part 10

Two weeks later, Sami was unpacking her favorite knick knacks and chotzkas, in the family room of the living quarters above the Brady Pub. Some were legacies from both sides of her family and made her eyes well up with tears. Others were handiworks from her son, and framed pictures of what she knew would become the Brady-Roberts family, but no sooner than Thanksgiving. She was about to wipe the dust off a favorite piece of rainbow glass, when someone knocked on the outer door.

"Lucas, why are you knocking? We're engaged for peets sake, did you lose your key again?"

"Are you giving out keys to the place, Sami? Where's mine? And come to think of it, where's my hug?"

Sami turned and laughed, rushing to give that hug to John Black. "Did you come to help me unpack? if not, make yourself comfortable while I at least finish this box." Sami instructed her stepfather.

"I came to see how you're settling in. And to ask if you've talked to Mike, or Laura, or anyone at the Medical Center in the past few days" John said.

"No, I haven't been over there this week at all. What's this about?"

"The CDC issued its final report on the virus. And the ISA is just about to conclude the preliminary part of its investigation. I've been letting everyone not working directly at the hospital in on their findings. And that includes you. Sami, I know you busy, with moving in and getting ready to reopen the Pub and wedding plans, but you have a right to know what we've found."

"John, if you sounded any more serious, you'd be scaring me." Sami told him.

"And that's not what I want to do. Here's the thing though. Both reports point to that dam virus being manufactured, and planted in the local water supply. If we hadn't found the point of contagion and the nature of the bacterial virus when we did, we could have lost hundreds more.
The bottom line is, someone wanted to kill off the whole town of Salem. Instead they only managed to kill the best ..." John blinked, and Sami knew he didn't want to be seen tearing up, so she looked at the shelf she'd been filling and found something that might chase that mood.

"You know how you always find things you're not expecting to ever see again when you move?" she asked. "Well I found this picture yesterday and ... I think you should give this to Belle. I don't know who took it, but its so sweet."

John took it and sighed, but not as painfully as a moment before. It was a picture someone in the church on Christmas so many years past must have taken and given to Caroline or to Marlena. It showed John gently putting an infant Belle into her mother's waiting arms.

"I'll know you've completely forgiven me for trying to steal your daughter, if you'll accept that from me, John." Sami said quietly.

"I would have thought you knew that was a fact long since, Sami. You were a kid, and we did a bang up job of messing up your life." John told her. "But if you need to hear the words, yes, of course, Sami, I've forgiven you long since. And I feel confident in saying you wouldn't ask me to give you away, taking your Dad's place, if you didn't feel the same way, now."

"You were my Dad, John. You knew it and I knew it for such a long time. If I blamed you then, it was only because I didn't yet understand what it can feel like to lose a child, or even be afraid of losing your child. If someone tried to tell me I wasn't Will's mother tomorrow, I think I'd want to punch their lights out. But these reports, what is the ISA going to do? Who do they suspect? Why would anyone want to kill so many people?"

"There are some suspects. But no clear leads, yet. And we have to follow up fast, because who knows whatever innocent town or city they might target next? Of course the alarm has gone out now, what the hospitals and clinics, nurses and doctors should be watching for. We're fairly certain the original material was produced overseas, and Shane has the European offices spreading the net. Not only that, Tony has offered his own resources to the hunt. I guess he wants to catch the bastards who killed his sister and threatened his children as much as I want to get my hands on the maniac ... Well, now At least there's actually someone to find, to fight and to stop from spreading this horror. It seemed so random, and hopeless ... Now we know better. And I swear to you, the same as I would to your mother and brother, Sami, we'll find them and stop them, once and for all." John's face had grown grim again, and Sami wondered what she could do to help.

"Mom will be glad to know other families aren't going to be devastated, and Eric ... well, I know my twin, He'll be glad to be part of the solution. And so am I. What else can I do, John?"

"Keep safe, hold on tight to your family, open the Pub again, and get married asap." he answered, smothering a cough. "And don't look at me like I'm about fall over, okay? I promised Marlena I'd hang out until I knew you and your sisters and brother were going to make it okay. And I never broke my word to her. I'm not starting now."

"Besides," Lucas added, walking in on them. "Shane told me himself, John's not allowed outside the county line. And Tony offered to lock his brother up in his basement room if our favorite agent tries to take a powder. Hey, John."

"Hey, Lucas. Anybody ever tell you that you have a real gift for raining on other folks parades?" John quipped.

"Many, many people. Many, many times. Mostly her .." Lucas laughed, gesturing at his fiancée.
"Doesn't she look great, John? Hey didn't I hear there's an old family tradition around these parts of really, really pregnant brides? Sami, we'd better get busy!" Lucas said, and swept his lover into his arms.

"That's on the Toscano-Black side of the family." John snapped back, grinning. "And from the last note I got from Brady, he may be stepping up to the plate. Seems Chloe all of a sudden had a command performance type tour of the Greek islands. And Vic's not giving a peep of resistance. Thank G-d. That would make Izzy B smile from here to Athens!"

"John, you know we're having everyone in the whole fam damily over for a pre-opening dinner, I'm shooting for next month, give or take. At least promise you won't go chasing bad guys until then, okay?" Sami asked her stepfather.

"Not a chance of that." John answered. and bent to kiss her face. "Keep her happy, Lucas, that's all anyone can ask." Then he left as abruptly as he arrived.

"Lucas Desmond Roberts if you even think about ... When I asked you to marry me I didn't' say or hear anything about a pregnancy clause! I have no intention of having our wedding when I'm as big as house with the next set of Brady twins!"

"Twins?" Lucas turned pale, "I thought twins skipped a generation?!"

"Not in my mother's family, Poppa." Sami grinned. "Relax, do you really pay so little attention that you don't know I'm using birth control this time, until the wedding license is at least signed?"

"And then, all bets are off!" Lucas crowed, picking Sami up in his arms and whirling her until they both felt the room spinning. Taking advantage of the loveseat Sami had kept from her grandmother's belongings, Lucas and Sami were enjoying his somewhat early homecoming when a piping voice reached them from the empty Pub below.

"Mom! Mom! Dad had Carrie pick me up, cos he said he had a meeting after work. Mom! Are you asleep up there?" Will called.

Laughing and pulling her clothes back on, Sami walked out to the top of the stairs. "Well, if I had been sleeping, I sure wouldn't be now." she laughed. "Come up, wash your hands and face and help me start supper. Your Dad's 'meeting' has been delayed."

"Delayed, delayed, and delayed again." Lucas mourned, biting his lower lip to keep a laugh in.

"But not cancelled." Sami turned to smirk at him. "Patience IS a virtue."

"Yeah and Patience Brady-Roberts is what I'm going to call our first born daughter." Lucas quipped.

"Patience?" Will exclaimed bolting into the room at his usual calm pace. "Dad, we live in Salem, okay/ But not Salem, Massachusetts! Geesh!"