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Chapter 7

With the tears shed she wiped her face with the wet cloth Jason brought in. "Thank you." She said softly. "I always feel so weak when I cry."

"Crying is how the body relieves stress. You as a medical professional should know that." He said bumping her shoulder with his.

"I do. How do you?" Elizabeth wanted to know a little more about him.

"I was going to be a doctor before the accident. Sometimes I find myself knowing things that realistically I shouldn't." Jason started explaining. "One day about a year ago I was working through some shipping issues and I started doodling. When I looked down I had drawn a perfect model of the circulatory systems major pathways. If you asked me to do it now, I couldn't but that knowledge is somewhere in my brain." He just shrugged.

"But you don't remember yourself or anyone else before the accident?" She asked hoping he didn't find the question intrusive. Because the hospital ran on gossip it hadn't been hard to learn about what happened to him.

"No, I don't remember anything that has to do with emotional things or memories. I can still do math and science. I remember historical dates. I do have trouble sometimes with words. Also with images." Jason told her.

"Can I ask you about the accident?" Elizabeth would back down if he said no.

"I don't remember it." Jason confessed. "I remember waking up in the hospital with Monica holding my hand and crying. Emily was there too. AJ was driving. He hit a tree and I flew from the car. I ended up with brain damage and he ended up in a wheelchair."

Elizabeth leaned against him. She was exhausted and the crying had left her with a bit of a headache. "Emily said that you and AJ didn't get along."

"We didn't. It's better now, I don't blame him for the accident. I think if I had all my memories I might. It sounded like Jason Quartermaine was a good guy. I might blame him for taking that person away. Everyone else blames him for taking that person away, so his relationship with the rest of the family is strained. He and our Grandfather haven't spoken a civil word in years." The family dynamics gave Jason a headache. He tried to avoid the drama. "AJ is only home because our Grandmother's birthday is coming up." He and Lila were the only family members AJ regularly spoke with. His older brother's relationship with Emily was strained because of AJ's choice of wives. "I can introduce you before he leaves." He wanted her to know his family.

"If the opportunity arrives." Elizabeth wouldn't mind. "Can I ask you a question about our current situation?"

"Sure thing." Jason leaned back into the couch and putting his arm around her shoulder pulled her closer to him. She felt fragile, but he knew nothing was further from the truth.

"What happens when Lucky shows up?" Elizabeth looked up at him through her lashes.

"Before I answer that I need to talk to you about something else." It was rude to ignore a question, but if he answered that now he could end up in jail. Or Liz could. He didn't want her in a position to have to lie under oath. "I went to see my lawyer."

"To corroborate my story." Elizabeth figured he would. She was glad he knew she hadn't lied.

"No, I believed every word you said." Jason could spot a liar. "I wanted more information." Francis was still digging. In the next few days Jason would know Lucky's entire life story as well as the stories of anyone connected to him. "I asked Francis, my lawyer, how I could protect you and Cameron."

"You mean legally?" Elizabeth shivered a bit. With Lucky's law enforcement connections she now found it hard to trust the police. She and Cameron had been failed so badly by those sworn to protect them.

"Yes." Jason could, and did, operate within the law when it suited his purpose.

"What did he say?" Elizabeth would understand if Jason didn't want to kill Lucky. Why risk it for two people he didn't know.

"He told me that my best option, if I want to go that route, is for us to get married and for me to adopt Cameron." Jason explained looking down into Elizabeth's shocked eyes.

"Jason you hardly know me." Elizabeth pointed out. "Are you the type of man that would marry a stranger?" That question alone let her know how little she knew about him. Yet she still trusted him. Deep inside she knew she could trust him.

"I've been married twice before. Both were short, both were mistakes. I fully accept my share of making the mistakes." Jason was working his way around to answering her question. "I married two strangers, because the women I married were not how I thought they were. Have you ever been married?"

"No. I had a serious boyfriend when Sarah died." Elizabeth told him. "We were discussing marriage, but hadn't gotten around to getting engaged. I was already working. He was still in medical school."

"Why did you break up?" Jason wanted to know what reason a man had for walking away from a woman like Elizabeth.

"He wasn't ready to be a dad. He never asked me to turn my back on Cameron, but he was honest about his feelings on my taking custody. I couldn't walk away from Cameron. How could I live with myself? My parents were retired and traveled a lot. They were not in a place to take on a six month old. Cameron needed me. So my boyfriend and I broke up. It was the right choice. I don't think he would have been able to handle Lucky and all this mess." Elizabeth held no ill will towards her former boyfriend. Children were simply not for everyone. Her ex was more focused on his career. At least he didn't say yes and then walk away.

He silently thought her ex was an idiot. One look at Cameron and Elizabeth and Jason had known they were special. "I want you to give it some thought." Jason would let her make the decision. He knew she needed to think about what was best for Cameron. "We don't have to live together if that's easier on everyone."

"We would be married Jason. Married couples live together." She laughed at him, but appreciated the gesture. "How many bedrooms are here?"

"Four, but the Jr. Master is now my office." He pointed over his shoulder.

"We could each have our own room. I don't normally share with Cameron when we are in one place." She told him. For the short times they were in one place for a while she found a sublet with two bedrooms. "The room you gave us tonight will be perfect for me. Would the other room work for Cameron?"

"It would. You would have to share a bathroom." Jason didn't expect that to be a problem.

"That's fine." Elizabeth shared a bathroom with Cameron now.

"Could Cameron live here?" Jason needed to know that. "Would it be scary for him staying here?"

