Chapter Eight

Author's Notes: Okay, I realize that this one took awhile in coming, but I hope that it was worth the wait. It's longer than usual, and I'm really happy with the way the chapter turned out. Thanks to those who read and reviewed the previous chapters.

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"He wants me to help him find his parents," Jason explained, fitting the clasp of his wife's necklace together for her and then lingering to brush his fingers against the soft, pale skin of her graceful neck.

"Can you do that?" Elizabeth asked, letting her hair fall back and stepping forward to retrieve the t-shirt set on top of their dresser, "Find them, I mean."

"I don't know," Shrugging, he perched on the edge of their bed, "I warned the kid not to get too excited, but—" Accepting the shirt she handed him, he smiled his thanks and pulled the garment over his head. At the disappearance of his muscle-packed chest and flat stomach, Elizabeth couldn't help but wish the offending piece of cotton away.

"It's Spinelli," She finished for him, and he nodded once,

"I know."

"So he's probably half-way over the moon all ready," Elizabeth turned her back to him and rummaged through the dresser drawer for the shirt she wanted. Plucking the green blouse from the drawer, she looked up to find her husband's large form looming behind her in the mirror that hung over their bureau. He leaned in; chafing his big, calloused hands over her arms, and hooked his chin on her shoulder,

"Exactly."

He turned his head just a little; stroking the tip of his nose against her neck before pressing a string of enticing kisses along the curve. Sliding his arms around her, he drew her back against him and sighed deeply, contentedly, in her ear.

"Jason," Elizabeth laughed, enjoying his bear-hug like embrace, "The kids are going to be busting in here any second."

"I never thought I'd say this, but thank God for Spinelli," He'd resumed kissing her neck; sweetly, moving slowly upwards, "He'll keep the heathens occupied."

"He is good with them," She agreed slowly, melting backwards against him and wriggling sensuously against his front. Reaching behind her, she'd begun to edge that same cotton shirt she'd earlier cursed up inch by inch to reveal his warm skin.

"It's because they understand each other," Jason managed to say; and then a certain part of her connected with a certain part of him, and all talk of the kids ceased.

Seconds later, he had her lifted from the floor and turned around to face him. Her behind rested on the edge of the bureau for just a moment before Jason had picked her up enough to wrap her legs around his waist. Elizabeth forcefully shoved her hands under his shirt, and his large hands were then massaging under her legs before cupping her behind, "Maybe we've got a few minutes," She allowed, playing the whole thing off as a bit of an imposition, "But just a few."

"Well thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule," Jason teased in a husky voice; finally kissing her straight on the mouth. She sighed against his lips, and her grip got tighter as he turned and lowered her back to their bed. Elizabeth dragged his shirt over his head and threw it somewhere across the room. Wrapping both arms around his neck, she smiled seductively before pulling his head back down to hers.

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"We're goin' to the park, we're goin' to the park!" Cameron sang happily, dancing around the living room with Spinelli. Jake, settled on his blanket on the floor, laughed and clapped at the antics of the other boys, calling along with them,

"Park! Park!"

Standing halfway up the stairs, Elizabeth watched her boys happy as they played together and smiled a soft, teary smile. This was what she had wanted for so long. All her boys; under one roof. Her family was finally all together. It had taken longer than she really would have liked, but all that mattered now was that they were all; finally; together again. As it should be.

A repetitive knock on the door came, breaking the moment, and Elizabeth hastened down the stairs to answer, "I'm coming, hold your horses, I'm—"

Her mild scolding stopped dead in its tracks as she discovered who was on the other side of the door. She stood there in shock; one hand on the door frame, the other on the door, long enough for Spinelli to stop dancing with Cam and stand directly between the two boys and the door, warily watching, "Fair Elizabeth?"

"Hey Liz-bits," Lecherously, the Irishman at the door looked her up and down before releasing an appreciative whistle, "Wow, you grew up."

"Oh my god!" Elizabeth shrieked, recovering certain parts of her being as she launched herself at the new arrival, "Johnny O'Brien!"

"Ooof," O'Brien took a step back to steady himself as he caught Elizabeth and gave her a tight hug, "Did you miss me or something?"

