AN: Hey guys just wanna warn you that this isn't the best chapter. I'm just getting back into the swing of this story, or trying too so this chapter is just mainly filler. I hope you guys like it though, happy reading!

Part Nine.

Dr. Clarke's office…

"I hate that I feel this way but I don't know how else to feel or what else to do." Sam vented to her therapist. Dr. Clarke just sat there patiently knowing she wasn't done. "I'm all over the place emotionally and mentally. It feels like I'm losing my mind. I can keep it together most days so that my husband won't spend all of his time worrying about me, but I don't think I can handle it much longer."

"What do you think is wrong?"

"I think I'm going crazy." She said hopelessly.

"You're not going crazy, you're just dealing with a lot of things at once right now. And that's understandable."

"Yeah, well it all just feels like I'm going crazy and it's making me lose my mind and I hate it. It's making me feel like I did when I had toxoplasmosis." She admitted.

"Have you been to the doctor yet?" Dr. Clarke asked softly.

"I saw my OB because I thought I was pregnant, or at the very least experiencing some postpartum depression with all of the emotions I've been feeling. She made me do the questionnaires and the depression scale thing, but also told me to talk to you as well and see what could be going on. She also ran some tests and set appointments with the two doctors that treated me when I was going through the toxoplasmosis. I don't think it's postpartum depression, but something is definitely wrong with me."

"Based on everything you've told me so far I wouldn't say it's postpartum either. But based on some of the symptoms you've been experiencing, I think it's safe to say that you're right when you tell me something is wrong and I want to help you figure out what it is. I can't do much as a psychologist without having more sessions. But I can say that when you go to see the two doctors that treated you through your toxoplasmosis ordeal, that you should ask them to do an in depth drug screen when they do your blood tests, just to rule out any potential poisoning. I'm not saying that you are being drugged or poisoned but based on what you've told me about your life and the people in it and everything we've discussed about your symptoms. Tying that into what Dr. Lee told you, it begs a question. You said your husband's ex was in town and that she's bad news, is there any way that you could be targeted in her plan to worm her way back into his life? If the answer to that is yes, then if your test results yield nothing significant as far as hormonal changes and your other doctors don't find any sign of toxoplasmosis returning, or anything else wrong then you should look into that." Dr. Clarke suggested honestly.

"Truthfully I've been so focused on getting her out of my life that I didn't think that part of whatever she has planned could be pointed at getting me out of her way, in any other way than finding some way to make me leave my husband. Which is really aggravating because normally that would've been my first guess, but if your hunch is right and this isn't just toxoplasmosis or something else and I am being poisoned I just don't know how she would be able to actually pull it off without getting caught…" Sam trailed off as she started to think.

Meanwhile…

Drew was at the penthouse drinking a beer with Robert and going over the new information they got about Maria and her partners in crime when there was a knock on the door. The security app on his phone told him it was Maria.

"Fuck." He said, because her showing up unannounced was not something he was expecting.

"I'll go out the back." Robert said quietly and Drew had never been more grateful that they had that secret exit installed a few months ago. Drew nodded and then went to answer the door as he watched Robert leave.

"Maria, hey…" He started before she rushed into his arms with tears rolling down her face, leaving him perplexed. "What? What's going on? What's wrong?" He asked softly, pulling back and looking into her eyes. She looked genuinely hurt and from what he could remember Maria was never a crier, so he was a little worried at what could've happened to rattle a typically non emotional person.

Maria pulled herself together a little before speaking. "My, my father is dead." She said in a tearful voice. That information floored him and he was honestly speechless.

"I'm so sorry." He told her genuinely and he meant it. Maria loved her father and while she was here in town to play with his emotions and do whatever nefarious thing she had planned outside of this, she didn't deserve the pain associated with the loss of a parent. He only hoped that his wife would understand his sympathy when he told her about this interaction. "Do you want to come in and talk about it?" Drew asked, trying to be nice.

