A/N: Sorry for the long wait. It's back to school time, which of course means I got sick again. But, I'm good now and it took some time to get everything I wanted in this chapter, but I did it. We've only got one chapter to go and I am SO glad you guys have stuck with me so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I made it longer than usual, partly to squeeze in as much as I could, but partly as a thank you for hanging in there. As always, thanks for the amazing reviews! You guys are the best!
Happy Reading!
Jen
buttercup0303
Chapter 49
"What?!" Sam stared down at Jason in shock, her hand automatically dropping to her stomach. She jumped slightly at the realization that her usually flat stomach had a slight, but firm bump.
Jason smiled up at her tenderly, his hand coming up to cover hers.
"You're pregnant. We're having another baby, Sam."
Tears sparkled in Sam's eyes as she stared down at her husband, her hand gripping her stomach tighter.
"Are you sure?" She asked, a slight tremble in her voice.
Jason let out a soft chuckle and nodded.
"As sure as I can be. We'll have to get a test to be sure."
"I have one!" Sam burst out suddenly. She jumped out of bed and swayed for a moment. "Oh! Dizzy." Jason moved quickly, reaching out to steady her. She turned back to him, beaming. "It's like the baby is trying to confirm the pregnancy for us." She grinned. But then her face turned a bit green. "Not good." She croaked out before running towards the bathroom.
Jason followed her only to wince in sympathy as Sam dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and emptied her stomach. Scooping up a clip from the counter, Jason crouched beside her and gently gathered up her hair and slid the clip in place. He reached out and pulled a washcloth from the towel rack and ran some cold water over it. After wringing it out, he pressed it against Sam's forehead. She moaned her gratitude.
"I'm thinking we don't need that test to confirm after all." Jason said wryly.
Sam shook her head, groaning slightly.
"I want to take it. Gimme." She rasped, gesturing wildly towards the cabinet beneath the sink. Jason sighed and rummaged through until he found a small stack of pregnancy tests. He raised an eyebrow and Sam shrugged.
"I bought about a dozen of these when I found out I was pregnant with Danny. I couldn't believe it was real. I just never got rid of them."
Jason nodded silently, ripping open a box and handing Sam the test.
She shooed him out while she took the test, only to come out a few minutes later and drag him back in. He had to bite back a smile at the sight of the four pregnancy tests laid out neatly on the counter. Sam paced back and forth while they waited.
Jason tried not to let it show, but he was just as nervous. Reaching out, he caught Sam's hand as she passed and pulled her between his legs.
"I want to have another baby with you. So if these come out negative, I want us to keep trying." He confessed, brushing her hair back.
Sam smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.
"You know a baby can't fix what's wrong between us, right?" She worried her lower lip.
Jason nodded solemnly.
"I know. That's my job. And I promise, I will make things right." His eyes lowered and he could feel his heart swell with love and happiness. "I'm going to make things right." He reiterated. "Because I want to be here with you through every step of this pregnancy."
Sam smiled and then his words registered. Her eyes widened and then dropped to the counter, where she just stared at four positive results.
"Oh my God. We're having a baby. We're really having another baby." Sam turned towards him, and happiness just shone from her.
Jason pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to hers.
"We're having another baby, Sam." He repeated, grinning, before pulling her into a long tender kiss.
A few hours later, Jason sat on the couch with his feet up, watching Sam with a smile. She was on the phone a few feet away, her hand resting protectively over her still flat stomach.
"Really?" Her voice was excited. "Yes, that would be perfect! Okay, Dr. Lee, thanks for squeezing us in. We'll see you at four."
Sam turned to Jason and grinned.
"She can see us today! We'll know for sure if I'm really pregnant."
Jason nodded, holding open his arms. He felt his entire body relax when she crawled on top of him and laid down without hesitation.
"I thought we already knew. Four positive results are pretty conclusive." He teased. Sam poked him.
"I just want to hear it from Dr. Lee. Besides, she can tell us how far along I am, and maybe even let us hear the baby's heartbeat."
Jason could sense Sam's excitement, but he saw past that to the nerves. He rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back.
"You're going to have a healthy pregnancy, Sam. And I'm going to be here with you, at every appointment, for every class, picking out clothes and whatever else you need. We're going to do this right this time."
Sam lifted her head and stared at him.
"Promise?" She asked quietly.
Jason held her gaze.
"I promise." He paused, wondering if now was the time to broach the subject. "I want you to trust me when I say I'm going to make things right. The other day when Sonny was here-."
"I don't want to hear it." Sam stiffened and pushed up but Jason banded his arms around her.
"Wait, let me finish. Please."
Sam sighed and stayed, but her body stayed tense.
"Before Sonny was here, I met with Michael. I asked him for a job at ELQ." Sam's eyes shot to his.
"What?"
"You're looking at the new Head of Security for ELQ. I'll be training, recruiting, and managing security for ELQ and all of their subsidiaries. Spinelli offered to consult between your agency's cases, to handle the cyber security. I start Monday."
Sam felt tears sting her eyes and cursed her pregnancy hormones.
"Really?" Her voice trembled.
