He was running; he was running so fast that it felt like his lungs were going to burst right out of his chest. Up the stairs he sprinted, his quadriceps burning from the pain. Yet, nothing would or even could keep him from reaching his destination; he was that determined.

The smoke around him was blinding. His cerulean blue eyes beginning to tear, but the mobster knew it wasn't due to the smoke filled stairwell that was causing the salty liquid to fall from his eyes. It was the thought that he wouldn't get there in time. He had to get there. For once, he wasn't going to be too late. Not this time.

He was almost there. He could feel his heart rate begin to increase even more, the constant pounding reverberating in his ears. His goal in sight, Jason burst through the doors, entering the rooftop deck of General Hospital.

And, as his lungs took in the clearer air and his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he felt his labored breathing start to slow, but his heart continued to pick up pace. He surveyed the crowd trying to find the one person he sought. The enforcer kept searching. He caught a glimpse of Carly, Patrick, Nadine, Olivia, Kate, Claudia, Sam, Sonny, everyone he didn't want to see, and, then, finally, his eyes focused on the one person he desired to find. There she was looking more beautiful to him than ever before. However, the relief he felt didn't last long, because, the next thing he knew, Jason was reigning in his jealousy as he watched another man hold her tight, giving her the comfort and strength she so needed and deserved.

She was going to be evacuated; his Elizabeth was going to be safe, and the joy he felt over that fact was overwhelming. The longing to just touch her was unbearable; it was aching away at him and paralyzing his movements. She hadn't seen him yet, but he hoped that the woman he loved could sense his presence. He needed her to know that he was there and ready to finally fight for her and their family.

But, then, everything around him just stopped, and Jason lost all control over his breathing as he observed what was happening before his very eyes. Lucky was bending down to kiss Elizabeth. It was then that it hit him like a lightning bolt. He was too late. She was already lost to him, and he had no one to blame but himself.

It felt like an anvil had just fallen onto his chest. The pain was unbearable. How could he fight for her now? Consumed with the loss he felt, Jason turned to go, but, as he shifted to leave, he saw out of the corner of his eye Elizabeth gently but firmly place her delicate hands on Lucky's chest and push him away. It was all Jason needed to spur him in to action.

Before being sensible or selfless could even enter his mind, Jason yelled with all the strength his smoked filled lungs could muster, hoping beyond hope she would hear him. "ELIZABETH!" The sound that came out of his mouth was guttural, desperate, chilling in its sheer intensity.

He watched as her gaze moved from Lucky's towards his own, and his already elevated heart rate increased tenfold. He observed her beautiful, sapphire orbs open wide in recognition, each of them seeing the love they felt for one another, the love that was now openly showcased for all on the roof top deck to witness.

Then, without hesitation, Jason watched as the blanket that had been wrapped around her petite frame cascaded down to the ground as she broke free of Lucky's grasp and began running towards him. Needing no encouragement, Jason sprinted to meet her. And, in the instant they came together, they embraced so forcefully, it was as if they both feared that one moment in each other's arms could very well be the last time they would ever be together. Neither of them ever wanted to let go.

His strong, muscular arms wrapped around her tiny waist as her trim, toned, slender arms encircled around his neck. Pulling her flush with his body, Jason wasn't sure how either of them were capable of breathing, for they were holding each other so tightly, yet, the mob king knew that, no matter what happened next, he was truly happy in that one, blissful moment in time. Elizabeth was alive and in his arms, and, to him, everything was perfect. There was no biotoxin threat, no FBI agent breathing down his neck, no fire; just him and Elizabeth, the way it was supposed to be, the way it always should have been, and, if he had anything to say about it, the way it would be from that moment on. It - she - was all he needed.

Slightly pulling away so he could see her beautiful face, Jason took his large, calloused hands and began running them through her silky, chestnut hair, and touching her beautiful, angelic face. Then he cupped her now glowing cheeks and raised her cornflower blue eyes to meet his own, tenderly stroking his thumbs back and forth along her cheekbones.

There was no noise around them; all they heard was their own labored breathing that engulfed the two formerly separated lovers and held them so close together. Ever so slowly, their faces leaned towards one another, and their lips met in a kiss that very well could have melted the blizzarding snow falling around them if given the chance to progress any farther. There was nothing sweet or gentle about their embrace; it was forceful, hard, and all consuming, passionate and fiery as they both craved the others lips, welcoming the taste that they never thought they would experience again.

Jason ravaged Elizabeth's plump, delicious mouth, plunging his tongue to tangle with hers, and Elizabeth met him stroke for stroke, yearning for more and relishing in the feel and taste of the man that held her heart in his powerful yet capable and deserving hands. Jason was there, with her. She could feel his strength and knew everything was going to be alright.

Breaking free of their kiss for some much needed air, Jason continued to tenderly stroke her cheeks, and, even though the smarting smoke from the fire had filled his lungs earlier, leaving him with little ability to speak, he couldn't hold back with words any longer.

"I love you, Elizabeth," he rasped out, his tone deeper, rougher, and scratchy from the smoke he had been inhaling all evening. "I love you so much. I am never, ever going to let you go. Never again," the mobster promised her as if he was seeking to reassure the both of them.

Finding her own voice, Elizabeth, still affected by the symptoms of the biotoxin, whispered, her voice grating under the strain on her vocal chords and tender throat, "I love you, too, Jason." After a brief coughing spell, she admitted earnestly, "all I want - all I have ever wanted - is to be with you."

After the injured nurse's declaration, their lips met in another ardent, violently intense kiss, neither caring who was around to witness the love the two of them shared, because all they had, in the moment, were eyes for each other.

Pulling away slowly from their kiss, Jason brought Elizabeth's body to his in a very protective yet possessive embrace, whispering into her ear and sending shivers down her spine, "I promise you, when this is over, we will be a family. Nothing is going to keep us apart ever again."

And, then, he tenderly kissed her forehead and felt her relax and sink further into his embrace.

The two reunited lovers then watched as Jax successfully landed the police helicopter onto the roof of General Hospital for the second time. After successfully delivering Monica, Tracy, and Edward to the medical personal waiting below on the ground to escort all the injured and poisoned to nearby Mercy Hospital, the international entrepreneur had returned for another rescue mission.

Not able to release her just yet, Jason escorted Elizabeth to the helicopter, and, as the couple passed Lucky, Jason gave him a 'stone cold' glare, daring him to challenge his rightful position by Elizabeth's side. Waiting as first Claudia entered and then Kate, for they, too, had been exposed to the toxin and needed medical attention, Jason then assisted Elizabeth up into the awaiting helicopter, buckling her in. After making sure that she was safe and secure, he placed his lips to hers in a sweet, gentle caress, pulling back before either could deepen the kiss and whispered softly, "we'll be together soon." Then, he entwined their fingers and kissed both of her hands, lingering his lips on the ring finger of her left hand as he gazed into her eyes, leaving no doubt of his intentions. "I promise."

Elizabeth quickly took her shaking hands and soothingly cupped his cheeks between them. Staring into Jason's now watering eyes, Elizabeth felt the tears begin to pool in her own midnight orbs and firmly told him, "we will be waiting; your family will be waiting for you."

Stepping back so that the helicopter could take off, Jason released their hands only when it was absolutely necessary, neither yet able to break either the smoldering gaze the two held with the other or the connection they felt in that moment. And, as the helicopter took off, the couple simultaneously mouthed 'I love you' to each other.

Despite the fact that the helicopter had taken off, that Elizabeth was just mere seconds from safety, and despite the fact that they had finally agreed to be together as a family, the danger and complications be damned, Jason suddenly felt as though something was wrong. Turning back around to follow the descending airborne vehicle with his eyes, he watched in horror as the helicopter began to spin dangerously out of control, caught in the raging wind that was brought on by the late winter blizzard assaulting their waterside town. Before he could react, before he could move, before he could even scream in either warning or fright, the mob boss, father, and soon-to-be husband watched as both the helicopter and the woman he loved who was inside of the aircraft plummeted to the ground below, crashing into intense and powerful flames.

The blonde wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Carly scream out for Jax, but his own world had just turned to black, so, really, even if she had, it just didn't matter anymore. Nothing did, and, as he slumped down into the rapidly accumulating snow, he wondered if anything ever would again.

Jason highly doubted it.

My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Two

"Damn it," Jason cursed as he vainly tried to button his dress shirt. The mob boss had been attempting this one simple task for the past fifteen minutes. He couldn't seem to stop his hands from shaking, and the more he tried, the worse it got. It had been one week since the helicopter crash, and not even the simplest of tasks had gotten easier. Jason had always prided himself on being calm and methodical under pressure, but the stoic blond had been anything but during and in the days following the hospital crisis.

The mob kingpin hadn't been able to recall one detail of how they had gotten off General Hospital's roof that night, nor how he had made it to the crash site, but the blonde hadn't nor would he ever be able to erase the memory of what he saw once he arrived. Jason closed his eyes now and could still recall every detail as if he was standing there again in that moment. The smell of smoke and burning flesh had permeated through the air, but no sound had emanated. It had been eerily silent.

The rescue workers had efficiently and quickly found Jax's dead body still strapped in his seat. Then, Kate had been found just outside the wreckage, still alive but barely. The Fashionista had immediately been transported to Mercy Hospital, but, due to the severity of her injuries, once the storm had lifted, she was transferred to St Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan for continued treatment. Mercy had not been equipped to handle the magnitude of Kate's injuries nor were they prepared to offer the medical care that was necessary for her survival. Olivia had returned to Manhattan as well, to tend to her cousin. Claudia had been found an hour later, underneath the helicopter's tail which had been severed off when the helicopter had hit the ground. Her neck had been broken from the impact, and she had died immediately.

Elizabeth's body was never recovered. People searched for hours without success. Jason, himself, had been relentless to find her, never giving up hope. But, as the minutes turned into hours and the hours turned into days, hope had wavered. And then Mac Scorpio, two days after the fatal accident, had called off the search, stating most likely that her body had either been burned beyond recognition or she, if by some miracle, had managed to survive was now dead due to the lack of medical attention she would have most likely needed to remain alive.

It was only then that Jason finally succumbed to the grief he had been harboring for days. The blonde had taken his motorcycle out for a ride to nowhere, pushing his bike and his body to extremes, willing the pain to go away, but it never did. It just continued to overtake his entire being, and it blanketed his soul with no end in sight. And, now, because no body had been found, Elizabeth couldn't even have the proper burial she so deserved, only a Memorial Service for her friends and family to grieve their terrible loss.

And, as he futilely attempted to get ready for the service, Jason couldn't help but recall how Elizabeth had helped him through his previous times of grief. After Alan had died, the brunette had been the one to help him get ready for the funeral. God, how he wished she was there right now, helping to button his shirt and straighten his tie. Jason knew there was no way he was even going to be able to knot a tie around his collar today. So, blowing out a deep breath, he once again began his attempt to finish getting dressed, but, just as he was about to start, he heard a pounding at the door.

"Hold on," Jason hollered as he came bounding down the stairs, the incessant pounding refusing to stop.

Looking through the peep hole, the blonde couldn't help but exhale an extremely frustrated sigh.

Throwing the door open, he scowled at his visitor asking, "what do you want?"

Ignoring his glare and waltzing past where he was standing, the visitor in question plopped down on his couch, not waiting for an invitation to enter.

"Jason, is that really how you should be talking to me?"

Exasperated, Jason ran a hand down his face and turned to his guest and, again, asked, "Carly. What. Do. You. Want?"

Whining, the bleach blonde answered, "Come on, Jason, where else would I be? I'm your best friend, and you need me right now." Then, all of a sudden, Carly took in Jason's appearance, the black dress pants, the unbuttoned black dress shirt, and realization hit her.

"Oh my god, you can't seriously be thinking about going to her Memorial Service, are you?"

His frustration growing, Jason just ignored the blonde and attempted to finish getting dressed.

Carly, becoming annoyed by Jason's lack of attention, promptly rose from her seated position and planted herself right in front of the mourning man, daring him to ignore her now. Placing her hands on his shoulders, attempting to look compassionate, the hotel owner asked, "come on Jason, you can't possibly think anyone will want you there?"

Brushing off her attempt at comfort, the mobster stepped back glaring at his friend. "It doesn't matter what other people want, Carly. This is about Elizabeth, and I am GOING. So, if you don't mind…" Allowing his words to trail off, Jason grabbed Carly's arm in his hand, briskly walking her back to his front door, opened it, and gently but forcefully guided her out in to the hallway. "It's time for you to go."

Stomping her foot and glaring at him, Carly started to complain, "Jason...."

"NOW, Carly, just go!" And, without waiting for a response, the mobster slammed the door closed.

Sighing in relief to have his friend gone, Jason, again, began to tackle the task of getting dressed. But, as his continued attempts to secure the buttons on his shirt proved futile, the blonde's frustration escalated, and he grabbed the first thing he could find - A Corinthos-Morgan coffee mug, of all things, on his desk - and hurled it at the wall, splattering coffee everywhere and shattering the mug into a million, tiny, fractured pieces.

Realizing that hearing the noise downstairs would bring Spinelli running, the kingpin struggled to get his emotions in check, not wanting to have his housemate attempt to engage him in a discussion about his feelings. Not that Jason minded that the computer hacker cared and he was thankful to have his roommate around right now, it was just that Jason had no idea how or what he was feelings except for a sense of great loss, a loss that only one person could fill, and that person was gone to him forever.

So, taking a deep breath inward, Jason turned to face his roommate as he came barreling down the stairs.

"Stone Cold, are you okay? I heard a most distressing noise emanating from the lower level of our humble abode."

Jason quickly answered the young man, "I'm fine Spinelli."

"Unfortunately, as I look around and see caffeine laced liquid on our walls and Stone Cold's state of undress, I must disagree with my master's assessment. He is far from fine. May the grasshopper be of some respectful assistance?"

Sighing and rubbing his hand across his face as he had just minutes ago with Carly, Jason mumbled, "Spinelli, it's fine. Just go back upstairs and rest."

Spinelli, tilting his head, noting the mob king's obvious distress over the loss of his beloved Maternal One, tried a different approach. Beseechingly, the Jackal benevolently replied, "Jason...., let me help you."

Jerking his head at the use of his given name coming from Spinelli's lips, the stoic blonde just stared at his close friend. And, without a word, Spinelli walked over and finished the task of buttoning Jason's shirt, leaving the top two buttons open.

All Jason could do at that point was look at his friend, nod his head, and quietly say, "thank you," before heading out the door.

~~~

Jason had decided to drive his SUV to the service at the Queen of Angels church, saving the motorcycle ride for later after he had said his goodbyes to Elizabeth. Therefore, no one had heard his approach as he entered the church. The service hadn't yet started, and the extra time gave the mob boss the ability to study his surroundings and prepare for what was yet to come.

The hospital workers that had survived the bio-toxin crisis and fire had congregated to the right side of the church, near the back. Jason spotted Patrick, Robin, Epiphany, Nadine, Lainey, Matt, and Kelly all sitting quietly, whispering amongst themselves on how sad they were for the loss of a dear friend and co-worker and how much they were going to miss her. Then on the left, close to the center of the church, were Monica and Edward. It actually gave Jason a sense of relief to see that his family, however strained their relationship may be, had come to honor the woman he loved. Although they didn't know how close he and Elizabeth were or how much she had meant to him, it was a comfort nonetheless.

But, as Jason drew his gaze to the front of the church, the calmness he had just experienced quickly faded. First, he saw Ric. Jason could feel his fists start to clench by his side, and then his fury increased as the blonde noticed Lucky, Nicolas, and Sam all standing in a circle talking between themselves, ignoring everyone else around them, Audrey seated in the front pew, holding Jake as he slept soundly. What had angered Jason the most, though,, was seeing little Cameron Webber, alone, standing in front of his mommy's picture, trying to understand what was happening and trying to be brave all at the same time. It broke the mob kingpin's heart, and all he wanted to do, in that moment, was take Elizabeth's son in his arms and comfort him like he knew his mother would have had she still been there with them to do so.

Then, for unexplained reasons, the toddler turned and looked towards the back of the church and recognition immediately hit him as he saw who had entered. Without hesitation, the little boy began to run down the center aisle, yelling Jason's name as he leapt into the waiting man's arms. It was then that all the guests turned to see Elizabeth's son being held and comforted by one Jason Morgan. Lucky, quickly angered by the new arrival, hurriedly walked down the aisle and immediately removed Cameron from Jason's grasp.

With no respect for the child or their surroundings in a church, Lucky bitterly yelled at the mobster, "you have a lot of nerve, Morgan, showing up here. You need to go. NOW! You aren't welcomed… will NEVER be welcomed around me or my children again, and, if I ever catch you coming near either of my sons again, I will charge you for harassment and possibly endangering a minor, for we all know what happens to people who get too close to the great Jason Morgan."

Jason just stared at Lucky as he spouted out his hateful words, amazed at the younger man's arrogance. But, in all honesty, he shouldn't have been surprised. Lucky had always been selfish. Why would Elizabeth's Memorial Service be any different?

The mobster then watched as Lucky turned and carried a crying Cameron towards the front of the church. It was enough to spur him into action. but, before he could take a step, both Nicolas and Patrick were in front of him, blocking his way.

Patrick spoke first. "Look, we are all upset, but don't you think staying here would make a bad situation worse?"

Nikolas' words followed. "Patrick's right. Just go. I will call you when the service is over so you can come back and say your goodbyes in private. Please, Jason, just this once, do as I ask."

Jason wanted to argue. He was so angry, but this wasn't about him. It was about Elizabeth and saying goodbye to the woman he loved.

"Just make sure you call me."

But, before the blonde left, the occupants watched as the mob boss of Port Charles, ignoring all those around him, walked to the front of the church and kneeled before a now seated Cameron, taking the young boy in his arms once again, challenging Lucky with his icy gaze to stop him. Trying to keep his tears from falling, Jason gently kissed Cameron on his forehead and whispered softly so only the little boy could hear. Using the same sweet, loving voice he had always used with his mother, he said, "Cameron, remember I am always here for you."

And, as he rose, he gave a long glance towards Jake, reaching out and brushing his hand along his soft, spiky, matching blond hair. Looking at Audrey, Elizabeth's grandmother and only family present, Jason addressed the elderly woman. "I am very sorry for your loss."

After turning to gaze at Elizabeth's picture for more seconds than most had wished him to, the mobster promptly left the church, glancing at no one as he left.

~~~

Much later that day, Ric entered his home Martha's Vineyard, exhausted from the day's events. Going to Elizabeth's Memorial Service had been tough. No matter what people believed, Ric had truly loved the petite brunette with all of his heart and grieving for her had been a trying experience. His greatest satisfaction had been watching Jason Morgan pretty much get forced out of Elizabeth's service. It probably wasn't proper for him to be so happy during such a sad occasion, but, when it came to the onetime enforcer and now mob boss, Ric only held ill will for the other man.

Immediately putting away his thoughts of the day, Ric began to think of his life to come, and, as he opened the door to the upstairs bedroom, Ric couldn't help but smile inwardly at the sight before him.

Warmly, he greeted her. "Hello, Beautiful."

People were always underestimating Ric Lansing. That was their biggest mistake. For what people didn't realize was that Ric was smart… very smart. He always had a backup plan, one that would always benefit him. The mob lawyer was always thinking ahead, and, now, all his forethought had paid off. Not that finding Elizabeth Webber had been his original plan, but, once this unexpected turn of events landed almost literally in his lap, Ric was intelligent enough not to turn down a gold mine opportunity when he saw it.

Oh, the man had no illusions of the nurse's feelings for him. Yet, even knowing Elizabeth's true feelings didn't deter the lawyer from thinking of 'what could have been.' The misguided female had always harbored an unhealthy, insane devotion to that brain damaged thug, one Ric would never understand or want to try, but what the plotting male did know was that, in the right situation, any one's feelings could be manipulated and redirected. And Ric knew there were times when he could be very persuasive.

Although even if he couldn't sway the petite brunette to see the error of her ways, it truly didn't change anything for Ric. He was determined and driven to receive the power and respect that had always eluded him, and this time no one was going to stand in his way - not his father, not Sonny, and especially not Jason Morgan, for as much as the two 'more than friends' tried to hide their connection, Ric knew it was there, and he was definitely going to use it to his advantage.

The plan initially had been simple at first. Ric knew his life was in danger due to Claudia's betrayal, so the mob consigliere planned to flee the hospital during the commotion, transfer funds into an offshore account, and escape to parts unknown as expediently as possible. Yeah, he would have regrets, especially about leaving Molly, but, at that point, it was all about survival.

The first part had been simple. The ever thinking male had easily escaped the hospital before the fire had spread to the stairwells making them impassable. But then the helicopter crash occurred. Ric hadn't planned on assisting anyone; he was solely focused on putting as much distance between Port Charles and himself as quickly as possible. Yet, during his departure, the lawyer came upon Elizabeth, unconscious in the snow. It would have been so easy to leave her there to possibly die, but, as heartless as Ric was, he couldn't do it. Elizabeth didn't deserve to die.

So, once he made the decision to help the single mother, he realized she was a solution to all of his problems. Having Elizabeth gave him power over his one true enemy: Jason Morgan. First, though, he had to get her medical attention and then out of Port Charles. Initially taking her back to his place, Ric had made a call to a doctor he knew from his many mob dealings, one who could easily be paid off to keep his mouth shut.

Once the physician had been procured, Ric had left a message for Alexis letting her know he was going out of town to grieve his father's death and would call her upon his return. Using his family's home in Martha's Vineyard seemed like the perfect solution. No one would question Ric going there after his father's untimely demise. Plus, it gave him the privacy he needed to keep Elizabeth out of sight.

The doctor had met Ric on the island and, after completing a thorough examine of the brunette, deemed the young woman uncharacteristically well considering the plane crash the lawyer had described to the medical professional. Elizabeth had no internal injuries, just a concussion and some bruised ribs that would heal with rest. The physician wrote out a prescription for pain and informed Ric to call if the patient started to spike a fever. The doctor then left, taking his fee, never once asking for the patient's name.

Everything had been going well except for the fact that Elizabeth had yet to wake up. The doctor had assured the lawyer that her body was just healing and she would wake when ready. It had been a week, and, again, Ric was growing concerned. Ric demanded that the physician return and examine her once more. Upon the doctor's arrived, Ric informed the man that he had to go out for a couple of hours and he would pay him generously to stay with the patient once he completed his examine and until Ric returned. The greedy physician readily accepted, for he had three children in college. The doctor would not turn away any sufficient payment, especially one that was tax free.

The once mob lawyer hated to leave Elizabeth alone with a stranger, fearing she would wake up, but he needed to make an appearance at the young mother's Memorial Service. It would have looked suspicious, in Ric's mind, if he had not been there to pay his respects. As it was, it had been well worth the trip to watch one Jason Morgan get, in his mind 'thrown out' of Elizabeth's service. Then, as he was heading back, Ric got the call he had been waiting for: the brunette had awakened. She was still groggy and unsure of her surroundings, but she was awake. The physician assured Ric he had told her nothing and had asked nothing from the patient. The doctor was greedy but not stupid. He knew of the lawyer's mob connections, and he did not want to get involved. Once the man had returned, the doctor was to make a hasty exit and never to speak of his association with Ric ever again.

Yet, once Ric returned, things started to spiral out of control. Well, not at first. Elizabeth, initially, was extremely grateful for Ric's help. Hell, she was thankful and kind, knowing it was because of him she had survived the helicopter crash, but, once the young mother realized her ex-husband was not allowing her to leave, things began to unravel. He remembered her pleas.

"Ric, please just let me go home to my children. They need their mother."

The ex-husband had tried to reason with the young mother, promising her that she would be reunited with her children in due time, but the stupid girl wouldn't listen. Ric attempted to alleviate her fears by saying, once it was safe, he would bring them and then they could be the family that had once dreamed of with Cameron, Jake, and even Molly. He took her hands, caressing them, trying to soothe her, but it only seemed to make her madder. So, he had lifted his hands to caress her beautiful, angelic cheeks and leaned in to kiss her, and she spat in his face.

"Don't ever touch me like that!"

Elizabeth had yelled with more fury then he had known her to posses, and then she said the words he always loathed to hear.

"Only Jason touches me that way. There will never be a you and me, Ric, NEVER!"

It had taken all the Ric's control to not slap her at that moment, to teach her a lesson, but he wouldn't, couldn't lose control, not now, not when he was so close to getting what he wanted. But the lawyer couldn't control his tongue and he lashed out with a fury he, too, could possess.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Elizabeth, about your children, because they and everyone else in Port Charles thinks you are dead. Did you hear me? DEAD! No one is coming to find you. There will be no white knight coming to your rescue, so, 'Beautiful,' you better get acquainted with you accommodations really good, because you are going to be here for a long time. We could have been good together, Elizabeth, but you've ruined it, and, now, you are going to have to live with the consequences of your actions."

Ric watched as the Elizabeth paled with the knowledge that everyone thought she was dead. He saw the fear behind those gorgeous, sapphire eyes, and he found great joy in that emotion. Fear. She needed to fear him now. Ric had all the power and it was about time EVERYONE started to realize it.

Ric had, though, underestimated the determination of a mother, a mistake the lawyer would not make again. He had caught Elizabeth venturing out of bed to escape. Luckily, she hadn't hurt herself during her unsuccessful attempt to flee, for Ric needed her healthy, but he also realized he needed to contain her as well, and, to do so, drastic measures needed to be taken. Knowing she would drink and eat if only to sustain life in the hope that she would one day be reunited with her children, her ex-husband drugged her drink and, as she slept, he handcuffed her to the bed.

