Fallen into Shadows
Part 12.
They stumble who run fast
Hope told him she wanted him to go. If it weren’t for the pregnancy, she would be going with them. But she had to be cautious now. And with Shawn still coming to grips with losing the baby and going through a divorce, she had more than enough to deal with.
“Steve and Kayla need you, Sweetie. You did promise to help him.” Hope had her arms around Bo as stood agitated and uneasy. “Just come back home soon. Okay?”
“I’m thinking I should be home now, especially with all that’s happening with Shawn.”
“Bo? Is it Patrick? Is he the real reason? Cause I can tell you there’s nothing to worry about there.”
Bo looks back and smiles at his wife. “Can’t get anything by you. You know me too well.”
“Then you also know you’re doing the right thing by going.”
“Yeah. I always felt… partially responsible for what happened.”
Hope places her hand on his face and leans in for a kiss. With his arms around her, he deepens the kiss then pulls reluctantly away. He reaches down for his bag as she walks him to the door. Standing there a moment, he places his hand on the bulge on her stomach before giving her another quick kiss. “Be safe, Bo. I love you.” He gives her a sweet smile before heading down the pathway to his car.
John had called Roman yesterday and let him know Marlena was safe at home. Physically she was unharmed, but she couldn’t remember what had happened. The doctors had tested her for drug use and found some small traces, but nothing that would be dangerous health wise. All John was concerned about was that he found her and brought her back. Belle needed her too.
Roman told him about finding both the Brady and DiMera family trees and how it all tied in to the feud between the families.
“They’re all leaving today. Steve thinks it may have something to do with the Toscano’s too.”
John thinks back and remembers how they thought they lost Hope when she supposedly died in the cage with Ernesto Toscano. But she ended up being held captive by Stefano “That connection was always peculiar. So you think the reason for all this was because of this relative, Fiona Brady?”
“It all seems to tie in. The dates match up and from what Pop could remember; the troubles seem to center around his grandfather’s family. It’s just the thought… that we are related to that man that makes my stomach turn.”
Thinking of Marlena’s captivity with Stefano, it all seemed to make sense, his unhealthy interest with the Brady women. “Well I won’t mention it to Doc just yet. I want to give her some time to adjust being home. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. I’ve got contacts in Italy. And if they need a safe house, they can use the villa.”
“Sure, I’ll let them know. Thanks John.”
“No sweat. Maybe, just maybe we’ll finally get this whole thing resolved.”
“Yeah. After all these years, I hope it is.”
Gathered at the airport lounge, Bo joined them as they waited for the pre-boarding call. Standing restless and unnerved, Steve cautiously looks around, carefully scrutinizing the other passengers on the far side of the gate. With luck, only two others will join them in the first class cabin. The elderly couple sits across from Kayla as they chatter away about the cruise they will embark on after arriving in Italy. He feels on edge having both Kayla and Stephanie join them, but Bo reminds him of the dangers at home. It’s better all around if they stayed together. And as Benji had pointed out, there would be no attempts made on their lives if he was with them. His father would not go after them so long as he was there.
Steve walked over to the window and watched as the baggage handlers loaded the plane. Kayla was still seated as Bo joined her. Stephanie seemed excited about the trip and he could hear her talking about possibly entering the races in Milan a couple of months from now. Steve tried not to think about the last time he went to Italy. That last trip had gone badly for him and he almost lost Kayla because of it. Marina was dead all these years but somehow, she still managed to haunt them. Maybe it was fate that will bring him back there. Somehow, there was unfinished business and he wouldn’t be able to move ahead unless he could clear it. Turning around, he looked at his family. Deep inside himself, he felt the restlessness; the fear of what could be, rise up. But he also felt a calming peace lingering just below. Sensing it, he focused his attention and energies on that and found himself smiling a little. Kayla looked at him then and smiled back in return. As she continued watching him, he grin began to grow and by the happy _expression on Kayla’s face, he knew it was probably a mile wide.
They were all seated at a comfortable distance from each other, but not too far off for Steve’s peace of mind. Their fellow companions were on the left aisle of seats. Steve and Kayla took seats on the right and just a row behind in the middle section, sat Stephanie and Benji. Bo was the odd man out sitting by himself, two rows behind his niece. Bo approved of the seating arrangement. From his position, he could easily see everyone and could also catch any intruders who may try to work themselves up to the forward cabin.
The flight was scheduled for a seven-hour trip, arriving in Italy in the late afternoon. Benji had made the accommodations for them in Cozenza and booked himself a room at the same hotel rather than staying at the family home.
Sitting besides Stephanie, he continued to try and show her how to sign. Papers and pencils at hand, he wrote down words and tried to show her the symbols for them. She was getting better, but learning the letters of the alphabet taxed her. Frustration set in fast and she found herself angry with her many small mistakes. Benji’s patience however, seemed endless. The fact that she wanted to learn was enough for him. Equally rewarding was that Stephanie inherited enough of Kayla’s beauty to make him slightly enamored of her.
Taking a break from the lessons, she wrote of her interest in entering races throughout Europe. There were races in Milan and in Germany that she longed to join in. Driving only once on an international level was enough to wet her appetite for more. She told him of the thrill of racing. Of feeling the ground slip underneath as you were propelled forward to the point where your heart could almost leap ahead of you as you struggle to catch up. When she spoke, it was with her eyes, her hands, and her heart. She kept nothing hidden as all emotions were laid out. Benji looked over to where Steve sat and saw him occasionally glancing back at them. The last time he peeked at them, Benji nodded at him and gave a reassuring smile.
He liked Stephanie. He liked her very much. She had written down a question and passed the paper to him. "Would he come to watch her race one day?" When he signed back yes, she smiled hugely back at him. It was infectious her smile. Then she mentioned Max Brady, and the light dimmed inside her. How lightening fast she went from the white to the gray, as she forced herself to smile back at him. He felt sorry for her. It must be so hard to try and forget, when everything around makes her remember.
He wrote down on another paper, asking her about the future. “In a couple of years, where do you see yourself then?”
“Probably behind the wheels of a car at the Indy 500. I hope!”
“I’d like to see that.” He wrote back “But by that time, you’ll have so many important people in your life. You may not remember me.”
Stephanie looked at him and for a moment saw the sweet little boy her parents found years ago. He looked at her with kind, friendly eyes and an eagerness for adventure that matched her own. “No! No, I’ll remember you.” She answered him as he grinned back at her. Steve had looked over at them again. His brows drew together as he saw the easy friendship that had developed between them. His overprotective nature was rising again as he shifted in his seat and returned his focus back to the tray in front of him.
There was nothing wrong with the two of them becoming fast friends. In truth, he liked the thought, but it still made him feel uneasy. Maybe when all this conflict ended, he would feel better about it, but not right now. He shifted once again, trying to get comfortable. Bo had taken the headset and attached them. Amusing himself in the back row with a drink in one hand and small plate of assorted snacks by the other, he had been watching his brother-in-law, as Steve turned every few minutes to look back on his daughter. Bo snickered to himself, laughing each time he looked back. It’s only going to get worse Bro, he thought to himself. But somehow, he knew Steve would enjoy every minute of that bumpy ride.
