Written in 60 minutes.

By the time Edward had walked their lawyer to the door, his confidence in their ultimate goal had been restored. After all, he was Edward Quartermaine — he’d contributed to all the right people, spread money in the right places—his legal team would run right over some dinky family court judge, and Justus—well, Justus was a fine lawyer, but he was a bleeding heart liberal. No match for anyone ruthless.

Edward recounted all these facts to Alan before dinner that night, and Alan accepted that his father didn’t believe they were in trouble, but Alan couldn’t quite find that confidence. It was one thing to orchestrate all of these things when Jason hadn’t been aware or fighting back—

It was another to sit in a court room and active oppose what his own son wanted to do. Even if that son didn’t remember his life or choices he’d made before the accident. Jason was still Alan’s child, and all of this turmoil weighed on him.

“Well?” Monica rose as soon as Alan entered the family room. “What’s going on? What does Edward say?”

Alan closed the door behind him, made a face. “Father remains convinced, but I’m not so sure. I know you’re angry that we took it this far, Monica, but I remain convinced it was the only way to do right by Jason. The power of attorney alone wouldn’t have given us the right to protect Jason’s trust fund. When he comes to his senses and realizes we only want what’s best, he’ll understand.”

“I just wish you’d told me,” Monica said. She paced the length the room. “It was humiliating to be confronted that way, in front of Lois who has never understood what it means to be a Quartermaine. For all my faults, Alan, I always did.”

Alan wasn’t so sure about that since Monica had once tried to bankrupt ELQ and tossed them out of the house but that had been more than a decade and two remarriages ago, so it was water under the bridge. “I was worried that you’d begun to soften towards Elizabeth. That you might think Father and I had gone too far—”

“I was,” Monica muttered. “I thought she was making the right choice, walking away from Jason. Not showing up here, begging to see him. I thought she’d learned about the memory loss and had cut her losses. But she was just regrouping. And it worked—” She whirled to face him, her eyes a bit desperate now. “It worked, Alan! How can that be possible? Jason has rejected every damn piece of the life we worked so hard to give him, but her? Her he wants to keep?”

“Monica—”

“It’s just like before,” Monica muttered. She resumed her pacing, one arm wrapped around her waist protectively, the other nibbling at her fingernails. “Just like it. Do you remember when he came to you to pay that girl’s tuition at some ridiculous art school? They weren’t even dating—and she’d almost talked him into giving her a hundred thousand dollars—”

“I wish you wouldn’t let that upset you—”

“And you know she got pregnant to trap him. It’s the oldest trick in the book! Jason’s too careful—especially after what happened to Stone Cates—She probably poked holes in the damn condom—” Monica took a deep breath, turned back to Alan. “And just when I thought there was some use to her, when I thought at least we’d have that precious child to love—that reckless girl destroyed everything—”

Alan stopped her, placing his hands at her shoulders. “Darling, don’t get so upset. Father and I are managing this—”

“But you said you’re not so sure. You said—”

“I said that I’m not so sure things on Wednesday go as well as he thinks. I wouldn’t be surprised if the judge grants an injunction—”

“Alan!”

“Monica, what do you think the family court is going to do? Jason’s perfectly capable of making this decision. He can choose to be married, just as he could before the accident. And if he went out and married the first idiot off the street, I’d tell you that we’d have to live with that. But he didn’t choose this marriage, and I don’t think it’s fair to allow it to stand when we know Jason wanted differently before the accident. A judge is going to see that if Jason can choose to get married now, then he can choose to stay married.”

“What if we told the judge everything we know? I could tell them about the last conversation Jason and I—”

“You could. But it would be hearsay, Monica.” Alan sighed. “I wish we had some proof of what he was planning, but we might be out of luck.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” she demanded. “Just let her keep dragging our son down into the mud? If Jason gets his trust fund back, what’s to stop him from putting her name right back on it—”

“Jason saw through her once, my dear. I’m going to try to convince Father not to fight too hard on Wednesday. This won’t be won in a court of law, but public opinion. Jason’s public opinion. All we have to do is make sure he sees Elizabeth for who we know she is.”

“Why couldn’t he have fallen for Sarah?” Monica muttered. She dropped onto the sofa. “A perfectly lovely and ambitious girl. If it had to be a Webber, why not her?” She sighed. “I know you’re right, Alan. It’s just…she managed to convince him to do this in a matter of weeks. We had two months with him, and somehow—” She closed her eyes. “Why does he want her and not us? Why?”

“I don’t know. But we’ll get through this. I know we will.” He squeezed her hand. “Trust me.”

—

Elizabeth balanced the pizza box in one hand and reached for the phone with the other, turning to flash Jason a smile over her shoulder as he headed into the kitchen with the brown bags of groceries they’d picked up on their way home from working the happy hour shift. “Can you grab this?” she asked, holding out the pizza. “Hello?” she said into the phone.

