Day 9 - March 14th
12:57 a.m.
Kayla kept trying Steve�s phone, but he still wasn�t answering. She had worried when first arriving home, she did not find him there. But as the hours past, she went beyond simple worries and was now scared to death as to what was happening with him. Calling her brothers, Roman quickly dispatched two patrol cars to look for him, while Bo did his on hands on search.
Bo called her again, just as he pulled out of his drive way and headed towards the riverfront. �Let me go to some of his old haunts Kay. Maybe he�s just hanging out somewhere on the pier or at the Cheatin Heart. I bet you he got drunk and is passed out over there. Don�t worry Sis� we�ll bring him home.�
�I hope it�s something that easy Bo. I never thought I�d say this, but I hope he is� just at the Heart playing pool and getting into a fight there. I�m just so scared. Bo. The box was empty� I don�t even know what was inside apart from the note. What if he�s gone after this� target already.�
�Calm down, Sis! Look� maybe he just needed to get some air, clear his head. Don�t start worrying yet. Anyway� if something had happened, we would have heard about it. Right? After all, the target was supposed to be someone we know and nothing has come in at the station. Roman�s got the late shift tonight and he says it�s been really quiet. Just let me find Steve� bring him home to you, then you can beat him up� or yell at him!�
Trying to lighten the mood, Kayla found herself grinning at her brother�s boast. It would be so like Steve to make her worry like this then come home perfectly safe. When she started thinking about it more, it seemed to make perfect sense that he just needed some time alone. If only he would answer his phone and let her know that.
**********
4:06 a.m.
He fell asleep twice during the long night, but the music in his dreams kept jarring Steve awake. Sitting uncomfortably in one of the church pews, he felt himself shake again, as he wrapped his arms across his chest, trying to keep the fear inside. A slight chill was in the air, and drafts came in and out the openings from the front door. Many candles flickered continually around him casting shadows along the walls and on the pews. Steve had found a secluded church and locked himself in after reading Stefano�s note. At first on his knees he prayed, asking for a miracle to release him from what he had to do.
For hours he sat that night, sometimes with his hands clasped tightly together, half hidden in the dimly lit room. When the urge to leave was strong, he would light another candle and offer another plea for the Big Dude to give him strength. Several candles now flickered near him as he watched the flames dance and jump, the fragrance of the melted wax, filling the air. It was the only light he allowed himself that night. Steve chose to remain he semi-darkness, half hidden in the shadows as the minutes passed too quickly.
Every little noise and creaking sound poked at him, but he was no longer startled when they came unexpectedly. His eyes had grown blood shot from the disturbed sleep, and his hands shook even harder than the rest of him. For a while he paced up and down the center aisle, pausing a few times to stare at the door, but no one joined him that night. Alone in his vigil, he prayed. When sleep was able to claim a few minutes of his time, it always brought along only the nightmares. Even in church, the dreams stayed away and did not enter.
The second time the nightmare came, it left him in tears and he gripped the seat hard to keep himself from going out of control. The voice repeated the name, taunting him lest he would have forgotten. The gun was nearby as well. He could not walk more than a few feet away before it called to be held and caressed in his hand. Steve damned the thing. He would curse and mock it, while he cradled it. It would not leave him and he could not throw it away.
By now, the music visited as Steve sat wide awake. Coming at him softly, the first few notes were always hesitant, but it soon gathered strength and played strong. Even Portia�s voice continued singing to him. Covering his ears, the tune still reached inside and commanded him to obey. It wouldn�t tell him why, no matter how many times he begged, it never answered his question.
�Leave me alone!� He had screamed, but it only crept a few steps away before returning.
When the ringing filled the church again, Steve looked up and started to smile. The noise echoed in the air, and bounced off the walls. For where he sat, it seem to grow and vibrate, growing louder and louder. He let it ring, listening each time another call was sent to him. For the past half hour it had been silent and he sat in dread watching and waiting. But now, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat as the ringing continued for another few seconds.
It was his link to the outside world. Locked in that church, enveloped by the darkness, he would wait for another call. All he had there were the nightmares and the music to keep him company. They only went away when his phone would speak out, breaking the silence. It made Steve know he was not alone, that somewhere, someone was with him, if not physically, than emotionally. His smile always grew larger when there were many rings, but always, when it grew silent, the nightmares were quick to return.
