RED – Jason & Samantha

Inspirational Song: Buried Beneath – RED

Chapter 9

He whole body felt numb. Nothing about standing here in this moment felt real and he didn't want it to be. He hated wearing suits, he hated going to any sort of formal gathering, he hated the way he could see the pearl white coffin at the other end of the church every time the door swung open, he hated how everyone who entered looked back at him with pity, sadness, anger or a combination of the three. He knew the service would be starting soon, that he had to walk in those doors and listen as all their friends and family said good-bye to her, but he had to see if HE was going to have the nerve to show. After talking with Julian about the strange warning Nickolas had given him the same morning Sam had been murdered they agreed that nothing was to be said to anyone until they had proof. It had been him, Jason was sure of it, glancing down at Sam's small wedding band on his left-hand pinky he twisted it around his finger as he caught another glimpse of the coffin he knew she was lying in when Tracy and Dillion walked in the chapel briefly glancing back at him Tracy's face clearly displayed a look of disgust while Dillion's held something of understanding pity.

Dante had tried to talk him out of reading all the case details, even tried to deny giving him the folder that contained all the information they'd gathered thus far but Jason only had to ask him what if it had been Lulu for him to cave leaving him alone with the folder in the interrogation room. The total count of stab wounds or lacerations as the paperwork had worded it was 28, 10 of those had been on her hands and arms in an attempt to defend herself, 2 had been in her upper back area while she had most likely tried to get away from her attacker, 3 in her left collar bone area, 8 in her upper left chest area around her heart and 5 in her upper stomach just underneath her rib cage. The only leads they had been able to gather on who'd committed that crime was the deduction that her attacker had been a right-handed male who had been powerful enough to send the knife he'd used through some of her bones when he had delivered the blows.

The pictures had been something he had NOT been ready for, he had been there, he remembers holding her in his arms so he hadn't given a thought to what it would be like to see the collections of photos inside the vanilla envelope. Still looking over the images of her petite delicate body lying on the large steal morgue table documenting her bodies injuries had literally made him fall to his knees. It had been something that needed to be done, and regardless of how much pain it caused him it only fueled his determination all the more to make sure that Nickolas and the team he'd hired to kill his wife pay. The paperwork had confirmed what he had already suspected, with that many stab wounds the crime had been personal, it had more than just a message. Had it been another organization trying to get his or Julian's attention it would have been fewer lacerations, more efficient, get the job done and get out. What was worse was that the coroners' report stated that it had taken her more than 10 minutes to bleed out, ultimately the cause of death had been listed as affixation. The love of his life had drowned on her own blood and he couldn't keep from replaying all the different way she had suffered the last several minutes of her life inside his head.

"Jase they are going to be starting soon." Carly informed as she walked up to stand beside her best friend placing a loving hand on his back before looking down to his eyes were fixated on his hand, the glint of Sam's wedding band placed on his pinky had her full attention. Reaching over Carly pulled his hand towards her to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, Sam had told her a couple days after they'd found out Jason true identity that she'd still had her wedding band along with Jason's hidden together in a decoration that had once been in their room so she knew there was no way he had just ran across it, which meant he had to remembered where the bands had been placed. "Jason where did you get that?"

"In our room." Jason answered her simply as he continued to turn her ring around his finger his eyes never leaving the simple stand of small diamonds he still visually see sitting on her dainty finger inside his mind's eye. If there was one thing he knew about Carly it was that she was far from stupid and judging from the conviction in her voice she had already guessed that he had remembered something.

"How much have you remembered?" Carly questioned her voice slightly cracking as her eyes glazed over the realization of what his memories would mean to him now fully hitting her.

"Everything." He admitted in a near whisper as his eyes moved up to lock with Carly's who had moved her hand from holding his to cover her month in shock as she gasped. She was about to say something when movement at the church entrance caught his attention and he shifted his gaze to see Nickolas opening the heavy wooden door to let himself and Hayden inside. At the sight of that bastard Jason's rage was ignited and in the next second he had Nickolas by the throat slamming him against the outside door of the chapel.

"Jason stop!" Julian demanded as he took ahold of Jason's right side doing his best to pull the man off his betrothed's nephew with no avail, until thankfully he looked up to see Sonny running to grab his left side, Carly stepped in front Jason once they'd pulled him back far enough as Nickolas bent over holding his neck while gasping of much needed air.

"What the hell Jason?" Carly shouted as she placed her hands on his chest doing her best to try to get him to focus on her so that he could clam down.

"I know it was you." Jason all but yelled as he lunged forward again.

"Wow, looks like he finally lost what tiny portion was left of his mind." Nickolas chuckled darkly as he straightened up back to his full height, waiving off a concerned Hayden as she clung to his left arm.

"If I were you Cassadine I would go inside before we let go of him." Julian warned with venom while Sonny and Carly looked between them with questioning faces as they helped him hold Jason in place.

Clearing his throat Nickolas looked down as he put his tie and jacket back into place before taking ahold of the chapel door once again "Because today is my cousins funeral and you're the pathetic excuse of a man she happened to care about, I'm going to let this go. But the next time you come at me, I will press charges."

The next time I come at you, you won't be left alive to press charges Jason thought as he stopped struggling against the three people around him.

