Nicole left Lucas alone in his hospital room so he could sleep, but he couldn't sleep. The picture was messing with ability to rest. He pulled the picture out from behind his pillow and stared at it again. Will was so happy. And Sami, her expression reminded him of best forgotten memories where she was full of trust and absolute faith, even her adorable gems in her hairs reminded him that Sami was a believer in fairy tales and happy ever afters. But there was no way that Sami would ever trust him; she wasn't that forgiving. She never fooled him when she tried to manipulate him, at least not for long. But the picture spoke of a different story. He wanted the picture to confirm everything he knew about Sami and him; they were a wrong pair, a match made in hell and bound together through a mistake. But the smile on his face and hers in that picture didn't add up to what he wanted to see. Something was seriously not making any sense, and his headache was getting worse just trying to understand.

Greta and Eric watched the hospital door as promised. Everything was quiet and dull once Nicole 'left to get coffee.' Neither believed Nicole, but it didn't matter. She left. However the quiet dull night changed when doctors and machines rushed past them into Lucas' room.

Eric told Greta, "This isn't good." Greta remained in Eric's arms, silently agreeing with him.

Meanwhile Sami felt an eerie sense of her past when she was put behind bars in a holding cell. She never wanted to see the inside of a jail again, but here she was. She really needed to learn to control her emotions.

The lights in the corridor flicked back on, and she heard muffled voices arguing. She couldn't understand what was being discussed, but the tones wasn't promising. No one else was in the holding cell, so all she could do was wait.

What felt like an eternity later someone reentered the holding area and walked up to her bars. She knew who was coming down the hall long before she saw her. Her expensive perfume gave her away almost as badly as her short deep breathing that matched her frosty personality. Kate's feathers were ruffled and that never boded well for Sami.

Sami instinctively crossed her arms as a defensive move, as Kate sucked in the air around her before showing Sami the key. Sami couldn't believe her eyes that Kate was opening the door for her and asked, "Are you setting me up?"

Kate rolled her eyes in annoyance before answering, "If only I had the time. Leaving you to rot here would be a wonderful end to your pathetic attempts to ingrain yourself in my son's life." Old habits of bickering with Sami died hard, but she stopped herself and finished in a calmer tone, "However you're the lesser of two evils right now, so let's go."

Sami sat down on her cot and answered, "I'm in jail. I can't go anywhere."

Kate simply told her, "I paid your bail."

She had to ask in wonder, "You did?"

Kate stepped out of the way so Sami could walk out of the jail cell. Sami nodded and followed Kate. Halfway down the hall Sami stated, "Our truce lasts until Nicole is out of Lucas' life, no more."

Kate threw open the front door, stepping into the sunshine, "Nicole needs to be squashed, and I have an idea."

Sami was about to ask what, but Nicole appeared on the sidewalk to shout, "She's supposed to be inside."

Sami smiled at Nicole to answer in her best chess master voice, "No one keeps Sami Brady in jail."

Nicole returned the smile with one of her own, "I'm happy to hear that since I'm Nicole Roberts."

She fed Nicole that one. Luckily she didn't have to respond as Kate told Sami, "Get in the limo."

Sami held her chin high and whispered to Nicole, "Only till Lucas remembers. He hates you more than he ever hated me."

Nicole retorted quickly, "You know what they say the best sex happens after the worst fight. I'll better head back to the hospital."

Kate wanted to shoot Nicole right in the back. Her driver had a gun in the front seat. It should be legal to shoot women that threaten her sons. But watching Nicole go down was worth waiting for and besides the blood might spill onto her clothing. Nicole's downfall was coming, and a gun wasn't necessary. Her plan was on its way.

Sami slammed the limo door closed behind her before she vented her frustration. Kate immediately told her, "If we stay calm, Nicole will be history."

Sami asked Kate, "You said that you had a plan?"

Kate nodded her head and answered, "Victor and Brady."

"Brady is sightseeing right now."

Kate nodded and said, "He has no idea that Nicole is plotting for Eric and married to Lucas."

Sami then said, "You mentioned Victor. How is he going to help us?"

"I'm going to remarry him and give him the papers on Lucas and Nicole. I regain the Kirikias fortune and he has the power to end his alimony payments to his ex-trophy wife. And he redeems himself in the eyes of your grandmother."

Sami wasn't sure how to take the news of Kate's nuptials. She quietly asked, "What about my father?"

Kate looked out the window refusing to answer the question. Roman left her. She had to move on with her life. And since love wasn't possible, regaining money and power would ease the loss just as it had in the past. Victor asked her to marry him as a business deal, and her marriage would save Lucas.

A few minutes later Kate turned to Sami and told her, "You have to stick by Lucas for now. If he remembers everything, then we gain an ally. If not then you have to protect him from what's about to go down."

Austin snapped his rollerblades on easy enough, but his eyes never left Carrie's backside. She leaned over her knees to balance fix the rollerblades, and her back was a straight line. He couldn't stop the memory of waking up to find her in his arms of replaying over and over. He woke up so many mornings and felt that back snuggled close to him. He could even remember the smell of her, not her perfume but the smell of her. She invaded every sense that he ever possessed years ago with her intoxicating smile and her warm personality. His mind remembered every curve of her in a way that just wasn't reasonable.

