Wedding bells are ringing, the sun is shining, this should be the happiest day of her life. All around her are family and friends, gathered to witness her union with one of Port Charles's most eligible bachelors. Though in regard to Jason Morgan (her soon-to-be husband) the term is used rather loosely.

With his questionable background and even more questionable career, he wasn't exactly on every woman's ideal marriage list. Of course, there were those who didn't care about his dangerous lifestyle, only looking at his connections amongst polite society.

Though Jason refuses to stake a claim into his biological family -the Quartermaines- there are those who wouldn't mind taking claim of it for him. Being the loyal type, the Quartermaines would gladly take any part of their son's life that they could get their hands on, his future wife and children at the top of that list.

It wasn't like that for her though. A one night stand turned awry, she had been stuck not with the man that got her pregnant with the man's best friend. At first she had thought it was ludicrous. What kind of man would take on the responsibility of a child that wasn't his? That was before she got to know him. Before she spent real time with him and ultimately fell head over heels.

Then she returned. The embodiment of his desires and unrequited love. With her long brunette hair -thick wild curls- and her dark features that made her seem innocent yet mysterious. Just the way she carried herself, it made Samantha McCall hate her like no other. How she acted like she had no problems with anyone. Even going as far as to make nice with her.

The worst part of all is that she was sincere. She really didn't know the kind of affect she had on people. The kind of affect she had on Jason. More so, the kind of affect she had on her. One look at the woman and Sam had been envious. For someone so young, untouched by the world (or so Sam thought), she knew things Sam could only wish of knowing.

She knows who she is, what she wants, what her future should hold. The only thing she didn't seem to know, the one thing Sam knew all too well, was that she held the heart of the man Sam would soon marry. The heart of the man that Sam wishes she could have to keep. But it wasn't hers and she knew it. She knew it from the moment that woman came back to town. Hell, she probably knew it from the start.

Yet she convinced herself, like she always does, she convinced herself that she'd be enough. That she could help him let go, move on from a love that never was, a friendship that would never go any further than what it is and always would be. Unfortunately for her, fate had another idea entirely, leaving her in the dust as always. All because of one woman. All because her.

- 5 Months Ago -

The Nurses' Ball. It was the day that they decided to make public their impending nuptials. Sam could see that Jason wasn't exactly thrilled with announcing to the world that he would be getting married. He hated having his personal life in the public eye, but he knew it had to be done. Since her relationship with Sonny had been public knowledge, they needed the world to know that the baby she's carrying is Jason's not Sonny's even though it wasn't.

He's cleaning his gun almost meticulously so silent as always. She's standing at the stairs, a small smile on her face like always, just watching him. The stone cold exterior used to make her frustrated and irritable leading them to fight more often than not. Of course she'd do most of the arguing while he just stood there, eyeing her like she was a bore. Now, though, it was calming. Now that she understands the man beneath the solid exterior.

"Are you planning on getting ready?" Jason voices, catching her by surprise. "We're going to have to be there in the beginning to..."

"Announce the wedding and not take away from the purpose of the event." Sam cuts him of, having heard this many times in the last week. "I know. I'm filling up the tub."

That was the end of his side of the conversation, returning to cleaning his gun to take with him later that night. Sam stands there for a moment longer, watching him as he finished wiping down his gun, before walking back up to her room and taking a bath.

She had been drying her hair when a knock sounded at the door. Sliding into her robe, Sam walked out to the top of the stairs, curiosity taking hold of her. The voice that floats up to her is one that she recognizes, Johnny O'Brien. One of the guards that positively couldn't stand her. She wasn't sure what it was, but he just didn't like her.

"Everything's set for tonight." Johnny informs Jason, there was a cautious tone to his voice, the tone he uses when he thinks she's listening in. "There's something you should know."

"What is it?" Jason sets his gun down, standing up at the look on Johnny's face. "Spit it out."

"She's back." Johnny's voice held an edge, prompting her to peek out, needing to see Jason's face. "She's going to be there tonight with Robin."

"She said she might come back." Jason sighs, Sam could see he was affected by whoever this "she" was. "I didn't realize she made a choice."

"How're you going to handle this?" Johnny felt for his friend, wondering if he had thought this through.

"She knows." Jason says plainly, walking over to the wet bar, unknowingly forcing Sam to hide. "I told her the moment we all decided I should marry Sam."

"How did she take the news?"

"How do you think?" Jason counters, downing a shot of tequila. "She congratulated me and said she hoped I knew what I was doing."

