Transition to Happiness

[Fanfic Archiver]

*Jason does not work Sonny, but he has done errands for him in the past so who knows what the future might hold on that front

*Sam and Courtney never existed, at least not yet

*Carly and Robin were the only woman in Jason's life

*The Emily in my story is the original Emily, not the one on our screens today

*Jason owns a garage and runs it

*Elizabeth is just now coming into town so there is no Lucky and won't be (sorry Lucky)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Part 1

The wheels on her suit case wobbled, threatening to give away from the demands put on them. The crisp fall air swirled in the trees, rustling the leaves and sending a chilly breeze through her bones. She paused in the court yard and eyed the sign. HELP WANTED, APPLY WITHIN. She let her eyes roam over the exterior of the building, taking in the old bricks that created the wall. She followed the fines that held tight to them, giving the place a homey feel.



"This is as good a place as any" Elizabeth sighed, giving her luggage a tug as she opened the door to Kelly's.



The bell dinged, causing a waitress to look up from where she had been pouring coffee at the counter. The waitress offered a warm smile before turning her attention back to the customer before. Elizabeth waved herself and luggage around the wooden chair of the small diner and headed towards the counter.



"Hi. Excuse me. I'm here about the job" she motioned with her head, giving it a shrug towards the sign displayed in the large window.



"OK. You're hired"



"Uh? What? Don't you want me to fill out an application or ask me if I have any experience? Or even ask my name?" Elizabeth asked, bewildered



"Fine. What's your name?"



"Elizabeth Webber"



"Do you have any experience waitressing?"



"Yeah, I did it for a few months back home"



"Great, now your hired, you can fill out the application at the end of you shift. You start now" the waitress reached under the counter and tossed Elizabeth an apron "Oh, by the way, I'm Emily...Emily Quartmaine"



Elizabeth shoved her suit case in the corner and tied her apron on. The hours flew by and she fell into an easy rhythm. The customers where nice for the most part and she was surprised at how busy the little diner was. Finally there was a break in the wave of patrons, giving her and Emily time to chat



"So girly, tell me about yourself" Emily hoped up on the counter and swung her legs, waiting for Elizabeth to begin



"Not to much to tell. I'm new in town, just arrived today actually. I'm originally from Colorado. All my family leaves over seas but my gram did leave her for a long time before going to join them"



"What made you pick little ole Port Charles then if you didn't have any family here?" Emily asked, her interest peaked



"Gram always talked so highly of it. Saying how beautiful the seasons were and how nice everyone was. I just reached that point in my life where I woke up one morning and decided I had to find myself"



"I know what you mean girl. My family drives me crazy. They had a fit when I started working here. They have more money than they know what to do with and they just hate the fact that one of their own is slaving away at some grease trap. But I love it here. Bobby, the lady that owns it, put me in charge, trusted me with the responsibility and that is something my whacked family would never do. It doesn't matter that I'm 22, I'm still a bratty teen in their eyes. Well, not all of them. I mean, my Mom and grandmother are supportive and my dad has his days" Emily continued to fill Elizabeth in on the trails of being a Quartermaine.



"Ouch. I thought my family was bad. Guess I have no reason to complain now!" Elizabeth giggled, causing Emily to join in.



"I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship" Emily swung herself of the counter and skipped to the other side



"I think you're right" Elizabeth smiled back. She took in the petite waitress in front of her. Emily had long straight hair that was a unique reddish brown shade. She seemed a little airy, corky even but that just made Elizabeth feel more at ease. Yeah, this would be the start of a beautiful friendship



"I noticed that there are some rooms upstairs. Are any open?" Elizabeth was silently praying the answer would be yes. How sweet would it be to live where you worked? Talk about commute time!



"Nope, not a one. Bobby is super cheap on rent and we normally stay full. You're welcome to bunk with me though until you find something. I live upstairs too" Emily offered



"I couldn't impose. You were already sweet enough to give me a job and I..."



"Wait a minute!" Emily interrupted, her eyes sparkling with a devilish gleam. "I know just the place where I bet you can rent a room. He normally doesn't rent to us chics but if you drop my name, he'll have no choice!"

~~*~~

Jason Morgan had been lying on his back for the past hour, trying to figure out why the soft tail currently parked in his bay wouldn't run.



"What the fuck did I tell you Jimmy about stripping the fucking bolts?" Jason yelled, frustrated at having to go behind someone and check their work or worse yet, do the work himself because they didn't have a fucking clue. He was to the point where he was ready to strip the damn thing to the frame and check it piece by piece.



"About fucking time" he cursed once the part finally gave way and free itself, allowing him to pull it off



"This isn't a new part" Jason said, examining the piece



"What the fuck is the difference?" Jimmy shrugged, shoving his hands through his greasy hair



"What the fuck is the difference? This is my fucking garage and my fucking reputation!" Jason all but screamed



"Excuse me" the timid voice caught his attention and he pushed himself up



"What?" his voice was clipped, causing her to blink, unsure if she should continue



"I'm looking for Jason" she forged on, somehow mustering the courage to speak to the grizzly bear of a man standing in front of her



"I only work on bikes, but there is a garage about three miles down the road that does cars" Jason eyed her, took her in. She definitely didn't drive a motorcycle so she couldn't possible have any business with him and his garage. He would bet that she drove a small, yet practical car, used but well maintained. Regardless of the make, if it didn't have two wheels and roar, he couldn't help her. He turned back to his back as if she wasn't there



"Oh, I...I don't need any work done..I mean on a car" she stammered and paused. Emily could have warned her that her brother was an ogre. OK, a handsome sexy ass ogre, but an ogre nonetheless. "I need a place to stay...to rent I mean"



"I gotta a bed you can use" Jimmy smirked, running his tongue over his lips in a suggestive manner.



