Chapter 2

Sam walked into the Metro Court on Monday morning in a new black suit that she had purchased from the boutique. She knew that she was going to love that perk! Smiling to herself she pushed the button on the elevator and stepped in when the door opened. Pushing the button to the top floor, the doors were just starting to close as she heard someone yell "Hold the elevator!" Sam stuck her hip out to stop the doors from closing as the owner of the voice ran into the elevator. She stepped back into the elevator and allowed the doors to close and asked the newcomer what floor he needed.

"Top please."

She knew that voice. She turned and started to sweat when she saw Jason.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Going to see Carly. I heard that you are Jax's new assistant. Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Sam replied shyly. She found herself wishing that the hotel was 100 floors tall just so that she would have longer in the elevator with Jason surprising even herself.

"So about the night in your apartment Sam." Jason started.

"Jason, I don't think that we should talk about that right now." She cut him off.

"When Sam?" He asked her with hurt flashing in his eyes.

"I don't know Jason. Not now… not when I am on my way to work on my first day." Sam was now wishing that this torturous ride would be over. Looking at the floor that they were on only 14 was lit up. They had 16 more to go… Who builds a 30 story hotel anyway, and WHO puts the offices on the 30th floor? People are crazy!

"How about a cup of coffee sometime?"

"Jason, are you not with Liz?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, kinda." He answered.

"What is KINDA?" She said.

"It is complicated." He answered.

"Complicated how?"

"Difficult, Complicated. I don't know Sam. I just am not happy."

"I am sorry Jason. I never wanted to see you unhappy." She said sadly.

"It has to be hard watching Lucky raising Jake."

"Yeah. I think that we made a mistake telling everyone that he is Lucky's."

"Yep. You did. Now everyone will always think that Lucky is the father and for what? To protect Liz? Why would she not tell the truth now? To Dangerous?" Sam said sarcastically. "Never mind… Don't answer that… It is none of my business. I apologize. Whatever you and Liz decide is best for Jake is between you and Liz and Lucky."

Finally the doors to the elevator opened to the top floor. Jason stepped out and held the doors open for Sam. He looked at her with sad eyes and started to walk to Carly's office.

"Jason," Sam said cautiously.

"Yeah," He turned towards her.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He said confused.

"For talking to me. For not running when you saw that it was me on the elevator."

"Sam… Like I said we have to talk sometime."

"Fine. Call me."

"Yep." He smiled his small crooked smile. Only people who knew Jason would even consider it a smile. She warmed inside knowing that she was one of the only ones who was privy to that information.

She walked up to Jax's office and quietly knocked.

"Come on in Sam." She heard Carly say.

Confused Sam walked in and saw Carly and Jax standing in the middle of the office. She looked towards the door. "Uh, Carly… Jason… Never mind."

"Is he up here looking for me?"

"Yeah. We rode up the elevator together."

"Oh! Great! Well he will probably come here looking when he sees that I am not in my office."

As if on cue another knock came on the door. Carly walked over to answer it.

"Hey Jason! You found me! What's up?"

"I just wanted to catch up."

"Really? Let's go get some breakfast."

"Alright." He said never taking his eyes off Sam until they walked out of the office.

"Well, now that they are gone. Let's get down to business Sam. Let me show you your office." Jax said.

"Alright!" Sam said with excitement in her eyes. Not wanting to get too excited about an office. Not wanting to hope that it would be a corner office looking out over the bay.

"Here we are." Jax said putting a key in the slot to unlock the door.

They stepped into the office and Sam's jaw dropped at the view, at the size and at the décor. Carly must have decorated. It was tasteful without being overdone. Just what she would have picked. A black leather chair sat behind a mahogany desk. The mahogany desk had a brand new laptop sitting on it and a book shelf sat across the room beside a wet bar and a credenza was behind the desk in front of a bank of windows that completely ran the length of two of the walls. She looked at the view out those windows and saw the Port and all the boats docked there. How did he expect her to get any work done? As if reading her mind, he asked her if the office would be alright.

"Uh, yeah! It is perfect." She said.

"Well, there are some things that I have put in your inbox… just a couple of parties that we need to organize and a wedding that I want to see if you can set up. You will also find your "Welcome" package there, with all the paperwork that we need you to fill out for HR. You know the drill." Jax smiled.

"Well, there is one question that I have. Carly told me that the pay would be great, but she didn't really tell me what it would be."

Jax laughed. "You mean you don't work for free?"

Seeing that he was joking with her, she laughed. "Not anymore!"

"Good thing. We will start you out at lets see… $50 Grand a year. Sound fair? Plus bonuses."

"Fair?" Sam choked out… "Yeah… that is fair. What bonuses?" She asked.

"Well, if I feel like you need a bonus, you will get one!" He smiled. "I am glad that you are here Sam."

