A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter is kind of long because there is so much going on that I wanted to kind of put it all in this chapter so we can get some momentum going. The chapter will jump around a little bit as we see what is going on in various places with different people.

Next thing I wanted to say was that I'm aware that jumping from one dangerous situation to another can become tedious to read about. I plan to have a nice little break for Sam and Jason where they're just reconnecting without danger lurking in every corner. That's not to say there won't be plenty of drama because there will be. :)

Another thing I wanted to do was explain some things. Some of you have mentioned being confused about Valentin or expressing concern that there will be some creepiness afoot. Let me assure you I have no plans for that. Valentin is NOT related to Sam. The story I had him tell her was his own story. He found out as an adult that Mikkos was not really his father. He learned of the cruel things Mikkos did to his birth parents and vowed to take everything from them, including their name. He's never revealed his secret to anyone but Sam. So while Valentin will have feelings for Sam, they aren't inappropriate or creepy because they're not related by blood. He is about 15-18 years older than her, but when's that ever stopped someone? LOL I also wanted to point out what smart followers I have! So many of you knew exactly what Liz was plotting. Ha! Awesome.

Anyway, thank you so much for the replies! And for the reviewer who complimented my editing skills THANK YOU! It's super tedious but it drives me nuts to see typos in my chapters LOL. And I love that you guys get so into this that you demand more chapters. I try to write as quickly as possible because I know some of you are impatient to find out what happens and you know me. I LOVE a cliffhanger! LOL Things are kind of busy for me right now, but lucky for all of you, I'm an insomniac so I write at night. Enjoy!

Jen

buttercup0303


Chapter 53

Jason paced back and forth as Spinelli worked furiously on his laptop. Alexis sat on the couch, playing with Danny, while casting anxious looks towards Jason and Spinelli frequently. Julian stood in the corner, making phone calls to some old contacts.

Jason stopped and rubbed his face with his hands. Sam had been missing for over 12 hours and Jason was frantic. Jason had gone straight to Alexis and Julian's house immediately after hanging up. Alexis had met him at the door, eyes wide, hands flailing.

"Jason, what's going on? Where's my daughter?"

Julian had rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her.

After telling them what they knew, Jason turned to Spinelli, who had come with him. Without a word, Spinelli knew what Jason wanted and promptly took a seat at their dining room table and started typing away.

Jason felt a tug on his jeans and looked down to see Danny staring up at him. He bent and picked him up, holding him close. When Danny laid his head on Jason's shoulder, Jason's heart warmed. He rubbed his son's back and kissed his head.

"I miss Mommy." Danny said, his voice tearful. Jason's eyes caught Alexis' and they passed a worried look between each other.

"I know, buddy. So do I but Mommy will be home soon. I promise. Come on, let's go read a book before bed, okay?"

Danny stared into his father's eyes before he nodded sleepily. Julian gestured to Jason and then walked ahead of him to show him to Danny's room. Jason thanked Julian before laying in bed with Danny.

He grabbed a book off the bedside table and started reading it to Danny. Danny laughed at Jason's silly voices until finally, he dropped off to sleep. Jason watched his little boy sleep, and worried about bringing Sam home. They were finally finding their way back to each other, little by little. Last night had been a huge step for them and they had both been so happy. Now Sam was missing and Jason was terrified he'd never find her.

Molly poked her head in the room.

"Jason?"

He turned towards her voice, and easing his son off his chest and onto the bed, he got up and followed her into the hallway. Kristina was leaning against the wall waiting for them, her arms across her chest.

When she saw Jason she straightened and pointed at him accusingly.

"Jason, you promised me you would take care of my sister."

Molly jumped in before Kristina said something she couldn't take back.

"We need you to go out there and find Sam. You've always managed to save her, so I know you will again. Please." Molly pleaded, fear and worry on her face.

Guilt made Jason stiffen, though he understood their fear. He explained what he knew so far to let them know there was progress.

