Where Do We Go From Here? – Melissa

The gloom seeped into the windows of the penthouse,

contaminating the moods of John and Marlena. Since they had

returned from the hellhole of the island, they had tried

desperately to get their lives back together. However, everything

wasn’t as easy going as everyone thought it was. Ever since

Marlena told him the truth, John had been doubting her with

everything she did. He was so repulsed that she would do such a

thing with Roman, but no matter the costs, he was going to fight

for his marriage. He loved her and that’s all that mattered.

John was walking down the stairs to get some paperwork that he

was working on after coming back from the island, when he

noticed Marlena sitting on the couch looking out the window.

She continued to stare out at the dark wall of clouds, even when

he called her name. As he walked closer, he noticed her face,

filled with pain and her cheeks stained with tears. ‘But why, why

would she be crying?’ he thought.

“Marlena, hey, I’m talking to you. Honey, whats the matter?” John

asked with concern.

“Do you have something to tell me John?” Marlena finally spoke,

her voice raspy.

‘Oh god, please don’t let her know,’ John thought.

“Hey, I’m taking to you. Do you hear me?” Marlena said with the

same tone he had earlier, as she looked up at him and stared into

his eyes for the first time.

“No, no. Why would you ask that? Is everything okay?”

“Just asking that’s all. No reason. Are you sure there is nothing?”

She Smirked.

“Yeah positive.”

“Hmmm I’m sorry, I’ve just been doing all this wondering, that’s all.

But I know deep down inside, you wouldn’t lie to me again. Now,

would you, John?” She gave a grin.

“Not a chance.” John swallowed hard.

He walked up to her, placing his finger under her chin. “ Do you

need anything before I go back upstairs?”

“Nope, I’m good.”

“Alright then, I’ll be back down in a bit.”

As John walked away, Marlena stopped him.

“John, there is one thing.”

John turned around. “What is it baby? Anything!”

“You could tell me why you lied to me again. Why you never told

me about you and Kate, and why I had TO FIND OUT FROM

HER!!!” Marlena said with a raised voice

“Tell ME JOHN!!!!! There is not a thing you could do now, but

TELL ME THE GODDAMN TRUTH!!!”

vThe penthouse had seemed to grow darker as the tension in the
room thickened. John stood still, unable to believe the situation
that was developing right before him. His face registered shock
and his heart began to sink, as Marlena stared at him with
coldness. He tried to speak, but words would not escape his
mouth. Afraid of what to say, or how to say it, he sighed deeply,
praying that this situation wouldn’t get out of control.

“What’s the problem, can’t you think of another lie?” She shouted,
her voice filled with sarcasm.

“Marlena… let me explain, there is a good explanation to why…”
John spoke quietly, only to be cut off.

“Oh I see. Well lets see, I didn’t say anything because I really didn’t
do anything, right…?”

“No… look let me explain…” John sighed.

“Go ahead then,” Marlena said as she rolled her eyes and backed
up a little bit.

“I was so deeply missing you… badly. I no longer was able to live
another day and Kate was there to comfort and support…”

“So that makes it okay to go and sleep with her. I don’t think so
John!”

“Let me finish please… And I didn’t sleep with her… I almost did,
but I stopped.”

“I would hardly call Bo walking in on you two as you stopping. You
stopped because you had no other choice but to. God forbid, if
he didn’t walk in on you… you would have done what you had to
do.”

“No thats not true. I would have stopped. But there is something
that you do need to know about what happened that night,” John
said quietly, as Marlena’s face dropped. “I envisioned you in Kate.”

“What!”

“I saw you, I smelled you, I felt you. I swear I thought it was you.”

“What do you think John? That I’m some kind of idiot? So both
times that you were with kate, you saw me. The truth is you didn’t
see me… you let your other head think, not the one that’s right
here!!” she yelled as she nudged his forehead.

John stood there quietly, unable to speak or react to what she
just said.

“So now, where do we go from here, John? Tell me?” Marlena
spoke quietly, as tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes. “You lied
to me yet again, after I told you that you can trust me. I am your
wife, the mother of your child, and you are still afraid to tell me
some things. Now, I am a little hurt that you did those things with
Kate, but I’m even more betrayed that you lied straight to my
face when I asked you point blank…” she whispered, unable to
control the emotions that were taking over.

She looked up at him. “I told you the truth about Roman…
inappropriate timing, but I did. And because I did, our marriage
began to have its rough moments, but I took the chance and told
you. Now all you can do is look me in my eyes and lie to me. Why
John, tell me why, why are you doing this to me?” Marlena
continued to cry uncontrollably, as her knees began to lose the
battle to remain strong.

John went to hold her, but she stepped back.

“Don’t touch me, not now, not ever again.”

John froze as he looked at her helplessly. “Marlena.”

“Please John… you hurt me once again. The last thing I want you
to do is touch me.”

“So what do you want me to do huh? Where do we go from here?
What’s going to happen to us?”

“You should have thought about that before you continued to lie
to me, cupcake,” Marlena said sarcastically. She took a deep
breath and looked into John’s eyes.

“I want you to go upstairs, pack your things, and leave. I don’t
want you here anymore.” John felt like a ton of bricks had fallen
on him, as she walked away towards the den, unable to see his
face filled with pain.

“Marlena… No… Please?”

“John, just go please…” she said, never turning around to look at
him.

John stared out the window, as tears fell down his cheeks. He
walked over to the piano and picked up a recent photo of him
and Marlena. He stared at it for a second, and then out of pure
rage, he threw the photo towards the balcony doors, shattering
the glass of the frame and doors. He shouted to himself,
despising the situation that had now become an issue. He ran
upstairs to gather his things, hitting the walls as he passed them.

In the other room, Marlena was cuddled into a ball on the couch,
crying her soul out, fighting with the notion of what would
happen to them from this point on, and how they would manage
without each otherThe house had become silent as the day grew into night, and

every minute damaged the fate of John and Marlena, which had

already taken a painful beating. John was upstairs throwing his

clothes in a suitcase, slamming drawers and closet doors, as he

punched the wall a few times. He cursed himself, regretting every

possible thing he should have thought twice about. After a few

minutes, he collapsed into a heap on the couch in the corner of

the room, and cried his eyes out until a single tear couldn’t be

shed. After all these years, it couldn’t be over… not them, and

certainly not like this.

In the den, Marlena stared at the TV blankly, blinded by the tears

in her eyes. Her body was limp, weak, and her face was swollen

with pain. She found an ounce of strength and stood up. She

needed to go, to get away somewhere, but where? She decided

that maybe she would slip into a hot tub of bubbles and let the

jets undo the knots that had begun to build up under her skin.

She slowly walked up the stairs, forgetting about the possibility

that John might be upstairs packing. As she walked to the door,

she slowly opened it to find John on the couch, hunched over

and crying. She took a deep breath and walked into the room,

planning to walk past him and lock herself in the bathroom. As

she passed the dresser, John looked up at her, his face drowning

in tears. She gasped as she fought the urge to go and hold him.

They looked into each others eyes as John got up from the

couch and walked to her, slowly and desperately. With one last

desperate plea, he reached for her hand and looked into her eyes.

“Please don’t do this Marlena, not this…”

Marlena’s tears began to fall as she spoke softly. “I’m not the one

who did this John. You lied to me and continued to. Do you

remember when we were on the island, and Tony had said that

you and Kate had done something. Do you remember that? You

told me he was lying when I asked you about it. You looked me in

the eye and swore that Tony made that up. So now I ask you,

why?”

“I’m not going to make excuses. I was so wrong for doing that and

trust me when I say if I could take it back I would. But at that

moment we were fighting to get off that island alive, and that was

my intention. I don’t think that it was the appropriate time to say

‘well let me explain… so and so’ Marlena…”

“Okay, so how about when we got back then? Shit John, we have

been back for about a month or so… so why haven’t you said

anything… You know what, I don’t even want to know about it….

just forget it… I don’t want to argue anymore. Please just leave,”

Marlena said, as her tears fell hard and her voice became broken

as her body shook from crying.

“Don’t walk away… please we can do this, we can work it out. I

know we can,” John said as he went and grabbed her arm.

Marlena turned around and looked at him desperately. “No we

can’t… before yes… but now… I… I… I don…”

John cut her off. “I love you Marlena. I didn’t cheat on you, I

never will…”

Marlena turned her face away, as she snatched her arm away

from him. “Please just leave me alone,” she said quietly, and

continued to walk to the bathroom.

In one quick second, John grabbed her and pinned her against

the wall, his mouth latching to hers in pure hope and desperation.

She kissed him back, feeling his tongue colliding with hers, as his

hands roamed her waist and hips. She felt herself giving in… she

wanted to, so badly needed to, but deep down inside, couldn’t.

Her body screamed pleasure, when her heart was pounding in

pain, sending her into a complete confusion. Suddenly the line

that separates what was right and wrong became a blur, as she

felt her husband’s hands move under her blouse. She continued

to kiss him back, with pent up tension, as she unbuttoned his

shirt. He pulled her closer to him, as he placed his hands on her

ass, grinding into her.

A few seconds later, Marlena was engulfed in the feeling of John

seducing her neck, when images of John and Kate doing the

exact same thing flooded her mind. She could almost picture

herself as Kate at that moment. She quickly became repulsed and

shoved John off her, covering herself and explaining that it

wasn’t right. John grabbed her, explaining that it wasn’t wrong

when the two of them love each other. It’s the only right thing.

She shoved him back once more and begged him to leave.

“We’ll regret it in the morning… at least I will, for being so

goddamn stupid. So John… please, please, please, just go and

leave me here. We can’t do this anymore, it won’t solve anything.

We’ll be exploding in pleasure, but that will only be masking the

pain, and in the morning it will hurt so much worse!” Marlena

cried loudly, as she slammed the door to the bathroom and

locked herself in.

John fell onto the door, begging her to open up, shouting that he

loved her and only her.

“You mean so much to me Marlena. Don’t you know that by now?

I can’t live without you, not ever again,” John said as he banged

on the door.

After a half an hour of tears and begging, John slowly got up

from the floor, whispered that he was leaving, and if she needed

him for any reason at all, he would be at the Salem Inn. He

buttoned his shirt and grabbed his suitcase as he walked to

bedroom door. He quickly looked back, hoping Marlena would be

there asking him to stay. When he realized she was not going to

do that, he whispered he loved her and closed the door and left.

Meanwhile, Marlena had been in the tub crying, as the hot water

soaked into her pores. She begged God to help her, help her get

over this pain. She looked up and said, “I love him so much… but

I can’t do this anymore, help me please?”

She had a decision to face, and it was in her hands to decide how

their fates would end up. She only hoped that she would be

making the right choice when it came to that point. The steam

continued to rise as she felt her soul escape her body and the

greatest love she once had, had now become nothing but a

distant memory.

The weeks had flown by, as the days became harder and every

minute without one another was complete agony. But it was

Marlena who had decided to keep the marriage on a “cooling off”

period. She couldn’t bear to see John. It hurt too much to look

into his eyes and see the pain there. However, she was hurting

too, and to put John’s feelings first before hers was completely

unfair. She always put others emotions before her own. She had

grown quite accustomed to it, since her career demanded no

personal attachment to anyone or anything. As a mother, wife,

and doctor, love was the only answer to heal every situation that

was thrown their way. But not this time… she had fought too

hard to get over the John and Hope situation, and this time Kate

and John were no exception. She loved John so much; she knew

she couldn’t go on without him, but she had to, for her children

and for herself. She decided she would swamp herself in her

work, therefore. There she could avoid all the painful memories

and feelings that threatened to take over her at times.

Marlena was at her desk, trying to get some work done, when her

phone began to ring. She glanced at the phone for a second,

sighing in frustration for the interruption, and grabbed the phone

off the cradle.

“Dr. Evans speaking”

“Hi, I’m looking for a Mrs. Marlena Black?” The voice of a man

said on the other line.

“This is Marlena Evans… uhh Black, how can I help you?” She

stuttered with confusion.

“Hi, this is Marcus Hoffman. I’m in charge of the meeting for the

benefit that’s being thrown for your daughter, Isabella Black’s

charity ball.”

Marlena stared at the wall in confusion. “I’m sorry, for what

benefit did you say it was?”

“For your daughter Isabella. She’s throwing this benefit on behalf

of Basic Black.”

Marlena caught on, as she rolled her eyes and thought about how

dumb she was to let that slip her mind.

“Oh right, right, how could I forget? Okay what can I do for you

then?” Marlena bit her lip.

“Well I am in charge of the guest list and I was actually calling to

see if you would be attending the private function?”

“Uhhhh well… can I get back to you… is that a possibility?”

“Actually Mrs. Black…”

“Please, Marlena,” she quickly stressed.

“Okay Marlena, we actually have to know today.”

Marlena dropped her head on the desk, as she spoke quietly that

she would be attending. She quickly ended the call and once again

attempted to do work. Suddenly she was struck with a memory…

a painful one and one she could not run from. The night when

she saw the pain in her husband’s eyes… the night she had ended

them. The sleepless night without him next to her, the agonizing

messages left for her to hear, begging her to let him return home.

The way he kissed her with such passion yet devastation. Marlena

shut her eyes and shook her head slowly, forcing herself to

forget the images and memories. She got up and quickly walked

to the window, hoping the fresh air would help in any way at all.

Finally the images slowly disappeared, as she regained her

breathing back to a normal pace. She decided that she would call

it a day and go home, relax, take a hot shower and crawl into bed.

Later that night, John was out with some friends, trying to get

his mind off his wife. Shot after shot was being drunk, which was

only fueling his yearning for Marlena. ‘God I love her,’ he thought

as he squinted his eyes and looked at the empty glass. He ordered

one more drink and made a decision.

“Hey guys, I’m out of here… see ya,” John said, as he gave a slight

wave and walked away.

One of his friends looked up laughing as they shouted out “Hey

Black, where the hell YA going?”

John turned around slightly gave a smirk. “Home to my wife.” He

staggered out the door as the laughter of his friends turned into

Frowns.

ohn was driving to the penthouse in somewhat of a rush. His

nervousness seemed to rise with every breath he took, unsure of

how Marlena was going to react or what she would even do. In

fact, what was he going to say about why he stopped by? As he

looked around, he noticed that it was an unusually quiet night in

Salem. The streets were dead and it seemed that everyone had

stayed indoors. Then again, it was a little late at night, but still to

be this quiet was completely abnormal. John continued to drive as

quickly as he could to the house, never realizing that he was

somewhat intoxicated. He finally pulled up to the front of the

building as he put the gear in park and shut the off the ignition.

He stared at the front door for a minute or two, before taking a

deep breath and exiting the car. He greeted the doorman, gave

him a tip, and walked to the elevator. Once he reached the top

floor, he fumbled for his keys in his pocket, looked up at the

ceiling, praying that Marlena wouldn’t overreact and kick him out.

He then walked to the door, turned the key and walked in. He

called out her name at first, not wanting to startle her, especially

since he had let himself in. When she didn’t answer him, he

continued to walk around, noticing a few changes, but not many.

He stopped at the piano as thoughts invaded his mind of the

happy times that were shared between him and Marlena. ‘God how

could I be so stupid,’ he thought as a small tear left his eye.

He then decided that he would check upstairs. Maybe she was

sleeping. Once upstairs, he slowly walked down the hallway

towards what used to be their bedroom. He gently opened it and

poked his head in slowly. When he didn’t see her in bed, he began

to panic a little. As he made his way in the room, something

caught his attention. He glanced towards the balcony to find the

most beautiful woman he had ever known standing there. He

watched her as she stared out at the dark horizon. He memorized

everything about her, the way she stood, the way her body

looked. Oh how he missed that body. There she was, standing

there in a long beige negligee, which dipped insanely low in the

back, and covered her just barely in the front. ‘That’s just crazy,

who can sleep in that, unless…’ John thought rapidly. ‘Unless she

has company.’ Suddenly, he felt the jealous rage begin to rise in

the pit of his stomach. Another mans hands to be on his wife’s

body, holding her, making love to her. All these thoughts began

to attack his mind as his breathing began to pick up. He walked

over to the balcony, stopping just before the doors, where he

leaned on the frame. He looked at her for just a second before

he called her name quietly. Marlena jumped ten feet high, letting

out a slight scream before turning to face John.

“Jesus Christ… What the hell are you doing here, John?” Her

voice was filled with fright and anger.

“Why, were you expecting someone?… Anyone I know?” he said,

his voice filled with jealousy. “Maybe Roman?”

“WHAT!! What are you talking about? Why are you even here

John? How dare you come here and accuse me of such bullshit,”

she argued.

John froze, realizing that what he had thought and said, was

wrong. “I’m sorry baby, I’m so sorry. I should of never thought

that way or accused you of such a thing. Look the reason I’m

here, is because… is because I miss you, and I want to come

home. Please let me come home to you? You have no idea how

much I am suffering without you. God, I love you, isn’t that

enough Marlena?” John cried.

Marlena stared at him for a second, before dropping her head

and picking it up after a few seconds, her eyes cascading with

tears. “I have been missing you too John, but I stood strong and

continued to stay away. There is too much pain for me to take

you back, too much betrayal… I… I can’t,” she sobbed.

“You know John, sometimes, love just isn’t enough. You can have

love, but what the hell does that matter when there is no fucking

trust?” She turned her back towards him and held onto the railing

that seemed to be her only support.

John stood there, stunned and frozen. No words that would

make any sense could respond to her. He stepped closer to her,

as he placed one hand on her waist.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, please believe me? I won’t ever hurt you

again. That I will stake my life on. Just give me one night to prove

to you… one night to show how much I love you and that I am

dedicated only to you.”

Marlena shook her head slowly. “That would only be sex, not

love… just sex. Sex between two strangers. Not really strangers,

but that’s how it would feel. And as much as I would want it, I

wouldn’t trust you. Now I ask you, you still want to roll around in

bed with me, knowing deep down inside, I don’t trust a damn

thing you say or do?” She paused, turning around for a second to

look in his eyes.

“I do love you John, but I can’t have sex with you, or sleep in the

same bed with you, or be next to you.”

“What happens from here then, to us?” John asked in disgust.

“My lawyer will be contacting you… Close the door on your way

out.” Was all she could say before her emotions invaded her body

and soul.

John turned around and left quickly slamming the doors realizing

his life was never going to be the same again.

Days turned into weeks, as the weeks turned into months. A year

finally passed as the relationship of John and Marlena had come

to a point of non-existance. They agreed that a separation was

the best thing for them, which would give them time to heal and

understand. They both continued to live their lives, each of them

doing their own things. In the beginning, life was difficult to

adapt to… both of them trying to get by without one another.

They barely managed and as time went by, they were succeeding…

until now. Life was about to change intensely for them. Little did

they know, tough decisions and painful consequences were about

to hit them head on.

It was a bright, sunny, Monday morning, as the sun shone through

the penthouse windows. The rays danced along the picture

frames and mirrors, bringing the room to life. The alarm clock

went off, waking Marlena from her peaceful slumber. She slowly

opened her eyes, glancing at the clock that claimed it was 6:00 in

the morning. She quickly reached for the snooze button and

attempted to get a little more sleep. As she finally slipped into a

deeper slumber, the phone began to ring, causing Marlena to

jump. She reached for the phone, snatching it from the cradle.

“Hello,” she groggily answered.

“Hey baby… are you still sleeping?” a man said on the other line.

“Umm yes… do you know what time it is?” she attempted to say,

before yawning.

“Its 6 a.m. Isn’t it time for you to get up, my lazy lady?”

“Alex, I’m just so tired. I don’t know how you do it. You know, go

out, get home late, then be up at the crack of dawn for work,

and be so happy go lucky. I’m jealous… oh and thank you for last

night, I had a great time. I can’t remember the last time I had so

much fun.”

“Ahhhh, so my lady liked the nightclub, did she?” he laughed.

“Oh yeah… but damn I’m tired this morning. I’m too old to be

acting like a teenager, you know.”

“Could of fooled me, baby doll.”

“Okay well, I’ll see you in a little bit at work,” Marlena said, hoping

to hang up quickly, so she could get just a little bit more sleep.

“Alrighty. Hey maybe tonight we can… you know… Think about it

and let me know later,” Alex laughed.

“Dr. Claiborne, what makes you think I would agree to such a

thing?” She smiled.

“Only because we haven’t experienced that yet, and I want to give

you the best time you’ll ever have… tonight, tomorrow and

everyday after that. Think about it, and I’ll see you later. Bye

baby,” he said as hung up.

Marlena looked at the phone. “Yeah right. You’re going to have

try just a bit harder to do that. I’m not ready for that yet.”

She quickly hung up the phone and attempted to sleep once

again, when the alarm went off.

“Oh for heavens sake, I’m up,” she shouted at the ceiling before

pushing the comforter back and walking to the bathroom. She

walked back to the dresser, opening the top shelf. She was

looking for a shirt before coming across a picture of her and

John. She was hit with a quick memory, before putting the

picture back in the drawer and closing it. “No use crying about us

now, huh,” she mumbled, before jumping into the shower.

John was at a meeting at Univerisity Hospital, proposing a

business deal on behalf of Basic Black. It all seemed to be going

well, as the chief of staff, president of the hospital, and John

shook hands. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, as a tall,

somewhat built, dark-haired, green-eyed gentleman entered.

“Oh I’m sorry, I’m interrupting,” the man said quietly.

“No, no, please come in. I’d like you to meet someone,” The Chief

of Staff said.

“John Black, I would like you to meet Dr. Alex Claiborne, our top

new surgeon,” the President of the Hospital said.

“Pleasure to meet you Dr. Claiborne,” John said as he shook

hands with this tall, dark haired man.

“Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Black,” Alex said as smiled. “Mr. Black…

John Black… President of Basic Black I take it. What a exquisite

company you have. I am very impressed with the big time business

tycoons your company deals with.”

“Thank you Dr. Claiborne…”

“Please, call me Alex?” He smiled.

“Okay, Alex it is. Well like I was saying before, once you get your

business off the ground, anything is possible.” John smiled, his

dimples dancing.

“Sounds interesting. Well it was very nice meeting you Mr. Black…”

“Please, John?” He smiled in return.

“Well, John it is. It was great meeting you. I hope to run into you

again sometime in the very near future,” Alex said as he shook his

hand once more, explained a situation quickly, and then excused

himself.

John shook hands once more with his new business partners, and

thanked them for their time. He quickly left the room, knowing

he had a plane to catch in about an hour and half. As he walked

the hallways, he smelled a certain perfume, a perfume he knew all

too well.

‘Well, she does work here,’ he thought as he continued to walk

rapidly. He wanted to stop by and see Marlena, but deep down he

knew she was probably not ready to see him. It had been a year

since they had seen each other… a very long year. He, as well, had

moved on… had his own life, a girlfriend or love-toy if you think

about it. He did think about his wife. He missed her, but he

wasn’t going to rush or ruin things. As he was walking, someone

called his name. He turned around to see a nurse waving at him.

He waved back, said hello, and turned around, walking around

the corner. As soon as he did, he bumped right into another

nurse, knocking down files that were in her hands.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he said as bent down to pick

up the files. He took a quick glance at her legs and slowly eyed

them up. He then realized that this woman was not a nurse, but

she was certainly someone with great legs.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you either. Are you okay?” she said softly.

John slowly looked up at her from the floor. He knew that

voice… he knew it all too well. He stood up, looking into her

eyes… those beautiful eyes. She also looked at his face, and

froze, not knowing what to say or what to do.

“Hello Marlena.” John smiled, breathing nervously.

“John… oh hi… What are you doing here? I mean I didn’t expect

to see you,” she stuttered.

He looked at her carefully… the way she stood, what she wore,

how she smelled.

“I had a business meeting. You look absolutely great Marlena.

How have you been?”

Marlena smiled with that smile he loved so much. “Thank you. I’ve

been good and you? How’s the business?”

“Good… wow… wow,” was all he could say. There she was, finally,

in front of him after all this time apart.

“Well John, it was good seeing you again, but I have a patient

waiting for me,” she said nervously, mostly from not seeing him

after all the time they spent apart.

“Marlena… I know this is going to sound a little absurd, but would

you have dinner with me tonight? Or lunch? A drink?” He smiled.

“Uh… I don’t know John. Let me think about it? Don’t you have

some sort of agenda?” she asked laughing.

“For you, cancelled.” He laughed.

She glanced at her watch. “Oh John, I really have to run, but hey

it was nice running into you, literally. Maybe I’ll see you around,”

she giggled.

“What about dinner? Okay, I’ll tell you what, if you want to see me

or join me, I’ll be at the bungaloo on Main Street. Maybe I’ll see

you around.” He smiled as he grabbed her hand, kissed it and said

goodbye.

She turned around and watched him walk away. She then took a

deep breath and walked to her office, meeting her next patient.

She had to make a decision, a tough decision, and one she had to

think carefully about. A decision that could change their lives, no

matter how or what she decided.

The bungaloo was as packed as it could be on a Friday night, filled

with couples, singles, and just plain old partiers. The music was

loud and the alcohol kept coming, glass after glass, bottle after

bottle. John had just arrived, looking around to see if he could

see Marlena. He took a quick glance at his watch, realizing that it

was still a tad bit early. He then walked up to the hostess and said

his name, claiming that he had a reservation for a private table in

the back. The waitress walked him over there and told him he

would send his date over there once she arrived.

In the meantime, Marlena was at home going through her closet,

debating on whether she should meet up with John or not. She

flipped through clothes, and slammed drawers, not really knowing

how to dress or what would be appropriate to wear. ‘He still is my

husband,’ she thought, while walking to the bathroom. Just as

she was about to get in the tub for a quick shower, the doorbell

rang. She let out a sigh of frustration, hoping it wasn’t John…

but then again it couldn’t be. She quickly wrapped her silk robe

around her, and ran downstairs to open the door. As she swung it

open, she noticed that it wasn’t John Black at her door, but Alex

Claiborne.

“Hey sweetheart… ohhhh someone was waiting for me weren’t

they?” He laughed as she gave him a surprised look. His laughter

died as he noticed she wasn’t really humored. “Mmmhmmmm…

Whats the matter, why are you surprised to see me? We had plans

today, right?” He smiled.

“No, not that I was aware of… Did you say that you were going to

come over?” she said seriously.

“Yes, remember I told you that on the phone, and I mentioned it

was going to be a night you would never forget?”

Marlena suddenly shut her eyes, remembering exactly when the

conversation took place. “Oh yes, yes, this morning on the phone.

I’m Sorry Alex, I forgot to tell you, that something came up

during the day, and I actually have to go and meet up with Belle

tonight. I’m sorry.”

Alex sighed, however he still managed to let out a tiny smile.

“Thats alright, hey next time right, we have plenty of time. Well

then, I’ll let you finish getting ready. I’ll see you later,” he said,

while leaning in for a kiss goodnight. Marlena took a step back,

clearing her throat a little.

She smiled. “I have a little sore throat, and I don’t want you to

catch it, especially if I’m coming down with something.” She gave

him a hug and patted his back. “Goodnight Alex.” He looked at

her, smiled, and said his goodnight as well.

As the evening turned into night, the club picked up even more,

bringing in all the night owls. John had been sitting there, sucking

down a few drinks, wondering if Marlena was going to show up.

As he looked at his watch once again, he decided he would wait

another 20 minutes before calling it a night. His cell phone began

to ring, causing him to reach for it. He picked it up finding out it

was business call and walked to the back hallway where it was

somewhat quieter. Just then Marlena walked in, looking around

to see if she could find John. The hostess quickly spotted her,

and led her to the back table where she told her that this was

where she would be sitting. She thanked the hostess and went the

restroom quickly, before returning to the table. As she walked to

the bathroom, she walked around hundreds of people,

occasionally bumping into a few here and there. Once she

reached the back, she made her way down the hall, and bumped

into another man.

“Oh I’m sorry, excuse me.” She smiled softly before walking

around him. The man turned around, ended his phone call and

grabbed her gently by the arm.

“Thank you for coming, Marlena. I was beginning to lose hope

that you were going to show up.” John smiled.

Marlena smiled back, blushing a little before dipping her head to

the side. “I try to keep the suspense, you know.”

John let out a laugh as he looked at her up and down. “Wow, you

look great.” He said noticing her short black skirt that clung to

her hips, revealing her long slender legs that were embraced with

see-through black silk nylons. Her white blouse clung to her upper

body which was low enough to drive any man crazy. And that

perfume that sent every desire of his up in flames.

“Thank you, so do you. You look absolutely wonderful as well,”

she said, noticing the way he looked in his suit. So powerful, so in

control, and such a big-shot business man. And that cologne, that

made her weak in the knees.

“Well, why don’t we go and sit, please…” John said, escorting her

to the table.

“So how are you John? How have you been, what is new? Tell me

everything,” she said enthusiastically.

“Well business is great, made a deal with the hospital for a charity

fund. I’m doing good, Belles is off to a great start with the

company. And you?”

“I heard about my baby girl doing well. I’m so proud of her. Um

I’m doing well, business is good, you know, everyone needs a

doctor at some point. Family is great.”

