ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hello everyone! It is once again time to take a journey through the twisted tunnels in my mind. Like the last story this one is also a Romance/Light Drama. Its based on a prompt from Deb over on HH. I learned a lot writing this and AYNIL so that you for the opportunity to practice some new skills.

This story is AH/AU. I will explain the new backgrounds as the story progresses. The timeline in this story does not match the one on the show.

Thank you Deb for the inspiration.

Liason102 thank you for the edit. It was a pleasure, as always, working with you.

Please be polite when leaving reviews.

Chapter 1

"All rise." The bailiff called the courtroom to its feet as the judge entered.

"Be seated." The judge said looking over those assembled. "Has the jury reached a decision?"

"We have your honor." The foreman announced rising to his feet. "We find the defendant Not Guilty." He said before taking his seat.

At the defendant's table Jason didn't give any indication that this was good news. Behind him his friends were grinning and slapping one another on the back. Diane who was standing next to Jason turned and did a discreet fist bump with Georgie. The recent law school graduate had worked a lot of hours on this case. The only reason she wasn't sitting at the counsel's table was because she hadn't taken the Bar yet.

"You owe me a pair of Jimmy Choos." Diane whispered to her client. Jason had been facing life in prison, and the D.A.'s office had a lot of circumstantial evidence. Which she very neatly made ineffectual.

"I think you've earned two pairs." Jason said quietly. He knew that his lawyer had once again pulled a rabbit out of her hat. "Georgie too." He had a very good reason for not wanting to go to jail. She was standing behind him.

Elizabeth hadn't missed a single day of the trial. When her work schedule threatened to interfere with her being in court she simply took an emergency leave of absence. It meant everything to Jason that she was giving him her support. Technically they were just friends, but he was working on changing that. He had been about to ask her out on what would be their first official date when Taggert arrested him. From the corner of his eye he could see her smiling wide. Maybe she would take a bike ride with him later to celebrate.

"I'd like to poll the jury." Dara requested of the judge. This outcome wasn't surprising. She had told Ric that their case wasn't strong enough to go to court. Not against Diane. As usual her boss didn't have room for anyone's opinion but his own. He said go, and now they couldn't retry Jason for Alcazar's murder. And Ric was going to blame her for the loss.

The judge nodded and listened while all twelve jurors repeated the phrase not guilty. Dara had done well, actually she had done outstanding, and the ADA was just out matched with iffy evidence. Lansing was an idiot for sending the case to trial when he did. "Mr. Morgan, having been found not guilty, you are free to go." The Judge banged his gavel making it official. "Court is adjourned." With that he rose to his feet and left the courtroom.

"Celebration at my place." Sonny said slapping his partner on the back. "Diane you were brilliant as usual."

"It's nice of you to notice." The attorney said taking the praise that was her due. "I often worry that since I'm so awesome on such a regular basis you will take that for granted."

"Never." Sonny said laughing. Their lawyer was her own biggest fan.

"Okay. We need to deal with the press that will be gathered outside and then it's on to the celebration." Diane said gathering up her papers. "Georgie and Liz you are coming correct?" The lawyer knew Georgie would attend. It was Liz who might try to sneak off. They couldn't have that happening. Diane was hoping that to celebrate his win Jason was finally going to ask the nurse out. He was taking entirely too long to get the deed done.

Diane hadn't introduced them to one another so that Jason could stand around shuffling his feet. From the moment she met Liz two years ago she knew that this was the woman her younger boss needed. Elizabeth was smart, capable, and strong. She also had great fashion sense. The nurse had hit it off with the enforcer and then nothing. It was driving Diane nuts because neither one of them would even talk about what wasn't happening between them. Jason kept saying he and Liz were more than friends, and Liz kept saying that they were close.

Diane suspected that Liz was just waiting for some indication Jason was ready for another relationship. If that was the case then the last few months should be enough, the man was practically a shut in. He hadn't even looked at another woman other than Liz since breaking up with his last girlfriend. He was well out of the rebound time frame so they needed to get moving. They were going to make plans for a real date tonight, or she was locking them in a closet somewhere. She needed them to get in gear so she could move onto Johnny and Georgie.

"I certainly will." Georgie said smiling. She was proud of the work that she did on this case. Diane was a great boss, but she demanded the best. The fact that Georgie got picked to work on this case meant she was meeting the standard set. Also Johnny was going to be at the party, and Georgie always enjoyed looking at him. "Liz?"

