A/N: Happy Saturday! Thanks for reading, reviewing and following as always! It's appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. There could be a trigger in here for some, and I'm sure you can figure out what it is based on the last chapter. With that said, I'll let you get to it. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

"Recently, I've noticed some changes in my niece. Where Kirsten used to be outgoing, she now seems withdrawn. The spark she always had is missing. It's not just those things. Every 4th of July, our family gets together to celebrate, my brother and sister along with their children and now their children. I have a nephew that works for a pyrotechnics company so he supplies and handles the fireworks, and he puts on a very impressive show. It's a good time and goes back to when my parents were alive, minus the fireworks. They didn't set any of them off. Since they're no longer with us, my husband and I host it. We have the most room, and we really enjoy having our home full of people. Kirsten and Amelia came like they have before. When they arrived, I could tell Kirsten had been crying. She tried to hide it, but I could tell. If you remember, this past 4th of July was extremely hot. It was so hot that my husband wore shorts, and I can tell you that that doesn't happen all that often. Well despite how hot it was, Kirsten was wearing long sleeves and jeans. She also avoided the swimming pool. She's an excellent swimmer and even swam competitively in college. She always said the water was like a second home to her. At other gatherings in the past, she always dove right in, quite literally. So, I didn't understand why she was avoiding the pool then and asked my sister, her mother. She wasn't sure either but had noticed the couple seemed to be putting more distance between themselves and our family recently. My sister was actually surprised they showed up. She was almost positive they weren't going to when she talked to my niece earlier in the week.

"I knew I had to talk to Kirsten, privately. There was a problem with that however. Amelia seemed to be keeping a very close eye on her and not letting her out of her sight. I finally got my chance when I saw Kirsten go inside the house without Amelia. That was when I decided to seize the opportunity. I didn't follow her inside right away though because I didn't want to draw any attention and have Amelia interrupt us. By the time I made it to the house, I didn't see Kirsten anywhere. I quickly realized that she was in the bathroom so I waited. Kirsten was surprised to see me and was in a hurry to get back outside. She didn't want Amelia to get mad at her. I went to stop her by lightly grabbing her arm." Diana closed her eyes remembering what happened next, the images of what she saw were burned into her memory. She took a deep breath and continued. "Kirsten didn't necessarily scream when I did that. It was more of a sharp gasp. She was definitely in pain. I was able to pull up the sleeve of her shirt, and what I saw was awful. It made me sick. I have no doubt that you've seen what I did and worse. Her arm was covered in bruises. I quickly pulled up her other sleeve, and it was the same. I asked her what happened, and she said she had fallen down some stairs. When she did, she had put her arms out on instinct to brace herself and that's what caused the bruising. I wasn't buying it though. Something was telling me there was something else going on. Just as I started to question her more about what really happened, Amelia came in, and Kirsten shutdown immediately. I saw Amelia glare at her, and I swear I saw my niece cower. She was afraid, and I had never seen her like that before. Amelia gave me this sickeningly sweet smile when she saw the sleeves of Kirsten's shirt were up and her bruises were visible. She joked about how clumsy Kirsten was. I knew though. My niece didn't fall. There's not a chance in hell that that is what happened."

Bianca could see tears forming in Diana's eyes and handed her a tissue. She also retrieved a bottle of water for the woman. Diana gratefully took it and drank. She hadn't told anyone other than her husband everything that she had seen, and it had definitely taken its toll on her. It was easy to talk to Bianca though. Her compassion was clearly evident without the brunette even saying a word. Diana took a deep breath before continuing.

"They left not long after that. Amelia said something about having plans with her family which I could tell came as a complete surprise to my niece. She covered pretty well, but it was obvious that Kirsten didn't know about any other plans. My sister asked me if I knew why they left so early, but I honestly didn't know what to tell her. I only had a suspicion of what was going on, and I knew if I told her that then she would do something rash which could jeopardize Kirsten even more. So, I told her I didn't know. It really wasn't a lie because I didn't know for sure. The only thing I was sure of is that I needed to talk to my niece, and it had to be done without the possibility Amelia interrupting us. About a month later, I learned that Amelia was going to be out of town. I decided to take this opportunity and talk to Kirsten. So, I drove over to Llanview. When I saw her this time, it wasn't a bruised arm that caught my attention. She had cast on her arm, but she refused to talk about. The whole time I was there, she kept looking around and checking outside. She didn't want Amelia to know that I was there. Kirsten ended up just asking me to leave. I did. I didn't like it, but I did as she asked only after I had her promise to check in with me at least once a day. When I got home, I finally talked to my sister. She wanted to rush right over there, but I convinced her not to, not yet at least. We needed a plan and that included someplace for Kirsten to go. Over the next couple of weeks, we texted each other and then actually talked. Kirsten told me what was really happening with them. Amelia was abusing her, and it had been going on for quite some time, longer than I had thought. Her latest injury was a spiral fracture. It's where …"

