DOOL-07 Safe Place

Brandon glances up from Sami to see Austin standing in the doorway to the main restaurant area. Their eyes meet and both know exactly what is going down. Brandon brings his hand up the middle of Sami's back. The movement draws her closer to him. His hooded gaze and a small smile dare Austin to make a scene. When the music ends, Brandon escorts Sami back to the table. Austin walks back at the same time.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Samantha."

"Thanks for the dance, Brandon." Sami says absently. She studies Austin's demeanor. "Is everything okay with Billie?"

"She's fine. Brandon." Austin says tersely in greeting.

"Austin." Brandon nods and goes over to the bar ordering a beer.

"That guy always seems to be around." Austin opens.

"He's a friend." Sami replies. "Larry and Brandon make going into work fun and Brenda bareable. Brandon got Larry and me jobs at the hospital. Do you still hold the fight against him?" Sami asks curiously.

"I got in the ring. I knew the risks." Austin nonanswers. "He's got an anger problem, Sami."

"Only once he gets going. Brandon is very even tempered, controlled actually most of the time." Sami agrees. "Something happened-- something he won't talk about." Sami looks over Austin's shoulder to where Brandon is sitting. "But he is great with kids."

"Sami, I'd rather you didn't hang with him."

Sami laughs disbelievingly. "And because I have so many friends I can afford to do that!" Sami retorts sarcastically.

"Greta..."

Sami interrupts sharply. "Oh don't even start Greta with me. I have enough relationships where I am constantly being judged. I'd be friends with Nicole first if I'm going to be picking between my brother's ex's. Don't I have enough people around me who are reporting back to Lucas or you? First Phillip telling you how much money I have in the bank. Your mother reporting to Lucas every minute I'm not in my apartment. Now you want to start picking my friends and tell me to start buddying around with Greta?!"

"Samantha, keep your voice down." Austin tells her sternly looking around.

"No, You go screw yourself!" Sami rises and gathers her purse. "When I want a lecture, I have a father who is more than willing to provide one! Hello-- I have one scheduled with my stepfather tonight. So if you're finished...."

"Sami, I'm sorry." Austin grabs hold of her arm. "Come on. Sit down. We'll have a nice dinner. You've been working straight through and my timing sucks. I shouldn't have dropped all this on you." Sami looks at him for a long moment before allowing herself to be reseated. The waiter comes over. Austin orders Sami a glass of wine and one for himself. "We'll need a few more minutes." After the waiter walks away. "I am sorry, Samantha."

"I don't understand why you can't just support me. I'm not talking about money or anything like that but support, Austin."

"I do support you, Sami."

"No, you try to fix me. I am not a car; I am not Carrie, and I never will be."

"I don't want you to be Carrie, Sami. I just don't want you to get hurt again." Austin takes her hand earnestly.

Sami is about to tell Austin he has nothing to worry about that she has it all planned out for the next time she and Lucas go to court. When she glances over Austin's shoulder again. Brandon is looking at her and shaking his head. He clearly mouths the word NO to her, guessing she was about to spill. Sami changes what she was about to say. "I don't want to be hurt either, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to keep trying to see my son."

"I talked to Lucas." Sami looks at him hopefully but Austin just shakes his head. "The only way he'll back down is if you drop the new court date. He says the day you drop it you can have Will overnight."

Sami closes her eyes. "Damn him." She wipes at her eyes. "I can't drop it." Sami starts remembering everything Tracy told her Saturday night. "Don't you see it would be just the beginning? After I dropped the suit what hoop would he have me jumping through next? And the time after that."

Austin is about to protest but then shakes his head. "You're right. I know you're right. Lucas wants to win-- screw what is good for Will."

"Austin, I can't eat. I swear if I try I'll be ill. Can you just drop me off over at Mom and John's?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Might as well get all the news out at once." Sami turns her hand under Austin's so they are palm to palm as she squeezes his hand.

"I'll stay with you." Austin offers.

Sami is already shaking her head. "You're in the middle too much already. Let me handle this one."

Austin wants to argue but figures this would be something that Sami took as fixing and so backs off. Standing up he holds Sami's chair as she also rises. He throws down some bills on the table. Tucking Sami under his arm they leave the Blue Note. Austin is careful to block Brandon's view of Sami leaving.

Brandon sees them leaving but knows where they are going so he stays and finishes his drink.

"When Sami shows up I want to talk to her alone." John demands. "No eavesdropping. If your sister wants you to know what is going on she'll tell you. If she wants your help she'll ask."

"Do you want us to clear out, Dad?" Brady offers.

