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Chapter 65

~Sonny's Penthouse~

When Jason hurried over to Sonny's, leaving Jordan to show herself out of his penthouse, he wasn't sure what he would find. He was worried, though, because Max had obviously been worried based on the way Milo came over completely agitated. But he wasn't quite prepared for what he saw.

What furniture hadn't already been broken or overturned had been destroyed. Max was physically barring Sonny from entering the kitchen and immediately Jason heard his lawyer's voice talking about Sonny being a threat to himself or others run through his head. Clothing and bedding looked like it had been tossed from the second floor, and Jason wondered what exactly what happened in the brief time he'd gone over to meet with Jordan.

"Sonny."

His voice was calm, but firm. It was a tone his friend had responded to in the past and he hoped it got through to the older man now.

Sonny turned and looked relieved to see him. "Jason."

"What's going on?"

"This person won't let me into my kitchen," Sonny ground out angrily. "I can't find her and he won't let me search for her."

"Find w-who?" Jason asked, working to keep his voice calm even though he felt a stone of worry sink into his stomach.

"Lily!" Sonny said in exasperation as if Jason should know. "Nothing looks right in this place and I can't find her. I know her father's upset with me because of Brenda but Lily said she wasn't leaving me. Where is she? And who is this guy keeping me out of my kitchen?!"

Rounding on Max he demanded, "Who are you? One of Rivera's men? Did you take Lily and my child? Where are they?"

"Sonny, Sonny, clam down," Jason said as he stepped further into the room. He moved to get in the older man's line of sight and in between him and Max. "This is Max. Max Giambetti. He's one of our guys."

His friend tilted his head to the side and asked, "He is? He doesn't look familiar. Where's Francis and Johnny? Where's Reynaldo?"

"They uh...they're not with us anymore," he explained in half-truths.

"Gone? They're dead?" Sonny asked sadly.

It was best to let him believe that, especially since for two of the three it was true. It was simplest and didn't require complicated explanations. "Yeah."

"Oh," his friend deflated. "They...they were good men."

"Max and Milo are too," Jason stated. "They're brothers and really good. They're not Rivera's men."

"Oh," their boss repeated simply with a look at Max. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Boss," the guard answered. He looked relieved that Jason was here now and handling the situation.

Sonny turned away from the kitchen, looking at the destroyed room. Jason quickly said so only Max could hear. "Get every knife and sharp object out of the kitchen."

"Right away," he nodded and left.

"What happened to the room?" Sonny asked in bewilderment. Before Jason could say anything he continued, "It looks like the time the bomb went off, but...not quite."

"No," Jason shook his head. "It wasn't a bomb."

"Good," his friend nodded. He suddenly was so calm that Jason was hopeful, but still guarded. It was good, at least, that wasn't asking about Lily anymore.

"We need to clean this up," Sonny ordered. "I don't want Michael to see this mess. That little boy is still getting used to living here."

Jason frowned, especially as the older man continued. "I guess Carly will get her wish after all and finally get to redecorate. She's been wanting to do that, but I'd only let her do Michael's room upstairs. I know it's bad," Sonny sighed, "but Lily decorated this for me and I'm convinced Carly will put in some ugly rose-colored sofa or paint the walls pink."

"She wouldn't do that," Jason shook his head. She never had. She had understood Sonny's desire for rich wood and dark colors.

"Still defending her," Sonny chuckled, almost bitterly. "You always have, even when she trashed your life. So now I suppose you'll tell me she didn't hide after her car crashed just so that she could punish me for sleeping with Alexis."

"I...I don't know. I wasn't here for that." Jason had investigated Carly's crash and he always suspected she did stay gone to punish Sonny's infidelity, but she would never confirm it.

"Of course you were here for that," his friend demanded, suddenly agitated and angry. "You've never forgiven Brenda for wearing the wire. I don't know if I can, either, but Lily's a fool if she thinks that just because she told me it means I'll love her. And who brought these kids' clothes in here?" he demanded. "What's somebody playing at?"

Jason swallowed heavily and motioned Milo over. "Call the doc. Tell him to get here immediately."

The young guard nodded and shakily stepped out into the hallway as Sonny continued to rant and rave, slipping from one time period to the next without warning. There was no pattern to the jumps and Jason's fears and worries grew. This was the worst he'd ever seen Sonny and all the contingency plans, the worst-case-scenarios no longer seemed like just-in-case abstracts anymore. He wondered if he was going to have to commit Sonny.

"Jason," Milo opened the door partially. The guard gestured to him and uneasily he stepped closer.

"Did you call?"

Immediately the younger man nodded. "He said he was leaving right away."

"Then what?" Jason asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"This was delivered," Milo said, holding out an envelope.

"I'm not showing it to Sonny," he declared. "He doesn't need to see whatever this is."

"Jason, it's not...it's not for Sonny," the guard shook his head. "It was delivered for you."

~General Hospital~

"So am I a horrible person for not wanting Elizabeth or my brother to know?" Emily asked when Lucky walked back into her room.

"You're supposed to rest," he chided her gently.

"I do nothing but rest," she protested, the very act of speaking looking like it took all of her energy. "Don't avoid my question."

"It was your decision to make," he told her. "You're not close to them, they certainly didn't make an effort to understand you, why should you have to put up with their pity just because they found out you got sick?"

She sighed and picked at the thin blanket. "I figured...I don't know. I honestly thought I was right. If I could just show Nikolas our time together...his amnesia wasn't like Jason's brain damage. But his anger was the same."

"I'm sorry he hurt you," Lucky said, shifting on the chair. "It was a rough situation all around."

But he could admit he'd benefitted and got to be with Emily instead of watching his brother date her. He just couldn't find it in him to press the situation because he didn't want to feel like he'd taken advantage of her cancer.

"This year didn't end like I thought it would," she said sadly.

"Life throws us curves," he agreed. "It's not always fair."

"I wish I could change things," Emily sighed, settling down into her bed. He could see she was tiring. "Maybe I should have done things differently."

"Em?" Lucky questioned, leaning forward.

"I'm tired," she deflected. He knew she didn't want to talk and he respected it. He wouldn't push, especially when she didn't sound like she really understood what she was saying.

"Alright," he nodded. "Do you want me to go?"

She nodded and asked, "Could you turn out the light?"

"Yeah," he told her, standing and brushing his hand over her hair. It was dry and limp and he didn't brush too hard because she was self-conscious about it falling out. "I'll check back in later, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded turning away and closing her eyes.

Lucky turned off the light and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the hall. He could not believe that Elizabeth came in here and attacked a sick woman. No wonder Emily was suddenly upset and having an attack of doubt. Then Elizabeth started defending Jason again and Lucky realized why she had attacked their friend. His ex-girlfriend had thrown her loyalty behind Jason and it didn't surprise him but it did make him angry. For Emily.

He decided to head back to the police station. Since he had extra time on his hands he might as well see what they'd found at Corinthos and Morgan's warehouse. He knew that it was one of their enemies that had blown up the building. A mob war was brewing and Lucky wanted to stop it, but he knew he wouldn't get any cooperation from the coffee importers. So Lucky was determined to get it himself. No matter what.

~Elizabeth's Apartment~

With increasing agitation Elizabeth paced around her apartment and fretted. She was tired, but absolutely unable to go to sleep. She couldn't believe what she'd done today. She had walked into a sick, most likely dying woman's hospital room and attacked her. No matter how hurt and angry she still felt over what Emily had said to her, Elizabeth never should have done that.

Cameron had gone to sleep tonight, content and happy after a day of playing with Maria. Elizabeth, though felt trapped and unsettled. She knew better than to try to work, and wished there was someone she could talk to. But the one person she knew would understand was busy right now. When she returned from the hospital she called Jason and left a message that she was back and when he had a moment, she would be here.

Looking for a distraction she even took Cameron and went over to Sam's apartment. She thought maybe talking to the other mother would help her focus on something else and she had enjoyed visits with Sam before. However, Sam's apartment was a little chaotic. Because of Sonny's behavior, Jason had brought Morgan and his nanny to stay with Sam because that would help keep Sonny's condition quiet and also keep Morgan out of the way. Word might get out if Morgan showed up unexpectedly at Bobbie's and then stayed indefinitely.

Morgan had been pleased to see someone closer to his age, but then quickly lost interest when all Cameron did was crawl and chew on toys. He couldn't play blocks like Morgan wanted, or toddle unsteadily after the older boy, so he was quickly dismissed as uninteresting.

Sam was clearly worried about Sonny. This was her first experience with his black moods and she loved him, so she was anxious for any word on her daughter's father. Unfortunately the news she was getting wasn't comforting. Elizabeth had stayed because Sam said she could use the distraction as well, but she was glad for the excuse to escape when Cameron began to act tired.

Her grandmother wasn't available to talk to because the older woman just couldn't, or wouldn't, understand that Emily had changed. Of course, this was the woman who had expected her to marry Lucky even though he no longer remembered or loved her, or thought that she should give Ric another chance even after he'd chained a woman up inside their house. Her grandmother could be just as stubborn as she accused Elizabeth of being. Plus, she didn't want to give the older woman an opening to speak bad about Jason by mentioning his sister. She was still upset with Lucky; she knew she wouldn't handle another attack well.

Sighing and running her hands through her hair, Elizabeth looked around for anything to occupy her mind and her hands. Thankfully she was saved in her search by a knock at her door. Very few people came by to see her and since Steven was out of town at a medical convention she was pretty sure it wasn't her brother.

Opening the door, she smiled slightly at the sight of Jason standing there with his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

"Hey," he returned. "I took a chance that you'd still be up."

"Come on in," she invited him. Then confirmed, "Yeah, I couldn't sleep. My brain wouldn't turn off."

He looked tired and weary and clearly carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders. She couldn't do anything to change all that he was dealing with or even help him, but she could do something for him. He once told her it was peaceful here; she would do all she could to make sure he had peace. She could take care of him and make sure that he knew someone was here for him.

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he shook his head. "Elizabeth, you don't...I just...I wanted to see how Emily was."

"I'll tell you," she promised, "but I am also fixing you something to eat. I doubt you've had anything except coffee."

"I...I had a sandwich when I met with Bernie."

She arched a brow, "A sandwich? Wow. Get in the kitchen. I am fixing you something to eat."

"I'm not going to be able to change your mind, am I?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Nope. Just accept it."

He followed behind her as she went into the kitchen and pulled out a pan that she put water into. Jason leaned against the counter and as soon as the water was on the stove she pulled some left over chicken out of the refrigerator.

"I went to the hospital," she said, knowing it would be easier to talk as she worked. The chicken went into the skillet to slowly warm and not turn rubbery like it would in the microwave.

"Emily..." She paused, suddenly unable to talk with the fist clenching her throat. Jason's hand settled low on her back.

"Elizabeth?"

"Do you remember how she looked when she married Zander? How pale, how weak...how..."

"I do," he answered, his own voice low and thick.

"She looks like that again," Elizabeth said, sniffling and dashing at her eyes. "But it's...it's worse. Her hair is flat and dull, but it was so stark because she was so pale. All the tubes and wires and machines."

She sighed and then stepped out of his touch and retrieved the box of pasta. "And you know what I did?"

He shook his head.

"I got into a fight with her," she answered with a harsh shake of her head. "She said she didn't want me to know, was mad Monica told us, and then she said we probably wouldn't care if she died."

Jason made a choked sound and his eyes were red and moist.

"She was angry and said we'd turned our backs on her so why would we care? And I...I got angry and reminded her of all she'd done and how that just because she had cancer didn't excuse anything she'd said or done." Elizabeth covered her eyes, "But that it didn't mean I wanted her to be sick or die."

Jason put his arms around her and pulled her close, "Of course you didn't."

"But how could I say those things to her, Jason?" she berated herself. "It was awful to say."

"You were upset and worried," Jason tried to comfort her. "You're not horrible, Elizabeth."

The bubbling water on the stove made her pull away and she opened the box of pasta, pouring it into the pan as she sniffled and blinked away her tears. Reducing the heat under the water, she turned back to face Jason. "That's not what Lucky thought. He accused me of going after Emily because of you."

"What?" he demanded, his brow furrowing angrily.

"Yeah, I'm more loyal to you than Emily and so I attacked her for you."

"He thinks I sent you to the hospital to attack my sick sister?" He sounded angry and offended.

"I don't know what he thought," she shrugged, getting butter from the refrigerator and some herbs from the spice rack. "But he told me I was stupid for living here because one of your enemies clearly just blew up the warehouse. Half the time he was lecturing me and then it seemed like he was hoping I'd give him information to confirm his theories. As if I would since I'm so loyal to you I'm also a fool."

"Hey," he settled his hand on her arm to cal her down.

"I'd watch out for him," she cautioned. "He's probably going to use this investigation just to cause problems because of Emily."

"I'll warn Jordan," Jason assured her.

They were quiet as she finished cooking the noodles and made a butter and herb sauce. When she dished up the paste and chicken and sat down at the table, Jason waited just long enough for her to take a bite before he fairly devoured his meal. She knew once he had food in front of him he would eat. She let him do so in silence because she knew if she asked him any questions he'd stop eating and she wanted him to get some food.

When he finished he looked up at her ruefully, "I guess I was hungry. Thank you, Elizabeth."

"You're welcome," she smiled at him. She sighed and then asked, "How's Sonny doing? I went to see Sam today and saw Morgan and Leticia still there and they all looked tense and worried."

Jason sighed and Elizabeth could practically see the muscles in his shoulder tie up in knots. "He...it's not good. He...was very confused and we tried to get everything out that he could hurt himself with. But..."

He shook his head and Elizabeth knew that something had happened. Reaching out, she covered his hand, "What is it?"

"I thought he was calming down, and then I stepped out of the room for a moment." He sighed and she knew without asking that he blamed himself for what happened. If only he'd been inside, it never would have happened. "Suddenly we heard yelling and Milo and I rushed in. Sonny was attacking Max; holding a piece of glass to his throat. Max had to get stitches."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "Are...are they okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "The doctor arrived and stitched up Max, and...we had to sedate Sonny."

"I'm sorry, Jason," she said, squeezing his hand. "What are you going to do?"

"I...I have to send him to the island. I...I'll send Sam and the kids to try to cover it. I don't know how the Families will react if they know he had a breakdown, but they'll accept me taking over if they think he's relocating a few months with his children."

"He's going to get help?" she asked in concern.

Jason nodded wearily, "I'm going to make sure he gets treatment. But I can't lock him up in Shadybrooke."

"So that means you'll run things?" she asked, swallowing.

He sat back, pulling his hand out from underneath hers. "Yeah."

