Jason paced the length of the penthouse, back and forth, from the fireplace to the door, for the past hour, trying to rid his body of the anger, the frustration, the helplessness. He showed up here after he deposited Elizabeth off at the front doors of General Hospital. He asked her if she would like him to come in, and she smiled softly and told him no and then she disappeared behind the motioned censored doors.

Now he was going crazy, not knowing what to do with himself. He could've gone to the warehouse caught up on some of the paperwork they were behind on. He also could've dropped in at the club, checked in on the liquor shipments, checked up on some of the girls, finished up the payroll book. Hell, he could've gone out and shot somebody but none of those things would've fixed what was going on.

He was worried to death about Elizabeth Webber.

And he didn't know how he got there, to the point of worrying about her, about her safety, about what she wore, about who she danced for, about whether or not she was going to see tomorrow. His first thought of her was that she was a tiny little sex pot who couldn't be more than sixteen, his second was that she was too naïve to know what world she was stepping into and the third was how often he could get her into his bed without making things dull.

But things were never dull with Elizabeth. She proved that even though she was young, she had been around the circuit and she wasn't going to take any crap from any of the other girls that worked there. She maintained professionalism with the men who visited the club and the guards were quickly growing fond of her. He had even caught Sonny talking to her a few times, letting her know that she could always get out of dancing, a sad look on his face as if he were trying to save her and he probably was. He was probably trying to right the wrong he made with Karen Wexler.

She was squeezing herself into so many people's lives around here and she didn't even know it. He heard her talk, heard her say that she wouldn't be around long, just needed enough money to move onto some exotic location where she could start all over.

At first, Jason had wanted that for her, he wanted the little vixen out of his hair. Now he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Jason?" Sonny said surprised from the door and frowned when his enforcer did nothing but continue to pace the length of the penthouse, "Jason," he said more firmly this time and Jason looked at him, his blue eyes anguished and Sonny entered his home, closing the door shut behind him.

"I was…I…"

"Did something happen at the club?" Sonny asked as he approached Jason when he finally stopped pacing, "No? The warehouse, then?" When Jason still didn't respond, Sonny nodded and turned away, realizing what this had to be about, "Elizabeth."

"What?" Jason asked, "How did you…"

"There aren't many things around, Jason, that would upset you," Sonny said quietly, "And if it doesn't have anything to do with business…"

"She just went to get a test done," Jason said as he ran his hand through his spiky hair, "I guess I was a little nervous about it."

"Why didn't you stay with her?" Sonny asked pulling off his long trench coat, "I told you to take the day off. If you needed more time it wouldn't have been a problem."

"She didn't want me there," Jason said as he moved over towards the couch and sat down heavily on it, "She stated that she had done this before and it wouldn't take that long. She would see me later if I still wanted to meet up."

Sonny looked at him curiously and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking towards the couch, "Is it a pregnancy test?"

Jason shook his head and his blue eyes, slightly misty, met Sonny's, "No, it's not."

Sonny nodded knowingly, "Then it's an AIDS test."

Elizabeth stepped off of the elevator and onto the third floor of General Hospital. She was a little nervous; she wasn't use to fancy hospital buildings with live plants in every corner and nurses that look like they actually cared about why the patient was here. The places she usually frequented for tests like these were run-down clinics on the same corner she was working.

This place seemed way out of her league, but this is where Jason took her. He had pulled up and said that this was the best place in town for medicinal purposes. He offered to come in with her but Elizabeth knew that their relationship had not progressed that far. She couldn't sit in the lobby, holding his hand, waiting for her name to be called to see if this time she would make the list.

No, she wouldn't put him through that, not when he barely knew her, when they barely knew each other, and this was something standard in her line of work. Did she think she had the disease known as HIV? No, she used protection every time and kept good track of any partners that she welcomed into her bed, with a rare drunk occasion that had her waking up with a stranger. But she knew there was always that chance, she knew that no matter how good the diaphragm was or how well the condom was placed something could happen - a rip, a snare, a hole - something that could take her bad life and make it even worse.

Why did she do it? Many people had asked her, why she continued to strip, why she took men to her bed, why was she in this world when her beautiful face could take her so many other places? It was simply because.

Because she didn't say no to the first boy she ever loved, because he had introduced her to someone else, because that person asked her to dance, because that person was smooth as silk with the gorgeous looks to match, because that person wanted to make it better, because that person controlled the game, because that person pretended to care.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and closed her eyes, wishing away the images that danced in front of her. She couldn't go back there, she had her chance to escape and she took it. She no longer had to do what he said; she no longer had to take strangers to her bed. She had to dance, she had money put aside and she was with Jason because she wanted to be. She was here because she didn't want him hurt. She knew she was clean; she knew she was safe but she wanted that hundred percent positive reinforcement that she could give him, she owed him at least that.

After all, he had given her more than he knew.

Placing one foot in front of the other Elizabeth made her way to the nurses' station, smiling politely as she placed her hands on the edge of the counter, "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you. I need help; I kinda don't know how things are done around here."

