Every once in a while someone comes into your life and you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. That's love.

Slipping her feet into her black stilettos, Emily makes her way down the steps and into the foyer, unable to shake the feeling that something was definitely going on with her oldest brother. The question burning through her mind is whether or not she should voice her suspicions to Elizabeth or not.

For obvious reasons, it will go from Elizabeth to Jason and her older brother was just starting to warm up to the idea of AJ. If he even gets an inkling of a feeling that AJ was up to something again...it could be disastrous. More than anything, she wants her brothers to get along, even if only civilly, and that won't happen if AJ does something stupid again.

"Hey, you." her husband voices from behind her, enveloping her in his warm embrace as she leans back into his body. "Isn't it a little early to be so stressed? What's wrong?"

"AJ..." she sighs when he whispers a soft 'ah' like it was probably the most obvious reason why. When did they get to the point where AJ's name has become the obvious reason for a stressful situation? "Its not what you think."

"You sure?" he counters, looking at her with a knowing gaze. "So, he's not stressing you out by trying to come up with a way to split up Jason and Elizabeth?"

"Okay...so, maybe, it is what you think." she smiles in spite of herself, wondering if she's always this obvious. "Jason did something good...nice, even...for AJ. You'd think that AJ would take that as Jason's attempt to mend fences, but he just won't see it that way."

"AJ hasn't exactly been known to think rationally." he replies before switching gears when she turns to raise an eyebrow at him. "Okay, that wasn't fair, but you have to admit that things between Jason and AJ would require something more along the lines of a miracle to mend."

"I hate that you're right." Emily lets out a deep sigh, before resting her head against his chest. "I just wish that they didn't hate each other. They don't have to love each other by any means, but at least not hate each other."

"I know your heart's in the right place, Em, but some relationships are beyond repair."

Shutting her eyes, she tries to let it sink in that she may not be able to fix things between her two brothers. She knows that she can't control everything, if she could, Jason wouldn't be in the mob, but she can't and that goes the same for AJ, it still didn't stop her from having hope for them. It hurts to have them so apart. If only she could change that.

"I should get to work." Emily finally voices after a long moment. "Will I see you for dinner tonight?"

"Of course." he leans down, kissing her soundly as she melts into his embrace. "Try not to stress about AJ today, okay?"

"I'll try."

A few more sensually tantalizing kisses later, Emily's out the door and riding the launch back to the Elm Street Pier. As the water splashes around her, she can't help but wonder if there just might be some way to get her two brothers back to a civil standing, if not familial.

After all she has survived to get to this moment in her life, she has to believe that Jason and AJ can get past everything they've been through. If not for themselves or their family, maybe, just maybe, they'll get through it for Elizabeth.

For the first time in a while, the look on Elizabeth's face as she's going over a patient's file is one of apt anticipation for the night to come. She's planned everything perfectly, having to go as far as asking Emily for certain specifics in order to make it the perfect dinner date, but who wouldn't go to extreme lengths to please the important people in their lives?

"Should I be jealous?"

"Sure." she replies with a playful grin on her lips as she closes the file and makes her way around the desk to his waiting arms. "But you're gonna have to find a mirror to confront him."

"I can't stay long." he admits with an apologetic smile. "I just wanted to ask if you had plans for dinner."

"You know, they did invent this thing that makes getting answers a lot easier." Elizabeth smirks as she pulls out her cellphone. "You just punch in a few numbers and there you go."

"You can't kiss someone over the phone." he points out, pulling her in for a sweet tender embrace before she could say much more. "Isn't that better than a phone call?"

"What's a phone call?" she whispers as she stares up into his eyes. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"So...dinner?"

"Sounds good." she smiles slightly, unable to tear her gaze from his. "That's if you don't mind eating at my place."

"Whatever you want." he says without hesitation. "Kelly's or The Grill?"

"I'll take care of everything." she assures him, realizing that this was a better way to go about her plans. "Just show up at my place at seven."

"I thought I was the one asking you to dinner."

