This was the happiest she had been in years. She and Sami were upstairs in the pub chatting happily. Sami couldn't stop talking about her son, it was obvious that was boy her world. Will was all she could talk about, but Isabella wanted to know about the rest of her life. She hadn't mentioned the boy's father or anybody else in her family for that matter. Just the people she had asked about, like Brady and Eric.

"So, what about love? Is Will's father in the picture?"

Maybe that was the wrong thing to ask, she got very quiet. When she answered she was avoiding eye contact.

"Lucas is involved in Will's life. The only way we're connected is through our son."

"For some reason, I don't believe you. If the only attachment you have to him is through Will, why won't you meet my eyes."

Sami bit her bottom lip, looking up to meet Isabella's gaze head on.

"I love him, but... it isn't going to work out. I really messed things up with him and he is so angry with me right now. It doesn't help that his mother hates me, and bad mouths me whenever she can fit a jab in. Besides, he doesn't want me anymore."

It was so sad to see such an effervescent person look so heartbroken. She didn't know Lucas, but it was hard to believe that anyone could throw away a love like Sami's. She knew how Sami loved; she threw herself fully into the experience. Isabella had never seen Sami in love as an adult, or even as a teenager, but if she was half as loyal and passionate about her romantic relationships as she was about her family, it was something valuable.

"I don't know the whole story, sweetie, but I think there's more to it. It sounds like he means a lot to you. Just don't be so quick to give up on him."

"I may not have a choice if we don't get off this island."

"We'll find a way home. For the first time in years I actually have faith that I will get home to John and our son. Tell me about Brady, again."

"Well, Mom and John sent him to boarding school, but a few years ago he came back. He's healthy and I guess some women would say he's good looking. Personally, I can't judge that seeing as he's my brother. He's in love with a woman named Chloe Lane; she's an opera singer. She's on tour right now, but I'm pretty sure they're still together. I don't know, we don't talk much. You remember the concert hall Victor was talking to you about, well they were having it made so that his girlfriend could come home. It has a lot to do with how Step-granny's trying to bed Brady."

"Victor's wife is trying to sleep with my son. There is something very wrong with that. I bet he isn't happy about it, but I'm sure Victor can handle it. What about John, tell me about my husband."

Isabella could see that Sami was hesitant to talk about John. The thought of him seemed to inspire pain.

"Where should I start, oh I know. When I came back to Salem I witnessed my mother having an affair with him, on a conference table no less. This produced their darling daughter, Belle, who incidentally is named after you. He proceeded to break up my parents' marriage and take my mother for himself. I guess he just wanted her, it's not like Eric, Carrie, and I were worth anything. He didn't need us. Then this whole serial killer thing started and he just had to play super spy, putting himself in danger! Of course, everything bad in Salem is my fault, so he accused me of killing my own grandmother. I really hate him."

She sat in shock as she absorbed the new information. She had known he would have moved on eventually, but it was hard to hear the play by play. Things were going to be complicated when they got back, but right now she needed to console Sami. Pushing aside the nauseating feeling in her stomach, she comforted the girl she loved as a daughter. Isabella pulled her into a hug as she began crying like a wounded child.

"No. Sami, you don't hate John, and he would never believe that you could kill Caroline. I bet he was trying to prove you didn't, in his own way. Of course you and your brother and sister mattered to him. He was your father and he loves you all."

"Then why did he give us away! He abandoned us, he didn't want us."

Isabella pulled away to look Sami in the watery blue eyes.

"You listen to me Samantha Gene, John loves you very much. There were nights I'd wake up to him looking at a picture of all of us, unable to sleep. He'd try to hide his tears, but I could see them. He'd call out for his 'twinners' in his sleep some nights. There was nothing, and I mean nothing, I could do to ease his pain. He actually considered taking you and running away."

"Why didn't he? If he loved us so much why didn't he come get us? We didn't want them, we wanted our Daddy! I would have gone anywhere with him."

Gently she wiped away the tears on Sami's face and whispered, "Because he thought you deserved to know your real parents. Think about it honey, would you trade your relationship with Roman and Marlena? He gave you that, even though it denied him the most precious things in his life. I know it hurt you and I'm not saying John is blameless, but don't forget that it hurt him, too. He still thinks of you as his little peanut. I haven't seen him in years, but even I know it's true."

Sami lay her head down in Isabella's lap, while she stroked her hair calmingly. Soon she had fallen into an exhausted sleep, but she murmured "daddy" right before sleep overtook. Izzy had a feeling she may have gotten through to that stubborn soul.