No this isn't a trick…I actually am updating! And it's you reviewers who deserve all the credit for keeping me from giving up! So I'm going to thank you all so SO much for not quitting on me when I disappeared. I won't go into detail for my long absence but will just say that I got a rude awakening about my writing awhile back that hurt a lot. It kinda made me freeze and I couldn't write anything at all and then after awhile I just got used to not writing. But I think I finally pushed through it…I hope! And I'm going to try really hard to not let it affect me anymore. But anyways…on with the update! I hope you all enjoy! Thanks again for still reading and reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or the characters.
Jason pulled into his parking spot in the underground garage of Harborview Towers while putting the car in park he turns to face Sam in the passenger seat. "Do you want to talk about it now?" She turns to stare at him, giving away nothing with her poker face and just shakes her head instead of voicing a response. Sighing Jason pulls the keys from the ignition and gets out of the car to join Sam on the other side. "You haven't said anything since we got on the elevator at the hospital Sam." And even then all she had said was she didn't want to talk now and she wanted to go home. Not wanting to make matters worse Jason had let it go for the moment and taken Sam home, but throughout the whole trip back he had been trying without success to get her to open up. He had to know what she was thinking if he had a shot of fixing whatever damage Elizabeth had created with her latest stunt. He knew it looked bad, knew Sam had to be upset, but her experience as a con and her PI work had made it impossible for Jason to figure out what her silent treatment meant. He never thought he would've rather have Sam create a scene, but compared to the silence her yelling would at least give him an idea of where to start. "Sam..." Jason starts to say her name, but when she holds up a hand to silence him he just sighs again and shakes his head.
Sam apparently still wasn't willing to talk and the two of them made their way to the elevator. Waiting in silence for the doors to open Jason thinks he can understand now why everyone complained at how quiet he could be. He never had understood how unnerving long periods of silence between two people could be until now with Sam. When the doors finally opened Jason entered behind Sam and watched her as she pressed the button for the top floor. Jason didn't know if he was imagining the tension on the elevator or if it was real, but looking at Sam out of the corner of his eye he tries to decide if she would allow him to touch her. Before he can come to a decision the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to the top floor. As Sam goes to step off the elevator Jason follows closely behind her. "Sam talk to me."
"Not now Jason!" Sam says shaking her head and ignoring his persistent gaze. She felt it on her the whole ride home and she knew he was trying to get her to open up, but she couldn't…especially not in the hospital where everyone would hear about it, not in the car where she felt trapped by the confined space, and definitely not in the middle of the hallway where anyone could interrupt. Digging in her purse for her key she can still feel Jason's gaze on her and tries to ignore it as she shoves the key into the lock harder than necessary. Making her way into the penthouse Sam flips the light on and is glad to see that the place was empty. Not just because she truly wanted her friends to go live their own lives, but also because she didn't want an audience.
Jason closed the door behind him and when Sam flipped the lights on he scanned the penthouse and found the place appeared empty, which was nothing short of a miracle. "Wait right here I'm just going to run a quick check to be sure the place is secure." And before Sam has a chance to respond, not that she even would, Jason was up the stairs and back down before she had gotten settled in the living room. Joining her on the couch Jason watches Sam warily and wonders what to expect now. "Are you ready to talk now?"
"How bout something to drink?" Sam asks instead of answering Jason's question and rising back up from the couch. "Water? Coffee? Something a little stronger sounds good at this point, but it's only three in the afternoon so that's probably not the greatest idea…But we're both adults and what's one little drink in the daytime right? Right. I'll just go see what we have on hand." Rambling Sam starts past Jason, but freezes when he reaches out grasping her elbow. "So that's a no to the drink? Are you hungry? We didn't stop by Kelly's for burgers like we originally planned."
Jason couldn't believe the complete change in Sam. She went from mute to rambling in an instant, but she still hadn't mentioned Elizabeth. "We are going to have to talk about it Sam." Jason says knowing as much as he would love to just forget the whole incident…they couldn't. Jason had to be sure Sam knew that it meant nothing and that he hadn't encouraged Elizabeth.
