Something To Remember – Part IV
CHAPTER 46
The blast from the mansion blew Ops and Phillip to the ground. When they finally managed to get up on their feet it was to see Bart running towards them. "Holy cow, did you see that!" He exclaimed. "Wow, are you guys ok? Holy cow. Count D. is not gonna be pleased about this, I'll tell ya!" Phillip grabbed Bart. "Is anyone in the house?" He screamed at Bart. "What?" Bart answered. "No, no! Count D gave everyone the night off. I was just coming back from the garage when I heard the explosion! Hey, ain't you the Kiriakis kid?" "What about Sami Brady, have you seen her. Was she in the house at all?" Phillip asked him." "Nah, she was supposed to go to the party at your place with the Count." Bart said, "Say what's going on anyway? How come you left your own party to come here?" "You think she's in there?" Phillip said, ignoring Bart's question and turning to Ops. "Only one way to find out man!" Ops answered. "Hey!" Bart yelled at Ops as he saw him running for the door. "You're not going in there?" "Yeah he is!" Phillip answered pulling the gun from his waist and pointing it at Bart. "And so are we!"
The flames licked higher as the fire spread quickly over the hay surrounding Tony and Sami's prison. "Sami." Tony screamed at her, pushing her towards the open gate. "You have to get out of here, now!" "I'm not leaving you!" She screamed back. "Damn! Maybe I can get the keys off him." She said pointing to he goon whose body was slowly burning to a crisp. "Yeah, sure and set yourself on fire in the process!" Tony said. "Well have you got any other ideas?" Sami said coughing. The smoke was beginning to get to her and it appeared to be getting to Tony as well. He took off his now tattered shirt and ripped it into two strips covering his mouth with one and handing another to Sami, so that she could do the same. "The shotgun!" Tony cried. "Maybe we can blast the chain free!" Sami looked down at the gun in her hand, and couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it herself. "Stand back." She told him as she took aim at where the chain was secured to the wall. She fired at the chain and hit it. It took a chunk out of the heavy iron, but did not free the chain from the wall. "Damn it!" She cried. "Well try again." Tony said, his coughing now growing worse. Sami took aim at the wall again and fired, but no explosion came from the gun. "It's empty!" She said to Tony, whose face suddenly reflected panic as the flames surrounding them rose higher. "Sami!" He said grabbing her by her arms and shaking her. "You have to go, now. You can't wait any longer." "Nooo!" She yelled at him. "I told you, we are in this together till the bitter end and I am not leaving you! Now maybe the first shot loosened the chain. Let's try to pull this sucker out of the wall! Are you with me?" He looked at her with deep admiration for her courage. "All right!" He said and they both grabbed the chain. "On three then." He said to her. "One, two, three." They pulled together with all their strength, but the chain didn't seem to budge. "Again!" Sami cried and they pulled the chain again and this time it seemed to give a little.
"Ops!" Phillip screamed as he dragged Bart into the mansion. "Down here Phil!" Ops screamed from down in the basement. "What the hell did you bring him in here for." Ops asked, covering his mouth from the smoke, as Phillip entered the basement with Bart. The flames hadn't reached this part of the house yet, but the thick black smoke was everywhere. "Because he might know where we can find Sami!" Phillip said back. "Hey!" Bart said struggling. "I already told you that Sami isn't here. She's at the party with Count D!" "No Bart!" Ops told him "Sami never showed up to the party and no one has seen her for days. Now, is there anywhere that Tony might have her stashed?" "Why would he stash her somewhere? The Count's crazy about her." Bart asked coughing. "Just tell us, if there is any place in this mansion that might serve as a good place to hide someone!" Phillip said putting the gun to Bart's head. "I don't know. I'm down here everyday and I haven't seen her anywhere! I swear!" Bart said frantically. "Maybe he really doesn't know." Phillip coughed. "Bart, listen to me man." Ops said. "Sami's life could be in serious danger right now, and your boss wouldn't like that! Is there anywhere else down here that she might be or is there another level to this house?" "Another level?" Bart asked and then he suddenly remembered. "Yeah, yeah! He said, "There's an old storm cellar under the basement. But it's blocked off. Nobody's used it in years!" "Show us!" Phillip said to him.
CHAPTER 47
"Oh Sami, it's no use!" Tony cried slumping to his knees. He was weak now from all the smoke he inhaled. "It's not going to budge." He coughed weakly. You have to save yourself. "No!" Sami yelled at him, as she grabbed him and hauled him back to his feet. "I'm not giving up Tony and neither are you! And if we go down we go down together!" He looked at her as if she'd lost her mind, but then picked up the chain again. "All right, all right!" He said, "We'll try again!" They counted to three again and pulled at the heavy chain. Suddenly Sami heard what sounded like voices coming from the end of the corridor. "Sami!" Ops screamed making his way through the flame and smoke towards the cell, Phillip and Bart on his heels. "Ops!" Sami screamed, hearing him call her name. "Ops, we're down here!" Ops covered his mouth quickly as he finally saw the cage that held Sami and made his way inside. But then he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Tony chained to the wall. "What the hell!" "It's ok, he's not the one who did this!" Sami said seeing Ops confusion. "But there's no time to explain! He's chained to the wall and we can't get him loose!" "Holy cow! Count D!" Bart exclaimed jumping to Tony's side to support him, as he seemed on the verge of collapsing. "Stand back." Ops said as he and Phillip pulled out their guns and took aim at the chain in the wall. " Ready?" Ops asked Phillip and at his nod he yelled "Fire!" They both fired off continuous rounds until finally the chain exploded freeing Tony, who was now almost passed out from smoke inhalation. "Give him to me!" Ops told Bart, taking Tony's now limp form and slinging him over his shoulder "Now let's get the heck outta here!" The quartet ran down the hallway, towards the stairs leading up to the basement. Sami stole one last glance at her former prison and shuddered before running up the stair after Phillip and Ops, with Bart bringing up the rear.
