ch4

Sam tossed and turned in bed. Strange beds. She had not slept on one for so long. Funny, how it never bothered her. The broken box springs; the indentations made by bodies that laid there before her; the itchy blanket; the stiff linens; the lumpy pillows. That was the worst. Out of frustration, she kicked it off the bed. Strange beds never used to bother her until Jason. However, maybe it was not the strange bed after all that kept her from sleeping, she thought. It was Jason, not the bed. Jason was the reason why she was desperately trying to sleep on a strange bed in the dingiest room above Kelly's. It was Jason's fault that she was still in Port Charles in the first place. She wanted to leave town, get away from Sonny and leave her baby up for adoption. It was he who made her see that she wanted her baby after all, only to lose it in the end. Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut? She told herself to stop. It was not right for her to think that way - blaming Jason even though he was the reason for everything in her world. Maybe that was the problem, she admitted. She loved him. She still loved him. She still loves him, despite the fact that he was a different man. It was as like loving someone and one day realizing it was the other twin.

Sam finally gave up hope of sleeping and left the room, grabbing a paper clip on her way out. The hallway was dark. Mike must have turned off the lights - leaving a couple of night lights to light the way, she thought. She did not mind the dark. Maybe Mike can use the money he is saving on electricity to buy a decent bed - at least a new pillow. ; something to hold on to while alone in bed.

She reached the end of the hallway. As always, the door that opened to the stairs leading down to Kelly's was locked. No one had access to the key except Mike. Nevertheless, Sam did not need keys. She unfolded the paper clip that she found in her room and proceeded to pick the lock in two seconds. She still had the magic touch. She whispered "thank you" to herself. It was something her father used to say and had taught her to say when she picked her first lock at 9 years old. "Give thanks to those who give to you," her father reasoned. He gave thanks to a lot of people's money as well.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw a shadow darting back and forth on the bottom of the staircase. By the angle of the shadow and light, she could tell it originated from the kitchen. She wondered who could be there at this time of night. It could not possibly be Mike. She never saw a man run out of his place of employment faster. She reached the bottom of the stairs without the shadow noticing. Her instincts had once again kicked in. From the very first moment she walked up the stairs, she had automatically made note of all the creaky spots on the wooden steps and committed it to memory.

She was crouched behind the front counter when it dawned on her. What was she doing? Mike was her friend but it was only a cafe. Sonny could rebuild the place in a week with his money. It couldn't possibly be one of Falco's goons. Jesus Falco blew into town like a tornado and for the past year, was systematically dismantling Sonny Corinthos's business in Port Charles. With Jason leaving him and Durant on his ass 24/7, Sonny did not have a chance against Falco. She and anyone who might be a target knew that the new gangster in town was very careful. He would not send one guy to torch this place. They always came in threes, unless of course it was Rex Falco. He was Jesus' brother and as Jason was to Sonny, Rex was Jesus' right hand man. He had a reputation for being vicious and worse, he was unbelievably disarming - be it firearms or one's own emotional defenses. Sam met him once and she saw what Alicia had been so drawn to and why she ran for her life. Alicia had known him by an alias back in Greece, Victorio. Sam tied her hair back. There was no turning back - she was there and she had to do something. She tightened the tie around the hospital scrub pants she had been using as pajamas, the ones she found in Jason's hamper, and crawled around the counter. In the dark, she felt around the drawer under the cash register. Bingo.

"Keep your weapon next to your money," Sonny had told her once. It was back when Sam loved him. Looking back, she could not believe she ever had feelings for him. Stupid girl, she thought. Before Jason's health breakdown, she often wondered how Jason really felt about being with one of Sonny's left overs. She felt disgusting.

Sam kept the safety on the handgun. She was not ready to be charged with murder, again. She did not pull the trigger of the gun that killed Carly. Falco's thugs had caught them. Jason was incapacitated with pain. His headaches had started again, but much worse. If only she had gotten him to the hospital sooner, the doctors could have done something to help him. Although she and Jason had cut their ties with Sonny, she learned that day that they could never really leave the mob, unscathed. Falco's men left it up to her to save Jason. Carly was not going to betray Sonny. There was no question that Sam would have done anything to save Jason, but Carly's life was on the line. She hated her, but she was not going to let her die. However, before Sam could say anything, Carly spoke up, "Let them go."