The candles barely gave off enough light to comfort him. He had checked only once that past hour for the sunrise. In the daylight he hoped to find strength. Until then, he remained as he was, hiding and waiting. Another few minutes pasted and his phone rang to him again. Steve sat listening, smiling strong through his tears.
**********
7:15 am
All night long Kayla waited by the phone for any word, but neither Roman nor Bo had anything good to tell her. Trying Steve�s cell phone again, there was still no answer. Where was he? She was out of her mind with worry. For the last hour, she had the TV on to the local news, but no news reports for any disturbances and murders were reported. If he didn�t come home soon, they would be a murder in tomorrow�s paper, because Kayla was ready to kill him herself for scaring her this way.
Trying to stay calm, she called Bo one more time. Reaching him at the pub, he mentioned coming up empty in his search. Stopping home to check up with Hope and the baby, he had gone out again early that morning and was at the pub getting coffee and something to eat before heading out again. Kayla asked him to wait for her as she was leaving just then and would be there within twenty minutes.
It was no longer a case of finding her husband passed out somewhere, or getting himself together. Something was very wrong and Kayla just didn�t know what to do. She couldn�t imagine where he would go to that Bo couldn�t find him. For a second she thought about Portia�s house and realized she forgot to ask Bo if he checked there. Contemplating a moment about whether to go there herself, she opted to go to the pub first and have Bo go with her over there.
He was eating when she arrived. The plate was half full as Kayla took the seat across from Bo, looking worriedly back at him. He gave a hand a quick squeeze and tried smiling, but it only made her tears come down again.
�I�m so scared Bo! He�s not answering his phone, what if� he�s hurt or something� we just have to find him!�
Taking a quick drink of his coffee, he wipes his mouth clean with a napkin before answering. �We will Sis, we will.�
Pulling out the note she found in the box, she shows it to Bo as he reads the message Stefano wrote. "A Queen, who holds the hearts of two Kings, must die." He paused a moment then continued the other words added below. "Checkmate PBL. What's PBL?"
"I think it's Portia's initials." Kayla told him. "PBL... Portia Brigid Lansing."
"Yeah, okay... that fits. But I don't know what the rest means. Checkmate? Were they playing a game?"
"If they were, then what Portia wrote means she won."
Rereading the note, Bo felt his eyes go blurry as he put the paper down and started rubbing at his eyes. She notices how tired he looks and feels bad that he was up all night looking and continuing to do so that morning. �I�m sorry Bo.� She told him as he started eating again.
With his mouth full of food, he just raises his eyebrows at her, giving her a quizzical look. �Swrorry?� He asks between mouthfuls.
�You must be so tired and� here I am pushing you to go out again.� Her composure falling apart, Kayla breaks into more tears as Bo tells her to stop blubbering.
�Will you stop that? Mom�s going think I did something to make you cry. Anyway, I�m fine. It�s that husband of yours you should feel sorry for. As soon as I find him, I�m going to knock a few more screws lose in that head of his for making me search all night for him.�
Smiling back, Kayla wipes her tears as she mentions Portia�s house. �Have you checked there yet? I didn�t even think about that place until this morning. Maybe Portia left a clue that he needed to get something there�?�
�I just thought the same thing a little while ago. Soon as I finish here, I�ll head over that way. I think we may find him there.�
�I�m going with you!�
�Sure! I doubt I�d be able to hold you off.� Seeing her agitated face, he suggests getting a cup of coffee while he finishes. Nodding at him Kayla gets up to pour herself a cup but ends up spilling some. Her shaky hands couldn�t hold the cup steady and most of it ended up on the table and floor. Lisa came quickly by with a dishtowel as Kayla tries cleaning the mess with a few napkins.
�I�m sorry Lisa� I made such a mess�?�
�It�s okay. No harm done.� She answered back. When Kayla tried pouring another cup, her hands shook even more that Lisa had to get a one for her. �Here let me do that Kayla. Why don�t you just sit and I�ll bring it right over.�
Bo stands then and tries to get his sister to sit. �Come on sit down and try to relax. I�m almost done anyway� so we can go in a few minutes. When Lisa brings over the coffee, Kayla thanks her as she takes a few sips, frowning at the bitterness of the plain black coffee.
