Far Away

Disclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or their characters. I just like to throw them into different scenarios to see what I can come up with for a storyline.

Far Away

Chapter 16

He totally hadn't expected her to ask him that question, when she had turned around to look at him with those beautiful sapphire blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight he thought for sure she was ready to tell him how she felt about him.

Once again he thought to himself it was a miracle he had held onto hope this long, this woman could really drive a man insane with all of her antics. But he knew in his heart he would put up with anything she could dish out to him as long as he knew she wanted to be with him.

That was the thing, had he been fooling himself this entire time thinking one day she would finally come around and see what had been in front of her all along? That he loved her to the point of distraction and would go to hell and back for her. He felt like he had endured more than his fair share of fire and brimstone so far in dealing with her, so what kept him holding on?

He knew he shouldn't ask her, but he had to know where she was coming up with this new line of thinking she was going in when she requested he not buy this house, the house that would be perfect for them, he could imagine them working together to make it into a home that their children would grow up in, for them to spend endless hours making love to one another when they would be able to sneak away for private moments alone. How could she not want him to buy this house?

"Why don't you want me to buy this house?" There it was, he asked her even though he wasn't sure if he would like her answer to his question or not.

"Because," was all she said with a shrug of her shoulders and sounding like the little girl he wondered that she might have been like growing up in Salem before they crossed paths with one another.

"Because? Samantha, because is not a good enough reason. You need to tell me exactly why you don't want me to buy the house because I think this would be a perfect place to live," EJ said giving her a look that conveyed she needed to fess up what she was thinking before he grew tired of her trying to evade his questions about their future.

"This house has memories," Sami started to say more than faltered, thinking she couldn't make him understand that she wouldn't be able to bear him living here without her, and to think one day he would move on in his life with someone else was more than she could be asked to take.

"Of course it does, that is one of the reasons I want to buy it, the house has character, it's not just some newly fabricated home," EJ said starting to realize with more certainty this was the house they needed even if Sami couldn't envision it.

"EJ we danced here," Sami reminded him as she looked across the room over to the spot where they danced together years earlier.

"We also danced at the pier, but somehow you manage to still be able to go there," EJ stated emphatically, wanting her to just be honest for god's sake. All she had to do was say she wanted to live here with him and he'd have the realtor make it ready for them to move in by the end of the week if not sooner.

"You'd bring another woman in here?" There she asked it, she wasn't going to idly stand by watching EJ buy a house that Sami could see herself living in and him having someone else be here with him instead.

"You expect me to be a monk the rest of my life? Be fair Samantha, if you don't want me, why should I spend the rest of my life alone?"

"You just don't understand," she said pushing up to get away from him.

"Enlighten me then, please Samantha, I don't know whether or not I'm coming or going with you. One minute I think we have a chance to be together, the next you're pushing me away so fast it makes my head spin," EJ got up too, going to stand behind her while she gazed out the window. He touched her arm, turning her around to face him. "Can't you see I don't want anyone else but you? Just you, the woman who has me questioning my sanity more times than not because you don't give me much reason to hope for anything."

"EJ, it's hard for me to say," Sami could feel like she was going to hyperventilate she was shaking so.

"Samantha, please tell me what is on your heart. Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me? I've never been close to anyone before, never let anyone near enough to see what was really and truly me and then when I decide to take the chance you turn away from me as soon as I start to reveal my heart."

"Maybe I'm not worth all the trouble," she began, but he stopped her before she could finish her sentence.

"You're worth it all, I love you Samantha! Only you, no matter what if you go away from me tonight, I'll never stop loving you. Maybe one day someone can fill this void in my heart if you break my heart again by walking away, but I will always love you."

"You're the one who walked away. You're the one going on with their life without me. The reason I don't want you to buy this house is because it should be our house!"

"It can be," EJ said, "Don't you see I want you and the twins here with me? I just can't share you with Lucas. I won't be your second choice anymore! I love you, but I can't take you rejecting me time and time again."

"You're not my second choice," she said softly, touching his face momentarily before placing her hands on his chest.

"Then what am I?" he asked pulling her close to him, their breath intermingling with one another.

"You're the man I want to be with, the one I love," she said even softer than when she had spoken moments earlier.