Jason nodded. Sam closed her eyes briefly, trying to get a hold of herself. He really was trying to make it up to her. Joining ELQ on top of his excitement and happiness over the pregnancy was going a long way towards making things right between them. She'd really wanted to make him suffer, if she was being honest with herself. But she was so damn happy, she didn't want to waste anymore time being mad.
"I'm-I'm-I'm so happy!" She burst out, breaking into sobs. Startled, Jason's eyes widened as he pulled her head down to his chest, hugging her as she cried. He let out a little chuckle.
"You don't sound happy." He joked. Sam lifted wet, sparkling eyes towards him.
"I am! I-I-I really am." She choked out, sniffling and shaking her head. "I just can't stop crying. I don't get it. I wasn't like this with Danny! But now I'm so emotional!" She sobbed out her last word, covering her face with her hands. Jason couldn't help laughing, hugging her tighter.
"God, I love you."
"I love you too." She managed between cries.
"Congratulations, Sam. You're definitely pregnant." Dr. Lee smiled down at Sam, who grinned at her and turned damp eyes to Jason, who leaned forward and kissed her gently.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Morgan." He whispered.
Kelly smiled at them, always pleased to see a couple as in love with each other as these two obviously were.
"Let's take a look. Brace yourself, Sam, this will be cold."
Sam inhaled sharply as the Dr. Lee squirted the cold gel onto her stomach, giggling a little. She turned her head to look at the monitor as the screen flashed and her eyes immediately zeroed in on the little blurb on the screen that was her baby. A fast, steady pulsing sound filled the room and Sam gasped.
"Is that-?"
Dr. Lee smiled and nodded.
"Your baby's heartbeat. It's nice and strong. The baby looks good. I'd say you're about ten weeks along."
Sam and Jason held hands, grinning stupidly as Dr. Lee went through the usual spiel about size and took measurements of the baby. Jason glanced away, using his knuckle to catch the tear that escaped. He glanced down at Sam and chuckled to see the tears just streaming down her face.
A few minutes later, they were strolling hand in hand out of the doctor's office, the sonogram photos clutched in Sam's hand. Jason had an arm around Sam, and his head tilted towards her as he whispered to her, so he didn't see Elizabeth until she stopped right in front of them.
"Jason! I'm so glad we ran into each other. We haven't had a chance to catch up since you found out who you were. We should get together-." Elizabeth was beaming up at him, but her smile faltered as he cut her off, without ever looking away from Sam.
"Let's just pretend I still don't know who I am and we don't know each other." He said dismissively, guiding Sam around Elizabeth without pause. "Come on, let's get you and the baby something to eat."
Sam didn't bother to hide her smile as they strolled away, leaving Elizabeth squawking behind them.
"Jason? Wait, the baby?!"
Jason rolled his eyes and got the elevator with Sam.
"She's the last person I wanted to run into today." He muttered.
"Since when?" Sam could have slapped herself for saying it.
Jason sighed.
"Since she tried to convince me that Danny wasn't yours and he was dead. I'm never going to forgive her for that. Believe me, Sam. Of all the problems we may face in the future, Elizabeth will never be one of them."
Sam let that sink in for a moment, before linking arms and grinning up at him.
"Good."
"Oh my God! Seriously?! I never would have guessed!"
"Wow. Seriously, mind blown!"
Sam sat in her mother's living room watching her sisters widen their eyes comically and burst out laughing.
"Okay, okay. How long have you two known?"
Molly smirked.
"For a little while now."
Kristina laughed.
"Molly told me her suspicions, but I knew for sure when we met for lunch the other day."
Sam shook her head.
"Why didn't you say something?"
"We didn't want to get your hopes up if we were wrong. When did the lightbulb finally turn on?" Molly asked, placing a hand on Sam's still flat stomach.
"It didn't." Sam laughed. "Jason's the one who figured it out. Four pregnancy tests and one trip to Dr. Lee later and it's confirmed. I'm ten weeks pregnant."
Molly quirked a brow.
"And how are we feeling about Jason nowadays?"
Sam smiled softly.
"Good. He took a job as Head of Security for ELQ. And he's been amazing with the pregnancy news. I love him, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. He deserves that much."
Kristina's face settled into mutinous lines.
"Personally, I think you should let him suffer some more. Just because you're pregnant-."
"You're pregnant?!"
Sam turned to see Alexis standing in the front door, thrilled surprise on her face. Tears filled her eyes as she nodded at her mother.
Alexis' own eyes filled as she dropped her briefcase on the table and rushed forward to pull her daughter into her arms.
"I'm so happy for you, sweetheart." She said tenderly, before pulling back and holding Sam at arm's length.
"Are you okay? Do you feel alright? Want something to drink? Oh, are you hungry?"
Sam let out a teary laugh and started shake her head when her stomach suddenly growled.
"Actually, yeah. I'm starving." She admitted sheepishly.
Molly and Kristina laughed while Alexis whipped out her phone and Sam laid her head on her mom's shoulder.
"I'm on it!"
"Did I just hear that my wife is hungry?" Sam looked past her mother to see Jason standing there holding up several bags.
