My poor little romantic heart can't take all the angst I know days is going to throw me when lumi are back on the screen. This is a get back together fic, it'll be short. Most likely not more than ten chapters. This one's kind of sad, though. The Stan storyline hasn't happened in this, not that I'm completely opposed to Stan it's just too soon to tell. And I haven't forgotten about Wedding Days, I have a new chapter, but it's not with me so until Monday.

It had been almost exactly five months since he had last walked through this door. He had stared at it at least a million times, willing it to open while at the same time praying that it wouldn't.

In his haste to get to Sami, Lucas didn't even think of this fact as he burst through the front door of her apartment. She looked up in surprise, quickly turning to shock as she took in his wild, almost desperate eyes.

Sami had never expected Lucas to come running in her door ever again. She knew she had been set up, but with months of searching for proof and planning extremely painful deaths for Kate with no actual results she had to give herself some time to regroup. In other words she had taken a break, because revenge is a dish best served cold. The only plausible reason she could come up with to explain his presence would be if Will was hurt.

"Oh my God, Lucas is something…"

But her question was interrupted by his firm grasp as he pulled her into his arms. Lucas held her as close as possible and she relished in the moment. She didn't know why he was there or what was happening and she probably should have stopped it, but it felt too wonderful.

"God, I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."

And then he was kissing her and it had been much too long since that had happened. It was one of those perfect kisses that can only be shared between two people who know exactly what the other wants and needs. Then he was pulling her shirt over her head and those hands were amazing and then there was the bedroom.

Sami would be eternally grateful that some higher power somewhere had made her shave her legs this morning. Still in mourning over her lost chance, she would do it only when the stubble became noticeable to herself. No one else would see them, so why keep up appearances?

Lucas knew he should stop long enough to talk to her, but God it had been too long since they had left a trail of clothing to the bedroom. Her skin was still so soft, and those lips could do incredible things. He had missed this too much to stop now.

………………………………………………..

The sun shone through the window as Lucas woke up and looked down at the warm body curling into him, extremely thankful that it hadn't been another dream. Sami was sleeping soundly with her head resting on his shoulder and her hand upon his heart, the way it should be. Slowly, he ran a hand down her arm, finding the hand resting on his chest and interlocking their fingers.

Sami woke up to the glorious feeling of being in Lucas's arms. She inhaled deeply and snuggled closer to memorize this beautiful moment. It had been amazing, better than amazing. Lucas had come back to her and everything was going to be perfect. Until Kate found out, which brought up the question why he would come here in the first place.

Lucas was completely content to stay here to enjoy the closeness between them forever, but suddenly Sami stiffened in his arms. She pulled away quickly and sat up. She pulled the covers up under her arms to cover her bare chest, to hide herself from his view.

Feeling his heart sinking slowly, he tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched before any real contact could be made. His heart broke a little more as he caught sight of slightly glassy eyes.

Sami closed her eyes to fight off her tears, but instead of trapping them in it only served to force them down her cheeks. As one silently slid down, a gentle hand brushed it away.

"This shouldn't have happened."

It was barely more than a whisper, but the loudest scream in the world wouldn't have been more shocking to him.

"What?"

"It shouldn't have happened."

"Sami," tenderly he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but it only served to make her formerly silent crying audible, "I want…"

"Why did you come here?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you."

"No. I want to know what happened that made you suddenly have this need to sleep with me."

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair before taking one of her own as he tried to form the right words.

"I went to have dinner with my mom before. I overheard her on the phone talking about how she set you up. I was so angry, Sami. There aren't enough words to describe how I felt at that moment, what I still feel when I think about it. I cut her out of my life, and then I came straight to you. I love you. You have to know it wasn't about sex."

Her heart sank a little more, though it would be a lie to say a small hint of satisfaction hadn't pushed through hearing that Kate had been cut out. But it wasn't enough. It may be wrong and selfish, but Sami didn't want him to come back just because Kate had dug her own grave. Her tears didn't stop and she let out a shuddering breath.

"I think you should go."

Lucas shook his head in an attempt to clear his devastated confusion. It didn't work.

"What the hell is this? I really don't get it. Only a few hours ago you were underneath me, and now you want me to leave? Do you not love me anymore, is that it?"

She couldn't take the forlorn pleading in his voice. Sami turned to face him only to see his own eyes were filling with tears. She knew if she was going to go through with it she should let him believe just that. But the words wouldn't form and the thought of him actually believing that she didn't love him was too awful.

"Of course I love you. I can't not love you."

"Then I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

Sami looked down, certain that if she maintained eye contact that she wouldn't be able to go through with letting him go. How could she possibly explain it to him?

"Do you know how little respect I have for myself?"

"What?" How could she not respect herself. Sami was the strongest, bravest, most beautiful person he knew.

"For years I chased after a man I knew didn't want me. I let Austin try to turn me into Carrie. I let Franco change me into a person I never wanted to be. I went back to Brandon even though he slept with Lexie. I've never asked for an apology or and explanation for Franco or Italy. I let everyone in this town, my own family, belittle me. I don't want that to be my life anymore. I don't want to be weak."

"Are you honestly putting me in the same category as Austin, Franco, and Brandon?"

That thought simultaneously disgusted and agitated him. He did not want to be thought of like that, especially not by Sami.

Lightly, she brushed his cheek with her hand, "No, I'm not. You could never be like them, Lucas. Our relationship could never be anything other than the real thing."

He affectionately tucked some stray hair back behind her ear, "Then your telling me to leave doesn't make sense at all."

"I lived my worst nightmare for five long, excrutiating months. My son won't talk to me and the one wedding that was supposed to happen didn't. I can understand you believing what you saw; I really can, for awhile. The first couple of weeks, hell the first month or two, I can understand. But you had five months, five to doubt her even the slightest bit, but you didn't. The only reason you're here right now is because Kate messed up and got caught."

"I did doubt her, I swear." He had to find a way to stop her from doing this.

"Not enough to give me the benefit of the doubt. You didn't look for the truth, but it doesn't matter. She'd still find a way to stop us if we tried again. I won't be able to take it when she succeeds again."

"No. I don't accept that. It's supposed to end with you and me. This is the part where we get our happily ever after."

"This isn't a movie, Lucas. It's not a TV show, it's not a romance novel. This is real life, and sometimes we don't get the ending we want."

"We could, you're just too scared to try."

"So what if I am? I have to protect myself."

"I'll prove it to you, Sami. We are supposed to be together. I refuse to accept any other outcome."

"You need to leave now."

"I'll go, for now, but I'll be back."

He leaned forward and grazed her cheek with his lips. She almost broke at the loving gesture, but Sami maintained her resolve. It would be better in the long run. He got up to get dressed without any effort to cover his body from her view before grabbing the few clothes that were actually in the bedroom. He meant every word he said, soon they'd be together again.