A/N – Thank you so much for the welcome and I'm glad I have you so curious. This one has lots of twists and turns. And yes, it's a normal length fic. I will tell you when it's a ficlet.

So, there were several questions re: ages and stuff. That gets answered along the way, but I guess I can still comment on a few. I like you to find out things along the way without me telling you. Uh, the B&W ball didn't happen until after Jake was born and there is no Jake. The timeline is before him. Like I said, I moved time lines around, so you'll get information as the storyline goes on, so don't think about the show, just read what I'm writing like the show didn't happen (that should be easy since we hate the show anyway lol).

Chapter 2

Jax had to fight the urge to go with Emily because he didn't want to blow her cover. "There's a safe in the house. I'll text you the combination. If you need money, you just take it from there." He handed her a new phone. "I mean it, Emily. There is plenty in there and I don't want you to feel guilty about it."

"Thank you."

"Use this so no one can track you. I don't want you to have to worry and if you use your own, that will flag your family. What are you going to do about your identity?"

"I am going to use the last name Winthrop." Dawn had meant so much to Monica.

"That will work. Do you need identification?"

She nodded.

"I'll have it couriered overnight."

"I don't know how I can ever repay you." Her voice cracked under the strain and Jax hugged her. Never in a million years did she ever think he would help her like this. The only reason she had called was because of his connection to Alexis and that he had a plane at his disposal.

He kissed her on the head. "It's okay. You just take care of yourself and let me know when you're ready to come back. Text me the details. Emily, do I need to tell Alexis anything?"

"Tell her that Nikolas is out of control and to talk to Alfred."

Jax got the picture and still couldn't fathom that Nikolas had laid his hands on her. They stood and he helped her get on the jet and when she was settled, he took one last look. "Be safe."

"I will."

And then he is gone and she has never felt so alone in her life. As the plane starts to take off, she has an overwhelming feeling of doom and hopes that she is just being dramatic.

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Present Time

Jason hands Emily some water and she takes a long sip as he squelches his need to fucking end Nikolas for what he did. Apparently, she still loves him, even after she has had months to think about it. They'd have to discuss that later. After noting her touching her stomach a few times, he decides to confront her. "Emily, are you pregnant?"

She nods and blushes. "Yeah."

"When did you know?"

"A few weeks after I got here."

Jason grips her hand. "Are you happy?"

"Yes and no. Nikolas is still missing and I hate doing this without him, but I have to keep our baby safe which is why I stayed here."

He understood. "I'm going to be an Uncle?"

She slightly smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes."

"How does Elizabeth fit into this?"

She took a deep breath and continued.

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Three and a half Months Prior

Elizabeth answered her phone. It has been a long day and Cameron made a mess in the bathroom during his bath and she is ready to crash. Lucky is downstairs watching television, so she slips into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Hello?" She stopped in her tracks as she heard someone sniffle.

"Elizabeth?"

"Oh my God, Em?"

"Yeah."

Liz had to sit down before she fell. "Where are you?" When she had disappeared, everyone had been afraid that Helena had done something to her and Nikolas.

"I'm safe. Have you seen Nikolas?"

She is shocked that he is not with her. "No. There has been no word. We've been so scared for you. Are you in trouble?"

"Everything is just so messed up. Nikolas is not himself and he grabbed me, Elizabeth. I thought he was going to kill me."

Tears sprang into Liz's eyes. "Oh Emily, I'm so sorry." Never in a million years would she think that Nikolas would physically hurt his wife.

"I don't even know how to say this."

"Just blurt it out."

"I'm pregnant."

Lucky, who had moved to the doorway, frowned as he watched his fiancé pale. "Elizabeth?"

She waved him off as she tried to focus again. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm so scared. Can you come to me?" If Helena found out, she could try to take the baby and raise him to be her puppet.

"Of course I can. Is it okay if Cam and Lucky come?"

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone else. No one can know where I am."

"I understand. We'll just say we're going on vacation." She listened carefully and mentally noted the town her best friend is in. "We'll be there as soon as possible. Hang on okay?"

"Thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me. Call Jax, he will get you here."

Elizabeth placed the phone on the table. "Emily needs me. If you don't want to go, I can take Cam."

"Is she okay?"

"No."

"Does she know what happened to my brother?"

Liz shrugged and threw her hands up. "I don't think so, but I don't know all of the details. I'll tell you what I know on the plane if you're game."

Lucky took out his phone and made a call and told his boss that he wasn't coming in for the next few weeks due to a family emergency.

Liz is surprised that he is willing to make the sacrifice. "Thank you."

