A/N: I'm back! Sorry about the delay! I've been crazy busy with work, so I've had to find time to write here and there. This chapter brings an end to Helena's chapter in JaSam's life, and is a whole new beginning for them. There's only 6 chapters left, and they're all about JaSam building their new lives together with Danny. I can't wait to see what happens when they don't have the threat of Helena hanging over their heads. Will they finally find peace, or are the threats of Jason's past still lurking out there somewhere? Stay tuned to find out in the upcoming chapters. Until then, enjoy!

As always, thanks for your reviews and thoughts. They're always appreciated and inspiring. Thank you!

Happy reading!

Jen

buttercup0303

Chapter 44

The room was still as everyone stared between Helena and Nattie in shock. Nikolas seemed frozen as he stared at his grandmother. He'd hated her his entire life, fending off her endless attempts to turn him into her idea of a 'proper Cassadine'.

And yet, staring down at her dead body, he felt an odd sense of grief mixed in with the relief. She had been family, if the worst sort. And despite her best efforts, she'd never managed to turn him into the heartless killer she'd hoped for. And so he closed his eyes, and allowed a tear to slip down his face as he said goodbye to his grandmother, a woman who, for better or worse, had been in his life as long as he could remember.

Anna and Robert burst into hush whispers as they discussed what came next. Hayden watched her sister, fear in her eyes. What had that woman done to her? She watched in horror as Nattie turned the knife towards herself.

"Nattie, stop!" Hayden jumped to her feet, but swayed as dizziness swept over her. Nikolas turned to her immediately and lowered into her seat.

Sam snapped into action, jumping forward. Jason reached out to stop her but she moved out of his reach. He watched Nattie closely as Sam approached her.

Sam moved slowly, carefully as she approached the beautiful young woman with the bruised face and empty eyes. She seemed to be a wounded animal, and Sam knew how quickly a wounded animal could lash out. But this woman was obviously in pain, and had suffered a great deal for months at the hands of Helena. Sam couldn't help but feel for her.

She reached a hand out slowly, speaking in soft, soothing tones.

"Put down the knife, Nattie. You don't want to do this. Helena's gone and she can't ever hurt you again. You made sure of it."

Nattie raised narrowed, suspicious eyes and watched as Sam eased forward slowly.

"It's okay, sweetie. You're going to be okay now. Your sister is here, and you're safe now. Come on, baby, just put down the knife." As she got closer, she held a hand out, palm up.

Nattie stared at her, her hand lowering slightly.

Robert began easing forward behind her. Jason saw him and sent him a warning glare, putting his hand up to stop him, but it was too late. Spotting him, Nattie seemed to panic, and reached out in a lightning fast move and grabbed Sam's wrist, yanking the much smaller woman forward.

Sam stumbled towards her, and froze, as she felt the blade press against her throat, before piercing the skin slightly. Jason's arm swung up without hesitation, his gun pointed at Nattie.

"Drop the knife, or I'll drop you where you stand." He barked in an icy tone that brooked no argument. Hayden watched in alarm.

"Jason, no! She's my sister!" Hayden pleaded with him.

He didn't even glance at her.

"And she's my wife." He said simply, never taking his eyes off of Hayden's sister.

Sam ignored all of them, though her heart warmed at Jason's words. She reached and gently gripped Nattie's wrist.

"Nattie, calm down. No one is trying to hurt you. And you don't want to hurt me. I'm your cousin, Samantha. Your mom was my mom's aunt. We're family."

Nattie's eyes shot to hers in surprise, life seeming to pop back into them.

"F-f-family?" She stammered slowly, her hand loosening on the knife. Sam didn't hesitate. She grabbed her wrist and twisted. Nattie cried out in pain and dropped the blade, and Sam pulled her arm back and punched her in the face. As Nattie fell back, Sam kicked the knife away and dropped to her haunches beside her. She pulled off her shirt, clad in just her tank top now, and held it to Nattie's nose, which was now gushing blood.

"Cousin or not, I don't like to be threatened. Welcome to the family." Sam barely got that out before her hand was grabbed and she was pulled to her feet, spun around, and found herself crushed against Jason's chest.

