Better in Time

by spnh50ghfan

Joy, tragedy, secrets, and surprises.

Chapter 1

"Max, how's the shipment for tonight coming?" Sam asked as she walked into Jason's office at the warehouse.

"So far, so good. Everything seems to be going as planned," Max answered as he watched the small brunette woman sit at Jason's massive mahogany desk. She looked over the bills and made a few notations.

"How many men do we have on it?" she asked, her eyes scanning quickly over the paperwork for the incoming shipment.

"Five," Max replied.

"Good, I want Cody on it as well. Jason called from South America to check in and wanted to make sure it was covered. We can't afford any screw-ups," Sam said as she rose from the desk. "Anything I need to know about? I'm headed out for the day."

"I think we have it under control. Do you know when we can expect Jason back? There are some people who are interested in conducting some business. They're eager to speak with him" Max said, walking Sam to the door.

"Well, he's not sure how long he'll be, so I'll be handling business here until then. I'll work on it tomorrow," Sam replied as she headed out to her car. "Bye, Max!"

Sam jumped in her car and sped off, heading out of town. She had been away all day, and was anxious to make it to the safe house out in the woods.

She parked her car in the garage, making sure to close the garage door. She raced in the back door to find Spinelli and Maxie on the couch. Spinelli was working on his computer and Maxie appeared to be watching a Lifetime movie.

"How is he?" she asked breathlessly, as both turned to greet her.

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Chapter 2

"How is he?" she asked breathlessly, as both turned to greet her.

"The patient is regrettably still in poor condition. His slumber was interrupted only by nightmares about the unfortunate dealings with the Maternal One and bouts of pain from the injuries he sustained along with, might I say, a lousy attitude about being "babysat" by the fair Maximista and myself…." Spinelli rambled on as Maxie put a hand on his chest to quiet him.

"He's still in a good bit of pain, but he slept most of the day. He did have a few nightmares and was a bit grumpy, but I know that seeing you will make him feel better," Maxie said with a reassuring smile. "We'll go ahead and head out, unless you need anything," she said as she gave Sam a hug.

"No, but thank you. You guys are the best friends. As much as I would rather be here with Jason, we have to continue with 'business as usual,' so it helps that you can stay," Sam said as she teared up a bit. This week had been rough on all of them. "Now, you two go. Enjoy your evening together," she said with a wink, "and we'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," Spinelli and Maxie said as they climbed in Spinelli's car in the garage. Sam made sure the house was locked up tight before heading back to the master bedroom.

She carefully opened the door to keep from waking Jason up. She slipped in soundlessly and shut the door behind her. Noting Jason's closed eyes, she tiptoed toward the bathroom.

"Sam." She heard his weak, raspy voice and her heart broke. She couldn't stand seeing her Jason, so strong and steady, in so much pain.

"I'm here, babe," she said turning and going to his side. She sat gingerly on the bed next to him and placed a hand on his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot and stabbed," he said in a weak attempt at a joke. He smiled then grimaced at the pain.

"Okay, Mr. Hilarious, I hear you've been giving the nursing staff a hard time," Sam said with a stern look.

"What can I say? I hate being doted on and feeling like an invalid. I don't need a babysitter," Jason said with a bit of a pout.

"No, but you do need two great friends who can make sure you're okay while your wife is away," Sam said with a smile as she held his hand and played with his wedding ring.

"That is true. I'm sorry, I'll try to be nice to Spinelli and Maxie tomorrow," Jason promised with a yawn that caused him to groan in pain.

"Alright, you need to rest," Sam said as she started to rise.

"Lie with me," Jason said, as he had every night since he was injured. "I need you close to me."

Sam walked to the other side of the bed and snuggled in next to Jason, being careful of his injuries. As she heard Jason's breathing become deep and regular, she realized he was already asleep. She needed to get up and get a shower and do a few things for the shipment going out tomorrow, but she just wanted to lie there in Jason's arms. Her mind began to wander back to how all this began…

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Chapter 3

Jason and Sam had just returned Jake to Elizabeth. She was happy to see him, but seemed even happier to see Jason. She ignored Sam, even though Sam had saved her ass not too long ago in the cabin. She was just gushing about how she and Jake and Jason could be a family now that he was back.

Jason managed to get away and he and Sam got back in the car. While they were looking for Jake, they had reconciled their differences and had decided to make another go at a relationship. Jason would fight for shared custody of his son, and he and Sam would help raise him together.

Jason drove for a few minutes before pulling off to the side of the road. He turned in his seat to look into Sam's eyes. "Thank you for helping me find my son. Thank you for being my partner, my perfect match. Thank you for loving me," he said placing his hand softly on her face.

"Jason, you don't…"

"Shh… Let me finish," Jason said. "I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up with you each morning. I don't want to just 'try again,' I want you. Forever."

"What about Elizabeth?" Sam asked.

"She's irrelevant, other than being Jake's mother. I will speak to her tomorrow, then I want to marry you. What do you think?"

"Jason…" Sam began.

"I know this isn't the proposal you wanted, or even I wanted, but it happened and I mean it and…" Jason was stopped when Sam pressed her finger to his lips.

"I never thought I'd have to say this, but you're talking too much. It's my turn. Yes, I want to marry you. As soon as possible!" Sam said as she pulled Jason into a passionate kiss.

"One question, though….When do I get my ring back?" Sam said with a grin.

~Two weeks later~

Sam and Jason had flown to Hawaii and gotten married. After a short honeymoon, they returned to Port Charles. Jason had been granted shared custody of Jake, and this was going to be his first weekend with him.

Jason had realized that Sam really was his perfect partner, and she had joined him in running the business. His men understood that she held as much power as he did, and would be even worse to cross. The men knew she was a force to be reckoned with, and they gave her the utmost respect. She had a great mind for business and worked well with the employees. She fit right into that life, and Jason marveled at how well they fit together in everything.

Elizabeth had not taken the "breakup" well, though the relationship had really been over before it even started. Jason was surprised when she didn't fight the custody suit, but decided to count his blessings and not worry about it.

Jake's new room had been set up with the furnishings they had ordered. Sam had been shopping to pick up things they would need for Jake. Everything was ready. They were to pick him up at Elizabeth's that evening.

"I can't believe I get to bring my son home with me tonight," Jason said, beaming. "I can't wait to take him to the park, the zoo, baseball games, but most of all, I can't wait to bring him home, to our home."

Sam wrapped her arms around Jason's waist and he returned the hug.

"Well," she said, "What are we waiting for? Let's go get him!"

They headed out the door, hand in hand, not knowing what awaited them.

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Chapter 4

Sam and Jason walked up to Elizabeth's front door. Jason rang the bell as he gripped Sam's hand tightly in his. The door swung open to reveal Elizabeth standing there scantily clad. It was obvious that she was expecting Jason to show up alone.

"Jason! You're here…what is she doing here?" Elizabeth asked as her voice trailed off and her smile faded.

"We're here to pick up Jake," Jason said simply.

"Oh no, I did not agree to this," she said, fuming.

"Elizabeth, Sam is my wife, and she and I will be taking care of Jake together. If you don't like it, too bad. This is how it's going to be," Jason said firmly. "I have been granted shared custody of my son, and he will be coming home with me tonight."

Elizabeth glared for a moment before her face contorted into an eerie smile. "Okay," she said, "just let me go get Jake and his things."

She turned and headed up the stairs. Jason looked at Sam whose eyes were focused on Elizabeth's retreating form.

"What is it?" he asked, noting the concerned look on her face.

"I don't know, something's not right. That was too easy," Sam said uneasily.

"Hey, it will be ok. Maybe she realized that it's useless to fight. Maybe this is the beginning of a truce," Jason said, but even he didn't believe the words coming from his mouth. He wrapped her in an embrace and she rested her head on his chest. Their moment of bliss was short-lived.

Sam and Jason broke apart as they heard Elizabeth coming down the stairs.

"You bitch," she said as she raised a pistol and pointed it at Sam. She walked on down the stairs as she continued. "You just won't go away, will you? Jason is supposed to be here with his family, but you keep ruining all my plans. I guess if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Elizabeth pulled back the hammer with fire in her eyes. She aimed the gun straight at Sam's head as Sam stood frozen in fear. She closed her eyes. 'This whack job is actually going to kill me,' she thought. She opened her eyes just to see Elizabeth's finger pull the trigger. She felt herself falling, but not because of the bullet. It took a moment to register what had happened.

"Jason!" she heard Elizabeth scream. She turned to see Jason on the floor holding his bleeding leg. Elizabeth had shot him in the knee and he was losing blood quickly.

