Do not own General Hospital or any of the characters.

The Flame of Franco

Anger

Jason was worried about Sam. It was the next morning since Sam had confronted Kristina at the Metro Court and she was still in her dark place. He had tried to get her to talk about what she was feeling. But she didn't want too. At least not with him. Sam was not only sad but she was angry. Angry for what Ethan had done to her little sister. Angry for not seeing this coming. Angry for what Franco had done to her. Angry for any man who had ever beaten a woman.

Sam had confronted the bastard about what he had done to her, but he had denied hurting her. He had told Sam that he had not man handled Kristina in anyway. She did not believe him. She saw the marks on her little sister's arm. And if Krissy said that Ethan did it, she believed her. She had thought that Ethan had agreed with her that he should stay away from Kristina. Sure she made some stupid mistakes but he was the adult here, he should know better. Anger coursed through her body as she suddenly threw the empty coffee mug she had been holding against the wall.

Jason looked up suddenly from the newspaper he had been reading on the couch, and over to where she was seated at the dinning room table. His blue eyes filled with worry as he watched Sam stand up and make her way upstairs, not bothering to clean up the mess on the floor. She was being destructive and he didn't like it. He hated that she had confronted Ethan on her own. She had gone to the Haunted Star later on, on her own after arriving home. She had waited for him to go to bed before slipping out the door. He knew that Sam wanted to protect her little sister. He got that. But he didn't want her doing it at the expense of her own health. She was still not over what Franco had done to her. and he was afraid he was taking her anger out on Ethan. Sam was a fighter. He was afraid that her anger would get her in much worse trouble. If Ethan isn't afraid to take advantage of a teenage girl, then he wouldn't think twice about doing it too a woman either. He had awoken to her coming home in tears. She had told him what had happened. The bastard had admitted to what he did in few words. That he had basically told Sam that Kristina had deserved what she had gotten. He had not been happy for what she had done but did not punish her. He knew she just needed his support at the moment.

Placing the newspaper down on the coffee table, Jason stood up and made his way into the kitchen. He had emerged a few moments later with the broom and dustpan. He then began to clean up the broken mug. Just then Sam's phone vibrated against the table in front of him. Glancing down at the caller display, he noted that Alexis was calling. Not bothering to get Sam, Jason answered it himself.

"Hello?" he spoke into the phone.

"Jason?" asked Alexis in confusion at hearing his voice, "Where's Sam?"

"She is sleeping," lied Jason as he moved back into the kitchen to dispose of the broken mug.

"Oh well, can you wake her. It's important," spoke Alexis in a quiet voice. She sounded like she was crying, he noted.

"Alexis, is everything all right?" he asked, as he got ride of the broken pieces and put the broom back in the corner.

"No, it's not," confessed Alexis, her voice strong with emotion. "It's...Kristina...She's been hurt!" She spoke these last words slowly. She could not believe what had happened to her little girl. "Please tell Sam to come to the hospital!" She then quickly hung up before breaking down.

Jason stared at the phone in puzzlement for a second, before moving back into the living room. He wasn't sure if Alexis was talking about what had happened last night with Ethan or if something worse had happened since last seeing her. Frowning, he placed Sam's phone on the table again, before making his way upstairs to tell Sam. He guessed they were heading to the hospital.

Sam didn't say much as they drove to the hospital or they waited for the nurse to tell them where Kristina's room was. He didn't know what she was thinking but he knew it wasn't good. After he had told her what Alexis had told him, she had swore loudly, cursing Ethan's name. As they rode up the elevator together to the seventh floor, Jason tried to reach out for her hand. But she quickly moved it out of her gasp. She didn't wanted to be comforted. She just wanted to see her little sister.

"I will be out here," he stated to her. They were standing in the hallway, just outside of Kristina's room.

Sam looked up at him and nodded her head in reply, before turning towards Alexis, who was holding open the door to her. The older woman looked exhausted. She hadn't slept at all that night. She was emotionally overwhelmed by what had taken place. Seeing her older daughter, she quickly pulled her into a hug as she approached her. Now two of her babies had been beaten. Sam held back her tears as she hugged her mother back. She needed to remain strong, not only for her sister but her mother as well.

Jason then watched as the two women disappeared into the darken room, leaving him. Letting out a sigh, he went in search of coffee. He knew that Sam wouldn't be leaving her sister's side any time soon.

Sam's eyes immediately filled with tears as she took in the sight of her little sister. Her face was swollen and covered in bruises. Her left eye was swollen and puffy. She looked so young lying there. So small surrounded by the machines in the room. "Oh Krissy," mumbled Sam as she approached the bed. "Who did this?" she asked, as she took in the dark bruise on her sister's face. Sam didn't need to ask, she already knew the answer to the question.

"Ethan," whispered Alexis, her voice was low but harsh. Never before had she hated someone as much as she hated that boy at that moment.

