"Tony, I won't let you harm Samantha." E.J. said stepping in front of a frightened Sami.

"Won't let me, eh? That's funny. Because you know as well as I do that I have no intention of harming Samantha." Tony said to a defiant-looking E.J. and a confused Sami.

"Then just what is your intention?" Sami asked even though she didn't really want to know.

"Oh hasn't E.J. told you?" Tony said grinning. "Well, you see, it's quite simple, Sami. That baby you're carrying is going to save our father's life."

"STEFANO? What do you mean my baby will save Stefano Dimera? How is that even possible?" Sami said as E.J. tried to put his hand on her shoulder to console her. She brushed it away.

"Well, I don't want to confuse you any more than I have to with all the scientific details, but once you give birth to this baby, its umbilical cord blood will be collected and we will finally be able to restore Father's health."

"Sami, I'm sorry..." E.J. said before Sami interrupted.

"I don't care. I won't let you do this. I won't let you use my baby to save that monster!" Sami said as she angrily lurched toward Tony. "When this baby is born I'm having the umbilical cord blood, or whatever it is you're trying to get from me, destroyed so that you can never get to it."

"That's why I'm going to be keeping an eye on you for the remainder of the pregnancy, Sami." Tony said, gesturing with the gun to remind Sami she had little choice in the matter.

"Tony, just put the gun away. Let's talk," E.J. said trying to play peacemaker.

"Talk? Yes, let's talk, brother. Let's talk about how you left me in prison and I had to rely on Celeste to get me out of jail. Let's talk about how your tenure as CEO at Mythic has been an utter failure and your pathetic company is bleeding this family dry. Let's talk about how miserably you've failed at controlling Steve Johnson, finding Shawn Brady and when the moment of truth came, you were too much of a coward to shoot John Black."

Sami is shocked. Tony continues as his eyes turn from E.J. to Sami.

"And why have you failed at all these simple tasks? Because you were too busy chasing after some girl. Some girl who's married to someone else and detests you with every fiber of her being." Tony laughs.

Sami looks at E.J.'s face and senses the hurt in his eyes. She reaches out to express her sympathy, before realizing what she was doing and pulls her hand back. E.J.'s lip stiffens as he tries to regain his pride.

"Regardless, I won't let you hold Sami captive. She will need to see a doctor during the pregnancy. Let's work out some other solution."

"You know, E.J. I'm getting quite tired and I'm sure FATHER is getting quite tired of the way you seem to have your loyalties a bit mixed up these days," Tony said with a frown. "Your mistakes have proven too costly to this family already for me to allow you to jeapardize this now."

"What does that mean?" EJ asked.

"It means that you are going to be joining Samantha in captivity. We can't have you trying to play hero, can we? Besides it will be easier for me to clean up your messes without you around to make more of them." Tony smirked.

"Now Sami," Tony said pulling out a notepad and pen from a desk drawer. 'I need your help to ensure that no one goes looking for the two of you."

"How is a piece of paper going to accomplish that?" Sami asked incredulously.

"Well, you see, Sami, you're going to write a letter informing your new husband that you have decided to run away with my brother, here, after realizing your true feelings for him and learning the baby you are carrying is a Dimera."

"But we don't even know this baby is a Dimera. E.J.?"

"Actually, we do know, Sami," E.J. said

"What?!" Sami asked, exasperated.

"During your hospital stay. When you thought you were dying. Well a test was done. And I am the father of your baby. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before the wedding."

"But why? You knew before the wedding and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't think you'd believe me, Samantha. And you were so certain that Lucas wouldn't forgive you when the truth came out that I thought... well... there's nothing I can do about that now."

"Are you two finished yet?" an impatient Tony asked. "OK, good. Now start writing. And make it convincing. We can't have that little weasel of a former associate of mine snooping around where he doesn't belong. He could be waking up soon."

Sami sits down to write the note while Tony watches over her shoulder. Sami starts to cry.

"Oh, what now?" Tony sighs.

"I don't know what it is you want me to write, Tony. I've never even dumped anyone before let alone been the one to leave one of my husbands."

Sami sets down the pen and paper and sobs into her hands.

"Here, Samantha." E.J. sits down next to Sami and hands her his handkerchief. "Can I help you?"

Sami looks at him.

"I guess." Sami says through a sniffly nose. She picks up the pen and paper again.

"OK, Samantha, this is what you write: Dear Lucas, I am so sorry that I am unable to tell you this in person but there is something that you must know, something that means that we can never be together."

"Oh you're just loving this, aren't you, EJ?" Sami glares, quickly recovered from her moment of weakness.

"Well, I'd be lying if I hadn't fantasized about a similar scenario, my dear, although it never involved my brother pointing a gun at us."

Tony grins and waves the gun at them in salute.

"Anyway, back to the letter, Samantha," E.J. says, then dictates. "Lucas, it was wrong of me to keep the fact that E.J. and I were together the night this baby was conceived a secret from you all this time. I really thought you would leave me if you knew and that is why I waited all those months and until after the wedding to tell you. But you see, when the truth came out and you did stand by me, I was actually disappointed."

"That's not true, E.J. No matter how much you wish it was," Sami says defensively.

"I know, darling. I know." E.J. sighs.

"Can we wrap this up soon? Lucas could wake up at any moment and if he does we'll have to shoot him." Tony warns.

"Well, in that case..." E.J. says, before Sami punches his shoulder.

Sami decides to finish the note herself. She reads aloud: "You see, I wanted you to leave me so that I would finally be free to be with E.J. without feeling like I was letting down you and Will and all of my family. But I can't keep lying to myself or to this baby, which I have known all along was E.J.'s and not yours."

Sami starts to tear up. E.J. looks at her sorrowfully.

"Please understand that I didn't want to hurt you and even though I know that you and Will can never forgive me for this, know that I love you both. Just not enough for me to stay in this marriage when I can't give you the kind of love you deserve and when I can't deny my true feelings for E.J. Good bye. Love, Sami"

Sami cries some more. E.J. doesn't know whether to try to console her or let her be.

"Finally," Tony says.

"So where are you taking us?" Sami asks.

"Taking you? Why you're already here?" Tony laughs.

"What?"

"Welcome to Maison Blanche, Samantha." E.J. says.

For more of this story go to:

http://z9.invisionfree.com/ejami_fans/inde...c=4762&st=0