A/N: OK, so this is a longer chapter. Hope you like where I'm going with this! Let me know. Oh, and I checked, still don't own it! LOL!

Chapter Fifteen

"Did you mean it when you said that you love me?"

"Yes, I do love you Jason," she responded quietly.

"I've been thinking about what that would mean, for you, for me, for us."

"And were you able to come up with anything?"

"You know, after my accident, my doctors said I would never feel emotions again, but they were wrong. I think what's always scared me is that I feel them too much with you. When I shut myself off after losing Michael, I didn't want to feel again, I'd been betrayed so badly. Then, there you were, so proud, so beautiful and in so much pain. We hung out, took those bike rides, you talked and I listened. After I got shot and we stayed here, I was in a different type of pain then. Sonny and Carly both betrayed me, and I was angry again. Being here with you, you helped me heal from that. When I came back, you were with Lucky, but you didn't seem happy. I thought maybe you wanted to be with me, too. Then you chose Lucky. By the time we finally were able to try for us, everything with Sonny's fake death and the business blew up in my face. I should have been honest with you and told you that something was going on, but I was so hesitant to put myself out there, and I lost you anyway. I never thought I deserved you, so I let you go, instead of fighting for you, like I wanted to do. Now, we're back here, together in this place. I'm wondering, is now the time, is now the right time?"

Completely stunned by all that Jason had said, Elizabeth could only look at him with tears streaming down her face. "I've never heard you say so much at one time. I never realized how badly I messed things up for us with my obligations to Lucky."

"We've both hurt each other. I've done some monumentally stupid things, but I don't want to rehash old mistakes, I think that we are already past all of those. You know what my life is like; you know my job is dangerous, have you thought about whether you could share my life with me? Would it scare you too much to try?"

"Jason, I….." she hesitated.

"No, that's….you know what, I shouldn't have said anything," as he started to pull away.

"Wait! I know that what you do isn't safe, but life isn't safe. No one's life is ever perfect, Jason. The best thing we can for our children is just love them. I'm not going to keep this baby from you, that wouldn't be fair to you, or to him. You are one of the best men I know, and he needs to know his father. I know that's going to mean changes for me and the children. Bodyguards, special housing, whatever. And, I know that you still love her, so I don't think us rushing into any kind of committed relationship would be right for you, or for me. If you really want to make a go with her, then I'll support you in that, because it makes you happy. I just want to be clear that I am this child's mother."

"I would never take this child away from you, if that's what you are afraid of."

"My biggest fear is that you will push this child away, because of what you do, that you will be too afraid to claim him. I don't want to go through the pain of seeing you openly around town with everyone else, but ignoring you own child because you think it's too dangerous for him to be a part of your life. I am afraid. I am afraid that the boys and I will never be first in your life. I am afraid that everyone else will always be more important than us. That would be too much to bear."

"Do you really think that I could do that?" he asks, knowing that in the previous timeline he had done just that, because she had asked him to give up his son.

"Well, how many times have you pushed me away, always giving me the 'danger' speech? But then it's never been too dangerous for you to be around Carly and her kids, Courtney, Sam, the list goes on and on."

Looking down at the floor, Jason realizes just how badly his past actions have caused her mistrust in him. "I just want you to be sure that you know what you are getting into, because once everyone knows, you will have a target on your back. You and your kids will be a way to get at me. I….I do love you, Elizabeth, not just because you are carrying my child." Arching a brow, with a smirk on his face, "Ric one time accused me of always being a little bit in love with you, and I can't deny that he was right."

Jerking her head up, she meets his gaze – shocked at his admission, "You are in love with me?"

"Why does that surprise you?"

"I guess because of how easily you were always able to push me away, and then move on with someone else."

"Easy? God, no! It was never easy to walk away, or push you away, from me when I thought it was too dangerous. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But every time I thought about you dying because of my business, that scared me even more. I realize now that we really have done some damage to each other, haven't we?"

