Chapter 5: A New Danger Arises

By KaitlynRose72

Author's Note: I hope you are enjoying the story. I had extra fun writing this chapter. Old black and white horror flicks served as my inspiration for parts of this one. )

As soon as Roman stepped out the door Lucas said excuse me to Shawn and raced up the stairs. His only thought was to get to Sami and beg her forgiveness. He knew he had let her down before, but only now did he realize the extent of his failure to her.

He ran down the hall and flung her door open. Sami had been sitting on the side of her bed with Mrs. Heathcliff but both women jumped up by his sudden arrival.

"Lucas? What's wrong?" Sami thought Lucas was going to be sick or something. His face was flushed and he was breathing heavy. Suddenly his eyes welled up with unshed tears. He walked over to her and fell on his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry. Sami I am so sorry."

Sami was shocked. She had never seen Lucas like this before. "Lucas, I don't understand. What's happened?" She was becoming truly afraid.

"You were right. My mother framed you for everything. Sami I didn't know. I never would have believed. Please forgive me for letting you down and not believing in our love."

Sami sank down to her knees too so she could look at Lucas. He immediately looked away, he felt such shame for behavior toward her.

"Lucas, look at me."

"I don't deserve you," Lucas mumbled. "I didn't protect you."

Sami looked up at Mrs. Heathcliff. She had forgotten about the woman. She nodded her head for her to leave them alone. Mrs. Heathcliff moved slowly towards the door.

"Lucas, I forgive you. I do. Please, I know you feel guilty, but don't. We have been so in love since we've come here. I don't want to take two steps backwards now. We agreed last week to only look forward. Screw the past, remember? Next month our son is going to arrive here. Next month we are going to husband and wife. That's all that matters. That's all I care about."

"I love you," Lucas said. "So much. I want you to know that my mother will never hurt you again. I told her to go home and never return. She is to never come anywhere near any of us ever again."

Mrs. Heathcliff finally pulled the door closed behind her. She knew she shouldn't have been eavesdropping but she had to be sure they would be okay. She was starting to think of Sami as a daughter and she couldn't bare the thought of the young couple being torn apart.

Lucas began to kiss Sami. These weren't the gentle kisses like the ones they had shared earlier. The passion that coursed through Lucas now was one of desperation, a need to prove his love to Sami and confirm to himself that he hadn't lost her. In a flurry of movements he had shed both himself and her of their clothing. They didn't even bother to get in the bed but instead stay on the rug in front of the fireplace.

Sami let Lucas fulfill his needs. He came before she had even had the chance to get aroused but she didn't care. This was the first time Lucas had ever been selfish, almost harsh in his love making, but she knew it came from guilt and anger caused by his mother.

In a moment Lucas lay on top of her in a sweaty heap. "I'm sorry," Lucas said.

"Don't worry about it," Sami whispered. "Just relax. I love you and I'm not going anywhere."

She felt Lucas' body grow heavy on hers and she realized he had succumbed to the stress and exertion. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, happy that for once she could offer him comfort they way he had done it for her.

Today had been a blow for him, but she would help him get over it. It did bother her that he had taken Kate's word over her own, but she wouldn't hold it against him. They had spent enough time apart due to various circumstances. She had meant what she said to him. After all the progress they had made since coming here there was no way she was willing to suddenly take two steps back and create a new tension or awkwardness between them. At the moment being a family was more important that having revenge on Kate or making him grovel for forgiveness.

Sami lay there just resting. After a while Lucas finally rolled over on to his back and she stretched out the kinks in her back. Without the warmth of Sami against him he quickly woke. He saw her lying next to him and he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Did you have a nice nap?" she asked.

"Yes, but the best part was waking up and seeing you here beside me."

"As much as I would like for us to stay in this room for the rest of the night, my father is here and we should probably go and talk to him."

"I guess you're right. Do you think we have time to take a shower first?"

"I think we can manage that," she said.

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Roman felt like he was in an alternate universe. Sami and Lucas were back together and engaged. Sami was now worth millions of dollars, Pop owned a castle, Sami was next in line to inherit the castle, and he was divorcing his wife. Yep, definitely in an alternate universe.

He walked over to the side table and pour himself another shot of brandy and downed it in one gulp.

"When you told me you had been thinking of coming back to Ireland for a long time, was that the truth, or was it all part of a plan to get Sami and Lucas back together?"

"At first I simply wanted to get Sami as far away from Salem as I possibly could. She was suffering terribly. Then later I got the idea to invite Lucas, and let me tell you, if I could do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. Sami is so different here. She's lost that hardness that she worked so hard to project in Salem. No one here knows her past. She's free to be a young lady who is deeply in love. Her and Lucas go horse back riding almost every day, company is always coming over. Sami is actually quite popular around here. She and Lucas are so happy here that they've decided to stay in Ireland permanently. Lucas is going to return to Salem when Will finishes camp and bring him here."

"This is unbelievable," Roman said. "Pop, thank you. I appreciate everything you've done to help my little peanut. I only wish I would have been able to help her when Kate was planning to hurt her. Once more the DiMeiras prevented me from being with my family."

"Even if you had been here I'm not sure it would have made a difference," Shawn pointed out.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I have seen you on more than one occasion assume the worst about Sami. You actually believed her to be the Salem Stalker. Did you honestly believe Sami capable of murdering my Caroline? Sami adored her grandmother. If you want to be a better father to her then you need to start giving her the benefit of a doubt. She is working hard to turn her life around, and truth be told, she's done it. Sami now has the life she has always wanted to have, and I'm sure she would like you to be a part of that life, but only if you're going to be supportive of her."

