To him that you tell your secret you resign your liberty. Anonymous, Proverb.

Elizabeth was surprised her box spring wasn't split in two with all the restless tossing and turning her body did during the night. Her body was at continuing war with her mind; wanting to drop in endless slumber, but her mind, scared and frenzied, had other plans.

She could tell from the weak impression of light cascading on the corner of her pillow that it was grossly early and she demanded herself to sleep, stubbornly keeping her eyes shut although her brain's activity was alert and ready for action.

She refused to be bullied. She would sleep until it was good and late. No one would be home. She had exactly two weeks before she had to leave for school and this was her chance at splurging in late summer laziness. She had every right after all.

Her eyeballs remained opened under her closed lids. A black screen surrounded her like sitting in a dark theater. She didn't know why it was his face that plastered itself in her dreams, maybe the hysteria of the situation caused him to seep inside some dusty corner of her mind, but now that she was awake, what excuse could chase away his image?

Thinking about the way he had looked at her last night, Elizabeth swallowed. Her neck strained on both sides, the palpable feeling drawing tight around her lungs. The physical connection between how she felt in that moment and now hadn't dwindled in strength. In fact, the more she played it over in her head, involuntarily, of course, the vibrance of that minute escalated.

His eyes latching on hers, the quality of how they turned and greeted her, stayed and studied. His light scrutiny turned darker, like a small lamp was turning off behind his blue orbs, casting a rich velvety hue over his gaze.

The effect it had, was having on her, was tremendously hard to suppress. The mere acknowledgment of last night's presence inside her unleashed a gripping burn through out her. She partially blamed him because she knew his every action had some hidden alterative motive.

He wanted something from her.

Pity was the second best motivation. Jason let the ice block of his heart melt for a moment to show his limited humane side, if only to appease Elizabeth. Settle her into thinking he was a decent man before she turned her back and he used the nearest possible weapon to exact the last step of his plan.

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes closed harder. How could she let his beauty indulge her senses for one slip of a second? How, when Tommy and the rest of her family were mere feet away from this criminal? They were in the direct path of danger and she had voluntarily permitted it. She didn't understand herself.

" Pumpkin?"

The soft sound was welcome in the small room. It was welcome anywhere that would lead her away from the nonsense that was getting carried away in her.

" Mmm?" her mouth was dry. She licked both of her lips several times before preparing for a more appropriate greeting. " Hey dad. Morning."

The indent of his weight on the mattress made her out of sorts semblance more lopsided. She braced her hand on the head corner of the bed, rubbing her eyes with the fingers of her other hand. " What's up?"

He was chuckling softly, apparently enjoying her sleepy and clumsy state. " Sorry to wake you. I wanted to talk before everyone else got up."

His countenance didn't portray the seriousness it held last night but that didn't stop her from sitting up straight in a hurry, crossing her legs Indian style, leaning forward in absorbed attention, waiting impatiently for the clouds in her mind to part.

" We've run into a bit of a problem, sweetie. One that might involve us moving."

" Moving?" The words didn't sound right against her tongue.

" For good."

Trying to stay up with his brick wall mindset, Elizabeth she was tripping over her words. " I don't understand." She moved to catch his eye but his profile was all he gave.

" Dad, what's going? What happened?"

" Nothing that we cant handle. Business, it's not going well. I've wanted to get out for a while but the only way I can leave and not be a connected to Mr. Corinthos' organization would be to leave the state. We could never come back, but our life would be fine-"

" Whoa, Dad. I…slow down. I don't understand anything you are saying right now. Why on earth would you want to leave the business? Isn't this job what saved us from bankruptcy? I mean when you lost your other job, Corinthos and Morgan are what you said saved you. That's what mom told us anyway." Elizabeth could hear herself becoming a bit emotional. She reigned it in and swallowed, breaking ties with the rush of sentiment.

" I've never heard you once complain about your job. You said Mr. Corinthos always treated everyone fairly, you made good money…"

" It's not that simple Elizabeth." He interrupted in a sharp tone. " There are things you don't know, wouldn't understand."

" Try me."

He leveled her with a disbelieving parental glare. " Be serious, Elizabeth."

" Fine, then you be. Leaving should not be an option. This is our home. We can't just pack up.."

" We will if we have to. We did it once and we can do it again."

" Yeah", the tears were behind her eyes, hidden, but she heard them in her throaty declaration. " And what did you promise? You promised me and Sam that you were never going to do that to us again. You would never uproot us like that."

" I meant it, but sometimes you have to break some promises to survive."

" Survive?" her voice screeched. He shushed her, placing his hand on her lap, but she pushed it aside. The glint in her eyes was shock. " What are saying? If we don't leave something's going to happen? What are you leaving out?"