After an hour of catching up and glasses of alcohol had been

drunk, things were a little more at ease between them. They had

asked every question in the book about each other, except for

who was dating who. Afraid of the truth or afraid to accept that

is was reality, they danced around the issue, preferring to remain

in the dark about the obvious. As they joked and laughed,

someone was walking by, when that table caught their eye. Not

sure on what to do or what to say, they decided to walk over

there and see what was going on. As this person approached,

Marlena’s name was called, grabbing Marlena’s attention. She

looked up, as her face dropped and she suddenly became stuck

for words.

“Alex… what are you doing here?”

“I should ask you the same thing. So where is Belle? Geez I don’t

see her anywhere,” Alex said sarcastically, looking around.

John looked at Marlena and then at the guy, squinting a little

wondering where he had seen this man, and how he knew his

daughter’s name. Then it finally hit him, he was the doctor at

University hospital. He stood up, reaching for his hand, and

greeting him once more. “Alex, good to see you again. What

brings you by?”

“Oh, I had nothing to do tonight, my girlfriend had other

engagements obviously, so I stopped by for a drink.” He smiled as

he looked at Marlena. She sat there staring at her husband and

Alex, wondering what to do. John never caught on until the

moment when he looked at Marlena.

“Are you dating Marlena?” He asked seriously, his eyebrow

curving, showing that he was somewhat upset.

“Well John, that depends on what Marlena has said tonight. But

since you asked me, yes I am dating her,” he said proudly as he

looked at Marlena. “So how’s your sore throat… I hope it doesn’t

hurt too much.” He smirked.

“I’m managing just fine, thank you,” she said, somewhat irritated

and just a bit embarrassed.

Alex took the opportunity and looked at John while sitting down

next to Marlena. “John, tell me, I’m curious. How do you know

Marlena? Did you meet her at the hospital, or did you meet her

here?”

John looked at Alex, almost as if this man was daring John to hit

him. “Funny you should mention that, Alex, because she never

mentioned you and she probably never told you the story either.”

“What story?” Alex said, as he looked between Marlena and John.

Marlena looked at John and then at Alex. “I’m John’s wife, Alex.”

Alex’s face dropped. “What, you… John’s wife… no that can’t be!”

“It is, Marlena is my wife, we’re married!” John said as he looked

at Marlena.

“I had no idea… you were John Black’s wife. Then wait, what the?”

“We’re separated” Marlena answered, before Alex could finish.

“Look, I think you better go, I’ll talk to you later.”

Alex stared at Marlena with such anger, then got up. “Have a

good night. I’ll talk to you later Marlena, we have a lot to talk

about!”He looked at John. “John, have a good night,” he said as

he took off.

John glanced at Marlena, who was clearly affected by all of this.

She looked up at him with a sympathetic face. “I’m very sorry.”

“When were you going to tell me about him?” John said, upset.

“You didn’t ask John. All you had to do was ask me,” Marlena

said, anger now present in her voice.

“You know what’s funny? I met this man earlier today, I shook

hands with him, and now I find out he has been seeing you. That’s

just great,” John said, with a disgusted laugh.

Marlena stood up. “Like I said John, you never asked and you

know damn well I have my own life now, just like you have your

own. It was a nice night before all this. Thanks,” she said as she

walked away.

John grabbed his jacket and ran after her, catching her outside.

“Wait wait… I’m sorry. I had no right to act that way. Really I

am…” John said as he hugged her with all the love he had. He

stood back for just a second and looked into her eyes. “Come

with me, I want to show you something,” he said, as he grabbed

her hand and sat her in the waiting Lexus.

A half an hour later, they arrived at a very fancy apartment

building. Marlena looked up, as she asked where they were. John

simply grabbed her hand and explained she would soon find out.

They walked into a condo filled with modern technology, leather

couches, plasma TV with surround sound system, and an amazing

view of the city. Marlena walked around as she glanced here and

there.

“Where are we?” she asked, while turning to face John.

“This is my home, Marlena. Do you like it?”

“I love it. It’s absolutely breathtaking.” Marlena smiled.

“Would you like a drink or anything?”

Marlena looked at John as she gave the cutest smile. “I think I’ve

already had enough, but I’ll make an exception. A glass of wine is

fine.”

“A glass of wine coming up.” John smiled with adoration.

After returning with her glass of wine, they continued to talk

about their lives, before Marlena wandered around. She came

across his bedroom, which was huge. There was a fireplace,

another plasma TV, stereo system, balcony, and this huge bed.

The bed had this huge puffy Chenille beige comforter with black

satin sheets underneath. The entire bed was filled with satin

pillows as they glistened in the moonlight. Then a silver frame

caught her eye, sitting next to the bed in the nightstand. She

walked over to it, picking it up, noticing it was a picture of her.

Tears glistened her eyes as she placed it back on the nightstand.

She continued to walk around, as she came up to the window and

looked out. Suddenly, John came up behind her, and whispered in

her ear.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Marlena kept looking out as she whispered her approval. She

turned around to look at John as she spoke to him from the

heart.

“I’m so sorry I made you leave. I didn’t want to hurt you, and I

insisted on it because you had hurt me. I saw the pain in your eyes

that night, I saw the pain every day after that… especially when I

filed for a separation. I’m sorry,” she cried.

“Sssshhhh… no I’m sorry. I never meant to lie to you. You are the

only one I love. Always have and always will,” John said with a

soft voice. He leaned in slowly to kiss her, when she backed up a

little.

“I should go John,” she said as she walked away.

John walked to her and grabbed her by her hand. “After this you

can go,” he whispered, as he placed his hands on the side of her

face and kissed her passionately. She gave into him as she

wrapped her arms around his waist. The kiss ended as they looked

into each others faces. She backed up and walked to go and get

her coat. Before she could make it out of the room, John

grabbed her once more. “You’re not going home tonight,” he said,

as he kissed her passionately, before pulling her back into the

Room.

John had dragged Marlena back into his bedroom, kissing her

passionately with every second that passed by. She wrapped her

arms around his neck as she offered him more access to her

mouth. The pent up tension and bottled up yearning exploded in

full force as they acted on their feelings. John began tugging on

her blouse, trying to free it from her body as he pinned her

against a wall, where he attacked her neck with violent kisses.

She desperately pulled his shirt, hoping that the buttons that held

the shirt together would finally break, and his body would be

free. He finally undid her blouse and slowly removed it as it slid to

the floor, revealing her lacy, sheer crème colored bra. He stood

straight for a quick second, admiring how she looked and how

that bra emphasized her shape. He then moved back and kissed

her lips gently, his tongue sliding inside her mouth, dancing with

hers. His lips quickly moved to her shoulders where he

worshipped every inch of exposed skin, until slight bruises

appeared. She began kissing his neck, quickly finding that spot he

loved so much, flicking her tongue in and out, causing John to

gasp. John stepped back for a second and pulled her to the bed

where he laid her down gently, slowly kissing down her neck.

He slid his tongue down her chest, to her stomach, until he

reached her skirt. She looked at him with heavy eyelids and shut

them softly as she felt his hand disappear under her skirt. John

pulled her nylons down one by one as he gave her a slight smile of

desire. Without warning, he turned her over and unzipped her

skirt, removing it slowly from her body. He always loved the way

she looked from the back. Even though the front of her was very

flattering, somehow her back always got him going. He noticed

how good her ass looked in those lacy tangas she was wearing

from Victoria’s Secret. He reached up and unclasped her bra,

once again turning her over, and looking into her eyes as he pulled

off her bra, revealing pure beauty. John was so overwhelmed with

passion that he couldn’t breathe as he looked at her adoration.

He kissed her gently on the lips before latching onto one of her

breasts and sucking tenderly. Marlena was tugging on the sheets,

almost as if she were hanging on to the little control she had left.

John was working his magic on her, and this time was even better

than before. John continued to suck each nipple with an urgency,

as if he were being fed from her. As he worked his power over

Marlena, she moved and squirmed underneath him, unable to

have any control whatsoever. He quickly noticed this and

removed himself from her, standing up slowly. He reached for his

belt buckle and slowly undid it, removing it from his pants and

tossing it to the floor. He then unbuttoned his trousers and let

them fall to the floor, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black

tight boxer briefs. Marlena stared at his body with pure want, as

she let out a slight moan at the sight of his perfect body. He

crawled over her, letting the huge bulge in his boxers, rub against

her thighs. She inhaled deeply before placing her hands on the

band of the boxers and pulling them down. Once they were below

his butt and on his upper thighs, he moved back once more to

remove them completely. Her eyes were transfixed on his

manhood, wondering how something could be so large and wide

and give nothing but pleasure. He placed his hands on her

underwear and slid them off gently, replacing his mouth where

the underwear once was. Once he was done with a quick teasing

act, he picked her up and placed her under the black satin sheets.

Their eyes met briefly, as he whispered a simple question.

“You sure you want this Marlena?”

She breathed heavily before responding to his question. “There is

nothing I want more than this… with you… right now…”

John took that as an invitation and gently spread her legs, holding

his throbbing 9 inch cock in his hand. He looked deep into her

eyes and whispered that he loved her and only her. She smiled as

she whispered that she loved him too and always would. He then

placed the tip inside her, letting her adapt to the size of him. His

size always killed her at first, but would bring nothing but

pleasure in the end. She gasped loudly, her nails digging into his

shoulders and her eyes clenching shut.

“Are you alright baby?” John panted.

“Mmmmhmmmm…” was all Marlena could manage to say before

John placed a little more in her, this time moving his hips in a

circular motion to break the strain. Marlena let out another moan

as she spread her legs wider. John then slowly began thrusting in

and out of her, sending waves of pure ecstasy through their

bodies. Marlena finally became broken in as she slowly began to

move with his rhythm, thrusting her hips upwards to meet his.

After a few minutes, love turned to passion, and passion turned

erotic. The bed was banging against the wall so loudly… they were

for sure expecting the neighbors to come up and complain. Their

bodies began to sweat as the satin sheets clung to every curve of

their bodies, moving with them in every direction their bodies

went. Beads of sweat formed on Marlena’s forehead, dampening

her hair whenever it brushed against her face. John was working

her so hard, you would think his mission was to break her in two.

He began to thrust into her roughly, his cock sliding in and out of

her quickly, causing Marlena to scream his name constantly, biting

his neck, and wrapping her legs around his hips. They reached for

each others hands as they breathed heavily, looking into each

others eyes. John’s breathing became extremely heavy as he

pumped her with all his might. As he looked deep into her eyes,

he saw the passion and love she still possessed. How he loved her

was something she would never know, and what she meant to him

was another thing she would never understand. He leaned down

and kissed her lips passionately, tenderly nipping at her lower lip.

She glanced into his eyes as he whispered to her his affection.

“I love you Marlena… God I love you so much,” John breathed

heavily.

“Mmmm I love you too… oh I need you John… ah… mmm… oh,”

Marlena said, before her moans took over, passion once again

invading. “John give it to me… ohhhh harder baby, harder.”

Within moments, John began ramming into her, holding one leg

over his shoulder while the other draped around his upper thigh.

She loved it when he placed her legs on his shoulders, for he

could move deeper into her, caressing each wall. He rotated his

hips up and down and in a circle so he could hit every tender spot

inside, as Marlena’s moans filled the room. He let her leg down

and tangled his hands in her hair, kissing her roughly. He felt her

walls closing in, squeezing his pulsating cock. As he plunged into

her once more, she came, holding on to his body tightly, as moans

of desire seeped through the walls. John began to hit her walls

with such force, as he felt himself losing the battle to keep going.

With one hard thrust, John exploded deep inside her, screaming

her name as he collapsed on top of her. He continued to thrust

into her gently until he no longer had feeling. Marlena looked up

at him as she smiled softly, kissing his lips and caressing his hair,

now soaked in sweat. John attempted to regain his breath as he

gave her a million dollar smile and slowly crawled off of her. He

pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead, his fingers

dancing along her arm, as their bodies lay under the entangled

covers.

“Well wasn’t that something? I don’t think my neighbors will be

able to look at me the same way,” John laughed as he glanced at

the floor, noticing their clothes scattered everywhere along with

the comforter. “Looks like a tornado went through here, huh?”

Marlena smiled as she cuddled closer to him. “It did… and what a

tornado it was.”

John smiled as he looked down at her, “Did you enjoy that baby? I

know I did, every second that I was deep inside you. God you feel

so good. I can’t get enough of you Marlena… ohhh I missed you,

you have no idea. I love you… I can’t lose you again, I’m not going

to let you go.”

Marlena looked up at him as she sat up, pulling the satin sheet

with her. ” John don’t say that… we can’t.”

John’s face dropped, as he shifted towards her. “I don’t

understand what you’re trying to say. Explain it to me Marlena.

Are you trying to say that after all this, we should still keep our

distance? No, no, no.”

Marlena reached for his arm, trying to calm him. “No, John that

isn’t what I meant. What I meant was that you have your personal

life, your girlfriend, your lover, and I have mine. What are we

going to do with them?”

“We leave them! Thats what we do… look at me Marlena, nothing

compares to you… NOTHING… and I would leave anything in a

second for you,” John said, as he placed his finger under

Marlena’s chin.

“John, John… please let’s not jump ahead of ourselves… I don’t

want to fight please… I’m just stating the truth… you can’t

honestly think that because we bump into each other today, go

out for drinks, and sleep together, means we should get back

together at this second. It takes time… you know that John,”

Marlena whispered as she moved towards John.

“How much time do you need Marlena?………..Its been a year….

what do you want 2 maybe 3 years?” John said hurt, glancing

towards the ceiling.

Marlena looked out at the window as she moved to the edge of

the bed. “I think I should go… before this gets to a point where

we’ll say something we will regret.”

John reached over and grabbed her arm pulling her to him

“Wait… no, it’s my fault, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be taking this out

on you. Its just that I love you, I always will and for us to

continue this separation only hurts me more.”

Marlena gave him a look of apology. “I’m sorry Baby… I know

what you mean, and I don’t mean that we should remain separated

but to work our way slowly back into our marriage. You know,

one day at a time… I love you John… and I think we should be

back together… but lets do it little by little. I still think I should

go home though.” Marlena smiled as she gave him a quick kiss.

“No please, just stay with me one night, thats all I ask. For me,

please?” John begged, holding onto her for dear life.

Marlena smiled as she held his hand, putting up one finger, “One

night, thats it, okay. And one condition!”

“Ok… what?”

“That you agree to what I said earlier… We work our way back

slowly, giving us time to say our goodbyes to those people in our

personal lives, and adapting to each other as we continue to be

with each other, ONE… DAY… AT… A… TIME,” Marlena said

slowly at the end.

John smiled as he kissed her lips tenderly, “I agree, now get back

in this bed with me.” He laughed but then quickly thought of

something, “Wait I have one condition too.”

Marlena looked at him as she laughed. ” Okay what?”

“That we don’t do ANYTHING SEXUAL with these people we

are seeing… just you and me… in this bed… in your bed… me…

in… you… and you only on top of me. Got it?” John said, as he

pulled her back to him, kissing her wildly.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way… you are the only one who can

do what you do to me, drive me wild with desire and pleasure.

Speaking of which, do it again… give it to me… all night… right

here… every way… in any way… now!!!!” Marlena said, as she

climbed on top of him, pulling the covers over them, realizing it

was going to be a very long night

The sun began to rise above Salem, proving a new day had come.

The rays were bright and strong as they beamed through the

windows like a spotlight. As the light seeped through the curtains

of the condo, it fell upon two bodies entangled together under a

thin sheet. It danced along the skin of Marlena’s leg and made a

path up to her face, where it was safely nestled on John’s chest.

Her eyes blinked as the light shone on her face, waking her from

her peaceful slumber. She shifted her body to face the opposite

side of the bed and snuggled her head into a pillow, attempting to

hide away from the sun that threatened to steal her sleep. John

quickly noticed the absence of her body and turned himself on

the other side, to find the warmth of her body once again. He

placed a strong arm around her waist and pulled her closer, giving

her a quick peck on the back of her neck. As sleep found its way

back to them, it was quickly taken away by the blaring ring of a

phone. Marlena nudged John somewhat, whispering that he

should answer that. John reached over slowly and grabbed the

phone as Marlena slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the alarm

clock. The bright numbers beamed into Marlena’s eyes, claiming it

was 11 o’clock in the morning. She somewhat jumped a little and

looked at the clock again to see if she had seen wrong the first

time. As she glanced at it with disbelief, she realized that she

wasn’t mistaken the first time. She turned towards John to see

him talking on the phone with his eyes closed. Marlena mouthed

the words, asking John who he was talking to, as he mouthed

back that it was their daughter. Marlena’s mouth formed in an ‘o’

shape as she slowly got up , pulling the sheet with her. John held

the sheet so that she couldn’t move, as Marlena yanked and

pulled, affecting John’s concentration on the phone call.

“Dad!!!… Did you hear what I was saying?” Belle shouted on the

other line.

John’s attention was snapped back by his daughter’s voice as he

laughed. “Yes Belle I heard you. I honestly don’t know where your

mother is. Why would I? I haven’t spoken to her in months.”

“Yeah I know, but I thought maybe you would have, that’s all. I

called her house… she isn’t there, her work… nope… her cell

phone… no answer. I’m a little worried.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Tink, I’m sure she is just fine. Well baby, I

have to let you go but I will give you a call later on today. Okay

and don’t worry about your mama, I’m sure she is fine.” John

smiled.

“Alright then, I’ll talk to you later Daddy. Bye,” Belle said sweetly

as she hung up.

John hung up the phone, as he quickly jumped out of bed and

walked to the bathroom to find Marlena getting dressed.

“Where do you think you are going, beautiful?” John asked

standing there, leaning in the doorway.

Marlena looked up at him, noticing he wasn’t wearing anything

and smiled. “I have to go John, it’s late… Belle’s having a heart

attack that she can’t find me and probably everyone else is too.”

John walked up to her and pulled her by the waist, kissing her on

her lips, pulling her blouse off once more. Marlena laughed during

the kiss and backed up a little bit, holding her blouse together.

“No John… No… I really have to go.”

“Please?”

“No, maybe later, okay? Now go get dressed.” Marlena smiled as

she put on all her clothes and walked out of the bedroom into

the living room. She grabbed her coat and her purse and walked

up to John, who was now wearing a black silk robe with his

boxers.

“I’ll call you later, okay?” Marlena smirked

“Thats it? I’ll call you later… so in other words, thank you and

goodbye… no, no, no… I will see you later,” John said as he pulled

her close.

“John…”

“No, I will see you later… don’t argue with me,” John said as he

kissed her lips softly, shutting her up. Once the kiss was over, she

smiled at him, and walked away.

“Maybe John… I’m really sore right now… go figure. What we did

last night should have left me broken!… so let’s play it by ear…”

She laughed.

John laughed, as he playfully swatted her on her ass, and walked

to open the door for her. Just as Marlena was about to leave,

she kissed John goodbye, and opened the door, only to find

John’s girlfriend on the other side preparing to knock. Marlena

looked up at her and then at John and excused herself as she

walked past her. John looked down at the ground and smiled in

disbelief that this situation was happening. John’s girlfriend

instantly began screaming the minute she saw Marlena walking out

of the apartment and getting on the elevator.

“Who the hell was that John? Huh… you tell me who that bitch

was!!! Right now!!!!!!! What the fuck are you doing, John?”

“Karen calm down…” John said placing his hands up in the air.

“Calm down… calm down… Did I not just see a woman walk out

of this apartment? And you want me to calm down!!!! NO!”

“That woman is my wife Karen!” John said, through closed teeth.

Karen’s face was filled with anger and confusion as she walked

past him and to his bedroom. John quickly followed her as he

shouted her name. She came across his room to find the bed

completely inside out, comforter and clothes on the floor, and

Marlena’s watch and necklace on the nightstand. She walked to

the table to grab her things and threw them at John.

“You fucked her didn’t you? What are you doing John? What are

you doing to us?” Karen screamed with tears in her eyes.

“I love her, I will always love her. And whatever happened,

whatever we did, and why she was here, is completely my business.

Now I’m kind of glad that you’re here because I need to tell you

something. We can’t be together anymore! I’m going back to my

wife… for good.”

“WHAT?”

“Shhhhhh… look there really is no reason to argue. I’m still

married and I am going to be with Marlena. I’m sorry Karen. But

leave here remembering one thing, I respected you always and I

cared for you too. You were a good person. Don’t make me

believe otherwise,” John said as he held her hand.

She quickly snatched it back, pushing him into the door. “You

stay away from me, you got that Black? You better watch

yourself… no better yet… you better watch your wife’s back. I

know you fucked her!!!! Now she is going to get hurt.”

“You stay away from her Karen or I will hurt you,” John said as he

grabbed her by her arm and threw her out.

Meanwhile, Marlena was in a cab, going back to her car that she

left at the lounge last night. Once she got to her car, she noticed

her cell phone had at least 20 missed calls. Most of them were

from Alex and the other few from Belle. She called Belle back

and explained she was tied up, literally, she thought to herself,

and told her she would be home. Once that was done she called

Alex, which turned into anything but a peaceful conversation.

She ended that phone call quickly and knew she had some

decisions to make tonight. It was going to be another long night

and this time it most likely wasn’t going to be fun.

Marlena arrived at the penthouse, throwing her purse down on

the table and hanging her coat up. She checked her answering

machine, only to find that most of the messages were from Alex,

who she had already spoken with earlier. She went upstairs and

undressed herself, jumping into a nice warm shower she so

desperately needed. After 20 minutes of relaxation, she dried

herself off and put on something comfortable. Belle had bought

her a cute Black velore jumpsuit for her birthday, identical to the

one Belle owned. Marlena slipped into that and went downstairs

to go and read the paper. All she wanted to do was relax, but

something told her it wasn’t in the forecast. She grabbed the

paper and went to sit in the den, where she could watch TV and

read at the same time. As she made herself comfortable in the

love-seat, the doorbell rang. Marlena mumbled something to

herself as she got up and walked to the door, opening it carelessly.

“Alex… Alex… Alex! May I ask what are you doing here so early?”

Marlena said quietly.

“Well I should be asking you what you are doing getting home so

late in the day? Let’s see, you can’t return a phone call, you can’t

make it home, hmmm and is there anything else I should know?”

Alex said angrily, as he walked past her and into the living room.

Marlena slowly shut the door as she turned around and faced

him. “Well that’s none of your business where I was, what time I

got home, or whatever I do! I’m a grown woman Alex, and if I

don’t want to come home, I don’t have to.”

“You slept with him, didn’t you?” Alex spat back, hitting his hand

against the table.

Marlena angrily walked up to him and got right in his face. “Like I

said before, that is none of your business, and whatever I did, I

can do!”

Marlena walked past him as he grabbed her arm, stopping her in

the process. “So you cheated? Is that what you did? How come

you never told me that John Black was your husband?”

“You never asked. And what do you mean I cheated? Were we

even dating? I mean I know we had a few dates, but we weren’t in

some kind of relationship, now were we?” Marlena said, as she

snatched her arm away and made her way to the balcony doors,

staring out at the horizon.

Alex stood still for a second, as he glanced down at the floor,

suddenly interested in the carpet. He looked up, as he asked a

question, hesitantly.

“Are you going back to him?”

Marlena slowly turned her head, facing him slightly as she

stuttered an answer to his question.

“I’m not sure… I mean I plan to, but at this very moment, I have

no intention to.”

Alex walked over to her as he placed a hand on her waist, turning

her slowly.

“I don’t want to lose you Marlena, I can’t lose you,” Alex said

quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m not yours to lose Alex… I’m sorry,” Marlena whispered back

with a tear in her eye.

Alex nodded his head slowly as he grabbed her hand and kissed it

gently. “It was a pleasure Dr. Evans, every minute of it. Something

I will never regret, and something I will always cherish as my life

continues on.”

Malena bowed her head, partly embarrassed, but mostly ashamed

of her actions. She gave him a look of sorrow as she hugged him

softly.

“Thank you Alex, for understanding. I always thought of you as a

very wise, strong, and handsome man. You deserve so much

better, not me… not me. Someone without a past. I have too

much of a past to go and try to live a new life. Thank you… it’s

been a great ride.”

Alex smiled as he walked to the door, slowly turning around. “You

know were I’m at if you ever need me,” he said as he opened the

door and left.

Marlena walked to the balcony, tears pouring from her eyes as

she held onto the railing. She walked over to the chair and sat

down, thinking about all that happened today. It was like a dream,

or maybe a nightmare, but whatever it was, it was a blur. As she

sat there overlooking the city, a hand fell upon her shoulder

snapping her from her thoughts. She looked up to see John

looking at her, his smile soon fading, once he noticed her tear

stained face. He squatted down, touching her face asking what

had happened.

“Nothing at all. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Whats wrong, Marlena? You can tell me.” John

spoke placing a finger under her chin.

She turned her face away, almost as if she were ashamed of what

she was about to say to him. “I hurt Alex badly… I never wanted

to and I did. I should call him.”

John stood up quickly, stopping her. “Why, what for? There is no

reason you should.”

“John, yes there is. I was a total bitch to him. God I feel terrible

for what I did.”

“No, no, no. You ended it right? You don’t need him, I’m here,”

John said, jealously.

“John, please?”

“Marlena, come on, he’s a kid. He’ll get over it before you know

it.”

“John there is something we need to talk about, sit down,”

Marlena said as she pulled him down to sit in the chair. “I’ve been

thinking. I think we are rushing this thing. I think we are going

too fast… I mean sleeping together, maybe we shouldn’t have…”

John looked at her, shock registering on his face. “You regret it,

last night, us, you regret it all?”

“No, I don’t regret it, not at all. I do feel though that maybe we

shouldn’t have done what we did. Now we are getting into this

thing and I think we are way over our heads.”

“So what are you saying then, Marlena?”

Marlena took a deep breath before she looked into his eyes. “I

think we should spend some time apart. A few weeks, maybe a

month or two, until we are ready to accept each other as a

couple in marriage again.”

“Wait, wait, wait, you can’t be serious. What do you mean ready to

accept, accept what?” John said as he stood up and placed his

hands on the railing, depending on the piece of iron to hold his

balance.

“John, I just think we are seriously going too fast. And if one of

us doesn’t slow this down, we’re going to get hurt again, even

worse than before. Please, I hope you understand? I mean, you

can still call me, or I can call you, but to be with each other…

mmm we can’t,” Marlena said as she got up and walked to him, her

hands rubbing his back in tiny little circles. John finally stood up

straight, and faced her as he granted her wish.

“Whatever you think is best, I will do Marlena. You know that! So

you tell me when and where, and I’ll be there. Call me when you

are ready, I love you baby!” John said, as he kissed her lips gently

and walked to the door. Marlena collapsed into the chair, tears

now overflowing from her eyes with disbelief that all these

changes happened in one single day. She crawled onto the couch,

were she pulled the afhgan over her and cried herself to sleep.

Several weeks had passed, as John and Marlena kept their

distance from each other. Once in awhile, one would call the

other and they would chat for a little, but would never go beyond

a phone call. A huge charity ball was being thrown for the

University Hospital and Basic Black deal in a few days. John was

expected to be there as well as Marlena, however together was

not an option. They agreed that they would see each other there

and left it at that. Marlena was at work, going through files and

documents, while sipping on a bottle of sprite. Her secretary,

Patty, walked in with some more folders that Marlena had asked

for earlier in the day.

“Hey Marlena, here are the folders you needed. Is everything

okay? Do you need anything?”

“No, no, I’m good. Thanks Patty,” Marlena said as she took a sip

from the bottle once more.

“How are you feeling? You still haven’t got rid of that stomach flu

yet?” Patty laughed while she carried some files to the other table.

Marlena smiled as she looked up from her work. “Nope and I have

a charity ball to go to in a couple of days. Isn’t that nice, dressed

all pretty and sick to my stomach?….illlllll!!! I don’t even want to

think about it.” Marlena laughed as she glanced at her files once

again.

“Well there are doctors you know, just go get a check-up, shot,

medicine, something ,and then go home and rest. You should be

fine by the time of the party if you follow those rules.”

“Yeah I know, but you mean to tell me that I can’t nurse a little

tummy bug… give me a break. I’ll be fine Patty, trust me…..

ohhhhh I got to hurry up and get out of here. Its like the longer

I’m here, the more I get sick. Gross!” Marlena laughed as Patty

waved her hand up and walked out to the lobby.

An hour later, Marlena was gathering her files together when she

glanced at the phone for a second. She looked up for a minute

then picked up the phone from its cradle and dialed a number.

“Hey you, it’s Marlena. Hey I was wondering if you can fit me in

for a quick check-up. I have this bug and I have to get rid of it by

Friday night. What do you think? Can you help me?” Marlena

laughed as she wrote down a number and hung up. She grabbed

her purse, and walked out to the lobby.

“Hey Patty, I took you’re advice, I’m going to get a quick check-

up, okay, there…” Marlena smiled.

“Well it’s not for me. I’m helping you honey bun,” Patty laughed.

“You know, women your age gotta get checked up as often as

they can.”

“Watch it Patricia,” Marlena said smiling as she walked out of the

office.

About an hour later, Marlena was gathering her things and

putting her coat on when her phone rang. She reached over the

desk and picked it up.

“This is Doctor Evans.”

“Hey sweet stuff, what are you doing?” John said cheerfully.

“Ohhh ahhhh mmmmm, getting ready to leave the office. Why?

