The night was dark and he has just gotten home from twelve hours of searching for answers on how their warehouse blew up. Jason had been glad that he sent Sam and Robyn out of town on a mommy and me vacation. He was going up the stairs when someone started pounding on the door of the penthouse. Wanting to cuss out whoever was on the other side, Jason swallowed his words at the sight of Elizabeth. She was clearly angry and didn't wait for an invitation before storming into the penthouse.

"How could you?" Elizabeth practically shouts at him. "How could you turn her away so abruptly?"

"I can explain." Jason tries to say, but she's too angry to hear him.

"I told you I didn't want this!" Elizabeth starts to pace. "I didn't want you in their lives if you're going to have one foot in and one foot out!"

"Things are really bad right now." Jason stops her from pacing. "I can't have her coming around just now."

"Then why not explain that?" Elizabeth counters. "Why don't you ever explain anything to her? Its what you're good at, but you can't even do it for your daughter!"

"How do I explain what I do?" Jason sighs, scratching his forehead. "She's still too young to understand."

"She's smarter than you give her credit for." Elizabeth says in a stern voice. "She'd understand if you explained it, but that's just too hard for you."

"I'll explain it all when this is over." Jason promises. "For now, she just can't be around me."

"All I'm going to say is be careful how hard you push your children." Elizabeth shakes her head, pulling the door open. "You just might push them too far and never get the chance to make things right."

Jason shakes his head, casting the memories away as he waits for Sam to wash up their daughter. So many things have gone wrong over the years and he just didn't know where things would go from there. He had no idea how to get through to his children and he wasn't sure if he deserved another chance from any of them.

When Sam was done getting Robyn dressed, he took over the bedtime ritual. From drying her hair to brushing it out. He could tell that Sam felt that something had changed between them and he'd be lying if he said it wasn't true. That moment had him remembering the man he used to be.

Back when the truth meant everything to him. Lies drove him crazy and he'd cut anyone out of his life that lied to him. He'd cut anyone out of his life that acted like they could live his life better than he could. Right now, Sam fit the bill for both things he described, but he couldn't cut her completely out of his life. Not when he had Robyn to think about. He's the sole reason why she's even in this world, he owed it to her to be the father she deserves.

"Daddy, can we go to the park tomorrow?" Robyn asks, rubbing her eyes. "Just you and me?"

"Sure." Jason smiles slightly. "If you go to bed now, I'll take you to the park tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight." Robyn leans up and kisses his cheek. "I love you, daddy!"

"I love you too, sweet girl." Jason turns out her light, closing the door slightly.

Jason walks down the stairs, finding Sam leaning against the couch. She looked like she was bracing herself for an argument that was sure to happen. Before either of them could say anything, a knock sounded at the door, prompting Jason to walk over and pull it open.

"Molly, thanks for coming over." Jason steps aside, allowing her to walk in. "She's already asleep upstairs, we shouldn't be that long."

"Its okay." Molly assures, taking off her jacket. "It'll give me a quiet place to go over my files."

"Come on." Jason hands Sam her jacket, shrugging into his and walking out of the penthouse.

They got into the SUV without a word, driving all the way to the cabin he had built in place of the boxcar. Sam clearly had her guard up and he didn't blame her. With everything that he was feeling, she'd probably need it to try and explain everything. He shrugs out of his jacket, tossing it over the couch. Waiting for her to do the same because this was going to take a while.

"How could you?" Jason questions, staring at her, watching her expression. "How could you lie to me?"

"Lie?" Sam looks at him confusedly.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Jason snaps. "Cameron told me he told you about Elizabeth's cancer five months ago! Why did you lie about overhearing Jake?"

"I..." Sam didn't know what to say to that. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth!" Jason says bitingly. "Why didn't you tell me about Elizabeth's cancer?"

"I didn't know how to, okay?" Sam throws her hands up. "With everything that was happening between us and the business...I didn't know how."

"And coming right out and saying that my kids needed me because their mother could die wasn't enough?" Jason countered. "Write it on a piece of paper! Text me! Something!"

"I didn't think it would take you this long to find out." Sam sighs, wishing that she could make him forget. "I thought that Carly or someone else would have told you...I just didn't want to be the one."

"You're my wife!" Jason states. "You should have been the one to tell me!"

"Things had been shaky with us." Sam knows he'll take it the wrong way, but continues on. "I just didn't want to be the one to tell you that Elizabeth could die."

"How does that make any sense?" Jason could feel his headache start. "As my wife, you should have told me! Five months, Sam! Five freaking months!"

"What do you want me to say?" Sam shouted. "I'm sorry I lied! I'm sorry you're angry, but I just couldn't be the one to tell you!"

"Cameron, Jake and Lily have been going through hell and I could have been there to help them!" Jason watched as tears fell down Sam's face, but he was too angry to let it affect him. "Lily most of all. Whatever reasons you think you had, none of them justify this."

"So where does that leave us?" Sam dares to ask, her heart breaking at the look in Jason's eye. "Will you ever forgive me for keeping this from you?"

"I honestly don't know." Jason sighs, grabbing his jacket. "All I know is that my kids have suffered while believing I didn't care enough to be there."

"I don't see how these last five months is any different than the last decade of you being out of their lives." Sam counters. "You said it yourself! Jake doesn't want you around and Lily runs every time you're anywhere near her. How could you have helped them where they would actually accept it?"

"Maybe being there would have been enough!" Jason grabs his jacket. "The point is that you kept the truth from me while my children suffered."

"Where are you going?" Sam grabs his arm as he walks to the door.

"I'm going to stay in my office at the warehouse." Jason yanks his arm from her grasp. "I'll be there in the morning before Robyn wakes up and to put her to bed."