Francis nudged his boss before Elizabeth could decline the invitation. Everyone knew Jason liked the nurse, what they didn't get was why the hell he hadn't done anything about it yet. The big Italian thought that Jason was nervous about asking Liz out because everything about her screamed keeper. She wasn't the type of woman who you had a casual affair with, and up until now that was the only type of relationship Jason had with women. He wasn't a dog, he committed to whoever he was with. He just hadn't found the right woman to settle down with yet. Francis was thinking Liz was it. A man didn't rush a situation like that.

"I'd like it if you came." Jason said his eyes on Elizabeth's.

"Okay." Elizabeth liked that he said something. Jason had been single for almost six months now. Over the past two months he had been spending a lot of time with her. She felt a shift in their relationship and she knew he felt it too. They were both in a place where they were ready for something more than friendship.

"Fantastic." Diane said grinning. "We should head out." She told everyone as she grabbed her briefcase. The guys fell in around her. She would be the only one to speak when they got to the courthouse steps. Only a handful of questions would be answered, after that they would all head to the cars.

"Thank you. That's all for now, my office will be issuing a statement later today." Diane said stepping away from the microphones. "We can go now."

"You didn't even look nervous." Georgie didn't bother to hide her hero worship of her boss. Diane was at the top of the lawyer food chain.

"I know. It's almost ashamed that I have so many gifts. Brilliant lawyer, fantastic public speaker, stunningly gorgeous, and fashion icon." Diane said laughing.

"And modest don't forget that." Johnny couldn't help ribbing the attorney.

"Modesty is for wimps." Diane said giving him a grin. She liked that the guys didn't hold back with her. They gave as good as she did. Sonny demanded she be treated like a lady. Francis demanded she be respected. At the same time she was still part of the crew. "Where are we heading to celebrate?"

Before anyone could answer squealing tires were heard and a car came speeding in their direction.

"Gun!" Milo yelled spotting the weapon protruding from the speeding car.

The air was suddenly filled with bullets as the deafening report from the automatic assault rifle shattered the calm afternoon. The crew from the Corinthos/Morgan organization hit the ground as the vehicle drove past and turned the corner. Cody was the first one up with Milo right behind him. They headed for a car to give pursuit, because they were expected to. Their large SUV shot out of the parking lot determined not to lose their target. Max was calling for backup to join them.

"Everyone okay?" Sonny asked getting to his feet and looking around. If he had to guess he would say one of Alcazar's allies was behind the gunfire. Probably an attempt to get to Jason.

"You okay?" Johnny asked helping Georgie to her feet.

"Yeah." She said taking a few deep breaths. He had put himself between her and the shooter. She hadn't even been aware anything was wrong until she heard Milo shout. Johnny had already been in motion. "Thank you."

"Sure thing." Johnny said trying to steady himself, the thought of her hurt left him cold. He liked to tease Jason about dragging his feet, but the truth was he was doing the same thing. He needed to ask Georgie out soon. He looked around to make sure everyone else was good. He caught Sonny's eye and his boss nodded. Not only was he okay but the older man approved of Johnny protecting Georgie. "Jason?"

The enforcer pushed up off of Elizabeth. "You okay?" He had been enjoying the way she looked in her green dress as they walked to the car. He loved her in green and she wore it often during the trial to make him smile. He had spotted the gun when he remembered to scan the area and his only thought was to protect her. "I didn't mean to tackle you so hard."

"Don't apologize, you saved my life." Elizabeth had been busy eyeing him up in his suit. "I'm fine." She was gonna be a little sore tomorrow though, Jason wasn't a small guy.

He helped her stand and when he moved his hand it came away bloody. "You're bleeding." He said moving the sleeve of her light sweater. "You're hit. I need a first-aid kit!" He called over his shoulder.

"How bad?" Sonny immediately came over to lend assistance.

"I think it's just a graze." Elizabeth said looking at the wound on her upper arm. It was starting to sting some.

"DIANE!" Francis yelled and that got everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth was instantly by her friend's side her own injury forgotten. The attorney was on the ground unconscious. "Is she bleeding anywhere on her body?" Liz asked going into nurse mode checking her friend's head for any signs of an injury. "She's got a good sized lump back here, but no bleeding."

"None here either." Georgie had pushed Francis aside to help out.

"Diane, baby, open your eyes." Francis said trying to hold it together. He couldn't loss her now. They had just bought a house together last week. His life would be pointless without her in it. "Why isn't she opening her eyes?" He wanted to know.