Whats up?” Marlena said laughing as she checked her watch.

“Not much, just calling to say hello. Bored at the office, and I

was looking at your picture, so I decided to give you a call.”

“Ahhhh I see, so lets bother Marlena, hey?” She giggled. “Well

John, you caught me. So, what are you going to wear Friday?”

“I don’t know, a monkey suit, I’m assuming!”

“Well, you better get hopping Black, you have a couple days!”

Marlena said with a sarcastic voice.

“Ahhh huh and what is the Doctor wearing?”

“I absolutely have no idea!” She laughed loudly, her laughter

echoing the room.

“See, well there you go. Well I guess I’ll let you go, talk to you

later!”

“Bye John!” Marlena answered, flirtatiously.

“Bye Doc.” John laughed as he hung up the phone.

Friday arrived soon enough and time wasn’t on Marlena’s side. She

left work late, her outfit wasn’t really chosen yet, and her tummy

bug was fading, but unfortunately not soon enough.

“Great!!!! Genius doctors out there and they can’t make a simple

damn shot that relieves this crap,” Marlena said as she walked

into the bathroom.

She jumped into the shower and soaked for a few minutes, before

jumping back out and getting ready. She put on her make-up, and

not everyday make-up, but the kind that stuns people. Once she

had put up her hair in a french twist, she ran to her closet and

threw dresses aside, placing them against her body as she looked

in the mirror. She finally found one and ran to the bathroom to

get dressed.

An hour later, the party was filling up with tons of guests, sipping

champagne, and mingling. The music filled the hall as people

occasionally danced too. John, who was dressed in a black and

grey suit tux, walked around, greeting everyone, carrying a

champagne glass in one hand, while the other shook endless

hands. He stood at the bar drinking his glass when a woman

tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and stood there

shocked.

“Karen.”

“Hi John, you look nice, having a good time?” she asked shyly.

“Yes, yes, of course I am. What are you doing here?” John asked

as he looked around.

“Oh I was invited by a friend, so I decided it would be nice to

attend for a little while.”

“Mmhhhmmm. I see. Well hey it was good seeing you again. I’ll see

you around in a bit,” John said as he walked away through the

crowd, leaving Karen there watching him.

John was standing by the dance floor, talking to the CEO when

he noticed that his associate was looking towards the stairway.

He turned to see what he was looking at, when his mouth

dropped open. Marlena was standing there, talking to her

secretary Patty, sipping champagne from time to time. She looked

absolutely breathtaking, dressed in a black form-fitting dress with

thick straps that held the dress up. The front of the dress was

low, but compared to the plunge in the back, it was nothing. And

the slit in front of the dress, had stopped just above mid thigh,

flaunting her long, slender leg. John excused himself as he made

his way towards her, bumping others out of the way.

“I think someone isn’t dressing their age, now are they?” Patty

teased, as she nudged Marlena.

“Ah huh and someone isn’t dressing enough to be their age!”

Marlena laughed as she sipped her champagne.

“Feeling better?” Patty asked as she took a sip of wine.

“Mmmm, a little bit, not completely. But hey, what the hell, it’s a

party so lets drink away,” Marlena said as she held up her glass

and clinked it with Patty’s.

John walked up behind Marlena and placed a kiss on her cheek as

she turned around, the glass still at her lips.

“John, my my, isn’t someone looking handsome tonight.” Marlena

smiled

“Well not as gorgeous as you two ladies but I’m working on it.” He

laughed as his dimples danced. “You look absolutely beautiful

Marlena.”

“Oh thank you.” Marlena laughed as she took another sip. “Well I

guess I will see you around big shot.”

“Will you grace me with one dance later?” John asked shyly.

“Why not? Wish granted!” She smiled as she glanced at Patty, and

tipped her finger under John’s chin.

As the evening progressed, John made a speech along with the

CEO as they cut a ribbon. Alex found his way to Marlena as they

joked around and drank. John walked by when he noticed Alex’s

hand on Marlena’s bare back, as jealousy shot through John like a

lightning bolt. He walked over to her and said hello to Alex and

some associates, and excused himself with Marlena.

“Why are you letting him touch you? He shouldn’t be near you!”

John said through clenched teeth.

Marlena looked up at John confused. “What? Wait, wait. He

wasn’t touching me!”

“Yes he was, his hand was on your back.”

“Oh god, let’s stop the party, his hand was on my back. John you

can’t be serious.”

“I am, he better not touch you again,” John said seriously.

Marlena pointed her finger towards John. “Just stop it, okay…

Just stop… I mean it. Now go back and enjoy yourself and I will

do the same. I’ll see you later.”

As Marlena walked away to the bar, she grabbed another drink as

her friend Dr. Lisa Rayon pulled her aside, taking the drink from

her. Marlena grabbed the drink back as Lisa explained that she

needed to tell her something and that she needed to remain sober

to hear the news she had.

John was attempting to talk to others, when someone came up to

him, congratulating him on his new arrival. John squinted his eyes

as he listened carefully.

“I’m sorry what!” John asked.

“Karen, your girlfriend, said she was pregnant. Congratulations

John,” his friend said, as he shook his hand.

“What the fuck? Ecuse me for a second!” John said, as he ran off

to find Karen. He caught her as he grabbed her by the arm,

yanking her out into the lobby.

“What the hell do you think you are doing? Why are you making up

this bullshit?”

“It’s true!”

“No, it isn’t Karen, I know it isn’t! Now get the hell out of here

now.”

“John please, I’m pregnant!” She screamed as she pulled his hands.

John pushed her away as he turned around to walk away, finding

Marlena standing there, tears forming in her eyes. She backed up

and turned around as she ran up the stairs to go get her coat.

“Shit, Marlena. Wait!!!…” John said as he took off after her,

never noticing the smirk on Karen’s face.

John caught up to Marlena as he grabbed her in the hallway and

held her.

“Let go of me John!” Marlena cried, trying to yank her arm away.

“No wait, what you heard was a lie, she is lying. I know she is.”

“Was she John? I don’t believe you! And here I was thinking it was

time for us to get back together. Why am I so stupid?” Marlena

said, as she placed her face in her hands and cried.

John picked her head up and looked into her eyes. “Look at me, I

swear on our daughter’s life, if she is pregnant, it is not mine. I

SWEAR!” John pleaded as he held her face.

Marlena looked up and then back down whispering. “There is

something you need to know,” she said as she looked back up and

into his eyes. “And I swear I don’t have a clue on what to do.”

“What is it Baby?” John asked as he searched her face, wiping her

tears with his thumb.

Marlena fidgeted with her hands as she opened her mouth, only

to find no words being said. John put his finger under her chin as

he stared into her soul. “Tell me please!” John said quietly.

Marlena closed her eyes as she said the most impossibly

unbelievable words he could ever hear.

“John… ohhh John…”

“Marlena…”

“John… I’m pregnant!” Marlena said as tears fell from her eyes, as

John froze with shock.

The charity event was packed with guests, as they danced and

drank the night away, with not a care in the world. Belle had

given her speech about Basic Black, while Kate promoted the

business with courtesy baskets filled with gifts from the company.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the hallway, John stood still, shocked and

filled with disbelief as he stared at Marlena. He tried to say

something as he searched for the right words, only to come up

blank, unable to think. He looked up at the ceiling as he shut his

eyes, trying desperately to find a word he could say. Marlena

became nervous as she watched him, struggling to accept the

notion of what she had just told him. As she observed his facial

features, she began to assume he was unhappy with the news and

turned away from him, proceeding down the hall.

John looked back down from the ceiling, only to find Marlena

missing from where she had been standing only seconds before.

He quickly glanced down the hallway as he spotted her walking

away with her hand hiding her face. He ran to her as he shouted

her name, desperate to catch her and pull her into his arms. He

finally caught up to her as he pulled her by her waist and dragged

her to him, holding her body close, while he buried his face in the

back of her neck. She fought to get out of his hold as she

wiggled and squirmed from his arms, causing him to tighten his

grip.

“Let me go John!!!…..” she cried, as she desperately pulled on his

arms.

“No Marlena… wait, please. There is something I have to say.

Please?” John said, as his lips were still pressed against her neck,

while a tear escaped his eye.

“No, there isn’t. You could barely find the words to say a minute

ago. Just let me go,” she said, as she pulled herself up and down,

trying to break his grip of her.

He grabbed her by her arm and spun her around, causing her to

face him. She turned her face away, unable to look at him. John

turned her face to him as he held it there.

“Marlena… I don’t know what to say…” John started, only to be

interrupted by Marlena’s sarcasm.

“Then don’t. You don’t have to say anything.”

“Let me finish… I don’t know what to say but THANK YOU and I

LOVE YOU! See at first I couldn’t find any words to describe

how I felt. There were no words to express my feelings, my joy.

I’m so overwhelmed with love by this news!!!! DO YOU KNOW

WHAT THIS MEANS? WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!!”

John said, as he laughed with tears in his eyes, pulling her in for a

hug. “I’m never going to let go now, you do know that, don’t you?”

Marlena let out a laugh, as she smiled for the first time since

announcing the news to him. “I know, I know… but John, I don’t

know what to do! What are we going to do? I wasn’t expecting

this to happen. This was the last thing I thought was going to

happen. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to be a

mother again. I’m scared John, I don’t think I can do this all over

again. God, I’m so scared,” Marlena said, as she cried, letting her

fear show for the first time in a very long time. John held her

closer, as he rubbed her back in small circles, trying to sooth her

fears away.

“Shhhhh, I’m here baby, I’m here. And nothing is going to happen

to you, I won’t let it. You and I will get through this and I will

help you every single step of the way. Nothing and I mean nothing

is going to take me away from this baby, not Dimera, not Alex or

Karen, NO ONE,” John said as he placed his hand on her still flat

stomach. “You trust me!!!!! You are mine to hold, love, and take

care of, and I will do just that. God, I am so damn happy. This is

it, it’s a sign Marlena… FATE… And I’m not letting you get away

ever, ever, ever again. We will take it day by day, hour after hour,

second after second. We are going to have another little, tiny,

adorable, lovable baby again. And I can’t wait!!!” John said as

kissed her lips softly.

Marlena looked down at her stomach and back up at John. “Yes

we are, and I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

“You will, from me, Belle, Brady, hell everyone. Now lets get you

home in bed, where I can hold you, kiss you, and love you all

night,” John said as he kissed her cheek.

“John where is home?” Marlena said as she looked up at him

innocently, reminding him of how Belle did that when she was a

little girl.

“Uh good question!” John laughed as he looked down at her.

“Well the answer to that is… where home was before. The

penthouse, and that will be home from this point on.”

“What about the condo?”

“Ah don’t worry about it, I’ll leave that to Brady or Belle,” John

said as kissed her nose and reached for hand.

“C’mon, let’s get out of here. I’m going to go say my goodbyes,

because I am the president of the company. Then we’ll get the

hell out of here,” John said as they walked down the hall hand in

hand.

About an hour later, John and Marlena had arrived back at a

quiet and dark penthouse. Marlena went over to the closet and

hung up her coat as John walked around. He walked to the piano

and picked up a photo of him and Marlena, the same exact photo

he broke almost a year ago, when he smashed it into the balcony

door. He glanced at Marlena and smiled, lifting the photo up and

winking at her.

“Glad to see this is still intact… I can’t believe it didn’t ruin when

I hurled it through the glass door,” John said as he placed the

photo back down on the piano.

“Yeah, I was shocked too when I picked it up later that night,”

Marlena said as she walked towards him slowly.

John looked around and closed his eyes for a brief second.

“Haven’t been here in a while… I missed it.”

Marlena smiled as she rubbed his arm gently. “Well this is home

now… welcome back. You know I still can’t believe this is

happening,” she said as she dropped her head and slowly shook it.

John was standing with his hands in his pocket as he stared out

from the balcony doors, when he turned around and searched for

her face. “When did you find out?” he asked softly as she raised

her head and looked deep into his eyes.

“Tonight… at the party,” Marlena said with a slight smile. “After 3

glasses of champagne.” She laughed.

John smiled as he leaned over and kissed her lips gently. “Well no

more from this point on… okay! So your doctor was at the party

and she told you?”

“Well she’s my friend, and I went for a brief check-up because I

wasn’t feeling too well. So anyway, she took some blood, and later

that night she saw me drinking, so she went and took the drink

away from me. She said she wanted to surprise me with the news

but she had no choice but to tell me or else I would have

continued drinking. So I was shocked, extremely, and I went to go

and find you, and that is when I heard Karen say she was

pregnant too,” Marlena said as her smile faded and her mood

dropped.

“Hey, hey, hey. What’s with the face, huh… c’mon baby, no

pouting. Remember what I told you. She isn’t pregnant, and if she

is… it isn’t mine. I promise!” John said, as he raised his right hand.

“Did you ever sleep with her, John?”

John somewhat danced around the question, but figured there

wasn’t any reason to hide from it. “Yes I did, but I took care of

myself every time. And if she is pregnant, like I said it’s not mine

because for the past few months we weren’t sleeping together,”

John said as reached for Marlena’s hand. “Hey, how about we get

ready for bed. It’s late.” He smiled as Marlena nodded her head

and smiled back.

Upstairs Marlena was undressing as she slipped into her silk

pyjamas, and taking down her hair. John was laying in bed, clad

only in a pair of black silk boxers, watching a little TV before he

called it a night. Marlena walked over to the bed and crawled

under the covers. John looked over at her as she cuddled into

the pillows.

“This feels so weird… I can’t believe that we are laying in this bed

together, after all the time we were apart, and in one second

we’re back to us all over again,” Marlena said, as she hugged her

pillow tightly and John laughed.

“Well, there is a reason we are here right now together, and it’s

because of a beautiful little life we created together. And that

little life has got me thanking my lucky stars tonight, and for the

rest of my life. This baby brought us back to what we used to be

in a quick minute and we couldn’t even do that for months.”

“John what are we going to do? We haven’t even talked about it,

we haven’t accepted the fact that there is some high risks here,

us being under one roof again so quickly. I don’t know. I kind of

think we rushed into this all too quickly.”

“Well I don’t, you know why? Because it is a sign and I’ll be

damned if I let myself walk away again. Now we are going to take

it one day at a time… remember Marlena! I wasn’t there for Belle

when you were pregnant. Well I will be here for this one,” John

said as he reached over and caressed her hair. “Now get some

sleep, relax, and take it easy. Tomorrow is another day.”

“John but don’t you find it odd that here we are in bed, and you

were the last person I expected to bring home tonight? I mean

here we are, not drunk, not naked, and purposely know what we

are doing. I think it is so ironic.”

John got a little smirk on his face as he lifted one eyebrow. “I can

fix that if you want me too… I mean drunk… nope… but naked I

can definitely do,” John said, as climbed on top of her and kissed

her passionately, pinning her hands above her head.

“John, John… wait, wait… shouldn’t we…”

“What?” John said as he kissed her neck.

Marlena smiled as she bit her lip and shut her eyes as passion

invaded her senses. “Never mind!” She laughed as she wrapped her

legs around him and kissed him back. She removed her hand from

his grip and trailed it down his back.

“Oh John… we should really do something to celebrate…”

“Oh, we are going to!” John said, as he kissed her lips.

Marlena smiled up at him as she reached for the remote. “But

first… this is going to be off John!” She said sarcastically as she

clicked off the TV, and they disappeared into the dark,

rediscovering each other once again.

A few days had passed since the charity event and things began

to get back to normal once again. Well, most things, considering

the fact that a major newsflash was thrown to both John and

Marlena that night. They both tried to adapt to the situation the

best they could, however, deep down inside it felt like one huge

illusion that they were trapped in. They spent the few days

hugging and holding each other, but tiptoed around the decision

of telling their children, family, and friends. The kids would call

looking for John at his condo, and would get no answer or even a

call back. The penthouse’s phone would ring endlessly causing

Marlena to run to the phone every twenty minutes, coming up

with many different excuses. Belle, as usual, would be frantic and

go on about her dad needing to do this and needing to be here

for that and so on. Marlena would smile as she calmly explained

that he was probably just out of town and she was just working

herself up. Two minutes after, Marlena would hang up the

penthouse line, John’s cell phone would ring continously until

John would transfer all calls to voice-mail. Marlena would laugh

as she’d gently slug him on the arm, demanding he pick up his calls

or else she would be tortured with returning calls complaining he

was nowhere to be found. John would pull her into a hug and

playfully nip at her neck as he insisted that she shouldn’t pick up

the phone then. They would laugh and joke at the situation,

before going to the den and sitting back to watch a movie.

A couple of hours later, Marlena slowly opened her eyes as she

sat up slightly, looking over at John. She nudged him a tiny bit

with hope that he would wake up, but he just rolled over to the

opposite side, facing the couch. She could of sworn that she

heard the doorbell, but assumed that it was only the TV. She laid

back down and gently closed her eyes when she heard the front

door open then close and a high pitch voice calling “Mom”. Her

eyes flew open as she jumped up and off the couch and roughly

shook John. He woke up quickly, glancing over at Marlena with

confused eyes as she whispered to him that Belle was here. She

pointed at the closet and told him to go hide in there while she

tried to go get rid of Belle. He whispered to her that it was a

ridiculous idea and they should just announce the truth already.

Marlena shook her head and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the

closet and pleading with him to remain quiet as she placed her

fingers to his lips. She then laid back down as she pulled the

covers over her and called out to Belle that she was in the den.

Belle ran in seconds later as she frantically began saying that

something was wrong and her dad is missing. Marlena motioned

for Belle to come over and sit by her. Once her daughter sat

down, Marlena placed her hand in Belle’s soft blonde hair and

caressed each strand.

“Oh Baby girl… I think your daddy is just fine. Like I said before,

he probably just went out of town for a while, maybe to clear his

mind. I don’t know sweetie… but I do know one thing for sure. If

something happened, we would know about it already. So relax…

calm down,. You’re giving Mama a little headache with all the

panicking that you are doing.” Marlena smiled as she rubbed her

back in lazy circles.

“But Mom… something is just weird… don’t you think? I dunno,

maybe it is just me. Ahhhhhh… oh I forgot to ask you, how are

you feeling? Did you get rid of that little tummy bug you had?”

Belle said, as she placed a gentle hand on her mom’s stomach.

Marlena somewhat jumped up, causing Belle to jump up and look

at her funnily. “What is it Mom… Did I hurt you?” Belle asked with

a concerned face.

“No… No… No… I’m fine… your hands were a little cold that’s

all.” Marlena smiled

“No they aren’t, Mom.” Belle smiled as she placed her hands on

her cheeks to feel the temperature, and then grabbed her

mother’s hands. “See… they are warm.”

“Oh, then I must have caught a draft… well the tummy bug… I’m

still dealing with it. It will probably be around for a while… the

way its going,” Marlena said, as she rolled her eyes and she

reached for a glass of water on the table.

“What do you mean? Aren’t you taking any medication?” Belle

asked as she got up to go to the closet to get a blanket.

Marlena was looking at the TV as she answered her question and

then back to where she thought Belle was sitting. “Well I am… but

you know how that goes… Nooooooo!!!” she shouted, as she

moved off the couch.

Belle jumped ten feet high as she screamed too, looking over at

her mom. “OH MY GOD… Whats wrong?”

Marlena quickly regained her composure as she placed her hand

on her throat. “I ohhh… I thought you were going to trip on that

chair right there. Oh man you gave me a scare there girl.” Marlena

smiled as Belle looked over at the chair and then back at her mom.

“I was nowhere near that chair… I was just going to get you an

extra blanket. Mom, I think you need some sleep. I know its only

5:30… but you definitely need some rest.”

“You are probably right baby girl… I think I will lay down.” Marlena

smiled as she took another sip of her water.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Belle asked, as she placed her

arms around her mother and kissed her cheek.

Marlena pulled her into a hug as well and kissed the top of her

head. “No thats okay sweetheart… go ahead, I’ll be fine… I’m just

going to go to bed.”

“Alright then Mom… if you need me, call me okay?” Belle said as

she got up and kissed her mom goodnight.

“Goodnight honey!” Marlena whispered as Belle walked out.

Marlena waited till she heard the front door close then shouted

for John to come out. John flew out the closet and leaned over,

placing his hands on his knees. He took his hand and wiped his

forehead as he looked over at Marlena.

“I just want you to know that this was a very dumb… stupid…

horrific idea,” John said as he dropped his head in shame.

Marlena smiled as she took another sip of her water and laughed.

“Oh come on John… it wasn’t that bad… that was pretty close

though huh?”

“First of all… yeah that was close… second of all, you weren’t in

there so I suggest you hold your comments, please,” John said as

he knelt in front of her. “Sweetheart, in all seriousness, we have

to tell them and you know we do. I mean, what are you going to

do? Hide the pregnancy and then in the end… oops look at this…

where did this baby come from?”

Marlena let out a weak smile as she looked down at the blanket

before replying. “I know, I’m just scared thats all. I don’t know

how to explain this… there is going to be 1,001 questions and I

don’t know how to answer them.”

“We answer them together… okay babydoll?” John said as he

placed a finger under her chin.

“Ok… but what about when they ask how did this happen…

because you know they will John.”

“What… we tell them the truth… we had sex.” John laughed

“JOHN… I’m serious… stop playing,” Marlena said with

seriousness written all over her face.

“Me too… relax, we will be fine. Now how about tomorrow? No

better idea… tomorrow we will tell them. Make a reservation, uh

penthouse grill, and set it for 4.”

“Uh John that is too nice of a place…”

“Then they can’t make a scene… okay… and they won’t. Now

tomorrow… me, you, Belle, and Brady. Okay… now give me a kiss,”

John said as he leaned over until Marlena put a hand on his chest

and stopped him. John looked up at her with a questioning stare.

“What’s the matter?”

“John… I got to throw up!” Marlena managed to say before she

got up and ran to the bathroom, with John quickly on her heels.

The next day approached very quickly as John groggily crawled

out of bed and into the shower. He turned on the water and

walked back out into the bedroom to get his robe, while glancing

at Marlena, who was sleeping. He walked over to her and knelt

down next to her as he placed his hand on her head. He knew she

was tired from an entire night of running back and forth to the

bathroom. He remembered waking up every hour to the sound of

her throwing up and then crawling back to bed, only to get back

up an hour later. He never knew someone could actually get as

sick as she did last night. In fact she threw up so much, he could

of sworn that the baby probably found its way out. He smiled as

he kissed her forehead, leaving her to sleep. God knows she needs

it and this was the first time she was actually sleeping peacefully.

He got back up and went into the bathroom where he quickly

jumped into the shower and washed up. About a half hour later,

he was putting on cologne and ready to head out. He was dressed

in a white silk shirt and some black trousers and a dark tie. He

went to the dresser to go put on his watch, when Marlena slowly

awoke and looked over towards the dresser. Once he put on his

watch, he turned around to go get his cell phone, when he saw

that she was awake. He smiled as he walked over by her and gave

her a quick kiss.

“Are we feeling better?” John giggled as he nuzzled his nose with

hers.

“What do you mean we? I didn’t see you running back and forth

last night. Ummmm I feel a little better,” Marlena said with a sore

voice.

“Good… because I hope you know that you will have to come up

with something better than this… in order to cancel our plans

tonight.”

“But John… I don’t feel well…” Marlena complained.

“Uh uh uh… nope… we are going to do this tonight and that’s it.

Now, The Penthouse Grill has bathrooms too, that’s if you get

sick… and… and… I will be making the reservations tonight, since,

knowing you and your condition, they would never be made. So be

ready by 5… I’ll pick you up downstairs.” John smiled as he gave

her another kiss before walking to the door.

“John…” Marlena begged as she placed a pillow over her face.

“See you at 5… dear! Love ya! Call me!” John said, as he walked

out of the room and headed downstairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time had flown by, as 5 o’clock was approaching rather quickly.

John was at his office taking care of some files and phone calls

when he looked over at the clock. He cursed at himself as he

hung up the phone and placed the files in one pile on the desk.

He then closed all his files in the computer as he picked up the

phone and called Marlena.

“Hello.”

“Hey there beautiful… you ready yet?” John asked.

“Uh no… I feel sick and I am not going!” Marlena said with

sarcasm.

“Oh yes you are!!!”

“John well… okay I’m almost ready. I almost got you, didn’t I?”

Marlena laughed, as she turned on the blow dryer.

“No you didn’t… and it wouldn’t matter because I would of

dragged you out anyway.” John laughed.

“Did you call the kids?”

“Mmmm hmmm and did I get an earful from Belle! Boy, was she

mad! Anyway, I told them I was going to throw a dinner tonight

for us four. Let’s just say their reactions were even better than

when I first called them. Of course they wanted to know what it

was about and I told them that they would have to wait and see!

So it’s safe to say that… yes there will be 1,001 questions tonight!!”

“I dunno John!” Marlena mumbled as she continued to fix her hair

and talk at the same time.

John quickly gathered his things as he told Marlena he was on his

way out.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes, be ready in the lobby. I’m going to

pick you up in the front,” John said, as he said his quick goodbye.

Marlena hung up the phone and looked at herself in the mirror.

“Well… okay… here goes nothing,” she said, as she got up and got

ready.

About 45 minutes later, Belle and Brady were waiting in the

restaurant lobby when John and Marlena walked in together.

Marlena, who was dressed in a white formfitting pantsuit, pulled

her hand away and gave an embarrassed look. They all stood there

as they glanced at each other, with confusion on their faces.

Belle opened her mouth as if to ask something, but then quickly

closed it once she realized she couldn’t think of a sentence.

Brady gave John and Marlena a look of disapproval as he walked

over to Marlena and kissed her cheek.

“Hi Mom… you look nice!” he said while giving her a tiny hug.

“Thank you honey… and you look handsome as always.” Marlena

smiled as she looked over his suit.

John walked over to the host, asking if their table was ready, and

tipping the host in the process. The host quickly ushered them to

their table and sat them down. Once there was no one in earshot,

Brady looked over at his parents and asked calmly what they were

there for.

“All in good time son… relax.” John managed to say with a smile

on his face before he waved down the waiter.

“Okay, well let me ask this then. Why did you two arrive together?

Did you meet in the parking lot?” Brady asked sarcastically.

Marlena gave a nervous look towards John and then turned her

face back to Brady as she smiled, and replied softly. “Well not

exactly, its kind of ironic actually.”

Belle smiled as she reached for her glass and took a sip of water.

“Well explain then Mom, you know I can’t stand suspense.”

“How about we order some drinks, dinner, then we will explain the

situation,” John said as he picked up his menu.

“What’s the big deal! That’s why we are here right? Just tell us!”

Brady said angrily, annoyed at the idea.

“Relax son… just cool it.” John raised his voice as he gave an

angry stare. “Now let’s order and then we will explain what is

going on, okay?”

As the evening progressed, everyone ate dinner quietly while

Marlena poked at her food, glancing around the room from time

to time. Belle looked up at her and gave a quizzical look as

Marlena took a sip of her sprite.

“Are you still feeling sick, Mom?” Belle asked as she took a bite of

her steak.

“What makes you assume that honey?” Marlena smiled as she took

another sip of her drink.

“Well, cause you barely touched your food, and you are drinking

sprite soda.”

“Yeah what’s up with that?” Brady said, as he put his fork down.

“You always, always, always have a glass of wine before and during

dinner.”

Marlena laughed nervously as she looked towards John. “I didn’t

know you two were paying so much attention to me, but to

answer Belle’s question, I still am feeling a little under the

weather. But not to worry, I’ll be back to me in no time.”

Belle and Brady looked at each other and then at their parents.

“How about the truth this time!” Belle said calmly.

John nudged Marlena’s leg underneath the table causing her to

look at him. John raised his eyebrows, signaling it was time to tell

them. Marlena took a deep breath as she let out a sigh.

“You two are absolutely right… You need to know the truth,”

Marlena said quietly as she looked over at John. “There is going

to be some huge changes in our family.”

“What changes?” Brady asked as he looked between his parents.

“Well, uh… well…” Marlena stuttered.

“What your mom is trying to say is that we both have had our

separate lives and now it’s time to move on,” John said, only to be

cut off by Belle.

“What… What is going on?”

“Dad hey… what’s going on? Are you marrying Karen?” Brady said

nervously.

John burst out laughing as he drank his wine. “God no… in fact

Karen and I are over.”

“Thank God!” Belle said as she picked at some bread in the basket.

Marlena smiled as she swatted Belle’s hand from the bread.

“So then what is it? What is going on?” Belle asked as she bit the

bread.

John and Marlena exchanged looks as Marlena spoke up. “Well

there is no other way to say it, so I’m just going to.”

“What Mom?” Brady said.

She looked at her kids and then at John before looking down and

laughing. “Ok… ok… Um remember when I told you I have the

flu? Well it’s not the flu. It’s more serious than that actually,

much more serious.”

“Oh my god, what is it?” Belle said with a scared look on her face.

“Oh honey, it’s okay. Don’t worry, I’m just fine.”

“I don’t get it…. maybe I’m the only one but you just said that you

are okay and then said you had something serious.”

“Guys, guys… your mother and I are going to get back together.

We talked about it and we think its the best thing. We are still

very much in love and I want nothing more than to be with your

mom.”

Belle laughed with happiness as Brady dropped his head in disgust.

