Sorry it took so long, I was out of town for work!

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"I want to be the father of my child. I don't think I can watch her from a distance, pretending she's Lucky's."

Elizabeth's eyes closed, feeling conflicting emotions racing through her. Looking up at him, she quietly asked, "What about Sam?"

"I don't, I don't know how I'm going to tell her, but she has to know." He paused, then said roughly, "She's meeting a prospective surrogate tomorrow."

Eizabeth felt the hot tears in her eyes, looking over at Cam so that Jason wouldn't see them. "And this baby will grow up with Sam always feeling a little bit hurt by her, and Lucky unable to forget that she's not his."

"Neither is Cam."

"Cam isn't the child that I conceived with the man he's always felt jealous of. The man I had a wonderful night with while still wearing his ring." She sighed. "I don't regret that night, Jason. I never will. But I don't know what else to do now to avoid hurting anyone."

He leaned back against the swing rail, feeling as torn as she was. He loved Sam, and the fact that it was his fault she would never have children filled him with guilt. Elizabeth was the girl who had always owned a piece of his heart, but she wanted a future with Lucky, and Lucky saw this baby as his salvation. He finally nodded, his face set. "Okay, You're probably right."

They looked at each other, Elizabeth unable to hide the shimmering tears in her eyes.

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Jax turned towards his hotel manager, irritation evident on his face. He had returned to Port Charles to find his hotel a disaster zone, his fiancee' fresh from a night in bed with Sonny Corinthos, and Courtney's child just returned from a kidnapping. Discussing the rebuilding and restaffing, he looked at Mac's stepdaughter in surprise as she walked up to him, a tall dark-haired young man beside her.

"Hi Jax!"

"Maxie. How can I help you?"

I hear that you're hiring for the rebuilding. I don't know if you're aware I work in your boutique." She tilted her head, a flirtatious smile on her young face that Jax couldn't help but respond to.

"I do. I've heard about the great job you were doing." His face turned serious, "I'm sorry you were caught up in the hostage situation."

Maxie shrugged, pulling Cooper towards her. "Well, this guy saved me when they building blew up. He'd been hiding in one of the back rooms."

Jax shook the young man's hand, wondering why he looked so familiar. "The thing is, Sir," Cooper told him, "I was hoping you were hiring on for the rebuilding."

"I am. And Maxie seems to be giving you a good reference. What's your name?"

"Cooper, Cooper Barrett."

Jax felt an old flash run through him. Barrett. Could it be a coincidence that a young man with Brenda's coloring showed up in the same town she'd lived in? "Hired, Cooper Barrett," he told the young man with a smile. "I look forward to you helping us." And, Jax thought silently, he looked forward to finding out the truth about the boy's past.

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Sonny looked up as Jason walked in, feeling sorry for his friend. Alan's death had taken its toll on Jason, but somehow he knew that wasn't all. Jason had been different since the night at MetroCourt. "What's going on?"

Jason turned towards his best friend, hands in his pockets. For the first time, it became clear to Sonny that the young man who'd once stood before him was now a powerful man in his own right, more than capable of running the business and commanding the respect and fear of those around him with a simple look. He now turned that serious face towards Sonny, "Elizabeth's child is mine."

"What? Jason, I was there the day she read the test results. She said it was who she expected."

"It was." Jason looked away, remembering her tear-stained face as she told him the truth. "She expected it to be me. And then I thought the baby wasn't mine, and she thought I was relieved."

Sonny thought of the conversation down at the docks. "And you were actually disappointed."

"Yeah."

"How is-is Sam taking this?"

Jason looked at his friend, his voice quiet as he said, "She doesn't know. I was starting to tell her when she told me that the bullet she was hit with last year scarred her too badly to be able to carry a child again."

His eyebrows arching, Sonny waited for the rest.

"Then, Elizabeth tells me that she still loves Lucky, and she can't bear to hurt him either. She wants me to just let Lucky raise the baby, so neither Sam or Lucky get hurt."

"And you said no?"

"I said yes. But, I don't know if I can stand by and watch my daughter being raised by another man."

"Your daughter." Sonny stood, walking over towards his best friend. "You and Elizabeth are having a girl?"

"Yeah."

"Jason, I don't- I don't think you can handle another man raising her." Sonny was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure Elizabeth wants to remarry Lucky?"

"She said yes," Jason answered in a dull tone. "They're moving into Spencer house, and getting married in a few weeks."

Sonny poured himself a drink, looking towards Jason. "Are you sure she's not doing that because she doesn't want to hurt your happiness with Sam?"

"She's always loved Lucky."

Thinking of Elizabeth as she'd dug the bullet out of Jason's leg, the care she'd given him, the frantic phone call to tell him Jason had left for the docks, Sonny wasn't so sure. "Are you sure that's why she's marrying Lucky?"

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Elizabeth smiled weakly at Lucky as he discussed the marriage plans with Nikolas and Emily. "A nice simple family wedding here at the house."

Emily squeezed Elizabeth's arm under the table, looking concerned as her best friend picked at her food. "Why don't Elizabeth and I go take a little walk, and let you two enjoy discussing the wedding."

As the two walked outside, Emily stopped, touching Elizabeth's hand. "Do you really want to marry Lucky?"

"I..I love Lucky."

"That's not what I asked, Elizabeth. I know you love Lucky, but are you in love with him enough to marry him? Or are you marrying him to make him happy, and to try to forget Jason?"

Elizabeth looked at her friend, her voice quiet and sad as she said, "I'm fine, Em. Just tired." With that, she walked off, leaving Emily staring after her.

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Elizabeth looked up as Jason sat across from her at the coffeehouse. "Hi."

"Hey. How are you and the baby?"

She smiled, unable to stop her heart from lightening when she looked at him. "Fine. She's got a strong heartbeat, and she's healthy."

"Good." He nodded at the server, waving away the receipt he was about to hand Elizabeth. "I'll take care of it."

She laughed, having learned better than to argue with him. "Thank you."

He smiled at her, loving the way her face lit up as she laughed, the sparkle in her eyes.

Sonny watched them from the doorway, his best friend looking happy for the first time in days, the tired look disappearing from her face, her happiness evident.