Daybreak streamed through the window of the penthouse bedroom where she laid with an arm curled beneath her head, her sleepless gaze fixated on his face in troubled slumber. He'd ridden his bike all night, showing up to her arms tired and spent in the wee hours of the morning, falling asleep only after she'd held him to her bosom and soothed him there. Worry marred his handsome features in sleep and Sam knew the pain, fresh and scarring, had followed him into unconsciousness. Little did he know, the day from hell for him had been capped with a new surprise for them all and was far from over.
As her mind compared his new facial features at rest to those she'd studied for years, she wondered what the stranger really meant to bring in the form of disruption to everything they now knew. The brief conversation with him had warned her of his intentions…he meant to pass himself off as the man in bed next to her. Did he know Jason had returned to them? Did he think there was still an empty space open for him to fill, or was he aware but expected to create enough doubt to work his way in regardless?
She studied the face that held no sign of former looks and there was a time when that scheme might have worked…but that time had long passed. She'd had a chance to reestablish that connection with the soul of the man who no matter the vessel, the real him could never be masked for long. The people who knew him best, would know him anywhere.
But this stranger was more than that somehow. There was something eerily familiar in the way he'd looked at her, said her name. His eyes held more than just the right color…they held history…they held knowledge…they held love! But how?
"Hey, beautiful."
Sam could feel her eyes soften and smile, even when the rest of her didn't move, locking eyes that had drifted open where he laid watching her, his mumbled greeting washing her ears with balm. He was still wearing the dark tee and jeans from the day before, after falling asleep where they'd laid quietly for the longest time, needing no words to convey each other's hurt.
"Hey." She matched the soft tone of his voice and they laid still together, eyes locked in gratitude for their first sight of the new day falling upon each other.
"How long have you been watching me?"
She didn't answer, instead reached a hand to tenderly stroke a strong, stubbled jaw, allowing her fingers to deftly travel its length, while she drank in the presence of him.
"Are you okay?"
Her eyes shifted to meet his, startled by the concern growing in their depths for her after the shock he'd had. "I should be asking you that."
Jason cupped her hand at rest on his jaw and pressed it tighter to his face, eyes momentarily closing to the effect of her soft skin upon him and her love upon his heart.
"I'm fine." His eyes opened to seek her again. "As long as I have you and Danny, I'll never be anything but."
She knew he wasn't really…but there was one thing he never had to worry about. "We're not going anywhere."
"Promise?"
"Promise!"
When he closed his eyes on the release of a soft breath and kissed her palm, Sam inhaled deeply, taking the moment to do what she must.
"Something happened yesterday." She met eyes that locked hers again and chose the words to follow carefully. "I ran into someone I need to tell you about."
"Yah? Who?"
Easing to one elbow, Sam tucked loose strands behind an ear and held his gaze. "I was at the docks, wrapping up a little situation when this guy…"
"Situation at the docks? What do you mean - what happened?" He rose himself to sit up and lean against the headboard, something telling him she was snipping a story and he wouldn't like one more word she uttered.
"Doesn't matter - I had it under control, but this guy…"
"Had what under control, Sam? Were you attacked there again?"
"Will you stop cutting me off and just let me tell you?"
"Okay, but stop leaving stuff out. Start with the 'situation' you handled."
"That has no relevance to what I'm trying to tell you."
"I still want to know."
He could be so stubborn. Dropping a deep sigh, she rushed out the incident with Ian, keeping her eyes darting from his angering face to a chosen spot on the linen, totally expecting the explosion that happened when she'd gotten only halfway through, watching the sudden burst of energy that sprung him from the bed in anger.
"Where is he?"
"In jail, so calm down!"
"Don't tell me to calm down, Sam! I knew I should've tossed his sniveling ass off the MetroCourt balcony that night! I'm gonna fucking kill him!"
"You're not killing anybody and I'm glad you weren't the one who came along yesterday because you'd be the one going to prison!"
"What do you mean, who came along? Who else was there?"
Sam sighed and scooted to the foot of the bed, "This is where it gets really interesting." She eyed him cautiously, knowing he wasn't going to get any less riled up after hearing her next words, "it was you…you showed up yesterday!"
"What?"
"I had Ian on the ground and I turned around, Jason and there you were! Only it wasn't, you…" she flexed her hand towards him in the awkward way of using a prop to make a point that wasn't really the point she wanted to make, "…it was the old you!" She saw his eyes narrow in confusion and hurried out, "The way you used to look - before your surgery - the face you had before that car ran you over!"