Now, aligned with the knowledge that, for the moment, Elizabeth was contained and going to sleep for hours, Ric decided it was time to make another visit back to Port Charles to begin the second phase of his plan.

~~~

"Diane, there has to be something we can do!"

Jason couldn't contain his fury. The need to break something was becoming so intense. His hands were balled into fists by his sides, his nails digging into his palms from how tightly he held them closed. The mobster was itching to grab something, anything, just to hear it shatter into a million pieces. The sound would hopefully ease the anger that continued to well up inside of him. But, in his heart, he knew it wouldn't change anything. In fact, all it would do was bring Spinelli scurrying out of his room to come and inspect what damage his employer had now created.

After the Memorial Service, the don had come home, planning to tear his penthouse apart. Saying goodbye to Elizabeth had been one of the hardest things the onetime enforcer had ever done. How could he say goodbye to her? The man had never been good with words when she was alive, and, now, ironically, he found himself pouring his heart out to a picture. A picture! The woman he had loved longer then he could remember deserved better than that. Elizabeth had warranted more from him. All she had ever done was support, listen, and trust him. And what did he do? He kept pushing her away. The only comfort Jason had felt was that, at least, before her death she had known, without a doubt, how Jason felt about her, that finally he was ready to take responsibility for his actions and have a life with her, have a family with her.

But, when he got home, Spinelli had been waiting, knowing 'his master' would be in agony, and immediately sent him upstairs to his gym to pour out his frustrations on his punching bag. And Jason had. He keep hitting, and hitting, and hitting until his knuckles bled, until he dropped down to the floor from exhaustion and wept. Jason Morgan, tears pouring down his face, mourned his loss, and, when he could cry no more, the man got up to take a shower to start his life again with a heavy heart, without his Elizabeth.

The next day Jason received the call from his lawyer, reluctantly informing him that he was not mentioned in Elizabeth's will and should not appear at the reading. Jason wasn't surprised. He and Elizabeth had been apart up until the last moments of her life. Her last will and testament wouldn't have had him mentioned, for they were apart, agreeing it would have been too dangerous for him to have been a part of her life and her young children's lives as well. Yet, it still tore him up inside to know that Lucky had been given guardianship of Cameron and Jake. He wasn't angry with Elizabeth. The mobster was angry at himself for all the poor choices he had made since learning the truth about Jake's paternity. It should have been then that he declared his love for Elizabeth and made her realize that a marriage to him wouldn't be one of convenience but one of love. But he hadn't, and, now, he was paying the consequences.

Jason realized that, for a man who had always preached you can't look back and think of the 'what ifs,' that was all he had done since Elizabeth's death. Yet, knowing he was responsible for the fate that had now been instilled upon Jake and Cameron only angered him further.

The past week, since Elizabeth's will reading, Jason had been checking up on Cameron and Jake, and what he found infuriated the mob king only further, for every time he had received a report or witnessed himself the actions of the supposed 'great' father Lucky Spencer, he found the young man lacking in every way. Lucky was either ignoring the two young boys or pawning them off on whoever would watch them. Jason himself witnessed him drop them off at his grandmother Leslie's house on Monday, then at Bobbie's on Tuesday, then at Audrey's on Wednesday and, on Thursday, the guard he had tailing the kids reported that the father had deemed them worthy of his company only to take them to Sam's apartment and have them watch videos while he and his 'girlfriend' engaged in other activities in a locked bedroom not fifteen feet from where they were.

It was after this last report that had Jason contacted Diane to start taking action, but his lawyer was not producing any viable solutions to the problem at hand.

"Look, Jason, we can petition the courts to take a paternity test on Jake, proving to the courts that you are his biological father. Once that is proven, you can make claim to Jake, but you have no claim to Cameron. He would have to remain with Lucky, and we both know Elizabeth would never want her boys separated."

"Damn it, Diane, I know this. I don't need a dissertation on what can't be done; I need to know what can be done."

And, then, not being able to reign his anger in any longer, Jason, who had been standing by the bar, the bar where he had grabbed two shot glasses for him and Elizabeth so long ago, took what was probably one of those same shot glasses and sailed it across the room towards his fireplace, hearing it smash into those million pieces he had been craving so much. The sound eerily calmed him. But, then, Jason heard Spinelli's racing footsteps and watched as Diane moved slowly towards his front door, readying herself to flee at any moment, never witnessing her employer lose control that way, and, immediately, he regretted his actions.

Moving slowly towards Diane, placing both hands in the front pockets of his jeans, Jason calmly spoke. "I'm sorry, Diane. I didn't mean to lose my temper and sca… startle you," for Jason knew very little scared his attorney.

But, before Diane could respond, Spinelli came bounding down the stairs, his computer attached at his side, ready to take flight from the disturbance he had heard below. Realizing it was just his master releasing obvious tension tightly wound within his body, the Jackal decided to see if he could be of some assistance. Calmly he asked, "Stone Cold, what now has caused you this most obvious, grievous distress?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Spinelli. I am sorry to have lost my temper again."

As Jason turned to head to the kitchen to retrieve a brush and dustpan to clean up his mess, he missed his attorney mouth to his employee "again?," and all Spinelli could do was raise his eyebrows and shrug his shoulders saying 'well, what did you expect?'

Before the mobster could make it in to the kitchen, however, he heard Spinelli call out to him, "Stone Cold, is there not something I, the Jackal, can do to help, say something that the most law abiding one could not?"

Yet, before Jason could say anything, he heard Diane very pointedly respond to Spinelli, "No sir, Mr. Grasshopper, are you to do any hacking. Do you have any idea the lengths to which Jason has gone to keep you out of Federal Prison? No more!"

"Oh, come on Brusque Lady of Justice, I know I can help if only you tell me what the problem may be."

This time it was Jason to speak first. "No, Spinelli, Diane is right. You shouldn't be hacking into anything. Plus, this isn't something you can help me with. The only thing that could help me was if some way Cameron Webber was my biological child and not Zander Smith's."

And before the words were out Jason's mouth, he knew he had said too much, because, as he looked at Spinelli, the mobster could already bear witness to the wheels turning in the hacker's head.

"Spinelli, no, do not even think about doing whatever you are thinking of doing." And, as Jason was talking, he moved to reach for Spinelli's laptop. But, for once, the computer geek outwitted his employer and moved before he could reach his intended target.

"Stone Cold, it would be so easy for me to change said history, for I can only assume that you and the Fair Elizabeth were close back then. It wouldn't be hard for me to hack into the hospital's main frame and add a paternity test stating you were Cameron's father."

As Spinelli spoke he saw a sadness gleam over his master's eyes, "Stone Cold...?"

Before Jason responded, the two roommates heard their feared legal eagle speak up yet again. "Enough, you two! I do not want to be privy to any 'alleged' hacking of any kind. Even though I have no doubt it would be in the best interest of Elizabeth's children to be under Jason's care, there is nothing we can do at this time. But you don't pay me the big bucks for nothing. I didn't earn every pair of Jimmy Choos in my closet by wringing my fingers and taking the easy road. If there is something..."

Yet, before Diane could finish what she was about to say, Jason's front door opened, and Sonny walked in. "Jason, we need to talk." Then Sonny took in Diane and Spinelli's presences in the room and asked, "am I interrupting something, because, if I'm not, I really need to talk to Jason. Alone."

Diane, knowing the implications from Sonny's statement, grabbed her briefcase off Jason's desk and gave her one time employer a heated glare and said, "I no longer take orders from you, but Jason and I were finished... for the time being." Looking pointedly at her new employer and his employee, she cautiously implored them, "remember what I said. Jason, I will take care of this. Just give me a little more time." And, with that, she was gone.

After watching Diane hastily exit Jason's penthouse, Sonny, for a moment, wondered why she had been there, but quickly put that out of his mind and turned to Spinelli to roughly bark, "you're still here? Go! I need to talk to Jason. ALONE!"

With that, Spinelli quickly retrieved his coat and messenger bag from the coffee table and swiftly departed.

Once Spinelli was gone, Sonny turned to Jason and said, "we need to discuss business."

"Jason, we need to talk business."

And, with those six words, Jason could, again, feel the anger start to build up inside of him - words, which used to hold so much meaning, so much importance, now just seemed empty and pointless, words, which made him cringe with regret. His hands, once more, started to curl into fists by his sides, his knuckles turning white from the intensity of his emotions. 'Business.' It always came down to that. Why it took Jason so long to see and hear the emptiness of that one word, he didn't know.

Reigning in his anger and contempt for what those words inspired, Jason shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms to his one time partner and said, "Sonny, I don't have time for this right now."

Surprised by his ex-enforcer's response, Sonny looked at him in shock. "Jason, come on man. We need to figure out what our next move should be."

Exasperated, Jason ran a hand down his face and, raising his eyebrows, stared at his on and off again rival waiting for him to continue. And Sonny didn't disappoint.

"With Zacharra gone and Claudia dead, this is the perfect time for us to pull our resources together. Think of all the power we could now have if we join the 'businesses' together."

And there is was: Sonny's true motive. Power. It was always about the power. Jason never wanted the power or the 'business.' When did things start to get so out of control? Jason didn't even recognize his life anymore. Elizabeth was dead - DEAD, and all Sonny cared about was the business. Hell, his 'wife' was dead and the supposed 'love of his life' was fighting to stay alive back down New York City, but here Sonny stood before him, thinking about how to work things to his advantage. He could have the business back for all Jason cared, but what would that accomplish? Sonny still was a hot head, making rash decisions, and this was not what Jason needed to be concentrating on right then and there.

"Sonny, I can't think about the business right now. Elizabeth is dead. Do you understand? She is dead! Her children are being raised by Lucky Spencer, Luke Spencer's kid. I just can't focus on anything else right now."

Sonny, still not getting it, continued to press the issue, "Jason, what does that have to do with anything right now? It was your decision a long time ago not to claim Jake as your son. You always said the child would be better off away from your life. Why are you suddenly changing your mind now? Because Elizabeth's dead? How does that really change anything? Your life is still the same. You were the one who had me sign away my rights to my own kids. What makes you think I'd understand why, all of a sudden, you want to claim your own? Let it go. We have more important things to discuss."

Knowing he was going to get nowhere with Sonny when it came to Elizabeth and her boys, Jason took a step back and began to think of the best way to proceed at this point. Because even though Sonny was right, Jason wasn't going to let it go, not this time, not ever again. Taking a deep breath and counting to ten like Jason had always told Carly to do, he looked at his ex-boss and decided on a different tactic. "Sonny, have you forgotten that I need to find Anthony Zacharra, that without him the Feds are going to start coming after you?"

Sonny started to lash out like he always did. "Don't you mean, if you don't find Zacharra, then that computer geek you love so much will go to prison?"

God, Jason didn't need this right now. He didn't want to have to think about Sonny and the business, or Spinelli and the FBI; all the mob boss wanted to do was think about how to get Elizabeth's children away from that bastard Lucky Spencer. The mobster knew that his current predicament was his own fault, and he knew he should let Diane do her job, but how could he? He wanted his children with him, Jake and Cameron. Shaking his head in defeat, he knew he was going to have to take care of everything else before that could happen.

Releasing a frustrated breath, the ex-enforcer looked pointedly at the man that used to mean so much to him and said, "look, Sonny, you help me find Anthony, and then we'll talk about the businesses. But honestly, don't you think John Zacharra is going to want to start having a say in things? I know the kid said he wasn't interested, but, with his father gone and his sister dead, he may have had a change of heart."

Sonny relaxed slightly, believing he had gotten Jason back on track. "Don't worry. I'll handle John."

Fully knowing that would be a very bad thing, Jason countered by saying to Sonny, "wait, the kid has become friends with Spinelli and Maxie. How about I handle John, and you just work on finding Anthony for me?"

Before answering, Sonny rubbed his forefinger and thumb across his chin, contemplating Jason's idea, concluding it was fine. Sonny nodded to his ex-enforcer and stated, "Fine, we'll do it that way, but, Jason, don't take too long on this. If we want things to happen, we need to move fast."

Just as Sonny turned and opened Jason's front door, Diane came waltzing back in. Sonny just looked at his onetime attorney, shaking his head and left, gently closing the door behind him.

Diane went from looking at the door to looking at Jason, raising her eyebrows in question. "I didn't scare him away, did I?"

Jason, starting to feel very exhausted, ran his hand again, like only moments ago when Sonny was there, down his face and asked his lawyer, "uh, did you forget something?"

"Indeed I did."

And with that statement, Diane moved towards Jason's desk, picked up the forgotten file, quickly placed it back in her briefcase, and shifted to leave. But, before she could go, the ever efficient female turned to her employer and said, "look, Jason, I don't know what transpired between you and Sonny, and I assure you I don't want to know, but I feel, not only as your attorney but also, dare I say, your friend, that getting mixed up with Sonny again can only lead to disaster."

"Diane..."

"Wait, let me finish. You are a very efficient, methodical, level headed boss, but, when it comes to that man that just left, you are blinded by loyalty. And I know I am most likely speaking out of line and could possibly lose the best retainer I have ever had, leaving me with a hole in my income for my shoe shopping, but, no matter what, this must be said. Jason, you are not happy, and I warned you this would happen. You had that chance not so long ago to grab everything you ever wanted but let it go because of your misguided loyalty. Now, you and only you are paying the consequences. I want you to think long and hard about that before you ever think of going back into an alliance with Sonny Corinthos."

Before the mob boss could answer, his attorney swiftly turned and exited his penthouse, leaving Jason alone.

~~~

As Sonny returned home from his visit with Jason, he entered his living area only to find Ric sitting on his couch, waiting for him. Already frustrated from his meeting with his ex-partner, the don walked right past his brother, not sparing him a glance, and headed straight to the bar. After pouring himself a generous amount of scotch and downing a pretty hefty sip, Sonny finally turned and addressed his guest.

"What do you want, Ric?"

Ric just smiled at his brother with a gleam in his eyes that even Sonny was surprised to see.

"Nice to see you, too, brother."

Then Ric rose from his position on the couch, and he, too, headed for the bar, pouring himself a drink. After rotating to face the older man, he said, "thanks, don't mind if I do have a drink as well."

Sonny, shaking his head at Ric's uncharacteristic smugness, moved away from the bar and sat down in the armchair facing him. "Look, Ric, I don't have time for your games, so, if you have something to say, then just say it and leave."

Looking straight at Sonny, Ric again gave him a big smile with a gleam in his eyes and took another sip of his drink. "Ah, Sonny, what's the rush? Can't I just come by to see how my brother is doing since losing his wife?"

Sonny already was getting tired of Ric. "Don't you mean your ex-lover?"

Smirking at Sonny's statement, Ric just took yet another sip of his drink and said, "Really are you so surprised I slept with Claudia? And, by the way, I don't think that bothered you for even one minute."

Rapidly growing impatient and fully knowing Ric always had an agenda, Sonny sighed. "Come on, Ric. We both know you don't come over here for friendly, brotherly chats. I don't have time to deal with you. So, tell me what it is you want so you can leave already."

"Sonny, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss me, for I can be the answer to all your problems."

Not believing him, Sonny asked, "Oh yeah, and what would those problems be?"

"How to get your business back from Jason."

Slightly surprised but not really caring, Sonny quickly tried to dismiss Ric and told him straight out, "Ric, you don't need to worry about my business. What you should be worried about is that, if I find out in any way that you knew of Anthony's plans to shoot Kate or that you knew he could walk, then there will be trouble."

Laughing now at his brother, Ric said, "Oh, come on, Sonny. You know you won't kill me. If that was the case, you would have done it a long time ago. Remember, we're blood; I'm Adela's son, and I know it eats away at you, but, because of that, you will never kill me. "

Finishing his drink, Ric placed the used glass on the bar, shifted back to face his brother, and said, "I wouldn't dismiss me so quickly, Sonny, I have information that could be very vital to you and your business. Maybe you should..."

Before Ric could finish, Carly came rushing in screeching, "Sonny, I need to talk to…" Stopping abruptly when she noticed Ric standing there, the blonde demanded, "Ric what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too, Carly." Without waiting to be asked, Ric grabbed his coat off the back of the couch, draping it over his arm, preparing to make his exit, but, before he did, the attorney turned towards his brother one more time. "I'll get back to you on the information I had." Rotating to face his ex-sister-in-law, Ric nodded his head and said, "Carly." Then he left.

Carly, watching Ric retreat with a scowl on her face, turned towards Sonny, placing her hands on her hips. "What was that all about?"

Sonny, initially recalling how smug Ric had been, quickly dismissed it and shrugged his shoulders at his ex-wife. "I don't' know."

Heading back to the bar for another drink, Carly hastily grabbed his arm, stopping him from his intended destination. "Sonny, we have to do something about Jason."

"Carly..."

"No, seriously, Sonny, I'm worried about him. He's our best friend and he's hurting."

Turning towards the blonde, the Cuban forcefully spat out, "and we're not? Carly, you lost your husband. I lost a wife and an ex-fiancée. Don't you think we're hurting, too? Is Jason concerned about that?"

"Well,… I don't know. He's been wrapped up in so many things. I just wanted to be there for him."

"Has he called to see how you were doing? Told you how sorry he was about Jax's death?" As Sonny watched Carly come to the realization that Jason hadn't been there for her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "How about we be there for each other right now? I know it's asking a lot, but I could really use some company tonight. What do you say?"

Meeting Sonny's gaze, she looked into his dark brown eyes and saw in them what her own eyes reflected: loneliness. At that moment, to Carly, that was all that mattered, so, without hesitating, she nodded her head yes, assenting to her ex-husband's request.

Sonny gave her one of his famous, dimpled smiles, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the kitchen, prepared to make them one of his best home cooked meals ever, and, as they headed that direction, Sonny decided finding Anthony Zacharra could wait until tomorrow.

Chapter Six

As Jason headed into Sonny's home, the stoic blond continued to think about what Diane had said to him the night before. When did everything change? For so long, all Jason knew was his loyalty to Sonny. The ex-enforcer owed him everything for many years of his life, but, now, he just wasn't sure what to do. Jason wasn't someone who looked back with regrets, but, since Elizabeth's death, that's all he had been doing. Should he just give the business back to the Latino and return to being Sonny's enforcer? Really, would it be that bad? Jason just shook his head, knowing he wasn't going to make any decisions right now, not until Anthony was caught, Spinelli was cleared, and Elizabeth's children were with him forever. Letting out a big sigh, Jason took a deep breath and opened the door to Sonny's living room.

"Sonny..."

But before the blond could even finish his sentence, his mouth stopped moving and his legs stopped working. Very little surprised Jason Morgan, but entering Sonny's home and seeing Carly and her former husband sharing a breakfast or, more like it, sharing food off the same plate on his living room couch stopped the mob king right in his tracks.

The former married couple glanced up from their meal, realizing they were caught in a very intimate moment. Turning towards each other and smiling, they swallowed their food and turned their attention towards their best friend.

Carly, immediately jumped off the couch and ran to Jason, wrapping her arms around him in a ferocious hug. "Jason, I'm so glad you're here."

Quickly taking his large, calloused hands and raising them to pull Carly's arms from around his neck, Jason looked at Sonny, raising his eyebrow and, without words, questioning what was going on there.

Sonny, on cue, rose from the couch, smiling big, showing off his famous dimples, shrugged his shoulders at his ex-enforcer as if silently saying, 'if it's what you're thinking, then that's what happened,' and then extended his hand in greeting. "Jason, glad to see you man."

Jason, still a little unsure of what was going on, accepted the handshake and got right down to business. "We need to talk."

Sonny, not wanting to allow Jason to take control of the situation, immediately rotated to again face the couch and gestured towards his and Carly's dishes. "Can I offer you breakfast?"

Not being deterred, Jason pointedly looked at Sonny and repeated, "No. We. Need. To. Talk." Then, after glancing briefly at Carly, he added, "business."

Carly, desperately wanting Jason and Sonny to mend the bridge between them that had crumbled since Michael's shooting, decided to, for once, make things easier and, after glancing between her ex-husband and best friend, she knew exactly what she was going to do. Proud of her ingenuity, the blond smiled. Jason and Sonny, seeing Carly's mind start to work, both groaned in frustration.

"Carly…," the two ex-friends said in unison.

But she didn't even flinch at either of their reprimands. The previous Mrs. Jax just quickly maneuvered herself around to the back of Sonny's couch, reaching for her coat and draping it over her arm as she replied, "Oh, don't worry, you two. I know when I am supposed to leave the room. The word business is Carly's cue to exit." With that statement, both men raised their eyebrows in question towards the blond. "Okay, well not always, but this time I do. But..." Now pointedly looking at Jason, she said, "I will only go if Jason promises to come to Kelly's reopening later this afternoon."

Jason just visibly sighed, and, meeting Carly's stare, he said, "Carly, you know why that's not a good idea."

Not about to be deterred by her best friend, Carly countered, "Oh, come on, Jason. What could possibly happen? Sonny and I have talked." Jason just glared at her, not really believing that last night his former two best friends had actually done any talking. He knew them both all too well. Carly stomped her foot in frustration, wanting her best friend to believe and understand what she was saying, and continued, "I mean really talked, and we have agreed that both of us have made our fair share of mistakes, ones that those closest to us have paid dearly for, but we want to make an effort to correct our past mistakes. We are going to try and see where this takes us. Sonny and I have agreed to take things slow." Realizing, though, that what Jason walked in on did not paint the picture of slow, Carly hastily tried to continue to explain, "Well... slow for Sonny and I, and let's just leave it at that."

Wanting to come to his ex-wife's rescue, Sonny walked over to Carly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close to him, and decided to take over. "We aren't going to take undue risks, we will have guards with us, and we're just starting with going to Kelly's." Shrugging his shoulders again and glancing at Carly before turning his attention back to Jason, Sonny said, "from there, who knows what will happen."

Stepping over to Jason, Carly gave him a quick hug. "Jason, we want you to be there with us. It would mean a lot to Morgan and to Sonny and me. Besides," smiling up at him, she added, "I am sure my Mom wouldn't mind seeing you. And who knows. Maybe Cameron and Jake will be there, too. I did hear that Mama was babysitting last night." And, with that last statement for Jason to think about even after she was gone, Carly exited the room.

Both men watched and waited for the blond to leave, visibly relaxing as they heard the front door close.

Knowing Jason wanted to get down to business immediately, the present head of the Zacchara organization strode over to his bar and glanced back at his former enforcer, asking while offering him a bottle of water, "so, what's so important?"

Shaking his head at the offer for a drink, Jason responded, "I spoke with John Zacchara last night. We've set up a meeting at an old run down garage on the outskirts of town later today."

Sonny dipped his head forward, acknowledging that he had heard Jason's statement, and said, "okay, let me know what happens." Then the mob kingpin began to rub his forehead, stating, "I… uh... didn't get much done last night." Looking up and smiling at Jason, the Latino's dimples flashed. All the while, Jason remained silent, staring at his former boss while waiting for him to continue. "I promise to look into Anthony's whereabouts this morning. I will hopefully have something before your meeting."

Jason nodded in recognition and moved to leave, but, as he went to open the door, he stopped, hearing Sonny call out to him.

"Jason, it really would be great if you could meet Carly, Morgan, and myself at Kelly's. I think it would do us all some good."

The blond mob king paused for just a second, didn't look back, and then left the room.

Sonny sighed, not sure what Jason would do, but hoped he would show up later.

~~~

Elizabeth woke up disoriented and confused. At first, the brunette was unsure of where she was, but then, like a tidal wave knocking her down, it instantly came flooding back. She was in Ric's family home on Martha's Vineyard Island, and, not only was she in his home, but the young mother was also handcuffed to a bed in said home with no foreseeable escape. She didn't even want to think about why the ex-DA had handcuffs on hand. No doubt not for making arrests… right?

Thinking back to when she woke up, it probably hadn't been the smartest idea to antagonize her ex-husband, but, when she thought about the way he touched her, caressed her hands, and stroked her face like Jason would, her inner 'Lizzie Webber' just couldn't stay dormant. She had to fight back. Whether it was the right or wrong thing to do, well... looking at her cuffed hand and shaking her head, Elizabeth came to the conclusion that it really wasn't the right thing to do.

She knew Ric though, knew what the man was capable of. The young nurse just had to be smarter than him. His smugness was his greatest weakness, but the fact that the lawyer had cuffed her to the bed also told his ex-wife that he was scared. Oh, he was definitely scared of the possibility she would escape. Now, all Elizabeth needed to do was start to play Ric's little game, no matter how repulsive. She had to make him believe he was winning. It was the only way she could think of to get back to her boys and back to Jason.

Jason… Oh, how she missed him - being in his arms and feeling safe from the whole world. It had been too long, and, right when she thought that yearning and pain of missing him would finally be gone, her whole world was ripped apart once again. The young mother could only imagine what he and her boys were going through.

Unconsciously, as she began to think of the man she loved, the brunette raised her graceful index finger to her mouth, stroking her full bottom lip back and forth with her digit, remembering vividly the last kiss they shared. Elizabeth then recalled how the usually stoic blond took her left hand and oh so gently and sweetly kissed her ring finger, with a promise that was yet to come. And then, again without conscious thought, the young woman began to stroke her left ring finger as it hung limply in the handcuff, secured to the bed's headboard.

Gathering all of her strength, cognizant of what she had to live for, Elizabeth made a resolution to herself that she would get out of this alive and return to her family, and the one thing Ric had done was underestimate 'Lizzie Webber.' Oh, Elizabeth Webber could be manipulated and fooled but not 'Lizzie.' No, she was a force to be reckoned with, one Mr. Ric Lansing never saw coming.

Then, suddenly, Elizabeth heard a door open and close. Realizing that Ric must be home, the brunette tried to control her racing heart rate and rapid breathing. She wasn't ready yet. Elizabeth still needed to formulate a reasonable and obtainable plan, so, preferring not to have to think on her feet, especially since she knew most likely that she had been drugged the night before, the young nurse decided to feign sleep for the time being until she was more prepared to deal with her ex-husband.

~~~

Ric entered his home tired. His meeting with Sonny had not gone as planned, but it didn't matter. He still had the upper hand. He still had his ace in the hole, and, hopefully, that little jewel that was stashed away upstairs was still resting quietly. Poor Elizabeth. She still hadn't fully begun to appreciate who was in control, who held all of the power. Ric sighed, thinking of the pretty brunette. They could have been so good together, but, again, her misguided loyalty and love to that thug Jason Morgan ruined everything.

The lawyer had wanted to return the prior night so as not to give his ex-wife the possibility of escaping, but Ric knew it would be suspicious, even for him, not to visit Molly since he had driven into Port Charles for his meeting with Sonny. So, Ric took a chance, knowing that the drug he had given Elizabeth would most likely keep her unconscious throughout the night, and he decided to spend the evening in the little town that he soon would control. Now that he was home, though, he needed to check on his insurance plan.

However, as Ric turned to head up the stairs to her bedroom, he was startled by a noise off to the left in the living room. Stepping down onto the landing, Ric jumped back, his surprise evident upon his face as he saw what had made the noise. The ex-mob lawyer had a guest, a very uninvited guest, and his new company was sitting on his couch with a gun pointed right between the attorney's eyes. Ric, trying to hide his displeasure at this unexpected event, went to speak, but the intruder stopped him before the young man could get a word to pass through his lips by cocking his revolver.

Using the gun to gesture his host further into the living room, the intruder said, "hello, Ric. We have a lot to talk about."

My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Seven

Ric, startled, at first, by his unexpected guest but more especially by the revolver that was so precariously pointed towards his head, recovered quickly and proceeded to offer the intruder one of his most devious, full on smiles. White teeth glaring, the lawyer tepidly made his way down the foyer landing and into the living room, casually seating himself on the couch. Turning to look at his visitor, Ric, with all the control and confidence he could muster with the open ended barrel of a gun glaring in his vision, waited for the gentleman to speak. When he didn't, the lawyer decided to start.

Trying not to sound nervous but not particularly succeeding, Ric, with a smile still on his handsome face, shakily greeted, "Anthony, it's nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Joggling the gun back and forth, relishing in Ric's unease, Anthony, in return, gave Ric one of his own devilish smiles and responded, "Ah, Ric, you foolish man. I think you know exactly why I am here."

Crossing his legs, Ric leaned back, draping his arm along the edge of the top of the sofa. "Well, so there is no misunderstanding, why don't you enlighten me?"

Anthony, enjoying this cat and mouse game, laughed at his onetime lawyer. "Ric, you amuse me so, you really do. Trying so hard to play it cool, but you were never one to play the game well. You betrayed me, and, now, you will have to pay the price."

Ric, still grinning but starting to sweat underneath his suit, removed his arm from the back of the couch and lowered it to smooth his tie down his chest and stomach. He then uncrossed his legs and rested both elbows on his knees, biding his time before he spoke, contemplating his words carefully. He had to figure out a way to hold off Anthony from killing him and then somehow kill him first. Ric was not going to let some crazy old man ruin what was finally within his grasp.

"Anthony, it wasn't really me who betrayed you, was it? No, it was your conniving, backstabbing daughter who did that. So, if you are to blame anyone, it really should be Claudia. Lucky for us, she's dead." Pausing and taking a deep breath in an attempt to gauge the older man's reaction, Ric continued, "unless… you are actually morning her death?"

When Anthony remained silent, Ric, knowing his life was on the line, kept talking. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Ever since I met you, you have wanted to be rid of your first born."

"Enough!" Anthony yelled, quickly silencing the younger man. "Ric, you betrayed me by sharing confidences with Claudia. Now, Corinthos wants me dead. That is a most regrettable thing. So, I am now forced to leave my home and my business to save my life, but, before I leave to escape my fate, and, yes, Ric, I will escape, it is your turn to die."

As Anthony cocked the gun, readying it to fire, Ric jumped up, bringing his arms forward as he yelled at the man. "Stop! Just stop, Anthony, before you do something foolish!" Starting to breathe heavily, Ric tried to quickly let the man know he had the upper hand on Sonny and Jason. "I have something that can solve all our problems, something that will see to it that you won't have to flee town, something that will both regain control of your organization from Sonny but also give you Jason's as well. Just let me show you. I promise you that won't be disappointed. It is the answer to both of our problems."

Keeping the revolver fixed right between the lawyer's eyes, the Zacharra head responded, "how do I know you're not lying, trying to bide your time so you can try to kill a crippled old man?"

Nervously laughing, slightly confident the crazy don wasn't going to fire, at least not yet, Ric lowered his arms and said, "come on, Anthony. We both know you aren't crippled or weak. Why would I lie now when my life is on the line?"

"Why indeed. If I knew how your mind worked, Ric, we wouldn't be in this situation now, would we? You were fooled by a woman, and that makes you weak. I don't trust weak men." But the older gentleman had become intrigued by Ric's statement nevertheless, so, wanting to gain more information before killing the lawyer, the mob king disengaged the gun and lowered it to his side. "Alright, Lansing, tell me what it is that is so valuable that it will save your life."

Ric, letting out a deep breath in relief, said to the older man, "not it… but who. I have the one person that can bring Jason Morgan to his knees. You wanted to know the enforcer's weakness. Well, I have it, and, with it, we can force the thug to finally turn on Sonny and soon be rid of both men for good, leaving the territory to us."

The lawyer's smugness intrigued Anthony. "Alright, Ric, let's see what it is you have to show me. Just remember the fate of your life is in the hands of this mystery person. I hope they don't let you down."