She was surprised to feel him trembling, and wrapped her arms around him.

"I've almost lost you too many times today." Jason whispered, leaning back and gently wiping away the slow trickle of blood from her neck.

"I'm okay, Jason. I swear."

Nodding, he let her go and walked over to one of Helena's fallen guards. Sam watched in curiosity as he leaned over him. When he stood up and turned around, she saw he held the guard's tie in his hands. He walked back over to her and tied it gently around her neck, covering the wound.

She smiled as he worked, remembering another time when he did this, though the tie was pink, and the intent quite a bit more sensual.

Jason double checked his work and nodded, satisfied.

"There, all better." He grinned down at her, a sudden twinkle in his baby blues. "Although, I think I like you in pink more."

Sam's eyes shot up to his in shock. She stared at him for a moment, and he met her eyes, watching her. Sam suddenly gasped, tears filling her eyes. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the room and into the first empty room she saw.

She turned to him and pointed.

"You remember!" She blurted out in a rapid fire burst, her hands flying everywhere as she spoke. "I didn't put it together before, but you remember. You called me Mighty Mouse, and told Robert I was good back up, and you remember the pink tie from Maxie and Spinelli's non-wedding. I never told you about those things. Not in any real way. Jason, you remember." She finished, her voice breaking and tears spilling over. Jason smiled tenderly and stepped over to her, cupping her face.

"I remember everything." He whispered, before leaning down and capturing her lips with his. He broke their kiss and whispered against her lips, "I remember how brave and excited you were to be a mom, and how heartbroken we were when we lost Lila, and then again when we lost Hope. And I remember thinking how beautiful and strong you were when you refused to let the grief drown you and stop you from living. I fell in love with you. I remember that you loved me enough to let me go when I lost my memory, and that was how I knew I could stay." He paused to kiss her again, before continuing his litany of memories. Sam listened, tears slipping down her face.

"I remember how hard you fought for our relationship, even when I was too blind to remember how much I needed you. I remember how grateful I was that we found our way back to each other. I remember our wedding. I remember that you're the phoenix to my dragon. I remember the night we brought our son home." He stopped again, kissing her forehead, before continuing. "I remember everything, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. But most of all, I remember how much I love you."

He stopped and kissed her lips again.

"How your strength and beauty take my breath away." He pressed his lips to her right cheek, kissing away her tears.

"How you've grown into this incredible mother and woman, that I'm nowhere near worthy of." He kissed her left cheek.

"How damn sexy you are." He kissed the side of her neck.

"How you gave me the home and family I always wanted but could never find. How you and Danny are the most important things in my life, and I will never, never, walk away from you again." A single tear slid down his face as he kissed her lips again, and Sam's hands fisted in his shirt as she kissed him with everything inside her. Her hopes, her happiness, the pain she'd felt since she'd lost him, the joy since finding him, and the incredible love she felt for the man she'd fallen in love with all over again.

"Jason." She sobbed. "You're back." She clutched him to her, crying, happier than she'd ever been. She shook her hair back, and out of her face as she spoke through her tears.

"I loved you so much, and when I thought I lost you, I didn't think I could ever be happy I met Jace, and I fell in love so quickly, so naturally, that I felt guilty. But when I found out that my Jace was actually my Jason, I didn't think anything could get better. As heartbreaking as it was to think that you didn't get to remember our incredible story, I was just so grateful and so happy to be able to write a whole new one with the man that I loved. But now, now everything really is perfect. I love you, Jason. I love you so much." She choked out, overwhelmed with happiness and love.

Jason pulled her closer and dropped his head to her shoulder.

"I love you too. Forever, Sam."

They held each other for what seemed like an endless amount of time, until the moment was broken by a knock on the door. They didn't pull apart, just continued holding each other. Jason raised his head to see Robert standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, mate. But Anna and I, we want to get our princess back home to her daughter, where she belongs. The WSB will handle the situation here."

Jason nodded, and pulled back, though he kept his arm wrapped around Sam. She smiled up at him, and they moved in tandem towards the door. What they saw when they arrived out in the courtyard stopped them short.

