It was a strange feeling lying on the hard concrete. He could feel himself slipping away. The heavy, dense fog in his brain was taking over all of his senses and he thought it odd that he could still feel at all. His body was numb and cold and he realized he couldn't move, not even to open an eye or twitch a muscle. Distantly, so very far away, he could feel warmth on his skin and it was a nice comforting feeling. Even more strained, an angelic voice called him name. But the sound was muffled and it seemed so much easier to tune it out and go on feeling numb. But it wasn't easier, nothing would be easy without Elizabeth.

Things had gone from tense to desperate and Elizabeth's shoulders shook hard with the heavy burden of her fallen love. Slain while protecting her, she'd never forgive herself. The wind kicked up and the forgotten rain dragged in, sweeping the thick red blood off the sidewalk and onto the road. Elizabeth's black dress wilted under the strain of the water as she tried mercifully to shield Jason's body from the heavy drops. The sun was down and the air was a biting chill, digging deep into Elizabeth's bones. "It's my fault," she said quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Jason, I'm sorry."

Elizabeth fell against Jason, he let out a distant wheeze and the first signs of relief jolted through her. "He's breathing," she screamed at Johnny.

Kneeling to check, Johnny clamped his phone tight and stored it back into his wet suit jacket. "Keep talking to him, he can probably hear you. Ambulance is on it's way, Miss Webber. Should be here soon," Johnny told her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Did you hear that Morgan? You're going to be fine. I won't give up on you and you're not going to leave me. Got it!?" she demanded and pushed the limp strands of chestnut hair from his forehead, replacing it with her lips. "You're going to be fine." She said it so quietly, she barely realized she'd spoken out loud, until she felt the slight pressure of his fingers inside hers.

Distantly through the shroud of darkness and chaos of bodies milling around watching as Jason Morgan bled out onto the pavement, Elizabeth saw the flash of lights signalling the ambulance was almost there.

It was a swirl of confusion as the paramedics rushed to his side, sticking a tube into his vein and a breathing mask over his perfect face. She idly recalled his hand being ripped from her own and the medics refusal to let her ride along as she awoke from her haze. She was aware that distantly someone was speaking to her, but she couldn't hear their voice. "I'm going with him," she said, determination pulling her face tight and making her eyes hard.

Johnny nodded to the paramedic and lifted Elizabeth into the cab of the ambulance. "I'll meet you there," he told her, unsure if she actually was listening or not.

Once inside, safe with Jason, Elizabeth took up his hand and ran her fingers over his face. "You'll be okay."

The ride was sombre. It was one of those nights where the air felt thick and heavy and tightened the walls of your lungs; the kind of night where the noise of the traffic was a dull roar and the road was blurred by smoking tar and rising heat. The sirens swirled blue and red against the blackened sky, illuminating the city fog with flecks of colour. It could have almost been pretty coming from somewhere else, on some other day, under different circumstances. But there was no beauty to it, only sadness and choking fear that clawed it's way into Elizabeth's heart, tightening her chest so she felt suffocated.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and ran her tongue over her lips. Her mouth felt dry and hot and her head ached, she was lucky she hadn't fainted.

Opening his eyes for the first time since he'd pinned Elizabeth to the ground, Jason focussed on Elizabeth. He had no idea where he was or what was going on. All he could see was red blood smeared down Elizabeth's cheek and his stomach clenched hard. "A-are you hu-urt?" he asked and his throat felt scratchy.

Her eyes popped open and went wide when she saw him alert. "Jason!"

"What's happening?" he asked, pulling off the oxygen mask and trying to sit up and figure out where they were.

"You were shot," she practically squealed and it would have been cause for a good laugh had the situation been less serious. The injuries were still bad and anything could happen.

He took in a deep lung-full of air, closed and opened his eyes only seeing her tear, blood and rain streaked face.

"Oh Thank God!" she cried. "Jason, we didn't miss our chance!?"

