Hey, Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry it has been so long since I have posted a new chapter. It's a crazy time of the year. Hope everyone likes this chapter. Sam gets it!

Let me know what you think. Happy Holidays.

Liz

She rolled out bed to banging on her front door. She threw on her robe, and trudged down her stairs. Who on Earth could be at her door knocking so aggravatingly? She sighed as she opened her door to find Carly standing in front of her bright eyed and bushy tailed. She rushed through her door like a bat out of hell. It was reminiscent of earlier days only Carly had a welcoming smile on her face rather than a scowl.

"Good Morning, Carly. And what can I do for you so early in the morning?" she asked as she yawned.

"Oh, please. You know why I am here. Your date tonight with Dr. Matt Hunter. A little birdie told me about it and we have to get you a new outfit for it."

"Why?"

"Because, silly, it's your second date. You have to step up your game with each date. So you and I are going shopping."

Liz thought about protesting but she knew she couldn't talk Carly out of this. She was so stubborn, and Liz felt that it might be nice to actually buy herself something new.

"Alright, alright. Let me get dressed. Can you throw some coffee on? I am going to need a big ole' cup of it if I am going to be shopping all day and then going out with Matt," she resigned as she walked up the stairs to her room.

She threw some jeans and a long sleeve shirt on. She threw her hair up in a messy bun and made her way downstairs to the smell of brewing coffee. Carly was sitting in the at the kitchen table looking through the newspaper as she made her way into the kitchen. She smiled at Liz as she walked in. This all felt so surreal to Liz. In the years that she had known Carly, she would never have expected for it to be normal to see Carly in her kitchen smiling at her with malice.

"So where are we going shopping?"

"The City of course. It's only a couple hours to the city and we will be back in time for your date."

"How did you even know about this?"

"Doesn't matter. So come on let's go. I have a driver all ready for us," Carly informed her as she poured a cup of coffee.

"Seriously, isn't there anywhere around here that we can go?" she yawned as she sat down at the table with Carly.

"Absolutely not."

She sighed again and took a sip of her coffee. This was going to be a long day.

"Can we stop by Kelly's so I can get a muffin to eat?" she asked after she had finished her coffee and they were on their way out the door.

"Sure. I guess we can stop by there," Carly reluctantly agreed.

She was a woman on a mission, and Liz could barely keep up with her. Once the car pulled up near Kelly's Carly was out the door and pulling Liz after her. They walked inside together and a hush fell over the restaurant. Liz couldn't help but smirk because she knew exactly what they were thinking. What in the world are THOSE two doing together? They hate each other. Carly looked around at everyone and Liz knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Well, I guess this is the reaction that I should have expected. Go back to your food people and stop staring," Carly blurted out as she continued to walk to the counter with Liz in tow.

She ordered her cup of coffee and cranberry muffin, and attempted to keep her eyes diverted from the watchful stares around her. She heard the door open behind her and she turned out of curiosity. She wished she hadn't. There stood Sam.

Sam had seen better days. She looked really rough and tired. Her hair lacked the normal bounce that it usually had. She had bags under her eyes and she looked like she had aged about ten years in only a matter of months. Liz couldn't believe she was showing her face at Kelly's. She should have known it would only be a matter of time that she would run into her. She knew Port Charles wasn't that big, but she didn't think she would run into her at Kelly's of all places.

The rage boiled her blood as their eyes locked on each other. She felt heat radiate through her entire body. Heat fueled by her rage and hurt. This was the woman responsible for her son's death. She had killed her little boy without even looking back. A pothole. A speed bump in the always busy Sam McCall's existence.

Liz found herself taking a step towards the forlorn looking woman almost involuntarily. She could not stop herself. She could hear that Carly was saying something to her, but she couldn't make out the words. The only thing she could focus on was Sam. She hadn't seen her since she found out, and now here she was for the taking.

She no longer saw the surroundings of Kelly's. She just Sam. Sam didn't look scared probably because she thought that Liz wouldn't do anything. What would innocent Liz do? Poor pathetic Liz. She never was one to do anything to the people that hurt her. They were wrong though. They didn't know what a mother's love could do to a person. The loss of her child had changed her. Altered her forever.

"Liz," she heard Sam barely whisper.

It was like she had no voice anymore. The Sam McCall that she knew would have sounded stronger and more arrogant.

"Why are you here?" she managed to say though it was filled with venom.

"Honestly I don't know."

Liz had reached her by now and she was vaguely aware that Carly was standing next to her, but Carly wasn't fast enough. Liz knew what she was going to do and no one would possibly think that she would be so violent, but she was filled with violence. With rage and anger. She was filled with some many emotions that hot, stinging tears burned her eyes as they threatened to spill out. She lunged at Sam. She had her hands tightly around her neck before anyone could stop her.

