~ Crying Danger ~
A/N: I started writing this story just for fun, as a derision of the "my life is too dangerous" storyline on GH and how every time Liason gets close, Jason has to push Elizabeth away, I tried writing Elizabeth in the spirit of the feisty woman we were lucky enough to have a glimpse of last year before the story went south, and many phrases I used where actually said by Jason and Elizabeth in the show and of course I do not own any of these characters. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Just to clarify, Elizabeth has no children in this short story.
Part I
Here to Stay
"Elizabeth I love you but we cannot be together."
Being in love with Jason Morgan was the most frustrating thing Elizabeth had ever had to deal with in her life.
"You can't be near me, for your own good. We need to stay away from each other."
Jason and Elizabeth were having the most extensive on and off relationship of all times. She had heard these phrases over and over again. Actually, each time danger knocked on their door, Jason would persistently make it an excuse to break things off with her. Yes, every time they would get close because circumstances brought them back in the same orbit, another event would push the pair to part ways.
"Everyone around me is in danger. Just standing next to me could cost you your life."
And Jason never spared Elizabeth the gore details of what could happen to her if she kept insisting on seeing him. Details of what it meant to be with him, a man who chose to break the law for a living. But Elizabeth wasn't blind; she knew who Jason Morgan was and she could separate the man from the profession. It wasn't always logical but was love ever supposed to be?
"I would never be able to give you what you want."
She had given up the dream of a white picket fence long ago. All she wanted was to have a very private relationship with the man she loved. She would be happy with as much of him as Jason would have been able to give her. Although they had tried to keep their distance form each other many times, it had never lasted very long. Mainly because Jason was unable to resist Elizabeth, but also because both of them would constantly seek each other out whenever their lives were falling apart. It was undeniable; they were meant for each other but unfortunately not in this lifetime according to Jason.
"We cannot make it work. My life is too dangerous; there is no room for love in my world."
That was what Jason believed, that the kind of feelings he shared with Elizabeth could only be a weakness and that her life would be at stakes by simple association with him. Elizabeth had accepted that because of his line of work, a regular relationship was out of the question. They had even tried being secret lovers once, which was wonderful for the two very short months it had lasted. Jason and she would meet, unbeknownst to everyone in a completely secret location. Jason had set up one of his organization's safe house for them to spend time together without having to think about the risks that being together involved. Of course it wasn't always easy having to desperately wait for him to free himself from the very demanding mob, or being stood up because of another urgent matter. But for the first time Elizabeth had truly believed that they had found a way to make this relationship work for both of them, until Jason had broken things off. Again.
"You deserve better than this Elizabeth and if we keep this up we will want more. We need to stop this before it becomes too difficult on us."
She had pleaded and begged that time; she had tried to reason with him by telling him that she could decide for herself and that all she wanted was to be with him. She had even promised to walk away whenever things became too difficult.
"It's not fair for you to lie to everyone about this."
Unfortunately, nothing she had ever said had made a difference. Elizabeth had been told countless times that she was particularly stubborn but never had she met someone as immovable as Jason Morgan. But this time she had decided that things would be different. There was no going back to him until he was ready for a real long-term relationship. She would resist his calls, if he ever called; his long stares from feet away would not make her discreetly slip into his office to get some more than desired action. No, this time she would give Jason exactly what he had asked for, which was the stranger treatment and she would stay as far from him as possible. Or so she said…
"This, us, is going nowhere. You need to stay away from me."
And Elizabeth had been successful in doing so. It had been almost a month since their last break up and she hadn't shown up at the coffee house once or even came anywhere close to Harborview towers. She hadn't dialed his number and Jason hadn't called her either which made Elizabeth wonder if it was a good thing or not. She knew he loved her but until he was ready to accept her as a complete part of his life she wouldn't be back. Not this time.
Imagine her surprise when her cell phone buzzed on her nightstand that evening after a draining day at work. It was almost ironic that she had been thinking about him right before he had called. They were meant to be together, one with the other sharing a life, not apart because of Jason's obstinate idea that he didn't deserve to have a love life.
