Chapter 5
I do not own days of our lives or any of its characters. Days of our lives is the sole property of NBC.
Will sat at the counter of the Brady Pub drowning in self-pity and wallowing in despair. He had betrayed the people he cared about most in the world, all because he was too much of a coward to face his own demons. Also he was trying to process what happened between him and Sonny. He had never felt such a surge in all of his life and he no idea what it was about.
His phone, he picked it up saw that it was EJ calling and considered ignoring it, but knew. "What?" Will asked defiantly.
"What? I believe the proper greeting you were looking for was "Hello Dad"." EJ said smugly if not a little annoyed.
"Hello Dad."
"See there we are much better, much more polite. Where are you?"
"At the Pub. Why?"
"Stay there I have another job for you."
Just great will thought. Another crime to add to his growing rap sheet. Will felt lost in a void of darkness he couldn't escape and his so called Father was dragging him down deeper into it.
Will sat at the bar for five minutes before he decided he wasn't going to wait for EJ not this time. He got up and made his way to the door just as EJ decided to come in.
" Ah William I got the distinct impression you were going to leave."
"No." Will lied meekly.
"Good."
"Aren't you worried were going to be seen together?" Will asked.
"No not really it's not like we're doing anything illegal." EJ pronounced smugly leading Will to a nearby table.
"Look I know you don't care but I hate doing this and I already did one thing for you that was illegal."
"Oh come on please so you stole some files from Abrahams computer about some jobs program its not that big deal."
"Well it was a big deal to me. He trusted me and I used that to get the information I wanted from him."
"That's politics my boy."
"No its not its blackmail."
" I'm surprised your complaining since that's exactly what you tried to do to me earlier." EJ said while fixing himself a cup of coffee. He knew William was having a hard time and that he was feeling guilty. He did too when he first started but he knew that would pass with time. And the surprise he had planned for William would go along to smoothing that transition.
"Whatever."
"Why don't you think of our arrangement as an apology for you shooting me in the back all those years ago hmm. All these little tasks I'm giving you you can think of that as your little gift to me so that I keep my mouth shut about that and your other questionable behavior."
EJ knew that his son was gay even if Will wasn't ready to accept it yet. He had no problem with it, he loved Will no matter who he was or who he loved. EJ only wanted Will to be happy that was why he was doing all this and he only taunts Will with it to keep him in line.
"So what do you want me to do dad?"
"That's hardly the type of attitude id expect from someone in your position William. You know I think you are getting a little bit of a kick out of all these little errands I'm giving you."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because I was your age once, eager to prove myself, to be a man. Come and be honest with me when you connected that flashdrive to Abe's computer praying you wouldn't get caught didn't you get little bit of a rush, didn't your heart beat a little bit faster, didn't you feel it right in that moment."
"Stop okay." Will said terrified at how well his Father was able to read him and know what he was feeling. Growing up that particular skill made EJ a very good Father now it just made him a bastard.
"Come on William it's the just two of us you can be honest with me. Come on just a little bit."
"What's this?" Will asked looking at the piece of paper EJ put in front of him.
"It's the name of the man I need you to meet."
"Where?"
"Hortons town square near the café. Hell have an envelope ill need you to except it on my behalf. Understand?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Inside that envelope will be a further set of instructions you carry those out. William if your thinking about declining this you should think again."
" I don't get it. Why don't you just meet him?"
"Because I have plans. Don't be so sour you might actually enjoy this assignment. Well I'll be on my way. And William I know I don't need to remind to not get caught right?"
"Right."
"Oh and William don't forget I Love you." EJ said with a wolfish grin and left.
Will got to the Horton Square and narrowly missed bumping into his mother and Rafe. He couldn't deal with them right now. He hated his mother and being around her was a disaster. He didn't hate Rafe in fact it was the opposite that's why he couldn't be around him Will felt too guilty knowing what he knew and not telling him.