Shaking her head lightly from side to side Sam brushes her bangs behind her ears before crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "I don't want to Jason. I don't want to talk about it."
"Sam I really think we have to." Jason insists a little uncomfortable being the one suggesting they talk.
"Well I don't." Sam shakes her head again.
"You're obviously upset about it…
"Of course I'm upset Jason!" Sam snaps shaking her head. "Why wouldn't I be?" Turning to pace again this time Sam comes to a stop on the other side of the couch, needing distance so she didn't pummel Jason out of frustration and end up hurting herself from over exertion. "I have every right to be upset Jason! Don't you think I have a right to be upset?" She asks turning to glare at him. "I think I have a right after what happened today…after what I and everyone else in that hospital saw."
"I know Sam. I know how it looked, but…"
"But none of that matters Jason because I don't want to talk about it." Sam shrugs her shoulders and stares into his deep blue eyes.
Incredulous Jason only breaks eye contact to rub his hands roughly over his face. "Sam you're making no sense right now." He says on a sigh while dropping his hands at his sides.
"Why Jason? Because I don't feel like discussing Elizabeth over and over again? Because I don't feel like dissecting every look and touch she sends your way? Because I want to just try and pretend that Elizabeth Spencer isn't going to be a major road block for my peace of mind for the rest of my life?"
"Sam…" Jason takes a step towards her, but freezes when she holds up a hand to stop him.
"No Jason…you wanted me to talk so let me talk." Chewing on her bottom lip Sam clasps her hands together and rocks back on her heels, taking a moment to sort through everything she was feeling. "I didn't think it was possible to despise that nurse more than I already did, but today I realized there is just no end to my hatred for that woman. Just like there doesn't seem to be one for the pain seeing you with her can cause me." With a deep breath Sam holds Jason's pained gaze. "But I can't let that anger and pain affect me anymore than it already has. I can't let her get to me or she wins." Which Sam would never let happen again.
"So…what does that mean for us?" Jason asks feeling confused, but hopeful at the same time.
Needing the comfort of his touch and knowing he probably felt the same Sam crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist for what was supposed to be a quick hug. Except once she was in his embrace neither wanted to part and Sam just rested her head on his chest and sighs. "We have a tough road ahead of us, but I'm not going to let Elizabeth run me off…not again." Sam murmurs, her words slightly muffled by his shirt.
Releasing the breath he had been holding Jason lowers his head to rest on top of Sam's and slowly starts running his fingers up and down her back. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. When I turned around and saw you standing there I knew how it looked. And I could tell you were upset, but then you just stood there not saying anything I didn't know what to think. I kept waiting for you to react, but you never did."
"I didn't want to chance it…I only had a loose grasp on my control right then and it was all spent on not lunging over the waiting room chairs and clawing her doe-eyes out." Sam says with a small smirk, leaning back to stare up at him.
"And now?" Jason asks lifting a hand and brushing back her bangs.
"Now… I just get a warm tingly feeling just picturing the look on Elizabeth's face when you dropped her to the floor." Her smirk turning into a full fledge smile at the visual.
"She means nothing to me Sam." Jason whispers while leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
Nodding her head Sam's smile slowly disappears as the situation gets serious once again. "If I thought any differently I wouldn't be here."
"I just want you to know that. Even if I have to remind you every day I will."
"Well I don't think every day will be necessary…" Sam's words fade as her stomach starts to grumble, causing them both to chuckle. "I know I was just trying to use it as a diversion earlier, but I really am going to have to eat soon."
Smiling Jason brushes a hand through his hair. "Do I have to even ask if there's anything in the kitchen to eat?"
"Well…" Sam says coyly. "You might be able to find some microwave popcorn and diet soda."
Unable to hold back his scoff he shakes his head. "How is that possible that's all you have with the four of you holing yourselves up in here and that's the only food you have on hand?"
