So here is the original plot outline through the end of the story. I decided to rewrite Shadows for a number of reasons — I didn’t particularly like how I handled the Michael situation. If AJ were actually dead at this point, it’d be fine. But as long as AJ is alive, he should be an option for Michael.

I also didn’t think the Elizabeth/Ric stuff was true to either character, so I’m glad I chose to rewrite it.

Anyway though, here is how I originally planned to end it.

Chapter Sixteen

Mac questions Jason regarding Elizabeth and leads Jason to understand that Mac is focusing on Liz for this case. He also finds out that Ric has disappeared. Jason pays a visit to Sonny who wants to know just how long Sam’s been making a fool out of him.

Nikolas and Emily pay a visit to Elizabeth and coo over Andi while Elizabeth explains the situation. Emily think she’s a real idiot for doing this but also understands that it would be an impossible choice for Jason to make and accepts Elizabeth’s decision.  Nikolas says he’ll make the arrangements immediately. Elizabeth wants to do this so that eventually, even Nikolas won’t know where she is.

Michael reluctantly tells Carly that something was weird about Liz when she left and Carly wonders if maybe the muffin has something in mind.

Chapter Seventeen

Nikolas and Emily return from their trip and Mac pays them a visit–they’ve officially been cleared him. Also, Alexis has been asked to be interim DA as Ric has not yet been located — and strangely enough, Sam is gone too.

Sonny wants a chance to apologize to Michael and Jason grants it. The three make their peace but Michael makes it clear that he wants to stay with Jason–that Jason is his father. Sonny agrees and tells Michael that the happiest Jason has ever been is when he’s playing that role. After Michael is gone, Sonny confides to Jason that Ric and Sam are no longer a problem. Sam has been paid to leave town and he’s taken care of Ric the way he should have a long time ago.

In Spain, Elizabeth packs everything and leaves the place she’s lived in for five months. She stops to mail some letters to people back home before driving away.

Chapter Eighteen

Jason is concerned when he continually can’t get Elizabeth on the phone and after a few days go by without any call back, he prepares to fly back. Michael brings in the mail as Jason is packing and reads his letter from Elizabeth. He starts to cry and Jason finds his in the pile.

Elizabeth tells him that she loves him, that she will always love him but doesn’t want to put him in the position of having to choose. Michael needs him so much and he’s so important to Jason.

Knowing that his sister had recently been out of town, Jason storms over to Wyndemere and demands answer. Nikolas refuses to give them. Elizabeth has made her decision.

A letter arrives for Mac from Elizabeth. She explains the situation and what happened to Zander. She doesn’t want him to focus on any other innocent people. She left town because she was pregnant and she was scared and she’s staying away now because she’s a mother and wants to protect her daughter.

Mac is shaken by the letter, unsure where to go from here.

Chapter Nineteen

Mac pays Jason a visit and informs him of Elizabeth’s letter. Jason remains mum but isn’t surprised. Mac tells him that he’s not sure what he should do. If Elizabeth had stayed in town, it would have been a clear case of self-defense but once she ran, things changed. Mac leaves Jason with that notion and Jason renews his efforts to find Elizabeth.

Elizabeth has settled in a small city in Italy. She knows that Jason may look for her there but can’t resist finally seeing the country of her dreams. She spends her time sketching and drawing and caring for Andi. A convoluted process gets her letters from Nikolas without letting him know where she is and she finds out that Jason and Sonny have made their peace, Ric has disappeared, believed dead and Mac is still investigating, though not with the same fervor as before.

Carly wonders if maybe Jason should stop trying to find Elizabeth. She did a noble thing, a very big sacrifice and Jason shouldn’t screw that up for her. Jason tells her that unless she has something helpful to add to shut up. He’s not about to let Elizabeth think she doesn’t matter to him by not going after her.

Chapter Twenty

Mac has finally made a decision regarding Elizabeth and files the case in the cold cases section. He makes sure that Jason is aware of this development. It’s nearly winter and Mac decides they’ve all suffered enough. If he had put the mother of his child in the position that Zander had, he’d want her to defend herself and having known Zander, he thinks Zander would have been okay with the outcome.

Jason tells Nikolas that Mac has closed the case and now demands Elizabeth’s location. Nikolas won’t give it without Elizabeth’s consent and it may be a while before the letter gets to her. It’s the way Elizabeth wanted it and he’s not going against her. Annoyed, Jason leaves. On his way out, Emily finds him and tells him that she thinks Elizabeth is in Italy.

Jason tells Michael that he’s going to go bring Elizabeth home.

Epilogue

On the day that Elizabeth receives Nikolas’s letter letting her know that she is free, Jason finally tracks her down. He tells her that he can’t decide if he should be angry with her for leaving him or be grateful that he didn’t have to make that decision.

Elizabeth says that she’d rather skip all of that and start the rest of her life.

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