They made their way up to the main floor of the house only to discover that their exit was engulfed in flame. Sami screamed suddenly as the chandelier dropped to the floor and Phillip barely got her out of its path in time. The fire on all sides now trapped them and Sami clung to Phillip in fright. "We're gonna have to run straight through it, man!" Ops said to Phillip "Are you nuts!" Sami cried, "We'll be burned to a crisp." Sami listen to me!" Ops said putting down Tony and taking off his jacket. Phillip saw him and followed suit, as did Bart. "The chances of us getting burned running through that fire are slim to none if we get through it fast enough and cover ourselves." He picked up Tony again and slung him back over his shoulder, then covered them both, as best he could with his jacket. "Now I want you to stay close to Phil!" He said to her. "Let him use his jacket to cover you both! When I say go, you're gonna run like hell with him through that fire and you're not gonna stop till you hit the grass outside. And whatever you do, do not let go of Phil, understood?" "Yes." Sami screamed over the roar of the flames, as Phillip quickly place his jacket over them both and she clung onto him. "You too Bart. Just run like the devil himself is chasing you through them flames ok?" "Got it!" Bart said covering his own head with his jacket. "Alright then, on three." Ops said nodding to them. "One…two…three. Go!" He screamed at them and the four of them ran for their lives through the flames blocking the doorway.
CHAPTER 48
The Party was in full swing at the Kiriakis Mansion. John tried to keep an eye on Tony but he kept getting distracted by this person or that who wanted to chat with him. "John?" Victor said coming up to him. "Are you enjoying yourself, you seem a bit distracted?" "Hmm?" John replied before turning his attention away from his brother and over to his former father-in-law. "No, Victor, not at all. I'm having a great time. It's a great party, you really outdid yourself for Phillip!" "Yes, I did." Victor said. "It's just too bad he isn't here to enjoy it." "Huh?" John asked, puzzled. "Well it seems my errant son has gone missing from his own birthday celebration." Victor said testily. "Missing?" John said suddenly fully alert to what Victor was saying. "Yes, he disappeared a couple of hours ago and no one has seen him since." Victor replied. "I was actually coming over here to ask if you'd seen him recently." "No Victor." John said raising his eyebrow in suspicion. "No unfortunately I can't say I have." "Well no bother." Victor said. "He'll turn up eventually. I just wish I knew where he's gotten off too. Ah well, if you'll excuse me." Victor walked away to join Nicole. John frowned grimly after him, before turning to look in his brother's direction. He was afraid he knew only too well where Phillip had gone. And when he got his hands on Victor's son he was going to wring his neck.
Sami and Phillip collapsed on the lawn coughing. Sami raised her head, waiting to see the figures of Ops and Bart running towards them. She was just about to panic when she saw them run out of the mansion. "Are you ok?" Phillip asked her touching her arm. She coughed, the smoke still stinging her eyes and mouth. "Yeah, you?" she asked him. "Yeah I'm ok." He replied, coughing also. Bart and Ops stopped in front of them and Ops laid Tony on the ground, as Bart sank down onto the grass, beside his boss. "Are you two ok?" "Yeah, we're good." Phillip said. "Fine, ack." Sami managed to cough out. "Boss, boss?" Bart cried checking Tony for a heartbeat. Ops knelt down and checked Tony's pulse, it beat strongly and he breathed a sigh of relief. "He's ok, Bart." He said. "He just passed out from all the smoke inhalation." "Oh thank God." Bart said. "I just don't understand, I thought he went to the party." All three men turned and looked to Sami for an explanation. "He did, or rather Andre Dimera did." "Andre Dimera!" Ops and Bart said in unison. "Yeah he and Tony's ex-wife, Kristen have been holding Tony prisoner here for months." "Andre and Kristen!" Philip exclaimed." Well that certainly does explain a lot." Suddenly Tony stirred and began to cough. "Just take it easy Dimera, take it easy." Ops said as Tony tried to sit up. Tony tried to speak, but couldn't do more than whisper the word, "Bomb" "Bomb?" Ops asked looking at the other three. "Bomb!" Sami suddenly shouted, jumping up. "Kristen and Andre! They said they planted a bomb at the Kiriakis mansion. It's set to go off at midnight!" "It's 11:30 now!" Phillip shouted reaching for his cell phone only to find his pocket empty. "Damn it!" "What?" Ops asked him. "I must have dropped my phone coming out." "We'll use mine!" Ops said flipping out his phone. "Damn it! I can't get a signal." He cried. "Come on then! We have to get over there!" Sami turning to run for Ops' bike, but he grabbed her arm. "Sami wait." He said. "I can't let you go." She wrenched her arm away. "You know what, we can argue about this later, but right now we're running out of time!" She broke into a run towards Ops bike. "Shit!" he muttered. "Get him to a hospital!" He shouted at Bart and then to Phil "Come on!" He got on his bike and Sami, who'd already put her helmet on, climbed up behind him as Phillip jumped into his car. "Hang on!" Ops said to her as he started up the bike and roared off behind Phillip's car.
