I need to know what you think, if you want more, let me know. My muse is greedy…And temperamental. lol

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Jason and Elizabeth took a seat on the couch. They sat so close to one another, you would have sworn that ten other people crowded the couch. Sonny had to smile, Jason was a completely changed man.

"Well Sonny, you wanted to see us, I suggest you get on with it, it has been a long night." Jason said, trying to move things along.

Sonny understood Jason's impatience, but didn't think it had anything to do with being tired, his young enforcer was obviously insatiable. "I know you are, anxious to get home to be with your kids, but I promise you, I wouldn't have had you come over this late, if it wasn't important."

"I'm sorry, I know that." Jason said, trying to calm his nerves. Ever since stepping foot in the house, something didn't feel right.

"There are a few things I needed to speak with you about. First off, I heard about Sam and the possibility of you being the father, I truly am sorry, whatever the outcome. But she was disturbed, I think from the get go, this is not your fault, I don't think you could have prevented any of it, so if you are harboring guilt, you need to let it go." Sonny said, getting to the heart of the matter, except everything he had wanted to speak to him about seemed to be urgent and required attention, or a decision at the very least.

"I don't think it is my fault. I cared deeply for her, but she was always one step away from self-destructing, she made choices and bad ones at that, but I didn't push her to pull a gun on Alexis or all the other things she did before we even met. Don't get me wrong, I feel for the child, who's ever it was, but I didn't cause Sam's death, it was her own making, perhaps it was her way of an out, but this way, she committed suicide so others would feel the guilt. I don't wear blinders where she is concerned any more." Jason replied, he had been feeling that way ever since they left the police station, but to finally say that he felt no guilt, lifted an invisible weight just the same.

"Glad to know, Mac called, the autopsy on Sam proved that she was pregnant, I am sure a lot of people were doubting it, but he also said that, due to the circumstances he was putting a rush on the paternity test. I think he understands that things need to be settled. And before you say anything, the only reason Mac called me was because he couldn't contact you, also he didn't disclose the information merely for me to tell you, I pressed him for details, because I hadn't known about the pregnancy, the funny thing though, if anything can be classified as funny with this conversation, it seemed like the man needed someone to talk to, it was very odd…" Sonny said, his eyebrow raised in a sign of all the perplexities that idea brought him.

"Anything else?" Jason asked.

"Well, Mac also mentioned that they had a handwriting analyst check the letter that you guys received and they double checked it to some of Lucky's handwriting as well as Mateo's, it doesn't show that either wrote the note. He thinks that you two need to be on your guard, something big is about to go down, but I don't think it has anything to do with our business." Sonny said, trying to gauge the reaction of the couple.

"Did he say he had any clue whatsoever to who wrote it?" Jason asked, his heart beat all of a sudden tripling in speed and not because of desire.

Sonny's uncharacteristic avoidance didn't help matters. Elizabeth suddenly pulled closer to Jason, needing more contact, but the woman was almost on his lap to begin with. Both men saw the action, Jason wrapped his arms tighter around her, trying perhaps with failure to squelch her fear. Because all of a sudden the bubble of happiness that Elizabeth had been living in, seemed to have busted. Almost like a dark storm cloud moved in to their space in a rush, banishing all the pleasant moments of earlier.

"Elizabeth?" Jason asked, now feeling the tremble beneath his hands.

It took some doing, but she finally turned her eyes to his, locking tightly on to him, almost like he was a life preserver and she a drowning woman.

It took a few moments to clear her throat enough so that she could speak, but what came out was nothing short of a squeak. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?" Jason asked, his worry kicking into overdrive.

Her fear looked like it was going to immobilize her, stopping what ever she was going to say, but she cleared her throat and tried to begin again. "Do, did, Mac tell you who he thought it was, does he have any suspects or leads?"

"All I know is Mac said "He would not hazard a guess, to much laid in the balance." Sonny said, worried for the younger woman. He felt useless being unable to help Elizabeth.

"So, what does that mean, is he giving up, is he going to continue to look, because if it is someone else, then my family is in danger." Liz said, a single tear falling unbidden down her cheek.

"I am not exactly sure, he just asked me to get you guys to call him tomorrow, so you could arrange a meeting. I think he also wants to talk to you about Lucky, sounds like things on that front have taken another turn for the worse." Sonny replied, much to his chagrin.

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Lucky had been led to a holding cell, he took that as good news, you didn't normally get thrown in a holding cell if you were not going to be released, so at least he had that going for him.

But he had been down here for hours now. Mac had asked surprisingly few questions and seemed genuinely content with the answers Lucky finally gave up.

Lucky wasn't about to do the jig, but he knew things were going to work out, Nikolas and Luke would get him out of this, on that he had no doubt, he was family after all.

So after many long hours and no sleep, Lucky let his eyes close on their own accord, but he didn't sleep, just dozed, there was no way he was going to be sleeping any time soon, at least not until he was back home and in his own bed.

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"No! Forget this, I am not a wilting flower. I refuse to be scared because of a nameless threat. Whoever is doing this, it has to be because of me, right? You already said it had nothing to do with your business, so this is someone's idea of a sick joke." Elizabeth said, her anger surprising both men.

