EJ looked up when he heard the door to his office open. Who would dare to just walk in without knocking he thought. "Samantha?" Was all he managed to ask when his ex-wife barged into his office and went to stand in front of him hand on her hip. Looking gorgeous as always of course. He had to blink to make sure it was really her.
"EJ, we need to talk." Sami told him, trying to sound stern and distant. She wanted to help Brady and Tate but she had to do it without letting EJ back in.
EJ managed to wipe the shocked look from his face and stood up from his desk to walk towards her but she immediately took a step back, establishing some distance between them. "You look beautiful." He remarked. She had dyed her hair a few tones darker then normal, making her blue eyes stand out even more and she was wearing a dress that clung to her body in all the right places.
"You are not going to ask me why I am here?" Sami asked him, ignoring his comment and trying to ignore the way he was looking at her. God why was he still so tall, sexy and handsome.
"I will but I'm just trying to enjoy a few moments of peace with you after not having seen you for almost 2 years." He answered honestly. He could tell from her demeanor that she wasn't there to play nice.
Sami shot him a look that told him to forget about peace although her words suggested otherwise. "Good, because that's exactly what I'm here for. Peace between our families." She told him sweetly.
EJ casually leaned back against his desk and he shot her a questioning look. "You suddenly care about peace for your family? You've been MIA from Salem for over 10 years."
"I was MIA because I was looking for you and then taking care of you." Sami shot back, crossing her arms.
EJ shook his head and laughed. "I've been back and doing fine for years. You should really stop using me as an excuse for your behavior."
"Fine. As long as you remember that the only reason you are alive and well is because of me." Sami reminded him.
EJ turned serious. "I would never forget about that, Samantha." He answered sincerely, trying to reach out and grab her hand but she pulled away from him again, taking a step backwards.
"Good. Because I'm here so you can return the favor." She told him.
EJ pretented to think about that. "You want me to feed you and give you sponge baths for years on end?" He asked, purposely playing stupid. "Because I can definitely do that." He added, while looking her over from head to toe.
"I am here so you can make good on your promise." Sami said, ignoring his flirty comments and looks.
"And what promise would that be?" EJ asked, although he knew full well what she was referring to.
"I think your exact words were something along the lines of; Samantha, I am so grateful to you and I swear I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Whatever you need I will do it." Sami replied, faking an English accent.
EJ laughed. "God, I missed you and your ability to turn everything around to fit your own agenda."
"So you are denying making that promise?" Sami asked, looking him straight in the eyes, daring him to deny it.
"Darling, that promise was made while we were married. The circumstances have changed. You wanted a divorce, remember?" EJ replied.
Sami took a step towards him for the first time since EJ stood up from behind his desk. "You are the one who slept with both our daughter's kidnapper and my baby sister, remember?" She shot back, a spark of anger appearing in her voice.
"You are the one that cheated first!" EJ exclaimed, standing up straight and getting angry as well. "You know with that clown that's currently in jail for kidnapping you and framing me?!"
"I'm not here to discuss, Lucas." Sami gritted through her teeth. Lucas was the last person she wanted to talk about.
"Fine. Then tell me what you are here for, please." He said, while taking a step towards her, actually towering over her now.
"I want you to drop the charges against Tate." Sami told him, standing her ground.
EJ laughed sarcastically before taking a step back. "Of course you do."
"Why don't you go after someone your own age instead of a 16 year old child?" Sami dared him.
"I am just doing my job, Darling." EJ replied stubbornly.
"No, you are making this personal." Sami disagreed. "And Tate doesn't deserve to be in the middle of that."
"How do you know Tate doesn't deserve this, huh? When is the last time you've even spoken to him? Because I'm pretty sure you haven't in years." EJ shot back.
Sami looked away in guilt for a few seconds before turning to face EJ again. "I know because Brady and my parents told me and I believe them."
"I don't care what they told you. I know that Tate is responsible for Holly being in a coma. And he will have to face the consequences for that." EJ replied, not backing down.
"You don't know that. You can't know that for sure until Holly wakes up and tells you what happened." Sami told him. "Either way it doesn't matter. I want you to drop the charges."
EJ shook his head in disbelief. "And you think you can just snap your fingers and make me do what you want?" Okay he usually did exactly what she wanted but that was besides the point now.