CHAPTER 49
John frowned down at his watch and saw that the time read 11:40. He should have heard from Ops by now and he was starting to get worried. "John?" Marlena said coming up behind him and putting a hand on his sleeve. "Is everything ok?" He turned towards her and forced a smile. "Yeah, Doc." He said. "I was just wondering where you'd gotten off to." "Oh." She said to him. "I was upstairs with Nicole. She was a bit upset over something and I went up to talk to her." "I see." John said. "Is she ok, now?" "I'm afraid not. I told her that perhaps she should rest awhile before coming back downstairs. And I'm happy to say that I think she's taking my advice!" "Well you give good advice." John said and leaned down to kiss her. "Thank you." She murmured, cuddling up to him. "So, have you and Tony spoken any more this evening?" "Nope. Not a whole lot to say to each other." He answered grimly. "Well, I just hope that Sami's feeling better. I think tomorrow, I'll go by her place and try to talk to her." Marlena said. "I just can't go on like this anymore, not speaking to her. I miss my sweet girl too much! I just have to make peace with her. Even if it means accepting Tony as the man in her life." John looked at her in surprise. "I'm proud of you Doc. And I wouldn't worry too much about Tony being in her life much longer. I have a feeling that Sami's headache might just have been an excuse not to be with him tonight!" "Do you really think so?" Marlena asked hopefully, "Time will tell!" John said "But I think that tomorrow is bound to be a better day." Marlena leaned her head on his chest and said, "Oh boy I hope that's true, because I really do miss her!"
Ops' bike raced along the highway behind Phillip's car. "Can't this thing go any faster?" Sami shouted into the wind. "We're already doing 80!" Ops said. "How much faster do you want me to go?" "Just get us there! It's almost midnight!" She shouted back at him. "Relax, we're almost there!" Meanwhile Phillips heart raced as he took turn after turn, his foot hardly ever touching the brake. All he could think of was his mother and father and all of his friends being blown to smithereens by the Dimera's bomb! He stepped on the gas to go faster, his fear driving him on!
"Excuse me." Andre said to Cassie, who was chattering on in his ear about some silly fight she'd had with Belle. The girl was a nuisance and one he was glad he'd be rid of after tonight. "But I need to go have a word with John." "Oh but Daddy, I wasn't finished." Cassie said and grabbed his arm to keep him there, so he could listen to her. "Don't worry, my story's almost done." Andre frowned at her as he looked down at his watch and then over at John. "Damn. It's 11:50" He thought. He had to get away from this mewling twit and get John outside where they would be safe from the bomb. He rolled his eyes and frowned at Cassie as she prattled on with her nonsense, and tried to ask her again to excuse him. But then Lexie walked up to both of them and taking a hold of his arm joined in the conversation, preventing him yet again from leaving.
"There it is!" Ops screamed to Sami as they tore up the road to the drive of the Kiriakis Mansion. Phillips car screeched to a halt at the gate and he jumped out! Ops skidded his bike behind him. "What's wrong?" He asked as Phillip scrounged in his pockets for something. I can't find the damn key for the gate. "Move out of the way." Ops said shoving Phillip aside and pulling out his gun. He aimed at the gate and fired, blowing the lock to bits. Phillip swung the gate open and raced up toward the main entrance. "Here!" Ops said tossing a second pistol to Sami, before they took off after Phillip.
John's cell phone rang and Marlena frowned at him. "Honey!" she said reproachfully. "I thought we agreed no business tonight." "Just a sec Doc. It might be important. Hello." He said into the phone. "Shane, It's about time! Whatta you got? What?" he gasped in surprise "No, that can't be. That's impossible!" He said turning and staring towards Tony in shock, just as the doors to the living room burst open sending people screaming in surprise. Phillip, Ops and Sami raced into the room, and drew their guns, pointing them towards Tony, who then grabbed Lexie around the neck and held his own gun to her head!
