A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you for all the incredible reviews! I am SO glad you guys enjoyed the cuteness with JaceSam as well as the lighter moments with Epiphany busting up their moment. I try to bring a little laughter in my stories and I hope you enjoy that.

We're going to continue in that vein and have some more JaceSam adorableness and playfulness. So sit back, relax, and get all in your feels! :p

As always, please continue to review. It lets me know I'm on the right track. Sometimes I take a risk and I can tell from the comments when it doesn't pay off and I can adjust course lol I DO NOT want to go the Jelly route and just keep putting out stories that everyone hates lol

Happy reading!

Jen

buttercup0303

Chapter 14

That Saturday came with a dip in the weather. Sam was sitting on the couch, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, while she held her phone to her ear.

"I miss you too, pumpkin. Are you having fun with Grandma Monica?"

Sam listened to Danny's babble, a huge grin on her face. She made out something about puppies, tinkle, and "Gamma", which was how he said Grandma.

"Okay baby, I love you too. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Bye, Danny." She waited as she heard him pass the phone to Monica.

"Gamma, take it phone!" She heard him holler happily. She was smiling when Monica came on the line, chuckling.

"Boy, that grandson of mine is firmly entrenched in this shouting phase, isn't he?" She said with a laugh.

Sam grinned.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. I think I might have permanent hearing loss by the time he gets out of it." She joked.

"Well, you sound much better today, Sam. I'm glad. Can I ask what brought this change about?"

Sam paused, unsure how to answer.

"I, um, I had a good visit with my friend yesterday. You know, the one in the hospital?"

Monica was silent for a moment.

"Yes, I do. You know, I think what you've done for that man is incredible."

Sam shrugged, though Monica couldn't see her.

"He doesn't have anyone. You know? He's lost everything and yet, he is able to stay kind and funny and-. He's become a really good friend to me. And Danny loves him."

Monica was quiet again.

"Of course he does. My grandson is perfect. And so are you. He's lucky to have you in his life. And if he can bring you any form of happiness, then I'm grateful to him because you deserve it."

Sam felt tears sting her eyes.

"You know I love you, right, Monica?"

Monica smiled, her own eyes brimming with tears.

"When I lost Emily, I lost my only daughter. But when Jason married you, I was blessed with another daughter. One who who encouraged my son into having a stronger, deeper relationship with me. A daughter who has made it a point to make sure I have an incredible relationship with my grandson. How could I not know you loved me when you show me every day? I love you too, Samantha."

Sam smiled, grateful to have two amazing moms in her life. Something Danny said tickled the back of her mind.

"Monica, what was Danny talking about earlier? He said something about puppies and tinkles."

"Oh. Um. Well." Monica sounded alarmed and Sam became suspicious.

"Monica." She said warningly. "What did Danny mean?"

Just then Sam could hear Danny shouting, "Gamma! Gamma! Tinkle!" This was followed by high-pitched barks. Sam's eyes widened.

Monica gasped.

"Damn. Okay, listen, I may or may not have bought Danny a puppy." She said guiltily. Sam and she had discussed getting Danny a puppy but Sam had wanted to wait.

Sam sighed in exasperation.

"Monica-." She started but Monica cut her off.

"Okay, well, I have to run. Bye!"

"Monica, wait!" Sam said quickly, but the phone beeped, signaling the call ended. Shaking her head with a wry grin, Sam sat the phone down.

"A puppy." She repeated with a laugh.

Leaning her head back, she smiled up towards the ceiling.

"Sometimes I forget how very blessed I am. Thanks for the reminder, babe." She whispered, thinking of Jason.

"God, it's cold." She said abruptly, rubbing her arms. A steaming cup of cocoa would be amazing. And some bacon!

She stood up and headed towards the door, pulling on a buttery soft leather jacket.

...

After a productive, if frustrating bout of physical therapy, Jace managed to convince Dr. Drake he could use a walker rather than the wheelchair. Drake resisted at first, but after reviewing Jace's scans, he was forced to admit the most of Jace's injuries had healed while he was in a coma. At this point, it was more about strengthening muscles that had gone lax from disuse. It was more discomfort than true pain, though he still got headaches and pains in his ribs every now and then.

Jace was shuffling slowly down the corridor towards his room, but stopped to catch his breath. As much as he wanted to get well enough to leave the hospital, he knew he wasn't ready. His trembling legs spelled that out clearly enough for him.

"Mr. Smith, why don't I help you to your room?" The voice came from just behind him. Jace turned his head and saw Nurse Webber and sighed heavily. She came around him to face him.

"No thank you." He said politely. She raised a brow and stared at him before pasting a smile on her face.

"Well, I'm about to finish my shift. How about I pick up something edible and we can have breakfast together? I'm sure you could use some more friends, and Lord knows the food here is terrible." She smiled winningly up at him.