Helena's body had been moved outside and Robin was standing over her, emptying the contents of a lantern over her. She glanced up and met Sam's, then Jason's eyes, cold determination in her gaze.

"I want to make damn sure this witch stays in hell where she belongs. She's never going to come back from the grave and take me away from my family again." She stared at Patrick when she said that, and he nodded in support.

Anna stepped up beside Robin and lit a match. And in a move that left Jason stunned, and Sam impressed, Robin grabbed it and taking a deep breath, dropped it on Helena, setting her on fire.

"Well, that's one way to make sure she's out of our lives." Sam said, turning away and wrinkling her nose at the smell. Jason ushered her away, and the others quickly followed behind them.

No one spoke about what had just happened. Robin was quiet and pale, her face buried in Patrick's chest. Sam thought that maybe she was in shock. No matter what the situation, Robin could always be counted on to put the most value on a life, no matter who it was. And though Helena was already dead, what she had just done must have shaken her to the core.

As they passed her, Sam reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

"If you hadn't done it first, I would have." She offered her an encouraging smile and after a short pause, Robin returned it, her color brightening a bit.

It was a loud car ride to the hotel, as there were several reunions amongst the party, and everyone was excited to be together. Only Jason and Sam were quiet. They simply stared at each other, small smiles breaking every now and then. They held hands, Jason reaching out to caress her cheek, slide a hand down her arm, or trail a finger down her neck. Sam's hand rested on his chest, sometimes sliding down to his hard abs, or up to cup his cheek, or trace his lips with her fingertips.

The tension built between them, heat rising, sparks flying, and it was as if everyone faded away. Sam pressed her thighs together as warmth pooled between her legs, her skin tingling, her nerve endings sparking electric wherever Jason touched. Jason shifted, surreptitiously adjusting himself and dropping his jacket on his lap as Sam's hand grazed his waistband.

When the car finally stopped, they were the first ones to make their excuses and hurry up to their hotel room.

"Thank God that car ride is over. The sparks flying off of them damn near set me on fire." Robert said what everyone else was thinking.

"Maybe it has something to do with surviving a dangerous situation." Hayden suggestion, sharing a heated look with Nikolas.

"Reuniting with a loved one?" Robin suggested, shifting closer to Patrick, who seemed to be devouring her with his eyes.

Anna glanced at Robert with a knowing smile.

"Robert, let's go to the local office and get our reports turned in."

Robert smirked and nodded, though part of him wanted to knock a few teeth loose in Patrick's mouth for staring at his daughter like that.

Hayden broke away from Nikolas and lurched towards them.

"Wait! What's going to happen to my sister?" She asked worriedly, glancing over at Nattie. She was standing beside Anna, hands cuffed, eyes empty.

"There won't be any charges pressed, if that's what you're worried about her. This Sheila did the world a favor, she did." Robert said reassuringly.

"We're going to have our doctors look her over, talk to her."

Hayden glanced pointedly at the cuffs on Nattie's wrists. Understanding, Anna moved closer, speaking under her breath.

"They're for her safety and ours. In the space of an hour, she slit Helena's throat, threatened Sam and almost killed herself. It's better this way. I'll make sure she's okay. I promise."

Hayden searched Anna's eyes, and seeing the truth in them, she nodded. She moved closer, gripping Nattie's hands in her own.

"You're going to be okay, Nattie. These people are going to get you the help you need, and then I'm bringing you home. I won't leave you." She stared at her sister, willing her to respond. Tears filled her eyes when Nattie's eyes remained vacant and distant. Letting out a disappointed, sad sigh, Hayden started to turn away.

"Promise?"

Hayden spun back towards Nattie, relief and happiness in her eyes. She reached out and pulled Nattie into a tight hug, tears slipping down her face.

"Oh, Nattie! Yes, I promise. I'll never abandon you. Ever." Hayden vowed.

Nattie nodded and when they pulled apart, Hayden was relieved to see a small spark of life in her sister's eyes.

….

Inside the lobby, Jason and Sam waited for the elevator, their eyes locked on each other. Sam turned to face Jason, reaching up to loop her arms around Jason. She just stared up at him, grinning.

The bell dinged as the elevator reached the lobby, the doors sliding in.

