“You should have seen her,” Emily said, twirling her fork in her pasta. She sighed, “So happy.”

Carly grinned at her from the other side of the table in the penthouse. “I don’t even care that we didn’t even get to put our plan into action.”

Emily nodded. “I know. They fell in love all by themselves…makes it better.”

“Yup,” Carly agreed. She frowned and checked her watch. “I wonder what’s keeping Liz. She only went to Kelly’s to get dessert.”

Emily shrugged, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe she ran into Jason.”

Carly pouted. “But I wanted my triple chocolate chip ice cream sundae.”

—-

Elizabeth strode into Kelly’s, her cheeks flushed. She had run into Jason and he’d given her a ride to the diner. But they’d gotten slightly…distracted.

She was in such a hurry that she didn’t hear Bobbie Spencer calling her name until it was too late. She had paid Tammy for the three sundaes and was turning around when she froze.

Bobbie, Lucky’s aunt, was smiling at her from a table and waving her over. Normally, Elizabeth would have no problem stopping for a chat. Bobbie and her late grandmother, Audrey Hardy, had been close and Elizabeth liked talking with Bobbie.

But today, Elizabeth’s eyes were trained on the head of silver hair—the slight profile. Most people wouldn’t recognize a person just from the back of their head—and Elizabeth never would have realized who it was if she hadn’t seen his hands.

The hands that she would never forget. The long fingers and smooth skin, marred only by a scar on the back of his left hand. She remembered that scar. She’d bitten him when she was fifteen. The pinky on his right hand didn’t have a nail.

She’d always remember those hands. The hands that had pulled her hair, smacked her, punched her, scratched her…the hands that had beaten her.

She stared at those hands nonchalantly resting on the table. Her breath was caught in her throat—she felt like she’d never breathe again. Her hands began to shake and she dropped the bag.

It fell to the floor with a soft thud and Elizabeth could see Bobbie’s face change from smiling to concern.

And then he turned.

And Elizabeth Webber saw Jeff Webber for the first time since he’d nearly thrown her out a window two years ago.

Bobbie stood and approached her. “Liz, are you all right?”

Elizabeth was trembling all over but she closed her eyes and forced for control. She had promised herself just yesterday that Jeff couldn’t hurt her—that he didn’t control her life. That she’d never give him that power again.

She took a deep breath and when Elizabeth opened her eyes, Bobbie took a deep breath of her own—in relief.

Elizabeth pasted a bright smile on her face and leaned down to pick her bag up. “I’m fine, Bobbie. It was just a surprise to see you here with my father.”

Jeff Webber had gotten up and came to Bobbie’s side. “Lizzie, it’s good to see you,” he said cautiously.

Elizabeth turned her fake smile towards the man that had haunted her thoughts and dreams. “It’s good to you, too… Daddy…” she said, forcing a cheerful note in her voice. She felt disgusting inside. How quickly she’d fallen back into her routine—pretending that Jeff was the perfect father and she was the perfect daughter. It came so easily to her—it always had.

Whether what he did next was for Bobbie’s sake or he just wanted to prove that he still had power over her, Elizabeth would never know. But she’d never forget the powerful waves of self-loathing and disgust that crashed over as Jeff leaned over to give her a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You look as beautiful as always, Lizzie. Come by the house, I know your mother would love to see you.”

Elizabeth gripped the bag tightly—fearing what little control she had was about to snap. “I’ll do that,” she said, her voice still strong. “I have to go. Carly and Em are waiting. They must be worried. Good to see you, Bobbie… Daddy…” Elizabeth rushed out of the diner to where Jason was still waiting.

“Get me out of here,” she cried, throwing her leg over the back of the bike and clinging to him.

“Elizabeth-”

“Please!”

Worried about the note of terror in her voice, Jason turned the bike on, revved the engine and took off.

Inside the diner, Bobbie was shaking her head. “Elizabeth looks sick, doesn’t she Jeff?”

Jeff Webber looked at his old friend. “She didn’t look herself,” he agreed.

“I’ll bet she’s not eating right, living on her own with Emily,” Bobbie continued. “I don’t know why she insisted on moving out. Katherine would never say.”

“She’s living with Emily Quartermaine,” Jeff repeated. He tilted his head in curiosity. “How is Emily doing?”

Bobbie smiled. “Much better since Jason moved back home. She’s practically skipping her way through town.”

“Jason,” Jeff echoed. “And he still doesn’t remember anything?”

Bobbie frowned. “No. Why?”

Jeff tried not to look relieved as he smiled at Bobbie. “No reason. I just remember Lizzie was always close to him.”

—-

Jason didn’t take her back to the penthouse—he took her to Vista Point instead. Whatever had happened back at Kelly’s—he didn’t want to leave her alone until he knew she was okay.

Elizabeth off the bike almost before he’d pulled it to a complete stop. She let the bag of sundaes drop on the ground as she sank to her knees, hugging herself. She couldn’t stop shaking.

Jason was alarmed and crouched in front of her. “Elizabeth, what happened, what’s going on?”

“He touched me,” Elizabeth whispered. Her blue eyes were wide with terror—and glazed over. She wasn’t here with him—she was somewhere else. “I feel so dirty.”

“Who touched you?” Jason demanded.

“I hate him, I hate him, I hate him,” Elizabeth chanted, rocking back and forth. She was still shaking.

Jason pulled her against him and they were both sitting on the ground now. She started to cry hysterically—the sobs shaking her body even more. Her face was bright red and she was clinging to him as if he’d disappear if she let go. But what terrified him more than anything was her skin. It was only June and she felt like she’d taken a dip in an ice pond. She was freezing.

It was nearly ten minutes before Elizabeth’s tears slowed. “He was there,” she whispered, her voice hitching as if she’d break into a round of sobs at any given moment.

“Who?” Jason asked. But he knew. He knew the answer before she even said it. He’d never seen her like this—not even the night she’d woken up in the hospital. She was so terrified.

“My father.” She took a deep breath—she tried. But it got caught in her throat and she started crying again.

Jason closed his eyes. He didn’t always know what to say to her—but most of the time he managed to come up with something. But how could he reassure her that Jeff Webber couldn’t touch her?

He’d let her down. He’d never forgive himself. He’d promised her that Jeff wouldn’t get within a hundred feet of her and he’d never touch her again. And he’d broken that promise.

Jason tightened his arms around her. “I am so sorry,” he whispered, feeling the tears prick at his own eyes. This beautiful strong woman who’d faced Frank Verruchio down while laughing only a few nights ago was reduced to a terrified little girl just by the sight of her father.

“He touched me,” Elizabeth breathed, closing her eyes. “He hugged me and kissed my cheek like we were a normal family.” She took another deep breath and managed to do it this time. “And I let him! Oh, god, I let him touch me!” She tightened her grip on his shoulders and stared wildly in his eyes. “He touched me and I let him do it!”

He stared at her, helplessly. He could hold her after her nightmares and tell her she was okay. But how to do you convince someone that everything will be okay when you’re not even sure yourself?

In the end, Jason just closed his eyes and tightened his grip on her, feeling lost for the first time in his life.

—-

He’d taken Elizabeth back to the penthouse and put her in his bedroom. She’d cried herself to sleep nearly an hour later and Jason left then.

He went to Sonny’s apartment, knowing Emily and Carly were waiting for her. As soon as he walked in, Carly jumped up from her seat at the table.

“Have you seen Elizabeth?” Carly demanded. Emily stood and studied her brother’s face.

