Chapter 18: An Unexpected Past Revealed

Sami looked at the expectant faces of her family and was dismayed. She couldn't remember them no matter how hard she tried. Other then her previous flashes of memories about Lucas and Will, everything was a complete blank. Sami needed EJ by her side but her family had practically shoved him out of the room before she could protest.

"I'm sorry, EJ told me that you're my family and I wish I could remember since you all seem so nice but…." Sami trailed off not knowing what to say.

"It's ok Sami, you just need some time to adjust." Marlena said trying to put her daughter at ease. "You've been through a big ordeal both emotionally and physically. No one expects you to remember everything right away and we're all here to help you."

"Thank you." Sami said gratefully. "And how am I related to you?"

"My name is Marlena and I'm your mother Sami." Marlena said smiling encouragingly.

"Oh!" Sami exclaimed smiling back. She was glad that her mother wasn't the dark haired woman who kept throwing visual daggers at her.

"And I'm your father, Roman." Roman said stepping up. "Sami, I'm very proud of you for being brave enough to save your fiancée life. But I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't made it baby girl."

Sami instantly liked this man and felt close to him. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll try not to do it again but EJ told me that I can attract trouble by just getting up in the morning." Sami said smiling.

"Hi Mom!" Will said stepping forward. "I'm really proud of you too!"

"Will!" Sami exclaimed recognizing her son.

"You do remember me." Will said relieved shifting from one foot to the other.

"Of course, how could I forget such a handsome boy like you?" Sami asked proudly.

"Mommm!" Will protested. "I'm not a boy anymore."

"You'll always be my little boy even when you're married with your own children." Sami insisted.

"As long as you don't call me that in front of the guys I guess it's ok." Will conceded.

"That's a deal only if you promise to do something for me." Sami replied.

"What?" Will said warily.

"That you're going to let EJ take you to get your hair cut." Sami stated her terms.

"Over my dead body!" Lucas said jumping in.

"How can you object Lucas? Your son is in dire need of a haircut. Mom, don't you think your grandson needs a haircut?" Sami asked looking to her mother.

"I can care less about the haircut; I'm not going to let EJ take my son anywhere." Lucas said angrily.

"Lucas, I don't know what you have against EJ but I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your bias to yourself. EJ's my fiancé and I want him to have a relationship with my son." Sami said calmly. She still felt uneasy around Lucas but she had made a promise to EJ to give Lucas a chance.

"Jesus Sami, you've known the guy for all of what 5 minutes and you think you're in love with the guy? Not that it matters since with your track record you won't even make it to the alter." Lucas said spitefully.

"Lucas!" Marlena and Roman protested.

"What do you mean by that?" Sami asked confused. Had she been engaged previously? To whom?

"Don't mind my brother, he tends to say things he doesn't mean." Austin said stepping in to defuse the situation. "I'm Austin Reed and we're good friends and business partners."

"It's nice to meet you. Business partners huh? I wonder how much work I get done with such a devastatingly handsome distracting me all day." Sami flirted innocently.

She didn't notice how everyone had collectively held their breath as if waiting for something to happen.

"More like the other way around." Austin said charmingly. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. He was used to having Sami worship him and now that she didn't, he missed it.

"I'm Carrie, your sister." Carrie said stepping forward. She couldn't help feeling happy that Sami was finally over Austin. Even if it took losing her memory.

"Wow! You're so beautiful!" Sami complimented.

"Thank you!" Carrie responded preening. "You're not so bad looking yourself."

Sami made a face. "I have no clue what I look like. EJ wouldn't get me a mirror and told me it was for my own good. He said that I had a big enough ego as it is and that seeing myself would just inflate it so much that I'd float out of the hospital." Sami said chuckling. "But he thinks I'm beautiful so I guess it really doesn't matter what I look like."

"He's not the first one to think so." Lucas said softly.

"Did you say something?" Sami asked not hearing Lucas's comment.

"He said that he thought you were beautiful first!" Will said answering for his father.

"Oh! Thank you." Sami said awkwardly giving Lucas a questioning look. What exactly was their relationship? She knew they had to have been involved sexually by the flashes of memory she had of them in bed together and of course because one of those unions had produced Will.

"I know Sami loves being the center of attention but I don't think we should tire Sami out." Kate said interrupting the moment. "I wouldn't want EJ to be upset with us."

"I'm sorry, are we friends?" Sami asked Kate. It was quite evident that this woman disliked her. Sami wished she knew why.

"Always the comedian." Kate said not pulling any punches. "You don't have any friends."

"That's it mother, get out!" Lucas said angrily.

"I was only stating the truth." Kate defended.

"Come on grandma, Mom does need her rest." Will said ushering Kate out the door.

Marlena and Roman gave their daughter a kiss on the cheek and left the room trailed by Austen and Carrie who all wished her a quick recovery and a promise of another visit.

Sami stopped Lucas from leaving with the others. "Lucas wait."

"Yes? Is there something you need?" Lucas asked concerned.

"I want to talk to you about Will." Sami replied.

"What about him?" Lucas asked.

