Do not own General Hospital or any of the characters.

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The Flame of Franco

Visits

"This isn't a good time," spoke Jason with coldness towards Johnny Zacchara who was standing at his door. It was night now. Sam and Jason had just gotten back from the hospital. Sam was upstairs taking a bath. He didn't have time to deal with Johnny.

"No, no this isn't about Sonny," replied Johnny quickly as he walked passed Jason into the Penthouse, "It's about Ethan." The young mobster turned around and met Jason's eye, who was staring back at him in utter surprise.

"What about him?" he asked as he closed the front door and came to stand in front of Johnny.

"I'm sure you have heard by now that he has been arrested for attacking Sonny's daughter," explained Johnny. He was determined to clear Ethan's name. And he knew he had to act quickly before it was too late. "I don't think he did it!"

Jason's blue eyes stared at the mobster for a moment, processing what he had just heard. His brows were fused together as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. He was giving Johnny the one over. Debating if he could trust him or not. "Why not?" he asked coldly, finally deciding to hear the mobster out.

"I saw him at the PCPD. He was swearing up and down that he didn't do it. He told me that no one believed him. He begged me to find Luke," explained Johnny, determined to convince Jason. He knew that the guy had probably gotten the order from Sonny already to go and kill Ethan. He needed to clear his friend's name. He tried looking into Jason's face to get some sort of answer, however he stared at him blankly. His face was as cold as stone.

"Why would Kristina lie?" asked Jason, as he walked passed Johnny, moving to stand beside the fire place.

"Kristina ran my sister off the road," replied Johnny, not missing a beat. He turned to look at Jason. "She lied about it for weeks. Look Jason this isn't about me wanting to get revenge on everyone who hurt Claudia!" The two mobster stared down at one another at this. Johnny took a step towards Jason, closing him the space between them. "I just wanted to make sure you could trust what Kristina says. "

Jason had his arms crossed over his chest, standing his ground as he continued to look at Johnny. "Look by now, I'm sure Sonny has given you the order to kill Ethan. Don't do it!" he spoke, shaking his head. "Not until your hundred percent certain. It's better to be sure then to find out too late that you were wrong." As he spoke these words, a feeling of doubt appeared in Jason's gut. He wonder if what Johnny was saying was true? Could he trust that Ethan didn't do it? And with that, Johnny said goodbye to the mobster, leaving him to ponder what he had told him.

Was Kristina lying? Was she trying to protect her real attacker by lying and saying that Ethan had been the one to hit her? These thoughts raced through Jason's mind as he turned and walked over to the window, staring out onto the dark night sky. Letting out a deep sigh, he rested his forehead against the cold glass of the window. He had yet another thing to think and worry about.

A few hours later, Jason went upstairs to join Sam in bed. Stripping off his t-shirt and jeans, he slid underneath the covers. Turning onto his side, he pulled Sam to him, kissing the back of her neck.

"Hi," she mumbled into the pillow at him.

"Hi," he whispered back, wrapping his arm slowly around her hip and resting his hand on her stomach. They didn't say anything else to one another as sleep fell over them. It had been a long day for both of them.

Sam was awoken a few hours later however from a bad dream. Her thoughts were filled with the past. Seeing her sister in the hospital had brought up all the pain and memories she had long ago buried deep inside. They had now surfaced and she could not get ride of them. Franco was now the least of her worries it seemed. Letting out a deep breath, she sat up slowly. She looked quickly over at Jason, who was still fast asleep. Leaning over, she kissed him softly on the cheek before getting out of bed. Heading into the bathroom, she quietly closed the door before turning on the light. Ignoring the mirror, she walked over to the shower and turned on the faucet. She then took a seat on the floor and let herself cry. All of her old pain and emotions coming up, like they were fresh again.

She thought about all the men who had hit her. The first had been her father. She had been eleven years old. She had stolen money from him. He had slapped her across the face. Threatening her he would do worth if she ever stole from him again. Of course she did, she just got better at covering her tracks. The next had been her second boyfriend. She had been sixteen. He had been older then her in a number of years. He was just a bad boy in general, a drug addict with control issues. After that she kind of just lost count. It seemed like any man she had fallen for or hung around abused her in some way either emotional, physical or both. There had been some good relationships in the mix. but for the most part, she was lousy when it came to men. That is until she met Jason. She couldn't count the number of times that she had laid in a hospital bed bruised and battered from the hand of a man.