They fell to the floor as Liz tightened her grip on Sam. She could see Sam trying to loosen her grip and she felt Carly trying to pull her off. She could even hear the chaos that was ensuing around her, but she was focused on Sam. She wanted to kill her. She wanted her as dead as her son.

She suddenly felt someone lifting her off of Sam, and she knew who it was. It was Jason. She hadn't realized she was crying until he had her off of Sam. The tears hadn't blurred her vision. She let go of Sam despite wanting to still kill her. She saw the woman clutching her neck and choking as she finally was able to breathe in. She didn't look angry or upset. She looked numb.

"Let me go, Jason," she yelled still focused on Sam.

She noted that no one helped Sam up. Everyone was standing by her trying to talk her down. She heard voices but couldn't understand what they were saying. It was just noise. White noise to the loud rage pulsing in her ears.

She suddenly only saw Jason standing in front of her with his face inches away from hers, "Liz, you can't do this."

"She should die, Jason."

"Shh. Liz, you have to stop. Please, think about Aiden and Cam."

At the mention of her boys all the rage left her body and she just collapsed in his arms. She had no more fight left in her. Months had gone by, but she still felt so much anger and loss. Now seeing the person responsible for what happened. It just made it so much harder to bear.

"Let's get her out of here," Carly whispered sympathetically.

"No, I'll leave. I shouldn't have come here. You should have let her kill me," Sam spoke softly before turning away to leave.

Liz pressed head against Jason's chest. She was embarrassed that she had lost it so completely. She was upset that she had let Sam get to her. She had choked her and she would have killed her if Jason hadn't stopped her.

"Let me go. I am fine," she pleaded letting go of him.

She felt him remove his arms from her, and she stood up.

"I want to leave, Carly. I need to get away from here. Can we just continue with what we were going to do?" she spoke solemnly, not looking at anyone or anything.

She heard Carly say ok and she headed for the door. She felt Jason lightly grab her arm and she looked at him.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She looked down at his hand on her arm, and then back up at the face that she had once loved so much. She knew his blue eyes and the lines of his face. She could paint him with her eyes closed.

"I'm fine. I just want to leave," she replied in a small voice and she walked away.

Carly followed her out with her hands full with their coffee and muffins. Carly always used to call her muffin face, she thought nostalgically. Now Carly was kind and it still sent shockwaves through her system. She was so used to the Carly that hated her and now they were becoming friends. Weird how life turned out.

"I cannot believe you almost choked her. I wish someone could have gotten that on camera. I didn't think you had that in you."

"No one ever thinks I have anything in me."

"That's not true. Do you know why I hated you all those years?"

"Not really. I always just thought it was because you were jealous of me and Jason."

"True, that was a part of it. But it was also the way you were with people. So forgiving and understanding. Your kindness radiated from within you, and when you would make a mistake, it just shone brighter. God, that was so annoying. But I look at you differently now. You helped my daughter stay alive by your huge selflessness. You gave me the biggest gift of all, and I honestly didn't deserve it. You showed me your kindness, and I realized that there was no reason to hate you."

Liz looked at her in surprise and awe, "You surprise me, Carly. You are the last person I ever thought I would become friends with much less be civil with. And yet, here we are in the same limo not killing each other. Wonders just never cease."

"I agree. But you did just almost kill Sam with your bear hands. You are tougher than I thought."

"I always have been. I just buried it for so long. Jason was right though. I need to think about Aiden and Cam. I can't go around attacking people."

"You didn't attack just anyone. You attacked Sam. She had that coming long before this happened with Jake."

She shrugged and took the coffee from the cup holder. She was silent for the rest of the trip. She didn't say much at the store unless she needed to. She just wasn't into it at all. She had never been one to really like shopping at least not after she had children. She always felt that any extra money she had needed to go to what the kids wanted or needed.

"Liz, Earth to Liz!" Carly spoke breaking her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"I said that I think that you should get that. Where were you? A million miles away?"

"I guess so." She looked in the mirror at what she was wearing.

It was a nice outfit that she had on, but she just couldn't muster up enough feelings to care.

"I'll get it. Can we go home now?"

"Yea, I guess," Carly agreed disappointedly.

She changed back into her regular clothes, and paid for her items. Carly had made sure they got everything to go with the dress before leaving the store. She couldn't even remember the last time she spent so much on herself. She was again silent all the way back to Port Charles. She just listened to hum of the car and watched the scenery fly by.

"Liz?"

She turned to face Carly, and noticed that they were in front of her house. She hadn't even realized that the car had stopped. She had been completely zoned out. She wondered if she should postpone her places with Matt, but then she was really looking forward to spending time with him.

"I didn't even realize we were at my house. Thank you so much, Carly. I am sorry that Sam ruined my mood."

"You weren't really in the mood to go shopping to begin with. Let me know how it goes tonight."

She nodded and got out of the car. She looked at her phone and saw that she had two hours before Matt was picking her up. She rushed inside and jumped in the shower. She couldn't believe that it had gotten so late. While she was in the shower, she thought about what had happened at Kelly's. She could still remember what it felt like to have Sam's neck in her hands. It felt so good to tighten her grip on Sam.

