Hey everyone! So I'm going to just make this quick, because I'm sure you all don't really care what I have to say it's the story you want. So I just want to quickly say thanks to everyone who reads, I really hope you all are enjoying this story and the many twists it takes. And a special thanks to the reviewers…you guys are awesome and I would probably have given up long ago without you! So thanks everyone! I hope this latest chapter doesn't disappoint!
Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or the characters!
Sam waited until the hospital was out of sight before turning in her seat to face Jason. "So do you want to tell me what was going on when you arrived at the hospital?"
Keeping one eye on the road Jason looks over at Sam confused. "What do you mean?"
"Jason I saw you when you entered the hospital, you ran in there looking for trouble."
Jason couldn't believe it. He has assumed Sam had been so caught up with Maxie she hadn't even noticed his arrival until he walked up to her, but apparently he had been wrong. "Oh that…it was… I wasn't looking for trouble." Jason says and at Sam's 'are you kidding me' look he sighs. "What? I wasn't!"
"You came charging in Jason, I saw you." Sam insists before cutting off whatever argument he was preparing to make by lifting a hand. "But even if I hadn't noticed you enter, I saw your men." At his raised eyebrows Sam explains what she means. "I almost didn't catch it, but by the time you arrived James and Cody had moved in so close that Maxie and I would have tripped over them if we had tried to move. And if that wasn't enough to convince me you leaving the car running is a good sign that something is up."
Jason didn't really have anything to say, which wasn't anything new, but Sam just kept surprising him. She hadn't missed a single thing. "Sam…" Jason shakes his head, still a little stunned over how perceptive she is.
"Jason just tell me." Sam says her humor slowly fading to annoyance.
"It's nothing really." Jason starts and out of the corner of his eye catches Sam ready to argue, which leads him to keep talking before she can interrupt. "When we got to Sonny's one of his men alerted us to…" Unsure of what to call Claudia since Jason had no proof she was guilty of anything Jason sighs and shakes his head once. "There is a possible threat that Sonny and I are looking into."
"You mean another threat out there besides Jerry Jax?" Sam asks her voice deceptively calm as she stares out into the distance, her head shaking slowly from side to side.
Jason's hands tighten on the steering wheel, hating the disbelieving and defeated note in Sam's voice. Tempted to pull the car to the side of the road, he keeps driving wanting to get her back to the penthouse where he would have a better chance of keeping her safe. "It's just a possible threat Sam…"
"Then why did you rush into the hospital?" Sam snaps, needing an outlet for her frustration.
Always terrible with words Jason struggles to answer her. "I was…when you…look Sam…"
Unable to hold on to her anger when Jason was struggling so much Sam reaches out and pats his arm. "Just take a moment and then try answering." She says knowing talking had never been Jason's strong suit.
With a small smile in her direction Jason nods his head. "There might be another threat, Sonny is looking into it. I don't want you to worry about it until we know more." He waits for Sam's nod in agreement before releasing a tired sigh. That was only half of what he wanted to tell her.
"That still doesn't explain…" Sam starts to say, but Jason interrupts her.
"And the reason why I rushed into the hospital is because…because I couldn't take it if something else were to happen to you. So much has happened since you returned to Port Charles and I just..."Jason pauses as he pulls to a stop at a red light and turns to fully face Sam, so she gets the full affect of his blue gaze. "I couldn't take it if one more thing happened to you because I wasn't there."
With tears in her eyes blurring her vision Sam leans forward and brushes her lips over Jason's before leaning back and brushing her fingers through his hair. "Thank you for looking out for me." She whispers before leaning back in the passenger seat Sam smiles when Jason reaches over and brushes away the stray tear that fell. "The light is green." Her voice husky Sam clears her throat and her smile when his eyes darken to a deep blue.
"Jason there is something still bothering." Sam says after his attention was back on the road. "Why didn't you just tell me about the possible threat before?" She asks pulling her gaze back from staring out of the passenger window to look at him.
"We didn't know before. I had just found out about it when we got back to Sonny's." Jason says honestly.
"Oh, I know." Sam says nodding her head and keeping her gaze on his, knowing if he tried to lie she would be able to tell by watching him. "But when you arrived at the hospital you didn't say anything, why?"
"Maxie was there…" Jason starts to say, but Sam cuts off whatever else he was going to say.
"How about when I asked you now, in the car, why wouldn't you just tell me?"