"Not even close." He tried to smile, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. He squeezed her hand with the pressure of a kitten. Feeling it, she smiled and brought it to her lips, giving him a tender peck on his knuckles.

"Right, that's why you're lying here bleeding. Do me a favour Morgan and stop being the tough guy for once and let me take care of you." The tone was teasing, but it lacked any sting, just raw emotion and unshed tears.

"W-will that ma-ake you h-appy?" he forced out, coughing a little when did.

"Yes."

He attempted to nod, but stopped when a twinge of pain rushed through his body. "'cause that's all I really want for you," he told her, clearer this time. Nothing, not even a gunshot, could keep Jason Morgan down for long.

"Rest," she told him close to his ear, giving him another brief kiss on his forehead before she sat up and just watched him with relief. He was weak, had lost a lot of blood, but he would make it.

The ambulance stopped in front of the emergency doors and Jason was wheeled in with Elizabeth close behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Johnny enter behind them. When they took Jason through the double doors and towards the E.R., Elizabeth did everything to try to follow, but was restrained.

"You'll have to stay here miss," one of the nurses said to Elizabeth as she coaxed her into one of the plush waiting room chairs.

"Where are they taking him?" She asked, looking up at Johnny who was right by her side, taking her hand.

"He needs surgery, but don't worry, he's going to be fine. Jason's tough, remember? He'll be okay."

"When you say it, I believe you Johnny," she said shakily and turned into his chest for comfort.

Hours ticked by and finally Elizabeth was given permission to visit Jason.

"Are you coming?" She turned to Johnny and her eyes were pleading.

Johnny watched her stand and then diverted his attention to the man that had just walked through the doors and was milling around the lobby expectantly.. Turning back to Elizabeth, he said, "you go on in, I need to speak with Max for a minute." When she looked at him skeptically, he gave her a slight nudge. "I'll be right there."

When Elizabeth had turned the corner and could be seen by neither men Johnny spoke. "Is it done?"

"Everything is in order," the tall, pudgy bodyguard declared.

Elizabeth made her way into the blindingly white room. The smell of bleach; clean and overpowering stung her eyes and she blinked back the tears. It wasn't just the sterile room that made her tear up and she knew it. Her big, strong bodyguard and friend -more than a friend, lay so still and it hurt her to look at him.

The nurse finished up inserting a needle into the I.V. and then smiled at Elizabeth. "He might be out of it for a while."

"Okay," she said meekly and stepped further into the room, getting closer to Jason lying on the bed with each step. Almost at the cold, steel bar, she held her hand poised over his face, but at the last minuted pulled in her arm and began to walk the other way. It was all too much.

"Hey."

Elizabeth turned and gave Jason a watery smile. "Hey."

"Leaving so soon?" he joked, putting on a brave front.

"You okay?" She asked softly, stepping closer to the bed.

He shifted on the bed and put a hand over his wound. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"I-It's okay, as long as you get better."

His eyes, an electrifying blue, stared into her as if they could read all the way into her soul. "How 'bout you, you're not hurt are you?"

"Only my heart," she told him and then attempted a small laugh. Clearly it didn't work. She knew he could read the fear in her eyes better than anyone. "Jason when I thought-when you were lying there all bloody, I thought we lost our chance, I don't know what I would do without you. If you had died, I think I would have gone next, I wouldn't be able to stand it."

He turned his head to the side and his voice, when he spoke again, was a filled with controlled anger. "You don't mean that Miss Webber."

Hand in the air, she waved his statement away as she would a fly. "Oh no, let's not go back to that whole Miss Webber thing. You called me Elizabeth last night before- before we were interrupted and you were going to say something. What was it?"

His eyes were cold when he looked back at her. Elizabeth recognized it instantly as the face his used when he didn't want any of his emotions to shine through. "It doesn't matter now. This was a mistake, we can't be together Miss... Elizabeth."

"Don't do this to us," she warned him softly.