Jason awoke the next morning to find Sam's side of the bed empty. This wasn't an unusual sight for him to wake up too. Most days now he woke up alone. However, he still wasn't use to it. Slowly sitting up in bed, he looked over to the window. The blinds were drawn, on the tiniest bit of sun peaking through. Letting out a deep sigh, he kicked the covers off and slide out of bed. Once dressed in his normal attire of dark wash jeans and black-shirt, he made his way down stairs. His heart broke up the spot at the sight of Sam seated on the chair, staring blankly into the flames of the fire. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. She was dressed still in what she had gone to bed in, a grey tank top and grey sweat pants. "Good Morning," he whispered coming up to her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Hi," she whispered back, looking up at him in a daze. She hadn't heard him come down the stairs.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked in concern as he knelt down beside the chair. There were dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted.

"Not much," she answered in all honesty. She was looking away from him and back into the fire place. Jason didn't question her any further at this. He just reached out and gave her hand a gently squeeze before standing up. "I'm going to get a coffee, do you want one?" he asked looking down at her.

She shook her head. She had two cups already. Coffee wasn't what she needed. Jason stood for a brief second just studying her before heading into the kitchen. He wished there was something more he could do for her. He hated how lost she was. He hated how she was withdrawing from him. He just wished he could take her in his arms and make everything better.

At little later in the afternoon, Sam headed back to the hospital to see her sister. She was bringing with her a care package of all Kristina's favourite things. She wanted her little sister to be comfortable as much as possible. She hated that something like this had happened to her. She knew what her sister was going through all too well.

"Hey," greeted Sam as she poked her face into Kristina's room. She smiled broadly at her. She knew she was putting on an act. But her fake ness was better then showing her little sister her true feelings. Kristina still didn't know about her past and especially the recent event with Franco. Sam had never wanted her sisters to know about her horrible past. Kristina knew a little but only the necessary information. She had shed them the pain of knowing what she had done in times of need. She didn't want them to become her in any way.

"Hey," whispered back Kristina, looking up at her sister and giving her a sad smile.

"How are you doing?" asked Sam as she came into the room. She knew there was no point in asking this question to her.

"How do you think I feel!" snapped Kristina suddenly at Sam. She was tired of everyone asking her how she was doing. Because honestly she was doing shitty. She felt ashamed. She hated being at the hospital. She just wanted to go home.

Sam was a little hurt by her little sister's attitude towards her. But tried not to take it personally. Kristina she knew was going through a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment. And had every right to be mad and upset over what had happened to her. "Okay, I'm sorry. That was a stupid question for me to ask," she apologized as she came around the bed and took a seat on the abandon chair by the bed. The room was silent for a moment as Kristina continued to look away from her sister.

"I brought you something," whispered Sam, holding up the gift bag in her hand for Kristina to see. The teen shifted her brown eyes onto the shiny gift bag. "It's not much, just a few of your favourite magazines and candy," she went on to explain as Kristina reached into the bag. Kristina was silent for a second, before looking up at her sister and thanking her. There were tears in her eyes. She was touched by her sister's gift.

Reaching out, Sam took her sister's hand and gave it a squeeze. "The first day after is always the worse," she murmured, thinking about her own experience and how on that first day the pain both emotionally and physically is as fresh as ever.

"Was that how it was for you?" asked Kristina, her brown eyes appearing into her sister's. "You told me you have been hurt like this before." She had been wanting to ask Sam what had happened to her years ago. Sam had told her briefly a few months ago about how she had fallen in love with the wrong man and how he had beaten her. Kristina sensed that there was more to her sister's past. She was curious to know how she got through it all.

Sam blinked at her sister. She knew that this question would come soon enough. She knew that her sister would want to hear step by step how she had gotten over it and become stronger. She just didn't think that her sister would like the answer. She was still healing herself. Sam nodded her head slowly in reply, "Yes I have, those were some of the darkest days of my life." She didn't know what else to tell her. She didn't want to spill all her secrets onto her. She didn't need to know about the mess that was her life before Port Charles. Kristina had her own problems to deal with, she didn't need her either.

"But I got through it and became stronger. And so will you!" she added, giving her a broad smile that she didn't really believe herself. But she really wanted to giver her sister hope that things would get better.

Kristina however still did not look convinced. She was still blaming a large portion on what had happened to her, on herself. She frowned slightly at her sister before asking her the question that had been bothering her the most. "But it's not all his fault right? It takes two. I did things that made him anger," she went on, looking at Sam for her consent on this.

