Do not own General Hospital or any of the characters.

The Flame of Franco

A Gift of Comfort...

Sam looked up from her food tray in front of her at the sound of the door being open. She wondered who it could be now. She figured it would be another nurse coming to check up on her again but instead it was Spinelli. A small smile appeared on her face at this. It seemed like ages since she had seen her partner in crime. The last time they had spoken was the night that she was kidnapped. She asked Spinelli to tell Jason to come over to her apartment. That seemed like that had happened months ago but really it had only been a week or so, since.

"Greetings, Fair Samantha," spoke the Jackal softly towards her. He stood at the edge of the room, his back pressed up against the door. He was afraid to come closer.

"Hi," whispered back Sam, titling her head slightly to the side as she appeared at Spinelli's face. He was looking everywhere but her eyes it seemed. He was scared of her. He knew too, she thought to herself. He had seen the tape. Tears filled her eyes as Franco's face suddenly filled the back of her mind but she quickly blinked them away. Crying would get her nowhere. If she want Spinelli to joke and be himself, around her then she would have to get over it. Shaking her head, she looked away from the hacker for a second before looking back at him and motioning to the empty seat beside the bed. "Take a seat, take a load off, stay awhile," she teased lightly towards him. She was doing the same thing she had done with her sisters, putting on a brave face, pretending everyting was okay.

Spinelli snapped out of whatever funk he was in earlier and finally appeared into Sam's eyes. He smiled slightly at her. "I am sorry Fair Samantha," he whispered as he came towards the side of the bed and fell into the seat. He paused for a brief second, choosing his words carefully before continuing on, however he was cut off by Sam, who held up a hand to silence him. She didn't want to have to hear his apologizes. It wasn't his fault she was like this in the hospital. She closed her eyes and shook her head sadly at him.

"It's not your fault," she whispered as she opened her eyes and looked at him before turning her head to the side. She didn't want him to see her cry.

Spinelli just sat there frozen. He wasn't sure what to do. Sam was always strong to him. This was a different side to her that he wasn't use to seeing. Reaching out slowly, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze; letting her know that he was here for her. They sat like this for quite some time with Sam sobbing silently and Spinelli just holding her hand in comfort. There wasn't much else one to do in this situation. Spinelli could not fix Sam's wounds. There was no wedsite or government site he could hack into to fix this. Her pain wasn't something that couldn't be fixed with the typing of a keyboard. She needed months worth of therapy and time to lessen the pain that she was experiencing now.

"Sorry Spinelli," mumbled Sam sadly as she whipped away the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and looked slowly up at Spinelli.

It was Spinelli's time to shake his head. She didn't have to apologize to him. It should be Franco who should be apologizing. A silence then fell like a blanket over them once again for a moment before Spinelli realized that he had a present for Sam.

"I brought you something," he spoke as he let go of Sam's hand and reached over to the gift bag that lay at his feet.

"Spinelli," interrupted Sam, looking at her co-worker. She didn't need gifts. She hadn't done anything to deserve them. She didn't want anyone's pity.

"Please, just let the Jackal show you what he got you. He knows how Fair Samantha feels about gifts, especially when she is in the hospital. But this is not flowers that wilt away over time or anything of that manner. It is just a little object of comfort," he looked up at Sam, seeing if she would cry at him again but instead she just stared back at him, waiting. It was then he handed over to her the gift bag.

Sam reached out slowly and took it from him. She was a little afraid at what it might be. Of what Spinelli had possibly had bought her. Tears filled her eyes once again as she reached into the bag and her fingers brushed against something soft. Pulling the object out, she couldn't help but smile a little. Spinelli had bought her a teddy bear. She kinda felt like she was four or something, but it was better than flowers, she thought to herself. She hugged the bear to her chest, tears flowing down her cheeks.

The gift was a gesture that someone had never given her before, comfort. She had been hugged and sent flowers from an unknown visitor and told everything was going to be all right as her hand was held and squeezed. But this was different. This was not saying that she was going to get better soon because she knew that she wasn't. She has been in this position before; the pain never really went away. You just got better at convincing yourself and others that it had left when really it still lingered under your skin. This fluffy brown teddy bear that Spinelli had given her was a gift of comfort. Something she could hug and punch and cry into without being a shamed when looking into the pitied eyes of others. Plus she had never really received a teddy bear as a gift either. Not even when she was a kid. Her dad had never been like that. The only stuff animal that she could remember having as a kid was a old stuffed elephant that she had found abandoned in a playground when she was 7. Not caring who it belonged too; she had stolen it, taking it back to her father's boat. That elephant had been her only friend growing up. She had named it Gavin. She had kept it up until she had left her father at the age of sixteen. There had been no room in the duffle bag she had taken with her for him.