"Isn't it time for you to run home to mommy's house? And don't drag your ass in here tomorrow with some lame excuse to why your late. I'm serious Jimmy, one more time and..." Jason was interrupted, something he hated



"Whatever man. I'm outta here" Jimmy eyed Elizabeth up and down as he walked by her slowing. She brought her arms up and crossed them over her chest, lowering her eyes to concentrate on the oil stains lining the pavement. Jason mumbled something about today's youth under his breath but Elizabeth couldn't make it out.



Jason turned back towards her and cocked his head to the side, allowing his eyes once again to travel over her "I don't think this is your type of place honey"



Elizabeth bit her tongue. She reminded herself that she had absolutely no where else to go. "I don't care what the room looks like or how small it is. Emily said that you had one available and that you'd be happy to have someone take it off your hands" There, she pulled the sister card



"Emily" he repeated



"Yeah, she gave me a job at Kelly's today but all their room are full. I just got in town today and really need somewhere to stay. She told me to come to you...I mean your place...your garage".



He sighed. The things he did for his sister. "Let me show you the room"



Elizabeth smiled triumphantly. The two walked in silence, the only sound hear was the clanking of Jason's boots and the squeaking of her luggage wheels. The started to take the stairs and made it half way up before Jason stopped and turned to her. He didn't say a word, only reached out to grab her suit case and hall it up the stairs



"OK, here it is. Nothing fancy. It has the basics" Jason pushed the door open further, motioning to the room "You have a small fridge in the corner, microwave on top. Hot plate on the counter"



Elizabeth listened intently, taking in her new surroundings. She crinkled her nose, noting the room could use a good dose of Febreeze. She could tell it had been closed up for a while.



"The window doesn't open, the furnace works but you have to play with the handle a bit. Now the bathroom is shared" Jason turned back to face her



"Shared?"



"Yeah. I live here too, next door. This place use to be one big apartment but the guy I bought the shop from turned it into two small ones. So the bathroom is attached to both rooms. The locks work on both door so make sure you use them." Jason fished in his pocket and pulled out a key, handling it to her



"Any questions?" Jason asked, heading back towards the door



"Uh...no...I don't think so" Elizabeth smiled at him, grateful for the place to stay



"Rents due on the 1st and just let me know if you need anything" with that Jason turned and let. She listened as his steps grew faint before closing the door and locking it.



She picked up the handle of the suit case Jason had deposited by the door and dragged it to the bed. Plopping down, she took in her new home again. With a couple of candles, some new curtains, and a feminine touch this place just might be livable.

[Fanfic Archiver]

The garage was quiet and still as Elizabeth descended the steps. There was no sign of Jason or thankfully Jimmy. Reaching for the small steel door at the base of the stairs, she gave a quick glance at the contents of the garage. There was two motorcycles sitting in the bays, parts seemly scattered everywhere. The oil and grease stains peppered the pavement. The soft glow of a snack machine caught her eye in the far corner. She smiled, making a mental note, as that would come in handy when she was hit with the late night chocolate munchies.



She pushed the door opened, making sure it closed behind her. She was working the morning shift, not that she minded. The walk to work was a little further than she would have liked but who was she to complain. She had been fortunate enough to find both a job and a place to life on her first day in town. The small gravel rocks rolled beneath the large chunky heel of her boot, making the brisk walk a more difficult task.



"Why in the world would you line a road with these things?" she huffed, cinching the ties to her long sweater tighter in an attempt to ward off the cool morning air. Elizabeth glanced at her watch and frowned. Great, just great. She was going to be late on her second day of work. The park came into view and she knew that she would get some solid footing there, allowing her to jog, pick up the pace and hopefully make it to work on time.



Cheeks red and panting, she jogged into Kelly's right at 8 o'clock. The place already had a steady stream of patrons in it, mostly elderly people out for their morning coffee. The morning rush was busy but not as bad as some. Her and Penny fell into a comfortable routine, each working a side of the dinner.



"Good morning chickies!" Emily exclaimed, walking up to the counter in chipper form



"Morning" both Elizabeth and Penny said in unison.



"So Elizabeth, you didn't come back last night. I take it my big brother gave you a place to stay?" Emily's smile was wide and Elizabeth could have sworn she say a hint of mischief in her eye



"Yeah, he did, thanks to me mentioning you. I honestly didn't expect him to be so....different...from you though. I mean, you two are siblings, how far from the tree do the apples fall you know?" Elizabeth rambled, realizing that probably didn't make a bit of sense.



"Oh, my bad. I forgot to mention that I'm adopted" Emily shrugged "So, it's a whole different tree!"



"Honey, no hard feelings but it's a whole damn different forest!" Elizabeth's comment caused Emily to shriek in laughter



"Jason is unique. He's got this big bad biker front but he's really a big ole bear" Emily pointed



"More like a grizzly bear" Elizabeth muttered under her voice



"You see, Jason just needs a good girl to keep him in line, to keep in happy, to give him some"



Elizabeth's eye widen at the comments coming from Emily. If she didn't know better, she would swear that this crazy girl was trying to set her up with her equally crazy brother.



~~*~~



Jason racked his hands through his hair and growled in frustration. The damn books were off...again. For the life of him he couldn't find out why. He had double checked everything and couldn't find one single discrepancy. Giving up, he leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up and resting them on the paper work in front of him. With hands clasped behind his head, he peered out the window in his office that over looked the entire garage. He heard the stairs creek before he saw why. Elizabeth descended the stairs, humming to herself and swinging her arms, rattling the change in her hand.



