Later that evening Johnny walked into the mansion's living room to find his dad sitting on the sofa staring out in front of him with a drink in his hand. "Dad, what are you doing up?" He asked, since it was pretty late.

EJ turned to look at Johnny. "Can't sleep." He admitted simply. Seeing Samantha again had resurfaced all kinds of feelings for him and laying in bed next to Nicole somehow felt strange right now. Thankfully she would be flying back to Italy to be with Holly the next day.

Johnny sat down in the chair on the right of his father. "What's on your mind?" He asked, even though he could take a good guess.

"Your mother and your sister." EJ told him honestly and Johnny nodded. "I really screwed that one up didn't I?"

"You really did." Johnny couldn't help but agree. "But you can still make things right." He added.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin." EJ replied, taking a sip of his brandy. "I mean I didn't even know Sydney was out of high school and out of the house and I have no clue what's been going on with Samantha. All I have been focussing on is Nicole and Holly." He added, guiltily.

"Well Nicole is your wife now." Johnny said, cutting him some slack. "And what she and Holly are going through is really horrible."

"It is." EJ agreed. "So how can I possibly make any important decisions now?" He asked his son, stressfully rubbing the back of his neck.

"You are re-thinking your marriage to Nicole?" Johnny asked, surprised. Earlier at the hospital his father had made it very clear that he was committed to Nicole.

"Well you heard your sister at the airport…she wants nothing to do with me as long as I'm married to Nicole. And your mother is actually treating me like some infectious disease. Literally stepping back when I come anywhere near her." EJ told him, thinking about their encounter in his office the day before.

"What did you expect? You married Nicole, who mom has hated since they were like 20. And Sydney will always be loyal to mom. She has been the one constant person in her life." Johnny reminded him.

"Well, she has been for you as well but you are fine with Nicole being my wife, right?" EJ asked, now realizing that, that might have been wishful thinking.

"Nicole didn't rip me away from mothers arms moments after I was born and pretended to be my mother for almost a year." Johnny pointed out, shooting his father a knowing look.

"Touche." EJ admitted.

"But since you're asking…I think you marrying Nicole was a mistake." Johnny added, deciding to be honest.

EJ shot him a surprised look. "You do?" He asked. "You seemed fine with it."

"Dad, I will never tell you how to live your life, because I know what that's like." Johnny told him, referring to his father always telling him what to do. "But you married Nicole only because you couldn't have mom. And she married you because she can't seem to make it work with uncle Eric."

EJ sighed. "You think so, huh." He replied, not ready to admit to anything out loud.

"I know so." Johnny answered firmly. "And I know finding happiness with Nicole was easy for you because mom was gone and she didn't want anything to do with you…"

"And she still doesn't." EJ interrupted his son.

"She's probably terrified to get hurt again, dad. She's pushed everyone away, not just you. Everything that happened the last time she was in Salem really did a number on her." Johnny told him, the worry showing on his face.

"I know, son. I'm worried too." He admitted. He hadn't been able to get the image of Samantha laying in the hospital bed out of his mind. She had looked so frail and lifeless, so unlike the Samantha he married all those years ago.

"And to make things worse, now Lucas is going to be staying at the Pub." Johnny said, shaking his head in disbelief and anger.

"I'll take care of Lucas." EJ replied, his face turning dark.

"What does that mean?" Johnny asked, a little worried that his father would go too far.

"I will do whatever it takes to keep him away from our family." EJ stated firmly.

"Don't you think that's a bit too late?" Johnny asked, seeing that his mother was already traumatized. "I mean I don't blame you, I never would've expected Lucas to go this far either." He quickly added when he saw the guilty look come across his fathers face.

"I did, I knew he was the one that kidnapped your mother but I did nothing to get her away from him. Or not enough at least." EJ remembered, the guilt he had been pushing away returning once again.

"Well, I'm not sure what you could have done…Lucas had mom convinced that you were the one that kidnapped her and when mom digs her heels in…" Johnny trailed off.

"Nothing can change her mind." EJ finished.

"So how are you planning to keep Lucas away from mom?" Johnny wondered.

"I hired security." EJ answered shortly.

"To follow mom?" Johnny asked, surprised, thinking that was a very bad idea.

EJ shook his head. "No, I know your mother would never go for that. And I don't want to make her feel more unsafe by having some stranger secretly following her around. The security team will keep an eye on Lucas 24-7."

"Well that won't be hard." Johnny pointed out. "He's not supposed to leave the Pub for 6 months, right?"

"No, but I'm not taking any changes. I also have a restraining order against Lucas ready to be activated, so he cannot contact your mother in any way. I just have to talk to her about it first." EJ explained.

"Goodluck with that." Johnny started. "Mom and John won't even let grandpa Roman come see mom."

That surprised EJ. "Really? Well that would be the first smart decision they have made in a while."

"They did manage to get mom out of Italy for the first time in years." Johnny pointed out, wanting to give his grandparents some credit.

"Yes, to help Brady and Tate." EJ stated.

"That too but I'm sure they also wanted to check on her." Johnny defended them.

