A/N: The concluding story. Jason refuses to give up on Elizabeth and doesn't care if the whole town is talking.
"Elizabeth?"
The tired woman looked up and blinked in confusion at Robin standing in the doorway to Jason's bedroom. Spinelli had his room, Cameron and Jake were sharing the spare bedroom and Jason had told her she could have his room and he would take the couch. Once she had hugged her boys and cried over finally being able to see them again and hold them, she helped put them to sleep in the beds Jason had purchased for them while he cared for her sons. Then she sat in their room watching over them for a long while, before she left and headed for Jason's bedroom.
She wanted a hot shower to wash away the memory of the past few days, and then she just wanted to sleep. Instead, her colleague was standing in the doorway looking at her with concern.
"Robin?" she asked slowly, "what are you doing here?"
"Jason asked me to come," the doctor admitted, walking into the room and closing the door. "He wanted me to examine you and make sure you were alright, but I came because I thought you might need a friend."
"I'm fine," Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm just tired."
Robin got out her medical instruments anyway and Elizabeth knew the older woman was going to examine her no matter what she said. So she submitted because the sooner this was over, the sooner the doctor would go away. And then maybe she could just go to sleep, or pretend to go to sleep so she could avoid Jason who would inevitably come in to check on her.
"Probably a little dehydrated and hungry as well, I'd suspect," Robin stated, attaching a blood pressure cuff to the nurse's arm. "Jason said it didn't look like they'd given you much food."
She wondered how Jason had deduced that from the brief time he'd been in her room of captivity. She certainly hadn't told Jason that. In fact, she hadn't told him anything. He finally seemed to understand that she wasn't going to answer questions, and so he shifted to telling her about the boys as they drove back to town.
"I'm fine," she repeated, a little more impatient this time. "I just want to go to sleep."
Placing the stethoscope back in her bag, Robin straightened up. "I don't think you need any IV fluids, just make sure you drink plenty and eat."
"I will," Elizabeth nodded.
Robin set the bag on the floor and then sat on the bed beside the nurse and asked, "Now that I can assure Jason you're fine physically, how are you really?"
"Why? So you can go tell him?" she asked, bitterness tingeing her voice. She stood up and crossed the room, keeping her back to the doctor.
"No," Robin stated simply. "I'm asking as your friend. While Jason is worried, and he'll no doubt ask me, I'm asking as your friend. Not as Jason's emissary."
"I was taken from my children while they were left on the side of the road," Elizabeth answered, staring blankly through the window blinds at the city below. "I was scared, I was worried about them, and I was furious. I was...I was a lot of things. But mostly I was determined that the psycho woman who took me wouldn't know how scared I was and I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I didn't know that she'd already called Jason; I didn't know what was going to happen to my children. So I was worried."
"And angry," the other woman said softly, padding silently over the thick carpet to stand on the other end of the window frame. "Were you mad at Claudia?"
"Of course."
"And Jason?"
Elizabeth licked her lips and folded her arms across her middle. But she remained silent.
"You were taken because of him," Robin said. "To send a message to Jason. And it worked. He was frantic. I...I don't think I've ever seen him this worried, except when Michael was taken as a baby. He called me and asked me to call into work for you so nobody would know you were missing."
When Elizabeth looked over at her, the doctor continued, "He had me say you were sick, and I was taking care of you. I took time off work to make it look like I was with you and your boys so that nobody would wonder who was watching them."
"Thank you," she said softly.
"I sat in your house and had food delivered and did nothing but catch up on sleep and read medical journals," Robin shrugged. "I didn't do much. I was happy to do it, for you and for Jason. That's how I knew he loved you...and his son."
She had been in the process of turning away, not wanting to hear how Jason loved her and how wonderful he was, but she stopped and spun around to gape at the older woman. "What?"
