A/N: Hey everyone! I'm finally back after a crappy week of some serious writer's block. Thankfully, inspiration hit today and I finally fixed what was wrong for me. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though it's not exactly a happy one. But we do get some progress, and a lot closer to the truth.

Thank you all for the amazing reviews! They were so awesome! I know there were a few questions about Jason's extreme reaction, but I think this chapter will answer them all. Please keep reviewing, because everytime I felt stuck, I'd go back and read your reviews and get a new burst of inspiration and write a little. It really does help so much.

Let's get right into it!

Happy reading!

Jen

buttercup0303

Chapter 32

Jace paced back and forth in his apartment, furious with himself. Where the hell had that even come from? He thought he had made peace with the all of that. He knew Sam and her husband had shared something rare and deep. He'd seen how she'd suffered and grieved for her husband's loss and it had been years already when he met her.

"Damn it!" He shouted, slamming his fist into the wall.

"Whoa, big guy. The honeymoon over already?" Hayden's sardonic drawl from the stairs had Jace spinning around with a snarl.

She held her hands up in surrender and grinned sheepishly, making her way over to the couch and plopping down.

"Sorry. Kidding, I promise. Seriously, what's wrong?" She didn't know the guy, but he looked wrecked. She may not be the kindest person in the world but she wasn't heartless either. It bothered her to see others in pain and boy, was this guy in pain.

Jace just shook his head and strode over to the window, staring outside.

Hayden grimaced for a second, a bit offended before sighing.

"Fine. Don't tell me." She said with a huff, though a tiny bit of hurt creeped into her voice.

Jace heard it and felt worse. He just couldn't stop hurting the women around him, could he?

"It's not as if I'm completely alone in a new town, living with a total stranger who obviously hates me. Or like my sister, who is my best friend and the only person in this world who loves me, is being held captive and possibly tortured as we speak. So yeah, don't talk to me. I don't want to be your friend anyway. I'm used to being alone." Her voice broke as she finished her totally unplanned rant. She'd started talking to make him feel guilty but somewhere along the line, the dam had burst and the words just came tumbling out.

Jace let out a long-suffering sigh and never looking away from the horizon, he spoke.

"I hurt Sam." He said quietly.

Hayden raised her head in surprise. That was the last thing she'd expected to hear.

"Hey, not everyone is into rough sex. She's pretty tiny and you're a big guy, so you should take it easy, you know? Be a gentle giant?" She suggested helpfully while Jace sputtered.

"Not-not like that! Jesus. I'm not-that is, it wasn't about…" Jace stopped and shook his head in frustration. "I said...things. Things I shouldn't have said." How the hell had he ended up in this conversation with Hayden of all people?

Understanding, Hayden nodded.

"I'm sure it's personal but if you want to talk, I'm a good listener."

Jace opened his mouth to tell her there were about fifty other people he could think of who he would rather confide in but shut it when he realized that wasn't true. There were three people in this world he considered friends other than Sam and that was Carly, Michael, and Spinelli.

The problem was they were all connected to both Sam and Jason. He needed someone objective. He glanced at Hayden.

Damn it.

"Sam was married. Her husband was killed two years ago and she's grieved for him this entire time. She tried dating but it never felt right. And then I was hit by a car and left for dead and Sam found me." He smiled a little, thinking of how Sam had saved him. His smile faltered as he was hit with another wave of guilt.

"When I first woke up, I immediately felt a connection to Sam and she felt the same for me. But it wasn't until later that I found out that she'd gotten it into her head that I was somehow Jason come back to life."

Jace was so consumed with his story that he didn't notice Hayden's face pale or hear the trembling in her voice when she spoke.

"S-Sam thinks you're, um, this Jason guy?" She said, her eyes on her lap.

Jace shook his head.

"No. I had my fingerprints ran through the system and they didn't get any hits. According to Sam, if I was Jason then we would have gotten a hit."

Hayden nodded, swallowing quickly.

"So what's the issue?"

Jace leaned forward slightly to rest his palms against the window, his head dropping between to his arms. He didn't know how to explain something he didn't even fully understand.

"After the initial shock and upset of finding out I wasn't Jason, Sam stayed with me. She cared for me, and eventually I fell in love with her. Harder and faster than I knew was possible. And that kid of hers? He owns me."

"So what's the problem?" She asked, curiously.

