Chapter Text
December 8, 2017
He still didn’t believe that he was Andrew Cain, he genuinely believed that he was Jason Morgan and he was going to figure out the truth before he lost everything. Andre Maddox had definitely been paid off. Some like Carly would say he was in denial, but he wasn’t in denial. How could he deny himself? The person he felt deep in his bones, in his soul was him. Most would probably look at him like he was crazy for being so sure that he was a contract killer instead of a hero from the Navy. And on some level he wished that the news was true and that he genuinely was Andrew Cain because a fresh start at this point would be a breath of fresh air from all of the overwhelming emotions that have been spiraling through him and everyone around him for the past few months. Especially the emotions from the past few weeks, and especially the emotions in his own household. This week though has been a week, a painful week to say the least. After the alleged truth came out nothing has been the same. Shit he could honestly say that ever since his twin came to town nothing has been the same, especially not in his household.
After Andre dropped the bomb that would officially turn his world upside down everything changed in his marriage even though his wife would swear that nothing has changed. That night in the interrogation room after he decided to take a step back and at least try to believe the news was true, he asked her what was next for them. She tried her hardest to just act as if everything was the same, that nothing was different, but he could see the truth in her eyes. He could see the truth in her the entire last few months and over the course of the last few weeks specifically. He saw her and his twin eyeing each other damn near the whole time during Andre’s little show. He saw her reaction when Andre looked him dead in his eyes and lied about him being Andrew Cain. She, like everyone else that was in that room, had already decided that he was no longer Jason Morgan. Sure, she stood by his side anyway out of loyalty and love but also pity. He knew that she believed he was Andrew, and she felt sorry for Andrew because he was mind raped so badly into believing that he was Jason that it was pretty fucking sad. He felt sorry for his brother too but not enough to walk away from killing the fake reality that is in his mind.
He entertained the thought again that maybe he was really Andrew before shaking it off because he now knew it was impossible. You wanna know how he could be so sure that he was truly Jason? As he thought back on his entire life the memories that he had been told would forever be missing had started to come back, along with the memories from the missing parts of 2012 and his time in Crichton Clark. He hadn’t told anyone, not even Sam because he didn’t think that even she would believe him but he knew he had to talk to someone and he knew that he needed to get to the bottom of this shit because his brother was beyond brainwashed. That man genuinely believed he was Jason Morgan and honestly at this point he was damn near ready to give him the name but he was going to give him the truth instead.
Andrew had come to Aurora this morning to tell him about Britt and their conversation about Faison and told him about the flash drive that Andre had and how he gave it to Anna. He took action immediately after his twin left and went to Anna’s house and found Peter August; his and Sam’s new COO lurking around, so he watched him. He watched as the man took the disco ball ornament out of a box and then left. He followed him back to Aurora and watched on the hidden cameras as Peter hid the flash drive in his office safe and waited for the man to leave. It took about an hour before the sneaky bastard finally left but once he did Jason made his move. He went into the office, broke into the safe and took the flash drive. A semblance of a plan had been set in motion and he went back to his office.
Sam came in and he played along and threw his nameplate in the trash, he had another plan that set in motion that he would later tell her about. She told him that she loved him and used “his” name for the first time and he was touched, just as much as he was sad that she had officially started to be comfortable calling him another name that didn’t belong to him. Then Kim came in and that was certainly an experience, she seemed to want to tell him something important but then a naval officer came and arrested him. Now he was in a holding cell at the PCPD hoping they’d hurry up and get this shit over with as he thought about everything that led to this moment. Then they brought the man he knew was a fucking liar in and he knew he needed to take the opportunity to find out how to get this shit fixed and what the flash drive meant.
“Maddox.” He gritted out.
“Cain.” The man replied with a smirk.
“You think this is funny don’t you?”
“No Andrew, not at all.” With a seriousness in his voice that almost seemed genuine.
“You know you could’ve fooled me, except for the fact that you’re still calling me Andrew Cain as if you didn’t lie to everyone a week ago. I just want to know what it is that you get out of lying when you’re about to rot in prison for the rest of your life? Or was this part of the plan all along?”
“How are you so sure that I’m lying Andrew? I don’t take my work lightly.” He said trying not to be rattled at the fact that the man before him wouldn’t take the bait. There’s no way that he could possibly know that he’s not Andrew. Why was he so stubborn?
“Stop calling me Andrew, okay?! You and I both know that I’m not Andrew Cain! So tell me what you, Peter August, and Caesar Faison have planned because if you don’t, I promise you that you won’t make it out of here alive.” Jason warned him.
“How did you know who I was working for?” Andre said, now rattled.