It was her tone that alerted Jason to the fact she was upset, and not just upset, but angry. "Sam…" He says hesitantly, confused by her anger.
"You could've told me…no you should've told me!" Sam says with more force. "This is my life Jason and I have a right to know if there is something or someone out there I need to be looking out for!"
Jason felt better understanding the reason for her anger, but had no clue how to make up for it. All he knew to do was apologize. "I'm sorry Sam."
"What exactly are you sorry for?" Sam asks critically.
Caught off guard by the question Jason is grateful to see Harborview Towers in the distance. "I'm sorry for not telling you when you asked." Jason says glancing quickly at Sam in time to see her eyes narrow. "I really am sorry Sam."
He sounded so sincere that Sam wanted to forgive him, but there was just one thing holding her back. "Why didn't you just tell me?"
It wasn't Sam's words that got Jason's attention, but how she sounded. There was pain and sadness, which Jason hated to hear, but wasn't completely surprised to hear. He never could seem to avoid upsetting Sam, no matter how hard he tried. It was the fear he thought he heard though that left him baffled. "Sam?" He says glancing at her before quickly shifting his attention back to the guard at the gate of the parking garage and waving.
"I get that you had just found out and possibly trying to process the news. I even understand you not wanting to talk about it in front of Maxie, in fact I appreciate it, since she would have overreacted and try postponing her wedding again. But Jason I asked you point blank what was wrong and…and you lied." Hands clenched into tight little fists Sam rubs her hands over her eyes, warding off the tears. "You lied!"
Parking and leaving the car running Jason turns to look at Sam. Tired, confused, and scared to mess up even more with her. "Sam…I…" Jason runs a hand through his hair and comes to a decision. "What do you want me to say?" He asks on a tired sigh. "I screwed up Sam. I didn't want to lie to you, I didn't mean to. I didn't…"
"Then why did you? Don't keep saying you didn't mean to and quit apologizing Jason and just tell me! Why did you do it?"
"I was trying to protect you." He says resisting the urge to shout, shouting at Sam would not help.
"Protect me? That doesn't make any sense Jason. How does keeping me in the dark protect me? How can I protect myself if I don't even know what is out there after me, how does that protect me?"
"You don't have to worry about protecting yourself Sam, I'm here."
"But what about when you're not Jason? What if, like today, you and I get separated and I have only myself to count on?"
"That won't happen again Sam."
"You don't know that for sure Jason."
Clenching his jaw Jason closes his eyes."Then one of my men will be…"
"I'm not going to leave my safety in the hands of you and your men Jason! I'm not the type of woman who sits and lets the men around her take care of her. I am an experienced PI, remember? I know how to take care of myself and the others around me. I do the dirty work Jason, me…not anyone else! I do the protecting. Do you understand Jason? Do I…" Whatever else Sam was going to say gets interrupted by a knock on Jason's window, causing them both to jump. Looking over Jason's shoulder to see Cody Sam slams her hand down on the dash. "God dammit! Can't we have a little privacy?" She shouts at him.
Rolling down the window Jason could sympathize with the worried look on Cody's face, an angry Sam was a force to be reckoned with. "What is it Cody, something wrong?"
"No no nothing is wrong we just…" Avoiding Sam's gaze Cody felt bad for interrupting what was obviously a tense situation. He didn't take it personally however, since he could never remember a time where Sam wasn't nice to him and the others. She always seemed to go out of her way to include them, make them feel welcome. Cody wanted to disappear, hating having upset Sam even more. "We just wondered if something was wrong since you hadn't left the vehicle."
"No, everything is fine. You can go now, we'll be fine." Jason says and nods to James who was standing behind Cody. Rolling up his window he turns back to see Sam holding her head in her hands. "They're gone." Jason says quietly.
"I know." Sam whispers back, lifting her head to stare at Jason. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
"No Sam…you don't…"
"No, just…just let me talk." Sam says stopping him and waits for Jason to nod before continuing. "I don't know what that was earlier, but I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. There is just so much that is going on and you're just doing what you can. And I know it can't be easy since Jerry is this psychopath who keeps just out of reach and I can't seem to remember whatever it is he's after me for. It's a very tense situation that we're in here and we need to stick together. We need to have each other's back. We need to trust each other. And I do trust you, I do. But I need you to…I just need…" Sam forced herself to stop rambling and took a tired sigh.
"What do you need?" Jason asks lifting his gaze to hers and holding it.
