A/N – Thanks for the comments! I know you guys hate Sam, so do I. The next few chapters will have scenes with her because I need to resolve things. I can't avoid her presence.

Chapter 17

Sam's gaze lands on her husband. "When you pulled me out of the water, it wasn't your face. It was your old face, but that can't be."

"Sam, I didn't pull you out of the water," Jason said.

"It wasn't you?"

"I was at the hospital with Maxie while you were at the pier."

"I thought I saw him and was confused. You're not making sense."

"I know it sounds crazy but there is a man who looks exactly the way I used to and he's the one that saved you."

"I don't understand." Sam's eyes darted wildly as she tried to grasp the gravity of his words.

"I don't think anyone does. He showed up at Sonny's and apparently had jumped into the water to save you."

"So, this is real?"

"Yes."

"And who does he say he is?"

"He says he is me."

She just can't wrap her mind around it.

"Sonny and Carly think he's me. When he bought you into that room, he wouldn't put you down until Sonny told him to and then he backed off. That should have told them anything they need to know because I would never leave your side. I don't care what Sonny or anyone else told me to do. I would never leave."

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Carly is so happy as she touches Patient 6's face. "I never thought I'd see your face again. I messed up so badly."

"Carly…"

"No, I convinced everyone that he was you." She explains about the accident and the tests. "I convinced myself it was true. I couldn't breathe when you died, and I missed you so much that I turned him into you." Words can't express how much she misses him and how much this man means to her.

"It's okay. It was a mistake."

"No, I should have known. As years went by, he just became so far from who you are and did things that you'd never do."

"Was he nice to you?"

"I took a while, but yes. It was different though. He didn't listen to me like you do and the love and hugs weren't the same. I need you to know that I did see that."

"I understand. Don't beat yourself up. What about this was normal?"

"Would you believe it was me if the situation was flipped?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because there is only one you and I'd know you anywhere." Having her accept him is like waking up from a nightmare and knowing it wasn't real and that everything will be alright. He just wishes the seven years were fake.

A grin lights up her face. "Then I know that too. When you opened that door with Sam in your arms, I knew it was you and I can't believe that you're home." Her voice breaks.

They hold each other again and then he explained how he got home and then they talk about Morgan and he wonders if Ava was ever going to tell him the truth.

"That guy who says he's me. Does he love her?"

"Very much."

"Is he good to her?"

"Yes, and us too."

"This is so hard. I don't want to make this more difficult."

"This is never going to be real until she talks to you. You love each other and she deserves to know that you are alive."

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Patient 6 goes to the hospital and entered Sam's room. Even though he's scared to face her, he just can't put it off any longer.

"It was really you."

"Yeah. It's me."

She starts to cry.

"How do you feel?"

"I think I'm going crazy."

He moved closer and sits next to the bed. "It's okay." He touches her hand and she closes her eyes as her pulse quickens. "It's me."

"This doesn't make any sense."

"I feel the same way. I don't know what is going to happen, but I just wanted you to know that you're not crazy. I'm here—Jason."

Danny appeared in the doorway. "You look like my dad used to look." He had just seen a picture at his grandmother's house.

He stares and then stands. "Hi, Danny." He can't believe how big he is, and it hits him how much time he has missed once again.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of your mom."

"I don't understand."

"I've been away for a long time."

Danny's attention drifts to Sam. "Why are you crying, mom?"

Jason entered the room. "Get away from my son and get out."

Carly appeared in the doorway. "Hey. Um, Danny, why don't you come with me for a minute?"

Patient 6 held up his hand. "I'll go, but we need to talk."

Jason's jaw is clenched. "Fine. I'll be in touch."

Patient 6 takes one more look at his wife and then leaves.

Danny frowns. "Why were you so mean?"

Jason sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just—I was so worried about your mom and she needs her rest."

Danny nodded, still not understanding how that other man looks like the picture of his father.

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Patient 6 moved towards the elevators and when Franco appears, he couldn't control his anger and pounced.

They went to the floor as Patient 6 pummels the man beneath him as if he wants to drive him into the floor.

Nina yells at him to stop.

Franco sees stars as a fist pounds into his face.

Richie, a guard, grabs Patient 6 and pulls as an orderly drags Franco away.

Patient 6 still fights to escape Richie's grip.

"Stop this, now!" Monica yells. "What is going on?"

He snatches his arms out of Richie's grip as he glared at Franco.

Monica touched his back and he jerked. "It's okay. I'm sorry." Her whole body is trembling because it's hard to believe her eyes, but everything inside her tells her that this is her son.

Patient 6's chest is heaving.

"Come with me, please."

Franco is shaking as he prays that Patient 6 will walk away.

A slight nod is the only response Monica gets, so she starts walking down the hallway and is relieved when he followed.

