Time does not change us. It just unfolds us. Max Frisch

" Are your sure?"

" Yeah," he whispered carefully. The old walls around him creaked. " She has no idea."

Jason heard Sonny's unconvinced sigh. " I don't like this Jason. I think you should disappear as soon as everyone's asleep."

" I can't," Jason immediately replied. " She's already seen me and she's threatened to call the police more than once Sonny. She's seen my face…once her father comes home and tells her there was a burglary attempt at the office she is going to assume it's me and when she sees I'm gone there's nothing to keep her from talking."

" You think her hiding you is going to stop her from spilling everything to her family…once Bruce knows the identity of the man his little girl is taking care of this whole thing is going to blow sky high." Sonny pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

" I'm not sure, but I don't think she'll say anything. She already said she wouldn't." Jason's hushed voice remained steady. " Besides, she would have done it by now if she thought I was a real threat. I wanna be sure she trusts me…we should be fine then"

" Are her parents home yet?" Sonny questioned in a demanding voice.

Jason, clouded in thought, answered automatically. " No." He paused for a second, " What do you want me to do?"

Leaning against the desk, he scratched his forehead, his mind deep in strategy. " If you go, you are definitely going to be fingered by the girl sooner rather than later and that means Bruce will figure out what's going on. Wait, does she know your name?"

" Yeah, she does. Just my first though."

" What's hers?"

" Don't know. Don't want to. It's better if I just get the hell out of here when I can walk which should be soon."

" Then what Jason?" Sonny's voice rose. " She's still going to know who you are. We cant trust that she's not going to say anything just because she is taking care of you right now. She could panic, once her father realizes what happened at the factory and starts telling her to beware of such and such man…she's going to put two and two together."

Jason looked up at the small octagon shaped window. " What do suggest?"

Sonny waited, his voice barely audible, but dead in tone. " We might have to get rid of her."

" Sonny," Jason's eyes closed. His voice staggered and he hit his head hard against the armrest behind him. Anger mingled in disbelief made his voice grow, " You're kidding right?"

" What other option do I have?" his answer cut threw defensively.

" She's a kid."

" She's witness, Jason. A witness. She could blow this whole thing open especially if dear ol' dad starts getting wise to last nights events."

Jason's head shook. He waited for comprehension to take over, for Sonny to start making some sense and start sounding like Sonny. " Sonny…killing her is not an option."

When Sonny spoke again his voice was silk and smooth, the faintest hint of calculation burrowing underneath. " Let's just take one step at a time. Right now I want you to concentrate on getting better. I need you back in perfect health before we can even think about reconvening."

A burning sensation in Jason's lungs flagged when he tired to swallow. Sonny's answers did not settle him. " You want to me to call before I head back to the city?"

" No. When you are well enough to get out of that shit hole, find the nearest hotel, motel, whatever and notify me as soon as you do."

Jason didn't hide his surprise. " I thought you wanted back me down there as soon as possible? Isn't staying kind of pushing it?"

" Not if the job hasn't been finished." Sonny waited for Jason to argue but when he didn't he continued. " If we wait for routine to kick in again, they are already going to have double security…they are going to be expecting another hit. Since none of our men were to know about this except you and Benny, I want everyone to think it was from the outside even after that son of bitch Bruce is floating face down in the PC river.

" …No one will be expecting us to strike now. Bruce is probably in a frenzy, security is on their tail trying to figure out what they did wrong while covering their asses when I send my men down for an explanation. This has to happen as soon as possible."

" Whatever you want."

Sonny could tell from his voice that Jason wholeheartedly disagreed. He also knew Jason would do whatever he said. Jason had never disobeyed him. He was loyal and a complete professional for this line of work. He never went behind his back, never got creative with Sonny's orders. He did what was told without question and Sonny valued his strict code of honor. The invaluable of what made Jason up was what made him Sonny's second and nothing less.

" Kid, trust me. You know I know what's best, right?"

Jason breathed out hard into the phone. " Yeah."

" Remember that. Don't start getting soft on me."

He squeezed the ends of his forehead. " I'm not Sonny," his reply more irritated than he intended. " I just, I don't like the way this is working out. That's it."

" Trust me."

" I do trust you. That's not the issue."

" Well, than what? What did I tell you when I picked you up off the streets? I told you in this business to do what you are told, never ask questions, never think you know better. If you know your place, show fear and respect to your boss, you are infallible. I need to know you trust me to handle this Jason. You have never second guessed me…now is not the time to start."