"He told me that Jake is his son. That you were taken by Claudia Zacharra because she found that out and it was his fault you were left open to her attack. So he asked me to help him so that he could find you and Lucky wouldn't know you were missing and endanger Jake and Cam."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and then wearily turned away. While she knew that Jason had found Cameron and Jake on the side of the road and was taking care of them, she still didn't really want to hear about everything he'd done. Not when it was too late; not when he'd been forced into it.
"So I wondered if maybe you were also angry at Jason," Robin pondered. "I know you'd been seeing each other, and I know that it stopped after Michael's shooting. I didn't know Jake was his son, but I imagine it had to hurt that he'd walked away from you and your children no matter what he said his reasons were. I also imagine you're upset that you were left alone and unguarded and that because of that, you were unprotected when someone found out the truth about Jake and something a lot worse than you being taken could have happened."
Elizabeth leaned against the wall, squeezing her eyes tight while emotion seized her throat and burned her eyes. She flinched slightly when Robin slid her arm around Elizabeth's shoulders, and then covered her eyes as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
"I can understand why you'd be upset," her friend said softly. "And why you wouldn't want to talk to him now; I'd probably be the same way. But you won't be able to shut him out forever, and you'll have to deal with the fact that the truth is going to come out. So take tonight, get some rest, cry, be angry, do whatever you want to do."
"And then talk to him?" she asked bitterly.
"Only because you're going to need to. You need to talk to someone. So if you don't want to talk to Jason, then maybe you should talk to Lainey."
Elizabeth scoffed. "I would talk to Jason before I talked to Lainey."
"She used to treat Sonny," Robin reminded her. "Plus, she's a doctor. Nothing you say to her will make her think less of you."
Turning to face the older woman she said bluntly, "She thought that I harmed Jake in a case of post-partum depression and I just didn't remember it. When my little boy was kidnapped and my husband and the rest of the police wondered what I had done to him, the woman I thought was my friend sided with them. Instead of getting out there to look for Jake, they were investigating me and wondering if I'd tossed him into a trashcan or something after snapping and killing my boy. She should know me, and she should have listened to me when I told her I hadn't hurt Jake, but instead she talked about me like I wasn't in the room and told the police that I could have harmed my own child. I don't care if statistically it made sense, or whatever other crap she wants to say about why she turned on me when I needed a friend the most, but I will never talk to her except as a nurse to a doctor."
"And you're angry with Jason for turning his back on you and the boys and leaving you unprotected," the doctor said in a tone of understanding. "So you're not ready to talk to him either."
"No," Elizabeth shook her head. "So go tell Jason that I'm fine and tell him that I don't want to talk to him tonight, and that in the morning I want to take my boys and go home."
Then she walked into the bathroom and waited until the other woman left before coming out and crawling into bed, pulling the covers over her head and cursing the fact that they smelled like Jason.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Jason said quietly while Cameron watched a Chuggin' Charlie movie and Jake was asleep for a morning nap.
"I want to take my boys and go home," Elizabeth repeated. It was a stubborn mantra she'd adopted this morning every time Jason tried to talk her out of it. She didn't want to hear the reasons why it was safer for her to stay there, and quite frankly she didn't care if Jason wanted her there. He hadn't said anything beyond safety and she was getting tired of it because it was just another version on the danger mantra he'd adopted as the reason he had to stay away from them.
"This isn't their home, and they need to get back to their rooms and their routine. I need to get back to work."
"I don't think you're ready," he protested.
"I'll take a couple of days off still," she said. "But I want to get the boys settled back into their familiar surroundings. I want to take them home."
She knew he felt the implication quite clearly by the way he blinked and leaned back.
This wasn't home. Her house was home and she was determined to get the boys there and away from the penthouse before they became even more attached to it. Because invariably they'd end up back there, without Jason in their lives, and it was just better that they do it sooner rather than later.
"This could be their home," Jason said, giving voice for the first time to what had seemed to underline his words since he'd brought her here.
