A/N- This is my first ever Days fic so please be kind. Sami is my favorite Days character and I hate how she is always getting burned. I want my girl to be happy but I haven't yet decided who she will end up with. I believe it's time Sami had two guys chasing after her, don't you all?

Samantha Gene Brady stared sorrowfully at Lucas as she tried to explain her actions. But as she stared at his implacable face and accusing eyes she realized that she was wasting her breath because as was his custom Lucas had condemned her out of hand and no amount of words were going to change his mind. It didn't matter that she had acted out of despair; that all she'd wanted to do was prove that Kate had set her up. It didn't matter that Tony had set her up; that she'd had no idea who she was working for until it was too late. It didn't even matter that as soon as she'd realized what Tony had planned she'd set her own plans into motion and had saved Brady, Shawn, Rex, and Lucas himself from certain disaster or that she wasn't responsible for Phillip's accident as he was the one determined to play the hero so he could hurry back to Belle. She was guilty of working for Tony and that was all everyone cared about. Her reasons didn't matter. She was guilty by association. End of story.

But enough was enough. She might have lost Lucas for good this time but she refused to let Kate break her. Squaring her shoulders she let her gaze fall on all the guests assembled in the church; the guests who were there because of the affection they bore Lucas and not her. This incident hadn't turned her into a pariah. That honor had been bestowed on her long ago and she was suddenly tired of having everyone throw her past in her face whenever she did something wrong. She was by no means perfect but neither was anyone else in Salem and she was sick of the attitude of superiority they all wore. The church was quiet; everyone waited for Sami to explain the unexplainable but Sami remained uncharacteristically silent. Finally a frazzled Lucas broke the silence.

"Well Sami aren't you going to defend yourself?" Lucas asked angrily; his rage at having been tricked by Sami once more readily apparent.

"Why should I bother Lucas when we both know everyone's already condemned me?" Sami replied with bitterness.

"What you did was reprehensible Sami," a smirking Kate interjected satisfaction etched on every one of her features.

"No more reprehensible than what you did Kate. You started this when you drugged me and Brandon then arranged for Lucas to find us," Sami replied stonily. "If it weren't for you Lucas and I would have been married long ago."

"Kate isn't to blame for this Samantha. You are the one who teamed up with that bastard Dimera," John threw in and a furious Sami turned her gaze towards her step-father. It was typical of John to take anyone else's side except hers but no matter how often it happened it still hurt like hell.

"Maybe if you hadn't ignored me when I pleaded with you to help me find proof that Kate had set me up I wouldn't have turned to Tony," Sami told him.

"Sami, Daddy isn't to blame," Belle murmured coming to her father's defense. "You did this all on your own."

"Right Belle, St. John isn't to blame just like he wasn't to blame for ruining my parent's marriage because he couldn't keep his pants zipped. After all he was in love and that excuses everything," Sami snapped.

"Sami I know you are upset but that doesn't give you the right to lash out at us. We're you're family and we love you."

"I don't have a family Belle. None of you have ever been there when I needed you. When I went to you and asked you to help me find the proof that Kate had set me up you told me I was on my own. Your problems with Shawn took precedence over my life. So don't presume to tell me what to do," Sami shouted at her sister.

Knowing Sami was right Belle nodded stiffly but an enraged Phillip went on the defensive.

"The only one to blame for this entire fiasco is you Sami. You wanted revenge on all of us for not believing you and you were willing to do anything to get it. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be in this blasted chair," he angrily muttered.

"I am not responsible for your accident Phillip. You knew the risks involved when you signed up for the Marines and you were the one who ignored the advise of your superior officer and signed up for the mission that got you hurt. You were warned about the dangers and you chose to ignore those warnings so that you could prove yourself a hero and be discharged from duty. And if it weren't for me you'd still be moldering away in some rat infested prison as I was the one who talked Tony into letting you go," Sami snapped back.

Suddenly weary of the blame game Sami tossed her bouquet on the floor and turned to face her audience once more.

"I have done a lot of things I am ashamed of in my life but no one sitting in this room has the right to judge me. I've never claimed to be perfect but I am not a monster either and I'm sick of having my past thrown in my face every time I make a mistake," Sami murmured with quiet dignity and the weddings guests shifted uncomfortably in their chairs as her words hit home. "I became Stan because Tony dangled proof of Kate's machinations in front of me. But I didn't even know it was Tony I was working for until it was too late for me to back out. I was desperate to prove my innocence and Tony's plan seemed to have merit. I freely admit I wanted revenge. I take responsibility for my actions. But maybe if everyone hadn't turned a blind eye to my pleas for help I wouldn't have had to take such drastic measures," she added quietly before walking away.

