Chapter 25: I Love You… Goodbye.

The boxes were packed and ready.

She walked out of the room carrying a painting in her arms, but the older man stopped her in the middle of the hallway.

"Let me carry that."

"Thanks Manuel. Where is Grace?" Elizabeth asked while they walked down the stairs.

"She's in the kitchen."

"Okay, so I'll be back in a minute. I'll just go tell her…"

"I'll wait for you in the car."

The older man walked out of the house.

Elizabeth looked around the living room with melancholy. She breathed hard and deep and started her walk up to the kitchen. Once inside she found the old woman cleaning the same spot of the counter top she had been cleaning an hour earlier when she had told her, her final decision.

"It's a miracle there's still a spot there left to clean."

Grace stilled the movement of her hand for a second at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. But soon she began to scrub faster. She was giving her back to the younger woman, but still Elizabeth could see her tears.

Walking closer to Grace, Elizabeth put her hands over hers and stilled her movements. Grace's head fell down lower and her other hand came to cover her face.

"Grace."

Elizabeth helped the older woman turn around and gave her a hug. A second later the older woman stepped back from Elizabeth's arms and dried the tears from her face.

"I'm sorry kid. It's just that I'm going to miss you so much. I never thought that the little brat that showed up here one day was going to become one of the most important people in my life."

"You are very dear to me Grace and I can swear to you that no one is going to make me forget all of the things you did for me. And I'm not talking about food and clean clothes… You gave me more love, understanding and protection than anyone else after my Grams died. You are my family."

Both women hugged each other again, this time with a sad smile through the tears.

--

Francis Caruso didn't know how to say goodbye.

Hell, he didn't want to.

That was why he'd been hiding in his room. His luggage ready for his trip to Miami, but his heart aching from having to say goodbye to the one woman who made him feel things he never thought he was capable of.

With one last look out of the window toward the garden and the pool of the house he couldn't help but remember their first meeting.

Francis followed him, with his gun drawn too. Jason made sure not to make a sound as he walked outside to the poolside. A light illuminated the back gazebo and they saw the shadow coming out of the pool. They stood on the side of the pool and pointed their guns at the figure that was emerging from the water.

The woman took a tentative step to the side where the light from the gazebo shone of her skin and put her hands up, slowly turning to face them. Jason and Francis were both shocked when they realized it was a woman, a very naked woman, to be exact.

Never in a million years did he imagine that Eva Cruz was going to become so important to him. And now he had to leave her behind.

He had to break his promise.

The sound of the door to his bedroom opening made him turn around and come face to face with Eva.

She closed the door and stood there looking at the bags on the bed and then her eyes met his and he knew this was going to be even more difficult than he ever expected.

"You are leaving." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I was assigned a new job."

"When were you going to tell me?"

"I…I didn't…" Francis voice trailed off as he saw a single tear fall down Eva's face.

"Okay, I understand." Her eyes shining, holding back her tears as she stood tall.

Her gaze unwavering from his. "Have a nice life, Francis Caruso."

Eva turned around ready to leave.

His eyes traveled from her bare feet up her smooth legs. She was wearing the same flimsy sundress she had on the night they first met and her black hair was cascading down her back. He had to let her walk away.

But Francis wasn't that strong. He knew this was the best thing for everyone involved, but he just couldn't let her walk away.

"Come with me." The words flew out of his mouth before he even had the chance to process them.

She turned around, a frown on her face. "Qué dijiste?" (What did you say?)

"I said, come with me. I can't promise you a happily ever after or a nice and quiet life in a beautiful seaside house with a picket fence. But I love you, Eva. I love you and as selfish as it sounds I want you with me."

He waited for her to say something, anything. While she stood there looking at him, her face expressionless.

One minute he was holding his breath, the other his breath was completely knocked out of him as Eva came crashing into him. She jumped into his arms and her legs came to rest around his waist while her arms surrounded his neck.

She kissed him, fervently and passionately, putting every ounce of love into her actions.

