At one point, the short story Everytime was going to be a longer story about Sam and Elizabeth, but I wrote it during the really short window in which I liked Sam as a character. Most of the time, if she’s worth anything as a character, I have to ignore most of what’s happened on GH. (She should still be in jail for what she did to Jake). So I ended up abandoning the idea.

But I did write a second part, which I discarded when I decided not to continue and since it’s not that great to begin with, I didn’t include it as part of the first story (which I don’t like much either, ha).

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July 3, 2004

Hardy House

Elizabeth set Cameron in the downstairs bassinet before rushing across the room to answer the ringing telephone. “Hello?”

“Do you know what I had to go through to get this number?” Sam shook her head. “I had to ask Jason to ask his sister and then Emily harped on him for almost an hour, trying to figure out why he’d want your number. The poor baby.”

“Hey, Sam.” Elizabeth shifted the cordless to her space between her shoulder and cheek and moved back to check on the baby. “Why would Emily give Jason a hard time?”

“Because she’s not satisfied if she doesn’t know everything that’s going on with everyone at all times,” Sam mused. “I told you–she’s a brat. Anyway, that’s not what’s important.”

“Oh? Then what is?”

“You. Bring that kid of yours to the penthouse for lunch. You can look at the stuff I’ve bought for my baby and I can see if I can hold a baby without dropping him. I’ll see you around noon,” Sam told her and hung up the phone without giving Elizabeth a chance to decline.

Elizabeth clicked the phone off and set it on a nearby table. “So, Sport, you want to go over to Harborview Towers and chance running into my least favorite person?”

Cameron gurgled happily and his mother smirked. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.”

Morgan Penthouse

Sam hung up the phone and turned to an amused Jason. “You can stay for lunch too,” she said with a teasing smile.

“No thanks,” Jason remarked. “What’s your sudden interest in Elizabeth anyway?”

“Let’s see–she didn’t automatically call me a whore or a tramp, so she’s a step above the other women in your life. She doesn’t look at me with that pity look, so she’s better than your sister.” Sam ticked the reasons off on her fingers. “And she’s the only person who doesn’t think I’m ruining your life. Gee, I can’t imagine why I’d like her.”

“Fine, but–”

Sam rolled her eyes, impatiently. “Because I’ve been where she is right now. She’s feeling like crap and everyone she knows is too busy to be there for her. I could use a friend that’s not you and she could use a friend that’s not going to screw her husband or ex-boyfriend, okay?” She folded her arms. “And besides, what do you care? Oh, by the way, this penthouse is nice and all but I’m not raising my daughter across the hall from Vito Corleone and the human twig, okay?”

Jason blinked and shook his head. “I’m sorry–what?”

“So, I don’t care if we move into another apartment or a house, but we are not staying here.” Sam crossed her arms and lifted her chin stubbornly. “Got that?”

“Where did the Sam from yesterday go?” Jason wondered, more to himself than to her. “You said you loved Sonny–you said–”

“Sonny decided that me and my kid weren’t as good as his real family and dumped me on you. That’s fine–whatever. I’m used to being disposed of and sent away.” She shook her head. “But I grew up believing I was trash and that somehow, it was okay to do that kind of stuff to someone like me. I can’t change where I come from, Jason and I can’t change what people think about me.” She sighed. “But I sat and listened to this poor girl–this girl with a great family and great friends, who came from a good background–tell me about the people who were supposed to love and who disposed of her just as easily as people have me. And you know what I realized? It doesn’t matter who you are, how you grew up–no one deserves to be thrown away like trash and I’m sick of it.”

Elevators

A few hours later, the doors slid open and Elizabeth maneuvered the stroller into the hallway.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Carly Corinthos snipped, folding her thin arms across her chest. “Your marriage is over, you’re coming back to latch onto Jason again? What is it with you, Elizabeth? From Lucky to Jason to Lucky to Zander to Jason–what kind of tramp–”

“I don’t know what kind of mother you are but I prefer if that sort of language weren’t spoken in front of my son,” Elizabeth interrupted coolly.

