From then on, Elizabeth & Jason often got together to have open & honest conversations, usually with Elizabeth talking & Jason listening & offering his insight, and motorcycle rides. One night, late in 1999, things came to a head for Jason, Elizabeth, Sonny & Carly.
Jason was visiting an upset Elizabeth at Kelly's. She had Lucky on her mind. She asked Jason to dance with her & he obliged her. Unfortunately, Carly happened by & spied them...Elizabeth in Jason's arms as they slow danced...got the wrong idea & rushed off. Jason left a short time later to go to a meeting he was going to in Sonny's place. After being ambushed & shot, Jason went back to Sonny's penthouse to report back to him, only to find that his best friend had slept with a woman he had some feelings for. This time it was Jason's turn to rush off. A short time later, he collapsed, unconscious in the snow, outside of Lucky's (formerly his) boxcar. The next morning, he was found by Elizabeth who got help & then proceeded to nurse him back to health in her art studio.
Even thought Elizabeth had received several warnings, from Audrey, Nikolas, & Stefan for example, Elizabeth continued her close friendship with Jason. Things reached a breaking point at the GH Christmas party when Nikolas Cassadine attacked Jason, angry that he was sleeping with Elizabeth (so he thought...Elizabeth told him they were together just to get Nikolas to leave her & Jason alone). Jason & Elizabeth left the Christmas party, unaware that more trouble would be coming their way.
Joseph Sorel, Sonny & Jason's rival now that Moreno was dead, got wind of the close friendship Jason & Elizabeth shared. He decided to use this to his advantage by placing a bomb in Elizabeth's studio. Jason saw a suspicious man outside of her studio & managed to get the information out of him with the help of Roy DeLucca. They were able to get Elizabeth out & disarm the bomb before any harm was done. It was at this time that Jason decided to end his friendship with Elizabeth in order to protect her.
The end of the friendship didn't last. A short time later, a persistant Elizabeth was able to persuade Jason to pick up the friendship again & they were as close as ever. Unfortunately, this too, would be short lived. A couple of weeks later, Jason bid goodbye to a tearful Elizabeth & left Port Charles to protect all of his loved ones, not promising to come back, but indicating that he did hope to see her again someday.