"I've always been supportive of Sami," Roman defended.

"Oh really? Is that why you brought her back to be executed? Or is that why you left her after you found out she had been raped by that Alan Harris fellow? I don't mean to give you a hard time, son. I love ya, but you haven't always done right by that girl."

"Sami isn't exactly innocent in all of this either."

"No, she isn't, but she was young and in pain, and she needed her father's love and guidance."

Roman held his head in his hands. Pop was right. He'd been a lousy father.

"Listen, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Sami. Don't dwell on the past. Mistakes have been made and you can't undo them. Just look toward the future. Be a good father now."

"Thanks, Pop."

---------------------

Sami and Lucas showed up for dinner looking calm and relaxed. As soon as Sami saw Roman she walked over and gave her father a hug.

"I'm sorry I didn't really get to say hello earlier," Sami said.

"It's okay. Things were a bit crazy earlier, but that won't be happening ever again. Kate has gone back to Salem and I told her I want a divorce. I can't be with someone who would hurt my daughter that badly and look me in the face and lie about it."

"Thank you, daddy."

"I love you peanut. I always have and I'm sorry if you ever thought I didn't." He watched as Sami blinked repeatedly to keep the tears from falling.

"I love you too." Once more the two embraced.

Finally Mrs. Heathcliff entered the dining room to bring in the first course. Shawn sat at the head of the table, with Roman to his left and Sami and Lucas sitting on the right. Sami looked at the men sitting at the table. She never in her life thought she would have this many people willing to stand up for her. It was a wonderful feeling to know that it was no longer her against the world.

In fact, for the first time in her life, there was no one who wanted to do her harm. The wicked witch of Salem had gotten back on her broom stick and flown home. Eugenia was in no position to be a threat to Sami when she was on the other side of the ocean, besides, Lucas and everyone knew Eugenia plotted against her. She doubted Tony would care that she was in Ireland. She would only be of use to Tony if she were in Salem where he could use her in some plot against her family, or more importantly, John Black. She was free from her demons at last.

"Sami, there's something I need to tell you about your mother," Roman said.

"She and the baby are okay, right?"

"Actually, no, they're not. Marlena fell down the stairs from a dizzy spell. Sami, she lost the baby."

"What? Oh my god? She must be so upset."

"There's more. She has amnesia right now. She doesn't recognize any of us, not even John or Belle." Sami was shocked. Lucas took her hand into his own.

"Sami, if you want to go home to your mother we can leave tonight," Lucas offered.

Sami seemed to think for a moment and then shook her head no. "She doesn't even know me. There's nothing I can do to help. Besides, she has more than enough people looking after her, I'm sure. I want to stay here. I'm…I'm just not ready to go back to Salem yet."

"So you really plan to stay in Ireland permanently?" Roman asked.

"Yes. I really like it here. I got a second chance here and I can't walk away from it."

"I can understand that," Roman said. "I know you weren't planning on telling me about the wedding until after it was over, but I hope you will let me come back and be a part of it."

Sami gave him a big smile. "Of course, just so long as you don't bring anyone who will want to try and stop it from happening."

"Agreed."

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Sami sat in the sitting room looking through bridal magazines once more. She didn't need to make any more plans. Practically everything was taken care of for the moment. It had been three days since Lucas had sent his mother packing and after a day or two life had settled back into a normal routine. At first Lucas had been a bit distant, even guilt ridden, but after reassuring him again that she had forgiven him he seemed to finally get it in his head that she truly wanted to move on.

She was surprised at how much she was enjoying her father's company. When he looked at her now gone from his eyes was the accusatory stare that had resided there for the past several years. Last night the two of them had spent the evening playing poker using pretzel sticks. It was the most fun she'd had with her father in probably ten years.

She looked up when Roman entered the room. "Good morning."

"Mornin', all though by my watch its late afternoon. I can't believe I slept so late. I think it's the fresh air here."

Sami laughed. "If you're hungry Mrs. Heathcliff can get you breakfast or lunch. She is a wonderful cook."

"That's okay, I've already had something to eat, and you're right, she is good. Where's your grandfather?"

"He and Lucas went fishing."

"How come you didn't go?"

"Putting worm bits on a hook really isn't my thing. Besides, I thought you might like to have some company when you woke up."

"You're right. Thanks for sticking around."

"Miss Brady, Miss Bridget is here to see you, plus I have the post."

"Thank you, Lucy. Please show her in," Sami said as she took the letters. She was surprised to see a letter from Will as well as two letters addressed to Lady Samantha Brady.

"Who is Bridget?"

"Bridget is your Aunt Constance's granddaughter, so she is your second cousin." So far Roman had met Constance, Shaymus, and Moyra. Sami walked to the door to greet her cousin.

Bridget burst into the room practically bouncing with joy. "Sami I have a book with the most beautiful dress in it!"

"Hello Bridget," Sami laughed. "I'd like to introduce you to my father, Roman Brady."

"Oh, hello. It's a pleasure to meet you at last." She looked at Sami. "I thought none of your family would be coming?"

Sami just smiled. "It's a complicated story, but I'm very happy my dad can be here. Now, what is this about a dress?"

"I was looking at one of my bridal books last night and if you like it, I've found the dress I would like to wear for your wedding."

"Let's see it, then."

Bridget opened the book and showed Sami a beautiful A-line floor length dress with a heart bodice and ruffled cap sleeves. The dress was a rich mocha brown.