CHAPTER 50
Lexie screamed as Andre grabbed her around the throat and pointed the gun at her temple. "Tony, what are you doing?" she cried out. "He's not Tony!" John said stepping forward. "That's far enough, John!" Andre said "So you figured it out, finally did you? It Well it certainly took you long enough didn't it! You must not be as good an agent as the ISA thought!" "Tony!" Lexie choked out. "What are you talking about?" "What he's talking about Lexie." Sami said walking slowly towards them. "Is that he's not Tony, he's Andre!" The room let out a collective gasp and Andre smiled at Sami. "Well, well!" Andre said. "I see you managed to escape my love! Very good, I'm impressed. Might I at least hope, that my dear cousin Tony is on his way to join his beloved daddy?" "Sorry to disappoint you Andre, but Tony's safe and sound and on his way to the hospital." Sami said to him. "Oh well, that's a pity! But you know me, if at first I don't succeed, I try and try again! Now why don't you lower that gun before I put a bullet in dear Lexie's skull!" Sami stopped close to where John stood, but kept her eyes locked with Andre's. "Oh come on Andre, even you must realize that a threat to Lexie won't stop me from taking a shot at you. If she gets hit, I certainly won't lose any sleep over it!" "No!" Abe cried out and Sami mask of indifference to Lexie's plight slipped. "Sorry my love, but I don't buy it!" Andre sneered at her. "Now drop your weapon." Sami hesitated and then slowly put her gun on the floor. "Ok, Andre. Let's make a deal." Let everyone in here go, including Lexie and take me instead." Andre's eyes glittered with desire. "And just why should I do that?" He asked her. "Because time is running out and you need to get out of here." The reminder of the ticking time bomb in the mansion made Andre frown. He realized that his plan could still succeed though, but he would have to hurry." "No tricks now my love!" He said to Sami. "No tricks." Sami said shaking her head and throwing a look at Lexie as she saw Andre's grip on her neck loosen. A movement in the shadows behind Andre caught the corner of her eye. She wondered who it might be, hoping that perhaps someone might be able to get the drop on Andre, if her silent signal to Lexie didn't succeed.
"All right then." Andre said to her, taking his arm from around Lexie's neck and moving to grip her upper arm instead. "Come to me slowly. That's right!" Sami walked slowly towards Andre, trying to keep his attention focused on her. Then suddenly as she got very close to where he and Lexie stood, Lexie's arm shot back and she elbowed him in the stomach. Andre doubled over as Lexie jumped away from him. He recovered quickly enough though to bring the gun up. The shadowed figure behind Andre leapt out at him and tackled him and the gun went off with a roar as Andre threw off his attacker. Sami screamed at the sight of Lucas jumping onto Andre and tackling him. The room erupted into chaos as everyone ran for the door. Andre jumped up and grabbed Sami by her hair forcing her out to the garden. "Sami!" John screamed. "I'm on it!" Lucas yelled chasing after them. "John, we gotta get everybody outta here now." Phillip yelled "There's a bomb and it's gonna go off any minute!" "Holy shit!" John yelled "Ok, everybody get out of here now!" He looked down and saw Abe cradling the body of his blood soaked wife. Lexie had been hit in the chest by the stray bullet from Andre's gun. "John, help me!" Abe cried. "I can't stop the bleeding." John knelt down and took Lexie's lifeless form into his arms. "Come on partner, we can tend to her outside." He said to Abe. "But right now we gotta get outta here!" "John!" Marlena cried to him as he made his way towards the crowded exit. "Sami, where is she?" "Andre dragged her out towards the garden but Lucas went after them." John said grimly. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be alright." "Oh my God, Lucas." Kate cried.
"Let me go!" Sami screamed kicking out at Andre. Her foot caught him in the shin and he howled in pain, but he didn't let go of Sami. He growled at her furiously and raised the gun, before bringing it down on her head. "NOOOO!" Lucas roared as he saw the butt of the gun hit Sami's temple and saw her slump to the ground. He leapt onto Andre and they struggled for the gun still clutched in Andre's hand. Lucas got in a good right hook just before the building behind them exploded sending them both tumbling to the ground.
CHAPTER 51
John slowly lifted his head and shook it to clear the cobwebs. He felt something beneath him and realized it was Lexie. He looked around quickly for signs of his own wife and saw her lying a couple of feet from him, with Abe and Kate next to her. "Doc!" He called to her. Marlena moaned and opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. "John." She said weakly. "Are you ok?" John said crawling towards her. "Yes, I think so. Oh my goodness, Abe and Kate! She cried. "They look ok." John said as Abe and Kate slowly began to move. "I'm gonna check on Lexie." John moved back towards Lexie and Marlena sat up and took a look around her. They had managed to make it just outside the entrance to the mansion when the blast had knocked them all to their feet. Now as she looked around, people lay everywhere, both inside and out, many of them still not moving. In the distance, she could here the sounds of sirens getting closer. Abe got up and went quickly over to where Lexie lay unmoving. "How is she?" Abe asked frantically." "Alive." John said severely. "Oohhh," Kate moaned and Marlena went to her. "Kate." She said. "Kate are you ok?" Ooohh my head." Kate moaned again. "Ok, ok.' Marlena said. "Just try to stay still. Help is on the way." She looked around again at all the bodies and said a silent prayer that Sami and Lucas had gotten through safely.