Ric nodded at the older gentleman, turning to lead him up the stairs to Elizabeth's room, thinking I hope she doesn't let me down either.

~~~

Elizabeth finally heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The brunette wasn't sure how long she had lounged there waiting for Ric to enter her bedroom. Anticipating his arrival had been torture on the young woman. She knew, at this point, that her ex-husband was unstable and preventing him from going over the edge would take all of the acting skills she possessed. But, then, the young mother heard something she didn't expect; she heard more than one pair of footsteps heading down the hallway towards her prison, and the brunette couldn't help but begin to feel hope that someone had followed the lawyer to his Martha Vineyard's home. That someone, hopefully, would discover she was alive, and they would help her escape so that she could return to the life waiting for her in Port Charles.

Deciding it was best to still pretend to be asleep, the young mother stayed in her fetal position, underneath the covers, her arm restraints making it difficult to get comfortable. However, the ruse was enough so that it appeared she was still unconscious. Working hard to even out her breathing, Elizabeth heard the door start to open, and her heart started to beat rapidly. She began to pray that Ric wouldn't hear the telltale sign of edgy alertness.

Then she heard Ric whispering to the other person, and she was shocked when she heard Anthony Zacharra's voice. Of all the people that would find her, why did it have to be that crazy loon? Silently sighing at her bad luck, Elizabeth began to try and think of how she could use this to her advantage. She was a woman; the man hated women. Plus, she foiled his plans at the Black and White ball. That was certainly not a good thing. He had also previously approached her at the hospital, and she was less then welcoming. Inwardly groaning, the brunette kept trying to come up with anything that might help her. She then realized they were talking, and it would probably prove her well if she tried to listen to what they were saying. Closing off her mind, Elizabeth tried to just focus on what the two men were discussing just outside her door. She could feel their gaze on her body. Her skin began to crawl, but she still remained motionless, not giving anything away to the men.

As Anthony peeked into the room Ric had started to enter, the Zacharra head couldn't believe his eyes. There, tied up, was the pretty brunette nurse from General Hospital. Hmmm, he thought to himself smugly. This might be a good thing after all, a very good thing. But Anthony knew how to play his cards close to the vest, so he would wait and see how Ric played this out before showing his own hand.

Whispering to his onetime lawyer he wondered out loud, "so, Ric, what does some nurse from General Hospital have to do with Jason Morgan?"

Elizabeth silently gasped, thinking that Ric was somehow going to have Anthony hurt Jason because of her. But, then, Elizabeth realized that Anthony not remembering her and Jason from the Black and White ball could be a good thing. When she heard Ric's sneering voice, her skin began to crawl all over again.

Ric, glad that Elizabeth still hadn't woken up from the drug he had given her the night before, turned to his former employer and whispered, "Ah, Anthony. What you don't realize is that Elizabeth Webber is Jason Morgan's one true weakness."

"What would this pretty young thing have to do with a mob enforcer turned mob king, and doesn't the woman have two small children from other men? Explain, Lansing, make me understand. I'm losing my patience with you very quickly." Waving his gun maniacally towards the younger man, he threatened, "and that doesn't make me very happy."

"Anthony, all you need to know is that the brainless thug would do anything for her. He thinks she's dead. We use that to our advantage, and the rest will fall into place."

It took every ounce of Elizabeth's self control not to scream at the man she once called her husband. How dare he! He would be sorry for the day he ever thought he could manipulate her. Wait it out, just wait it out, she started chanting in her mind. Ric was overly smug. He was going to make a mistake. Elizabeth only hoped that she could hold out until that point. Clearing her mind again, she tried to focus on the conversation that was going on just a few feet away.

"Lansing, you still haven't told me what your plan is."

Ric then motioned Anthony with his head out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind them.

"It's simple, Anthony. We use Sonny's need for power and control to our advantage. We bring him into the fold. No matter what Jason thinks… Well, the brain damaged thug really can't think, and that is our edge. "

Anthony was quickly getting bored with Ric, so he took his gun and pressed it right up into the lawyer's nostrils. Allowing the man to smell death, having him fear what may happen at any moment, he warned, "Ricky, old boy…" Flailing the gun back and forth only to then return to rest it against the lawyer's nose once again, he mob boss said, "I am getting impatient with you, and, when I get impatient, my hand starts to twitch. We wouldn't want me to accidentally set the gun off now, would we? After all, this is a nice place you have here. I'd feel downright terrible if your blood were to stain these beautiful hardwood floors."

Swallowing, Ric quickly finished explaining, at least enough to appease the old man. "Jason thinks Sonny forgives him for forcing him to sign his kids away and turn over the business. If I know Sonny, and I do, that is the one thing he will never forgive. We need to use the animosity that still festers between the two of them, and, by using Elizabeth, we can make that happen."

Before Anthony could respond Ric's cell phone went off. Ric, eyeing the older gentleman, raised his eyebrow, questioning where he could pull the phone out from his breast pocket to answer it or not.

Anthony, nodding his head in acquiescence, shoved his revolver one more time against the lawyer's face and forcibly whispered, "no funny business or bye-bye pretty boy Lansing."

Ric, fumbling around his coat pocket, the sweat again starting to trickle down his trunk, found his phone and quickly answered it. "Lansing." After a few minutes, Ric hung up, replacing the phone back in his pocket and whispered to Anthony, "Elizabeth's probably going to be sleeping for a while longer. Let's go downstairs, have a drink, and finish this conversation."

As they made their way downstairs, Anthony took a quick glance at the door that hid a most precious treasure indeed, only Ric didn't realize that the treasure was going to be suited for a much bigger purpose. The Zacharra don now knew exactly how he was going to escape, and he had Lansing to thank for it. It was sad really. Without knowing it, the attorney truly had become an asset to the mob king. Too bad he wasn't going to live long enough to realize it.

Ric, reaching the living room before Anthony, started to fix him a drink at the bar. Once the old man had sat down in the chair the lawyer had only just a short time ago found him in, he handed him the drink. Then fixing one for himself, Ric toasted to their new and improved alliance. Turning to face the mob king, Ric raised his glass and said, "To the start of the Lansing/Zacharra Empire!"

Simultaneously, the two took a sip. Once Anthony had lowered his glass, Ric began to speak once again. "That phone call was from my father's lawyer. I need to return to Port Charles for the reading of his will. I trust that you will keep an eye on our precious jewel upstairs."

Anthony, taking another sip of his drink, nodded in agreement. "I'll tend to her more carefully than I ever did Maria's roses."

Ric waited for a few moments as he watched the old man's eyelids start to flutter close. Once assured that the drug he had administered in the man's drink had taken effect, the lawyer removed the gun from Anthony's grasp as well as the glass, dumping out the rest of its contents. Although he placed the glass on the bar, he kept the gun with him as he headed to the door. He then turned to face his adversary, knowing he didn't have time to kill him and efficiently dispose of the body. Ric contemplated whether he should tie him up or not. The lawyer came to the conclusion that most likely Zacharra would still be asleep by the time he returned, and, then, he would finish the job of eliminating yet another obstacle in his quest for the power he had craved his whole life.

Glancing towards the stairs, Ric knew he would have to leave his safe haven here and take Elizabeth to a new location. His home has been compromised, and that was not a good thing, for, if Anthony had found him so easily, so could someone else.

With one last look, he left to go meet with his father's lawyer.

Chapter Eight

As Jason entered Kelly's, he quickly surveyed the room. Not seeing Sonny and Carly, concluding that the couple was expectantly running late, the mob king took a more thorough examination of the diner. The blond quickly realized that nothing had been changed. The eating establishment looked exactly the same as it always had. The only thing missing was Elizabeth. It was as his mind lead to thoughts of the pretty, petite brunette that had the blond closed his eyes and envisioned the version of Elizabeth who once stood behind the counter, waiting to give him one of her signature smiles and offering him a cup of coffee. Jason quickly suppressed the emotions that were starting to well up within his body as well as the tears that were slowly starting to shine on the edges of his lids and took a deep breath. Once calm, the blond put on his best stoic expression and re-opened his clear, blue eyes.

Once opened, the ex-enforcer noticed that off to his right were Maxie and Spinelli, discussing god knows what. That little blond could go on for hours, talking about absolutely nothing, and Jason could never understand a word the girl said. Spinelli, possibly seeing Jason's entrance, looked up at his roommate, giving him one of his silly grins, letting his friend know how happy he was with the company he now kept. Jason nodded at the young man, acknowledging his presence, but his gaze quickly went towards the counter straight in front of him.

It was where he heard the all too familiar laughter of Elizabeth's first born son, Cameron. Seeing the little boy sitting in one of the bar stools tugged at the man's heart. Then his eyes veered slightly to the right where, beside the young boy, was an even smaller child who was being held by Bobbie Spencer. Jason's breath caught in his throat as he saw his son so close before him. Not wanting to cause a scene, the mob king considered making a hasty exit, but, before Jason could move, Cameron had turned in his seat, hearing the jingle above the door, and saw his friend standing no more than ten feet away.

Seeing the blond, Cameron hastily jumped down from his perch and, with his little legs running as fast as they could, barreled into the man who held out his arms, waiting for the little boy who was screaming, "Jaaaaasoooon!"

Once within Jason's grasp, the blond picked up the toddler, bringing him up close to his chest, squeezing just enough so the little boy would know how much the older man had missed him. Jason, then releasing the boy just slightly from his grasp, gave the young man a kiss on his forehead as he whispered hello into his ear. And as Jason held Cameron close, he took in the little boy's scent which still to him signified Elizabeth. Sighing at how good it felt to have the child in his arms, Jason started to walk the both of them back to the counter where Cameron had been just moments before. As he reached Bobbie, the blond gently placed the little boy back on his perch and nodded to the red head before him.

Addressing her quietly, Jason said, "Bobbie, how are you?"

The older nurse eyed Jason precariously, not really wanting to offend the young man but also clearly not comfortable with the mob presence he brought to her family's establishment. "I'm fine, Jason. How are you?"

Clearing noticing the woman's unease, Jason quickly tried to alleviate her fears. "Uh... Carly asked me to stop by. If it's a problem, I can go."

Cameron, hearing Jason's words, started to get upset. "But, Jason, you just got here. Can't you stay for a little while longer? Pleeeassse."

Bobbie, seeing Cameron's distress and knowing the boy had been having such a hard time since his Mom's death, said, "No, it's fine, Jason. It's not a problem for you to stay."

The young boy, quickly excited at the thought his friend was now staying, clapped his hands in delight, smiling at the two adults. All the while, the little blond baby with the big blue eyes kept eyeing the new grown up before him. Curious as to who the man with the spiky hair was, Jake tried to reach for the new arrival.

Bobbie, trying to keep the young boy from falling, attempted to rapidly pull him back within her grasp. "I'm sorry, Jason. Jake's just at that very curious age where all people and new things fascinate him."

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Jason tried to speak calmly. "It's okay. I understand."

As Jason spoke, both he and Bobbie heard Mike call out for the redhead, needing her assistance in the kitchen. Looking towards the kitchen doors and then down at Jake and then at Jason, Bobbie did the only thing she thought she could do. Knowing how good the blond was with children, after seeing how well he had been with Michael as a baby, the nurse turned fully to face the mob king and, holding the baby boy out to the man, asked, "Jason, would you mind?"

Again swallowing another lump that had formed in his throat, Jason barely got his next words out. "No, its fine." Hastily, the man held out his arms to accept the most wonderful gift he could have received. Bobbie, not realizing the impact of her actions, quickly handed the boy off to Jason and headed into the diner's kitchen to see what Mike needed.

Now alone with Jake and Cameron, Jason's eyes again began to water once more. Lifting the boy up to hold him closely within his grasp, Jason gently gave the baby a warm hug, tenderly kissing him on the forehead, taking in his scent, just as he had done with Cameron only moments prior. This time, though, he closed his eyes so that the feel of his son within his arms and the smell that he emulated would be forever etched in his mind until he could one day claim both boys as his own and experience these moments without fear of them ever ending.

Spinelli watched from afar as him mentor and friend got to enjoy the company of his two sons without any interruption, but, unfortunately, those thoughts couldn't be sustained, because, almost immediately as Jason took his son in his arms, the door to Kelly's once again opened, and a loud booming voice could be heard disrupting every ones' meals and conversations within the small restaurant.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Jason looked up and saw Lucky angrily approaching with Sam eagerly in tow close behind him.

Inwardly sighing, knowing that his moment alone with his sons was ending before it had even really started, Jason was even more determined to end this ridiculous situation they all currently found themselves in regarding Cameron and Jake's custody arrangement as quickly as possible. Eyeing the younger man as he continued his path towards them, Jason heard Bobbie emerge from the kitchen.

Exasperated, the redhead looked at her nephew. Trying to keep her voice low, she angrily asked, "what is going on here? Lucky, why are you yelling? Could you please lower your voice? We have customers, and, since this is our reopening we really don't want to scare them away."

Looking only slightly contrite, Lucky eyed Jason and then Bobbie, demanding to know, "what is this thug doing holding my son?"

Noticing Cameron's obvious distress at his father's ranting, Jason, not wishing to make a scene in front of the two young boys, looked at Bobbie for assistance, pleading with his eyes to resolve this as quickly as possible.

Bobbie, understanding, retrieved Jake from Jason's arms and then proceeded to hand the little boy back to Lucky, stating, "Lucky, it is no big deal. Jason was just helping me out for a quick minute while I had to run into the kitchen to help Mike. Would you just calm down, please? The boy isn't hurt. Nothing happened."

Pointedly staring at his aunt, Lucky said, "yeah, well, people get killed standing too close to Jason." The older man's came off the cop's lips as a sneer. "The next time, wait for me or find someone else who can do it. Come on, Cameron, we're going to go find a table." And, with that, the man walked off, taking the two little boys with him.

Before Cameron walked away, though, sad to say goodbye to his friend, he slid down the stool, too quickly for his Dad could say anything, and gave the older man a quick hug. "I'm glad you were here, Jason. I miss you." With that whispered as only an innocent child can, the toddler hurried to join his Dad and younger brother at the booth near the jukebox towards the back of the restaurant before he could get in trouble.

Sam still stood there close to Jason, not immediately following the three to their table, and, as she watched her ex-boyfriend try to keep the anguish from his face, the brunette couldn't help but once again try to forge some kind of friendship or relationship with the blond. So, without thinking, wanting to provide the comfort the man surely needed, Sam placed her hand on Jason's forearm and squeezed it, letting him know she was offering whatever support she could give.

Jason glanced down at the hand that was now touching him. Cringing at the feelings Sam's contact elicited within him, the blond quietly but just as ruthlessly as before murmured so only his ex-girlfriend could hear him, not wishing to make any more of a scene than they already had. "I told you once before, and this is the last time I will tell you. Don't you ever touch me again."

With that, the ex-enforcer nodded to Bobbie and said, "I'm going to go. Tell Carly and Sonny for me please that I will talk to them later." Turning to exit Kelly's, he left Sam standing there alone, not sparing her another look. And, as he reached the door, it swung open to reveal Carly, Sonny, Morgan, and Lulu all entering the diner. Before saying a word to his best friends, Jason knelt down and gave his namesake a hug, telling him he had to go but would see him soon.

As he stood, Jason heard both Carly and Lulu speaking - Lulu screeching about how it was his fault that her boyfriend had broken up with her, and Carly yelling how he couldn't leave, he needed to spend time with his family. Ignoring both blondes, Jason turned his attention towards Sonny and quickly said, "I will meet you later at Bernie's office." Then he left to keep his appointment with Johnny Zacchara.

Sonny, seeing Spencer eying the crowd, nodded to his ex-enforcer and watched him head out the door. Then the Latino stared at Carly, tilting his head towards Lucky and said, "just let him go." Carly nodded, for once understanding as she watched Sonny pick up their son, thankful for the time they could spend together, and headed for a table so they could enjoy their lunch. As Carly followed and Lulu went to join Maxie and Spinelli at their table on the opposite side of the room, she knew exactly why Jason had left in such a hurry, and it had nothing to do with business.

~~~

Elizabeth, after a while, realized that no one was coming back. Pushing herself up into a sitting position to rest her back against the headboard of the bed, the brunette sighed, thankful for whatever was keeping those two vile men downstairs and away from her. Now, with the silence upon her, the young mother began to try and assess her situation.

Keeping calm was the most important thing. She couldn't let her temper take control and ruin whatever chances she might have for escape. The thought of allowing Ric to put his filthy hands on her, even for just a caress of her skin, made bile rise up in her throat, but, if that is what the young woman had to do, then that is what she would do. Nothing was more important than getting back to Jason and their boys.

Her resolve in place, Elizabeth nodded her head, convincing herself this was the only way. So, if Ric wanted to play nice, so would she… well, as nice as 'Lizzie' Webber could play. The brunette would not give her ex-husband that much power over her. For that, she was very sure about. First, though, she had to convince the lawyer to release her from the handcuffs, and, once that was accomplished, 'Lizzie' could move forward with her plan.

Hearing footsteps making their way upstairs, Elizabeth decided it was now time to put her plan in motion. No more feigning sleep; she was now ready to meet Ric and Anthony, if she must, head on. But, even though her mind was ready, she needed to get her body to catch up, because, even with all the courage she possessed in place, it couldn't prevent her heart from starting to beat rapidly and her breathing to become shallower. Damn her body's innate way of inflicting its 'fight or flight' mechanisms even if she didn't want it to. Concentrating on taking slow, deep breaths, the brunette smoothed out the blankets that remained covering her petite legs, raised her chin, and eyed the door awaiting its visitor.

As the sound got louder, Elizabeth's breathing seemed to quicken no matter how hard she tried to slow it down. Thinking it was best to stop fighting it, the young nurse took a big deep breath and watched as the door to the bedroom started to open. Gripping the sheets with her fists, Elizabeth, about to speak, opened her mouth, but, as quickly as she opened it, she shut it when she saw who had entered her room.

Rapidly recovering, the brunette, attempting to keep the contempt out of her voice, said, "Mr. Zacchara, what are you doing here?"

Fully entering the room, the older gentleman replied, "ah, Ms. Webber. You don't seem so surprised to see me which makes me believe you were already awake when your ex-husband and I were up here earlier."

Initially attempting to cross her arms over her chest and then realizing her mistake as her restraints wouldn't allow for such movement, the brunette tried to recover by again smoothing the blanket over her legs. Then the young woman raised her eyes to her guest's, quirked a finely plucked brow upward, challenging the man, and said without words, so what if I was?

Anthony started to laugh, a very sinister laugh. The petite brunette, once again, began to curl her fists into the blankets which surrounded her in an attempt to prevent the older gentleman from visibly witnessing how nervous she truly was.

Recovering from his outburst, the Zacchara head started to continue his progression further into the room as he spoke. "You amuse me, Ms. Webber. You're a pretty little thing and trying to be so brave." Unable to contain himself, the older man began to laugh again, slapping his hands on his thighs before he resumed speaking. "I can see how Morgan and Lansing would be so enamored with you. You look sweet and innocent but underneath is a fire just waiting to be ignited… which is what makes you very dangerous."

Finally reaching his destination, Anthony sat next to Elizabeth on the bed. The young mother used all of her self control not flinch at his nearness or to shudder when he brought his hand to her face and forcefully grabbed her cheeks within his grasp. Talking more loudly, he yanked her face to look directly in his eyes. "You are a woman, and women betray, but, right now, I am willing to overlook your unfortunate sex, because you are going to help me."

Jerking herself free from his grasp, the brunette questioned, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "and why would I want to help you?" Chiding herself for quickly losing her control, Elizabeth decided to try again, taking a deep breath and displaying one of her sweetest smiles. With fluttering eyelashes, she replied, "Mr. Zacchara, I really don't see how I can be of any assistance to you."

Unable to contain his amusement, the older gentleman began to laugh again, so hard tears started to stream down his wrinkled cheeks, and, once again, he began banging his hand on his knee. "Stop, Ms. Webber. Continuing to maniacally, illogically cackle, he repeated himself, "stop it, please. An old man like me really shouldn't get so excited."

Rising from the bed to stand next to the woman who had the power to save his life, Anthony continued to speak. "Let me refresh your memory with a little bit of entertainment. Unlike you, I was smart enough to trick Ric into thinking that I drank his lame attempt to drug me. I may be crazy, but I sure as hell am not stupid or a fool." Shaking his head from side to side, he relented, "but, since you were drugged, I will give you the benefit of the doubt."

Raising his hands and using them as puppets, he proceeded to put on a modest show for Elizabeth, looking back and forth between his left and right hand as he spoke.

The right hand started to speak first. "Awww, you love her."

Then the left hand said, "Okay, you can watch her die, or you can die for love. Your choice."

Back to the right hand, he raised the pitch of his voice to resemble a woman's. "Jason, no!"

Returning back to himself, his hands falling back carelessly to his sides, Anthony taunted, "so, you see, Ms Webber, I remember what happened on the parapet over a year ago. I know what you mean to Morgan. That foolish boy is in love with you. Well, I am going to use that love to escape death, and you, little lady, are going to help me. Like I said, I'm no fool."

Starting to pace before her, tilting his head to one side, he continued, "now, your ex-husband, he's a fool." Grinning, the wizened crime lord added, "a smart fool, but a fool none the less."

Sighing, for she realized that the insane man before her presently offered her the best chance to get back to Jason and the boys, Elizabeth dejectedly asked, "what do I have to do?"

Turning to face his company directly, the Zacchara head smiled at the petite woman. "It's simple, really. All you have to do is tell me things that only you and Mr. Morgan would know. You see, Ms. Webber, I am not taking you with me. Oh no, that would guarantee my death. Mr. Morgan would fire and ask questions later." Shaking his head back and forth, whether in disapproval of Jason's impetuosity or his own current unreliable position in life, he said, "no, that won't work, so, you see, I need to convince your one true love that you are still very much alive, a genuine, modern day princess in a tower, so to speak, just waiting for him to ride in on his white horse and save you from the evil, vindictive Consigliere Lansing."

Elizabeth just stared at the man, wide eyed. Before she realized what she was saying, she blurted out, "are you out of your mind? That's your plan! What if Ric comes back and moves me or, worse yet, decides to kill me?"

Eyeing the girl, Anthony shrugged his shoulders and said, "well, that would be most unfortunate... for you, but it's going to be your job to control your ex-husband. My concern is to stay alive, and telling your lover that you haven't met your maker yet is my best chance to do so."

Returning to his perch beside the brunette on the bed, the Zacchara head, once again, forcefully took Elizabeth's face within his grasp, harder this time, most likely leaving bruises on her delicate, smooth skin. "So, let's stop with all the idle chit chat, shall we? Tell me what I need to know. Once Morgan is convinced you are alive, he will need to assist with my escape from the FBI. Once that is accomplished, I will tell him where you are. So, for now, my prickly little rosebud, you are more useful to me alive than dead. But don't overestimate your worth. If you betray me with misinformation, I will guarantee you that no one will find you and that would be most unfortunate. After all, think of how devastated Morgan will be without you, and your children…" Allowing his voice to trail off, Anthony then elevated his tone and yelled, "now, tell me what I need to know!"

Outwardly sighing, Elizabeth took a deep breath and asked the older gentleman to release her face. Once he had done so, she began to tell him everything he needed to know.

Johnny waited impatiently for Jason Morgan to arrive. As he paced back and forth along the dust covered concrete, trying to calm his already frazzled nerves, the mob boss to be scanned his surroundings, shaking his head, chastising himself, because he had been deluded enough to think that this would be his way out of the mob. Initially, this old garage had seemed like the perfect solution to change his career path, but, once Claudia died, the young Zacchara knew that this 'dream' would never come to fruition.

The brooding brunette knew where his place laid and that was as the head of the Zacchara organization. It was his legacy to bear, and Sonny Corinthos was not going to stand in his way. Johnny knew that the true force behind the Corinthos-Morgan organization was one very no nonsense blond. Now, to convince Jason Morgan he was up for the task at hand. And, as the young Zacchara continued with his musings on how to convince Sonny's ex-enforcer that he should join forces with him, he heard the roar of a very loud, very powerful motorcycle approach. Hearing no other sounds, he assumed the mob boss had abided by his wishes and came alone. Johnny checked for his gun that was resting snugly within his jeans, burning a figurative hole in his lower back.

Taking a deep breath, the young man waited for his…. What was Jason Morgan? His adversary? His ally? Well, at that point, he was the man that held the young Zacchara's future in his hand. Hearing the crunching of gravel as the older man approached, Johnny decided to sit on the tool bench positioned in the back of the garage, his back to the wall so as to give him some feeling of control, however fleeting it might have been.

Jason Morgan entered through the side door to the right of the larger garage opening meant for cars in need of repair, his gun drawn, surveying the room for any 'unwelcoming' visitors. Quickly, finding no one else there, the mob boss turned his attention to the young man in the back of the room. Nodding in recognition, the ex-enforcer checked the safety on his weapon, engaged it, and returned it to its place in the back of his jeans. Once his weapon was secured, the blond crossed his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrow in question, implying to the young man before him that he should speak.

Clearing his throat and raising his chin to look the stoic man before him in the eye, appearing more confident than he felt, Johnny said, "Look, Jason, I don't know what you think about me, but I do believe that we can help each other out."

Continuing to stare at the younger man, Jason kept his face impassive, not saying a word.

Standing up, waiting for the mob boss to say something and, after waiting several minutes, realizing the older gentleman was going to remain silent, Johnny continued, "it's no secret that I don't like Sonny. Hell, I despise him. He's erratic, unpredictable, a loose cannon just like my father. I don't trust him, and a part of me believes that you don't trust him anymore either. So, that begs the question, Jason: do you still trust Sonny Corinthos?"

Still the blond remained silent.

Johnny now crossed his arms across his chest, spreading his legs into a power stance, staring at the voiceless man before him, challenging the older gentleman to finally utter a word. And, as he continued to remain silent, the young Zacchara shrugged his shoulders and said, "you know, I would say your silence meant that maybe you don't trust Sonny, but, knowing your penchant for using as few of words as possible, I am not sure what you are thinking."

Finally, Jason spoke. "What I am thinking doesn't really matter right now. What I do want to know is what your intentions are concerning my territory, the Zacchara organization, and Sonny."

Johnny nodded his head in recognition of the mob boss's statement but did not reply right away. Wanting to choose his words carefully, the young Zacchara started to pace, mindful to never turn his back on the ex-enforcer. Taking a deep breath, the brunette stopped pacing and moved to stand directly in front of the stoic blond.

"First, you should know that I don't want a mob war. I have never liked the violence that surrounds the mob. I do realize that it is not always possible, but what I can tell you is that, if I was to run the Zacchara organization, hopefully, with your help, I would try to keep peace as best as possible."

Jason continued to eye the younger man cautiously. Needing more answers, Jason decided it was time to get more specific with his questions. Keeping his protective stance, the mob boss asked, "why me?" Pausing, uncrossing his arms, and taking his right finger to his chest, Jason asked again, "why do you trust me to help you?"

"I know, if it wasn't for you, I would most likely be dead," the young Zacchara answered. "I can tell you are a man of integrity. You think with your head, you're calm, and, for the most part, in control of both your actions and your territory. I was born into a life I never wanted, but it's one I can't escape, and, since it is my cross to bear, I want to do it the best way I know how and the most peaceful way possible. I think with your guidance and support that may be possible, but, without it, I will most likely crash and burn. What you should know is this: whether you help me or not, I am going to get my legacy back from Sonny, and, if that means a mob war, well, then, so be it."

Jason nodded to the brunette, voicing, without words, that he understood.

Johnny realized he had to divulge more information in order to gain the mob boss' support. The younger man took another deep breath and, for the first time, turned to face away from the ex-enforcer. Bending his head downward and walking away from Jason, Johnny took another deep breath and said, "look, Jason, I will admit I need you, and I know you don't know whether to trust me or not. So, I will share with you a burden I have been carrying around for a long time. What you do with this information is up to you. I am only hoping that, if I share this secret with you, you will realize that you can trust me to make things right."

Taking a deep breath, he plunged on. "After I came home from being kidnapped, Claudia was consumed with wanting revenge on Sonny. I tried to get her to let it go, but she wouldn't. So, she ordered the hit at the warehouse, and, before you ask, yes, I knew about the hit, but what neither of us knew was that Michael was going to be there." Pausing, the young Zacchara turned to face the mob boss.

Johnny saw the older man's jaw clenched and his hands start to curl into fists along his sides, so tight that the knuckles were turning white. Still knowing this could mean his ultimate death, the brunette forged on. "We didn't know until after Michael was shot that he had been there, and we were consumed with guilt."

