A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for all the reviews! Here's the next chapter!
Jason went back to the penthouse feeling like the lowest of the low. He couldn't get Elizabeth out of his head. He could still taste her kiss on his lips. And he could still see the look of utter heartbreak in her eyes afterwards. This was too damn hard! Pretending like he was in love with one woman when he was really in love with another. Seeing the one that he did love hurting, and only making it worse. The kiss was on impulse; he didn't think it through. He didn't stop to consider that it would only hurt her more. God, why couldn't he just remember? He was growing more and more convinced that Helena had done something to mess with his memory and as a consequence- his future.
He stood outside the door to his penthouse for a moment, wondering what would happen if he just didn't go in there. Sam would be hurt. He would look like a bad husband and father to the whole town. And he didn't want to do that. Really, he didn't. He had obviously married Sam, even if it was for reasons that he still didn't understand. He couldn't just leave her like that. But he owed her the truth too, didn't he? What kind of woman would want to be with a man who was in love with someone else? On the other hand, he wasn't sure if that would matter to her.
With a sigh, he twisted the doorknob and walked inside.
"Stone Cold?", Spinelli blurted out, looking shocked because he probably couldn't convince himself to believe that the rumors were actually true. He slowly approached him. "Is it really you?"
Jason gave him a faint smile. "Yeah. It's me, Spinelli."
A wide smile crossed the kid's face, and he pulled Jason into a hug. He couldn't suppress a smile and patted Spinelli on the back.
"I can't believe you're really alive", Maxie piped up, a little bit of shakiness detectable in her voice.
"Me either", Spinelli breathed, drawing back. "How did you- you- were shot...the water...I don't understand."
"I don't either", Jason admitted. "But I'm here now, and that's all that matters. It's good to see you, Spinelli."
"It's good to see you too", Spinelli said quietly.
Sam watched the scene for awhile before deciding to speak up. "I think we're all just very grateful to have Jason back. Yes, he's missed out on a lot of things while he's been gone. But we can't live in the past", she said firmly, looking directly at him. "We have to move on and learn to live in the present. Even if it's different from what we remember."
He caught the hint of bitterness in her tone that Spinelli and Maxie would take as simply a resolve to move forward. She was angry. About what he wasn't certain. The fact that her husband didn't remember being with her? The fact that he was shutting her out? He didn't know. But he had a feeling it wasn't going to bode well for anyone.
Or maybe Maxie did catch something in Sam's voice considering she gave Spinelli an uncomfortable look. "Um, maybe we should go and give you guys some alone time. You probably haven't had a whole lot of that."
"Oh, you don't have to go", Jason protested, as he wasn't in the particular mood to be left alone with Sam.
"Well, we still have to go pick Georgie up and I don't want to be that late getting home", the blonde insisted.
Jason scratched his head in confusion. "Wait, Georgie?"
"Our daughter", Spinelli clarified before adding quietly, "It's kind of a long story."
He looked from Spinelli to Maxie in disbelief. "You two have a baby?"
"Yep. You should come see her sometime", Maxie said as she grabbed Spinelli's hand and pulled him to the door. "It's been really great seeing you, Jason. I'm very glad you're not dead."
"Uh, thanks?"
"Hey, Jason?", Spinelli said before they walked outside. "It's great to have you home."
"Thank you, Spinelli", Jason said with a small smile. Then as they walked away, he closed the door.
"Why were you in such a hurry to leave?', Spinelli asked as he and Maxie walked away from the penthouse.
"You didn't see Sam in there?", the blonde remarked, dramatically pointing in the direction of which they had came. "She had this crazy look in her eyes. I don't know how to explain it. She almost didn't even look like herself for a minute. You really didn't notice?"
Surprised, he shook his head. "No."
"Well, I noticed. Something strange is up with her and Jason, Spinelli. I could see it."
"Where's Danny?", Jason asked casually in an attempt to get Sam to stop looking at him that way. It was like half-anger, half-determination. And that was a bad combination of emotions, especially in Sam.
"He's asleep", she answered. "And we need to talk."
You know what? Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. He needed to just tell her the truth. That he was still in love with Elizabeth. This shit had gone on long enough. He was tired of lying. He was tired of pretending.
