Lucas Roberts stood outside the hospital room anxiously waiting for news on Sami’s condition as he looked around the hallway. Life as he knew it was changing and in ways he hadn’t anticipated possible. All he wanted was Sami to hurt, to feel half the pain he’d experienced at her hand over the years. He wanted her to know the heartbreak and the agony of having it all within your grasp, only to have it slip away with a blink of an eye. He wanted her to suffer, to burn for her sins, but now as she lay in that hospital bed fighting for her life, he deeply regretted the decision he’d made. How could he have been so callous, so cold to a woman who’d deeply impacted his life. Sure he’d professed to hate her, but seeing her in this position, it just felt…wrong. Perhaps that’s what bothered him the most, he thought to himself as Brenda stepped into the hallway.

“Any word on Sami,” Lucas questioned eagerly as Brenda shook her head.

“Nothing yet,” she frowned deeply, “they’re doing all they can for her in there, but really there isn’t anything you can do other than contact her family.”

“I called her father,” Lucas nodded thinking to how upset he’d been in hearing the news that Sami had put herself in danger’s way.

“Maybe you should go home,” Brenda suggested looking back to the direction she’d come from, “you look like you could use the rest.”

“I’ll wait,” Lucas shook his head, “though I think I’m going to head down to the chapel. Will you update me if there is any word on her condition?”

“Of course,” Brenda nodded as Lucas headed off to the chapel to clear his thoughts.

Once inside the small chapel, Lucas was relieved to discover her was alone. He needed this time to think--to clear his head and maybe a one on one with God would be just the thing to do it. Making his way to the front row, Lucas knelt down in the pew before him. Bringing his hands up on the wood, he closed his eyes watching the events that had lead him to this moment spiral out of control in his head all over again.

“I never wanted this,” Lucas confessed tearfully as he looked to the heavens hoping someone could hear him, “I just wanted Sami to suffer, to really know the pain of what it was like to lose--to get caught in her game. I just wanted her to see…” Lucas trailed off, “oh who am I kidding? I just wanted her to be miserable like I am. I knew that with Brandon,” he paused thinking of what had really been bothering him all this time, “It’s just that she and Brandon, well they were together, but he didn’t know her like I do. He doesn’t know what she’s about and he couldn’t call her number like I do. I know that she’s given me hell, but in a way she’s grown on me and as much as I hate to admit it, the idea of her and Brandon, well, it just didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t bear the thought of yet another father in Will’s life taking my place and with Sami….” he stopped himself shaking the thought as his emotions were mixed in the moment, “I don’t know about her anymore. It was all so simple at first, but now…” he stopped himself unable to reveal the words that had tugged at him for so very long.

There was the sound of footsteps and Lucas turned his head up to see Brenda standing before him, “I thought I’d give you the update,” she began poignantly.

“What is it? What’s going on?” Lucas questioned worry evident in his tone as he rose from his knees.

“She’s not doing well at all. She‘s in post-op but,” Brenda admitted, “there’s been more damage than Dr. Wesley anticipated and…”

“And what?” Lucas questioned concerned, “Brenda tell me what you know.”

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she confessed as Lucas pushed his way past her heading up to be near Sami. He couldn’t let her die…couldn’t let her leave this world without a fight. Will needed her and in some sick and twisted way, so did he.

Now as Lucas stood outside the hospital room, he watched Sami from afar seeing her laying still before him. Despite the complaints he was certain would follow him stepping into the room, he realized he couldn’t just let Sami die as he walked into the room looking down at the bed before him.

“A long time ago, our roles were reversed,” Lucas began softly as he moved the chair beside the bed next to her, “you and I were in this place, only it was a different song and dance,” a sigh spilled over his lips as he leaned in closer to her, tears swelling in his eyes, “only this time I’m not laughing and wishing that you’d meet your maker. Sami, I know what I said, but I wasn’t being honest. I need you and Will needs you. I never, ever meant for things to get so out of hand like this,” he reached out to touch her hair, drawing back as the thought of what his actions had lead her to, filled him with guilt, “Sami, I’m so sorry. I wish…I just wanted…it doesn’t matter anymore. I just want you to be okay. I can’t lose you now…not when…” he stopped himself unable to finish the sentence that had haunted him since his return to Salem.

“Lucas,” a voice spoke out as he saw Eugenia standing before him. He tried to straighten up as she entered the room, “what are you doing here?”

“I was just um,” he cleared his throat, “trying to see what’s going on. That’s all,” he stepped away from the beside, “what are you doing in here?”

“Honestly I’d thought twice about coming in here,” she frowned as she looked over at Sami, “but even people like her don’t deserve this.”

“No they don’t,” Lucas agreed feeling the guilt weigh down on his heart as he turned his attention to Sami once again, “she can be a real witch, but she’s my son’s mother and I couldn’t bear the thought of having to tell Will that his mom is going to be gone. He needs her and I’m certain that if he loses her, it’ll kill him inside. I can’t deal with that.”

“Will won’t be the only one who needs her,” Genie shook her head, “given Sami’s history, I don’t understand why someone so cold and cruel seems to embrace motherhood like she does. It’s as if there’s some kind of karmic joke at work here with her pregnant again and…”

“What did you just say?” Lucas spun around to face Genie.

“You didn’t know?” Genie gasped shaking her head, “never mind,” she turned to leave.

“Wait a second,” Lucas tugged on her arm, “Genie, if you know something about Sami, you’ve already spilled it so you may as well finish the tale.”

“Look Lucas, I’m not supposed to tell patient information, but I couldn’t help but notice when they ran the lab tests on her,” Genie sighed, “Despite the trauma she’s faced in the accident, she’s still very pregnant.”

“Sami’s pregnant?” Lucas’s eyes widened in surprise.

Genie nodded, “It looks like God was trying to give her a second chance to do things right after all the mistakes she’s made. Too bad that Brandon isn’t around to experience being a father first hand considering that he was well on his way out of town after the paternity scam she ran. Then again knowing women like her, who’s to say it’s Brandon’s?”

“Look Genie, Sami doesn’t sleep around,” Lucas snapped back at her, “she’s a lot of things, but she’s not like that.”

“Hey sorry,” she raised her hands in the air defensively, “look I know you can’t stand her either and I just thought…”

“Well don’t think,” Lucas answered gruffly, “they don’t pay you to think here. You’re paid to do your job, so you might want to get back to it and while you’re at it, why don’t you have Dr. Wesley get his butt back in here and help Sami? She needs him.”

“Lucas, are you sure that you’re…” Genie began.

“You heard me didn’t you?” He snapped again, “there’s more than Sami at stake if she’s pregnant. Now I said…”

“I heard you,” she frowned leaving the room puzzled by his strange behavior. Somehow he wasn’t acting like the same Lucas Roberts that brought Sami down just a few days earlier in revealing her big secret.

As Genie left the room, Lucas returned to Sami’s side unable to hold back his tears as he touched her cheek, “I promise you Sami. I’m going to make things right. Somehow, someway I’m going to do that for you. I promise you. Oh God Sami,” he reached for her hand squeezing it gently, “please just hold on…” he urged hoping his prayers weren’t falling upon deaf ears. He couldn’t risk losing her…not now.

