Previously – Elizabeth and Jason inform Spinelli that they are NOT fighting; Nikolas gets himself tackled when he makes a casual observation; Spinelli is upset to see how easily Elizabeth manipulates Jason; Elizabeth and Jason kiss and make up. Awww.

Note – Thank you, as always, to everyone who leaves me feedback. Also, news flash: I am really starting to worry about myself, especially when every time I write the word "who," my fingers automatically add "-re" to it without my even thinking about it, thus forcing me to go back and delete every time I want to write a simple, stupid word like "who." Crap! I did it again. :|

Also, AJ is played by Sean Kannan and not Billy Warlock, and Emily is played by Amber Tamblyn and not Natalia Livingston.

Hack | 38

"How bad is it, do you think?"

Sonny's grim eyes met Jason's stoic ones. They were both in full-on business mode, a far cry from ten minutes ago when they were having a good time teasing Spinelli about his cream-and-pink plaid shorts.

"It's going to get a hell of a lot worse real fast, I can tell you that much," the mobster answered. "Alcazar's not happy that you eliminated Tagliati's enforcer and that we took over half of Don Salvatore's territories as punishment."

Jason nodded and took a seat on the couch. "Are we looking at any sort of time frame?"

"Right now, I'm just hearing rumblings," Sonny admitted. "Tagliati called me this morning and said he's doing his best to weed out all turncoats in his organization because he's been hearing that Alcazar is out for revenge and is planning something drastic."

"Nothing specific yet?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. We should get the kids on it, ask them to keep their eyes and ears open for any information they might be able to find. Stan and the others, too. A lot of the times, it's the guards that find these things out first."

Jason nodded. "Yeah. Talk to Ritchie and Johnny first, then Milo and Max. Tell them to spend more time at the warehouse."

Sonny knew where he was heading without Jason's even having to continue that thought. "Right. That way, they'll be able to keep their ears open for information and also find anyone that might be willing to turn on us. I'll call Stan up right now and let him know."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Right now?" Sonny glanced over his shoulder as he reached for the phone. "Nothing. I just wanted to let you know that the situation might escalate, and then I'll need you to take action immediately."

Jason's eyes flashed. "And get rid of Alcazar."

His partner nodded. "We won't have much time to plan it if it goes down that way. Not like the hit on Paolo. You'll probably have to go out that night to take care of it."

The enforcer didn't look too worried. "I can handle it."

"I know you can," Sonny replied. "But remember, it'll have to be a very clean operation because Alcazar's got contacts with the government. And besides that, he's already paranoid. He's got hidden cameras all over his estate that record to external hard drives ready to be shipped to the right people at a moment's notice if anything happens to him."

Jason was about to issue the same bland statement – not to worry, he could handle it – when there was a knock on the door of Sonny's penthouse and Elizabeth poked her head in. She smiled when she saw the two men, not realizing they were in a business meeting, and directed a mock scolding look at her almost-boyfriend.

"You promised me a ride," she informed him, wagging a finger playfully. "I'm here to collect, Morgan."

Jason glanced at Sonny, who nodded.

"Sure, sure, I don't want to keep you," the mobster said, his hand still discreetly on the phone and ready to make that crucial call to Stan. "You guys go, have fun."

Jason got up off the couch and grabbed his keys from the desk, then let Elizabeth pull him out the door.

"Just be careful," Sonny added quietly as he stepped out into the hall. Jason nodded firmly and gently pulled the door shut behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was late by the time Jason and Elizabeth got back from their ride, as well as an impromptu trip to Kelly's where they'd caused quite a stir by actually daring to eat out together in public and look as if they were enjoying each other's company. No doubt their entrees would be listed in detail on Page Six the next day.

Spinelli, who had eaten with Sonny, was still lounging around in the mobster's penthouse by the time the couple returned

"You're late," he announced when Jason held the door for Elizabeth and let her in. "Columbo started ten minutes ago."

Elizabeth clapped her hands and flopped down on the couch next to him. "You know what? They're going to start showing reruns of the A-Team on this channel next week, right after Columbo."

Spinelli gasped. "I'm so there. In fact, I pity the fool that's not there."

Jason rolled his eyes and dropped down into an armchair. Great, so he had this to look forward to every weeknight. "Sonny? Couldn't you assign them both a little more work? They have too much free time."

