A/N: This story is based on the song Church Bells by Carrie Underwood. If you haven't heard it/don't remember how it goes, I highly suggest listening to it before/while reading this. Also, no, she doesn't marry Jason the Toymaker.

Prologue: (important background info)

Jason smiled at the five-year-old girl chasing Liquirizia as the toy mouse rolled around her room. She wasn't like the other children who had betrayed him in the past. She was respectful, always minded her manners and played with him whenever she could get away from her parents coddling. His only problem with her was her childish questions that were either a few throughout the day or millions within ten minutes.

"Jason," she said as she paused to look at him. "Will you always be here to play with me?"

He smiled as he heard the same question all the others had asked when they were this age. "So long as you don't leave me," said in terms where her mind could understand.

She gave a wide smile before rushing over to Jason and jumping into his arms. "I'll never leave you. Never ever. Pinky promise." She stuck her small hand out and he locked his pinky with hers.

"Pinky promise," he repeated with a chuckle. "Now what game do you want to play, Samantha."

*TIME SKIP 14 YEARS*

Jason sighed as he came through his blue door into her bedroom only to see her working on homework. She had kept her promise of not betraying him and he saw her like a sister.

When she looked up and saw him she smiled and shut her books before jumping up and giving him a hug. "Hey Jason," she said as she released him. "Is it finished?"

Jason smiled as he led her into his workshop to where her prom dress awaited her. "Almost. I just have a few more details and adjustments to make and then it will be finished for next week."

"Thanks again for making my dress. It's gorgeous."

"Anything for you Sam."

Samantha rolled her eyes at the nickname she allowed only him to use. "I still feel like I should pay you with something, seeing as you have always been there for me."

Jason shook his head before leading her back to her bedroom. "Your loyalty is payment enough," he said with a chuckle. "Now if you want to graduate you better do your homework and then we can play."

"That's a first," she chuckled. "Normally you try to distract me from my homework and keep my attention on you."

*Time Skip 1 Week*

Jason growled as he comforted Samantha who was wearing the dress he had spent months planning and creating. Her mascara was running down her face as she cried, and he wanted nothing more than to hunt down the bastard who hurt her because "he found someone better."

"He's a fool," Jason said as he held her tighter. "He doesn't know who he's giving up and if he thinks he found someone better than you, then he's sorely mistaking." He pulled her chin up so that she was looking into his golden eyes tinted with green, her hazel-green eyes and pale skin stained with tears. "You're beautiful and smart and if he can't see that then he doesn't deserve you. No need to waste tears on that bastard Sam."

She gave a week smile and wiped at her keeps before getting up. "I'm sorry that this dress will go to waste now," she apologized.

Jason smirked as he stood up. "Who said that it would go to waste? You still have the tickets, right." Samantha nodded as she realized what he meant to do. "Then go fix your make-up while I change into a tux."

She laughed at him. "You have a tux," she said.

Jason chuckled and swept a loose light-brown curl that had fallen from her bun behind her ear. "I do, but it's a few years old and I barely wear it."

He then placed a light kiss to her forehead. "Now go get ready so we can show that bastard what he lost."

Chapter 1:

Samantha smiled as she looked at her prom picture with Jason in the scrapbook she had started when she was fifteen. She was now twenty-five and living in a small one-bedroom apartment. She wasn't make a lot of money, but she was managing to get by. She sighed and set the scrapbook on her bookshelf before going to her bedroom to get ready for her night out.

She had already told Jason that she was going out with some friends so he, begrudgingly, said that he would continue to work on his toys in his workshop, but if she needed anything to call him.

Sighing, she slipped on the sleeveless midnight blue dress that stopped about mid-thigh and hugged her curves. Her and her friend Amanda from college had found it in a resale shop and Amanda convinced her to buy it. Her phone rang to and when she looked at it she saw a text from Amanda saying that she was there.

Smiling, Samantha grabbed her purse and slipped on a pair of high heels that matched the dress. "Come in girl, we need to hurry before the place gets to crowded," Amanda yelled as she saw her.