He physically ached just watching her lean over herself on a bench to lock her rollerblades.

She finally fixed her right blade so she could skate properly. As she sat up and tested her balance she felt the heat of his gaze on her. A few years ago she would have guessed that his look was one of desire, but she couldn't get her hopes up. He was probably somewhere else lost in thought. Once she felt confident on the skates, she turned to him and asked, "Are you ready?"

Her easy smile towards him was almost painful but he needed to remember that they were going to be friends, not lovers. When they were married, they both lived in constant heartache. Now was the time to rekindle friendship, nothing more.

She stopped skating and asked him, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head no and finally smiled back before answering, "No, beautiful, everything is going to be fine."

He called her beautiful! She felt the electricity level in her own body explode. Then he skated up to her and put his hand on her back. The physical contact was so intense and perfect that she all she could do was smile.

As they rolled down a small hill he finally had to ask her, "Why are you so happy?"

She continued to smile and answered him without thinking it out, "You make me happy Austin."

She didn't even hear her own answer until she saw his expression change. Flirting was just so natural with him that she didn't catch herself in time. She quickly covered to avoid any scene, "Race you to the bench over there."

He wanted badly to tell her that she was the only one that ever made him happy, but he couldn't. It wasn't right to tell his ex-wife something like that. Thankfully he didn't have to reply, and he quickly returned her hesitant smile with one of competitive fun. He answered her, "I'll give you a head start."

She shook her head no and answered, "I can win without cheating."

He then smiled like a wolf that wanted to chase his prey before telling her, "I want to watch your cute backside."

She blushed. Honestly she hadn't blushed since practically high school, but she was going to take his offer and race. She winked at him before racing off.

He smiled watching her competitive nature come out of her face to prove his arrogant answer wrong. And her round bottom was the added bonus when she turned away from him. She easily won the race, but he felt like he won something better at least until some men whistled at her.

He raced to the bench and purposefully closed the distance between them. She was waiting for him standing at the bench, and he rolled practically on top of her without actually touching her at all.

His presence all around her filled up every thought. Austin Reed was definitely the perfect man in her eyes. He was strong, vital, vigorous, and most of all kind and compassionate. Men like Austin normally didn't exist and even more unlikely don't get involved with reserved girls like she is. He should be interested in a girl more full of life, but when he surrounded her like this all she could do was breathe in and wish that he was hers.

Carrie's mysterious blue eyes fascinated him. He couldn't pull away from her; it was an impossible feat. She drew him in both body and soul. His every thought was to claim her as his own and let everyone see his territory. His primitive caveman thoughts couldn't be expressed; she'd kill him for saying anything of the sort. And it was that portion of her personality that drew in his soul. She didn't trust easily. She didn't like showmanship. And he loved her personality. He never wanted to understand any woman but Carrie Brady.

He finally stopped thinking at all. He had to taste her just one more time. Even though he understood kissing her was a mistake that he should avoid, he just had to kiss her.

Her body remembered him and understood to shut down and let him control the situation. Her mind stopped working when the mood shifted slightly, and all she could do was follow his lead. Her eyes closed on their own accord and her arms went around his waist to hold on to him well before he kissed her, and god did he kiss her.

His kiss brought her body alive, almost like she was half dead only moments before. The fire in his kiss made her feel like she more alive, more sure, more everything. All she could do was respond to whatever he wanted from her.

Sami and Kate returned to the hospital and were quickly filled in on Lucas' dire situation. Sami would have melted on the spot if one of the nurses hadn't quickly run into the group to ask, "Are any of you Sami Brady?"

She nodded her head and answered, "I am."

The nurse breathed in relief before telling her, "We need to stabilize Lucas Roberts right now, and he keeps calling out your name. He's delirious and the drugs to calm him aren't working. We're hoping if you talk to him he'll respond enough to let the drugs put him into the necessary coma."

Kate snarled before biting off her response, "He will not be left in a coma! I won't allow it!"

The nurse shook her head no and answered, "It's drug induced and once we stabilize him and the drugs wear off, the likelihood of a long term coma are extremely slim."

Eric commented, "The language barrier in a stressful situation misrepresents reality. Let Sami and the nurse go."

Kate nodded her head to Eric's good sense and she backed off. Sami and the nurse quickly left the waiting area.

All Sami could think about right now is Lucas. She hadn't realized it before, but her uneasiness earlier wasn't from returning to a prison cell. Her uneasiness was because Lucas was slipping away from her. All those years ago when she was willing him to die she was really willing herself to die. She had no real life without him. The reality of her situation seemed both surreal and too real at the same time.

He wasn't going to die on her. He just wasn't. And she was going to tell him just that.

After washing up and putting on scrubs she finally saw him. He was deathly pale. His normal vibrance just was missing from the room. She took his hand in hers and held it. Then to the shock of the doctors in the room she told him, "You are a bastard if you think that dying will free you from me."

But before anyone of the doctor's could reprimand her for her rudeness, his body relaxed. The monitors and beeping from the machines stabilized. But most important to Sami she just felt that if he was awake he'd have something to say to her. It was just a feeling, but it was the first comforting feeling that she had since finding him.