"I went out on the streets looking for her, talking to possible witnesses, but no one has seen anything. I found Sam's car parked near the docks, and her prescription bottle on the floor over on Pier 52. That's near the pharmacy, so she was obviously on her way there. I checked with the pharmacy but she never came in. We've narrowed down where she was when she went missing. Spinelli is hacking the cameras in the area and once he goes through the footage, we'll know what happened."

Molly and Kristina both nodded and went to join their mother, though Kristina looked back at Jason with narrowed eyes.

Jason followed them after checking on Danny again. Spinelli was busy scrolling through hours of video to find a clue to Sam's whereabouts. Just then Jason's phone beeped. He checked it quickly, hoping fruitlessly that it would be from Sam.

He almost hurled the phone across the room when he saw it was from Elizabeth instead. Clenching his jaw, he reminded himself it could be about Jake. He read the text and saw red.

Thought you'd like to know your wife has been flirting with a hot new man. You can still fix this Jason. You can still be with someone who will love you and only you, always. I'll be waiting for you.

Elizabeth had attached two photos. One of Sam smiling up at a dark-haired man with his back to the camera. He wasn't sure when the photo was taken, but he knew the second one was from today. His jaw clenched when he saw Sam standing close to the same man. From the angle Liz had taken the photo, Jason could see the man's face as he smiled down at Sam. He couldn't see her face, only that the man's arm seemed to be around her.

Fury pulsing through him, Jason's mind raced. If Elizabeth had thought she could turn him against Sam, she was dead wrong. He trusted Sam and knew that the pictures had to have been taken out of context. What infuriated him was that Elizabeth continued to play games, and worse, seemed to be stalking Sam. He resolved to call Diane and file for custody of Jake once he found Sam, and a restraining order against Liz for Sam and him.

Jason walked over to Spinelli and handed him the phone.

"Elizabeth just sent this to me. She's trying to make me lose faith in Sam so I'll go back to her."

Spinelli jumped in.

"Surely, you realize the Demented Nurse is merely trying to lure you back into her deceitful web of lies?" Spinelli was worried because Jason had always been blind to Elizabeth's faults in the past.

Jason shook his head.

"I trust Sam. Elizabeth lies like she breathes and I would never believe a word she said. But that last picture is from today. I just need you to figure out what time it was taken so we can narrow down the last time she was seen."

Spinelli beamed at Jason and turned back to his laptop. Behind him, Julian cleared his throat.

"I'm glad you realize that my daughter is nothing like that lying nurse you almost married."

Jason nodded shortly with a brief smile, not really caring if he had Julian's support, but appreciating it all the same.

"Eureka! I know exactly what time the picture was taken. Now if I can just get to that time frame on the camera feed."

Jason took his phone back and watched Spinelli work. He considered his next move, before he walked outside and called Elizabeth. She had lied to him for months, so he didn't feel guilty about his next move.

"Jason? I knew you'd call me."

Jason gritted his teeth and did what he needed to do.

"Liz? I need you to tell me everything about the man with Sam." He rolled his eyes as Elizabeth gasped dramatically.

"Jason, I'm so sorry I had to show you what Sam was really like. I know I messed up, but I would never hurt you the way Sam has. Come home, Jason. We miss you."

Jason knew that she believed every word she was saying. That's part of what worried him. He feared for his son's safety while she was like this. And he worried she'd played a part in Sam's disappearance.

"Elizabeth, tell me what you saw."

Elizabeth's mind whirred furiously. She decided to tell the truth, with a few minor alterations.

"The first time I saw them together, they were on the docks by the launch to Spoon Island. They were laughing and flirting shamelessly. Then I saw them earlier today. I think they planned to meet there. Before I left, she was in his arms." She didn't add that she had passed out in his arms, nor the part she'd played in Sam's condition.

Jason knew she was lying. He had hoped for more information but he should have known better. All Elizabeth had done was spout more lies and nothing useful. The only thing that concerned him was this strangers habit of bumping into Sam on the docks. Was it coincidence or planned? He hung up without another word.

He pulled up the picture again, but the photos were poorly shot and his face was blurred.

"Jason!" Spinelli called out anxiously. Jason bolted inside to Spinelli's side. Spinelli's face was concerned.