The face of the girl emerged suddenly when his eyes shut closed in thought. " I know," his voice surrendering for the moment. " I trust you Sonny."

" Good. Then call me when you are out of there and not a minute before or after. In fact, I'd rather you keep the phone somewhere where she can't find it."

Jason bit down on his lower lip, warring whether he should reveal to his boss that she had already found the phone. " Okay," he said exerted from all the strain of the situation. " She wont find it. She's a good kid."

" I'm sure she is," Sonny spoke in a divorced way that told Jason he wasn't really listening.

" A little mouthy," he replied dryly with distraction.

Sonny chuckled softly. " Aren't they all. Listen," he interjected before the conversation veered off course. " I gotta split. I have this gala thing I have to attend. If there's an emergency call my cell, otherwise I don't want to hear from you till you are out of that house."

" Right. Bye."

Sonny pressed his finger on the receiver then quickly dialed in another number. The phone rang several times before a male voice with a heavy Brooklyn accent answered.

" Yeah?"

" Listen, I might need you."

" For what?"

" Just in case things go wrong…you're my contingency plan."

Elizabeth stared up at her ceilings. There was a faint shadow of the light peeking through the curtain. It shone weakly against the wall next to her and half of her ceiling. She guessed it would be an hour or two before sunrise was fully complete and the bright day lay before her.

Whether she was ready or not.

It was hard to wrap her mind around all that had happened in the last few hours. It was easier to believe it was some fantastic nightmare that her warped subconscious had devised. Elizabeth could accept that, but as the cold hard reality of day dawned without ceasing, she couldn't fathom how she was suppose to go on pretending to be as strong as she was.

Her nature reveled in practicality. Now she was forced to go against everything built inside her to help a man she didn't know, didn't trust; a man who didn't like her and spoke less than any human she had ever encountered.

The truths the possible and potential lies swirled around her, like a merry go round. How did she go from being so safe from a place like this, a far deep black hole, covered in quicksand, dark thick quicksand with no branches in reach.

" I am so dead," she muttered under her breath.

Sleep was never going to come. Elizabeth didn't try to fight her insomnia. She thought maybe the shock of the traumatic would have exhausted her body. At least enough to halt her brain from going into overdrive for a few hours, but there was no reprieve. Sleep was an unreachable goal. Kind of like the rest of her dreams.

Her cell phone rang once next to her. She flipped it over, keeping it hooked on the charger. She pressed the side to light the screen, it beamed One Message. She flipped the top and read the text message, not paying a single inch of attention to what she was doing.

It was from Lulu. It read:

Liz, y u not cll me? How was party? Need the 411.

Cll me as soon as u can. Luv ya.

The party. That seemed weeks ago.

Her life felt weeks ago. This whole night somehow had become her whole life in a matter of one second. One second was all it took to change everything, to shift her meaningless priorities from emotional escape to thinking only of living. Living in the moment, something that was as unfamiliar to her as her college future.

Elizabeth closed the lid of her phone, placing it beside where she was. How was she suppose to survive this and move on as if nothing had happened? She couldn't not remember. She couldn't not remember him.

Her eyes drifted to the ceiling again.

His eyes, blue and probing, cast a shadow over her running mind. He promised he wouldn't hurt her. She had no reason to believe him except that she had no choice. Her brow crinkled, she tried hard to remember his face when he vowed that no harm would come to her, but all she could see was hard shaped diamond blue.

The edges of his sharp features never buffed down. The brow over his eyes always roofed protectively over the crystal colors that stared back at her with such potency, it made her insides dance in fear.

His mouth remained either hard and flat like an unforgiving line drawn between bad and worse or it was rounded, the top was like a smooth hill of flesh, the lower one a mirror reflection.

Her hand drifted up as if to trace the blaring mental image.

She closed her eyes, catching herself off guard. She focused on his words, on getting him out of this house as soon as it was possible. That was all she had left to do. His steady temperature decline and growing strength were all favorable signs.

Maybe, Elizabeth expelled a breath that had been bottled deep in her chest, this nightmare would be over before it started. Twenty four hours. That was what she was giving him and his recovery. The bullet obviously hadn't hit any major intestines or anything a hospital could care for.

