Hi everyone! This chapter is a little filler-ish, but still important (I think so anyway). I hope you enjoy it! Thank you to everyone who has been leaving reviews, I really appreciate them. It makes me so happy and inspired to keep going when I see there are people taking the time out to let me know their thoughts on what I've written.
Jason could tell Danny was getting tired and bored after visiting the third apartment he had hoped he would like.
"How about this place?"
"Nope," Danny said, shaking his head. "Too small, Daddy."
"I think your right, buddy," he sighed. "You want to go to the park or should I call Mom to drop you off?"
"Park!" he said excitedly.
"Let's go to the park."
Jason was pushing Danny on the swing when he felt someone grab onto his leg. He turned around and saw Aiden, with Cam and Jake following.
"Hey Aiden, how are you?"
"Good! My dad brought us to the park today," he said excitedly. "Hi Danny!"
"Hey Jason, looks like we had the same idea," Lucky said as he approached.
"Can we play with Danny, Dad?" Jake asked and Lucky and Jason looked at each other, unsure of whom he was addressing.
"Sure," Jason said. "Don't go too far though. Lucky and I need to see you guys."
"And be careful with Danny, he's much younger than you," Lucky added. "Cam and Jake, I'm counting on you both to watch out for Danny and Aiden."
"Okay," they nodded before taking Danny and Aiden's hands and walking over to the jungle gym.
"How is it being home?" Jason asked as they walked over to a bench to watch their boys play.
"It's really good," Lucky said. "I missed being with my boys."
"They missed you too. I could tell when I lived with them."
"I'm sorry for what Elizabeth did, and that I left when she told me, but I had hoped she would do the right thing after I talked to her," he sighed. "I know my mom knew too, and I'm sorry my family helped keep your identity a secret."
"It's done now," Jake shrugged. "It's Elizabeth's fault. She knew and let me become a father figure to her sons and was still going to marry me knowing I was already married to Sam."
"Things take a drastic turn in her life when it comes to you," Lucky said. "She saw you free and clear of the mob and took her chance. I'm sure if you were like this back then, she would have let you raise Jake and accepted your proposal."
"I proposed to Elizabeth?"
"After she told you that you were Jake's father," he said. "You wanted to do right by Jake, you always have."
"I still do," he said as he looked at the boys playing. "If I ask you something, will you keep it between us?"
"Sure."
"You ever question if Jake is yours and not mine?"
"Honestly? Sometimes," Lucky said. "Sometimes I think he has Lulu and my dad's eyes. I had light hair as a kid. But he looks so much like you that I just chalk it up to wishful thinking."
"Yeah," Jason said and trailed off. "Sam and I were talking because I had some questions."
"So you know the backstory?"
"I also know Elizabeth lied about Danny's DNA results to keep Sam and I apart, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's done it before that."
"You think she lied and that Jake is mine?"
"I think we should find out once and for all," Jason said. "If you do end up being his father, I just don't want to be cut out of his life. Elizabeth's not making it easy for me to spend time with him, or any of the boys for that matter, but I don't want him to think just because he's not my son biologically I don't love him anymore."
"We'll figure something out. I don't want him to think that either. Jake's been through enough, he doesn't need to think he's being abandoned."
"He hated Sam because he thought she was taking me away from him. That's obviously not true, but I don't want him to blame her even more," Jason said.
"We'll worry about that if it turns out he's mine," Lucky said. "How are we going to do this?"
"Sam's going to talk to Spinelli about having Ellie run the test. I don't want Elizabeth to catch wind of it. If you can, find a way to get anything that his DNA on it to me or Sam. I just want answers."
"You and me both."
Sam finished catching up on work that she fell behind on quicker than she thought, so she called Spinelli and hoped he wasn't too busy that he couldn't talk.
"Fair Samantha!" Spinelli said excitedly.
"Spinelli! How's everything?"
"Uneventful," he said. "I'm sure yours and Stone Cold's reconciliation has been most eventful and more titillating than my life here."
"What's wrong, Spinelli?"
"Why would anything be wrong?"
"Tell me."
"I'm moving back to Port Charles with Georgie. I feel most awful that our arrangement has prevented Maximista from spending time with her daughter."
"That's great! Maxie will be thrilled, and I'm very excited to have my partner back," Sam said, but knew something else was going on. "Is Ellie coming?"
"I'm afraid not," he sighed. "At least not for now. Her time at the lab is not yet complete."
"I don't mean to bring this up now because it sounds like an awful time, but I was hoping you and Ellie could do Jason a favor."
"Anything for the newly returned Stone Cold."
"I need you to run a DNA test. Jason's not sure if he or Lucky is Jake's dad and wants answers."
"I always internally questioned the paternity of Young Jake. If he is in fact Lucky's, it would release Stone Cold from the grasp of Nurse Webber once and for all."
"Yes and no. Jason still wants to stay in Jake's life. Jason's been under the impression that he's Jake's father for years, and Jake has gotten close to him. I wouldn't want that bond to break just because of a DNA test."
"You're a wonderful woman, Sam. Ellie and I would be honored to accept this quest for truth."
"Thank you, Spinelli. I'll call when it's all together. Can't wait to see you."
Jason had texted pictures of Danny playing at the park to Sam, so she decided to head over there since she was done with her work for now. She spotted Jason standing by the monkey bars, watching Danny carefully as he tried to make his away across. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Excuse me, miss. I'm flattered, but I've got a really hot wife that I just started dating again," he said with a smirk as he turned around.