“Did you think that I was stupid? Did you think that my brother was stupid? Did you think that neither of us would be looking into finding the truth? Tell me the truth Andre, why lie? What the fuck does anyone get out of pretending I took over my own life? Hell, what the fuck would anyone get out of Andrew truly taking over my life in the first place? Especially Caesar Faison of all people, even though he was in cahoots with Helena Cassadine and they were the ones responsible for programming me to do her bidding when I was in that clinic and utilizing it when I was Jake Doe. But that was Helena Cassadine, she had an actual history with me, my wife, my family and friends. Faison has never had anything to do with me, so what's the deal?”
“There is no deal.” Andre said, trying to keep up the facade despite the fact that he was now afraid. He wasn’t trying to get killed by Faison, the man was demented.
Jason sighed in frustration. “Look, how about we make a deal? You tell me the truth, help me make shit straight and I will protect you from Faison and his son? I’ll get you out of the country before anyone else that is involved can figure out that you’re even gone.”
“How are you so sure that you can do that? Why should I believe you?”
“Because you know I’m a man of my word and I get shit done. Nobody involved in this is going to make it to see anything they want come into fruition, so it’s best to save yourself and not them while you still have the chance. Tell me the truth Andre.”
“What is it that you want to know?”
“Why did you lie to everyone and say that I was Andrew?”
“Because the plan is still in full effect. You remember how Helena had you doing her bidding when you were Jake Doe? It’s the same with Andrew, except he doesn’t have a chip in his brain like you did. He's still a sleeper agent, but instead of simply saying he’s active they have to use a key of sorts that triggers the programming. A joker wild card I believe, but not just any one it’s a part of a special deck. Only Heinrich Faison has it, it was his failsafe against his father.”
“Okay, is there a way to reverse it? Is my brother a threat? Who’s Heinrich Faison? Is Andrew aware that he is a part of this sick plan?”
“The only way to reverse it would be to give Andrew his memories back or to simply destroy the deck so that he can never be activated to do what he was taken for. No, simply put he isn’t a threat until he’s activated. Heinrich Faison is Peter August. Thought you would’ve figured that out since you seem to have everything else figured out. And yes he’s aware that he’s a part of this plan but not without his memories. How did you know that I was lying about who you were?”
“My memories as Jason Quartermaine have been coming back and so have my memories of the year I lost before coming back to Port Charles. Plus let’s be real, I lost two years with my wife and son, there’s no way I’d come back and just automatically become Sonny’s goon again. Memory or no memory I never wanted to be that version of me forever. When I fell in love with Sam she changed everything I wanted for the future but I never thought I deserved to have a life for myself. I thought that I owed Sonny for giving me an outlet away from all of the expectations and everything my family had until that outlet became an obligation and then ultimately took everything from me. That’s part of the reason that I never went back in the first place after getting my memories back. Anyway I had already figured out that Peter August wasn’t who I thought he was, especially when I saw him steal the flash drive of all of your work from Anna’s house.”
“Well that doesn’t mean anything good at all. He is planning something.”
“Don’t worry, whatever he has planned won’t come to fruition. Now I hope you didn’t do anything that would actually get me sent to a military prison when I’m not even the person they're looking for and my brother was taken.”
“I gave them an impact statement already, they shouldn’t have even come after you or more correctly Andrew for anything.”
“Good. When you go to court for your arraignment I'll bail you out. And you’re going to help me give my brother his memories back before he and everyone who turned against me decides to ruin my life any further.”
“Happy to help, even though you probably won’t believe that but I don’t want to see your life ruined. I’ve already helped enough on that front. I’m just trying not to get killed.”
“You won't unless you fuck this up.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Good.” Jason replied. Before he could say anything else one of the officers came in and unlocked the door.
“Andrew Cain, you’ve been released.”
Jason sighed, this shit was going to be annoying. He nodded at Andre as he walked out while he wondered how he got out of this shit so fast.
PCPD Lobby…
As he listened to his wife recount how “Jason” was the one responsible for him getting out of his situation, he fought the urge to be pissed off at how she was already calling this man that she thought was him for help. He was thankful that she did what she felt she had to and for his brainwashed twin actually coming to help but it was just another choice in a series of choices that would lead them down a road he was trying to avoid altogether. As if the last few months weren’t bad enough watching as Sam accepted a truth that wasn’t the truth and fell into the trap created by a bunch of psychos like the rest of his family and friends. Them getting close and her falling for an outdated version of him would be a knife to the heart. He could tell her emotions were all over the place and he meant it when he told her he would let her go if that was the man she wanted to be with. But he would be damned if he gave up her and their life together without a fight. He would be damned if he gave up on his identity, the world he created for himself and his family, his everything without making sure the truth was out first.
