It was pretty safe to say that Jason was still in a state of disbelief regarding this whole situation. None of this seemed real. He and Courtney were divorced, Grandmother was dead, he was about to have a baby with a woman he didn't even really know--

But in a weird way, he technically did know her. Sonny had quickly done a background check on Sam, finding out everything he could. Jason knew where she was born (Houston, Texas), the names of her parents (Cody and Evelyn), the amount of education she'd had, (no college, had earned a GED).

He knew she was a con artist. He knew her father had been a con artist, and he'd been dead for 5 years. He knew she'd traveled all over the country, never staying in one place too long. He knew her mother had remarried and was living in South Carolina.

He knew other things too. He knew the taste of her skin, the curve of her hips. The ease with which they'd fit together. The feel of her soft hair under his fingers.

But Jason tried not to think about that last part.

With a wince, he remembered the blow-up that had happened when Carly found out.

"Oh, this is unbelievable."

"Carly--"

"God, Jason, what were you thinking? The ink's barely dry on the divorce papers before you're jumping into bed with some random tramp? What the hell are you going to tell Courtney, anyway?"

"I don't know, all right! Is that what you wanna hear?"

Courtney. Jesus. Sonny had pulled him aside in the hospital in South America to tell him that Carly had already told her the news. Neither one of them knew how Courtney had reacted, Carly's message had simply said that Courtney knew about the pregnancy. Given the brevity of the message, it was pretty clear that Courtney hadn't reacted the way Carly had hoped for--namely, that she hadn't yelled and immediately started plotting wild schemes to get back together with him.

After all, Courtney was with Jax now, right? Jason frowned--Carly had said something about a bet--but then, it wasn't any of his business. Not anymore.

He snuck a glance at Sam. She was sleeping, her head propped up against the car window. She didn't fully trust him, that was obvious. He couldn't really blame her.

Jason's gaze traveled down to her stomach. A baby. Jesus Christ.

"We're here," Sonny announced abruptly.

Jason reached over and gently shook Sam's shoulder. "Hey."

She stirred. "What is it?"

"We're here," he explained.

"Oh," she said, stretching again. "Okay." They got out of the limo and Jason observed the way her eyes widened. "Wow. Who owns this place?"

"Me," Sonny said.

She nodded. "Right. Of course you do."

When Sonny walked into his penthouse, Carly was waiting for him. "Hey," he said softly. "What are you doing still up?"

"Okay, you have to tell me everything," Carly insisted. "What's this girl like?"

Sonny shrugged. "I don't know. We didn't really talk all that much. She's, you know, a little freaked out by the business, but I think she'll get over it."

Carly nodded. "Well, did--did it seem like she was using Jason, or manipulating him at all?"

"No," Sonny said. "Carly, Jason can take care of himself."

She pouted slightly, but said nothing in response. After a moment, she asked, "What the hell is Jason thinking? He's ruining any chance of getting back together with Courtney--"

"I know," Sonny said. "But you know, there's a kid involved. Jason has to do what's right."

"So, is she pretty?"

Sonny scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. I guess. Yeah, she--" He stopped abruptly. She looks just like Brenda, was what he had been about to say. But Carly wouldn't appreciate that. "Hey, let's, uh, let's just go to bed. You can meet her in the morning and make up your own mind."

"All right."

The doorbell rang. Groaning, Jason came downstairs to answer it. When he saw who was at the door, he groaned again. "Carly, what are you doing?"

"Dropping by," she chirped.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Jason asked, perilously close to whining.

"9:30." Carly pushed past him into the apartment. "So, where is she?"

"Sam? She's upstairs, sleeping. It was a long flight."

Carly nodded. "So, she'll stay here with you until she finds a place to live. All right. Hey, did you make coffee?"

Oh, shit. As Carly walked into the kitchen, Jason followed her and tried to think of the best way to tell her. "Carly--Sam's not going anywhere."

Carly blinked at him, the coffee pot in her hand. "She's staying in the building?"

Jason just looked at her, knowing she wasn't this dense. But if she needed him to spell it out, then fine. "Sam is going to stay here in the apartment with me."

He just knew there was going to be an explosion, and sure enough there was. "You have got to be kidding," Carly gasped. "Wait, what am I thinking? You never kid."