********

Brandon Walker looked around Taylor’s apartment finding himself ready to crawl out of his skin as the walls seemed to close in around him. Looking to the phone, he contemplated picking it up and dialing her number. Despite the way he’d felt when he’d left town, there was something about Samantha Brady that he couldn’t leave behind. He’d wanted to hate her, to be away from her from that day forward, but his heart longed to see her smile, to hear her laughter and just to hold her in his arms once again. It had been too long since he’d touched her already. Moving towards the phone, Brandon reached out to it, picking up the receiver as he heard footsteps from behind him and he set the phone down again.

“You’re still in here,” Taylor frowned greeting her brother, “Brandon, I would’ve thought you’d been out exploring Chicago by now.”

“And miss all the fun of spending time with my little sister,” he shook his head as he forced a smile and faced her, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Brandon, look I know you’re not happy in here,” Taylor set the grocery bags down that she’d carried in, “I know that this is killing you and staying locked up in here isn’t going to help you move on.”

“How can I move on Taylor?” Brandon questioned with a sigh running his fingers through his hair, “The love of my life is back in Salem and I’m missing her like crazy.”

“A few days ago, you couldn’t get far enough away from her,” Taylor reminded him.

“I was wrong,” Brandon confessed at long last, “I was wrong to ever leave her side. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were thinking that she betrayed your trust. She was going to keep you from your child because she was trying to live by that rule of self preservation that Sami Brady was notorious for,” Taylor reminded him reaching into the grocery bag she’d brought home.

“Taylor, you don’t understand. Samantha’s just hurting and she’s never had anything in her life to believe in,” Brandon confessed painfully, “she’s always wanted someone to trust, to hold onto and to love her, but I blew it. The moment I slept with Lexie, I violated the trust we’d had in one another.”

“Brandon, you can’t blame yourself for what happened,” Taylor frowned setting her box of cereal on the counter, “Sami, never, ever should’ve done what she did to you. There’s no excusing it.”

“Taylor, can you honestly tell me if you found out that your boyfriend slept with another woman while you two had a brief break up period that it wouldn’t bother you,” he noted the expression on his sister’s face, “I didn’t think so.”

“I’m not saying that you were right because you’re a dog Brandon,” she gave him a stern look.

“Gee thanks,” he rolled his eyes.

“But what I am saying is that Sami still shouldn’t have done what she did,” she explained simply, “she kept you from what she felt was your own flesh and blood…”

“She felt trapped,” Brandon defended his wife’s point of view, “when she’s feeling like the walls are crashing around her, she reacts and it leads to desperate actions.”

“Brandon, what is your deal,” she placed her hand on her hip scrutinizing her brother’s words, “first you can’t stand the idea of being tied down to that woman and you get working on an annulment right away, but now you’re defending her. What gives?”

“I love her Taylor,” Brandon admitted painfully, “heaven help me, but I love her. I can’t even remember a time in my life when I haven’t loved her. She’s everything to me.”

“Brandon, you’re talking crazy.”

“Maybe I am,” he shrugged his shoulders as his gaze lingered to the phone once again, “but I just…I can’t stop thinking about her…”

“Brandon, I wish you wouldn’t torture yourself over this like you’re doing,” she sighed seeing that her brother was lost over a woman who’d broken his heart, “it’s not healthy.”

“Even so, I don’t know what healthy is anymore. I mean lets face it, I’ve lived a lie my whole life and now, well now I don’t know how to put the pieces together. I just can’t find a way to do that,” he sighed closing his eyes as he thought back to the life he’d had in Salem.

“Brandon, you have to keep fighting. You have to keep trying to move forward. If you stop fighting, then you’re going to just rot and I won’t allow that to happen,” she circled around the island counter in her small kitchen. “In fact, what do you say to a night on the town with your sister? We could go out for dinner, maybe go to a club and find you a distraction for a while…” she poked him in the ribs, “what do you say?”

“Taylor,” he looked at her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “thanks for trying, but I think tonight I just need some time.”

“Even so,” she shook her head poignantly, “time is one thing, but what you’re doing is self destructive.”

“Maybe that’s what I deserve,” he shrugged his shoulders getting up from the arm of the sofa he’d been seated on as he made his way towards the balcony opting to lose his sorrows to the night. Stepping out into the night, he looked to the busy world below as the Chicago nightlife played out beneath him. There was something about the carefree city that had once brought him a sense of excitement, a thrill of the night, but now as he looked up at the moon, the only thoughts that plagued him were ones of Samantha as he wondered how she was doing and what she was going through in this moment in time. How could he just leave her behind? What had he been thinking?

********

Lucas sat at the bar looking at the half empty bottle of bourbon before him. He’d promised himself that he’d stop slipping down this slope he’d taken once he’d began working for Tony Dimera, but now as he thought of the position he’d put Sami in, he couldn’t find any other alternative but to drown his sorrows in the numbing alcohol. Lifting his glass to his lips as he finished off his drink, he reached for the bottle again wondering how he’d allowed things to get of out of hand. All he’d wanted…oh hell it didn’t matter what he wanted anymore…he just wanted to fix it.

“And a fine job you’ve done at that,” Lucas mumbled to his reflection in the mirror before him behind the bar. He saw the expression on his face and he cringed at the thought of what he’d become. He was trying to become a made man, but now, well now it just didn’t feel right as he thought of what he’d sacrificed in terms of his life to get to where he was right now, which oddly enough was still very miserable.

“Oh Sami, Sami, Sami,” he muttered to himself as he reached for the neck of the bottle taking a swig of the stinging liquid from the bottle as his gaze drifted lazily to the phone at the end of the bar. While he’d managed to mess things up, maybe there was a way of fixing it…yes, indeed maybe there was a way, he decided reaching for the phone and dialing a few numbers clumsily.

“Yes, this is Lucas Roberts,” he told the voice on the other end of the line, “I’m calling because I need a favor and I need it tonight…” he began hoping to find a way to fix things once and for all.

*******

Brandon lifted the glass to his lips as he drank the corona Taylor had given him. While she’d finally drifted off to bed, he couldn’t leave the balcony as he took a seat in one of the plastic chairs she’d had out upon it. He looked to the night sky thinking of the night he and Samantha had been locked out on top of the rooftop in the rain, drenched with passion and the magic of their feelings revealed at long last.

“You want me to believe in you? In us? Don’t you know me better than that Samantha? I haven’t believed in anything for years. I stopped believing when I was with my dad and he was ripping into me. Whatever people told me to believe it always went bad. My mom told me to believe in the law then I saw what the law could do to a family when Abe took advantage of my mother. You know what I believe in Samantha. I believe that people will always let me down that’s what I believe,” Brandon informed her.

“I am so sorry that I disappointed you Brandon. I’m sorry that I used your feelings to get you to protect me. I have grown up since then okay. I have found out for myself how it’s like to let someone let you down and I promise you promise that won’t be what happens between us anymore. May lightning strike me dead if what I'm about to say isn’t true Brandon. I love you ok. you can believe that believe that I will love you forever. I want to be with you tonight and for the rest of our lives.”

“I want to believe you Samantha.”

“Look Brandon maybe there’s a reason it’s raining tonight. Maybe you know maybe you can let the rain wash your pain away. Just feel it on your face. Feel it all over you. Let everything go. All the pain and all the disappointment of your father and what he did to you and your mom and Abe. You know I’m afraid of storms, but I’m not scared of anything when you’re with me. “

“What about Austin? Did I make you forget about him?”

