A/N: The sequel to The Gossip Mill. The town's a font of information to those who are truly determined. Jason's brilliant plan...wasn't so brilliant. What will he do, and how will Elizabeth react?

Jason Morgan was a fool. The more Claudia Zacharra dug into his life, the more she couldn't believe that the supposed brains of the Corinthos Organization could actually be so stupid. It was actually disappointing in a way. To know that she'd underestimated him so badly, and that he hadn't done a very good job of concealing his biggest weakness.

Certain things were easy to find. Like the trial transcripts from when Morgan was on trial for the murder of Lorenzo Alcazar. Ric Lansing, the two-bit little slime, had forced Elizabeth Webber to reveal to the world that she'd slept with Jason Morgan. Of course, she had returned the favor and announced to all and sundry that he'd slept with his adult step-daughter that night in his wife's house. There didn't appear to be any love lost between the twice divorced ex-spouses.

It was clear, though, that Trevors' little boy hated Jason Morgan. If the assault charges and the pictures in the police file after Morgan stomped on Lansing's face were any indication, Morgan hated him too. So it wasn't surprising that Ric had asked Elizabeth Webber if Jacob Martin Spencer was in fact Jason Morgan's son. It was just amazing that anybody actually believed the little milkmaid nurse when she lied and said he wasn't. The boy looked just like his father, and had the same initials and this whole idiotic town thought the boy was actually Lucky Spencer's. It was laughable that she'd fooled them all.

Claudia wasn't fooled, though. She knew Jason Morgan had a son, she also knew that he was head-over-heels in love with the boy's mother like some stupid teenager. Apparently he was wasted on someone. It was disgusting to think that it was some wholesome, little nurse with two young boys. What was it with the men in the Corinthos Organization? Being drawn towards sweetness and goodness and boring little women?

The part that Claudia couldn't get over was just how stupid and reckless Jason was in regards to his son's safety. Did he really think that someone truly determined would actually believe Lucky Spencer the cop was little Jake's father and just stay away? Even if Spencer was the daddy, it was common knowledge that Morgan and Webber were connected. His trial proved that, the hug on TV that she gave him after he was acquitted - having apparently come straight from work since she was still dressed in her shapeless and ugly scrubs - showed they were connected. And then with a little digging, Claudia had turned up a treasure trove. Morgan had been friends with the petite woman for years. Had lived with her on several occasions. Had tracked her down and rescued her when she was kidnapped several times. Did they really think that nobody would know, remember, or find out what they'd done? That she and her children would actually be safe?

Looking out her car window, Claudia shook her head. It was utter foolishness on Jason Morgan's part, and he was going to find out just how much it was going to cost him. To not have any guards looking over and protecting his young family, even from a distance. Such ridiculousness. Too bad he would find out the hard way.

She lifted her phone and punched in a number she had made sure to procure and smiled into the night.

"Morgan."

"Hello, Morgan," she purred into the phone.

"What do you want?" he demanded, his tone turning harsh and angry.

"I just wanted to talk to you," she said, acting affronted that he suspected anything nefarious of her. It was such a fun game to play. "I wondered if you had any idea where I was at the moment."

"I don't have time for games," he growled. "Either get to the point or I'm hanging up."

She tsked at him. "That would be a pity, if you did. I guess your guards aren't as good as I thought they were if I managed to lose them. Of course, it is a rainy night, poor visibility. Terrible time to be out. Say, on a person's way home."

She sighed and then continued, "I mean, right at this moment, I'm watching some poor little nurse struggling to change her tire on the side of the road. Poor thing has been working double shifts and then going home to take care of two little boys. Did I mention she was a single mother?"

With a shake of her head he couldn't see, she clucked her tongue. "Poor thing. The daddy of her little baby is nowhere to be found, not around to help her out. I mean...he's a powerful man, wealthy, influential, and has plenty of men at his disposal and do you know what he's done? He hasn't even put a guard on his kid or the mother. A guard, I'm sure, would have had Nurse Webber's tire changed in no time and she would be on her way with her two little boys who are in the back seat. Instead, she's in the rain struggling with the tire. Such a pity, really."

Morgan's voice was low, and held just the right amount of panic when he asked, "What do you want?"