“Jason, what’s wrong?” she asked quietly. “You look…”

“What happened to Liz?” Carly cried. She grabbed his shoulders. “Something happened didn’t it? You’ve been crying—you never cry—”

Emily pulled Carly away gently. “Jason what’s going on?”

Jason looked away. “Elizabeth is asleep at my apartment. She, uh…” he looked up at the ceiling trying to keep himself in check. “She saw Jeff at Kelly’s.”

Emily gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. Carly stumbled back, her eyes wide. “Is she okay?”

Jason shook his head slowly. “No. She’s not.”

Emily started for the door. “I want to be there when she wakes up,” she said.

“Em, wait-” Jason said, holding the door shut. “You need to know—that I’ve never seen her like this. Not after any nightmares or even after the hospital.”

Emily turned back. “What?” Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with her?”

Carly took a deep breath. “She was shaking, her skin like ice to the touch.”

Emily and Jason’s eyes flew to Carly. “How-” Jason broke off.

“Because that’s the way I felt when my father showed up after he got out of jail,” Carly whispered. She looked away—towards the windows. “He’d been in jail for three years, I’d gotten my life back in order. I was even happy. My mother was doing better. I thought I’d put that behind me. But one day, he just showed up at the door. Out of the blue. No warning, nothing. And he hugged me.” Carly wiped her arm. “I’d never felt so disgusting in my life. I wanted to kick him, scream…”

Emily was staring at Carly. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “It happened to you, too.”

Carly met her eyes. “Yeah,” she said her voice cracking. “And my mother ignored it. For thirteen years, he beat me and she never wanted to see it. Sometimes it was so bad, it hurt to breathe. I wished that I would die. He started beating me before I could remember…my mother finally told me he’d hit me the first time the day I began to walk. I walked in front of the television…” Carly smiled through her tears. “I paused and fell…and he smacked me that day. And it never stopped until he went to jail when I was fourteen. For three years…I don’t even remember why he went. But when I was seventeen he came home and wanted to pretend that nothing had changed. And my mother…” Carly took a shuddering breath. “She wanted to pretend, too. But I couldn’t—I couldn’t do it. I ran away that day and I didn’t stop running until I came to Port Charles seven years later.”

Emily was crying silently, her hand still covering her mouth. Two of the people she loved in her life had suffered through so much—how was such cruelty possible?

Carly shook her head. “Don’t coddle her,” she said softly. “And don’t tell her it’s going to be okay. It won’t work. Because she believes right now that she’s weak. That she let him do this. Because no matter how much you think you’ve put it behind you, all it takes is one little reminder to bring you right back to reality—that it will never be over.”

Carly sat on the couch and curled up, clutching a pillow. Jason and Emily were still standing by the door. Neither knew what to do. Because comforting Carly wasn’t going to work and comforting Elizabeth didn’t seem to be an option. Because as Carly said, all the comfort in the world would never erase what had happened.

The scene was broken when Sonny entered. The door opened and bumped Jason in the back.

“Sorry, didn’t see-” Sonny’s words fell as he took in Jason’s pale face, Emily’s tears, and Carly curled up on the couch. “Carly…”

Carly looked up, her brown eyes drowning in tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Sometimes it’s just too vivid to forget.”

Sonny dropped his keys on the desk and rushed to the couch, crouching in front of it. “Baby, what happened?”

“Jeff Webber,” Jason stated. Sonny ripped his eyes from his wife long enough to look at Jason. “Elizabeth saw in Kelly’s. He hugged her,” Jason said, the disgust dripping from his voice. “She’s terrified, Sonny. I have to go back to her before she wakes up alone.”

“I’ll go with you,” Emily said quickly.

“I want to go too,” Carly said quietly. Sonny looked back to her. “I want to be there for her. We have to, Sonny.”

Sonny nodded. He stood and offered her a hand.

—-

Jason went to sit by Elizabeth’s side and so did Carly. Sonny wanted to help—so he did the only thing he could.

He started to cook. Emily helped. Sonny had taught her to cook over the past two years and it was something the two of them often did together. She had developed a love of cooking that rivaled Sonny’s and like Sonny, she often sought comfort in it.

Sonny and Emily worked quietly for a while. They started with a casserole, Sonny’s reason being it was something that could be heated up.

“I don’t know what to do,” Sonny said finally. Emily closed the oven door and looked up at him. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, hands gripping the edges. “My sister and my wife are still as tormented as I am and I can’t help.”

Emily took a deep breath. “I don’t what to do, either. Because I just want to hug her and tell her everything will be okay and I can’t promise her that.”

“I could get rid of him,” Sonny said. “But the only person that would help would be me. Or Carly, Jason or you. We’d feel better. But she’d still go to sleep every night, his voice echoing, and the memories just at the edge of her brain waiting to attack.”

Emily looked away. “She was so happy,” she whispered. “She hadn’t stopped smiling all day. Why did this have to happen now?” Emily asked, the tears beginning to burn her eyes. “Why? Why Beth? Why Carly? Why does this have to happen to the people I love? How can people be so cruel to children?”

Sonny’s throat began to thicken as he stared at the crying, angry woman. “I don’t know,” he said hoarsely. “I wish I had the answers. But there are none.”

Emily suddenly grabbed a chair and threw it against a wall. “Damn it, this isn’t fair!” she cried. “I can’t help my best friend! I failed her when we were younger and I’m failing her now! All I want to do is kill him! I want to wrap my hands around his neck and hear his bones pop!” She was shaking as she continued, “I want to see the terror in his eyes, I want to see him struggling to breathe…I want him to understand what it’s like to be so scared you’re going to die and not being to control it!”

Sonny wrapped Emily in his arms, as her body continued to shake with the angry sobs. He couldn’t help but agree with Emily—it would be satisfying to rid the world of Jeff Webber. It would be worth it to see the look in his eyes—but in the end, nothing would help Elizabeth.

She’d have to fight this battle herself. But Sonny was beginning to wonder how many battles his sister would have to fight before she lost the war.

—-

Carly was curled up in a chair, staring at Elizabeth’s sleeping form. Jason was lying next to Elizabeth, holding her. She’d already had two nightmares, but Jason had been able to calm her down before Elizabeth had awakened.

“I wish I knew what to do,” Jason whispered into the dark room.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Carly replied quietly. “Other than what you’re doing. We can be there for her, but as much as we’d like to, we can’t fight her demons for her.”

“She laughed,” Jason said. “She laughed in Verruchio’s face when he called her a bitch. She wasn’t even scared.”

Carly had no idea what Jason was talking about but didn’t let that faze her. “She’s strong,” Carly said. “She can beat this.”

“I know,” Jason said softly, unconsciously tightening his arms around Elizabeth. “But how many times does she have to beat it?”

Carly rubbed her arms absently. “She’ll have to fight it the rest of her life,” she said, her voice almost too low for Jason to hear. “Because the terror she lives in every day will be present whether that scum lives here or in Europe. Because she’ll always hear his voice and she’ll always remember the way she felt—because those memories are always waiting to attack.”

“When does it get easier?” Jason asked. “Can you tell me if it ever does?”

Carly shrugged. “It does for some people and for others, it never does. But it takes time, Jase.” She sighed. “It might be a long time before she’s ready to continue a normal existence—be a normal girlfriend for you—”

“That’s the last thing I’m concerned about,” Jason cut in.

Carly smiled weakly. “Good. You know, I’ve done a lot of reading…” she sighed. “And I’ve found that most of what the doctors say about survivors of child abuse is shit. I know the statistics…that people were abused are more than likely to be abusers and that’s just not true. Because if anything…we know more than anyone else what’s it like to go to sleep at night—and wish you wouldn’t wake up.” She looked down at her nails which she’d been chewing on all night. “Sonny and I have chosen to support each other—but she’s chosen you to support her.” She found his eyes in the darkness. “Don’t ever let her regret that decision.”