"Bridget, this is gorgeous. Of course you can wear this for your bride's maid dress. Are you going to order it or have it made?"

"I'll order it and then have Mrs. O'Shawnesy do any alterations. The bottom will almost surely have to be hemmed. I'm always too short. It's a curse. Also, I've placed the order for the autumnal colored mums. They will arrive two days before the wedding."

"Bridget I appreciate all your help, more than you can ever know."

Sami had a seat as did Roman and Bridget. Sami saw Lucy walking past the door.

"Lucy."

"Yes, miss."

"Can you please get us some tea?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Bridget saw the mail sitting on the sofa. "Oh my god. You were invited to two parties already?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your letters. Those two are invitations."

Sami picked up the letters and opened them. Sure enough, one was an invitation for Lady Samantha Brady and Mr. Lucas Roberts to attend a dinner party at Kellorna Manor hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick. The next was addressed solely to Lady Samantha Brady to attend a Sunday Tea Party with Lady Elizabeth O'Donnelle.

"Who are these people?" Sami asked.

Lady Elizabeth owns an estate similar to Wellston, though hers isn't as big. It once used to be bigger, but when Ireland passed several land laws the reclaimed property for the country, Meadow Hill lost a large chunk of its land. She is a very important member in the community. It's actually a big honor to be invited to one of her tea parties. You'll need to have a new dress and a hat to wear."

"Well her tea party is in two weeks. I was planning a trip to Ennis before then. I can pick something up then. What about Mr. & Mrs. Fitzpatrick?"

"They are a very nice couple. They hold some wonderful parties every year, even a costume ball on Halloween. They're loads of fun. The whole family has been invited to their party."

"This party is in five days. Please tell me I don't have to have a new dress for this one."

"No, their party won't be quite as upscale as Lady Elizabeth's."

"That's good to know. I wonder how they even know to invite me."

"Everyone wants to meet the new American who is going to inherit Wellston, silly."

"Yes, but I won't be inheriting anything for a very long time to come. My grandfather is in excellent heath, which is exactly the way I want him to stay. I want him to live to be a hundred and ten!"

"I understand, but the community is small, all people have to do around here is gossip. Your arrival is the most exciting thing to happen around here in several years."

Lucy came in with tea and cookies. She set the tray down on the table in front of Sami. Sami poured tea for the three of them and then offered the plate of cookies. She didn't take a cookie. She would have to watch her diet very carefully to make sure she didn't suddenly out grow her wedding dress.

"Bridget, your brother Liam didn't happen to mention running into me and Lucas a few days ago, did he?"

"He said he bumped into you and Lucas while you were out riding."

"That's all?"

"Yes, why did something happen?"

"Nope. I was just curious if he mentioned seeing us."

Roman just sat there watching Sami interact with Bridget. Pop had told him about how Sami had grown up, and how she was so different here, but obviously he really hadn't taken that information to heart his first night. Now after watching her for the past several days he was blown away to see her so calm, casual, and in control. There was a genuine smile on her face and for the first time that he could remember Sami looked at peace with the world.

"There you are." Lucas came into the room. His hair was wind blown and he wore a khaki vest over his green long sleeve shirt and tan pants. "Hi Bridget, afternoon Roman."

"How was your fishing trip?"

"It was good. I managed to catch two. Grandpa on the other hand caught six, but my second one was the biggest." His eyebrow went up in triumph as he shared that little detail.

"I guess we'll be having fish for dinner then."

"Got that right. Mrs. Heathcliff and Grandpa are cleaning them as we speak."

"How come you're not helping with that?" Roman asked.

"No thanks. I'll catch 'em, but I'm not gutting anything. I even refused to dissect my frog in high school."

"You big baby," Sami teased. "Lucas, what day do you think we can go to Ennis?"

"We can go tomorrow if you want. Why?" He reached down and took a cookie from the plate.

"Well, several invitations came today and I need to pick up a few dresses for the events. I only brought one dress with me in my suitcase and it's not really appropriate, and I've already worn the black one several times."

"I'll talk to Mr. Heathcliff and see if he is available to drive us tomorrow or the next day."

"Mrs. Heathcliff may want to come too. I also want to get Lucy and Delphine some kind of present. They had been so wonderful to me; I want to show them I appreciate them."

"I'm sure they'll like that," Lucas agreed.

"Dad, do you want to come?" Sami asked.

"Sure, why not. I might as well see the sights while I'm here."

"Oh Lucas, I just remembered, we have a letter from Will. Did you tell him where we were?"

"Yes I did." Lucas hurried to Sami's side so they could open and read the letter together.

"I guess I will be going," Bridget said. "It was nice to meet you."

"Same here," Roman said. He shook the young ladies hand.

"I'll show you out," Sami said.

"Nonsense. Sit and read your son's letter. I know the way."

"Thank you," Sami said as she carefully ripped the envelop open.

Roman also left the room to give Sami and Lucas some privacy.

Sami unfolded the letter inside and she and Lucas each read silently.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hi, how are you? I hope you two are getting along. Dad, thanks for calling the camp and leaving the new address so I can still send my letters to you. I was surprised that you two went on vacation together after what happened. I hope you aren't fighting too much but I'm not getting my hopes up or anything. Mom, I hope you don't cheat on Dad anymore, although since you two aren't really together I guess it really doesn't matter what you do.

Dad, I thought you'd want to know that I learned how to dive off the high board this week. Last year I was afraid to jump off it but now it's no big deal, in fact it's my favorite diving board. Anyway, I have to go. We're about to go on a nature hike. I can't wait to see you dad.