"You love me?" he asked, wanting to cry himself, he never thought she would say the words aloud.

"Yes, I love you," she whispered, sliding her hands up his chest until they locked around his neck, bringing him down to kiss her. Knowing with a certainty if EJ was moving into this house she was coming too, whether he liked it or not.

Far Away
Chapter 17

He stopped just before their lips touched whispering to her, "Are you really sure you love me?"

"I'm surer of loving you than anything I ever felt before in my life," Sami answered. "This is real EJ; I'm exactly where I want to be, here with you, sharing our lives together. I'm tired of hiding from who I really am. I could ask you the same questions. Are you still in love with me even though I haven't given you much reason to hold on? Were you sure you loved all of me when we were reading Santo and Colleen's love letters together?"

"You remember me telling you how much I loved you in the hospital?" EJ's voice was incredulous, he thought she had dismissed his thoughts as soon as he spoke them for the most part since she had steadfastly refused to open up her heart to him despite his pleadings to the contrary.

"I also remember you saying you wouldn't give up on me until I was yours, but I was scared you had decided to do just that, give up," she said realizing how close she had came to losing EJ completely and how much the thought scared her when she viewed her future without him by her side.

"I thought you were too out of it after the nurse gave you your medication to remember much of anything I was saying," EJ replied softly brushing her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"I remember more things than you think I do," she confessed allowing EJ another tiny glimpse into her heart.

"And here I thought you disregarded everything I said most times," EJ looked deep into her eyes, hoping she was being sincere, he had wished for so long she would come to him and admit her feelings for him, but it was another thing entirely for her to be actually doing the things he had dreamed of her doing.

She smiled in the darkness, "Well I have to keep you on your toes somehow, don't I?"

"You do a very good job of that Samantha," he chuckled slightly.

"So you really can deal with the good, the bad, and the conniving and reckless parts of me?" she asked, reciting his words almost verbatim just to prove her point about remembering.

"Yes," he answered confidently, "I want you even when you drive me crazy."

"Like when I do this?" she asked, standing up on her tiptoes to reach his lips, covering them with a tempting kiss that made EJ's heart do its own strange flip flop. He knew he was in deep, god he loved her more than he thought he could possibly love someone and that sent his mind reeling.

"That does seem to do it," he said after she ended their kiss, he wanted to kiss her endlessly, each time their lips touched it was like they were learning something new from one another. Just when he thought he might have her figured out she would do something different just to throw him off guard.

She pulled away, giving him a mischievous look as she stepped back away from him and began to untie the bottom of the shirt he had given her earlier in his office. He was unsure of what she was going to do, but he let her continue as she started to unbutton the shirt one button at a time. When she had finished her task, she slid the shirt from her shoulders exposing her bra clad self to him for the second time this evening with a confidence shining in her eyes that wasn't present the first time it had happened.

She then went a step further, her hands going to her waistband of her pants, unbuttoning them too as she slipped out of them gracefully, now standing before him only dressed in a tiny wisp of lace that could hardly even be called panties, her bra and of course her high heels. She shook her head, causing the hair that EJ had pulled out from the twist she had arranged her hair in before she came to see him tonight to fall in waves cascading over her shoulders.

His breath caught in his throat, there she was standing before him, the moonlight shining upon her made her appear to be likened to some kind of dream goddess, almost like an apparition of his mind and he had to remind himself this was no dream, which she really was here with him.

He wanted to reach out to her, to take her in his arms, but before he did that he wanted her to know if they chose this path, he was not going to go back to the way things had been before, no longer would he chase after her, hoping for mere crumbs of her attention. "Samantha, don't do this if you aren't completely sure of your choice. If we take this any further you need to know I'm not going to go back to having you wavering between your feelings for me. I want you more than I have ever wanting anything in my life and I do love you with all my heart, but I honestly can't take you changing your mind again and going back to Lucas."

"I don't want Lucas," she stated with a certainty that made EJ want to take her right then and there, but still he held back, he needed for her to spell it out for him, that she had realized they were perfect for each other, that they would never need another person besides each other to find the love they had both been seeking their entire lives. She laid a hand upon his chest resting it upon his heart, "I want you EJ. I want to claim your heart for my very own, to revel in this love that you've so steadfastly held onto for me even when I don't feel like I deserve it."

