Do not own General Hospital or any of the characters.

The Flame of Franco

A Little Romance…

It had been a long couple of days as Jason entered the penthouse. He was happy to be home. Over the last few days, everything had seemed to go wrong. Dante had survived the gunshot wound and had lied about sonny shooting him, saying he had done it himself. However, Dante was still holding Sonny responsible for the murder of Claudia. Jason had tried talking Sonny into letting him kill him. He was a threat to the business but Sonny wouldn't hear of it. He still believed that there was a chance for him to have a relationship with his son. He didn't think that Dante would destroy them like Jason did. And to make matters even worse, Michael had not been acting like himself. He was having a hard time keeping it together. The young man hated how his father was taking the blame for what he had done. Jason knew that it wouldn't be much longer until he confessed. Jason didn't know even how or if he could prevent it from happening. There had been a close call, just yesterday, but Mac had not believed him and sent him home. And in all this mess he still had Sam to look after. She was doing better but was still having nightmares. He knew she was trying to act strong for him and Alexis but wasn't doing as good of a job in covering it.

That's why tonight he wanted to do something special for her. He hadn't forgotten that it was Valentine Day. It would be their first valentine day together in a while and he wanted to make it special. He had finally managed to get Carly to leave and go back home or at least stay at the Metro Court. Placing his keys on the desk, along with his gun, he shredded off his leather jacket before pulling out his cell phone. If he wanted to make this day unforgettable, he knew he needed to call in help, The Davis Girls.

"How was your appointment?" he asked towards her as he picked her up at GH.

"It went okay," she responded like she always did after her therapy. She always felt so raw and vulnerable after her talks with Dr. Winters. She hated unleashing all her pass history and talking again and again about Franco but it did help a bit with her coming to terms with everything.

Jason knew that therapy was hard on her. But he could tell that it was working, which he liked. Gently reaching out, he touched her lightly on the knee before staring up the engine. He hoped that what he had planned at home would take her mind off things for a little while. He just wanted to make her feel like her old self and bring that smile back to her eyes.

She gave him a sad smile before turning her attention to the side window, watching as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the streets. She just felt like going home and having a long bubble bath before having take-out with Jason. She knew it was valentine day but she didn't expect anything. Jason was never a big fan of the holiday and she didn't want any grand jesters. She just wanted a quiet evening with Jason.

Jason looked over at her quickly before turning his attention back onto the road. He prayed that tonight went over well. That she would be in good spirits to celebrate. He just wanted to make her smile again. He wanted her to be in good spirits, even if it was only for a short period of time.

Both he and Sam were quiet as they walked into the lobby of the apartment complex. Sam wasn't really lost in her own world; she just didn't have much to say, which was becoming the norm nowadays. Reaching out in took her hand in his as they walked the remainder length of the room to the elevators. He then pulled Sam into a kiss. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too," she responded, resting her head against his chest. She was happy to have him to lean on. That he was still there for her after so much hurt and heart ache they had been through over the past few years.

Jason didn't know why, but he was suddenly very nervous as he and Sam stepped off the elevator and began to walk towards the Penthouse door. He was most afraid that his plan would backfire on him and that Sam would hate it. He was afraid that it would remind her too much of that night, the last time they had tried to do something romantic, just the two of them.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly looking up at him.

Jason just stared at her blankly, "Nothing," he lied as he searched for his keys.

"You look nervous," she stated, studying his face.

He just shrugged his shoulders at this as he opened the front door, revealing what waited for her inside. He held his breath as he watched her enter the penthouse, stopping suddenly at the desk. Taking in the sight that lay before her. The whole room seemed too exploded with pink. Jason was a little taken back himself at what the Davis Girls had done to his home in the short amount of time given to them. He had to admit he was impressed. He could have never come up with something like this on his own. There were pink roses everywhere. Along with candles and heart shaped decorations.

"What do you think?" he asked towards Sam as he shut the front door, and looked at her.

She turned slowly and looked at him; there were tears in her eyes. "It's pink!" she stated, a smile appearing on her face.

"It is," he observed, nodding his head in reply. "Do you like it?" he asked coming towards her.