�I forgot to put cream and sugar.� She told Bo before pushing at the cup. Kayla wiped more tears away as Bo, unable to stand looking at his sister�s tear stained face, got to his feet leaving the rest of his meal and told her he was finished. It was then that the pub door opened wide and Steve came staggering in.
His hair was a mess, all disheveled and sweaty. With blood-shot eyes and crumpled clothes he approached them, taking slow labored steps. Kayla jumped up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Bo followed her as Steve nearly collapsed in Kayla arms and bent his head to her shoulder.
�Where the hell have you been, man?� Bo thundered at him. �I�ve been out all night looking for you. Roman�s had two cars searching all over Salem since midnight.�
Kayla just held on to him tight as she felt him shake within her embrace. She pulled herself away as his trembling grew worse and he looked at her with an expression of complete desolation. He hadn�t said anything yet, but his face told of the pain he was obviously feeling.
�Steve! I was so scared!� She asked her husband. �What is it? Are you in pain? Tell me what happened?�
Bo saw his brother-in-laws messed up clothes and thought the man might have been in a fight. Though he couldn�t see any bruises, it didn�t mean he wasn�t injured. �Hey man� what happened? Were you attacked� or kidnapped� or something? Talk to us, Steve!�
Tears start to form in his eye as Steve stares quietly back at them. They try to lead him to a nearby table, but he remains where he as, barely able to stand. He does not answer them, but looks to Kayla again, searching her face before pulling her back into his arms. With a renewed burst of strength, he holds her tightly against him as he gives into tears and sobs. Confused, Kayla holds her husband feeling his torment.
Bo gets on his phone to call Roman and have them call off the search when Shawn and Caroline come in from the kitchen. Shawn greets a regular customer as Caroline serves the two plates she is carrying to the table in the corner. Asking is the customers wanted more coffee, she leaves them alone to enjoy their meal. She stops beside Shawn before looking over by the entrance and sees her children standing there.
Calling out to them, Bo turns first and signals with his hand that he heard her, Steve�s head jerk�s up at the sound of her voice and the expression on his face changes. Gone is the fearful lost man who stumbled into the pub a few minutes earlier. In his place has arrived a hard, menacing visage. Pulling himself away from his wife Steve starts walking towards the bar. Bo, still on the phone, is now talking to his wife that all is well and Steve has shown up at the pub.
�I�ll be home soon Fancy Face.� He tells her before asking how the baby is.
Kayla looks all the more confused as Steve almost pushes her out of the way while he seemingly goes to speak with her mother. Caroline sees Steve approaching and goes to meet him halfway when he suddenly stops and looks back at her, his face grief stricken and heartbroken.
�I�m sorry. I�m so sorry!� He tells her, his anguished voice ripped from his throat as he pulls out the gun from his pocket and without any warning, points the gun at Caroline and from across the room, empties all six cartridges at her chest.
.
The darkness swoops in a grabs at him as the last shot is fired. Bo turned when the first shot is heard, but is too late to stop the rest from following. He drops the phone as he rushes forward yelling out to his brother-in-law. �Steve! NO!� He screams.
He felt his body falling as the darkness took hold quickly and held him captive. Steve hit the floor hard as Kayla rushed to his side taking hold of his arm and side. Caroline instinctively reared back when Steve started firing and felt her back hit against the bar. Bo rushed at her, taking his mother in his arms as she held on to him. The gun was still in Steve�s hand, clutched between his fingers. When he lay sprawled on the floor, his grip finally loosened and it finally fell free and clear on the floor next to him. Kayla sat beside him crying as she looked up to where her mother and Bo stood. Shawn rushed over to his wife as several customers clustered around them.
It was several moments before anyone spoke. Bo looked to his parents and then to Steve, his eyes betraying the shock of what just happened. Kayla cried at Steve�s fallen form, as he remained unresponsive and still. Shawn broke the silence and spoke first.