Carly narrowed her eyes. “You’re suggesting that I’m a bad mother?” she almost shrieked.

“I’m not suggesting anything,” Elizabeth said flatly.

Carly took a step towards her but the door to the Morgan penthouse flew open and Sam came into the hall. “Oh, good. I see you’ve met the anorexic princess,” Sam said to Elizabeth. “Why don’t you wait for me inside?”

“You’re here to see Sam?” Carly snorted. “Two of a kind. You both just can’t let Jason go–”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Elizabeth interrupted. “Little Miss Carly Corinthos who can’t break a nail without running to Jason to solve her problems. Why do you think the man can’t function in a healthy relationship? Because you have him on speed dial,” the brunette spat.

“He was functioning just fine with Courtney,” Carly said triumphantly.

“Yeah, but she divorced him,” Sam supplied helpfully. “And then she took up with a cop and now it’s Sonny’s least favorite person in the world, so tell me how Jason’s relationship with the Steroid Barbie was healthy?”

“What is it with you and the names?” Carly threw up her hands in frustration.

“I just like coming up with fun ways to describe you,” Sam remarked sweetly. “By the way–Jason and I are moving out of the building. We’re getting an unlisted phone number and I’ll tie him to the bed before he gives it to you.” She tilted her head towards the penthouse. “Come on, I’ve got lunch ready.”

They left Carly sputtering in the hallway and went inside the penthouse. “Are you guys really moving out?” Elizabeth asked when Sam had shut the door.

“Hell, yes. I told Jason this morning. And I have got that man so confused he doesn’t know whether to tie his hair or comb his shoes.” Sam crossed to the kitchen. “I just made sandwiches for lunch ’cause cooking is just not my thing, you know?”

“That’s fine.” Elizabeth locked the stroller and lifted Cameron into her arms. “Hey, there, buddy, thanks for not crying out there,” she murmured. She kissed his forehead and leaned her cheek against his smooth skin. “You miss California? I know I do. All that open space and the vineyards with no one who knows us.” She sighed. “Some days–”

Sam was deliberately stalling in the kitchen because she knew Jason would be in any second and she just–she wanted to see them interact. She wanted to be sure of what she suspected.

Jason had done a lot for her and she figured that the least she could do was fix this for him.

Elizabeth was murmuring to her son in a love voice and had crossed to the other side of the room–to the window that Jason spent so much time looking out of. “Can you see the harbor, Cam? Look at all the pretty boats and the smooth blue water.”

Cameron gurgled and reached out with his fist. “Yeah,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Pretty scenery. See that big house? That’s where Mama’s best friend used to live.” Would live again one day, Elizabeth hoped. “And your daddy used to work on those docks. He really liked the water, he used to talk about running away to Florida.”

The door opened behind them and Jason stopped at the sight of Elizabeth standing at the window, holding Cameron. She turned and instinctively smiled at him, remembering his kindness the last time she’d seen him. “Jason. Hey.”

“Elizabeth.” He hesitated. “You–it’s good to see you again.” He closed the door and looked around. “Where’s–?” he faltered. How could he talk to her after Sam’s words the previous night? After hearing the conversation between the two women?

“Sam’s in the kitchen.” Elizabeth moved away from the window and Cameron started to squirm in her arms. “This–this is Cameron Alexander.” She looked at her son. “Cam, this is Mama’s friend, Jason.”

“He’s beautiful.” Something twisted in his chest. And if you had any sense in that head of yours, you wouldn’t have let Elizabeth Webber get five feet out your door. Maybe you’d have an actual biological child rather than more of Sonny’s hand-me-downs.

Elizabeth laughed. “It’s good to hear someone else say that or else I start to think he’s got a face only a mother could love.” She shifted him to her other arm. “I’m beginning to wish I’d brought something to put him in. I can’t hold him all day.”

