Indescribable

It took them a good amount of time, but they finally got Max to calm down enough to tell them what happened. Finding out that they were in town to meet up with Jason about a possible threat made the moment that much more dire with Milo in his current condition. Apparently they were ambushed leaving their hotel, but he couldn't wager a guess as to how their location was compromised so quickly. They took every precaution that they were taught to. They watched for tails, traveled under an alias and made sure that they couldn't be traced.

"Emily," Sonny voices when she walks out of the room, signalling for Jason to keep Max seated, not needing the guy to pass out again. "How's the kid?"

"He's in rough shape," Emily says honestly. "Any longer and it would have been an entirely different outcome."

"So he's going to make it?" Sonny questions, needing to be sure.

"He's going to make it, but I'd advise against moving him anytime soon. Two weeks should suffice." Emily explains. "Elizabeth's getting him comfortable. I left a week's supply of medication."

"Thanks," Sonny says with gratitude. "I appreciate you coming through for us like this."

"Yeah, well, it was Liz who asked," Emily says with a shrug. "Not much I wouldn't do for my family."

"Of course," Sonny accepts, stepping aside for her to walk over to Jason and Max.

"Your brother is going to be just fine," Emily says to Max, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You did good by bringing him here. If you're ready to see him, you can go right in, I'm sure having you close will help him."

"Thanks, doc," Max says before quickly standing and hugging her, pulling away just as quickly. "He's all I got, you know. Only brother I got."

"He's lucky to have you," Emily says with a soft smile before watching him run off to the room, turning her gaze to Jason once he's gone. "I hate to save a life and run, but I have a flight to catch. Do me a favor?"

"Sure," Jason replies simply.

"Whatever is happening right now, whatever reason has that guy in the condition he's in," Emily says seriously. "You keep your head on a swivel and you keep our family safe. Understand?"

"Understood," Jason says before pulling her in for a warm hug, knowing it'll be a while before he sees her again. "Same goes for you. Stay safe out there."

"Always," Emily promises. "Miss you guys already."

"Johnny's downstairs," Jason says as he pulls away, meeting her eyes before she can argue the point. "For my peace of mind."

"Okay," Emily accepts. "I love you, big brother."

"I love you, too," Jason says, leaning in to place a soft kiss upon her forehead. "Go on. Wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

"I'm sure you would, but I appreciate the thought," Emily laughs softly. "I'll be seeing you."

It's no secret that her brother doesn't like her husband, doesn't even respect him, but she always appreciates that he's willing to make an effort for her sake. He's even managed to be civil with him on occasion, something she has come to see takes a great deal of effort on Jason's end and it just warms her heart to know the length he'd go to see her smile.

Saying goodbye to them, she makes her way out to the front of the bar where Johnny's waiting, hugging him in greeting and thanking him for the ride. She knows the inherent risk they take on the daily for them and that's a debt you can't repay. Which is why she does what she can for them, when the time comes that her assistance is required, much like tonight.

"Hey," Jason voices when his wife walks out of the room and Sonny leaves them to themselves. "You okay?"

"I am now," she assures, letting him take her hands into his. "Seeing Milo like that...it took me back for a moment..."

"I know," he says gently. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replies with a soft smile. "Keeps the reality present, you know?"

"Still," Jason sighs. "You don't need this kind of reminder."

"I'm okay," Elizabeth assures him. "Truly, Jason, I'm fine. It was only for a moment."

"Okay," he whispers, knowing she can handle it, but wishing she didn't have to. "Francis is on his way to take you home. He's going to stick with you until we get a handle on this. Same rotation as last time."

"Understood," Elizabeth replies without hesitation. "Come home when you can."

"Someone call for their big brother?" Francis comments in the doorway, smiling slightly when the two turn to face him, knowing how much Jason hates putting her safety in the hands of someone else.

"That would be me," Elizabeth replies with a smile of her own before turning back to her husband. "Love you."

"Love you," he whispers, meeting her eyes for a long moment. "See you soon."

"I better," she replies firmly before allowing him to release his hold on her. "A promise made is a promise kept."

"Understood," Jason assures before turning to Francis. "With your life."

"Always," Francis states before holding out his arm for Elizabeth. "Ready?"

"Ready," Elizabeth replies, taking one last look at her husband before she walks out of sight. "Any thoughts on dinner? I'm starving."

"No worries," Francis assures. "I got you covered."

"How?" Elizabeth questions when they get to his car and she finds bags of takeout. "You always seem to know what I need."

"Years of experience," Francis counters with ease, helping her into the car before getting into the driver's seat. "How does a movie marathon sound?"

"Sounds perfect," Elizabeth admits. "Thanks, Fran."

"Anytime."

While they are heading to the penthouse for a night in, Jason is making his way to the ambush sight, needing to see if he can pick up some kind of trail or hint of where the shooters went. As dangerous as it is to be out there on his own, he takes this task over calling Giambetti to tell him what happened to his son. Sonny will make the initial call, boss to boss, before Max takes over to fill in the blanks. Knowing Giambetti the way he does, that's one call he's more than glad to not be present for. Being out on the streets will lend some ease to Giambetti, knowing that Jason is out looking for those responsible.

"What did you find?" Sonny questions him when he gets back to the bar, thankful to have the place closed for the night.

"They were good enough to avoid cameras, but it was definitely a sloppy hit," Jason explains. "If they were any good, neither of them would have made it out of that ambush."

"Which lends truth to Max's story about a new organization trying to make its way through the ranks," Sonny sighs, knowing that this was about to get worse before it got better. "Giambetti is going to find a way to make it stateside again. Until then, its on us to figure out who did this and end it before anyone else gets hurt."

"Guess its a good thing Carly decided to leave town this week," Jason comments. "The less we have to worry about the better."

"Yeah," Sonny agrees. "But she won't stay gone for long. We need to end this and fast."

"Agreed," Jason replies. "I have the guys calling in whatever contacts they have to get a read on the situation. I'll have Stan continue his search on the area to see if we can get even a glimpse of these guys. With any luck, they'll slip up and show their hand."

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