Chapter 9
The room was spinning and Sam thought she might pass out. The others were rooted in place, not believing what they were seeing.
Finally, Sam got her bearings. She stepped forward tentatively, afraid this was all a dream. When she realized he wasn't disappearing, she ran toward him and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled away and stared him in the face. His beard was shaggy and his hair too long, but she'd never forget those eyes.
"It's really you," she whispered as tears poured down her face. She grabbed him again and kissed him.
"Oh, Jason! I never thought I'd get to see you, to hold you again," she sobbed. "I can't believe it's you!"
"Sam, I did everything I could to come back to you. I should have known you'd never give up on me. That's what kept me going – thinking of the day that I'd get to hold you again," he said with tears in his eyes.
"Now you can, babe," Sam replied.
"Um…well, not really. Small problem," he said, smirking slightly.
Sam looked at him confused. Then she let out a small giggle. In her excitement she hadn't even noticed that Jason was tied to a chair, hands cuffed behind him.
"Spinelli, go to the truck and get the bolt cutters and a knife," she said turning toward her friends. The other three stood there, absolutely stunned.
"Spinelli!" she called louder, breaking them from the trance.
"Oh, uh, yes, uh, um…" Spinelli muttered as he ran from the room.
Carly and Maxie sprung into action as well and rushed across the room. Tears were streaming down both their faces.
"Jase," Carly croaked out. "Oh my…I never…wow."
"Ditto," said Maxie. "Just…wow."
"I take it you didn't expect to find me here?" Jason asked, confused.
"Not exactly," Sam said. "We actually thought Helena was in here. You were definitely a bonus, considering that we thought…" Her voice trailed off.
"You thought what?" Jason asked.
"We thought you were…dead," Carly whispered the last part, as if it would make it less true.
Just then, Spinelli bounded back into the room, bolt cutters in hand. Sam quickly sliced through the ropes and Spinelli cut the cuffs that secured Jason's hands. Finally able to, Jason wrapped his arms around Sam and nestled his face in the crook of her neck.
"I've missed you so much," he whispered.
"Not as much as I've missed you," Sam replied.
"I can't imagine what it was like for you. I'm so sorry, Sam," Jason said looking into her eyes.
"Ahem! As much as I love you both, Sam is not the only one who has missed you," Carly said in typical Carly fashion.
"Carly. I've missed you," he said.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" she warned him before leaping into his arms.
"Never. I promise," Jason said.
He also hugged Maxie and shook Spinelli's hand as he realized that someone was missing from the reunion.
"Sam? What about -?" he began and then stopped as Sonny and Claudia stepped into the room. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey man, welcome back," Sonny said with a grin. "I should have known you wouldn't leave that easily." The two men shook hands and Jason pulled Sonny into a brotherly embrace.
Claudia broke the moment. "Hey guys, sorry to ruin the moment here, but I think there's still some unfinished business we need to take care of."
"That's right. Helena has to pay for this," Sam said with fire in her eyes.