The ex-enforcer continued to remain silent, not able to speak, the rage boiling up within his soul; yet, he stood still, trying to hold his temper in check and fight the urge to pound the boy to death or even reach for his gun and shoot him on sight.

Visibly swallowing, turning his gaze away from Jason, Johnny attempted to quickly finish what he had to say. "After Michael had been shot, Claudia explained why it had been Ian Devlin to do the hit. See, my sister and the Doctor knew each other in Italy. Using their connection, they wanted to start running drugs threw the territory. They knew it wouldn't be possible with Sonny… and you… to do that. At first, Claudia had asked Jerry Jacks, but he wouldn't do it because of Jax, so Dr. Devlin volunteered. Only the good doctor wasn't smart enough to not shoot a gun with a kid around. Then everything went to hell." Pausing, the young man turned to again face the blond. "Look, Jason, I'm not telling you this because I want a death wish; I am telling you this because I want to stop the violence I want things to change. I want 'the danger' that surrounds the mob to lessen. I want to know that kids can be raised around us without dire consequences. Think about if you had a son knowing what you know. Wouldn't you want things to be better? That's what I want, and I think, if the two of us work together, we can do just that."

Finally finishing everything he had to say, Johnny waited, hoping that his confession did not mean his death. Yet, even if it did, the young Zacchara stood his ground, feeling good about finally unburdening himself with the secrets from his past. The brunette knew the outcome now could go either way - his demise or the ex-enforcers trust.

Jason didn't react at first. The fury he was feeling at that moment was bubbling up within him, looking to be released. But the mob boss didn't want to be rash; he needed to think, and the only way to do that was to get out of the old garage as soon as possible.

So, eyeing the younger man, Jason nodded his head and tersely said, "I'll be in touch," and, with those parting words, the mob boss quickly left before he could do something he just might end up regretting for the rest of his life.

~~~

Sonny entered Bernie's office with an air of confidence. The mob boss knew it was only a matter of time before Jason agreed that Sonny running the business again was in the best interest of everyone involved. Surveying the surroundings, knowing that once he took over the business once more, his old offices would need to be rebuilt, the Latino acknowledged the older gentleman who had just stood to greet him.

Eying the accountant as he came forward, Sonny began to wonder where Bernie's loyalty would rest: with him or with Jason. Shaking his head, realizing Bernie would too realize the practicality of Sonny running things again, the brunette extended his hand to the older gentleman before him.

"Bernie, it's good to see you," Sonny smiled, displaying his signature dimples that would make many women swoon.

Bernie, nervous with the Zacchara head in his offices, accepted the handshake and said, "Mr. Corinthos, how can I help you?"

Sonny was surprised by the accountant's response and replied, "didn't Jason tell you? He's meeting me here so we can discuss some business."

"Uh, Mr. Morgan didn't mention it, but, if you don't mind, I will call him just to confirm."

Sonny was now getting a little annoyed with the older gentleman and brusquely said, "Bernie, it's me - Sonny Corinthos. If I tell you Jason and I have a meeting, then we have a meeting."

Bernie, not wishing for a confrontation with the Latino replied, "Uh, Mr. Corinthos, I meant no disrespect. It's just you do head up Mr. Morgan's rival organization. Let me just step out into the room next door and call him." Holding up his forefinger to the younger man, the accountant headed towards the door and said, "I'll be right back."

Bernie had been gone for only a few minutes when Sonny heard a knock on the door.

Taking control, the brunette said, "come in."

As the door opened, Sonny observed an elder gentleman nervously make his way into the office.

Curious, Sonny asked, "can I help you?"

The man started to fidget, adjusting his simple yet functional tie. "Uh, I was told I could find a Mr. Jason Morgan here."

Puzzled, because Sonny did not recognize the male before him, the mob boss decided to question who this person was. "Well, I'm Mr. Morgan's partner." Extending his hand to the jittery male, he continued, "whatever you need to tell him, you can tell me."

Wiping the sweat that was starting to form on his forehead, the man said, "Well, I was told to talk to Mr. Morgan."

"It's alright, I promise. Whatever you tell me, I will relay to Jas… to Mr. Morgan."

The older gentleman, just wanting to retreat from the office as quickly as possible, decided just to tell the Latino before him his plight and be done with the whole mess. "Well, my name is Dr. Goldsmith. I am a physician in a small little hospital about forty minutes from here. I just recently returned from vacation, and, upon my return, I read a certain obituary in the paper." Pausing, the Doctor swallowed and licked his lips, trying to wet his very dry mouth.

When he didn't continue right away, Sonny became impatient. Trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice, he gently remarked, "and...."

Realizing he had stopped talking, the doctor continued, "Oh, sorry. Yes.... Where was I? Right, the obituary." Pulling the article from his sport coat's breast pocket, he handed it to Sonny. "Well, this woman in the picture… she's not dead."

Shocked by the doctor's admission, for the picture he was looking at was one, Elizabeth Webber, Sonny asked, pointing to the face on the paper, "what do you mean she's not dead?"

"Exactly what I said - she's not dead. Look, I am a simple man, trying to put three children through college. I got a call about two weeks ago to meet this man at a home in Martha's Vineyard. I had met this gentleman before. Knowing he had mob ties and could most likely pay me handsomely for my assistance, I met him on the island. There, he asked me to attend to this woman," the doctor reached out and pointed to the picture Sonny was holding once more. "Then, I arrived home to see this," and he continued to nervously rap on the small obituary.

"Well, I might need money, but no family should mourn a person's death if they are not dead. So, I asked around on who might be able to protect me if I came forward with this information, and everyone I talked to said to go to one Mr. Jason Morgan." Taking a deep breath after feeling light headed from his outburst, the doctor eyed the man before him.

Sonny was annoyed with the idea that people would go to Jason over him, but, realizing this information was very useful in reclaiming his business, the Zacchara head calmly said, "thank you, sir, for this information. I promise to relay this message to Mr. Morgan. So if that's all...." And, with that, he ushered the older gentleman to the door.

Frightened the man spoke up. "Wait, what about my family? If the man I helped finds out I betrayed his trust, I am scared what will happen to us."

The Zacchara head, wanting the man to leave before Jason arrived, assured the gentleman before him, "don't worry, sir. I promise nothing will happen to you or your family. Again, thank you for coming forward with this information."

And, with that, Sonny opened the door and led the man out into the hall. Watching as the man left, the Latino rubbed his hand along his chin, thinking to himself that he really needed to find out if the information was true before he told Jason. If Elizabeth was actually alive, her 'resurrection' could be the key he needed to reclaim what was rightfully his: the organization he had built with his own two hands from the ground up. Lost in thought, Sonny did not initially hear his ex-enforcer enter the office.

Jason nodded to Sonny once his ex-boss acknowledged his presence. Flicking his head towards the door, the blond asked, "who was that just leaving? I saw someone leave as I was talking to Bernie."

Sonny, not ready to reveal who the visitor was, waved his hand in the air and said, "no one you need to worry about right now." Changing the subject, he continued, "how did things go with Johnny?"

Wishing to leave as soon as possible, Jason's reply was short and to the point. "He wants in. He seems to trust me. That could be to our advantage. I told him I would get back to him in a couple days."

Nodding to his ex-enforcer, Sonny walked over to the desk, sitting on its edge, and turned to face his former best friend. "Sounds good," he smoothly covered. "I'm still working on finding Anthony, but it shouldn't be too much longer now. His people are still a little leery to trust me, but I'm making head way. Give me another day or two, and I should have something."

Needing to be alone to process what he had learned from Johnny Zacchara, Jason nodded to Sonny and headed towards the door, stopping when he heard Sonny's voice ask, "hey, man, you okay?"

Jason didn't turn around. With his back towards the Latino, he replied, "yeah, I just have things to do. Call me when you have news on Anthony." He then proceeded to exit the building.

Sonny watched as his ex-enforcer left, thinking he needed to talk to him about Bernie, but, knowing there were more pressing matters at hand, the Zacchara head went around to sit in Bernie's chair. He needed to make some very important phone calls.

My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Ten

Jason hurried across the piers, heading towards his motorcycle, needing to find an outlet for the rage that continued to boil within him, fighting to be unleashed.  Ever since his conversation with Johnny Zacchara, the feeling had not subsided, but, as the stoic blond crossed the wooden planks, a voice, one that only caused his fury to escalate, stopped him in his tracks.

"Jason, where are you off to in such a hurry," the younger man heard Ric sneer.  "It's not as if you have a family to rush home to.  Oh wait…  Yes, you do, only it's really Sonny's family not yours.  It must be hard to know that Elizabeth's children are with their father, Lucky Spencer.  What I wouldn't have given to be the father to those two boys."

Rubbing his chin, the lawyer continued, oblivious to the turbulent storm that was building within the ex-enforcer's body.  "That was the one thing I will truly regret about my marriage to Elizabeth - that we never had the child we were destined to have together."

And that was all the older gentleman had to say to cause Jason to snap.  Before Ric could react, the stoic blond had pounced on the brunette.  Quickly and without forethought, Jason pinned him against the pier, his muscular forearm bulging from the force, crushing the other man's throat.

Ric, fearing for his life, continued to attempt to remain smug.  The lawyer saw the pure hatred in the blonde's pale blue eyes as they darkened black with fury.  It wasn't the 'typical' Jason Morgan temper, and it caused Ric to pause and think that maybe he shouldn't have goaded his nemesis to that extreme, but the brunette knew he had the upper hand, and he wasn't going to back down, not now - not when he was so close to his ultimate goal.  If he had to, the lawyer would play his trump card, but, for now, he would just continue to wait.  So the pinned man did the only thing he could think of: he laughed, a very sinister, duplicitous snicker.

Watching Ric laugh only incensed the ex-enforcer even more, causing Jason to fall even deeper into the rage he had left dormant until now.  Unable to stop himself, without forethought of the consequences he may be inducing, the blond began to pound on the older gentleman, first with his fists to the face over, and over, and over again.  The blood started to trickle down the lawyer's face, and Jason's knuckles started to radiate with pain as he continued to beat the man before him, but, as Jason was about to raise his knee to Ric's groin, the mob boss heard a sound, one that again stopped the younger man in his tracks.  It was off in the distance, not close by any means, but its sound resonated as clear as if it was right there in front of him. 

It was a child's laughter. 

Not a specific child, but the sound was so distinct, a tone that immediately caused the ex-enforcer to abandon his task and exit the piers as rapidly as he had tried only moments ago.  Releasing the brunette in disgust, the blond turned and stalked off, never once looking back.  If he had, Jason would have seen Ric rub his bruised jaw with his left hand as he used the other to take a handkerchief from his pants pocket and begin to blot away the blood that had run down his face.  And, as the man continued his task, his lips began to form another smug smile.

~~~

The sound of the wet soft grass making contact with his well worn motorcycle boots had a very calming effect on Jason.  After several hours of riding his bike swiftly along the cliff roads, the stoic blond knew exactly where he needed to go.  So, with a purposeful gait, the mob boss made his way, neither slowly nor quickly, to his intended destination.  If anyone would have characterized Jason's movements at the time, they would most likely have said that he walked with determination, with purpose.

As he arrived at the spot he had so long ago memorized in his brain, the ex-enforcer knelt down, placing simple yet beautiful wildflowers on the grave before him.  He had collected them upon entering the lonely cemetery that housed Elizabeth's marker, her place of burial despite the fact that there had been no body to place there.

Gently caressing the memorial stone that signified the angelic brunette's passing, Jason's cerulean eyes began to shine with unshed tears.  Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, the mob boss released a big breath and began to speak to the only person, except for his grandmother Lila, who had always managed to bring him peace and clarity whenever he needed it.

“God, Elizabeth, I don't know what to do.  You always used to call me your safe place, but, really, you were mine.  You used to say that I listened and... and I helped you, but did you ever truly realize that you did the same for me?  I have never been good with words, but you knew that, and you always accepted me for who I am.  I remember just over a year ago going to speak to Emily's grave and thinking the same thing, that there were so many things I wished I had told her, and now I wish the same... with you."

Pausing as the tears continued to build in his eyes but refused to fall, Jason continued, "I know from the life I have lead and the things that I have been taught that I should retaliate against Johnny Zacchara for his role in Michael's shooting.”  Swallowing the lump that had once again formed in the back of his throat, Jason pressed on with his spoken thoughts.  "But I want to be a better man… for you, but especially for Cameron and Jake.  I don’t just want to be their father; I want to be a father, a man that they can be proud of, one who can live and solve problems without always resorting to violence."

Rubbing his hands down his face, the mob boss took a deep breath and continued on.  "Should I really blame Johnny for the sins of his father?  He was raised in an environment that was filled with violence, a life he didn't choose but one he was born into and forced into nonetheless.  I don't want that life for Jake and Cameron.  They weren't born into it, and, yes, they are too young to choose, but I want them with me.  So what is the choice I should be making?  All I can think about is what if Jake had done what Johnny foolishly did.  I know I would do everything in my power to protect him.  I wish I knew the answer, Elizabeth, but, more than that, I wish you were here to help me find it."

Taking his fingers to his lips and then once again touching the cold stone in a breath of a caress, Jason stood, knowing what needed to be done.  And, as the blond turned to leave, the unshed tears began to cascade down his strong, prominent cheeks; yet, the formidable man did not care and did not bother to brush them away.  As he started to go, he shifted to look at Elizabeth's gravesite once more and whispered, "I miss you, Elizabeth."

Once he reached his motorcycle and had straddled the bike, Jason, pulled out his cell phone and, as the phone range, the ex-enforcer quickly, with the back of his hand, brushed away the tears that had fallen.  As he heard the recipient answer his call, the blond hastily but forcibly said, "meet me in one hour."

But, as Jason hung up his phone and moved to place it in the pocket of his jacket, his senses kicked in, and he heard a noise just off to his right.  Reacting instantly, the ex-enforcer drew his weapon and rapidly turned in the direction of the sound he had just heard.

Silently, the blond saw a figure appear behind a tree, and, as the opponent came into view, Jason's jaw started to clench, and his clear blue eyes began to bore down with pure hatred at the man before him, who, in turn, also held a gun that was directly pointed at the mob boss's chest.

Then he heard the man begin to laugh, and, once the laughter had died away, the older gentleman before him spoke with calm assurance.  "It’s so nice to see you again, Mr. Morgan.  You may want to call back whoever you were talking to and let them know you are going to be a little late."

My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Eleven

As Jason stared down the barrel of the gun pointed directly at his chest, the blond so wanted to pull the trigger of his own weapon. The temper he had been straining to keep in check started to bubble back to the surface, but the ex-enforcer knew that Spinelli's life depended on Anthony Zacchara being delivered to the FBI in one piece, so Jason, on the surface, remained calm.

Neither lowered their weapon.  The mob boss watched the elder Zacchara make his way toward him, gesturing with his gun towards Jason's cell phone that was still being held in his opposite hand. Eying the gentleman carefully the ex-enforcer shrugged his shoulders and said, "they'll wait."

Laughing at the man before him, Anthony replied, "you're a very cautious man, Mr. Morgan.  I like that about you."

Showing no reaction or emotion towards the older gentleman's platitude, Jason's gaze never wavered.  "What do you want?"

Smiling as he gently bounced the tip of the gun on his chin, Anthony responded, "what do I want; what do I want...?  Hmm...?"  Then he quickly directed the gun back towards Jason, the smile vanishing from his face.  Calmly but malevolently, he answered, "I want you to help me get out of the country."

Quirking his brow in question while the rest of his face remained cold and impassive, Jason asked, "and why would I do that?”

Laughing once again, Anthony said, "because I have something you want, something you want real baaaaaad."

Continuing his struggle to remain aloof, Jason query, "and what would that be?"

Waving his gun back and forth in time with his head, the elder Zacchara chastised, "uh, uh, uh.  I may be crazy, but I am sure as hell not stupid. I'll tell you the answer to your question once my escape is guaranteed."

Jason, again, scrutinized his adversary, trying to read on the man's face what could possibly be that important.  Not seeing anything remotely obvious to give him a clue, the mob boss decided to remain silent.

Anthony, not sure how to read the stoic blond, felt a more drastic approach was necessary, "Not feeling very charitable today, huh, Morgan?  Well consider this: I just heard your whole little talk with your ex-lover, and we wouldn't want anything to happen to Ms Webber's little boys now, would we?"

And then it happened.  The ex-enforcer's temper finally snapped as he heard Anthony's threats against Cameron and Jake.  With lightning quick speed, Jason jumped off his motorcycle, ready to beat the living hell out of elder Zacchara, but, then, he heard the click of his opponent’s weapon engage, ready to be fired, and Jason rapidly stopped his assault before it even started. 

"Now, really, Mr. Morgan, I thought you were the rational one of the Corinthos/Morgan organization, or should I say Morgan organization?"  Smiling at how the former best friends were at odds, not realizing that the two had formed a tenuous truce, Anthony warned, "it would not be wise for you to attack me, for then, who would protect those two helpless, little boys from the big bad monsters that go bump in the night?" Then the ex-Zacchara head laughed, an extremely sinister laugh.

Jason, his blood turning cold as he listened to Anthony cackle, realized there was nothing he could do to the crazy old man in that moment.  He had to protect Jake and Cameron at all costs.  So, for now, he would play the man's games.

When Anthony's laughter died down, Jason looked pointedly at the man before him and asked, "how do I know you won't double cross me and kill me anyway?"

Unable to stop from snickering again, the elder Zacchara started waving his gun back and forth in response, but then instantly stopped and, with his gaze never wavering from the younger criminal’s, said, "you don't, but that's the risk you are going to have to take."

Having no choice, Jason nodded to Anthony, and his voice went as cold as ice.  "Fine.  You want me to help you escape I'll do it, but...." With his voice trailing off, he raised his gun so that the elder Zacchara could see the barrel of the ex-enforcer's weapon right between his eyes.  "If you ever touch one hair on those two little boys’ heads, I will hunt you down, and there will be nothing... nothing that will save you then!"

And, with that, Jason started to back up towards his motorcycle, never taking his eyes, or gun, off of Anthony.

Anthony smirked, amused at Morgan's threats and theatrics, because the older gentleman knew the gem of a secret he was keeping.  "Uh, uh, uh, Morgan."  Again, he waved his pistol.  "I am not leaving you alone to call your FBI friends, and there is no way I am getting on that motorcycle, so…."  Gesturing with his weapon beyond the trees to the location where his automobile was parked, Anthony instructed, "you'll be riding with me."

Still angry from the threats made on his children’s lives, Jason, his gun still raised, started to stalk towards Anthony, and, as he drew closer, he heard the older gentleman, as he was holding out his free hand, say, "first things first, I need that gun."

Looking at the older man and then to his weapon, Jason, his glacial gaze now fixed on Anthony, engaged the safety and tucked it back into its usual position, along the small of his back, snugly between his jeans and his skin.

Anthony nodded, saying, "that works... for now.  Once we get to the car, you will call that computer geek of yours to meet us at a secure location. His particular skills are definitely needed right now."

The elder Zacchara motioned for Jason to start walking in front of him, the man's gun now pressed against the younger man's back, and, as they trampled through the grass, towards the man's automobile, the sound not as soothing as it had been only a short time ago, Jason heard him say, "come on, Morgan, you'll enjoy the ride in a car.  It looks like rain, and I'm sure you don't have an umbrella.  Do you know what they say about Uzbekistan?  They say that 'it always rains in Uzbekistan whenever you don't have an umbrella.’"

Turning white as a sheet at the words that had just left Anthony's lips, Jason was barely able to remain standing with the shock of what those words might mean.  He halted his steps instantly and turned towards his enemy, not flinching as the gun Anthony held became pressed firmly against his chest.  The ex-enforcer attempted to remain calm and unaffected, but his words came out forceful anyway.  "What? Did? You? Say?!"

Unable to contain his glee, the elder gentleman started to laugh, and, once finished and still smiling he said, "you heard what I said, and we both know what it means.  So, let's just say that there is a lot riding on my escape, and don't you forget it.  But let's be clear about one thing.  I don't have what you want.  I didn't take it, but I do know who did and where it is at.   And, like I said before, all will be revealed once my escape is guaranteed." And, with that the elder Zacchara had Jason turn and once again start heading towards his vehicle.

The blond nodded and turned, inwardly acknowledging that he needed to play Anthony's game, because, if what he said was true, that would mean that Elizabeth was alive.  Only she would know the meaning behind those words.  Jason could vividly remember them playing that little game after she had bought the globe for Michael that Christmas in her studio, and, for the first time in a long time, Jason felt hope and joy.  His Elizabeth was alive.  He just knew it, and, even though he had a gun to his back, his sons’ lives were being threatened, and Spinelli's life was on the line, the mob boss was still happy.  Lucky for Jason, he was well versed on hiding his feelings, and, as they headed to Anthony's car, the ex-enforcer was already formulating a plan.

Once in the car, Jason in the driver's seat and Anthony next to him, his gun fixed on the blond, he called Spinelli.  Once the call was placed, the two gentleman silently waited for the recipient to answer.  As Jason heard the call being picked up, he quickly said, "Spinelli, I need your help.  You need to meet me at our designated location.  It's about Anthony Zacchara."  Then Jason hung up without saying another word.  Looking over at his passenger, Jason saw Anthony nod, the gesture signaling that the mob boss could start the car and head to their intended destination.

~~~

Elizabeth impatiently waited for someone to return.  Her nerves were frayed wondering what was happening outside the four walls of the bedroom where she was being held captive.  Questioning for the millionth time whether she should have trusted Anthony Zacchara with personal information concerning her past with Jason, Elizabeth tried to force her mind wander to more relaxing thoughts.  Closing her eyes, she remembered the first time Jason took her riding on his motorcycle.  All of her worries went away as soon as that bike took off.  There was nothing like the noise and the wind to block out every bad thing she was feeling in that moment.  Sighing, she only hoped that one day she could experience that sensation again - to be able to wrap her arms around Jason's strong, muscular torso, her thighs firmly pressed to his, or, better yet, to steer and have his arms encased around her body, his thighs snugly pressed to hers.  Shaking her head, she realized that all those thoughts were doing was making her wish she could take a cold shower or, at least, be able to get up to take a shower.  

Then she heard it - the front door opening, and the sounds of someone rushing around the lower level from room to room looking for something reached her ears. Then she picked up on the rapid race of footsteps up the stairs.  Eying the door, hoping beyond hope that it was Jason coming to get her finally, thinking the noise below had been someone searching for something, Elizabeth took a deep breath as the door swung open.  Trying to hide her disappointment as Ric opened her door but failing miserably, she realized the person before had been looking for Anthony Zacchara, not her.

The brunette heard her ex-husband laugh.  "Not happy to see me, Beautiful?"

Desperately trying not to cringe as she heard the familiar endearment from Ric's mouth, Elizabeth schooled her features as best as possible.  Smiling as brightly as conceivable under the circumstances, Elizabeth said, "don't put words in my mouth, Ric.  It's not that I'm… not happy to see you.  It's just I think I would be a lot more happy if you would untie me and allow me to go to the bathroom to relieve myself and take a shower."

Rubbing his hand across his chin, feeling the stubble that had recently formed from his lack of shaving, the lawyer pondered over her request.  Quickly coming to a conclusion, her ex-husband replied, "I'm sorry, Beautiful, but that’s just not going to be possible right now.  You see, Anthony Zacchara is gone, and our little home has been compromised which means we can't stay here any longer, and we need to vacate as soon as possible.  Now, I don't want you to think me cruel, so I brought you a change of clothes and some essential toiletries.  You can use the bathroom, but the shower will have to wait until we reach our next destination."

Remembering her resolve to play Ric's game and hopefully stall him in their present location for, at least, a little while longer, Elizabeth asked, "what do you mean Anthony Zacharra is gone?  When was he ever here?"

Ric eyed his ex-wife, trying to see if she was lying and had truly not awakened while Anthony had been in his home.  Accepting, through keen observation, that it was possible that the pretty brunette had not seen his former employer, Ric said, "Anthony was here, but he's gone now.  That, my beautiful ex-wife, does not bode well for you.  See, he knows you are here, and I just can't take the chance that he might use that information to his benefit. So, we will be moving to a more secure location, one that no one knows anything about."

Worried that this might mean Jason would never be able to find her, Elizabeth tried to gather more information on where her ex-husband might be taking her.  "Well, do I get to have any idea where this new home might be?"

Smiling at the captivating woman before him, Ric answered, "not right now, Beautiful.  You see, I don't really trust you at the moment.  You are going to have to earn that trust back.  So, for now, just know that we will be going on a little trip, and we will be leaving in fifteen minutes.  Now, Elizabeth, I am going to untie you.  Please, don't try to escape.  If you do, you will force me to drug you again and carry you out of here against your will.  For your sake and mine, be a good girl, and do what I say."

Nodding at her ex-husband, her chestnut curls falling forward to cover her face in order to hide the anger and contempt she felt for the man before her, she said, "fine, Ric.  I will do as you say.  Now, please, just untie me, so I can use the bathroom and change."

Acknowledging her acquiesce, Ric moved forward to her side and untied the young mother from her shackles, Elizabeth straining not to tense up as Ric brushed against her.  Once released, she began to rub her bruised wrists, sighing at how good it felt for her hands and arms to be free from the very restrictive position.  Remaining impassive to Ric's gaze, the brunette heard him say, "be ready in fifteen minutes.  We leave whether you are ready or not."

And, with that, Elizabeth watched her ex-husband exit the bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were in Ric's car heading northwest to an undisclosed destination, and, as Elizabeth sat there, her hands tied in her lap, her ex-husband still not trusting her to not try to escape, she watched the scenery pass by, her gaze remaining on the window and never veering to the man beside her.  Sighing, the petite brunette started to pray.

She prayed for Jason to find her soon.

Chapter Twelve

After about twenty minutes, Jason and Anthony had finally reached their intended destination. Once the car was parked, the two gentlemen exited the car simultaneously, the elder man keeping his gun fixed on the ex-enforcer. Slowly, they made their way to the old run down building before them, the gravel crunching under the blonde's motorcycle boots. The sound caused Jason to wish that he was making that noise instead with his hands as he broke every bone in the crazy Zacchara's body. Just the knowledge that he had seen Elizabeth alive - and left her, wherever she was being kept captive, for his own selfish needs - caused the blonde's fists to clench, his jaw to clamp down, and his blood to run cold. But Jason also knew there was nothing he could do about it now. The mob boss had a pretty good idea of who might have taken Elizabeth, but he needed to make sure before he made his move.

Anthony surveyed his surroundings as he took notice of the dilapidated shack before him. Snickering at the run down building, the elder Zacchara said to his adversary, "interesting choice for a meeting, Mr. Morgan. Well, I guess I shouldn't complain. It looks like you enjoy doing business with rats."

Jason paused for a moment, but then continued his trek forward and remained quiet as the two entered the premises. Taking a quick glance around, the mob boss assessed that they were the first to arrive. He then turned to face the older gentleman, speaking for the first time. "You can lower your weapon now. No one is here, and no one knows about this place. It is safe... for now, and I give you my word that I will not engage my weapon... unless you give me reason to."

Anthony eyed his opponent carefully and nodded as he lowered his gun, keeping it close to his side. Calmly, he said, "if I have learned anything about you, Mr. Morgan, in the past months, it's that you are true to your word. Okay," he conceded, "I'll play it your way... for now, but I, too, will engage my weapon if you give me reason to do so."

Thus, the two enemies stood, each never wavering their gaze from the other. It was a staring match that neither was willing to break nor one where words were necessary. So, they waited, impatiently, for Spinelli to arrive. Thankfully, the wait was not long, for, only moments after their own arrival, they heard the clamoring of someone rushing to their location.

A gush of wind came through the door as it opened, followed by the scurrying steps of Spinelli, his messenger bag flapping by his side and his computer clasped tightly against his chest, and, as he came running in, he began to yell, "Stone Cold, I have come as quickly as I could...." The young man hastily stopped his ramblings as he regarded his mentor's demeanor before him. The stoic mob boss had crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest, raised an eyebrow, and had begun to slowly shake his head back and forth, instinctively telling his roommate to cease his speech before he blurted out unwanted information. Spinelli then noticed Anthony Zacchara standing on the opposite side of the room and rapidly made his way next to his boss, fearing for his life being so close in the elder Zacchara's presence.

Jason, keeping his eyes fixed on the older gentleman, spoke to the younger man beside him. "Spinelli, it's alright. He is not going to hurt you, but I need you to unfreeze Anthony's accounts right now."

The computer expert warily eyed his master, wondering if he had really finally lost his grasp on reality. "But, Stone Cold, if I release his holdings, then there is no way we can stop the demented one from departing our fair city, and, as much as I would like to impel him out the door to parts unknown, I fear his departure will bring unsavory consequences for me... and for you."

The mob boss briefly released his gaze from his enemy, turned his eyes to the young man he now considered one of his closest friends, and then re-fixed his glare on the elder gentleman across the room. Rubbing his hands across his face, Jason, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice, said, "Spinelli, do you trust me?"

"With my life, Stone Cold, you know that."

"Well, then, trust that I know what I am doing." He then pointed to Anthony. "We have something that he wants, and he...." Jason fixed his finger on himself. "He has something I want."

Spinelli, looking back and forth between the two mob bosses, queried, "what could the evil demented one have that you could possibly want Stone Cold?"

Growing more frustrated by the younger man's questions, Jason barked, unable to calm his voice at this point. "Spinelli, it doesn't matter right now. I need you to do this for me, so hurry up and do it!"

Amused at the interaction between the great, fierce Jason Morgan and his computer geek, the ex-Zacchara head spoke up. "You know, you really should listen to your boss, little man." His voice started to turn into a sneer as he spat out, "defiance and disloyalty among employees leads to unfortunate, accidental incidents.

Jason's annoyance quickly shifted from Spinelli to Anthony. As he spoke, addressing the older gentleman with an obvious chill in his words, Jason said, "you will not address Spinelli in any way. He is my employee, and I will be the one to deal with him. Spinelli knows all about loyalty, and I will not have you doubt him on where his alliances lie."

Spinelli, shocked by his mentor's outburst and nervous with the demented one so close, didn't hear Jason speak in his defense. Rather, he had quickly rushed to the table behind him to lay his laptop down and hastily get to work.

Jason, realizing he had been too harsh with his friend, again rubbed both hands across his face and took a deep breath before speaking. Once calmer, the blond rotated slightly towards Spinelli, but he did not completely turn his back upon Anthony. Such an action would have been a rookie mistake, and he was anything but a rookie. Speaking with less malice in his voice, the blonde said, "look, Spinelli, I am sorry I yelled. It's just... it's just Anthony may have information concerning Elizabeth, and I need to know what it is. The only way to do that is to unfreeze his accounts."

Spinelli turned to his master once again, questioning his boss' faculties. "But, Stone Cold, the maternal one is dead."

Calmly, the ex-enforcer tried to explain to his computer tech that its wasn't true, that Elizabeth was alive, but how could he explain that the only proof the mob boss had was an innocent yet oh so personal memory from his past, A memory that only one other person besides himself would know, but that it had come out of the crazy man's mouth, the same man who stood smugly across the room, taunting him with his very silence? Maybe, the blond thought, he had lost his mind, but he knew, he just knew in his heart, that she was alive, and he was going to find her and bring her back to Port Charles, back to their sons, so they could finally start the family they had been dreaming about for so long. If that was insanity, then he would rather be mad than sane.

Taking a deep breath, Jason chose his words carefully. "Spinelli, I can't explain it to you, but you have to trust me. I know that Elizabeth is alive, so, please, don't question me anymore and just do as I ask. Release the accounts."

Spinelli nodded in acquiesce and began furiously typing away on his keyboard. The clicking sound became the only noise heard in the unseemly quiet room.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was actually only about ten minutes, the computer tech had effectively made Anthony Zacchara's off shore accounts available for use.

Turning to his mentor, the young man nodded and said, "it's done."

As soon as those words left Spinelli's mouth, the elder Zacchara started to laugh, his gun effectively pointed again at Jason. The blonde eyed the elder gentleman, quirking his brow in question, but his stony gaze never wavered. "Ah, come on, Mr. Morgan, did you really think I would let you live after you helped me? Your love for this nurse, although she is quite beautiful, has not only been your greatest weakness but also your greatest mistake. LOVE! Ha! Nothing good ever comes from it, and it makes men soft, and, well, being soft gets you killed."

Smiling evilly, the ex-mob boss engaged his weapon and said, "say goodbye, lover boy."

Before the elder Zacchara could take his shot, Anthony felt the form of a circular barrel against his neck, pressing firmly against his skin, and then he heard a male voice say, "Not so fast, old man. No one is dying just yet."

