Ten chapters is a huge landmark for me. I've never stuck with a story for so long before! So here you go, my tenth chapter. It's a little sexual, so be careful. Nothing too explicit, but it's pretty clear. Ah... I hope you like it! Thank you all so much for your reviews and constant support. You're all fantastic, and really keep me motivated to keep updating.

Chapter 10:

It had been a long night. After Manny effectively escaped them, the group decided to return to Alexis's home for the night, each with their own plan for the time until the sun came up. Jason decided he would pull all his resources and launch a search for the cutter Manny escaped in, hoping to get his men out on the water before too much time passed. Sam was ordered by both her fiancé and her mother to go to sleep the instant she got in the door. Alexis diverged from the plan to visit Ric in the hospital.

Hours later, as the red glow of dawn filtered over the horizon, she returned to the lake house. She turned the key carefully in the lock, aware that the people inside were probably still sleeping, and eased the door open. Nodding to the guards that greeted her outside the door, she shut it once more and locked it, sliding the bolt into place.

"You're home."

Alexis jumped at the voice, turning around sharply to see Sam standing in front of the sofa, a book in her hand. She looked comfortable in a long button up shirt, the end of which fell just above her knees and with sleeves that bunched around her wrist, that clearly belonged to the man in her life. The top two buttons of the shirt were left open, but as Alexis drew closer Sam's modesty set in and she quickly did them up.

Alexis smiled at her wanly, sitting down on the sofa and beckoning for her daughter to join her. Sam sat down with a blush, curling her legs under her and hiding her knees beneath the shirt. She sat close enough to the DA to be comfortable, able to escape if she needed or to scoot closer. Where ever the moment led them. It was still tough for Sam to understand just where they stood, so she entered into conversation hesitantly at best.

"How's Ric?"

"Better. The doctors are going to let me bring him home tomorrow," she waved her hand to dismiss that line of talk, her eyes narrowing as she focused her attention on Sam, "you look rested, did you sleep?"

Alexis noticed the flush of Sam's cheeks and the sudden shift in her glance. Arching an eyebrow, the attorney stood and moved towards the kitchen casually, speaking loud enough over her shoulder for Sam to hear, "Where's Jason?"

"Getting some stuff from the penthouse. I think he's forming some sort of plan, but you know Jason. He doesn't really like to share his thoughts. He'll be back in a few minutes, I'm sure. He took guards with him." Her answer came slowly, as if she grew more disinterested with the topic as she was speaking. Or, more likely, her attention moved to other thoughts, leaving her mouth struggling to maintain the sentences she started. Alexis let herself smile in the safety of the kitchen, taking the ground coffee from the cabinet.

"Do you want some coffee, Sam?"

"I need coffee," Sam said as they entered the dark house. She flicked on a light and crossed the room, her vision tunneled on the path to the kitchen. Jason caught her by the arm as the door closed behind them, the guards outside locking it. She looked at him in exasperation, loving him with all her being but unable to understand why he would keep her from her current, dire goal, "Jason. Coffee."

"You need to rest. You need to change and relax, and be taken care of. You've been through a lot. The last thing you need is coffee." He brushed the hair from her face tenderly, his fingers falling across the bruise over her temple as if he were afraid he might hurt her. She put her hand over his, pressing it to her face as she kissed his palm.

"I'm fine," she said, as Jason knew she would. He leaned down to kiss her, to dissuade her, and she grinned against his lips to stop him. She continued slowly, each word a kiss, "I don't really think sleep is in my near future, so a little caffeine isn't going to hurt me." With that she broke away from him and escaped to the kitchen, waving over her shoulder.

"No, thank you, I've already had some," Sam answered blandly, not bothering to raise her voice. Alexis heard her despite her less than heroic efforts and sighed, placing a single mug on the countertop. She went through the motions of readying her drink, but stopped when she noticed a new set of shattered glass in the garbage under the sink. She recognized it as Sam's and arched an eyebrow.

"Do you always throw your mugs out after you use them?" She called, almost playfully, falling into the comfort of talking to her eldest daughter. It felt natural and calming, a guiltless distraction from the trauma at hand.

"No," Sam answered in surprise, sitting up straighter and drawing in a sharp breath. Alexis felt the wheels in Sam's head turning as the silence between them lengthened, "Jason startled me,"

Sam poured the lukewarm coffee into her regular blue mug, inhaling deeply. Too impatient to warm up a new pot, she simply finished off what was in there. The feel of it was more important to her than the warmth at this point. All she wanted was to taste something familiar, something she knew she liked.

A hand seized her elbow and her heart skipped a beat. She turned suddenly, the mug falling from her hand and shattering on the tiled floor. Jason caught her other arm, pulling her to him roughly and planting his lips against hers with such force it left her blissfully dazed.

