Chapter 1: One Cold November Morning

Jason Morgan awoke to the high pitch shrill of his alarm clock. He seldom used the horrid device but today he had to be up early. Normally Jason's work kept him out late so he slept in, but not this morning. He had an order to be picked up downtown and then had a meeting that there was no way he was going to miss. He hadn't missed this meeting in the past six years and he wasn't about to start today.

Jason walked down the stairs of his pent house. The entire place was dark just as it had been every morning for the past three years. He had lived in the same apartment for many years and was still shocked at how empty the place felt. He hadn't lived with anyone since he and Sam had parted ways and this apartment was never the same. She had made it a home and it hadn't felt like one since she left. He stumbled into the kitchen thinking about making some breakfast but knew that today coffee would be best. Looking at the empty kitchen he remembered all those burnt meals and the subsequent take out. Sam had never been a good cook and he only knew how to make a few dishes himself. They had often spent their nights eating dinner in the living room at the coffee table. They were not the kind of couple that sat down to the perfect meal in the dining room. They preferred a more casual atmosphere. Jason knew that this was not the case for most couples but it had worked for them.

Shocked at the memories that were flowing through his mind Jason shook his head and forced them out. It had been a long time since he and Sam had cared for each other. OK that wasn't true. Jason knew that despite all the bad things that happened between them he still cared for Sam, deep down he still loved her. That's what made today especially hard.

Jason needed to snap himself back into the present so he got dressed, grabbed his keys of the desk, slipped on his leather jacket and headed out the door. He was leaving a little earlier than he had planned but he could not stand to be in the apartment with all the memories that were flowing through his mind. Being outside would be much better there weren't as many intimate memories to relive out in public. He and Sam had also shared bad times in that apartment but the good far outweighed the bad. There were many things that had been said and done between them that weren't good for either of them. He had forgiven Sam for everything that she had done but he knew that there was no way she was going to forgive him.

The cold November air hit Jason Morgan's lungs like a splash of cold water. It was just what he needed. It was just the shock his system needed to wash away the memories he had been reliving. But this relief was only for a short time. As soon as he became accustomed to the cool November air all the memories came flooding back. He wanted to get rid of all these memories for good but there was no way that was going to happen so he decided it would be best to spend the today alone.

As he walked down the street his cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID he noticed that it was Sonny Corinthos. He sighed at the sight of the name, this was the last thing he needed to day. Jason had worked for Sonny for a long time and knew that if Sonny was calling this early in the morning it was probably important. Jason sighed one last time and answered the phone.

"Hello" Jason said

"Jason, we have a situation on the docks. I need you to go down and take care of it immediately." Sonny said in the commanding tone he often had.

"Sonny I told you that I wasn't working today. You will have to have somebody else handle it. Get one of the lieutenants to take care of it."

"Come on Jason what could be so important that you can't take care of this."

"Sonny if you can't figure out the answer to that question then this conversation is over." Jason hung up the phone and continued his walk. It never ceased to amaze Jason at how selfish Sonny could be. No matter what the circumstances it was always about Sonny. Well that wasn't the case today. Jason had not worked on this day for the past six years and he wasn't about to start today.

Jason had reached his first stop. The small shop he now stood in front of was not one he normally visited. He hesitated before he reached for the door. This was the kind of shop he very rarely stepped foot into. Even if he needed to purchase something from this type of store he sent Max or Milo. This was just not something he did in person. But this situation was different. This was personal and called for his attention and not that of anyone else. Earlier that week Jason had called the shop owner and made arrangements to stop by this morning and pick up an order.

"Mr. Morgan, I didn't expect you so early." The shop owner said is he stepped from behind the counter.

"Why I am early is none of your business now can we please get down to business." Jason said.

"I'm sorry Mr. Morgan I did not realize that you were in such a hurry, your order is in the back just let me go get it." The shop keeper stepped in to the back room and came back out with Jason's purchase. It was a large bouquet of pink and white daisies. It was the same purchase he made the past six years and the same one he would continue to make for the rest of his life.

Jason handed the man a fifty and told him to keep the change. The shop keeper looked bewildered but knew better that to argue with him. Jason left the small shop and walked down the street he was now ready for the visit that he was sure would not make him feel any better but that he knew he had to make.

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It had been three years since Sam McCall had stepped foot in Port Charles and she was unsure whether she really wanted to be going back. She was only back because her sisters had begged her to come and see them for a change. It was not easy to convince Sam to do anything she didn't want to but she had a soft spot when it came to her sisters. She did not intend to make the stay permanent but she missed the family that she had left and knew that sooner or later she would have to face the demons she left behind.

The past three years had been good for Sam. After leaving Port Charles she took the time to focus on herself rather than the other people around her. Yes that may sound a little selfish but Sam knew that was exactly what she needed. She needed the time and space to confront the wrongs that she had done and to try and be at peace with everything that had gone wrong in her life. After taking a little time to reorganize herself she got back into the salvage business. She had stuck to work on the gulf coast because it kept her far away from Port Charles. She did not make a lot of money but she had managed to purchase a modest house and did not have to worry about paying the bills. She loved what she did so money didn't make a difference.

When she left Port Charles the one relationship she thought would last had ended. Her and Jason had both made mistakes and pushed each other away. After time had passed Sam had forgiven Jason for the way he pushed her away but she had done far worse things. She had watched his son be kidnapped and was still unsure of why she had done it. She still had not completely forgiven herself but was now able to live with what she had done. Even though she could live with it she knew that Jason would never be able to forgive her. She stressed out about seeing him the most. She hoped that this trip would not entail bumping into him. She did not want to stir up the feeling she still had for him. She had spent three years trying to forget them. That had not happened so she just buried them deeper than she thought she ever could. Seeing her mother and sisters would not be so hard because she had kept in contact with them. She had not always known her mother so she wanted to make the most of the time that they had together. She also wanted to know her sisters even if it was from a distance. They had come to visit her during the holidays and their summer vacations but up until now she had refused to come back to port Charles.

She stepped off of the plane and was unsure what to think. First off she had gotten used to the warm southern weather and the cool November air was a shock to her system and secondly she wasn't sure how the citizens of Port Charles would react when they saw her. She slipped on the coat she carried with her and continued to walk. It was still early in the morning so there weren't many people around to notice that she was back. She thought about calling her mother and letting her know that she had landed but there was something she needed to do first, someone she desperately needed to see, someone she hadn't seen in three years.