Rating: PG 13 (possibly R in later chapters.)
Disclaimer:
I own nothing related to or affiliated with Disney, ABC Daytime, or General Hospital. Characters are not mine; they are merely being borrowed.
AN:
This Fic starts with the June 12th show and Amelia revealing to Jason the truth about Sam's past. It is a collaborative effort between myself and Liasongh2007, over at The Canvas. We had so much fun writing this fic and I hope you find it equally enjoyable.
Jason sat staring at the manila folder that landed like a brick to the bottom of his stomach on the table in front of him as the redhead told her tale.
"That leaves you Jason, the biggest loser of all. Because this woman who you are so eager to defend, this murderer, is lying to you on a daily basis," she delivered her blow with force punching the words straight through his gut.
"I know Sam has secrets, so do I, everybody does," he defended.
Jason was starting to lose his patience with the woman, waiting for her to finish what seemed like a never ending monologue…one hundred and one ways to screw a man by Samantha McCall. Then she said something, the one thing that could turn his attention and he was hooked.
"She is terrified that she's going to lose you to the mother of the child you already have," Jason stopped, turning slowly towards Amelia, who continued, having captivated his attention, "That's right, Jason, Sam knows that you are Jake Spencer's real father."
Looking back now it seemed like a blur – why had he kept flipping through that damn file? It held no answers…no reason why Sam had done what she had…no solution for what to do next…it didn't hold Jake or Elizabeth…it was a worthless piece of ecru card stock, but it was all fact. And it was the only thing in that 10'x10' room that was making any sense.
He could still hear her words:
Sam fears, and maybe rightly so, that if the truth comes out about Jake – Elizabeth and Lucky's marriage will be over -- and you and Elizabeth will end up together. Maybe not right away, but once you acknowledge that Jake is your son it's not a stretch to think that his real parents would start to bond on a more profound level. If there's an underlying love, anything is possible. I get the impression that's the case with you and Elizabeth, the underlying love part.
He flung the folder with force across the room, its contents careening across the tile floor. "Damn," he raked his hands over his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose and cursed at his carelessness, his mind reeling. If a complete stranger could read the feelings that he had worked so hard for so long to control…what in hell was he going to do?!? And how was he going to keep the fall-out from hurting Jake, or Elizabeth?
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Elizabeth and Cam waved as the couple left them in the park,
Elizabeth placed Jake gingerly in his carriage, strapping him in and tucking a blanket around him snugly.
Looking back at her older son, she smiled at his efforts to tie his own shoes, "Cam, do you need help with that?" she knelt next to him, securing his laces and helping gather his toys. She couldn't have had her back to the stroller for more than fifteen seconds, but Jake was gone!
"Jake!" she screamed for what felt like hours. Suddenly her wits around her, she realized it was a fruitless task, grabbing Cam she dialed quickly. Voice mail. She shook herself and fiercely hit seven numbers, registering only when the familiar voice picked up.
Elizabeth sank to the ground wrapping her arms tightly around her – one still clutching Cam while the other bore down on her phone, steadily beeping in rhythm with her body rocking back and forth all the while stroking her son's curly locks… "It'll be okay, Cam…it'll be okay."
Lucky's voice echoed in her ears:
Did you turn your back to him?!?
God, this was all her fault.
The little boy stilled in her arms, eyes wide…and they waited.
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Ten minutes later…
"Elizabeth!!" She heard distinctly the voices of two men, but still she rocked until they reached her.
Pulling Cameron from her clutches Lucky held him close, barely sparing a glance for his grief-stricken wife.
Elizabeth sat helpless under his glare as Luke knelt down beside her and reached out to touch her arm, "Elizabeth," he started. Slowly she turned her gaze to the patriarch, red-rimmed eyes reading concern all over his face. "He…he's gone," she barely got the words out as she pointed over her shoulder to the now empty carriage and collapsed in a puddle of grief.
"Son," Luke turned towards Lucky who still clutched Cam as if he would disappear at a second's glance, "why don't you take Cameron to Audrey's house?" He cast a troubled look at his grief-stricken daughter-in-law before scooping her up in his arms. "I think Elizabeth may need a d-o-c-t-o-r," he spelled the last word to keep from scaring Cam.
Lucky nodded and head towards his car while Luke turned towards General Hospital.
Elizabeth shook her head as she stayed safe in Luke's arms – fighting the haze that had set in around her. Jake – he was gone. Jason…she had to tell Jason. Where was she? "Where are we going?" she asked suddenly.
Luke looked down, relieved to see the clouds had cleared from her eyes, "General Hospital," he stopped her before she had a chance to argue, "I know better than anyone that emotional trauma can alter you forever, sometimes leave you lost to the world around us. I am not going to let the cowboy lose you the way I lost my angel," he placed a kiss on the crown of her head as he set her in the orange waiting room chair at General Hospital.
"Thank you, Luke, really," she said solemnly, as her tears fell, unchecked, looking him in the eye, "but I'm okay…you should check on Lucky and Cam."
Never one to stick around where he wasn't needed, or intrude on another's grief he hesitated, "you sure?"
"Yeah, really…I'd feel better knowing you were checking in on them anyway," it was true…she thought. Someone needed to check on Lucky and it couldn't be her.
Elizabeth's knee jumped like a jackrabbit as she watched Luke wait for the elevator, then closed her eyes trying to manage her nerves. She needed to be strong for her boys.
She stood suddenly, pushing her way through the ladies room door and stood directly in front of the mirror, clutching the porcelain sink in her palms.
One steady breath, first in then out, she turned the tap and allowed the warm water running through her fingertips onto her face to calm her nerves. As she dried the drops with a scratchy, brown paper towel Elizabeth came to grips with reality.
Jake is gone. Someone's taken him. She walked slowly to the metal bin mounted on the tiled wall and dropped the brown bundle into its base. Cameron's at Audrey's. Lucky's with Luke. Jason…
Elizabeth pressed her back against the cool tile and allowed gravity to pull her down, hugging her knees into her heart as she felt its beat steady. Where is Jason? At the PCPD. Three short miles she could walk at a clip…