"Jason, what does this mean for us?" Sam asks again, following him out onto the porch. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"I don't know." Jason states. "I just don't know."

Jason left her the keys to the SUV before making his way back into town. He knew that he could never approach any of his children before he stood face to face with their mother. So, putting his feelings aside, he made his way to the hospital, hoping that she wouldn't turn him away. After everything they have been through, he wouldn't blame her if she did. From his marriage to Sam, then Robyn being born, he and Elizabeth just found themselves worlds apart before they could even catch their breaths.

"Hey, stranger!" a voice calls out to him, stopping him from walking past the nurses' station. "Where you headed?"

"To see Elizabeth." he says sheepishly. "You going to stop me?"

"No." Robin walks out from behind the desk. "But I'd like to talk before you do."

Jason gestures for her to walk over to the waiting area and follows after.

"I haven't done this in a really long time, but I'm going to do it now." Robin says seriously. "What's going on with you?"

"Where do I start?" Jason counters, knowing that Robin's been there for his kids.

"Well, you can start with why you're going to see Elizabeth." Robin suggested. "And why you look like hell."

"I need to talk to Liz." Jason concedes. "And I look like hell because I just had a fight with Sam."

"I take it your run in with Cam had you confronting your wife?" Robin guessed. "Its about time."

"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Jason counters. "I've seen you enough times over the last few months."

"How was I supposed to know you didn't know?" Robin throws back. "Cameron said he took care of it and in case you've forgotten, we haven't exactly talked all that much in the last year."

"Right. Sorry." Jason sighs. "I know I've been absent from a lot of your lives over the last few years."

"Your children's the most." Robin agrees. "What are you going to do to change that?"

"I don't know." Jason sadly admits. "Which is why I have to talk to Elizabeth."

"Over my dead body." Jake snaps, making his presence known. "You're not getting anywhere near my mother."

"Jake." Robin stands up. "I understand how you feel, but that should be your mom's choice."

"Not when she's this weak." Jake counters, turning to Jason. "You're not family, so you don't have any rights. Until my mother's out of the hospital, stay away from her."

"Okay." Jason holds up his hands. "I'll wait."

"Jake, your mom's..." Emma walked over to them. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Jake speaks before anyone else. "What about my mom?"

"She's asking for you." Emma looks at him. "She said that she needed to talk to you about something."

"You coming?" Jake asks, turning his back on his father.

"I'll catch up." Emma assures. "I just need to talk to my mom."

With a nod, Jake walks off to find out what his mom wants.

"What's up?" Robin asks her daughter.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to Jason." Emma amends. "I just didn't want Jake to know."

"Okay." Robin walks hugs her daughter, kissing her forehead. "Dad and I will be heading home in a couple hours. Are you staying at Jake's tonight?"

"I think so." Emma wasn't too sure about that. "I'll call if anything."

"Love you." Robin smiles. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't." Emma promises. "Love you too!"

"Me and Patrick saved your life by healing you." Robin says to Jason. "Now, you have to save your own life by being the Jason we all know and love."

"Thank you." Jason shakes his head. "For everything you've done for my children and for Elizabeth."

"Just being a friend." Robin says before walking away.

Waiting for her mother to walk away, Emma turns to the man that looked a little confused by her wanting to talk to him. She knew that she had no right saying anything she was about to say, but she really cares about Jake and she was tired of seeing him so broken. As intimidated as she was of Jason, she knew that she had to be the one to help him bridge that gap. A gap that at this point is more like the grand canyon, but she'll overlook that.

"I know this is kind of weird and Jake just might kill me for even thinking about doing this." Emma took a deep breath. "But I have to and for his sake I truly hope you hear me."

"Would you like to sit?" Jason gestures to the chairs, following her once she sits down.

"Jake and I...we've been best friends since my mom and dad saved him when he was four." Emma says, smiling slightly. "So everything I'm about to say, I'm saying it because I truly care about him and I only want him to be happy and to let go of the anger."

"Say whatever you want." Jason encourages. "I won't mind."

"Okay. I don't know how else to put this, but you have got to be the worst dad I've ever met." Emma blurts out. "I mean, with Robyn you're great, but as far as Jake and Lily go...you're terrible."

"I know."

"I'm glad you know that because Jake...he loves you so much that it hurts." Emma explains. "It truly hurts and it doesn't help that Spencer rubs it in his face every chance he gets. Do you know that Jake has been arrested more than ten times because of Spencer?"

"No. I didn't know."

"Yeah...Spencer sure knows how to push his buttons." Emma shakes her head, trying to stay on point. "What I'm trying to tell you is that Jake...he feels like he's not worth anything to you. In his mind, he's the last thing in this world you care about. So as much as he loves you, he hates you just as much."

"Believe me, there's nothing I want to change more than that." Jason sighs, knowing that this was going to be a lot harder than he anticipated, which was hard enough.

"My mom says that he's almost exactly like you." Emma says softly. "If you really want to fix things with him...you should take that into consideration and build from it."

"I don't suppose you have any advice about Cameron and Lily?"

"Cam and I aren't that close, sorry." Emma stands up. "But with Lily...just be there. She loves you and all she wants is to understand."

"Thank you." Jason takes a deep breath. "For this and for being there for Jake when I wasn't."

"Your son has been the most amazing friend I've ever had." Emma confides. "He stood by me when everyone else turned their backs...I'm just trying to return to the favor."

A/N: Thanks for the reviews.

Let me know what you think.

Next Two Chapters: Jake/Elizabeth talk. Jason/Robyn talk. Jake/Emma talk. Jason/Elizabeth talk. Jason/Lily talk. Lily/Cameron/Jake talk.

-ROCkER