"Sweetheart, you deserve so much," EJ said softly as he covered her hand with his own. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, for you to be with me forever, but you need to know that I'm afraid this is just a passing fancy for you. That you only wanted me once I was no longer readily available to you and while I want to be with you more than anything, if you aren't ready to commit yourself wholeheartedly, mind, body and soul to me, I'll have to accept it and move on with my life without you."

She was quiet for a few moments and in those moments EJ felt like the fate of his entire future was held in her hands, he wanted a life with her; they could have so much if she would only trust him to be the one who could make her dreams come true. She felt his love for her and for the first time saw that even though he still wanted has as badly as he ever had that he now had a new resolve within him and it was up to her to make him see she was ready to take the leap of faith with him.

She took her other hand and caressed his face, "EJ, I've searched for so long to find true love and acceptance and I can't even begin to tell you how surprised I was that I found it in you. I've fought you tooth and nail not to feel these feelings for you, to do what my family wanted, to be accepted by them, but I can't deny my heart any longer. I want to be with you, just you. You are my destiny, the one I was meant to be with…"

"And here I thought all along I was the hopeless romantic while you were the cynical one," EJ released her hand and ran his hands along her side, bringing her closer to him so that she could link her hands behind his neck once again.

"Maybe I am seeing things differently when I see them through your eyes," she closed the distance between them with another kiss, melding her body to his as he continued to slide his hands down her back until he cupped her backside, bringing her even closer to him.

"Marry me," he whispered, as he slowly took them down to the floor, thankful that he didn't lose his balance because he wanted to make love to her without any mishaps and no interruptions from anyone. He wanted to spend the night with her, for them to have the time they so desperately needed with one another.

"Again?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Well since we can't seem to get those rings off your finger, I thought it might be a good idea," EJ teased, "even though I wasn't planning on having us christen the house tonight when I brought you here."

"Are you sure about that?" she gave him a questioning look even though she was about to start laughing. "I mean you have been known to mastermind quite a few things in your time."

"Samantha, would I do something like that?" He gave her an innocent look.

"Yes, and I love it," she said looking up at him from her position on the floor as she started to unbutton his shirt.

He stopped her progression, giving her a serious look, "Maybe we should wait."

She eyed him curiously, "Why?"

"Our first time making love in what will be our new home lying here on the floor instead of something romantic, I mean you deserve the best darling," EJ said looking down at her while she lay there waiting for him, his love shining clearly for her in his eyes and for the first time he could see the same sentiment reflecting in her eyes too.

"I have the best," she answered with a surety as she pulled him closer, "because I have you."

"So does that mean you'll accept my proposal? Will you marry me again? This time for real…"

She cut him off before he could finish, "Yes EJ, I want to marry you, but if you don't shut up and make love to me I'm going to scream."

"You might scream anyway," he teased as he started to kiss her once more, this time nuzzling her neck the way he knew she liked so much, before pulling back to add, "or at least squeal."

"Squeal huh? Well you better get at it EJ because you have on way too many clothes for my liking," she said resuming her earlier task of unbuttoning his shirt while she shifted her legs to accommodate him settling in between them, wanting nothing more than to have him claim her again, this time with him knowing how she truly felt about him, that she loved him as much as he loved her.

"Last chance for a change of venue," EJ said, his breath growing shorter as she finally got his shirt off of him and was beginning to work on his pants, her hands doing all kinds of magical things to him as she touched him through the thin material of his dress pants.

She shook her head and smiled, "I like it right here just fine."

He argued no more when she got his pants off from him before he fully realized it, the woman had talents he was totally unaware of, but slowly he was coming to see that this was the start of an adventure he was ready to go on only with her, from now until forever…

Far Away
Chapter 18

EJ was coming to appreciate the advantages of making love on the floor while his lovely Samantha was on top of him, smiling at him while she continually rocked steadily against him, causing him to gasp in pleasure over her most recent actions. It was pure heaven to be here with her like this, taking and giving to one another as the night wore on. They had made love for hours and now it seemed they were both finally spent at least for the moment as Sami arched upwards while he kept his hands on her sides to keep her from falling off from her position she had procured just a short while ago, claiming just one more time from him after he had captured her lips for another greedy kiss.