Bianca nodded. "I'm aware of that type of injury. It's a common one in abuse cases. She went to a hospital to get it treated?"

A bitter laugh escaped from Diana. "Yes, but I'll get to that in a minute. This happened a week after the 4th of July. Amelia hadn't said anything at first about what had happened at my house. Then, they had an argument about something minor, and that's when Amelia accused her of sneaking off when they were there and flew into a rage. It was an awful fight and so loud that a neighbor called the police. They basically didn't do anything. Kirsten said they didn't really take it seriously when they saw it was two women involved in the disturbance. And when they realized who Amelia was related to, they couldn't get out of there fast enough. They actually apologized to Amelia for disturbing her. As soon as they were gone, Amelia called her father. He arranged for Kirsten to be seen in private at the hospital. They all looked at Kirsten like it was her fault. And consequently because of the inaction of the police and the private hospital visit, there aren't any records of this attack. I just don't understand it. How could they disregard everything and look the other way? It's no wonder Kirsten doesn't think anyone will believe her, and she's so embarrassed by all of this and blaming herself. You don't seem surprised by any of this though."

Bianca shook her head. "Unfortunately, I'm not. The majority of abuse cases involve a man abusing a woman, and those are the ones you hear about the most. Women abuse men, men abuse men, and women abuse women. Abuse is abuse no matter the genders, sexual orientation or income involved. It happens in the best of homes just as it does in the worst of them. Some, however, don't make that distinction, and they couldn't be more wrong. Most of those abused have something in common. They blame themselves and feel guilty. They believe that they are somehow at fault and deserve what happens to them, just like your niece. Also like Kirsten, they are embarrassed and feel an overwhelming sense of shame. It's that blaming of themselves, that guilt and that shame that keeps them quiet and keeps them from seeking help or reporting it. That's especially true when men are the victims because of how they are perceived in society. They're supposed to be strong, and abuse doesn't happen to someone that is strong. Women feel that way too. Some people feel that a woman couldn't abuse another woman, but they can and do. From what you've told me, it sounds as if there's something else at play with the police not doing anything, the connections Amelia's family has. It most cases, police take domestic disturbances seriously, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or income. I know that's how the Pine Valley Police Department is. Most hospitals are like as well. Pine Valley Hospital definitely. We work closely with both of them." Bianca paused. "You said your niece opened to you?"

"Yes, she did. I know it was hard for her, but she did."

"What do you need exactly from the Center? Until your niece comes to us or another shelter, there's not much that we can really do. She has to be the one asking for help. It can't be done by proxy. That's not how it works."

"I know. I guess I was looking for reassurance that she wouldn't dismissed, that she would be taken seriously and that there would be someplace safe for her to go."

"I can assure you that she will be taken seriously here. We'll also keep her safe. The locations of our safe houses are a well-guarded secret. Only a handful of people know them, and they have signed a pledge not to divulge them."

"If I can get Kirsten to come here, what happens?"

"She'll be treated for any physical injuries that she may have. She'll also undergo counseling to help her with any psychological or emotional issues that she may have. We don't have one set course of treatment for those that come here because each situation is unique. Yes, there are similarities, but they're not identical. Something that would most likely happen is that she would stay in a shelter for a little while. During that time, you wouldn't be able to see her. We do that for the protection of all of our residents. There is no exception. I know you made a sizeable donation to the Center."

"No special treatment, correct?"

Bianca nodded. "Correct. Everyone is treated equally here."

"I understand, and I still want the donation to stand whether my niece seeks help here or not. Seeing what she's going through has opened my eyes to this issue more than ever before, and I want to help others. I plan on discussing everything with her this weekend since Amelia is out of town again. My hope is that she comes back home with me. I believe it's better if she seeks help here and not Llanview."

"I agree. It appears to me that she has a very good support system in place here with her family. Also, the connections of Amelia's family in Llanview could make things more difficult for her there. What is Kirsten's last name?"

