A/N: This begins the day after Stefano and Kate break up in December 2010.
There are a couple of additions to this fic that were not my creation. They are used compliments of Loublue who writes and posts amazing Ejami stories here and at Forbidden Love and has a truly unique and entertaining sense of humor and I'd like to thank her. Both made the story funnier and let me bring up a slice of Days history I've missed.
Tony and Anna's Penthouse
8:00 AM
Tony hit the alarm when it went off and with just one eye checked the time before he rolled back over and reached to pull his wife closer. "Remind me again whose idea it was for us to meet Gene and Calliope for breakfast at such an ungodly hour in the morning."
"It wouldn't seem so ungodly," she murmured, her voice sounding woozy, "if we actually slept through an entire night."
That got her a slap on the ass.
"Hey!"
"Yes, you ought to be."
"What?"
"Perhaps you could tell me who you are and what you've done with my wife."
The humor in his tone was dry and with a smile she turned over to face him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"No?" Sighing with contentment, he snuggled next to her. "My queen of self indulgence is going to lie there and pretend it's my fault she's not a morning person?"
She considered for a moment and then, "Well, there you see? It couldn't have been my idea to tell Gene and Calliope breakfast would be at nine."
"Hopeless," he laughed and kissed her, briefly.
"Mmmmm." When he pulled away to sit up, she frowned. "Come back here."
"If you care for more," he told her impishly, swinging his feet around to the floor, "I'll be in the shower."
"But it's too early to wake up," she pouted.
"My sentiments exactly."
"Oh come on Tony, it wasn't my idea to arrange this silly thing so early…"
"In that case, I shall be happy to tell our dearest friends who were clever enough to fool the FBI and Stefano, that you'd rather lounge around in bed than celebrate with them."
"Brute."
Her pout was now making his heart flop sideways in his chest but it was way too soon to give in. "Me? How about you arranging breakfast knowing we'd have jet lag for at least a week?"
"Let's see…South America to Hong Kong to Singapore to Italy to London to Washington, back to Switzerland, then Haiti and finally home, all in ten days." She glanced at him seductively for a moment and then she stretched, every inch the indolent cat basking in a hot sun, or well-heated penthouse. "I plan to milk that for at least a month. Maybe more."
Tony laughed. "You're a wicked creature my darling."
Lying on her stomach with her shapely ass on display, she sighed. "Yes?"
It was a blatant invitation and rather tempting but he shook his head. "Perhaps you've forgotten that Gene and Calliope aren't the only ones on the list today."
With a groan, she grabbed the blanket and yanked it over her head. "I told you, I'm NOT speaking to Stefano, the old goat."
"I meant Katherine."
The cover peeled back far enough so he could see her eyes, dancing with mischievous laughter. "And do you plan on congratulating her?"
Tony looked faintly disgusted but didn't reply and excitedly, Anna sat up against the headboard and her grin broadened still further. "Because if you are, I wouldn't miss that quaint family reunion for the world." And beside herself now, she giggled. "What a match they are…"
"He blackmailed her, Anna."
Though still amused, the gleam in his wife's eyes was suddenly provocative. "Brings back warm fuzzy memories, doesn't it?"
"Considering I was so intoxicated I couldn't see straight for the duration of our first wedding, no, I can't say it does."
He had his back to her, opening a dresser drawer to pull out a pair of silk pajama bottoms, which he stepped into and behind him Anna made a face.
"I was talking about after the wedding, silly."
"Ah yes." Turning around again, he leaned casually against the dresser, a finger tapping his lips. "After the wedding. That would have been when you and Alex were busy divvying up my inheritance along with working for that…" he paused to flash a smile at her, "old goat."
"Fine, you go ahead and laugh because there's nothing that will spoil the image of Kate Roberts led down the proverbial aisle by her own folly let alone through Maggie Horton's restaurant by Victor so she could sacrifice herself to Stefano. I could honestly kill Lexie for not hiring someone to videotape it…"
"Alexandra probably went home wanting to scour her eyeballs."
"And Victor returned home laughing his ass off."
"To Vivian Alamain." Tony grinned as if it were a perfect symmetry, which intrigued Anna.
"I had no idea you knew Vivian."
The smile on her husband's face soured. "That woman is just what Victor deserves, a poisonous spider."
Anna opened her mouth to include Kate in that assessment but at that moment the doorbell rang.
And for a second they looked at each other.
"They wouldn't," Anna said without much assurance in her voice.
"As I recall, Calliope takes pride in waking up the birds in the morning," Tony told her dryly. "So you might think about jumping in the shower. If not, I suggest you grab a pair of ear plugs."