“Elizabeth?”

“Em.” Elizabeth’s hand tightened around the phone, then she forced herself to relax. She hadn’t called her best friend in more than a week—and so much had changed.

“Lois called me this morning,” Emily said, her tone strangely flat and empty. “What the hell is going on in Port Charles and why didn’t you tell me?”

Jason retrieved the box, but didn’t return to the kitchen, his brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

Elizabeth pressed a hand to her forehead, wincing. “I was going to call you, but there’s been so much going on—”

“My grandfather put Jason in a conservatorship and you didn’t tell me? They’re trying to force a divorce, and you still didn’t tell me? They’re evicting you and you didn’t tell me? You got back together with my brother and you didn’t tell me. That didn’t all happen last week, Elizabeth.”

“No. No, it didn’t.” Elizabeth sat on the arm of the sofa. “It just kind of got out of control, and you were already back in school—”

“No, no! You don’t get to use that as an excuse—”

“Yeah, I do, Em. You’re three thousand miles away, and these calls aren’t cheap—”

“You’re married to a millionaire—”

“No, I’m married to a millionaire’s grandson, and you know there’s a difference. Jason’s trust fund doesn’t make him a millionaire—and this is a stupid argument. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to cause issues with you and your family—”

“This isn’t about you, Elizabeth! This is about my brother! He’s been through so much, and now I find out my family is trying to control him! I could have helped—what kind of friend are you that you let him be thrown out onto the street before you even lifted a finger to help?”

“Wait. What?” Elizabeth rubbed the back of her neck. “What are you talking about?”

“Lois told me that Dad and Grandfather got Jason fired from any job he tried to get and thrown out of every place he tried to live. How long were you going to let that keep going? Until he was desperate enough to need you?”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I didn’t know any of that was happening—”

“Sure. Okay, you just walked away from your husband without a second thought. I don’t buy that—”

“I don’t care what you believe, Emily, it’s the truth! I did the best I could, and you don’t get to judge me from across the country!”

“How can I judge you when you never tell me anything?” Emily accused. “Is that why Luke gave Jason and job? Because he couldn’t get one anywhere else? How long did it take before you talked him into moving back into the apartment?”

“I didn’t talk him into anything—” Elizabeth frowned when the phone was jerked out of her grasp.

Jason lifted it his ear. “Emily?” There was a pause. “No, she didn’t ask me for help. If you’re going to talk about me, why not say it to my face? No, I want to hear what you think Elizabeth is making me do. You can accuse her of doing it, why don’t you ask for my opinion?”

Elizabeth sighed, looked down at her hands, picking at a cuticle. A moment later, she heard the phone clatter as Jason set it back on the base with a hard rattle. “Who hung up, you or her?”

“She did. She said it wasn’t about me, it was between you two. So you tell me what she’s mad about.” Jason folded his arms, his jaw clenched. “What’s her problem?”

“I didn’t tell her about the conservatorship. I probably should have. She’s your sister—”

“I don’t know if I’d call her that.”

Elizabeth broke off, confused. “I thought you…you said you liked Emily and Lila.”

“Yeah, but—” Jason’s mouth tightened. “Never mind. It doesn’t have anything to do with her. What’s she going to do about it?”

“Yell at her grandfather, like that’s ever worked. Emily and I were really close growing up, but she went away to college, and it’s…we’ve drifted a little bit. Don’t worry about it. She gets mad for a week, then apologizes later.” Elizabeth headed for the kitchen. “Let’s put these away and eat before it gets cold.”

“Don’t brush me off like that. She was yelling at you about me, and I want to know.”

Elizabeth sighed, started to unpack one of the grocery bags. “I didn’t tell her what was going on. The power of attorney, either. She was so upset and scared for you, and the last thing I wanted to do was put her in the middle of what was happening with me and your—Alan and Monica. And Edward,” she added. She put the eggs in the fridge. “It just…I don’t know. I wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening. That’s how I’ve been handling everything for the last few months, honestly. Just don’t look directly at it.” She looked at him. “And she was back in California by the time I found out about the conservatorship. I’ve gotten used to not including Emily in my life. She’s hurt that I shut her out. That I kept her from helping you. She probably doesn’t even mean what she said—”

“You still didn’t tell me what that is.” Jason leaned against the fridge, blocking her from putting away anything else. “Just say it.”

“She thinks I knew you were basically homeless and I let it happen so you’d be desperate enough to need my help, and I’d be able to convince you to come back.”

“And is this what best friends do?” Jason wanted to know. “They accuse you of being manipulative?”

“That’s what Quartermaine best friends do,” she muttered. She bumped him out of the way and put away the milk.

“You lose your husband, your bank account with your money, your home is being threatened, and somehow that makes you the bad guy,” Jason said. “Why don’t you get mad? Why do you just take it?”

