A/N: I don't have much to say, this little story is coming to an end but I wanted to thank everyone for reading and reviewing! I have to say this ending was a little challenging to write because I had no idea where this story would go and who was after Jason when I first started writing, it all kind a came to me as I went along so hopefully it makes sense to you. Enjoy!

These characters belong to whoever they belong to… and it ain't me…

Part III

Face Off

"The Jackal traced the wire transfer from the deliverer of death's Argentinean account; it was linked to another account in Puerto Rico that belongs to…"

"Sonny!" Jason exclaimed.

"That is what it seems like Stone Cold, but there is no way the Godfather is behind this utterly treacherous act; there must be a perfectly rational explanation..."

"Damn it! How come I didn't figure it out earlier? He wants me dead!" Jason said paying no mind to the young man's babble.

"The Jackal would advise Stone Cold to first make sure that these allegations are true before he does anything he would regret. Mr. Sir has been like a father to my Master and therefore I…"

"Spinelli, what kind of father tries to have his son killed? Thanks for your help. Now I have to figure out a way out of this mess… and stay alive!"

Jason hung up the phone as confused as ever. His relationship with Sonny had been tested these past few months as they very rarely saw eye to eye anymore but he could never have imagined that the older man, to whom he owed most of his knowledge about the business, would one day turn on him that way. Jason had given Sonny his entire life and at the first sign of a rift, he had simply tried to get rid of him. Jason needed to deal with his partner, but first he had to get Elizabeth out of this place before Sonny sent his hired killing machine to finish the job.

"We need to get out of here! Now!" Jason declared as he reentered the living room.

Elizabeth hastily stood up from the couch to face an agitated Jason. "What? What's going on? Did they find us?"

"Not yet, but they'll be here any minute."

"Wait, but you said only a few trusted men know this place? How come?"

"It was Sonny."

"Sonny? What Sonny?"

"He's the one who had me ambushed and sent the men to the other safe house. He doesn't know where I am but if he is that determined to see me dead then he'll just go through all our safe houses and will end up finding us here."

"What are you talking about? Where are we gonna go?"

"I'll explain everything in the car. Right now we have to go."

The couple rushed out of the house and entered the brunette's small car, taking the road with no destination in mind.

"So are you going to tell me now what this is about? Why would Sonny try to kill you? This is ridiculous."

"Not really, considering what's been happening these last few weeks."

Elizabeth's eyes were focused on the road ahead. The brunette checked for cars following them from time to time but was ready to listen to Jason explain how his brotherly relationship with Sonny had reached a point of no return.

"A few months back, Sonny started getting into one of his dark periods and acting recklessly. He's stopped taking his meds; he's been drinking, just out of control. And when he becomes like this he doesn't think straight anymore and lets his emotion cloud his judgment. And this has put all our men and the organization at risk. Every time I would have to distance myself from you was because Sonny had carelessly launched an unnecessary war with one of our enemies. First it was the Zaccharas then the Russian mob."

"How do you know they are not the ones after you?"

"Because I already took care of them. They won't be back in Port Charles any time soon. I knew this threat was personal; the person who tried to kill me didn't go after the organization but only me!"

"Ok but I still can't see Sonny doing this to you. You have so many enemies, it could be someone from your past, coming back for revenge."

"Spinelli found a link between the contracted killers that are after me and Sonny. I don't need more proof than this. When I called Max earlier, one of the first things he said was that Sonny had asked all the men to report to him if they heard from me. Yeah it could be out of concern, problem is I saw him last night and he should have no way of suspecting that someone was after me."

"Wow! I just can't wrap my mind around him doing that to you."

"Trust me; Sonny is capable of anything right now. We didn't part in good ways last time. The men have been coming to me about how unstable he has been and have repeatedly asked me to consider taking over."

"Oh… and would you?" Elizabeth asked worried about the implications of Jason taking over the business for their relationship.

"Ideally not, I like my job as his right hand man but I warned him that I would, if he doesn't get his act together because that's what is in everyone's best interest."

"I bet that didn't go well."

"No, and I'm sure that's how he wants to deal with this issue. Sonny likes the power too much and a simple threat to it and he lost it completely and went on the offense."

"So what are you going to do? Because he obviously wants to, and will kill you if he gets a chance but would you be able to kill him?"

Jason ran both hands across his face as he was hit with the difficult question. "I don't know. But I hope I don't have to."

"So what's the next step? We've been driving aimlessly for a little while now. Where do we go?"

"The problem is Sonny knows me too well. He'll find me in all the places where I could go right now. I bet he's even sent men to your old studio and your apartment!"

"See I told you I was better off close to you!"

Jason produced a half grin. She had a point because no one knew what the men Sonny had sent could have done to her, and they definitely would have used her to get to him and Jason didn't even want to think about that. The young men put his mind to work for a few minutes while Elizabeth patiently waited for a direction to follow.

