Just wanted to say thanks for the positive reviews on my story. I hope it doesn't disappoint. The reviews have really motivated me to keep going with it.
Chapter 3
They continued to stare at each other for several minutes. Jason was fixated on his face. It was exactly how his face used to look and it was unnerving to look at his new found brother. His brain barely registered the dress slacks and light blue dress shirt Aaron still had on from earlier in the day.
Aaron stared at Jason's face and attire. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, black leather jacket, blue jeans with some type of boots. They looked like exact opposites in every way except for their piercing blue eyes.
"Jason?" Aaron questioned.
"Yea," Jason answered him with surprise.
"When Monica called to give me the news she mentioned you might be coming by to see me." Aaron explained to Jason. "She had also showed me photo of you before and after your accident. Why don't you come in. I don't think the hallway is a good place to have this discussion."
"You're right," Jason said as he walked into the hotel room. "The hall is definitely not the place for this conversation."
"How did you know what room I was in?" Aaron asked curiously.
"I know both of the owners," Jason told him as he sat down in a chair opposite from Aaron who had sat in a chair at the desk in the room. "As a matter of fact, one of them has been my best friend for over twenty years. I am glad she is out of town right now. She is going to freak out when she sees you."
"I guess that is going to be most people's reaction." Aaron wasn't looking forward to that really.
"What has Monica told you about me?" Jason asked. "Specifically about the last five years?"
"She told me an incredible story about you getting shot and kidnapped for two years. Then when you escaped and were making your way home to your wife and son you were in a hit and run accident. You had to have facial reconstruction and no one knew who you were and if that wasn't complicated enough you had amnesia and didn't know who you were. Does that about cover it?"
"Well that is the abbreviated version." Jason began. "The who and why I was kidnapped is even more incredible."
Jason paused, not sure how much detail to go into because he didn't know how to ask what he needed to ask without freaking him out.
"Well," Aaron began. "I did some research about you online. I don't figure all of that was true. I read about this Cassidine woman kidnapped you to be her soldier. She had a chip planted in your brain so you wouldn't have a choice in doing what she wanted you to do."
"Yes, that part is true." Jason admitted reluctantly. "I hurt many of my loved ones including my wife and I didn't remember doing any of it. I had a completely different set of memories than what I actually did. I had memories of job hunting but what I actually did was take my wife hostage while helping the psycho that shot me get out of jail. It is the most confusing and frightening situation when you have two sets of memories that were suppose to have taken place at the same time."
"Aaron," Jason began with trepidation. "I hate to start this line of questioning. We didn't even know about each other before today but I have to know some things about you that might seem strange. I just want to get through everything without you jumping to the conclusion that I am crazy for this line of thinking but I have to be sure. Monica said she is doing a DNA test to compare to Danny to be sure but I thought we could compare notes on where you were when I was shot and kidnapped to see if it is possible."
Something in Aaron's memory clicked with his mention of a DNA test on Danny. "If what is possible? Why would you need to compare my DNA to Danny when she already did one comparing our DNA that determined that we were brothers?"
Aaron just sat and stared at Jason like he had grown two heads. Surely he could not be suggesting that Aaron was also kidnapped and put in the place of his brother. Jason was right this sounded nuts.
"If Helena Cassadine knew of your existence she would exchange us without us knowing just to screw with my wife, who she hated just for being born." Jason didn't know any other way of explaining it.
"Why would she hate her for being born? That makes no sense." Aaron said adamantly.
"Helena was a woman scorned," Jason explained. "Her husband Mikos had an affair that produced two daughters. The older daughter is my wife's mother, Alexis. She murdered Alexis's mother right in front of her. Helena taunted her whenever she could just for the fun of it. She hurt Sam to hurt Alexis. Helena was pure evil."
"She sounds like it." Aaron shivered a little at the thought. "If I am remembering correctly you are talking about mid-September 2012 until about the same time in September 2015. I don't mind going through this with you to give you some peace of mind. Hopefully you will realize there is no way that she could have switched us without someone knowing."
"I gotta warn you," Aaron said as he pulled his laptop over and opened it. "You are going to be sick of looking at my family photos that covers those years. Also, there is no way anyone is able to shove full years of medical school and full patient histories in your head to enable you to take my place."
"Sam, my very smart wife pointed that out to me." Jason admitted with a laugh. "She also said you wouldn't just know how to handle dangerous situations and know how to kill people either."
"I guess not." Aaron gulped loudly.
"It's ok." Jason tried to reassure him. "I am not a part of that life anymore. Unfortunately situations have come up where instinct takes over when anyone in my family is in danger. We can leave that story for another time. I want to see your family and I can share some of my photos of my family."
A couple of hours later after Jason had left to get dinner for his family, Aaron just stared at his computer screen at the family photo of his wife and their three children. He was ready to go home and hold all of them close after learning all he had about his brother and how much he had to fight to be with his family.
