Shot in an Alley: The Lights Go Out

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Hello all. I want to thank everyone for the reviews last chapter!

--------- Corinthos Penthouse, Elizabeth's Room

Sonny had left after he told them the news. Carly had gone upstairs and Jason had stayed on his couch. Everyone had quietly excused themselves, not sure what to say.

Sonny had most likely gone to see Courtney and talk with his men to make sure that it had been Ric. He had seemed more shocked then the rest of them. His brother had killed his sister. Not many people got to say that in their life. Not many would want to.

Carly was in her room. Soon she would have to go tell Michael that his Aunt Courtney was dead. She had actually taken the news the best out of all of them - even better Elizabeth herself. No one knew what they were going to tell Mike. They hadn't really spoken much but she could tell that everyone didn't know what to say about that.

She had left Jason on the couch after Sonny and Carly had left the room. He hadn't said a word. She had only said "I'm so sorry." and left. What do you say to the man you love when his former fiancée, who he had only just left for you, is murdered by your almost former husband? There was nothing she could say.

Nothing she wanted to say.

--------- Courtney's Loft

Sonny looked down at his baby sister. Ric had shot her three times in the chest. She was still by the door. He hadn't even come inside. He must not have wanted to scare her or anything.

He had wanted to scare Sonny.

He wanted to let Sonny know that he would kill his family in an instant. Sonny would have thought that the only safe person was Elizabeth, but now he wasn't so sure. Ric was losing it fast. There was no telling what he would do next. The only thing he could do was protect his family.

--------- Corinthos Penthouse, Jason's Couch

Courtney was dead. She was at the loft and was killed. If he hadn't told her the truth about him and Elizabeth then she would have been here. She would be alive.

Still, he couldn't have lied to her. Not even knowing what would happen to her. She would have found out sooner or later, no matter when he told her. She would have seen it in his eyes.

This wasn't his fault. This wasn't Elizabeth's fault. It wasn't Sonny's or Carly's. It was Ric's.

Elizabeth must be feeling like it was her fault, though. He could tell when she left the room. He needed to talk to her, to tell her that none of this is her fault, but she wasn't likely to come down soon.

He knew what he needed to do. Jason slowly got off the couch and straightened to a standing position. It didn't hurt half as much as it did when he first woke up at the penthouse. He slowly walked to the stairs.

Elizabeth was probably in the spare room that Carly had used. He made is way to the door and knocked softly.

"Come in.", came Elizabeth's muffled reply.

Jason opened the door and stood before a shocked Elizabeth. Immediately she sat up and ushered him to a seat.

"What are you doing up?"

Jason took a deep breath; this was going to be a tough talk, but he needed to know how she felt. He wanted to make it better. "It's not your fault."

Elizabeth sat down slowly. "What isn't my fault?"

"Ric. What he did to Carly. To Courtney."

"To you?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"I know you must have been scared. But -" Jason started. He wasn't what they should be talking about now.

Liz cut him off. "Scared? Jason, I was beyond scared. I saw you lying there and I knew that if I lost you I would lose myself. It terrified me even more because I'm married. You don't feel that for another man." By now she was crying. "You were bleeding and dying right there and I was losing you."

Jason continued to be quiet. She needed to get this out.

"And then I found out it was Ric. I didn't know about Carly. I thought he had seen me look at you or say your name and he figured out that I loved you. He would have been a step ahead of me, though. Do you know when I realized it?"

Jason shook his head.

"After you had said that you missed me too. I kept thinking that I was so lucky that you still cared. I pulled a gun on you. I called you heartless. I was so cold to you. But still, you missed me. I finished you bandages and it hit me. I loved you. And the man I am supposed to love shot you." Elizabeth took a deep breath. She was nowhere near done. "But you know what I was thinking about later? Courtney. You loved her. Not me. I couldn't change that. And I wasn't going to try. You deserved to be with her if she made you happy. You deserved a wedding. Kids. And if she could give it to you and you loved her then I wasn't going to get in the way."

Jason decided that now was a good time to talk. "I never really loved her. I convinced myself that I did. She loved me and I wanted to love her but I couldn't help but want you."

"You never loved her?"

Jason shook his head. "I cared about her. I didn't love her. I was so… glad when I woke up and saw you there with me. I had this dream while I was at your studio. I felt so far away. I could hear your voice but it was soft and hard to understand. You were too far from me. Then there you were. You said that you would always come when I needed you."

Elizabeth smiled. "I though you didn't dream."

"I don't but you were still there. I couldn't hear or talk to the real you. I needed you but I couldn't have you. So you came to me. I had other dreams then too."

She nodded. "I know."

Jason was surprised. "How?"

"You were crying in your sleep and you kept telling me that it wasn't your fault."

Jason was surprised, but that wasn't what he wanted to talk about. "Ric isn't your fault Elizabeth."

She hung her head down at that, but Jason wouldn't let her. He gently moved her face back up to look him in the eyes. "None of Ric's actions are your fault."

"He wasn't always that way Jason. We lost the baby and it was like he lost his mind. He blames Sonny for it, I know that now, but I didn't then. If I had realized that he had Carly or that he hadn't given up the vendetta against Sonny, none of this would have happened. If I had stopped defending him for one minute and opened my eyes Courtney would still be alive, Carly wouldn't have been taken and most importantly, you wouldn't have been hurt." Elizabeth said. She hated herself for how she had acted then. Everyone had warned her, but she didn't listen.

"You loved him. You see the good in the people you love." He told her.

--------- Outside the Corinthos' Penthouse

Ric had shot the two guards. He didn't know if they were alive. He slowly moved to the top floors private circuit room.

Ric opened the door and went in. He cut three of the cords.

The top floor went black. The phones were down.

Ric moved to the door. He entered the penthouse easily.

--------- Elizabeth's Room

Jason and Elizabeth plunged into total darkness. There was no storm going on, just some wind and a light drizzle – nothing that could bring down the power lines. Elizabeth felt Jason get up and gently pull her arm to join him. The two made their way to what Jason was sure was Michael's room.

He opened the door. "Carly?"

He could not see her but he heard her. "Jason! Oh thank god. What's going on?"

Jason continued to whisper, hoping Carly would too. "I don't know. You stay here and be quiet, I'll go talk to the guards."

"I'm going too." Elizabeth whispered to him. The tone of her voice told him that there was no room for argument.

The two shuffled carefully down the stairs after leaving Carly and a sleeping Michael. They walked through the living room to see the door was already open. Feeling around Jason came across a dead guard and the other's breathing was growing more shallow by the second.

Elizabeth and Jason came to the same conclusion. Ric was in the penthouse.