A/N: Yay! Thank you so much for the fantastic reviews! It helps so much to hear what you're thinking. Totally motivated me so keep them coming. And I have to give a shout out to the best beta I've ever known! Jasameyespeak has helped me SO much during these first chapters. The story would not be coming together without her help. Thanks love!

Okay you guys, we finally get to meet John Doe and see what he's thinking. Happy reading!

Jen

buttercup0303

Chapter 5

It was her, he thought when he heard her voice, dragging his eyes from the perfect little face of the blonde boy holding his hand to the stunning brunette standing in the doorway.

His eyes locked on her, drinking in her features, trying desperately to place a name to the face but he couldn't. He had to know her. There was no other explanation for the way her mere presence sent his heart beating a mile a minute. The way it felt as if a part of him that had been missing was found the moment she stepped through the door.

She stood there frozen until the tall man behind her gently moved her to the side so he could approach him.

"Welcome back. My name is Dr. Patrick Drake. I'm one of the doctors who operated on you a few weeks ago. Danny, come here buddy, go to your mom." Patrick dropped to his haunches and tried to move Danny but Danny balked.

John Doe's piercing blue eyes finally shifted from the beautiful woman back to the little boy who was struggling to stay beside him and his grip unconsciously tightened on him.

"Don't." He said, his voice hoarse from disuse. Patrick raised a brow in surprise and nodded.

Sam had hurried forward when Danny refused to move but froze when John Doe spoke. His voice…She glanced between him and Danny, wondering why Danny wouldn't leave him. She approached slowly and crouched down beside Danny.

"Hey buddy, what's going on? Why won't you let go of this man's hand?"

Danny, still holding on to the stranger's hand, turned to his mother and beamed.

"He's my friend."

Sam let out a startled laugh and nodded.

"Okay. He's my friend too. But he needs to rest, baby. Let's go outside so Patrick can check him out okay?"

Danny's face set in mutinous lines.

"No, Mommy!"

Sam opened her mouth to speak but stopped when another voice filled the air.

"Please. He's fine."

Sam looked up and her gaze met John Doe's eyes. God, those eyes, she thought. The clear, beautiful blue of his irises sent her pulse racing.

She nodded stiltedly. "O-okay. Sure."

She stood up and left her hands on Danny's shoulders and looked at Patrick, at a loss. Having watched that little scenario, Patrick was surer than ever that there was something brewing here, but couldn't figure out what.

Patrick started his examination of John Doe, checking his vitals and testing his responses. He started his neurological exam next. Patrick spoke as he performed his exam.

"Do you know what happened to you?"

John Doe shook his head, his eyes staying locked on Sam's face.

"No. Tell me."

Sam glanced quickly at Patrick, who nodded. Taking a deep breath, Sam turned back to John Doe.

"You were in a hit and run. I found you lying in the middle of the road. I, uh, stayed with you and called 911."

"And she's been with you ever since, visiting you every day." Patrick added with a soft smile at Sam.

Sam blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably, looking away. John Doe's eyes remained steady on her face.

"Don't give up. Just stay with me and I promise I'll stay with you and help you through this." Her voice echoed in his head.

"I heard you talking to me."

Sam glanced up at him in surprise. While they were talking, a burly orderly entered the room and discreetly put away supplies.

"You did?"

He didn't answer, only studied her face. Her face was so expressive, her emotions all over her face to read. He could tell she was embarrassed by the attention and discomforted by his stare.

"You, um, you didn't have any ID on you when I found you. We didn't know what to call you, so we've been calling you John Doe. But now you can tell us what your name is." Sam said brightly, trying to shift the attention away from her.

He stared at her, his breathing suddenly coming in fast. What was his name? Who was he? Why couldn't he remember anything? Panic began to set in as his eyes flicked back up to hers, wide and alarmed.

"I-I don't know. I don't remember." He said hoarsely, staring at her. Sam's eyes widened and she stepped forward, her hand covering the one Danny still held in his grip.

"Do you know me?" He asked, desperate for answers. Those hopes were dashed when she shook her head quickly.

"No, I don't. I mean, I don't think so."

Patrick stepped forward.

