The night was still. Jason listened carefully outside the gates but heard no sounds - nothing stirring. Using his key fob, he quickly opened the tiny side gate used for foot traffic and scurried through, easing it closed behind him as he let his eyes get even more accustomed to the darkened shadows around the house, rapidly scanning the vicinity for their uninvited guest. Nothing. But he knew the shadow had not been a figment of his imagination. The hairs standing on the back of his neck told him danger was near…everything he lived for was at risk.

Deducing that the most logical point of entry for an intruder was the back door, Jason dashed towards the rear, crouching against the side of the house as he moved stealthily and quickly, the gun pointed down to the ground as he ran. He'd activated the alarm before he left, so he knew that the minute a door or a window was pried opened the woods would become alive with the sound of music - or more like deafening blares. He would make certain the tip of his gun was the triggering welcome the intrusive bastard faced tonight.

When he got to the back door, Jason's heart dropped to the ground with a thud. It stood ajar, allowing him clear view into the kitchen, yet there was no sound coming from the high priced, top of the line system he'd had installed the day the house was finished.

"The fuck?"

Livid, Jason crept inside, scanning the area rapidly, his gun cocked and aimed to shoot…but there was no-one there but him. A quick glance at the alarm panel showed no cut wires, but there was a foreign device attached to the surface of it, its numerical face lit green. He knew right then he was dealing with a professional…and the son of a bitch was on his way up to Sam and Danny!

Fighting the sudden fright that crashed his heart, Jason hastened to the stairwell, his eyes scanning the halls as he raced to his family, taking the stairs two at a time on the tip of his toes.

Sam had been asleep, until the baby pressing on her bladder had eased her awake. She'd opened her eyes to find Jason's side of the bed empty and cold to the touch, before her eyes scanned the nightstand and landed on the short note he'd scribbled on the notepad kept there. He went to meet Curtis.

She'd just finished emptying her bladder and had turned the tap off after washing her hands, when her trained ear picked up the sound of footsteps on the wooden hallway floor. They were treading abnormally slowly, as if being paced, heading towards her.

Sam knew instantly she had unwanted company. Jason would have no reason to be tiptoeing around their home and Danny was completely tuckered out in his sugar coma. Tipping to reach the top shelf of the cabinet, she quickly pushed the folded towels aside and pulled out the lockbox beneath the stack at the back, placing it on the counter to hurriedly punch the four digit code. In a flash she'd loaded the Beretta, taking aim just as the open bathroom door was pushed wider to reveal a hooded figure, cloaked in head to toe black, armed with a pistol aimed directly at her.

"Put that down NOW!" His ice cold voice was not responsible for the panic that ran through her, rather the picture her mind conjured up of the gunman getting into Danny's room.

"Get the hell outta my house!"

Sam forced herself to focus on stopping any attempt he made at getting to Danny. With any luck, he had no idea her son was in the house.

"I said drop it lady - you're coming with me!" Those were the last words spoken before they both heard a click and the icy cold voice of her partner, coming in behind the startled infiltrator.

"HEY!" Jason didn't wait for the intruder to acknowledge his surprising appearance. "Drop it, or I put a bullet in your head!"

He'd seen the man leave…had laughed to himself at his careless departure through the open gates that provided easy entry! Yet, just like that, he had no play left. The stubborn raven haired beauty had him at gunpoint and refused to flinch, let alone drop her piece, and the former enforcer's reputed deadly aim was now locked on his head. Last time he'd ever listen to Olivia and strike before he was ready and without a team in place. They'd both obviously misread this pair.

"Okay, don't get excited." The stranger pointed his gun towards the ceiling, spreading both hands in surrender as he turned his head to the side to try and get a glance at the danger behind him. "You wouldn't shoot a man in the back would you, Morgan? Nobody needs to die."

"You broke into my family's home - you were dead the second you entered the gate! Now, I said PUT IT DOWN!"

"Okay, okay!" The gunman started to crouch with the gun but his grip held fast to the barrel with his finger loosely on the trigger.

Sam rushed forward and grabbed the weapon before he got all the way down, distrusting the way his eyes were darting furtively, an indication that he was weighing his chances, getting ready to risk firing before he surrendered fully. She knew he was simply trying to decide which one was the more deadly threat to take first. She stepped back rapidly, the confiscated weapon now in her hand too.

The man straightened back up, eyeing her hatefully.

"Who are you?" Jason's voice was cold as he grabbed one shoulder and spun him hard. He didn't recognize the six foot, muscular giant, even after he unceremoniously ripped the snow mask from his head to reveal his bearded face. "Who sent you here?" He knew a hired hood when he saw one.

No answer. Definitely a professional.

