Don't own GH or characters

Sam leaves town a broken person, but in finding her father and her family she learns to cope and rebuild the pieces to her fractured life. After being away Port Charles and her former life there she couldn't think of one reason to return until her past and her present come colliding together.

A/N: Most of GH history is the same and changes will be explained within the story. But if you have questions please let me know.

A Different Life

Prologue

I will kill you… His words rung through her head as Sam stood teary eyed in front of her mother as Alexis held out her arms ready to embrace her crying daughter. "Alexis Mom," she clarified, "I want you to know that I'm not mad at you and I'm not trying to punish you for anything…"

"I know that Sam, I just wish you would stay and continue to build on our relationship." Alexis said pulling Sam into a hug. "It feels like we were finally getting somewhere."

"Mom, I want to," Sam said knowing exactly what Alexis meant. Alexis was starting really get to know the real Sam and except her for who she is. "I just need to get away from Port Charles, not forever, but for now." Sam pulled out of Alexis hold just enough to look at her. "Listen," Sam continued, "I can't leave the area yet. Amelia told me yesterday that if I try to break out of my contract, she'll have me tied me up in court so long I'll never get out of this city." She sighed and looked away. "I'll be in the area for a while just not in Port Charles I just can't…" She was starting to cry all over again. Truth was she couldn't trust herself to be that close to the people who had hurt her and not do something so stupid it would cost her life.

"I love you, my beautiful, brave and strong daughter." Alexis said pulling Sam back into a hug.

"I love you, too" She answered as she squeezed her mom one more time then released, picked up her suitcase and headed to the door. Before she exited she turned her head and added, "oh and mom, all got all that from you."

This caused Alexis to start crying again and say to herself. "Damn it…"

Sam put her suitcase in the trunk with her available hand wiping away the tears still streaming down her face. She got in the car sat there for a moment and sighed with relief she had said her final goodbye and now it was Sam and the open road. Well sort of, she wasn't lying when she told Alexis she couldn't go far. Amelia had been adamant that Sam was to stay on the show until Amelia had finished with her. But Sam was already working on a way off the show. And although uncertain about so many things in her life she knew exactly where she was going. As she continued to drive she tried not to think about all she lost and everything else she was giving up, she started to imagine the unknown adventure that was ahead of her.

As the mansion started to appear from the highway she dialed the number to the only person in the state of New York who would take her in no matter what she had done. She told him she was close and needed her family. By the time she hung up the phone she was turning into the driveway. She parked and walked up to the door. He opened the door before she could knock and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't have anywhere else to go…" Before she could continue he pulled her into a hug.

"Samantha, where ever we are you are always welcome, you know that." He said, he released her took her suitcase with one hand and out is other arm around her shoulders escorting her in. she turned and closed the door, Port Charles and her past on the other side.

1. Empty

Jason looked around his living room; it seemed even more empty than usual, Spinelli was always with Maxie and Lulu at their apartment. He hadn't been even close to dating someone since he and Elizabeth broke up a year ago. And Carly was determined to give her marriage to Jax another chance so that her kids could have some semblance of a normal life. As Jason stared at the blank space that is his home he thought about the fact that once he enjoyed silence, even longed for it. Because at this point he'd give anything to have Maxie and Spinelli chattering away in the background or Carly barge into the penthouse with her weekly "crisis" that only Jason could solve. But there was one voice he wanted to hear more than any other. The one he wouldn't or couldn't talk about to anyone, the voice that he spent his days trying to forget and his nights dreaming about. As his mind started down this particularly dark path thinking about all the ways they went wrong, and the last words he said to her. His cell phone rang dragging him out of these dark thoughts.

"Morgan," he answered in a brusque tone.

"Hey Jason," Sonny replied, "I need you to come to the office as soon as you can." Sonny paused "We have a situation."

"I'll be there in an hour." He said then quickly hanging up the phone. Jason started to make coffee then headed back upstairs to take a shower while the coffee brewed. He started to let his mind wander in shower as to what this "situation" was. With the way things were going lately, he new it couldn't be anything good. Jason got out of the shower toweled off, grabbed the first pair of boxers he came across in his drawer out them on and did the same with his jeans and tee. Finished dressing and went back downstairs and grabbed his coffee. He considered everything that had happened in the last six months as he drank his coffee and ate breakfast, and prayed whatever was going on now couldn't make things worse. First, Claudia, Sonny's last wife looses her baby in a car accident that was thought to be caused by sonny's son Michael. Then Kristina knowing she was the one who actually caused the accident took off with Michael to Mexico where Jason goes to bring them home and almost gets killed bringing them home. When he finally does, it's revealed that Claudia was the person who hired the hit on sonny that failed getting Michael shot. She kidnaps a very pregnant Carly out of desperation resulting in Michael accidentally killing Claudia. Between all that and a psycho artist stalking him and the undercover cop that turns out to be sonny's son, Jason didn't think he could take anymore situations.