Elizabeth shifted sleepily and snuggled closer to Jason. She didn’t want to wake up and find out that last night had been a dream. She wanted to believe that she’d admitted she was ready to be with him and that she’d wanted to make love with him.

And if it was a dream…well, Elizabeth would rather have a dream like that rather than ones that usually occupied her time.

As she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized that she was, in fact, naked. Her face flushed as she realized that he was, too. She smiled. So it had been real.

She’d heard so often that the first time hurt that she’d come to expect it—but other than a few moments, she hadn’t felt it. Jason had been so gentle and sweet…she almost couldn’t believe it. They had to go slow—Jason’s ribs were a little sore from the previous night.

Elizabeth opened her eyes slightly. The sunlight was streaming through the window—it was Saturday morning. She smiled. She’d never been so thrilled for a morning before. But today…today she was starting a new chapter in her life. She was going to put her past behind her and concentrate on the life at hand. On her job at Deception and her partnership with Sonny and Jason, on her friendship with Emily, AJ and Jason, on her family, on her writing…and on her relationship with Jason.

She’d never fully forget about her childhood—she wasn’t naïve enough to think that. But she wanted to forget the hold it had on her. Last night, she’d proved to herself that Jeff Webber would never be able to hurt her again. If and when he ever came back, she wouldn’t be the terrified emotionally and physically abused girl he’d left. She’d be a strong woman who had had to fight and claw her way back to life.

She wasn’t alone anymore—he could never hide the truth again. He’d never be able to look at Emily or AJ again without their knowing exactly who he was. And he’d never able to tell her Jason was going to leave her.

Because she knew without a doubt, that Jason wouldn’t leave her. Maybe he wasn’t in love with her yet, but Elizabeth trusted him with her life. She knew he’d never hurt her and it was only a matter of time before everyone knew exactly how happy she was.

She knew that she’d done most of the work herself—she was finally able to accept that. But she couldn’t deny that she’d had to motivation this time. She’d had a reason to let go, to finally move past the terror her father had put her through. Jason was her reason—and she didn’t care that she depended on his very presence in her life so she could breathe. She was in love with him and that something her father could never touch.

“I love you,” she whispered. She jumped when she felt Jason’s hand in her hair.

“I love you, too,” he said quietly.

She raised her head to look at him. “Really?” she said, eagerly.

Jason nodded, “Yeah.” He used his hand tangled in her hair to pull her closer to him. He kissed her softly. “I love you.”

Elizabeth bit her lip, blinking back tears. “I love you,” she repeated. “I don’t think I ever get tired of telling you.”

His hand drifted across her cheekbone. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing it.”

Elizabeth laid her head back down and pressed a quick kiss to his chest. “You are by far the most beautiful person I’ve ever known,” she whispered. “I’ve never known someone who thinks of other people before himself…who lets people be exactly who they are without holding them back.” She looked up to meet his eyes. “And I can’t believe how lucky I am to be someone who gets to see that side of you.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said, running his fingers down her bare back, sending shivers through Elizabeth’s body. “You’re strong and you take control of your life. You could have done this without me and you would have been fine. I’m just glad you let me in.”

She smiled, her eyes watery. “That makes two of us,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss him.

—-

Emily stretched and—rolled off the couch. Several moments she later, she sat up, cursing. “This is ridiculous.” She looked up at Nikolas who was still sleeping peacefully. “Get up.”

Nikolas groaned. “No.”

She poked him. “Up, Cassadine.”

He sleepily opened one eye. “Whatcha doin’ down there?” he asked groggily.

She glared at him. “I fell. If I have to be awake, so do you.”

Nikolas sat up. “I need some coffee.”

Emily stood. “I’m going to see if Beth came home. Make some coffee.”

Nikolas stood and headed for the kitchen. “I’m only doing what you told me to because I want coffee.”

“Yeah, you keep believing that,” Emily called, smirking. She knocked on Elizabeth’s door. “Beth? Beth?” She frowned and slid it open. Her eyebrows nearly shot through the roof as she saw Elizabeth’s lavender dress thrown carelessly over bottom of the iron bed frame. Her jewelry—which Emily knew was expensive—was haphazardly decorating her nightstand. One of Elizabeth’s dresser drawers was left open and it was out so far it had tilted and hit the ground.

Emily surveyed the scene and decided that Elizabeth had had to somewhere in a hurry—and where ever it was, it kept her from the Deception party. But it kept Sonny and Jason, too.

“Oh, God,” she whispered. She spun around and darted down the hall. Not caring that she was only dressed in Nikolas’s dress shirt or that her makeup was probably all over her face, she ran straight into the hall and headed for the elevators.

—-

At the same time, Carly shot up and groaned. “Oh, no.”

Sonny sat up in bed and stared at her. “What?”

“I didn’t tell Emily Elizabeth was okay.” Carly threw her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed her robe. “She’s going to be so worried. She’s gonna hurt me and so is Elizabeth.”

She hurriedly tied the robe and left the room.

Sonny slumped back into bed. Carly was a hurricane sometimes—you weren’t sure quite when it would hit and sometimes it would be nice and calm and you’d think you were in the clear—but when it came down to it, when a hurricane got going…you got out of its way.

—-

Carly made it to the elevator just as Emily dashed out it. “Whoa!” she said, as Emily crashed into her.

“Carly!” Emily focused. “Beth–Jason—”

“They’re fine,” Carly said. “Sonny called from the warehouse—I was supposed to tell you last night, but you and Nikolas left before I could find you and then I tried to call you—but Sonny came home and I was so glad to see him, we went upstairs—” Carly broke off. “I am so sorry!”

Emily took a deep breath. “Everyone’s okay.”

Carly nodded. “From what Sonny tells me, definitely.” She grinned. “They went to Jason’s to finish a conversation.”

“A conversation?” Emily’s face lit up. “Do you think…?”

Carly shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s not get our hopes up.” She grinned. “Now, from the looks of you, you got yourself a fine young man down stairs.”

Emily looked down at the messily buttoned shirt and flushed. “He’s making coffee. I’d better go.”

“I’m glad I caught you before you went to the penthouse,” Carly said. “Don’t tell Liz I didn’t tell you.” She grimaced. “She’ll hurt me.”

Emily made a motion as if she was zipping her lips shut. “My lips are sealed.” She pushed the button for the elevator. “See ya.”

—-

Carly reentered the apartment, whistling. Sonny was making his way down the steps. “I take it everything’s fine.”

“Everything’s great,” Carly said happily. “Jason and Liz finished a conversation last night and she’s still not home. I caught Emily before she went to the penthouse and I’m also starving, so get cooking.”

Sonny just laughed and headed for the kitchen.

—-

Hours passed as Emily waited impatiently for Elizabeth to get home. After eating breakfast with Nikolas, she’d kicked him out and gotten showered. She was going to sit Elizabeth down and demanded to know everything that was going on. She even had a list of questions. Did she work for Sonny? And Emily meant work in the most liberal of terms. What conversation was Carly talking about? Were she and Jason together? Was Elizabeth in love with Jason? Had they done the nasty?

Emily sat on the couch, legs and arms crossed. She stared at the door, willing to open. By now she was used to Elizabeth not being here when she woke up—she’d spent a good many nights at Jason’s. But until now Emily had assumed they were strictly platonic—hadn’t wanted to think anything else. She was afraid she’d get her hopes up.

