A/N: Seriously, I want to hug everyone who is even reading this. I love you all, you're so amazing.

Warning here: attempted vehicular homicide. mentions of a concussion and blood. hints of mob type things at play. I swear, this is just a kind of short little plot idea. It's not going to be major or last very long, I promise.


SEVEN

I nearly shot a foot into the air when Liz tapped me on the shoulder from behind. She raised a brow and I did my best to play it off as if it were nothing.

"What's with you this week, hm? You've been super jittery all week."

"Nothing. I mean, I have covered night shift twice. Maybe it's lack of sleep making me loopy?" I shrugged and just hoped to hell that Liz bought it and didn't ask any more questions. I let myself breathe when that's exactly what happened. Laughing softly and nodding as she told me that she didn't miss those days at all.

I nodded towards the flyer and sign up sheet tacked on the corkboard we stood in front of, sipping our coffee and water. "What's the Nurses Ball like?"

"I was actually going to ask if you wanted to perform with me and a few of the other nurses. It's something we do every year. It raises money for the hospital."

"Ah shit. It says here it's a formal event." I let my eyes scan over the flyer. Liz laughed softly. "So?"

"Me and formal aren't exactly on a first name basis..." I went quiet. "What are you guys doing as a performance?"

"Well, we were going to do a song and dance number. Honestly, I'm trying to get Sabrina and a few of the others on board to do a burlesque type thing." Liz admitted, giving me a pleading look. I raised a hand, fingers catching in messy blonde strands. Thinking it over. I knew how to do burlesque type stuff but I wasn't the best at it and I didn't want to slow everyone down. Liz begged again, smirking as she teased, "It's a way to really get Morgan's attention."

"Liz!"

"What? All I'm saying is there's absolutely no reason you can't make a move."

"Somehow, I get the feeling that at least ten percent of this encouragement comes from the fact that you want to see Carly's head spin around Exorcist style. The woman hates me." I laughed, teasing back. Liz shrugged and admitted with a laugh, "Five percent of my encouragement comes from that. The rest of it is all me, thinking my friend deserves to be happy and needs to stop being so damn afraid, otherwise, said friend is going to miss out on a lot."

"Noted." I nodded, at least pretending to humor the advice.

I signed my name to the list to perform with Liz and the others and then I added my name as a back up slot in case somebody couldn't come out and perform for whatever reason. It was for a good cause, so I wanted to help. I could put my whole hatred of large crowds aside for one night if it helped raise money for the hospital.

That is, if things don't amp up between now and then with whoever tampered with my brakes. I found myself hoping against hope that maybe it was a mistake, maybe whoever had done it mistook my car for someone else's but deep down I knew there hadn't been a mistake. There couldn't have been. There just aren't many red Mustangs around town that I know of. So whoever had done it had to have been looking for my car.

I was apparently zoned out. Liz snapped her fingers in my face and repeated what she'd asked.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just had a weird weekend."

"What do you mean, weird?"

,, oh, I found out someone tampered with my brakes, no big deal." I thought grimly to myself but I replied with a shrug. "Working that night or two threw off my sleep schedule I guess. Kind of had a nightmare or two. I don't know, it was just weird." I hoped to hell that what I told her was enough of an explanation and she didn't push for more.

It's bad enough I'm involved. I'm not dragging anyone else into this.

"I need to get going and let you get back to work. I just came by to pick up my check and see when they had me on the schedule again." I smiled at her, holding out the clipboard that I'd taken off the cork board to sign up as an act for the Nurses Ball to her. "I'll see you again tomorrow. Thank Christ I'm back to my usual schedule."

"Go home and sleep, Jen. I mean it. Because if you're this jittery, you definitely need it."

I gave her the thumbs up as I made my way into the nurses station and found the on shift supervisor to pick up my check. After writing down my scheduled work hours for the rest of the week, I hurried to the elevator, pushing the down arrow. Leaning against the wall as I waited. Ordering myself something to go from the Floating Rib.


"You know what to do. If you see the blonde in this picture again, do it. And try a little harder this time. I want to make sure I send a message crystal clear." the woman on the other end of the call sounded irritated. Daniel grumbled, pacing the alley. "Question is, lady.. Do you want her scared or dead? Because I'm startin to wonder."

"Just do it. If you want your money, that is."

Before he could say anything further, the line went silent. And just as the light went green, he happened to see the blonde in the picture he'd been sent after taking this particular little job as she wandered out of a building. After a quick look around to realize that nobody was around to see him, Daniel smashed the gas.