When they finally left with a kiss and an I love you Will made his way to man sitting at a table in a suit reading the Paper. "Serge. Uh I work for EJ Dimera you have something for me?" Will asked his voice trembling with nerves. Serge took an envelope out of his breast pocket, put it between his newspaper, and left with paper on the table.
Will picked the envelope out of the paper and was about to put it in his jacket leave and read it later. But a part of him wanted to know what was going, wanted to know what was in that envelope. So he opened it, inside was a set of keys and a small set of instructions. He was to go to the indicated location, parking space 3E, and drive the car there to the Dimera mansion.
Concise and to the point, just like EJ. Will made his way to where the car was and stopped stunned. It was a thing of beauty, it was a sleek, black, new sports. Will grew up around expensive cars, but even still it was a sweet car. EJ was going to buy Will a brand new car for his 18th birthday but his mom and dad vehemently opposed. So it never happened in Wills mind this made up for that a little.
The only bad part was that the drive to the Mansion ended so quickly. Will parked the car and made his way inside the Mansion. He passed a guy with a camera on his way into the living room. "What's going on? Was that a TV camera?" Will asked his father.
"I wouldn't worry about it." EJ replied from his desk engrossed in work.
"Okay."
"Did you find Mr. French?"
"I did."
"And?"
Will took the keys out of his pocket and dropped them on EJ's desk. "These were in the envelope he gave me."
"Thank you."
"You know um I'm just curious why did you make it sound like I was about to do something illegal."
"What you didn't enjoy your little task."
"No it was fine but if you wanted your fancy sports car delivered you could've just said so."
"Well where would have been the fun in that aye? So tell me you enjoy driving it?"
"Uh yeah what's not to like 0 to 60 in five seconds, tops out at 240, the sound system alone probably cost half of my college tuition, probably the coolest car I'll ever drive."
"Or the coolest car you ever had." EJ said tossing the keys to Will.
"What?" Will asks as he catches the keys.
"It's your car William you own it."
"I don't understand your giving me a sports car. "
"I mean unless you'd like to return it."
"Very funny Dad, take them."
"It's your car."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Well you can think about it as a perk of the job."
"A perk."
"A perk of the job. You see you work for me now that means when you are out and about you represent me, you represent my campaign, and most importantly you represent our family. William I can't have you driving around in some petrol gas guzzling European thing. You represent me now when people see you they see me. You understand? Look if you don't like the color…"
"No the color the colors fine yeah it's alright it'll have to do." Will said picking up the keys.
"So we have an understanding then son?"
"Yeah we do. It's just that no one's ever given me anything like this before. Thanks Dad."
"You're welcome and William a sports car is just the beginning of what I can put into your reach. If you let me. William I love you and I have only ever wanted the best for you and for you to succeed in life."
"Yeah I get that it's just I don't like your methods."
"Well William if you weren't so damn stubborn and just forgiven me I wouldn't need to use such methods."
"Look Dad can we not talk about this now. I'm not in the mood."
"Of course, of course but we talk about it later. Now here take the keys."
"What the Hell?" Sami asked annoyed from the doorway seeing Will take a set of keys from EJ and walking into the room.
"What's going on here?" Sami asked with an air of suspicion.
"Samantha what wonderfully unexpected surprise."
"Oh Save It," Sami snatched the keys from Will's hand "what are these?" She asked Will.
"Uhhh Keys."
" I know there keys Will I'm asking what they are keys to what are they for?"
"Uh you might have noticed Samantha there's a rather new, bright, shiny sports car in the driveway its Williams he needs." EJ said loving every minute of it. He knew it would annoy her.
"What does he need a shiny sports car for?" Sami asked in confusion.
"For his new job of course."
"Job? What is he talking about?" she asked Will.
"Oh he didn't mention he's working for me now darling."
"Will's doing what?"
"He's working for me my dear he's the newest member of my campaign team."