Elizabeth blinked. “What?”

“You just let her yell at you. You didn’t yell back. Why would you stay married to someone who wouldn’t defend you against his own family?” He shook his head, went over to pizza box. “I don’t understand that.”

Tears burned. “I didn’t need him to defend me. And I don’t want to yell back. I just want them to leave me alone. I wanted everyone to leave me alone, and they were doing that—”

“They were evicting you,” Jason said, looking at her like she was an idiot. “Trying to bankrupt you—”

“This is just a place. Okay? It’s four walls that I don’t even like. And I knew I could make it go away any time I wanted. All I had to do was agree to sign those divorce papers! I could have made it stop if I wanted to!”

“Then why didn’t you if none of this matters to you?” Jason challenged. “Why keep letting them beat you down?”

Her hands curled into a fist. “Because I made a promise. There are vows. You don’t remember making them to me, and that’s fine, but my memories weren’t erased. I made a promise. In sickness and in health. Honor. Cherish. Jason wouldn’t have let my family control me, and I wasn’t going to let them control you! Okay? I refused to sign those damn papers because they wouldn’t agree to end the conservatorship.” She scowled. “You don’t get to decide that’s not important.”

Jason leaned back against the counter. “So why didn’t you get pissed at Emily? Why do you only get mad at me?”

“I didn’t—” Elizabeth blinked, stepped back. “What? I didn’t get mad at you.”

“The first time we talked. You got angry with me because I was rude. I liked you better when you did that,” Jason added, and she just stared at him, bewildered. “And the next day—when I yelled at you, you yelled back. You didn’t tiptoe around me. Treat me like I was damaged. But you tiptoe around Emily. And the Quartermaines. Why?”

“I don’t—” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “I don’t know,” she said finally. She closed her eyes. “You think I’m a victim. That I make myself the victim.”

“I never said that—”

“Like I’m martyring myself,” Elizabeth muttered. “I’m not doing that. I’m not a victim. I’m just trying to survive.” She pressed a hand to her forehead. “What are we even fighting about?”

“I don’t know. But I like fighting with you,” Jason told her, and she laughed—just a short surprised burst exploding from her throat. She pressed her hands over her mouth, stifling the rest of it. “We’re done now, right? Do you still want to fight?”

“No. No, I don’t.” She closed the small distance between them, leaned up to kiss him. Jason’s hands immediately tangled in her hair—she fisted her hands in his shirt and started to back away, drawing him with her. “Have you ever had cold pizza?” she asked.

“What happened to waiting?” Jason wanted to know just as they reached the bedroom.

“Did you want to keep doing that?” she asked, her finger tips dancing underneath his shirt. “Because I could stop—” Elizabeth started to step away, but he yanked her back, his arm tight around her waist. “That’s what I thought.”

+31

Written in 68 minutes. Went slightly over, sorry!

Monica was a woman with many regrets, and she did her best not to to dwell on them for too long. After all, what was done was done and there was no point in being mired in endless self-pity. But she had a feeling going along with the decision to keep Jason’s marriage a secret would be one regret she’d find to difficult to forget.

After attending the Easter service at Queen of Angels with the rest of the family, Monica sought out her mother-in-law, hoping Lila would be willing to share some of her boundless wisdom and strength.

Instead, she found the elderly woman fretting in the parlor, Lois seated on the sofa, reassuring her that Jason would understand and believe no one had known. After all, Ned hadn’t told her either — Monica frowned at that — Lois was always complaining about the Quartermaines and their penchant for secrecy.

Ned was near the terrace, looking out the garden pensively. He turned when Monica entered, his scowl deepening. “You know, you could have shut this down months ago.”

“I fail to see how since none of us knew what Alan and Edward were up to.” Monica lifted her chin. “I don’t agree with their methods, but their goal—”

“Oh, come on!” Lois threw up her hands, surged to her feet. “What’s it gonna take for you to see you’re wrong about that girl! Ned says she’s been Emily’s best friend for years—”

“A best friend is hardly the same thing as a spouse,” Monica retorted. “And I don’t have to justify myself to you—”

“Well, no one ever could make me understand just what the problem was—sure they were young, and maybe having a kid so quick wasn’t the plan, but they were handling it—”

“Lois.” Ned touched his wife’s shoulder. “I don’t think this is helping—”

“For months you’ve all walked around this house trying to get Jason back into this family, and all you did was push him further away! A conservatorship, Monica! It’s awful, can’t you see it?”

“I don’t know that it was the best choice, but it’s not like Jason’s been under lock and key. He wanted to leave. They let him go—”

“Made it impossible for him to keep a job or a roof over his head,” Ned said. “I’m just surprised it took Luke a month to step in.”