"Carly--"

"So, just what is the game plan here, huh?" she demanded.

"Carly, this kid deserves two parents, all right?" Jason said, slightly irritated. He'd barely gotten any sleep, hadn't had any coffee, much less breakfast, and Carly was here. It was the perfect recipe for a migraine, which to Jason's horror, he was starting to develop. If he was going to face a worked up Carly, he needed caffiene.

"And I agree," Carly said, "but that does not mean you have to move her in here."

"Yeah, actually, it does," he snapped, rooting around in the cabinets. "You seen the coffee filter?"

"Jason! Are you out of your mind?" Carly shrieked. "You--you're just going to pretend to be this one big happy family? God, you don't even love her--"

"She's carrying my child."

"Then pay her off!" Carly was clearly at the end of her rope. "She's a con artist, I'm sure that if you flash enough money in front of her, she will gladly take off and leave the baby with you--"

"Ahem."

Jason and Carly turned to see Sam standing the doorway, her expression unreadable. Shit. "Hello," Sam said, her voice even.

"Carly," Jason said quietly, "maybe you should go." Carly looked like she was about to say something, but Jason shut her up with a look. Glaring at Sam, she quickly walked out. Jason followed her and shut the door.

He turned to Sam. "You, uh, you weren't supposed to hear that." Sam just looked at him, and awkwardly, he continued. "That--was, uh, Carly. She's Sonny's wife, she's an old friend, and well, she really doesn't know when to mind her own business--"

"So, is she always that much of a bitch?" Sam asked point-blank.

Jason fought down the urge to laugh. "Look, she's still kind of hoping that Courtney and I are going to get back together, even it's not going to happen--"

"You sure about that?" she asked. "I mean, because I know I agreed to live here, but if you and your ex-wife aren't really over--"

"We're over," he said firmly. "She can't handle what I do, and I've accepted that, and it's over. The marriage is over."

Sam nodded. "All right." She paused, looking around. "Are--are you making coffee?"

"Uh, yeah."

She groaned. "Oh, no."

Jason was confused. "What, you don't like coffee?"

"No, I love coffee. That's the problem."

Now he was even more confused. "Why is that a problem?"

She stared at him as if he was an idiot. "I'm pregnant," she hissed. "I can't have coffee!"

Jason blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, apparently, caffiene is bad for the baby," Sam said, pouting. "Which, you know, pretty much sucks, because I usually can't even function in the morning unless I have coffee."

"Are you sure you can't have any?" Jason asked. "I mean, I don't think it's on the same level as alcohol--"

"Jason, I've had two miscarriage scares, all right? I--I don't want to risk anything." Sam glanced at the coffeepot. "Can--can you just pour it out?"

Jason's shoulders slumped. He hadn't even had a sip...Sighing loudly, he went to the coffee machine, turned it off. While he was dumping out the coffee, Sam rooted around in the refridgerator. "Unbelievable," he heard her mutter.

"What? What is it?"

Sam looked at him. "Jason, when was the last time you went grocery shopping?"

He thought. "Dunno. Why?"

She glanced back down into the fridge. "Because the only two things I see here is a apple and a six-pack of beer."

"You're kidding." He stepped quickly over to her side to see that yes, she was right. "Oh, man."

"Yeah. Now, that apple is looking kind of moldy, and unless you want me to crack open a Heineken..."

"Okay, so it's been a really long while since I went grocery shopping," Jason admitted.

"Yeah, no kidding," she muttered. "You know, I figured you for the domestic beer."

"Allright, listen, why don't we just go to Kelly's?" he suggested. "You ever been to Kelly's?"

Jason watched her in fascination. "Wow. How—how did you eat all that?"

Sam grinned at him. "Hello, I'm eating for two."

"Yeah, but...damn," Jason said in flat-out admiration.

She pointed her fork at his sausages. "Are you gonna eat those?"

Jason quickly handed his plate over to her. "Here. Have them."

Mike walked over to them. "Anything else I can get you two?"

"Wait five minutes and she'll order a whole other course," Jason said, only half-joking. Sam mock-gasped and hit him on the shoulder.

"Nice," she said. "You know, I'm probably just going to be throwing it up again in a minute or so."

"Hey, come on now. Think positive," Jason said. "You won't be throwing it up in a minute or so. Five to ten, tops."

