A/N: Just jotted down this little ficlet after the 8/14/12 EJami episode where they arrived at the DiMera safe house. Of course, we've seen our own version of the goodness on screen now, but I let my imagination run wild in the interim.

At long, long last EJami are being give a chance as a couple on screen it seems and it's a truly wonderful thing. For all of us who have hung in there for 6 long and often times brutal years, it certainly an amazing feeling to be on the other side of the game for a change. :D

Enough from me, on with the story... ;)

Aching

Chapter One

Sami stepped out of the shower and grabbed for a white fluffy towel sitting on the bathroom vanity. She wrapped the plush material around her and smiled. The DiMera's even managed to do being on the run in style. This safe house EJ had brought her to, while not Stefano's style as she'd commented to him, was certainly hers. It was luxurious, but not overtly so. Sami took her time towelling herself dry, enjoying the feeling of being clean after running around town all sweaty and dirty. A white silk robe hung on the back of the door and Sami slipped it on, having nothing else to wear right then, her old clothes were in a ruined heap on the floor. "We need to buy some more clothes," she called out to EJ through the door.

"I know," he called back. "I'll slip out in a minute and get some."

Sami glanced at herself in the mirror and ran her hand through her wet hair to detangle it. She grimaced as the simply action caused a pain to shoot through her shoulder and down her side. Hanging from EJ's arms like that for all of that time had introduced Sami to muscles she had no idea she even possessed. She wiggled her arm back and forth, trying to loosen it up a bit. "I thought we were going for low profile."

"We are."

"You're the Mayor, EJ, people know who you are." Sami opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. "And besides that, you're enormous, people remember when they see people as tall as you, even if they don't know who you are. The police are going to have your description out any minute now and every man and their dog will be looking for you. I should go."

EJ was looking at her from the sofa. He arched an eyebrow as his eyes ran over her body and Sami was suddenly acutely conscious that she was only wearing the silk wrap, with nothing on underneath. A new ache started in her body, this time much lower down.

A small smile played around EJ's lips. "Somehow I think you'll make more of an impression than me, sweetheart, if you go out dressed like that."

Sami felt her cheeks heat a little but she didn't back down. "I think you going out is a bad idea."

EJ gave a short laugh. "It does seem to be the day for bad ideas." He leaned back in the sofa and looked thoughtful. "I have spare clothes here and we might be able to find something for you. Maybe Father brought ladies here and they've left something behind."

"I'm not wearing anything of Kate's," said Sami emphatically. "I'd rather go naked."

EJ's smile widened. "A tantalising thought, Samantha, but I don't believe my ex-stepmother ever visited this particular DiMera house."

"Maybe I can wear one of your pants?" suggested Sami. "If you've got more than one set stashed here."

"Are my ears deceiving me?" EJ teased her. "Did I just hear Samantha Brady willingly offer to get into my pants?"

Sami mock glared at him. "Don't make me regret this insanity, DiMera."

"It's not too late, Samantha," EJ said, suddenly serious. "You can still leave and go back to our children. You can tell people that I abducted you to go on the run and you managed to escape. Everyone would believe you."

"Except that you didn't abduct me," she reminded him.

"Since when have the Salem PD been interested in the truth?" asked EJ in annoyance. "If they could find a way to pin global warming on me, they would. Apparently the whole 'innocent until proven guilty' thing doesn't exist if your last name is DiMera."

Sami gave him a pointed look. "Feel better now that's out of your system?"

EJ gave a little shrug and a rueful smile. "A little."

"You're in the same boat as I am, EJ. With our past misdeeds, it's hard to play the victim card, even when we are." Sami made an annoyed face. "I still can't believe Saint Carrie got a free pass from everyone for stealing my husband while I'm back to being a pariah."

EJ scratched his nose and gave her a considered look. "Do you want to know what I think?"

Sami narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Only if you're on my side."

"I think things are as they should be, because Carrie makes a lousy pariah and you make an even worse saint. Being the wife of Salem's most sanctimonious cop, and in Salem, that's quite a hotly contested title, didn't suit you at all, Samantha."

Sami put her hands on her hips. "What are you saying, that I can't be a good girl and do the right thing and marry the right guy?"

