Letting go of Sam's hand, Ali unlocked the door of their apartment and entered. It had only been a few days since she had been here, but the place seemed different. Maybe it was because she was not the same person. That girl had disappeared when Ali had taken a stand and walked away from Sam. Her absolute trust in Sam now had a crack in it.

The man in question shuffled sullenly across the threshold and tossed his jacket on the couch. "I need a shower," he mumbled as he made his way towards the bedroom. Their bedroom.

Sam was different as well. The revelations of what Victoria had done to him and the fall out echoed through Sam's life for almost a decade. It was beyond comprehension. Ali swung between wanting to set Victoria on fire and trying to comfort Sam. There was time for the former. She focused on the latter.

After gathering a few things, Ali followed Sam into the bathroom which was filling with steam from the running water. Ali quickly stripped, adding her clothes to the pile of Sam's on the floor and stepped into the shower. Sam jumped at her touch.

"It's just me."

Sam turned, water streaming over slumped shoulders creating tributaries around his muscles. He regarded her with red-rimmed eyes. A shampoo bottle was being crushed in his tight grip; the lid still closed.

"Here," she reached over and gently pried the container from Sam's hand. "Let me do it."

Sam relented, letting his hand fall limply to his side. Ali poured a small amount of the liquid into her hand and moved towards Sam. He closed his eyes and bent his head towards her.

Running her fingers through Sam's hair, Ali massaged his scalp. The scent of coconut mixed with the steam in the shower. Normally this relaxed Ali but even her favourite shampoo could not penetrate the tension in her body.

Lifting Sam's chin, Ali watched as the jetting water rinsed away the lather, revealing his golden hair. After applying some conditioner, Ali picked up a puff and soap and began scrubbing Sam's body.

Sam simply stood there, eyes screwed shut, as Ali massaged his straining muscles. She moved in slow gentle circles, attempting to work the knots out and wash away the horrors of the situation. It was going to take a lot more than soap, but it was a start.

As she ran the material across Sam's skin, she tried not to think about what Victoria may or may not have done to him while he was drugged. At the very least she had removed his shirt which was way too close for comfort for Ali. At worst...

There was some solace in the fact she had found Sam half-dressed. It was a good indication they didn't have sex. Or Victoria didn't try to. Unless Victoria was really good a re-dressing Sam. A feat Ali wasn't sure she could achieve on an unconscious Sam. Victoria, with her smaller and weaker frame, should have been unsuccessful. Still, Sam could have dressed himself. Ali tried to not let herself go there.

Nudging Sam back into the streaming water, Ali washed away the soap and conditioner. She pushed his hair away from his eyes. Eyes sealed from her and the world. Her hand traced the outline of his face and Sam leaned into it as it travelled down his cheek.

Ali could not take it any longer. She pulled Sam into a hug, pressing into him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, wishing her body could offer some kind of balm or protection. Sam inhaled deeply. As he exhaled, he called out Ali's name and curled himself around her. Leaning into Ali for support, Sam began to shake. She held Sam tightly until the tremors slowed.

Shifting away slightly, Ali kissed Sam's cheek. "Let's get you warm." She reached over and shut off the streaming water. Grabbing a towel, she pulled Sam out of the shower, covering him with the white cloth. Then she plucked his robe from its hook and swaddled Sam in the soft cotton. After donning her own robe, she gave Sam's hair a quick rub with a towel to dry it, followed by her own.

Taking Sam by the hand, Ali moved them into the bedroom.

Sitting him on the edge of the bed, she poured a glass of water from the pitcher she had put there earlier and offered it to him. "Drink this."

Staring out of the bedroom window, Sam didn't move.

"Sam?" she prompted, shaking the glass in front of him.

Slowly as if only now realizing she was there; Sam reached out for the water and took a sip. Taking the glass out of his hand before he dropped it, Ali asked him if he was hungry. "I could...find something to eat for you?"

A sad smile graced his haunted face for a moment before fading away. "Not hungry," he mumbled. His hands clenched the bedsheets, twisting them. "How could I?"

Ali bent before him, looking up at his scrunched face. "How could you what?"

"Let her...do that."

"You didn't let her do anything." Ali put her hands over his, rubbing them gently. "You were drugged."

"But I should have..." Sam's voice petered out.

"My love," Sam met Ali's eyes, "She did this to you. It's all on Victoria. You're not to blame. For anything."

"Maybe." Not sounding convinced, Sam rubbed his eyes and changed the topic. "I'm tired."

"Let's get you into bed then." Ali pulled back the covers behind Sam, creating a pocket for him to slip into.

For a moment, Ali was frozen, holding the blanket above Sam. She wanted nothing more than to climb into bed with him, comfort him somehow. But maybe he wanted to be alone. Maybe he did not want to be touched. She was at a loss as to what to do, not wanting to push him.

Sam looked at her and questioned, "Stay with me?"

He hadn't even finished his request before Ali leapt into action. Lifting the comforter, she shimmied across the sheets and snuggled into Sam's open arms, resting her head on his chest. Listening to his heart beating, she felt him relax slightly. Some of her stress faded. As long as they were together, things would be okay.

"Ali," Sam's voice sounded strange, thick with emotion.

She shifted in his arms to look up at him. "Yes..."

"You were right," Sam scratched his face with his free hand. "All this time..." Sam was struggling to form a sentence. "...it wasn't my fault." his voice hitched on the last word.

Ali switched places with Sam, pulling him towards her chest and wrapping her arms around him. She was not sure, but Ali suspected his words referred to Thomas's death. She stroked his hair, trying to provide solace. "No, it wasn't your fault." She repeated his words. "Get some rest now. We'll deal with it all later."

Sam clenched her tighter. Ali shifted so he could be more comfortable and continued running her fingers through his hair.

"You won't leave again."

"I won't" and Ali knew she meant more than just for today. Walking out on Sam may have been what she, herself, had needed to do at the time. But now she realized it was not what was best for their relationship. It was the move of a woman looking out for herself.

Running away was a weapon she had wielded against Sam in an attempt to wound him as he had wounded her. But Ali had since discovered she didn't need to resort to warfare as her first option. She had to begin with trying to communicate. They had promised to be honest with each other. Always. 

Emily's words rang in her head. By not speaking up, not telling Sam how she felt, it was a form of not being honest.

They had gone into this new world with unrealistic expectations of maintaining the simplistic bliss of the life they had out west. One with only two simple strings to contend with - Sam and Ali. Now their life was bound with multiple threads. Some colourful and smooth - family, friends, fulfillment - all working together to weave a beautiful tapestry. Others were more complicated, tougher - responsibilities, politics, stressors that caught and created knots. Sam and Ali could either strain and pull those knots tighter or work together to untie them.

She wanted to be the woman who was part of a partnership that looked out for their relationship. Moving forward, Ali was going to make sure they talked about any issues.

"I'm here to stay"

"You promise."

"I do."

Sam found her free hand and entwined his fingers with hers as he pulled it towards his lips. Ali continued her tender strokes until she felt the slow strong breaths of a sleeping Sam.