"No Krissy, it doesn't!" cried Sam, outraged at what her sister was thinking. "This is not your fault! This is all on ETHAN! In no situations should a man ever EVER beat a woman!" There was anger in her eyes. She hated to hear that her sister blamed herself for what had happened. For what that bastard had done to her. In no way was this Kristina's fault. He should know better then not to beat little girls. Tears immediately filled her eyes as a quick memory flashed within her mind. She remembered asking herself the same question to a nurse when she had been around Kristina's age and in the same situation as she was in now. Shaking her head, she suddenly stood up. She needed to clear her head. "Excuse me," she whispered to Kristina before departing from the room. She didn't want her sister to see her freak out, like she felt like she was going too.

A million thoughts raced through her mind as she stepped out into the hallway. She found herself biting down on her lower lip, preventing herself from crying out as memories flooded before her eyes. She could remember the horror when she had first seen her reflection after each attack. The freshness of the bruises. The deep purple that tinted the swollen skin. She remembered the fear that coursed through her body after the first hit. Thinking and counting as more were thrown. The helplessness. The being overpowered by another. She was usually good at keeping her emotions at bay but everything was different now. She couldn't keep her thoughts from coming.

After a few moments had passed, Sam re-entered the room. She gave Kristina an apoligic smile as her sister looked on at her with a mixture concern and confusion. "Was it something I said?" she asked in a small voice.

"No Baby, it wasn't," she replied reassuring her sister that it wasn't her fault for her leaving. "Just had a phone call," she lied reaching into her pocket and producing her phone. She knew her cover up was lame but she didn't want to tell Krissy to know the truth. That from now on her dreams would be filled with the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

Kristina didn't look convinced at this. She had not heard any cell phone go off but didn't say anything. She didn't have the energy to argue with her older sister.

"But Krissy, you have to listen to me," explained Sam, as she took a seat once again beside of the bed. She was serious now. There was something she needed to get across to her little sister. "I know you are feeling guilty and ashamed right now, even know your the one lying here. You think you're the one to blame. But you're not! I know, I have been there. I been through a lot of shit and have taken the blame. But it's not right. You are the victim here, okay?"

Kristina was silence for once in her life it seemed as she looked on at her sister. "Okay," she whispered back, tears immediately filling her eyes. The two sister then hugged.

"You're going to get through this baby," whispered Sam into Kristina's ear. "We will get through it together!"

As Sam was at the hospital, Jason was visited by Alexis had the Penthouse. He had been surprised to see her when he opened the door. "Alexis?" he spoke as she stormed passed him and into the room. He was surprised that she was here. He assumed he would be at the hospital with Kristina.

"I came here to speak about my daughter," began to explain the older woman to him. Her brown eyes were burning with rage and fire. She was determined about something he noted as he closed the door and looked on at her. "But more about the animal that beat her up!" Alexis turned to face Jason. She didn't have much time, she had left Kristina while she was sleeping. She didn't want her waking up alone.

"I'm sure that Sonny has already given you orders to take out Ethan. But I need you to rethink them," explained the lawyer, her voice firm and determined as she locked eyes with him. Jason couldn't help but see a piece of Sam within the depth of her mother's eye. Something he had never noticed before. He had to hold back from smiling at the thought. "A part of me would love to see the bastard punished but you can't."

"I'm sorry to hear about Kristina," stated Jason towards Alexis. He knew where she was going but he couldn't just ignore Sonny's orders. Dropping his gaze, Jason cupped his hands together as he turned and walked around Alexis.

"Did you hear a word I said?" asked Alexis, taking a step towards him. She wasn't leaving without an answer.

"This isn't a good time Alexis. You're upset!" he stated, meeting her eye. She needed to understand that this wasn't her place to step. That he had no other choice but to do what Sonny had ordered him to do.

"Upset doesn't begin how I feel at this moment! My daughter is lying in the hospital, hurting because of him! I want him to pay for what he did as much as Sonny does. But Jason, you have to understand that if Ethan dies. Kristina will further blame herself then she already does!" stated Alexis, standing her ground like a protective mother bear of her young. Jason did not scare her one bite. "I'm warning you Jason, if Ethan dies, my daughter will not recover!"

And with this, she hit a nerve within him. His thoughts immediately going to Sam, who was still not recovered. And didn't know if she would ever would. Kristina was too young to fill that pain. And he knew that if Kristina didn't recover, Sam would further blame herself. As if reading his mind, Alexis spoke, "If you don't want to do this for me, please do it for Sam."

"I will see what I can do," replied Jason towards Alexis.

"I will need you to do better than that," stated Alexis at the mobster before leaving the Penthouse.

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