Chapter 14

"Good morning every one," said Abigail as she arrived in the breakfast room.

It seemed impossible that the time had gone so quickly… that they were jetting home to Salem that day.

She did not think she was going to be sorry to get back but that was not to say she hadn't had a good time all in all either, she thought. She did not think she was going to be in a rush to go away with Stefano DiMera again any time soon but he had ignored her for the most part, which was just how she liked it.

Unlike her cousins, she thought as she took the seat between Sonny and Johnny. It had been good to be with them.

"How did you sleep?"

"Not so bad," she admitted as she caught Chad's eye for a moment from where he sat at his father's right side. "And what about you?"

"I slept great," Sonny nodded. "Sami must have done a good job wearing Ari out because we did not hear anything from her till about seven." He nodded.

"Grandmothers have their ways," Sami laughed.

"Very true." Kate nodded.

"Do we have to go back home today, grandpa?" Johnny asked, by passing his parents in favour of a high authority.

Knowing the weakness and the fondness that his father had for the children however, EJ stamped on the fire before it could burn to hot.

"Yes, we do have to go home today. Its Monday tomorrow, you have to go to school and mummy and I have to go to work."

"But I do not see any reason why we can't do this again, soon," Sami pitched in as she looked up and down the table.

"Yeah! I wanna come back soon!" Allie beamed.

"Well, maybe we can come when mummy and daddy are on honeymoon," Kate suggested.

It was not as if they were going to be taking the children then and no doubt she and Stefano were going to be the ones who were watching them for the time anyway.

It'd be nice. A little time alone…

"I think that is a wonderful idea," her husband agreed.

"Can you come with us again Abi?" Sydney asked.

"Well, I think we are going to have to see about that," she replied with a smile.

"I suspect you'll be busy." Kate said before she was able to stop herself.

She felt every pair of eyes in the room upon her.

Most of them were curious. Except Stefano… who simply looked as if he would love to know what the hell she was doing showing their hand so soon.

"I have not finished packing to go home yet." And with that she pushed her chair out and left the room, her breakfast only half eaten.

X x x

"I told you what I told you last night because I did not want there to be any secrets between us. Had I known it was going –"

"It threw me ok? It just threw me," said Kate as she sat down in front of the vanity in the down stairs bedroom where she had originally unpacked.

It had not been where she had spent the previous night though, she thought as she looked at Stefano. The night before had been quite, quite lovely and … and she would not have changed a thing but she had had a sleepless night for more than one reason.

"Why does this worry you so? As long as it doesn't come out." He reasoned. Where was the harm?

"I just do not like the fact she is bonding with the children and laughing with Chad when all the time she has – the sainted Horton princess," she spluttered as words failed her with a shake of her head.

"I know you care for Chad and worry for him."

"Yes, I do – and I do not like the idea of him being hurt – or that little thing acting like she is better than him." She said as she vented. She was not. Not anymore.

Putting her head in her hands she sighed. "And here I was thinking that this weekend was going to get you away from the stress of life," her husband murmured as he came across the room and put his hands upon her shoulders, rubbing them gently.

"I am fine – I have it together now and I will keep it together as long as she stays aware from our family… which she will when we get home, I am sure." She said as she turned. "And do not think that this weekend was not good for me because you know it was."

Getting up from where she sat, Kate stepped in to her husband arms. "Thank you."

"You do not have to thank me. It is I who has to thank you. For coming to me when you needed me."

She pushed away the ball of guilt in her stomach.

X x x

The twins and Sydney wore long faces as the boarded the jet to go home. The weekend break had proved to be a taste of the freedom of summer would bring and the idea of going back to school seemed to be repugnant to them now.

"What about you little man?" asked Chad as he sat down by Theo. "You sad to be going home?"

"No. I want to see daddy."

Abe and Lexie's son was as honest as his parents, Chad was reminded as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"I know you do, buddy. You'll be back with him tonight."

"Hey, is your grandma ok now?" asked Abi where she sat with Will, Sonny and Ari two rows back. "She seemed as if she was a little off at breakfast… off with me really."