"It's Tanner."

"And Amelia's?"

"Mears."

Bianca made a note of both names. "If you do convince your niece to come to Pine Valley, the Center is open on weekends. I believe it would be safer to bring her here rather than to one of your homes."

"In case Amelia shows up and tries to cause problems? Yes, I suppose you are right."

The women talked for several more minutes with Bianca answering a few more questions as well as offering some suggestions on how to talk with her niece. When they were finished, Bianca walked Diana out. The brunette stopped at Jan's desk and filled her in on the discussion she'd had with Diana.

"Everything definitely makes sense, and I can completely understand her sense of urgency."

"That makes two of us. I have some time before my next meeting, don't I?"

"Yes, you have a little over an hour."

"Great. You wouldn't happen to know where Aya is right now and if she's free would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. She's camped out in the huddle room over there and working on schedules. You know how much she loves working on them so I'm pretty sure she'd welcome a break."

Bianca chuckled. "You're right. They're one of her favorite things. I'm going to talk to her about this weekend and what might happen. In the meantime, I need you to make a call for me."

"Alright. Who am I calling?"

"Someone in Llanview."

/

"Hi, Mitch. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable." Marissa greeted the private investigator.

"Thanks, Marissa, and congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you and thanks for coming in today. I really appreciate all of the work you've been putting in on this case. I'm sure you could tell that it's a special one to me."

The investigator smiled. "It's not a problem, and I could tell that it was."

"Alright, there's no sense in beating around the bush. What did you find out?"

"You don't know how much I was hoping this lead was wrong and wouldn't pan out. Unfortunately, I found out otherwise." The investigator handed Marissa a folder labeled with the names of Sam's parents, Hannah and Matt Robinson. As was her habit, the redhead placed the folder aside for the time being and focused her attention on Mitch. Having worked with her before, he knew Marissa would review the report in-depth later and that this was his cue to summarize the contents of it for her now. "We've verified the earlier information we received on Sam's mother. She had no other surviving family members. It's Matt's family that seems to be the sticking point. As you know, his parents and sister are deceased. It was originally thought that was the extent of his family. I tracked down friends of his as well as his parents. It turns out his father was married before Matt's mother. It happened when he was in the military. His first wife, who sounds like a real piece of work from everyone we talked to familiar with her, filed for divorce after he was deployed overseas. Friends said she had a history of cheating on him, but Kurt, Matt's father, was crazy about her and forgave her time and time again. When she left, she cleaned out his bank account and left him deeply in debt. It was later found out that she was pregnant at the time of the filing of the divorce papers. She gave birth to a boy and named him Russell. Kurt Robinson is listed on the birth certificate as the father even though she gave him her last name which was Payne. By all accounts, Kurt tried to stay in the boy's life and paid regular and generous child support. This went on for two years until she and the boy disappeared one day. He tried to find them but didn't have any luck. Eventually, he met and married Rose, Matt's mother. They had two children and the rest is history you know with regards to them."

Marissa looked over the notes she had made during Mitch's rundown. "What happened to the ex-wife and son?"

"The ex's name was Jackie, and she passed away a few years ago. Russell, who goes by Russ now, lives in Pittsburgh and is married with no kids. From what we could find, he had no contact with Matt, ever. Matt did know he had a half-brother, but he didn't try to find him and vice versa. Russ has a record, all misdemeanors with no jail time. His arrest record is in the file."

A nod from the redhead had him continue. "Russ is a bit of a con man with most of his arrests being for fraud. None of his victims wanted to press charges though. It seems that he is very charming." Mitch watched as Marissa read through the arrest record. The lawyer had a good poker face when it came to work so he couldn't quite tell what she was thinking, but he could see the wheels turning.

"What did he say when you told him about what happened to Matt and Hannah and when you told him about Sam?"

"He really didn't have any reaction at all, especially about Sam."

"Did he ask about her wellbeing, where she was living, anything along those lines?"

The investigator shook his head. "No, he really didn't ask any questions about her. Although, he seemed to know she was in Pine Valley."

"Interesting. What's your impression of him?"

"Something's off with him, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I could see him thinking as we were talking, and I just got this feeling about him. It was telling me not to trust him."

Marissa thought for a moment. The Walkers would be there soon, and she wanted to review the file before they got there. "Okay, I'd like you to do this for me."

