ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Liason102 for the edit.

This is the Friday Night Fic from RTN. Let me know, in your review, if you would like to have me continue the story.

Prompt: Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.

"Hey." He said as he walked up to the park bench where she was currently sitting. From the many hours he spent watching her, he knew every expression that crossed her face. Knew exactly what the different shades of blue in her eyes indicated. The petite artist was deep in thought. But not so deep that she didn't sense his arrival. Something she wasn't able to do with anyone else. She always knew when he was near.

She looked tired. Every time he'd seen her lately she looked tired. And thin. Even though she hadn't said anything he knew it had everything to do with the burden she carried. It was hard work trying to cure your returned from the dead boyfriend. Especially when everyone expected you to do it all on your own. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he'd heard someone say to the brunette beauty that she was all Lucky needed. That was bullshit. Lucky needed a nice long stint in Ferncliff to fix whatever it was that Helena had done to him. Or a bullet to the brain. Jason smirked thinking he could help with the latter. He was finding the urge to make the Lucky Spencer problem disappear for good harder and harder to resist.

"What brings you out tonight?" Elizabeth asked. She hadn't expected to see Jason this evening. She wanted to see him, but hadn't expected to. Just lately he seemed to be one of the few people totally in her corner. Him and Francis. Everyone else was all about Lucky. Em, her Grams, Nikolas, and the Spencers all seemed to think that she was the miracle cure that would return Lucky to boy that he had been before. Well Elizabeth was almost certain that that Lucky was gone never to return.

Yes, Lucky had helped her after Tom Baker hurt her. But that didn't mean that she owed him the rest of her life. She would be happy to be a part of the support system that helped her former boyfriend get back to a somewhat normal life, but she shouldn't be expected to do it all alone. No matter how many times she told everyone that all she got in return was Lucky needs you.

Worse was the fact that she didn't feel she had anyone to vent to. The two men she considered her true friends had to be sick of the hearing about the drama in her life. So she stopped telling them. All the anger and resentment was building up inside her with no way out. She couldn't even paint because all her time was taken up by Lucky.

"Looking for you." Was his answer. Elizabeth was one of the few people Jason had actual conversations with. Most people could get maybe three words out of him. But he liked talking with Elizabeth, the topic didn't even matter. He also liked looking at her. He could, and did, spend hours watching her. It was never enough. When he was in Port Charles he sought her company and when he was away he missed her. He was careful to make sure that her friendship with him didn't cause her pain. He never wanted her hurt because of him or the lifestyle he had chosen. He knew from Francis that the Spencers were doing everything in their power to isolate Elizabeth and that his presence made Lucky angry. Since Elizabeth hadn't said that it wasn't what she wanted, he stayed away lately. But tonight he needed to see her.

"I haven't seen much of you. I'm sorry about that. I haven't been a good friend." She scooted over on the bench. "Have a seat and tell me how you've been."

"Good, busy." Was all he said. Up close he could see the shadows under her eyes, the ones she tried to hide with makeup. Her deep blue eyes were also red like she'd been crying. "How have you been? I know you've been spending a lot of time with Lucky. How is he?" Jason leaned back and waited for her reply. He saw something flash in her eyes but it was too quick and the park to dark to catch what it was.

Elizabeth shrugged, before looking down. "He has a long way to go." She said softly. "I don't know if I can help him."

She stopped and sighed softly. He hoped she would continue, but when the silence stretched out he realized she wouldn't. Jason never pushed her to talk to him, he always respected her boundaries, just like she always respected his. Respected that there where things he just couldn't talk about with her. Things that were completely off limits. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" She asked with a small smile. Just a few minutes with him and already she was feeling lighter.

"I'm leaving." He said.

"When?" The thought of him going filled her with panic. Knowing he was near made her life bearable. Knowing she could steal a few minutes with him kept her sane. Which she recognized was totally unfair. She suspected that Jason had feelings for her. Deep feelings, maybe even as deep as the ones she had for him. The ones that simultaneously filled her with joy and dread.