"That must have stung." Johnny walks over to sit on the arm of the club chair. "After all this time and still nothing."

"We're friends. That's it." Jason states, hating to rehash this, even if its only with Johnny. "No matter what, I still have that and its enough."

"If you say so." Johnny shrugs, standing up and walking towards the door. "Let me know if you need anything else."

Sam fought off the tears that threatened to form, she knew that tone in his voice, its a tone she wished he'd use with her. Whoever this "she" was, she obviously meant a lot to him, more than she knew. Inching her way back to her room, Sam gets ready for the night, knowing that she would meet this "she" at the Nurses' Ball if she showed.

"Sam." Jason knocks on the door. "Ten more minutes."

"Almost done." Sam calls back, taking a deep breath as she looks at herself in the mirror. "Beautiful. Time to knock 'em dead."

Walking downstairs in his Armani suit, Jason checks to make sure his gun is loaded before securing it at the small of his back. Tonight is important to a lot of people he cared about, making it important to him, and he wanted to make sure nothing from the business could touch it.

Sam joins him soon after, heading out of the penthouse to the limo downstairs, getting into it along with Sonny and Carly. The blonde hated her, not that Sam blames her, she is pregnant with her husband's child. Though to the public it was Jason's, the four of them knew the truth. Making it a little tense in that small space.

Arriving at the Nurses' Ball, they file out of the limo, linking arms with their respective dates before walking into the hotel. Sam has grown used to the stares that they receive once they enter the event. When it comes to Jason and Sonny, people just couldn't help but stare. Though they are frowned upon by most of polite society, they still are at awe of their presence, wanting to be part of it and hating themselves for wanting it.

Jason had Carly announce the impending wedding, the blonde had to win an award for the act she put on, making it truly seem like she was happy for them. Sam knew better though, she knew that the Carly wished to God that she didn't exist. That she never walked into her perfect little life.

Congratulations are passed around before the Nurses' Ball went underway. Jason escorted her to their table, one that they shared with Sonny and Carly of course, heaven forbid the man spent any time alone with her in public. She knows where he stands, that the marriage was in name only, but it wasn't like he hated her. Not anymore anyway. She's pretty sure that he likes her by now.

Seated in their seats, Sam watches Jason's gaze as its directed to the guards by the door. She wonders what they were silently communicating, then she sees Johnny gesture to the bar and it was abundantly clear. A woman she had never met before is standing by one she has met, Robin Scorpio. The keynote speaker of the event, one that everyone listened to with great respect in regard to HIV. The woman beside her had to be none other than the "she" that was discussed earlier.

"You want something to drink?" Jason pulls her out of her observation of the "she".

"Club soda." Sam says reluctantly, knowing he'd get up regardless of whether or not she asked for a drink. Asking for one gave her the hope that he wouldn't stay there too long.

"Sonny? Carly?" Jason looks at them intently.

"Whiskey neat." Sonny says, knowing exactly why he was going to the bar, having spotted both women earlier.

"You know what I like." Carly says, leaning against Sonny, his arm wrapped around her. "Tell muffin I said hi."

Jason stands up, taking a deep breath, before walking over to the bar. Sam watches as he gets to the women, Robin is the first to greet Jason. She wraps her arms around him in a friendly way, a small smile on her lips as she talks to him. Then, to Sam's displeasure, she walks off, leaving Jason with the woman.

The exchange between them is warmer, a deeper connection evident in the way they look at each other. He hesitates for a moment before he wraps his arms around her, holding her close as if possessively. It hurt to watch the exchange, clearing seeing the depth of Jason's feelings for the woman. It was abundantly clear for all to see, luckily no one else was watching the two or no one would believe that Jason gave an ounce of care for her.

"Sucks to be you." Carly mutters low enough for Sam to hear. "That love right there is unbreakable."

Sam doesn't bother responding, she's too busy watching the exchange at the bar. The smile on Jason's face, its warm and beautiful, reaching his eyes as he looks at the woman. Elegance personified and Sam already knows she hates her. Anyone that can capture Jason's attention so completely, Sam definitely hates her. But mostly, she hates that she's envious of her. Wishing she could hold Jason's attention the way she has. Hating that Jason didn't love her the way he obviously loves the "she".

A/N: The last story we did together didn't turn out that well. We're hoping this will work out better.

Please review. Help us make this story amazing! All reviews welcome.

- ROCkER The Jackal's Vixen -