Song: Rest in Pieces (Saliva)

But could you find it in your heart
To make this go away
And let me rest in pieces?
(Let me rest in pieces)
Would you find it in your heart
To make this go away
And let me rest in pieces?
(Let me rest in pieces)
— Saliva, Rest in Pieces

1

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she murmured, tilting her head back and moaning as his lips scorched a trail down her throat.

“I know.” His fingers fumbled with the buttons on her shirt before pushing the fabric off her shoulders. It slid to the floor, forgotten immediately.

“We’re going to stop,” she tried again, sliding her fingers into his short hair. He backed her up to the couch and they fell over the arm of it, their legs tangling together.

“Right now,” he breathed, his calloused hands smoothing over her porcelain skin.

“It’s just going to complicate things,” she managed to say before their lips found each other again.

“I think they’re already complicated,” he told her, raising his head. His eyes searched hers. “Do you really want to stop?”

He would if she said the word and she knew that. All she’d have to do is say yes and he’d put his shirt and his boots back on and he’d leave.

“No,” she whispered. “I don’t want to stop.”

Still, he hesitated and she frowned. He glanced away. “I don’t have anything.”

“I don’t care,” she replied softly. She freed a hand from where it was trapped between their bodies and touched his cheek. “Do you want to stop?”

And just as quickly as the hesitation had entered his eyes, it was gone and he lowered his lips to hers again.

The memory faded from her mind as she stared at Dr. Meadows. “Are you sure?” she asked softly.

“Yes, without a doubt,” the obstetrician remarked. “Are you all right?”

Elizabeth nodded, numbly. She stood. “I’ll call and make another appointment,” she whispered. She left the office without another word.

Once outside, she leaned against the wall, her mind racing. What the hell was she going to do? Telling him was out of the question – it had to be, he was getting married in three days. To her knowledge, he’d never told his fiancée about that night.

She’d been on the docks–on her way home from her lawyer’s office. She and Ric had finally finalized their divorce and she was finally free from him.

She had so many plans–so many ideas on what she wanted to do. She wanted to convince Emily to run away to the city for a few days or maybe finish school.

Jason had been sitting on the bench when she came down the stairs and she paused to talk to him. He’d offered to walk her home…and somehow one thing led to another.

She still wasn’t quite sure who made the first move or what had spurred either of them to do it, but they’d made love right on her couch–three times if she remembered right.

The next morning, she’d woken up and he was gone.

When she’d seen him again, he was dropping Courtney off at work and things seemed to be normal between them and when she’d seen Jason kiss Courtney goodbye, she’d made a decision not to talk or think about that night again.

But now…

“Hey, are you okay?”

Elizabeth tuned back into her surroundings and saw Zander standing in front of her, concern written across his features. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Are you okay?” He reached out and touched her shoulder. “You look kind of pale.” He smirked. “More so than usual.”

She managed a weak smile. “No. I’m not okay. Not at all.”

2“Here, drink this,” he told her, shoving the coffee across the table at her. She stared at down into the thick black liquid and she started to cry.

Alarmed, Zander pulled it back quickly. “Whoa, babe. What’s going on?”

“I can’t drink coffee,” she said between hitching sobs.

“Well, you’re probably better off without it,” he replied. “This stuff will put hair on your chest. Elizabeth, will please tell me what’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath, looked into his concerned brown eyes and blurted it out. “I’m pregnant.”

Zander sat back and looked away. “Oh. And you don’t want to tell Ric. Well, that’s understandable–”

“It’s not Ric’s baby,” she whispered breathlessly, her eyes huge and terrified.

He stared at her and swallowed hard. “I’m guessing it’s not Lucky’s.”

She shook her head.

“Oh.” He shifted and stared at the doors to the hospital cafeteria. “I didn’t realize you two were together because well…he is getting married in a few days.”

“I know.” She sighed and looked down at the table. “It was just….it happened just once. I don’t even know how it happened. He found me on the docks one night. I’d just finalized my divorce and we were talking so he walked me home. And the next thing I knew, we were all over each other,” she admitted.

“And when it was over?” Zander prompted.

“He spent the night and when I woke up, he was gone. The next time I saw him, he was with Courtney so I wrote it off as a mistake on his part.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know how it could have been. He seemed so sure–I mean, he asked me if I wanted to stop a few times and it wasn’t like it was just once, you know? We made love three times and each time, we were conscious of the fact we didn’t have protection.” She searched Zander’s face. “Does that sound like someone who’s making a mistake?”

“No,” Zander answered her, honestly. “It sounds like a guy who knew exactly what he was doing.”

“I can’t tell him,” she whispered. “I mean, it’ll destroy his life. I’m almost positive he never said a word to Courtney a-and they’re getting married. How can I tell him?”

“I don’t think that’s what’s bothering you,” Zander told her.

“It’s not?”

“You’re thinking of course you have to tell him. Of course he has to know.” Zander shook his head. “You know you’ve already decided to tell him.”

“Every time I think I’ve decided not to tell him, I remember the way he looked when he’d talk about Michael,” Elizabeth admitted. She looked away. “He loved that little boy so much, Zander. How can I take that away from him?”

“Which is why you already decided to tell him.”

“Yeah…I know.” She rubbed her forehead. “I mean, logically what happens to Courtney is his problem. She’s his fiancée. He cheated on her. None of that has anything to do with me.”

“Of course it does.”

“It does?”

“Well, yeah,” Zander shrugged. “You’re also his friend. Not just a one-night stand. You’ve been his friend for years, you’ve been his sister’s best friend for even longer. So of course that matters to you. If you’d been a random girl he’d picked up, you wouldn’t have gave a damn.”

She sighed. “Yeah…were you always this smart?”

“Naw, I think it’s a new improvement.”

She stood. “I guess I’d better go face the music.”

3
“You said it was an emergency.”

The last time he’d been standing in her studio, it’d be a few seconds before he’d kissed her and now…it just felt awkward for him to be back here.

She’d spent the last hour waiting for him to get here–an hour in which she’d thought carefully about the events of that night and she’d concluded that he’d made the first move–he’d kissedher.

“I’m glad it wasn’t a real emergency because I would have been dead by the time you got here,” she began shortly.

He narrowed his eyes. “So if this isn’t an emergency–”

“It’s not one of life or death, but it certainly felt like an urgent matter to me.” She shrugged. “Besides, I thought you wouldn’t come otherwise.” She paused a moment before just saying it. “I’m pregnant.”

He stared at her, his mouth parted, his eyes wide and for the first time, Elizabeth knew she’d really shocked Jason.

“And just in case you’re interested, it is your child, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Elizabeth told him hesitantly, not all that sure he would challenge that fact.

“I wouldn’t…” Jason shook his head. “That wasn’t what I was thinking at all.”

“So…what are you thinking?” she asked softly. She folded her arms and looked away. “Because it’s crossed my mind that the whole night was a mistake and I’ve spent the last month trying to convince myself of that except that I don’t think that at all.”

“I don’t think it was a mistake either,” Jason admitted. “But it’d be a lot easier if we both did.”

