The night of the blackout was written all wrong. Jason seeing Ric touching her would've turned out very differently. This is a short story featuring characters belonging to General Hospital and it's creators.

Jason Morgan paced his living room in confusion. It wasn't strange for a visit from Carly Corinthos to leave him that way, but this time what he was most confused about was how she had hit so many points that he hadn't even considered.

Carly and Sam McCall were far from friends, that's why when Carly sat him down earlier and went to town about his treatment of Sam he had mostly listened in awe. Carly knew him better than anyone, except for Sam, and she could tell that he had been hurting from breaking up with the love of his love and was miserable without her. For the most part he chalked her interference down to Carly being her usually nosy busybody self, always in his business and telling him that she knew what was best for him. Carly always knew what was best for everybody but herself it seemed.

Tonight though, she had given Jason more than a little food for thought. For months he had been pushing Sam away. It was his fault that she had gotten shot and almost died - her only sin, being the love of his life. Manny Ruiz had planned it perfectly, timed it so Sam was in his arms and he was holding her and feeling so lucky to have her in his life…when in one instant the bullet from the madman's gun almost took her last breath…right there in his arms. So Jason had made the only choice possible - he shattered his own his heart by telling her he couldn't love her anymore. It had killed him to hurt her, had slashed him to pieces to see her cry. He knew the devastation that he had wrought on her heart because he'd felt every bit of it too, but he also knew that she was safer away from him and that the light in this world would extinguish if anything happened to her.

Sam was everything Jason never expected in his life. He wasn't even looking for her when she showed up and taught him how very much he needed her. From the minute she moved in everything about Jason changed. He opened up to her, he talked…actually talked and shared his feelings and fears with her and she understood him in a way that frightened him at times. She made him laugh, she made him feel, she made him lighter, and the thought of someone hurting her was much more than he could bear, so he turned her away - for her safety. It had been the hardest thing Jason had ever had to do, especially when she kept coming back, pleading with him not to throw them away, not to destroy the one thing that gave them both life. That was the very last thing he wanted, he knew that he needed her, needed their once in a lifetime love like he needed air to breathe - but what he needed most was for her to be safe and what Sam needed was more essential than him.

Tonight, Carly had let him see that he hadn't protected her by pushing her away, instead he had unknowingly reinforced every bad thing that she'd ever thought about herself. Without meaning to, he had convinced the woman who he loved more than anyone he's ever loved in his entire existence, the woman who's life was more precious to him than his very own - that she was worthless. How could he have been so blind as not to see that by trying to protect her, he had devastated and demeaned her? Carly's prophetic words echoed in his head, stinging in their precision.

"Does Sam like herself, Jason? Does she think she's good, loving, or worthwhile? Or does she think she's trash - who always got left and always will? Does she think she deserves you, or are you some unexplained miracle who showed up in her life and she always knew it was too good to last? Because if that's the case you've proved her right! You've proved every bad thing that Sam has ever thought about herself to be true!"

Jason knew that he had to make it right. He had to go to her. He loved her, she made him happy and he was only hurting them both by pushing her away. He thought he was doing what was best for her to keep her safe, eventually make her happy - but she wasn't happy! When he told her that he couldn't love her any more he had destroyed and broken her, something he'd promised her and himself he would never do. He'd hurt her worse than any bullet ever could.

"You go to her and tell her that you're sorry and you made a mistake and you want a life with her, however long that life may be - whether its fifteen minutes or fifteen years it doesn't matter, because you two love each other."

She was right. He would listen to Carly and go to her, would beg her forgiveness for being foolish and blind and unilateral, and he would beg her to take him back. He would protect her, would give his last breath to keep her safe…they would protect each other.

Jason walked up to Alexis' lake house, thoughts of what to say to her running through his head. He didn't know how she would react, he just hoped that what came out would make sense and make her want to take him back - forgive the many cruel ways he had pushed her away for months and want them again. What if it was too late? What if he'd finally succeeded in pushing her away forever? The sudden restriction in breathing made his steps hesitant as he approached the door. There was a blackout tonight and everything was dark. He peeked in the glass top door to see if anyone was home…and his breath stopped!

Jason's heart constricted and his brain hurt. The sudden rush of panic knocked the wind out of his sails and he could not look away from the most unexpected devastation he could have imagined. Ric Lansing, his sworn enemy and single handedly the most patronizing prick he'd ever known was frolicking on the floor…and the woman in his arms was Sam! His Sam was on the floor with Ric! And he was all over her, touching her, kissing her, reaching to undo her shirt. Out of nowhere redhot, boiling fury unleashed upon his heart and Jason was bursting through the door, on them in an instant, yanking Ric off of her and using his face for a steady punching bag. Wailing fist after fist at the son-of-a-bitch who was trying to flee, Jason barely heard Sam yelling.

