Chapter Seventeen

Written by AngelsInstead

Carly arrived at the infamous Alamain Mansion with Bo and Billie. She was wearing a satin midnight-blue gown that matched her eyes. Bo was dressed up in a tux and Billie was wearing something tight and sexy, just as Bo had predicted.

"Carly, are you okay back there?" Bo asked, concerned because Carly was so incredibly quiet. She hadn't said a word since they had left his house.

Carly spoke up from the backseat. "Don't worry, Bo. I'll be fine. I'm just nervous."

"Everything will be alright," said Bo as he parked his car in the circular driveway in front of the immense mansion. "We are going to go in there and figure all of this out."

Near the driveway, there was a fountain with a golden cherub in the center sprinkling glistening water into a little pool. To Carly, the little cherub looked somewhat like a grinning demon. She couldn't help but feel absolute fear. After all, she'd killed her own husband, the man she loved, he had lived in this majestic mansion for years, and they had been given an invitation to a party written in HIS handwriting.

Bo got out of the car and helped both of his exes out. He opened Billie's door first. "Allow me," he said as he took her hand. She stared into his dark eyes, feeling entranced at his romantic gesture. She waited until he opened Carly's door and she too could join them. Bo walked up to the front door with Carly and Billie, his arms linked with theirs. It was an interesting threesome, but truly there was only one woman Bo wanted to dance with tonight and that was Billie. He just hoped he'd have the opportunity as he was doing his best to help a traumatized Carly as well.

When they arrived at the door, Ivan answered. "Please enter," he said graciously. "You are our first guests."

"Hello, Ivan. It's been a long time," Bo said.

"It certainly has," Ivan agreed. He then spoke to Billie and Carly. "Hello, Ms. Reed and Doctor Manning."

Billie said "hello," but Carly was in her own little world. She walked away from Billie and Bo and began to explore. She knew the mansion well. She was looking for her son so she could question him.

Meanwhile, Justin and Hope pulled up outside of the Alamain mansion. "What the heck is Bo doing here? He had BOTH Carly and Billie in the car with him. How shameless is he?" Hope spouted.

"I think maybe we shouldn't go in," Justin said cautiously.

"There is no way we aren't. I am going to confront my husband once and for all... find out why he's here," Hope insisted.

"Hope, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Victor's keeping Ciara for the evening, so you and I are going into the creepy old Alamain mansion. Something's going on in there... and I am going to find out what it is."

Xxxooo

"Mommy!" sweet little Emily cried when Connor called her downstairs. Her long blond hair trailed behind her and her bright blue eyes sparkled with happiness. Emily threw herself in her mother's arms.

"Emily ~ baby, I missed you!" Mimi said as she held her daughter close and kissed her cheek.

"Are you here to take me home with you, Mommy?" Emily asked. "And who's he?"

Emily was looking at Rex curiously. Rex was gazing at her, too. His heart skipped a beat as he laid eyes on his baby girl. She was perfect and everything he had always dreamed of in a child. A large lump formed in his throat, thinking she was the best and dearest thing that had ever happened in his life.

Mimi turned to look at Rex, holding Emily who still had her little arm hooked around her neck. "Emily, I want you to meet someone special. Someone I love very much. Emily ~ Sweetie, this is your daddy. His name is Rex."

"You're my daddy?" Emily said softly. "I've wanted to meet you all my life."

"I couldn't wait to meet you either," Rex stated.

"Connor, do you have all of Emily's things packed up for the trip?" Mimi asked her younger brother.

Connor replied, "Yep, I packed everything."

"Not Teddy!" Emily cried out, running over and grabbing her favorite fluffy bear. She hugged Teddy and ran back to Rex and Mimi. "Let's get going," she said with excitement. "Are we taking an airplane?"

Xxxooo

Sami and EJ fed the kids a picnic dinner, complete with birthday cake for Johnny and Allie. "Blow out the candles," Sami laughed softly. Every time the twins tried, the wind would blow them out.

"Hurry!" said EJ as he quickly lit each of the candles yet again. Johnny and Allie blew on the birthday candles as they made their wishes. Sydney who was seated across from her parents made a wish, too, even though it wasn't her birthday.

*I want Mommy and Daddy to get back together and be in love FOREVER,* was Sydney's wish.

Sami served the cake on paper plates as the twins hungrily devoured the treat. Seeing her kids so happy made Sami's heart soar. EJ looked happy as well. He was grinning as he watched the kids attempting to eat the cake. The wind was so strong that it threatened to sweep everything on the picnic table away.

Storm clouds appeared overhead and Sami said, "Ohhh no, EJ. It looks like it's gonna rain."

"Don't worry, Samantha. I brought a water-proof tent. Let's just get the kids inside before the storm hits."

Sami packed up the picnic basket as she and EJ scurried to get everything in the campground secured. "It's time to go into the tent and get ready for bed," EJ told the kids.

"But I'm not even tired yet," said Johnny.

"It's starting to rain," said Sami when a raindrop fell on her arm.

"Ohhh no!" said Allie as she and Sydney ducked inside the tent. They were followed quickly by Johnny, Sami, and EJ.

All of the sudden there was a loud crash of thunder. Sami looked frightened. "EJ, this tent better not blow us away in a cyclone," she said to her ex.

"We'll be safe. I promise," he said gently. "Let's just get the kids settled."

"I want to sleep by Allie," said Sydney as she grabbed her pink sleeping bag.

"Mom's scared," Johnny said when he saw Sami's wide eyes.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll protect you," Johnny promised. "And so will Dad."