"Jason, baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, just the home-wrecking slut that ruined our lives," Elizabeth knelt beside him as she tended to his wound.

"Get the hell away from me," Jason growled. "Sam, go get the boys and get out of here. I'll take care of this."

Jason tried to stand, only to collapse to the floor. Sam ran to his side and helped him to the couch. While Elizabeth wasn't paying attention, Sam picked up the gun and tucked it into her jeans.

"Go get the boys," Jason said as he broke into a sweat. He was going down fast.

"I'm not leaving you here," Sam asserted.

"Please, Sam, and call Lucky," he whispered.

"Okay, I love you," she said as she placed a kiss on his lips. She turned to head upstairs when she noticed that Elizabeth had disappeared.

"Where did she go?" she asked, but Jason had already passed out from the blood loss.

She ran upstairs, pulling out her phone.

"Lucky, you need to get over to Elizabeth's NOW. She's lost it and she just shot Jason," she yelled into the phone.

Lucky jumped into his car and flew towards Elizabeth's house.

Meanwhile, Sam reached the boys' room and peeked inside. Both boys were sleeping peacefully. She headed over to wake Cam when she heard a commotion downstairs.

"Oh no, Jason," she whispered as she ran from the room.

She came down the stairs to see Elizabeth standing over Jason as he weakly fought her off. She wielded a butcher knife and as she plunged it repeatedly into his abdomen, she screamed, "If I can't have you, no one can!"

Sam reacted quickly as she grabbed the gun from her jeans and fired a single shot. Elizabeth's body fell to the floor. Sam ran down the stairs and checked her pulse. Nothing. She moved over to Jason.

"Oh, Jason," she gasped, as the tears fell. His pulse was weak and he had lost so much blood. Just then the door opened and Lucky rushed in, followed by Sonny. "I knew Jason would refuse a hospital, so I called Sonny."

"I have a doctor on the way, he should be right behind us," Sonny said as he and Lucky rushed to Sam's side.

"Sam?" Lucky asked. He couldn't tell what had happened and who may or may not have made it.

"I killed her. She's dead." Sam said, never removing her eyes from Jason's pale form. She had her hands pressed over his wounds to slow the bleeding. "The bitch shot him, then stabbed him."

"The boys?" Lucky asked, praying that they were ok.

"Upstairs, asleep," Sam answered. "Go get them, Lucky, take them somewhere. They don't need to be here."

"I'm going to take them to Audrey's. I'll be right back," Lucky looked at Sonny, who nodded to show that he would take care of things.

Just then the doctor and his staff arrived and Sam was pushed out of the way. Finally able to relax for a moment, she broke down in Sonny's arms.

After a few minutes, Lucky returned to find the doctor working on Jason. Sonny had moved over to the side, obviously making arrangements. He walked back over to Sam and Lucky, just as the doctor headed over to the group.

"We've got him stabilized, but he lost a lot of blood. I'm having some supplies sent. Where do we want to move him?" the doctor asked.

"I've arranged for a safe house on the outskirts of Port Charles. Have your man meet us there," Sonny said. "Is that okay, Sam?"

Sam nodded numbly, her eyes fixed on Jason. The doctor and his men began to move Jason out to the van they had driven.

"I have to go with them," she mumbled as she began to walk toward the door.

"Sam, you need to stay here. You're going to have to make an official statement," Lucky said as he placed his hand on her arm.

"No," she replied.

Sonny took Sam's hand. "I know you want to go, but you need to stay here and take care of things. For Jason. I promise, as soon as you make your statement, I'll take you straight to him."

Sam finally tore her eyes away from Jason and looked first at Sonny, then at Lucky. "Okay," she said, "but Jason stays out of this. As far as you're concerned, he's out of town on business. If people find out that he's injured, many lives will be at risk. We can't afford any signs of weakness."

"Whatever you want," Lucky answered without batting an eye. Elizabeth had cracked and she could have harmed the boys if not for Sam. He owed her.

She looked Lucky straight in the eye. "Are you sure about this? I don't want to force you to go against your morals."

"I'm positive. From what I see here, Elizabeth threatened your life and you fought back. Self-defense. I'm prepared to enter that as my official report, no forensics needed."

"Thank you, Lucky," Sam said. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you had to do this, I'm sorry Jason got hurt, I'm sorry I took away Cam and Jake's mom…" Sam broke down again, but Lucky comforted her quickly.

"There is no need to apologize. You did what you had to do to protect your family, and that family includes Jake. Now go and take care of your husband. I'll take care of things here, and the boys can stay with me until Jason is back on his feet and we can sort all of this out. Call me tomorrow to let me know how Jason is." Lucky hugged Sam tightly.

"Thank you again for everything," she said to Lucky. "Give Jake a kiss for us and tell him his daddy loves him."

She nodded at Sonny, who wrapped his arm protectively around her. They got into Sonny's car and headed for the safe house.

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Chapter 5

Sonny drove Sam to the safe house. The car was filled with an awkward silence as Sam wept soundlessly. She knew that once she got there, the tears would have to stop, so she needed to take care of it now. Jason would need her to be strong, and there would be no place for hysterics.

Sonny watched her out of the corner of his eye. He knew that Sam was the strongest woman he'd ever known, right up there with Carly. Jason had to be okay, or it would break her. He released his breath in a deep sigh at the thought of losing Jason. They had their differences, but when it all came down to it, Jason was his best friend – his brother. He vowed to make things right once Jason had recovered.

As Sonny pulled into the driveway, Sam dried her tears and cleared her throat. Her voice wavered a bit as she began to speak. "Sonny, I can't thank you enough for your help tonight. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come and brought the doctor."

Sonny squeezed her hand. "You don't have to thank me. Family takes care of each other." He got out of the car and went around to help Sam out. They walked to the door together, both with mixed feelings – so anxious to see how Jason was, but scared to know.

Sam took a deep breath and opened the door. She was surprised to see Maxie and Spinelli sitting on the couch somberly. Maxie leapt up to hug Sam, and Sam welcomed the support from her friend. Spinelli also hugged Sam tightly before stepping back.

Sam pulled away, confused. "How did you…?"

"Sonny called us. He knew you would need your friends here," Maxie said.

Sam turned to Sonny with tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, touched at his consideration. Sonny winked and smiled in response.

Turning back to Maxie and Spinelli, she asked, "So, how is he?"

"Well, the doctor should be finishing up any minute. There was a lot of damage and a lot of blood loss, but he said that Jason would be fine," Maxie said.

Sam's legs went weak beneath her and tears fell from sheer relief. "He's going to be okay," she said with a smile.

Sonny said, "Jason's tough and I knew there was no way he'd leave you. I'm going to head out, I can see you're in good hands. I'll check in with you tomorrow."

"Thanks again, Sonny…for everything," Sam said as she closed the door behind him.

The doctor emerged from the back room. "Ms. McCall…"

"Sam, please call me Sam."

"Sam, I'm glad you made it. We have repaired the damage to Jason's abdomen. By some miracle, the damage was minor relative to the injury. We also extracted the bullet from his knee, but it was not our main concern. We will worry more about the leg once his abdomen begins to heal. You made it just in time. He's awake and asking for you. He is very weak and groggy, but you probably have just enough time to tell him goodnight before the pain meds kick in. I will give your friends here instructions for tonight as well as my personal cell phone number. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call. I will be staying less than a mile away. If I don't hear from you, I'll check on him first thing in the morning."

"Thank you, doctor. Good night," Sam said as she headed toward the back. She walked in the bedroom just as the last of the men were leaving the room.

Jason was lying there on the bed looking so pale and frail. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she pushed them back. She had promised herself that she would be strong.

As she approached the bed, Jason's eyes opened a crack. "Sam," he whispered as he reached out to her. Sam took his hand and sat gingerly on the bed next to him. "I'm here, babe."

Jason smiled almost imperceptibly. His eyes were closed and Sam wondered if he was already asleep until he forced them open again.

"Thank you for saving my life tonight," he croaked out.

"Always," Sam said. "You can't get away from me that easily," she joked.

"I'm so tired," Jason said as his eyes drooped shut.

"Then sleep, my love. I'll be here when you wake up," Sam said as she rose from the bed and headed to the door.

"I love you, Sam."

"I love you, Jason, more than anything."

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Chapter 6

Sam returned to the living room after stopping in the kitchen for a bottle of water. She was drained. She walked over to the couch and plopped down between Maxie and Spinelli.

