Prison was a nightmare. John Black had known that before he plead guilty. The guards were assholes, for lack of a better word. The other inmates wanted him dead. All in all, the lack of sleep, the lack of decent food, the lack of family meant Hell for a man like John.

The lack of family was his own doing, of course. He had told Carrie, told the visitor's guard, that he would see no one but his attorney. He refused Marlena, he refused Brady, he refused everyone. He wouldn't let them see the bruises on his face, wouldn't let them see the way he limped. He would never show them the pain he fought everyday, the hopelessness that overwhelmed him.

John Black would not hurt his family anymore, even if it meant his solitude. Even if it meant dying alone.

"Your lawyer is here," the Sargent that guarded him growled, looking at John with clear disgust.

John rose gingerly, his ribs broken, his back lashed. One of the inmates had gotten him across the back with a whip made of strips of bedding during exorcise time. The guards had stopped it, but only after the worst damage had been done. John hobbled to the visitor's room after the guard had roughly cuffed him.

Carrie was there, her face streaked with tears, her eyes red. She hadn't brushed her hair, looked like she had slept in her clothes. She looked up at him with abject terror. "What have they done to you?" she gasped, looking at her step-father with horror.

John sat down gingerly. "Never mind that," John said, studying her face, the state of her. "Carrie, what's happened? Is it Marlena?" he asked, his stomach dropping to the soles of his feet. He had worried and worried about Marlena. She was his soul mate. Being apart from her was more than he could bare. But Marlena, Marlena who had gone to hell and back for him over and over...had she been hurt? Had she hurt herself? "Carrie!"

Carrie shook her head slowly, covering her face with trembling hands. "Someone...someone took Sami and Sydney. They haven't been seen since yesterday."

John slumped into his chair, his eyes squeezing shut. He had thought...had hoped, that with his pleading guilty, his family would at last be safe. Now his step-daughter and grandchild were missing. John took a shaky breath, feeling the tears prickle the back of his eyes. "Are you sure they were taken?"

Carrie shook her head slowly, unable suddenly to look him in the eye. "I don't know. I got a message from Marlena yesterday and...and they were just gone. They were supposed to go to Lexie for Sydney's check up. They never made it there. They were seen walking through the Town Square on their way to the hospital. The police are checking surveillance camera's now. They never made it John!"

John took a deep breath, rubbing his hand across his burning eyes. "How is Rafe holding up?"

Carrie hesitated. John saw the slight shift of her body, his instincts screaming that something else was terribly wrong.

"Carrie?" he asked, a warning in his voice.

"He's...he's afraid," she said softly. "Like the rest of us."

"Carrie, what are you not telling me?" John asked, leaning towards her, the cuffs on his wrists chaffing with the motion.

Carrie looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "John, I...I made a mistake. We made a mistake, Rafe and I."

"Dear God," John said under his breath, closing his eyes again. "Don't tell me, while Samantha and Sydney were -"

Carrie rose and began to pace, her hands in her hair. "They're different, John! Sami and Austin both. Sami...Sami cheated on Rafe, with EJ," she said, her hands trembling as she covered her face. "She blamed him for Johnny disappearing and slept with EJ to...I don't know. Grieve, get back at Rafe, I have no idea with her. And Austin...Austin won't talk to me. He's keeping to himself all the time. He's spending more and more time with Abigail...I know he's helping her with some essay or something she's writing but...Even before...before Rafe and I... I don't know what's happening. But what happened between Rafe and I, it was a mistake. A horrible one! I love Austin and Rafe loves Sami. Oh John, what do I do?" she moaned, taking her seat again.

"Was it just once, Carrie?" John asked, already afraid of the answer.

The pained grimace on her face told him everything he needed to know. John sighed, looked at this girl he thought of as his own daughter. "You and Rafe will have to figure that one out. Right now, we have to focus on finding Sami. Where's Stephano in all this?" he asked, shoving the feeling of resentment and anger to the back of his mind. He looked at Carrie, with her sad eyes, tear-streaked face, and wished she would have never told him of her affair with Rafe. John and Sami had always had a rocky relationship, made more so recently by the shooting a the pub. But seeing Carrie – the girl Sami had always compared herself with, the person she had always found herself lacking against – once again coming between Sami and love...it pained him.

And Sami? Sleeping with EJ? Would the girl never learn from her mistakes? From his and Marlena's? John sighed, feeling very old, very tired, and very bruised.

He was damned, but so was his lawyer. He sighed, reaching across with his shackled hand, taking hers. "Carrie, focusing on Sami and Sydney. What you and Rafe did will have to be dealt with, but not now, as will Sami's issue with EJ."