They went into her office and she shut the door.

"First, can I please have a hug?"

He peruses her for a moment. She looks a little older but appears to be healthy. Holding out his arms, she rushes to him and grips him tightly. He warmly embraces her wondering how bad it was for her to think she lost him again.

Retreating, she moved around him to get a tissue and dried her eyes.

"Thank you."

"How have you been?"

She almost smiled. It was typical that he'd care about others first. "I'm getting older, but I passed my last physical with flying colors."

"Good."

She cleared her throat. "Jason, I know you hate him and why, but you can't beat his face in every time you see him."

"Why not?"

Despite herself, Monica slaps her hand across her mouth and starts to laugh. His expression is priceless.

Jason smirked.

She quickly composes herself and then sits across from him. "He deserved that, but I don't want to see you go to jail over the likes of Franco."

Jason rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the stress.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "You called me Jason."

Tears pricked her eyes. "How can I not? You sound and look like him and when I hugged you..."

"So, you believe that I'm him?"

"Honestly, I am stunned. I thought it was you when those men took Sam, but I told myself I had to be seeing things. If you are Jason, then who is he?"

"I don't have any answers."

"I think you should take a DNA test."

He nodded. "I'm fine with that."

She stood. "Will you stay here while I get a kit?"

"Okay."

She rushed down the hallway. They need to know who he is because nothing makes sense at all.

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Franco groaned as Nina helped him onto the couch.

"He's a Neanderthal," she muttered.

"He's pissed off because of what I did to Sam."

She sighed. "That was the tumor."

"Yeah, but clearly he's not a fan of my get out of jail free card if he even knows about it."

She got him some water and handed it over.

"Maybe I should tell them the truth."

"Or, maybe you should stay out of it because Jason will give you another beat down if you don't."

He groaned. "I could just let it play out. They'll probably get tested and then they'll know."

"You know more than you're letting on, don't you?"

He smirked. "To a degree, but I'm trying to figure it out and I don't have all the answers."

"Well, get them and then, if you want to talk it over, I'm here."

"Thank you."

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The cops moved into Monica's office. "You're coming with us."

"For what?" Jason stood.

"You attacked a man. Everyone saw it."

They spun Patient 6 around who started to struggle, so they pulled him into the hallway.

"Stop!" Carly said. "It's not his fault. Franco attacked his wife."

"He can explain it downtown."

They tugged Patient 6 towards the elevators and got on.

Carly leaned against the wall.

"So, you believe him?"

She eyed Jason sympathetically. His whole world is about to change again. "I know this is hard for you."

"It's impossible. You convinced me that I'm Jason Morgan and then he strolls back here, and you just believe it's him with no proof at all?"

She stared at him.

"Nothing to say? Because if he's Jason then who am I?"

"I wish I knew."

She pushed the elevator button and headed to the police station. The fact that the man she just left fought being her friend for so long speaks volumes. It's because he was never her best friend.

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Carly argues with an officer to let Jason go.

"Carly, just get Diane down here."

"You had a perfectly normal reaction. This is ridiculous." She pulls out her phone. "Diane can then explain to you why Franco is free because she was the one that helped him."

Patient 6 is shocked. "Diane helped Franco?"

"Oh, God." Carly starts to panic. "Um, Franco had a brain tumor."

Patient 6 averted his gaze as he sighed.

"It sounds crazy but it's a medical fact and Diane argued that he couldn't be held responsible for what he did and let him go."

Patient 6's eyes widened as anger clouded them. "Why would Diane help Franco?" None of this makes any sense.

"We thought he was your brother and he was our last link to you."

"Because he is my brother and twin?"

"No, Franco is the son of Heather and Scott Baldwin."

"So, I'm not related to that psycho?"

"No."

Jason's shoulders dropped. "Thank God."

"I just hope you don't hate me."

"Why would I ever hate you?"

She pulled a chair out and sat in front of him. "I almost married Franco."

"What! He's a freak why would you do that?"

"I was so desperate, Jason. I thought he was your twin and I just wanted to hold onto a part of you, but I didn't go through with it in the end."

"Thank God." He will never understand her.

"You can thank Sonny because he seduced me."

He groaned as he averted his gaze. "I don't want to hear about that."

"Okay, fine. I get it, but I was a mess, okay? That's how much I need you in my life, Jason. I was a train wreck without you."

"Okay."

"Are you sure?"

"It makes me sick to think of you with him, but I get you were upset. I wish you didn't have to go through that. I just—God, Carly. Do you ever think anything through? Do you get what being with him would do to Michael?"

A tear ran down her face. "Michael understood."

"He said that, but Carly, you have to know that being with the man that had him raped would cause some damage. You can't be that naïve." He just doesn't get why she would throw her kids under the bus like that. It was so selfish. He can't imagine how hurt Michael must have been.