"Was Stone Cold able to sustain his conscious state long enough for a goodnight kiss from Fair Samantha?" Spinelli asked, concern evident on his face.

Sam laughed. It felt good to laugh, to release some tension. "Yes, Spinelli, Jason was awake, but very sleepy. I told him goodnight and that I loved him and would be there when he woke up."

Looking to Maxie, Sam asked, "Is there anything we need to do? Did the doctor leave instructions?"

"He'll need another dose of antibiotics and pain medicine in about four hours." Maxie looked at Spinelli, who nodded, before she continued. "Spinelli and I have talked and we've decided to issue some "doctor's orders" of our own. You, missy, are going to go in there with your husband and go to bed. We will hold down the fort here and make sure that we keep up with the medication schedule and monitor Jason's condition. We will wake you up in four hours to give Jason his medicine. We will not accept any answer except yes."

Sam opened her mouth to protest, but Spinelli held up his hand to silence her. "No, Fair Samantha, the Maximista has spoken. Now retreat to your beloved husband and join him in slumber. We will take care of everything."

Sam thought for a moment and the idea of snuggling close to Jason to sleep sounded like heaven. "Okay," she said, "but promise me you'll wake me up if there are any, I mean ANY, problems."

"We promise," said Maxie. "Now go!"

Maxie and Spinelli returned to the couch as Sam headed back to the bedroom. She was still wearing her clothes from the evening before and was covered in Jason's blood. She dashed into the bathroom for a quick shower before putting on one of Jason's t-shirts that apparently had been brought over from the penthouse, presumably by Spinelli. Being careful of his wounds, Sam climbed into bed beside Jason. She turned on her side and gently placed her hand on his chest. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the comfort of the bed. Just as she drifted off to sleep, she felt Jason's hand on top of hers. She rose up to look at him, but realized that he was still asleep. She kissed his forehead before lying back down and drifting into a peaceful sleep.

She slept wonderfully and was only roused by the sounds of a whispered argument.

"We have to wake her up; it's time for Jason's medicine."

"Can't we just administer the medication? Fair Samantha slumbers so peacefully that I dare not interrupt the blissful moment."

"No, Spinelli, Sam would want us to get her up. Besides, don't you think it would be weird for Jason to wake up to you trying to get him to take medicine?"

"You are wise, fair Maximista. I shall go wake the Goddess from her siesta."

"No need, Spinelli, I'm up. You two are too much," Sam said with a smile. She walked around the bed and tried to gently rouse Jason from his sleep. She took his temperature and was relieved that he was showing no signs of infection. She was able to wake him just enough to swallow the pills with some water before he fell back into a deep sleep. She got up and nodded at Maxie and Spinelli.

"Mission accomplished. See you in four hours," she said as she climbed back into bed. Maxie and Spinelli closed the door behind them as they went back to the living room.

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Chapter 7

That hellish evening had taken place on Friday. The doctor came to check on Jason several times a day. He was very weak but luckily was showing no signs of infection. Jason had sustained major injuries and probably should have been in the hospital, but Sam couldn't risk it. They were still having trouble with the Russians, and no one could know that Jason was vulnerable. Spinelli had fabricated an itinerary that placed Jason in South America, and on Monday Sam had returned to work at the warehouse as usual. The men all accepted that Jason was gone on business…all except Max, who was aware of Sam's anxiety and eagerness to get home. He had asked her on Tuesday about it and she had opened up to him. She trusted Max with both of their lives, so she filled him in. She needed an ally at work, someone to watch out for things so she could focus on Jason.

Sam awoke in the middle of the night to Jason mumbling in his sleep. He began thrashing about, then groaned from the pain of the movement. He was dreaming again about the struggle with Elizabeth. Sam reached up and put her hand on Jason's face. His skin was clammy and his face was twisted in agony.

"Jason, sweetie, wake up. You're dreaming," Sam said softly. She rubbed his chest gently to wake him. Jason woke with a start, drenched in sweat. He popped up in the bed only to cry out. Sam coaxed him to lie back down and noticed that one of his wounds had reopened.

"Sam, thank goodness you're okay," Jason said, relieved. "It was just a dream."

"It's okay, I'm right here," Sam said with a reassuring smile. "She can't hurt us anymore. I need to go out to the kitchen to get some gauze. I'll be right back."

Jason put his hand on his painful abdomen. He felt blood soaking through the bandage over one of the wounds. Sam returned to patch him up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sam asked as she covered the wound with a fresh bandage and sealed it with tape. So far, he had only said that it was about Elizabeth and that he didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to push.

"Not really, I just want you in my arms," Jason said drowsily. Sam climbed back in bed and both fell back to sleep.

When Sam's alarm went off the next morning, she could barely raise her hand to turn it off. She drug herself from the bed and shuffled into the bathroom. She looked like hell. Jason had suffered through several more nightmares and had a touch of a fever. Sam decided to stay home with him so she could monitor his temperature. Maxie and Spinelli were coming over to stay with him, and they could do it just fine, but Sam really felt like he needed her. In all honesty, she needed him, too. She had come so close to losing him.

She picked up her phone. "Hey Max, it's Sam. Do you think you can hold down the fort today? Jason had a really rough night and I think it would be better if I stayed here. If you have any problems or questions, feel free to call. Thanks, you're the best." She ended the call before dialing Maxie. She gave Maxie the same speech and promised to call if she needed anything.

Sam decided a hot shower was in order. She stood under the stream of water for what seemed like forever. When she emerged, she felt a little better, and looked much better. She went back in the bedroom and placed a hand on Jason's forehead. He still felt warm, but Sam was relieved that his temperature had not gotten any higher. Sam went into the living room. She sat on the couch to look over some paperwork and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

She awakened to hear Jason calling her name. 'Shit!' she thought as she ran to the back of the house. She was confused to see Jason alert and trying to sit up in bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously as she moved to help him.

Once he was adjusted into more of a seated position, he answered, "I was tired of lying down. I thought I could do it myself, but then I kinda got stuck." He smiled sheepishly as sweat from the exertion glistened on his forehead.

"I take it you're feeling better?" Sam said as she stuck the thermometer in his mouth. He nodded, unable to speak for a moment. When she removed the thermometer, he said, "I feel much better. I think I might live."

"Ugh, bad joke," Sam said, wrinkling her nose. "Good news, though...your temperature is back to normal."

"How about some breakfast?" Jason asked.

"You're hungry? That's great. The only problem is that it's one o'clock. How about lunch instead?" Sam said with a smile.

"Sounds perfect," he said.

While they ate their sandwiches, Jason decided that it was time to talk to Sam.

"I'm ready to talk about the nightmares. I think that's the only way they will go away."

"Okay," Sam said. She put her sandwich down and gave Jason her full attention.

"I keep dreaming that we're back at Elizabeth's to pick up Jake. But instead of shooting me, she succeeds in killing you. As I lie there on the floor holding you in my arms, she says horrible things that I won't repeat before coming after me with the knife. All I can see is you, lying there dead, and she gets mad because I won't pay her any attention. She comes at me with the knife, and just before she stabs me, I wake up. Sam, I just can't get that image out of my mind. What if she had shot you instead? She wasn't aiming for your leg, she was shooting to kill."

"She didn't, though. Don't think about the 'what ifs.' She's gone and she can't hurt us anymore. I'm safe, Jake and Cam are safe, and you're going to be fine. Once you recover, we're going to be a family with Jake. We have to move past this so that we can enjoy our future."

"You're right. It's over and you're here. That's what matters most," Jason said as he released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Everything's going to be fine."

Sam and Jason spent the rest of the day together. While Jason rested, Sam worked on paperwork and called the warehouse to check in. Max had everything under control.

That night, both Sam and Jason rested peacefully in each others' arms.

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Chapter 8

The next morning, Sam awoke to see Jason already awake, propped up in bed.

"Good morning," she said as she rose up on an elbow. "You look much better. I think the worst is over."

"I feel good. I slept all night – no nightmares. Instead I dreamed of our life together," Jason said as he leaned over to kiss Sam.

"I think I might be ready to get up and move around some," he said, bracing himself for the fight he knew was coming.

"No way! You're still recovering and you are not going to bust your stitches open by moving too fast. Nope, out of the question," Sam said as she got up from the bed.

"Relax, it's not like I want to run the Boston marathon or anything. I would just like to be able to change positions a little," he said. "I need to get my strength back up so I can go back to work…oh shit, what about work?" He had totally forgotten about the business. If someone found out he was hurt, they might make a move that could hurt the people he cared about.