Spinelli and Elizabeth tossed empty Pop-Tart wrappers at his head, but the gesture came off a little less defiant than they had hoped when the foil scraps floated to the floor before even making it halfway over to Jason's chair. Sonny glared at them for throwing trash around his penthouse and walked over with two cups of coffee, one for himself and one for Jason.

"Actually, I was just thinking about those challenges today," he announced, motioning for Spinelli to lower the volume. "And I've made a decision."

Three pairs of eyes turned and looked up at him.

"I'm going to be honest," Sonny declared. "I hate deciding who wins those things. It's always a tough decision, and then I always have to deal with the loser whining about not being picked."

"We don't whine," Elizabeth and Spinelli cried in unison.

Jason glared at both the little liars. "You've turned whining into an art form."

Sonny held up his hands and waited for them to settle down. "So I talked to Benny, Bernie and Stan, and they said that I must be crazy if I thought they were going to create the challenges and judge them. So that leads me to my announcement."

Jason arched a brow. "And that is?"

"I'm not going to decide the winner anymore," Sonny declared. "From now on, Jason is."

The enforcer's eyes bugged. "No, I'm not!"

His best friend gave him a smug smile. "Oh, yeah, you are. It's about time you started pulling your weight around here."

That earned him a dark scowl. "You can't make me get in the middle of this."

Sonny shrugged. "Fine, then we'll just call the challenges off and go back to the way things were before we started them."

Jason's eyes narrowed. "But that means that Elizabeth would hold the position."

His expression turned smug, the bastard. "Sounds like it."

Jason's lips thinned and he glanced at the kids. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Wait!" Spinelli burst out, his eyes full of mistrust and darting back and forth between his mentor and his hopeful employer. "What? So Stone Cold's going to be picking the winners from now on?"

Sonny grinned. "Yeah, sure looks that way."

"But that's not fair!" the boy cried, surprising Jason. "That's so not fair!"

He had apparently surprised Sonny, too. "Why not? I thought you'd be happy that Jason got to make the call. Why aren't you?"

"Because he'll pick the Dragon for sure," Spinelli growled, shooting the girl in question a menacing look. "I know he will!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "You don't know that. I'll be fair."

The boy actually snorted. "Oh, please!" He shook his head and appealed to Mister Corinthos Sir. "He might say he'll be fair, but he can't be fair when the Dragon is involved, he just can't. And in any case, it wouldn't be a level playing field. See, the Dragon is sleeping with Stone Cold, and that makes him happy. If I slept with him, that would just make him mad."

Sonny burst out laughing while Jason contemplated the best way to kill a teenage boy with minimal fuss. "It's a compelling argument, Spinelli," he got out, wiping the corner of his eye, "but the decision stands. Jason decides who gets to be the official hacker for this organization."

Spinelli slumped against the pillows as Elizabeth shot him a superior look. "Great. Just great."

~*~*~*~*~*~

A few nights later at the Port Charles Grille…

Jasper Jacks, international corporate financier and owner of the local Metrocourt Hotel, threw a Black and White Ball every single year to benefit AIDS research. One of his oldest friends lived with the disease and Jax, as his friends and the whole town at large knew him, had announced that the Nurse's Ball did well, but they could always pull in more money. These Black and White Balls were always held at the Metrocourt, but the hotel was still under partial repairs from the fire that had taken seventeen lives a few weeks earlier.

And that was why Sonny, Jason, Elizabeth, and Spinelli found themselves standing in formal attire in the last public venue in town they would have ever ventured of their own free will: the Port Charles Grille, part of the Port Charles Hotel, owned and operated since its establishment by the Quartermaines.

Spinelli, who had insisted on wearing his maroon beanie with the handsome black tuxedo that Elizabeth had gotten for him (and she hadn't wanted to hear a whole big thing about it), scoped out the massive ballroom where the rest of the guests were already milling about.

"Better watch out, Stone Cold," he murmured to his mentor, who was fiddling with his cuffs until Elizabeth smacked his hands. "The vipers have gathered."

It was true. The Quartermaines were out in full force and stood gathered together in the middle of the ballroom, their home turf. Edward was there, dressed in a custom-made tux with Lila in her wheelchair, dressed in an elegant and understated white gown with a matching hat. Alan and Monica were dressed in black and were flanked by AJ and Ned, both looking perfectly at ease in their fancy tuxedos. Tracy sulked at the fringes, dressed in full black, and Dillon and Emily were idly chatting behind their grandparents.

