Chapter 5

Elizabeth leaned against the railing breathing in the cold air. She had escaped Alexis' continuing lecture, hoping Jason could manage to calm her down before Sonny arrived. They knew that Carly would be arriving with him. Sonny would have told her last night if not first thing this morning that Jason was in town. There was no way he would allow someone to surprise her with that news. Knowing that she would hear the limo when it arrived, Elizabeth let her mind wander back to the day that set this inevitable confrontation in motion.

It had been a long morning of meetings and Elizabeth was ready to relax with a nice quiet lunch. She was perusing the menu of the quiet restaurant when she noticed a shadow fall across the perfectly set table. Looking up, she saw a polished, elegant redhead. A redhead she didn't know. She frowned looking directly at the stranger. "Can I help you?" She asked curtly.

"Yes you can," the redhead stated simply as she sat down across from Elizabeth. "That is, you can if you're Elizabeth Webber."

"Who are you?" Elizabeth became concerned. She insisted that she didn't need guards on this trip and now she was afraid that she might regret it.

"My name is Francesca Connell. You don't know me but I need your help." She paused as tilted her head slightly. "Actually I'm not the one that needs your help. Jason does."

Elizabeth stilled at Francesca's statement. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the woman. She didn't know this woman and wasn't about to let on that she knew anything or anyone in the life. "Jason who?"

Francesca leaned forward on her elbows, clasping her hands together over the table. "You know exactly who I'm talking about. And I can understand you being wary. It's not really safe going around telling strangers that you have anything to do with the mob. But luckily you're here so you weren't surprised by my people while you were in Port Charles."

"Look I don't know what you think-"

"What I know is that you don't trust me, but that's to be expected since you don't know me. I'm glad you're that smart. You need something to know that I am someone Jason trusts. He told me something only the two of you know; to convince you that he sent me." She paused in her speech. She took a deep breath, hoping that Elizabeth would believe her. "Jason told me to ask you if you had seen the wind lately."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she appeared to struggle for breath. "I..I..you…"

Francesca smiled slightly. "I see that this means something to you. Does that mean you believe me?"

"Y-yes," was the simple reply.

"Good. I hate doing this but can you forgo lunch here. I really want to get back and check on Jason." The redhead glanced at her watch as she finished speaking.

"Check on Jason? Is he okay?" Elizabeth recognized the look on Francesca's face. It was one of concern and worry. "What's going on?"

Francesca ran her fingers through her hair. She glanced around the restaurant before answering. "Look, how about I tell you on the way to Jason? This is kind of a public place for what you want to know."

Elizabeth had agreed and the next thing she knew, they were in a limo racing out of the city. "Okay," she raised an eyebrow at her companion, "now are you going to tell me what exactly is going on?"

"Fine, fine. Jason called me before he ever left town. He wanted me to keep a watch on how you and a few others were doing while he was gone. Very few people know of our real connection so it wouldn't be dangerous. A month ago Jason called me. He knew about the problems we'd been having and had discovered information that connected them to Sorel."

"What happened," Elizabeth quietly demanded. She wasn't sure she wanted to know but felt she needed to know.

"We had finished eating and simply catching up. Sorel had apparently seen me enter the restaurant and after checking things out came in himself. He obviously recognized Jason. I don't know the real reason he did what he did. Maybe it had something to do with things here, maybe he thought we were planning an alliance with Sonny. We really don't know but he decided to take Jason out."

"He shot Jason?" Elizabeth whispered shakily.

"Yes he did," Francesca stated. "Elizabeth look at me," she grasped Elizabeth's hand and waited for her to comply. "Jason is fine. Yes Sorel shot him but Jason is okay. The thing is that you can not tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Sorel thinks he killed Jason. We want them to think they succeeded."



~~~Chicago~~~

Francesca hung up the phone and stretched her arms above her head. She was worried and it manifested in the muscles of her neck and back. Slowly rolling her head in a circle she decided on her best course of action. Max agreed that it might be best if she went to Port Charles. The situation was serious and they needed to show a united front. Of course, shocking the hell out of Sonny Corinthos would be an added bonus. She just wished the situation wasn't so dangerous. They had been lucky last time and she was afraid that their luck might not last this round.

She closed her eyes knowing what she would see.
Jason lying on the floor by their table, blood pooling around him. Her men fanning out. She could see herself barely keeping a hold of her sanity. Screaming at her men to find who did it, for someone to call an ambulance

She shivered violently as she remembered the look in his eyes before he slipped into unconsciousness.


~~~Port Charles~~~

Carly stared absently out of the limousine window. She knew Sonny wasn't happy that she was going with him but she didn't really care at the moment. Right now she was trying to figure out exactly what was going on with Elizabeth. Something was wrong. She knew that, had known it for a while now. Originally she had thought that it was because of the whole resurrection of Lucky Spencer situation. Now she wasn't so sure.