" This business is dangerous. Even though I'm on the safe side doesn't mean there aren't chances I'm taking.

" You have never talked like this in the years you have worked-"

" You were a child, pumpkin." He washed his weary features with his aged hand. " Your mother and I didn't want to worry you and we still don't, but we don't have a choice anymore."

Refusing to fall apart, almost sick with how many times she teetered on the brink in the past twenty four hours, Elizabeth cleared her throat. " Are you saying we are a target or something?"

" No." Bruce Webber quickly interjected. " Far from it. It's just, sometimes the risk aren't worth it anymore. Before when it was the four of us, Mr. Corinthos' organization was much smaller and there wasn't as much publicity concerning his affairs so everything was pretty much low key. Just the way we accountants like it." He smiled but she didn't return the gesture.

" Now his business has tripled. His face is in the papers every other day. There is not as much assurance that his nefarious activities won't bleed onto the legitimate side of his work. I'm not willing to take that chance anymore. I'm tired, your mother doesn't want to deal with the headache of worry, and Tommy is still very young. We'd like some peace."

Shaking her head, stunned, Elizabeth waited, but his explanation proved to do just the opposite of soothing her worry. " I don't…I don't understand why we would have to leave. I mean I'm supposed to be going Denver in a few weeks. Are you telling me I can't now?"

He stood up, pacing the length of the room a few times before stopping in front of her door, staring at it. She continued to peer blankly at the wall in front of her.

" I don't know yet. Like I said this is a all a big if. I just want you and Sam to be prepared if we have to go last minute."

" And then what?"

" We will find some place to make a home. I know," he approached her hesitantly, kneeling at her side, cupping her knee through the blanket. " I know this is all sudden and you are real confused right now, but you need to trust me."

" Dad," she faced him, sniffling at the possibility of calling another place home but this.

" I trust you, but that has nothing to do with it. I just- I don't understand why'd we have to leave here, everything so suddenly like that. If there's something going on you need to tell me."

" Elizabeth Imogene Webber." He gripped her knee. " I am your father. I make the decisions and this is what is best for us. I don't need you to think about why or how, just do as I say. Trust me when I say that our family is safe. We always will be as long as I am here."

His words rang empty and hollow through her.

" Look at me," he sounded softer now, but the bit of edge that clung to the corners of his voice was all she heard. She obeyed and returned his stare. " I promise you that everything is fine and we will be okay. I just want you to remember that."

She didn't wait to think about her answer. " Okay."

" Good." He patted the waves of her dusty brown hair. " Go back to sleep."

" I'm not tired." She explained dryly. " Besides there's a lot to be done if we are going on the run."

He stopped from turning the knob. " We are not on the run." He pointed his finger in her direction. His defenses seemed so highly sensitive and peeked this morning. Elizabeth had never been witness to this mercurial side of her father. " Don't ever repeat such nonsense to your sister or your brother for that matter. Words like that will only get you in trouble young lady."

His command was a strict order accompanying and even more serious countenance. His grey eyes were like two hard marbles, his mouth a thin black line of nonsensical business.

" I was just kidding." She answered back unapologetically. She threw the covers off her.

" This is no laughing matter and I do not want this repeated to anyone. No friend, outside family members, not even Lulu."

She opened her mouth to argue but his face was set in such severity the words died against the unusual sight of father's angered look. Instead her temper flared. " I thought there was nothing to worry about Father."

His shoulders which were tensed released themselves of whatever was holding them hostage in their rigid stance. He scratched his forehead, not looking back at her, his face rising in something that didn't quite fit embarrassment. He fell back in his steps and was at the door.

" You don't have to worry. I am your father and that means I will take care of this. Just…be ready. Pack for school and pretend like this is your last two weeks here."

Pretend. Why did that action haunt her wherever she turned? And why was it becoming harder and harder to follow through when not a week ago it had been second nature to her.

" Maybe if you keep saying those words over and over," she said lowly, knowing he couldn't hear her, " you'll actually start believing it."

The walls were definitely closing in on him.

The four old walls, covered in what looked like twenty year old wallpaper, smelled stale and dusty. The dust was so thick it choked him whenever he had to breathe. He forced himself to take big long breaths, hold it for as long as he long as he could so he didn't have to intake the musty staleness too much.

Last nights rest hadn't been as bad as the night before. His fever broke somewhere along the night and with that the ache in his muscles subsided. The only thing left hurting was his side. It hurt in all different kinds of ways, burning, stabbing, and a dull throb that never made him forget it was there.

It had bled again during the night but not enough to wake her. Just a small drop would ooze now and then and since he was feeling better than he had since he got shot, Jason was sure the bleeding was harmless.

Besides, even if the wound needed another dressing, he wasn't about to bring her back up here.

