Chapter 15
Sonny and Jason met at the warehouse. After their quick business they had to take care of. Sonny was headed home, and Jason was on his way to Emily's apartment. He decided not to call, since she contantly got quickly off the phone or avoided his call completely.
"Hey Jase, when you see Emily, invite her to dinner with the four of us and don't take no for an answer. In case Patrick is back, tell her to bring him too. Let's see how she reacts."
"I'll attempt too. I'm gonna go though, it's getting late."
"Okay, I'm gonna walk. I'll see you later."
"Okay, I'm gonna ride over there. Maybe we can go for a ride. She loves the motorcycle. Maybe that will relax her, make her happy. 'I think she deserves that. Genuine happiness.'
Sonny nodded and they went their separate ways.
Patrick swung the door to the apartment on his way out with a bag of ice. All that work kinda was irritating, and his hand hurt like heck.
He caught the elevator and began to head over to the alley. On his way there he ran into Sonny. 'Great. This is working out better than he thought.'
Sonny was the first to speak. "Back so soon? I thought you went to California on business. Does Emily know you're back?"
Patrick rolled his eyes subtly. Even though things were good, he hated talking to Emily's family and friends. They were so irritating. Nonetheless, Patrick put on the 'good boyfriend' personality.
"No. I don't want her to know yet. I want to surprise her. She's been working so hard lately, she deserves a break."
Sonny could smell a rat away. Well, 90 of the time. He decided to play along. He didn't want Patrick to know they were on to him.
"Well, we all wanted to go out to eat. Do you guys want to join us?"
"I was planning to take her out. Maybe next week?"
"Sure, well, I'll be in touch. See you later."
"Okay, bye."
'Something's definitely up. I hope Jason figures it out.'
Jason stepped off the elevator and headed towards Emily's apartment with a bad feeling. The door was propped open. Not in such a way that 'I came home and didn't shut the door all the way and I'll go back and shut it,' but in a way that Jason felt wasn't good, as it was open more than halfway. His instinct taking over, Jason pulled out his gun and held it close to him, so if there were something going on, he would be ready and the perp wouldn't be able to knock the gun out of his grasp.
With his gun trained in a defensive position and ready for anything that may occur, Jason slowly entered the room, making sure he left the door as it was so not as to alert anybody in the apartment.
"Emily? Emily?" Jason didn't like what he saw. The room was messed up but he knew that it wasn't somebody that wanted to rob the house. It was slightly displaced, but still had order.
When he didn't get an answer, he decided to do what he always did in the first place: check the apartment cautiously and thoroughly before deciding another course of action. 'That was great Jason, just great. You ruined the element of surprise when you called for Emily. That was smart, real smart.'
Finishing searching the kitchen, he made his way towards the bedroom. Thinking he had seen the living room thoroughly, he heard a voice coming from behind the couch. It sounded like someone moving. He saw a hand go over the couch using the couch for support to stand up. 'This is good. They must be hurt. Works to my advantage.' In an instant Nikolas found himself staring into the barrel of a gun.
"Jason! Don't! It's me! Nikolas!"
He failed to realize that Jason wasn't even looking in his direction anymore. Actually, he was frozen in place.
Jason wasn't able to move. For the first seconds Jason just stared, like he didn't recognize the person that laid before him. Realizing it was his sister, he quickly changed back to action mode, but not quite his usual controlled and composed self.
"Stay… stay here with Emily. I'm going to check the rest of the house."
"That won't be necessary. No one else is here. He probably left a long time ago by now, the bastard."
"What do you mean? How are you so sure? Did you see the guy? Did Emily? Wait… Do you know who it was?"
"Thanks for giving me a chance to answer all twenty questions." Nikolas was about to give Jason the five-second version when Emily began to stir, obviously in a tremendous amount of pain.
Jason immediately dove to Emily's side. He wanted to kill whoever did this to her. No. He was going to. With his bare hands.
"I'm here Emily, right here," Jason said in a gentle tone.
Emily didn't recognize him. She was drifting in and out of consciousness. Jason reached out to move the hair that was stuck to her bloody forehead. Emily freaked and shrunk back.
"Please! No! Stop! No more! I promise I won't do it again!"
Jason's heart broke as he watched his little sister shrink inside herself like a little child. She sounded so weak and desperate that for a moment he didn't recognize Emily.
"Emily, it's me, Jason. Just me."
"Jason?"
"Yeah, I'm right here."
"You shouldn't be here, you have to leave now."
"What?"
Nikolas sat propped against the couch in pain for both he and Emily, not knowing what to do except get her to a hospital.
"Jason, she needs to go to the emergency room. We gotta get her out of here."
"No! No hospitals!" Emily ordered as she tried to stand up. Her attempt was short-lived as she collapsed in Jason's arms.
"But Emily, your-" His sentence was cut short by Emily's soft plea.
"Please. Whatever you do, no hospitals. I'm sorry I got you into this. I never wanted…" Emily slipped out of consciousness and went limp in Jason's arms.
"Emily? Emily!"
"Jason, come on, the hospital!" Nikolas became more and more frantic. "Something's wrong with her!"
Jason didn't have anytime to think. "No! She said no hospital." He couldn't believe he just said that. Time looked grim and his sister needed help.
"What!"
"NO hospital. I'll take her to my place. Sonny has doctors on call."