"Yes and no." Elizabeth leaned forward so that her elbows were on her knees and put her head in her hands. She was ready to turn in, but this discussion needed to happen. "You do scare him still, but I'm already seeing signs that he is starting to trust you. Having you around will help him to see that you don't mean him harm. So that's the yes part. No because he fell asleep with no problem. Cameron doesn't sleep in places that scare him. When we first moved here neither one of us slept for the first three nights in our new apartment because he was too terrified to close his eyes. He literally passed out from exhaustion." She had followed swiftly behind, but only slept in short stretches.

No child should ever be that scared was all Jason could think. Yet at the same time it made him feel good that Cameron was upstairs asleep. According to what he was hearing that was huge. "Are you starting to trust me?"

"I am. It's odd and shouldn't be happening so fast, but I am starting to trust you. I still need more time." She felt bad saying that after all he had done so far.

"I understand. The only person I trusted completely when I woke up was Lila. After that it was Emily, but not for a few months." Jason got it. "The survival instinct exists in us for a reason. When you've been relying on it for a long as you have, it can't simply be turned off. First it gets dialed slowly down, and then eventually it goes away."

She could only smile at that. He got it. "The more I trust you the easier it is for Cameron to do so." She knew that.

"I don't want him to trust me because you do, although I can see that helping. I want him to trust me because he feels it's right." Jason knew that day was coming. "You can think about what we've talked about. Now I need to know something else. Cameron needs a guard how can we make that happen? I don't have any female guards." Hiring one wasn't as easy as it sounded. They needed someone the little boy was comfortable with. A trial period was not ideal. Having a different person each week could be disastrous. "I can look into getting a nanny with the right skill set, will Cameron adjust well to that?"

"He might, but it's important he goes to daycare. He needs to be around other children." Elizabeth explained.

"She would only work when you aren't available. I don't think Cameron is ready to be alone with me if you are working a night shift." Jason pointed out. "In time we won't need her." This was a new type of planning for him.

"I'm sorry I need to end the conversation now." She was falling asleep next to him. The sound of his voice was soothing.

"Understood. Go to sleep. Lock the door if you feel the need to." Jason offered.

"Thank you again Jason. I know that we will be safe with you." Elizabeth placed a hand on his arm before squeezing lightly.

She went upstairs and Jason sat on the couch to think. It would be best if Cameron got used to the guards. His guys were good and they would keep the little guy safe. Ben's guard was Adam and the younger guy was great with the energetic youngster. Jason was positive that Kyle would work well with Cameron. He would introduce the guard to Liz. For her he was thinking about assigning Milo. Whether or not they got married the guards would be put in place. Starting tomorrow he would be protecting Elizabeth and Cameron.

In the morning he was back on the couch, this time reading the paper. Marco was minding the territory. If something happened he would call. Jason wanted to be here when his guests came downstairs. He would fix them breakfast and see what they were going to do today.

He was reading the paper when he heard the door upstairs open. Not hearing any footsteps he started to check when a voice inside told him to stay still. Learning over the years to listen to his instincts Jason waited to see what would happen next.

Cameron woke up before his mommy, which was rare. She was always up before he was. He loved his mommy, she was always really good to him. She showed him a picture of his before mommy. The one who grew him in her stomach. The one with the pretty yellow hair. She looked nice, but he wouldn't give his now mommy away for all the Chuggin Charlie trains in the toy store.

Being really quiet Cameron slipped from the bed and went to the bathroom. He couldn't wash his hands because there wasn't the little step like back home. Not worrying about it he walked back and saw mommy still asleep. Looking at the door he wondered where the man with the nice eyes was. Ben's Uncle Jason. He scared Cameron some, but at the same time he kind of liked him.

Slowly walking to the door he flipped the small thing on the knob and opened the door. He grinned, he was really good at figuring things out. He liked doing the puzzles at daycare and Mrs. Maguire said he was really outstanding at them. That was the word she used, mommy was proud that he remembered.

The hall was empty, so that meant it was safe. Carefully he walked down the hall ready to run back if anyone came. He passed a door looking in he saw the bathroom. The next door was an empty room. Why would Jason have an empty room in his house? That was weird. Moving forward Cameron saw another closed door. He had butterflies in his stomach when he reached for the knob. This was another room with a bed. Jason must sleep here. The bed was neat and that would make mommy happy.

If Jason wasn't up here maybe he was downstairs. Carefully, holding the railing, he walked down the stairs. Sitting on the couch with the newspaper, was Jason. Standing as still as he could Cameron just watched Ben's Uncle. It was nice to look at him while he was looking at something else.

He wondered if maybe Jason would be his friend. At night when they said prayers Cameron always wished for a daddy that wouldn't hurt him. He said it inside his brain because you weren't supposed to tell wishes. But if he couldn't have one of those maybe he could have a friend. If Jason was his friend then no one would hurt him again. That would be nice, maybe mommy could be Jason's friend and then she wouldn't be sad so much. His mean daddy made mommy sad. He would have to make sure Jason was okay first and then they could be friends. Turning Cameron headed back to the room. If mommy woke up and he was gone she would be scared.

On the sofa Jason smiled wide. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that it was Cameron moving around. Elizabeth must have been truly exhausted for the small boy to get out of the room without her noticing. He had done an inspection of the upstairs before coming down. Jason had wanted more than anything to turn and look at the small child, but that would have scared him off. So he sat still and waited. He was guessing that Cameron had reached some sort of decision while standing on the steps. Jason hoped it was in his favor. Until the little boy was willing to share, he would simply have to wait and prove he was trustworthy.

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