"That might actually be best." John admits.

"We'll go over to the pub. Shawn and Mimi were supposed to go there after the sail today anyway."

"And we'll call to make sure the coast is clear."

"Thanks kids." John gives them both hugs and sends them on their way. He sits down on the couch and waits for Sami to arrive. The wait is not long. Sami arrives alone. "Austin isn't with you?"

Sami shakes her head. "I told him he was in the middle enough as it is."

"Lets go talk in the kitchen." John goes for the comfortable chatting area. Somehow sitting around the kitchen table cut down on the defensiveness of any conversation and talking with Sami he's going to need every edge he can get. John goes to the fridge and pulls out a couple of bottles of water. Offering one to Sami and then twisting the top off of his. Just as he is about to get started Sami's purse starts ringing. "Go ahead."

"Hello...yes...no...yes... as soon as I get home." Sami shuts the cell phone.

"Austin?"

"No." Sami puts the phone back in her purse.

"Brandon Walker?" John lifts a single eyebrow.

Sami's head comes up so fast from putting the phone back in her purse on the floor that she hits her head on the table. "What?"

"Was it Brandon Walker? Don't bother answering that. I already have my answer." John holds up his hand. "Let me get to the point. Your sister did a project in school, got an A+ by the way, for her Marriage and Family class. Part of the project was her fictionally working at the hospital in just your job classification. She knows how much money you make an hour, when your insurance kicks in, how much you have to pay for insurance-- anything that has to do with your position she knows."

"She mentioned the project to me."

"Good." John nods. "And since Eric left you've had the whole cost of the apartment and utilities rather than half. And you said something today that put Izzy's radar up. Are you paying Lucas child support for Will?"

Since everyone seems to know her business already. "Yes."

"And you're having trouble making ends meet with all the extra expenses."

"I picked up a second job. It's a live in thing on the weekend caring for an old guy." Sami counters. She wasn't going to ask John for anything.

"Okay. I'm glad you're handling things. I have an offer that might be of some assistance. Not money-- you say you've got that covered." we'll come back to that one later, sweetheart. "You've been out to the Lakehouse. It's unoccupied Monday through Friday. The lease is paid up through the end of September. Let the apartment go, Sami. Use the deposit as your last month's rent and move out to the Lakehouse. It will give you three months of breathing room."

Sami blinks. This was not what she was expecting at all. "When you called you said something about kicking Lucas' ass." She tries to give herself time to think.

"Paying child support is your responsibility as a parent. However using it as a stick to beat up the noncustodial parent is lower than slug slime. I wish that you and Lucas could get along for Will's sake but I'm not going to standby any more than your mother would and watch him play carrot and stick with you using Will and money. Having a rent free place to stay for a few months won't level the playing field but it will make it less of an uphill battle."

"And I wouldn't be living next door to Lucas's mother." Sami's pride is screaming at her to refuse. Her practicality wars with her pride. She has her own secrets to guard until the court hearing and it is growing harder and harder with the spy next door.

John grimaces. "That's right. Kate is living at Austin's." John shares the same opinion as Roman. Somehow Kate and Lucas had set Sami up for the murder of her fiance (and lowlife) Franco Kelly. "You've got to get out of there, kid."

Sami sighs and bites her lip. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Good. Everything you need is already at the Lakehouse. The kitchen is fully stocked. All you need is your clothes and personal items. I can have a crew of movers from Alamain Industries at the apartment tomorrow while you are work putting everything into storage and the cleaners will be right behind them. Kate, and therefore Lucas, won't know what hit 'em."

"You're enjoying this."

"No, not really. Not the situation, but I wouldn't be human if I didn't think just a little payback is justified on this one."

"Austin talked to Lucas. He says if I drop the custody hearing Lucas will let Will stay the night with me."

John shakes his head. "The little son of a b...."

"I was talking to one of the girls at work who is in the same spot as I am. She says its Lucas' way of controlling me: where I live, who I'm with, what I do by controlling and limiting access to my son."

"He wasn't able to control you before." who was? "It might be tempting for him to try. Worst case scenario you go to court and nothing changes and you are at Lucas' beck and call. Most likely with what I know..." John qualifies holding up his hand. "... joint custody with some rock solid rules going both ways so there won't be this game playing. And what you're shooting for-- sole custody. I just hope if you get it you're better at it than Lucas."

"To slaughter a line out of Pretty Woman I have no intention of being Lucas' Beck and Callgirl. He's a dry drunk and his wife is practicing hard." Sami grinds out between gritted teeth.