And the whole group was staring – some decidedly more wickedly than others – at Jason and Elizabeth, who were standing in the entrance with their fingers loosely linked.

Sonny let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl when his gaze connected with that of Jeffrey Webber. "I don't have a good feeling about tonight."

"We had to come," Elizabeth pointed out. "We had already promised Jax we would."

"Damn Candy Boy," her guardian cursed. "He couldn't have found any other place? Hell, I would have been happy to go to Eli's, or Kelly's, or hell, even the gazebo in the park. Anywhere but here."

"Everyone's staring at Stone Cold," Spinelli whispered. "It's kind of creepy."

"Well, the only thing to do is just deal with it," Sonny murmured. "We have to make it through the night and as soon as we can, we're cutting our checks and getting the hell out."

"Amen to that," Elizabeth sighed, letting go of Jason's hand as the four prepared to separate. "See you guys for dinner."

And then, because it really was the safest option if they wanted to avoid all the gossip, Sonny, Spinelli, Elizabeth and Jason descended the steps and took off in separate directions, spreading out across the ballroom filled with people they rather would not have socialized with.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Elizabeth had decided, screw Jason, she was in love with his little sister.

Clearly the only one in the Quartermaine family that possessed any measure of genuine charm and compassion, Emily Bowen was also very perceptive, very considerate, and just a touch wicked. It was the perfect combination for any successful young woman, really.

Even though she hated being rescued by anyone, much less admitting to it, Elizabeth was more than happy to shout from the rooftops that Emily had rescued her and that she was exceedingly grateful for it. She had always known of the girl – really, it was impossible not to know of every last member of the town's most affluent and influential family – but she had never really talked to her. They exchanged pleasantries at Nurse's Balls, occasionally chatted at Kelly's while waiting for an order, and offered each other formal smiles at all the cotillions.

They had never really had much of a reason to chat (Emily was several years younger than Elizabeth and they ran in different circles, after all) until it became common knowledge that Elizabeth Webber and Jason Morgan were madly in love and planning a spring wedding, of course, as the writers of Page Six would have everyone believe.

And while such news only made the Quartermaines more eager to insinuate themselves into Jason's life and seek to manipulate him and his beloved to their advantage, it made Emily want to congratulate the two on their newfound relationship. She had been talking with her brother and learning that the rumors were grossly exaggerated when she spotted the object of his affections – and yes, Emily was still very much convinced that Elizabeth was the object of her dense brother's affections, despite what he wanted her to believe – waiting for her green apple martini at the bar.

The only problem with the situation was that the Webbers had spotted her and were advancing. Sarah was the first to reach her, and Emily had already withdrawn from Jason and was heading over to her cousin Dillon and her cousin-in-law Georgie Jones-Hornsby when she spotted the tall blonde whisper something in her unsuspecting un-sister's ear.

Elizabeth stiffened visibly and whirled around, her expression far from warm, and hissed something in reply. Emily had paused, all thoughts of Dillon and Georgie forgotten, as she watched the exchanged. Sarah was smirking in that holier-than-thou manner that she had perfected during her tenure as the perfect Webber daughter, and her lips curled as she spoke to her sister.

The snow white dress Elizabeth had selected for the ball brought out the warm glow to her skin, but it also brought out the heat of her flush as she glared daggers at the woman that unfortunately shared her blood. And that was when Emily decided that someone had to put an end to this family circus.

The solid black she wore actually served to make her look a touch forbidding despite her sweet oval face and soft amber eyes, and Emily used this to her advantage as she stalked across the ballroom, accidentally jostling her grandfather who immediately turned to see what was going on, and insinuated herself between the Webber girls.

A sweetly false smile and a hand on Elizabeth's elbow – along with a particularly sarcastic remark that left Sarah sputtering – was all it took to extract the younger woman from her big sister, and then she was all Emily's to torment of her own will.

"You looked like you could use a hand there."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "There's nothing like standing toe-to-toe with your older sister to make you feel like a little kid all over again."

Emily laughed at that. "I can imagine. I wouldn't know personally, though, because I only have brothers and they both do whatever I tell them."

She eyed the redhead next to her and allowed her a sly smile. "So I've heard."

The youngest Quartermaine grinned wickedly. "I bet you have."

