A/N – Thanks for the comments! Btw, just some mafia information. The five families did exist but began in the New York area in the 1st generation mafia, so they were not over international crime families. Palermo, where the Giambetti's reside, is in Sicily and they would be in the Cosa Nostra which didn't have any international interests. Italian mobs in Italy started affiliating with lots of different groups during the 2nd and 3rd generation of the US mafia. The only reason the Giambettis and Corinthos/Morgan org were connected was via Max and Milo. So, it wouldn't be natural that the C/M org would know what was going on in Sicily unless it was brought to their attention. They wouldn't be keeping tabs.

Chapter 22

Instead of going to bed, Jason went to the docks and ran into Sam.

"We found a manuscript that was partially burnt. Britt said when he received it, he was shaking. Spinelli is analyzing it."

"It must be great to have him back."

"Yeah. I think Drew can help."

Sam took a step closer. "He can't because he doesn't remember."

"Dr. Maddox may be able to reverse things and give him back his memories."

"Even if that happens, it won't change anything between us."

Jason's fought to maintain his emotions.

"I'm married to Drew and we have a life together and a family. I know Danny is your son, but he loves Drew. You always wanted him to have a family."

"I did."

"We can't go back or undo the last seven years and I can't keep this ring. You need to take it back. Take it!" She pulled it off her finger. It wasn't Drew's to give.

He reaches out and they stare, and he can't believe that she is being so heartless. While he gets that she had moved on, she is supposed to be in love with him. He can't believe that she doesn't care about his feelings to this degree. His hand retreats.

"I can't. Just give it to Alana."

"That's not fair to Drew."

"Then give it to Danny. Drew might not have known Lila, but it's his grandmother too. Danny is our son and he can give it to the woman he loves. If not, give it to Monica for Brooklyn. I can't give it to anyone else." He is done with the conversation and her.

She watches as he leaves, wishing he had taken the ring, so she didn't have to look at it. She'll see Monica tomorrow, so she'll give it to her then.

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Jason went to the precinct where they are moving Andre.

"Please, can you tell me if it's possible to reverse what you did since you said our minds were mapped?"

"It has never been done before, but I suppose that it is possible."

"Well, can you do it? Do you still have the baseline?"

"I destroyed everything before I left."

"So, that's it? It's gone?"

"Not quite."

"Is there a copy of his memory?"

"Yes. There is a backup that contains both your memories and all my notes. Of course, Faison could have made a copy too."

Jason's hope spikes. "Where is it?"

"I put the USB inside of a teddy bear and gave it to the only person I trust in this town and she has no idea what it is."

"Who?"

"Anna Devane."

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Anna met Jason at a bar.

"Hello."

"Hi, Robin gave me your information."

"Oh." She hadn't realized that the two were in contact.

"It's about Dr. Maddox. He left some information in town that might help us piece together what happened."

"Okay. Where is it?"

"It's on a flash drive and he put it inside an ornament that he gave you."

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about it. I didn't realize that there was anything in there."

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes. It's at my house. I can get it for you."

She leaves and finally, Jason has some hope.

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Anna rushed toward Jordan. "Have you seen the box of ornaments that I donated?"

"What?"

"I need to find it. There's something important in there."

She rushed off leaving a confused Jordan behind.

At the Metro Court, Jason gets a call from her and joins her in the park.

"What happened?"

"I think my housekeeper made a mistake and put the ornament in a box I was donating and it's not here."

"Who did you donate it today?"

She pointed. "It's the community tree."

"I went through the box and that's the only one that is missing. Maybe a kid picked it up."

"Out of all of the ornaments, someone randomly picked that one? I don't think so."

"What was on it?"

"It had all of Andre's notes including the mapping procedure and Drew's memory."

"Oh, my God."

"If Drew gets his memories back it could lead us to whoever put this in motion." He has to make sure that everyone he cares about is safe because there is still at least one person out there who can hurt them.

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Francis shut the door. Everyone was gone except Johnny, him, and Jake, and of course, the boss.

Liz flopped back in the chair. "That was brutal." She just kept thinking about what Jason would do the whole meeting.

"You did very well," Francis said.

"Mom, you slayed," Jake added.

She smirked. "You liked the gun part?"

She picked it up and the guys all dove to the floor making her roll her eyes. "Stupid…"

Johnny can't stop laughing. "The look on your face was priceless."

"Can I shoot him, Francis?"

"No, because I know you'd hit him." They had gone to the range with Elizabeth and she was a good shot once she got into it. While she doesn't like guns, she understands the necessity to understand how to use one safely.

Jake helped Johnny get up.

"Seriously though, you did well."

Tess opened the door and Liz's brow went up.

"Would you care to explain who you are?"

Tess grinned. "I'm Tess and I'm Max's girl."

Liz's head tilted. "How come I've never met you?"

"Max is too much of a wus to introduce me to his father because Maximus wants him to marry some nice Italian girl."Her eyes rolled for effect.