Lucas moaned and gingerly sat up. He looked down and saw Andre's leg sticking out from beneath a pile of rubble. He grimaced and then looked for Sami. She lay very still, several feet away from him. A large chunk of the building covered one of her legs. "Sami!" he cried, jumping up and hurrying over to her. "Ohhh." She moaned. "Sami?" He asked her again. "Lucas." she said weakly. "Wha, what happened?" "Andre." Lucas answered. "He knocked you out with the gun and then the house exploded." "Andre." She said weakly. "Where?" "He's over there." Lucas said pointing towards the rubble that covered Sami's former lover. "Is he?" She didn't have to finish her question for Lucas to know she was asking Andre was dead. "Yeah I think so." He said. "The debris looks like it came down on him pretty hard." Sami closed her eyes briefly and Lucas saw tears glistening on the lashes. Whether they were in relief or sadness he didn't know and at the moment didn't care. "Lucas?" She said finally. "Yeah?" "I can't feel my leg." Lucas looked down at the huge block of stone covering her leg and flinched slightly. "You've got a big chunk of stone on it, Sami." "Oh." She sighed "Ok then."
"Sami!" Lucas heard voices calling Sami's name. "We're out here." He called back. Ops and Phillip ran out to the garden and Ops knelt at Sami's side. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "Hey there, good looking." Ops said. "Hey there, hot stuff." Sami said back. "You two ok?" Ops said looking at Lucas. "Yeah but I need help to move this stone." Lucas said. Ops looked down at Sami's leg and then back at her. "Now what'd you go and do that for huh" "Oh you know me." She sighed weakly and coughed." "Ok, ok. Hang on." Ops said. "We'll get this off of you in a jiffy." "Thanks." Sami laughed. "That'd be good." "You ready Lucas?" Ops asked and Lucas nodded at him. Together they lifted the heavy stone off of Sami's leg, and she moaned aloud at the pain as the feeling came rushing back into her leg. Ops checked her leg out and looked at Lucas, whose face was pale with concern. "Where's Dimera?" He asked. At Lucas' nod he looked over at the pile of rubble and then up at Phillip. "Hey, Phil." He said. "Why don't you go check on our friend over there." "Right!" Phillip said going over to the pile of stones. "I don't think that'll do much good." Lucas said. "Yeah but it'll get your kid brother out of the way for a minute." Ops said. "I heard that." Phillip called over, causing both Lucas and Ops to smile. "Ok, nightingale." Ops said. "It looks like you got a broken leg. But other than that, you seem to be ok." "That's songbird to you buddy." Sami said smiling at him. "Anybody back here?" Someone called out. "Yeah, out here guys." Ops yelled back. A group of paramedics came through the rubble. "We've got a broken leg over here, with a probable concussion." Ops said noticing the swelling bump emerging on Sami's forehead. "And there's a guy over there under all that rubble. But I don't think he made it." A couple of the paramedics quickly went over to where Phillip was pulling stones off of Andre's lifeless body, while two others worked to get Sami up onto a stretcher. "Lucas." Sami said turning her head to look for him as the two men lifted her up onto the stretcher. "Right here babe!" Lucas said grabbing her hand. "I love you." She whispered, smiling softly at him. He smiled back and lifted her hand to his lips before saying "I love you too."
CHAPTER 52
"Ok, Miss Brady." The doctor said. "You can lie back down now." "How is she doctor?" Lucas asked. "Well, she's got a broken leg and a concussion, as well as a good dose of smoke inhalation." The doctor said. "So I want to keep her here overnight, just to make sure there are no lingering effects." "So I can go home in the morning." Sami asked eagerly. "So long as you check out alright, I don't see any reason for you to stay more than one night." The doctor said. "I'll have the nurse come by when they have a room ready for you, alright." "Thank you doctor." Lucas said. The doctor left and Lucas turned back to look at Sami. He hadn't left her side once since leaving the site of the explosion. And when the doctor had asked him to wait outside so that he could examine Sami, Lucas had adamantly refused. "Would you stop looking like that already?" Sami said in exasperation. "You heard the doctor, I'm fine." "No." Lucas corrected her. "I heard him say that you have a broken leg, a concussion and smoke damage. That is not fine!" Sami snorted and laid her head back, rolling her eyes. "Worry wart!" She said. "Stubborn witch." Lucas retorted with a smile, making Sami smile as well. "Are you sure Will is ok, that he's safe?" She asked him for the fiftieth time since they had left the mansion. "I told you he's fine!" Lucas said. "He's at Jack and Jen's and I'm sure he's fast asleep by now." "Well maybe you should go over there and check on him anyway." Sami said. "Sami, he's fine. You know if you don't stop I'm gonna start calling you worry wart." Lucas said giving her the same impatient look she'd been giving him all evening. The nurse came into the room with a wheelchair just then, stopping Sami from saying anymore. "Ok Miss Brady your room's all ready for you, so we can go on up." She said. "Great." Sami said. Lucas rushed over to the other side of the bed and helped Sami into the wheelchair. His hand lightly brushed over her breast as he lowered her into the chair. "Watch it mister." She said grinning at him. "You love it." He whispered back in her ear and then smirked at her. Sami blushed and her heart did a summersault, as she was wheeled out into the corridor.
