Snake Charmer

Chapter eighteen

"Jessica!?" Sam called out. He ran over to her and she hugged him before he could say more. Her tears stained his shift and she covered herself into his embrace.
"Sam...he is going to change me back unless..." She cried.
"Like hell he is, I won't let him do anything else to you." Sam responded. He wished with all his being that he could take her pain away, but all he could do is whisper words of comfort.

"Sam...I don't want him to hurt you in anyway. I can't lose you..." She hicupped.
"Shh Jessica its okay I know things don't seem that way right now but I promise it will be." Sam responded. He kissed her on the forehead while she let everything out in the greenhouse. Even when her sobs turned into sniffles, Sam didn't let her go. He made sure to be gentle since Poseidon had been so rough with her. She looked at him with her tear stained green eyes.
"Sam I just want this to be over, I'm tired of being afraid all the time." She said.
"Jess..." He began but he couldn't find the right words to say.
"No Sam I need to say this please, I don't know how much you heard from that but there's something you have to know." She responded.

Sam figured it was something about that old boyfriend she had mentioned. If his theory was correct something bad happened to her old partner.
"Is this about Iphicles? I didn't hear everything but you mentioned him a few times to me before." Sam said. He was careful about his words though the name sounded familiar to him. Plus he began to feel a headache coming on. Jessica wiped her tears and grabbed his hand when he closed his eyes in discomfort.
"Yes he was many things to me centuries ago, we were once together and talked about getting married. He was a lot like you actually." She explained. Sam still didn't speak and his headache got a bit worse. "But something happened before all this, he got married."

"You were angry with him." Sam finally spoke. Jessica looked guilty but nodded, it was clear that whatever happened had left an impact.
"I was and I shouldn't have been because we promised each other that nothing would ever come between us." She responded. There was some silence and Sam held his head in pain again as he kept going. "Sam are you alright?" She asked.
"Just a headache." He assured her. Jessica didn't look convinced but she cuddled with her and rested her head on his shoulder.
"His parents didn't like me so they had him get married to a pretty girl they liked. I was so angry when I found out and I said terrible things." She explained. It was impossible to keep the tears at bay and Sam let her shed them.

"I'm sure he knows you didn't mean what you said, people say a lot of things when they are angry and hurt." Sam responded.
"Maybe but if there was something else about my life I could change I wish I would have listened to him." She said.
Sam felt that should have bothered him but it didn't. He wasn't jealous of her old lover as there was no need to be, plus he needed to let her grieve for him on occasion.
"He's the one who gave you the ring." Sam responded. He wasn't sure how he knew that but it seemed like the only thing that made sense.
"Yes because he tried to save me from Poseidon and I want to keep a piece of him with me. He didn't have to come back for me but he did." She explained.

Jessica then asked if he was upset with her for having another lover. He just laughed gently at her and pulled her close.
"Why would I be upset?" He asked. Jessica was about to answer but closed her mouth. There was no right words to explain her argument.
"He's a part of your life and he's anything like me like you said then I know he did forgive you Jessica." He said. She smiled when he kissed her on the forehead and cuddled with him a bit.
"I know he did, but I want to tell you that this doesn't change anything about how I feel about you. I love you Sam I guess I was worried you would be angry at me if I told you about him." She responded. He stroked a few strands of her hair as her eyes closed at his touch.

"You don't have anything to worry about Jess and trust me I know what its like to lose someone you love." Sam said. His headache seemed to change into something that felt familiar but he barely noticed it.
"Thank you Sam." Jessica responded. Her smile brightened up the room and she caressed his face. This action caused Sam to see something in Jessica's eyes and its not their unusual color. He sees a field where cherry blossoms fall from trees and Jessica is sitting under one. Her blonde hair waved in the wind and nothing else mattered except the beautiful girl in front of him.
"Its beautiful." Sam said.
"Sam?" Jessica asked. She couldn't see what he was seeing in her eyes and that is when Sam's passed out from his headache. "Sam!" She exclaimed.

Jessica cried as she tried to wake him up and her tears fell on his face. Despite being unconscious Sam's mind continued to be active. He found himself in the field he saw earlier and could feel the wind blowing through his hair. Nearby he saw Jessica letting the pink petals from the cherry blossoms onto her hair.
"Jessica." He said. Though his mouth wouldn't move on his accord and he felt like someone else. She looked at him and smiled brightly.
"Iphicles there you are, I've been waiting for you." She responded. Once again Sam hardly flinched at the name amd sat down next to her. His body of course wouldn't obey him either when he tried to explain that he wasn't Iphicles.

"I know I'm sorry but I needed some time to think, I have to tell you something important." He said. Jessica gave him her usual bright smile and Sam could see that she was dressed in a regal blue Greek style dress. Now he understood this was a memory for Jessica but why was he seeing it? It wasn't like this memory involved him in anyway.
"What is it?" Jessica asked.
"Jessica you know we've always been best friends but I realized something on my walk, I don't know if Eros marked me or what but you have to say that I love you." He explained. Sam watched her face light up like it never had before and kissed him on the lips. It made everything feel better and Sam felt in control of his body again.
"I love you too but what about our dreams?" She asked.

"I know how much you want to become a priestess of Athena so I won't do anything you don't want to. Plus I have my own dreams of being a hero and I have to follow a code of honor. You just had to know Jessica." He told her. She kissed him again and that's when Sam felt like this was one of his memories. A blurry one like a dream he had a long time ago.
"I'm glad you told me we will have a beautiful future together." She said. Once she said that the dream ended and Sam had the strength to open his eyes again. Though he knew something had changed once he did.
"Oww my head." He groaned.
"Sam thank goodness I thought you were having some kind of heart attack!" Jessica exclaimed.

Sam blinked multiple times as she hugged him and felt a memory block in his head break. There were a lot of things that he recalled now including a life he had never known about. One where he went by a different name and was centuries ago.
"Jessica..." He began but she interrupted him.
"Shh don't talk wait no please talk Sam whatever happened is probably because of Poseidon and I'm sorry!" She cried.
"Jessica..." He tried again.
"No wait let me figure out what's going on I don't want him to have cursed you."
"Jessica breathe." He said a bit firm but gentle. She turned red and covered her mouth.

"Right I'm sorry I guess I went on a rant there." She responded. A piece of her hair fell and Sam moved into to go behind her ear.
"A bit yes but after these centuries its alright everything is okay now. " He said. Jessica looked up at him in confusion at his sudden change in demeanor.
"Sam maybe you should lay down, did you hit your head?" She asked.
"No there's no need for that I'm good, but there is something else I need to tell you." He responded. Before she could ask what was going on he told her. "Jessica its alright its me."
"Sam what are you talking about?" She asked a hundred emotions in her voice as she teared up.