He drew back a step, still holding her firmly, his forehead against hers. She kept her eyes closed, thankful he was there to support her because her legs suddenly forgot how to support weight, her knees buckling threateningly. She opened her eyes slowly, careful not to ruin the dream, focusing on his face. His stark blue eyes were piercing, captivating and strangely fathomless. Nonetheless she felt safe, drawn to him.

She leaned against him, standing on her toes to kiss him expressively on the lips, telling him everything she had jumbled up in her head in one sweet moment.

"Sorry about the coffee. And the mug," Jason said, chuckling slightly. Sam looked at him coyly, knowing full well he wasn't sorry at all. She nudged the shattered remains with her foot, the cool brown liquid seeping through her toes. She winced at the sensation, looking down. Jason picked her up abruptly, startling her once more, and carried her into the living room, leaving her on the sofa as he returned to the living room to sweep up the mess.

Sam waved at the guards that were lingering in the doorway, their guns drawn. They must have heard the sound, but probably saw the two lovers in the kitchen and didn't want to interrupt. It was bad form not to at least follow up, though, and they were waiting patiently for the OK to go back to their positions.

"Everything is fine,' Sam explained.

"I just dropped the mug. I'm a bundle of nerves, I guess. He cleaned it up for me, though, and he apologizes for the cup, too."

"It's fine." Alexis laughed at Sam's sincerity, "It's not like I'm going to make you pay for it: it was your mug, after all. You left it here when you moved out, remember?"

"Oh," Sam said, bristling and nodding as Alexis entered the room, steaming cup of coffee in hand. She returned to her spot on the sofa carefully, watching her daughter, "I remember. Sorry."

"What's making you so uncomfortable? I mean, I know today has been… insane, but I was hoping that maybe you and I could find a spare few moments to talk. Like mother and daughter, you know… I almost lost you today and that scares me. What might be happening to Kristina right now scares me. I just want to hear you tell me you're okay, that she'll be okay, and that we'll be able to get on with our lives… I know that's unfair. It shouldn't be your job to comfort me-"

"No, I'm sorry," Sam interrupted, moving to put her hand on Alexis's arm reassuringly, "that's not unfair. I mean, I should tell you what happened while he had us, and I should already have told you that I'm sure Jason will save Kristina, and that we're all going to be fine. I'm just so… scattered. Everything happened so fast, it's really hard to get my head around it all."

Alexis put her mug on the side table and drew Sam into a tight, distinctly maternal hug. Sam, for a moment, didn't know what to do. She let her body respond, hugging her tightly in return without letting herself think about it. She found she didn't need to force herself to do anything, the bond of mother and daughter stronger than she realized, or gave herself credit for.

"I don't think Manny will hurt Kristina, not yet. He lost a lot of ground tonight, and he can't afford any more mistakes. He didn't lay a finger on her when I was there."

"Well," sniffled Alexis, pulling back and wiping her eyes with the back of her shaking hands, "I guess we just have to hope you're right."

"He didn't try to… to…" Jason struggled with the word, rolling it over his tongue as if he didn't like the taste. Sam saw it in his eyes and saved him the fight.

"No. He barely touched me, really. Except when I hit him first, or when he was trying to make you mad on the phone and he… ahh… well, you heard. I never saw him put a hand on Kristina, and she never told me he hurt her."

Jason sighed, leaning back against the sofa, Sam snuggling against him. He put his arm around her, kissing the top of her head, a small counterpoint to her ordeal. She sighed, her body giving way to sleep. "I wish he had never gotten his hands on you in the first place. I can't apologize for it… it should never have happened."

Sam moved to show him how easily she could forgive him, but a tense muscle in her shoulder stopped her. The trip on the cutter had not been a comfortable one, with her arms bound cruelly behind her back the entire time. She had spent most of the trip unconscious by the familiar substance in a syringe, but she neglected to tell Jason of that. He had enough to worry about right now, she thought.

He saw her cringe and, in alarm, sat straighter and turned to put his hands on her shoulders in case she needed the support. She shrugged him away, putting her hand to her shoulder and rubbing it gingerly.

"Just a tight muscle, that's all."

Jason motioned with his hand that she turn around for him, and she did so, crossing her legs carefully under her and presenting him her back. His large, warm hands felt like heaven against her aching shoulders, his thumbs expertly kneading the knots away. She closed her eyes and let her head lull backwards, unable to keep from moaning.

"That's perfect."

His fingers fell over the straps of her dress, following the lines slowly over her shoulders. She bowed her head, her hair falling in front of her face. She hated the dress now, blaming it entirely for the events that followed its purchase. She knew it was silly and uncharacteristically superstitious, but she had nothing else to blame but herself. That wasn't something she was yet willing to do.