Out in the hallway it was still chaos as people milled everywhere, waiting for news of loved ones who had been caught in the blast. She saw that Victor was sitting down on the side his head in his hands, Phillip and her Uncle Bo beside him. Kate rushed over to them and hugged Lucas tightly. She turned to look down at Sami and Sami looked back at her in a sort of unspoken truce and then Sami whispered harshly, "What happened to Victor?" "Nicole." Kate said solemnly glancing at Lucas, who inhaled sharply. "She had gone upstairs before everything happened and was up in her room when the bomb went off. She…..she didn't make it." Sami closed her eyes tightly and Lucas knelt down beside her, tears in his eyes. "It's not your fault." He said to her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly. "Keep telling me that ok." Sami said to him. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Maybe someday I'll believe it." Before he could respond they saw Abe walking out from behind a curtain. Roman was supporting him as he sobbed uncontrollably. Sami gasped and shook her head, whispering "No." Kate hung her head and said quietly. "When Andre's gun went off in the main room, the stray bullet hit Lexie in the chest. She died a few minutes ago." "Oh dear God no!" Sami whispered and began to sob herself. Lucas held her tightly and whispered words of comfort to her. They both knew that even though there had been no love lost between Lexie and Sami, there had been a time that they'd been like family, and to Sami, Abe still was. "Get me out of here Lucas!" She whispered brokenly and Lucas motioned to the nurse to continue on to Sami's room. No one noticed them leaving the floor and for this she was glad.
CHAPTER 53
"Ok, I called Jen." Lucas said, yawning as he walked into Sami's room. "Will's fine, in fact he's fast asleep." He took a seat by her bed and took her hand. "So did John come by and talk to you about Andre and Kristen?" "Um, no!" She lied. "He hasn't been by yet, but I'm sure that he'll be by as soon as he knows anything." At his look of worry she added, "Don't worry hon., Andre's dead and Kristen can't have gotten too far. They'll find her." "I hope so." Lucas said "I don't like the idea of that lunatic running around out there with a grudge against you." "Well I think I've more than proven that I can handle myself." "Yeah don't remind me." Lucas said uneasily. "And if you ever do anything this reckless again, I swear I'm gonna tie you up and not let you go anywhere." "Mmmm, that sounds promising." She said running a hand up his thigh." He leaned over and gave her a long lingering kiss, then he stood up and stretched, yawning as he did so.
"You look like you could use some sleep too there general!" She said to him. "Nah. I'm ok." He said. "No you're not, you're falling asleep on me and I won't have it." Sami countered. "I want you to go home and go to sleep, ok!" She stopped him before he could protest. "Babe listen. You're not gonna do either of us any good if you're dead on your feet and you won't get a good night's sleep here. It's bad enough I'm stuck here tonight, but I want you home just in case anything happens. Please, I won't get any rest with you sitting here hovering over me, so just go ok." Lucas sighed, knowing that he was going to lose this fight. "Ok, I'll go." He conceded. "But I want you to promise to call me right away if you need me, ok. Promise me?" "I promise general worry wart." She said with a slight smile. "I'll call you if I get so much as indigestion from the pudding cup!" Lucas laughed and kissed her softly. "I'll be back first thing in the morning to get you." "Good." She said. "And bring Will. I miss him." "I will." He said and gave her one last kiss before walking towards the door. He stopped at the door and looked back at her lovingly and whispered, "I love you." She smiled at him and he disappeared down the hall.
Sami lay back on her hospital bed and closed her eyes. She felt a little guilty at having lied to Lucas but she knew he'd never leave if he heard the truth. So far the ISA was trying to keep everything hushed up, so as not to start a panic. The truth was that John had come by earlier with some rather disturbing news. Just before the paramedics had been ready to begin removing the dead from the Kiriakis living room where they had all been placed, another explosion had hit the mansion. This time, what was left of the house had gone up in flames. The EMTs had all gotten out safely, but the bodies left inside had all been burned beyond recognition. According to John, Andre's body had been inside as well, but after the fire, there was no certainty that it still was. And to make matters worse, one of the bodies seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Sami shuddered at the thought that Andre might not have been dead at all. He'd escaped death twice already and she couldn't suppress the chilling thought that he'd managed to cheat it a third time. The other disturbing news was that Kristen had also disappeared into thin air. John had been shocked at the news that his former love was alive and had tried to murder half the town that night. Now he was determined to find her and make sure that she never hurt anyone again. "Sami?" Sami opened her eyes to find the nurse, Sheryl, staring down at her with a cup in her hand. "Here are your meds." She said "Oh joy!" Sami said sarcastically, taking the cup from Sheryl and putting it on the nightstand next to her. "Oh hey Sheryl." Sami said as Sheryl turned to leave. "Do you know how Count Dimera is? Nobody's really told me all that much." "Oh, well he seems to be doing alright, considering." Sheryl said. "He suffered some broken ribs and smoke inhalation, but no other physical damage. Of course I suppose he's very distraught over losing Dr. Carver." "Yeah." Sami said dismally. "Um, Sheryl do you know where he is? I mean is he still here in the hospital or did they discharge him?" "Oh no." Sheryl answered. "He's still here. He's right down the hall in 302 as a matter of fact." "Oh." Sami said thoughtfully. "Well, thanks Sheryl." "No problem. Call me if you need anything and don't forget to take that medication." "Thanks." Sami said again and watched Sheryl leave.
