Chapter 5
Sami rubbed her arms with fear and uncertainty as she stood outside the DiMera mansion trying to gather the courage to ring the doorbell.
She tried to convince herself that she was brave and that she could do this, but all she could think about was the day she fell through the French doors and nearly died from her argument with Andre and the day she stood in front of those same doors with a gun pressed in Stefano's chest but she didn't have the guts to pull the trigger.
Sami thought about all the times Lucas and her family had told her that she couldn't take on the DiMeras herself as if she were some "one-woman army" and nearly turned back as she heard their discouraging words in her mind.
But then she heard another voice urging her on, the voice of E.J. the day that Stefano had first proposed the idea of her ending the feud by marrying E.J. when he told her that she was many things but not a coward.
Sami was surprised to see Dr. Rolf answering the door, but then she remembered that Bart had died. Or at least she thought he had. "If it took," she thought.
"Come in, Samantha," Stefano said warmly welcoming her into his home. "I see you are no longer with child, do I understand the birth went well for you and the twins?"
"Yes, Stefano," Sami said biting her lip. "I was able to deliver two healthy and happy babies. No thanks to Andre."
"No thanks to Andre? How dare you come into my home and insult my son, a son who was killed because of you?" Stefano roared.
"I'm… I'm… sorry, Stefano," Sami whimpered. "I didn't mean for that to come out…"
"What did you mean? Why are you here besides to waste my valuable time and insult my family the way you Bradys always do?" Stefano said angrily.
"Well, I'm here to talk to you about another son of yours," Sami said sheepishly.
"What son?" Stefano asked. "I had no son save Andre."
"Stefano, I'm talking about E.J. and you know it," Sami sighed.
"What about him?" Stefano said furrowing his brow with interest.
"I'm here to tell you that I've decided I will marry E.J. if you call off the vendetta," Sami blurted out quickly before she could change her mind.
"Why should I call off the vendetta just because you realized you're with a boring fool and decide to leave him for someone better?" Stefano asked.
"Because that was the deal you proposed before. And I know that is the terms your father set forth for ending the feud, Stefano," Sami said with frustration.
"It is," Stefano admitted walking over to pour himself a glass of brandy and then taking a sip. "So tell me, Samantha, what changed your mind?"
"My babies," Sami said. "I can't let them, I won't let them grow up with this feud still raging all around them. I have to end it for them."
"But you do know that you will have to raise them as DiMeras, no matter how Lucas feels about that, right?" Stefano asked.
Sami gulped.
"Yes, I know that," she said.
Stefano smiled at the selfishness and shrewdness of the woman standing before him and was warmed by the thought of what a fine DiMera she'd make. All this time he had thought she was E.J.'s achilles heel yet in her cunning and bravado he knew that with her at E.J.'s side he just might be able to mold him to become more ruthless than ever and eventually turn over the family legacy to his crown prince after all.
"Then it's settled," Stefano said kissing Sami on the cheek. "You will marry E.J. as soon as possible and the feud can end and all you Bradys can live in peace from us DiMeras."
"That's great Stefano, but there's just one thing," Sami said nervously. "How am I supposed to marry E.J. when he's in jail?"
"That is a problem," Stefano said with a laugh. "Thankfully it won't be a problem for long. I happen to know a sympathetic judge or two that might be able to pull some strings. But tell me, Samantha, have you told your family yet of your decision?"
"Actually, Stefano, no," Sami admitted. "I was afraid if I didn't come here without talking to them first they might talk me out of it. I'm going to the Brady Pub right now to tell them my decision."
"Good luck with that," Stefano said as Sami headed out of the mansion.
When the front door slammed shut behind her, Andre stepped out from behind the curtain.
"Did you hear that Andre?" Stefano asked. "My plan is working perfectly. We'll have E.J. back into the fold in no time."
"Father, pardon me if I don't fully understand this scheme of yours," Andre said. "And even if I did have that bulletproof vest when you sent me to that pier to kill Lucas Roberts, don't you think not letting E.J. in on the plan was a lot riskier than it need have been?"
"E.J. is still not trustworthy, Andre, and he cannot know any of our plans," Stefano said sharply. "Why are you complaining about this now when everything worked perfectly and you were unhurt by the shooting and you successfully avoided police capture for Lucas's shooting?"
