Lucas was still wearing a suit and tie from the wedding when he drove off not giving his annoying older brother a backward glance in the rearview mirror. He needed to be alone right now. He put his heart on the line earlier, and Sami didn't respond. His first thought was a drink might make that pain go away. He pulled to the side of the road and looked at a bar, but he decided instead to keep driving instead of getting a drink. He'd be killing himself, but it shouldn't matter. But instead of stopping he pulled onto the highway at breakneck speed intending to put as much distance between himself and Sami as he possibly could. Driving was a mindless activity that could keep him away from the bar. He made it out to the countryside where it was pitch black on the dead road. The other car was driving without its lights on, and it would have been impossible for Lucas to see it even if he wasn't upset. The last thing he thought was that God gave him what he wanted at the moment, blessed unconsciousness.

Austin searched every bar he could find all night long. When Lucas peeled out of the driveway, he instantly remembered how an addiction surfaces during a bad spell. He'd seen it happen to Billie and tried to help. He'd seen it happen to Lucas before, and he always choose to leave Lucas alone. But this time now that he really talked to Lucas and set things straight, Austin wanted to help and it wasn't because of Carrie's urging. He generally wanted to find Lucas. As the sun began its upward dissent into the morning sky, Austin went to Nicole's hotel hoping for an answer. Instead he found out Nicole checked out.

Sami felt her stomach contracting again. She never felt this wretched over heartache before. Being physically sick at the notion that Lucas was married to someone else was just too much. She was so sick that the bathroom floor felt like the best place to rest since she wouldn't have to run back and forth again.

In the morning Carrie hesitantly knocked on Sami's door. When Sami didn't answer Carrie peeked inside and saw no one in the room. She was going to leave when she heard a whimper. Carrie called out, "Sami? Are you in here?"

Sami sat up before answering, "Go away. I need to be alone."

Carrie instead walked into the bathroom and told her, "I think you're being awfully immature."

Sami rolled her eyes before sarcastically supplying, "I'm a total screw up who doesn't deserve to be happy. No man could ever really stay with me forever because I'm not good enough and never will be. Can't you come up with something new to tell me?"

Carrie kneeled down before saying, "Wrong. You have a man who adores you and wants to be with you for the rest of his life and stupid you let him leave. As someone with lots of experience in heartache, let me tell you I would never have let Lucas go."

Sami felt worse again as she defended herself, "He's married to Nicole, and it's partly all my fault. Kate told me that she wasn't going to let Nicole marry Victor."

Carrie told her, "Look you married Austin in my wedding dress, and I had to deal with the man I love being married unhappily to someone else. Sami it will work out if you don't let him go. Nicole is no competition for real love."

The weight of Carrie's announcement made her feel both worse and better. She tried to argue with Carrie, but Sami full well remembered how jealous she was of Carrie and Austin. She weakly asked, "How do you know if love is enough?"

Carrie smiled for the first time as she put her hand out to help Sami stand up. Sami took her hand and started to rise before Carrie answered, "You never know for certain. I mean my love for Austin wasn't enough, but I always thought you were the stronger one."

Sami tried to tell her sister, "If I hadn't interfered, you and Austin would still be together and in love."

Carrie shrugged her shoulders and said, "I love Austin, but without trust there's no happily ever after."

Greta walked in hearing the sound of voices in the hallway, and she heard Carrie's sad announcement so Greta asked, "Can I join the pity party?" Sami and Carrie both nodded yes when Greta asked, "Is there was way to rebuild complete trust?"

Carrie dejectedly answered, "It's always dormant waiting to strike out at you."

Sami heard the sad women before more forcefully saying, "No, I don't agree with that. Trust can be rebuilt. Neither one of you had issues like I had with Lucas and not only were we talking about them and working through everything, for the first time in my life I was happy with him and with myself."

Carrie smiled and said, "See, I told you that you were the strong one."

A few hours later Eric woke up alone in bed. His first thought was that Greta took off again. He jumped out of bed and threw on his pants before he dashed out of the room. He was about to pound down the steps when he heard female laughter coming from his twin's room. He hesitantly walked in and found his two sisters and his wife playing cards and drinking.

He cleared his throat and said, "Isn't it a bit early in the day for a party."

Sami laughed and asked, "Carrie do you remember when we made Eric try on my green dress."

Greta laughed until Eric reached in and took the bottle from the table before he said, "You were never to talk about that again."

Sami smirked and said, "I don't remember that part of the bargain and besides Greta's our sister now too so she should now all about the time we made you model our lipstick shades."

Eric asked, "Where's Lucas so I can tell him all your stories?"

The room sobered immediately which told Eric he just said the wrong thing.

Carrie explained, "Sami kicked him out because of Nicole."

Even Eric asked confused, "That was pretty stupid, even for you. Nicole didn't tell any of us her little secret. Is that what started the party in here?"

Sami replied to Eric, "I thought you didn't like him.'

Eric answered, "I don't, but even I saw how happy you were with him."