"Oh," she nodded, picking up her fork and pushing her noodles around. He would be the boss until Sonny got better, if ever, and came back. She suddenly felt everything shift, including their relationship. Not able to look at Jason, she knew she couldn't show him how sad that made her. He had enough to deal with, especially now. She would not make this any tougher on him, even if it hurt her.

Chapter 66

~PCPD~

Jason Morgan had no use for cops. Professionally they were diametrically opposed to his business. Personally he had seen bullies think they could get away with their behavior merely because they were behind a badge. Taggart had been one of the worst, calling Jason brain-damaged and stupid on a routine basis and he had learned how to be a cop from the biggest bully of all, Deke Johnson. Lucky Spencer seemed to be following in Port Charles' tradition of inept and corrupt cops.

As much as they irritated him, Jason had willingly come down to the police station today with his lawyer. He knew that if he stonewalled any longer, they would come searching for him at the penthouse. That was an option he couldn't accept, because it risked the police finding out about Sonny's condition. For as much as he knew his friend needed help, he also didn't want to advertise the fact that Sonny'd had a breakdown.

"Nice of you to come, Morgan," Lucky sneered as he approached the duty officer's desk where Jason and Jordan were waiting.

"Officer Spencer," his lawyer smiled insincerely, slighting the other man. "We were hoping we would be meeting with your superior.

"Ms. Baines," Mac greeted as he walked towards them. He was holding a piece of paper in his hand, "I just got your message that you wanted to meet with me."

"Yes," she nodded, reaching into the outside pocket of her attaché case. "We are serving the department with our request to remove Officer Spencer from this investigation."

"Detective," Lucky corrected on a growl. "And why?"

"Let's talk in here,' Mac ushered them into the interrogation room. Once they were inside and the door had been closed on the blatantly eavesdropping cops, he turned towards Jordan. "What is this about?"

"We want Officer Spencer off this case," she stated simply.

"Detective," Lucky corrected. "And this is ridiculous."

Mac held up his hand to silence Lucky and then asked, "Why?"

"Your officer has a personal, antagonistic history with my client. He once attacked Mr. Morgan with a knife in an attempt to kill him."

"That was Helena's brainwashing," Lucky burst out in defense of his action.

"He blames Mr. Morgan for problems with his ex-fiancée Elizabeth Webber."

Jason looked over at Jordan, making sure to keep the frown off his face. He hadn't told Jordan any of this; merely passed along Elizabeth's warning. But his lawyer had asked for his friend's number. It appears that they'd talked about more than Elizabeth's conversation with the cop in the hospital.

"That has nothing to do with this," Lucky insisted, looking at Mac to back him up.

"So you didn't tell Ms. Webber that Mr. Morgan might soon be arrested because his warehouse was obviously blown up by one of his enemies?" Jordan asked. Jason hadn't known that, and he wondered why Elizabeth hadn't told him. "Which enemies would those be, Officer Spencer? His coffee enemies?"

"We all know Jason and Sonny are mobsters."

"Careful there," she warned. "That's slander. My client has never been convicted of anything, let alone anything remotely close to organized crime. What evidence do you have regarding his warehouse?"

He glared stonily at the lawyer and then Jason. Lucky had nothing, and everyone knew it. Mac sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"But that's not all," Jordan continued. "Mr. Morgan's sister has had a relapse of her cancer. A fact which Officer Spencer knew, but went along with her desire to not say anything to her brother about. I personally witnessed Officer Spencer being unduly belligerent and antagonistic towards my client. Based on his personal, and clearly unprofessional, history with Mr. Morgan, we request he be taken off this case."

She held up the paper in her hand. "If he does not remove himself or is not reassigned by you, Commissioner Scorpio, we will seek legal action and challenge every piece of evidence he collects."

Mac sighed and held up his hand to stop Lucky before he could protest. Jason knew he was going to cave to Jordan's demands, and that was what they wanted. A change in detectives meant a longer investigation, which gave Jason's men more time to do their own searching. They could also locate Manny Ruiz, who seemed to have disappeared at the same time the warehouse blew up.

"Fine," Mac agreed.

"You can't be serious!" Lucky exploded.

"Get it together," Mac ordered him, "so I don't have to pull you again. I don't need another Taggart with arrests and evidence thrown out and harassment suits filed. You've got personal issues with Morgan and it's interfering with your job."

"Either your officer deals with my client within the constraints of the law or I will have an injunction filed that keeps him from any case remotely related to Mr. Morgan," Jordan stated. "The personal attacks and slander stops now."

"Do you understand, Detective Spencer?" Mac asked angrily.

He huffed and turned for the door, making sure to roughly shoulder past Jason when there was plenty of room to go around. "Yeah, I understand."

Once he was gone, Mac looked at Jason and asked, "Where's Sonny?"

"Mr. Corinthos is still dealing with family matters," Jordan replied.

"That's what you said yesterday."

"His daughter was in the hospital for days after her birth and she has a long-term medical condition that he and Miss McCall are finding out information on. His son has lost his mother and his brother. He's confused, he's upset and Mr. Corinthos is attending to his child."

She glanced at Jason and then said, "In addition it has recently come to Mr. Corinthos' attention that Alexis Davis lied and Kristina Davis is actually his child."

"What?" Mac asked in clear shock and surprise.

"Ned Ashton confirmed he falsified the DNA test and other medical documents. We are considering pressing charges against him and Miss Davis."

Jason watched as Mac closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped. This was all part of their plan. Bombard the police with threats of suits and more crimes for them to investigate. It would distract them from trying to question or harass Sonny. That would allow Jason to get him, Sam and their daughter along with Morgan and Leticia out of town undetected. Hopefully.

"We need to talk to him," Mac gave a feeble protest.

"Mr. Morgan is a full partner in the warehouse and the coffee business. He is qualified to answer any and all questions regarding the crime against him and his business partner."

"Fine," the older man conceded. "Let me get the file and then we'll do it."

Jordan looked at Jason once the cop was gone and smiled. "I think we distracted them for today."

"That's good," Jason answered quietly. Because they were moving Sonny tonight.

~Safe House~

Stan was grateful when Jason finally arrived at the secured location. While he knew that Jason was dealing with a lot right now - the cops, the warehouse, and especially Sonny - Stan was at the end of his rope with The Jackal. He and the guards had finally grown tired of the young man's constant talking and gagged him. He was tied up in another room and it greatly helped the situation. They went in to give him food, water and bathroom breaks, but all other times he was gagged and bound.

"You're here," he breathed out. "That little pothead never shut up until we gagged him. We asked him questions and he just babbled and never actually answered anything. We finally got tired of it."

"I'll talk to him," Jason said with irritation.

With a smile Stan said, "I was hoping you'd say that."

Jason gave a smirk of his own that Stan didn't like. "I'll need you to interpret anything he says. So you get to come with me."

The computer tech groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need some aspirin before I do that."

His boss nodded and then requested, "Bring me some, too, please. I spent a couple hours at the PCPD this morning."

Stan winced and then grabbed two bottles and the aspirin. He handed them over to Jason, keeping his water and asked, "How'd it go?"

"Lucky Spencer's off the case," he stated.

"How'd that happen?" He took the medicine back from Jason and shook out three tablets.

"Jordan. Mac caved under the threat of lawsuits. We need to put them on the defense so they don't push to see Sonny."

"He okay?"

Jason shook his head. "He...he had a breakdown. He doesn't know what time it is, what's going on."

Stan swore and shook his head. "I'm sorry. So...so what happens now?"

"He's going to the island tonight with the kids, Sam and Leticia. But he's going on to a treatment center. It's private, I've already got men securing it and he'll be completely protected. He's going to be the only patient. But he'll get treatment."

Re-capping his water Stan said, "That's good. Hopefully it will help him and he'll get better."

"Yeah," Jason said. There was a world of weariness and doubt in the word.

"Until then," he pointed out gently, "you're the boss. So let's go figure out who The Jackal is and who he's working for."

Jason stood and rolled his shoulders while letting out a huff of breath. "Let's do it."

When the door opened to the room, The Jackal immediately began to whine in an attempt to speak behind his gag. But as he processed that there was a new person in the room, he stilled and grew silent. His eyes went from wide with ill-concealed fear as Jason stopped in front of him and crossed his arms menacingly over his chest. It was Jason's standard enforcer intimidation and Stan enjoyed watching it.

"Do you know who I am?" Jason asked.

The young man's eyes widened and he hesitated just a shade too long before he shook his head 'no'. Jason obviously caught the lie like Stan had because he cracked his knuckles and leaned forward. Bracing his hands on the chair's arms and invading the hacker's personal space he let the boy get good and uncomfortable before speaking again.

"I'm Jason Morgan. Do you know who I am?"

A fierce nodding of the head conveyed The Jackal's positive answer.

"Good," Jason growled. "I'm going to take off your gag and you are going to answer some questions. Or I will hurt you."

"The Jackal has a most unfortunate very low tolerance for pain," the young man whimpered once the cloth was removed.

"Then you better answer my questions," Jason warned him. "Starting with your name."

"Damien Spinelli," the boy answered quickly, flinching as best he could against his bonds. "You can call me Spinelli."

"Who hired you to hack into General Hospital's mainframe and get information on Sonny Corinthos?"

"The Jackal provides a service for his clients that is steeped in the inherent principal of anonymity. I do not divulge my clientele."

Stan could see a muscle in Jason's jaw jump, but the enforcer didn't say anything. Instead he reached behind him and underneath his jacket, pulling out his gun. The hacker's eyes widened and he pushed back against his chair and his bonds. Jason hadn't even aimed it at this Spinelli character yet and already the boy looked like he was going to mess his pants.

"I'll ask you once more and then I'll put a bullet in your knee," Jason said, lowering the weapon towards said joint. "Who hired you?"

"Ric Lansing!" the younger man burst out frantically. "Ric Lansing hired me."

Stan ran his tongue over his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. It appeared Jason's instincts were once again correct. He had suspected Ric was behind all this, and now they had proof. Considering Sonny had a breakdown in part from the information the former D.A. sent, Stan had a feeling he wouldn't be long for the world anymore.

"Did Ric say why?"

"He just wanted me to set up a program that alerted him and gave him any and all medical information on a number of people."

"What people?"

When the pothead took a little too much time remembering, Jason pressed the barrel of his gun against Spinelli's kneecap.

"Uh," he gulped, his skin looking clammy. "Sonny Corinthos, Morgan Corinthos, Sophia Corinthos, Samantha McCall, Alexis Davis, Kristina Davis."

He swallowed and continued, "Courtney Matthews, Mike Corbin, uh..you, Emily Quartermaine and Elizabeth Webber. Act-actually my search parameters were not just medical for Elizabeth Webber."

"Why did he want that?" Jason demanded angrily and Stan's eyes widened just a bit. Jason's anger had been mounting, but he'd seen a tick in the other man when Elizabeth Webber was mentioned.

"I don't know," the younger man shook his head. "I just did what he paid me to do."

Jason turned and stalked out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Stan made sure to stuff the gag back in before following his boss out.

"I want to know where he is at all times," Jason barked into the phone and then snapped the device shut.

"Jason?" Stan asked hesitantly.

"I put a tail on Ric."

"I figured as much," he nodded. "Especially after learning you were right. He was the one sending the letters to Sonny."

"And to me," Jason informed him. "I got a note telling me Emily was in the hospital; her cancer's come back."

"Oh, man," Stan said sympathetically. "I'm so sorry."

"He didn't know I'd already found out. He must have wanted to distract me."

"Break Sonny, distract you....why?" he asked.

"I don't know," Jason shook his head. "That's why I want a tail on him and I want him investigated. I want to know if he's trying to contact Manny Ruiz or if he already has."

"You got it," Stan assured him. "I'll get on it right away."

Jerking his thumb over his shoulder, the tech asked, "What about our guest?"

"He stays here 'til we figure out what to do with Ric. I don't want this Spinelli geek tipping him off." Then Jason smiled and granted Stan a reprieve, "But you don't have to stay here."

"Thanks," he grinned in relief. "Just warn the guards he might try to sneak out to buy pot and bar-b-q chips. That's part of the reason we tied him up."

Jason nodded, "Okay. Look, I gotta get back. Sonny's leaving tonight."

"Okay," Stan stated. "I'll get started searching for that information on Ric."

~Elizabeth's Apartment~

Being a mother and learning to sleep lightly with one ear attuned for odd noises had benefitted Elizabeth tonight. She roused from her sleep at the tap on the door, and after hearing it again she scrambled off the couch and rushed for the door. She hopped the last remaining feet after stepping on one of Cam's toys she hadn't picked up and flipped the locks hastily. Flinging open the door she was grateful to see Jason still there. She was afraid she'd taken too long and he'd left.

"Jason," she said breathlessly.

He frowned, "Were you asleep?"

"It's alright," she assured him. "I fell asleep after Cam did so I-"

"I should go," he shook his head.

"Jason," she took his arm and stopped him. "Come in. I told you I would be up late working so that you would come over. I took a nap so I would be able to talk to you."

He frowned again. "Why?"

"Because I knew you would need someone to talk to," she told him. "Your oldest friend, a man you respect and are loyal to, is sick. You had to send him away to get treatment, but you couldn't take him yourself."

She watched as his tense and stiff shoulders sagged with immense weight. Stress, worry and no doubt guilt pressed on him. Tugging on his arm she pulled him into her apartment.

"I know that you have so much going on and you're worried and I just," she paused and shrugged. "I thought maybe you wouldn't want to be alone tonight. That you shouldn't be."

He sighed wearily, but didn't argue. Pleased that he wasn't leaving, she directed him to the couch.

"I know I'm always asking you if you ate," she said a little sheepishly. "But it's one of the only ways I know how to help you. You get so focused and you don't think about yourself. I can't talk to you about business and I can't help you solve those problems, so I do this. Maybe it's a throwback to when I took care of you after you were shot."

He chuckled when she did and she continued, "So I feed you. At least it's not soup."

"Yeah," he continued to grin. "Though I kinda miss the brownies and fudge."

"Hmmm," she mused. "I'll keep that in mind."

"But before you actually ask," Jason told her, "I have eaten. I...I ate with Sonny before I took him to the airport."

"Yeah, I talked to Sam earlier today," she said. "I watched Sophie while she packed up their stuff. Leticia was trying to organize hers and Morgan's things. I guess the nurse Sam had has gone on to another job."

He nodded. "Helen's more of an OB nurse, some post-natal. Not really a nanny."

"That's what Sam said. What's going to happen when they go to the island?" Elizabeth asked. "Will they have to stay there the entire time Sonny's being treated?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "If the cops ask why he's gone I'm going to say it's a family issue with the kids. If they come back..."

