Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY EIGHT – Teddy Bears Picnic
Each moment of a happy lover's hour is worth an age of dull and common life.
~Aphra Behn~
As it turned out Poohsticks was the game from the Winnie the Pooh series of books where each person selected a stick and then dropped it off one side of a bridge and the raced to the other side to see who had won the race. Sami found herself enjoying the childish game immensely as they all tried to win, EJ cheating shamelessly.
"That is in no way your stick!" Sami declared, looking up at EJ accusingly, "You're cheating!"
"That was so to my stick!" EJ protested back, "You just can't handle the fact that I beat you young lady."
"I'd handle it just fine if you actually did!" Sami huffed, hands on hips now as they squabbled happily like children, "But that wasn't your stick – it was mine!"
"I think my stick sank," observed Edmund thoughtfully as he continued to peer over the edge of the bridge expectantly.
"Oh you silly," laughed Susan, "Sticks don't sink – they stick, that's why they're called sticks! I'm bettin' you that it got itself stuck on something down there."
Sami giggled at Susan's quite practical and yet unique diagnosis of the situation.
"We should go again," said EJ, "Best out of fifteen."
"There's no point if you are just going to keep on cheating," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.
"I'm not the one dropping my poohstick early," EJ tutted, giving her a censuring look.
"It slipped from my hand that time," said Sami, looking ever so innocent, "You can't blame me EJ, it was gravity's fault."
EJ gave a loud snort at Sami's argument.
"Is anyone hungry?" asked Edmund, interrupting their playful banter, "All of that Frisbee chasing has worked up quite an appetite I've found."
"I could eat," said Sami with a smile.
"We'll go and set up!" said Susan excitedly, grabbing Edmund's hand, "Come on Eddy!"
Susan began to skip along merrily, Edmund doing his best to keep up and Sami tried not to laugh at the cute but comical sight they made.
"Edmund never really did learn to skip," said EJ in amusement as he watched the two of them go off ahead, "I suspect it has something to do with being English."
"Can you skip?" asked Sami with a laugh.
"Of course," said EJ, grinning down at her, "I'm my mother's son."
Sami giggled at the thought of the six foot four man beside her who always seemed so cultured and refined, skipping.
"Sorry about my Mum," said EJ with an impish smile, "I think she's a bit jet lagged and that is why she is at half speed."
"That is half speed?" asked Sami faintly and then had to laugh, "Your mom is so much fun EJ."
"She is," he agreed with a grin, "I had a wonderful childhood with her – never a dull moment."
"It must have been so strange for you to go from one household to another," said Sami with a shake of her head, "I can't see Stefano being a big fan of skipping."
"Let's just say my childhood was diverse," said EJ dryly.
"I can't even imagine what it would have been like," said Sami, looking up at him rather sympathetically, "How on earth do you find some common ground between Susan and Edmund Crumb and Stefano DiMera?"
"I guess I didn't question things too much," admitted EJ, "You don't tend to when you are growing up – your life is just your life."
EJ looked away briefly now, lost in thought for a moment.
"I wonder how different my life may have turned out if I had thought to question my father from the beginning?" EJ pondered quietly.
He looked back at Sami with a sad little lop sided smile.
"I rather think that your family wouldn't have as much cause to despise me as they do if I had," he said ruefully.
"And you could well have ended up locked away in a dungeon if you hadn't done what Stefano wanted you to do," said Sami with a frown, "Or worse – I mean we still don't know what happened to Tony. The only thing we do know is that he isn't on a business trip."
"I agree that is unlikely," said EJ with a grimace.
"Whatever decisions, good or bad, we've made EJ they've all lead us to this point and I can't bring myself to regret that," said Sami simply, "I love you too much and I'm just too happy to think about those things right now."
"My little philosopher," said EJ affectionately, tapping the end of her nose playfully.
"Somebody has to be the brains of this operation," Sami sniffed in feigned haughtiness.