“I wanted Austin in the way a little girl wants a toy she knows she can’t have. I had this fantasy about what love was like and I was forcing Austin to live that fantasy with me. You were right it could never last because it wasn’t real. This....this is real. I can’t believe I’m even saying all of this, but my heart is so full of love that I’m not afraid to say anything to you because when you’re near me it’s all I need. You know me Brandon and you fell in love with me not in spite of who I am, but because of who I am. I’ve never had that before not even with my family. Your love makes all the hurt go away. Loosing Austin and not being with my son right now....life can be so tough and sometimes I even feel like giving up, but with you next to me and loving me I know I can do anything. Brandon, Austin couldn’t do that for me. No one can love me like you do and you tried to tell me that, but now I finally get it. You love me Brandon Walker and I know that you always will.”

“I do love you Samantha,” his words echoed through his mind as he returned to this moment in time, to the night before him as his heart ached to hold the woman he’d loved for so very long.

“Oh Samantha,” Brandon sighed closing his eyes as he thought of her and of how he’d had a slice of heaven within his reach if only for a brief moment in time. How could he ever move beyond that? His thoughts lingered to another moment in time when they’d come so close to honesty, yet they’d held back.

“Why does this always happen to me?” Sami questioned on the rooftop as Brandon opens the door and enters. “Why do I always lost the people I love? Will... Brandon..”

“You tell me.”

“ Brandon you have to leave me alone.”

“You don't want that.”

“We can't be seen together.”

“Says who? Tell me.”

“I can't. You'd hate me forever.”

“I can never hate you Samantha: I love you.”

“I love you too Brandon.”

“Then tell me what's got you so scared. The truth Samantha. It's the only chance we got.”

“ All right. You want the truth, I'll tell you. All of it.”

“ I'm listening.”

“The truth is everything I've told you is a lie.”

“What exactly did you lie about?”

“Well I should start with the Salem Inn. The reason I was there when your sister got shot. The reason I was following her was because I was afraid of her.”

“Why?”

“Because she's out to destroy me.”

“I knew you were paranoid Sami.”

“Just hear me out”

“But all this talk about people out to get you…”

“Not people your sister.”

“Just because she doesn't like you.”

“No, it's more than that, she's using everything she can to keep us apart.”

“That's crazy.”

“How many times has she told you to stay away from me that I'm the last person you should be involved with?”

“Nicole is protective of me.”

“Keeping you away from the woman of your dreams how is that protective.”

“Did you really say that?”

“I'm sorry, I know it sounds egotistical, but I know I'm the right woman for you Brandon. More than any other one could be. We have something special between us. You know it as well as I do. “

Now returning to this moment in time, Samantha’s words haunted him as he rose from the chair he’d been seated in. “You’re right Samantha,” Brandon tossed the bottle into the trash can as he searched the living room for his jacket. He’d made his decision. He was returning to Salem and nothing would stop him, he vowed as headed to the front door of Taylor’s apartment, opening it and finding Lucas Roberts standing before him.

“Lucas, what the…” Brandon stopped himself as he looked down at the man before him.

“Brandon, we need…we need to talk,” Lucas slurred as he stumbled into Taylor’s apartment, “we must talk.”

“Lucas, what the hell are you doing here and more so, are you drink?” Brandon eyed him intently.

“Just a little bit,” Lucas pinched his fingers together in the air, “but right now we don’t have time for that. Right now…well, we’ve gotta go big man,” Lucas grabbed Brandon’s arm.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Brandon shrugged his arm free as a scowl pressed over his features.

“You have to,” Lucas explained urgently as a hiccup escaped his lips, “we don’t have time. I have the jet waiting at the airport and Sami…” Lucas trailed off.

“Sami what?” Brandon questioned reaching for him as Lucas stumbled over the sofa. He realized that Lucas was quite drunk as Lucas nearly fell to the ground heading towards Taylor’s lamp and sending it down to the ground with a crash.

“What in the world is going on out here,” Taylor entered the room looking at the two men before her, “what the…Lucas? Is that you?”

“Taylor,” Lucas waved at her eagerly, “hey girlfriend.”

“Lucas, what are you doing here,” she stepped forward looking over to Brandon, “what’s going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Brandon directed his attention to Lucas once again, “why are you here Lucas? What brought you here?”

“It’s Sami,” Lucas slurred his eyelids heavy as he realized that last bottle of bourbon in the plane was probably a very bad idea especially when he had an important message like the one he’d been carrying.

“What about Samantha,” Brandon questioned urgently, “is she here with you?”

“No,” Lucas shook his head before looking to Taylor again, “hey it’s great to see you. You’re cute.”

“Lucas,” Brandon grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, “talk to me. Where is Samantha?”

“Salem,” Lucas blurted out finally with an exasperated tone, “she’s in the Salem and she needs you Brandon. She needs you now,” Lucas finally confessed as the mixture of his alcohol and his guilt swept him over into darkness as he passed out.

“Brandon, what’s going on?” Taylor looked to her brother, “what is Lucas Roberts doing here in my apartment and why is he spouting off about Sami?”

“I don’t know,” Brandon frowned deeply as a sense of fear tugged at his insides, “but I’m about to find out,” he announced slipping into his jacket.

“Brandon, where are you going,” Taylor questioned watching him head off towards the door, “Brandon?”

“I’m going back to where I belong,” he announced boldly, “I’m going back to Salem to find Samantha.”

“Wait a second Brandon,” Taylor called out to her older brother as her gaze lifted from Lucas, who’d now dropped completely over her sofa, “you can’t just leave me here with him. Who knows what’s going on and seeing as he’s completely toasted…” she shook her head, “you aren’t leaving!”

“Taylor,” Brandon frowned letting out a frustrated breath before he closed the apartment door, “look something just doesn’t feel right.”

“It could be because there’s a man passed out on my couch--a man that shouldn’t be here to begin with,” Taylor insisted looking down to the silk nightgown she was wearing, “Brandon…”

“Go get dressed,” Brandon urged her, “I’ll tend to Lucas.”

“Alright,” she nodded, “but don’t leave before I return.”

“I won’t,” Brandon promised turning his attention back to the man on his sister’s sofa. Kneeling down beside Lucas, Brandon reached out to shake him gently, to give him a nudge in the hopes of awakening him. Finally when that didn’t work, Brandon shoved a bit harder.

“Any luck,” Taylor questioned returning moments later clad in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

“He’s out,” Brandon replied running his fingers through his dark hair, “and I can’t wait. I need to find out what’s going on with Samantha.”

“So call her,” Taylor urged, “but if you do that then you’ll get sucked back in again…”

“I love her Taylor,” Brandon snapped back at her, “I already told you…”

“I know what you said, but still,” she turned to look at Lucas, “Do what you have to do Brandon. I’ll try to get a word from him.”

“Fine,” Brandon stepped aside, letting his sister tend to their uninvited guest as he reached for the phone dialing Sami’s apartment. It rang half a dozen times as Brandon glanced back over at Taylor and Lucas, “come on Samantha. Answer,” he pleaded fearing that something was truly wrong as he realized he needed to find out first hand what was going on.

Brandon set the phone down on it’s base after three failed attempts at getting a hold of Samantha. He was about to try the hospital when a splashing sound filled his ears. Turning around he noticed Taylor standing over a now startled Lucas as he nearly leapt off the drenched cushions of the sofa.

“What the…” Lucas spat out blinking back frantically as he rose to his feet.

“Taylor, what are you doing,” Brandon questioned giving her a sideways glance.

