Author's Notes: Jack is alive, I may injure him but I would never kill him without giving a warning and there's no way after 50 chapters I would cheat my readers by killing him. Jack and Samantha will have a happy ending, the angst is pretty much over after this chapter and we're heading closer to the happy ending. Reviews are greatly appreciated and motivate me to update faster.
Chapter 51
Age: 34 Years 7 Months
Chaos reigned supreme in the conference room for several minutes after Jack collapsed. Infuriated over Bailey injuring Jack, Konstantine showed a surprising degree of spryness and jumped onto the conference table and across to Bailey. Vainly Grant tried to pry Konstantine away from Malone, who wrapped his hands around his throat until Sofia barked an order for him to stop. Several agents lead Bailey away on Baxter's orders. Paramedics were summoned and Grant reluctantly undid Jack's handcuffs while they waited.
Cradling Jack, Samantha pleaded, "Jack you can't leave me like this. Not now, not after everything we've been through."
Jack remained silent and she continued to weep and plead. Konstantine and Sofia shooed the rest of their family out of the room to make way for the paramedics. Then Jack's attorneys informed the two Attorney Generals and Baxter that the lawsuit they were going to file a staggering lawsuit and that they would see to it that Malone and the VCTF were crucified in the press for shooting an unarmed and restrained man.
At last the paramedics arrived and Samantha went with them. Konstantine and Sofia promised to follow behind. After Samantha left in what was probably the most humiliating moment in FBI history since J. Edgar Hoover showed up in a dress, Sofia muttered something in Greek and all the ladies of the Konstinappolis family began to smack Grant, Baxter and the two Attorney Generals with their purses until Rachel insisted they stop or they would face charges of assault. Without a word Sofia swept out of the room and the rest of the Konstinappolis family followed behind her.
Samantha sat pale and worried in the hospital waiting room. Remembering the horrible turn her life took years ago when she was first married to Jack. While in the ambulance he had remained unconscious and was now in emergency surgery. Hugging her arms around herself, Samantha watched the clock move minute by minute. The doctor said he wouldn't know anything until he got Jack into surgery and could see exactly where the bullet was. Sofia and Konstantine arrived and approached Samantha.
"How is he?" Konstantine asked.
"H-he's in surgery they don't know anything yet," Samantha replied, staring blankly. Numbly she added, "Thank you for what you did for Jack today. Whatever he's done it's my fault and he shouldn't be punished. I'm the one who should have to pay."
"Is family," Sofia dismissed her remarks. "Jack never had been like other boys, he is old soul, yes?"
A ghost of a smile pulled at Samantha's lips and she nodded, "Yes. And I'm grateful that he had you to take care of him. I'm just so sorry I wasn't with him for all those years. You must hate me."
"Samantha you are Daughter, just like Jack is Son. I am not knowing everythings but have good ideas, Jack's parents were very bad people and you were very young. Is easy to be believing the adults when you are child."
"To my eternal regret yes."
"So you love Jack and never wanted to hurt him, yes?"
Tears forming in her eyes, Samantha answered, "I have never loved any man but him. If I could undo the past, God knows I would in a heartbeat."
"We know," Konstantine told her softly.
Sofia wrapped her arms around her as Samantha began to sob, "Why couldn't he have shot me instead? Jack doesn't deserve this! All these years of pain and just when we finally find each other again!"
"Shh, is going to be all right, you'll see," Sofia murmured.
"I love him soo much," Samantha cried. "Jack is everything to me. I've tried loving other men and couldn't. And even after all the lies his parents told and then telling him about the baby, he still loved me."
"What baby?" Sofia questioned.
Samantha told Sofia and Konstantine an edited version of the tale. Despite her grief over the baby and her concern for Jack, she didn't want them to share in the feelings of guilt she and Jack bore. So Samantha told them everything except for the fact that she had come to Memphis looking for them and they had been away. They had no way of knowing and as much as they loved Jack, she knew they would feel needlessly hurt and guilty to know she'd come to them.
