Emily:(taking off her coat) "Hey."
Jason: "Hey."
Emily: "You busy?"
Jason: "Well,I can take a break...Is everything okay?"
Emily: "Not really...Um, Jason, can-can you listen to me without getting mad? I mean, all I want you to do is listen."
Jason:(in mild concern) "Yeah, sure."
Emily: "I was blackmailed by a photographer."
(Jason's eyes widen)
Emily: "I didn' t know who it was (takes a deep breath) at first...I just got a picture---it was my head on someone else's naked body---and there was a note saying that they wanted $25,000 or they were going to put it on the internet."
Jason:(nods, his struggle for calmness apparent in his eyes) "Okay, go on."
Emily: "Okay, so, um, I asked Nikolas Cassadine for help, because he has a lot of money, and I thought maybe I could just borrow some and pay off the ransom. But, he wanted to find the blackmailer. So...Nikolas and I, and Lucky, and Liz Webber all teamed up. And, it turned out to be that the blackmailer was this guy, Tom, this photographer that I'd worked with before."
(Jason can no longer keep the growing apprehension out of his face)
Emily:(softly) "He always seemed really nice...but...he was crazy! Last Valentine's he raped Liz Webber in the park!"
Jason:(quickly,apprehensively) "Did he touch you?"
Emily: "He threw me in the darkroom and locked the door, but...he never hurt me. Liz is the one he hurt. (quickly) Not that day, but on Valentine's Day."
(Jason lets out the breath he was holding)
~Flash to Later~
Jason:(gets off the bike and crosses the room) "That's why you came to the Penthouse that day, isn't it? When I asked you what was wrong, you said it was a weird time."
Emily:(sighs) "Look, Jason, I was going to ask you for help...But, then I thought about it. I knew you'd hurt whoever was blackmailing me, and I didn't want you to get in trouble."
Jason:(trying not to be annoyed) "I wouldn't have. Emily my job is---was---takin' care of things without getting in trouble."
Emily: "I...I didn't want you to do anything bad for me, I still don't. If you hurt Tom, the police would know that it was you, and then they'd arrest you, and then Grandfather would use that as an excuse to try and take Micheal!"
Jason: "Nah, that's not gonna happen."
Emily: "It could, Jason. It could. Unless you promise me you won't do anything."
(Jason shoots her an incredulous look)
Emily:(continuing) "Look, Tom's already been arrested, he's going to prison. If you do something now...it's gonna be my fault!"
Jason: "No. This guy is a pig, okay? He hurt you and your friend. That was his choice, and what I do about it is mine."
Emily: "If you really, really want to do something for me, just please stay out of it. Please."
Jason:(trying not to look hurt) "If that's what you want."
Emily:(throws her arms around his neck, relieved) "Thank you. Oh, one other thing. Um, could you maybe not say anything about Liz? She really doesn't want anyone to know, even though I think it's gonna get brought up in trial."
Jason: "I won't say anything."
Emily:(smiles as she turns to go) "You're the best."
Jason:(puts out a hand to stop her) "W-wait. Hold on. Hold on, okay? Now you gotta promise me somethin'. All right? If anything like this ever happens again...if you need anything, you come to me. Okay? We can talk about it, we can figure it out together...we can even fight about it."
(Emily chuckles softly at the last one)
Jason: "But you have to trust me to help you."
Emily:(sincerely) "I do."
Jason: "Okay?"
Emily: "Okay."
