Chapter 18
Sam held her daughter the whole way back, and Jason had asked Sonny to drive them home. The nanny, Denise, went along because she didn't want to stay in that place, and Jason couldn't blame her. Somehow he had the feeling Manny had done things to her, even though she was good in hiding. ''So you were hired when he brought her back?'' he asked her, and she nodded.
''He had hired me just before, and I didn't know what was going on so I just came along. He paid me well, and I needed the money at the moment,'' she told him, and he nodded. ''Then when she came back to the house I fell in love with her, and promised to protect her from him because he didn't treat her right when she came – he yelled at her and if she wouldn't stop crying, he would shake her. And that was only in the beginning because he started coming just once a week, and when he couldn't come he just didn't come,'' she added, ''I didn't mind, I was glad he didn't come,'' she whispered, and Jason nodded.
''So he didn't come the last couple of weeks, because I've been keeping track on him and he never went there,'' Jason said, and he frowned.
''No, he didn't come the last couple of weeks but the last week he came he told me he couldn't come over. Like I said before I didn't mind, because when he came he wanted her alone, and I didn't like that,'' Denise replied. ''It was a year ago when I found out about Sam, and I asked him about it – but he told me she was dead, and I didn't think about it. I told Rose about what I knew, but it wasn't much because I didn't have much time that day,'' she added and Jason nodded again.
''So did you tell her Sam had died?'' he asked, and Denise shook her head.
''I didn't want to do that. She was too young, and when she would ask she would – she recently told me she would go and look for her when she was old enough,'' Denise said with a tremble in her voice, ''and I didn't think I could break her heart like that. I'm glad I didn't tell her though,'' she added, and he nodded. He felt the same way, because right now, looking at Sam and Rose, he could see the bond forming between them already. They were both sleeping and Sam looked peaceful with her daughter in her arms. Suddenly Sonny stopped the car, and Jason looked up to see they were at the Harbor View Towers. He sighed in relief; glad this was over, because all he had to do now was kill Manny and Sam was safe.
''Thanks for driving us here Sonny,'' he said, and Sonny just nodded. He had left his car in the hands of Max, who would drive it over to Sonny's place. Jason looked around and Denise smiled as he frowned. He hated to wake Sam, but she had to walk home because he couldn't lift both of them in his arms. So he softly shook her. ''Sam, wake up baby, you can sleep again when we come up,'' he whispered, and she moaned and shifted.
''Denise, you are staying with us,'' Sam said when she woke up, and Jason smiled as Denise nodded. Sam slowly sat up and looked down at her daughter who was still sleeping in her arms. ''Ok, I'm ok, I can walk,'' she mumbled, and she got out of the car, holding on to Rose tightly.
''This way, Denise,'' Jason said, and he led them to the elevator. Rose started shifting but didn't wake up, and he could see Sam rubbing her hair and closing her eyes as she took in her daughter's scent. He felt tears in his eyes seeing them together and he blinked them away, but Denise had seen it and smiled at him. He could see tears in her eyes too and he was glad he wasn't the only one affected at the reunion.
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Sam couldn't stop looking at her daughter, and her daughter didn't want to let go of her. Every time she tried to put her down beside her, Rose would hold on to her tightly in her sleep, and she didn't mind. She didn't want to let go of her, but at one point she had to and she looked at Jason when she wanted to change into her shirt.
''Here, give her to me,'' he said softly, and she handed Rose to him. She didn't want to go but she had to and when she was in Jason's arms, she held on to him tightly as if she didn't want to let go. Sam smiled, glad her daughter took to Jason already, even in her sleep, and she quickly changed. Then Jason handed her Rose back and she changed her daughter into some PJ's she had taken with her. ''She can stay with us while I help Denise in the guestroom,'' Jason said, and she smiled at him grateful he didn't mind.
''Thank you,'' she said, and he nodded. He kissed her gently and then left the bedroom to help Denise as Sam lay down in the bed with her daughter in her arms. ''God I've missed you so much,'' she whispered, softly so her daughter didn't wake up, and she closed her eyes.
