A/N – Thanks for the comments! This chapter is a little different in how I have Liz dealing with their issues. * blackberry – technically yes, but then they'd have to file the marriage cert for it to be legal. Plus, she'd have to file him as a missing person etc. which would open another can of worms. I'm not going in that direction though. * kikimoo – He definitely knew that but knowing something and then witnessing it are two different things.

Chapter 18 – Friendly Fire

Two Months Later

It had been a hectic few months. Elizabeth and Jason worked a lot. They spent some time together but Jason had been pretty much consumed with tracking down Kristen Dimera and eliminating any threats that came up. He wanted to make sure that Elizabeth was safe. They had opted to destroy any records that the Dimera/Webber marriage ever took place so that they couldn't be linked to the deaths. Jason had fallen back into this old routine and Elizabeth really wasn't happy about it.

Elizabeth ran past Sarah into the bathroom and threw up.

"Are you alright?"

Liz stood up and then went and rinsed her mouth. "I'm fine. I think I caught a bug. I've been feeling yucky the last few days."

"Maybe you should go home and lie down."

"I'll be fine." She said.

Sarah shook her head. "Alright, but if you get everyone else sick, Epiphany is going to freak."

Epiphany crossed her arm and stood in the doorway. "Who's sick?"

"Elizabeth." Sarah said with a smirk.

"Go home." Epiphany said.

Liz glared at her sister. "Fine."

She got her things and walked up to Cody. "I'm off."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Stomach bug. Can we stop at the pharmacy?" She asked.

Cody nodded. "Sure, come on."

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Elizabeth walked into the bathroom and looked at the pregnancy test on the counter. She had gone over it in her mind and realized she was late. It would explain the sickness and how tired she felt.

Looking at the result, she gripped the counter and took a deep breath. They were going to have a baby. She started to laugh. This was the worst timing ever. Then she started to cry. Jason was a complete mess. She hadn't been at her job very long. What was she going to do to fix this? There was no way she was going to raise a kid with Jason when he was being so distant. He was obsessed with finding Kristen and keeping Liz safe. So, she made a decision and made some calls. It was time to put an end to the silence and avoidance. Elizabeth was going to fight for her man, and she just hoped that she didn't push him over the edge.

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Johnny, Francis, and Carly sat down in the living room of a nearby safe house as Elizabeth paced in front of them.

"Are you going to tell me why I'm here, because I don't know if you've been informed, but I suck at being patient." Carly said.

Liz looked over at her. "I need your help."

"You got it." Johnny said.

"I'm in." Francis said.

Carly looked wary. "I need to know what it is first."

Liz rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "Jason and I have had a rough couple of months with everything that has been going on and it's been really hard for me to adjust to the business. I feel like I need to do something drastic or we might not make it." She said softly.

Carly was shocked. "Elizabeth, if there is only one thing that I know, it's that Jason is in love with you."

Tears started to well up in Elizabeth's eyes. "I know that and I love him but I can't keep going on like this. He's distant and spends most of the day and night working. There is a wall so high around him that I'd get a nosebleed if I ever could reach the top. He's in straight up protector mode and it's driving me crazy. I can't live like this."

Carly stood up. "If you bail on him…," she said angrily.

"Oh sit down Carly. I'm not bailing on him. I'm trying to save us," she said desperately.

Carly let out the breath she was holding and sat back down. "What do you need from us?"

"I know this sounds crazy but, I want to kidnap Jason."

Francis frowned and Johnny just looked at her like she was crazy.

Carly snorted and started laughing. "Seriously? That is freaking brilliant."

"Well, I'm glad one of you isn't looking at me like I'm certifiable," Liz said looking at Francis and Johnny.

Francis sighed. "And how do you intend on kidnapping him? The man is built like a truck."

"I was going to drug him," Liz said quietly.

Carly chuckled. "Damn girl. I am in total awe right now."

Liz slightly smiled. "Carly, I'm serious."

"So am I. I didn't think you had it in ya," she said, "Alright, so you want to drug him. According to Francis, you'll need a crane to move him and just where are we putting him?"

"The cabin."

"That could work. Are you tying him up or will he be allowed to roam around?" Carly asked.

"I want to lock him in a room."

The two guards looked at each other again and shook their heads. "You'll need concrete walls not wooden ones then," Francis said.

"Like a basement room?" Liz asked, "Do you have one?"

"Yes," Francis said never thinking that he'd ever be holding Jason hostage in it. "He's going to kill us," he said to Johnny who chuckled.

"Maybe not," Johnny said, "If it fixes things then maybe we'll even get a raise."

Carly smirked. "So, are you chaining him up?"

Liz grinned. "Maybe."

"How are you injecting him?" Francis asked.

"Well, he does have a beer every night when he comes home. I guess I could drug that and then we just have to figure out how to get him out of the penthouse," Liz said.

"Well, we could express it to the parking lot. Jason's heavy though," Johnny said thinking out loud, "And he'll be dead weight. We need him on wheels."

Francis couldn't even believe they were having this conversation.

Elizabeth grabbed her stomach and ran out of the room and into the bathroom where she threw up.

They all looked at each other.