"She got knocked out when she hit the ground." Elizabeth answered checking pulse, temperature, and respiration per her training. "Does anyone have a penlight?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her." Francis said as guilt washed over him. He could clearly envision her getting hit by a bullet, with the adrenaline in his system spurring him on he took her down too hard.

"This isn't your fault." Johnny told his friend. He looked up and saw Max talking with Sonny. Something was up because they were looking at the building that adjoined the parking lot.

"Here's the first aid kit." Chris said jogging up. "The area is secure."

"Thanks." Jason took the kit and after cleaning up he grabbed a bandage for Elizabeth's arm. His hands were shaking and he had to take a few deep breaths. "This might sting." He said grabbing the antiseptic spray.

"Go ahead." Liz said tending to her patient. Sirens were approaching so she finished up her exam. A small hiss was the only indication she gave that she felt what Jason was doing. "Thanks." She said looking at the large piece of gauze he was taping in place.

"Get that looked at when we get to the hospital." He requested of her.

"It's not that bad." Elizabeth said her blue eyes on his. "I'm glad you weren't hurt." They had landed with him over her which meant he was willing to take a bullet to keep her safe. Selflessness like that would take some time to register.

"I wish you hadn't been." Jason said softly wondering if he just lost his chance to get a date.

The ambulance pulled up. "She has some swelling on the rear of her cranium, but no other outward sign of injuries." Liz told the EMTs. They came into the ER often so she knew the Atkins brothers well. "Pulse and respiration levels are normal."

"Good to know." Cal said putting on the neck harness and getting Diane ready for transport. "Call it in." He yelled to Joe.

"Tell them to have Dr. Drake or Hunter standing by. My orders." Elizabeth knew that would get everyone's attention. She was a well -respected trauma and surgical nurse at General Hospital.

"Who is riding with us?" Cal asked as he and his brother put Diane on a board to keep her spine supported and lifted her onto the gurney.

"Francis." Elizabeth told them.

"Elizabeth too. She's hurt." Jason said pointing to her arm.

"Were you going to say anything?" Cal asked giving her a hard time.

"It's just a graze." Elizabeth said buckling a strap.

"Then I can treat it on the way in while you tend to the patient. Come on." Cal said as Joe got behind the wheel.

"Follow us." Elizabeth said hopping in the back of the ambulance.

"Will do." Sonny said answering for the crew.

"What did you see?" Johnny asked as they headed to the cars. One of the guys would hang back to give a statement. If the cops wanted more information they knew where to find everyone.

"They weren't aiming for us." Sonny said as his partner got behind the wheel. He got in the front passenger seat while Johnny and Max got in the back. Georgie was coming over with Chris because they needed to talk about this while they had some privacy. "The bullets landed in the wrong spot."

"We were the only ones standing there." Jason pointed out.

"They weren't aiming for any of the mob guys." Max cleared up what Sonny meant by us. "The bullets are in a spray pattern, but then clustered in one bunch. The shooter was aiming for Diane."

"Shit. Francis is going to fucking lose it." Johnny said what they were all thinking.

"None of us has stayed behind bars since we hired her." Sonny said trying to puzzle this out. "I guessing that is what is at the root of this."

"With Diane as the target that makes Ric or Mac our prime suspects." Jason said glancing at his partner. The first man named was not only the D.A. but Sonny's half-brother. They hated each other fiercely.

Sonny was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. "I seriously doubt Mac did this." The man was tenacious about taking down the mobsters, but he didn't play dirty. "I don't think he would send a shooter after a woman, or that he would want someone shooting around Georgie. He lost Maxie last year, and Robin just a few months ago." Both to health issues. "He doesn't like Georgie working for Diane, but he wouldn't go this route to make her change her mind."

"That just leaves Ric." Johnny said wondering what Sonny was going to do. The D.A. was only alive because of their connection. Despite hating Ric, Sonny couldn't kill Adela's son. Ric was slime and believed in playing dirty, this was totally something he would do.

"Women are off limits." Sonny's upbringing made it so that he firmly believed that. "Ric needs to be taken out. We need to be smart about this. He is a high profile target." Sonny would pray to his mother's soul for forgiveness. He only let Ric live for all these years out of respect for her memory. If he had removed his brother last year like Jason wanted Diane wouldn't be hurt now.

"I'll start putting together a plan." Jason would shoulder this so that Sonny didn't have to. He pulled into the parking lot and everyone sat and waited for Sonny's response.

"No, I'll do it." The older mob boss said to his friend, understanding what he was doing. "No one comes after my family." It was as simple as that. "Let's go in and check on Francis and Diane."

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