“I couldn’t let him sleep there,” Taylor defended, “how do I know what’s going on? I just knew that getting him up was something that needed to be done and since he’s up…”

“What are you doing here,” Lucas questioned shaking his head as beads of water went flying across the apartment, “and why am I wet?”

“Lucas, this is my apartment,” Taylor explained simply, “and you just burst in here spouting off about Brandon needing to…”

“Brandon,” Lucas directed his attention to his rival once again, “you and I need to get back to Salem right away. We have to go now,” Lucas stepped forward loosing his footing as Brandon reached out to keep him from falling yet again.

“Lucas, hold on a second,” Brandon watched him closely, “start from the beginning. What’s going on?”

“It’s Sami,” Lucas blurted out as the guilt and the mix of alcohol washed over him, “I never, ever intended for this to happen to her. I didn’t want this and now…”

“Want what?” Brandon’s voice rose with panic, “Lucas?”

“I didn’t want her hurt. You have to understand that while I wanted to make her suffer, I never ever wanted for her to be like that. If I could take it all back…” Lucas slurred as tears swelled in his eyes, “I didn’t want this…”

“Lucas, what have you done? Where is Samantha,” Brandon’s voice grew ragged with fear, “what happened to her?”

“There’s been an accident,” Lucas blurted out, “and she’s been hurt…”

“Hurt? How,” Brandon’s panic tugged at him as Lucas began to look a bit lightheaded again. Reaching out to him, Brandon seized his collar, “what have you done to her Lucas? What happened?”

“When you split she was torn apart inside. She couldn’t find it in herself to move on and then…” Lucas felt his emotions choking him up inside.

“No, don’t tell me that she did something to hurt herself,” Brandon’s features washed over with fear, “don’t say that she…”

“She confronted Tony and I about the DNA test--about the wool he’d pulled over her eyes and then they got into a fight and…”

“That son of a bitch,” Brandon released Lucas nearly tossing him across the room as his anger raged, “if he hurt her…”

“Brandon, it’s too late,” Lucas started again, “she’s in the hospital and in bad shape. She hasn’t waken up yet and I’m worried that…worried that she won’t have the strength to keep on fighting to keep going on…”

“I have to be with her. I have to get back to Salem tonight,” Brandon announced looking to his sister, “Taylor you need to get me to the airport.”

“Brandon, it’s the middle of the night and…”

“And nothing, I have to get there,” Brandon announced, “Samantha needs me and that sick son of a bitch is going to pay for what he’s done to her…what he did to us,” Brandon finished wanting to kick himself for leaving the best thing that had ever happened to him, “Damn me. I should’ve listened to her--should’ve stayed because we were both played for fools by that man…”

“Brandon, just hold on a minute,” Taylor started reaching out to him, “you can’t just leave here like this. If you go back this way…besides, getting a flight like now is going to be virtually impossible…”

“I have the jet,” Lucas slurred, “I brought the Titan jet with me,” Lucas added shaking his head in an attempt to clear it a bit, “Brandon, she’s desperate and hurting…”

“I know,” Brandon replied poignantly.

“No, you don’t have any idea,” Lucas stood taller, “I’ve seen her upset in the past, but never, ever like this. Not losing Austin or anything has put her in this position. She’s hurting and she’s feeling betrayed and…”

“And what?” Brandon questioned as Lucas choked up again on emotion.

“She’s pregnant,” Lucas blurted out at long last, “with your baby.”

“What did you just say,” Brandon blinked back as Lucas’s words hit him.

“Sami’s pregnant,” Lucas confessed, “I just found out today before I came here. I don’t think Sami has any idea, but she’s pregnant Brandon and that in itself is why I’m here. I know that I drove you away from her, but she’s having your baby and their lives are on the line…”

“My baby,” Brandon’s jaw dropped, “no that can’t be,” he found himself at a loss as he took it all in, “there’s no way. She and I were careful about…”

“Look, I really don’t want to hear it because I’m not drunk enough to stomach it, but the fact is that she needs you. I can’t bear the thought of losing her,” Lucas confessed sobering up a bit, “this is the last place I want to be in at this moment, but if it means helping Sami to return to me, then I’ll do whatever it takes. I can’t lose her…” Lucas blurted out shamefully, “I just can’t…”

Brandon watched Lucas for a long moment seeing the shades of remorse rushing over him. As the words fell from Lucas, Brandon began to see something that he hadn’t before now. Still, no matter what Lucas’s motivation was in showing up at Taylor’s place, the fact remained that Sami was in danger, her life hanging by a thread and now to find out that she was carrying his child.

“We have to get back to Salem,” Brandon blurted out trying to keep from thinking the worst, “Lucas, tell me you remember how to get back to the jet.”

“I do,” he nodded, “it’s at a private airport not far from here.”

“Good, then we’re leaving now. Can you walk?” Brandon questioned extending an arm to him.

“I’ll be fine,” Lucas nodded as he stumbled forward.

“No you won’t,” Brandon shook his head looking to his sister pleadingly, “Taylor.”

“Let me get my jacket,” she offered keeping her otherwise silent composition as she prepared to return to Salem with her brother and Lucas knowing that nothing but chaos awaited them.

<hr>

Sami could hear the faint beeping and buzzing sounds filling her ears as the replay of her confrontation with Tony filled her memory. A gasp rushed over her lips as she opened her eyes to find herself standing over her bruised and bloodied body and a confusion rushed over her. Fear reached down deep into each and every one of her synapses as she took a step back horrified by what she saw before her.

“Blood never did sit well with you, now did it dear cousin?” a voice challenged as Sami spun around to find Colin standing behind her a smug smile upon his face as he stepped in closer to her body inspecting it closely as he shook his head. “Of course I must confess that when my time was over with, I didn’t go out nearly as messy as you did.”

“What do you mean time over?” she blinked back at him, “my time isn’t over, but you, well you’re dead and this,” she glanced back over to her body, “this is a bad dream. A horrible, awful dream and I’m going to wake up any minute in the arms of my husband and this is all just going to be a nightmare.”

A hearty laugh roared from deep within Colin, “My you are far more delusional than I’d ever imagined you being Sami,” he shook his head as he choked up on laughter, “but oh how you amuse me. However, perhaps to get you to take me seriously, we should change scenery for a while and perhaps then you’ll see the big picture,” he finished snapping his fingers as Sami realized they’d suddenly shifted locations. Looking around the room, she realized they were no longer in the hospital as the room changed dramatically around them.

“Where are we,” she demanded trying to hide the confusion that filled her, “where have you taken me?”

“Why cousin,” a cryptic smile swept over his devilish features, “we’re about to face the fight of your life and since you do like a good battle, this one, well it’s going to shock you,” Colin finished as he nodded ahead of them, “it looks like they’re about to begin.”

“Begin what?” she turned her eyes in the direction he’d looked into as a gasp fell from her lips. Despite the white haze that surrounded her, she could make out what clearly appeared to be a courtroom of sorts and as she turned to Colin again, he’d changed into a suit, “what’s going on here?”

“We’re about to take our time defending your miserable little life,” Colin explained with a wicked smile, “and what you do now, well that will determine what happens next.”

“What do you mean what happens next?” she questioned in confusion.

“Shall we begin,” a deep, guttural tone questioned as Sami stepped forward seeing the face of a man she’d never anticipated seeing ever again as he flashed her a sinister smile.

“Why hello Sami,” he laughed cryptically, “I see it’s time for us to meet again.”

