Liason, the new reality

I recommend reading "Liason What If" before reading this story. I will provide a summary of events, but it may be hard to follow if you haven't read the What If first. This story is a Liason endgame. Some characters are not written favorably. Some of the "What Ifs" changed Jason and Elizabeth's old reality. Some parts have changed to fit the storyline.

Disney and ABC own the rights to the show General Hospital. I do not own the characters, but I have borrowed from the storyline and changed the characters to fit the story.

Thank you to the reviewers who commented after my previous story was complete. I appreciate all reviews as they encourage me to continue writing.

Preview:

2023: Includes returning from Belize and waking up to their new reality.

Jason and Elizabeth return home after their "20th Wedding Anniversary Party" to review journals before their memories of their first reality disappear. They compare notes of what they begin reading the journals.

Elizabeth says, "Jason, these aren't the journals that I wrote. These are all new."

Jason finds a stack of letters. He says, "I can't find any of my old letters. These letters are not the same as the ones I wrote. What the fuck is going on?"

Elizabeth says, "Before we tackle those journals, I want to tour our home. It looks more lived in than a few weeks. Maybe we can note what is different from what we remember. Remember what is new." Elizabeth carries a notepad with her.

Jason Says, "That tree is new, or at least taller than I expected. There are more clothes in our closets." Jason searches through their drawers. He pulls out a drawer belonging to him. Inside is a velvet box. He hands it to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth says, "Jason, this is my original engagement ring." She looks at the inscription inside the band."20th EWM & JQM." She smiles and kisses him. Jason takes the ring and places it on her opposite hand. They continue with their search.

They open and close the door to the boys' rooms. They look more lived in, but Elizabeth doesn't want to invade their privacy. Jason opens the door to Audra's room. Elizabeth tears up, "Jason, I can't believe we have a daughter. I want to get to know her now, not wait until 2014."

"I know what you mean."

They walk in and touch and pick up items belonging to their daughter. Elizabeth rests her head on her husband's shoulder. "She is amazing, she's beautiful, funny, she loves her brothers."

They walk downstairs to the main level. There are two separate north-facing rooms. The first door has Elizabeth's name, and the second has Jake's name. Inside are shared art supplies. Elizabeth looks at pieces Jake has done over the years. They walk to her room, and Jason asks, "Is this the painting from when we met at the safe house?"

"It looks like it. I sketched Jake in your arms. But why would we need a safe house in this reality?" She turned the painting over, which said January 7-10, 2008. The Estates. "It looks like I painted it here." She replaces the painting to its place on the wall. I loved sneaking away to be alone at the safe house. I remember that time you were nibbling my neck and ears." Elizabeth wipes a tear away. In two weeks, we won't remember that."

"That's why we are writing everything down." They exit the room and look at paintings in the hallway. "Elizabeth, isn't that your painting of 'The Wind?' I thought you said you destroyed it after Jake's kidnapping with the Russians?"

"I did. Maybe Jake wasn't kidnapped in this version. Or maybe I wasn't pissed at you."

"Let's see the rest of the house and then read those journals."

Between spending time with family, Elizabeth and Jason spend the next two weeks reading the journals and making notes comparing them to what they remember. Elizabeth types notes on her laptop. Jason reads aloud, and they occasionally argue about their perceptions. Cameron returns to Stanford. Jake and Aiden return to high school from winter break, and Audra joins classmates Leo, James, Rocco, and Georgie Spinelli in primary school.

As each day draws closer to the two-week deadline, Jason and Elizabeth both fear and anticipate; they wonder when they will wake up alone and what will happen. One night, after printing out pages and pages of notes, Jason locks them in their safe. Elizabeth places a sticky note to not read until December 27, 2023. Elizabeth says, "I hope we have this house in our new reality. I hope these notes remain in this safe."

Jason laughs, "Do you think they will self-destruct one morning like in Mission Impossible?"

Laughing, "I never imagined you watching movies. I thought you'd spend your time doing other things."

"Sam liked those movies, so we'd order Chinese takeout and watch. She liked Tom Cruise."

"Those were good movies, but I prefer the old TV series. Those messages had a unique way of self-destructing before CGI got in the way."

There's something I've been curious about since we woke up the morning after we created Jake. You made me breakfast but mentioned you didn't cook and ate a lot of Chinese takeout with Sam. What's the deal with that? Why not pizza, or take out from Eli's…or?"

Jason laughs, "Or soup? I think I've had my fill of soup for decades. Seriously, Sam liked Chinese food, and she was obsessed with those figurines. She didn't want to spend time cooking. I didn't mind cooking, but I'm not as good as Sonny."

"Jason, you are a great cook. Besides that breakfast, we've had great meals since your return from the dead."

"Elizabeth…"

"Jason, I'm scared. I know that these journals say we have been married for 20 years, but what if…"

"Elizabeth, I love you. I'm happy whether we've been married for a few weeks or 20 years. I believe in us."

"I love you too. I hope we don't make the same mistakes our younger selves did."

1/10/2024 Jason and Elizabeth crawl into bed, holding each other before falling asleep.