She nodded in understanding. "And he doesn't; it's harder to explain away. So it's best that they stay there until he's better, or until..."

"Until I have to admit there's no hope," Jason said wearily. "If it gets to that...I don't know what we'll do then. I'm Morgan's guardian and godfather. Sam obviously would take care of Sophia. I just hope...I just hope it doesn't get to that."

"We all do," she told him, resting her hand on his arm. "I didn't mean to dredge all this up for you."

"It's alright," he told her softly with a shake of his head. "It...it actually helps to talk about it. The guys in the organization...I can't talk to them."

"No," she nodded. "It's lonely at the top. I've said this before, but I'm here. I'm your friend and if you need someone to talk to or just some place to come to get away from it all...then that's what I'm here for."

"It's going to be different," he shook his head. "I-I'll be running things now. This isn't like me working for Sonny. I...I have to take care of everything and assure people and-"

"And it sounds like you'll need a friend more than ever," Elizabeth said with a firmness that surprised even herself. She had pulled back when she first realized Jason would be running things, but she knew that she couldn't do that again. It wasn't fair to their friendship, or to him right now; even if she was scared about all the implications for her and Cameron.

"You need someone to talk to, someone who will care about you, and not just what you can do for them. Someone to help you get away from all the stress and pressure so that it doesn't completely overwhelm you."

Licking her lips and trying to be delicate she said, "Sonny had that with his family. You need someone who will be there for you, and I'll be that person. If you'll let me be."

He swallowed thickly and said, "Yeah. I could-I could use a friend."

"Then that's me," she promised him.

If she could just keep it strictly friendship...she'd be lucky.

Chapter 67

~General Hospital~

Emily woke in the middle of the night to the sensation of someone watching her. She expected it to be one of her parents; they had taken to sleeping in her room so that at least one of them were with her at all times. It bothered her sometimes, but she knew she wasn't going to survive this battle and they didn't want to be away from her when the time came. Emily had signed a DNR because she didn't want to prolong this, and so they were afraid of venturing too far and missing her last moments.

However, when she opened her eyes she saw Jason sitting by her bed instead of her parents. She was tempted to close her eyes and just pretend she was still asleep, but Emily wondered why he was there. Especially in the middle of the night.

She swallowed and then asked, "Why are you here?"

His head snapped up immediately and he sat up straighter. "Emily? Are...are you okay?"

"Why are you here?" she repeated.

"I came to see you," he told her.

"It's the middle of the night."

"I didn't mean to wake you. I just...Alan stepped out to let me have a few minutes." He glanced towards the door. "I'll get him if you want."

"What I want," she insisted in as firm of a voice as she could manage, "is to know why you're here. I told Elizabeth I didn't want to see you guys."

"I know," he admitted sadly and dropped his gaze. "I just...I had to see you, Emily. I-I've come by the past couple of nights so you wouldn't know I was here. I didn't want to disturb you, but Alan invited me in tonight."

"Why do you care?" she asked.

"You're my sister."

"That didn't matter to you when you looked through me at Michael's trial and then walked away. You wouldn't let me explain, Jason."

"You listened to a private conversation," he said sharply. Then he stopped. Apparently he didn't want to fight with the dying woman.

"Tell me," she demanded. "Tell me why you hate me like Elizabeth does."

"I don't hate you," he shook his head. "I just don't understand why you did what you did. I didn't know you were in my house; you were hiding and listening to private conversations. Then you didn't talk to me but you went to A.J. He trapped me, blackmailed me and took Michael away."

"A.J. is his father. Sonny stole him from A.J."

"Michael just lost his mother," he said sadly with a shake of his head. "He was scared and confused and then A.J. ripped him away from his brother."

He paused and sighed, "Do you really hate me that much that you hurt a little boy just to get back at me?"

"That..." She paused, remembering the way Michael cried himself to sleep each night in the mansion before A.J. and Lydia left with him. How he cried during the day and how he screamed, begging to stay, when A.J. took his wife and son and left. "That wasn't what I did."

But her protest was weak and Jason looked away from her with a disgusted look on his face.

"A.J. had a right to know his son," she insisted stubbornly. "Sonny hit Carly. He already destroyed Michael's life before A.J. arrived."

"And you lied to Nikolas," her brother said in disappointment. "Nobody is perfect, Emily."

"Except for you and Elizabeth, right?" she asked on a sneer. "Perfect Elizabeth and Saint Jason."

With a shake of his head, he said, "I didn't come here to fight."

"Then you should go."

Jason licked his lips and then nodded slowly, heavily. "Fine. I'll go."

He stood tiredly, almost as if he were ancient, and slowly walked to the door. The light from the hall was bright until he shut it behind him. Several minutes later her father came back in. He did a cursory examination and looked at the monitors attached to her.

As he sat down he said, "You chased your brother out of here quickly."

"I don't want to talk about Jason," she said pointedly as she rolled onto her side.

"Then I'll talk," he said in a tone that surprised her. "You were wrong to lie to Nikolas and you were wrong to treat Elizabeth like you did just because she wouldn't help you. And I hope I'm wrong, but your brother A.J. still sees Michael as his prize to win. He didn't act in that little boy's best interest with the custody hearing; he just wanted to beat Sonny."

He paused and then took a breath, letting it out slowly. "He wanted to beat Jason and stick it to the rest of the family. I just hope he realizes what he's done before it's too late and actually tries to be a father to Michael. Otherwise, that little boy will be hurt even more."

Then he stood and brushed his hand over Emily's forehead. "Go back to sleep, Em. I'll be right outside."

As she watched him go and close the door behind him, leaving her alone, she closed her eyes. Did he really think that, or was her father merely trying to broker peace between his children before her death?

~Jason's Penthouse~

As Ric was shown inside Jason's apartment, he quirked a brow at the younger man he knew was running Sonny's empire. "Do all your guests get patted down like that? Or am I just special?"

"Why are you here, Ric?" Jason's face was neutral and impassive, but his voice was tight and controlled. A dead giveaway to his anger.

"Your men stopped me in the lobby and then brought me up here. Presumably on your orders," he smirked.

"Why did you come to this building?" the other man clarified. "You don't have any reason to be here. Except to cause trouble."

"I came to see my brother," Ric stated. "Despite the fact that you and Sonny try to deny it or wish it wasn't true. And I do care about him. His daughter is my niece and I brought a gift for her."

He gestured to the guard holding the pink bag with mini white footprints on it. The dress inside was fluffy and frilly and expensive. It was also just a decoy.

"And the pictures Milo found in your pocket?" Jason asked.

"I was cleaning out some old files and found some pictures of our mother my father once gave me." He shrugged harmlessly. "I thought Sonny might like to see them. Maybe even have them to show his children what their grandmother looked like."

"Just a caring guy?" the younger man asked, a hint of mocking in his voice. "Sonny's told you to stay away from him but you show up with these goodwill gestures from the goodness of your heart?"

The other paused and tipped his head to the side. "Are you that stupid, Ric? Or do you think we are?"

With well-practiced indignation, Ric protested, "I merely came to give my brother a few things."

"Oh, I bet you did," Jason agreed. The tone in his voice wasn't entirely clear and for a fleeting moment Ric wondered if they knew he was behind the notes to Sonny and Jason. Then he decided that they might suspect him, because his brother and Morgan were always suspicious of him, but there was no way they could know. If they did, Jason would not be this calm.

"You can leave the gift and the pictures with me," the younger man told him. "I'll make sure Sonny gets them."

"I was hoping to see my brother," he said with a slight shake of his head.

He wanted to assess Sonny's mental state; see how he'd reacted to the notes and the information. Word was out that Mike Corbin was persona non grata with the Corinthos Organization and no longer under their protection. He had skipped town, just after a visit from Jason. But Courtney was still in Port Charles. She must not have been aware that she wasn't Sonny's sister and Mike wasn't his father.

If he could further torment his brother and push him even closer to the edge, and then over, Ric wanted to. It was the least his brother deserved after kicking Ric out of the organization and never giving him a chance. He should be running Sonny's organization while his brother was clearly incapable of it instead of Jason. Jason wasn't blood, wasn't family, and yet he was treated the way Ric should be.

"Sonny's busy right now," Jason said without any regret. "He's dealing with family matters and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"I don't suppose you'd call and ask him if he'd make an exception?" Ric asked.

Jason just glared at him. He gave away nothing about Sonny's mental state or if he was even still in Port Charles. Jason was too practiced at covering things up to let something like that slip. But Ric could infer things were bad merely because Jason had him dragged up here and was giving an obvious cover story about family time.

"Fine," Ric sighed. "Please pass along the items."

"I will," Jason nodded with little sincerity or conviction in his words. "And he'll call if he feels like it. Don't just drop by again. You'll be turned away at the door."

"Message received, Jason," he said mockingly. On so many levels.

~Elizabeth's Apartment~

Elizabeth's surprise was evident on her face when she opened the door and saw Nikolas. "The guard said it was you when they called upstairs, but I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly. Come in."

"I apologize for not calling beforehand," he said quickly. "If this is a bad time I can come back."

"No," she shook her head and opened the door wider. "Come in. I just finished the project I was working on."

He looked around, "Where is Cameron?"

"My gram is watching him; she's missed spending time with him. I guess they're going to do some Christmas stuff."

"He is a little young," he said with a confused frown.

"It's his first Christmas and he's Gram's first great-grandchild. She said it was never too early to start celebrations and traditions."

"You always did enjoy Christmas," Nikolas smiled along with her. Spotting the tree on a table in the corner he continued, "I expected you to have more decorations up around the place."

"Cameron's started crawling," she explained. "I didn't want to put too much out. We got a tree."

"No paper chains?" he asked. "I remember you had paper chains."

"You-you do?" she asked in surprise. "You remember that?"

"I have begun to remember more things," he nodded as she brought out some drinks for them. "Not everything and it is still disjointed and does not always make sense, but more is coming to me. I remember your paper chains...and being angry with you. Why?"

She licked her lips and twisted her fingers together as she sat down beside him. "Jason was staying in my studio and you...you accused me of betraying Lucky and sleeping with Jason. You...you had kissed me a couple of months before that and I...I wondered if part of your reaction was if you were jealous of my friendship with him. Would you have accused me of betraying Lucky if I had dated you?"

Elizabeth looked away after her question and Nikolas shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could not remember everything, or all of his feelings, but he remembered being angry at her. And it was about Jason Morgan. Had he been jealous?

"I am sorry," he apologized. "I do not remember, but I know I made you unhappy and uncomfortable and I am sorry for that."

She gave a shake of her head and forced a bright smile. "It's okay, Nikolas. It was a lot of years ago and we've all moved on."

"So paper chains?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

However, her face fell and she shook her head. "Not this year. It...it's not really a paper chain kind of year."

With a frown he asked, "Elizabeth?"

"I don't know if you've remembered anything about Emily-"

He stiffened and said, "Not very much."

"She had breast cancer last year," Elizabeth told him.

"I...I do not remember that."

"It's how you two fell in love," she continued. She wasn't trying to force anything, just telling him the truth. "She was hiding her illness from her family and from Zander."

"Her boyfriend."

"Right. You helped her, took care of her, and your ruse about being in love with her became true, but you tried to hide it. You got married to save your family, she eventually went back to Zander because she thought she was dying and felt guilty for lying to him. It was messed up and confusing and...and it's happening all over again."

Her eyes shimmered with tears and he asked, "What is happening again?"

"Emily's cancer has come back," Elizabeth said sadly. "And she's relying on Lucky and doesn't want Jason or me to know because she's mad at us. Her mother finally told us when she went into the hospital and they don't expect her to survive. It's like it was last time; she's hiding from everyone."

She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "I pulled away from her because she attacked me for not helping her with you. She attacked me personally and my son, and I just...I don't want that in my life. But she was my friend for a long time and the thought of her dying..."

"It is hard to contemplate," Nikolas said with understanding. He had a sense of watching Emily through a hospital window and knowing he could not go in there to take her in his arms and be with her. Was that a memory of what Elizabeth was talking about?

"It is," she nodded. "I just...I want to be there for her, but she doesn't want me. And then I wonder why I even went to be there with a woman who said the things she did. Clearly she doesn't care about me or respect me, so why should I worry so much?"

"Because you are a kind-hearted woman, Elizabeth," he told her. "You do not like to deliberately hurt people. Of course you would care about a woman who may be about to die."

She drew her bottom lip in between her teeth. "I guess. I just...it will devastate Jason if something happens to her. But every time I go to the hospital she looks worse. I think it's not going to be long."

"I am sorry for you and Jason," he said uncomfortably. "But I-"

"Don't want to talk about Emily anymore," she said perceptively. "I'd ask about Alexis and Kristina, but I'll be honest with you, Nikolas. Sonny knows that Ned isn't her father. I saw him confront Ned and I heard my boss about that he falsified the DNA test. He's looked for her and Alexis and Kristina aren't in Greece. They're not at your house and you're not visiting them."

He bristled with fear and indignation. "Did Sonny ask you to talk to me?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm not choosing sides here. I lied to Zander about Cameron's paternity and wanted to keep my child away from him because he was dangerous and out of control. So I'm in no position to judge Alexis. But Sonny is someone I care about and he was lied to and is upset and concerned about his daughter. Sophia and Kristina have the same condition and he was caught unaware about Sophia because he didn't know about Kristina."

She shrugged, "I feel like I'm betraying someone by speaking, but I also feel like I would be betraying someone if I didn't. I'm not going to ask you where she is, but I'm also not going to tell Sonny not to look for his daughter."

He appreciated her honesty and told her. But he was also glad he had gotten his aunt and cousin away from here. He would pass the information along, and if she wanted to move he would facilitate it.

"This is the last time I'm going to talk about it," Elizabeth stated. "But I will say this. It's only worse to prolong the inevitable. Does Alexis want Kristina to be on the run for the rest of her life or would she rather deal with it head on?

If he had any understanding of his aunt, she would try to hide. She would be afraid of the situation with Kristina and not being able to control it. He didn't tell that to Elizabeth because he did not want to put her in anymore of a compromised position than she already was. It was not fair to her and he would not compound her situation.

The phone ran and Elizabeth excused herself to answer it with a wry, but relieved, smile. The smile dropped away to be replaced with shock as she spoke. He could tell it was not a pleasant phone call. Something had happened and as soon as she hung up, he saved her the trouble of having to ask him to leave and excused himself. He had a lot to think about and he needed to talk to Alexis, and Elizabeth needed to go to the hospital.