"I think that's a good idea", he agreed, sitting on the couch next to her.
But he wasn't expecting what happened next. She started to cry. "Sam-", he sighed.
She shook her head as she wiped the edges of her eyes. "Jason, you have to hear what I need to say." She took a shaky breath and looked at him. "We went through so much to get to the place we were when you supposedly died. We fought so hard for that happiness. And when you 'died', I fell apart. I didn't know how to go on without you. But I had to for Danny's sake. Then, he got sick and I was scared I was gonna lose him too. Then, my father came into my life. Jason, it's been one thing after another for me. I just want that life that we used to have back. When everything was so simple. And like I said, I know that we can't go back to the past but we are married. You are my husband. I'm trying so hard to understand what you're going through. I know you can't remember, and that's not your fault. But I need you to at least make an effort here."
"Listen, I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through. Really, I am-"
"I don't want your sympathy, Jason!", Sam cried. "I just want you!"
"I'm sorry", Jason said. "I know you didn't ask for any of this. Neither did I. But I can't help the way I feel, Sam."
"What about how I feel, huh? We made vows to each other. You promised me that we would be together forever- for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health. Do those vows mean anything to you?"
Could she lay on the guilt trip any more? How could those vows mean anything to him? He didn't remember making them!
"Just give me a chance", she pleaded. "Don't shut me out. We can get through this together; I promise we can. You and me and Danny. Think about your son, Jason! He's been without you for all this time. He needs his father!"
"And I'm going to be there for him. But I need you to stop pushing me! In fact, I think it's best if I just get a hotel room until we figure something else out."
"You're just going to walk out on me?", Sam said, disbelieving of what she just heard. "All the time that I grieved for you. All the hurt that I went through when I thought you died. And you're just going to leave me?"
Jason walked out the door, slamming it behind him as she continued to cry. He had a feeling he should have felt more guilt than he actually did. And he did understand where she was coming from. But he couldn't keep staying there with her. She wanted the Jason that he didn't remember being. He just wanted Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was huddled up under a blanket on the couch, watching TV. She wasn't really paying attention to anything though. She had already gotten the boys to sleep. But she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep herself. Every time she closed her eyes, she was out on that porch looking up into Jason's bright blue eyes. His lips pressed against hers. Why did he have to do this to her?
Why couldn't he just remember Sam and quit torturing her? That was how it was going to end up anyway. She wasn't foolish enough to ignore history. Maybe that was why she always ended up in such bad situations. Somehow, she would think that it would come out different. That fate couldn't possibly be cruel enough to punish her yet again. She'd figured out by now that fate was the cruelest creature on the planet. But how much punishment could one person take?
Her eyes strayed from the TV to the fireplace, which was adorned with family pictures. Cameron who was getting so big. She felt like he was constantly needing new shoes or clothes because he kept outgrowing them. She knew his childhood would be over before long. Time kept flashing by, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Only pray that it would slow down and let her enjoy him for a little while longer.
Then there was Jake, her sweet angel that she would give anything to hold in her arms one more time. Sometimes, she would wake up and hope that it had all been some kind of cruel dream. That she would walk into his room and he would be there in his bed, safe and sound. He was such a special little boy. She would swear that literally nothing scared him. He was so brave, yet so caring. It broke her heart when she thought about the amazing future he could have- should have- had.
Then Aiden, the youngest. He was still her baby for the time being. He would still let her hold him in her arms for as long as she wanted without saying, "Mom, not in front of my friends!" like Cam did. She felt so special because she knew that she was the most important person in the world in his eyes. But just like his brother, he would have to grow up eventually. And that thought saddened her.
But even in the single picture with all four of them, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. And she knew instantly what that something was. Jason. How? Because everything always comes back to Jason.
She raked her hands back through her hair in frustration. "I can't keep doing this. I just can't. Please just help me let him go."
She heard the sound of the doorbell, startling her. It was a bit odd for someone to be showing up at this time of the night. With a groan, she threw the blanket off of her and went to answer it.
But she wasn't prepared for the figure that the open door revealed.
"Hey, Elizabeth."
Hmmm...who do you think Elizabeth's mystery visitor is? And what do you think about Jason leaving Sam like that? :)