“Franco,” she gasped in confusion as she looked between him and Colin, “no this can’t be happening. You’re both dead.”

“Oh Samantha, you’ll get very used to it yourself,” Franco leaned in closer to her extending his arm around her shoulders.

“Don’t touch me!” She swatted him away from her, “Don’t you dare touch me!”

“Sami, Sami, Sami,” he shook his head in strong disapproval as Colin placed his arm between them to prevent Franco from touching her.

“I’m afraid my client is off limits until after the judge has come to a decision about her fate,” Colin explained simply.

“The decision is obvious,” Franco blew her a kiss before going to the other side of the courtroom, “but don’t worry Sami, I won’t forget about our plans for one another.”

“Go to hell you sick son of a…” she snapped back at him.

“A little too late for that,” he answered enthusiastically, “but don’t worry soon you and I can enjoy it together.”

“No way,” Sami shook her head emphatically before turning to Colin again, “where did you take me? What are we doing here?”

“Why it’s quite simple,” Colin chuckled as he adjusted his tie, “you’re about to get a one way ticket to eternity and it’s time for us to get a front row seat,” he explained stepping forward as Sami looked to the courtroom in front of her, horror washing over her features as she wondered just what had happened to her.

“Now wait just a second here,” Sami protested tugging on Colin’s arm, “there is no way that I’m going to defend my life to Franco and if you think for just one second that…”

“No no,” Colin shook his head emphatically, “it’s not Franco, you’ll be defending yourself to, it’s him,” he motioned towards the chair up front where a man in a black robe was seated before them.

“Court is now in session,” another voice explained as Sami turned to find her father standing beside the judge’s bench.

“Daddy,” Sami stepped forward pleading with him, “daddy, what’s going on?”

“It’s time to be judged Sami,” Roman shook his head disapproving, “it’s time to meet your fate.”

“Daddy, I don’t understand. I don’t…” she began again.

“Silence,” the judge announced from the thick layer of fog covering his features.

“It’s show time,” Colin began with a smile as he placed his hands on Sami’s shoulders setting her down in the chair that magically appeared beneath her, “your honor, today we come here to decide the fate of Samantha Gene Brady and today I intend to present to you a case showing you exactly why my client is here and why we want you to weigh things out carefully before making your decision on her fate.”

“This is unbelievable,” Sami shook her head, “this isn’t happening,” she reached for her arm pinching herself as she let out a pained cry, “no this is just a bad dream…nothing more than a bad dream…”

“Save it,” Franco snapped as he stood up from his seat, “I intend to show you exactly where Samantha Brady belongs and by the time this trial is over, I’ll see to it that she’s in her place where she was always meant to be.”

“I’m meant to be with my family. To be in Salem with those who love me,” Sami argued turning her attention to the judge, “I don’t belong here. I’m not dead. I’m very much alive and this is a bad dream…nothing more than a nightmare…”

“A nightmare would be your life,” Franco remarked offhandedly, “but I intend to show everyone just what a miserable existence you had back there starting with my first witness…”

“What?” Sami turned towards the back of the courtroom as her old friend Jaime entered the room catching her off guard, “Jaime?”

“Sami,” Jaime regarded her as she brushed past her moving towards the witness stand. Upon taking her seat, Roman stepped forward to swear her in.

“Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” he asked.

“Where Sami is concerned I wouldn’t dare breathe a word of deception,” she remarked shooting Sami a glare as Franco approached the bench.

“Now Jaime,” he began, “can you tell us a bit about your relationship with Mrs. Walker?”

“Walker?” Jaime blinked back at him, “is that the name of the latest sucker in her life? I can’t believe any man could fall for Sami and her lies. I mean I’ll give her credit that she’s good at the game, but not that good…”

“Would you care to elaborate on that,” Franco leaned in over the stand.

“Sure,” she nodded, “Sami and I were once friends, the best of friends--or so I thought, but really I was just a fool. Sami was just a lying, manipulative bitch and she tried to rope me in with her lies. She used me and blackmailed me into keeping her secret when she tried to hide the fact that she drugged Austin into sleeping with her from the poor guy all because she couldn’t bear to see her sister happy…”

“That’s not true,” Sami shook her head, “Jaime, I didn’t mean to do that…”

“Silence,” the judge ordered.

“Anyways,” Jaime continued, “Sami lied about everything and she destroyed any feelings of friendship I’d had for her. She played her sister, Austin and Lucas against one another for her own selfish purposes. She’s a witch in every sense of the word and my biggest regret is that I felt forced to keep all her lies a secret for so long. I never, ever should’ve agreed to do that because in the end all I did was help her destroy people.”

“No further questions,” Franco shrugged his shoulders looking to Colin, “Your witness.”

“Now Jaime,” Colin began, “are you trying to tell this court that you weren’t Sami’s best friend for much of her youth?”

“Sami isn’t capable of having a friend because all she does is lie and hurt others,” Jaime blurted out, “she’s spiteful, vindictive and she only knows how to destroy others.”

“But I thought you’d said you were friends,” Colin reminded her.

“I was trying to be a friend to Sami, that is until she used my feelings for Lucas against me. She threatened that if I revealed her secret, that she’d turn it around on me and I would be the one to pay dearly. I was so afraid of her destroying me that I kept my mouth shut and people suffered,” Jaime turned to look at Sami, “but I will never, ever suffer at your hand again. I hope you rot in hell Sami because it’s all you deserve.”

“Jaime, I’m sorry for what I did, but I’m not the same person anymore. I’ve changed. I’ve grown up and I’ve learned. I’m not the person I was when we were friends. Yes, I treated you badly and I’m so very sorry for that, but you have to understand…”

“Silence,” the judge ordered, “you’ll have your turn.”

“Your honor,” Sami begged.

“Enough,” he raised his robed arm before motioning to Franco, “your next witness.”

“I call to the stand Austin Reed,” Franco announced as the room filled with a silence and Austin stepped into the courtroom.

“Austin,” Sami gasped in surprise as she saw him for the first time after he’d left her at the altar.

“I really shouldn’t be here,” Austin began looking over to Sami apologetically, “I’m sorry…”

“Austin, it’s okay. Tell them that I shouldn’t be here. I have to get home. I have Brandon and Will and…”

“Your honor, I really don’t want to do this,” Austin began as Roman escorted him to the chair and he took a seat.

“You don’t have a choice,” the judge explained mumbling a few words before Austin looked down at Sami.

“Can you tell us about your relationship with Mrs. Walker?” Franco began.

“Sami and I have a very long history with one another,” Austin offered.

“And how would you rate that history? Good? Bad?”

“A little bit of both. We had our share of misunderstandings…” Austin began.

“Such as her lying about Will Roberts being your son for quite some times,” Franco offered, “or perhaps about how she lied that his father was abusing him.”

“I wasn’t happy with her when she did that, no,” Austin shook his head.

“And when she drugged you into having sex with her…”

“That was a long time ago,” Austin offered.

“But she still did it?”

“Yes.”

“And she worked single-handedly to ruin your relationship with her sister Carrie, is that correct?”

Austin nodded, “there were a lot of things going on.”

“So many in fact that you weren’t able to bear what she was and that’s why you left her on your wedding day at the altar, isn’t it?”