Soaring straight for the blonde, only to veer away just as she dove out of the way, settling in a heap on the sidewalk after hitting her head. Daniel sped away in a hurry, not bothering to check his handiwork and at a gas station just outside of the Pine Barrens, he stopped to use an old payphone that should've been taken out years ago.

"The job's been done."

"Your money will be waiting on you at the pick up spot. You better have done your job properly. Because that girl is nothing but a thorn in my side."

"Oh, it's done, lady. I left 'er laying face down near an alley."

"I don't know or want to know what you've done."

And again, the line went quiet.


I saw the car heading towards her and I swear, I've never moved faster in my life. I got to where she was just in time to see her settle on the ground, a trickle of blood oozing out of a bump already starting to form on her head. The car took off, all screeching tires, but I managed to get the make. My father stopped beside me and I bent down, winding up sitting on the ground. Rolling Jenny over so I could take a pulse. Trying to fight the urge to throw up. "C'mon, Jenny. Wake up. Jenny, you need to wake up. Please? For me?"

She kept laying there. Barely breathing.

"She's got a pulse in her wrist, son." my dad confirmed as he let go of her wrist. It fell slack against my body.

I placed two fingers against Jenny's neck and let out a ragged breath when I felt her pulse, strong and steady. I pulled her up and into my lap, crushing her against me. My mind was spinning. Taking the worst possible scenarios and running with them. All I could think about was the shootout last month. And that biker I'd bumped into recently from the same MC as the one I'd shot. Had he seen Jenny with me and assumed something?

My father spoke up. "Dante is incoming, kid. Go on. Get outta here. Get her to the ER. I'll send Dante over to ya."

I surprised myself at how calm I was being. Almost deathly calm. Maybe it was shock. Maybe it was that gut feeling that somehow, even though I wasn't the one who did this to her, I was the one to blame for it.

I pulled myself up off the ground, bending. Picking her up in my arms. Hurrying as fast as I could towards the hospital and once I was inside, I shouted for someone to come out before finally sinking down in a chair. Holding her against me.

"Jenny, c'mon. Please wake up." I pleaded for the thousandth time. Until I heard Liz clearing her throat. "Morgan? What the hell happened?"

I barely managed to get everything out and Liz nodded, rushing off to find out if there was an empty cubicle in the back to take her to. Just as Liz vanished through the doors leading to the back, Jenny stirred a little. Opening her eyes and grimacing. She went to sit up but I kept hold of her, keeping her sitting.

Morgan? W-what happened?"

"Someone tried to run you over." I answered. Grimacing at the way the bump on her forehead was starting to swell a little more and already starting to show signs that she was going to have one hell of a bruise. I reached for a tissue from the box on the table next to my chair and after licking my thumb, I wiped off the trickle of blood. Gingerly dabbing at it with the tissue as I just stared at her. Letting myself calm down. Or trying to.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, holding up two fingers.

"Two? I think." she frowned a little, admitting that things were just a little blurry. I nodded. "Yeah, you hit your head on concrete, Jenny. Just be still." I coaxed when she started acting like she wanted to get up again. Shaking my head. "You need to see a doctor, okay? Liz is going to find an open cubicle."

I felt like the biggest piece of fucking scum. If I find out this has anything to do with me and that shootout, I am never going to forgive myself. Ever.

"Thank you." she mumbled after a few seconds that felt like hours passing in the blink of an eye. I swallowed hard, nodding. Wondering if she'd thank me if she knew that I might just be the reason she almost got ran down. If that biker was behind this... With the thought in mind, I decided that as soon as Jenny was being seen by a doctor, I was going to make myself a call.

If this was retaliation, whoever did this to her was in for it. Because I'm not going to stop until I find out who did it. And when I find out, I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again. One way or another.


Liz came to a stop in front of Morgan and I, pushing a wheelchair. Grimacing at the bump I could feel forming on my forehead. My head hurt worse than any hangover or migraine I've ever had in my entire life. And as Liz wheeled me to the back, Morgan caught up to us. "Before you tell me no, you should know I'm coming back, one way or another."

Liz gave me a little smirk about that. Making an attempt to lighten the mood. She glanced at Morgan and shrugged. "I wasn't going to stop you, actually. But if you go upsetting her or anything, you're out."
I felt a little better, knowing that Liz was going to most likely be the one dealing with my situation and that Morgan wasn't breaking his neck to leave.

The shock was starting to wear off. I was starting to realize that this makes the second time in two weeks that someone has tried to hurt or kill me. And if Morgan hadn't found me tonight, I just might have died.

