs because she took the easy way out in everything. As for Sam, she is a Cassadine, they all like that. As for Lily, yes that was a tragedy, Kate the same thing. But Jason, Sonny is unstable as well, that is that the center of all of that mess you just mentioned." she pointed out then added.
"Look at the strong women around him. Alexis, she moved on, her only time in a mental institute she was faking it. Kate is still around, same with Diane, even if she didn't sleep with Sonny, she is part of his life. Hannah is back with the FBI, Karen became a doctor after overcoming drugs because of Jason Quartermaine. You don't get it, you are not Sonny. Same with the business, when you were running things it was calm, but Sonny is chaos. He and Luke are a lot alike, they thrive in messes because they have others who rescue them."
"As for Carly, god Elizabeth... you have no idea how many time I have warned her about you. Told her to leave you alone. You are right, she won't change because I haven't made her change. I just have always hoped that someday, she would see what you mean to me."
AJ had escaped Tom wanting to be a third party since of all of them, he knew most of the parties best. He was only going to listen but decided to say something. With a sad chuckle he said "Jason, you don't get it. Carly knows, she knew back when she was married to me what Elizabeth meant to you, why do you think she has been acting like she has?"
Shocked at the outside voice, the two turned around as AJ walked over to join them. "A word from someone if not wiser, how about less emotionally involved. "Carly knew, Sonny knew. You don't hide it well, Jason. You never have. Even Emily resented the closeness to the two of you in the beginning."
"How do you know that?" asked Elizabeth looking at the blond.
"She told me so. She said she finally real..." With a puzzled expression, AJ looked at them and said "I am not sure. I was going to say before she died from the cancer, but she didn't die from cancer."
"Anyhow, to get back to the situation at hand, Lucky and Carly are a lot a like. You both need to face that to have a future together, if that is what you want, you are going to have to cut them out of your lives. A complete exit. Even Michael, Jason. Elizabeth is right to feel like she does. Elizabeth, Jason will only do what you want, don't you get that by now. You were the one who wanted him to walk away from Jake, he did what YOU ASKED!"
Ashamed, she said "I know, I just didn't want..."
Jason had talked to Tom and knew her fears. "You didn't want him to grow up feeling like you did. But what we were doing, is going to cause damage. We are going to have a mess to deal with in a few years. But it is both of our fault. I know you aren't ready to deal with this now, but when you come out the other side of this. If You want me, I am there. Even if you don't want me." he said then shocked them both by kissing her cheek. "I meant what I said. I love you, I will always love you."
With a soft voice, she said "I love you too, I just am not ready to give myself up to it, at least not until I get my mind together, but in the end... you and our boys, is my endgame."
"Good, we will be here waiting for you." he said then saw her reach out for his hand.
"I am going to sleep for a while, when I deal with things, it helps." she said quietly then squeezing his hand, she said "We are probably going to deal with lots of crap, but one thing, I am so sorry I thought it was you with Sam. I let my heart break and when I was trying to fix it, it went numb instead. It was what lead to agreeing to remarry Lucky. Thank god, I told him it was over, as for Nik, I still don't know why it happened. I have NEVER been attracted to him. I think he became a way to end things with Lucky."
When she had gone inside, Jason looked at AJ and said "Thanks. And you are right, about a lot of things. I just don't get how Carly could possibly think what you are saying she thinks."
Rolling his eyes, AJ said "You have let her run your life, she thinks it is because secretly you want a life with her. Even Corinthos got that, why do you think he kept you so close. We have some other things to deal with."
Talking business, AJ wrapped it up saying. "I am going to move up the time table on Cassadine, I want him hurting for what he did to Elizabeth and to Emily's memory. When she comes down on the other side of this, Elizabeth is going to feel guilt about more than how this affected you, it will always be there when she thinks of Emily."
"We have one more thing, Moore. We had better hope that Nik doesn't go to his cousin and her handy computer expert or this is going to be explode in our faces."
"That is why we need to move up the time table. I hope that Mac is ready for this. I know you want to keep Zachara here to help with the boys, but I think we need to send him to Scorpio."
Snippets
Diane thanked the Commissioner for his help then called Nik Cassadine. "I need to see your brother and you. We have to discuss something."
"Why would Jason Morgan's attorney need to talk to us?" he said. Seeing Alexis walking into his study he took the papers and swore at what they said. "I am rather busy right now, you will have to do whatever dirty deed Morgan wants without annoying me."
"My guess is that right now, your aunt is giving you an offer on GH, my client wants to give you a counteroffer." she said keeping a smile off her face when she saw Sam and Spinelli approaching. There had been a fire as a result of the stereo speakers exploding in Jason's penthouse, she had just gotten off the phone with the fire department and knew damn well what they wanted.