~General Hospital~

Somehow Elizabeth and Jason had ended up holding hands. As they walked from the car into the hospital her hand had wound up fitted in his. It felt natural, and more importantly, it felt right. She needed him to keep her grounded, and she suspected that he needed the same.

As soon as she'd hung up the phone and Nikolas left, wishing her that everything worked out okay, she called Jason. In the few seconds she had to wait for him to answer she had nearly worked herself into a hyperventilating state. She managed to get the words out, though, and waited for him by the elevator to come down from the penthouse level. Once they were in the car on the way to General Hospital she called her grandmother and asked her to watch Cameron unless she needed to go in to work in which case she would call Maria.

The rest of the journey was in silence as she and Jason tried to process everything. It wasn't that they were shocked that the call came, there was just no way they could have ever been fully prepared for it.

Stepping off the elevator, they turned for Emily's room. Rounding the corner they saw the others gathered outside. Elizabeth felt Lucky's gaze fall on them, scrutinizing them, but she didn't acknowledge him. She also didn't let go of Jason's hand. Lucky had no say in her friendship with Jason and she wasn't going to let him get to her with petty comments or annoyed looks.

"Jason," Monica said tearfully as they approached the older woman. "Thank you for coming."

She hugged him and then turned to Elizabeth, her eyes red-rimmed with sorrow. "Thank you for coming and for getting a hold of Jason. I knew you would be able to reach him; probably quicker than I could."

"Of course," she assured the doctor, touching her back comfortingly as Monica surprised her with a brief hug. "Of course we would come."

Then they stepped aside, settling in to wait for the inevitable to occur. Through it all, Elizabeth's hand never left Jason's.

Chapter 68

~Emily's Room~

Jason's throat was raw from pain and grief as he stood listening to Monica update him about Emily's condition. Dr. Trent came out halfway through her explanation and was able to give everyone the results of her latest examination. The infection was going to kill her. The oncologist wasn't that blunt, but the message was the same. His sister was going to die today.

Through it all, Elizabeth's grip on his hand tightened. Jason didn't know if it was a reaction to the news, or if she was trying to offer him support. Maybe it was both. Either way, Jason was glad she was here with him. If he had to sit in the hospital waiting for his sister to die, he was grateful to have Elizabeth beside him.

Once the doctor left and everyone turned away in shock and grief, Monica touched his arm softly. "I know you and Elizabeth have come to see Emily and she hasn't wanted you to or been happy...but I have to believe that she knows you care and she is glad you're here."

"I know she's hurting," Jason told her. "She's probably scared."

"We're all scared," Monica said, looking around at all the grim-faced family members. "And we're all hating that this is happening again."

"I know," he nodded softly. "Nobody wanted this."

The door opened and they all looked over. Alan stood wearily in the doorway, "Emily's asking for you, Monica."

She nodded and turned for the room. Elizabeth sighed shakily and Jason turned his attention from Monica to her. Letting go of her hand, he placed it on her shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"

Her eyes were red-rimmed, "I just..."

"I know," Jason told her. She didn't need to explain it, he understood perfectly. Dropping his hand to the small of her back he gently turned them away from the crowd. "Do you need some air?"

She shook her head. "I think I'll just check in with my gram. And then maybe get some food or something to drink for everyone. Do you want something?"

He shook his head, "No, thank you. Just...just keep your guard close, okay?"

She looked a little surprised, but then nodded resolutely. "Okay."

She turned from the nurses' hub and waiting room and Jason watched to make sure a guard followed her. They didn't know where Manny was, but Jason was not going to take any chances. Some claimed Ruiz was still in Miami, others claimed he was headed back north. Jason was not going to assume that she was safe just because they were in a hospital.

The past two days since he'd put Sonny and the rest on a plane to the island had been tense and busy. So far the police didn't suspect Sonny was gone, but he knew it wouldn't last forever. Jordan's threats and blusters had bought them some time and they were taking advantage of it. Max had been promoted to his second and between the two of them they were working to show that just because Sonny was down on the island with his family didn't mean the organization was vulnerable. Jason would run things just like Sonny did, and he would defend the territory.

With the warehouse still under investigation, Bernie had to reschedule shipments. Their secondary warehouse they used for storage had to be cleared out so they could use it for coffee. With the police scrutinizing everything, they had to keep up the coffee front. Now, more than ever, he had to stay out of jail. So he had to manage the fine line of coffee and crime.

That was why when Lucky walked past him and towards where Elizabeth disappeared, Jason stayed where he was. He could not risk a confrontation with the cop already angry with him. Lucky had been reassigned from the warehouse investigation and they'd exchanged words about Emily. He wouldn't get into a fight tonight; he woudn't cause any further distress for Monica and Alan.

So even though he knew Lucky was going to go confront Elizabeth, he stayed where he was. Elizabeth could handle herself and deal with her ex-boyfriend. And if things got really bad then Paul would step in. Because the guard's orders were clear and Jason knew he would follow them.

~Waiting Room~

Elizabeth closed her phone and rubbed at her eyes. Her grandmother was able to watch Cameron for her, rearranging her schedule to help out. She assured Elizabeth that if anything changed she would call Cameron's babysitter. Gram reassured her that all was fine on their end and Elizabeth should just concentrate on being there for Emily.

Considering she doubted Emily would want to see her, Elizabeth wondered what exactly she should do. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else, despite all that had passed between the two of them. Plus, she knew that Jason needed someone to support him. He wasn't comfortable in hospitals or around his family. But he wouldn't be anywhere else but here; no matter what he did love Emily.

She was just contemplating calling Tammy at Kelly's to ask her former boss to send over some drinks and maybe even food for everyone here - hospital food shouldn't be inflicted on waiting families - when Lucky walked up to her. He had that same peevish look as when she arrived with Jason, and when she first visited Emily. No doubt he was gearing up for a lecture, and she was already dreading it.

She arched a brow at him as he sat down, shooting a glare at the guard standing discreetly to the side, but didn't speak. He'd start talking soon enough; Lucky could never stay quiet very long.

"So," he began, "Are you and Jason dating now?"

"No," she answered, striving for calm. "He's my friend."

"You were holding his hand," he pointed out, disgust tingeing his words.

"His sister is dying," she hissed at him. "Are you really going to be this petty? I was offering him my comfort and support."

"Just how far does that comfort and support go?"

Her eyes flared angrily at him. "You're out of line. My personal life is none of your business and I'm not going to let you insult me or Jason."

"He's a criminal," Lucky hissed at her.

"And so is your father," she pointed out. "And so were you until you suddenly decided to become a cop."

"That's different," he insisted.

"Look," Elizabeth sighed. "I don't want to fight. Not today. I'm just pointing out the truth. Your dislike of Jason has nothing to do with him being a criminal and you being a cop. For once in your life just be honest about it, Lucky."

His jaw clenched and then he said, "He tried to steal you from me and he's not good for you."

Looking around the waiting room she said, "Our relationship was doomed on a lot of levels, Lucky. You tried to push me towards Nikolas, you slept with my sister, and we both refused to admit we both changed and weren't those little kids in the chapel anymore."

She let out a breath and admitted, "I made plenty of mistakes I stayed with you out of guilt instead of love and wouldn't admit that I cared about Jason."

Leaning forward she said pointedly, "But is here and today really the time and place to hash this out? Emily is Jason's sister and once my best friend. No matter what's happened, none of us want to see Emily sick or dying."

Lucky looked slightly less hostile and nodded, "I know you once cared about her."

"I still care what happens to her, even if I won't just forget what she said," Elizabeth corrected gently. "You don't have any right to judge Jason or me. And don't be a jerk to Jason because that's his sister in there; not yours, not your girlfriend. His sister."

"Fine," he agreed grudgingly. "But he's still wrong for you, Elizabeth. He's not safe for you or Cameron."

"It's really not your business," she repeated. "You aren't Cameron's father, and you're not my boyfriend."

"I'm your friend," he insisted.

"When it's convenient. You chose Emily over me because you were trying to get her to fall in love with you. You've lectured me, and tried to tell me what to do and how to think and feel." She swallowed her irritation at this long pattern of behavior from Lucky. "That's not friendship and I'm not going to let you treat me like that."

"I..." he said weakly, no doubt trying to think of an excuse.

"I don't want to fight," she said tiredly. "The friend I met in high school is dying. I want to focus on that; on trying to remember those happier times. I don't understand why you can't just accept that and stop arguing."

"That's not what I'm trying to do," he shook his head.

"You followed me here and started in on Jason," she pointed out. Then she stood and turned for the elevator. "Think about that, Lucky."

She waited for her guard and then stepped on the elevator. She needed some fresh air to calm down, and also make a phone call.

~Hospital Chapel~

Jason pushed open the door and stepped into the darkened and quiet interior. It was like stepping back in time, except now the roles were reversed. Elizabeth was already sitting inside instead of being the one to find him. He approached her, making just enough noise so he wouldn't startle her by his appearance. She slid over to make room for him on the bench and he slowly lowered himself down beside her.

"I thought I would find you here," he said softly.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping heavily. "I...I never expected Emily to ask to see us. Whenever I've come here she's never asked...even though she knew I was here."

"I know," he nodded, clasping his hands between his knees. He remembered the night she woke up when he was in her room and how angry she had been.

As each hour passed and they could see her grow weaker, Jason resigned himself to the fact that Emily would talk to everyone but him. She asked to see people, talking to them before she tired and drifted away. This was her life and if she chose not to have final words with him he would have to accept it. No matter how it would hurt.

Emily, though, sent Alan to ask Elizabeth and Jason to see her. Hand in hand, Jason could feel Elizabeth's trembling, they went to see his sister. She was pale, her chest barely moved when she breathed, but there was an audible rasp each time. Her eyes were closed and it seemed to take great effort for her to open them and turn her head towards them. Elizabeth made the first move by reaching out and gently covering Emily's hand.

She was weak and her voice was thready as she told them she was glad they came, but would have understood if they hadn't. She had been selfish and cruel to them and she was sorry. She wanted her own way, and she'd wanted Nikolas and she hadn't been unwilling to admit she'd been wrong, or concede defeat, and so she'd attacked them out of spite.

With any other person, Jason wouldn't have been willing to forgive them just because of a deathbed plea. But this was his sister and he couldn't stay mad at her just out of spite. She had hurt them and she had hurt Michael, but he couldn't be cruel and angry towards her as she lay dying.

"How was she when you left?" Elizabeth asked, reaching up to brush away the ever-present tears.

"She was asleep," he informed her. "Alan said she doesn't want machines or life-saving efforts."

Elizabeth shuddered and wiped once again at her eyes.

"They're trying to manage her pain, but she doesn't want to be asleep all the time." Jason scrubbed his hand over his face. "She...she talked about when she first joined the family and when I woke up after my accident. She wasn't talking and fell asleep in the middle of her story."

When she bit her lip and covered her face, Jason put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder and drew her close. She turned her head, burying it against him as her tears increased. He felt the moisture on his skin and closed his own eyes, resting his cheek on top of her hair.

The last time they were in this position and circumstance, he was still with Courtney and she was ending things with Ric, but there had certainly been trouble then. Courntey's drug addiction, which nobody knew about, had caused tension and distance between the couple. She grew paranoid and accused Jason of wanting Elizabeth and wanting to have a baby with her.

At the time he had denied it; because then it was true. Elizabeth was his friend, and things between them were even more strained. They spoke to and comforted each other that night because of Emily. If it hadn't been for her, they probably would have continued on barely speaking to one another. He was trying to make a life with Courtney; he wanted one with her. He'd wanted a friendship with Elizabeth, and that was all he even allowed himself to think about.

Now was completely different. There was no Ric, no Courtney, and no distance between the friends. But there was still tension. Of all different sorts. There was definite attraction; he felt a pull towards her and sometimes he could see the same longing in her. They both fought it, though. Because this time there were new complications.

Even if there were no spouses, Elizabeth now had a son. She was a conscientious mother and would not want to expose her son to danger. Now that he had taken over so that Sonny could get treatment, he was different. He wasn't following orders, he was giving them. If people tried to take down the organization they would come after him. While Jason knew how to run the business and he'd been proofed through fire and had earned respect, Max didn't have that same reputation. He didn't command the same respect, despite being a very good man. Any rival looking to decimate the organization would go after Jason. Starting something now with Elizabeth would put her and her son in extreme danger. There was the threat of Manny Ruiz that Jason was constantly aware of. Nobody could figure out what he was going to do next. It all seemed to be stacked again them to embark on anything beyond friendship.

But just like last time, Jason could not pull away from her. He was isolated and alone and his sister was going to die soon. He needed a friend, he needed someone who would be there for him and understand what he was feeling. He needed Elizabeth, and he was going to hold onto her for as long as she let him.

~Hospital Rooftop~

It was bitterly cold up here, but Elizabeth knew that Jason wouldn't feel it. Pulling her coat tighter and tucking her chin down, she headed towards him as he stood overlooking the city. Stepping up beside him, she placed her hand on his arm and stood quietly beside him.

He was tense, stiff and she was suddenly struck with the impression that he would shatter with just a tap. Jason was always strong, but he was human. He'd had so much loss this year, of course it was going to affect him. His grandmother, his friend, his son and now his sister had all left him in less than a year. She was worried for him, she cared about him, and she was determined to let him know she was here for him to lean on.

The wind was picking up, bringing the promise of snow and Elizabeth felt her cheeks and eyes sting, but she remained where she was. This was important for her; to make sure Jason wasn't left alone. He had gone silent and looked to go into shock when they'd watched Dr. Trent place Emily's arm back o the bed and then turn off the monitor and machines attached to her. When Monica turned to Alan and broke into sobs, Jason turned and walked out of Emily's room.

Elizabeth understood his reaction, and ignored Lucky when the cop rolled his eyes and huffed. Jason was a private man and he wasn't going to display his grief in front of everyone. It just wasn't in his nature. She stayed to express her condolences to Emily's family, and then left the room to let them have time to themselves. She sensed Jason wouldn't leave the hospital, and her, but she'd still been anxious until she learned from the guards where he'd gone.

Making sure to bundle up so she could be there or him, Elizabeth was still growing uncomfortable as her body went numb. Just when she was beginning to worry about both of them staying out here much longer, Jason turned towards her. He brought his arms up around her, crushing her to him as he dropped his face to her neck. Her throat burned and tears once again crested her eyes, and she had a feeling the tremors she felt indicated Jason was letting some of his grief out.

Pulling back he cleared his throat, "It's...it's too cold out here for you."

"I'm okay," she tried to assure him, but sensed it fell flat. "I-I'm here for you."

"Thank you," he told her, brushing the piece of hair stuck to her wet cheek back. "But we should go."

