Disclaimer: I don't own anything at ABC and I'm only playing with Jason and Elizabeth. If I owned anything these two would be together forever on screen and we'd be getting super hot love scenes constantly.
AN: This is taking place at the end of the trial, starting when Lucky goes to Sam the night Elizabeth doesn’t want to sleep with him, when Nik is there and he goes back and tells Elizabeth that Lucky is cheating on her. But in my version, Elizabeth was not held up in the park, yet, and she hasn’t seen Jason since his trial ended. So it’s happening sooner than it did on the actual soap. If it doesn’t make sense please let me know.
Thank you to Rosa for being my beta yet again. All mistakes are mine.
Rating is PG-13 for now, may change to a higher rating in the future.
I apologize for all the edits, it's been a long time since I posted a brand new fic, I keep forgetting things.
Making Choices Part 1
Elizabeth watched Nik as he walked back to his car. She closed her eyes, wondering where the pain was, why didn’t it hurt to hear that Lucky was cheating on her… again. Finally closing the door, Elizabeth picked up the phone and called her Gran, she needed to talk to her; she needed to figure out what came next.
Audrey was worried when she arrived at Elizabeth and Lucky’s house. Walking in the door, she noticed that Elizabeth seemed to be packing toys into boxes. Going over and sitting beside her on the floor, helping to put things into the box she asked, “What’s wrong Elizabeth, what’s happened now?”
Sitting back on her heels Elizabeth looked at her Gran and said, “I don’t know what to do, I don’t know if I should stay in this sham I call a marriage or if I should just get out. What about Cam and Jake? Cam has been through this before and I just don’t want to do it to him again but…”
Putting her hand on top of her granddaughter’s Audrey said, “Elizabeth, start at the beginning, no more lies, no more evasions, just tell me everything.”
“The beginning, is that the beginning back in 1999 or maybe last summer, or how about after the Metro Court bombing? I don’t know what the beginning is anymore Gran,” Elizabeth cried softly.
“I know about 1999, I know about last summer, thanks to your testimony at Jason Morgan’s trial, I’m not sure about the Metro Court bombing but I’m going to assume you mean when you agreed to marry Lucky again. The beginning is what you left out at the trial Elizabeth, what you haven’t told your husband yet and just where is he exactly?” Audrey asked.
Looking at her grandmother in confusion Elizabeth shook her head and said, “It doesn’t matter where Lucky is tonight, that’s going to come later. What are you talking about, what didn’t I tell my husband?”
Sighing in sadness, knowing that her granddaughter didn’t trust her because of her actions over the years whenever Jason Morgan was the topic Audrey asked her, “Did you know that Lila Quartermaine and I were close friends?”
“Um, no I didn’t Gran, why are you telling me this now?” Elizabeth asked in complete confusion.
“Yes well, you don’t seem to realize that it doesn’t take a DNA test for someone who knew Lila as well as I did, for someone who has spent many a day looking into those beautiful blue eyes to know that the eyes in my great grandson were inherited from his great grandmother,” Audrey said, looking at Elizabeth with faint amusement.
Knowing that if she’d been standing Elizabeth would have fallen over, the younger woman looked at her grandmother and said, “You mean, you know?”
“Yes dear, I know, I’ve known since the first time I looked in Jacob Martin’s eyes, he’s Jason’s son. I understand why you lied my dear, in many ways I think it was for the best, but maybe… maybe you need to come clean now,” Audrey suggested.
Crying harder than ever, Elizabeth felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She laid her head on her Gran’s shoulder and just let the tears flow, she didn’t feel so alone anymore. Sitting back Elizabeth asked her, “Are you ashamed of me?”
“No dear, I heard about the way Lucky has been treating you since he found out about you and Jason and really, I can totally understand why you’ve been unable to tell him. But it’s time for the lies to stop, it’s time for the two of you to make some serious decisions about your marriage,” Audrey advised her. “Where is your husband tonight?”
“He’s busy sleeping with Sam McCall,” Elizabeth admitted. “Nikolas was here to tell me where Lucky was and what he’s up to.”