"Well I'm going with you."
"Nikolas… agh. I don't have time for this. Let's go."
With Emily in tow, and Nikolas leaning on him for support, Jason led the way to the elevator as Nikolas called Benny on Jason's cell to bring a car around the back.
Chapter 16
Jason just starred. That's all he could do. Looking at Emily's limp body, a new rage welled up inside of Jason. It wasn't one of obligation, duty, or plain revenge. It was one of uncontainable hatred, confusion, and clarity. It was the kind of rage that can't be described, but simply felt. It wouldn't be satisfied by just killing someone… no. They needed to pay, to suffer. The way Emily apparently had. The way she still was. This rage was molded specifically and applicable only to him. This rage would soon be directed at whoever did this to his sister. God have mercy.
The only clothes that Emily had over there were shorts and a tank-top. After the doctor cleaned her up, changed her, and gave Jason instructions, she left with such a sadness in her eyes from what she had seen that it unnerved Jason even more. Even after finding her in the condition that he did, he still wasn't prepared for what he would see next.
Emily began to become restless in her sleep. The doctor told Jason she would be that way for awhile, at least until her fever came down. Obviously having a violent dream, Emily kicked off the one cover she had on, revealing the whole left side of her body. Tears welled up in Jason's eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
"My gosh," was all he managed to get out while he grabbed the chair nearest to him for support. Sitting down he brought himself to study her from afar. Bruises, scars, and welts graffitied Emily's arms, legs, throat, and from what Jason could gather, her mid-section. The doctor told Jason she had some broken and bruised ribs, but most of the scars looked older. Jason couldn't believe what Emily apparently went through. For how long? Why didn't she tell me? Who was it? And then it dawned on him.
"Hey Jason. I got your message, what…" Sonny stopped mid-sentence and mid-stride as he took a look at the body on the couch. "Jason… what's going on?" Sonny began walking towards the sofa. "And who is tha-"
Not quite at the couch yet, Sonny knew it was Emily. He didn't know what was going on. Everything was jumbled up inside. All he knew is someone did something to her, and they were going to pay. Dearly.
Never breaking his gaze on Emily, Jason stood up and made his way towards Sonny.
Sonny just listened and studied his best friend. He never could recall seeing him in the state he was now in. Not even when he thought Robin was dead after the explosion. At least then he cried, made his emotions surface and for once present himself as readable. No. Not this time. Jason looked like he bottled up the hate of the world, but with surprising tranquility.
"I need you to watch over her. Make sure she stays calm and doesn't go anywhere. I'll be back. Call me if she wakes up before then." Speaking in such a commanding tone, as if he was the one who always gave orders, Jason grabbed his gun and jacket, heading towards the door."
"Where are you going? Do you…" Sonny was caught off my Jason's impatient interruption.
"Not now Sonny, not now."
Sonny nodded in understanding as Jason quietly shut the door behind him.
Nikolas finished taking his shower and began to dress. He never knew Jason had more than one room in his penthouse. Gazing over the room and what lay in it, Nikolas began to remember why he was here. Emily.
The room was filled with her. Pictures of her and Jason, ones he'd never seen, ones that Jason actually looked like a loving brother. He never doubted Jason's love for Emily, but these pictures captured it. He even found a couple with him smiling, or at least smirking.
Nikolas realized that this is where Emily seemed happiest lately. Not the "front" happy, but the genuine. She adored Jason, more than life. Emily always said that Jason was her safe place.
'I hope your right Emily. All I want is for you to be safe.'
Nikolas felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He had forgotten until then that he had gotten struck from behind. 'Hopefully Jason has some aspirin.'
Sonny was now left to his own thoughts. Jason would have to fill him in later. If he could. It didn't seem as if he would be able to, at least until a couple of hours had passed. Sonny slowly made his way to the sofa adjacent to the couch Emily was on. She looked so peaceful. Well, she did except for the scars and bruises that seemed to cover her entire body. When Emily stirred again Sonny ran over to put her covers back on. Looking down on what he considered to be his surrogate little sister, he paused. She was sweating and he wondered if he should leave the covers on or not. Contemplating this, he looked up when he heard a noise.
"Just keep the blanket on her. The doctor said that she would have a fever and would sweat, but that she would get chills."
"What are you doing here Nikolas?"
"I came over with Jason and Emily. Where is Jason?"
"He'll be back later."
"Do you know if he has any aspirin? My head is killing me."
"Look in the kitchen above the microwave, second shelf."
"Thanks."
Sonny sat down and waited for Nikolas to return. When he did, they sat in silence, both watching Emily. Sonny was the first to speak.
"So, what happened?"
Before he could speak, the door swung open.
"I have a pretty good idea of what happened, but it's actually who," Jason managed to choke out before he collapsed on the floor."
Sonny and Nikolas just froze as a small puddle of blood formed on the wooden floor beside Jason.
A/N: Red, Kaya333, Evil But Friendly Rival: Thank you all sooo much! U r too kind:)
Evilcleo: Patrick is her boyfriend. I think it was in the first or second chapter. Can't remember!I know! I think Jennifer's best performance so far waswhen she was in the interrogation room withSonny. It was a "Carly moment." Isn't it funny how all portrayers of Carly have had the last name with a B (Brown, Braun, Bransford)! I hope she grows on us! Thanks for the review!