Loving Lucky had been easy. They were kids and too scared to do too much. Plus she had still been healing. It had been safe. But the feelings she had for Jason were unlike any she'd ever had before and she had absolutely no clue what to do with them. Lucky was a boy, in many was he still was. Jason was a man and what he expected from a woman, his woman was well beyond her experience. He wouldn't hurt her, she wasn't worried about that. She worried that she wasn't enough.

"Tonight, in a couple of hours." Her reaction, one of shock and sadness wasn't a complete surprise. They'd been dancing around one another for a few years now. It was decision time, which wasn't fair to her since it was coming with no warning. But Jason hadn't been ready for this conversation before now. It would hurt too much to see her around town knowing she hadn't chosen him. Because to be completely honest he didn't expect her to pick him. "I won't be back once, I go. At least not full time. I'll come back once, maybe twice a year."

"So this is good bye?" It felt like her heart was being ripped out. She couldn't lose him. "Are you in trouble? Can I do something to help you?"

She always had his back, he thought. Never hesitated to ask if she could help in any way. She was one of the few people in his life who didn't come to him and say fix this for me. Even his sister lately wanted something from him. Emily was constantly telling him to stay away from Elizabeth, telling him that he wasn't what her best friend needed. It had gotten so bad that he had taken to avoiding his little sister whenever possible.

"I'm not in trouble. I just can't stay here in Port Charles anymore." He told her knowing she would understand. She knew what Sonny and Carly had done to him.

"Can I ask where you're going?" Elizabeth was doing her best to not cry. That wouldn't help the situation any. Jason didn't need her making this any harder than necessary. Elizabeth was sure that Carly would cry enough for everyone. After all if Jason was gone, who would save her when she did something stupid?

"Right now I don't know but, I plan to end up in Italy." He told her seeing her eyes light up for the first time all night. Seeing Italy was a dream of hers. Her seeing it with him was a dream of his. Because despite what the doctors said Jason did dream, but only of Elizabeth.

"That's amazing Jason." She didn't know what would send him to Italy and not allow him to return often, but at least he would be somewhere he loved. "I know how much you like being there. Will you send me a postcard now and then?" She'd take whatever contact she could have. Often when he traveled he sent her small tokens. "Or if I send you some money, could you maybe send me another piece of glass?" The red glass he'd given her was one of her most prized possessions.

"I could." Jason said. He took a deep breath because he was nervous. A feeling he wasn't at all used to. "Or you could come with me."

She sat there shocked for a moment, completely unable to speak. "Did you just ask me to come with you?"

"Yeah." Jason said softly.

"But you said you weren't coming back. At least not much." Elizabeth was still trying to wrap her brain around his offer.

"That's true, but you could come home whenever you wanted to visit. Or to stay if you don't like being with me." He was still nervous, but the fact that she hadn't outright rejected him gave him hope. "I'd never force you to stay if you wanted to come back to Port Charles."

"Why do you want me to come?" She asked. She wasn't looking for a declaration of love, because she wasn't ready to say those words. But she needed something more than a hunch that he cared for her beyond friendship. She knew they were entering dangerous territory, Jason was famous amongst those who knew him for not sharing his emotions. Which was vastly different from not having them, he did he just didn't share them often.

Jason breathed forcefully through his nose while looking around. Part of it was taking time to gather his thoughts, the rest was to just scan the area. They were sitting out in the open and he hadn't brought any backup. This conversation was too personal for witnesses.

He wanted to get this right. Hell he needed to get this right. His whole future could change in this moment. "I wish I was better with words. Because I don't want to screw this up." He admitted.

"I promise to give you a chance to explain." In the past she had been guilty of not letting him explain. Of flying off the handle and pushing him away, when he didn't say what she was expecting to hear. It had taken a painful separation and a long talk with Francis for her to understand that Jason sometimes had trouble getting a thought from his head and out of his mouth. She was so used to him being great at everything, she sometimes forgot that he had suffered major brain trauma that changed his entire personality.

Jason gave her a half smile. "You told me that you had feelings for me. Is that still true?"

"Yes." She answered honestly.

"How…how do they make you feel?" He needed to know. It was unfair to ask her to give more when she'd already given more than him. But he needed to know.