"Holy shit, I think she's pregnant," Carly whispered.

"Jesus. That's why she is losing it about fixing things," Francis said.

"It could be a stomach bug you know," Johnny said, "Wait, we could get Jason into a chair and push him."

"What about the basement stairs?" Francis asked.

"We can put something on it and slide him down." Johnny said.

Francis started to pace and Elizabeth came back to the room looking a little pale.

"Is there something you want to tell us Muffin?" Carly asked.

"Don't mention food," Liz said sitting down. "And to answer your question, no."

Carly licked her tongue out. "Fine, be that way."

"Elizabeth, if we had Cody and Milo helping us, we should be able to carry Jason without any problem," Francis said.

"Can we trust them?" Liz asked.

"Cody definitely. Maybe Milo isn't the best person," Johnny said.

"How about Logan?" Francis asked.

"That might work," Johnny said.

"When do you want to do this?" Francis asked.

Liz cleared her throat. "Tonight."

"What?" They all said at once.

"Please, I need to do this right away," Liz said softly. She didn't like keeping secrets from Jason and right now, she had a humdinger of one.

"What else do you need?" Carly asked.

Liz handed them a list.

"This is all doable relatively fast," she said. "Alright, let's get started. You lay down and rest."

Liz laid down on the couch. She was exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

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Elizabeth woke up in the car. It was freaky that she hadn't felt them move her. With the pregnancy, came her ability to sleep through just about anything. "Hey, what's going on?"

"You need to get up to the penthouse," Carly explained, "Jason is on his way home."

Liz nodded. "How long was I out?"

"Three hours."

Liz was surprised. "Wow. I guess I needed the rest."

"You're usually really tired the first trimester," she said.

Liz gasped. "You know?"

"So does everyone else. You puking your guts out pretty much sealed the deal," Carly said, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us."

"Thank you."

"He's going to be thrilled you know," Carly said smiling.

"I know but I'm hoping I won't have to play that card unless he fights me."

Liz wanted Jason to make changes for them without knowing she was pregnant.

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She ran into the penthouse and grabbed a vial out of her purse along with a needle. Going into the kitchen, she grabbed a bottle of beer and then injected it through the cap because Jason usually got his own beer. She had just finished up and was about to put it back in the fridge when Jason walked inside. Making a snap decision, she pried off the top off the beer and tossed it into the trash before walking it out to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks," He said quietly.

They sat down and Jason quickly downed it.

"I was hoping we could talk," Elizabeth said feeling him out.

"About what?" He asked.

"Us."

Jason looked over at her. "Is there a problem?"

Liz chuckled. "Wow."

Jason sighed. He was tired and really not in the mood to have such a serious discussion."Look, I know I've been preoccupied but I need to make sure Kristen is handled."

"Jason, there will always be an enemy. Are you just going to bury yourself in work forever? You have been totally avoiding me," She said.

Jason closed his eyes. In a way he was because he was scared. It seemed like anyone he was with was a walking target. Part of him didn't understand why women even wanted to put themselves in that position. He certainly didn't feel worthy of it. Seeing that gun pressed against Elizabeth's head had changed him. He had felt so helpless; something he wasn't used to and it made him realize that he couldn't really fully protect her. If she was killed because of him, he'd never forgive himself. He knew he had pulled away from her, but in a way, he was giving her an out; though it was now clear that she wouldn't take it.

He started to feel like he was falling asleep and his eyes jerked open. "I'm sorry. I really don't want to hurt you."

Liz watched his eyes go out of focus. "But that's exactly what you're doing and I think you're lying. You are intentionally pulling away from me and that is just unacceptable," Liz said firmly.

Jason started to protest but his slurring words stopped him, "You drugged me?" he asked.

Liz smirked. "You bet your tight ass I did."

Jason was stunned. He quickly passed out and Liz got up and opened the door. "It's done," she said as she opened the door.

Johnny nodded and then men came inside dragging a chair and hauled Jason into it and then strapped him down.

Liz grabbed her purse and they left.

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The four men managed to get Jason down into the basement. There was a bed set up and they got him arranged on it. The only other thing accessible from the room was a small bathroom but the actual room itself was bare.

"I was never here," Logan said walking towards the door.

Johnny smirked. "Wus."

Cody grinned. "Me either."

Francis shook his head as they watched the two of them escape. Cody was going to stick around just in case but Logan was driving home.

There was a double-sided window in the wall so Elizabeth could talk without him seeing her or the opposite. It was her choice. There was twin bed set up in the room so Liz could rest. She had taken a few days off from the hospital. They assumed she was sick. She laid down and got comfortable. It would be a few hours until Jason woke up and she wanted to make sure she was well rested.

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Jason woke up and slowly the room came into focus. Johnny gently woke up Elizabeth and she got up and used the bathroom and then got ready to speak.

Jason was confused. Elizabeth had drugged him. Why in the world would she do that, and who the fuck was helping her? He sat up and the room spun a little. Taking some deep breaths he took in his surroundings. He knew exactly where he was. Looking over at the window he said, "Why?"

Liz pushed the button. "You have refused to really talk to me and have an honest conversation so I upped the stakes."