"I am sure she was just a little stressed."

"Yeah, remember the three of us were able to chill last night. She spent it with Stefano."

Abi nodded at the comfort which her cousins were trying to give her for she wanted to believe that the two of them were right… that she had just caught Kate at a bad time, for she really did not think Kate was a woman she wanted to have angry with her. Not for anything in the world…

But as she looked towards the front if the plane, she saw that the women in question had strapped herself in and then taken her husband hand's in her own.

Somehow, Abi did not think that the night before with him had been as hard for her as her grandson wished to believe.

And then when she caught her eye… she knew she was on her list.

X x x

"Was Theo happy to get home?" asked Kate as Chad got back to the mansion.

As soon as they had touched down the little boy had been making noises about getting back to his father.

It was obvious that no matter how much he did enjoy being with his mother's family, Abe was his safety. And he was ready to get back it that – no matter how much fun he had had when he was with his cousins.

"Oh yeah, run straight to his daddy and got all chatty," He said fondly as he collapsed in to one of the arm chairs as his step mother sat on the sofa and his father stood by the desk looking through mail.

"Bless him, he was looking forward to getting back."

"Yes, he was. Thank you… for letting us all gate crash your weekend, by the way."

"You, my son, are most welcome. It was nice to see you smile," Stefano said as he looked at Chad.

Kate was reminded that it had not been so very long ago that Stefano had been afraid that he was not going to ever get to have another weekend with Chad… let along one where they got to go and be with the entire family.

"It was so nice to get to see Abigail too. She had a great time."

"Yes, she said she was so very grateful," Stefano said in a suddenly much more dismissive tone. Kate studied her nails.

"Are you two ok with Abi? You were very off with her…" he said look at Kate.

"Katherine has had a lot of things on her plate, but your little Abigail is not of them," his father cut in.

"I am pretty she can speak for herself."

"She can…" Kate smiled, nodding gratefully to her husband.. "But it is like your father said – I have had a lot on my plate. I was wrong to snap at Abigail… you know me and your father, we like our time with the grand children and I just did not want anyone to encroach on that."

"That is all?"

"Yes… now I am going to go and have bath if that is ok with you boys. Get the flight off of me." She said as she got up.

"Enjoy, my darling."

"I will."

As she left the room, Stefano followed his wife with his eyes.

"So something changed between the two of you over the weekend." Chad stated. There was no question in his voice.

"Yes. Yes they did."

"Because that did not look like a woman who has been forced in to living here, nor one who was blackmailed in to marriage. She held your hand the entire way back to Salem…"

"What is your point?"

"My point is I am very glad, father, to see you so happy. And I am glad Kate gets to be happy too. That's all."

"Well – that is ok then."

X x x

"All in all, I think that weekend went pretty well."

"Considering that I was wondering when we took off it was going to end in an arrest one way or another, I have to say I agree with that statement."

"It was like the beginning of a murder mystery wasn't it?" Sonny asked as he unpacked the small pile of dirty laundry which he and his family had amassed over the weekend. "That said I still want the two of us to have a proper honeymoon at some point."

"And so do I," said Will with a nod. "That – whatever that was – was not a honeymoon. It was a nice interlude away from Nick, but our honeymoon is going to be a strictly two man party." He said as he crossed the room, removed the washing from his husband's hands and lopped his arms about his neck.

"Two man? What, no Stefano?"

Will laughed. "Well if you think you would miss him…"

Sonny shook his head. "Absolutely not."

The two of then cuddled for a moment before Will drew back.

"Has Ari gone down for the night?" Sonny asked.

"Oh yeah, she was out as soon as her little head hit the pillow."

Sonny beamed. "She is such a good girl. And she behaved so well on the flight."

"I think more than anything she was just interested by it all you know?"

Sonny nodded. He had got that feeling too. "How about the two of us turn in for an early night as well?"

"As soon as I am done looking through the post then I want you to get me straight to bed," Will grinned.