She nodded. "Monica said she'd call us with the details about the funeral. I...I told them goodbye, so unless you want to talk to them we can just go to the car."

He swallowed, "Thank you for being here with me, Elizabeth."

"There's no place else I would be," she told him.

Jason looked down at her, letting his hand linger on her cheek and Elizabeth felt her breath catch in her throat. There was something in his look that warmed her better than any fire, but also made her shiver. She had seen the look before, back when they tried. Back before everything fell apart. It made a part of her long for the past, but also unsettled her.

Just as Jason began to dip his head and she was certain he was going to kiss her, he stopped. He blinked and the look was gone. Straightening, he looked away, and she swayed, closing her eyes. Thankfully, he was still holding onto her, and kept her from swaying too far. He gruffly cleared his throat and stepped back.

"We should go," he said, his voice gruff.

Elizabeth nodded, feeling strangely empty. She knew it had nothing to do with Emily's death, but she lied to herself and tried to convince her heart that's what it was.

"Yeah," she agreed softly. "I...I need to get Cameron from Gram's. Although," she looked down at her watch and shook her head. "He's probably already asleep, so I should just get him in the morning."

He put his arm around her and guided them to the stairs. "We can stop by if you want, or you can call her. But I'm sure he's alright."

"I know," she nodded her head. "I just didn't want to be alone tonight."

"You won't be," he told her. "I'll be with you if you want."

Chapter 69

~Harbor View Garage~

By the time they reached the Towers, the snow that had been threatening began to fall. As they pulled into the garage, Jason turned off the wipers, cutting one of the few steady sounds in the car. They hadn't spoken since they left the hospital and Elizabeth didn't know for certain, but suspected that like her, Jason just didn't have the energy or ability to say anything.

Emily was dead. While they hadn't expected her to survive, it was still hard to process. She wasn't thinking about all the pain and anger of the last couple of months, she was remembering chocolate milkshakes, hot chocolate - three packets split two ways, brownies and ribs, dances and summers on the lake. She couldn't talk about any of it, so she'd sat in silent rumination.

Jason pulled into a spot and turned off the engine, but neither of them made an effort to move. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the leather seat. Elizabeth sighed and leaned against the door, her temple resting on the window.

"I could just sleep here," she said wearily. "I don't even want to move."

"I just want to get on my bike and ride," he admitted. Then he sighed heavily, "But I know I can't. Not just the weather but..."

"You can't leave because you need to be here," she said in understanding.

"Yeah," he agreed, and she knew in that word that he really hated being in charge. He had less freedom, more responsibility and she knew it pressed on him. "I don't want to go to my penthouse...it's too big...too much."

"Cameron's at my gram's," she told him in offering. "When I called her she said not to worry about rushing over in the morning. You can come up if you want."

He paused a moment and she wondered if he would say no. She really believed he would have kissed her on the rooftop, but he pulled back. Would he pull back even more now? Not just in the moment, but preemptively so that it didn't happen again? She had a feeling that they would not discuss what happened; they never seemed to talk about things like that. They just moved on and never dealt with it.

"Yeah," Jason finally said, "If you're sure you don't mind."

"I wouldn't have offered," she told him. "I know I won't be able to sleep tonight and I don't want to be alone."

"Neither do I," he admitted. Opening his door and coming around to hers he offered his hand, "Come on."

He put his hand on her back as they walked to the elevator. A guard stepped forward unobtrusively and Jason said, "Have Max cover anything. If I'm needed, call my cell phone. I'll be at Elizabeth's for a little while."

The guard nodded and melted back into the background. They stepped onto the elevator and went up to her apartment. She dropped her keys on the end table, her purse on the floor and kicked her shoes off. Running her hands through her hair and then rubbing her eyes, she turned blindly in a circle. Jason slipped his jacket off and set it on a kitchen chair. They paused in the room and looked at each other, almost as if they weren't sure what they should do.

"I'd normally ask if you ate," she laughed awkwardly. "But I'm not hungry and I couldn't even look at food right now."

"I couldn't either," he admitted, taking a step towards her.

"I just...I feel so lost," Elizabeth told him, her hands clutching together. "It doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem right. I mean I'm standing here, and nothing feels right in my own home. How can it be right when Emily's dead?"

Jason quickly crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her breath stuck in her throat as she sobbed. "It's not right. She was supposed to be beat this. She was supposed to be better. She was supposed to get married and have children and we'd be friends again and our children would play together and..."

She lost the ability to speak and Jason held her tighter. "It's not right, Jason. It's not right."

"No," he said into her hair, his voice thick and rusty. "It's not. It's not."

Clinging to him, she sobbed. She needed him to ground her tonight when she felt lost. Yet, she knew she couldn't burden him with her grief. He had lost so many people, and had just sent Sonny away with no guarantee of return and he ran the organization. He had nobody to talk to, and she had vowed to be there for him. She would be strong and allow him to lean on her. That meant not falling apart on him.

Pulling back, she shook her head and dashed at her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to...I'm going to...I'll be back."

Then she turned for her bedroom. She needed to wash her face and gather herself. She couldn't ruin things with Jason by taking more than he could offer.

~Port Charles Harbor~

It was a beautiful sight to see the shell of the illustrious Corinthos-Morgan warehouse. It hadn't been completely destroyed, but it was quiet which meant the destruction had disrupted their operation. Manny knew that their secondary warehouse was overrun and if he wanted to really put the screws to the rival mobsters, he would go after it. But Manny had no plans for that. He wasn't interested in going after their business; he was interested in going after the men.

Manny wanted to avenge his brother's death, and he was going to destroy the men who killed him. He'd cut his Christmas trip home short because his moles had given him some very interesting information. Jason Morgan was now running the Corinthos Organization. Sonny Corinthos had ostensibly gone to the tropical island for family reasons. However, Manny's mole told him that Corinthos had cracked. Morgan was hiding the fact that his boss was crazy.

The smart thing to do was take out Morgan and send the organization and the city into chaos. Then he would track down Corinthos, whether on the island or wherever Morgan had stashed him, and take him out. Morgan wouldn't see the attack coming, especially while he was so distracted due to his sister's death. Morgan was too distraught, which made it the perfect time to strike.

That was why Manny had returned. He was going to find a place to hole up, since Morgan's men were crawling all over the place which included the warehouse on Pier 17, and wait. Sooner or later, he'd find the perfect time when Morgan was vulnerable and not guarded, and take him out. It would probably be sooner, since the lovely Miss Quartermaine's funeral would be coming.

~Elizabeth's Apartment~

Jason told himself that if he was smart he would leave here right now. He would leave before Elizabeth returned, or right after she returned. He couldn't be rude and just disappear on her. Not tonight. Not when she was broken up over Emily's death.

Tonight had changed things between them. He hadn't intentionally thought or intended to kiss her. But when he'd been up on the roof holding her, clinging to her because there was absolutely nothing else that made sense to him, it had just felt like pure instinct. All the time they'd been spending together, the feelings that had returned, when he held her...it was natural to him. He wanted to kiss her. He'd needed to kiss her. And the desire couldn't be attributed solely to Emily's death.

His sister's death may have been the reason he was holding Elizabeth, but he was not so far gone in his grief that he didn't know what he was doing. That was why he hadn't kissed her. Because he knew everything would change and he couldn't lose Elizabeth just because he hadn't been able to control himself.

Elizabeth was beautiful and wonderful and gave of herself so purely. The problem was that she was too pure for him. He killed people, he was a criminal and now he was running one of the largest organizations on the East Coast. He didn't deserve to be her friend, and definitely not her lover. Especially now that she was a mother. He wouldn't be able to bring anything good to her life, and he couldn't be selfish and taint her just because he wanted her.

Jason didn't know how to tell her all of that so she didn't feel bad. He feared voicing it would ruin things anyways, and he was more afraid of not having Elizabeth at all. Maybe it was best to follow her example. If she wasn't going to talk about it, then maybe she realized that it had been the moment overwhelming them. They recovered their senses and were putting it behind them.

He couldn't think of it any longer because Elizabeth came back out, her face scrubbed free of make-up and her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she was struggling to remain dry-eyed in his presence. How could he leave her like this? She was shattered and yet she was trying not to show it. For his sake.

Elizabeth was trying to be strong for him. She was always trying to take care of him, and she was trying to do it again tonight. She always fed him, listened to him, shouldered his burdens when she could and did her best to give him a place of refuge to come to when he needed it. Even now she was burying her guilt and her grief and all her loss so she could help him with his.

He closed his eyes and then silently crossed the room. Gently he touched her arm and led her to the couch. He would not abandon her and he would not be selfish. Tonight they would help each other. Tonight, they would grieve together.

Sitting down and stretching out his legs, he pulled her to his side, holding her close. She curled into him, burying her face and cried. All he could do was hold her in return while his own grief flowed.

~Safe House~

Damien Spinelli was not thrilled with Jason Morgan's hospitality. While the bulky sentinels that guarded him had finally relented and supplied him with orange soda - the nectar of the gods - and bar-b-que chips, they certainly did not provide all he asked for. They also did not let him out of their sights so he was unable to attempt to procure it himself. There was also no computer or video games and he was quite bored. Cable TV was most unsatisfying and not entertaining.

The only variety he got was when the guards changed. Then he had new faces to make up names for, since none of them gave their names or even really spoke. So The Jackal would amuse himself by babbling, having long-winded monologues that he knew annoyed his captors. They no doubt wished they could gag him, but instead would glare at him while he laughed.

Spinelli wasn't laughing tonight, though. Because the guards were firing very real bullets, and someone outside was firing back. He could hear the missiles hit the house and he suddenly had the realization that this was nothing like his video games. This was real, and potentially very deadly.

"Keep down," the guard Ritchie commanded. "And don't even think of trying to escape."

Spinelli clutched his beanie in his hands and shook his head. He had no intention of going out there where bullets were flying and unknown people were. At least in here it seemed like the guards were trying to protect him. While he didn't particularly like being held by Jason Morgan and his motley crew, he wasn't in a rush to leave them at the moment.

Ritchie grabbed his shoulder and commanded, "Let's go."

Spinelli's eyes widened. He didn't want to leave here. Leaving here would be a very bad idea.

"I don't think it would be...wise to leave here," he shook his head most strenuously. "Why would we leave here?"

"Because we've been compromised," he retorted. "We don't know who found us and we are not going to stay here and have someone come back or call in reinforcements."

His mouth formed a perfect 'o' before it snapped shut abruptly. He got up from his knees crouching on the balls of his feet. He was ready to run whenever Good Ritchie told him to.

No. He wasn't. He needed his computer. Grabbing the guard he pleaded, "My computer. We can't leave my computer behind."

"You can get a new one, kid."

"No. I...I can be of help to Mr. Morgan. Track Mr. Lansing for him since he seemed...most angry with my former employer. But I need my computer because I have it set up and configured exactly how I need it. Do you know how much unnecessary time would be wasted when all it would take is a few simple-"

"Stan's got your computer, you nerd," the guard grumbled. "So shut up and go."

"You couldn't have told me that, Dumb Lugnut?" he groused. Then he asked, "Has Darkwing broken my encryption codes yet?"

Ritchie just rolled his eyes, grabbed Spinelli by the scruff of his neck and hauled him to his feet. With a command to move, the guard pushed him forward forcefully. Spinelli complied and figured soon enough he would find out whether Stan had been able to hack into his computer or whether he remained the Master of Technology.

~Elizabeth's Apartment~

Jason woke with a crick in his neck and his arm completely numb. It took him a moment to remember where he was, but when he did he looked over at Elizabeth who was still asleep resting on his shoulder. Then he remembered why he was asleep at Elizabeth's and his chest constructed with painful tightness. His sister had died last night; succumbing to the cancer that had returned.

Using the arm not holding Elizabeth to his side, his scrubbed his hand over his face. He knew he needed to talk to Alan and Monica and find out when the funeral was, and he should check in with Max to see what was going on with the business side, but he didn't want to move. Sitting here with Elizabeth, where the ache of losing Emily hurt a little less, was the only place he wanted to be right now.

Gently he eased his arm out from behind Elizabeth, lying her down on a pillow, and then stood. He stretched the tightness out of his muscles and walked quietly around the apartment. A few minutes later he heard Elizabeth's voice behind him.

"Jason?"

He turned to find her in the doorway to the kitchen, pushing her hair back that had escaped her ponytail. She still looked utterly devastated, but also lost and confused. "Hey."

"I...I could hear sounds but...I thought maybe you'd had to go."

With a rueful chuckle he said, "I was making breakfast."

"You cook?" she asked, then blushed and looked down. "Sorry."

"Come sit down," he told her and put a plate on the table. "Sonny taught me to cook when I first went to work for him. He thought I should know and so I let him. I...I don't tell many people or cook very often."

"So all this time I've been cooking for you, inflicting my paltry efforts on you and you know how to cook?"

He sat down across from her, "The food was good and Cameron's lucky he was a mother who's learning to cook because she wanted to take care of him the best she can. I appreciated you trying to look out for me and not letting me get away with neglecting myself. Just because I can cook doesn't mean I did, so…thank you."

Toying with her fork, Elizabeth didn't answer. Jason wondered if he'd gone too far, but couldn't try to backtrack because there was a knock on the door. Elizabeth practically ran out of the room to answer it. A few seconds later she was back with Max who looked uncomfortable about being there.

"Max needs to talk to you," Elizabeth told him. "I need to call my grandmother and then get ready to get Cam. So...I'll talk to you later."

After she left and he heard the door to her bedroom close, Jason turned to Max with a glare, "What are you doing here? This is Elizaeth's house; we keep business out of here. You don't come here; you call me."

"I know," Max nodded. "But your calls were going to voicemail and I needed to get a hold of you. I know not to come to Miss Webber's unless it's an emergency. This is an emergency."

"What happened?" he demanded with a furrow of his brow.

"Manny Ruiz is back in Port Charles."

"What?"

"He knows things about the organization," his second said anxiously. "He showed up at the safe house where we were keeping the computer geek. I don't think he expected anyone to be there, but he wasn't going to get caught. Scott's dead, but Dan thinks he got a shot into him. Our guys are going to search the area in the full light and look for blood."

"He showed up at our place?" Jason was incredulous at the mobster's audacity.

"Perfect place to hide," Max stated. "Right under our nose."

"What about this Spinelli guy?"

"Ritchie got him out. I told him to bring him here. I've got him in a place on the floor below. I wasn't sure if Manny knew all of our safe houses. I've got a team who's going to inspect 'em and watch them in case he tries again. I think we shouldn't trust the use of any of them."

"I agree," Jason said on a sigh. "Tell Bernie to start offloading them slowly while starting to find some new ones. I only want a few people to know. If we've got a mole, then we're not going to let a lot of organization know."