She was pretty; he'd give her that, Jace thought dispassionately. She wasn't his type though. He preferred his women a little more like...well, like Sam. He didn't even know why he disliked Elizabeth, aside from the fact that Sam obviously didn't like her. But every time he looked at her, he felt a hint of anger and something else...something that, oddly enough, felt like betrayal. And he knew it was impossible because he didn't know her but he couldn't help it. He'd realized something about himself recently. He had pretty good instincts about people, and something inside him said this woman was not to be trusted.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." He lied. "And I already have friends." He added, thinking of Sam, Carly, and even little Danny.

Liz's smile faded and she nodded.

"Okay, if you're sure."

"Yeah." He replied, starting to shuffle past her when a sudden tingle raced up his spine. He looked up, a smile already curving his lips just before he spotted a radiant Sam gliding down the hall towards him, carrying two cups and a bag in her hands.

Jace stopped and leaning against his walker, just stared at her. She was beaming at him and Jace felt the warmth of her smile race throughout his entire body, lighting up even the darkest corners of his soul.

"Jace, omigod! You're walking! How is that possible?"

He grinned at her.

"I'm a badass." He joked.

Sam laughed throatily, flipping her hair back as she stopped in front of him.

"Okay, badass. How are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you need help?" She asked quickly.

Jace smiled down at her.

"I'm good. But I think I've worn myself out. Let's go sit down."

She nodded and waved the cups and bag.

"Well, I hope you're hungry because I brought some hot cocoa and breakfast."

Jace smiled.

"Thank God. I'm starving." He said without thinking. Sam's appearance had made him forget Nurse Webber was still standing there. He started shuffling towards his room, the unpleasant nurse already forgotten.

She made a small noise and Sam noticed her for the first time and grimaced. Liz was standing there, her face beet red. Sam wasn't sure why and she definitely didn't care. She turned and followed Jace into his room, watching proudly as he took slow, but steady steps towards the small sofa in his room.

She looked back and noticed Liz was still standing there, silently fuming. Sam shrugged and closed the door in her face.

Turning back, she saw Jace ease himself carefully onto the couch. Jace watched as Sam set everything down on the tray by his bed and unzipped her thick, leather coat. Peeling it off, she set it on the bed beside her purse. She wore a form-fitting red sweater beneath her jacket and curve hugging jeans, her feet tucked into boots with staggeringly high heels. Her hair was loose and wavy, hanging around her shoulders, her cheeks slightly red from the cold air outside. Jace shook his head slightly, wondering if she ever looked less than stunning.

Unaware of his admiring perusal, Sam grabbed the food and walked over to the couch. Sitting beside him, she angled her self towards him and handed him a cup, before digging through the bag to grab the breakfast sandwich she'd bought him. Her knee was pressed against the side of his leg, but she didn't seem to notice. Jace certainly did.

"So, I thought it was time for you to try some new stuff. That hot cocoa is from Kelly's, which is an awesome family style diner. They have the BEST hot chocolate and I was craving it this morning. And I just knew you had to try it." She was still looking down as she spoke, pulling out napkins and utensils.

"And I wanted you to try this breakfast sandwich they just started making. It's on a croissant, and it has turkey, bacon, cheese, and this incredible cranberry-orange relish. It's delicious."

She looked up and held out his sandwich and paused. He was watching her, a grin on his face.

"What?" She asked self-consciously.

"Nothing. I just love to listen to you talk. Which you do, a lot." He teased.

Sam tilted her head and quirked a brow.

"You saying I talk too much?" She challenged him.

Jace laughed, and Sam was again struck by how very handsome he was.

"That's not what I said. I said you talk a lot. But I like it. It's kinda cute."

Blushing, Sam shook her head and smiled.

"Shut up and eat your food."

Jason grinned and lifted the hot chocolate to his lips and took a careful sip. His eyes widened as the rich chocolate hit his taste buds. He raised his eyes to Sam and swallowed quickly.

"This is incredible." He whispered, making Sam burst out laughing.

"I told you." She said simply, pulling the top off her cup and setting it aside before lifting her own cup to her lips and drinking. She sighed, her eyes drifting closed as the deliciously hot chocolate slid down her throat, thrilling her taste buds and warming her chilled bones. She hummed, clutching the cup to her chest.

"Mmm. That tastes and feels so good."

Jace's cup lowered, the delicious cocoa forgotten as he stared at Sam, mesmerized. There had been something excruciatingly erotic about the soft moan, the fluttering eyelids, her tossed back head, and the husky purr of her voice. Before he could stop himself, he was wondering if that's how she looked and sounded in the throes of passion.

Irritated with himself, he quickly took another gulp, forcing himself to look away.

Sam set her cup down and glancing up at him, saw what she believed to be frustration. She glanced at her cup and winced.

"Sorry, I didn't want to throw too much at you so I didn't get any of the extras on your cocoa. I love the whipped cream, cinnamon, and the peppermint stick, so I got it. But I'll definitely get it for you next time." She promised.

Jace forced himself to smile and looked over at her. His eyes dropped to her lips and he groaned inwardly. She had the tiniest dollop of whipped cream at the corner of her mouth. He grinned.