"W-h-a-t?" He was trying to follow but she lost him more with each sentence. "Sam…?"
"I know, I know it sounds ridiculous - imagine being there and seeing it?"
"Seeing what? Are you saying I have a double?"
"Oh, he's more than just a double, Jason…he wanted me to believe he was you!"
Taking a seat next to her on the edge of the bed, Jason rested a hand on hers where it laid at her hip. "Okay - let's start again. This dead son-of-a-bitch attacked you, and afterwards you saw somebody who looked like I used to look…and then what happened?"
"He called me by name."
His mind raced for a second. "Okay, he heard the idiot say it during your altercation - what else?"
"No, Jason - you're not listening to me. He said my name like he knew me! Like you say it all the time…nobody else says my name like you do…but he did! He said he'd just arrived on a boat from Brussels and he'd tell me all about it later."
"Like hell he will!"
"He wanted me to believe he was you - he kept saying, 'its me, Sam,' like I was really supposed to recognize him. He really believed he was you, Jason."
The bedroom door being pushed open drew their attention to a sleepy, pajama-clad Danny, rubbing one eye as he yawned into the room, strolling by his mother to rest between his father's legs and yawn again, his head going to rest on Jason's chest.
"Hey, sleepyhead." Sam watched as Jason hoisted Danny to his lap, hugging him close where he closed his eyes again and snuggled into his father, and it reinforced what she already knew…Danny knew Jason too! He'd known him before he'd even awoken from the coma with a new face, unrecognizable to them all…except Danny. The little boy whom he'd saved getting tossed from the roof of the hospital and brought home to their family, committed to being his father when he had no idea that he really was…Danny knew him long before any of them ever did. That kind of connection cannot be taught or fabricated…it either is, or it isn't. Danny and Jason together had been magic from the very start, and watching them now, Sam was reminded how hard it would be for anybody to make someone who loved him, doubt him in the least.
The doorbell broke the silence in the room and Sam left father and son to find out who was stopping by so early, struck speechless when the door opened to the sight she was hoping she'd remembered wrong.
"Hi, Sam."
When his features struck her dumb, his words reminded her to speak. "You have some nerve coming to my home!"
He knew she'd be wary after the docks and he wanted to give her time to adjust, but it was time he knew they didn't have. "I'm sorry that I have to do this - I'd give you time if I could, but you're in danger."
"You're the only one bringing danger to me. What is it that you want?"
"You're my family, Sam…you and Danny - you're my family! I need to tell you everything. I know it's a shock, me turning up like this, after what happened to me - but once you've heard…"
The door at her back swung open further to reveal Jason had followed down the stairs and now stood facing the man claiming to be him. Sam turned quickly to intervene, struck animatedly by the unreal presence of both men, Jason and his double - right there before her - both claiming to be him, each bracing for a confrontation at the sight of each other. Knowing Jason was about to go into protective mode, Sam pressed a palm calmingly to his chest, as lord help this guy if he thought him to be a threat.
Jason was dumbfounded - he'd heard every word Sam said upstairs but his mind had not fully prepared him for what he would really see. She hadn't embellished even a little bit - the man before them didn't just resemble his old features, he embodied everything. It was like looking into the mirror and seeing his old self looking back, only it was impossible!
"What the hell is this? Who are you?"
"Jason Morgan - who the hell are you?"
When his jaw clenched with the force of holding his temper in check, Jason tried again. "You might want to reconsider whatever sick game you think you're about to play with my family! I will take - you - down!"
"I'm not looking for a fight."
"Then you came to the wrong damn place!" He stepped forward, driving the double to take several steps back into the hallway, steely gaze never leaving his own when the door closed softly behind them.
Sam stood in front of the door she'd closed so as not to disturb Danny, whom she was guessing Jason had left asleep upstairs in her bed. Marveling at the sight she had to see to fully believe, she stepped between Jason and the man he was ready to pounce upon.
"Look - as you can see, you're playing a very dangerous game. This is Jason Morgan…" she braced one hand to the arm of the man she loved, while staring into the eyes of the other, eyes that still appeared so damn familiar. "You can't be him because Jason is standing right here. I don't know how you got confused, but you need to leave…right now!"
Without breaking the steely stare they had going on, he told her, "I can't Sam. I'm not leaving you with this imposter one more minute." He looked to her and back, "Why would you believe he was me…he doesn't even look like me!"
Still spinning, Sam uttered a new thought. "You may know things you shouldn't, but you obviously didn't finish your homework. Jason had an accident and his face had to be reconstructed. Somebody trying to step into his life should know that."