"Don't worry, it's all under control. The only person besides Sonny, Lucky, Maxie and Spinelli that knows is Max. Everyone else thinks you're off on business in South America. I worked at the office Monday and Tuesday, and I've been staying on top of things from here. Max is my wingman…he's taking care of it for us."

Jason sighed with relief. Again, he realized how perfect Sam was. She was able to step right in and take control when he couldn't.

The back door opened and Maxie and Spinelli entered. "Hello?" Maxie called. "We're here for Jason duty…" her voice trailed off as she and Spinelli entered the bedroom and noticed Jason sitting up and looking better.

"Wow, Stone Cold, you have returned from the throes of death and have rejoined the ranks of existence. Welcome! Might I say, I was quite apprehensive about the well-being of the grasshopper's wise teacher and trusted friend. The malicious Maternal One's strike wreaked havoc on…" Spinelli stopped as he realized that Jason was staring at him. "The Jackal apologizes for…"

"Thank you, Spinelli. It's good to be "back from the dead" as you so nicely put it," Jason said, amused. As strange as he was, Spinelli had become like a brother to him and he was glad to see him.

"So, Sam," Maxie said, "Are you going to work today? Or are you going to play hooky now that your man is on the mend?" Maxie asked with a wink.

"Maxie!" Sam said with a laugh. "I had planned to work, but Jason has decided that he thinks he's ready to move around a bit. Now that you guys are here, I might – I repeat MIGHT – think about it. At least I would have two extra pairs of hands to help get his sorry behind off the floor if he collapses," Sam said jokingly and winked at Jason.

"Haha, funny," Jason said with a smirk. "Can you two leave so my wife here can help me put some pants on?"

"Your wish is my command," Spinelli said as he and Maxie left the room and shut the door.

Sam retrieved a pair of sweatpants from the bag that Maxie and Spinelli had brought over. She pulled the covers back.

"Uh oh," she said. "We forgot about your knee."

"What?" Jason said, looking down. "Crap, I almost forgot she shot me."

"The doctor removed the bullet, but that's all. Let me go call and see what he wants to do now that you're feeling better," Sam said as she placed the pants on the bed next to Jason and went off to call the doctor.

Jason eyed the sweatpants. Surely, he could put the pants on himself. How hard could it be? He did it every day.

He cautiously reached over and picked up the pants. He lifted his good leg carefully and slipped it in. His stab wounds ached, but not too badly. So far, so good.

Now for the other leg. 'Hmmm,' he thought. 'How am I going to do this?' He carefully pulled himself into a sitting position and extended his good leg over the side of the bed. He got a bit lightheaded from the activity, so he stopped a moment to rest. He leaned to the side to try to get his other leg in, but lost his balance. He fell over to the side just as Sam reentered.

"The doctor said that you could….What in the world are you doing?" Sam said as she looked at Jason. He was lying on his side in a tangle of blankets and sweatpants.

Jason smiled guiltily. "Putting my pants on?" he said.

"Right…and how's that working out for you?" Sam asked with a giggle. She helped him to sit up and put his other leg into the pants before helping him pull them up. She noticed the beads of sweat on Jason's face. "Uh huh, you're overdoing it. Before I tell you what the doctor said, you have to promise to rest," she said with a serious look.

"Okay, I promise," Jason said. The truth was, he was worn out from just that little bit of moving, but he knew that he had to get moving to get his strength back. He relaxed back into the pillows. "What did the doctor say about my leg?"

"He said that you needed to test it out. The bullet went right into your knee, but there's a good chance it didn't do too much damage. He said if there is excruciating pain, or if you feel like something's not right to call him immediately. That could be a signal of a serious problem. Otherwise, said it should heal in a few weeks. He will come by this evening to check it himself."

"What are we waiting for?" Jason asked, pushing back the covers.

"Nope, you promised you'd rest. Now, you rest for a little while, then we'll give it a test drive. I'm going to go make a few calls and then we'll see." Sam kissed him then headed out of the room.

She called Sonny, then Lucky to update them on Jason's condition. She arranged for Lucky to bring Jake for a short visit that evening. She knew it would make Jason feel better. She called Max, who said there were some clients who were eager to meet with Jason, so she told him to set up a meeting for first thing in the morning and she'd handle it. She turned to Maxie and Spinelli.

"Alright, are you guys ready? I have a feeling I'm going to need some help with him. If he goes down, I'm going down with him!" Sam said with a grin as they headed to the bedroom.

"Good morning, Mr. Morgan. I'm here with my assistants for your physical therapy!" Sam said as she beamed at Jason.

"Now, Sam, I don't think he's quite up to 'physical therapy' yet," quipped Maxie as she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers. Spinelli elbowed her and they all laughed.

Sam helped Jason sit up and turn with his legs hanging off the bed. With Spinelli's help, Jason was able to stand, though he felt like his abdomen had been ripped apart and put back together with a staple gun. He stood on his good leg between Sam and Spinelli with an arm around each of their shoulders.

"How does it feel?" Sam asked.

"I don't know yet," Jason answered feeling a bit nervous. What if the bullet had done serious damage? Would he be able to walk again? There was only one way to find out.

"Here goes nothing," Jason said as he took a step.

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Chapter 9

Sam took in a breath and held it. Jason had been shot before, many times actually, so he would know immediately if the pain he was feeling was normal or if there had been serious damage. He had to be okay. She didn't want to think about the possibility of him not being able to walk because of that psycho bitch.

Jason looked at Sam, noting the worry on her face. He was concerned, too. He knew that as soon as he took a step he would know how bad it was. After all the times he'd been shot, he was pretty familiar with how it should feel. He was worried about permanent damage, about not being able to continue doing his job, about how it would affect his family.

He took a step tentatively. It hurt like hell, but it was "normal" pain for a gunshot wound. He cringed from the pain and noticed a look of panic on Sam's face.

"Jason?" she asked.

"It's going to be fine," he said, taking another small step. "It hurts a lot, but that's to be expected."

Sam released the breath she was holding. Relief flooded over her. His leg was fine.

Jason looked at Spinelli, who was supporting him. "Can you help me to that chair? I don't think I can put much weight on it."

"As you wish. The grasshopper is here for you," Spinelli replied. He served as a crutch for Jason as he took three or four steps to the recliner near the bed. Sam stood close by to help as needed.

"Whew," Jason said as he collapsed into the chair. "That was rough."

"Do you really think it's okay?" Sam asked. She raised the footrest on the recliner and propped his leg on a pillow.

"I do. It hurts like hell, but I think it's supposed to considering I got shot. When the doctor comes tonight, he can check it and we'll know more," he said with a yawn.

"We'll go so Jason can get a nap," Maxie said, but Jason had already drifted off. Sam nodded to the door, and the three of them crept out. Sam told Maxie and Spinelli goodbye and went to grab her phone that was ringing.

"Hey Max," she said after checking the caller ID.

"Sam, hey, how's Jason?"

"He's doing great, he just got up and walked a few steps and is now sleeping in the recliner," Sam said proudly.

"Great, so he has already taken care of the business in Rio de Janeiro?"

"What? Oh, someone must have walked in. Um, yeah, sure."

"That's right. When he calls to check in, please tell him that Mr. Vasquez wants to meet with him when he returns home. I'll call back later to fill you in on the details."

"Max, wait, tell him I'll be there tomorrow morning to meet with him."

"I'll be in touch." Max hung up the phone and Sam yelled in frustration. She knew once Mr. Vasquez left, Max would call back and they could figure something out, but it was still aggravating. In the meantime, Sam got out her laptop and did some research on Vasquez. She was surprised to find that he was one of the Ruiz family's rivals. She wondered what interest he had in Port Charles.

Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up. "Hey Max," she said again.

"Sorry, Sam, I had to get rid of him so we could talk."

"No problem. I thought we decided that I would meet with him in the morning," Sam said confused.

"Well, there's a problem. He refuses to speak to anyone but Jason. He has been chomping at the bit since Monday and he feels as though I'm putting him off. When he left today, he was agitated. He said if I couldn't get Jason to meet with him tomorrow, he'd arrange it himself."

"Shit," Sam said. She knew Vasquez was ruthless and would not hesitate to use force to get what he wanted. "Shit, shit, shit. What are we going to do?"

"I'll have to meet with him," Jason said from behind her. She turned to see him holding on to the doorway to the bedroom, pale and sweaty.

"Jason! Have you lost your mind!?!" Sam yelled. "Max, I'll call you right back. Apparently that bullet caused Jason to forget his good sense."

"Sam, I'm fine," Jason said, but his body betrayed him. His legs began to buckle and Sam reached him just in time to keep him from sliding to the floor.

