Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY FIVE – Say What?
Think to yourself that every day is your last;
the hour to which you do not look forward will come as a welcome surprise.
~Horace~
"I don't remember."
John's words hung there in the air, suspended on the gasps of the people in the room. EJ hadn't made a noise but just about everyone else had.
"You don't remember?" repeated Roman, looking shocked.
Sami looked wide eyed between John and her father and she could see her dad's disappointment at this turn of events. It was hard to know that your father was so determined to see the man she loved go down. Sami feared though it was only going to get worse once they found out about her and EJ.
"No," said John steadily with a little shake of his head.
"What do you remember John?" asked Marlena, looking anxious now at this new development.
Sami knew that she was thinking about what else he might have forgotten and knew she'd be doing the exact same thing if that was her and EJ.
"I remember going to the boathouse," said John, "Waiting for... someone to turn up and then nothing."
Everyone knew in the room who that someone was, none better than Sami. After all, she'd been the one to set him up in the first place. None of this would have happened if she'd just stayed out of it Sami thought morosely. Sami so wished she could turn around and see EJ's face but it would have looked a bit obvious. His comforting presence was there though and Sami drew on it. This was all so unexpected and too good to be true honestly and Sami found it hard to let herself hope that all of this could well work out after all.
"That's not unusual for traumatic events," Marlena comforted him, patting his arm, "I'm sure it will come back soon enough."
Marlena looked over at EJ with a hard look as she said that.
"Maybe," said John shortly, eyeing EJ as well.
"You shouldn't force yourself John," said Sami, trying to not sound as anxious as she felt at the thought of John getting his memory back, "The most important thing is that you are going to be alright – that is all that matters."
John gave her a little smile
"Well this is clearly a family thing," said EJ evenly, "I'll take my leave. John, I'm very glad to see you awake again. I'm hopeful your recovery from here on in will be a speedy one – your family has missed you."
"Don't you dare wish him well!" Marlena snapped, looking upset now, "You're the one who put him in a coma in the first place EJ! What are you even doing here?!"
"I-"
Roman went to speak but EJ cut him off.
"I'm sorry Marlena," he said calmly, taking the blame, "Of course you are right – I shouldn't be here."
EJ went to back out of the room but Bo stalled him.
"Don't think for one minute that this is over Junior," Bo warned him darkly, "John's going to get his memory back any day and when he does, well, we all know what will happen then don't we?"
EJ just gave a tight smile but didn't reply, going to leave again.
"Elvis," now it was John stalling him and the two men looked at each other while Sami held her breath, "Be good."
Sami tensed at hearing John say that. Clearly he knew that it was EJ who had shot him, no doubt her mom had told him that. Of course though John wouldn't lie, if he couldn't remember he couldn't remember and it must be eating her step father up inside that he wasn't able to slam the door shut on EJ's prison cell himself. Sami knew this was far from over but right then she didn't care. They'd somehow managed to leap out of the way of this oncoming wave of disaster and Sami was going to take it with both hands. John may never get his memory back and right then that was enough for her.
"I'm working on it," said EJ with a lop sided smile and then he was gone.
The tension immediately left the room and Sami almost felt her knees give way from the relief that EJ really was walking away a free man right then.
"I'm sorry Roman," said John grimly, looking at his old friend.
"Can't be helped," said Roman regretfully, "Like Marlena said, I'm sure it is just a matter of time. EJ DiMera isn't going to be walking around a free man for much longer – he's going to slip up sooner or later."
Sami's stomach tightened at the thought of how badly her father wanted to put EJ away and despaired over what his reaction was going to be to their relationship.
"Do you need anything John?" Sami asked, wanting to distract everyone from talk of imprisoning EJ, "I can go and get you something if you'd like."
"I wouldn't mind a paper," said John thoughtfully, "Catch up on what I've missed out on."
John looked suddenly thoughtful.
"Who won the baseball?" he asked curiously.
"The Red Sox's," Bo supplied.
"Damn," John muttered unhappily.
Sami couldn't help but roll her eyes, she and her mother exchanging exasperated looks. Of course one of the first things he'd ask about after coming out of a five month long coma was baseball – that was so John.
"I'll go and raid the news agency," said Sami with a smile, happy to have something to do.
On impulse she leant down and kissed John on the cheek. He looked a little surprised but quickly hid it.
"I'm glad you're alright John," she said emotionally, "I really am."
"I'm glad to be back Sami," said John with a half smile.
"I-I missed you," said Sami unsteadily, knowing it was true but finding it an unfamiliar feeling to be trying to draw closer to John and not pull back from him.
