Chapter 32

Elizabeth frowned as she tapped the ice dispenser in the cafeteria of the hospital, annoyed to find that it was empty. It was almost as annoying as discovering that they were in the middle of changing the food, thus there was nothing to eat. And it was most annoying that it was nearly two a.m. and there wasn't a decent place in town that would be open. She was hungry, which was the least of her concerns because Jason was the one who was starving, and she figured that finding someone with a concussion something to eat was extremely important to their recovery…or something.

She hated hospitals so much; the smell, the lighting, the hushed voices, and mostly the rooms. She knew it stemmed from Jason Quartermaine's accident and sitting vigil for months on end, and tonight had done nothing but dredge up the past in the worst possible way.

Jason also hated hospitals, for what she assumed were similar reasons. He'd laid in a bed for months and months, watching the same twelve crappy channels on the television, all while trying to figure out who he was supposed to be. She knew that was why he was hell bent on getting out of General Hospital as soon as possible, but thankfully, she'd talked him into staying, at least for one night. He needed to be under observation in case something did go wrong, and if they went home, she'd just stay up all night, staring at him and waiting for something to go wrong, only to know not not know what to do if something did.

So, for one night, they both agreed to shove their uneasiness aside and stay. Well, she agreed a lot easier than Jason had. It took promising a very nice homecoming for Jason to agree – a promise that he tried to get her to fulfill in his hospital room, and she may have, but she wasn't sure what kind of sexual escapades a man with a concussion should be committing. They were completely awful – or rather Jason was. He really could get her to do just about anything, anywhere.

"Elizabeth?"

Her head snapped up as she jumped back from the ice machine, so startled she dropped what little bit of ice she managed to get out, even more startled to see Lulu standing there. "Lulu…I, uh, I thought…you and Johnny left."

"No," the blonde replied, shaking her head as she pursed her lips. "Johnny wanted to see Jason, and I wanted – I wanted to see you. I mean, I know it's late and all, but…"

Sighing, Elizabeth dropped to her knees and started to scoop the ice back into the cup, suddenly unable to look at Lulu. Johnny had obviously told her about the kiss, and now she wanted to have some bitchy confrontation or hug it out. Elizabeth was really hoping she didn't want to hug it out.

"It's late," she murmured, dusting her hands off on her knees as she stood back up. "How long are you in town? We can talk before you leave. I should get back to Jason."

"I leave tomorrow," she answered, stepping in front of Elizabeth when she started towards the exit of the cafeteria. "I really think we should talk."

"Okay," she muttered, motioning her towards the array of empty tables that filled the cafeteria. She tossed the cup into a garbage can as she walked over, Lulu following closely behind her. "Look, I'm not sure what to say. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be." Taking a deep breath, she pulled out a chair, sat down, and waited for Lulu to do the same. "All I can do is say I'm sorry and hope that you believe me."

"I wasn't surprised by the kiss," Lulu admitted, tucking her straight hair neatly behind her ears. "If anything, I think I've been waiting on it to happen."

"Oh," she whispered weakly.

"Yeah," she nodded slowly. "I was aware of the type of situation I was stepping into by coming home with John. I knew long before I ever met you that you were something – someone – to him, and that regardless of who I was to him, there was some kind of attraction."

"It's not like that," Elizabeth said quickly, shaking her head. "I may have wanted Johnny a while ago, but I am completely with Jason. Johnny was so upset about you ending the engagement – and I'm not saying it's your fault at all – but he did what he's always done when he gets's upset. He drank and tried to pick up some woman at the bar, and I intervened and tried to stop him. Not only because he was going to hurt himself, but because you didn't deserve that. You love him, he loves you, and you expect him to honor that."

"But he didn't," she muttered coldly, catching Elizabeth off guard. It was the first time she'd ever seen Lulu actually display some kind of emotion from her usually chipper self.

"No, he didn't," she agreed, chewing her lip nervously. "And you were supposed to be my friend, and I didn't honor that either."

Lulu nodded seriously, arching an eyebrow as if she were surprised that Elizabeth was confessing her own role in the situation.

Hell, it was even surprising to Elizabeth that she was saying this.

"When Johnny left town, we had somewhat connected – or at least, I thought we had, but of course to him I was just another girl. Except that I was one he didn't want to go that far with. He knew it would have ruined everything between us," Elizabeth said hesitantly, not sure if divulging some of their complicated history would fix this or not. "Part of me hoped that he'd come back for me, but he didn't. He came with you, and I've always had problems with the women that Jason and Johnny date. I want them to have someone good with pure intentions. They are honest, caring men, and they have a lot of money, and they tend to get involved with these stupid gold-digger's…"

"Which I am not," Lulu murmured, giving her a faint smile.