"I have to treat Sonny like I would any other threat. I'm not going to wait for him to hunt me down and eliminate me. I have to strike first. And the fact that he has no idea where I am will play in my advantage."

"I see, but how are you going to pull that off? He won't let you get close to him, and you're injured."

"I just need to find a way to face him alone."

Elizabeth hesitated then finally spoke again. "I have an idea. Sonny probably knows that you're hurt and have been running for your life and maybe he even suspects that I am with you. I could call him for help; tell him that you need him like we would have done in any other circumstance. The only problem is would he come alone?"

"That's a great plan, and he might if you stress that I am in very bad shape; knowing him and the way he is thinking right now, he'll want to have the pleasure to finish the job himself."

"God Jason! How are we going to know for sure?"

"We won't."

*****

Jason had decided to go for her idea and identified the abandoned boxcar as the perfect location to implement it. Elizabeth drove up to the place next to which she had found Jason bleeding in the snow years ago. They were ready to put their plan in motion. And so far it had worked perfectly. The young nurse had called Sonny from her cell phone and told him that she had found Jason fighting for his life because unidentified men had tried to kill him. She insisted on the fact that he got shot very badly and that she couldn't take care of him by herself and needed some help because Jason refused to go to the hospital. She also specified that he should come alone, in order not to draw too much attention for the people that were looking for him.

A few minutes later, the rat was approaching the trap and Elizabeth who heard a car pulling over not too far away from the abandoned boxcar ran to get Sonny and lead him to Jason. A part of her was still hoping Jason was wrong and that Sonny didn't have anything to do with the ordered hit and this gave her the strength to face him without spitting in his face.

"Thank you for coming so fast. He's in there!" She pointed towards the boxcar then walked slowly behind the dangerous man who could in a simple gesture claim her boyfriend's life. She was extremely relieved that he had at least abided to her demands and came alone.

Sonny entered the place and asked Elizabeth to wait outside as he had a few important words to exchange with Jason. The young man who was doubled up on the floor faking pain signaled her that it was all right and that she could let the two men talk. She left, hoping Sonny wouldn't decide to do something else than talk. But Elizabeth decided to keep a close ear just in case. Back against the boxcar wall, next to the door, she followed the exchange attentively.

"So that's how you've been planning to trick me out of my own business? After all these years, is that how you were going to repay me? I made you Jason! Everything you are today you owe it to me!" The man burst out furiously.

"Sonny we've talked about this already. It's not what I want; but you've been out of control, starting wars with all of our enemies when nothing warranted it. And now opening up our piers to Alcazar?"

"I see you know about that. What, the men report to you now? I am still the boss!" the tanned man yelled out attempting to assert his dominant position. "It is my organization and I will do whatever I want with it."

"You are forgetting that you have tons of men working under you who are unhappy Sonny and there is no way you will lead a successful organization if your men don't trust you and have no respect for you. You taught me that yourself!"

"Forget my men, they trust me. Who I don't trust anymore is you! You're just a sold out son of a bitch!"

"Because I tell you the truth and want to save the organization?"

"Because I know you've been talking to the feds!"

Elizabeth's eyes opened wide at what she was hearing. Was Jason working against Sonny all this time?

"That's where you are wrong Sonny. They approached me and I told them to go to hell! I can't believe you'd think I sold you out!"

"And you're not even man enough to admit it! Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"I am not working with them Sonny!"

The tanned man took out his silver gun from its case and pointed it straight at Jason. "Do you know what happens to snitches like you?"

"Sonny, don't do this! Put the gun down."

As she heard the word gun, Elizabeth's whole body tensed. Her fear was realized, Sonny had a gun pointed at Jason and she was afraid Jason wouldn't have it in him to protect himself against the man who had been like a surrogate father to him for so long.

"Sonny don't do this!" Jason pleaded, sitting on the floor, one hand cupping his gun under his leather jacket. He was trying to give the older man a chance, the last thing the enforcer wanted was being forced to shoot his boss.

Elizabeth saw an old bucket lying on the floor next to the boxcar and kicked it away provoking a loud nose that distracted Sonny long enough for Jason to draw his firearm out. The two men were now facing each other, both pointing their guns at the other one's head.

"Oh, I see you've become a pretty good actor. Just like you've faked being on my side for all these years when in fact all you wanted was my empire."

"You're delusional Sonny! Drop your gun, its over." Jason called out ignoring the man's baiting.

"Not as long as I have a gun pointed to your head."

"Now it's over. Drop your gun Sonny." A soft voice called out behind him. As the man tried to turn around to face Elizabeth, she poked his back with the tunnel of the firearm she held firmly in both hands.