Love Will

Sami was crushed by Will's letter. It was obvious he still hated her. Lucas knew Sami was hurt.

"Sami, he doesn't know the truth yet. I'm going to sit down and write him a letter right now telling him everything. I know we said we would wait, but this isn't right. Neither you nor Will need to be suffering this way. Once Will knows the truth he'll be back to his old self again."

"Damn your mother," Sami muttered. "She made Will experience the same thing I did. Catching my mother cheating on my father destroyed me inside. It's a big part of all the problems and bad decisions I've made in my life. I never wanted Will to go through an experience like that."

"I know baby, and I'm sorry. I wish I could have spared him that pain too, but the difference here is we can fix this. You aren't guilty of cheating. He will understand once he knows the truth."

"I guess. Lucas, I'm going to go for a ride. I just need some time to cool off."

"Okay. I'll see you soon. I'll write that letter while you're gone." He gave her a kiss before sitting down at the desk to begin writing.

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Sami headed out to the stable. She was surprised to see Liam talking to Mr. Heathcliff.

"Good day, Miss Brady."

"Hello." She nervously looked at Liam. "Hello, Liam."

"Hello. Listen about the other day, I would like to apologize again. I swear it was an accident."

"It's okay. Let's not talk about it, please." She did not want to have this conversation in front of Mr. Heathcliff.

Sami went inside and saddled Prancer. It had been a long time since she had prepared a horse to ride but if felt like old times as she buckled the straps and harnesses. She saw Liam was preparing a palomino, named Jax, several stalls down.

"Do you like to ride?" Sami asked.

"Every chance I get," Liam replied. "Unfortunately I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had much of a chance, but now that there have been some changes I have more free time." They led their horses out and climbed up into the saddle.

"What changes?" Sami asked.

"I no longer have to worry about inheriting Wellston. Father was sure he would be next, and he's been obsessed with grooming me for the job when it became my turn."

"This is awkward. You and your father must hate me."

"Not at all. I admit, father's a bit put out, but myself, I'm relieved. I never wanted the old place. I'm only twenty-eight years old and already he's pressuring me to get married and have children to ensure the continuation of the family line."

"Well I'm glad you're not angry with me. As for your father, I can really understand why he would be upset. He must think I stole something from him, and in a way I guess I did, although I never asked for it. Personally, I'm as shocked as everyone else that Grandpa chose me. I just don't want there to be any animosity in the family. Family will always be more important to me than an old castle."

"I couldn't agree more."

Sami was just absently following Liam and not paying attention to which direction they were going in.

"Listen, about the other day," she said. "I am also sorry. Lucas and I should have been more discrete."

"I swear I really didn't see anything. I thought you two were wearing swimsuits because you were by the pond. I was about to say hello when you began to kiss and when I realized what was about to happen I jumped behind a tree. Actually the whole thing is pretty silly when you think about it."

"Yes it is," Sami said. She was grateful that the incident really hadn't been a big deal.

"So tell me about life in America? Is it like the movies?"

"Not at all," Sami laughed. "Life there is no different than here; people raising families, falling in love, falling out of love, earning a living, etc. We probably have more shopping malls than Ireland but that's about it."

"So tell me about Lucas. How long have you two been together?"

"That is a very complicated question. We were close when we were teenagers. I got pregnant and had our son Will, but we didn't become a couple. In fact we spent a great deal of time fighting. We wasted too much time fighting. When I think about it, we've been in love ever since that day, but we were too young to figure it out. Thank god about two years ago we finally did."

"You love him very much?" Liam noted.

"Yes I do. I can't wait till we're married. Once Will gets here in a few weeks life will be perfect."

They rode in silence for about fifteen minutes with Prancer following behind Liam's horse. Liam smiled. He had been leading Sami around in circles and she hadn't even noticed it. She trusted him to lead the way. They had left the path a long time ago and were not in the middle of the woods.

He took a moment to steal a glance at her. God she was beautiful. He loved her long blond hair. It was so silky and shiny. He wanted to touch it. Her eyes were the bluest he'd ever seen. She wore a pair of tight black pants that were tucked into her riding boots with a loose fitting floral blouse that had ruffles at the bodice and sleeves. Maybe it was because she was an American, but she just seemed so much more exciting and exotic than the other single girls he knew.

He had been enamored of her since he had met her, but after that day, seeing her so free and sexual, his infatuation felt like it was turning into a full blown obsession. He wanted to hate her, because she had stolen his birthright, yet at the same time he wanted to make love to her and feel her touch him the way she had Lucas touched while by the pond.

Maybe he could have it all. They were far enough apart on the family tree that a relationship wouldn't be incest, at least not legally since they were third cousins. Actually it was a tried and true European tradition of marrying distant cousins as a way of keeping the wealth in the family. Of course that was practiced today so much, but once upon and time it was quite common.

Maybe he could seduce her? If they married he would have her and Wellston. With as much as Sami loved Lucas, though, seducing her would be almost impossible…unless. He started to grin as a fascinating idea popped into his head.

"So what about you?" she asked. "Do you like living in Ireland or are you like Bridget and want to go to the States?"

"I'll never leave Ireland, at least not permanently. There are places I want to visit, and I do travel a lot, but Ireland is my home. I'll always come back here."

"Where have you traveled to?"

"I've been to London, Rome, Paris, Istanbul, Belgium, and I've even been on an African safari."

"Wow, sounds incredible. I was in Italy once, and Paris, but other than that it's just been the States."