"When do I get a go at her?" Another familiar voice asked, and Elizabeth found herself passed from one newcomer to the next, "How you doing sweetheart?"

"Francis!" She hugged him hard, "You're back!"

"That I am," Giving his favorite former charge a final squeeze he set her on the floor again, the Italian grinned and asked, "How are you? Been makin' out okay?"

Seeing just who was at the door, Spinelli relaxed his stance blocking Cameron and Jake, "Ah. Greetings, Preferred Protectors of the Night."

"Mr. Spinelli," Francis nodded in the younger man's direction while Johnny fashioned his hand into a V with his index and middle fingers on one side, his ring and pinkie fingers on the other,

"Greetings Earthlings."

"You be nice to him," Elizabeth admonished, playfully cuffing Johnny in the bicep.

"Oh fine," Johnny muttered sourly, "You never let me have any fun."

"Aw, quit your pouting O'Brien," Francis scolded mildly, "You look like you're three."

"Well then," Johnny teased back at Francis, winking devilishly at Elizabeth, "I'm doing better than you then aren't I?"

Francis scowled, Johnny sniggered, and Elizabeth was grinning as she teasingly admonished, "You two be good in front of the kids. I don't need them picking up your bad habits."

"Sure," Johnny agreed as he and Francis stepped fully into the apartment and closed the front door behind them, "I mean, them picking up their Daddy's is probably bad enough."

"I heard that," Jason's voice called from the doorway from the kitchen. Leaning against the curved doorframe, he crossed his arms and pinned Johnny with an almost-Stone-Cold-Stare.

"Good," Johnny grinned, and Cameron scrabbled from his spot by Spinelli to holler with outstretched arms,

"Daddy! We're goin' to the park!"

"That we are, Little Man," Jason agreed, swinging the boy up into his arms, "I'm going to play on the swings."

"Me too Daddy!" Cameron exclaimed, one arm hugging his father's neck happily, and from the floor, little Jake joined in,

"Me Daddy!"

Jason laughed, and all adults noticed in the change in the man they had known when his attention was turned to his kids, "Are we going to be nice and ask Spinelli to play too?" He prompted the boys, and Jake immediately wanted to be first, grabbing Spinelli by the ankle,

"Pinny too?"

With a glimpse first at Jason, Spinelli leaned down and swooped the toddler off the floor, "Of course the Jackal would be pleased to accompany the Young Cam and the Small Stone Cold One on their mission to the playground."

"Now that that's all settled," Smiling, Elizabeth crossed the room to her boys and lifted Jake from Spinelli's arms as the tot held out his chubby arms to her, "It's time to get you two off to daycare."

"Aw Momma," Cameron whined, weaving his other arm around Jason's neck and holding on tighter, "I wanna stay with Daddy. We're going to the park."

"I know baby, but Daddy's gotta work this morning, then he'll take you to the park in the afternoon," She looked to Jason to collaborate; which he quickly did,

"Momma's right Little Man," Giving the preschooler a squeeze, he explained, "You and Jake are going to go with Momma and Francis and then after lunch, Spinelli and I will come and get you so we can go to the park. Cool?"

Cameron seemed to seriously consider it, but eventually he nodded, "Cool," He gave his father's neck another hug before looking up at him with big, imploring brown eyes, "You're not gonna forget right?"

"No way buddy," Jason assured, and the boy seemed content in it. Swinging him to the floor, Jason sent Cameron off towards Francis, "You be good for Mom and Francis alright?"

"Yes Daddy," Cameron gave a long-suffering sigh; as if to signify his father's request was a difficult burden to bear, and the preschooler trundled off to his mother's side.

Jason took the two steps it took to bring him beside his wife, and leaned down to kiss her good-bye. As their lips parted reluctantly (eliciting an elongated ewww from their eldest son) Elizabeth raised a brow at her husband, asking,

"How come you didn't tell me Johnny and Francis were back?"

"Uh oh," Johnny muttered audibly to Francis across the room, "He's all ready in trouble."

"Surprise," Jason murmured lightly before leaning in to press another kiss to her lips. He was also met with a sloppy kiss on the cheek from Jake that had him grinning, "Bye Jake," He gently shook the little hand the toddler extended to him, "Have fun at daycare buddy."