"I know. You're perfect for Johnny, and maybe that irked me more than I wanted it to." She sighed heavily, feeling all too vulnerable, and she knew this was why she never had any girlfriends. Who wanted to talk about their feelings all the damn time? "It's like I told Jason a while ago. For so long, it was the three of us and no one else, and I – I felt threatened. Maybe I knew all along that you were right for him, and he really loved you, but I didn't want to face it."

"Or maybe you were scared that I would hurt him," Lulu offered, her eyes darkening at her words. "I did exactly what you thought I would do."

"Well, you thought I'd turn out to be some jealous shrew and I guess, maybe, I was." Elizabeth forced a smile and shrugged half-heartedly. "Maybe that's why I kissed him. Sadly, I don't even know. It just happened and the second it did…" She paused, taking a deep breath when she felt like she was going to cry. "I wanted to take it back, but I couldn't, and all I can do is say that I'm sorry."

"I don't doubt that you love Jason and would never want to hurt him," Lulu said softly. "And I know you feel the same way for John. I wasn't even upset when I heard about the kiss – confused is more like it, maybe even a little jealous, but there was this part of me that knew John would do something like this. And that part of me was relieved that he chose to kiss you and not some random…slut, which probably makes no sense because I should be upset with you, but I'm not. I like you, Elizabeth, and I want to be friends with you, even now, when I know that you're furious with me."

"I'm not," she argued, shaking her head firmly. "I understand why you broke the engagement and why your family is important to you. I think it's difficult for Johnny to understand that because he never had a great relationship with his family. None of us did really, and we sort of learned to depend on one another and make our own family."

"They're my parents," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. "I can't walk away from them."

"But you can't let them control you either," Elizabeth replied, regretting her words the second Lulu shifted her eyes to hers. "I just…I…" She rubbed her hands over her face feeling more and more drained by the second. "Remember what you said to me outside Kelly's – after I had lied to Jason and I was so upset?"

Lulu's brow furrowed. "No."

"Well, you said sometimes it's hard to be honest with someone you love, but if someone really loves you, they'll always forgive you."

"Okay…" she murmured, clearly confused.

"I just think that if your parents really love you and they want you to be happy, they'll forgive you for marrying Johnny. They'll understand and part of them may even grow to respect you for doing what your heart feels is right."

"And if they don't?" she asked, slumping back against her chair.

Elizabeth grinned as she got up from the table. "Then fuck 'em because you'll have a new family with us."

Jason's jaw ticked the second Johnny stepped into his room. It had started when he noticed his friend pacing the hallway, and he was hoping common sense would get the best of Johnny and he'd leave.

But it hadn't.

And now he was standing at the foot of Jason's bed, his hands tucked nervously in his pockets and his eyes on the floor. His respect would have gone up had Johnny actually attempted to talk to him, let alone look at him, but it was clear he'd have to say the first word.

Sighing, he scratched a hand over his face and dropped his hand back to his lap. "We can do this now or later," he muttered, picking at the tape that held the IV against his skin. "I'd rather later, but I'm sure you want to get it over with."

Johnny nodded, slowly lifting his eyes to the bed, and then Jason's face. "I'm sorry."

"For what exactly?" he asked, wondering if his best friend even knew the list of reasons why he was so angry with him. Kissing Elizabeth had been a fine way to top it all off.

"Everything," he swallowed, shaking his head. "Work, drinking, what happened in Europe, what happened before I left for Europe." He sucked in a breath and started to pace at the foot of the bed. "Elizabeth."

"I don't care about what happened with the business anymore," Jason said, fisting the sheet in his hands, desperate to just tear something apart. "I don't even give a shit about the drinking, but Elizabeth…I don't know what you were thinking."

"And before you even give me some fucking reason about how she was a part of it to, I'd recommend you don't go there," he continued, assuming that would be the first sentence to leave Johnny's lips. "I know Elizabeth is messed up when it comes to relationships and men, especially you. It's not an excuse by any means for her kissing you, but you knew that if you kissed her – if you made a move, she'd react in some way. You knew she'd kiss you back."

Jason took a deep breath, his heart tightening in his chest as he thought about the two of them in her studio. The kiss had left his mind the second he talked to Elizabeth, but seeing Johnny brought it up all over again. Thankfully, his mind didn't wander when he thought about the possibilities – about what would have happened if he hadn't seen it, and that was because Jason knew Elizabeth would have stopped it.

He didn't know if he could say the same for Johnny. While he liked to think that his best friend would never do something like this, he had, and Jason didn't know how far Johnny would have let it go.

"I wouldn't have slept with her," he muttered, surprising Jason by practically reading his thoughts. "I don't know why I did it. I wanted to feel something good. I dunno."