"From the moment I woke up, person after person has told me that I remind them of Jason in one way or the other. And every time, Sam flinches. I don't think she realizes it, but she does. The other day, I brought up the fact that we ruled out I wasn't Jason and she flinched again. She recovered quickly, but I saw it. That stab of pain. Followed by disappointment." He said, bitterly hurt.

Hayden was frozen in place. She never should have asked him. Now she was being pulled further and further into their lives and she had the power to end their suffering, but it would be at the expense of her sister's life. She couldn't risk it.

I can't afford to feel things for other people and if I stay, I'm going to be start caring about their pain. Next thing you know I'll want to tell them who Jace really is or reveal Helena's role in all of this.

"She still loves Jason and when she looks at me, all she'll ever see is a pale imitation of the man she loved and wishes I could be."

He sounded unbearably sad. Hayden shifted guiltily.

"I'm sure that's not true. You forget that I've seen Sam with you. She loves you, Jace."

Jace shook his head, unsure.

"I want to believe that. But I don't know if I can. I just wish I hadn't hurt her."

Hayden opened her mouth to say something but closed it, thinking better of it. Jace noticed and rolled his eyes.

"If you have something to say, spit it out."

"I don't think it's Sam that's the problem. I think it's you."

Jace looked shocked.

"What?"

"You're jealous." She blurted out. Hayden blushed but forged ahead. "I think that because you're jealous of the love she shared with this Jason, you're hypersensitive to any reminder of him at all. And I think you're insecure because you told me that Sam was the person you loved most in the world and what if you're not that person for her? What if you never will be because her love for Jason will always overshadow you?"

Hearing his deepest fears said out loud so casually was unnerving. Jaw clenched, Jace looked away, but seriously contemplating her words.

"You're right. I am jealous of Jason. I don't think I will ever measure up in Sam's eyes and that hurts more than I know how to put into words."

Hayden's heart broke for him and she had to literally bite her tongue to keep from spilling the truth that he was literally jealous of himself.

"Go apologize. Explain how you feel."

Jace shook his head.

"It won't change anything. I shouldn't have said what I said. But I meant what I said about not being a stand-in for Jason. I thought I was okay with everything but then moments after we were...close, she was looking for signs of Jason in me. Can you imagine how that feels? It was as if she ripped my heart out of my chest."

Hayden winced, imagining how she would feel if she was intimate with someone and then they told her she reminded them of their ex.

"Okay, yeah. Ouch. But still, I'm pretty sure Sam wasn't trying to hurt you. But the things you say you said? They were said out of anger, specifically to hurt her. You owe her an apology."

Jace looked away, nodding shortly.

She was right. He had to make things right with Sam, even if he didn't know where they stood now.

…

After a few minutes of tears, Sam's hurt and sadness started to transition into insult and fury.

How dare he? How dare he?! She thought, getting worked up.

"I've been there for him every second of every day, comforting him, caring about him, helping him!" She hissed indignantly, as she bundled her hair up into a ponytail. She stomped around the apartment, setting up her punching bag, changing into workout clothes, and pulling on her gloves.

"This is bullshit!" Sam yelled, her leg whipping out and kicking the bag, sending it flying to the side. She followed up with a quick combo, her fists snapping out in a blur.

It had been several years since she'd done this kind of workout. She took out her bag regularly- after all, she was a PI and had to stay in peak physical condition. But this was a different kind of workout. This was the kind of workout where you let go of all the anger and pain inside of you. The kind that you just lose yourself in, regardless of the pain you'll feel the next day from your sore and aching muscles.

A knock on the door pulled Sam's focus and she stared at the door for a minute, sweat covering her body in a glistening sheen, her chest heaving, and strands of hair clinging to her neck. She didn't notice the tears that had slipped silently down her cheeks.

Bracing herself, she strode over to the door and swung it open, determined to have a different type of confrontation with Jace this time. But it was surprise and delight that she saw her cousin, Nikolas Cassadine, standing on the other side of the door.

He raised a brow at her appearance, taking in what appeared to be a trail of tears with concern. But Sam was beaming up at him and he couldn't help grinning at her and leaning down to kiss her cheek. She hugged him close, happy to see him. She was very close to her cousin and she was grateful all the time for the twist of fate that had made him part of her family.

"Nikolas! You're here!" She glanced around him with a grin but then frowned.