“Elizabeth probably wanted to wait until Jason was desperate—”

“You’ve buried a daughter, you know,” Lois broke in, and Monica stumbled to a stop, stared at the younger woman. “Dawn, right? Ned told me about her—”

“Lois—”

“No, I’m sick of tip toeing around this! We’re gonna talk about it—you buried a daughter, and so did your daughter-in-law. Why couldn’t—”

“I’m not responsible for my daughter’s death,” Monica said tightly. “That’s the difference—”

“No one seriously believes Elizabeth wanted that accident—”

“She had a responsibility to my granddaughter, and she failed. Jason saw that —”

“Monica.”

Lila’s voice was soft, but unmistakable and the trio twisted to look to look at her. “I wish you wouldn’t caste such blame on that child. She nearly died herself, and whatever blame that might be hers, surely she’s paid for it in spades. I think we can afford a little grace. She buried her child before that precious baby could even blossom.”

Monica pressed a closed fist against her abdomen, took a deep breath. “I don’t doubt Elizabeth’s grief. And it’s not for you to understand why Alan and I didn’t approve of Jason marrying Elizabeth. He’s not your son—”

“Yeah, well, the rate you’re going? He’s never going to be yours again, either.”

Monica didn’t break eye contact with her nephew’s wife. “Ned, I think it’s time you and Lois went home to the gatehouse.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve had enough of this family for a life time,” Lois bit out, stalking from the room.

“I’m sorry she brought up Dawn, Monica, but Lois isn’t wrong,” Ned said gently. “Everything we’ve done to keep Jason close has only backfired. And this stunt of Grandfather and Alan? It won’t help anything.”

“Thank you for your concern, Ned, but it won’t be necessary.”

Ned shook his head, then headed for the doorway. Monica pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry for that scene. Lois hasn’t learned to mind her tongue yet.”

“As you have?” Lila asked, arching a brow. Monica frowned at her. “I notice you haven’t quite condemned this…this legal nonsense my husband has orchestrated. That your husband has supported. I wish you could have given Elizabeth a chance. If we’d taken her in, supported her—”

“She was just smarter than Nikki,” Monica cut in sharply. “Alan was able to find her price, but Elizabeth played the long game. You don’t know everything, Lila. Jason wouldn’t have told you of the times he gave her money. The attempts he made to draw on his trust fund so she could waste more time and money at some art school—and that was before she got pregnant. She would have kept taking from him if we couldn’t stop it. And the only reason there’s even money left in that account is Alan and Edward took control away from her.”

“I think Jason had a right to make his choice—”

“And his choice led him to have brains bashed in, so he got what he wanted, didn’t he? She should have cut her losses and moved on, but she didn’t. She waited and she found a way—” Monica shook her head. “Jason saw her for who she was once, and I just have to trust he’ll do it again.”

“What does that mean?” Lila asked, but Monica was already on her way out of the room, leaving the bewildered woman alone with her worries.

—

Across town, on Charles Street, another disapproving family was sitting down to Easter dinner—well, Laura had decided to reserve judgment, Luke thought, but his mind was made up on the whole thing.

Elizabeth had brought Jason after a last minute call that morning, and now the pair of them were in his house, Jason hovering behind Elizabeth, clearly uncomfortable around people he didn’t know or give a damn about.  Luke hadn’t much liked the Quartermaine scion before he’d had his memories scrambled and he wasn’t growing more fond as the days passed.

It had been a mistake, he thought, to ask the kid to come work for him. To take him in and give him shelter from the meddling Quartermaines. He’d thought Elizabeth would get a shock to the system — her husband was gone. Time to give up the ghost, and let Jason fight his own battles. Cut her losses, sign the divorce papers, and move on.

But instead, Jason had pulled Elizabeth back in, asking for her help. And now they were right back where they’d been before the accident — Elizabeth doing all the work, taking all the risks, and Jason reaping the benefits.

“What is your problem?” his sister Bobbie hissed after she caught Luke glaring at Jason’s back when they moved to the dining table. “You’re making everyone uncomfortable—”

“No, I’m not, and lay off, Barbara Jean. You don’t know the situation—”

“I know that you’ve been downright rude to Jason, and Laura is going to murder you if you keep it up—” Bobbie closed her mouth when the woman in question called after them to hurry up and take their seats.

Luke took his sister’s advice to heart — his misgivings weren’t anyone else’s problems, and the last thing he wanted was Elizabeth to think he wasn’t on her side. She was free to make her own mistakes, he thought, it was a free country and all that. So he forced a more genuine smile on his face, passed the mashed potatoes, and ignored the bottom feeder taking advantage of his favorite bar manager.

“Thank you for dinner,” Elizabeth said, kissing his cheek and hugging Laura. “And for the day off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Luke folded his arms, watched them head to Elizabeth’s car—Jason to the passenger side.

When their brake lights had disappeared around the corner, Laura’s smile vanished and she whacked Luke hard in the arm. “Hey!”