Jake snickered.

Tess held out her hand. "Thanks for not scrambling my brains."

"You're welcome. Have a seat."

Tess hit Johnny upside the head before sitting.

"Ow. What was that for?"

"For being you—nobody but Max smacks me on the ass."

"You were fighting too hard."

"Wus…"

Liz smirked. She likes Tess's spirit. "Do you like to shoot?"

"Is Johnny obnoxious?"

"Pretty much…"

"Hey!"

"Tough room," Francis said.

"We're going to the range later."

"I'll be there. I have to go, but just have Johnny give you my number."

"Sounds good…"

As she was leaving, Cam entered the room and Liz immediately noticed a change.

"Hey."

Tess grinned. Cam's crush on her is cute. "Hey, Camster."

Liz's eyes widened, only she called him that and he gets mad every time, but he had just smiled.

"Are you leaving already?"

Jake fought a laugh.

"Sorry, I'll hang out longer next time."

"Later."

He shut the door and turned to find everyone staring. "What?"

"Camster?"

Cam rolled his eyes and then the thought of Tess calling him that filtered through his brain and he shuddered, making the guys laugh.

"Seriously?" Liz said.

"Come on, mom, Tess is hot."

Liz shook her head. It's hard to get used to her boys being old enough to date. It still makes her cringe.

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The next morning, Jason knocked on the penthouse door.

Sam opened it and is shocked to see him.

"Is Drew here?"

She blinked a few times as Drew moved behind her.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I invited him here."

Jason went inside.

Before he could answer, the door flew open and Danny walked in.

"Hey! Your mom's friend."

"Hi."

He thought for a moment. "You look familiar. I think I saw your picture at Grandma Monica's house."

"Yes, I know her very well."

"She's cool."

"Danny, can you go get your computer?" Sam said.

"Sure."

He went upstairs and Drew spoke up.

"When are we going to tell him about his real father?"

"Drew…" Sam said.

"We can't put it off forever—people talk."

"We can tell him about the twin thing now," Jason said. "but I want him to get used to me a bit before we blow up his world."

When Danny returned, Sam took the computer and asked him to sit in between her and Drew.

"Honey, we need to tell you something."

"What's up?"

"Well, we found something out recently that you need to know."

"Am I trouble?"

"No."

"Okay."

Drew began. "We just found out that when I was born, I had a twin."

Danny's eyes widened. "Wow."

"I know."

"I didn't always look like this. Before, I looked like him." He pointed to Jason.

Danny is stunned.

"It turns out that my name is Andrew and that is my brother, Jason."

His focus went from Jason back to Drew.

"Where have you been?"

Jason took a deep breath. "I was away, not by my choice, but I came back as soon as I could."

"Were you in jail?"

"Danny!" Sam said.

Jason slightly smiled. "It's a logical question. No, I wasn't. I was in Russia and couldn't get out."

"Are you going to stay?"

"Yes."

"Cool. Can I have a hug?"

Before Jason could blink, Danny is hugging him. They talked for a while and then Jason had to leave.

"Are you okay?" Drew said.

Sam started to cry, and he held her.

'It's going to be okay."

She isn't sure that it will be.

"I feel like I have nothing to give you. I don't even know who I am."

"I know who you are and you're the man that I love."

"How can I ask you to choose me when you don't really know me?"

Sam wiped a tear away. "Please hear me. I love you. Drew, will you marry me? Will you be my husband?"

"You're proposing to me?"

"Marry me?"

"Yes."

She dove against him, convincing herself that everything is going to be okay.

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Maximus sighed as he rubbed his face. The only contact they've had with Sal's people since this started was to be handed meals or drinks. Luckily, they hadn't been injured. There is no telling what the other man's intentions are or if they'll ever see the light of day again. His business is probably gone. All he spent years building—gone, because of revenge.

"Pops…" Max said.

"Yeah."

"You think Milo's head has exploded yet?"

Maximus chuckled from his spot on a twin bed. "You don't give your brother enough credit. He may not be leadership material, but he'll step up." Thankfully, Francis and Johnny will be there for him.

"I hope so." This is not how he saw his life playing out. "I have to confess something."

Maximus's eyes narrowed. "What now?"

"I met someone."

Maximus already knows. Carlos is good and he had already had Tess Buchanon checked out. She's not Italian, but the girl is a fighter. Despite her allotment in life, she had been through hell and still comes out swinging. While he admires that, he is not sure if she is willing to stay in this life. "And?"

"She's not Italian."

The pained look in his son's eyes almost made him laugh.

Maximus cursed under his breath for effect.

"She speaks Italian though. Look, I love her, pops. I think she's the one."

Maximus rolled his eyes. "Why?"

"She's tough, beautiful, and she gets me. You know how hard that is to find?"

"How did you meet her?"

"Her car had broken down on the side of the highway about six months ago and I helped her. I offered to take her for some coffee while the tow truck driver dealt with it and we talked a lot. She said she was visiting a friend nearby and was on her way home. It took a few days for her car to be fixed, so I offered my second bedroom."