"Thanks for that, by the way," Elizabeth replied, clearing her throat delicately. "I was this close to ripping her bottle-blonde hair out."

Emily's eyes widened. "I thought that was her natural hair color."

"Not nearly as blonde," she answered. "Think darker. Dirtier blonde. She hates it."

"Huh," Emily clucked. "Good to know."

And then, seeing her grandfather advancing on them with twinkling eyes, she grabbed Elizabeth's elbow so fast that the brunette almost spilled her martini. "Come on, let's go get some air."

With that, Emily yanked her brother's girlfriend – and alleged fiancé, although he had denied it until he was blue in the face – out onto the balcony that overlooked the back gardens and recreational area the hotel offered its patrons.

"So…question."

Elizabeth sipped her drink and gave her a wry look. "You Quartermaines don't waste any time, do you?"

"The first phrase any Quartermaine baby ever learned was, time is money," Emily snipped, tilting her nose in the air as a gesture of practiced snobbery. "Anyway, don't try to distract me." Her amber eyes glittered wickedly as she leaned forward. "What's going on between you and my brother?"

Elizabeth bought herself some time by taking a slow sip of her martini. "Me and Jason?"

"Well, unless you're sleeping with AJ behind my sister-in-law's back, that would be the one," Emily drawled, rolling her eyes when Elizabeth's widened. "Oh, come on, I'm not that innocent. Everyone always has this image of me being this sweet, demure little debutante, and they're always surprised when they figure out I'm not."

Elizabeth shrugged, not too keen on admitting that she'd misjudged the youngest Quartermaine just like she herself had been misjudged over the years. "Jason and I are…friends."

Emily gave her a who-do-you-think-you're-talking-to look. "That's not what he said."

She gave her a bland look. "I don't think your brother's the sort to say anything to you about us."

To her surprise, Emily smacked her fists on the balcony ledge. Apparently, she'd been right. "Okay, fine, he wouldn't tell me much of anything," she huffed, "but I have eyes, you know. And despite what my brothers will tell you, a brain, too. So are you guys seeing each other or what?"

It seemed like a pretty safe statement, so Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah, we are."

Emily's eyes glittered. "Is it serious?"

She felt herself laughing even as she rolled her eyes. "Nosy one, aren't you?"

That earned her a cheeky, toothy grin. "I like to think of myself as inquisitive. Charmingly so."

"I bet."

Emily decided to let that go, but only because she was so curious about the situation already at hand. "So? Is it serious? You've gotta fill me in – Jason wouldn't tell me anything! And I promise, I won't tell Grandfather. In fact, I'll lord it over his head and prance around and act really superior, if it'll make you guys feel any better. So what do you say?"

The brunette laughed dryly and pushed herself away from the balcony. "I say that I'll just refer you to Page Six on this one. Just make sure you take it with a grain of salt. Better yet, get a salt lick."

Emily's jaw dropped. "I don't believe it. You're not going to tell me."

Elizabeth gave her a bland smile and withdrew even further. "Afraid not, kid."

The young woman's amber eyes narrowed lethally, turning her into a softer and more mischievous version of her glacial brother. "You sure you don't want to reconsider? Because I'll find out every last detail, I swear I will. I won't rest until I know!"

She laughed and headed back into the main room. "Spoken like a true Quartermaine."

The girl screeched in the background, only making Elizabeth laugh more. "You take that back, Webber!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Your sister's absolutely horrible," Elizabeth declared, even though her twinkling eyes gave her away. "I like her."

Jason groaned good-naturedly. "God help me."

She laughed and gave him a little shove, letting him use it as an excuse to slip his arm around her waist. "You should invite her over to Harborview more."

Again, her boyfriend grimaced. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked, mildly put off. After all, she didn't have any female friends at all except Alexis, who hardly counted because she was actually paid (triple) to come out to Harborview Towers. And if she wanted Emily Bowen to be a familiar face, what was wrong with it?

Jason was wrinkling his nose as he swirled his single malt around in his glass. "…She's got a crush on Ritchie."

The sound of Elizabeth's laughter, rich and throaty and very amused, made more than a few heads turn to see if it was true: if the glacial Jason Morgan had actually said something funny.

"Well, at least I know she has good taste," the brunette smirked, having too much fun at his expense to mind the dark glare he sent her way.

