“What happened on the night of April 30^th, Mrs Hernandez” Asked Detective Jensen of the FBI. “Brady” Sami said, softly.

“Excuse me” He replied with anger.

“My last name is Brady, not Hernandez.” She started before stopping herself. She always dug herself deeper when she was in trouble.

“Listen here; I have a dead political official whose father is a known crime lord. The media is all over this and you are the prime suspect. So, let’s skip all the banter I hear you go for and get to the facts. What happened that night, at the DiMera mansion? Your coat is covered in blood, the bullet is from a gun type we know you own, and you have plenty of motive. He raped you, he has taken your children from you multiple times, and that’s just what I have on file. So, just tell me what drove you to murder EJ DiMera? I want to help you. Let me help you” the detective pleaded in a convincingly enough way that started to break Sami down.

Luckily for her, Her sister Carrie entered the room. “That is enough. I am Mrs. Brady’s lawyer and she has nothing to say to you. I will be taking my client home with me, per Judge Steinbeck. She will have an ankle monitor on, so you will be able to monitor her. By the way, the trial was sped up, I will see you in court next week” she said, in a matter of fact tone as she grabbed her sister by the hand leading her out of the station that all their friends and family had been banned from due to conflict of interest.

“Carrie” Sami said before being cut off.

“This is huge Sami. Put my coat over your face. The car is out front. Make no comment and look down” Carrie instructed as she led her out the door and guided her through the press into the waiting town car.

“So, now what?” Sami asked.

“Sami, do not tell me anything. Please. I totally believe that if you did this it was justified, however if I for some reason end up on that stand, given our history, I think it is best that I am able to say that dispite all of that I believe you are truly innocent, and if you are not I am not sure that is something I can do, not after… well. Everything” Carrie explained as they pulled up to their father house.

Austin met them in the driveway and helped Sami out of the car before telling Carrie goodbye. He took her into the house where Marlena, Roman, Bo and Hope were waiting in the living room. Sami sat in a chair and Austin sat on the arm holding her hand.

“Sami, what do you remember about that night?” Bo asked.

Sami was quit as took a deep breath and looked to her mother, who nodded at her.

Marlena explained, “Sami, we are here for you. But you have to let us in and I know that is hard for you given our history, but now is the time to move past that or you will lose everything. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Sami nodded before taking another breath and started to explain what had happened.

AnIt was about three hours later and Austin had put Sami into bed and shut the door as he joined the rest of the group in the living room.

“I do not know how we can get her out of this one. She is on the security camera entering the mansion. She owns the gun the bullet was fired from. His blood splatter is on her coat. She called 911 and its clear that she said there was murder but then hung up and left, and ad evident by the security camera she is the only one who came and went during this time” Hope said to the group.

“We cannot let her go down for this. He deserved it after everything he did to her. There has to be a defense. Carrie worked for now but in the morning we need someone major to defend her” Austin said, almost pleading, as he and Sami had grown closer recently.

“I have a plan. I will save her from this because there is no way in hell I am letting one of my children go to prison because of Stefano” Marlena vowed. “Carrie will defend her. It will show that we are confident she did not do this as opposed to bringing in a name defense attorney, of course we will bring in some help. She will plead not guilty by reason of insanity. I will coach her, not that she likely needs it, on how to convince the court appointment therapist she had a mental break after all the abuse EJ did to her. Austin, you will need to lie on the stand and say that two nights prior you witnessed EJ threatening to take the kids away and run off with them because she is an unfit mother. Bo, you need to get in touch with everyone who EJ has hurt that is close to Sami, and we will make sure to play up the fact that they are all closer than expected” Marlena explained, taking control.

“What if it doesn’t work? What if they come back with a guilty?” Roman asked, cautiously as he was aware Marlena was fired up.

She simply looked at him and repeated herself from earlier “there is no way in hell I am letting one of my children go to prison because of Stefano” before adding “This started because of his obsession with me. It will end with him and me, and that’s a fact.”

Marlena returned to her home and was delighted to see Carrie on the sofa. “I am glad you are here. I hate to be alone and ever since John… well, you know” Marlena said as she sat next to the girl who she saw as a daughter. “

And with Sami in this situation, I cannot imagine what you are going through” Carrie stated as she held Marlena’s hand.