"Jason, no!" Sam was so startled when the door burst open that it took her a minute to register that Jason had burst upon them and was beating Ric senseless. "Jason, stop! You're killing him!"

Kill him! in his blazing anger Jason backed the man up into the fireplace, hearing the loud thud as flesh and bone met concrete and stone. He reached to the back of his jeans for his gun but it wasn't there. Shit - he'd left it in the car. He was just coming in to talk to the love of his life - hadn't realized he was going to need to exterminate vermin. When there was no gun Jason decided to use his bare hands, wrapping them around the bastard's neck and squeezing with all the flaring fury in his veins. He watched the blood pool to turn Ric's face bright red with eyes bulging like they were about to pop and as the man struggled to breathe, somewhere in the back of his mind Jason heard her tears. Sam was crying, begging him to stop, not to kill the bastard - for Molly, for Alexis, for Kristina!

"Please, Jason - they need him. Don't kill him, Jason - you can't go to prison for Ric!"

He'd caused her enough tears for a lifetime, so Jason released the fool and watched him plop and pool at his feet, coughing and clutching at his throat as he gasped for precious oxygen. Unable to resist Jason lunged and kicked him with a right boot, hearing ribs crack - two, three kicks - more ribs cracked…and he still wanted to kill him. He'd wanted him dead for a long time and obviously the last ass kicking he'd given him when he called Sam names hadn't taught him to stay clear of her.

Sam was yanking on his arm, pulling him away from the mangy dog. "Jason, please. The kids are asleep with Viola upstairs - you don't want to wake them! Please, no more - you'll kill him. I can't lose you to prison - Jason, please!" Her sobs were wrenched from the bottom of her soul.

Still blind with fury, he flashed her off but backed away from the garbage whining on the floor. Moving in circles at first, still blinded by the urge to annihilate the crud, he stormed towards the door then bolted back to face her, noticing her tear stained cheeks and sorrow filled eyes. "Why would you let this piece of filth touch you? How could you let him touch you, Sam?"

She was crying even more, and mad as he was Jason thought how all he did lately was cause her pain and made her cry. He took a deep breath and knew he had to leave, had to remove himself from the situation because he was still on the verge of murder - it was a very short trip to his SUV and back, he could end it all tonight still. He took another deep breath and when it also failed he turned to the door again, this time grabbing her hand and pulling her with him. He wasn't leaving her in that house around the credent, and she had some explaining to do.

Fifteen flights of stairs later Jason opened the door to the penthouse and stormed in ahead of Sam who followed just as hotly then slammed the door behind them. He turned abruptly to face her, expecting apology but all he saw was fight - she was mad as fuck and they were about to have it out!

"Don't give me that look, Sam! You let him touch you! That son-of-a-bitch had his hands all over you!"

"No, Jason - you don't get to be mad and lecture me! You threw me away - you threw us away like we were nothing! So don't try to act now like I betrayed you…because you betrayed me!"

"Betrayed you, Sam - I tried to save your life! You almost died in my arms - do you know what would happen to me if something happened to you?"

"So it's about you? Guess what Jason, you were not the only one in that relationship! I may have given you that impression by how I lived for you every single minute of every single day, but I was there too dammit! Why didn't my feelings count? Why didn't what I want, what I need matter? Why didn't I matter?"

"Of course you matter! You're all that matters, don't you see that?"

"NO! If that were true you would have never done that to us! You would have never treated our love like it was disposable, like it wasn't sacred. If I mattered to you, we wouldn't be here!"

He was pacing the span of room in front of the fireplace, glaring at her where she was standing behind the couch, red with fury. "Our love is everything, Sam! It's why I can't let you die. My life is dangerous and it keeps hurting you. Look at all that's happened to you since you've been with me! How many times were you almost raped because of me? How many times have you been targeted by insane animals, simply because you're the woman I love?" He punched the air in frustration and anger. "I had to let you go to save your life, even though it's killed me every minute since."

Angry tears brimmed her eyes and blurred her vision. "Jason, I begged you not to do it. If you loved me like I loved you there's no way you would have been able to look at what we shared and rip it apart like that. After every ugly thing that we faced down - together! Every obstacle that we crushed - together! How could you not see us like I see us - that we're indestructible together? How could you do that to us?"

An urgent knock at the door broke their quarrel and moved their attention, even as the knocks repeated and continued. Giving her a stony look Jason moved to the door rapidly to see what was so urgent. He'd scarcely opened it when Elizabeth Webber rushed in, throwing her ams around his waist, laying her head on his chest to sob into his shirt. "Jason, thank goodness you're here. I didn't know where else to go."

Taken aback by her presence there and her distraught state, Jason rubbed her back trying to calm her down. "Elizabeth, what is it?"

"It's Lucky. I think my marriage is over. I didn't know who else to turn to." She sobbed into his shirt and sank further into his arms seeking him to hold her close, but before he could move one way or the other, a voice sounded from behind him.