She hit him again, and at that precise moment, Jason saw Courtney walk in with Jax. He could feel the smile on his face fading away.

Sam noticed. "What's wrong?" she asked, swiveling in her chair. "Oh. Wow." She turned back to face him, her eyebrows raised. "Is this going to be awkward or what?"

"You--you know Courtney?"

Sam shrugged, looking down. "Yeah, you know. I saw the two of you together once. It was--" she chuckled grimly, "--the day I got the pregnancy tests from the pharmacy, actually."

"Was that why you didn't tell me?"

She shrugged. "No. Well--maybe, a little. I mean, I saw the way you were looking at her, and I just..."

"Hey," Courtney said, stepping up to them. "Jason."

"Courtney," Jason said simply. He glanced at Sam, who was shrinking down in her seat like this was the last place she wanted to be. Hell, he didn't want to be there either right now. "Uh, Courtney, this is Sam McCall. Sam, this is Courtney Matthews."

"Hello," Sam said.

"Nice to meet you," Courtney said politely, if a bit awkwardly.

"Well, isn't this cozy?" a broad Australian voice inquired. Jason's shoulders tensed.

"Jax," he said coolly.

"Jason." Jax glanced down at Sam. "And who's this?"

Jason gritted his teeth. "Sam, this is Jasper Jacks. He, uh, works with Courtney."

"Nice to meet you," Sam said.

"Likewise."

Courtney cleared her throat. "Listen, um, we're hosting a benefit for the foundation in a couple of weeks, and you should come."

Jason blinked. As Grandmother would have said, he was flabbergasted. "We should?"

"They should?" Jax asked, looking as surprised as Jason was.

"Yeah," Courtney said, glaring at Jax for a split-second. "There's no reason we all can't be civil to each other."

"I can think of a couple reasons," Jax muttered, and as much as he hated to, Jason agreed with him.

Courtney not-so-subtly nudged him in the side. "So, will you come?"

Jason glanced at Sam, who looked as bewildered as he felt. He said slowly, "Uhh...if--if you're sure you want us there, then--"

"I do," Courtney said firmly.

"Then--then we'll be there."

"Great," she said, smiling brightly.

Jax put a hand on Courtney's elbow. "Yeah. Listen, Courtney, we should really get going, we have that meeting with the rest of the board..."

"Right, right," Courtney said. "Bye."

"See you," Jason muttered.

Once Courtney and Jax had finally left, Sam said, "Okay, what was that?"

"I have no clue," Jason muttered, shaking his head.

"Because that was bizarre," Sam continued. "I mean, she has every reason to hate the sight of me--"

"More than you know," Jason muttered, running a hand over his face.

"What, there's more?"

Jason leaned back in his chair. He hadn't wanted to discuss this with her. But she had asked, and he wasn't going to lie. "When Courtney and I were married...she, uh, she miscarried our baby. After that, she could no longer have kids ever...and...it was real hard on us, that's all."

Sam's eyes widened in shock. "Oh God. I'm--I'm so sorry." She gently laid her warm hand on top of his. "No wonder you tried so hard to find me."

He nodded, glad she understood now. "I just--I couldn't lose another one of my children."

They were silent for a minute. Finally, Sam said, "But...if anything, that would give Courtney more reason to avoid me. Why on earth would she invite us to that benefit?"

"I have no idea."

"All right," Jax said once they'd left Kelly's. "What was that all about?"

Courtney turned to face him with a sigh. "That was me being an adult."

"And I would applaud, under other circumstances, but this is insane."

Courtney hesitated. "Look, when I found out...about Sam, it hurt. A lot. More than I thought it would. And I just...want to make sure I can handle this."

"You want to make sure you're over Jason," Jax realized.

"No, I know I'm over Jason. But he's going to be living here with Sam and his child, and I want to know that I can deal with that."

"So, you're going to put yourself through hell to prove you can take it?" Jax asked in disbelief.

"It won't be hell," she said, trying to convince him and herself. "I'll be fine."

Author's note: Man, you guys have to be tired of this by now, right? Don't worry, this is short. I'm just going to tell you that some of the things that happen in this story will mirror what happened on the actual show. And for the record, Lucky will make an appearance in the next chapter.