Sam clapped happily and rushed forward. Jason grinned and leaned down for a kiss only to frown when Sam ignored him and started bouncing on her toes while she peeked into his bags.
"Bacon!" She cried happily, looking up at Jason. He grinned and once again leaned forward. This time, Sam met his lips with her own before bouncing back and snatching the bag. She hurried to the table and started pulling out several containers of food.
Jason laughed and looked at his sisters-in-law and mother-in-law. Kristina glared back at him, taking him aback. Clearing his throat, he focused on Alexis.
"I brought enough for everyone."
Sam looked up guiltily as she shoved her fourth slice of bacon into her mouth.
"Yeh, come ee wif me." She said around a mouthful of food. Alexis let out a throaty laugh and went to sit beside her daughter, grabbing a container of food. When Sam glanced mournfully between her own dwindling pile of bacon and Alexis' large pile, Alexis laughed again and dropped her bacon onto Sam's plate. Sam beamed at her happily, before snatching up another slice of bacon.
"That much bacon can't be good for you." Molly noted dryly. Sam pulled her plate closer defensively, looking at Molly warily.
Jason chuckled and placed a bowl of oatmeal, half a grapefruit, and a styrofoam cup filled with milk on the table in front of Sam.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she eats healthy. A little bacon here and there won't hurt."
Sam grinned up at him, and watched as he dropped a packet of brown sugar and sprinkled cinnamon onto her oatmeal the way she liked. Kristina watched him take care of Sam without thought, as if it was second nature to him and finally relaxed. If there was thing she never had to doubt, it was how much Jason loved Sam.
Sam obediently finished the oatmeal and grapefruit between slices of bacon, while everyone else ate a variety of eggs, sausage, and pancakes. She was sneaking longing glances at the pancakes and sausage when a plate brimming with pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, and more bacon appeared in front of her. She looked up and sent Jason a glowing smile before digging in.
"You won't be eating like this all the time." Jason warned her, already planning a healthy and nutritious diet for her.
Sam nodded gleefully, her mouth too full to answer. Kristina stared in awe.
"How can someone so tiny pack so much away?" She asked with a shake of her head.
"I was the same way with all of you." Alexis shared, watching her daughters happily. This is when her life felt the most full. When she was surrounded by her girls. Even Jason. But someone was missing.
"Where's my grandson?"
"He's with my mother. She's dropping him off tonight." Jason answered, rubbing Sam's back absently.
"Tell her to drop him off here. I miss him." Alexis demanded.
"Yes, please!" Molly piped in, with Kristina nodding enthusiastically.
Sam swallowed and shook her head.
"Sorry guys, but I missed my little boy. I'll bring him by for a sleepover on the weekend, how's that?"
"Fine." Alexis grumbled unhappily. Sam laughed and turned back to her plate.
"Mommy!" Danny bellowed when Sam opened the door. Sam burst into tears and dropped to her knees, pulling Danny into her arms, dropping kisses all over his face while Danny wrapped his arms and legs around her and knocked her to the floor.
"I missed you too, Mommy. But you don't hafta cry like a big baby." Danny muttered, seemingly embarrassed, though secretly loving the attention. Monica laughed, though she seemed a bit puzzled by Sam's reaction.
She glanced at Jason who grinned and using his hands, mimicked a big belly, and then pointed to Sam. Monica's mouth dropped open and then she gasped, covering her mouth, tears filling her eyes.
"Oh Jason, really?" She asked happily, moving to hug her only living child.
"Congratulations, Grandma." He whispered, hugging her tight.
"Daddy!" Danny shouted, wiggling out of Sam's arms and hurtling towards his father. Jason stepped away from Monica just in time to catch Danny and swing him up into his arms.
"Hey, buddy. I missed you so much."
"You're not gonna cry bout it, are you?" Danny asked, lip curled. Jason shouted with laughter and shook his head.
"No way. I missed you like a man." He teased, dropping his voice to a deep rumble.
"Me too." Danny replied, using his best rumble, which ended up sounded like a monsters growl.
Monica helped Sam to her feet before pulling her into a hug.
"Oh Sam, I'm so very happy for you and Jason. You know how much I adore my grandson, and now you're giving me another grandchild? I couldn't love you more than I already do. You're bringing the Quartermaines back single handedly." She teased. Sam laughed and squeezed Monica tight.
"Hey, what's Port Charles without a gaggle of Quartermaines running around town?" Sam joked.
Shortly after Monica left, Sam and Jason settled in to watch Despicable Me 2 with Danny. They'd agreed to wait to tell him about being a big brother until she was a little further along. Soon, Sam was asleep, her back against Jason's chest, Danny asleep on top of her. Jason stared down at his family, and shifting Danny just a bit off of Sam's stomach, he rested his hand there. Happiness and peace such as he'd never known filled him, and closing his eyes, he slept.
A few weeks later...
"Let's renew our vows."
Sam glanced up, startled. She froze in the process of loading the dishwasher after dinner. She looked up at Jason.
"What?"