"I'm sure you're right." EJ relented, deciding he had bigger battles to fight. "Anyway, I need a big favor from you."

Johnny sighed, knowing this wouldn't be anything good. "What is it?"

"Take me with you, tomorrow, when you go to see your mom." EJ answered, thinking Johnny was his way in to see both Samantha and Sydney.

Johnny hesitated. "Dad, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea…"

"Look, I need to talk to your mom about the restraining order and also about Sydney. Don't you agree it's time we tried to move on from everything that happened?" He pleaded. "And go back to being a united front, a family…" He added, knowing exactly how to get to Johnny.

"Yes but I'm not sure how mom or her family will feel about you visiting." Johnny told him, still unsure this was a good idea. "She just got out of the hospital…"

"I promise to not make a scene and if your mom asks me to leave I will. I just need to at least try and fix things." He replied sincerely.

Johnny nodded. "Okay, we can try." He agreed. "But please don't make me regret this."

The next morning Johnny knocked on the door of his grandparents' townhouse. EJ nervously waited behind him. Scared that Samantha wouldn't want to see him.

"Johnny!" John let out excitedly when he opened the door. But his happy demeanor changed when he saw EJ was there as well.

"I'm not here to cause trouble, John." EJ quickly told him, holding up his hands as a sign of peace. "I would just like to speak to Samantha if she allows me."

John narrowed his eyes at him. "Samantha has been through a lot these last few days."

"I know that, I only want to help." EJ promised but he could see John was still doubting his intentions.

"Please, grandpa." Johnny pleaded, sensing John's doubts as well. "Dad promised to leave if mom is uncomfortable being around him."

"Fine."John sighed, opening the door all the way so Johnny and EJ could walk inside. "Your mother's in the kitchen." He added, shooting EJ another warning look when he walked past him.

When EJ followed Johnny into the kitchen Samantha seemed confused to see him and an awkward moment where they stared at each other but no-one said anything followed. He could see Marlena looking at John questioningly, probably wondering why John had let him into their home.

"Hi mom, grandma." Johnny said, breaking the silence and giving his mother a hug before sitting down next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel better, Honey." Sami told her son, giving him a smile. EJ noticed the tiredness behind that smile though.

"Good. I hope it's okay that I brought dad?" Johnny asked, motioning towards his father who was still standing near the entrance of the kitchen. "He's been worried about you too."

Sami's eyes went from Johnny's to EJ's, he could see she was debating what to answer her son.

"I will leave if you want me too of course." EJ quickly told her. "I just wanted to come check on you and talk to you for a little bit if you're up for it."

Everyone looked at Sami, wondering what she was going to say. "Sure, have a seat." She finally said, nodding towards the chair across from her.

"Thanks." EJ told her gratefully before sitting down.

"Are you here to talk about our deal?" Sami asked him, suspiciously.

"Deal?" EJ asked, confused, truly forgetting about their last conversation at that moment.

"Yes, I promised you a conversation with Sydney, remember?" Sami told him, jogging his memory.

"Oh that." EJ answered, realization dawning on him. "I mean, yes, I would like to talk about Sydney." he admitted. "But no, I'm here because getting that phone call from the hospital really scared me, Samantha." He added, sincerely.

"Right." Sami stated, clearly not willing to believe him.

EJ sighed. "Look, I know I haven't been there for you and the children…but I want to do better."

"You don't owe me anything, EJ. You've kept your word and you dropped the charges against Tate. I'll talk to Sydney about meeting up with you while we're here and then we'll be even." Sami told him.

"This is not about being even, Samantha. It's about your health and safety." EJ told her.

Sami let out a sarcastic laugh. "You are worried about my safety?" She asked, shooting him an incredulous look.

"Yes, I am. You know Lucas was released today." EJ stated, seriously and a pained look came over Sami's face for a few seconds before it went blank again. "I'm planning to take some precautions but I want to run them by you first."

"What kind of precautions, EJ?" John cut in. "As you know Lucas will be on house arrest for a long time."

EJ shot John an annoyed look, thinking he wasn't taking this seriously enough. "Lucas is staying with the former police commissioner who still has a lot of friends on the force. All he has to do is convince one of them to turn off his ankle bracelet for some time and he could be near Samantha within a matter of minutes."

"Roman would never let that happen." Marlena said, disagreeing with his theory.

"And I don't think Lucas would actually harm Samantha." John added.

"I'm glad you feel so warmly about Roman and Lucas but I'm not taking any risk when it comes to my family." EJ disagreed, firmly.

"Right, so you plan to go after Lucas the same way you went after Tate?" John asked, worried this would just be another manhunt for EJ.

"Mom, John, I want to hear what EJ has to say." Sami suddenly said, interrupting their discussion.

"Sami…" Marlena said in a warning tone.

"Mom, this is my choice. Mine and EJ's. We were the ones hurt most by Lucas' actions." Sami told her.

"Okay, fine." Marlena relented, knowing better than to try and change her daughter's mind. "What precautions are you talking about, EJ?" She asked, looking at her former son-in-law.

"I have arranged a security team who will keep an eye on Lucas 24-7. They are stationed around the Pub and will take action when he tries to leave." EJ answered.