"Well for Spinelli of course there's orange soda and his potato chips, but do you really want to face the wrath of him if his staple food isn't here when he gets home?"
"And what about your little surfer friend? Does he not eat?"
"STEPHEN..." Sam says his name with a lot of emphasis as she picks up her purse she had set down earlier. "He's so used to living with me that he's adjusted to my way of eating."
"Which is Chinese takeout every day with greasy hamburgers to mix things up?" Jason says tongue in cheek.
"You never seemed to complain?" Sam responds just as sarcastic turning to face him hands on hips.
Smiling Jason just nods his head, Sam was right he never did complain. But what she didn't know is that there were some nights he would stop by Kelly's and get a quick bite to eat before heading home. "So do you want to go to Kelly's?" When Sam nods her head Jason pulls out his keys. "Ok I'm just going to go across the hall quickly and check my messages. Can you wait here for me to return?"
Sighing Sam nods her head again. "Yes Jason, I won't step out until my guard dog is in place."
Jason stops with his hand resting on the handle and stares back at Sam. "I just don't want to give Jerry an easy opportunity to get to you Sam."
"I know Jason." Sam says sitting back down on the couch. "That's why I'm going to wait for you right here."
With one final glance to be sure Sam really wasn't going anywhere Jason hurries across the hall not wanting to make her wait. Coming back across the hall Jason finds Sam still sitting on the couch staring off in space. "Are you ready?" Jason asks when Sam doesn't rise right away.
"What…oh…yea." Sam says slowly rising and shaking her head, her brow scrunched.
'Is everything ok?" Jason asks concerned. "Did you have another memory?"
Sam finally catching on to Jason's concern quickly waves it off. "No Jason I'm fine. I was just thinking is all."
"Care to talk about it?" Jason asks hesitantly.
Sam just as hesitant looks down at her feet briefly before raising her gaze back up to Jason's. "It's about Elizabeth." She says sighing. "I know I said I don't want her to get between us and I don't! And as much as I wish we could just ignore her that's not going to be easy either. Because she's always going to be there Jason, a part of our past…and well a part of our lives today and every day."
"Sam what's going on?" Jason asks, but knows she didn't really hear him over her rambling.
"And it's not going to be easy, I know that. But I want you to know I'm going to try."
"That's great Sam, but where is this coming from?" Jason asks once she stops talking.
"Well from the fact Elizabeth is going to have to be involved in our lives forever, even if it is just as Jake's mother…she's not going to be going anywhere and I can accept that."
Finally starting to understand what Sam was trying to get at Jason sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Sam about Jake…" But Sam wasn't listening.
"And maybe I'm overreacting and maybe you still haven't claimed Jake…and if you haven't that's a whole other conversation we are going to have to have…but either way you two have that little boy in common…"
"Jake isn't my son." Jason says while Sam was still talking, knowing that there wasn't any good way to tell her except straight forward.
"…and since you two are his parents Elizabeth will be coming…What?" Sam says finally hearing Jason's words.
"Jake isn't mine Sam."
"Oh Jason please don't tell me you really haven't claimed him yet." Sam groans stomping her foot. "I don't know what Elizabeth has said to keep you out of that little boys life, but you would make a great father Jason!"
"Except I'm not his father Sam!" Jason says a little harsher than he planned and when Sam just frowns at him he sighs and turns to pace the floor before standing in front of her again. "I'm not Jakes father." Jason says again, quieter this time. "Lucky is."
Ok so another smaller cliffy…but one I'm sure you all either were hoping for or could guess was coming. But I hope you all enjoyed this update. It was a LONG time coming and for that I apologize a million times! You all deserve better and have been really great! I'm going to try harder to push past my writers block and get you an update faster! Thanks again to everyone who is reading! I hope you are enjoying the story. And thanks for the reviews! You are all AMAZING! If it wasn't for you this would most likely been left unfinished.