He had decided to stay one more day to meet Jason's wife and children but then he was going home. The rest of the Quartermaine's would have to wait.
He looked down at his phone and knew it was time to call his wife and tell her what was happening. She wasn't going to be put off by another text message.
"What is going on, Aaron!" He heard his wife, Alex yelling at him. "You were supposed to call me when your interview was over this morning. It is early evening there now."
"I'm sorry," She rambled on. "I was just worried after you texted me that something came up and you would call later. Now tell me what is happening."
Aaron loved it that his wife could be uncontrollably upset one second and calm the next.
"I have an incredible story to tell you," Aaron began. "I am not sure you will believe me."
Jason walked into the penthouse carrying pizza boxes. The house was uncharacteristically quiet for a house that contained three children especially with one that was only a few months old.
He placed the pizza boxes on the dining room table and then headed upstairs to see what everyone was up to.
He went into Emily's room first thinking he was glad they had toned down the pink in the room. He stepped back as he watched Sam in the rocking chair sleeping with Emily in her arms.
He walked toward them and reached down to pick up their sleeping baby girl.
He was about to put Emily in her bed when her eyes opened. She looked up at him with recognition. Then she smiled at him and stole his heart all over again.
"She is dangerous with that smile." Sam said as she stretched painfully. She really had to stop falling asleep in the rocking chair. She really wanted to stop falling asleep every time she got still. It was starting to annoy her that she was still so tired all the time.
"She is going to be a heartbreaker." Jason said continuing to look down at their daughter. He put her up on his shoulder and started patting her back.
"Are the boys alright. They seem uncharacteristically quiet?"
"They promised to play quietly in their room until you got home with the pizza." Sam explained. "They really wanted to go to the park and play but I wasn't feeling up to it yet."
"I can take them after we have dinner" Jason told her as he headed out the nursery door.
As promised the boys were playing on the floor in their room, building a play sized town on their bedroom floor.
They looked up startled when Jason said. "Pizza is here."
They jumped up and ran past him and headed downstairs. Jason just shook his head with amusement that he ranked lower than pizza with his sons.
Sam was already downstairs getting plates and glasses ready on the table.
She was dieing to know what happened with his brother but didn't want to bring it up in front of the boys in case he wasn't ready to tell them about their new found uncle.
She was pleasantly surprised when he did bring it up after they had all gotten settled at the table and began eating.
"Boys," Jason addressed Jake and Danny. "I met someone special today. I think him and his family are going to be important to our family."
"Who?" They asked at the same time. They just looked at each other then looked back up at their dad.
"I found out today that I have a brother." he began. "His name is Aaron. You have an uncle, aunt and cousins that we didn't know about."
"How is that possible that you never knew him?" Jake asked.
Jason thought he was ready for the questions but he really wasn't. Trying to keep it simple he just said, "We were raised by different parents."
"Sam," Jason looked at his wife. "I hope you don't mind but I invited him to have lunch tomorrow. I called and invited Monica to come as well."
"Do you mind if I invite Maxie?" Sam asked feeling a little perturbed with her husband. "Nathan is out of town and she needs a distraction."
"Sure," Jason said hesitantly. "I wanted it to be small to ease him into the family little by little. He is going back to Kansas the next morning to tell his family about us. He is having second thoughts about moving here."
"I don't blame him." Sam said under her breath a little.
Jason looked at Sam trying to pinpoint was was wrong with his wife. He had a feeling he knew what it was. He looked at Jake and Danny and it looked like they were finishing up their pizza.
"Boys," Jason looked at them. "Get finished up eating, then go put your toys up then I will take you guys to the park."
It didn't take the boys long to finish their pizza and rush upstairs. They were ready to let off some energy after being indoors all day.
"Sam," Jason looked at her trying to read her. The last few months had been difficult for both of them especially her. "I know you have been frustrated at not recovering from Emily's birth as fast as you want but Kelly said it could take you a year to get back to being yourself."
"It's frustrating," she began. "I am tired of being tired all the time. I usually only feel that way while I am pregnant but this time it has lingered. I am overly emotional about everything. Too much has happened today."
"You get a new brother that has your original face," She looked at him with all the confusion and frustration she was feeling. "Then we find out our oldest daughter is haunting our son in weird way. I thought I was o.k. with everything earlier but all the sudden I just felt overwhelmed. For some reason I feel nervous about meeting him."
Jason stood up and pulled Sam into his arms. He kissed the top of her head as he hugged her tightly to him. "I had him text me their family picture. How about you look at it and see if that prepares you for tomorrow."
He went over to the desk and pulled the picture up and showed it to Sam.
Then he told her. "I will clean up dinner when we get back from the park. You need to get some fresh air as well. Go see if the boys are ready and I will get the diaper bag ready for Emily."
Through it all Emily had just sat in her swing watching her family with avid interest.