EJ gave a chuckle at her comment.
"So what am I meant to be then?" he asked her in amusement.
"I just keep you around for the heavy lifting," said Sami straight faced, "And if I need a light bulb changed."
"I live to serve," said EJ straight faced.
He looked over to where Susan and Edmund were now off in the distance and smiled down at Sami.
"It means the world to me that you like my mum and Edmund," said EJ sincerely, changing the subject for a moment, "I love them both very much and I want to be able to share that with you."
EJ linked his fingers through Sami's then as they began to follow the older couple at a more leisurely pace, enjoying the time alone. Sami leant into EJ as they walked along.
"I'm so happy," said Sami with a little sigh and a soft smile as she looked up at EJ, "This day has just been perfect."
"Even with our chaperons?" EJ asked her teasingly.
"Your mom is great fun," said Sami with a little laugh.
"No one could ever accuse her of being boring," agreed EJ with a chuckle.
"You're wonderful with her you know," said Sami, looking up at him admiringly, "Really sweet – when you're not teasing her of course."
"She's my mum," said EJ with a little shrug, "Why wouldn't I be sweet to her?"
Sami smiled at the way he said that, quietly thinking to herself that he was going to make a fantastic father.
"You know it's funny to think that out of everyone you probably have the best and most normal relationship with their mother of anyone I know," said Sami ruefully.
"Well if I'm looking at Lucas being my competition in that field I don't think that is saying terribly much," said EJ dryly, "As long as I'm not putting her shoes on and spraying myself with her perfume then I think I'm ahead."
"EJ," Sami chided him gently, knocking into him as they walked along, "Don't be mean."
"Sweetheart I'm just stating the obvious," said EJ unrepentantly before looking at her curiously, "Don't tell me you've never wondered over Kate and Lucas' relationship before today."
"I was usually too busy just keeping Kate at bay," said Sami grimly, "Having someone gunning for you 24/7 is pretty distracting."
Sami shook her head.
"I am going to be soo glad when Kate is out of my life for good," said Sami with a heartfelt sigh, "I don't even care that the old witch is going to get such a kick out of saying 'I told you so' to anyone who will listen about what a horrible person I am. It will be worth it."
"Kate won't be saying any such things about you," said EJ firmly as Sami gave him a sceptical look.
EJ squeezed her hand tightly.
"Nobody gets to speak ill of you ever again," he said determinedly and Sami could see the real steel in his eyes as he said that.
"Are you going to be my protector?" asked Sami with a little smile.
"Absolutely," said EJ without hesitation before smiling down at her, "Just like you are mine."
"I can kick butt when the mood takes me," agreed Sami with some satisfaction.
"Yes you can," EJ grinned, lifting their intertwined hands and kissing Sami's knuckles one by one, his eyes warm and loving as he looked down at her.
They were approaching Edmund and Susan by this stage and the already laid out picnic blanket which the two of them were sitting on, sneaking some kisses.
"Ah the parental unit are canoodling again," said EJ with an indulgent roll of his eyes.
Sami giggled a little at that, never having been exactly sure what canoodling looked like but EJ was right, Edmund and his mother were definitely canoodling.
"Aahheemm!"
EJ cleared his throat loudly to let the other two know they were there, causing them to break the kiss.
"We're in a public place," he admonished them playfully, "Let's keep the lewdness to a minimum eh?"
"Well you're one to talk now aren't you sug?" his mother said, sending him a knowing look through her thick, black rimmed glasses at EJ, "I'm not the one who needed to be bailed out of jail after being caught playing nude Frisbee on the beach."
"You told!" gasped EJ, looking over at Edmund in vague accusation.
"Susan is my wife," said Edmund, pushing up his glasses and looking at EJ unrepentantly, "I can't keep secrets from her."
"Wait a minute," said Sami, looking up at EJ in disbelief, "You were playing nude Frisbee on a beach somewhere?"
"Ah," EJ paused for a moment and then gave a little shrug, "Yes."