~~~

Elizabeth sighed in relief as she and Ric pulled up to the lone cabin before them. Even though they were in a remote location with no apparent neighbors close by, the brunette couldn't help but feel solace in the fact that their journey seemed to have ended and that they had reached their intended destination. Surveying her surroundings, Elizabeth thought to herself that the place actually could have been nice if not for the fact that her deranged ex-husband was holding her captive while allowing all her family and friends to grieve for her death.

Turning to her companion, the young mother asked, "so, Ric, are you now going to tell me where we are?"

Rubbing his jaw in a gesture that was really starting to irritate Elizabeth, the lawyer said, "I really don't see why not. As we don't have any cell service up here and there isn't a working land line, it's not like you will be able to contact any one. We, my beautiful ex-wife, are at my father's hideaway cabin in the Catskills. He bought this place years ago so he would have a special place to bring his mistresses. No one knows about it. In fact, I don't think the old man even knew that I had knowledge of the place before his demise. It wasn't even in his will which, in case you were wondering was very fortunately just read mere hours before we left."

Reaching out to touch his ex-wife's cheek, grazing it with his knuckles, the attorney was not fazed when she flinched at his caress. Ric continued, "so, you see, my darling, there is no knowledge of this cabin, no public record of it. It's a place that no one, not even your beloved Jason, will be able to find. So, you might as well get comfortable, because who knows how long we will be here." As the last words left his sycophantic mouth, he smiled at the brunette, opening his door to exit the car.

Ric then came around to the opposite side to assist Elizabeth out of the luxury vehicle, and, as he opened the door for her, due to the ties around her wrists, the lawyer whispered in her ear as she exited to stand next to him, the sounds of his voice sending chills down her spine. "And, if you think you can run, there are miles and miles of wilderness between here and the next nearest cabin, so, Elizabeth, be a good girl and don't try anything. I wouldn't want anything dreadful to happen to you, especially after everything you've already been through."

Glaring at the man she had naively in the past believed that she had once loved, Elizabeth firmly but sweetly asked, "Ric, if I promise not to run away, will you please untie me? My hands feel like they are about to be severed from my arms any minute now."

Acknowledging his ex-wife's request by looking down at her hands resting limp in front of her, Ric took a pocket knife from the back pocket of his jeans and unceremoniously released her binds. Rubbing her wrists as she had done hours ago to increase the circulation in her hands and digits, Elizabeth began to walk to the entrance the cabin - obediently, submissively, cleverly.

Agreeing with her initial assessment that the cabin did have some charm to it, as she climbed up the steps that lead to a wooden front porch that expanded along the front of the entire cabin, the petite brunette waited for Ric to open up the front door.

Once inside, Elizabeth was happy to see that the cabin was actually quite cozy. It had a stone fireplace, a small kitchen in the back, and, thankfully, two bedrooms. Glancing once again at her captor, Elizabeth asked, "is it alright if I take a shower now?"

"That would be fine," her ex responded as he pointed towards the larger bedroom with the attached bath that she assumed would be her lodgings. "I promise, Elizabeth, to make this as comfortable as possible for you. Once I have what I want, we can talk again about where we go from here. Who knows, you may eventually realize that you like being with me and decide to stay."

Elizabeth just nodded to her ex-husband, acknowledging what he said, masking her emotions as best as she possibly could so that Ric would not know that his pipe dream of a scenario would NEVER happen. Turning, she made her way to her designated bedroom but stopped as she heard Ric speak to her.

"I am going to go out, Elizabeth, to the store to pick up some groceries and clothes. Feel free to make yourself at home, but, like I said before, there is no safe escape, so you would be best to remember that. I alone possess the only means of communication - a two way radio that will contact the park rangers in case of an emergency, and, before you start thinking of how to retrieve it for your own personal use, I will be keeping it with me while I am awake and locked in a safe while I am sleeping, so don't get any crazy ideas that the radio is your ticket to freedom." And then he left, leaving the young mother standing alone in her latest deceptively comfortable prison, contemplating her next move.

My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Thirteen

Jason eyed the new arrival with renewed respect. He wasn't sure if the young man before him would follow through with the enforcer's silent plea when he had made the call, but the youngest Zacchara proved worthy of the blonde's trust… at least for the moment. The hard part was still yet to come. Nodding at the brunette, Jason addressed the young man calmly. "You understood my phone call, thank you."

Johnny briefly removed his gaze from his father to the stoic blond before him, acknowledging his words before quickly returning his eyes to the older gentleman before him. Smirking slightly, his lips turning upward just a bit, the young Zacchara replied, "yeah, you had me confused for a second, but then I realized you wanted me to contact Spinelli and meet you here." Then, shrugging his shoulders, Johnny continued, "I did assume you wanted me to be here as well."

Jason again nodded in confirmation of the young man's assumption. Now, eying the elder Zacchara, the ex-enforcer, without shifting his gaze, pointed towards the old man and asked the son, "what would you like to do with him now?"

Johnny, without hesitating, said, "I say we let him go..."

Spinelli, who had been observing the interaction up until that point, rapidly jumped from his seat, knocking his chair out from underneath him, the sound of it crashing to the ground reverberating throughout the small, run down garage and garnering the attention of the other three occupants, as he squealed, "what?! No, we cannot let this evil doer go! Why would you even say that? I fear, Stone Cold, you have been taken in by the mob prince, and he soon will get us both killed."

Jason, who had shifted his eyes to Spinelli, now turned back to John Zacchara, his arms casually crossed over his chest. The mob boss then quirked his eyebrow in question at the brunette. Gesturing with his right arm for the young Zacchara to continue, the blond then observed the young man lick his lips and take a deep breath before proceeding.

"What I was trying to say before being interrupted," Johnny then turned his stare from Jason to Spinelli and then back to the blond, "was that we should let him go." Then the man took another deep breath, released it, and continued. "But not before he tells Jason what he needs to know."

And, with that, the young Zacchara reached around his father, keeping his weapon fixed against the man's neck and removed the weapon from his old man's grasp. Once finished with removing the gun from his father's fingers, the brunette shifted to face the elder Zacchara, his gun now against the older man's chest.

"Now, Dad, you will tell Jason what he needs to know to find Ms. Webber, or you can kiss any chance of freedom goodbye." Then Johnny took his gun and cocked it for the whole room to hear.

Anthony, raising both hands in the air, tried to appeal to his son's loyal nature, saying, "John, you wouldn't shoot your old man now, would you?"

His previous smirk now spreading out to a full-fledged smile, the younger Zacchara looked at the man who had raised him and said, "oh, like you weren't going to shoot me when I was a young boy, only you killed my mother instead. You may be my father, old man, and there is truly a part of me that loves you, but I don't respect you, I certainly don't trust you, and I sure as hell don't ever want to become just like you!"

Jason looked on, closely watching and listening to the interaction between father and son, and it brought a burning ache to his heart. The mob boss swore, then and there, that there was no way he was ever going to have Cameron and Jake look or feel that way about him. Once he found Elizabeth, and the ex-enforcer knew he would find her, things were going to change; they were drastically going to change. Shaking his head out of his musings, the stoic blond returned all his well honed attention back to the two men before him.

Johnny's hand was starting to twitch. The young man was either starting to get impatient or very nervous about possibly shooting his father. Jason concluded it was probably a little of both. Wanting to assist the young man who had, in essence, saved his life, the mob boss approached the brunette. Standing beside him, but giving him room so as not to make him feel crowded or out of control, Jason asked, "would you like me to take over?"

Johnny's eyes shifted towards Jason, his head never moving, and the younger man ever so slightly shook his head no, saying, "no, Jason. Anthony is my father, and I will deal with him. Now, Dad, I'm not going to ask you again. Tell Jason what he needs to know to find Ms Webber, or you can die here today, and I promise you that I will never look back."

Sighing dramatically, the elder Zacchara lowered his hands and said, "alright, alright, but I need to know, John, that, once I reveal my information, you will promise to let me leave here and flee as I had planned when I entered the building."

Not lowering his weapon but disengaging the trigger, Anthony's son nodded in acquiesce and said, "I promise. Once you give Jason the information he needs, you may leave here, of your own free will, and head to parts unknown, promising me that we will never have any form of contact again."

Smiling at his son, the elder Zacchara said, "that won't be a problem." Then, directing his attention to the blond, Anthony nodded to Jason and said, "Mr. Morgan, what you are looking for is being held in Martha's Vineyard, and we both know the significance of that place now, don't we?" Then Anthony began to laugh, his evil sinister laugh, and proceeded to wipe away imaginary tears streaming down his face. "But I wouldn't guarantee you that your prize is still there. Most likely it's been moved, where I have no idea, but that's not my problem now, is it?"

Turning to face his son, the man's smile quickly faded from his face, and he said, "may I go now?"

Johnny turned his attention to Jason, asking with his eyes what the mob boss wish to do. Jason nodded to the young man, letting him know this was his decision to make. Johnny then removed the weapon from his father's chest, gesturing with his gun towards the door, lowering his head so as not to look at the man before him as he said, "alright, you can go."

Anthony held out his hand, signaling for his son to return his weapon. Johnny only shook his head and quietly whispered to his father, "not going to happen. Now, go, old man, before Jason changes his mind and most likely kills you."

Lowering his hand, Anthony then shifted to leave. Spinelli, though, wasn't in agreement, and, once again, jumped up. This time, though, he was already standing, so no furniture was in danger, but he himself almost fell on the dust ridden floor, shouting, "Stone Cold, I must protest! To let this man loose on the world would be making a grave error in judgment."

Jason, his arms crossed over his chest, his stance now relaxed, eyed his roommate and said, "Spinelli, I have to trust Johnny on this one. We need to let Anthony go."

And then the three men watched as Anthony Zacchara scurried out the door, heading to parts unknown. Then all of a sudden the three occupants heard a loud voice over a megaphone shout, "STOP! This is the FBI. Don't move, or we will shoot." Another shout came next, and it sounded more like a roar. "JOHNNNNYYYYYY!" And then it was eerily quiet.

Jason and Spinelli then looked at Johnny, both shocked by what had just occurred. Johnny merely smiled at the two gentlemen and shrugged. "So, I made another phone call, after I contacted Spinelli." His smile quickly fading, the young Zacchara explained, "look, Jason, I know my father was a bad man, and he needed to pay for what he has done. Plus, if I got to help Spinelli in the process, so be it."

Spinelli, too excited for words, rushed to hug the mob prince and his mentor. Both men quickly held up their hands to the computer hacker with steely gazes, letting him know not touch either of them.

Then the three saw Agent Raynor with another unknown male enter the garage. Addressing Jason, and ignoring the other men, the agent said, "well done, Mr. Morgan. We now have Anthony Zacchara in custody. Now, it's time to work on Mr. Corinthos.

Jason, his patience wearing thin because there were things he needed to do and do fast, stared at the elder gentleman before him, his hands clenching into tight fists next to his body. He said, "you got Anthony Zacchara. That was the deal. He's been delivered. Now, BACK OFF!"

Agent Raynor just shook his head at the angry mob boss and said, "now, Mr. Morgan, you wouldn't want Mr. Spinelli here to go to federal prison, would you?"

Spinelli, looking back and forth between his mentor and the law abiding one, started to open his mouth, but quickly shut it as he heard Jason speak. "Not a word, Spinelli. Agent Raynor can't send you to prison. We had a deal, and that deal has been delivered, so either I go public that the FBI reneges on their bargains, sending your agency into chaos, or you let the three of us walk out of here right now."

Stepping forward, the other man with Agent Raynor who, since entering the garage, had remained quiet, extended his hand to the stoic blond. "Agent Murphy," he greeted. Jason just looked at the man's hand, neither extending his own nor showing any interest in the other gentleman. Lowering his hand, the man continued, "I just wanted to personally thank you for your assistance in bringing Anthony Zacchara to justice, and I assure you, as Agent Raynor's boss, there will be no more contact concerning this matter. Mr. Spinelli is free to go about his business." Turning to face the young man, Agent Murphy continued, "but keep this in mind, Mr. Spinelli: we hacked in to your computer once; we can do it again." And, with that, the man nodded to the three males and turned to leave, Agent Raynor hurriedly following behind him.

Once Jason heard the federal agents start their cars and drive away, he turned to the two younger men and said, "I am going to Martha's Vineyard..."

Spinelli interrupted, "but, Stone Cold, how do you know where to look?"

Jason, pinching the bridge of his nose, turned to his computer hacker with a steely gaze and said, "Spinelli, Ric has a house on Martha's Vineyard. He's the one who took Elizabeth. I know the house. Anthony is probably right, though, and Ric has most likely moved Elizabeth to a new location, but I need to go check it out. I need you and Johnny…" The enforcer paused, looking at the young Zacchara. Seeing the brunette nod, he knew that the mob heir wanted his continued assistance, so he proceeded to direct the two twenty-some-things. "I need you and Johnny to go back to the penthouse and wait for my call. If Elizabeth isn't there, then I will need the two of you to assist me in finding out where Ric may have now taken her."

Spinelli opened his mouth, about to argue the need for the mob prince's assistance, but Jason quickly held up his hand, causing the hacker to instantly shut his mouth once again.

Sighing, Jason said to his friend, "Spinelli, I just need you to do as I say. Johnny may be able to help us. He has proven to me that he can be trusted, and, right now, the most important thing to me is to find Elizabeth."

Spinelli, his gaze softening, realized that this was his mentor's chance to find his one true love, so he nodded his head in acceptance of his boss's wishes.

Jason then retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. As the phone was ringing, he brought his index finger to his lips, signaling for the two other occupants to remain quiet while he spoke. When the other line had been picked up, the blond, as calmly as he could, said, "Sonny, I wanted to let you know that the Zacchara matter has been dealt with. Anthony is now in the custody of the FBI." Remaining quiet as Sonny spoke, Jason then took a breath and let it out when his ex-boss was finished and continued, "I also wanted to let you know that I will be going out of town for a couple of days. Once I return, we can talk about the Corinthos/Morgan organization and the Zacchara organization, but we are also going to discuss how we are going to bring John Zacchara into the fold." Nodding his head, finishing his call with Sonny, Jason hung up the phone and looked at the two young men indicating that it was time to go.

Neither Spinelli nor Johnny questioned why Jason had not mentioned Elizabeth in his phone call. Both knew that the ex-enforcer probably had his reasons, and those were his reasons to address. The three men then left the garage with the knowledge that Spinelli was now safe from federal prosecution and that Jason was one step closer to finding Elizabeth.

~~~

Elizabeth had frantically searched for over an hour for something, anything, that might help with her escape. The kitchen knives were not an option. Ric had locked them up, probably when he had come here once before, and the fire place equipment was nowhere to be found. Realizing she needed to take a shower before Ric came home, the brunette decided to cease her search, at least for now, and take pleasure in the simple act of cleansing her body of the filth that had covered her since waking up in her ex-husband's company. Unfortunately, because she had spent so much time hunting for any type of weapon, the young mother did not get to linger under the welcome relief of the water pounding against her silky skin for long. Her hair still wet, curling at the ends, Elizabeth dressed in the clothes Ric had purchased for her. She then wandered into the kitchen, hoping that a cup of tea might calm her nerves. At least her ex remembered her size, and the brunette felt somewhat more relaxed in the well worn blue jeans and soft sweatshirt, but the young nurse needed to think, and a soothing drink was just the thing to help her regroup and map out what her next move might be.

Elizabeth had discovered during her quest that the cabin did have some essentials still stocked in the kitchen. Reaching for the tea kettle that was stationed on the stove, the brunette lifted the lid and went to place it under the kitchen faucet, but, before she could begin to run the water, Elizabeth noticed something in the bottom of the pot's base. Reaching her hand down into the opening, the young nurse discovered a small pouch. Lifting it from its confines, Elizabeth turned it over in her delicate hand. She found it to be a small bag filled with a modest amount of white powder and, written on the pouch, were the letters GHB. Elizabeth gasped in shock. Ric's father, she realized in that moment, used to administer a date rape drug to his mistresses in order to have them more submissive to his desires.

Like father, like son.

The thought made the young mother's stomach churn. Before his death, Trevor had probably never gathered just how alike he and his son truly were. Pocketing the pouch in the front pocket of her jeans, Elizabeth inwardly smiled at her stroke of good luck. Now, she had the ammunition she needed to formulate her escape plan.

Just as she returned to her task of making a hot cup of tea, the petite brunette heard the front door open. Turning to see her ex-husband enter, Elizabeth tried not to look too happy. Wandering over to assist the man with the groceries, Ric eyed her with barely veiled wariness.

"I see your shower has put you in a better mood."

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and replied, "it does me no good to fight you, Ric. Do I want to be here? No, but I realized that nothing is going to change anytime soon, so I might as well make the best out of the situation."

Ric scrutinized his ex-wife carefully, trying to decide if she was playing some sort of game. Not really trusting her but knowing there was nothing in the cabin that could assist her with any type of escape, Ric decided to go along with her newfound resolve. Placing the bags he still carried on the counter, Ric turned to the brunette and gently grazed his knuckles over the young woman's cheek. Elizabeth used all her recently discovered determination not to flinch under her ex's touch.

"Well, that is very wise of you, Elizabeth."

Stepping slightly away from Ric's grasp and laying the bag of groceries she had grabbed onto the counter next the others, the young mother then turned to her ex-husband and asked, "would you like me to cook some dinner for us?"

Ric smiled at his ex-wife and said, "that would be wonderful." The man then turned and headed towards his bedroom. "I think I will take a shower myself now. I will look forward to joining you for dinner soon."

As soon as Ric closed the door to his bathroom, Elizabeth released the breath she had been holding. Turning towards the bags on the counter, Elizabeth started to unpack the food, and, as she meticulously continued with her task, her mind systematically picked out the menu you for that evening, she knew that whatever she cooked would most definitely consist of a little extra something that would add some flavor to the meal… at least, to Ric's.

Jason used to ride his bike fast, very fast, to run away from things.  Now, he was riding his bike faster than he ever had before to get to the one thing in his life that mattered the most.  The mob boss couldn't recall how he had gotten to Martha's Vineyard; everything was a blur.  All the blond knew was that he was there, outside Ric's home, desperate to find Elizabeth, and, even though Jason knew in his heart that the chances of his beautiful brunette resting peacefully as if she was on a relaxing vacation in one of the bedrooms overlooking the ocean were slim to none, the ex-enforcer couldn't help but hope that she was.  Hope was all he had.

Barely waiting for his motorcycle to come to a complete stop, the stoic blond hastily released the kick stand and jumped off his bike, racing up the porch steps, reaching for the front door.  Not surprised it was locked, Jason quickly pulled out his gun, ready to shoot the knob right off its spot, so as to seek entrance into the dwelling, but, instantly, he realized how this action might attract unwanted attention.  So, the ex-enforcer sighed and, rather reluctantly, returned his weapon to its resting place, tucking it snugly into the back of his jeans.  He then removed his tools from his back pocket and began working on the lock.

Trying in vain to keep his hands from shaking, Jason needed to take several deep breaths as he painstakingly attempted to remain patient, using his well trained skills to release the door from its restraints. Once he heard the resounding click of the lock being released, the ex-enforcer, again, retrieved his weapon from the confines of his jeans and forcibly opened the door, entering the premises, gun drawn.  Hurriedly racing from room to room on the main level, the mob boss quickly ascertained that no one was present... at least, in the main quarters of the home.  He still had the upstairs to check.   Swiftly, he made his way to the staircase.   Jason knew he should move slower, be more cautious so as not to have any unexpected surprises waiting for him above, but the ex-enforcer couldn't stop himself; he couldn't wait, and, truthfully, nothing was going to stop the blond from getting to Elizabeth if she was there.

Once at the upper landing, Jason slowed his pace.  The stoic blond, his gun still drawn, stealthily made his way down the hallway.   The mob boss then efficiently entered each room, his weapon raised, waiting for any ambush that might occur.  But, once he slipped into the last bedroom, Jason's stance faltered, for he could smell Elizabeth's soothing scent permeate throughout the room.

Immediately knowing Elizabeth was no longer there, Jason rapidly but efficiently searched the bedroom and bathroom that had been her quarters, for how long the blond did not know, but, as he continued to look for something, anything, that would help him find out where Ric had now taken her, the mob boss's frustration continued to grow.  Once his exploration was complete, Jason was unable to contain the rage that had festered as his search proved fruitless.  It was then that the usually calm ex-enforcer started to ransack the room.  First, it was the lamp by the bed, and he threw that across the room, the crashing sound only fueling his anger more.  Next, he overturned the dresser on the far wall, then it was the sheets on the bed, pulling them off, exposing the bare mattress, and, then, he started to punch the wall, continuing to pound and pound until his knuckles, dripping with blood, couldn't take the pain any longer.  When he switched to kicking with a force he didn't know he possessed, he, all of a sudden, made contact with the bedroom door, and it slammed shut, the hinges shaking as if the door would be thrown clear off into the hallway.  The noise was so loud that it finally woke him up, and he instantly realized that what he was doing wasn't going to help Elizabeth. 

He needed to get control of his emotions and think of what to do next.  He needed to be calm, and he needed to concentrate, so he could find Elizabeth.  The blond finally stopped his tirade.  The only sound in the tossed room came from his labored breathing.  Leaning his elbows on his knees to get his respiratory functions under control, the mob boss noticed something different along the bottom of the bedroom door.  The coloring was slightly off from the rest of the wood.  As he walked closer he could see small, faint, uneven letters outlined along the lower edge, as if someone had been trying to write out something in a hurry.   Kneeling down, he could smell the scent of mint toothpaste on the structure, and then he slowly, due to how faint the letters were, read the words out loud.

“My Faith in you is still unshakable.” 

And, then, the mob boss's breathing stopped all together.  Jason couldn't seem to catch his breath.  He slumped over, reaching out to touch the words but quickly drew his hands back and balled both of them into tight fists.  His heart started to ache, and his eyes began to mist.  The blond could so vividly remember Elizabeth saying those words to him, while she rested in a hospital bed after he had rescued her from the crypt.   If only he could have been honest with her back then about his feelings, maybe.... Swiftly, the mob boss extinguished those thoughts.  This was not the time to be thinking of the 'what ifs.'  Elizabeth had faith that Jason would find her, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Cognizant that he was alone, Jason returned his gun to its resting place, roughly opened the bedroom door, and bounded down the stairs, making his way out of the house to his motorcycle.  As he quickly headed towards his bike, the blond whipped out his cell phone and called Spinelli.  Just as Jason had situated himself on the seat of his motorcycle, the computer hacker picked up.

With no hello, the employer rapidly barked out his needs.  "Spinelli, is Johnny still with you?"

Unfazed by his boss's brusqueness, Spinelli replied, "uh, yes, Stone Cold, the mob prince still resides with me at our humble abode, awaiting for further instructions from you, our oh so wise and fearless leader."

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and taking a deep breath so as not to unleash his frustrations onto his friend, Jason said, "put your phone on speaker."

Spinelli quickly obliged his mentor's wishes.  "We are now on speaker, Stone Cold."

"Johnny?"

"Yeah, Jason, what is it that you need?"

Breathing a small sigh of relief, hearing confidence in the young Zacchara’s voice, Jason asked, "do you know of any other homes the Lansing's may own besides the one in Martha’s Vineyard?"

Wishing he could help the older man with his plight but knowing he didn't have the answers the blond was seeking, Johnny regretfully said, "no, Jason, I don't, but I can head over to my father's house and check to see if I can find anything there.  Both Ric and Trevor kept a lot of papers there when they worked for my father, so it's worth a shot."

"Good, I would appreciate any help you could give me, and take Spinelli with you."

Both young men eyed each other carefully and nodded to the other in acceptance of their new found alliance.  Jason, who could not see the two, waited for either to respond.  Johnny decided it should be him and assuredly said, "that won't be a problem."

Taking a deep breath, Jason now directed his attention to his roommate.  "Spinelli, I am going to head back to Port Charles to see Alexis.  I will call you after we have spoken.  Maybe she might know where Ric has gone."

Spinelli, questioning his mentor's actions, asked, "do you think the fair minded DA will be able to help you?"

Jason, moving to start the engine of his bike, quickly replied, "I don't know, Spinelli, but, if there is any chance she might be able to help us, then I have to follow through with any lead I may find.  I will do anything to find Elizabeth."  And, with that, the mob boss hung up his phone, started his motorcycle, and headed back to town considered his own, still no closer to finding Elizabeth.  Yet, he did have two things on his side: hope and faith.  Elizabeth's faith in him would guide him on the right path, and his hope of finding her and finally having a future with her would get him there, to her side, soon.

I promise you Elizabeth, he said silently to himself.  I will find you.

