Kate Roberts was upset. Her middle son refused to listen to reason. It seemed he had a selective memory. Of course Sami was screwing with them. It was obvious she was using her son to get back at her. Why couldn't he see that!

The little bitch had seduced Lucas. She tricked him into betraying his mother. His mother who only had his best interests at heart! Everything was going to be okay, though, because Kate had a plan. She always had a plan.

And if the ringing phone had the right person on the other end, she was about to get everything she ever wanted, "Hello?"

"I don't know if I can pull this one off, Kate."

"What's the problem, now?" Eugenia was a useful little minion, but she was the whiniest person she'd ever met.

"Brandon is practically untraceable. I can't find him anywhere. He's really trying to lay low since his trial."

"Fine, if we can't get him back, then we'll find someone else. All we need is a man, and then we'll make it look like Sami cheated on Lucas. If we can't do that, then we'll turn it the other way around."

"What does that mean?" God, she was surrounded by the stupidest people on earth.

"It means that if we can't set up Sami, then we'll make it look like Lucas cheated instead."

"You'd do that to your own son?"

"Of course. This wedding is supposed to happen in a week. I have to do everything I can to get that slut away from my son. He'll get over it in a few days, and then I'll find him a suitable girl."

"Anyone in particular?"

Oh, very subtle, Genie. There was no way that was going to happen, "You never know. I've got to go, just keep working on the plan."

Kate didn't wait for Eugenia to respond before hanging up. It was so hard to find people to do your bidding.

Sami Brady was going to be taken care of. This plan was just the first step. Once the wedding was stopped it would be time for a more permanent solution. She cackled to herself and spun around in her office chair to do some work.

Lucas stood still, barely reigning in the urge to let his anger implode. He wanted to throw in her face the impressive number of expletives that were barely being kept under the surface. Instead he stood still, waiting for her to notice him. He took in, with dark satisfaction, the look of complete horror frozen on her face when she finally did.

"Lucas," quickly she tried to mask her face with motherly love. He wasn't fooled this time, "What're you doing here?"

Really she was asking 'how much did you hear?'

"Who was that, Kate?"

"It was just business, baby."

He was unmoved by the frown that marred her face at his use of her given name, "I didn't know Basic Black dealt with sick, disgusting schemes to ruin your son's life."

She gave a forced, fake laugh, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Stop it, just stop! I heard you plotting. You can't get out of this, Mother."

Lucas could see the exact moment when she knew her games weren't going to work. Her eyes turned cold and defiant. An ugly scowl crossed her face. This was not the mother he loved. Not even close.

"I'm doing what I have to do to save you from that bitch."

"You were going to bring Brandon back! After the way he attacked her! If that didn't work you would have set me up. Do you know what that would do to my family? Can you imagine what it would do to Will? What it would do to me?"

With slow measured steps, Kate came out from behind her desk and placed a placating hand on his arm, "Sweetheart. I'm doing what's best for you. One day you'll see that and thank me. Will will see it, too. Now why don't you forget you ever heard that silly, old conversation and let me take care of you?"

Angrily, Lucas pulled away from her, "Don't touch me. I don't need you to take care of me! I don't need you at all."

"Of course you need me, Lucas. I'm your mother."

"Stay out of my life. If I never see you again, it'll be too soon."

He walked away from her then. His slow defeated steps seemed so… final.

…………………………………………..

Right away, she knew something was wrong. Sami had been busy with last minute wedding plans when Lucas walked in looking like someone just shot his puppy, at least to her it looked that way. He was putting up a brave front, but his emotions were as plain as day to her. His eyes were defeated, angry, and sad, all at once.

"Lucas, what's wrong?"

He knew he wouldn't be able to hold up this act as soon as he saw her. His beautiful fiancée was surrounded by their wedding plans, most likely looking over last minute details.

He felt his heart constrict painfully. His mother wanted to take this away. Kate wanted to deny him the love of the only woman that had ever mattered to him. Giving in to his mood, Lucas sank down onto the couch.

"Say something. You're kind of scaring me here."

"I was wrong. I can't believe I was wrong."

His voice was entirely too calm, "Wrong about what?"

"She was plotting against us. You said she would and I tried everything I could to believe she wouldn't do that. I was wrong."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry."

He allowed her to pull him into a hug, but a little demon in his head doubted her sincerity. It was stupid, because this wasn't her fault. Sami loved him and she would never want Lucas to go though this kind of pain. He knew that, but rationality didn't exactly come into play when he was loosing his mother.

Then it really connected in his mind, he was giving up on his mother because she wanted to take Sami away. It was too horrible to imagine. Loosing Sami was simply not an option. He clutched her closer, "I could have lost you. If I hadn't overheard, she would have… I can't believe I trusted her."

"Oh, Lucas," quietly, she stroked his back, comforting him as if he were a lost little boy. At this moment she hated Kate Roberts more than ever before. How could she do this to her own son? Somehow she had to fix this.

"As much as I hate to say this, I think you need to talk to her," he pulled back in shock, "Maybe a calm conversation would help. She needs to understand what she's doing to you."

He shook his head in disbelief, "How can you even suggest that? I never want to see her again. She can go to hell for all I care."

"Don't say things like that. You might regret it later. She is your mother."

"Why are you defending her? You should be happy Kate is out of our lives."

"I'm not defending her, Lucas. I'd love it if she would leave us alone. Hell, I'd throw a party if she left town, but I love you and you love her. You never know what may happen and I don't want you to have any regrets. And, I really don't want you to resent me someday."

"This is bigger than you, Sami. It's about my mother trying to control every part of my life. She refuses to see the truth, and until she does I don't want to see her. I'm not going to let her take this away from us. I can't loose you."

Lovingly, she took his face in her hands, "You won't. Kate couldn't take me away from you if she tried."

Slowly he let out a breath, "You don't know what she was planning. She-she wanted to bring back Brandon and make it look like you cheated on me. And if that wasn't bad enough, she would have tried to set me up if that didn't do it. It could have worked."

"Not forever. Sooner or later the truth would have come out," sweetly she leaned in and kissed him, "In the end, it's always going to be you and me."

Lucas smiled softly; she was the balm to his pain. No matter what it was, Sami could make everything seem better, "You're right. I mean, really, how could I let such an amazing woman get away?"

She smiled in return, glad to see his mood lifting, "I wouldn't let you make such a horrible mistake."

He smirked as he took her lips again, this time a little harder, "You know, maybe we should take this into the bedroom?"

She twisted her face into a mock considering look, "Hmmm, I don't know. We are getting married in a week," lightly she fingered the buttons on his shirt, "Maybe we should wait."

Lucas teasingly placed a kiss on her neck, "But I need comfort. That's something only you can give me."

Sami unbuttoned a few buttons so she could slip her hand inside his shirt, "I could always comfort you in some other way."

"Saaammiii…" he dragged her name out in a whine.

"After all, you're still upset about Kate. I wouldn't want to take advantage."

He nuzzled her neck, "Maybe I want you to take advantage of me. Trust me, the last thing on my mind is my mother."

She let out a low laugh and finally got the last button to open. She surveyed his oh-so-muscular chest and let out a sigh of appreciation as she pushed it off, "Who could resist a body like that?"

"That's what I thought, "Lucas laughed before pulling Sami completely in his lap and stealing another kiss.

Both pulled away slightly more breathless than before, "So, bedroom?"

"Definitely."

He didn't hesitate in lifting Sami into his arms and in minutes they were right where they wanted to be.