Jason gives a courtesy knock on sonny's door then enters, he walks in and is surprised to find

John Zacharra. Since Claudia was killed he pretty much steered clear of Sonny and Jason. Jason walks to the chair in front of Sonny's and sits down.

"We have a problem," was all Sonny said before looking to Johnny causing Johnny to roll his eyes in response.

"My family is on their way to Port Charles, and there is a very real possibility they may seek retribution" He started; this puzzled Jason, as far as Jason knew Johnny only family had been Anthony who was in prison and Claudia who was dead. "My uncle Rudy and his children" answering Jason's unasked question. "He did practically raise Claudia, he thought of her as his own daughter. However, unlike my father, my uncle is quite reasonable and sane so I'm sure if explain Claudia's indiscretions…" Jason scoffed at Johnny's word to describe Claudia's truly horrific acts. Johnny ignores Jason "I'm sure he will be quite forgiving.

'Forgiving' thought Jason 'after everything that bitch put me and mine though she was lucky she was dead when I got to her. That thought brought Jason back to the conversation. "Do they know…" He started to ask.

"No, I left Michael out of this," Johnny interrupted, "Just tell them what Claudia did, Rudy can't deny that Claudia was living on borrowed time." With that Johnny left the office.

"Hey Johnny" Jason said following after him. "Thank you."

"I didn't tell you for you and especially not for Sonny. It did it because if Michael got caught in the middle of this I wouldn't I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And because if someone else I loved died…" Johnny shook off the dark thought and left the restaurant. Jason watched Johnny leave and headed back into Sonny's office.

"What's the plan?" Jason asked pulling the door behind him.

"Well, Johnny set up a meeting for us and his uncle at some cabin outside of town. I'm not entirely sure we can trust him." Sonny answered.

"Sonny, I believe that Johnny has proven he is trust worthy on more than one occasion." Jason replied, praying Sonny would let his dislike of the boy start another mob war in Port Charles.

"Unless, it involves Claudia," Sonny countered. "But you're right I do believe that Johnny wants to keep the peace. Rudy, and whoever else comes crawling out of the Zacharra rock, may not agree."

"I agree" was all Jason said. He headed dome dialing Spinelli telling him to meet him at the penthouse. Jason and Spinelli spent the rest of the afternoon getting as much information as possible on Rudy Zacharra. They found that he was very good at what he does. His business connections extended throughout Europe, Asia, South America and even some shipping companies on the west coast. It would seem Rudy was the real head of the Zacharra organization and Anthony headed the east coast and some South American factions. (It also explained why Anthony signed so much over to Sonny and Claudia.) Rudy also seemed to own several legitimate shipping companies all over the U.S. All this left Jason with many questions about the Zacharras he knew would never be answered.

"Stonecold?" Spinelli asked pulling Jason out of his thoughts. "I have finished the task of putting together the file on The Mob Prince's mysterious family." Spinelli handed Jason the file. "I have summarized most of my findings to his business in local areas and what law enforcement agencies have found on Rudy. Which I'm afraid isn't much."

"Thank you," Jason said as he took the file and headed out to meet Sonny so they could ride in together.

Sonny, Max, Milo and Jason went over the information Spinelli gathered and Jason shared his belief that Rudy is the head of the family and not Anthony. That news trouble Sonny more then anything else. The four men tensed as they pulled into the driveway noticing two large black SUV's already parked there. They walked to the door and before they could know Johnny answered the door.

"What are you doing here?" Sonny snapped at Johnny as Jason gave Sonny a warning glare not to start the meeting badly before it even started.

"I'm just here to make sure my sister is properly represented," Johnny spat back out in response. He added in a much calmer tone, "Follow me".

Johnny led the four men down a hall to a room where an older man wearing a simple yet nicely tailored suit was sitting in a leather chair with another identical chair and across two more leather chairs separated by a small coffee table. The seated man rose and walked over to Jason and Sonny.

Mr. Corinthos. Mr. Morgan." He started, as he outstretched his hand to shake with them. Then looked passed them to Max and Milo nodding to acknowledge their presence. "Please, come sit," He gestured to the chairs across from the one he was previously seating in. "We are just waiting for one more person. May I offer either of you a drink?"

"No thank you," they both replied curtly.

"You of course, know my nephew John," he continued "this is my daughter Maria" pointing towards a young woman leaning on the wet bar glaring at Jason and Sonny. She was short with dark wavy hair and brown eyes wearing jeans and a black button down shirt. 'She shouldn't be here she should be out living her life not tangle up in this mess,' Jason thought to himself as she walked over to the second chair standing behind it.

"I am obviously Rudy Zacharra." He went on but stopped when the side door to the room open as another woman walked in. The last woman he would've expected to see. But there she was, her hair was shorter and she lost some weight but there she was. "And this Very late young lady is_"

"_Sam?" Jason asked before Rudy could finish.