The Walls Come Tumbling Down (Sam)

[Lyra Newbury]

Samantha Montgomery

The double date had been a disaster and while Lyra knew that the emotions that night had manifested as a direct result of her improper actions, she still could not come to terms with Nicolas' 'warning,' cruel smirks, and pointed comments throughout dinner. And then there was the fight. Yes, Lyra had a colorful past when it came to men, but she wasn't controlling Mason from between her legs as Nicolas had so clearly implied. Mason and Lyra hadn't even slept together, which in all honesty was a record for Lyra. But the fact remained that in almost a year the only person she'd been that intimate with was Julian. She really was trying to be a better person, but Nicolas refused to let that happen.

Lyra rang the bell at the Montgomery Manor with the purpose of letting Samantha know exactly how vile her betrothed had been. The carriage ride home from their date had been silent, so Lyra was unaware that Sam knew of the horrible things Nicolas had said to Lyra in private. Everyone knew the horrible things he said in public though, including Mason which was a whole other discussion that the girls needed to discuss. But Lyra was pissed off and she would start with ranting about the man who loved Sam.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam was familiar with Nik's attitude though she rarely saw it as he adored her. If you were an enemy Nicolas could be quite cold and cruel. The same could be said of Sam though, or any of their "friends". Even Mason and Julian could spar with the best, it was how the elite protected themselves.

Sam had scolded Nicolas again for the trouble he had caused and tried to reason with him about Lyra, but he wouldn't hear of it. To him he had been civil, he had warned not threatened Lyra, and the only sarcastic remark he had made during dinner was concerning Carmen. He may have unleashed a cruel smirk here or there after Lyra had slapped him, but only because it reinforced the idea that she wasn't who she seemed. As did the fact that she hadn't told Mason about Julian. All of it combined put a very negative image in Nicolas' mind. For Sam's sake, he kept his mind open contrary to what Lyra said, he had yet to decide about her.

But neither of them cared at the moment. Nik was brushing Sam’s hair back as she laid against him on the chaise lounge, tears still streaming down her face. Nik once told her she was even pretty when she cried, indeed she looked like a fragile porcelain doll.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra waited longer than she would have expected; Samantha's family had more servants and house elves than a small army. When the door finally opened the girl who stood on the other side looked very somber.

"I'm here to see Sam," Lyra said politely, but the girl shook her head.

"Miss Montgomery isn't up for visitors today."

"I know she's upset, that's what I've come to talk to her about. I'm Lyra Newbury," she explained. Lyra was unaware of the family tragedy that had struck, and thought Sam was simply upset with the situation between Lyra and the trio of men.

The servant girl nodded dolefully and permitted Lyra into the house, directing her toward Samantha's room. Lyra knocked on the door then turned the knob slowly. "Sam, can we talk?" she asked as she came into the room. She spotted Nicolas first and commented, "oh, it's you," before noticing Samantha in tears. Tear beyond anything necessary for Lyra's situation and certainly much more emotion than Samantha usually displayed. It was a worrisome sight. "What's wrong?"

[Nicolas Everhart]

Nicolas brought his head up at the voice, and indeed a scowl accompanied his cold tone as he replied, "Excuse me. This is a family matter, and therefore none of your business." he told her harshly.

Nicolas, unlike Lyra, was family. He had more connections to the Montgomery business and bloodlines as though he had been groomed as the son Edward never (thought) he had. So naturally he was present when they received the news. Edward had Nik take over any business deals they had going on so the family could focus on finding Christine and supporting one another.


Sam lifted her face after hearing Lyra's voice. She was too worried to put much heat into the look she gave Nicholas, "It's fine Nik." she said taking a deep breath.

Nik clenched his jaw and glared at the intruder.

"Samantha's cousin is missing." he filled in vaguely.

"Christine, they think this serial killer has her."

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra took a startled step backwards as Nicolas harshly dismissed her presence. She had obviously walked in on something very private and despite her desire to defy Nicolas she turned slightly toward the door, her hand on the knob. She wouldn't interfere when Sam didn't want her there.