"Oh peanut M & M's where are you?" she said in a sing song voice. Jason watched her deposit the change, hearing it hit with a loud clank.



"B7" she said out loud, punching in the code that would release her much needed chocolate. She watched the spiral cord release the yellow packet and reached to grab it the minute it hit bottom



Jason pulled his feet down, leaning forward and now resting his elbows on the books. His eyes widen as she kneeled, her pj bottoms stretching tight across her ass. He wondered how low cut those damn things were because he was seeing skin, a lot of skin. A lot of soft creamy skin. Up until this point he had only been able to see her back side which Jason determined was a really good side to see. As she turned to make her way back towards the stairs, Jason had to force himself to turn his head. The tank top she wore was so thin it was almost see through. The picture on the front was so faded it wasn't recognizable. The damn straps were so thin they looked like thread. As he pushed the chair back to stand, it caught on the trash can causing it to fall. The empty bottles rolled across the floor, clanking together. The sound caused Elizabeth to jump and turn her attention towards the room where the noise was coming from. Elizabeth's stomach did a flop when he looked at her. She had never seen a man look at her like that before. She didn't really know what that type of look was, but she liked it. His eyes were....different than before, hazier, darker. She shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. He returned the gesture and nodded and watched as she took the stairs two at a time back up to her room. Jason made himself a mental note...never let that damn machine run out of peanut M & M's.

[Fanfic Archiver]

Emily tapped the cap of the pen against her pearly white teeth. Two months had passed since Elizabeth rolled into town. Two long months. Two months and Elizabeth and Jason were still only friends, if you could even call them that. She had to come up with something but it had to be subtle. Jason had confirmed what Emily already thought she knew. He was smitten by the little brunette. Jason had come into Kelly's maybe a grand total of once a week before Elizabeth started. Now it seemed like Mr. Morgan couldn't get enough of their coffee and the number 3. More often than not, Jason got his lunch to go. Even still, waiting by the counter, his eyes would float to Elizabeth every so often, just for a quick glance.



"THINK THINK THINK" Emily huffed, utterly peeved that her brain couldn't come up with something....anything that could be used. As if a light bulb clicked, a chester cat smile played across her lips.



Later that day

Elizabeth brought the last of the table nine's dishes back into the kitchen. She leaned against the cabinets and let out a long sigh. It had been one long day. Penny had called in sick and Emily wasn't able to get a hold of anyone else to come in and cover that shift.



"Hey Chicky, you look like someone done whipped your ass" Emily teased, depositing her own load of dishes into the sink.



Elizabeth chuckled "Great, I look that bad?"



"Nah, just tired" Emily winked "Tell ya what though. I'll let you cut out of here if you'll do me a favor?"



"What kind of favor might that be?" Elizabeth corked an eyebrow at Emily. Emily dismissed it with a wave of her hand and turned towards Garvin



"Can you tell Jason dinner? I worry that he doesn't eat right, I think he's even losing weight. I asked Garvin to have them ready because I figured you wouldn't mind" Emily turned back towards Elizabeth, two black containers in hand



"Them?" Elizabeth inquired



"Yeah silly, one's for you and one's for Jason" Emily walked around her, moving towards the front counter to retrieve a bag and a drink carton to hold their drinks.



"Emily" Elizabeth warned



"Oh please. It's not like I'm giving you a box of condoms to give him. It's dinner. Of course if you wanted to provide dessert than..." Emily couldn't help but laugh at the look at painted Elizabeth's face



"EMILY" Elizabeth snatched the bag and drinks from Emily's hand "Trust me, Jason doesn't see me as anything other than a tenant and your friend"



"Oh he sees a lot more than that" Emily giggled



"That's it. I'm out of here" Elizabeth was almost to the door when Emily called out "Enjoy your dinner!"

~~*~~

After today, Jason was seriously debating on whether or not to fire Jimmy. The kid just couldn't follow orders. Any more, it seemed like he couldn't even do a job by himself, leaving Jason to wonder what in the hell he was paying him for.



"Just hold the fucking casing so it doesn't fall on my head" Jason ordered, as both him and Jimmy laid on their backs trying to figure out the bike above them. The both heard the sound of heels clicking on the pavement but Jason remained silent, praying that Jimmy would keep his mouth closed for once. Like that would happen.



"Hmmm...fuck me boots. I could just hit that all night long man" Jimmy's eyes wonder over what part of Elizabeth's anatomy he could see from his position under the bike. The sound of metal crashing to the concert echoed off the walls as Jason pushed himself up.



"Keep your fucking mouth shut when it comes to Elizabeth" Jason growled. Elizabeth had stopped cold in her tracks. She had been making her way over to Jason's office to sit his dinner on the desk when the commotion started



"Testy testy" Jimmy taunted "You'd think that you hadn't gotten in a while" he ignored Jason's glared and walked towards Elizabeth



"Hey sweetheart" Jimmy smiled, roaming his eyes over her



"Jimmy" Elizabeth simply nodded. She hated it when he looked at her like that. She looked to Jason, determined to ignore Jimmy "I have you some dinner, I'll put it on your desk"



"I think you look good enough to eat" Jimmy smirked raising his hand to touch Elizabeth's face. The connection was never made as Jason's vice like grip wrapped around Jimmy's arm, pulling him back.