"Oof," she grunted as she supported his weight. "What were you thinking?" she scolded as they took the few steps back to the bed. "In bed. Now."

Jason sat on the bed and Sam helped him get his leg back up on the bed. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

He started to object, but realized two things – first, he was stupid to try to do that on his own, he could have hurt himself or Sam, and second, there was no point in arguing with Sam.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," he said sincerely. "I'm just so tired of being an invalid, confined to this room."

Sam softened. "I know, but you're too precious to me. I've got to keep you around, and that means you're going to have to let me help you."

"I heard your conversation with Max. We've got to figure something out," Jason said, getting into business mode.

"Eh, wrong," Sam said, making a game-show buzzer sound. She handed him his pills and a glass of water. "I'm going to worry about it, and you're going to rest so that you'll be up for a special visitor that will be here in um…an hour and a half."

"Visitor? Sam, please not Carly. I'm not up to that yet. She stresses me out on a good day," Jason whined.

"Don't worry, it's not Carly. You'll love it, I promise. I'm going to go call Max back and when I come back, you better be asleep, mister," Sam said, pointing her finger at Jason.

"Yes ma'am," he said, closing his eyes.

Sam went back to the living room. She racked her brain to try to figure out how to satisfy Vasquez. After going through many scenarios, she came to the only possible conclusion. She hated it, but there was no way around it. Jason would have to meet with Vasquez. Tomorrow.

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Chapter 10

Sam paced around the couch. Finally, she picked up her phone and called Max.

"I have a plan, but I'm going to need your help," she said as soon as he answered.

"Okay, shoot," Max said.

She explained the plan to Max. They would meet with Vasquez together. Jason would be seated at his desk so as not to aggravate his injuries. Sam would be there to move around and to keep Vasquez from getting too close. They would tell Vasquez that he had another meeting and could only give him half an hour. Max would be close by to enforce the time limit.

They hung up and Max called Vasquez. Vasquez agreed to the conditions, and Max sent Sam a text saying it was set up. Sam realized that they were going to need more than just Max to help. She knew that Sonny and Jason were at odds, but he was someone she could trust to help them. She would talk to Jason about it after Jake's visit. She didn't want anything to take away from his time with his son.

She looked at the clock. Lucky and Jake would be there in 15 minutes. She knew Jason would love a change of scenery and would like to visit there in the living room. There was no way she would be able to support him enough to walk all the way to the couch. Looking around the room, she was struck by an idea.

"Aha!" she said triumphantly.

Jason was lying in bed waiting for "permission" to wake up. He hated being helpless, but Sam was so cute when she was in charge. He smiled to himself as he thought of her.

The door opened and Sam walked into the room pushing a rolling desk chair.

"I figured you'd like a trip to the living room, and since you're, like, two times my size, there's no way I can help you walk. So here's your taxi. Hop in!" she said with a grin.

Jason eyed the chair. Was she serious?

"Umm…Sam?"

"Well, I figured you'd rather visit with your guest from the living room, so either you ride in the chair or you can stay here in bed," she said.

"Okay, you win. Do you have a license to drive that thing?" Jason asked with a smirk.

Sam hit him with a pillow before helping him sit, then move into the chair.

Sam gleefully pushed him into the living room.

"I have to admit, this is better than walking," Jason said. "And it is so good to be out of that room."

She helped Jason move to the couch and then settled in next to him. Now they just had to wait.

A couple minutes later, Sam saw headlights pulling in.

"They're here!" she shrieked, startling Jason, as she ran to the door. Jason wondered who it could be that would get Sam so excited. The door opened and Jason was shocked to see Lucky standing there with Jake.

Lucky handed Jake to Sam and walked over to Jason. "Say hi to Daddy, Jake," she said as she sat next to him. Jason's eyes misted over and he had to clear his throat. "Hey buddy." To Sam, he said, "Thank you, I needed this."

Lucky spoke softly. "I'll go so you can spend some time with him. Just call when you want me to come…"

Jason cut him off. "Stay. Please."

"Really?" Lucky asked, surprised.

"Absolutely. We're all in this together. I appreciate you bringing him so much. I'd really like you to stay. I'm not ready to make any decisions right now, but I do know I want Jake surrounded by people who love him, and that includes you."

"Thanks," said Lucky.

The four of them spent the next couple of hours talking about Jake and enjoying watching Jake play. Sam broke up the party, knowing that she and Jason had business to take care of.

"I hate to say it, but I think it's time for you to get Jake home. Jason needs to rest, but you guys are welcome to visit anytime." Lucky rose and gathered up Jake and all his things.

"Thanks, Sam," Lucky replied as she gave Jake a kiss on the cheek.

Jason struggled to his feet and reached out to shake Lucky's hand. "Thanks man. I really appreciate you taking care of Jake for us. And Sam told me how you helped that night. Thanks for your discretion," Jason said sincerely.

"No problem, I owed you one for making sure the boys were safe. Have a good night," Lucky said as he and Jake walked back out into the night.

Sam closed and locked the door behind them, peeking out the window to make sure they made it to the car.

Turning around, she laughed to see Jason sitting in the computer chair. "Roll away," he said with a grin. They both laughed all the way back to the bedroom.

Once Jason was settled back on the bed, they discussed the plan for the next day. He agreed that they needed help. When Sam suggested Sonny, she was ready to defend her idea to Jason. She was shocked when, after thinking a moment, Jason agreed.

"Do you think he'd do it?" Jason asked. "We've been in such a bad place lately."

"You didn't see how wonderful he was that night, Jason. If Lucky hadn't called him, I don't know what would have happened."

"So let's call him," Jason said picking up the phone.

"Hey man, it's me. I know we have had some rough times, but I need a favor…"

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Chapter 11

The doctor had come by to check on Jason for a final time unless they particularly needed him. He was proud of Jason's recovery, but warned him to take it easy until he healed. He took x-rays of Jason's knee using a high-tech portable machine and was relieved to see that the bullet hadn't caused any major damage. Normally, he would have prescribed crutches to eliminate some of the stress on the joint, but with Jason's abdominal wounds, there was no way he could use them. Instead, he was just going to have to wait for one or the other to heal, and patience was not one of Jason's virtues.

Sonny had agreed to help and swore his loyalty to Jason. He and Max arrived at the safe house the next morning at 8 to work on a strategy. The meeting was set up for 10:30. They walked in to see Sam frantically rushing around, shuffling papers and talking to herself.

"Good morning," Sonny said, amused.

"Shit!" Sam cursed as she jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She hit Sonny playfully on the arm. It was nice to have him back in their lives.

"I'm so nervous. What if something goes wrong? What if Jason can't make it through the meeting? What if…"

"Sam, stop it. It's going to be fine. Max and I are here, and you need to chill out. Don't stress Jason out," Sonny said, trying to get her to relax.

"Okay, you're right." Sam took a few deep breaths before resuming what she was doing. She gathered the papers and put them in her bag before turning to Sonny and Max.

"So, I've done some research on Vasquez," she said indicating the papers she had put in her bag. "Let's go get Jason so we can strategize and possibly figure out what he wants. I really don't want to be blindsided."

The three headed back to the bedroom. Jason was sitting in the recliner, dressed in his usual jeans and black t-shirt. Sam had helped him get ready before Max and Sonny got there. He was a bit pale and his knee was encased in a brace under his jeans, but other than that, he looked like he had never gotten hurt.

"Man, you look great," Sonny said, amazed. "You barely look like you've been shot and stabbed repeatedly," he quipped.

"Ha. Funny," Jason said with his trademark poker face.

"Seriously, though, you must feel better. I'm not sure I would know anything was wrong just from looking at you," Max said, reinforcing Sonny's comment.

"Well, boys, that's the idea," Sam said. "We've got to convince Vasquez – and anyone else Jason comes in contact with – that he's perfectly fine. The trick is that he can't walk unassisted and even then, not very far."

Max spoke up. "I arranged for Spinelli to be at the warehouse when we get there. He's going to go through Jason's office and meet us at the back door to let us in as well as make sure the security cameras are strategically placed."

"Good thinking. That way we don't have to traipse all through the warehouse," Sam paused and then continued, thinking aloud. "We'll go in Jason's truck, since it would seem odd to anyone who knows him for him to not be driving it. When we get there, we'll get Jason in, then I'll call a brief meeting, during which Max will go park the truck. Everyone will assume Jason just slipped in."

The three of them talked until nine o'clock about the plan. They could not figure out what interest Vasquez had in Port Charles or why he was so adamant about seeing Jason. They would have to wait to find out.