Sami nodded. "Yes, because you owe me. I spend some of the best years of my life looking for you, helping you heal while raising our children by myself. And afterwards you threw me away like the thrash and married our daughter's kidnapper."
EJ first looked guilty and before shaking his head in denial. "That's not how that happened. I never wanted us to break up."
This time it was Sami's turn to let out a sarcastic laugh. "Well you have a funny way of showing it."
EJ thought for a few seconds before coming to a decision. "But fine. If me helping your loser brother and his loser son will make us even in your eyes I will do it. I have one condition though." He said, making sure he got something out of this deal as well.
"What's that?" Sami asked curiously.
"I want to see Sydney." EJ answered.
"Then go see her. Sydney is 18 years old. I haven't nor will I stop her from seeing you." Sami replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"She hasn't spoken to me since I married Nicole." EJ eleborated.
"Wow. shocker." Sami shot back sarcastically.
"I know you are the only person in this world she listens to right now." EJ started. "So I need you to make her agree to talk to me."
"Fine, I'll try." Sami promised and she meant it. Mostly for Sydney's sake, who deserved to have a good relationship with her father.
EJ shook his head. "No, trying is not good enough. I will drop the charges against Tate and you will arrange for Sydney and I to meet up."
"Fine. Sydney will meet with you if I ask her. You will not like hearing what she has to say though." Sami warned him.
EJ nodded, having already expected it wouldn't be a nice or easy conversation. "Let me worry about that part."
"Okay then we have a deal. Please have your secretary draw up release papers for Tate." Sami requested.
EJ looked at her in surprise. "What? You want me to draw them up right now? These things take time, Samatha."
"Yes, right now. I don't want my nephew to spend another night in jail." Sami replied firmly. "And I've been in jail enough times to know that these are standard forms you use. You can draw up a statement for the press tomorrow letting them know you have decided to drop all charges because of lack of evidence or something like that."
EJ sighed. "Fine. I will set things in motion right now. You can go tell Brady and the rest of your family the news. As I'm sure they are nearby." He guessed motioning towards the door.
"They are." Sami nodded. "See you out there in a little bit with the papers." She said before she walked out of his office with confidence leaving EJ wondering why he had let her go again.
—
As the DA's office and police department were in the same building Sami only had to go down a few floors to find her family. She saw Brady and Theresa softly talking to a very worried looking Tate and her mom and John were talking to Rafe nearby. Her ex-husband had probably been the one to give Tate some time with his parents away from his cell downstairs.
"Sami, how did it go?" Brady asked, walking towards her as soon as he noticed her. The rest of her family gathered around her as well while Rafe stayed at a distance. "You are back so soon…" He added with a worried look on his face.
"It's good news." Sami said with a reassuring smile. "EJ is drawing up Tate's release papers as we speak. He is dropping the charges against him."
"Oh, thank god." Brady said as he and Theresa hugged their son. The rest of the family let out sounds of relief and happiness as well.
"Thank you, aunt Sami." Tate said as he hugged his aunt once his parents had let go of him. "You didn't have to come all this way to help me but you did."
"I know I haven't been around a lot but it is actually my job as your aunt to be there for you when you need me." Sami disagreed. "And I'm sorry for what EJ did to you. I want you to know you didn't deserve any of this." She added and Tate nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, Sami." Theresa said, giving her cousin an awkward hug. "We owe you big time."
"Yes, we do." Brady agreed. "How did you convince EJ to drop the charges so quickly?" He knew his sister was the only one EJ would listen to but he hadn't expected it to happen quite this fast.
"I would rather keep that conversation between EJ and myself. The important thing is that it worked out." Sami answered before turning to her stepfather. "John, I need a few hours to see Johnny and Jude once EJ is done with the paperwork but after that I would like to fly back to Italy." She said and she saw the happy looks disappear from her parents' faces.
"Are you sure you can't stay a few days, Samantha?" John tried.
"Please, Honey. We have missed you so much." Marlena added. "And I know your dad would love to see you as well."
"Mom, you're leaving already?" Sami heard from behind her and she turned around to see her son walking up to her.
Sami smiled at him. He looked so handsome and grown-up. "Hi Honey, no not right away." She said as she hugged him tightly.
"So we can spend some time together?" Johnny asked.