"Bye Daddy," A more-gums-than-teeth smile was offered and an unspoken see you later was exchanged between the parents until an exasperated Cameron exclaimed from beside Francis,

"Are ya comin'?"

"We're coming Cam," Elizabeth assured, and soon toddler, preschooler, Mommy, and guard had trundled out of the apartment; a diaper bag and Chuggin' Charlie backpack slung over Francis' arm.

Jason still wore a small smile as the door closed behind his family, and looking around the near-empty living room; he found Spinelli and Johnny watching him; both with bemused looks on their faces, "What?" He demanded; the Stone Cold exterior returning.

"Nothin'," Johnny replied with a grin that implied he was full of it.

But Spinelli had always been forthcoming, and so the hacker replied with, "Ah Stone Cold. It does the Jackal's heart good to see you and Fair Elizabeth united with your progeny once again. The Jackal is most grateful that you have allowed him this glimpse of the union of harmony which is created by the blessedness of a family."

"Uh, thanks, Spinelli," Jason replied, confused; while Johnny looked to Spinelli like the kid possibly was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen.

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"Well, well. Look here now," Epiphany clucked her tongue in astonishment as Elizabeth arrived behind the nurses' desk for her morning shift, "Nurse Morgan; arriving on time for her shift," The staunch head-nurse took a double-take as she again checked her watch, "Early even. What got into you today?"

The mother of two blushed slightly as her mind returned to the events of the early morning; but she soon covered with a smile and insisted, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mmm-hmm," Epiphany muttered disbelievingly, rolling her eyes as if she knew exactly what dirty thoughts were flitting through Nurse Morgan's mind at that particular moment, "Well since you're here; all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you can get started. Mrs. Isakson, in 212 needs her meds, and Mr. Reed in 215 needs his bandages changed. You can start there."

"Sure Epiphany," Elizabeth agreed, offering the other nurse a smile, "I'll get right on it."

"I know you will," Epiphany commented in such a way that the sentence could either be a compliment or a warning. She scanned the floor; looking for what, Elizabeth wasn't sure; but the older nurse seemed to find something as she asked, "Is that Francis Corelli I see hovering over by the elevators?"

"Oh, yeah," Elizabeth grinned, and then offered her favorite guard a friendly wave. He responded with a nod before glaring at an intern who had nearly jabbed him with an empty gurney, "That's him. He and Johnny O'Brien just got back into town a day or so ago. I just found out this morning when the two of them showed up at my door."

"Your husband didn't tell you?" Epiphany asked with a raised eyebrow; her tone saying what she thought of that idea.

"He said he wanted it to be a surprise, since he knew how much I missed them," The younger nurse shrugged and then began sifting through the chart binders for the two she needed.

"Now, Johnny O'Brien, isn't he the one that everybody thought had disappeared there a few years ago?" Epiphany asked, and then stopped Elizabeth from answering, "You know what, I don't want to know. You just keep those little secrets to yourself. I don't want no part of it, you hear me?"

"I hear you," She had to hold in a chuckle as she said it, but Elizabeth managed to speak in a sober voice; even though a smile seemed to peek through.

"Good," The gruff nurse admonished, "And you make sure that your husband's boy over there knows to keep himself out of the way. We don't need someone standing in the corner, intimidating everybody and scaring patients away."

"Yes'm," Elizabeth replied with a smirk as she gathered the two recovered charts against her front, and Epiphany responded with another quirked brow, but said nothing. And Elizabeth walked from the hub; heading for the patients' rooms; chortling to herself along the way.

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"There's no record of any adoption, open or closed within two weeks of your birth date," Jason scanned the computer screen, scrolling through the list. Spinelli hovered behind the chair he sat in, reading over Jason's shoulder. "There was one, three weeks after," Jason read aloud, and Spinelli couldn't help the surge of hope as he gripped his mentor's shoulder, "But it was girl."

Spinelli sagged, defeated. He'd found nothing on his own, even with his advanced cyber-sleuthing skills. Bringing Stone Cold up to speed on his failure to uncover anything on his true parentage was all the more depressing. After Johnny O had conferred with Stone Cold on matters of business, the Preferred Protector of the Night had exited the penthouse to complete duties unknown, and Spinelli had ceased the moments to share his findings, or rather, lack thereof with his mentor. As it stood; imparting that he had found practically nothing, hurt his pride more than he cared to admit.