"It's beautiful," she whispered in reply as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled up at him as she placed her arms around his neck. "I love it!" she then stood up on her toes, cupping the back of his head; she pulled him into a kiss. It was the most romantic thing he had ever done for her. They stayed like this for a moment, slowly kissing. They hadn't been physical with one another since it had happened. Jason hadn't wanted to push her. The most they had done was kiss and touch slightly.

Moving towards the couch, the kiss deepened as their tongue began to explore the depth of each other's mouths. His hands cupped the sides of her face. She was straddling his lap, her hands resting on his chest. Her heart was beating rapidly, a mixture of nerves and excitement fluttering through her stomach. She didn't know what she was feeling or how she should be feeling at this moment. She wasn't sure if she was ready for what came next as she felt Jason's hands slide down the front of her shirt. He pulled at her leather jacket that she was still wearing. Not breaking the kiss, Sam removed it and threw it on to the coffee table behind her. Jason then removed his own jacket.

His lips were hot against her skin, as he began to attack the side of her neck. His hands were resting on her hips. He was going slowly. He didn't want to push her into anything she wasn't ready for. Her hands were gently roaming up and down his chest. Her eyes were closed in concentration. A million thoughts were racing through her mind as she felt Jason's hands move from her waist and slid underneath her shirt. She had to remind herself that it was Jason's hands not Franco. That she was at the penthouse. That she was home. She knew he had gone through a lot of trouble to make today special for her and she didn't want to ruin it. He had been so good to her over the last month; she wanted to do this for him.

Arching her back, she pressed her hips into his. She could do this, she told herself. She could make love to the man that she loved and who loved her. Sliding her hands down his torso, she pulled at the material of his t-shirt, pressing her palms against the hardness of his abs. His stopped what he was doing suddenly and looked at her, his blue eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded her head in reply. She was more than sure as she leaned forwarded and pulled him into a kiss.

A few moments later, both their shirts were removed. She now lay underneath Jason as they were spread out on the couch. Her heart was again beating rapidly with nerves as she closed her eyes and felt Jason's weight on top of her. There was a tent formation in the crotch area of his jeans. She could feel the hardness of him against her inner thigh. Her hands gripped the soft material beneath her fingers tips as she felt his hands slid underneath her and unhooked her bra. Her breast bounced slightly against her chest as they were released from the support of the bra. He kissed her cheek before removing the bra from her. He could tell that she was tense as he gently cupped her bare breasts. A harsh breath was released from her lips, as she felt the coldness of his hands on her. A sudden vision of Franco flashed through her mind. A tear rolled down her cheek at this. Jason's mouth was gently licking the side of her neck as he began to slightly pinch her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. This action usually got a good response from her but not tonight.

Sam screamed out suddenly as she placed both of her hands on his chest, trying to shove him off. "NO!" she cried as she kicked her legs from underneath him in a panic. Her palms slapped his chest in an effort to push him off her once again. It was all too much, his weight, his hands…

Jason stopped what he was doing suddenly. Removing his hands, he sat up just as Sam swiftly moved away from him. Tears were streaming down her face as she hugged her knees to her chest. She hadn't meant to freak out like that. "I'm sorry Jason," she whispered, her brown eyes looking over at him.

It broke his heart to see her like this. That he had caused this reaction. He knew he should have stopped sooner but he had not been thinking. He had missed the touch of her skin against his. "No, Sam, I'm sorry," he whispered towards her. He was furious at himself. He should have been paying closer attention then he had been. He made a move to embrace her but at the last second though against it, dropping his arms to his sides. Sam was looking away from him as she rocked herself back and forth.

Standing up, Jason pulled his shirt back on before going into the kitchen. He needed a beer.

His hands were shaking as he pulled a bottle out from the fridge, twisting the cap off; he took a long sip from it. His body seemed to be shaking with rage. He was pissed at himself for causing her so much pain.

"Aaargghh," he cried as he suddenly threw the half filled bottle against the wall of the kitchen. Watching as it immediately smashed into pieces on impact.

Okay, it probably not what you expected from reading the title of this chapter. But it's going to be still a long road for JaSam to recover from what Franco did. Thanks for reading and please review!

Julie