Chapter 13

Convince Me?

Interior Sami's Bedroom

Samantha lays motionless taking in what EJ just said. She wasn't sure what he just said. She wasn't sure what he meant either. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling. She just wanted to take it all in.

EJ got up out of bed in attempt to give her the time he thought she needed. He put his clothes on and sat in the chair in the opposite side of the room and stared at her not really knowing what she was thinking.

EJ [ breaking the silence] I was an orphan apparently. I was taken from my parents and Stefano gave me the identity Elvis Jr. I have no idea who my real parents are. I only know that I never met them and Stefano turned me into a monster. Someone I hated until I met you. I want you to know I didn't try to trick you. I just wasn't sure how to tell you. I never lied to you about the fact that I do love you. I can understand though if you don't feel the same way about me now.

EJ gets up to leave the room when Samantha gets up and follows him downstairs. She grabs her bathrobe and wraps it around her. While she runs down the staircase all she can think about is how much she doesn't want him to leave.

Sami [ panting] Wait EJ come back here.

EJ around at the bottom of the stairs.

Sami [ looking at EJ] You're still the same person and I'm definitely still in love with you. I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here with me and if you want to find your real parents then I'll help you. I will do whatever it takes. I need you to help me through this and I need to help you. So what do you say.

Marlena enters the house.

Marlena enters the house and throws her purse on the floor.

Marlena [ looking at Sami] Oh my baby you came home. I missed you so much. You finally forgave me for what happened to Will. I knew you would. It really helps me to know you still love me.

Marlena gets a drink from the bar. She is already obviously drunk. She drinks the drink down in one drink. She takes a few steps toward Sami and tries to hug her and Sami pulls away.

Sami [ angry] How dare you try to hug me after what you did. I mean did even think about staying in the room with him to keep him there. Did you even think about taking your keys with you. If you would have just been a little bit smarter my son would still be here. You didn't even tell me he was in the hospital.

Marlena [ off balance] Well at least I was there. You were shacked up with your ex lover like a common whore.

Sami slaps Marlena and Marlena in a drunken rage fights Sami back.

EJ [ pulling them apart] Samantha lets get the children and go.

Marlena [ calmly] Go go where.

Sami [ angry] Away from you and Salem.

Marlena sets in the messed up living room with her makeup running.

Fade out.

Interior Anna and Tony's Bedroom

Anna is scared when she first saw Tony. She is literally to scared to move. She sits very still on the bed still shaking with tears coming down her face. She feels as if it is to good to be true and then she makes the assumption that someone is trying to get one over on her so.

Tony [ smiling] Anna its ok come here. Its ok

Tony approaches the bed and Anna out of fear throws the glass vase at him which knocks him out. Anna out of fear ties him up with some of her panty hose. She runs down the stairs and finds the house empty.

Anna [ worried] I have to get out of here before Andre wakes up. What if he tries to hurt me. What if he kills me.

Anna hears someone open the front door and quickly hides.

Stefano [ entering the room] I have to find Anna and give her the antidote to the drug before it kills her.

Anna runs upstairs and trips going up the stairs. Stefano follows her up the staircase and injects her with the drug.

Stefano [ calmly] I'm sorry it wasn't supposed to be this way.

Stefano leaves.

Anna rolls over on the steps and tries to stand but cannot muster up the energy.

Tony unties himself and heads for the living room where he finds Anna.

Tony [ concerned] Anna oh my god Anna wake up look at me. Anna come on.

Tony picks a shaken Anna up and takes her upstairs.

Anna gets away from Tony still very much afraid of him and sits on the bed.

Anna [ begging ] Please don't hurt me.

Tony [ calmly] No darling I would never harm you. Anna its me Tony. Trust me. I found out about Stefano's little plan to kill me and switch me with Andre. So I have been pretending to be Andre to keep Stefano at bay. I never meant to hurt you. I only wanted to protect you. Please believe me that its me.

Anna [ crying] How am I supposed to believe you. I saw your body in Stefano's house.

Tony [ moving closer] Anna its ok I won't harm you I promise. Please just let me prove it to you.

Anna [ crying] How on earth could you possibly do that.

Tony [ calmly] I don't know Anna but I have to do something otherwise the next thing you throw at me might hurt.

Anna [ screaming] I'm not falling for this. I lost the only man I ever really loved and that pain almost killed me. Sometimes I had to force myself to breathe. I don't want to go through that again. I survived a tornado and that was nothing compared to losing Tony. Losing Tony felt like getting stabbed in the chest. I never want to feel that again. So you see I can't believe you because getting Tony back would be like getting my life back and that's impossible. And Tony my Tony would never let me believe he was dead. Never he loved me too much to allow me to feel that kind of pain. Get out.

Tony [ moving over to Anna] Anna I love you please just look at me.

Tony gets in front of Anna where she has to see him. He forces her to look at him.

Anna [ trying to fight back her feelings] Stop looking at me that way. Just stop it. Just stop looking at me all together.

Tony reaches over to her trying not to force her to believe him.

Tony [ calmly] Anna please.

Anna [ calmly] No

Tony realizes his approach isn't working. He decides to be more passionate.

Tony [ grabs Anna and looks into her eyes.] I love you.

Anna [ looking away] I'm not falling for it.

