Hey you guys! So after watching Jason worrying over Sam and having cried my eyes out I had no other choice but to sit down and write. So this chapter is being dedicated to Steve Burton and the amazing job he did by just standing in a hospital waiting room. The talent that man has just blows my mind sometimes! And its days like today that remind me of why I fell in love with this couple to begin with. That being said I hope you all enjoy the update and can't wait to hear what you all think! Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, you guys are awesome!
Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or the characters.
"Answer me dammit!" Claudia says with her hands clenched at her sides, annoyed at the faraway look in Sonny's eyes and the fact he appeared to ignoring her, or having forgot that she was there at all.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Sonny blinks and looks at Claudia. "I forgot what the question was." He says honestly. With a loud shriek Claudia raises her hand and starts towards Sonny, but he grabs her arm before she can make contact with his face. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"You bastard!" Claudia seethes wrenching her hand from his grip. "I have done nothing but what you asked for months! Turned my back on everything and defended you and your own organization over everything else! I even went against my father and brother…they want nothing to do with me!"
"You hated your father Claudia, and Johnny wanted nothing to do with you before I came along, so don't play that with me. You did what you did out of spite, not for me. Not because of me, but for yourself."
"I became your wife…"
"Only in name, that's all this was ever about." Sonny quickly states, before she can try and use that as some excuse. "It was never supposed to be a real marriage and you know it."
"Then why did it feel like things were starting to change between us?" Claudia can't help but ask, hoping for proof that she hadn't been made a fool by another man. "Why did you start kissing me like you meant it?"
Sonny had expected the question and didn't blame Claudia for asking it, because she was right. They had started to grow closer…until she had proven to be too untrustworthy. "I thought maybe things between us could maybe change someday, you're right." Sonny offers her, but it was obvious that wasn't all he had to say so Claudia stayed silent. "But I can't trust you Claudia. You constantly lie and sneak off when you think no one is watching…"
"I'm allowed to have a private life." Claudia interjects angrily.
"Not when it most likely interferes with my business and the safety of those I care about." Sonny shakes his head in disagreement.
"I'm not putting your family in danger!" Claudia insists, but can tell Sonny doesn't believe her. "This is bullshit and you know it! You have been looking for an excuse for weeks now to get rid of me! And don't try and deny it Sonny…why else would you have me being followed constantly. And don't think I'm too naive to realize the whispering among your men is about me. I'm just surprised it took you this long to finally act."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sonny says shoving his hands inside his pockets.
"I'm sure." She scoffs shaking her head. "You just aren't man enough to admit that you want me gone. You probably moved Carly in here on purpose just to push me out the door. You know how much we hate each other!"
"I didn't make Carly move in here Claudia that was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you." When she scoffs again Sonny clenches his jaw. "Do you honestly think I would choose to live under the same roof as you and Carly? Having to listen to the two of you constantly yelling at each other? I have honestly considered getting a room at the Metro Court, but am not about to be run out of my own house. Can you honestly think this has been fun for me?"
"I think you do enjoy having Carly around, even if it is at the expense of me...your wife!"
It had to be the fourth or fifth time Claudia had used that word since arriving home and Sonny was getting curious. "Why do you keep pointing that out to me Claudia? I know you're my wife, I was there when we got married, remember?"
"I just think you sometimes forget is all, especially since Carly moved in. The two of you together is so sickening...don't you realize most divorced couples can't stand each other?"
"I have two children and years of history with Carly, she is more than just my ex-wife and mother to Michael and Morgan. She is my friend and will always be an important part of my life, something you're just going to have to get used to."
"And if I can't?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Well that's just too damn bad." Sonny says without missing a beat.
Lowering her head and shaking it slowly from side to side Claudia is finally done trying to pander to Sonny's good side, it was obvious she was never going to be good enough in his eyes. The bar had always been set to high for her to reach and with everything she had done the past year hanging over her head she never stood a chance. Even if Sonny had found a way to forgive her and want to keep her around Jason Morgan would never allow it. Claudia was better off following through with her plan for Sam and then leaving town before it was too late. "It was stupid for me to think I would ever matter more to you than your precious Carly." Claudia says raising her head to glare at Sonny, angry over how pitiful she felt for trying to win his approval. He was just like her father, she would never be good enough for him either.
