Elizabeth Webber grew up in a harsh world with even harsher realities, but she never once let it go to her heart. Her mind had been clouded through all the years of her life, but her heart stayed open, searching for something real. She wanted more for herself. More than a meaningless marriage. More than tolerating the person she's with and surviving instead of living.
All her life she has known only of broken dreams and wasted chances. She grew up with a mother that neither wanted nor cared for her. A father that was too busy protecting their family to be a real parental figure in her, or his other children's, life.
A sister that was practically a saint, gaining all their mother's affections. And a brother who was too busy trying to live his own life to give much consideration to his sister. Always cast into the shadows, she wanted something more. A reason to wake up every morning.
Elizabeth wants to live. To really live. Heart pounding, adrenaline rushing through her veins, living every single day to the fullest. She was tired of playing it safe and never getting anywhere. She wanted a life like her best friend, Johnny O'Brien. Now that was a life. Living by his own rules. Not answering to anyone but himself and the open road. If only she could be like him, everything in her life would be great. No consideration to rules that tied people down. Just living and staying alive.
But once again her life wasn't hers to live it. Once again her father has made a deal with the wrong people and now her life was on the line. Ergo her need to have a man like Jason Morgan protecting her. She was sure that a man like him didn't have much baggage to speak of. Not like her. She had so much luggage that it would probably take a two jumbo planes to carry the weight of it. Which might explain the reason why no decent man has ever asked her out.
That and she had really intimidating friends. Between Johnny O'Brien, one of Sonny's hired guns, and Zander Smith, one of her father's guards, Elizabeth was practically a huge risk, no sane man wanted to take. Lucky Spencer tried to ask her out once, but that didn't go anywhere. They ended up being best friends and accepting that their relationship will always remain in the friend zone.
Subtly glancing over her shoulder, Elizabeth spotted the man that is responsible for keeping her alive. Jason Morgan. Talk about intimidating. So far, anyone that has walked down the hallway, where he stood, has given him a wide berth. It was like they all feared him, not that they didn't have just cause for that, but she couldn't see it.
It was funny when she thought about it because, although she should fear him, she felt anything but afraid. Contrary to his stone cold appearance, Jason is a rather considerate person, even though he didn't want people to see it.
Standing in her spot behind the nurses' station, Elizabeth's mind travelled back to the night before. The guards were tasked with bringing her things up to her room where she was staying while Elizabeth sat on the couch and waiting for the food to arrive. Jason, on the other hand, walked next door to have a word with his boss. She still doesn't know what that was about, but she didn't give it much thought. It wasn't until later that night that she caught of glimpse of the considerate side of Jason.
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It was late into the night and, for the life of her, she couldn't get her mind to shut off long enough to get to sleep. With all the changes that has become her life, Elizabeth's mind was on overdrive and she just couldn't get to sleep.
On either Friday or Saturday it wouldn't be such a bad thing, but she had to work in the morning. Its the only part of her life she still has control over so she had to be alert enough to work. As a surgical nurse, its possible that she'll be called into surgery on a moment's notice and it wouldn't do anyone any good if she's half asleep.
Pulling herself out of bed, Elizabeth grabs her robe and walks downstairs, she needs to drink something to turn her mind off. The place was so unfamiliar to her and she had to fight off the chills that threatened to swallow her whole. Walking as softly as she could, Elizabeth makes it to the last step and walks in the direction of the kitchen. Using the stairs's railing as a guide, not wanting to turn on the lights, Elizabeth finds the wet bar. She thinks about it for a moment before shaking her head and continuing until she gets to the kitchen door.
Searching the fridge for something that will both calm her nerves and help her to shut her mind off, Elizabeth found a gallon of milk. That just might do the trick, hopefully. Closing the door, Elizabeth walks over to get a glass and pour herself a cup, putting it in the microwave once she filled it up. Warm milk was her grandmother's remedy whenever Elizabeth stayed there and wasn't sleeping well.
The place was so quiet that all you could hear was the soft humming of the microwave as it heated up the milk. Her mind lost in thoughts of what tomorrow would be like for her at work, Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the ding. Shaking it off, she took the cup out carefully and made her way back into the living room after putting the milk back in the fridge.
"Can't sleep?" a voice spoke, nearly causing her to drop the glass of milk.
"No." Elizabeth admitted, shielding her eyes when the lights came on. "I'm sorry. I helped myself to some milk...I hope you don't mind."
"Don't apologize." Jason crossed his arms over his chest. "You can help yourself to anything in this penthouse. Until this thing is resolved, this is your home too."
"Right." Elizabeth slowly walked past him, making her way to the couch to sit down. "That must be a hard pill to swallow. Obviously this place isn't meant to house a woman."
"Sharing my home isn't something I like to do." Jason admitted, walking over to sit on the club chair. "But I'm not the kind of person to turn away someone who needs help."