“Why? Why did you leave and why have you spent that last month pretending it didn’t happen?” Elizabeth asked, her voice taking on a pleading note.

“Do you remember the day that you came to the penthouse to tell me Emily was awake and you and Courtney got into that fight?” Jason asked.

“You mean when Courtney jumped down my throat?” Elizabeth corrected. “Yeah.”

He exhaled slowly. “After you left, she accused me of wanting you back–of never getting over you. That I wanted to be with you because you could give me what she can’t–a child.”

Elizabeth paled and she took a step back. “You wanted to get me pregnant?” she asked, stricken.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “That’s not it at all. That’s just what Courtney said. But I denied all of those things when she said it and when I woke up that morning, with you in my arms, I realized I lied to her and I didn’t even know it.”

Elizabeth hesitated. “I don’t understand.”

“All those things Ric and Courtney said when we started talking again–that we wanted to be together, that we never got over each other…we both denied them every step of the way. And I realized that morning I’d been lying to her, to you and to myself.”

“So you realized you wanted me back so you went home to Courtney,” Elizabeth said slowly.

“I know it doesn’t make any sense,” he told her.

“You’re right. It doesn’t.” She dragged her hand through her hair and turned to look out the window. “I guess it doesn’t matter. You went home to her. In the end, you still wanted her more.”

“No, that’s not true–”

“It has to be since she’s the one you’re marrying in three days,” Elizabeth cut in. She turned back around. “None of that matters. I had to tell you that I was pregnant and now I have. So what do you want to do about it?”

He exhaled slowly. “I guess we have to talk about our options.”

She bit her lip. “I know it would be the easiest and quickest way to deal with this–you wouldn’t even have to tell her anything but I want it real clear that I am not even willing to consider–”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jason interrupted. He frowned at her. “Do you honestly think I would ask you to abort our child?”

“When people say options in regards to pregnancy, that’s usually what they mean,” Elizabeth remarked coldly.

“Not when I say it,” Jason snapped.

“Fine,” Elizabeth replied. “Then what did you mean? There’s very few options that I can think of. You go home, you tell Courtney and the two of you deal with this. We raise this child with joint custody. Or you decide that this is something you don’t want to deal with and you go home and we forget this conversation ever happened. Or you figure out who really want to be with and we raise this child together. What do you want to do?”

“You’re not even willing to discuss this?” Jason demanded. “You’re just leaving the ball in my court?”

“It’s been in your court all along,” Elizabeth replied simply. “You just refused to play.”

4
Her jaw felt unattached to the rest of her head–no matter how much she moved it up and down, it didn’t feel like it was part of her face anymore. It was an odd feeling, but so was the fog she was fighting through as she sat on the couch, staring into space.

When the last the time she’d taken a pill? An hour? Twenty minutes ago? She blinked and stared at the coffee table where her glass of water and a half-empty bottle of hydrocodone sat. Had it been longer than that? Had she even had any all day?

Somewhere in the distance a door open and she heard a voice start to speak. “Courtney. We have to talk.”

She turned her head to look at her fiancé, but it took almost a year it felt like and by the time she could finally focus on him, his words had already started to fade. She heard things like “care” and “family” and “three days” but she squinted and tried to pay more attention when the words “Elizabeth” and “spent the night with” were put together.

“Wait, what did you say?” Courtney said. She stood on shaky legs and tried to focus on the conversation. Why was the room spinning?

“Last month, I slept with Elizabeth,” Jason repeated. He narrowed his eyes. She looked kind of distant–almost sleepy. Had he woken her up? “And she’s pregnant.”

That got through. Elizabeth, the perfect pretty little china doll, had gotten her hooks back into Jason and now she’d given him the one thing that Courtney could never give him. A child.

“Well, that’s just great,” Courtney declared, grandly sweeping her arms, her movements just a little off and she stumbled a bit.

“Are you drunk?” he asked, curiously. He tilted his head to the side and took a step towards her. “Have you been drinking?”

“So, what is it? You wanted a child that bad you decided to screw your ex-girlfriend or was it because you j-just couldn’t resist her?” Her cheeks felt wet. She idly brought her fingertip to her skin and frowned. Was she crying?

He took another step towards her, genuinely concerned now. “Courtney–”

“So, you leaving me now?” she demanded, her voice rising and bordering on hysteria. “Is that what you came to do? Y-you calling off the wedding and you’re going to be with her now?”

She stumbled forward and managed to move away from him when he reached out to steady her arm.

“I was right wasn’t I?” Courtney cried. She tried to glare at him, but he was spinning–or was she spinning? And he was wet–or was she crying? “You love her! You never loved me!”

He reached for her then and she wondered why until she realized that the entire room was tilting and then there was a sharp pain and her vision exploded in bright pain before blackness coated everything.

5
Carly rested her hands on her protruding abdomen and was about ready to scream. They’d bee at the hospital for hours now and they still weren’t any closer to finding out if Courtney was okay and why she’d been so spacey.

She’d known her best friend was acting a little oddly but with the upcoming wedding and her fertility problems, she hadn’t blamed her. So if Courtney had been a little distant–a little strange…Carly had shrugged it off.

But maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe her sister-in-law had taken up drinking or something.

Something was off–she could see it in the way Jason was pacing. Guilt was in his eyes–in his movements, she could feel it coming off his body in huge waves.

“Go talk to him,” she hissed at Sonny.

Sonny shook his head. “I won’t be any good. He just feels bad because he wasn’t able to catch her before she hit the pool table.”

“Yeah,” Carly said before looking at Jason again. She didn’t think that was true at all, but she let it go.

6
She waited all night for him to come back and as the colors of the morning streaked across the sky, Elizabeth knew he wasn’t. The last time he’d promised to come back, she’d waited up all night for him. And she’d waited all day but he hadn’t come. Not until the next night when he’d shown up after she’d been trapped in the stairwell and he saw her with Zander.

But like that time, she’d believed him when he said he’d be back that night. He said he was going to go home and tell Courtney what had happened. It might take some time, he said, but he was going to leave her. And he was going to come back to Elizabeth.

But he didn’t come back. Not at eight, not at ten, not at midnight. She didn’t go to sleep and when dawn hit, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. Once again, he’d wanted her more.

Around noon, she was curled up on the couch, drifting in and out of sleep. She heard the locks click open but she didn’t sit up and didn’t even greet him as he came in. The door closed with a soft click.

“She’s addicted to painkillers,” Jason began quietly. His voice was hoarse and she wondered idly that if she looked at him–if his eyes would be red like they were that night in the chapel. “And when I started to tell her, she got angry and she stumbled and hit her head.”

Elizabeth still didn’t speak and he let out a slow breath. “She had a concussion and needed stitches. But she’s addicted to pills, she nearly overdosed.”

She could hear what he wasn’t telling her. She could hear that Jason wasn’t going to leave Courtney. Not even to raise his child with her. She could understand that. He couldn’t turn his back on her–he obviously loved her a great deal more than he’d realized. Her near overdose had probably convinced him of that.