�Caroline darlin?�
�I�m all right Shawn.� She told him as Bo finally let go and she stood shakily at her feet. Bo looks down at the floor and sees a couple of the cartridges under one chair. He picks them up, he face baffled while joining Kayla beside Steve.
�They�re blanks, Kay! He shot mom with blank bullets!�
**********
7:43 a.m.
"I'm just as confused as you are Dr. Johnson. I can find no logical reason for your husband to be in a coma... but he is. All our x-rays show there were no head injuries." Dr. Berman stood with Kayla just outside Steve's room. The door was slightly ajar and she looked back inside at her husband's still form on the bed before facing his doctor again.
"I think its trauma induced." Kayla told him. "Something happened yesterday evening... it must have been too much for him to bear that... he collapsed under the pressure of it all."
Dr. Berman looked carefully at Kayla, as he pondered her answer. "Well... if it was a trauma... then there's no telling how long he'll be in this condition. It could be a couple of days to several weeks or even months. What it comes down to is he'll come out of it when he's ready to."
Nodding at him, Kayla thanks him for his help and he gives her a gentle pat on the arm before walking down the hall. Caroline comes up to her daughter and wraps her arms around her, as Kayla tries to hold her tears in. She turns to her mother and finally brings up the shooting. "I'm sorry mom. I never even asked you how you were doing."
"Hush now. I'm just fine. If anything, I'm just shocked over what happened. I never dreamed Steve would... it's just so crazy, all of this."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Kayla enters the room followed by Caroline. She takes the chair by the side of the bed and holds Steve's hand in hers. His face is pale but the heart monitor shows a strong heart beat. In sleep, with his features relaxed, he looks so peaceful and happy as though nothing bad had happened. She kisses his hand and holds it to her cheek. "You were the target mom. You were the one Stefano wanted dead. No wonder Steve was so tormented... knowing he had to try and ki... kill you."
"I just don't understand... why me? I've never done anything to the man. Why would he consider me his great enemy?" Caroline gently stroked her daughter�s hair as Kayla's soft cries filled the room. "Kayla, dear? Do you want me to get in touch with Stephanie? She should know about her father."
"No mom, not yet. She just arrived in Monte Carlo. I don't want her worrying about any of this while she's just about to race."
Agreeing, she brings up Jo. "Has anyone spoken with Jo yet?"
Kayla turns her tear stained face and shakes her head. "No... I forgot... I'm sorry, I just didn't think..."
"It's all right honey. I'll get your father to call her."
"Thanks mom. I guess I'm not thinking too clearly just now."
"I won't expect that you would." A long silence passes before Caroline speaks up again and has her daughter face her. "Kayla? Did you know that Steve came to see me yesterday morning?"
Frowning, Kayla shakes her head. "Steve didn't mention anything to me."
"Well he told me to keep it a secret. I couldn't even tell your father or your brothers about it."
"What is it mom? Why the visit?"
"He asked one thing of me, just one... to trust him." Looking confused, Kayla frowns even more as Caroline takes the seat next to her and sits down. "He told me a bit about what happened to him... that Stefano had him brainwashed to kill someone. He said he needed to do something, he had to finish it and in the end, no one was suppose to get hurt. He was asking me to trust him completely with my life. Those were his exact words. It sacred me at first, what he was saying... but the longer I thought about it, the more I knew... Steve would never hurt me." Smiling at her daughter, Caroline took Kayla's other hand and held it tight. "I guess I got that from you. I thought about all the times you just believed in him, no matter how bad things looked. So... I did the same."
"It must have been hard to keep believing when he pointed the gun at you. I can just imagine how scared you must have been."
"Yes, I was scared. But you know what I saw... it was Steve's face and how tortured and in pain he looked. When he faced me, it was all I could see and I stopped being scared. I didn't think I would feel that way, but I did."
"Mom... if there was any way he could have stopped himself, he would have!"
"I think he did try... and it was killing him to stop." Standing to her feet, Caroline gets and goes to the bedside. Looking down at her son-in-law, she thinks about his earlier request and the outcome from that morning. "I have thought that maybe...? Kayla? Do you think Steve knew there were blanks in the gun?"