Once he was able to breathe, Francis smiled up at her. "Is that a yes?"

Eva smiled down at him. "That's an 'I'll go anywhere with you.' Te amo."

Her lips found his again and this time they kissed leisurely, in perfect synch.

--

Before ever setting foot in Puerto Rico, Jason used to be a very patient man. Most people considered him cold and unfeeling, a killing machine not able to understand feelings much less such a strong emotion as love.

On paper, Jason Morgan was half owner of the emporium Corithos-Morgan Coffee and the S&S Casinos in the Caribbean Islands. But in truth, he killed people for a living. He was an enforcer for the mob.

He was the second in command on Sonny Corinthos' Organization. And that was what made his life dangerous, the part of his life that made it impossible for him to let people in.

Jason tried to be detached and cold, always pushing people away. Because when he let his guard down and started to care for someone, it only made it that much more difficult when they truly saw what he was and decided to leave him.

He'd learned that lesson over and over again.

Robin taught him that he was capable of falling in love as much as any man could. After his accident he started to believe what every doctor had said about his new life, that he would be an unfeeling cold human machine incapable of understanding friendship, kindness and love.

When his relationship with Robin ended, he found himself wishing all of that was true, because if it were, he wouldn't have hurt as badly as he did.

With Michael it was different. He had known that the baby wasn't really his son. But the minute he met Michael and cradled him in his arms a surge of warmth and tenderness had ran through his blood branding him as a father.

Taking care of the baby, getting to know him, giving him everything he had inside that was good… It only served to make him even more broken once they took Michael away from him. The realization that he was never going to be Michael's father was like ripping out a part of his soul.

He was once again left empty. And that was how he needed to be. It was the only way that he knew how to do his job and walk away, unattached, unscathed.

One of the reasons for him taking the job in Puerto Rico was the physical and emotional distance he was putting between himself and the people of Port Charles.

Distance from any and all emotional relationship.

Little did he know that things would turn out the way they did.

Elizabeth Webber came crashing into his life with all of her energy and spunk. And those beautiful blue eyes filled with hope and loneliness… He hadn't expected to feel so much, so fast for the petite brunette. But it was a lose battle before it even started.

She was so young and still so mature for her age. She had brought light to his life and that would be something he would appreciate always. But at 18 years of age, Elizabeth needed to be free. She deserved to be happy and to see the world she so desperately wanted.

He couldn't give her any of the things she needed.

And still he had fallen in love with her.

Jason Morgan had committed many crimes, but he would not be the one to cut Elizabeth's wings… He would not trap her inside his world and kill her spirit.

Moving from his spot looking out the window, Jason swore out loud and walked out of the house. He needed to escape the loud and wild thump of his heart inside his chest.

He needed to go nowhere, he needed to feel nothing.

--

Elizabeth walked into the house and noticed the packed suitcases in front of the stairs. With a frown she walked back out and called to Félix, the guard that was currently bringing her own luggage inside.

"Do you know whose baggage is that?"

"No Señorita. I…" The older man was having a hard time with the luggage he was carrying. "Where do you want me to put this?"

"Take it upstairs to my room, please."

As the guard made his way up the staircase, Elizabeth walked across the living room and into the kitchen.

"Eva?"

When she realized that her friend wasn't in the kitchen she turned around and walked back to the living room.

"Eva?"

Elizabeth stopped at the bottom of the stairs, but there was no answer. "Eva?"

As she walked towards Eva's room. "Eva, are you there?"

Before she had the chance to knock, the door burst open and the tall Puerto Rican grabbed Elizabeth by her hand and pulled her inside and into a tight hug.

"Gracias a Dios que llegaste!" The older woman said as she held Elizabeth in her embrace. "I thought I wasn't going to get to say goodbye."

Elizabeth's brow furrow in concern. "How did you…?"

Before Elizabeth could finish, Eva was pushing back to look at the petite brunette with a huge smile on her face.

"Francis said he loved me and that he wanted me to go with him."

