Thunder storms freaked her out. Storms on the coast of New York sucked.

From the blinding flashes of light that threw the room into long shadows. Creating wonderful hiding spots for would be psychotic killers. Then there were the inevitable bone jarring claps of thunder. Shaking her poor little house, making sound as though it were going to split in two. If she were really lucky and the climate just right, she was treated to hail the size of golf balls.

All of this she could live with. Could hole up and try to ignore that Mother Nature was at war. The glitch? Her stupid, over active imagination.

The one thing that feed her creativity. Making her different from other people. Fed her soul. Drove her crazy on nights like this.

God she was such a loser.

A loser without any power. Cowering on the couch, under a fleece blanket. A flashlight clutched as tightly as her injured hands would allow. Her cordless phone inches away, just incase one of those creaks coming from the pitch black actually turned out to have a name. Like Jason or Freddie.

The storm had started an hour after she'd kicked Lucky out. Telling him under no circumstances was he to cancel his date with Emily. That his beautiful, high maintenance girlfriend already had issues with her intrusion back into his life.

At the time she'd just wanted to have everyone out of her house. She was starting to suffocate under the scrutiny. From Luke and Lucky's overprotective stares. To Jason Morgan's blatant mistrust. It was all too overwhelming. Too many voices. Questions. Probing eyes.

She'd told Lucky that she'd just wanted a quiet night in. To take a shower, then curl up with a hot mug of chocolate milk. That she'd needed time alone.

Instead she'd broken down in the shower like some little girl. It'd been so strange. One minute she'd been perfectly fine. Shampooing her hair, humming softly to herself. Next thing she knew, she found herself slouched against the shower wall, hiccuping. Her tears mixing with the shower spray, as she fought to catch her breath.

Physically exhausted, emotionally drained. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to climb into her unmade bed and ignore the hundred-pound weight weighing down on her chest. Instead, just as she started to drift off to sleep, a crack of thunder had her thinking her house had split in two.

It wasn't long after that the power went out. Just another special perk of owning a small cottage in the middle of the woods.

Woods that a dead man had just been carried out of just hours ago.

"Stop it." Leaning her head back against the cushion of the couch, Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut and struggled to clear her mind. "That's not going to help."

This wasn't exactly the way she imagined her new life would start. Her angry and controlling Grandmother would just love to say I told you so in five different languages. Reminding her she'd been warned about the dangers of New York and the dirty, unethical people who inhabited it. It didn't matter that Port Charles was two hours away from New York city. Or that her home town of Boulder Colorado wasn't the white picket fence town her old nag of a Grandmother liked to believe.

But her dream didn't involve listening to her Grandmother's nasty and sarcastic comments. She wasn't jaded like Audrey Hardy. Her life hadn't ended the day her parents died. It wasn't like she didn't miss her parents, or didn't wish she could have them back. But the tragedy that had happened years ago didn't consumer her. Her parents wouldn't want her to live like that. To give up her dreams of becoming a teacher and live like her Grandmother. In a world of hate and denial.

Her dream also didn't include a dead body in her back yard and being part of a cover up.

Elizabeth wasn't a stupid. She didn't need a neon sign to tell her that Luke and perhaps Lucky, were involved in something big. Something dangerous. And it pulled at her in a way she really didn't understand. A part of her felt lied to. That the two closest men in her life were almost strangers to her. Keeping secrets from her.

She knew people thought of her as flighty, naive. Living in a world of fantasy. What they forgot, was that she lived there because she wanted to. She wanted to believe that in general, people were good. That everyone was entitled to a happy ending. But she knew people, even the good ones had dark shadows in their lives. Most people never got to the happily ever after. The same way she knew that Luke wasn't a stranger to doing things that were less than . . . legal.

After today, Elizabeth knew the Spencer men were into something and it didn't smell like roses.

That something also involved Jason Morgan.

That egotistical, pushy, manner less jerk who was under the impression he had the right to tell everyone what to do and how to do it. Men like Jason were all alike. Too good looking for his own good. Going through life acting like everyone should bow down and kiss the ground his size ten's tread.

Well, Jason Morgan could kiss her hiney.

Beyond mortified of how her body reacted when he stood behind her in the kitchen, washing her hands gently. She was disgusted with herself. A man was dead, and all she could think of was how muscular the body pressed against her's was. Thank goodness for small miracles. And Jason Morgan's mind boggling manners.

How dare he be insulted because she'd been slightly taken aback when she'd found out he was Michael's father. Why would she know? How could she know? It wasn't as though he'd made any effort to introduce himself to her.

Men like Jason weren't exactly known as the Father Knows Best types. They were womanizing, jerks. Too much hair gel and time at the gym.

But the way his eyes turned ice cold. He made her feel dirty. Ignorant. Mean. Rude. Like her dear old Grandmother. The wicked witch of the Midwest. Looking down her nose on all the little people. And damnit. She was turning out to be like her. Making assumtions on looks.

Or was it the vibe blowing off Jason Morgan like the artic wind off the tundra?