“I can’t leave her now, Elizabeth. She needs me a-and if I did, she might…” the words hung in the air, unspoken but clearly understood.

She sat up but still didn’t look at him. “I’ll talk to a lawyer about drawing up some custody papers,” she said. She cleared her throat–she’d spent the morning crying and now her voice felt rusty and unused. “I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”

“Elizabeth…”

“For the first few months, she’ll have to live with me. Because I’ll need to be able to feed her at all times of the day,” Elizabeth remarked softly. “But after that, we can work out some sort of joint custody arrangement.”

“It’s just for a little while,” he told her, his voice almost pleading with her to understand. And she did–she understood all too well.

He’d chosen someone else over her. Again.

“If you’re not going to choose me now, you never will and I’m not asking you too. It’s not an ultimatum. It’s not like I’m saying leave her or I won’t let you see your child. I’m just saying that you chose her all along and you will continue to do it.” She stood and started to fold her afghan. “I’m just sorry I ever believed you’d choose me.”

“This isn’t about choosing one person or the other,” he told her frustrated. “She needs me, Elizabeth–”

“And I don’t?” Elizabeth asked, looking at him for the first time. Her eyes were flat and determined. She’d made up her mind. “I’m pregnant with your child. I’ve got a drafty studio and a part-time job. And you’re saying your drug addicted fiancée needs you more than me?” She shook her head. “Ship her off to rehab, get her some counseling. This is not a difficult decision, Jason.”

“I can’t just abandon her–”

“But you can abandon me?” she asked, startled. “It’s okay to abandon me? I’m sorry, I’m not following your train of thought.”

“You know I’ll make sure you have everything you need,” Jason assured her. “We’ll find a house for you to live in–you won’t need to work–we can work this out, Elizabeth.”

“Where does it end?” she demanded. “If she tells you that she doesn’t think she can survive without being married to her, will you do that, too? Do you really believe you can get her off this addiction and then come to me and everything will be okay?”

“I–”

“This isn’t a negotiation, Jason. There’s nothing to work out. I told you that I wasn’t going to make demands. I’m not. But we need to make this clear from the very beginning. I’m not going to be the other woman waiting for you to get a divorce so we can be together. That’s not who I am.”

“You’re not making demands?” Jason scoffed. “What is this then? Leave her now or we can never be together? You don’t think that’s an ultimatum?”

“Maybe it is,” Elizabeth remarked. “You stood here yesterday and told me that you loved me, that you wanted to be with me and have a family. And a month ago, you kissed me. You’re the one who’s made the decisions in this relationship. And now I’m just supposed to say, well go ahead, go back to your fiancée while I go through this pregnancy alone?”

“You’re not going to be alone!”

“If she can manipulate you now, then it will never stop,” Elizabeth told him. “Because I guarantee you that the day I have an ultrasound, she’ll have a relapse. The day I need you for Lamaze classes, she’ll have a relapse. The day I give birth, she’ll have a relapse. You don’t think Courtney knows exactly how to keep you around?”

“And what about you?” Jason accused. “You didn’t think getting pregnant would do the same thing?”

It hung between them for a moment. He seemed shocked that he’d spoken and she was devastated that he thought so little of her.

“Get out,” Elizabeth said softly. “Get out right now. I can’t–I can’t look at you right now.”

“I didn’t mean it,” he said quickly. He came forward to try and touch her–take her into his arms, she didn’t know but she backed up quickly.

“I did not get pregnant to trap you,” Elizabeth said in a low voice. Tears stung her eyes. “I would never do that to you. I can’t believe you’d even suggest it.”

“I didn’t mean it,” Jason said again. “I’m just frustrated with the situation. Please, just….we can work this out.”

“I’m not going to keep you from your child, but I can’t deal with you right now.” She backed up against the wall, her hands in front of her, warding him off. “Maybe you didn’t mean it, but you said it so you must have thought it and I need to deal with that.”

“I just reacted–look this is not what I wanted to happen,” he said desperately. “I just need to see this through and then–”

“No,” Elizabeth told him. “I am not going to stand by and wait like a good little girl while she manipulates you into staying. Because I’ve believed you far too many times–I’ve trusted far too many times and I cannot handle it anymore. Every time that I’ve trusted you lately, you’ve let me done and I just…I can’t do it anymore. So please…get out.”

“No. I’m not leaving until you listen to me and we work something out–”

“There’s nothing to work out!” Elizabeth cried. “You either love me and want to be with me or you don’t. And you obviously don’t. So get out!”

“Please–”

“Get out,” she repeated.

7
“So, why didn’t you tell me I’m going to be an aunt?”

Elizabeth glanced up at Emily and sighed. “Zander has a big mouth.”

Emily sat down across from her best friend and signaled for a waitress. “I’m not going to tell anyone and I won’t even breathe a word to Jason if you don’t want me too. I just want to know why you didn’t come to me.”

“Because I only found out two days ago and since then, I’ve been dividing my time between crying and cursing your brother,” Elizabeth reported. She pushed her scrambled eggs around her plate.

Emily frowned but Penny was there before she could reply. “Just give me some wheat toast and an orange juice.” When Penny left, Emily looked at Elizabeth oddly. “I understand why the news wouldn’t be a good thing, what with the wedding only tomorrow–”

Stricken, Elizabeth stared at her. “They haven’t cancelled the wedding yet?”

Emily shook her head. “Were they supposed to?”

“I…he didn’t seem that upset when I told him,” Elizabeth said faintly. “And we decided we wanted to be together. He left to tell Courtney but he promised to come back to me.”

Emily sighed. “And he didn’t.”

“Not until the next morning,” Elizabeth answered. She felt a lump growing in her throat and she struggled to speak past it. “Apparently, Courtney’s addicted to painkillers and she was high when he tried to tell her. She fell and hit her head.”

Emily gasped. “Oh my God…is she okay?”

Elizabeth nodded. “I guess so. Well, she nearly overdosed and Jason decided he couldn’t leave her after all.”

Emily groaned. “Oh, sometimes I think my brother is more like his old self than he likes to think.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Jason Quartermaine,” Emily clarified. “This reeks of Jason Quartermaine. He’d pick his commitment to his family over anything else. All the time. And now Jason Morgan seems to have picked up one of the worst personality traits his former self possessed.”

“It doesn’t matter. I assumed that they’d call off the wedding but I guess I was wrong.” She placed a hand protectively over her abdomen. “I guess I know where I rank again.”

“Rank?” Emily repeated.

“On Jason’s list of priorities.” Elizabeth stared at her breakfast. “We argued about this yesterday, about him always choosing them over me. He said this would only be for a little while and then we could be together but that’s…it’s not good enough for me, Emily.” She felt the familiar sting of tears. “Is it so selfish to want him with me during this? To not want him running off to her all the time?”

“Not at all.” Emily sighed. “Elizabeth…there has to be something I can do to help.”

“There is,” Elizabeth told her. She reached across the table and squeezed her best friend’s hand tightly. “You can just be there for me.”

“Now, that I can definitely guarantee.”