The petite brunette behind the counter with the mocha colored skin smiled back at her, "Hopefully I can help you. What is it that you need?"

"I'm here…I actually…" Elizabeth bit her lip as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and started fiddling with her fingers, "I have to take an HIV test and I don't have a doctor's note or a blood note thing or…at the clinic they don't really request that stuff and…"

The woman placed her hand over Elizabeth's twitching fingers and squeezed it gently, "It's okay," she turned around and reached for a clipboard behind her, "These are standard forms that we need you to fill out with your basic information. Is there anyone here with you?"

"No," Elizabeth said taking the forms and shaking her head, "No, I can't really stand being here with someone else. I'd rather do it by myself."

"Sometimes its easier if you have a friend," she said quietly, "But I won't push. It sounds like you've been through this before."

"Too many times," Elizabeth said looking down at the clipboard, "And I know that you'll mean well but right now I can't…"

"Let me get you a pen," she said smiling as she handed on to her, "Would you like me to help you fill those forms out? I'm going to be the one drawing the blood so I can be there every step of the way."

"I…" Elizabeth stopped. She normally would tell the nurse to go away until the blood was drawn and then head on out of here and get back to the club for a couple of beers before opening. But that was back in Connecticut and Chicago and California. This time was different. "I'm Elizabeth Webber," she said quietly as she held out her hand.

The nurse took it and smiled softly, "I'm Lily. Lily Corinthos."

"I know how to deal with someone who has HIV," Jason said quietly as he sat on the couch rubbing his hands together, "Robin taught me what to do and how to act, what was safe, what was not safe, what was right. I get that, I get condoms and open wounds and everything like that but she didn't tell me about the wait, Sonny. I don't know what to do when someone that I…someone that I know is sitting in a hospital all alone, ready to take a test for it, then they have to go home, go back to that stupid club, crammed into a room with three other girls and wait by the phone, wait for those results, I just…" he growled in frustration and stood up, running both of his hands through his hair, "I should've went to Jake's."

"Busting the place up is not going to fix this," Sonny said as he looked up at him from the couch, "And after you were done and your fists were all bloody you'd still have to face this with Elizabeth." He sighed as he ran his hand over his face, "Did she tell you that she was worried she passed…"

"No," Jason said, "No. She told me at first that she always needed something, in this business, so I knew that she was careful and I didn't think past that. I mean…" his eyes grew wide at the thought, "She's only eighteen, Sonny. What has she been through that she's had that many partners or people that she didn't know that she has to take this test?"

"Jason, I don't…"

"And I'm trying to still trace her," Jason said, "I don't want to because that's saying that I don't trust her, I do. Well I mean as much as I could. All I have is proof that she was born and that her parents died at a young age, I can't find anything else. I can't find the clubs that she worked at, the people she dealt with, nothing."

Sonny looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Does that tell you something? Maybe the people she worked for before didn't want her to be found, Jason."

Jason nodded, "Who in the organization do we know that owns a dance club up in Connecticut."

"No one," Sonny said as he leaned back on the couch, laying his arm across the back of it, "And I wasn't referring to just that."

"Okay," Jason said walking back towards the couch, "What were you referring to?"

"How long has she been eighteen?" Sonny asked quietly, "How long has she been in this business, Jason? If your head is on right, and your determined, and you know what you're doing the FBI is not going to find underage girls in your club."

Jason felt his body slowly lowering itself to the couch, "So you're implying that she's been doing this for a few years now."

"I'm not implying anything," Sonny said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I've been there and I was doing fine until I got distracted, until I screwed it all up. If I had a little more control back then, maybe…" he sighed and looked away, "I'm glad I didn't, I'm glad that Karen was able to walk away."

"Okay," Jason said as he faced Sonny, "How do I make Elizabeth walk away?"

Sonny shook his head, "You don't, you can't. This is her choice. Karen, she was underage Jason and people could make decisions for her. Elizabeth, she's reached the point where she's an adult, she makes her own choices and it seems like she's been doing that for quite a few years."

"The thought of her stripping at…"

"You can barely handle the thought of her stripping now," Sonny said with a small smile, "Don't drive yourself crazy thinking about it back then."

Jason felt a smile tug at his own lips and he ran his hands up and down his face. Sonny was right about that. He had a hard enough time staying in the back office when Elizabeth was on stage and all the men were hooting and hollering for her. If he envisioned her back then, dancing for men when she should've been out at the mall with her friends, he would literally kill someone.

"How do I find out more?" Jason asked, "What can I do to get whatever information I can on where she came from and who…" he cleared his throat, "I have to be missing something."

Sonny nodded, "I might be able to find out something. I still have some connections in that part of the business," he ran his hand over the side of his face, "Are you sure you want to go there Jason? Wouldn't it be better if you just asked her?""I did, I tried," Jason said quietly, "It seems like it causes her too much pain." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "The last thing I want to do is hurt Elizabeth any more than she already has been."

"I take it by the look on your face you have heard of my husband," Lily said quietly.