Elizabeth was utterly confused. "Go where?"

"To Miami. After what happened with Morales…"

Eva noticed Elizabeth's eyes go cold and empty for a minute at the mention of Tony Morales. So she continued her explanation quickly bringing her attention back to the present and away from the memory.

"His boss told him to go to Miami because there's some sort of mob war or something."

That definitely grabbed Elizabeth's attention.

"A war? You crazy? Is Francis dumb? Why would he ask you to go with him and put you in the middle of a mob war?"

Elizabeth dropped to the edge of the bed unceremoniously. Her face completely dumbfounded.

"He loves me, Elizabeth. And I love him. I'd go anywhere to be with him."

"Eva, this is a mob war we're talking about, not Uzbekistan."

"I don't know where that is, but I would go there for him too. I have complete faith in him. Francis will keep me safe. Besides he said he had a penthouse overlooking the ocean, bullet proof and surveillance 24/7…"

"Is that the kind of life you want to live? Trapped inside a bullet proof penthouse with no friends or family?"

Eva turned around to look out a window and then back at Elizabeth. "It's not much different than the life we've had here."

Elizabeth stood from the bed and looked around too, her face falling in realization. "I guess you're right."

"I'll have Francis, the man I love… And for me that's enough."

"Is it worth it to lose your freedom?"

"I've never felt more complete, more loved and safe in my life."

Elizabeth watched her friend closely. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness, her smile genuine. There wasn't anything she could reply at the blatant display of happiness.

With a smile Elizabeth walked closer to Eva. "If this is what you really want…"

"More than anything."

"I'm happy for you. You deserve this more than anyone I know."

They pulled into a tight hug again, but separated quickly.

"I'm really sad that you're leaving. Besides Robin, you are the only girlfriend I've ever had and now you are leaving me too."

"You are my only friend too. And I'm going to miss you. But this is something I need to do."

Tears were threatening to fall from Elizabeth's blue eyes and they were already flowing down Eva's mocha color skin.

"Promise me you'll call."

"I will."

"And write."

"Of course."

"And e-mail."

"Te lo prometo."

Francis turned around at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. The sound of giggling made its way closer to him. He spoke to his phone.

"Look, I have to go. We'll be landing around 5 o'clock. Have the penthouse ready and the car waiting for us. Okay." He hung up and placed the phone back on his pocket.

Elizabeth was helping Eva with the last of her things. They were both smiling, but he could see that they were just trying to play it strong.

"Everything ready?" Francis asked as he approached them.

"Yes, this was everything." Eva said as she checked again at her three suitcases.

"Good, because we should be going right about now. We have to go see your Grandma and still make it to the airport on time."

Francis looked up just in time to see Elizabeth's eyes get misty with unshed tears and he had to muster up all of his courage not to walk to her and hold her tight.

After the year they all had spent living together he had started to see the young woman as a sister. A little sister that needed to be protected from the evil of the world.

He still could remember the first time he saw the small trembling form of the wisp of a girl as Johnny held her three inches from the floor in the middle of Jason's office…

Looking at her now, she was far away from the girl he met that day. Now eighteen but with the experiences of a full grown woman, Elizabeth Webber was no little girl… Not anymore.

And he was sure that his boss Jason Morgan was going to make sure that she was safe.

Elizabeth caught Francis close examination of her and walked towards him. Without a word she extended her arms and gave the older guard a hug. Francis held her for a minute and when they let go, Elizabeth smiled trough her tears.

"Take care of her or you'll have to answer to me."

"I love Eva, and I'll protect her with my life."

"Good. Now go on or I'll become even more a mess." She tried to use her fingers to stop the tears from falling from her eyes, but failed. "You'd think I would've gotten used to saying goodbye by now, wouldn't you?"

Elizabeth looked at her friends as Francis stood at the door waiting for Eva and gave them a sad smile.

"Ay bandito, Elizabeth. I'll never say goodbye, honey. We'll always be friends and I'll call you as soon as we land okay?"