8
“I can’t believe you didn’t postpone this,” Carly muttered, trying to fit the veil over Courtney’s hair.

Courtney shakily applied her lipstick. “It’s just better if we do it now,” she murmured. If they were married, he wouldn’t be so quick to run off to little Elizabeth Webber and maybe…maybe Courtney could convince Elizabeth to just give them the kid and pay her to leave town. They could raise the baby themselves. They didn’t need her.

“I can’t believe you let yourself get addicted to painkillers. What were you thinking?” Carly demanded. “Why didn’t you just come to me?”

“Because I didn’t realize it was happening,” Courtney tried to explain. “I just thought I was getting rid of the pain.”

Carly sighed. “I just have a bad feeling about all of this, Courtney.”

9
“I’m not going to let you do this.”

Jason turned and saw his enraged sister standing in the doorway of the penthouse. He shook his head. “Emily…I don’t–”

She stalked towards him and ripped the bow tie he’d been about to wind around his neck from his hands. “Look, I get that you want to support Courtney through this drug addiction. That’s great, that’s fine, whatever you want to do.”

He stared at her. “You talked to Elizabeth.”

“Well, Elizabeth didn’t really have a choice,” Emily remarked testily. “Because Zander told me the news anyway. So you’re just going to abandon your child?”

“I’m not abandoning my child,” Jason retorted sharply. “I will do whatever I have to keep that child in my life.”

“You’re not doing such a great job so far,” Emily snapped. “You know, if you wanted to convince Elizabeth just how little she means to you, you’re doing a great job.”

“Elizabeth knows I love her,” Jason said, irritated. “And I know she knows it–because I told her!”

“Words are cheap and words are easy,” Emily said scathingly. “You told me that once. Anyone can say the words. They’ve been saying them to her all her life. You need to show her. Because your track record this past year has sucked.”

“It’s too late,” Jason muttered. He reached for the bow tie but Emily held it away from him. “Emily–”

“Look, I don’t ask for much, okay?” Emily said. “All I ever wanted is for you to be happy and if I honestly thought you’d be happy by marrying Courtney and spending the rest of your life as a weekend father, I’d let you do this. But you won’t. You are a wonderful person Jason, with an incredible sense of loyalty.” Her brown eyes bore into his blue ones. “But you’re wasting it on the wrong people. They exploit you–they know you will always be there and they use that. All they care about is what you can do for them.”

She tossed the bow tie on the couch and put her hands on her hips. “I have watched you for the past few months–since Courtney lost the baby. You have withdrawn into yourself. You don’t smile anymore and you’re barely a shadow of the brother I adore. And I watch your so-called best friends plan this wedding around you without once asking you what you wanted.”

“Emily–”

“All Elizabeth ever wanted to do was love you,” Emily said softly. “She wants to be the one who takes care of you–to be the one who makes you happy and you’re afraid of that. Because you know she loves you. You don’t know what do when someone loves you with their whole heart and only cares about what you want rather than what they want. You’ve never had that in your life. Not with Robin, not with Courtney and you sure as hell never had it with Carly.”

“Don’t make this any harder than it already is,” Jason pleaded with his sister. “I can’t change the past.”

“But you don’t have to fuck up your future either.” Emily shook her head. “You argued with me when I married Zander because you knew how I felt about Nikolas. You wanted me to do what I wanted instead of what was best for Zander. And I’m returning the favor. Forget Courtney, forget Sonny, forget Carly. Think about you. Could you really be satisfied only seeing your child on weekends? With not being able to tuck him in every single night and see him every single morning?” Emily stepped closer to him, seeing that she was getting through. “You remember how you felt when you gave Michael to Carly and walked out of the house that day? When he was crying and screaming for you and you had to walk away?”

“Stop it,” Jason pleaded, his voice hoarse, his eyes red. “Stop it.”

“Imagine having to do it over and over again,” Emily said relentlessly. She knew she was hurting him–it was killing her to bring up this memory to him. She knew the pain he’d gone through after losing Michael, but she had to make him understand. “When you hand your son or daughter off to Elizabeth after every visit and you walk out and your child screams at you to come back. You remember how hard it was to walk away once…do you want to have to do it over and over again?”

“Emily…” Jason trailed off helplessly. He closed his eyes. “You know I don’t. God, I’d do anything not to have to do that again.”

“But what you’re doing right now…the path you’re choosing…you are making sure that it happens,” Emily said, forcing her voice to be cold. “You will be part-time father. And one day…Elizabeth will get married to a man who really does love her–who puts her first. And he’ll be the one that tucks your child in every night and cooks breakfast for them in the morning. He’s the one that will be there to raise your child when you’re off doing business for Sonny or saving Courtney or cleaning up after Carly’s messes.”

“Stop it,” Jason ordered, tears slipping from his eyes. “Stop it. Don’t say another word.”

“And trust me, Jason. It will happen,” Emily said, her voice thick. “Because Elizabeth is wonderful, loving and giving person and she deserves someone like that. Who loves her and loves her son because apparently you’re content to take care of the Corinthos family instead of your own. She loves you–she wants you to be that man but it’s glaringly obviously that’s not what you want.”

“I do want that,” Jason told his sister, pressing a hand against his chest. “I’ve spent every moment of the last month thinking about her–about being with her. And since the second I found out she was pregnant, that’s all I’ve wanted to do.”

“Then do it,” Emily told him softly. She brought her hands up and framed his face. “For once, just do what you want to do. She loves you, Jason. You both are so very lucky that you’re getting another chance at happiness. Please don’t throw that away.”

Look at me, my depth perception must be off again
Cause this hurts deeper than I thought it did
It has not healed with time
It just shot down my spine
You look so beautiful tonight
Remind me how you laid us down
And gently smiled before you destroyed my life
— Saliva, Rest in Pieces

10
Sonny studied his watch and then glanced down the street. He shoved his hands in his dress pockets and rocked back on his heels.

The door to the church opened and Carly walked out, joining him on the front step. “He’s late.”

“Yep.”

“Jason’s never late,” Carly said. Her dark eyes searched the street, hoping to hear a car or a motorcycle–something.
“He’s been distracted lately,” Sonny said after a moment. “And how could he have missed Courtney being addicted to hydrocodone? He lives with her. He’s engaged to her. He had to see something.”

“What about us Sonny?” Carly asked softly. “We live on the same floor. I’ve spent every day of the last month with her planning this day. I didn’t see it.” She folded her arms.

“We didn’t know to look for it,” Sonny said defensively.

“I don’t think he’s coming,” Carly remarked. She looked at her husband.

“Yeah. Me either.” He glanced at her. “You want to tell Courtney or should I?”

11
Elizabeth slid open the lock and pulled her door open to find a tuxedo-clad Jason standing in her hallway.

She immediately bit back her angry words when she saw his blood shot eyes. “Jason?” she asked uncertainly.

“I don’t–” he hesitated and cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit clearer, a little less hoarse. “I don’t want anyone else raising my child.”

She frowned. “What?”

“I don’t want anyone else tucking him in at night and making breakfast for you two in the morning.”