"No," she shook her head sadly. "It can't. Because it will never last and I won't open up my boys to the hurt that will inevitably come when you drop out of our lives again. Thankfully they're too young to be hurt by us leaving now, and I intend to minimize their pain by getting back to our normal lives and our routine."
"Nothing will ever be normal, Elizabeth," he shook his head. "The truth about Jake is out."
"Then put guards on us," she said. "Figure out security for my house and set up a guard detail for me and the boys. That way we'll be safe and hopefully your next enemy won't be able to use us to go after you. We'll adjust to the guards and whatever you think is best for their safety."
"What's best for their safety is for you to stay here," he argued.
"No," she shook her head. "It's not. Because you'll change your mind again. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but somewhere down the line someone will come along who will scare you enough to make you think once again that the best way to protect us is to shove us away and I will not do that to my children. I will not let them get attached to you only to have you get frightened and push them away and act like you can just pretend they don't exist. It's better if we just do it this way so they don't get confused later on."
He narrowed his eyes at her, "Better for who?"
"For everybody," she asserted, but she suspected Jason saw through her lie.
"No," he shook his head. "You mean it's better for you because you're hurt."
Something inside her snapped at that moment and she was tired of trying to be understanding and supportive and good and she didn't hold back. "You're right I'm hurt. I was kidnapped off the side of the road while my children were left behind. I had no idea what would happen to them. Who would find them, who would take care of them, and I worried about that more than I worried about what would happen to me. I am their entire world because their fathers couldn't be bothered enough to step up and help out. You said you wanted to be a family, and then you broke my heart. You broke your word to me and Lucky's too busy off chasing the woman who let Jake be kidnapped and hired men to threaten us with guns to care about my sons.
"So you're right," she nodded firmly. "I am hurt. And I'm angry. I know I was unfair to you, Jason, when I asked you to give up Jake the day of Alan's funeral. I know that I wasn't fair to you when I kept wanting to protect Lucky and I asked you to lie and pretend that this wasn't your child. But if you're trying to punish me for that, then congratulations, you've done a terrific job of it."
He gaped at her, his eyes opening wide. "I am not trying to punish you."
"Then why do you leave everything up to me?"
"Because you're the one who always said you were afraid of my life and the danger and it was better for the boys that I wasn't a part of it. Now you're upset when I actually agreed with you? You were in the hospital, Elizabeth, you saw Michael's charts, you saw Carly and Sonny's grief. Do you want that to be us? To be Cameron or Jake?"
"And what if Claudia Zacharra had killed my sons instead of just kidnapping me? She found out Jake was your child. Too many people knew this secret, too many facts were out there like the fact that we slept together and Jake was born nine months later. We were naïve to believe that having Lucky say he was the father would really protect them. And my sons could have died that night on the side of the road before you ever knew that someone had discovered the truth. I was ready to take that step, Jason. I was ready to accept the danger of your life and what it would mean for the boys, and you backed out. So, yes, I am angry with you. Because if it wasn't for you, then Claudia could have never taken me."
She brought her hand up to her forehead and rubbed at it wearily. "Maybe that isn't fair to say, maybe it's not right to place all of this at your feet, and I don't because I made my own share of stupid mistakes. But right now, Jason...right now in this moment as I'm trying to process the fact that I was kidnapped, that I was threatened, that I was frightened out of my mind for my children...I'm angry with you. And that's a big reason why I want to go home."
Elizabeth paused, licked her lips and tried to soften the next blow. Because despite everything, despite her hurt and her anger, she still loved Jason with all her heart and she didn't want to be cruel. "I love you, Jason. I love you so much I don't know how I can breathe being apart from you. But...but I can't trust my heart right now, because I don't know how to trust you. I don't know how to trust that the next time something happens you won't do this again. The only reason you're claiming Jake is because someone forced you to. You didn't claim him, or go public with your love for me because you couldn't bear to not have us be a part of your life. You're only acting because the truth is out there and you were forced to do something. I...I don't know how to trust your words and your actions when I know the truth behind them."
