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Chapter 17
Jason locked up and headed to the master suite. Walking up the stairs he had to smile as he passed photographs of their family. Mostly of the boys, including Cameron's first ever school photo, but of other family members as well. At the very top was the family photo that they took the day after Jason's last birthday. It was pretty traditional. Him and Elizabeth each with a child on their lap, smiling at the camera. He smiled every time he passed it. He couldn't wait until they had a new photo with the baby in it.
The bed was empty, but the bathroom door was open. "You okay?" He asked watching as she reached for her toothbrush.
"I think I'm going to be getting sick in the afternoons and not the mornings." Elizabeth was a bit shaky. Throwing up sucked. She knew pregnant women who didn't get sick once. She was jealous of them. "I'll keep crackers in my bag. I'll need to tell Piph. I can't bolt from surgery to hurl." Elizabeth stated before brushing her teeth.
Jason stood in the doorway and watched her. "I'll get you some juice. Want some crackers too?" They'd be eating in a bit so he wouldn't make her a full meal now.
"Apple juice please." Toothpaste and orange juice didn't mix. "No crackers."
"With ice?" He asked.
Elizabeth smiled. "Something cold would be wonderful."
"Be right back." He said grinning. During their next shopping trip he'd get some chocolate milk. The desire to drink cold beverages was probably why his girl wasn't drinking hot chocolate. Thinking back he recalled she didn't drink her cider, the night in front of the fireplace, until it had cooled off. He was back quickly and joined Elizabeth on the bed. "Here you go."
"Thanks." Elizabeth took a large swallow. "Can you check on Johnny tomorrow?"
"I will, but he's going to be fine." Jason sat so his back was against the headboard. "You were right Gia was just a phase. Rebound."
"I hadn't factored in Lucky coming back." Elizabeth drank more juice. "I seriously want to kick his ass."
Jason just laughed. "He told Johnny he felt he owed you."
"So he comes back and sticks his nose in my business?" Elizabeth's temper was spiking. "He's still a selfish ass." She snorted. "He didn't think about what his telling Johnny would lead to. No he just opened his mouth, and blabbed."
"It's done." Jason shrugged.
"I never wanted Johnny to have to choose between us." Elizabeth repeated. "I was a horrible person as a teenager." She said shaking her head. "Scheming and self-absorbed. I would hate to have to answer now for my behavior back then." Although Liz hadn't ever done anything that hurtful. It was more attitude and a smart mouth. "I'm sure Gia never thought this would be an issue ever again. I certainly didn't."
"I know the feeling." Jason said looking over at his wife. If they were going to talk about paying for past sins, then there was no way he should be here with her, Cameron, and Jake. The person he had been did not deserve this life. "I think the difference is that we both feel remorse for the mistakes we've made and offered apologizes. We've learned and are trying to do better." Jason observed.
"Yeah." Elizabeth finished her juice and put down her glass. She scooted over until she was able to sit between Jason's legs. "I'm ready to talk now." It was time to put Gia away.
"Okay." Jason pulled the blanket up so that it covered their legs.
"After the baby is born I want to take a leave of absence from the hospital." She said looking up at him.
"You do?" Jason hadn't expected that.
"I want to go back to school." Elizabeth had been giving this some thought since Jake was born. Last year she hadn't felt ready now she did. "Being a mom and wife, working, and going to school will be too much. Since we are talking about getting a nanny, she can be with Jake and the baby while I'm in class. I'd see about taking courses online so I can be home as much as possible."
"If you are going to school, I'd rather you go to live classes. If you are here, your focus will be divided." Jason wanted her to have this. He wanted her to pursue this dream without feeling guilty because she wasn't making the kids lunch. "What will you be studying?"
"I want to get my doctorate." Elizabeth said for the first time out loud. Her stomach was jumping, but she knew she could share this with Jason.
"You want to be a doctor?" He said smiling. She'd be an awesome doctor. "What kind?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't want to be a doctor, like Em or mom. I want to get my doctorate. In nursing." She explained.
"I didn't know such a degree existed." Jason admitted.
"It's called a Doctor of Nursing Practice, or DNP." Elizabeth started explaining. "I'd would be able to see patients on my own. I could diagnosis diseases, and map out a course of treatment for my patients. I would even be able to write prescriptions. I have my Masters in nursing." She'd gone to school at night after graduating from the Nurse Training program at General Hospital. "And enough hours worked, so I'm a good candidate for this degree."