She was missing something here, something important and it was irritating her. “Jason–”

“I don’t want joint custody.” He took a step towards her, bringing his hand to touch her face. He stopped it in mid-air and it fell to his side.

“What do you want?” she asked breathlessly.

“I don’t know how to be any different–to be anyone other than who I am,” he told her.

“I don’t want you to be anyone else.” She took his hand in hers and pulled him inside the studio. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I know,” he said quietly. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “I’ve never known that before.”

“What?” she asked, closing her eyes, too.

Without moving his head, he brought his hands up to frame her face. He kissed her gently. “Someone who doesn’t want to change me.”

“This isn’t going to be easy,” she told him.

“I don’t care,” he replied. He kissed her again, his mouth hot and searching. She reached out blindly and shut the door before losing herself in his touch.

“What did you tell her?” Elizabeth asked as Jason maneuvered her to the couch.

“Nothing,” he replied, pulling off his tux jacket. “I never showed up at the church.”

Elizabeth took his jacket from him and tossed it to the floor before moving her small fingers to the white buttons of his shirt. She glanced up at him curiously. “Then what made you change your mind?”

“Emily came by.” Her fingers stilled and she looked straight ahead at the little skin that showed above his collar. “She told me she wasn’t going to let me do it. That I deserved more–that you deserved more.” He touched her face but she still wouldn’t look at him. “She tortured me, actually. Made me remember how it felt to hand Michael to Carly and never look back.” She looked up at him then with tears in her eyes. “And she made realize that every time I gave our child back you after a visit, I would feel the same away.”

Her hands fell from his chest and landed at her sides. She took a step back and shook her head. “I don’t want you to be with me just for the baby.”

“I wasn’t finished,” Jason told her. “And then she talked about you finding someone who deserved you–and marrying him. And I don’t…I love you, Elizabeth. I haven’t done much lately to convince you of that, but it’s true.”

“What happens when Sonny and Carly find out you ditched the wedding?” Elizabeth asked softly. “And when Courtney has a relapse?”

“Do we have to have all the answers right now?” he asked her.

“I’d feel better if we did,” she remarked, folding her arms. “We have a nasty habit of making a commitment and running from it.”

He stepped towards her and gripped her shoulders lightly. “Not this time, Elizabeth.”

She peered up at him, her lashes wet and dark with tears. “I want to believe that,” she whispered.

“Then give me a chance to prove it.”

12
Courtney slammed the penthouse door shut, cutting off her concerned sister-in-law. She yanked the sweater off her shoulders and slammed it down on the desk.

That lying son of a bitch. He left her. He abandoned her on their wedding day so he could go to that little tramp.

Her hands were shaking and her neck started to ache. She started searching through the desk for something to take the edge off. She looked around and frowned when she saw the hydrocodone bottle sticking out from underneath the couch. It must have fallen over at some point and no one had seen it.

She practically dashed across the room, her white wedding dress rustling with every step. She fell to her knees and ripped the top off. She swallowed three pills dry and went into the kitchen for a glass of water.

It wasn’t working. The pain wasn’t going away. The shaking wasn’t leaving her body. She took two more. And then two more. She finished off four more before there wasn’t any left in the bottle.

But the pain still wasn’t going away. Enraged, she hurled the bottle across the kitchen before reaching for the half empty water glass and tossing that. It hit the bullet-proof window and shattered, the sound echoing in her mind over and over and over again.

She pressed her hands to her ears, trying to block the sounds out. But she could hear it and somewhere in there was Ric’s voice.

“Take a good look sweetheart because you’re alone, too.”

“He was waiting for my wife.”

“He wants her.”

“He never got over her.”

Courtney screeched, trying to block out his voice but it kept coming and then she heard AJ telling her that she wasn’t Jason’s type–that Jason went for small delicate girls like Robin and Elizabeth. Before long his voice was joined by Lorenzo Alcazar’s telling her that it was her fault she’d lost her baby–that it was her fault she couldn’t have children.

And then there was Jason’s voice. In the beginning telling her that he and Elizabeth worked well when they were alone. Saying that he’d slept with her. That they were friends. That she’d comforted him in the chapel. That she was pregnant.

The voices kept coming, faster and faster. Over and over. She kept screaming to try and shut up them up. She heard someone yelling her name but she couldn’t figure out who and anyway, it didn’t matter because all she could hear were people telling her Jason loved Elizabeth, that he always had and that she’d only been a poor substitute.

She kept screaming even after her voice gave out and she crumpled onto the kitchen, trying to figure out where she was and who was talking to her. She felt someone’s hands on her skin but she didn’t know who.

And just before her mind went dark and blank, she saw Jason in a tuxedo, waiting for Elizabeth the bride at the end of an aisle.

13
“I think the first thing we should do is find a house,” Jason remarked, pulling the door open for Elizabeth the next morning. She glanced at him over her shoulder as they headed for an empty table.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” she asked. “We could just rent an apartment. Besides, I can’t afford to buy a house.”

He stared at her and she fidgeted under his gaze. “Well, I can’t,” she remarked lamely. She picked up the menu and studied it.

“You don’t have to worry about money,” Jason said. The menu snapped to the table and she glared at him. “I mean, don’t you want what’s best for our child?”

Her retort died on her lips and she narrowed her eyes. “That’s a low blow, Morgan.”

“Look, I know you like to be independent. That’s fine–that’s one of the things I love about you. But you said it yourself–your studio is drafty and too small and my penthouse is out of the question for a number of reasons.”

She glanced down at the table and sighed. “I just don’t feel right letting you do that kind of thing. I have to support myself.”

“I’m not saying you need to quit your job,” Jason told her. “But do you think you could let me take care of you?”

“I don’t like depending on other people,” Elizabeth told him bluntly. “It’s been my experience that as soon as you let yourself trust that they’ll always be there, they disappear.”

He winced. “I know. But this is different.”

“Yeah. Because I’m pregnant,” Elizabeth remarked. She picked the menu up again.

He took it from her. “You have that memorized and you’re just trying to avoid the subject. It’s different because this time we’re different. I know you don’t trust me yet but I’m asking you to try.”

“You’re going to have to give me time,” Elizabeth told him softly. “Because it’s not easy to do that again.”

“Yeah, I know. But this time, I’m not giving you any other options.”

14
“Oh, Lucky wait,” Emily hissed before her friend reached to open the door. She peered through the window. “Jason’s in there with Elizabeth.”

“I thought he was supposed to get married yesterday,” Lucky remarked curiously. He peeked over her head. “What’re they doing together?”

She saw Elizabeth smile and Emily couldn’t help but let a little sound that sounded like a squeal to her.

“What is going on?” Lucky demanded. “You’re happy, Elizabeth’s happy…what’d I miss?”

“As usual, everything,” Emily sighed. She glanced back in the window. “But this time, you missed my brother finally becoming the man he used to be.”

“The one that beat me up and stole my woman?” Lucky scowled.

Emily glared at him. “I sincerely hope you’re joking.”

“I am now,” Lucky assured her. “Anyway, what does that have to do with Elizabeth? Are they back together?”