"Are things that bad?" he asked.

"It certainly is headed in that direction," she said.

"Can I see you please?" Jason asked.

She pushed another button and for several long moments they just stared at each other.

"So your solution was to kidnap me? I'm surprised you didn't chain me to the bed," he said incredulously.

Liz rolled her eyes. "I thought about it but then we'd have to put a catheter in and I didn't think you'd forgive me for that."

Jason grimaced. "How long are you keeping me here?" He asked still unable to believe that she would do such a thing.

"That depends on you."

Jason started to get angry. "Elizabeth this is crazy. I have things to do."

"You mean things that are more important than me?" she asked angrily.

"I'm doing all of this for you."

She chuckled. "You're such a freaking martyr aren't you? I don't remember asking you to throw our relationship away so you can save poor little Elizabeth," she said dramatically. It was time for tough love.

"You almost died," Jason yelled in frustration.

"But I didn't. Is that where you're going to live from now on; in a land where I'm murdered or need to be saved? From where I stand, that's not living at all," she said angrily.

"I don't know what you expect me to do."

"I expect you to spend time with me and be in a relationship with me. I'm not a fucking bed warmer. You have a one track mind and interacting with me is not on it." Liz started to pace. "I will not be in a relationship by myself. Are you trying to get me to leave you?"

Jason wanted to punch the wall but he didn't answer.

"You want to know another reason why this concrete wall is between us?" she asked.

He just looked at her.

"Because you use your dick to distract me. Instead of talking to me, you fuck me." she said bitterly.

"We make love," he retorted.

"Whatever," Elizabeth said, "You use it to control me and you know it."

Jason was seething. "What the fuck Elizabeth? Are you trying to piss me off? I fucking love you."

Liz threw up her hands. "What am I supposed to think? Every time I try to talk to you about this, you shut me up with your mouth and the next thing I know I'm underneath you yelling your name."

Jason looked away for a minute and then his shoulders slumped. She was right. He did try to avoid the conversation by having sex. "I'm sorry."

"Don't get me wrong, I love having sex with you but Jason, I'm not going to wait until we have grown so far apart that it's impossible to fix us to address this," she said emotionally, "We promised each other that we'd always talk it out and we have both not lived up to that."

"What do you want from me?" he asked quietly.

"More than what you've been giving me the last few months. I want it all. I want you to realize that your method of dealing with the danger is destroying our relationship and chose to handle it differently," she said frustratedly.

Jason was exasperated.

"Don't look at me like that. You learned to cope with it the way you have been so you can learn a different method; one that doesn't entail shutting yourself off because that is unacceptable," Liz said firmly.

Elizabeth paled and Jason tensed up. She pushed the button and ran from the room as Jason yelled her name. Johnny pushed the bathroom door open as she flushed the toilet and helped her stand.

"You okay?"

She nodded and rinsed her mouth out. "That just took a lot out of me."

Johnny was worried. "You should go upstairs and eat something."

She didn't say anything.

Making a decision for her, Johnny picked her up and carried her upstairs.

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Carly had been surprised to see them, but she helped Liz get settled on the couch and then got her some healthy snacks.

"I'm going down there," Carly said.

"You don't have to. He'll be mad at you," Liz said.

She shrugged. "I have to take the chance."

Liz nodded and watched her walk away. All of this was either going to fix them or end them and she was scared.

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Jason was starting to freak out. "Elizabeth," he yelled.

Carly cleared her throat. "She's upstairs getting something to eat."

Jason was shocked. "Carly?"

"In the flesh."

He muttered some obscenities. "I should have known. Was this your idea?"

Carly grinned and then pushed the button so Jason could see her. "No, Liz gets all the credit. It was brilliant really."

"Brilliant? You think drugging me and kidnapping me is brilliant?" he asked incredulously.

"Yup."

Jason rolled his eyes. "You would. What do you want Carly? You want to tell me what a fuck up I've been too?"

"Jason what are you doing? Why are you throwing what you have with Elizabeth away?" she asked.

"I'm trying to protect her," he growled.

"But the way you are doing it is making you lose her anyway," Carly said, "She's the best thing that has ever happened to you."

"Don't you think I know that?" He yelled. "I hate this. I don't know what to do; how to change."

"Jason, you were doing fine with her before you got your memory back. Why did you bury that person?"

"Because that person would get her killed. Jake didn't have a care in the world. He didn't have people depending on him like I do," Jason explained emotionally.

Carly sighed. "Why does it have to be one way or the other?"

"What?" He asked not sure what she meant.

"You can still allow yourself to be close to her; to show how much you love her the way she needs you to and still protect her the best that you can too. You are not God Jason. You can't be everywhere," She said firmly.

Jason sat down on the bed—defeated. "I don't know how to stop. This is how I've coped with my life since the accident."

"But you are capable of behaving differently. I get this mindset is safe for you, but Jason, if you don't stop this obsessive behavior, you're going to lose everything," Carly said softly.

Jason sighed. He knew she was right. This was really bad and he had failed Elizabeth.

Carly pushed the button and left the room, giving Jason some time to think.