/

Marissa reviewed the Walker file after the investigator left, making countless notes from both it and her conversation with Mitch. After reviewing everything a second time, she called Lisa and asked her to join her in her office.

"Hey, Boss. What do you need?"

"I'd like you to sit in on my meeting with the Walkers and take notes for me. I have a strong feeling they are going to have a lot of questions for me, and I will need to focus on that."

"Sure, it's not a problem. I'm guessing Mitch didn't have good news for you."

"No, it seems there is a half-brother who would be Sam's uncle. At this point, I don't know how that's going to play out."

"Damn, I was really hoping Mitch wouldn't find anything."

"You and me both." Marissa was interrupted by a call from the receptionist. "Hi, Ellie."

"Hi, Marissa. The Walkers are here for you, all four of them."

Marissa sighed. Having Sam and Carol here was going to make this discussion even tougher. "Alright, thank you. Lisa will be right out to get them."

The blonde was out of her seat when Marissa hung up. "I'll stop by desk and grab a pad and pen before I get them."

"Before you go, Sam and Carol are here also."

Lisa nodded at the mention of their names. This got a lot more complicated for her boss. "Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes."

/

"Hi, Marissa!"

The redhead smiled seeing Sam walk into the office. The teen came over and gave her a hug.

"Hi, Sam."

"Congratulations on the baby and the promotion! Bianca was really happy when I saw her at the Center. Jan and Aya were so excited for you guys that I got a text from them even though I was going to be later that day. If you need a babysitter …"

"I believe she'll be calling me first, won't you?" Carol smiled and hugged the redhead. "Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you. I will be more than happy to babysit anytime."

Marissa chuckled. "Thank you, both of you. I'll definitely put you both on the top of the list of sitters. Although, you might have to duke it out with Kendall."

Sam grinned. "We can take her. It was really cool seeing your name on the doors out front."

"Thanks. I think it's pretty cool myself, and I'm still getting used to seeing it when I come in." She turned to greet Alex and Gail.

"Alex, Gail, it's good to see you."

"Marissa, congratulations on the big events." Alex hugged the redhead. "Gail and Mom have me started on your shower present already."

Gail rolled her eyes before hugging Marissa. "Congratulations, Marissa, and give me a break, Alex. You are just as excited about the idea as we are. Right, Carol?"

"She's right, dear. You are."

Alex sighed in defeat. "They team up on me all the time, Marissa. I never win an argument. I hope you don't mind that Mom and Sam came today. When they heard we were meeting with you, they really wanted to come. Considering it affects them too, we thought it was only right."

Marissa nodded. "I understand. Why don't you all have a seat and we'll get started."

Alex stopped Marissa when she started to move a chair over by her desk. "I got it. Bianca would have my hide if I let you move that."

"I was just pushing it over, and it's not that heavy."

"It doesn't matter."

"Fine. Thank you." Once they were all settled, she started again. "I asked Lisa to sit in with us and take notes. Would any of you like something to drink?"

They all shook their heads.

"Okay, let's get started. I met with our investigator earlier today. Sam, how much did you know about your grandfather, your Dad's father?"

"Dad said he was in the military. He was a Marine. He loved sports. The Eagles and the Phillies were his favorite teams. Dad told me that Grandpa and him would go see to their games whenever they could during football and baseball seasons. They always had a great time. Grandpa worked hard but always made time for his family. Why are you asking about Grandpa?"

"One more question, Sam, and then I'll answer that. "Did your Dad ever mention anyone by the name of Russell Payne?"

The teen thought for a moment. "The name doesn't sound familiar. Who is he?"

"From what we've found, he's your Dad's half-brother."

"Dad never said anything about a brother. Does this mean Grandpa cheated on Grandma?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, it doesn't mean that. Your grandfather was married to someone else before he was married to your Dad's mom, your grandmother."

Gail saw the redhead hesitate and guessed she wasn't sure how much to reveal in front of Sam. "It's alright. You know Sam and what she's been through better than anyone here so you know what she can handle. Tell us, please."

Marissa nodded and then recounted the results of the investigation. The others remained quiet for a few minutes while they let what she told them sink in.

Sam, who was holding Carol's hand, broke the silence. "So, this Russ guy would be my uncle?"

"Yes, he would."

"What's that mean then? Will Gail and Alex still be able to adopt me?" Sam glanced at the couple. "Do you still want to?"

