Chapter 3
As they separated trying to capture their breath, he looked down and said the first thing that came to mind. "I love you."
Her eyes widened as she stared at him just as headlights flooded them in bright white light. The occupant of the car could see the two bodies pressed together and it was clear exactly what was going on. "Jason, I-"
The engine was revved and Jason's bike was soon flattened as the enforcer grabbed her hand and said "Run."
When they were on the other side of the bridge, Jason looked back and saw that the car was stuck between the cement walls of the old bridge. Turning to look at Elizabeth, he ran his hands over her as she panted and asked "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I feel the same way but honestly, I am not sure what happens next. I mean I just realized my feeling for you earlier at the studio. Telling you now seems a little rushed, but with everything else we are going to have to wait to discuss this." Jason had been talking physically after almost getting ran over, but clearly Elizabeth' mind was still on what he had told her.
Kissing her, he pulled her deeper into the brush; watching the car and hoped the driver didn't decide to shoot at them. When nothing happened, he thought maybe it was just what it looked like a random car accident. Then Elizabeth peeked out and said "That looks like Bobbie's car."
"Carly." he said under his breath. "Stay here, I am going to check it out."
"Do you have your cell." she said practically. "Why don't I call while you check on her."
Handing her the phone, he said "Hit speed dial one, that should get you Sonny, if not try two."
When the man on the other end said Corinthos, Elizabeth stopped watching Jason walk towards the other end of the bridge and said "It's Elizabeth, Jason and I need to be picked up at the old abandoned bridge on the Cliff Roads. His bike is toast."
"Where is he now and are you okay?" asked the Cuban as he stood up in the diner where he had been meeting Mrs. Hardy.
"He is walking to the other end of the bridge to check on whoever is driving Bobbie's car, we think it is Carly. And yes, we are both okay." she said.
"I will send Max out to pick you up, do you know if Carly is hurt, should I send an ambulance?" he asked then saw Bobbie looking his way as she heard what he was saying.
"I don't know, it might not be a bad idea." she said with a sigh. "What was she thinking, it is rather obvious that car wouldn't fit on this bridge."
Sonny made the calls then saw the elderly woman entering the diner. "There was some sort of accident on Jason's bike. Elizabeth and he are okay but I think we should go get them."
Smiling weakly, she asked. "Can you have your men do that, I really need to talk to you about something. Alexis had to cancel; so I said I would take care of this part."
Sitting back down, he looked at the nurse and said "What may I do for you?"
Here." she said handing him an address. "I need you to have someone enter this building and find any and all files related to the birth of one Elizabeth Imogene Webber on this date, eighteen years ago."
Sonny concealed his surprise and looked around the pretty much empty diner and said "Why?"
"Because Alexis and I believe that it is important to locate Elizabeth's biological mother.." That one, Sonny wasn't expecting. The older woman continued. "Jeff won't tell me anything and I think that it is something that Elizabeth needs to know, then there is the trust fund mess."
"Okay, why don't you start at the beginning." he said still not sure that someone wasn't going to jump out from behind the counter and yell you are on Candid Camera.
Explaining about how Elizabeth wasn't Carolyn's biological daughter, she went on and said "Alexis is helping because she had a child at seventeen that Helena and Mikkos made disappear. It's been bringing up memories for her."
Rocked, Sonny listened as she explained about the past then he asked "What do you need from me?"
"Nothing in regards to Carolyn; that Alexis is handling, but I really want to be able to tell my little girl the truth about her parentage."
"She doesn't need it, I replaced that money." he stated "Why bother with that part?"
"Because Carolyn's interest isn't strictly about revenge, it is financial. When all three of the Webber kids graduate, anything left over goes to Jeff and her and I will be damned if I let her profit from hurting Elizabeth." stated the woman.
When Taggert drove out to the bridge, he saw that the ambulance had called the fire department and they were tugging the sedan backwards.
"STOP!" he called out when he heard the bridge groaning. When he realized they didn't hear him, he looked down at the other end where Morgan was standing with the Webber girl and shot his gun in the air. Looking at them, he shouted. "Get back, the bridge is about to come down."
Seconds later, Bobbie's sedan was pulled free and backwards as the bridge collapsed stranding Jason and Elizabeth on the other side. Getting the fire chief's attention, he shouted. "Where is your boss?"
"Captain Wisman, I can explain." said the man to his boss as he showed up.
"It had better be a pretty good excuse." he snapped as he looked over the ravine. "Will our ladder trucks reach out that far?"
As they called for their longest ladder truck, the medics treated Carly then Taggert ordered the officer to cuff the blond until they found out what had happened from Elizabeth and Morgan.
Carly instead started screaming and Johnny and Francis who had turned up along with Max listened as she announced that Jason had kissed the lying man stealing tramp.
When Taggert smirked and listened then heard Johnny taking out money and paying Max, he soon frowned as he got what they were saying, he looked across the bridge just as Mac pulled up.
Telling his boss, he was told with a sigh, "Even if we caught them together, it wouldn't matter. Elizabeth Webber turned eighteen yesterday, the girls attended a birthday party for her the other day."
When the ladder had been extended and Jason and Elizabeth tethered on, Captain Wisman ordered the ladder pulled back then everyone watched as they swung the ladder around and carefully deposited the twosome on their side of the road. "Elizabeth, are you okay?"