"Nobody is coming to this with their hands clean." John reminds her. Then moves in for the kill. "Brandon Walker, Sami? Your mom and I saw you with him before she left for Sierre Leone. And now Belle thinks she saw him give you money?"

Sami flushes red. "Brandon is a friend. He's always backed me about getting Will back. He's my safe place in a lot of ways. I can tell him things that I can't tell Austin because of Kate or because of Lucas. And I didn't spend his money. He thought I didn't have any cash on me and was helping me out. It was no big deal."

John does the eyebrow thing again. "Really? And why is Brandon helping you. I'm sure you've asked and been suspicious of him because of his relationship to Nicole."

"He knows I got screwed over. I lost my son because of something I didn't do. Things like that upset Brandon."

"It's more than that, Samantha." John shrugs. "Maybe it's a guy thing although your mom picked up on it too. Brandon isn't just doing this because he wants to be friends."

"Brandon knows I love Austin. Is Brandon attracted to me?" Sami nods answering her own question. "He's told me he is. And you know what? I like it." Sami shoves her hair back. "Damn it, John. Look at my history with guys. Alan Harris raped me because he couldn't get Carrie. Lucas and I fell in together because he couldn't get Carrie. Franco wasn't interested in Carrie but he wasn't interested in me either-- he wanted a green card. Austin would still be with Carrie if she hadn't cheated on him with Mike. Can't I have somebody who is interested in me?!"

"Austin chose you." John tries to reassure Sami.

"He chose me by default." Sami says flatly. "And I have to prove to him every day that I picked him, that I am worthy of him. My sister burned him and now I'm paying. Austin doesn't tell me he loves me. He's never asked me to marry him, or live with him. I tell people that we're practically engaged." Sami's laugh has a bitter tone to it. "What a joke. Victor and Kate were practically engaged for how many years?"

"I wish your mother were here." John shakes his head. Marlena would know what to say.

"Why? It wouldn't change things. Mom has always compensated for Carrie's mother being an abandoning witch with links to the DiMeras." Sami rises her to her feet. "Is the Lakehouse offer still open?"

"Pack what you need tonight. Move in tonight or after work tomorrow." John nods, pulling his key ring out of his pants pocket he hands Sami the single key to the Lakehouse. "Tactically I still think it's a good idea to spring the move on Lucas. Get him to show his hand. The only complaint he could have about the Lakehouse is that his mother isn't living next door to you anymore."

"I'd never argue tactics with you, John." Sami accepts the key.

"Sami," John winces knowing he is pushing it. "Don't make Brandon your safe place. It isn't fair to lead the guy on and could be dangerous."

"Brandon would never hurt me." Sami says confidently.

Dot.com. Austin orders a cup of tea and sighing sits down at one of the booths. "I didn't imagine it." Austin mutters remembering the way that Brandon had practically taunted him from the dance floor.

"Imagining what?" Greta says softly. Austin looks up to see her standing there. Greta shoves a lock of chocolate colored hair behind her ear.

"Do I try to fix people?" Austin asks abruptly.

"Who told you that?" Greta slides in across for Austin.

"I asked first."

"Yes. Austin, you try to fix people. Now who told you that?"

"Sami." Greta winces. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just remembering the night I showed you how to use the cuppachino machine. I don't know what happened while you were talking in your apartment... the hallway was enough. You know when you told her she looked like a hooker? Just what every girl wants to hear."

Austin groans. "It didn't get any better in the apartment." He realizes. "She wanted to go to a support group in Chicago for women with custody issues and I shot it down. She let me have it with both barrels. How she had to get support somewhere because she wasn't getting it from me." Austin frowns. Things had been different after that trip to Chicago. Sami has been different. In fact until tonight she'd stopped asking for his support.

"I don't understand. Wouldn't a support group be a good idea? A safe place to vent and process things?"

"It wouldn't change anything. Lucas would still have custody. I didn't tell her then I was already trying to get Lucas to be more reasonable--move toward joint custody. She came back from Chicago and petitioned for a new court date. Lucas slammed the door harder than he had before."

"So you were fixing things and Sami messed it up."

"Yes. No! I didn't say that."

"Nope," Greta grins at Austin wryly. "I said it. You did it."

(reminder note: The Lockharts didn't lose their house in this. They moved to the garage motherinlaw apartment and rented out the house to avoid losing it. Mimi's dad started working for Alamain industries. So things are getting better and they are getting back on their feet.)

Dool-08 Checking Up

John walks Sami up to her apartment. As she is putting her key in the door, Kate pops out of Austin's apartment. "Austin? Sami, I thought Austin was with you."