He nodded. "I'll go pack."

"Okay, but Lucky, you can't tell anyone where Emily is, not even your brother if he contacts you."

"Why?"

"He physically hurt her."

Lucky frowned. "Nikolas would never do that."

"He hasn't been himself and you know that. Now, can you keep this secret or not?" She refuses to play games with Emily or her child's life.

His head tipped forward and then he disappeared into the other room, wondering what the hell had happened while she called Jax about the trip.

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Jason ran his hand through his hair. "So, she came out here to visit, but I don't get how that spiraled into almost four months.

Emily stood. "Come on."

He tentatively followed her down a hallway to a big recreation room which is huge and filled with tables and chairs. The walls are decorated with patient artwork and there is an unattended piano in the corner. His eyes continue to roam until they stop on Elizabeth, who is sitting at a table humming as she put together a puzzle.

"She looks fine to me."

"She's far from fine. Jason, Elizabeth was attacked and almost raped again." She watched as his mouth dropped open as he tried to process the information. "For some reason, he left her outside instead of taking her or finishing. We think that someone must have almost discovered them and spooked him. Anyway, she crawled into the building and all hell broke loose. She was beaten and her clothes were ripped. There was no sound from her at first, just her looking around wildly. We were going to get something to eat, but I had forgotten my phone, so I ran back inside. Lucky was waiting for us at a restaurant with Cam." When she brushed a tear away, Jason closed his eyes as his heart ached for Elizabeth. Emily had been helping at the mental facility, figuring her parents or anyone else wouldn't look for her there.

"It's not your fault."

Emily ignored him, not wanting to be consumed by the overwhelming guilt she felt so she could get through the rest of the story. "When our eyes locked, she let out a blood curdling scream and was sobbing. And then, there was just silence. The doctors think that she went somewhere in her mind where it is safe."

His fists clenched and unclenched.

"She won't normally gaze directly at you, but when she does there's nothing there, like she's looking right through you."

"So, she won't respond to Cam or you?"

Emily shook her head. "She gets upset if I get near her and it's like she's pushing Cam away and he misses her so much. She'll let him touch the puzzle pieces, but that's about it. They wanted to send her to another facility, but Jax intervened."

Jason sucked in a harsh breath, wishing that she had turned to him.

A few days after she had arrived, Jax happened to call and she broke. He offered to help Elizabeth in any way that he could and silently, he vowed to make Nikolas pay and started eying a way to dismantle Cassadine Industries under the radar. It is the kind of challenge he does best.

Jason cursed under his breath. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Because it's not your job to rescue me, besides, you never answer your phone."

"Do they think that she'll get better?"

"They aren't sure. The longer she stays in this state, the bleaker her chances are."

He starts to move forward, but his momentum is blocked by Emily's arm.

"Don't touch her or she'll start fighting and screaming and they'll have to sedate her. It will just make things worse."

Jason nodded and slowly moved towards the table and sat across from Liz and picked up a piece of the puzzle. Elizabeth paused momentarily and then started moving again. For a long time, he didn't speak, just kept pushing pieces towards her to help her and she always waited for his hand to retreat before picking them up. "I know you're in there. You always knew when I was around even if you couldn't see me. I'm not leaving you and no one will hurt you again. I promise. We need you to fight, Elizabeth, because I just can't even stand to think about the alternative."

When he got no response, he walked out of the hospital and went to the car and sagged into the seat. His body is brimming with emotions, the anger making it hard to breathe. Someone had hurt her again and he wasn't there to protect her. His hand smashes against the steering wheel before he whips out his phone and dials.

"Hello?"

"It's Jason."

Sonny went into his office. "Where are you?"

"Out of state."

Sonny frowned. "Why? Is there a threat?"

He rolled his eyes. "Someone I care about needs me. I'm going to be off the grid indefinitely."

The air whooshed out of Sonny's lungs as he plopped into his chair. "Jason…"

"Don't fight me on this. Obviously, it's very important to me and God knows I have given you endless hours of my life. I'm not necessarily complaining, it's just a fact. This is something I need to do and I can't turn my back on it."

Sonny closed his eyes, not use to Jason giving him ultimatums. With much guilt, he decided to agree. "Okay. Do you need backup?" This left him exposed regarding Sam because she wasn't handling their baby's death very well and Carly was getting pissed off that he was trying to help her even though he kept explaining he was doing it for Jason. She still didn't know the truth and never wanted her to find out.

"What if I say yes?" Whoever attacked Elizabeth is still out there and he doesn't know who he is dealing with. Helena could be trying to get to Emily through her friend and he knows he might be too distracted to focus.