“What made you do this?” Belle said with a happy smile and

cheerful voice.

“Well because, Belle and Brady, I’m pregnant. I’m going to have a

baby!” Marlena smiled as she held John’s hand.

“Oh no… are you serious? Oh God Mom… that is awesome. I’m

going to have another little brother or sister. Oh my god, that is

great… isn’t that wonderful Brady?”

“Yeah awesome…” Brady said, with a sarcastic tone.

“What’s the problem Brady?” John said as his smile faded to an

angry frown.

“Gee I don’t… could it be that I think this whole idea is a bunch

of bullshit? I mean I gave Marlena a whole lot of credit when she

threw you out. You hurt her badly and she didn’t deserve that at

all. So then you sneak back into her life a year later… seduce

her… and you… Mom, Marlena have the nerve to fall for that

game and lay on your back. I thought you were smarter than

that… but no, let my father come along and your legs just seem to

open for him.”

John gave Brady a look of death as he yelled strongly. “That’s

enough… Don’t you talk to your mother that way. You got that?

Where is the respect?”

“Right where yours was when you lied to her the first and second

time. And I no longer have respect for you both… you should

have known better, but no… let’s let the lust take over our

judgment. And then have the nerve to say I got pregnant… isn’t

that what happened with Belle too? What a pattern,” Brady said

angrily as he stood up, threw his napkin on the table and

attempted to walk away.

“Brady stop it… Why are you acting this way? And what do you

mean like me?” Belle said as she grabbed his arm to prevent him

from leave from the table. Marlena sat there with tears flowing

from her eyes, while John stood up from the table.

“Let him go… you no longer are part of this family,” John said as

he gave a horrible look to Brady.

“Good… see ya around,” Brady said as he walked away.

“Not if we see you first,” John said as Marlena pulled his arm

down.

“John… honey, let him go… it’s okay,” Marlena said as she swiped

at her tears. John reached for her as he held her close. “Don’t

cry baby… it’s okay…”

“Yeah Mom… don’t cry. I think this is the best thing that could

ever happen. I love you,” Belle said as she stood up and went over

to hug her mom.

“I love you too baby girl.” Marlena said, as a tear escaped her eye.

“And you know what the best part is Mom? I get to take care of

you and Dad gets to spoil you and all that good stuff.” Belle

laughed as John hugged Belle, and Marlena smiled.

“Tell you girls what… let’s get out of here, go rent a movie and go

back home to watch it under a big, warm blanket.” John smiled as

the girls nodded and got up to leave.

The night wasn’t over yet, for John had a surprise for his wife.

That is if Belle ever leaves for the night.

The hand on the clock struck twelve as the tiny bell rang, awakening Marlena and Belle from their nap. Belle placed her hand over her eyes as she attempted to regain herself, while Marlena rubbed her shoulder.

“You tired sweetheart?” Marlena whispered with her eyes closed.

“Oh yeah…I don’t feel like driving all the way home…you know.”

“Then Don’t, your bedroom is upstairs, so go and get ready for bed, baby.” Marlena smiled as she nudged her waist.

“Ma, I don’t want to be an inconvience though.”

“Inconvience nothing….this is still your home..now get your booty upstairs and go to sleep….I’ll be up there in a sec. to kiss you goodnight.” Marlena smiled as she winked at her daughter before getting up and walking to the kitchen.

Marlena walked in slowly as she spotted John sipping on a cup of coffee. She gave an odd look before walking up to him and kissing the top of his head.

“Whatcha doing?” Marlena smiled as she sat across from him.

“Having some coffee….you girls fell asleep and I couldn’t take the chic flick any longer…so I came in here and made some of my famous coffee.” He said with a smile before taking another slow sip.

“mmmmm what I would do for one of those cups of coffee…ohhh I wish I could have some.” Marlena let out a small smile that was quickly replaced with a pout.

“Ohh my poor baby….you can have some after….. lets see….uhh 7 1/2 months.”

Marlena gave a giggle before getting up and walking to the fridge. “Why are you drinking coffee anyways? You planning on staying up all night cowboy?” She smiled while pulling out a carton of apple juice.

John gave a her a smirk as he arched his eyebrow.

“Oh-Oh….. I know what that look means….so tell me Mr. Black….What did you have in mind?”

John leaned in closer as he spoke barely above a whisper. “Did Belle leave yet?”

Marlena shook her head slowly from side to side as she whispered that she was going to be staying the night.

John’s excitement dropped as he spoke in a low tone, “Then I guess you won’t find out then….will you?”

“Oh John, come on, please just a little hint.” Marlena begged while pouring herself a glass.

“Uh-Uh Don’t worry, I will do this another night.” John laughed

“John!”

“Hey baby….relax….all in good time.” John said as he watched Marlena grab her glass and walk to the kitchen door.

“Well in that case….I’ll be upstairs…… sleeping……goodnight!”

John slowly crawled up the stairs, stopping by Belle’s room and poking his head inside to check on his daughter. He walked up to her and placed a soft kiss on her head, whispering goodnight and that he loved her. He then slowly closed her door and proceeded down the hallway to the bedroom. John smiled to himself before opening the door slowly and creeping in. Marlena was laying in bed, flipping through endless channels.

“Restless are we?”

“Don’t talk to me John. I don’t feel like associating with someone who doesn’t want to share things with me.”

John placed a hand on his chest. “I’m hurt….Are you talking to me?….your husband…your lover…your friend…your reason for living. And I do too share things with you.”

“Yeah sure…then tell me now what you had planned.”

“If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise…now would it, Marlena?”

Marlena gave John an innocent look as she blinked her eyes a few times.

John crawled onto the bed as he leaned over her, turning on the lamp and opening the nightstand drawer, pulling out a tiny, black velvet box. He smiled at her as he placed a tiny kiss on her lips, while holding the box in front of her. Marlena’s eyes widen with excitment as her dimples danced.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and you’ll find out!” John smiled as he placed a finger under her chin.

Marlena laughed as she placed a shaky hand on John’s. “You do it Honey.”

John opened the lid slowly, revealing a platinum marqius diamond surrounded by smaller shaped diamonds, that twinkled in the light.

The main diamond sparkled in the rays of the light as the wall seem to fill with glitter. Marlena’s mouth shot open as she placed her hand over her mouth, tears threatening to spill out.

Barely able to find words, she took a deep breath and stuttered. “What….what is this for?”

John looked deep into her eyes and gave a slight smile before answering her question.

“This my love is for you…..I know we had our rough times….but fate has brought us back once again and this time forever. I know I have made mistakes and I promise you, I stake my life on this, that I will never hurt you again. I will hurt myself before I ever hurt you, you mean everything to me. You are my whole life, my reason for living, my wife, my lover, and my very best friend. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn’t do for you. I dedicate the rest of my life to you and our baby.”

Marlena’s tears were free falling as she smiled and pulled her husband into a hug. “God I love you so much!” Marlena whispered as she held onto him tightly.

John pulled back as he smiled at her. “So Marlena….this is for you….to start our new life together….your new ring…our new dedication to eachother forever. This is your new wedding ring.” John said as he kissed her passionatly before laying her down and loving her the way no other man ever will.

Weeks had passed in Salem as Christmas was just around the

corner. Marlena was John’s target day in and day out, watching

her like a hawk on its prey. It was beginning to drive her crazy

that he kept such a protective eye on her, for she couldn’t do

anything without answering 101 questions. John wanted to make

sure that she was okay and if she had any pain and so on. They

had huge disagreements about Marlena going back to work, but in

the end she claimed victory. After a taking a few weeks off on

vacation, she was finally going back to work. Life seemed to be

getting back to normal, considering the circumstances with all

that had happened. Marlena was beginning to show a little, her

stomach now swelling up somewhat. John would tease her,

claiming it looked like she swallowed a whole melon, but quickly

reassuring her that he absolutely loved it. Marlena, however, was

becoming frustrated that she was gaining the weight so quickly.

Every single day she would flip through endless outfits, throwing

them to the side, demanding John buy her a new wardrobe. After

all it was his fault, at least in her eyes, that she was pregnant.

John would laugh it off, stating to her that she should have

taken better care of herself. But nevertheless, he would take his

lady anywhere, anytime, and buy her anything she desired.

The weekend was finally over, as Monday rolled in a little too

soon, at least for John. Marlena was in the shower, preparing for

her first day back since she had found out the news. John slowly

walked to the bathroom to take a little peek at his wife. He

adored the way she looked and the way her body was shaped.

Especially the way she looked now with a little swell in her tummy,

That drove him crazy with desire knowing he was the reason that

it was there. He slowly slipped off his robe and snuck behind her

in the shower, his mouth hovering on the back of her neck. She

let out a small moan, before regaining herself and turning herself

around.

“John, I have to go to work… and this right here… will make me

late!” She smiled as she placed a gentle hand over his lower region.

“No it won’t… you’ll be on time!” John said with a filled voice.

“John let me finish in here… so I can go…” Marlena stated, but

was quickly cut off when John placed his mouth over hers. She

slowly gave in to him as she felt his tongue caress hers in a slow,

seductive way. He backed her up to the shower wall, where he

then pinned her as he made his way down her body. He

passionately kissed her breasts as he continued his journey

further down, stopping by the swell of her tummy. He kissed it

gently, his tongue sliding over her smooth skin, while her hands

roamed through his soaked hair. His hands went around the very

tiny bump as they disappeared behind her, pulling her closer to

him. He dug his face inside her as he sucked rapidly, bringing her

to the edge. He looked up at her as he pulled her down to him.

He gently held her hand as she slowly straddled him, her legs

resting on each of his sides. He kissed her passionately once more

before grabbing himself, attempting to enter her. She looked

down slowly as she moved her hips a certain way, so that he could

push himself in. John felt her moist opening, as he raised his hips

up a bit so that he entered her. She let out a moan filled with

pleasure as her eyes closed softly, her nails digging into his

shoulders. John shut his eyes as well, as his hands went to her

backside where he rocked her hips back and forth, up and down,

and side to side. Marlena clung to her husband as she felt the tip

of him hitting her walls deep inside, roughly and wildly. He would

hold her up while he pulled out and then slam her down back into

him. Marlena was screaming his name as she bounced on John,

while he made low grunts, sucking her breasts. Marlena arched

her back backwards so that he could enter her swifter and

harder, pulling her close, desperate to get as close as possible.

The water beat down on their bodies as the steam rose and

fogged the shower doors. Marlena’s hair began to form small

wavy curls while each strand slammed against her face with every

rock she did. John felt her walls tightening as he slammed into

her harder, her hips now clashing to his violently, as sounds of

their skin slapping together filled the room. John let out a loud

moan as he lifted his hips and emptied himself into her body, his

hands leaving pressure marks on her skin. He continued to rock

her until he felt her explode and crumble in his arms. She looked

deep into his eyes as she gave him a million dollar smile.

“You see… now I’m late!!!! Thanks!”

John laughed as pulled her into a small hug. “Oh, but wasn’t it so

worth it?”

“Oh yes it was, Mr. Black!” Marlena whispered as tried to get back

up.

“Woah, woah, woah… where are you going?”

“Work!” Marlena said innocently.

“Uh uh no you aren’t,” John said with an evil smirk.

“If this is your way of trying to get me not to go to work… then

nice try… but I’m going… Sorry! If there is any consolation… I

loved the distraction… you are absolutely wonderful, baby,”

Marlena said as she kissed him softly, and slowly got up and out

of the shower.

About a half an hour later, Marlena was barely out the door

when John came running down the stairs. He grabbed her and

pulled her into a hug and tiny kiss.

“I’ll drive you.”

“Uh no you won’t… I’ll make it to work, okay! Love you, gotta go,

call me later, bye!” Marlena said as quickly as possible before

kissing his lips and walking out the door.

John smiled to himself as he grabbed his coat and car keys. He

had some things to get and some major surprises for his beautiful

wife, and a whole lot of Christmas shopping to do.

Marlena pulled into the parking garage as she hurriedly made her

way to work. She finally got inside the building as she made her

way down to her office. She entered through the lobby of her

office, running into her secretary Patty.

“Oh my God… look who just walked in! Get the press!” Patty

laughed as she got up and walked around the desk, pulling

Marlena into a hug. “Girl, how have you been?”

“Good… good… and you? How were things without me?” Marlena

smiled as she adjusted her coat, hiding her stomach.

“Good… not to bad… would have worked better if you were here,

you know! So explain… why did you take off 3 weeks? Did you

ever get rid of that flu?”

“Well come into my office and I’ll catch you up. There are a few

things you need to know!” Marlena laughed as she made her way

to her office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright… well, where should I start?” John said as he glanced at

endless diamond necklaces.

“How about this one Mr. Black!” The saleswoman said as she took

out a necklace filled with diamonds and sapphires.

“Oh, that is perfect… would you wrap that up for me Susan? Ad

charge it to my account,” John said with a huge smile while he

made a phone call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“WHAT… OH MY GOD… NO… GET OUT OF HERE!” Patty

screamed with joy as she leaned over Marlena’s desk.

“Yes, it’s true… can you believe it?” Marlena said as she sat on the

other side with her hands folded on the desk.

“So what made you go back to him? I mean this time for good…

right? Tell me Marlena… oh I can’t believe you are back with him.”

Marlena smiled as she leaned in closer to her. “There’s more!”

Patty’s mouth dropped open as she sat there waiting to hear more.

Marlena got up from her chair and walked around the desk. She

pressed her suit jacket close to her body as she showed her a

little bump. Patty just shrugged it off, figuring it was weight gain.

Marlena grabbed Patty’s hand and placed it on her stomach, while

giving a happy smile.

“NO,” Patty said shocked

“Oh yeah.” Marlena laughed as Patty jumped ten feet high, pulling

Marlena into a hug.

“Oh gosh, did this just happen, or what? Wait, how old are you?

Aren’t you done having children?”

“Gee thanks alot Patty. You like nice too, and none of your

business about my age. I’m just kidding! Anyway, I thought I was

done too but obviously not. Well remember when I thought I had

a little flu bug… well it was because of this little bug.” Marlena

smiled as she pointed to her stomach. “Don’t worry Patty, I found

out later at the party, and then I didn’t come to work. So you are

technically the first at work to know. I didn’t lie to you before or

anything.” Marlena laughed as Patty wiped her forehead.

“So what’s going to happen?”

“Well here’s my new wedding ring… so go from there!” Marlena

said as she flashed the new, shiny, and huge as hell diamond.

“Holy SHHHhhhhh”

“Pssssss… easy… calm down…” Marlena laughed.

A knock at the door distracted the conversation as Patty and

Marlena looked up.

“Hello ladies… am I interrupting?”

“No… no… what can I help you with Alex?” Marlena smiled as she

looked over at Patty.

“I’ll chat with you later… excuse me,” Patty said as she walked out

and shut the door.

“Well I came to say welcome back… I really missed you. The truth

is… I was thinking about you a whole lot. I need you back

Marlena,” Alex pleaded as he completely closed the door behind

him.

Marlena became a little edgy at the idea of him feeling this way,

but decided to tell him what was going on. “Well Alex… I

understand how you feel, but there is nothing I can do about

that.”

Alex’s expression dropped as he heard her carefully tell him news

that was about to rip his heart out.

“You see Alex… I’m back with John, for good.”

“Is that what that huge rock stands for, you’re John’s. What… he

couldn’t find you a bigger one? He might as well brand you. With a

ring like that he’s basically saying you are his.”

He looked deep into her eyes as he realized what he said. “I’m

sorry, I had no right to say that.”

“I’m sorry Alex that you feel that way. Look the truth is John

and I are back together and… that we’re having a baby.”

Alex’s face registered shock and devastation as Marlena’s words

ripped into his soul.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Oh well congratulations, I’m really happy for you, really,” Alex

said as he walked over and hugged her, while Marlena hesitated a

bit.

“Thank you Alex, I appreciate it.” Malena said, a little uneasily, as

Alex pulled back and gave a small smile.

“Okay well I gotta go do my rounds, but hey, I’ll see you around.

Congratulations again,” Alex said as he walked to the door.

“Alex…” Marlena said quietly.

He turned around as she smiled at him.

“Thank you for everything.”

He smiled and left, as Patty walked past him and into the office.

“What the hell is going on? Return of the exes or what?”

Marlena gave a sarcastic look as she smiled at Patty. “You know

Patty, you are what we call in my field, a dumb ass. Just wanted

you to know that.”

Patty smiled as she gave her some files. “Well at least you’ll

remember me always…”

“I’ll never forget my pumpkin.”

“So, hey you never finished telling me… so technically this baby

was conceived before you and John reconciled, right?”

Marlena just looked over at her as if to say ‘you got to be kidding

me’.

“Okay, okay, just checking… wait then that means you were

drinking all that shit when you had the little one inside?”

“I didn’t know yet. I found out an hour later when Lisa walked up

to me and told me. You think if I knew I that I was expecting… I

would be drinking?”

“You never know… shrinks do snap at times… I’m just kidding too.

So when did you, ya know?” Patty smiled as she awaited Marlena’s

answer. She knew Marlena would tell her, granted that was a

private issue. However, Marlena and Patty grew quite close as

Marlena struggled through her marriage before. Patty went from

a secretary to her supporter, her friend, and even her family.

“Well let’s see… I’m sure it was then because that was the only

time we did… remember when I told you I ran into John in the

hallway here and he asked if I would meet him that night?”

“Yeah you told me that already and you did go out and meet him

and you went home.”

“Yes, but what I didn’t say was that I went HOME with him. God

that was such a good night. I realized that night that I was still so

very much in love with him.”

Patty’s mouth was wide open as she laughed. “You kept this from

me? What the hell. Ahhh look at the time. Hey Mar I gotta go do

some work, it’s getting late. But we’ll catch up later, cause we

have alot of that to do. By the way, how far along are you? You

are showing kinda quick?”

Marlena rolled her eyes slightly as she smiled a bit. “Can’t get

anything past you, can they Patricia. Uh let’s see, when I found

out I was 7 weeks, and then I was gone for three weeks soo… so

I’m 10 going on 11 weeks,” Marlena said as she looked up and

counted on her fingers and then back at Patty, who seemed

confused still. “In other words honey, I’m 2 1/2 going on 3 months.”

“Well thats why you are showing then… you’re a few months in

there. Plus you are tiny as hell so that’s probably why your

showing so soon.”

“Like I said they can’t get anything past you.”

“Shut up… I’ll see you later, let me know if you need anything,”

Patty said as she closed the door behind her.

Marlena was just about to sit down when her phone rang.

“Dr. Evans.”

“Hey baby… what are you doing right now?” John asked

seductively causing Marlena to smile brightly.

“Now nothing… but before I was telling Patty the news… yeah she

is a little shocked. Why honey?”

“Well then I think that you should leave work early? Do you have

any patients today?”

“Today no… tomorrow yes.. .but I have so much work to catch up

on so unfortunately sweetheart… I can’t leave early. I’m sorry.”

“Oh well, in that case, go to the lobby then. Love you… bye,”

John said as he blew her a kiss through the phone and hung up.

Marlena walked over and opened her door, glancing over at Patty.

“Problem?”

“Uh no…” Marlena said, as John walked through the door with a

vase filled with every color rose.

“Hello my love… this here is for you… and this is for you and oh

my god… so is this!” John said as he gave Marlena the vase and

then a huge gift bag. He looked over at Patty and said hello as he

placed the bag on the chair, pulling out a huge white satin box

with a red bow. “Open this Marlena.”

Marlena smiled as she walked over to her husband and kissed his

lips gently. She placed the flowers down on the desk and grabbed

the box. “What is it?” she asked as her smile grew out of control.

“Open it and you’ll find out.”

She tore open the paper softly, revealing a long low cut black

dress, beads of sequins here and there. She looked over at him as

he gave her a rectangular velvet box. “It goes with this, too.”

“John? You shouldn’t have,” she said as she slowly open the lid. A

dark diamond and sapphire encrusted necklace lay in the box,

sparkling in the light. The necklace was about two inches thick

filled with massive diamonds. “Oh my God….John what is this

for?” she said as tears glistened down her cheeks.

“There is a huge gala getting thrown for Basic Black in New York

tonight. Everyone will be there… stars… celeberities… big shots…

Trump! So this is for you… my wife in nothing but the best.”

Marlena smiled as she threw herself into his arms kissing his lips.

“You never told me about a party, and tonight…”

“Cause its a surprise… Hello Trump… ohh I gotta keep an eye on

you… he might try to steal you from me.”

“No one could…” Marlena said as her lips found his and

smothered them. “Take me home Black… Patty I’m leaving early,

oh and reschedule my patients until the day after tomorrow.”

“Sure what’s another day… you haven’t been here since uh 3

weeks ago and today you only talked so… yeah go home. Have a

good night… have fun.”

John hurried Marlena out the office and into the waiting car

outside. They had a tight schedule today and no time to waste…

shower and a shave… hair drying… make-up applying… and a

waiting jet to fly them to New York and back. It was a night his

wife would never ever forget.

The Black Jet cut through the late evening sky, as it faded

between the clouds that were painted in peach. Marlena looked

out from her window, as she admired the way the dark red rays of

the late sun painted the horizon. She placed a hand on her

stomach as she felt a sharp but brief pain. Her thoughts turned

into worry as she felt another pain, but once again ending as

quickly as it started. Marlena turned her face towards John, who

was intrigued with his magazine. She didn’t want to worry him,

figuring it could very well be nothing. She put her head back and

closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and then exhaling. John

looked up from his magazine as his eyebrow arched with curiosity.

He placed a gentle hand on her lap as she opened her eyes slowly,

looking over at him.

“You okay?” John smiled as he winked at her.

“Mmmhmmm… just a little tired that’s all. You know we rushed

out the house mighty quick… and I think I’m a little wiped out,

that’s all. Why?” she asked quietly as she gave a smirk.

“I don’t know… something just tells me… that it isn’t tiredness

that’s bothering you. Are you sure you are okay?”

“John would you relax? I’m fine… I’m pregnant now, so I’ll be tired

every now and then. Come on honey… relax… enjoy the ride.

Speaking of which, how much longer?” Marlena said, with a

childish smile as she reached for his hand.

“Not long baby… how about you sleep for a bit?” he said as he

patted her leg and glanced back at his magazine.

“John, honey?” Marlena said as she looked over at what he was

reading. “Why do you read that crap?”

“Uh, how dare you talk about my Maxum Magazine… this is an

awesome thing you know, for guys.”

“John all it is… is crap. I mean look at it… you have what’s her

name… uhhh Daisy Fuentes on the front… in a wet, white shirt…

nothing underneath mind you… and then says get a girl like her…

yeah okay!”

“Oh I’m sorry, and your Medical journals are so much better

right? Plus I think I sense a bit of sensiteness. Is that so baby?”

John said, as he formed his lips into a pout.

“No… I don’t know what you are talking about? I can wear a white

t-shirt with nothing under and make a magazine cover too, you

know.”

“What… Hustler?” John smiled as Marlena playfully swatted his

arm. “I know you can… because in all honesty, honey… you are a

very beautiful woman, and you know it too. I am so damn lucky to

have a wife as sexy, as gorgeous, as kinky, and as wonderful as

you,” John said as he leaned in and kissed her lips gently. “Now

relax… we’ll be there in no time,” John said as he continued to

read his magazine, while Marlena turned her face away and shut

her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Hilton was packed with a never ending guest list of

celebrities, business tycoons, and of course, Trump himself. John

slowly walked into the huge ballroom, dressed in a black tux, with

a gorgeous woman on his side. Marlena, dressed in the very low

cut black halter dress, and her hair was worn down, but filled

with curls. They smiled as they entered the room. Her dress clung

to her slightly but not too tightly, for she wasn’t comfortable

showing her small, yet swollen stomach. She also had on the very

expensive, very flashy, and mouth dropping diamond necklace

that John bought her. Her bracelet matched the necklace

somewhat, and her earrings glittered along with it, not to mention

the ring on her finger. John looked over at her as he kissed her

lips softly before walking down the stairs with Marlena on his

arm. They walked over to tons of business partners and

associates, as John mingled here and there, while Marlena smiled

and talked with the wives. The men would smile at Marlena as

they would compliment her by saying she must be the beautiful

wife of John Black. She would blush and smile softly as she

thanked them for their kind words before walking over to John

and kissing him.

“Congratulations Marlena… your husband told us the very good

news.” Trump smiled as he winked at her.

“Oh he did, did he?” Marlena laughed as she took a sip of water.

“Are you kidding me? That’s all he would talk about… I was like

John hows’ business and he would be like, oh good… my wifes

having a baby, laa laa laalaa, blah blah blah,” Trump laughed as he

sipped his champagne.

“Yeah, that’s my John… well it was a pleasure meeting you Mr.

Trump.” Marlena smiled as she shook his hand.

“Please Donald… and the pleasure was all mine Marlena… John

absolutely wasn’t lying when he said he had a gorgeous wife. Take

care.” Trump smiled as he pecked her cheek.

“Thank you Donald… You take care as well.” Marlena smiled as

she walked away. She was making her way to the bathroom when

she felt that pain she had earlier, only this time stronger. Her

hand instinctively went to her stomach as she closed her eyes for

a brief second, wincing from the pain. She slowly opened her eyes

as panic rushed through her head, and her judgement became

clouded for a few seconds.

“Oh God no… please no… okay, lets go find your daddy baby…

hold on there… please baby, hold on,” Marlena whispered as she

held her stomach and walked through the crowd to find John.

As she walked, the pain flew through her body, getting stronger

each time she moved, causing a few tears to escape her eyes.

John was at the bar with a few associates when he saw Marlena,

her hand clutching her stomach and her face filled with pain. He

quickly walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, her face

in the crook of his neck .

“What’s the matter baby?”

“John… oh God. Something is wrong… the baby… something is

wrong John… I’m in so much pain… I need a doctor NOW!”

Marlena said as tears fell from her eyes, panic now taking over.

“Its okay… let’s go… we will get you to a doctor right now baby…

hold on… I won’t let anything happen to you Marlena,” John said

as he grabbed her and rushed her out of the room. Once they

reached the lobby, Marlena let out a moan as her eyes shut tightly

and her hand went over her stomach. “Oh God John… please

no… these can’t be contractions.”

“GET ME AN AMBULANCE NOW!” John shouted at the front

desk while holding a crying Marlena in his arms. John held her

tightly and kissed the top of her head as he rocked them gently,

whispering words of encouragement.

“Don’t let anything happen to this baby… please John,” Marlena

cried as she clung to her husband. John looked down at her

noticing a dark liquid pooling on the floor around them. He

reached down and touched it, bringing his fingers up and looking

at it.

“Oh shit… No… Where is the GODDAMN AMBULANCE? NOW

PLEASE, NOW,” John screamed as he picked his wife up in his

arms and carried her to the couch.

“What’s happening John?” Marlena said softly as she began to lose

consciousness.

“Honey you stay with me okay… don’t close your eyes… look at me

baby,” John said as he placed a hand on her face. Just then the

ambulance ran in and over to John and Marlena, moving John

aside and checking on his wife.

“What happened here?” The paramedic said, before noticing all

the blood rushing down her dress.

“She’s pregnant… something’s wrong…” John said sadly as the

paramedic placed her on the stretcher and rushed her to the

truck.

“We got to her out of here now…” the guy said as they hurriedly

placed her in the truck and rushed her to the emergency.

The ambulance flew through the streets of New York, as they

rushed Marlena to an emergency room as quick as possible. The

paramedic sat next to Marlena as they placed an IV in her arm

and an oxygen mask over her mouth. He calmly told her to relax

and take deep breaths, assuring her everything was going to be

okay. As he looked down at her, deep down inside he knew time

wasn’t on her side. John sat beside her clutching her pale hand as

he looked at her helplessly, tears of fear falling from his eyes. He

leaned down and kissed her head as he whispered for her to stay

with him. They reached the hospital as they rushed her into the

emergency room, leaving John in the waiting room. He tried to

get past the security, shouting that was his wife and he needed to

be with her. A doctor came up to him as he calmly explained that

they needed to work on his wife as quickly as possible without

interruptions. John raised his voice at the doctor as he

demanded to be with her. “We need to save your baby Mr. Black…

I suggest you wait here.” The doctor responded before turning

around and walking into the emergency room.

Back in the ER, Marlena lay on the stretcher, in and out of

consciousness, as blood continued to flow from her. Nurses

quickly removed the dress as they placed a hospital gown over

her, which was quickly being covered in blood. The doctor came

over and placed her legs in stirrups as they quickly began the

process of saving her baby. Marlena moaned as contractions hit

her harder each time, causing her to hemorrhage more and more.

Doctors knew they had to do something quick, if there was any

chance at all for this baby to survive. They inserted a camera into

Marlena’s pelvis as they searched for any hope of life inside,

finding absolutely none. They removed the camera and brought

out a machine, hurriedly placing it on her stomach to check for

any sounds, waves, and movements. After a few minutes of

thought, they glanced at each other, removed the machine and

took a deep breath. One of the doctors shook their head while

the other made a hand gesture to cut the procedure. “We have

no choice… we got to do it… so let’s get a move on before it’s to

late,” the head doctor said, before calling in the anesthesiologist

into the ER. Marlena slowly came to as she realized what they had

been talking about and what they had plannned to do.