"We'll find something Spinelli," Jason regarded his protégé's down drawn expression over his shoulder, "It's just going to take time. And maybe, maybe there was no official record of it, so in that case, searching the adoption files would be kind of pointless."

"If that's the case then, how are we going to find anything?" Spinelli flopped dejectedly onto the sofa, bringing his hands up to cover his face, "We'll never find anything; and I'll never know who I came from. I never should've started looking in the first place. It was stupid to even think that I could find anything."

"Hey, hey," Jason spun the chair he sat in so that he could reach Spinelli to cuff the younger man gently in the shoulder, "Stop that. We'll find something. It's just going to take time."

"Time," Spinelli returned, a woeful expression on his face, "Such a cruel, cruel mistress."

Bewilderment had Jason shaking his head and turning back to the computer screen.

A knock at the door drew their attention; Spinelli practically leapt from the couch to answer it. Bewilderment now threw them both as the two looked at their visitor.

"Dominator?" Spinelli finally stuttered, "What brings your exemplary wrestling self to our humble abode?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Alice's eyes darted nervously as she carried a large box in her arms, "But I have something to give Mr. Jason."

"Come on in," Jason stood from the desk chair, motioning for the Quatermaine employee inside, "What's going on Alice?"

"Yes," Spinelli jumped in, glad for the distraction, "Has the Curmudgeonly One invited your ire, leading you to place his exasperating self in a cross-face-chicken-wing?"

Jason was almost positive that Spinelli had just asked if the maid had put his admittedly exasperating Grandfather in some kind of wrestling move. As Alice entered, she gladly set the box down on the desk, grateful to give her arms a rest.

"No, Mr. Edward is fine," Alice assured the pair, "Although when he gets going sometimes I just want to," She stopped, shook her head, and tried to return her mind to the task at hand, "I came here because I was looking for something for Miss Tracy, which she insists that she didn't lose," That look came over her face again, but she soon suppressed it, "I found this tucked away behind a few boxes in the attic behind a few of Miss Lila's things," Alice hefted the box again, the muscles in her arms bunching as she lifted, "I thought you should have it."

What should he say to that? Jason wondered. While he usually remained separate from most things Quatermaine. He'd had to; separate what his life had been from what his life was now. Jason Quatermaine from Jason Morgan. They were two separate people; but occasionally overlapped; and it seemed as if this was one such instance. Alice had dragged the box all the way to the penthouse from the Quatermaine home; simply because she thought the occupants of the box would be of interest to him.

"Uh, thanks Alice," Jason began, raising a hand to rub at the back of his neck, "For bringing it all the way over here."

"It was no problem Mr. Jason," The redheaded maid/semi-professional wrestler smiled almost flirtatiously at him, "No problem at all."

"Do my eyes deceive me," Spinelli had begun leafing through the stack of photographs piled at the top of the box. He held one picture up for Jason and Alice to see; one of a little blonde toddler. The child in the picture much resembled Jake, but the picture was old and the paper it was imprinted on yellowed and the corners dog-eared, "Or is this a photographically representation of Stone Cold himself as a young tot?"

Leaning in to get a better look, Alice soon confirmed Spinelli's findings, "Yep. That one is of Mr. Jason here as a little tyke. Cute little fella, wasn't he?"

Slightly uncomfortable under the maid's stare, Jason leaned to Spinelli's other side to see the picture. If he squinted, he could see the resemblance between himself as a child and Jake now.

"Way cute," Spinelli agreed, and Jason shot him a glare that had the hacker prattling on quickly, "Who grew up to be a rippling statute of masculinity. And the Small Stone Cold One will do the same."

Spinelli's cover was more embarrassing than his initial reaction, and Jason chastised in a low voice, "Spinelli."

The kid ducked his head and returned to the photographs. The next one he flipped to set Jason aback. There he stood a few years older than the photograph previous; probably a few years before the accident; with one arm wound tightly around a young Emily's shoulders and the other resting around AJ's shoulders. All three Quatermaine siblings were smiling for the camera, Emily was laughing so hard her eyes were closed, and AJ was making a V behind Jason's head with two fingers held aloft. The emotion shining through in that one photograph set him back with a powerful feeling in his chest, and he once again looked to Alice; a grateful, lop-sided smile budding over his face as he murmured sincerely, "Thank you."