"How do you play Frisbee alone?" asked Sami in consternation, looking up at EJ in amusement.
"Well I wasn't exactly alone," said EJ, looking almost uncomfortable.
"Oh," said Sami with an arched eyebrow, "There was a girl there I suppose and don't tell me, let me guess, she was naked too?"
"Yes," said EJ and pulled a face, "I think it goes without saying that this happened long before I met you Samantha."
Sami could see that EJ was looking at her a little uncertainly, trying to gauge her reaction to this new snippet from his past. She found it rather cute that he was worried really.
"Are you mad?" asked EJ vaguely nervously and Sami loved that he cared so much about her opinion of him.
"Actually I'm relieved," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "Playing nude Frisbee by yourself is just plain weird, having someone else there at least makes it less Norman Bate-ish."
"I must have missed the part of the movie when Norman played naked Frisbee," said EJ impishly, looking relieved himself now it was obvious that Sami wasn't upset, "I'll have to watch it again."
"What movie is this?" asked Susan curiously.
"Psycho," EJ informed her, "Not your cup of tea I think darling."
"Are there vampires in it?" asked Susan, looking suddenly nervous.
"No dearest," Edmund reassured her, "No vampires."
"You know," said Susan, leaning in towards Sami as though she was keeping a secret from prying ears but her whispering was far too loud for it to be a worthwhile tactic, "They make sure there are plenty of movies about them so that no one thinks they are real but I'm onto their tricks, oh yes siree I am."
"Who makes movies?" asked Sami in confusion.
"The vampire men," said Susan, wide eyed and deadly serious, "They make all them movies about themselves so we won't think they are real."
"I believe Hugh Grant does the exact same thing," said EJ straight faced.
"You know they are everywhere," continued on Susan, ignoring EJ totally, "Oh me oh my yes they are – that's why you gotta take extra special, special care to watch out for them cause they are just sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!"
"Um, okay," said Sami, not sure what else she could say in the circumstances.
"Samantha has me to protect her Mum," said EJ evenly with a reassuring smile at the older woman, "I won't let any harm come to her just like Edmund won't let any harm come to you from vampires or any other nasties out there."
"I know," said Susan with a happy sigh, "My big old Eddy Bear knows how to take care of me."
"With such a jewel how can I not protect you with my life," said Edmund very sincerely and Susan made a happy cooing noise and they were kissing again.
Sami looked at EJ, vaguely bemused but still finding the obvious devotion of Edmund and Susan to be very touching.
"I think we might be in charge of organising the food," said EJ patiently as he observed the display the other two were putting on, "Otherwise we'll all starve to death."
oooOOOOooo
Stefano struggled to open his eyes, finding the light too bright for him.
"Rolf," he rasped, his voice hard to use.
"Ya Stefano," said Rolf, appearing by the bed, "I am here."
Rolf leant over him, patting Stefano's arm.
"It vent vell Stefano," he reassured him, "Za Phoenix rizez again."
Stefano made a grunting noise, not feeling particularly mythical right then.
"Shall I fetch Elvis?" asked Rolf, "He vill vant to see you."
"I don't want him to see me like this," said Stefano weakly.
"He vould vant to be here," said Rolf, "You vere vis him every day in za hozpital when he needed you."
"I am his father," said Stefano grimly, closing his eyes again, "That is how it should be."
"But if you should take za turn for za worse-" began Rolf worriedly.
"I won't," said Stefano tersely, "I will not allow it. I have much I still have to do. Elvis is not quite yet ready to take over the business yet and I must oversee the transition. I will not let the DiMera empire fade away, not after all that I have done to preserve it."
"What if he doesn't vant to do vhat it iz you require of him?" asked Rolf, narrowing his eyes a little, "Vhat vill you do zen Stefano?"
Stefano looked back at Rolf steadily, despite his weaken state, before replying.
"What it takes," he said grimly, "I will do what it takes."