AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello all, I know it has taken me a little while but here is the beginning of the 4th instalment of the "Patience is a Virtue..." story. So please don't read this if you haven't already read "Patience is a Virtue...", "Every Cloud..." and "Wild Horses..." or it won't make any sense. I'm not sure it will after you've read it either but see how you go. LOL
We pick up the story where we left off in "Wild Horses...", after the wedding that finally happened. Sami still has to have her anaemia investigated and keeping her health concerns from EJ. The house is still full of a variety animals and Joseph is still recovering from what will forever be known as the Santa Incident in the DiMansion.
I've only written a few of these chapters so far but will endeavour to update routinely as we go along to keep the flow up. I haven't written this story for over 18 months after stopping at chapter 12 so it may take me a bit to get back in the rhythm but hopefully it won't be that noticeable to you all.
Hope you enjoy as we revisit some old friends...
Birds Of A Feather…
Chapter ONE – It's Not Only Hope That Floats
Sami groggily rolled over in bed and reached out a hand to feel for her husband's warm body lying beside her but found the space he normally occupied to be empty. She forced open her eyes and blinked a couple of times, trying to wake up properly.
"EJ?" she croaked, her voice still constricted from a heavy sleep.
Sami turned her head and looked at the clock beside her bed and then gave a gasp of horror at seeing the time. It was already way past ten o'clock and she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept that late. It was certainly a long time before the twins were born. She was about to jump out of bed and check on her children when she finally noticed that there was a tray of food on the table beside the bed as well with a note propped up against a single rose in a vase. Sami smiled and picked up the note.
Good morning my darling,
A little something for my sleeping beauty when she awakens. I expect it all to be eaten; you need to keep your strength up. Take your time; everything is well in hand,
EJ
"Oh sweet," sighed Sami, looking over the tray which had various fruits and a couple of croissants on it along with a teapot which when she put a hand on it she found the tea was still warm inside.
Sami munched her way through the food EJ had put out for her finding that the nagging nauseous feeling she'd woken up with quickly dissipated with the more she ate. After finishing her breakfast Sami got out of bed, showered and dressed before going downstairs to be with her family. She walked down the stairs and came to a halt in the foyer, leaning against the door frame that led into the living room and taking in the scene in front of her.
EJ was sitting on the floor with the twins while John was in his favourite chair reading his usual newspaper. Johnny was industriously building a rather wonky tower with his blocks while Ali was standing on EJ's lap, her little arm around his neck as she leant into him with the trust only a child could have. She was telling EJ a long, animated story which EJ was listening to intently, nodding and seeming to be taking it all in as he made the appropriate noises of agreement during Ali's story telling. It was such a sweet scene and Sami felt her eyes mist up at the sight. Her newly discovered pregnancy was making Sami overly emotional anyway but seeing EJ with their children always bought a lump to Sami's throat.
She put her hand down and rested it against her still flat stomach, hardly able to believe that it was only yesterday at their wedding that she'd found out that she was even pregnant again. Sami found herself already totally in love with the child growing inside of her and she was so excited about the prospect of being able to share this pregnancy with EJ. Everything was going to be so different this time round and Sami couldn't wait. She watched the happy little scene in front of her, remembering her promise to Lexie to see a doctor today about her anaemia and grimaced. She knew she should tell EJ about it but it just about broke her heart to think of him worrying over her. Watching her little family playing together so contentedly she was loath to bring a cloud over it. Sami made an impulsive decision to keep the information about her doctor's visit today to herself and if anything came out of it then she'd tell EJ. There was no need to worry him unnecessarily when it was most likely going to be nothing anyway.
"You're humouring her and she doesn't like it," announced John with a note of censure in his voice to EJ, looking over the top of his newspaper, "You should listen to her seriously."
"She's talking baby talk Uncle John," said with a roll of his eyes at the other man and then a playful wink at Ali, "She's talking gibberish. Ali just wants to know I'm interested."
"Oh so it's baby talk just because you don't understand it?" John posed the question, "Is that right?"