"I think that's a question I should be asking you," she said innocently. "Do you want your son, Morgan, or do you want his mother? I mean, I've seen the way you've undressed and ravaged her with your eyes every time you see her at the hospital. Not very subtle at all there. Do you not care about the brat? Is that why you haven't claimed him? Do you just want sex from his momma?"

"Shut up," Jason growled, and Claudia smiled to know she was making him lose control. "Tell me what you want. Because I promise, if you hurt them-"

"I'm offended," she cut in. "I don't go after children. That's my father's style. But the mother...I just don't get what you see in Nurse Webber. She's a mousy little thing who can't even change her tire. Or...apparently not lock her keys in her car. Oh, dear. She can't get back in to her children. Whatever should I do?"

"Don't you dare do anything to her," Morgan commanded in desperation.

"I'll have to think on that," Claudia sighed. "But I will tell you this. I suggest you get to Houghton just past Riesdale. Your little boy will probably need you; especially since he won't have his mother for much longer."

Then she ended her call and turned off her phone. Starting her car and turning on her lights, she eased back onto the road and approached Elizabeth Webber. Jason Morgan's definite weakness.




With his heart in his throat, Jason raced along the rain-slicked road to the spot Claudia Zacharra indicated. He cursed the sluggishness of the SUV, certain that if he'd been on his motorcycle he would have already arrived. Maybe he could catch a glimpse of Claudia and Elizabeth and prevent what he was certain he would find. Elizabeth would be gone.

As he neared the spot on the road, he slowed, his eyes scanning the area. While he could see Elizabeth's car, its hazard lights blinking like a beacon for anyone to target it, he didn't see Elizabeth. She was not near the spare tire leaning up against the side of the car, she wasn't in the interior of the car; that he could see. He began to wonder if anyone was inside it. Perhaps Claudia had taken Cameron and Jake as well.

He brought the SUV to a stop behind the car, the high beams bathing the area in blinding brightness and slammed his shoulder against the door to let himself out. Half-stumbling through the growing mud on the side of the road, he raced towards the car certain he would find it empty or discover Cameron and Jake screaming because their mother was not with them. As he slid to a stop next to the car and peered in the windows, the tension he'd felt left him like a punctured balloon.

Cameron and Jake were inside the car. Sound asleep. His little boy's head was lolled to the side of his car seat, his tiny thumb resting on his bottom lip as the mouth was slack with deep sleep. Cameron was clutching a toy in his hand, head slumped against his shoulder, his dark curls catching the light reflected inside the car. Jason closed his eyes and rested his head against the wet metal. The boys were sound asleep, oblivious to the tragedy that had just occurred in their lives. The dichotomy of the situation was almost too much for Jason to bear.

The flash of lights and the sound of an approaching engine caused Jason to look up, but his momentary fear slipped away when he recognized the SUV as another one of theirs. No doubt Max was arriving. Too bad both of them were too late to do anything.

With a nimbleness that belied his size, Max exited the vehicle and trotted over to Jason, disregarding the rain that was continuing to fall. "Jason, what happened? I left as soon as I got your call."

He looked down at the car, and then bent his knees to get a closer look. "Whose kids are these?"

"Elizabeth's," Jason said shakily.

The guard had been in the process of straightening, but stopped and bent again. "That's Jake? He's so big now."

"I know," Jason said regretfully. His first birthday had come and gone, and Jason had missed it.

"So where's Miss Webber?" Max asked. "Why are her kids in the car?"

Swallowing thickly and licking his lips, Jason explained in a rough voice. "Claudia Zacharra took Elizabeth."

"What?" Max hissed, spinning away from his perusal of Elizabeth's children to gape at the other man. "What happened?"

"She called me tonight," he continued. "Said she was watching Elizabeth struggling with changing her tire. Said she couldn't believe that I'd let the mother of my child and my son be left alone, unprotected without guards. I don't know how she found out...but she knew Jake was mine. She then told me where to come because she said Elizabeth's children would be missing their mommy. Then she hung up and I called you and came here and..."

He trailed off and gestured to the car. His heart hurt as he recited all that the mob woman had told him.

"You didn't have guards on them?" Max asked in accusing disbelief. "What were you thinking, Jason?!"

