A/N: I realize it has been a LONG TIME since I updated, and I really
apologize. At that time I just started too many stories and this one
seemed to drop to the bottom of the list. No one really seemed that
interested anymore but I hope that this absence of LIASON fiction on FF.net
as of late makes everyone appreciate it now. I wanted to end it for fear
that if I did not then the next update may take another year. I hope this
conclusion makes everyone a little happier.
~*~*~*~
"I don't have all the answers." Jason says, bluntly.
"My marriage to Lucky was based on a lie. And now he knows . . ."
"You loved him, Elizabeth. I have never seen someone put that much into a relationship. He pushed you away and you pushed your way in, he died but you did not give up hope. You married him because you still had that hope. You still loved him. There is no shame in that."
'God, he knows me too well.'
"Elizabeth, I can only imagine what you have been through while I have been away, but I did not come back to make your life complicated. I came back to do a job for Sonny . . . and say goodbye."
"So does that mean you . . ."
"For so long I just ran, trying to put distance between us. You chose Lucky and I spent everyday living with that. But I had to stop running. I had to come and say goodbye."
"So, this is over? I loose you and Lucky on the same day? How perfect. This is what I get, I'm a horrible person, and I kept trying to have you both. And now, I have nothing."
'This is what I deserve.'
"But when I saw you here the other night, I forgot about my plan." He said.
She looked up at him hopefully, "So, what now?"
'If only we could just get up and run away. Forget our lives and take off into the night on the back of his motorcycle . . .'
Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. They both turned.
'Oh my God!'
Jason turned to look at her to see what her next move might be but she was frozen in place.
She managed out, "Who is it?"
'You know who it is. It's Lucky. You lied to Lucky. Your marriage is over. It's time to face him. It's time to tell him.'
"Nikolas."
I let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Jason was the one who moved and opened the door. The look of shock on Nikolas's face paralleled the look on hers when she realized that Lucky had heard her conversation with Jason.
"Not again, Elizabeth!" He started, "Don't tell me this is what I covered for the other night!"
'Not this again!'
"Nikolas . . . this isn't the best time."
"I've been looking everywhere for you since you ran off. I was so worried . . ." He said, and then turned to Jason, "Which is reasonable considering your current company."
'Why does he always have to berate Jason!'
"Just because you don't like Jason doesn't mean that you have to be rude to him. For years I put up with Gia, all for you, because you were my friend. He is my friend and I refuse to just watch you treat him like crap." She offered.
Nikolas pulled her aside in an attempt to talk sense into her, "I know you are having problems in your marriage with Lucky, but Elizabeth, have you ever considered that he may not be the source of the problems?"
"What are you trying to say?" She asked, hoping that she misinterpreted.
"What if you are the problem?" He said low as if Jason was trying to overhear the conversation.
She could not believe his accusations. He continued, "Taking off all the time to visit 'Sonny', needing 'alone time' away from Chloe and L & B to work on designs. You disappear all the time. Is this where you come? Is this who you're running to?"
This time it was loud enough for Jason to hear.
"Don't hurl accusations at Elizabeth." Jason threw out.
"I don't recall talking to you!" Nikolas said, turning towards Jason.
Jason stepped up close to Nikolas and looked down at him.
"You say you are her friend, so act like one. Otherwise, just leave."
'What is this whole territory thing with men? God!'
"I'm not leaving until I get her to realize that you aren't worth it! Sure, her marriage isn't perfect, but it is better than running around with some Sonny Corinthos wanna-be! At least with Lucky she is safe!"
'And just today he thought that Lucky had hit me.'
"I'm safe with Jason, Nikolas. But I haven't been running away to see him. I've just needed time by myself, to reevaluate who I am. And I've realized that I can never be who Lucky needs me to be. I refuse to pretend anymore because I look in the mirror and hardly recognize who I am. I need to look in the mirror and see ME. And I cannot do that with Lucky in my life." She offered.
Nikolas turned to face her, "Your marriage did not fail because of Lucky. And it didn't fail because of Jason. It failed because you refused to let go of this 'relationship' you think you have with Jason. Lucky has his faults, but he is not sneaking around with someone else. He loves you, that I am sure of. But I'm no longer sure you love him."
He left without saying another word, leaving an awkward silence behind.
Before Jason could try to convince her that Nikolas was wrong, she caught eyes with him and said, "He's right."
Jason said nothing.
"I waited so long for things to get back to the way they were with Lucky. I wanted to feel the same way I use to feel around him. He use to be my everything, and now . . . I just wanted to be that naïve sixteen year old that loved Lucky with her whole entire heart and knew nothing but his love. But I cannot be her. Lucky is not the same, I'm not the same, and I have someone else in my heart."
Jason pulled her closer and into his arms. She leaned against his chest comfortably and listened to his heartbeat.
'I'm in his heart too.'
"Why am I not surprised?" Lucky said accusingly from the doorway.
She pulled away from Jason, a familiar feeling of guilt washing over her.
'It's time he knows.'
"Lucky . . ." She starts but the words refuse to come out.
"It was always him for you Elizabeth, wasn't it? Ever since the fire? Before? Has it always been him?"