“I chose not to marry Sami, yes,” Austin nodded, “but there were a lot of things that…”

“Would you marry her now?” Franco challenged, “would you be willing to say with your heart that Sami Brady is the kind of woman who’s changed? Is she capable of love and of real human emotions…”

“She’s a good mother to her son…”

“Yes, but what about with you? Was she good with you? Did you have a relationship built on honesty and trust and devotion? Could you find it in your heart to forgive her for her actions…?”

Austin grew silent as he dropped his head, “No I couldn’t.”

“Because she’d hurt you that deeply?” Franco questioned as Sami watched Austin’s testimony with tears in her eyes.

“I couldn’t forgive her because I felt like my entire relationship with her was based on nothing but a lie,” Austin confessed poignantly.

“No further questions,” Franco looked to Colin, “Your witness.”

“I have nothing to add,” Colin shrugged his shoulders.

“Now wait a second,” Sami protested, “you’re supposed to be helping me. This isn’t helping me.”

“What more can I say?” Colin shrugged once again, “this witness won’t help your case.”

“Austin cared about me once. Have him tell the court how he felt about me once upon a time,” she looked to Austin, “tell them about the good that I’ve done. Tell them about the love we did once have.”

“Sami,” Austin paused dramatically shaking his head once again, “I can’t. I’m sorry but I just can’t…”

“No, Austin please,” Sami begged of him as Roman helped him off the stand, “please Austin, you can’t just leave me hanging like this. You have to tell them that I’m not all bad. They need to know…I need to return to Brandon, to my life…to…”

“Our next witness will help you Sami,” Colin promised as a smile swept over his features, “ah and here she is now,” he nodded as Carrie entered the courtroom.

“Oh hell no,” Sami blurted out emphatically, “there’s no way I’m letting her speak for my behalf.”

“Oh come on Sami. She’s your sister and you know what they say about the sisterly bond,” Colin taunted her.

“I know what she’ll say about me,” Sami turned to the judge, “please this can’t go on. I don’t know how I got here but it’s a mistake. I belong home in Salem with my family. With the man I love. I have to return to them and be there. I have to make things right with Brandon. If you just give me a chance…”

“Your honor,” Colin approached the bench with her, “what my client is trying to say is that she would like a different set of witnesses speaking in her behalf. Perhaps we could get those who were closest to her over the last few months.”

“I object,” Franco stomped in closer to the duo, “I still have Kate Roberts, Nicole Walker and Lexie Carver on my list.”

“No way,” Sami shook her head, “I refuse to let them get up there. This is my life and if I’m going to be judged I certainly don’t want them to be the ones doing it. I want a fair trial because this is my life.”

“And what a life it was,” Franco remarked offhandedly.

“Shut up Franco,” she snapped back at him, “please your honor, let me have people who know me…people whom I’ve loved and that love me.”

“Well, I suppose I can allow it,” the judge decided after a moment’s hesitation, “but I should hope you can find these witnesses soon.”

“I will,” Sami nodded eagerly, “I know exactly who to call.”

“Fine, then you have a short recess,” he answered as Sami turned to Colin.

“You have to get Will up here. Bring Will and have him tell the court how much he loves me,” Sami urged of her distant cousin, “then the judge will see that Will needs me and I can go back.”

“Samantha, if I bring Will, they’re going to want to speak with Lucas as well.”

“No way,” she shook her head, “He’s not coming up here to defend my life. I won’t hear of it.”

“Samantha,” Colin gave her a stern look, “this is the only way. It’s either Lucas and Will or no deal.”

“Fine, then do what you must, but if you bring Lucas up here, then we have to have Brandon,” she grudgingly agreed fearing for what might come of her now that her life was hanging by a thread.

“Brandon walked out on you,” Colin reminded her, “he wants nothing to do with you.”

“Brandon loves me. He is my husband and despite what I’ve done, he’ll fight for me, for our future,” Sami trailed off looking to the angry eyes of the courtroom as she prayed that somewhere out there fate would be working with her. She needed to find help somehow. Her life was depending on it.

“Dr. Murphy, have you and your client reached an adequate list of witnesses with one another?” the judge questioned breaking through the silence.

“We have,” Colin nodded, “and it’s in my own personal view that perhaps it’s in my client’s best interest if we do things a different way. After all in this situation, we feel it would be best if we were able to go in a more hands on approach with this one. After all, it would be the one thing to give you a true prospective on what’s really going on in my client’s world.”

“Such as?” the judge questioned.

“Such as Sami sees what’s really happening down there,” Colin explained with a snap of his fingers as they were suddenly back in Salem again.

Sami turned to look at him, letting out a breath of relief as she realized they were out of the courtroom, “What happened,” she questioned in confusion.

“Apparently our motion has been granted,” Colin shrugged his shoulders, “which means you and I have a few things on our agenda.”

“Which means what exactly?” she questioned as Colin snapped his fingers once again and they were transported to another room.

“It means you and I are going to go on a field trip of sorts,” Colin curled his finger motioning for her to follow him as they stepped into Alice Horton’s home finding Will and Abby coloring with one another.

“Will,” Sami spoke his name trying to reach out to her son as Colin put his arm out to stop her.

“No Sami, they can’t see or hear us. We’re just here to watch,” Colin stated simply.

“I don’t understand,” Sami frowned in response.

“Just watch,” Colin urged as Abby spoke up looking to her cousin.

“Will, you know I was thinking. My mommy and daddy just got married and we’re going to be a big, happy family, but you, well I heard people talking about what your mommy is really like…”

“What people?” Will shook his head with a frown, “Abby, the only ones you talk to are your parents since you’re just a little baby still.”

“I am not a baby,” she argued with a huff, “I’m far from it Will and besides I’m not the weirdo.”

“Neither am I,” he snapped back at her.

“Yes you are,” Abby nodded sticking her tongue out, “you go through daddies like I go through great-gran’s cookies. I even heard that the new step-daddy that your mommy got for you, ran away because he didn’t like you or your mom.”

“That’s not true,” Will argued with her with a huff, “my mom and Brandon are married and they are happier than your stupid parents could ever be,” Will replied throwing the coloring book he’d been drawing haphazardly in across the table at his cousin, “and besides, I don’t have just two crummy people in my life. My dad is cool and he’s better than your dad and I have three people who think I’m the best when you only have two so ha!” he stomped away from her anger rushing over him.

“Why is she being so mean to him,” Sami frowned in response watching her son’s retreat.

“Don’t you think what you do effects him,” Colin challenged following Will, “Sami, you and I both know that children pick up on everything.”

“I love my son,” she argued as they stepped into the room Will had drifted off to in order to be alone.

“You might love him, but do you ever listen,” Colin nodded in Will’s direction as Sami found her son standing by one of the large, windows looking out at the world ahead of him. Sami slowly moved in towards her son seeing the turmoil on his features as he let out a heavy sigh.

“Why can’t I just be like the other kids,” Will grumbled as he touched the curtain, “why can’t my mom and dad just be normal parents that at least pretend to like each other? I mean I know I’m not the greatest of kids, but God you have to help me out. I don’t want my mom to die and I don’t want all this to be happening. I know my mom made some mistakes, but I just want her back in my life. I don’t want my dad to be sad about it and I don’t want to lose her either. I know that everyone says she’s a bad person, but she’s a good mom. She is really a good mom and I can’t lose her,” he sniffled tears building behind his eyes.

“Will, I’m right here honey,” Sami tried to reach out to him unable to embrace her son, “Will, mommy is right here…”

“Sami, I already told you,” Colin frowned, “he can’t see or hear you.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” Sami snapped back at him angrily, “why are you showing me this now? Why make him suffer?”