~~~

Elizabeth had taken stock of the food Ric had bought and had managed to cook a rather fine dinner for the two of them, if she did say so herself.  She had cooked some spaghetti and garlic bread, heated up some tomato sauce, and steamed some broccoli.  Now, if only the rest of her plan went as smoothly.  The young mother was dishing the food out onto their plates when she heard Ric's bedroom door open.  Again, she used all of her will power not to cringe as her ex-husband entered the kitchen.   

As Ric approached, Elizabeth looked over her shoulder, smiled, and said, "perfect timing.  Dinner is ready."

Ric smiled back, liking how his ex-wife seemed to be embracing their new situation, and, as he leaned over to retrieve his plate from her hands, he gave her a slow, lingering kiss on her cheek.  "Thank you Beautiful.  It smells delicious."

Keeping the smile plastered on her face, Elizabeth gestured to the red wine bottle she had opened earlier to allow the alcohol to breathe.  "I opened the wine you bought.  Would you like me to pour, or would you like to do the honors?"

After placing his plate down, the lawyer strolled over to the bottle, picking it up and bringing it over to the table.  "Let me since you slaved over the stove.   It's my turn to wait on you."  Then Ric proceeded to pour two ample servings of wine in the glasses Elizabeth had had found while making dinner.

Elizabeth nodded in acquiesce and brought her own plate to the small table situated in between the kitchen and main living room. As they began to eat, the young nurse paid close attention to her ex-husband, although she did so carefully so as not to raise suspicion.  Taking a meager sip of her wine, wanting to keep her wits about her, Elizabeth asked, "Ric, would you mind lighting a fire after dinner?  I’m starting to feel a chill, and I really do not want to catch a cold."

Ric eyed his ex-wife, still wondering about the miraculous change, but then decided he would take advantage of Elizabeth's good will and not second guess it, at least, for the time being.  Responding to her request, he said, "I can do that.”  Taking his fork and pointing to the food, he stated, "this is delicious.  I see you have learned to cook since we were married."

Pasting another smile on her face, the young mother giggled softly, thinking of her sons, and said, "yeah, motherhood will do that to you.  It was either learn how to cook, or let Cameron starve.  My Grams taught me some things, and then I just sort of picked the rest up."

Smiling in return, thinking of his own daughter, Ric said, "you learned well, but why is my dish looking slightly different than yours?"

Elizabeth, keeping her voice light and carefree explained, "it seems I developed a food allergy to green peppers while pregnant with Jake, but I remembered how much you loved them.  Seeing as how you bought some, not realizing I was now allergic, I decided to heat up two different sauces - one with green peppers for you and one without for me."  And then she shrugged her shoulders slightly, so as to make it seem like no big deal, smiling, all the while, as she gazed at her ex-husband.

Ric, satisfied with Elizabeth's response, continued eating.  Once their dinner was completed, the lawyer insisted on doing the dishes since Elizabeth had cooked.  First, he started a fire, and requested she relax on the couch while he finished up in the kitchen.  If it wasn't for the absurdity of the situation, the young mother might have laughed at how normal and domestic their present scene might have seemed.  If only it was Jason in the kitchen doing the dishes right now, the brunette probably would have indulged in a little more wine, placed a blanket by the fire, and waited for him to join her so as they could participate in some after dinner exercise.

Sighing, the young mother willed herself not to go there.  Concentrate Elizabeth, she chanted, on Ric.  This was your way to escape, and you need to focus.  Nodding, she had willed thoughts of Jason away... for the time being, and the nurse began to watch her ex-husband.  Unsure of the effects or what his response to GHB would be, the brunette had not been sure how much to place in her ex-husband's spaghetti sauce, so she carefully monitored his movements as he washed the dishes. 

Once Ric finished his task, he joined Elizabeth on the couch, bringing two new glasses of wine.  Elizabeth continued to sip hers as she gazed at Ric over the rim of her glass.  Soon, she watched as her ex-husband's eyes started to glaze and waver from open to close to open again.  Seeing the change in his demeanor, Elizabeth innocently asked, "Ric, are you okay?  You seem a little tired."

Trying to focus on his ex-wife but not really able to, Ric decided he was tired and that he needed to lie down.  Placing his wine glass on the coffee table, he directed as much as attention as he could muster towards Elizabeth and said, "yeah, I think I am.”  Standing, he eyed the young woman before him.  "I'm going to go get some sleep.  Remember, Elizabeth, no funny business, or this pleasant evening we just had won't be so pleasant the next time."

And, with that, Ric turned to go.  As Elizabeth watched him enter his bedroom and close the door, the young mother twirled the wine glass in her petite yet unexpectedly calm hands and began to organize, in her head, what her next move would be.   Then she rose off the couch, picked up Ric's wine glass, and headed towards the kitchen.  The brunette then proceeded to empty both wine glasses down the sink before heading off to bed. 

But not to her bed. 

No, rather, the young mother headed to Ric's bedroom.

Okay, phase one is complete.  Now, onto phase two.

Jason barged into the District Attorney's office without either knocking or waiting for permission to enter.  He was neither concerned with how the attorney might react to his impromptu visit or if she was in some official legal meeting at the time.  All he cared about was finding any type of information that might lead him to Elizabeth.  But, as he entered Alexis' office, he was unprepared for the sight before him which caused the ex-enforcer to slightly hesitate as he stalked through the threshold.  

In front of him was not only his and Sonny's former attorney but their present attorney as well, both ladies proceeding to get totally plastered in the District Attorney's office.   Jason quickly regaining his composure, cleared his throat, and addressed his former attorney, "Alexis."

Both women, now realizing they were no longer alone, turned to face the stoic blond, each registering surprise on their faces at who their unexpected visitor was. 

Alexis recovered first and spoke.  "Jason, what a surprise.  We were just celebrating the capture of Anthony Zacharra, which, for some reason, I was told you had a hand in.  Not that I'm not thankful…  I was just rather surprised.  But, gathering from the look on your face, that's not why you came her tonight.  So, and I’m probably going to regret asking this, but what can I do for you?"

Before the mob boss could answer, he heard his attorney address him in her clear, crisp voice.  For being half blitzed, she sounded quite competent.  "Please, do not tell me that those idiots at the PCPD pulled you in for some bogus charge again, and that you erroneously did not have the forethought to call your attorney,... meaning you are here to work your manly magic on Alexis in order to get out of whatever latest trouble you now find yourself in." Or… maybe not.

Alexis and Jason both directed their gazes at the redhead who was still drinking her very dry martini with incredulous expressions plastered on their faces, wondering where that statement had come from.

Diane, looking back and forth between the two adults, exclaimed, "Oh, come on, you two!  It's not unthinkable.  I mean, Alexis, you do have a thing, no matter how much you protest, for that mysterious, bad boy persona.  That unfortunate affair you had with Jerry Jax was proof enough of that, and, Jason here… well..., well....  Okay, I guess you’re right.  That's definitely not a possibility, so, if that's not a possibility, then what are you doing here, Jason, and, better yet, why wasn't I called before you requested a meeting with the District Attorney?  And you better not tell me that you need me to file some harassment charges against the PCPD right now, because I have just propped my feet up after a very long day, and am enjoying both this very nice, very dry, very tasty martini and the slight buzz it and its predecessors have graciously given me.”  As she completed her monologue, the attorney once again went back to sipping her drink.

Jason initially just glared at his attorney for several seconds before redirecting his attention back to Alexis.  "Would you by chance have any idea where Ric might be?"

"Ric!" Both attorneys exclaimed simultaneously as they each spit out their alcoholic beverages, sending questioning glances in the others direction. 

But, since the question had been directed towards Alexis, she ended up being the one to respond to Jason's rather unexpected inquiry, and she did so with, a question of her own.  "What do you want with Ric?" Wary of the ex-enforcer's intentions, especially when the attorney knew of the very volatile animosity between the two males, she refused to tell the blond anything… yet.

Jason, releasing a frustrated breath, placed both hands on his hips and willed the conversation to go faster.  "Ric has Elizabeth, and I need to find out where he has taken her."

With that statement, both attorney's eyed the young man more carefully, sure that he had gone crazy, because both women knew the young lady in question was dead.  Seeing the disbelief on the brunette and redhead's faces, Jason, rubbing his hand across his face, hastily tried to explain, exasperated that such a seemingly easy task was taking so long.  "Before Anthony was caught, he came to see me about helping him escape.  In return, he told me he would give me the one thing I truly wanted.  At first, I didn't believe him, but then he told me something only Elizabeth or I would know.  Finally, the old man told me Ric had taken her to his family's home in Martha's Vineyard.  When I got there, they were gone, but I am positive Elizabeth was there.  So, please, Alexis if you know anything, I would appreciate your help."

"Jason, are you sure," Alexis asked, still not able to believe that her ex-husband could be capable of something so appalling, but this was Ric they were talking about, so, really, why should she be surprised?

The stoic blond just nodded in response.

Then Diane, slamming her feet down onto the floor, spoke up.  "Good God, Alexis, what kind of men are you attracted to?  First, there was Sonny who you ended up having a child with, not that such a thing could be considered a unique accomplishment considering his… penchant for procreating."  The legal eagle took another sip of her delicious beverage.  "Then there was Ric, whom you had another kid with.  Why you were attracted to him, I still haven't figured out, and, now, look at what he’s allegedly done."  Another long gulp went down the redhead’s throat before she spoke again.  "Then there was Jerry, albeit he was already mentioned earlier, but we both know that he ended up being a raging sociopath.  What is it with you and these horrible choices in men?  This goes well beyond the typical case of Daddy issues!"

Alexis, quick to defend herself, looked at her friend and sometimes adversary in the courtroom and countered back,  "Oh, come on!  It's not like you aren't attracted to the same kind of men.  I mean, you are sleeping with Max, aren't you?"

Diane stood up and leaned towards Alexis, quick to defend her choices.  "Max?  MAX?!"  Swinging her arms and spilling what little remained of her drink all across the DA’s desk, she cried out, "Max is a wonderful man.  He's a teddy bear, gentle as can be.  Plus, he is the most flexible man I have ever dated.  Now, that is the type of man you should be looking for, not Max, though.  He’s mine.  Keep your bad boy licking fingers away from my Max, do you hear me?"

"Oh, please!  He works for Sonny!  What kind of future..."

"LADIES!" Jason bellowed, tired of their bickering.  He wanted answers, not information on the two attorneys’ sex lives. 

Immediately, the room became silent, both women showing contrition about their behavior... at least, for the moment.  Nodding in agreement with each other, they declared a truce on their choices in men and redirected their attention back to the stoic blond in the room.

Jason, balling his hands into fists in an attempt to remain calm, asked again, "Alexis, do you have any idea where Ric might be?"

Alexis, feeling sorry for the young man in front of her, sadly said, "no, Jason, I'm sorry.  I don't.  All I know is Ric called me earlier today to let me know he would be out of town for a while and to just tell Molly that he loved her.  That was it.  He didn't tell me where he was going or how long he would be gone."

Jason nodded to his former lawyer, acknowledging what she had said and for her expression of sympathy towards his plight.  As he turned to go, Jason looked over his shoulder and said, "if you do hear from Ric, would you please let me know?"

"Of course," the brunette attorney replied as she nodded and watched him exit the room.

As the door closed, both attorneys remained silent, quietly sipping their drinks – Alexis the one she had started drinking earlier and Diane a new one she had just mixed, lost in their own thoughts of love and the choices they have made in the past.

As Jason headed out of the building, his cell phone rang.  Brusquely retrieving the device from his pocket, the ex-enforcer was not capable of hiding his frustration as he answered. "Morgan."  The stoic blond heard squealing in the background and had to pull the phone slightly away from his ear.

"Stone Cold, I am so glad we reached you.  I have information of the most exciting proportions..."

Interrupting the computer hacker, so as to get the information out of his roommate as quickly as possible, Jason said, "Spinelli, calm down and slow down.  Did you find something that could help me find Elizabeth?"

"We did, and it is of the most interesting nature.  You see, when we got to the Zacharra fortress, an attorney was leaving something for Johnny.  Unbeknownst to the mob prince, Trevor Lansing had left something in his will for the oh so dark, brooding one…"

Jason, his patience wearing thin, for he wanted the information that he needed, but not wishing to upset the young man, quietly but forcefully cut short his friend and asked, "Spinelli, is Johnny there?  Let me speak to him."

Instantly, he heard Johnny's steady, reasonable voice on the phone, and the older man got right down to business.  "What did you find?"

Knowing the ex-enforcer didn't want to waste any time, Johnny quickly blurted out, " it seems I’m not a Zacharra after all, but a Lansing.  Trevor had an affair with my mother while she was married to my father, and I was the product of their little tryst.  Scared of my father, the two of them decided to keep quiet about my true paternity and to make my father believe I was his.  But, in some ironic joke, Trevor decided to leave me the cabin where he and my mother had their illustrious affair.   God, this is sick.  I was raised by a demented sociopath and given life by another.  I have no idea what this means for my future, but it can’t be good.”

Jason, sorry for the young man's plight, inquired, "are you okay?"

Shaking his head out of his self pitying musings, Johnny said, "I'll be fine, Jason.  It's not like I didn't already know that I was damaged goods, but that's for me to deal with, not you."  The young man then took a deep breath and continued.  "So, it may be a long shot, but Trevor's cabin is located in the Catskill mountains north of here.  Now, I don't know if Ric knew about the cabin or not, but its as good as any place to start looking."

The mob boss nodded and said, "I agree.  That's where I’ll start."  Just as Jason was about to hang up the phone, he asked, "Johnny does anyone else know that you are a Lansing and not a Zacharra?"

Johnny, surprised by the question, said, "I don't think so, but I can't be sure.  It seems my mother and my… Trevor kept it a secret from every one, and the attorney who delivered the papers stated he never looked inside, just that he was supposed to deliver the letter to me in the event of his death."

Jason nodded again.  "Good.  Let's keep it that way.  For now, it would be best if everyone still thought of you as a Zacharra, and we will leave this little piece of information between you, me, and Spinelli."

"Not a problem.  It's not like I want to advertise my new paternity to the world."

