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Chapter 5

Elizabeth bolted upright, breathing hard and shaking. Looking around she tried to ground herself as she struggled to bring the area into focus. It was dark and she was cold. "NO!" She yelled scrambling out of bed and away from the hands that were trying to pull her back. She had fought her way free and wasn't going back there. Not ever again.

"Elizabeth." Jason followed his wife out of the bed as he softly said her name. When she whimpered he stopped moving closer. "Elizabeth, baby, it's me. It's Jason." He said waiting for the fog to clear. Now that he could dream again he understood how they sometimes held on after you woke up.

Elizabeth took a deep breath as the last of the dream released her. "Jason." She repeated in a voice that shook.

"Yeah." He said closing the distance between them, and holding her tight.

"It was so real." She said looking up at him. "I could feel it." She said burrowing closer.

"Feel what?" Jason couldn't tell what the dream was about. After he moved into the gatehouse with Elizabeth, Cameron, and Jake she had several bad dreams about the plane crash. This didn't feel like that.

"I need to shower." Elizabeth said pushing away from him, and heading into the bathroom.

Jason stood there for a second as the dots connected before following her. She was stepping into the shower so he stripped down and joined her. He hadn't known her when she'd been so brutally hurt, his promise to his sister to not hurt Tom Baker was one of the greatest regrets he had. Now Elizabeth was his and he needed to give her all the comfort he could. "What do you need?" He asked as they stood under the water.

"Touch me. Please?" Her voice broke on the request. "I can feel his hands on me. Please make it go away." Elizabeth asked looking into Jason's eyes.

He didn't hesitate to bring his hands up. With large sweeping motions he touched every inch of her. He kept his hands gentle almost like he was afraid he would break her. He kept touching her until she stopped trembling. Then he simply pulled her close and held her. "Ready to go back to bed?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I woke you." Elizabeth said as Jason handed her a towel for her hair while he dried her body.

"Don't be. I'm glad I was here." He said quietly. "Has this happened when I wasn't home?" He still had to occasionally work at night. It was rare, but it did happen.

"No. This is the first time in a long time I've dreamed about what happened to me." Elizabeth told him quietly. "It happens." She said not looking at him. It never happened without a trigger, and she knew exactly what had brought this on. Hopefully it wouldn't happen again.

"If it happens when I'm out call me." He said tipping her head up. She trembled hard under his fingers. "Let's get you into something warm." He carried her into her closet and grabbed clean underwear then a pair of pajamas. Once she was dressed he went into his closet and grabbed sleep pants. "Come on." Hand in hand they went back into the bedroom. "Get in." He said lifting the covers. "I'm going to make you some chamomile tea. You'll be okay for a few minutes?"

"I will." Elizabeth said leaning back against the headboard. She probably wouldn't go back to sleep, but lying here in Jason's arms would make her feel better. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, opening them again when he came back in the room.

"Here you go." Jason sat the mug down and joined her in bed. He urged her forward and sat behind her. "Drink your tea." He said massaging her shoulders. She was tight. "Did someone do something to you?" If it had been an overt incident then Milo would have reported it. With something like this it could have been innocuous event. Even something seemingly innocent like a smell could act as a trigger.

"No one hurt me Jason. Milo wouldn't allow that." She trusted her guard implicitly. "It happens." She repeated finishing her drink and leaning into her husband. "Jason?"

"Yeah baby." He hoped she asked him for something to make this better.

"Will you read to me?" She looked up at him with a small smile. The sound of his voice always relaxed her. She loved listening him read to the boys at bedtime.

"What do you want to hear?" Jason asked kissing the top of her head.

"Where in Italy are you taking us next year?" Elizabeth asked him. He had asked for free reign in planning the trip.