"I already explained to you Carly's place in my life, I won't do it again."
"What about Jason? I don't even rank higher than that walking icicle!"
"Jason is my best friend and business partner."
"Whatever." Claudia sneers pacing away from Sonny and back again. "The three of you make me sick! How you each have so much control over the other, it's like none of you can act alone." It was Sonny's turn to scoff and it pissed Claudia off. "You can't deny that Jason and Carly's obvious disapproval of me has turned you against me and this marriage!"
"They have nothing to do with our marriage and the fact I don't trust you." Sonny disagrees. "It's the constant lies, the sneaking behind my back, ditching the men, and secretive phone calls you slip out to take that I'm sick of! You think I don't notice! Do you think I'm stupid?" Sonny asks, his voice rising in anger.
"No! I think you're a bastard and I don't know how I could possibly think this marriage was ever real!"
With a light laugh Sonny scratches his jaw. "I don't either."
So mad she was physically shaking Claudia tightened her hands into tiny fists to keep from scratching at Sonny's face. If she did his men would detain her and Claudia was done with Sonny and his bullshit, she was done with Port Charles and their judgment, she was through with it all. "You can go to hell Sonny. You, your organization, and your precious Jason and Carly! Go straight to hell!" With those final words Claudia turns on her heel and walks towards the patio doors, throwing them open with a bang and glaring at Carly who was standing by the window where she had obviously been trying to eavesdrop. "You can have him!" Claudia says to her as Sonny joins them in the living room.
"I didn't need your permission." Carly says with a big smirk on her face and coming to stand by Sonny's side. "So does this mean you're leaving?"
"Not that I owe you an answer, but yes." Claudia says as she looks around the room for her purse.
"Good riddance" Carly says linking her arm through Sonny's and her smirk growing into a full, smug smile.
"Where are you going Claudia?" Sonny asks ignoring Carly for the moment.
"Like you honestly care." Claudia says with a humorless laugh.
She had a point, not that Sonny would admit it out loud. It had become very clear that Claudia was up to something and it would only make matters worse to piss her off. "I want to know where the men can take your things."
"I'm sure that's it." Claudia says finally locating her bag on his desk and grabbing for it, her attention instantly falling on the envelope right beneath it. Without the others noticing Claudia snatches that up too. "Give it all away for all I care." She says stuffing the envelope in her purse and turning to face them again.
"We would, but who else would wear such cheap trash?" Carly says with a furrowed brow.
Closing his eyes to resist shaking Carly, Sonny keeps reminding himself she's pregnant. "Just go Claudia." Sonny says opening his to see she looked ready to strike again. "Go now and don't ever come back."
"This isn't the end." Claudia says pointing at them. "I promise you both that someday…and it will be sooner than you think…you will regret this."
"I'm real scared." Carly says rolling her eyes.
You should be. Claudia silently says before turning to leave, she can feel their eyes on her back until she was out the door. And even then she knew that she was still being watched, only now it was by one of Sonny's many men. They would probably try to follow her, but she had learned many different ways to ditch them so she wasn't too worried. Before they caught up with her she would be long gone. Her work here done and her trail covered. No one could stop her now, not even Jason Morgan.
Jason couldn't tell what Sam was thinking or if she was upset with him. Scratching the back of his neck and clearing his throat Jason wasn't sure what to say to her. So instead of answering he ignores the question and shrugs off his jacket. "It's a little warm in here, isn't it?" He asks tossing his jacket on the desk and turning to check the thermostat. "Are you thirsty? Or maybe you're hungry?" He turns to see that Sam hadn't moved and she was still staring at him intently. "When was the last time you ate something?" With still no response from Sam Jason hangs his head. "There isn't any food stocked in the kitchen obviously, but I could make a call…"
"Jason…Jason, stop!" Sam says waving her arms and stepping forward to grasp his hand that had been reaching for his phone. She didn't know what surprised her more the fact they were standing in her old apartment, that Jason apparently had bought it, or the fact he was rambling like he was nervous… something she had never seen him do before. "I'm not hungry or thirsty." Sam says staring him in the eyes.
"Do you want to just lie down? Get some more sleep?" He asks brushing back her bangs from her face. "You've had a long day."
