Sam looked up from the case file when the door to her office was pushed open, to eye the young woman she knew only from a photo her clients had shared when she took the case.
"May I help you?" Better to feign ignorance 'til she made her intentions known.
"If you know where I can find Sam McCall, you can. Where is he?"
Sam leaned back in the chair and studied the lanky blonde who looked nothing like the woman she claimed was her mother, noting from the shifty eyes and jerky movements that she was dealing with someone on edge. Her cold, unfriendly tone was biting as she looked around the office. Sam could guess why she was there.
"You're looking at her! What can I do for you?" Her own tone was nonchalant as she got the usual look of disbelief.
"You're Sam McCall?"
Rising from the chair, Sam grabbed her keys and tapped her fingers on the desk in impatience. "The one and only…and you are?"
After eyeing her from head to toe, the blonde struck her chin out. "Prudence Katz." She paused as she watched for the look of recognition she was expecting her name to alert in Sam, continuing when she got none. "I came here looking for my birth mother…and I found her too…everything was going great - until a few days ago."
Sam moved around the desk to grab her leather jacket from the rack by the door, shoving her arms inside as she continued to study the angry stance before her.
"Oh, yeah? Look, I have someplace I need to be, so please get to the point. Why are you looking for me?"
"To find out why you stuck your nose in my business? Why you gave my mother false information that she now thinks I tried to trick her and wants nothing to do with me."
Sam squared her shoulders and looked the woman in the eye. "Lady, I don't know you, and I don't make a habit of passing my clients false information. If my intel is different from yours, it's because yours is wrong. If you disagree, it's nothing that a quick DNA test can't clear up."
"I don't need a DNA test to tell me what I already know and what my mother had no trouble believing - I'm her daughter! We were just fine until you butted your nose into our business."
Sam was losing patience with the silly conversation. "Suit yourself." She held the door open and gestured with her head for the blond to leave.
"We're not done!" She stood her ground, clutching the purse that hung at her side as she refused to exit the room.
"Yes, we are. There's nothing I can do for you and like I said, I have someplace to be."
When she started to ease her hand inside the purse at her side, Sam shifted and stuck her right hand inside her jacket, fingers closing on the trigger of the small Beretta. Their eyes locked, and seconds passed before the woman obviously thought better of it and slowly retracted her hand from the purse. She moved to the open door, glaring at Sam.
"We'll talk again, Sam McCall! You can count on it."
"I'll be ready whenever you are."
She watched her leave before locking the door behind her and following to the parking lot, where Sam committed the make and plate number of the blue car she drove. As she eyed her moving down the street, Sam sighed at the part of the job she'd worried about once Danny arrived. Certain dangerous elements she used to take in stride, now troubled her when she thought of how they could touch her child. She loved her career, but she'd be lying if she said it couldn't sometimes get pretty dangerous with the type of unscrupulous people she often encountered.
Reaching for her phone, she dialed the penthouse number, before walking to her truck. She breathed easier when the sitter picked up.
"Trudy, hi. Is everything okay there?"
"Hi Mrs. Morgan. Everything's fine - we just got back from the park and Danny's taking a nap."
"Good. Make sure you let me know if you're going to leave the penthouse, and don't ever let him out of your sight, okay?"
"Of course. Is everything okay?"
Sam forced herself to relax, realizing she was alarming the young woman. "Everything's fine, but like we've talked about, sometimes my job rub people the wrong way and you never know how they'll react. Danny is everything, you know that. Just be really alert when you're with him, please."
"Danny is safe with me, Mrs. Morgan. He's the sweetest little boy and I'd never let anything happen to him."
"I know, Trudy. Thank you. I'll see you in a little while."
"Ahh, Mrs. Morgan?"
"Yes?"
"Mr. Morgan is here."
Sam's heart skipped a beat and her throat got instantly parched.
"Why?" He was having dinner with Danny later - why was he there before lunchtime?
"He was here when we got home…he's down in the storage room now."
Sam hadn't seen him since the afternoon she made a blubbering mess of herself in the kitchen and ended up in his arms. She'd had quite a time extricating herself from his hold but once she regained her composure, she'd shot out of there like a bat out of hell, saying she had to work. He'd taken Danny sledding and she hadn't returned until late that night, so he was long gone by then. She wasn't looking forward to their next conversation at all, but she felt childish the way she'd avoided him since the night she let herself give in to the pull between them and let loose her desires…but she'd have to face him again sooner or later. When had running ever solved anything?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jason looked curiously at the lockbox sitting at the bottom of the fourth trunk he'd gone through. Sam had stored his things as though she'd been expecting him to come home at any minute, and it reminded him of the many conversations they'd had as friends, where she'd told him how she hadn't given up believing her husband was alive, even when everybody told her he wasn't. Looking around the room earlier had told him so much. She'd kept everything - the clothes, the biker boots, the books, even the extensive gun collection that took up an entire wall of the room. She hadn't let anything of his go, and except for a few boxes marked Sam, and Danny's baby clothes, it was all his. The lockbox he found was the best surprise of the morning, its contents giving him an idea of what had been important to Jason Morgan.