"Mr. Doe, when you were hit by the car, you suffered very serious injuries, including severe facial trauma and head trauma. You required extensive facial reconstruction, and though the surgeon did his best to use your bone structure to make your appearance close to what it was before, there really is no way to know what that was."

John Doe stared at him, breathing harshly. He slowly pulled his bandaged hand from Danny and Sam's hold and reached up to touch his face but met only bandages. He lifted his head slightly and glanced down at his body, his eyes growing wider.

His left arm was in a cast, as was his right leg. His torso was also heavily bandaged, and it was at that moment that he realized how close he had come to dying.

Suddenly, his heart rate picked up and the monitors started going off.

"Who am I? What happened to me?" He shouted, trying to sit up but falling back in pain. Patrick rushed forward, trying to calm him down. Moving quickly, Sam scooped up Danny and took him outside the room, not wanting him to see that. The orderly stood by ready to help if needed.

"Mr. Doe, I need you to calm down. Nurse, bring me .2mg of Diazepam.

Monica moved down the corridor when suddenly she felt a lurch in her heart and stumbled to a halt outside of a patient's room. Why did she feel like she needed to be in that room? Who was in there?

Before she could take another step, Sam rushed out of the room with Danny in her arms.

"Sam, what's going on?" Monica asked, rushing over. Sam looked at Monica in relief.

"Please, take Danny. I have to try to help him." Monica pulled Danny into her arms and Sam ran back into the room. Monica stared after her for a moment, before focusing on Danny. That was it. She must have known somehow her precious grandson was nearby, she told herself, staring down at the little boy who owned her heart.

Sam stopped in the doorway, watching Patrick try to calm his patient.

"No! No drugs!" John Doe barked, writhing in pain.

Sam rushed over.

"John, please stop. You have to calm down." Sam said urgently, bending close to his face. His eyes locked onto hers.

"That's...not..." He gritted out through the pain, unable to finish. Sam nodded quickly, understanding immediately.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Just breathe, please. You're recovering from major surgery and I don't want you to set your recovery back. Please, J-please. Just concentrate on my face, on my voice, my hand holding yours. You're okay. You're scared and you're angry and frustrated and I'm sure there are a whole lot of other feelings in there too. And that's totally normal. But please, just lay back and calm down. Please. Breathe with me." She pleaded, trying desperately to calm him. She inhaled deeply, and let her breath out slowly. He stared at her for a moment, before inhaling deeply, and then exhaling, matching his breathing to hers.

Patrick's brows raised when John Doe's vitals starting leveling out as he lay back and took slow, deep breaths along with Sam. As the nurse ran into the room with the sedative, Patrick held a hand up and shook his head.

"That won't be necessary anymore, Sabrina." Patrick added. Sabrina nodded and with a curious glance at Sam and the patient, she left the room. The orderly slipped out behind her.

Sam didn't realize the picture she made. But when Sabrina had looked at Sam and the man in the bed, Sam was leaning over him, her face inches from his, his hand held against her chest as they gazed into each other's eyes, taking calming breaths.

Sabrina didn't know what there was between them, but it had been the most romantic, tender scene she had ever witnessed. She hurried off to tell Felix what she'd seen, practically running.

"I'm okay." John Doe said softly, staring at Sam. Sam nodded and suddenly realizing how close she was to him, she stepped back. She would have released his hand but he held onto her. With a small smile, she left her hand in his.

"So you don't want to be called John Doe. Are there any names that stand out in your mind that might be yours?"

John Doe closed his eyes, focusing. But there was nothing there. It was like his mind was covered in fog, and his memories were lost in the dark mist. Suddenly, his own voice echoed in his head.

"Sam."

Sam looked up at him in surprise. "Sam? My name? Did you remember something? Did we know each other?"

He looked up at her, shaking his head slowly.

"No. But that name popped into my head. I don't know how I know, but I know it's important."

Sam glanced at Patrick who shrugged.

"It's possible you're just remembering Sam telling you her name and talking to you immediately after the accident." Patrick watched Sam and John Doe carefully. Was it something more than that though? He'd never seen Sam have such intense connection to someone before…except with Jason.

John Doe nodded slowly, disappointment clouding his eyes.

"Then I don't know. I...wait…" He paused as a woman's distorted voice echoed in his head.