"That is one thing I can promise to do," he said as he moved to finished loading up the machine. "If me and you are going to bed now, then I had better just let this sit overnight, we can put it on in the morning," he said off handily until he realised he had not got a reply. "Earth to Will?"

Turning to look at him it took him all of five seconds to know what ever was in the letter he was looking at it had got his back up.

They had not even been home for two hours yet.

"Baby?"

"Well, I guess I knew this was coming… but I did hope the weekend was going to last a little longer…"

"Will?"

"It is a letter from Nick and Gabi's solicitors… the date for the retrial is next month."

Sonny sighed heavily, the mood the two of them had been in that night utterly ruined.

What more was there to do or say?

"I just want Nick out of our lives."

He knew at this point it did not need stating but all the same the words feel out his mouth.

"I know," Will nodded with the same heavy heart which seemed to be weighing Sonny down just then. "I know."

With the mood that they were in, the early night was off the menu. "I'll put the washing on."

X x x

"My, my, you cannot be going to bed if you are over this side of the house."

All through the bath Kate had been wrestling with her conscious. Her husband had said she was not to tell Sami what had gone on between EJ and Sami but to hell to keeping her mouth shut because he had ordered her too.

She was her own women.

But just then when Sami was acting all high and mighty with her it was easy to do. Sometimes the two of them were close to being friends.

And others they really weren't.

"I do not think that is any of your business so why don't you just got to bed?" she asked.

"Kate, when you moved in here, I gave you my support because you said this was ever only going to be a marriage in name only. Now I find just a few weeks later you are sneaking over to climb into bed with your hubby for the night? Come on, what us up with that?" Sami almost growled through her teeth, frustrated with her.

"Oh you gave me your support did you? Was that before or after I went through everything on my own and figured out how to keep our granddaughter save from a malicious bastard all alone?"

"By going back into the arms of another?"

"You know what? Until you get out of Juniors bed, you have no right to lecture me on who I sleep with or where."

And with that she turned on her heal and headed to the master bed room, her long purple robe flapping about her heals as she did so.

She shut and open the door with quite the bang and Stefano looked up from where he lay, amusement over his face.

"What is the matter, Katerina?"

"Tell me I am not going to have to live side by side with that woman for the rest of my life," she said as she stripped off her robe so that she stood in just her nightdress.

"As long as we want the grandchildren under this roof,I fear living with Samantha is a price we have to pay."

Kate grumbled but said nothing, walking over to the bed and getting under the covers, where Stefano put an arm about her. "Don't be troubled by her tonight, Katherine."

"I am sure I am troubled by her most nights but I shall do my best to put her out of my mind."

She lay back, a petulance on her expression which he could only find endearing.

"Will you move in here?" he asked changing the subject.

Clearly Sami Brady was the last thing on his mind right then.

"Now why would you want me to do a thing like that?" she said teasingly.

"I think you know," he murmured as he kissed her forehead, thrilled to feel her snuggle closer as he did so.

"Is it so that the two of can watch the sun rise together?"

"Among others."

X x x

"Sonny, how are you fixed for tomorrow? Are you busy?" asked Will as his husband came into the bed room.

He had just got out the shower and put some sweats on for bed, setting the alarm for the morning as he climbed in next to Will.

"Umm, I was going to go into the club and look at the books. Why?"

"I have to go in to college to tie up a few loose ends and Gabi said she would take Ari for us, but I just got a text to say she can't."

Sonny faces feel in to confusion. "But she has not seen her since before the weekend, she is going to be desperate to see her." He stated as he shifted himself so that he was looking at his husband.

Will passed his phone over.

Really sorry, can't take Ari tomorrow. Give her a big kiss from mommy. Xx

"Ok…. No matter what has been going on, Gabi adores Ari she would never miss a chance to be with her."

"I know." Will said with a nod of his head.

There was silence between the two of them for a moment. "You think something has happened?"

"I know if it has not then she would never be passing up a chance to see Ari. She loves her more than anything."

"Then we have to find out what it is."

Will nodded. He could not agree more.

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