She had told herself that she wouldn't talk to him but the curiosity was weighting too heavily on her; she wanted to know what would be his excuse for reaching out to her this time after having told her in not so many words that they would really have to keep their distances this time. She picked up her phone.
"Elizabeth?"
"Jason, what a surprise!" Elizabeth said in complete sarcasm.
"I… sorry to be calling you, I know I shouldn't be talking to you but I need you."
"Oh so what, it's ok for us to be around each other now? The danger is not a factor in your life anymore? I love how it's ok for us to talk and see each other only when it suits you! Well I'm not about to fall in this trap again! I've had enough of this back and forth crap!"
"Elizabeth, we talked about this already. But I really need your help right now. You have to come meet me." Jason's voice was stern and enigmatic.
"What's going on? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what it's about; especially if it's to go through the same ordeal again."
"Please, don't fight me on this. I really need you."
Elizabeth could never resist these words especially when spoken as seriously as Jason had. The major strength of their love was that they could always count on each other, even when apart or at odds.
"Where are you?"
"Meet me at our safe house. Make sure no one sees you."
"Don't worry, I'll be discreet."
The young woman dashed out of bed and slipped into a pair of jeans and a sweater. She had no idea what was going on but Jason's grave tone troubled her. Did something happen to him?
*****
When she arrived at the safehouse that night, her fear was confirmed. Jason was lying on the dark couch, leg profusely bleeding. The sight of him hurt and defenseless made her heart clench.
"Damn it Jason! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" Elizabeth asked rushing to the man's side.
"I didn't want you to panic and drive upset." He uttered visibly in pain.
"You are bleeding out and all you were worried about was me being upset!" She started examining the wound which seemed like a gun shot. She produced a heavy sigh. "What happened?"
"An ambush, but you know I can't say much."
"I know, I know… Are there any medical supplies in here?"
"Bedroom closet."
Elizabeth ran to get everything she needed to mend Jason's leg then hurried back to his side. The young woman, who had done this many times before, methodically cut out his pair of jean around the wound with a pair of scissors in order to get a better view.
"It doesn't seem like the bullet is still inside." She said relieved that she wouldn't have to perform life saving surgery on him with the poor instruments she had on hand.
"Yeah, I think it was just a graze." Jason said wincing at the pain as Elizabeth poked around the wound with her gloved fingers.
"Well for a graze it's bleeding a lot."
The young nurse managed to stop the flow of blood by applying pressure on Jason's injured leg then meticulously cleaned up and sutured his wound, which she bandaged tightly.
Elizabeth took of the protective latex gloves. "There you go. But you need to take it easy or you might open it up and start bleeding again."
"Yes doctor!" Jason sarcastically replied.
"Nurse Webber would work just fine. See that; you have your own personal nurse who even does house calls." Elizabeth teased him with a sassy grin gracing her mouth.
"And I am forever grateful for that." Jason said sliding a hand inside her chestnut curls.
Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed the man she loved lightly on the lips. "You're lucky you didn't get hurt worse than that or I would have had to kill you myself!"
Jason smiled then tried reaching for a second kiss but was limited by the sharp pain in his leg.
"I told you to take it easy." She told him covering his mouth with her index finger and leaving him wanting more.
The brunette stood to her feet and started cleaning up the medical supplies she had used to patch Jason up. After putting everything back in place, she came back to his side. "You're gonna need to eat something so I'll fix you up a canned soup or anything we have left in here."
Jason abruptly grabbed the petite woman's arm before she was able to leave his side. "No Elizabeth. Thank you for once again taking care of a gun shot for me but you can't stay. I'll manage on my own."
She huskily brushed his hand off of her arm then retorted. "I cannot believe this! This has to be the shortest time we spent back together. I haven't even been here for what… half an hour that you are already kicking me out of your life?"
"You know why you can't stay. It's too dangerous."
