Jason Morgan opened his phone, and answered brusquely, "Morgan."
"Jason, I came to check out Sam's place like you asked me to, and I got shot," Max said, panting in obviously pain.
"What? What happened?" Jason was already pulling his leather jacket on and heading for the door.
"Diego Alcazar. It was him, I know he's supposed to be dead, but it was him, I swear. He had her all tied up, and he shoved her in the trunk of his car and…and left…" Max's words were slurring slightly by the end, and Jason knew he needed medical attention.
"Okay Max, thanks, I'm going to call the hospital to come get you, okay?"
"Already have that taken care of, Jason," Milo said as he picked up his brother's phone.
"Good, you're with him. Okay, get him taken care of, and then call me when you are free, I might need the backup."
"Got it."
Jason hopped on his bike and headed to the place where Diego had to be going: the Alcazar warehouse and piers.
Inside the trunk of Diego's car, Sam struggled to try and untie her hands. Diego had been in such a hurry; he hadn't tied her tight enough. Maybe if it had been someone other than Sam they would have held, but Sam was an ex-con who knew her way out of most forms of bondage.
She left out a string of expletives as her body slammed around inside the trunk. If I get out of this, she thought, I am going to be sore tomorrow…no I mean, when I get out of this. Shit, how am I going to get out of this?
She felt the ropes loosen and sighed in relief. Her hands were free, and she quickly got her legs free as well. Now what? Diego was obviously smart enough to not leave anything in the trunk that could be used as a weapon, so what am I going to do when we stop.
Suddenly, the car jerked to a halt, and Sam hit the back of the trunk, hard. Well I guess I'll find out.
Jason pulled to a stop a couple blocks away from Alcazar's property, just in case, so Diego wouldn't be able to spot him. He began his approach on foot, years of practice keeping his movements quiet and stealthy.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Slipping into the shadows of an alley, he answered quietly, "Morgan."
"Hey Jason, I need to see you," Liz said softly.
"Right now isn't a good time. I…I got to do something then I'll call you, okay?"
"Are you…Is everything okay?" She asked, the worry in her voice ringing in his ears.
"It will be."
"Be careful Jason. I love you."
"Good night Elizabeth." He slipped the phone back into his pocket, and resumed his approach to the building.
Diego flung open the trunk, and pulled Sam out roughly, not noticing at first that she was untied. This gave her the opportunity that she needed. Using the rope he had used to tie her up, she wrapped it around his neck.
"How do you like it, you sick freak?" She screamed at him, and kicked him in the groin.
He went down, gasping for air and trying not to yell in pain. She kicked him again, this time in the stomach. She had her chance to run away, but Diego had some payback coming his way.
"This," she said, as she kicked him, "is for Leticia, who was supposed to be Carly, but either way, they didn't deserve to die. This," she said, delivering another kick, "is for Georgie, who is my friend's sister, and was nothing but kind to everyone. And this," she yelled, kicking him squarely in the chest, "is for Emily, who was my cousin's fiancée, and a friend of mine. And this," she said, leaning down so they were face to face, and his eyes met hers, hazy with pain, "is for me." She said this softly, but punched him squarely in the nose.
He fell to the ground, limp with pain, and Sam smiled, knowing she had knocked him out. She turned to get out of there, when she looked into a pair of familiar blue eyes. Her smile fell.
"Jason?"
"Sam, are you okay?" He rushed over to her, checking for any wounds.
Sam was a little stunned. "Uh…I'm fine, but he isn't," she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder indicating Diego, who was still lying prone on the ground.
He looked past her, taking in the situation. "So I see. But are you sure you're okay? What happened?"
She pulled her arms from his grasp. "I'm okay, Jason. He was waiting for me in my apartment, and he tied me up when I got home. He carried me downstairs through the staff exit, and dumped me in the trunk. I got untied, and caught him by surprise when he pulled me out. And then I proceeded to kick the crap out of him. And here we are."
Jason couldn't help the small smile that came to his lips. "You definitely did kick the crap out of him. Do you still have the ropes he tied you up with?" She nodded, and handed them to him. "Good, I'm going to tie him up so he won't go anywhere, and while I'm doing that, you're going to use this," he tossed her his phone, "to call the cops."
Sam couldn't believe her ears. "You want me to call the cops?"