“Oh dear, that isn’t helping anyone but I think it’s time you take a good look at that young man and his natural inclinations. Lucky isn’t the man you want teaching your sons how to be men, how men should behave and how they should treat the women they say they love. Anger aside, no man has the right to speak to his wife in public the way Lucas Spencer has been speaking to you. I want you to come home with me,” Audrey said firmly.
Standing up she picked up the phone and made a few calls, calling Elizabeth’s friends from work, asking them to come over and help them pack up the belongings of Elizabeth and her sons. Audrey wasn’t playing games anymore; her granddaughter would not be treated with this level of disrespect by her husband. If he thought that the way to solve problems was to sleep with another woman than he’d learn that his actions had consequences.
Elizabeth was shocked when the women from work descended on Luke and Laura’s house, bringing boxes and food, prepared to pack her life away and help her move. Epiphany arrived with them, giving Elizabeth a quick nod of approval, Lucas Spencer was treating her like a cheap trollop and she didn’t want to hear anymore more of it. The way he spoke to her at the hospital made her blood boil and it was about time that it stopped.
Before Elizabeth could move to help with the packing Audrey took her by the arm and pulled her away, handing her the phone again and saying, “You need to call that lawyer of Jason’s, tell her about the lies during the trial, she can help you out of any legal action Ric might take against you.”
Groaning deep in her throat, Elizabeth took the phone from her grandmother and moving out onto the porch she sat in a chair and dialed the phone, Diane Miller was a force to be reckoned with; this was going to be difficult. Listening to the phone ring Elizabeth jumped a little when a voice suddenly spoke in the other end. “Diane Miller.”
“Uh, hi Ms. Miller, this is, um, Elizabeth Webber, er, Spencer. I was wondering if I could, um, bother you with something.”
“Of course Ms. Webber, I have a very short list supplied to be from Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan of people who I am to offer my services to; you are at the top of that list. What can I do for you this evening?” Diane asked coolly.
“There are two things actually, do you, uh, well, do you do divorces?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“For you, yes, I can get the paper work together immediately. But you said two things, what is the other?” Diane asked, already making notes on the divorce, privately pleased that this lovely young woman was going to get away from the man who in her opinion was borderline abusive.
“Oh boy, you aren’t going to be happy, but I lied on the stand during the trial,” Elizabeth admitted quickly.
Diane froze, her eyebrows going up as she thought about what this young woman might know that she lied about on the stand, in court, before the judge and the prosecution. Sitting back against the back of her chair she asked in a voice coated in ice, “What did you lie about Ms. Webber?”
“JakeisJason’sson,” Elizabeth burst out.
“Pardon me?” Diane asked in confusion, not having made the words out as they rushed out of the younger woman’s mouth.
“Jake is Jason’s son,” Elizabeth said again, slower. She waited for some sign that Diane had heard her. Closing her eyes she didn’t see Emily standing in the open door to the house, her mouth covered with her hands.
“I see,” Diane said, relief flooding through her. She remained silent for a moment before she suddenly burst out with, “Why do you people insist on making my job more difficult? Had you told me this when Jason was incarcerated when the boy was missing I could have done something then, used it to help Jason in some way. But even without telling me then, what about at trial, you should have told me, I could have done something then to keep you from even having to testify, well maybe but at the very least I could have prevented a charge of perjury. I need the facts, all of the facts so that I can do my job!”
Silence followed Diane’s diatribe until Elizabeth asked in a low voice, “Does that mean you can help me?”
“Of course I can help you Ms. Webber, it would just be easier and greatly appreciated if you could inform me in the beginning about these things. It isn’t entirely your fault, Mr. Morgan should have told me as well. Now, give me a reason, briefly for your lie, on the stand, under oath,” Diane ordered her.
“I had just admitted to cheating on my husband, I couldn’t completely destroy him, not like that. I couldn’t take his son away from him,” Elizabeth said.
“Yet you took him from Jason,” Diane pointed out. Elizabeth was silent after that and Diane felt bad for what she’d said, even if it was true. After several seconds of silence Diane decided to get the conversation back on track. “Your husband is a former drug addict, isn’t he Ms. Webber?”
“Yes he is,” Elizabeth answered quietly. “He got clean when he learned I was pregnant with Jake.”
“So your husband used the baby as a crutch to clean his life up. Why are you divorcing Detective Spencer, Ms. Webber?”