She met his eyes at last, the tumult and pain there assuring him that she at least regretted her "mistake". "Stephano, right," she said quietly, almost to herself, clearing her throat before she began again. "Dad and Bo went to talk to him. According to EJ, this is not a Dimera plot. While EJ is not known for his honesty, he does seem to be genuinely affected." She wiped her eyes, clearing her throat again as she regained composure.

"Do not trust Elvis," John warned, rubbing his sore wrists. "I still believe he is the one who caused my...predicament."

"I do too," Carrie agreed, giving him a stern look, despite her puffing eyes and red cheeks. "Which is why I wish you hadn't have confessed!"

"Now is not the time," John dismissed, waving a shackled hand. "Sami, we must focus on Sami. How is Marlena handling this?"

Carrie bit her lip, meeting his eyes again. "Not well. She's trying, but its very hard, without you there."

John closed his eyes, the pain of those words like a knife to him. He took a deep, cleansing breath, reminding him that this was the only way.

"God, I'm sorry," Carrie said, covering her mouth. "It's not your fault, John. You know that I didn't mean it like -"

"It's all right, Carrie," he said, holding up a hand to silence her. "I understand. Marlena is strong. I wish I could be with her. I do." He licked his dry lips, closed his eyes again. "I'd give anything to hold her, help her through this."

"Recant your confession. I can file an appeal," Carrie said desperately, reaching across to grab his hand again.

He squeezed her fingers, giving her a look of serene acceptance. "You know I can't do that Carrie. None of this matters," he said, motioning to the visitor's cell. "All that matters is that we find Samantha and Sydney. Thank you for coming to tell me. Tell...tell Marlena I love her. That I am praying for their safe return."

Carrie stared at him a moment, pulling her hand back across the table. "I will," she said, sounding disappointed. "I'll let you know any time new information comes."

"Please do," he said, watching her leave. John sighed, thinking of his poor, troubled Sami. He had never stopped thinking of her as his child, never stopped loving her. Sami was his prodigal. One day, she would open back up to him. One day, they could be a family again.

He only hoped she was well and safe. He only hoped to have the chance to embrace her one more time.

Heart of Everything

Chapter Four

Prisons of a Different Making

Sami sat huddled in a small cave she found above the lagoon, Sydney in her arms. It was raining now, raining long, hard rivulets that washed water in around their feet. Sami dragged some palm leaves to the edge of the cage, trying to keep out as much rain as she could. She lined a natural shelf with the leaves, laying the still sleepy Sydney down on them. The little girl had woken during Sami's mad dash, but somehow known to keep silent, her little arms around Sami's neck. She was dozing off again now, lulled to sleep by the sound of the rain.

There was nowhere in the cave for Sami to lay but the rain soaked stone floor. She pulled a pile of soggy leaves up beside her child, ignoring the warm water that rushed passed her. She lay her head on her arm, listening in fear for sounds of movement outside. She knew Vincent had men on the island; it was only a matter of time before they were found. Sami had to try, tho. She had to do everything in her power to protect her child. That was the one thing Sami prided herself on; her love for her children.

She looked up into the sleeping face of Sydney; her little miracle. The little girl was beginning to look more and more like EJ; she had his straight, roman nose. She had his cheek bones. The hair was all Sami, though. Sami smiled a bit, brushing a damp lock from Sydney's face.

She prayed that her family was looking for her. She told herself over and over that Bo, Hope, and her dad would come rushing in at any moment and save them. She was terrified that they would be discovered; terrified that Vincent would lay his hands on her, dirtying her forever.

Sami pushed the dark thoughts aside, succumbing to sleep at last, her hand upon the shelf above, still touching her daughter's hair.

Sami woke with the coming of dawn. Sunlight poured into the cave, bright and clean after the rain. Sami stared up into it blearily, rising to her feet. Sydney was still asleep. Sami kissed her daughter, then went carefully out into the jungle.

She saw a little green garter snake hanging from the tree above. When she was younger and still thought John Black was her father, he had taught her which snakes were poisonous and which were not. He had shown her edible plants and mosses, taught her how to tell north from south simply by the way moss grew on trees. He had taught her how to survive, and now, years later, she found herself grateful.

Tropical plants were alien to her, but Sami knew that bright color signaled poison. She avoided the berries, choosing coconuts and ferns instead. Some of these ferns were recognizable from the books John had had her read. She picked clean mosses, and using a large palm leaf, went to the water's edge to collect clean water. She shattered coconuts against the sharp stones lining the lagoon, praying the sounds of their breaking did not give away her location. Sami carried her bounty up to the cave, waking Sydney quietly to feed her child. Sydney made faces at the moss, but ate it obediently. She really seemed to love the milk from the coconut, eating the meet as a desert. She remained as quiet as Sami, as if afraid that her voice would bring down disaster to them.