Looking at Mr. Scorpio, she nodded yes then asked "What about Jason's bike?"
"It is floating out to the Seaway. Morgan, can you tell me what happened?" asked Mac as Taggert made a sarcastic comment about waiting for his attorney.
Jason tensed then looked at Elizabeth before saying. "I gave Elizabeth a bike helmet for her birthday since she likes to ride on my bike, we opened it at her new studio down between Kelly's and the docks. We came for a drive, talked a bit then I gave her a birthday kiss, when we saw lights followed by an engine revving. I grabbed her hand then told her to run."
"What happened next?" he asked.
"We were safely on the other side when Elizabeth noticed that the car looked like Bobbie's. Carly has been stalking me for a few weeks, I told her if I saw her around me again, I would testify about it at the court hearing regarding Michael. I walked over, saw that Carly was unconscious but that I couldn't get to the car doors, walked back to where Elizabeth was and we waited for help."
Carly was screaming as they placed her in the back of the patrol car, threatening to hurt Elizabeth, swearing that she was going to pay for stealing her man. Elizabeth just ignored the blond, well aware that she was going to be a problem in her life even if she ended this new whatever it was with Jason right then.
Hugging him as they got in the back of the limo, she said "I am so sorry about your bike."
"A bike can be replaced, same thing with your helmet. You, you can't be replaced." he said kissing her. "Are you sure you are okay? Do you want me to have Max take us to the hospital?"
"No." she said. "I just feel sorry for Bobbie."
Her feeling sorry for the red head ended quickly enough when she heard Bobbie standing at the bottom of the Quartermaine staircase as she headed down for breakfast the next morning. "Bobbie?"
Turning from where Reginald was saying he wouldn't disturb the younger girl, she said tersely "I need to speak to you. It's important."
"Okay, uh, maybe we can use the study?" she asked the butler who as soon as they started to head that way informed Ned who was the only member of the family still home. The record producer moved the door slightly ajar from the living room and listened in astonishment.
"Please, Elizabeth. If you don't press charges, I promise, she won't come near you again." pleaded her boss. "Carly made a mistake, she wasn't trying to run you down."
Elizabeth HATED dealing with confrontation and even worse was well aware that Bobbie was her boss but she knew that Carly HAD meant to hit her and from the way she had been screaming as they had taken her away was going to not just let this go. "Bobbie, I am sorry but it wasn't just me there, Jason was almost hit as well and his bike was destroyed."
"Elizabeth, you have to understand, she misinterpreted things." said the woman as she tried to make her point; sure that when the young girl heard what Carly believed, she would understand. "She keeps insisting that Jason and you were kissing and that he is involved with you. When she realizes her mistake, she will stop being so angry and things will go back to normal."
Looking at her boss, Elizabeth said "She wasn't making a mistake, Jason did kiss me and we plan on seeing more of each other in the future."
Thrown by this news, Bobbie had to give it one last try before doing something she really didn't want to, she felt for the girl, but she knew that in the end, Jason would support Carly. Quartermaine or Morgan, that was just how Jason was.
"Elizabeth, I am not sure what happened last night, but just because a man kisses you it doesn't mean he is planning on spending a lot of time with you. In the end, Jason is going to want a real woman, a woman like Carly who fits into his world, into the world he lives now. Right now he is just angry for the way she has been reacting to Michael, once he sees that she was still suffering from PPD, they will be back together."
Elizabeth thought about the discussion Jason and she had had and felt pity for her boss as she stood then looking at Bobbie said "Jason has told me ALL about his past with Carly and how it came about. He isn't reacting to Carly's behavior, it's not why we are dating. I know that you know this but I have to say I can't believe you would try and hurt me this way."
Standing, Bobbie stiffened her spine and reminded herself that Carly was her daughter "Well if you won't drop the charges, I have to insist you find another job, I don't think it is appropriate for you to be working for me while trying to have my daughter tossed in jail and for what? So that she can't ruin your imaginary future with Jason Morgan. A man who will right back supporting Carly when her doctor proves how sick she is."
Ned started to walk in after the red head had left but instead placed a call to his grandfather. Bobbie didn't realize it but she just declared war on the Quartermaines. When he ended the conversation he saw Elizabeth was in the doorway of the dining room munching on fruit while holding a portable phone in her hands.
When he got who she was talking to, he smirked, she might not be a family member by blood, but she certainly was in spirit. "Thanks, Alexis. While I don't want to return to work there, I can't believe the way she is reacting. So do I have a case?"
Alexis hung up after assuring Elizabeth she did have a good case then held up her hand telling the odd pairing sitting across from her to hang on then listened for the trademark Morgan at the other end of her new call. "It's Alexis, Bobbie Jones just fired Elizabeth for refusing to drop the charges against Carly." She seemed to be listening for a few minutes while the two in front of her desk tensed up.
"I agree. Jason, I have to go but you might want to reassure Elizabeth. And like I told her, she is right, Bobbie can't fire her for that. She isn't going to back down and neither are we. And I have one more thing up my sleeve. As of this afternoon she should be receiving the paperwork announcing that I have to sever our lawyer/client relationship because of a conflict of interest."
Hanging up, she told Sonny and a furious Audrey what was going on. "Jason was heading over to see her now. Let's let him help her, for now. We need to deal with these other items."
