“Come on, just a little further,” Sam mumbles under the weight of a half-conscious Jason.  Trekking through the woods, Sam tries to find her way back to the truck before a wounded Jason passes out.

The woods are pitch black, the light from the stars offer no assistance. Darkness surrounds everything.

Struggling to keep his weight off Sam, Jason stumbles forward, crashing into the ground. “Sam, you have to go.”

Dropping to be on the same level as Jason, Sam struggles to get Jason to his feet. She pulls him up and yanks on his arm. She pleads and begs with him. “I’m not leaving you.”  Finally, she kneels in front of him, eyeing him down. “Jason, Jason look at me.” Sam grabs his face. “I need you. Our kids need you!”

Perking up, staring into her eyes, “Our kids.” Jason’s eyes fill with tears.

“Yes, Jason, our kids. You are their father.” Sam caresses his face. “Jason Morgan has always been their father.”   

Resting in this moment, Jason takes Sam’s words in, letting the drown him in happiness.

Fighting through the pain, Jason smiles and takes Sam in. Even in complete darkness, her beauty shines through.

Coughing up blood, Jason looks deep into Sam. “ Get our kids and get out of here.” Pushing at Sam,  “I’m not going to make it.” Jason is adamant in his advance against her.

Pushing his hand away and grabbing him by the face, “I’m not leaving you.” Sam kisses Jason tightly. She kisses him hard as if she was trying to force her strength into him. “I just got you back. Do you really think I’m going to lose you now?”

Shaking his head no, Jason beams at Sam. His love for her overpowers him. Thrusting him off his knees and back onto his feet.   

“I know you don’t like asking for help, but Jason you have to let me help you.” Assisting Jason back on his feet, Sam slings his arm over her shoulder and forces him forward. The weight of him is too much but she doesn’t let Jason know. She bears it and keeps pushing them before forward.

“I’ve never had a problem with help especially coming from you.” Jason tries to laugh through the pain but he grabs his side instead.

“Sweet talk me later, we have kids we have to get!” Sam laughs for both of them.

Touching a mark on the tree, Sam veers left, “See, the truck is right there. See we did it.”

“All I see is how amazing you are,” Jason states as he falls forward on his knees. He only kept going because of her. He only made it this far because of her. He drew off her strength. He let her willpower fuel him. Gripping his side, trying to stop the bleeding, Jason is thankful for Sam.

“Sam!” Jason strains trying to lift himself.

Placing her lips to his forward head, “Stop you did amazing. I’ll bring the truck to you. Just rest.” Sam turns and bolts for the truck.

Trekking through the woods towards the truck, Sam prays her kids are fine. She prays that Jason is fine. She prays for her family to be whole and safe. Slowing her stride as she approaches the truck, Sam grabs her leg. The pain of her injury is slowly creeping in. Steps before reaching the truck, Sam panics as a car comes speeding towards her; lighting up the woods, destroying the peace it holds.

“Sam!” Jason bounds forward trying to lift himself off the ground, trying to get to his family.

Stopping in her tracks as the light hits her, Sam looks from the truck to Jason and back again making eye contact with Jason, before bolting to the truck. Stepping on a rock, Sam loses her footing and goes down hard as the door to the car flies open.

“Gracious Greetings Fair Samantha. Did someone call for backup?” Spinelli steps from the humming car and heads towards Sam.

Shielding her face from the light. Sam’s eyes try to adjust to the light “Spinelli, is that you?” Slowly rising from the ground, she runs to embrace Spinelli and immediately begins to cry in his arms.

Pulling herself away, Sam stares at Spinelli. “How did you find us? How are you here?”

“Jason called but didn’t say anything. I knew you both needed me to come expeditiously.”

“But how? How did you find us?” Sam asks.

“I tracked Jason’s phone.”

Pulling Spinelli back into an embrace, Sam presses all her weight into him and breathes a sigh of relief. “Of course you tracked his phone.” Sam laughs.

As the adrenaline fades from Sam’s body, she falls deeper into Spinelli, finally feeling the weight of her injuries. Resting for a moment on the warmth of Spinelli, Sam takes a moment to gather herself. She feels saved now that Spinelli is here.

Standing there with Sam in his arms, Spinelli has many questions. He sees the bullet-riddled truck and the blood dripping from Sam’s side. He sees the blood all over Sam’s shirt and hands. “Samantha, I don’t mean to be intrusive, but what happened out here? Where is Jason? Where are the kids?”

Ripping herself from Spinelli, Sam leaps for the truck. “The kids.” The adrenaline rushed back into her body and she’s a fierce momma bear again.  

Ripping the door to the truck wide open, Sam grabs a sleeping Scout. “No time to talk about it. Jason is really hurt. We need to get him and the kids out of here.” Making herself one with Scout, Sam kisses her all over as she fusses and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

“Where is he? How hurt is really hurt?” Looking out into the woods, Spinelli spins around in circles panicking about Jason. His head rushes with blood and he can’t think straight. The thought of losing Jason again pounds in Spinelli’s head like the beat to a song.

“Spinelli.”

“Where is he? Is he alive?” Spinelli screams, bolting for the open woods.

“Spinelli, snap out of it. I need you, the kids need you. Jason isn’t far. Kids first, then Jason.” Cradling Scout in her arms, Sam commands Spinelli, stopping him in his tracks.

Looking from the woods to the truck, Spinelli grapples with his decision. He wants to help Sam, but he fears he is losing Jason just as he has gotten him back. Rocking back and forth, Spinelli doesn’t know what to do with himself.

“Spinelli, get Danny! Now!” Sam snaps.