Jason backed Sam into the elevator, slapping his hand against the button so that the doors slid closed behind them. He backed her against the wall, lowering her head and pulling her into a fevered kiss.

Sam pressed her body against him, desperate to be closer to him. Jason pressed his hips against her, letting her feel what she did to him. Sam let out a soft moan and let her hips swirl against his, making Jason groan. He boosted her up, and Sam's legs wrapped around his waist automatically. His hands wandered over her body, exploring and teasing.

"Jason, please." Sam whispered, mindless to their surroundings and everything but him.

Jason lowered Sam to the ground long enough to move her to the corner of the elevator car and block her body from any possible cameras. He dragged her pants off her, as Sam fumbled with his jeans.

Jason's hand slapped out and hit the emergency button, sending the elevator into a screeching halt. He lifted her back into his arms and just as the elevator jolted to a stop, he slid inside Sam, the impact of the stop making him slide deeper than usual.

Sam let out a long, sexy moan as Jason moved inside of her, pumping and thrusting furiously. She met him thrust for thrust, both of them needing this fast and hard. Jason gripped Sam's thighs, pounding into her, finally releasing the tension that had been building between them on the ride home.

The pressure built in Sam's center, pleasure sending shivers throughout her body.

"Oh God. Jason." She cried, throwing her head back against the wall of the elevator car. Close to exploding, Jason reached down and used his thumb to rub circles over Sam's clit. Sam pulled him down for another desperate kiss, whimpering against his lips as he drove her mercilessly into a vicious orgasm. Jason swallowed her scream with his kiss and followed her into a shuddering release, groaning her name against her mouth as he pulsed inside of her, filling her with his warm seed.

As they clung to each other, gasping for air, they finally seemed to hear the voices coming from the panel beneath the buttons.

"Hello? Hello? Is everyone okay? We're sending someone to help now." A man spoke in thickly accented English.

Sam covered her mouth as she burst out laughing, her cheeks flushing as she finally looked around at their surroundings. Jason just sent her a satisfied smirk, and pulled out of her, lowering her to the ground. He helped her pull her clothes back on, sneaking teasing caresses in that had Sam slapping his hands away with a laugh. Adjusting his clothes, he reached out and pressed the button sending the elevator back into movement. He touched the button that allowed him to answer the maintenance team.

"It seems to be working again."

There was a pause.

"Erm, very good, sir. We, uh, disabled the camera in the elevator cart after assessing your safety. Just, uh, thought you'd like to know."

Jason and Sam looked at each other and Sam looked around for the camera, with an embarrassed laugh.

"I'll be making sure of it." Jason replied evenly.

"Mio dio, è bellissima!" Another voice suddenly exclaimed.

"Shh-Chiudi, ti senti!" The first voice lashed out angrily.

Clearing his throat, the first voice spoke again.

"Scuse. Apologies, Signore and Signorina. My son is very young. Please enjoy the rest of your stay."

Sam laughed gaily and waved to the corner where she saw the camera.

"Va bene. Grazie!"

The elevator stopped and Jason pulled a still laughing Sam off the cart and into the hall. He smiled at her indulgently, leading her to their room.

"What was that about?" He asked curiously, wondering about the exchange in Italian.

Sam laughed again and glanced at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I guess the concierge was with his son and his son said I was beautiful and his dad yelled at him that we could hear him. I just told them it was ok, and thank you. I think." She pursed her lips.

"He sounded young. And cute." She added with a shrug. Jason's eyes shot to hers but she looked away, hiding a smile. His lips twitched knowingly.

"Oh yeah? Come here. I'll show you cute." He growled, reaching out for her. Sam danced out of his reach, spun on her heels, and took off down the hall towards their room. Sam let out a short scream of delight and surprise as Jason bolted after her, catching her around her waist and lifting her off her feet, spinning her around to face him. Laughing, Sam looped her arms around Jason's neck, tilting her head back.

"You caught me. Now what?" She teased.

Jason stared down at her, suddenly serious. He reached up to cup her face.

"Never let you go." He said tenderly, lowering his head to hers.

"Good." She whispered just before his mouth captured hers. He carried her inside their room and kicked the door closed behind them.