“I hope so,” Emily replied.

“What?” a voice from behind them demanded.

They turned and Emily and Lucky exchanged troubled glances. “Hey, Carly,” Emily greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“Fat,” Carly retorted. She folded her arms tightly and glared at them. “Now I want you to explain what I just heard.” She peered past him and her eyes narrowed. “Never mind. I think I knowexactly what’s going on.”

15
“Jason, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Elizabeth told him again. She started cutting up her scrambled eggs. “I mean, we should just–”

“I hope you’re happy.”

Carly’s voice cut in directly and silenced the entire diner. Jason didn’t even look up at her–he just clenched his fist around his coffee cup.

“Because of what you did yesterday, you have destroyed Courtney’s life,” Carly went on, her voice scathing and angry.

“Carly,” Elizabeth said softly, “maybe this isn’t a good time–”

“Shut up, you little tramp,” Carly bit out. “Because of you,” she said, looking back at Jason, “Courtney went back to the penthouse and she took more pills. You couldn’t even throw them away. You left them out and she took the entire bottle. She’s in a coma, Jason.”

He snapped his head up to look at her then, surprise etched on his face. “What?”

“That’s right, a coma. And the doctors think she’ll have irreversible brain damage if she ever wakes up.”

“That’s not fair to blame it on him,” Elizabeth interjected coldly. “She chose to take them.”

“And he knew what would happen if he left her,” Carly snapped back. “He knew she was emotionally vulnerable. And he abandoned her for you.” She tilted her head to the side. “What exactly is it that you have that she doesn’t? I’m just not seeing the attraction.”

Before Elizabeth could even think of a retort, Emily burst into the diner, having propped the door open to hear every single word that the hateful shrew spoke.

“You self-righteous little bitch,” Emily spat. “You just can’t handle the fact that my brother is happy can you? Because you know Elizabeth won’t put up with him being at your every beck and call. Because she won’t let him spend his entire life being your second husband.”

“You little brat–”

“You ruined Jason’s life more times than I count and now you’re trying to guilt him into spending the rest of his life at that little twit’s bedside.” Emily glared at the blonde. “I’ve got news for you, you whore, he’s not your lapdog, he’s not Sonny’s slave and I will be damned if I see him waste his life with that stupid idiot. Courtney chose to take those painkillers–she chose to take them again last night. She knew that there was a possibility Jason would walk out on the wedding and she set herself up to it. No one here but that little slut is to blame.”

By the time Emily was done her tirade, her face was red and her chest was heaving.

“Are you going to let her talk to me like that?” Carly asked Jason stunned.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Lucky said, jumping in. “You just ripped him apart in front of the entire diner and now you want him to defend you?”

Carly huffed. “I have to get back to the hospital. I don’t have the time to deal with this.” She stalked out of the diner.

Elizabeth reached across the table and squeezed Jason’s free hand. “Jason–”

“I have to go,” he said quickly. He stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. “I need to get out of here.”

Elizabeth’s eyes stung with tears. “Jason, wait–”

He brushed past his sister and Lucky and left the diner before anyone could say another word.

Elizabeth’s hands started to shake and she closed her eyes. She could hear Emily speaking and felt Lucky crouch in front of her, but it was all in the background.

She’d believed him again. Even though she’d told him she didn’t and she’d sworn not to, she believed him when he said he was sticking around.

She opened her eyes and managed a weak smile. “I’m okay,” she assured them both. “I just needed a second.”

“Elizabeth,” Emily began.

“No, really, I’m fine,” Elizabeth told her. “Besides, this is my fault. It’s the third time I’ve done this to myself. I have to stop believing him when he tells me he’s sticking around or that he loves me.”

“I see that I’m lost again,” Lucky remarked. “Anyone want to fill me in and I’ll pay for breakfast?”

16
Before Carly reached Courtney’s hospital room, she went into labor and by the time Jason got the hospital, Sonny and Carly were in the delivery room. So Courtney’s room was empty.

She was paler than usual and the room was silent, excluding the various beeps and clicking on the machines she was hooked up to.

He stood next to her bed and sighed. “It’d be so easy,” he murmured. “It’d be all too easy to give into the guilt and sit here, waiting for you to wake up.”

Her chest rose and fell almost mechanically and he knew that one of these machines was breathing for her.

“I’m sorry that what I did caused you to take those pills and a few months ago, I would have let myself take that route. I would have sat here waiting for you to wake up and when you did, I would have stood by you without batting an eye.”

He sighed and glanced towards the door. “But this is a different time in my life and as cruel as it sounds, Elizabeth’s waiting for me. I probably already hurt her by leaving like that and it’s going to take a long time before she trusts me again. But she will.”

He exhaled slowly. “I hope…I hope you wake up and that the doctors are wrong. But I can’t make this my life anymore. It’s not fair…not to me, not to Elizabeth, our child…and in the long run, it wouldn’t have been fair to you.”

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room as quietly as he came.

17
Lucky kicked at her heater. “You stupid son of a bitch,” he muttered. “Work!”

“You so need to get the heating fixed in here,” Emily remarked, shivering. She yanked a comforter from it’s place on a shelf behind the couch. She spread it over the two of them.

“It’s next on my list, Em,” Elizabeth told her friend dryly. She sighed and rested her head against the back of the couch. “How’s the battle coming, Captain?”

Lucky grunted and gave the heater another sharp kick. It rumbled and finally kicked in. “I am the king!” he cheered.

Emily laughed. “Yeah, yeah.” She sighed. “He does love you.”

“Emily, I don’t really want to hear that right now, okay?” Elizabeth asked softly. “Thanks for making Lucky fix my heater.”

“No problem. But come next month…if you’re still here, I want you to come stay with Zander and me at the cottage, okay?”

“I’ll think about it, Em,” Elizabeth told her.

“Okay, this place is starting to warm up,” Lucky told her. He looked at Emily. “I promised Zander I’d have you home by noon.”

Emily wrinkled her nose. “He’s such a dictator,” she joked. She came out from underneath the comforter. “You look tired–get some sleep. We’ll all go out for diner tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure.” She hugged them goodbye and then snuggled into her couch to take a long nap.

Fifteen minutes later, she became conscious of someone staring at her. She slowly opened her eyes to see Jason crouched in front of her. She jackknifed into a seated position and stared at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry for leaving Kelly’s like that earlier.” He straightened and sat down next to her. “I had a bad reaction to Carly’s news and it wasn’t fair to you.”

“I thought…” she looked away. “I thought her guilt trip had worked.”

“Yeah, I know.” He reached out and took one of her hands in his. “I went to the hospital to see Courtney. To say goodbye.”

She frowned. “I hope you didn’t run into Carly or Sonny.”

Jason shook his head. “She went into labor, so I was able to avoid them both.” He sighed. “I’m sorry that I did it the way I did. I know I could have handled it better.”

“It’s okay,” Elizabeth shrugged.

“It’s not okay,” he told her firmly. He kicked off his boots and pulled the comforter over them both, gathering her against his chest. She tucked her head under chin. “I made you doubt me again and I don’t like knowing that. I want you to trust me.”