He was already putting on a robe and disappeared to go answer the door.
Once she was alone, Anna slid back into the bed on Tony's side this time and buried her face in his pillow, sighing blissfully. All was right with the world. Tony was alive…back with her. And though she still hadn't quite got the story straight, Calliope and Gene had pulled off this miracle, which along with finding Tony, got her off the hook for helping EJ kidnap his daughter. Even more delightful, Kate was married to Stefano.
She wouldn't dare look at Tony now.
"Yes, yes," muttered Tony as the doorbell sounded again.
He'd given the cook and maid the night off, not wanting any interruptions on his first night home, and having been gone for over a year now along with a few disastrous months in the mansion, he'd forgotten the enormity of this living room. On one side there was a towering eighteen-foot glass wall which faced toward the west to catch sunsets, and directly opposite was a fireplace framed in alternating shades of rough black slate, about ten feet wide and nearly half again as high. It separated the living space from dining room. Flanking the fireplace was a set of built in bookcases and electronics cleverly hidden away in spaces that were impossible to detect without the remote used to operate them.
The space was modern but comfortable with warm colors on the walls and hardwood flooring covered by a vast area rug. A collection of chairs and tiered tables were arranged in the middle. On one of the tables stood an empty champagne bottle from the previous night and the sight produced an unconscious smile as memories drifted through his mind.
They'd been dancing out on the balcony, Anna in a fur coat. It was covered with snow. Spread out in every direction below them were the lights of the city and hanging above a sky filled with stars polished to a cold brilliance by the seasonal weather, and in his arms, swaying to the jazz that played was his maddening, adorable Anna. And oh, she'd smelled divine. He could hardly believe she was real after all the months he'd spent in hiding…
The doorbell rang a third time.
"Blast." Reluctantly he turned from where he was staring outside and made his way to the foyer and just to make sure his father wasn't on the other side of the door, he checked the display. It was tiny screen wired to the camera out in the hall near the elevator. And there was a man standing there. Thankfully not Stefano.
"Good morning," he said graciously as he opened the door. The man swung around and Tony could see now he was a fair-haired kid in his late teens.
"I have a telegram here for, ah…Anna Fredericks."
He had Tony sign for it, handed it over and then hurriedly left without even waiting for a tip. He'd not bothered with asking for ID either which Tony found strange. Since returning from the island he'd learned it was considered necessary even in the most ridiculous situations and this one definitely qualified. Who the hell sent telegrams anymore?
He took it with him into the kitchen where he set about making coffee for both of them and as he waited for the espresso machine to cycle through, he glanced at the envelope, squinting. Sure enough, it was addressed to Anna Fredericks. He couldn't remember her ever using her maiden name and when they'd filled out the marriage license a couple years ago, she'd written it as Anna DiMera, not Fredericks.
"Oooh, that smells heavenly."
She breezed into the kitchen wrapped in a black satin robe, dropped a kiss on his cheek and immediately proceeded to find herself a coffee cup.
"You're up."
Usually she ignored his teasing or if she was having a bad day, it might irritate her but this morning she was certain there was nothing he or anyone else could say she'd find upsetting and she lavished a brilliant smile on him "Of course and where are Calliope and Eugene?"
"Fortunately, we have a reprieve, for another thirty minutes I hope."
"So who was at the door?"
"A messenger." And Tony nodded his head towards the telegram lying on the counter. "With that."
Curious now, she reached over and picked it up and her eyes widened a bit when she realized what it was. "I had no idea people used these anymore."
"Maybe it's from the FBI," he joked.
"You mean, like an apology?"
With a snort, Tony leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I'd expect one from Samantha first," and then held out his hand. "Your cup, my dear."
"Very funny," she said, giving it to him. "Maybe I should tear it up."
Now he simply laughed and rolling her eyes at the back his head, she stewed for a moment and then opened it.
"Here we go, your coffee Madame," he announced after he'd added milk but she didn't answer or reach for it so he turned around. She was frowning at the piece of paper in her hand. "What's the matter?"
Instead of answering, she shoved the telegram at him.
"I haven't got my glasses, darling. Just tell me or read it if you like."
At first she shook her head vehemently.
"Anna, please…"
"But it's impossible. There is no such person…or rather there is, but it's you. I swear Tony, this is a lie."
"What does it say?"
She looked miserable all of the sudden and ready to burst into tears so he took it and held it at a distance and then moved it further back until the letters came into focus. They were so bloody small.
"Darling, am missing you. Will arrive in Salem this morning. Meet me at the Penthouse Grill at 11:00am. Your loving husband..."
He stopped and looked up at her, one eyebrow raised. "Raoul?"