A/N: Hey everyone! Wow, I was really overwhelmed with the incredible response I've been receiving lately. Especially after the after dark chapter and the last chapter. I know everyone's worried about Sam. Some of asked about Helena and Valentin. Helena is definitely a good suspect since she's got plans for Sam. And Valentin has been great to write because he's someone that's been mentioned but we don't really have any background information on him other than he is one of Mikkos' bastards and is ruthless, even more so than Helena. That gave me so much liberty to write his character really any way I want and take some liberties. I know it may frustrate some people but I hope you will go along for the ride and reserve judgement until you see how it plays out.

Anyway, thanks again for all the amazing reviews and enjoy!

Jen

buttercup0303


Sam made her way down the street and got in her car gingerly. She leaned her head back against the seat and breathed deeply in and out. She rifled through her purse to make sure her medication was in there. She definitely needed to take it and get some rest at her mom's before she headed back to the Metro Court.

She found the bottle and lifted it only to groan with frustration. It was empty and she'd forgotten to have the prescription filled. She'd been given a partial dosage while she was in the hospital and a script to fill when she got home. She just hadn't gotten around to it. She sighed and pulled over. She would get out and cut through the docks to get to the pharmacy.

Sam walked slowly, trying to focus on breathing through the pain. Distracted, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into someone, making them drop their coffee.

"Sorry! I wasn't…" She trailed off and looked to the sky in frustration when she realized who she'd bumped into.

Elizabeth stared at her murderously.

"Taking Jason away from me wasn't enough for you? You have to take away the simple pleasures I have in life too?"

Sam rolled her eyes, determined not to get into it with Liz today.

"It was an accident. Sorry. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Sam tried to walk around her but Liz grabbed her arm and yanked her around. Sam felt a tear in her side and cried out.

"Oh please, I barely touched you." Liz sneered. She opened her mouth to say something when she realized what Sam was wearing.

"Is that Jason's shirt? Why are you wearing Jason's shirt?" She screeched.

Sam ignored her, struggling to stay upright. She cursed herself for leaving her phone in the car.

"Are you sleeping with my fiancee?" Elizabeth asked, deadly serious.

Sam glanced up at her in disbelief and disgust.

"Really? Wow. It's none of your damn business what I do with MY husband, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth's face turned white, as she read in between the lines. Jason had already slept with this slut? How could he?

Furious and heartbroken, Elizabeth shoved past Sam, who fell into the railing of
the dock and stormed past her. She half expected Sam to run after her and tackle her to the ground. Wouldn't be the first time she'd done something like that. But Sam was still hunched over the rail. She looked…hurt.

Elizabeth hesitated, her conscience rearing it's ugly head. She shoved it down and shook her head. Looking back once more, she turned and rushed away.

Sam grasped the rail as black spots covered her vision, the pain bringing tears to her eyes.

"Stupid bitch." She muttered, pushing off the rail slowly. She wasn't sure if she was more mad at Elizabeth for shoving her or herself for not being strong enough to punch that idiot in the face for it.

She stood up, and swayed in place. She suddenly found herself being steadied by a strong hand at her elbow.

Sam looked up in surprise to see the stranger from the docks. Valentin, was it?

"Little one, are you alright?"

Sam tried to nod but was having trouble breathing. Sam looked up at him, dazed.

"Valentin?"

She placed a hand on her side and was surprised when it came away wet. She lifted her hand and stared down at it.

It was covered in blood. Valentin cursed and pulled his cellphone from his jacket. He was about to call for help when Sam suddenly crumbled. He caught her before she hit the ground, swinging her up into his arms. He pressed a button on his phone and waited for his guard to appear.

He barked out an order in Greek. He waited for his guard to come back before he followed him to the car he had waiting, as requested. Valentin looked down at the beautiful woman in his arms.

"I've got you, little one."

He slid into the car with her in his arms.

Elizabeth watched him drive away with Sam, a smirk on her face. She was glad she'd turned around when she had or she would have missed that. She would've missed her chance.

Sam woke up slowly, blinking blearily. She felt groggy, off somehow. She looked around, and tried to move and realized she was in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. She looked for a nurse and froze. Sitting in the corner, was the man from the docks, Valentin. She looked around again, ill at ease. Her heart dropped when she realized she wasn't in a hospital room. This was a bedroom with medical equipment in it.

"Where am I?" She'd meant it to come out strong and demanding, but her voice was weak and faint.

Valentin looked up from the book he was reading. He unfolded his uncommonly tall form from the chair he'd been lounging in.

"You are in a guest room on my estate, little one." He answered, reaching out to check her temperature. Sam jerked her head away, her eyes wide on his face.