Both trying to catch their breath as he gently brought her down against him, she lying on top of him while he stroked her back softly, "I do love you," she stated when she could form a sentence without losing her breath.

"I'm starting to believe you," EJ joked as she pushed up from her position on his chest and gave him an unbelieving stare.

"Just starting to believe?"

"Well you still haven't given me the honor of allowing me to have you fall asleep in my arms. I want your beautiful face to be the first thing I see when I awake in the morning," he took the pad of his thumb to brush up against her full lips, one that had given him many kisses tonight.

"EJ, I really need to get home," Sami began instantly hating to see the look of disappointment start to form on EJ's face in the pale moonlight. "I didn't ask mom to keep the kids for the entire night and I'm afraid she will think something is wrong if I don't come home at all."

EJ knew she was right, Marlena would be worried if Samantha didn't return home, but he didn't want their time together to end, afraid that in the light of day things would revert back to the way they were before tonight and he didn't want to lose Samantha again, they were so close to having it all. He would contact the realtor tomorrow to get things in motion to buy the house. Now he was surer than ever he had made the right decision by bringing her here tonight. This was meant to be their home, there was a magic here that had brought them back to it, for this to be the place where Samantha had shared her heart with him and he in turn opening up his heart to her too.

"I'll take you home," EJ said, shifting up and bringing her with him as she settled into his lap, her arms draping around his neck.

"I can drive home, remember I drove to the office to see you tonight," Sami nuzzled against him, not wanting to break contact with him just yet, but knowing she needed to get home. She just hoped the twins hadn't been too much for Marlena to handle while she had spent time with EJ.

"It's late, I can take you home and then we'll get your vehicle tomorrow," EJ held her close, savoring the feel of her silky skin up against his own, he never wanted to let her go, he was afraid things would fall apart if they left here tonight and even though he wasn't a superstitious person by nature, something just nagged at him about parting with her tonight. "That is unless you are worried that someone else will see me bring you home."

"EJ, I'm not worried about Lucas," Sami began and immediately felt EJ start to tense up at the mention of his name.

"Are you sure you're over him? That you really and truly want to be with me?"

She could hear the doubt in his voice, she really hadn't given EJ much reason to believe her feelings had changed for Lucas beyond what she had said to him tonight, but she thought he would know after they made love he would know deep down that he was the one for her, not Lucas. She looked into his face and smiled, "Yes, I'm over him. I want my life to be with you, but I won't lie. I'm afraid that Lucas is going to try and take Allie away from me by my choosing to be with you instead of him. He has threatened to take her away from me from the time he stepped back into the mansion."

"If you had only told me about him threatening to take Allie, I would have understood better why you felt you had to distance yourself away from me. Don't you know I will never let him take Allie away from you? Lucas doesn't have a leg to stand on in court; he is just trying to scare you into thinking otherwise. I never should have tried to get him out of prison," EJ muttered, regret in his voice.

Sami touched his face, "You were doing what you thought would make me happy. Once again you put my happiness first over what you thought would make me truly happy above your own. Do you know I've never had anyone to do that for me ever?"

"I do want you to be happy," EJ nodded his head as he looked into her eyes, he held her even closer.

"I am happy, with you," Sami said as she hugged him close, wishing she could dispel his doubts but knowing it would take more than one night of convincing EJ of that fact, she had only come to terms with her feelings herself after he had moved out of the mansion, making her face the possibility of a future without him in it.

Now she had to show him she wanted him and only him. She still wasn't completely sure Lucas couldn't get custody of Allie, but at least now with EJ on her side, they might have a chance to keep Lucas from trying to take her daughter away from her.

"Okay, as much as I don't want you to leave here, I don't want Marlena to worry either, after all if she hadn't agreed to look after the twins tonight may not have ever happened," he kissed her on the nose as they separated from one another.

"You are glad tonight happened, aren't you?" Sami said after they were both dressed.

"Yes, you don't ever have to doubt my love for you ever again Samantha," EJ pulled her back into his arms, wishing they didn't have to leave one another again.

"Or you mine," Sami reached up to kiss him, hoping that as the days went by EJ would know that he was in her heart, the only man she wanted to be with for all time.