It wasn't until the door was firmly closed that Julian felt safe enough to let the man he'd helped restrain go. "I realize that he deserves to be beaten to death but we had an agreement Morgan, we need the proof first. As for today, today is about my daughter and my daughter alone we own her that. Not to mention Danny, your son needs you with him today not sitting in a cell at the P.C.P.D. I'll have them wait five more minutes so that you can get yourself together before coming in." he laid out for the younger man watching him as Jason angrily ran his hands through his hair while Julian attended to his suit making sure he was presentable. Giving Carly and Sonny a nod of acknowledgment he then made his way inside to take his seat with his family.

"I hate to agree with anything that man has to say but he's right Jason. Today needs to be about Sam and Danny. After all of this is over if you and I could talk I would really appreciate it." Sonny added clapping an understanding hand to back of the man he would always think of as his brother checking him over to make sure his fury had faded before softly kissing his wife's cheek and making his way into the church.

"Jase are you good." Carly asked even though she could clearly see he was anything but good, he was actually so upset that he was pacing, and Jason never paced. She jumped slightly at the glare he gave her when his turned to face her then walked in her direction.

"No. No Carly I am not good. I'm not okay. And unless you can rewind time so that I can make sure my wife isn't lying in coffin inside that chapel then NO there's nothing you can do." Jason snapped at her. Placing one hand on his waist as he used his other to rub the at the tension growing between his eyes, he knew none of this was Carly's fault and he should not be taking his anger for Nickolas or the grief of losing Sam out on her when she was only looking out for him.

"Jase…" Carly began only to be interrupted.

"I'm sorry… I keep thinking I am going to wake up from this nightmare or that this is all some sort of sick joke. Logically I know she's gone, I held her body in my arms for Christ sakes… but it's like I can still feel her." Jason paused to swallow as Carly whipped away the tears that had fallen from her cheeks.

"The couple times I've been able to fall asleep in the past few days, when I wake up before I open my eyes, I swear I can still feel her lying next to me but she's never there when I open them to look at her." Jason breath catching as he caught sight of the small band around his finger after running his hand down his face. "I don't want to walk in there Carly, I don't want to say good-bye, I don't want this to be real."

Carly pulled him into her embrace before she spoke "None of us do Jase. There isn't one person inside that church who doesn't wish that we weren't here today." Taking a step back she pulled away keeping her hands on his upper arms as she continued. "We all loved Sam and that is exactly why you are going to walk with me through those doors because Sam should be remember for who she was, not the way her life was taken."

Doing his best to keep from completely breaking down right there in the courtyard Jason took a deep breath and silently nodded in agreement with his best friend before taking the hand she was offering him and walking inside.

"So it wasn't a dream, you're really here." Sam stated with a chuckle in her voice as she walked out the restroom to find one Lucky Spencer standing at the foot of the bed she's woken up in only a few minutes ago.

"Yep, turns out I'm a real boy." Lucky joked as he made his way over to her wrapping her in his arms for a bear hug, her tiny body completely engulfed by his. He had always thought of her as a little firecracker, small package filled with an explosive passion for life. There was nothing she couldn't do and he had always regretted doubting that when they had been together, ironically the only reason the doubt had ever crossed his mind to begin with is simply because he had been so terrified of losing her.

"It's been a long time so it's good to see you and all but where the hell are we?" Sam laughed as she hugged him back. She wasn't lying, it was nice to see him. If she was being honest she missed him in her life on a daily basis, it had always been so easy to talk to him, he had been the only other person in her life who'd was able to bring out the more playful side if her other than her son and brother, her Danny's. This certainly wasn't the first time she wished they hadn't become so distant after their relationship had ended. They had been friends before they had ended and had agreed to remain friends but when protecting the others, they loved around them seem to become more important than their own wants and needs they'd stopped being a part of each other's lives. So, when Lucky did his disappearing act Sam had to confess she'd been more than just a little upset with him for just vanishing so completely. Still she knew she couldn't lay all the blame on him; because she just like Lucky is guilty of putting her life on the back burner for her family and friends… especially Jason.

"Well the best Nickolas, Ethan, and I can figure is that we are somewhat near Cassadine Island." He answered vaguely as he reached up to rub the back of his neck, his eyes never leaving hers. Already she was questioning everything, she hadn't changed a bit he thought as he smiled down at her.

"Nickolas and Ethan are here too?" She puzzled out loud as her nose wrinkled in confusion as to what the purpose could be for her to be thrown into a place with Lucky and his brothers.

"Among a few other yeah." He responded doing his best to be allusive with his answers knowing that she would think he had gone crazy if he'd actually listed their names.

"Who else is here?" she retorted quickly intrigue now written in her face as well.

"That question is easer answered when you see them, trust me on this one." Lucky again replied somewhat cryptically. Although Sam was smart and he didn't doubt she was going to be able to help them connect all the dots once she'd been filled in with all the information they'd had gathered thus far, he remembers what it had been like when Nickolas had listed off the islands current occupants and he hadn't truly believed it until he'd seem them with his own eyes.

"Okay…. Then answer me this, why exactly are we here? Where ever here is." Sam tried again to get some sort of actual information.

"That my dear is something I am hoping you PI skills will help us in figuring out." He chuckled happily as he threw an arm around her shoulder guiding them towards her bedroom door.

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you again for all the amazing reviews. I cannot express how much I love reading all of your thoughts, predictions and requests for this story. So, for the first time I am going to pose a question to all of you, WHO else do you think/or want to be on the island with Sam, Lucky, Ethan and Nickolas. Also, a lot of question are going to be answered in the next chapter so please note that is maybe a week or two before I am able to post it, as I need to be certain it is written just right in order to set you all up for the actual ark of the story. Oh and one more question; Has anyone been listening to the music that I have used to inspire each chapter and what do you think of it?