Jason took the dish she was still holding out of her hand and slid it onto the rack. Grabbing her hand, he led her to the kitchen table. Pulling a box out of his hand, he opened it and set it on the surface. Nestled in the plush velvet, was a gorgeous, tasteful diamond ring.
"I never did manage to get you another engagement ring after Maxie lost it in the sewer." He said ruefully.
Sam reached a trembling hand out and touched the ring with her fingertips.
"Jason, its perfect."
Jason picked up her hand and slid down to his knees in front of her.
"After my accident, the doctors told me I would always have brain damage, that I would never feel as much as others, or be as smart as I used to be. Meeting you and loving you? Proves how wrong they were. I thought I'd found love before and even after you, but everything pales compared to how I feel about you. You're it for me, Sam. I'm going to love you for the rest of my life. Marrying you is the smartest thing I've ever done. Let me do it again. Marry me again, Sam."
Sam was crying by the time Jason finished and dropped to her knees in front of him, nodding.
"Yes. Yes, Jason, I'll marry you again!"
He slid the ring on her finger, where it nestled perfectly again Lila's wedding band. Cupping Sam's face, he pulled her close, and kissed her tenderly.
"Let me plan it! Please, Sam, let me plan it!" Maxie wheedled, hands clasped together. Carly rolled her eyes.
"You should let me plan it. After all, I've been married the most out of all of us. I know how to throw every kind of wedding. Besides, who knows you and Jason better?" Carly argued, smirking at Maxie. Maxie glared, then turned pleading eyes towards Sam.
Sam sighed, glancing at Jason, trying to avoid hurting anyone's feelings.
"Guys, Jason and I want to keep things small. We've already planned it ourselves. I just wanted to invite you all."
She looked around the penthouse at Carly, Sonny, Maxie and Spinelli, Molly and TJ, Kristina and her girlfriend Valerie, Alexis, Monica, Hayden and Nikolas, and Nattie-who was newly released and still a bit skittish. Lucas and Brad, Michael, Morgan, Dillon, Tracy, Ned and Olivia, Robin and Patrick, and Curtis were there as well.
"Fine." Maxie grumbled, while Spinelli grinned and rubbed her back comfortingly. Carly opened her mouth to argue, but Sonny grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly. Everyone else rushed forward to congratulate them. Sam and Jason glanced at each other with nervous grins. Sam stood up, and although Maxie had noticed Sam's beautiful ivory cocktail dress that fell in gentle folds to swish around her calves, it finally registered what was happening. She glanced at Jason's slacks and blue button up and gasped loudly.
"No!"
Everyone looked at her questioningly.
Sam nodded sheepishly.
"Surprise! You're at our wedding." She announced weakly. Jason reached out and held her hand, giving her strength. Luckily, with the exception of a horrified Maxie, everyone loved the spontaneity and agreed this was vintage Jason and Sam.
Standing in from the fireplace, Spinelli gestured towards Jason and Sam.
"Spinelli! You knew about this!" Maxie hissed, but Spinelli just shushed her and carried on. Grumbling, Maxie slid onto the couch besides Michael, who was doing a poor job of hiding his attraction to Nattie. Monica settled Danny on her lap and watched her family join together again, her thoughts on Alan.
"Friends, family, and loved ones, we're gathered here to witness the reunification of Jason and Samantha, Jasamantha, if you will."
The guests laughed, and Maxie rolled her eyes.
"Jasam would work better, but no one asks me anything." She muttered to herself.
Spinelli rambled on for a bit about the hidden vagaries of love's blossom, and how it persevered through coldest winters, and flourished under the light of the sun. Finally, Jason cleared his throat, glaring at Spinelli.
"Ah, the Stone Cold I know and love. Ahem, well, yes. Moving on, Stone Cold and his Beloved will be sharing their own vows. Stone Cold, you may go first."
Jason picked up Sam's hands and gazed down at her.
"You have been my best friend, lover, playmate, confidante and my greatest challenge. But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible... You have made me a better person. You've given me the greatest gift in the world in our son, and this little one growing inside you." He reached out to gently touch her stomach, as those guests that were unaware gasped and beamed with happiness.
"Seeing you as a mother showed me that even though I didn't think it was possible to love someone more, I could still fall deeper in love with you. I will spend the rest of ours lives together loving you more than I did the day before. I fought my way back to you, Sam, because there is nothing that can keep us apart, not even death itself."
Sam dabbed at her tears and cleared her throat.
"When I thought I lost you, I felt as if the bottom had dropped out of my world. The steady security of your love was gone and I was lost. And then I found you, broken and damaged in the streets and I felt this irresistible pull to you that I couldn't fight and couldn't explain. I fell in love with the man you became. Desperately and completely. When I realized that my Jace was really my Jason, it was as it my world fell back onto its axis and the ground reappeared beneath my feet. You make me whole, Jason." Sam paused to wipe her tears and take a steadying breath.
"When I was a little girl, I used to dream about the family I never had and always wanted. Together with you and Danny, and our new little one, my life feels fuller and more perfect than any dream I've ever had. I will thank God everyday for bringing you back to me, and I am never letting you go again."
The guests had to dab at their eyes as Jason and Sam's words left them moved.
