Chapter 21
"Well, that was just about the hardest school drop off I have ever done. Do you think I should have let them stay home?" asked Sami as she came back into the apartment.
Lucas shook his head.
He too had got up to help see the kids off to school and therefore knew what Sami had had to do that morning had been no easy task.
"I knew all three of them are upset about Stefano, but letting them sit round here and brood on it wouldn't be good for them. Hopefully, a little time with their friends is going to take their minds off everything." Lucas shrugged.
Sami could only hope he was right.
Johnny, Sydney and Allie had not taken the news well. All three of them had been through such a lot in their shorts lives, even recently. Their grandfathers shooting had come hot on the heels of the wedding and it – it was hard for them. Sami knew that. But she also knew her children were tough little cookies who were going to be able to get through this, given a little time…
"Any news from the hospital?" she asked, still not quite believing she cared so much.
On one hand, this was Stefano DiMera who they were talking about. But it was also the man who had been there to save their little grandchild when they had not been. It killed her, but she knew she had to give him a little credit for that. Even after everything he had done to her and her family.
Lucas shook his head. "I tried to call mum, but she did not pick up so I am guessing either her battery is dead or she is trying to get some sleep. I tried Kayla too but she hasn't got back to me yet."
"Well, if we do not hear from her in a bit then I will try again," Sami said as she put the coffee machine on…
She had a feeling they were all in for another very long day. Caffeine was their only hope.
X x x
"The doctor said it is ok for the two of us to come in now… while your still here I mean." Chad said as he and EJ came in to their father's room.
Since he had been shot the two of them had been in and out sporadically, but he was aware his step mother had not given herself a break at all, going no further than just outside the room when she had to leave. It had been a long night but they had made it through it. All of them had.
Kate nodded.
She was not going to throw them out if the doctors said it was ok.
"How are you doing? Did you get any sleep at all?" EJ asked as he and Chad sat down.
"I think I may have got a couple of hours…" she said with a nod but somehow Chad felt she was lying.
Kate had been the very meaning of the word devoted through the long, lonely night.
"Do you want to go and get a few hours now? We are not going to leave him."
But Kate shook her head. The sight of her husband's hand in her own was enough to hold her back.
X x x
Gabi wanted normality. More than anything she wanted normality.
And so the morning after she was sure Nick was out of her life for good, she went back to Salem U. She had never got a chance to graduate after all the hard work she had put into getting ready for her exams and so she was going back. She would re-register, do the last year again and for the first time in a long time she told herself she was going to make her daughter proud.
She had to be strong for her baby. And she had to set an example.
And so that was how Ari came to be left in the care of her daddy's that morning. However, seeing as it was apparent the baby girl wanted a lie in, sleeping long after her mother left the apartment, that did not leave her dads with a lot to do.
So they decided they were going to have a lie in as well.
"Ari must be wiped after yesterday," Sonny said as he held Will in his arms.
It was so long since they had had a chance to just lay together… and he could not get over how peaceful it was just to be with his husband.
He kissed Will's forehead. He just wanted to kiss him over and over again…
"She is not the only one. I can't remember the last time I felt as tired as I do this morning…"
Sonny nodded. He could appreciate that.
There was a silence between the two of them for a moment as they listened to the sounds of the birds' just outside.
"I cannot believe it is actually over. I cannot believe Nick is out of our lives…"
"Neither can I. I mean I hoped the day after the wedding we were home free but… but this time we know we are…"
"Home and dry right?"
It had been hanging over them for months. For months and months.
"We are actually free," he said as he rolled over to kiss his husband. "As soon as grandma Kate has Stefano home safe," Will stated. As soon as they managed to peel themselves out of bed then he was going to text his grandmother to see how things had been over night.
But Sonny did not seem to be very willing to let him out of bed. Will had no problems with that. It had been far too long since they had enjoy their marital rights.
"Missed you," Sonny said as he placed light, teasing kissing on his husbands neck.
Will needed no further hints. Sonny needed him as much as he needed Sonny.
"I missed you too…. now let's make the most of Ari being asleep."
X x x
The first he knew was there were lights above of him. Then there was beeping in the room. And then there was the feel of a hand in her own.
Something had happened. He had been here before and he knew how it felt to be in trouble.
But what had happened this time? He tried to remember. He had been walking up the path and he had gone in to the house… more than anything he had wanted to see his Katerina.
Only Katherine had not been there. Nick Fallon though...
He had been there. And he had had baby Arianna in his arms…
His eyes sprung open.
The first thing he saw was Chads forlorn face – then he saw that EJ was right by the side of his brother. It was the closet he had seen the two of them for weeks. Even in the state he was then he knew that.
But it was not one of their hands he was holding. It was a woman's.
He turned his face to the other side of the bed.
X x x
Kate did not think she had ever been so happy to see a pair of open eyes.
It had been a long twenty four hours. A very long twenty four hours. And she had a horrible feeling that this was not an end but a beginning.
She was going to have to explain to him why she had chosen not to call him all over again and there was going to be lots of saying sorry to do. But at the same time, she found she just could not care about all that.
Because the two of them had the chance to start again… not so long ago, it had seemed as if they were never going to get this chance again.
"Cara," Kate breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time since he had been shot, she felt as if she was able to draw breath…
She got up from where she was sitting so she might get nearer the bed and placed a kiss on his forehead.