"I'll get on that," Max promised, looking eager to escape. Before he left he said, "I'm sorry about Miss Quartermaine, Boss. For both yours and Miss Webber's loss."

"Thank you," he said, clenching his jaw slightly. Then he said, "I'll be up to my apartment soon and I want to go over everything."

"Okay," the other man nodded. "I'll call Bernie and get him started on the plan."

Then Max left and Jason scrubbed his hand over his face. Manny Ruiz coming back was not a good thing, especially not right now. It was just one more thing he needed to handle when he already had so much to deal with. But he needed to tell Elizabeth Manny was back, and he wouldn't just disappear without saying good-bye. He wouldn't do that to her, because he wouldn't treat her like she didn't matter to him. No matter how it have appeared to her last night.

Chapter 70

~ St. Timothy's Church ~

Monica sighed heavily as she stepped into the church. Christmas was in two days and yet she wasn't here for the holiday season; she was here to bury another daughter. The house was full of people, but nobody cared about the decorations or the train around the tree. Everyone was somber and in shock. Despite the knowledge that it was coming, it had still hit everyone hard.

The only person not with them was A.J. He refused to come because Michael was too unsettled. He wouldn't leave his son and he refused to bring the boy back to Port Charles. So he sent an obscene arrangement of flowers and a rather impersonal card, and that was that. The only child she would have here today had been lost to her for years ago. While she had forced some form of a relationship with Jason, it was strained and tenuous at best. Yet she was glad that he would be here, because she knew that Jason would not miss this day for anything.

"Mrs. Quartermaine?"

She looked up at Alice who had come early with her. The housekeeper had been by her side constantly, helping her, offering strength and anticipating Monica's needs before she could even voice them. Who knew when the other woman slept because she always seemed to be around, ready to help the family. She had accompanied Monica to the church, early so she could pay her respects and then go back to the house to prepare for the gathering afterwards.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I'm going to pay my respects to Miss Emily," she said softly. "Will you be alright out here?"

She nodded even though it was a lie. "Go ahead, Alice. I'll just wait here for the reverend to come."

As Alice left, Monica turned and leaned forward, resting her hands heavily on a table. She had no idea how she was going to get through today. How she was going to find the strength to be gracious to everyone who would come today to share their sympathy with her. How was she going to find the strength to get through today? She lowered her head and tried to choke back a sob; she couldn't afford to fall apart this early in the day.

"Monica."

She stiffened, and then stood straight, taking the time to wipe at her eyes before she turned around. "Tracy. What are you doing here? I thought the rest of the family was coming later."

"Alan wanted to come; he didn't want you to be alone after Alice left. But Daddy isn't handling today very well and so I said I'd come down here."

Monica swallowed, "I'm going to be fine, Tracy."

The other woman stepped forward and said softly, "I have never made any secret of the fact that I didn't approve of my brother marrying you. I also never made any secret of the fact that I didn't approve of you adopting Emily."

"You hate me and you hate my children," she interrupted. "You see my children, your brother's children, as threats to your own children's inheritance. Only they can be true Quartermaine heirs. So congratulations, Tracy, now there is one less child to threaten their precious legacy. Can you spare me the rest of your gloating and let me mourn my daughter?"

"I didn't come here to fight with you today," Tracy said gently as she shook her head. "My mother was the kindest and best woman I ever knew. She put up with my father, she put up with me and she loved you and your children. She loved Emily and she would absolutely be devastated today. She would also be here with you and say just the right thing and help you through this day."

Stepping forward and placing her hand on Monica's arm she said ruefully, but Monica could sense the sincerity and emotion under the bristly manner, "Unfortunately, you're stuck with me. I'm not nearly as saintly as my mother, but Emily was close. And I truly am sorry that she's gone, Monica."

Covering her eyes, she stepped forward to hug her sister-in-law. "Thank you, Tracy. Thank you for coming."

Lucky stepped into the church and shook his overcoat. Snow was starting to fall lightly and he hoped it didn't pick up and cause problems for the burial later. He spoke briefly with Alan and Monica and then stepped further into the chapel. Looking around, he saw his Aunt Bobbie already there and sat down beside her.

"Hi, Lucky," she said softly.

"Hi," he returned, putting his arm around her. This had to be hard on her since she had just buried Carly a few months ago.

"Two lives lost too soon," she said thickly. "It's a terrible tragedy."

"It is," he agreed solemnly.

He was burying his oldest and dearest friend today. He remembered their schemes and their scrapes, their laughter and tears. He also remembered how he had loved her; first as a friend and then as more. It was too bad he'd never gotten the chance to tell her.

"How are you doing?" he asked his aunt.

She sighed sadly. "Days like today are tough. I think I'm adjusting...that I'm getting used to the fact that I'll never see my daughter again and then..."

"I'm sorry," Lucky told her, pulling her closer. He hadn't talked to her lately, being so caught up in Emily's cancer and his feelings. He hadn't given much thought to his aunt or his cousin who was gone.

"I'm sure Jason will be here today," she said. "I wonder if Sonny will bother showing up to pay his respects or if he'll stay away because of Michael."

Lucky shifted on his seat. "Sonny won't be here."

"How do you know?" she questioned, turning a searching look on him.

"Sonny went down to his island with Sam and his kids. Their little girl is sick and they're spending time together. Trying to help Morgan, too, since he's lost Carly and Michael." He shrugged, "At least that's what Jason said."

Bobbie frowned deeply. "Found his replacement for Carly already. Doesn't surprise me that it's Sam. He cheated on Carly with her...had a child with her."

Lowering his voice he delivered another blow. It was better she hear it from family. "Kristina Davis is also Sonny's child. He found out Alexis and Ned lied."

She frowned, and then her disgust gave way to a more contemplative look. "I wonder if Carly knew. She was insistent that Alexis would handle the divorce and the custody case. Alexis didn't seem to want to, but she agreed."

A smile crossed her face, "She was probably keeping it from Sonny. Served him right."

She looked down at her hands and then up and away from him. Her eyes narrowed and she said, "Excuse me."

Lucky turned to let her pass and then searched the room for what she saw that had so quickly changed her demeanor. His own eyes narrowed as he realized what drew his aunt away. Jason and Elizabeth had just arrived. With a heavy sigh, he got up and followed after Bobbie.

"Why didn't you tell me Sonny had left with Morgan?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened as Bobbie went on a hissed attack as soon as she reached Jason. She knew the older woman was still hurting over Carly's death, but she couldn't believe Bobbie would act like this at Emily's funeral. She also knew that Jason wouldn't argue with his friend's mother, but he also wouldn't tell her the truth about Sonny.

Stepping forward into Bobbie's line of sight she hoped her presence would diffuse the situation. Lucky's presence, for he was coming up quickly behind his aunt, certainly wasn't going to help. The two men were too antagonistic towards each other.

"Bobbie," she said softly, but pointedly. "This is Emily's funeral. Even if you have a question for Jason, or worse, are you really going to it today and to your friend Monica by doing it here? She was there for you at Carly's funeral, putting aside her differences, and being there for you."

Bobbie blinked and took a step back.

Elizabeth pressed forward, "Jason's just arrived. He's here for his sister, who he watched die. Don't do this, Bobbie. Not today. I'm sorry that Sonny didn't call you before he left, but how is that Jason's fault?"

The older woman swallowed and nodded. She looked much more contrite and less angry than before. With sincerity she apologized, "I'm sorry, Jason. Elizabeth is right...this isn't the place and it isn't fair for me to attack you because Sonny isn't here."

"Yeah, convenient family issue," Lucky sneered, entering the conversation.

Jason merely gave Lucky a look before dismissing him, but Elizabeth turned her irritation on her ex boyfriend. "You're off the case and this is a funeral, Lucky. Show some respect."

Then she ushered Jason away to a quiet corner and was silent for a moment. When his jaw unclenched and his eyes were less haunted she rubbed his arm lightly. "I'm sorry for jumping in back there."

"It's alright," he shook his head. "I didn't know what to say to her. I didn't think to tell Bobbie that Sonny and Morgan were leaving."

"You couldn't," she pointed out to him. "Sonny should have called her before he left, but he couldn't. And you're trying to keep what really happened quiet so the less people that know...the better."

"She's Morgan's grandmother and I owe it to her for him and for Carly," he sighed.

"Then talk to her later," she encouraged him, almost pleaded with him. "But not today. Not today."

He looked down at her and then around at the room. Jason's face immediately changed and his pain and grief was clear. Despite everything that had happened in recent months, he had loved Emily. It was killing him that he had lost her, so soon after their grandmother and Carly.

"Come on," she urged him. "Let's take a seat. It's going to start soon."

"In just a minute," he said, taking her hand and keeping her by his side. "Thank you for coming with me today and stepping in with Bobbie. You're always looking out for me."

"You've often looked out for me," she told him. "Sometimes you need someone to look out for you, and who else will do it?"

"Only you," he admitted with a weak smile. "I know this day is hard for you, to, and yet you're trying to make it easier for me. Let me help you, too."

"I'll be alright," she told him, even though she doubted he'd believe her. Focusing on Jason was the only way she'd get through today. She'd fall apart later in the privacy of her own apartment after the burial. Maria was watching Cameron today at her grandmother's house and then Gram would take over after she got home from the funeral.

"Now, come on," she coaxed him. "Ned's walking up to the front."

They slid into a bench away from their families as well as Bobbie and Lucky. Her grandmother and Steven looked over at her, but she wasn't going to let them intimidate her. She had made her position in regards to her friendship with Jason clear. If they refused to accept it, then she couldn't change their minds. She also wasn't going to fight them about it. She was going to live her life and keep Jason as her friend.

~Outside St. Timothy's Church~

Nikolas stood outside the church at the edge of the snow-covered yard and looked at the church. When Alfred told him that Emily had died, he wasn't quite sure what to feel. She had lied to him, she had hounded him and her love felt unhealthy and scary. If he only remembered that, then he wouldn't have bothered to come here. But after his talk with Elizabeth last week he began to remember a few things. Or maybe it was just more of a feeling.

He knew Elizabeth wouldn't lie to him, and if he had once been in love with Emily then it would explain the feelings going through him. He had fallen in love with her while she was fighting for her life. The fact that he knew she was once again fighting a horrible disease had him thinking of her. Nobody deserved to die like that.

Yet he didn't fully remember his life with her, and he did remember her actions when he thought he was Connor Bishop. Because of that he felt torn. Vague feelings clashed with memories. There was an essence of her that called to him, but he didn't feel comfortable going to her funeral. He came here merely to pay his respects to a person he used to know. It felt like the proper thing to do, but he didn't want others to know about it.

Rubbing his gloved hands together, he turned and returned to the car. He was going straight to the airport to fly to Alexis and Kristina. Christmas was in two days and he intended to be with them. Sonny Corinthos had left town and while it was supposedly was to be with his family, but it could also be a cover for him to search for Kristina. He would be there to make sure nobody found them.

The past was gone; it was time to focus on the future.

~Jason's Penthouse~

The last thing Jason wanted to do after leaving his sister's funeral was deal with business. But life was constant and things didn't wait just because it was a bad time. Max had been doing all he could to make this time easier for Jason, but he couldn't handle everything. Jason could not hide away from his responsibilities even if he wanted to.

He had to approve shipments and coordinate the product through the alternate warehouse. Bernie was doing an excellent job of managing it all, but Jason wasn't going to ignore his responsibilities. They needed to get the warehouse rebuilt, or at least close in a smaller area so they could begin to utilize part of it again.

Once the more mundane issues of the coffee business were dealt with, they moved onto other things. After saving the computer geek's life, he was less antagonistic towards Jason's men. He didn't try to escape anymore, even if he did still ask them to get him some marijuana. But he was much more cooperative with Stan, and was offering to help the organization's tech guru.

Spinelli was quite willing to turn the tables on his former employer Ric and now help them go after the former D.A. Maybe Ric didn't know that his computer expert was missing, or maybe he simply didn't care. Ric didn't care about others and it seemed that the younger man realized it. Or maybe he was too afraid to go against Jason any longer.

Whatever his reason, Stan assured Jason that Spinelli and his laptop were quite helpful. He was able to prove that the information gathered by hacking into the hospital's mainframe was not only delivered to Spinelli's computer, but to Ric's as well. Using the connection Spinelli had set up between the two computers, they were able to connect to Ric's and have a look around.

"He keeps lists of everything," Stan informed with a delighted laugh. "He's synched his Palm with it so we know nearly everything about him. Where he'll be, what he buys and his thoughts. He keeps a journal of sorts on his computer. Lists; what to do, what he's done, ideas. All his stuff on Sonny, you and Elizabeth. I can print it out for you if you want."

Jason sighed, but nodded. As much as he didn't want to have more things to read, he needed to have all the information so he could deal with Ric properly. Because when he took care of the other man, he was going to have the full scope of everything the man had done or was planning.

"One more thing," Stan stated. "This Spinelli fellow has an idea. He suggests we lay a trap for Ric. Use some bait; plant some false information he won't be able to resist."

"Like what?" Jason asked.

"Ric is obsessed with Elizabeth," the other man pointed out. "He told Spinelli he wanted to know everything going on in her life. He was upset when she signed a lease for Harbor View. If we planted something-"

"Absolutely not," Jason ordered his man. "We are not going to use Elizabeth to draw Ric out. You had to have seen the news reports; you know what he did to her. She's scared of him and I'm not going to give him any reason to go after her and terrorize her again.'

"We'd protect her, Jason," Stan tried to assure him and calm him. "He'd never get near her."

"You're right," he agreed forcefully. "Because we're not going to use Elizabeth as bait. We're going to take care of Ric another way. And you and Spinelli can help with it."

"Okay," his tech man nodded. "How?"

"He needs to take a vacation. Head off to see his father for Christmas or anything like that. You know his habits, you know his secrets, you create a trail. We grab him and we deal with him. Put him in one of the new safe houses."

"When you say deal with him," Stan hedged.

"We kill him."

"Sonny always said Ric was off-limits."

"Sonny's not here and Ric is the reason for that," Jason growled. "He gaslighted Sonny, pushed him over the edge. For too long he's been a menace and any other man would be dead by now."

"But he's not any other man," Stan shook his head.

"I'll deal with Sonny when the time comes." And he hoped it was true. He really did want Sonny to recover, and when it happened Jason would tell him why he'd killed Ric. But until that happened, Jason was in charge and Ric was not going to get away with all he'd done. He was not going to be left alive to cause more problems.

"Alright," Stan sighed. "You want me to call Max?"