"Um," Elizabeth looked away licking her lips.

"That's a normal reaction," Lily said, "People don't know what to say to the wife of an alleged mobster. I'm used to it, I grew up in this life," she smiled sadly, "You don't make a lot of friends in this business but the ones you have are ones that you will keep for life."

Elizabeth shook her head, "I could care less about what business your husband or Jason are in."

Lily's eyebrows rose slightly at the mention of Jason Morgan.

"It's just a little uncomfortable," Elizabeth continued as she pointed to the space where it said employment information on the clipboard, "Because I work for him."

"Oh," Lily smiled softly, "Are you one of the new hostesses?"

"I'm a dancer," Elizabeth said and looked away from the brunettes penetrating brown eyes, "I strip at the club he obviously named after you."

Lily laughed softly, "This whole town expected me to be furious over that. I think they were even more upset when I wasn't. The club was actually my idea, something I threw in while Jason and Sonny were talking. I had no idea they would take me seriously," her face light up when she spoke of her husband, "I should know Sonny well enough by now to know that he would take a dare when I'm the one who gives it to him."

Elizabeth smiled, "That sounds like Sonny," she blushed slightly, "Your husband has been very kind to me. I think he's wonderful, no matter what anybody says. He's the first friend I've had in a very long time."

"I'd like to be the second," Lily said as she came around the nurse's station and took Elizabeth by the arm, leading her back towards a private room.

"I'd like that too," Elizabeth said as she sat down in the chair that Lily motioned for her to sit in. She quickly propped up the clipboard on her legs and started to scrawl out the information requested, leaving the family and contact information blank.

"So," Lily said as she pulled out a vial for the blood to be placed into, "If Sonny's your first friend and I'm your second, where does that leave Jason?"

Elizabeth's hand froze on the page as she looked up at Lily, her eyes wide.

Lily laughed softly and nodded knowingly while she grabbed some cotton swabs, "He's the reason you're here."

Elizabeth felt the roots of her hair turn red as she turned back to the paperwork in front of her, determined to finish it, "No, it's…" she bit her lip and looked up when Lily placed a hand on her wrist.

"You don't have to explain to me what's going on between you and Jason," Lily said quietly, "I know him and I know that he's not the kind of man to take advantage of a woman."

"Is he the kind of man to sleep with someone the second night he met her?" Elizabeth asked then looked back down at the clipboard, signing her name, "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me to say."

"He's not," Lily said as she took the paperwork from Elizabeth, "And I have a feeling that you're not either."

Elizabeth ran her sweaty palms up and down her jeans, "I'm here for a reason."

Lily nodded as she wrapped a band around Elizabeth's arm, "Make a fist. Do you have reason to believe that you have been infected with the HIV virus?"

Elizabeth shook her head and looked away. After all these times in chairs just like this one she still couldn't stand the sight of her own blood, "No. I just…"

"This is going to pinch, sting just a little," Lily said quietly.

"Jason isn't in danger, this is just a precaution. He…" Elizabeth blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling tears suddenly appear, "He is a friend and I don't want to hurt him."

"This will make sure you won't," Lily said as she placed a band-aid over Elizabeth's arm, "You're done. These results can take up two weeks."

Elizabeth sighed as she rested her head back against the chair. Two weeks? She was supposed to be leaving town in five days, "Can I get these forwarded to me somewhere?"

"I'm sorry," Lily said as she finished writing on a label that was then placed on Elizabeth's vile, "Are you going on vacation?"

"No," Elizabeth said softly, "No, I'm not going anywhere."

At least not for another two weeks, she thought.

"Yes you are," Lily smiled, "You're going to come down to the cafeteria and get something to eat with me."

"Really, I'm fine," Elizabeth said, standing up slowly.

"Nonsense," Lily said, "Besides, didn't you hear what I said about these people around here? I have very few friends and I'd like if you would keep me company while I have lunch. I'll tell you everything you need to know about Jason Morgan."

Elizabeth laughed softly as she followed Lily out of the room. How could she pass up an offer like that?

"This may take a few weeks," Sonny said as he hung up the phone and looked at Jason, "Are you prepared to wait that long?"

Jason nodded, "I'm not worried about what we're going to find. If something was off, if there was something we would need to know, I'm sure that Johnny or Francis would have found it by now. I just want to know where she came from, how she got here."

"Maybe it's best that you didn't," Sonny said.

"I promise that I won't go after whoever got her started in this business," Jason said as he stood up from the couch, "Not unless she wants me to."

Sonny shook his head and smiled, "I like what she's doing to you. I missed seeing you get like this over a woman."

"You…" Jason was cut off when his phone started to ring, "We're not finished this."

"Uh huh," Sonny laughed as he poured himself some bourbon and took a small sip.

"Yeah?" Jason asked.

"I'm standing here, stranded outside of General Hospital. I thought we had a date tonight. You coming to get me or what?"

"Elizabeth," Jason sighed and then laughed softly, "Yeah, we do, I'm on my way."