Author's Notes: Thank you for your kind reviews. Reviews are greatly appreciated and encourage me to write faster.

Part 21

Age: 12 Years 9 Months

Jack woke up in a sterile hospital room. On the tray table was Samantha's letter to him and the hospital staff that walked in and out of the room spoke in Russian. Lifting his left hand as far as he could Jack looked at his wedding ring. His hand ached and he wondered why he had bothered fighting so hard to keep it when Samantha had betrayed him. For one heavenly month, they had been married and he thought she'd been happy, now he lay alone and betrayed. Jack's heart ached even more than his body did, the physical pain was almost a welcome distraction from the ache in his chest.

Why had she married him if she didn't love him? Jack felt empty, as though the life had been sucked out of him. All he could do is lay and look at the ceiling since he couldn't move. The sensation of helplessness angered him and his thoughts were a combination of emotional pain and a desire for revenge. From his parents to Billy, Jack intended to make them suffer. His parents had made Samantha hate him and Billy had rendered him unable to fight for Samantha. Would she ever reconsider?

A man entered the room and spoke in a heavy Russian accent"Ve are going to do test for marrow bone match. Ve find donor and starts treatment once you bones heal. You be here 3 years tops."

Inwardly, Jack groaned. Three years? Three years to wait for vengeance and to be isolated from humanity? Closing his eyes, Jack focused inwards and conjured the image of Samantha in her wedding gown. He was so focused he barely heard the doctor apologize for not using any pain medication as he produced a sharp needle and pushed it into Jack's leg above the cast. As the needle pushed into Jack's bone and extracted a sample of bone marrow, he barely flinched when the doctor expected him to scream.

As the doctor removed the needle, he paled as Jack's eyes snapped open and he gave him an unholy smile. Despite having been western educated, the doctor felt unnerved and crossed himself before leaving the room. Jack wasn't going to surrender to them, he would break for no one. Pain meant he was still alive and he clung to the pain almost like a friend as he lay in his bed. Throughout his days, Jack began to endure painful tests to find a match and to assess his Gauchers. Only at night when Jack was certain he was alone would he allow his ache for Samantha to overwhelm him and tears to fall.

Sleep was the only place where Jack knew peace. Sometimes he would dream of Samantha and of making love to her in the rose filled clearings. However, even his sweetest dreams tended to be short lived and they would turn into nightmares as her words of love turned to words of hate and contempt. He would wake up aching for Samantha. Did she ever think of him? Had she ever loved him at all? Was their marriage ever anything but a joke to Samantha? Maybe she had moved onto someone else. Maybe Billy. Day and night Jack remained a prisoner of his body and tortured himself in his mind.

As Jack was making his journey across the Atlantic, Samantha had awoken in a hospital room to her disappointment. When she'd laid down on Jack's grave, she'd wanted to die and join him. Waking up in the hospital wasn't what she'd had in mind. Lying still she looked at the IV that went into her arm, she wasn't surrounded by monitors as Jack was, but she hadn't had her body broken as he had. Could Jack see her now? Surely he was in heaven, maybe he was watching over her, but if he was then why hadn't she joined him in death? Nurse Sara entered the room and smiled at her.

"How are you feeling dear" Sara asked kindly.

"Nauseated. Tired."

"Samantha, I have some questions that I'm going to have to ask you for your medical file."

Closing her eyes and fighting back tears, Samantha said"Okay."

"What were you doing out in the cemetery alone at night? Was it because of Jack"

Tears began to flow from Samantha's closed eyes hearing his name spoken. Her Jack was gone and she was completely alone. Even hurting Billy had only brought her momentary satisfaction. When Jack died a void opened inside her that could never be filled. Clenching her hands together, she ran her right hand over her left, touching her wedding ring and wishing she could wake from this nightmare. It was all her fault. Jack had wanted to stay in Memphis and hadn't wanted to return, but she'd insisted and now he was dead.

"Samantha, were you trying to harm yourself"

Opening her eyes she replied"Jack is dead. There's nothing left for me."

Sitting down on the chair by the bed, Sara told her"Your life isn't over Sam. Your boyfriend died"

"Husband" Samantha interrupted. "We used fake ID's and got married. I don't care what the law or anyone says. Jack said the only thing that mattered was that we were married in God's eyes and in our own and he was right."

Sara looked at the sobbing girl and her heart ached for her. The young couple had been far too young for such things and obviously had a love that had been far greater than their age. If the boy had lived, she imagined they would have stayed together for life. Even on her wedding day, Sara hadn't felt the level of devotion that she'd witnessed in Jack and Samantha. Even though she knew she should tell Samantha everything would be fine and that she would care far more about another boy someday, Sara felt that would be a lie. Sam might find a boy and marry him one day, but she feared that the sobbing girl had found and lost the love of her life at a very young age.