"Agreed." said Sonny while mentally removing protection from the diner. His old deal with Luke had grown weaker and weaker the past few years, now it was over. "I took care of that small problem you asked me to, Mrs. Hardy. Here is all they had. It doesn't list her mother, I am sorry to say."
"I was hoping." she said with resigned sigh. "What about where the mother actually gave birth?"
"That was rather easy to find." he said "It's a convent on the border."
Alexis shook, her hands were trembling so badly as she held them out for the file she dropped it on her desk as she weakly asked "What? Where? When?"
"Is it possible for the dates to have been altered?" asked Alexis as she looked at Sonny while reading the file.
"Alexis, what is it?" asked the mobster while the nurse looked on just as curious.
"I gave birth at that convent. I uh, went to a club when I was a teenager. Lied to get in, with my dad being who he was, it wasn't hard to get real ID saying I was twenty one instead of sixteen."
"Are you saying? Alexis, I can't imagine Jeff being involved with a teenager, he was almost thirty then." protested Audrey.
"If he is the man I slept with, he didn't have a choice." she replied weakly. When they looked at her she said "H-helena caught me, I was flirting with this older boy in a disco, uh, she did something."
Horrified, Audrey was twisting her hands, as she asked "What did that evil woman do?"
"She said- she was going to teach me a lesson." she said getting a hold of herself. "There was this man there, I saw her face as she told her man Andre to get him. She said that he was drunk enough for what she wanted. She seemed to know who he was. She had him tied up, told me to watch, then- oh god."
When Alexis started to hyperventilate, Sonny helped Audrey as she calmed the attorney down. "Just let it go for now, Alexis. We can talk later."
When the woman had calmed down, she said "No, I need to get this out. I have just never discussed this, with anyone. Helena had them bring in this woman, I had seen her at the bar, flirting with men. And Helena made her, well. Uh, sort of get him ready."
Sickened, Sonny was feeling the need to throw up as Alexis continued while tears ran down her face. "After that- she told her to leave and paid her money. The woman, she took it and ran. I can still see this man, tied up, excited physically yet he was slowly coming back to his senses. Helena untied him, held a gun on him and told him she would kill him if he didn't do what she wanted."
As Alexis was telling them her story, her mind was seeing it clearly in her head. The way the man had refused, then when she had threatened to kill her stepdaughter if he didn't do what she wanted, she would shot the slut meaning Alexis, then had made a comment that it wasn't like he would be her first. He had clearly not been a willing participant, had in fact been sick immediately afterwords when he had gotten that he had...
"Alexis?" said Audrey as her skin was turning green. She had come face to face with her own demons after what had almost happened to Elizabeth almost three years ago, but she wasn't sure she was up to hearing this.
""Afterwords, Helena asked me if had learned my lesson about acting like my slut of a mother, then ordered me to shower then shipped me back to school, but not without first inflicting a beating administered by her man." she whispered.
"A few months later, I found out I was pregnant. I tried to blackmail her into helping me, instead she used it to damage what little relationship I had with my father. Helena had paid some boy to say he was my lover. The greedy idiot didn't realize Mikkos was going to kill him for defiling his daughter."
"We need to find out the truth, can you describe the man?" asked Sonny hating to press her. "Audrey, what about the age difference?"
"That one, I think I can figure out. Elizabeth in spite of being so tiny was a bit big for a year old when we finally met her. So I would believe it was possible for her to be eighteen months at that point." she said "We need to run a DNA test."
Alexis described what the man had looked like and Audrey felt sick as it fit Jeff. "Well, it explains a few things."
Seeing them looking at her the nurse said "Jeff moved to Boulder weeks later, then married Carolyn who he had met earlier that year at a convention."
"But Sarah, isn't she older that Elizabeth?"
"Carolyn was pregnant, supposedly the condom broke." tersely said the older woman. "I have always wondered about Sarah's paternity. When Carolyn was denied the fellowship, she claimed to be pregnant again, saying that was the reason they had passed on her. Elizabeth was supposedly born ten months after Sarah."
"But how would they end up with her?" asked Sonny.
Alexis thought about it, then said "Helena, she had the perfect blackmail material, especially with the new science of DNA. She had proof that he had sex with an underage girl. A doctor at her beck and call, she would love that."
Audrey called Jeff and left a message on his voice-mail. "Call me."
Sonny gently took the phone away and said "That is the problem with law abiding citizens. You need to let me handle your stepson. Now, why don't you arrange for the tests, I would do so without telling Elizabeth, just yet.
Jason was waiting in the station with his cousin, Alexis had suggested having Justus go with him so that Carly wouldn't think she was there for her. When Bobbie came out of the interrogation room, he approaching the red head who looked relieved. "Jason, I just knew you wouldn't abandon her."
"Bobbie, I am here to make sure that she goes to jail. I just gave Mac my statement. She tried to kill Elizabeth, then made it clear that she isn't going to get the message that I'm not interested."
"Carly is sick, Jason. She is still suffering from PPD. You have to give her a chance. And this little fling with Elizabeth, all it is doing is inflaming the situation. Do you remember how she acted about Robin?" she asked.
"I do and that is why I am going to protect the woman I love. And Bobbie, I never expected you to go so low as to fire Elizabeth, but that was a mistake. One that you will regret."
