Hey, all. Here's the next installment. Hope you like it. Now I'm off to cram for the exam I have Friday on Laboratory Safety. Enjoy.

Chapter Ten

Carly smiled at Jason when he opened the door for her the next morning. Ever since her confrontation with Elizabeth, she had been feeling more confident. She felt like she had a bounce in her step as she walked over to Jason's couch and sank down, stretching herself out amongst the comfortable cushions.

She looked up at him and frowned. "What?" She had finally noticed the scowl on his face.

He rolled his eyes as he sat in the chair. "They haven't found anything."

Carly's expression softened, realizing that his army of private investigators and other diligent employees were unable to find a location on Sam.

"No trace of her," he ground out in frustration. He raked his hand through his hair. "Not a spec of info. It's like she truly vanished into thin air."

"More likely, whoever has her is an expert at covering their tracks," she told him and frowned. She had meant to sound encouraging but it had come out all wrong. "They'll make a mistake eventually." She added.

Jason considered her words for a minute before answering. "I'd be more interested in a motive at this point," he confessed, looking momentarily panicked. He then told her that he couldn't fathom why anyone, even his enemies, would hold Sam for so long. "We don't even know how long she's been missing!"

"I'd wager longer than a month," Carly said, cringing at the tortured look in his eyes.

"I didn't even notice," he admitted, looking down in shame. "I couldn't tell the differences. Allie had me completely snowed."

"She had us all fooled," Carly reminded him, hoping he would take comfort in the fact that he wasn't the only one who had been duped so easily. It was pathetic no matter how they looked at it or tried to rationalize it.

"Something was different with her," Jason insisted, pounding the table in frustration. "I knew something had changed. It nagged at me that night but I shoved the feeling down deep so it wouldn't bother me."

"Jason, I think Sam has been missing since shortly after Allie escaped." Carly wanted to slit her throat for blurting her theory out as she watched Jason process the information, complete horror and disgust shining in his tear-filled eyes. But since she had already said that, she didn't think it'd make much of a difference if she delivered the next blow.

"And I think it was Allie who did those terrible things to Jake."

Agony burst through Jason's veins as he absorbed Carly's words. It was one thing to wonder in the far corners of his mind if it had been Allie that had stood by while Jake was kidnapped and hired men to attack Elizabeth in the park, but hearing the harsh words coming from his best friend's lips was too much for him to take.

He'd ignored the doubts in his mind when Amelia told him that Sam had watched her take Jake from his stroller and didn't say anything because at the time, there had been no rational explanation as to why he felt that Amelia was mistaken or there had been something more sinister at work. But he couldn't do that anymore.

Of course it wasn't Sam. It had all been Allie. And he had fallen for it. Hook, line and sinker.

"I played right into her hands," Jason voiced the realization aloud and clenched his hands into fists as a new wave of anger and grief swept over him. "They had me so blinded with rage that I didn't even stop to think things through. It didn't even register."

"What?" Carly asked curiously, wondering what in the world he was talking about.

"Sam would never hurt a child!" Jason exclaimed furiously. "I know that. She was accused of taking Kristina a while back; I didn't doubt her then but I did when it came to my own child! How could I be so stupid?"

Carly stood up from her seat and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stop feeling guilty over this," she said, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. "Someone that looked exactly like Sam was responsible for those things. Jason, you didn't attack Sam herself; it was all Allie."

She hoped he understood that she was trying to tell him that Sam had probably been missing the entire time and by the horrified look in his eyes, she didn't think he did. But she was wrong. Jason had just come to a sick realization.

"Sam didn't even know about Jake."

Carly's eyes bulged in their sockets as she realized the same thing. "God, what a nightmare!" She looked at Jason in concern. "Do you think she knows now?"

"If my enemies have her, there's no doubt in my mind that they've told her." Jason grunted, narrowing his eyes in anger again at whoever had taken Sam away. "And if that's the case, I'll have a hard time convincing her to leave with me if I ever find her."

