Thanks for all the feedback guys! It's time to get this couple actually talking now. I don't hate Jason but he really did treat Elizabeth like crap and she needs to face that he didn't love her the way she deserved. She needs to break free of Jason and Lucky before she can be free to love AJ not just have the hots for them. So while Jason maybe a jerk right now he won't stay that way I promise. I love him and Sam together but they stepped on a lot of people to be together, mainly Elizabeth. And that needs to be addressed. In case you guys are wondering why I haven't brought many of the other characters into the story it's because I want to establish a solid friendship at the very least between her and AJ first. Also, in coming chapters, I am going to show that AJ and Steve are actually a lot closer than you might think. Remember, he did go to visit AJ at the Hospital in whatever foreign country not too sure on the where yet. Next up is a very Quartermaine Thanksgiving how will things work out with Tracey, Jason, Sam, Daniel, Monica and AJ as well as Alice and the new cook...?

Elizabeth was happy to finally get her boys back from Audrey. While it was nice for them to be spending so much time with Grams, she needed to be with them. She sat on a bench with Aiden in the stroller next to her while Cam ran around the playground. Nothing made her nearly as happy as when she got to spend time with her boys. They had slowly adjusted to life without Lucky. He called every once in a while but lately the calls had been getting more infrequent. Elizabeth did what she could to fill both roles for them in their lives but she knew that Cam and Aiden both were missing out on having a father.

"Mommy watch!" Cam yelled out to her as her climbed up to the top of the big slide.

"Good job, Cam! Mommy is so proud of you!"

Elizabeth sighed and went back to making smiley faces at Aiden. He was getting so big it wouldn't be long before he was out running around with his big brother. Aiden drifted off to sleep dreaming about whatever it was that little boys dreamed of. Elizabeth checked on Cam and then looked around the park. It was a beautiful fall day and she wished she could capture it on canvas but she just didn't have time to paint anymore. Working full-time as a surgical nurse as well as a full-time parent there just wasn't a lot of time left for time for painting. The cool breeze ruffled her hair as she glanced around.

Her heart caught in her throat as she happened to catch sight of Sam, Jason and baby Daniel taking an afternoon stroll. Thoughts flooded her mind and she couldn't help but think of Jake. How different things might have been. She thought of the terrible thing that she had done lying about the DNA test. She was glad she had finally told Jason the truth. And yet heartbroken that it meant that they would never be together. She wondered what would have happened if she had stayed with Jason after he had proposed to her; if he had chosen her instead of the mob. Would she still feel the same? She had taken so many wrong turns.

"He didn't deserve you .You know." A voice said from behind her. The bench dipped, and she looked over at the person who had lately been consuming her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" She said, her bitch face was on. She hated when people tried to tell her about her and Jason. She especially didn't want to hear it from him.

AJ just grinned back at her. Elizabeth's bitch face had never phased him. When she and Emily had run around the Q mansion they had crossed paths and she always had a few choice words for Emily's older brother. He had just laughed and gone about his day.

"Jason. He didn't deserve you. "

"Well, I'll thank you to keep your opinion to yourself. " She said haughtily and looked back at Cameron.

"He hurt you time and again. Chose the mob over you, chose the woman who allowed your son to be kidnapped over you. You are still loyal to him. " Her eyes flashed her anger at him. " Don't get me wrong, I always thought your loyalty was one of your best traits. Emily loved you. She was always going on about the four musketeers and how much fun the two of you would have." He smile turned sad. "I regret that I wasn't here for her at the end." He shook his head to clear the memories. "She would not want you to torture yourself over Jason."

"You don't get to have a say in my feelings for Jason. Jason loved me."

"I'm sure he did. You were blindly loyal to him. You're beautiful. You are an amazing woman."

"Our timing was just always wrong" She said. Angry at having to justify her feelings for Jason.

"Timing?" he asked incredulously, "It was never about timing. He could have chosen to leave the mob anytime. He didn't have to choose to be with Sam. He could have chosen you whenever he wanted. He didn't. And if he let you believe that he would or even could than he was lying to you and himself. I'm not saying he didn't want to. He always keeps you just close enough." Elizabeth pursed her lips in anger but she couldn't help but think he made sense. She was just too angry to believe it. "You are loyal, beautiful, kind and you listen to him and you always take his side. Of course he's going to say or do anything he can to keep you within arms' reach. He loves you Elizabeth, but it is a selfish love. He loves you for how you make him feel about himself. Not for you. Not for your feelings. You deserve someone who loves you for how amazing you truly are."

"Like you?" She snapped.

"I'd be a damn sight better than Jason. At one point in our lives we were best friends. But I was young and stupid and an alcoholic and I ruined everything for him for us. He would be a doctor now if it weren't for me. Saving lives instead of taking them." She turned to face him noting the sadness that took over his face. He grabbed her hands and faced her. "You deserve better than me. I have done terrible, horrible things to people and I am ashamed of every one of them. But I also know there is something here that I can't walk away from. You feel it too, Elizabeth. I know you do"

Elizabeth lifter her head and look him directly in the eyes. She saw it then the same thing she saw that night at the Rib. She couldn't figure out what it was. AJ's hand came up and brushed her cheek. She closed her eyes and couldn't resist the urge to lean in a little. Her eyes flew open when his lips gently brushed hers. It was like an arrow straight to her heart. He didn't force anything but kept the kiss soft and brief. She hadn't realized her hand gripped his. She opened her eyes and gazed at him transfixed.

"Mommy!" Elizabeth snapped out of her spell and turned her attention to her oldest.

"Cameron, honey, Are you all done on the playground?" Elizabeth tried to disentangle herself from AJ's gentle hold.

"Yeah I'm hungry, Mommy. Who the man?" Cameron kicked the dirt around by his feet.

"Cameron, this is Mommy's friend AJ. He's a nice man. Do you want to get a cheeseburger at Kelly's?" Cameron nodded.

"It's nice to meet you Cameron. Your Uncle Steve told me a lot about you. He tells me you take care of your mom. Is that right?"

"Yeah. I gots to take care of her cause Daddy left." Cameron seemed to take to AJ right away. And the two started to talk about the Avengers and who was better Iron Man or Captain America. Elizabeth needed the time. AJ's kiss had left her shaken. She was so mad at him. How could she be so mad at someone and want them so badly at the same time? AJ had no right to talk about her relationship with Jason. They had shared a son together. They had lost that son together. AJ wasn't around when any of that happened. Jason had saved her life time and time again. It had to be timing. Because if it wasn't than it was her and she didn't think she could stand that. Was AJ right? She couldn't think about that right now. She had to feed her boys. Aiden started fussing in his stroller.

"Okay boys, time for dinner." She said gathering up their belongings.

"Can AJ come too, Mom, and maybe we can watch the Avengers when we get home and I can show AJ that Captain America is way better than Iron Man?" He looked so hopeful.

"AJ is a very busy man sweetheart may you should-"

"I'd love to come to dinner with you guys, Cameron, if it's okay with your mom."

Defeated, Elizabeth smiled at Cameron, "Well I guess it's settled, then. Let's head over to Kelly's!" Maybe it was a bad idea to get involved with AJ Quartermaine but there was something about him Elizabeth just couldn't resist even Cameron seemed to open up to him and he didn't like many people. The four of them gathered up the various things needed to take two boys to the park and headed out down the walkway. AJ gently rested his hand against her back as she pushed Aiden's carriage. Neither one of them noticed Jason had been watching them, anger burning in his blue eyes.