“What is your problem? And don’t ask what, I don’t want to play six rounds of dumb before you admit I’m right.” Laura stalked back into the house, and Luke reluctantly followed. Bobbie took one look at her sister-in-law’s expression and decided it was time to decamp.

“Well, this was a lot of fun, but Lucas and I are going to head out.”

“Yeah, tell Doc we were sorry to miss him,” Luke said. When his sister and son had left, he turned to Laura. “Look, I wasn’t that bad—”

“You don’t think Elizabeth knows you better than that? You were rude, Luke. To a guest in our home—”

“To a freeloader,” Luke muttered, heading for the kitchen. He yanked a beer out of the fridge. “I gave him a job I don’t even need to fill—”

“You needed a new bartender—”

“He’s terrible at it—”

“You asked him, Luke. You sought him out—”

“And that’s on me. He’s using her, Laura. Maybe he doesn’t know it,” Luke said. “I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt there. But they were working opposite shifts. She gave him what he needed to figure out the Q’s games, and then she was keeping her distance. Finally figuring out she’s better off without that bastard—”

“You didn’t have to like their financial arrangements—”

“He had millions of dollars in that trust—”

“Luke—”

“And now he’s living with her again. Using her to get out from under the Q’s thumb. Just like before. She was that idiot’s rebellion from his uptight, snooty family, and now she’s his ticket out of there again—”

Laura sighed, looked away, then met his eyes again. “What goes inside of a marriage is only known to the people in it. You know that, Luke. There are plenty of people who don’t think you and I should have even looked twice at each other. You think my mother was wild about you? Your sister hated me.”

“Yeah, but—”

“From the outside, sure, it looked like Jason was using Elizabeth to support him through medical school. But we don’t know why he didn’t want to use that money for more than tuition. And now, yes, it looks like he’s getting all the benefits—”

“They’re dating,” Luke said flatly. “Sonny told me that. How do you date your wife, Laura? You don’t. You’re married or you’re not. He’s stringing her along—”

“Luke—”

“And when he drops her, Elizabeth is going to hit bottom again. Because he might think she’s pretty and want to sleep with her. But he doesn’t love her, Laura. And she’s never  going to see that.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t want the world to fall apart again. She’s been through enough.”

“That isn’t a decision you or I get to make,” Laura said. “Just like it’s not on Alan or Monica or Edward Quartermaine. It’s for them.”

“He hurts her, I’m gonna scramble what’s left of his brains,” Luke muttered, grabbing his beer, and heading for the living room.

—

Jason hadn’t noticed Luke’s rudeness or caught any of the dark looks Laura had sent her husband — mostly because he thought the club owner was like that with everyone. So he didn’t think much about dinner once they’d left the house.

It was good to have something to do that wasn’t working behind the bar or taking a ride on the bike, he thought, trailing behind Elizabeth as they walked up to the apartment. It was a good thing Elizabeth had started that conversation about hobbies. He needed something to fill the extra time he had now that he wasn’t worried about where he’d work or sleep.

“Um…it’s still early,” Elizabeth said, taking the jacket from her and hanging it in the small closet by the door. “I don’t know what you want to do. Or maybe you don’t want to do anything. I could make coffee or—”

“What would you normally do?” Jason asked.

She bit her lip, shrugged. She kicked off her low heels, leaving her feet bare as she padded towards the kitchen. “Watch TV or a movie. Lately, go to sleep.” She went into the fridge, found a can of soda. “You want one?”

“I’m good. You can watch something. I don’t care.”

“I guess.” She sat on the sofa, but didn’t reach for the remote. “What would you normally do?”

“Go for a walk.” He sat at the other end of the sofa. “Find somewhere under the docks to sleep. It wasn’t so bad,” he added when she made a face. “And it was only once or twice.”

Elizabeth stood up again, smoothing her hands down the sides of the dress she wore — it reminded him of the color of butter, he thought, as she went to a shelf by the desk. There was a stereo with racks of cassette tapes. She switched it on, fiddled with a knob, filling the room with low sounds of music.

“Um, I listen to music, too. Have you? I mean, is it something you like?”

Jason listened to the song that had been switched on. It was loud, like things were crashing against each other. He winced. “Was it before?”

“Yeah. Hold on—” Elizabeth slid her fingers down one stack, took out a cassette, then popped it into the stereo. “This was one of your favorite songs—”

The loud, crashing music was replaced with a more laid back guitar.

I would like to reach out my hand I may see you,
I may tell you to run (on my way, on my way)

“It’s okay,” he said, though he didn’t know if he really thought it. What was the point of sitting and listening to music? “Uh, do we just…listen?”

She smiled now, and for the first time since they’d gotten home, some of the nerves eased. “Sometimes, yeah. But you can do other things. Like, I used to listen to certain songs to clean, or driving—sometimes you just want the right music for that. You used to study with music a lot.”