"Okay, Chaplin - let's go!" Reaching one hand out to Sam, Jason took the villain's gun from her and poked him in the back, prodding him to walk ahead of him back through the bedroom door, just as Sam breezed past them and ran down to Danny's room.

Sam released a huge sigh of relief at the sight of her little man fast asleep on his back, the comforter half thrown off the bed with his Iron Man clad legs and arms spreading every which way. She lifted the comforter and eased her son's legs back under, pulling it up to his neck as he stirred and turned over onto his side away from the disturbance. She smiled as she stroked his hair tenderly, then kissed her fingers and stroked him once more. She sat for a long minute to study him in sleep, before her mind wandered back to Jason and how he was faring with his new charge.

Jason poked the man in front of him when he slowed his steps at the back door, sending him stumbling out into the backyard. He had no idea how lucky he was…no idea that the only reason he was still alive was because Jason refused to spill blood in his family's home…if it can be helped.

They'd just gotten to the spot where he'd left the SUV when the man made a sudden stop, bringing Jason to a jarring halt against his back, right before his head whipped back in a smashing crash to Jason's forehead, momentarily throwing him off guard. Before he could react, the villain had zipped around and followed up with two rapid punches to the enforcer's jaw and gut, sending him doubling over and the guns flying from his hands.

With Jason thrown off balance, the man dove to the ground, sweeping his hands frantically through the dark, in search of the fallen weapons, but before he could make contact, a searing pain from Jason's kick smacked the side of his face and sent him sprawling to his back. He didn't lay there, but flipped his hands behind his head and rolled his body up and over, to put distance between him and the advancing enforcer, who'd quickly recovered from the surprising blows.

Guns forgotten for the moment, Jason was ready to go toe to toe with the obviously competent assailant, who had sprung to his feet and started casing him cagily.

"You're not taking me. I came for your pretty little wife and I will leave with what I came for."

Jason circled with the wily man, watching carefully for his chance to get in and catch him unaware, not saying a word in response to his cocky threat.

"Don't worry, Morgan…the baby won't die with her…I can give you that much."

Still silent as he continued to circle slowly, Jason was studying the areas where the man left himself open, wanting him to just keep talking and unknowingly expose a key vulnerability.

"Shame though, that such a tasty piece has to go out like that…maybe we'll have us a private little party before…"

He was cut off when Jason lunged and packed an iron punch to the underside of an arm that was raised to emphasize his argument as he gloated about the wrong thing and left the opening Jason sought. Landing a rapid followup left to accompany the massive uppercut that thumped against the man's ribcage with a vengeance, Jason brought his right knee up to connect mercilessly with his gut as he pulled the man's torso down, but instead of going down the mercenary grabbed hold of Jason's legs and pushed hard, sending them both tumbling to the cold ground.

In an instant they'd rolled away from each other and both jumped to their feet, casing once more, this time with a more in-depth appreciation for the other's skill level. Jason knew without a doubt that he could not give this man a second chance to get near Sam and Danny.

"I told you - you're not taking me! I'm going back to that house to bend your bitch of a wife over and show her what a real man feels like."

That last word was swallowed with his tongue when the distance was closed rapidly and a lightning fast one-two jab from Jason sent teeth slicing through lip and his nose smashed into his face. Diving for the ground, Jason scooped his fallen gun from where his foot had come across it a minute earlier, spinning on his back to take aim, just in time to catch the six inch blade flying towards him. Without hesitation, he triggered and emptied the magazine where a heart should've been, killing the slimeball nine times before he hit the ground with a loud thump, part of his body falling across Jason's legs. Heaving and then kicking the body all the way off him, Jason stomped the bloodied corpse in the head for good measure, grimacing at the blood seeping from every orifice. Nobody talks about Sam!

Sam was pacing the kitchen. She'd removed the disabling device from the alarm pad and re-activated the system after Jason left. She knew she shouldn't worry - her husband was more than capable of taking care of himself - he'd shown that time again..but she couldn't help it. There were so many unknowns in this situation that she couldn't stop the worry that consumed her. What if the pig wasn't alone? What if Jason had gotten ambushed when he went out? And where'd he go anyway? What was taking him so long to return?

Still biting her nails, Sam reached for the cellphone on the counter once more, grunting and tossing it back yet again, reminding herself that she couldn't call him - not when he was dealing with a delicate situation and shouldn't be distracted. If only she could go find him! But she couldn't leave Danny…and running after Jason in the dark, with any number of unknown assailants roaming the grounds, was not the best idea. But what if Jason needed her?

"Calm down, Sam. He's fine - you would know if he wasn't!" She rubbed her baby as she paced the kitchen, willing herself to calm down and trust him like she always does. "He's got this, little one…daddy's got this!"

