It had been two weeks since the night they danced at Luke’s and Elizabeth had pulled back even more than in the days directly following her exit of the penthouse. Jason was sure she was doing it to protect herself. He had seen how hurt she was and he cursed himself for it. But he also knew that he could break through the walls she was erecting to keep him out. Their connection was simply too strong for either of them to ever really bail permanently. It was that simple to Jason and he intended to prove it.

Today he had thought she seemed less icy toward him when he sat at Kelly’s during her shift. She had seemed almost happy to see him. Then, of course, Sonny had called with a job for him to do. He had asked Marco to watch over Elizabeth until he got back but he had seen the look in her eyes when he had left and Marco had stayed in his place. He cursed under his breath—cursed himself, Sonny, and whoever the hell it was who had caused enough of a problem that Jason had to deal with it.

Now it seems to me

That you know just what to say

But words are only words

Can you show me something else

Can you swear to me

That you'll always be this way

Show me how you feel

More than ever, baby

I don’t wanna be lonely no more

I don’t wanna have to pay for this

I don’t wanna know the lover at my door

Is just another heartache on my list

I don’t wanna be angry no more

But you know I could never stand for this

So when you tell me that you love me

Know for sure

I don’t want to be lonely anymore

Elizabeth was ready to kill whoever kept playing the same song on the jukebox. She told herself it was because she was sick of hearing it and not because the words were exactly what she was thinking and feeling towards Jason. Elizabeth’s head came up as the door opened and she shoved the disappointment down when it wasn’t Jason who walked through the door. If she was honest with herself, she had known without looking that it wasn’t Jason. She could still sense him, more even than before and it irritated her. She was supposed to be angry at him. He had lied to her, hurt her and stayed away while she worried herself half sick. But in the face of the last couple weeks, her resolve was crumbling and she knew it. Worse, so did he. Then he had left after only an hour of her shift and Elizabeth realized she had become used to him being ever-present.

The waitress sighed. It had been nice while it lasted but now she had been thrown a good dose of reality. Life had returned to normal—putting her in last place on Jason’s priority list once again. The hurt came rushing back all over again because, despite herself, she had begun to believe his promises once again.

Elizabeth huffed, annoyed with herself for dwelling on this for the entirety of a double-shift. She had actually been relieved when Courtney had called in because it gave her an excuse not to go back to the studio. It wouldn’t be the same without Jason sitting outside the door he had bought her. She squared her shoulders. Elizabeth Webber was a lot of things—lonely, sad, tired, disgusted—but she was NOT an idiot and she would not go through this again. Her resolve was firm that she could get over Jason and move on.

Now its hard for me

With my heart still on the mend

Open up to me

Like you do your girlfriends

You sing to me

And its harmony

Girl what you do to me is everything

Make me say anything

Just to get you back again

Why can’t we just try

 The clock hit 7 and Elizabeth untied her apron. Throwing it under the counter, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

“Come on, Marco,” Elizabeth said. “I’m heading home.”

“Sure thing, Ms. Webber,” Marco said falling into step beside her.

Elizabeth grinned as they descended the stairs to the docks. “How many times am I going to have to ask you to call me Elizabeth?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Ms. Webber,” Marco said, the hint of an answering grin on his face. It faded the instant Elizabeth stopped and stiffened. “What? What’s wrong, Ms. Webber?”

Elizabeth didn’t answer right away as she was too busy looking around and peering off into the dark. “Jason?” she called softly. “Jason, I know you’re there. What’s going on?”

Marco looked around and then at Elizabeth in confusion but she continued to stare off into the darkness before suddenly dashing toward an alley. Marco almost didn’t hear the groan from the pitch black and he wondered how Elizabeth had as he hurried after her.

Elizabeth headed back the alley without a second thought. She knew Jason was back there and if he wasn’t answering her it meant something bad had happened. She stopped suddenly when she saw him, mostly unconscious slumped on the ground behind a dumpster.

“Jason!” Elizabeth cried as she rushed to his side. “Marco, get over here and help me. He won’t be able to make it on his own this time.”

‘This time?’ Marco wondered as he helped lift his boss off the ground and was surprised when Elizabeth put an arm around Jason’s waist and led the two men out of the alley.

“I should call Mr. Corinthos,” Marco said.

“You can call him once Jason is safe,” Elizabeth said. “We get him inside first so I can get a look at the wound.”

Marco wasn’t about to argue with the look she gave him. The guard half-carried, half-dragged his boss up the steps to Elizabeth’s studio. Elizabeth opened the door quickly and led him to the couch where she positioned Jason carefully. Marco stepped back to call Sonny and the doctor but stopped when he realized Elizabeth was already removing Jason’s shirt and inspecting his injury.