"You're kidding. Tell me your kidding. You're not working for EJ." She said staring at Will dumbfounded.
"Oh please Samantha I don't see why you find this so hard to believe he's perfectly capable of being employed and unlike you he's actually very industrious. He is my son after all."
"Oh shut up EJ."
"Why you so upset? Samantha I have an opening in my campaign and I found somebody perfect to fill it."
"Right and that perfect person to work for you is Will."
"He's young, he's capable, he's smart, he has incredible tenacity."
"Look I don't need to talk to you about my son okay. He needs a reality check he thinks I'm going to let him get involved with you or your ridiculous campaign for mayor."
"He's a little old to be given time outs Samantha."
"You don't get to tell me how to parent my kid."
"Our Kid Samantha. He's my son too."
"Hardly."
Will just stood listening to his parents talk about him like he didn't even exist. And who his bitch of a Mother to tell him he couldn't do something. She couldn't control him. In that moment a flip switched in Will and the anger he was holding in came pouring out. "Did you say you're not going to let me?"
EJ sat in his chair all smug and condescending he knew what was coming and he couldn't wait to sit back and let it happen. Samantha was finally going to get a dose of her own medicine.
"Will you cannot be serious about this right im not the only one who sees how wrong this is."
"What's so wrong about it."
"If you need me to tell you there are consequences to getting involved with the Dimera's."
"You'd be the expert on that wouldn't you and don't forget I am a Dimera."
"Alright were not having this conversation here. Come on." Sami said trying to pull Will with her.
"No, I said no and don't ever touch me again."
"You want to stay here?"
"You cannot tell me who can and who I cannot work for."
"Will this isn't some job at the mall."
"Oh I know."
"Are you forgetting everything EJ has done to us our whole family."
" No Mom no I forgotten one think believe me."
"Then how can you want to be involved with him."
"You know I could ask you the same thing."
"My relationship with EJ was a mistake a million mistakes and I don't need to tell you why you already know."
"Well yeah uh you know what this is not personal it's a job."
"But it is personal. Will think about what EJ did to Rafe never mind everybody else. Rafe almost lost his life because of EJ. How do you think Rafe is going to feel when he finds out you wanted to work for EJ?"
"How do you think Rafe is gonna feel?"
"Uh I think Rafe is going to be very pleased that he's been able to put the past behind him." EJ said not actually caring what that rent a cop is gonna feel so long as it's misery.
"Stop talking EJ. Just stop it."
"Samantha I think there's a lesson there we can all take away from this."
"The only lesson were learning from you EJ is how to be a criminal and I want more for my son's future than that."
"And you think I don't. Samantha William is going to be exposed to a full blown political campaign. This is an incredible opportunity for him to develop and hone skills that will last him a lifetime. Do you know how many people would kill for the opportunity I'm just giving him."
"It's not an opportunity it's a trap."
"A trap that is ridiculous William is my son why would I do anything to endanger his future or his wellbeing?"
"First of all EJ you may have adopted him like a hundred years but that does not make him your son. And secondly because you're a lying evil bastard. And Will you don't see that and that's what scares me the most. Will you are smarter than this I know you are."
"You know I've made my decision and when I explain why I'm sure you'll understand." Will said with an evil grin that would match Stefano's.
"Look I've worked for dad before. I was intern at Dimera enterprises."
"Right we all know how that turned out. And I have the same concerns now that I did then."
"Except that I know now what I'm getting myself into."
"No you don't .'
"EJ is mine and Johnny and Sydney's father and I've always said because of that that he'll always be family."
"That doesn't change who he is or the kinds of things that he does."
"Oh you think dads going to be a bad influence on me you know people used to say the same thing about you. And I turned out pretty…."
"Wonderfully okay you turned out wonderfully. And we are not talking about me here."
"Yes we are you're the one who has a problem with me taking a really good job just because it's with dad."