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Hours later Sami sat in the darkened kitchen when there was a knock on the door. Not wanting to talk to anyone she ignored the sound but the person was so insistent she heaved a frustrated breath before stalking to the door and pushing it open.

"Can I come in?" her father asked and Sami slowly nodded. She wasn't in the mood for a parental lecture but she loved her father and knew that he meant well. And through the bad times he had been the only one to stand by her side. The fact that what she could be prosecuted for her stint as Stan was also a consideration.

"We've just interrogated Tony and he admitted he tricked you into helping him so the state isn't going to press charges against you," Roman began getting right to business and Sami sighed in relief. She didn't think she could have born the humiliation of a trial.

A moment of awkwardness descended as father and daughter both tried to find the words needed to express their emotions and then Roman broke the silence with the question that had been plaguing him since Kate had stalked into the church and made her stunning announcement.

"Why didn't you come to me Sami? When Tony was arrested and I told you we were looking for the people who had worked for him why didn't you come to me with the truth?" Roman asked his daughter wearily.

"I was scared daddy. So damn scared the truth was going to cost me everything I've ever wanted. I thought that if I could just get Lucas to marry me then everything else would fall into place. I knew that if Lucas knew the truth he'd call off the wedding and I just wanted a little time before I admitted to being Stan."

"Sami, what you did was unjustifiable but you were right to say that if you've had a little support none of this would have happened. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and I'm sorry you felt you couldn't trust me with the truth. Most of all I'm sorry I put Kate above you. I thought she was a good person and that this rivalry you two had going would fade with time. I never realized she hated you so much she'd willingly destroy her son's life to protect him from you," Roman told his daughter reaching out to stroke her shiny blond hair and Sami felt the dam that had been holding her emotions in check break.

Throwing her arms around her father she let the tears fall freely and as his strong arms enfolded her in a warm embrace she felt the huge ache in her heart ease. So long as her father stood by her Sami knew everything would work out.

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On the other side of town a devastated Lucas walked into the Cheating Heart with only one thought in mind; oblivion. He wanted to get stinking drunk and to hell with the consequences. Walking up to the bar he pulled up a stool and ordered a scotch on the rocks and when the bartender had placed the drink in front of him he slugged it down and ordered another one.

"Lucas, you shouldn't be here," a concerned Kate told her son with a frown.

"Why not Mother?" Lucas asked. "I just found out my fiancé has been lying to me for months I figure this is the perfect time to get drunk."

"Sami isn't worth you falling off the wagon for Lucas," Kate admonished sternly. "She's nothing but a manipulative little slut and you are better off without her," she added scornfully.

"Shut up Mother," an enraged Lucas shouted. "If you had left well enough alone none of this would be happening. You promised me that you would stop trying to destroy Sami and that you would accept our relationship but all the while you were plotting ways to break us up. I thought you had changed; that you could put my future happiness above your hatred for Sami but I was wrong. What you did was beyond despicable. If you hadn't set us up Sami and I would already be married and none of this would have happened."

"Lucas, Sami is a schemer, a liar, a manipulator. I did what I had to do to protect you," Kate cried. "She isn't worthy of you Lucas," she added softly.

"That wasn't your choice to make. I love you and I've always stood by you because of all the sacrifices you've made for me but you are going to have to accept the fact that I am a grown man and that I'm quite capable of making my own decisions. Sami isn't perfect but she loves me and she makes me happy. Why couldn't you leave us in peace?" Lucas cried.

"Lucas…please you deserve better than Sami and though you don't want to admit it I did the right thing.

"No Mother as usual you did what was most convenient for you and to hell with the rest of us. It didn't matter to you that by separating me from Sami you'd be breaking my heart and it didn't matter that Will's life would be destroyed in the process. All that mattered was your vendetta against Sami. Well I hope you are proud of yourself. You finally managed to destroy Sami Brady. Too bad you had to lose your son and your only grandson in the process," Lucas told her, setting down his drink and walking away.

A defeated Kate stared after him wondering if what he said was true. Had destroying Sami cost her everything that mattered most to her? No, she'd land on her feet as she always did. Lucas loved her and he'd see she'd done the right thing eventually. And if Roman didn't come around well then that was his loss; there were other fish in the sea. Sami had it coming and she wasn't going to let anything ruin her moment of triumph. After all the years of war she had finally beaten Sami Brady and she meant to enjoy her coup.