Until The Trial

Chapter 24

Lucas

"Come tomorrow morning, and we'll all explain where we are at," Lucas tells Marcus and Julian in the joint call. They agree and hang up. Lucas leans against the kitchen chair, finding discomfort in the silence of the house. Samantha went to sleep hours ago, but Lucas hasn't been able to himself. He unconsciously finds himself touching his lips again, remembering how Samantha's felt against him. Kissing her was like he'd never really kissed a woman. Like he's never even touched a woman before. The feeling he got from it scared him, and he can feel his ideology of never caring for a woman going to hell. Not that it matters, seems like he ruined it before anything even started. He probably should have left the Julian thing alone, but he sincerely wanted to know if she had an attraction to him. Part of him hoped she would say yes, so then it would be easier for him to deny his liking for her because she was into his brother. Lucas takes one last bite of his late-night cereal and puts his bowl in the sink. From there he goes to the living trying to see if he can analyze anything from the case but finds he's already done so as much as he can. Hopefully tomorrow, Julian and Vaughn will bring more to work with. He's only just sat on the couch when he hears a faint cry. He jumps back to his feet on high alert. Another cry comes, this time louder. Lucas runs to the stairs, taking them two at a time. He presses his ear against Samantha's door.

"MAMA!" she shouts. Lucas lets out a breath of relief that it's just her nightmare and not an intruder. "Please!" Lucas's relief quickly turns into worry again. He tries to open the door, but it remains locked from earlier. He wants to get angry at her, but he knows it's his fault she locked it. Lucas almost rams into the door, but then remembers the spare key he keeps that fits into every door of the house. He rushes to get it and shoves it into the keyhole. The door swings open, showing Samantha thrashing in her bed.

"Samantha, wake up!" he lightly shakes her, "Wake up!" She mumbles something incoherently. Lucas pushes back her hair from her sweaty face and taps her cheeks. Just like when she was hiding in the attic earlier, his heart clenches as he watches her struggle. The fact he is helpless to stop it makes him feel worse.

"Wake up," he gives her one final shake and her eyes snap open. Like last time, they look around wildly, as if she can't recall where she is. Finally, they land on him.

"Are you okay?" he asks, expecting her to get calm quickly like last time he woke her from a dream, but she doesn't. Her breathing remains heavy, and her expression is frightened. "Hey, Samantha?"

She puts her head into her hands. "It was different," she chokes on a sob. "It felt real."

"It's over okay? Look up, you are in your bedroom."

"I killed her," she says. Lucas grabs her hand to get her attention. It's not hard to figure out she is talking about her mother's death.

"Look at me, Samantha," he orders. When she does so, the suffering on her face is so clear he can almost feel it himself. Whatever dream she has, has to do with her mother dying. Lucas can't imagine having to relive that moment again and again.

"I killed her," she repeats. Lucas doesn't stop to think about what he does next, only thinking about how to help her. He gathers her up, cradling her to his chest, and then sits on the bed, his legs outstretched.

"It wasn't your fault, Samantha," he says, resting his chin on her head. "You were only a kid."

"It was. You don't know what happened. It was thanks to me," her voice cracks. Lucas holds her against him tighter, letting her cry until she is done. She clenches the front part of his shirt, and it turns wet from her tears. Lucas keeps saying soothing things, until her crying stops, and she falls back asleep. He makes a move to put her back on the bed and leave, but she stirs against him. Worried she'll wake up or have the dream again, he continues to hold her until eventually, he falls asleep too.