Elizabeth nodded unable to speak. Eva gave her one last hug and then walked towards the door taking Francis hand and walked out of the house.

--

Jason entered the living room and the soft twinkle of candle light was coming from the veranda.

He walked out to the courtyard and found the gazebo surrounded by tall gas torches. He noticed a small dining table was set for two.

A beautiful arrangement of wild flowers was the centerpiece and two glasses were filled with Piña Colada adorned with pineapple wedges.

He stood there overlooking at the ocean for a while, lost in thought.

Elizabeth walked out to the poolside carrying two serving dishes with food. She was wearing black jeans, pink top and her black leather jacket. Her hair was cascading down her back. She was ready for a bike ride.

She noticed him standing with his back to her.

Taking a moment to admire him from afar, she hadn't looked into his eyes yet and still she knew something was bothering him. His back was rigid and his head was tilting slightly to one side.

Before she could take another step or make her presence known, he spoke.

"You didn't have to do all this."

"I know, but I wanted to do it."

He turned around once she walked the remaining distance. She was placing the dishes on the table. When she straightened and turned around, he was only a couple of inches away.

"I wanted tonight to be special."

He didn't answer right away. Instead his eyes traveled from her three inch boots, along her slender legs and up her torso until they reached her dazzling blue eyes.

Her heart skipped a bit when he smiled at her.

"You look beautiful."

"I- I… Thank you."

A pink hue made its way up her neck and into her cheeks.

"I made arroz con pollo and fried sweet plantains." She turned around, giving him her profile and pointed at a salad bowl. "That's avocado salad and this is Piña Colada. I remembered you liked it from that time we went to Old San Juan."

Elizabeth smiled nervously and bit her lower lip when he took her hand in his. "Sorry. I'm rambling. I was just…"

"Come here."

Jason walked her around the table and pulled the chair for her. When he sat down across from her, Elizabeth smiled.

"Right, you must be hungry. Félix told me you've left early on your bike. He thought that something might be wrong. I know you can't talk about it, it's just that I got worried, you know. Now that Francis is gone things will be kind of difficult, won't they?"

Jason gave her a worried look and Elizabeth bit her lip again. "Something wrong?"

"Have you ever timed yourself?"

Elizabeth frowned at his question. "I don't understand."

"When you get longwinded like that… Have you ever timed the longest you can go with a single breath?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer but then closed it and looked at him surprised at his question.

Jason smiled at her over the rim of the Piña Colada glass and Elizabeth's heart melted.

"You think you're funny, Morgan? Because let me tell you, that was just bad. You've done way better."

"The look on your face was worth it." He found her gaze with his. "You don't have to be nervous around me."

"I know." Elizabeth answered truthfully.

"Good. Now what do you say about a ride?"

Her eyes lit up with pure joy at the thought of a bike ride along the Seashore Highway.

"I would say, forget about the dinner. Let's go!"

Elizabeth dropped her fork and moved to stand up, but he stopped her. Jason didn't even try to cover up his chuckle at her excitement. He loved to see her light up with happiness.

"Hold on a minute. We'll go on a bike ride, after dinner."

With a disappointed pout, Elizabeth sat back on her chair. "Okay, but eat fast so we can be on our way soon."

The rest of the dinner went by without fuss.

Jason took his sweet time with the first course and made a huge display of drinking his Piña Colada. Elizabeth was so excited about the ride that she barely touched her food.

Forty five minutes later, they were standing over his bike. Elizabeth was almost jumping in anticipation.

Jason held her helmet out to her and her smile turn into a huge grin.

"Here."

"Thank you." She started to put on the helmet. "So where are we going?"

Jason straddled his motorcycle and looked over his shoulder towards Elizabeth. He reached her hand to help her get on the bike.

"Nowhere."

The single word made her heart skip a beat. She placed her hands around his waist and rested her head on his shoulders as he revved the bike and started out of the villa.

Jason didn't see the smile fade from Elizabeth's lips and her eyes blur with unshed tears.

