A/N: I know the last chapter was kind of heartbreaking! I'm sorry! I got some angry messages lol. But I needed to show just how connected Sam feels to this man. I need the bond that Jason and Sam have to defy logic, and this shows that something inside of her, maybe her soul?, recognizes Jason and is calling to him. Logic interferes but we all know that nothing interferes with Jasam for long. :D

I also felt like they downplayed Sam's grief after a few months and then all of sudden, Sam was desolate again right around the time she and Patrick got engages and Jakeson was about to marry Liz. It was too "plot-devicey" for me. I believe Sam still missed her husband, but it's something I felt should have been played more often. You don't get over a ten year relationship with the love of your life. Ever. You move on, but it's always there. So that's what I want to show here. How every facet of Sam's life is colored by the love she shared with Jason.

I hope you're enjoying this story. Thank you SO much for all the amazing reviews. Please keep them coming! They motivate me and make me want to post more often. :) Please follow/fave if you haven't already. Thanks again!

Happy reading!

Jen

buttercup0303

Chapter 7

Carly stared after Sam before looking back at Dante and Jace. Dante held a hand out.

"What was that about?"

Carly shook her head and looked between them. Jace was still staring at the door that Sam had disappeared through.

"I don't know. I'm sorry, I have to go." She turned and ran out of the room. She saw Sam round the corner at the end of the corridor and ran after her.

She lost sight of her but when she spotted the chapel sign up ahead, she knew that's where she'd find Sam.

Carly slowed to a walk and pushed the doors open and heard Sam's voice.

"It's not him. It's not Jason."

Carly's breath caught as she suddenly realized what Sam had thought.

"Oh Sam." Carly whispered, sitting beside her and pulling Sam into her arms.

"I hadn't even admitted it to myself, you know?" Sam whispered. "But the connection I felt to him, I was so sure. But if it were Jason, he would have come up in the search. It's not him. And in the back of my mind I knew that. Logically, I knew that. But in my heart? In my heart, it made so much sense."

Carly nodded, her eyes damp.

"I get it, I do. I spent a few minutes with him and he reminded me so much of Jason that I couldn't breathe. I get how you could let yourself believe that man could be Jason. It's easier than accepting the fact that Jason is gone and he's never coming back."

"You don't know that!" Sam suddenly cried out. "I know that I would have known if Jason was dead. I would have felt it. And I never have. I've always felt like he's out there somewhere. And then I find this man in the streets, who has no memory, but who I feel a connection to that I've only ever felt with Jason. Who looks at me with Jason's eyes? And I thought, for just a second, what if? Carly, what if it's him?" Her eyes pleaded with Carly to understand.

Carly cupped Sam's face, her heart breaking for her.

"But it's not. We just heard the proof that that man is not Jason."

Sam pulled free and swiped angrily at her tears.

"Okay, fine. Jace isn't Jason. But does that mean Jason isn't still out there somewhere? What if he's out there and he just can't remember? What if he's waiting for me to find him?" Sam's eyes were overflowing with tears, hearing how ridiculous she sounded but unable to stop herself.

Carly shook her head, worried about Sam.

"Sam, I…..." She trailed off, unsure what to say. Sam buried her face in her hands and wept, her shoulders shaking. Carly wrapped her arms around Sam's shoulders and leaned her head against Sam's.

"This isn't healthy, Sam. You know how much I loved Jason too. And the hardest thing I've ever done in my life was let him go. But it's been two years, Sam. It's time to let Jason go."

Sam nodded slowly, wiping her tears.

"I know. I'm sorry, I just…. I hadn't realized how badly I wanted to believe Jace was really Jason and it hit me hard to hear that he's not. I was just searching for an explanation for the way I've been feeling lately. First at Sonny's, then when I found Jace. And every moment I've spent with him since. I just…" She trailed off, at a loss.

Carly nodded in understanding.

"Don't you think maybe it's possible that subconsciously you convinced yourself Jace was Jason because you felt guilty?"

Sam's head came up and she stared at Carly in confusion.

