A/N – Thanks for your comments! Stay safe!
Chapter 6
Francis sat next to Cam, prompting him to take off his headphones.
"Is something wrong?"
Francis shook his head. "I just wanted a chance to talk to you and see where your head is at."
Cam shrugged. "Is it wrong that I just want to go off on my own?"
"No. Do you want to go to college?"
He'll graduate soon and his grades are pretty good, he's not sure what he wants to do. "I guess that's the next logical step."
"Don't sound so thrilled…"
Cam smirked. "I have a lot on my mind."
"It's best not to let it fester or it affects your decision-making. You can't have all that rolling around in there and be present and clear."
"Okay, Dr. Phil…"
Francis laughed. "Look, I'm like Switzerland here. Whatever you say to me is between us. You need someone to confide in and I'm offering."
Cam sighed. "I'm tired, Francis. My mom is beat down and my brothers are screwed up. Aidan buries his hurt regarding his dad so deep that he doesn't realize how it affects his behavior. Whoever that kid is walking around saying he is my brother Jake, is only related by DNA because I don't recognize him at all. He's nothing like he was before. Helena managed to turn a sweet kid into a big ball of angst and I can't do shit about it. My mom—I don't know where to start with her. I'm mad at her and them. I hate that when I think about my future, I lean towards seeing myself with someone with a lot more backbone because I never want my girlfriend to let people walk all over them like my mom allows."
"You're mom is one of the strongest women I know."
Cam made a noise.
"It's true. Do you know what happened to her when she was a teenager?"
"Yes. She never told me directly, but I overheard things."
"It was horrible. That's how she fell in love with Lucky because he found her and then stayed by her side."
"He's the reason she was on that bench in the first place." That had surprised him when he had overheard his mother and Robin talking.
"I know. I think a lot of the reason he stuck around was out of guilt. He fell in love with her later, but it was with the girl she became after the attack which is not authentically Elizabeth. That night changed her and she still hasn't dealt with it adequately. She's a people pleaser and her compassion has become her detriment because she put everyone else's needs before her own."
"I don't understand."
"I know, but you will."
"This isn't about me getting older, is it?"
Francis smiled. "It's not in the way you think. You're wise for your age, but as you live life and face challenges, you start to understand that everything is not so black and white. Sometimes, there are many layers."
"Why wasn't my mom enough for Jason?"
"She was, but he didn't think he was enough for her."
"Because of his job?"
"Yes, and his self-esteem sucked. He didn't think she or you deserved to be subjected to the violence and he didn't think he could walk away from it either. Think about it, being an enforcer was all he knew and felt he was good at."
"Could he have left?" His knowledge of the mafia is from television which usually isn't accurate.
"It would have been difficult and dangerous. Jason made a lot of enemies and also, there would be a lot of bragging rights if someone took him out."
Cam nodded. "I think they were both stupid." They had a chance to be happy and threw it away.
"I can't argue with that, but Jason had no reference point for love and made bad choices because he chose the wrong people to teach him. Your mother was abandoned by her parents and she never realized how badly that affected her. She didn't think she was good enough for him and I think she felt like he'd walk away. Every time something went down, he went on a trip to protect her. So, you see, they both had a lot of crappy things happen to them. In the love department, people always left them."
"I get it."
"When you're ready to look at colleges, we'll talk and narrow it down. You're a smart kid. Find a focus and then we'll match them with schools."
"Thanks, Francis."
"You're welcome."
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Jason is about to rip his hair out with worry. "Dammit, Elizabeth!"
Monica moved forward. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just lost."
She puts her arm around him and leans on his. "It might seem hopeless right now, but you'll find her and maybe you both can make things right again." While she's not the biggest Elizabeth fan, she had time to think about all the young woman has gone through, mostly on her own, and while that doesn't excuse anything, it's clear she had lost her way. In the past, there were times where she treated Liz horribly because she was mad about the Jake lie, but she truly wants to spend more time with her grandson and hopes that she and Liz can eventually mend fences.
"Talk to me."
"I'm scared that she won't come back. What will I do?"
"You'll do your best to hold it together. You'll try to be a good father to Danny and come to terms with your past. Getting your memories back will help you move forward."
"I have remembered a few things, but I don't trust Helena. What if everything is a lie?"
