Leo slipped his cell phone into his back pocket still attempting to process what he just heard. Not only was Billy in Elizabeth's office this morning, but she was defending him no less. What alternative universe had they all slipped into overnight, he wondered. Leo couldn't see past the anger that was welling up inside of him at the moment. The thought of Billy Weston anywhere near Elizabeth made his blood boil. After all he had put her through, to think that Billy was trying to make his way back into her life again better yet that it seemed as if Elizabeth was about to let him, had Leo almost sick to his stomach.

What the hell were he and Melanie going to do now? He thought of Melanie's earlier suggestion of making Theresa disappear and contemplated adding Weston to the mix. Leo half smiled thinking if it were only that easy. What a mess this was all turning into. How could something as simple as allowing Elizabeth and Jason to be happy become so incredibly complicated?

Leo toyed with the notion of marching over to the hospital and reading Elizabeth the riot act, yet from what Melanie had told him about their friend's attitude this morning he knew it would do more harm than good. So instead he settled on finding Jason even though he wasn't at all sure what he was going to say to him.

Tom slide out from the undercarriage of Jason's racecar just in time to see Leo approaching him. He hadn't planned on having to deal with Jason's "new" best friend today.

"Hi Tom, Jason around?" Leo asked.

"Do you see him?" Tom quipped.

"What's with you when it comes to me?" Leo questioned. He had grown tired of Jason's one man crew and his shitty attitude. "Ever since we met you've done nothing but act like an ass and I'd love to know what the hell I ever did to you?"

"Like you don't know," Tom answered vaguely.

Leo shook his head and gave Tom a smirk. "Are we really going to do this? Can't you just man up and tell me? I sure as hell don't plan on playing guessing games with you. I don't have the time or the energy." Being up for over twenty-four hours was finally getting the better of him. Leo felt as if he was about to drop.

"And as you can see I don't have the time for you either," Tom announced bringing himself to a standing position next to Jason's metallic blue car. "I'm a little busy myself the suspension needs a few adjustments for the upcoming qualifier in a few days."

Leo stopped himself before he started to speak. As much as he would have loved to put Tom Boudean in his place, in that instance he just didn't have the inclination to do so. He really just wanted to talk to Jason. "When Jason shows up tell him I need to talk to him," Leo said even though he was certain that would be the last message Tom would be giving to his friend.

As Leo let the door close behind him, he saw Jason getting out of the cab of his truck looking about as haggard as he felt. As he approached his fellow driver and friend, Leo grappled with the idea of telling him what Melanie had relayed earlier about Billy being in Elizabeth's office.

"Hey man," Jason said when he got closer.

"You look about as bad as I feel," Leo stated.

Jason glanced down at his rumpled clothes that were going on day two of wear and ran his hand across his chin and felt the prickle of unshaven whiskers. He imagined he looked pretty rough. "Thanks," he said half-heartedly. "It's been a long night. Have you seen Elizabeth?" he asked hoping for some news.

"Not since last night."

Jason felt his shoulders slump at those words. He had hoped that Leo would have at least seen or talked to her. He need to at minimum know that she was alright. He still wasn't able to shake the thought of her and Billy from the previous night.

"Mel has," Leo added quickly. "She said she's holed up in her office."

"I really need to see her," Jason announced. "I have to explain what she thinks she saw wasn't happening.

"That might not be as easy as you think. When Elizabeth gets something in her head, right or wrong," Leo added. "It's tough to get her to think otherwise."

"She can't truly believe that there's actually something going on between me and Theresa, can she?" Jason questioned in disbelief. He was certain he had made his distaste for the circuit whore abundantly clear.

"There's a lot of evidence pointing to the contrary," Leo stated. "At least from where Elizabeth is standing," Leo tried to soften the blow of his earlier remark.

"That's crazy!"

"Maybe, but if you were in her shoes and every time you picked up a newspaper or a racing rag and saw her splashed on the front page in the arms of your rival, what would you think?"

"Every time I turn around she's there!" Jason gasped referring to Theresa's ever constant presence. "And Elizabeth has been so busy with work…."

"And busy avoiding putting herself in harms' way again," Leo countered.

"What?" Jason asked perplexed half wondering if his lack of sleep was messing with his thought process since he had no idea what his friend was talking about.

"She's distancing herself so that when you eventually end up with Theresa…."

"I have no intention of ending up with Theresa!" Jason cut Leo off with a roar.

"I know that, but Elizabeth she doesn't, for her she's been down this road once and all she can see are the signs she so glaringly missed the first go round.

"That's totally irrational."

"And who said women are rational?" Leo said with a laugh.

"How the hell am I supposed to make her understand she's the only person for me?"

"I've known Liz for the better part of my life and man I don't have an answer for you. She's as stubborn as she is,"

"Beautiful," Jason interjected.

"Well I was going to say smart but that works too."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Jason asked completely at a loss.

Before Melanie had mentioned Billy's visit to Elizabeth's office, he would have told his friend to give her time but now Leo wasn't exactly sure Jason had the luxury of time. "Well first off stay as far away from Theresa Kennedy as possible."

"If it were only that easy," Jason said.

"I know man, she's like a parasite that you can't ever seem to get rid of but you're going to have to figure out a way. I hate to say this but the next time Liz sees Theresa anywhere near you, I'm pretty sure you will have lost her for good."

Jason didn't want to believe that, but deep down he knew his friend spoke the truth.

Billy arrived at the Ryan Racing compound in a somewhat chipper mood threads of his plans knitting themselves together in a way that no matter the outcome he would rise to the top. That feeling left him a little giddy. He lengthened his stride to catch up with Tom who was just leaving the bays that were reserved for Jason Morgan and quickly fell into step beside his cohort.

"All the pieces falling into place?" Billy asked nonchalantly.

Tom let out a heavy sigh trying to decide if his morning could get any worse. He hadn't wanted to talk to Billy Weston any more than Leo Jorgenson. And he certainly didn't want to discuss what Billy was eluding to. "We're good."

"Exactly what does that mean?" Billy questioned wondering if Tom was having second thoughts.

"I thought you said you didn't want to be involved in the details."

"I don't," Billy concurred.

"Then why are you up my ass? Don't you trust me to get it done?"

"Frankly, no," Billy announced.

Billy's declaration stopped Tom in his tracks, the idea of throwing Weston under the bus revealing his plan to anyone who would listen, but he stopped short when the little voice in his head ran down the diatribe of all the things that joining Ryan Racing and Jason's new allegiances had cost him.

"Can you blame me?" Billy's voice pulled Tom from his thoughts.

"I'll get it done!"

"Good. Just make it sooner rather than later," Billy expressed cryptically as the pair parted company.