"Sam, you feel a connection to someone new, a connection that is similar to the one you felt for Jason. And with your anniversary passing so recently and the anniversary of Jason's death coming up, I think you feel guilty, like you're somehow being disloyal to Jason. But you're not, Sam. You're allowed to be happy again. And maybe this guy will make you happy, maybe not. But you get to feel however you feel."

Sam nodded and wiped the last of her tears. The more she thought about it, the more Carly's words made sense.

"I think you're right. I think that it's the time of the year, and I'm emotional and missing Jason so much it hurts, that I just latched onto this crazy idea. But I know that Jason's gone. I just have to try harder to accept that."

Sam leaned her head on Carly's shoulder, and Carly dropped her head on top of Sam's. Linking hands, they sat together and said a prayer for the man they'd both loved.

…

Jace was watching the door anxiously. Would Sam come back? Why had she reacted the way she had? It was a good thing he wasn't a criminal, wasn't it? Or was she upset on his behalf because he was no closer to learning who he was?

Jace's mind spun with possibilities, but nothing made sense. Dante had left shortly after Carly had run after Sam. Jace was glad. It gave him a chance to figure out how he felt about the conflicting emotions he felt. On the one hand, he was relieved the prints hadn't revealed a criminal record. On the other, he was no closer to finding out who he was.

The door suddenly opened and Sam stood there, looking unsure. He could tell she'd been crying. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her nose was red as well.

"Sam, are you alright?" His voice held a note of concern that made her feel warm inside.

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, before moving closer and pulling the chair close to his bed.

"I'm sorry, Jace. I shouldn't have just run out of here like that. I'm okay."

Jace tentatively reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Why did you?"

Sam took a deep breath.

"I lost my husband two years ago. We, um, we never found the body though. And since I've met you, I...I felt a connection to you. Something about you was so familiar and your eyes are the exact color of his that I…" She trailed off, unable to finish or even make sense of what she'd thought.

"You thought I was your husband." Jace finished, suddenly understanding her reaction.

She nodded miserably.

"My husband had a record, so when Dante said that you weren't in the system, I knew you weren't him."

Jace studied her face. For a second, he wished fervently that the results had been different.

"I'm sorry, Sam. That I'm not who you wanted me to be."

Sam's eyes shot up to his and she leaned closer.

"Don't say that! Don't ever say that. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who should be sorry. Logically, I know my husband is dead. It's just that the anniversary of his death is coming up so I've been missing him. It made me irrational for a little while. Jace, I have no problem with you being whoever it is that you are. I promise."

Jace nodded, surprised at how relieved he felt to hear those words.

"Okay."

"I'd like to keep coming to visit you, if you don't mind?" Sam wasn't sure he'd want her around. What if he thought she was only hanging around because she still thought he was Jason?

"I'd like that. You could tell me more about your days as a con woman." He teased, hoping to take her mind off of her grief, even if just for a moment.

Sam's eyes flew to his in surprise, a wry smile startled out of her.

"You heard that?"

Jace nodded again, his eyes sparkling. He turned serious for a moment.

"Your voice was the only thing that kept me sane for a while there. The pain was unbearable but it was like I was trapped in my own body. I couldn't move or speak. I thought I would go crazy. And then suddenly, your voice would break through the cloud and give me focus."

Sam was both stunned and moved by his words. Smiling she squeezed his hand.

"Good. I'm glad I could help."

Sam stayed and shared some stories from her days running cons. She was hesitant at first because she worried he might judge her. But he didn't. He laughed at some cons, expressed his understanding when she explained why she committed some of the worse ones. Mostly, he just listened. No judgments, no opinions. Just acceptance.

Sam left Jace with a promise to bring Danny back for a visit soon. Jace watched her go, already missing her presence. She lit up the room and without her everything seemed dark and dreary.

They didn't know each other well, but Jace was looking forward to changing that. What he already knew about her fascinated him. He yawned and without Sam there, he suddenly realized how exhausted he was and found himself drifting to sleep.

….

"It's done, Ma'am. All trace of Morgan's prints has been wiped from the record."

"Excellent. I think it would be wise to withdraw from Port Charles. With Mr. Morgan's memories gone and no way to identify him, he'll pose no trouble to me." Helena grinned and hung up the phone.

"But don't worry, my darling Mr. Morgan. I'll see you soon enough."