"Carly?" a bewildered Sam asked, "What are you doing?"

Carly looked worriedly at Jason, who was lying in a lifeless heap in the corner of the cell that had been their home for 3 days. Falco's men had not even bothered to restrain him he was so weak. "Let them go," Carly barked at the men, "I'll tell you anything you need to know if you let them go. You are wasting your time. That little tramp doesn't know anything. And Jason can't even remember his name. He's Goddamned braindead!" Normally, this was a cue for Sam to pounce on Carly, but she knew how the wheels were turning in Carly's scheming mind. Instead, these two women shared a look at once grateful, stoic, and understanding. Sonny made a waste of us two, Sam thought.

While Sam and Jason were dragged out of the cell, bound and blindfolded, Sam heard Carly shout, "Sam, you keep him safe!" Sam screamed for Carly before she was knocked out. Two days later, Emily broke the news to Sam at General Hospital. Sam was waiting for Jason to wake from his coma. Carly was dead; shot in the head - point blank - one bullet. Her body was found at the docks where Sonny frequented. Carly had kept her mouth shut for the first time and it killed her. By this time, Sonny had secluded himself from almost everyone he knew - except for his men. No one could get to him.

Sam swung around the back counter into the kitchen and up behind the man casting the shadow.

"Hands on your head," Sam ordered.

The man did as he was told. A moment later, he said as he turned slowly, "Sam?"

"Lucky?" said Sam, surprised.

Lucky looked at her - a little speechless. He thought he was alone. Where had Sam come from? Moreover, in her PJ's. Sam put the gun down.

"Hi, Sam. What are you doing here? With that gun?"

"Sorry. I thought it was... someone else. And this rusty old thing?" Sam said, looking at the gun.

"Rusty? I feel a little inadequate with you waving that gun around. It's bigger than mine… it's bigger than you."

Sam smiled. Lucky could always make her smile with his wry sense of humor. He smiled back. She had been emotional in the weeks since she moved out of the penthouse and Lucky had given her something to smile about for the first time. She could not help but think of Carly's murder when she looked at him. He was the reason why she was not rotting in prison instead of standing in the kitchen of Kelly's.

"I couldn't sleep," Sam explained, "what's your excuse, coppah?"

"Work."

"Normally, I'm no advocate for workaholism but in your case… Lucky,"

"It's just some paper work. Boring," Lucky interrupted. He knew what she was going to say but he did not want her gratitude. He did not feel like he deserved it. "I got hungry and decided to make myself a sandwich. Then I was held up at gunpoint by a really cute lady in her jammies. I don't know though, you know. I think she might be a ghost and walked right through the walls."

Sam whipped out the paper clip. "Never met a lock that didn't want to open up to me. I'm a good listener."

"Maybe you should stop there. You forget that I'm a cop."

"Spencer, I'm appalled. You're father must be very disappointed," Sam remarked.

Lucky knew that she was kidding, but it stung a little. He had been feeling useless as a cop and especially now, working under the rampaging Durant. Being Carly's cousin, Durant enlisted him to help reign Sonny in, along with Jason and Sam. Everyone blamed Sam for Carly's death. They all thought she betrayed Carly to save her own skin, but he believed Sam. And he found the man who shot Carly. The problem was, the man who was convicted of killing Carly was a fall guy. Rex Falco had gotten away with murder scott free, again. In the past, he was able to save Alicia from Rex. And although he failed to avenge Carly's death, at least Sam was free and it was all he could hope for. The fact that she looked so much like Alicia never went pass Lucky. He had to wonder at times, why he went to extremes. His own father questioned his motives.

"Son, that dame looks a hell of a lot like a certain female friend of yours. Don't forget that they're not the same person. Alicia couldn't kill a fly. Sam on the other hand... you never really know with her, with her past." Luke had said to him.

"Yes, they are two completely different individuals. I see that very clearly dad," Lucky replied angrily. He could not believe even Luke suspected Sam. He knew it was hard for his father to watch his Aunt Bobbie grieving so badly, but that was not a good enough excuse for Lucky, "You of all people should be able to believe that a person can overcome the sins of their past."