"Thanks," Jason grumbled, trying not to smile when she fondly rested her head on his shoulder. His hand was still splayed out against the small of her back, and his fingers traced small figure eights there, and he could feel the delicate heat of her swirling up through the white silk of her dress.

"You know, I bet I can set them up," Elizabeth mused, tapping her finger thoughtfully on her chin. "They'd be kind of cute together."

Jason blanched and stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Ritchie's almost ten years older than her!"

The brunette gave him a little smirk. "So what? We're about the same when it comes to age difference: twenty-one to twenty-nine."

"Six to nine-and-a-half," he grumbled, looking quite adorably put out, which surprised Elizabeth because she would never have imagined it possible for someone to look adorable while looking put out. The night was full of discoveries, it seemed.

She laughed lightly and leaned against him just a little, letting her hair brush against the underside of his chin. Jason let out a beleaguered sigh and gripped her waist a little tighter, but unfortunately for them that was when they were interrupted by a tired but nevertheless twinkly Jasper Jacks.

"Elizabeth," he smiled warmly as Sonny came up behind him. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise," she replied. She wasn't personal friends with Jax, but he did business with Sonny occasionally, and the two of them ran in the same circles. Plus, he was Alexis's ex-husband and would occasionally drop over while Elizabeth was at her lawyer's apartment. "You've thrown a lovely party, Jax, despite the, er, less than fortunate accommodations."

He gave her a conspiratorial smile. "You'll notice, though, that I stocked up on the liquor."

Elizabeth's eyes brightened. "I thought you had. Well played."

The Australian just smiled back and his eyes flickered over to Jason. "You wouldn't mind if I stole him from you for a minute, would you? You know what they say about all play and no work."

She rolled her eyes and relinquished her loose hold on Jason. "No, I don't mind at all. If anything, it'll give me a chance to find Emily and extend a personal invitation," she added, winking at Jason who glared back.

Still smiling, Elizabeth withdrew from the little group and made her way over to the bar to get a fresh drink. Sonny, Jason and Jax always used these parties to catch up on any outstanding business they might have had, and she had no doubt that Jax was either trying to buy up one of the Corinthos-Morgan waterfront properties, or trying to sell them one of his.

"Apple martini, easy on the apple," she winked at the cute bartender, tapping her nails on the counter as she watched him abandon Alan Quartermaine's order and get right to making hers. Ah, the benefits of good looks and a pretty smile. Living and working in a sausage festival, she was well used to them.

"Long way from home, aren't you?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, not even bothering to turn around. She knew who it was without having to. A shrill voice, perpetually perturbed (not that the speaker knew the meaning of either of those words), and far too shrewish and judgmental for her age. That could only be the one, the only, the insufferable Lulu Spencer.

"Definitely not in Kansas anymore," she agreed, accepting her drink and turning around so that she was facing the crowd of guests and offering her rude fellow partygoer only her profile. "And it turns out that Frank Baum was right: it didn't take the Wicked Witch of the East long to find me at all! I'd watch out for falling houses if I were you. I hear they're a bitch."

Lulu's lips twisted in disgust. "So dramatic tonight."

"Oh, I don't hold a candle to you, little girl."

The blonde bristled, making Elizabeth smile. Lulu hated to be reminded how young she was and how little she knew. And of course, Elizabeth was always around to take care of both necessities.

"I see you've been getting to know Jason Morgan a bit," Lulu smiled, feigning light conversation.

Elizabeth, who knew exactly where this was going as if she'd been handed the road map, stared straight ahead. If she hadn't, she would have noticed Spinelli coming up to the corner of the bar and asking the barkeep for another splash of orange soda in a champagne flute.

Lulu leaned closer, a vicious little smile playing upon her lips, and Elizabeth realized in the most detached, bemused way that she looked more like her mother now than she ever had before.

"It makes sense," she purred, tipping her head toward where Jason stood, now speaking with Alexis. "I mean, look at him. Tall. Blonde. Cut. A girl would have to be blind not to jump that. And if that girl were you – well." She shrugged lightly. "I figure it must be pure instinct by now."

Elizabeth's lips thinned. "You have a point, little girl? You need me to find you some crayons? Wanna chase after something shiny?"

Lulu's eyes narrowed. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Elizabeth remained silent.