"Would you be able to work at General Hospital? Or would you work at a private practice?" Jason wanted to know how this would work.
"I could stay at the hospital. It was mom who first suggested that I look into this. I talked with Piph and she also agrees this would be a good move for me." Elizabeth got that at some point both Monica and Piph figured she would be head nurse at the hospital. "I'm looking at specializing in long term care." Meaning dealing with patients who suffered from chronic illnesses.
"Can I ask a question?" Jason didn't want to upset her. Clearly she'd been giving this a lot of thought.
"Sure." Elizabeth was starting to relax. Being cuddled up with her husband was nice.
"Why don't you just get a traditional doctorate?" It sounded like she would be doing a lot of the same things.
"I love being a nurse." Elizabeth started to explain. "I know when I first entered the program after I had Cameron, I told you I wanted a job to provide for my son. That was true, art was still my primary passion. Over the years that's changed. I still love art, but I love my job too. I love working with the patients, and giving the best care I can. I'm proud to be a nurse, and I don't want to leave the profession. I just feel I can do more. I can offer more."
Jason had to smile. He could feel the passion in her words. "When were you looking to start classes?"
"After the baby is born. With my due date being in September, I would miss an entire semester if I start now. Once I enroll I want to not have to stop." Elizabeth explained. "So I was thinking the winter semester after the baby comes. I'll go out on maternity leave and not return until I have my degree. It usually takes five semesters, so a year and half if I take the summer off. Or until I'm ready to do my practical. I will talk to mom and Piph before I make the final decision, but I think that will be the best."
"Day classes only please." Jason requested.
"Okay." Elizabeth could give him that. "I don't want to be away from home at night. Will you help me study?" She said giving him a saucy grin.
"I certainly will. You should take a lot of anatomy classes." Jason said laughing.
"I'm sure there will be at least one." Elizabeth certainly hoped so. "I'm sleepy."
"Have a nap." Jason shifted so that they were lying down with her in his arms. "I'll nap too. That way I'll have enough energy to deal with the monsters when Em brings them home." He laughed. "She's probably filling them with sugar as we speak."
"Edward is probably helping her." Elizabeth said in a sleepy voice.
"Rest." Jason whispered kissing behind her ear. "I'll make dinner when we get up. Anything you want." He promised.
"Kay." Elizabeth said slipping into sleep. "Love you."
"I love you too." Jason placed a hand on her stomach. "I love you too baby Morgan."
Johnny found Gia in her office, already packing up. "Gia."
"Johnny, hi." Gia paused cleaning out her desk. "I'm being transferred." To California. She hadn't even put out an issue yet and she was being demoted to fashion editor. From editor-in-chief of her own magazine to fashion editor reporting to three different people. It didn't make any sense. Being sent anywhere other than New York City, Paris, or London meant she was being punished, and she had no clue why. It wasn't her fault that the model they had booked for the February issue backed out.
"That works well, because we can't see each other anymore." Johnny wasn't going to circle the drain.
"Long distance isn't ideal, but there is no need to break things off." Gia pointed out. "I'm sure I'll be on the east coast often enough. It's the headquarters for the magazines." None of the magazines were actually produced in New York that was where Kate Howard ran the Jacks magazine empire. Gia was being taken out of Crimson and sent to work at Couture.
"Your transfer isn't why we are breaking up. Elizabeth is." Johnny worded this carefully he wanted to see what Gia's reaction would be.
"That bitch!" Gia threw the book she was holding in the box. "She looked me in the eye and said she was going to let this go." Clearly she had not. "I guess she couldn't resist sticking it to me. Are you even going to let me tell you what really happened?"
Johnny was holding onto his temper with his fingertips. He had never intentionally caused physical harm to a woman in his life, but Gia was testing him. "Elizabeth didn't tell me anything. And I'd love to hear how you justified sending photos of my friend to the man who raped her."
"I never sent pictures directly to Tom Baker." Gia told him. She hadn't. She'd sent them to the prison knowing he'd end up with one. She did however make sure he knew where to mail the picture to.