When Steve moved once more, Kayla finally had to remark on his actions. “Steve? Is Stephanie okay?” His back was facing her again. She looked through the space between their seats and saw Stephanie chatting happily away. “Steve?”
“Huh? She’s fine.”
“Is she asleep?”
“No, she up.”
“She’s not hurt or anything?”
“No.”
“Okay! So why do you keep turning around?”
He looked back at her and thought a moment. “I don’t know?”
“I guess it must be a father thing?”
“I wouldn’t know about that, Sweetness.” When she looked at him, the sadness was painted harshly across his face. She reached up and tried to touch it away, but left traces behind that were set deep within him. “I’ve only been a real father to her for a couple of weeks. I guess I’m not doing too good a job, am I?”
His hand was on the armrest. She placed her hand over his and gave a small squeeze. “Don’t, don’t do that to yourself. Two weeks, two days, two hours, it doesn’t matter. You’ve been a father and that’s all Stephanie has wanted and waited for.” She smiled up at him.
He answered her with a sigh and a nod of acceptance. Yes, he was a father and it felt good. He was tempted to turn around again, but caught himself and stayed as he was. Kayla turned her attention to the passing clouds out the window. Her thoughts wandered between what was and the unknown they were walking into in Italy. From Italy to Marina, from Marina to Steve, the path lead her back to her husband and the gulf that still stood between them. When the shock of knowing that the DiMera family home was located in Cozenza finally wore off, they were all left to deal with the incredible coincidence. Kayla regarded it more as fate, that Marina's, Steve's, and her life had been so intertwined, that until they were able to completely severe her from them, she would not be at rest and they could not move ahead.
It was a dark part of their past. At that time, they almost let it destroy them and now, it was rearing it hungry, angry head at them again. But it wasn't just Marina's ghost Kayla had to deal with. She had not spoken the thoughts aloud, but let the hurt grow and fester within her since her husband moved into their home. Shadows of pain, shadows of anger, shadows of longing crept across Kayla's features. She wanted to know how Steve felt about Billie, but couldn't bring herself to ask him. Keeping her eyes half lowered, she wallowed in the turmoil of ignorance and misinformation regarding what she knew about him and Billie. Would he even tell her, if she asked him?
As her hand brushed away at some lose strands on her forehead, she let her fingers fall to her cheek, rubbing absentmindedly there. She turned to catch Steve watching her. He sought her attention and captured her gaze with his. She used to believe he could read her mind. There were times he would know instinctively how she felt or what she needed. If he could read her thoughts now, would he give her honest answers or false ones?
He saw the sadness in her eyes and it pulled at him. The change was swift and he needed to know why. "Sweetness? Kayla? What's wrong?"
She didn't hesitate. There was no room anymore for half answers and partial truths. "Steve?" She ask him softly
"Yeah, Baby?"
"Do you really love me?"
His eye widens in shock and he turned fully in his seat to face her directly. "What? How can you ask me that? Kayla? Don't you know how much I love you?"
She shook her head at him and looked down a moment. "Up until two weeks ago, you didn't feel anything."
"Baby! I didn't remember! How can you ask me that?"
"Yes, you didn't remember. But at the same time you had Billie."
"Billie? What's she got to do with this?"
"You wanted her Steve. I saw it in your face all those weeks. If you felt that way, you must have loved her too."
"No Sweetness. I didn't love her! I admit I was attracted, but no! There was never love between us."
"But you would have been with her if things had not turned out differently. I don’t know what hurts more, knowing you wanted Billie, but didn’t love her, or finding out you may have."
"Kayla?" he gave a deep sigh and looked warily at her. "You know... You know I've been with other women these years. Hell, Della made that clear... And...Yes, things might have ended that way with Billie, but it would have been empty. It always left me feeling empty."
She mulled her thoughts over and kept her glance downward. A part of her was afraid, that if she looked into his face, she wouldn't be able to tell if he spoke the truth or not. Maybe too many years had separated them already. Maybe this time, she was just too afraid.
"I guess it bothers me. Having you say you love me after you remembered. How can you turn your feelings off and on like that? It makes me think... you feel the way you say you do only because of how you felt before, not how you truly feel now."
Steve scowled down at his wife and jerked his arm down hard on the armrest. "So what you're saying is, since I haven't been loving you all these years, since I haven't been consistent, I can't possible feel the same way you do. That's what you're implying isn't it?"
"Yes, I guess I am."
"Well, I'm sorry if I haven't suffered like you have all these years!" He was angry with her. "I didn't know there was a rule for this kind of thing."
"Neither did I." She barely whispered back to him.
She clasps her hands together and held them across her lap. Kayla wasn't looking at Steve. She was deep in thought over their situation. Somehow, no matter how they felt towards each other, it wasn't bringing them closer and she didn't know why.
Steve had turned away and looked back towards Stephanie. She had been watching him and Kayla and looked back at him in surprise. Bo sat up too and gave him a questioning look. Obviously, they had a louder than necessary argument. He got up then and walked over to the washroom. Throwing water over his face, he tried to get himself calm before returning to face his wife again. He couldn't believe she questioned his feelings for her. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, his gaze focused on the chain he wore. He touched the part below his shirt where the ring hung and closed his eye a moment. Somewhere along the line, Kayla had stopped believing in him. Maybe it was because of Billie, or maybe there were just too many years that kept them apart. All he knew was he loved her. He loved her then, he loved her now and if he lived another fifty years, he would love her every single day.
He came back out and took his seat by her. She was looking out the window again. The fingers from her right hand were on her lips. "I don't know why it's not working, Steve? I don't know what's wrong?" She didn't look at him while she spoke and he didn't want that. He took her face in his hand and turned her to face him.
"Kayla? Sweetness? Look at me. Baby, I can't change what has happened. I can't undo all the things I did, all the women I've been with, but I'm telling you now I love you. Do you hear me? I love you! You've got to believe that. You've got to believe I mean it."
She nodded at him and felt the tears start to fall. "I'm just afraid Steve... I'm just afraid I'll lose it all again."
"Baby, look at me! I'm here, I'm right here beside you. This is the only place I want to be. If I'm not that man who loves you, then I'm no one. Do you hear what I'm saying? I'm no one if I can't love you. All those years were empty because you weren't a part of my life. And the years ahead will be just as empty and meaningless if you're not beside me."
She was sobbing now and Steve pulled his wife into his arms as she cried against him. "I have you, Baby! I've got you and I'm not letting go."
A few rows down, Bo watched them embrace, and then forced his headset back on. He closed his eyes and turned the volume up while pushing his chair back. He opened his eyes a moment and looked towards the empty seat next to him. It made him think of Hope and how much he missed her already. The flight was only halfway through and all he could think of was how much he missed his wife.
Emerging from customs and waiting by the luggage carousel for their bags, Steve, with his arm around her waist, held Kayla close to him while keeping a watchful eye on his daughter. Bo was gathering their bags and carrying them back to their waiting group. Benji stood next to Stephanie, guarding her from any dangers that his father may have created. Looking around at the crowds, he carefully let his glance fall and shift through the dark haired locals and newly arrived tourists. Any exuberant smile or dejected frown could be hiding an enemy. He was taking no chances and considered anyone a potential threat.
