Written by AngelsInstead

Chapter Two

Patrick Lockhart was finally getting out of prison. He had hardly anything to his name, so he had to bum a ride to his destination. He didn't know what he'd do or where he'd live. All he wanted was to be reunited with Chelsea, the young woman who had always had a thing for him, but he had hardly even noticed her. He's always had his eye on her stepmom, Hope Brady. But he wanted nothing to do with Hope since his incarceration; he now had designs on Bo Brady's daughter.. He was going to find her. He vowed that he'd find Chelsea and tell her that he'd been wrong all along. He and Chelsea Brady were meant to be together; he was sure of it.

He was walking down the highway with his small bag of meager possessions. He had gotten a ride with a truck driver. "Where are you headed?" asked the man with many tattoos and an extra-large beer belly.

"Salem, USA," Patrick responded.

"You're in luck. I just happen to be passing through good ole Salem," said the truck driver who had hardly any teeth.

"Excellent. I am going back to my girl."

"Ohhh really. What's her name?"

"Chelsea," Patrick replied. "I am gonna surprise her."

"Did you just get out of prison?" the truck driver asked. He had picked up several former inmates on this very highway who were trying to make their way in the world after completing their sentences.

"That's right."

The truck driver gave Patrick a nearly toothless grin. "Been there myself. I hope your return to your lady is everything you've been dreaming it could be."

"Her dad hates my guts. He's the one who made sure I rotted behind bars all those years."

The truck driver listened to Patrick's plight and felt sorry for him as he saw a lot of himself in the other man. "I think I know a way to help you."

"Really?" Patrick asked hopefully.

"Yeah, a friend of mine used to live in Salem. You can stay at his place."

"Sure, I could get a job... and I could help him pay the rent."

"My friend died a few months back. The place is deserted. It ain't much, but it would be a roof over your head which is more than you got now."

Patrick grinned. He liked the idea of having his own place when he arrived in Salem. He had no idea what dump it was going to be.

xoxoxo

Max arrived back in Salem and the first place he went was the Brady Pub. Caroline Brady was so happy to see her youngest son. She hugged Max and kissed his cheek. "Ohhh Max," she said. "I am so glad you're home. We've all really missed you."

"I missed you, too, Ma."

"How are you, Son? You must be devastated after... well, after Chelsea-."

"It's best we don't speak about it," Max said with pain in his eyes. "She cheated on me... and she left. I have to move on with my life."

"I know, Max, but-."

Their discussion was interrupted when Sami walked in with her kids. The three little ones ran up to Max, hugging him around his legs. "Uncle Max!" Johnny, Allie, and Sydney exclaimed.

"Hey kids," Max said as he grinned at the cute little munchkins. He really liked kids and hoped he have a few of his own someday.

"Max," Sami said with a smile. "We didn't know you'd be coming into town."

"I am back for good now," Max announced. "Now that I am here, there's someone I'd like to see."

"Who's that?" Sami and Caroline asked. They didn't want to tell him that Chelsea, his cheating-ex was back in town.

"I'm going to see Abby," Max replied.

"That's wonderful," Caroline said. "But you'll be staying here, won't you, Son?"

Max nodded, said his goodbyes, then he was on his way. Sami was left with her grandmother and her three youngest children. "Grandma, thanks so much for offering to watch Allie for me today," Sami said. "There's something really important I have to do."

Caroline looked worried as she had observed that Sami had been acting awfully strange lately. She wasn't sure what was troubling her granddaughter.

"Will you be gone long?"

"I'm not sure. I have to stop by EJ's first to drop off John and Sydney."

Caroline frowned. EJ Dimera was the father of two of her great-grandchildren. Sami still had feelings for the man, despite the fact that he was a DiMera and had done many unsavory things.

"Sami, be careful, honey. I don't trust EJ." Caroline spoke softly, so the kids wouldn't hear. Even if EJ was snake; he had always been a loving father.

"Grandma, I don't have a thing for EJ," Sami said a bit too loudly. "That ship has sailed. Now I better get going."

She gave Allie a tender kiss on the cheek. "See you later, honey. Be a good girl for Grandma Caroline."

"I will, Mommy," Allie promised.

Meanwhile, Johnny and Sydney were whispering among themselves. "Mommy does love Daddy; I know she does," Johnny said to his youngest sister. Sydney nodded. She knew that her mom and dad belonged together.

Sami said her goodbyes to her grandmother and then she left with Johnny and Sydney. Her next stop would be the DiMera mansion. Her heart was thumping steadily in her chest when she thought of EJ. She had never gotten over him and she had lied to her grandma.

But as much as she loved EJ, she knew they could never be a couple again. They were far too toxic together. She didn't have the strength to have a relationship with him as she had before. She didn't want it all to go up in flames, leaving her with more painful scars.

"Come on, kids. It's time to see your daddy now," Sami said to Johnny and Sydney.

xoxoxo

Carly was sobbing on Bo's shoulder. He held her as he attempted to comfort her. He tried to make sense of what she had been trying to tell him. "You killed him? What are you telling me, Carly? Did you kill Larry?" he asked.

Carly might have laughed. Bo always did call Lawrence - Larry, but in a moment like this, it was in no way humorous. The man she had loved was dead - and she had did the evil deed.