"Technicality." Johnny said in a cold voice. He'd killed men for things they hadn't technically done. "You were responsible for him getting the picture and Elizabeth's address. You did all that and you didn't even win." He said rubbing against a wound he guessed was still hurting.
"Emily." Gia rolled her eyes. "It figures. I knew I that bitch wouldn't be able to resist trying to hurt me." Gia didn't love Johnny, and if this was his choice she was fine with it. There were plenty of men who would love to spend time with her. California meant Hollywood, she would be fine. She just didn't want him listening to Emily or Elizabeth. "Why you would believe anything she told you about me I have no clue. You know she hates me."
"Lucky Spencer is here. He saw us having lunch and decided I needed to have my eyes opened to your true nature. After speaking to him I went to see Liz, who told me it was none of my business." Johnny passed along.
"Then why are you breaking up with me? I apologized to Liz." Gia was glad she had.
"Because you didn't mean it. I didn't even ask if you had apologized because I knew that if you had it would be insincere. You're arrogant, it was one of the things about you I found attractive." Johnny told his now ex-girlfriend. "But hurting someone so you could win a modeling contract is not something to defend. It's something to be ashamed of, especially when it didn't even work. Considering you owe everything you have to Elizabeth stepping aside, the least you could do was mean it when you said you were sorry."
"She never would have been able to do the job." Gia shrugged. "Laura would have figured that out eventually. By then it would have been too late. I had a modeling offer before Laura made her announcement. I still would have ended up here, because I wanted it more than Liz did." Gia told Johnny. There was no point in hiding her true feelings since the secret was out.
"Enough to do whatever you had too." Johnny thought some of the people he worked with were cold. Gia topped them all. "Enjoy California." He said before walking out of the office. He would give her time to get settled before he started taking everything she valued from her.
When the elevator doors closed she reached for another book, and that was when she realized she never told Johnny where she was being transferred to. Yet he had told her to enjoy California. The shiver that ran through her body was totally involuntary. He knew where she was going, which meant he was behind the move. While she wasn't ever going to regret what she'd done, because it had opened the door to international fame, Gia was beginning to worry about what it was going to cost her. Johnny was a man who believed in family, and revenge. Not to mention who Elizabeth was married too. Gia fell into her chair on weak legs when she thought about the fact that Liz's close friend was Carly Jacks. Wife of the man who signed her paychecks. Without even trying Liz had gotten the last laugh. She was going to be the reason Gia probably lost everything.
Jason sat and watched as his wife used a tortilla to wipe her plate clean before popping it into her mouth. When she woke up from her nap she'd been starving. And wanted one thing. So they'd gotten into the car and came to Kelly's. "Good?" He said still surprised she ate the whole thing.
"Delicious. I see why you like it so much." Elizabeth said sipping her herbal iced tea.
"I thought you hated huevous rancheros." He was drinking coffee. He'd ordered a burger.
"Honestly, I've never even tried it before tonight." Elizabeth said grinning. "I can't eat it with a runny egg like you do." Her eggs had been scrambled. "It's not good for the baby, but it was really good." They'd have to come back so she could have it again. "I'm stuffed."
"Then we should head out. Emily and Matt will be bringing the boys, and Edward, back to the house soon." Jason put money on the table and pulled his wife's chair out. "So was this a craving?"
"Yeah." Elizabeth said slipping into her coat. "Blueberries and huevous rancheros. I wonder what they would taste like together."
Jason just made a face. That sounded disgusting.
"We should get some blueberry juice." Elizabeth liked the thought of a tall glass of ice cold blueberry juice.
"I'm sure that can be arranged." If not he'd get them a juicer. "Want to stop off and get some blueberry ice cream?"
Elizabeth smiled wide. "That would be great later." She really was stuffed at the moment.
"So how long does this last? The need for blueberries?" He didn't really care because she'd have them even if he had to fly them in. He was just curious.
"No clue." Elizabeth let him open the door to the SUV for her. "When I was pregnant with Jake, I had this intense craving for sardines that last one day."
"Sardines." Jason said starting the car. "The supermarket is open twenty-four hours a day so if you want something you let me know."
"Believe me I will." Elizabeth said laughing. "I love you." She just had to say it.
"That's because I promised you blueberry juice." Jason said laughing, before leaning over and kissing her. "I love you too. Let's go get the ice cream."
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