Its breakfast time in casa de Franco and the four friends are sitting around the table trying to figure out what the next move is. The paintings are all finished, the gallery will be presented in a couple weeks, and then Sam's life is blown out of the water. Other than Sam's connections to the Russians, all her other little secrets have been drudged up. Spinelli is really beating on himself because he can't seem to come up with the right coded program to open that file.
Elizabeth was starting to have doubts about Franco's plans. She was really worried about Jason ever since she spoke to him in the studio. There was something seriously wrong with him and she just wished that she knew what it was. Most of all, she misses her boys. She's never gone this long without her boys and she really wanted them back with her. Thinking of her boys made her hope that her son was doing okay. It turns out that his kidney was given to Jocelyn, but only one. That would mean that her son would have to live off of medication to ensure a relatively normal life.
"Does anyone know what happens now?" Elizabeth questioned, refilling Johnny's cup of coffee. "EJ woke me up, but didn't say what for."
"I have no idea." Emily admitted, even after all the time she has spent with EJ, she still doesn't know enough to speculate.
"We'll all just have to wait and see." Francis said simply. "Now tell us how Jason seemed last night. You said that he seemed more like himself when he was with you in the studio."
"Yeah." Elizabeth confirmed, getting into that topic and leaving the other alone for now. "He seemed more like himself than he has in the last few years. He even asked me for the painting I made for him in '99."
"That's interesting." Francis mulled it over for a moment. "I think I might now what's wrong with him."
"You do?" Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What do you think it is?"
"I can't be sure, but I think its this protein substance that the Russians invented." Francis racked his brain for the information. "It supposed to make a person submissive to their captors."
"Do you think Sam could've gotten her hands on it?" Elizabeth questioned, voicing Emily's thoughts.
"I don't know, maybe." Francis shook his head. "The only ones with the protein are the really higher ups though."
"Ugh! I just wish Jason can be here helping us with this." Elizabeth groaned, frustrated with all of Sam's lies. "God, I wish Sam had never even came into our lives!"
"Good, you're all here." EJ voiced, walking into the dining area. "I've made a lot of changes and I figured you all deserved to know about it."
"What kind of changes exactly?" Elizabeth questioned, watching the way EJ stood calmly.
"Franco's plans are no longer in affect." EJ stated. "Come on in everyone."
All four friends turned their eyes to the doorway, watching as guards filed in, and that's when Elizabeth saw the two people that should be dead, but aren't. This was just so surreal. Standing there, right in front of Elizabeth, are Claudia Zacchara and Stan Johnson. Out of all the people to still be alive, Elizabeth never would have guessed these two.
A part of her didn't want Claudia to be alive because of Spinelli's echoing words that she was interested in Jason, but after finding out that Johnny Zacchara is Claudia's son, Elizabeth couldn't wish her dead. Even though she probably deserved it.
"Hi Elizabeth." Stan hugged her carefully. "I doubt you're really surprised by now with these three back to life, huh?"
"No...still a surprise." Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Your mom's gonna be so happy about this."
"Yeah. I plan on checking on her once this is all done." Stan smiled at the mention of his mother. "Knowing her she'll beat me senseless before welcoming me home."
"She probably would." Elizabeth laughed at that, Epiphany really is a hard ass.
"Okay. Now down to business." EJ stopped them from saying much more. "We have a lot to discuss and not a lot of time to discuss it, so buckle down and get comfortable."
Jason's going through so many files that Spinelli had brought over on the Russians. It was good to know that Spinelli has gotten back his computer skills because Jason needed them now more than ever. He was kind of surprised to find out that Spinelli and Johnny are friends, but it was a moot point by now.
Going over the files, Jason felt like there was something he was missing. Something so obvious that he just couldn't put his finger on it. Then he saw the image on the papers and something just clicked in his head. Snatching the sheet from the file, Jason ran upstairs to the bathroom. After throwing almost every bottle of pills out of the cabinet, Jason found the one he was looking for. Its the supplements that Sam said the doctor gave him for his headaches. Getting one pill out, Jason put it up against the picture and was unable to refrain from cursing in every language he knew.
"Spinelli." Jason said into the phone. "I need you to find anything you can on a protein supplement the Russians invented. Its called память. Its Russian for memory."
"The Jackal will get right on it and will deliver the results of his finds once they are compiled." Spinelli obliged, confused as to why EJ wanted him to help Jason, but glad that he can help his former mentor. Just as long as it didn't mean helping The Repugnant One.
So his nickname for Sam wasn't very out there, but it still fit the bill.
"And Spinelli?" Jason's voice tentative.
"Yes, Stone Cold?" Spinelli's curiosity peaked.