Jason let his forefinger slip under the strap on one side, looking at it carefully. It was barely hanging on, the threads of the seam clearly strained. He acted on impulse, tugging it slightly and letting it snap, exposing more of her silky, beautifully sculpted back. He kissed the slight dimples of her shoulder, his lips traveling in slow kisses to her neck. He loved the taste of her skin, the smell of her hair and the softness of her moans.

"I love you, Sam."

"Sam?" Alexis's voice brought her back from her memory, and she shook her head to clear it, grinning sheepishly, "Where did you go?"

"No where. I'm sorry. Again." Sam sighed, missing Jason just as the door opened and he emerged with a bag in one hand and his phone to his ear. He ended his conversation wordlessly, pocketing the phone and closing the door behind him. He left the bag at the door and moved to the sofa, nodding at Alexis as he stood beside Sam.

"Hello Jason," Alexis said with a sigh, smiling at him honestly. He nodded at her again, arching an eyebrow awkwardly. He doubted he would ever find conversation with her easy. He put his hand on Sam's shoulder, ruffling the shirt. They exchanged a cryptic look, one Alexis didn't bother to try and decipher.

"Glad to see it fits. It's been in my car for a while. Lucky, though."

"Yeah," she continued to stare at him, both of their eyes veiling something from Alexis. She stirred uncomfortably, clearing her throat.

"Are you two hiding something? Or just playing some sort of game with me?" she didn't mask the irritation in her tone, standing to take the now empty mug into the kitchen. Jason and Sam grinned at each other, Jason taking the vacated seat on the sofa and putting his arm around Sam's shoulders. He ignored Alexis to lean against his lover and whisper in her ear,

"How's the unwinding going?"

"Sam, are you okay in there?" She heard him call from just beyond the door, "I got those clothes from my car. Just a shirt and some pants that are going to be way too big on you. You sure Alexis doesn't have anything for you to wear, or that you didn't leave anything here?" She ignored him for a long moment, prompting him to repeat himself, "Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam called reluctantly, "just unwinding. I didn't leave anything here and I don't think killer business suits are really my sort of style, you know?" She didn't know if he could hear her over the pouring water, her voice muffled by the thick steam and steady beating of the water against her body, but she didn't really care.

After their encounter on the sofa Sam decided relaxing was a good idea. She excused herself from the wonder that was his hands and headed to the shower, while Jason offered to find her some clothes. The truth was that she would much rather wear something that smelled like him over something that belonged to Alexis.

Even if it had been in the car for a couple of weeks.

"Just leave it out there, I'll be out… later."

The door creaked and through the fogged, textured glass shower door she could see his outline as he entered. He dropped a pile of clothes on the sink counter top, then turned back to the door.

She returned to reveling in the water, closing her eyes and running her hands slowly through her slick hair to rinse out the third application of shampoo. The hot water felt amazing against her bruised skin, making her realize just how much her body ached, but the pain was startling refreshing. Memories came flooding back, but even the flashes of Manny's initial attack couldn't penetrate her serenity.

The shower door slid open and she jerked her head to see Jason, fully clothed and oblivious to the water, enter. Shampoo dripped into her eyes and she cursed in surprise. Laughing, Jason moved behind her, sliding the door closed as he went, and helped her was the stinging soap out with a very tender touch.

"Thanks," she said. He tugged her to him playfully, nibbling on her neck as she giggled in embarrassment and tried to break away. Curiosity won out over her modesty and she looked up at him, laughter lighting her eyes, "What are you doing?"

"Helping you unwind," He removed his shirt in a swift, easy motion and she arched an eyebrow at him, the water falling on her back without her really noticing it. Jason stiffened as only a man can and Sam teased him as she helped him out of his pants. He cut her play short by pressing her against the wall of the shower, his strong arms lifting her off the tiled floor. He supported her with his body as they fell into a passionate kiss. He tasted her groan as he entered her, her legs wrapping around his hips and drawing him in deeper.

"You're very helpful."

Sam blushed, elbowing him as Alexis walked back in. She felt like a teenager hiding her boyfriend on a school night. Why should she be embarrassed that they had made love in her mother's shower? It wasn't like it wasn't technically still her home, too: Alexis had left the option open just in case. Sam couldn't decide if that was just cop out justification or exploiting generosity. Either way she kept her mouth shut.

Alexis arched her eyebrow at the couple's strange behavior but did not push the matter. They were clearly doing their best to relax and enjoy themselves a bit, which was perfectly reasonable considering all they had been through. But the day was drawing closer, the sun rising beyond the window, and it was about time they discussed the terrible matter at hand. She sat down in an arm chair opposite the sofa, leaving the two love birds to flirt and hug in peace, and fixed her serious face on Jason.

"Sam suggested you might have some sort of plan?"

Jason sighed, moving his arms to his knees as he leaned forward. Sam leaned back and stared at the ceiling, listening and thinking.

"I do, sort of," Jason said, nodding at the floor as he gathered his thoughts, "but it might be a bit… dangerous."