"I've found the footage of fair Samantha. I didn't watch the whole thing, but I fear she's in grave danger."

Jason blanched and turned to watch the video footage. Spinelli had spliced together the footage since he obtained it from various cameras and angles.

Jason's gaze zoomed in on Sam the second she entered the camera shot. She was walking slowly, gripping her side. She had a light sheen of sweat on her forehead that, and looked pale. Jason felt nails digging into his arm and turned to see Alexis standing next to him, gripping his arm. Julian stood behind her, hands on her shoulders.

"She's obviously in pain. Why wouldn't she let you come with her? Or at least come straight here. We could have gone and filled her prescription." Alexis said worriedly.

Jason didn't answer, still watching the footage. He cursed when he saw Sam bump into Elizabeth. Of course Elizabeth hadn't mentioned actually talking to Sam. He gritted his teeth when he saw Elizabeth grab Sam's arm and yank her around when Sam tried to leave. It was obvious the move had wrenched Sam's side by the look of pain on her face.

"That bitch!" Kristina spat, watching from Jason's other side with Molly beside her, pale and worried.

Whatever Sam said to Elizabeth next upset Liz enough to shove past Sam, knocking her into the guard rail on the dock. Sam's injured side smacked into the railing, and Sam stayed curled around it for a few minutes, clearly hurt.

"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to wrap my hands around her throat and choke the life out of Elizabeth. And then I'm going to hire you to get me acquitted, Mom. I'm sure there's a precedent you can cite." Molly said calmly and logically, her furious expression belying her even tone, and stunning the room. She was usually so calm with a sweet disposition. But seeing her sister hurt brought out the feisty Davis girl in her.

"I'll help." Kristina said fiercely.

Jason never looked away from the laptop. He watched as the man Elizabeth had seen with Sam before walked up behind her. Sam straightened and seemed to sway, and the man grabbed her arm to steady her. Jason's heart began to pound so loudly it drowned out the noise around him as he watched Sam touch her injury and pull away a hand covered in blood. She fainted and the stranger caught her. Jason's eyes narrowed at the almost tender look on the man's face when he looked down at Sam. The stranger called someone and a big burly man, probably a guard, appeared. The stranger, carrying Sam, followed his guard to a car, and drove away. The footage ended and everyone was silent.

"DAMN IT!" Jason shouted suddenly, picking up a flower vase off the table and hurling it across the room. It crashed into the wall, glass exploding everywhere. Alexis and the girls jumped in surprise, but Julian watched without flinching. He simply walked out of the room and came back with a broom and dustpan, cleaning up the mess quickly and efficiently. Without another word, Jason stormed out of the house.

He put his hands on the porch rails and bent over, his head down. He closed his eyes, and shook his head, unable to get the image of the blood on Sam's hands or her collapsing into that stranger's arms and being carried her away, out of his mind.

Where was Sam now? Was she okay? Who the hell was that man and where the hell did he take my wife? Jason asked himself, moving beyond worried into terrified. He couldn't lose her. Not when he'd just found her.

"Jason?"

Jason looked up into Spinelli's worried eyes. He straightened and shook his head.

"I can't lose her, Spinelli. I can't." Jason said hoarsely. Spinelli came forward and grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it in understanding and comfort.

"I'm running a facial recognition program right now. We should know who our mysterious stranger any second now." Spinelli informed Jason. He only prayed it would lead them to find fair Samantha.

Jason's head snapped to the side when he heard Spinelli's laptop beeping from inside. Spinelli hurried inside with Jason on his heels. Spinelli sat quickly and brought up the search results. He looked up at Jason with fear in his eyes.

"Holy denizen of evil. Jason, the mystery man is Valentin Cassadine."

Having been kept sedated for the last 48 hours, Sam woke up to find a doctor leaning over her. She was feeling much stronger now, and didn't feel the effects of the drugs she'd been given. She looked around for Valentin. He wasn't there and Sam knew she had to act quick.

"Excuse me, doctor?" She asked quietly. The doctor smiled up at her in question.