"Yes. Yes I do have a problem with that not just because it's with EJ my biggest problem is that you don't see how big a problem this is."
"I guess I just see this as an opportunity."
"To what drive a fancy sports car?"
"You think I can be bought?"
"No."
"You know what you work for Grandma Kate okay and you hate her and she's a Dimera."
"Yeah but she's not…"
"What's the difference."
"She's not EJ that's the difference."
"Oh yeah she's not Dad. You know what you had two kids with Dad I think I can just bring him his coffee and find a way to live with myself. Can you?"
"EJ I need to talk to Will can you please just give us a minute."
"Oh absolutely of course. Oh and William if you need anything ask the Staff." EJ said arrogantly reading his book and leaving the room.
"You know I'm not going to say anything now that dad has left the room."
"Good."
"Okay."
"Will I want you to know that I hear you okay I understand I hear you saying you wanna take this job that you understand what it means and know what you wanna get out of it."
"Good."
"And I'm glad to hear you thinking about your future. You know I think it's great that you know what you want that you know who you wanna be and you sound very sure of yourself."
"Is that not a good thing?"
"No it is it is it's just um I just wondered if maybe you are trying to prove something."
"What to you?"
"No to Gabi."
"To Gabi. Why would you bring her up?"
"Because I'm trying to understand what's going on here."
"Nothing is going on."
"Come on Will you have been angry ever since you broke up with her."
"Oh God because it's a break up those aren't supposed to be fun."
"You haven't been acting yourself even you would have to admit that. Maybe you miss her more than you thought you would."
"So what you think I've convinced myself to take this job so that I can win her back."
"I don't know are you."
"Mom you are so wrong."
"Am i?"
"Yeah Yeah working for EJ has nothing to do with gabi."
"Okay than you better tell me why right now."
"Because it's something I want to do and I would appreciate you stop trying to change my mind about this because its not going to happen."
"Alright Will I won't try to change your mind."
"Oh good."
"But I do think there are something's that you haven't thought through carefully about this decision."
"Oh really like what?"
"Well if you choose to associate with the Dimeras what are people going to think. There going to think that you have the same values as the Dimeras do."
"Values. Really mom your going to talk to me about values you. "
"Will I realize that you are old enough to make your own decisions. But I am your mother I have made a lot of mistakes in my life I don't want to see you making the same mistake that your going to regret for the rest of your life."
"I'm not."
"I know you can't see it now but you have to trust me I know what EJ is capable he can do anything he can convince anyone of anything to get what he wants."
"Oh so you think he's using me."
"I don't know what EJs end game is here I do know that he doesn't have your heart and he doesn't have your conscience. When the thing is I have seen what EJ has done to people."
"I know what he's capable of doing."
"You know what I'm talking about. I know you do. Please please just think about this."
"Dad." Will called out to the next room.
"William."
"I think were done here my mom's leaving."
"Is there uh anything else Samantha."
"Just so were clear I'm not giving up on you. Not ever. Tell Kate her papers are in the foyer." Sami said as she left.
As she left Will sat himself down in one the living rooms chairs. He contemplated everything that just happened and it occurred to him this just might work to his benefit. The one thing he couldn't believe was that his mom would actually think that EJ would hurt him. Of all his parents EJ was by far the most protective of them all.
"Everything all right William?" EJ asked concerned for his son's wellbeing he knew how troubled Will was emotionally right now and the last thing he needed was his insane mother stirring things.
"You know how you said that there would me things about this job that I would come to appreciate. You were right."
EJ couldn't be more thrilled William was finally coming into his own and it wouldn't be long now until he welcomed him back with open arms. And any reason to make Samantha's life miserable was just a bonus. EJ knew that Samantha's fears were justified but that she actually thought that he would do anything to put William in any real danger was just insulting. The boy just needed a firmer hand to guide him on the correct path. Although EJ did approve he was still worried about everything Will was going through and he hoped he could help him before something terrible happened.