Surprised at the man's words, Jason shot back. "After what happened to Michael, I thought the best way to keep them safe was to walk away from them. I wasn't seeing Elizabeth anymore, I wasn't going to visit her...they would be safe and they'd never be there in the position that Carly and Michael were."

"So you didn't have any protection on them?" Max asked incredulously.

"Someone could see the guards and wonder," he reasoned. "Everyone thought Lucky was Jake's father...it was better to stay out of their lives."

"And so you left them completely open to someone discovering the truth and doing this?" With a gesture of his own at the car, his complete contempt for Jason's choice was perfectly obvious. "No GPS, no LoJack, no back-up system for her to use in case of an emergency? Of all the stupid decisions, that's as bad as Mr. C. sending the guards away when he went to the warehouse with Michael."

Jason bristled at the comparison and quickly lost his patience with the other man. "I don't have time for this and I don't want to hear your critique of my life and my decisions. I want you to get this door unlocked and move the boys to the truck and take them back to the penthouse. I want you to stay with them. I don't want anyone to know that they're there. I especially don't want Lucky Spencer to know they're at my place because I don't want him to try to take Jake out of there. I don't know who else Claudia told and I won't leave Jake a target."

"Now he thinks of that," Max shook his head in obvious disgust. He flipped back his trench coat and pulled a SlimJim out of it, slipping it down between the window and the rubber seal. With a deft maneuver of his wrist, he unlocked the car and then popped the master door lock.

"Wait," Jason said, stepping forward to open the back door. "Take off your coat to hold over them. We'll just move them in their carseats and strap them into the back. Have one of the guards at the Towers help you to get them upstairs."

Between the two of them, Jason and Max moved the boys to the back of the SUV and Jason made sure to grab the diaper bag from the floorboard in the back. Cameron briefly flickered his eyes open, but Jason told him that everything was alright. He was sending him and Jake with his friend Max and Jason and Elizabeth would come soon. He hoped that would help the little boy not feel scared about being a strange place, but he needed to make sure that they were safe. And safe was not with Audrey Hardy or Lucky Spencer anymore.

Once Max and the boys were on their way to the penthouse, Jason climbed in his SUV, pushing his wet hair back. Pulling out his phone he dialed Spinelli and was grateful the young computer wizard answered on the first ring.

"Spinelli," he said without preamble. "I don't care what you're doing or who you're with. I need you to get to the penthouse right away."

"I'm already there, Stone Cold," the younger man answered.

"Good. Maxie is not to come over; call the guards in the lobby to stop her before she comes up." Before Spinelli could question why, Jason continued. "Max is on his way there with Cameron and Jake. Claudia Zacharra found out that Jake is my son and she took Elizabeth. I need you to pull up any footage you can find from Houghton Road, I need you to look at her bank accounts and see if there were any large withdrawals of money or purchases of property recently. I need to know anything and everything that might help me find Elizabeth and I need it as soon as you can get it."

"Understood, Stone Cold," the boy answered with a subdued tone Jason had never heard before. "I will do everything I can to find out where Vixenella has taken the Maternal One. I won't let you down, Stone Cold."

"Thank you, Spinelli," he answered, and then he hung up. He had no idea where Claudia had gone, but he was not going to sit back and wait for a call that might never come to give him a clue. He had failed Elizabeth once already; he would not fail her again by not doing everything in his power to find her.




Claudia was actually mildly impressed with Nurse Webber; not that she'd ever admit it to anyone. She didn't cry, she didn't flutter her hands and threaten to swoon like some Southern Belle, and she actually did an impressive job of trying to fight Claudia off when she'd taken her from the side of the road. It was only when the eldest Zacharra child pulled her gun and threatened to shoot the young mother right in front of her sons - Claudia had learned her lesson about children - that Elizabeth dropped the tire iron she'd been using in an attempt to defend herself.

The headache Claudia had from the blow to her head, if Nurse Webber had been a couple of inches taller and had a longer reach it could have been a fatal blow instead of a passing glance which was still bothersome in its own right, was making her downright cranky. And in that surly mood, she decided to have a little fun with Jason Morgan. Elizabeth had gone quiet, and apart from a few flinches and downcast eyes, the previously thought mousy nurse hadn't responded when Claudia had tried to bait the younger woman into a war of words.