"Why? Why did you bring me here instead of a hospital? Who the hell are you really, Valentin?" Her voice was still faint, but the anger brought some color into her cheeks.

"Please, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I just…I wanted to be sure you were okay. And I don't trust these American doctors to take care of you properly. I promise, once you are on the mend you will be free to go home."

Sam wanted to fight, but she couldn't seem to move much. She glanced to the side, at the IV bag dripping steadily. She turned back to Valentin with suspicious eyes.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I so out of it? What's in that IV?" She asked in a panic.

Valentin hurried to reassure her.

"It's just antibiotics and pain medication. Your wound reopened. I'm just making sure you don't develop an infection or suffer needlessly."

Sam didn't trust him. She had to get out of here and back to Jason and Danny.

"If you don't want to hurt me, then call my husband." She said quickly.

Valentin's face hardened.

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

At his words, Sam used all her strength to fight to get out of bed. The pain in her side stole her breath, leeching her of all color. Valentin cursed and called to his staff. A nurse hurried in, and after a heated discussion in Greek, she adjusted Sam's medication.

"Please don't! Don't…" Sam's voice trailed off as she almost immediately felt the effects of the drug. She became drowsy and unfocused. She couldn't remember why she'd been so upset.

Valentin sat back down.

"You need to get some rest, little one. Here, let me tell you a story to help you." He pulled his chair closer. Sam watched him warily, unable to focus in her drug-induced haze.

"This is the story of a powerful family. They had riches beyond belief, more power than any other, and more greed and ambition than most. The leader of the family, he was a selfish, careless man. Although he was married with children, he continually committed adultery. His wife was evil and cruel like him, but devoted to her husband. One day, he met a beautiful young woman who was happily married to a poor fisherman. Seeing her beauty, the man decided he had to have her. He set up the woman's husband to be arrested for a crime he didn't commit and while the woman was vulnerable, he charmed his way into her life." Valentin's voice was growing colder as he went further into his story. Sam watched him, unwillingly fascinated by his story.

"Alas, as he always did, the leader of the family quickly grew bored with the beautiful village girl, and threw her aside for a new mistress. The fact that she now carried his child would not be important until he learned she had given birth to a boy. He arranged to have the child stolen, to be raised under his supervision." Valentin glanced at Sam, and was gratified to see she was still listening.

"Though the leader of the family was cruel and hard, the child grew to worship him. When the child's evil stepmother rejected him, the child was sent to live in a nearby cottage with a nanny. The child focused all his love and attention on his father, always eager to please him. Sadly, this could never be achieved to his father's satisfaction. Nothing was ever good enough. Only his eldest son was good enough, smart enough, strong enough. None could compete. And so the child became a man, determined to have more riches and power than his family had ever had and prove once and for all he was the better son."

He stared down at his clenched hands, and took a deep breath. When he looked up, his gray eyes were stormy and hard.

"One day, while traveling, the man ended up in the village of his birth. His looks were so much like his mother's that he was instantly recognized by an elder in the village. They gave him a letter and told him it was from his mother. The man read the letter, not knowing it would change his life forever. He learned the truth about his father and the mother he'd been told had died in birth. But most devastating was the revelation that his mother had never loved his father, and had only pretended to so that she could find a way to free her husband. Once he'd been freed, they reunited, hiding it from the leader of the family until he lost interest in her. The child she'd borne the leader had never been his after all. The child's father was in fact, the poor fisherman."

Valentin fell quiet. Sam watched him, her head lolling to the side. He seemed sad, she thought absent-mindedly.

"What happened to the boy?" She asked quietly. Valentin looked up in surprise, as if he had forgotten he was telling a story.

"Ah, apologies, mikri mou. He never revealed the truth to another soul, and kept the name he was given. And on that day, he vowed revenge. No matter how long it took, he would take more than just their family's name. He would take everything from that family, and destroy them from the inside. He would take their riches, their power, and their lives. He would be the last of that family alive, the boy who was never one of them after all."

Sam saw the anger and sheer determination on his face.

"You're the little boy." It wasn't a question. Valentin looked at her and smiled softly.

"Do not be ridiculous, little one. It was merely a story to help you sleep." He stood up and turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait. What did you call me earlier? Mikri mou ?" She asked, mispronouncing it horribly.

He chuckled. "Mikri mou. It means 'my little one'." He corrected her, pronouncing it like 'meek-ree moo'.

Sam's eyes started to drift closed, unable to continue fighting the pull of the drugs in her system.

"I'm not your anything." She muttered before her lashes swept down onto her cheeks, her head tilting to the side, her hair falling in her face.

Valentin stared down at her with a grin. He brushed her hair from her face, and turned to leave.

"Ah, but you will be, little one." He said as he walked out the door.