"But if E.J. is so untrustworthy why does it matter if he is still a part of this family?" Andre sighed.
"For his children," Stefano said. "We must have heirs for this family and these children must be raised as DiMeras."
"And just how long are you going to keep it a secret from them that E.J. is the father of the twins and not Lucas – that we switched the results at the hospital," Andre asked.
"The secret will be kept forever," Stefano said. "He must never know they are his biological children. For if he thinks they are Lucas's he is more likely to let me use and shape them as I wish."
"I see," Andre said pursing his lips with frustration that the wedding news seemed to have restored E.J. to Stefano's good graces and as the favored DiMera son. "So Samantha should be on her way to the pub by now… do you want me to the follow her?"
"Ahhh, the Brady Pub," Stefano said with a laugh. "Even though that is a little common for my tastes, I'm feeling a little thirsty for some cheap beer. Maybe I should pay my friends, the Bradys, a visit myself to see how they're taking Samantha's news."
Chapter 6
"Sami, where have you been?" Marlena screamed. "We've been worried sick about you!"
Sami gulped as she shut the door of the Brady Pub behind her and stepped inside to greet the assembled family members she had called to tell them her big news – that Sami Brady, the black sheep, the scourge of the family, would become the hero after all and bring all of them peace forever. But as she stared at the stern faces of her mother, father, John, Bo and Hope, while Steve and Kayla cared for the twins elsewhere and Lucas still rested in the hospital, she searched herself for the courage to admit to what she had set in motion.
"Sorry, Mom, I've been busy," Sami said slowly and deliberately. "I looked through the folio and I had to take care of some things. And I decided I'm going to take care of all of you by ending the feud once and for all."
"But how, Sami?" Bo asked. "Stefano doesn't need the stem cells any more and we know they wouldn't be a match any way."
"It's not about stem cells," Sami said with some irritation. "It's about the other terms Stefano offered to end the feud. I'm going to marry E.J."
"What da hell, Sami?" Roman asked while the others murmured similar expressions of shock and disappointment.
"You're going to leave your husband now when he needs you most?" Hope asked with disapproval.
"Well, my children need me to end this feud, too. And this is the only way this is all going to end," Sami said defensively. "I have to marry E.J. or my children will never get peace. You all will never get any peace."
"Sami," Marlena said pulling her daughter aside to talk privately. "You can't give up on your husband in the state he's in right now. He needs you to support him, to be there for him. Is this about his impotency? You know there is a chance that with the right prescription drugs or maybe some experimental procedures that…"
"This is NOT about sex!" Sami screamed before pausing to gather herself. "I talked to E.J. and he knows full well that the only reason I am marrying him is to end the feud and he's O.K. with that."
"You talked to E.J.? When?" Roman asked angrily.
"Well, after I left the hospital I went to the jail and just had a little chat with him and he said he'd do it," Sami said hanging her head in shame.
"You went to the jail?" Roman said throwing his hands in the air. "Unbelievable. And you think you actually had to ask E.J. if he'd marry you? After all he's put you through, put everyone through trying to get his hands on you?"
"Look, I know what E.J. has done to me and everyone else," Sami said. "But I just had to make sure he was on board with ending the feud and he totally agrees with me on that. And so does Stefano for that matter."
"Stefano?" John asked, his eyebrow raised.
"Yes, Stefano," Sami said biting her lip. "After I went to the jail I went to the DiMera mansion and talked to Stefano and he said if I marry E.J. he'll call off the vendetta."
"And you believe him?!" Marlena screamed.
"Believe it," Stefano said entering the pub.
"It will be a cold day in hell before I believe a word you say," John said flatly.
When Stefano effected a fake shiver to mock him, John leapt out of his chair after the old man but Bo held him back.
"What's the catch?" Roman said interrupting.
"Catch?" Stefano said with a mocking quizzical look on his face. "There's no catch. Everything Samantha said is true. I will call off the vendetta if Sami and E.J. marry, I just need you to drop the charges against my son so he can go free."
"And what if I don't?" Roman asked.