She'd just swiped up the phone again when it rang it her hand.

"Jason - thank goodness! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, baby. How're you? Danny still asleep?"

"Yes, he didn't wake up at all. Where are you now?"

"Just finishing up, then I need to catch up with the mastermind. I'll be home soon. You're sure you're okay?"

"I promise. Do what you need to - we'll be fine."

Even without her saying it, he knew he could go do what needed to be done and Sam would take care of home, but it didn't make him want to be with them any less. As much as living on the edge had always given him an insane rush, it paled in comparison to how much Jason was finding himself loving his family life and home. It was unlike anything else and more than everything. He never knew that being a husband and father would become so very paramount to him, and it was astoundingly welcome.

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Olivia Jerome was not a patient woman. Why hadn't he checked in or shown up yet? Couldn't be that difficult to grab one tiny, wisp of a girl by her hair and drag her to the penthouse, could it? She stopped pacing in front of the fireplace and looked down at the bandaged hand with its four remaining digits and she flamed, grinding clenched teeth as she pictured the Morgans taking her finger.

"Oooh, you'll pay for this - I swear as I stand here drawing breath, I'll make you pay!"

She lowered the martini glass and reached for the phone on the coffee table, pressing the speed dial number then the speaker button. After the fourth ring, the call connected.

"What the hell is taking so long? Bring me that bitch's head or you can say goodbye to your own!"

The cool voice that responded was not who she expected.

"The only bitch losing her head is the one I'm talking to!"

Her pacing halted instantly and disbelieving eyes dashed down to the phone in her hand.

"Jason Morgan! Where's my associate?" She knew she didn't need to even ask, but the whisper came out anyway.

"Where anyone you send after my family will end up - including you!"

The roaring fire in front of her failed in that moment as an ice cold shiver ran down her spine from the coldness in the words. She could've sworn they'd stopped making men like this one, so very masculine, and capable, and that blazing inferno kind of hot! She could almost give a missing finger to spend time appreciating Jason Morgan's kind of heat…but only almost.

"Stopping my friend won't stop me, Mr. Morgan. You owe me retribution for everything you've cost me and I intend to collect." She pulled her injured hand tightly to her chest. "Through you, my darling niece and everything that you love…you can count on that."

There was a heavy silence during which she started to think he'd hung up, when she heard the precise voice once more.

"You're gonna find it really hard to do that…as a dead woman!"

The line going silent was final that time, and Olivia glared angrily at the burner before she tossed it into the fire. Won't be needing that one anymore.

Okay, her prized minion failed to bring back the trophy she requested, so time to do it herself if she was to get it done right. Since she couldn't get to the mountain, she needed to bring the mountain to her! But how?

"Ava, open up!" The female voice was slightly familiar to her. Olivia inched closer to the door as an incessant knocking piped up and continued as the voice sounded again, "I need to talk to Julian and I'm not leaving!"

Throwing the door open, she grabbed the young woman who was caught off guard and yanked her inside, before slamming the door shut.

"My, are all you Davis women pushy and demanding? It's not a very attractive trait!"

Molly gaped at the woman standing near the door, blocking any escape.

"You! You're supposed to be in jail! You were all over the news - they caught you!"

Olivia moved toward the frightened young woman leeringly, watching her with a contemptuous smile as she wallowed in the good fortune just handed to her on a silver tray.

"Didn't your mother teach you not to believe everything you see on television?"

The couch appeared at the back of Molly's legs and she halted, her throat dry and scratchy. "What do you want?"

"Well, your stepfather's head on a platter might've sufficed a few days ago…but now, I want all your heads too. Everything and everyone he cares about…everything he loves."

"Loves? Julian doesn't love anyone, except himself! He doesn't know the meaning of the word. Look at what he did to my mother? Look at what he did to all of us? Which is what I came here to talk to him about…why don't you and Julian and everyone of you miserable Jeromes, just go back to wherever the heck you came from and leave us alone?"

"Can't do that little girl. I'm going to make Julian bleed…right after I make him watch all of you bleed…and then I'm going to take everything in this town that's rightfully owed me…starting with the baby that should've been Duke's and mine."

Molly's face scrunched in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Olivia grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in, groping in her pockets until she found the young girl's phone, then shoved her to the couch behind her.

"Sit down and shut up! Or I'll start with you instead!"

She snapped a photo of a scared Molly and strolled over to the fireplace as she typed on the phone.

Sam couldn't go back to sleep. She knew the baby needed rest but not even the hot milk was working tonight. She couldn't close her eyes again until Jason got home, so she went to the nursery instead, where she got comfortable in the padded rocking chair, and started to empty the mountain of shopping bags loaded with baby clothes. She could get a couple loads of laundry going, to prevent her mind from conjuring up the images of Jason stuck in the middle of the turf war she feared was already in full swing in the streets of Port Charles.