Finally retrieving the last bag, Bo joined them and as they made their way out of arrivals and into the waiting area for greeting passengers. Steve and Kayla walked hand in hand in front, as Stephanie was flanked by her uncle on her left and Benji on her right. They went to the car rental counter to pick up the car Steve had reserved and after paying a deposit, were finally able to exit the airport. The air was chilly and cold as they reached the parking lot for rental cars. The clouds above were dark gray and hinted of an approaching storm. A cautious looked passes between Steve and Bo as they drove out of the parking lot following Benji's directions. So far, it had all been so easy.
There wasn’t much to do that night but check in, have a little dinner, then take an early rest. They were all rather tired after the long flight. Benji took the room across and had already unpacked his things. He did a quick check of the room, noting any peculiar items and found everything to be standard and ordinary. Bo was currently using the bathroom in the double room on their right. He had taken the bed nearest to the door and had his toiletries scattered on top. After freshening up, he tried the phone, speaking to the hotel operator and asked to make a long distance call to the U.S. The phone at his house rang several times before the answering machine kicked in. Checking his watch, he noted the time and realized it was still early morning in Salem. Hope wouldn’t be at home so he would have to try again later than night.
Kayla and Stephanie had a two, room suite with a separate living room area. Benji’s room faced them across the hall and Bo’s room was on their right. Steve had a roll away bed placed in the living room for himself. He knocked on Kayla’s bedroom door and inside, he found her hanging clothes in the closet.
“Is the room okay?”
“Perfect. But you know, I can share with Stephanie so you could get the other room instead of sleeping outside.”
“No. It’s fine the way it is.” He nodded at her. Standing quiet a moment, he looked around the room, smiling. “Think I could use the bathroom to freshen up?”
“Yes, of course! It’s right over there.”
He walked across and closed the door behind him. Kayla ran her hand through her hair and sat down at the bed. She sat there a few minutes staring quietly into space, all the while listening to the noises from the bathroom. When she heard him at the door, she stood up again and taking her suitcase, placed it by the corner wall.
He smiled at her as soon as he emerged. “Well if you’re all unpacked, we should get something to eat so we can turn in early.”
“All right. Hopefully Stephanie’s finished too.”
“After you.” He motioned to her as Kayla reached for her purse and lead the way out of the bedroom. Stephanie had been waiting in the living room and raised her eyebrows as her parents joined her. She glanced quickly to the rollaway bed and back to her father, but his expression remained guarded. She had hoped they would be sharing the same room, but the small bed dashed her hopes. There was a knock on the door as Steve went to answer it. Both Bo and Benji were waiting for them as they all left to have dinner downstairs in the hotel restaurant.
They didn’t need an appointment. Apparently news of the change in ownership had already been circulated and no one was surprised when Mr. Steve Johnson arrived to speak with President Giunta of Brymera. Mr Giunta was impeccably dressed and groomed in what must have been a seven, hundred dollar suit. Steve and Bo immediately felt underdressed beside the man. But casting their discomfort aside, having Benji beside them only solidified Steve’s position as the new power in charge of the company.
Mr. Giunta graciously welcomed them in his private office and immediately ordered coffee and pastries for their refreshments. Stephanie was overwhelmed but the richness and grandeur of the room, but Kayla smiled demurely at their host and sat somewhat uneasily at the chair he offered her. Unsure of what his guests required of him, he offered a guided tour of the main head office for their perusal, but the suggestion, though pleasing, was politely turned down. They would prefer to see the records and original documentations from when the company was first formed.
Being so little acquainted with the history of Brymera, it would be in their best interest if Steve and Benji were more familiar with the company’s background and previous owners. With full understanding and an eagerness to ingratiate himself with the new owner, Mr. Giunta called to have the Archive room made ready for them. It was located two floors down and while they partook of the freshly made coffee and sweets brought in, the Archive room and it’s attendants would be ready to welcome them at their leisure.
The walls were richly paneled and many portraits of past company presidents were hung between the bookshelves. For a moment, it reminded Steve of Portia’s library and with that remembrance, a quick pain followed. He tried not thinking of her death and pushed away at the dark memory of their meeting. The room’s curator approached him and asked in polite and grammatically correct English how he could be of help to them.
“I would like to see any papers or documents that show the original agreement between the founders on the formation of the company. Do you have any of that here?”
“Yes. We have the original contract and an English translation of it.” He turned to his assistant and spoke to him in Italian then asked that Steve take a seat at the table as the papers were brought out to him. Stephanie had already seated herself and Kayla joined her, sitting across the table.
The original document was in a rosewood box with a glass covering. It was written on vellum paper and had begun to yellow around the edges. The writing was elegant and quite legible due to its preservation. The copies in English were removed from a folder and placed on the table in front of Steve. The curator and his assistant then excused themselves and exited out the main room to their prospective offices just by the main entrance.
The original contract was simply stated and straightforward. As Fiona’s husband, Renato DiMera can claim, as her rightful legal spouse, the dowry she brought in their marriage as his own, and use said monies to fund the newly established export company, Bymera. (The name Brymera, which was an amalgam of the family names of Brady and DiMera). Any and all profits, riches, monetary gains from their joint venture will be equally shared between husband and wife as the main beneficiaries of the company. This contract would be considered null and void if just cause is shown that illegal or false representation was made by either parties, Renato DiMera or Fiona Brady. In which case, all monies, profits, gains will and can only be claimed by the legally legitimate owner.
Kayla spoke up first at the extreme oddity of the wording. “I’ve never heard of a contract written up like that before.”
“Maybe it was a common practice then?” Stephanie offered.
“Maybe! Or maybe it just shows just how crazy the DiMera’s really were.” Bo took a seat and looked at the original document again. “ It’s just a translation. You think it could be off?”
“No. No I don’t think they would make a mistake on something like that.” Steve answered. “Well, it still doesn’t help us. Renato was a widower and he was married to Fiona. So there’s no problem with that.”
Kayla thought again about the unusual agreement. “His claims to the money and company were based on the fact that he was married to the only stockholder. You don’t think Fiona might have suspected something was wrong? It’s almost like a clause. That she could back out if someone proved there was something illegal involved.”
“Yeah. Anything is possible, but how would we find that out?” Steve asked her.
“I don’t know.”
Bo was still looking down at the original contract document. The only word he had made out so far was the city, Cozenza. He thought how everything seemed to have happened here in Cozenza. The company Brymera was located in Cozenza; The DiMera family home was located here. Steve was married here. “Steve? You said you had been here in Cozenza before?”
“It was back in 1979. Right before we ended up in Stockholm”
“So what happened then?”
“I met Marina and after a couple of weeks, we got married.”
Stephanie looked at her papa in surprise. She had heard about his first marriage, but to hear him talk about it so casually confused her. She realized he was young when it happened. But she always thought he had been more responsible than that. To go through a quick marriage to a virtual stranger, she didn’t think he would have done that.
“That’s it?” Bo asked him.
“There’s not much to tell. I met Marina in Venice. We started traveling around together and when we got here in Cozenza, we decided to get married. There was some church up in the hills that we visited. It was part of a monastery I think. So we talked with a priest there and he agreed to marry us. Afterwards, we spent the night in town and left the next day. I haven’t been back here since.”