With that, both men ended the conversation.  Johnny looked over at Spinelli, both young men lost in their thoughts, hoping that this was the information Jason needed to find Elizabeth, and Jason sped off to the Catskills in his quest to be reunited with his one true love.

~~~

Elizabeth entered Ric's bedroom.  It was the one and only time she was thankful that the senior Lansing deemed it necessary not to have any locks on the establishment’s doors.  For Elizabeth, such a design decision was an advantage and a disadvantage towards her plight.  With no locks, the brunette had no means of containing her ex-husband in a confined space for any period of time; yet, it did allow her to move freely around the cabin while the younger Lansing was incapacitated. 

Seeing her ex-husband sprawled out prone on his bed, Elizabeth quietly sighed in relief that  her captor had passed out still fully clothed.  Gingerly, she made her way towards the bed,  staying on guard and tense the whole time, for she was still unsure of the effects the GHB would have on her ex-husband.   Once she was able to ascertain that Ric was semi-conscious and unable to take control of the situation, the young mother went about rising the man off the bed and leading him towards the entrance of the cabin, out into the woods.

While cooking dinner, Elizabeth had figured that the only way she could keep Ric from attacking her due to her treachery if the effects of the GHB wore off before she could procure an escape was to lead him as far away from the cabin as possible and hope he was disoriented enough about his location that it would take him several hours, if at all, to find his way back to the cabin.  That would allow her time to figure out a way to escape.  She knew her ex-husband wouldn't be completely fooled by her agreeable nature and estimated that Ric would not only lock up the two way radio but the keys to the car as well.  As she lead Ric to the front door, Elizabeth searched his pants pockets and found out she had been correct in her assumption, for no keys were discovered.  

Moving slowly, due to Ric's sluggish nature, Elizabeth then checked her own pockets, being certain she had the little plastic ties that came with garbage bag packages.  For the young mother wasn't stupid; she knew that she herself could also get lost in the woods, so, taking a page out of the Hansel and Gretel storybook, minus the bread crumbs, which actually caused them to get lost,  Elizabeth grabbed the most accessible marker she could find.  Lucky for her, what she found was both small and colorful enough that they could  easily be hidden in her jeans pockets and used as markers to lead her back home.

Feeling the chill as she opened the door, Elizabeth considered grabbing a heavier coat but then thought to herself that she didn't want to waste any more precious time, so she, in turn, concluded that the sweatshirt she wore would have to be enough.  Then, as the two adults hit the ground, Ric stumbled and almost took both of them tumbling down.  Releasing a breath she had been holding, Elizabeth was silently thankful that she had managed to keep them both upright, for guiding Ric off his bed was hard enough but lifting him off the ground would almost have been downright impossible. 

Just as Elizabeth was about to lead them further away from the cabin, she noticed Ric's eyes flutter open, staring at her intently, inherently stopping not only the brunette’s  external physical movements but also her internal physical movements as well.  Her heart and lungs seemed to stop functioning.  She couldn't feel her heart beat or her body take a breath.  Everything just stopped. 

But then she saw her ex-husband smile at her, and her bodily functions started up again as she heard Ric mumble, "did you want to take a romantic walk in the moonlight?"

Elizabeth smiled back, replying, "yes, Ric.  I thought it would be nice, and it’ll help us walk off that delicious meal we just shared."

Ric just nodded in agreement and allowed Elizabeth to lead them on their little promenade.  Luckily, the man still seemed to be under the effects of the GHB and did not have all of his senses about him, for he did not seem to notice the petite brunette stopping every so often to randomly tie something onto the eye level branches of the trees they passed.

Once the young mother felt they had walked far enough,  Elizabeth gently eased her ex-husband onto the ground.  Despite the fact that every fiber in her being wanted to throw him down and kick him until he cried out in merciless pain, the brunette realized that such an action would not serve her purpose… at least, not at that particular moment.  She didn't need to alert him to any error in his ill conceived plan; she  just needed to get as far away from the her demented sociopathic ex-husband as quickly as possible if she was to have any chance of escape at all.   So, she bit her lower lip, straining under his weight so as to place him gently on the hard, cold dirt, leaning him up against the closest tree trunk. 

Confident that Ric was comfortable, Elizabeth immediately took off, running as fast as her long yet petite legs would take her.  Unfortunately, her progress was slowed as she stopped to remove her garbage bag ties so as not to leave any clues that may assist in leading Ric back to the cabin.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Elizabeth bounded into her what would hopefully be her very short lived prison and immediately headed into Ric's bedroom.   The brunette instantly began to try and conjure up possible combinations that would give her access to her desired goal - freedom.

But, no sooner did she begin her task, then the young mother heard a noise coming from the entrance of the cabin.   Scared it was Ric already returning, fooling her into thinking he was asleep, Elizbeth hastily looked for any type of weapon she could defend herself with, chiding herself for not having the forethought to find a weapon first.  Then she immediately remembered that she hadn’t been able to find a weapon earlier.   With that in mind, the young mother quickly began to look for a place to hide.  Yet, before she could do anything, a shadow crossed over the door frame, the outline of a gun glaring her in the face, and Elizabeth could do nothing but hold her breath as the intruder entered the room.

As Elizabeth sat there in Ric's bedroom fully exposed to the intruder who was entering, her breathing quickly became fast and shallow, her heart rate was beating a mile a minute, and the harder she tried to calm down, the more worked up her petite frame became.  Then the object of her growing distress entered the room, but it wasn't what she saw that once again took her breathe away but rather what she heard that caused her bodily functions to cease.  There was no mistaking the voice or the sound that emanated from those lips.  Soft and ever so sweetly she heard the one word she had craved to hear for so long from the man she loved.  "Elizabeth."

It was Jason.  He had found her.  Relief flooded her body, but it wasn't until she sprang up and ran into his outstretched, strong, muscular arms and felt his warm, firm embrace that she truly felt safe.  Elizabeth just couldn't let go.  She held on to him for dear life, but, from the way Jason hugged her back just as forcefully, the young woman knew he didn't mind, that he welcomed her vigorous cinch as much as she did.

Jason didn't think this day would ever come.  The mob boss was finally holding Elizabeth in his arms.  His one true love had come back to him.  He relished in her scent and the feel of her soft curves molding perfectly to his body.  He quietly sighed in content, but, as much as he wanted to stay like that with her forever, he knew they needed to release themselves, if only for the moment, and deal with their present predicament.  

Two things were foremost in his mind.  Where was Ric, and how fast could he kill him?  Yet, even as he thought of different ways to torture the smug lawyer to death, Jason knew that Elizabeth would want to return to their children as soon as possible and rid herself of this nightmare that had been her life, and Jason wanted to give the beautiful brunette anything her heart desired.  So, with great reluctance, he freed her from his hold, only enough so he could look her into her gorgeous, blue eyes and talk about what their next course of action should be.  But, as he stared into her sapphire orbs, the words that had been on the tip of his tongue disappeared.  All Jason could do was stare at her angelic face, memorizing every curve, every detail and never forgetting how lucky he was that she was here, alive, and in his arms.

Finally, after a few moments, the ex-enforcer was able to compose himself enough to speak.  Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, the blond moved his shaking hand upward so that his knuckles grazed her cherubic cheek in a soft, gentle caress.  Then he  took a firm but gentle hold with both hands around her slim, narrow waist, keeping her as close as possible, but the words that came out were not the ones he initially planned to express but ones he had never regretted saying since he had for the first time a little over a year before.

"I love you, Elizabeth."

The young woman's face glowed from the honest words that expelled from the beautiful man before her.  Releasing her hands from around his neck, the brunette lowered them to encase his face, and, as she slowly lowered his lips to meet her own, she too expressed the feelings that had been within her being for longer than she could remember.  "I love you, too."

Then their lips joined like the coming of two souls together, both relishing in the feeling of the other’s mouth against their own, remembering how it felt to be kissed by the person they loved.  But, before either could deepen the kiss, Jason pulled away, knowing that if he didn't then, the blond would get lost in her touch, in the feel of those lips on his own, and of her body wrapped around his, and that was not where they needed to be going, at least, not right now.  Before Jason could completely relinquish his lips from her soft, creamy skin, the mob boss gave a slow tender kiss to the petite brunette's temple and then, once again, drew his attention back to her expressive and loving doe eyes.

"Elizabeth," the ex-enforcer whispered.  

Before any more words could be spoken, the young mother took her fine index digit to those soft, full lips, preventing the blond from speaking another word.

"Shhhhh," she whispered.  "I understand."

And Jason knew Elizabeth did.  If there was one thing that never changed, it was how the two 'more than friends' didn't need words to communicate with each other.  All it took was a glance, a shrug, or even a smirk, and they were in sync. 

The ex-enforcer let out a calming breath.  Gathering his whits about him, his gaze never wavering from the beauty before him, he slowly ran his hands up her arms and clasped her more delicate ones that still held his face within his own.  Hands entwined, the blond lowered them so they rested between their bodies, and Jason, once again, began to think of the problem before them. 

"Elizabeth…"  Swallowing, once again, the lump that had formed in his throat, thinking he would never be able to speak that one word again, he continued, "where is Ric?"

The brunette all of sudden remembered where she was.  She wasn't with Jason at their safe-house, or her studio, or even the docks; they were in Ric's father's mistress retreat, miles from anywhere.  Focusing on the man in front of her, the petite brunette squeezed his hands in reassurance, shrugging her shoulders, and lifted her mouth into a slight smirk.  Nonchalantly, she replied, "uh, he's out in the woods somewhere."

Jason, unable to even hide his surprise, slowly repeated her words.  "He's out in the woods somewhere?"

Elizabeth lowered her head and then shifted to turn so as to move around as she talked with Jason, but the ex-enforcer wouldn't allow it.  He held her to him, clasping their hands a little tighter as she attempted to pull away.

Leaning down ever so slightly so as to look her in the eyes, Jason whispered softly to the woman he loved.  "Elizabeth, just tell me what happened, so we can figure out where to go from here."

The petite brunette, once again, raised her head to look into Jason's cerulean blue eyes and saw all the trust, understanding, and love she needed to give her the strength to explain to Jason everything that had transpired, not only that night but everything since she woke up in Martha's Vineyard.

She explained about waking up in Ric's family's home, how her ex-husband had tied her up when she did not succumb to her captor’s bidding, how she had to put her faith in Anthony Zacharra to hopefully relay her message back to Jason, and then how tonight she had found the hidden pouch of GHB and used it for her own means and lead Ric out in to the darkness, hoping to escape before he found his way back to the cabin.

All the while that Elizabeth was talking, Jason used all of his self control not to slowly crush the brunette's hands as she continued to count off all of what Ric had put her through.  Then, as she finished, the mob boss once more pulled the woman he loved into a protective yet gentle embrace, trying to ease away any pain or suffering she had endured at the hands of his arch nemesis.

Releasing her once again, but keeping their hands joined, Jason asked the brunette, "Elizabeth, do you think you could lead me back to where you left Ric?"

"I don't know, Jason.  It was dark, and I really didn't pay attention to the direction I was going.  I used the garbage ties to find my way back but didn't want to leave them out for Ric to use as well."  Lowering her head from his gaze, the young mother whispered, "I'm sorry."

Jason, hearing the remorse and self loathing in Elizabeth's voice, released his right hand from her left and moved his index finger under her chin, lightly bringing her beautiful face upwards, requiring her to raise her sapphire orbs to meet his own cerulean blue ones which were swimming with emotion.  "Hey, you did the right thing, getting away from Ric.  Please don't think you did anything wrong."

"But, Jason, I can't help you find him and...."

The mob boss quickly stopped Elizabeth's rant by lowering his lips to hers, for just a moment to soothe her misgivings, and, as their mouths met in the whisper of a kiss, she could hear him gently say, "shhhhh."

Parting once more, the blond caressed her cheek in a petal soft touch, never tiring of feeling her soft, smooth skin against his own more rough and calloused hands.  He said, "Elizabeth, it's okay.  You did what needed to be done, and I, and no one else, can fault you for that."

Elizabeth just stared at the man before her, seeing all the love and understanding within his expressive blue eyes, eyes that saw into her soul, and nodded her head, accepting what Jason had said.

Seeing the young mother acknowledge his words and believe them, the mob boss took in a deep breath, released it once again, and began to think of what their next move should be.   After a few moments of silence, Jason focused on the brunette in front of him and asked Elizabeth the one question she had dreamed about since this nightmare had started.  "Are you ready to go home?"

Elizabeth had never heard words more beautiful, but, as happy as she was to go home, to their boys, the young mother was realistic and knew there were other things that needed to be dealt with before her surprise return from the dead and back to Port Charles.  Resolute in her decision, she replied to Jason's question.  "But, Jason, what about Ric?  He is still out there.  Don't we need to take care of him first?"

Jason had watched as the emotions - elation, surprise, and then determination crossed over Elizabeth's face as the angel before him had mulled over his last question.  Seeing her ponder with consideration towards what their next move would be and, as always, not taking the selfish way out made him love her even more, if that was at all possible.   The blond knew the young mother wanted to go home, to hold their children, and never let go, but he also knew that she would want to help him deal with Ric, and that was why the smug lawyer could wait.  Elizabeth was the most important thing to him in that moment, and that meant getting her home, back to Port Charles, so they could start their life together as a family. 

Adamant about returning to Port Charles as quickly as possible, Jason raised his hand, taking a strand of Elizabeth's hair and brushing it behind her ear.  He then lowered his arm to rejoin their hands once again and said, "Elizabeth, we will find Ric, and he will be dealt with, I promise you that, but it's not the most important thing right now.  Getting you home is, and that is all I want to do - get you home to our boys."

Sighing in relief that her dreams would soon come true, Elizabeth squeezed the ex-enforcer's hands that still encircled her own, smiled, a smile that met her now shining dark blue eyes, and said, "I trust you, Jason, and going home right now to our family sounds absolutely wonderful."

Smiling his half smile to the beauty before him, Jason nodded and said, "Good, now I just need to make a couple of quick phone calls, and we'll be on our way."

Releasing one hand, Jason began to lead Elizabeth out of Ric's bedroom and into the cabin's living room, but, still, he kept one hand joined with hers, not dreaming of letting the brunette go for even a moment. The mob boss then retrieved his cell phone, using his free hand, and proceeded to make his calls.

Elizabeth listened on as Jason first called Cody, ordering him to procure a team of men up to the Catskills mountains to begin their search for Ric.  Then she smiled as she heard the blond call Spinelli, hearing the younger man squeal like a baby when Jason informed him he had found Elizabeth.   But then her smile turned to question as Jason asked the computer hacker where Cameron and Jake were.  Why wouldn't they be with Lucky, she thought.  So, when Jason finally ended his call, a slight worried look on his face, the young mother turned to him and asked, "Jason, why would you ask where Cameron and Jake were?"

Jason, realizing Elizabeth had heard part of his conversation but not wanting to distress the young mother, started to lead her towards the front door.  "Elizabeth, I don't want you to get upset right now, but a couple things have been going on since your death in Port Charles."

Not liking the sound of that, Elizabeth stopped Jason's progression by tugging on his hand.  "What’s that supposed to mean?"  Quirking her eyebrow in question as she continued talking, she pressed, "what has been going on since my death?"

Letting out a frustrated breath, the blond replied, "lets just say that Lucky has a lot of answering to do, to you, on his fathering skills."

"Lucky?  What has he done?!"  Concern was now evident in her voice.

Jason, wanting to ease her fears, said, "Elizabeth, the boys are fine.  No harm has come to them.   Lucky's parenting skills, though, could use some work.  Trust me, I promise to tell you everything that has happened since your death... later, but, right now, all I want to do is take you home."

Elizabeth nodded in acquiesce, letting Jason know she trusted his judgement on the situation.  So, as they headed out the door, the brunette was surprised as the ex-enforcer's steps began to slow once they headed away from the cabin.  Then the young mother discovered why the blond had hesitated.  He had realized that their only means of transportation back to Port Charles was his motorcycle.  But, when Jason looked over at the woman next to him, all he saw was a big smile adorning her beautiful face, and, then, the mob boss smiled too.  Slightly shaking his head, he teased her, "I knew you only liked me for my bike."

Elizabeth laughed - a full blown laugh, her first in such a long time.  It fact, it had been so long, the brunette couldn't remember when she had laughed so freely, and just the sound of her laughter caused Jason's heart to swell, and he swore he would do everything, everything within his power, to hear that sound every day for the rest of their lives.

And, with that thought in mind, the blond handed the beautiful woman before him his helmet, watching as she gracefully straddled his motorcycle.  Jason then quickly followed and quietly sighed in joy as he felt Elizabeth's small, petite frame snuggle up tight against him and her arms wrap around his firm waist, his muscles involuntarily flexing as her gentle hands caressed his body.  Relishing in the two of them finally being together once again, Jason started his motorcycle and began their trek out of the mountains, back to Port Charles so that the two separated lovers could finally begin their life together as a family.

Jason and Elizabeth arrived back in Port Charles in record time… well, record time for the blond with a passenger on board - a very important passenger, at that, one the mob boss would never take for granted ever again.  Losing Elizabeth to death enlightened the ex-enforcer's eyes to what was really important, his family, and not he nor any one else was ever going to take them or push them away from him again.  A part of Jason had wanted Elizabeth in front of him while driving the bike back home, giving himself the opportunity to hold her in his arms the way he had dreamt of for so long, but the rational part of him knew that the two of them would arrive at their destination much faster – and safer - if he was at the helm.  So, the blond relished in the feeling of the brunette's small but toned arms wrapped around his waist during their journey back home, knowing soon that he would be able to hold her close to him once again.

As Jason turned the motorcycle towards their intended destination, the blond felt Elizabeth start to tense, her body language becoming more stiff and slightly agitated.  Wishing to ease her growing stress, the mob boss cut the motor of the bike and stopped their progression before they reached their intended target. 

Turning to face the brunette, he asked, "are you okay?"

Elizabeth just nodded her head, unable to speak due to the many emotions wreaking havoc upon her body.  She felt so many things all at once, a lot of joy, some fear, a little anger, but mostly relief - relief that she and Jason had both made it away from the cabin safely, relief that she was home, and relief that she was finally going to be reunited with her sons.  She was going to be able to hold her children close and never let go.  Tears started to well in the depths of her beautiful sapphire eyes as she thought of how she would soon be rejoined with Cameron and Jake.  But, as she felt Jason gently wipe away the tears that started to cascade down her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs, the young mother, once again, began to wonder why they were here if they were really going to come to take her boys home.  Although Elizabeth had been overjoyed to, once again, be on the back of Jason's motorcycle, especially since that feeling his bike brought on, the feeling of being able to forget everything around her and just focus on the wind, made her forget everything from the past few days, but, now that the bike had stopped, she felt herself becoming frustrated in the fact that she had been unable to get the answers to her mounting questions prior to arriving back in Port Charles. 

Reaching up and taking the blonde's larger hands within her much smaller ones, Elizabeth asked, "Jason, I need to know why are we here?"

Releasing a deep breath, Jason took a moment to stare at the angel before him before answering.  "Elizabeth," he softly whispered.  "I want to give you the answers you deserve.  I... I just don't think I can.  It is up to Lucky to tell you what has been going on with the boys since your… death.  Wha... what I can tell you is that, since the moment you… died, our sons have been watched over, and, even though your will stated that Lucky was to be their guardian, I have never stopped hoping that, one day, I would be able to get custody of them.

Nodding in understanding, Elizabeth allowed Jason to direct the bike to the underground garage and assist her off.  Elizabeth knew Jason didn't want to influence her opinion of Lucky in any way.  It was for her to learn of how her ex-husband had taken on the responsibility of being a father to Cameron and Jake, and that was what she was about to do.  Why it had to be at Sam's apartment, the brunette did not know, but she was about to find out.

As the two rode the elevator up to the penthouse level, the young mother's anxiety began to grow, even with Jason's strong hand tightly grasped within her own, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel slightly afraid.  Would her children be scared, confused to see her, or would they just be so happy that she is home that nothing else would matter?  And what about Lucky?  Did she confront him and Sam right now… with her children close by?

Jason, once again, sensed Elizabeth's unease and turned her to face him so as to look her in the eye, and squeezed her hand in reassurance, gently leaning down to brush a feather light kiss across her lips.  Pulling away, he whispered into her mouth, "it's going to be okay.  I am here, and I am never letting you go again."

The brunette sighed and slowly wrapped her arms around Jason's waist, holding on tight and taking in all the strength and support the man before her offered so willingly. 

Hearing the ding of the elevator, signaling their arrival, the pair exited and headed towards Sam's door.  Seeing one of his men stationed appropriately, Jason nodded to his guard, signaling their presence.  But Jason had decided the best course of action was to not alert their past significant others to their existence would allow them time to cover-up whatever was transpiring behind their closed doors.  Therefore, Jason efficiently and rapidly unlocked his ex-girlfriend’s door, and the two enter undetected.

Nothing, though, could have prepared Elizabeth for what she saw as she entered into Sam's home.  She gasped in anguish at seeing her two boys carelessly sprawled out on the woman's couch, while there were clothes strewn all over the floor, leading from the patio right up to the other woman’s bedroom door, obviously after a romp in the hot tub.  Junk food was spread out all over the coffee table as well, and the television was on, blaring infomercials due to the late hour.

Thankfully, both boys were asleep, but, as soon as the young mother saw them, she couldn't' stop herself from rushing to them, scooping them up in her arms, squeezing them tight, and rocking the two back and forth.  All the while, tears were streaming down her face.  Luckily, Elizabeth had been so focused on her sons that she hadn't heard the moaning coming from the other room, but Jason had, and he started to prepare for the worst as the ex-enforcer saw Cameron's eyes start to flutter open.

Releasing his arms from Elizabeth's fixed grip, the young boy rubbed his eyes with his tiny fist, and then focused on the woman in front of him.  Still sleepy from his unexpected awakening, the little boy asked, "mommy, am I still dreaming?"

Kissing his forehead, using her hand to caress his unruly curls, the tears continuing to fall down her face, Elizabeth said, "no, honey, you aren't.  Mommy's home."

A smile now adorned her eldest son's face, and he quickly threw his arms around her neck and said, "the angels brought you back to me, didn't they?"

"Yes, honey, they did.  They knew you still needed your Mommy."

With his voice now muffled as he continued to tighten his grasp around his Mom, Cameron replied, "I do, Mommy; I do."

Elizabeth then turned to Jason, seeing the tears start to well in the blond's cerulean blue eyes, and the two of them smiled at each other, a small, shared half smile, telling each other, without words, that everything was going to be okay.

Then Jake awoke, and he began to squeal seeing his mother before him.  Her youngest son, not really understanding his mother's absence these past weeks, started to babble at the top of his lungs, and then Cameron began to speak loudly, not wishing to be outdone by his younger sibling.  Elizabeth started to laugh at their antics, and Jason couldn't help but smile at the scene before him.  The woman he loved, holding his children, tears of joy running down her face, trying to get a word in between the two youths.

All of a sudden, they heard a noise and watched as Lucky stormed out into the living room with only a sheet wrapped around him, yelling, "what the hell is going on in here?!"

Elizabeth, appalled at her ex-husband's attire and language, gently placed both boys on the couch and stood for Lucky to see just what was going on there.  Then she caught a glimpse of Sam running out to see what was happening, all the while trying to put on a skimpy pair of shorts and an even skimpier tank top.  The young mother shook her head, wondering if the other woman thought what she was trying to put on was even close to being appropriate to wear before children – her two children, fully understanding of what Jason had been hinting towards what really had been transpiring since her death.  Elizabeth's temper then started to surface and was about to explode when she felt Jason's hand rest securely on her lower back, wielding his strength and using it to calm her immediately.  She quickly glanced at her two children, realizing she had to keep it together in front of them, but hell hath no fury once they are safely away from this place.

Lucky, shocked at what he was seeing right before his eyes, stammered out, "Eliz… Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth, not feeling very joyous to see her ex-husband, coldly replied, "yes, Lucky, it's me."

Surprised but elated, Lucky spouted out, "I can't believe it's you," and then the young man tried to walk over to give his ex-wife a hug, but, before he could even take a step towards her, Elizabeth held up her hand, stopping him from progressing forward any further.

"I think it's best if you stay right there, Lucky."

Feeling Sam take his hand, Lucky brushed it off, sensing Elizabeth was not happy with the scene before her.  Sam, not happy with his rebuke, wrapped her arms around Lucky's waist, rubbing her body against his bare skin, smirking at Elizabeth, not wanting her to realize she had the upper hand.

But Elizabeth ignored Sam, as did Lucky, once again brushing off her attempts of affection, for he knew that he needed to get in Elizabeth's good graces.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?  Don't you know how happy I am to see you alive, how happy me and our boys are?"

Taking a deep breath, the young mother turned to the man beside her, the man she loved and counted on in so many ways, and asked, "can you please take the boys to the car outside? You do have a car waiting for us, right?"

Smiling down at the beautiful brunette, knowing she was doing everything in her power to keep her temper in check, Jason stroked her cheek with the his knuckles and whispered in that voice he only used for her.  "Yes, I have a car downstairs, ready and waiting, with car seats for our boys.  Spinelli had one sent over."  Smiling even more for he could sense her anxiety about Spinelli driving, he added, "and, no, he didn't bring it over himself.  I will be driving it home.  Marco will drive the motorcycle back to the towers."

Elizabeth offer him back one of her own signature grin, one that reached her eyes, not only because she was remembering their ride on his bike back to Port Charles but also because Jason knew her so well and knew exactly what she needed. 

Now pivoting towards her sons, continuing to ignore Lucky and Sam, Elizabeth bent down, kissing them both on the foreheads before looking them in the eye, straining to keep her voice neutral and pleasant.  "Mommy just has to talk to Daddy and Sam for a minute, guys, okay?"  She turned to face the two momentarily before glancing back at Cameron and Jake.  “So, can you go with Jason right now to the car, and I will be down in just a minute?"

Both boys, in a hurry to please their Mom, just nodded their heads, Cameron easily accepted Jason's hand as he held it out for him, and Jake calmly settled into Jason's arms when he reached down to scoop the toddler up.  But, before Jason left, he focused once again on Elizabeth, concerned about leaving her alone with Lucky and Sam, and asked, "do you want me to come back up once they are settled in the car?  Marco can wait with them until we…."

Elizabeth just shook her head and reached for his arm that was holding Jake.  Gently placing it there, she lightly rubbed her delicate hand back and forth to ease his fears.  "No, I'll be fine.  I... I want you to stay with them, until I can join you.  They need to feel at least one of close by right now."

Jason nodded in understanding and headed towards the door.

Lucky, fuming while watching and listening to the exchange between his ex-wife and Jason, shouted out as the man who had always been a thorn in his side walked towards the door with his kids.  "You are not leaving here with my sons!"

Elizabeth, her patience spent, forcefully said to the man she thought she had once loved, "Lucky, Jason will be leaving with our sons - his and mine, and, if you even attempt to stop him, I will have you arrested for endangering those two boys."  The young mother then looked at Jason, nodding for him to leave.

Lucky just watched as Jason left with his children.  Angry now at Elizabeth for allowing this to happen, he began to swing his arms and yell loudly at his recently reappeared ex-wife.  “How could you do that!?  Letting that thug, that... that criminal take my sons?  Do you not understand the danger you are putting them in Elizabeth; do you even care!?"

Elizabeth, astounded at her ex-husband's hypocrisy, gave it right back, thankful now that should could yell freely without the danger of her children hearing what she had to say.  "I can't believe you would even say that to me, especially after what you have done."

Lucky was shocked that she would yell back at him and countered, "what I have done?  What do you mean what I have done?  What did your hero Jason tell you, because he can't be trusted.  All he wants now are those kids.  Well, he can't have them, and whatever he said is a lie."

Incredulous, Elizabeth wondered how she could have ever trusted this man with her children.  He was still as childish and immature as he had always been, and seeing his behavior that evening just confirmed it.  Hands on her hips, the young mother glared at the couple before her.  "First of all, Jason doesn't just want those kids; he wants me and those children.  And, let me tell you, that is exactly what he is going to get.  Jason didn't tell me anything, Lucky.  He didn't have to.  I can see," she exaggerated her statement by sweeping her hand across the room, "with my own eyes exactly what has been going on here."

Not able to keep her anger in check any longer, Elizabeth, once started, couldn't stop, and she continued with her tirade.  "You, Lucky," she accused, pointing her finger at her high school sweetheart, "are the one who is wrong here.  You are the one that has put those two boys in danger, you and Sam.  Did either one of you even think to put a safety lock on that patio door?  No, I bet you didn't!  Or what about putting a baby monitor out here in case one of the boys woke up and wandered around?  I don't see one.  What if one of them had wandered out onto the patio and fell in the hot tub?  Is there any possible way you would have known? Doubtful.  What if one of them had reached for some of the junk food you left carelessly around for them to grab, especially that popcorn right there, and began to choke?   Would either of you have heard?  Hell no!  So, don't start telling me how dangerous it is for those boys to be with Jason, their father, because, right now, the only one who is a danger to them is you."

Taking a deep breath in an effort to try and calm herself down, Elizabeth lowered her voice and said, "I know Jason doesn't have the safest job, I get that, but what I also know is that Jason would never willingly put those two boys in danger, and that is exactly what you did.  So, don't even talk about what a danger Jason is, Lucky, or think about taking those boys away from us, because that is what we are, an us.  Those two boys are going home with me and Jason.  We will be raising our sons.  Together.  I don't ever want you... or Sam… near them again, and don't even think about fighting me, Lucky, because you will lose."

And, with that, Elizabeth turned to leave, exited Sam's apartment, and never looked back, not even once.

My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Eighteen

Jason and Elizabeth were both quiet as they rode the elevator up to the blond's penthouse, lost in their own thoughts, thinking of all that had transpired that night.  Yet, even though Cameron, once again asleep, rested in Jason's arms, his head safely tucked within the crock of the ex-enforcer's neck and Jake slept in his mother's arms, securely snuggled up against her petite frame, the two reunited 'more than friends' kept their hands clasped, neither willing to break the connection they each sought so desperately from the other. 

As the car ascended, Jason could feel Elizabeth's hand tightened as she watched the numbers increase steadily, the ding signifying each change in floors reverberating within the confines of the elevator.  Worried that this all might be too much for her, the mob boss turned to gaze at the beauty next to him.  Then the ex-enforcer himself gently tugged on her delicate hand, with a silent request for the young mother to look at him.  When Elizabeth's head rotated to face her companion, Jason could see the trepidation in the depths of her sapphire orbs.

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, the blond tried to mask the fear that had formed in the pit of his stomach, fearing that Elizabeth was going to bolt any second.  Finally finding his voice after several tense seconds, the mob boss asked, "hey, are you okay?"  Taking a deep breath, Jason forged on.  "I thought you understood why we had to come….”  Swallowing another lump that had formed, he finished, "come here.  Ric is still out there, and your home isn't secure.  I... I just can't risk it, with you and the boys.  You trust me, right?  This is, for now, what needs to be done.”

Hearing the word trust from Jason's soft lips broke Elizabeth out of her reverie.  Finally, really looking at the man before her, the brunette saw the fear showcased within his expressive cerulean eyes, eyes she was frequently getting lost in.  Releasing her hand from his, the young mother raised her graceful digits to brush them softly along his cheek, downward across his strong, chiseled jaw, to once again return back to his large calloused hand.  Jason closed his eyes as he relished the feel of Elizabeth's touch along his face.

The brunette then firmly said, "I trust you with my life and the life of our children.”  She then licked her now very dry lips and continued, "it's just I'm... I'm a little nervous.  I... I never thought I would return here... with you."

The last part of her confession was said in just a whisper, but Jason heard it as loud as if Elizabeth had shouted it from General Hospital's rooftop, and he understood the meaning behind the words.  Squeezing her hand once again, the blond said, "I'm... I'm a little nervous, too.  I... I know we have talked about trying before, but I promise, this time, it will be different.  We aren't just going to try; this time we're going to make it work.  I won't lose you again, Elizabeth."

The mob boss then leaned down, while Elizabeth, tears spilling out over the lids of her big doe eyes, moved upward on her tiptoes, to meet Jason halfway for a brief but meaningful kiss.  Just as the two broke apart, the elevator stopped, signifying that Jason and Elizabeth had reached their final destination.  As they entered Jason's penthouse, they heard someone squeal in delight.  Seeing Spinelli jump up and down like a little kid instantly put a smile on the petite brunette's face, although Jason scowled, placing his fingers to his lips to cease the young man's shenanigans, not wishing the young hacker to wake Cameron and Jake.  But the ex-enforcer was too late, as he felt the head of the little boy he held tightly in his arms start to rise and saw his closed, thick lashes flutter open, his eyes focused on the man holding him.

"Jason, where are we?"

Jason, rubbing back the little boys curls, kissed his head and said, "we’re at my place, Cam."  Then he turned slightly so the youngster could see where the recent noise had come from.”  And this is my friend Spinelli.   He also lives here, with me."

Cameron eyed the young man curiously.  "Spin-ell-i,” he drew out the computer expert’s name, sounding out every syllable distinctly.  “I remember you.  You're friends with Aunt Lulu."

Spinelli, now quiet, approached the young boy, holding his hand out.  "That's correct, wise little one."

Cameron looked at Spinelli's hand and, instead of shaking it, released his grasp from around Jason’s neck and reached for the young hacker who willingly took the toddler into his arms.  Then Spinelli heard Cameron say, "it's nice to meet you."

Jason's roommate smiled his signature, goofy grin, a small, little, excited yelp escaping his lips as he held Elizabeth's first born close, rubbing his back up and down with his hand.

It was then, as Elizabeth watched one of Jason's best friends hold her oldest son, that she noticed movement slightly behind the young computer whiz.  At first, she wasn't sure who it was, and then, as he stepped forward just a little, the young mother saw Johnny Zacharra, timidly watching the scene before him unfold.  Sensing his apprehension, the brunette handed, a still sleeping Jake to Jason and walked over to the young man who pretty much had saved her life.

Pulling him into a hug, Elizabeth whispered to him, expressing those exact words to the young man as she held close, "thank you for saving my life."

Gently pushing the young mother away from his grasp, Johnny eyed the brunette and said, "how can you say that?  If it wasn't for my family, you never would have been in that situation in the first place."

Elizabeth’s eyes softened as she reached down and lightly squeezed Johnny's hand before releasing it and replied, "you are not responsible for the actions of your family.  Jason explained to me that Ric is your half brother and how you were able to get the information needed to find me.  That is what matters to me.  He... he also told me how you assisted in having your own father arrested."  As Johnny started to open his mouth to refute, Elizabeth held up her hand to stop him from speaking and continued.  "Whether he is your biological father or not, he is still the man that raised you, and you were instrumental in securing his arrest and, in essence, saving not only my life but Jason and Spinelli's lives as well.  That tells me what kind of man you are.  For me, nothing else matters.  Besides, you can't pick your family.  Trust me, I know that better than anyone."

Johnny smiled at the little pixie before him, for he could see the strength and resolve within her petite frame.  Nothing he said was going to sway this woman's mind, and, for that, he was truly grateful.  He could easily perceive why a man like Jason Morgan had fallen in love with the woman standing before him.

Turning his attention towards Jason, the mob prince looked at the older man who just shrugged his shoulders in response.  "You might as well just agree with her.  She is as stubborn as they come."

Elizabeth pivoted to face the ex-enforcer, smiled, and said, "that's right, and you better not forget it.  Besides, I need to be stubborn with this house full of men I now have."

Jason gave the young woman a half smile and stared at her, all the love he felt expressed in that one look.  His joy that the woman he loved readily accepted the people in his life was practically palpable, and her easy acceptance just made him love her even more. 

Finally, after a few seconds, the two heard someone clear their throat.  Whether it was Johnny or Spinelli, neither knew, for their attention had been transfixed on the other.  Breaking out of their trance, Jason and Elizabeth both lowered their heads like two teenagers caught in a compromising position, a tint of pink forming on both of the adults’ faces in the room.

The two younger men couldn't help but look at each other and smile at the fact that they had just seen Jason Morgan get embarrassed.  It was a sight neither thought they would ever witness.  So, with that thought in mind, Johnny was the first to speak and said, "uh, Spinelli, I think that's our cue to leave and let this family get some rest."

Elizabeth turned her attention back to the young Zacharra and commented, "you two don't need to go."  Rotating to look at computer hacker, she pressed, "especially you, Spinelli.  This is your home.  I… I don't want you to feel like you are being kicked out of your own home just because we are here."

Spinelli, quick to ease the young mother's concerns, said, "please don't worry about me, Fair Elizabeth.  Stone Cold and I already talked about my accommodations.  The Jackal, and actually the mob prince too, will be staying at Mister Sir's old abode across the hall.  We have been preparing for your welcomed and much eminent return all evening."

Elizabeth just looked at the young hacker, her eyes starting to form fresh tears at the kindness and love that was being showered upon her and her two sons.  Then the brunette walked over to the young man, who still held her son, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.  "Thank you, Spinelli."

The young man just smiled and blushed at the affection his mentor's love bestowed upon him.  Looking over at his boss, he acknowledged Jason's nod in his direction and started to hand young Cameron off to his mother, but, before the young boy went back into his mother's arms, the child placed a quick peck on the Jackal's cheek as well and said, "see you tomorrow, Spin-ell-i."

Once in his mother's arms, Spinelli tousled the young boy's curls.  "You sure will, wise little one."

The two younger men then nodded at the other and moved towards the door to take their leave, but, before they could reach the entrance, Jason first squeezed Spinelli's shoulder as he passed and then reached out his hand to Johnny.  "Thank you for helping me bring my family home."

Johnny, without hesitation, took the mob boss's hand within his own, nodded his head, and quietly said, "you’re welcome."  Then the two new roommates headed across the hallway, leaving the newly formed family alone at last.

Jason and Elizabeth just stared at each other for a few moments, happy to have finally reached that point together with their two sons.  Sensing Cameron starting to get sleepy once again, the young mother tilted her head towards the staircase, motioning that they should probably head up to the boys’ bedroom.  The ex-enforcer nodded in understanding and turned to follow Elizabeth up the stairs, but, as the brunette went to walk past him, the blond lightly grabbed her wrist, motioning for her to turn and face him. 

Once she had, the mob boss bent down and placed a gentle but yet very sensual kiss upon her lips, whispering in her mouth, "I love you, Elizabeth."

Caressing his cheek softly with her hand, her eyes shining, Elizabeth responded, "I love you, too.  Always."

And then the couple headed up the stairs to put their sons to bed.

Nothing, though, could have prepared Elizabeth for the sight she saw as she entered the boys’ bedroom.  Jason had had it decorated with every mode of transportation possible.  Knowing Cam's love for trains and Jake's for motorcycles, the room was filled mostly with those particular interests, but it was also offset with cars, airplanes, and spaceships, giving it just the variety needed for the time if and when the boys’ interests might change.  As she scanned the room, her heart started to fill with love for the man next to her.  Turning to him, as tears spilled over her long, dark lashes, she said, "Jason, it's beautiful."

Taking his free hand to brush away her tears, he whispered, "I had this room made up after you… disappeared.  Even though your will stated Lucky as the boys’ guardian, I never gave up fighting that they would one day be here with me.  Only now, I get to have them here with me but also with you, too."  With that, the ex-enforcer bent down and graced the young mother with another soft yet tender kiss.

After Jason pulled back, leaving the young mother breathless, Elizabeth noticed, in the center of the room, two sleeping bags zipped together.  Quirking her eyebrow, she, in essence, asked Jason why the blankets were so positioned.  The blond, now nervous, took his free hand and rubbed the back of his neck before responding.  "Uh, I figured you wouldn't want the boys to sleep alone in a new place after everything that happened, so, while you were dealing with Lucky and Sam, I called Spinelli and had him get two sleeping bags ready and to put them in this room.   Uh, he decided to zip them together.” Uncertainly, Jason added, “I didn’t tell him to do that."

When Elizabeth didn't immediately respond, Jason started to ramble, "I mean, I got two, but I don't have to sleep in here with you, or I could and just unzip them, or not, if you’re uncomfortable with that....  Uh…, I... I can also just go down the hall to my own room and sleep there.  I just..."

Stopping him in mid sentence, the brunette placed her hand over his lips, using her eyes to ease his tension, letting him know that she wanted him to be there, but then, to also really reassure him, she said, "no, Jason.  I... I want the boys to get used to the idea of us, together, as a family."  Then the young mother licked her lips before continuing.  "I want you to stay... here... with me."

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Jason responded, "that's what all I want - to be with you and our sons."

Nodding to the man in understanding, the two entered the room, Jason placing Jake in the crib on the far wall and Elizabeth placing Cam in the twin bed that was positioned along the wall closest to the door.

After placing the boys down to sleep, the couple met in the center of the room.  Jason then took Elizabeth's hands within his own, squeezing them, loving just to be able to feel her close to him, and whispered, "Elizabeth, I want you to know something before we go to sleep.  I want you.  I want you in ever sense of the word, but I promise you that we won't be together that way until it is right.  Tonight isn't about that; it's about me being here with you and our children, so everything else can wait.   Nothing else takes precedence.  Having you in my arms, ending the day with you, and waking up to your beautiful face tomorrow morning is enough for now."

Elizabeth leaned up and placed a tender kiss on Jason's full, soft lips, wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her flush against his body in a fierce hug, and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Jason.  I love you so much that I don't think words can express just how much I feel for you.  And I want you, too, but you're right.  We need to wait, and I understand."

Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her even closer to him, Jason breathed in her scent, a sigh escaping his lips as he held the woman he loved close to him.

Each pushing slightly away but maintaining their embrace around the other, Elizabeth looked up at the man she loved and asked, "is it okay if I take a shower before we go to bed?  I just want to wash away everything that has happened."

Jason quickly placed a kiss on her forehead and said, "of course.  I will stay here in case one of the boys wake up.  Take your time."

The brunette nodded but still held onto Jason's hand for as long as possible as she moved to leave.  Elizabeth soon quickly returned, feeling refreshed after her shower, her hair still wet and curling at the edges, her face newly scrubbed and looking beautiful, and her petite body covered with one of Jason's black t-shirts.  The mob boss couldn't help but smile as she entered the room.  Kissing her briefly on the lips, Jason whispered, "I'll be right back.  I just want to get ready for bed as well."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled as he left the room.  Then, as she waited for him to return, she moved, first to sit on Cameron's bed, rubbing his hair back and just staring at her little boy, kissing his smooth, trouble free forehead, before heading over to Jake's crib and standing there, rubbing her hand up and down his back, so thankful to be home with her family.

Once Jason returned in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, the two snuggled down into their sleeping bags, holding each other close as they both feel asleep in each other's arms, for once looking forward to waking up the next day and every day after that.

As Jason Morgan entered Sonny's home, he couldn't contain the smile that blossomed over his normally stoic, chiseled face.   Just thinking about the events that had transpired that morning had him grinning like an idiot.  First, he recalled waking up with Elizabeth cocooned safely next to him, encased in his strong, muscular arms, arms that never wanted to let the brunette go.  Then he remembered how the two had shared a very enthusiastic, passionate kiss just before Cameron and Jake awoke.  Reigning in their amorous thoughts, the couple had quickly broken apart to open their arms in welcome to a very animated, curly haired young boy. 

Almost immediately, though, both adults, heard a little squeal from the opposite end of the room.  Jason and Elizabeth had smiled at one another before the blond rose to retrieve his younger son.  Once Jake was enveloped in his father's arms, Jason, holding him close, relishing in his scent, returned to join the rest of his family.  The four had then ended up spending a couple of minutes together, playing in Elizabeth and Jason's sleeping bags, before Cameron needed to go 'potty,' and Jake needed a diaper change.  Elizabeth had taken Jake over to the changing table Jason had put in the room, while Jason took Cameron, per the little boy's request, to show him where the bathroom was.  Once their bodily necessities were complete, all had returned, as a family, back to the sleeping bags.

Jason, however, did not sit back down.  The blond bent down, kissing Elizabeth on her forehead, and whispering in her ear that he would be back very soon.  After a short time, Jason returned, surprising the three occupants with breakfast in bed; or, more specifically, in sleeping bags.  The Morgan family then preceded to pretend they were camping, while finishing off the delicious breakfast, the ex-enforcer had cooked for them. After breakfast, Jason had helped the boys get dressed, while Elizabeth showered.  When Jason, too, had finished showering, he regrettably informed his family that he needed to leave, clarifying it was only for a short time, to take care of business.  The blonde's smile, instead of disappearing, grew as he remembered how understanding Elizabeth had been. 

The young mother had known, without question, that Jason really hadn't wanted to leave them, but things needed to be done, and she had reassured him that, as much as she appreciated his conflicted feelings of leaving her and the boys, she knew he had things to do, and she softly admitted that she did as well, expounding it was best they took care of those things this time separately and not together.  Jason had nodded, his accord as well shining through his relieved, cerulean blue eyes.  He shouldn't have been surprised; Elizabeth had always known what he needed.  He was happy, though, when the petite brunette had not even flinched at Cody's appearance at his front door to drive his family anywhere they wanted to go.  The young mother, without words but using a knowing glance, told Jason she wasn't going to take any risks with their family, and she would agree to anything that would keep them safe.  The brunette knew Jason trusted Cody, so, therefore, Elizabeth did, too.

The boys had immediately been taken by Jason's second in command, Jake especially.  The youngster had babbled as Cody held him in his arms, running his pudgy little hand up and down the ex-marine’s bald head.  The usually serious man had actually blushed beet red, while Jason and Elizabeth tried to hide their smiles behind their hands at their youngest son's antics.  The four had then left to head to Audrey's and then the hospital but not before Jason had managed to sneak in one more fervent kiss as the boys had left to go call for the elevator.  Both adults had softly moaned as they broke apart to head towards their appointed but not desired locations.  Once the elevator doors closed and his family was on their way, the mob boss hurriedly headed across the hallway to talk with Spinelli and Johnny to finalize the details of the offer he was about to make to Sonny.

Jason attempted to temper his thoughts of his morning as he entered his ex-boss's main living room, determined to focus on business.  Because his mind had been elsewhere, he did not even react as he saw Carly sharing breakfast with the Latino.  Instead, his thoughts had immediately gone right back to Elizabeth and the breakfast he had shared with his family only a couple of hours earlier.

The bleached blond, though, seeing Jason with a smile on his usually impassive face did react, exclaiming, "wow! Who put that smile on your face?  I don't remember when I have ever seen you this happy.”  Quickly switching tracks, Carly asked, “are you here to play with Morgan, because he's upstairs right now and would love to see his Uncle Jason?"

Sonny just eyed his ex-partner, waiting for him to respond.  Jason took his hand and began to rub it on the back of his neck, before saying, "uh, no, Carly, I didn’t come to see Morgan, although I would like to set up a time to play with him... hopefully, uh… with Cameron and Jake there, too."  The blond watched as his friends glanced warily at each other, unsure of how to respond to his statement.  But, surprisingly the two managed to remain silent, waiting for Jason to continue.  Jason, having a hard time getting the words out, released a deep breath, removed his hand from his neck, and began rubbing his finger over his eyebrow before saying, "something happened last night."

Growing impatient, Carly loudly shrilled, "Jason! Just spit it out already."

Finally, he was able to blurt out, "Elizabeth's alive."

Looking back and forth between his two best friends, Jason noticed that Sonny looked slightly bewildered but not as shocked as Jason would have thought, and, Carly, well…  Carly was quiet for but a second before she leapt off the couch and ran over to Jason to feel his forehead.  "Oh my god, Jason!  Are you feeling okay?  Are you having hallucinations?"  Then the former Mrs. Corinthos turned to her ex-husband and current lover and said, "maybe we should take him to the hospital."

Jason immediately but gently pushed Carly away and said, "Carly, I am not sick, and I DO NOT need to go to the hospital.  Elizabeth is alive."

Before the ex-enforcer could finish what he had to say, the younger man watched as his former mentor stood from his position on the sofa and crossed the room to where Jason stood, holding out his hand, no questions asked, saying, "congratulations, man.  I'm happy for you.  Now, you can have the family you've always wanted."

Jason nodded at his former boss, curious about Sonny's easy acceptance of his news, but he did dwell on those thoughts as he raised his hand to shake the older man's extended gesture.

Carly quickly turned her head towards her ex-husband and yelled, "are you crazy?  Jason has a family with us.  That muffin was never able to handle Jason and his life.  What makes you think she’ll be able to now?  She will just run at the first hint of danger, and, with that twit back from the dead, it will only make it harder for Jason to claim his son.”

Sonny ignored his ex-wife and turned his attention towards Jason, observing the blond closely, seeing his jaw begin to clench and the vein in his throat start to throb.  Not wishing for the explosion that was about to happen, Sonny returned his attention to the screeching woman and said in a warning tone, "Carly..."

But she wouldn't hear it, shaking her head back and forth, interrupting Sonny before he could even start to lay into her.  "Don't, Carly me, Sonny.  We both know what is going to happen.  That sanctimonious bitch is going to keep Jason from his son.  As his best friends, we can't let that happen."

Jason, having heard enough, abruptly but lightly grabbed the blonde's arm steering her towards Sonny's staircase.  Sternly, he said, "Carly, enough!  No more about Elizabeth.  I need to talk business with Sonny, and you need to go before you say something you will regret."

Carly just pouted at Jason, pointing her finger at her best friend as she turned to go.  “This conversation is not over."

Sonny and Jason both watched as Carly stomped up the stairs.  Once the two of them were sure she was gone, Sonny walked over to the bar to pour himself a drink of water, silently gesturing to ask Jason if he wanted one as well.  The younger man just shook his head no in response.  Once the Latino took a sip, keeping his gaze on his glass, Sonny asked,  "so what happen last night?"

Jason, releasing another deep breath, said, "it was Ric."

Taking a fresh swallow of his drink, Sonny now turned to Jason, keeping his face neutral. "Ric?  How can you be so sure?"

Not having the patience to deal with his ex-boss's refusal to handle his brother, the way he should have been after he had taken Carly and especially with everything he now knew had happened to Elizabeth, Jason clenched his fists by his side and responded, "look, Sonny, I know it was Ric.  The details aren't important.  What is important and what you need to know is that I have my men searching for Ric, and, once he is found, and he will be found, I will be taking care of this – finally and for good this time.”

Sonny, for several moments, eyed his ex-enforcer, knowing the meaning behind his words, not saying anything.  Finally, after what seemed like hours but was, in fact, mere seconds, the man nodded and said, "I understand, Jason.  Ric came after your family.  There is no excuse.  Do what you need to do to make things right."

Relieved by his ex-boss's words, Jason started to relax slightly before he continued.  "Johnny, though, he was instrumental in helping me find Elizabeth.  I want him in with us. He has the Zacharra name behind him, and I really believe he can be an asset to the business."

Sonny, running his finger over his lips, contemplated his former partner's words.  "You’re sure about this, Jason?  I mean, I trust your judgement, you know that, but this kid is a Zacharra.  How can you know he won’t stab you in the back the first chance he gets?"

Rubbing his hand across his face, the younger man tried to think of the best words to use to convince his former boss of Johnny's importance.  "The kid can think on his feet.  He was the one responsible for getting his father arrested and basically saving both me and Spinelli.  So, yeah, I'm sure."

The Latino turned, placed his glass back on the bar, and thought for a moment before shifting back to face his ex-partner.  "Okay, Jason, the call is yours. What do you propose we do?"

"We use Johnny's name to our advantage.  He is a Zacharra… as you pointed out.  First, I give the business back to you."  Holding up his hands before his mentor could interrupt, Jason continued, "then you, in good faith, give the Zacharra business back to Johnny."

Sonny looked at his ex-enforcer liked he had lost his mind.  "Jason, have you completely lost it?  There is no way I am going to give up that much power."

The younger man decided to take a different tactic.  "He'd be a figurehead.  People in the Zacharra organization know him; they trust him.  He trusts me.  We use that to combine the two organizations, so we work together versus against each other. Johnny becomes the head of the Zacharra organization, mostly in name only, and I will be his mentor, his advisor, per say.  That way, I am the go between for you and him.  I can make sure he never betray us."

The older gentleman continued to remain silent for several minutes pondering what the younger man had said.

"You do trust me, Sonny, don’t you?"

Sonny, becoming defensive, threw his arms up and yelled, "of course I trust you, Jason. There’s no question of that."

Remaining calm, the ex-enforcer quietly said, "Well, then trust me when I say I know what I am doing.  This can work, Sonny.  Its the best solution.  We get what we want.  You get the business back, and I can be with Elizabeth, knowing that peace is more realistic than it ever has been before.  With Corinthos and Zacharra working as a united front, none of our enemies would even think to try a take over."

The Latino finally responded.  "Alright, Jason.  We’ll do it your way.  But, if for one second I feel it's not working, we are going to revisit this conversaion."

Jason nodded in acquiensce.  "I'll meet with Bernie and Diane and explain to them what we have agreed upon, and I’ll have Diane draw up the necessary papers to transfer everything back to you."  

The blond turned to go.  As he was reaching the door, he heard Sonny say, "Thanks."

The now ex-mob boss didn't turn around, but he bowed his head in recognition of his friend's words before proceeding to leave the room, reaching for his cell phone as he went so he could call Diane and set up a meeting. The sooner he finished with his attorney, the sooner he could return to Elizabeth and their sons.

It had been two weeks since Jason had met with Sonny.  The transition with the older gentleman, at first, had not been easy to deal with.  The don had difficulty relinquishing any type of power, especially to someone so much younger than him, but the Latino knew, to keep Jason's trust, the change, in name only, needed to be done.  Diane had been quick and efficient, drawing up the necessary paperwork, and, as long as his ex-partner kept reassuring him the changes allegedly made Johnny the head of the Zacharra organization, Sonny was happy.  There was the occasional conflict - Sonny 'talking down' to Johnny, Sonny making scheduling of shipments difficult, Sonny walking in to meetings where he wasn't invited, but, through it all, Jason managed to smoothe things over and control the situation as best as possible.  Things, finally, seemed be settling down… well, at least on the business side of things.  Personally, that was another matter. 

The town of Port Charles, initially, had been elated by the return of one of their favorite nurses, friend, and granddaughter.  It was only after everyone found out that the young mother had moved herself and her two young boys into the home of one of city’s most infamous mobsters that unwelcome opinions started to surface and surface regularly, Audrey and Carly leading the pact. 

Elizabeth's grandmother refused to see the brunette's reasoning for endangering her great grandchildren and continued to defend Lucky as the boys’ father.  Even after the young mother had sited all the reasons why Lucky was a danger to her children and not Jason, the elder woman still remained strong in her stance of rejecting Elizabeth's choices.  As much as her grandmother was happy Elizabeth was alive and well, she could not accept or support the decisions she had made since coming back from the dead and had not seen her family since the day after her return accordingly.  The young mother had been sad to lose her grandmother, for herself and for her children, but told Jason that he and the boys, as well as Spinelli and Johnny, were her family now, and that was all that mattered to her.

Carly…  She was another story all together.  For as much as Audrey avoided the Morgan family, the ex-Mrs. Corinthos did the exact opposite, intruding on their lives any chance she got, usually, undoubtedly when Jason was not around.  And, when she did, the harpy blond refused to acknowledge Elizabeth or Cameron during any of these encounters.  But not Jake.  No, he was front and center in Carly's world, because he was, of course, Jason's.  She tried to shower the little boy with affection,  always ignoring the other two people in Jason's life.  Elizabeth, knowing Jason's relationship with Carly, tried to be reasonable, but, when her attitude affected Cameron, the young mother refused to remain silent.  After several run-ins with the woman, her older son one day asked why the screaming older lady hated him, it was then that Elizabeth approached Jason to discuss Carly's behavior. 

The now, once again, enforcer became enraged as Elizabeth diplomatically explained what had been happening to her and their older son where Carly was concerned.  Jason immediately went and confronted his best friend.  Carly tried to deny Elizabeth's claims, but unfortunately, for the woman, Elizabeth's guards confirmed what the petite brunette had said.  It was then that Jason told Carly that she either needed to support him and his choices, or she could no longer be a part of his life.  Carly promptly blamed Elizabeth for Jason giving her such ultimatums, but the stoic blond assured her that this was his decision.  Carly, of course, said she would never accept Elizabeth and her bastard son in Jason's life but that she would be there for him and to assist him in claiming his son when the young nurse ultimately left him again.  Jason had then notified the guards that Carly was not allowed within 500 feet of his family, and, if anyone did not abide by those rules, there would be serious consequences to pay.

It wasn't like Jason and Elizabeth had no one on their side.  Johnny and Spinelli had become a part of the Morgan family, being protective brothers to young Cameron and Jake as well as friends with Elizabeth herself.  Then there were Elizabeth's friends at the hospital: Nadine, Lainey, Epiphany, Robin and eventually Patrick, wanting to be there for his wife and the young nurse he had come to care for.  They were all there to offer support to the young couple and their now very public relationship.

But Jason didn't want to think about any of them tonight.  Tonight was the first night Elizabeth and he were going to be alone since her return from the dead.  Both parents had been very wary to leave the boys with anyone besides themselves the past couple of weeks.  They had even continued to sleep in the same room with the kids up until that point.  It wasn't as if they didn't trust their friends to take care of them; in fact, Johnny and Spinelli had offered numerous times to watch the kids while the two adults went out.  No, it was more about confusing  or scaring the children by leaving.  The two had agreed that one of them needed to be with the boys at all times until both children felt secure in the fact that neither their mother nor father were going to leave.  Imagine their surprise when the opportunity for them to be alone arose sooner than they had ever imagined.  The four had been at Kelly's, enjoying a leisurely lunch, when they ran into the boys’ Aunt Bobbie.  The kids immediately asked her when they were having another sleepover at the redhead's house.  The older nurse, who had actually been very accepting of Elizabeth and Jason's relationship knowing of the couple’s lengthy history, happily offered to take them the following evening.

The past twenty four hours had never moved so slowly for Jason Morgan.  As much as he loved his children, the man couldn't deny the fact that he was truly looking forward to finally being alone with Elizabeth and not only telling her but showing her how much he loved her.

The blond had previously scheduled several meetings for that day with Johnny and Spinelli, prior to the their date, but, when both younger men noticed their mentor's constant inability to concentrate, the two asked if the meetings could be rescheduled, using the excuse they had forgotten plans to meet up with friends to play pool at Jakes.  Jason knew what his young proteges were doing but was grateful for their astuteness, and nodded his head in acquiescence, asking Spinelli, if he wouldn't mind, to please pick up his suit at the cleaners and bring it by in a little bit.  Spinelli quickly agreed, wishing his master to have a most felicitous evening with his lady love.
 
Now, entering his penthouse, the blond was surprised to find it so quiet.  Not hearing Elizabeth or the boys, Jason assumed the pretty brunette must be dropping them off at Bobbie's.  Happy to be home early, the man decided to take a shower and get ready for his date now so as to be ready for Elizabeth when she arrived home.  Taking the stairs two at a time, the enforcer headed for the shower in the master bedroom.

Just as Jason had cleared the landing and entered the couple’s bedroom, Elizabeth appeared coming out of the kitchen, dancing to a song she was listening to on her ipod, just then leaving the laundry room with her freshly pressed dress for the night's planned activities.  The young mother had been thankful when Bobbie had called earlier to let her know she could take the boys a couple hours before their agreed upon time, leaving the brunette plenty of time to get ready for her date.  As she headed towards the stairs, Elizabeth couldn't help but admire the dress she was carrying, running her hand down the cool, soft silk.  It was new, and the woman in her couldn't wait to wear it.  It was a rich eggplant color, the length short just above her knees, with spaghetti straps that reached around attaching to the back of the dress that hung low just above her bottom, leaving most of her back bare.  It was a little more revealing then Elizabeth had intended, but, when the brunette had gone shopping with Nadine and Robin, both girls had insisted she buy it, teasing her how Jason wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her once he saw her in the dress.  The nurse had blushed at her friends’ antics but, truthfully, hoped Jason wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her that night.  While both had agreed that the two should not be intimate right away, Elizabeth was more than ready to take that next step that evening.

Presently, though, she was wearing a satiny bath robe, her hair and makeup already completed.  While getting ready earlier, Elizabeth had decided to wear her hair loose, chestnut curls cascading down her soon to be exposed back, with fancy combs securing the sides to softly pull her hair away from her face.  To compliment her makeup had been done in soft, subtle colors, for Jason really wasn't into makeup.  Her fancy, lacy undergarments in the same color as her dress were already donned underneath the robe.  Now, all the young woman had to do was put on her strappy new sandals, her dress, and she would be ready to go - early, in fact, and the brunette couldn't wait to surprise Jason by being ready ahead of schedule.  It probably would make her seem anxious, but, at that point, the young mother didn't care, because she was anxious.

Elizabeth headed up the stairs into the bedroom the couple would now be sleeping in together permanently, her ipod still blaring music.  As she entered the room, the brunette headed right towards the walk in closet, never hearing Jason in the bathroom who was just finishing up his shower.  As the enforcer was drying himself off in the other room, Elizabeth was sitting in the oversize club chair, conveniently bought by the blond for their walk in closet, making it easier and more comfortable for the young mother to get dressed and don her shoes every day.

Jason now done, his thoughts still focused on getting ready as quickly as possible, dropped the wet towel into the hamper, small wet droplets continuing to descend down his muscular chest as he headed to the dresser, pulling out a fresh, clean pair of black box briefs.  Once finished with his undergarments, the blond headed to the walk in closet, planning on deciding which button down shirt to wear before Spinelli returned with his suit from the cleaners.  As he entered the small room, though, all thoughts of shirts, suits, Spinelli, and, well, anything for that matter dissipated from his mind as he saw his Elizabeth, her back to him, sashaying her hips back and forth to whatever song she was listening to, wearing only her very enticing, very minuscule lingerie, very high, spiky heeled sandals, making her long shapely legs appear lengthier, and no dress to cover her creamy, alabaster skin.

Jason swallowed hard as the seductive female bent forward to reach down and adjust the strap of her heel, watching as her beautiful, round bottom stretched out her panties to reveal a very voluptuous shape.  Unable to tear his gaze away, Jason's cerulean blue eyes began to darken as he longingly moved his sight up and down Elizabeth's body.  Feeling himself start to harden just by looking at the beautiful woman before him, Jason knew they were now going to be late for dinner.

Clearing his throat so as not to alarm her, Jason huskily called out her name, "Elizabeth."

Startled at first, Elizabeth turned quickly, reaching for her chest in a futile attempt to slow down the increased beating of her heart as she came to the realization that she was not alone.  But, upon seeing Jason, the brunette relaxed, her heart rate now slowing to a more normal pace only to pick back up when she noticed the man's lack of attire.  Seeing him, his body bare, sans only a small piece of fabric, Elizabeth's whole body hummed, and her tongue hurriedly darted out to lick her now very dry lips.

Jason, watching as Elizabeth's pink tongue darted out to moisten her plump, exquisite lips, groaned at the very innocent movement.  Swallowing, once again, and staring intently at the woman before him, Jason whispered out, "turn around."

Elizabeth complied, her body tingling at the intensity of Jason's voice.  Not seeing or hearing him approach, the brunette waited in anticipation to feel what the blond would do.  She didn't have to wait long as she soon felt his harden member come in contact with her backside, her body instinctively leaning back to feel him more fully.  Then his large, calloused hands gently grabbed her waist, pulling her even closer, before he quickly brought them around to her stomach as he bent down to place a soft, wet, tender kiss on her bare shoulder.  Her body shuddered, and the brunette sighed loudly, impatient to know what he would do next.  Smiling against her skin at her response, Jason removed one hand to lightly brush away her hair, exposing her long, luxurious neck, and, while bringing his head up to lavish it with tantalizing kisses, his mouth relishing in her taste, the blond moved both hands languidly up her torso to cover her soft round globes, kneading them over and over again.  As her nipples perked up in reaction to his ministrations, Jason moaned, wanting to touch and savor every inch of the woman before him.

Elizabeth, sensing his need, reached her arms around to encircle his neck, turning her head towards him, her body remaining still, claiming his lips in a toe curling, mind blowing, passionate kiss.  Both of them groaned as their tongues mated, dueling against the other’s for control, and, as their tongues encircled the other’s, Jason's hands continued to manipulate Elizabeth's breasts in sync with the movements of their mouths.  Continuing to need even more, the blond persisted to kiss Elizabeth gently but forcefully as he pulled her even closer to him so their bodies became melded as one. 

But it wasn't enough for the brunette; she needed to feel more of Jason, so Elizabeth rotated their bodies so they were now facing each other, front to front, his bare chest rubbing against her stimulated nipples through the lacy material of her bra.  Feeling his increasingly growing member against her belly, her core now throbbing with need, Elizabeth tried to stand up on her tip toes so as to feel him pressed against her center versus her stomach.

Jason, aware of what Elizabeth was doing, backed them up towards the club chair in the room, and, once his knees hit the surface, the blond rapidly sat, bringing Elizabeth down with him, her center now pressed against his manhood, her legs straddling his thighs.  Both moaned in response, as Elizabeth started rubbing herself against Jason, back and forth.  Running his hands up and down her soft skin, Jason released his lips from hers only to begin peppering them down her throat, along her collar bone, and extending them downward to her heavenly breasts.  Taking one covered mound into his mouth, the blond began to lick and suck over and over again before moving on to lavish her other breast with the same treatment. 

As Jason continued to worship her body in the most delicious way, Elizabeth arched her back, giving him more access and pushing her core even tighter against him.  Jason hissed as he felt Elizabeth's heat against him but almost bucked off the chair as he felt her move her hands downward along his bare chest, grazing his nipples before bringing them to the seam of his boxer briefs and taking them inside to grab his painfully hard erection.  Losing control Jason took his hands, squeezed her buttocks, and immediately moved them upward to remove her bra.  Once free, Jason again attacked her breasts, but, this time, as he did, he moved his hands down her back to lower them inside her panties to grab her bare bottom before snaking them around to slid them along her slick, heated core.  Whimpering with need, liquid continuing to pool between her thighs, Elizabeth removed her hand from the inside of his briefs to grab his hair, scraping her nails along his scalp before raising his head to meet her lips once again in a steamy, heart stopping kiss. 

Feeling her wet, hot center throbbing against him, Jason enveloped his strong, muscular arms around her waist and stood with her legs wrapped around his body.  Adjusting one hand under her firm round bottom, Jason used the other to pull his boxer briefs off.  Due to Elizabeth's position, though, he couldn't remove hers.  Lowering her to stand, their mouths still infused, Jason reached down to remove her lingerie bottoms.  As the underwear cleared her hips, Elizabeth shimmied so they would lower on their own without Jason needing to bend down and remove his lips from hers.  Once naked, Elizabeth and Jason both stepping out of their undergarments still kissing, the pair lowered once again to a seated position, Elizabeth wasting no time as she sheathed Jason immediately. 

As he felt Elizabeth’s tight center encase him, the blond knew he had gone to heaven.  Sweat dripping from both their foreheads, Elizabeth started to slowly move up and down.  As the pace increased, Jason drew his hips upward to meet her stroke for stroke, their mouths never relinquishing the other’s.  Soon, they were moving at a frenzied pace, both wanting and needing the release they so desperately craved.   Their bodies soon reached ecstasy, climaxing together as one.  Continuing to kiss, even after their release, Jason lifted Elizabeth, still joined together, and lead her out of the walk in closet to lay her down on their bed, so he could, once again, lavish her body with love.  Just as he pulled back the sheets to cover Elizabeth and then himself, Jason heard before he saw Spinelli enter the room. 

"Stone Cold, I have your suit back from the clean…,"

Jason quickly covered the couple before his friend could see them in their naked state.  Glaring at his old roommate, Jason's neck, traveling upward to his face, started to take on a pinkish tone.  Elizabeth smiled as she saw Jason blush, but then the brunette started to turn redder than him, realizing what the hacker had walked in on.  Thankfully, he hadn't come in a couple minutes sooner or the young man would really have seen something he shouldn't have.

Looking from Elizabeth to Jason in bed and seeing his mentor's scowl, Spinelli jumped, squealed, and, before saying a word, dropped Jason's suit and ran out of the penthouse.  The couple did hear, though, as he left the front door screaming, "Mob Prince, Mob Prince...."

They quickly forgot all about Spinelli and the dinner they had plan, deciding to spend the rest of their evening in bed.