"I missed you too short stuff," said John with a full-fledged smile now, using a pet name for her that he hadn't used in years.
Sami saw her mother's face light up at the tender moment between her daughter and husband and it was with a pang she regretted all the heartache she must have caused them both over the years. Suddenly she was in her mother's shoes, knowing that Will wasn't going to react well to her choosing EJ over his father and anticipating a lot of resistance there as well. The old adage about reaping what you sowed came back to Sami and she swallowed a sigh at the thought.
oooOOOOooo
EJ walked into his apartment and stood there for a moment, not moving. Then he slowly walked over and took a seat on the sofa, staring ahead, lost in his thoughts.
"Hiya love chunks!"
"Hello Sam," said EJ distractedly, still staring at a spot in front of him and not bothering to turn around to see her as the voice had come from behind him.
Sam wasn't deterred though, walking around to stand in front of him.
"You dodged a real bullet today huh?" she asked him conversationally before pulling a face, "Unlike John rather ironically."
"Yes," said EJ coolly, "It's my lucky day alright."
"Is that dry British humour or are you being sarcastic?" asked Sam, eyeing him sceptically.
"I haven't seen you around for awhile Sam," said EJ, "Can I say how much I've missed you."
"Okay, now was that sarcasm?" asked Sam, looking at him with pursed lips.
"You're me," EJ grunted in annoyance, "How can you not know when I'm being sarcastic?!"
"Dunno," she said with an unconcerned shrug, "Isn't it enough that I am your ubiquitous companion?"
With that Sam suddenly launched into cheerleader mode, obviously feeling EJ wasn't excited enough about her presence.
"Give me a U, give me a B, give me an I-"
Sam was leaping around each time as she spelt out her word and EJ couldn't help but notice that the bra she was wearing was barely doing its job in containing her with each new leap.
"Give me a K, give me an I-"
"That isn't how you spell ubiquitous," EJ interrupted her in annoyance.
"Yes it is," protested Sam, "It's the American spelling because I'm American remember!"
"First of all you aren't any nationality because you're not real," snapped EJ, "Second of all if anything you'd be English because I'm English and third of all there is only one way to spell ubiquitous, in any language!"
"Okay," Sam sniffed, "Keep your toupee on my passion Oreo."
"Oreo?" queried EJ in annoyance.
"It's a biscuit," Sam informed him, "An American one – you know-"
Sam leant down towards EJ so that he had a clear view down her bra which he took because hell, there had to be some kind of payback for this relentless torture.
"It's all hard on the top and bottom," she said, hands on knees as she gave him a sultry look, "But soft in the middle."
Sam stopped then and straightened up, putting one hand on her hip and tapping at her lip with a finger as she thought about that.
"No wait," she said, "That's no good – you're no use to me if you are soft in the middle. Let me think about this."
"Don't bother on my account," said EJ, shaking his head and looking up at her.
"Why are you in such a mood?" asked Sam in exasperation, "I thought you'd be thrilled that the coma you put John in has turned his brain to mush? That man has just inserted a 'get out of jail free' card into your firm buttocks my pet – why aren't you happier?"
EJ scowled at the unpleasant imagery that conjured up and didn't answer her. He needed time to think about this new development and Sam wasn't helping.
"Why don't I do a dance for you and cheer you up?" she offered brightly and before he could stop her Sam had launched into a dance that would have made a stripper blush.
"What do you think my love beagle?" she asked him huskily, "Am I making you hot?"
"You look like a woman giving birth," said EJ dourly, summing up her sensuous writhing and trying to be as disparaging as he could about it although it was very hard because she looked as sexy as hell.
"And don't you just wish I was giving birth to you," she purred at him huskily to which EJ looked suitably confused.
Sam stopped what she was doing and looked a little confused herself.
"What?" asked EJ, bewildered by that statement.
"Sorry," she said, wrinkling her nose, "I was going for sexy innuendo and ended up in Icky Town instead."
"Sam can you just leave me alone please?" asked EJ curtly, "I need some time to think."
"What about?" asked Sam curiously.
"About what just happened today," said EJ shortly.
"Your eggs landed sunny side up," said Sam with a bit of a shrug, "You should just grab your bacon with both hands and dig in."
EJ's eyes narrowed at that rather unlikely analogy but didn't dwell on it.
"I just don't know," said EJ distractedly, "John doesn't remember now but who is to say that he won't remember in a day or even half an hour? Particularly with everyone so very keen for him to do just that I have to wonder just how much time I really have."
"Why does your glass always have to be half empty?" asked Sam in frustration, "Why can't you just take it for what it is – a gift from God."
