AT CHEZ ROUGE:

Lucas felt sick as he sat with his mother and Tony for lunch at Chez Rouge watching them giggle and flirt with Tony whispering in Kate's ear and his mother licking her lips every minute. It was too much for him to take... the excessive touching, the stares... it all looked too familiar and then he realized how much he hated the idea that just when his life had been rid of the Dimera who had been ruining his life the past six months another Dimera sprung up in his place.

Lucas turned his head from them and stared off into space.

Sure, Tony had succeeded in convincing the investors that E.J. had been responsible for Mythic's missing money and E.J. would be broke and likely arrested if the police could ever find him, but that didn't matter. Lucas realized E.J. would always have Sami. If she could forgive him after he raped her... if she was even telling the truth, he thought, and cringed looking down at his left hand... then she was E.J.'s forever no matter what Sami said when she placed the band of gold around his finger that he was now fussing with.

And as he noticed the background to his thoughts was Kate and Tony carrying on and guzzling vodka martini after vodka martini while he sipped on gingerale, his bitterness only grew. Even though they were probably thousands of miles away, all he could see was E.J. with Sami, his wife, and his fist began clenching on its own tighter and tighter.

"So I was saying... Lucas... Lucas, aren't you listening to me?" Kate attempted to draw him back into their conversation.

"Sorry, mom. I'm just real tired from last night is all," Lucas said. "I think I'm just gonna head back to the apartment and take the rest of the day off."

"Like hell you are," Tony blurted.

Kate was shocked. Suddenly it was as if she was snapped out of a spell and she glared at Tony after hearing him talk to her son that way.

"Now Tony, Lucas flew in late last night to help resolve this shareholder situation and hasn't had hardly any sleep," Kate said. "Can't you give him a break just this once, I mean, especially after what that bitch..."

"MOM!" Lucas shouted.

"Sorry, Lucas... I see even after all that happened you still have feelings for her... but as i was saying after what that witcherr... woman did to him," Kate said as she stirred her martini.

Tony smiled.

"I see how harsh that sounded and I apologize," Tony offered diplomatically. "But what I meant was I don't think you should go home Lucas. I mean, all those memories. You shouldn't put yourself through that right now. If you would like to get some rest I would be willing to put you up in a suite at the Towers for as long as you needed it."

"Well, Tony. That's very generous, but I..." Lucas said before interrupted.

"Oh, Lucas, it's not an entirely selfless gesture," Tony explained. "Just because we pacified the shareholders today doesn't mean that Mythic doesn't remain in a very precarious situation. We need you focused on your work going forward and not getting distracted by what is in the past."

"Lucas, I think that is a great idea," Kate said. "Tony, I truly don't know what I'd do with out you."

Kate cooed while Lucas gagged and turned around to get up to leave after he noticed they had resumed their giggling and flirting. But just then the giggling stopped when Kate and Tony felt a middle-aged man's hands on each of their shoulders.

"Hey, just what in the HELL is going on here?" the man said.

AT MAISON BLANCHE:

"I have to say I'm rather confused exactly why you are letting me stay in this room and why you're being so nice to me," Sami said. "I mean if Stefano sent you to guard me and keep me prisoner here, I don't get it."

"Prisoner?" E.J. said just as confused as Sami had been. "I'm not here to keep you captive. I've been instructed by my father to protect you."

"Protect me?" Sami said exasperated. "From what?"

"From yourself," E.J. said to Sami's surprise.

"Myself?" Sami snickered and turned away from him and sat down on the bed.

E.J. followed her and sat down next to her. He reached for her hand and clasped it in both his hands.

"Look, Samantha, Rolf told me everything..." E.J. said stroking the back of her wrist and hand with his.

"Everything?" Sami said as she rolled her eyes. "Just what did that crazy doctor tell you? I want every last detail."

"Well... I can see this is upsetting to you... I'm not sure if I should bring this up right now, Samantha," E.J. said dropping her hand. "Maybe I should just let you rest."

E.J. got up off the bed to stand up but Sami pulled him back down.

"No, E.J." she said staring deeply in his eyes. "I NEED to know what Rolf told you."

http://z9.invisionfree.com/ejami_fans/inde...=4762&st=45