Soon they were driving down the Seashore Highway, the palm trees blurring together, the smell of the ocean filling the air around them.

Sometime later, she felt the shift of the road as they headed up towards the mountains and the curves up the cliffs.

He knew that was her favorite part of the ride. But instead of feeling her laughter and excitement, Jason felt the rake of sobs going through her small body. The faint drops of tears wetting his black t-shirt. And he couldn't help the feeling of uneasiness and fear that welled up inside him.

When they reached the top, Jason pulled over close to where the old lighthouse was standing proudly over the cliff.

He turned off the engine and stood up from the bike, giving her time.

Giving, himself, time.

Because he knew nothing was going to be the same after tonight.

When he looked over to where Elizabeth was standing he noticed she was still holding on to her helmet and looking down at his bike.

"Elizabeth."

When she met his gaze her eyes were red and puffy from her tears.

Carefully she dropped the helmet on the seat, and walked towards Jason and straight to the edge of the cliff.

He followed her slowly and stood a few inches away from her.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Her voice was thick with emotion, but it wasn't spoken with contempt.

"This is the place where we first met... Almost four years ago."

Her voice became distant as if she where back to that night.

Lost… Hurt... Alone…

"Did Robin ever tell you what happened between us that night?"

"No."

"I was standing…"

She looked down and took two more steps closer to the edge. Jason followed closely, watching her carefully.

"Right here. I was standing right here. And I was thinking… I was thinking about all the hurt and emptiness inside of me. About how much I wanted, needed it to end. The hurt, and the anger, and the emptiness… I was trying to figure out what was the point of living when nobody really cared."

Elizabeth stood there, her hair dancing in the wind.

Jason couldn't see her face, but he knew she wasn't crying anymore.

"I was standing here and all I could see was the sky filled with stars and the moon shinning bright. I could hear the waves crashing in the stone wall of the cliff, deafening my thoughts. I remember thinking that if I had to go this was the perfect way to do it."

Jason didn't know what to say about her admission. He stepped closer to her protectively, but didn't touch her.

Elizabeth opened her arms and closed her eyes. She tilted her head back and felt the wind in her face. Slowly she leaned forward…

Jason lunged forward instinctively, holding her tightly to his body. His arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting on the crock of her neck.

A small tear trailed down her face.

"I couldn't do it. And I felt like the most pitiful woman in the world."

Jason couldn't speak. His heart was pounding on his chest furiously. His hold on her was like a vice. He knew he was probably hurting her, but he didn't care.

"Robin saved me that night. She knew. She knew what I wanted to do and she talked to me. I… If it wasn't for her, I might have tried to do it again…" Her voice trailed off. Became smaller. "Or maybe not. I was such a coward once."

Elizabeth's head was thrown back, resting on Jason's shoulder.

Jason placed a soft kiss on her hair and liger for a moment smelling her sweet essence, before he finally broke his hold on her and moved his hands to rest on her hips softly.

"How was I to know that that night was going to give me the wind?" She slightly turned her head to the side with a small smile. "…And you."

"Elizabeth…"

Before he could say another word, she was out of his arms. A deep frown on her face, she turned and looked out to the open area of the cliff.

"This is also the place where he tried to rape me."

Jason's eyes blurred with fury at the memory, his hands closing into fists. He still had nightmares about that night. Her ragged voice, her small body trembling, her dress ripped into pieces…

"NO! DON'T! PLEASE!"

"Even though he didn't actually rape me, I lost my innocence that day."

Her eyes were dark with memories, but when she turned to look at him her face softened.

"You saved me that night."

"I shouldn't have let you leave the Casino with him. I knew something was wrong, but…"

"It's not your fault. I made the choice to leave with him that night. I was the one who flirted and teased… But he was the one who didn't get no for an answer. He was the one who wanted to hurt me. And the Webber's were the ones who paid him to do it."

Elizabeth looked around once again, taking in a deep breath.

"I shouldn't have brought you here." Jason spoke softly.