“No… no… God, no, please don’t do this… please… my baby, my

baby, my baby… ” Marlena said softly as a tear escaped her eye.

One of the doctors was doing a procedure to stop the bleeding

as he looked up at her sadly.

“Marlena, you need to relax, okay… this is the only choice we

have left… it will be okay. Now here is what you are going to do.

This mask is going to go over your mouth and I want you to

breath it in slowly,” the doctor said as he placed the mask over

her nose and mouth. He heard her repeatedly saying no but

continued to calm her. “Marlena… Marlena… please relax… now

here we go… count down from 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… ”

Was all Marlena heard until she was knocked out completely. The

doctors looked over at each other as they brought in the surgical

equipment. They all took a deep breath as they gave a silent

prayer. In the meantime, John sat in the lobby crying his heart

out, slowly hoping all his dreams weren’t about to fade… or even

worse… die.

Hours passed, as every second seem to cut through John, each

time deeper and deeper. He sat there hopelessly as he placed his

head in his hands. Tears fell uncontrollably from his eyes as he

imagined what could have been… maybe what could still be. God,

why did this have to happen to him, was all he could think about.

Just when things seemed to be going his way, and things were

going in more ways than he thought possible… BOOM… it was

gone. Frustrated, he stood up and walked over to the window,

looking out at the city. Pain, nothing but pure pain, was all that

was left in his heart and deep inside his soul. The sound of a

slight creek from the door stole the silence from the room, as

light footsteps walking inside were heard. “Mr. Black?” was all

John heard when he felt his heart fall to the ground. He turned

around slowly and looked over at the doctor, not really wanting

to hear what he had to say. Somehow, whatever he was going to

say, was only going to tear him apart. “Please come with me?” The

doctor said softly as he gently placed a hand on his arm. John

followed behind him slowly, unable to shake the feeling of how

much it felt like it was his last walk. The doctor escorted him into

his office where he took a seat. The doctor looked him over

once more before giving a sympathetic smile and placing a soft

hand on his shoulder.

The room was light colored and quiet, as the sun poked through

the shades, leaving traces of light here and there. Marlena’s body

lay motionless on the bed as the white sheets covered her body,

her pale hands laying to her side. Her eyes opened, fluttering

slowly as she attempted to regain her vision, but with no luck. She

listened carefully as she heard the sounds of a soft beep from a

machine, but unable to recognize her surroundings. She once

again she tried to open her eyes, her vision still blurry and hazy.

She began to panic as she fought harder to open her eyes, this

time succeeding slowly. The first thing she noticed was the heart

monitor machine that continued to beep endlessly. She slowly

turned her head as she felt the warmth of a hand grab hers

gently, kissing it lightly. She let out a small smile as she soundlessly

said John’s name. He smiled back at her as he soundlessly said

hello, and then leaned down to kiss her lips softly.

“You know you gave me a scare there honey… not cool…” John

smiled as he squeezed her hand.

Marlena looked up at him as she tried to speak but nothing would

come out of her mouth. John hushed her, assuring her to not

push it, just to rest. Marlena cleared her throat as she whispered

a few words in a raspy voice.

“What happened?”

John looked over at her sympathetically as he kissed her hand.

“Do you remember anything?”

“I remember bits and pieces of the evening… but… not… much…

oh my god!” Marlena said barely above a whisper as she moved her

hand over her stomach. A tear began to fall from her eye as John

reached out and wiped it before it slid down her cheek. “The baby

John… what happened? Please don’t tell me… the baby…” Marlena

said sadly, as her whisper faded to nothing. John placed his hand

on her cheek as he calmed her down.

“The baby is just fine honey. I talked to the doctor earlier and he

explained to me exactly what happened and what caused you to

hemorrhage the way you did. He told me that it was truly a

miracle that they were able to save our baby… he also told me

they almost lost him orher.” Marlena searched his face for the

answer, unable to comprehend what went wrong that night. “Dr.

Morris told me that the lining of your uterus had ruptured, which

caused you to bleed. He said it was probably because your body

hasn’t held a baby in so long, and your not as young as you were

when you had Belle… so the pressure tore the lining. You know

how you went shopping, cleaning, running errands and you went

back to work, granted it was only one day… but still. You are

constantly on your feet and you can’t be… the pressure is too

strong,” John said worriedly as he held her hand tightly.

“What did the doctor say then?” Marlena whispered

“He is placing you on bed rest till the 5th month… so only 2 more

months of relaxation… and rest. Then you can go back to your

normal schedule… but you have to take it easy. So you can’t go

back to work until another 8 weeks… lucky for me!” John laughed

as he looked at his wife adoringly.

“Why did they put me to sleep? What did they do?”

“Oh they put you to sleep because they had to do a little surgery.

Dr. Morris said that surgery was the last thing they were going to

do but they absolutely had no other choice. Um I guess they were

trying to manually stop the blood but since it wasn’t stopping they

had no choice but to go in surgically.” John kissed her forehead

as Dr. Morris walked in.

“Oh look who is up… how are you feeling Marlena?”

“Sore… very sore!” Marlena smiled “Until John told me what

happen… I wasn’t sure why I was so sore.”

“Ahhh he told you… good, because that’s why I came here,” Dr.

Morris said as he pulled a stool out and sat beside Marlena,

checking her vitals. “What we did was we did a surgical procedure

where we basically clotted the blood flow. Um as you know you

were severely bleeding, in fact we thought you had lost the baby.

But somehow miraculously… she or he survived… and that was

our goal. Anyway we had tried to stop the blood ourselves but

when that didn’t work we had to take the next step. First, we

inserted cotton to dry up the blood. Once that was done, we

burned a tiny bit of the lining with a laser, which will help the

uterus seal, preventing it from rupturing. After that we checked

for a heartbeat and once we spotted that, we placed two tiny

stitches in your cervix area so the pressure won’t actually send

you into early labor. With that being said, I’m placing you on

complete bed rest for about two months. So no jogging, no madly

cleaning the house, no working, and your sex life will have to be

extremely limited for the next 2 months.”

“How limited?” John said curiously.

“Mmmm we’re looking at about once every two weeks, which

shouldn’t be too much of a problem… since you’ve been married

for a while.” Dr. Morris laughed while Marlena smiled, looking

over at John who was not amused. “So anyway, you will be outta

here tonight… have a safe trip back to Salem… and John, to

answer your question from earlier, the plane ride is fine for her

and the baby… no problem at all. Marlena if you feel any pain in

the future, any at all, go to your doctor as soon as possible okay.

Alrighty then, I think that’s it… with that said… relax… get some

rest… because when that little one comes, you’ll need it. Good

luck and congratulations.” Dr. Morris smiled as he shook John’s

hand and patted Marlena’s arm, then left the room. She leaned

back and smiled, happiness and relief washing over her, while

John played with her hair. She closed her eyes, thanking God for

this miracle, as she felt sleep coming in and taking over. John

kissed her once more as he whispered for her to sleep. He

climbed into bed and held her, praying, wishing, and determined

that nothing would happen to Marlena or this baby as long as he

was around. This baby and his wife would have the best life they

had ever seen, and he would make sure of that from this day on.

“John I understand what you are saying… I really do but I can’t fly

out to New York tomorrow! I mean any other day I would but

tomorrow, yeah there is no way I can,” Kate whined while John

looked over a document that Kate had just presented to him.

“Kate… hey I know what you are saying but unfortunately I do

need you out there… If I could go, I would do it myself but I

have to stay here in Salem. I need to get these conferences on a

roll… I mean hell I can’t get away if I wanted to.” John smiled as

he looked back down at some of the papers.

Kate rolled her eyes as she mumbled a few words. “Hey what

about Belle? I’m sure she can take care of it! Plus I need to

handle that company outing you are throwing in a few weeks.”

John glanced toward the ceiling as he shut his eyes for a brief

second before reopening them and smiling towards Kate. “Okay,

got an idea… and this is how it’s gonna go… ready! I most

definitely, without a doubt, need you to go to New York. Belle

was a good idea but you know what I want when it comes to

business proposals. As for the company outing… Belle will manage

that and if she has any questions… I’m here to take care of them.

Alright then… settled… go get ready… cause your off to New

York.” John laughed.

Kate gave a sarcastic smile as she got up and walked towards the

door. Before she reached for the door knob, a picture on the

shelf caught her eye as she walked towards the shelf. She picked

up the photo as she smiled widely, tracing her finger along the

frame. “Was this recent John?” She asked quietly while holding

the picture up.

“What is?” John asked as he glanced up and squinted slightly.

“This photo of you and Marlena?”

“Ah… yep it is… I think it was taken about two weeks ago… yeah

two weeks ago.”

Kate smiled as she placed the photo back on the shelf. “Marlena

looks absolutely beautiful… she’s glowing and by looking at the

picture, you never would have thought she’s… what 4 or 5 months

pregnant?”

John laughed as he counted on his fingers. “She’s 5 months going

on 6.”

“Geez I remember when I was 5 months pregnant… God I was like

out to there.” Kate giggled as she brought out her hands.

“Yeah she’s pretty tiny still… her stomach is just a little swollen… I

keep teasing her, saying it looks like she swallowed a melon. But

yeah she only gained about 8-9 pounds.”

“I’m glad to see you both are so in love and so happy… It didn’t

work that way for Roman and I in the end… but hey… I’m so very

happy for you both.” Kate smiled somberly as she turned away

slightly to leave.

“Kate?”

She turned around slowly as she looked over towards John.

“Yes…”

“Don’t worry about you and Roman… he loves you and in the

end… he’ll come back, I promise! I stake my life on it.” John

smiled softly as he winked his eye.

“Thanks… well anyway I’ll get right on that trip. See ya.” Kate

laughed as she walked out, closing the door in the process.

John looked over at the recent professional picture of him and

Marlena as he picked up the phone.

“Hello?” Marlena said softly on the other line as John laughed

quietly. “Hey baby… what is going on? You behaving yourself?”

“Excuse me? Am I behaving myself… no John, I’m misbehaving…

I’m swinging from the balcony and you know, all kinds of thing like

that. I’m stuck in this damn house… it’s like house arrest. I want

to go out, shopping, oh I am dying to go back to work?”

“Soon baby… very soon. Your hormones are acting up again aren’t

they?”

“John?”

“Yes baby?”

“I got to go… you are pissing me off and I really don’t feel like

talking to you right now… you are full of insults… ahhhhh.”

“What’s wrong Marlena?” John sat up quickly as he held the

phone tightly to his ear.

“Oh nothing john… the baby… it’s kicking… ohhh… feels like

bubbles.” Marlena laughed as she rubbed her slender hand over

her stomach. “Oh guess who is coming over today?”

“Who?” John said as he looked out the window.

“Brady… he said he wanted to talk to both of us?” Marlena smiled

as she played with her nails.

“I don’t want to see him… “

“John… come on… don’t behave like that. We owe him a chance

to explain himself, okay? Now look… I’m going to let you go

because I really got to go to the bathroom. So I will see you in a

little bit okay? I love you!”

“Oh so do I honey!” John smiled as he heard her blow a kiss into

the phone and then hang up. He looked over at a picture of

Marlena as he whispered softly… ‘God I hope you are right

honey… because if Brady starts his shit today… he going to be

extremely sorry… and that is a promise!’

Evening had finally began to approach as the sun slowly dropped

from the horizon, a hint of darkness invading the sky. John had

packed up his documents and all the paperwork he had been

working on, as he prepared to call it a night and head on home.

The thought of his wife along with their unborn baby, waiting for

him at home only fueled his passion to hurry on home. Then an

image of Brady popped into his thoughts. He could almost see

Brady attacking them verbally for what they had done. His mood

began to go sour as he prayed to God that he would not lose

control tonight.

Meanwhile, at the penthouse, the ring of a doorbell echoed

through the rooms. Marlena, who was in the kitchen, slowly

walked to the front room as she opened the door slowly. Brady

gave a small smile as he kissed her hello and then walked inside.

Marlena smiled back as she asked him if he needed anything and

to make himself at home. He took off his jacket and placed it

over the chair and walked over to his stepmother, pulling her into

a hug.

“God I have missed you… you have no idea. You’ll never know how

sorry I am,” Brady said somberly as tears escaped his eyes. Marlena

too, began to get emotional, as usual, as tears fell carelessly down

her cheeks.

“Oh honey… I understand and hey… I don’t blame you at all… not

for one second,” she said as she pulled back and placed her hand

under his chin, to look at him. He smiled back at her as his eyes

traveled down to her swollen stomach.

“Oh Gosh… look at you… wow I haven’t seen you in a while…

since you told us about the baby. And you were small, small… but

wow… look at your stomach. It actually looks kind of cute.”

Marlena began to laugh as she rubbed her stomach. “Well, I was

only about one and half months when I told you both… so that is

probably why I was tiny. And who are you kidding… this stomach

is in no way, shape or form cute at all. I am so huge.”

“No you are not… you are actually pretty tiny still for being as far

as, what 5… 6 months?”

“5 months, well thank you Brady, for your compliments. I really do

appreciate them even if I don’t believe them.” She laughed as she

sat down very slowly.

Just then the front door opened as John appeared in the

doorway. Marlena called out John’s name as she once again,

attempted to stand up slowly. She walked up to her husband as

she gave him a kiss and a small hug, before glancing over towards

Brady. Brady took that as his cue and stood up, walking over to

his father and extending his hand out.

“Hello Dad.”

John looked over at his son as he placed his hand into his son’s

grasp.

“Hi Brady. How are you?” John said seriously as Marlena pinched

John on his back, pushing him to be affectionate. He looked over

towards Marlena as she raised her eyebrows and then turned her

head. John pulled Brady into a hug as he held him tightly while

Brady hugged his father back with all the love he had.

“I’m so sorry Dad… I really am. I never meant to hurt you both,”

Brady said as his tears found there way out once more. John felt

his emotions go into overdrive as the tears began to burn his eyes.

Marlena smiled as she walked over to the kitchen to get some of

the snacks she was preparing. After what seemed like an eternity,

John and Brady finally parted, as they laughed. The doorbell rang

again, causing John to walk over to the door. As he opened the

door, he stood shocked and surprised, his words frozen.

Marlena walked out to see who was at the door as she stopped in

shock, before jumping somewhat and shouting with happiness.

“Mama, Dad… oh my God.. .what are you doing here?…ahhhh!”

Marlena laughed as she ran into her mother and father’s embrace.

John stood there with a smile on his face as he noticed his wife’s

joy at seeing her parents.

“Hey there baby girl… we decided to surprise you… hope we’re

not intruding… are we?” Martha questioned as she glanced over

at Brady.

“No, no, no, not at all… you are always welcome,” John said as he

walked over to his father in law and shook his hand before being

pulled into an embrace.

“So good to see you son…” Frank laughed as he held John before

letting go and patting him on the back. He walked over to his

daughter, where he pulled her into a huge hug and kissed the side

of her face. Matha ran over to her son in law and kissed him on

his cheek as she fell into his arms.

“John… my gorgeous son in law… how are you? Tell me

everything… how is it going? What have you been up to?” She

asked as Frank and Marlena laughed.

Frank backed up as he spun around and hugged Brady. “You

didn’t think I forgot about you… come here grandson… God you

got big… I’ve missed you.”

“Hey Grandpa… I’ve missed you too,” Brady said as he got

attacked with another hug from Martha.

After all the hellos, hugs, as well as kisses, Martha and Frank sat

down as they questioned away.

“So how are you feeling Marlena? Do you know how shocked I

was when I found out the news?” Martha said as her eyes

glistened with joy.

“I know Mama… I was talking to you. Besides that, I’m doing good

so far… of course… it was totally unexpected.” Marlena laughed

as she held John’s hand.

“Now… when is this baby due?” Frank asked as he looked over at

his daughter.

“Uh it is due on July 20… so a summer baby.” Marlena and John

looked at each other as they laughed, while Brady smiled brightly

at them.

“Wow, so it was a welcome back surprise then huh…” Martha said

as she smiled

“What?” John smiled as he gave a confused look.

“They baby… welcome back surprise… you know… it was a 2nd

honeymoon baby. What a wonderful way to celebrate your

reunion. Bring a new life into the world and into our lives.”

Martha smiled happily as John and Marlena looked at each other

and gave a nervous laugh, knowing that was far from the truth.

“Oh yes it was… That’s why we were so shocked,” John said as he

stood up. “Would anyone like anything? I’m going to the kitchen

so if you want anything… speak now or forever hold your peace.”

John laughed as everyone just looked at him.

“No I think we are okay honey,” Marlena smiled as John nodded

and then walked away. Martha got up and sat next to her

daughter as she placed gentle hands on Marlena’s stomach.

“Do you know what it is?” Matha asked as Marlena shook her

head.

“Nope when I went to the doctor they said the baby was way to

small for them to tell… and I kind of didn’t really want to know

either.”

“And that is totally understandable baby doll. Whatever our

grandchild may be, we will adore it and love it every way we can,”

Frank said as his attention was turned to the front door. Belle

hurried in carelessly as she noticed familiar voices. She looked

over at the sofa and saw her grandparents, as well as Brady sitting

there.

“Oh… My… God… Grandma, Grandpa… When did you get here?”

Belle screamed as she ran to her grandparents. They got up and

hugged Belle, explaining how much they missed her. After a

couple hours of all the catching up, Belle and Brady packed up

and took off, going their own ways. Martha and Frank began to

get their belongings as John asked where they were heading.

“Salem Inn… Why?” Frank smiled as John shook his head.

“Why… are we infested with roaches or what? Don’t be silly… stay

with us… we have plenty of room?” John laughed as he got the

their bags and headed upstairs.

“Oh John… NO… we really don’t want to intrude.”

“Don’t be silly, Mama… Daddy… you’re staying with us… end of

discussion. Now head on up and settle in.” Marlena smiled as she

placed one hand on her back to relieve the strain on her back

from the growing child inside.

As the late hours finally approached, Marlena sat in bed lotioning

her hands as she watched John undress. John walked over to the

balcony and opened the doors as the chilly wind blew in.

“John, what the hell are you doing? It’s cold… close the door,”

Marlena said, as John turned around and looked at his wife.

“Marlena, honey… come on… it is so hot in here,” John said as he

walked away from the doors and cuddled into bed.

“John… the doors,” Marlena said as John pulled her down and

kissed her softly. A soft moan escaped her lips as John caressed

her lips passionately. They slowly fell back into the pillows as John

pulled on her pyjama top.

“John…” Marlena whispered softly as John gave a slight moan.

“Shut the damn doors and then come into this bed… show me

something that we seriously have been neglecting and…”

John gave her a serious glance as she smiled a bit.”AND… “

“And don’t forget my parents are right down the hall.” Marlena

laughed as she kissed him gently. John smiled as he did what she

asked and climbed back into bed with her, to show her something

she wouldn’t forget. In the next few months, he had a few plans

for his wife… some surprises, some major changes, and whole lot

of work to get done for his plans to work.

Previous Chapter Home Next Chapter

Where Do We Go From Here

Chapter 21

Winter faded away as Spring finally moved into Salem, causing the

flowers to bloom, and showers that gloom. Marlena’s pregnancy

was in the final stage, as she began to tire and complain a whole

lot more than she used to. Every single thing that she didn’t agree

with, would send her over the edge. John usually backed off,

understanding that she was in a fragile mood, and he didn’t want

to upset her anymore than she already was. Besides her mood

swings, her pregnancy was moving along quite well. Her health was

better than ever, and their baby was doing surprisingly well, with

no complications. John had begun to make serious changes and

big plans, but keeping them quiet until it was time for Marlena to

find out. She had finally gone back to work and enjoyed her little

getaway every day, secretly knowing that when their child was

born, her normal escape wouldn’t be so frequent.

John was standing on the balcony, enjoying a cup of coffee as he

stared out at the city before heading off to work. Belle ran up to

him as she pulled on his arm slightly. She put her finger to her lips

as she explained to keep this quiet.

“Whats going on Tink?”

“Okay, Brade and I are throwing Mom a baby shower as I

explained to you before. Well anyway… you probably don’t

remember so I’m reminding you, it’s this Saturday. You need to

create a diversion so you can get there without Mom assuming

something.”

“Ah no problem, I know what to do. I’m the king of that stuff.”

John laughed as he took another sip of his coffee.

“Right, that is why Mom always knows when your up to something.

Anyway here I settled it for you, tell her that it is Pete and

Linda’s anniversary party. She won’t question it, I’m almost

positive. So whatever you do, make sure you tell her that,” Belle

whispered

“Tell me what?” Marlena said as she walked out onto the balcony

with her hand on her stomach.

John smiled as he walked up to his wife, kissing her cheek. “To

tell you how beautiful you look.”

Marlena gave John a ‘I’m not buying it’ face as she gave a

sarcastic smile. “Right… Belle… tell me what?”

“Nothing Mom… Dad was just telling me about Pete and Linda’s

surprise anniversary party, which is very last minute. And of

course, I need to go buy an outfit so I was on my way out and I

figured you were showering, so I told Dad to tell you that we’re

going shopping Friday.”

“Nice try Belle… how about the truth this time… you liars.”

Marlena smiled as she walked back inside. “Wait a minute, Pete

and Linda’s anniversary party, they got married in December, why

are they throwing it now?”

John gave Belle a look as if to say ‘what the hell Belle?’

“Honey, I don’t know, that’s what the invitation said.”

“What invitation, I never saw it? And why are you telling me just

now, if it’s this Saturday?” Marlena said somewhat irritated.

“I did tell you a while ago.”

“No you didn’t John.”

“Yes dear, I did,” John said seriously as he gave Belle a look of

death.

“Okay, well I gotta run, see you two later, Mom… Friday a date,”

Belle said in a hurry to leave.

“Alright well I have to go too, so I don’t have time to debate this

issue… I’ll see you both later too,” Marlena said as she reached

for her purse and jacket.

“Have a good day baby, I gotta get running to work too. See you

later,” John said as he kissed Marlena.

“Bye bye my babies,” Marlena said as she headed out the door.

John threw his hands up in the air, gave a silent thank you and

headed on out as well.

An hour later, Marlena was going through some files when Patty

walked in, with a couple of files in her hand. Marlena smiled at

her as she slowly got up and walked around the desk.

“What’s that you have there?” Marlena smiled as she reached for

them.

“Oh don’t worry… nothing exciting except for more work. Hey

you need to relax Doc, your not as slim as you used to be.” Patty

laughed as she noticed Marlena wasn’t amused. “What I meant

was… you are a very expectant mother…”

“Right… I get it Patty… I”m fat now huh?” Marlena smiled as she

took the folders and placed a hand on her lower back.

“No Marlena… you’re not fat. You’re just very pregnant, that’s

all.” Patty winked as she sat on her couch.

“Uh don’t you have work to do Miss Sarcasm?”

“Nope, I’m not the one who is behind,” Patty said as she played

with her nails

“Uh huh, would you like me to find something for you to do?”

Marlena smiled as she noticed the change in Patty’s attitude.

“Enough said, I’ll be at my desk… do you need anything?” Patty

asked as she turned around to grab the files from Marlena.

Marlena gave her a confused look as she mumbled a few words.

“No, but thank you.”

As Patty walked out, Marlena’s private line rang as she reached

over and grabbed the phone from its cradle.

“Dr. Evans.”

“Hey Marlena, it’s Linda…”

“Hi, how are you sweetie? What’s going on, what is new with you? “

“Nothing much, just relaxing, you know the usual.”

“Thats good, so what can I do for you?” Marlena smiled as she

flipped through some papers.

“Well, hey I was calling to see if the excitement about the party

on Saturday was starting to build up yet? I bet it’s going to be so

much fun.”

Marlena looked at the phone with a confused face as she replied

curiously. “Yeah I am, you know about it Linda?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“Well because the invitation said it was a surprise anniversary

party for you both?” Marlena said as Linda dropped her voice,

realizing Marlena knew nothing about the baby shower.

“Oh yeah DUH… it is my party, well anyway I found out, but shhh

its our little secret, I know nothing. But anyway I’ll see you then. I

got to go, but I’ll see you Saturday honey. Bye,” Linda said

nervously, as she hung up, leaving a very confused and curious

Marlena.

Marlena hung up the phone as she stared at John’s picture on her

desk. “Saturday, huh John? We’ll just see about that.”

Evening rolled in as Marlena made her way through the

penthouse, placing her purse on the desk. John came down the

stairs and kissed the back of her neck.

“Hey there baby.”

“Why did you lie to me?” Marlena said quietly, never facing him.

John’s face dropped as he asked her to repeat herself.

Marlena turned around and faced him for the first time that

evening. “Linda called me, care to tell me why she knew nothing

about Saturday?”

“You told her? Marlena it was a surprise,” John said as he stared

at her with disbelief.

“Hey John, she asked me about Saturday, saying it was going to be

so much fun and what was I going to wear. So what the hell was I

supposed to say, and that’s why I asked her if she knew about the

surprise, and then she went into this dumb ass story how she

knew but she was pretending like she doesn’t. SO WHO IS

LYING? Tell me the truth JOHN!”

John, visibly upset, threw his hands in the air as he backed away

from her. “You think what you want, okay. Just DROP IT

MARLENA, ALRIGHT.”

Marlena gave John an angry stare as she walked away from her

husband. “I’m going upstairs to rest. Don’t bother me and John

and do me a favor please?”

John just gave her a defeated look as he turned around and

looked at her. “What?”

“Sleep in the guest room… I don’t want you in my bed tonight.”

She smiled sarcastically and walked upstairs.

“Sure, anything else princess? You’ll apologize to me later,” John

said aloud as he watched his wife disappear from view. Once she

was gone he then mumbled a few more words that she couldn’t

hear. “Oh Marlena, you’ll forgive me later… you are so in for a big

ass surprise. And I will be sleeping with you tonight, you just don’t

know that yet.” John smiled as he walked to the den.

Belle’s cell phone rang endlessly as she slowly brought the phone

to her and blinked her eyes, trying to adjust her sight. Once she

figured out who the caller was, her eyes shot open as she brought

the phone to her ear.

“What the hell is your problem Brady? Do you know what time it

is?” Belle said frustrated as she placed a pillow over her face to

block out the sunshine that poured into her room.

“Uh good morning to you Tinker. And yes I do happen to know

the time… it’s ah 7:30 a.m. Hey speaking of which… where the hell

are you? How come you aren’t home?”

“Because I stayed over at Mom and Dad’s last night… I was too

tired to go home. What do you want?”

“Okay, I need you to come with me… I have the perfect gift for

the baby… but I need your help. I’ll be there in 20 minutes… so

get ready.”

Belle sat up quickly. “Brady are you out of your freaking mind? It’s

7:30… no I’m not getting up.”

“Alright then… we’ll see who helps you set the shit up today at

the hall.”

“FINE THEN… meet you outside in twenty,” Belle said as she hung

up and continued to lay in bed for a few seconds more.

Meanwhile… in the master bedroom, Marlena was sleeping

peacefully as the comforter wrapped around her body, revealing

her small bulge. John had been awake for a few minutes, just

staring at his beautiful wife. He memorized every single feature

about her… the way her eyes twinkled in her sleep, her skin

somewhat flushed, her lips that seemed as if they were ready to

be kissed, and her slender hand draped along her stomach. He

kissed her cheek as his hand caressed her stomach, lifting up her

top, and placing tiny kisses on the swollen skin. Marlena shifted as

her eyes blinked open, trying to focus on what was going on.

“John come on sweetie… not now,” she said as she placed her

head back down on the pillow.

“What… what did I do?” John asked innocently.

“Honey… I’m tired… please just let me sleep for a little while. I

promise we’ll do whatever you want to do, later on,” Marlena

mumbled, as John leaned down and placed a very open kiss on her

neck. She breathed in, as a moan escaped her lips and into the air.

“John… come on… stop,” she said breathlessly.

“Come on baby… you know you want this just as much as I do,”

John said as he unbuttoned her top.

“John…” Marlena complained as she shifted her position.

John stopped as he looked over at his wife. “Honey… you can’t be

serious. We haven’t had sex in almost 2 months now… 2 months…

you know how long that is… I’m going nuts.”

“Stop exaggerating John… it hasn’t been that long.” Marlena

smiled as she stared at the wall.

“Uh yes it has… TRUST ME! It has been that long… so please I’m

begging?”

