It
was weird to be home. Elizabeth felt
like she'd been in a dream for the past four months. With all the excitement of seeing Jason again and then the kidnapping,
Elizabeth didn't quite know how she'd settle back into the swing of
things. After picking up their luggage,
Elizabeth waited for Sonny's men to spot them.
"Elizabeth!"
a familiar voice called.
Elizabeth
peered ahead and saw Lucky running towards them. "Lucky?" she gasped.
Elizabeth
looked over at Jaime whose eyes were wide in confusion. "Don't look at me. He's the one calling your name." Jaime shrugged.
With
much energy, Elizabeth plastered a smile on her face. "Lucky!" laughed Elizabeth half-heartedly. "What are you doing here?"
Lucky
didn't answer as he closed his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe!" he
whispered, kissing her passionately on the lips.
The
kiss caught Elizabeth by surprise. As
she pushed him arms' length away, Elizabeth frowned. "What was that?"
Lucky
looked at her confused. "I'm just
welcoming you back. I thought you might
not come back."
Elizabeth
was confused and as she looked over at Jaime, her eyes widened and she had
realized that Nikolas had told Lucky about the kidnapping and Jason. "Look
Lucky," Elizabeth began, but was interrupted by Nikolas and Gia calling to
them.
Nikolas
and Gia jogged across the airport to join the small reunion. Both Gia and Nik looked relieved when Jaime
poked her head up from her carry-on bag.
"Hey guys!"
Nik
and Gia looked at each other before breaking out laughing. "Is that all you can say? 'Hey
guys'?"
Nikolas
hugged Jaime and then Elizabeth.
"I'm so glad you're safe."
With
all this attention on the two arrivals, the tall dark-haired man standing just
outside the fray was almost missed.
"Excuse me?" the man interrupted.
Elizabeth
smiled. "Uh yes. Can we help you?"
The
man smiled. "I'm looking for Jaime
and Elizabeth. You seemed to match
their description," he explained.
Elizabeth
looked over at Jaime and shrugged.
"That's us!"
Suddenly
Nikolas stepped in front of Elizabeth and inches away from the stranger's
face. "And your point? Why don't you go sell it somewhere
else."
"Nikolas!"
Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.
"Don’t be so rude." Elizabeth smiled in apology. She recognized him. Johnny! "I'm sorry, Johnny isn't it?"
The
man smiled. "Yes."
Elizabeth
held her index finger up, signalling for him to wait. "I'll just be a second.
I think Jaime's ready to put her bags in the car though."
Jaime
frowned. "Hey! Wait a
minute!" Elizabeth mouthed to
Johnny to show her to the car. And as
requested Johnny in a grand sweeping motion with his hand pointed to the exit,
prompting Jaime to reluctantly acquiesce.
"Wait
a minute," Lucky exclaimed.
"We came to give you a ride home!"
Elizabeth
sighed. "Look guys." Elizabeth studied each of her long time
friends. "Jaime and I arranged for
a ride already. And it would be rude to
refuse now that they sent someone."
Lying
seemed to come easily right then.
Elizabeth just didn't feel like receiving the Grand Inquisition from Lucky or Nikolas. Nikolas shook his head.
"I can give him a tip and it'll be fine!" Nikolas shrugged
reaching into this pocket for his wallet.
Elizabeth
grabbed Nikola's arm.
"No!" She smiled
politely. "Really, it's fine. I'm beat and so is Jaime. We wouldn't be much company." Elizabeth picked up her backpack and her
suitcase. "I'm going with Johnny and I'll see you tomorrow. 'Kay?"
From
the looks on each of her friend's faces, they were not happy about this turn in
events. Elizabeth felt a twinge of
guilt as she walked with her friends out the door. “I’ll see you guys later?” offered Elizabeth as she opened the
black limousine door.”
Nikolas
frowned. “Is he one of Sonny’s
henchmen?” accused Nikolas. “I thought
he looked familiar!”
Elizabeth
swallowed. “He’s just giving us a ride
home.”
Lucky
shook his head. “You’d rather go home
with a stranger that kills people for a living, rather than your friends? I think that is saying a lot!” spat Lucky.
Suddenly
Elizabeth stepped towards Lucky. “You
know nothing about my friends!” exclaimed
Elizabeth. She paused a moment and
shook her head. “My life doesn’t
revolve around you guys. You aren’t my
only friends. And I don’t go telling
you who you can and can’t be friends with do I?”
Gia
separated Lucky and Elizabeth as the tension began to rise. “That’s not what they’re doing Elizabeth,”
defended Gia. “They’re just worried
about you. Especially about what
happened in Italy, don’t you think you’ve had enough danger?”
Elizabeth
rolled her eyes. “Let me just clarify
where we stand okay guys. Jaime wasn’t
hurt, we found her safe and sound. I
was never in any real danger because Jason was there to protect me. You guys don’t want to understand this, but
I can be friends’ with Jason Morgan and you.