''Mommy?'' she heard her daughter call out, and she felt her heart clench.
''Yeah, baby,'' she replied, and she heard her daughter sigh in relief.
''I'm glad you found us,'' she mumbled in her little kids voice, and Sam closed her eyes tightly, wishing the tears away. ''I always knew you would come and get us,'' Rose added, and then she fell asleep again. Sam couldn't sleep anymore, thinking about what could've happened to Rose while with Manny. She wondered if Manny ever did something to her, and she couldn't stop thinking about it.
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Jason knocked on the door and when he heard Denise call out, ''come in!'' he went in. She sat on the bed with some pictures around her and he guessed she had taken them with her.
''Hey, I came over to see if everything is ok,'' he said, and she nodded and looked up to him with a smile.
''It's fine, Jason. I can adapt everywhere and this place – well, let's just say I don't need anything,'' she told him, and he nodded.
''Well, if you have any questions or anything…'' his voice faded when she gestured for him to come closer, and he did. He saw pictures of Rose but he also saw pictures of Sam walking on the street.
''Manny took these. Or someone took these for Manny, and I took them from his room when he wasn't there,'' she told him, ''and I showed Rose one of those,'' she pointed to a picture of Sam before this whole thing started, before Rose had been born. ''She looked younger there but that didn't bother Rose. She has – she had a copy of it back home and she would look at it all the time,'' she added, and Jason nodded.
''I want to thank you – and I'm sure Sam feels the same way in the morning – for helping Rose get through this,'' he said, and Denise nodded. ''When we found out Rose was still alive I set the plan in motion, and I thought I'd kill the nanny. I didn't know what to expect and when we came in the house we decided to take the nanny, and I'm glad we did,'' he added, and she smiled.
''I'm glad you decided not to kill me but I would've put up a fight,'' she winked at him, and then yawned. ''I'm going to sleep now, and I suggest you snuggle in close with Sam and your daughter,'' she told him, and he wanted to protest but when he saw the look in her eyes he knew it was no use. Rose wasn't his biological but somehow he felt like she was. He nodded to her once and then left the room, made his way over to his room and sighed when he saw Sam and Rose together. Rose was sleeping peacefully but Sam was still awake.
''Hey,'' he whispered, and he slid in the bed next to her after taking of his pants. He didn't want to scare Rose when she woke up and when Sam snuggled in his side he sighed deeply. ''Why are you still awake? I thought you were tired,'' he said, and she nodded and sighed.
''Rose woke up and told me she knew I was going to come for her, and now I can't stop thinking about what Manny could have done and maybe did to her,'' she whispered back, and he nodded. He could understand her fears, and they would find out what happened after Manny took Rose.
''We'll find out what happened,'' he said, telling her what he thought, and she nodded. She took a deep breath and Jason could feel her relax against him, and he closed his eyes. ''Get some sleep, I think Rose will be up early in the morning,'' he whispered, and he kissed her head as she nodded. Soon he heard her breathing even out and he knew she was asleep. He followed soon after.
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Sam woke up when she felt Rose move, and she looked down and saw her looking right at her. ''Morning mommy,'' she said softly, and Sam smiled at her and stretched her body. Rose climbed on top of her and smiled.
''Hey baby, did you sleep ok?'' Sam asked, and Rose nodded. ''Good, that's good. Are you hungry?'' she asked, and when Rose nodded again she sat up holding her so she would fall off the bed.
''Mommy, are you not hungry?'' Rose asked, and Sam shook her head.
''No, mommy is not hungry yet,'' she replied, and Rose frowned. ''Come on, let's get downstairs,'' Sam added quickly, and Rose smiled brightly. Sam lifted her in her arms and held her close, still not ready to let her go.
''Mommy, where's my daddy?'' Rose asked, and Sam felt her heart stop. ''Is Jason my daddy?'' she asked, and Sam frowned and thought about it. Manny couldn't be a father to Rose and Jason was there, but she didn't know if he wanted a two year old to call him daddy. ''I'll ask him,'' Rose said suddenly, and Sam nodded. She knew it was unfair of her to shove it to Jason, but he was the one who could decide about that. She made her way downstairs and smiled when she saw Jason standing at the stove. Rose wiggled to get out of her arms and Sam set her down on the ground, and she made her way over to Jason. Sam sat down next to Denise who was sitting at the kitchen table looking like she didn't sleep all night.