With her mother's questioned posed to her, Kayla started to shake her head, then stopped. She never thought Steve might have switched the bullets. "I don't know. His programming forced him outright to commit murder. If he knew there were blanks then... he wouldn't have been following his orders. No! No, I don't think he could have known."
"Kayla dear? If he didn't put those blanks in there... then who did?"
Kayla looked back at her husband, thinking about his brainwashing. Only one person truly controlled his actions and behavior all the time he was away. She almost destroyed his life, then sacrificed herself to give it back to him. "Checkmate!" She suddenly said aloud.
"What?" Caroline asked her. "Checkmate?"
"It was Portia!" Kayla started laughing then as she looked down at her husband. "She did it again Steve... she saved you from committing murder. She switched the bullets and beat Stefano at his own game!" Kayla smiled then, her face formed into a large joyous smile as she leaned down and kissed Steve on the cheek. "It's okay Steve." She told him. "Portia tricked Stefano. You did what that monster wanted... but no one got hurt. She beat him for you, Steve. She beat him." Kayla told him as she lay down beside her husband and put her arms around him.
.
Outside the room, Bo showed up followed by Roman. Caroline left Kayla just then and joined her sons in the waiting room.
"Mom? How's Kay and Steve?" Bo asked first.
"Kayla's okay... but Steve's still in a coma. The doctors don't know how long he'll remain in one. It could be days, weeks, maybe longer."
"Then we won't know what really happened until he wakes up and we can question him". Roman told her.
"Even if he does awaken... I doubt he can tell you much." Caroline looked back through the glass in the door, before facing her sons again. "Kayla says it was that woman Portia who put the blanks in the gun. It looks like she tricked Stefano."
Bo looked warily at her a few second then his face lit up in understanding. "Checkmate!" He yelled out as his mother smiled at him.
"All right!" Roman interjected. "Will someone tell me what's going on? What does a chess game have to do with all this?"
"Don't worry, Bro. I'll explain it all to you later." Bo told him. He walked over and peeked in the room quickly before turning back again. "Well... that explains the bullets... but we still need to know why you ma? Why did Stefano want to kill you?"
"Maybe Steve can tell us that... when he wakes up." Caroline looked back again towards the room. "For your sister's sake... I hope he wakes up soon."
**********
When he heard her humming, Steve walked directly towards Portia and stood just in front of her. She barely spared him a glance as she reached for the teapot and poured two cup, placing one at the setting near him. "Drink it while it's still hot." She told him.
He just looked at her, amazed by her calmness after everything that just happened. "That's all you can say to me?"
"What do you want me to say, Steve?"
"Hell, Baby! Something... anything besides drink your tea!"
Portia looks at him again before taking her seat. She gives a little sigh as she adds some milk and a little sugar. "You're still angry at me?"
Steve stares back, incredulous at her question. Then he shakes his head and starts laughing at how ludicrous it all was. "No. I stopped being angry long ago. Can you just give me some answers... and no more of these crazy clues okay! Trying to figure them out was a nightmare. Couldn't you just come out and say what happened instead of creating a big mystery?"
"I thought you'd enjoyed the challenge."
"You're not going to find it on my lists of favorite things to do, Baby!" He tells her as he begins to calm down. She already took a sip of her drink as he takes his and lifts it to his mouth. He smells the tea and wrinkles his nose at it. "Don't suppose you have any coffee?" When she shakes her head at hi, he frowns slightly before taking a drink. "It's okay... I guess."
Taking a few more sips, he sets the cup down and looks around the room. "This isn't the morning room?" He asks her.
"No, it's the music room."
"I don't remember seeing it."
"It's a big house. I closed off parts of it while you were there. Some of the rooms I rarely used most of the year. This was probably one of them."
"Why didn't you ever go back home?" Steve suddenly questioned her, wanting to know why she left her family.
"Because I was foolish and stupid... and scared!"
"He waited for you... you do know that?"
Nodding at him, she smiled a little then as she turned to look out the window. Just outside were several rose bushes in full bloom. When Steve saw them, he thought he could smell their fragrance as well. "Steve? I made a lot of mistakes. Maybe if I wasn't so fearful... but it's too late now. Too late for me... but not for you."
