Author's Notes: Revenge and happily ever after are on the horizon. Thank you all for the amazing reviews, they really are inspiring. Reviews are greatly appreciated and inspire me to update faster.

Part 52

Age 34 Years 8 Months

Jack had been in the hospital for nearly two weeks and Samantha spent most of her time by his side. Although the couple had negated any legal troubles, Samantha's former friends and coworkers were hounding her to the point she had taken to hiding from them. While she had no problem with eliminating any of them, she very much wished Jack to guide her through her first kill and they had after much discussion agreed not to eliminate anyone who could be directly tied to her until some time had passed.

As a result of shooting an unarmed and handcuffed prisoner, Bailey Malone had been offered an early retirement and was presently in a psychiatric ward of another hospital. Samantha felt no pity for her former boss. When he tried to deprive her of Jack, she lost any attachment she'd had to her mentor and found herself entertaining some violent fantasies about eliminating him. Although she would have to wait, as surely as Samantha had hurt Billy Watkins she would do worse to Bailey.

Most of the Konstinappolis family returned to Memphis, only Sofia remained in Atlanta. She wanted to ensure that the pair had no further problems and intended to keep a close eye on them until they were ready to go to Memphis. Quietly she knitted in the corner of Jack's room and smiled dotingly as the couple discussed their plans for the future. Sitting on the edge of Jack's bed, Samantha gazed at Jack, savoring every moment together.

"Are you sure you wish to leave Atlanta?" Jack asked Samantha one afternoon. After two weeks and improving health he would be released soon and Jack wanted to make certain she wanted to go to Memphis.

"Positive," she replied. "It seems fitting that we follow through with what our original plan had been and after you went to so much trouble with the house, I'll admit I'm anxious to see it. Earlier today I signed my house over to Angel and she and Chloe can do whatever they wish with it."

Jack watched her face intently and inquired, "How do you feel about leaving Chloe behind? If you wished I would try and-"

"No," Samantha assured him. "Chloe wouldn't fit in our lives and Angel is more her Mother than I am. Taking Chloe wouldn't be fair to her or us."

"True, I'll confess I'm a bit nervous about whether you'll like the house or not. But I had wanted it built before we were ready to live together."

Samantha smiled and murmured, "I'm sure I'll love it. Tell me about it."

"I had the house built on the edge of our clearing, in fact the clearing is our back yard," Jack told her.

Pleased, Samantha moved to carefully hug Jack on his uninjured side and sighed happily, "Thank you. You have no idea the number of times I've spent thinking of that place and wishing I could return even once."

"Well," Jack responded and kissed her forehead. "Now we can spend every day there. The clearing is exactly the way it was when we were first married, although I have made one small alteration I hope you'll approve of-"

Looking at him she finished, "Moving Jack Konstantine there?" When he gave her a surprised look she explained, "Konstantine mentioned you'd bought the property and called him to investigate about the legality of burial there."

"Then you approve?"

Bittersweetly, Samantha agreed, "Yes. We'll all be together at last."

"I spoke to Konstantine yesterday on the phone after you left and he is commissioning on of the finest stone artisans to create a white marble pavilion for our son. I hope you approve, I thought we'd have it erected at the edge of the clearing seems appropriate since that was likely where he was conceived."

Kissing Jack tenderly, Samantha whispered, "I can think of nothing I would like better."

Sofia watched from the corner and her heart ached for her adopted children, they had been through so much. Approaching the bed, Sofia inquired, "So after we have proper funeral will you be having wedding for Mamma? Samantha is my only daughter, you will be allowings me to have wedding. Yes?"

The mood lightened as Samantha shot Jack a playful look and prompted, "Well?"

"I don't know," Jack teased. "As badly as our wedding nights have gone, do we have to risk a third?"

Laughing, Sofia dismissed his concerns, "Well as they say the third time is the charmning, no?"

"Very well," Jack assented. "But I think you ladies will have to do the planning, I have a couple things that need to be taken care of when I get out of here."

Marrying his Samantha in a ceremony in front of his adopted family would be nice, Jack thought. But before he could move on and be happy with Samantha, he needed to take care of his Mother and her Father. For his Samantha's peace of mind and his own, he would avenge their Son. Until Miriam and Walter were dead he couldn't rest and move on with his life.

"Jack," Samantha hushed him. "I think that is something we'll need to do together and shouldn't discuss in front of Mamma."

"Oh feel free to speaks in front of me, I am not shocking easy," Sofia assured them.

Although he knew Sofia supported them despite knowing who he was, it seemed like it would be pushing things to discuss plans to kill in front of her. Ignoring her remark, Jack suggested, "Why don't you tell us about this wedding you want to plan Mamma? Maybe we could have it in the clearing."

"That is exactly where it will be, but do not be dismissing me that way Jack," Sofia admonished gently. "I am knowing who you are and believe I understand much of why you are."

"We know that Mamma," Samantha told her. "Only-"

"Only nothing," Sofia dismissed her remark. "I am usually not liking the violence, but I am knowing Jack never makes decision lightly. Konstantine and I have discussion before he return home. We four are family, Jack's birthing Mother and your Father are not family. You name Son, Jack Konstantine for us didn't you?"

"Yes," Jack confirmed.

"So bad man and woman deprive us of Grandson and you of Son, this I am not takings lightly," Sofia informed them. "Miriam is locked up so she is easy to get, but Walter is probably, running the scared. Yes?"

"Apparently he went running the minute he learned just who Jack is," Samantha replied.

Sofia said, "So, Konstantine and I agree we are needings to do something. There is medical conference in Memphis next week. Samantha's Father wasn't going, so we changes that."

"How?" the couple asked, their minds reeling as they considered Sofia's words.

"Man you pay for documents, you give us his number last year when we were needing to get visitor's visa for Konstantine's Aunt. We saved number and ordered a nice set of documents which we have faxed to hotel he track down for additional moneys in Europe where Walter is. Flatterings his ego, he wants to be important more than safe, it seems. Next week he is coming to Memphis, believing he is noted key speaker at conference, but instead of Four Seasons Hotel, mistake like you honeymoons he booked at For Season Motel."

"Mamma, what are you saying?" Jack asked. Surely sweet Sofia hadn't set Walter Anderson up for them, had she?

"Make certain he dies screaming," Sofia answered placidly as if discussing the weather.

Samantha threw her arms around Sofia and hugged her tightly. Leaning forward in the bed, Jack took her hand and kissed it. While Sofia looked like an innocent old lady and her demeanor was sweet, Jack suspected Sofia had been quite something in her day and smiled. As Sofia returned to her chair and picked her knitting back up, Jack and Samantha exchanged amazed looks.

"Now about that wedding," Sofia prompted from her chair.

The day he booked them into the For Seasons instead of the Four Seasons and they met the Konstinappolis family, was one of the best days ever outside of those spent with Samantha, Jack decided as he listened to Sofia's plans for the wedding...