"You should have come to us," they told her.
"I know that now," Samantha lied. "I just didn't at the time."
"Ah so that is why Jack wanted me to call about the zoning on the property," Konstantine said to himself.
"When did Jack call you?" Samantha inquired.
"Earliers he call from florist shop, say you getting married to make legal and have big wedding for Momma laters," he answered. "Then he tell me to contact the city about if burial would be legal on his property. I am thinkings he want to have his Son moved there."
Dabbing her eyes with a tissue Sofia held out to her, Samantha asked, "What property?"
"You are not knowing? The day Jack have trusting fund, he buy property outside of Memphis. Is where you have picnic on honeymoon, perhaps you are remembering it? Certainly you should recognize roses he send you over years, they all are from there."
Oh God! Samantha thought sadly. All the years he'd been leaving roses for her, he'd been trying to tell her who he was and she'd never even realized! Rose after rose had come from their special clearing and she'd been oblivious. Poor Jack, so tender and sweet, buying the place they'd loved to try and reunite them and she never could see just what was happening. Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle Jack had crafted were falling into place, the sheer romance of it was astounding. Burying her face in her hands, Samantha wept inconsolably.
Sofia sniffed and cried herself as they sat waiting. The rest of the family arrived and attempted to comfort Samantha and Konstantine and Sofia. Offers to go with them to get some fresh air and offers for refreshments were made repeatedly. Finally Samantha accepted a cup of coffee simply to be left alone. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, when she had failed Jack, the Konstinappolis' had been there for him and for that she would always be grateful.
The sound of the clock ticking on the wall seemed to thunder in Samantha's ears as the chatter and the hospital sounds faded into the background. Her heart seemed synchronized with the ticking of the clock. Each beat seeming to last an eternity within her aching chest. Jack had been in surgery for over two hours and although she wanted him to live more than anything in the world, Samantha feared he wouldn't make it.
On the way to the hospital the paramedic had hung a bag of plasma and it seemed to flow out of him as fast or faster than they could pump it into him. Samantha recalled when they were younger and Jack coughed all that blood up. His body had endured more in his brief lifetime than most did in a century. Guilt flowed through her as she remembered her bullet adding to that strain, though she hadn't meant to hit him.
Damn Bailey Malone! Samantha seethed silently. If he had listened to her when they had first come to the VCTF, none of this would have happened. Why couldn't he have quietly listened to her story and simply let them go? When they went to the VCTF, that was what she'd hoped for, but Jack had known better. The beating he'd sustained a few hours before he was shot probably wasn't helping anything.
Whether Jack pulled through or not, Samantha vowed to give Malone treatment that would make her treatment of Billy Watkins pale in comparison. Then she would track down her Father and make him pay for his part in the death of Jack Konstantine. Any doubts or reservations she had left were gone, death was no longer a moral issue. Jack had pronounced verdicts of life and death to clear their path, to teach her and to punish those who had come between them. Recalling what Jack had told her about his Mother, Samantha vowed to pay a very special visit to her Mother-In-Law.
Samantha was pulled from her thoughts by Angel as she approached and shouted, "Sam! John called me he said you married Jack and that Bailey shot him. What the hell is going on?"
"Angel, this is Konstantine and Sofia Konstinappolis, they're Jack's adopted parents," Samantha responded, performing introductions to buy herself a moment's time. Then suggested, "Why don't we grab some fresh air?"
When they got outside, Angel exclaimed, "Sam you were kidnapped and whatever Jack did to you-"
"No!" Samantha cut her off sharply. "I wasn't kidnapped. I ran off with the only man I've ever loved. Do you remember when I returned from the orphanage, how quiet I was?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"At the orphanage, I met Albert Jackson Newquay and married him."
Angel looked at Sam in disbelief, "You couldn't have gotten married, you were only what, 13?"