"Get the fuck out of here now...you're fired" there was no concealing the hatred in Jason's voice, the raw underling threat of what would happen if Jimmy didn't as Jason commanded



"You're shitting me right? You're firing me?" Jimmy asked in disbelief



"What fucking planet do you live on? You come in here to work shit faced, so drunk more times than I can even remember. You can't do one fucking job on your own. I have to go behind you to make sure what you manage to finish is done right. Plus you are harassing my boarder. So yeah, you're fired" Jason released the grip on Jimmy's arm



"Piss on you then man. I don't need this fucking job or little Miss Purity over there" Jimmy threw his arms as he stormed out of the garage



"I...I didn't mean to cause trouble" Elizabeth stammered nervously



"You didn't, he did" was all Jason offered as he walked pass her to make his way to the sink. Elizabeth watched him, puzzled



"OK, but he was just being a jerk, it happens and now you don't have any help around here"



"I warned him before to watch his mouth and not say things about you" Elizabeth's eyes widen at his words but Jason continued before she could think more of it "I told him a hundred times not to come to work drinking. I told him a hundred times to do the job right because it was my name that was on the line. He chose not to listen"



Elizabeth nodded, thinking it best to drop the current topic of conversation and switch it to something else "Emily sent this for us...I mean you and me. She sent one for you and one for me." Jason's head tilted to the side as he watched her ramble, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.



"Here" she retrieved the top container from the bag and extended it to him. She felt childish, rambling on like a nervous thirteen year old. When he took her offering, she removed the large black coffee from the holder and passed that to him as well



There was silence for a moment, the awkward kind that seems to stretch for an eternity. Elizabeth was first to break the silence "I um, I'm sorry about Jimmy and everything"



"Don't be sorry" Jason shrugged, peeling up the little white tab to get a sip of the hot coffee



Elizabeth nodded, not sure what words would be right, if any "OK" She offered him a smile as she went passed him to make her way up the stairs. Jason turned, watching her climb each one until she was out of sight. Taking another sip of his coffee, he frowned. What he wouldn't give for a beer to wash down whatever dinner his little sister had sent.

[Fanfic Archiver]

If there was one thing she hated more than cold fries, it was cold fries without any ketchup. She looked at the empty bottle, turned upside down on her wobbly table next to her bed.



"Just give me one damn squirt!" she demanded, knowing the bottle wouldn't obey "The perfect way to finish off a crappy day" she huffed, pushing her food away and falling back on her bed. Kelly's had been swamped, they were a waitress short which really wasn't anything new. Jason hadn't come in for his usual and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why that bothered her so much. Especially seeing how he verily gave her a grunt of recognition when she arrived back at the garage after work.



"That's gratitude for ya" she fumed. She had brought that man his dinner for the past two weeks. Of course, she really couldn't complain to much seeing how Emily always had her a plate fixed as well. Free food was good food. But the point was that Jason Morgan had verily mumbled ten words to her since that night Jimmy was fired. The grumbling of her stomach caused her to sit upright again. Groaning, she retrieved another cold fries and began to finish her dinner

~~*~~

"B is for banana" Emily sang has she thumbed through her closet while the radio blasted in the background. Things were just not progressing at all between Jason and Elizabeth and that was just not acceptable "I ain't no holler back girl, no I ain't no holler back girl" How is that two people cannot get the idea of eating together? TOGETHER! Not in their own separates rooms. Emily frowned with when the song changed to something slow but continued her mission. Finally finding the articles of clothing that she was looking for, she threw them in a bag and headed for the door. This plan would not....could not...damn sure better not fail

~~*~~

Elizabeth tugged at the short denim skirt. "How do you wear these things? I'm freezing my butt off not to mention it feels like I'm giving everyone a peep show"



"Please, you look great. Plus you got nice gams, so loosen up!" Emily teased as they made their way into the club.



"So this must be the "IT" club uh?" Elizabeth guessed as they found their way to a table



"Well, Carly thinks so. Carly Corinthos owns it. A gift from her mobster husband, Sonny Corinthos. I think he just gave it to her to keep her from driving him crazy. I swear I don't know how Jason puts up with her. She is the most annoying person ever" Emily began to fill Elizabeth in



"Jason?" the word slipped from her mouth before she could catch it.



Emily smiled "Yep. Big Bro is best friends with the witch. Even he can't stand her but they have this bond. Carly makes sure she throws it in everyone's face. You'd think she was married to Jason the way she always wants him to do this for her and that for her. I think she is part of the reason he hasn't gotten himself a woman. The blonde pit bull attacks anything that looks remotely interested in Jason"



"Nice" Elizabeth rolled her eyes.



Emily stole a glance in Elizabeth's direction. A small smile spread across her face. "But enough about the barracuda. We came here to unwind girl!" Elizabeth all but yelled "Excuse me, waitress!"



Victory was sweet. OK, maybe this wasn't victory but it was damn sure a move forward towards victory. Emily watched as Elizabeth fought with her lips to get them to wrap around the bottle of beer. Yep. IT had only taken 5 and 3/4 beers to get little Ms. Elizabeth Webber plastered, toasted, buzzed out of her mind. There was only one thing left to do now. Deliver her to Jason!

~~*~~

Jason's cell phone rang breaking the silence in his small apartment. He had given up on the bike he had been working on in the bay about thirty minutes ago. Seeing the number on the screen, he flipped the top and answered it.



It didn't take Emily long to tell Jason that her and Elizabeth were outside and in need of some assistance. Jason threw on some sweats pants and hurried down the stairs, unsure of what was waiting for him



"Hey bro" Emily smiled.



Jason looked at the pair and shook his head "You got her drunk?"



"Hey! I didn't force her to drink anything. OK, well I made her drink the first one but after that, it was all her"



"Emily" Jason's stern voice was dismissed with a wave of her hand



"Save it. I did my good deed for the night and returned her home safely. I'm sure you can make sure she gets upstairs and into bed. Her bed...your bed...any bed will do" Emily was almost giddy as she totally ignored the death glare Jason was giving her "Later guys!"



