Convent of the Holy Cross
EJ's first few steps were hesitant, and then they quickened so that in moments he'd reached Tony, and then stopped abruptly. He looked still in shock. "I got your message."
In spite of his misgivings, Tony grinned with wry affection. "I see."
"Damn it Tony, what the hell is going on? I just watched you - okay, your double pronounced dead."
The smile Tony wore widened considerably. "Oh? What a shame to have missed to twice in a row."
"Tony," came his brother's warning.
"What's the matter EJ? I thought you'd be glad to see me."
"I am." And to Tony's complete surprise, EJ pulled him into an awkward embrace and he could feel the younger man's heart pounding. "You don't understand. I thought you'd…" He let go and stepped away and Tony could see the grimace marring his face, "begun to hate me because of all of this - I don't know - stupid business with Father, and him choosing me to run it all."
Tony nodded. "And Father of course, was happy for you see that happening."
"Well, he made all the right noises."
God, how he hated hearing Elvis make excuses for the old man. It made his blood boil knowing what Stefano had done to the boy, the way he'd manipulated and used him. Even so, telling him the ugly truth wasn't something Tony was looking forward to.
"You appear to have had quite a day - care for a seat?"
"What I need is a stiff drink," EJ told him only half jokingly.
With a glance at the door, just in case, Tony produced a flask out of his coat and handed it to his brother who looked at it, not sure if he ought to take it apparently.
"What?" Tony asked, fighting back a grin once more.
"If the nuns come walking in here, they won't be okay with me tossing one back." And he pointed at the altar.
But Tony just shrugged. "The goods sisters will understand under the circumstances, I'm sure. You just lost your brother. Come, drink up."
EJ downed about half of the contents and then handed it back to Tony, who took a swallow as well and then put it away again. EJ was looking around curiously as he did this and then,
"Why did you choose this particular place to meet?" he asked.
Well, this was it, Tony thought with a sigh. No more stalling.
"Come on over here and sit," he said, motioning towards the front pew, and he led the way. EJ followed, after a brief hesitation and sitting down, stretched his long legs in front of him.
"You're going to tell me this was all Father's doing."
A bitter chuckle slipped out of Tony. "Not entirely - at least not where Andre is concerned no. That required Rolf's expertise."
EJ frowned. "Speaking of Rolf, he's been rather conspicuous by his absence lately."
"Really?"
EJ dark eyes met Tony's. "Yes."
Tony did his best to keep his face unreadable. "Interesting."
"Very, considering Andre is suddenly alive and now dead - again, and here you are - quite chipper from the look of things." EJ continued eyeing him intently. "Where is he?"
The curve of Tony's smile was slight but satisfied. "Making himself useful for a change and that's as much as you want to know, brother."
He waited for EJ to argue with him and when it wasn't forthcoming, he couldn't help but breathe just a little easier. Maybe this wasn't going to be as painful as he'd feared.
"And as for Stefano, I'm sorry but resurrecting Andre was only the beginning of his extracurricular activities over the last several months."
"What was supposed to happen to you?"
That took him by surprise and quickly Tony shook his head.
"I want to know," said EJ stubbornly.
Tony looked at him and debated with himself. There was a fine line here between what EJ needed to learn and everything else, and if Tony informed him of Stefano's intentions, it wouldn't take EJ long to figure out that Tony had come back to do more than simply break the news to him about his child.
"I realize that over the last year I've not heeded the warnings you've provided me," said EJ quietly, interrupting Tony's thoughts. "You told me what he's capable of and I blew you off, but obviously I was wrong."
"Now who's making all the right noises?" asked Tony, still suspicious.
EJ's face darkened, but after a few moments of silence, he sighed. "I deserved that."
"I'm not here to be your parent, EJ, or shove any of your mistakes in your face."
"Maybe you ought to."
This was too easy, even after the events of the day - what Elvis had been dealing with over the last few hours, and leaning back against the smooth wood of the pew, Tony chewed on his lip and considered the doubts crowding in on him. "You did quite an about face last fall, after Stefano returned. It was - "
"Thoughtless, I know."
"Well, that's one way to put it. I was going to say reactionary."
EJ glanced at Tony and then up to the altar, thinking about it. "You think I did this because of Samantha."
"I think - " Tony sighed and forced himself to say it, " - you were hurt yes, and you wanted to prove to her that she was wrong - about Stefano and the family - and about you."
"Instead, I was a fool - "
"No," argued Tony, but on his own tangent EJ wasn't listening,
"Oh yes, I - wanted to show her. You're right. I was bloody tired of doing everything I could think of to prove I'd changed and," his laughter was harsh, "it didn't matter. The worst part is she was right, wasn't she?"
EJ turned to look at him now, his expression unmoving but there was a spark in the back of his eyes pleading with his brother, and Tony nodded.
"What - " uncomfortably, he swallowed to get the words out. "did he order Andre to do?"
"Do? asked Tony, hedging.
"To you."
Again Tony hesitated, the lines around his eyes tightening and then, "something that didn't happen and now he's dead again, and Rolf won't be bringing him back this time, so that's that." Tony rapped the flat of his hand on the wooden surface of the pew so that it echoed in the small space.