"Yeah. For one, I want this bastard put away where he belongs. Two, Mac wants justice for Georgie's death, and he's going to get it."
Sam nodded and made the call.
Jason and Sam sat on the stairs in front of the Alcazar warehouse while they waited for the PCPD to come. Sam sighed, and looked up at the sky. "It's a beautiful night out. Isn't it strange that such a peaceful night like tonight could have ended so terribly for me?"
Jason looked at her, his eyes bright. "But it didn't. You know, Sam, I have to say, I sent Max over to your place to check things out, and he's the one who called me. I…I thought I would have to rescue you, but I guess I underestimated you."
Sam met his gaze. Her eyes darkened with a mixture of emotions. "You always did Jason."
"What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean? You never thought I could handle things. And you know, sometimes I couldn't. But there were times where you know I was fixing whatever situation I got into, and you just had to come play hero. But Jason, I don't expect you to be my hero anymore. Those days are over. I don't need anyone to be my hero. And you want to know what the worst thing was that you underestimated me for?"
She took his silence as a yes. "You thought I couldn't handle the idea of knowing Jake was your son. And you know, maybe you were right. Maybe that's why I went crazy like I did, doing all those terrible things. But I will tell you, I regretted them instantly. If I could go back…God Jason, there are so many things I would do differently. But what I wish…" she broke off, her tears threatening to overflow, "what I wish, is that you would have trusted me enough to tell me that you had made a child with Elizabeth."
Jason shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Sam. Its not that I didn't trust you; I just couldn't risk exposing Jake to my lifestyle."
"That's bull and you know it Jason! You wanted to wait until Lucky and Elizabeth broke up so you could swoop in and rescue her, and form a life with her. That's fine, but at least admit it!"
Jason was angry, angrier than Sam had seen him in a long time. He stood up, and looked around, frustration visible on his profile. "You think that's the truth? You think that's what I wanted? Do you remember, Sam, when I told you at Alexis' house that I loved you more than anyone? That you meant everything to me? I meant every word of it. I did love you Sam. And a part of me always will. But you…you had just found out you couldn't have children; I didn't want to tell you that I already had one coming with Elizabeth. And yes, I do love Elizabeth, but it's not like it was between us."
Sam stared at him, shock evident on her face, as she stood up next to him. "What do you mean?"
"I…I don't know how to describe it Sam. With you, it was so easy. You understood me, and she does too, but you never, ever expected me to be more than I can. You loved me for who I was…who I am, and you didn't want me to change. You and Carly are the only women who have ever treated me like that."
"Me and Carly? In the same category?" Sam made a half-hearted attempt at a joke, trying to lighten the mood. The conversation had become slightly awkward for her liking.
"I'm not trying to be funny. Sam, you and I, what we had…it was amazing. I wish…" he broke off, his gaze returning to the night sky, and the glistening stars hanging over head. "Whenever I see the stars on clear nights like this, I think of you."
"Jason, finish what you were going to say. You can't fool me that easily. Say what you need to say," Sam said, nervously.
He met her eyes, his blue eyes shining with an emotion she hadn't seen directed her way in months. "I wish I had married you and given you the family we wanted when I had the chance."
Sam sank back down onto the stairs. She was saved from having to reply by the arrival of the PCPD. She and Jason were questioned separately, and she couldn't help but think of what he had said throughout her entire questioning. She was finally released, as was Jason. He stood off to the side, and she approached him, unsure of what to say.
He smiled at her, and said, "Would you like a ride?"
She nodded, still unable to speak quite yet. They walked to his bike in silence, and rode to Sam's apartment in silence as well. As Sam slid off his motorcycle, she cleared her throat.
Grabbing his hand, she said, "Jason, I will love you for the rest of my life. Both you and I will have to live with the what ifs, maybes, and wishes that we have because of our pasts. But please, be happy. Be with your son, and if Elizabeth is what you want, then be with her. I guess I'm giving you my blessing, not that it really means much."
Jason squeezed her hand. "It means more than you know, Sam."
He released her hand, and, surprising her, pulled her in close and kissed her passionately.
Breaking the kiss, she said, breathlessly, "Good-bye Jason."
"Good-bye Sam," he replied, knowing that this time, it really was.