Jason stepped off the elevator at the MetroCourt restaurant, where he was meeting Sam for lunch, grumpy and annoyed from lack of sleep and just an all around irritation with how slow his investigation was moving.

"I know that look!" Carly entered the room from the kitchen, pausing to lay the tray she carried on the bar before making her way to the table he sat down at, resting her hands on her hips as she stopped in front of him. "Who is it this time?"

"Who is what?" Passing a harsh hand across his face, Jason sniffled then looked up at his friend, who knew his moods well.

"The fool who made you angry."

"I'm not angry - I'm tired - there's a difference."

"If you say so." She eased into the chair across from him.

"My wife here yet?" When she shook her head and grinned knowingly, it sent his annoyance up a notch. "What, Carly? What?"

"Nothing! Geez, calm down. I just think it's cute how you keep referring to Sam as your wife, even though you two haven't been married for a minute. Things must be going good, huh?"

"Have you seen her or not?" He wasn't keeping track but knowing that's how he thought of her, Jason wasn't surprised to hear that's what he'd been calling her.

"Sam's not here - not anymore." When his askance look demanded she explained, she went on, "She went to meet Sonny. He called while she was waiting for you and said he had something to talk to her about. They're at his office."

Breaking out his phone, Jason shook his head. "You couldn't have just said that to begin with?" Two texts from Sam had gone unnoticed, likely due to his phone still being on silent mode from his stakeout of the lousy, faithless louse that poor woman was married to. Rising to his feet, he started towards the elevator. "I'll just meet her over there - maybe we can get Conan to whip us up something. Catch you later, Carly."

"Wait - that's it? You're just going to leave?" She followed him to her feet and over to the elevator, where he'd already pushed the call button. "You can't stay and have lunch with me instead?"

"Can't. Got a date with my best girl!"

"Your date stood you up and I haven't gotten you alone in ages. Come on Jase - stay!" Brushing his arm and whipping out her most charming, coaxing smile, she tried to pull him away from the opening door, but failed when he stood his ground.

"Some other time. I want to see Sam - it's been almost forty-eight hours. We really need to hire more people to pass this grunge work off to."

"I can help you with that. Stay and we'll strategize."

Shaking his head, Jason boarded the elevator and smiled. "Nice try, but I think Sam and I will handle this one. Bye, Carly!"

"Jason, wait - there's something you should know before you go there!"

"Later!"

"Fine! One of these days you're gonna want to spend time with me and I'm gonna be too busy!" The doors had closed on most of that remark, which didn't matter since they both knew it was a damn lie. That'd be the day when she wouldn't make time for her best friend! Rushing to the bar to find her phone, she tried calling Sonny to warn him. Man, she hoped that guy wasn't working today!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sam looked at the clock on the wall then back to where Sonny sat at his desk with the phone glued to his ear, precisely where it had been the last ten minutes since she'd arrived. Twirling her phone in his direction she sighed and turned her back when he held a finger up to ask her to hold on, her curiosity piquing when she caught glimpse of a familiar blonde exiting the building. What was he doing there? Hurrying after him, she was just in time to see him turn towards the docks.

"Hey!"

She couldn't decide whether he just hadn't heard the shout, or if he chose not to. Either way, she would not be deterred.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

He stopped short at the sound of her voice, turning to find her hurriedly striding in his direction, purposely seeking him out? His pulse quickened at the sight of her, same as it had everytime since he'd arrived. He really, really longed to hold her.

"Sam?"

"What are you doing in Sonny's office? Are you spying on him?"

He barely registered the harshness of the questions, seeing only the presence of the woman he loved. "Sam!"

"Why do you always repeat my name?" He was giving her that unnerving, besotted look that gave her the eebiejeebies - the one that made her think he was seeing her in all kinds of private ways she didn't at all care for.

"I'm sorry. It's just so good to see you. How are you?"

"Just fine, so how bout you answer my question - what are you doing here?"