"I'll let him know," Jason shook his head. "You and Spinelli just get his trip set up. I want ideas planted in his journal and a search history on his browser, and I know you can put it on there so nobody knows it was a recent addition."

"We'll get right on it," the younger man promised. "We'll give you the perfect explanation for his leaving and you and Max can figure out the actual grab."

"Thank you, Stan," he said, weariness filling him.

"We'll take care of it," San told him kindly. "And let me call Max. You just had your sister's funeral today, Jason. Let us help you."

He was too tired and overwhelmed to object and say he could do it. With a nod he thanked Stan and told him to call Max, but reminded him they were keeping the new safe houses quiet so not to mention them in front of the other guards. With assurances he would be discreet, the computer tech left and Jason sighed heavily.

Walking over to the wet bar, he grabbed the first bottle he saw and a glass. He pulled off his suit coat and tossed it over the desk chair. He poured a splash in a glass and tossed it back, barely even tasting it. Popping the top buttons of his dress shirt - he'd long since discarded the tie he'd worn to honor Emily - he poured another drink. So many funerals, so many people gone that he loved, so many worries he had to deal with to make sure everyone would be safe and secure.

He'd just tossed back his second drink and decided that a third would do nicely when there was a knock on the door. He hoped it wasn't Max or any of the other guards. He wanted to get drunk and just numb the pain for tonight.

Swinging open the door he was ready to growl at whoever dared to bother him when it died in his throat. Elizabeth was standing there, still in her funeral dress, pale and broken-looking. He leaned against the doorframe, his anger gone and grief returned.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you or anything," she said hesitantly, her voice soft which made him lean forward. "I just...I didn't want to be alone anymore."

Chapter 71

~Jason's Penthouse~

Elizabeth stood in the doorway and looked up at Jason nervously. He looked weary and stressed and she hoped she hadn't interrupted him in a meeting. She'd known she was taking a chance just showing up without calling, but she'd done it anyways. After talking to her grandmother and learning Cam was napping and then they were going to wrap some Christmas presents, she'd hung up feeling bereft.

She was alone, she was anxious and she felt she would crawl out of her skin if she stayed in her apartment much longer. She'd cried, but didn't have the energy to sustain it. Cameron's Christmas presents were wrapped and placed under the tree, but there was nothing else to do.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you or anything," she said hesitantly. Her voice was soft and Jason leaned forward to hear. "I just...I didn't want to be alone anymore."

He stepped back and she entered the penthouse. The door closed and she turned around, twisting her fingers together. "You weren't busy?"

Jason shook his head. "I was having a drink."

She looked past him to the bottle and glass on the coffee table. "That actually sounds good."

Really good. Just lose herself in the blissful numbness. Drinking with a friend made it seem a little less desperate.

"Here," he said, walking over to the table with another glass. She walked over and sat down as he poured them each a drink.

"I almost went and got Cameron," she coughed out after swallowing her drink. Jason looked at her in question and she explained, "I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to have someone else to focus on. But I knew it wouldn't be fair to him because I'm not in any condition to take care of my son."

"I tried to handle some things when I came back here," he admitted. "I did it, but it was hard. I kept telling myself that I had to focus; I had to be in charge. I couldn't lose focus like Sonny did."

Looking up sharply at him she said, "You are not losing focus like Sonny did. He's sick. He has an illness and now he's getting help."

Jason nodded, almost subconsciously.

"See," she nodded. "You aren't sick, Jason. You buried your sister. In less than a year you've lost your grandmother, friend and sister. Not to mention watching your best friend become ill and your nephew leave town. You're not weak or losing it if you grieve your sister."

"I know," he sighed and poured them another drink. "I just can't let anyone down. With Manny back, I can't afford to not be focused."

"One night won't be your downfall." She swallowed the contents of her glass and then stood. Passing by the fireplace she appreciated the warmth spreading in her body and outward. She had felt cold all day.

She walked over to the pool table and then looked back at Jason? "Play me a game?"

He was still for a moment, and then poured two more drinks and stood. Elizabeth accepted it, but set it aside for the moment. She selected a cue and then said, "It's been a while since I played. So go easy."

The corners of his lips quirked up. "We won't play for money quite yet."

She had succeeded in getting him to smile. As they played, they shared occasional comments. Some were about Emily, some were about Jake's and moments of their past, and some were about nothing in particular at all. Through it all, they had a few more drinks, but Elizabeth knew she wasn't drunk like she'd first planned to be. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe someone who understood her mood - her occasional smile and laugh that would sometimes give way to a quiet, melancholy tear - was better than getting drunk and trying to forget everything.

"It's really coming down out there," she commented during a lull in the game.

She had long ago yielded her turn to Jason and he was absently circling the table, pausing occasionally but not taking a shot. He set his cue down on the table and walked over to the balcony doors. Peering over her shoulder out into the night, they watched the snow silently fall. The plows would definitely be out tomorrow; she just hoped it didn't shut down the streets. She wanted her little boy home for his first Christmas Eve.

After watching the snow continued to pile up on the balcony she let out a small sigh. "I should probably go."

She turned and was a little surprised to see how close Jason was standing behind her. Looking up into his face she was relieved that he didn't look as haunted as he did earlier this evening. Maybe she had helped him like he had with her. She gave him a fleeting smile and then shifted to go around.

In that moment, the whole mood changed. Jason reached out to grab her arm, but it wasn't harsh or frightening. It was just enough pressure to stop her and keep her by him. The look in his eye changed, back to that yearning she saw on the hospital roof the night Emily died. His hand slid up her arm to rest briefly on her shoulder before moving under her hair to touch her neck. Longing woke inside Elizabeth and she felt it arc between them, connecting and sparking and she leaned into his touch, turning her face towards the strength of his arm just a fraction.

That was apparently all the encouragement he needed because Jason lowered his head towards hers and then their mouths touched. It was soft for just a moment, and then he used his hold on her neck to pull her closer. The kiss changed. It wasn't desperate or out of control, it was simply that there was too much emotion to be contained. It couldn't be soft or timid; they both were way beyond that.

It had been years since he'd kissed Elizabeth. So long that he'd nearly forgotten what it felt like. But as their lips joined, it soon came back to him.

They were soft, just like he knew they would be from the first time he'd kissed her in her studio. This time, though, they tasted faintly of alcohol instead of the plums they tasted like at Vista Point. They were still just as delicious and inviting and Jason felt himself drowning in them.

Tangling his hand in her hair, he kept Elizabeth close to him as he drank from her. She was doing all she could to keep him close as well. Her hands were pulling at him, first on his arms, then on his shoulders, then his face and then down to his back. His hands could not be denied either, and they splayed on her side, then back and then her bottom. She didn't pull away; she willingly went closer to him.

After that, it progressed rapidly. She tugged at his shirt and worked on freeing the buttons. Soon his shirt was tossed behind him and her small hands that had nursed him, comforted him, were now roaming across his bare skin and enflaming him. Frantically he worked at her dress, anxious to be near her. He knew that his bed was too far away, he needed to be with her now. He had just enough presence to pick her up and take her to the couch and make sure he got his wallet before he discarded his pants.

Elizabeth awoke to the whisper of a kiss on her bare shoulder. She smiled lazily and burrowed into the pillows. As the kisses continued, warm and moist against her exposed skin, she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head. Jason smiled at her and then lowered his head to drop another kiss on her shoulder.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked softly.

"Hm-mm," she nodded, turning her body slightly so she didn't have to twist her head so much to see him.

"Good," he smiled, tightening his arms around her. "I don't feel cold, but I didn't want you to be chilled."

"I'm fine," Elizabeth assured him. She knew he wasn't asking about her physical comfort.

"I am," she said softly, but firmly. "I didn't expect this; that wasn't why I came here tonight. But I don't regret what happened, or feel bad that it did."

Jason relaxed beside her and his face, that had closed off while she was talking, visibly softened. "I'm glad," he said while brushing her hair behind her ear. "I don't regret it either. I'm glad you came here tonight."

They fell silent and just as Elizabeth began to wonder if this had only been about forgetting Emily, Jason brushed his hand through her hair and then caressed her skin. As his thumb brushed over the apple of her cheek he said in a husky voice, "You are so beautiful. Sometimes I'm so amazed that you became my friend and haven't walked away from me."

She blushed at his words and then said, "I have walked away from you before, but I can never say away long. You're my friend no matter what's happened between us. You make me feel free and supported, and if I could ever extend a fraction of that to you..."

"You do," he said solemnly. "As I have lost so many people in my life, I haven't lost you. Even if we were apart sometimes."

Then he allayed her fears by saying, "This isn't about replacing anyone. Tonight wasn't because I was trying to find something else besides Emily. You may have come here tonight because we both miss her, but I wasn't thinking about that. I would never use you that way."

Before she could tell him she hadn't been using him either, he leaned down and kissed her. It was light at first, no doubt meant to reassure her. It quickly changed. It didn't stay gentle and reassuring; it became sensual and passionate. It wasn't like before where they couldn't seem to wait, even though they hadn't been out of control. This time was slow as touches were deliberate and enticing. Yet, just like before, she knew exactly what was going to happen. And just like before, she absolutely did not want it to stop.

Jason had never needed much sleep, but tonight he didn't want to sleep at all. To have Elizabeth in his house and in his arms; he didn't want to lose any moment of it. Despite her saying she had no regrets, he wasn't sure she wouldn't change her mind. They'd been so close to happiness before and then lost it all. He was going to savor every moment in case this was taken away from him again.

He couldn't resist trailing his finger over her arm and then he froze when she stirred. He didn't want to wake her, sleep was a precious commodity with a newborn, but he couldn't deny he enjoyed it when she was awake. His fingertip brushed lightly over her skin and he was rewarded with a moan and her burying her face in his chest.

"Don't wake me from this," she mumbled against his skin.

"Sorry," he said, not completely convincingly. "I couldn't resist."

"No," she shook her head and then looked up at him. "I...suppose I should go."

He tried to keep from frowning, but he wasn't entirely successful in not tensing beside her. "If that's what you want."

Elizabeth sighed and looked down. "It's not really what I want, but maybe it's for the best. I just...I don't know what's going to happen next."

"Do we have to know?" he asked, even though he knew what she was going to say.

"If it was just me, then I wouldn't care," she confessed with an honesty that made his blood begin to warm and his thoughts drift elsewhere.

"But it's not just you," he acknowledged. "There's Cameron to consider."

"My little boy likes you," she told him and Jason felt himself warm in a new way at her simple, honest statement. "And you are so good to him."

"He's a good baby," he said softly, his fingers trailing up her arm again. "And you're a good mother to him."

"I know this seems odd to say considering I'm living in a building you own, I've been targeted because of you and I've already accepted the guards in our lives." She shrugged one beautiful shoulder. "But if seems different to have things be more than just friendship. I feel like I have to be careful for him, even though I've already impacted his life."

"This isn't casual for me," he told her, even though he didn't fully know what was going to happen, or even completely what he wanted. "Your friendship has always meant a lot to me, but we've never been just friends. I know things were...hard between us and we married other people...but there was no one after Courtney. I was going to help Sam for Sonny and Carly, but I wasn't in love with her."

"You don't have to explain," she told him with a shake of her head.

"I do," he insisted. "Because I didn't plan to get close to anyone after Courtney. To be left again because of my job...I wasn't going to get close to anyone again."

"Jason," Elizabeth sighed heavily, looking away from him. "It wasn't your job. It wasn't...it wasn't that I couldn't handle your job. But I...I understand because after everything with Ric and Zander, I wasn't in any rush. I was going to take care of Cameron and I was just going to be a mother. But I've never been able to stay away from you and I've never...I've never been able to completely close my heart to you."

He felt his breath catch. She could always undo him with her words. A simple phrase; a simple, yet deep, look; it always drew him in. And he wanted to be drawn in.

"I could never...either," he said, and then lowered his head to capture her lips. "Stay...unless you really want to go. Stay."

"Yes," she whispered against his mouth. That was all the encouragement he needed. He would make sure she never regretted her decision.

Sometime during the night they moved from the couch. The fire was nice, but it was nothing compared to the warm, rich comforter on Jason's bed. While he may not feel cold, she could appreciate the warm cocoon she was wrapped in. Of course, part of that bliss was being in Jason's arms.

No, they hadn't come up with all the answers last night, but Elizabeth had begun to feel better. This wasn't just because they wanted to forget Emily, or because there was nobody else around. It was because she and Jason had always felt a pull towards one another and last night they'd stopped fighting it. They'd finally given into the longing they had and let themselves be together.

She didn't know if he loved her, but she certainly hadn't felt used. She knew he cared about her and Cameron and he did want to see where this went. Maybe that was enough for now. The rest they would figure out together as they went along.

Carefully, she turned in his arms, not wanting to wake him. Yet she discovered him watching her and she blushed under his intense gaze.

"I didn't want to wake you," she whispered. "I wanted to watch you sleep like you watched me."

"I couldn't stop watching you," he confessed. "In case you woke up and decided to leave suddenly."

"No," she shook her head. "No regrets. Not last night; not this morning."

"Good," he said in relief and kissed her. "If you want to shower I can get breakfast. I don't know what time your grandmother is expecting you."

"Not soon," she told him. "She and Steven are coming over tomorrow morning for Christmas. I wanted Cam's first Christmas to be in our home and Steven somehow got our gram to agree."

"Then I'll get some breakfast for you," he told her. "All I have is coffee."

"Coffee's fine," she smiled. As a single mother she'd learned to appreciate it. "But you don't have to get me breakfast."

"I want to," he told her, and then slid out of bed. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and then he was gone.

"Oh," she groaned as she rolled onto her back. He could spoil her rotten and she'd let him if he looked at her like that each time.

"Thank you for breakfast," Elizabeth smiled at Jason as she stood by his desk. He'd brought her clothes upstairs when he brought her coffee and she was once more dressed in black when she came back downstairs.

"You're not going to let it go, are you?" he asked with a small groan.

"Don't worry," she promised with a teasing smile. "Your secret's safe with me."

Then she turned serious. "Thank you for everything last night, Jason. For talking and helping me when I thought I would come apart."

He stepped closer to her and brushed his hand against her cheek, then tucked her hair behind her ear. "You helped me, too, Elizabeth. I didn't want to be alone, but instead of coming to you I would have drank until I passed out."

"Next time, don't forget I'm here," she insisted.

"I'll never forget that you're here," he told her and then lowered his head to brush his mouth over hers. He kept it light because he knew she needed to get her son.

Her eyes slowly drifted open afterwards and she looked up at him regretfully. "I need to go."

"I know."