"Now that you're here, though, it will be easy for you to travel more. Europe is pretty small in comparison to America. All your states still make up one country, one language, one way of life. Europe has many places that are the size of a state, but each one is unique with its own language, customs, foods, and way of life."

"You're not necessarily right about your view of America. Its one country, and most people do speak English, but each part is different. You have the north vs. the south. Plus, there is the desert to the west. The east coast is old and rich in heritage. The west coast is new and hip and exciting. Even the English accents change depending on what part of the country you're in."

"I guess you're right. I never thought about that way. Maybe I'll have to plan a trip across the pond in the future. You could come with me and be my tour guide."

"I don't know about that, but I can definitely recommend some locations to visit. I highly recommend Colorado, and there is also the Grand Canyon. New York is fun if you don't mind big cities."

Sami was noticing that the woods were getting thicker and it was growing difficult to pass through the trees. She realized that she had no idea where they were.

"Liam, I hope you know where you are going because I'm totally lost."

"We're northeast of the castle. We've taken the round about way."

"Well, I think we should probably head back. It's getting a little late. If I'm gone much longer my family will start to worry."

"Mr. Heathcliff will tell them that you're with me and that you aren't wandering around alone."

"I guess," Sami said. "But I should probably still head back anyway."

"Fine, I know a short cut if you want to get back quicker."

"Great."

"Follow me." He turned his horse to the left and started to move a little quicker. Several times Sami's hair got caught in lowing hanging branches and she continuously had to duck.

"Can we slow down a bit?" She had the distinct feeling that people didn't come through here very often. In this part of the wood the sound of insects seemed much louder, and she thought she heard the sound of frogs.

"Sorry. I thought you wanted to hurry."

"I did…I do…but I keep getting slapped in the face with tree branches. Isn't there a path through here anywhere?"

"No. We wandered off the path a long time ago."

"Are we getting near water? I hear frogs."

"Yes actually. There is a patch of shallow water through here."

They passed a few more trees and then Sami saw what looked to be a lake but Liam continued on through the water. She realized the water was only about a foot deep. She continued to follow him. Small spots of wet ground would rise up out of the water here and there.

"Is this the marsh?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Heathcliff said not to come through here. He said the horses get bogged down."

"I know my way around, don't worry. Just stay close."

Sami did as instructed. After a while the water disappeared and gave way to thick muddy ground. The horses struggled to walk through it. Another twenty feet and the muck was coming up to the horses knees. They grunted and balked from the exertion required.

"I should have realized," Liam mumbled.

"Realized what?" Sami asked, wonder if they should just turn around and take the long way home.

"This is the path I usually take, but we've had too much rain in the past two weeks. The ground is just too wet." Suddenly he climbed off his horse and stepped into the mud himself. It came up almost to his knees. He pulled on the reins to encourage the horse to move. It was working. The horse began to move forward without carrying extra weight on its back.

"Shouldn't we just go back the way we came?"

"The marsh only goes on for about another hundred feet or so. Once we cross we'll get home easily."

Sami sighed and climbed down from Prancer. She couldn't help but grimace when she sank down into the mud up to her own knees. Cold wet slime began to ooze over the tops of her boots and soak her pants and socks. She grabbed Prancer's reins and tried to lead him along the trail Liam was making.

She found it as difficult to walk through the muck as Prancer did. Several times her own legs were stuck and she would jerk them free, each time the ground would make a loud squelching noise as the suction was broken.

"Samantha, stay where you are for the moment," Liam ordered. "I want to try and find the best path for the horses." He continued to travel forward pulling his horse with him.

"Please hurry," Sami said. She was cold, wet, and dirty, and wanted nothing more than to get home and hop in to the shower.

Prancer also grunted out his own disgust. She petted his nose. "I know boy. It won't be much longer." After about ten minutes Liam was a good distance ahead of her.

"Did you find a path yet?" she called.

"Don't come the way we went. It's too difficult. Try leading Prancer towards me but stay about fifteen feet to the left of our tracks."

"Okay." Sami took several difficult steps so that she was now standing on the other side of Prancer and began to lead the horse along. .

Liam smiled to himself as he watched Sami walk deeper and deeper into the bog. He was surprised she had fallen into his little trap, but then she didn't have any reason to doubt his intentions. He stopped smiling and put on a fake mask of concern when he saw her starting to look alarmed.

She was about halfway to him when she began to question Liam's judgment. The mud had risen from her knees to half way up her thighs and it was still climbing.

"Liam, I don't think this is the right way!" she shouted. She was growing tired from the physical exertion and her struggle to move her legs was causing them to settle even deeper. Prancer finally came to a dead stop.

"Keep him moving! If he stops he'll begin to sink!"

"What! Oh my God!" Sami quickly began to pull at the reins. "Come on boy. You can do it. Please!" She pulled with all her might, pushing her own legs deeper into the ground to get better leverage.

Liam watched as Sami struggled to move her horse. He knew the horse wasn't going anywhere. It had sunk too deep now. Her back was to him so she didn't see the pleased smirk on his face. He watched her mud covered rear end buck back and forth until it slowly slid down out of sight into the bog which was claiming more of her shapely body. He wondered how long before she would realize her own predicament.

"Come on. Just one more step. Prancer, come on." She was so focused on Prancer that it took a moment for her to realize she could no longer move. She was as stuck as Prancer. The thick mud now firmly encased her body up to the top of her hips.

"Liam! Liam I'm stuck! I can't move!"

"Just stay still. I'm coming to get you."