"Angel, we used fake ID's and got married. The only thing I have to tell you is that I got married and our parents separated us. All these years, my first husband Jack was the only man I ever loved. When we met again, we made plans for our future."
"And what about what John said? Is this Jack, Jack?"
Tiredly, Samantha responded, "Donald Lucas was convicted and I love Jack so much it wouldn't matter either way. My life is with Jack."
"And what about your Daughter?" Angel demanded.
"Truthfully? I don't much care."
"Sam, you've always been such a great Mother, how could you say that!"
Samantha shrugged, "I don't know if you've ever noticed, but you're more of a Mother to Chloe than I am. If you wish custody of her, I would welcome it. Otherwise I suppose I'll have to find boarding school of some sort."
"How can you be so cruel?"
"Angel, I've seen cruelty. Cruelty is having the child you want snatched from your body and killed and then having to have another child with a man you don't love and see that child living healthily while the one you love is cold in the ground. I quite honestly don't care what you think of me, only what Jack and I think matters. I'm done with pretending to care about the life of Sam Waters. Sam Waters has never been anything but an illusion, Samantha Newquay has always been hidden under the surface, but that's who I am. I am Jack's Samantha," she stated and turned away.
As Samantha walked away, Angel stared in disbelief. The woman she'd called her best friend for all of her life was a stranger to her now. It really didn't matter if this Jack was the Jack or not. Whoever he was, he had more pull over Sam than anything or anyone else. If Sam really intended to abandon her life and Chloe, did she want to take on the responsibility? Angel left the hospital weighing out what if any role she wanted in Chloe's future.
Returning to the waiting room, Samantha was greeted by Sofia who asked, "Is good now?"
"As good as it can be until we know about Jack," she answered.
After several hours dragged by, the doctor appeared in the surgical waiting room wearing bloodied scrubs. All eyes were instantly on him and everyone listened with baited breath.
"Mrs. Newquay?"
"Yes," Samantha responded fearfully.
"Your husband came through the surgery."
"Okay," she replied somewhat relieved but still anxious.
The surgeon continued, "The bullet narrowly missed the heart and struck a rib which changed the trajectory and it tore up a lot of soft tissue and actually lodged in his left clavicle. There's a fair amount of pain, so we have him on a morphine drip and he's still weak from blood loss and shock, but with some time he should be as good as new in a few weeks."
Samantha cried with joy as Sofia and Konstantine embraced her and the entire Konstinappolis family expressed their appreciation by hugging the doctor and passing him around. Overwhelmed with emotion, Samantha collapsed against Konstantine and was helped to a chair and coffee and smelling salts were brought. After several minutes she was recovered and approached the surgeon.
"When can I see him?" Samantha begged.
"Well, I can't let everyone see him until tomorrow, but if you like you may come up and see him, he's still pretty groggy, but he keeps asking for you," the doctor told her.
Samantha looked at Jack's adopted family and Sofia ordered her, "Go and give him our love, we will wait for you."
Eagerly Samantha follow the surgeon to Jack's hospital room and was relieved to see him. His eyes were closed and he was deathly pale as she gingerly touched his right hand. Jack opened his eyes and gave her a weak and tired smile.
"Mantha," he slurred.
"Hey," she responded softly.
"Love you," Jack mumbled, then grimaced slightly, "Hurts."
"I love you too, you're going to have to get better awfully quickly because there are a lot of people waiting to see you, not to mention your roses are probably suffering in your absence."
"Roses," Jack giggled in a childish voice.
Samantha sat on a chair next to the bed and rubbed her cheek against his hand as she sighed, "Some wedding night, huh?"
"Ennndedss wif a bang."
"True, but I think I would prefer our next wedding night was less eventful," Samantha commented wryly. Then in a tender voice, she murmured, "I love you so much, Jack. I was so scared I would lose you."
"Never lose me. Love you too much," Jack breathed softly.
Samantha watched as Jack fell asleep, each rise and fall of his chest reassuring to her...