''Are you ok?'' Sam asked her as she looked at Rose, and Denise nodded.
''Fine, a little tired but I never sleep good when I'm somewhere I don't know,'' she replied, and Sam nodded. She heard Jason and Rose talk, and she turned back to listen to what was said.
''So I can call you daddy, but you're not my daddy?'' she heard Rose ask, and she looked up at Jason who was smiling at her. ''I don't get it,'' Rose said, confusion in her voice.
''Well, that's something for when you're older, but for right now, I'm you're daddy if you want that,'' he told her, and she nodded and launched herself in his arms. He lifted her up and sat her down on the chair. ''Now I have some pancakes for you,'' he told her, and she jumped up and down in her chair before settling down so she could eat.
''Thank you daddy!'' she exclaimed when he set the plate in front of her. He had cut the pancakes for her and all she had to do was eat, and Sam smiled at him as he put a plate in front of her and one in front of Denise. Then he took his own plate and sat down.
''Well, I guess today is going to be shopping and stuff for you Rose,'' Jason said, and Rose nodded quietly as she ate. ''And Denise and mommy will go with you while I make sure everything is in order here,'' he said to Sam, and Sam nodded.
''Sure. You know, Rose, I know this perfect little store where we can find a lot of stuff you need, and you can help pick out stuff for your new room!'' she smiled at her daughter and couldn't help the flutter in her chest.
''Sam, I don't need to come with right? I mean I want to make sure everything is dealt with here, and I can't stay here forever,'' Denise whispered, and Sam frowned.
''Why not?'' Sam asked, and Denise laughed and shrugged. ''If you want to stay you can, no problem right Jason?'' she said, and Jason nodded with a smile.
''No problem at all. Sam lives in one of the cottages near the lake and Rose will go there I suppose,'' he said, looking at Sam, who didn't know what she wanted anymore. She wanted Rose with her and she wanted to be with Jason.
''And if it doesn't – I mean with the new baby coming we'll need to have something bigger, right Jason?'' she asked, and he nodded with a smile. ''And maybe if you want to we can look for something for all of us – and that includes you Denise,'' she added, and Jason widened his eyes.
''You want us to live together?'' he asked, and she looked down and nodded. She knew she should've done it another way, asked him in private, but she didn't want him to think she didn't want to live with him. ''Well, that's great – we're going to be one big family,'' he said softly, and she looked up at him to see him staring at her.
''Rose, why don't we go and get dressed so you can go with mommy,'' Denise said feeling the mood change in the room. Rose finished eating and Denise helped her off the chair, and then took her upstairs. Sam looked at Jason who was still smiling at her.
''Jason I know I should've said it when we were alone, but I just-''
''Sam, I love you and you know I wanted us to be together, and live together. You know that, and I love you coming around to the idea. It's going to take a while before we find something and when we do we still have work to do in the house, but if you still want to we can live together – with Denise, Rose and the new baby,'' he said, and he stood. He pulled her up and smiled at her before gently kissing her.
''I'd love that, and I love you,'' she whispered, and he nodded with a smile. ''You know I didn't even think about it before, but I just wanted you to be there. And I'm sorry I didn't tell Rose about what ever the situation was with her father, because when she asked me if you were her daddy I didn't know what you'd want,'' she rambled, and he stopped her with a kiss.
''I told Rose what I wanted and she knows I'll be here for her just like I'll be here for you. I love you and I already love that little girl so don't worry about that babe,'' he said, and she smiled. She was happy, for the first time in her life she could say she was truly happy. She had her daughter back, and she had a man she loved with all her heart and who loved her and her daughter without a second thought. He'd accepted her, and she couldn't believe this was happening to her. She was going to live with the man of her dreams, her lover and friend, and she couldn't be happier.