"Well, then my lawyers will still free E.J. and after he beats the charges the vendetta will continue on indefinitely," Stefano said with a smile. "Your choice."
Roman sighed and traded looks of frustration with Marlena and the others. Sami noticed their looks and couldn't help being a bit annoyed by them.
"You know, I just thought you all would show a little more gratitude to me for what I'm doing," Sami said. "I mean 25 years this battle between the Bradys and DiMeras has raged and here I'm offering to end all the pain and suffering for you and I can't get a single thank you?"
"But Sami at this cost, it's not worth it," Hope said.
"What do I have to lose anyway?" Sami scoffed.
"Only the love of your life, Sami," Marlena scolded. "I know you care about this family but I can't let you deny yourself your own happiness with Lucas."
"What do you think, Dad?" Sami asked glaring at her mother. "Is it more important for me to put MY happiness before my family's?"
Roman sighed.
"Sami, I think it's great that you want to end all this suffering for this family and I really appreciate the sacrifice you're willing to make," Roman said finally. "But I just hate that we have to use you as a bargaining chip this way."
"Really?" Sami said snickering. "Well you didn't seem to have too much of a problem with using me when I was your bait all those times when you wanted to set up E.J. to arrest him even when there wasn't any evidence to do so."
Marlena gasped but Stefano roared with laughter at Sami's outburst.
"This one may make a nice addition to the family after all," Stefano said smirking.
Sami rolled her eyes at her future father-in-law before turning her attention back to her family.
"Now, I guess all we need to do is get Uncle Mickey to draw up the divorce papers…" Sami said before Stefano interrupted.
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Stefano said. "Your marriage to Lucas Roberts was not legitimate."
"What?" Sami asked with shock.
"E.J. didn't tell you he hired that man to pretend to be a priest at your wedding?" Stefano asked laughing. "Oh, that devious boy. He's just full of surprises."
Sami found herself shaking her head at the revelation. She knew she should curse E.J. for manipulating her and the situation this way. Yet another part of her, the scheming bad girl side, couldn't help but admire E.J. for his cunning.
Chapter 7
Sami fiddled with the bodice of her white wedding gown in a mirror in a back room of St. Luke's trying to ensure everything looked just right then she stopped herself wondering just why she was so concerned with everything looking just right for this farce of a ceremony.
"Oh my God, Sami," Stephanie said panting as she entered the dressing room. "I was just out in the sanctuary and E.J. looks SO hot in his suit. You are so lucky to have that to come home to day after day. I hope you two have a great honeymoon."
"Stephanie!" Sami said with total frustration. "How can you talk like that?"
"What?" Stephanie asked. "You're not married yet and I'm not blind. I mean, Lucas was cute and all but E.J…"
"But E.J. fried your Dad's brain and you're talking about him like… like… he's some piece of meat?" Sami said with exasperation.
"Oh, you're right," Stephanie said snapped back from her lusty fantasies to reality. "Well, I'm just trying to be positive about all of this. I still don't know why you didn't have Belle or Chelsea as your maid of honor."
"Belle said no," Sami sighed. "Not that I blame her after E.J. shot John and went after Shawn because he had worked for him. And Chelsea? Well I couldn't even ask her on account of what I'm doing to Lucas. I'm sure if I made her a bride's maid Billie would show up here to pull Chelsea out of the ceremony by her hair."
"So I'm your maid of honor by default then?" Stephanie said folding her arms across her chest. "Is that it?"
"No, Stephanie," Sami said apologetically. "I really appreciate you doing this. The DiMeras have put us all through a lot and hopefully after today it all can stop and I appreciate you supporting me in this."
The two cousins hugged.
"Well, I appreciate you asking me to be in your wedding," Stephanie said finally. "Who knows if I will ever have one of my own?"
"What do you mean?" Sami asked.
"Oh nothing," Stephanie said. "Just problems with Jeremy. But you don't need to worry about that today. You just need to look beautiful. Whatever reason you're getting married Sami, it's still your wedding day."
"It is, isn't it?" Sami said laughing thinking about the ten wedding days she'd had before.
Yet as she followed Stephanie out of the dressing room toward the doors outside the sanctuary she laughed to herself thinking about how this wedding was somehow different than the rest.