Except Sam seemed to be okay with the idea of Lyra staying and so Lyra ignored Nicolas' cold look and stepped closer to Samantha. "Christine? Oh Merlin, Sam. I am so sorry." She sank to her knees in order to meet Samantha's teary eyes and placed a comforting hand on Sam's. "Is there anything I can do?"

Lyra had heard of the serial killer. She lived very close to Hogsmeade Park and while she hadn't witnessed the scene of Penny Young's murder (it was early and Lyra was still sleeping) the whole apartment building was buzzing about it for weeks.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Nicolas had wanted to ask what exactly Lyra thought that she could do, but he restrained himself for Sam's sake. For Sam's sake he would be civil, though he would have preferred these moments to be between family only, and Lyra was not family.

Sam shook her head no, "I don't know what to do. Papa and my uncles are all doing what they can and the Ministry too is doing what it can. Christine's related to half the Auror department on my Aunt's side. If there is anything to do, it's being done, but..."

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra gave a sad smile and patted her friend's hand. Samantha had misunderstood. "I mean is there anything I can do for you?" When Lyra was upset she turned to one of two vices (alright, sometimes both) alcohol or sex. But when Lyra's sister was distressed Lyra would bring her ice cream and they'd listen to music at volumes that neighboring villages could hear. She couldn't help find Christine, but she could help soothe Samantha until her cousin's return.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha couldn't think properly about anything other than her cousin being in danger, possibly even being killed. Her cousin who had saved her life in Hogsmeade. She could do nothing to find her cousin and it killed her. She shook her head toward Lyra, but then Nicholas spoke. Sam tensed not knowing what he would say, his words surprised her.

"The Magazine." Nik said. Say what he suspected about Lyra, he had seen the spreads she had put together. Julian and Sam both had bragged to the world's end how good Lyra was at Enchanted. While he didn't think Lyra's work was earth shattering, he was fine admitting that the woman could do the job. "Sam may not be able to be at the office quite as often, would you be able to pick up the slack?"

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra braced herself for whatever was about to come out of Nicolas' mouth but much to her surprise it was neither rude nor insinuating. "Of course." Lyra nodded vigorously and turned back to Samantha. "Don't worry about work at all."

Lyra was sure she could handle the magazine for a short time. It likely wouldn't be award winning quality but she felt confident enough in her role to keep the quality stable until Samantha was feeling better.

[Nicolas Everhart]

Nicolas nodded considering the matter taken care of.

"No, Lyra I couldn't ask you to-"

Nik gave Sam a sharp look.

"Thank you." she said with a sigh, then also realizing, "Your ball Lyra, I don't know if-" Sam stopped she hated to disappoint her friend, and while her family would still support it if Sam pressed, she didn't want to put them through society at the same time.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra gave a thoroughly mystified look. Sam was always planning twelve steps ahead, it must have been killing her to think in the present about something she had absolutely no control over. "Samantha, don't you dare even think about that stupid party. Christine needs us to focus on finding her right now."

[Samantha Montgomery]

"But I can't." she said with a lip tremble, "I can't do anything to find her!" she turned toward Nicholas and begun crying once again.

The look on Nik's face was pure pain. It killed him to see Samantha distraught. He understood first hand how she was feeling. When he couldn't be with Samantha and he knew that Marrion was somehow torturing the girl, he was utterly helpless to intervene. He hated that she was feeling that loss of control and complete helplessness. While it was no excuse for how he had treated Lyra, the look on his face at least explained how much he cared about the girl.

[Lyra Newbury]

"Oh, Sam. I didn't mean..." Lyra clearly hadn't intended to upset Samantha further by insinuating that the situation was somehow within Samantha's control. It was distressing to see Sam so worked up, it was completely at odds with the cool and collected persona she normally exuded. Lyra knew that the always poised image that Samantha put on was a learned behavior that her friend had practiced for many years until mastering. It was simultaneously refreshing to see Sam's true emotions and devastating to know her friend was hurting so bad.