"I'm saying that no matter how much plaid you swath yourself in or how much you might wish it to be so, you're no good girl, Samantha. You get bored with following the rules. Unlike Rafe, who gets off on it. Of course, he gets to decide on the rules and change them when it suits him, but he doesn't let the fine print get him down."

"So, tell me how you really feel about the guy," said Sami mockingly.

"He's beneath you, Samantha," said EJ simply. "He always was and always will be."

Sami was a bit taken aback, not having really expected EJ to say something like that to her, not after all that had gone on between them. "You'd be in a minority of one thinking that," she said unevenly.

EJ looked unconcerned. "It doesn't make me wrong."

"What about Nicole?" she challenged him.

"Apparently Nicole is the one beneath Rafe now," he responded laconically. "At least if you believe what they're trying to spin me, which, for the record, I don't." EJ looked at Sami intently. "Do you know what the one thing Nicole asked of me in our marriage?"

Sami hazarded a guess. "Money?"

"Cute."

"Historically plausible," she shot back.

"Nicole said to me that she didn't care what I did or how I did it, as long as I was always honest with her, she'd forgive and forget me anything."

Sami snorted. "Well, there you go, she made her own bed there. She deserved for the marriage to fail."

EJ gave her a surprised look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's like the kids." Sami couldn't believe EJ couldn't see this for himself. "You don't let them do anything all the time and then just set one rule, like going to bed before eight. If they aren't doing the right thing the rest of the day, what's going to magically change at eight o'clock? It's all about respect and clearly Nicole didn't have enough respect for herself to set a few more ground rules for your relationship other than just no lying."

EJ looked impressed. "That's rather astute of you, Samantha." He looked intrigued now. "So, what were your rules with Rafe?"

"I didn't have any," admitted Sami. "Although, looking back, I probably should have gotten him to sign off on not falling in love with my sister and getting other women pregnant."

EJ's lips quirked at her wry humour. "Hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing, sweetheart."

"So is a loaded gun and a water tight alibi," said Sami darkly.

"Says the voice of experience," said EJ dryly.

Sami grimaced, wishing she hadn't brought it up now and feeling a strong surge of guilt over her actions that night. "EJ-"

EJ held up his hand to stall her. "Samantha, if we start recounting our crimes against each other now, we'll still be sitting here next week and still only half way through. I say we just table the past for the foreseeable future and concentrate on the here and now." EJ cast her a curious look. "But one quick question before we do. Do you really want Rafe dead because of what he did?"

Sami sighed. "No, not really. The only person in the world who can drive me that crazy is you, EJ."

EJ punched the air in mock triumph. "Yay me."

"Shut up," said Sami laughingly and grabbed a nearby cushion and threw it at him. She groaned in pain as her shoulder reminded her that such movements weren't a good idea today.

EJ easily caught the pillow and gave her a concerned look. "You sound like that hurt you more than me."

Sami pulled a face and put her hand to her shoulder. "My shoulder is really sore. Apparently I'm not built for dangling for extended periods of time."

EJ motioned for her to come closer. "Let me take a look."

"It's nothing," said Sami, but walked over to him anyway. "Just some sore muscles, it'll be better by the morning."

EJ's hand reached out and took hers. "No, it won't, it'll be worse."

Sami sighed. "Yeah, it will be." She wasn't looking forward to that tomorrow but if EJ hadn't held onto her so tightly, she'd be dead right now, so Sami didn't feel like she could really complain.

"Come here." He gently pulled on her hand. "Sit down." EJ spread his legs and indicated Sami should sit between them.

Sami's heart rate immediately doubled but she didn't stop EJ from guiding her down onto the sofa. She was immediately enveloped in the smoky, sweaty scent of him as his warmth wrapped itself around her as settled between his legs, her back against his front. Of their own volition, her nipples hardened and pushed out against the silky material, not bothering with the fact that EJ might be able to easily see them. EJ's hand went to her shoulder, feeling around carefully for any knots or swelling. "It's okay," said Sami shakily, "you don't have to, ooohhh." She couldn't help the gasp of relief as EJ started to massage her shoulder. It felt so good that Sami was temporarily struck mute.

EJ's hot breath tickled her ear. "How does that feel?"

Sami bit on her bottom lip to prevent herself from moaning out loud even as she melted into EJ's touches without a single regret...