"You're the one always going on about my naïveté, how I need to open my eyes. So do it," EJ snapped suddenly. "Tell me."
Not exactly sure if it was the tone in EJ's voice, or his words, Tony relented. "As you wish. There's a unmarked grave in the midst of the orchard down near the lake."
EJ's eyes widened. "Stefano has been taking a walk in the afternoons - down to the orchard." His voice was barely more than a whisper by the time he got to the last word.
"How paternal of him," sneered Tony, unable to stave off his bitterness.
"Oh God, this is - " EJ leaned over and put his head in his hands. "Tony, I'm sorry. How could have I have listened to him, let him reel me in again? I swore I wouldn't - do this." The last two words came out in a strangled, tortured voice and not sure if EJ would lash out, Tony laid a hand on his brother's shoulder in comfort.
"This isn't your fault, Elvis."
"The bloody hell it isn't. I was so damn busy with my life, with wallowing in self-pity about Samantha and her indecision, and then Nicole, and the fucking business. And Father, man - you were spot on. He's the best. He knew exactly how to play me and keep my attention everywhere except where it needed to be."
In spite of himself, Tony felt his eyes begin to burn listening to EJ. "I appreciate the thought EJ, but Stefano has made a career out of trying to put me in that grave over the years. I knew he wouldn't quit."
EJ sat back up but he still wore a look of misery and stared straight ahead at the altar, and then as though screwing up his courage, took a deep breath and asked, "Did he have the mayor killed?"
Tony closed his eyes. "Yes."
Back at the DiMera mansion, Nicole wasn't sure how she felt. She ought to be relieved. The bastard was dead after all, and he'd taken his secret with him to the grave. She was free.
"But what did he want?" she'd asked EJ when he'd finally emerged from his brother's room.
EJ had stared at her with unseeing eyes. "He's gone."
"EJ?"
He looked down at her.
"I thought he wanted to see you - to tell you something."
"Oh yes."
Still nothing.
"And?"
"Nicole, would you do me a favor? Would you see Stefano gets home - back to the mansion."
He looked so lost that for a minute her fear began to overwhelm her again. "Of course I will darling, but are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
"No," he said, and then absentmindedly, leaned over and kissed the top of her head
"I need some time to myself."
"Okay."
He turned to go away at that, but she reached out and grabbed his jacket. "Yes? What is it darling?"
"I just wanted to know what your brother was so adamant about. He was trying to write you a note when I came in." She gulped nervously once she got the words out, and held her breath waiting for his answer.
"It was nothing."
"It didn't look like nothing."
"I think he got out the letter B - well, that's what it could be. I'm not certain and to tell you the truth, I can't deal with that at the moment."
He had an almost eerie look in his eyes as he said the last few words and she watched him grab his keys from his pocket. Tangled up with them was a bit of paper, folded neatly which EJ didn't notice as he'd already spun around and taken a step in the direction of the exit. The paper fluttered down to the floor and instinctively, she bent down to pick it up. It wasn't the same one she'd seen Tony scratching on earlier. If fact, it was old and faded.
"EJ -" she called.
But he was gone already.
Nicole shook off memory and checked again to make sure Sydney was sleeping soundly. She wasn't sure where Stefano was. He'd stewed silently in the limo on the way home, refusing to speak to her after she'd backed up Philip's story. Upon his arrival at the mansion, he'd poured himself a drink and stomped off to his study, seemingly intent on getting drunk.
So she was alone except for the baby.
Nicole fished the paper out of her purse and opened it up.
"What on earth? What are you doing with a copy of Tony and Anna's marriage license?" she muttered, and then she saw the date. 1984. "This is absurd, what would you be - " It was then she saw the note penciled near the top and she could feel her heart stop, literally. Meet me at the Convent of the Holy Cross. I'll be waiting.
"Anna." The word was a hiss. "It has to be. Oh, God, she knows too. That bastard told her everything and she's meeting EJ - "
"MARY!"
No one appeared immediately.
"MARY, get your as - get in here, NOW."
Instead of Mary, the newest addition to the household appeared, walking in from the kitchen. "Mary is busy at the moment. May I be of assistance?"
Nicole stared at the butler, trying to remember the man's name but she was too flustered. "I have to go out," she explained. "I need Mary to watch Sydney until I return."
"Yes Madam, of course."
"Not you, Mary." Nicole couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was about the man that bothered her. Perhaps it was just that he was new, or that something about him reminded her of Henderson, even if they looked nothing alike, but she didn't trust him and refused to leave until Mary was brought out from the kitchen and agreed to take care of Sydney. Breathing a sigh of relief, she'd collected her coat and purse, and walked out.
"I'm sorry Harold," Mary said to him after the door slammed shut. "I'm afraid I won't be much help to you tonight."
He patted her on the back, smiled down at the baby who was sleeping with a blissful smile on her lips and went back to help the cook finish preparing supper. It would have to be more tempting than usual or the old man would refuse to eat, and then they'd have two funerals to arrange.
