John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 63 - Good News Travels Last

Sami looked up from her book and sighed. She had an important paper to turn in at the end of the week, but it seemed to be taking forever to collect the research she needed. It wasn't that she found the work boring, on the contrary, she found the information that she was collecting interesting, it was just that she was so jumpy at the moment, she couldn't seem to settle for five minutes. It had been a few days since she had suffered any 'incidents', but her concentration was shot and her mind kept wandering from the book she was reading.

She put the book down on the table and cleared a space where she lay her head on her arms. She closed her eyes, letting the weariness wash over her. The lack of sleep wasn't helping matters any.

Her eyes snapped open as the phone rang. She breathed out, trying to ignore her thumping heart as she reached for the portable that was on the table next to her.

"Hello?"

"Sami?" The sound of the voice on the other end of the line induced a smile from Sami.

"Eric? Eric, where *are* you?"

"Hey Sis! How're you doing?" Sami could just picture his cheerful face with his sparkling blue eyes, and it made her miss him all the more. She had always been able to talk to Eric, he may not have always agreed with her, but he understood her, and she loved him for that.

"Eric, you didn't answer my question. I've been trying to get hold of you for *weeks*. I'm fine, now where are *you*?"

On the other end of the phone, Sami's blonde twin could hear the tension in her voice. She was lying, she wasn't fine, he knew her too well to believe her, but that could wait for the moment.

"I'm in Australia Sami, and I think I may be getting really close." There was real excitement in Eric's voice and a quiet determination that oddly reminded Sami of John.

"*Australia*?" Sami couldn't have been more surprised. "Eric, that's practically half a world away."

"I know," Eric grinned. "Perfect isn't it, if you think about it?"

"I suppose so," Sami shrugged, "when will you know?"

"It may be a few days yet," Eric stared at the diary in front of him. "I promise I'll let you know as soon as I have definite proof though."

"Okay," Sami nodded as she played with the pencil in front of her.

"Sami?" Eric frowned. He didn't know what he had expected from his sister, but it certainly hadn't been this non-reaction. "Sami, what's going on?" Sami didn't answer, just tapped the eraser end of the pencil on the table. "*Sami? *" Eric was starting to get concerned. When Sami didn't talk, it usually meant there was trouble brewing.

"Oh Eric, it's all such a mess," Sami pushed her chair away from the table and stood up.

"What's a mess, Sis?" Eric asked gently. Sami sucked in a breath

"Everything," she said as she exhaled. "Just everything."

She dropped into the sagging armchair and began to pick at the frayed fabric of the arm.

"Come on Sami, tell me what's going on," Eric knew that she wouldn't be able to resist telling him the truth for long. She never could. And he was right. With another deep breath, she launched into her laundry list of problems.

******

Belle climbed on John's lap as he sat heavily on the bench, overwhelmed with sudden fatigue.

"Daddy?", she nestled up against him, looking up at his closed eyes.

"Mmmm?" his reply was somewhere in between a response and a moan. It wasn't just that the children had spent the last four days wearing him out during the long days at Disneyworld and other associated thrills. Although, they certainly were doing that.