As Stephanie and Sami waited for the music to play Stephanie asked her cousin if she was nervous.
"Me? Nervous? At this point, not really," Sami said laughing at all the weddings she had in the past. "Honestly, I think this is the first wedding I've had where I wasn't walking down the aisle just waiting for that other shoe to drop and my big secret to be revealed. This time the worst thing that can happen is I actually get married."
Sami laughed but Stephanie didn't as the string quartet began to play and her cousin walked down the aisle.
About thirty seconds later Sami heard the strains of "Here Comes the Bride" and knew that was her cue to enter.
As she walked down the aisle, she tried to hold her head up high proud of the sacrifice she was making for her family and pleased with herself that peace would finally belong to the Bradys.
Yet as she walked closer to the altar, she scanned the crowd of Bradys on the left side of the church and as she looked at Belle and Caroline and her father she couldn't help but be wounded by the look of fear and disgust in their faces as they contemplated the fate she had in store for herself. She tried to escape their knowing gazes by turning her attention to the other side of the crowd but there she found the judging eyes of people like Lexie Carver and Anna DiMera who glared with disapproval at her for all that she would bring to the DiMera family.
Sami felt like crying, but then she looked up at the altar and she saw E.J. Tall. Clean shaven. Wearing a perfectly tailored black suit with a black tie. Sami realized that her foolish cousin's gushing hadn't done justice to the way that man looked. Especially when she got a closer look of his face and could see all the fear and sadness she felt about what she was about to do mirrored in his own expressions. It was then that Sami truly knew that E.J. loved her, whatever his concept of love was, and that gave her the courage to move forward to the altar even as a tear slipped down her cheek.
But that sadness quickly turned to joy as Sami stepped past Marlena and John in the front row and the bouncing twins in their laps. Sami heard the cooing of Sofia and Eric John and she thought of how much better their lives would be with her marriage to E.J., which filled her with so much warmth the feeling radiated into a huge grin as she stepped up to face E.J.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the holy union of E.J. and Samantha," the priest said, prompting some snickers from both sides of the aisle at the mention of the phrase "holy union."
Undeterred, however, the priest continued.
"Who gives this woman?" he asked.
"Her mother and I," Roman said standing up and glaring at Stefano.
Sami's grin grew wider as she watched how nervous E.J. got as the ceremony continued and almost let out an audible giggle as she thought about the fact that this was her eleventh wedding while it was only E.J.'s first.
Yet even as the ceremony continued E.J.'s hands shook and Sami could hear him sighing with fear while it seemed that all of her trepidation about the nuptials had subsided. She watched these developments with curious amusement.
But that amusement turned to something else when she saw the look in his eyes as he took her hand and promised to love, honor and cherish her. She realized how seriously he took all of this and her grin turned stoic as she slid the Phoenix ring from the folio on E.J.'s finger and the reality of what they were doing set in.
Sami took a deep breath before she was asked if she would also love, honor and cherish E.J. and exhaled just as deeply before saying, "I do."
For the first time that day, a smile formed over E.J.'s face as he slid the claddagh ring onto Sami's ring finger and it fit perfectly.
Looking down at the ring, with its heart held by hands facing inward and its crown resting above, Sami thought about the symbolism of the token of their marriage and how the ring was meant to signify that her heart belonged to E.J. Sami couldn't help thinking about Colleen's heart and how she had meant to give her heart to Santo, but fate had intervened before she could get the chance. Sami looked up to face E.J. and sensed he was thinking about Colleen and Santo in that moment, too.
But all of those thoughts floated away as Sami was transported back to the moment by the words of the priest saying, "You may now kiss the bride."
The two of them stared at each other for about fifteen seconds before E.J. grasped Sami's chin with his thumb and forefinger then tilted her head to one side so he could kiss her cheek.
For reasons she didn't fully understand, Sami let out a loud laugh at that.
"E.J., if this is the only kiss you're getting, you might as well make it count," Sami said, grabbing the lapel of his suit and pulling him in for a passionate kiss he happily reciprocated.
Everyone in the crowd gasped save Stefano, who cheered, but Sami didn't notice their reactions. Especially when all of that was quickly drowned out by the sound of Lucas yelling.