"Is he happy?" Sami asked her concern for her son evident on his face.

"Sure. Considering his mother was almost killed and in the hospital. Why do you ask?" Lucas asked.

"I just needed to know." Sami deflected.

"What do you really want to ask?" Lucas asked getting to the bottom of the matter.

"Am I a good mother?" Sami asked fearfully.

"Look Sami, we've both done a lot of stupid things in the past that have hurt Will but in spite of it he turned out pretty well." Lucas said honestly. "There hasn't been one second in his life that Will has ever doubted you love him. Because of that I think that you are the best mother a boy could ever have." Lucas said generously.

"The stupid things I've done, they've hurt both of you haven't they?" Sami asked.

"Well I was pretty pissed off about the whole 'Stan' thing but I think I can forgive you if you can forgive me." Lucas said.

"Stan?" Sami asked confused. "Did I cheat on you with this Stan?"

Lucas laughed. "No, you've never cheated on me. In fact you're as faithful as the geyser. You may have a lot of faults Sami infidelity isn't one of them."

"Then what happened to us? Why aren't we together?" Sami asked curious.

"Well for most of time we knew each other we thought hated each other." Lucas started.

"Really?" Sami asked. Hate was such a strong word.

"As they say there is a thin line between love and hate. We were so young and we didn't understand the passion between us. We were afraid of it so we dismissed it as hate."

"So we don't hate each other now." Sami stated.

"No, no matter what has happened to us in the past were always linked together by our love for Will." Lucas said. "That link forces us to see each other as we really are, the good, the bad, and the ugly. No matter what has happened in the past, we have always been there for each other."

"So we're good friends?" Sami asked trying to understand.

"I don't know if friends really describes us. We're closer, connected. We can see each other as we are, there is no pretense between us. We bring out the worse in each other. But we push each other into being better versions of ourselves, becoming the people we want to be. But." Lucas said finally putting into words the things he had realized about Sami and his relationship.

"We're best friends!" Sami said finally realizing what Lucas was trying to say.

"Yes, but there was a time where you and I almost had it all, love, friendship, trust, and our son. We were so close to being a complete family." Lucas admitted.

"So did I do something to ruin it?" Sami asked on the edge of her seat.

"That time it wasn't your fault. You were set up and I didn't believe in you when I should have." Lucas said. "If you give me another chance I won't let you down."

"Kate said I didn't have any friends so I really would like us to be best friends." Sami said truthfully.

"Friends?" Lucas scoffed. "You and I could never be just friends Sami, there is just too much passion between us. I know you can feel it."

"I'm with EJ now Lucas, friendship is the only thing I can offer." Sami said meaning every word.

"I'm not going to give up on us Sami." Lucas said.

Sami was saved from having to say anything when Elle and Derrick came in.

"Hello darling, how are you feeling?" Elle asked looking between Lucas and Sami suspiciously. She pulled out a bag with a silk robe and some toiletries.

"Ready to go home." Sami replied.

"Well the doctors want to keep a watch on you for a couple more days and then we're flying you home to Salem." Derrick said and handed her an envelope. "This came addressed to you."

"Ohhhh! It must be a get well card. I wonder who it's from?" Sami said opening the envelope. She read the card to herself. Sami looked up at Derrick puzzled. "Is this a joke?"

"I don't think so, what does it say?" Derrick asked.

"Nothing important, it must be an inside joke I can't remember." Sami said putting the card on the table next to her bed.

Lucas snatched it up and read it.

"Lucas don't!" Sami protested.

"What does it say?" Derrick asked again.

"Just because you've lost your memory doesn't mean you can escape me." Lucas read out loud. "What the hell?"

"Do you think that it has anything to do with the person who tried to drug Sami?" Elle asked concerned.

"Drug me? What do you mean?" Sami asked confused.

"Oh, I thought EJ had told you." Elle said surprised.

"Tell me what?" Sami asked getting frustrated.

"You were drugged with a mind control drug." Lucas explained.

"I was? When?" Sami asked confused.

"When you were still unconscious." Lucas explained. "EJ should have told you. There was a 24 hour period after you woke up where you were highly suggestive to emotional suggestion."

"He told me that I was given a drug that elevated my heart and that I needed to stay calm." Sami said feeling betrayed. How could EJ keep something like this from her.

"I'm sure EJ didn't tell you all of it because he needed you to not panic since it would have caused you to have a heart attack." Derrick said quickly trying to defuse the situation.

"More like he didn't want Sami to know how vulnerable she was and how easily he could take advantage of her." Lucas said suspiciously.

"How dare you, my son would never have taken advantage of the situation!" Elle said angrily.

"He didn't." Sami said quietly. "I thought it was strange but he was just being really careful about what he said. He kept deflecting all my questions, he never told me what to think or how I should feel, not once. Now I know why."

"See, I told you my son wouldn't have taken advantage of the situation." Elle crowed.

"Well EJ needs to be told about this note." Derrick said sharply. He didn't like surprises and this note was a surprise.

"What note?" John asked walking into the room.

Elle turned pale as she saw him. "No, you can't be alive, I killed you." Elle said before fainting.