"It's too dangerous? If I hear these words again! How many times do I need to tell you that I don't care about the freaking danger! Every time I get up in the morning I am in danger! Do I need to remind you how I almost burned down my apartment a few months ago because my Christmas tree caught fire? Every time I go to work I am in danger! Do you remember how this desperate man took my whole floor hostage with bombs strapped on him so we would treat his wife? And I could go on and on."
"It's not the same thing."
"Yes it is the same thing! Life in general is dangerous Jason! But I refuse to live in fear! What I want is to simply feel alive again; be with you, and by that I mean really be with you in real relationship that will last more than a few minutes!" Elizabeth paused, drawing some air in, powerful glare fixated on Jason. "How come Carly, Spinelli and everyone else gets to be around you but not me? Do you have any idea how this makes me feel? That every time we get close you simply shut me out!"
Jason truly felt the pain in her words. He never meant to hurt her. All he wanted was to keep her safe. He spoke deeply, trying to make the young woman in front of him understand his point. "It's because I love you too much, I couldn't bear loosing you. Damn it Elizabeth, someone tried to kill me tonight! This is not a game, I've told you that already."
"Oh yes you have. But there is no way I am letting you push me away this time. You cannot just bring me back in your life whenever you need me then send me packing!"
"I called you because I knew I could count on you and I came here because I need to keep a low profile until the situation calms down." Jason spoke softly, never raising his voice from his position on the couch.
"Then I'll keep a low profile with you until you get better. And besides you don't really have a choice because you barely can walk and you certainly can't kick me out of here. So just promise me that you won't try to push me away again. Not this time, because I am not going anywhere."
"You can't do that; you have a job, Elizabeth, a normal life and I don't want it to be affected because of me."
"You remember when we first met Jason? How angry I was that everybody was making decisions for me and trying to run my life. That's exactly what you are doing right now. What happened to people should be able to make their own choices?"
Jason was about to contest but she didn't give him the chance and kept talking.
"See, every time we come close to being happy together you push me away and I am left with all my feelings for you, all my dreams of a life with you and simply nowhere to put them." She said her voice deep with sorrow as she dug deep in her soul to let Jason realize just how much pain he caused her every time he decided to walk away.
"Elizabeth…"
"No Jason, listen to me! I am an adult and I am conscious of the risks that come with being in your life; I have no illusions here! It is eyes wide open that I want to be with you."
Jason was surprised by how much Elizabeth resisted him this time. All he ever wanted was to keep her safe and it was the only thing that gave him the necessary willpower to break things off with her every time it had happened. He was sick of disappointing her, sick of hurting her; but he knew he couldn't make her happy with what he had to offer her.
Many would have told you that Jason Morgan was a fearless man, but essentially it was the fear that kept him from allowing Elizabeth to fully enter his life. Jason had always wanted to shield her from the violence and cruelty of his world. Selfishly perhaps, he believed that if she got too close to him she would end up hating him after seeing him for the monster he truly was. And Jason couldn't take the risk of loosing her forever; at least as long as she was away she would maintain this adoring image she had of him.
"What if one of my enemies uses you for leverage against me? What if one day you stand too close to me and…"
"I'm not afraid!" Elizabeth burst out.
"But I am afraid! If anything happened to you I couldn't take it!" Jason paused then sadly admitted. "I cannot keep you safe Elizabeth."
The young woman gazed at Jason with burning intensity. "The only thing I need from you is to love me and allow me to be in your life. That's all I want." Tears started forming in her cerulean doe eyes. "That's all I want." She repeated in a broken voice.
Jason struggled to straighten on the couch but managed to sit up. He placed all of his strength in his healthy foot then propped himself up. He closed Elizabeth in his embrace and buried his face in the curve of her neck savoring her alluring scent.
"I love you so much. All I want if for you to be happy."
"Then let me be a part of your life!"
The only reply Jason had for her was a warm kiss that he delicately planted on her soft lips, cradling her face with both of his hands. Jason adored the sensation of her swollen lips on his own while he devoured her mouth. She shut her eyelids and the tears that had formed in her eyes trickled down her cheeks meddling in their emotion filled lip lock.