"San Gimignano it's a small walled town in Tuscany." Jason told her. "I'm looking forward to viewing the frescos with you. Some of them date back to the fourteenth century." He explained. "There is a section in my travel guide about Tuscany. Let me go get it." He said letting her go. Quickly he was back in bed. "Lie down baby." Hopefully if she stretched out and got comfortable she would go back to sleep. He wouldn't. He didn't need any more sleep. That was something that remained from his just Morgan days. It would serve him well tonight. "Ready?"

"Yes." Elizabeth said closing her eyes and letting the sound of her husband's voice calm her.

He read for an hour telling her about the small Etruscan city. That in four fifty A.D the city was renamed San Gimignano after Bishop Geminianus, who later became the Saint of Modena, after he saved the city from followers of Attila the Hun. He told her about Saint Fina whose shrine is said to have healing powers for those who visited it. Mostly he told her of the Piazzas that the city was famous for and the fourteen towers that still stood despite the many wars in the region. By the time he was ready to tell her about the churches in the area his beautiful wife was asleep. Careful not to wake her Jason stretched out beside her and took her in his arms. He would watch over her for the rest of the night and hopefully his presence would help her to rest.

The next morning Jason made them breakfast and while Cameron happily chatted and Jake happily babbled he watched his wife. The rest of the night had passed peacefully for her and Elizabeth had woken up in a good mood. She didn't look at all like she'd had a rough night.

He bundled the boys up and carried Cameron to the minivan while Elizabeth carried Jake. When the boys were strapped in he leaned down and kissed her. "I'll see you tonight." He gave her one last look.

Elizabeth knew what he was doing and just soaked up his caring. For the last year he'd been by her side. Not only as a father to their boys, but a partner to her. It was the most amazing feeling. To know that she had someone she could lean on if she needed to. "How about you, me, and the fireplace after the boys are asleep?"

"I like the sound of that. I love you." He said holding open her car door.

"I love you too." They never parted without those three words passing between them. They never failed to let the other one know just how much this meant. Elizabeth raised the garage door and Milo was in his car in the drive waiting to follow her to drop off Cameron and then drive to the hospital.

Jason waved to the younger man, who waved back. He walked over to his car and got behind the wheel. Because this was a work day he was in one of the SUV's. They also got better traction in the ice. Come spring he'd take out the sports cars when he took Elizabeth out to dinner.

Instead of heading into the office he drove out to Crimson Pointe. Johnny was in his office when Jason arrived. "I thought I'd see you yesterday." Johnny told his friend as he pointed to the coffeepot. "How is Liz?"

"Fine." Jason said sipping the brew he imported. "She said you were seeing Gia Campbell."

"She was upset by that." Johnny sat on his desk. "Is this going to be a problem?" He liked Gia, but he didn't love her. Not even close, this was just a fun way to pass some time. Still he wasn't going to let Jason, or Liz, dictate his personal life.

"Nope." Jason said grinning. "I don't care who you date. I would like you to keep your girlfriend away from my sister. I will tell Emily to behave." And hoped she listened.

Johnny blinked in surprise. "I thought you were going to tell me to keep Gia away from Liz."

"Elizabeth said she could be civil." Jason told his longtime friend and watched O'Brien frown.

"Civil?" O'Brien asked his friend. "Why would she need to be civil?"

"I have no idea. I know they competed over the Face of Deception, they weren't friends when that started or when it ended. Elizabeth accepted Gia as Nikolas's girlfriend and I'm guessing she is doing the same for you. Emily will not be accepting, but you don't spend a lot of time with my sister so that won't be much of an issue." Jason shrugged as he answered.

"Gia told me what she did." Johnny admitted. "She also said she apologized for the blackmail."

"According to Elizabeth it will be Nikolas and Zander that the two women clash over." Jason warned Johnny.

"If Emily swings first I won't stop Gia from defending herself." Johnny told Jason.

"Same goes if Gia swings first. They are adults and will figure it out. We are having a Christmas brunch at the house, Emily will be there and Elizabeth feels it is best that Gia is not. So we would like to take the two of you out to dinner at a later date. Before the New Year." Jason said finishing up his coffee.

