Chapter FORTY NINE
"Where are you going?"
Sami turned around and sent Tosh an exasperated look. "I'm visiting the little girl's room, okay?"
"Stay within earshot."
"I will not!"
Tosh grinned. "I meant so I could still hear you scream if needs be."
"Oh," Sami blushed, "um, okay." She wandered away from Tosh and horses and found a suitable spot. "I wish I was a man sometimes," she sighed as she gathered up her skirts and squatted down. When she was done Sami straightened up, rearranged her clothing and headed back towards their makeshift camp. Out of the corner of her eye she saw EJ approaching from her right. He hadn't seen her yet and Sami was glad he hadn't been a minute earlier. Theirs had become a decidedly intimate relationship but Sami didn't know if she was ready for that level of freeness between them.
She went to call out to him as he hadn't noticed her yet, heading off in a slightly different direction back to camp. Sami opened her mouth and then quickly closed it again when she saw the shadowy figure of a man coming up behind EJ. It was dark but Sami could still make out the man's black hair and tanned skin. He was about a half a foot shorter than EJ, but had a broad back which spoke of a lot of strength. Her heart pounded in her chest at the realisation that the men on their tails had caught them up. She grabbed up a nearby lump of wood and crept over behind a tree. Sami waited until EJ had passed by and then stepped out behind the tree, swinging the wood at the man's shins with all of her might. The man screamed loudly as the thick branch connected with his shins and he grabbed at them, hopping around the forest floor. "Leave us alone!" Sami yelled at him. She swung the branch above her head, ready to hit him again but EJ was coming up behind her, grabbing at her arms and stalling her.
"No, Samantha!"
Tosh burst from a row of trees behind them, Monsieur Pointy drawn and ready for action. "What's happening, what's going on?"
Sami tried to wriggle free from EJ's grasp. "He was going to attack you!"
"No he wasn't," said EJ, finally managing to pull the lump of wood from her hands.
Sami whirled around and looked up at him in confusion. "But-"
"He's a friend, sweetheart." EJ had a smile playing around his lips. "Calm down."
"Owww!" complained the man, now hopping on one leg as he rubbed his no doubt bruised shins.
Tosh squinted at the other man. "Good lord, Petru," said Tosh and then grinned, "good to see you, old boy."
Petru groaned a reply.
Tosh clucked sympathetically. "I see you've met EJ's missus."
Petru seemed to forget his pain at that bit of information. He looked over at EJ. "You married?"
"Oh well, ah, I little bit," EJ nodded, "yes."
Petru pointed a finger at the still bemused Sami. "You marry her?"
"I did, and her name is Samantha."
"Actually-" Sami went to correct EJ but the newcomer had heard enough it seemed.
Petru threw his arms around EJ's neck and kissed both of his cheeks. "Uimitor (amazing)!" he exclaimed in delight. "Felicitări, prietenul meu (congratulations, my friend)!" He turned his attention to Sami next. Petru held his arms wide, a thrilled expression on his face. "Samantha!"
Sami backed away uncertainly from the animated man who looked to be in his mid forties. "Oh, wait, I really have to tell you-"
Sami didn't get any further as Petru swept her up in his arms and swung her off her feet as he kissed both of her cheeks just as enthusiastically as he had EJ's. He set Sami down who was feeling quite dizzy now. She swayed a little and it was fortunate Petru still had his hands on her shoulders to support her. "We must celebrate!" Petru's grin split his whole face. "There will be a wedding feast tonight!"
Tosh threw his arms up in the air in excitement. "Huzzah! A party!"
"No, no," Sami shook her head, "no party, Mr. DiMera, tell him."
"Mister DiMera?" Petru burst into laughter. "You make wife call you by last name? You English, you all mad."
"He didn't make me, I want to," Sami protested.
Petru looked surprised. "Why?"
EJ rolled his eyes. "Such a good question, Petru."
"It's like a pet name," said Tosh knowingly. "You know, like sweetheart or love handles."
"Ah, Tosh, it is good to see you, my friend." Petru drew him into another enthusiastic hug and kissing session.
