Chapter 11
"Jason, what the hell is going on here?" Carly growled as soon as the elevator door closed.
Edward raised his hand, "Wait just one minute missy. You are going to have to excuse us because I need to speak to my grandchildren before they deal with your trivial meddling."
Jason and Emily followed Edward back over to the waiting area for privacy, leaving Sam and Carly to wait once again for an answer on what was going on. Both women looked extremely angry and had it not been for the fact that they both wanted information on what was going on then they would have left.
"Can somebody tell me what is going on around here?" Edward growled.
Emily shrugged and Jason gave him a short answer, "Sean found out I was in the hospital so he came to see me."
"For 14 years I have kept your secrets for you and the boy just shows up and blows it all out of the water."
Emily stepped forward, "No grandfather, you didn't want to keep the secret. Uncle Harry had to… umm… blackmail you or you'd have Sean running ELQ and Cam on the executive fast track already."
Edward's jaw tightened. His brother had him, for lack of a better phrase, 'by the balls' thanks to a shady business transaction he made around the time Sean was born. If Harry ever revealed what he did back then, the SEC would be on him and would investigate every penny he ever made, traded and spent… something he certainly did not want. So, reluctantly, Edward had kept the secret relationship of Elizabeth, Jason and the boys within their family. He worried that if the secret ever got out about the boys then what reason would his brother have for not reporting him to the SEC.
"What were you doing in the hospital, Jason?" Edward asked, changing the subject.
Jason shrugged, "You didn't hear?"
"He was shot last night, well a bullet grazed him. It apparently was just random. The police don't think he was specifically targeted." Emily interjected.
Edward shook his head and huffed before turning and walking away.
"I'll go talk to grandfather but I really do want to know what is going on here." She looked over Jason's shoulder to Carly and Sam wearing matching scowls. "I'll give Elizabeth a call, it sounds like she is going to have a rough day."
"She had a rough night too."
Emily raised her eyebrows and craned her neck, "What do you mean? What else happened?"
Jason shook his head, "A lot. I don't even know the full details yet."
"I guess I'll call her once my shift is over."
"Good idea." Jason whispered as Emily pulled him into a hug.
"I'm glad you are ok. I know you think you are a cat but you are running out of lives." She joked before running off.
"Ok, I've waited patiently, I demand an explanation!" Carly snapped as she stepped toward him.
"I don't have time for this." Jason said, shaking his head as he made his way toward the nurses desk.
Sam walked up behind him and placed her hand on his bicep, "It's ok, we can talk about this later and you can explain it all to me when we get home." She calmly said. "Let me take you home so you can rest."
"Sam, you need to go home to YOUR home, not MY home. I have things to take care of."
"Jason, why are you being like this?" she asked, appalled with his tone.
"Uh, because you are a dirty tramp." Carly answered for him. She plastered a sarcastic smile on her face as she said the words, a smile Sam immediately wanted to slap.
"Go to hell." Sam spat.
Jason tried to ignore the cat fight behind him as he signed the papers Epiphany handed him. "Looks like drama follows you everywhere." The nurse joked and gained a glare from both of the women standing behind Jason. "Unless you need anything else you are free to go."
Jason nodded his thank you and walked over to the elevator. "Look, I know you both want answers but I need to take care of some things first."
"What could be more important then your health, Jason?" Sam asked gaining an eye roll from Carly.
"There are a few things more important." He replied as he stepped onto the elevator. "A few people." He mumbled as the doors closed, finally helping him escape the two women, even though it was probably only going to be a short lived escape.
She had just gotten the boys inside after a fight with Cameron over the lightening bugs. He insisted on bringing the jar of them into the house but Elizabeth refused to budge. Audrey stepped in and explained that they would die if they stayed in the jar for more then a few hours so before they walked back into the house, she and Cameron released a half dozen from captivity.
Jake was in her arms, his head and arms draped over her shoulder, sound asleep. Cameron had disappeared into the kitchen with Audrey to wash his hands and find some dessert before taking his bath and heading into bed.
It was almost completely dark so when the headlights turned the corner, Elizabeth immediately noticed. As gently as possible, Elizabeth rushed down the hall to lay Jake in the portable crib Joey had set up for her. By the time she made it back into the Livingroom, the car was just coming to a stop.
The back door of the car opened as another car turned down the long road leading up to the house. Sean stepped out, rushed to the door and into his mother's waiting arms. "Are you ok?" Sean asked.
Elizabeth shook her head and stepped back. Her hand raised to cup his cheek, "No…" she chuckled, "My son is taller then me."
Sean rolled his eyes, "I'll be taller then dad sooner then we know it." He joked.
They turned and walked over to the couch as Elizabeth sighed, "How is he?"
"Fine, typical dad. You know…" he trailed off. "Mom, what really happened?"
Elizabeth was silent.
"I'm not seven anymore, you can tell me… I'm a big boy, I can handle it. I know what dad does for a living and I can handle it - so I can handle this."
Elizabeth couldn't believe her son was giving her the 'I'm a grown-up speech'. "I know Sean… what did you hear?"
Sean shook his head, "Just tell me everything mom."
Elizabeth nodded, "I know you hate being so far away, especially because you can't be the protective son of your single mother but…"
"But you don't have to be single. This whole staying away from dad is stupid."
"Stupid or not, it's the choice he made." Elizabeth quickly replied. "Like I was saying, I don't want you to worry."
Sean's lips tightened, a trait of his father's that he had inherited, "Mom, stop avoiding telling me, that's something dad tends to do too…" he paused and pulled his vibrating cell phone from his pocket. "Speak of the devil." He half joked. "Hey dad."
Elizabeth stood and walked over to the window. Harry and Ella were just getting out of the second car but they stopped to have a conversation with Neil and the other men. As much as she tried to block it out, she couldn't help but listen to Sean's conversation.
"I don't know where we are." Sean said. Elizabeth knew he was lying because he probably wasn't sure if anyone should know where they were or if the lines were secure.
"She's ok." He quietly said. "I just got here so…" Sean trailed off.
"Hello" Elizabeth whispered into the phone just after she snatched it out of Sean's hand. She couldn't not talk to him, not hear his voice and know he was ok. Sean immediately stood and pointed outside, motioning he was going out to get his bags.
"Elizabeth?"
"Yea." She replied, barely able to talk. "A-are you ok?"
Jason cleared his voice. "I'm fine… good… no damage."
"I'm sorry… I didn't know anyone else was there… I thought you were… it was dark and…"
"I know." He rasped. "I'll find who is stalking you and take care of it… and I'll take care of Claudia too."
She shook her head, overwhelmed with a handful of emotions at once. "I'm sorry I caused this."
There was a long silence before he spoke, "I'm sorry you felt you couldn't come to me, couldn't tell me. I'm always here for you, I thought you knew that." She didn't speak or reply to him so after a long pause he said all he knew he could, "I love you."
She sniffled as the tears ran down her face, "I know, me too… I just wish it was enough."