"I'll send Johnny."

"I can't tell you where I am, it's too dangerous. Tell him to call me, please."

"You got it."

"Thank you."

Sonny wiped his brow. "Good luck."

The call ended and Sonny immediately called Johnny and told him to bring Francis, Max, and Rico with him. About five minutes later, they were sitting in a conference room as the men waited for Sonny to speak.

"Jason is gone."

"What?" Francis asked.

"He needed to take care of something personal and he needs backup."

Looks were exchanged as they tried to figure out what is going on.

"You think it's Emily?" Johnny asked.

Sonny nodded. "Yes. I think he's protecting her. At least that is what my gut says. I offered you. He won't tell me where he is, so just call him." Jason had been consumed with trying to find his sister, so it made sense that he'd go to her.

"Okay."

"Francis and Rico, I need you to fill in. Keep your eyes and ears open." Francis has a reputation as a good shot and his courage and loyalty are admired and feared. "Rico, I need you to make sure everything at the warehouse is taken care of. You know what to do."

The seasoned man nodded. Maximus had sent him to help when they had been short men and he had decided to stay, liking the area and needing a change of scenery.

"Max, I need you to handle guard rotation and put someone on the Q mansion."

"Mario is already there. Jason did it when Emily disappeared."

Sonny really hated being left out of the loop, but he made sure not to show his displeasure in front of the other men. "Fine. Everyone keep their eyes and ears open. Talk to your contacts so that if there is a shit storm coming, we'll at least be able to prepare." Jason is his number two man. While he isn't a partner, he is well compensated. From afar, he had taken out several enemies, making it easy for Sonny to take over certain markets and amass a small fortune. Jason is worth more than his weight in gold and if he stays loyal, Sonny's portfolio will profit.

The men left and Sonny had a moment of peace before Carly whisked into the room.

"Hey, have you seen Jason?"

"He's away."

Carly frowned. "Since when?"

"He left to take care of something."

"Business?"

"No."

Carly's brow rose. "Is this about Emily?"

"I honestly don't know, but I think so."

She sat and crossed her legs. "You think he'll be gone a while?"

"Maybe. Emily has been away for four months."

Carly sighed. "I heard Bobbie say that Lucky is coming back."

"With Elizabeth?"

"No, apparently, they broke up."

"They've been gone for a while." Sonny rubbed the side of his face wondering if Jason knew.

Carly shrugged. "I have no idea why. I don't really keep up with Princess Purity."

"Carly…"

"What? Jason isn't here." She hated Elizabeth freaking Webber. From the beginning, she influenced Jason and Carly just didn't understand Liz's appeal. She is waifish and annoying, always seeming to have drama swirling around her. Adding stupid to the list in her head, she continued her silent rant. She married Ric Lansing. Clearly she has a pea-sized brain if she trusted that snake. No, Jason didn't deserve the likes of Elizabeth and she just hoped that woman stayed clear from him once they returned because Jason needed to focus on Carly's family. She needs him.

Sonny shook his head. "I think Jason will always care about her, so you need to get over your jealousy."

"Whatever. What about Sam? He needs to be there for her too."

"I've been keeping an eye on her and I'll have Carl watch her for now." He is a newer guard, but has great potential.

She stood and straightened out her skirt. Talking about Sam left a bad taste in her mouth. Jason could do so much better and she hated that he is hurting. "I'm going shopping."

"Have fun."

He watched her leave. To say he is bitter is an understatement. He keeps going over the situation, convinced if maybe he had been honest, his child's life would have been saved. Maybe he made a huge mistake not choosing his little girl and he knows that because of it, Jason is hurting too. This was all his fault, now he just needs to figure out how to fix it. In the meantime, he'll grieve on his own.

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The next morning, Jason woke up feeling a pressure on his chest. His eyes fluttered open and there was Cam with his head propped up by his hands.

"Good morning."

Cam smiled. "Breakfast is ready."

"Did Emily make it?"

Cam nodded.

"Does it taste good?"

The look of disgust on Jason's face makes him giggle as Emily growled from the doorway.

"Cam, I told you to let him sleep."

"But I wanted to play." It was great having someone new to talk to hang out with and Cam liked the quiet, large man.

Jason smiled.

"And I can cook eggs."

Jason's brow went up. "Since when?"

"I've been taking lessons. I'm going to be a mom, so I need to learn."

"I'll jump in the shower and then come down and help."

Emily held out her hand and Cam slid off the bed and went downstairs with her.