"Not that it is any of your business but Austin dropped me off at Mom's. If he didn't come straight home to Mama maybe it's cause he didn't want to."

"You little..." Kate takes a deep breath remembering that John is there. She smiles retreats and slams the door in front of her. "Damn her." Kate swears. John Black was one of the trustees of the Titan empire if anything happened to Victor, or so her spies informed her. That bastard Victor wasn't going to live forever but she'd have to be dealing with Phillip and his guards/trustees.

"I want to know if she just presses her ear to the door all damn night." Sammy mutters as she unlocks her door. "There is a peephole in the door it's not like she didn't know Austin wasn't with me. She just wanted to see who was with me and why."

"You've got her number, Samantha; don't let her get your goat." John says calmly as he shoves Sami in the apartment and shuts the door before she blows. John looks around. "Most of this stuff is Eric's."

"He hasn't called to tell me where he wants it sent."

"Going on a freelance photojournalistic trip around the world could awhile. And the way that Eric was talking when he left it wouldn't surprise me if your mother saw him in Sierre Leone before we see him."

"You think he is traveling war zones?" Sami worries.

"Trouble zones. He's got something to prove to himself." John decides to change the subject. He'd put a few feelers out trying to keep track of Eric but didn't want to say anything until he got confirmations. "Do you want to move tonight?"

"No, I'll pack tonight and put the stuff in my car. I'll go to the lakehouse from work." Sami decides.

"I need a key for the movers." John reminds her.

Sami walks over to the column that separates the kitchen from the living room and grabs a set of keys from under the phone. "Here, it's the one Eric left behind."

John tosses the key in the air and then catches it again. "Stay frosty, Sami. One more night here and then you'll be living in a little piece of paradise, Salem style. Just picture the look on Kate's face when she snoops out of her apartment door tomorrow and sees a bunch of burly guys clearing out your stuff."

"Right."

"This is getting to be a habit." Phillip slides in across from Austin. Greta had already picked out a video and left.

"I know why I'm killing time. Why are you?"

"Curfew isn't for another hour but I was thinking of going back into the office. Dad is cool with me pulling all nighters so I can have the day free to do the lake or whatever."

"Hacking more bank accounts?" Austin says grimly. "I told Sami what you said about changing her PIN. She was less than pleased with you, me and the invasion of her privacy."

"Better me than someone else." Phillip shrugs.

"She's afraid you are going to let something slip...."

"I would never!" Phillip interrupts.

"...When you are extremely ticked at mom and trying to hurt her and have it come back to bite Sami in the butt."

Phillip recalls the file he had requested on Chloe's background and how it almost blew everyones world to smithereens and winces. "Yeah, that's possible. You want me to talk to Sami? Let her know I won't do that?"

"Nope, let her calm down." Austin looks over at the door. "Looks like your posse has arrived."

Phillip indicates with a tilt of his head that he has seen everybody. Belle, Shawn, Mimi and Brady make their way over to the table. Belle slides in next to Phillip. "Gerry was asking about you today."

"Gerry? The pawnshop guy? Why?" Phillip asks curiously.

"Well not you really. He wanted to know how your computer is doing. Hey Austin. I thought you'd be over at the penthouse with Sami."

"She wanted to talk to your dad alone." Austin tells her.

"Yeah, same with Dad. He kicked us out of the penthouse." Brady confirms. The booths aren't big enough for the whole party of six so Mimi is sitting on his knee with her arm wrapped around his shoulders.

Shawn pulls up a chair and reverses it and sits down resting his arms on the back of the chair. "So any luck convincing your dad to let you go to Europe when the Wesley's go?"

"Dad isn't the problem. I have to convince Nancy and Craig. They want to do the second honeymoon thing and not be chaperoning me and Chloe or having us chaperoning them if they want to go dancing nekkid in fountains or something."

Austin looks at his little brother aghast and then looks around the table. All the kids are nodding in agreement. The Wesleys had supervised enough weekends up at the Lakehouse for them to all know what the couple was like. "You aren't kidding."

"Oh no," Mimi nods. "They are positively... cute. Dr Wesley is nothing like the tyrant he is at work when he is away from the hospital."

"Mimi, you should talk to Nancy. Volunteer to dogsit or something. I bet they'd pay well and you'd have some space to spread out over there for the couple of weeks they are gone." Phillip suggests knowing that of their group Mimi is the one that needs the money and space the most.

"Oh good idea. And I could still do the habitat stuff during the day." Mimi agrees. "I'll swing by the hospital tomorrow."

