I was out all day today in the freezing weather. It seems like everyone should have brought a shovel with them outside today. There is so much snow but I don't really mind it that much. I'm pretty much used to it. But what I can't stand the most about winter is all the slush. That stuff is so gross. It got all over my purse today because I lost my footing in a parking lot. I was able to catch myself so I didn't fall but my purse slipped out of my hands. To top that off, I lost my claddagh ring given to me by my parents for my 18th birthday down a drain. Bah hum bug. Well, not really but today has not been a good day. When I got home, I went to my room and started writing. Here's the next instalment. Enjoy it because I don't think I'll be able to update again until after the holidays are over. Happy Holidays!

PS: To answer a reviewer's question about the couples of this story. There is only one focus. JaSam. No LuSam or Liason. I don't like these pairings at all. Liz and Lucky may make appearances but they are not going to be romantic interests for Jason or Sam.

Chapter 4

"I realize that you lost almost everything in the explosion," Maxie said as she came into Sam's new penthouse apartment half-carrying, half-dragging two boxes from a very expensive store. "But don't you think you went a little overboard with the shopping?"

Her friend was laughing as she took one of the boxes from her arms to lighten the load that Maxie was subtly complaining about. "Growing up, my father moved us around a lot and I was allowed to keep only a suitcase and a knapsack full of things. I guess I overcompensate as an adult."

Maxie almost dropped the smaller box she had been holding. "That wouldn't even cover half of my wardrobe."

Sam walked out to the hallway to grab the last box. At the same time, Jason opened his door.

"Hey," he greeted her pleasantly.

She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "Jason," she said in a clipped tone. She bent down to try to pick up the box but a sharp pain in her hip had her cry out in pain. It seemed all of the activity from the last few days had taken a toll on her hip injury.

Jason caught her before she fell and when she looked up into his eyes, she felt like she was drowning in the wide pools of concern that stared back at her. "Thank you," she said and pushed herself back up.

"Do you need some help?" he asked, staring down at the box pointedly.

She wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him to go away and leave her alone but she realized that she wouldn't be able to carry the box that held her new pots and pans inside by herself. She didn't want to ask Maxie who had already done more than her fair share of carrying due to Sam's injuries.

"Yes, please," she relented and hoped she didn't sound too grateful.

Jason picked up the box with great ease and led the way into her apartment. "Where do you want it?" he asked, looking around the apartment. Now that he got a look around, he was amazed. "Wow."

"It's different," he added.

"If by different, you mean tastefully decorated, then yes, it definitely is," Maxie commented from her place on the sofa which was an exact replica of the one from Sam's old penthouse. "Sonny may be The Godfather and all that but he should really leave interior decorating to those who know what they're doing."

He looked at Sam who was laughing in amusement. "I thought it was okay before," Jason replied.

Maxie glared daggers at him. Even though she wasn't an interior decorator, she did have a really good taste to make big bucks in the trade. Sam supposed it came from all the accessorizing she did for her own wardrobe as well as putting together Kate Howard's magazine Crimson.

"How would you know?" She snapped, gesturing to the apartment across the hall. "Your apartment is practically bare. At least Sonny made an effort. Your furniture probably came with the place."

"Thanks again for all your help, Maxie," Sam cut in before Jason could respond. She knew the two made an effort to coexist for Spinelli's sake but they still could barely tolerate each other.

"What are friends for," was her reply. It touched Sam that their friendship meant so much to the younger girl. She had certainly gone above and beyond and Sam would never forget it.

Jason put the box down on the counter in the kitchen and then turned to Sam. "I'm glad you decided to move in," he said and then walked out the door.

"I've never heard him be that sincere," Maxie remarked as she stared at the doorway Jason had just walked through. She turned to Sam. "He was nervous, too."

Sam shrugged at Jason's jittery behaviour carelessly. "Not my problem anymore."

"What happened?" Maxie's eyes were alive with curiosity as she turned to face Sam.

Sam stared at her blankly.

"Something happened," Maxie continued, pointing to the hallway. "The two of you were heading towards some semblance of peace during the bomb threat at GH, but after your accident and the thing with Diego, things went back to the way they were before, only you're furious with him now."

Maxie knew all about the kidnapping and the incident in the park. She wasn't aware that Jake was Jason's son but she knew enough truth to understand what really happened between Jason and Sam and why he had been so angry with her.

She was completely unaware of the events surrounding the hit-and-run. "Jason protected Elizabeth at my expense," Sam replied cryptically.