"Don't move!" She yelled out with authority "Now drop your weapon on the floor, slowly, and show us you hands."

Sonny chuckled devilishly, ignoring her preposterous orders. "Oh, so you count of Elizabeth for you protection now. This image is just too funny for words."

The brunette didn't appreciate his amusement of the situation, so dug the gun deeper in between his shoulder blades. "Do not underestimate me Sonny; I will do whatever I have to do to protect Jason, even if it means shooting you."

The tanned man's chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. "That thing isn't a toy Elizabeth, and I know you won't shoot me so why don't you just let us settle our scores."

She needed to show credibility; she knew how to fire a gun and she would show him. Elizabeth replied by effectively shooting an imaginary target on the boxcar's wall. The two men were astonished by her enormous confidence and control of the situation. She was running the show.

"Sonny, one last time. Put the gun down."

The mob boss hesitated, and then it was with a wicked defeated grin that he slowly kneeled and delicately placed his gun on the floor in front of Jason. "Ok, ok… there."

The enforcer picked up the silver piece then restrained both of Sonny's hands with a piece of rope that was lying on the floor and forced him to sit in a corner of the boxcar.

"You of all people? Elizabeth?" He fixed his dark eyes on her. "I think you should know what your precious Jason has been to. He's been working behind my back and was about to sell me out! Jason betrayed me!"

"Shut up Sonny!" Jason threw at him. "You're the one who tried to kill me after years of giving my life to you."

"What was I supposed to do? Let you give me up to the feds? I had to protect myself, I only did this because I knew you were going to rat me out!"

"Who told you that?" Jason interrogated the older man with exasperation.

"A man named Rayner came gloating to me about how I was done for because you accepted to tell them everything you know! Then you showed up telling me you were going to takeover my business!"

Elizabeth pushed Jason aside and asked him in a quiet voice. "What really happened?"

"They offered me a deal where they would leave me alone if I gave them Sonny but I told them I wouldn't work with them."

"Ok, so what are you going to do now?"

Jason ran a hand over his face, overwhelmed by what was going on. "I don't know!"

"Are you going to… kill him?" She asked hesitantly. Elizabeth wasn't blind to who Jason was and to how he dealt with threats of this nature.

"That's all he deserves! But I know he was clearly manipulated by Rayner to pit us one against the other, so we either would hate each other enough to actually set the other up or kill one another."

"Well, he almost succeeded because Sonny really seems to believe you betrayed him."

"Yeah! And he almost had us killed tonight because of it! Because of his foolishness! He would have never fallen for that if he was thinking straight."

Jason turned to face the restrained older man with a lethal glare. He walked decisively towards him and threw a violent punch in his face that caused Sonny to fall to the side and his face to hit the cold ground.

"What the hell!" The tanned man exclaimed with a bleeding lip then difficultly sat back up. "That's just like you Jason! Attacking people when they're already down, stabbing them in the back!"

Jason violently gripped Sonny by the shirt. "That was for not trusting me; for the last time I didn't talk to the FBI and had absolutely no intention to. They made you believe I did and you fell straight in their trap! Now you better cancel that hit right now and tell Alcazar he can forget about his shipment."

Jason harshly let go of the older man then went on talking. "You need some serious help Sonny and I will make sure you get back on your meds and go to your sessions. I'll be running the organization from now on!"

*****

Jason had decided to let Sonny live. The man had tried to have him killed but he was the only one who had believed in him all these years ago and helped him become the man he was; he owed him his life so now they were even. Rayner had almost managed to create an irreversible rift between the two by manipulating Sonny into reacting this way. Jason's hands where tied when it came to the FBI agent but he definitely hadn't said his last word.

"Is it all over?" Elizabeth asked as Jason finally joined her next to her car.

"Almost, Cody's taking care of Sonny; I asked him to keep an eye on him until new orders. I still have to worry about Alcazar who might not be too happy about not getting access to our piers anymore but he shouldn't be a problem. Rayner on the other hand, this bastard isn't going to let it go that easily but he doesn't have anything on Sonny or me. I'll have Diane dig up anything she can on him, I'm sure he has skeletons in his closet somewhere."

Elizabeth let out a heavy sight of relief mixed up with tiredness. "Ok… well can we go home now? I'm exhausted and I just have enough of this place already."

"It depends..." Jason said puzzling the petite woman in front of him. She didn't have it in her to argue with Jason again about staying away. The young man continued. "… of what you mean by home. Because now that you've become my partner in crime, I believe the penthouse is the safest place for us."

Elizabeth jumped in Jason's arms and hooked her limbs around his neck, forgetting his injured leg. She made the blond lean against her small car in pain.

"Let's go home!" She excitedly screamed out as she graced Jason of a light kiss on the lips.

~ The End ~