Jason watched as Emily got back in her car and sped off down the gravel road. Great. Just fucking great. Elizabeth was literally draped across the picnic table, passed out cold. In fact, it was the only thing keeping her from sleeping in the dirt. This was not in his plans. Jimmy's words had replayed themself in his head over and over again. Fuck Jimmy. Creepy little bastard. What did he know? What did it matter if he was attracted to Elizabeth. She wasn't the kind fo woman who would be interested in a man like himself. What could he offer her? Being an honest man though, Jason could admit to having sexual fantasy about the tiny brunette. Explict sexual fantasy. Shaking those thoughts, he had a task at hand.



"Elizabeth" he gently nudged her but her only response was a groan. Sighing, he heaved her up into his arms and towards her apartment. The feel of his bare chest chilled by the night air felt like heaven on her face. His rough hands cradled her thighs has they slid under her skirt. She had to be dreaming. And if she was, she didn't want to wake up.



"Jason" She purred as she nuzzled his neck, trying to get comfortable in his arms. Jason stopped dead in his track the minute her lips brushed against his neck. Shaking off the sudden rush of hormones that went raging within, he quickly got to the door of her room. As he felt blindly for the knob, her fingers began playing with the at the nape of his neck



"Elizabeth...." he started only to have her lips find the tan skin of his neck once more. How many woman had he had this way. Drunk off their asses and totally uninhibited. He might not know much about Elizabeth Webber, but he knew she wasn't one of those types of woman. He cleared his voice and tried again. "Elizabeth, your drunk"



"Just dreaming" she purred again, rubbing her nose against the shell of his ear "Good dream"



Padding across her room, he gently lowered her down onto her bed. He took a step back and looked at her. Could she look any more beautiful? She certainly couldn't sleep in that outfit. Cursing under his breath, he knew he had to be a gentleman and at least remove her boots. Those boots. The leather boots that started at her knee and ran all the way down coming to a point at the toe. Toes that no doubt would be sexier than hell. The damn heel of the boot had to be 5 inches and it was so pencil thin he swore he didn't' know how it didn't break. He could do this. They were just boots. Unzip them and pull them off. Clenching and unclenching his fist, he stepped forward. The sound of the zipper was nearly deafening in the quiet room. Giving the boot a final tug, he freed her tiny foot from the imprisoning shoe. Yep, he was right. Her toes were a deep red and sexy as hell. He moved to the other leg but she started to stir. He hoped to make quick work of the last boot and got it just off her foot before she woke. The loss of warmth caused her eyes to flutter open. Momentarily confused, she looked around before her eyes found Jason.....standing next to her bed....holding her boot......with nothing on but a pair of sweat pants. She blinked rapidly, trying to get a sense of reality. Everything seemed so hazy. Her being in his arms, kissing him, it had been a dream. It had to be. Her eyes were wide and blood shot as the event of the night began playing in her mind.



"Oh God" she gasped, moving to sit up only to be halted when the head rush caused her to wince



"Hey. It's OK" Jason assured her moving to knee down next to the bed "Your home. You just had to much to drink"



"But I....we...." she lifted her hand to her forehead, fighting to keep her eyes open



"Shhhh....we'll talk about it later. Go to sleep" Jason stood and reached for the covers. She didn't fight him, instead she gave into slumber.

[Fanfic Archiver]

Jason punched the pillow in frustration. Glancing at the clock, the large red numbers taunted him. 2:18 AM. Just fucking great....again. Not even a cold shower or two could wash the feel of her lips off his skin. It was almost has if she had branded him. Leaving him with an every lasting memory of what she felt like in his arms, her lips caressing his skin. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard her purr his name. Damn it sounded sinful coming from her mouth. What type of situation had he gotten himself into? He knew he should have never rented a room to a woman. Especially a woman like Elizabeth Webber. Giving up on sleep, Jason got dressed and crossed the hall to Elizabeth's door. He took a deep breath and held it, placing an ear to her door. Dropping his chin to his chest, he stepped away, content in knowing that at least she was still sleeping soundly. He couldn't stay there and pace the floor all night so he headed down stairs. He needed to go no where fast.

~~*~~

The morning light streamed in through the partially opened curtain. Thank goodness it was Sunday and she was off. Her head felt like it had been hit by a semi and she was pretty sure her appearance wouldn't be much better. She definitely needed a shower and a tooth brush. She stuck her tongue out at the foul taste in her mouth and scrunched her nose. She had never been drunk before in her life and she had no plans on repeating last nights performance. That thought made her stop. Cloudy flashbacks started playing in her hazy mind and she remembered being in Jason's arms but more embarrassingly, she remembered planting kisses along his neck. She remembered necking with Jason...Emily's brother....her landlord. She was sure they hadn't done too much because she was still fully dressed, minus the boots. But she plainly remembered Jason wearing only a pair of sweat pants....hung low.....real low.



Even though it took her half an hour, Elizabeth had managed to shower and throw on a pair of lounge pants and a T-shirt. She needed aspirin in the worse way but of course she had none. Granted, she could be an adult and go ask Jason if he had any but that would involve talking to him...seeing him and that was just something she planed to avoid doing. With today being Sunday, that meant it was laundry day. The garage was closed and Jason let her use the washer downstairs that he used for the shop rags. After gathering her clothes, she cracked her door open and glanced into the hallway. Coast was clear. Resting the clothes basket on her hip, she used her free hand to steady her herself as she descended the stairs.



The washer was in sight and there was no sign of Jason. Things were just going to smooth this morning. She just knew that at any moment.....



"Who's that?" the question was almost snorted and laced with disgusted



And there it was. Elizabeth turned around slowly facing the office to see the two figures standing there.