Maxie's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?" She knew that Elizabeth had been involved but she had no idea that Jason had apparently protected her.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done," Sam replied, and began to put her dishes away.

"Bull," Maxie called her on her bluff. "Sam, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything and it will stay between us. Haven't I proven that you can trust me?"

Sam looked at her doubtfully. "In the past. Only this involves Elizabeth. Are you sure you would be able to resist using this to stick it to her?"

Maxie glowered at her. "You know me too well," she said indignantly. She sighed heavily and nodded.

Once Sam told Maxie everything about the hit-and-run; that Elizabeth had been the one that hit her, Jason, knowing that that was a possibility had had her car fixed anyway and continued to investigate to find out if Elizabeth truly had hit her.

"If he has proof and you remember, why isn't she behind bars?" Maxie's tone was furious.

Sam explained that Elizabeth and Jason had gone to Lucky with the information who then decided to close the case, classify it as unsolved and leave her in the dark about everything.

Maxie's blue eyes were ice cold by the time Sam was done. The blonde stood up from the couch, grabbed up her purse and marched out of the penthouse, determined to give that asshole a piece of her mind.

Behind her, she could hear Sam calling her name, but she was too pissed to acknowledge that she had heard her. She finally reached the door to Jason and Spinelli's house and instead of knocking like she usually did, she grabbed the doorknob, twisted it and flung the door open with so much force that it smacked hard against the wall as she stomped inside.

Her eyes zeroed in on Jason sitting on the couch while Spinelli had been typing on his computer in the chair and the two of them were now looking at her in shock. Once she saw the annoyance in Jason's eyes, she walked over to him, grabbed her purse and threw it at him, her aim impeccable for once as it hit him right in the face.

Then, she stepped over Spinelli's leg, swung her arm back and smacked him, hard. "You selfish son of a bitch!" she exclaimed in outrage.

"Maximista!" Spinelli finally piped up and stood up in protest. "Your Fairness must calm down."

Maxie turned to him angrily, her eyes set ablaze at the fact that he stood up for Jason, when he knew all about what he had done for Elizabeth. "Don't you even dare. Not after what he did and what you probably helped him do!"

"Maxie, stop," Sam yelled as she ran into the penthouse, her gaze bouncing from each person and finally rested on Jason holding his face in pain.

"No, I will not stop," Maxie shouted back and turned back to Jason. "Not until he looks me in the eye and admits what he did. I have respectfully kept my opinions about his crimes to myself these past few months but I will not turn a blind eye on this one."

"What did I do?" Jason asked, looking directly at Sam, who rolled her eyes at the confusion and anger in his tone.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," Maxie chastised him. "You're the one that messed up here, buddy, not Sam."

"Maxie, please explain what has angered you," Spinelli said calmly, looking between the three of them nervously because he feared he knew what had her riled up.

"I told her about the accident," Sam explained.

Jason looked down at the floor in shame while Spinelli avoided meeting Maxie's demanding gaze.

"Accident?" Maxie parroted incredulously. "A fender bender is an accident. Running over a dog is an accident. Hitting someone with your car and driving away without bothering to see if they are okay is a crime, people! A crime that nearly got Sam killed."

"The Maternal One never meant to cause harm to The Goddess."

Maxie chuckled disbelievingly at Spinelli's reasoning.

"We were trying to find the best way to solve the situation without causing anyone more distress."

"You were trying to find a solution that wouldn't cause Elizabeth any problems," Sam corrected Jason venomously.

"She couldn't bear to go to prison and leave her sons without a mother."

"I don't give a damn about her," Maxie spat angrily. "She decided to get in that car that night, knowing that she was too doped up to drive. She claimed to be so worried about her children but she went to see you. She hit Sam and kept on driving. Elizabeth made her own bed; you should have let her suffer the consequences."

"I couldn't let her go to prison for something that was an accident. At the time, I wasn't sure she was even the driver."

"Elizabeth knew that she was," Maxie reminded him.

"I didn't know that," Jason replied.

"Let's say you had," she suggested and shrugged at him mockingly. "Would you have done anything differently?"

Jason hesitated.

"I didn't think so." Maxie nodded smugly. "You covered up a crime. You protected Elizabeth at Sam's expense. I was there when they brought her to the hospital. She almost died that night."

"It was an impossible situation!" Jason exploded angrily, his gaze never wavering from hers. "No matter what I did, I would have hurt someone."

Maxie latched onto this information. "I've heard your excuses," she said as she glanced at Sam whose jaw tightened in anger. She dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "And you're full of shit."

