Against All Odds Chapter 8: Fighter, a days of our lives fanfic

Song is "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera

After all you put me through,
You'd think I'd despise you.
But, in the end
I wanna thank you 'cause you made that much stronger.

The next afternoon, Sami was sitting alone in the pub. Tom and Colleen were with Marlena and John. She was waiting. Waiting for Lucas. This would be the first attempt at a civil conversation with him in weeks. But it needed to be done.

The door opened and in walked…Kate. Of course, as soon as she spotted Sami sitting alone she had to go over and be a nuisance.

"Oh, hello, Sami," Kate said in a tone of completely faked niceness. "Dining alone, are we?"

"No," Sami responded testily. "I happen to be waiting for your son."

"Ah, yes. Lucas. It's so nice to see you still remember he exists."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sami said angrily.

"Oh, well, it's just that you've been so wrapped up in EJ I thought you'd forgotten you're married to Lucas."

Sami's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

Kate gave a self-satisfied smirk. "I see you've also forgotten I still work with him. I can hear his phone conversations, you know."

"How about you stay out of my business, Kate?"

"Fine, Sami. I'll be sure to tell EJ I saw you when I get back." She smiled deviously.

"You don't need to say anything to him," Sami said quickly.

Kate's eyebrows raised. "Oh? Oh, that's right. I heard him speaking with you. He thinks you're out with Belle, helping her plan the wedding."

When Sami just sat there glaring at her, Kate knew she had hit the nail on the head. "Hm. Don't worry, Sami. My lips are sealed." And she sailed back out of the pub.

A few minutes later, Lucas came in. He sat down across from Sami. "Alright Sami. What's so important that you needed to discuss with me?

Well, I thought I knew you, thinkin' that you were true.
Guess I, I couldn't trust, called your bluff, time is up
'Cause I've had enough.
You were there by my side, always down for the ride,
But, your joy ride just came down in flames
'Cause your greed sold me out in shame.

Originally, Sami had wanted to have a nice and calm conversation. However, after that little scene with Kate and now, Lucas' impatience…there was nothing Sami was feeling that was "nice" or "calm." She hadn't wanted to tell EJ she was meeting with Lucas. She knew he'd try and talk her into letting him come along. But, this was something she needed to do on her own. Also, she didn't want EJ to know just yet what she wanted to discuss with Lucas. She wanted everything settled before telling him.

"I want out," she gritted.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I want a divorce, Lucas," she clarified. "I can't take this marriage anymore, if you could even call it that. I know we've been through a lot together but you're killing me. It needs to end."

Lucas stared at her blankly. He wasn't expecting this. He shook his head. "Sami, look. I know we've been fighting a lot and I know you hate me right now but, isn't this going a little far?"

"I don't hate you, Lucas. But I'm not in love with you. And I doubt if you're in love with me – if you ever were, actually!"

"What are you talking about? Of course, I was in love with you!"

"You know what, Lucas? You weren't. Once upon a time, you tried to get me killed! You tortured me! You drove me crazy – literally!"

After all of the stealing and cheating you probably think that
I hold resentment for you.
But, uh uh, oh no, you're wrong.
'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do, I wouldn't know
Just how capable I am to pull through.
So, I wanna say thank you
'Cause it

"But you what else?" Sami continued. "All that just makes me even more sure that I'm doing the right thing. Because of everything you put me through, I realized a lot of things. I realized that I'm a strong person emotionally, that I'm a lot smarter now, that I can survive whatever life throws at me."

"Well, good for you, Sami," Lucas replied sarcastically. "That still doesn't constitute why you want a divorce."

"Lucas, please. You don't want to be in this marriage any longer anymore than I do."

Makes me that much stronger,
Makes me work a little bit harder,
It makes me that much wiser,
So, thanks for making me a fighter.
Made me learn a little bit faster,
Made my skin a little bit thicker,
Makes me that much smarter,
So, thanks for making me a fighter.

While she was on a roll, Sami decided to continue and just let it all out. "I never thought that this would end this way. I never believed that you could turn on me and side with your mother after all this. And go crying to her when things don't go your way!"

"Sami, maybe you should re-think this," he pleaded with her.

"No!" she cried out. "You brought this on yourself, Lucas. Deal with it. I'm not putting up with it anymore."

Never saw it coming, all of your backstabbing
Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I'd realize your game.
I heard you're goin' round playin' the victim now,
But, don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame
'Cause you dug your own grave.
After all of the fights and the lies 'cause you're wanting to haunt me,
But, that won't work anymore, no more, no no.
It's over.
'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down.
So, I wanna say thank you
'Cause it

Outside the pub, Kate stood peering into the windows.

'Lips sealed my ss…' she thought to herself with a smirk.

Her thumb pressed down on the green "Send" button on her cell phone. Flying through the airwaves now was a picture of Sami and Lucas. Sent straight to EJ's phone.

Meanwhile, Lucas was contemplating everything Sami had said. He realized that she was right. They were stuck in a loveless marriage. He was miserable. She was miserable. That would have a bad effect on their kids. Maybe what Sami proposed made sense after all.

Still watching from outside, Kate felt her cell phone vibrate. EJ was calling.

"Yes?" she answered nonchalantly.

"What the hell are you playing at now, Kate?!" EJ roared into her ear.

She held the phone slightly away from her head. "I just thought you'd like to know what "Samantha" might be up to while you were apart," she answered sweetly.

When she heard silence on the other end, Kate continued. "Isn't it lovely finding out the woman you love just lied to you? She's playing you, EJ. How could you trust a woman like that?" she whispered maliciously before hanging up.

How could this man I thought I knew
Turn out to be unjust, so cruel?
Could only see the good in you,
Pretended not to see the truth.
You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself
Through living in denial.
But, in the end you'll see
YOU-WON'T-STOP-ME.

As Sami sat there watching Lucas think, she couldn't help but think to herself how it all went wrong. Lucas was a different person from when they'd first met. She thought he was the most amazing guy. Besides that momentary insanity with Austin, that is. Anyway, she couldn't live with this changed Lucas.

"Well?" Sami eventually asked. "What do you have to say?"

Lucas looked up at her in defeat. "You're right," he admitted. "This marriage…has hit a dead end. You want a divorce? You got it."

Sami breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded. "You're welcome. And Sami?"

She looked down at him as she stood up from the table. He also stood.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry, too."

And they gave each other a friendly, parting hug before leaving the pub.

A moment captured yet again by the camera on Kate's phone. A moment yet again sent to EJ's.

I am a fighter and I,
I ain't goin' stop.
There is no turning back.
I've had enough.

Sami sighed. The next thing she had to deal with was her family. Her mom, she knew, would be none-too-pleased. But, this was the new Sami. Or rather, the "old" Sami depending on how you looked at it. She didn't care what her mother, or anyone else for that matter, had to say.

This was her life. And she was living it the way she wanted to.

In the Mythic offices, a cell phone shattered against the wall. The sound of a door slamming could be heard in the next second.