Mrs Carmichael: Thanks for the review huni. You shall find out all about Melanie now and what happened back then.
xXxLil-HuxonxXx: Thanks for the review, glad that you think it was insightful. Very cute name btw.
Huxabelle164: Thanks for the review, hope that this final chapter clears up the confusion. I am glad that you feel as if you are inside Sam's head, that is the idea I was going for :).
ihearthuxon: Thanks for the review, I am pleased that you like it.
S-Nixon: Thanks for the review. I am pleased that it was interesting :).
HuXoN 4 EvA: Thanks for the review, glad you enjoyed it.
DetBarb: Thanks for the review Barb, let me know if this is one of the things that you thought happened to Sam. The reactions are all entailed here.
yass.: Thanks for the review, glad that you like it.

Okay, so I know it's been sooooo long since I updated anything, I won't bore you with the details why, but it involves the disappearance of a muse, some long work hours and other stuff. But for the moment I am back. Even with a new story in process, which will be done in the next week. This is the final chapter of this one, hope that you enjoy the revelations. Thanks to all the reviewers, you make me want to write.
Enjoy!

Time To Tell.
SaMaNdPhiL4eVeR.

.FOUR.

Sam sniffled, before continuing, her pale green eyes concentrating on Phil's, "I waited for awhile, hoping that she would come back. But then I found my neighbour and some of his friends, and they had friends that were friends of my friends, and eventually we all started dancing, and later on we got one of the pool tables, and about three hours passed without me even noticing. It was as I was dancing with Mark my neighbour that I realised I had cut my foot open on the heel, I had been wearing these ridiculously high heeled shoes, trying to make up for the fact that I was so short. Mark laughed at me, and reminded me that Melanie and I had left a box of bandaids on the back seat of his car, and he suggested that I go and get them. He walked me to the door of the club and told me that if I wasn't back in five minutes he was coming to look for me and make sure that I was alright. I remember every second of this," Sam said quietly, staring intensely at Phil, "It was cold as I walked towards the car, I had wrapped my cardigan as tight as I could around myself. I remember the wind blowing against my legs, as I basically tiptoed towards the car, so as not to hurt my foot. By the time I reached the side street I was limping and as I neared the car, I could see the breeze blowing a yellow ribbon out to the side. And for a moment I was happy, I thought she had come back her senses, come back to the car to wait for me," Sam said, her voice barely above a whisper, the tears still running down her face.

Phil tried to keep his face calm, he tried not to show as if he knew what Sam was about to say, he reached out for her once more, and took her hand in his, encasing her cold shaking hand, in the warmth of his.

"I remember calling out to her, and her not replying. Me calling her a snob, asking her if she wanted to go and get the boys now, but she didn't reply, and that is when I saw her, the ribbon that I had tied in her hair was now tight around her neck, it had left a deep purple bruise, the toenails we had painted together were now revealed. Her shoes were missing, the dress that I had leant her was torn and half missing, and her beautiful brown eyes were glazed, and she was as cold as ice. I remember screaming, as loud as I could, and then all I remember is Mark being next to me, his arms around me as I screamed and cried." Sam said, each word slow and thoughtful as she spoke.

"She was attacked?" Phil asked, already knowing the answer.

Sam nodded, before she began once again, "The police found that she had been raped, and strangled half an hour after she left the club. My best friend had lay next to the car for two and a half hours. Dead."

"How had no one seen her?" Phil asked.

"I don't know Phil, I've never known. The closest that they got was that she was held somewhere and then dumped," Sam replied, wiping another tear from her cheek, as the hand not in Phil's reached out for the photo of the two of them. "Mark took this photo of us, just before we left his house, this is the last photo of her."

"I'm so sorry Sam." Phil replied sincerely, moving closer to her. "Did they ever find who did it?"

Sam shook her head, before sniffing once again, "Back then they didn't have CCTV on every corner, his DNA wasn't on the database, there were no real witnesses except for me."

"They never found who did it?" Phil asked again.

"No, never. She died and the case was looked at, and there were suspects, but there was no court case. Our parents believed me when I told them that we had gone to the club and then never asked why we had separated, it was as if they didn't want to know what had really happened. Joel was devastated, and I never saw him again, and all Glen did was comfort me, and knowing what we know about him now, that makes a lot of sense."

"Do you know who did it?" Phil asked cautiously.

"The creep that she left with." Sam replied flatly, "I will never forget him."

"Why did you never tell anyone?" Phil asked, his hand sliding up Sam's arm, pulling her into his warm arms for a hug.

"I shouldn't have argued with her Phil. I should have followed her, I should have kept spying on her. If I had of, she would still be here." Sam said, her tears soaking into Phil's chest.

"Sam you weren't to know that something like that was going to happen. People fight all the time, and storm off on each other, it doesn't mean that one of them will end up dead before the night is out."

"I know," Sam replied, "But I have felt guilty for twenty five years."

"Is this why you became a police officer?" Phil asked, beginning to understand how this event had shaped Sam's life.

Sam straightened herself up, moving out of Phil's arms, wiping at the stray tears, as it seemed that she had no more left to fall, "It's why I decided to studying Psychology, and then Criminology, and then I guess yes, it was why I became a police officer. I wanted to stop people like him from getting away with it, from getting away with killing someone's best friend."

"And," Phil began, "It's why you don't let anyone in."

Sam nodded, "Melanie was my best friend, she was like my sister. When she was killed, I didn't think I could handle that ever happening again, so I closed myself off. I still loved Glen because he knew me before, but anyone else I held at arm's length. Even Abi. Hugh told me when she was missing that I needed to learn what it was like to lose someone, but he didn't know that I already knew, and that I was like I am because of it. I don't not let people in because I don't care, I do care. It's just, it's just.." Sam paused, struggling to think of what came next.

"It's because you don't want to be hurt again." Phil finished for her.

"Yes." Sam said, as a fresh round of tears began to trickle down her cheeks once more.

"I understand Sam, its okay. Thank you for telling me." Phil whispered as he handed her another tissue, "You have to stop feeling guilty." He said, as he once more wrapped his arms around her, softly kissing the top of her forehead.

"But," Sam said with a gulp.

"No Sam, you have to forgive yourself." Phil said firmly. "You just have to."

Sam didn't say anything, she just nodded meekly, perhaps Phil was right, perhaps she knew that he was. But twenty five years of guilt was not going to disappear in an instant, and Sam knew that it may never disappear, but at least now someone else knew the truth, knew why she behaved the way she did, ran away from him the way she did and at that moment that was better than nothing.

"Thank you Phil." Sam whispered, as she closed her eyes and breathed heavily, leaning into Phil's chest as the tears still rolled down her pale cheeks.

"You're welcome Sam," Phil replied, as he tightened his arms around her, Phil knew how hard it had been for Sam to tell him what she did tonight, and for her courage, Phil would hold her in his arms for as long as she needed him to.

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