"I'm doing this for you, I want you to be happy. Don't you want that for yourself?" Reaching up, he took her hand, held it tight pulling her closer. His eyes lost the harshness and took on a tender, worried expression.

Shrugging her shoulders, and shaking her head as if she couldn't believe him, she stepped even closer. "Don't you see Jason, I am happy. With you. When we're together I can be myself. I don't have to worry about being the perfect daughter or the brilliant artist, I can just be. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

Bowing his head, he pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately trying to avoid eye contact. "We shouldn't be involved." He dropped her hand and rested it on his wound.

Immediately, she felt the sting of rejection and anger welled inside her. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and throaty and he knew in his heart it was emotion that made her words come out sounding thick and strained. "I... can't just stop loving you, don't ask me to."

"You're right," he sighed and ran a frustrated hand down his stumbled face. He could feel the soft prickles of hair beginning as they connected with his palm. "I'm not being fair, I know that." Reaching up farther than he should have, he felt the sting from his wound, but didn't care. He'd probably pulled a stitch or two, but the pain of that was nothing compared to what he saw in Elizabeth's eyes. His hand touched her face tentatively and when she didn't pulled away, he rubbed his thumb over her cheek, dug his fingers into the feather-soft hair of her nape and pulled her closer. "I can't ask you to do that, no more than I can't make myself stop loving you back."

Her heart raced and she leaned forward, a breath away from his lips. "Do you mean that?"

"I don't say things I don't mean," he whispered. She could feel his breath against her lips, warm and spiced with mint. Moving up a little closer, his lips touched the corner of her mouth, trailing a chaste kiss down to her jaw. It may have be meant as a sweet, harmless gesture, but the feeling it unleashed were anything, but innocent. Primal was a better way to describe the feelings stirring inside both of them.

Elizabeth brought her hands to his face, but just when she was about to take what she'd been wanting for years, they were interrupted with a knock on the door. Typical!

Johnny stood at the door, clearing his throat and shifting from one foot to the other. "Elizabeth, could I talk to Jason a moment alone, please?"

Letting Jason go and backing away, Elizabeth looked over to Johnny, noticing the red hue that coated his cheeks. "Sure. Yeah, I'll go yet you something to eat. Soup sound good?"

Jason groaned and rolled his head around on the pillow. "You know I hate soup."

She smiled coyly and strode toward the door. "Too bad, that's what you're getting."

"Fine. Elizabeth?" he said softly.

"Hmm?" she asked, turning.

"Make sure Max is with you at all times. Don't try to ditch him, I couldn't take it if something- Just be careful. Please."

Seeing how worried he was, she did her best to reassure him. "I won't give him the slip, I promise."

"So what's up?" Jason asked, sliding back down in bed. His gunshot wound was throbbing and he knew he'd pushed himself too hard, too soon.

"Marco found the one who did this to you. Just some punk kid trying to impress Tagliatti. Thought the best way to do it was take out Elizabeth, I guess."

Jason squeezed his eyes shut. "Shit! What'dya do with him?"

"Marco and the boys roughed him up a bit, but other than that, it's your call. You trained Max good." Johnny chuckled, recalling the story Max had told him in the hallway. "Shit, the kid even pissed himself."

A small smile passed Jason's lips. "How long you think it's going to take for me to be released?"

"Few days probably. Two, if you're lucky."

Taking a deep breath, Jason groaned. It even hurt to breath, he realized. "All right, let him sweat it out a little, give him a warning and then let him go."

"Just like that?" Johnny asked puzzled.

"Like you said, he young, he's stupid and besides, Elizabeth wouldn't want anyone to die because of her. Max'll know what to do, if I trained him as well as you think I did."

"Yeah, you're right."

The medication was beginning to kick in, because Jason's eyes were beginning to feel beyond heavy. "Johnny, can I ask you something?"

Sitting down at the end of the bed, Johnny knocked Jason's foot. "Yeah man, shoot. This about Max?"