As she ripped the tags from each adorable, itsy bitsy piece, she marveled at how very tiny and sweet, children started out. If only they could stay innocent and carefree forever, instead of being exposed to the evil that roamed the world every day, taught to hate and envy. Something as simple as washing her newborn's clothing prebirth should be filling her with awe, wonder, and utter fulfillment…instead she must use it to distract herself from the chaos other people insisted on bringing to their lives.

What was it that happens in a persons life to send them down a path of craziness, destruction, and hate, with no way back? They all started as innocent babies didn't they…reliant on someone else for the basic necessities in life? Where along the way does your life take the drastic turn to make you a cold blooded, unrepentant, irredeemable evil, loathing the sight of another's happiness? Where do you fail as a parent, to prevent that from happening to your sweet little baby?

Her mind flashed to a brief period in her own life where she was filled with vengeance and the need for revenge. Was that how it starts? Would she had been able to sustain that kind of burning hatred and loathing toward those who wronged her, for the rest of her life?

"No way!"

For one, her anger was centered on two particular people who had directly harmed her and broken her heart. For two, there was a lot of good in her…anger burns for only so long and then poof - something more important takes it place. Forgiveness, love for others, love for yourself…if there's good in you it will push something greater than anger to the forefront. No…she was convinced that some people were just born evil and others were taught early on.

Sam's phone beeped in the pocket of her robe, breaking her despondent reverie, just before her breath was slapped from her throat. What she opened was a text from Molly's phone that revealed a picture of her baby sister looking terrified, captioned with, 'Ava's penthouse in twenty minutes. Come alone or she dies.'

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"Jason, where are you?"

Sam's fingers trembled as she forward the message, her calm breathing from earlier forgotten along with the calming baby clothes piled on the changing table next to her. She looked down anxiously at the sound of the incoming beep, reading his reply, 'right outside…I got it!'

How the hell did Olivia get her hands on Molly? She'd left her baby sister at the Noodle Buddha, glowing and happy, with the rest of her family and their friends. How did she end up in Olivia's paws, and what if Jason didn't get to her in time?

For the tenth time that night, Sam found herself pacing anxiously, waiting to hear word on her family. What exactly would a lazy, contented pregnancy look like? Why couldn't she just sit around eating chocolate and getting round and fat, just waiting for her baby to arrive?

"Because you're a Davis and a Morgan, that's why!"

She shook her head as her inner voice reminded her not to forget the Jerome part of her too.

"I'll never be a damn Jerome - they're all crazy, greedy bastards, every last one of them!"

She wanted absolutely no part of that lineage that turned on each other in the blink of an eye. No damn way would she bring her children up to embrace the Jerome or Cassadine in them…lunatics, all of them!

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Jason wasn't going to knock. The lunatic inside was expecting Sam…as if his pregnant wife was going to bring their unborn child near this place, when she had the kind of resources she did at her disposal. One call from her could've had the entire building surrounded by Sonny's men…but they weren't needed…she had a husband who would blast through the world for her.

Listening closely when he got up to the door and hearing muffled voices inside, Jason waited until he discerned only two females, and knew they weren't close to the door. Backing up slightly, he blasted through the knob with the silenced gun, kicking the door wide to reveal Molly seated on the couch and Olivia Jerome standing by the fireplace, both turning in shock when the door flew open and he blasted in. Without hesitation, Jason raised his gun higher and squeezed twice, both bullets finding the mark in the middle of Olivia Jerome's forehead, freezing the look of extreme shock and utter panic in place, in the split second when she recognized death tearing towards her.

Molly screamed and Jason slammed the door shut behind him, watching coldly as the evil bitch tumbled to the floor, the martini glass crashing there before her as she sunk first to her knees, then toppled to the side and laid with bulging eyes wide open, crimson spurting from a smoking hole in the middle of her forehead.

Jason turned to his sister-in-law, a forefinger pressed to his lips as his eyes pleaded with her to calm down.

"Molly, you're okay. It's okay." His eyes darted towards the hallway to their right. "Is anyone else here?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Molly shook her head jauntily.

"Okay." Jason broke out his phone from his pocket and dialed the last number he called. "Here, talk to Sam. You're okay." He handed a frightened Molly the phone, then pulled a burner from his coat pocket.

"Hey. I just texted you an address. I need some cleanup assistance."

Twenty minutes later, he'd sent Molly home with one of Sonny's guards, while two former associates helped him to remove all traces of Olivia Jerome from the penthouse floor. When they left soon after, there wasn't a trace of blood or a hair out of place when Jason pulled the door shut behind them.