"How dare you threaten me?" she huffed. "Wait until I tell-"
Mac approached, glaring at Jason for being right about this. "He is right, Bobbie. Legally you had no right to fire Elizabeth. It's called witness intimidation and I can arrest you for it, now Elizabeth agreed to let the civil courts handle this, otherwise you would be in a jail cell next to your daughter."
"Mac-" she was trying to protest but the commissioner just shook his head and asked her to leave. "What about when Alexis arrives, I should be here."
"I just talked to Alexis, she represents both Elizabeth and Carly and Elizabeth was her client first, so since it is a conflict of interest, she has removed herself from representing your daughter."
Bobbie was frantic when she left the station, she had a shift in an hour and didn't know what to do about her daughter. She had major problems with Carly's behavior but at the core, Carly was hers. She had failed to protect her for years, had let her brother give her up. Now she had to make it up to her.
Jason quietly talked to Justus then went to see if Elizabeth was finished with class for the day. He knew she would need some cheering up with what had to have been a rotten day.
Elizabeth was still stunned at being fired as she went to class. Her mind wasn't on what her professors were saying, it was on the woman who had turned on her. In her oil colors assignment, she was shocked when her teacher walked over and stood behind her. "Miss Webber, very nice job. I can see the anger, the passion. Wonderful work. When it dries, I will put it in the showcase."
Looking at her painting, Elizabeth saw she had been painting swirls on a black background, the brushwork was wild and dark, with deep reds and purples. Thanking her professor, she quickly cleaned her brushes and left needing to clear her head before her shift at the hospital.
Leaving, she saw Jason waiting for her, leaning against a large black SUV. "Hi!"
"Hello, do you have some time?" he asked then told her to follow him as they drove to the Overlook. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought I would take your mind off what happened with Bobbie today."
Smiling, she said "Thank you, I need this. I have to work at GH later."
Pulling her back into his arms, he said "We also need to discuss what we were avoiding last night."
Her smile going away, she asked worriedly "Did you not mean it?"
"Yes, I did." he said gently. "I just meant to give you more time, not just blurt it out the first chance I get to have you in my arms. I plotted and planned and it all went up in smoke the first time my lips touched yours."
Blushing, she said "Whereas I didn't figure it out until yesterday when I saw you outside my studio. I mean, I knew I was avoiding it, Emily has mentioned you lately and I have uh, I have tried to avoid the subject of you since it made you stick in my mind too much."
Jason leaned in to kiss her, holding her as he talked quietly. "I just... things are going to change, I talked to Sonny about it, already."
Leaning back she looked at him quizzically and asked "What do you mean?"
"My job, I am good at it, but honestly, I hate it for the most part. Sonny wants me to get out. He is, uh, says that if I want to have a future, if I want that life I see when I look at you, I can't work for him, not any longer."
"But Jason-" when she tried to protest, he gave her another gentle kiss then said. "He's right. I saw what living in this world, did to Lily, to Brenda. I don't want that for you, for our future. I choose this life when I didn't want a future. When I thought I had nothing to live for..."
Worried he was scaring her by declaring too much too soon, he heard her sigh and pulled back worried but soon saw that she was holding onto his hand. "What is it?"
"I just hope that you aren't changing things strictly for me. My Mom had to do that, she had to give up her dreams because of me, it's why she hates me now." Elizabeth was barely above a whisper when she finished talking.
Jason lifted her chin, making her look into his eyes. "No, I am doing this for me, and yes, I hope for us. Sonny was very blunt, very clear on one thing, if I keep working for him, my future is limited. He is looking for a way to improve his own life, to make some changes for himself. He made me promise not to go down the same road. You, I want a future with you, but if you aren't ready... I just give you time. Ride my bike around the world, coming back when you are ready to graduate. Then convince you to change your mind."
Looking into his eyes, seeing he was sincere, she asked "What if I were to ask that you wait for that trip, until we are both able to go. I can show you the great paintings, the not so great paintings and most importantly we can see how the light in Italy is different from anyplace else in the world together." With a shy smile, she added "Because, Jason you are my future."
Over the next week, Audrey and Alexis talked about Elizabeth's childhood, before they had discussed what damage her so called parents, now they were discussing things like first teeth, swimming lesson, chicken pox and cooking lessons. When they got the call from Alan, Alexis prayed, not sure if she should be happy to have found her daughter or worried about telling Elizabeth how she was created.
"Well?" Audrey anxiously asked Alan.
Looking at Alexis, he said "There is a 99.9 chance Elizabeth is your daughter."
The lawyer burst into tears, shaking as she came up out of the chair, excited and terrified at the same time. Heading out into the hall, she saw Stefan talking to Nik and froze. Going back inside, she closed the door and said "Alan, we have to be discreet about this. If Helena finds out..."
"Is she back?" asked the doctor.
"I think so, Nik has been acting strange. Stefan and I were talking, he has been asking a lot of questions about Stavros, it worries me. Then there is Luke Spencer, he returned to town this morning. Supposedly to support Bobbie in regards to Carly."
Hearing Audrey's very unladylike snort, Alan hid his grin then said "Fine, what about Elizabeth."
"We tell Sonny, Jason and her. But if she is my daughter, the one thing protecting her is that Helena doesn't know that I know." said Alexis. Groaning, she said "Wait, what about Sonny, he already went to get answers from Jeff."
