Staring down at the open folder on his desk, Jason frowned at the contents. When Johnny had first handed him the file he'd been too wrapped up in Elizabeth's age and ability to teach his son to actually read through the information.. Now after doing so, he was slightly disgusted by the major gaps that had been left out of her life.
The information started with when she'd moved to Colorado to live with her Grandmother. A retired nurse who'd been borne and lived in the same town her entire life. Elizabeth had two siblings. A brother and a sister. Both had left the second they'd turned eighteen.
From the looks of it, Elizabeth had led a pretty boring life. Got decent grades until she'd hit her peak in college. No remarkable milestones. No arrests. The woman was a straight arrow from the looks of the report. But it didn't fit.
The few comments from Luke, and the conversation he'd had with Laura, led him to believe that there was something major missing. Something, he'd have to guess, happened before she showed up on Granny's doorstep.
It really shouldn't matter. It wasn't like he should be overly concerned with what happened to her before she'd had a chance to lose all her baby teeth.
Flipping the folder closed, Jason sat back in the well used office chair and pondered over what he should do next. Did it really matter that he didn't know everything there was to know about Elizabeth Webber? Should he waste the time and resources poking around her past?
Looking over at the picture of Michael sitting on the corner of his desk, he let his mind dissect the previous day at the school. At the time he'd been trying to keep himself from putting his fist through something, mostly Lansing's ugly mug. Now that he was no longer seeing red, he knew Elizabeth's reaction to the situation was more on a personal level, then a defense for Michael.
There was no doubt she was hurt for Michael. Her reaction hadn't been just for herself. But if there was one thing he knew when he saw it, was old scars being ripped open. Whatever had happened to her it must have been huge to still linger with her into adulthood.
Erasing the feelings he'd been introduced to from the moment he'd met her. Making himself forget the irritation she seemed to invoke with the majority of their run ins. He focused on just the woman. From her facial expressions, to the way her eyes looked the day she'd found Max in the woods.
She'd handled that day like a pro. Her reaction to finding a dead guy was normal. Shock. Disbelief. Anger. It was the way she had, with little hesitation, agreed to keep quiet that impressed him. All Luke and Lucky had to do was ask her once to stay silent. And she did.
Something at the back of his brain buzzed. Sorting through the different conversations, Jason paused. Then Elizabeth's words echoed in his ears. "What about the person who did this? You say Max was your friend. Don't you want them to pay?"
Now that was no way for a Kindergarten teacher to talk. Typically they were all about that touchy-feely crap. Not on making people pay.
Tapping his fingers on the faded desk top, Jason knew his mind was made up.
"Hey Francis." Shouting loud enough so the other man in the next room could hear, Jason waited until he poked his head in the door.
"What's up."
"I was looking through Elizabeth Webber's file." Starting off slowly, Jason watched the way Johnny's facial expression changed. "Who did the research?"
"I think Johnny got it from Benny." Frowning, Francis asked. "Want me to call Johnny down in Miami to make sure?"
"Nah." With a shake of his head, Jason looked down at the folder. Benny was damn thorough. The best in his field. So for him to miss anything was pretty rare. Then again, Luke had something along the lines of Benny not finding out all there was to Elizabeth Webber. Had looked pretty damn pleased with himself over the fact. "I think we've missed something."
Frowning, Johnny stepped all the way into the room and closed the door behind him. "What do you mean?"
Playing with the papers in front of him, Jason shrugged. "I don't know. The file seems to neat. Too good to be true."
"It's all he could find."
"Could you do me a favor?" Standing up and grabbing the jacket he'd slung across the back of his chair, Jason pulled his arms through the sleeves. "This would be between you and me. Look again. Don't just rely on the typical web searches. Concentrate on her earlier years. Maybe start with her parents."
Nodding, Johnny turned to leave. Reaching the door he paused. "Is there something going on?"
"Don't think so." Taking his keys out of his front pocket, Jason looked over at his employee and friend. "I just don't like lose ends." A twitch in his gut made Jason wonder why he was pushing the issue. Maybe what they had on her was enough. Was his interest more on a personal level than a need to protect the ones he loved?