Jumping, a flash of lightning lit up the livingroom. "One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three -." Her house trembled under the blast of thunder. The rain pelted down and it seemed that the wind had picked up.

A scratching sound had her holding her breath. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere in the kitchen. Tilting her head toward where she thought the sound was coming, Elizabeth waited. It seemed like an eternity before she allowed herself to breathe again.

Moving carefully, making sure not to make her already throbbing knee scream out in pain, Elizabeth pulled the blanket up to her chin. It was then that she saw something from the corner of her eye. Swinging the beam of the flashlight to the spot where she could've sworn something had moved, Elizabeth searched the shadows.

"Your such a fool." Laughing softly to herself, Elizabeth jumped when the phone rang. The sound practically bouncing off the walls.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth how're you holding up?" Lucky's concerned voice washed over her. Thank god for best friends.

"Oh you know me . . ."

"You're huddled on the couch, with a flashlight and phone."

"You can't prove it." Trying to keep her tone light, Elizabeth paused when another flash of light lit the night sky.

"One Mississippi."

"Two Mississippi." Lucky replied.

"Thr -."

Elizabeth felt something brush up against the back of her neck and she let out an ear splitting scream.

Watching a wild steak of lighting shoot across the sky, Jason waited until the sound of thunder shook the windows. Michael hated storms like this, always had. When he was younger the quick flash followed by the loud clapping noise had him in a fit of tears. Screaming on the top of his lungs until the storm passed. Now, Michael didn't mind the lighting so much. He hated how the trailing thunder startled him, making him jump. Thinking it made him look like a wuss. He'd tried telling his son that it was okay to get spooked. It kept your senses up. Making you alert. In life, being alert was a great asset.

Too freaking bad he hadn't taken his own advice. Over the last few years, Jason knew he'd somehow become soft. Comfortable. The Coffee business had gone from being something they did for a cover, to some kind of nine to five job that was taking up way too much time and energy. Because of this, one of his friends was now dead. A failure Jason was having trouble swallowing.

Trying to tune out the two men arguing behind him, Jason wished he'd could've told Sonny to do this with out him. Why anyone in their right mind would want to cross words with Luke Spencer, was beyond him. The old man gave him a headache on a good day. After the day they'd all just had, Jason wanted to go home and read a story to his son. Then knock back a few as he reminisced about his friend.

Instead, Sonny had insisted on this last second meeting. Unsuccessful in talking his best friend out of it, Jason knew it was going to be a long night. Tension was high. Sonny wanted results now. And no one had any answers.

To top it all off, the current topic was about Elizabeth Webber. Had he known that Sonny's incessant need to meet with Luke was because he wanted information on one extremely confounding woman. He would've made a point to force Sonny to call off the meeting. Would've begged infact.

The woman was a pain in the ass. And after thirty minutes in her presence he knew all he needed to about her. Though he truly believed she had no intentions what so ever in going to the cops, Elizabeth Webber turned out to be like every other person in town. Judgmental and closed minded.

He could see the disapproval in her eyes when Smitty had opened her big mouth and told her he was Michael's father. Honestly, she'd been in a state of shock first before Miss High and Mighty looked down her nose at him in judgement.

Snob. The last thing Michael needed was his Kindergarten teacher looking down her perky little nose at him. He already had enough of that from uptight jerks like Alexis Davis and the rest of the law abiding hypocrites that polluted Port Charles.

"All I'm saying is once Miss Webber comes out of her . . . shock, she may reconsider. Most people in her position would've called the police." Sonny's censored tone was slow, almost cautious.

"Elizabeth isn't most people." Luke's tight jawed answer wasn't typical. Usually he joked, made little of sticky situations. But a nerve had been struck and a rare side of Luke Spencer was front and center. "If she said she wasn't going to the cops, she won't." Talking as though he were speaking to a two year old, Luke's narrowed eyes gave his rising temper away. Leaning back into the plush cushions of Sonny's couch, Luke nearly growled. "So why don't we go onto the next topic before I reconsider our special little partnership."

"Luke, it's not that easy. We don't know anything about her. You're asking us to place our lives into the hands of a stranger." Rubbing his temple, Sonny sucked in a deep breath. "I don't need to tell you how bad things could get if the PCPD found out about Max."

"Elizabeth isn't an issue." Luke answered coldly.

"We didn't say she was an issue." Sighing, Jason knew the conversation was at a dead end. If he didn't step in now and detour them to safer ground the blow out would only set them further back. "Sonny's just trying to figure out who she is."

"Benny couldn't find much." Tsking under his breath mockingly, Luke sneered "That's just too bad." With a mocking raise of a brow, Luke smirked when Sonny flinched. "Fine you want to know about Elizabeth? She was an orphan at six. Has an older brother and sister she doesn't keep in contact with. Her Grandmother is a raging bitch in need of an enema or a good shag, though the thought makes me physically ill. She's got spunk, a sense of loyalty that brings me to my knees. Hates peanut butter. Has a scar on the back of her leg. Gets the hives whenever she stresses over something that means a lot to her. Allergic to shell fish-."