"Hey, you, get your damn hands off my wife!" Lucas screamed racing down the aisle.
But before he could reach the altar, Rolf had stood up and pointed a gun at Lucas. This prompted Bo to unveil his concealed weapon and point his gun at Rolf.
"Can we stop this?" E.J. asked. "Can you both put your guns away so we can talk about this like adults?"
"Oh, you want to talk about this like adults, pal?" Lucas asked lunging toward E.J. who quickly dispatched the nuisance by applying the palm of his hand to Lucas's forehead while he stood on the altar and used his long arms and the distance between them to keep the pest at bay.
"Fine," Lucas said finally, giving up in his attempt of physically intimidate E.J. "Let's talk."
The three of them left the sanctuary to discuss things alone and shut the door behind them.
"So when were you gonna tell me Sami, huh?" Lucas asked. "When were you gonna tell me you were leaving me for old two-story? Couldn't even wait until I got out of the hospital thanks to those damn DiMeras?"
"Lucas, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to hurt you by…" Sami said before being interrupted.
"Oh, you didn't want to hurt me?" Lucas said laughing in anger. "That's rich. Because that's all you're doing is hurting me Sami. I know this marriage isn't about the feud."
"You do, do you?" Sami asked shooting him an incredulous glance. "Just what is it about?"
"It's about you wanting to be with E.J. and you using this feud as an excuse to be with him," Lucas said bitterly. "And to think I believed you that you were raped. What a fool I've been. Fool me once, Sami, shame on you. But fool me twice, well shame on me."
"Lucas, that's not fair!" Sami screamed.
"What's not fair is you abandoning me the second you found out I was impotent, Sami!" Lucas shrieked.
The three of them stood silently for a moment as the shock of those words died down. Lucas noticed they were unfamiliar to E.J.
"I see, Sami didn't tell you about my problem, E.J." Lucas said in a crazed voice. "Well, it's just as well. If Sami's gonna be your wife you need to get used to her keeping things from you."
"Hey…" Sami said with exasperation.
"Lucas, I think we've had quite enough," E.J. said standing in front of Sami and shielding her from her ex-husband's hateful words. "It's time for you to leave."
"Is it?" Lucas asked. "That's fine. I said everything I needed to say. Oh except for one thing. Sami, I hope you enjoyed your time with Sofia and Eric John because I'm gonna sue you for custody and you're never going to see them again when I'm done exposing all the horrible things you and E.J. have done."
As Lucas left the church and the door slammed behind him, Sami began to cry. But before any tears had fallen on her face, E.J. was on his knees extending a handkerchief and Sami couldn't help but smile at the gesture.
"E.J. What am I going to do?" Sami asked finally. "What judge is going to give custody of these children to me. Especially when I'm married to YOU?"
To Sami's surprise, E.J. laughed harder at those words than he had all day.
"Sweetheart," E.J. said cupping her face with his hands. "You don't need to worry about this. No matter how much money Lucas borrows from Kate to hire his lawyers, we'll get better ones. And they'll be sure to bury him just as soon as they bring up him kidnapping Will and almost killing him, all the drinking, how he has no job and of course, not to mention the Franco Kelly murder. Samantha, I know you may find this hard to believe, but there are some benefits to being a DiMera."
As Sami tried to wrap her head around that thought, E.J. intertwined his arm with hers and escorted her back into the sanctuary so they could personally greet all their wedding guests and invite them to the reception.
Chapter 8
"This place?" Stefano grumbled as he stepped foot inside the Brady Pub. "This is where you are having your reception?"
"Father, everywhere else was booked on such short notice," E.J. said as he escorted him to a table near the bar. "We didn't really have any other options."
"No other options?" Stefano scoffed. "Couldn't you have even gone a little more upscale with a night at Chez Rouge?"
"Stefano, I highly doubt the owner of Chez Rouge, Maggie Horton, is going to be bending over backward to do me any favors anytime soon when she is Lucas's aunt and AA sponsor and I have left him for E.J.," Sami said sighing.
"Even so," Stefano growled, "this party is boring."
E.J. rolled his eyes as Sami attempted to calm his simmering frustration at his father's petulance and push him away from confronting Stefano.
"Where is the dancing and the music?" Stefano asked impatiently opening his cell phone to place a call.