Sami went about using the largest ferns, palm leaves, and large branches to cover the opening of the cave. She prayed it would be enough, that by some miracle Vincent did not know of the cave's existence. Surely her loved ones were looking for them now. Surely they would have found some clue.

Sami hoped, and prayed, with all her soul. Let rescue come soon, she begged the heavens, rubbing her bruised and slashed feet, going back to the lagoon to dip her feet in the cool waters as Sydney played in the cave above.

She never saw the man come out of the trees behind her. She felt the jolt of the taser gun once again, her legs crumpling below her. Hopeless and without a friend in the world, Sami fell into her captor's arms once again.

Will didn't know how long he'd been outside, away from his family, friends, and enemies. He didn't care about their "talking" or "scheming" or "worrying". All he cared about was his mom and his baby sister.

He was on the roof, on a little bench someone had put there. Will always went up when he was upset; into trees when he was younger, up mountains as he aged. He liked being above the world, away from its problems, its people, its issues. He liked being high above the clouds, climbing the summit of some mountain scape, where no one could find him. Here, in the city, in the condo complex that his grandma lived in, the roof was as high as he could go. He looked up at the sky above and just wished he could fly away.

It was growing light now. The night was fading, leaving dawn to pick up the pieces. His mom and sister had been gone for sixteen hours now. Sixteen hours and they were no closer to knowing where his family had gone to. He wondered if Sydney was cold, or hungry, or scared. If his mom was hurt, or worse.

His stomach clenched as he thought of his mom, of how he'd been treating her. He was angry at her, of course. He had every right to be. But the look of pain each time she spoke to him, the way she always reached for his hand and he always pulled away. That haunted him. It tormented him. He remembered the last time he spoke to her. She had told him she was trying, had told him she wanted to be good and do right for her family. And he? He had sneered at her. Had told her she never did anything right. Had turned his back on her, brushed away her tentative touch, had looked down on her.

Called her...that. He had called his own mother a... God, the look on her face; the shock of the word, the fact it came from his lips.

"Why didn't I forgive her?" he wondered aloud, his eyes stinging with tears as he stared up at the fading stars above. "Why didn't I tell her I loved her anyway? Why did I...did I...say that to her?"

"Why indeed," a hated voice said from behind him. Will leapt to his feet, turning to face the man who had ruined everything for his family once again.

"EJ," he snarled, his hands fisted at his side.

EJ stood there, his face streaked with drying tears. His eyes were swollen and red rimmed, his hands twisting nervously before him. Will froze, the pure pain on the man's face stunning him.

They stood in silence, Will staring at the man before him, EJ's eyes darting frantically around himself; as if he expected to find Sydney and Sami up on the roof with them.

"What...what did you say to her?" EJ asked, his teeth chattering in the freezing cold of the fading night; a cold Will just couldn't seem to feel.

"That's...none of your business," Will replied, his eyes stinging with new tears, his mother's broken hearted face swimming before his eyes.

"Tell me!" EJ shouted, his voice so loud against the silence of the dawn.

Will jerked, unable to tear his eyes away. EJ went from frantic sorrow to overwhelming fury in a heartbeat, crossing the way between the door to Will's bench in a split second. Will was lifted, his toes scraping the roof as EJ pulled him up by his collar, his breath hot on Will's face.

Will stared into the face of a man going mad, the words whispered before he could stop them: "I called her a whore. My mom. I-I..." he gasped, the tears flowing freely. He sobbed, giving a keening cry as EJ dropped him. His legs went out from under him, his body collapsing to the roof.

Silence reigned once again, broken only by Will's gasping sobs. EJ remained there, Will staring at the man's leather shoes.

"You're mother is not a whore," EJ said at last, his voice a dangerous whisper. "You will never call her that again." With that, EJ was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

Will wept, curling into himself, laying in the fetal position upon the roof, the predawn light trickling over him, unnoticed and unwanted.

Marlena excused herself quietly from the room full of worried family and friends, going into the bathroom for a moment of privacy. She leaned against the door, her chest tight. She took deep, shuddering breaths, pain running throughout her body; as though she was feeling a shadow of whatever torment her Sami was.

She pulled her cell phone slowly from her pocket and stared down at it, brushing tears off her cheek. She scrolled thru her contacts til at last one name glowed there, her finger pausing above the call button.

He had a right to know, if anyone did. The man whose name she stared at had one time been one of Sami's biggest supporters – a best friend when no one would even be in the same room with her.

The phone rang. She held her breath, staring at her watch. The time was different where he was – she wasn't even sure what time it was there. It rang again, then at last went to voicemail.

"It's Marlena," she said after the message. "It's about Sami and Sydney..."