"Really hot, huh?"
"Smokin'," he said as he leaned down to kiss her. "Finished everything?"
"Yeah, all done. Spoke to Spinelli, too," she said as she shifted so she was curled into his side. "He is more than happy to help. Now we just have to get Lucky on board."
"Already done," he said as he pointed over to where Lucky was playing football with the boys. "He wants answers too."
"Maybe once we get this settled, it'll be easier for you to get to see Jake more often. She's kind of dangling Jake over your head to get you to see her, and she's clearly okay with using children. No matter what the tests say, I think it's important for you and Jake to stay close."
"How did I get so lucky?" he asked as he looked down at her.
"And I always thought I was the lucky one," she said.
"Mommy, did you see me?"
"Of course, baby," she said, squatting down to his level. "You did such a good job!"
"I did it all by myself," he said proudly.
"Hi Sam!" the boys said as they ran over. "Can we play on the swings with Danny?"
"Sure, just look out for him, okay?"
"We will," Jake said, taking Danny's hand and walking over to the swings.
"I don't want Danny or Jake to lose out on this in the future," Jason said as they walked behind them toward the swings.
"And they won't have to. You helped raise Michael and Morgan, and you treated them like your own. There's no reason that you can't do the same for Jake."
"Lucky agreed, so Elizabeth will be the obstacle."
"Well what else is new," she rolled her eyes. "How did the apartment hunt go?"
"Total bust," he sighed. "Not sure why it's so difficult. Danny wasn't really feeling them either, plus he started getting tired."
"I would have picked him up so you could have looked more."
"And miss a chance to play in the park with him? Today turned out just fine," he smiled.
"I know if I offer the room in the penthouse to you you're going to feel awkward, but it's always there for you," Sam said, shushing him when he went to speak. "You want your own place because you don't want to feel like you did when Elizabeth took you in, and I really get it. She took care of you, you started to fall for her and ended up in that mess."
"Good choice of words," he smirked.
"I'm just leaving the option open. We were roommates for years, before we started dating. You helped me out, and now I'm returning the favor."
"We weren't dating when we lived together?"
"Nope, and I had my own place when we were dating the second time around. We did things backward," she shrugged. "I got to know you and started to fall for you, but we were friends first."
"Thank you for that," he said. "I wouldn't want to be a burden."
"Please," she scoffed. "If anything, Danny and I would be the burden. I don't cook, you do."
"You two are far from a burden."
"Don't feel obligated to give me an answer," Sam reassured him. "The offer will always stand, even when you find your own place."
"I appreciate it," he said as he stood up from the swing he was sitting on and started to push Sam. "Does Danny play sports?"
"I tried soccer last year and he had zero interest in it, so I was thinking of signing him up for little league when it starts. Maybe he'll like baseball."
"Since its starting to warm up, maybe I can take him here to play catch on the weekends."
"That would be great," she said, laughing as Jason began to push her higher. "Jason!"
"Don't tell me you're scared," he laughed as he grabbed the chains to stop her. "You climb walls on castles, yet you're scared of being on a swing."
"I am not scared," she said in indignation.
"Scaredy cat," he whispered in her ear before pushing her again. Lucky walked over to them and smiled as he saw Jason and Sam interact.
"Looks like the lovebirds are having fun," he said.
"Lucky! How are you?" Sam said as she slowed down, hopping off the swing to give him a hug. "It's so good to see you."
"You too," he said. "Looks like all our boys are enjoying themselves."
"I'm glad they get to spend time together. Danny's always hanging around with me, and while I love it, I want him to spend time with other kids."
"They're staying over at Wyndemere with Nikolas if you want to drop Danny off there, I'm sure Nik wouldn't mind."
"Yeah, I don't think so," Jason said.
"I'm not exactly on speaking terms with my cousin," Sam explained. "He was the first to know about Jason being Jason and kept it from us. Decided he could tell Elizabeth, but not tell me – his family – that my husband was alive."
"I'm sorry you two have been through so much."
"Just adding it to the list," Sam shrugged as she took Jason's hand. "We're back together, that's all that matters."
"Daddy, I'm tired," Danny said as he ran over to them. Jason picked him up and smiled when Danny rested his head on his shoulder.
"I should probably get the boys back too before it gets cold. That boat ride can be brutal," Lucky said. "How should I collect a sample from Jake?"
"I got these from Lucas earlier," Sam said, pulling a handful of vials out of her pocket. "Figure something out and label it with your names."
"Dad, I don't want my gum anymore," Jake said as he walked over to the group. "I don't see a garbage can."
"Here, spit it out in here," Lucky said, taking the vial from Sam. "I'll throw it out when I see a garbage."
"Thanks!" Jake said, spitting into the vial. Lucky pulled him in for a hug and rubbed his head, pulling out some hair in the process. "Dad!"
"Sorry buddy. Go get your brothers, we're going to head back to Uncle Nik's."
"As gross as that is, good job," Sam said, as she took the gum vial and put it in a plastic bag. "Now it's your turns."
"I don't have any gum," Jason said.
"Open wide," Sam rolled her eyes as she swabbed Jason's mouth. She turned to Lucky and did the same. "I'll package it and send it out to Spinelli tomorrow."
"Very efficient, Mrs. Morgan," Lucky said.
"She is the best P.I. money can buy," Jason said proudly.
"And I like you guy enough to do it free of charge," she said as she finished labeling who's who. "Let's pray this works."
A little short, but things are moving along.
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think :)