“John damnit…I said no.” Marlena giggled as she slowly closed her

eyes. John leaned over and kissed the back of neck, where he

caressed the tender skin with his lips. He noticed Marlena’s

breathing quickening and her neck arching towards him more. He

knew it wouldn’t be long now before she gave in completely. He

placed his body right up behind her and pressed himself into her

back. She moaned as he turned her over slowly. She looked at him

with passion glazed eyes and nodded her head slowly. He slowly

lifted her top up and over her head. He kissed her breasts with an

urgency as he slowly made his way down her body, stopping by her

stomach that was holding his unborn child. He open his mouth

and nipped at the already swollen skin and gently sucked on it. He

then moved his hands down to her hips were he slid off her

pyjama bottom. He grabbed her thighs and opened her legs while

he placed his face in his favorite spot. He gently brought his

tongue to her lips and darted in and out of her slit. His tongue

found her opening and slid deep inside her, tasting every bit of

her. Marlena moaned as she clenched onto the blankets, pulling

and yanking. John rocked her hips into his face as he dug his

tongue into her deeper, causing her to hit a powerful orgasm. He

then slowly crawled up and slipped off his shorts. He got on his

knees as he pulled her hips closer to him. He firmly grabbed her

thighs as he pulled her as close to him as possible. He leaned

down and grabbed himself, stroking a few times before placing his

throbbing head to her slit. He felt her moistness as he continued

to push forward. She took a deep breath as John pushed himself

inside her opening, holding onto her thigh for dear life, hoping he

wouldn’t finish it off right there and then. After a few seconds

he thrust into her completely as she moaned uncontrollably,

digging her nails into his arms. Once the strain was gone, he began

to hit her walls hard and fast. He made short but hard pumps as

he rode her hips until he thought they would break. He placed

her legs on each side of his hips as he continued to move deep

within her, his name being screamed over and over. He looked

down at her stomach as he pounded into her and the thought of

knowing it was there because of him, only fueled his erotic fury

even more. He grabbed her hands and pinned them above her

head as he pumped her furiously until he felt Marlena’s walls

tighten around his penis. He hit her spot up and hard causing her

to let out an uncontrollable scream, cumming all over him in one

quick second. John screamed her name as he pinned her hands

above her and rode her hard for the remaining few seconds. All

of sudden he saw a bright light that turned into an explosion,

shattering into complete blackness after what seemed like an

eternity. He filled her with his hot liquid as he closed his eyes

tightly, breathing uncontrollably, before leaning down and kissing

her lips tenderly. Marlena looked up at her husband as they both

burst out laughing, softly pecking each other.

“Well… you have proven your point,” Marlena laughed as she

adjusted the covers around herself. John moved to the side as he

tried to regain his composure before speaking.

“Told you I was dying… next time for your health and safety,

don’t make me wait that long.” John laughed as he heard a blast

of loud music coming from the down the hall. Marlena and John

gave each other a look, as they giggled.

“Uh, do you think she heard us?” Marlena asked while looking at

the alarm clock, a mortified look on her face.

“Well it is 7:45 a.m… and there is music full blast, so I think it is

safe to say that YES… I believe she did.” John smiled as he kissed

his wife’s forehead.

“That was so fucking gross… why don’t I ever learn my lesson for

staying here? Holy shit, I think I’m traumatized,” Belle screamed as

she placed a pillow over face and hid under the covers. She then

jumped up from bed and flew into the washroom, hoping to be

ready in ten minutes and head out the door.

“God, why do I have to be here when they hit those damn moods.

Why God… can you explain to me why do you this to me? Have I

done something so wrong that I have to be punished for it,” Belle

said as she grabbed her purse and put on her shoes, before

running into the hallway and out the door.

Brady was outside waiting when he saw Belle jump in the car with

a distraught look on her face.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked curiously.

“TRUST ME… You don’t want to know… just drive for god’s

sake. Show me what you got planned.”

“It’s more like I need help… Tomorrow is going to be something

unforgettable for mom and dad. That baby shower will be one

they won’t forget.”

“Yeah sure…” Belle said as they drove off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“John…..Have you seen my beige blouse?” Marlena shouted to

John, who was taking a quick shower.

“What?”

“My blouse… have you seen it?” she asked as she flipped through

clothes in her closet.

“What… I can’t hear you honey?”

Marlena rolled her eyes as she walked into the bathroom. “My

beige blouse… can you hear me now?”

“Uh can you say smart ass? No, I haven’t seen it. Check the third

drawer,” John said as he rinsed his hair.

Marlena walked out to check the drawer as the phone rang. She

glanced at the caller ID only to see that it was a blocked call.

“Hello?” Marlena said as she flipped through the drawer.

“Marlena… is John there?” A woman asked lightly.

“Uh yes he is… who’s calling?” She asked politely

“Well I’m calling for John… not you, his wife, so can you put him

on?”

“I’m sorry… what did you just say?” Marlena said angrily as she

glanced behind her.

“Tell John that when he is done with you, I’ll be waiting,” the

woman said, as Marlena heard the line click off. She slowly pulled

the phone from her ear as she hit the off button. John walked

out of the bathroom to grab few things when he noticed Marlena

standing there with a blank look on her face.

“Honey, whats the matter?” John asked as he walked over to her.

“Some woman called for you… she said when you’re finished here,

she’ll be waiting for you…” Marlena said quietly before turning

her face away.

“What… what woman?” John asked confused

“I dunno… she didn’t say her name, John. What the hell is going

on? Are you sneaking around behind my back now, is that it?”

Marlena said angrily as a few tears escaped her eyes

“Marlena woah woah… calm down. I’m doing nothing except

staying here taking care of you the best way I can.”

“Don’t lie to me John!” Marlena shouted as she backed away from

him, her hand going to her stomach, and the other pointing at

John.

“Marlena stop… come here… don’t be this way. How could you

think something like that?”

“Because a woman called here looking for you… asking for you…

what the hell am I supposed to think?” Marlena cried as she

turned to walk to the door. John ran up to her and grabbed her

by her arm.

“Get away from me John,” Marlena yelled as she tried to push

John away. John quickly pulled her into a hug as he held her

tightly.

“Honey… you know I would not do anything. I am so in love with

you and this baby. Why would I ruin it. I just got you back and I’m

not letting you go, got that? I bet you the only woman who is

stupid enough to call looking for me is Karen… bet you. And you

know I want nothing to do with her. I know you’re extra sensitive

right now… the hormones… the baby… but you got to know I love

you more than anything. I would chop off my hand myself before

I ever touch another woman.”

Marlena clung to John as she let his words sink in. She pulled

back and looked into his eyes as she tiptoed up and kissed his lips

gently. “I’m sorry John… I don’t know what’s wrong with me…”

“The damn hormones… that’s whats wrong!” John laughed as he

saw Marlena’s face fill with emotion once again. “Ahhhh I’m

sorry… I didn’t mean it… I really didn’t… Stop those tears… Come

on, let’s go make you something to eat. Both my babies got to

eat.” John smiled as he walked her downstairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Brady this so freaking adorable. What do you think about this?”

Belle said as she held up a jumpsuit with a baby duckling on it.

Brady’s face frowned and whined as he shook his head. “Uh no…

it’s ugly and it just doesn’t catch my attention.”

“Brady this is for a baby… not a model… this is a baby shower…

not a fashion show… you catch my drift? Babies wear things like

this…” Belle said as she waved the outfit in front of him.

“Not my little brother or sister… that is so damn ugly if you ask

me?”

“Brady for god’s sake… pick something… it doesn’t have to be

sophisticated. I happen to like this little number if you ask me…

which you did by the way… reason being why I’m here at 9 am,”

Belle said as she flipped through endless amounts of baby outfits.

She turned around slowly and picked something else. “How about

this?”

“Belle that is fucking ugly… and what’s with the colors?” Brady

said, as he threw his hands up in the air.

“Well, we can’t get blue or pink because we don’t know what the

hell its going to be… now do we? So you need to pick something

like right now or else you are totally on your own,” Belle said as

she noticed Brady’s attention get diverted. “Brady what are you

looking at?”

“That… I found the perfect thing… watch it…” Brady said as he

took off.

“Brady wait… you can’t get that… the baby is too small for that,”

Belle screamed as she saw her brother disappear from the baby

section.

“I know that!” Brady shouted as he ran down the aisle.

“Then what the hell? I don’t know if you remember, but babies

aren’t born as toddlers, dumb ass,” Belle yelled sarcastically, going

after her brother.

Later during the day, John took Marlena to a baby store and told

her to get whatever she thought they might need. Marlena was

dressed very summery, in an oversize beige blouse which slightly

revealed the small bulge in her stomach, covering her hips and

slightly showing her beige capris that hung loose on her slender

legs. She stopped for a second and turned around, glancing over

at John and giving him a look.

“What?”

“Uh, I think we may need everything… if you think about it. God,

we haven’t had a baby in the house for what… 19 years… wow.

Now all over again. You ready for that Mr. Black?”

“Oh yeah, I honestly can’t wait. I feel like this is what I have been

waiting for the entire time we have been married… are you Mrs.

Black?” John asked smiling away.

“I have no choice now, do I? Of course I am silly! At first I was a

little nervous and then I was excited, and then anxious, and now

back to nervous. I don’t know, we have a whole lot of work

ahead of us.”

“Actually there is something I want to talk to you about,” John

said as Marlena gave him an attentive look. “I want to leave the

penthouse and buy us a house. And not an ordinary partridge

home… I’m talking about a huge as hell home. Start us off new

you know… new baby… us continuing on with our marriage. You

pick the biggest billionist size of a ballpark home and I buy it. You

know, wipe the slate clean and start off new, what do you say?”

John said as she laughed.

“John, I love my home though… I don’t know if I want to leave.

I’ll tell you what… how about when the baby is born, and we

definitely realize we need more room, we go and buy the house?”

Marlena asked shyly, hoping John would agree.

John was really up for it but he didn’t want to disappoint his wife

so he agreed to the idea, knowing they were going to need a

whole lot of room the minute the baby was born. That baby was

going to be the most spoiled baby in the nation, it would

absolutely ridiculous. With all the crap they were going to buy and

receive from the shower, they weren’t going to last two months in

the penthouse.

“No problem honey, whenever you are ready, we’ll buy it,” John

said as he grabbed his wife’s hand and walked through the store.

He looked over at his wife as he imagined her expression

tomorrow night when she found out that everyone was flying out

for the baby shower. The night was going to be hers, and so was

anything and everything she ever dreamed of. There was no and

would be no be limits to please his wife. And he was going to

prove just that, tomorrow, the day after, and forever.

“Brady would you put those on that table please?” Belle said as

she set a bouquet of orchids on one of the tables.

“What table Belle? There are like 50 tables,” Brady said as he held

a baby decoration in one hand and the other waved in confusion.

Belle looked up and pointed to the table behind him. Once he set

it down, he walked over to Belle who glanced around the room

with amazement. “I can’t believe we got all this done in one day.”

Blue and pink streamers adorned the room as it twisted and

curved through various parts of the area. Bouquets of flowers

and balloons were set on every table as the corners of each room

were bombarded with arches of balloons. On the stage was a

small table set for two, where John and Marlena would be sitting.

On the other side of the stage were two plush sofa chairs that

were surrounded by decorations and balloons. Lilies, orchids, and

roses of each color had been flown in for this special day, where

they sat in every part of the room. Two ice sculptures of storks

sat at the front door where the gifts would be placed and the

guests’ souvenir gifts would be given.

Belle walked over to the stage as she made sure all the balloons,

flowers, and streamers were set up perfectly. Brady had walked

up behind her and took her hands away.

“You’ll mess it up Belle… the decorations are fine,” Brady said as

he tugged on his sister’s arm. “Now let’s get this thing started,

shall we?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Marlena… sweetheart you want to hurry up?” John said as he

glanced at the bedside clock. Marlena walked out from the

bathroom holding the towel to her hair.

“I thought you said the party was at 6 o’clock. Its only 4… what’s

the rush?” Marlena laughed as she walked over to her vanity table.

“Yeah but here is the thing… it’s 4 and you just got out of the

shower, so I think it is safe to say that we are already behind,”

John joked as Marlena swatted his arm.

“Be nice or maybe I’ll decide to stay home and you can go alone to

Pete and Linda’s party.”

John placed a hand over his heart and gave a pain filled face. “Oh

and hurt Linda and Pete… nah I don’t think you would want to

do a thing like that just to get back at me.”

“Well I don’t want to but keep it up.” Marlena smiled as she began

to place her makeup on very carefully. John walked up behind her

a placed a kiss on her neck as he whispered that he loved her.

She smiled as she mouthed the words back while she placed

mascara to her already long lashes.

“Okay, well let me take a quick shower and shave and we’ll be

ready to go.”

“Oh and you’re whining that I’m not ready but you can jump in the

shower at 4:15.”

“Like I said, the difference between us is that I can have a five

minute shower and be ready to go in a half hour. You on the

other hand, still have to put her make-up on, do her hair, find an

outfit, debate on that for 20 minutes, then find shoes, then a

purse, then ask me for the umpteenth time on how you look.”

John laughed as walked into the bathroom while Marlena gave

sarcastic looks as she looked up towards the ceiling.

“Why would you punish me this way… am I such a terrible person?”

she said softly before continuing the task of putting her makeup

on.

Belle and Brady greeted everybody as they entered the banquet,

placing them at certain tables and placing gifts on the stage. It

almost seemed that the entire population of Salem had shown up

as the room quickly filled with family and friends. The DJ was on

the side of the dance floor as he played a variety of songs while

guests chatted, laughed and of course, hung at the bar. Belle

glanced at her watch as she looked over at her brother, giving

him a worried look. He smiled as he told her to calm down and

not to get so worked up.

“That’s it, I’m calling Dad!” Belle said as she rushed off with her

cell phone.

Meanwhile John was adjusting his tie as his cell phone began to

ring. Marlena was going through her closet as she tried to settle

on an outfit but having no such luck. John glanced at her as he

gave a smirk.

“One word John… just say one word and see what happens.”

“Hey I didn’t say anything…” John said as he picked up his cell.

“John Black!”

“Dad, people are starting to get here… so please tell me you left

the house already,” Belle said worriedly

“Well your mother hasn’t even found an outfit so I would say it

might be awhile…” John laughed as Marlena threw a pillow at her

husband.

“Dad!!! Please hurry… and rush her a little more too. Now

remember, no stops, no detours, no parading. Make sure you get

here like now!” Belle said as she hung up and quickly attended to

her brother.

“What did Belle say?” Marlena asked as she walked past John.

“She said hurry up and get dressed because we are going to be

late and we need to pick her up on our way there. In the

meantime, you get ready and the Mercedes needs gas so I’ll go

take care of that issue,” John said as he gave Marlena a quick

peck on the mouth. “Be ready when I get back!” John said as he

walked out.

After a twenty minute trip to the gas station, John was on his

way to pick up his wife for their baby shower. He left the car in

front of the building and ran upstairs to go and get his wife. He

stood in the living room calling her name over and over again,

rushing her as much as possible.

“Honey lets go… where are you?” John asked as he thumbed

through the letters on the desk.

“Right here,” Marlena said quietly from the top of the stairs.

John turned around and looked towards the top to see the most

beautiful woman he would probably ever see in his lifetime.

Marlena stood there in a beige suit dress with a matching jacket.

The hem of the dress stopped about 4 inches above her knees,

showing her legs. The material of the dress clung to her tiny

hump on her stomach giving a tiny hint of what was growing

inside. She hadn’t gained much weight at all; in fact she was much

smaller with this baby than she ever was with any of the other

kids. Her frame remained the way it was before, her stomach

being the only clue that revealed she was pregnant As John stood

at the bottom of the steps, he paid close attention to how

Marlena’s makeup and hair was absolutely flawless and how she

resembled so much at that moment, a legendary goddess. John

stood there in awe as he tried to find words to describe her

beauty.

“Do I look alright?” Marlena smiled as she made her way down the

stairs.

“Oh baby… you look absolutely beautiful. I’m actually fortunate

to have such a gorgeous and irresistible wife. I truly mean what I

am saying too,” John said as he kissed his wife’s lips while his hand

covered her stomach. “You make me such a proud husband,

father, and man.”

Marlena smiled as she kissed his lips once more. “You ready…?”

“Oh baby… we are late… we have to go like right now.” John

laughed as he grabbed her hand and rushed out the door with

her. She had a major surprise ahead of her and night she would

always remember.

The room was filled with music and laughter as everyone waited

for John and Marlena’s arrival. Belle walked around the room

hurriedly, making sure everything was in its place and perfection

had been achieved. Brady sat with his cousins as he tossed back a

beer and joked how Belle was such a control freak. The streamers

and balloons floated across the banquet hall while the scent of

flowers filled the air. Belle glanced at her watch as she gave an

annoyed sigh while reaching for her cell phone and dialing her

father.

Meanwhile, John was trying to explain to Marlena about this

problem at Basic Black when his phone started to ring. He

glanced at the ID, noticing that it was Belle and took the call.

“Dad… what the hell is the problem?” Belle said sarcastically as

she paced the hall back and forth.

“Sweetie relaxes… I’m sorry that I forgot to pick you up… besides

Shawn said he could take you right? And like your mother, I knew

I would have to wait for you because you would end being no

where near ready!” John said, as Marlena swatted his arm.

“Alright whatever! Be here soon… people are getting drunk

already and dinner hasn’t been served yet.”

“Ok Tink, I’ll see you there… your mother and I are on the way…

I’d say like ten minutes give or take.”

“Bye!” Belle said angrily as she hung up and ran over to Brady to

set the presents and banners up.

John hung up the phone as he glanced over at his wife, who was

looking out the window. After a few seconds, she turned and

looked towards John who was smiling.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing… I was just thinking about when this baby finally is

here,” John said with a hint of a gleam in his eyes.

Marlena gave a smile as she quietly responded. “Yeah well I can

see why… you’re not the one who is going to deal with him or her.”

“How did you figure that you’re the only one who has to deal with

the baby?” John laughed as he pulled into the parking lot.

“Well, because knowing you… sometime at 3 in the morning when

the baby has to get changed… you will be the first to nudge me to

get your child,” Marlena joked as she unbuckled her seat belt.

“Yeah okay, we’ll see dear… alrighty well we’re here… so what do

you say we get this show on the road?” John laughed as he exited

the car and walked around to open her door. He reached for a

hand and helped her out. “You ready to party Mrs. Black?”

“As much as your kid will let me… Hey we aren’t going to stay long

right? I don’t think I can hang out as long as I used to.” Marlena

laughed as John gave her a quick peck.

“Whenever you’re ready to go, just let me know,” John said as he

grabbed her hand and they walked into the building.

Belle saw her parents enter as she turned around and hushed

everyone, preparing them for their entry. Marlena glanced at the

sign that said Pete and Linda’s anniversary party, while she tugged

on John’s arm.

“You know for a party, it’s kind of quiet, don’t you think?”

Marlena laughed as John kissed her lips.

“Well, now we know what kind of party we’re in for! Lets make

the best of it. You ready?” John asked as Marlena nodded and

escorted her to the room. The door slowly opened as the crowd

saw John appear first as he gave a smile and a face that Marlena

was right behind him. Marlena crept in slowly behind him as she

glanced at everyone in the room.

“SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Everyone shouted as the DJ played music,

disco lights began to flash, and the photographer began to snap

away. John glanced at his wife, who was still in complete shock as

she laughed, while tears of happiness slid down her face.

John gave a laugh as he whispered in her ear. “Surprise baby!”

Marlena looked up as she smiled. “You knew about this?”

“Of course I did!” John said, as Marlena fell into his embrace and

hid her face in his chest. Everyone laughed as they clapped and

congratulated John and Marlena. While John hugged her he

announced that they should all know by now that it takes

Marlena a while to recuperate.

Belle ran over to her parents as she pinned a corsage on her

mother and gave her a big hug and kiss.

“Are you surprised Mommy?” Belle said as she held her mom’s

hand.

“Oh baby girl, you have no idea… thank you so much.” Marlena

laughed as she pinched her daughter’s cheek and gave her a kiss.

Marlena and John began to walk around and greet everyone who

had attended the party. Marlena had been surprised with all her

family as well as her friends from college in Colorado. There were

so many people there she had never expected to see again and

that touched her heart. As they made their way to their table

John asked if she liked her surprise. Once they got on the tiny

stage, John grabbed the microphone and began his speech. First

he pointed it towards Marlena , to see if she wanted to start it

off. She gave a smile and shook her head, gesturing for him to go

first. John smiled as he held the microphone to her mouth but

she quickly turned her face away as everyone let out fits of

laughter.

“First of all… let me start by saying thank you all for coming and

celebrating this special day with us. It is a great honor to Marlena

and I for having such great and special family and friends that

were able to join us. And Pete and Linda… without you two, my

wife would have found out… which she almost did Linda… and

because of you I slept on the couch. Just kidding with ya…

anyway thank you again and our child, your sibling, niece, nephew,

granddaughter, grandson, cousin, and friend will be extremely

privileged to have family and friends like you.” John smiled as he

gave Marlena the microphone.

“Ummmm, let’s see. Where can I begin? John said everything I can

think of… that’s sad, isn’t it. Well thank you all so much, this was

beyond a surprise for me and I had not one clue whatsoever. I

want to thank my children Belle and Brady, for throwing me this

shower, I greatly appreciate it and I love you both so much, more

than you know. Ummmm, oh but mostly I want to thank my

husband John. Without you, this dream we are living, I would

never be able to have without you. You have given me this special

gift, our child, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. God

I do love you!” Marlena laughed as tears fell from her eyes. As

she kissed and hugged her husband, she sent a silent prayer

thanking God for putting on waterproof makeup today.

John took the microphone from her as he finished up the last

part of his speech.

“Marlena, you are the woman who has made every dream of mine

come true… and you have given me yet another reason for living,

this baby. I love you with every part of my heart and soul and

there is nothing in this world that is good enough for you. I love

you so much. Everyone, this party is the mother of all parties… so

let’s drink, eat, dance, and party the night away. LET’S GET THIS

PARTY STARTED!” John laughed as he tossed the microphone

to the DJ and dipped his wife in a full blown kiss, while everyone

cheered and clapped.

The party was in full swing as everyone in Salem sat at their tables

eating their expensive dinner and tossing back bottles of

champagne. John and Marlena sat at the head table, which

happened to be in front of the small stage, as they occasionally

glanced up and smiled at everyone. Occasionally John would steal

a kiss from his wife as everyone in the crowd cheered and

whistled. Marlena couldn’t stop smiling as she admired all the

hard work that had been done in her honor. She knew that this

party had cost a pretty penny, not to mention all the planning that

had to be done. As she tried to talk to Belle, John leaned into

her and nibbled on her ear causing her to giggle and squirm while

John tickled her waist. After about an hour later, Belle had

escorted her parents to the stage where she sat them in the two

fluffy white couch chairs. Once they had sat down and made

themselves comfortable, Belle began bringing the smaller gifts to

them while Brady began lifting the bigger gifts to the side. As

John and Marlena received the first gift, John leaned in and took

his wife’s lips with his. Marlena let out a laugh as she rolled her

eyes and gave John the card for him to open.

“Well I guess she can unwrap the gifts….” John joked as he

opened the card and read out loud. “Ummm Thank you to

uhh…who the hell is this…Marlena..What does this say?” John

questioned as he leaned over for Marlena to look at it.

She looked at the card as she let out a laugh, “Thank you Jack,

Jennifer Abby, and Baby Jack.”

“Ahh that’s what it says…..I knew she would know who signed

that card, she’s used to signatures like that in her profession,

dealing with all those doctors and all.” John laughed as Marlena

tore the wrapping and threw the bow at her husband.

“That is a reporters handwriting John.” Jack shouted as the room

filled with laughter.

“Well let’s see what we have here…Ohhhh John look!” Marlena

sighed as she shoved the tissue aside and removed the contents

from the box. She held up a beige chenille blanket, while John

held up a glass baby frame, bottles and pacifiers. The pictures

snapped as Marlena and John smiled away.

“Thank you so much…it is absolutely lovely.” Marlena said as she

put the items back in the box while Belle took it away, placing

another in her lap. As John read the card, Marlena pulled out a

beige pajama that had a baby moon and stars on the back of it.

John held it up against Marlena’s stomach as he expressed that it

should fit, as she laughed and swatted his hand. John continued

to pull put blankets and baby pajamas as Marlena smiled proudly.

Gifts kept coming as John and Marlena tore through bags and

boxes, receiving pajamas, blankets, bottles, bibs, towels, pamper,

socks, shoes, and clothes. You name it and they were getting it.

Marlena opened toys and baby jungle gyms as she tossed them to

the side for John to move them, meanwhile John was holding up

a baby bath tub with a little baby bathrobe.

The large gifts came soon after, as both Marlena and John stood

up so that they could unwrap the gift. Marlena leaned over and

read the tag as she exclaimed that it was from her baby boy

Brady. John smiled as he and his wife tore the paper of the box

revealing one huge gift that left both parents speechless.

Marlena’s face gleamed as her lips formed in o shape while John

looked up and smiled at his son.

“Oh My” Marlena said shocked. “Wow that is one huge jungle gym”

“For when he or she starts running around outside, keeping you

on your toes, about 11 months from now. But as for now ….this

package is for you.” Brady said as he placed another huge gift in

front them.

“Oh honey…you really shouldn’t have. That gym, which by the way

we have no idea where to put it yet, is more than enough.”

Marlena smiled as she gave Brady a huge hug while John nodded.

“Honestly son…you didn’t have to.” John patted his back

“I know but I did it because I love this baby.” Brady smiled as a

tear fell from his eye and then laughed. “Now open it!”

Inside was a baby stroller and car seat, with of course, more

blankets.

“Well this is going to be the most covered baby in the world.”

John joked as Marlena laughed.

“Not to mention the world’s richest baby!” Jack and Bo joked as

John gave them the thumbs up sign as Marlena waved her hand in

disbelief. From bassinets to high chairs to swings, this kid

definitely had it all.

“We want to thank everybody for your generous gifts, we so

greatly appreciate them. You coming out to us join us is very

much appreciated. Our child, your family member and newest

friend will be eternally grateful to have family and friends like all

of you here tonight. Once again Thank you so much and we love

you all. And to my two little ones who were responsible for this

evening, Belle and Brady, Thank you and I love you both!” Marlena

said as she teared while John held her close.

“So now….lets have some fun!” John yelled as he escorted his

wife off the stage and to the dance floor. He gave Marlena a

quick spin and then pulled her close as they stared into each

others eyes. He placed a soft kiss to her lips as everyone cheered

and then joined them on the dance floor. Marlena and John made

there way to the their guests, thanking them personally for

everything. John went to the bar and hung out with the guys

while Marlena and her mother walked around chatting with

friends and family who flew in from Colorado.

“So you ready for this kid man? Uhh you wait till he/she comes

along….you can forget about having a sex life ever again. Trust

me on that!” Bo laughed as he took a swig of his beer. John

looked at Bo in disbelief as he shook his head.

“Na..it didn’t happen with Belle.” John said trying to convince

himself more than his friends.

“Well you weren’t living at home till Belle was like 2 or 3 right?” Bo

smiled

“Isn’t that when it’s worse?” John asked as Jack shook his head.

“Yeah but you had a nanny, that helps a million times more. Are

you gonna have a nanny this time?” Jack said as he ordered

another drink.

“No not this time.”

“Yeah bye bye sex….hello abstinence. Get used to it Pal!” Bo

smiled as Jack, Abe, Roman, Victor laughed.

John gave a nervous laugh as he sipped his champagne and smiled.

“Won’t happen…I know Marlena.” He continued to watch his wife

from the bar with adoration.

“Yeah okay John!”

Meanwhile Marlena was chatting with an old friend from

Colorado, who she never thought she would see again. They tried

to catch up in the small amount of time they had at that moment.

“Wow you have gotten so much more beautiful over the years.”

Her friend complimented.

“Oh thank you sweetie…you do too. I’m doing pretty good, happy,

content, and fat.” Marlena laughed as she looked over at people

were trying to get her attention.

“No you are not…actually for being 8 months along, you are still

pretty damn small, wish I had that luck. And not to mention that

gorgeous man you have.”

“He is gorgeous isn’t he; just don’t tell him that, we don’t want to

blow up his ego anymore that it already it is.” Marlena laughed as

her friend giggled. “Yeah but anyways, I didn’t gain too much

weight but you know, it doesn’t matter how small you stay, its still

a pain.”

“I see Eric couldn’t make it huh, but Sami is here though. She

turned into a very beautiful woman and Belle, woah what

happened to the toddler that clung to her mama’s leg.”

“I’m still trying to find her….yes she did turn into a very beautiful

young lady though. Yes Sami is a great kid, handful but great and

Eric is in Europe at the moment so he couldn’t be here today. All

my kids are grown up huh, well most of them….and now, starting

all over again. I’m seriously going to have my hands full again, so

let’s see of I still got it.” Marlena smiled as she took a sip of water.

“You’ll do fine honey, John is there to help you and your kids.

You are a great mom.” Her friend said as she gave Marlena a big

hug. “You stay in touch and I want to see that baby. Do you know

what it is?”

“No actually, it was too small, hard to believe since I am so huge.”

“No you are not….I was noticing that when you had your back

turned to us, you still had your regular small frame. Not many

women get that when they are pregnant so consider yourself

lucky.”

“Well I will then…you take care and come visit so you can see my

baby!” Marlena laughed as she made her way over to Hope,

Maggie, Jennifer, Kate, and the other gals.

John and Marlena walked over to the cake and admired the way

it was created. The cake was made as baby blocks, colors of blue,

yellow, pink, and red. The photographer snapped pictures of

John and Marlena in front of the cake and then one of the whole

family.

“So who picked this tacky looking cake?” John joked and Marlena

swatted his arm and Belle’s face dropped.

“Dad, I thought the cake was nice actually.”

“Relax tink…I was just kidding. It is absolutely beautiful and we

couldn’t ask for anything more.” John said as he kissed his

daughter’s head.

“Honey it absolutely beautiful!” Marlena hugged her daughter and

then her son.