"I understand why you're upset about the business and how things were with your dad," Jason said seriously, "but Elizabeth is different. You don't get a free pass on her."

"I know. I shouldn't have done it. You would never do something like that to me," he replied, shuffling his feet against the floor. "I don't know why. I have no excuse, but I am sorry. I don't want things to be ruined between you two because of me, and-"

"They aren't," he interrupted. "I still don't understand why you did it. You're not entitled to be happy or have something good, Johnny. You have to earn it, and you can't take it from someone else because you want it."

"I know," he sighed, hanging his head. "I'm sorry. I really am."

Jason didn't doubt that he wasn't. It was typical of Johnny to make mistakes without thinking about the consequences until it was too late, but this time was different. As ridiculous as it sounded, Johnny hurt him in pursuing Elizabeth in any way, and he wasn't sure if he could trust him now.

Maybe it was wrong for him to forgive Elizabeth so quickly when she was at fault too, but he just felt like he could. She'd never purposely hurt him, and Johnny was the kind of person to hurt his friends just so he could have someone to feel miserable with. They'd always accepted that about him and understood why he was the way he was, but this time he'd gone too far.

Granted, he'd been hurting over Lulu and wanted to make the pain go away in true O'Brien fashion – still, it wasn't enough to allow Jason to feel any better about what had happened. He knew Johnny regretted it and was sorry and would never want to wreck his relationship with Elizabeth, and now he just had to get past it.

"I know you are," Jason muttered, shifting uncomfortably against his pillows. "I just…I need to get over this before…"

"You can forgive me," Johnny filled in understandingly. "Feel free to take a shot or two at my face the next time you're standing."

Jason's mouth hitched into a crooked smile. "I just may take you up on that."

Johnny started to reply, but stopped when there was a knock on the door, both their heads turning to see Elizabeth in the doorway. "The food didn't look…good," she said awkwardly, looking between them. She looked nervous as if she didn't trust them being alone together.

"Well, you haven't killed each other yet, so " she murmured nervously, stepping into the room. "I guess that's a good sign."

"Yeah," O'Brien nodded, looking at Jason as he started towards the door. "Things will be okay."

"They will," he agreed, nodding as Johnny started to leave.

Elizabeth grabbed him by the crook of his arm, and he immediately tensed under her touch. She looked from Jason to Johnny, forcing a smile at their friend. "Thank you for earlier," she said softly. "I wouldn't have gotten through tonight if you hadn't…"

"No worries, Webber," he muttered, placing his hand over hers and gently squeezing it. "I've always got your back."

She nodded, her face breaking into a grin as he left the room and closed, closing the door behind him.

Sighing, she turned back to Jason, who couldn't help but be curious about what his friend had done. "I, uh, I may have freaked out just a bit when we first got here," she confessed, sitting down on the edge of the bed with a frown. "I kept telling myself you were going to be okay, but it was like I was trying to believe a lie. And I snapped, but Johnny shook me out of it."

"I'm really sorry you had-"

"Don't," she grimaced, leaning over to kick off her shoes as she crawled up beside him, settling her tiny form in between his body and the bed frame. "I never want to hear that word again."

"I hate that you were scared," he whispered, lifting his head up to brush his lips againstto her forehead.

"I'm always scared," she admitted, sliding her hand across his middle as she draped one of her legs over his. "I lost you – I lost someone once, and I don't – I couldn't lose you, Jason."

"You won't," he said thickly, tightening his arm around her. "I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me forever."

"Forever?" she asked, tipping her head back to look up at him. "You know when you say it like that…" He arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to fill in the rest. "Forever?"

"Forever," he replied, knowing that while a lot had happened fast, he'd never want anyone else.

"Of With my wet towels?"

"And your damn clothes," he added, closing his eyes.

"I'll always mess up your bookshelf," she laughed, curling against him.

"And steal my t-shirts."

"And drink your booze."

"And sleep in my bed," he muttered, nuzzling the top of her head.

"Oh, that's right. I get perks now," she laughed again, stretching to press her mouth to his. "You know, come to think of it…" She paused, letting her mouth linger over his. "Forever doesn't sound half bad."

"So that's it, huh? My bed is what it's all about?" he asked, his words muffled against her lips. He slid his hands around her waist, gently pulling her so that she straddled him.

She chuckled softly, settling her hips over his as she kissed him. "Of course," she whisperedteased, her tongue snaking across his lower lip. "What else is there?"

He groaned in reply, their tongues finding their way into each other's mouths. He knew – as well as she did – that there wasthis was more, but and as her hands slipped beneath his hospital gown and slowly slid made their way between his thighs, he also knew that nothing would beat having her all to himself. nothing little beat having her all to himself.