Anticipating her next question, Nikolas smiled.

"Spencer remained in Paris with my mother. After you told me about Grandmother's involvement in this...situation with your friend, I thought it prudent to keep him as far as possible, where he will remain safe and sound."

Sam nodded, understanding.

"Come in, come in." A sudden thought came over her and she reached out and placed her hand on his forearm.

"Oh, but it's Thanksgiving in a couple of days, Nikolas. Won't you miss him?"

"Of course. But Spencer understands and we had our own Thanksgiving celebration before I left. I feel confident that I will discover and put an end to any machinations Grandmother has in place before Christmas so that my son can return to his home."

Sam nodded.

"If you're sure. You know you're more than welcome to join me, my mom and my sisters for Thanksgiving. We're family."

Nikolas smiled warmly.

"Of course, Sam. Did I interrupt your workout?" He gestured to her and her punching bag. She grinned and pulled off her gloves.

"I just finished up. Would you like something to drink?"

Nikolas nodded and waited while Sam brought him a bottle of water. Sipping from it delicately, Nikolas leaned forward.

"I'd like to jump right into this, so to speak, so that I can get back to my son. Would you mind introducing me to this contact you spoke of?"

Sam hesitated. She wasn't ready to see Jace yet. She wasn't completely sure she wouldn't kick his ass instead of the sandbag if she saw him. But then she thought about Nikolas's sacrifice and knew she would have to suck it up.

"Sure, she's across the hall. Come with me."

Sam led the way to the other penthouse and knocked on the door briskly. Nikolas glanced at her and raised a brow, but didn't say anything.

The door swung open and Jace stared down at Sam in surprise. Despite the tension between them, he couldn't help but stare in appreciation. She wore tight yoga pants and a sports bra that left her generous cleavage exposed. There was a light sheen of sweat on her skin and her face was flushed. He found himself mesmerized by a drop of sweat sliding down from the nape of her neck and towards her collarbone.

"Ahem." Nikolas cleared his throat loudly as he stared in disdain at the man openly ogling his cousin.

Jace's broke his gaze away from Sam and noticed the handsome man standing beside her for the first time. Jealousy shot through him as he straightened to his full height, where he towered over the stranger.

"Sam, I'm glad you're here. We need to talk." He said, ignoring the stranger. But Sam ignored him just as thoroughly, stepping around him and into the house without a word. The man behind him seemed to stifle a laugh and followed her inside.

Sam strode up to Hayden, ignoring the warmth in her stomach from the look in Jace's eyes when he'd seen her.

"Hayden, this is my cousin, Nikolas Cassadine. I told you about him. He's going to help us figure out what Helena is up to and help us find your sister."

Hayden glanced up past Sam and stilled. Towering over Sam was possibly the most devastatingly handsome man she'd ever seen. Suddenly breathless, Hayden climbed to her feet, her hand going to hair self-consciously. To hide her nerves, she put her hands on her hips and cocked her hip, one brow raised as she looked at him expectantly.

Nikolas watched the stunning beauty stand in front of him, his heart suddenly racing. It had been a very long time since someone had taken his breath away like this. All he could think about was burying himself inside this hide his unsual lack of control, Nikolas schooled his features into one of disinterest.

"So you're the Cassadine Prince?" Hayden said sardonically, staring at him.

His hackles rose at the mockery in her voice and he stiffened even more.

"And you're the con artist." He shot back. He expected her to take offense but instead she shot him a simply brilliant smile.

"Touche." She answered with a slight chuckle. She stepped forward and held out her hand.

"Hayden Barnes."

"Nikolas Cassadine. Though it appears you already know who I am." He grasped her hand but let go quickly as a shock shot through him.

Hayden snatched her hand away as if it had burned. Staring at her hand, she glanced up at her surreptitiously. Talk about sparks flying, she thought ruefully.

Sam watched them and rolled her eyes, not at all in the mood to watch love blossom or whatever. She shifted uncomfortably under Jace's steady, unnerving stare.

"Nikolas, Hayden was hired by your grandmother to pretend to be Jace's wife. After Helena ordered her to kill me, Hayden came to me and Jace and told us everything."

Nikolas whipped towards her incredulously.

"My grandmother tried to have you killed?" Without waiting for an answer, he spun back to Hayden. "You were going to kill my cousin?" He said accusatorily and Hayden's hackles rose.