Together Marlena and John cut the cake together. John fed the

first piece to Marlena as she hummed her approval. She fed the

next piece of cake to her husband as he claimed her lips in the

end. “Does the baby like the cake?” Caroline Brady asked as

Marlena smiled and responded that it does. Photos and video

footage were being taken as the baby shower was becoming part

of history.

A familiar song came on as John grabbed his wife’s hand and

pulled her to the dance floor once more. He held her close as

they danced to their song as she snuggled into his chest. She

looked up slowly and thanked him for everything he had done. He

whispered that she was the only one who he would do that for

besides his daughter. They held each other tightly as john sang

the words into her ear.

“Oh John, you just wait till I get you home. I am going to thank

you in mire ways than one baby.” Marlena whispered seductively,

catching John’s attention.

“We can leave now if you like?” John raised one eyebrow as he

laughed while Marlena bursted out in giggles.

“The waiting will be so worth it…I promise!” Marlena whispered in

his ear as she softly bit his ear. John pulled her in for a kiss and

whispered he loved her.

“Remind me to talk to you about a this sexual discussion later,

much later, when we are done. And about a nanny too.” John

smiled as Marlena winked her eye.

A few weeks had passed as John’s work load had become much

more intense. He suddenly had back to back meetings and endless

piles of paperwork due at the days end. Marlena was in her final

month as she tried her best to continue to work and get around.

The last few weeks had been excruciatingly hard for her, the pain

from the baby, now traveling to her back and legs. She knew the

last month was going to be tough, but she had no idea that it was

going to be this painful. She wasn’t able to sleep anymore and the

constant bathroom breaks was beginning to drive her insane.

Marlena was lying on the couch watching TV as she glanced at

the clock, noticing how late it was. She had begun to have slight

contractions, which was not surprising since she was in her last

month. She slowly got up to grab the phone when she felt a sharp

pain in her lower abdomen. She closed her eyes for a second and

took a deep breath until the pain somewhat released. Once the

pain subsided, she dialed John’s number and heard the other line

ring.

“Hello Baby!” John’s voice boomed on the other line.

“Hey there, where are you at? I was getting worried about you.”

Marlena smiled as she rubbed her stomach in small circles.

“Oh I know, I’m sorry honey, I had to get these files out by

tonight…but not worry…I am on my way home. Are you okay?

You need anything?” John asked with a hint of concern in his

voice.

“Mmmm yeah I’m okay…just little pains here and there…nothing

new though. And no I don’t need anything, thanks for asking

though. What time will you be home?” Marlena asked sadly.

“Sooner than you think,” John laughed as he walked through the

front door. He hung up the phone and placed his briefcase down.

He then walked over to his wife as he kissed her on the lips.

After the kiss, he tipped her chin and kissed her nose before

continuing on with his concern.

“You sure you are okay?”

“Yes John…I am fine. Did you eat yet?” Marlena asked as she

began to walk away, but was quickly stopped by John’s hand.

“Yeah I had a quick bite to eat while I was at work. Why are you

hungry, did you want something, I’ll go get it?” John asked

hurriedly.

“No…not at all. Actually I am kind of tired. I just want to go to

bed.” Marlena smiled as she walked away. John followed her

upstairs as he came up behind her and wrapped his hands around

her waist, kissing the back of her neck. Marlena let out a small

moan as she turned around and gave him a big smile.

“I told you I was tired.” Marlena whined as she untied his tie and

unbuttoned the buttons on his shirt.

“Oh…sorry baby. I must have misunderstood then.” John said

seductively as he took his wife’s lips with his. Marlena gave him

her whole mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and

pulled him close. John backed her up to the bed as he laid her

down, slowly pulling off his shirt. Once it fell to the floor, he

leaned over and kissed her stomach slowly, working his way up to

his wife’s mouth. He partially opened up her top as he kissed her

chest until he reached her neck. Marlena arched her neck as

John passionately seduced her neck with wet kisses, while his

hands caressed her breasts. Marlena’s hands clutched John’s

short hair as her body screamed for pleasure. John pressed

himself into his wife as she let out a moan of pure pleasure.

“Oh John…make love to me baby.” Marlena breathed as she took

her husband’s lips.

“Oh you know I will baby.” John moaned once his lips parted from

Marlena’s.

John slowly backed away from his wife as he began to unbutton

his pants. Before he could continue, Marlena felt another sharp

pain as she took a deep breath and shut her eyes. John noticed

her reaction and immediately went over to her, kneeling down on

the ground, clutching his wife’s waist.

“What’s wrong Marlena? Is it the baby?” John asked worriedly.

“John ohhhh…God…” Marlena breathed heavily until the pain

subsided. “I its time…oh God…yeah its time.”

John’s face filled up with a mixture of happiness and concern as

he quickly jumped to his feet, picking up his shirt and buttoning

1. “Ok come on…we need to get you to the hospital. Did your

water break?”

“No I don’t think so…not yet…but I know this pain…this baby is

coming!” Marlena said painfully as her hand gripped the sheets.

John slowly picked up his wife as he made his way downstairs and

to the car. On the way there, Marlena’s pain began to increase as

she tried to keep with this baby.

“So how are you doing honey? John asked while trying to keep his

eyes on Marlena and the road.

“Ummm I’m trying to hang in there.” Marlena somewhat smiled as

John began to laugh. “What is so funny?”

“So what do you think its gonna be?”

“At this moment, I don’t care, I just want it out and this to be

over! Please hurry John!” Marlena breathed. “And I don’t see

what is so funny, since your not the one who is going to push this

kid out!”

John couldn’t help but laugh, he knew deep down inside this was

going to be one painful and long hell of a night.

ohn watched as the doctors and nurses rushed around hurriedly

through the lobby while he waited to find out what room Marlena

was put in. As he thumbed through a magazine carelessly,

unaware of what he is actually reading, he couldn’t help but smile

of the situation that was now at hand. This gift that had blessed

his life in more ways than one was now just hours away before it

would be lying in his arms. John threw the magazine on the table,

quickly getting up and walking to the window while he took a

deep breath and closed his eyes for a second He felt a gentle

hand on his arm as he quickly turned around, his eyes searching

for an answer.

“Your wife is in her room Mr. Black. Would you follow me so I

can take you there?” The nurse smiled as she turned around and

walked away slowly.

John smiled as he followed the nurse and walked down the

hallway into another corridor, where he came upon Marlena’s

room. The nurse gently gave a knock as she explained that she

brought her husband. John walked into the room as he paid close

attention to Marlena, who was now dressed in a hospital gown,

along with an IV and a few monitors here and there.

“Well don’t you look like an experiment!” John laughed as he

walked to his wife’s bedside and sat beside her.

“You shut up….I’m sure I look just fine.” Marlena smiled as she

took a deep breath.

“How do you feel baby? Any pain?” John asked as he grabbed

Marlena’s hand and kissed it.

“Well it slowed down for now but I’m sure it’s going to pick up

soon, when the doctors were examining me, I had this sharp pain

and then my water broke. So in other words, I am definitely in

labor.” Marlena joked as John gave a big smile.

“Well then maybe you should get some rest for now. What do you

think about that huh? Come on close your eyes….I’ll even take a

nap with you.” John said as he crawled into bed next to her and

held her close.

“John really, I’m not that tired.” Marlena complained while John

ignored her plea and held her close to his body.

“Yeah but try to get some rest…you don’t even have to sleep, just

relax and rest your eyes.” John tried to persuade her as she

slightly shoved him back and looked up towards his face.

“Why are you so desperate for me to relax and fall asleep? What’s

going on?” Marlena asked curiously while she readjusted herself

so that she was more comfortable.

“Nothing honey, nothing at all. I just want you to take it easy and

relax. There is no harm in that at all, now is there?” John laughed

as he kissed her head and played with the strands of her hair.

She closed her eyes slowly until sleep finally claimed her, taking

advantage of the peace that allows her to rest for the moment.

Once she fell asleep, John slowly crawled away from her and

stepped out of the room, making a few calls to family, notifying

them of what was happening. He called Belle and Brady first,

telling them to stop by later and to bring the bag of things they

prepared as well as the car seat. Once that call was done, he

made a quick call to his in-laws, informing them of the situation

and that he would keep them posted.

The clock claimed that it was 10 pm already as John glanced out

the window staring out at the city. They had been there for

about 3 hours already and with only a few pains off and on. The

nurses claimed she was only dilated 3 centimeters so far, and had

a while to go before she hit 10. He glanced over to his wife who

was resting but not really sleeping yet, closing and opening her

eyes once in awhile. John let out a yawn as he save a tired sigh,

closing his eyes for just a second until he heard Marlena’s moan.

He quickly got up and walked over to her side, grabbing her hand,

telling her to breathe slowly and relax. She held his hand tightly,

breathing deeply in and out until the pain faded. John swiped the

drops of sweat that formed on his wife’s forehead, as he took a

seat next to her.

“You okay?” John smiled as continued to hold her hand.

“Yeah…that one just snuck up on me suddenly. The pain was

tougher this time…I think the contractions are going to start to

get harder.” Marlena said nervously.

“I’ll be here to help you through each one…together we will get

right through it.” John smiled as kissed the back of her hand.

Midnight quickly approached as the pains began to arrive a little

more frequently, each one with increasing pain. Marlena breathed

hard as she fought hard to control the pain, tears slowly dripping

from her eyes. John stood next to her as he tried to comfort her

by urging her to keep taking deep breaths.

“Come on baby…breathe…honey breathe!”

“I… am… breathing damnit…..oh oooh…..God…phewwww…”

Marlena panted as she breathed hard. The pain slowly passed as

she laid back and calmed herself , while John reached for her

face. She swatted his hand away, catching John by surprise.

“Don’t touch me! You are not helping me at all…all you are doing

is pushing me!” Marlena lashed out as she placed her hands on her

stomach as if to sooth the soreness away.

“Marlena sweetie, I am helping you.” John whispered as he

grabbed for her hand, which she quickly moved away. John gave a

‘I can’t believe this’ laugh as he sat down, turning on the TV.

Marlena finally calmed down after a bit as she asked of John

could give her a rub. For the next twenty minutes, John began

rubbing her back, shoulders, arms, and legs, due to the

unbelievable soreness that developed. The nurse came in as she

placed Marlena’s legs in the stirrups, checking her dilation. John

looked on amused as Marlena swatted his arm, telling him to sit

down. The nurse smiled as she placed Marlena’s legs back down,

and explained that everything was going at a good pace and soon

their little bundle of joy would be joining them. John gave a big

smile as he thanked the nurse and looked over at his wife, who

was not amused.

“What are you smiling about?”

“The baby, it’s almost here.” John’s face lit up like a child on

Christmas morning.

“Well since you are not the one pushing a human being out of

your body, I can see why you are amused. This process is taking

forever.” Marlena said restlessly as she took a deep breath.

“Well just relax and take it easy. You need or want anything?”

John asked with some concern.

“No but thank you. Hey…did I tell you how much I love you?”

Marlena smiled as she reached for his hand.

“Nope…”

“Well I do…too much!” Marlena whispered as John leaned in and

placed a kiss to her lips.

The hand on the clock struck 4 am, as John stood up holding his

wife as the pain took over completely. Marlena moans were

nonstop as she breathed and screamed.

“Ohh..I want to push John!!! Please let me push!” Marlena

shouted as John told her to not to. “Ahhh God help me….ohhh I

can’t do this anymore.” Marlena was fighting hard to keep up with

pain but it seemed it was getting the best of her. John tried to do

everything to help her through it, but she was so irritable, and

she couldn’t stand the sight of John at that moment.

“Get away from me John…you did this to me! You done enough!”

“What…wait we are in this together!” John smiled as he held her

hand.

“No I am in this by myself…I am pushing…do you have any pain?

Just Go!” Marlena complained as she let out a moan and took a

deep breath.

“Don’t push Marlena!” John urges as he hugged her close.

“I’M NOT!!!!” Marlena shouted

The pain once again faded as Marlena, who was now beat red

took a breath of relief and sat back for a second.

“I can’t take this anymore John…this is it…the last one! And this

is your fault!”

“You were very helpful too in that department baby!” John

laughed as the nurse who was checking things out smiled.

“You ready to meet your baby? Lets get this thing started.” The

nurse smiled as she walked to get the doctor so he could examine

her as well.

***************************

The early morning rays had begun to light up the sky, as the 5 am

morning news popped onto the TV. Marlena’s doctor had

examined her as he noticed she was just about ready to deliver

this baby. The doctor gave a quick smile as he explained that it

looks like all systems are a go. He left the room as John followed

him outside.

“Is everything okay Doctor?” John asked with a hint of concern

present in his voice.

“From what I can see, your baby is doing just fine and so is your

wife. But we have to get a move on so we can get that baby out.

I’ll be back in about half an hour, and the nurses are going to

begin the preparation procedures.” The doctor explained while he

looked over Marlena’s chart.

“Thank you for everything Dr. Robbins.” John smiled as he shook

his hand and headed back into the room. Marlena glanced up at

her husband as her face was drenched with sweat and filled with

pain. John walked up to her as gave her a kiss on the head and

held her hand.

“Mr. Black, can I speak to you for just one second?” The nurse

asked quietly as John followed her outside of the room once

again.

“We are going to get you a shirt to wear so that when you do hold

your baby in your arms you won’t get dirty, and then of course we

take precautions with germs and bacteria.”

“Of course, where should I go?” John smiled as he clapped his

hands together.

“We’ll bring it to you!” She smiled and walked away.

John ran back in just as Marlena was getting another

contraction. He ran up to her and removed her hand from the

bar and took it in his own, running his other hand around her

body.

“Ohhhh I can’t do this John….I’m done….make it stop please!”

Marlena begged as her body tightened for the pain. The nurse

walked back in as John motioned for her to step to the corner of

the room.

“Is there anything we can give her?” John asked, worry written all

over his face.

“Well at this moment, not anymore because it’s already coming to

the end. If all goes to plan, this baby will be out in about half

hour to an hour.”

“Why is she having such a hard time?”

“Well it has been a while since her last child, and that plays a very

big part in the pain. So it is tougher on Dr. Evans that it was 18

years ago, you know her body has changed. Its going to be like

having her first baby all over again.”

Marlena screamed John’s name as John ran back to her side.

“Try and relax baby….take it easy and breathe.”

“Don’t tell me to relax John…When you can sit through pain like

this and push a kid…then YOU CAN TALK TO ME ABOUT

FUCKING PAIN!” Marlena screamed as John’s face dropped.

“Woah…someone is ready to push this kid out! You ready to see

this baby?” Dr. Robbins laughed as he motioned for the nurses to

get started.

“Oh God YES!” Marlena panted and John took off his dress shirt

and put on the scrub.

The nurses placed Marlena’s legs in the stirrups as they moved the

blanket up to her pelvis.

“You ready baby?” John whispered in Marlena’s ear.

“Oh yes…” Marlena moaned as she felt another pain come on,

holding onto John desperately as if she felt her life slipping away.

Dr. Robbins pulled on his latex gloves as he pulled a stool in front

of the bed, sitting down and reaching over to touch Marlena’s

knee.

“Okay Mar…on the next contraction I want you to push okay!”

The doctor smiled as Marlena nodded weakly. In the meantime,

Dr. Robbins got up and touched her stomach to see if he could

feel anything odd. Marlena moaned as she felt another pain rush

through her body.

“Ohhh GOD!!!” Those were the only words that were shouted as

Marlena froze in pain.

“Raise her up!” Dr. Robbins assigned the nurse and John to lift

her body. John and the nurse slowly pulled Marlena up. “Marlena..

sweetie…ready…Take a deep breath and….PUSH!!!” The doctor

ordered as Marlena held onto Johns hand, took a deep breath

and gave a hard push. Once the pain was over, the doctor told

her to relax and take a breath or two.

“When you get another pain, same procedure okay, deep breath

and push!”

John held his wife who was severly weak at the moment. John

kissed her forehead as he whispered that she was doing such a

great job. Marlena gave a weak smile as her hand tightened

around John’s, signaling another contraction.

“Ready…Deep breath…on the count of 3 Marlena…1….2….

3…PUSH!!!!!” The doctor ordered as his hands disappeared from

view and Marlena let out a scream.

“I can’t do this…I’m so weak…..” Marlena cried as John held her

close, whispering in her ear.

“Come On Marlena…Just a little bit more and you can see your

baby! Your doing such a good job!” Dr. Robbins smiled as he

motioned for his nurses to get the forceps and scapel.

“No I don’t need those!” Marlena shouted as John held onto her

telling to calm down.

“There just as a precaution, now all you have to do is push as

hard as you can when you feel contractions. Okay!”

After an hour of pushing and waiting, it was finally time to get

this baby out. Dr. Robbins reached down and placed his hand

inside to feel exactly where they were at.

“Uhh….. stop….. please” Marlena said tiredly as she moved her

head to the side and looked over at John.

“This is it baby…couple minutes you’ll be holding our baby!” John

laughed as he kissed her lips.

“Ohhh ahhhhhh…another….pain…” Marlena breathed as John

held her up. Marlena, who was now all flushed and bright red on

her forehead and cheeks, let out an exhausted cry.

“Okay Marlena, here we go….ready…just a few more pushes and

you will see your baby. Ready…”

Marlena gave a small nodd as John helped hold her up.

“PUSH!”

Marlena took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could as

her nails pierced John’s skin, leaving John to flinch in pain as well.

“Come on baby…push honey…that’s my girl!” John repeated over

and over until he felt her stop.

“Ohhhhh…..oh my God…it hurts….its burning!!!!” Marlena

screamed as John held on tight.

“The baby’s head is out Marlena…..Come on….I need two big

pushes and you will see you beautiful baby!”

“IT HURTS….OH..GOD….JOHN….” Malena cried as John

pushed her hair back behind her ears.

“Ready Marlena…here we go…3…2…1…PUSH!”

Marlena pushed harder than before as she felt herself being

ripped in every direction possible. She screamed as she felt the

head and shoulders rip through her skin, as if a scab were being

ripped from a cut. John smiled as tears clouded his eyes as the

thought of his child being here was only moments away.

“Alright Mar….One big push and this baby is going to be in your

arms. 3….2…..1….GO….PUSH!!!!” Dr. Robbins exclaimed.

“Come On Marlena!!! Your doing Such a great job baby!” John

smiled as he held his weak wife, who was now pushing with every

ounce of power she had left. Her face turned bright red as her

hand grasped John’s with an undying strength, leaving pressure

marks on his skin.

“AHhhhhh…..OHHHH” Marlena screamed as she gave one final

push. The sound of a baby’s cry filled the room as tears welled up

in Marlena’s and John’s eyes, as Marlena collapsed exhaustedly

back into John’s arms and then onto the bed and pillow, where

she took a deep breath.

“Congratulations Mom and Dad…you have a little boy…a son!” Dr

Robbins smiled as he pulled the child from Marlena.

“We have a baby boy honey!” John smiled as he caught the first

glimpse of his son as Dr. Robbins motioned for John to come

over by the baby.

“Would you like to cut the cord dad?”

“Go honey!” Marlena smiled as John leaned down and kissed his

wife, then walked over and cut his son’s cord. He walked back to

his wife as he hugged her from the side of the bed, thanking her

endlessly.

“Damn I love you so much!” John laughed as tears dripped from

his eyes. “You did such an incredible job!”

“I love you too John!” Marlena smiled as John gave her a sweet

kiss.

The nurses cleaned up the baby as they placed him in Marlena’s

arms.

“Here is your son…say hello to mommy and daddy.”

“Look at you…look how beautiful you are, just absolutely

beautiful….oh my boy!”

Marlena said as she grabbed her son and memorized everything

about him. He had dark hair and blue eyes like his father, in fact

everything about him was just like his father. He was the spitting

image of John and almost nothing of his mother. She looked up

at her husband who now had his finger wrapped by the baby’s tiny

hand.

“He looks just like you….identical.” Marlena smiled as John

pecked her lips once again.

“Well you took over Belle’s looks.” John laughed as he touched

the baby’s head.

“Say hello to your daddy.” Marlena whispered as John got close

to his son.

“He is beautiful!” John laughed as Marlena giggled.

“Of course he is…he’s mine!”

“He is living proof of our love…its so damn powerful and sacred.”

John smiled as he kissed the baby’s head.

The nurses took the baby away to go and get him taken care of

with tests and shots. John smile widely as he gave Marlena a kiss

on her head.

“I’m going to call the family!” John laughed as Marlena gave a

small smile.

“I’m going to rest!”

Dr. Robbins finished up some procedures as he explained that she

would be sore for awhile and that if she needed anything, give

him a call.

“I’ll be back in awhile to check on you and go over some things

with you and your husband. In the meantime, get some rest…you

did a great job. Hardest pregnancy so far?” He asked as he stood

up and pulled her legs out of the stirrups and placed them down

on the bed, covering her up.

“Oh yes…It was hard…and painful but well worth it!” Marlena

smiled as she gave an exhausted sigh.

“Well get some rest…your going to need from this day on!” He

winked and walked out of the room.

“Knock, Knock!” Dr. Robbins smiled as he walked into Marlena’s

room, waking John and Marlena up. “How are we feeling?”

Marlena slowly shifted as pain etched across her face. “Sore

actually.” She smiled weakly as John, who was a half asleep, gave

a lazy laugh.

“Well that’s why I’m here…a quick check-up and I will be out your

way, promise!” He chuckled as he placed on a pair of latex gloves.

“Okay lets put them up slowly.” He said quietly yet demanding as

he gently placed her legs in the stirrups once more. He did a few

touches and a few pokes as Marlena winced in pain. He gave her

an apologetic smile as he placed her legs back done, removed his

gloves, and pulled a stool out, quickly sitting down.

“Okay here is the deal guys…especially you Marlena, I know right

now you are both tired and all you probably want to do is sleep,

but I figured we can get this out of the way now. Marlena, you

are going to be sore for quite some time, just so you know.

Luckily we didn’t have cut you, but you did tear yourself in three

different places, mostly from the force of the push. The baby’s

head wasn’t that big but was big enough to tear a few parts of

the skin. With that said, I placed 2 stitches on each tear and that

should take about 4 to 5 weeks to heal, and they will disintegrate

on their own. Now out with obvious….I’m recommending that no

sexual intercourse should be done until after her 6 week

checkup. Especially with the stitches and tears…it would be

pretty excruciating for her. Also keep in mind Marlena, that your

body, internally still has to get back to the way it was, if for some

reason intercourse does take place within 6 weeks, make sure that

some form of protection is used. It is extremely important that a

precaution is taken. Your body will be highly fertile… so if you

want another little one, I’d say go for it….but…”

“No…No…Thank you!” Marlena smiled as she quickly cut him off.

“This is enough…and this will be the last one Dr. Robbins.”

John gave a small laugh as he nodded and stood up to shake the

doctor’s hand. “Thank you sir…you did an excellent job and I

thank you immensely for your hard work.”

“Sure…but I think your wife deserves the appreciation…she had

the hardest job out of all of us…and she did a great job if I must

say.” He smiled as he walked to the door. “Oh one of the nurses

will be in here shortly to ask you a few questions and sign a few

things. John did they have you sign some documents already?”

“Yes they did, about an hour ago.” John stated as he stood up

straight.

“Okay good…so that leaves you then Marlena…you’ll just have to

sign a few documents, the baby’s birth certificate and a few other

papers. And we are going to need the baby’s name as well….at this

moment he is simply known as Baby Black! So just giving you a

heads up…see you both in a few.” With that said, the door closed

softly as John and Marlena looked over at each other.

“We had this discussion already John, I made my decision 2

months ago. We promised each other that if we had a girl, you

could name her and if it was a boy, I would name him.” Marlena

laughed as John gave a smirk. “His name is John Black Jr.”

John gave a heart filled laugh as tear fell from his eye. “I thought

you wanted part of his name to be your father’s too.”

“Well he won’t be a junior then…would you mind?”

“Not at all!” He smiled as he kissed his wife’s mouth.

“It’ll be our little secret then… to everyone else he is a junior.

So…and I don’t plan on naming him Frances, which was my

grandfather. Believe it or not my dad’s whole name is Francisco

Evans….not Frances”

“Really I thought it was just Frank….His name has a little Italian

or Latin ring to it.” John laughed as Marlena swatted his arm,

mumbling the word ‘goof’.

“Yes… I guess you can say that…and I think it would go with

John…what do you think honey?”

“John Francisco Black Jr.” They said in unison.

“I love it baby.” John kissed his wife as he caressed her face. A

knock at the door interrupted their loving moment as a nurse

walked in with a few papers.

“Mrs. Black…sorry to bother but I’m going to have you sign these

so you can get them out the way. Just sign this here, and sign this

here as well, and this too.” The nurse giggled as she placed three

different forms in front of Marlena.

“I’m not signing away my child or my life, am I?” Marlena joked as

she elegantly signed her full name on each line.

“No not at all….in fact just claiming him…so from this point on

he is all yours…no turning back now.” The nurse smiled as John

laughed.

“I guess we’ll take him…if you insist.” John joked as he looked

over at what Marlena was signing.

“Okay then…I think we are done here for now….ohh wait I

almost forgot…Did you pick a name for him yet?”

“Yes we did…his name is John Francisco Black.”

“Okay then perfect…so sign his name right here. He is a junior

right?” The nurse asked as John looked over at his wife.

“Well he would, somewhat in a weird way, be…but my middle name

isn’t Frank, so technically no.” John joked as Marlena smiled over

at him.

“Okay well you don’t have a middle name right?”

“No.”

“Okay well… we could still put him as a Jr. As long as he has your

whole name and nothing was replaced with another name, he can

still be a John Jr.” The nurse smiled as John gave a thumbs up

sign. “Okay well I will be bringing baby John in just a bit…he’s

going to have to eat. Will you be nursing him or using a bottle?”

The nurse asked softly as she held the door open.

Marlena looked over at her husband as she gave a smile and then

looked over at the nurse. “I’ll be nursing him.”

“Okay well we will get you set up then in just a bit. I’ll be back in a

little while okay.”

Marlena smiled as John sat down next to her, taking her slender

hand in his.

“So what did the family say?” Marlena giggled as she waited for

John’s answer.

“Well I got a lot of ‘I told you so’! And ‘Oh My God, she had a

boy’” John smiled as he began naming everyone he had called.

“Belle and Brady should be on there way actually!” John smiled as

he heard a knock at the door. He got up and walked over to the

door as he was greeted by one happy daughter and another

excited son.

“We’re here…How is mom? Where is he? What’s his name? How

much does he weigh? Can we see him?” Belle asked as John tried

to stop her.

“Okay lets try one question at a time…your mother is fine…come

in and see her for yourself.” John stepped to the side as Belle

hurried in with her brother. Marlena slowly sat up as she winced

from the pain that rushed through her body. Belle and Brady

caught on as they sat next to her with concerned faces.

“Hi Mom, how are you feeling?” Belle smiled as she reached for

her mom’s hand.

“Sore but hanging in there….how are you two? Thanks for coming

down here!” Marlena smiled at both her kids.

“Of course, this is the day we have been waiting for. So how was

the labor?” Brady asked as he watched for Marlena’s facial

expressions very closely.

“Well ummmm….” Marlena struggled as she made faces of pain,

confusion, and terror all in one.

“That bad huh…” Brady laughed as Belle and John joined in

laughter as well.

“Oh yeah she was in a pain…but she made it through with flying

colors.” John smiled as Marlena gave him a look.

“It was a tough labor, but not to bad…And he was so worth it,

you two need to see him, he is the most yummiest baby.” Marlena

smiled as her eyes twinkled with bliss.

“Where is he? What is his name? Can we see him?” Belle asked

once again.

“Well your in look because look who just arrived to meet you

both!” John said from the back of the room as the nurse wheeled

the baby inside. Brady and Belle hovered over the bassinet as a

tiny baby boy looked up at them in confusion. He had lazy dark

blue eyes that seem to shine like gloss, and his hair was thin but

unmistakably dark, a definite non Marlena trait. His cheeks were

somewhat chubby and red and his body was extremely tiny. Belle

looked at him adoringly as Brady smiled at his newest sibling.

“Oh my God…he is beautiful Mom and Dad! What’s his name?”

Belle asked as the nurse picked him up and placed him in

Marlena’s arms.

“Belle and Brady, meet your brother John Francisco Black Jr.”

Marlena smiled as she held the baby tightly while kissing the top

of his head.

“Wow he looks so much like you dad….” Belle said in astonishment

as John smiled proudly.

“Yeah talk about a serious spitting image.” Brady joked as he went

over and gave his father a hug of congratulations.

Marlena held the baby as she smiled down at him and made cooing

noises. He began to get fussy as he searched for her breast,

balling his hands up in tiny fists as beginning to move them angrily.

“Oooh someone’s hungry…He’s a little upset…he seems to take

after someone I know.” Marlena smiled over at her husband as

John gave her a wink.

“That’s my boy…in every sense of the word.” John joked as Belle

looked over at Brady.

“Are you going to nurse him Mom?” She asked quietly while

looking at the baby and then at her mother.

“Yes….why?”

“Okay then Belle and I will get out your way and we’re going to

walk around…I’m going to stop by and say hi to Carl.” Brady said

as he pulled on Belle’s arm.

