How To Turn A Man

"Do you want to tell me what really happened?" Bo asked as he escorted EJ to his jail cell.

"Not really."

"How did I guess that", Bo just sighed and locked the cell. He was expecting some witty comment from EJ but heard nothing. He was just standing in the centre of the cell staring through the walls to a distant place. His expression and beaten appearance was almost enough to make Bo feel sorry for him, almost. Bo had gotten the call from Roman telling that Sami had given birth to twins and was now recovering from surgery. Bo remembered his promise to EJ but didn't think it was to kept right away. Maybe twenty-four hours spent behind bars would be enough to make EJ talk.

Sami struggled to wake up from her deep and hazy dreamless sleep. Her eyelids felt like lead and felt rubbing against her eyes. Sami remembered seeing EJ at the pier but didn't remember anything happening after that. She also remembered the pain. The baby! Sami finally fought the battle against gravity and opened her eyes only to find Will staring at her.

"Will? Where am I?"

"Mum, you are in the hospital. Are you in pain? Do you need me to call for the doctor?" Will sounded so calm and mature.

"No honey. I'm fine. What happened? Where's EJ?" Sami didn't need the extra medication to further cloud her mind.

"Granma Marlena and granpa John picked me up and brought me here. They said that you were in surgery and that EJ had brought you here", Will explained trying to decide whether he was giving out too much information or not.

"What about the baby Will?" Sami tried to hide the fear.

"The babies. A boy and a girl, they are fine, beautiful and healthy. It's you we are worried about", Will said and took his mothers hand in his.

"Twins? No one said anything about twins to me!" Sami was shocked.

"Granma Marlena seems to think that you weren't really paying attention when they told you", Will offered the explanation told to him.

"Must be so. Where are they? Can I see them?" Sami said fighting still to keep awake.

"Sure. I'll go and tell the others you are awake."

"Thank you Will. I love you", Sami said before falling back to sleep.

"How long has he been like this?" John asked as he and Bo walked in to see apathetic EJ laying on his bunk in his cell. Bo scratched his ear before saying:

"Ever since we brought him here for endangering road safety. All the other times we couldn't shut him up and concentrate answering the questions we wanted know the answers to but now, he hasn't said a word."

"Let me in and have a word with him", John said.

"John, I don't think it's such a good idea", Bo hesitated.

"Have you told him about Sami?" John asked and saw Bo shake his head once more, "Then let me in and everything will be fine. I just need five minutes with him."

"John, are you trying to make me forget EJ took your kidney? I'd love nothing more than to see him beat but I really can't afford to let that happen", Bo asked.

"No, I'm not trying to make you forget anything. The kidney matter will have to wait. I have more important things to discuss with him", John replied with a crooked smile and managed to convince Bo to let him in EJs cell.

EJ didn't appear to react in any way until John moved to sit next to him on the bunk. EJ sat up and hid his tired scruffy face in his hands. John just stared at him for a while.

"Sami gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy." EJ shook his shoulders but restrained himself again. He dropped his hands and turned his red eyes to John.

"Is Samantha all right?" John suspected EJ had hid his face long enough to bury the joy of hearing about the twins from him and that EJ had waited to ask about Sami until he could control his voice completely. John nodded and saw a short glimpse right through EJs eyes to his soul. This man was relieved, happy and hopelessly in love. Then EJ veiled his gaze again.

"Why did you do it?" John asked then suddenly.

"Which of my many alleged crimes are you talking about?" EJ asked after a short consideration, "After all, there are so many of those. Are you talking about the shooting or the theft of your kidney? Maybe you are talking about that murder last year or those black glove crimes. You really need to be more specific Mr. Black."

"I'm talking about your crime against yourself. Why did you do it?" John said and was happy to see that he could still surprise a man like EJ Wells.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I think you do and I think there's somewhere else you should be right now."

"No John-"

"You can thank me later. I'm going to get you out of here now. Bo!" John felt absolutely giddy inside and he had trouble hiding those feelings, "We need to get you cleaned up Mr. Wells. Though it's nice to see a man such as yourself badly groomed from time to time, enough is enough."

Sami found herself fighting against the haze again. She knew this path but it didn't make the task of opening her eyes any easier. This time she had to get used to the darkness surrounding her in the room. There was only one lamp lighting the room. Will was gone but the chair by her bed wasn't empty.

"EJ?"

"Samantha, you are awake?" EJ said and raised his eyes from the pink bundle he was holding to meet Samantha's gaze.

"What do you think about the name Sarah?" he asked and made her cry.

"This is a dream isn't it?" Sami uttered in between the sobs.

"No this isn't a dream Samantha, I'm really here. John bailed me out", EJ moved to sit on her hospital bed. She couldn't control her sobs:

"EJ, I knew you would be a great father, even if they're not biologically yours."

"Calm down Samantha. And before you go and paint me as some sort of selfless hero, I should tell you something", EJ waited until he was sure she was hearing him, "I faked the paternity test results into showing that Lucas is the father."

"Why?" her sobbing was turning into anger. How could he do that to her and to their family?

"I wanted to let you go. I needed to let you go. I had to let you choose you before choosing me or anyone else to be part of your and these twins lives. Somehow John found out and voided all my plans", EJ said quietly and placed the pink bundle in to Sami's arms and went to get the other one. There was so many things Sami wanted to say and scream out but only thing she could actually say was:

"I love the name Sarah."