Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XXXIII

For all of his worrying while he was away in England about how things might be when he had returned to Salem, today had proven to be quite the good day as far as days went for him. First off he would have never imagined finding Samantha and his children living in the house where he had wanted to make a home for them all. It had been a pipe dream, something he had wished about too many times to count, yet never believing it would come to fruition.

As he was driving back home from the movie with his wonderful children, it hit him like the proverbial ton of bricks, Samantha had trusted him enough to take them off somewhere without her being present. He could have taken them anywhere, left the country and disappeared with them without a trace, leaving Samantha all alone crying her heart out and wondering where they were, but he hadn't.

He would be lying if he hadn't of thought of that very scenario playing out several times, especially after Samantha had went through with that ludicrous marriage to Rafe in the woods, his features clouding darkly for a few seconds as he thought back to those months. He despised Rafe for his role in trying to steal his family from him and although he hated to admit it, he still harbored the intense feelings of betrayal from Samantha for allowing the man into her life and the lives of his children.

Then the sound of laughter from the kids brought him back to the present, a present he was truly grateful to be experiencing tonight. He needed to push back those feelings of jealously that lingered within him, it did no good to ponder on those things for if he did, he realized that while he and Samantha were at a tenuous place in their relationship, it was going to take some time before he would ever truly trust her.

How could she trust him, especially with the most precious things in her life? He doubted if the roles had been reversed that he would have extended her the same courtesy she had bestowed upon him tonight. He guessed he had been burned too many times by her to fully believe they would move past the ugliness and lies.

They pulled into the driveway and EJ ushered them into the house, carrying Sydney who had fell asleep in the car, while the twins were valiantly trying to keep their eyes open as they crossed the threshold. He passed the living room on the way upstairs to their bedrooms, glancing over to see Samantha fast asleep on the couch.

He wouldn't wake her and put a finger up to his mouth, signaling for the twins not to wake their mother while they made their trek to their rooms. EJ first tucking Sydney into her bed, while Allie hung right by his side as his kissed his youngest child on the forehead and pulled the covers up over her, opting not to put pj's on her since he didn't want to wake her.

As soon as Sydney was down, Allie tugged on his hand and he gave her a smile as she walked to her bed, crawling in and then EJ tucked her in too. Kissing her forehead also just like he had Sydney's a few moments earlier.

Allie could barely hold her eyes open, but she reached for EJ's hand again. "I love you Daddy EJ."

EJ's heart melted, he had loved Allie from the first moment he saw her in the nursery in the hospital, no matter what anyone said he would consider her his child also. "I love you too sweetheart. Goodnight, sweet dreams."

"You'll be here tomorrow?" Allie asked sleepily, not letting go of EJ's hand just yet.

EJ nodded, "Yes, I'll see you in the morning."

"Kay," Allie murmured closing her eyes again and after a few minutes her hand went slack in EJ's and he carefully let hers go, standing up to adjust the nightlight in the girl's room before he headed to Johnny's bedroom.

He looked in Johnny's room, taking note that his son was already fast asleep on top of his bedcovers; EJ took off Johnny's shoes and carefully placed him under the covers, not wanting Johnny to get a chill during the night. He leaned over and kissed him on the forehead too, and then sat there for a few minutes just watching his son sleep.

He had so much to be thankful for; these three children were living proof of it. He loved them more than his own life. He finally got up from his spot on Johnny's bed and went to the doorway looking back once more before he went back downstairs to the living room.

He debated on whether or not to wake Samantha up to let them know they had returned home. She slept so soundly, her beautiful and serene figure curled up on the couch across from where he had taken a seat in the chair to face her sleeping figure. She shifted slightly and a wavy strand of hair fell across her forehead. Without thinking he reached over and gently brushed it behind her ear. He froze, realizing want he had done; panicked Samantha would open her eyes and demand to know what he was doing.

His fears were unfounded. Samantha slept on, with a small smile on her face. EJ sighed in relief and quietly returned to just watching her sleep. He decided not to wake her, instead took one of the blankets that rested on top of the couch and placed it gently around her.

He rose from his task, not allowing himself to touch her sleeping form again. He wasn't going to go all soft on her, he had told her upon his return that he wasn't the romantic type anymore and he had meant every single word of that statement.

Yet here he was, back with his children and bewildered that this woman was here in the very house he had dreamed of them sharing together with their family, sleeping soundly like she trusted him once more, not worrying about when or if they would return home to her. He was so confused, he didn't want to care about her anymore, didn't want to let his guard down against her. And if he were smart, he would stay away from her.

He sighed deeply, he was a smart man, at least he was until he was around her and then somehow in her presence it was like all bets were off and he lost complete control of each and every situation in which they encountered together.

Samantha stirred slightly, whispering something EJ couldn't quite decipher, but he thought he caught his name falling from her lips. He wanted to walk over to the couch once more, but he refrained from doing so, instead walking away from her and up to his bedroom.

He had to keep his distance or he'd lose what little sanity he had left. She had taken so much from him and vice versa. He had to hold onto the cold hard fact that they weren't building a life together, all they were doing was coexisting at the moment, trying to do what was best for their children.

All that mattered was the happiness of the children, as for himself, he was content to have them back into his life. He didn't need Samantha to make him happy, he didn't and as he entered his bedroom he vowed to keep his heart protected from her.

He had shed the fairy tale ending he had dreamed of for them when he had written the letters to her. Now they might possibly be friends, which was more than he had originally thought when he had placed all those things in the trunk for her.

A friendship between them would be good for the children, nothing more. He wasn't falling into her trap again, he wasn't.