Elizabeth continued to giggle as she left Leo and Melanie starring after her. The gloomy cloud that encircled her moments before had been blown away by the thoughts of the successful ambush she had accomplished against her two best friends. It wasn't like she hadn't been trying to get those two together for some time now but suddenly it was like her life's mission. Seeing Melanie and Leo happy was a fixation for Elizabeth – and she knew in her heart of hearts that they were the perfect match for one another. It was just too bad neither was willing to admit it.

The lingering glances that Melanie occasionally shot in Leo's direction when she thought no one was looking didn't go unnoticed by Elizabeth. She knew her friend too well. She knew that Melanie was scared and had a track record of broken and failed relationships to prove her point – at least she thought she did. But what really clinched the deal for Elizabeth was the night that she watched Leo jump to her friend's defense. It was months ago but his act of chivalry hadn't been forgotten. Elizabeth was keenly aware of Leo's nature to be the protector since she had been on the receiving end of it more times than she could count in their years of friendship but something about the way he came to Melanie's rescue struck a chord in Elizabeth – it was different.

One night after a big win for Ryan Racing they all had gone out to celebrate at one of the many bars frequented by NASCAR drivers and fans. Elizabeth and Melanie were enjoying the loud cheesy 80's music the DJ was playing. The songs conjured up their teenaged years and the pair spent the bulk of the evening on the dance floor living it up. Their antics aroused a few rather drunken guys sitting across the room at the bar to the point that they decided to press their luck and join the girls on the dance floor. Elizabeth wasn't even sure how things had gotten so out of hand but Melanie ended up entangled in the arms of a guy who wasn't taking no for an answer.

Leo was the first one to notice the panic on Elizabeth's face at the out of control situation. Elizabeth's own boyfriend had been too busy reliving his day's victory to even notice what was happening on the dance floor. She now wished that she had seen those small signs as to what the man who claimed to love her was really like. With long strides Leo closed the gap between himself and the guy manhandling a woman who obviously wanted to be somewhere else. The steely look that hung in his eyes was one that Elizabeth knew all too well. It was a look that for those that knew Leo knew there would be hell to pay.

It hadn't taken much effort on his part to toss the other guy to the floor. Actually he fell on the wooden planks of the dance floor like a rag doll a child had dropped after they had finished playing with it. With the his thumbs Leo wiped away the tears the stained Melanie's cheeks and gently put his arm around her leading her back to the table with the rest of the group. The rest of night Leo sat beside the red head protectively almost daring anyone to approach her. It was that action that had gotten the wheels in Elizabeth's head turning.

Several days after that event she broached the subject of Melanie with Leo and while he sloughed off his actions as nothing Elizabeth didn't believe him. From then on she had decided that making the reluctant pair see how right they were for one another. She did her best to throw them in situations together but Melanie hung back almost as though she was afraid of what might happen next. That frustrated Elizabeth as did Leo's unwillingness to admit what he wanted and go after it. But she kept up her attempts and when she and Billy hit the skids that was when her need to bring her two friends together intensified. She channeled all of her energies into making them happy since she couldn't do that for herself. So far though she had been hitting a brick wall on that front as well.

Elizabeth looked at her watched wondering how much time she should give them alone before heading back. She was more than sure there would be hell to pay from her best friend. Melanie would probably looking for ways to string her up by now but she didn't care. She was going to get Leo and Melanie together if it killed her.

Elizabeth stopped short when the name Jason Morgan wafted passed her ears. She listened as her father and Billy continued their conversation unbeknownst that she was eavesdropping.

Pat Ryan leaned back in his chair as Billy droned on. He was full of many mixed emotions at the rumor floating around the track that Jason Morgan had pulled out of the upcoming race he had won pole position for.

"So what's the deal with the pole position?" Billy questioned. "With Morgan pulling out shouldn't it go to the driver highest in the points standing?" Billy knew that person was him and he was looking for any way to attain that coveted position.

"That's just a rumor Billy. Nothing's been confirmed about Morgan's dropping out of the race. Besides even if he does pull out there's still Markham who came in second in the qualifier. He'd get pole position."

Billy grumbled under his breath still jacked off that he had somehow ended up coming in third days before. "I thought it was pretty much in the bag – his pulling out of the race I mean. Hell with him out of the way it should be a cake walk for me."