"You have some..." He started but before he could think better of it, he was reaching out and with the pad of his thumb he had wiped it off and brought his thumb to his mouth, licking it clean.

"Mmm, delicious." He wasn't talking about the whipped cream.

Sam had gone still when he'd reached out to get the cream but as he licked the whipped cream off his thumb, she felt a shiver of desire.

"Uh, th-thanks." She said stammered. Looking away from him, she reached out and grabbed his sandwich, pushing it at him.

"Eat before it gets cold." She insisted, watching as he set his cocoa down and grabbed it.

"I definitely want it next time." He said. She looked up at him startled.

"Want it?" She asked dumbly, her mind going back to his thumb gently rubbing away the cream.

Jace grinned. So he wasn't the only one affected? Excellent.

"The works. On the cocoa?"

Sam shook herself a little.

"Oh! Oh, of course. Got it." She babbled, glancing up just in time to see his amused grin. He knew she was shaken and he was messing with her!

"Shut up." She said, shaking her head and smiling sheepishly.

Jace chuckled before lifting the sandwich to his mouth. He nodded and looked up at her.

"Oo wuh rye. Dis ih weally gud." He said around a mouthful of food.

Sam tossed her head back and laughed.

"You wanna try that again?"

Swallowing, Jace grinned.

"You were right. This is really good." He repeated, before taking another bite.

Sam laughed again.

"Yeah, I know that's what you said. I have a child, remember? I've heard muffled words before. I just wanted to hear you say I was right again."

They ate in companionable silence, making quick work of their sandwiches.

As Jace leaned back and rested his hands on his stomach, a contented look on his face, Sam looked at him carefully.

"So you're full?" She asked slowly.

Jace raised a brow at her odd behavior, but nodded.

"Stuffed. I couldn't eat another thing."

"Oh. Okay, good." She said casually. She waited a moment before reaching into her bag and pulling out a small Styrofoam container. Opening it, she pulled out a long strip of bacon and took a big bite, chewing blissfully.

Eyes wide, Jace sat up straight, staring at her.

"You have bacon!" He said accusingly, pointing at her.

Sam rolled her lips inwards as she swallowed, bringing her bacon a little closer to her chest.

"Yeah, well. You said you were full." She said defensively.

"I'm never too full for bacon!" He argued immediately, reaching out for a piece. Sam slapped his hand away.

"Get your own bacon."

His eyes widened, holding his hand.

"You're not going to share?" He asked in disbelief. She grinned.

"I don't share bacon."

"I shared with you!" He shot back indignantly. He hadn't been lying before. He was stuffed. But now seeing the bacon, he really wanted it. Especially since Sam didn't want to share it.

"Well, that's your fault. Consider it a learning moment. I will always accept bacon, but I will not always offer bacon."

Jace stared at her.

"Wow, Sam." He shook his head, his lip twitching.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Sam threw her head back and burst out laughing. Her shoulders shaking and tears of mirth in her eyes, she held out the container of bacon.

Jace snatched the box out of her hand quickly before she changed her mind. Munching on a slice of perfectly cooked bacon, he watched her and shook his head, smiling widely.

She was wiping her eyes, still giggling uncontrollably.

"Oh my God! You should have seen your face!" She choked out, widening her eyes comically, mimicking him. She fell into another fit of giggles.

He couldn't help but laugh at her exaggerated expression and continued laughter. Just when he thought she couldn't be anymore perfect, she proved him wrong.

She was finally calming down, just smiling at him. She leaned forward and reached out for a piece of bacon but he held it out of her reach.

This time her eyes widened and she smiled at him in surprise.

"Give me bacon." She said, laughter still in her voice.

He shook his head slowly.

"My bacon."

"Don't make me take you down, Jace."

"My. Bacon." He said slowly, challenging her.

And to his great delight and surprise, Sam launched herself towards him, the bag, napkins, and wrappers flying. She had one arm on the back of the couch, holding herself over him, the other straining out for the box of bacon, while he had leaned away from her, holding it out of reach.

"You're never going to get it with those short arms, T-Rex." He teased.

"Jerk!" Sam said, laughing at his ridiculous comparison. "My arms aren't that short!"

He was laughing with her when she reached out further and her breasts brushed against his cheek. He froze, his arm slackening a bit.

She managed to snatch the box away, crowing victoriously. She started to pull back, and smiled down at him but froze when she saw the heated look in his eyes. His hands came up slowly and gripped her waist, holding her there, squeezing softly.

It was the second time in days that they'd ended up in such close proximity and each time, Sam was shocked the room didn't explode from the sparks flying between them. She found her eyes dropping to his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

"Sam." He whispered softly. She found herself leaning down slowly, her face hovering inches from his.

A loud clatter just outside his door broke the spell that had seemed to come over them, and sent Sam bolting upright, yanking herself away from him.

Heat suffused her cheeks as she stared at him, panic streaking through her. What the hell had she been about to do?

"I-I have to go." She said quickly, bolting up and running out of the room, the box of bacon left forgotten on the couch.