“Sami, I didn’t do any of this,” Colin reminded her, “your son is suffering because of the actions that lead you to the position you were in, not because of anything else. Your quest to keep Brandon landed you in the hospital and Will is this way because of what you did.”

“No,” she shook her head refusing to believe his words, “I love my son and I would do absolutely anything for him. I know that this isn’t my fault.”

“Sami, you and Lucas push him around like he’s a piece of property in between your spats,” Colin shook his head, “how else is the kid supposed to feel?”

“I love my son,” Sami turned her attention to Will, “I’ve always loved my son and wanted what was best for him.”

“By lying and scheming,” he shook his head watching her look at Will, “and what has it gotten you but misery and heartbreak?”

“You don’t understand and you of all people shouldn’t dare judge me,” Sami shot back at him seething with anger.

“I’m not judging,” Colin offered, “but merely calling it like it is.”

“No, that’s not how it is,” she argued.

“Either way, our time is up here. We must move on.”

“No,” she shook her head, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving my son.”

“You don’t have a choice Sami,” Colin reached for her arm, “we have other places to be--things to see.”

“No, I am not leaving…” her words were interrupted as she suddenly found herself back in the hospital again, “what are we doing back here?”

“You wanted to see what was happening down here, and that’s what you’re going to do,” Colin pulled her along the hallway, “I think there’s something important for you to see.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I want to go back to my son, back to…” she protested as he pushed her into one of the waiting rooms and her eyes fell upon Lucas sitting in a chair, “oh great, why am I here? Why are you wasting my time on him when I should be with my son?”

“Sami, Lucas is part of the deal,” Colin reminded her, “remember?”

“I didn’t like that part of the deal,” Sami huffed folding her arms in front of her chest as she noticed a woman entering the room, with her back to Sami, “who’s that?”

“She’s not important,” Colin motioned to Lucas, “but what he has to say is.”

“I’d beg to differ considering that he was the man who ruined my life and destroyed me. Lucas Roberts never has had anything good to say about me and you know as well as I know that if this was up to him, that I’d burn in hell for all eternity.”

“Let’s just see about that,” Colin offered as he lead her in a bit closer.

“Any word on Sami,” Taylor questioned as Lucas turned his attention to the woman before him.

“Nothing yet,” he hung his head somberly, “I just can’t believe she’s in there fighting for her life like this.”

“Sami has always been a fighter from what I’ve been told,” she offered moving in closer to him.

“Fighter or not, I’m afraid all her fight will be gone,” Lucas rose from his chair running his fingers through his hair.

“Oh you wish,” Sami huffed glaring in his direction.

“Sami,” Colin warned.

“Well I’m just calling it like it is,” She remarked dryly.

“Keep watching,” he urged.

“And if she dies, it’ll be my fault,” Lucas blurted out as Sami saw the first glimpse of tears in his features, “I never wanted this for her. I never, ever imagined that this would happen.”

“Oh right,” Sami began when suddenly his words came out with a tone she hadn’t quite heard from him before.

“All I wanted was to catch her at her game, to finally make her stop what she was doing to destroy herself,” Lucas shook his head again painfully, “I wanted to end her manipulations, but now I’d give anything to have her back again…to have her telling me off and fighting with me, if it meant that she’d live.”

“You really care about her don’t you,” Taylor questioned reaching for his hand as he turned his eyes to the floor, “Lucas?”

“More than I should that’s for sure,” he nodded in confession sobering up a bit after the plane ride back to Salem, “Sami is just like this irresistible force. As much as you want to shut her out, to break her down, she keeps fighting back with a vengeance and you just want to knock her down, but the harder you try, the more she pushes you to your limits and tears you apart from the inside out.”

“Sounds like you and Sami have had some very tumultuous years with one another,” Taylor noted.

He nodded in response, “We’ve damn near killed one another time and time again, but now…”

“Now what?”

“Now I can’t imagine my life without her,” Lucas confessed painfully, “I can’t imagine not seeing her face, not having her scream and yell at me or tell me what an idiot I am. I can’t imagine not being able to talk to her again, to really let her know…” he stopped himself, “this isn’t right.”

“No, it’s not, but from what you’ve told me about Sami, it’s clear that she’s a fighter,” Taylor squeezed his hand gently, “she’s not going to give up.”

“She thinks she lost Brandon,” Lucas reminded Taylor, “he was her life and she loved him and wanted him more than anything and I took that away from her. I wanted to make sure that…I just wanted…oh none of it matters anymore. Without Brandon, Sami’s not going to want to keep fighting. I know that this time she was broken…this time it took all of her and tore her apart inside…”

“Lucas, you have to have faith,” Taylor urged further, “just think of what you’ve done to bring Sami back. Even tonight you wanted to believe there was hope and even when you felt it was hopeless, you worked to bring hope to Sami.”

“It might be too late even now,” Lucas sighed painfully, “she may be too far gone.”

“I don’t believe that,” Taylor shook her head, “and deep down neither do you.”

“I just wanted to get under her skin, to get her to react,” Lucas sighed, “I never, ever meant any of this…”

“Of course you didn’t, but at the same time you didn’t want her married to my brother,” Taylor paused for a long moment watching him intently, “because you’re in love with her yourself.”

“He’s what?” Sami blinked back as she looked between the two of them, “she just didn’t say what I think she did, did she,” Sami looked over her shoulder at Colin.

“Just watch,” he urged again.

“In love with Sami,” Lucas repeated in surprise noting the expression on her face, “no that’s ridiculous.”

“Lucas, think about it. When you believed she was dying, you dropped everything to help her, to bring her happiness and even now in hearing you talk about her,” Taylor shook her head, “how can you sit here and deny that you have feelings for her when it’s painfully obvious? All the events leading up to now show that you care for her…”

“I care for her yes, but love…” Lucas trailed off.

“That’s right,” Taylor nodded in response, “you’ve got it written all over your face and that’s really what made you do what you did tonight. You didn’t do it because you felt nothing towards her. You did it because you love her and because as much as you didn’t want her to be with my brother, you wanted her to have happiness in her life. You sacrificed what you hoped for in the hopes of letting Sami have another chance at love. Admit it Lucas,” she urged as Sami watched in silence awaiting his response.

“Come on,” Colin pulled on her arm, “we’ve got to get going.”

“Wait a second,” Sami argued, “I want to hear this.”

“You’ve already heard too much,” Colin shook his head in response, “we have one more place to go.”

“Colin wait,” Sami insisted, “I need to hear this. I just need…”

“To get going,” Colin yanked her out of the room, “and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

“No you can’t take me away just yet,” she began desperately, “I need to know if…”

“Sami,” he interrupted meeting her eyes with a serious expression, “you already know so in staying there you won’t learn anything that you haven’t already believed to be true.”

“Lucas can’t be in love with me,” she gasped as the thought rushed over her, “can he?”

“That’s not for us to figure out right now,” Colin replied simply guiding her down the hallway, “right now is about weighing out the options of your future.”

“Where are you taking me now?” she questioned with a frown hating to be pulled away at such a pivotal moment as she instantly recognized the sounds of the beeping machines before her. As her gaze cast over her own motionless body, she turned to Colin in confusion, “you said I had time. You said that we were going one place else.”

“We’re at our last stop,” Colin explained matter of fact.