"You were, you are, but I'll handle it." Elizabeth raises her eyebrow teasingly. "That okay with you?"

"If that's what you want..."

"It is." she says immediately. "See you then."

"Why do I get a feeling that you're up to something?"

"Because I'm making it blatantly obvious." she chuckles, quickly guiding him to the elevator and putting him on it. "Don't be late."

"With you this determined, I'd have to be crazy."

"Yes." she says simply. "You would."

Watching the doors close, Elizabeth lets out a satisfied sigh before making her way over to the nurses' desk. She'll be going into surgery with Dr. Drake in another hour and she has to get a good handle on the patient before she goes into the OR. The last thing they need is to have another mishap due to faulty medical history. Even with that, though, she still couldn't help but feel the added anticipation for their dinner date.

"Jason?" Emily's voice tears through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

"How..."

"Just gifted that way." she smirks, before laughing softly. "That and I just say him leaving the hospital."

"Oh...right." Elizabeth shakes her head before focusing on the file. "We're having dinner tonight at my place."

"Has he seen your place?" Emily teases before laughing at Elizabeth's subtle glare. "Then again, it is Jason, so you'll be fine."

"Don't you have patients you need to bug?" Elizabeth counters, refraining from sticking her tongue out at her best friend regardless of how tempted she felt. "I mean, tend to."

"Well, someone feeling particularly feisty this morning." Emily shoots right back. "Maybe Jason should visit you at work more often. Who knows, Drake Jr. just might get the clue that you're not falling for his childish flirtations."

"And someone has obviously been spending away too much time with the prince." she can't resist the subtle jab at the prince, regardless of how childish it may seem. "Childish flirtations, really?"

"Ugh, promise me if I start talking in three or more syllables per word you'll slap me silly?" Emily has tried her best to not sound like her husband, but sometimes the words just get stuck in her head. Proper talking has never been her forte and she'd like to keep it that way.

"Deal."

"See you for lunch?"

"Its a date."

Watching her head off to start her rounds, Elizabeth couldn't help but smile softly. Though things are rocky with AJ, she's thankful that at least one of her best friends are happy about her relationship with Jason. Although she's certain that she'd still be with Jason if Emily wasn't okay with it, Elizabeth's thankful that she doesn't have to face a world where that's true. Without Emily by her side, it would have been a lot harder, doable, but still hard.

Closing the door behind him, Jason takes a deep breath before sitting down at his desk, knowing that its now or never. With the danger level rising from outside forces and domestic forces, he has to act now. The only question being who he trusts enough for the job and who can best do that job.

"You called?" Francis voices from the doorway, shutting the door behind him when Jason gestures for him to walk inside. "'What's rattling your chain now?"

"I need your advice." Jason sighs, gesturing for him to sit down. "I have a girlfriend..."

"Stop right there." Francis blurts out, rising to his feet. "Someone get me a lighter and a candle because Jason Morgan has learnt to use the G word without choking on it."

"You done?"

"Are you serious?" Francis counters, plopping back down onto the chair. "You actually have a girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Okay." he soaks that in for a minute. "Have you decided to put a guard on her yet?"

"That's what I need your advice about." Jason shakes his head. "With the way things are going with Sonny...I need someone that I can trust to keep her out of harms way...even if the threat's coming from Sonny himself."

"Well, that's easy." Francis shrugs, gesturing to himself. "You're looking at him."

"You're overqualified for a guard position."

"Tell me one person that you can trust that fits that criteria." Francis challenges. "Its either me or John and I'm certain you wouldn't want to put the kid in the position of having to kill Sonny."

"Are you sure you want to go back to guard duty?"

"For the girl that stole your heart?" Francis shrugs with a slight smirk. "Not even a question."

"One more thing..." Jason takes a deep breath before admitting this last part. "I'm trying my best to keep her out of Sonny and Carly's lives, but - if it becomes necessary - I'm gonna need you to handle Carly, as well."

"Like I said." Francis shrugs. "Not even a question."