Steve thought about it then, the shooting at the pub. He went there specifically to kill Caroline and he did shoot at her, but she didn't die. He had no idea the gun had blanks. "Stefano never knew... he never knew how deeply you betrayed him. When did you switch them, Baby?"
Portia looked back at him as she took her cup and drank again. She smiled some more when she recalled how she outwitted her cousin. "He was more interested in how well I could control your mind. His big mistake was leaving the box with me. Once I had it... well... he never bothered checking a second time."
Steve thought about Benjy's request to find help. "Benjy knew then. He knew the gun had blanks?"
But Portia shook her head at him. "I kept that to myself. But what I did tell him was I took care of it. In the end, no one would die."
"So wait a minute. I don't understand? Why did I need to find someone to trust me?"
"Because you had to believe you would eventually end up having to kill someone. Then knowing someone would trust in you, even after you did this horrible deed that would help you understand, you weren't the evil one, but it was the deed itself. "
Steve looked confused at her as Portia smiled at him and explained again. "Your old fears from way back when, I felt it in you when I first hypnotized you. You never felt you were good enough because of things you did in the past. You associated and identified yourself with what you did, rather than who you were inside. That's why you were Patch and not Steve for so many years. It wasn't until you met Kayla and she trusted in you wholly and completely that you began to view yourself differently. Even if you had to do things you knew were wrong to save someone, it didn't make you a bad person. With Kayla's love, you learned to separate yourself from the wrongful acts."
"Okay! But I still don't understand how any of that could help me. I thought, why would anyone trust a murderer?"
"They would... if they knew you would never kill anyone."
"But I did needed to kill... I had to do it to save Kayla."
"Yes you did. But if you hadn't gotten Caroline's complete trust, doing the deed alone without it would have destroyed you. It would have left you as nothing more than a hard, hearted killer. It was done to save your peace of mind Steve. Do you remember your dreams? You said it yourself in them. It wasn't you. You didn't do it. It wasn't you."
"I remember." He told her. "So why not just tell me the gun had blanks? Why did you put me through... this torment, thinking I would need to kill my wife if I failed."
"Because it was the only way to release you from the hypnosis. So long as you believed you were following the command, the hypnotic suggestion would be fulfilled and when it was done... then and only then would you be free from it."
"All this... I don't know if I'll ever understand it. But it's true then... Caroline is alive. I didn't kill her!" Portia shook her head at him as he shed a few tears. "It would have destroyed Kayla if I had."
�That�s what Stefano wanted, to destroy the Brady�s. Killing Caroline would have done that and more.� Portia got up then, as Steve remained sitting. �Why don�t we go for a walk outside in the garden. You obvious don�t like the tea.� She motioned to the still nearly full cup in front of him. �Maybe some fresh air will be better.�
It already felt weird being there, in what seemed to be Portia�s house, but he knew he really wasn�t. His mind may be here with her, but his body was lying in a bed at University hospital. Not sure for a moment on what to do, he decided to just go along and possibly clear his head with the aforementioned fresh air. When they strolled through the garden, Steve looked casually around, not really noticing anything until they reached one of the garden walls.
His eye scanned the tall stonewall which encased them in this private little sanctuary. There were no walls around Portia�s house. He was quiet certain about that. It was Greyson�s home that had them, keeping him locked out of the garden there during his entire ten-year stay.
�Something tells me, we�re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy?� Steve looked and saw the dozens of rose bushes planted there. One of then, further down the wall, was full of yellow roses.
�You always wondered what was behind the wall� now you know.�
�When that angel Dude did this, he just showed me movies. You�ve got what� a travel machine tucked away in your pocket or something? Is that why we can go anywhere� just like that?� He tells her, snapping his fingers.