With Max and Sonny's help, Jason hobbled to the living room. They stopped for a brief rest before continuing to the garage where Jason's truck was parked beside Sam's car.

"I'm glad Spinelli and Maxie thought to bring the truck so it would look like you were gone. That saved us a step," Sam said as she climbed into the truck. She and Jason sat in the back while Max drove and Sonny rode shotgun.

They arrived at the warehouse, surprised to see the back door pop open just as they arrived.

"Spinelli! Are you psychic? How did you know we were here already?" Sonny asked, bewildered.

"GPS. I've been tracking Stone Cold's truck since you left the house," he answered, proud of himself.

Sam hopped out of the truck and looked around. The coast was clear. She went inside to make sure no one saw them come in. Clear. She announced over the intercom that all employees should meet her at the loading dock ASAP. As soon as the warehouse cleared out, Sonny and Max helped Jason into the office and Max went to move the truck. Jason was wiped out. He leaned back in the leather chair. Sonny noticed the fatigue and pain on Jason's face and was concerned.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

Jason raised his head to look at Sonny. He nodded and said, "Yeah, it just took a lot out of me. How long until the meeting?"

"You've got some time to rest," he answered. He walked to the windows and made sure the blinds were closed.

"Sonny, what if this doesn't work? I can't let him know I'm incapacitated. That just opens the organization up to a strike, not to mention that it makes me and my family vulnerable."

Sonny quickly reassured him. "Jason, you are the strongest man I know. If anyone can do this, you can. When the time comes, you'll get your head in the game and it will work out. Sam, Max, and I will be here for you, too. And if it's any consolation, Max and I made sure that if all hell broke loose, you'd be prepared. Open the drawer to your right."

Jason pulled it open to find his beloved gun with two extra clips along with a semi-automatic lying there.

"We knew you'd feel better knowing you could defend yourself if it came to that. Sam and I will also be armed."

Sam and Max both returned and slipped into the office, soon joined by Spinelli. Sam was concerned to find Jason reclining in the chair, his eyes closed. Maybe this was too much. How could she expect him to do this in the shape he was in?

Sonny caught the guilty look on Sam's face and made eye contact with her. He shook his head no to tell her not to feel guilty. After all, Jason would have it no other way.

They sat in silence for about ten minutes, no one wanting to disrupt Jason's nap. At 10:15, Sam stood up and gently shook Jason to wake him.

"Okay, everyone, it's showtime."

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Chapter 12

The time had come. Everyone knew their roles and were ready. Max was waiting for Vasquez to arrive and would escort him to the office. He would also keep an eye on things during the meeting. Sonny and Spinelli were posted outside the door as guards. Jason was a bit concerned about Spinelli "guarding" him, but, just as Sam predicted, he was taking it very seriously. Jason was seated behind his desk and Sam was perched on the edge of it.

At precisely 10:30, Max tapped on the door and announced Vasquez's arrival. "Boss, Mr. Vasquez is here for your appointment."

"Send him in," Jason answered as he sat up straight in the chair. Both he and Sam took deep breaths and put their "game faces" on. Mr. Vasquez entered the office. After checking him for weapons, Max left and closed the door behind him. He headed off to check on the warehouse.

"Mr. Vasquez, I'm Sam Morgan. I believe you already know my husband," Sam said, extending her hand to him. "Please have a seat," she said indicating a chair.

He shook her hand before taking a seat in the chair. Sam occupied the other chair.

"What can we do for you, Vasquez?" asked Jason with his trademark icy stare. He felt like hell, but he couldn't let Vasquez see that.

"Well, Mr. Morgan, I'm glad you made arrangements to see me today. What I have to share with you cannot wait," Vasquez answered with a smirk that made Jason want to throw him through the wall. He didn't like playing games.

"So?" Jason said, never wavering.

"I know the location of some property that is very valuable to you. I am willing to make an agreement that will benefit both of us greatly. I help you acquire this property and in return, you help me," Vasquez replied.

"What exactly are you proposing?" Sam interjected. "Stop beating around the bush."

"Well, I'm interested in business here in your lovely city, and by allowing that to happen, you can reclaim what was rightfully yours. All I ask is –"

A knock at the door cut him off. Max stuck his head in.

"Excuse me, boss, but there's a problem in the warehouse. Mrs. Morgan, can you take care of this? It can't wait," Max said ominously.

'Shit,' thought Sam. 'Shit, shit, shit.' Of all the times…

She looked to Jason who gave her a slight nod, indicating he would be okay. She looked back at Max. "Sure, I'll be right there. Excuse me, Mr. Vasquez, I'll be right back."

She stepped out of the office and closed the door. She looked to Sonny and Spinelli and said, "Keep your ears open for trouble."

They nodded and she took off after Max.

--------------------------------------------------

Sam reached the loading dock to find that the big emergency was that one of their ships had set ablaze in the harbor.

"Oh no," she whispered to herself. What if this was connected to Vasquez?

Max approached her and said, "I am so sorry to pull you away, but this couldn't wait. Do you think this may be a message from Vasquez? Maybe to "encourage" us to make the right choice?"

"That's just what I was thinking, Max," Sam said as she ran her hand through her hair. "Was anyone on the boat?"

"No, it had just been unloaded, so we didn't lose any people or any freight."

"Thank goodness," Sam sighed in relief. "Can you take care of this? Do whatever you have to. I need to get back to Jason."

"Sure, no problem," Max said as he headed off toward the harbor.

Sam raced back to Jason's office. Sonny and Spinelli were still posted at the door.

"Anything?" she asked softly.

"Not a sound," Sonny answered, and opened the door for her.

Sam headed into the office and stopped dead in her tracks. The back door was standing open and there was no sign of Vasquez. She dropped to her knees as the realization hit her.

Jason was gone.

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Chapter 13

Sam couldn't believe it. Jason was gone. How had this happened?

Sonny and Spinelli were right behind her.

"Dammit!" Sonny yelled as he ran out the back door.

Spinelli knelt to the floor beside Sam. He saw the defeated look in her eyes and put his hand on her shoulder. She raised her eyes to look at him and he saw that rage had replaced the helplessness.

"That son of a bitch. I'll kill him with my bare hands if he's done anything to Jason," Sam said, rising to her feet. Spinelli walked around to the desk drawer and was relieved to see Jason's gun missing along with the clips.

"Do not fear, Fair Samantha. Stone Cold, although weakened, is well prepared for battle. Mr. Corinthos, sir, assured that he was properly armed. We will find him, or he will find us."

Sonny returned to the room. "No sign of him, but also no sign of a struggle. Don't worry, Sam, he'll be okay," he said with reassurance.

Sam turned to Spinelli. "Security footage," she said forcefully.

"I'm on it," Spinelli answered as he dragged his computer out and began typing furiously.

Sam walked to the door of the warehouse. "Milo!" she bellowed.

Milo came running. "Yes, Mrs. Morgan?"

"I need you to listen and not ask questions. Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Jason was here to meet with Vasquez and now he's gone. One of our boats was set on fire in the harbor, and Max is dealing with that. I need you to get Cody and start tracking Vasquez. Find out where he might go and anyone who may have dealt with him. We have to find Jason – he's hurt. That bitch Elizabeth shot and stabbed him last weekend. He was never in South America and he's still in pretty bad shape. No one else can know, do you understand?"

"Absolutely. We'll get right on it," he said as he pulled out his phone to call Cody.

"Goddess! I have footage that provides hope and reassurance of Stone Cold's well-being!"

Sam ran into the office and plopped into the chair beside Spinelli. He showed her the video from the security cameras. It showed Vasquez and Jason talking. There was no arguing, but the conversation was intense. Jason was obviously upset with what Vasquez had to say. Sam was alarmed; she had never seen Jason this frazzled over business. Vasquez then stood, slightly blocking the view of Jason. She saw what she assumed was Jason getting his gun. More conversation. She couldn't see much else until she saw Jason push back his chair and attempted to stand. Sam saw him falter a bit. Vasquez walked around the desk, and, after much protest from Jason, assisted him in walking out the door.

"What in the hell?" Sam said, mostly to herself. Jason had obviously not left of his own free will, but yet he wasn't exactly forced by Vasquez.

She was stumped. She showed it to Sonny, who was as confused by it as she was.

"Jason wouldn't just leave you like that," Sonny said. "Something big is going on."

She reviewed the tape over and over, looking for clues. "There's something that I'm missing here. Get Milo in here…We need to compare notes to see if we can figure out what's going on."

