E.J. shuffled toward the door along with Sami in his arms so that he could lean against the locked door and block it should anyone try to break it down. The two of them could hear everything the voices in the stairway were saying.

Listening so intently to the conversation, E.J. lost concentration for a moment and his hand slipped off Sami's mouth. Sami was also listening intently, so much so she didn't notice.

"Lucas, I really think we've done about all we can do today," Tony said. "I think it's time to head back to Salem."

"No, Tony, I'm not giving up until I've searched every single inch of this place," Lucas said. "And that includes whatever it is that's behind this door."

"Oh please," Sami heard a familiar woman's voice say."It's time to give up this charade."

It was Kate!

"Just my luck," Sami whispered. "I get captured by the Dimeras and Kate Roberts is on my Salem rescue squad."

"Shhhhhhhh," E.J. whispered covering her mouth again gently.

"What charade, mom?" Lucas asked. "How is it a charade that I happen to care so deeply about my wife that I am willing to turn over every nook and cranny in this place just find one little sliver of a clue where the hell she is?

Sami smiled beneath E.J.'s hand.

"It's a charade because not an hour after she disappeared and you got that note for her you were on the phone with me telling me how it was over between the two of you for good this time," Kate said.

Sami's smile evaporated while one began to take shape on Tony's face on the other side of the door.

"You were going on and on 'How can she do this to me? How can she do this to Will? Again? Guess I shouldn't have expected anything else from Sami Brady'" Kate reminded him. "She threw it all away for that limey bastard."

E.J. didn't know what to make of the "limey bastard" comment, but for a reason he didn't understand felt offended. Lucas said nothing but just glared at the truth while Kate continued.

"You know as well as I do that we wouldn't even be here if Roman hadn't talked you into looking for Sami," Kate said. "I mean what does that say about the two of you together that her father believed she'd never run away on her honeymoon and abandon her wedding vows so carelessly but her husband would."

Sami's devastation tugged at her like an anchor and her body started to slide toward the floor. E.J. caught her and pulled her back up. Filled with sympathy he guided her away from the door so the two of them could no longer hear the conversation outside the room and he enveloped Sami in a huge bear hug. Sami's tears filled the front of his shirt.

Meanwhile, Kate continued her scathing critique in the stairway.

"I tried to warn you, Lucas," Kate said. "I tried to tell you that Sami and E.J. were together the night you were trapped in that cabin. Tried to get you help the night Sami DRUGGED you to run off and be with E.J. The night he said he was supposed to marry Brandy Mathas. Remember?"

Kate paused for a minute clenching her teeth in frustration at all the time she saw her favorite son waste on a woman who would only bring him misery.

"And yet you still married her," Kate said attempting to hold back tears."And yet you went on this honeymoon with her here after she admitted it all. Even that the baby she is carrying could be another man's."

Lucas just pouted.

"Face it, Lucas," Kate said. "This isn't about Sami. This is about you trying to be some tough guy hero you're not. It's about you trying to... to... finally earn some man badge you feel like you never got because of your drinking or because of Nicole or because Carrie or because of something..."

"ENOUGH!" Lucas raged. "You've made your point. Let's just get the hell out of here."

"Yes, let's," Tony said nodding as the two of them began their descent down the staircase and out of Maison Blanche.

As they headed out the front door, Tony looked back on the house and smiled at how beautifully all his plans were working.

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