She watched over her shoulder as Liam began to slowly walk towards her. It wasn't long before he was also sinking deeper and deeper. After just a few steps he stopped coming towards her and began to back track.

"Samantha, I can't get to you without getting stuck too. We need a rope. I have to go back."

"No! You can't leave me here all alone!"

"Listen, you and Prancer are going to be fine. Don't struggle or move about too much. You'll just settle in even deeper. I won't be gone long. It should only take me about forty five minutes to get back to Wellston. Then add forty five minutes for me to get back. That's not so long. I'll be here before you know it."

Sami looked up at the sky. The sun was already low. It would be dark by the time help reached her. Liam seemed to read her mind.

"Sami, I promise, you'll be okay."

"How deep is this pit? I won't sink all the way under will I? This isn't like quicksand?"

"No, it's not quicksand. Listen, you might sink a bit more, maybe even up to your chest, but you won't sink any further. You'll be buoyant by then. I'll get back to you as fast as I can, all right?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice," Sami relented. "Just hurry, please. I'm so cold."

Liam began to lead his horse away from Sami. She felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach as slowly but surely he vanished from sight. Goose pimples rose up on her arms and she shivered. The mild Irish climate was no where near hot enough to warm the ground. She looked at Prancer and saw that he had settled deeper into the bog as well. All of his stomach was now encased. Every now and then he would attempt to struggle which would only result in him sinking a bit more.

Sami knew it was useless, but her urge to be free kicked in to high gear. She tried to move her legs up and down. She rocked back and forth and tried to lay down flat to pull her stuck limbs out. She reached forward as far as she could and tried to claw her way out by grabbing at the tufts of grass that were growing all around but they pulled out too easily. There were several trees near her but not close enough to be of any use.

Panic set in again and she tried desperately to pull herself out. After a few minutes her struggles were done the only thing she had accomplished was to sink about another four inches so that she was now stuck in it up to her belly button. She was completely filthy now with mud covering her all the way up to her neck. Liam said that this wasn't quicksand, at least not the kind you saw in the movies, but that knowledge wasn't exactly comforting when one was stuck in a pit and sinking.

-----------------

Liam moved slowly through the marsh. He could go a bit faster. He really did know his way through the marsh, but he wanted Samantha to be out there a good long time so that way she would be even more grateful when he rescued her later. He would be her knight in shining armor.

He figured he could get back to the stable, grab several bundles of rope and then go back and 'save' Samantha from the terrible bog. The horse could wait until the morning. By the time he pulled her out she would be freezing cold and it would be dark. Instead of trying to navigate the dangerous bog at night it would be safer for him to take her to the small cabin he knew that wasn't to far from the marsh. Then he would take care of her until morning.

It was a good plan. He knew because he had used it once before to seduce Jenny Avery. She had been so grateful when he rescued her that she had made love to him that night in the cabin. Of course Jenny had been just a girl of sixteen. Samantha was a woman, but at the moment she was every bit as trapped, scared, and cold as Jenny had been all those years ago.

He knew Lucas and her family would go out to look for her, but he doubted they would find them. Mr. Heathcliff would tell them that he had warned Samantha to stay away from the marsh, so they would look for her in more obvious places. His plan was perfect, and it guaranteed him some quality time alone with the beautiful Miss Samantha Brady.

-----------------

Lucas found himself pacing back and forth through the house. He was being silly, he knew, but he just had this bad feeling about Sami. Something was wrong. He didn't know why he felt this way, only that he did. She had been gone now for a little over two hours, which was hardly anything to worry about.

Maybe it was because she had been upset when she left the house? He looked at the sky and saw that it would be dark in about an hour or so. He could hear Delphine and Lucy setting out chine and silverware on the dining room table. Sami should have been home for dinner. She enjoyed having sit down evening meals like a real family, and with her father here that would have been even more reason for her to be home by now.

"Lucas, I'm sure she's fine. She's probably on her way back right now," Roman said, coming up behind him to also look out the window.

"No. She should have been back by now. I'm just going to run out to the stable." He headed quickly for the door.

"Hang on, I'll come with ya."

The two men hurried outside. They saw Mr. Heathcliff sitting in a wooden chair a few feet away.

"Have you seen Sami?" Lucas asked.

"She left a few hours ago. I'm surprised she isn't back by now. She usually only goes for about an hour."

"Maybe she got lost," Lucas said.

"No, she's with Mr. Liam. He knows his way around."

"Sami is alone with Liam?" Lucas asked.

"What's the matter?" Roman asked Lucas.

"Nothing," but one look at Lucas' face would tell anyone that he definitely felt something was wrong.

"I need to saddle a horse," Lucas said. "I'm going after her."

"Lucas, you have no idea where to even look?" Roman said.

"I know the direction they headed. Plus I can track them, until it gets dark that is," Mr. Heathcliff offered.

"Then we better hurry because it's going to be dark in less than an hour," Lucas said. Lucas saddled his own horse while Heathcliff saddled his and Roman's.

"Do you know how to ride?" Lucas asked.

"Yes," Roman answered as he hopped up onto his horse.

"We should take a blanket for Sami. It's going to get cold once the sun goes down," Lucas pointed out.

"For that matter we should grab some coats ourselves, and flashlights would be good too," Roman added.

"Tell you what," Mr. Heathcliff said. "You two ride to the castle, I'll go get my own coat, and we'll all meet back here in five minutes.

"Agreed," Roman said.