"Carly" Jason's tone was warning "She rents the room upstairs".



Elizabeth's smile was fake, anyone could tell. She had nothing to say to Carly, hell, she didn't even know the woman personally, just from the stories that Emily told. Then if she were to talking to Jason that would directly violate the rules of her plan, so she cautiously turned her attention back to the washing machine in the corner.



Carly dismissed her with a shrug "At least I don't have to worry about that one. She's not your type. To plain. Besides, what type of woman lives above a garage?"



Elizabeth took a deep breath. She had just met the woman and already, she was jumping on her last nerve. No....not jumping. More like whacking the damn nerve with a sledge hammer over and over and over again.



"You're leaving" Jason informed her, tugging on her elbow and pushing her towards the door



"What Jase? I'm just asking. Really though. Not that your garage isn't nice but come on" Carly retorted



"What type of woman goes to bed with a man she doesn't know in a rented out room above a bar?" Jason countered, reaching the door and pushing it open



"Cheap shot! I just knew you were a good lay" Carly made sure to say the last part loud. And loud it was. The words stung Elizabeth's ears and she suddenly felt like a little nieve girl. She quickly threw the rest of her laundry in and slammed the lid. She immediately regretted that action as it caused her head to feel like someone was using it as a drum.



"Good bye Carly" Jason pulled the door shut and held the handle for a second to make sure Carly wasn't going to come back in. "Sorry about her" he said, moving a few steps away from the door



Elizabeth waved her hand over her shoulder, not bothering to turn around and face him "Don't be." She took a deep breath to steady herself. Why in the hell was she getting so upset about this? She was flustered, embarrassed, mad, and for what? Big freaking deal if Jason had harpooned the barracuda. From what she heard, half of the male population had.



Elizabeth didn't hear him move across the oil splattered concrete until he was right behind her. The shaking of the aspirin bottle startled her, causing her to spin around and lose her footing. One strong arm encircled her waist, pulling her to him to keep her upright.



Yeah, this was the one thing she did not need. This totally blew the whole avoiding Jason plan out of the water. Damn him. How could someone who worked in a garage smell so damn good? It wasn't right and it damn sure wasn't fair. Double damn him.



"Easy" he said softly, making sure she was stable before releasing his hold on her "I thought you might need these this morning"



She didn't mean to frown, she had no control over her facial features when her lips delved downward at the withdrawal of his arm. "I do, thanks" she wouldn't meet his gaze but took the bottle from him



"Wash those down with a beer, it will help even more" Jason dropped the last little tidbit of information as he was backing away, moving towards his own bike parked in the garage. "There's one in the little refrigerator in my office. Help yourself"



Elizabeth nodded "Thanks again....for everything. I'm real sorry about last night too." her brain was screaming at her to quit talking. Quit talking now. What part of avoidance was so damn hard to comprehend. "I know that I did....somethings...and I...."



Jason shook his head and held up a hand to silence her "What are friends for" he said as he opened the bay door. Elizabeth finally managed to clamp her lips shut and nodded



She decided to forgo the beer and head back upstairs while her clothes finished washing. Closing the door behind her, her bed never looked so inviting. Making her way towards it, she plopped down in the middle, covering her eyes with her forearm. "Friends"

~~*~~

How could one little word totally disrupt her live? Make her go crazy? Lose focus? "Friends" she huffed, irritated. What kind of word is that? Besides, how long could it possible bounce around inside her brain? How long had it been? A week, two tops. Heck, she had even eaten a sandwich with her new "friend" Jason on the old weather worn picnic table out back on Thursday night. Funny how she could remember that day.



"Where in the hell are my house shoes?" she fumed, throwing up the bed skirt to peer beneath the bed. After a good ten minutes of destroying her room, she gave up. The peanut M & M's were screaming her name and they could be ignored no more.



The cold concert of the stairs bit at her bare feet as she descended them. She gathered her long....to long...pj bottoms up a tad so they wouldn't rub on the dirty floor.



"Carvings?" Jason's voice startled her as he appeared from behind a bike, tools in hand.



She squinted her eyes in the dimly light garage to get a better view of him. Yeah, that's what she needed, a better view. "Yeah....I tried to ignore them since I couldn't find my house shoes but I'm weak"



Jason smiled, even though she couldn't see and went back to work. He heard the change ding in, one by one. Dimes he guessed. "Damn it" he cursed, when the part slipped from his hand



"You OK?" Elizabeth asked, walking towards him with a mouth full of candy.



"Yeah, I just need a third hand" Jason wiped the side of his face on his shoulder, determined to get the stubborn casing back in place



"Here, I'll help" Elizabeth popped one blue one in her month and twisted the bag shut



"It's OK, you'll get dirty"



"I don't mind getting dirty"



Jason swallowed. Yeah, that was more information than he needed to know. Did the woman not invade his fantasies enough as it was? Shaking those thoughts, he accepted her help. "OK. Just hold this right here while I get these bolts in"



Elizabeth squatted next to Jason, her crimson colored toes catching his attention. Of course they were red, why wouldn't they be red. Red is the universal color of sex and lust. Jason wanted to smack himself. The damn bolt wasn't going to screw itself in if he kept staring at Elizabeth's toes all night.



Elizabeth watched him work the wrench, with expert skill. "How long have you been a mechanic?"