Benji hadn’t said much the entire time they were there. He had stood behind Stephanie as Steve told them of his past. He wasn’t aware of the DiMera family history himself. Most of his life he lived with his maternal grandfather. The DiMera’s were strangers to him too.
“Come on, man? There must be something else. Think! Did you run into anyone? Did anything weird happen?”
“I remember we arrived around midday. We had lunch at some small place by the wharf. Marina said she wanted to go sightseeing after so we hitched a ride on some guy’s truck and he dropped us off at the monastery. We were there around an hour when she said we should get married , seeing it was such a romantic place for a wedding, so I agreed.” He looked at Kayla then and saw how his story affected her. He reached over and took her hands in his. “Sweetness. I was young and an idiot then. I did a lot of stupid things. I still do a lot of stupid things!” He forced himself to laugh.
She tried to laugh along with him, but there was still a little hurt that made its way inside.
He stopped laughing after a minute and looks at Kayla. A faint memory comes to him. “Wait a minute? There was… something?” He gets up and takes a few steps away, then turns back to face them. “It happened at the church.”
“Well?”
“After the ceremony, the priest went down below. He said he was going to enter our names in the registry. Then he told us that we would get two copies of the marriage license, so we would each have one. We must have waited… around twenty minutes or more, but he never came back. I wanted to go already, but Marina wandered off into the gardens. I remember… I remember telling her I was going to look for the priest and get the licenses so we could leave.”
He was standing by the table, his focuses at nothing in particular, trying to recall what happened next. “I know I went down the same hallway and found the stairs leading to the lower level. It actually crossed over at some point into the monastery. There were a lot of rooms there and I just started opening the doors to each one.” “I loked through… I don’t know four or five empty rooms when I heard someone talking. I walked in another room and they were two priests there. They didn’t notice me. One of them held some kind of small book and some papers. I can’t really recall what they were talking about, but there was one sentence just stuck out. It was the other priest who held the book and papers, I remember him saying, “If this story came out, the Signore and his family would lose everything.”
Steve sat back down at the table and placed his hand on the translations.
Kayla searched his face for more answers. “Did he mention a name, Steve?”
“No he didn’t. But they took that book and those papers and placed them in some hole in the wall and covered it back up with a stone. At the time, I was thinking it was something out of a movie. You know, secret hidden safe or something like that.”
“Didn’t they see you?”
“You mean the priests? Oh yeah, they saw me afterwards. I took a step towards them, and banged up against some candleholder. They were really angry seeing me there. One of them asked how long I had been there and when I said a couple of minutes, he looked even more upset. I tried telling them I was just looking for the priest who was suppose to give me copies of my marriage license.” “They pretty much told me to go back upstairs and wait there. I wasn’t supposed to be down there.”
“Did anything else happen?” Kayla questioned him again.
“That was it. By the time I got back upstairs, Marina was waiting for me. She said she had the copies and we that we could go.”
“Do you think it means anything Bo?” Kayla turned to her brother. He was thinking hard about Steve’s story. He heard something he shouldn’t have. He saw something he shouldn’t have. The thoughts went over and over again in his mind. He saw something… the book and papers… where they were hidden…?
“Steve? Do you think you can find that church again?”
“Yeah! I can. The church was called the Vine of Sorrows. I'm sure we can ask at the hotel and get directions there.”
Benji motioned to Steve just then. He told them the church and monastery were about a half hour drive from the city. They could go there right now.
“Benji? Have you been to that church?” Kayla asked him.
He signed back to her. “It’s where the DiMera family crypt is.”
No one was really hungry, but Kayla insisted they have lunch before going there. Stephanie was unusually quiet and stole glances at Steve throughout lunch. Bo surmised that the book and papers must be important, or why else would they have hidden them. Steve had watched Kayla when he told them the story. He knew it hurt her, having to hear about his past with Marina. But the woman was dead and gone. She couldn’t harm them anymore, not unless they let her.
The drive up to the hillside was breathtaking. Majestic homes sprouted throughout as their car wove in and around the winding road. Entering the small private road, they passed the monastery gates and parked just outside the stonewall. The sound of the gravel crunched beneath their shoes as they passed under bare rose bushes and into the church courtyard. Looking around to get his bearings, Steve pointed to the pathway by the gate. The others walked wordlessly behind them as he led them down a small staircase and they emerged at the church’s lower levels moments later.
“I think it was down this way.” He pointed to his left and walked slowly down the long, dark corridor. “Yeah, this is the way.” He tells them. Stopping in front of a plain wooden door, the others gather around him. He eyes this door and the one next to it, before deciding this was the room. “Well, I hope the door’s not locked.” He said aloud and turned at the handle. When the door opened for them, Bo stopped him before he could enter.
“Look, we’ll stay out here and keep watch. Just find that hidden safe and get back out here as soon as you can. Okay?”
“Right!”
“Kay, go ahead inside. The three of us will be fine out here.”
Steve took his wife’s hand and entered the room. There were small tables all along the walls and a larger wooden one in the center. There was very little light and most of the room was covered in shadows. A Statue was anchored along one corner and a large portrait of a saint hung on the wall in front of them. There was a lingering scent of candles along with a slight odor of mildew. Steve stood by the alcove, trying to remember where the hidden hole was.
Kayla came up to him and gently touched his arm. He glanced briefly down at her and gave her a quick smile before returning his focus on the stone wall. Taking a step forward, he started to pull at one of the stones. It gave way almost immediately as he lifted it and placed it down on the nearest table. Inside was a small dark hole. Reaching in slowly, he felt himself touch a box and grasping it, he pulled it back out. He handed the box to Kayla, before returning the stone back in place. Kayla started for the door, but Steve pulled back on her arm.
“I want to see what’s inside, Kayla.” He told her as he took the box from her hands and placed it on the table at the room’s center. Lifting the cover off, he saw a small book inside, the fragile binding barely holding together its pages. Folded next to it were three pieces of paper. Slowly and carefully Kayla unfolded each one as they read what was written.
The first was the marriage license between Renato DiMera and Donatella Lidi, dated June 10, 1888. The second was the marriage license between Renato DiMera and Fiona Brady, dated January 6, 1893. The third paper was a death certificate for Donatella DiMera, dated August 30, 1962.
“Steve! Donatella was still alive when he married Fiona! Their marriage was invalid!. Kayla looked at her husband. She couldn't help it. She immediately thought of Marina. Seeing the same shadows cross Steve's face, she knew he has the same thoughts. "That meant that Renato had no claims to her dowry. That clause in the contract, she must have known or suspected something. Somehow Fiona knew. Renato had no claims to the company or any of the profits. He couldn’t claim any of the money!”
“No, he couldn’t!” Steve said. “And if he couldn’t claim it, neither could his son with Donatella or his grandson, Stefano DiMera.”
Fallen
into Shadows
Part 13.
Kingdoms rise and Kingdoms fall.
The tapping against the table was starting to get on Kayla's nerves. Stephanie found it irritating too. Steve wasn't as polite about it as his wife and daughter. He had been pacing back and forth in the room, watching Benji at the table. Kayla had tried to get him to sit down and relax, but he was too anxious just now. "Bo!" He yelled out. "Quit making that noise. You're driving me crazy!"
"All right! All right! Man, what a grouch!" Bo grabbed a pillow and thrust it back behind his head as he placed his feet on the coffee table earning him a glare from his sister.