Before they headed home he texted Curtis about his plan and needing help. He took his wife to get their kids, did their usual routine and put them to bed before telling Sam that he needed to head out and handle something. Curtis met him at the garage that Julian used to own and they talked for about an hour and he told Curtis everything that Andre told him and the plan he had to keep him safe while he got rid of Peter and Faison. Curtis listened in support and was down for the cause as usual but he could tell his friend was out of sorts.
“Okay man, I’m down with whatever you want to do about this situation. But I can tell you’re not alright, so talk to me man. How are you doing?”
“How do you think I’m doing? People are actively trying to destroy my life. My friends and some of my family have renounced me as me and were so happy when Andre’s lie confirmed their truth. And my wife… man my wife has feelings for my long lost twin that has been brainwashed to be me because she’s believed he’s me since he popped up with my old face and memories. It’s taking so much for me to not lose my shit. You know, maybe it would be simpler if I did just go along with Faison and Peter’s plans and just pretend I’m Drew and start a new life altogether.”
“I’m sorry man. You really think Sam is feeling this dude? And maybe it would be easier but you would never leave your wife and kids or give up on yourself and let these people win.”
“You’re right. I wouldn't, that's why I’m going to do everything needed to make sure the truth is known and that these people can’t hurt anyone else. Also, yes Sam is feeling this dude. You saw the way they were looking at each other at the PCPD, man it’s like she’s living the dream where I came back wholly as me. Instead of the new and highly improved version of myself that she ended up with. She has been trying to pretend that everything is normal but even before Andre did what he did she couldn’t even reassure me that she believed I was the man she’s always loved and knew. She could only speak about the last three years. You know how hard that was for me? Shit, I know it was hard for her too because even I started to wonder if I was truly me, but I knew something wasn’t right. I’m just surprised that even if her mind couldn’t make sense of it, that her heart would but it seems that isn’t the case, especially now. Hell, if it wasn’t for the memories that I was always told would never return, and the year I lost coming back, it would’ve taken me longer than a week to come to the conclusion that I’m not the imposter in my own life.”
“Damn man. That’s what’s really eating you about this whole situation isn’t it? You could deal with losing everything else, but your wife? I know her and those kids are everything to you man, I can’t even imagine how I would handle feeling my wife slip away from me little by little. For what it’s worth though, I do believe that Sam loves you with her whole heart and soul brother. I just think that she’s probably never truly let go of the image of you coming back to her the way you left her and she has to process that. I think most of whatever she’s feeling for ole boy is out of guilt too, because she always knew you were alive and out there and then she gets you back and you’re completely new and now some Dr. is telling her that she was wrong after all. Probably feels like she should’ve waited longer or some shit. I genuinely don’t think that she is feeling him to the point that she’d risk your life together for the hope of something with him.”
“Yeah, yeah man I think losing my wife, the life we created, our family would break me. I would do anything for her including breaking my heart if that’s the man she chose to be with but I think you’re right. I do feel like a lot of it is guilt and the fact that she never truly dealt with her vision of getting me back not happening the way she prayed it would. But man it’s starting to get under my skin. I can take everyone else falling for my brainwashed brother’s antics but her? She’s off limits yet she’s unfortunately still falling victim to the twilight zone of bullshit that has been happening over the last few months. I know I've changed but my wife man, she knows me inside and out. She knows that I don’t want to risk losing the new life we got to create out of a need to hold on to old loyalties. Yet when she looks at me now it’s almost as if she’s accepted I’m not who she thought she knew. I don’t know, it’s just a sad situation man and I don’t know how to handle her looking at me as if I’m a stranger because I’m not the man I used to be and my brother is.”
“It seems like you’ve handled it pretty well to me so far.”
“I guess. Look, I’m going to head home because it’s getting pretty late. I’ll call you when it’s time to get Andre out.”
“Alright man.” Curtis replied as he dapped Jason up and headed to the door.
“Hey.” Jason called out.
“Yeah.” Curtis turned around.
“Thanks for listening, man.” He told the man sincerely. Curtis really has been the only friend he could count on lately, he appreciated him never switching up on him.
“Anytime brother.” He responded before heading out.
Jason sighed before taking the flash drive out of his pocket and transferring everything to his computer before deleting everything off of the drive itself. He decided to put coordinates to a location instead so Peter or Heinrich, whoever he was, would go to them thinking that he’d get whatever it was he wanted. Little does Peter/Heinrich know is that he would find death instead of answers. After he did that he went back to the office after making sure Peter had yet to come back and put it back in the safe as if it was never taken. He made sure everything was straight and then headed home.