Far Away
Chapter 19

EJ once again insisted on driving Sami back to the mansion, he promised she would get to her vehicle tomorrow sometime, he didn't want her driving back home when it was already so late.

"I'm not a child EJ, I'm perfectly able to drive home on my own," Sami began to argue only to have EJ shake his head no to her suggestion of going back to his office and parting ways from there.

"I'm under no illusion that you are a child," EJ stated emphatically, "I know you are all woman; but please allow me to take you back home."

"It will only be home when you are with me again," she pouted her bottom lip out in petulance.

"I'm not going back to the mansion to stay," EJ said firmly, on this subject he was not going to budge, not as long as Lucas was living there, he just couldn't pretend to endure the man's presence any longer even if EJ did have more of a right to be living there instead of Lucas.

Sami could tell by the tone of EJ's voice he wasn't going to give into her, she couldn't goad him into making decisions like she had with Lucas, EJ was his own man, he had proven it time and time again especially after he had left the mansion. They drove in relative silence, Sami wishing EJ would stay, the past week without him being there had been unbearable, and she had not fully realized how much she had come to depend on him until he was gone.

When they arrived at the circular drive at the mansion Sami was sad, she didn't want this to be the end of their evening. Even though her mother had been gracious enough to look after the children for her tonight, she was torn, it had taken EJ moving out and on with his life for her to realize how much she loved him and wanted him in her life.

"I guess this is goodnight," EJ said softly, wanting to give her a kiss before he left. He wanted so badly to go into the house, he knew the twins would be asleep, but he had missed them terribly this past week along with missing their wildly impetuous mother, this incredible woman he was hopelessly in love with no matter what he tried to do to get her out of his mind.

"Please come inside with me," Sami urged as she bridged the short distance between them to kiss his lips, her hands immediately finding their way to his face as she tenderly kissed him.

"Samantha, I shouldn't, it will only make things more difficult for you with Lucas," EJ said as he pulled away from her kiss.

"Come in to see the babies," she requested ignoring his bringing up Lucas' name and this time EJ felt not only the draw of Samantha, but that of the children, those precious babies whom when he was around them he didn't have to hide the love he had in his heart because they loved him as much as he loved them.

"Just for a few minutes," he conceded, his reluctance to enter the mansion fading with Sami leading him on, gently taking him by the hand as they walked to the front door.

When she turned to smile at him in the moonlight she took his breath away, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on and to think they were finally on track to building their life together it made him thankful that he was getting the chance to be with her.

He kissed her on the doorstep gently at first and then more fully as she melted into his embrace, he could go on kissing her like this forever he thought as they stood together holding on to each other until Sami unknowingly hit the doorbell when she backed up against the doorframe.

They were both surprised when Rolf opened up the door causing them both to stumble backwards into the floor in the foyer of the mansion.

"Master Elvis, how wonderful it is to see you!" Rolf exclaimed happily looking at them both quizzically even if he was rather sleepy to be awaken at this time of the night.

EJ and Sami shook their heads both disoriented by the impromptu fall they had taken together.

"Rolf, what are you doing up this late?" EJ asked hoping to get his attention away from the obvious of being caught kissing Sami in the doorway as Rolf extended a hand to help Sami up from where she had fallen on the floor beside EJ.

"Thank you Rolf," Sami said as she regained her balance with his help and EJ arose beside her, instinctively rubbing his hand up her arm to reassure himself that she was all right.

"You're quite welcome Miss Samantha, especially since you've brought Master Elvis back home where he belongs," Rolf's enthusiasm caught EJ off guard by his greeting and warmth towards him.

"Rolf, this isn't what it looks like, I'm just bringing Samantha back home, I'm not staying," EJ said hating to see Rolf's smile fade from his face as soon as he told him of his intentions.

"EJ was only stopping by to check in on the twins," Sami added hating to see Rolf so disappointed, he had really taken a liking to EJ, she and the twins since they had moved into the mansion and she knew how much Rolf had missed EJ being around too.

"The babies have missed you, just as we all have," Rolf said before turning to go back to his bedroom.

"Thank you Rolf," EJ said quietly.

"For what Master Elvis?" Rolf asked him not understanding why EJ was thanking him.