She switched something on the stereo. “This is a good radio station for that. Have you, um, tried dancing?” She glanced back at him.

“No. I don’t think I’d like it,” Jason admitted.

So don’t try to deny it, pretty baby
You’ve been down so long you can hardly see

“Well, you won’t know until you try.” Elizabeth held out a hand, and he reluctantly let her pull him to his feet. She was right — maybe he’d like it, but he’d watched people at Luke’s, and it didn’t really look like a lot of fun.

“So…what do I do?” Jason asked. He made a gesture with his hands. “Are people born knowing how to do this? Because—”

The right time to roll to me
The right time to roll to me
The right time to roll to me, ooh

“You just sort of—” Elizabeth reached out for his other hands, and she did something with her hips that looked right, but then he tried it and it was so wrong she almost started laughing.

“Okay, so maybe this kind of dancing isn’t right—”

“Are there others?” he asked skeptically.  The song on the radio faded, and a slower one came on. “I could do this one — it doesn’t move fast.”

Close your eyes, make a wish
And blow out the candlelight

Elizabeth glanced at the stereo with narrowed eyes, then sighed, looking back at him. “Yeah, this would be easier,” she admitted. She stepped closer to him. “You just…”

“Oh. Yeah, I’ve seen people do this.” Jason lifted his hands, set them at her hips, and she slid her arms around his neck. “It’s just…swaying.”

“Yeah, it’s easier. Especially when you don’t have any rhythm.”

For tonight is just your night

We’re gonna celebrate
All through the night

“I definitely don’t think dancing is for me,” Jason said, but maybe he could learn to like this kind. He’d seen people at the clubs, dancing like this, though usually they were closer, but remembering their conversation earlier that day—

I will do anything
Girl you need only ask

He looked down at her, but Elizabeth had looked away, staring more at his shirt, then at him. Jason frowned. “Am I doing it wrong?”

“What?” Now her eyes flew to his, startled. “No, it’s um, fine, it’s just—”

And I will not let go
‘Til you tell me to

“I like this,” Jason decided, and she smiled faintly, the blush flooding her cheeks, then down her neck, to her chest. Elizabeth bit her lip, but she didn’t look away now. Somehow, she stepped closer to him, or maybe he’d moved—

Anything that you ask
I will give you the love of your life

“I like it, too,” she confessed. Her hand slid down his chest, the other stayed around his neck, and her gaze held his, her pretty blue eyes that he wouldn’t mind looking at for the rest of the night.

And I will not let go
‘Til you tell me to

The song faded around them, and the radio moved into a faster, more upbeat song, and Elizabeth stepped back. “I think we’ve established, though, that music isn’t going to be your thing.”

“No, but the dancing is okay.” Jason still held her hand, and he raised it up, turning it over so that her palm was facing up. Her skin was soft, he thought, and he liked touching it. The feel of the smoothness against his tougher, rougher fingers.

“I should, um, change. And go to bed. I… have inventory  tomorrow,” Elizabeth managed. She leaned up, kissed him lightly, then tugged away, making her escape.

Songs: Send Me On My Way (Rusted Root), Roll To Me (Del Amitri), and I’ll Make Love To You (Boyz II Men). All songs charted on Billboard Hot 100 1995.

+22

Written in 64 minutes.

Alan checked the hallway once more before sliding into the study, and closing the door firmly behind him. “Well? Have you gone through the papers?”

Edward scowled, tossed the petition aside. “I don’t know what that boy thinks he’s doing, going against the family like this, and you! We’re in this position because of you!”

Alan lifted his brows. Instead of rising to the bait and giving his father the fiery response he’d wanted, Alan said, “So it’s bad then, isn’t it?”

“It’s fine,” Edward growled. “It’s all supposition, and-and rumors! Justus thinks this will get him a leg up in the conservatorship—he wants that ridiculous child to be appointed instead of me!” He huffed. “Can you imagine?”

“Well—”

“And don’t think I’m letting you off the hook! You told me to leave it alone! You said to give it time! Well, what we do we have? That girl got her hooks into him just like she did before his brains got scrambled—”

“Father—” Alan winced. “I don’t know if we can really speak about him the way. After all, you thought he’d be crawling back by now—”

“That was before I realized that girl is more conniving than I thought.” Edward stalked over to the window. The early morning sun rose over the rose garden outside, and Edward could almost see Lila working with the flowers, on her hands and knees, the way she’d been before she’d been relegated to the wheelchair. Her grandchildren at her side.