Harborview Towers…
When he got home he stepped off of the elevator to see Kim standing there looking frazzled.
“Uh, hey Kim. It’s kind of late. You okay?” He was confused as to what she was doing on his doorstep at almost midnight.
“Hey, I know. I’m sorry but it’s important, I need to talk to you. Please?” She asked pleadingly.
“Okay.” He said as he went to unlock the door. “I’m sorry, I don’t wanna be a jerk but we’re going to have to make this quick. The kids are down for the night. I don't want anything to disturb them.”
“Alright. I’ll try to make it as quick as possible and I have to get back to Oscar anyway. It’s just important and I need to get this off of my chest.”
“Okay, would you like me to get you some water or something?” He asked as he opened the door and let her in.
“No, that’s fine. I just really need to tell you this.”
“Alright, what’s so important? Is this about what you were trying to tell me and Sam earlier when you came to the office?”
“Yes, it’s about Oscar. And you.”
“What about us? I’m sorry. I just met him the other night, seems like a great kid. If you think there were any lines crossed with him being over here. He came with Joss who is like a niece to me and we thought you knew since he said you were there when they left Sonny’s.”
“No, no I have no problem with him being here. Actually that could never be a problem for me because he’s your son. It’s only natural that he’d be here to get to know you if that’s what you guys decide.”
“I’m sorry what?” He asked, hoping he misheard her even though he knew he didn’t.
“Oscar is your son. I’m sorry to have blurted it out the way I did but that’s what I came to tell you today.”
“Umm…I.” He paused, he didn’t want to tell her that it was literally impossible for him to be Oscar’s father but he had to do something. Before he could speak again Kim spoke again.
“Look, I just want you to know that I don’t expect anything from you. I just thought you should know that you had a child out there.”
“A child? I’m sorry, what's happening here?” Sam said coming down the stairs, interrupting the conversation. She had fallen asleep while waiting for her husband to get back from whatever he had to do but when she felt the cold sheets next to her she decided to look for him. She didn’t expect to hear Kim telling him he has a child.
“Oscar.” Jason filled in. “Kim says he’s mine.” He explained further as Sam came to stand next to him.
“Wait a minute? Oscar is your son? How? I mean I know how, but how… what?” She was too tired to even truly comprehend this shit right now.
“Me and Drew were together for a few months when he was on leave. We had a whirlwind affair and then he was deployed on an open ended tour and we never saw each other again. I tried contacting the navy but he was a classified seal and I was unable to reach him. I thought about writing but that wouldn’t have been fair. Life got in the way and I just ended up raising Oscar on my own. I tried contacting the navy again when he was about 10 on Christmas he asked Santa to be able to meet his father. I tried contacting the navy again after that and had found out that Drew had gone AWOL. After that I just gave up for good until I saw your brother's face and he started asking questions again. When I heard that your twin was not you I knew that you deserved the truth and so does our son. He doesn’t know yet, but that’s another part of why I came. I wanted to see if you’d like to tell him together, after a DNA test of course.” Kim explained as briefly and as fast as she could.
“Wow.” Sam said.
“Yeah, um this is a lot to take in tonight Kim. So if you’re okay with it, can we meet again in a few days? I just need some time to think and it’s too late to try and settle everything tonight.” Jason stated, seeing that his wife needed a moment and he also just had to get Kim out of here because it was after midnight now and this was not his drama to deal with.
“You’re right. I just appreciate you giving me the time tonight. Just call me when you would like to set up the test or tell him and I’ll make sure we’re there.”
“Will do.” He said as he walked her to the door. “Have a goodnight Kim.”
“You too. And sorry again for coming so late.” She said as she stepped into the hallway.
“It’s fine. We’ll talk in a few days.” He said and she nodded before he closed the door and locked it. He leaned his head on the door and sighed. His wife’s arms wrapped around him from behind and he relished in it before turning around and holding her tighter.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked her husband as he caressed her hair.
“Yeah but I'm tired. Are you okay?” He asked as he gently lifted her head so she could look at him.
“Ask me again in the morning.” She sighed, exhausted. “I’m too tired to process anything right now, I only woke up because I can’t sleep without you next to me.” She rested her head back on his chest, his heartbeat a constant comfort to her during all the shit they've been dealing with.
“Well how about we remedy that?” He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. He helped her out of her robe before tucking her in and kissing her goodnight before heading to take a shower. After the shower he climbed into bed and Sam cuddled into him and they both sighed in relief.
“I love you.” Sam said, kissing his chest. Then she leaned up to kiss his lips, something she could never get tired of.
“I love you more baby.” He said between kisses. He lived for these little moments with her.
Not too much long after they fell asleep in each other's arms and nothing else in the world mattered.