"Obviously not because I'm here and they know all about the plan, even though I risked the life of the most important person in the world to me." Hayden shot back, her voice trembling slightly.

Nikolas's expression softened and he nodded shortly.

"Samantha told me that my grandmother has your sister? D you know where?"

"If I knew where I would have saved her already! I don't know. She's been holding her captive for almost a year now and having me do little jobs for her here and there by threatening to hurt her."

"Well, I've done what I can at this point, so I'm going to leave you guys to it. Nikolas, stop by before you leave?" Sam interrupted abruptly, eager to get the hell out of that apartment and out from under Jace's watchful eyes.

"As you wish." Nikolas replied absentmindedly, his focus on Hayden and her story.

Sam turned and strode out, letting out a heavy breath when she she stepped outside.

"Sam, wait."

Stiffening, Sam kept walking and pushed open the door. She would have slammed it in his face but Jace put his hand out, stopping it.

Sam looked up at him for the first time since she appeared on his doorstep.

"What?"

Jace stared at her, taken aback.

"I just... I need to apologize."

"But I don't need to hear it." She said quickly before shoving him back a step and slamming the door in his face.

Jace stared at the door in shock. He hadn't expected that.

On the other side of the door, Sam leaned back against it and let out a long breath. He didn't deserve the chance to apologize already. She wouldn't let him off the hook that easily.

Yanking off her gloves, she tossed them on the side table and started forward. One of the gloves slid off the table and fell gently to the ground. Sighing in annoyment, Sam stopped and stooped to pick it up. She had just started to straighten when a gleam of white appeared in the corner of her eye.

Curious, she reached under the table and pulled out a small envelope. Flipping it over, she looked at the return label and gasped.

"Samuel!"

Sam stood quickly, staring at the envelope. Her mind wandered to her earlier argument with Jace and in a fit of pettiness, she tossed the envelope onto the table and stomped away.

Seconds later she was jogging back over and snatching the envelope back up, annoyed with herself.

"Who am I kidding?" She wasn't spiteful enough to make him wait, nor was she strong-willed enough to ignore her own burning curiosity.

Ripping open the envelope, Sam tilted it upside down and stared at the little flash drive that fell out and spilled into her hands. This was it. She was about to see what Jace had looked like before the accident. He was finally going to get the answers he needed so badly.

She could admit to more than a few nerves. Despite Hayden's reassurances, what if he was still married? Or if there was someone who loved him and he loved in return out there waiting for him? What if there was something in his past that she couldn't forgive or accept? What if, what if, what if?

Steeling herself, Sam moved to the couch and plopped down, reaching out for the laptop sitting on the coffee table. She waited for the laptop to boot up impatiently, jiggling her foot and bouncing in place.

The second the screensaver popped up, Sam was inserting the flash drive. She tapped her fingers against the table anxiously, waiting for the drive to be recognized.

"There!" She exclaimed eagerly, pointing the mouse at the video file. Clicking on it, she tensed as the video started playing. The camera seemed to be focused on the bushes straight ahead. It seemed as if time dragged on as she watched, waiting for a glimpse of Jace.

Her phone rang suddenly and Sam jumped a little. Laughing at herself, she paused the video and reached over to answer, her eyes drifting back towards the video. She really, really didn't think she could wait any longer. Her fingers itching to press play, Sam took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sam?"

Sam's entire body went cold at the sound of Monica's voice.

"It's Danny, isn't it? What's wrong?" She asked frantically, all thoughts of the video gone from her mind.

"Sam, come quick. I'm here at the hospital with Danny."

Sam couldn't seem to move.

"Monica, what's wrong with Danny?" She said slowly.

There was a pause.

"Sam, please, just come in to the hospital. We can talk here."

Sam's eyes drifted closed, her stomach lurching.

"I knew it. I knew it wasn't just a cold. It's his cancer. It's back, isn't it?"

There was another long pause, broken only by a small sniffle.

"Sam, there's no way to know for sure. We have to run some more tests. Let's not expect the worst."

Sam could feel the cold steal over her body as she heard all the things Monica wasn't telling her. She was screaming inside, desperate to run out of the hospital and drive to the hospital, but her feet wouldn't move.

"Monica, please, just say it. You think Danny's cancer is back, don't you?"

"Yes."