"Fine. Fine." Holding up his hands, Sonny's expression took on a tight, aggravated look. "She's a saint."

"Tink? A saint." This time a huge grin split Luke's face. "Yeah right. You sure got her pegged. Your losing you edge old man."

"Spencer." Hands on his hips, the muscles in his shoulders bunching, Jason cocked a brow and gave Luke the same look he used on Michael when he'd had enough. "Sonny relax." Looking over to his friend, Jason wished they could just get this conversation over with. "When I spoke to her she said she wouldn't say anything."

"Spoke?" Rubbing his chin, Luke shook his head. "When I rescued her from your clutches, you were in the middle of bitting her head off. Didn't know your communication skills were so . . . advanced."

Feeling the tips of his ears burn, Jason tried to swallow down the irritating guilt that weighed down on him. Perhaps he hadn't handled her reaction very well. And when tears started to fill her eyes . . . "I told her I was sorry."

"Yeah. Great bedside manner ya got there, Dr.Kevorkian." A muscle in Luke's jaw twitched.

"I'm going to put a few guys on Miss Webber's house." Sonny spoke up, breaking the little staring contest the two other males were having.

"What?" Luke demanded. "Why?"

"I don't know about you, but I don't feel comfortable that her backyard became some kind of drop off place." Sonny read the protest in Luke's eyes and held up a hand. "This isn't an option."

"She ain't gonna like it." Luke didn't look like he liked it all that much either.

"It's only temporary Luke." Jason felt the headache that'd taken up residency in his temples make it's way to the back of his head. "She wont even know."

Luke shook his head. "I'm not going to keep something like that from her."

"Luke how in the hell are you going to explain the guards?" Sonny tried to reason with his friend. "Unless she already knows- -."

"God no." Cutting Sonny off, Luke looked frowned. "She doesn't know."

"After today I can't see how she wouldn't be suspicious." Jason's soft tone had both men still. "She found a man with a bullet hole in his head. Men in suits crawling all over her property. You're going to have to tell her something Luke, incase she starts asking questions."

"Christ." Rubbing his forehead, Luke Spenser looked physically ill. "Laura's already madder than a wet cat at me for Elizabeth being pulled this far. What do you think she's gonna do if I tell Elizabeth anything about the business."

Jason didn't feel one once of pity for Luke. Elizabeth was his problem, as long as she kept her pretty little mouth shut everything would be fine.

"There's something not right about the entire situation." Apparently convinced that Elizabeth was no longer an issue, Sonny quickly changed the subject. "First the Perez kid, now Max? Marino never had the balls for that kind of action in the past."

"We should've taken him out when we had a chance." Jason's no nonsense reply hung in the air, while the other two men silently agreed. "I'm going down to Miami first thing in the morning. Something I should've done in the first place."

Mulling this over, Sonny grimaced. "That's too obvious. If Max's death gets leaked and the police start snooping around, I don't want any doubts on your where abouts."

"I could go." Luke shrugged. "We've kept my involvement pretty low key. No one would thing twice if I were to skip down there to the sandy beaches for a nice healthy tan."

"Laura won't like it." Jason cautioned.

"Laura won't like having the people she cares about in danger either." Running a hand over his face, Luke sighed. "I'll have Lucky keep an eye on the bar."

"Fine. Johnny will go with you."

"So what did your trained chimps find in the woods?" Taking a cigar from his jacket pocket, Luke lit it and took a puff.

Ignoring Luke's choice of words, Jason sighed. "Nothing much. The only half decent footprint was ruined when Elizabeth fell on it."

"Excuse the fuck out of her Morgan. Next time I'll tell her to watch where she trips and falls. Never know when you're gonna stumble onto a crime scene."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason felt the exhaustion from the long day seeping into her sore muscles. "I didn't mean-."

"You know what, I think you did. What's your beef with her? You used to be a down to earth kind of guy. May I suggest you pull your head out of your ass for a brief moment? Elizabeth didn't ask for any of this to happen. She was injured today. Found Max with a bullet between the eyes. The girl, promised to keep quite. What else do you want?"

With a disgusted shake of his head, Luke stood "Neither of you are the same people I went into business with. As surprising as this may sound, the two of you make me sick."

"Luke sit down." Sonny's tone was calm. "No one has a problem with Elizabeth."

Still standing, Luke jerked his head in Jason's direction. "Then maybe you should channel those thoughts to your Mini Me."

"This isn't solving anything Luke." Sonny gave Jason a look, asking him to stay quite. "You said Elizabeth would keep this to herself, we trust you."

Still not looking all too thrilled, Luke answered with a tight jaw. "I'm gonna go down to Miami and see what I can scare up. Someone was trying damned hard to make sure Max never made it there. I'm going to -." Luke's phone interrupted him. Pulling it from his jacket, Luke flipped it open. "What?"

Jason watched Luke's face fall. "I'm on my way."