"That guy EJ was right...I'm sorry I haven't been much of a friend to you." Jason said carefully. "And...thanks for sticking by me. Even when you had every right to bail."
"What are friends for, right?" Spinelli says reassuringly.
"Right. Thanks, Spinelli." Jason says before ending the call. "You want me to dig deeper...fine. I'll dig deeper."
Elizabeth wasn't sure why EJ was changing the plans now after all the work that Franco put into his plans, but she didn't care. She didn't care because she was being given the one thing that she wanted so badly and that was her son. Not caring for anyone else in that room, Elizabeth ran out of the dining area and up the stairs. She didn't care that she would probably be lost, she was going to find the room even if she had to go door to door.
Johnny, of course, followed after her, steering her in the right direction after getting the information from EJ. As soon as she burst through the door, Elizabeth stood frozen, tears in her eyes, as her son came into view. This was real. She kept telling herself over and over again. This is real. He's really alive.
"Mommy?" Jake spoke, shattering any reserve she had on her tears.
Elizabeth knelt down just in time for Jake to run into her arms. Holding him close, not wanting to let him go, Elizabeth quietly sobbed. Her son's alive and in her arms. What more could she ask for? Johnny stood by, just watching the embrace, his heart warming up as he saw the mother and son reunion. It was clear that Jake was confused by his mother's tears, but he just held tight to her. Something, Johnny realizes, he got from his father.
"I missed you, mommy." Jake whispers to his mom, causing her to cry some more.
"I missed you too, baby." Elizabeth held him tightly. "God, I missed you."
Johnny found his way back to his penthouse, the last place he ever wanted to be, and took a long hot bath. He had a few meetings to deal with and if he didn't hurry, he'd probably miss them. He had been so distracted lately that he just wanted to concentrate on something he knew. Something he's good at and that's the business. He was about to walk out the door when he felt someone's presence in his home. Turning to look towards the balcony he saw a woman standing there that look a lot like Claudia, but it couldn't be.
"You should take better care of locking your doors, John." she voiced, shocking him to his core as she turned to face him. "What? Surprised to see me?"
"This isn't real." Johnny muttered, dropping his coat and keys as he slowly walked over to her. "You're dead."
"Do I look dead to you?" Claudia countered, that infamous smirk on her lips. "So I hear daddy finally told you the truth."
"I must be going crazy." Johnny shook his head, unable to believe this for a second. "You're dead...you're not really here."
Once he was within touching distance, Claudia pulled him into her arms, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Forcing him to believe that this was real. That she's really alive. Johnny finally gave in and hugged her back, holding her tightly, his heart racing at the fact that she was really there. That he was really hugging her and hearing breathing.
"I'm so sorry for everything, John." she whispers, holding him close. "I never wanted you hurt."
"It doesn't matter." he says quickly, his grip on her tightening. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're alive and you're here."
"Oh really?" Claudia's voice teasing. "You going soft on me?"
"Shut up." he demanded. "Just let me be glad that you're not dead."
"That I can do." Claudia smiled, finally able to wrap her arms around her son and for him to know she's his mother. "That I can do."
Sam knew that meeting with the doctor without Jason wasn't the smartest move, but she wanted this moment to herself. She'll have many more appointments where Jason can be there, but she just wanted to have this one so it could be real to her. So that it could be real that she was having Jason's baby. Not Elizabeth. Not Carly. Not anyone but her. She, Samantha McCall, is having Jason Morgan's baby. God how good it felt to say that. And the best part is that Jake is no longer an issue and she wasn't the one to make it that way. All those times she had wanted that kid gone and he ends up hit by a car. Talk about luck, huh?
"Sam, have you been having any pains lately?" Kelly Lee questioned. "Any cramping or bleeding?"
"No." Sam looked at her confused. "Why? Why are you asking me all those questions?"
"I can't find a heartbeat." Kelly Lee says carefully. "I'm sorry Sam, but your baby's gone."
"What?" Sam shouted, staring at the screen. "That's not possible! NO! I'm having Jason's baby! Tell me you're lying!"
"I'm sorry." Kelly Lee says regretfully. "Should I call anyone?"
"No!" Sam snapped, hopping off the exam table and snatching up her stuff. "You're lying!"
Once Sam was out the door, Kelly picked up her cellphone and called up the man that made her do all this.
"Its done." Kelly Lee said simply. "She knows that she's not really having the baby."
"Good." EJ says simply. "Your payment will be funded shortly. Thank you for all you've done doctor."
"I didn't do it for you." Kelly snapped. "This was for Elizabeth."
Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews.
Bodies are going to start piling up in Port Charles.
Can you guess who's going to die? And I mean, really die. Not a single possibility of ever coming back to life.
Till next time...