“It’s hard,” she said, softly. She closed her eyes. “Every time I think I do…something else happens.”

“I know.”

“What happened at the hospital?” Elizabeth asked after a moment.

“She wasn’t awake, if that’s what you mean.” He hesitated. “She was hooked up to all these machines and I think one of them is breathing for her.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “That must have been hard.”

“It would have easy to give into the guilt trip and that bothers me. I never used to do what people wanted me to do–I mean, I’d clean up Carly’s messes and take care of business for Sonny but it never seemed to interfere with anything before. Robin never really minded a-and she and I were apart for so long that I got too used to that being my life. And when you walked away, it was all I had left.”

“I won’t apologize for that,” she told him quietly.

“I’m not asking you too. But I threw myself into work and then Courtney happened…it all feels like a blur to me, Elizabeth. Sometimes I couldn’t even distinguish one day from the other.”

She sighed. “We’re just too stubborn for our own good,” she murmured. “Because I felt the same way.”

“Well…it took us long enough to get here but we’re finally on the same page again. What do you want to do now?”

“Right now, I just want to sleep,” Elizabeth told him. She yawned. “I’m so tired.”

“Sleep I can handle.”

18

Sonny paced outside his sister’s hospital room. He’d had a long day and night–but finally Carly had brought their son into the world. John Michael Corinthos was as perfect as he could be and both mother and baby were resting peacefully.

That left Sonny to try and fix his crumbling family. Courtney was in a coma and Jason…he wasn’t quite sure where Jason was. Carly had gone to find him, but had gone into labor and they hadn’t had a chance to talk about it since.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number of Brenda’s cottage.

“‘Ello?” Zander said.

“Zander, this is Sonny, is Emily there?” Sonny requested.

“Yeah, hold on.” He heard Zander call to his wife in the background. “She’s coming.”

“Sonny?” Emily said.

“Hey…have you seen Jason?”

Immediately, Emily’s voice turned cold. “Why?”

Sonny frowned. “Well…Courtney’s here in a coma and her fiancé hasn’t shown up. I’m worried. His cell phone is off.”

“You don’t know,” Emily stated plainly. “Oh. Well, Jason isn’t available right now, so I’ll ask him to get in touch when I see him.”

“Emily–”

“Now you know how hearing that feels,” Emily said before hanging up.

Sonny flipped his cell phone shut and sighed.

19
Emily looked at Zander and shook her head. “He has no idea that Jason left Courtney for Elizabeth.”

“I thought you said he left the diner like a bat out of hell to get to the hospital,” Zander said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Emily shook her head, distracted. “No. He left the diner and we assumed he went to the hospital. But Sonny hasn’t seen him since before the wedding.”

“Well maybe he needed some time by himself to process it all,” Zander remarked.

“Do you think he went back to Elizabeth?” Emily asked thoughtfully.

“He better have or else me and Lucky are going to have to kill him.” He rested his chin on her shoulder. “She was scared about telling him, you know. Afraid of his reaction.”

“He wants a family,” Emily said knowingly. “And I can’t think of anyone more suited to be the mother of his children. Elizabeth loves him. Despite everything, despite this last year, she really loves him. And he loves her. So why can’t they get it together?”

“Well, they kind of have to now don’t they?” Zander asked. “Elizabeth is going to have his child whether he went back to her or not. They’re kind of forced to get it together.”

“Couldn’t have happened to more deserving people,” Emily joked.

20
“I’m not doing it.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Could you give us a few minutes?” she asked the realtor before pulling Jason onto the porch. ” What is your problem?” she asked.

“It’s too far out of town,” Jason told her. “It’s in a bad area–”

“You used to live three houses down with Robin,” Elizabeth told him pointedly. “It’s close to Emily and Zander and it’s something I can afford to help pay for.”

“You’re not using your money,” he said out of habit. He rolled his shoulders. His entire body felt tense. For the past week, they hadn’t any run-ins with Carly or Sonny and things seemed to be going well between them.

So, naturally, he felt like something bad was going to happen.

“Look, what’s really wrong?” she asked softly. “Are you having second thoughts about doing this?”

“No,” Jason said firmly. “I want us to build a life together…and if a cottage so close to Emily is what you want…then that’s what we’ll do.”

“If you don’t like it–”

“I’m just not thrilled about living so close to Zander,” Jason told her.

“Are you sure that’s it?” Elizabeth asked, suspiciously.

“Yeah.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a checkbook. “This is for you.”

She frowned at him and opened it to see a stack of checks in hers and Jason’s names. “What is this?”

“They’re checks drawn on our joint account. You can write a check for the house,” Jason told her.

“But we don’t have a joint account.”

“Yes, we do. I opened it yesterday.”

“It’s not a joint account if it’s all your money,” Elizabeth remarked crossly.

“Look, what am I going to do with it?” he asked softly. “It just sits in the bank gaining interest. I never use it. Why shouldn’t you reap one of the very few benefits my job allows?”

“Because I didn’t earn it.”

“Neither did I, not really,” Jason told her. “Look, can we argue about this later? I have to go talk to Sonny about the job anyway.”

“That’s what’s bothering you, isn’t it?” Elizabeth asked. “Why do you have to look for him? He hasn’t come looking for you.”

“I just want to get this over with so it’s not hanging over our heads.” He kissed her forehead. “Go to Emily’s when you’re done here and I’ll pick you up there.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth sighed.

21
“I’m thrilled that you guys are gonna live down the street,” Emily said, hugging her friend tightly. She took Zander’s hand in hers and squeezed it. “We can have dinners together and–”

“I think we’re hoping for a little much considering your brother isn’t all that fond of me,” Zander interrupted with a grimace. “And believe me, the feeling is entirely mutual.”

Elizabeth sat down on the couch and sighed. “I’m not sure getting a place together is for the best.”

Emily frowned and sat down. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s come to her senses?” Zander prompted, sitting on the arm of the couch. Emily socked him in the shin. “Ow!”

“Because Jason put my name on his bank account and expects me to let him pay for everything,” Elizabeth muttered.

“Well, he’s got a lot of money. It makes sense that he wants to provide for his family.” Emily smiled. “And, thank God, that family is you and your child.”

“He’s going overboard with all of this so that I will trust him and believe in him. I mean, he’s doing absolutely anything he can think of.” Elizabeth sighed. “He spends every day with me, all we do is talk about this last year and the problems we’ve had. He drives me to work, he picks me up, he stops in on my breaks. And now he’s overcompensating by buying a house so quickly. It’s like if we can get a normal life, he thinks that’ll make it all better and it can’t.”

“He’s made some major life changes this last week–he just needs time to adjust to it all.”

“He went to see Sonny about his job,” Elizabeth told her softly. “Does Sonny know that Jason left Courtney for me?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know you’re pregnant,” Emily replied.

“What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall during that conversation,” Zander remarked.

“You are so not helping. Go outside and water the flowers or something,” Emily told him, irritated.