"Sounds kind of convenient to me." He wasn't looking away from the icy blue glare burning him through. "So that's the story you told to get to my family?"
"You're not leaving her?" The man's earlier words still stung with their boldness. "You've come as close as you're getting to my family, and you're about to find it's been as civil as it's going to get with me!"
The elevator doors opened behind them to reveal Carly Corinthos, who went straight for her friend. "Jason - thank goodness - I've been calling you all night!"
Momentarily distracted, Jason caught her look of panic that told him something was wrong. "What is it - are you okay?"
"Me? I'm fine - I've been sick with worry about you!" When his look asked her why, she continued, "Lucky had dinner at the restaurant last night - he told me what happened. I've been calling and calling you!" She threw a momentary look to the man at her left only to do a double-take when her eyes registered the complete scene before her. "What the hell!"
He'd been struck speechless the moment she'd arrived. He'd spent an entire afternoon and night, thinking of the best way to present himself to the people he loved. Things hadn't gone so well when he first saw Sam, and it made him realize they might not go well with his friends either. He knew they'd have a hard time at first but he never thought they'd refuse to believe him.
"Carly!"
The blonde was staring at him with eyes wide, the shock registered all over her face behind tense hands that covered her mouth.
When she couldn't respond, he continued, "It's so good to see you. I know…but it really is me, Carly."
"Like hell it is!" Jason touched his friend's arm. "I know what he looks like, but don't listen for a second to this!" Veering back to the fraud, his anger was completely unmasked. "You're starting to really piss me off with this shit!"
"Jason, who is this?" Carly had found her voice again, grabbing her friend's arm while one hand remained stuck to her face.
"I'm Jason, Carly. It's me!" The sight of her filled him with such emotion, triggering memories of the myriad of times she'd had his back, warming his eyes to the welcome sight of someone else in his heart. "Look at you…I hope you're not still hiding perfect strangers with suspicious briefcases in your room."
Carly brought both hands back in place to cover her mouth in shock, riveted to blue eyes that told of knowing her at the place deep inside where her best friend lived. He stood before her, looking the way she remembered, but how on earth…?"
"Okay, this is too much…" feeling tension that was about to snap, Sam stepped in to halt the natural escalation. "You need to leave."
He was shaking his head, "I can't, Sam. I don't know who this guy is - I'm not leaving you with him."
Carly woke from the reverie and snapped her hands down, "Nobody is going anywhere!" She glared from one to the other, then rested on the sight she hadn't seen in years. "Not 'til you tell me who you are and how you know…"
"You? We're family, Carly. Before Sam and Danny, you, Sonny and the boys, were the only family I had. Sonny says I always defend you, but that's because you've always defended me. I'm sorry I had to leave, but I'm back now. It's really me…it's Jason."
She saw what her eyes were showing her but she also knew what her heart said. "Okay, you know things only Jason could know, but Jason is standing right here. He's been here all along, so what is this? Who are you?"
"Jason Morgan!"
"Stop saying you're me and get out before I throw you out!"
Taking Jason by the hand, Sam pulled him towards the front door, "Jason, let's go. You…" She pointed at the stranger, her breath still short from the features she missed so much, "…you need to leave. Don't come here again!" She pulled on Jason some more, who hadn't budged until Carly was helping her, both stepping through the front door with him sandwiched between them glaring over Carly's shoulder at the man still standing in the hall when the door closed.
"What the hell's going on? Who's that guy?" Carly was still surprised out of her mind, Jason's old features the last thing she'd ever expect to see on someone else.
"I'd find out, if you just let me choke it out of him." He was moving back to the door after they'd freed him.
"Jason, please!" Sam's words, guttural and raw, brought him to face her anxious face.
"This is insane! He just showed up here?" Carly was still reeling from the shock. He had Jason's face! If she'd seen him just walking down the street it would've been shock enough, but he was at Jason's door! Talking to her about things only Jason should know! "Is that why you can't remember anything? Is it possible you're really not…"
"Come on, Carly! So what - DNA lies now? I thought you didn't believe that guy?" Surprised by her wavering after she'd acted like she believed Jason, Sam gestured towards the closed door.
"I don't! Not really, Sam but…" her eyes darted between them, "You heard him - how did he know how Jason and I met? No stranger could possibly know that…and did you see his eyes? My God, it was Jason looking back at me from behind those eyes!"