Lyra looked to Nicolas for guidance. He knew Sam better than Lyra and would know what Lyra should do to help ease Sam's pain, or at least not make it worse.

[Nicolas Everhart]

If Nicolas had any answers he would have shared them. Sam indeed was his weakness and he felt weak seeing her hurt the way she was. The look Lyra was now giving him made him soften a bit toward the girl. It would be difficult to feign the raw look of panic and essentially ask a man you considered your enemy for advice on what to do if the emotion wasn't real.

"Samantha. You're frightening Lyra, pet."

Abruptly Samantha gained control of herself, "I'm sorry."

Nik smiled, "Sam, why don't you go check on your father and uncles?"

[Lyra Newbury]

What was more frightening than seeing Samantha drown in real emotions was the almost mechanical way Sam was able to switch them off at Nicolas' command. Lyra wanted to tell Sam that she wasn't frightened and to cry if she needed to, but she was honestly too shocked at the robotic display that she couldn't find the words.

[Nicolas Everhart]

As Sam left to go check on her father and uncles, as well as call for tea and control her nerves, Nicolas stared at Lyra. Finally as though coming to some conclusion he laid out an offer.

"As you claim to care about Samantha, I think it's evident that she is in no shape to deal with our mutual dislike of one another. If you are willing for Samantha's sake to call a truce on your animosity I should strive to do the same. Whether you are what you say you are, or whether you are simply an illusion. Sam will need your help." he paused to look at her, then continued.

"I know I suggested you take over Enchanted, but what Sam will really need is for you to need her help. Samantha will need distraction and someone to listen to her on the rare occasion that she allows herself to open up."

"I do not know the extent of your character. I do not know you. And it galls me to trust a stranger with the most important person in my life, but as Sam has repeatedly pointed out to me, it is her decision whom she invites into her life."

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra's eyes followed Samantha's eerily calm movements as she lifted herself from the chaise and moved to the door. Lyra stared at the door for a moment after Sam had gone, amazed at the girl's uncanny resemblance to a robot. When Nicolas began speaking she turned slowly to face him, a puzzled look about her.

She agreed, of course, that any bickering between her and Nicolas was inappropriate given Samantha's current state. She wouldn't hurt her friend further by dragging Nicolas through the mud, as was her intention when she arrived. But so long as he could keep his insinuations and smug looks in check, so could she. Lyra nodded slowly in agreement.

She waited until he finished speaking, understanding everything he said. She would request Samantha's help with the magazine in order to distract her. She could find plenty of distractions that would steer Samantha's thoughts from her missing cousin or any discord in her social circle. Lyra would do everything in her power to ease Samantha's suffering and if working was Sam's coping mechanism she would indulge it.

"What was that?" she asked, pointing to the door Sam had gone through. "Why did you do that? Why not let her cry? She doesn't always have to be 'on' you know. It's okay to feel emotions, she hardly lets herself anyway. Doesn't she deserve to feel something with Christine gone?"

[Nicolas Everhart]

Nicolas chuckled at her question, "She's feeling the emotions." Nik assured her, " For Sam the scariest thing in the world is not being in control. She learned with Marrion that she couldn't control her mother or the outside world - though she's pretty damned good at it - she can only control herself."

"Being 'on' as you put it, gives her a measure of control. It's one thing to fall apart in front of one of us, but both of us would be more than she'd be comfortable with later on."

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra wanted to argue with him, but Lyra was simply projecting her own thoughts and emotions onto Samantha. Lyra knew Nicolas was right. She didn't like it, but it was what Sam needed. Lyra stifled the urge to point out that if he simply left, then Sam would be free to fall apart without undo worry in the future. The same would be true if Lyra left.

"I...I should go. I don't want Sam to be uncomfortable because I'm here." She got to her feet and brushed the wrinkles from her skirt. "It's a family matter, anyway."

[Nicolas Everhart]

"You can't." he said and managed to keep the annoyance from his voice, "If you leave she'll think she scared you off. I'll leave." he said casually. "She knows she can't scare me, and with Edward handing me the reigns temporarily, I've got a lot of work to do."