Chapter 1 – Clues
Author's Note: This is how I hope baby "Scout" will be born. This does not tie into the current storyline on General Hospital. I do not own the characters and this is Jasam centric with a dash of Lusam for redemption. Background Sam is pregnant with her 3rd child, 2nd with Jason, and she is close to her delivery date.
Sam was heading into her final ultrasound before the big day and she couldn't help, but be filled with excitement and a little bit nervous. Sam had not been listening too closely to her doctor's instructions of taking it easy and most of her time had been split between trying to figure out the car bombing to clear Sonny and holding the pieces of her mother's life together. It seemed at each turn she just couldn't catch a break, but she was a Cassadine and cursed nonetheless by the old shrew so she really didn't expect it to be all smooth sailing. Sam waited patiently in the lounge at General Hospital for her appointment when she decided take a walk to the chapel.
As Sam made her way into the chapel she couldn't help, but feel as though someone or something was watching her she quickly glanced around and no one seemed to be there. She turned to the candles and lit the stick making a silent pray asking her beloved Lila to watch over her baby and their family and letting her know how grateful so was to be a mother again after everything that had transpired. As Sam was ready to blow out the flame the door burst open and a gust of air blew through the room. Sam was taken back by the disturbance and looked towards the person busting in and she couldn't help to feel something familiar.
There standing in the entryway stood a man looking disheveled and worried he quickly made his way over to Sam and took her hand. Sam jolted back from the man taking a moment for her eyes to focus and it suddenly occurred to her why the man felt familiar because it was in fact someone she knew, quite well. "Lucky?" Sam whispered as she stepped forward cautiously not knowing why he was there and how he had found Sam in the hospital chapel of all places.
Lucky's eyes slowly met Sam's and she noticed immediately they were swelling with tears and what seemed to be remorse and guilt. Lucky half-grinned at Sam afraid of what to say and how he could possibly explain everything swirling in his head and heart he had to tell her the truth before it was too late. "Sam, it's me. I don't have much time to explain, but I need you to come with me." Lucky started to walk towards the door hoping that Sam would follow him on instinct, but after he took a few steps he noticed she wasn't behind him.
Sam stood shocked and stunned at the candles not understanding why this man from her past had suddenly reemerged here of all places and was asking her to come with him. "Lucky, what are you talking about? You expect me to just take a leap of faith and follow you to god only knows where and for what? You pop up 2 years ago with Jake miraculously alive without a peep to me that you knew my husband was alive and well and living right under my nose and you didn't even consider the hurt and devastation this had on me or my son. Lucky, I trusted you and considered us friends and you knew above anyone else what the truth meant to me and you kept HER secret. Why the hell would I trust you or have anything to do with you?"
Sam took a step back turning her back away from Lucky not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing the tears in her eyes. She gently rubbed her stomach and cleared her throat ready to walk right past him as though he didn't exist. Lucky caught her arm gently and looked deep into her eyes. "Sam, let me explain. I know that I hurt you and betrayed our friendship, but if you give me a chance I want to make this right that is why I'm here."
Sam took a deep breath as a single tear fell down her face on instinct Lucky took his thumb and wiped it away hoping to reach her and past the wall she deservingly placed between them. "Sam I can't go into all of it right now, but if you ever trusted me I need you to believe me when I say I had a reason for what I did and what I have to tell you will change everything."
Sam jerked her arm away still disgusted by Lucky's touch after feeling he yet again chose his allegiance to Saint Elizabeth over her. "You expect me to take you on your word after you bring Jake back from the dead and neglect to tell me my husband is alive just so you can stay in Saint Elizabeth's good graces. Tell me Lucky what the hell is so special about that woman that every man I've been close to loses all sense of logic and reason to come to her rescue? I'm done being back-up to her and it seems Jason finally has seen the light, it's about time you open your eyes and be the father to your kids I knew you were and could be."
Lucky looked down at the ground letting her words wash over him and each word stinging like a dagger of truth. He knew what he did was wrong and no apology could ever help repair the pain he caused her, but with any luck he could try and right a grievance wrong before it was too late. "Sam, you are right I've become exactly what I never wanted to be – an absentee father and that is part of the reason I'm here now, but I need you to hear me. Can we please go somewhere and talk?"