"I need you to stop trying to protect me." Sam responds without any hesitation and before Jason can even form the words that she read in his eyes Sam reaches out and cups his cheek. "I don't mean from Jerry and any other threat that is looming over our heads, but from everything else. You can't protect me from everything Jason and when you try it only makes things worse, don't you see that? I'm a big girl…it takes a lot to knock me down." Sam stops talking when Jason reaches out and pulls her hand from his cheek, but offers a small smile when he just raises her hand to brush his lips over her knuckles. "So from now on, whatever it is, I can take it. I'm tougher than I look."
Chuckling and nodding his head Jason leans forward and kisses Sam lightly. "Believe me I know." They sat in silence until headlights from a passing car catches their attention and Jason realizes just how easily it could be for someone to come up and surprise them, especially since he sent his men upstairs already.
"Oh I know that look." Sam says with a smile already reaching for the door handle. "You just realized how much of a sitting duck I am down here and you want to move this conversation upstairs."
Just staring at her for a moment, Jason fumbles with words again before laughing. "How do you do that?" He asks pulling the keys from the ignition and opening his door.
"What?" Sam asks climbing out and joining Jason on his side of the car.
Reaching out to hold her hand Jason once again raises it to his lips, loving the warmth that enters Sam's eyes every time he does it. "Know exactly what I'm thinking, sometimes before I even know."
"I have my ways."
Elizabeth had finished filing her charts and told the other nurses she was going to take her break and go spend some times with her boys upstairs in the nursery. Which is where she was now holding Jake in her lap as he colored her a picture and told her about his day, but Elizabeth didn't hear any of it, her mind kept replaying her encounter from before.
"Don't act that way…I'm here to make your day. All I need is your help."
"What makes you think I would help you?" She asks crossing her arms over her chest, gathering confidence over the fact they were in the hospital so she was safe.
"Didn't you hear me say that with your help I would make your day? Keep up here sweetheart or I might change my mind and sit back while you make a complete fool of yourself." Claudia says smirking. Loving the fear she could see deep in the other woman's eyes. "From what I just witnessed it could be quite a show."
"I don't have to stand here and listen to this." Elizabeth says rolling her eyes and starts walking away.
"I don't think you want to do that." Claudia says with an edge to her voice, reaching out an arm and stopping her. "You're going to want to hear me out, trust me."
"Trust you?" Elizabeth scoffs stepping back from Claudia, keeping a little distance from the other woman. "Who in their right mind would trust you?"
"Well since you clearly aren't in your right mind, I don't really think that should be a problem here." Claudia says cheerfully.
"Whatever, I'm out of here." Elizabeth tries again to leave.
"Try walking away again and I might have to hurt you." Claudia says grabbing hold of Elizabeth's arm this time and squeezing just enough to cause her to wince. "Are we clear?"
"Alright! Fine, let go of me!" Elizabeth says wrenching her arm free and rubbing the spot where Claudia had held her. "What do you want?" She snaps.
Eyebrows raised, Claudia resists a smirk. "Just the question I was looking for." Opening her purse and pulling out a card she hands it over to the nurse. "That has a number where you can reach me, call when you're free. We will schedule a time to meet."
"Why can't we just talk here and now?"
"Because we have plenty to discuss and none of it I would want to be overheard. Surely you understand the importance of secrecy. From what I hear you're full of them."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't." Claudia says with her first real smile. "Just remember to call." Brushing past the other woman Claudia makes her way towards the stairs.
"And what if I don't?" Elizabeth asks waiting until she was on the stairs a few feet away.
Stopping and turning Claudia takes a moment to size the nurse up. "I guess you'll just have to decide how badly you want to get rid of Sam McCall." Noticing the gleam in her eyes Claudia nods her head, she had finally caught her interest. "I expect to hear from you." Claudia says before turning back around and heading down the stairs, pausing at the door she looks up to see Elizabeth looking down at her. "Don't keep me waiting long nurse Webber." With a small wave she leaves the other woman standing speechless in the stairwell.
Elizabeth reached into her pocket and felt the edge of the small card Claudia had given her. For the past hour it had been burning a hole in her pocket. Should she call her? Shouldn't she? Should she tell someone? These questions kept running through her mind with no obvious answer along with Claudia's words. Feeling Jake struggle in her arms Elizabeth breaks out of her thoughts to see he has finished coloring. "All done?" She asks forcing a smile for her youngest son. "What did you draw for me?"