"Tell your client I am accepting the other offer." he snapped then took the pen and the offer, signing it before Alexis could say anything.
"We would double the money." she said.
"No." he snapped then hung up. "Get this filed before Morgan tries to interfere."
Diane discreetly made the call then turned to the two annoyances. "What may I do for you Miss McCall, Mr. Spinelli?"
"We have been told by the fire department that we can't stay at the Towers." pouted the dark haired woman.
"I know, they sent a letter to Jason as well. We have no recourse but to wait until the work has been done. I do believe that Mrs. Jacks is staying at her hotel with her son and that Jason has found a place as well. He decided to do some major reworking on the top floor since he now owns both penthouses."
"But Sonny--"
"Sold them to Kate Howard for a dollar along with most of his legitimate business." she smoothly finished. "Now I have things to do, if you will excuse me."
Sam heard her phone ring and saw that it was Jason. "I just heard about the penthouse, why don't you come visit me. Let Spinelli with his babysitter."
With a quick smile at the geek, she said "Okay, I will be right there, Can I bring you anything?"
Giving her his dinner order, Johnny let her in twenty minutes later. After finishing the disgusting Chinese food, he 'let' her seduce him. Looking at the clock, he smiled when it struck nine. Time to begin. "Sam, we need to talk about the baby."
"I am sorry, Jason. It was a mistake, I don't want to discuss it. We can just raise him or her like we were planning on doing with Sonny's child."
"But see, there is a problem with that. I was only going to raise that child because it was Sonny's. Now, we can keep seeing each other, but it will be done discreetly, your child will play no part in our time together." he said.
Sam was sure she could get him to change his mind, he had the last time. So she gave him a watery smile and said "I get it, it is too dangerous for you to be around my child."
"Good, now that we agree, why don't you go open your present." he said pointing to the package. When Sam had opened the trashy lingerie, Johnny suggested she change into it, knowing it all had to be timed just right.
He was letting her work her way down his stomach just as the door opened the blond standing there screeched to the high heavens. When the two women saw each other, they were both smugly sure that they were the one that Jason wanted.
Standing there watching them fight, he only stepped in when it started to get psychical. "Ladies we need to talk. Sam, yes Carly was invited, I thought we would be down long before this. Carly, do you really think we are in an exclusive relationship or something? We aren't. We are all adults. We can share. I won't object if you two decide to start sleeping together, I might actually want to wat--"
Johnny took pleasure in the slap from Carly. Grabbing her hand, he said "Now if you are going to act this way, we are done. Do you two understand what I am saying? Now I suggest you both think on this. Carly, you are great in bed, but Sam, has a way with certain things. I am sure it because of her past but frankly she will do whatever I wants and has in the last several months."
"You whore." snapped the blond.
"Who do you think you are talking to?" she snapped.
The PI outside, called his client and said "I have what you need." Handing up, he called his partner and said "You are not going to believe this one. This one is for the annals, two women just agreed to share a man who pretty much described them both as whores."
!!*!!
Mac and Monica were tired after taking the tour of the Presidential bunker at the Greenbrier resort, they had no sooner sat down to dinner when the phone rang. "Monica, this is Tom Hardy. We need Mac Scorpio and you on a plane to Morocco, then you will taking a charter flight to Italy. I don't have time to explain."
Stunned, Mac called the nearest airport which seemed to be Washington and they were soon driving on pure adrenaline. "What is it?"
"I don't know, but I think we will finally get the answers to the questions we have been asking." he said.
Two days later, the tired couple entered the Tuscan villa to the sound of childish laughter and Monica was stunned by the sight of her two sons wearing paint all over their clothes. "AJ? How come you aren't dead? And Jason, what the hell happened to your hair?"
Tom looked up as the middle-aged blond stared at her sons and said "1...2...3 Epiphany, Dr. Quartermaine just passed out."
Both men rushed to catch their mother while Mac held her. "Here." he said handing her to them. Then looking at Elizabeth he said "I am glad you are alright."
"No, I am not, but I am getting there." she said with a smile then laughed when Cam looked at Mac and said "Do you want to paint with us?"
!!*!!
Meanwhile at a remote location, a young woman sat next to the older man in the bed. "We can't give up. I have to believe he will find us."
"I wouldn't count on it, even if he does... do you really think I will let you leave here alive?" With that Jerry walked over and said "Looks like I won't have to feed this one much longer, I guess your medical skills aren't that great are they?"
When the man had left after his monthly visit, the brunette looked at the man in bed and said "Don't give up, Dr. Quartermaine.
TBC