"Well, isn't this cozy?" A startled Elizabeth jumped from Jason's arms to find the source of the angry derision.

"Sam! I didn't realize you were here."

"Oh, I can see that. Would you like me to leave?" Sam folded her arms across her body and waited for the woman to answer, knowing full well she wasn't budging from that spot and the calculating vixen was about to meet her due at long last.

Elizabeth stepped into the room, shyly looking back at Jason before she turned to Sam again, "Well, if you don't mind - I really need to talk to Jason."

The nerve of this bitch! "Oh, but I do mind Elizabeth! Jason and I are in the middle of something so I do mind! What the hell are you dong here?"

The nurse's head shot up in defiance, stinging at the implication that she didn't belong there. "I need to see my friend. I didn't expect you to be here - Jason told me he dumped you - I thought he'd be alone."

Jason could sense the direction of the conversation and it was the last thing they needed tonight. He tried to head it off. "Elizabeth, what is it - what's going on?" He figured the sooner he could get her to tell him why she came, the quicker she would leave and Sam wouldn't have to rip her hair from her head.

The nurse turned to face him, distress once again crowning her face for his benefit. "I'm sorry, Jason - maybe I shouldn't have come."

Sam was quick to agree. "No - maybe you shouldn't have!" She neared the woman threateningly. She was still hyped from the fight with Jason and needed somewhere to place the burning anger. The pathetic little creature who was constantly running after Jason like a bitch in heat was as good a place as any. Who the fuck did she think she was kidding! "Maybe you should have gone someplace else - don't let us keep you!"

Elizabeth turned back to face Sam. What was she doing here anyway? Jason had kicked her to the curb and she was out of Elizabeth's way once and for all. Kind, sweet, vulnerable Jason was fresh for the picking and she was here to claim her prize. Lucky finally did her a favor by sleeping with the slut Maxie - now she could have Jason free and clear and he couldn't blame her for leaving their joke of a marriage. Jason had already gotten rid of the leech of a conwoman so they were home free - as soon as Elizabeth got her the hell out of Jason's penthouse tonight. "I need to talk to Jason." She turned big, needy doe eyes to face the hitman. "Do you want me to leave?"

Jason was annoyed and getting more irritated by the second. He needed to finish his conversation with Sam but he couldn't turn Elizabeth away. She was his friend and she was obviously hurting, but he didn't want Sam to go anywhere. "Just tell me what's going on?"

Sam was getting angrier by the minute too. She had a lot to get out tonight and this new interruption from the mousy little thing with an obvious agenda was getting on her nerves. "Didn't you hear her? Her marriage is over so she ran straight here to your arms. What's the plan Elizabeth - you gonna take him right here on the floor? You gonna make Jason yours tonight, once and for all?"

"Sam…" Jason didn't like the route this was taking and he knew he better head her off fast. Sam was already furious before the woman got there and she couldn't stand her, so it was about to get ugly if he didn't do something.

"Not everyone uses sex to get what they want, Sam. Jason and I are friends, I just needed to talk."

Sam's scoff was loud and grating. "Hah! Bitch you just climbed fifteen flights of stairs in a blackout to talk? You can sell that bullshit to Jason but don't con a con. You climbed those stairs to fuck and you know it! Let me guess…caught Lucky cheating and you're here to even the score, right? Who better than the one man you've wanted for years, to stick the knife in and twist it a little bit, huh?"

Elizabeth was red again. She wasn't about to be called out in front of Jason, not when she depended on him always buying her innocent act that worked so well every single time. She broke out the tears on cue, "Yes, yes - Lucky is cheating on me! I just caught him with Maxie and I came here to talk to my friend - what's so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that you have a hundred people more appropriate that you could have run to tonight, logical choices who were a helluva lot closer than fifteen flights of dimly lit stairs." She neared on the woman in disgusted precision. "Where's your grandmother, huh? What happened to your drinking buddies - you have Kelly, you have Robin, Lainey - and oh, here's a kicker - your best friend, Emily - where is she?" Sam got right up in her treacherous face, "You came here to this penthouse because none of them could give you what you really want tonight and that's Jason's dick!"

Elizabeth's mouth fell open in shock that the woman would actually put her thoughts to insidious words.

Jason tried again to calm the situation. "Sam, I'm sure that's not why Elizabeth's here." He was startled by the angry look thrown his way.

"Right on cue aren't you, Jason? Leap to the innocent one's defense as usual!" She pounced back on the woman. "Well, guess what Princess? You're fucking out of luck because you're the one who's leaving. Go find another dick to climb tonight to get your revenge because this one's not available."

A/N: Chapter teaser for a two or three part story about the night that should've never happened and the totally different outcome that would've been, had the writers stayed true to JasSam history.