She was so damn sexy when she was all business. "I work here."

"Excuse me?"

"I work with Sonny, Sam - it's what I do - it's all I've ever done!"

Sam was confused by the statement. "Wait a minute - are you telling me that Sonny gave you a job, knowing you're trying to take Jason's place? Knowing what a threat you are to all of us?"

"I would never hurt Sonny and I certainly would never hurt you - I hope you know that?

"What exactly is your agenda then?"

"It's been the same one since I got here…to make you see I am who I say I am, and to get you away from that stranger."

"He's not the stranger."

"I'm your husband. We made vows and promises to each other and to our family, that I intend to keep for the rest of my life - a life I'm not about to let some guy just waltz right into." He took a careful step closer, instinct taking over to move a hand that brushed the errant hair from her beautiful face, his gentle touch pausing when she didn't flinch, but took a deep breath, her eyes frisking his face in query. He felt the smile transforming his face and just as he stroked a finger down her cheek, he felt himself being yanked away from her, stumbling to catch his footing when a brute force shoved him hard.

"Get your hands off her!"

The next second his jaw stabbed with pain, where a fist connected to stagger him even further back, the might behind the punch making him dizzy before he realized he was under attack.

Jason was seeing red! The second he'd turned the corner and spotted him touching her, the sight of what they looked like standing there, what he used to look like touching her, had sucker punched his gut and reared his anger to an instant boil.

"Jason, STOP!"

Flashing off the tiny hand he felt trying to restrain him, he launched for the man who'd been trying in every way to assume his life. He was sick of this shit…and now he thought he could touch Sam too? Before he could recover, Jason had landed a second punch to the next jaw, but that one seemed expected as he felt a returned jab to his own. Son-of-a-bitch! Crouching to wrestler form, he charged and grabbed hold, using vice arms to squeeze with might as he pushed him railing backwards to smash into the side of the warehouse behind him, the next instant feeling the pain of strong arms crashing down into his own back when the man doubled over and smashed down, sending him to the ground.

"JASON! JASON, STOP IT! STOP THIS!"

Flicking over on his back instantly, Jason grabbed at the feet near his face to bring the man crashing to the ground with him, where he scrambled up and got a chokehold at his neck, only to feel his hands parted when the imposter's snaked up forcefully between them and chucked away his grip. Without missing a beat, Jason swung an arm back and landed a punch to the man's gut where he laid on his back, but just as he brought his arm up to repeat, it was grabbed from behind when Sam tried again to stop them.

"JASON, THAT'S ENOUGH! STOP!"

But he couldn't stop. This fool kept trying to infiltrate his life and now thought he could touch his wife so intimately? Nobody but him does the hair sweep with Sam - nobody! She was pulling at him to get up and it loosened his grip to where the man was allowed to reach his feet, to rush Jason and take a swing that found his jaw and sent him staggering back in the midst of rising. With a quick answer of his own, Jason fired off a cross punch and a rapid jab that sent the man staggering back again, followed closely by Jason who grabbed him up by the front of the shirt and hurled him to the ground.

"STOP IT! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU TWO?"

They'd fought their way to the nearby pier, punches and wrestling bear hugs practically mirroring each other's as they both flayed like angry beasts, both strongly silent in the face of the animosity that had brewed steadily between them.

Sam hadn't given up trying to get them to stop. She'd seen Jason fight before, but never someone who's skills so closely mirrored his own. When they paid no heed whatsoever to her cries, she shouted for Sonny, for Max, for anybody who would stop them from pummeling each other to death.

"Sam - what's wr…"

"Stop them, Max! Don't just stand there - do something!"

Max moved towards the fighting men but stopped in his tracks when Sonny's order rang out behind them.

"Leave them, Max!"

Turning incredulously to glare at him, Sam wondered if he was crazy! "What do you mean leave them - Sonny do something!"

He came to a stop next to Sam, hands akimbo as he watched the fight in front of them. "They need to do this. Let them get it out."

