Every once in a while someone comes into your life and you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. That's love.

Comfortable silence falls over them as they walk the distance to the hospital, a kind of comfort that both found to be quite surprising. Technically they're strangers, familiar strangers, but still strangers. To be so comfortable with each other after only meeting a day ago, they both had to admit that it was strange, but completely welcomed.

Arriving at the hospital, Jason rides with her on the elevator, all the way up to her floor. She wanted to tell him that he didn't need to do that. That walking her to the front doors of the hospital was good enough, that she appreciated it, but she really didn't need someone looking after her. Of course, the words don't form and her protest is all but forgotten.

"Thank you for walking with me." she voices softly as they stand by the nurses' station. "I'm sure you had better things to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I was sitting at the docks for a while and your warehouse looked the busiest I've ever seen it." Elizabeth explains, shaking her head. "I didn't pull you away from something important, did I?"

"Wasn't I the one that walked up to you?" he counters, smiling softly at her concern. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay." she replies, realizing that she probably didn't want to know if it dealt with his business. "Anyway, thanks, again."

"Sure." he voices with a smile on his face. "See you around."

"Yes, you will."

It was quick, but it still meant more than anything when he leaned over and placed a soft kiss upon her forehead. Without another word, he walks towards the elevator, hitting the down button to make a simple exit. She couldn't tell you just how long she had been watching him, but as their eyes meet, before the doors close, a soft smile graces her face. Something in his eyes, the way he looks at her, feels so raw and real.

"I take it back." Kelly, the hospital's OB/GYN, comments with a smirk once the door of the elevator slide shut. "You really do know how to pick 'em. Damn, could that man be any hotter?"

"You do know that was Em's brother, right?" Elizabeth points out as she walks behind the desk.

"He's not my brother." she counters easily, laughing at the expression on Elizabeth's face. "Relax, I know when a man's off limits."

"Wha...no." she scoffs, shaking her head. "We're just friends."

"Uh-huh, sure." Kelly laughs, amazed that she could actually say that with a straight face. "Just like me and Eddie from radiology are just friends."

"Gross." Elizabeth feigns disgust while laughing. "Not an image I wanted to picture."

"Well, whatever you've got going on with that hunk of a man, I say more power to you." Kelly comments as she snatches up her patient's file. "Of course, I'll be more proud of you when you jump his bones."

"You're so bad."

"Only in the best of ways." Kelly laughs with her friend. "See you later, hot stuff."

"Mmhm, sure."

Shaking her head at her friend as she walks away, Elizabeth had to admit that she really did surround herself with such diverse people. While Emily sees the romantic side of relationships, Kelly focuses on the more physical, primal, sides of relationships. Of course, deep down she was a romantic at heart, but the way in for her is a nice hot romp session. Get her blood pumping that way and you're shoe in.

Elizabeth couldn't help but be amazed at her friends, how they are so sure about their love lives. About what they want out of a relationship. After everything that happened with her last boyfriend, she just can't trust herself in that department. To open herself up to that again, to let someone close enough to break her, it would be the hardest thing she'll ever do. She knows she can't let it stop her forever, but she just isn't sure if she's ready now.

As that thought settles into her mind, another thought slowly seeps its way in. Jason. Maybe, just maybe, he could be the one to pull that part out in her. As crazy a thought as it is, Elizabeth couldn't help but hope that things between them could reach that level. Right now its still new and fresh, but maybe someday soon. You never really know with these things, right?


Jason couldn't remember the last time he really took the time to just walk through town. For such a long time, his life has been on the fast lane, always one crises after another that had to dealt with. One enemy after another, one retaliation after another, in order to keep their standing in Port Charles. In order to keep everyone safe, the world had to know that their organization wasn't one to mess with.

The walk back to his bike, however, made him realize just how much he missed that. How much he had missed walking through town with no particular destination in mind, just walking to walk. He remembers doing it all the time after he woke from his coma, simply taking in the world around him, captivated by almost everything he laid eyes on.