"I love you Lucky, so much. I know that you tell me that you love me and I believe that you think that you do. But I haven't seen it in your eyes since Helena took it away. You tell me that it's there, and I want to believe you, but I don't feel it . . ." She pauses and put her hand over her heart, "here."
"Helena didn't take everything away."
"What?"
"I heard what you told Jason. We tried, Elizabeth, we really did. You pretended to be something that you weren't. I pretended to remember every feeling we shared. We both lied to eachother but with the best intentions. When I'm with you Elizabeth, I don't feel like something is missing. I feel like something is right. But if I had known that you felt like this then I would have told you to go a long time ago. I don't want you to feel like you're trapped in this marriage. I thought I was making you happy and giving you what you needed. But seeing you with Jason, I realize that there is so much more you deserve, so much more that I cannot give you. And you deserve everything, Elizabeth."
She was speechless but she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you Lucky. That has never been a lie." She whispered.
Jason stood in silence feeling as if he was intruding. He did not want to attempt to leave for fear he'd interrupt the moment.
"I love you, Elizabeth."
She pulled away from him and looked over at Jason.
'I'm free. I can do anything.'
"I'm sure you two need some time." Lucky started and then walked out of the studio, closing the door."
"Jason!" She started, still in shock, "Do you know what this means?"
He was silent.
"We can be together. No more lying. No more guilt. No more pretending."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked, typical Jason.
"You're all I've wanted for so long." She started.
He could see the light in her eyes in full force. He could see the woman he had fallen in love with. She was happy and free and he wanted to show her that life could be this way. He wanted to give her everything, leave her wanting of nothing. He wanted to whisk her away to some remote island and live out the rest of their years together. For the first time in a while he had so much he wanted to say that he couldn't possibly put into words.
He pulled her close to him and kissed her. It wasn't like their previous kisses. She held back nothing, neither did he. All they knew was eachother as everything melted away around them. And this kiss spoke volumes of their life to come. A life full of so many kisses and so much happiness that they would embark on together without reservations.
They pulled away only when they were at the point of exhaustion.
"Need to pick up anything before we go?" He asked, wanting to start their life together immediately.
She looked at him and knew, "You're the only thing I need."
He took his arm and wrapped it around her waist. He pulled her close and could not imagine a time where she hadn't been there. The walked down the stairs of the building out to the parking lot where his motorcycle was waiting.
He picked her up and put her on the motorcycle seat. He handed her the spare helmet and just as she went to put it on pushed it away from her face. He lightly kissed her and offered, "One for the road."
'I knew he was a romantic old softie!'
She quickly put on her helmet as Jason climbed on in front of her. She pulled her body close to his and they both smiled. He turned on the motorcycle, which gave her an excuse to pull closer, and they were off into the sunset.
~*~*~*~
"I don't have all the answers." Jason says, bluntly.
"My marriage to Lucky was based on a lie. And now he knows . . ."
"You loved him, Elizabeth. I have never seen someone put that much into a relationship. He pushed you away and you pushed your way in, he died but you did not give up hope. You married him because you still had that hope. You still loved him. There is no shame in that."
'God, he knows me too well.'
"Elizabeth, I can only imagine what you have been through while I have been away, but I did not come back to make your life complicated. I came back to do a job for Sonny . . . and say goodbye."
"So does that mean you . . ."
"For so long I just ran, trying to put distance between us. You chose Lucky and I spent everyday living with that. But I had to stop running. I had to come and say goodbye."
"So, this is over? I loose you and Lucky on the same day? How perfect. This is what I get, I'm a horrible person, and I kept trying to have you both. And now, I have nothing."
'This is what I deserve.'
"But when I saw you here the other night, I forgot about my plan." He said.
She looked up at him hopefully, "So, what now?"
'If only we could just get up and run away. Forget our lives and take off into the night on the back of his motorcycle . . .'
Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. They both turned.
'Oh my God!'
Jason turned to look at her to see what her next move might be but she was frozen in place.
She managed out, "Who is it?"
'You know who it is. It's Lucky. You lied to Lucky. Your marriage is over. It's time to face him. It's time to tell him.'
"Nikolas."
I let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Jason was the one who moved and opened the door. The look of shock on Nikolas's face paralleled the look on hers when she realized that Lucky had heard her conversation with Jason.
"Not again, Elizabeth!" He started, "Don't tell me this is what I covered for the other night!"
'Not this again!'
"Nikolas . . . this isn't the best time."
"I've been looking everywhere for you since you ran off. I was so worried . . ." He said, and then turned to Jason, "Which is reasonable considering your current company."
'Why does he always have to berate Jason!'
"Just because you don't like Jason doesn't mean that you have to be rude to him. For years I put up with Gia, all for you, because you were my friend. He is my friend and I refuse to just watch you treat him like crap." She offered.
Nikolas pulled her aside in an attempt to talk sense into her, "I know you are having problems in your marriage with Lucky, but Elizabeth, have you ever considered that he may not be the source of the problems?"
"What are you trying to say?" She asked, hoping that she misinterpreted.
"What if you are the problem?" He said low as if Jason was trying to overhear the conversation.