Jason couldn't help the small smile that crept up on him. There were so many things about Elizabeth that he loved, but this new fiery Liz was just plain cute. He couldn't tell her that though, she was mad as he!! and all he wanted to do was take her back to bed. He had seen her mad before, along with many other emotions, but this new 'I'm mad as he!! and not gong to take anyone's crap' was tantalizing. She would probably throttle him for those thoughts had she known about them, but he couldn't help it. She wasn't an angry person by nature.

Before either man could say anything, she began to pace back and forth. A glimpse of a thigh peaked out every once in awhile. Constricting Jason's heart for a moment, he only wished she would stop, Sonny didn't need those glimpses, not if he knew what was good for him.

"So, Sonny, what are we going to do? Because there is no way I am just going to sit around and wait, I will be a part of this, especially if Jason is going to be. I may be young, but I can handle myself, no one gets to threaten this life we have just made, and I do mean NO ONE!" Elizabeth said, not meaning to yell, but compelled to do so or blow apart from the building storm that raged inside of her.

Jason quickly jumped up, taking her hand and leading her back to the couch. He saw the deflation of her shoulders after she had finished her statement. Instead of maintaining her anger, it seemed to have disappeared, at least for the moment.

"Listen, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I am just sick and tired of something trying to tear us apart. Whenever things go good, and they are really good, someone seems to take it upon themselves to tear us down. I just want to keep my family safe, I can't lose any of them." Liz said, a little shocked at her outburst.

"There is nothing to be sorry about, I, we can understand your anger, it is justifiable. But until we know who is behind this, we don't have any choice but to move slowly and cautiously. We will increase your guards at the house and while you are out, but beyond that, I think it is all a matter of waiting." Sonny said, looking his best friend in the eye and knowing in action didn't sit well with him, because for that matter, it didn't sit well with him either.

"Look, sitting around waiting for the other shoe to drop is not something I am prepared to do, I think we need to get Spinelli and Stan in on this. Get them searching for anything out of the ordinary, I am still not convinced this doesn't have anything to do with us. We can have them check and see if there is anyone new in town and go from there, I will not stand by and watch my family pulled apart." Jason said, his conviction unbreakable, Sonny may be prepared to wait, but not him.

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Spinelli groggily reached for his phone, the stupid thing would not quiet, so with a new found animosity for technology, he quickly answered the shrilling object, just to stop its maddening shrieking. "Yeah, what?"

"Spinelli, get your but to Sonny's, now." Jason said, pocketing the phone, never giving the other man a chance to reply.

He looked at the offended object in his hands, almost as if he had never seen the thing before. But once his mind caught up with him, he understood Jason had given him an order, one he could not ignore.

Spinelli looked around the room, just trying to get his bearings, when he looked at the left side of the bed, he saw Lulu, snuggled deeply beneath the blankets. He quickly searched his mind, trying to ascertain why the blonde one would be in his bed. Then it all came back to him, she had come to him after she had heard everything that had happened with Lucky, surprisingly, Spinelli new almost as much as his bosses, but she had come here needing a friend. Spinelli listened and talked with her for some time, then when she had cried herself to sleep, he had tucked her in and promptly fell asleep himself. Nothing happened, unfortunately, but perhaps this was a beginning for them. Whatever it was, he couldn't contemplate it now.

So he slowly slipped from his bed, grabbing clothes at random. He was never going to win an award for fashion, so he stuck to what was comfortable, especially at this hour. He jotted down a quick note and left it on his pillow, hoping she would see it when she woke. Then he grabbed his coat and headed out into the predawn, hastily trying to reach Sonny's home.

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"Stan, you're needed, get your stuff and get over here, now." Sonny said, contacting their other computer genius.

"Yeah, sure boss. I'll be right there." Stand said groggily.

He looked sadly down at the raven haired woman snuggled into his arm, he couldn't remember how they ended up here, but he wasn't sorry. She was so beautiful. He couldn't help the wry smile that tugged at his lips. They had barely fallen asleep and now Sonny needed him. This job sucked, especially when you had a women like that in your bed.

"Kelly, wakeup, I have to go. Do you want to stay here till I get back or?" Stan asked, because in all honesty coming back home to find her in his bed was very appealing.

"I'm sleeping, go way. I'll be here when you get back. Shhh." Kelly said, gently pressing a kiss to his mouth, then rolled over and promptly fell back to sleep.

"Okay then, good night." Stan said as he pulled his weary form from bed. It had to be important, otherwise the boss wouldn't have called. He grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then dashed out into the very early morning darkness. It wouldn't be dark much longer, he thought.

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"Okay, they are both on their way, so until they arrive, do you have any other ideas about what we can do?" Sonny asked.

"I don't know, but I think it is time to make a list of our enemies, forewarned is forearmed or whatever that analogy is or anecdote." Jason said, drawing his eyebrows together in concentration.

Sonny and Liz couldn't help the smile that bloomed, it was just not something Jason would say.

"Elizabeth, I think you are rubbing off of Jason more and more. Before you know it, he's going to be sitting down for civilized afternoon tea!" Sonny said teasingly.

"You bet, and won't it be a sight." Elizabeth said, snuggling closer to Jason.

"Okay you two, no more below-the-belt jabs at me, we need to be serious." Jason replied, but he was smiling nonetheless.

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