“Exit wound, good,” Marco heard the brunette muttered and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Just a graze but he’s lost a lot of blood.” She grabbed the first aide kit and opened it up. Grabbing butterfly bandages, Elizabeth did a makeshift job of stitching Jason’s wound together before putting gauze over it and wrapping it tightly.

“Well?” she said looking sharply at Marco.

“It looks good,” Marco said.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Did you get a hold of Sonny? Call the doctor?”

“Oh, I’ll do that now,” Marco said stepping back and dialing his phone.

I don’t wanna be lonely no more

I don’t wanna have to pay for this

I don’t wanna know the lover at my door

Is just another heartache on my list

I don’t wanna be angry no more

You know I could never stand for this

So when you tell me that you love me

Know for sure

I don’t want to be lonely anymore

“Come on, Jase,” Elizabeth murmured running her hands through his hair. “I need you to wake up so I know I didn’t do any damage. My experience with gunshot wounds is limited. Come on, let me so those baby blues. Please, Jason.”

The enforcer’s eyelids fluttered and then blinked open. “Did I die?” he asked.

“Not funny, Morgan,” Elizabeth said still running her hand through his hair.

“Well you look like an angel and you were being nice to me so I just figured,” Jason teased. The tear slipped down her face heedlessly and unexpectedly. “Hey, don’t cry. Elizabeth, you know I can’t stand to see you cry.”

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said. “I was just scared for a few minutes there but I needed to concentrate and now that you’re awake and I know you’re going to be okay, I guess it needed to get out.”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Jason whispered leaning up slightly to try to brush a kiss against her forehead only to stop and wince in pain.

“Don’t try to move. I have no idea if those makeshift stitches will hold. Marco’s calling Sonny and the doctor,” Elizabeth said.

Jason nodded but still wanting to be closer to her. Elizabeth apparently felt it too because she leaned down and rested her forehead against his. They both closed their eyes and just savored the feel of the other being so close.

What if I was good to you

What if you were good to me

What if I could hold you

Till I feel you move inside of me

What if it was paradise

What if we were symphonies

What if I gave all my life to

Find some way to stand beside you

The pounding on the door startled both of them and they looked toward the door as Sonny came charging in.

“Jason, man, what happened?” Sonny asked. “Elizabeth, are you okay?”

“I’m fine now,” Elizabeth said reluctantly moving away from Jason so that Sonny could get closer.

“The doctor’s on the way but let me see,” Sonny said and Jason shifted so Sonny could look. Sonny glanced at Elizabeth after seeing her handiwork. “That’s good work, Elizabeth.”

“There are some things you never forget,” Elizabeth said softly and Sonny nodded.

Before he could answer, the doctor showed up and put real stitches in Jason’s side. “You’re remarkably fortunate that someone knew enough about gunshot wounds to stem the bleeding until I got here.” Sonny, Jason and Marco all looked at Elizabeth but the doctor continued, “You’ll need to take antibiotics and pain killers and rest. Here are the prescriptions. I’ll come by your penthouse in a couple days to check on you.”

“You’ll need to come here,” Jason said. The doctor looked at him curiously but Jason’s eyes were on Elizabeth as he said, “This is the only place I’ll be able to get better.”

“You can’t stay alone, Jason,” the doctor said. “You need to have someone around in case you rip your stitches or get an infection.”

“He won’t be alone,” Elizabeth said without turning from the window.

“I don’t understand,” the doctor said looking at Sonny for clarity but the mobster only shrugged.

“Jason and I have been through this before,” Elizabeth said. “He stays here. I’ll take care of him. That’s the way it is.”

I don’t wanna be lonely no more

I don’t wanna have to pay for this

I don’t wanna know the lover at my door

Is just another heartache on my list

I don’t wanna be angry no more

You know I could never stand for this

So when you tell me that you love me

Know for sure

I don’t want to be lonely anymore

The doctor nodded when he saw the fiercely determined look on the young woman’s face. “Okay, as long as you’ll be with him. He needs…”

“Plenty of fluids, rest and to take his medications,” Elizabeth cut him off. “Like I said, we’ve done this before. I’ll make sure he gets better.”

The doctor nodded again and headed for the door followed by Sonny. They paused and turned back to see Elizabeth bent over Jason pulling an afghan around him as he watched her with a look neither of them had ever before seen.

“He’s lucky to have someone who loves him so much,” the doctor said and Elizabeth looked at him.

“Lucky had nothing to do with it,” she said and Sonny chuckled at the double meaning as he shooed the doctor out of the room.

“How do you feel?” Elizabeth asked.

“Never better,” Jason said with a soft smile as he stroked her hair back from her face.  

I don’t wanna be lonely anymore