"Thank you." Maria said sincerely. "I just needed a friend right now and you're the only one in town that actually knew him outside of my mom and well, you knew how she felt about him."

"Yeah she never did bother hiding her disdain for him. I'm pretty sure this news would have her celebrating instead of comforting you and I'm sorry about that." He said as he closed the door behind them. "Would you like water, some wine or anything to drink?" He asked as he headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle for himself and text Sam that Maria was visiting, so that she wouldn't be surprised when she got there.

"Wine please, or something stronger to numb the pain if you have it." She said taking him up on his next offer. Maria had honestly not planned on seeing Drew today but she meant it when she said he was the only one in town that actually knew her father. She wanted to get him alone, truly alone but not like this, even though this was the perfect opportunity and probably the only one she'd get. She just didn't want to use it for her plan, she just needed him. A sudden realization hit her though as she waited for Drew to get back from the kitchen, he remembered her mom's hate towards her dad. Was he getting his memories back? "Drew?" She called out.

"Yeah?" He answered, finishing his text to Sam, pouring Maria a shot of tequila and grabbing his water before heading back.

"You said that my mom never bothered hiding her hate for my father, have you been remembering?"

'Fuck' Drew thought as he decided on how to play this, he fucked up and slipped up giving away information he wasn't supposed to know. "Honestly?"

"That would be nice." She deadpanned.

He smiled. "Ever since you've come to town and I started spending time with you I have been having these flashes of what I think was our life together. It's randomly triggered but the other night at dinner when you were talking about your parents I had a concrete memory of one of her famous rants."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I haven't told anyone, not even Sam. I didn't even know it was your mom until I had another one of you telling her to calm down and stop embarrassing you in front of your new boyfriend." He chuckled.

"That was definitely my mother." She smiled, loving the fact that she was actually able to reminisce with him about something and the fact that she triggered his memory, because him remembering her and how he felt would definitely help her ultimate goal. All of a sudden her thoughts turned again and the grief of losing her father turned her smile into a frown and the tears hit her again. She looked at Drew with her hazel eyes filled with pain and then broke down.

Drew was taken aback by the intensity of her sobs and didn't know how to respond to the woman trying to ruin his marriage crying in his arms and on his shoulder. His brain was trying to figure out the best way to handle this, but his manners and years of taking care of everyone responded for him. Before he knew it his arm was around her, gently rubbing her back and he was telling her it was okay, all while thinking of the many ways his wife would kill him once he told her what happened today, because he certainly didn't want to face the wrath of her seeing them like this, even if it was innocent. He never knew how she would react these days and he didn't want her to get the wrong impression even if it was her idea to continue the operation with Robert. He may have loved Maria at one point during one of Helena's switches, but he didn't want to be close to her again. Especially knowing she was out to ruin the life he had created for himself because of a fantasy that they were meant to be in her head or whatever reason she had for wanting him back.

"I miss him, Drew." Maria breathed out through her sobs, breaking through his thoughts.

"I know." He said softly, not knowing what else to really say. He knew how it felt to lose his father but he didn't want her to know any more about what he may or may not remember about his own life. He was about to say something else and ease her out of his arms when the door slammed and he turned to see his wife staring at him as if she had superman's heat vision and was trying to burn them both to death. His heart sank. "Sam…" He started as he gently(which was the wrong way to do it) removed Maria from his arms and got up, before his wife's icy voice interrupted him, sending shivers down his spine.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Sam had walked out of Dr. Clarkes office in a daze now thinking about the possibility that she could be getting poisoned, if it was gonna end up affecting Sammy and how whoever, probably Maria and her associates, would be able to pull that off when she got the text from Drew about the object of her thoughts showing up at the penthouse unannounced and crying. She appreciated the heads up but was immediately annoyed that he didn't just send the woman packing instead of allowing her in. She loved him and how big his heart was but sometimes it left him blind to the fact that not everyone deserves his sympathy, empathy, or comfort. Least of all the ex that is currently trying to ruin their marriage. Getting in her car she headed to the penthouse hoping that Maria would be gone and that she could get the full details from Drew and ask him why he just can't be an asshole sometimes, but was not prepared for the image she walked in on when she actually arrived.

