Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. The powers that be at General Hospital do. They just don't use them very well. There are some original characters in here as well.

Feedback: Is greatly appreciated. If you like it tell me why, if you don't, please tell me what you don't like. It's how I learn.

Author's notes: A lot of the characters on GH will be in this fic, if you don't see them right away give me time. I like fic's with a lot of characters in them, so that is how I write them.

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What If…

Chapter 2

~Jakes~

While Rory stood there shaking out her hand, Emily ran over to help Lucky, furious she turned on the woman who had hit him "You Bit.." Emily's mouth stumbled to a stop when she focused on the woman before her. She was looking at a ghost. "Elizabeth," she murmured and then she fainted.

"Jesus, not you too!" Rory muttered looking around for Jason. He had the man who had attacked him pinned to the pool table, his right arm was twisted up and behind him at a high angle. Jason used his weight and grip to keep the man in place.

"You done yet Cassadine? I've got no problem staying like this all night."

Nikolas jerked but could not free himself from the hold, "Enough Jason." He said with a groan, when Jason increased the pressure.

Jason let him go and took a cautious step back, his eyes never leaving Nikolas.

Nikolas rose slowly, feeling every move a thousand times over. Finally he turned around to look at Jason. He almost dropped when he saw the woman, who had moved to stand beside Jason. "E- Elizabeth?" He stuttered.

He watched Elizabeth turn to him and shoot him an evil glare, "That's it I'm making a name tag!"

"I don't understand," Nikolas began his eyes looking around the bar. He saw his brother lying unconscious on the ground, he jerked at that, then he saw Emily lying on the ground next to him, and his heart stopped.

"Emily." Nikolas cried his own aches forgotten as he raced over to where she lay lifeless on the ground.

Jason reacted to his sister's name, his eyes searching for his sister. "Emily." the name was choked out of him, he went to her, pushing Nikolas out of the way, so he could look at her.

He scanned for injuries, and thankfully found none, he could see no blood, but her color was gone. He checked her pulse, and let out a breath in relief as he felt the strong beat of her heart.

Rory came over and crouched on the other side of Emily, "Jason she's fine she just fainted." His eyes jerked to her, "She took one look at me, called me Elizabeth and swooned." She answered the unspoken plea in his eyes.

Jason nodded and picked his sister up off the cold, dirty floor, he sat down on a chair and held her in his lap waiting for her to wake up. Rory crossed to the bar and got a towel and a couple of glasses of water.

She brought the water and towel over to Jason, "Here dampen her wrists and face, it should bring her out of it." Jason nodded and took the towel from her.

She turned to face the man Jason had called Cassadine, he had moved over to Lucky, his eyes darting to Emily every now and then. She crossed over to him, "Eliza…"

"Hold it, that is what started this whole thing in the first place. My name is Rory, not Elizabeth. Now if you understand that and can make this idiot here understand that, I will help you wake him up."

Nikolas nodded, knowing his voice wouldn't work. How could it work, he was staring at and listening to a woman who had been dead for two years?

Rory answered his nod by dumping the glass of water on Lucky's face. Lucky jerked and began to move. "Get him the hell out of here, and away from me, or I will hit him again."

"You…you hit him?" incomprehension entered Nikolas's voice.

"Yes, and I'll do it again if he starts calling me Elizabeth." With that Rory turned and walked back over to Jason and Emily who was beginning to move around.

"Jason I think I should go upstairs. I don't want to scare her again. And if I leave before he's fully awake, there shouldn't be anymore trouble."

Jason looked up at her and nodded.

"Are you okay Jason?"

"Yes, I'll be up later," he reached out and caught her hand as she began to turn away. He brought it up to his mouth where he placed a kiss on her red knuckles. "We need to talk."

Rory fought the sensation that his mouth on her skin caused, and nodded at his words. She picked up her bags and crossed to the stairs, never even glancing at a semi-conscious Lucky, or Nikolas who still couldn't stop looking at her.

"Ohhh," Emily murmured and shifted trying to wake up. Dimly she registered she was being held, but the hold was not familiar to her. Emily began struggling before her eyes fully opened.

"It's okay Emily, your safe, I've got you." Jason's voice was soft, but his grip on her remained solid.

"Jason!" Emily's heart leapt when she recognized her brother's voice. She blinked her eyes open and focused on his blue eyes. The smile lit up her face, she squirmed her arms free to grab him around the neck and squeezed.

"Em, it's a little hard to breath," he said with a smile. God he had missed her.

"You're here! When did you get here? How long are you staying?" Emily began excitedly, lurching to her feet, breaking off suddenly when the memories came back to her in a rush.

Jason saw her pale and quickly stood up and pushed her in a chair. "Breathe Emily."

Her eyes left his to search the room, they widened when she found Nikolas and Lucky by the pool table, she moved on looking for the woman but she didn't see her.

"Where…" She began then broke off, "Are you okay Nikolas, Lucky?" She called across the room, relieved when Nikolas nodded.

"Jason I saw a woman, here who looked exactly like my friend Elizabeth Webber, Lucky's girlfriend," her eyes were pleading with him "Jason she died two years ago."

Jason sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, he hated to explain things, but he would to ease her mind. "There was a woman here, Emily, her name is Rory Nichols. I don't know if she looks like Elizabeth or not, but Lucky seemed to think she was Elizabeth. He wouldn't let her go, even when I told him too. What you walked in on was the result of that. Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, crouching down in front of her, she was still so pale.

Emily nodded slowly, trying to comprehend what Jason had told her, that it wasn't Elizabeth. Her eyes darted over to where Nikolas was trying to get Lucky to his feet. Jason followed her gaze and rose as well.