She thought about all the things Sam had done to her. She had been a vengeful bitch when she found out that Jason was the father of Jake, but killing him with her car was the worst thing she could have ever done. It was everything Sam had ever wanted. Liz and Jason's strongest connection gone. She sighed and turned the water off.

She quickly towel dried herself and got dressed. Carly had been right, she did look good in the clothes she had bought. She looked at the mess that was her hair. She decided to let it go curly for once. She didn't have time to blow-dry it and then straighten it. She quickly did her makeup and looked at the finished product in the mirror.

She as she was attempting to think happy thoughts, her doorbell rang. She grabbed her purse and went downstairs. She opened the door to find Jason standing in front of her.

"Hey," he greeted her as he looked her up and down, "Are you going out?"

"Yes, I have a date with Matt tonight."

"You want to go out after going after Sam the way you did?"

"Why not? I don't feel that bad about it. I shouldn't have down it in public, but she had it coming. Big time."

"What's going on with you?"

She was confused by his question, "What do you mean?"

"You attacked Sam, you're hanging out with Carly."

"What's the big deal? Carly and I buried the hatchet, and not in each other's back. I would think you would welcome the truce between me and her. I mean now she won't blow up at you about me anymore. That's got to add a little peace and quiet in your life. And as for attacking Sam, well that was 4 years in the making." She stopped talking because she saw Matt pull up.

Jason followed her gaze and she knew he wasn't happy to see him. Matt came up the walkway with flowers in his hands, and a scowl on his face. Apparently he was not happy to see Jason either.

"Hello, Jason." Matt said coldly.

"Hello," was all Jason said before just walking away.

"How is that he always shows up at the worst times?" he asked still watching Jason as he got on his bike.

It was as if he was making sure Jason was going to leave. Once Jason was gone, he turned and flashed his crooked smile at her.

"These are for you, Champ," he laughed holding the flowers up to her.

"You heard, huh?"

He nodded, "Oh, yeah. Sam came to the hospital. She had some deep bruises around her neck and I guess she bruised her back when she crashed into the floor with you on top of her. I wish I could have seen it. She isn't pressing charges by the way."

"I don't think she has a right to."

"Oh, she does. You definitely won round 2. If you see her again, do you think there is going to be a round 3?"

"If she knows what's good for her, she'll avoid me at all costs," she replied coldly.

"So what would you like to do tonight?"

"I would have figured you had the night planned since you asked me out."

"Well, after what happened today, I kind of figured you weren't up for it."

"I'm dressed and ready to go."

"Okay, how about dinner at the Metro Court, and we will go from there."

She nodded and headed towards the door. The night seemed to go by faster now that she was with Matt. He really made her feel more comfortable. His light-hearted attitude about things made her feel light and he always seemed to make her laugh. She didn't think about Sam for the rest of time she was with him.

"I wanted to say by the way that you look amazing," he whispered in her ear as they walked out of the Metro Court.

She leaned into him, "Take me home. We can finish our night there."

He smiled and held her door open for her. They didn't talk much on the way to her house. She was a little nervous about inviting him back to her house. Once they were at her place, she went into the kitchen to get some wine and glasses. She turned around after grabbing two glasses on the top shelf, and realized he was right behind her.

He didn't say anything. He just kissed her. She melted into the kiss. After the day she had, she glad to be ending it on a better note. She wrapped her arms around his neck, glasses still in hand, and pressed her body against his. She felt the slow building fire burn through her body. The fire fueled by desire. She wanted him. She didn't care that they had only been on two dates. They had known each other for years.

She attempted to the glasses on the counter behind her, but Matt was so distracting. She heard the glass shatter as it hit the ground, but she didn't even care. She lightly ran her hands down his chest and pulled his shirt up over his head. He quickly pulled her back to him and kissed her hard on the lips. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. His hands were everywhere on her. She didn't think they would make it to the bedroom at the rate their clothes were coming off. She found his belt and quickly unfastened it.

She let out a cry of surprise when he suddenly picked her up and carried her to the living room. He gently laid her on the couch and she pulled him on top of her. She didn't care about anything right now. The only thing on her mind was him. The only thing she wanted was him. She almost screamed when she finally felt him. It had been so long since she had been with anyone.

She laid next to him on the couch in complete rapture and content. She loved the feel of his arms wrapped around her. She knew that they were probably moving entirely too fast, but with the she was feeling right now, she did not care. She had not felt so good in so long, and she wanted to feel this way forever. She forgot how amazing sex could feel. It was nice to experience it without guilt or remorse.

"That was…incredible," he sighed happily.

"I would have to agree."

She snuggled into him, and felt the haziness of sleep descending upon her. Her last thought before it overtook her was that Matt was very comfortable to lay against.