"And who's looking at you right now, Carly?" He hadn't expected for a second that she'd question who he is, so the surprise was evident in his voice as the hurt crept up his chest.
"Jason - of course I know this is you - but…" she took the two steps to the sofa to plop unceremoniously to a cushion. "Oh, my God - this is so confusing!"
Jason took the seat next to her calmly. "That stranger may have found out how we met, but does he know the frightened Carly who showed up on my doorstep in the pouring rain, pregnant and desperate for my help…who turned into this fierce mother and protector, who'd face a room full of gangsters, - with a bat - to protect her family…who would risk getting herself shot up with a deadly virus in order to save the people she loved? How could he possibly?"
Carly was staring at him, tears brimming her eyes when she knew for certain she was looking at her friend. "It didn't really do anything to me."
"Dr. Cassius had no way of knowing that you were too stubborn to let some virus beat you."
"Jason." Her whisper wasped between them in awe. "You remember that?"
"I remember everything, Carly."
"What? When?"
"Yesterday. Sam and I…I woke up and everything just came flooding back to me. I remember it all."
Sam stood near the fireplace with arms folded across her chest, watching the two friends reconnect, recalling a time when she'd been just the tiny bit jealous of the bond they shared…that brief period when she'd doubted her true place in his world…but that was before his love taught her the startling difference between a lifelong bond of friendship he had with Carly, and the hungry blaze that connected his soul to hers alone.
"He does, Carly. Jason got his memory back."
"Oh, my God - this is so great!" The next second Jason had to inhale deeply to catch a breath when her arms wound tightly around his neck, cutting off circulation before he eased her gently to release her hold.
"I don't know who that imposter is, or what he thinks he's about to do here, but I'm going to find out." He held onto a hand that had unwound its hold on his neck, "Promise me you'll stay away from him - at least until I find out what he's after."
"But you'll need my help to take care of this. We'll send him packing right back to wherever the hell he came from."
"No! You're staying out of it! Keep away from him - I mean it, Carly! Let me handle it."
"Fine, Jason! I'm too happy to argue with you about anything! You remember…you remember Michael, you remember me, and why you're the very best friend I ever had in this entire world! You remember!"
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"Looks like you're the first one here, Boss."
Sonny alighted from the car when Max held the door open, fastening the dark suit jacket as he quickly surveyed the area around them. The meeting was not his idea but the location was, one of several warehouses he owned on the docks - always more comfortable on his own turf.
"We're early. I'll get set up inside - take the car round back and check in with Mario. I need that shipment docked without any problems."
"On it, Boss."
Patting Max' shoulder as he passed him towards the bay door, Sonny entered then flicked the switch to his right to flood the space with bright white light. There really was nothing to set up - the table was already in place and refreshments lined the smaller one in a far corner of the room. Knowing he still had an hour before his appointment he turned back towards the door, taking the short walk to the water, where he stood in contemplation, watching the rest of the world go about its day.
It'd been years, yet it had always struck him in the chest anytime he was anywhere near pier fifty two. The loss of his friend, his right hand, his brother was always heavy on his heart. He might have gotten him back physically, but the Jason who came back wasn't him at all. He still wanted nothing to do with him or his business, a business which felt the loss of him every single day, a business he'd helped to shape and to form, that he owned half of…but wanted no part of anymore. They had built something together that had surpassed his wildest dreams. But his brother still wanted out.
The sound of the water lapping at the dock drew his attention to where his brother went in, the spot forever giving him cold chills whenever he came near. If only he'd been there that day. If he'd arrived just a few minutes earlier - he could've had his back the way he always looked out for him. Jason Morgan had saved his hide more times than he had fingers to count…and the one time he could've really made it matter, he hadn't been there to return the favor. If only he'd been there…he'd have his brother back now.
The click of the Glock to the left of him froze his movements in a familiar situation - caught off guard by an assailant who got the drop on him.
"I don't know who you are, but you're making a big mistake."
"Don't turn around. MOVE!"
Spreading his fingers open as he extended both arms out in front, Sonny walked slowly towards the stairs, the only direction open to him. He was unarmed and Max thought he was inside the warehouse. Dammit.
"Okay, okay - don't get excited."
"I'll give the orders - SIT!"
"What do ya want?" Sonny hoped that if he kept him talking long enough Max would find him gone and come looking - would know where he'd ambled off to. Stopping in front of the bench by the stairs, he hesitated to obey the last command.
"There you go - acting like the lord of the castle - well, you know what, Corinthos?" Sonny watched as the man stepped around him into view, the gun trained anew on his heart. "You're not in charge today!"