"Probably a few years. Well, ever since my accident. I bought a bike, started playing around with it, read all kinds of books on repairs, and just pretty much taught myself" Jason answered, focusing his attention now on the spark plug wires



"Accident?" Emily hadn't mentioned an accident



"Yeah" was the one word response she got regarding her question before he told her that she could let go. Releasing her hold on the part, she made no attempt to stand or move



"Care to tell me about it?" Elizabeth asked quietly



Jason dropped his head to his chest and blew out a breath. God he hated talking about it. It didn't matter how many times he had to tell the story, the bitter taste in his mouth never left. He was going to tell her he'd rather not but he made the mistake of glancing at he. There she was, squatted beside him, her soft worn pink flannel pj bottoms pulled to her knees. Her wild chestnut locks careless thrown in a messy pony tail. Her face was clean, free of any makeup and her natural beauty blinded him. How in the hell could he tell this woman no?



He stood and extended his hand, helping her up. He walked towards the office with her in tow. Motioning towards the leather chair with his head, she took the hint and sat, watching as he rested himself against the desk.



"I was in a car accident. My then brother was drunk and we crashed into a tree. I had several brain trauma, the damage was bad. I had surgery, everyone thought I was going to die. In a way I did. The man that got into the car, Jason Quartermain, died. I woke up with no memory of my life before, cold and distance. I became Jason Morgan, started my life new. The Quartermaines had a real hard time accepting it" Jason paused



"I bet" Elizabeth smiled reassuringly



"Jason Quartermain was the golden boy. He was going to school to become a doctor, had a girl friend he planned to married, and the whole world was waiting for him to take it. Jason Morgan though wanted no part of their money, no part of their house, no part of Jason Quartermain. I wanted to be my own person, live by my own rules. I just wanted to be"



"Be free" Elizabeth added



Jason nodded "My choices haven't went over well with the family at all. Emily, Monica, and my grandmother are really the only ones I talk to"



"But your happy, I mean with your life now?" Elizabeth asked



"I guess. I have my own business and no one to answer to" Jason paused and smiled "And I have great friends"

[Fanfic Archiver]

Like everyone else, the buzz of Liason together inspired me! Hope you all like the update and thanks for hanging in there with me. A special thank needs to go out to my right hand woman, HUMA, who I couldn't do half this stuff without!

[image noborder]http://images.andale.com/f2/113/114/13054187/1121220463107_Transition_Banner.jpg[/image]

Transition to Happiness, PT 6

Elizabeth moaned as she stretched in the small bed, her hands fisting in the sheets as his mouth did wonderful things to her body.

"Mmmm....Jason"

His tongue lapped at her stiff peaks, tugging and teasing the buds with his teeth.

"Yes"

His hand had already traveled south and was playing in the field of her woman hood.

"OH God, Jason"

His long fingers stroking her higher and higher and higher

Oommpff.

Elizabeth's eyes flew up as her hand tangled in the cord of her alarm clock, pulling it down to the floor with her. She sat stunned for a moment, the vividness of the dream overwhelming her. She picked up the clock, glancing at it and sighed when she saw it was only 12:17 am.

"One hell of a dream to make you fall out of bed" she mumbled to herself, standing and rubbing her backside, knowing she was going to have one hell of a bruise come tomorrow

"Wow" she whispered again, feeling the effects of the dream still even as she strolled to the bathroom. She turned the knob, finding it unlocked. As the door opened she froze, eyes widening.

"Can't sleep?" Jason's hip leaned against the cool surface of the sink, not lifting his eyes from the task at hand as he tried to maneuver the peroxide bottle over a burn on his arm

Elizabeth blinked before recovering "I...um....no" she let her eyes run over him. He was shirtless and there were still a few drops of water clinging to the muscles of his bare chest. His hair was wet and spiky and his pants....those jogging pants....hung so low.

"I hope I didn't wake you up" he finally lifted his head to look at her and instantly regretted it. She was the picture of perfection. Her hair was falling down around her face in soft curls. The thin tank top told him that her room must have been very cold.

At that moment, Elizabeth was sure that she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Why...why...why would you have woke me up?"

Jason motioned towards the shower with his head "The shower"

Elizabeth released a breath she didn't know she was holding. That was a close one. She feared that somehow Jason had found out about the dream...that wonderfully, sinful dream. "Oh..no...I didn't even hear it. What happened to your arm?"

"Burnt it on the bike. I was checking the exhaust and didn't realize how close I was to the pipes"

"Looks bad" Elizabeth said, moving closer which she immediately realized was a mistake. The smell of Jason's soap invaded her nose, making her wonder just how that tan flesh would taste

"It'll heal"

"Here, let me help" Elizabeth took the roll of cotton bandage from Jason's hand and began to wrap it around his forearm

Jason took the opportunity to watch her. Her bottom lip was being mangled between her perfect white teeth as sheer concentration etched her features. She was so close that Jason could smell the sweet smell of her shampoo. The fruity fragrance teased him, calling him, begging him to taste that fruit and see just how sweet it was.

"That should do it" Elizabeth said, sitting down the bandage and looking up at Jason. He made no attempt to move or back away from her. He lifted his hand up and started to touch her face but stopped short, dropping his hand back down to his side. Elizabeth took a deep breath, deciding that she would be the bold one. Her hand was shaking as she reached up and cupped his cheek, feeling the day old stubble on her soft hands. Jason closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"You should be more careful. Your work can be dangerous" she whispered reaching over with her other hand to trace the bandage she had just put on his arm.

"Sometimes danger is good" his eyes slowly opened and his voice was husky when he spoke

Elizabeth stared at his glacier blue eyes, unsure if he knew how true what he had just said was. There was no doubt in her mind that Jason Morgan was a dangerous man. Hell, the man should be wrapped up in caution tape. Elizabeth had never kissed a man that she hadn't at least gone on two dates with. Elizabeth had never gone out and gotten drunk and had to worry about "what the hell did I do last night". Well, there was that one time but that was Emily's fault, not hers. Elizabeth had only had two serious relationships in her whole life and only one of those had been consummate, if you could even call it that. Yet, as she stood in front of him, she found herself craving for a taste of that danger.