"I, Jason, take you, Sam, to be my partner in the adventure that lies in front of us. I promise to walk by your side to the ends of the earth. To love, encourage, and support you in your every endeavor. I commit to opening myself up completely to you and share with you my entire being. To share your laughter as well as tears. I take you as my wife for now until the end of time and beyond."
Jason slid Lila's ring back onto Sam's finger.
"I, Sam, take you, Jason, to be my partner in the adventure that lies in front of us. I promise to walk by your side to the ends of the earth. To love, encourage, and support you in your every endeavor. I commit to opening myself up completely to you and share with you my entire being. To share your laughter as well as tears. I take you as my husband for now until the end of time and beyond." Sam was crying now, as she slid Alan's ring back onto Jason's finger.
Spinelli beamed at them.
"Jason and Sam, I now pronounce you, husband and wife, again! You may now kiss the bride."
Jason yanked Sam forward to the delight of the guests and dipped her backwards for a long, tender kiss that had several guests cheering.
"Oh boy, not again!" Danny sighed loudly. Jason and Sam smiled against each other's lips before sinking back into the kiss, while the guests burst into laughter.
After several slices of cake and dancing at least once with everyone there, Sam was practically sleeping on her feet. After Jason had to move lightning fast to stop her head from dropping down onto the plate of cake, Jason finally called it a night. Scooping his sleepy bride up into his arms, he waited for their guests to leave. Alexis took Danny with her, and Jason carried Sam up to their room. Content just to hold her in his arms, he was surprised when Sam turned towards him, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. They made slow, passionate love by candlelight, celebrating their love and the brilliant future ahead of them.
"I can't believe I ruined our honeymoon! It took so much for us to decide to go back to Hawaii and all I did was throw up." Sam pouted miserably from the bed. Jason lay beside her and smiled softly.
"You didn't ruin anything. We were together, so as far as I'm concerned our honeymoon was perfect. Besides, the house you picked out is a perfect place to bring the kids to on our next family vacation."
Sam's eyes brimmed with tears as she nodded.
"You're right. It was perfect. And so are you."
"You are such a jackass!" Sam snapped, shoving Jason away from her. Jason stared at her, nonplussed.
"What? What did I do?"
Sam paused, trying to remember why she'd gotten so mad out of nowhere but drawing a blank.
"I can NOT believe you just asked me that! You know what you did." She insisted stubbornly, padding away, her hand resting on her now popping belly.
At five months, Sam's mood swings were at an all time high. Jason was happily walking on eggshells. He hadn't been there for her when she was pregnant with Danny, so he was enjoying every second of this wonderful but at times hellish, pregnancy.
"You're right, Sam. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."
Sam paused, looking back at him suspiciously.
"For what?"
Jason paused before running through their conversation from the past ten minutes and hazarding a guess.
"For telling you that you've been eating too much bacon lately?"
"Oh yeah! You implied I'm gaining too much weight! Jackass!"
Jason stared at her before pointing accusatorily.
"You didn't even know why you were mad at me!"
Sam narrowed her eyes.
"Well, I know now." She said between her teeth, and Jason flinched.
"No, no, you're right. That's not important. What's important is that I'm so sorry. I was insensitive and totally wrong. You're beautiful."
Sam's lower lip trembled.
"It's just that it seems like the baby really loves bacon."
Jason had to bite back a smile.
"Of course, and I want you to indulge in any craving you have. You've been eating so well otherwise, so I was wrong to bring it up."
Sam sighed.
"I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch. You're right, I need to calm down on the bacon. I'm sorry, Jason."
"It's okay, baby."
"So you think that I'm being a bitch?" Sam huffed indignantly.
Jason sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Let's see if the baby feels like cooperating this time." Dr. Lee said, moving the ultrasound wand over Sam's swollen belly. Sam looked up at Jason with hope.
"You ready to find out?"
"You know I don't care if we have a boy or a girl, as long as he or she is healthy." Jason reassured her. Sam threw him a knowing look.
"Bull. You want a girl."
Jason paused and then shrugged.
"I wouldn't be upset if we had a little girl with your face and gorgeous brown hair."
Sam smiled, touched. She reached up and cupped his face.
"And your blue eyes."
"Well, I can't promise how she'll look, but congratulations. You're definitely having a girl." Kelly announced with a grin.
Sam and Jason stared at their little girl on the ultrasound machine, tears in their eyes.
"Jason." Sam whispered happily. Jason held her hand, and leaned downs pressing his cheek against hers.
"That's our little girl." He replied, staring at the little girl who already had him wrapped around her finger.
"I think it's time we told Danny he's going to be a big brother." Jason announced. He and Sam were entwined on the couch, watching Transformers for the fourth time. Sam couldn't quite understand it herself, but since she got pregnant, the movie just made her really happy.
"Why do you say that?" She asked, absently rubbing her rounded belly, smiling when her little girl bumped against her hand.
Jason grinned down at her, covering her belly with both hands, thrilling in the kicks of his princess.
"Danny saw the baby moving in your stomach while you were sleeping this morning. He came running to me, terrified. He thinks there's an alien sleeping in your tummy."