The room was quiet for a second as they watched the rise and fall of Kristina's chest. The teenager was asleep at the moment. Alexis then began to tell Sam how Ethan had been the one to bring Kristina to the hospital. They had arrived just after midnight. Alexis and Sonny had arrived soon afterwards, getting the phone call from the hospital. The night had been a blur of activity as the police arrived to take her statement and her confession of who had done this.

"So let me get this straight," spoke Sam, trying to keep her anger at bay, "That bastard beat the crap out of her and then decided to help her. That's just morbid."

Alexis just nodded her head in agreement. It did not make any sense to her either, that Ethan would beat her up and then drive her to the hospital, playing the hero.

"I should have never left her alone," mumbled Sam, thinking out loud to herself. She should had never left her alone at the lake house. She should have take her back to the Penthouse with her and Jason. or at least stayed with her sister until Alexis had come home. If she had then this would had never happened. That that bastard would had never come back, finishing her off.

"What do you mean?" asked Alexis with curiosity towards her eldest daughter. Sam looked up at her mother at this.

"I saw Kristina last night, at the Metro Court," she explained slowly, "Jason and I where out on a date. I saw her at the bar, she was upset. There were bruises on her arm. I asked her where she got them. She had told me that Ethan had given them too her." She spared her mother the details of how Kristina had dress up and had tried to ruin Ethan date. She didn't want to upset Alexis anymore then she already was. "He had been upset with her over something. Kristina then had left with me and Jason. We drove her home. I should had never left!"

"He had gotten mad at me and wanted me to leave," murmured Kristina softly. She was awake now. Both Alexis and Sam looked over at Kristina with surprise. They had thought she was asleep. "So he had grabbed my arm," she added looking over at her mother. She nodded her head sadly.

A wave of anger crossed Alexis's face at this. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, "So he manhandled you in public and then takes you home and beats you up. Before dropping you off at the hospital?" she asked openly into the room. Kristina just looked away at this. "What's he trying to do, look like a good guy?"

"Well, I talked to him after dropping Kristina off," admitted Sam, looking over at Kristina, who was looking at her wide eyed.

"You did? What did he say?" she asked, her voice rising a little, panic flashing through her eyes.

"He just threw a lot of attitude. And didn't have a lot of remorse for what he had done," she looked between her sister and her mother. "I was pretty pissed off I got to say," she added, thinking back to how she wanted to kick his ass. "I had told him not to come near you again. I didn't think he would have taken it this far..." her voice trailed off as a wave of guilt spread through her. "I'm so sorry Krissy," she whispered reaching out and taking her sister's hand. There were tears in her eyes. She blamed her self. She had thought she had been helping by telling Ethan off for laying a hand on her sister.

Kristina squeezed her sister's hand back. "Oh no it's not your fault Sam," she whispered looking up at her, "It's mine."

"No, don't say that!" cried Alexis at her daughter. "It is not your fault!"

"I shouldn't have made him anger," whispered Kristina, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"It is NOT your fault!" stated Alexis again at her daughter. "You didn't do anything wrong! This is all on Ethan!" Kristina didn't say any thing else at this. She just looked over at her mother, before breaking down into sobs.

After getting Kristina to calm down and go back to sleep, Alexis and Sam retired back to the hallway. "Does Molly know?" asked Sam to her mother as she closed the door behind her.

"Yes, she was here just before you came. I sent her off to school though," replied Alexis as she pulled her hair off of her face and into a ponytail.

"You need to get some sleep," spoke Sam, reaching out and touching Alexis on the shoulder. She locked eyes with her.

"I can't leave her," whispered Alexis sadly. She never wanted to leave her little girl again. Her brown eyes filled with tears as the night events replayed in her mind. Reaching out, Sam pulled her mother into a comforting hug. There was nothing she could say or do to change what had happened. The only thing she could do was be there for her mother and her sister.

"Hi," whispered Jason towards Sam as she approached him. He was seated in the waiting room, not too far away from Kristina's room.

"Hi," whispered back Sam, taking the seat beside him. Neither said anything for a moment, before Jason took her hand. This time she let him.

"How is she?" he asked gazing at her with concern. She was not looking at him but into the distance. Her thoughts far away.

"She is...,"she couldn't finish the sentence. She didn't know how to describe how her sister was. He had ruined her. That bastard had taken away the bright, smart, beautiful girl that had been her little sister. "He beat the crap out of her!" Just then a wave of emotion came over her. She could no longer hold back the tears that she had been holding back. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her to his chest. He hated to see her like this.

While she had been visiting her sister, Jason had talked to Sonny. Sonny had been furious at what Ethan had done to his daughter and was seeing red. He had told Jason how he had almost killed himself with his bare hands after Kristina had told him who had hit her. But Lucky had been one step ahead of the mobster and had Dante stopped him. Now Sonny wanted Jason to kill the bastard in his cell that night. But at that moment, he wasn't thinking about the best way to kill him. All he was thinking about was Sam and how this would effect her recovery. He was afraid she would retrieve even further into her dark place.

More to come soon! Thanks for reading and please review!