He removed the nine millimeter that was sitting on top, and laid it aside to get to the photos in the bottom of the box, several of a young, redhead Michael and baby Morgan Corinthos. Others were of Sam in varying stages and years, one taken of her asleep with a hand tucked beneath her cheek and her raven lochs pulled back in a ponytail. She was a beauty, and his eyes locked for minutes as he saw instantly why he must've snapped it. Her face was so peaceful at rest, the tiniest, tiniest smile discerned on her lips as though she was dreaming of something sweet. As he looked at the picture, Jason was transported to the room where he could see himself sitting on the edge of their bed, watching her in awe, stroking the side of her face gingerly as he marveled how beautiful and perfect she was. He loved her so much.
He went through the other pictures and was surprised to find ones of baby Jake, but no Danny. Then he remembered that he wouldn't have had pictures of Danny, since the only one back then was taken the same night he'd disappeared. Once again he was reminded of all the time he'd missed with his son, and just before anger swept in, he removed the last two items from the box.
The first was a passport, and the second he opened it and his eyes landed on the picture stuck in the middle of it, a memory lighted his mind. He was going away. He stood at the desk in the living room, his mind still on Sam and their conversation from earlier that day. Things were still very taught between them after they'd both slept with other people and widened the gap in their suddenly tense relationship. They were slowly making progress, trying to talk things through and forgive each other's slip…trying to remember what they'd fought for years to create. But he had to go out of town. Timing was terrible, but Sonny needed him to take care of business, and although he'd much rather stay and work things out with her, it was his job. He couldn't take her with him, but he could take a piece of her. Sticking the photo of the two of them in the passport, he looked around the room where they'd spent so much time together, bringing it to life. She'd brought it to life. Her presence in his life had given him more richness than anything else, and it was in that very room where he'd also hurt her greatly. He looked down at her smiling face before he closed the passport that he would keep close. God, please make her able to forgive him and bring her light back to his life. Make him able to forgive her like he'd never been able to forgive before, to make him able to breathe again.
Sighing as the memory faded, Jason looked down at the photo, a replica of the very same one Carly had shown him on Christmas. It had obviously meant a great deal to him if he was taking it where he went. Sticking the passport inside a pocket, Jason looked at the final item in the box, his breath catching when it was a sonogram photo. Turning it over, his heart thumped at the writing that read, Baby Morgan, April 12, 2012. Unable to stop the sudden blur to his vision, Jason swallowed the lump in his throat and turned the photo back over. Danny's very first!
You okay?
Yea, yea - I'm just, ah, you know, I'm excited to see our baby.
Okay, here we go! There's your baby…looking nice and healthy!
Wow…look at our baby, Sam!
I can't believe it
He or she is being a little shy today. If you wanna find out if it's a boy or girl, I can try to finagle
It's ah, it's up to you
Well, what do you think?
I think I'd like to keep it a surprise, if that's okay
Alright, a surprise it is
They were so happy! He'd held on to that photo of their love like a trophy that day, proudly showing it off to everyone close to him. His longtime dream of a child with the woman he loved was right there in his hands, right there inside of her, at long last. He couldn't believe how incredibly lucky and blessed they were. Finally, she'd have the one thing he'd feared he would never be able to give her.
That was the joy that had been ripped from their grasp, at the height of their happiest time together. By Franco fucked Baldwin!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam reached across the counter at Kelly's to grab the cup of coffee from TJ, smiling warmly as she took a sip, closed her eyes to the heavenly afternoon delight, then opened them to incline her head in thanks. TJ returned her wide smile and went back to the kitchen.
"Hello beautiful!"
She'd know that cocky cockney anywhere now. Turning to meet the photographer who'd walked up to stand behind her, Sam smiled in greeting.
"Ian! How're you?"
"Well, my day just got decidedly better." His cocky smile lifted the corners of his mouth while hungry eyes roved her with his usual brash appreciation. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to wish you a happy new year the other night…I looked for you, but…"
Sam recalled how Jason had chased the man off and smiled despite herself.
"Don't feel too bad…you're not the first man my husband's left quaking in his boots! It's his thing, actually."
Ian's brow rose at the dripping pride in her statement, his heart dropping at the label she gave the brutish man. "Husband?"
Surprised at her slight slip, Sam corrected as she moved towards the door. "Ex-husband! It's good to see you, Ian. Take care."
"Wait, Samantha…" When she hesitated and turned to him, he hurried to correct himself. "Sam! I'd still like to show you off some night - how about it? What are you doing this evening?"
"Ian, this is getting a little tedious, don't you think? I appreciate the offer, really I do…but I'm not interested, so please - let this be the last time you waste your time asking, please?"
When the harshness in her words sounded to her own ears, Sam tried to lighten the suddenly awkward moment. "Trust me, I am not your type! You want the girl who'll laugh at your charming little jokes and wait with anticipation for your calls. I, on the other hand, am too busy even for my adorable kid at times…you don't want me, trust me!"
"You are so wrong about that!"
She took a step towards him and met his eyes. "You're sweet, but it's still a definite no. Let's just leave it there, okay?" Before he formed a response, she waved and walked purposely to the door. "See you around, Ian!"