Something primal and extremely angry rose in her at the sight of her husband comforting another woman, being as gentle as he would her and their children. The site felt like a betrayal and when he got up after gently removing the surprisingly still sobbing woman from his arms to explain whatever it is she walked in on, the feelings got even stronger. 'How the fuck could he be so soft with a woman trying to worm her way back into his bed?'

"What the fuck is going on here?" She asked in a voice even she didn't recognize and for a second it scared her.

Maria couldn't even fathom a second of happiness in this moment because she was genuinely tired of being a bitch for a day and just missed her father, so she couldn't even answer, her tears wouldn't let her. In a few days she'd look back on this moment and probably smile at the iciness in Sam's tone towards her husband but today, she just wanted to cry.

Drew on the other hand was pretty sure the frozen tone of his wife's voice shriveled his balls up into nothing. But she was his wife and he loved her and definitely didn't want her out here conjuring up any crazy scenarios in her head about what was happening here. "Maria's father died and she just needed a friend. I'm the only one in town that knew her father outside of her mother but they had a very tumultuous relationship, so…"

"So the only person to turn to was her friend… I understand. I apologize for my outburst earlier." She responded in an eerily calm voice and then looked at the woman who was still crying but whose sobs had somewhat softened. "Maria I'm so sorry for your loss, while I don't know what it's like to lose my biological father, I did lose the one that raised me and we may not have been close but I loved him and his death hurt. I wouldn't wish the pain of losing a parent on any one and I wish that you didn't have to grieve him away from the only other parent you have left. Just know that while I may not have known your father, I would like to consider us as two women becoming friends and let you know that if you ever want to talk about him, you can come to me just as you would Drew. I'd like to know more about the man who helped raise the woman that you've become today." She said, hoping she sounded sincere. Not that Maria would be able to tell right now anyway.

"I appreciate that Sam." The other woman sniffled and gathered herself together before standing up. "Thank you for that, and thank you Drew for just listening to me. I think I'm going to go ahead and head out now. I don't wanna be a bother, sobbing all over your couch like a blubbering mess, thank you for the hospitality." Maria said making a hasty exit, not feeling like being comforted anymore now that Sam is back.

"Babe." He reached for her.

"No." She pulled away.

"Sam." He sighed.

"What did I truly walk in on?" She asked exhaustedly.

"Her father died and she came here crying and I let her in and accidentally slipped that I remembered her mom's hate towards her father, got her a drink and texted you to let you know she was here. She caught on to my slip of the tongue and we talked a little bit about that and I told her that I remembered her mother and then she just broke down about her dad and I didn't know what else to do. I just let her cry on me and that's what you walked in on."

"You just let her cry on you?" She shook her head and scoffed. "Drew when I walked in here you had her in your arms and you were holding her and whispering to her. You were genuinely comforting her, not letting her simply just cry on you. The woman that is actively trying to destroy our marriage was in your arms and you really want to say that you just let her cry on you? Why did you feel the need to downplay the truth? You never have before. Do you have feelings for her?"

"No. Fuck no. Sam I've only ever truly loved one woman and that's you. You're IT for me and you know it. I did downplay how I handled the situation and I'm sorry for that, but can you blame me? Babe your emotions have been all over the place, especially when it comes to this and I just didn't want to make things worse."

"So you thought downplaying it, after I walked in on you and saw the two of you with my own eyes would make it better? My emotions may have been all over the place lately but so have your actions since the moment she came to town."

"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I know I switched up when Robert told me of his plan and got me involved, but I needed to move differently because we didn't know how this was going to play out."

"Makes sense in the general scheme of things, but honestly when it's just the two of us it makes none."

"I don't move differently when it's the two of us." He responded.

"You just lied to me, I would think that qualifies as moving differently."