"Yes, my dear. How are you feeling?" He straightened and waited with a pleasant expression.

"Please, help me." She started, feeling a surge of hope when he leaned towards her with a concerned expression.

"Of course, of course. How may I help you?"

"The man whose home I'm in is keeping me here against my will. You have to help get me out of here." Sam pleaded quickly, watching the door for Valentin's appearance.

The doctor listened to her with a frown. When she finished talking she was surprised to see an angry expression cross his face.

"This is how you show your appreciation for Master Valentin? He took you in and made sure you were given the finest quality care and you accuse him of kidnapping?" He sputtered indignantly. Sam's hope plummeted at his words.

"That will be enough, Dr. Stavos. The patient is simply over exhausted and ill-tempered. I'm sure she didn't mean to insult me."

The doctor spun around to face Valentin. He bowed shortly.

"Of course, Master Valentin. I've finished my examination of the patient. She is healing quite nicely. I've resealed her wound, and it should hold granted she not overexert herself."

Valentin walked over, hands in pockets, and stared down at Sam, who refused to look at him.

"Thank you, Dr. Stavos. Please excuse us."

The doctor shot a final angry look at Sam before bowing to Valentin and hurrying out.

Sam finally glared up at Valentin.

"If I'm ill-tempered it's because I'm being held captive by some deranged lunatic who I barely know."

Valentin chuckled and caressed Sam's cheek with his fingertips. She jerked her head away, tempted to bite his fingers off.

"I'm neither deranged nor a lunatic. And I'm not holding you captive. You're free to leave any time."

Sam opened her mouth to rip into him when his words registered. She looked up at him in confusion.

"What? No, you told me before it would be impossible for me to leave."

Valentin sat in the chair by her bed and nodded.

"And indeed it was. You had reopened your wound and were heavily sedated. It would have been highly ill-advised to let you wander the streets in that condition. However, now that you've had a couple of days to recover, I'm told it would be safe for you to leave."

Sam stared at him, unsure what to think.

"But…you wouldn't let me call my husband." She argued stubbornly.

Valentin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, stormy gray eyes suddenly devoid of warmth.

"He let you wander the streets alone, injured and in enormous pain. The man doesn't deserve you, and I certainly wouldn't let him in my home. However, if it is your wish to be returned to him, I will not stand in your way."

Sam watched him, more confused than ever.

"Why do you care what happens to me? You don't even know me."

For the first time since meeting him, Valentin looked uncomfortable. He smiled uneasily and shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm not sure I know the answer to that myself. There's just something about you that, from the moment we met, I've been enchanted with. I can't explain it." He glanced at her and then away quickly, almost as if he were embarrassed.

Sam bit her bottom lip.

"Thank you for saving me, Valentin. I appreciate your intent if not your methods. As far as being enchanted with me, don't be. I'm married and very much in love with my husband."

Valentin nodded slowly.

"I respect your wishes. Though I won't pretend not to be fascinated with you, I would never force my attentions on you, little one."

Sam studied his eyes before nodding slowly. It went against her better judgment, but for some reason she believed him. Even in these circumstances, she had to admit she had never felt threatened by him.

"I want to go home. My son needs me." She said quietly, literally aching to see her baby's face.

Valentin nodded solemnly and stood.

"Of course. I will have the maid leave you something to wear as your clothes were unsalvageable. Then I'll have the car take you home."

Valentin stared at her for a moment longer before turning to leave. A few minutes later a maid came in carrying a pile of clothes. She dropped them on the dresser just inside the door. Sam waited a moment before sitting up. She slid her legs out of bed and stood up slowly, in case she still felt to weak to stand.

"I guess he was right." She admitted to herself grudgingly. She did feel a lot stronger now. As sweet as it was to have a super hot guy taking care of her, she would have preferred it to be Jason. And hello! She would have preferred to have a choice in it too.

Sam moved slowly to grab the clothes. She shook it out to see a gorgeous wine colored sweater dress and thick black stockings. She wished for a moment for a shower before she let that go. She definitely didn't feel comfortable letting her guard down enough to take a shower here. And she didn't want to spend another minute here. She wanted to hold Danny in her arms, and Jason too.