Sami shook her head. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
"This is Petru, an old friend," EJ supplied, "and it looks like we've an invitation to dinner."
Sami tugged on EJ's sleeve and he bent down so his ear was level with her lips. "Is he, ah, you know, umm-"
"I gypsy," said Petru proudly, "is that what you want to know gadjé?"
Sami blushed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that I've never met a gypsy before."
"I never meet woman who club me with wood without even saying hello, so we even, eh?" Petru grin widened to tell Sami he was only teasing but she still felt badly about it.
"I really am sorry about that – it's just that I thought you were going to attack, Mr. DiMera."
Petru waved a dismissive hand at her apology and nodded approvingly. "You protect your man, is good. A woman should know how to fight for what she wants."
"It's a swings and roundabout thing with Samantha when it comes to protecting me, Petru," said EJ wryly. "One moment she is single-handedly taking on a villain like yourself, the next she is pushing me out of a second story window."
Sami put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You do go on – it was only a first floor window."
EJ ignored her, smiling sweetly at Petru. "Did I mention the building was on fire at the time?"
Petru chortled. "Your woman too much for you to handle, engleză ţigani."
EJ sighed dramatically. "I'm beginning to suspect as much, my friend."
Sami gritted her teeth. "I'm not your woman." She gave him a pointed look. "Tell him, Mr. DiMera."
Tosh interjected. "You see the truth is, Petru, our Sami is a modern woman and doesn't like belonging to anyone, even her husband."
"That isn't what I meant-"
Tosh pulled Sami to one side and whispered frantically in her ear. "Party, poppet, party!"
"But-"
"It's all settled then," said Tosh loudly. He rubbed his hands together in excitement as he addressed the amused looking gypsy. "Back to yours, Petru, for a good old fashioned knees up." Tosh put on a suitably hang dog expression. "You've no idea what I've been through in the last few days, Petru. I'm in desperate need of some relaxation."
"You passed out drunk on Wallace last night," EJ reminded him, "how much more relaxed are you planning on getting, Tosh?"
A wicked smile touched Tosh's lips. "I think you already know the answer to that question, old boy."
EJ sighed. "Unfortunately."
"Look, we really don't have time for a party," Sami said, fidgeting on the spot. She looked between them and shook her head. "Remember, we're kind of in mortal danger here?"
"In my experience there is no better time for a party then when mortal danger is knocking at your door," said Tosh knowingly.
Sami rolled her eyes. "How do you figure that, Tosh?"
"We'll be safer with Petru's clan then sleeping out in the open like this," EJ told her. "The party notwithstanding, a little company right about now wouldn't be such a bad thing. We'd blend in a little rather than our current predicament – standing out like dog's bollocks."
Tosh nodded. "And that's particularly the case with the kind of company who is known for being armed to the eye teeth." He looked Petru up and down. "Just one gun, Petru – you disappoint me."
Petru smiled and then revealed a knife in one boot, another one in his back belt buckle and a smaller gun in his other boot.
Tosh grinned. "Rroms – my kind of people."
"You've already topped our entire arsenal, Petru." EJ's lips quirked. "The best we've got right now is a stick and the memory of a chicken we ate last night."
"Chicken?" Petru looked intrigued.
"Tosh is insisting he could stab someone with a chicken."
Petru shrugged. "If you really wanted to, is possible, I suppose."
Tosh looked triumphant as he put his arm around the other man's shoulder. "Did I mention Rroms are my kind of people?"
EJ shook his head in resignation. "I'm surrounded by lunatics."
Sami folded her arms in front of her chest. "Is that so?"
"Not you, sweetheart – for the most part you're quite sane."
"What kind of back handed compliment is that?"
"An accurate one."
"Enough chit chat," Tosh declared, "there is a feast waiting with my name on it."
Sami grimaced, still not really sure this was a good idea.
"How far away is your camp, Petru?" EJ quizzed him.
"Not far, ten minute walk, eh?"
"We'll just collect the horses." EJ nodded at Tosh and the two men disappeared into the forest, back towards camp, leaving Sami alone with Petru.