"Gee, thanks." Elizabeth looked down at her drink, blowing it before taking a slow gulp of milk. "You don't have to stay up with me. I'd hate to mess with your sleep as well."
"Look, do I want you here? No." Jason continued when she looked at him. "But you are and, until its safe for you to leave, this is your home. You can do or say whatever you want. I'm not the type to get offended."
"Okay." Elizabeth smiled slightly, watching as he picked up a guidebook. "I'll keep that in mind."
He gave her a single nod before settling in with his guidebook to Istanbul. Jason stayed up with her until she was finally ready to fall asleep. Elizabeth appreciated that and, she found that even though he was bluntly honest with her, she appreciated it.
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In that little gesture, Elizabeth realized that there was more to this stone cold mob enforcer than met the eye. He wasn't much of a talker, which, in his profession, wasn't exactly a bad thing. Unlike most people, there weren't any emotions playing through his eyes either. She doubts that she could even tell if he was lying to her because he always had this calm expression on his face.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was a terrible liar. She couldn't lie to save her own life. Which a lot of people found refreshing because no matter what, the truth just finds its way out of her mouth. Laughing at that thought, realizing just how different she and her new protector are, Elizabeth picked up the file to write in the information that the doctor left on sticky notes. One thing she hated about being a nurse was trying to understand the handwriting of doctors. Was it so hard to write legibly? Seriously, it was like they're kindergartners.
"Earth to Nurse Webber." a voice spoke teasingly from in front of her.
Looking up, Elizabeth found her best friend Johnny O'Brien in front of her. Quickly walking out from behind the counter, she was encircled in his arms and spun in a circle. It has been a few months since she has seen him. Last she heard he was taking a trip for Sonny.
"I'm so glad you're still alive." she repeated her sentiment that always escaped her lips when he came around. "You okay? Nothing broken right?"
"I'm fine." Johnny assured, setting her down on her feet. "So fill me in. Why's Morgan standing guard for you?"
"My dad." she says simply, knowing he'll understand.
"Ah." Johnny shook his head. Sometimes he wanted to just pound her father's face in for his stupidity. "Look, I gotta handle something for Sonny, but I'll check you later okay?"
"Okay." Elizabeth smiled brightly. "You gonna be in town for long?"
"If things go as planned, I'll be here for about a month." Johnny admitted, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "I'll call you."
With that Johnny walked off while Elizabeth took her stand behind the counter. Both were completely oblivious to Jason's watchful eye. Is spite of himself, Jason wondered just what kind of relationship transpires between the guard and his new charge. He didn't particularly care for her love life, but he didn't want to have to hear them getting it on in his penthouse if they had a sexual relationship. The last thing he needed was to stay awake because one of Sonny's guards is screwing his new charge.
As he watched his new charge, Jason thought back to the night before. He had been asleep in his room when he heard the sound of her door opening and closing. In spite of his need to sleep, Jason sat up waiting for the sound of her feet on the steps that would signal her return to her room, but after a while and they still didn't come, he got up and walked downstairs. He caught her coming out of the kitchen with what smelled like warm milk.
What happened next had been a first for him. He never stayed up with a woman before without having sex with her. If Jason was up at that hour of the night, he was either having sex or killing someone, but never just keeping a woman company while she waited to fall asleep. It had been a first and he found that he didn't mind it. Had it been that other brunette, Jason was sure he'd be pulling out his hair and begging someone to put him out of his misery.
He had made the mistake of meeting with the woman for coffee and that had been the last time he ever made that mistake. God she was just the most annoying person he has ever met and even after that coffee, he still can't remember her damn name. Pushing that brunette out of his head and focusing on the new one in his life, Jason watched her carefully. The way she moved around, checking charts and handing them off to doctors and nurses alike, he found that she had a sense of calm in her movement.
The other nurses looked like they were stressing out and reaching the ends of their patience with the doctors, but not her. She simply did as they asked and continued with her things, even with the obnoxious doctors, those of which he wanted to pound their faces in and teach them how to speak to her. It was strange because he never felt so protective over a woman before. Other than his grandmother Lila and his sister Emily, Jason wasn't protective over any woman. While it was confusing, he accepted it for what it was, a man's instinct to protect the weak.
"Nurse Webber." Epiphany, her boss, spoke to her. "There's the patient in room 211B needs a basic examination for a kidney transplant."
"I'm on it." Elizabeth took the file from her, walking out from behind the desk.
She didn't have to look at Jason to know that he was following at a safe distance. Most women would be freaked out or nervous by a man like Jason following them around, but not her. If anything, Elizabeth felt safe, knowing that at any given moment, Jason will be ready to save her from anything and everything. With that sense of security, Elizabeth continues down the hall to the patient's room, catching a glimpse of Jason before she closes the door. Maybe it wasn't so bad to have a man protect her after all.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I wasn't really planning on keeping this going, but by popular demand, here's another chapter.
Hope you liked the update.
Till next time...