~~~

The next morning Jason and Elizabeth met Bobbie, Cameron, and Jake at Kelly's for breakfast, the couple, both glowing from the previous night’s activities.  Bobbie couldn't help but tease the two on how happy they both looked, winking knowingly most likely at how they had spent their evening.

Soon, the older redhead needed to get to work.  Kissing each one of them on the cheek, she whispered to the two adults, "I really am very happy for the two of you, and, anytime you need a night alone, you just call Aunt Bobbie."  Then, after winking once more, the couple watched her turn and head back into the kitchen to start her day.

Elizabeth, looking at her watch, realized she was going to be late for her meeting with Epiphany at the hospital to talk about her returning to work.  Her boss had insisted that the brunette take some time off after her ordeal before returning to her nursing duties.  Elizabeth, though, was now ready to get back to work.  She and Jason had discussed it, and he agreed as long as she took on a lighter schedule.  Willing to compromise, the brunette accepted his terms without argument.

Just as Elizabeth and the boys left, Jason pulled out his cellphone to call Johnny in order to get started on the issues that they didn't complete the day before, but, before he could dial, an older gentleman approached his table.  Thinking he looked familiar but unsure where he had seen him, Jason just stared, waiting for him to speak.

The man, slightly nervous under the blonde's scrutiny, quickly held out his hand and said, "oh, I'm sorry, we've never met.  I'm Dr. Goldsmith.  I met with your partner several weeks ago.  I guess, though, you know that since you found Ms. Webber well and unharmed."

Jason, eyeing the hand but not extending his own, curious to know what this man was talking about but thinking he was not going to like the answer, asked, "my partner?"

Bringing his hand down for he was becoming a little distressed when he saw no recognition on the younger man's face, the physician quickly explained, "uh,... Mr. Corinthos, Sir.  I went to your office to speak with you about Mr. Lansing having Ms. Webber but found him instead.  After I had spoken with him, he assured me he would relay the information to you.  I guess he did, and you found her.  I can't tell you how happy that makes me." 

Jason, the fury inwardly starting to build as he comprehended what this man was saying, kept his emotions in check and said, "yes, she's back home where she belongs.  Thank you for your help."

The man nodded and left, not wanting to stay, sensing it was time to go.

As Jason watched the man leave, it took all of the enforcer's restraint to leave Kelly's without ripping the place apart.  Once outside in the courtyard, the blond pulled out his cellphone, once again, and dialed.  As soon as he heard the person pick up, he forcefully whispered, the quiet of his tone doing absolutely nothing to mask his deadly intent. "We need to talk. Now."