Chapter One

Collapsing onto the brown armchair of the Corinthos penthouse, he closed his eyes for a moment of silence. He didn't care that Sonny would most likely scold him for throwing his leather jacket on the coffee table, but he needed silence.

After, listening to the three stooges argue about some stupid football game between competing colleges, a moment of silence anywhere even a few feet away from Brenda was good enough for him. He had no idea why Sonny wanted him to stop by for lunch, but he had jumped at the excuse to leave the warehouse for a few hours although it meant he would have to deal with the insane brunette his best friend had moved heaven and earth to marry. At the moment he didn't care if the woman popped out of no where and attacked him, he would simply ignore her. The shrill ring of his phone interrupted his moment of bliss.

Flipping the phone open, he said, "Morgan," gruffly with his eyes still shut.

"Hey Jason, it's me, Johnny. Elizabeth wanted me to let you know that they're at the park."

"Why couldn't she tell me herself?" he asked, frowning.

"I don't know," a member of the three stooges mumbled.

Instantly, Jason Morgan heard the muffled footsteps on the carpeted staircase located behind him. The muffled steps told him it was Sonny finally making an entrance. "When did they leave?"

"At noon. They're having a picnic and according to Elizabeth, they should be back at two," the young guard reported, knowing the questions that his boss would ask.

"Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem, just doing my job."

Eyes still closed, the enforcer shut his phone and continued to scowl. Elizabeth Webber had been Lil's nanny for over a year and the woman remained edgy as the day she had stepped foot in his office. Why she always looked like a deer caught in the headlights around him made little sense to him. The woman was an enigma he was incapable of understanding.

"Everything, okay?"

Eyes flashing open, Jason found himself staring up at a rarely ruffled Sonny Corinthos. His hair was disheveled, his black dress shirt wrinkled with a few of the top buttons open. The older man looked away. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of black slacks, he cleared his throat. "Sorry it took me so long. We were washing Della and David up for lunch and Brenda and I-"

Jason's hand instantly flashed up in the air to silence the man from continuing, his face twisted in disgust. "Please spare me the details. I can guess on my own."

Sonny chuckled at his best friend's sickened expression.

"Sure you can guess right? Since you are so out of practice."

Jason's face distorted even further.

Both men turned their heads in the direction of the teasing voice. Brenda Corinthos stood at the foot of the of stairs with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Dressed in a comfortable white cotton tank top and skirt, the brunette bounced down the steps ready to annoy the enforcer that sat in her living room. Placing the baby monitor she held on the coffee table, Brenda smiled pleasantly at Jason. "Do you need a reminder? You have been living like a monk for a while now. It's okay if your memory needs some refreshing."

Jason glared at his best friend's wife, but kept his mouth clamped shut. Saying something would only prolong the misery of being around her. The woman just lived to aggravate him.

"You know if you do need a reminder, all you have to do is wake up and pay attention to a certain brunette beauty that works for you," Brenda suggested, offhandedly folding a burping towel.

The disgusted expression was replaced by a frown of confusion. After Brenda didn't specify whom she was referring to, Jason turned to Sonny with a quizzical look.

Sonny covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to cover his smirk, but his dimples were still visible. He knew exactly of whom his wife was referring to and he wasn't going to take mercy on his best friend. The said woman had been working for Jason over a year and his poor schmuck of a best friend had yet to make a move. Sometimes Jason's lack of a love life worried him. Jason continued to look at him for an answer, but Sonny said nothing, enjoying the sight of the young man dumbfounded for once.

"I never thought you were that slow."

Looking up, Jason found his sister, Emily Quartermaine, standing in the threshold of the penthouse, frowning at him. He wasn't slow. He always tried to be quick on his feet, but it was moments like this that he couldn't come up with an answer. From time to time Emily and Brenda did that to him.

"You usually tune us out this far into the conversation. But you should know what we're-or should I say who we're talking about."

Once again, she received a blank look from Jason.

Rolling her eyes, Brenda took a seat besides Jason, shaking her head in disappointment. "The girl spends more time at your penthouse than you and you act like she doesn't exist. I take that as denial of pure lust."

"And she's such a pretty little thing too," Emily sighed, plopping down on the other side of her brother.

Jason once again looked to Sonny for support, but the older man found so much pleasure in watching the show that he decided to take his time in interfering.

"Lil approves of her as well."

As the two women continued their commentary a light bulb went off in his head. "Elizabeth?"

"You're not as slow as I was starting think you were," his sister stated, smiling cheekily at him.

"We're back to this again?" Jason asked, growing tired of the unfortunately frequent lectures he received from Brenda and Emily about dating women, especially Elizabeth Webber, his nanny. "We've had this conversation before."