“I can’t go back up there just yet,” Sami shook her head, “not yet…not when…”

“We’re not going up there just yet,” Colin motioned to the door as Sami looked up to find Brandon standing in the doorway. Her pulse quickened and her breath caught in her throat as she saw him step into the room.

“Brandon,” she whispered his name pulling herself away from Colin as her husband stood before her only a few feet away. She rushed forward to embrace him, feeling him step through her as he approached the bedside, “Brandon, I’m here…”

“He can’t hear you Sami,” Colin reminded her with a shake of his head, “when will you learn?”

“Brandon’s back,” Sami realized looking to her cousin, “he came back for me.”

“Time will tell,” Colin mused leaning up against the wall as Brandon took a seat beside Sami’s hospital bed.

“Oh Samantha,” Brandon began choked up on emotion as tears pooled in his eyes. He reached for her hand drawing it up to his lips as his voice choked up with emotions, “Samantha, how could this happen? How could I have done this to you?”

“Brandon,” she felt her eyes fill with tears as he kissed her hand and she watched from the sidelines.

“I was such a fool. I should’ve listened to you, should’ve made you feel we could be open and honest with one another. Samantha, I never, ever wanted you hurt like this. I didn’t want to lose you and when I walked out on you, I made a mistake. A huge one and I know that this doesn’t make up for it, but Samantha I can’t lose you. I refuse to let that happen and I know that you can hear me. Samantha,” he leaned in to kiss her forehead as his voice lowered to a whisper, “you have to fight for me…for our…”

“That’s about enough,” Colin reached out to her.

“No, I didn’t hear what he said,” Sami shrugged his arm away from her, “please, not yet…”

“Sami, we really must…..”

“I need to be here,” she stepped in closer towards Brandon.

“Samantha, when I told you that we’d have eternity together, I meant that. I want to follow through on that and if you come back to me, I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. I’ll do my best to try to get you to feel that you can trust me, that our love can be strong enough. Samantha, when I pledge my love to you, I didn’t mean it to be something that I could just leave behind in the blink of an eye. Our love is forever and if you leave me now,” tears spilled down his cheeks, “Oh Samantha, please don’t leave me. I love you and I need you. Without you, I’m nothing and I was a fool to ever believe it could be otherwise.”

“Oh Brandon,” Sami reached out to touch him finding her hand slipped through his shoulder.

“We have to go,” Colin announced boldly, “time is up.”

“No, please not yet…please…” she begged as suddenly she was back in the courtroom with the judge staring down at her.

“We’ve come to a decision,” the judge announced as he stepped out of the shadows, “and it’s judgment time for you Samantha Brady. It’s time to find your place on the other side.”

“No,” she cried out, “I can’t leave them. I can’t leave my son and Brandon’s back. He loves me and he wants to be with me now. His love has changed me and if you let me go back I‘ll prove that. My dreams of happiness are about to come true and Lucas,” she thought about what she’d seen, “I can’t leave any of them. I have so much more to discover, to live through…to…”

“Silence,” he raised his hands in the air, “your judgment has been called and it’s time to meet your destiny,” he finished as a large wooden door appeared before her.

“Please I’m begging you…” Sami started once more as the man roared.

“Go now!” he snapped as Sami felt tears stinging in her eyes and she followed the white light towards the door leading to her destiny knowing that life would never be the same after this moment in time.

<hr>

“Any change?” Lucas questioned stepping into Sami’s hospital room as he watched Brandon hovering over her.

“Nothing,” Brandon pressed Sami’s lifeless hand against his cheek, “nothing at all, but I can’t stop praying that she’ll come back to me.”

“We can’t lose her just now,” Lucas agreed as tears filled his own eyes and his heart sank in seeing Sami so lost and wounded.

“I’d give anything to be able to see her open her beautiful blue eyes and to have her smile at me again,” Brandon confessed reaching out to touch her long, blonde hair, “please come back to me, Samantha.”

“Keep fighting Sami,” Lucas urged watching as Brandon caressed her cheek and Lucas continued his silent prayers.

“Samantha please,” Brandon laced their fingers together as he felt a sudden twitch as her fingers squeezed his hand.

“Brandon look,” Lucas blurted out as Brandon’s gaze lifted to Sami’s eyes that were now fluttering open.

“Samantha,” Brandon spoke her name as she turned her head in the direction of his voice, “Samantha, can you hear me?”

“Brandon…” she whispered tightly as tears pooled in her eyes, “you’re here… You‘re really here…”

“I’m right here,” he touched her cheek gently, “and I swear to you that I’m never going to leave you again.”

“Oh Brandon,” she cried hoarsely as he embraced her and tears overcame her, “I thought I’d lost you.”

“You’ll never lose me again,” he promised kissing her tenderly, “not when we have so much to live for, so much ahead of us…”

“Brandon, I’m so sorry…” she started tightly.

“No, I’m the sorry one. I never, ever should’ve left you and I swear to you that I’m never going to leave you again. This time it’s forever Samantha. We can finally have the family we’ve always dreamt about and now all of our dreams are finally going to come true,” Brandon hugged her gently, “we really do have it all together.”

“I want that,” she replied looking over his shoulder at Lucas watching the sadness wash over his features.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Lucas cleared his throat, “you have a lot to talk about.”

“Lucas wait,” Sami began unsure of what to say as she thought of what she’d witnessed.

“Sami, I’m sorry,” Lucas began poignantly, “but I knew that if Brandon came back you’d be okay. I just knew he would be what you needed.”

“Lucas, I…” she started then stopped as she looked to Brandon thinking of how lucky she was, “thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” Lucas replied giving her one last longing look before stepping out of the room.

Lucas took a deep breath as he watched Brandon and Sami from the window outside her hospital room. Watching them sharing an embrace broke his heart despite his relief that she was alive. He’d wanted her back and nothing would change that, but now as she hung onto Brandon, he thought of the sacrifice he’d made in bringing back the source of Sami’s happiness and he thought of all the things he hadn’t said. He thought of the things he’d never say, never do and the love he’d never reveal. She was happy now and happiness was all he’d wanted for her. With a sigh, he touched the glass window and spoke in a whisper.

“Be happy Sami,” Lucas offered simply, “just be happy,” he finished turning away from the window leaving her to her happiness as Sami’s gaze lingered to the window he was once standing at.

Sami watched Lucas walk away as his words haunted her. She wondered if it had all been in her head, all a part of her imagination as she thought of his talk with Taylor. Something had changed and she could feel it now even as she and Brandon were together again. There was some unfinished business that she could attend to, some second chance that wasn’t there before…something that…

“Samantha, we’re going to get you through this,” Brandon promised her eagerly as his words broke through her thoughts, “you and our baby are going to be just fine…”

“Baby,” her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him, “what baby?”

“Our baby,” Brandon explained simply.

“We’re having a baby,” she questioned as the thought reached into her, “our baby?”

“That’s right,” Brandon nodded in response, “Lucas told me that you were pregnant, that we’re having a baby and when he showed up to bring me here, I was on my way back and when I heard I was going to be a father. Oh Samantha, that’s the greatest gift in the world and I swear to you from here on out I’m going to do everything in my power to be the best husband and father to you and our child. You have my word on that.”

“Oh Brandon,” she hugged him realizing that she’d returned to have a second chance at life, a second chance at happiness and now as she held onto her husband she realized life would never be the same. She was going to have it all at long last as life had thrown her a second chance that she vowed never to waste a moment of it again.

The End