Struggling to find the right words, Sara soothed"If it was real to you, then it was real Samantha. I won't try to persuade you otherwise. But killing yourself isn't going to help anything, you were fortunate that a patrol car happened through the cemetery and found you. You could have died of exposure."

"I wish they hadn't found me, without Jack there's nothing left for me. My life is over."

"Were there any other reasons why you wished to end your life"

"No. Why would you ask that"

Samantha's eyes grew wide at the next words out of Sara's mouth.

While Samantha was in one portion of the hospital, Billy Watkins was in another. In a waiting room, a representative from the District Attorney's office was arguing with the Newquay's lawyer. The Senator and Miriam had remained in town to tie up loose ends when they received word that Samantha had injured Billy and tried to take her own life. Although they cared nothing about Samantha, if charges were pressed against her, she might discuss having attacked Billy because of Albert which would have lead to an investigation and word could get out about the illegal marriage and Samantha might find out their son wasn't truly dead. The combination of potential publicity coupled with the threat of their unwanted daughter-in-law discovering their son was alive, the Newquay's instructed their lawyer to make Samantha's troubles go away.

After the Newquay's lawyer threatened to sue the city for injuries to their son because the city had been irresponsible in releasing Billy Watkins from juvenile jail, the prosecutor agreed not to charge Samantha. Sam's Aunt's health was much improved and her Father had contacted the orphanage about retrieving his daughter at the end of the week. Billy had no family to worry about and Samantha would return to Atlanta, it seemed the most agreeable arrangement all the way around.

When Samantha was released two days later, she was smiling. At the orphanage she began to pack her few belongings and she went up to the attic to retrieve a few special items that were sentimental. Holding her wedding gown up, she rubbed it against her cheek and wished she could go back in time. Moving to the stained glass window, she traced her hand over the crimson rose in the center of blue glass.

"Jack darling, I miss you so much" she murmured laying her head against the glass. "I don't know how I'm going to do this without you."

Tomorrow she would leave and return to Atlanta. Her Aunt and Angel would be pleased to see her, but it felt strange to her. They would expect and demand her to be the same Sam she'd always been. But she wasn't anymore, she thought and rested a hand on her stomach. Innocent Sam had given way to Samantha who had been a married woman that had tasted love and passion and had come to know sorrow.

Climbing on the pile of cushions beneath the window where Sam had made love with Jack many times, she buried her face in them and tried to catch a hint of his soap and cologne. As her nose caught the scent of their former couplings, she felt wistful and sad. Were she to sleep with a dozen men, she knew she would never feel what she'd felt with Jack. If it weren't for what Sara told her, Samantha would still be trying to kill herself. However, now Samantha knew she had to live, this was the best and worst time of her life all at once, but she couldn't just think of herself. Samantha hoped that Jack could see her and had heard what Sara said earlier today.

Lying down on the cushions, Samantha drifted off to sleep for her last night in the attic and the orphanage. When she awoke the next morning, she took the few items from the attic that were meaningful. Packing the items in the case, Samantha left her bag and took off for one last visit to the cemetery. Stopping on the way at the florist, Samantha bought roses and continued on her journey. Walking to Jack's grave, Samantha knelt and placed the roses against his headstone.

Tracing his name with her fingers Samantha spoke"I don't know how long it will be before I come back Jack, but I had to come here before I left. I miss you so much and wish I could join you. Someday I will, but for now I have to go on. I have a secret to tell you my love."

Leaning forward, Samantha planted a kiss on the headstone and moved her lips in a whisper that was little more than a breath as she told Jack her secret. For several long minutes she remained at his grave before she finally left the cemetery. Now she would return to Atlanta and then she had to make some plans for the future. It was lonely without Jack and somehow she didn't think Angel would understand her marriage or her secret.

When Samantha returned to Atlanta, her Aunt and Angel welcomed her and were pleased to see her. Although she tried hard to be the Sam they remembered and expected, it was very difficult. For six months, she was quiet and obedient until Samantha realized she couldn't remain in Atlanta. Reluctantly she sold her engagement ring at a pawn shop for bus fare and took a bus to Memphis. Arriving at Konstantine and Sofia's she was disappointed to discover they had gone to Greece on an extended trip to see family. Having no other ideas, Samantha took her remaining money and purchased a ticket from Memphis to Maryland.

Arriving in Maryland, Samantha made her way to the Newquay's home and asked to see Miriam. Samantha hadn't cared for the woman, but surely Jack's mother could help her out and would wish to be involved. She'd planned to see if Konstantine and Sofia would help her find a job in Memphis and stay with them, but there simply wasn't time to wait for them to get back. After months of avoiding her Aunt and Angel and hiding behind afghans and under sweaters, Samantha knew she couldn't hide her condition any longer. Miriam had been annoyed when she heard Samantha had come to the house to see her and her expression went from annoyance to horror as she looked at Samantha's hand resting protectively on her swollen stomach...