AJ had called after she’d sent Nikolas home. He’d cleared his schedule and was returning in a week. She desperately wanted some good news for him. Emily knew that his conversation with Elizabeth had helped to clear up quite a bit of guilt for him—but AJ would never forgive himself until he saw Jason happy. And Emily wanted Jason happy as well.

It was early afternoon when the door finally opened. Elizabeth entered, wearing a black tank top and black jeans. Her hair was messy, but her face was clean—of any makeup, Emily noted. She must have had time to wash her face. She looked tired—but…she looked…peaceful.

Emily shot to her feet. “You did it.”

Elizabeth closed the door behind her. “What?”

“You’re happy. You and Jason slept together!” Emily squealed.

“We always sleep together,” Elizabeth replied amused. She dropped her keys on the table. “I am so tired.”

“Tired…” Emily trailed off grinning. “You and my brother did the nasty, didn’t you?”

“Em-”

Emily’s smile fell from her face. “Elizabeth Imogene Webber. Sit,” she commanded pointing to the couch.

“You okay?” Elizabeth eyed her. “You’re not sick right?”

“You, my friend, are going to answer some questions for me. So sit.”

Elizabeth shrugged and sat. “Shoot.”

“We’ll start with the easy questions,” Emily said. She stood directly in front of her friend and crossed her arms. “What happened with you and Jason?”

Elizabeth smiled happily. “I love him.”

Emily blinked. “What?” She uncrossed her arms and sat next to her. “You love him? Did you tell him?”

“Yeah. This morning. I thought he was asleep so I let it slip.” Elizabeth sighed. “And he said he loved me, too.”

Emily considered jumping up and down in excitement. She considered calling Carly. She considered making the trek to New York just to high-five AJ. But she was twenty-one years old. She was a mature woman with manners and decorum.

She settled for squealing and hugging her friend for about five minutes. When she pulled away, “Anything else?”

“Emily, I’m not going to tell you everything about my relationship with your brother,” Elizabeth said exasperated. “He’s your brother.”

“Well, yes, and I’ll admit, hearing details might be painful.” Emily grinned. “But I’ll get used to it. Spill.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “Em-”

“Did you do the nasty?” Emily demanded.

Elizabeth started laughing. “The nasty?” she echoed. “Do I want to know?”

Emily glared at her. “Don’t avoid the question.”

Elizabeth shook her head, amused. “Oh, Em.”

“Do not ‘Oh, Em’ me,” Emily said. “I’m your best friend. I told you when I made love with Nikolas.”

Elizabeth sighed. “You’re right—you did. And you deserve the same courtesy.” She took a deep breath. “Did you feel like…you finally got something right? Like it was the most natural thing in the world?”

Emily’s eyes softened. “Yeah. Being with Nikolas…being each other’s firsts…god, Beth, it felt incredible—like everything in my life had been leading up to that moment.”

“I know Jason’s been with other women,” Elizabeth said, her face flushed, “but you know I’ve never slept with anyone. He was so good to me, Em.”

Emily smiled. “I guess it wasn’t that bad.”

“That bad?” Elizabeth asked. Her jaw dropped. “My god, Em, I know he’s your brother but have you ever stopped to think that he’s the most gorgeous man on Earth?”

“Well…no,” Emily wrinkled her nose. “But he’s not bad.”

“It was incredible,” Elizabeth said. “He made me feel like the only woman on the planet—like there was no one else in the world but the two of us.”

Emily sighed happily. “Good. That’s exactly how you should feel when you’re with the man you love.” Her face sobered. “Do you think he’s it?”

Elizabeth hesitated. “Well…” she looked away. “Yeah.”

Emily frowned. “You don’t sound happy about the idea.”

Elizabeth turned back. “Well…what if he doesn’t feel that way? I mean, yeah, he said he loves me. But love doesn’t last forever—not for everyone.”

“Beth, when my brother loves…he loves with everything in him,” Emily said quietly. “There’s no way this is a temporary thing. You should see the way his face lights up when you enter a room. I don’t even know if he’s realized it, but he’s so happy when you’re around.”

Elizabeth gave a little smile. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Emily nodded. “And you know what? You’re the same way. You guys have something—something Carly and I saw before the truce. We both see something and we’ve never been wrong. Grandmother thinks you’re perfect for Jason and she got AJ and Court together.”

Elizabeth grinned. “I’ve got Lila’s approval? I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Emily nodded, knowingly. “She told me herself she saw it. Anyway, you’ve answered all questions except the last one.” She frowned. “Do you work for Sonny?”

Elizabeth tensed. “I do some research sometimes.”

Emily shook her head. “I’m not stupid, Beth. I know you have a gun. You didn’t show up at the party because something was happening—Jason and Sonny weren’t there either. And you’re almost always at the warehouse. You can trust me—I won’t tell a soul, honest.”

Elizabeth hesitated. “You promise you won’t get mad?” she asked.

Emily nodded. “Promise.”

“Okay.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “I’m an equal silent partner in all of Sonny’s businesses. The hotel, the coffee warehouse…and the other thing.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “Equal partner?” she asked, in a hushed tone. “My god. You, Sonny and Jason are equal partners.”

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. “And after graduation in two years, Sonny’s going to make the official announcement.”

Emily sat back and blinked. “I didn’t quite expect this,” she said.

Elizabeth sighed. “You’re mad.”

“No. Just surprised.” Emily frowned. “You can’t tell me what happened last night can you?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No.”

“I figured. Carly know?”

“No. Just me, Sonny, Jason and you. The men don’t even know.”

Emily clasped her hands together and studied her nails, “All right.”
“You’re okay with that?”

Emily sighed. “It’s your life, Beth. You make your own decisions—no one can tell you what to do.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Taking the classes…in self-defense, it’s helped, Em. I’ll never have to worry about my father again.”

Emily glanced sharply. “That’s why you’re doing this.”

“What?” Elizabeth asked, taken aback.

“You’re involved because you want to make sure Jeff Webber will never cross you again. So you’ll never have to be afraid.”

Elizabeth looked away. “I just hated feeling helpless.”

Emily sighed. “Well, now I really have to accept this because I don’t blame you. I even understand.”

“Really?” Elizabeth asked, hopefully.

“Yeah. Just…promise me you’ll take care of yourself,” Emily said.

Elizabeth nodded. “Not a problem.”

The safe house was on the outskirts of Port Charles. It was a one story, three bedroom house that Sonny normally used for injured men.

“What’s Chosky’s ETA?” Sonny asked as he, Jason and Elizabeth walked up to the house.

“An hour and a half,” Elizabeth replied. She smirked. “Think we can occupy him for that long?”

“We’ll think of something,” Sonny replied. He pulled the door open and let Elizabeth enter first. “Stay in the living room, Liz.”

Elizabeth glared at him. “I’m one of the people responsible for bringing him in,” she said tightly. “I think I have the right to be back there.”

Sonny looked at Jason, who held his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t look at me to back you up. I already tried to tell her what to do tonight and you can see how well that turned out.”

Sonny glared at him. “Wussy.” He turned his attention back to Elizabeth. “Fine. Let’s go.”

—-

Verruchio was in the second bedroom, handcuffed and tied to a chair. He was gagged and blind folded. Johnny and Francis were standing guard.

Jason and Elizabeth entered first, followed by Sonny. Elizabeth walked over to a table and pulled herself onto it. Jason stood next to her and leaned against the table.

Sonny closed the door and flipped the lights on. He nodded to Johnny who removed the blindfold and gag.