Alice returned the smile, all the previous joking aside, and replied, "You're welcome."

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"Elizabeth!"

She didn't want to, but Elizabeth couldn't stifle a groan as her grandmother's voice reached her ears. She really wasn't in the mood for another rendition of why her husband was no good for her; why he was no good for their children. And she really wasn't in the mood for having this conversation in the middle of the floor of General Hospital; for all to hear; while she was on shift. But Grams was determined.

"Elizabeth! Did you hear me calling you?"

Covering a long-suffering sigh (so that's where Cameron got it) with a fake smile, Elizabeth greeted her grandmother, "Morning Grams. How are you?"

"Physically I'm about as good as always," Audrey replied staunchly, "But I worry sick about you and those boys Elizabeth. Do you really think that living with that," Here she lowered her voice, like a change in pitch could somehow alter the meaning of the word she uttered, "Mobster is really the best thing for those boys? For you?"

"He's their father Grams. He's my husband, and I love him," Elizabeth reminded her grandmother gently, "Cameron and Jake love him, and Jason loves his kids. We're finally getting to be a family."

"I'm not disputing the fact that you love him, or that he loves you and the boys," The older woman shook her head, "What worries me is that you and those boys are going to get hurt or worse simply because you've chosen to be in a relationship with Jason, despite of all the proof presented as to why the whole thing is a very bad idea."

"So you're saying that Cameron and Jake growing up with a father that loves them more than anything, who would do anything he possibly could for them, would give them the moon if he could; is a very bad idea?" Elizabeth queried, her grandmother's questions striking a chord with her and making her instantly defensive, "Are you saying that having that man; their father there for them is a very bad idea?"

"No Elizabeth, that's not what I'm saying at all," Cleary, the older woman was backpedalling.

"Are you saying that I shouldn't be with the man who loves me and who I love because it's a very bad idea?" Elizabeth continued vehemently, "Are you saying that raising my sons with their father as a constant, supportive, loving presence in their lives and mine is a very bad idea?"

"Now Elizabeth, darling, that's not fair," Audrey was again trying to sway the conversation, "You're twisting my words. Of course the examples you are giving are very good ideas. But you have to know that the possibility of you or those boys getting hurt is raised exponentially because of who you've chosen to be their father."

"So what should I do Grams?" Elizabeth asked; the hurt and anger tingeing her voice. She really didn't want to have this conversation, but Grams had pushed, and so Elizabeth had released the dams, "Go crawling back to Lucky again, even though he makes me feel guilty and not good enough and his insecurities and inferiorities always erupt in the end so we fall apart because he's screwing around? How many times am I supposed to save Lucky Spencer? When did that become my job? When did I sign up for that? I put that man ahead of everything; ahead of my kids, my job, myself, and all it got me was a pile of debt and a broken home and a bunch of people surrounding me spouting about how I was Lucky's Laura. Well I don't want to be that. I can't save Lucky, and I'm sick of trying and failing; so stop asking it of me."

"Elizabeth, I," Audrey began, but Elizabeth wasn't finished and so she rambled on,

"Or what Grams? I go find another nice guy? Some safe, boring, nice, good guy? I tried that; and it blew up in my face. You remember how the Ric escapade imploded, don't you? Or, say that I found that nice guy. It would never work because my entire heart, my life," Elizabeth's eyes burned from the tears collecting in them, but she pressed on, "Is with Jason. I love him Grams. I love him. I have for years. I finally have a chance to be a family with the man that I love, with the father of my children and you want me to throw that away? No way."