Burrying her face into the soft plush fur of the bear, she hugged it tighter to her chest. A wave of emotion rocked through her body that she could not stop.

Spinelli was a little taken back by Sam's reaction at his gift. He had not expected her to act so strongly towards it. Not sure what really to do, he leaned over the side of the bed and touched Sam gently on the knee.

Looking up at him at this, a sadden smile appeared on her face. She laughed at herself and the big baby she had become. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Spinelli as she let go of her hold on the bear and held open her arms towards Spinelli. Standing slowly, Spinelli leaned down and hugged Sam back, being careful of her wounds.

The hug lasted for a few moments before they broke apart. "The Jackal will leave Faire Samantha to be for now," began Spinelli as he straightened his back and looked on at Sam.

"Your leaving?" she asked a little shocked and hurt. He had not been there five minutes or so it seemed.

"Oh, I am sorry to hurt the Faire one but it is just that Stone Cold awaits outside to see his beloved," explained Spinelli quickly.

"Jason's here?"

"Yes he is. Stone Cold and The Jackal came together! I shall go get him for you," spoke Spinelli has he moved suddenly away from the bed and towards the door.

"SPINELLI WAIT!" cried out Sam just as the hacker reached out and grasped the door knob.

Spinelli turned at this and looked back at Sam with concern.

"Thank you for the gift!" she spoke quietly, a slight smile appearing on her face at him.

"Fair Samantha, you are very welcome!" replied Spinelli back, returning the smile as he did a little bow. Making Sam's smile a little broader.

They held each other's gaze for a second longer before Spinelli told Sam that he would be back later and left the room.

She was only left alone for a moment before the door opened again and Jason appeared. Sam locked eyes with him and gave him a small smile. She was happy to see him. But she knew by looking at his eyes that he was going through hell at the moment. He wore the same expression he always wore when she was in the hospital and he was blaming himself for it.

She knew that he was feeling guilty about not killing Franco earlier when he had first come to town like Sonny had wanted him too. If he had, then none of this would had happened. He stood there for a long time it seemed; just looking at her with those deep blue eyes.

Not being to take the silence any longer between them, Sam spoke in her horsed whisper, "Spinelli got me a teddy bear,"

Jason nodded his head in reply at this before moving slightly towards the bed. "I brought you something too," he replied gesturing to the duffel bag he held.

Sam raised an eyebrow slightly at this. Jason had never gotten her anything before when she was in the hospital.

"It's not a gift of any sort. It's just a few clothes and such like that. I know being in the hospital is not your favourite place to be and I just want you to be comfortable. So I thought bringing you some stuff from the Penthouse would help," he rambled on at he looked awkwardly down at his feet before looking back up at Sam and placed the duffel bag gently down on the bed.

Her eyes glistened with tears at this. That had been the most thoughtful and sweet thing someone had ever really done for her, she thought to herself. "What did you bring me?" she asked as her eyes continued to look at him.

Taking a seat beside the bed, Jason reached out for the bag and opened it. He had only brought some of the stuff that she had laying around at the penthouse. He hadn't had the courage to go to her apartment. The last time he had been there was since that night when he had arrived there to find that she wasn't there. He hadn't had the heart to step inside and relive his nightmare all over again. So instead he had stuck to his own home. "Your robe," he pulled out a blue flannel robe and gently placed it against Sam's knee. "A few long sleeve shirts, your toothbrush, a sweatshirt, those purple sweatpants you are always wearing, and other things," he continued on as he closed the duffel bag and placed it on the floor before looking back up at Sam.

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching out and taking his hand.

"I just wanted to do something for you, Sam. I let you down and I know bringing you clothes is not making up for it. But it was the only thing I could think of," he explained gently to her, trying to keep his voice steady.

Knowing where Jason was going with this, Sam shook her head from side to side. "Jason, please," she whispered. Her eyes begging with him not to go on; what was done was done. They couldn't change the past. "Please," she was tired of talking about it. She didn't want his pity.

Jason studied her for a brief second before letting out a deep sighing and nodding his head in reply. He knew that Sam just needed him to be there for her at this moment.

"Thank you," she mouthed at him as she squeezed his hand and looked deep into his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked leaning in towards her.

"I don't know," she answered honestly to him, putting down her shield and letting him see her vulnerability that she had been hiding from everyone else. Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I don't fucking know," whispered harshly. She didn't know how she was feeling or what she should be feeling really. And this made her mad. She hated not knowing.

"Hey," whispered Jason to her as he gently pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her. "We are going to get through this."

Okay So I hoped you enjoyed. More will be coming soon!

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