"You need to get him out of here and sober him up. I don't know what he thought he was doing tonight, but he needs to stay away from Rory," Jason's tone was brutal, and the icy look he gave Nikolas made him nod.

Jason moved out of the way as Nikolas staggered to the door, bearing most of Lucky's weight. He paused by Emily "Are you okay?"

Emily nodded, "I'm fine, I'll call you tomorrow. Take care of him."

Reluctant to leave, but knowing he had to before Lucky became fully awake, Nikolas nodded and began to move towards the door. He paused and looked back at Emily, "How will you get home?"

"I'll take her."

Nikolas looked at Jason feeling the familiar rush of anger when he met his icy stare, and this time he felt a tiny flicker of fear as well. Whatever this man was he wouldn't knowingly put Emily in danger, and he had no choice but to trust him, at least for tonight. Nikolas nodded and then left, dragging Lucky behind him.

Jason looked back at his sister, who was still sitting there looking shell-shocked. She was beautiful like always, but tonight she seemed very fragile. "Come on I'll take you home, the ride will do you some good." He said holding out his hand to her.

Emily reached for his hand grasping it like a lifeline. She just couldn't seem to wrap her head around what had happened tonight, and frankly she was to tired to try to figure it out.

HE pulled on his coat and stopped by Jake, he put several $100 bills in her hand, "Sorry."

Jake just shook her head, watching him walk out into the night with his sister. Yes it was never boring when Jason Morgan stayed here.

~Cottage~

Nikolas helped Lucky into the cottage, trying to be quiet, but it was no good he woke her anyway.

"Nikolas, is that you? Oh my god! What happened are you okay, is Lucky?" Gia cried running down the stairs and over to the couch where Nikolas had just managed to dump Lucky.

"Yeah, were fine? We just ran into Jason Morgan." And a ghost he thought to himself.

"Jason? You mean Emily's brother? When he did he get back in town? Never mind, why were you fighting with him?"

"Elizabeth." Lucky's voice sounded from behind her on the couch. He sat upright, looking around him in a panic. "Elizabeth!" He cried sharply looking at his brother, "Where is she?"

Nikolas opened his mouth to calm his brother, and lied to his face, "Lucky that woman was not Elizabeth. Elizabeth died two years ago. That woman just looks a little like her," yeah like her twin, he thought before continuing, "That was not Elizabeth."

Gia looked between the two, trying to figure out what was going on, she knew who Elizabeth was you couldn't be around Lucky and not know who she was. But this was the first time she was aware that he was still seeing images of her.

"Of course it was Elizabeth. She's come back home. I've got to find her now." Lucky lurched to his feet only to plop back down when the room began to spin.

"Lucky." Nikolas tried again, "That wasn't her. God that woman hit you. Elizabeth would never hit you. Besides she is with Jason Morgan. Lucky, and I mean she is with him."

Lucky heard the words, but all he could see was her face. "You don't understand. Elizabeth is alive, she's back, and I won't give up until she is back with me. I don't care about Jason Morgan, he is nothing compared to Elizabeth and I. Nothing. She's alive and she is going to be with me.

~Quartermaine's~

Emily hadn't said a word, the whole trip home. When she got off the bike, there was color in her cheeks, but her eyes were still a little vacant.

"Are you sure Jason, are you sure it wasn't Elizabeth?" She asked finally, her eyes begging him to tell her the truth.

"Emily I met Rory over ten months ago and we have been together ever since. I'm sorry her being here has caused you so much pain. But yes Emily she isn't your friend." Jason said softly taking her hand in his.

She nodded, "Of course, your right, I'm just tired. I'll see you again before you leave, right Jason?"

He nodded, "I'm going to be here for awhile. I'll call you tomorrow."

Emily watched him ride away. She tried to believe what he said, she did. She knew he wouldn't lie to her. But she couldn't help feeling that this Rory was really Elizabeth.

Shrugging to herself she went inside, and up to her room. She closed the door to her room, she couldn't help but picture that woman's face in her head. It was exactly like Elizabeth. Sighing she leaned against the door in her darkened room.

She jerked when the light by her bed was suddenly switched on, "Where the hell have you been?"

~Jakes~

Jason let himself in the darkened room. He saw her asleep in the middle of the bed like he knew she would be. His heart lifted when he looked at her through the dim light coming in from the hallway.

Quietly he went into the bathroom to undress, so he wouldn't wake her. His mind wandered back to Emily. There seemed to be something more wrong with her than just tonight's activities. He made a mental note to call her tomorrow.

He walked out of the bathroom, clad only in his jockeys. He pulled his gun from his jacket and slid it in the drawer by his bed. Then he slipped in bed beside Rory.

"Jason." He heard her murmur his name while she wrapped herself around him.

He smiled slightly holding her, "I'm glad you're here Rory." He whispered.

"…eee to." She slurred back.

Jason grinned, "I love you."

"I love you too, Jase."

His heart leapt when he heard those words. He felt bad sometimes, tricking the admission from her. She never remembered these talks he had with her when she was mostly asleep. He couldn't wait for her to tell him she loved him, while she was fully conscious. But until then, he had the words he stole from her nightly.

Rory moved against him, pulling herself closer, her right arm resting on his chest. Even in the faint light he could see the fresh outline of bruises on her wrist. The bruises stood out against her fair skin. He tensed feeling the anger course through him. His face becoming a cold mask remembering what Lucky had done to her. He would have to find out what was the matter with Lucky, and how Rory fit in. He wouldn't allow her to be hurt again.

Rory sighed, and her breath on his chest, lessoned his anger, he dropped a kiss on her forehead, closed his eyes, emptying his mind and willing himself to sleep.