"Of course. I was planning to come see you right after things are taken care of with your dad." Sami explained.
"Right, I just saw uncle Eric at the Pub and he told me why you're here." Johnny started. "So did it work?" He asked, looking at Tate.
Tate nodded. "Yes, D.A. DiMera is dropping the charges against me."
Johnny smiled at his mom. "Well I guess you're the only person who can still get through to dad."
Sami gave her son an awkward smile back.
"Johnny, what are you doing here?" EJ asked as he came walking up with Tate's release papers in his hand.
"I'm here to see mom. Uncle Eric told me she was here." Johnny told his father. "I think you are doing the right thing by the way, dad." He added, wanting to give his father some encouragement for doing something good.
"I hope you're right, Johnny." EJ said before turning towards Tate. "These are your release papers. They won't prevent me from prosecuting you again if you screw up."
"He won't, EJ." Brady said, stepping in before Tate could answer himself. "Where does he need to sign?" He asked, taking the papers from EJ and looking them over.
"Last page." EJ answered shortly.
"Right, we should go, Honey." Sami told her son after she watched Tate sign the release papers once Brady looked them over. Johnny nodded in agreement.
"Wait, Samantha." EJ started. "Where are you staying?" He asked, secretly hoping to see her again now that she was in Salem.
"I'm not staying. I'm spending some time with Johnny and Jude and then I'm flying back to Italy." Sami answered.
"Why?" EJ asked, confused. "I mean you just got here and Sydney is in school anyway."
"You ever think she is leaving so soon because she doesn't want to be around you, EJ?" Brady asked him.
EJ glared at him before shooting Sami a questioning look. "Is that true, Samantha?" He asked her.
Sami sighed. "Look, my life is in Italy now. I have no reason to stay here." She explained, not wanting to give EJ the satisfaction of knowing he had anything to do with her leaving.
"Ouch." Johnny said, shooting his mother a hurt look.
"I mean after spending some time with you and the family of course, Honey." Sami said, shooting her son and her parents an apologetic look.
"Right, well you are free to spend some time together at the Mansion of course." EJ offered. "Nicole and I both will both be out all day." He added when Sami shot him a questioning look.
"I want to go to the Pub actually. So I can meet my nephew." Sami answered, shooting him down. "You ready, Honey?" She asked Johnny while already walking towards the entrance.
"Yes, coming." Johnny answered and he quickly followed his mom. But not before he and his grandparents shared a worried look over her behaviour.
"Wait did Sami just leave?" Rafe asked, walking up to the group who all seemed a little bewildered. He had wanted to say hello to her after giving the family some time alone. "What happened?"
"Sami's just not really up for socialising right now it seems." Marlena explained to him the best way she could. John put an arm around his wife to comfort her.
"Is she okay?" Rafe asked, noticing John and Marlena looked a little somber while they looked happy a little while ago when Sami had just walked in.
"I'm not sure to be honest." Marlena answered absent mindedly "But she is going to the Pub if you want to catch her before she leaves." She added, hoping Sami might respond a little better to someone outside of their family.
"I actually don't think Samantha has any need to see you." EJ cut in. "Or she would have said hello to you, don't you think?"
"I actually don't think you have any say in who Sami sees or doesn't, EJ. You are divorced remember?" Rafe shot back. "Besides it's probably you who upset her."
"Samantha and I had a very cordial conversation actually." EJ answered. "And I'm sure she's very pleased with me as I've decided to drop the charges against her delinquent nephew." He added, looking at Tate.
"Right and you just did that out of the goodness of your heart, right?" Rafe asked him sarcastically.
"Samantha knows my reasons." EJ answered. "And you will hear the official reason in the statement that the DA's office will be releasing tomorrow."
"That statement better clear Tate's name completely, EJ." Brady cut in.
"Or what, Brady? You will send your sister to solve your problems again?" EJ asked him sarcastically.
"I will actually tell my sister to get as far away from you as she possible can." Brady answered firmly.
"If you think that's in you and your son's best interest." EJ answered simply.
"Really? You're blackmailing me in front of all these people?" Brady asked, motioning towards his family and Rafe.
"Blackmail? I would never ofcourse." EJ answered, before walking away. Thinking he had already wasted enough time on Samantha's idiot brother and the rest of her family.