Arriving back at his bike, Jason forces himself to bring his mind back to the situation at hand, needing to get to the board meeting. For a brief moment, he allows himself to wonder what Elizabeth would think of his plan, but he doesn't let the thought linger for long. This wasn't about her, not really. His brother might have used her as an excuse to do what he did, but what he's doing has nothing to do with her. It strictly business.

If AJ had attacked him personally, the retaliation would be completely different, but AJ chose to attack the business and that wasn't something he could deal with. If Sonny would have been the one at risk to go to prison, Jason knows that AJ wouldn't live to see another day. He was always taught that the punishment had to fit the crime. Imprisoning Sonny would be a death sentence for his friend. Ergo, death would be a suitable punishment.

As uncomfortable as prison would be for Jason, he would survive it like he has survived everything else. What AJ did didn't warrant a new burial plot in the pine barrens. Not this time, anyway. No matter how he feels about the man, Jason really hopes that his brother will learn from this and stop with the childish tactics. Right now its just a warning, but if he continues to attack Jason through the business...suffice to say that he's not liable for what he does.

"Jason?" AJ voices when Jason dismounts his bike outside of the estate, the shock on his face shining vibrantly.

"Jason." Ned, both men's cousin, greets him with a man hug. "Here for the board meeting, I presume?"

"Yeah." Jason says simply, meeting AJ's eyes before focusing on his cousin. "Has it started?"

"Just about to." Ned admits, pulling open the front door. "Come on in, I'm sure Monica will be glad to see you."

"What are you doing here?" AJ questions in a hushed tone as Jason walks past him.

"From the look on your face when I pulled up, AJ, I'm sure you know exactly what I'm doing here." Jason states in the same low tone, only more menacing. "See you in there."

An intense look of fear flashes through AJ's eyes, a look that was almost payment enough for what he did, almost. While AJ stands on the steps thinking up all the ways that his brother could retaliate for what he did, Jason follows Ned into the house to join the others for the board meeting. Like always, his presence is met with extremely mixed reactions. He didn't care this time, though, because his focus is on one Quartermaine in particular. AJ.

Before long, the ELQ board meeting is brought to order, the first to be brought to attention is old business. The usual back and forth ensues before they move on to current business. More specifically the new development that's set to begin the following morning. As Edward goes on about how the development plans are set to go forth, Jason's eyes meet with AJ's, nerves clearly hitting the Quartermaine like a ton of bricks.

"The development's not going to happen." Jason stands up, making his voice loud enough for the room to hear, cutting Edward's little speech short.

"What the hell do you mean its not happening?!" Edward bellows, having spent many hours slaving over this particular development. "You little weasel! I should have known you wouldn't hold up your end. Given your choice of employment..."

"Turn on the news." Jason cuts him off. "Any channel."

Without hesitation, Ned walks over to the television screen and turns on the news, curious to find out what his cousin was going on about. He had spoken to Jason personally about the development, he was almost certain that his cousin was all for the change, having admitted that it would be good for business and the workers.

"What's this about, son?" Alan steps forward, confused by the strike being displayed on the news. "I thought you agreed to this development."

"I did." he concedes. "But AJ made a compelling argument against it and apparently the union agrees."

"AJ, you bumbling buffoon, what have you done this time?" Edward turns his frustration to his other grandson. "This entire development was your idea! I should have known your smartness wouldn't last long!"

While the Quartermaine hurricane ensues, Jason slowly makes his exit, not caring how they handle him. The look on AJ's face when he saw what was happening in regard to his development was enough to get the message across. He was almost out the door when AJ catches up with him in the doorway. How he managed to get away from the lot of them is beyond him.

"I don't know how you got that together so quickly, but you've won, okay!" AJ snaps, anger seething through him. "You've made your point, now call it off!"

"No." Jason states, meeting his brother toe-to-toe.

"No?" he blubbers out, shock flashing through his eyes. "Why the hell not?"

"Why should I?" Jason counters, arching his eyebrow defiantly. "You tried to get me arrested and sent to prison! You really think I'd just call it off because I made my point?"

"This development will help people!" AJ bellows, glaring at his brother. "It'll help the port workers most of all!"

"You should have thought about that before you tried to send me to prison!"

"He tried to do what?"