Knowing that Morgan had to be frantic about now, Claudia pulled out her phone and dialed. It was immediately picked up. She liked that in a man.

"Morgan."

"How are the boys?" she asked conversationally. "Did you get your son?"

"I want to talk to Elizabeth."

Such a predictable demand. One she was inclined to give him, but only after she'd had her fun first.

"I'm afraid Nurse Webber is in no position to talk at the moment."

"What did you do to her?"

Such panic, such fear. It was nice to know she'd judged correctly. It wasn't just his son; Jason Morgan was completely wasted on Elizabeth Webber.

"Relax," she sighed. "She's not in any real danger. I just don't appreciate being attacked with a tire iron, so I had to restrain her. I'm not in any mood to reward either of you with a phone call just yet."

"If you've got a beef with me, then come after me," Jason challenged her. "Elizabeth doesn't have any part in this."

"Ah, but see, that's where you're wrong," Claudia pointed out. "She's been a part of this long before she gave you your son. Anybody who's anybody would be able to do a little digging, ask the right question of the right person and find all about how the two of you lived together on several occasions, how you actually made a deal with the police to find her when she was missing once, and then anybody with eyes could tell that her youngest son is your child. Regardless of you hiding his paternity thinking it would keep him and his mother safe, she's a part of this life. Your son will always be your son and acting like he doesn't exist was a huge mistake on your part."

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice tight with fear and anger.

"I haven't decided yet. Perhaps I'll just keep Nurse Webber as my esteemed guest like your boss kept my brother when his son went missing. I'll be sure to take just as good care of the little Girl Scout as Sonny took care of Johnny."

"If you're just toying around, then you better watch out, Claudia," Morgan threatened low in his throat. "You know I'm going to come after you simply for taking her...but the fact that this is all just a game...there will be no mercy for you when I find you."

For a brief moment, she actually felt a flicker of fear lick her spine. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, though. While she had made the decision to grab Elizabeth Webber, things had happened tonight beyond her control that left her plan not completely formalized. A shipment was delayed due to the storm, and it was hard to demand that her product be moved through on Sonny's ship without the actual vessel. So she was just going to have to continue to hold onto Elizabeth Webber until the shipment was rescheduled. And then once she released the little mother dearest, she had the knowledge of Jake's paternity and Jason Morgan's obvious reluctance to have it go public, to keep him and his boss in line. She could accidentally slip in front of her father or Trevors, and then what would happen to the precious little boy?

"I'll tell you what I'll do," she sighed heavily. "As a show of good faith, I'll let you talk to her."

Entering the room, she yanked the gag out of the other woman's mouth and held the phone up to her ear. "Lover Boy wants to talk to you. Don't try anything smart though, because I'm right here."

Elizabeth licked her lips and said, "Jason?"

Claudia could almost hear what Morgan said, but she really didn't need to because the younger woman replied, "I'm fine."

Morgan obviously didn't believe her because she shook her head and said, "Don't worry about me. The only thing I want you to do is take care of Jake and Cameron. I want them with you."

Claudia took the phone away and said, "See? She's fine. And she's such a devoted mother; talking about her sons instead of giving loving declarations to you. Or maybe she's just upset that you ditched her."

Then she closed the device and stood, looking disdainfully down at the other woman. "Here's hoping he loves you enough to cooperate with my demands."

When the door closed, Claudia smiled. Elizabeth Webber was finally crying.




"I need to know where you kept Johnny when Michael was missing."

Sonny looked up in surprise when Jason stormed into Greystone and didn't wait for the guards to leave the room. Milo looked uneasy and Jason knew that if Sonny didn't say anything, then he'd press the younger man.

"What are you talking about?" Sonny asked while standing. "What do you care about that time? I thought everything was settling down."

Jason rolled his eyes, not even bothering to contradict the older man. Things were not settling down, not given the fact that Michael was being moved to a permanent care facility because of a bullet to his brain. The Zacharras hadn't kept to the truce, and today Claudia had amplified it. She had a grudge to settle and Jason was not going to let stupidity slow him down.

"Claudia Zacharra took Elizabeth tonight. She called me to tell me she knew Jake was my son, that she was watching Elizabeth, and I should get to Houghton and Riesdale because the boys were going to need to me. When I got there, Elizabeth was gone and Jake and Cameron were alone in the car."