“Hello,” Sonny said. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Sonny Corinthos.” He nodded his head in Elizabeth and Jason’s direction. “I think you already know my sister Elizabeth and my partner, Jason.”

Verruchio threw a hateful glance at Elizabeth. “Little bitch,” he muttered.

Elizabeth giggled which made all the men in the room throw her a strange look. “That’s pathetic,” she remarked, amused. “Little bitch?” she repeated. “That’s the best you can do?’

“Elizabeth,” Sonny warned.

“Oh, Sonny, he’s just mad because a woman showed him up,” Elizabeth said.

“I know where I made my mistake,” Verruchio remarked coldly. “It was taking Morgan instead of her. She’s obviously the Achilles’ heel.” He let his eyes drift up and down her body. “Probably could have had some more fun with her.”

Jason’s body tensed and he appeared ready to move, but Sonny got there first. He backhanded the man. “Never refer to my sister again.”

A cold smile spread on Verruchio’s thin lips. “She must be a tomcat in the sack, eh, Morgan?”

This time Jason did take a step forward, but Elizabeth jumped down from her position first. She stood next to Sonny and crossed her arms. “You’ll never know,” she replied, sweetly.

“Elizabeth,” Sonny repeated in the same tone.

“You think I don’t have ways to ensure you learn a lesson little girl?” Verruchio snapped. “You think my men wouldn’t be glad to-”

Elizabeth cut him off with short jab to the nose. When Verruchio’s head came forward again, she grabbed his chin with her hand and leaned in close, glaring at him. “No man lays a hand on me unless I say so,” she hissed. “Do you got that?” When he didn’t say anything, she let go abruptly and stepped back. She looked at her brother. “I’ll go wait in the living room,” she said. She threw another glare towards Verruchio and slammed the door behind her.

Sonny returned his attention to the man tied to the chair. “Consider yourself lucky we promised Chosky we’d wait until he arrived.” He looked at Jason. “Go check on her.”

—-

Elizabeth wasn’t in the living room—she was sitting on a chair on the porch staring at the surrounding woods. Jason opened the creaking screen door and stepped onto the porch.

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth said immediately. “I was just worried I might hurt him if I stayed in that room any longer.”

Jason leaned against the porch railing. “You did a good job tonight,” he said. She looked at him. “As much as I hate admit it…you’re good at this.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Yes. I am.”

“How’d you know where to find me?” he asked curiously.

Instead of answering, Elizabeth stood and leaned over the railing, clasping her hands. She took a deep breath. “Don’t you love the smell of the woods?” she asked. “I think the scent of the outdoors is the only thing I miss about living at the Webber Estate.”

“Elizabeth.”

She sighed. “I called Chosky. He said Verruchio keeps to the abandoned warehouses along the docks. We got men together, split the warehouses and started the search.”

“And you just happened to be in the group that found me?” Jason asked.

She smiled. “I made sure I searched the most likely warehouse. The most abandoned and remote one. I was right.”

He slowly exhaled. “I don’t like that you put yourself in that kind of danger.”

“Too bad,” Elizabeth replied.

“I don’t like it,” Jason continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “but I’m not going to say another word about it. It’s your life—and you’re right. I’d be the first person out the door to look for you.”

Elizabeth straightened and smiled at him. “Good. I’m glad you came to your senses.”

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Jason asked. “We have time before we have to do anything.”

She bit her lip and looked back out at the surrounding scenery. “I love the way the stars look in open spaces,” Elizabeth said quietly. “I think I want to live out here someday.” She leaned against one of the pillars that reached to the top of the porch. “You scared me tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason said quietly. He tried to read her expression—but all he could see was her profile.

“I did exactly what I swore I wouldn’t let myself do,” Elizabeth continued. “I let you become the most important person in my life again. And when I was faced the idea that I’d lose you, I realized that I didn’t care.”

“Didn’t care?” Jason repeated. “Wait.”

“I mean it didn’t bother me anymore,” Elizabeth clarified. “I was comfortable with you being that important.” She glanced at him. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “Yeah, I’m okay with that.”

She smiled. “Good.”

“Is there anything else?” he asked.

Elizabeth hesitated. “Actually-” She stopped as a black car pulled up. She frowned and checked her watch. “He’s early.”

Jason sighed, frustrated. He’d made her finish that statement later. “Probably anxious to be done with this.”

A driver emerged from the front seat and headed to the backseat to open the door. A young man emerged followed by an older, silver-haired man.

“Who’s the younger guy?” Jason asked.

“His son, Michael, probably,” Elizabeth replied. She smirked. “As soon as Chosky found out I was Sonny’s sister, he flew up and tried to arrange a marriage between us. Tried to link the territories, I guess.” She shook her head. “Sonny said it was up to me.”

“What did you do?” Jason asked curiously.

“Went on a few dates,” Elizabeth replied. She came forward. “Albert, Michael, so good to see you!” She gave Chosky a kiss on the cheek and shook Michael’s hand.

“Ah, Elizabeth, you’re looking as lovely as ever,” Chosky remarked. He grinned, his green eyes sparkled. “Have you given my offer any more thought?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No. My answer is the same.” She turned to Jason. “Albert, this is Sonny’s new partner, Jason Morgan. Jason, this is Albert Chosky and his oldest son, Michael.”

Jason put his hand out. “Hello.”

Chosky shook it. “Good to meet you, Mr. Morgan.”

Michael Chosky was probably around AJ’s age, maybe older. He had dark brown hair and green eyes like his father. He was a little shorter than Jason, but just as built. He stuck his hand out. “Hello.”

Jason shook his hand. “Hello.”

Michael turned to Elizabeth. “Lizzie, it’s been too long.” He reached out and pulled her into a hug. Elizabeth politely hugged him and pulled away quickly.

“Yeah, well, I suppose you want to get in,” Elizabeth said. “Jason and I will show you the room.”

Elizabeth opened the screen door and let Michael and Chosky pass before her. She followed them in.

And Jason stood on the porch, wondering what the hell Michael and Elizabeth had done on those few dates.

—-

Within an hour, Frank Verruchio had been dealt with. The warehouse had been cleared, and Michael and Chosky had left for a hotel. Johnny and Francis had taken care of the safe house.

And Sonny, Jason and Elizabeth returned to the Harborview Towers.

“I should check in with Emily,” Elizabeth said as they headed to the elevators. “She and Nik were expecting us to be right behind them.”

Sonny pushed the button. “I called Carly and told her that there was a situation at the warehouse that you and Jason had to take care of. I made sure to tell her to tell Emily.”

“Thanks,” Elizabeth said gratefully. She looked at Jason. “Maybe we could finish that conversation.”

Sonny eyed them curiously. Conversation? Sounded like something Carly would be interested in.

“Sure.” Jason looked at Sonny. “You need me for anything?”

“No. Go. It’s late,” Sonny replied.

—-

Jason closed the penthouse door behind him. “So, you and Chosky’s kid.”

Elizabeth looked at him amused. She leaned against the desk. “Yeah?”

“What happened after those dates?” he said, bluntly.

She grinned. “Why? You jealous?”

“No,” Jason said shortly.

She shook her head. “Nothing. I decided he wasn’t my type.”

“Okay,” Jason replied, feeling relieved.

She started to laugh. “I can’t believe you were jealous.” Elizabeth moved away from the desk and sat on the couch.

“I was not jealous,” Jason said, crossing his arms. “I was curious.”

“Oh, okay,” Elizabeth replied, shaking her head.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Jason asked, changing the subject.

Elizabeth leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. “I think we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well these last few weeks.”

“Yeah.”