"Get it out? Sonny…" Realizing she was pleading with a lost cause, Sam gave up trying to convince them and rushed the fracas herself to try again. "JASON, FOR PETE'S SAKE, STOP!"

He could hear her, and a part of him even wanted to do it for her, but a larger part wanted to take this fucker limb from limb. When that part won out, he rushed the man who was rushing him too, colliding in a dual bear hug that sent them both over the side of the pier and into the dark water below, still squeezing the bejesus out of each other as they sank heavily.

"Shit, Sonny - will you do something?" Sam knew she shouldn't panic, Jason can hold his own…but something about seeing him seemingly fight himself, and now toppling into the water that started the whole debacle that took him away from her to begin with? "Dammit, Sonny!"

"Alright, alright - calm down." Realizing that he was about to be involved in a fistfight of his own if he kept ignoring her, Sonny reached to pat Sam's shoulder to help calm her, then gestured for Max to intervene. "Max…get in there!"

"Okay, Boss!"

Easing out of his suit jacket, Max draped it over a post then kicked his shoes off and jumped in, thinking of the fit Diane would have if she saw what he was doing to the new Italian suit she'd picked out herself. The things his job called for!

"Max, do you see them?" Sam was impatiently jabbing her hair into a ponytail with the dark elastic band always handy on her wrist, alarm growing when they hadn't resurfaced. She was about to jump in, boots and all, when Jason spluttered to the surface, apart finally, but looking around for his opponent again. "Jason! Oh, thank God! Jason, please - over here - give me your hand!" She went on all fours, then reached one hand out to call him to her. "Over here!"

Something fearful sounding in the voice of the woman he loved, brought his attention to where she knelt waiting, the look upon her face one of fright…so unusual for her…and then he caught sight of the huge block numbers on the wall behind her and he realized how it had to look to her…him falling into the water on the pier where it happened…disappearing before her eyes! Feeling like an overgrown eel, Jason waded to where she still knelt with her hand out for him, bracing the dock to heave his body from the water with her gripping his arm to assist.

"Oh, baby…what were you thinking?" Relieved to see he was okay, she threw her arms around his neck before he could fully emerge, stumbling to the deck with him when her weight threw him off balance. She didn't care - he was okay.

Holding her close, Jason buried his head in her shoulder and pulled her in closer. "I'm sorry, baby. I saw him touching you…I'm sorry." He felt shame for scaring her, but not an ounce of regret for decking that fool.

"He okay, Max?"

The sound of Sonny's question turned their attention to where Max was wading to them with the seemingly unconscious body-double threading water in his arms.

"He's breathing but he's bleeding from his head."

The sound of sirens reached them, announcing someone had called for help - mostly likely one of the workers nearby who'd caught the whole show. Sam and Jason didn't move from each other's arms where they watched the emergency workers take over from Max, checking for a pulse and administering CPR, then leaving soon after with the man still unconscious on a gurney.

"What was this about?" An arriving Dante Falconeri addressed his father, then looked to where Jason and Sam still sat on the edge of the pier, watching the events unfold. "Somebody mind telling me what I'm looking at?"

It was Sonny who answered, looking over at Max as he collected his belongings to head back to the office. "There was a fight, both fell into the water, Max fished one out and now it's over."

"That's it? That's what you want me to record as your statement?"

"That's what happened."

"Really? How about some more details? Who started it?"

"Didn't see that part."

"Okay - what did you see?"

"I just told you what I saw."

Turning from his father in annoyance, Dante started to ask the man on the pier, then thought better of it, knowing his answers would be even more vague than Sonny's, so he tried Sam instead. "How about you tell me what happened." He didn't expect very much, but she would probably be a little bit more forthcoming than the others.

"You heard Sonny. There was a fight and they ended up in the water. What more is there?"

"You tell me. Who threw the first punch?"

"Couldn't tell you."