"How is that going?" Austin asks.

"We're working on our second house already." Belle brags. "And since we're keeping the same crews together it should go alot faster cause we all know what we're doing now."

"Oh crud." Phillip gets a disgusted look on his face as he looks at the door. "Make my night."

Mimi and Belle look at each other and hold back the laughs. Jan walks over to the table. "Hello Phillip." She ignores the existence of the rest of the party. Shawn is rock solid with Belle, Mimi and Brady couldn't keep their hands off each other. But Phillip's little ghoul girl was away. He could come out and play.

"Jan." Phillip says grimly.

"I was hoping I could talk to you... privately."

"Not if you were the last girl on earth and I'd get a million dollars." Phillip retorts meanly. Jan kind of slumps and walks away.

"Phillip, I can't believe you were so nasty to that girl." Austin rebukes him.

"She's a bitch. Her boyfriend was sent off to military academy for the summer and she's been coming after me ever since. I quit being nice a month ago. Jan and Jason made Chloe's school year hell. Jan's feeling out in the cold... well good. I hope she freezes."

Austin shakes his head. Kids. Pulling out his cell phone he dials Sami's home number. The line is busy. He snaps the cell phone shut. "I'm going head back to the apartment. Good seeing all of ya."

There is a chorus of see ya laters from the gang as Austin leaves.

"What did your step father want, Samantha?"

"To let me know he knows what Lucas is doing. Belle's got sharper eyes than you think, Brandon. She saw you pass that money to me in the elevator and told John." Sami tosses clothes into a suitcase. A lot of her work outfits were at the drycleaners so that would save the space in the suitcase for more casual outfits. Lakehouse. She goes through her dresser and pulls out every bathing suit and pair of shorts she owns stuffing them in the corner of the suitcase.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, I covered. John offered me the use of the Lakehouse for the rest of the summer. They only come up on weekends. I can stay up there and not be living next to Kate."

"You sound out of breath."

"I'm packing as we speak. John thinks I should use the element of surprise. Let the first Kate knows about it be when the mover are here packing up Eric's stuff for storage."

"So this is a permenant move?"

"No, but after I finish working at the club I need to find a place of my own something I can afford working at the hospital. Maybe get a roommate. Did you get a chance to talk to Nicole?" Sami thinks aloud.

"No, she's still dodging my calls. It's starting to make nervous. That isnt like Nikky. I think I'll take a long lunch tomorrow and swing by Titan."

"She's probably alright." Sami reassures. "Lucas has a nasty temper but he holds it in check as long as he isn't drinking." There is a knock on the door. Sami glances at the clock. Only Austin would be dropping by this late. "Brandon, I have to go there is someone at the door."

I'll stay on the line until you see who it is.

Sami goes over to the peep hole. "It's Austin. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Right. Be good Samantha." Brandon warns. "Don't let anything slip.

"Goodnight Brandon." Sami clicks off the phone and opens the door. "Hey. Your mom was looking for you earlier." Sami goes to hang up the phone and closes the bedroom door shutting from view the disaster of packing.

"I wanted to check on you make sure you were okay after talking to John. I know you thought he was going to give you a lecture."

"Oh he managed to squeeze that in too." Sami admits. "The curses of going shopping with a chatty sister. She passed along everything I said to John. He's the kind of guy who likes to have things nailed down."

"He's concerned about you."

"Especially with my mother out of town. I've become another responsibility."

The penthouse. After going through a couple of overseas operators John finally connects with Marlena. "Where are you?"

Liberia. The situation was getting out of hand in Sierre Leone. Bill set up a triage right at the border where people are being identified and sorted into camps. The connection sucks and there is a lot of static.

"It sounds terrible, Honey." John frowns.

"It is. But I have to do this. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. Cheer me up. Tell me good things at home.

"Belle is working on her second habitat house. Brady is spending a lot of time on the water, on the Fancy Face with Shawn..."

"And Sami?" Marlena worries about her problem child.

"She's under a lot of stress but she is dealing. The fight is escalating between her and Lucas and I think it's taking it's toll on her relationship with Austin. It doesn't help that Kate is living with him."

"Still?!" Even with the terrible connection John can hear the wince in Marlena's tones.

"I'm going to keep an eye on the situation. And I think I'm going to have a little chat with Brandon Walker. Sami is relying on him more and more."

"Honey, I'm not violating any confidences when I tell you this... Brandon never did follow through with counseling. After the lawsuit with Abe was settled its like it was never ordered."

"I'll check the guy out."