Benji had the diary on the table and was carefully translating it. He told then he had learned some Italian at the request of his father. After his grandfather Orion died, his father had sent for him. It had been close to twelve years since he last saw Stefano, but he felt he owed him something. It was the first time he came to Cozenza. His father's men had shown him around Brymera and brought him to the family crypt at the Vines of Sorrow church. They expected him to pay his respects to his ancestors before they brought him to the family home. Stefano told him he had been given his shares of the company stocks. If anything were to happen to Stefano, he would split the stocks Stephano owned with his sister Lexie.
Benji told him he didn't care at all about the stocks and his siblings could have all of it, but Stefano was adamant. Whether he wanted them or not, they were placed in his name and he would be in charge when his father died. Benji loathed the time he spent at the DiMera home, but his stay was short-lived. His father was sending him to England to study. At the most, he would be required to come home one month each year to Cozenza. The rest of his free time, he could spend anywhere he liked. As the years went on, his visits with his father grew less repulsive, but he still did not look forward with pleasure to any of them. He knew he was being groomed to take over.
Leaning back in the chair, he signed to Steve that he was finished. The diary belonged to father Adelfo. He had been the DiMera family priest and had presided over many of the family's weddings, baptisms and funerals for sixty years. His diary gave mention his duties and of various functions, but it was the entries regarding Donatella that interested them. From what father Adelfo had written, Donatella DiMera was said to have been mad. Her unnatural tendencies grew more apparent after the birth of her only child. Many times, her child's life was in danger when she tried unsuccessfully to kill him. Fearing for his family, Renato sent her away and placed two trusted servants to watch and care for her in a house bordering the DiMera land. He begged father Adelfo to secrecy about her banishment and held a mock funeral for her. When Renato returned with a new bride, father Adelfo refused to marry them and another priest was called to perform the ceremony.
Fiona question him regarding his negative reaction to her marriage, but he only answered that Mrs. DiMera would not approve. For years father Adelfo kept the DiMera family secret. When Donatella finally died, he asked the doctor who tended her to give him a copy of her death certificate. Whether the family knew or not of his request, was never known. On his own deathbed, he confessed to his fellow priests about the deception that had torn away at him for years. As proof of his guilt, he gave them his diary and copies of the documents that would prove his story true.
Bo spoke up first and said out loud what they all knew had been the reason for Steve's false death and memory loss. Had this had been known; Stefano would have lost all claims to the family fortune. His share of company stocks for Brymera was at thirty percent. It was a fortune of over seven hundred million dollars. Was the threat of that loss equal to a man's life? For some men, the temptation, the greed was too much to overlook. It was too great a loss to bear and compared to the millions of dollars at stake, the loss of a single life was a small price to pay for silence.
Fiona's son Boccia was the legal heir and through him, his daughter Portia and her child. The question of how much of the Brady fortune was used also brought forth the notion that Francis and his heirs would also be entitled to Brymera stocks. If a part of his inheritance was stolen and used, then he would also be legally entitled to a share. The explanation of the feud between the Brady and DiMera's was finally known. As Shawn had said to them not too long ago, it was simple, unadulterated greed and they wanted no part of it. It sickened all of them.
Bo had returned straight to his room after dinner. He mentioning trying to call Hope and letting her know what had happened so far. The suggestion had been made that perhaps they should stay at John’s villa rather than remain at the hotel. Stefano would know they were there. Even if Benji was with them, there was still a chance he would attempt something. In the end, they held their ground and chose to stay. Steve told Stephanie to get some rest. She seemed tired and was quiet the last couple of hours. He was a little worried by her subdued behavior. Kayla carefully watched him from across the room as he gave his daughter a hug and she returned to her bedroom. He signed to Benji to stay a moment.
Whatever Stefano may or may not have done, in no way did Steve blame Benji. They both had been cursed with evil men for fathers and if he would fault Benji for having bad blood in him, then he would also have to accept the same about himself. Kayla had remained in the room rather than retiring. He finally asked her to give them a moment alone and reluctantly she left and entered her bedroom. As he watched her go, he felt at his jeans pocket for the small round circle. When they returned earlier, he had removed the chain from his neck and placed the ring in his pocket. As he stood there and felt the ring pressing against his fingers, he knew he had to go through with his plan. Benji was waiting for him as he motioned the young man towards him.
“Benjamin?” He started signing to him and took deep breaths as his gaze was on the younger man’s troubled face. “I’m sorry you had to learn about this. I’m sorry you had to get involved in this.”
“No. Don’t be sorry. I want to help you.”
“You’ve helped. You’ve helped more than you know. Thank you for being Stephanie’s friend. Thank you for being my friend.”
“And Kayla’s!” He signed back smiling.
“Yes, and Kayla’s. But I need to ask something more of you. I need to ask you to bring me to your father. Will you take me to him?”
Benji started to shake his head at him. “He’s not happy now… It’s not a good idea…I should meet with him first.”
“Benjamin. What’s happened is between your father and me. I have to resolve this. I have to meet with him. Do you understand?”
“What about Kayla?”
“No! She won’t go with me. I want her and Stephanie to stay here. Bo will be with them. It will just be me.”
Steve saw the worry dot across the younger man’s brow. He was thinking of what could go wrong. Without Bo there to back him up, Stefano could do anything to him. Benji looked at to him again. He was scared this time. He told Steve his father had grown desperate.
“He’s… he’s sent many men after you.”
“Benji…? I’ve got to end this. I have to do this for me, for Kayla, for Stephanie! I’m asking you… help me. Help me!”
Benji casts his gaze down and away. After a moment’s reflection, he nods at him, as Steve pulls the man into his arms and hugs him tight. When Benji pulls away, Steve gives him a playful slap on the cheek, but Benji cannot return his good humor. Kayla opens the door just then and sees them by the window. Benji looks over at her and signs good night before leaving the room. She looks over to her husband as his back is turned from her and he stares out the window into the darkness. She takes slow steps towards him and stopping just a hair’s fraction a way before wrapping her arms around his waist.
They stand quiet and motionless for a minute. Kayla’s eyes are closed as her cheek is pressed up against his back. He takes several deep breaths and feels her stir behind him. Slowly and carefully he turns to face her as she leans into his embrace and her arms go around his neck. He strokes her hair, his fingers gently lifting the strands as they fall across the palm of his hand. He moves his hand to her cheek and softly cups her face. The tears are already in her eyes and he moves a finger to catch the first one that falls. She tries to force a smile, but is comes as a tremble and she pulls him into her arms. Outside the moon hangs high and cast an eerie glow on Steve’s face. He sees the shadows just waiting near them and he shifts in his stance gently easing Kayla to stand before him.
“Sweetness? I’m going to meet with Stefano tomorrow. Benji will take me to his father.”
“I’m going with you.” He shakes his head at her. “Steve! I’m going…”
“No! No, this is between him and me. You’re staying here with Stephanie.”
“Steve! I can’t lose you again!”
“You’re not going to, Baby!” He holds her face and gives her a gentle kiss. “Just wait for me. Wait here and cause I’ll be coming back. I’ll be coming home to you. I promise.”
“I love you.”