Sam burst out laughing. She struggled to untangle herself from Jason and push into a sitting position.
"Yep. Definitely time." She finally managed to choke out, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Danny! Come here, buddy."
Danny glanced up from his toys, before dropping them and running over. He stopped in front of her, watching her stomach warily. Sam was about to speak when he beat her to it.
"Mommy, don't be 'fraid. But dere's an alien in your tummy. Daddy can save you, right, Daddy?"
Sam bit her lip, trying desperately not to laugh because although Danny was being very brave, she could see genuine worry in his eyes.
"It's okay, Danny, that's not an alien in my tummy. It's a baby. Mommy and Daddy are having another baby." She explained gently.
"You're gonna be a big brother, son." Jason added. Danny turned wide, excited eyes to them.
"I'm be a big brudder? There's a baby in there?!" He screamed excitedly, pointing at Sam's stomach.
They laughed and nodded.
"That's right, buddy. Your mommy is pregnant with a little girl, so you're going to have a little sister that you can protect and teach all about being a Morgan."
"Wow. A seester." Danny said wonderingly. "Das cool!" He shouted suddenly, doing a little jig in place.
"Are you excited, baby?" Sam asked with a smile.
"Yeah!" He shouted at top volume, making her wince.
"Okay, baby. I'm happy that you're happy."
Danny paused, his falling a little.
"Will...will I still be your baby when my seester comes home?"
Sam's heart squeezed and she reached out to pull Danny into her arms.
"Oh sweetheart, you'll always be my baby boy, even when you're as big as Daddy. Daddy and I will love you forever and ever, just like we'll love your little sister forever and ever."
"That's right, son. You'll always be my little man, just like your sister will be my little girl."
Danny nodded, reassured. Wiggling free, he started to walk away before pausing and turning back.
"Wait a minute. How did my seester get inside your belly, Mommy?"
Sam and Jason paled, staring at each other. They were so not ready for this conversation.
"Well, um. You see...Jason?" Sam turned to him, at a loss for words. Jason stared at her in a panic before turning to Danny, a nervous grin on his face.
"Who wants ice cream?" He asked out of desperation.
"Me!" Danny shouted, his question forgotten as he turned and ran to the kitchen. Jason glanced at Sam and she gave him a thumbs up, appreciating his quick thinking.
"What about Emily?" Monica suggested hesitantly.
"It's a beautiful name and I think-." Sam started but Jason shook his head.
"Sorry, Mom. You know how much I loved my sister, but we decided that we're not going to name her after anyone specific."
Monica looked crestfallen and Sam hurried to speak.
"But we named Danny after my brother and I think it would be nice if we honored your sister-."
Jason shook his head again. Sam frowned stubbornly.
"I think Emily would make a lovely middle name too. But if not, I promise it wouldn't bother me." Monica offered softly, trying to break the growing tension between the two. Sam beamed at her, then shot Jason a look. Sighing, he nodded.
"Emily would make a beautiful middle name." He agreed. "But for her first name, we want to give her name with significance to just the two of us."
"Like what, Honolulu Morgan?" Tracy sneered from the doorway. Sam and Jason rolled their eyes and Monica hissed at Tracy.
"You know, this is MY house. Alan gave it to me. If you can't be civil to my son and daughter-in-law, then feel free to leave."
Now it was Tracy's turn to roll her eyes as she made herself a martini.
"Calm down, Monica. It was just a joke. I'm sure they have something else in mind for their little con artist mobster hybrid. Smith and Wesson Morgan. Mafiosa Morgan. Oh God, wait. Don't tell me you're going to name her Sonny!" Even Monica stared at them in alarm.
Sam laughed and shook her head, used to Tracy's rudeness.
"No, we're not. We were thinking of naming her after you. Although we were going to go with your traditional name. Beezlebub." Sam smiled sweetly. Tracy stared at her in shock before shouting with laughter.
"Beezlebub. Good one." She cackled as she made her way out of the room.
Monica and Jason were still laughing when Sam turned back to them.
"Our family and friends are seriously twisted." Sam said with a laugh as she and Jason organized the gifts they got at their baby shower earlier in the day.
Jason looked up and grinned, nodding.
"So the leather jacket and black booties were from Sonny and Carly, right?" Sam asked, jotting it down in a notebook.
"Uh, no, that was from Kristina. Sonny and Carly got the stroller with the motorcycle design."
Shaking her head, Sam fixed her notes.
"What about the themed onesies?" She asked, grinning down at them and their personalized themes: "My Daddy's Got a Gun", "My Mommy's Got her Eye On You" with a little magnifying glass, "Mob Princess", "Enforcer's Little Girl", "Quartermaine Heiress" and "Future President of ELQ".
"That was Michael and Morgan." Jason said with a laugh.
"Molly got her the library card and the entire Jane Austen collection." Sam continued writing everything down.
"Alexis got her the rattle shaped like a gavel and the bassinet. Spinelli gave her a custom made baby-sized laptop that plays classical music. My mom brought the crib and rocking chair they used for me."