"For making me realize I am a part of this family," EJ replied.

"You belong here with us," Rolf stated whole heartedly and then retreated to his bedroom, leaving EJ and Sami alone in the foyer.

"See I'm not the only one who has been missing you," Sami nudged EJ as they started to climb the stairs to go to the twin's bedroom.

"Samantha, please don't make me feel any more guilty than I already do, I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving," EJ said with a sigh, being back here in the mansion brought back a myriad of memories for him, some good, some bad, most of them tied to Samantha in some sort or the other.

"I don't mean to make you feel guilty EJ, believe me the action you took woke me up," Sami said as she opened the door into the twin's bedroom, both sleeping peacefully in their cribs. "I now know that wherever you are is where I want to be also."

"I do love you," EJ kissed her softly before making his way to Allie and Johnny, the tears in his eyes shining as he took in the sight of them sleeping like angels in the night, both unaware that their parents were in the room with them. He leaned over the crib kissing them both before standing up straight again.

"Stay with me tonight," Sami said as she came up beside him to stand beside the twin's crib, she had long given up trying to separate them during the night, and they always sought out each other's company even in their slumber.

"I want to, but we both know I shouldn't," EJ stated sadly, he wanted to spend the night with her, had dreamed of it for such a very long time, but not here, they needed to have their own place together away from this mess he had brought upon them all by having Lucas released from prison. If he'd had to do it all again, there were so many thing he would have done differently.

"I'll walk you to the door then," Sami said with resignation in her voice.

"We'll be together soon, just not like this," EJ said hating to leave the twin's bedroom, this was so hard for him to do, but he knew he was doing the right thing, no good would come of him being back in this house, fighting with Lucas, making things harder for Samantha than they already were at the moment.

"I'll let you leave for now, but please don't stay away from us, we are your family," Sami pulled him into a tight hug.

"I know that now," EJ kissed her on the top of her head as they continued to stay in each other's arms. Reluctantly he pulled away, "I need to get back to work. I still have some files to go over before I go into court tomorrow."

Sami looked at him worriedly, "I didn't mean to keep you from work."

"It was well worth the time away," EJ kissed her once more before taking his leave from her at the stairs. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can start making plans for our future."

"I like the sound of that," Sami said with a smile, blowing him a kiss.

"Goodnight Samantha," he said when he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Goodnight EJ," she replied as she watched him leave, her heart happy and sad all at the same time watching the man she loved walk out the door and into the night. She turned to go to her bedroom, hoping this would be one of the last nights she would be here, she was ready to move on to her new life with EJ and this time she would be sure to let him know each and every day how much she loved and appreciated him.

Happily humming to herself as she made her way to her bedroom she failed to notice Lucas standing in the darkened shadows of the hallway overhearing she and EJ's conversation, his countenance dark with anger as he thought of how once again Sami was betraying him with that no good bastard EJ. Standing back so as not to alert her to his presence Lucas let her pass by being totally unaware that he was watching her.

As soon as Sami shut the door to her bedroom he reached for his cell phone dialing Nicole's number, "You were right all along; let's meet tomorrow to discuss strategy. No, you don't have to come by here; I have ways of getting out of this hell hole undetected. I'll meet you at the Salem Inn." He snapped the phone shut and left to go to his bedroom, he would make that bitch pay for going back to that slimy bastard, of that much he was sure.

Far Away
Chapter 20

It took Lucas a few minutes to unlock his ankle bracelet, but it was worth the time and aggravation he thought as he slipped out of the mansion undetected, the freedom he felt as he left the mansion indescribable. He hated being subjected to living in the DiMera mansion, why just the thoughts of having to stay in the one place he never wanted to be beyond prison was barely tolerable. He hated all the DiMera's with a passion, especially that miserable excuse for a human being EJ.

Lucas' fury grew even with each step away from that dark and dreary place. How Samantha could want to live there after all the things the DiMera's had done to her family was unfathomable. He was wired from being unable to sleep after discovering once again Sami had decided to betray him with EJ. There was a darkness growing inside him he couldn't quite explain, he guessed going to prison had done it to him, the constant state of being on edge, never knowing what to expect when he was caged along with all those criminals. He was slowly evolving into a person he never thought he would be, but it was happening with each passing day.