Jason, that bright, shining boy with so much purpose—

“How did she do it?” Edward muttered. “At every step, he’s rejected his old life. He refused all our efforts to show him who he used to be. He rebelled. He broke furniture. He destroyed his room. He shattered that damn window—but two weeks with that girl—less than two—and he’s agreeing to file paperwork to stop the divorce we worked so hard to arrange—”

“Father—”

“How did she do it?” Edward repeated, turning to his son, his eyes blazing. “How did she convince him to keep the one piece of his life he should have been eager to discard! She hid the truth from him for months—”

“Well, Father, it seems to me that we underestimated his hostility towards us.” Alan sighed when Edward scowled. “It’s possible he’s aware that we’re behind the lost jobs. Ruby and that woman who ran the bar — they were under orders not to tell him why he was being kicked out, but maybe he connected the dots on his own.”

“The doctors said—”

“The doctors said that they couldn’t measure the damage fully. All we know is that his long-term memories are gone. Retrograde amnesia combined with the damage to the frontal lobe—he’s impulsive. His filter is gone,” Alan continued. “He doesn’t have the same reasoning abilities he once had. Though he never completed the hospital tests,” he admitted with a rueful sigh. “So it’s possible we’ve been operating with a faulty thesis. Perhaps Jason is more capable than you or I gave him credit for—”

“What are you telling me—”

“If he underperformed on the tests in the hospital purposely,” Alan continued, “and it seems to me that’s likely, then we created the circumstances that made him vulnerable to Elizabeth’s story. After all, consider it from her perspective. What do you suppose she’s told him?”

Edward bristled. “That we barred her from her husband’s hospital room, kept her from the estate, stole her money, and are trying to steal her home.” He gripped the back of his desk chair. “I see your point.”

“We cut Jason’s access to money, and when he left, we made sure he couldn’t find a job or a place to live. Now, you and I know we were only trying to encourage him to come home. To be with his family. But Luke went to find him. And instead of being angry that Elizabeth kept the truth from him, she’s spun it so she’s the victim. Just like he is.”

“If we could only make him understand that we were doing what was best for him. What I know he’d want if he knew the truth—”

“Once she was pregnant, Father, there was no chance Jason would ever see Elizabeth for who she really is.” Alan paused. “Can Justus win on Wednesday? Have you talked to the lawyer?”

“He’s not sure,” Edward muttered. “He says it’s a crapshoot. No one’s ever done this before. If Jason walks in there, looking capable and of sound mind, a judge is going to have questions.”

“I think we need to talk about what our goals are. And adjust to this. If you’re still of the mind that you want Jason back in this house and away from Elizabeth, well, then we might need to make some concessions on Wednesday. We’ve lost the opportunity tell Jason what really happened. We have to work with what’s left and not alienate him further.”

—

Across town, Elizabeth was doing everything she could not to think about the upcoming court hearing. Or that she’d relegated Jason to the sofa while she laid in her bed half the night, thinking of him lying out here, in nothing more than a pair of gray sweatpants that were so much more revealing than she’d ever—

“I was thinking,” Elizabeth said, curling up in a corner of the sofa with a legal pad and pencil in her hand. “About what we talked about last night. About you not knowing what you like to do.”

Jason, at the end of the sofa, frowned at her, his coffee mug halfway to his mouth. “Yeah?”

“Well, you have time now, right? We’re both off today. And Luke said I had to stop working seven days a week,” she said with a curl of her lip. “We could make a list of stuff to try.”

“A list?” Jason repeated. He shifted on the sofa so that he faced her. “Like what?”

“Well, I don’t know. I was looking through some magazines, and if you’re okay, I was wondering if you want to start with some of the hobbies you had before,” she said. “I mean, maybe you might still like that stuff.”

“Uh, okay. I guess that makes sense.” Jason set the coffee on the table. “Like what?”

“Well, sports. I know you said you don’t watch television or movies because the pictures move, but there’s playing sports right? You played hockey in high school and college.” Elizabeth frowned, tapped the pencil against the pad. “But you don’t like people.”

“No, not so far, I don’t.”

“Yeah, so the other sports are out—well, what about running? And, um—” She bit her lip, stared at the legal pad. “You, um, work out, right? With weights.” She glanced up. “You didn’t…well, you didn’t before,” she muttered.

“Then how did you know?” Jason asked, drawing his brows together. “Did Emily tell you, or—”

She cleared her throat, then gestured at him. “You look, um, different. Like—in the biceps. And—” The abs. And chest. And it was how it had all gone stupid and insane a few days ago—she hadn’t noticed the physical changes, and then he’d been shirtless, and she’d just wanted to—

“Anyway. So that’s a yes?” she asked.

Jason tilted his head, peering at her, and she wondered if she was flushed all over. She certainly felt like everything was on fire, and damn it—her chest was probably red—

“That’s a yes,” he said slowly. “I had some physical therapy at the hospital, and the weight training because I’d been laying down for almost two weeks. And there was a gym at the house. When I got too frustrated or angry, which was all the time—I went there.” He stretched out an arm, flexed it—

“Don’t do that,” she hissed under her breath, clenching the pencil tightly.