She could not believe his accusations. He continued, "Taking off all the time to visit 'Sonny', needing 'alone time' away from Chloe and L & B to work on designs. You disappear all the time. Is this where you come? Is this who you're running to?"
This time it was loud enough for Jason to hear.
"Don't hurl accusations at Elizabeth." Jason threw out.
"I don't recall talking to you!" Nikolas said, turning towards Jason.
Jason stepped up close to Nikolas and looked down at him.
"You say you are her friend, so act like one. Otherwise, just leave."
'What is this whole territory thing with men? God!'
"I'm not leaving until I get her to realize that you aren't worth it! Sure, her marriage isn't perfect, but it is better than running around with some Sonny Corinthos wanna-be! At least with Lucky she is safe!"
'And just today he thought that Lucky had hit me.'
"I'm safe with Jason, Nikolas. But I haven't been running away to see him. I've just needed time by myself, to reevaluate who I am. And I've realized that I can never be who Lucky needs me to be. I refuse to pretend anymore because I look in the mirror and hardly recognize who I am. I need to look in the mirror and see ME. And I cannot do that with Lucky in my life." She offered.
Nikolas turned to face her, "Your marriage did not fail because of Lucky. And it didn't fail because of Jason. It failed because you refused to let go of this 'relationship' you think you have with Jason. Lucky has his faults, but he is not sneaking around with someone else. He loves you, that I am sure of. But I'm no longer sure you love him."
He left without saying another word, leaving an awkward silence behind.
Before Jason could try to convince her that Nikolas was wrong, she caught eyes with him and said, "He's right."
Jason said nothing.
"I waited so long for things to get back to the way they were with Lucky. I wanted to feel the same way I use to feel around him. He use to be my everything, and now . . . I just wanted to be that naïve sixteen year old that loved Lucky with her whole entire heart and knew nothing but his love. But I cannot be her. Lucky is not the same, I'm not the same, and I have someone else in my heart."
Jason pulled her closer and into his arms. She leaned against his chest comfortably and listened to his heartbeat.
'I'm in his heart too.'
"Why am I not surprised?" Lucky said accusingly from the doorway.
She pulled away from Jason, a familiar feeling of guilt washing over her.
'It's time he knows.'
"Lucky . . ." She starts but the words refuse to come out.
"It was always him for you Elizabeth, wasn't it? Ever since the fire? Before? Has it always been him?"
"I love you Lucky, so much. I know that you tell me that you love me and I believe that you think that you do. But I haven't seen it in your eyes since Helena took it away. You tell me that it's there, and I want to believe you, but I don't feel it . . ." She pauses and put her hand over her heart, "here."
"Helena didn't take everything away."
"What?"
"I heard what you told Jason. We tried, Elizabeth, we really did. You pretended to be something that you weren't. I pretended to remember every feeling we shared. We both lied to eachother but with the best intentions. When I'm with you Elizabeth, I don't feel like something is missing. I feel like something is right. But if I had known that you felt like this then I would have told you to go a long time ago. I don't want you to feel like you're trapped in this marriage. I thought I was making you happy and giving you what you needed. But seeing you with Jason, I realize that there is so much more you deserve, so much more that I cannot give you. And you deserve everything, Elizabeth."
She was speechless but she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you Lucky. That has never been a lie." She whispered.
Jason stood in silence feeling as if he was intruding. He did not want to attempt to leave for fear he'd interrupt the moment.
"I love you, Elizabeth."
She pulled away from him and looked over at Jason.
'I'm free. I can do anything.'
"I'm sure you two need some time." Lucky started and then walked out of the studio, closing the door."
"Jason!" She started, still in shock, "Do you know what this means?"
He was silent.
"We can be together. No more lying. No more guilt. No more pretending."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked, typical Jason.
"You're all I've wanted for so long." She started.
He could see the light in her eyes in full force. He could see the woman he had fallen in love with. She was happy and free and he wanted to show her that life could be this way. He wanted to give her everything, leave her wanting of nothing. He wanted to whisk her away to some remote island and live out the rest of their years together. For the first time in a while he had so much he wanted to say that he couldn't possibly put into words.
He pulled her close to him and kissed her. It wasn't like their previous kisses. She held back nothing, neither did he. All they knew was eachother as everything melted away around them. And this kiss spoke volumes of their life to come. A life full of so many kisses and so much happiness that they would embark on together without reservations.
They pulled away only when they were at the point of exhaustion.
"Need to pick up anything before we go?" He asked, wanting to start their life together immediately.
She looked at him and knew, "You're the only thing I need."
He took his arm and wrapped it around her waist. He pulled her close and could not imagine a time where she hadn't been there. The walked down the stairs of the building out to the parking lot where his motorcycle was waiting.
He picked her up and put her on the motorcycle seat. He handed her the spare helmet and just as she went to put it on pushed it away from her face. He lightly kissed her and offered, "One for the road."
'I knew he was a romantic old softie!'
She quickly put on her helmet as Jason climbed on in front of her. She pulled her body close to his and they both smiled. He turned on the motorcycle, which gave her an excuse to pull closer, and they were off into the sunset.