Claudia approached Sam wearily the following week. "So," she started to speak but suddenly lost her voice when she saw the tears swimming in her sister's eyes. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she dragged Sam to the kitchen table.

When they were both sitting, she found her voice again. "What's wrong?" she asked, hoping Sam would open up to her.

Sam gazed in to her sister's concerned gaze. It was funny to remember that a week ago they had been strangers and now Claudia Zacchara was worried about her.

"Everything's fine," she shrugged carelessly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Claudia rolled her eyes and then leaned back in her chair, her piercing gaze never wavering. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that ex of yours, Corinthos' enforcer, would it?"

Apparently, Claudia was as perceptive as her brother and Sam herself, which was incredibly annoying now that the shoe was on the other foot.

"I met your Jason once," Claudia continued, ignoring the glare that was sent her way. She smiled dreamily. "Now that man is fine."

Sam smirked. "He is very handsome," she agreed weakly. What an understatement.

"But that's where his appeal ends," Claudia concluded grimly, her eyes narrowing slightly. "First, he's a dolt who won't wipe his own ass without an order. Second, he let you go and for that whiny little mouse Elizabeth Spencer, no less."

"I left him," Sam clarified meaningfully and then arched her brow.

"Thank God!" Claudia's face flushed with relief. "It's good to know that I have a sister with brains." She leaned forward excitedly. "I cannot stand Elizabeth Spencer."

"You're not the only one," Sam remarked as she thought about her own growing hatred for the nurse that had taken everything she had ever waned away from her. "There aren't enough of us but there are more than you'd think."

"Your friend Maxie being one of them, right?" Claudia asked, curiosity lighting up her brown eyes.

Sam's face brightened at the mention of the loudmouth blonde she had grown to adore since the day she came running up to her while she still worked at the MetroCourt, desperate for a pair of shoes to wear to her interview at the boutique.

"Maxie is great," Sam nodded at her sister's question. "She's one of the best people I know." Sam explained how Maxie had lost tragically lost her baby sister Georgie to a psychotic maniac earlier that year, coerced Damian Spinelli into helping her track down her sister's killer, and because of that, found a great true and loyal friend in Spinelli who coupled with her sister's loss helped her mature beyond her young years. "To be completely honest, she can be a real bitch."

Claudia's mouth dropped open at the description. "Wow, I've never heard someone say that as if it were a good thing before."

Sam shrugged. "She pulls a lot of crap but she owns up to it. Doesn't make excuses it, and really doesn't give a damn what other people think of her," she said, trying to explain.

Claudia's face expressed understanding. "I can see why that kind of person would appeal to you as a friend. She sounds great." She looked around the room and smirked.

"Deep down, she's got a really great heart," Sam added as though it were the most important thing about Maxie, which to her, it was. "And she's very loyal to the people she cares about."

"Now that I can respect," Claudia nodded in approval, thinking of the undying loyalty she felt towards John and now Sam. "And relate to."

Claudia suddenly reached across the table, taking Sam's hand in her own, squeezing it lightly. "I'm here for you, Sam; as your big sister, as your friend—whatever you need." Pulling her hand back, she looked up at her with hope in her eyes. "I want you to know that you can count on me."

Sam raised her tearful gaze to her sister, who would never know how much it meant to her to know that she had family that would forever be on her side. Though it was clear that Alexis loved her and was trying to be more understanding and accepting, there would always be that part of her that wanted more and expect that Sam should be better than she was.

"I really needed to hear that." Then she smiled at Claudia. "I'm here for you too."

After the understanding was reached and a few minutes had passed, Claudia suddenly leaned back in her chair. "So, tell me about Jason." Then she gestured to the room, her lazy smile quickly turning into a sassy grin. "Feel free to unburden your soul to me."

And after her laughter died down, Sam began to tell her all about the man that was surely the love of her life and about the man who crushed her, hurt her worse than she ever thought she could be.