"You have no idea," Jason started to say but she refused to let him continue.

"I know that you chose to throw Sam to the wolves," Maxie interrupted, her voice deadly calm. "There is no grey area here. There is a right choice and a wrong one. I don't have to know everything that has happened between you and Sam to know that what you chose to do was wrong."

She walked over to stand beside Spinelli and then swung her gaze back to Jason. "Sam could have been a complete stranger. Elizabeth could have been your wife and it would still be wrong." She watched Jason cringe at the idea of Elizabeth being his wife and was silently surprised. At least he wasn't completely gone.

Jason looked at Sam whose rage was almost tangible now. "I'm sorry," he said desperately, looking at her pleadingly.

Maxie saw the weakness that sparked in Sam's eyes as she pretended to be indifferent to his apology.

"Do you really think that is enough?" She was happy to continue the fight if Sam wasn't up to it. Her rage at seeing her friend almost die was sparked once again. "You should be on your hands and knees begging for forgiveness. Personally, I think she should turn you and your safe-house slut in."

She already knew that Sam wouldn't do that but seeing Jason Morgan so destroyed was empowering.

"Maxie," Spinelli pulled her hand into his and tried to drag her away. "Perhaps it would be best to leave Stone Cold and Fair Samantha alone so they can discuss this in private."

She considered her friend's request. "Fine," she gave up and then turned to Spinelli. "Maybe then you can explain to me what the hell you were thinking when you went along with this."

Spinelli gulped fearfully but willingly followed her out of the penthouse and across the hall to Sam's.

When they were finally gone, Sam turned to leave too but Jason reached out and gently pulled her back by her elbow. "Spinelli's right," he told her softly. "We should talk about this."

"There's nothing more to talk about." Her tone was stone cold and Jason felt a shiver run down his spine. This wasn't going to be easy but he was willing to go through anything if it meant she wouldn't look at him with so much hatred anymore.

"I don't think that's true," he spoke softly.

Sam turned to him. "You were wrong but you still think you were right."

"I did what I thought was best at the time."

"Stop using that as an excuse, Jason," she shook her head at the words that were starting to sound like a mantra to her. "Maxie's right—it is a load of crap and I will not accept it anymore."

"What do you think I should have done?" Jason asked curiously, studying her face as she considered her answer. "Do you think I should've called the cops? Turned her in?"

Sam clucked her tongue against her cheek. "No," she finally said. "I never wanted that, Jason."

"You should've told me," she continued, walking over to the couch and sitting down. "One of you should have come to me. Elizabeth should have apologized. I wouldn't have pressed charges and you know it."

"I did not—"

"Yes, you did!" Sam fired back, cutting his denial off before he could even finish the sentence. "You know I'm not that vindictive. I wanted an apology, an explanation but instead I got more lies. She actually tried to blackmail me. You threatened to turn me in as an accessory to Jake's kidnapping—again!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized lamely. There was no way he could defend himself against that. He knew it was despicable, especially after he had already threatened to do so and she still covered for him on the stand at his trial.

"I don't think that's enough," she replied, looking at him now. "You threatened me for her, Jason. That time at the prison, I understood it was to protect your son from your enemies. I even understand you threatening to kill me because it was an emotional reaction to what I had done."

"You treated me like I was the one that did something wrong. I was the victim, the one that almost died because of her reckless behaviour."

"I know," he admitted and once again felt ashamed of his actions. He never dreamed that he would ever threaten Sam in any way and he had done so three times in less than a year.

"I don't know how to let go of this anger." She shook her head sadly. "You have proven that you do not trust me, especially when it comes to Elizabeth and your son. You've continually put her needs above mine, even at a time when I almost died. I understand that she is your son's mother but that doesn't excuse anything that either one of you have done."

"I messed up, Sam."

"You didn't trust me when it counted, Jason." She nodded in agreement to his acknowledgement. "So how am I supposed to trust you now?"

"I don't know, Sam, but I hope we can figure this out."

"Why?" Sam wondered. After all this time, why did it matter to him so much?

"Because you're in a world of danger right now." He took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly.

"And you're worried that it might cause a war with you and Karpov?" Sam asked, figuring he was worrying about having to defend his already weak organization against the ruthless Russians.

He shook his head. "Karpov has already violated our truce so a war was bound to happen." He leaned forward, looking at her intensely. "I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine," she said again, annoyed that he was underestimating her again. "I can take care of myself."

"I know all about your capabilities, Sam, but it doesn't stop me from worrying."

"Why are you so worried?"

"Because I don't want anything to happen to you."