"No, it's nothing to do with business. It's about Elizabeth."

"Oh?"

Scratching his head, Jason adverted his eyes and looked out the window. "Am I-am I doing the right thing with her. Is it wrong to be with her?"

"You have to decide what's right for you, Jase. I can't tell you what to do. I mean, it's obvious what Elizabeth wants."

"I know what she wants, but is it wrong to want it to? Am I the biggest asshole in the world to want to be with her?"

He was still looking out the window so Jason couldn't see the smile Johnny had on his face. Johnny had always known how Elizabeth felt about Jason, and now he was sure that Jason felt the same. They deserved each other, and more importantly, they needed each other.

"No, but you'd be the biggest jerk-off in the world if you walked away from her, knowing how much she loves you." Jason was mildly surprised when he finally met Johnny's eyes and saw the humour shining through.

"I'm not being selfish? I just want her to be safe and happy."

"Then don't screw up," johnny said, this time sternly. There was no humour anymore. Elizabeth was important. The most important person in his life actually and he wasn't going to let her get hurt. And even though he trusted Jason, he still has to issue a warning. "Now take care of that wound and let Max and me figure everything out."

"I want to help," Jason argued.

"Morgan, it's not your job anymore. The only thing you need to worry about is Elizabeth." Standing, Johnny shook Jason's hand and left the room.

Closing his eyes, Jason only intended to rest until Elizabeth came back, but the medication was strong and knocked him out, giving him no chance to fight the sleep that claimed him. When he opened his eyes, Elizabeth was sitting in a chair across the room, biting her lip. She hadn't noticed he was awake yet, so he took the opportunity to study her face. She was so beautiful. Her hair was tied up in a loose ponytail and she wore her face bare with just a tint to her lips, making them lush and red. Jason inhaled deeply, he might be hurt, but his groin certainly didn't know that and didn't mind reacting. He realized she'd changed out of the black dress and had on a track suit Max or Johnny must have brought for her. Finally feeling Jason's stare, Elizabeth turned her attention to him.

"You're awake," she chirped, releasing her lip.

"Why are you so far away?" he whined playfully.

Looking down shyly, her face flushed pink and again Jason had trouble trying to convince his anatomy that he was injured and shouldn't be thinking the way he was. "I was afraid to touch you," she admitted quietly.

"I'm not going to break, Elizabeth," he argued.

Finally she looked up, swatting a loose strand of curly hair that had escaped her elastic out of the way. "I know."

He smiled that crooked smile of his that always made her feel so alive. "Then come over here."

Jason patted the spot next to him on the mattress and moved over as much as he could, holding in the pain as he did so. Elizabeth caught it though, and frowned at him. "Jason, you're going to hurt yourself," she said softly.

"I'm fine," he insisted and smiled sexily. "Are you going to join me or what?"

"I'm coming." She laughed and padded over to him wearing just socks on her small, delicate feet. Hopping onto the bed, she rolled over to his side without intending too. His weight kept the bed at an angle so that no matter what she tried she kept landing back on his side. "Jason, I'm going to hurt you," she argued.

Pulling her against his chest, his arm snaked around her waist locking her in. "I don't seem to mind."

"You will when you tear one of those stiches," she said hotly.

He laughed and she could feel him shaking against her. "I think I already did."

"You what?" Snapping her head up fast, she connected with his chin radiating pain through them both. "Oh shit," she cursed, groping her head. "Jason, this isn't funny," she told him, when she felt him laugh again.

"Shhh," he soothed, rubbing her head with his strong hands. "I feel fine and now that you're here, I feel even better."

"But you need your rest. You should be sleeping and you shouldn't be lying here with me taking up all the room."

"Have you looked at yourself lately?" he teased. "Do you even eat?"

Pulling away as much as he would allow, she looked into his eyes. "Ugh, your soup! It's probably cold by now. I came in earlier and you were asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake you up. If you're hungry, I could go warm it up- well I could ask one of the nurses too."