"Big words from a mask who needs a gun to talk fore him."
When the hood was ripped instantly from his face and dropped to the bench, Sonny got the full picture. Revealing the face meant only one thing - the intent was to leave no witnesses to what was about to happen.
"Got sumpen else to say now?"
"Yeh. No idea who you are, so say your piece and get the hell outta my way."
The sound of a second Glock cocking behind him gave Sonny feelings of dejavue, as the man chuckled over at someone he couldn't see.
"You believe this guy? Fucking dinosaur thinks he's gonna rule Port Charles forever! Well guess again, Corinthos. My father might've been too scared to take this town, but he's dead now," the gun was shoved closer to Sonny's face, "And so are you!"
The booming sounds of exploding steel tore from somewhere behind them and Sonny instinctively ducked behind hands that went up to cover his head. Blast after blast filled the air and when the last one sounded, Sonny was expecting to hit the ground against his will, thought he'd finally caught the big one and would end the same way as his brother. But he wasn't falling. Damn, he wasn't even in pain - no feel of his skin tearing or steel taking up lodging inside his body, no stream of warm blood running anywhere down his limbs. Cautiously lifting his head and hands, eyes that roved his torso and found no bullet holes, fell to the man who'd been standing before him, now sprawled on the ground at his feet, eyes wide open where they stared blankly at the sky, blood spurting from his head and chest.
Shocked, Sonny turned around to see a second gunmen lying behind him, having met a similar fate. Breathing eased, Sonny stood completely tall and took a deeper breath.
"What took you so long?"
"Sorry - I didn't realize you'd be waiting."
He froze in the middle of fully turning to his savior, the sound of a voice he hadn't heard in five of the longest years of his life, bringing him to halt in his tracks. His eyes fell upon the man who still held the gun that saved his life and Sonny just about had a heart attack. The impossible was unfolding right before him, the dream he'd long prayed for, playing out in reality right there on his pier.
"Who are you?"
"It's me, Sonny. I came back."
Taking an involuntary step back, Sonny wondered if he'd finally cracked. Maybe the strain of losing his right hand had finally done it.
"Me, who?"
"Jason. Come on, Sonny…tell me you know it's me."
"What I know is that you look exactly like him. But Jason's already here. He already came home."
"That guy's not me and you know it! I know he didn't fool you too."
He was having a hard time catching his breath. This was crazy! Wasn't it? Jason's face didn't look like that anymore, his voice sounded different…he was different! He wanted no part of the business and no part of him either, despite the fact that he'd saved his life, instinctively cut down the men who'd had him tied up in that warehouse…much like these two were cut down tonight…that was Jason, right? Different, but him?
"What're you trying at, pal?"
Sonny watched as the man closed the distance between them, stepping around the gunman to stop in front of him.
"Look at me, Sonny. Take a good look…and tell me that you don't know it's me."
"Oh, I see you. A good plastic surgeon can work wonders these days - seen that too. Seen it as recently as when one worked on my brother to give him his face back."
"He's not your brother. He didn't make the Canada runs or learn to dance with Lily in your living room. He didn't go to the church to break Brenda's heart when you couldn't because she would've talked you out of it and you needed to let her go so she could live. He didn't clean up the broken glass and furniture when you thought she'd died, and every other time you couldn't get a hold on your illness. He didn't walk away from Carly and Michael so they could have a life with you, he wasn't there for the birth of both your sons, didn't hold them in his arms as babies, didn't swear to protect their family for the rest of his life…because he's not your brother, Sonny…I am!"
Backing to the bench, Sonny stumbled over the body to plop down heavily, needing to sit when his legs gave way. Living in Port Charles, he'd seen some very unreal shit in his life, had survived some of the strangest situations imaginable, but this! This man looked exactly the way his brother did, sounded the exact same way, knew stuff only his brother could…how the fuck was that even possible?
"Boss, you okay?" Max reared into view, stopping near Sonny while taking in the scene before him. "I heard shots and went to check that you were inside but you weren't," when his eyes left the bodies on the ground and found the one standing, his intake of breath was audible. "Jason?"
"Hey, Max!"
"He's not Jason!" Sonny barked out anger and jerked from the seat. "Let's go Max! Somebody would've called the shots in by now." Refusing to look behind him, Sonny stormed the steps and took them two at a time, leaving the scene behind. When he got to the top, he stopped to look back again, finding the man who had saved his skin. "Follow me! We need to talk!"