"What kind of action?" John asked, his eyebrow raised. He was not a big fan of civilians getting involved in police matters. Even if it was a professional security team.

"They will follow him and immediately inform the police as well as myself if he takes one step outside of the Pub." EJ answered. "I can have them warn you too as Samantha is staying with you. Assuming of course her and my daughters safety are your number 1 priority while they are here." EJ questioned.

"You assumed correctly." John answered, simply. Right now him and Marlena's first priority was taking care of Sami.

EJ nodded. "I also have a restraining order against Lucas ready. This will prevent him from contacting you in any way." He said, looking at Sami. "If you wish to move forward it will be signed off by a judge and in place from tomorrow on."

"And Lucas will be notified?" Sami wondered.

"Yes, he will be officially notified but I also plan to have a little talk with him myself." EJ told her.

"I don't think that's a very good idea, EJ." Sami warned him, worried that EJ would lose his temper.

"Don't worry, I'll keep things civil. Only because he's Will and Allie's father."

"Yeah, you might think so now. Until he says something that angers you." Sami replied, knowing how deep the anger between EJ and Lucas went.

"I agree that Lucas annoys me, as he's like a 4 year old whining about candy but I won't let him provoke me, Samantha." EJ promised. "So would you like me to move forward with the restraining order?"

Sami sighed. "I'm not sure. Like you just said he's Will and Allie's father. Maybe I should talk to them first. See how they feel."

"Will and Allie love their father and Lucas and Kate will try to take advantage of that love and manipulate them into thinking he's changed and should be forgiven. If they haven't already." EJ warned her.

Johnny noticed his mother still had a hard time making a decision. "Mom, if a restraining order against Lucas makes you feel more safe and protected you should move forward. Like dad said Will and Allie can't be objective in this case."

"Look, to be clear, I don't think Lucas would ever physically hurt me." Sami told her son and his father. "But maybe it's good to send Lucas a very clear signal, to manage his and everyone else's expectations." She added, also meaning Will and Allie's expectations. She was nowhere near ready to forgive Lucas.

EJ nodded. "I agree that would be for the best."

"Mom, John, what do you think?" Sami asked, looking at her parents questioningly.

John and Marlena shared a look before Marlena spoke. "In my professional opinion Lucas is not a danger to you at this point." She started. "But as your mom I just want you to do whatever makes you feel safe and in control right now." She added with an encouraging smile.

"We'll support you with whatever decision you make, Samantha." John added.

Sami nodded gratefully before looking at EJ. "Okay, please move forward with the restraining order, EJ."

"What restraining order?" Sydney asked, walking into the kitchen and coming to stand next to her mother.

"Hi baby." Sami said, smiling at her daughter, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Your father is arranging a restraining order against Lucas, just as a precaution." She added, not wanting to worry Sydney.

Sydney looked at her father. "Why? Shouldn't you be taking care of Nicole and Holly? Your new wife and daughter." She asked, trying to provoke him.

Sami sighed and rubbed her temple, feeling a headache come on. "Syd, let's keep things civil in your grandparents house and have this conversation another time."

"Why? I'm sure they feel the same way about him as we do." She replied, still looking at her father with an attitude.

Sami wanted to respond but EJ stopped her. "It's okay, Samantha. I deserve to hear this. Go ahead, Sydney, say what's on your mind."

"Mom and I don't need or want your help. We can hire a lawyer to arrange a restraining order." She told him, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Look, I know I hurt you when I married Nicole-," EJ started to say.

"You think." Sydney scoffed.

"But just because I married someone other than your mom doesn't mean we are not still a family." He went on explaining.

Sydney laughed sarcastically. "Dad, I'm not 12 years old anymore. You don't have to feed me some bullshit fairytale happy ending."

"I'm not." EJ replied calmly. "You and your brother are the most important thing in the world to me and you and your mother will always be my family." He added, looking at Samantha as well, who looked a bit surprised to hear him say that.

"I'm surprised you can say that with a straight face, I haven't seen you in years." Sydney told him, not pulling any punches.

"Sydney, I tried to reach out to you more than once." EJ defended himself.

"Ohh wow you picked up the phone a few times, good job." Sydney replied sarcastically. "You know what family does, they come for you when there's something going on, no matter how far away you are. Like when mom, Johnny, Allie and I traveled all over the world to find you."

EJ nodded, realizing his daughter was right. "You are right. I'm sorry. I should have tried harder." He admitted. Sydney just looked away from him, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"Look, at least dad is trying now is he not?" Johnny cut in. Looking at both his mom and sister. "I mean he dropped the charges against Tate, he chose to stay here with us instead of flying to Italy with Nicole and he arranged security and a restraining order against Lucas." He added, when neither of them responded.

"I guess it's a start." Sydney gave in, mostly for her brother's sake but at the same time letting her father know he was nowhere near forgiven.

Sami had stayed quiet but knew she had to say something at some point. "Thank you for arranging the restraining order, EJ." Was all she could think of.

EJ gave her a nod. "Of course. I will go take care of that right now. Thank you for hearing me out. Both of you." He told Sami and Sydney before he left.