Sam sat at one of the pews and motioned for him to sit next to her she wasn't she why she was compelled to listen, but after all of her own mistakes and lies she wanted to give him the opportunity to tell her his side of things. Lucky sat next to Sam and wasn't quite sure where to begin so he thought the best place would be where he left off or better yet just left.
"Sam, I never meant to hurt you or Danny and everyone else so drastically effected by Liz's lies. You and I both know the dramatic effects lies and secrets can have on those you hold close. I need to tell you everything, but to do so I need to start with when I came back with Jake. As you know my father and I tracked Jake down after countless clues from Helena and her wicked game. Helena has always been obsessed with the Spencer family and took great satisfaction at any misery she could inflict on us and I finally figured out to what depths she would go."
"After losing Sioban and finding out about Nikolas and Elizabeth I needed to clear my head and hopefully heal my heart. I was doing volunteer work abroad when one day I received an envelope on my door step with a key in it and a note. As soon as I opened the note a chill ran through my body and I knew from the handwriting who it was from – Helena. She told me that to find true peace I needed to unlock the secrets of my past. I didn't understand at the time what she meant, but then I received a frantic call from my father the next day and he had received a similar letter, but his contained a list of coordinates and a map. You know my dad can't resist a challenge especially from the likes of the Sea Witch so we both set out on this journey."
"We didn't know what we would uncover along the way and never in my wildest dreams what I have thought that it would lead to Jake. So, we made it to the coordinates and of course it was on Cassadine Island, we made our way into the castle through the old passageways trying to remain undetected. My father recalled being there once before and at one point we ran into some trouble with a guard and there was an altercation. We easily took out the guard and my father switched his clothes with the guard hoping to bring less attention if we came across others. We made our way in through the kitchen and cellar and that's when we heard it. I heard a little boy laughing, but it wasn't just any little boy it was familiar." Lucky recalled the smell of fresh baked cookies wafting through the air and suddenly a flash of a little boy bolted past the doorway beckoning to a worker.
Just as Lucky and Luke were about to go after a glass wall cut them off and a screen dropped from the ceiling and it was the face he dreaded, it was the Sea Witch herself. "Well it appears you Spencer boys wasted little time pursuing my love notes. Now before either of you start spouting out endless questions let me explain why I've brought you here and how each of you will play a part in our next game. You see while our rivalry has always been so tantalizing I thought of a slightingly different twist for this new round of fun and to expand upon the players. I've always adored our cat and mouse game, but it occurred to me that I've neglected my family even the bastards that I loathe."
Lucky looked to Luke with a puzzled face and was afraid of what was to come. "I love my grandson and when I heard that he entangled himself with the likes of that insipid nurse my stomach turned and I decided that it was time for a new game. I do apologize to going to such lengths of involving yet another innocent child in our game it was an unfortunate necessary means to the end. I always wanted another chance to groom a Spencer and when Jake's accident occurred I seized the opportunity to right a wrong. I understand you both grieved for this boy and I think you both knew the truth in your hearts as to why your pain was so deep. That leads me to my next quest for you both the key I gave you Lucky will unlock a secret to your past and breathe life into your future. Once you put all of the pieces together you will then understand how naughty the nurse has really been."
Lucky told Sam that the screen faded and he and Luke doubled back the way they came trying to find another way through this dreaded castle. They finally made their way into the library and Luke found a baby book with a lock on it sitting on the desk. Lucky took out the key and it opened the lock and they opened the book carefully not knowing what Helena had instore for them. There was an envelope in the front inside were small pieces of burnt paper and a note that said "A new regime rises from the ashes." Lucky looked at the small burned pieces of paper and could only make out a few words, but the words he found struck him to the core.
Sam turned to Lucky unsettled by the story and by the looming words of her dead grandmother. This woman was still toying with them from beyond the grave. Sam slid her hand over Lucky's and nudged him to continue.
Lucky took a few deep breaths and braced himself for the fallout of what he was about to reveal to Sam.