Chapter 14 - one week later

Despite Jason and Elizabeth sorting their relationship out, Jason's week had gotten progressively worse after the phone call. They had found Justus's body and Jason had the task of telling Edward, that his grandson had been murdered taking a meeting that Jason should have attended. It didn't matter that Jason didn't know Justus had set the meeting up and taken it himself in an effort to ease the burden on Jason. Justus was well aware and fully supportive of Jason's stance against Sonny and Emily, and in his own way had tried to help Jason. Justus was one more casualty of Jason's lifestyle and Sonny's relationship with Emily. Edward had not taken it well and despite there being no love lost between Jason and his grandfather, Jason had embraced Edward's rage and grief as his own. Along with Jason dealing with his cousin's murder, came the constant calls from Sam about stalkers or intruders. He'd put men on the house only to be told by Sam that he must still love and want her if he'd go to those lengths to protect her. Like the boy who cried wolf Jason had begun to turn a deaf ear to her fears of danger lurking in the trees and bushes outside of Alexis house. That was until they found out yesterday that Kristina had spoken to Manny Ruiz on the balcony of the house. SO extra guards were ordered and Jason started taking extra precautions with Elizabeth. As the week progressed and more things happened, Jason felt himself turning more and more inwards. But every time he felt himself imploding he'd think of Elizabeth and how she had come to him at the Penthouse and made everything right for them. She loved him and was certain that any decision or action he made was the right one. He felt her love was the one thing keeping him sane. Jason decided he'd been brooding over the week too long. He was grieving for Justus, worried about Emily and Sam, and missing Elizabeth. Elizabeth would be finishing her shift in a couple of hours he could grab some food and still be in time to meet her as she finished her shift. Maybe he could take her for a coffee and hot chocolate at Kelly's. He smiled. The idea of her always made him smile. The phone ringing demanded his attention.

"Yeah Stan what is it?"

"Sorry Jason but Sam is missing. We're pretty sure Manny has got her".

Jason hung up. This week had officially gone to hell.

General Hospital - 48 hourd later

Jason took the stairs two at a time, sucking in gulps of air. His chest burned from the exertion and the bullet Manny had left in his shoulder. His t-shirt was heavy and wet with his own blood, but he switched off from the pain and concentrated on the job at hand. Kill Manny Ruiz at all costs. Jason knew Lucky was behind him, but he also knew Lucky was high as a kite and of absolutely no use to him. The thought spurred him to take the stairs faster. Jason caught glimpses of Manny as he too raced up the service stairs ahead of him. Manny was almost at the door to the roof, and Jason felt the adrenalin kick in as he took the last remaining stairs 3 at a time. He saw Manny crash through the door and his last thoughts were Sam was alright, Elizabeth was alright and that was all that mattered. But to ensure their safety and everyone else's, Jason had to take Manny out tonight and before Luckless made it to the roof.

Manny knew, even though he was injured, that Jason was gaining on him. There was no time to attempt to lock or block the door to the roof, Manny had to keep going. Seconds later he heard the door crash open again and saw Jason hurl himself through the doorway. But Manny felt he had the upper hand as Jason was already in his gun sight, minus a weapon and already wounded. He could play with him.

"I'm getting out of here. You can either look the other way and let me get a head start or I'll shoot you where you stand." he warned.

"I'm not letting you go Manny." Jason replied with conviction.

"I've already shot you Jason, you are bleeding, probably in shock. You need to turn around and go back down the stairs and get the doctors or that pretty little Elizabeth to nurse you…" Manny taunted.

Jason had been advancing on Manny, whose gun was aimed looking for his shot, and as Jason heard Manny say her name "Elizabeth" he focused and in the split second it took to squeeze the trigger, Manny was distracted by Luckless bursting through the door gun firing, in their direction. Jason lunged towards Manny, his hands raised to grab him by the throat and strangle the life out of him. The force from Jason's body weight had Manny staggering backwards to the edge of the building. Jason shoved at Manny once again with all the strength left in his body, bumping Manny over the roof top edge. Jason stepped forward as he heard the thud of Manny's body hit the pavement, and looked over the edge to see the scene below. He staggered backwards, unsure of what Luckless would do.

With wild unfocused eyes Lucky claimed "I shot him, he went over the edge. Your safe Jason"

Jason looked puzzled. What was he blabbering about? He had to get down stairs and see that Manny hadn't miraculously gotten up again. He walked past the police as they filed on to the roof top asking Lucky questions and made his way down the stairs and out of the building to see where Manny's broken body lay. He heard Elizabeth's sweet voice calling for him and took a few uneasy steps towards the sound. He needed her, his shoulder hurt like hell as he stumbled backwards towards her.

"Oh My God your hurt." Elizabeth exclaimed.

"I'm alright." he winced. "You're safe, Sam's safe, Manny's dead and he can't hurt anybody anymore." he told her as he collapsed in her arms and fell to the ground. Just as he lost consciousness the thought occurred to him, if he died right now he was where he should always have been, in Elizabeth's arms. Liz looked around for someone to help her coming up emtpy.

"I need help this man is badly injured…PLEASE I NEED HELP NOW " she shouted in fear.

Elizabeth clung to him as she felt his life ebb and she desperately begged him to live.