"Me too." She smiled.

Jax walked out and softly shut the door. Sam turned and looked at her new office. She wanted to scream with joy! She wanted to jump up and down! This is what she was waiting for! She was so glad that she had asked Carly and Jax for a job before she had gone to Alexis. She knew that Alexis would have given her a job… out of duty. Wanting to keep her in town, but she was proud of herself doing this on her own. Well sort of on her own. Sure Carly had basically dropped it in her lap and sure, she had ulterior motives, but it was Carly… She ALWAYS had ulterior motives, and they usually had to do with Jason.

"Hey Mom! Can you come to the Metro Court? Suite 3 on the top floor. Great! I want to show off my gorgeous office!" She laughed. "Yeah, bring lunch."

Alexis walked in at noon. Speechless, she stared at Sam. "WOW." She whispered. "Sam, this is GREAT! I appreciate Jax taking care of you!"

"Mom, he isn't TAKING care of me. I did this on my own."

"I know Sam, but what I meant is that this is a great office, and great furniture and well great everything!" She laughed. "I am almost jealous!"

Sam looked at her mom and for the millionth time since finding out that she was Alexis Davis' daughter, she wondered if her mom thought that she didn't deserve things like this. She tried to push the feelings aside and just believe that her mom was happy for her, but she just had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

There was a soft knock on the door and Sam and Alexis turned to see Jason walk in.

"Oh. I didn't know that you had company Sam." He said softly.

"That is alright Jason," Alexis stated. "I have to get back to the real world." She attempted a joke, not noticing the flash of pain that shot through Sam's eyes. But Jason didn't miss it. He saw it and it ticked him off. After everything that had happened, he still felt very protective of Sam. He knew that Sam wouldn't like that after all that had happened, but it was there all the same.

"See you Alexis." Sam said.

"Call you later!" Alexis called out, oblivious to the war that was going on in Sam's eyes.

"So, nice office!" Jason said quietly. "You deserve this Sam." He said honestly.

Sam looked at him trying to find some sort of teasing in his words. She found none. She saw in his eyes that he was being totally honest with her. She found it disturbing that she still knew him so well that she could tell when he was being honest.

"Thank you Jason. I didn't think that you would still be here."

"I came back. I ran to Manhattan to see Michael."

"Oh. That is right. How is he?" Sam asked genuinely concerned.

"He is the same." Jason said, pleased with Sam's concern.

"I am so sorry about Michael Jason." Sam said with sadness in her tone.

"Yeah, it has been a tough couple of months."

"I suppose it has been. It has been a rough year." She said sadly.

"Yeah, it has." Jason said quietly.

"So did you need something else Jason?" Sam asked.

"Nope. Just wanted to see your office and let you know that I am proud of you."

"Thank you." Sam said quietly. "Well, I have to get back to work and…" Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah. I bet you do." He turned to leave. "Sam, about coffee… Do you think that we could? Even just to catch up. No strings attached."

"I don't know Jason. It still hurts so much to even see you."

"Yeah, I know. I understand if you don't want to."

"It isn't that I don't want to Jason. It just hurts a little too much. I am working on that. I really hope that we can be friends some time. I miss you."

"Me too." He said sadly. His blue eyes flashed with regret.

"Thank you for stopping by Jason." Sam smiled.

How he missed that smile being meant for only him. How he missed her walking into the room and knowing that when she smiled, it was for him. He thought back to something that she had said a year ago.

"Why can't you fight for us Jason? If you loved me at all, why can't you fight for us?"

Why couldn't he? He had been so confused back then. Finding out that he was a father, and then Sam watching his son be kidnapped and the thugs she hired to scare Elizabeth. He knew that she did it because he had set the whole chain of events into motion by breaking up with her and like she said not fighting for them. He was the one who pushed her away. He was the one who started this whole year of Hell. How could he blame Sam for reacting out of hurt and anger for something that he set in motion?

He rode the elevator down to the lobby and his heart fell when he saw Elizabeth walk into the lobby. Was he supposed to meet her? He didn't think so, but who knew? His whole world was out of whack. She smiled when she saw him.
"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah, I was actually coming here looking for you." She said. "I figured you would be here. I thought that maybe we could meet later in our "Special" place." She whispered.

"I think I am busy Liz." He said not knowing why he was lying to her. He noticed her face fell when he didn't jump at the chance to be with her.

"That is fine Jason." She smiled. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Yeah, maybe." He said.

He watched her turn and walk away. Confused because he didn't know what was happening in his heart. He loved her right? She was the mother of his son. She seemed to want to be with him. Why was he having such a hard time accepting this? Why was it that when his head knew that he should say yes to Elizabeth, in his heart all he could think about was Sam?