Instead of answering her, he shows her his reply as he pulls her towards him and kisses her deeply. She locks her arms around his neck to keep him from leaving her. His arms falls down around her shoulders and grasps at her waist as he lifts her into his arms and they head for the bedroom door. The sound of the door slamming shut awakens Stephanie. Timidly she looks out her room and sees the light left on in the living room. As she goes to close it, she hears the voices from her mother’s room. Not technically eavesdropping, she knows she has heard her father’s voice. Glancing once at the rollaway bed in the corner, she walks softly back to her room and closes her bedroom door. Lying in bed, she thinks about her parents in the other bedroom “It’s about time.” She says aloud before closing her eyes to sleep.
With the early sunlight casting soft shadows across their bed, Steve looks down at his wife and gently caresses her face. She stirs slowly and subconsciously moves herself deeper within his embrace. He places soft kisses on her cheeks as a smile forms on her lips and she turns around and pushes herself towards him. Her eyes stay half open a few seconds longer as she shrugs off the last tendrils of sleep. She glances up at him as she places her hand upon his jaw and strokes away at his whiskers. He feels tickled by her action and he holds her hand still as he captures her gaze. Their lips meet together and they bury themselves under the covers as the sun creeps further into the room. The rustle of sheets and the squeak of the bed springs echo in their bedroom. The air around them is chilled as the heaters turn on. Little sharp pops and crackles are heard from the vent as the room slowly begins to warm and chase away the cold. Blind and deaf to it all, Steve's attention is only on his wife as they make love again beneath the covers.
Pulling at his patch again, Steve adjusts it over his eye then reaches for his jacket and stands up from the chair. Kayla watched him from as he walks over to her and sits down, facing her on the bed. Her hand reaches over to touch his patch too, then strokes down his face stopping just by his mouth. He cups her hand in his and kisses her palm before she pulls her hand down. He looks at her and smiles, forcing her to do the same. Much slower, her smile emerges as she laces her fingers through his and they let several more seconds pass. For a second, her fingers trace his empty ring finger and he looks back at her, a question stopped on his lips.
She sees the quick change and returns a look of concern. Steve reaches into his pocket and pulls the small golden band, holding it before her. “Portia... she kept this safe for me.“ He tells her, as the tears grow large and fat within her eyes. “I’ve been waiting a long time to wear it again. I just need to have it placed by on my finger.” He looks deep into her eyes and asks her. “Kayla, would you help me put it back on?”
She pulls him towards her and gives him several kisses first. Then, taking the ring, she holds his left hand in hers and slides his wedding band back to where it belongs. Before she lets him go, she places a kiss there and then on his lips. Steve stands and looks back down at her. “Take care of our girl, Sweetness. I’ll be coming home soon to the two of you.”
She nods at him as he turns and walks out the room. “I’ll be waiting.” She whispers to herself. “I’ll be waiting.”
Benji directed him to cross the stone bridge and pass the orchards before they would reach the private road. The way was marked with countless grapevines and rustic stonewalls. The small cottage, near the entrance, was known long ago at the gatekeeper's lodge, but it had stood abandoned many years now. The iron gates rose high in the air as they passed through and drove down the main pathway to the house. Perched on the side of a small mountain, the house appeared to have been carved in part, from the rocks. It's architecture both complimented and contrasted against its surroundings. From its open veranda facing the sea, to the jagged walls of stone, it eluded a dark invitation that gave a sense of cautiousness rather than ease.
No servants greeted them as they arrived and entered the foyer. Benji motioned to Steve to follow him up the staircase and led him to the inner heart of the house. They passed several open rooms before stopping by the first closed doors. Benji gave Steve a hesitant look before turning the knob to open the door. He walked in first and stood to the side as Steve followed after him. Sitting in a chair near the open balcony sat Stefano. He sat staring straight at them as Steve approached and stood just before him. Benji followed and held his stance just to his right. Stefano had turned away, a disgusted look at his face, when his son remained standing in front of him.
There was an illness inside him and his physical weakness betrayed the strong will that still controlled his mind and senses. He looked first to his enemy, then to his son, giving them both his contempt and displeasure. "Leave us!" He signed to Benji, as he dismissed him with a casual glance. Benji looked instead to Steve, who nodded at him. He gave the young man a brief assuring smile before he left the room to wait outside. He caught a movement to his side and saw Stefano move slightly towards him. It was only then that he noticed Stefano was sitting in a wheel chair.
"My son is intelligent, but very foolish. An undesirable combination to have. It only makes him weak."
"Perhaps you should focus on his compassion instead!"
"Compassion?" Stefano questioned him. "Do you think my son is compassionate because he helps you?"
"No. But because he made the choice to. You still don't know who he is. You still don't understand him."
"He is a DiMera! He knows exactly who he is!"
"He may share your blood, but he's not you." Steve took a step closer and stopped.
Stefano smiled at him then. He drew his hands together and laced his fingers in front of him. The sudden change in his countenance threw Steve a little off balance as Stefano continued smiling at him. "I underestimated you Mr. Johnson. I didn't think you would ever return, but here you are."
"Well, that's what happens when you make mistakes."
"Whatever mistakes were made have been dealt with, as you well know." He turned his face to the sea just then and took a deep breath. "Portia! She was foolish too. Such a pity, for I truly did love her."
"Don't you speak of her, you pig!"
"You forget! She's my family, not yours."
"Oh! I haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten that you killed her in cold blood!
"No. It wasn't murder." He had a twisted smile on his face then. "She let me kill her." He reached at a control box on the armrest and his chair moved slightly to the left, allowing him a wider view of the sea beyond the balcony. "And those two foolish men of the cloth. They thought they could betray me too. If they had only acted with their minds instead of their hearts..." He chuckled. "Tell me Mr. Johnson, who were the greater fools? The ones who died, or the one who still lives and thrives?"
Steve watched him carefully. Stefano was well known for his mind games. What he relished was power, control. The more he could control a situation, the more powerful it made him. "I know what you're doing. You think you can scare me into thinking you're still in control, but you're not. You haven't been able to do anything since Portia helped me. She was able to defy you and you can't do anything about it."
“Ah! But my actions have brought you here to me. Tell me? Have you understood why it was, that she left you the stocks and not Roman or Shawn?”
He had asked himself that question many times. Was it because of Benji? Or was it retribution for being Stefano’s victim? “It’s because you took my memories from me. Because I was the other witness and could expose your family secret.” He had answered.
“Yes. “ He admitted. “That is part of the reason. But the rest? Think! It’s not that hard! Why you and not Roman, Kayla, Kimberly, Shawn or… Stephanie?”
Kayla? Stephanie? He thought, you’d have to kill me first before I’d let you get near them! Roman? Shawn? Kayla? But not Bo? Why?…Because he’s not true Brady. Neither is Caroline. She only married into the family. And neither was he! He wasn’t a Brady by blood! Only family can inherit… that’s what Torrance said… only family… only blood relatives are suppose to inherit. That why it was only Benji and Lexie who would get Stefano’s stocks. Peter, Kristen, and Tony couldn't because they were all adopted.
Portia left Steve the shares because she knew it would truly anger Stefano. “Portia was Stefano’s family, not his” Stefano just said that. There were only five of them that controlled the company now! Torrance had told him … the old master was ill but his son, or Portia’s heir would take control. Before she died, Portia, her child, Stefano, Benji, and Lexie controlled the company. The others couldn’t. They didn’t have the right. He didn’t have the right! That’s what made Stefano so angry! He was an outsider but he controlled everything.