Just the realization had my stomach churning.

Liz wheeled me into an empty cubicle and the second the curtain was closed, she folded her arms, looking at me expectantly. "Okay, what's really going on. Because you've been acting weird for a little while now and then you show up in the emergency room and Morgan tells me you were almost run over by a car?"

I swallowed hard. I didn't want to answer, but I knew there was no way in hell I was going to vague my way out or avoid it this time. Not when Liz could look at me and clearly see the proof that something was wrong.

" I guess I pissed someone off?" my words came in the form of a question and Liz raised a brow. After she'd checked my vitals and gotten me something for my headache, Morgan stood. Walking over to the cot I was stretched out on. "I gotta step out."

I nodded. Thanking him again for sticking around. Morgan left the cubicle and Liz wandered over, peering out into the hallway. Hurrying back over to me and sitting down in the wheelchair. "Okay, you need to start talking. Now."

I sighed and took a few shaky breaths. And then, despite the fact that I didn't want to get her involved in what was going on, I told her everything. From being told that my brakes had been tampered with at the garage last week when I'd been called in, to the way I felt like I was being followed lately. I even told her that I'd spotted a guy who used to run with the same MC as Joey, but I quickly told her, "It's not Joey. Before you ask. I called an old friend and he assured me that Joey's going to be out of my hair for a really long time. I don't know who it is. I don't know why this is happening, either."

Liz took a few deep breaths. Then after lightly smacking my arm because I'd kept all this shit to myself to begin with, she went into deep thought mode. Batting around suggestions.

"Maybe it was that jackass from Tinder? I told you I didn't have a good feeling about him."

"I doubt he'd waste the time though."

"I mean, if he's a psycho, he might?" Liz mused. I leaned my head back against the thin pillow and then it hit me.

That fight I'd gotten into with Ava Jerome a few weeks back when I caught her trying to break into the supply room. I sat up so fast I got dizzy and Liz's arm shot out, stopping me. "Oh no. No and no. You are absolutely not going anywhere. If I have to tie you to this cot."

"I think I know who it might be.." I muttered, grumbling.

"Who?"

"Remember that fight with Ava?" I asked, glancing at her. Liz thought about it and then swore under her breath, standing up. I reached out, grabbing her hand. "If I'm not allowed to leave, you're definitely not about to go find her. Not yet. I mean, it's not like I can actually prove it was her."

"Oh, it has to be her. Now that I'm thinking about it, everything you told me that's been happening is definitely something Ava Jerome would do." Liz scowled.

"If it is her, she's got a big surprise heading her way, I swear to God." I muttered, making Liz nod in agreement. After we discussed everything a little longer, Liz went to make her rounds. Since I had a concussion, she made me load up in the wheel chair and shadow her. And the more we talked about it, the more angry I got.

When Liz finally told me I could go home but I needed to keep myself awake or have someone sit with me to keep me awake, I stepped out into the hallway. Pouting to myself just a little when I found absolutely no sign of Morgan. But ultimately reminding myself that he hadn't been obligated to stay as long as he had in the first place.

I made my way home, settling in on the couch with Forensic Files re-runs. Stewing in frustration, because now that I think Ava is behind this, I'm not even sure where to start as far as getting proof. I just know one thing for certain... I'm not going to step back and let this ride. I am my mother's daughter.

I will make sure she gets hers. One way or another.


"The car was navy blue and the last letters of the plates had TYH on them. I don't care how you find them, I don't care how much it's gonna cost me. I need you to do your thing, man." I explained to one of the guys who works with my father and specializes in finding people.

"What do you want me to do when I find them? Take 'em to Sonny?"

"Nope. My father's got nothing in this. If this is what I think this is, it's time for me to man up and handle my own problems. When you find the person who was driving the car, I want you to bring them down to the warehouse down by the docks. I'll be waiting."

"You sure you don't want me to take 'em to Sonny? You're already in enough heat, kid.. I don't like this."

"I don't fucking care. This is my problem, man. I'm going to handle it."

After I hung up the phone, I went back into the cubicle. Frowning when I found it empty, no sign of Jenny. I found Liz as she was making her rounds and Liz explained that she'd called for an Uber for Jenny because Jenny was okay to go home, provided she stayed awake.

I nodded. Setting off to find my dad and Dante so I could tell them everything that happened and tell Dante where to go to find Jenny to get her side of the story.

And after this?

I have got to do everything in my power to stay the hell away from Jenny Martin. I don't want her getting hurt again. I can't let it happen.