Chapter Text
Do You Know Where You're Going To? by Rielle #6 in the Loyal Hearts series
Theme from Mahogany Lyrics:
(m. masser/g. goffin)
Do you know where youre going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Do you get
What youre hoping for
When you look behind you
Theres no open door
What are you hoping for?
Do you know...?
Once we were standing still in time
Chasing the fantasies
That filled our minds
You knew how I loved you
But my spirit was free
Laughin at the questions
That you once asked of me
Do you know where youre going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Now looking back at all weve planned
We let so many dreams
Just slip through our hands
Why must we wait so long
Before well see
How sad the answers
To those questions can be
Do you know where youre going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Do you get
What youre hoping for
When you look behind you
Theres no open door
What are you hoping for?
Do you know...?
Part 1
"Damn it, Sami, how can I calm down?" Lucas demanded, when he recieved Kate's letter, the day after her sudden departure. "The twins are teething, You're still not feeling great, Tony would like to take my head off, and Will won't talk to me at all because he thinks I made his grandmother disappear!"
"But you didn't." Sami pointed out. "Lucas, Kate's a grown woman. And a very resourceful one."
"So?" her frantic spouse asked.
"So, I'm not really sure why its a crisis if she needs to take some time for herself after Billie's wedding."
"Why, she didn't do this kind of thing after we got married?"
"Duh, earth-to-Lucas, there's more to marrying off a daughter than a son. I know you were at both weddings. You couldn't tell the difference?"
"Sure, this time Mike was the one sweating bullets." Lucas answered."Instead of me."
"And that was because the groom only has to get the rings, the honeymoon tickets and a tux. The bride needs a gown, a bouquet, a veil, something old, etc, and a trousseau just for starters. Then there's the cake, the reception, the meal, the garter, the ...Are you getting this down for when Tonia's turn comes around, little poppa?"
"Stop it, you're giving me waking nightmares!"
"So, maybe you're getting why Kate would be worn out and want some down time?"
"Without letting anyone know ahead of time? Sami, my Mom's a planner. In fact she can be downright methodical about planning ahead. Do you know what that tells me?"
"Umm, no."
"That she decided to leave town without telling anyone sometime in the past couple months. That's what. And I don't know why she had to be so ..."
"Careful of her privacy?" Sami asked, swallowing a laugh. "Usually I'd agree, Lucas. But I read Kate's letter, too, right after you dropped it on the rug and I rescued it from Timmy's fascination with scraps of paper. I dunno, maybe he's going to be a printer ... a writer?"
"He's going to be missing another grandparent if I don't find out what my mother is up to. And so will Tonia and Will and ...little whatshername."
Lucas said, gesturing at his very likely pregnant wife.
"Littlewhatshername Brady-Roberts? I like it, it's catchy ..." Sami laughed outright. "And I'd pay big bucks to see you take down Kate Roberts, General."
"Yeah, yeah, there was a time when you'd have been front row center for just that event." Lucas muttered. "Come to think of it, when did you two decide to call a cease fire?"
Sami gave a small, sad smile and reached for Lucas' hand. "When Dad got sick. All of a sudden I couldn't go on believing Kate didn't really love him. And when I talked with Dad before he ...before he died, I couldn't go on believing that he didn't love her with all his heart. He was ... He was going to propose." Twin tears streaked down Sami's face at the memory. "He said Kate and I only fought so hard because we're so much alike. And as much as I wanted to deny that, I couldn't. And then Dad told me that he loved us both more than anything or anyone in the world. He said he knew you would look after me and Will, but that he had no idea who would look after Kate. So, I promised that Billie and I would try the best we could."
"Yeah, well, you haven't know my Mom all your life. You don't know just how slippery she can be." Lucas complained. "Well, that was sweet of you to leave me and Phil out of it. And now.. yeah that's great but you've got 3, maybe 4 kids to look after, Sami and I .."
"Lucas, looking after a grown woman doesn't mean chaining her to the kitchen stove anymore. This is the twenty first century, not the first!"
"Well that's true, Samantha." Tony Dimera agreed, walking in on them, holding an envelope much like Lucas held in his right hand. "But in some cases, I'm beginning to think women's rights should be immediately repealed! Where has Katherine gone,please, if you don't mind telling the man who wants to marry her?"
"Tony, I don't know." Sami answered. "We get along okay these days, but we've never exactly been confidantes."
"And Billie is in the Far East somewhere, I believe, deliberately out of reach." Tony grumbled.
"I don't think Billie knows, either." Lucas said, forlornly. "Because she asked me to pick up her mail while they're gone. And Mom wrote her, too."
"And me, and John." Phillip offered, walking in with Kate's boss and Isabella.
"Well, now I feel even less well-regarded." Tony snapped. "Why, do you suppose Katherine felt it necessary to notify all of you, as well as her would be fiance?"
"So none of us would worry, needlessly?" Isabella suggested.
"Yeah, and that part of Mom's plan is working really well, right?" Phillip quipped.
"Has your father had any dealings with Kate recently, Phillip?" John asked.
"No, as a matter of fact he left for Greece before the ...wedding."
"Did he indeed?" Tony asked. "Now, there's a coincidence, if I believed in coincidences, that is. What was Victor's destination?"
"He was going to some of the islands he didn't visit last time, I think, and then some sites in Turkey, along the coast. But it doesn't make sense. Why would Mom ... They get along better now but ... They don't really like each other."
"Antony, my father bears no ill will to Kate." Isabella insisted.
"Victor Kiriakis is as secretive an old bull as my late father." Tony claimed, giving no sign that he believed her. "Give me your missives from Katherine, if you please, gentlemen. I'm going to have the handwriting verified, or not as being hers."
"ISA can help with that, brother." John offered.
"And as usual, let the news that Katherine is missing out to their whole network?" Tony asked. "I think not. When I learn something, you all will hear from me. Adio."