Sonny's eyes widened in appropriate shock. "She took Elizabeth?"

"Yes," Jason snapped. "And she knows Jake is my son. So now I have to protect him and Cameron and find Elizabeth and I need to know where you held Johnny when you thought he had Michael."

"Why?"

"Because Claudia told me she would take just as good care of Elizabeth as you did Johnny," he growled.

Sonny's normally dark skin paled and he tried to cover it by turning and getting a drink of water. "I'm not here to tell you how dumb it was to go after Johnny, Sonny. You already know that. But you did things to him and his sister is threatening to do them to Elizabeth. So I need to know where you kept him so I can check it out. Maybe she's just sadistic enough to use the same place."

"It...it was the old mental asylum out of town," Sonny answered. "Up on the bluff in the woods. Mi-Milo can show you."

"Good," he said with a brisk nod of his head. "Max has Cameron and Jake at my penthouse. He's their guard, he's staying with them. Nobody can know that Elizabeth is missing, or that I have Jake and Cameron. Lucky could try to take them away and they need to stay where they are to be safe. I had someone take her car so that no one would see it and report it."

The older man nodded gravely. Jason was about to turn when Sonny's voice stopped him. "Jason...she'll be okay. She...she has faith in you and she knows you'll be coming for her. She didn't believe you were dating Claudia Zacharra, so she'll know you're coming for her."

With a frown he asked, "Why would she think I was dating Claudia?"

"It was on the news," Sonny pointed out. "Her testimony. And I...I went to see Elizabeth at the hospital."

"Why?" Jason demanded, taking a step forward.

"I...I didn't have the faith in you that she did and I thought you were screwing up. I...I went to tell her that maybe if she wasn't so selfish and let you see your son then maybe you'd have something else to focus besides Claudia."

Closing his eyes as fury rolled through him, Jason took a deep breath. "Don't ever-"

"She didn't believe it," Sonny repeated. "She also..."

He looked away. "Elizabeth also told me what happened before Michael was shot, and then how you decided to stay away from them. That was why she didn't believe it. And she wondered why I was so quick to."

"Yeah," Jason said in disgust. "I wonder why, too. But I don't have time to deal with this. I need to take Milo and I need to find Elizabeth."

Then he turned and walked away. When he found Elizabeth he was going to make this all up to her, and he was going to have a talk with Sonny.




Jason Morgan was like a ghost. Or a bad penny. He had this annoying habit of getting into a place quietly and showing up when least expected. Or wanted.

Claudia was sure that she'd stashed Elizabeth Webber in a secure enough place. No place flashy, no place previously connected to her family, any of their associates, or in any way connected to her family in their short time here in Port Charles. And yet, somehow, Jason Morgan had tracked her down. She walked into her temporary headquarters at the building, determined to keep an eye on the nurse as well as coordinate tonight's rescheduled attack on Corinthos' ship and wound up staring at a gun aimed straight between her eyes.

Jason Morgan was not a happy man. But then again, his baby's mother had been missing for two days. Apparently he was a wee bit possessive of her. Stupid fool should have never left her alone then.

"I told you what would happen if you didn't give Elizabeth back. I told you what would happen if you messed with those that I cared about. And now I'm going to follow through. You messed with the wrong person, Claudia."

She smirked, "You're not going to shoot me. You and your boss are real big on talk, but when it comes to follow through? Not a whole lotta action. You won't take me out, because Sonny will never allow a full-scale escalation of this feud between the families."

"Sonny doesn't get a say in this," he replied, the hammer on the gun clicking back. "This is my family, and I won't give warning after warning like he does. You took Elizabeth, her children are scared and missing their mother because of you, and I won't forget and forgive that."

Claudia smiled, covering her nervousness and shook her head. "My father will come after you."

"Your father tried to have you killed."

"If it's not him, then Johnny will certainly avenge my death."

"Not if he's dead," Morgan shook his head.

"Don't you threaten John," she hissed at him, pointing a finger in his direction.

"You took Elizabeth. You really are in no position to say anything."