"Yea I am tired, but Jason I want you to answer me." Sam says nudging him in the chest. "Why did you buy this place?"
With no other choice but to answer her, Jason lowers his gaze and sighs. "Because it's yours."
"But I was selling it." Sam says still confused. "I did sell it. I just didn't realize it was to you." Sam was trying to remember back to when Alexis had finalized everything and sent her the paperwork to sign, she was sure she would've noticed Jason's name or the organization's if had been there. "How didn't I know that it was you?"
Pacing away from Sam, Jason shrugs his shoulders. "Alexis denied my first offer when you put it on the market, but after I bought out the two interested buyers and made it known that I had every intention of continuing do so she had no choice but to hear me out. We finally came to an agreement."
Sam could remember the delay in the sale, but she had always thought it was just a lack of interest in the apartment. She never imagined the scenario Jason was describing, Alexis never told her any of this. "What sort of agreement did you reach?"
"Alexis wanted to make it clear that just because I was purchasing this place didn't mean it would get me anywhere near you or even allow me a chance to contact you. She doubted my actual interest in the apartment and thought I was only interested in reaching you. Once I convinced her that I had no ulterior motives and understood that I believed you gone forever she finally conceded to the sale."
"But why?" She asks walking toward him.
"She was trying to protect you from me I'm sure." Jason asks assuming she was referring to Alexis' reluctance to sell to him.
"No that I know…I'll never fully understand her reasoning, but I know why she did what she thought she had to." Sam shakes her head. "What I want to know is why you were so insistent about owning this place. Why this apartment?"
"Because it's yours." Jason says again, this time holding Sam's gaze and he could read the frustration with his lame response. So he searches within himself for a better explanation and takes a hesitant breath before speaking. "This is your apartment Sam, your personal space. That you picked out yourself and filled it with stuff to fit you. Everything about this place reminded me of you, and I wanted to hold on to that." Clearing his throat Jason resists the urge to pace away and instead reaches out to grasp one of Sam's hands in his. "And I couldn't help but think about what if…what if you did decide to come back some day and you needed somewhere to stay. I just thought if you did you would want it to be your own place."
"You bought my old apartment in case I ever wanted to move back in…even though you thought I would never come back?" Sam asks almost in disbelief.
Nodding his head Jason lifts his free hand to brush back Sam's stubborn bangs before cupping her jaw. "That and I couldn't help but think if anyone else were to buy this place and move in it would really be over. That would mark the end and you really wouldn't ever be coming back."
Awestruck and amazed at the many surprises she had discovered since returning to Port Charles Sam is forced to blink back tears. Running her fingers through his hair and down both sides of his face until she was cupping that beautiful face in her hands Sam offers a small smile. "Well I'm here now." She whispers before pulling his head down to hers for a forceful, soul-searching kiss.
Renting a room in the sleazy motel Claudia scrunches her nose at the stale smell of cigarette smoke and dust that permeated the air. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was only a temporary situation until she was able to get access to one of the many offshore accounts Anthony had left open. Besides no one would honestly expect to find Claudia Zacchara staying in a place like this, so in the off chance things didn't go as planned she wouldn't have to fear discovery. Tossing her recently purchased duffle on the bed filled with a couple changes of clothes and all the supplies she would need to follow through with her plans for Sam McCall, Claudia pulls the envelope she had swiped from Sonny's desk from the side pocket. Sitting down at the one chair in the room she opens the envelope and pulls out the decorated parchment and smirks. She loved when opportunities like this just fell into her lap. Loving a flare for the dramatic, Claudia practically salivated over the idea of snatching Sam right out from underneath Jason Morgan's nose, not to mention the rest of the town. After all everyone…who was of any importance anyways… was cordially invited.
Mariah Maximilliana "Maxie" Jones
Damian Millhouse Spinelli
Request the pleasure of your company
to share in their joy and happiness
as they exchange marriage vows
Please join us on this most festive and merry occasion
we wouldn't want you to miss it!
So I know this chapter is much shorter than what I usually try and write, but I decided instead of trying to force out a longer chapter and taking forever to do so that I would stick with this. Short, sweet, and leading into the real fun! Although I am sad to say this story is starting to wind down, only four or five chapters to go I believe. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed and now off to work on the next chapter!