Pat studied his young star carefully and saw a hint of relief in his eyes. Even though Billy Weston would never admit it he was worried about Jason Morgan. The head of Ryan Racing didn't know if that should make him glad or scare him. "Don't get too over confidant now," Pat suggested. "Nothing is set in stone. Morgan could surprise us all and show up on race day like nothing happened." Even while he was saying that Pat highly doubted the remarks. It was obvious from the lack of attention Jason Morgan as paying to getting his car ready for the impending feature that there was a good chance he would be a no show.

"I doubt it!" Billy retorted. "The scuttle butt is that he's done for the season!" Billy did little to hide that grin that those words elicited. He was overjoyed at the thought that Jason Morgan would no longer be of any competition.

"Well without Jake as his crew chief and only a few mechanics it does stand to reason that his career could stall – momentarily," Pat added. "But in all reality he could end up not being able to finish out the season."

"He's lucky he got as far as he has," Billy remarked snidely. The notion that his only true opposition was basically now null and void had his ego growing by leaps and bounds. "I mean come on Pat you know as well as I do he doesn't have what it takes to make it in this business. He's not that great a driver! He's just some stiff that got lucky and without his crew chief he's nothing!"

Those last remarks had Elizabeth seeing red and before she could think better of it she burst into her father's office surprising them both. "You really are a heartless bastard you know that!" she growled starring Billy square in the eyes. "There you sit turning someone else's tragedy into your win fall! How could I have missed just how damn selfish you truly are?" Her question was more of statement to herself than anyone else. She was truly amazed that she had ever thought that she loved the conceited man sitting there with his feet propped up on the desk like he owned the world.

She was blasted by the images she carried of Jason Morgan's shell shocked expression through the whole ordeal of his friend's heart attack. His emotions for another person were palpable to her and Jason was the anthesis of Billy Weston whose only thoughts were for himself.

"Elizabeth?" Pat stared at his daughter with a questioning look.

"What?" She turned and shot a dagger stare at her father. Suddenly he was having flash backs of the argument they had in the hospital.

"What's this all about? Why are you so angry with Billy? We were just discussing what might end up happening if Morgan ends up not being able to finish out his season."

Elizabeth let out a laugh that held absolutely no humor to it. She continued to chuckle as she stared at him in disbelief. Could he have really been that blind as to not see what she finally saw? "You have got to be kidding me, right? Or were you not hearing the same things I was?"

"You shouldn't have been eavesdropping young lady," he said trying to scold her as he once did when she was a small girl. "We were having a private conversation about something you were adamant about no longer wanting to be a part of – Billy's career."

That remark stung Elizabeth but she wasn't about to falter. "Just how blind are you dad? Or better yet how much longer will you turn the other cheek as long as Ryan Racing is winning?"

"I am doing neither of those things, Elizabeth."

"The hell you aren't! That's exactly what you are doing. You are letting this egotistical maniac do what ever the hell he wants all in the name of winning! He's sitting here taking pleasure in the fact that his competition has been eliminated. He's happy that a man who is supposed to be your friend had a heart attack for god sakes! Are you that stupid dad or just that greedy?"

Billy watched as father and daughter stared the other down. Suddenly the room felt very crowded to him. He looked for a way to slip out unnoticed all the while loving the tension between the pair. The more father and daughter argued the longer the heat would remain off of him and what he had done to cause Elizabeth to walk away from him.

"Elizabeth Ann Ryan!" Pat barked. "I am still your father!" He was displeased by the disrespectful way she spoke to him.

"Then act like one!" she shot back.

"When have I not acted like your father?"

"Would you like a list?" she said with sarcasm in her voice.

"I don't understand where any of this is coming from. When did I become the enemy? What makes me such a horrible person for discussing Billy's career with him? That is what I am supposed to do as owner of this racing team. Billy is my star driver even you can't deny that," Pat said truly thinking he had done nothing wrong.

Elizabeth let out a low moan from the back of her throat. She shook with anger that she didn't know how to control. It never failed her father always had a way to explain almost anything away. Just then the phone on the desk rang allowing both fighters to retire to their neutral corners for the moment. Pat turned his chair so that his back was to his daughter. Leaving Elizabeth to seethe in her own fury at being dismissed without really being told to go.

"Hello," Pat said when he heard the door crash against its frame indicating that he was alone.

"Pat, it's Jake. We need to talk."