-----------------

Liam stayed back from the stable. From his position he could see the men mount their horses but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Finally they left the stable. It looked like they were going to split up and look for Sami that way. He would have to be extra careful on his way back to Sami not to bump into any of them or his plans would be spoiled.

Once the coast was clear he kicked his horse and hurried to the stable. He jumped down from his horse and ran inside. In the back corner was where all of the gear and tackle was stored, along with several long bundles of rope. He grabbed two so he could be sure it would be long enough to reach. He looked around to see if he could find a blanket for Sami. She would need it once he got her out. This way when she got to the cabin, she could undress from her dirty clothes and have something to wrap up in. He looked everywhere but there wasn't a blanket. Oh well, he would have to make do without it. He could always just offer her his shirt.

His heart leaped in to his throat when he heard horses coming quickly to the stable. For an instant he thought about hiding but he quickly remembered Jax was out there. Damn it, all his planning just went down the drain.

"Sami! Liam!" Mr. Heathcliff was shouting as he rushed inside with Lucas and Roman right behind him.

"Here." Liam slung the rope over his shoulder and walked towards them.

"Glad you're back. Miss Brady's family was getting worried."

"Where is Sami?" Lucas asked. "Did she go to the house? We didn't see her just now."

"No, Sami is in the marsh," Liam said. "I came here to get help and grab some rope."

"What do you mean she's in the marsh?" Roman demanded. "Is she okay? What da hell happened?"

"We went for a ride. After talking for a long time she realized she needed to get home. I said I could show her a short cut."

"So you took her through the marsh!" Mr. Heathcliff exclaimed. "Are you daft!"

"She wanted to get home fast as possible. It was the quickest way."

"The quickest way to get your horse bogged down in one of those mud pits."

"Is that where Sami is? Is she with Prancer?" Lucas asked.

"Sort of. She's also stuck in the pit." Liam braced himself for what was about to come next.

"WHAT?" all three men exclaimed.

"You left her alone out there?" Roman demanded.

"How deep are these pits? Is her life in danger?" Lucas asked.

"How could you let her wander into one of those things?" Mr. Heathcliff shouted.

Lucas raised his hands to quiet the others. "Seriously, just how much danger is Sami in?"

Mr. Heathcliff answered him. "It's not quicksand. She can sink pretty deep but she won't go under. We do need to get to her. She's going to be cold, and it'll be dark soon."

"Then let's stop talking. Liam, lead the way, and you better hope my daughter is okay," Roman said in a threatening voice.

--------------------

Sami rubbed and clapped her hands together to warm her fingers before lifting them to her mouth and blowing a warm breath on them. She had given up trying to get out a long time ago. Even Prancer no longer made any feeble attempts. She rested her arms on the surface of the bog. Liam had been right. Once she had got chest deep she'd stopped sinking.

The sun had set a little while ago and now she could see the moon rising up over the tops of the trees. At least it was a three quarter moon so it shed some light around her but she still felt very alone in the dark. Liam said he would be gone for about an hour and a half it felt he had left her hours and hours ago.

She heard rustling in the near by trees followed by the familiar call of an owl. She wanted to move her limbs about. Being trapped like she was she was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic. Where was everyone? Surely they wouldn't wait till morning to come and get her. What if Liam had never made it home? What if he was stuck somewhere in the marsh too? Then no one would know they needed help.

"Help! Someone help me! Lucas!" She stopped yelling and sighed. "Face it Sami, if Liam doesn't make it home no one is going to find you anytime soon."

---------------------

The four men rode silently through the wood. No one spoke. Each was lost in his own thoughts. The only noise at all was the soft steps of the horses.

Lucas knew that Roman and Mr. Heathcliff were worried about Sami, but he had an extra worry. Was it an accident that Sami was in trouble right now, or had Liam done it on purpose? Grandpa had been worried about Sami's safety. He had even asked Lucas to keep an eye on her. Now she was in trouble and it had been Shaymus' son who had gotten her into it.

Lucas shivered against the night time chill and thought about how uncomfortable Sami must be right now. All he wanted was to get her home.

"Can't we go a bit faster?" Lucas asked.

"Not in the dark," Liam said. "The horses could trip on something or you could run into a low lying branch."

"He's right," Mr. Heathcliff agreed. "The flashlights just don't give enough light."

Lucas knew they were right but he didn't care. "Why were you with Sami in the marsh anyway?"

"I told you. We met at the stable and went for a ride. We didn't really have a destination in mind, we were just going where ever. Then she said she had to get home. We cut through the marsh to save time."

"How come she got trapped and you didn't?" Roman asked.

Liam paused for a moment before answering. "I told her to stay right behind me. The path I usually take was pretty wet actually, so we had to get off and pull the horses. I thought she was right behind me but she wandered away. The next thing I knew she and her horse were stuck."

"Why didn't you just crawl out to get Miss Brady and come home together instead of leaving her out there?"

"I tried that, but she had gotten herself stuck pretty deep pretty quick. I felt it would be safer to come and get some rope."

Lucas looked at Mr. Heathcliff and in the pale moonlight he could read doubt on the older man's face. Apparently Mr. Heathcliff wasn't buying Liam's story. Lucas wanted to know what the man was thinking but figured it better to ask his opinion once Sami was safe at home.

Liam stopped his horse.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked.

"We need to leave the horses here and proceed on foot," Liam replied. "We don't need to get anymore of them bogged down." He and Lucas each grabbed a bundle of rope.

Liam began to lead them into the marsh. He stayed off the path he used earlier and took them trough a part that was a bit muddier to help give credibility to his story. The four men began to trek through knee deep mud. Soon their pant legs were soaking wet and clinging to the skin.

