Notes --

Any police procedural or law related stuff is as made up as it gets. Take it with a tablespoon of salt.

I don't own GH or the characters, just my little story.

Making A Memory

Chapter 38

"Are you alright Gram?"

Elizabeth had just come back from the kitchen with a glass of water and handed it to her grandmother. The older woman was looking a bit pale and had her worried.

Audrey took a few sips and a deep breath before answering. "My granddaughter just informed me that she was kidnapped and almost killed by a group of crazy people. So no … I'm not alright." She put a hand to her forehead and shook her head with disbelief. "Oh Elizabeth … this was exactly what I feared would happen. If only I'd insisted you stay that day you came to see me."

Elizabeth sat down next to her and put a hand to her back. "Please don't start blaming yourself. I know you've been afraid for me, but I'm okay. I'm here and I'm safe … thanks to Jason."

She looked over at her husband who was sitting in a chair to her left. The small smile she gave him temporarily removed the pained look on his face. He'd looked guilty the entire time they'd been there, and her grandmother's anguish only seemed to intensify the feeling.

Now her Gram was wishing that she could have changed things by keeping her at the house longer that day. She wanted nothing more than to take away this pain that her family was going through on her behalf and convince them that what happened was not because of anything they did or didn't do.

Audrey looked at her grandson-in-law's face and could see how much regret he felt for what happened, but she still felt a measure of anger at him for bringing danger into Elizabeth's and the boys' lives.

"I am grateful to you Jason, for saving her life." She put a hand to Elizabeth's cheek and silently thanked God she was sitting there with her. "I just can't help but think that … this wouldn't have happened at all if she hadn't married you." Her gaze landed on the young man's face again.

Elizabeth pulled away and stood. "I'm sorry that I've given you more cause to worry Gram … but none of this is Jason's fault." She went over to him and sat on the arm of his chair; a hand stroking the back of his neck. "He had no control over his ex-girlfriend, or any idea that she would do something so … insane."

Though she'd already lived through it, telling the story to her grandmother had driven home the twisted nature of Sam's actions. The looks on her and Jason's faces made Elizabeth reluctant to share the encumbrance of the memories she already had to contend with. It also saddened her to think that her grandmother, who'd already had a great deal of apprehension about their marriage, now felt even more skeptical of her husband and his ability to protect her.

"Insane is certainly the word for it," Audrey agreed. "I'm glad that at least she's in police custody, where she can't harm anyone else."

She hated to admit to herself that the thought of Jason 'rubbing her out' had crossed her mind, and even more disturbing was that it hadn't been as distasteful as she would've believed. After what the woman had done to Elizabeth in Jason's name, it could be considered poetic justice.

"We're actually on our way there next; to give the police my statement."

Elizabeth looked at Jason and saw his understanding of how awkward that conversation was likely to be. She'd elected to leave the part about being temporarily dead out, for her grandmother's sake. The rest of the story was hard enough to swallow.

"I just wanted to be the one to tell you everything." Elizabeth sat back on the couch and took her hand.

"I wish there'd been nothing to tell." Audrey patted her granddaughter's hand atop her own. "I so desperately want you and the children to be safe, but I know from experience that fighting with you about what's best doesn't get us anywhere." She allowed a small smile to touch her lips. "You've always been headstrong. When you came to stay with me as a teenager, I could tell you were going to be a handful." With a finger she tipped up the young woman's chin to look squarely in her eyes. "I also saw over the years how determined you are in the face of a challenge. Life dealt you many blows, but you always fought back and grew into the strong, independent woman before me. Though I'll never stop fretting over you … I'm very proud of you for that."

Elizabeth couldn't prevent the tears that streamed down her face. She loved her grandmother deeply. She was the one person in her family who'd never let her down. It made quite an impact that this woman she so respected and loved, thought her to be so capable.

She hugged her grandmother tightly. "Thank you Gram."

When they released each other, Audrey expended a hesitant breath. "I must say however, for my own peace of mind, that I won't ever be comfortable with this business your husband is in." She put up a hand to stop the argument she saw her granddaughter about to give. "I'm sorry Elizabeth, it's the way I feel. And I'm about as shy about speaking my mind as you are."

Jason saw his wife drop her head. He hated that she felt she had to defend him, and that he was the cause of any discord with her family. He couldn't fault Audrey for wanting her to be safe and for questioning his ability to make that happen. His track record so far was lacking in every way.

He rose from his seat and went to Audrey's other side; kneeling to look her in the eye. "You have every reason not to trust me Mrs. Hardy. I made you a promise when I married your granddaughter that I'd keep her safe, and I didn't keep it." He looked at Elizabeth and once again saw her about to argue, this time with him. He gave an imperceptible shake of his head, and she paused. "There's something that I didn't tell you that day that's even more important for you to know." He took Elizabeth's hand in his, looking her in the eye even as he spoke to set her grandmother's mind at ease. "I love Elizabeth. More than anything or anyone in this world. I would give my life for her and our children. The world I live in isn't safe, and I won't insult you by pretending otherwise. But I will do everything possible to make sure none of it touches them."