Sam, Sonny, Spinelli, Milo, and Cody assembled in the office. Milo and Cody had found nothing. Sam briefed them on the meeting with Vasquez and then they viewed the security footage together.

Sonny spoke up first. "Sam, I hate to say it, but I think this may be personal. I've seen Jason handle business hundreds of time, and he never lost his cool like that."

Sam sighed and said, "I agree, I've never seen him like that over business. That just makes this even harder to figure out."

Just then Sam's phone rang. She pulled it out and was shocked to see Jason's name on the caller ID.

"It's Jason!" she yelled. Spinelli got out his computer to attempt to track the call.

"Jason?" Sam asked frantically as she answered.

"Sam!" Jason's voice was music to her ears. The connection was awful. "I'm okay. Vasquez –me to----. I ---- worried about me ---leg hurts---fine. --- phone's going dead ---call you when--- love you ---."

The call disconnected and Sam threw her phone across the room. "Damn!" she said as she put her hands on her hips and took a couple of deep breaths. She looked to the men in the room and noted the fear on their faces. Not fear for Jason, but more like fear of her. They were all frozen in position, waiting to see how they needed to react.

"Well?" Sonny finally asked gently.

"He's okay," Sam answered as they all sighed with relief. "The connection was awful and I think his phone died. Spinelli, did you get anything?"

"I was tracking Stone Cold's location when his phone died. Once it turned off, I lost the signal. It seems as though they are headed toward Connecticut, but that's as much as the Jackal could determine."

"Ok, Milo, Cody, find out where they could be headed. Get with Max and see if the three of you can figure anything out. Spinelli, see if you get into the DMV records and find out what Vasquez was driving. Maybe we could track it with GPS."

They scurried off, leaving Sam and Sonny in the office. "What did Jason say?" Sonny asked.

"Well, the connection was awful, so it was hard to understand. What I got out of it was that Vasquez was taking him somewhere and that he knew I'd be worried. His leg hurts, but he's okay. Then he said the phone was dying and he'd call me when ….something," Sam answered, going back over the conversation in her head.

"Sonny, what confuses me is why he would leave without telling me. He was not forced to leave, and he's obviously not being held prisoner or he wouldn't have been that calm on the phone. I'm not angry – I trust that he's doing what needs to be done, but it bothers me. What could the "property" be that I can't know about?"

"I have no idea," Sonny answered, rubbing his face with his hands. "But you're right; Jason is doing what he has to. Whatever it is, he wanted to keep you safe."

------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Jason cursed at the phone in his hands. Sam must be worried sick and he wasn't even able to talk to her to reassure her. They were in a horrible area for phone signal, and neither his nor Vasquez's phones would work. On top of that, his battery had died. He plugged it into the charger.

He hated leaving without telling her, but this was something he had to check out for himself. When Vasquez had revealed the valuable property, he knew that he had to do this.

He knew was overdoing it. His heart was beating in his leg and he was pretty sure one of his wounds had been pulled open. He felt a bit woozy, so he adjusted the seat into a reclining position and closed his eyes.

He couldn't believe that he had revealed his weakness to Vasquez. To his surprise, the man had been very kind and it seemed that his intentions were pure.

Vasquez noticed Jason's ashen and clammy face. "Mr. Morgan, are you sure you're up to this? We can go back and get your wife if you want."

"No," Jason answered firmly. "She can't know about this until I see it for myself. If you don't mind, I'm going to rest."

"Absolutely. I'll wake you when we get there," Vasquez answered.

"I've never done this before, but I'm trusting you. I hope you're being honest with me because, believe me, you don't want to piss my wife off," Jason answered as he closed his eyes.

"No worries," said Vasquez.

They drove on for a couple of hours. Jason awakened as the car pulled to a stop. He raised the seat back into a seated position.

"We're here," said Vasquez as he got out of the car and went around to help Jason out. He extended his hand and Jason allowed him to help him to his feet. Jason rested against the car for a moment. He was nervous and he was also worried about Sam. He took out his freshly charged phone and was about to call her when he saw something that made him drop the phone to the ground.

The door to the building opened and a woman walked out with a little girl. The little girl had long chestnut hair and warm brown eyes. He would recognize those eyes anywhere, because he knew where she got them from.

It was really her.

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Chapter 14

Sam paced across Jason's office. Sonny sat in the desk chair, deep in thought. The silence was broken as Spinelli came bursting through the door.

"The Jackal has managed to retrieve some rather remarkable information from Vasquez's bank records!"

Sam stopped pacing abruptly. "Well?"

"With all due respect, Fair Samantha may want to take a seat. The information I have found may cause great distress," Spinelli said seriously.

Sam took a seat and Spinelli sat in the chair beside her.

"I pulled up his bank records and, with much exploration, I was able to ascertain the identity of a certain contributor to his monetary assets. It disheartens the Jackal to admit, but it appears that the Maternal One was investing in Vasquez's affairs."

Sam was shocked into silence. How could Elizabeth have gotten mixed up with Vasquez? What interest could they share?

"That bitch. She's been after Jason for years, so we can only assume that this has something to do with Vasquez's appearance – and disappearance – today," Sonny said, anger flashing in his eyes.

"How much?" Sam asked.

"Each deposit was for $50,000," Spinelli replied, wide-eyed. "Where would the Maternal One have gotten those funds? Nursing does not pay that well."

"How long has this been going on?" Sam asked, mystified by this turn of events.

Spinelli looked down at the screen. "It appears that deposits have been made monthly, starting…." He cut off, looking at Sam with disbelief.

"….November of 2004."

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Jason stood there in shock. When Vasquez had told him about her, he thought he was bluffing.

~Flashback~

"Mr. Morgan, I'm prepared to offer you something that you never thought you'd see again. Back in 2004, a woman approached me with an offer I couldn't refuse. She simply wanted me to take a little girl and provide for her. She told me that she'd given birth to a baby that she couldn't raise and that the father didn't want. She offered me any price to make sure she had a safe and happy life, away from her and the father. Her only request was that I have no personal contact with the child and that whoever raised her tell her about her parents. Just recently I had to check into the situation myself and was surprised to find out the connection to you. I knew immediately that I had to rectify this situation."

"Who was the woman?" Jason was confused. How did this affect him?

"Elizabeth Webber Spencer."

Jason was stunned. When could Elizabeth have had a baby and no one know?

"When did you say that was?" Jason asked

"November of 2004."

Jason felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach as the pieces clicked into place. That bitch had sold Sam's baby - the baby they had waited for, had loved with all their hearts, had mourned for when she was taken from them.

"Mr. Morgan?"

"Take me to her. You can have whatever you want. I want my little girl back."

~End of flashback~

He never actually thought that he'd be there, seeing her with his very own eyes. He took a painful step forward, wincing as he remembered his injuries. Vasquez looked to him.

"Just stay there, they'll come to you," he said gently. Sure enough, the woman and the little girl walked toward him.

"So she knows me?" Jason asked.

"Yes, the nanny has made sure that the little girl saw pictures of her parents. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that that woman was not her mother or I never would have agreed to this. I would never interfere with a family, Mr. Morgan, I assure you."

Jason nodded a silent thanks to him. He was exhausted and needed to sit down, but the adrenaline rushing through his veins kept him going. He had to see her, to touch her, so he could know this was real. That was why he hadn't told Sam. If this had turned out to be a hoax, it would have crushed her. He couldn't get her hopes up like that.

The woman and the little girl walked up to the two men and stopped. She looked like an angel standing there, her dark brown hair in loose curls and her chocolate eyes looking up at him. "Daddy?" she asked.

"Lila," he breathed as he enveloped the little girl in his arms. Pain coursed through his body, but he needed to hold her. "My angel, I've missed you so much."

Vasquez and the woman both looked at him, concerned. Jason looked down to see blood seeping through his shirt. He placed Lila back on the ground and pressed his hand to his abdomen.

The woman reached her hand out to Lila. "Hey sweetie, let's go get your things together. Daddy needs to rest for a few minutes and then you're going to go see Mommy."

"Okay!" she said as she grinned toward Jason. The two walked off as Lila skipped happily.

Vasquez looked at Jason. "It's not good, is it?"

"Nope, I think I busted the stitches."

He made a call and reported that his doctor was on the way. He retrieved Jason's phone, long forgotten in the parking lot. He helped Jason recline in the car, and then went to check on Lila so Jason could have some privacy to call Sam. He took a deep breath. He was about to deliver the happiest news of her life.

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Chapter 15

Sam's phone rang, and she was relieved to see that it was Jason. "Thank God!" she said. "Hello?"