Maximus shook his head as Max grinned.

"She never went back home."

"I see. How are you going to make this work?"

"She's here. I have her in a small apartment."

Maximus's brow rose. "Since when?"

"It has been a few weeks."

"So, you were hiding her from me?"

"No. I just—I wasn't sure how you'd react."

"Let me tell you something, while I would want you to find a nice Italian girl and settle down, I understand what it's like to fall in love. If we get out of this, bring her over for dinner so I can get to know her. I'll give you my opinion afterward, but ultimately, it is up to you. However, if she's a psycho, there is no way I'm handing over the business to you."

"Deal… Thanks, pop."

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The next day, Jason showed up at the penthouse to give Danny a Christmas gift. While he was shopping, he had wondered what Jake would like. He's not a kid anymore, but he'd give anything to be able to give him something in person. Thinking about Cam and Chugging Charlie had put a smile on his face. He wonders how he is doing as well. Aidan, he doesn't know as well, but he hopes he took after Elizabeth.

"I found out from Dr. Maddox that Anna had the drive."

"What?" Sam said.

"I Know. He put it in an ornament, but unfortunately, she had taken it to be donated and when she went back there, that was the only one that was missing."

She rolled her eyes.

"I don't think it was an accident. Someone has it and we need to find it."

"Any leads?"

Jason shook his head. He caught sight of the ring and she followed his gaze.

"Drew and I are getting married."

Jason can't believe it. He moved past her.

"We're getting married because we love each other."

It is unfathomable that she is willfully stabbing him in the heart.

"As soon as we can, we'll move out of the penthouse so you can have it back."

"No, it's yours. I have no interest in taking it from my son."

"Thank you."

He can't help but notice how officious she's being, and that she's not even upset.

She slightly smiled. "Aurora, I forgot."

"Diane is drawing up paperwork. If you're profitable in a year, then I will get a percentage of the earnings for the next five." He hadn't intended on taking anything, but she pissed him off. Given the amount of money she has spent in the last seven years, Diane didn't think he should just look the other way. While he doesn't care about money in the way most people do, Diane wanted to make sure it was fair, so there wasn't any extra cash thrown at Sam. She'd get the penthouse and Aurora and that's it. Considering they hadn't been married for long before he left, that was more than generous.

She hadn't expected that. "I'm sure you were fair."

"I'll make sure that our divorce is final as soon as possible." It won't take long because of the circumstances. Diane had already filed the paperwork needed to reinstate him as Jason Morgan and would deliver the divorce decree to Sam tomorrow. Bank accounts and passcodes were already changed, and he finally has access to some of his cash. Due to Sonny's connections, everything is being fast-tracked.

"Thank you."

He started to turn around then stopped. He has had enough. "Sam, if I walk out that door right now, I'm never coming back. I hope you're sure of this. You seem like you don't care at all about my feelings. You're weren't even upset that you just stood here and broke my heart."

"Jason…"

"No! I'm not a punching bag. It amazes me how the women in my life can ask me to do absolutely heart-breaking things and barely bat an eye. How many times do I have to walk away while the person who supposedly loves me never chooses me? Do the right thing, Jason. If I hear that one more time I'm going to implode. You have all done it and I'm just sick of it!" His voice is so loud that Alana starts to cry. "Look me in the eye and say we're through; that you're done."

She is shocked that he lost his temper when he seemed to be okay with leaving her be. "I'm done."

"You didn't even hesitate."

"I love him."

It reminded him of Elizabeth when she repeatedly would tell him that she loved Lucky and wouldn't leave him. How did he end up in this place again? "Goodbye, Sam. I hope you'll be happy because, after the way you've treated me since I came back, you've ruined any love we had left. I don't hate you, but I don't like you very much. I'm done."

He left and she plopped onto the couch wondering if she just made the biggest mistake of her life.

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The next day, Drew watched Jason enter the bar. Sam had told him what happened and while he's happy she chose him he does feel bad for Jason. Before he left the house, Sam had been served with official divorce papers. She hadn't flinched before signing them which gave him pause. It's like waiting for the other shoe to drop. The fact that she had turned off her emotions so efficiently scares the shit out of him. The papers are probably already finalized and filed and since the judge put a rush on them, everything should be processed very quickly. Most of the other name changes were already completed.

"You said that you had some news?" Drew asked.

Jason could barely look at his brother. "Yeah. We made some headway with the manuscript. It's a long story, but we think that Faison has a son and that he is the traitor."

"Do you know who it is?"

"We're working on it, but I think we're close. It turns out that Nathan West is his son, but he's not the one we're looking for."

Jason's phone vibrated, so he picked it up and slowly stood. "I'll be right there."

"What's going on?"

"Faison was shot. I guess he was at the Crimson and shot Nathan West."

"His own son?"

Jason nodded. "We need to get to him."

"I'm right behind you."