It was actually much safer if she never came back up again.

Safer for her that was.

Jason chose all night to ignore his thoughts of her. She was a kid and she playing with fire. It wasn't her fault but she wasn't making it anymore easy by caring so much. The girl was going out of her way to make sure he was okay, paying too much attention for someone who technically was being forced to aid his recovery.

Something had changed in her eyes last night; something that made Jason far more uncomfortable than he would ever admit. She was sweet, too sweet, if she knew what was good for her. But the way she gaped at him, the way her eyes changed color from deep blue to brilliant sapphire, had somehow made her appear different. For the first time since she left last night, the visual of her standing in front of him, seized through him.

It was like she had changed before his eyes from a nice kid to a blooming woman.

Jason didn't know what he said or did to bring on such a metamorphosis. He had aroused her somehow. The situation, the element of danger, all played a significant part, but Jason had been wearing his kid gloves, keeping her at arms length the entire time. There was no spec of his behavior that could have encouraged this sort of response.

She was young, very young, he reminded himself. Crushes in these situations were bound to happen. In fact they were a near certainty as far as she was concerned. From what he could observe, Jason could sum her up pretty accurately. She probably was a home body, liked to take trips to the library, her favorite shows were on the History Channel, and he could almost guarantee she didn't use her weekend hours for boys or parties.

She was an innocent. Her trembling body told him so. She was always trembling around him. He wondered what that meant. Before he thought she was nervous, which was smart, but now, after he noticed her gaze darken, her cheeks pinked just as her breath picked up, the way her vanilla skin quivered in places only his eyes had touched, any man, even one delirious with fever, knew what a reaction like that meant.

A big part of him wanted to escape right now, as quickly as possible, leave before things got more muddled. Situations like this were why he hated staying in one place too long. Things, peoples, always piled complications upon complications, the messier the better.

Jason was a simple man who lived a simple, uncomplicated life and he liked it that way. Nothing and no one was going to change that ever. His life as he knew felt so far out of reach to him, he was itching to return to some normalcy. In fact, he was counting the minutes until he could release himself of this caged recovery.

Whatever instinctive male reaction, no matter how pure or enticing the temptation was, it would stay just where it was. He was man and it was an animal reflex to want to act on her stumbling discovery of arousal. He hadn't been with a woman for a few weeks, his curiosity peeked. It was only natural.

She would get on and get over it as soon as the day came when she opened that door and he would no longer here.

The door opened and closed quietly and fluidly in one motion. She was silent enough to be a ghost with the way she moved. Jason didn't turn to greet her. He was still lying, his eyes opened and gazing up at the window.

She didn't say anything as she bent beside him. She uncovered his wound, first swiping the blanket off then the shirt without asking permission, without making eye contact.

Something was off. He still didn't turn to look.

She removed the bloody bandage, dumping it in the small trash bag she brought with her. His stomach clenched, the muscles tightening under the feel of the stingy cool antiseptic. The topical antibiotic cream calmed his skin and before he knew it the new bandage was being taped over his side.

Jason heard her sniffle. The small sound was followed by smaller ones, covered by her wobbling hand. His eyes closed for a fraction of a second. " You okay?" He asked lightly, like it was something he had asked her a hundred times before.

She was throwing the rest of his bandaged garbage and paper towels in the same small garbage bag. His eyes had fixed on the wall, but he was picturing the way she looked. Her anguish was tangible with her sitting so close to him. Part of her pain rested on his shoulders. She was here because of him.

" What's going on?" He made himself take a quick glance.

His casual tone, against his will, bordered on insistent, but she chose to ignore him nevertheless. He saw as she almost invisibly swiped a tear from her cheek. She was wearing a Colorado State pullover sweater and too big sweat pants. Her hair was in a lose ponytail, curls popping out at all sides.

She looked very young and…Jason's head tilted, very vulnerable.

He pressed the flat open palm of hand onto his bad side and made himself sit up. She was already up and walking toward the door. Her hand was on the knob and the sight caused a protective nerve inside him to rise.

" What's wrong?" He hadn't meant to sound impatience. In fact it was the last thing he wanted to show, but he was annoyed with himself. He hesitated when she waited their frozen with her tiny fingers wrapped around the metal knob.

He licked his lips, unaccustomed to pleading to anyone for a response. He wouldn't ask again. So he waited instead, his eyes never leaving her back.

The minutes seemed to drag on like hours. Was this some sort of punishment for his prickly behavior? If she was playing some game with him she was in for a rude shock. A little girl like her could not handle the major leagues when they were swinging with a minor league batting average.

" I…I'm sorry."

He wasn't sure she had spoken. There had been silence for so long.

Her voice was husky with tears. " I, um, " she swallowed, " I'm not having a good day."

