Restored Together

16

Over the next couple days, Jackson and Sam remained on good terms. Considering what they just went through together, it was hard not to communicate with each other. When Sam couldn't confide in Jason about killing Shiloh, she would talk to Jackson. For him, Sam was the only one he had to really talk to about anything right now.

Jackson and Sam had just finished grabbing a bite to eat at Charlie's Pub. Sam was interrupted by her phone ringing as they were gathering to leave. She shook her head as she was being summoned back to the PCPD.

"Everything okay?" Jackson asked her as he could see the annoyance on her face as she hung up.

"Yeah. I'm just being called back to the police station for like the umpteenth time to go over my statement." Sam told him as she shoved her phone back into her pocket.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jackson asked, offering to be there for support.

"No, don't worry about it. I'll call Diane on my way there." Sam told him, shrugging it off. "Thank you, though." She told her friend, "I'll see you later." She said bye to him before departing. As she was walking out the door, Kristina was walking in to start her shift. They greeted each other in passing before Kristina brushed past him by the table. She went behind the bar, Jackson glanced her way before starting to walk towards the exit. He stopped himself and turned around, approaching her at the bar.

"How can I help you?" Kristina asked him in her customer service voice.

"I was just going to ask how you're doing." Jackson spoke softly as he watched her relax from being in work mode.

"Just working a lot." She informed him with an exhausted sigh. "I see you and Sam are back on good terms considering this whole Shiloh incident." Kristina pointed out.

"Yeah," Jackson nodded, "I want to be on good terms with everyone in my life. Including Sam, my sister, and... you." He added looking into her eyes.

"We are." Kristina responded with a nod. "As of now, we are." She assured him with a genuine smile.

"What are we?" He then asked her, "Friends? Kristina, we both know we want more than that. I know I do, at least." They were going on nearly two months of being broken up. Their moment was interrupted when Jackson's phone rang. It was a brief call from Diane telling him news he did not expect to hear.

"Is everything okay?" Kristina saw the shift in his emotion when he hung up the phone.

"Sam's been arrested." He responded in shock, wondering why she was being charged for Shiloh's death.

Jackson and Kristina arrived at the police station together. She got her shift at the pub covered so she could be there for her sister. "Mom." Kristina approached her mother who was trying to get information. "What's going on? Why is Sam being arrested?"

"Your sister has been arrested for premeditated murder. Apparently there's been evidence that's come to light that proves so. A nurse from General Hospital came forward saying she overheard Sam talking to Jason at the hospital the night of Shiloh's death. I guess Sam said something incriminating." Alexis explained shaking her head, knowing all of this wasn't true, "But that's not the worst part. Another person came forward with a recording. Of course, it's been fabricated but the forensic team wasn't able to prove that. And on top of all of that, Sam's been arrested on federal charges. This is out of the PCPD's jurisdiction despite them ruling the case as self-defense."

"So, what? She's just going to go prison?" Jackson asked her, beginning to worry.

"Diane is working on it. The FBI wants Sam sent to Pentonville until the start of her trial." Alexis informed them. "I don't like any of this either."

Jason walked out of the interrogation room, he went over to fill them in on what Diane was planning. "The bad news is I'm sure you're all aware that the feds are involved with the case now. Diane believes that they're doing this because of her criminal history. As well as mine and yours doesn't exactly help the case." Jason told them, referring to Jackson. "But the good news is that the facts in this case point to self defense on Sam's part. Diane says the prosecution doesn't have much to go on- The word of a convicted felon who broke Shiloh out of jail. Shiloh himself can't help their case. Aside from the cult nightmare, he's guilty of the murder of Douglas Miller. He's got kidnapping, battery... The Franco insanity." Diane listed out the cons against Shiloh that would help their case.

"What about the recording and that nurse?" Jackson asked him, not fully believing Sam had a good standing in her case right now.

"Those are the two pieces of evidence that point to intent on Sam's part." Jason informed, "The nurse is hearsay. Even though we can't prove the recording was doctored, the state can't prove that it wasn't. Diane is going to petition to the judge that because of her connection to me, she's in jeopardy at Pentonville and should be held in county lockup." Jason added.

"That's not going to happen overnight." Alexis chimed in. "Sam's at least spending a few nights in Pentonville." Sam's mother shook her head as she glanced at her daughter through the interrogation window.

"I can't believe this is happening. She was defending herself!" Kristina shook her head in disbelief. She hated that her sister was being blamed for something she did in self defense.

Just then Jordan exited the interrogation room along with Valerie who had Sam in handcuffs. "Is that really necessary?" Alexis asked, knowing her daughter was not a threat.

"We're taking extra precautions thanks to Shiloh and Bryce." Valerie told her Kristina's worried mother. She scanned the room, landing on Jackson who stood a little too close to Kristina than she liked.

"Listen, listen." Alexis said as she went up to say goodbye to her daughter. "We're going to take care of this alright?" She kissed her cheek, "You be strong." Sam nodded trying to keep it together.

"I love you." Sam told her mother.

"Please take care of yourself." Kristina told her sister as she hugged her tight, not knowing when she would be able to do that again.

"Right back at ya, sis." Sam told her with a weak smile.

"What she said." Jackson told his best friend. "It should be me going instead of you." He said stepping up to tell her.

"Do not blame yourself, Jackson." She told him firmly, "There's no way we could have ever known this would happen."

Lastly, Jason stepped forward to say his goodbyes. "Tell the kids I love them." Sam told him, getting emotional as she thought about the time spent away from her kids.

"I will." Jason told her with a nod. "I love you."

"I love you." Sam repeated back.

"I'm going to get you out of this." Jason assured her.

"I know." Sam told him before the officer started escorting her out. She looked over her shoulder as those closest to her watched her go.