Gail was sitting on the other side of Sam and immediately cupped her face. "Of course we still want to. You are part of our family. You are our daughter, and we couldn't love you any more than if I had given birth to you."

Alex nodded. "She's right. You're my baby girl. Do you still want to stay with us?"

Sam took the tissue offered by Marissa and nodded emphatically. "Yeah, I do. I really do. I love all three of you so much."

The four hugged before Carol spoke, not letting go of Sam's hand. "Marissa, what does all of this mean? How does it affect our chances of keeping our Sam?"

The teen's head snapped up and fear could be seen in her eyes. "Could … could he take me away Gail and Alex and Grandma?"

All eyes were on Marissa. This was the question she had braced herself for, the one she had expected, the one she knew without a doubt that would be asked. The redhead saw fear, hope and belief in her in their eyes. "I'll be honest with you. Courts like to keep family members that are related by blood together. Some judges feel that is the only type of real family. I know that's not true. Sharing DNA with someone doesn't necessarily make them your family. The courts will strongly consider it though."

"I've heard courts don't like to place girls with …" Gail asked.

Marissa interrupted her. "They don't, but that is in large part with single men. In this case, he's married, and could in their eyes mean that he and his wife could provide a stable home." The redhead saw them deflate at this news. "We, however, have a lot of things on our side. While he's married, he does have a criminal record. Your records are spotless. Sam has thrived under your care, and the social worker assigned to all of you has written nothing but glowing reports on you. Because of her age, the judge will take Sam's feelings into account. They'll listen to her. And I will fight for you everything step of the way for as long as you want me to. We will not go down without one hell of a fight. I will use every resource available to me here at this firm for you."

"While I appreciate that more than you will ever know, this could get expensive for them."

"Sam, don't worry about that. We will spend whatever we need to. If it means I have to get a second or third job, I'll do it." Alex quickly added.

"I don't want any of you to worry about money, alright? We will sort all of that out later. I'm not worried about it so I don't want you to be either. Okay?"

Carol dabbed the tears away from her eyes and nodded. "Thank you."

"You are more than welcome. What other questions do you have for me?"

After Marissa answered all of their questions, she sat back. "Now, this is what I want you to do. I want you to go home and try your best to relax and not to think about it. I know that's a lot to ask, but I want you to try. We really don't know if he's planning on doing anything. So, let me and my team worry about this. Don't let them know I said this, but I've got a really good team, even Lisa's not bad."

Lisa chuckled as did the others.

"Seriously, let us handle this. I'm working on a game plan, and I've already got our investigator back out looking into some things for me. I'm going to meet with some members of my team tomorrow and discuss this. Don't think that means I'm not going to be involved because I'm going to be the lead on this."

Sam smiled hearing that. She trusted Marissa more than anyone else because without her, Sam didn't know where she would be. "Thanks, Marissa. That really makes me feel better."

"Good. Now, if any of you hear from him or anyone representing him, I don't want you to talk to them or engage them in any way, shape or form. I want you to call me right away. It doesn't matter what time of the day. If for some reason you can't get a hold of me and no one here knows where I am, call Bianca. She'll know how to find me. If you need anything at all, call me. I'll do everything in my power to help, and if you need her, Bianca will too."

"Thank you."

"Thank you so much."

Carol gave her a watery smile. "You know, I had a feeling when I met you. I knew we would be friends. I just didn't know how big of an impact you would make on our lives though. Without you, we wouldn't have our Sam, and she has made our family complete. We owe all of that to you, my dear. We trust and believe in you. Thank you."

Marissa nodded while she tried to keep her emotions in check. "You're welcome. I'll do my very best not to let you down."

/

Bianca was returning to her office after talking with Aya when Jan caught her eye. Her assistant was on the phone and nodding the brunette towards her office.

"Yes, Mrs. Buchanan, I have Bianca Montgomery on the line for you. I'll put you right through."

Bianca hurried into her office and picked up the phone. "Viki, it's Bianca. How are you doing?"

/

A/N: I have to offer a disclaimer here. If you ever followed 'One Life to Live', you know about Llanview and who Viki Buchanan is. I don't own her character. She is owned by Prospect Park (at least I think that's who still owns her). Anyway, I couldn't resist adding her in since I'm mentioning Llanview. It was just an idea that struck me, and you know how I am when that happens. You'll actually read more of her in the next chapter. She probably won't have too big of a role in this story though.