Alan had been doing the math and wanted a word with that particular bastard himself but he was more worried about Elizabeth. She was very much a part of the Quartermaine family, something that he was concerned Alexis might not be happy with since she had ended things with Ned who was already dating his ex-wife, Lois.
Audrey was going to call Elizabeth, asking her to stop over to the house after class and to bring Jason while Alexis called Sonny to find out what was going on with Jeff. Stopping the elderly woman at Sonny's request, she frowned at what he had already found.
Calling Elizabeth back and canceling after what Sonny had told her; Audrey frowned, what on earth was going on with Sarah?
Meanwhile in Russia, Sonny thanked his compatriot and handed him the briefcase.
"What did this doctor do? Some woman came looking for him, but she was some aristocratic pig who expected me to bow to her." spat the former communist who intended to use the money to revive the revolution.
"He made a deal with your aristocrat." replied Sonny as he saw the man loaded onto his jet. "Das vedana."
Nodding the man waved for the private jet to take off, then went to spend his money. Meanwhile, Sonny looked at the woman in the cage that had already been loaded. "We will be speaking, I really don't like being ignored."
Carolyn looked at him then sneered. "I don't care who you think you are, you are going to pay for this. We are American citizens, we have rights."
"No, actually you don't." he said then walked into the back. "Francis, go keep her company while I talk to Dr. Webber."
"Don't hurt my wife." he shouted, only for Sonny to say "What about your daughter, how about I hurt her instead? Or the other one, the dark haired one in Port Charles?"
Jeff started to fight the cuffs, cursing when they only got tighter as he vowed "If you so much as even look at my children, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you, do you hear me?"
"Strange that you are so worried about them, but which one worries you most? The blond you shipped to Switzerland to keep her from being arrested or the brunette you abandoned?"
"Both of them." he snapped.
"Really, well, here, I have some photos for you." he said then tossed the pictures through the bars. Jeff saw Sarah talking to a dark haired man with a goatee and mustache and a younger version of the same man. "Who are they?"
"The older man, I have no idea. The younger one, Prince Nicolas Cassadine. He brought Sarah back on orders of his grandmother, we believe. She, the grandmother was also looking for you."
"Why?" he asked blankly. Sonny thought he was faking but blinked when he got that Helena had never actually approached him.
"Its more than likely about the night you got drunk nineteen years ago, do you remember being forced to deflowe-"
"Shut up." said the man hoarsely. Sonny looked at him. "Shut up about things you know nothing about. Oh my god, is this woman the one who hired you, is she looking to hurt me for what I did to her?"
The mobster thought about it, then sat down. Walking to the doorway, he called to Francis, telling him to have Johnny watch the blond woman and join them. When he did, he quietly reminded him about the horror story involving Alexis then told him what the doctor had just said. Francis moved closer then asked "Don't you think you deserve punishment for what you did?"
His hands shaking, Jeff said stuttering as he went through what had happened that night. "God yes, I have spent the last years, trying to make it right. I tried to forget, tried to push it to the back of my brain, but it was always there, always under the surface. It's why I couldn't be around my own daughters. Do you know how it eats at a man, to know what he did to someone else's little girl?"
"You had a gun held on you." said the guard wanting to see what that would led to.
"I should have rushed him, but I couldn't do it. I refused, then she said... she whispered in my ear that if I didn't, she would let that man with her do it, hurt that girl, I could see it in his eyes, he wanted to hurt her, destroy her. When she told me how she would let that tall blond hurt her, then would let him kill her after humiliating her..." Sonny got a better understanding for what had gone down in the past but not in how it impacted Elizabeth.
"What about Elizabeth?" he asked then saw the man's fire return as he glared at him. "Don't even let me hear her name cross your lips, she is too good, she is..."
Francis asked "If you care about her, why didn't you come to Port Charles when she was almost raped in the park, when she was stabbed by the man trying to hurt her?"
Looking up at the guard, he said in self-disgust "And say what? I am sorry my Lizzie, then do what bey for the bastards' head. I would have been a hypocrite, I knew that Audrey would take care of her. I knew she was in the best possible hands. I love my daughter too much to act like I had any right to be there."
"Then why deny her her money for college, and in such a cruel way?"
"What are you talking about? I signed the papers for Lizzie to access her trust before we moved to Russia from Bosnia. Ask Carolyn, she can tell you." he protested. "I know she has accessed it, I don't know what is going on, if this is more of what Sarah was talking about or what, but I assure you, in spite of how much Lizzie hates us, I would never deny her an education."
"What did Sarah tell you about her sister?"
Jeff said "Why are you so interested in my child, I meant what I said, stay away from my daughter."
Sonny stood and with a nod at Francis went to the front of the jet and asked the blond woman about her daughters. As she offered up Elizabeth as a way to get whatever they wanted and yet protected Sarah, he listened to her version of the two girls and said "So, did Sarah come up with this crap on her own, or did you to conspire to hurt Elizabeth?"
"Oh please, like Lizzie would be hurt. That little bitch, I loathed her from the moment I saw her. I still can't believe that after all I went through to get pregnant. Then when Rick brought her to us..." she said sneering.
"He threatened to take custody of my daughter, pointed out that with the advancements of DNA and since Jeff was only his half brother it might be possible to prove Sarah was his... Then when I agreed to take in what I thought was his bastard, I learned it was my husband's unwanted leavings from a One Night stand with some college student."
