This story is slightly AU: changing who David gets the money from to donate his liver in part because I just can't believe that they are really killing the character of Asa. So this is my take on how David gets his money, Asa stays out of jail, there's a funeral, and how if spoilers are true there's upset at BE and a certain someone gets away with a crime. . .

Saving Asa

Chapter 1

"You want what for what?" Natalie asked incredulously from the doorway to her grandfather's living room.

Closing his eyes, Clint inhaled heavily: "Natalie, forget what you just heard and go upstairs. Or to the car," he ordered his daughter.

"A bit late for that," she said as she continued into the living room, her eyes squarely on David Vickers as she took in his measure and completely ignored her father and his girlfriend. "And Dad, I think you're the one who should leave. I'll handle David," she added staring the other man down, to his surprise.

"Oh you will, will you?" David asked amused.

"Natalie, dear, you don't have the experience to handle someone of David's. . . particular, charms," Dorian put in, trying to spin the situation to her advantage and keep herself in Clint's good graces.

Rolling her eyes, Natalie turned on her heel and looked Dorian up and down before exhaling and tilting her head back and looking at her father: "both of you get out of here before you make this worse for everyone involved."

"Natalie," Clint started to protest.

"I'll handle it," she reiterated. "Now go to the hospital. We'll meet you there in a little while," Natalie said confidently as she crossed her arms over her chest and started to tap her foot impatiently.

Shaking his head at the gleam he saw in his daughter's eyes, Clint nodded in defeat and put his arm through Dorian's. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do."

"Just be careful," he admonished.

"I always am," she replied as she watched them leave and then wheeled around to face David, her red hair flying behind her. "So, 10 million dollars to save my sister's life huh?"

David shrugged: "it's what I'm owed by this family," he said in defense of himself.

"For a job you didn't actually complete," she shot back, watching as his eyes widened in surprise. "Really, David, how stupid do you think I am? Just one thing. Confirm for me the reason why John's sniffing around Marty Saybrook's skirt before I write out the check."

David only laughed at her as he replied flippantly: "he likes her legs."

"I'll make it for 5 million then."

"What your sister not worth 10?"

"She's not worth the jail time for being an accessory after the fact," Natalie shot back.

"But the information is?"

Natalie shrugged: "consider it a balm to my wounded ego."

"Fine. Marty confessed to killing Spencer. Mcpain in the ass isn't buying it. Not that I did either. It's why I'm out on this little furlough and out the 10 million your grandfather promised me," he blurted out.

Natalie bit her lip and narrowed her eyes as she mentally counted to ten and then exhaled. "And once more, John's hero complex runs on overload," she muttered as she spun around on her heel and crossed the room to the coffee table.

"Hey. You tricked me! You said you just wanted me to confirm why John was sniffing around her skirt!" David complained as he followed her, checking out her assets as he did.

"You did," Natalie replied as she finished writing out the check and stood, glaring at him knowingly. "I just didn't know what Lawrence had on her. Now I do."

"Lawrence had on her? Huh?" he asked as she slapped the check against his chest and picked up her purse.

"Don't strain yourself trying to figure it out," she chided. "Now let's get to the hospital. My sister doesn't have a lot of time."

"Sure. We'll just stop and deposit this on the wa a-a-a-y--- HEY!" he started only to stop short both verbally and physically as he was following her into the vestibule.

"What now?"

"This is only for 5 million!"

"Like I said, David. I'm not stupid. Five now. Five after you go through with the surgery. Just consider it an incentive not to back out. Now let's go."

David rolled his eyes: "I would've rather dealt with your father."

"I've sure you would've. Now either we leave now or I report you to my Uncle Bo for extortion and black market organ dealing."

David paused, taking her measure to see if she was bluffing: "You willing to take that kind of chance on your sister's life?"

Natalie merely took the two steps that separated them to stand toe to toe with them and stared him in the eye, unflinching as she picked lint off of his collar and carelessly related a story she would rather forget: "my mother was willing to let a man take the heart from my chest instead of Jessie's to save the life of her bastard of a father. The man who sexually abused her as a child and caused her to split into her alters. Something like that's hard to forget, no matter how much you try to. No matter how much time passes.

I might not want to be the cause of my sister's death, but you push me, Vickers, and I'll do what I have to."

"Damn, you are a cold one, aren't you?" he muttered as he stepped back. "No wonder McBain threw you over for Doctor Death."

"For the record, I dumped John," Natalie said breezily as she turned towards the door and tossed back her hair, pulling her jacket down with her shaking hands as she looked over her shoulder at David with far more confidence than she felt at the moment: "now are we going or am I calling Bo?"

"Yeah, sure.. We're going. Harder ways to earn 10 million dollars," he conceded as he followed her out of the house. At least I'll be on my back for most of it."

"Something tells me it won't be the first time."

"I'll rephrase that--- I'll be asleep."

"Not to mention that you'll be saving someone's life instead of taking one," Natalie couldn't help but retort as she opened the driver's side door of her car.

"Hey! I only pretended to. I'm a lot of things. A murders not one of them."

"Whatever David," Natalie sighed. "Just get in the car so we can go."

"Fine. But I want my money when this is over."

"You'll have the other check as soon as you're out of the hospital--- you wouldn't want one of the nurses or orderlies or someone finding it and stealing it now would you?" she reasoned as she got in and started the car, adverting her gaze.

"No. I guess you're right. But as soon as I'm out. I want my money."

"You'll get it, David. The last thing I need is you hounding me or any other member of this family for more money," Natalie replied as she pulled away from her grandfather's house, silently cursing both men.