"We'll all be fine, Samantha," EJ assured. He helped the twins settle down in their sleeping bags. All three of the children were huddled up in the larger room of the tent. With all of their belongings stuffed inside near the children, that left EJ and Sami with the smaller of the two rooms.

"I thought that you and Johnny would be sleeping in the smaller room and me and the girls in the other," Sami said, a tad bit uneasy about the sleeping arrangements.

"Samantha, you're scared to death. I can tell. I will stay next to you tonight, keeping you safe from the storm," EJ promised as he lay out their sleeping bags.

"Ohhh no. I don't think so..." Sami protested.

"The kids are right over there in the next room. I am not going to make any moves on you," EJ stated. "Come on. Lie down."

Sami begrudgingly did as she was told. "EJ, if you so much as breathe on me-."

EJ chuckled. "I'll behave myself."

"Yeah, right," she said as she lay down in the near darkness of the tent. No sooner had EJ got comfortable in the sleeping bag next to her when the roof of the tent was pelted with heavy rain.

"This damn thing better not leak," Sami grumbled. "I don't want to get wet."

EJ smirked when he heard her words. "We can't have you getting wet, now can we?" he said softly.

She looked over and glared at him. "How do I always let you talk me into these things?"

"It wasn't me. It was the children. They wanted to go camping. You were having a good time, too... until the rain started."

"Yeah, I was," Sami admitted. "Thank you, EJ. You're a wonderful father. You may be an infuriating pain in the ass, but even so, you're a great dad."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"EJ?" she asked softly.

He struggled to hear her as the rain landed in heavy droplets on the waterproof tarp that covered the tent. "What is it, Samantha?"

"I miss Grace," she said tearfully. "For so long I thought she was my little girl - OUR little girl, but then I found out she wasn't... then- then she died."

EJ softly caressed Sami's cheek, brushing away her tears. "I miss her, too," he admitted. "I could have a whole house full of kids, but I'd still miss her. She was one of a kind."

"I'm sorry for what I did, EJ, keeping her from you..."

"All is forgiven, Samantha," he said as he gazed at her with love. "Now close your eyes. We need to get some sleep."

Xxxooo

Chelsea and Patrick arrived at the party when it was already in full swing. "Just look at this place. I bet they have some fine wine in here!" Chelsea said with excitement. "Let's go on in and have some fun."

Before they entered the mansion, Chelsea gave Patrick a long sultry kiss. "I can't wait to fuck you again," she whispered in his ear.

Patrick grinned as he took Chelsea's hand and he lead her up to the front door. A butler answered and said, "Good evening."

"Where's the booze?" asked Chelsea.

"I was just about to serve the champagne," said Ivan.

Cassie walked down the staircase in her gorgeous ebony gown, accompanied by the handsome Nicholas Alamain. "Welcome everyone," said Nicholas as he gazed out at the crowd. He looked around the room, but did not see his mother anywhere. Where could she have gone? Billie and Bo were also wondering the same thing.

"Chelsea?" Billie said as she saw her daughter walking in holding hands with Patrick Lockhart.

"Ohhhh... is that -? Ohhh no!" said Bo when he saw Lockhart, too. "Who the hell let his ass out of prison... and what's he doing with our little girl?"

Chelsea wasn't so little anymore and she wasn't wearing much. In fact, her skimpy dress was showing off all of her assets. "Hi, Daddy," she said as she walked over and gave her father a kiss on the cheek.

"Mom," she said in surprise as she looked at Billie. "I didn't know you were in town."

"We didn't know HE was in town," Bo growled as he glared at Patrick.

Meanwhile, Hope approached where Bo stood with Billie. She gave him a look of disgust, but then when she noticed Patrick she lost it. She slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you show your face in Salem ever again after what you did, you low-down piece of crap from a donkey's ass!"

"Owww! That hurt!" Patrick exclaimed as he clutched his bruised cheek.

"Keep your hands off him!" Chelsea yelled at her stepmother. "He's my date!"

"Ohhh I think not. Chelsea, you aren't dating him," Bo said with a scowl.

"I'm an adult. I'll date whomever I want."

"Wow, this party is really hopping," said Cassie as she and Nicholas approached the vicious scene.

"Come on now. This is a party! Everyone eat the tasty hors d'oeuvres, drink the fancy champagne, and try to have a GOOD time," Cassie insisted.

"Cassie?" said Bo, staring at his niece in shock. What in the world was she doing here? Last he knew, she was living in Europe.

Nicholas wrapped an arm around Cassie, lightly brushing his lips against her cheek. "Welcome to the party, Mr. Brady. It's been a long time since we've met. Last time I saw you, I was just a child."

"What are you doing with my niece?" Bo questioned suspiciously. "And why did you invite us all here?"

Nicholas only grinned, his charming smile so much like his father's. At that moment, Ivan brought out a cart containing the refreshments. As the guests helped themselves to the scrumptious appetizers, Ivan was handing out the glasses of white sparkling wine. Everyone got a crystal glass - everyone but Carly as she was no where to be seen.

Unbeknownst to Ivan, he had accidentally given the wrong glass to Patrick. It was the one Vivian had said should be given to a certain someone, yet that person was also not in attendance.

As Carly roamed the halls of the Alamain mansion, Vivian followed, toting her gun. She was certain to kill someone tonight, one way or another.

Carly arrived at the staircase leading up the attic bedroom on the fourth floor. She sucked in her breath, remembering Lawrence tenderly nursing her back to health after Vivian had tried to kill her. She had fallen in love with him all over again. It was in that attic bedroom where they had renewed their love. Somehow, she just had to see it again. She had to find some sort of peace after all the hell she'd been through.

She didn't have a chance to take the staircase or enter the attic. A hand lay on her shoulder as a voice softly said, "Katerina."