She took a breath and continued, "I...I need some space, Jason. And I need some time to process everything. I...I get angry quickly, and just like when I walked out of your penthouse after Sonny's death, I need to deal with this. I especially need to do this for my sons because I have to consider them."
Jason was still for a moment, and then he nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll need a day to make some upgrades to your house, okay?"
"Okay," she conceded. She would show him that she was taking their safety seriously.
"Thank you," he said, even though it was clear he wasn't happy with her decision. "But I want you to know something, Elizabeth. I don't like this. And I won't just accept it. If you need to believe in me again, then I will show you that you can. You can trust me and I will prove that to you. Because I love you, and I love the boys, and I am not going to give up on you."
Elizabeth swallowed under his intense gaze. Despite her anger, she really did love him. And she hoped that he was committed this time, that he could be strong and sustain them both until she regained her faith. Because she wanted to be a family with him and her boys, and she wanted things to work out. She just knew that right now, she was too hurt to believe in Jason or trust in herself.
She always thought the truth was supposed to set her free. Right now, she would gladly go back to living a lie because the moment the truth came out about Jake's paternity, she was under constant siege. She was a prisoner in her life, in her home and she felt like she couldn't turn around without stumbling into someone who was ready to attack her.
Even though Jason killed Claudia Zacharra and her father and Trevor Lansing were found dead under mysterious circumstances the following morning, the whole world found out the truth. Claudia had set things into motion, kicked off by news of her death, and before the sun had set on the day Elizabeth brought her boys home, the whole town knew that Jason Morgan was Jake's father.
Lucky had shown up furious. Certain that Elizabeth herself had gone to the tabloids and spilled the truth all in an attempt to hurt him and force Jason to make a decision just because she was jealous Jason was dating Claudia and Lucky had Sam in his life. When she calmly informed him that Claudia herself had divulged the truth after unearthing it and kidnapping her in an attempt to get leverage over on Jason, he hadn't believed her. He was certain this was just a ploy by her. And he was angry that Jason's guards were outside her house, and that the whole world would now know that he wasn't Jake's father. He claimed they could fake a paternity test; certain Jason would go along with it.
Elizabeth said no. The truth was there, and maybe it was just better that they dealt with it. Lies always came out and it was better that this one come out now while Jake was young and before he grew up believing his life was one thing, only to find out later it wasn't. As the son of Luke and Laura and what he'd learned as a teenager, Lucky should recognize the wisdom in that. Of course, he hadn't, and he vowed to fight her. Vowed to win custody of the boys, since his name was on Jake's birth certificate, and not let Jason anywhere near them. She promised that if he did that, she would divulge everything about Sam and all that she had done. The statute of limitations hadn't expired on accessory to kidnapping, or assault, and if he tried playing dirty, he would find out that she was just as willing.
He'd left that day and hadn't started any legal proceedings, but it hadn't stopped his verbal attacks on her until Jason ordered the guards to not allow him anywhere near her or the boys. When Lucky claimed he wanted to spend time with the boys, since he was the only father they knew, Jason had said there was no way he was going to allow the man who called their mother "a liar," and "a whore," and "piece of trash" anywhere near them. If he had to have Diane Miller take this to court, then he would. She was already working on changing Jake's birth certificate; she could just as easily bar him from any further contact.
Things had quieted down after that on that front - Lucky hadn't made any more attacks - only to pick up on others. The Quartermaines looked at her and especially Jake as their messiah. Edward had tried his own legal maneuvers, only to be thwarted by Jason at every turn, and Monica had ended up removing him, Tracy and Luke from the mansion. Especially when Luke came over to Elizabeth's house one night in a drunken tirade on behalf of his son and let slip that he'd changed Alan's will and he was now glad that he'd helped swindle Jake out of his grandfather's money. Luke was now holed up in a country without an extradition treaty with the United States and Tracy was working desperately to avoid prison time on fraud and theft. Edward was still trying to figure out how to get Jake into ELQ.