Family was always important to Stefano. It was the base of his power, knowing his children were many, they would help him take over. But two had already been killed and now Benji had shunned him. Steve didn’t know about Lexie. Without them, he had no one to turn to for help. He was all alone in this and face to face with a man who could take everything away from him.
He looked back at Stefano and saw the weakness behind the mask he wore. The false sense of power he weaved around himself was a sham. The man had no one. He stood alone with his riches and it made him all the more empty and pitiable.
“Well! Mr. Johnson?”
“You just said it yourself. Portia was family. I’m not.”
He smiled hugely back at Steve. “Very good! But then again, it really wasn’t that hard to figure out. It’s a shame I’ll have to kill you. You would have made an exemplary opponent. I haven’t been challenged so well in many years. You should have returned sooner. To think of all the years I could have sparred with you. So much time wasted.”
His heart was beating fast and hard. The hatred and anger simmered just below the surface as his looked down at the man who had taken so much of his life. If he had a gun, he would have surely killed him at that moment. It took every ounce of strength in him not to reach over and kill Stefano with his bare hands.
“Mr. Johnson? I think I hit a sore spot!” He replied jovially. “How remiss of me to forget, you had no choice these past sixteen years. Without your memory, you couldn’t have come back.”
“Shut your mouth! “ He screamed at him. “I… I could ki…”
“You could kill me? Why blame me? Stefano looked back at him innocently. “ It was fate that brought you to this point, not I. Fate placed you in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when you came back here in 1989, it sealed your destiny. That’s what started it again.” Stefano touched the controls and started moving his chair further into the room, stopping just by a table near the fireplace. “Those two priests, they kept quiet for so long… If only they stayed that way and let the secret be buried with them, none of this would have been necessary. But they spotted you when you returned here and foolishly, they decided to give you the diary and papers for safe keeping.” “I don’t relish killing men of the cloth, but what choice did I have. All this, everything I had would have been taken from me. What could I leave to my children? Benji and Lexie would have nothing. And you… you were just one man. One life sacrificed to keep things as they were. There really was no choice.”
Stefano smiled back at him as Steve turned away from him. He walked quickly to the open balcony and took several deep breaths. He anger had filled him completely. That’s what Stefano wanted, for him to lose control. Taking more deep breaths, he tried to let the hatred ease out of him, but it clung on and held tight. With his hand gripping the stone banister, he glanced briefly out into the vast ocean, counting the seconds away. He needed something to bring him back, or his temper would take control. The sun was high above him now and he felt the heat touch his head and hands. Just then the gold band glowed and he looked down at it.
He walked back into the room and stood before Stefano. The man smiled up at him again as Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out the papers of his Brymera stocks. He watched as Stefano’s eyes fell on them, and the first crack in his armor chipped away. Simple unadulterated greed! He knew he had his weapon against him now.
Without warning, he threw the papers in Stefano’s face as the older man scrambled to catch them. For Stefano, they represented the wealth, the poison that ate away at his heart and fed him years of distrust, jealousy, and fear. Steve looked dispassionately at them as they struck Stefano’s face. It was just paper, nothing less and nothing more. They meant as much to him as a pebble on the ground.
Stefano held them reverently in his hands. “Perhaps I was wrong about you. You’ve just given me the only leverage you had.”
But Steve struck at him and the papers fell to the ground. He grabbed Stefano by the arms and half lifted him off the wheelchair. “You want these stocks? This is what you’ve wanted all along, right?” He shook him hard. “ Take them! Go on take them. I don’t give a damn about them! And I don’t give a damn about you. I hope you rot in hell for what you’ve done.”
They faced each other as Stefano pulled hard at Steve’s hands. Each looked at the other with hatred and loathing. Steve saw the physical pain in Stefano’s eyes as the color of his complexion turned a shade paler. Sweat was forming on his brow and he could see that the older man suffered great physical pain. He released his hold on him as Stefano fell back in the chair and tried to right himself. But Steve stayed menacingly close, and for a moment, the threat of his attack pushed at the old man’s will.
“You wanted those stocks? Fine I’ll sign them over to you right now. But I want something back. I want you to return what you stole from me.” He grabbed at him again and squeezed his arms hard as he felt the slight tremble of his enemy. “Are you listening to me? I want the sixteen years you stole from me. I want you to give it back! I want it BACK!” He screamed at him.
“You’re insane!” He struggled against him, but Steve held on.
“I want every single birthday my daughter had. I want every Christmas, every New Years, every damn Easter I missed. I want the day she learned how to walk. I want the first day she started school and the first time she fell and hurt her knees. You give them to me! THEY’RE MINE AND I WANT THEM!” He felt his tears fall.. He knew he shouldn’t let them. He had to stay strong, but the tears came. They came pouring out of him as he shook Stefano.
“You give them to me. You give me the nights I should have sang her to sleep. The nights she woke up from bad dreams and I wasn’t there to hold her in my arms and comfort her. I want her childhood back."
“Give me all the days I should have had with my family. Give me all the missed anniversaries with my wife. Give me every second I could have spent holding her in my arms! DO YOU HEAR ME! I WANT THOSE YEARS BACK!
I WANT TO LIVE EVERY SINGLE MOMENT I LOST WITH KAYLA. I WANT THE CHANCES YOU STOLE TO TELL HER I ALWAYS LOVED HER. I LOVED HER! YOU DO THIS! YOU GIVE IT BACK TO ME!”
He was mad then. As mad and crazy as Donatella had been. Stefano looked back at him with such hatred and anger and but he didn’t care. “I’ll give you the stocks and you give me back my life." His voice had darkened as the words had come out. "Well? WELL? ANSWER ME!”
A harsh silence filled the air. For a few moments, only the soft sounds of the waves hitting against the rocks below could be heard. Steve pushed himself away, as he stood and took several steps backwards. Stefano slumped forward in his chair, his breathing harsh and labored. He started to rub at his arms, soothing the bruises that Steve inflicted upon him. He was an old man now. The years had slowy eaten away at his strength and he felt small and weak in comparison. The papers were scattered on the floor . He looked at them, then at Steve, as the hatred in his eyes still glowed steady and strong within him.
Steve followed his gaze and started to pick them up from the floor. When he had all three sheets in his hand, he crumbled them into a ball and threw it at the balcony where it landed just inside the doorway. The soft sea breeze blew at it from various angles and the crumbled ball moved in short, broken circles on the floor. He looked at Stefano and saw only an old man. The monster who had ordered his near death years ago was long gone. What was left was a dark soul kept alive only by greed and hate. He knew then he didn't have to kill him. Stefano had already done that to himself.
He walked up to him again as Stefano sat back in his chair and looked defiantly up at him. The tears had dried on Steve's face. For a brief moment, he thought of Marcus, but this time, his friend just stood, alive and well in his mind. The blood, the cuts, the pain was gone from him. He smiled once, then faded away.