He pulled out his phone and pressed a button, calmly raising to his ear. She tilted her head, wondering what he was doing, but when she thought to take advantage of his distraction with the phone and reach for her own weapon, she saw him jerk his gun at her and shake his head. He took a step closer, the opening of the gun yawning wider at her and she held her hands back out to the side.

"It's me," he stated whenever the person on the other end of the line finally picked up. "You in position? Good...do it now."

Then he closed the phone and said, "You overestimated yourself, Claudia. Common mistake since you came to town. You also came after my son and his mother...and that was the last mistake you'll ever make."

"Wait," she pleaded, her eyes widening, "can't we talk about this?"

"No," he shook his head, and pulled the trigger.




Claudia Zacharra dropped to the floor, the bullet wound to her chest immediately blooming with blood. She was dead before she hit the ground, she just didn't know it. To ensure her demise, Jason fired off another round, and then stepped around her body on his way out the door. Elizabeth was in this building, Claudia's guards were now neutralized, and Jason was going to take the woman he loved home to see their son.

He just hoped she would forgive him for all this.

Quickly he ran down the hall to the room he'd seen the guard standing outside of earlier. Enzo had dealt with the man and was disposing of the body, but he'd left the keys behind for Jason. Grabbing them, he found that his hands shook slightly as he found the right one and slid it into the padlock. Once the lock was open, he loosened the clasp and shouldered open the door, calling Elizabeth's name.

There was no immediate answer and he stepped further into the room, once again calling, "Elizabeth?"

"Ja-Jason?"

As soon as he spotted her in the dim light, he was at her side, wrapping her in his arms. She was shivering, she was crying, but she was alive. Closing his eyes, Jason rested his head against hers, his own tears joining the occasion. He had been so worried about her, so angry at Claudia and himself and cursing his stupidity to think that staying away from her would ever work. Anything could have happened to her, and it would have been his fault entirely.

Pulling back enough to see her, he brought his hands up to run over her face, his eyes following in their wake. He didn't see any significant injuries, a fact he gave divine thanks for. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," she answered on a shaky breath. "I'm fine."

"Come on," he said, scooping her into his arms and standing with her. "Let's get you out of here."

Once they were away from the room she'd been held in and outside in the cool spring air, Jason set her down beside the SUV. But he didn't let her out of his arms. He clung to her, just as hard as she clung to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I...I'm sorry. When she called me...I was so scared. She figured out Jake was mine and she couldn't believe I didn't have guards on you and...and she was right. I should have. Even if I was trying to stay away from you...I still left you and our son vulnerable. I left you in danger, even though I was trying to protect you from it."

"Jason," she said softly, her fingers wrapped in his T-shirt. "You did what you thought was best. Everyone was supposed to think Lucky was Jake's father. Guards might have made it worse."

"But there were other steps I could have taken...things I could have done to make sure you were safe." He pulled her back against his chest, his throat burning with recrimination. "I nearly lost you. Anything could have happened to you, or Jake or Cameron and I never would have known. I didn't do it right...I haven't done anything right."

"I'm okay," she insisted. "I'm okay. And Jake was with you and you protected him and that's all I wanted you to do. As long as he was safe, it didn't matter what happened to me."

"Yes, it did," he told her, wrapping his hands around her upper arms and stepping back from her. He looked at her, searching her eyes and her words for some deeper meaning he felt he was missing. And then he saw it.

"It does matter what happens to you, Elizabeth," he told her. "It matters to me. I couldn't bear to have something happen to you and know that it was because of me."

"As long as nothing happened to Jake, or Cam," Elizabeth shook her head, "it doesn't matter. As long as they're safe."

"I need you safe, too," he told her. "I need you."

She closed her eyes, as if she could somehow block out his words by not seeing him. Turning her head she whispered, "I want to see my sons. Please...I just want to be with my boys."

"Of course," Jason affirmed. "But I need you to know, Elizabeth...I didn't shoot Claudia Zacharra because she took you away from Jake or because she found out the truth about our son. I shot her because she came after you."

Tears slipped down her cheeks and she opened her moist eyes to plead with him, "I just want to see my sons, Jason. Please...that's all I want right now, is to be with my children."

He swallowed thickly and nodded. Apparently he couldn't push this any further right now, but he would make her understand later. He wasn't giving up, despite the fact that she appeared to have given up on him.

The End

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