Sam slipped on the sweater dress and stockings, as well as adorable black leather booties. She wasn't surprised when everything fit as if it had been made for her. She chose not to focus on how uneasy that made her. Valentin's odd crush on her notwithstanding, he'd probably saved her life, even if he had done it in the most asinine and archaic way possible.

Dressed, she braided her hair quickly to get the tangled mass out of the way. There was a knock on the door and she moved to open it. She was relieved at how easily she was getting around. She'd peeked at her wound while dressing and it looked and felt much better. She glanced around and seeing the clock, could see it was just after noon. She planned to be home for dinner.

Swinging the door open, she stopped when she saw Valentin stood there, a bag in his hand. He opened his mouth to speak but was speechless. He was actually having a bit of trouble breathing. He closed his mouth and tried again.

"I, uh, I had your things put in here. The uh, the car is downstairs." He stammered, inwardly cursing himself. He was usually smooth, always knowing what to say and when. But with a single look from this tiny beauty, she devastated his senses.

Sam took the bag from him, and moved past him into the hallway, eager to get home. She waited, staring up at him. He stared down at her stupidly.

"I, um, I don't know how to get out of here." She explained softly. Valentin seemed to snap out of it and shook his head in a start.

"Sorry, yes, of course. Please, follow me this way." He shook his head again and strode down the hallway and stopped at the landing of the stairs. He glanced down and back at her with a slight smile, a light in his eyes that made her uneasy.

"Wha—hey!" Sam shrieked in protest when he wordlessly swung her up in his arms. He ignored her protests as he carried her down the stairs. At the bottom, he let her down, letting her body slide down his own hard, muscular form.

Sam pushed away from him angrily. Was he attractive? Without a doubt. Was she interested? Not even a little bit.

"Don't touch me again!" She snapped, striding away to the front door and throwing it open. He hurried after her, stopping her before she got to the waiting car. He placed a hand on her arm, stepping back with his hands up in surrender when she turned on him angrily.

"I'm sorry, Samantha. I didn't want you to open your wound again. The doctor said to avoid stairs, so I thought it better if I carried you." He explained quickly, backing away when she took a step forward.

"What about the way you put me down? Was that to prevent further injury too?" She asked sarcastically.

Valentin chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets with a sheepish shrug.

"My apologies. I couldn't seem to help myself."

Sam glared at him.

"Try harder next time." She spat. She turned to leave. Before she slid into the car, she took a deep breath and let it out. She turned back to face him.

"You handled it wrong, so don't think this is okay. But you helped me, and probably saved my life. So thank you, Valentin." Without waiting for a reply, she got in the car and closed the door. She leaned back and closed her eyes, anxious to be reunited with Danny and Jason.

Valentin watched her with a surprised but pleased grin.

"You're very welcome, little one. Until next time." Whistling, he went back to the house and his plans. The people of Port Charles were in for a very rude awakening.

...

Jason slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a huge hole.

"Sonuvabitch!" He shouted in frustration. Sam had been missing for more than 2 days now and they were still no closer to finding her. Jason knew that Cassadine bastard had Sam, but they couldn't locate his base of operations. He'd gone to Nikolas for help, though it had grated on his nerves. But Nikolas had paled when he heard Valentin's name, claiming he was more ruthless and deadly than all of the other Cassadine's put together. He had no useful information and had confessed his grandmother had disappeared too.

At Jason's insistence, Spinelli went home to finally get some sleep. Carly had come and gone, offering support and aid from Sonny. Jason had gratefully accepted and promised to go see Sonny once Sam was found.

Danny was upstairs taking a nap. Jason had needed his son with him and insisted on bringing him back to the penthouse. He was the only thing keeping Jason from completely losing it. Jason sat on the coffee table and buried his head in his hands. His eyes grew damp as he thought of all the time he'd wasted once he'd learned who he really was.

"Sam, come back to me." He whispered brokenly.

"Always."