"Look!" Jake says thrusting the paper at her.
Helping him hold it so she can see the picture clearly her smile turns genuine. "Who are all these people?"
"That's me and then there's Cameron and you mommy are there and that is daddy." Jake says pointing at each person in the picture as he named them.
"It is!" Elizabeth agrees and kissing his head. "Can I take this with me and put it up at the nurses desk for everyone to see?" When Jake nods his head eagerly Elizabeth kisses him again and sets him down on the ground. "Thank you sweety, but mommy has to get to work now. Daddy will be by later to pick you and I'll see you tonight when it's time to tuck you in. Bye baby."
"Bye mommy!" Jake says before running off to play with the other kids.
Smiling after him Elizabeth leaves taking the picture with her. Instead of going straight to the nurse's station she takes a detour to the locker room. Taping the picture up to her locker she names all the people in the picture again. "Yep there is baby Jake, his big brother Cameron, mommy Elizabeth, and daddy Jason… what perfect, happy family." Elizabeth says smiling. Reaching in her pocket and pulling out the card she grabs her cell phone and dials the number. It kept ringing to the point Elizabeth was about to hang up when finally someone answered. "So when do you want to meet?" Elizabeth asks not bothering to say hello as she stares intently at the picture.
The elevator made a ringing noise as it passed ever floor, when they were almost half way up Sam groans, earning a curious glance from Jason. "I'm going to have to apologize to Cody and James for the way I acted earlier." Sam explains. "That was totally uncalled for, they were only looking out for us."
"I'm sure they both understand Sam." Jason smiles, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You have every right to be upset, I know the men won't hold it against you. They all like you too much."
With a smile of her own Sam is glad to see they were almost to Jason's floor. "I know, but that still doesn't mean I don't have to apologize."
"Whatever you think is best." Jason agrees, glad that they really seemed to be ok after Sam's outburst in the car.
"I knew you'd see it my way." Sam says laughing as the elevator doors open and stepping out still in Jason's arms. They turn together towards Sonny's old penthouse and the both freeze at the same time. "Jason are they…"
"Sam get back in the elevator." Jason says trying to gently nudge her back behind him.
"What? No!" Sam says struggling against him.
"At least go to my place, please Sam." Jason says turning to stare at her, grasping both her shoulders.
"Jason what did we just discuss?" Sam says with a gentle shove and releasing herself from his grasp. "You can't protect me from everything, remember?"
Cursing her stubbornness and the fact she was right Jason continues to stare at her hoping she would change her mind. But she's Sam, which means she never will and cursing again turns back around to face the door, Sam standing beside him. "Just stand right here, ok?" He asks, not really waiting for Sam's agreement as he steps forward and crouches down and picks up the bouquet of flowers. "They're roses." He says over his shoulder, standing back up and turning to face Sam holding the flowers.
"They're black roses." Sam says, her voice matching the horror on her face. "Who would…" Bringing her gaze up to Jason's she notices all his color drained from his face and his hand was holding the flowers tightly in his fist. "They're from Jerry aren't they?"
"I don't know." Jason shakes his head in a jerky motion, his hold body practically shaking from the anger he was feeling.
"There's a note." Sam says stepping forward and reaching out, freezing when Jason pulls the flowers out of her grasp. "Jason…" She says quietly, sharing a look with him before once again reaching for the note. This time Jason stands still as she does so, watching her every movement. When she pulls the paper out of the envelope he watches her face completely pale as she reads it and brings her gaze up to his quickly. "Jason we…I think we have to get out of here!" Sam says frantically turning to press the button for the elevator.
"What does it say?" Jason asks reaching out for the card, Sam hands it over willingly.
Jason glances at it and back up to Sam, his blue eyes wide and fearful. "Move, Sam, move!" He shouts and pushing her in front of him they both climb on the elevator. The doors haven't closed fully before they hear a loud explosion and the whole elevator shakes. Crouching down, Jason covers Sam's body completely with his. The note from Jerry still squeezed tightly in his hand Jason curses and throws it on the ground, but it doesn't matter, because the lazy scrawl of writer was still etched in his mind.
3…2…1…SURPRISE!
So I have to admit this whole chapter wasn't really planned…it all sort of just formed on its own. So as much as I'm surprised about where this ended I'm already giddy to get started on the next! Thanks again everyone, I look forward to hearing what you all think!