"That's right," she said with a shudder. "I stabbed Lawrence... and he's dead."

"Why? What the hell did he do to you?" Bo demanded.

"It's a really long story, but-."

Just then Hope entered the room, finding another woman in her husband's arms. "Bo, what's going on?" Hope asked. "Who... who's this?"

"This- this is Dr. Carly Manning, my... my ex," Bo explained.

"What- what's she doing here?" Hope asked as she saw that Carly's face was streaked with tears.

"I'm afraid she's in trouble and she's going to need my help," Bo replied. "Carly, I'm going to help you. Everything is going to be alright. I promise."

"Bo, I - I don't know where to go... or where to stay," Carly said sadly.

"You'll stay here with me and Hope. We have an extra bedroom," Bo suggested.

"Ohhh hell no!" Hope exclaimed. "There's no way-."

Her protests stopped when little Ciara came into the room, asking for her breakfast. The child had a one track mind. She was asking for a pancakes, even though there was a strange woman in their kitchen.

"Ciara, I can't make pancakes now. Your dad and I need to talk," Hope said, feeling uneasy because Bo had asked his ex to move into their home.

"It's already settled, Hope, Carly's staying here," Bo said adamantly.

"Carly, would you like some pancakes?" Bo asked his guest.

Carly nodded. Bo turned to Hope asking her to make some pancakes.

"Make your own damn pancakes!" Hope yelled before storming out of the kitchen.

Carly looked at Bo. "Something tells me she isn't happy about me staying here," she stated.

Bo shrugged. "I guess she'll just have to get used to it." He knew Hope was going to be even more pissed when she discovered that Billie would soon be arriving on the scene to help him with Chelsea. Bo wasn't sure how he'd deal with all of exes living under the same roof. It was a explosive situation just waiting to happen.

"Why is Mommy mad, Daddy?" Ciara asked.

Carly smiled at the cute little girl who looked just like her mommy. "Hi sweetie. My name is a Carly."

"My mommy hates you," Ciara said. "WHY are you here?"

Carly and Bo looked at each other as Ciara seemed to share her mother's dislike of the situation. Bo wondered how he would survive with so many females in such close proximity.

xoxoxo

Meanwhile, across town, Sami arrived at the DiMera mansion with Johnny and Sydney. A servant answered the door and lead Sami and the children into the parlor. Sami's heart did a flip-flop as she looked at EJ. *If only...* she was thinking.

"Dad, we missed you!" Johnny exclaimed as he and Sydney ran over to hug their father.

"Hi, kids. How are you doing?" EJ asked as he smiled at his offspring.

His gaze met Sami's as he was hugging the children ever so tight. "Daddy, it's Allie and Johnny's seventh birthday soon and we wanna have a party," said little Sydney.

"Of course, we'll have the biggest party ever," EJ said as he could never say no to his children. He was loving and devoted father.

"Yayyy!" little Sydney said with excitement.

"We can all go on a family trip," Johnny suggested.

"Where would we go?" EJ asked.

"We could go camping," said Sydney. "And sleep under the stars."

"I love that idea," said EJ, his eyes still on Sami who hadn't even acknowledged him yet.

"I love you, Daddy!" Sydney said.

EJ expressed his love to his children, then he set his gaze back onto Sami.

"Samantha, would that be alright with you, if you and I take the kids camping for the twins birthday?" EJ asked.

Sami wanted to protest, but she couldn't. She didn't want to ruin the children's fun. Johnny loved camping and so did Allie. After her break-up with Rafe, there had been a strong lack of family togetherness. She couldn't deny the children anything that brought them joy.

"Yeah, we can take the kids camping," she replied. "We'll talk about it later. I have to go."

"Where are you going?" EJ asked, concern in his eyes. Caroline wasn't the only one who had noticed Sami's strange behavior as of late. She wasn't grieving her relationship with Rafe. She seemed to be relieved that Rafe was out of the picture, but the rest was a mystery. EJ wanted to know what was on Sami's mind.

"There's somewhere I have to go..." she said as he caught the tell-tale sparkle of tears in her eyes.

"Samantha," he said as he went to her side. "You can talk to me. You can..."

She shrugged away from him, avoiding his touch. "No, I can't. Don't even try, EJ. I won't..."

She suddenly stopped speaking, seeing little eyes were on her. She gave her babies kisses and told them to have a nice time with their daddy. With one last look at EJ, Sami left the DiMera mansion.

She got in her car and drove to the florist's. She purchased a bouquet of pink flowers and held them in her hand. There was somewhere she had to go... a little someone she had to see.

A few minutes later, she stood over Grace's grave. She couldn't stop the tears as they trickled down her face. Grace wasn't her biological daughter, but she had raised her until the day that she died. She remembered when EJ had held the tiny little girl. He had cried as the little girl passed.

"Ohhh Grace, I don't know what to do," Sami said as she knelt at the child's grave. She lay the cluster of flowers against the marble headstone. "I miss you so much... and nobody knows. No one loved you as much as I did, only EJ and I can't even tell him. I can't..."

"Please forgive me, Grace. I can't stop loving him. I have tried, but I honestly can't."