I want to be, but you guys aren’t
making this easy. Please, just let this
go. I love you guys and I don’t want it
to be a tug-o-war. Because none of us
are going to win that way.”
With
that, Elizabeth slid into the black leather seat of Sonny’s limo and closed the
door and almost regretted the long awaited return home.
~~~
“Jason
did you find him?” Sonny asked over the phone.
There
was silence. “No, uh, not yet,” Jason
replied. He rubbed his face. It had been three days since their closest
lead to Rosco. Then the trail went
cold. It was like he disappeared off the
face of the earth. “I can’t say that
I’ll be even close. I’ve questioned
most of the people who can be traced back to Rosco and every single one of them
turned up nothing. Apparently Rosco
took his right-hand man and dropped everyone else. At least that’s the way he’s made it look. Lee has gotten to a number of them and most
of those are in hiding now.”
Sonny
shook his head. “Jason, if there’s
nothing to lead you to Rosco and the trail’s gone cold, then I think we might
need to drop it.”
Sonny
knew Jason wouldn’t be happy with that, but he needed him in Port Charles. Since Jason’s necessary departure, Sonny’s
business was getting a little untidy.
Jason’s skills were needed for the coffee business and it also benefited
Sonny to have his right-hand man in town to go over other things, business and
personal.
“Sonny,”
Jason hesitated. “I think it’s best
that I stay out of Port Charles right now.”
Sonny
rubbed his rough chin; he hadn’t had time that morning to shave. “It’s not a request Jason. I need you
here,” declared Sonny into the mouthpiece.
Jason
closed his eyes and sighed. He knew
Sonny wouldn’t ask, if he wasn’t needed.
“You’re right. There’s nothing
else I can do here. I’ll catch the next
flight to Port Charles.”
Sonny
smiled. “See, I knew you’d see it my
way,” he chuckled.
“Yeah,
right. Did the girls get home safely?”
Jason’s thoughts turned to the Elizabeth and Jaime whom he’d just bid farewell
to.
Sonny
paused. “Which one
do you want to know about?” laughed Sonny.
“How come you didn’t come home with them anyway? If you’re so worried?”
Jason
was speechless. He didn’t know what to
say. Part of him wanted with everything
he had to go with them, but he felt he had a duty to make sure Rosco was out of
the picture and also, give Elizabeth some space. She didn’t need to start a new relationship when she’d just
gotten out of such a serious one, just a month ago. “Business here and well, she needs her space,” Jason finally
admitted.
Sonny
nodded, though Jason couldn’t see him do it.
“Well, I think you need to get your butt in gear and fly your way back
here.”
Jason
agreed. “I’ll see you in a couple of
days. I just have to tie up some loose
ends here.”
Sonny
finished his conversation with Jason when someone knocked at the door. “Who is it?” Johnny peered in and revealed a petite Asian woman. “Jaime Nam?” Johnny announced. Sonny nodded and motioned his surprise guest
in.
“What
can I do for you Ms. Nam?” Sonny asked.
The
girl seemed timid, but confident at the same time. “Please, call me Jaime.
After all, you did help to find me,” Jaime offered.
Sonny
nodded. “Okay Jaime, what can I do for you?”
The
daughter of the re-known Lee Nam seemed to collect her thoughts before opening
her mouth. “I just wanted to,” she
paused, “to thank you for sending help when
Jason was looking for me. You really
didn’t have to.”
Sonny
smiled and laughed. “Now how could I
let one of my friends’ friend go missing?
It’s just not right.”
Jaime
nodded. “Well thank you anyway.” The woman walked towards the door, but
before she reached for the doorknob, Jaime turned around opened her mouth to
say something. But before she could
utter another word, Jaime was bowled over by Alexis, who’d entered without
knocking.
His
attorney smiled sheepishly and grabbed Jaime’s shoulders to steady the
girl. “Sorry!” Alexis gasped. “Seriously, I didn’t mean to do that.”
Jaime
nodded. “I’d better go now. Thank you again.”
Sonny
shook his head and chuckled. He started
to walk Ms. Nam to the elevator, while motioning Alexis to sit down on the
couch. “I’ll be with you in a minute,”
said Sonny to Alexis.
The
fidgety attorney sat down rigidly.
“I’ll be here,” chirped Alexis.
Sonny
shook Jaime’s hand and smiled. “It’s a
pleasure and honor to meet Lee’s daughter,” offered Sonny.
Jaime
frowned. “I don’t know how honorable it
is, but it was a pleasure to meet you.
You’re everything I’ve heard said about you.”
Sonny
smirked. “Is that a good thing?”
Jaime
bit her lip. “I don’t know. I haven’t decided,” she laughed as she
walked into the elevator. “Tell your friend there, that I’d be uneasy around
you to. So I don’t hold it against
her.”
Sonny
nodded and watched the elevator doors close.
Definitely her father’s daughter, thought Sonny.