"I'll check mine and Gia's schedule and get back to you." Johnny said grinning. "Anything else? Business?"

"Nope. We are good." Jason meant that. "I need to go pretend that I'm working."

"Will you be at midnight mass?" Johnny meant Christmas Eve.

"Yeah." Jason said heading toward the door.

"I'll bring the gifts then." Johnny told his friend.

"We'll do the same. See you then." Jason said walking out of the office.

Johnny sat behind his desk and gave the conversation he had just had with Jason some thought. Something was off. Elizabeth said she would be civil. Which meant she was only being nice to Gia for him. While Liz had a wicked temper and could hold a grudge with the best of them he didn't think that she would be holding onto one for losing the Face of Deception campaign. If he remembered correctly Liz didn't even want the job. According to Gia that modeling job and Nikolas were all the two women had in common. And Emily. Liz was fiercely protective of her sister in-law, but it didn't feel like that. He'd seen Elizabeth's eyes yesterday, she hadn't just been surprised she'd been hurt too. Hurt by his seeing Gia, but why? Johnny was going to have to figure this out.

"What's up?" Emily asked coming up to the nurse's hub. Liz had paged her.

"Do you have a second?" Elizabeth was due a break and she was hoping Emily was too.

"Sure." Emily replied.

"Come with me." Elizabeth took them down to the staff lounge which was empty. "Gia is back."

"Why?" Emily would love to put her fist down the former model's throat.

"She is running Crimson for Jax, and she's seeing Johnny." Elizabeth filled in the holes.

"Oh my god, I can't believe he would do that to you. After what she did he's dating her?" Emily said as her temper spiked.

"Emily. I don't think he knows. In fact I'm certain." Elizabeth explained. "Think about it."

Emily took a few deep breaths and did just that. "You're right he can't know. So when are you going to tell him?"

"I'm not, and neither are you. Nor are you going to tell your brother. Not Francis or Milo either. In fact you aren't going to tell anyone." Elizabeth laid down the law.

"The last time I checked I wasn't one of your children." Emily said arching an eyebrow. "He's a big boy he doesn't need you to protect him."

"She did it to me Emily. So it's my story to tell. I'm asking you to respect that. Johnny's been sad since Olivia left. If Gia makes him happy I will suck it up." Elizabeth told her best friend.

"Maybe it's a rebound thing." Emily said hopeful. "I will keep my mouth shut. We know she will. But if this gets out Johnny will be pissed at you."

"If you don't say anything and I don't it won't get out. Carly doesn't know, so I don't have to worry about her saying anything." Elizabeth shared.

"How do you know?" Emily wanted to hear this.

"She apologized for her part in the Face of Deception. For letting Gia be mean to me. I asked her if she knew what Gia had done, and Carly said no. That she knew whatever it was hurt me emotionally. Carly figured that Gia slept with Lucky to spite me." Elizabeth revealed.

"Gia was all about Nik, she wasn't going to blow that by sleeping with a no name photographer." Emily said with real venom. "I guess it's a good thing Lucky doesn't live here anymore. The more people who know a secret the less likely it is to be kept." Emily crossed her arms over her chest. "So I have to be nice to her at the brunch."

"No. They aren't coming. I invited you first, and my loyalty is to you. Always." Elizabeth smiled. "We will get together with them sometime before the New Year, and I will be civil. Because Johnny is my friend." She could do this. Hopefully without having anymore nightmares.

"I need incentive not to kick her ass the next time I see her. I'm not as close to Johnny as you are." Emily looked at her best friend for guidance.

"If you get arrested for murder it will seriously impact your future greatness as a doctor. I'm also pretty sure it takes you out of the running for a Nobel Prize." Elizabeth said grinning.

"Good, I'll remember that. However if she swings first its self-defense." Emily said with an evil grin. She just knew she could make that happen.

"I'm going back to work." Elizabeth said laughing. Things would certainly be interesting from here on out.

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