“Lucky is… well Lucky is cheating on me again,” Elizabeth admitted, hating the way she sounded.
“So the way Detective Spencer handled hearing about your incident of infidelity when he was also engaging in an extramarital sexual relationship with a barely legal teenager was to go out and again engage in an extramarital sexual relationship. Is his current partner legal?” Diane asked in disgust.
“Yes, he’s with Sam McCall,” Elizabeth told her. She cringed inside at the way she sounded, like she was tattling on her husband.
“I see, Detective Spencer learned of your night with Mr. Morgan so he began a sexual relationship with Mr. Morgan’s former fiancée. Well, I can see why you lied on the stand; Detective Spencer isn’t very good at making decisions without acting like a petulant child. I don’t think a charge of perjury is going to be difficult to talk our way out of. Is there anything else I need to know?” Diane asked.
“Uh no, I’m pretty sure that’s it,” Elizabeth responded.
“Where are you going to be staying Ms. Webber? Are you remaining in the same home as your unfaithful husband?” Diane queried.
“No, I’m packing up right now, I’m moving out tonight with the boys and going to my Gran’s house,” Elizabeth admitted.
“Excellent, that will help our case. I will inform you when I’ve had a chance to discuss this case with the state’s attorney general’s prosecutor. Could you please give me a number where I can reach you?” Diane requested.
After rattling off her cell phone number Elizabeth listened to Diane’s final instructions. “I want you to keep this to yourself Elizabeth. You aren’t to tell anyone that you lied on the stand; we can’t have this getting around before I’ve had a chance to deal with the repercussions. The last thing we want is for Mr. Lansing to learn of this, he’ll use it to crucify you if he can and I’m sure that once you tell Detective Spencer he’ll help him. Don’t give him that chance. You’ll have to keep this from him too. When you can go public I’ll let you know, and Ms. Webber, you’re going to have to go public with this, if any of my arguments are going to be truthful when I speak to the prosecutor.”
“I understand, I won’t tell anyone, but I want to be completely honest so you should know that my Gran guessed, she’s known since Jake was born apparently,” Elizabeth told her.
“Yes well, she’s stayed silent this long, I’m sure we can trust her to continue to keep her own counsel. You may want to remind her though, just in case.” Diane suggested before promising to call Elizabeth as soon as she had something.
Elizabeth hung up the phone, putting her head back against the chair at her back. She knew she’d have to go public, but it scared her. She hadn’t seen Jason since he was freed from jail and it worried her, what would he think, how would he feel when she want public? Closing her eyes she huffed out a breath, he’d just have to accept it she decided just as a noise to her right made her jump. Jerking her head around she was shocked to see Emily standing in the doorway. Worrying about how much she’d heard she asked, “Hey Em, how long have you been there?”
“Oh, I just walked out, why, is something wrong?” Emily asked, lying easily. She wasn’t going to tell Elizabeth that she’d heard her conversation. When Elizabeth had promised not to tell anyone until Diane gave her the go-ahead, Emily knew she was going to have to keep quiet about what she knew.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Elizabeth said, jumping to her feet, feeling guilty for some lying to her friend again. Would Emily forgive her for lying about Jake? Would she forgive her for not only lying to her but lying to Lucky as well? They were close friends; they’d been friends a lot longer than Emily and herself.
“I just wanted to know how you were doing honey,” Emily told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she led her away from the house a little. “I couldn’t believe it when Nikolas told me what happened tonight, about Lucky and Sam. I just, I don’t know what’s wrong with that man, why is he doing this?”
“Maybe because I just couldn’t respond to him, I couldn’t give him what he wanted and Sam can,” Elizabeth admitted.
“Oh please, with all the things he’s been saying to you and the way he’s been acting why would he expect you to want to have sex with him? That man doesn’t think with the head on his shoulders, that’s become painfully obvious and the little head, it’s not very smart,” Emily snorted.
Elizabeth gasped out a laugh and then both girls clung to each other as they laughed at the image that Emily had just supplied them with. Elizabeth looked up to see Lainey standing in the open door, her mouth hanging slightly open. Quieting downm they looked at the other woman waiting to see what she had to say.
“Emily, the little head is dumber than dirt,” Lainey said in a dry voice, “they all are.”