" There's nothing to apologize for."

She didn't know if it was intentional or not but his voice held such a soothing quality

to it, it almost broke her resolve altogether. She finally faced him, wiping the last of tears with it. "Yeah, well, I seem to be having a lot of them lately."

He nodded as if he understood perfectly which she was sure he didn't. " I know me being here isn't helping matters."

She stepped closer, not really paying attention to what she was saying or where she was going. Her face was clouded, drifting to another place. " This has nothing to do with you."

She kneeled at the foot of his bed, her face downcast. Her eyes traveled around the floor, searching the walls, caught in what she was dealing with. " Somehow I highly doubt that," he murmured, his concentration solely on her.

" It's not." She looked his way. Her words mildly convincing. " It's my family. It's just the way they are, the way they…"

She eyed him. " Sorry." She moved to get up. " I'm sure the last thing you want to hear is my voice, complaining."

" No." He sat up straighter as if he was going to stop her. He immediately regretted the unplanned action. His gut gripped as a hot jab of pain went through him. She came closer to his side, immediately, placing her hand over his, which was on his wound.

They looked at one another then at their joined hands .

She withdrew and backed a small unnoticeable step away. The concern in her voice didn't weaken " It hurts a lot, doesn't it?"

His jaw clamped down. The bone stretching out through the skin. " I'm fine."

" Would you tell me if you weren't?" she said, disbelieving.

The color in her eyes had crystallized, mixed in emotion and something he couldn't name.

" No," he smirked, his eyes glowing in response to hers.

Her gaze examined his pale face, his bloodless lips, the shallow peek of his cheeks. " Soups almost ready."

" I'm not hungry."

" But you're going to eat anyway."

His eyes lightened as he watched her mouth turn up in a small smile. " I don't have much of a choice, do I."

" No," she shook her head, wanting to read his face, but knowing she would probably never be able to. "You don't." She licked her bottom lip, her top teeth glided across the red flesh, dragging it through than letting it slip from its' grasp.

" You're good." His tone was distracted, his eyes on her mouth.

She looked around, sure she was missing something. " What?"

" Pretending, shutting people out so you don't have to talk about whatever's bothering you."

Her features retreated, her stare dimming from delight into clear defensive mode. " I wasn't …I'm not pretending. I just…you were in pain and I wanted to make sure.-"

" I wasn't, I'm not judging you." Jason talked over her, only slightly amused that he always managed to push the right buttons even when it was unintentional. " Just an observation."

" Well, you're not very good," she responded, cleary taking a self-protective stance if not for anything but preservations' sake.

" Really," he drawled as she squirmed under his gaze. " First I've heard."

" I'm sure," she gritted her teeth, agitated at his penetrating look. " But people are good liars. You should know that."

" It's my job to know who's lying and who's not."

" Part of your job description?" her brow corked up.

" Something like that." He stated simply.

She dusted her hands on her thighs, standing over him. " You'll never really understand someone, no matter how much you observe them."

Relieved that the subject of his work had been diverted, he played along, albeit, he was a bit intrigued by her words. " I've done pretty well so far. No complaints."

" Huh, maybe because they aren't there to complain. You sure as heck don't know much about people, woman specifically, if you're cocky enough to think you have them all figured out."

Her indignant stance had her nostrils flaring and her face coloring. It was wildly adorable.

However he was not about to argue about the sexes with her, especially considering her naïve background and his not so tainted past. Jason would be the first to admit his experience with woman was limited, outside the bedroom that is. Between four walls centering around bed, he never had trouble reading woman. Their body language told him everything he needed to know.

The problem was always the next morning; when both were up and he had nothing to say and they had too much.

Instead of letting her string him along her diverting path he went the opposite path.

" Does that mean you don't want to talk about it?"

She huffed, leaning her hand on her hip. " Talk about what?"

"What had you upset." Jason answered plainly, mystified a bit by the flaring air of supremacy she exhibited. " You were crying."

Her temper must have been spiking inwardly because her cheeks were rosier than usual. The rest of her face paled, cleared offended at his astute assessment of her. " People cry all the time."

" I guess, but why were you?"

" None of your business," she shot back.

He quietly surrendered. " Okay."

She didn't arrange to camouflage her anger even though his questions held no guile. Maybe that was what irritated her the most, the pure inquisitiveness behind his tone. It felt highly invasive.

He sounded disappointed but unaffected. She inched near the door than turned completely. She stopped short before she was even close enough to reach out and graze the wood.

" It doesn't matter anyway." She sounded like she was talking to herself. Her head was down, her chin tucked between her shoulders.

This time he didn't pause. He asked, without inhibition, his voice compelling in its' rough imperative nature. " Tell me."