Sami picked up her medication and stared at it. She knew she should take them, but decided she could do it later. There was something she wanted to do first. She put the cup back down and reached over for her crutches and got out of bed. She went to the door and peered out to see if anyone was around. Seeing no one around, she made her way out the door and hobbled down the hall.
CHAPTER 54
Tony opened his eyes and saw Sami standing in the doorway to his room. He tried to smile at her, but it took some effort, considering how tired he was. "Well, I guess I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep." He said to her. "Sami smiled at him a bit sadly and made her way over to his bedside. "Yeah well, it was kind of hard without my cellmate and you know, all the hay!" She said. For some reason there was no chair by his bed, and Tony moved aside to make room for Sami to sit down on the bed, which she did. She saw that he'd obviously been crying. "I'm sorry about Lexie." She said quietly. He looked at her with only mild surprise and she continued. "I know that she and I have had our problems, but she was like family to me once and Abe still is." She said as way of explanation. "I know." Tony said quietly taking her hand. "Have you spoken to Abe yet?" She asked. "No." Tony said, "But I can only imagine that he must blame me for this. God knows I blame myself." "What?" Sami asked, a bit irately. "You've been locked away in a prison for months by the same people who murdered Lexie. How in the world can you think that you're responsible for her death or for any of this?" "Sami I brought these people into all of our lives." Tony said. "And you heard Kristen. She blames me for what she's become and she's right. I mistreated her horribly and she suffered for it, in the worst way. I only wish she'd chosen to take her anger and pain out on me alone and not on innocent victims like Lexie and Nicole." "Now you listen to me Tony Dimera," Sami said angrily, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "You are not to blame for this any more than I am. Kristen and Andre are sick people and if the blame for that lays anywhere it lays with your father, not with you. I was there while you were with Kristen and I know how much you loved her, but she was ill long before you and she started having problems. I saw it, everybody saw it, everybody but you. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. And as for Andre, he is, was and always has been a psychopath. And your father brought him into our lives not you." She paused at the stricken look in his eyes and put her arms around him. "I was thinking like you were when I first heard the news about Nicole and Lexie." She said. "I kept thinking that if I had done this differently or that better, that maybe I could have stopped Andre. But Lucas pointed out to me that I did the best I could to stop them. Andre and Kristen made a choice to destroy human lives. I was as much a victim of theirs as anyone else was, and so were you. So don't you dare blame yourself for this, because there was nothing you could have done to stop it and there was nothing you did to cause it either!"
"Thank you." Was all Tony could say to her. She looked down at him and thought that he looked very much like a sad and lost child in that moment. She lay back on the bed and allowed him to put his head on her chest. It was almost strange how comfortable they had gotten with each other in a few days of captivity. She realized how this scenario might have looked to anyone who walked in but she didn't care. A bond had been created between them during their time together the past few days and she knew somehow that it was a bond that would never be broken. She'd made a friend for life and at that moment all that she cared about was that her friend needed her comfort and she needed his. Tony began to cry silently again and she closed her eyes and held him as he did. Eventually they both fell asleep that way and that was how Lucas found them went he came back in the middle of the night to see Sami, only to discover that she was not in her room. He'd panicked at first until a nurse had told him where to find her. Looking at her and Tony lying on the bed, their heads close together and their hands still entwined, Lucas felt a surge of jealousy. He stood there for a moment and then unable to stand the sight of them together, turned and left as quietly as he'd come.
CHAPTER 55
The next morning broke bright and incredibly clear and Sami was in her room waiting impatiently for Lucas to arrive with Will to take her home. She couldn't wait to be back in her own apartment. She also couldn't wait to begin her new life, a life she'd have with Lucas. It almost seemed too good to be true that the nightmare of the past few month's was over and that she and Lucas and Will would finally be a real family. "Mom!" Will cried running into the room and jumping on her bed. "Oh baby!" She cried hugging him close. "I missed you so much Will." She said as he broke away from her and she noticed that Lucas was standing in the doorway, a bunch of flowers in his hand. "For me?" He walked towards her and handed her the flowers. "Thank you!" She said and beamed at him. He gave her a small smile back and she sensed that something about him was off. "Umm Will," She said to her son "Do me a favor and go see if the nurses can give you some wet paper to wrap these in, so they don't dry out before we get home?" "Sure mom." Will said and took off towards the nurses' station with the flowers. "What's wrong now?" She asked Lucas apprehensively when Will was out of earshot. "Nothing." Lucas said innocently. "Nuh uh!" She countered, "I know you Lucas Roberts, now tell me what's eatin you." When he didn't answer, she suspected she knew what the problem might be. "You know don't you?" She said. She saw the anger flash in his eyes and flinched but she continued nevertheless. "Look, Lucas I'm sorry that I lied to you, but I knew that you never would have left last night if you knew the truth." "It's ok." Lucas said "I understand. You had a choice to make and you made it." "Lucas please don't be like this." Sami said. "How would you like me to be?" Lucas countered. "Do you really think that after everything that's happened to you, to us, that I would be ok with this?" "See this is exactly why I didn't tell you last night." She said to him. "Because I knew that you'd freak out and get all overprotective of me. But I told you before, Andre is more than likely dead and Kristen will be caught! I don't want you to worry about me and feel like you have to keep me safe, because all of this is going to work out." Lucas took a step back confused. "What are you talking about?" He said to her. "About the fire at the Kiriakis mansion last night and Andre's body disappearing." She said "WHAT?" Lucas screamed at her. "Lucas calm down!" "Calm down." He said a bit more quietly. "When the hell did you find this out?" "Last night, when John came to see me." She answered now as confused as he had been a moment before. "You told me he didn't come to see you!" Lucas said. "You lied to me?" "Just a little lie." Sami said "And it was for your own good. Look, I'm sorry I lied to you but you'd never have gotten any sleep last night if you'd known the truth." "I don't believe this!" He muttered and slumped into the chair beside her bed. "Lucas what's wrong." Sami asked him. "I mean you already knew all this. It's why you were angry with me isn't it? Isn't it?"