"Coming," she yelled back before jumping into the passenger seat of her friend's truck. "You would think we were going to a sale and not a club."

Amanda stuck her tongue out at her. "Well, seeing as miss four-point o GPA spent most of college studying, you need to let loose and actually meet people. Maybe you'll meet some rich boy looking for a beautiful wife."

"As if," she chuckled before lightly punching her friend in the shoulder. "Remember what I told you about prom."

"Yeah, and the idiot mysteriously vanished and has yet to be found."

Samantha let out a semi-amused chuckle at the reminder. She knew exactly what happened to him but there was no way anyone would find him. At least, find his body without putting their own lives in danger. "But you still should try and get over what happened," her friend continued. "Cut loose, have some fun, kick off your Sunday shoes."

She laughed at her friend quoting some lines from the song Footloose. "Never do that again," she chuckled out right as they pulled up in front of the place.

"Fine. But you still should try and find a rich guy to marry and get out of that miserable apartment of yours."

"My apartment is just fine, thank you very much."

A few hours, and many drinks, later, Samantha was dancing with Amanda when a man came up to her. "Hello beautiful," he whispered in her ear before he started to dance with her.

"Ohhh, rich guy," Amanda cooed as she leaned on her shoulder. "I'm going to go get another drink, don't leave without telling me."

Samantha shook her head as she looked back at the guy and she couldn't help but feel attracted to him. And her friend was correct, he was obviously rich.

Around three in the mourning the place started to die down and the man, who turned out to be named Brian, offered to drive her home, seeing as both her and Amanda were too drunk to drive themselves. She took him up on the offer and he helped her out to his car, her regretting that she had worn heels.

"Nice ride," she slurred as she got in. He thanked her for the compliment and asked for her address, which she promptly gave him.

*Time Skip 1 Year*

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride," the minister said as the church bells rang. Samantha kissed Brian, who she had gotten to know better throughout the past year.

Jason was against it, but he still created the white gown she wore, as well as handed him over to the rich guy who had stolen her heart. He sighed as he left the church to go to the mansion that Samantha would now be living in for the time she was married to that man, until the idiot betrays her. He didn't wish the ill will on the "happy" couple, it came from years of experience. Betrayal is inevitable, and he didn't want Samantha to go through that heart break again.

He sat in his spot at the head table where the bride and groom would sit and waited for the couple to show up, wishing all the while that this guy would prove him wrong. Just like Samantha exceeded his expectations on how long she'll be his friend.

Chapter 2:

Samantha sucked a breath in as she carefully applied make-up to the bruise on her cheek from where Brian had hit her the night before when he came home drunk. She had refused to have sex with him and he had become so enraged. Luckily the bruise was all she received before she escaped to her "safe" room where Jason always came to visit her.

She knew that if anyone saw the bruise they would ask questions she didn't want to answer so she skillfully covered it before heading to the church for the service. When she got there, she sat in the row at the far back and prayed that it would never happen again.

*Time Skip Later that Day*

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Jason shouted as he saw the bruise on her cheek, his appearance quickly shifting to his 'actual' form.

"He was drunk Jason," she said to reassure him that she was fine and it wasn't Brian's fault. "And this was the only time this has happened. Don't kill him because of one mistake."

Jason growled as he ground his sharp teeth, trying to control his anger for her sake. "Just this once," he growled out as he took a deep breath to try and help him control his anger. "But next time I see a bruise caused by that bastard he's going to pay."

She sighed and nodded.

But that wasn't the last time it happened, just the last time he saw the bruises. She became better at covering them up and hiding them from him. She went about her life and Jason started to keep a closer eye on her and visiting more frequently.

And then about two years later, on her twenty-eighth birthday, he saw the bruising again. "Jason, please don't kill him," she said as she blocked the door, trying her best to calm down the toymaker.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him," he growled as he looked at her. "I'm going to torture the bastard."

"Please Jason, think this through. If he mysteriously vanishes like the boy who stood me up, the blame for both will be placed on me. I'll go to jail and never be able to see you again. Do you seriously want that to happen."