"Well yes that and the fact she's a baby," said EJ wryly, "No one understands what they are saying at this stage apart from a couple of words here and there. I know she's telling me something about Roger but the rest was unintelligible."
"Says you," sniffed John, "She was telling you about Roger taking one of the kittens up his favourite tree to have a look around."
"Uncle John you can't possibly expect me to believe that you can understand what Ali was saying just then," said EJ in exasperation.
"Girl baby," said John, addressing Ali, "Where you telling your father about Roger, the kitten and the tree just then?"
Ali vigorously nodded her head and EJ looked at John in annoyance.
"Oh please Uncle," snorted EJ in disbelief, "She's a baby. Ali would have agreed to anything you asked her."
To prove his point EJ addressed Ali.
"Sweetheart," he said, "Were you telling Daddy that Roger looked cute in his little bow tie at the wedding?"
Ali shook her head at him to which EJ looked over at John who was looking at him smugly.
"That was just a fluke," protested EJ.
"Don't get all huffy just because you can't understand your kids and I can," shrugged John.
"Dooda bab a bob donge," Johnny suddenly announced, standing up from where he'd been stacking his blocks.
"Alright baby whisperer," said EJ challengingly, "What did Johnny just say then if you're so brilliant?"
"He's looking for his orange block to finish off the leaning tower of hamburger there," said John evenly, not missing a beat.
"First of all it's the leaning tower of Piza," said EJ wryly, "And second of all he is not looking for his orange block."
EJ picked up a red block and handed it to Johnny who shook his head at him. EJ then picked up a green one and then a blue but they were both rejected as well. Finally EJ reached for the orange block that was on the other side of where he was sitting and hidden from Johnny's view and offered the orange block to the baby. Johnny's face lit up and he made a grab for the block, making a happy noise as he did.
"It must be hard for you being proven wrong so often," observed John smugly, "But I guess you must just get used to it after awhile."
"There is no way you can possibly know what the children are saying!" protested EJ heatedly while still looking a little taken aback by this development, "It's simply impossible Uncle John."
"All evidence to the contrary," said John mockingly as he went back to his paper, "You should learn to be more open minded about things – you might actually learn a thing or two."
"Really?" asked EJ sceptically, "I could learn something from the man I just watched eat another candle earlier today?"
"It was a lemon scented one," said John happily, looking back over the top of his paper again, "Tangy... yummy."
Sami smiled as she listened in on the conversation. Turns out they were a lot more fun to watch than be involved in as she enjoyed seeing EJ try to reason with a man who walked to the beat of his own drum... or boogied to the shake of his own maracas as it were.
"Eating all that wax can't be healthy Uncle," protested EJ, wrinkling his nose.
"It it's not good for you then why do they make it taste so great?" reasoned John, "It makes no sense."
"I'm sure if it does taste good it is purely unintentional Uncle John," said EJ in exasperation.
"You speak with great authority about things that I don't think you know all that much about," commented John, narrowing his eyes at him, "Why don't you try it for yourself and then make an informed decision?"
"You want me to eat a candle?" asked EJ, arching an eyebrow at him in disbelief.
"I bet you'll start with one and then find you can't stop yourself," said John knowingly.
"I find that highly unlikely," said EJ dryly, smiling at Johnny and nodding approvingly as he proudly showed off his stack of blocks to his Daddy, "That is one fantastic tower you've got there my boy, very impressive."
Johnny grinned and then promptly knocked them down, to which his sister clapped her hands, highly entertained by the show.
"And besides there is the entertainment value of it," continued on John.
"What's entertaining about eating a candle?" asked EJ in bewilderment.
"It makes your poop float," volunteered John cheerfully.
"Mama mama!"
Johnny had just spied Sami and called out to her excitedly and then Ali joined in as they both rushed over to her as she walked into the room.
"Oh dear god thank you!" exclaimed EJ, lifting his hands to the heavens and then looking over at Sami with a big smile of relief on his face, "You just saved me from a fate worse than death sweetheart."
"I heard," said Sami in amusement, crouching down so she could cuddle both twins, "Floating poop."