A tear, appearing from nowhere and from nothing inside her, trailed its way down from the corner of her eye to the side of her cheek. It trickled fast vanishing in the recess of her ear, leaving a cool path of moisture in it's wake.

" Stop it," her little voice softly scolded. " Don't break now."

Another tear from the same eye, the same place, dashed out, this time plopping quickly on to the strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears back. She would not break now. She couldn't afford it, she didn't have time for it.

Everything would be alright as long as she kept doing what she was doing. As long she acted, didn't think…as long as he promised…

The thud above her shattered the fragile condition within her. She popped up on her elbows not sure she really heard it. Then a smaller thud sounded and Elizabeth was out of the bed in a shot, her fingers grazing the doorframe for support as she flew for the stairs.

She popped her head into Sam's open door. Sam was still in her dress, but she was dead asleep on her stomach. Half her leg was off the bed, her snoring ridiculously loud for such a tiny person.

She zipped back up the stairs, taking two and time. Her short but sturdy legs ached, the air around her aching as she gulped small amounts in. She didn't know why she was so scared now. He probably just needed something, something she could hopefully give quickly and get out just as fast.

Everytime her fingers touched the cool knob her heart stopped beating. She pictured him standing like a mountain over her, his gun pointed directly at her heart. His cool appraising eyes would be speak the words S.u.c.k.e.r. out right, than turn pleasing and satiated as he pulled the trigger.

She swallowed, ignoring the things she couldn't control, and turned the knob.

Relief instantly washed over her when she saw nothing and no one standing, but it was momentary. Jason.

Her eyes squinted, the dark immeasurably overshadowing the impending sunlight in the small attic. He was on the floor, face down, blood had trailed out from under his side and spilt across the wood floor for a lengthy few inches.

" Jason, Jason…" She was at his side instantly. She rolled him over, using all the strength she had left on her legs, she pushed at his granite hip, well below his wound. " Come on," she spat out in the empty room.

After a few seconds of pushing his dead weight gave in and his body lay against the bottom of the ratty futon.

She shook him. His face was the color of bone, paler than any human she'd ever see. " Oh my god, Jason. Wake up."

She yanked at the top of his black t-shirt, her other hand cradling his face. " Jason, I need you to wake up." She didn't hesitate, she slapped in the face, hard. She hit him again and again. " Jason, wake up!"

After the seventh slap, his pale cheeks were dark with red splotches. " God, please," her desperate whisper was immediately swallowed up by the nothingness around her. " Please," she urged hoarsely, pushing her hair back from her face.

" Jason." She pulled at his shirt, bringing her forehead against his she fiercely ordered her next words. " Open up your eyes. Now. Jason." She tapped at his bruised cheek. " Give me something, please."

" Wake up!" She crushed her face to his. A tear hit his nose and then, as if the tiny drop of moisture revived life in him, he awoke with a startled gasp. She withdraw, her hands still framing his face.

" Okay. You're okay."

His face turned a sickly gray. The blood around his wound oozing small but consist drops. " Okay, listen to me. I need you to stay still. I want you to put pressure on the wound." She grabbed the pillow above his head while she spoke. " Hold it against the wound."

" Jason.." Her fingers grabbed him underneath his chin, making him look at her. " Look at me."

His half lid eyes were unfocused, the blue overcast with fever and confusion. He licked his upper lip sluggishly like it took all the strength in the world to do. " I need you to look at me, okay? Focus, Jason. I need to go and get you some medicine."

He responded fast, shaking his head defiantly as he tried to move to sit up. " I'm fine," he croaked out. " I'm okay."

" I don't have time to argue with you." She jerked his chin up, his eyelids drifting up and down. " Jason. Pay attention. I'll be right back. The pharmacy is just around the corner, just don't move, keep the pillow on your wound."

He moved his mouth to talk but coughed hard into his hand. The congestion in his cough sounded like it had the beginnings of bronchitis, but Elizabeth forced herself to ignore that possibility. She brushed her hand up and down his arm as his coughing fit died down.

" Okay…sshh. It's okay."

" No." He shook his head again, his face red and taut. " They'll…suspicious."

" Let me take care of that." She ignored his weak protest. " I know someone who can help. Just please…listen to me and say still. I don't want your wound opening anymore. I'm going to buy bigger gauzes and more disinfectant for the wound."

His lids were bobbing again. She squeezed his chin with her fingers. " Jason," she jerked him up hard, " Do you hear me?"