"This is where it all started. It's only natural that it ends here."

Her words were spoken with emotion and conviction.

Jason's head turned to look at her in questioning.

"How did you…?"

Elizabeth interrupted him mid sentence. "We need to talk."

"Okay."

He followed her to the Lighthouse and they sat on a stone bench overlooking the horizon.

"I've been thinking a lot in the past few days. After everything that happened with the Webbers and Tony Morales…I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that just wouldn't go away."

He waited for her to continue.

"I've been feeling empty. And it doesn't matter what I do or where I go, I can't seem to shake this feeling of nothingness."

She waited for him to speak. When he didn't she continued.

"I used to have all this dreams…"

"You wanted to see the World and be an artist." He said softly.

"Yeah, well life tried to make me forget about those dreams. I feel like I just stopped fighting for them. But I just realized that that's not what I want. I don't want to keep giving up."

Jason's gaze was unwavering, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his blue eyes.

"In my Grams letter she asked me to live my life to the fullest and to see the world as we talked so many times about. And I realized that that's something I have to do."

She looked at the ocean below. "And then I started thinking about everyone that I've be leaving behind when I go. Grace and Manuel, Eva, Francis, Barbara, Marcos… But most important of all, you… I just don't seem to be strong enough…"

"Strong enough for what?"

"To leave. To pack up and go see the World. Live my life as I want to. Learn to stand on my own two feet instead of leaning on you and counting on you to make it better."

His hand moved to cover hers. "You have not been leaning on me. You are stronger than you think."

"But I feel so vulnerable. I feel like everything I've built after the attack, with you is just a castle made of sand and at any moment it will be ripped apart and I'm going to be left with nothing."

"I don't understand. What is it you are trying to say? You know you can tell me anything."

Elizabeth's gaze traveled up until it reached his ocean blue eyes.

"Even though I'm scared, I'm leaving tomorrow."

Jason's face was unreadable. He barely blinked at her statement. "Okay."

The sadness in her eyes was replaced by anger in a flash. "Okay? I tell you I'm leaving and all you have to say is okay?"

Jason stood from the bench and paced for a moment. Turning around to look at her, his voice was cold. "You already said you've been thinking a lot about this. You obviously made up your mind already. What do you want me to say?"

Exasperated she stood up and walked up to him. "I don't know. Maybe, 'Don't go Elizabeth. I want you to stay with me.' Something, anything."

"I can't make you stay if you want to leave."

"It's not that I want to leave, Jason. I have to leave. This is something I need to do. If I don't find this piece of me that's missing, I'll never be ready for something more."

She bit her bottom lip and turned her eyes down.

"I should have started from the beginning." She found his eyes again. "Jason, I'm in love with you."

"What?" His eyes were filled with hope and unshed tears.

"I know it's completely presumptuous of me to even dream that you would ever feel…"

"I'm in love with you too."

That completely threw her for a loop.

"I… You…"

"I don't know how or when it happened. It just did."

Elizabeth walked back to the bench and sat down again. Jason followed her.

"This kind of changes everything." She said in a whisper.

"No it doesn't, Elizabeth."

"What do you mean it doesn't?" She asked with a raced brow. "Here I've been turning myself inside out, trying to find a way to have my cake and eat it too and…"

Jason was confused. "What cake?"

"Jason, that's just an expression. It means that I've been trying to find a way to have it both ways. I have this need to be free, to see the World and at the same time I just can't make a clean break. Forget everything I said. I want to see where this can go."

"Elizabeth. I brought you here today to tell you that I love you."

"Why do I sense there's a 'but' around there somewhere?"

"But… I can't be the reason you lose your dreams."

She interrupts him. "Jason you are not…"

He brings his fingers to her lips. "Elizabeth. Please let me say this."

"Go ahead."

"This is not something I have been going over for a long time. My feelings for you are not something that happened over night. It's something that's been there since the first time we meet over four years ago. At first just attraction, but as I got to know you, spend time with you… It became different than anything I've ever felt before."

