The Greatest of These

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13"

Chapter 1 ~

"Well, I knew this day would come. EJ DiMera behind bars. Now all I have to do is get your old man in here one day, and my life will be complete."

Rafe Hernandez's voice was smug, taunting to the extreme. He was obviously very satisfied with his day's work. So busy gloating was he that it took him a moment to realize that Sami was silent, just as silent as the man behind the bars. He scowled as several realizations dawned on him: one, what the two weren't saying with their voices was being communicated just as clearly with their eyes, and two, Sami didn't look outraged; she looked as if her heart was breaking.

And indeed, Samantha Brady's heart was breaking into a million pieces. After all the months of investigation on Rafe's part, all of his insinuations, outright accusations, and all of her denials and defenses of the man in the cell, the truth was out.

Rafe had been right all along.

"So, EJ. I doubt I'm going to get a straight answer out of you, but I have to ask: where's Anna?"

Sami could tell that her father, Commander Roman Brady, was enjoying this every bit as much as Rafe. He had been trying to nail a DiMera to the wall since the first day of his career. To finally succeed was a major coupe, second only to getting the junior DiMera out of his daughter's life for good. There had been a time, a time in the not too distant past in fact, that Sami would've joined in with her own satisfaction at a DiMera behind bars, but not today and particularly not with EJ involved.

Tears streamed down her face. How could he do this to her? How could he kidnap their own daughter, Sydney, and stand by while she worried, grieved and despaired of ever seeing her little girl again?

"Well come on, EJ. You heard the man. Where's Anna?" Rafe demanded,speaking of the estranged widow of EJ's brother, Tony. "We know she helped you, so it's up to you whether you're punished for this alone or if your accomplice carries some of the blame as well."

Ignoring Rafe totally, EJ's eyes were fierce and determined as they bored into Sami's. "Samantha."

How was it that even in this, in the worst betrayal he had perpetrated against her, he could still get under her skin with just the whisper of her name?

"Sami can't help you now-"

"I did not do this."

"Oh, of course you did, EJ! I said so all a-"

EJ continued talking as if the other two men were not. "You know me."

"Come on, EJ. Of course she knows you," Roman interrupted. "We all know you. This is exactly the kind of thing you would do."

"Yes, I was angry, and yes I wanted to lash out at you. I wanted to lash out at you and Nicole and my father...at anyone that had a hand in keeping my daughter from me. I wanted to make all of you pay for what you did. But I realized that was exactly the reaction you were talking about, the exact reason you thought you were doing the right thing. I thought about you having to go into witness protection because you saw something involving my family that you shouldn't have. Johnny and Sydney could have lost their mother over something my father put into motion." EJ looked at Sami searchingly before he continued softly. "Yes. I was angry, but you weren't wrong about my family."

"Good. We all agree that your family is the scum of the earth. Now where's Anna?" Rafe demanded again. His patience was wearing thin.

"No matter what is or isn't going on between us, Samantha, you are a wonderful mother; I've learned my lesson on that point. I would never take your daughter from you. No matter what you did."

Rafe rolled his eyes. "Oh please. You're breaking my heart."

"You believe me, don't you?" EJ asked.

"Not for a minute," Roman scoffed. "You must think we're stupid."

"Samantha? I don't care what anyone else thinks. Only you. Say you believe me."

She never could resist when he used that tone, when he had that look in his eye. Truth be told, there wasn't much she could resist about EJ. He just happened to be at his most dangerous when he was pleading with her like he was now, and Sami found herself desperately wanting to believe him in spite of the evidence piled against him, in spite of everything she had ever been programed to believe. Judging from the reactions around her, she must have stayed silent a moment too long.

"Sami! You can't possibly be buying this!"

"No, no! Samantha Jean Brady, don't you fall for it!"

"You do believe me, don't you?"

Never mind the lectures she was sure to receive from her father and the rest of her family or the disappointed looks and comments to come from Rafe. Of all the reactions, EJ's got to her the most. A hint of a smile touched his lips; his eyes warmed with relief and something that could only be described as tenderness. It was more than Sami could handle, so she did what she always did when confronted with her feelings for the man.

She ran.

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