Watching her walk away had the opposite effect of what she wanted, her sexy strides mesmerizing as his eyes fixated on the sway of her hips, making him want her more than ever.
"Do you always give up that easily?"
Ian turned to find the soft voice that belonged to someone he didn't know.
"Excuse me?"
Elizabeth avoided eye contact as she laid the bills down on the table to pay for her lunch, then stood, holding her hand out to the young photographer.
"Nurse Elizabeth Webber. You're Ian, right? We haven't been formally introduced but I've seen you with Sam and Maxie…you like her, huh?"
"It's that obvious?"
"Only to anyone with eyes!" She gave him her brightest smile and winked his way. "I've known Sam for years, and I can tell you that she likes a man with confidence and surety. She likes to be chased, and if you give up now, you'll never know where you could've gotten with her."
"You and Samantha are friends?"
Elizabeth adjusted the strap of the purse hanging at her shoulder. "I've known her since she rolled into town thirteen years ago. Tough as nails, so you need to be strong if you want her to notice you. Back off now and she'll never take you seriously."
Elizabeth couldn't believe her luck. She'd been picking at a sandwich as she contemplated her next move, one that she'd been struggling with, but felt like she had no choice. It was either that or give up on getting Jason back, and that she'd never do. Friends or not, she had to do what she had to do. She saw when the woman rolled in and got her coffee, wished her to choke on it when she watched her sip, then got the best present she'd had all day when the man before her tried to hit on her. She eyed her try to play hard to get, and felt sorry for the poor fool lapping at her tail. She knew it was a matter of time before she'd bed him too, but she couldn't wait for nature to take its course - she missed Jason everyday and had enough of not having him home and in her bed. It was time to take things under control and make her life what she wanted it again.
Handing a card to the photographer, she decided to grab the perfect opportunity that had presented itself.
"Call me tomorrow…I'll be happy to help you to get our friend Sam to change her mind about you. Leave everything to me." She moved past him and Ian looked at the card in his hand then back at her retreating back.
"Why? You don't even know me?"
"What's to know when love is in the air?" She continued through the door and hurried to catch the launch to Spoon Island.
Twenty minutes later, she checked her makeup, cleared her throat, and shoved the warning sirens sounding in her head to the very back of her mind. She had to do this - she had no choice.
"Nikolaus, are you here?" She entered the study just as he rose from the oak desk to approach her.
"Elizabeth, what a nice surprise! What brings you by?"
Engaging the brightest, sexiest smile she could muster, she removed the scarf from her neck and laid it with the purse on the couch next to them before slipping out of her coat.
"I needed a friendly face, and there's no better friend I have in this world. "How've you been?"
"Very well, thank you. I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time. Is this about Jason again?"
She took a seat on the couch as the prince moved to the cabinet to pour her a drink.
"You know how I feel about him, Nikolaus. It's not fair that we got this close and then it's all just ripped away from me like that. This was supposed to be our time…it's just not fair."
Nikolaus handed her the glass then sat down next to her. "Maybe it's just not meant to be. It's time to put that chapter behind you and move on, my friend. You weren't meant to be a Morgan, and that's his loss. You shouldn't let it continue to make you miserable."
"Maybe you're right…maybe it's time I faced facts and just put Jason and that chapter behind me once and for all." She summoned the tears that engaged every man who ever loved her into protective mode. "I gave him everything in me…and he made me think he wanted me too." When his arms surrounded her to pull her to him, she smiled to herself and let the tears flow more freely. "I feel so stupid, Nikolaus. I mean, it was right before me the whole time…he's always wanted her and not me. And who can blame him…who would want me?"
Nikolaus hugged her to him tightly and soothed her softly. "Stop it - you stop that right now. Elizabeth, you are beautiful and smart and any man in his right mind will jump at the chance to love you. Jason Morgan is a brain damaged fool who never deserved you…don't you shed one more tear over him, do you hear me? He never deserved my cousin and he doesn't deserve you either."
She sniffled loudly and swiped at the tears staining her cheeks. "You have to say that - you are my friend." Another loud sniffle garnered her another tight hug.
"I mean every word. You are remarkable, Elizabeth. The best person I know."
Using a tentative cheek, she moved her face slowly against his, breathing heavily as she allowed shy lips to form a trail along the same cheek. When his head moved back so he could see her eyes, she stared at him with the big, ogling gaze that relayed her raw vulnerability, even as she closed in to place her face a mere inch away from his.
"Nikolaus!" She whispered breathlessly and allowed her breath to brush his lips, lips she could see quivering to kiss her. Without warning, she closed the distance between them to lock him hungrily, then delicately went limp against him to allow him to take control, soon moaning lustily when he took her, right there on the couch in his study.
Just one hour later, Elizabeth Webber boarded the launch that would take her back home, puffed up with the satisfaction that she'd gotten exactly what she came for. She'd spent weeks flushing the birth control from her system and now, she was sure things were looking up once again. Nobody was more fertile than she was, and although Jason had refused to touch her lately, she'd now gotten a replacement deposit from Nikolaus. Jason Morgan was coming home and she would wear his name…he just didn't know it yet.