When she finally shut up minutes later, Sonny went to the cockpit and made a quick call, hearing what Alexis said he asked "Is Rick Webber still in town?"
"I think I heard Alan talking about it with Audrey why?" she asked then listening said "What is happening?"
Hearing about Sarah with Nik, she said "The Spencers and he were out for her blood, now he is all buddy/buddy with her?"
Jason had meet Elizabeth for lunch at the hospital cafeteria. "Hey, what is it?"
"My professor didn't like my bowl of fruit. He said it was one dimensional." she replied. "Then he told us what are our requirement for next semester are going to be. I hate life studies. I mean, I have to paint someone naked."
Pulling back a bit, he said "Do you need a model?"
Glaring at him, she said "You are NOT going to be naked in front of my whole class."
"I wasn't offering that." he teased as he leaned down and kissed her quickly. "That really isn't what I have planned for my new career."
Laughing and yet embarrassed, she said "I just overreacted, didn't I?"
Holding her around the waist, he said "Just a bit."
Moaning as she buried her head into his shoulder, she said "I just am going to hate this class but in order to graduate, I need it."
Jason just hid his own frown, he wasn't sure he was all that comfortable with his girlfriend painting naked men either. As he tried to deal with the sudden spurt of jealousy, he found himself grinning as he remembered what Sonny had said earlier that week. He had warned Jason that this was going to be totally unlike what he had dealt with in the past, and he was finding that to be true.
More often then not, he hadn't given much of a thought to what Robin had been doing when they were apart, and with Carly (not that they had really been a couple) he had been worried but mainly out of fear for what she would do. With Elizabeth, he enjoyed hearing about her day, he found himself eager to hear about her future and really wanted to be with her the rest of the time.
Bobbie Jones was sitting with Gail Baldwin on the other side of the cafeteria, Alan Quartermaine had insisted she get some counseling after she had had a particularly bad week. Starting with Carly being told by Scott that she either took the deal he was offering or faced a possible prison sentence of ten years.
Her daughter had insisted she wasn't crazy and wasn't going to go back to Shadybrook. Then Luke had shown up along with Laura and their daughter, racketing up her blood pressure even more. Then yesterday she would have sworn she saw Lucky.
So now she was to spend some time with Gail, unfortunately the red head was beginning to agree it was necessary. "Gail, what is wrong with me?"
"Why don't you think about that and we can discuss it in your next session." suggested the doctor gently before leaving.
Bobbie meanwhile went back to watching Jason and Elizabeth as they seemed to be unaware of anyone but themselves and wanted to confront the two of them, but she had been warned to stay away. Bristling with righteous anger, she hurried out of the hospital only to find Luke waiting by her car. "What is it now? I have to go and see Carly?"
"Still trying to rescue the bad seed, I see." replied her brother who then added. "I just had an interesting afternoon at the diner. Care to explain?"
"Don't get in my face." she snapped. "You have no idea what has been going on around here. I was right to fire Elizabeth."
"Normally, I wouldn't give a crap, after all her sister tossed poor Lucky to the wolves, but when it starts to affect my wallet, I pay attention." he retorted. "Tammy gave her notice by the way. She was offered the managerial job at the new cafe. Now what?"
"I-I" Bobbie was flatfooted on that one. "How dare she? After all I did for her?"
Luke just shrugged then said "The Health Department showed up, we are closed until next week, so I would suggest you get someone in the meantime."
Bobbie growled then walked back to the entrance just as Elizabeth holding Jason's hand walked out. "This is all your fault. You, you caused this. I know that you-."
Edward walked up as he got out of his limo and said "Now, Ms. Jones, I WOULD think that you of all people, after the warning I know you were given yesterday would know better than to approach my grandson and Elizabeth."
Whirling around, she said "What happened to his being a thug?"
"While we turn on each other whenever we can, when you attack one of ours, we tend to band together. Lila, is severely disappointed with you, my dear." Everyone in Port Charles knew that was Edward-speak for that he was going to wipe the floor with said person. Nodding at the man in thanks for protecting Elizabeth, Jason watched his girl friend drive away before walking over to Luke.
"Sonny wants a word." he warned then hopped on his motorcycle, his mind going to try and figure out what to get Elizabeth for Christmas.
Alexis knocked on the door to Sonny's penthouse, holding her breath. The last time she had talked to her client had been the day he had heard her deepest, darkest secret. While she enjoyed the give and take then did, she had no illusions about the man and who he was. Staring at the carpet, her brow furrowed, she tried to figure out how to return them to the previous footing as she wasn't sure how to deal with him now.
"What? Is there something wrong with my carpet?" asked the amused voice in front of her. "Do Johnny or Francis have to take out one of my guards for spilling coffee?"
Her head coming up, she looked at Sonny then said "No, look... we have to talk... about what you heard the other day and why you need to forget it."
Sonny thought about what had been going through his head for the last few hours, what had been said by Dr. Webber and about his own life and past and knew that Alexis was doing the same. "Come in, we can talk in here."
Alexis did so then with a puzzled from looked back outside the door and said "Where is Mutt and Jeff?"
Sitting Alexis down, he picked up the bottle of his strongest liquor, placed it with a clean glass in front of her and said "You might need this."
Taking a deep breath, he said "We kidnapped Jeff and Carolyn."
Her head came up, shocked as she moaned "Please don't tell me things like that."