A faint noise coming from outside caused Elizabeth to suddenly pull back from the ardent kiss; she once again left the taller man wanting more. "Did you hear that?" She asked Jason in a concerned tone.
"No, wait." Jason difficultly made his way towards the window. "Someone might have been sent to finish the job. Listen to me, what I want you to do is go to the bedroom and hide in the closet. Don't come out until I tell you its safe."
"Jason, you can't fight anyone in your state! I can't leave you like this."
"Just do as I tell you."
Elizabeth was wise enough to know that listening to what Jason said was the smart thing to do. He had experience in these types of situations and if he believed he could deal with the attack then she trusted him. She sent a last worried look towards him then did as she was told. The young man grabbed his gun from the side table then positioned himself, back against the wall next to the door, waiting for the intruder to make his move. He would take him by surprise as soon as the man would enter the front door.
Cracking footsteps could be heard louder every second; the confrontation was imminent. Jason gripped his gun firmly, ready to make use of it. The enforcer observed the door knob swivel. A man covered in black put foot in the safe house and with a simple kick on the nape of the neck, was neutralized. The assailant dropped to the ground unconscious, loosing his firearm in the process.
But Jason didn't have a second to breathe that he felt the cold metal of a handgun grace the back of his skull.
"Drop your gun! You're done Morgan!"
The enforcer slowly turned around to face his executioner. What happened next occurred incredibly fast, even for the blond who was blessed with extremely fine reflexes. A gun shot echoed loudly in the room followed by a loud thud. When Jason finally looked up, he saw Elizabeth standing in the dark of the bedroom door with a gun held in his direction. She had just saved his life.
Jason took the firearm away from the second gunman who was now lying on the floor with a hole through his back then limped to Elizabeth who hadn't switched position since she had pulled the trigger. She seemed frozen, both arms erect, still pointing towards where the intruder had been standing. Jason took the firearm out of her hands then trailed his hands over her figure making sure she was ok.
"Easy, easy… Are you ok?"
She nodded. "Is he… is he dead? He… he was about to shoot you… he…" Elizabeth struggled to talk as Jason took her in his arms. "It's ok. Everything's fine."
"Did I… did I kill him?" Elizabeth asked agitatedly.
"Shhh… I'll check right now ok?" Elizabeth nodded, fiercely biting her lower lip while Jason difficultly ran back to the man to check for a pulse.
"I can feel a pulse."
"I can still save him!" The young woman said before kneeling next to the assailant. She applied pressure to the gunshot wound.
"Elizabeth, you did great; you saved my life. But you have to leave now!"
"No!" Elizabeth threw back at him heatedly. "Jason, I just shot a man! We're in this together; just tell me what to do and I'll do it." She resolutely threw at him; there was no running away this time.
Jason paused for an instant. "Are you sure you're ok?" Jason asked concerned by the way she was acting.
"What? Yes, I'm ok… I'm as ok as I can be right now. I'm a nurse; I am used to working under pressure. I saw this gun earlier when I got the supplies; I heard a struggle I though you might need help so I came out."
Elizabeth hadn't even flinched before pulling the trigger. Her lover's life was in danger and she needed to come to his rescue. Jason turning around was the perfect distraction and as she saw the gunman raise his gun once again, she acted fast and shot him. She remembered the private lessons Jason had given her and had applied them to the letter, eliminating the threat in one single move.
Jason was more than astounded by the turn of events. Elizabeth that he had tried to protect from his life for so long had just saved him. "Ok… Um, we need to get out of here before they send some backup. I'll call my men to take care of these guys. Help me to your car."
"Alright." Elizabeth stood up from her position next to the intruder then placed one of Jason's bulky arms over her shoulder. She used all the strength in her petite body to help him to the door.
"We'll hide in another safe house a few miles away from here. Only a few trusted men know about that place. We'll stay there until I figure out who's after me."
As they reached the car, Elizabeth looked up to the man who was leaning on her. "I'm part of this too now, it's not just your world anymore. I've been part of all this since I rescued you that day in the snow. You need me Jason and I am not giving you a choice this time. I'm here to stay."
To be continued…