Carly and Sonny at times went after her and then stood up to support her. It all depended on who was around and what they were accusing her and Jason of. Sonny seemed a little more contrite because she'd been mistreated by Claudia in retaliation for how he'd treated her brother, but Carly could not understand that Jake was none of her business or that Elizabeth hadn't capitalized on the knowledge that had been divulged and wormed her way into Jason's life. It had gotten to the point where Elizabeth herself had ordered the guards to keep Carly away from her and the boys and figured that if the blonde didn't like it, she could take it up with Jason.
Elizabeth had more important things to worry about. Like possibly losing her job because Dr. Ford didn't like her guards following her at work. Cameron and Jake were already removed from the hospital daycare because of the chief of staff. Sometimes her gram watched the boys, but after growing tired of dealing with her grandmother's constant disapproval and beleaguered looks at Jake, she'd given in to Jason's offer and agreed to a babysitter to watch them while she was at work. Of course, her hours kept getting cut back, so she was able to spend more time with the boys. Actually, she was trapped inside the house because she was tired of being verbally attacked by someone every time she went out in public.
For a while she'd even worried about going to jail on perjury charges for her testimony during Jason's trial. Ric had gotten upset and brought up the possibility, Special Prosecutor Scott Baldwin had picked up the charge and it was only Alexis Davis who stepped in and stopped the whole process. Elizabeth didn't know what deal Diane worked out, or who Jason threatened, but the looming worry of jail time or community service was removed.
Despite all the turmoil around her, she did her best to focus on her boys and to keep the shouts and clamor from reaching them. She loved them, she took care of them and tried to make sure they were healthy and happy. In spite of the fact that they were virtual prisoners in their home and the only fresh air they got was in the backyard under the ever watchful eyes of the guards.
Of course, Jason did his best, as well, to help the boys adjust to all the changes surrounding them. He made sure that Cameron wasn't scared of the men guarding him, bringing over several men to see who fit best with her little boy. He tried to explain that there was a mistake, and he was actually Jake's father and because of that, their lives would be different now. The men would protect them and make sure that nobody hurt them or their mom ever again. When Lucky openly showed his anger towards Elizabeth in front of the little boy, it was Jason who explained that adults sometimes got angry and everyone had a right to feel that way, but it wasn't right for Lucky to say those things to Elizabeth or take his anger out on her. And because of that, Lucky wouldn't be around very much.
Jason had done so much to protect her from the slings and arrows thrown at her by the community without completely overstepping and make her feel like she wasn't capable of standing up for herself. But he refused to sit by quietly and let her be attacked for something he was equally to blame in. He knew Jake was his son and he'd agreed with the decision to remain silent. If anyone was going to say anything about Elizabeth, then they better also have the guts to say it about him. That had shut up the press and many of the detractors not personally related to them; nobody wanted to upset the newest mob boss.
Through all the attacks, Jason never gave up on her. He never let her push him away even when she tried. He shielded her when he could, stood in the background to support her when he sensed that's what she wanted, and the rest of the time, he stood beside her, trying to find a balance in their lives. He told her he loved her, but more than that, he did his best to show her. Not with grand gestures, but small simple ways like remembering things about Cameron, or simply listening to her when she ranted and yelled about how unfair things at work were to her concerns about the boys. He fixed dinner for all of them and did his best to make a family, without ever saying that to the boys and making them huge promises. He also made sure to do things for just the two of them so that she knew just how much he loved her and that this wasn't just about building a family or stability for the children. He loved her, he wanted her by his side, he wanted her as his wife, and he was going to prove that to her by being there for her and beside her.
It made it very difficult to stay angry at him. Sometimes she could even enjoy the moment and forget all the reasons she had for keeping her distance. Yet, it would come back. Lingering in her mind. Jason was trying now because he had to. Even if she was no longer angry with him, even when the attacks died down and the people around her either ignored her or moved on to the next person to go after, even if she gave in and said she loved him and wanted to be with him...how could she truly trust him? How could she truly trust that all this effort, all the things he said and did would really last? What about the next time a threat came along? What would happen then?