"What are you doing, Father?" E.J. asked.
"I'm going to make this celebration worthy of this family whether the Bradys like it or not," Stefano said to E.J. before turning his attention to the answering voice on the other side of the phone. "Hello. I was wondering how soon you can get the quartet together?"
"But there's no room in the pub for dancing," E.J. said with exasperation.
"That's good to hear. You will be rewarded handsomely for this," Stefano said closing his cell phone shut. "Elvis, there is plenty of room in the alley for dancing even if this pub is too small."
Annoyed, E.J. fiddled with his tie while Sami tried to calm his stormy mood. To their surprise, a string quartet arrived less than ten minutes later and the wedding party moved outside the pub to enjoy their playing.
"Now, this is a celebration," Stefano said happily. "Let's see some dancing."
"Father, I don't think this is such a good idea…" E.J. said nervously before Sami interrupted.
"What's the problem, E.J.?" Sami asked. "Did you forget to tango since last summer?"
E.J. grimaced but overhearing, Stefano said a tango sounded like a splendid idea and snapped his fingers instructing his quartet to provide the proper accompaniment.
To E.J.'s surprise, Sami responded by extending her hand inviting E.J. to join her in the alley when the music began.
"What are you doing?" E.J. asked.
"I'm just trying to have some fun," Sami said.
"Fun?" E.J. asked, his eyebrow askew. "You think this is fun?"
"O,K., maybe fun isn't the right word," Sami said pulling E.J. onto the dance floor. "But I'm willing to make the most of this if you are."
E.J. was very much willing to make the night whatever Sami willed it to be and he marveled at the passion and power behind her steps on the dance floor as the two of them tangoed even more fiercely, with even more longing than they had a little more than a year ago on the pier.
Sami was thrilled to discover E.J. had not lost a step since she last shared a dance with him and as he dipped her when the music ended her lips parted wishing he would kiss her, yet the words she attempted to whisper just couldn't escape her throat.
As E.J.'s caramel eyes locked into Sami's of cornflower blue, the two of them breathed heavily while E.J. lifted her back up but soon the spell was broken by the smattering of applause from the rest of the wedding party around them.
Sami was surprised to find even her family thrilled with the two of them for their passionate dance.
"I have to admit, kid, I didn't know you had it in you even if your dad did tell me you had won a tango contest before," Bo said patting Sami on the shoulder. "You two were pretty great out there."
"Clearly, it was the DiMera elegance and sophistication showing through in E.J.," Stefano said proudly.
"Actually, I think it was more Samantha's courage and spirit that made that dance work, father," E.J. said.
"Well whatever it is, let's see more of it," Stefano said clapping his hands together quickly. "This quartet did not come cheap."
E.J. glared at his father's presumption, but Sami pressed her hands against his chest and sought to soothe his anger.
"E.J., let's just humor him, all right?" Sami said sweetly.
"Sweetheart, I appreciate you being so great about all of this," E.J. said hanging his head. "But I hate him treating me like I'm some puppet who he can just snap his fingers at and I'll dance. And I hate even more to see you being treated that way."
"But E.J…" Sami said before E.J. interrupted her.
"It's already bad enough we're having to live at the mansion as a condition of Stefano's lawyers helping me deal with the Mythic mess," E.J. said rubbing his face. "I'm so sorry we have to spend our honeymoon night there. And that you have to spend even one night away from your children, darling."
Sami looked at the twins playing happily in John and Marlena's arms and she smiled.
"I think they'll be all right without their mother for just this one night, E.J.," Sami said.
"Even so, Samantha, I just wish things were different for us," E.J. said before Sami stopped him from saying more by pressing her index finger to his lips.
"Look, E.J., there's nothing we can do about it and we need to stop worrying about things we can't control," Sami said calmly.
"How philosophical of you, sweetheart," E.J. said with a laugh. "Tell me, when did you adopt this Zen attitude toward life?"
"When I finally realized E.J. that it's not worth it to stress out over these things," Sami said. "When I realized this is all really Stefano's chessboard and we're just living on it."
"Oh God, Samantha," E.J. said covering her mouth with the palm of his right hand. "Don't let my father hear you say that."