We're gonna be a family, Jase.

"Jace. I...I think my name is Jace."

Sam let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, going a bit pale as she stared at...Jace.

Patrick nodded and entered some information into his chart.

"Alright, Jace it is. Until you remember your name, we're going to have to put you in as Jace Doe. Is that alright?"

Jace shook his head.

"No. I just...calling myself Doe makes me feel like I'm giving up on remembering. And I'll never do that." Jace vowed quietly.

"What about Smith? It's common, but it's better than Doe." Sam suggested hesitantly, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that she was missing something vital but unable to.

Jace looked up at her and nodded.

"Okay, we'll go with Jace Smith for now. I need to finish my examination now."

Sam slowly pulled her hand from Jace's grip.

"I'll leave you too it. I came with my sister…and…I need to get my son home." Needing distance, Sam stepped back. With a final look at Jace, she turned and walked towards the door.

"Sam?"

At the sound of Jace's voice, Sam stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"Will you come back?" He asked, unsure why he felt as if she was taking a piece of him with her.

Sam smiled softly, despite the churning in her stomach.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow." With a wave at Patrick, she hurried out the door and over to where Monica waited with Danny. Pulling Danny back into her arms, she thanked Monica for watching him.

"Oh Sam, please. You know if it were up to me I would have Danny in my arms and in my house every day. I'm still not giving up hope that I can convince you to sell the penthouse and move in with me and the other Quartermaines. You and Danny are part of our family."

Sam smiled at the familiar argument and nodded.

"And we're so grateful and blessed to be part of your family. But that penthouse is our home. It's where Danny's father and I fell in love. I don't know if I could ever leave it." Sam's eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly against them.

Monica's face folded into understanding lines. She pulled Sam into a warm hug.

"We're all thinking about Jason a lot lately. The anniversary of his death is just around the corner."

Sam nodded against Monica's shoulder, pulling back when Danny started fidgeting between them.

"And our anniversary was a couple of weeks ago. I haven't really let myself think about it, you know? I tried to keep myself busy but it's just this unrelenting ache in my heart." Sam stopped and shook her head. Monica's own eyes were damp.

"Trust me. I know the feeling all too well. I've lost all of my children, and my husband. That feeling of loss never goes away, but it does get easier to bear as time passes. It takes as long as it takes, Sam. But don't let yourself steep in it. Live. Find love again. Jason would want that for you."

Sam nodded noncommittally, not up for a talk about finding love again. With another hug, she headed off with Danny in search for Kristina.

"Sam!"

Sam turned to find Kristina rushing over to her. Kristina's greeting smile faded when she saw how pale Sam was.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

Sam shook her head.

"Nothing." Sam said, feigning a smile. Unable to stop herself, she blurted out, "He's awake."

Krissy's head snapped towards her.

"John Doe?!" She asked excitedly.

Sam nodded slowly.

"Yes. Well, his name is Jace. Jace Smith." She added as an afterthought.

Kristina squealed.

"Omigod! That's so amazing. Wait until we tell Molly! She's going to totally freak." Kristina chattered on excitedly while they walked out of the hospital, while Sam remained silent.

She loved her sister but she wouldn't understand what Sam was thinking right now. She needed someone to talk to, and she knew exactly who to call.

…

The orderly left Jace's room and headed straight to the stairwell, jogging down the steps and climbing into a black town car.

He nodded respectfully at the elegant woman sitting in the seat facing him. She crossed her legs and studied him expectantly.

"Is it done?"

He shook his head.

"There's a situation. Morgan has amnesia."

A delighted smile crossed her face. No one could deny that Helena Cassadine was still a strikingly beautiful woman, even at her age.

"Well, isn't this a delightful surprise?"

"Do you still want me to take Morgan out?"

Helena smirked.

"Oh no, my dear. This entirely welcome turn of events has worked out quite to my liking. I've invested a lot of time into Mr. Morgan. I'd hate to have wasted it by eliminating him. Leave Mr. Morgan for now. I'll have him watched and if things seem to be changing, I'll reevaluate."

With a respectful nod, the orderly got out of the car and walked back into the hospital, leaving Helena staring into the distance, a pleased expression on her face.