Visitors come and go, leaving vases of flowers all around the room. Audrey, at one point, tried to get him to leave, but Jason didn't budge and she gave up. He wasn't about to leave Elizabeth for anything or anyone. His stomach begged for him to eat something, but he didn't care.

The thought of food just brought him back to that moment. The laser trailing up her body. Resting on her temple. No. Food just wasn't in the cards for him at this point, he doubts he'll ever be able to forget that moment for as long as he lives.

Despite all his efforts, he just can't rid his mind of her laying there motionless - her blood all over his hands. Gripping tight to the blanket, Jason begs himself to think of something better. To think of the dance and the kiss they shared before she was shot at.

"Jason?" her frightened voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "Jason!"

"Hey, I'm right here." he says soothingly, moving to sit beside her in bed. Wrapping his arms around her when she throws her arms around him, clinging to him tightly. "Its okay...you're safe."

The words felt empty on his lips. Who was he to say that she's safe? She has come close to being killed twice already and he doubts that the perpetrator will just give up now. Holding her close, Jason allows her to cling to him, trying his best to calm her fears.

"I'm sorry." Jason whispers in her ear, needing to say it.

"Why are you sorry?" she counters, pulling away to look at him. "Did you shoot me?"

"No." he says swiftly. "But still, if not for me..."

"If not for you, I'd be dead." she says firmly. "Its not your fault this happened. You can't save me all the time."

"I can try." he sighs, reaching up a hand to touch her forehead softly, but dropping his hand before he makes contact. "This never should have happened to you."

"Its not your fault." she says more fiercely. "You can't control the world, Jason. Bad things happen. Its sad, but true."

"How can you be okay with this?" Jason looks at her intently. "Aren't you afraid that you almost died?"

"I'm not okay with it, believe me." she says seriously. "And there are worse things than death."

"Like what?" Jason is unable to think of anything worse than her dying.

"Being raped." she says, her voice lined with the memory of that horrific night. "A couple years ago, on Valentine's Day, I was raped in the park. Nothing is worse than that, Jason. Nothing."

"I didn't know..." Jason couldn't believe the kind of strength it must have taken to get her to where she's okay talking about it. "Emily told me that the guy that black mailed her also raped someone..."

"Yeah." she answers his unasked question. "Thanks to her, he's behind bars for a really long time."

"Um...I had Francis bring the radio." Jason gestures to the device on the side table. "I figured you'd want to hear some music to mask the sound of the monitors."

"You figured right." she smiles slightly, grateful for the subject change. "Can you turn it on?"

"I can't make it loud though." Jason leans over to turn it on, keeping it low but still able to mask the beeping of the monitors.

"I love this song." Elizabeth comments, looking at Jason expectantly. "Can we?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Please?"

"I don't think its such a g..."

"Please, Jason."

Giving up his attempt to keep her relaxed in bed, Jason stands up before pulling her up and into his arms. He supports her weight, practically carrying her as they swayed to the music. Laying her head against his chest, Elizabeth allows herself to think back to before the bullet shattered the glass. Back to their dance, to their kiss, remembering why she wouldn't let him push her away.

Even if he didn't say the words, she could already tell by the way he was talking. He's blaming himself for this and she knows that he will try to protect her - walking away if that's what will do it. She's learnt a lot about him over the short time that she has worked for him and she knows that she can't let him walk away. She can't bear the thought of him not being in her life.

And in that thought, she realizes what she had long been trying to deny. She feels guilty, not because of what she feels, but because Lucky had been right. Whether she meant to or not, it didn't really matter. She has fallen for Jason and there was just no turning back now.

She falters slightly, but that's all it takes for Jason to go into protective mode. He lifts her up into his arms, setting her down on the bed before she even has the chance to protest.

"You need to rest." he says softly, caressing her cheek.

"Don't you watch any romance movies?"

"What?" he looks at her confused. "First of all, I don't watch any movies and second of all...why do you ask?"

"When you lay me down on the bed, just as you're about to move away, you're supposed to kiss me." she whispers, his face mere inches from hers. "Its only right."

"Oh, really?" he smiles teasingly. "But this isn't a movie."

"Does that mean you're not going to kiss me?"

"I didn't say that."

As he moves in to kiss her, Elizabeth reaches up her hands to frame his face gently. This kiss is different for her, now that she knows how she truly feels about him, and its liberating to feel that way about him. It was perfect in its own right. Knowing that she loved him. Even if it took getting shot to realize it.

"Sweet dreams." he whispers against her lips, moving to place a soft kiss upon her forehead.

"Thank you." she replies softly, her eyes closing of their own accord, still weak from the trauma she sustained. "Don't leave me, okay?"

"Never." Jason promises, holding her hand in his as he reclaims his seat. "I'll never leave you."

A/N: Thanks for the reviews.

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- ROCkER -