"They scare me, but at the same time they make me feel free." She told him, hoping that soon he would start sharing.

"Do I scare you?" He asked, almost afraid of her answer.

"No, not ever. Even when we are yelling at one another I'm not ever afraid of you." She told him hoping he saw that she was speaking the truth.

"Then what are you afraid of?" He turned to face her more fully. Needing to see her eyes as she answered.

Elizabeth summoned all her courage and laid it all out for him to see. "I'm not used to the way I feel when I'm around you. I don't know what to do with the emotions you stir up. I'm not ready to sleep with you Jason. I'm not ready to sleep with anyone. I know that I have…issues with men and sex. I don't want to say yes to going with you and you think that means we'll be together that way." She was looking down by the time she finished. For some reason she felt like she had failed him.

They'd never talked about what was happening between them. Truthfully he didn't expect them to do more than scratch the surface of what was between them right now. If Elizabeth came with him they could talk more. She admitted having feelings for him. Even after her confession he never told her how he felt. He'd realized too late that he'd hurt her when he didn't say anything back.

"Elizabeth, look at me." He waited a lifetime for her to raise her eyes to his. He dropped his guard and let her really look into his heart. "I would never assume that because you're coming with me that we will just jump into bed. Even though we've never really talked about it I know what happened to you, and I know that you are still working through that." He'd held her on more than one occasion when memories made her cry. He'd wanted to go over to Audrey's house and ask the woman why the hell she hadn't gotten Elizabeth to a therapist. But it hadn't been his place. He hadn't had the right.

"I can wait for you to be ready. And you can see a therapist if you want, when we get settled or not whatever you want. You'll have your own room most of the time but if we travel a bit first there will be times when we have to share. I have feelings for you too. Feelings that are stronger than any I've ever felt before. I don't want to walk away from this. From you. From us. Come with me, let's see if we can build a life together." He took her hand in his, for the first time giving in to the urge to touch her. An urge he always had around her. With anyone else he avoided physical contact, but her he needed to be as close as possible.

"I don't have much money for sharing expenses." She told him. Bobbie had cut her hours so she would have more time to devote to Lucky. Elizabeth suspected that they were cutting her income to keep her from trying to leave.

He had to be careful here, she was fiercely independent, going so far as to move out of her Grandmother's house as soon as she turned eighteen. As much as Jason respected Elizabeth's right to make her own choices, he'd tried to talk her out of that one. She moved into her studio in a less than desirable neighborhood. He'd been worried about her staying safe. But she wouldn't be swayed. Now Jason wondered if Lucky had anything to with that. "You're my guest so while we are traveling, I'll cover the cost. You can get a job when we get to Italy if you like. I have a few connections." He said with a smile. She opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her. "It will be something you are qualified for. I won't make anyone give you a job you can't do. Or you could take some time to get better and work on your art. I would never try to use my money to control you."

"I believe you." Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, trying to figure out if this could work. Could she simply just walk away and start over? She trusted Jason more than anyone in her life. If he said she could walk away if she was unhappy he meant it. Jason didn't lie.

"Good." That only left one more topic of discussion. "What about Lucky? I know that you still love him."

"I do still love him, but only as a friend. I know that you think that we're back together but that's not true. The boy I fell in love with is gone." She started explaining. "And there is a part of me that feels I owe it to him to help him." She saw Jason nod, he was a man who understood what loyalty could cost you. "But he's different. And no matter what I do, I don't think that I'm what he needs to get better."

"Different how?" She was trying to hide from him. He could feel her holding back. Something was off, but he didn't know if now was the time and place to discuss it. He didn't want to say anything to make her change her mind, because Jason was now convinced that Elizabeth wanted to come with him. She just needed to make the decision to do so.

She just shook her head. "Everything is different, just as it should be. Nothing in life is constant it's always shifting and moving. Everything but him. He's so lost and he thinks he needs me to find his way again. Even after what he's done, how can I just walk away?" With that she stopped talking and they settled into a heavy silence one that made his heart sink. When Elizabeth looked up at him again, Jason saw in her deep blue eyes that she had made her decision. "I want to come with you."

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