"You tried to kill me a long time ago, but failed. You tried to keep from me from my family, but I came back home. And now, I've given you the fortune you have killed innocent lives for, but I'm the one who has come out the winner. I have what I've always wanted. My family is with me. They are all I have ever wanted in this world and I have them." He looks at the ball still being blown around on the floor. "Take your fortune. Live it, breath it in. In the end, it's all you'll have when death claims you. Maybe you'll realize then, it was never worth much."
Steve looks at him once more, before turning and walking towards the door. Stefano pulls the gun hidden beneath his chair then and takes careful aim. But as he tried to stand, the sharp pain rushes through his arm and into his heart and the shot moved and shatters at the far wall. He had just opened the door and saw Benji waiting outside when the gun went off. He turned quickly to see Stefano fall, the gun slipping from his grasp as he writhes in pain on the floor. Benji enters the room and sees his father lying helpless. He walks over to him and carefully picks up the gun, placing it on top of the table. His father turns towards him, a plea of help in his eyes, as he clutches at his heart
"Benjamin? Help me... help..." The words end on a whisper.
Benji looks at Steve as he comes back to the young man's side. But Benji stops him before he can reach Stefano.
"It's okay." He signs to him. "I will take care of my father now. It's time you went home!" His sad eyes reach out to him and push him to go.
"Benji... let me stay and help you...?"
"No! Go home Steve! It's time for you to go home!"
Searching within his blue eyes, Steve finds the man's strength. He sees the same power and purpose that Portia revealed to him the last day he saw her. But in Benji, it was mingled with compassion. There was no need to worry about him. He grabs hold of his arms and nods to him. As the servants finally enter the room, Steve walks to the door and they let him pass. Benji had already called his father's men back to the house. There was nothing to stop Steve from going home.
Stephanie sat restless on the sofa. She looked to her mother and her uncle as each slow minute ticked loudly away on the mantle clock. Bo had paced up and down the room, the same way her father did just last night. Kayla stood silent and still by the windows. Her gaze was on the open sea, looking, searching, waiting for her husband to come home to them. Stephanie stood and went to her mother, giving her a hug as she laid her head against Kayla's shoulder. Bo was angry. He felt betrayed that Steve had gone off without telling him anything. There was no way he could go after him.Only a couple of hours had passed, but it felt like days to them as every noise heard outside their room made them all jump with worry.
The sound of the door knob being turned made Kayla catch her breath. Bo quickly walked to stand by the door, prepared for an intruder who would do them harm. When Steve entered the room, Stephanie was the first to run across the room and threw herself in her father's arms. She hugged him tight as he wrapped his arms around her and held secure and safe to him. After a moment he looked up and his eye sought Kayla's. He pulled at her from where she stood and she walked her way over to him throwing her arms around her daughter to reach him. For long moments, they stood embraced together until Stephanie eased herself from their grasp and Steve finally held Kayla as close to his heart as the heavens allowed. Stephanie stood by her parents, her face awashed in tears as Bo came up and puts his arms around her, a big tearful grin on face
With his head pressed against hers, Steve pulled his wife closer to him. Her soft sobs were muffled against his shoulder. He moved his face to hers and kissed her. Their lips met again and again as Kayla ran her fingers through his hair. Unmindful of their small audience, Steve continued to kiss his wife until the sound of Bo's laughter finally reached his ears and he reluctantly pulled away, but kept her in his arms. He looked to his brother-in-law who was smiling back at him, his eyes as full as tears as his own. He reached one hand out to him as Bo took hold. Their hands locked and grasped tight as his own smile grew large and wide on his face. When looked back at his wife, she pulled his face to her for another kiss.
"Welcome home Steve!" She whispered against lips. "I've been waiting for you."
Epilogue
Benji partly followed his father's wishes. The company stocks were distributed, but Benji shared them with all his siblings. Tony, Kristen Peter, and Lexie all received the same ten percent share. Though the next family meeting was scheduled for New Year's Day in 2007, he and his cousin had decided to split the remaining twenty four percent equally between them, but it would be Benji who ran the company, and his cousin would merely be a silent shareholder. The stocks that Steve held were signed over to all the Brady's. An attorney from Brymera was sent to complete the transfer. Steve's thirty three percent was now under the ownership of all Francis Brady's heirs. Whether any of the Brady's ever choose to accept their share was not immediately know, but it was there for them should they ever decide to claim it. Their view on the matter had not changed even after they learned of the transfer. They wanted no part of it and simply left it at that. With Portia's death, her child would also inherit her castle. But so far, Elliot Jules had not entered his mother's house. There were just too many ghosts there to haunt him.
A month had passed and Stephanie looked forward to her first race since coming home. The week following Thanksgiving, both her parents would be flying with her to Ohio. Max was also racing and Shawn was coming as part of his pit crew, but Steve was still wary about letting his baby girl go off without him. Kayla had worked several long shifts at the hospital to be able to get the four days off. Stephanie had spent the morning at the garage, teasing Max about their rematch. Any chance of romance between them had ended, but a friendly rivalry still existed and they playfully and mercilessly taunted each other the days leading up to the race. A few days before Thanksgiving, Bo and Hope stood waiting outside Steve and Kayla's house, arriving a few minutes early to pick them up for their lunch date.
Hope had rang the bell twice already but there was no answer. "You don't think they forgot?" She asked her husband as Bo peeked through the curtains and saw no one inside. Bo shook his head at her.
"I spoke to Steve yesterday to remind him."
Stephanie drove up just then and saw her aunt and uncle waiting outside. Giving them each a kiss on the cheek they asked about her parents. "Dad didn't say anything to me when I left this morning. Mom worked last night. Maybe she's still asleep?" She walked to the garage and saw her father's car parked inside. "Dad's car is there so they must be home."
She opened the door and let them in, as she placed her things on the sofa. Before anyone could say a word, the sound of running feet and giggling was heard above.
"Let me go!" A female voice rang out from the stairs as Kayla came running down wrapped in nothing but a blanket. The tail end was held and being pulled by Steve who was using a small part to cover himself. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they both stopped dead in their tracks as Stephanie, Hope, and Bo looked up at them in shock and surprise. Stephanie quickly turned her head away and covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh God! Dad! Mom! It's the middle of the day for christ's sake!"
Hope also placed her hand over her eyes but cast her glance downward. Bo looked directly at them and burst out laughing. Hope tried to get her husband to turn away, but he wouldn't budge and stood grinning at his sister and brother-in-law like an idiot.
"I think I'm going to be sick!" Stephanie blurted out as she practically ran into the kitchen to keep from viewing her parents embarrassing behavior.
Hope, with her eyes still covered, reminded them about their lunch date.
"Oh yeah!" Steve said calmly. Kayla was red a turnip and was trying unsuccessfully to go back up the stairs, but Steve held her close to him. "No problem! Just give us a few minutes to change."
Hope lowered her fingers to see Steve wink at her, before he grabbed Kayla and they walked backwards up the stairs and into their bedroom. After the door was shut, a masculine laugh was distinctly heard followed by a feminine giggle.
Bo sat down at the sofa and motioned for Hope to join him. He sat smiling at her as she slapped away at his arm. Checking her watch, she reached for her cell as she started dialing the number to Chez Rouge. She turned to her husband as the restaurant phone was ringing. "I guess I should let Maggie know we'll be a little late for lunch."
"Uh huh!" He said as he placed his feet up on the coffee table and got comfortable on the sofa.
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