Elizabeth had been in contact with Jason, for only they knew how long, and had never said a word to her. She knew how worried she was about him. How much she missed him. The two of them knew her best; they really were her best friends having stood by her through so much turmoil. She sighed as she glanced at Sonny. She hadn't been as good a friend to Jason. Telling him she loved him, sabotaging every relationship he had though she never regretted her part in running off saint Robin. And then after making sure he was hers what did she do? Give in to her attraction to Sonny. That night in November became the best and worst of her life.

She began a journey that night that led her to the happiness she never thought she deserved much less would actually find. She had an adorable son, a loving husband and a fulfilling career. Her family meant a lot to her. And that family included her best friends, at least one of them. Elizabeth really was more like a sister to Carly than a friend. When they first met Carly couldn't believe that she was a Webber. The smoking and swearing brunette was nothing like the other perfect Webber children. They became fast friends usually pulling each other out of trouble. That was until that fateful Valentine's Day. Carly often wondered what would have happened had she, not Lucky, found Elizabeth in the park that night. They drifted apart then. Elizabeth's life seemed to revolve around Lucky and what he wanted. And since he didn't like Carly, Elizabeth stayed away.

It was during this time that Carly's life seemed to go to hell in the proverbial hand basket. The only good thing coming out of that time was Jason. He saved her time after time. And no matter what she did, he was there for her. Looking back she realized that was the problem. She took him for granted one to many times. She assumed he would always be there. What a friend she was.

She and Sonny safe and content at the Penthouse; Jason lying in the snow, his life slipping away. Thank heaven that Elizabeth found him. Carly smiled slightly at the thought of that friendship. Who would have thought her two best friends would strike up a friendship independently of the one each had with her; neither one realizing the other knew her. She was glad of it since she certainly wasn't there when they needed her to be. She failed them both even though she didn't know it until now.

She had thought that Jason had forgiven her and Sonny. He had said he had. But she saw his face that fateful day when Michael called Sonny 'daddy.' The dark pain so evident to those who knew him. But the harsh reality of what they had actually done to him didn't hit her until the day she and Elizabeth came to blows over Jason's departure.

Elizabeth had been livid when Jason left town. She had come to see Carly at work and proceeded to tell her exactly just how much of a bitch she was. She then told her a few things she never knew; things she wished she didn't know now. Elizabeth told her that Jason had planned to tell her that he wanted a life with her, that he thought he loved her, and that he wanted to try to build a family together. And then even after she broke his faith in love, he didn't think badly of her. That he believed her when she promised that Michael would always be his son. She may have started a journey that night with Sonny that lead to a wonderful life for her but she also began the destruction of Jason Morgan and allowed Michael to complete it that sunny afternoon with just one word.

"Carly. Carly are you okay?"

She blinked as she realized Sonny was talking to her. She smiled sadly as she turned to face him. "Yeah, I'm just kinda nervous, ya know."

Sonny took her hand and stared at it for a moment before raising his eyes to hers. "I know. You don't have to be here. Maybe you should just go into Deception today and," he stopped when he saw her jaw clench. "That's not gonna happen is it?" he sighed softly.

"No, it's not. Sonny we both have to face him. Plus I want some answers from Lizzie myself. I just don't understand what she's doing." Carly sighed, tightening her grip as the limo slowed to a stop.



~~~Port Charles: the yacht~~~

He walked up silently behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Aren't you cold?" He asked noting her lack of coat.

"Not now that you're here, Morgan." Her voice was warm and vibrant in the cold morning air.

"We don't have to do this today if you don't want." He suggested knowing that she wouldn't back down from this meeting.

She turned slightly so she could look up into his eyes. "Yes we do have to meet them. It's time to get all this out in the open between the four of us. Besides, they're involved in this whether we like it or not. I know Francesca won't like it; hell she doesn't like the fact that I'm still here. But, I'm glad I am. It'll make all of this a bit easier." She noticed the disbelieving look in his eyes. "I know it won't be at first, but it'll get better."

She snuggled closer to Jason allowing him to wrap her in his arms and jacket before continuing. "It's been a long time and none of us has ever really dealt with what happened. You and Sonny and Carly need to talk. Hell I need to tell Sonny a thing or two myself. And just think of the look on his face when we tell him what you've been doing all this time." A smile slowly crept across her face.

Jason laughed quietly at the gleam in her eyes. "Sometimes I'm convinced you're positively evil. That's not a very nice thing to look forward to, you know."

Elizabeth laughed out loud. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it." Her voice was light and teasing. Before she could say anything else a noise caught their attention. Looking toward the dock they noticed the limo coming to a stop.

Jason grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Well, let's find out what that look is going to be." He smiled lightly and led her inside to await her best friend and Sonny.