"And my brother bought the little baby scrubs and stethoscope. Brad brought a science set for Danny. Hayden and Nattie brought the diaper basket and bags of clothes. Maxie brought the line of baby clothes custom made by Feddie."
"Who the hell is Feddie?" Jason mumbled, rummaging through the fancy dresses Maxie had brought.
"It's a big deal, trust me." Sam said dryly, writing the next name down.
"Let me guess, Nikolas brought this?" Jason said, holding out an ornate, jewel-encrusted wooden box. Inside was a solid gold baby brush, comb, and rattle.
Sam grinned and nodded.
"Let's get the rest tomorrow. I'm exhausted." Sam said, yawning. Jason agreed quickly after a look at the huge pile of gifts they still had to go through.
"You hungry?"
Sam nodded sleepily.
"Something light, though. Some fruit. Oh and maybe a grilled cheese sandwich. Ooh, or a chicken quesadilla! Or both!"
Jason laughed but got up and went into the kitchen. He came back out thirty minutes later to find Sam curled up on the couch, sound asleep. He st in front of her and watched her sleep for a few minutes, a tender look on his face. After a few minutes, he held the plate in front of her nose with one hand, and used the other to waft the scent towards her. Her eyes snapped open and locked on the plate. She snatched the plate as Jason helped her sit up. Jason watched with a smile on her face as she made quick work of the quesadilla and apple slices.
She raised sad eyes up to meet his.
"No grilled cheese?"
Jason laughed and held out a second plate.
Sam smiled widely and took the plate, munching on the grilled cheese and grapes on that plate.
"You want some?" She asked belatedly.
Jason grinned and shook his head.
"I ate while I cooked." He'd learned the hard way that if he wanted to eat his own food, he had to do it before he sat down with Sam or chances were, she'd steal his food too. Not that he minded.
"God, I'm such a cow." Sam moaned, leaning back and rubbing her belly with satisfaction.
Jason laughed and pulled her feet into his lap, massaging them, making her moan happily.
"Sam, you're all belly. You eat healthy, and you still work out. Dr. Lee said you're right on track with your weight gain."
"Good because I'm still hungry." Sam admitted with a sheepish grin.
Jason laughed, not surprised.
"What are you in the mood for?"
"Fruit salad."
Jason leaned forward and kissed her lips.
"You got it."
…
"Sam, we're gonna be late for Sonny and Carly's engagement party!" Jason called out, standing at the door.
"I'm not coming! It's not like they won't have another one in a year or so!" She hollered back. Jason could hear the tremble in her voice through the sarcasm and bounded up the stairs. Sam stood in front of the mirror, hands clutching her shirt together, staring at herself.
"What's going on? What's wrong, baby?" He asked quickly, walking up behind her.
Sam met his eyes in the mirror. Slowly, she let go of her shirt, revealing several of the buttons across her stomach had popped off, leaving a gaping hole.
"I've been able to fit most of my regular clothes this whole time but now I can't. Nothing fits me anymore!" She wailed, suddenly bursting into tears.
Jason had to bite back a grin.
"Baby, you're seven months pregnant. Of course you're old clothes don't fit anymore. But that's a good thing." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and cupped her belly.
"It means our little girl is growing big and strong inside of you."
Sam sniffled and nodded.
"You're right. Of course, you're right. I'll be right down, I'm going to change into some maternity clothes."
Jason dropped a kiss on top of her head and jogged back down the stairs to wait for her. A few minutes later, Sam walked down the stairs with a sheepish smile, looking lovely in a light blue maxi dress, her large belly on display.
"Beautiful." Jason whispered, meaning every word. Sam stopped in front of him so he could help her with her jacket. Except when he pulled it closed to zip it, it wouldn't reach past her stomach. Sam raised tear-filled eyes to his.
"I'm staying home!" She cried out, turning and stomping up the stairs.
Jason sighed, cursing himself.
"I want to name her Mikaela." Sam announced suddenly. Jason closed his eyes and sighed.
"Sam, I don't want to name her after a character from Transformers."
"Why not? She's a beautiful, independent, loyal, fierce badass. Isn't that how you describe me?" Sam argued stubbornly.
"Yes but Sam, you didn't even like this movie before you were pregnant." Jason said patiently.
"Yeah, well, I do now. Jason, we've watched this movie together like twelve times in the past eight months or so. It's kind of like, our movie now. That means something to me."
Jason sighed.
"Are you serious?"
Sam crossed her arms across her chest.
"Mikaela Emily Morgan. M&M. I like it."
"Last week you wanted to name her Katherine after the lead from McClintock. Before that, you were set on Isabel, from Fools Rush In. You thought both of them were fierce, beautiful, and badass too, if I remember correctly. And we've watched those movies almost as much as Transformers." Jason reminded her. Sam glared at him.
"So then I've given you three choices! Isabel Emily Morgan, Katherine Emily Morgan, or Mikaela Emily Morgan. Choose or I will." She said through clenched teeth, annoyed.
Jason shook his head.
"I still like Julianna."
Sam shook her head.
"Too close to Julian. And we are NOT naming my daughter after my absentee dad."
"So why are you asking me if you don't even care what I think?" Jason was beginning to get annoyed now too.