She fidgeted with her necklace. "So, um, it's really kind of you to invite us to dinner, Petru. I hope we're not going to be an imposition." She pulled a face. "I feel I have to tell you that we're in a bit of trouble and-"
"Bad men after you, and you're hiding from them, no?"
"Ah, yes." Sami looked up at him in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Is EJ and Tosh." Petru gave a philosophical shrug. "Is always bad men after them."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
Petru laughed loudly. "Why bother us? We Romani's know what it is to be chased. We belong nowhere and to no one other than ourselves."
Sami looked at him intrigued. "And that doesn't bother you? Not fitting in, not belonging anywhere?"
Petru half smiled. "We have our own kind of belonging." He thumped his chest. "We carry it within us – all Romani do. We belong to each other and to the life we've made for ourselves."
Sami contemplated that thought, the idea a fascinating one and something she'd never considered before. "That must be nice, to feel that way about your life. I've never really belonged to anything before." Sami made an embarrassed face. "My-my family and I don't get along so great." She didn't know why she was sharing such intimate details with a virtual stranger but there was something warm and engaging about Petru that made Sami feel like she was safe with him. "My family didn't really understand me or have much time for me. I can be difficult to live with, I guess."
"Maybe you are like the cuckoo, eh?"
Sami pouted. "Are you calling me crazy?"
He chuckled. "No, no, little one, don't you know of the cuckoo? The mother bird lays the egg in the nest of any bird it can find. When the bird hatches he is not like other baby birds, he doesn't belong. It's only when little cuckoo flies far from nest does he finds some of his own kind and truly discovers who he is and where his home is."
Sami blinked, amazed by Petru's analogy.
Petru smiled as he watched her expressive face. "You are a long way from home, eh, little cuckoo?" He leaned in closer and nodded. "But you have found your home, no?"
"Wh-what do you mean?" Sami's heart was racing.
"Your Mr. DiMera – he is your home, yes?"
Sami's stomach tightened and her bottom lip quivered. "No," she whispered sadly, "it isn't like that, Petru."
Petru clucked and straightened up. "It is for him."
Sami shook her head sadly, desperately wanting that to be true but forcing herself to face the truth. "No, it isn't how you think between us."
Petru tilted his head. "Maybe it is you who doesn't know how it is, eh, little cuckoo? Sometimes you have to know yourself before you know where you belong." He eyed her speculatively. "Do you know who you are, Samantha?"
Sami wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold. "I-I think I'm lost, Petru."
Petru put a kindly hand on Sami's shoulder. "Then let the right person find you, and then neither one of you will be lost ever again, eh? Let someone see all of you and only then will you be home."
"But how do I know who that person should be?" asked Sami hoarsely.
"A person always recognises their home." Petru gave a little shrug. "But it is not always where they expected it to be. You will know, my lost little cuckoo, you just have to have faith in yourself and in your heart."
"But-but what if I get hurt?" Sami asked anxiously.
"If you do not cry then how will you ever earn your laughter?" Petru countered. He half smiled. "You cannot have one without other. Is life, is messy – no mess means no life."
Sami had guarded her heart for so long she no longer questioned it. Petru's words made her suddenly blindingly aware of the fact that while she was alive, she'd stopped living a long time ago, fear preventing her from letting anyone into her tightly controlled, yet chaotic, world. A wave of loneliness washed over her which Sami had never let herself feel before.
"Ah," tutted Petru, "I have made the little cuckoo sad." He lifted Sami's chin with a finger. "This will not do."
Sami gave a brave smile, through the welling tears. "No, I've made myself sad and I never even knew before just now." A single tear streaked down Sami's face.
Petru caught it with his finger and nodded approvingly. "So you have your tears at long last, eh, Samantha?" He smiled warmly. "So now you have earned your laughter." He winked at her. "Time for a wedding feast I think."
"But we're not married," Sami blurted out.
Petru's lips curved upwards in a knowing smile. "Trust me, little cuckoo, by end of feast, you will be."
"Oh," said Sami, not know what to make of that but feeling a little thrill at the thought of being married to EJ for real, her heart beating an excited tattoo as a small smile lit her face.