He shook his head and scribbled on the notepad. Trying to get anything out of those three was always pulling teeth. Even before they lawyered up they would provide as little information as possible.

"Can you at least tell me who he is? I'd heard you had a look alike show up recently but I haven't seen him until now. What do you know about him?"

"As much as you do."

"Somehow I doubt that. Have you at least found out his name?"

"He's been going by Jason Morgan - that's the only name he'll give."

"He's not Jason." All eyes turned to Sonny, who was standing with one hand pushing the jacket back at his waist and the other palming his cheek, as he looked to the ground. When he felt them all staring, he faced the music. "He's been working for me, so I had a glass he touched analyzed for prints and matched to Jason's on file. He's not Jason Morgan."

"Sonny - how long have you known this?" Sam stood to her feet and helped Jason do the same, who had his own question that sharply followed hers.

"He's working for you?"

Bracing his palms out to calm their accusing questions, Sonny answered one then the other. "I just found out a couple days ago, and yes, I gave him a job after he saved my life."

"How convenient!" Jason approached his friend in confrontation and mild hurt. "I wouldn't do your bidding anymore so you grabbed a replacement?"

"It's not like that. He came out of the blue the other day and got the drop on these two punks holding me up. You should've seen him - he moved like you, handled himself just like you…but I had my doubts, so I figured I'd keep him close where I could have an eye on him…for all of us!"

Dante's head went up in realization. "Wait a minute - those two stiffs on the pier - that was you? Why didn't you say anything? You weren't around when the police arrived."

"Why would I stick around to be interrogated by a punch of eager cops? Besides, I had no information to share…I had no idea who they were or what they wanted. I couldn't have told them anything."

"You know damn well that's not how it works, Sonny! You can't just leave the scene of a double homicide because you feel like it!"

"It was an ambush, Dante! He saved my life!"

"So you just hired him and gave him access to Jason, just like that?" For once Sam was on Dante's side, annoyed with Sonny and his handling of the situation.

"Jason doesn't want to be involved with the business anymore. This guy has skills that I can use…and it gave me the chance to learn a few things."

"Like?" Jason was still trying to stay calm. It wasn't that he cared who the mobster hired or even trusted, for that matter, but he expected more loyalty from somebody he'd devoted so much of his life to.

"Like - he's not you! But he knows a hell of alot that he shouldn't. I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible."

"Well, we can all figure it out at the station - let's go - all of you!" Dante tried to herd them towards the stairs, but nobody moved to his urging.

"Jason needs to go to the hospital. He might've taken in water…" when he started to protest, Sam cut it off, "…you were under for a while, and before that you took quite a few punches. Don't think I don't see you holding your side…you probably have a fractured rib! We're going!" She shoved him in the direction of the stairs and followed suit.

"Fine, but come to the station afterwards - I want a proper statement!" When neither bothered to answer, Dante called after them, "Sam! Jason!" A backward flick of the man's hand was all the response he received, and he knew that if he wanted a statement he was going to have to search them out.

The hospital wasn't busy so Dr. Monroe was able to take a look at Jason as soon as they arrived, much to both their impatient delight. They were awaiting his test results in a cubicle when the sound of a familiar voice got their attention, both looking at each other in surprise at hearing who it was.

"Where is he? Is he conscious?"

"No doctor! His vitals are stable but he has yet to open his eyes."

"Who's the attending physician?"

"Dr. Finn. He's going over his scans in his office right now."

Sam got up to see but heard the voice trailing down the corridor by the time she got to the curtain. "I'll be right back." Leaving Jason to wait impatiently for his release, she decided to follow down the adjoining hallway, where she saw the doctor enter a patient room. There was no sound coming from inside when Sam got to the door, so she waited a few minutes, then eased it open for a peak when the woman didn't reemerge. Eyes boggling at what she was looking at, Sam found her mind racing to fit huge pieces of the puzzle together, uncertain if she could trust the uneasy feeling building within her, yet knowing in her gut she was on to the motherload.