His movements were slow, like that of a cat stalking its' prey, allowing Elizabeth plenty of time to stop his actions. Instead, Elizabeth closed her eyes when she felt the faintest breath against her lips. His lips pressed softly into hers as his hands went up to frame her face. She seemed paralyzed, unsure what to do next. Jason's tongue tracing her full pink lips snapped her out of the fog. She parted her lips on a soft moan as he entered the warm recesses of her mouth. Jason pulled her to him, flush against his skin as he explored her mouth. His tongue darted across her tongue, explored the ridges of her pearly white teeth.

Neither one of them heard the soft knock on Jason's door, nor did they hear when the knob turned and someone entered.

"Jason, you here?" a bubbly voice called from Jason's room, causing Elizabeth to pull back. Her face was flushed and tinged red. Her lips were swollen from the pressure of his kisses. The door from the bathroom into Jason's room was open and they were able to hear the footsteps getting closer

"You wouldn't want to keep your company waiting" Elizabeth's voice trembled as she whispered and hurried back towards the door

"Elizabeth" Jason tried but it was too late, she gone disappearing behind the old wood door just as the blonde entered the bathroom

"Long time no see" Courtney smiled

~~*~~

"Stupid!" Elizabeth crossed the small room to here bed "How friggin stupid could I be?"

She picked up one of the pillows and tossed it across the room, making it hit the bathroom door with a silent thud

"How could I think he would want me? ME? Plain old Elizabeth. Did I not see him not wanting to touch me? But did I take that as a sign, NO! The one time in my whole friggin life I decide to be bold, I get totally rebuffed!" she tripped over her boots that were laying on the floor at the foot of her bed.

"Damn it" she cursed, picking up one of the boots and flinging it as well. It landed with a not so silent thud against the wall.

"Good" she huffed "I hope they did hear it. Try knocking boots to this!" she fumed as she kicked on the radio, swirling the volume dial all the way as rock blasted through the tiny apartment

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she scolded herself. She made her way to the closet and fumbled through the mass of clothes that hung there. Smiling when she found what she was looking for, she made quick work of her PJ's and dressed. Her bare face was enhanced with makeup in record time as she pulled on her favorite pair of boot. Not bothering to turn the radio off, she stormed out of the apartment and didn't look back.

~~*~~

"What are you doing here Courtney?" Jason asked sternly

"What? You aren't happy to see me?" Courtney tried to touch his arm but he yanked away, moving to grab his jeans and shirt from the chair where they laid

"Courtney"

"I'm in town visiting Sonny and I thought that since we had such a great time last time, that I'd stop by to say hi. You know...be friendly" she attempted again to touch him but it was to no avail.

"That was one time Courtney and that was months ago. You can't just come in my apartment whenever you feel like" he tugged his shirt over his head and switched from his jogging pants to jeans as if she wasn't even in the room. He tugged on his socks and boots and stood to face her.

"I don't think my brother would be very happy if he know how you were treating me right now" Courtney challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. Courtney verily saw the flash as Jason had her pinned against the wall, his body pressing firmly into hers with his hands planted on the wall on each side of her head. Courtney giggled as she licked her lips thinking she had worn Jason down.

"I don't give a fuck what your brother thinks. I don't think your brother would like it very much if he knew you were at my place right now trying to get me in bed" Jason growled out. "And don't be here when I get back"


Jason stormed across the hall as the sound of the loud music vibrated through his whole body. With his fingers curled tightly he pounded on the old wooden door.

"Elizabeth"

Knowing that it was pointless in yelling over the music, he gave the knob a turn to find it open. Stepping into her room, he looked for the device that was blaring the music. He found it, the small radio sitting on the dresser. Once it was off, he gave the room a look around, searching for any signs of where Elizabeth might have gone. All he saw was pillows thrown everywhere and clothes scattered about. Yeah, seems like someone got mad. Not that he could blame her. They had finally kissed and the circumstances of their interruption were bound to make her think things. Things that simply were not true.

He rubbed his hands up and down his face. He needed to get out of there. Taking the stairs two at a time, he didn't waste a minute firing up his bike and heading to Jakes.

~~*~~

Elizabeth sat at the bar, her blood red lips wrapped around the bottle of a long neck. She took a long pull and closed her eyes, trying to get accustomed to the bitter taste. She wasn't in the mood for pretty straws or umbrellas that floated atop pastel colored drinks. No, tonight she wanted real booze. The kind that burned going down, made your lips pucker and your eyes water. Anything to replace the feeling that was currently consuming her. She pivoted on her bar stool and scanned Jakes. She didn't need Jason Morgan to flirt with danger. This place was full of it. She hoped off the stool and began making her way to the jukebox that sat in the corner. Her boots crunched on peanut shells as she walked towards the neon glow. The song choice was made and the sultry beats filled the smoky bar. She leaned against the pool table, her hands gliding over the green felt as her hips began to sway.

It was at that exact moment that Jason walked in and made his way to the bar. Jake smiled at him and was already heading towards him with a cold beer in hand. He nodded his thanks and began nursing his bottle. After a few long pulls the bottle was empty. Hearing whistling and cat calls, he looked over his shoulder and froze

"Looks like you need someone to dance with" a tall man approached Elizabeth, immediately placing his hands on her hips

"Nope" she pushed his hands away and went to walk passed him when he grabbed her again

"I wasn't asking, I was telling you" he pulled her to him and she pushed at his chest. When he refused to let go she went to shove again but didn't have the opportunity to

"I believe the lady said NO" Jason growled, pushing the man against the far back wall