“It’s funny, Carrie. Kind of, maybe funny isn’t the correct term. I guess maybe ironic? Just, the fact that a few months ago Sami cut me out of her life, for what she saw as just causes and reasoning, and while it hurt more than anything else, it seemed it work for her. She turned her company around. She and Austin were getting closer. Her and Will were evern starting to get along. She had everything going for her, for once. And then when that tragic accident happened, and she knew EJ was behind it… she regressed. Maybe now tho, maybe this can bond us, heal the damage…” Marlena had to fight back more tears. She looked and carrie, cleared her throat and explained what will happen next, “Carrie, you are staying her lawyer and I know by that look you are not ok with this but you need to be. Trust me, you can do this. I refuse to let her go to prison for this. This crime that… that I could have committed myself after what he did. I guess that is all you need to know. I will give you a witness list to call in, and she is planning an insanity plea, by the way.” Carrie just nodded before bidding Marlena goodnight.

The next morning Marlena was awakened by someone entering her home. She shot up immediately and ran out there, “John! I knew you would come back to-“ she shouted with glee before seeing it was Will.

“Grandma, I am so sorry. I didn’t even think... man. Im sorry, please don’t cry” Will said stumbling over his words trying to find the right thing to say to stop her from crying.

“Do not be sorry, I am so glad it is you, that you are home. I am sorry about the situation though Will, how are you?” She asked him.

“Im ok. How is my mom? Id like to say I can not believe she would do this, but given it was EJ she killed, I can.” Will stated.

The two sat and caught up with another for a bit before Marlena had to meet the others at the pub. Will went into the guest room to catch some sleep before seeing his mom.

Across town at the Brady Pub Caroline, Bo, Hope, Roman, Carrie, and Austin met up to get their stories straight. Carrie told them they must be smart about this, get what they are saying down to a science, but not sound rehearsed. She then left on a mission of her own.

As she arrived at her office she made a phone call, “Shane? This is Carrie Brady. Listen, I am in need of some help on a case, it involves Sami. I need to know if the ISA has a way of knowing if EJ Dimera is dead or not. I mean, I know the police supposedly have his body but listen, he is a DiMera afterall. I also need evidence that links him to the accident. Anything, really.”

“No problem Carrie, You know what I am on my way to Salem as I have some personal things to take care of. I will bring everything I can with me on EJ.” Shane explained before hanging up only to dial his son, Andrew. There was no answer so he left him a message, telling him he was coming to Salem and would love to meet up.

“Still not talking to you?” His girlfriend asked as she entered the room.

“No, He blames me for the way things ended with Kim. It is not my fault though and I don’t know how to make him see that without blaming her, and I don’t want him to hate her either” Shane explained, relaxing as she rubbed his shoulders.

Marlena had returned to Roman’s with some chowder from the pub for Sami. She found her daughter laying on the sofa, lost in thought. Marlena sat on the edge as Sami sat up, taking the food Marlena offered.

“I wish you would put an end to this Sami, You know there is a chance this will not end the way you have planned out, despite all of our trying to make it so” Marlena revealed.

“Mother, listen to me. I have got this. EJ DiMera is a man who has raped me, tortured me by taking my children away from me, threatening to do, and even faking Sydneys death. He killed my husband, and I know you do not want to hear this, but he killed yours too. He is a monster and he deserved what he got, however we both know it is I who stands the best chance at getting away with the crime.” Sami told her mother, sternly.

“A crime you didn’t commit! You did not do this Sami and I can not sit by and watch you possibly go down for it. I wont!” Marlena exclaimed in anger and fear.

“You will. You need to keep it together because while I am going through this I need you to be there for Will, for Carrie, for Daddy, for Allie and Johnny. When you need to breakdown, you pull yourself together for them. That is the best way you can help me and I swear to god mother, if you ruin this I will never forgive you. Oh, and one more thing. When all of this is over I want you to leave Salem and never come back, because while my life was its typical dramatic self for those three years you were away, I was getting it together. Now? Now I will lose it all and all because of you. Do not mistake this as some kind of bonding experience between us, because as much as I was done with you before there is no going back. Not from this” Sami stated as she got up to leave the room.

“You love him. Still. Don’t you?” Marlena asked, curiously.

“What does it matter? You killed him, didn’t you?” Sami replied as she went up the stairs.