Jason moved then and took one of the baby blankets from the couch. He spread it out over the floor. “Michael used to–he used to love to just lay on his stomach and look around,” he said after a moment, feeling self-conscious.

Elizabeth smiled and gently set Cameron down, delighted when he lifted his head to gurgle at her. “He’s so big,” she murmured. “I can hardly believe it sometimes.” She looked up at him. “I was–I was all alone out there in California and at first–it was really hard. I didn’t know anything about being a mother and there wasn’t anyone there to help. So I just–I remembered what you’d told me about being Michael’s father.”

“You just–listen to the baby and pay attention,” Jason shrugged. “He’ll tell you what he wants in his own way.”

“Exactly. You know–I thought I was prepared for this but God, Jason, I’m somebody’s mother.” Her eyes were sparkling in a way they hadn’t in a long time and he was grateful for that.

Having assured herself that her earlier suspicions were correct, Sam left the kitchen with a tray of sandwiches and some iced tea. “Sorry it took so long,” she said with a smile as she set the tray on the pool table. Jason sent her a pointed glance. “Oh–Jase, I got into it with the twig outside so um, I kind of told her our moving plans.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “Sam–”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Sam rolled her eyes. “She was going at Elizabeth and saying some really inappropriate things in front of Cameron–” she stopped and noticed Cameron looking up at her intently from the floor. “And wow–there he is.” She stepped back nervously. “Should he be on the floor like that? What if you forget he’s there and step on him?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Why don’t you pick him up?”

Sam looked at her dubiously before squatting and lifting the boy into her arms. “Oh wow–” She cradled him closely. “He smells like baby powder,” she murmured, shifting her grip and imitating what she’d seen other mothers do. “Hey, there, Cameron. Aren’t you a handsome little boy?”

“See–it’s not so bad,” Elizabeth told her. “Bet you can’t wait for your baby now, huh?”

“Just three and half more months,” Sam murmured. “I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone.”

“Do you know what you’re going to name her?” Elizabeth asked curiously, looking at Jason.

“Uh–” Sam blinked. “Name. Jason?”

“That’s–that’s your field,” Jason said firmly. “It was hard enough to name Michael much less choose god parents.”

Now Sam was truly panicked. “God parents?” she squeaked. “I have to choose god parents and a name?” She exhaled slowly. “No, okay. No, I can do this. I’ll just–” She hesitated. “I think Emily gave me a baby name book. I could just pick a name at random.”

She handed Cameron to an unsuspecting Jason before dashing up the stairs. Jason hesitated before looking down at the startled boy’s face. Cameron blinked up at him before fussing a little at being in another stranger’s arms.

“Have you seen Ric since you’ve been back?” Jason asked after a moment of awkward silence.

“Yeah.” Elizabeth folded her arms tightly. “When I first came home, I brought Cameron to him and then–I saw him last night.” She bit her lip. “He didn’t see me.”

“Speaking of that–” Sam said from the stairs, a thick book in her hands. “Do you think Justus would be available to handle her divorce? Since Alexis is unavailable?”

“She’s not going to take your case?” Jason asked, surprised.

“I’m not going to ask her,” Elizabeth said simply, surprised that Sam had even brought it up. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable–knowing that there’s a relationship between them.” After a moment, she said, “I could pay him whatever his fee is. I just–I want that part of my life over.”

“He’s no fan of Ric’s, I’m sure he’ll take the case,” Jason told her. He stepped towards her. “I have head back to work, so–” he handed Cameron to her almost reluctantly, his hands resting on her forearms briefly as she adjusted Cameron into her embrace. “It was good to see you, Elizabeth. You look–” he hesitated and swallowed. “You look happier than when you left.”

“You do, too,” Elizabeth murmured and Sam briefly wondered if she was even in the room anymore.