"It's...it's Christmas Eve tonight," she said almost hesitantly. "I don't know if you have plans, but if you'd like...you can come down this evening and join Cam and me. He'll go to sleep early without my gram and Steven there, and we'll be spending tomorrow with them. I...I have a gift to give you, and tonight's probably the best time."

The idea of spending more time with Elizabeth definitely appealed to him. But he didn't want to intrude on her time with her son. Last night they hadn't figured out many answers, but maybe she was telling him what she wanted with her invitation.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to confuse Cam or cause any-"

"Jason," she interrupted with a smile. "It won't be anything fancy, but Cameron and I would love to have you there."

"Okay," he agreed. He would need to do some shopping, but he wouldn't mind that at all.

"Great," Elizabeth beamed at him. "We'll see you for dinner."

He nodded and she turned to open the door. Pausing, she looked back at him, and he was right there, kissing her in parting before she could even step towards him. With one last gentle brush of his hand through her hair, he stepped back and released her.

"I'll see you tonight," she said, and then turned around for the elevator.

Jason watched her until the doors closed, and then stepped back into his apartment. He didn't regret anything that happened last night, and he was confident Elizabeth didn't either. While he had no regrets, he could no longer deny that he was in love with Elizabeth, and because of that he would do everything he could to protect her to from his enemies. Which meant eliminating Ric soon so he could focus on Manny.

Chapter 72

~Jason's Penthouse~

Once Elizabeth had left, Jason knew that it was time to get down to business. As much as he just wanted to marvel in all that had happened last night, he knew he could not. Too much was going on and he could not become Sonny and lose focus. No matter how much he was now spinning from the connection he had found with Elizabeth, quite unexpectedly after all this time, he could not allow himself to lose focus on the fact that Manny was a threat and they had grabbed Ric on his way to his vacation and they needed to start the next phase of the plan.

He was going to head out to the safe house later, but first he had a meeting with his top people. There was a knock on the door and then Max and Stan entered. Jordan arrived a few minutes after that and finally Bernie. The accountant was apologetic once he came in and explained why he was late.

"I just managed to procure another house," he told them, pleased with his efforts.

"Good," Jason nodded. "Off-load the old ones. I want to make sure we're safe, and I don't want some traitor giving it away to Manny. I know it's advantageous for taxes, but I don't want to set off any flags."

"I agree," Jordan stated. "We always have to think about the FBI keeping tabs on him and while Bernie's shells are great, we don't want to push our luck."

"You want me to go out and take a look at it?" Max asked. "See what needs to be upgraded?"

"Yeah," Jason nodded. "If you can do that today. But it's Christmas Eve...so if any of you have plans for today and tomorrow, then do that. Otherwise it can wait. I don't want to keep you from anything."

"Thank you," Jordan smiled. "I will be out of town, but only a couple of hours away. So please call if something happens and you need me. If it's urgent and I can't make it back in time, there's an attorney in my building and we sometimes help each other out."

"That's fine," he told her. "Enjoy your Christmas."

"You, too," she replied. Then told everyone else, "Merry Christmas."

They answered in kind and stood as she left. Then Jason turned to Stan. "What about you?"

"I'm goin' to visit my ma."

"What about Ric's tech guy?"

"I've got everything off his computer," Stan answered. "He's actually good, though too full of himself and he hardly ever shuts up. I think he might feel bad for helping Ric. But he would also sell out to the highest bidder so I wouldn't trust him as far as the ninety-nine pound weakling could throw me."

"He causing any problems?"

"We've been giving him orange soda and bar-b-que chips. He's stopped asking for weed and hasn't tried to sneak out to buy any." Then Stan shrugged. "But maybe he's been smoking the oregano."

The corner of Jason's lips twitched. "Alright. Maybe I'll go talk to him. But I'm going to go see Ric and then I have some things to do."

"Then have a good Christmas," the other man said. "And don't spend all day working."

Once he was gone, Jason turned to Bernie. "Did you handle the bonuses?"

"Of course, Mr. Morgan," the accountant nodded. "You were very generous with everyone."

The acting mob boss nodded at Max who reached into his suit coat and pulled out an envelope, "You didn't do your bonus; so we wanted you to have it."

"Enjoy your holiday," Jason told him, knowing it would probably be a quiet once since Bernie was Jewish and didn't have any immediate family left.

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan."

Then it was just him and Max. "You sure you can look at the house Bernie got? You said your brother was coming into town."

"This afternoon," Max nodded. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about him. He's a good kid. Kinda a goofball, but earnest and hardworking. He wants to come to work for you."

Jason couldn't remember Max mentioning a brother before this week and asked, "How old is he?"

"In his twenties," the guard answered. "I tried to discourage him, but I'd rather be able to keep an eye on him than have him get into some kind of trouble."

"You think he's up to it?"

"He's young and fresh, like any new hire would be," his second answered. "I'd keep an eye on him."

"Alright," Jason agreed guardedly. "I'll meet him and see what I think."

"Thank you, Jason," Max said, his shoulders dropping with relief. "Listen. I think you should take a guard when you go out to see Ric. You're the boss now and with Manny back in town we can't take any chances."

As much as Jason hated it, he knew that Max was correct. They couldn't afford to have him hurt or killed, so that meant he needed to have guards with him now. With resignation, he nodded and didn't fight his second on it.

"Okay," Max sighed. It was obvious he was glad he didn't have to fight Jason on this. "Then I'll call you later on the new house."

"Alright. Have a good Christmas. Make sure the men are taken care of for tonight and tomorrow."

"I will. And you have a good Christmas, too."

With the prospect of spending the evening with Elizabeth, he hoped that at least tonight was good.

~Safe House~

Ric looked over when the door opened and scowled when he realized it was Jason. He'd been grabbed late last night and whisked away. He recognized the men as guards in his brother's organization and was irritated that Morgan was apparently flexing his muscles while Sonny was away.

The two of them would always be antagonistic towards once another and so Jason was obviously getting in a little intimidation since Sonny always reined the younger man in. Ric hated Jason because Sonny trusted him, and also because he'd always hung his relationship with Elizabeth over him. Ric couldn't understand why his ex-wife always had such trust in the thug even after the way he'd hurt her.

For a little while Ric thought she was completely done with the enforcer and had tried to capitalize on it and widen the breech. But it didn't last. The two of them always gravitated towards each other. Now Elizabeth was living at Harborview and once again close to Jason. They were probably dating and sleeping together and it burned Ric up. But he had one consolation: he'd slept with Elizabeth before Jason ever had.

"So," Ric taunted as Jason approached, flexing his hands in his gloves. "What is this? Sonny's not here and you think you'd rough me up a little, make yourself feel better?"

He cocked his head to the side and said, "We both know Sonny's cracked up; he went crazy and you're covering it up. So you think you'll use the fact that he's gone and flex your muscles. So you're here to rough me up while Sonny isn't around to stop you."

"If Sonny went crazy, he had some help," Jason said, working hard to keep his voice bland. "See, Ric, I know that you were the one who sent him the notes. Told him about Kristina, Courtney and kept taunting him. But that's what you do, don't you? You're a bully and you've spent all your time since you came to Port Charles to go after Sonny."

Jason paused and took off his jacket. He left his gloves on and then crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles exposed by his t-shirt looked huge. It was all meant to intimidate Ric, and he was ashamed to admit it was getting to him.

"You've got mommy issues, or maybe you hate your father," Jason continued. "But you tried to take them out on Sonny and then you played on his guilt that your mother died. If it was up to me, you'd have been dead years ago."

Ric swallowed, and knew that was true. Jason didn't care about Ric being abandoned by Adela, and didn't let himself get played like Sonny did. Jason would have killed him and had always been angered when Sonny kept Ric alive.

"For lying to Sonny, kidnapping Carly, blackmailing Courtney and hurting a lot of people, you don't deserve to live. And then there's Elizabeth," the younger man growled out. This moment was truly personal. "You drugged your wife, raped her and would have let her die. But the reason why you're here, right now, is your latest stuff."

Jason dropped his arms and flexed his right hand, the leather creaking. "We know about your computer guy, we know about your searches and we know about your notes."

Shaking his head, Jason said, "You will never terrorize anyone again."

Arching his brow, Ric asked, "So you're going to kill me? We both know Sonny won't allow it."

"Sonny's not here," the enforcer shook his head.

"You follow orders."

"Not this time," he smirked. "Right now, I give the orders. And you...are about to meet an untimely demise."

"Elizabeth will never forgive you," Ric blurted out. He was suddenly desperate; scared after seeing the truth in the determined glint in Jason's eye.

"Elizabeth can't stand you," the mobster hissed, pure anger bleeding through now. "And she will never know what happened because we have a plan. You'll disappear on vacation, one you booked several weeks ago. Your body might found in time, but it won't be pretty. You will suffer while we keep you here. Starting now."

Ric should have been prepared, should have known the punch would come, but it still caught him off guard. Jason could hit hard and immediately Ric's jaw ached. It was going to be a long afternoon.

~Villa in Undisclosed Location~

Nikolas sat in front of the blazing fireplace and watched as his aunt and cousin went through the ritual of hanging up stockings for everyone and setting out a plate of cookies the chef had made earlier in the day. The glass of milk followed and then Alexis hustled Kristina off to bed.

There had been plenty of promises and assurances to the little girl that fire would be put out before they went to bed. That way Santa Claus would not be hurt when he came home tonight. She was already worried about not being at home, they were both trying to provide her with a fun, typical Christmas.

"Well," Alexis said some time later as she returned to the sitting room. "I thought she might not go to sleep easily, but her head barely hit the pillow when she was out. I think her cousin quite wore her out. Thank you, Nikolas."

He smiled at his aunt, "She is a fun, little girl. I had fun with her. Besides, it helps keep my mind occupied."

"Ah, yes," she sighed wistfully. "Trying to prevent thoughts of Port Charles from intruding."

"Do you still plan to stay away from Port Charles?" Nikolas asked.

"Sonny Corinthos knows he is Kristina's father," she shook her head. "Violence and danger surrounds his life; his wife was killed earlier this year. I cannot take a chance with Kristina's life. Even if I could prevent Sonny from having any contact with her, which is highly doubtful considering his proprietary attitude towards his children, his enemies could still come after her. You said his warehouse was once again blown up. The people who came after Sonny won't care if he never sees her; they will come after her."

She shook her head emphatically. "No, I cannot take a chance with her safety."

"So you will stay on the run forever?" he asked skeptically. "What kind of life will you be providing for Kristina? You saw how she was worried about tonight, and it was because you have moved so often in the past few months. What will that do to her? Will you and your daughter live as the Spencers? Constantly on the run?"

His aunt frowned, "Who told you about the Spencers and Lucky's upbringing?"

He rubbed his forehead and wished for a drink, but he didn't feel like getting up. "I have remembered parts of their history. Things that have been recounted to me."

When Alexis looked at him in question and hope, he shook his head, "Not all of my memories have returned. And those things that I do remember...there is no emotion behind it."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown.

"I have remembered parts of my past, and moments connected to others," he explained, "but they have no meaning to me. I might as well be remembering things that happened to someone else, or events I read about in a history book. I know they happened to me, but there is no connection. I do not recall the terror and despair I felt when I was shot outside Luke's club and when I woke up in the hospital and could not speak. It's clinical and detached and means nothing to me."

Restless now and anxious, he stood and crossed the room, pouring himself a drink. "I remember moments I spent with Emily...before. Yet I feel none of the love I supposedly had for her. I feel as though I should feel something regarding her death, but I do not. Just as I do not feel anything regarding Lucky or our mother living life on the run. Yet I do know that it is no kind of life for you or my cousin to live and I do not want it for either of you."

"Nikolas," Alexis sighed heavily. "It is too dangerous to become complacent or stay in one place. Someone could find us."

"So you will run for the rest of your lives?" he asked in disgust. "That is no way to live. Sometimes one must stop being so afraid and stand. You must take care of your daughter, Alexis, and provide her a life instead of running in fear forever."

"Just because you are the Cassadine Prince," Alexis said angrily as she stood, "does not give you the right to tell me what to do. Kristina is my daughter and my responsibility. I will not put up with you trying to dictate my life."

His jaw clenched and he said, "Then perhaps I should turn in for the evening. Kristina will no doubt awake early in the morning quite excited for the toys the servants are waiting to put out."

~Harborview Apartment~

The Jackal was not meant to be alone. While he might be socially awkward and, yes, he did prefer to interact virtually with others, he did want interaction. He did not endure complete, almost total, isolation very well. He craved contact with others.

He did not get that in his captivity imposed on him by Jason Morgan. He had his own apartment and the illusion of freedom, but it was only an illusion. His windows were sealed and the thick, bulletproof glass meaning that the only way out of the apartment was through the front door. A door which was guarded twenty-four hours a day by at least one, sometimes two guards. That was why they left him alone in the apartment. He couldn't escape.

It also left him with no one to talk to. The guards only came in when they delivered food; or Stan Johnson sometimes came to visit. Most of the time, though, he was alone. He had cable, pay-per-view, and his computer and games. But he had no internet. His modem was disabled and Stan said they had blocked wi-fi to the entire floor. They did not want him to get online and interact there. It was frustrating and stifling and Spinelli was quite sure it would eventually drive him insane.

When he heard the door open, he quickly paused his video game and jumped off the couch, ready to barrage the guard with his request. Instead, he froze when he saw Jason Morgan walk in. He had not seen the mobster since that day at the safe house and was quite surprised to see him now. So surprised that a little yelp escaped and he nearly tripped over his feet trying to put distance between the two of them.

"The guards said you wanted to make a phone call," Morgan said without preamble. He was cold and unflinching and Spinelli was disconcerted by him.

"I...I wanted to call my granny," he said, trying not to stammer with nervousness or embarrassment. "I ordered her gift online weeks ago and she should have gotten it today. If...if I don't call her she will worry exceedingly and wonder what has happened to me. So I wanted to reach out and touch her."

Jason frowned, but said, "So you want to call her?"

"Yes," he affirmed with a vigorous nod of her head.

"You can't tell her where you are or what's going on," he growled with such authority that Spinelli wouldn't even think of disobeying him. "One of the guards will be in the room, and he'll end the call if he thinks he should."

"I understand Most Serious One," he assured his captor. "Might The Jackal ask if he could use his cell phone to call?"

"No," Morgan shook his head. "Tell her yours is dead or something. And don't talk long."

He turned for the door and said, "You've helped out and you've stopped giving my men such a hard time, so I'm giving you this. Do not cross me or I will make you regret it."

"I understand," he said soberly. "And I do thank you, very much."

Jason Morgan said nothing, just walked out the door looking determined. Spinelli sat down on the couch and sighed. The Serious One was one very scary dude

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