Jason's head shot up as he stared in disbelief at Sam. Sam closed the door softly behind her. Relief shooting through him Jason stood up and moved towards her. She smiled and ran into his arms. He lifted her off her feet and spun her in a circle, burying his face in her neck and breathing in her scent.

Sam held Jason close, tears slipping down her cheeks as he wrapped himself around her. She was finally home, safe, and protected as only Jason could make her feel. Jason pulled back and looked into her eyes before capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.

They kissed desperately as if each was afraid the other would disappear. Jason pulled back, breathing harshly. He rested his forehead against hers.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered, his voice thick with emotion. Sam cupped his face and rubbed her nose gently against his.

"I'm here, Jason. I'm right here, and I'm okay." She assured him.

Jason suddenly reared back and lightly touched her waist, bending as if to examine her through her clothing.

"Are you alright? How's your wound?" Jason shot out the questions as he ran his hands over her gently.

Sam gripped his hands and squeezed them. She tilted her head until she was able to catch his eyes.

"Jason, I'm okay. There was a doctor where I was being held and they took care of me."

Jason led her to the couch and pulled her into his lap. She curled into him, resting her head on his chest while he explained that Spinelli had found footage of her confrontation with Liz and later her kidnapping.

Sam shook her head.

"I don't want to even think about the last 48 hours. I just want to go upstairs and take a shower and then go pick up Danny. God, I've missed him."

Jason smiled. He stood up with her still in his arms.

"Danny's upstairs. Let's go see our son."

Sam glanced at him surprise.

"He's here?"

Jason looked down at her as they rounded the corner into their bedroom.

"Yeah. He was the only thing keeping me sane while you were gone. Look, he's right there in the middle of the bed."

Sam saw her son and burst out crying. She'd missed him so much and hadn't realized how scared she'd actually been that Valentin wouldn't let her go and she'd never see her baby boy again.

Jason pulled Sam into his arms and hugged her while she cried. After a moment, she pulled back and wiped her face.

"I'm sorry. I just missed him, you know?"

"Mommy! Mommy, you're home!" Danny shouted excitedly. Sam spun around and he was sitting up in bed, grinning at her in delight, his hair poking up in every which way. She laughed and ran over to him. He threw himself in her arms and she held him tight, raining kisses all over his face.

Jason watched, his heart full as he watched his family. Everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be. His wife and son were home with him.

…..

"He just hung up on me. He never showed up, never called me back. Even after I gave him proof that slut was cheating on him, he didn't come back to me. And I waited! I waited 2 days and nothing!" Elizabeth was still ranting and raving while she made the boys sandwiches for lunch.

Cameron listened to her, wishing his dad would come back home. Lately his mother had changed. She wasn't the same attentive, loving mom she'd always been. She'd been ignoring them, only paying attention to them whenever Jake or Jason was around. Even Jake had confided in him that he felt like their mom only loved him because his dad came around to see him. Aiden had started crying himself to sleep.

Sad and confused, a disillusioned Cameron left the kitchen. Glancing behind him, he ran to the table and grabbed the laptop. He took it to his room and sat on the floor in the closet. He opened Skype and clicked on the contact, waiting while it rang.

"Hey Cam! I thought I was supposed to call you later. Wait, why is it so dark there?" Lucky asked, the smile fading from his face.

"Dad, come home. Please." Cameron's voice broke as he became overwhelmed looking at his father.

Lucky's frowned. Even with the dim lighting, Lucky could see the sadness in his son's eyes.

"What's wrong, son?" He asked gently.

Though Cam liked to think he was a big boy now, strong and brave, the stress of the last month was crushing him.

Cameron stared at his dad and before he knew it, he was sobbing and telling him everything.

Lucky listened to the whole thing with growing concern and anger. It broke his heart to see his son like this. So he did what any good father would do. He decided to fix the problem.

"Ok, buddy. You did the right thing calling me. I'll take care of everything." He promised.

Wiping his tears, Cameron stared hopefully at his dad.

"What are you gonna do?" He asked.

Lucky's face was determined.

"I'm coming home."