"And we will continue to until you've asked her out and made her officially my sister-in-law."

Jason glared at his little sister. "She's my nanny."

"And your point being?" the older brunette replied. When her husband's best friend didn't reply she continued. "Exactly, nothing."

"She's my nanny," Jason repeated through clenched teeth.

"And…" Emily prompted.

"And," Jason sighed. "I don't want to make things uncomfortable for either of us if it doesn't work. Especially for Lil. I won't do that to Elizabeth or my daughter."

Emily and Brenda simultaneously groaned.

"What?" Jason asked, bewildered at the behavior of the two women flanking him on each side.

Sonny chuckled, receiving a glare from Jason that the older man ignored.

"Do you like Elizabeth?" Emily asked, daring her brother to say no.

"Yes," Jason answered skeptically, not sure where the conversation was heading.

"What do you think of her?" Brenda followed up her cohort.

"Why does this even matter?" Jason exclaimed, jumping off the couch. "She doesn't even talk to me."
"Hello, if you haven't noticed, you're not Mr. Talkative yourself," Emily remarked ignoring her brother's heated glare.

"Jason, I happen to agree with them," Sonny admitted, speaking for the first time since Brenda and Emily had ganged up on Jason again. The guards ganging up on Jason was entertaining, but the two feisty brunettes against Jason was more worthwhile to watch. "You barely talk to Elizabeth and if you do it's about Lil, which isn't a terrible thing, but have you ever thought of getting to know her? Letting her get to know you?"

Jason stared at his best friend, expecting to wake up any second and find himself back in his office at the warehouse. He would take any day with the three stooges than with two brunettes teamed up with his traitor of a best friend. "Whose side are you on?"

"Everyone's," Sonny stated diplomatically.

Sighing deeply, Jason picked a spot on the Persian rug of the Corinthos penthouse. "Elizabeth is a wonderful person." His eyes remained riveted on the spot as he addressed the people he considered family surrounding him. "I know that without having to spend time with her, but she's the type of person that deserves more than a few bike rides and lousy dates. She's too beautiful inside and out to deserve the life I chose. And after the whole mess with Sam, I'm not ready to put myself through that again and I have a daughter to think about now. A relationship is not a priority for me and let's face it, I'm not the dating type."

Once again, he received two frustrated shrieks and a shake of the head from his best friend.

"You'll never know if you're the dating or marrying type if you don't put yourself out there again." When Jason's sober facial expression didn't change, Emily jumped to her feet and took a solid stance in front of her brother. "You said it yourself, Elizabeth is wonderful. She's great at what she does."

"She's talented," Brenda added.

"Good in the kitchen," Sonny threw in his own two cents.

"Kind."

"Thoughtful."

"Friendly."

"Loving."

"Creative."

"Has a great sense of humor."

"Is drop dead gorgeous," Brenda continued to list off.

"Come on big brother," Emily said, socking Jason playfully in the arm. "She's a stunner."

Exhaling, Jason closed his eyes and scrubbed his face roughly. He needed to start scheduling meetings at the warehouse or he was going to get ambushed like this again. He didn't mind that people he called family wanted him to be happy and involved with someone, but sometimes it could be annoying when they sounded like a broken record for nearly a year. "I know all that," Jason murmured. "Trust me I do." And he did. He was the one that had to watch her with his daughter day in and day out. He knew how gentle and giving Elizabeth was with his daughter. He kept his distant from her for a reason. "But Elizabeth-"

His words were cut off by a brisk knock at the door. After a few moments, Adam, a newly acquired guard opened the penthouse door, with a serious look on his young face. He held a small white envelope that usually held R.S.V.P. cards. "I have a delivery for Jason."

Jason frowned.

Sonny moved towards the guard. "What is it?" he asked, holding out his hand for the message.

"I don't know," the young guard responded. "It was just dropped off by a teenager. I had Eric intercept him at the exit. Just in case."

"Thanks," Jason said sincerely, moving for the envelope.

The guard exited back to his post, leaving two anxious brunettes and a worried mob boss staring at Port Charles' one and only lethal enforcer. They watched closely as Jason opened the envelope cautiously. Jason's once weary face drained of color before their eyes. Within moments his face grew stoic and all emotions faded away as his eyes steeled.

"Sonny call the three stooges. Get the jet fueled and get everyone on it," Jason growled, pulling his leather jacket on. Before anyone occupying the penthouse could question him, Jason was out the door.

Moving rapidly on his feet, Jason passed the elevator for the emergency exit stairwell. He didn't have time to wait for the elevator. As he flew down the staircase and into the garage complex, the only thought in his mind was the one single line that had been sprawled in elegant script on the three by two card.

Pretty little things shouldn't be left out in the open.