Shooting Stars

Part IV

EJ rolled onto his side, pulling Samantha with him as his lips sought hers once more almost blindly. His kissed her hungrily, as if they hadn't kissed at all tonight. The realization that they were truly married this time was still a bit overwhelming, but he could get used to being like this with her, touching her, learning all the contours of her glorious body.

Then he slowed down again, wanting to enjoy each minute they would have alone tonight because tomorrow the children would be back home with them and they wouldn't have the luxury of making love anywhere they wanted to in the house. This new life he was embarking on with Samantha was going to be huge adjustment for him, after returning to Salem he'd done everything in his power to resist the siren's lure Samantha always seemed to bring out in him.

"I thought I wanted us to go to bed, but I think christening this room is perfect instead," EJ ran one hand along Samantha's bare naked skin. He looked at her in the glowing firelight from the fireplace and was amazed to see the love he felt for her reflected in her eyes while she looked at him.

"This was the place you first brought me in from the storm in so many different ways," Sami lightly pushed on EJ so that she could place her head on his chest, content to just hear the beating of his heart and he drew her near enough so that she would be lying right beside him, their bodies touching while they both continued to trace imaginary images along each other with their hands. "My life was a mess then and it continued to be for far too long afterward. I was drifting along without any purpose, letting my family dictate what they believed my life should be and I was completely miserable."

"I never thought you would come here after you read my letters," EJ stated quietly as he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm so glad you wrote me those letters. You bared your soul to me and opened my eyes to what an amazing man you are EJ DiMera. I wouldn't allow myself to see things from your perspective until that was all I had left of you."

"My perspective was pretty dark. Sometimes it still is, but you were right I had to forgive myself for hurting you."

"Just like I had to forgive myself for all the pain I caused you, the pain I caused our children. I was being so selfish and you words made me wake up and take accountability for my part in what went wrong between us. I finally took the time to see how my actions affected our precious babies. When they talked to me about missing you and they were so honest about things in only the way children can be, that it took all I had in me not to break down and cry with them. They were so lost without their daddy."

"If you hadn't sent me the video of them telling me they missed me and wanted me to come back home I don't know if I would have ever returned to Salem no matter how heartbroken I was being apart from them."

"I was afraid you wouldn't return. That I'd caused you to feel like you were unwanted when in reality we all needed you so much."

"You and I had to heal from the scars we'd inflicted upon each other," EJ pulled Sami in tighter and then she rolled him over so that she could straddle his body. She looked down at him, brushed her fingertips over his very physical scar along the temple of his head and as soon as she did EJ instinctively flinched, trying to move his head away from her light touch.

"I was so blind EJ, please forgive me," Sami pled with him as she felt the tears well up in her eyes and one fell on his chest.

"I have, but the demons inside that won't let me forget are the ones I have to battle daily."

Sami nodded her head, "They reside in me too. When I think of all the damage I've caused."

EJ reached for her hand and pulled it to his lips, kissing it lightly, "You can't take all the blame. I had more than my fair share of mayhem that I caused in your life. I drove you to do things you wouldn't have normally done."

Sami shrugged her shoulders, "When have I ever been normal?"

"Why would I want normal when I could have extraordinary? The price for such is much higher my dear."

"You almost paid with your life," Sami tried to move off of him, but he kept her in place, only moving her down somewhat so that she could feel how much he wanted her even with all their talk of the past that still continued to haunt them both in very different ways.

"Just to have you here with me like this now, the brutal honesty we're finally sharing with one another, it would be worth giving my life for…"

Sami shook her head, "Don't ever say that EJ. I can't live without you. I don't want to ever live without you again."

"I'm right here darling. Here for the taking I may add," EJ tried to lighten up the mood by trying to tease her, he didn't want his new wife in tears when tonight was supposed to be a celebration for them, but they always did tend to go to extremes regardless of the situation.

Sami nodded her head, closed her eyes for a brief moment, she didn't want to start crying, she wanted to make love to her husband. "So I can take you this time?"

"As many times as you would like darling. I'm here for you and your pleasure all night."

"All night?"

Every night from now on if you'll have me."

Sami was able to smile amidst her tears and she leaned down to kiss him once before settling back to a position where she could show him exactly that in a way she was sure he would like as well as her.