"Maybe in some ways, yes. I think we were always too afraid to face what's been between us all these years. Me with my issues over Lucky. With the way that my parents treated me, I've always felt abandoned. I think that I'm always waiting for everyone else to abandon me, too. I mean if my parents can't love me, why would anyone else?"

"I don't know how or why your parents could leave you so easily; I think they are fools for doing it. I hate that they made you feel that way."

"I was hurt when my parents left me, but I was devastated each and every time you did it to me," she whispered.

Wrapping his arms around her, she tucked her head under his chin as he rested his cheek on it, "I'm so sorry I put you through that, Elizabeth. It was never my intention to hurt you; I was always thinking that you'd be better off, happier, safer without me in your life. It would kill me if something happened to you or one of the children because of my business. I don't think I could bear it if you looked at me and I knew you hated me because of something like that happening. As much as it hurt to push you away, I knew it would be better than to ever have you hate me."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm glad we're talking about it now, though. Jason, I know the choice I'm making to be in your life. I know there may be times that things happen that you can't control. I don't think I could ever hate you. Maybe we can stop making those same choices now. I think that we, you and I, were meant to be in each other's lives, even if it's only just as friends."

"More than friends. We've always been more than just friends. I've only ever wanted you to be happy, that's why I never pushed you back then. I thought that if you were happy, then I'd be fine with that, and we could just be what we are to each other. You said I was always the risk that was too big for you to take, do you think, maybe, you'd be willing to take that risk now?"

"What are you saying, Jason? Please, just tell me what it is that you want, I mean what you really want."

"You. I want you, Elizabeth."

Tears falling from her eyes, she looks up at him, "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated because I'm pregnant and I've told you that I love you."

Cupping her face with his hands, he gently wipes the tears from her face, "Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay," she says with a tremulous smile. "Where do we go from here, then?"

Taking a deep breath, Jason looks down at Elizabeth, "I think…well, I think we both need to end our current relationships. I know that you are divorcing Lucky. I still need to get Sam out of this mess that Ric has caused. And I need to tell her face-to-face, that she and I are done."

Pulling back, Elizabeth starts to get up, thinking that now is not a good time to indulge in her feelings for him. "Jason, you've just been shot. You can't be running around town trying to get Sam out of this mess, let Sonny and your men take care of it."

"Come back here. I didn't mean that I was leaving right this second," he smirks, pulling her back into his arms. "Besides, I like it where I am right this second."

Chuckling slightly, "Me, too."

"But I do owe it to Sam to help her out of this. Ric wouldn't be fucking with her, if he didn't think it would get to me."

Before Elizabeth can respond, a cry resounds throughout the tiny studio apartment. "That's my cue, time to be mommy again." Elizabeth reluctantly pulls out of Jason's arms to go pick Cameron up. Bringing him back over to Jason, they sit down beside him. "Hey baby, do you remember mommy's friend, Jason?"

Peeking out from Elizabeth's neck, Cameron looks at Jason nodding his head. "Home to Gwams howse."

"That's right baby. Jason brought mommy home to Grams the other night. Can you say hi to Jason?"

"Hi Jayson."

"Hey Cam, you're getting to be so big now. I remember when you were still in your mommy's tummy. You kicked me that day."

"I's sowwy. I's didn't mean to kick you's."

"It's okay, Cam. When you were in mommy's tummy, that's the only way you could say hi, so I know you were just saying hi to me that day."

Eyes wide at Jason's explanation, Cam smiled at his mommy's friend. He giggled, "I's couldn't talk in mommy's tummy. I's don't fink I's shouwd kick you's now, I's use my words wike a big boy."

"You sure do."

"Mommy."

"Yes, baby"

"I's hungwy, can we's have dinner now?"

"What do you think we should have for dinner, Cam?"

"Peeeet – zaaaaaaah!" he cried, enthusiastically.

"Pizza it is, then," Jason said, smiling at the little boy. Looking up at Elizabeth, "should we order in, or do you want me to have Francis go pick it up?"

"Let's order in, you're a fugitive, right?"

"Right. It probably wouldn't be a good idea if someone saw him bringing food to your studio."