"Elizabeth, I understand that you love him, I do," Audrey reached out to her grand-daughter; placing a hand on her arm, and Elizabeth thought that maybe she'd gotten through, "But you have to know that you're not safe—"

As soon as safe was uttered; Elizabeth completely cut her off, "I could be walking across town and get hit by a bus. My son was kidnapped a year ago; I was hit by a car and blinded a few years ago. My first husband tried to kill me and the next had an affair with a girl who was barely an adult. I understand that bad things happen Gram. I know that. I've seen it, I've felt it; I've experienced it. I know that bad things can happen and sometimes there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Life is short and we have to make the best out of the moments that we have instead of bemoaning the things we can't. Being with the man that I love; being married to him; raising our children together; that is making the best out of what I have. Having my family together; that's the best in my eyes," She regarded her grandmother straight on, and the older woman seemed to shrink under the ferocity of her glare, but that didn't stop the words from coming tumbling out of her mouth, "I wanted you to be a part of that family, but since you obviously can't accept the rest of that family then maybe that's not going to happen," The tears had started to leak from her eyes and Elizabeth turned to make her exit, but instead she turned back,

"And had I of been with Jason a year ago that day in the park; I would have had Jason or Francis or Johnny or Max or Milo or Spinelli with me. There would have been someone there for me and my boys, instead of me struggling to hold everything together by myself. That woman wouldn't have been able to walk away with Jake because we wouldn't have been alone," Reaching up, Elizabeth rubbed her fingertips under her eyes to wipe away her tears, "And if you remember; it was Jason who brought Jake home. Not the PCPD, not Lucky. Jason brought our baby home. So before you open your mouth to criticize my choice in a father for my boys again; think about who has been the one to step up when we needed him. Think about the one person who let me be me, instead of treating me like I was a vessel with a singular purpose."

And then; without a backwards glance at her grandmother, and wiping the tears from under her eyes; Elizabeth walked away.

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"Listen Jason," Nikolas paced the length of his former brother-in-law's living room, "I know what the DA's office and the media are saying about Devlin being a drug smuggler, and I—I have to ask. It's all over right? There is no way of him re-appearing sometime in the future?"

As Alice was leaving, the Cassadine heir had stepped off the elevator and approached the Morgan family penthouse. Upon being allowed entrance, he'd asked to speak with Jason in private, a request that sent Spinelli and his laptop scurrying back upstairs. And then the Prince had begun to pace, and Jason had silently watched him as he waited for the other man to begin talking about whatever it was that had brought him to Jason's door.

"Nope," Jason assured, shaking his head, "Devlin is very gone," Settling back on the arm of the couch, he watched curiously as Nikolas took another turn around the room, "There something on your mind?"

The Prince sighed, making another loop of Jason's living room before he heaved another heavy sigh, stuffed his hands in his slack pockets and spoke, "I know you were aware," He began, "That before I had my surgery I was seeing Emily."

Jason nodded patiently, as was his way, waiting for his ex-brother-in-law to continue.

"Well I wanted to keep seeing her. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her for good, and I kept putting off the surgery," Nikolas continued his story, "I was approached by Doctor Devlin about an experimental drug."

Jason's face remained in its usual mask, but he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'm guessin' experimental means expensive."

Nikolas nodded, "Ten million."

"Jesus," Jason swore in a low voice.

"Experimental also meant illegal in the States. I wanted to hold onto Emily, even if she was a hallucination, so I paid it, and kept taking it."

"I can't say as I blame you for it," Jason admitted in a low voice, rubbing at his jaw with the flat of two fingers, "If I could take a pill and see Emily again, I can't say I wouldn't."

"It was Nadine who finally made me see that I had to stop living in the past, and start living for now again. She—she was under my desk when Devlin asked me for another ten million. I didn't know she was there until she was at Wyndmere, and started throwing pieces of a train set we'd put together for Spencer, and asking if she'd bonked Emily yet," A small, rueful smile came to the Prince's face, "I refused to give Devlin anymore money, and I got the surgery."

Jason nodded along, smirking as Nadine entered the story, "She's an interesting woman, Nadine."

"She is," Nikolas agreed with a soft smile and something in his expression that made even Stone Cold himself sit back and understand, "And that's part of the reason that I need to know that Devlin is gone. I made a promise to her that I intend to keep."

"Devlin is not coming back," Jason assured once again, "You've got nothing to worry about there Nikolas."

"Thank you," The Prince held out a hand for Jason to shake, "And I assume that this conversation will remain between us?"

Accepting the handshake and firmly returning it, Jason nodded, "You're secrets are safe with me."