"I don't think God is in the habit of handing out favours to would be murderers somehow Sam," commented EJ dryly.
"So what are you going to do about it?" she asked conversationally, "You could always sneak in after lights out and smother him with a pillow if you are that worried."
EJ looked at her askew for that comment.
"I thought you were meant to be my conscience?" said EJ in exasperation, "What kind of suggestion is that?!"
"I don't ever recall having signed up to be your conscience," Sam sniffed, "I'm more of a problem solver and the old pillow kiss would solve your problem – just saying."
"It would turn me from a would be murderer to an actual murderer," said EJ curtly, "I don't see that helping my cause."
"Dead men tell no tales," said Sam knowingly.
She stopped then, looking suddenly puzzled.
"Although Charles Dickens is dead and he tells tales, Stephen King looks like he is dead and he is still telling tales so I'm not sure how that works really-"
"Shut up Sam!" EJ ordered her curtly, "None of this is helping. I don't want John dead, I just don't want him ruining my life with Samantha either by telling everyone I shot him."
"Cut out his tongue," offered up Sam, obviously still trying to be helpful.
"He could still write it down," argued EJ, not sure why he was bothering.
"Well cut off his hand while you're at it," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Geez, you're making this more work than it has to be Elvis."
"I don't see the good of slowly dismembering a man," growled EJ unhappily, "And I can't see Samantha being thrilled at the thought of me hacking away pieces of her step father! You're usually the voice of reason – what is up with these crazy ideas?"
"I might be a little off my game," admitted Sam with a bit of a pout, "I dropped some acid the other day with some of the girls I play tennis with on a Tuesday and I don't think I've completely come good from that."
EJ opened his mouth to respond to that but then realised he had absolutely no idea what he should say. Whichever way you looked at it that was one weird ass comment – on so many levels.
"Could you be a brain tumour?" asked EJ hopelessly, staring at Sam with a shake of his head, "Maybe I should go and get myself checked out because this just isn't right."
"Hey back off buddy!" Sam sniffed, "Don't you be calling me a tumour – I'm a perfectly natural part of your psyche I'll have you know!"
"That can't be true," said EJ faintly, "No one else could possibly be experiencing this."
"How do you know?" reasoned Sam, "I'm guessing people don't tend to talk too much about people like me."
"You're not people," EJ corrected her automatically although he had to agree, she might have a point there.
EJ suddenly wondered if Sami had a near naked version of himself talking to her all the time and couldn't hope that she did – it would certainly make him feel better he decided.
"So what are you going to do then?" asked Sam, folding her arms in front of her chest, "You have to do something right?"
"I'm not killing anyone," said EJ flatly, "I know that for sure."
"Many a slip twix the cup and the lips," Sam tutted, "You never know what you might do when push comes to shove."
"I'm a changed man Sam," said EJ firmly, "Anything goes is no longer an option."
"All I'm saying is that you are in no position to be ruling out options," said Sam knowingly, "Best case scenario you are going to have just about everyone in Salem in violent opposition to you and Sami coming out of the closet you've been shagging each other senseless in for these last few months. I'd hate to think that these new founded ethics would stop you from kneeing anyone in the rattlers if they tried to come between you and your girl."
"Don't worry," said EJ grimly, "There is no one on this earth that will keep us from being together – I don't care what I have to do to make it happen."
"I wonder if when you look up the dictionary under 'famous last words' there will be a picture of this moment?" asked Sam dryly as she rolled her eyes at EJ's certainty.
EJ scowled and realised he had just contradicted himself. He couldn't imagine stopping at anything to be with Sami and right now there was a huge threat to that. Any day John could open his mouth and end EJ's life with the woman he loved and even worse for EJ, leave Sami alone. It was something he sworn he'd never allow, for Sami to be alone in this world again. For EJ, keeping Sami safe and happy was the highest priority and everything else faded into the background. He didn't want to be like his father and kill and maim with reckless abandon but then the most precious thing in the world for EJ was at stake and he simply didn't know if he could leave such a thing to chance.
"You know you could outsource," suggested Sam who had been shamelessly listening in on his internal thoughts, "You could send Bart out to rob the man and John will most likely end up dead as a result. I mean that is what happened last time and it wouldn't really be your fault because you can't help that Bart's parents were most likely cousins thus making him a congenital idiot and a raging incompetent."
EJ frowned at the suggestion and didn't answer her.
"You're thinking about it aren't you?" asked Sam knowingly with a little laugh, "Oh yeah, Elvis has definitely not left the DiMera building quite yet now has he?"
EJ turned his head away and didn't answer, his face darkening along with his thoughts.