"Carolyn is going to wake up tomorrow, thinking it is a dream, courtesy of her very, very angry husband. Mrs. Dr. Webber has been keeping secrets regarding Elizabeth and if I had opened the jet door, I think he would have cheerfully pushed her out of it himself." stated Sonny leaning back and sipping his water. "Turns out, the man isn't such a bastard after all."
Taking a deep breath, he said "Midway over Germany, he found out what his wife had done, along with Sarah and let's just say..."
When the man on the stairs started talking, Sonny was wishing he had warned either of them. "That my wife is a lying piece of trash. I have also requested DNA tests for Sarah. Is this the attorney you were telling me about?"
Alexis turned and saw the older man walking down the stairs wearing what looked like a pair of Morgan's jeans and a light colored t-shirt then at Sonny while her heart raced and she started to sweat then felt the panting start as she couldn't breath. When the doctor hurried over to help, he looked at the Cuban and asked "Does your friend have panic attacks frequently?"
Then getting a bag, Jeff tried to help her, only for Sonny to move in closer and say quietly "Let me help Alexis."
Jeff froze as he got who the woman was and then quickly moved back to let the mobster help her. Once Alexis had calmed down, he asked "Do you want me to leave?"
Looking over at the pale man who was as ill at ease as she was, Alexis took a deep breath then said no. "I do want to know where your wife is?"
"We dumped her at Roselawn, she is a patient there." stated Jeff while looking at the mobster. "My idea, not his."
Alexis sat then, took a huge gulp of the bourbon and said "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"
"I will, but can we wait for Audrey." said Sonny who then gave a soft chuckle then said "A phrase I never thought I would utter in my lifetime."
When there was a brisk knock at the door, Jeff slipped to the kitchen for a second then was told that the coast was clear. Returning, he saw his father's wife standing there looking puzzled then shocked to see him. "What is going on?"
"Here." said Alexis handing her a glass of the bourbon. Watching as Audrey's nose wrinkled then the woman looking around, she felt her eyes widen then said to Sonny. "I forgot, she prefers Scotch, single malt."
"Once again, something I would have never ever thought I would hear." said the man as he went to get a different decanter. Once they were seated, Audrey tersely greeted Jeff then asked "Where is she?"
"Let's get to that later." said Sonny as Jeff told them what he had learned that day.
"I had no idea, about Elizabeth. None." he said. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I love my daughter. I still can't believe she is mine biologically. I never cared that she was Rick's daughter, I loved her, then when I heard all that Mr. Corinthos told me... well... it cleared up a lot of things."
"Like what?" snapped Alexis.
"I am sure the blood tests are going to prove Sarah isn't mine, that isn't going to matter. Audrey, I know how screwed up she is... Carolyn did a number on both the girls, spoiling Sarah to the point where she is convinced the world owes her everything. She was asked to leave Russia, she was sleeping with someone she shouldn't have been, then tried to blackmail him. What I don't get there is why she is with the Cassadines?" he asked confused.
"As for Elizabeth, god, I want the four of us, to please, I am begging you, don't let her learn she was created the way she was." he asked his hands shaking as he lifted the glass of bourbon that Audrey had rejected earlier and drank it down in one gulp. "Alexis, I am sorry about what happened, I know that doesn't make it any easier, but..."
Alexis looked at him, then said with a twisted frown "I was there, remember? I knew you weren't a willing participant, I know that Helena would have had Andre do it."
"I-I was told he beat you afterwords." said the doctor softly. "God, I really can't imagine anyone so sick, so twisted."
"You have to know the family." she said "Jeff, you were as much a victim as me."
"No, I wasn't." he said his mind sickened at what he was recalling. "You, Elizabeth, you two were the victims. Mr. Corinthos here, told me what happened, what this Helena did to you. I do have to ask... Elizabeth... I..."
Seeing what he couldn't get out, Alexis reached out, grabbing his hand, shocking all of them by saying. "I love my daughter, she amazed me even before I found out she was mine. I can understand you feeling the same way."
"As my girls grew older, all I could think about was what I had done to you, how I prayed to god they never found out. It's ironic, one of the reasons I didn't want Elizabeth with us, why I wanted her sent to New York was that she reminded me of the girl I hurt."
Seeing Audrey's sideways look, Jeff said "Elizabeth, Elizabeth was supposed to come and stay here, not Sarah. I wanted Elizabeth to get to know Rick's family... Laura, Amy and Mike. I had no idea..."
"Why Sarah then?"
"She was supposed to come and help you prepare for Elizabeth then move in with Carolyn's parents in Nebraska while Elizabeth came to stay for the school year. I still don't get what happened?" he stated.
"I do." said Audrey grimly. "She met Nik, found out he was a Prince and more than likely told her Mommy she wanted him. But why not send Elizabeth to her parents instead of leaving her in Boulder."
"Because they were aware that she was not her child. For them, it's all about Sarah, or was. They died last year. Sarah was pissed to find out they didn't have anything left to leave her. They had a tendency to live way beyond their means." said Jeff. "Which is why I would guess that Carolyn gave Sarah the money I okayed for Liz's college. A lump sum for the next four years, over a hundred thousand dollars."
Sonny told the two women "When we arrived here, Bernie was told to look into it. We have to let Elizabeth know that they are here and what is going on. Jason is starting to get suspicious, even with our talk about him getting out."