Lucas looked up at her and hesitated before speaking. "Tell me something." He asked her. "Where did you sleep last night?" Sami blanched for a moment at the question and then looked him square in the eye and said. "With Tony." Lucas looked both surprised and angry at the nonchalance of her answer, and it was then that she realized that this was what he was really angry about. Somehow he'd found out that she hadn't slept in her room last night, but rather in Tony's and he must have gotten the wrong idea. She shook her head at him and kissed him softly, leaving him looking even more shocked. "Lucas." She began, "I love you and only you! When you left last night I did go to check on Tony but only out of concern as a friend. He just lost his sister and he was blaming himself for what happened. He needed me and I guess in a way I needed him too." "Right." Lucas said. "You needed him more than you needed me. I get it." Sami sighed in exasperation "Lucas, Tony and I went through a traumatic experience together. And out of that trauma came what I can only describe as a very deep bond of friendship. Emphasis on the word friend here babe. I would not and could not fall in love with Tony Dimera. It's an impossibility and do you want to know why?" She asked. Lucas looked at her and reluctantly asked why. "Because you idiot man, I am madly, passionately, head over heels in love with you." She took his face in her hands. "And that is never going to change, ever! And she kissed him soundly for emphasis. "Now, if you continue holding on to these idiotic notions, then I'm gonna have no choice but to take you home, tie you to the bed and do wicked things to you until you let go of them." Lucas couldn't help but smile at that and said to her. "Well now, that could take a really long time." He smirked at her "Well, you know me." She said to him with a smirk of her own, "I love a challenge." She leaned in and kissed him passionately. "Ugh!" Will said as he ran back into the room. "Are you guys gonna be doing that all the time now? Even in public?" Lucas smiled and turned to look at his son. "Yup!" He said enthusiastically. "Gross." Will said. "Can we go eat now, I'm starved?" Lucas turned back to Sami, "What do you say Mom, are you ready to go now?" He asked her. "You betcha Dad." She said smiling and reaching for her crutches. Lucas helped her out into the hall, but she stopped suddenly and turned to look down towards Tony's room. She looked back at Lucas pleadingly and he gave her a wry smile. "Come on, let's go say goodbye." He said to her. She beamed at him and gave him a peck on the cheek, before they made their way down to Tony's room.
Tony was sitting up in bed reading when Sami knocked quietly on the door. He looked up at her and Lucas and smiled. "Well, going home are you?" He asked. "Yup." Sami answered grinning happily. "Um, Tony." Lucas said "Thank you, for looking out for Sami." He reached out his hand and Tony looked surprised and then shook it. "Well, we took care of each other and now it looks as though you two will as well." He said with a smile "Mom! Dad!" Will called impatiently. Lucas rolled his eyes and looked at Sami "Keep your shorts on buddy, we're coming," And then to Tony. "Take care of yourself Tony." He said. "You too, Lucas." Tony replied. Lucas walked out to the doorway to allow Sami a private moment with Tony. "And as for you, young lady." Tony said with a smile at her. "Behave yourself." Sami smirked at him and said. "Yeah right." Tony laughed at her and she leaned down to give him a hug, whispering solemnly "Whenever you need me…" He hugged her back tightly and broke away nodding his head at her and smiling as they looked into each other's eyes. Then she turned and went to join Lucas and her son as Tony watched them leave with a sad smile.
Outside the hospital Lucas brought the car around and got out to help Sami into it. "So." He said to Sami and Will "Where do you guys wanna go for lunch?" "Brady's Pub!" Will said excitedly as he hopped into the front seat. Lucas put Sami's crutches into the car and held her up against it. "And where would you like to go songbird?" he asked her pulling her close. "Anywhere, so long as it's with you." They smiled at each other and melted into a kiss.
The woman stood by the black limousine, watching the happy couple from a distance. Her long blonde hair flowed from beneath the wide black hat she wore and she glared at the Lucas and Sami from behind her sunglasses. "We'll meet again." She said quietly "And the next time that we do….well that will be something to remember." She watched as Lucas laughingly helped Sami into the car and then went around and got in himself. Then she turned and got into the waiting car and disappeared.