"I – oh, thank god, Stefano…" even as she focused on him, she could hear the boys laugh through their relief.
Not so long ago they had all been wondering if they were ever going to laugh again and now….
Thank god….
"The baby?" Stefano asked.
"Fine. She is fine, she is at home with Will, Sonny and Gabi thanks to you." She said as she kissed his forehead over and over again.
She was never going to take him for granted again. She was never going to hide things from him again, she thought to herself.
She was just going to love him.
As Stefano reached up to brush some of the falling tears off of Kate's face, EJ rushed out to get a doctor and Chad relished in the feeling that things might just be ok from now on…
The next couple of hours were spent with doctors in and out of Stefano's room; with Stefano in and out of consciousness; and with Kate in and out of shock as she realised her husband was going to be ok. They might have to walk a long road together. But they had done it before and they would do it again.
She ended the day as she had begun it at her husband's side, longing for the day she could take him home. It would not be long in coming.
X x x
Kate was no more accepting of Nick's fate than Will had though she was going to be, when he told her of it the following morning.
She had always been a lioness when those she loved were hurt and this time was no different.
"If I had my way…" she grumbled as the two of them sat together in the hospital canteen… Will had no doubt that some very dark and ugly thoughts were going through her mind. He was glad she did no see fit to vocalise them any further than she already had.
"I know – but we just have to focus on the fact he has gone. At last… he is out our lives…"
Hope had come over to the apartment to confirm that the night before. He was also pretty sure she had felt the need to check up on them which was nice… at last, the Brady's were beginning to act like the family which they were.
She had also mentioned something Nick had said about a night at a river. She had also said something to insinuate he had put Kate and Sami at the scene of the crime.
His aunt had said she was not going to follow it up however, as she had no evidence. The direction he had given her had flagged up… nothing at all. She had put it down to stress and a need for revenge and she hoped when she saw Nick at a later date he would be calmer and more stable.
The only criminal charges which she had to follow up were the ones of Nick shooting Stefano.
"So he is gone, Gabi is home and Stefano is going to be fine. What's that saying? 'All is well that ends well?'"
Kate smirked. "My grandson the Pollyanna. Well, I guess you are right." She nodded.
But there was doubt in her voice.
"It's over… we can relax now, ok?" Will reassured her.
Kate smiled a little smile… yet, she was unable to shake the feeling nothing had ended yet.
X x x
"Where are the boys?" asked Stefano as Kate came back in to the room.
"They have gone home – I told them to go get cleared up." In spite of the fact she did not think she wanted to admit it out loud, she felt much better herself after she had had a shower and freshened up.
Of course, she might just feel better because she knew he was going to be ok.
Or maybe it was a combination…
"So it is just the two of us?" he asked as she leant in for a kiss.
"Just the way it always should have been." she replied before their lips met.
She was not going to allow even a seed of doubt to form in his mind. From now on… things were going to be different. He was going to know she was here, right by his side, because she wished to be.
The words had the desired effect she noted. A smile crept on to his face and his fingers brushed her cheek.
"How do you feel, my love? Are you in any pain?"
He shook his head. "I am fine, my darling. Now may I ask you another question?" he asked.
"I think you just did, but I will permit another."
"When I got back to the house… where were you? Why was little Arianna there when you were not?"
Kate felt as if she had been stopped dead in her tracks. She did not wish to discuss the night he had been shot. Not then and not ever. It was going to haunt her for long enough as it was. Yet deep down she knew they had too. And she had been prepared unknowingly for this moment. Even as she had been dreading it when he had been waking up, she had been preparing for it…
His eyes searched her face for a moment. She later wondered if he had seen the very moment when she had decided what to do. Bite the bullet and tell the truth.
And she told him everything. The texts, the moment she had decided not to call him, everything she had been feeling that afternoon… and the hell she had been through since they had got back to the DiMera Mansion.
Before the end of it all, tears were falling on to her cheeks…
"I will tell you anything – and everything from now on," she sighed. "I learnt the very, very hard way what happens when we are not open with one another…"
He nodded. "We both did." He could see that now.
She met his eyes. "You're not angry with me?"
Stefano shook his head. "I think… I think I can understand why you felt you couldn't come to me… I would have wanted to protect you too. And it is like we said before… we are no longer young, sweetheart. We don't have time to…"
"Shhh," she said putting her fingers to his lips. The two of them had had a close shave. Too close for them to then discuss such matters.
"Waste… which is why… I need to offer you something. With no strings attached… and no pay backs if you take it. You're free to do as you will…"
She shook her head. "I don't understand…"
"A divorce. If you want it. Katerina, I made so many mistakes. But I won't have the two of us obligated to this marriage."
She sat back for the first time. "Is that what you are? Obligated to me?"
He shook his head. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
Kate swallowed as she considered her next question. "Why did you ask me to marry you? Or should I say, make me marry you?"
That he could answer very simply. "Because I love you, Katherine. You more than anyone else."
"Do you know why I stayed here, with you?" she questioned waiting no time befire she provided him with the answer. "For the same reason. The very same. You are my husband… and I am your wife. And we have nothing to do with duty or obligation. Let's just get you better… go home… and love one another, honestly. Let's just do that?" she begged as he reached out to take her hand.
"I think that sounds wonderful, my darling."
"So do I."
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