“I just wanted some clarification,” she said turning her head to face him. He sat down next to her.

“Clarification,” he echoed.

“Yeah.” Elizabeth sat up and curled her legs underneath her. “What are we?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, are we friends…are we more…are we less…” Elizabeth trailed off.

“We’re more than friends. I thought we agreed on that,” Jason replied.

“Yeah, I know,” Elizabeth said, wrinkling her nose. “But what does that mean?”

Jason stared at her. “What do you want to mean?”

“You’re not making this very easy on me,” Elizabeth said, frustrated. “Okay, we agreed we shouldn’t rush things.”

“Yeah.”

She glared at him. “You wanna jump in here any time and let me know if that’s changed or are you gonna let me babble?”

“Let you babble.”

Elizabeth punched him in the arm. “I’m suddenly beginning to remember why we fought in the first place,” she muttered.

“Elizabeth.”

“What?” she grumbled. She crossed her arms and pointedly didn’t look at him.

“I told you I was going to be around—that we didn’t need to jump into anything. Because you have a lot going on.”

“Yes. Well, now I don’t,” Elizabeth replied. “Verruchio is gone…the nightmares are fading again, I’m okay with the novel rejections. So…”

“The nightmares are fading,” Jason agreed. “But what about Jeff coming back?”

Elizabeth frowned. “I could let that bother me. And to tell the truth, I probably will when it happens. But we haven’t heard anything about it actually happening, so why I should I live my life in fear of something that might happen?” She picked at her nails. “I’ve lived in fear too long and tonight, if nothing else, showed me that I can take care of myself now. I’m not a scared little girl with no one to turn to. If he comes near me, I can back myself up. And I have people who know…who care. It’s not like before.” She looked at him. “If you don’t want to be with me, you can just say so.”

“That’s not it,” Jason said. He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I just want to be sure this is what you want.”

Elizabeth met his eyes. “This is what I want,” she said, firmly. “I want to be with you. I’m at a point in my life where I think I can handle it.”

“You think,” Jason repeated.

The corners of her mouth upturned into a smirk. “The question is…can you handle it?”

He grinned and leaned in to kiss her. She deepened the kiss almost immediately and it became intense in matter of seconds. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He gripped her hips with his hands and pulled her into his lap.

After a few minutes, Elizabeth pulled away and smiled. “Hmm…I could get used to that.”

Jason looked at her. “Yeah, me too.”

She leaned her forehead against his. “Take me upstairs,” she whispered.

His eyes widened with surprise. “You sure?” he asked.

“Mmmm-hmmm…” Elizabeth murmured, kissing him again. “I want to be with you,” she said. “Make love to me, Jason,” she whispered.

“Well, since you ask so nicely.”

The next week and a half was relatively quiet—on all fronts. Elizabeth didn’t have any nightmares that woke up her in the night—but it didn’t stop her from spending a few nights with Jason. She and Jason spent virtually all their time together, growing closer.

AJ and the family returned to New York after a week. There was a crisis at the ELQ office he couldn’t ignore. They had another reunion dinner before going, but this one was more somber. They all knew the truth by that point and it was on their minds throughout the dinner. AJ promised to come for another visit in a few weeks as soon as things settled down and this time…he, Jason and Emily would pay a visit to the Quartermaine mansion. Dealing with one’s past didn’t seem to be limited to Elizabeth anymore.

Things were quiet on the territory front. A few dealers, a few prostitutes, all of which Sonny and Jason took care of while Elizabeth worked on tracking Verruchio’s movements. That, along with helping Carly plan the next Deception launch party was proving enough to exhaust Elizabeth into getting more sleep.

Elizabeth had asked Edward if he’d heard anything about the Webbers returning from Europe. Edward didn’t ask why, but he told her he hadn’t heard a thing. He told her he’d keep his ears open and let her know. Elizabeth wasn’t sure what she’d do if Jeff was returning to Port Charles, but she wanted to be prepared. Somehow, being blindsided by the news when he was already there didn’t sound conducive to keeping the nightmares at bay.

The night of the Deception launch party was upon them, and Emily and Elizabeth spent a few hours getting ready. Emily was going with Nikolas, Elizabeth with Jason. Emily was thrilled about going because Luke and Lucky Spencer had returned from their latest mission and were going to be there to support Laura. It’d been more than a year since she’d seen them. Elizabeth wasn’t as thrilled, she adored Luke but the incident when she was ten still hung in her mind where Lucky was concerned. Emily had convinced her to try and make a fresh start with him.

“Have you seen my emerald earrings, Beth?” Emily called from the entry way as she studied her reflection in the mirror. She smoothed the silk strapless emerald green dress over her hips.

“Didn’t you let Carly borrow them?” Elizabeth asked, emerging from the bathroom. She finished putting in her amethyst earrings. “She’s at the party by now.”

Emily wrinkled her nose. “Do you still have the emerald set you got from Lila?” she asked.

Elizabeth nodded, “Yeah. It’s in my room. I’ll get it.” Elizabeth disappeared back down the hall and reemerged a few minutes later with a velvet box. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Emily turned to look at her friend. “I was right—that dress looks great.”

Elizabeth looked down at the lavender velvet dress she wore. It was sleeveless with a high collar and low back. It clung tightly to her upper body, but was loose around her legs. “It’s not bad.”

Emily smirked as she fastened the emerald necklace around her neck and put the one she’d been wearing back in her own box. “Jason’s gonna forget his name.”

Elizabeth shrugged and worked on fastening a bracelet. “Jason isn’t interested in material things.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate them,” Emily teased. She watched Elizabeth struggle to clasp the bracelet. “Here, let me.”

Elizabeth held her wrist out and Emily clipped it shut quickly. “You look amazing. Nikolas will probably spend a few minutes drooling at the door.”

Emily met her eyes, the green eye shadow making her blue-green eyes look a deeper shade of green. “I’m counting on it.” She grinned.

Elizabeth laughed. She checked the clock on the VCR. “They’ll be here any minute. I’m going to get my purse.”

There was a knock at the door then and Emily leaned over to open it. “Hey, Nikolas.”

Nikolas stared at her for a beat or two. “Oh, hi,” he said finally. “You look…incredible.”

Emily grinned. “Quite a difference from sweats huh?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. She gave him a light kiss. “You’re looking pretty good yourself,” she said, pulling away to drink in the sight of him in a tux. He almost never wore them—except at weddings or family events.

Nikolas grinned. “I clean up well.” He looked around. “Where’s Liz?”

“Right here,” Elizabeth said, appearing again. She was transferring her wallet, lipstick, keys and gum from her standard cloth purse to the lavender evening bag. “You look nice.”

“You’re beautiful as always,” Nikolas said. “Where’s Jason?”

Elizabeth flicked her eyes to the clock. “He’ll be here any minute. You guys go ahead without me. Jason’s never late and he only lives two floors up anyway.”

“All right.” Emily grabbed a purse and blew a kiss. “See ya there, Beth.” She and Nikolas left, the door closing behind them. Elizabeth gave her makeup and hair one last check at the mirror and looked at the clock again. Jason was supposed to pick her up at seven. It was a few minutes after seven. She frowned. Jason was usually early if not on time.

She started pacing. So what if he’s late? Maybe the elevator is out of order, or maybe his zipper got stuck. It’s only a few minutes. He’s not perfect after all. Elizabeth decided not to worry until 7:20.

Which came and went with no Jason. Elizabeth couldn’t hide the sinking feeling in her stomach anymore. Something was very wrong—Jason wouldn’t just stand her up. She’d accepted that he wasn’t leaving town. So where was he?