Jason frowned. “What did you say?”

“I said you should talk to Sonny,” Elizabeth said. “He’s got a gym. They’ve got a boxing ring down there, too. He’d get you set up with access or whatever.”

“Yeah, okay. But that’s not what you said.”

She cleared her throat. “Uh, what about other physical stuff, like—”

“You said you wanted to go to art school.”

Elizabeth blinked. “What?”

“You were supposed to go to art school,” Jason said, “but I don’t see any art supplies around. Did you stop doing that or something?”

“I don’t…”  She slid her hand across the legal pad. “I had a studio. Where I used to live before I moved in here with you. I used to go there. I haven’t in a few months. I…I was going to give it up, but Sonny…he found out and prepaid the rent for the year. He said I’d change my mind.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I guess…I mean, we’re talking about you like to do or might like to do. It’s fair to…ask me. I just haven’t felt inspired in a few months. That’s all.” She set the pad on the table. “I called Luke while you were in the shower. If you still wanted to go to dinner, it’s okay.”

“Yeah, I still want to go.” Jason caught her arm as she stood and tumbled her back to the sofa, only this time she was sitting almost on top of him. “You noticed I worked out.”

“I—” Elizabeth winced. “Yes. You just…look, we already went through this, okay? This is how it started, and we’re not starting it now.”

“Starting what?” But he was grinning when he asked it and she rolled her eyes.

“You’ve got a one-track mind,” she muttered.

“Am I not supposed to think about that when I look at you?” Jason wanted to know.

“When you—” She stared at him. “What?”

“You think about it when you look me.” He leaned in, brushed his lips just beneath her ear, and she sighed. “You get all red. From here—” He touched her forehead, then his finger stroked her cheek — “to here—” and then he traced the edge of her scoop-necked shirt. “To here.”

“You—” Elizabeth stopped. “I forgot what I was going to say,” she muttered.

“And I was trying to remember,” Jason continued, “if you were red all over, but I didn’t really spend a lot of time looking—”

She clapped both her hands over his mouth. “Oh, man, you’ve got to stop that,” she muttered. She jolted when the tip of his tongue darted out and licked the inside of her palm. “Oh, you—”

“It upsets you that I think you’re beautiful?” Jason asked, frowning. “Or that I think about you all the time—”

“You think about—” Elizabeth took a deep breath, and slowly slid away from him. “You think about sex all the time,” she corrected. “And I’m in front of you. I’m the only woman you’re around—”

“I lived at Jake’s for over a week. There were women there,” Jason told her, and she made a face. “There was this one blonde. She came back a few times, and I thought about it, but then I got kicked out. I could have gone back,” he said.

Elizabeth sighed, and now some of the flush was gone. Reality was setting in, reminding her why she’d put the brakes on in this area. “That’s my point. If you went back there tonight, and she was there, you could—”

“But I don’t want to now. I like you.”

“Okay. Sex is fun, okay? It is, and it was fun the other day, too. Not just fun, but good.” She bit her lip. “But it means something to me, that’s all. And I don’t sleep with just anyone. I don’t judge people who do, but it’s just not for me. I want to care about someone before we’re together that way.”

Jason considered this. “Why?”

“I—” Elizabeth hesitated. “I—women get a different message about sex growing up. You know, if you sleep with a lot of guys, you’re a slut. Like, there something wrong with you. And…maybe it’s because…well, it’s personal. I mean, you’re seeing me naked. And you’re—” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Well, I don’t know what it’s like for lesbians or whatever, but having sex with a guy means, you know, you’re inside me. Which sounds so crude,” she muttered, “but that’s what it boils down to. For me, anyway. I’m not speaking for all women. Just me. And I like you, Jason. You—the guy in front of me. But I want more than someone to share a bed with. And maybe I don’t know if you want more than that.”

Jason had been listening to her as she stumbled through the explanation, and he didn’t look mad or annoyed like another man might. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Elizabeth repeated. “What does that mean?”

“Okay. It makes sense, and it’s important to you, so it’s important to me. So I won’t talk about it until you want me to—”

“Oh, I didn’t—” Elizabeth made a face. “See now, I’m just a floozy, because I kind of like it when you say that stuff—except it makes me all—” She wiggled her shoulders. “I don’t know. I want you to be you, and say what you’re thinking.”

“So don’t stop?” Jason echoed, bewildered. “But you told me to—”

“Yeah, I know—” she sighed. “I’m a mess. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I just want to make sure I understand. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t like when you cry,” he told her, and she smiled faintly.

“You weren’t hurting me earlier. It’s just…you start talking about it, and I start thinking about it, and then all my morals go out the window, and I start thinking about—never mind. Let’s talk about something. Anything else.”

“Okay. We could work on that list more,” he offered. “We only found one thing. Do you have more ideas?”

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