"Oh please," snorted John, "You two do nothing but talk about poop all day. Check Johnny's diapers for one, sniff Ali's butt, they must be about due for another one. You two are doyens of doodie!"
"They're babies John," said Sami with a little laugh, not finding herself sucked into his crazy today for some reason, "It's not weird to talk about baby poo but it's weird when an adult does it."
"Again with the arbitrary rules," said John with a roll of his eyes, "If it's cute when Boy Baby points to his pants and says 'poo poo' then I don't see why it's any less cute when I do it!"
"It just is," said EJ as he and Sami shared a long suffering amused look, "Trust us Uncle John."
"So what did I miss?" asked Eric brightly, walking into the living room and munching on an apple.
"Don't!" said EJ, holding up an imperious finger to John as he opened his mouth to reply, "Don't even think about it!"
"Oh dang," pouted Eric, taking in the look on EJ and Sami's faces, "It looks like I missed a John special."
"You missed nothing, trust me," said EJ wryly.
He looked over at Sami then and smiled warmly.
"Hello my darling girl," he said adoringly, leaning over to kiss her good morning, "Did you enjoy your sleep in?"
"I was dead to the world," said Sami, returning his lingering kiss, "But you shouldn't have let me sleep so late."
"Nonsense," said EJ breezily, "You obviously needed it and I have everything under control."
He stopped then and sent John a wry look.
"Well I did up until about five minutes ago," he admitted ruefully, "Then things kind of went to pot."
"Or potty as the case may be," said Sami teasingly and the two laughed at that, the twins joining in because they always enjoyed a good laugh.
"So what's on the agenda for Boxing Day?" asked Eric with interest.
"I was going to go and check out the sales," said Sami casually.
"You want to go shopping sweetheart?" laughed EJ, "I thought you might want to rest after all the events of the last couple of days."
"Oh I thought I'd just have a quick look around," she said, feeling terribly guilty at lying to EJ, "I won't be gone long."
"That's fine darling," said EJ easily, obviously taking her words at face value, "Whatever you want to do."
......
Sami walked out of the exam room, picking at the plaster on her arm after having her blood taken.
"You should leave that on for a bit otherwise it might start bleeding again," said a voice behind her.
Sami turned around and smiled at Lexie.
"It's itchy," she complained, making a face.
"Well then take it off if you must," said Lexie indulgently, "I'm just glad to see you're here. How did the exam go?"
"Alright I think," said Sami with a bit of a sigh, "The doctor's going to ring me tomorrow with the results."
"That's good Sami," said Lexie encouragingly, "At least then we'll know what we are dealing with."
"Yeah I suppose," said Sami, not looking completely convinced.
"And what does EJ say about all this?" asked Lexie.
"EJ?" hedged Sami.
"You have told him about your health concerns haven't you Sami?" asked Lexie with a note of censure in her voice, "He loves you; he would want to know if there was something potentially wrong with you."
"Of course I told him," said Sami brightly.
"Really?" asked Lexie sceptically.
"I said I'd come here and get checked out on Boxing day and I did," said Sami firmly, "And I said I'd tell EJ and I did."
Again Sami felt bad for lying but she really was going to tell EJ tomorrow once she got the news, good or bad so in twenty four hours it wouldn't be a lie Sami reasoned.
"I'm glad," smiled Lexie, putting a friendly hand on her arm, "That is what being married is all about, being able to support one another in times like these."
"Yes it is," said Sami, determinedly returning her smile, "Yes it is."
......
Sami returned home to find the living room filled with shopping bags and boxes from just about every department store in Salem. She stopped short and surveyed the carnage, looking at Eric and EJ in amusement.
"Did Macy's explode in here?" she asked them with a little laugh.
"No Joe did," grinned Eric, "He came by after shopping till he dropped at the sales and now he's treating us to a sneak peak at it all. Kind of a Victoria's Secret fashion parade but it's more of a Victor's secret really. He said he needed some retail therapy to get over the Santa trauma from yesterday."
"Ohh," said Sami happily, going to sit on EJ's lap as he sat in the arm chair and waited for Joseph to emerge from the kitchen where he was changing into his latest ensemble, "That sounds like fun."