�There are no closed door here Steve. You�ll end up where you want to be, so long as you wish it.�
�Yeah, well what I wish is to be at is home� with my wife. No offense, Baby, but I just need to be with her.�
�Don�t worry.� She assured him. �When you�re ready to go back, you will.�
�I�m ready now! I don�t need to be here. Didn�t you say I�m now free from the hypnosis? Can�t you talk the man in charge and have him release me?�
�No one is holding you here Steve. You�re still here because you need some answers.�
�Fine, then just write them down on some paper and I�ll take them with me.� Raising her eyebrows at him, Steve lets out and exaggerated sigh as he raises his hands in surrender. �Just a joke. Fine, tell me what answers I�m supposed to know.�
�Well� for one thing� aren�t you curious as to why Stefano chose Caroline?�
�Sure. I knew I had to find out why.�
�Caroline�s death would have hurt the Brady�s�it�s because of her that there is a Brady family. And it�s been this family that has thwarted every plan Stefano has had.�
�Huh? You want to run that by me again� cause I�m not getting it?�
�Stefano was never the same after he found out Daphne cheated on him. I know he always considered Tony his son, but the fact was he wasn�t. His Queen, you can say, tainted things by her betrayal. But, she also gave him a level of protection that he was never able to replace. Once she died, he couldn�t hide behind his sham of a marriage and all his evil tendencies just grew ten-fold.�
�She was his respectability.�
�Exactly! Daphne, with all her faults, was a good person� and if Stefano married her, then he couldn�t be all bad, or so all of Salem thought at first. With her gone, he had no one to use as a front when he unleashed one evil plan after another. It was the Brady�s, or Brady men who stopped him.�
�But I�m not a Brady� neither was John.� Steve reminded her.
�But you were married to one, which made you family, while John was thought of for a while as Roman, so he was considered family too, actually still is, to a degree. Shawn and Caroline still have a spot in their hearts for him.� Portia looked at him, seeing if he figured out what she was getting at. �Steve, look at it this way, without Caroline, there never would have a been a Roman, Kimberly, Kayla. Bo, John, Steve and Shane to confront and lose to.�
�Shane? How did he fit into all of this?�
�Through his marriage to Kimberly, he became a Brady too. If it weren�t for Shane, Stefano wouldn�t have lost his henchman. Drew Donovan�� �Shane�s brother!� He exclaimed.
�The same with you. If you hadn�t married Kayla, and found Benjamin, Stefano would never have lost his son.�
�Damn!�
�Stefano always wanted Marlena. Before, he had to compete with Roman for her. When he was able to get Roman out of the picture, he used John to trick the Brady�s. At some point, the real Roman would have been returned and Stefano planned to have Roman and John fight over her� perhaps killing each other to win. All he had to do was sit back and wait, then get her when it was over.� Taking a pause, Portia sits down on a stool. Steve moves and leans against a table instead. �It looked so simple on paper. John and Roman would be gone, the Brady�s heartbroken, and Marlena would finally be his. What he didn�t expect was that she would fall in love with John and create a new nemesis. When that happened, he moved to Hope and came up against Bo.�
�But Bo isn�t a real Brady.�
�I know, but Stefano also had a grudge against Victor for stealing the Pawn from him. If you can�t go after the King, then attack his son, his first-born. Victor may never admit it, but deep down inside, if he was able to get Caroline, he never would have loved another.�
�Killing Caroline would have hurt the Brady�s and Kiriakis.�
�You were punished more because of Benjamin. He loved that boy and when Stefano lost him, he vowed you would pay dearly.�
�Dearly? I lost out on my life and family. Yeah� I paid� with everything I ever had.�
Standing up, he took a few steps away and stared at the dozens and dozens of roses in bloom. Just thinking about all his years away, made him angry and vengeful. He was just starting to remember things he did as a Gabriel, and it scared him. There was no way to undo any of if, he thought. Even if Steve wanted to exact his own revenge, Stefano was now dead, there was nothing he could do to him.
�You�re going to have a hard road ahead, Steve.�
�What do you mean?�
�Your memories as Gabriel, they�ll be coming more and more� and it may take you a while to cope with all you were forced to do. It won�t be easy� these coming months� and you�ll find yourself angry and frustrated� but you�ll make it. I know you will.�
�You can see into the future, Baby?�
�I can see what�s in here.� She tapped at her chest. �And I know you have Kayla with you� to get you through the hard times to come.�
Steve turned to fully face her and stood hesitant, a moment before asking. �Portia� Did I� I never� I wasn�t a killer?�
�What does your heart say?�
�Can�t you just answer my question straight out?� He remarked. When she shook her head at him, he let out a long breath and thought about his response. �No, I�m not. I may have done things� I�d rather not remember, but I know I�m not a killer. They just couldn�t make me one.�
�Then you have your answer.� She told him, smiling. �Well, I�ve got to go. Why don�t you stay here a while and enjoy the fresh air.� She stood and gave him a hug, holding him close for a moment before letting go. She seemed younger there than Steve remembered. Maybe it was because she was finally smiling and happy. Gone was the fear and worry he saw in her. Her eyes no longer haunted him. They were full of light and sparkled out there in the afternoon sunlight.