Then she would stop and tell herself she was being very unfair. She had to either trust him, or she never would. How could it be easy for him to trust her when she said that she was done with Lucky and yet had gone back to him time and again? How many times had she turned her back on him and chosen her ex-husband over him? He didn't hold that against her, he didn't walk around expecting her to take Jake and ask him to let Lucky raise their son. He didn't act like she was going to walk away every day. Shouldn't that count for something as well? Shouldn't she be able to let go of her hurt as he had and believe him at his word? Maybe it was time to be honest and open and really listen to him when he tried to talk.
"That was a very troubled sigh."
Elizabeth turned slightly on the couch and looked at Jason as he stood at the bottom of the stairs. He regarded her cautiously until she held out a hand to him and then he quickly, and gratefully, sat down with her. He held her hand and she focused for a moment on the feel of his skin against hers.
"I've just been thinking," she told him. "About us."
He remained quiet, and she knew that he would let her get out what she needed to say. "I know that I haven't been very fair to you, Jason. I've been upset with you and I keep lashing out."
"I understand why," he told her, giving her absolution she knew he always would, but perhaps she didn't deserve. "You were scared when Claudia took you, and you were hurt by me."
"And I've hurt you in the past," she countered. "Jason...I asked you to give your son up. On the day of your father's funeral, I came to you and begged you to let a recovering drug addict raise your son. How can you even stand to look at me after that?"
"Hey," he said gently, shifting closer to her and touching her arm. "I know that you were confused and feeling guilty and you were trying so hard to take care of everybody. I could have spoken up; I could have said that I didn't want Lucky to raise my child."
"But you agreed for me," she said. "I feel like I took advantage of you."
"And I hurt you by asking you to marry me and then walking away from you, from your sons," he countered. "It wasn't meant to hurt you, I just...I didn't believe I could keep you safe."
"I know," Elizabeth nodded. "I know that you were scared. I'm sorry I didn't make things easier on you."
"I'm not," he shook his head. "I know that these past months have been hard on you and I wish I could have protected you from them. But I want you to know that I love you, Elizabeth and however long you need to forgive me and trust me...I'll give it to you."
"How did you forgive me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "After everything that I've done to you, how did you forgive me?"
"Because I know you. And I know that even when I don't agree with your decisions, they're still your decisions to make. And even when you hurt me, and said angry things towards me, it was never done from a malicious place to really hurt me. You were confused and scared and hurting as well, and most of all, I know you feel bad about it now. You've apologized, and I've let it go."
"You've apologized to me," she sighed. "And I'm trying, Jason. I really am. I'm not trying to deliberately hold onto my anger or resentment, and I'm trying to let it go. I just...I want to trust you. I really do. I know that you love me and you've been so wonderful to me and to the boys and I just...I'm trying so hard to move past this because I want to. I don't want to hurt you by being resentful or making you feel like I can't trust you. You don't act like you expect me to suddenly rip Jake away from you and go back to Lucky and I..."
She let out a breath and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm trying. I just feel so confused sometimes."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. "I know, Elizabeth. I'm not angry. I'll support you and wait until you've worked through this."
She brought her arms up, encircling his waist and snuggling close to him. "Thank you, Jason. I don't know what I've done to deserve you."
"I feel the same way," he said softly and kissed her temple.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and leaned against him, feeling more relaxed and at ease than she had in months. Things weren't immediately fixed, but she felt more at peace, more comfortable in mind, and she could only hope that it got better from here.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and tipped her head back to warm her face in the sun. The sound of the water washing up to the shore soothed her, the sand was warm beneath her, and she felt boneless and unable to move. Maybe it was the location, there was a certain contentment that filled her to finally be in Italy and seeing the sights; maybe it was the company, she could hear her sons' laughter coming from the water and was secure in the knowledge that the guard and their nanny would keep them out of danger; or maybe it was the purpose of the trip, Jason had asked her and the boys to come to Italy with him to relax and get away from Port Charles for a little while and help them bond even closer as a family.