"I do care what you think! You just keep thinking of stupid names. That's not my fault." Sam shot back.
"Really, Sam? That's nice."
Sam shrugged and looked away, rubbing her stomach. After a minute she turned to look back at him.
"I'm sorry, Jason. It's just that we're only a few weeks away from my due date and we still haven't picked out a name. And I know you think I'm silly for wanting to name our daughter after a character from one of my favorite movies. But they really do have significance for me. We never got to do any of this with Danny."
She swiped at a tear that dropped down her cheek.
"You've been here for everyday of this pregnancy. Every craving I had, you've filled. You've been to every doctor's appointment, every birthing class, every shopping trip. And we've laid in each other's arms, month after month as our little girl grew inside me, watching these movies. And you never complained, never fell asleep, never got bored. And I can't tell you how much that means to me. And everytime we watch these movies, I think about how much I love you and how lucky me and our little ones are to have you in our lives."
Stunned and touched, Jason stared at Sam, speechless. He dropped his forehead against hers, swallowing several times before he could speak.
"So Mikaela, Isabel, or Katherine, huh?" He choked out, his throat working.
Sam smiled and nodded softly.
"Now, Daddies, sit behind Mommy, and place your hands on her lower back. We've gone over massaging your wife during her pregnancy, but this time, we're going to talk about go time. Some women experience their labor pains in their back rather than their stomachs, so a massage during labor can help her immensely."
Jason placed his hands on Sam's back, and looked around nervously, trying to make sure he was doing it right. If he could relieve any of Sam's pain, he wanted to.
"Mr. Morgan, you are just the cutest thing ever. You can just see how much he cares about his wife's pain. Why don't you two adorable things come up to the front so everyone can see?"
Jason looked up uncomfortably.
"Yeah, no, we're good here." He muttered.
Sam grinned at his discomfort.
"I insist. Come on. Help your gorgeous wife up and scootch on up to the front." The overly cheerful birthing coach smiled widely and plopped her hands on her hips to wait for them.
Gritting his teeth, Jason glared at her.
"No, really. We're fine here." He insisted.
"No, really. Up front." The coach's smile dimmed a bit before she forced it back on her face, wider and more determined than ever.
Sam laughed and held her hands up.
"Give it up, Jason. Up front, babe." She said with glee. Sighing heavily, shooting daggers at the triumphant birthing coach, Jason stood and helped Sam to her feet.
Once they were in the front of the class, the other dads staring at him pityingly, the birthing coach continued with the lesson. Every now and then, she pointed out how well Jason was doing to the glass. Every time she did it, Jason tensed up and glared at her. Sam was struggling not to laugh. That woman was apparently impervious to the glare of Stone Cold, as Spinelli put it.
"Okay, moving on. Next, we'll show you how to help massage your wife's breasts, to better stimulate milk release. When the breasts become too swollen with milk, they can become engorged, causing your wives great pain and discomfort. This can lead to mastitis."
Jason looked at Sam in alarm.
"No. Hell, no. Sam, I'm not massaging your breasts in front of all these people."
Sam laughed.
"No one's going to be looking at you. They'll all be preoccupied with their own wives breasts."
"Samantha is right, Mr. Morgan. Come now, you don't want her to be in pain, do you? After all, she'll have just gone through the excruciating pain of childbirth. Do you really want her to have to endure any more?"
"Excruciating?" Sam repeated nervously, remembering Danny's birth.
Jason glared at the coach who had the grace to blush guiltily.
"You'll be fine, sweetheart. You strike me as the kind of woman who can survive anything." She hurried to reassure Sam, who nodded shakily.
"Let's get this over with." Jason muttered.
The coach knew not to push any further than that and bustled away, calling out directions.
It was a lot less awkward than Jason had expected, and he found himself fascinated in the myriad of ways he could help Sam's milk come down.
"Wonderful! Just wonderful, Mr. Morgan. Class, just look at how Mr. Morgan cups Samantha's breasts firmly but gently, guiding her milk-."
"Nope! Nope!" Jason barked, moving to block the classes view of Sam, while glaring at the coach.
"Stop telling these people to stare at my wife's breasts." Jason snapped at the coach, who rolled her eyes.
"Not at her breasts, at your hand movements." She argued impatiently.
"My hands ON my wife's breasts!"
"No one was looking at Samantha's breasts, right class?" She called out, annoyed.
"I was." One of the men muttered, earning a sharp elbow from his wife and a killing glare from Jason. It was the latter that had the blood draining from his face.
Sam couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing. Jason and the coach turned to look at her in surprise, before smiling too. Jason watched as Sam held her giant belly and laughed so hard tears were streaming down her face.
"Oh my god! Your face!" She squealed between laughs, pointing at Jason. Her laughter was contagious and before long, the entire class was laughing, even Jason.
"I can't! I can't, I-oh!" Sam stopped laughing suddenly, her eyes wide.
"What? What's wrong, what happened?" Jason asked sharply, staring at her.
Sam looked down and Jason followed her eyes. There was a growing puddle of water beneath her. She raised excited eyes to meet his.
"My water just broke."