"Not that anyone's surprised," Lulu sniffed. "In fact, it's what everyone's been saying. And don't worry, no one blames you, like I said. After spending all these years with Sonny, it makes sense to latch onto fresh meat. Like a Lancelot-Guinevere-Arthur situation."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, not realizing just how perilously close Elizabeth was to breaking her nose. "I just can't imagine that Sonny likes the competition. But who knows? Maybe he's the kind of guy that likes to share. You know, keep it all in the family."

That was it. She didn't care if Taggert had to pull out his handcuffs right there and haul her out on her ass, Elizabeth was going to put the little shrew in a world of hurt.

And just as she was about to calmly set her glass down on the counter (no sense in spilling a perfectly good martini, after all) and cheerfully slam Lulu's oversized head into the bar counter repeatedly, Spinelli cleverly inserted himself between the two of them like a firewall between the processor and a virus. (Nerd would have appreciated the analogy.)

"Excuse me, may I have this dance?"

Lulu arched a brow but hid her incredulity well. "Thanks, Spinelli, but it wouldn't be fair of me to dance with you with Milo and Logan around."

"I wasn't talking to you," the young man informed her archly, giving her such a look that Lulu actually drew back. Green eyes still shooting off sparks, Spinelli let out a calming breath and turned to Elizabeth, inwardly marveling at her stiff upper lip.

"I was asking Elizabeth," he announced, forgoing his nickname and holding out his arm in the most gentlemanly manner he could. He was relieved when she took it, although he knew that she would rather have smashed Mister Perkins to bits and danced on his circuits than spend a minute more in the Bad Blonde One's company.

"Excuse us," he half-growled, barely sparing Lulu a glance before he dragged Elizabeth away from her and then on to the dance floor because, really, it would have looked pretty stupid if he took her anywhere else.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly before he drew her loosely into his arms and picked up in the middle of the ongoing dance. Much to his amazement, she didn't put up a fight. Sure, she remained stiff and seething, but she actually danced with him. Granted, she wasn't the best dancer, but he moved quickly enough so that he always managed to pull his foot away before she stepped on it. Silly Dragon.

Elizabeth was eerily silent, and Spinelli braved just a quick look at her. Two bright splotches of red burned in her cheeks and the tip of her nose, almost matching the dark red lipstick she had slicked on with the express purpose of looking spooky. (Okay, so that probably wasn't her purpose, but that's how she looked to him, in that pale white dress and those smoky eyes and that crimson lipstick. Clown paint.)

He spotted Carolyn Webber looking at him curiously, just a little suspiciously, and then quickly turned them so that Elizabeth was no longer in her mother's direct line of vision.

"I can't believe you let her talk to you like that."

He felt her spine stiffen under his hand. "I…have a lot of practice in letting her say whatever she wants to and just leaving. But I would have schooled her tonight if you hadn't shown up."

Spinelli gave Lulu a dirty look over her shoulder. "You've never beaten her up before? Because I've been on the receiving end of your beatings, and I bet she'd remember not to mess with you after that."

Her eyes flicked to his. "You don't."

He arched a brow and turned them slowly. "Be serious, Dragon."

Elizabeth let out an impatient burst of air through her nose and looked away. "I've never done anything to her myself, no. Not physically, no."

"Why not?"

A long time passed before she replied. "I'd never embarrass Sonny like that."

Spinelli's brows jumped. "What does Mister Corinthos have to do with this? And I think that if he knew what the Blonde One was saying, he'd be all for you wiping the floor with her."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Whether we like it or not, Sonny has business partners in this town. He has clients. And he has competitors, like Luke Spencer. And I have to watch every single thing I do in public – from the way I speak to the way I dress, everything – and make sure that I don't harm his image. I can't break Lulu's nose, no matter how many times I've fantasized about it, because it would only come back to bite me and Sonny in the butt."

She shook her head again and relaxed just a little in his arms. "He's taken care of me every way he knows how. And he never asked much in return. So if I can take care of him and the business this way, that's my responsibility. And if it means putting up with her bullshit, and all the lies that she's told everyone about me…I'll do it for Sonny."

The corners of Spinelli's mouth tightened and curved downward. "I'll take care of her."

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise, then let out a laugh. "Don't worry about it, nerd. You don't need to keep posturing."

He slid her a cool look, and his grip on her hand tightened. "I said, I'll take care of her."

And then he didn't say anything at all.