"Elizabeth," he said softly, realizing she was rambling, "I'm fine, and I don't think I'd ever be hungry enough to eat soup. You know I hate the stuff." He brushed his lips over her forehead, smiling when she inhaled sharply. "Besides, I don't want you to leave."

"Fine. But you asked for it." Her smile was as slick as a bookie suckering a client for a lot of cash.

"O-okay," he rasped, becoming aware of her fingers that ran down his back and were at that moment pulling up the dressing gown compliments of the hospital. When her hand connected with his bare back, it was like a part of him woke up. "What are you doing?"

"Me?" she asked, her eyes shining and her teeth glistening white against the hospital fluorescent's.

"Yeah, you. Why is there someone else in this room trying to undress me?" He pulled her hands away and held them in one of his own larger ones.

"I just thought, since you're stuck here, we could make this a little interesting."

"Is that what you thought?" he asked, trying not to smile, but hers was contagious and soon he had a full blow grin.

"You told me you loved me and now I want you to show me. You're a man of action, isn't that what you always say? And I know you're hurt and all, but I'll be gentle, I promise." She laughed softly, flicking her tongue against his ear.

"Eliz..." He tried to speak, but she was doing things to him, he'd only ever dreamed of.

"Shh, just let me take care of your boo-boo." Lifting up the front of his gown, her small fingers circled the bandaged wound. Scooting down, she kissed the place where he'd taken a bullet for her. "You saved my life," she said quietly, moving her lips above the patch of white bandage and towards his pectoral muscles. Her tongued dipped and swirled in the groves on his chest. Spotting an old scar, she kissed it and looked up at him. His face was pinched and his eyes were barely open. It was hard to tell whether it was pain or passion that made him that way. "Am I hurting you?" She asked concerned. Then he moaned. Passion.

"N-no," he barely got out.

Her lips were back on his chest and her tongue darted out to circle his nipple. He lost his breath, if she was trying to kill him, she was doing a good job. She nipped and soothed. Panted and whimpered. All of it to drive him insane and it was working. Swinging her leg over his, he barely had time to process the fact that she was straddling him. The feel of her above him, so intimately pressed against his groin, was an image he would never be able to erase from his mind. Then she moved. And he was lost.

She could feel him beneath her hard and hot. Her hips moved of their own accord grinding into him as if it was the only thing keeping her sane. How long had she wished for this moment? Having Jason Morgan beneath her helpless and being in control like her dreams had always dictated. Ripe, ruby lips beckoned her and she knew she had to kiss him. Leaning down, she licked his bottom lip. Satisfied by the taste of him, she crushed her lips against him hard. His hands came around her, pushing her further against him while he took over the kiss.

His tongue slipped into her mouth drawing a deep moan from her and a growl from him. This was how it was supposed to be. Heat and longing blended together to create an overpowering sensation of acceptance. The belonged to each other. They were rocking together and nothing else seemed to matter. Not the fact that they were in a hospital room, where at any moment someone could walk in. Not the fact that he was injured and at that very moment, he could feel more stiches coming undone. And certainly not the fact that it was their first kiss, let alone what was about to happen.

She didn't care. She wanted it. Needed it. Damn, be the consequences!

God, he wanted it. Needed it. But not like this. Not when he was hurt and couldn't give her everything she needed. Everything she deserved.

"Elizabeth wait!" He breathed deeply, shuddering when he did so.

Looking into his eyes, she saw desire and some other emotion she wasn't able to recognize. "What? What's wrong?"

With great strength and restraint, he lifted her and set her back beside him, tearing yet another stitch in the process. He swore under his breath and then gathered his willpower. "I know everything about you, remember? I know that you haven't...that is,... what I mean to say..."

"Jason stop, I know what you're tying to say and it doesn't matter." Sitting up, she faced him. "I'm a virgin, big deal." Shrugging her shoulders, she looked into his eyes.

"It is a big deal and that's why we can't do this."