Part 14 - Snow White & Rose Red

Jason's phone rang and when he picked it up he felt a twist in his gut. He looked at Elizabeth and nodded toward the door. "I need to take this."

She waved him off with a grin. "I'm fine, take a break."

As he walked out the room he knew a 'break' was the last thing he was about to get. Accepting the call he tried to keep from 'sighing' into the receiver. "Morgan."

"Well now," Sonny's voice crawled through the phone line, "sounds like you're still alive."

Jason struggled to keep his voice under control. "It would take a lot more to put me down than what I saw."

"She's a woman, Jason, they see a better thing and they go for it." His chuckle had a pointed edge to it. "Are you going to hold this against me when I only took what was being offered?"

Jason didn't answer him. "Is this why you called me, to tell me that you don't care what I think?"

"You said you were leaving town, but I doubt you meant it... you don't have anything without me. So I've decided to give you another chance. I have a job for you." Sonny didn't stop to wait for an answer. "I need you to find someone for me. Elizabeth Webber."

Jason felt a dark shadow fall over his vision. "Why?"

"I don't pay you to worry about things like that. I've been asked to find her and I don't fail at things like this. So find her and we'll be one step closer to being friends again."

The phone call ended and Jason found himself staring at it. Just like that Sonny assumed he wanted back in. Just like that Sonny assumed that he was going to go find someone for him.

Just the fact that he already knew where Elizabeth was enough for Sonny to consider this a betrayal. As Sonny's enforcer, he should have told him right away that he not only knew where she was, but that he had her nearby. It was only blind luck that Sonny hadn't called one of the men he paid at the PCPD looking for information.

There was only one other thing that Jason Morgan knew as a certainty. He wasn't going to let Sonny get his hands on Elizabeth. Jason would keep her safe... just just didn't know how.

*S*W*R*R*

Luke paced outside of his son's hospital room waiting for news from the doctor. Just a few hours earlier he'd asked to check his son out of the hospital and bring him home. A door at the end of the hallway closed and Luke looked up. "Dammit."

Detective Taggert was making his way down the hall.

Instinctively, Luke stepped in front of Lucky's room, putting himself between his son and the Policeman.

"Morning, Luke."

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Taggert heard the bite of Luke's tone and stopped a few feet away. "Well, I have a few more questions for Lucky."

Luke folded his arms over his chest. "I'm afraid that isn't going to happen today. We're about to get cowboy released and he'll need to rest a bit at home before we can have him talk to anyone. The boy's exhausted, Taggert. Leave him alone. He's mourning his girlfriend."

"Mourning may be a bit ahead of things, Luke." Taggert was enjoying the show. Luke's face had lost some of his evasive skill over the years. Instead of covering his shock, his skin blanched a bit, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened into trenches. "But the problem now, is that we need a few more samples from Lucky." Taggert hoped that the truth didn't show on his face. The samples they'd taken from Elizabeth's skin and clothing had been contaminated in evidence lock-up. He was hoping to get some new samples to compare.

The edge of suspicion was back in Luke's face. "So you're trying to tell me what Elizabeth is alive and that you think Lucky hurt her."

Taggert gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'm trying to find out the truth of what happened, Luke. If Lucky didn't hurt Elizabeth, then that shouldn't be a problem. Right?"

Luke took a step to the side, putting his body in front of the doorknob. "You forget that I know what the PCPD is like. I'm going to call my son's attorney and he'll get in touch with you about samples. Lucky isn't in any condition to consent to anything and if you had a warrant you would have waved it under my nose by now. So you can take your 'request' and shove it."

Taggert was smiling ear to ear when he walked off down the hallway. Luke couldn't be sure but he thought he heard the detective whistling as he went.

*S*W*R*R*

Alan looked up as Jason walked into the room. "And there he is." Alan turned back to Elizabeth and finished replacing her bandage. "You were right, Elizabeth. I thought he'd be gone for much longer than he was." He gave her a wink. "I'm beginning to think that you know Jason more than I do." He saw her protest before she made it. "I'm only joking to distract you while I finished the bandaging." He set aside the medical tape and sat back on his rolling stool. "There, all done."

Jason met his father's gaze and nodded toward the door. Alan caught the look and gestured toward the door. "Jason, if you have a moment, I'd like to speak with you outside for a moment."

"Sure." He gave Elizabeth a smile. "I'll be right back."

Nodding, she touched the edges of the bandages. "I'm not going anywhere."

*S*W*R*R*

Once outside, Alan folded his arms across his chest. "This is going to be interesting, isn't it?"

Jason's droll look didn't seem to phase his father. "What do you mean?"

"You have that look on your face that says you're on a mission. Just tell me my hospital is not going to become a shooting gallery."

Shaking his head, Jason went straight to the point. "Is Elizabeth well enough to be discharged?"

Alan narrowed his eyes as Jason. "That depends... why are you asking?"

Jason's expression changed, the softer look in his eyes that his father had come to associate with Jason's new relationship with Elizabeth, fell away and left behind a cold hard look that made his eyes ice cold. "Her safety depends on it."

It took a moment for Alan to think through the vague answer. He looked over Jason's shoulder at Francis, one of Jason's close friends, and knew that Jason wasn't one to make idle comments when it came to safety.

"I'll get the papers started."

Alan began to walk away, stopping only when he heard Jason call to him. "Dad?"

It took Alan a moment to turn around. He had to school his emotions before he looked Jason in the eyes. "Yes?"

Jason nodded. "Thank you."

*S*W*R*R*

Elizabeth found herself half asleep in one of Jason's SUVs. When they arrived at the gates of the Quartermaine mansion she barely registered their location. But when the vehicle stopped and Jason opened the door for her, her nose picked up the distinct scent of roses.

A pretty smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "Why are we here?"

"My grandmother would like to see you."

That confused her. "Lila? I'd love to see her... but right now?"

"Trust me." Jason held out his hand and Elizabeth took it in her own.

"Of course." As they began to walk around to the garden door, Elizabeth looked over at him with a smile. "I trust you with my life, Jason."

Those simple words shook him and made him worry even more. She would do what he wanted her to do. She would do it because he was the one that was asking. He just hoped that her trust was justified.