Audrey gave him a thorough look over and asked "Is that truly possible?"
"At this point, yes. I have been working with another family to combine the businesses. I did the same thing with Lily, but with her father's death and his causing hers... I couldn't leave, won't be out completely but I can clear out most of my work." he said "Jason just had to quit working for me. We have been discussing what comes next."
After spending what for him was an extraordinary amount of time shopping, Jason found the perfect gift for Elizabeth. Having it wrapped, he was getting ready to leave the store when he heard Laura Spencer saying his girlfriends name. Wondering why the Spencers would be buying Elizabeth a gift, he quickly called Johnny O and had him do some looking around.
"Meet me at the studio." he told the guard before heading over there. He knew that Elizabeth was working on something, but she had refused to tell him what it was just blushing and promising to explain later. At the older building, he heard a thump on the staircase and rushed to find out what was going on. Stopping as his eyes saw his sister and his girlfriend, he tried but couldn't quite hid his grin as they were wrestling a tree up the stairs. "Ladies, do you want some help?"
"Jason!" he heard just before the tree slide back down the stairs and landed at his feet. Looking up worried about them, he saw the twosome standing there both with their hands on their hips glaring down at him. "Now look what you made us do."
"Em, to be honest... I couldn't hold it any longer." said an out of breath Elizabeth looking at her friend than the blond man below. "Besides, I think we killed it."
Seeing the branches that had fallen off, the pine needles now on the stairs, the two brunettes giggled as the spindly tall but sparse tree looked even worse for wear than when she they had bought it at the lot. "I guess you are right, but it would have looked so nice, dressed like you like your trees." said Emily as she sat down on the stair with her fists propping up her chin. Then her head came up and she said "Wait, Jason, don't throw it away, maybe we can save part of it."
"OOOOHHH like a Charlie Brown tree." said an excited Elizabeth as she rushed to her studio, returning with one of her artist knives. "Maybe we can save part of it."
Jason was worried as she eased her way down the stairs, then resigned when she handed him the sharp blade. "Jason, can you save any of my tree?"
Emily was behind her and couldn't help giggling. Didn't Elizabeth know that Jason would do anything and everything he could to save her tree, just because it belonged to her. "Stupid question, there Liz. Wait, I have to go and get you a pot."
Pushing past her brother she was muttering about green or red or even gold as she drove away without even saying goodbye.
"Thank you." said a blushing Elizabeth as she kissed Jason quickly then looked at her forlorn tree and couldn't help giggling. "I was planning on surprising you tonight with dinner here, but uh, Emily thought my studio needed a tree and well... you know what happened next."
Just as he was cutting off the larger part of the tree, they heard tires squealing and both quickly turned, worried only to see Emily rushing out with a large container. "Here, I have got to."
"But Em-" called out Elizabeth. "Wait, what is going on..."
Looking at his sister then seeing her wink, Jason said "I think she is trying to matchmake."
"But we are already a couple." she said then suddenly frowning looked up and asked "I mean... we haven't really... maybe you don't..."
Kissing her, Jason pulled her into his arms and said "Yes. I want, and yes, I do."
Wrapping her arms around his waist, Elizabeth looked up into his eyes and said "There is something I want to ask you, but it can wait til later. Would you please help me take my tree upstairs, then maybe come back later?"
"Why don't I stay and help you decorate, then go home and shower." he asked quietly. "We can have dinner later and you can ask me whatever it is that is bothering you."
Ten minutes later, they had gotten rid of the rest of the tree while Jason carried the small now potted tree to her studio. When she pulled out the paper and began cutting it, the blond found himself gluing the pieces together under her supervision. Groaning as he controlled his need to kiss the lip she was biting as she tried to make the ends perfect, he looked around and said "You have been busy since I saw you earlier."
Her head popped up and with a grin, she announced. "I cleaned up, then had a sudden burst of inspiration then Emily came over and next thing I know I am at St. Anne's buying a tree."
As she went back to cutting, she thought about it then asked "We need a star, or should it be an angel?"
Thinking they already had an angel, he smiled as she looked up at him. "What would you prefer?"
Sighing, she said "That is just it, I don't know."
When they had finished everything else, he saw her with the paper, then crumbling it up, she tossed it in the trash then started to pace. "Elizabeth, what is it?"
Her face fiery red, she said "Why do you always stop us before we go any further than kissing, do you not want me? Is it because I don't know what I am doing?"
"WHAT?" he asked shocked then reached out to tug her hand pulling her to the sofa. Once she was seated across his legs, he said "I stop us because I want this to be perfect, and yes, you have no idea how much I want you, but it is more than that, I love you."
"But I still don't know what I am doing." she stated. "I mean, all the other girls..."
"Don't compare." he said then added "Elizabeth, I mean, I do have experience with sex, but with us, it's different... it' called making love when you are doing what eventually we will."
"What is the difference?" she asked.
"I can only tell you that sex, well sex is satisfying a bodily function. Like eating. You can eat anything but somethings taste better than others." He could barely control where his mind was going with that one but he continued. "When it is making love, it's like when we kiss... it's one hundred times better and more intense. It's like chocolate for you."
Her head resting on his shoulder she said "I want to know, I want to know everything about it."
Kissing the top of her head, Jason replied "So do I. I think that is why I am worried. See, I have had sex, but I have never made love..."