Audrey watched the two of them; eyes locked on one another as if no one else existed. She noticed something different between them since they'd arrived. She could see now that they were in love.

At the wedding, the fact that it hadn't been mentioned didn't escape her. It made her more wary of the marriage. She knew life could be dangerous and difficult even when you did have love to sustain you through it. She'd watched Elizabeth be hurt by Lucky, who she'd believed to be the love of her life, and didn't want it to happen again.

As much as Jason's profession scared her, Audrey still seen an underlying trustworthiness in him. When he and Elizabeth first became friends, she'd thought he was a criminal who was taking advantage of a naive young girl. But over the years, he'd proven himself to be there whenever she needed him; which was something even her parents unfortunately couldn't claim.

Elizabeth tried to tell her how she felt the day they'd talked about the break-in, but she'd been to afraid for her to really listen. Now that she could see the depth of their feelings, she knew there would be no convincing Elizabeth that she belonged anywhere but with him. Audrey loved her granddaughter and wanted her to be happy.

She only hoped that happiness wouldn't come at a steep price.

"I can see that you love each other." She took Elizabeth's face in her hands. "That's all I want for you darling. You've had enough pain in your life. I won't add to it by taking away from the happiness you've found. All I ask is that you be careful."

She kissed her on the cheek and stood up abruptly. It would be hard to let go and trust that they knew what they were getting into, but she had to try.

She cleared her throat to hide the tremor in her voice. "You should get going. I don't want you to be late for your appointment."

They all walked to the door; the heaviness in the air slightly lifted after all that was said. Audrey turned to Jason just before she opened the door, and surprised him by taking his hand.

"She has a lot of faith in you." She gave the hand a gentle pat. "I have a feeling that it's justified. Don't prove us wrong."

"I won't."

With a tender smile she patted him again and then turned her attention to Elizabeth.

"Thank you for believing in me Gram." She could feel the tears coming back and did her best to hold them in. "I love you."

Audrey gave her a quick squeeze to keep herself from breaking down as well. "I love you too. And I will always believe in you."

She watched as the two young people strode down her front walk, hand in hand; ready to face the world together. Once they were in their car she turned and went inside.

A picture on the mantle caught her eye and she went to it. She stroked a finger along her late husband's image and closed her eyes. His presence seemed to be near her whenever she needed him most.

"Steve … I hope our girl knows what she's doing."

- - - -

Elizabeth spent most of the ride to Seracen trying to regain her composure. It was harder than she thought to tell her grandmother what happened to her. Hurting her loved ones pained her more than anything Sam and her lackeys could have done.

Jason was quiet, sensing her need to think and prepare for what was next. He wished he could prevent her having to go over those memories again, but with Sam going on trail for what she'd done, it was just the beginning of many instances for her to open the wound.

He pulled into the parking lot of the Seracen Police Station and parked as close as possible to the entrance. He was hyper aware of his surroundings and people now; determined to keep his promise this time to keep her safe. Even being in a police station held no sense of security, especially when there was still a threat on the loose.

Mark was never far from his mind.

Elizabeth asked Georgie to baby-sit while they were out today. With Georgie came Spinelli. That provided Jason with an opportunity to see if he'd made any progress on the search for Greer.

Spinelli had been able to find the location of the cabin where Elizabeth was held, but when Jason's men got there he was long gone. So far there were no other clues to his whereabouts. That kept Jason on constant alert where his wife was concerned.

It was serious enough that he had guards watching them even now. He was never one to have guards with him when he was out; confident that he could handle any situation that arose. But when it came to Elizabeth, he wasn't too proud to have help. He made sure they were out of sight and wouldn't draw undue attention, but told her of their presence so she wouldn't be scared.

He looked at her and saw how brave she was trying to be. His hand reached up and grazed her cheek when she looked back at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this now? We can wait until you're ready."

Elizabeth smiled and leaned into his touch. "I just want to get it over with. Waiting won't make it any easier … but having you with me does."

He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to the back. They both got out and made their way to the entrance.

The reaction to her surprising state of health was … quiet.

A vast amount of large eyes and unhinged jaws.

The entire department was well aware of the case. Murders were thankfully in short supply in Seracen; which was more on par with a large town than a small city. All of the detectives had been briefed on the case and were still on the lookout for the two remaining suspects identified by Samantha McCall; aka Corinne Zacarra.

They'd all been touched by the brutal slaying of a young mother of two. The drive to bring her murderers to justice was felt throughout the town.

Which of course made her sudden appearance, alive and well, a shocking but welcome turn of events.

The lead detective on the case was told of her presence. After a bit of convincing that it wasn't a sick joke, he came out and for the first time in his career was introduced to the victim in his murder case.