"I don't want him anywhere near you anymore," he shouted again as he tried to get pass her. "Now let me go deal with the problem."

Samantha panicked but then thought of a simple solution. "Laughing Jack's poison doesn't stay in the body long after death, right."

Jason paused to register her question. "Right, but that doesn't mean he'll eat the candy."

Samantha smiled as his hair started to darken back into the mahogany red she knew and loved. "Just get me a vile of it and I'll deal with Brian."

Jason nodded before conjuring his blue door again and hugging her. "You have until Sunday morning. And if he's still alive we're doing it my way."

Samantha nodded as he let her go and left with a promise to be back.

Chapter 3:

Samantha had the vial of poison in her pocket as she snuck into his office and pulled out Brian's bottle of whiskey that he kept in there, knowing that he would head strait to that bottle as soon as he got free of work that evening. She quickly glanced around before opening the half-empty bottle and dumping in the poison. She shook it slightly to mix it in but heard the familiar footsteps of her husband coming. Thinking quickly, she got a shot glass from the same draw he kept the whiskey in and just had time to pour him a drink when the door opened. "Hey sweetie, I knew you would want a drink when you got home so I took the liberty of pouring you one," she said in as sweet and calm a voice as she could manage.

Brian nodded before picking up the glass and tossing it back. He held out the glass for a refill and she gladly obliged. "Well, I need to get back to planning that corporate party you asked me to do. I'll be in the study if you need me." She quickly walked out of the office and smiled as soon as the door shut. She dialed Jason's number and waited for him to pick up. "It's done but the drink still needs to take effect."

She heard the smile in his voice. "Good, I say afterwards you sell the house and move somewhere else."

Samantha chuckled as she entered her office and sat at her desk. "Don't forget that I still have to play the part of upset widow," she reminded him. "I'll continue living in the mansion for about a year and then sell it saying the memories are too much. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare to pretend to be upset."

She said by and hung up, working on the party invitations that would never get mailed out."

Chapter 4:

Samantha pretended to sob into Jason's shoulder at Brian's funeral, the church bells ringing softly as the meeting proceeded. Nobody questioned why Jason was there. He was like a brother to her and everyone knew it, they just didn't know the whole story. But what he wanted to do was take her to his workshop and keep her there so that no one could harm her again.

The autopsy report came back clear from all poisons every time the family had demanded they be checked again. Apparently without her knowing about it, Brian had left all his money and property to Samantha a year into their marriage and the family suspected that she murdered him for the money. No one ever did figure out that he would beat her when he was drunk. Only Jason knew, and they planned to keep it that way.

After the funeral, they all went back to the mansion to eat. Everyone came up and gave her their condolences before going to get their plates and sit down. Jason had to admit that she was doing a good job at playing the part of grieving the loss of her husband. And he could tell that everyone, but the family, was buying it, and that was because they suspected that she killed him. And who could blame them, the guy had a lot of money that he left to her.

Epilogue:

Samantha smiled as she pulled up to her new house with Amanda in the car behind her. As they got out Amanda came up to her. "I still don't get why you sold the mansion for this three-story house."

"Technically, it's a two-story house with an attic and basement. And I already told you, he used to beat me."

Amanda growled again. "I still say you should've killed him and called me to help you burry the body. Damn that heart attack. He deserved worst."

Samantha chuckled at her friend's outburst. "That is true. But if it had happened like that then I would be in jail. At least with the heart attack from abusing his body with alcohol I get the money."

"True," Amanda said with a nod. "If that was the case, then why didn't you go ahead and sale the property as soon as you were cleared f scrutiny."

"Because then the family would try to fight against me again to try and get the money."

Jason cleared his through to get their attention. "Sorry to interrupt this interesting conversation, but don't you think we should get everything inside before the day is over with."

Samantha chuckled before hugging Jason. "Sorry brother. Let's get the moving over with."

A/N: And another story finished. Sorry for all the time skips but it didn't really make sense to cover the insignificant details that happened between them. Well, hope you enjoyed and happy holidays from me to you and yours. Au revoir (goodbye in French).