She sat on the couch and stared at the clock ticked the minutes. At 7:45, she stood up and headed for the phone. She dialed Jason’s number quickly. His voicemail came on and Elizabeth slammed the phone down. No good. His phone wasn’t even turned on—something else that never happened around Jason. She started cracking her knuckles, worried. Some was now incredibly wrong.

Just as the clock reached 8:00, the phone rang. Elizabeth practically leapt towards the phone and snatched it up. “Jason?” she demanded.

“Liz, it’s Sonny. Get to the warehouse now.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to ignore the tears. “Where’s Jason? Is he okay? Damn it, Sonny, tell me!”

There was a pause on his end. “Come dressed sensibly. Something’s up and you can’t be wearing an evening gown.”

“I’ll be right there,” Elizabeth replied. She put the phone down and headed for her room, practically ripping the jewelry from her body.

Please let Jason be okay. Please.

—-

Elizabeth arrived at the warehouse fifteen minutes later. The lavender dress and amethyst jewelry replaced by black jeans and a black tank top. She hadn’t wasted any time by pulling her hair out of the French twist, and she stopped only long enough to grab her handgun and load it.

By the time she had arrived, she’d gotten her emotions under control. Whatever was happening wouldn’t be helped by her tears. She was calm and in control. And hoping like hell that both Jason and Sonny would be waiting on the other side of the door.

She closed her eyes and said one last silent prayer—and opened the door.

Sonny was standing at the window that faced the water. He turned when he saw her. Her eyes darted around the room—it was empty. “Where is he?” she demanded.

“You were right,” Sonny said quietly. “It’s Verruchio behind it all.”

Her blood ran cold. “Oh my God, he’s dead isn’t he?” She wanted to scream, cry—rage at the world, but she had to remain calm.

“Not yet.” Sonny reached onto his desk and pressed play on a tape recorder.

“Mr. Corinthos, I’m sorry we couldn’t meet under more pleasant circumstances. We haven’t been introduced—I am Frank Verruchio and I have someone you’d like back. Mr. Morgan was a rather difficult man to capture, but my men are resourceful. If you haven’t him in twenty-four hours, I suggest you stop looking.”

“When was the message left?” Elizabeth asked immediately.

“An hour and a half ago,” Sonny said. “I’ve got men combing the town—no one’s heard anything and no one’s talking.”

Elizabeth snatched the phone up and started dialing.

“Who are you calling?” Sonny asked.

“Albert Chosky. Verruchio was his right hand man and probably did a few kidnappings for him. If Verruchio has a pattern, he’ll know it.”

Sonny stared at his sister as she got in quick contact with South Floridian crime boss. He was more grateful than ever that he’d taken her into the business. She had a quick mind that came up with solution that he never would have thought of it.

“Uh, huh,” Elizabeth murmured. She grabbed a pen and a pad of paper and began jotting things down. “Docks, warehouses, silencers, uh huh…okay…three guards…sure thing, I’m sure my brother won’t have a problem. Okay, thanks. Bye.” She hung the phone up. “I was right. Verruchio did seven kidnappings for Chosky—all of them the same way. He was never caught by anyone so Chosky figures he’ll stick to the same pattern.” She headed for her computer and flicked the switch. “He always sticks to abandoned warehouses on the docks. He uses seven men. Three to guard the hostage and the other four to patrol. Verruchio never leaves the hostage alone.”

Sonny nodded. “I’ll call every man in. You getting a list of warehouses?”

Elizabeth’s hands flew over the keyboard. “It’ll be ready by the time they get here.” She glanced at him. “Chosky recommends every gun have a silencer. He also gave his recommendation. Separate into groups of three and split the warehouses among the men. The work will get done more quickly.”

Sonny began dialing. “Max, it’s me. Every man must be at the warehouse in ten minutes. We’ve got a lead and we need everyone.” He hung up. “Liz, you did some good thinking. I wouldn’t have thought of calling him right away.”

Elizabeth clicked print and turned to him. “I told you I’d be invaluable.” She stood and went to the printer in the middle of the room, waiting for the pages to feed out. “I have eighteen warehouses. We’ll need fifty-three men.”

“Fifty four,” Sonny corrected. “Eighteen groups of three is fifty-four.”

Elizabeth grabbed the lists that came out. “No. Fifty-three.” Her eyes flashed. “I’m going.”

“Like hell you are,” Sonny replied. “I’m not putting you in danger.”

She slapped the papers on his desk and glared at him. “You don’t get to make that choice. That is not just a partner he has. That’s Jason. That makes it different. I am not going to lose him. And I will not sit in this office waiting for him. I am not some helpless female. I am going and you are not stopping me.”

“You’re too emotionally involved,” Sonny snapped. “You’re in love with him and you’ll make mistakes.”

“Don’t you understand?” Elizabeth cried. “I won’t make mistakes. I won’t fail. I can’t. This is too important.” She took a deep breath. “If it were Carly, what would you do?”

“Elizabeth-” Sonny stopped. “I want to make this clear. I am not happy with this decision.”

“You’d let Jason search for me wouldn’t you?” Elizabeth demanded. “Then give me that same consideration.”

“Okay.” Sonny ran his hand through his hair. “Get these lists separated. You’re going with Francis and Johnny. They’re the best.”

Elizabeth nodded and immediately set to work.

—-

Eleven minutes later, the main room of the warehouse was filled with Sonny’s men. Elizabeth set to work quickly and divided them into eighteen groups. She gave a list to one person in every group.

When she was finished, she went to stand in her group. If Johnny and Francis or any of the other men were surprised to see the boss’s sister included, it didn’t show.

“Your orders are to search the address you’ve been given. Search it thoroughly—do not call in unless you are positive Verruchio or Morgan aren’t there,” Sonny directed. “Once you’ve been called in, you will be sent to a different warehouse.” He paused for a few seconds letting his eyes flick around the group. “If they are there, call me immediately. I will spread word to the other groups. Go in and secure the location—do not wait for the other men to arrive. I want Morgan back here as soon as possible.” He let his eyes rest on Elizabeth. Her facial expression was blank—her stance tense. He was still having reservations about sending her, but he couldn’t inflict a double standard on her. He would let Jason search for Elizabeth. “I want Verruchio alive if possible. I have a man from Florida who’s flying up personally to witness his demise. You will face seven guards if you get that warehouse. Three guarding Jason and four patrolling.” Sonny paused again. “I don’t think I need to stress how important it is that Jason comes back here alive. Go. We have less than twenty-two hours.”

—-

Elizabeth, Johnny and Francis got into the unmarked black car and began driving the fifteen necessary minutes to their assigned warehouse. Elizabeth sat in the back and stared out the window. She was trying to remain calm—but the prospect of losing Jason for good was terrifying.

“You okay, Ms. Webber?” Francis said, glancing over his shoulder.

Elizabeth didn’t even glance away from the window. “It’s Elizabeth, Francis. And I’m fine.”

—-

The car pulled up a hundred feet from the warehouse. Elizabeth got out of the back of the car and immediately felt her lower back to make sure her gun was still tucked in. She joined Johnny and Francis who were assessing the location.

“It’s remote,” Johnny said. “It’s the last warehouse within miles on the docks.”

Francis nodded. “Definitely the most likely.”

“Which is why I assigned it to us,” Elizabeth said quietly. She felt their eyes on her but she kept staring at the building. “I knew that it had the best chance.”

Francis and Johnny traded looks but didn’t say anything. Elizabeth finally glanced up. “Let’s circle the perimeter,” she suggested.