The two women burst into laughter again and the psychiatrist allowed herself a small smile. Seeing that they were done laughing she said, “Do you think I could talk to Elizabeth for a minute, Em?”
“Sure, if that’s okay with you,” Emily said, looking to Elizabeth for confirmation. At her nod, she walked back into the house to get back to work.
Lainey walked out onto the porch and looked up at the bright stars in the sky. Leaning against the railing she asked, “How are you doing? This can’t be easy, coming so soon after Jake’s kidnapping, the trial and everything, you must be reeling.”
Looking at her friend and then back out at the sky, Elizabeth shook her head and said, “For some reason this just feels, well it feels like it’s past time, it shouldn’t have had to come to this, I should have never been here.”
“I’m sorry Elizabeth,” Lainey said quietly. “After the trial and hearing you admit to your affair with Jason, well I can see why things were so hard on you when Jake was first born. I’m sorry that I ever doubted you, even if it was just standard procedure. You know, Jason coming to your defense, the way he believed in you when Lucky didn’t, or maybe couldn’t, well I can see why you have him in your life. It’s hard to turn away from a man who can offer you that kind of friendship.”
“Yeah, Jason is pretty special,” Elizabeth admitted.
“Don’t let a friend like that go,” Lainey advised. Pushing off of the railing, she turned to go back into the house, “His life is dangerous, but then so is a cop's, so are many lives. And one thing that he can offer you that no one else can, is the protection from the danger in his life, remember that.”
Elizabeth watched the other woman walk away, realizing for the first time that that was the one thing none of them had considered before all of this. Jason knew the dangers of his life and he knew how to protect against them. She’d never been in danger in the past when Jason had a guard on her. It was only when she’d rejected his life that she’d been in danger; it would be the same for her sons. They were so scared of the danger to Jake, of someone grabbing him because he was Jason’s son. But if it was known that Jake was Jason’s then he’d have guards on both her and the boys, they’d be as safe as they could be. And life didn’t have any guarantees, there was danger everywhere.
Making up her mind to let the chips fall where they may she went back inside to help finish the packing. She didn’t want to have to return here once she left tonight; it was over this time… for good.
***********
Diane walked into the coffeehouse with her phone at her ear and barking out orders. “I want that paperwork ready for signatures today. We can’t wait on this, the longer it takes the more trouble he’s going to try to cause. As soon as you have it finished, call me and I’ll take it to her. Now my meeting with the AG is this afternoon, make sure I have all of the files and any legal precedents that you can come up with, I want this to go smoothly. The fat lady will have sung by the end of the day, is that understood?!”
Slapping her phone shut she took the espresso that the barista was putting on the counter for her. Nodding her thanks to him, she swept through the room and into Sonny’s office, not knocking since the door was open. Jason was there waiting with his partner for her. “Yes, you summoned me?” Diane asked with a little snark.
“Have you got the paperwork that I asked you for on that land Jason and I are planning to buy in New York?” Sonny barked.
“No I don’t, you didn’t tell me you were going to buy it, you said you were considering it and something more pressing came to me last night so I’ve put everything on hold except for that,” Diane admitted.
Standing up Sonny growled, “What I need is the more pressing business Diane, your other clients can wait. I’ve got you on retainer so you’re there when I need you!”
“Yes Sonny, I know this and I am working off of your retainer right now,” Diane growled back at him. Seeing the confused look on both his and Jason’s faces she said, “You gave me a list of people who take precedence over any of my other clients. Well one of those people has me working for her right now and this is too important to wait.”
“Who,” Sonny asked, “is it Carly, what’s going on with her, problems with Jax?”
“No, it isn’t Mrs. Jax, it’s Elizabeth Webber and don’t bother asking me what’s going on, you may be paying my fee but her legal counsel is still privileged information,” Diane admitted. Her eyes were on Jason when she said this and a smile formed in them when she saw the way he stood up a little straighter and stared at her. So he wasn’t indifferent to the little nurse… that was good news. When this tempest hit Port Charles, she was going to need him more than anything.
Looking at the man in front of her Diane handed him a file she’d been carrying in her free hand and said, “This is what I have on that property so far. At the moment, it isn’t for sale so why you think you’re going to get it is beyond me, but that’s all in there. Now if you don’t mind I have a very important meeting I need to prepare for, I’ll call you if anything new develops with the property.”