"Sami must be freezing," Roman said. "This stuff is cold."

"How long has Sami been trapped?" Lucas asked.

"Uh…going on two hours now."

They drudged on shining their lights as they went. Once more Lucas' impatience rose up.

"How much further?"

"Almost there," Liam answered.

"SAMI!" Lucas yelled.

"Lucas!"

"Thank God," Lucas said as he pushed himself to move faster.

"Lucas, be careful," Roman said.

Lucas ignored him and continued on.

"Lucas, help me!"

Now everyone picked up speed at the sound fear in Sami's voice. It only took another minute before Roman was able to shine a flashlight on Sami. He was shocked to see his daughter buried almost to her armpits in mud.

"Daddy, get me out of here." Now that help was finally there Sami cried tears of relief.

"Just calm down, sweetheart. We're going to get you out."

Lucas and Liam were already unraveling the rope. Liam ran to tie it around a tree while Lucas picked up the other end.

"It's so cold," she complained.

"I'll go get her," Liam offered.

"No, I'm going," Lucas said and tied the rope around his waist. The tone of Lucas' voice was final.

"When you go get her you're going to need to get down on your belly and slide your way across," Mr. Heathcliff told him. "Sami can then grab hold of you to pull herself out. Then we'll pull the two of you back over here."

"Got it." Lucas finished off the knot and got on his hands and knees. At first he tried to crawl to her but his arms would just plunge into the bog and he'd get stuck.

"Lucas!" Sami gasped when she saw him fall face forward in the mud.

"I'm okay," he told her.

"On your belly," Heathcliff yelled out to him.

Lucas laid down flat and used his arms and legs in a fanning motion to propel himself forward. When Lucas finally reached her the first thing he did was give her a kiss.

"Sami, I need you to grab hold of me and try to pull yourself out."

"Okay." She grabbed hold of back and tried to lift herself up but her upper arm strength just wasn't strong enough. "I can't."

"Okay, I have an idea." Lucas grabbed both of her hands tightly. "PULL THE ROPE!" he yelled to the others.

"Hold on tight," he told her. She nodded her tear streaked face up and down.

Roman, Heathcliff, and Liam each took hold of the rope and pulled for all they were worth. Lucas began to move backwards through the mud and Sami slowly began to rise up. After a few more pulls she was finally lying flat on her belly just like Lucas was.

"STOP." The three halted for a minute so Lucas could get a better hold on Sami. "OKAY, PULL."

Once more Sami and Lucas began to slide across the surface of the bog. Now that Sami was free they slid across pretty quick.

Once they were close enough Roman dropped the rope and helped Lucas and Sami get to their feet. Lucas immediately pulled Sami into a hug and entwined his dirty fingers in her hair.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She didn't speak, just nodded her head. As soon as Lucas released her Sami found herself pulled into a hug by her father.

"Daddy," she whispered into his chest.

"I got ya, peanut. Everything is okay now. Let's get you home," he comforted.

"Prancer! We have to get him out too."

"Prancer is going to have to wait until morning," Mr. Heathcliff said. "We are going to need a lot more men and special harnesses to get him out so we don't break his legs."

"We can't just leave him here," she cried.

"Sami, we don't have a choice," Lucas said. "We don't have enough light, man power, or the equipment. Right now let's just get you home and warmed up."

Finally she relented. She was shivering and her teeth were chattering. Lucas and Roman both helped her walked through the deep mud until they finally reached the end of the marsh and saw their horses.

Lucas grabbed the blanket from his horse and wrapped it around Sami. "This should help a little," he offered.

"Thank you."

Lucas helped Sami up onto his horse and then he climbed up behind her. He wrapped one arm tight around her and held the reins with his other. Sami leaned back on him heavily. He could tell she was exhausted.

Mr. Heathcliff led the way home while Roman stayed right next to Lucas and Sami. Liam brought up the rear. He lagged far enough behind that Lucas felt comfortable asking Sami a few questions.

"Sami, what happened tonight?"

"Prancer got stuck. I tried so hard to get him out, but then I got stuck too. I couldn't move."

"But why were you in the marsh?"

"Liam said it was a short cut. I wanted to get home in time for dinner."

"So your getting stuck was an accident?" Lucas prodded. He noticed Roman was also listening very closely to the conversation. If someone had tried to hurt Sami there would be hell to pay.

"Yeah. Liam realized the ground was really mushy, so he went ahead of us to find a good path. He said the one he just used was too hard, so he told me to lead Prancer across in a different spot. It was even worse than the way Liam went though. The next thing I knew we were both sinking. It was scary. I didn't know how far I would go before it stopped."

Lucas kissed her temple and squeezed her a little tighter.

"So you did exactly what Liam told you to do?"

"Hmm-mmm," she answered. Lucas ground his teeth together in anger. Liam had said that Sami had wandered away from him and got stuck. He had lied to them, but why? From what Mr. Heathcliff had said Sami was never in any danger of drowning out there, so Liam didn't lead her into a trap to kill her. Just what had his motivation been? Why did Liam trick Sami, because if there was one thing Lucas was sure of, it was that Liam had led Sami to that bog knowing she would get trapped?

For his part, Liam was glad to be in the back. This way no one could see the disgust on his face. His great plan had been ruined. Lucas rescued Sami and was now holding her in front of him. Now Lucas would spend all night pampering her. Oh well. He would just have to think of another way to be with Sami. He'd be damned it he'd give up just because one idea fell through.