“Yes, ma’am,” Zander saluted. He stood and disappeared into the back of the house.

“Look, I think it’s time you make a leap of faith,” Emily told her best friend. “I don’t in any way condone half of Jason’s decisions these last few months but he’s trying to make up for them now. He wants you to trust him.”

“It’s all happening so fast,” Elizabeth murmured. “Two weeks ago–a week ago, he was going to marry Courtney and now we’re buying a house. I just…I can’t deal with this.”

“Well, maybe he is overcompensating. Maybe he thinks if he gets this house and you two move in together–it’ll go a long way towards earning your trust again.”

“I think I’m going to talk to him when he gets here,” Elizabeth said firmly. “He’s got to understand that all the actions in the world aren’t going to help–I just need time.”

22Sonny heard his footsteps even before he saw Jason. He entered Courtney’s hospital room. “Sonny.”

“You’re late,” Sonny said quietly. He stood up from his chair and faced his best friend. “I knew you’d come to your senses.”

Jason sighed heavily. “No, I haven’t.”

Sonny frowned. “Excuse me?”

“I came to talk to you about the job.” Jason shook his head. “I’m not leaving Elizabeth.”

“I don’t understand,” Sonny said. “A week ago, you were going to marry my sister. And suddenly you leave her for your old girlfriend? And you think that’s just okay?”

Jason exhaled slowly. “I don’t expect you to understand–but I wish you did. I love Elizabeth. Much like the way you love Brenda, except while you see her as your poison and want to stay as far away as possible, I love Elizabeth and I want to be with her.”

“Then what the hell was this past year about?” Sonny demanded. “Asking my sister to marry you, telling her you loved her.”

“I cared about her, I told myself I loved her and that marrying her was the right decision and right up until a week and a half ago, I was going to do that.”

“So what the hell changed your mind?” he barked.

“Elizabeth told me she was pregnant,” Jason replied shortly. “And I would rather be with her and raise a family than to spend the rest of my life taking care of yours.”

“Pregnant,” Sonny repeated. “I take it that you believe the child is yours.”

“I know it is,” Jason snapped, harshly.

“Which means you cheated on my sister,” Sonny said quietly. “When?”

“Early October,” Jason said without shame. “I love her, but I went back to Courtney out of guilt. But I can’t do that anymore.”

“Then are are you here now?”

“My job,” Jason remarked.

“You don’t have a job if you’re going to betray my family,” Sonny said shortly.

“That’s fine. I guess I just needed it said out loud,” Jason told her. “Goodbye.”

23
“I hate you!” Elizabeth screeched.

Jason frowned. “Excuse me?”

“She doesn’t mean it,” Emily assured him. She glanced at her best friend, sweating and breathing heavily. “I don’t think she means it.”

“Does it hurt that much?” Jason asked curiously, pushing Elizabeth’s damp hair off her forehead. She glared at him.

“You’re never touching me again.”

“She doesn’t mean that either,” Emily said hurriedly.

“Yeah, women say crazy things when they’re in labor,” Lucky said helpfully.

“How–would–you know?” Elizabeth grunted.

“I watch TV,” Lucky said defensively.

“Okay, it’s time to clear the room for everyone except the parents,” Dr. Meadows announced. “Scoot!”

Emily squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “Good luck, honey.”

“Yeah, let’s hope this kid looks like you,” Lucky told her. Catching Jason’s dark glare, he hastily kissed her on the forehead and left the room with Emily on his heels.

“Okay, are you ready for this baby, Ms. Webber?”

“Will the pain stop when it’s out?” Elizabeth demanded.

Dr. Meadows laughed. “It should.”

“Then let’s do this.”

24
Almost two hours later, Jason exited the delivery room with a tiny pink bundle clutched in his arms.

“It’s a girl,” he said softly.

Emily leapt up from her seat, followed by Zander, Lucky, Nikolas and Audrey as they all tried to crowd around him.

“How’s Elizabeth?” Audrey asked, cooing over her great-granddaughter. “She’s so beautiful.”

“Elizabeth’s fine. She was born almost a half hour ago but we’ve just been sitting in there staring at her.” Jason met his sister’s eyes. “She’s beautiful isn’t she? She’s perfect.”

“Oh, Jason, she’s so small,” Emily breathed.

“We named her Emma,” Jason told her. “Emma Audrey Webber Morgan.”

“Such a long name for such a small little girl,” Nikolas said, almost amused.

“Mr. Morgan, we have take her to the nursery,” the maternity nurse remarked, reaching for his daughter. Jason reluctantly placed Emma into her arms.

“Oh, Jason, I can’t believe she’s finally here!” Emily cried, throwing her arms around her brother. She laughed. “I’m an aunt!”

“Is Elizabeth up for visitors?” Audrey asked.

“She was kind of drowsy when I left but I know she wanted to see you,” Jason said.

25
“Darling, how do you feel?” Audrey asked.

“Kind of numb,” Elizabeth replied, sleepily. “They gave me an epidural so I don’t really feel anything.

“Your daughter is absolutely beautiful,” Audrey told her, squeezing her granddaughter’s hands. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Are you?” Elizabeth asked softly.

“Of course. You just gave me a beautiful great-granddaughter. You live in a beautiful home, you’re a successful artist with your own wall at the art gallery. You’ve bloomed over the last eight months and you’ve been so happy, darling.”

“You don’t know how much it means to hear those words from you,” Elizabeth whispered. “You don’t even care that Jason is her father?”

“Oh…well, you’ve forced me to get to know him as who he is, and not the man I’ve read about. And Jason Morgan, the mechanic, is a wonderful man who loves you very much.”

Elizabeth smiled faintly. “Yeah, it took a while but I believe that too.”

The door opened then and Jason peeked in. “Hey…”

Elizabeth’s smile widened and she reached out a hand. “Hey, Emma in the nursery?”

Jason nodded and sat on her next to the bed, her hand held tightly in his. “They’ll bring her to your room once you’re moved to a more permanent one.”

Audrey smiled. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She kissed Elizabeth’s forehead and surprised both of them when she hugged Jason. “I’ll be in the hallway with the rest of them. They’re already arguing about godparents.”

“We already decided that and they know it,” Elizabeth said, highly amused. “It’s Zander and Emily.” She smiled at Jason. “Lucky and Nik can be godparents for the next kid. They’ll think it’s great.”

“They’re men.”

“So Lucky can be the godmother,” Elizabeth joked.

Audrey left laughing.

“The next kid?” Jason asked with a smile. “Do you think you’ll be ready for that any time soon?”

Elizabeth snorted. “Ask me when the drugs wear off.” Her thumb stroked a little circle on his hand. “I’m sorry for the stuff I said during labor. I don’t hate you.”

“Yeah, Emily mentioned you didn’t mean it.”

“You remember that thing we talked about last week?” she asked softly, meeting his eyes.

“Yeah, the one you said you needed more time to think about?”

“I don’t think I need any more time.” She smiled. “I love you, Jason. And my answer is yes.”

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. “I promise that I will never make you doubt me again.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she whispered, kissing him again.