“Right,” Francis said. He decided not to comment on the fact that Elizabeth seemed to know exactly what she was doing. Pretty strange behavior for the boss’s sister.

—-

They were coming around the last side of the building when they heard voices. The three of them snapped to the wall and leaned in close.
Elizabeth’s heart was racing. Jason was here! She reached behind her and pulled her handgun out. Attached to the top was a silencer. Johnny and Francis pulled their own guns out.

“I’ll look and see what’s there,” Francis breathed. He moved a few centimeters and leaned his head slightly around the corner. “Two.”

Johnny nodded and looked to Elizabeth. “Me and Francis will get them. Stay here.”

Elizabeth nodded and watched as Johnny and Francis made their quick movements. It went fast. They jumped out, each shot once and moved right back, not even waiting to see if they’d hit. After a moment, Francis leaned around again and breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re down.”

They continued around the corner to reach the fallen guards. Johnny kneeled down next to them. “They’re dead,” he said simply. “That leaves two patrolling.” He straightened. “Liz, you and Francis go look for Jason. I got the other two.”

“You sure?” Francis said. Johnny nodded.

“Let’s make this quick. Liz, call Sonny.”

Elizabeth pulled the cell phone out of her back pocket and dialed her brother’s number. A few short words and she slipped back in her pocket. “He gave the go ahead. Let’s go.”

—-

The inside of the warehouse was divided into two floors with high ceilings. It was dark, damp and smelled like rotting fish. Elizabeth wrinkled her nose and made a silent vow to lay off seafood for a while. Johnny was going to stay down stairs while Francis and Elizabeth moved upstairs.

“If we see anyone,” Francis said as the two were inching their way up the stairs, “Shoot. Aim for the knees to knock them out. You’re good at making at the shot.”

Elizabeth gave him a humorless smile. “And you’re good at chest shots. I know.”

They reached the top of the stairs and stuck close to the wall. The hallway went into two directions. There were a few doors on either side. Elizabeth and Francis exchanged a quick glance. Without a word, they separated. Elizabeth to the left, Francis the right. Elizabeth felt the first knob turn easily. She slid the door open soundlessly. The room was empty. She crossed the hall and did the same. Another empty room. She was about to try the third door when she heard Francis.

“Liz. Here.”

She turned to see Francis motioning towards another door. He gestured for her to come closer. Elizabeth was careful to keep her footsteps light.

“Voices,” Francis mouthed. He leaned his mouth close to ear. “I’m going to kick the door open. Try to get as many down before they realize anything.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath and nodded. She moved to the side and Francis backed up. He raised his foot and with one sweeping motion, the door flew open.

Elizabeth jumped into the doorway, her gun raised. There were five occupants. Three dark-haired men, a blonde and Jason tied to a chair. She squeezed off five quick shots towards the dark-haired men before Francis came to her side. He fired three shots.

When they paused for a split second to access the situation, all three were down. Two were still moving.

The last man standing was staring at them. His expression was torn between amusement and shock. “What the hell-”

Elizabeth raised her gun and aimed it straight at his face. “Shut up and don’t move,” she hissed. She was desperate for a glance of Jason but she had to take care of Verruchio first. “Verruchio, I presume.”

Frank Verruchio stared at the small brunette. “You’re Corinthos’ sister,” he managed to say. Francis entered the room and slipped past Elizabeth to finish off the three guards.

Elizabeth smirked. “Your point?” she asked coolly. She was amazed at how easy it had been—how calm and in control she felt. She would gladly shoot him if it meant Jason would come safely.

Francis mimicked her aim. “Untie Jason,” he said. “I got him.”

Elizabeth nodded and turned her eyes to Jason.

Who was looking at her like he’d never seen her before. He was gagged, his feet tied to the bottom of the chair and his hands behind him. She avoided his eyes as she kneeled to untie his feet.

As she moved behind him, Johnny entered the room. “Calvary’s arrived,” he announced. “The other four guards are dead and a cleaning crew’s on its way.” He eyed Francis. “Sonny wants him alive, remember that.”

Elizabeth stood up as did Jason. Jason removed the gag and turned to look at her. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded.

Verruchio who’d barely said a word since they’d entered the room. “That’s what I’d like to know.”

“Shut up,” Francis ordered. He turned to Johnny. “Let’s take him to the safe house. Call some reinforcements.”

Elizabeth decided she didn’t want to answer Jason’s questions turned to Verruchio instead. “You know, for someone who was trying to take over Sonny’s territory, you’re awfully stupid. Seven men?”

He glared at her. “It’s always worked before,” he bit out.

Elizabeth smiled. “I know. That’s why I’m glad Albert told me. Such a wonderful man—more than eager to help. He told us all about your little habits.” She crossed her arms. “He’ll be meeting you at the house.”

Verruchio’s eyes went black. “He’s coming here?”

“Yep,” Francis said. Johnny reentered the room with three other men. The men grabbed Verruchio and hauled him out of the room, Francis and Johnny following with their guns trained on him.

Once they were gone, Elizabeth’s shoulders slumped. “That’s an evening I’d rather not repeat,” she said, dryly.

“And you’re not,” Jason said, his voice hard. “What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed?”

She turned amazed eyes on him. “Are you insane?” she said. She shook her head. “No. We are not having this conversation here. Let’s go to the warehouse, Sonny’ll want to see you.”

—-

Less than two hours after Elizabeth had left, she entered the office again. Sonny immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. He pulled away to look at Jason, “You, too.”

Jason nodded. His jaw was clenched. “What was she doing there?”

Elizabeth glared at him. “Excuse me?” she demanded. “Are we forgetting that I’m a partner here? That I get to make my own decisions? That I run my own life?”

“A silent partner,” Jason said. “You could have been killed.”

Elizabeth glared at him. Suddenly the fury that used to be present when she’d speak to Jason was back in full force. “You hypocritical jackass!” she sputtered. Sonny decided he was going to let them argue this out.

“I’m going to wait outside. When the two of you are done, we’ll go see Verruchio. Chosky will be here in a few hours.” He exited the office.

Jason ignored him. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“If I were being held hostage, who’d be the first person trying to find me?” Elizabeth demanded, her eyes flashing.

Jason didn’t back down. “This is different-”

“The hell it is,” Elizabeth snapped. “Why? Because I’m not a man? Because I don’t have a dick I’m suddenly incapable of taking a gun and shooting someone? You know what, you son of a bitch, you’ve been gone for a long time. Just because you’ve been back less than a month, it does not mean you know everything about me!” She took a deep breath. “Ask any one of the guys I trained with. I am the third best shot, right under Francis and Zander. I know how to take care of myself. Just because I have trouble sleeping and I have nightmares, that does not remove my ability to take care of myself!”

Jason stopped. What the hell was he doing? “You’re right,” he finally.

Elizabeth stared at him. “What?”

“You’re right. I’m being a hypocrite.”

She blinked. “That was too easy.”

Jason took a deep breath and met her eyes. “When that door kicked open and I saw you—I…it hit me.”

“What hit you?” she asked, a little worried about the direction this conversation was taking. She licked her lips nervously.

His hand drifted up to her face. “How much I didn’t want to lose you.”

“I hate when you do that,” she muttered.

“What?”

“I was really pissed at you,” Elizabeth said, “and now I’m not. I wanted to be pissed for a while.”

He smirked. “Sorry. Next time I’m an ass, I promise I’ll try to let you stay mad.”

“Good,” Elizabeth replied. She looked away. “Listen, I think we need to talk. There are some things I need to tell you.” She sighed. “But it’ll have to wait. We’d better go meet Sonny.”