"Hello my blonde kitten!" called out Joseph from the kitchen, having heard her voice, "You look fabulous today!"
Sami giggled at that.
"You can't even see me Joe," she pointed out in amusement.
"An educated guess sweetie," he sang back, "You always look breath taking."
"Here, here," said EJ, stealing a kiss from her and looking up at Sami lovingly as she sat on his lap.
"Are you ready?" called out Joseph.
"Apparently Joseph bought his first pair of leather pants today," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I'm not sure we'll ever be ready for that."
And then more loudly to the other man.
"We're waiting with bated breath Joseph!" he called out.
Joseph sashayed out then in black leather pants and tightly fitting ruby red shirt, walking up and down the imaginary cat walk and working it for all he was worth to suitably deferential comments by everyone.
"Wow Joe," said Eric, sounding very impressed along with everyone else's general agreements that he could in fact pull leather off, "You're ass looks great in that, and you've really been working out lately haven't you? What is that, a lot of time on the stair master?"
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at Eric with varying degrees of amusement and interest.
"Judging by the expressions on everyone's faces I said that out loud rather than just thinking it didn't I?" said Eric ruefully, looking a little embarrassed, "I guess that kind of screws over my very manly image I've had going on."
"Not really Boo but any time you'd like some real screwing over of your manliness then you've got my number," cooed Joseph giving him a sexy look and impish wink.
"Ah tempting but I still like something breastier in the people I get romantically involved with," said Eric with a laugh.
"And yet you slept with Nicole," said Sami sweetly, "The woman who puts her chest on backwards."
"Okay sis," said Eric with a roll of his eyes at her dig, "We've got enough cats in this house as it is, let it be will you?"
"I will if you will," countered Sami with a sniff, "Please tell me you're not going to see that scarecrow again."
"Sweetheart we've talked about this," said EJ mildly, "Eric is a grown man and can seem whomever he pleases."
"And I'm his sister and that gives me the God given right to interfere in his life," said Sami roundly, "And I'm going to exercise that right as often as I want when I see you making a terrible mistake. I have this recurring nightmare that I'm going to be stuck with seeing Nicole's botoxed horror story of a face at every family gather now and for the rest of my life!"
"You're being overly dramatic Sami," said Eric with an indulgent shake of his head, "I can promise you, Nicole and I have made no such long term plans."
"Good," huffed Sami, "Because it wasn't going to be pretty if you had let me tell you."
"Nobody is paying attention to me!" wailed Joseph and pouted, "Everyone is meant to be looking at me and my ass loving leather pants!"
"Sorry Joe," apologised Sami with a grin, "You look great. Why don't you show us what else you bought?"
"We could do a show together," said Joseph happily, clapping his hands together, "The boys said you've been shopping. What did you buy kitten?"
"I... ahh... I didn't find anything I liked," said Sami with a little shrug, feeling very bad for lying but this didn't seem the time or the place to let on about her medical concerns somehow.
"Ohh shame," said Joseph, scrunching up his face in sympathy.
"It's okay," smiled Sami, "I'll enjoy your shopping instead, so what's next?"
"Next is a scuba suit!" announced Joseph in delight.
"I didn't know you did scuba diving Joseph," said EJ with interest.
"I don't," he admitted happily, "But it was on sale and I say you can never have enough rubber in your closet."
With that he turned on his heel and headed back into the kitchen.
"Let's all make a pact," suggested Eric straight faced, "None of us ever ask why that is – okay?"
Sami and EJ nodded, agreeing that was a very good idea. Sami snuggled into EJ then, adoring the feeling of his arms around her and tried to put out of her mind what tomorrow might bring. She just wanted to enjoy spending time with the people she loved and not think past that.
"I love you," she whispered to EJ as they waited for Joseph to change into his wet suit.
"I love you too Samantha," EJ whispered back.
"I'm going to need some help pouring myself into this puppy!" called out Joseph, "I'm bulging in the most unexpected places!"
"YOU!" said EJ and Eric in perfect unison, pointing a finger at each other and both looking suitably afraid which only made Sami giggle again.