As she turned to leave, Steve called out to her one last time. �Portia? Your clues?� He told her. �I figured them all out but one.�
�Which one didn�t you get?�
�Green! Which was it, the song Greensleeves, or was it John� since he was Forrest Alamain?�
�It�s both� and neither.� He looked confused by her answer as she explained. �If you want it to be the song or John, then it is. But truthfully, it�s just my favorite color!� He couldn�t help himself, he had to laugh since Elliot told him just that. �Bye Steve.� She added before walking back into the house.
Steve remained outside a few minutes more. The sun was warm that day, and he could feel it on his skin and face. He took a deep breath and inhaled the fragrance around him. Bringing a smile to his face, he closed his eye and tilted his head up towards the sun. Taking another breath, he let it out slowly and felt himself fall back into his bed.
When he opened his eye again, it was to see Kayla�s head resting by his arm. As quietly as he could, he reached over and began to stroke at her hair, when she stirred and lifted her head up, looking directly at him.
�Hi, Baby!� He told her. �Can I get my wake up kiss now?�
�Steve! You�re awake.� She said aloud as she reached over and kissed his tenderly on his lips and all over his face. Her face was still wet with tears and she ran her fingers over his chin and cupped his face. �You scared me half to death!�
�I�m sorry, Sweetness!� He pulled her closer to him and kissed her again. After a minute, she started pulling away as he protested. �What are you doing, Baby? Something wrong with my kisses?�
�No, I just want to get a doctor to see how you are.�
�I just fine. Look at me. I�m ready to get out of this bed right now.� To prove it, Steve starts to rise as Kayla pushes him back down. He uses the opportunity to pull her back into bed with him and closes his arms around her.
�Now let go. I�ve got to have you examined first.�
�Well, I don�t need a doctor for that� when I have my own personal physician right here. Come on baby, examine away!� He tells while pulling her back in his arms.
�You just came out of a coma.� She tried being stern with him, but he just gave her one of his lecherous looks and she found her control quickly fading.
�And I�m just fine.�
�You don�t know that.�
�So start looking� and if you see something that needs healing, you go right on ahead.� He said winking at her.
�Your terrible, you know that!� Kayla laughed. She just couldn�t keep a straight face anymore.
�But you love me anyway� warts and all. Huh Baby?�
�You still need to be checked out.�
�Fine, fine, later then. Right now, I just need you. �He scoots over in the bed and pats the space next to him. Kayla starts to giggle as she climbs up and lies down next to him.
�I was really scared, you know. I didn�t know when you�d come out of it.�
�Just took a long nap, Baby. But I�m fine now.�
Kayla sat up then and looked at him closely. He seemed years younger, the lines of worry gone from his face. �You are all right, aren�t you?�
�Just let me show you how much.� He leaned over her and placed kisses over her cheeks, neck, and then back to her lips. When Kayla started pushing at him, he gave her a frown, but held her even closer.
�Someone could walk in.� She cautioned him.
�Well if they do, they�ll see that we�re busy and walk out again.�
�What if it�s Bo or Roman? They need to ask you questions about the shooting. They�re both waiting outside.�
�Sweetness?� He gave her an exasperated look. � When we�re done, I promise to tell them everything I know.�
�Done? Doing what?�
�Practicing of course� for our honeymoon.�
�Steve, we can�t. Not here!�
�So, it�s not the Salem Inn, but there�s a bed and we�re in it, so� time�s a wasting, Baby!�
�Steve?�
�Now what?�
�Just let me lock the door first.� Kayla softly whispered.
�Now that�s more like it!�
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A Patch of Sweetness