"I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that you are so strong and have always managed to keep your head above the water. I have faith that my son will get through this. You just have to believe in yourself."
"I need her."
"You don't have to do this on your own. There are people here that care about you."
"Who besides you?"
She is surprised by his answer. "What about Sonny and Carly? You were loyal to them before you disappeared."
"I'm starting to see the light where they are concerned. I don't know what I was thinking of before."
"Hallelujah. In all fairness, he got to you just at the right time. You were lost and he listened and threw around words like loyalty and acceptance. He said all the rights things. You made them your center and even when they hurt you, I think you thought they were all you had."
He stumbled backward as flashback rips through his head. Monica is trying to bring him back, but his eyes slam shut and he remembers getting shot and then showing up at Sonny's and finding Carly there. He also remembered Elizabeth finding him and getting help. "Elizabeth," he muttered as he starts to collapse. Alice helps Monica ease him to the ground. When he finally came out of it, he put his head in his hands.
"They betrayed me and Elizabeth saved me."
"What do you mean?"
"I was shot after finding Sonny with Carly. They had slept together. I had gotten shot and didn't tell them. After seeing them, I was devastated that they would hurt me like that when I had been so loyal. I was walking around and fell in the snow, not caring that I was dying and then an angel showed up."
Monica blinked back some tears. "Elizabeth?" Her son had been through too much and it pains her to think he chose to get through a lot of it alone.
He nodded. "She ended up getting me help and eventually, I stayed at her studio to recover. Carly found out and was a pain in the ass because she made it all about her. Elizabeth fought for me. She was amazing."
"I'm glad that she was there for you."
"Pretty much everything I've remembered so far is about her."
"You have a lot of history."
Jason blew out a long breath. "Apparently…"
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The next day, Sam approached Jason who is standing on the bridge.
"How did you find me?"
"This is a place you like to visit."
A thought ran through his mind to sweep his bike for bugs and, he almost smiled. That was pure Jason Morgan.
"I'm sure Patrick must love you seeking me out."
"We broke up."
He shook his head. "Why?"
"I'm still married to you and I need to settle things."
"Is that code for getting me back?"
"That's up to you."
"Sam, I'm in love with Elizabeth."
"And you are starting to remember and soon, you'll also recall that you were in love with me."
"When I choose her, are you going to be able to respect my choice?"
Her eyes pricked with tears. "Why are you so convinced that you will? She never accepted your choices before, so why now?"
"Even if I get those memories back, it doesn't mean that I will be different than I am right now. I still won't be the man you fell in love with. Are you willing to ignore that?"
"Yes because that is what people in love do. You've had amnesia before and I didn't walk away."
"Why do I feel like your life revolved around mine?"
She rolled her eyes. "I had a PI business with Spinelli."
"And before that?"
"I helped you. I owned a salvage business before I met you and Sonny."
A memory slammed into his head, dropping him to his knees. He is holding a baby and she is dead and he's crying.
Sam watched helplessly as Jason passed out. After trying to get him to wake up, she called Sonny and he sent Max and a few men to assist them.
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Elizabeth opened the front door. "Hi."
"Hello, Elizabeth." She receives a kiss on both cheeks before he moved inside.
Jake looked up from playing his video game to check him out. He had done some research on the web and is very interested in learning more about the business. Maximus may be his chance to learn how to protect his family.
"You must be Jake?" He looks so much like Jason.
Jake paused the game and stood, shaking the older man's hand. "I am, Mr. Giambetti." He rattled off some Italian stunning them both.
"Jake, where did you learn Italian, and why didn't you tell me?" Liz asked.
"Helena taught me Italian and Greek and it never came up before."
Maximus said a few more sentences and then smiled when Jake sarcastically replied. Cam, who had just entered the room with Aidan is floored as well. There is so much they don't know about their brother.
"Cameron and Aiden, this is Maximus Giambetti."
They gave him a firm handshake.
"Thank you for letting us stay here. It's beautiful," Cam said.
"You're welcome. I want you to make yourself at home. If you need something, just let Johnny or Francis know."
"Thanks, sir."
"Your boys have very good manners. Cam, you only have one more year left, right?" He took a seat.