Of course, she had no idea that when he said this would be a family vacation, that he had intended to legally make them a family. He had a wedding license from New York - she didn't remember signing it, but then again, she had signed a flurry of papers recently and had taken to merely trusting Diane when the lawyer placed them in front of her - and he'd made arrangements with the resort they were staying at. She was oblivious to it all until the moment when they were walking with the boys through the town square and Jason took them into the cool interior of the stone church that dominated the town. He led them to a pew away from a tour group, sat them down and then shocked her by not sitting beside her but instead kneeling in front of her. Cameron giggled, Jake mimicked his brother, and Elizabeth gasped as tears filled her eyes.
She didn't even let him speak, she just told him 'yes'. She didn't need to hear words; she had felt them since the day she moved back into her house after she was kidnapped. She knew that he loved her; she knew he wanted to be a family with her - changing Jake's birth certificate and asking to adopt Cameron was proof of that. They'd bought a bigger house, and she let Jason make all the necessary safety precautions he wanted. She no longer doubted that he'd return when he left to go to the warehouse, and when some Russian mobster had tried to gain a foothold in Port Charles and Sonny and Jason stood united against him even in the face of his threats, she didn't fear that he was going to walk away from her and the boys. She accepted the extra guards, she agreed to stay indoors, and she prayed for him on the nights he was gone, but she never doubted that he would walk back through the door so long as he was physically able. And Jason never let her down.
The rest of the town thought she was a fool, but Elizabeth was happy. And more than ready for some time away to focus on their family now that Andre Karpov had been sent back to Russia with his tail tucked firmly between his legs as a message to others; stay out of Port Charles. Never had she expected Jason to ask her to marry him again. She was content with their life, she had learned to believe in him again, and she didn't wish for more than she had. But the minute he offered it to her, she made sure to grab it with both hands.
He'd laughed and then asked the words 'Marry me?' anyways. She nodded, told him yes and then nearly forgot they were in a church when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed her fiancé.
They were married the following day, Jason wasn't going to take a chance that she'd change her mind or something would happen, and they extended their vacation to spend a couple of weeks on their honeymoon. She knew when they returned to Port Charles that people would talk, that they'd judge and whisper and give their unsolicited opinions. All of that could wait, she determined as she rolled onto her side and rested her head against her husband's shoulder.
He lazily brought his arm up to curl around her and pressed a light kiss against her hair. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yes," she answered, smiling against his skin.
"Cameron and Jake are having a good time?"
"Can't you tell?" she laughed, as their sons' delighted squeals floated over the sand to them.
"Are you ready to go back to Port Charles and face everybody?" he asked, this time his voice slightly hesitant.
"I know we can't stay here forever," she replied. "And as long as I have you by my side, I can deal with whatever anyone has to say."
Jason tightened his arm around her and they were silent again. He skimmed his fingers over her arm and she was determined to soak up these moments with him when he didn't have responsibilities pressing down on him and she didn't have to deal with intrusive comments. She was starting to drift off when he spoke, "You want to really give the people back home something to talk about?"
"Hmm?" she murmured, her cognition skills not really working well.
"You should tell them you're pregnant."
Elizabeth's eyes popped open and she stared for a moment at her husband's chest, and then raised herself up on one elbow to look at him. "What? Do...do you know something I don't know?"
"No," he shook his head, "but I certainly wouldn't mind trying to make it true."
Then he raised his head to kiss her, using all his considerable skills to persuade her to his way of thinking. Her head was spinning from his statement, but as he continued to kiss her, she found herself starting to warm to the idea. Certainly it wouldn't hurt to talk about it.
The End
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