He sighed. "You're right. I fucked up, but again you know that I love you and nothing Maria says or does has any affect on me in any way that will change that or the result of this mission."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, she seems to be doing a hell of a lot."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean how would it affect the results of this mission if/when we find out that that bitch is poisoning me?"

Drew was baffled by that. "Poisoning you?"

"Yes… well maybe."

"Sam, how… how? What would make you think she is poisoning you?"

"I'm not pregnant, I don't have postpartum depression, I don't have any mood disorders as far as my therapist can see. The only thing left is either finding out I have toxoplasmosis again, which isn't likely. If it's not that I either have something else or I'm being drugged. And honestly after that little display that I walked in on I would say with almost 100% certainty that I am being poisoned by the one person that has been trying to remove me from your life. So how would that affect the results of your mission?"

"If you're being poisoned Maria wouldn't be alive to see the outcome of this mission. Neither would anyone else that is involved in helping her fuck with you, me or the safety of our son seeing as how you are still breastfeeding. Anything happens to either one of you and everyone accountable will die. I mean that."

"I know but ironically enough I don't think whatever it is if I am being drugged is affecting Sammy. Your ex is a complete and utter cunt of a woman but I don't believe she'd do anything to hurt a child."

"You might be right, but I think we should still get him tested when you go get your tests."

"Of course."

"Now are you feeling better? Are we okay? Because baby I really don't like fighting with you or having you push me away."

"I don't like fighting with you or pushing you away either but Drew, drugs, disease, craziness or no. What happened today was not okay and I would have felt the same way I did about seeing her in your arms, regardless of the situation. I know you love me, I know you wouldn't hurt me the way she would like for you to. It just feels like a betrayal anyway seeing you be so gentle with her. It felt like you cared for her."

"I'm sorry baby." He said as he reached and caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to seem like it was something more than what it was. I just felt bad for her, she just lost her father and while he was a vile man she loved him and he was a good dad to her, they were close. I know what it's like to lose a father you love and idk I just sympathized with her briefly but the whole time I was thinking about how you would probably kill me after I told you about it. I'm sorry I tried to downplay it but I'm gonna be for real you scared the living fuck out of me when you spoke in that eerily calm, cold, calculating voice. I've never seen you like that and for a second I thought I was gonna piss myself."

She burst out laughing. "I love you. Like I really fucking love you." She said before she stopped laughing and got herself together. "Look we're okay, I scared myself today too but I won't let this tear us apart whatever it is. We promised we'd never let anything tear us apart again and so far we've managed to stay true to that but we've gotta do better. And I think I just know where to start." She said as she walked to him and wrapped her arms around him, relishing in how immediately and tightly he held her in response.

"This feeling right here, having you in my arms is always the best place to start in making everything feel right again. You're everything to me Sam. You always have been and you always will be. You and the kids, nothing that happens will ever erase that and I won't let anyone get away with trying to hurt any of you. If whatever is going on with you leads to us finding out you're being drugged by Maria or anyone else I will kill them with my bare hands."

"You're everything to me and more and being in your arms is my favorite place to be. Therefore, as lovely as the idea of you killing Maria or anyone else for hurting me or the children is and how sexy you are when being protective, I couldn't let you kill anyone. Nothing is taking you away from me ever again, so we will have to corroborate with Robert on getting rid of her and whoever she's working with. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless we happen to get in a situation that calls for self defense." She said, a plan starting to formulate in her mind.

"No. No Sam, don't even think about it."

"You don't even know what I have in mind."

"Maybe but I know you and I can see the wheels turning. How about we put a pause on that for the day, go home, do a little making up, and then go get our little monsters from my moms and let them fill us in on the excitement of their weekend? That sound good?"

"Which part?" She smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck. "The little monsters running around?" She kissed him. "Or the making up?" She kissed him again.

"Choices, choices, ch—" He mumbled between kisses before she hushed him with a very passionate kiss that made both of their knees weak.

"You know, I think we should start the make up process right here, right now." She said in a sultry voice and he growled before tossing her over his shoulder and hurrying up the stairs.