Elizabeth's lips parted in surprise and she stared dumbly at him, wondering what on earth inspired the boy to such quiet indignation on her behalf. It took her the rest of the dance and she still couldn't come to any sort of answer. So lost was she in her musings that she didn't even notice that Jason had spotted them and was crossing the dance floor, his hands in his pockets in a gesture of false nonchalance, until he was standing right next to them looking hard at Spinelli with an expression that was part confusion and part displeasure.

"What are you doing?"

Spinelli glanced at Elizabeth's hand in his as the brunette stumbled over his feet, then went with the best answer and offered it to his mentor. "Asking you and the Dragon to share this dance?"

Jason gave him what had to be the most supercilious look to ever grace a human countenance and took Elizabeth's hand as Spinelli adjusted his beanie, set the bill off to the side just enough for it to be cool, and scurried away.

"Kid's so weird."

Jason shrugged and waggled his fingers with hers as the live band took a brief break and decided on the next selection. "He's got father issues."

Elizabeth squinted at him. "Huh?"

"Never mind."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Across the room…

Spinelli pulled a folded twenty out of his pocket and tapped the bandleader on the shoulder. "Hey, Sonorous Songster, I've got a favor to ask."

"What do you want, kid?"

He extended his hand and slipped the man the bill. "Play the most romantic song you know, and if I give the signal, play taps at the end."

The man shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

Ritchie, who had spent the whole evening avoiding Jason's cute little sister at the peril of death, came up to him as Spinelli drew back. "What's going on, Spaghetti?"

The boy's green eyes darted back and forth, searching out his beloved mentor and his mentor's cunning Delilah. "Just doing a little investigating."

"What kind of investigating?" Max wanted to know as he and Milo joined the group. Johnny, who was at the bar getting another beer, saw the group slowly assemble and ambled over.

"Just wait for it," Spinelli told them, tipping his chin toward where Jason and Elizabeth stood talking on the dance floor. "Watch for it."

"What are we watching for?" Johnny asked.

Milo shrugged. "Apparently, Spaghetti's got something in the works."

The Irishman watched for a minute, then shuddered. "Why is the band playing God Only Knows? I can't stand those damn Beach Boys."

"Just watch," Spinelli instructed, his eyes on Jason as Elizabeth pulled him into a dance.

The guards shut their mouths and did as they were told. "What are we looking for?"

"Just look at Stone Cold," he said. "Look at how he's watching the Dragon while she talks."

There was definitely something there. Elizabeth was chattering on about something, occasionally using her otherwise occupied hands to gesture frenetically, and she would occasionally miss her step in the dance. Jason didn't particularly seem to mind. He kept them going in their rhythm, he kept them in place, and he kept his eyes on her face as she talked a mile a minute, looking quite content to be where he was.

Max let out a gruff sigh. "He's fucked."

Johnny and Ritchie nodded sagely. "Fucked."

Monica Quartermaine glared sharply at them for the profanity but when she saw all five men staring in one direction with rapt fascination, she turned to look as well and couldn't have been more delighted to see her son dancing with her best friend's daughter. Jason was hardly ever seen dancing in public, but he didn't seem to mind at all, so long as Elizabeth was his partner. It didn't take a genius to see that Jason clearly adored the young woman to distraction – because, really, that was the only way to describe how he was looking at her – and Monica was absolutely thrilled.

Jason didn't see his mother rushing off to find Carolyn and Jeff. He was talking to Elizabeth now, his mouth next to her ear, his words slow and soft. He made her laugh and blush, and she hid her rosy cheeks against his neck.

Spinelli, Johnny, Max, Milo, and Ritchie shuddered in unison.

The song began to reach its last chords and the leader looked over at Spinelli, who flicked his wrist. The other instruments faded off, and the trumpet began to play.

On the dance floor, Elizabeth lifted her head and strained to look over her shoulder. "What's with the band? What are they doing?"

Jason had been wondering the same thing, and his blue eyes narrowed when they landed on Spinelli and the guards. The boy had taken off his beanie and was holding it over his heart, his head bowed, and the guards were looking down as well with their hands clasped at their waists.

He let out a growl and closed his eyes as Elizabeth looked around still. "They're playing taps."

She scrunched her nose. "Isn't that what you play when a soldier dies in combat? Like, when a man goes down?"

Jason gritted his teeth and began imagining exciting new ways to eliminate his upper management bodyguards along with one teenager that probably wouldn't be missed by anyone outside of orange soda and barbeque chips manufacturing industry. "Yeah."