"Mrs. Morgan?" he said warily. He reached out a hand to meet the one she had outstretched. "I can honestly say that I am very happy to meet you." A shaky smile emerged on his bearded face. "I'm Detective Cahill … John."

"I'm sure you're very surprised to see me," she responded.

"Yes," he replied with a choked half laugh, "I'd say so." He looked around as if trying to think of where to go from there; remembering himself, he pointed back toward the interrogation rooms. "Please, come this way."

She and Jason followed him to a stark room with a table and a couple of chairs.

"I'm sorry about the accommodations, but this room is actually larger than my office, so …" He motioned for her to take a seat and noticed that her husband was left standing.

John poked his head out into the hall. "Kay? Can you bring another chair in here please?" He figured the young woman would be more comfortable with someone she knew close by.

When the extra chair arrived and they all were seated, he turned on the tape recorder on the table and began with his questions; and there were many. All the while he tried to acclimate to the fact that he was speaking to her when he'd just been looking at her crime scene photos about an hour ago.

The entire story sounded like a bad sci-fi movie. It also made him feel sorry for everything she'd been through.

Occasionally he'd seen her tense up during the detailed retelling. He made sure to stop periodically and let her drink water or take a breather. He'd even left the room once and seen her husband pull her into his arms and whisper something that seemed to calm her a bit.

"This was quiet an ordeal you went through," he stated after she was done. "I want you to know that we are going to make sure that the people who did this to you are punished to the full extent of the law."

Elizabeth bit her lip in nervousness. "Exactly what will the charges be since … well … I'm not dead."

"Miss McCall's charges will remain the same. Bigamy, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit murder. Conlan will probably be charged with kidnapping, blackmail, and conspiracy to commit murder."

Elizabeth and Jason glanced at one another briefly; knowing that justice had already dealt with him.

"Greer is a complicated one. I wouldn't speculate on his charges until I speak to the D.A." He scratched his beard and looked at her again. "There's also the matter of the Morgue worker who allowed a body to be tampered with and stolen, and the doctor who provided Greer with the drug he used on you."

"I hope you won't be too hard on him. From what I understood he wasn't aware of my kidnapping or believe that it would be used to hurt anyone. The fact remains that if I hadn't faked my death, Sam might have accomplished what she set out to do."

Jason reached out and rubbed the back of her neck, pressing a kiss to her temple. The thought of her not surviving still haunted him.

"I'll make sure to tell the D.A. what you said. He'll have to decide what to do about it." He couldn't believe that she was thinking about the welfare of anyone who was even remotely involved in this crime, but would relay her wishes.

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. Whatever happened now was out of her hands. The wheels of justice would turn at their own pace. She just wanted to have her life back.

Jason could see the tired set of her shoulders. The day had been more draining for her than she'd let on.

"Detective, my wife has been through a lot. Do you have enough for today? I'd like to take her home."

John looked at her and saw how she was trying to keep a brave front in place. "Of course. I think we have enough for now." He turned off the recorder and placed the tape into an envelope. "I may need to call on you again however."

"I'll be glad to answer any questions at any time Detective," she told him. "You have our home number I'm sure."

"Yes, it's in your file." John got up and walked with them to the front door of the station. "Again, I'm glad to see you're … well, Mrs. Morgan."

"Thank you," she said with a light laugh. "I'm rather glad myself."

He shook hands with the couple and watched them leave; promising himself a stiff drink on the way home.

Jason glanced at the guards as they left the building, making sure they were alert. He then gave his full attention to his wife. She was exhausted, and trying to hide it. His arm snaked around her waist and held her close to his side.

"Ready to go home?"

She practically purred at the word home. "Definitely."

He kissed the top of her head and helped her into the car. He got around to the driver's side and started the engine. Before he could take off, Elizabeth put a hand on his arm.

"Just a second. Thank you for being with me today, it made it much easier than it could have been."

He looked at her in slight confusion. "I wouldn't have been anywhere else."

"I know." She took an audible breath to prepare herself for his reaction to her next words. "Would you do something for me tomorrow?"

He picked up her hand from his arm and kissed the back of it. "Anything."

"Even if it's something you won't like?"

He turned to face her as much as the car would allow. "Now you're making me nervous."

She laughed, but it came out a bit strained; which only made him more suspicious.

"You don't get nervous."

"When it comes to you and your safety I do." He looked at her seriously.

She averted her face so she wasn't looking him directly in the eye. "I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe."

That statement had his senses on full alert. "What does that mean?"

"There's just something I need to do, and I want you to be with me." She looked at him beneath her lashes.

"That's not fair Elizabeth," he said with a heavy breath. "Don't give me the eyes."

"Please?" She leaned her chin on his shoulder with her forehead against his cheek; one hand rubbing his arm lightly.

Jason closed his eyes and wondered if there was anything she couldn't get him to do. Little did he know his little wife was about to sorely test the theory.

"What do you want me to do?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes as well and braced for the explosion.

"I want you to take me to see Sam."

To be continued …

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