Sami awoke to the sound of running water but refused to open her eyes so she could hang onto the wonderful dream she'd had.

She was far away from Salem, far away from everything she knew and frolicking in a magical waterfall in the embrace of a man whose face she could not make out. They had made love for hours and his kiss was more intense, more intoxicating than any she'd shared with Lucas or Austin or even Brandon.

Suddenly Sami remembered where she was and where she had gone to sleep that night and panicked at the thought of how much she had enjoyed sleeping next to a man who wasn't her husband. Yet she opened her eyes to find a pillow in her arms while E.J. was standing shirtless at the wash basin holding a small mirror and shaving his face. She sat up in the bed.

"I thought you'd never wake up," E.J. said flatly staring into the mirror, showing no ill effect in his speech or manner from his ordeal the night before save for some redness around his neck.

"E.J. are you OK?" Sami said, unaware of the bountiful cleavage on display from the black bra she wore without a shirt or sheet to cover it as she spoke.

"Yes, I feel fine," E.J. said turning his head toward her then looking away embarrassed. "And how do you know my name?"

Finished shaving, E.J. retrieved Sami's shirt and pants from across the room and blindly tossed them toward the bed.

"What are you talking about, E.J.?" Sami said as she self-consciously and rapidly dressed. "We've known each other for a year. Quit joking with me."

But Sami sensed E.J. wasn't joking and E.J. confimed it.

"Well, at the risk of sounding like a cad, my dear, apparently we have not known each other very well, because other than when I found you in my bed this morning I have no recollection of ever meeting you... Miss... Miss..." E.J. asked for help finishing the sentence.

"Sami Brady," Sami said hoping that walking closer to him to inspect him might yield clues about E.J.'s strange change. "Actually, it's Mrs. Sami Brady-Roberts."

"Well, Sami, it's a pleasure to meet you... again," E.J. said taking her hand and then kissing it.

"Wait a second. You seem like you, but something's not right," Sami said trying to pinpoint the difference. "You don't call me Sami. You call me Samantha."

"Well, Samantha, it's a pleasure to meet you... again... again," E.J. said with a laugh kissing her hand once more.

"Stop joking like this. You're weirding me out." Sami frowned.

"I do sincerely apologize for weirding... you... out... as you put it, but I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about, and I do think it's time to go," E.J. said.

"Time to go, E.J.?" Sami puzzled at his words. "Oh, you mean you're ready to try another escape. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

E.J. laughed.

"Actually I'm quite sure helping you escape isn't a good idea, especially since I have been assigned to guard you," E.J. said.

"My guard? Oh, E.J. what did they do to you?" Sami walked toward E.J. and tussled his hair above his ear, dragging her hand along his now-smooth cheek and staring deep into his eyes with a familiarity that troubled E.J.

He gently removed her hand from his cheek.

"Seduction will not secure you my help in your release," E.J. said firmly.

"Seduce you?" Sami laughed at the absurdity of it all while E.J. shot her a quizzical look. "You really don't remember me or anything about us, do you?"

"No, Samantha," E.J. said shaking his head.

Sami didn't stop staring deeply in his eyes.

"If I haven't yet made that clear I hope to do so now by telling you I truly have no recollection of ever meeting you," E.J. said. "And I'm quite sure that based on this encounter, if I had it would have left quite the impression on me."

Sami sighed.

"Now, if you're ready it's time for you to have some breakfast," E.J. said.

"Oh are you going to go get it?" Sami asked as she walked back toward the bed and sat down. "Do you think there is any way you could bring me back some orange juice? My throat is kind of scratchy. Or wait, you could make me some of your nanny's tea!"

E.J. laughed.

"My nanny's tea? What are you...? You're trouble, has anyone ever told you that?" E.J. asked.

"Well, you did. Once." Sami responded.

E.J. laughed harder.

"Smart man," E.J. said. "Now come on, Trouble. We're going to have breakfast.*"

Sami got up out of the bed and walked toward the door and watched as E.J. knocked twice and it opened.

"After you," E.J. said waving her through and following close behind.

As Sami left the room she passed Bart, who said nothing while E.J. escorted her back toward the fireplace passageway. At that moment, she stopped questioning E.J.'s sanity and began to question her own.

But crazy or not, Sami knew her goal of escaping Maison Blanche had just gotten infinitely more difficult.

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