Daddies Don't Leave

"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way."

Months they have spent tracking down lead after lead. They have knocked down door after door, beaten up whoever needed beating, and wore the soles of their shoes bare trying to put an end to the most recent threat. Jason Morgan couldn't fathom where the next lead would take them. What he knew - in the pit of his gut - is that he couldn't stop.

His fiancee, Samantha McCall, is right beside him. Tracking lead after lead and never giving him grief for putting his all into it. Neither of them knew why this particular threat felt personal to Jason - almost nothing ever was - but he didn't question it and she didn't pry.

"Where to next?" Sam asks her fiance, changing her t-shirt and tossing her hair into a ponytail.

"I don't know." he replies, dropping onto the club chair, the fatigue clear in his voice. "I don't even know if we're ever going to get to the end of this thing."

"Hey, don't start with that." she climbs onto his lap. "We'll find the person responsible and put an end to them. We always do."

"It doesn't feel like it this time." Jason sighs, running a weary hand down his face. "I'm at the end of my strength, Sam. I can't go on like this forever."

"You always get your mark." Sam encourages him. "This one is no different."

"You're right." he closes his eyes, leaning his head against her shoulder. "But you know that Sonny's not going to let me chase this down forever, Sam."

"We'll just have to work faster." she says simply, trying to persuade him into keeping the faith. "Come on, the faster we leave the closer we'll be."

"Okay."

Grabbing his jacket from where he tossed it, Jason follows her out of the umpteenth motel room they've been in. As they approach the car, he turns back to look at the motel, a flicker of a memory plays in his mind, but he quickly shakes it away.

"Ready?" Sam's voice understanding and loving.

"Yeah." he turns to look at her, taking a deep breath with his hand on the door handle. "I'm ready."

Once again they are off to track down another lead. Sam wouldn't admit it aloud, but she was worried about him. She has never seen him this shaken up and she knew that if he gave up on this he'd never be able to put it to rest. Whoever was behind this, they were better than she or Jason thought possible.

Glancing over at him, she wonders what could be going through his mind. She knows that he hasn't been getting much sleep these last few months and it didn't look like he'd be getting any until this was handled. Of course, being the fiancee that she is, she offered to handle it for him, but he didn't accept. Not that she thought he would.

"This is it." Sam's voice breaks through his thoughts.

"It can't be." Jason stares at it, unable to believe where he was. "It can't be."

"This is the place, Jason." Sam insists, getting down along with him. "I checked and double checked the address."

"No." Jason runs up the steps, banging on the door before turning the knob and finding it unlocked. "This isn't right."

"Jason, wait for me!" she shouts, grabbing her gun and running up the steps after him. "Jason! JASON!"

She searches the house, desperately looking for him, but there's no sign of him anywhere. Her heart is pounding in her chest, she fears the worst when she finds more than a few dead bodies in the downstairs restroom. Each of them killed execution style. One man can be found tied to a chair, clearly tortured to death.

"Oh, god, Jason." Sam whispers to herself. "What the hell is going on?"

Walking silently through the house, she makes her way outback, hoping to find him there. Its in that moment that she realizes how silent the world around her really was. Its almost eerie, the feeling of death in the air.

Stepping out into the yard, she spots what looks like a pool house, her gut telling her that her fiance was most likely there. She makes her steps light, spotting two more dead bodies beside the pool, making her believe that this was one hell of a struggle.

Jason, on the other hand, is silently making his way through the pool house. His heart in his throat, praying to all that's holy for a miracle that may never come. Gun drawn, he steps through the doorway, into the last bedroom at the end of the hall.

Standing in the middle of the room is a beautiful three year old girl, all alone. Putting his gun away, Jason kneels down in front of her, his worst fears come to life. Recognition shines through her eyes and a soft smile touches her lips.

"Jason." she says in a soft tone. "I miss you."

"I missed you, too." Jason fights the tears. "Can I get a hug?"

The little girl walks into his arms, allowing him to hold her in a warm embrace. He didn't want to believe this. All the clues, every lead had been leading him here, back to where his life had started. He couldn't believe that he didn't put the pieces together faster.

The motels, the arcade, - hell - even the old camp...he should have seen this coming. He should have protected them better than this. Just as he closes his eyes, holding her close, Sam comes walking through the door - nearly shell shocked at what she finds.

"Jason?" Sam voices, unable to believe that she was seeing her fiance holding a little girl. The child is beautiful, with curly pigtails and a purple flower dress."Why are you holding a little girl?"

"Sam." Jason stands up, carrying the little girl in his arms. "This is Elle...she's my daughter."

"You're what?" she looks at him in shock, storing her gun at the small of her back. "You did not just say that's your child."

"I did." Jason sighs, taking a deep breath. "I know I should have told you..."

"Yeah." Sam cuts him off. "You should have, but that's not the point right now. Who else knew about her?"

"Just three people, other than me." Jason concedes. "Francis, Johnny, and..."

"Sonny?" Sam guesses when he doesn't continue. "Did Sonny know about her?"

"Sonny knew."

"I..." Sam scoffs, throwing her hands up in the air. "I can't believe this. What do we do now?"

"Jason." Elle yanks on his shirt. "Mommy said to give you that."

Sam steps forward, picking up the note that was left on the dresser. Shaking her head, she hands it off to Jason. How was it possible that her entire relationship, a relationship built up for two years, can just come to pieces in a matter of seconds?

"What's our next move?" Sam says, eyeing the little girl before looking at Jason. "I assume you want to see this through to the end now, right?"

"I have to." Jason looks at his daughter lovingly. "She needs her mother."

"I'll help you." Sam says firmly, waiting until he looks at her before continuing. "But you and I are going to talk about this once we find her."

"We will." Jason promises. "After we find Elizabeth."

"Lets go, then." Sam turns her back on them. "I don't want to be around when the cops get here."

Please review. I'd appreciate any kind of feedback you can give. Anything at all.
This is an original idea from yours truly. I really hope yo like it. Thank you!