Carrie felt her cell phone vibrate, so she stepped out of the room to hear Austin tell her, "I haven't found Lucas all night. I checked every bar, every café I could, the airport, with Mom, and I just checked the hospital. And I found out earlier Nicole checked out of her hotel, so she's gone too."

Carrie saw her sister laughing with Eric and Greta as she told Austin, "I'll tell Sami, and we'll help you."

Sami heard Carrie say her name, so she asked, "What's wrong Carrie?"

Carrie answered, "Maybe nothing. Austin tried to follow Lucas last night, but Lucas hopped in his car and drove very fast. Austin's been out all night trying to track him down, and he's worried."

Sami felt a sudden coldness on her spine. She couldn't explain it at all, but the fear that was nagging at her for days hit full force.

Greta was standing behind Sami when she started to fall. She held her up as Eric grabbed her from the front. Together they put her on the bed, as Carrie hovered to say, "My people skills used to be better."

Carrie found the liquor bottle and put it under Sami's nose.

Sami woke up with a start and rushed to the bathroom.

At the closed door Carrie only then realized something terribly wrong and said, "Oh my God. We've been pouring her drinks, and she's pregnant."

Sami heard Carrie's worry in the bathroom and she felt like crying. Only yesterday she was trying to get pregnant. She felt wretched until she realized that Lucas would never really leave her because of Will. And if they were successful and she had another one, he'd return to her no matter what.

When Sami left the bathroom she found herself alone.

Back in their room Eric and Greta dressed. As she was buttoning her shirt, Eric told her, "I was worried you left me this morning."

She asked him as he was tying his shoe, "Did you forget yesterday was our wedding day?"

He looked up and waited until she turned around to look at him before he answered, "No, but I figured since we didn't do anything you could still get an annulment."

She walked over to him and said, "When I make a commitment, I follow through no matter what. Besides no other man makes me happy, and I've kissed enough frogs to know that I love you."

Irrational jealousy rushed through his veins at the thought of another man even looking at Greta right now never mind kiss her, but she was anticipating his reply. He pulled her down to him and said, "I'll just have to chain you to bed, so you'll stop getting up without me."

She laughed like he was joking before she said, "Let me up. We have to help your sister right now."

He held her long enough to kiss her. She hesitated for less than a second before she kissed him back.

She tasted like she smelled, vanilla ice cream, which was fast becoming his favorite. She was good, beautiful, kind, forgiving, and most importantly his. He pulled her closer and let his hands rest on her hips, making her more comfortable so they could continue.

In the hallway Carrie yelled out, "I'm just getting my shoes Sami!" which interrupted Greta and Eric.

Eric grumbled and he asked, "Do you think we could skip out on Lucas hunting?"

Greta sat up and replied, "There your family."

He corrected, "Our. Greta you're a Brady too."

She smiled and said, "Princess Greta Brady commands her royal escort to help your sister right now."

A few minutes later, Carrie, Sami, Greta and Eric met Austin on the street where lots of bars, cafes and restaurants were located. They were about to ask him for an update when Kate walked out of one of the bars.

Sami yelled, "What are you doing here?"

Kate looked down her nose and replied, "My son is missing, and it's not like him not to call someone. Even when he was young and sneaking out of the house, he would make sure I knew he was fine. And I have a bad feeling."

Sami felt the same fear and said, "Me too."

Kate and Sami seemed to come to a small truce in that moment until Kate said, "I'd prefer to find him in a bar instead of with Nicole. They only reason I stopped the divorce was because I didn't want Victor getting a trophy wife."

Sami looked at Kate and her family before asking, "Nicole? He's with her?"

Kate rolled her eyes as Carrie answered, "We don't know. She's gone too."

The group stood in silence for a moment before Eric asked, "Where's the boy Kate?"

Kate answered, "With Philip at the hospital getting blood work. I gave blood this morning, so if either Lucas or Victor is the father, we'll know in a few days."

Eric said, "I'll stop at the hospital later today."

The group separated and searched the street, but there was no sign of Lucas anywhere. Greta bought the paper and scanned for any news about missing men, car accidents, but the paper reported nothing. ~*~

Nicole signed all the paperwork at the small country hospital and gave her assent to any necessary surgery that Lucas might need. Last night when she received a phone call from Nathan about the unidentified accident in the country and he told her someone from Chez Salem had left in the middle of the night, she decided checked out of her hotel and she rushed to the scene. When she showed up, and saw who it was, she identified him as her husband, Mr. Robertson. She figured if Lucas died right now, she'd get all his money. If he didn't die, then he at least owed her. Telling Kate or Sami would ruin any of her chances, and she needed Lucas right now to avoid arrest. Obviously he had some argument with Sami or else he wouldn't have been on a no named road in the middle of no where. And Nicole was not about to question this chance to start over. She didn't love Lucas and he didn't love her. But if he lived, he was going to owe her which was all she wanted. Hurting Sami and Kate were just a good bonus after Kate's little announcement which still might ruin her life. The perfect weapon to help her was at her disposal as long as she kept his whereabouts to herself.