"Yeah. I'm thinking about going to a business school."
"That's smart. Go for a minor in finance or accounting. It's hard to find someone with integrity these days."
"I'll consider that."
Aiden piped up. "I want to go to culinary school."
Elizabeth smirked. "He wants a show on Food Network."
Maximus chuckled. "It's honest work. I can cook very well. My mother, God rest her soul, was such a good cook that she could make you cry."
The boys laughed.
"I'd make you cry for the opposite reason," Liz said making the boys laugh harder.
Maximus grinned. "She taught me how to cook because she wasn't convinced I'd ever settle down with a nice girl. I got a lot of girlfriends because of my chicken parm and rigatoni."
Cam grinned while the other boys made gagging sounds.
"You feel that way now, but a good woman is worth her weight in gold."
Liz notices that Jake is hanging on Maximus's every word.
"I wouldn't mind learning," Jake said. It will allow him to have Maximus as a mentor.
Liz's mouth drops open. "Since when?" While Jake has a voracious appetite, he wasn't much for helping in the kitchen.
Jake grimaces. "I don't know. It sounds cool and I get to taste stuff."
Johnny cracks up. "In that case, I'll come too."
"You already know how to cook. You guys can come over on Sunday and we'll cook a feast. This time, you watch me, and the next, I'll teach you a dish," Maximus said.
Aidan is beyond happy.
"Thank you, Maximus."
"I can't have them starve."
"I'm not that bad," Liz said.
Cam cracked up. "Aiden, remember when mom burnt the chicken because she stubbed her toe and she was hopping around all over the place and then swung around when she realized we were watching and she sent the peas flying everywhere?"
Liz groaned. "My children are evil."
Everyone laughed.
"Don't make fun of your mother. She can't help it if she is culinarily challenged," Johnny said.
"That isn't even a word."
He kissed her on the head on the way to the front door.
Liz pouted and Jake smiled. He remembered her doing that when he was younger. The boys teased her again while Maximus watched.
They may be wounded, but he sees potential. He'll talk some things over with Johnny and Francis to make sure that the family will be okay.
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Jason's eyes blinked open and he's shocked to realize he's inside and Sam, Sonny, and Carly are hovering over him. "What the hell happened?"
"You passed out," Sam said.
"What?"
"I think you were remembering something."
He sat up as he rubbed his head and then sighed. The more memories that come back the more he wishes they wouldn't. "I remembered baby Lila."
Sam fights back tears. "That was a rough time for all of us."
"I hate this. It's living it all over again," he said as he stood and then moved to a window.
"I still miss her. It's okay to feel sad."
"She wasn't even mine. It was all based on a lie."
Carly's eyes widened.
"That was my fault. We should have handled it differently," Sonny said.
Jason turned to face them. "It seems like for someone who said he couldn't lie, I ended up doing a lot of that after I got involved with all of you."
Sam moved closer. "Jason, it's never that simple."
"I think it is. Instead of manning up and facing Carly who has had her share of affairs, we lived a lie."
Carly almost choked realizing that he remembers her sleeping with Sonny.
"Yeah, I remember that too, best friend. God, I truly don't understand how I was likable or even happy with all the crappy decisions I keep remembering."
"Jason…" Sam said.
"No, Sam. It's the truth and I'm having a very hard time accepting it." He moved towards the door.
"Jason, you are choosing to only see the bad. We had a lot of happy times, not everything was lies and drama. I loved and accepted you and we fit. Why do you refuse to see that?"
He slammed the door behind him as he mumbled. "Because I feel like my heart has been ripped out because the woman I love is gone. The only thing I want to see is her."
"I have never hated someone so much in my life," Carly muttered. "Thank God she is gone, but you know that pasty-assed bitch will probably show her face again. She can't help it where Jason is concerned."
Sam squeezed her eyes shut. Somehow, she needs to get through to him. She rushes out leaving Carly and Sonny to stew.
"I hate Sam, but maybe we need her to win so he'll forget that muffin-faced bitch."
Sonny sighed. "Carly, maybe we should stay out of it. He'll remember soon enough and then hopefully he'll choose Sam on his own."
"Are you seriously asking me to be patient right now?"
Sonny smirked. "Yes, but you never listen."
She grinned. "You got that right."