"I can have it to you by the end of the day." Sounding sure of himself, Francis made for the door again.
"Take your time." Jason responded. "I have a feeling what we're looking for isn't something that'll be found in a day. If you need anything call me on my cell. I promised Michael I would pick him up."
Walking between the tiny tables looking down on the backs of the heads of her students. They were busy coloring at the moment, and for once her classroom was quiet. It had been a pretty decent day. Compared to the day before it was down right peaceful.
She'd had her reservations about keeping Michael and Kyle at the same table. Against her better judgement she'd followed Jason's request and had been pleasantly surprised. Both boys were doing a superb job in ignoring one another. If this kept up she'd knew she'd have to admit that Jason had been right.
Looking over at Michael she watched as he carefully colored between the lines. Unlike the rest of his classmates his picture was color coordinated and as close to perfection a five year old could master. Elizabeth had always believed that a child's coloring spoke volumes. From the colors they chose, to the way they filled in the spaces.
It wasn't as if there was anything wrong with Michael's picture. It was neat and very attractive. It just lacked imagination. Like the rest of the work he'd done so far and it wasn't just with his artwork. From his letters and numbers, to story time, Michael Morgan took everything very seriously. To get the boy to crack a smile was almost a miracle.
So when inspiration had hit her at five o'clock in the morning, Elizabeth couldn't resist. She hadn't even taken the time to argue with Laura about borrowing some sample clothing from a new line Deceptions was working on. Dashing out of the Spencer household she'd spent as much time as she could in the library until school started.
"Okay everyone put their crayons away." Clapping her hands, Elizabeth watched as some of the students made a last dash of scribbling a few more strokes before following instructions. When everyone's attention was on her again, Elizabeth went up to the chalkboard.
"We're going to start something new today." Suspense filled eyes sparkled back at her, but her attention shifted to where Michael was sitting. "We're going to start learning about different places in the world."
Watching Michael's eyes snap to attention, while he sat up a little straighter in his chair, Elizabeth knew she'd hit the nail on the head. Turning to where she'd hung a sheet, she carefully took it down to show a large map of the different continents.
"Each week we're going to chose a new country. Everyone will have a chance to pick one. We're going to find out what kind of food they eat. The weather they have. Even the different clothes they wear."
Letting her eyes rest on Michael again, Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the eagerness in his face. "I'm going to pick first." Picking up a sticker on her desk, Elizabeth turned to the map. "I'm going to chose Kenya." Placing a sticker near the small country, Elizabeth turned back to the class.
"Before I was born, my parents spent a year in Kenya. They were doctors who made sick people better." Seeing that not only had she captured Michael's attention, but it seemed the rest of the class was a mixture of interest. "Kenya is in Africa."
"That's where Timba lives." Lulu shouted out, at the same time she raised her hand.
Trying not to laugh, Elizabeth thanked Walt Disney yet again for tricking the kids into learning. "Exactly."
"Does it snow there?" Another student asked, making Michael turn his head toward him with a frown on his face.
"It doesn't snow in that part of Africa." Glancing over at the other student and looking at them as though they'd lost their mind, Michael turned his attention back at the map.
"Tomorrow we're going to learn about their flag." Looking up at the clock and seeing they only had a few minutes left, Elizabeth was happy with the interest the students were showing so far. "Everyone put their crayon boxes in their cubbies."
Signaling that the day was over. The students broke out into happy chatter. Putting away their things, Elizabeth helped sort them into their light fall jackets and find their book bags and lunch pails. All too soon the last bell of the day rung.
"Before you leave I have something for you to take home for your parents." With a pile of bright colored paper, Elizabeth handed one to each child. "Back to School night is next Monday. It's a night where you can show your families around your classroom and school. We'll put up some of your special artwork to show off."
All the students filed into line and waited for Elizabeth to dismiss them for the day. Some rode the buss home, a few waked home with their older brother's and sisters. Then there was a handful who were picked up in the front of the school.
Michael hung back and when the rest of the students burst out the door, Elizabeth gave him a searching glance.