Tony holds onto her fiercely trying to keep her still. She is fighting back forcefully. He gets an idea in the middle of this.

Tony[ calmly] Lets play a game.

Anna [ trying to get loose] At a time like this you want to play scrabble.

Tony [ holding onto her] No I was thinking of a more oral game.

Anna [ taken aback] What?

Tony [ rolling his eyes] Not like that like a question game.

Anna [ trying to get loose] I don't think so

Tony [ holding on to her] Look if you're not satisfied I'll leave.

Anna [ calmly] Ok fine one game.

Tony is trying to assure himself that she'll trust and believe him again.

Tony[ calmly] What is your favorite memory of Tony.

Anna [ calmly] Probably when we were in the office and had that ridiculous chocolate fight. I don't think I had ever had that much fun. Tony was always so much fun to be around. I loved him so much. You know I used to just lay on his chest and feel his heart beating. I have missed that so much. Why are you doing this. Just to hurt me. Just to make me miss him more. I will always love Tony. No other man could ever love me the way he did.

Tony takes Anna's hand in his and looks into her eyes.

Tony [ calmly] I want to tell you a story.

Anna [ teary eyed] What kind of story.

Tony turns his head briefly trying to conceal his emotions. Then looks back at her. She looks at him trying to hold herself together. Deep inside she knows the truth but is still very much afraid. She is afraid that this could be a dream or that he might just fade away so she has kept her distance until now.

Tony[ softly] it's a story of love. It all started when a horrible man hired a beautiful woman to seduce his son. That she did. It all started with her trying to hurt him. Then she fell in love with him. But not before she tricked him into marrying her. Then she tried to hold onto him. He divorced her after she saved his life. He still loved her but never admitted it to her or himself. Then he was kidnapped and replaced with his cousin Andre. Then believing it was him she fell for him. She ended up saving him again and told him she was still in love with him and he pushed her away again afraid of being hurt. He still loved her too. Then after months and months of games they both finally ended up together again married. Then he disappeared into thin air.

Anna looks into his eyes and takes both of his hands in hers.

Anna [ crying] Then she spent years traveling the world. Trying to find the kind of love she had with him but she never did then she found him and got him back. Just to lose him again.

Tony [ placing his hands on her face] Only she didn't really lose him.

Anna [ calmly] She didn't. She still has him. This story has a happy ending.

Tony [ wiping her eyes] Yes. It always has.

Anna reaches out to touch Tony.

Anna [ crying] Tony.

Tony [ smiling] Hello Anna.

Anna kisses Tony.

FADE OUT.

Interior Dimera Mansion

Rolf sits in the laboratory staring at a man whose face cannot be seen due to the darkness covering his face. Rolf is mixing a drug for the man.

Rolf [ stirring the drug] Sir I already told you I do not think this drug is safe. I also believe that it is responsible for William Horton's death. That and the negligence of his grandmother . This drug could torture people to death.

Man[ smiling] Then its perfect. That's just what I want to do with it. I want them to feel the pain Stefano has made me feel over the years. This is the night to start my great plan of torture.

Rolf [ calmly] Welcome to hell.

Fade Out.

Interior Penthouse

Marlena sits in the floor. She looks a mess with her hair out of place and makeup running. Sami and EJ have already left. The house is silent because John left with them to help with the babies. All that's left is silence.

Marlena [ getting up] I have to got to out of here. I have to find Sami. I have to make her understand. She has to know I never meant to hurt Will. She has to forgive me.

Marlena takes her drunken self out of the house and into her car.

Fade Out.

Country Road Exterior

Sami and EJ drive along the road with John following them in his car. EJ is looking over at Sami who is obviously angry with her mother so he tries to talk it over with her.

EJ [ breaking the silence] What are you thinking.

Sami [ turning] Its my mom she's so different. I mean I know I wasn't wrong in blaming her but just to see what its doing to her. I mean she didn't even tell me he was sick or hurt all she said was she was going to get him. She left him alone with her keys and with Stefano on the loose what was she thinking. She didn't even find him. She didn't even look for him and then she says I'm out of line by blaming her.

EJ [ calmly] I know you don't want to think about it right now but perhaps you should forgive her. You know someday for your sake.

Sami [ shocked] EJ look out.

A car hits EJ'S head on.

Fade Out.

Interior Tony and Anna's Bedroom

Tony and Anna sit face to face on the bed. She is touching his face with her hands. He is sitting smiling at her.

Anna [ taking it all in] You're really here. You're really with me right now.

Tony [ smiling] Yes Anna.

Anna [ smiling] I missed you so much.

Tony[ calmly] I missed you too but now you don't have to miss me anymore. I'm right here.

Anna [ hugging him] I'm never going to let you again.

Tony [ cautiously ] You might change your mind when you find out who my real father is.

Anna [ looking at him] What are you talking about.

Tony [ seriously] Stefano is my real father. I am a real Dimera.

Anna [ calmly] You might be but that doesn't mean you're anything like Stefano.

Tony [ apologizing] I am so sorry for not telling you I was alive.

Anna [ smiling] I guess I can forgive you for that. But there is one condition.

Tony [ smiling] What would that be.

Anna [ smiling] Do you still love me.

Tony [ smiling] Of course.

Anna [ kissing Tony] Convince Me.

Fade Out.