His breathing evened out a bit, but it remained shallow and faint. His stare met hers after several seconds of struggle.

" Promise me you will do as I say."

He nodded his head.

" Promise me Jason."

The murkiness surrounding him parted for a second and he held her gaze. " I promise." His reply was unequivocal and sturdy.

She released him gently, taking the cushion from the bed and placing it under his head.

" I'll be right back," she whispered to him. His eyes were already closed.

She allowed herself a second to study him, then glanced out toward the window. Outside it was daylight now, but in her world it still felt very much like night.

Lucky Spenser was right where she knew he'd be. Stocking up in the back. Mr. Heller, the boss, had owned the family business since before her family moved here. He was a nice old man but he was getting on in age so six out of the seven days of the week Lucky, Lulu's annoying older brother, ran the place.

He had had a crush on her since middle school. It took Elizabeth a full two years to shake him off her and when he finally got the hint he treated her like the something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe. She sucked in a deep preparatory breath. She was just about to undue two years works' worth of bitchness.

" Lucky," She made her voice sound happy to see him.

He didn't look up from box he was cutting open with a boxcutter. " Elizabeth Webber. What brings you up here this early in the morning." It wasn't a question, it was a formality to hide his true greeting which she was sure included the finger and a few choice words.

" I, um," she decided to go straight for it. Time was not on her side. " I need a favor."

His hand rested in mid slice, but he didn't turn. " I must have heard wrong. You want what?"

" I don't have time for games Lucky. I need your help and I need it now."

After several slow seconds of purposed silence, he faced her. She had his expression down in her head and she wasn't far off the mark when he revealed his smarmy expression without apology.

Lucky, all bias aside, was a decent looking man to any passing woman. He was tall with chiseled good looks, blue eyes, dark brown hair that made his eyes pop out drastically. His jaw was sharp and unbelievably strong and he had a great build. His all American exterior would make any unsuspecting out of towner take a second and third detailed gaze, that is until he opened his mouth and ruined it.

" What on earth could Elizabeth Webber want from me? I doubt I've ever had anything that you ever wanted."

God, he was still bitter. He didn't even try to hide it. " I need you to give an antibiotic and whatever else is used to heal a sick person."

" Excuse me." Lucky pretended not to pay attention to her. She guessed he wanted more begging first.

She locked gazes with him, ignoring the pompous way he leaned over her in the doorway.

" I don't have time for your high school shit Lucky. I need you to do me this favor."

He leaned closer, scratching his eyebrow as he eyed the length of her body. " And what do I get in return?"

" I don't have anything you want."

" You'd be surprised."

Her response was terse. " Whatever. I need antibiotic, rubbing alcohol, the big gauze and whatever else for an open wound."

" Open wound? What exactly is this for?"

"None of your damn business. I'll pay you now but the favor will have to come later."

His faux contemplation was well staged and lagged on for several minutes. He moved over to cash register, checking the aisles. Elizabeth twisted her watch over to get a look at the time.

" Lucky I need this now."

" What about a doctors prescription." He was smiling so smug she wanted to kick his teeth in with her steel toed boot.

She didn't cover her impatience in her voice. " That's part of the favor. I don't have it." She swallowed, closing her eyes and she choked up her next word. " Please."

" Well," he gloriously conceded, victory stamped across his bright smile. " Since you put it that way."

He went into the back and Elizabeth paced the front counter over and over, never letting her mind drift toward anything too dangerous enough to make her nervous. He was quicker than she anticipated.

" Here's a topical antibiotic. Make sure to put it on twice a day. Here's an antibiotic, take it with food. All the other stuff is in the bag." For a second he seemed so focused on calculating the sum a hint of gratitude welled up in her chest.

" Who's this for?" he failed in questioning her casually.

" That's between you and me." She locked eyes with him again.

" And my favor?"

Elizabeth grabbed the bag and threw a fifty on the counter. It was the last of her saved money from her dinky summer job. Thank god she had her account money.

" For another time and place." She forced an understanding smile but her eyes were tight with a warning. Lucky might be an obnoxious dim bulb but he shook his head before he looked away and headed toward the back door.

She ran out the door and he poked his head in the aisle, enjoying the usual cool and collected Elizabeth scurrying about like a fidgety rabbit. " I hope you're ready Elizabeth because you owe me now and I intend on paying you a visit real soon."