The police brought a man in and Jason stared at him and something clicked.

"I'll call Diane."

"No, tell her to take her time."

"What?"

"Sam's husband is right. Something stinks and I need to find out what is going on."

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Patient 6 is put in a cell.

"Dr. Klein, now we have time to talk. You almost killed my wife."

"I figured you save her. You are a very capable man."

"How long was I at that clinic?"

"Long enough to screw everything up."

"Who brought me there and was paying you to keep me?"

"The client wanted to be anonymous. We communicated securely and all I needed to do was keep you healthy and locked up."

Jordon moved forward. "Your attorney is here."

A wary Diane moved forward.

"Hello, Diane."

"I guess we have a lot to catch up on."

Patient 6 nodded.

An officer escorted Dr. Klein to his arraignment and Jordon left them alone.

"I guess seeing is believing. It's great to see you."

"You don't think I'm a fake?"

"Oh please, it's my job as a litigator to pay attention to facts and it's my joke to spot holes in any story. That convoluted story we were sold about the other you was full of them."

"So, you never believed he was me?"

"I have always had my doubts."

"Why didn't Sonny and Carly?"

"It's simple. I may be fond of you, but they need you to be alive. There were gaps in the story that we could never figure out."

"And mine doesn't?"

"I think your story logically fills in those gaps. There is no doubt that you are the one and only, Jason Morgan."

He is relieved. "Thank you."

"We need to get you out of here."

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Klein."

"You can't do that surrounded by police."

"So, how do we get out?"

Diane moved closer. "You plead temporary insanity."

"I'm not insane, Diane. He had Michael raped in prison and said he raped Sam."

"You reacted violently and considering his history, you shouldn't be held accountable for his actions."

"I'm not pleading insanity. Find another way."

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Johnny placed a picture on the table which Liz perused.

"This is Salvatore Amatucci."

Her brow rose. He looks mean with a raised scare on his face and eyes that look black. She guesses he is around Maximus's age.

"These are his sons, Antonio who they call Tony, and Angelo whose nickname is Angel—who he shares no attributes with."

Both men are handsome, but there is no joy or love in their eyes. In fact, they seemed dead. "So, these are the ones giving Maximus trouble?"

"Yes. Back in the day, Maximus was going to marry Salvatore's sister and join the families."

"Why am I sensing a fractured romance?"

"You don't know the half of it. Maximus was in love with Milo and Maximus's mother, so he wasn't thrilled. There was nothing wrong with Elise, but the heart wants what it wants."

"Go on."

"Maximus and Elise got in a car crash shortly after the wedding and she didn't make it. Maximus was beaten up, but he recovered. They blamed him and said he shouldn't have been driving in bad weather. There was a lot of fighting over the will, but in the end, she had left all her shares in the company to Maximus upon her death. It got so ugly that Maximus eventually took the company away from them and they had to start over."

"Wow."

"They were forced to relocate, and Salvatore wiped out all the local mobs and took over. He was known to be ruthless and cunning. He and Maximus would butt heads occasionally, but Salvatore has been very aggressive lately and from the intel we received, he wants to make a move and get revenge."

"Great…"

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Sam sits on her couch.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Jason asked.

"No, I'm fine."

He moves next to her and she snuggled against him.

"I know this is hard for you," she said.

"Ditto. I'm going to figure this out. I'm your husband and I love you. That other guy is the fraud."

"I love you."

"I think I need you to add the word Jason to that statement. It hurts that Sonny and Carly don't believe me. I am Danny and Scout's father. We've been through so much and you fought for me, Sam. I need you to keep doing it."

A tear rolls down her face as he answers his phone. Curtis texts him some photos and he is shocked to see Andrew Moore's death certificate and can't help but notice that their birthdates are the same.

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Jason and Sam burst into Franco's room.

"You better start talking!" Jason shouted. "What do you know about Andrew Moore."

Franco remained silent trying to buy some time.

"So, do I need to call Nina or maybe the Jason that kicked your ass?"

Franco groaned as he is shown the death certificate they had received.

"Andrew was Jason's twin. My mother took care of him when I was little, but he died from a heart defect." He moved toward a desk and then pulled out the hard copy of the certificate.

"Can I see the photo of the little boys?" Jason asked.

Franco handed it over. "That was me and my imaginary friend Drew who died. Patient 6 can't be your brother."

"I should kill you for keeping this from us after all the pain you have caused in the past."

Jason stalked out the door and Sam turned toward Franco. "I think you need to watch your back where Patient 6 is concerned; when he finds out everything you've done to hurt his family; he'll probably want revenge."

"Does Jason know that you think Patient 6 is the real Jason?"

"What happens in my life is none of your business, but I'm going to enjoy seeing yours come to an end."

Franco gulped as the door slammed in his face.