Spinelli mouthed, "Stone Cold?" to her and she nodded vigorously. "Woo-hoo!" Spinelli cheered.

"Hey babe," he said weakly.

"Jason! Thank goodness!" she said, putting him on speakerphone. "Where are you? What's going on? Why did you go with Vasquez? Are you okay? You must be hurting…you haven't had any pain medicine since this morning…."

"Sam," Jason cut her off. "One question at a time." They all laughed.

"I'm okay. I am hurting pretty bad, but I'll make it until I get back. I busted the stitches in my stomach, but it was worth it. I'll explain why in a minute. I went with Vasquez to Connecticut."

Sam looked pointedly at Spinelli, who leapt for his computer. "Don't make Spinelli trace the call, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"How did you…?" Sam asked.

"It's me, remember? Anyway, Vasquez has turned out to be a good guy. He's taking care of me, and he even has his doctor coming to patch me up. I went with him because he has something we both want, and I needed to see it for myself before I let you get your hopes up. I'm sorry I left without telling you, but I couldn't hurt you like that again if this turned out to be some bad joke. Sam, I need to tell you something. Elizabeth…."

"Yeah, we know about Elizabeth's unscrupulous activities. That must be why she was constantly begging you for money. To pay off Vasquez for who knows what…" Sam spat out angrily.

"I know what. I don't know how to tell you this. I'd rather tell you in person, but I can't wait any longer. Elizabeth approached Vasquez in November of 2004. She paid him to…"

"Jason, I swear if you tell me she paid him to kill my baby, I'm going to be violently ill," Sam warned him, the anticipation about to kill her.

"No, actually the opposite. She paid him to take the baby and give her a good life. Sam, Lila's alive."

Sam's knees buckled and Sonny reached out to steady her. There was a long silence as everyone processed what Jason had said.

"Sam?" Jason's voice came from the phone.

"I'm here. Oh, Jason, I cannot believe this. Are you sure it's her? Maybe Vasquez is playing on your emotions and…"

"Sam, it's her. I saw her myself and there's no mistake. Besides, I wouldn't have called you if there was any doubt."

Sam sank into a chair nearby. Her mind was spinning.

"I know that this is a lot to process, and we'll talk more when I get home. I'm pretty wiped out. Once the doctor fixes my stitches, Vasquez is bringing me and Lila home. Why don't you get Jake from Lucky and meet me at the penthouse. I want to go home."

"Anything. Tell Vasquez to take care of both of you or he'll answer to me."

"I already did," Jason said with a tired laugh. "I love you, and I'll be home soon."

"I love you, too," Sam said as she ended the call.

She turned to the men in the room and the wave of emotion hit her. Sonny wrapped her in his arms as she sobbed and laughed. "Sonny, she's alive. Our baby is alive!"

"I know, Sam. You and Jason finally get the family you deserve."

Sam broke the hug and looked at Sonny with tear-filled eyes. "Thank you. I know you were prepared to let Jason be her father, and now we get that chance."

"As long as Uncle Sonny gets to spoil her rotten," he said with a grin.

She wiped her eyes and took on a look of determination. "Okay, boys, I gotta get out of here. I have to go get Jake so I can go meet my husband and our little girl at home!"

As Sam drove toward Lucky's house, she called Maxie. "Sam, I'm so excited for you! Spinelli called and told me about Lila. I'm on my way to the safe house to get all your things and bring them to the penthouse. But don't worry, I'll leave you can have family time."

"No, you won't," Sam answered. "You're family, and Lila needs to meet her Aunt Maxie. I insist."

Tears filled Maxie's eyes and she blinked them back so as not to run off the road. "Thank you, Sam. You are truly my best friend."

"Ditto!" Sam answered. "See you in a few."

Sam reached Lucky's house to get Jake. She gave a brief explanation but promised to tell more later. She gathered up Jake's things and headed home.

Once she and Jake reached the penthouse, she made herself busy by straightening up. She went up to Jake's room and made up the extra bed for Lila. 'Not that she'll probably sleep in it!' Sam thought gleefully. 'If I have my way, we'll all pile up in one bed tonight!'

She also remade her and Jason's bed with fresh sheets and fixed up the living room with Jake's things.

She had just sat down on the couch when she heard a key in the lock. Her heart pounded with anticipation.

The door swung open and Jason walked in, assisted by Max and Sonny. "Look who we found down in the parking garage," Sonny said with a grin. Sam ran to Jason and helped him to the chair. "Jase, you had me worried sick." She caressed his face gently, then punched him playfully on the arm. "Don't ever do that to me again!" she said in mock admonishment. "But seriously, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. There's someone else you should worry about right now," he said nodding towards the door.

Sam's breath caught in her throat as she looked towards the door. There, right in front of her, was the little girl that had haunted her dreams for the past 4 years. She took a tentative step towards the door, and was caught off guard when the little girl launched herself into Sam's arms.

"Mommy!"

"Oh, Lila, I've missed you," she said as she clung to Lila for dear life. She walked over to Jason and perched on the edge of the chair. Sonny lifted Jake into Jason's lap and Jason wrapped his arm around Sam's waist. Sam leaned back into Jason's embrace and sighed. Here was her family.

The moment was broken as Maxie and Spinelli burst through the door, bearing Sam and Jason's items from the safe house as well as a few presents for the kids.

"You just couldn't help yourself, now could you?" Sam laughed.

"Hey, what can I say? It's my job to spoil the kids, right?" Maxie said with a grin.

Sam and Jason spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know their little girl again and spending time with Spinelli, Maxie, and Sonny – their family.

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Chapter 16 – The final chapter

~Three weeks later~

Jason hobbled down the stairs on crutches. His abdomen had healed enough that he was able to use them, and he was glad to be able to get around on his own. His leg was still a little painful and immobilized by a brace, but he preferred that over the alternative. He stopped at the landing to enjoy the view of the scene below. Sam was sitting on the floor painting Lila's nails as Jake played nearby.

"Mommy, do we get to be a family forever?" Lila asked with more wisdom than her four years.

"We sure do, sweetheart. Me, you, Jake, and Daddy. And Mommy has a secret, but you can't tell Daddy, ok?" She leaned over and whispered in Lila's ear. Lila's eyes lit up and she put her little hand over her mouth. "I promise I won't tell!" Lila said with a giggle.

Jason headed on down the stairs and joined his family. He settled on the couch and Jake toddled over. As he looked into his son's crystal blue eyes, he marveled over the changes in his life. Lila had fit in immediately, and it was obvious that she was the missing link in their family. As Sam had predicted, that first night was a bit crowded as the four of them slept together. After he returned home with Lila, he had turned over the illegal business to Vasquez. Vasquez had given him his family and the opportunity to walk away with no repercussions. He took it. He and Sam still ran the coffee business because that was the part he really enjoyed.

Spinelli and Maxie had moved across the hall to Sonny's old penthouse and Maxie was in the process of redecorating. Just after Lila's return, she and Spinelli had revealed that they were getting married and were expecting a baby. Both Sam and Jason were overjoyed for them.

He and Sonny had resolved their issues and Sonny had rejoined Jason as a partner in the coffee business. Their friendship had been restored and he was grateful for that.

Lucky had moved into an apartment one floor below Sam and Jason. They had all agreed that he would be part of Jake's life and would continue to raise Cam as his brother. Jason and Lucky were not exactly friends, but had made great progress for the sake of the kids.

Jason was pulled from his reverie as Lila scrambled into his lap. "Lila! Careful of Daddy's owies, remember?" Sam reminded her.

"I'm sorry, Daddy, did I hurted you?" Lila asked with her best innocent look.

"No, sweetie, I'm fine." Jason said with an amused smile.

Lila leaned in close and whispered, "Mommy's got a secret, but she said I can't tell you."

"Lila Morgan! You weren't supposed to tell!" Sam said as she plopped down next to Jason and tickled her. Jake toddled over and Sam pulled him into her lap. He yawned and placed his head on Sam's chest. Sam looked over and noticed that Lila had already dozed off on her Daddy's shoulder. Jason took Sam's hand and she laid her own head on his other shoulder. "This is nice, isn't it?" Jason asked.

"It's amazing. Our family. Our children - yours, mine, and ….ours," she finished as she moved Jason's hand onto her still-flat stomach.

Jason's eyes widened as it sunk in. "Sam, you're…"

"Pregnant! Yes, Jason, we're having another baby!"

He pulled her into a passionate kiss. "But I thought you couldn't."

"I did, too, but miracles happen. We should know!"