He had to stop to swallow over the knot that was tightening in his throat.

"I love your smile, the way your eyes light up whenever we go on a bike ride. But I also love your strength, your dreams and your spirit. Elizabeth I can't ask you change your dreams for a bulletproof apartment and the risk of becoming a target for my enemies."

"It doesn't have to be like that…"

"But it is. This time we've spent together. Puerto Rico, this is not my real world. New York, Miami, guards, treats, death….That is my life Elizabeth. Did you speak to Eva, before she left?"

She nodded slowly, a silent tear falling from her eyes.

"Didn't she tell you there was a war in Miami? Francis is taking her to a penthouse with surveillance, bulletproof windows and guards."

"She was willing to take that chance, because they love each other. And I'm willing to…"

"But I'm not. I won't trap you inside my world. Because sooner or later it's going to kill your spirit and one day you'll look at me and the sparkle in your eyes will be gone. I won't be able to live knowing that I'm responsible for that."

"So you love me and I love you, but we can't be together."

"I want you to go, Elizabeth, go and see the World. Find the freedom you've always dreamt about. Be happy, because that's the only thing I've ever really wanted for you."

"What if I don't want to be free without you?"

"You will always have me, Elizabeth. I promise that if you ever need me, I'll be there. And after you see the World, when you find that piece of you that you are missing and if you still feel the same… Then we can try to make this work."

Their blue eyes met, filled with tears that were now falling freely.

Raw emotion, sadness and love shining deep inside.

There were no more words needed between them.

Jason closed the distance and soon his lips were on hers.

Soft, sweet, their lips danced together in a promise of what the future held for them.

The bike came to a stop in front of the gates of the International Airport.

He looked up to see the airplane take off and his heart ached. The thought that he might never see her again crossed his mind and a dull ache became sharper in the pit of his stomach.

Jason sat on his bike watching the plane disappear in the distance, with the promise that he would look for her… Someday…

Elizabeth sat with her gaze lingering on the shape of the Island until it was nothing more than a blur of green in the middle of the blue ocean.

Remembering the day she came to Puerto Rico, four years ago, it felt like a whole lifetime had passed since that gloomy August afternoon.

Never in her life would she have thought that she was going to find friends, family, freedom.

And love…

She had seen Jason sitting on his bike as the airplane prepared for takeoff.

Her heart aching at the thought that she might never see him again.

A small smile appeared through her tears.

She would see him again… Someday…

FIN.

Please don't kill me just yet.

First let me tell you guys that this has been a pretty awsome ride. I'm amazed at the feedback this story has gotten from the start and through the long wait in between chapters.

I started writing this story after I actually dreamed the goodbye squence between Jason and Elizabeth. It was always intended for them to end up going in different directions. I feel like my version of Elizabeth needs to find herself before she can commit to a relationship with my version of Jason. She had lived through a lot during her stay in Puerto Rico, don't you think? But she hasn't really lived, if you know what I mean.

One of the reasons for taking so long to post the finale, was that I started to doubt myself. What where you guys going to say when I gave you the above? I know that if I were to follow a story for 4 years I would be piss at not getting my couple together at the end. (Feel free to let me have it at the reply.)

I tried to re-write the last chapter. But the new version wasn't working. Elizabeth really wanted to go to Italy and she refused to stay. So I began to plan a sequel... Very short, not more than 4 or 5 chapters. But it's proving to be a btch to write and I'm not sure how soon I can have it out there. With that warning in place, you guys have the final say...

Would you like to read a sequel or would you rather I stay away from the keyboard and stop this madness?

Either way I will write more Liason Fanfic, so you guys will still be submitted to read my awful grammar (no beta) and long winded author's note.

I am very happy and proud to have ended my first multiple chapter story, even though it took so long.

And before I go I want to thank each and everyone of you guys who reviewed and gave me such amazing feedback. It means a lot to me that you enjoyed my work. Hope to hear what you guys think...

Hasta la vista, Chicas!

Love, Julie