"My Dad said to wait here for him." Looking pleased that Jason was picking him up from school, Michael waited calmly. His eyes stuck on the door.
"Next week I'm going to let you pick the country we're going to study." Not knowing when Jason would show up, Elizabeth nodded toward the map. Feeling as though she may be favoring the boy just the slightest, she really didn't feel too bad about it. "So you should start thinking about which one you want."
This must have caught his attention, because Michael dragged his eyes away from the door as he moved to the map to get a better look. His small face screwed up in concentration as he looked over the different colors that represented different places. After a few minutes, he looked over at her.
"Which one is Puerto Rico?"
Curious with his decision, Elizabeth searched in the area she knew the country could be found. Determined not to let a five year old show her up, she was relieved when her eyes feel on the place she was looking for. Pointing her finger at the tiny blob, she smiled in victory. "Right there."
Squinting his eyes, Michael looked to where she was pointing. "It sure is small."
Seeing his point, Elizabeth turned to one of the tables and dragged it over to the board. Helping Michael up on top, she quickly shed her shoes and joined him.
"Better?"
"Yeah." Nodding, Michael stared. "My Dad goes there a lot."
"Well then wont he be surprised when you learn all about it?"
"I already know what language they speak." Apparently proud of himself, Michael nodded. "That's the country I want to pick."
Deciding that she needed to do some homework herself, Elizabeth made a mental note to find out all there was to know about Puerto Rico.
"Michael?" Jason's voice came from directly behind them. Michael spun around and jumped off the table. Not giving Elizabeth enough warning to distribute her weight. The table wobbled slightly, and before she could move she felt it tipping to the side.
If it weren't for Jason's quick reflexes, she'd would've been an ungraceful heap on the floor. Instead he caught her securely in his arms and held her close. Her hands were trapped between her body and the hard plains of his chest and her position forced her to look straight up into his face.
It took only a moment for her embarrassment to show and the throb in her knee to remind her that maybe standing on a table wasn't the smartest thing in the world.
"Guess what we're doing?" Michael chirped happily, as Jason set Elizabeth down on her own two feet. "Geography." Giving his Dad a knowing look, Michael smiled.
"That's great." Ruffling Michael's hair, Jason let his eyes return to Elizabeth. She was limping over to one of the small chairs. "You okay?"
"It's nothing." Not wanting to dampen Michael's enthusiasm, she lowered herself down.
"And on Monday we're having a Back to School night." Waiving the paper she'd given to him earlier, Michael no longer looked like the quiet, sullen student she'd been seeing in her class. "Ms. Webber says we're supposed to bring our families so they can see where we go to school. Can Uncle Sonny come?"
"Sure." Jason answered distractedly before kneeling down in front of Elizabeth. "Is your knee fine?" He asked in a lower tone.
"What?" Her attention on Michael and his sudden change, Elizabeth looked at Jason with a brief look of confusion. "Oh, it's fine. I think I just jarred it when I fell." Seeing that Jason's eyes went to the bottom of her skirt, Elizabeth felt her face flush. "Really it's nothing."
"Then you shouldn't have a problem if I took a look."
Slapping her hand to the hem of her skirt, Elizabeth knew her face must look like an over ripe raspberry. "I don't think it's a good idea. If someone should walk in . . ."
"They'd see me looking at your injured knee." Jason answered, a sinful smirk on his face. "I doubt they'd think I was trying for some extra credit for my son."
They both blinked at one another. Jason wondering where the hell that had come from. Elizabeth not sure of anything about the man in front of her.
Clearing his throat, and shifting his weight, Jason looked her straight in the eye. "Unless your scared."
Sitting up straight, Elizabeth set her face into an unreadable mask. "I'm not scared of anything." Seeing he didn't seem to believe her, she sighed in defeat. "Fine."
Michael had joined them, and looked over his father's shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Absolutely humiliated, Elizabeth smiled weakly. "I hurt my knee the other day and your Dad just wants to take a look at it."
"You better watch out." Michael warned. "He likes to put that icky, stinging stuff on cuts."