Why to his way of thinking if he had killed EJ DiMera he would have done the world a great favor instead of a disservice. He still couldn't see why he had even had to go to jail; all he had been doing was trying to protect his family, to keep his wife from having to subject herself to that monster's apparently insatiable lust for her. EJ's passion for his wife had been the catalyst to tear Lucas' entire world apart at the seams.

He shut his eyes trying to get the image of walking into the mansion that night to see his wife, correction his ex-wife in bed with the one man he despised and hated more than anyone else on the planet. He had tried and tried to rid the various scenarios that played out over and over again after walking in on Sami and EJ having sex together. No matter what he did he kept seeing them in bed with one another, their moans of passion resounding in his ears long after the act had occurred.

And now just when he thought things were turning around for him and Sami he realized that bitch had been playing him all along again. In the darkness of the previous night hearing Sami ask EJ to spend the night with her literally turned his stomach. Well this time they had both gone too far. He wasn't going to sit back and let them have some kind of happily ever after while his life continued to be a living hell.

He wished he hadn't turned Sami down when she had offered him a piece of ass, god he needed something to abate his hunger and it was quite apparent that he wasn't going to be offered to sample Sami's wares again since the Brit had somehow changed her mind about being with him again. The thought of how stupid he had been trying to take the high road made him angrier at Sami along with himself as he rode the taxi to the Salem Inn.

At least he knew he had an ally in Nicole, or he thought he had one in her. He guessed he would know soon enough after he met with her this morning. If he was to get his revenge on EJ he needed Nicole's full and complete cooperation. Thinking of his ex-wife and how things used to be with them before they went completely south, gave Lucas some encouragement. Maybe Nicole would be able to help him in more ways than one as he thought about how hard up he was for some booty. Maybe he could get an old times' sake booty call from her too while he was at it. While Nicole was no match for Sami in bed, anything would do at the moment, it had been far too long since he'd been with a woman and he needed some kind of release with all the tension he'd endured lately after being released from prison.

He adjusted his hat further down on his head as he paid the taxi driver for the cab fare and then walked into the front doors of the Salem Inn. His face twisted into a grim smile as he thought of the havoc he hoped to pour upon EJ and Sami. If Nicole agreed to his plan, he'd get his revenge and even more. He'd had a lot of time to sort over things in prison and now with things looking like he'd never be with Sami again he really had nothing to lose.

Sami woke up with a smile upon her face as she thought back to her previous evening she had spent with EJ, it had been perfect, or well almost perfect seeing as how she wished they had been able to spend the night together in each other's arms. She hoped in the very near future they would be waking up with each other every morning.

She sat up in the bed and hugged her knees, her smile growing as she anticipated the future with EJ and the twins. She couldn't wait to marry him again and for them to start their new life together, this time they would be married in every sense of the word. She was finally going to get the man of her dreams and the life she had wanted ever since she was a little girl. It was hard to believe after all these years she was going to have her heart's desires.

She looked down at her wedding rings and smiled; thankful she hadn't been able to take them off her hand the night before in EJ's law office. It was like fate had designed for her and EJ to be together. Yes, they were meant to be and before long they would have their own home and a wonderful life together. She couldn't believe her good fortune, for once things were finally going her way.

EJ awoke at his desk once again after coming back to work when he had dropped Samantha off at the mansion. He groaned thinking he needed to call the realtor; there was no way he could stay another night sleeping in the office. He ran his hands through his hair and went to the adjoining bathroom, determined to take a quick shower before everyone else showed up for work.

So far Mickey had been patient and understanding with his need to stay here instead of going to the mansion, but he didn't want to take advantage of his generosity. He would definitely call the realtor this morning to buy the house.

He smiled thinking it wouldn't be long before they could move into their house. It was a heady feeling, knowing that for once he and Samantha were on the same page with one another. They both wanted to be with each other and even more importantly she had admitted she loved him, not Lucas. He had so many wonderful plans for their future; he really couldn't wait for it to begin.

The glint of his wedding band caught his eye as the light shone upon it and EJ knew it was even more proof he and Samantha belonged together. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before they would really be man and wife again. He just couldn't wait for them to start sharing their lives together.