She turned to walk out of the office when Jason stopped her, “Is Elizabeth alright?”
“I don’t know Jason you’ll have to ask her. I didn’t ask after her emotional state when she called me last night. I had far too many pressing issues to deal with as soon as our call was completed. I will say this for her however, she is a strong woman, having spoken with several people at the hospital and hearing the things her husband has been saying to her in public at her workplace, it’s atrocious. It would be best however if you didn’t seek her out right now, please keep that in mind,” Diane informed him before she walked out.
Looking at Jason, Sonny sighed and said, “Jason you need to ignore what Diane just said and call Elizabeth. Find out what’s going on and if she’s in need of any assistance. While you’re at it why don’t you ask how your son is?”
Growling soundlessly under his breath, Jason shot Sonny a look which clearly told him to stay out of his business. Walking out of the office, knowing that he wasn’t needed to look at whatever Diane had handed to Sonny, Jason decided to head to the hospital, to see if Elizabeth was there.
************
Lucky stood outside the front door of his house. He took a deep breath before reaching forward and turning the doorknob. It surprised him to find it locked since he knew that Elizabeth didn’t work today. Unlocking the door he pushed it open, walking inside and immediately noticing that all of Cam’s toys were gone and so was Jake’s playpen and the other various paraphernalia that accompanied a newborn. Cursing loudly, he darted up the stairs and into each boy’s room seeing at a glance that their things were gone. He walked into the bedroom he shared with his wife and felt like he’d been kicked in the gut, all of her things looked to be missing as well. Praying that he was wrong he opened the closet, seeing the empty space her clothes used to take up. Going to her dresser he opened every drawer to see that all of her things were in fact gone.
Dropping down to the end of the bed he closed his eyes, tears running down his cheeks when he realized that his wife was gone and so were his sons. He jumped to his feet when he heard noise drifting up the stairs. Darting down them, hoping he’d find Elizabeth there, he came to a standstill when he realized it was just Nik.
“What are you doing here?” Lucky asked.
“I wanted to see how you were,” Nik admitted.
Frowning Lucky asked, “Why did you need to do that?”
“I know that Elizabeth moved out last night,” Nik told him.
“You knew… how did you know? Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” Lucky yelled.
“I didn’t think you’d want me to interrupt your evening with the woman you were cheating on your wife with to tell you that your wife was leaving you for cheating,” Nik answered simply.
“What, how did Elizabeth know I was with Sam?” Lucky asked in confusion.
“I told her Lucky, what, did you think that I wouldn’t tell her that you were sleeping with another woman, again by the way,” Nik yelled at him.
“You had no right Nik, you should have stayed out of it,” Lucky screamed at him.
“Would you listen to yourself?” Nik barked out a laugh, “You cheated on Elizabeth, again, and you’re mad at me because she knows. Lucky you have a problem, you’re a freaking slut the way you run to a new woman to make yourself feel better when your wife doesn’t do what you want when you want it. Seriously, can you blame her for going to Jason last year when she found you in her bed with Maxie? And now you’re sleeping with Sam because the wife you’re fighting with isn’t ready to have sex with you because you want it, grow up Lucky.”
Staring at the other man in fury Lucky yelled, “Get out, just get out Nik, how dare you judge me not after what you did to Emily!”
“You’re more like your father than I thought,” Nik said sadly as he left. Sighing he got into his car and picked up his phone to call Emily. When she answered he said, “He won’t listen to me, we got into it. Call him Em; we don’t want him turning back to pills now.”
Emily hung up her phone and looked out her window. Lucky was falling apart and she really couldn’t find it in her to feel sorry for him. Part of her felt that it wasn’t fair that he was going to be hurt as badly as he would be when he found out that Jake was Jason’s son but then a bigger part was angry that Jason had to give up his son to keep Lucky clean. Deciding that she didn’t want to call her old friend, Emily knew she needed to let him sink or swim on his own. If he fell apart now, before Elizabeth even revealed Jake’s paternity then things would be so much easier for her when the town did find out Jason was Jake’s father. She couldn’t be blamed for Lucky turning back to drugs if he was using again before he even knew.
**********