“Alrighty…come back in a bit…” Marlena smiled as she seen her

children walk out of the room, with John following them as well.

“Where are you going? Aren’t you staying here?” Marlena asked

curiously as she postioned the baby so that he was comfortable

and be able to accept her breast.

“Oh I thought you might of wanted to be alone..” John gave a

soft smile as he walked over to the bed.

“Why…you’re the daddy…and its not like you haven’t seen this

part of me anyway.” Marlena winked her eye as she felt the baby

begin to suck on her. The baby has his eyes closed, his hands were

in tiny fists while he let ot a rapid breaths. A tear escaped from

Marlena’s eye as she watched I complete awe.

“I never thought I would be doing this again.” Marlena looked up

at John who was watching with much interest.

“Well sometimes we deserve a couple blessings here and there.”

John leaned in and gave his wife a kiss. “And this kid is going to

be so spoiled, he won’t know what a normal life is.”

The rays of the morning sun danced on the blinds as they crept

into the room, chasing out the darkness. John slightly shifted in

his chair as the rays shone on his face, waking him from his sleep.

He slowly opened his eyes as his vision tried to adjust, noticing his

surroundings weren’t really his bedroom. He sat up in the chair,

gave a sleepy stretch and stood up. Marlena heard him let out a

moan and opened her eyes slightly, trying to peak out from under

her lashes. John started to walk towards the door as Marlena

called for him.

“Where are you going?” Marlena said sleepily as she pulled the

covers to her.

John let out a smile as he turned around and walked back

towards the bed. He slowly sat down on the bed as he pulled the

covers from her shoulders.

“I thought you were sleeping? I was going to get a quick cup of

coffee, stop by the baby ward and check on my boy.” John smiled

as he leaned down and kissed his wife’s cheek.

“Mmmm that’s nice, well you go ahead then and I’m going to try to

get a little more sleep.” Marlena smiled as she cuddled closer to

the pillows.

“Honey, its 9 am, don’t you think it’s time to get up now?” John

smiled as he prepared for her answer.

“No, why? I might as well get the rest why I can because when I

get home, I can forget about sleeping ever again and you can too,

until maybe when our son is in high school.” Marlena said as she

let out a tiny yawn and slowly tried to sit up. She winced at the

pain from the stitches that were yanking and pulling, causing her

moan in discomfort.

“How are you feeling? Sore still?” John asked as he gave a

sympathetic look.

“Mmmhmmm, and I think I’m going to be sore for a while too.”

Marlena said softly as the pain slowly began to ease up. A knock

at the door shook Marlena from her thoughts as John walked

over to the door and opened it.

“Hey…Hi there…And how is the gorgeous doctor doing this

morning?” Alex Claiborne said happily as he walked past John,

ignoring his irritated look and welcoming himself into the room.

“Well come right in then…” John said annoyed as Alex turned

back and looked over at John.

“Oh I will, Thanks!” Alex smiled as he gave a wink towards John

and turned back towards Marlena. John bit his lip as he balled his

fists up and prepared to lunge for him, but stopped himself.

“Alex, what an unexpected surprise. What are you doing here?”

Marlena smiled as she adjusted the covers and sat up.

“Well I heard my favorite shrink had her baby….Does he look like

me? Just kidding!” Alex laughed as Marlena gave an unsure giggle

while glancing over at her husband, who was clearly upset.

“So what does he look like…how much does he weigh…his name?”

Alex asked as he sat down beside Marlena, leaving John to stand

against the wall with his arms folded in front of him.

“Umm… well he looks identical to his daddy John, he weighs

about 6 pounds and 11 ounces. And his name is John Black Jr.”

Marlena smiled.

“Oh he’s a junior ey…and he is a tiny baby… 6 pounds woah…”

Alex joked as Marlena gave a shy smile.

“And 11 ounces.” Marlena said sarcastically. “Well thank you so

much for stopping by Alex.”

“Ohh sure anytime…I’ll stop by later to see the baby. Take care!”

He smiled as John walked to the door and opened it.

“Thanks for stopping by!” John spat as Alex looked him up and

down.

“Oh you… are… very… welcome!” He said slowly and walked on

out, as John slammed the door behind him.

“You know Marlena, I really hate that guy! I don’t understand one

bit how you could of dated such an idiot.” John said as he sat on

the bed.

“Well I still don’t understand how you could of dated Karen or

made out with Kate?” Marlena joked as John looked over at her.

“Don’t start honey.”

“Well you don’t start either John…all he did was stop by to

congratulate, that’s all. No big deal!” Marlena said defensively and

then smiled as she rubbed John’s arm up and down. “Now why

don’t you get that cup of coffee and let me get just a bit of rest,

okay.”

John leaned down and kissed Marlena’s lips as he stood up from

the bed. “You want anything while I’m down there?”

“No, but thanks for asking.” Marlena winked as she laid back.

Later that day, Belle brought Mimi to the hospital to see the

baby, while Brady began to set everything up in nursery at the

penthouse. Marlena was holding her son as she played with his

tiny hands and feet, counting each finger and toe. She talked to

him as he stared up at her with his dark blue eyes, trying to

memorize his mother’s face. Her voice calmed him as he held her

finger in his tiny hand. John walked into the room moments later,

disrupting the bond that was being made.

“Hey guess who I seen in the hall?”

“Who?” Marlena asked as she looked up.

“Hi Marlena!” Hope, Maggie, Jennifer, and Julie shouted as they

walked into the room, scaring baby John, causing him to cry.

“Ohhhh we didn’t mean to scare him…aww sorry little guy.”

Jennifer said softly as Marlena rocked him lightly, soothing him

with her voice.

“Oh that’s okay…he’s gonna have to get used to all this

commotion anyway. Oh thank you all for coming, that is so sweet

of you. You didn’t have to come this way.” Marlena smiled as all

the gals gave Marlena hugs and kisses. They all pay close attention

to the small boy in her arms.

“Oh my god….this is another John…oh wow I don’t think I have

ever seen someone so identical to their parent.” Hope joked as

Maggie laughed.

“Well you can’t lie and say this baby isn’t John’s.” Julie laughed as

Marlena burst into giggles.

“Tell me about it…when they gave him to me…I was like oh

man…this kid looks nothing like me.” Marlena laughed as the baby

let out another whimper. “Oh I’m sorry baby…shhh..shhh…

Mama’s here.” Marlena smiled as she rocked the baby once more.

“How was the labor…how long? Because we were told like around

10 last night that you went into labor and this morning the kid

was out.” Maggie smiled as she waited for Marlena to answer.

“Hmmm, well let’s see? I went into labor around 7pm yesterday as

soon as John got home, luckily. And we got here like 7:30 and my

water broke around 7:45. So now the fun begins….” Marlena

joked as everyone laughed. “Around 10 pm…the pain starts up

here and there and the real pain moves in by midnight. Off and

on, strong pains come and go…but by 4am….I thought I was going

to seriously roll over and die. I don’t think I ever had such severe

pain in my entire lifetime. Honestly girls, ask John…I thought I

couldn’t go on anymore…I was about to give up…with John

constantly telling me to breathe and push, which I almost killed

him by the way, and the doctors demanding that I hold it,

breathe, push….oh it was hell.” Marlena smiled widely as the girls

paid close attention.

“So did you get an epidural?” Maggie asked as Marlena shook her

head.

“Nope and trust me when I tell you that I felt every rip, tear, and

burn when this little boy made his way out. I had three tears

which each needed two stitches each. So yeah…I’m pretty much a

sewed up turkey.” Marlena laughed as Jennifer leaned in and

touched the baby’s head. “You want to hold him Jennifer?”

“Can I?” Jennifer smiled.

“Oh of course, pass him around.” Marlena joked as the girls

laughed once again.

“He is so tiny Marlena, how could he have done that much

damage?” Julie joked as Hope stopped her mid sentence.

“Oh trust me Julie…they can 3 pounds and they can rip you to

shreds.” Hope giggled as Marlena nodded.

“Yep….small head but major damage.” Marlena looked at the girls

as they all laughed in unison.

The ride up in the elevator was quiet as the only sound that could

be heard was a ring that indicated they had just passed the lobby.

John held the car seat and diaper bag as Marlena held her son in

her arms, who was wrapped up in a thin blanket. While on the

drive home, baby John began to cry and scream in the car.

Marlena couldn’t really take him out of the seat, for safety

reasons and figured they were almost home anyway. When the car

parked in the garage, she pulled him out and carried him until he

relaxed; humming as she slowly rocked him back and forth until

his cries were calmed. As the elevator rose higher, John decided

to break the silence.

“Is he hungry?” John smiled as Marlena nodded slowly.

“I believe so… either that or he’s wet.” She smiled as John leaned

in and placed a kiss on her lips. “He has to be hungry or else he

wouldn’t have thrown a fit in the car.”

“Well I know one thing for sure, he’s got an excellent pair of

lungs.” John laughed as the elevator doors opened up to their

floor. They slowly walked off the elevator as John fumbled

through his pockets for the keys. Marlena kissed the baby’s head,

causing him to give a small moan and yawn. Marlena smiled

proudly as she touched his tiny face with her finger. John finally

opened the door just as the baby began his fussiness once again.

Belle had been upstairs with Brady finishing the nursery when she

heard the house fill with the baby’s cries. She glanced over at

Brady and then took off running downstairs to meet her parents.

John had put the car seat and diaper bag down and walked back

over to his wife, reaching for his son. Marlena gently gave him to

her husband and slowly walked to the kitchen to grab a few

things. Baby John began to wave his small fists angrily and scream

endlessly as his father hushed him and rocked back and forth to

calm him down.

“Alright buddy, relax… mommy’s coming back… shhhhh… it’s

okay…” John spoke softly as the baby only screamed louder. Belle

came up behind her father and asked if she could try to calm him.

John gave her the baby as Brady patted his father’s back and

laughed.

“Well…I think you got your work cut out for you. You’re doing a

great job by the way.” He laughed as John pretended to swing at

him.

“Yeah who knew…first hour and already its hell.” John smiled as

he looked over to see if Belle was having any success. She

bounced him and hummed to him as he continued to cry, this time

his face becoming beat red. Marlena hurried out of the kitchen

and to her daughter as she took her son and held him close and

kissed his head.

“Shhhh…shhhh…mommy’s here….yes she is…. don’t cry baby.”

Marlena whispered as the baby slowly began to stop his crying. He

looked up with glassy eyes and made small hiccups. “Are you

hungry baby? Is that why you’re crying John?” She smiled as she

looked up and noticed John, Brady, and Belle staring up at her in

astonishment.

“What?” Marlena asked as she walked over to her son and

daughter and kissed them hello.

“That was seriously impressive.” Brady smiled as he looked down

at his youngest brother, who was now moving around. “You know

for just being born less than 72 hours ago, he is pretty attentive.”

“Yep…too bad you couldn’t of felt him in the last couple

months…and the labor ohhhh ….I think it’s safe to say my son

may be a soccer player.” Marlena joked as the baby began to

search for her breast and whimper. “Okay well this little guy has

to eat, so if all of you would excuse me, I’m going to go feed him.

I’ll be back in a bit.” Marlena smiled as Brady pinched his father to

stop her.

John jumped as he let out a groan causing Marlena to turn and

look towards her husband. John finally caught on as he gave a

last minute comment of concern.

“Where are you going to feed him honey?”

Marlena gave him a bizarre glance as she somewhat stuttered an

answer. “Does it matter…is this a trick question?”

“No just a question actually, because I had to ask you something

in private and I wanted to check with you on it.” John smiled as

Marlena just stared at him in confusion.

“Well when you need me then, I plan to be in our bedroom. Is that

okay?” She smiled and continued to walk up the stairs.

When she was out of view, Belle poked her dad in the rib and

gave a sarcastic laugh. “Because I have to ask you something in

private…yeah nice cover daddio.” She joked as Brady laughed at

his father and walked to the couch, throwing himself on it.

“Well you better go up there and tell her some other crap story

before she gets suspicious.” He laughed as John threw a pillow at

him and walked upstairs to his wife and son.

Marlena was sitting on the couch by the balcony windows as she

held her son closely, preparing to feed him. Once she settled him

in a comfortable position, she began to feed him and watched in

awe as he sucked from her body, his hands in tiny fist and his eyes

closed. She ran her finger along his delicate skin as he breathed

heavily and opened his eyes. She smiled softly and then began to

give small rocks, humming soft music until her son fell asleep.

John walked in slowly and smiled at the sight before him, his

heart filling up with so much love. She slowly looked up towards

her husband and smiled widely as she winked at him.

“Hey there cutie pie.”

“Hi sweetheart…just came to see if he settled down. By the way,

he is getting way too attached to you. I think we may need to do

something about that, what do you think?” John smiled as he

knelt down in front of his wife, placing his hands on her thighs.

“Oh stop…he is my little boy….yes he is… mama’s little boy.” She

said in a baby voice as she kissed the top of his head. Little John

had fell asleep on her, so she pulled him away from her breast and

fixed herself. Once that was done, she picked him up and then

burped him while she sat there and decided she would ask John

why he was acting strange downstairs.

“So why did you ask where I was going to feed him? Did it

matter?” Marlena asked curiously as she heard the baby give a

small burp. John took his son from Marlena and placed him in one

arm, grabbing Marlena’s hand with his free hand.

“Come with me, I have a surprise for you.” John smiled as

Marlena frowned at his comment.

“What is it?” She asked as she tugged on his arm, while he

whistled for the kids to come on up. Once they got upstairs, they

all stood outside Belle’s bedroom door, looking around at each

other. Marlena looked intently at each of them as she frowned at

her son, daughter, and husband. “So what are you all up too?”

Belle grabbed the door handle and turned it as Brady smiled and

spoke quietly. “Look for yourself.” The door opened as Marlena

walked inside, noticing the powder blue walls with clouds painted

all around. His name was carved elegantly into a wood plate above

his crib, which was decorated with stuff animals, and baby bear

blankets. An overstuffed couch chair which was actually a

rocker with a foot rest lay to the side, next to the window that

overlooked the city. A very expensive wooden changing table

stood next to the closet that held all of his clothes, toys, and

everything else they received from the baby shower. Marlena

stood shocked, her mouth dropped open as the tears began to

well up in her eyes.

“How did you manage to do all this?” She said happily as she

hugged her children and kissed her husband.

“Well it was a lot of overtime…once we got word that he was a

boy…let me tell ya.” Brady laughed as he and Belle exchanged a

high five. She hugged them once more as she watched John place

their son in the crib. He covered him partially as placed a kiss on

his head and watched him take quick breaths as he slept. Marlena

turned on the monitor and took the portable device with her as

she, John, Belle, and Brady all went downstairs.

As quickly as the sun had risen this morning, it began to fade into

the night just as fast. Marlena flipped through the 10 o’clock

news upstairs while John made sure to clear up everything that

was used from dinner downstairs. The kids stood with them for

dinner before going back to their places and calling it a night.

Marlena had gone upstairs for the umpteenth time that day to

attend to her fussy son who just couldn’t seem to adapt to his

new surroundings. John turned off the kitchen light and made his

way upstairs to their bedroom, walking into the room at the

perfect moment. Marlena was undressing herself as she pulled the

blouse off her body. John licked his lips as he snuck up behind

her a placed a kiss on the back of her neck. She let out a gasp as

she felt his soft lips do a soft dance along her skin.

“What a hectic night huh?” John smiled as his lips continue to

caress her skin.

“hmmmm …..ohhh… yeahh…..and the scary thought is….

mmmm…its just beginning.” She smiled as she fought the urge to

take her husband.

“Well he should be fine for the night.” John kissed her ear as

Marlena let out a loud laugh.

“Yeah okay…This is definitely your first newborn baby in a very

long time. Honey this going to be one of the many long nights that

we have for awhile.” She said as she looked through her drawer

for her pajama top. John’s hand made its way to her breast as he

caressed it softly and brought his lips back to her neck.

“John…mmm…what are you doing?” Marlena asked as she turned

around slowly and faced him.

“You know…I wanted you so bad that night you went into labor

and we never got to finish that. So I thought maybe we

could…you know…just a little.” John smiled as Marlena shook her

head in disbelief.

“You’ve got to be kidding me right? John, I just gave birth 72

hours ago…and we can’t do anything for 6 weeks…you know

that.” She rubbed his face as he brought his lips to her palm.

“Well see that’s not entirely true…I was there when the doctor

explained the situation. He said we can have sex if we use

protection and look what I went out and bought yesterday.” John

said as he opened a drawer in front of her, revealing a whole

drawer of condoms.

She shook her head slowly as she bit her lip. “I see you have been

seriously thinking about this. John just one thing and I mean this

with the all the love and respect I have for you. Are you insane?

Are you honestly losing your mind? I just pushed a child out of me

3 days ago, ripped 3 different places down there, not to mention 2

stitches on each tear. Geez call me crazy but I seem to think that

I would be in a whole lot of pain. And even though you are the

best lover that I think I will ever have…I think the sex would be

lousy and worthless to me….and the screams of pain instead of

pleasure and tears from terror instead of bliss, would probably

not be such a nice touch either. So save it cowboy…until after 6

weeks.” Marlena smiled as she patted his chest and walked to the

bathroom to change, leaving a clueless John to stand there

disappointed. John undressed and walked over to bed, getting

comfortable and changing channels endlessly as Marlena joined

him in bed. She pulled the covers over her and was about to kiss

her husband goodnight when she heard a soft cry and then a

whimper and then a loud cry again. Her and John exchanged

looks as she lazily pulled the covers back and got out of bed.

“See ya in 10…” she smiled as she walked passed the bed and to

the nursery as John gave a grin, adjusting himself further into the

pillows.

“Let the long night begin…..” He laughed as he heard Marlena

shout from down the hall.

“I heard that…and you’ll be helping tonight too my friend, just so

you know.” He gave a giggle and rolled his eyes.

“Sure I will…” He smiled and clicked off the TV.

The moonlight glimmered through the curtains that blew softly

from the air conditioning, and danced along the satin sheets of

the bed. John had been sleeping peacefully for what seemed like

hours as Marlena tried to get comfortable. She glanced over at

the clock on the nightstand that claimed it was only 2 minutes

past midnight. She turned her attention back to John and took a

deep breath, closing her eyes for the hundredth time. She slowly

turned her body to the side as she tucked her arms under her

pillow, finally feeling the exhaustion. Her body relaxed as she

finally fell asleep, letting her dreams take over. A loud cry filled

the room as Marlena gradually opened her eyes and turned over

on her back. She carefully rose up and pulled the covers back as

she stepped down from the bed and walked out of the room. She

entered the nursery to find a very angry baby, who was screaming

with great irritation. She leaned down and picked her son up,

soothing him with soft words.

“Shhh… shhhh… what’s the matter baby? Hmmm are you hungry

again?” Marlena said as she walked over to the rocker and sat

down with care. She held he son carefully as he moved his hands

wildly, crying furiously, as she tried to open up her pajama top

with one hand. Once she freed the button, she removed her

breast and placed it to her son’s mouth, who was quickly silenced.

He laid there in Marlena’s arms and breathed heavily as he ate

from his mother. Marlena sat there as she fought the urge to not

fall asleep while her son slowly drifted off to sleep. She shook

him slowly as she whispered for him to wake up and finish eating.

Once she realized he wasn’t going to eat anymore, she picked him

up and burped him. She then got up and changed his pamper,

before she placed him back in his crib. She made her way back to

the bedroom and slowly crawled into bed, where she quickly fell

asleep. The room fell silent until around 3 am when another

piercing cry filled the room. John got up quickly as he looked

around the room before realizing the cry was coming from down

the hall. He lay back down as he nudged for Marlena to get up

who was clearly still somewhat asleep.

“Honey the baby is crying…” John whispered as he slowly fell back

to sleep.

“John… go check on him…” Marlena mumbled as she kicked her

foot into John’s leg.

“Baby… he wants you…”John complained as he pulled the pillow

over his head. Marlena let out a moan as she swatted him on his

arm.

“You know, you’re supposed to act like this after a few months…

not the first night… jerk,” Marlena said sarcastically as she threw

herself back off the bed.

Several times all through the night, Marlena walked back and

forth between rooms with John only helping once. The moonlight

that shone in the room was now replaced with rays of sun as they

beamed onto John’s face. He squirmed a little and then stretched

to the other side of the bed, quickly realizing Marlena wasn’t

there. He sat up lazily and made his way to the nursery, giving a

small yawn. His heart sank as he noticed Marlena sleeping on the

rocker, a blanket loosely covering her. He walked over and kissed

her lips, startling her as she jumped up.

“Hey what happened to you?” John smiled as Marlena pushed him

away from her.

“You didn’t want to get up, that’s what happened.” Marlena

yawned as she placed a hand over her tired eyes, before glancing

over at her son in the crib. She cautiously got up from the chair,

feeling her stitches stretch as she let out a whimper. John

grabbed her and walked her back to their bedroom. She was

about to walk to the bathroom but John quickly stopped her,

pulling her onto the bed and covering her.

“You go to sleep and I will watch our son… you deserve that

much.” He smiled as Marlena gave a quizzical look.

“But…”

“But nothing… go on to sleep,” he said as he played with strands

of her hair until her eyes finally closed, which didn’t take as long

as he was preparing for. John stepped into the shower and

dressed in a hurry as he made his way to the nursery. He picked

up his sleeping son and made his way downstairs to begin

breakfast. Once he was in the living room he placed his son in a

bassinet and patted him softly till he was sure he was sleeping

soundly. Before he could walk into the kitchen, the doorbell rang

loudly, as the baby began to stir. John quickly ran to the door as

he noticed his daughter on the other side. He quickly motioned

for her to come in and put his finger up to his lips, silencing her

before she could even let a word out.

“Belle, why didn’t you use your keys?” John whispered as he pat

the baby back to sleep.

“Well I didn’t want to just walk in…” she whispered back as she

peered at her little brother.

“Why not? This is your home. You can come here whenever you

want, day or night.” John smiled as he wrapped an arm around

her, glancing down to make sure his kid was going back to his nap.

“Thanks Daddy… how was your night? Was it unbelievable? Did

you get any sleep?” Belle joked as she noticed her brother was

now sound asleep once again.

“Well you should ask your mother that. Unfortunately I didn’t

really get the hands on experience like I should have. I think she

is a little pissed with me.” John smiled as Belle gave him a puzzled

stare. “I refused to get up last night except once.”

“Out of how many times?” Belle asked as John gave a distressed

look.

“Well John wakes up every 2 to 2 1/2 hours I think… ummm 7…

maybe 8 times.” John winced as Belle hit his arm.

“Well then she has every right to be angry… Dad, you are

supposed to help her. And why did he wake up so much? Babies

are only suppose to wake every 3 hours or so… well good babies.”

“Well there you go… you said they key word… good babies… I’m

just kidding, he was pretty ticked last night actually, so he was up

most of the time. And yeah I know I was a jerk but… I promise

from this day I will help her nonstop. Come on, help me make

breakfast, at least I can do that for your Mom.”

Later in the day, Marlena slowly rose from bed as she wiped the

tiredness from her eyes. She gave a small stretch and made her

way to the nursery to check on her little boy, who to her surprise

was not there. She figured John had him and if there were any

problems, he would of gotten her by now. She had made sure last

night that there were a couple bottles of breast milk in the

refrigerator, just in case, for matters such as this. She then

walked back into bathroom where she prepared a nice warm

shower. Meanwhile, Belle had helped immensely with the baby,

relieving John in more ways than he can imagine. The baby cried

here and there but mostly slept in Belle’s arms, waking up a few

times from sounds or the vibrations of her laughter. She held him

tightly as she examined his tiny fingers and toes. John was going

over the newspaper when he heard the doorbell ring and ran over

to the door before the baby woke up, with Belle quickly rocking

him. He opened it carelessly and froze when he realized who was

standing on the other side.

“Oh hello John…” Karen smiled as she tried to make her way in

before being stopped by John.

“What the hell are you doing here Karen?” John said angrily as he

pushed her out completely, closely the door behind him so Belle

couldn’t overhear.

“Well I came to give my congratulations and see this bastard you

created with your wife while you were still in a relationship with

me.” She said sarcastically as she tried to push him out of the way.

“I want you out of here now… I don’t want to get the police

involved and I sure as hell don’t want to slap the shit out of you…

but I will if you come back here again.” John threatened her as he

got in her face.

“Ohhh so scared… tell you what… watch that baby of yours…

and you should actually keep a close eye on your wife too, while

you’re at it.” She smiled as she got back on the elevator, walking

past a couple who got off. John quickly covered up his anger and

smiled at the couple as he hugged them with all the love he had.

“Hi John…. How are you? Are you alright, you look a little upset.

And who was that woman?” Martha asked as she kissed John on

the cheek while Frank laughed and hugged his son in law.

“Martha… you ask too many questions, damnit. John, my boy,

how are you and Marlena and the little guy?” He smiled as John

hurried them into the apartment.

“Look for yourself.” John laughed as Marlena’s parents entered

the house and saw their two grandchildren on the couch.

“Is that my Belle?” Martha smiled happily as she walked quickly

over to Belle, leaning down to kiss her granddaughter, before

looking at her newest grandchild.

“Hi grandma… oh my gosh, I’m so glad you came. Oh this is Baby

John… say hi John.” Belle smiled as she passed her brother into

her grandmother’s arms.

“Oh my God… he is beautiful… Frank come over and look at him.

Wow he looks so much like you John.” Martha smiled as she made

baby faces to little John.

“Oh is that my grandson?… oh yeah nothing of Marlena… he’s all

John.” He laughed as John patted his father in law’s back.

Martha held this tiny baby in her arms as she took in his features,

slowly caressing his dark hair.

“Careful Mom… he likes to cry… a little too much if I must say

so.” John smiled as Martha gave a giggle.

“How was the first night… a lot of crying huh… And I bet you

thought you would never have those days again.”

“Yeah tell me about it. Well I only got up once… Marlena did more

of the running around… so she is somewhat upset with me.”

“I did the same thing to Martha… and we had twins. Hey where is

my little girl?” Frank asked as Marlena made her way down the hall

upstairs.

“Daddy, Mama… oh gosh… you’re here.” Marlena laughed from

the top of the stairs as she slowly walked down the stairs and into

her father’s arms. Her father picked her up and held her tightly

as he kissed her cheek. Marlena slowly backed away and walked

over to her mother who was holding a sleeping baby John. She

kissed her mother’s cheek as she put her arm around her.

“He’s beautiful isn’t he Mama?” Marlena smiled happily as her

mother laughed.

“Oh yes he is… he doesn’t have any of your looks… Marlena.” Her

mom teased as Marlena gave a small laugh.

She looked up at her husband as she smiled widely, “I know, he

looks just like my gorgeous husband. And not just a little bit, I

mean John just completely took over everything about him.” John

smiled and walked over to her, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“I already told her Ma that she took over Belle’s looks… so fair is

fair.” John teased as the doorbell rang once more. John smiled as

he excused himself and walked over to the door, opening it slowly.

“Can I help you?” John smiled as he gazed at the couple in front

of him. He took in their looks, noticing a very attractive, yet

older brunette hair woman. The man by her side was somewhat a

tall and almost looked recognizable.

“Are you John Black?” The woman asked softly as John nodded

slowly.

“That’s me… what can I help you with?”

“Well John… I’m Aiden Morgan and this is my wife Elizabeth

Morgan.” The man smiled as John gave them a look of confusion.

He looked back towards his family and then stepped out into the

hallway, closing the door behind him.

“Okay Aiden and Elizabeth, is there something I can help you

with?” John asked once again, unsure of where this situation was

heading.

“You are probably going to find this a little hard to believe but I

am your mother and this is your father. We are your parents,”

Elizabeth spoke as John gave a small laugh.

“What’s going on here, who put you up to this? That’s impossible.

My mother Daphne, died many years ago and my father is

unknown.”

“Yes I do remember when your mother died, I was at her funeral.

I am her cousin Elizabeth. You see it is a very long story but I

wouldn’t mind telling you if you just gave me the opportunity to.”

Elizabeth smiled as John put his head down and gave a small nod.

“Sure… come right on in.” John smiled weakly as he reached

behind and opened the door, gesturing for them to walk inside.

Aiden and Elizabeth walked inside, catching the attention of

Belle, Marlena, and her parents. John slowly closed the door as

Marlena made eye contact with John.

“Marlena, Belle, Frank, Martha… I would like you to meet

Elizabeth and Aiden,” John said quietly as Marlena smiled.

“Oh hello…” Marlena stuttered, unsure of what to say.

“I’m sure you are confused and before we confuse you anymore,

let us introduce ourselves. My name is Elizabeth Morgan and this

is my husband Aiden. We are John’s parents… he is our son.”

Marlena’s mouth dropped as Belle stood there shocked, while

Frank and Martha exchanged glances. John stood there

speechless as he shrugged his shoulders and placed his hand

through his hair.

The room was silent as everyone shared a look of confusion yet

concern, while Elizabeth and Aiden stood patiently.

“I’m sorry… did you say that you both are John’s parents?”

Marlena asked as she slowly walked towards them.

“Yes, I’m his mother and of course, this is his father.” Elizabeth

smiled as Marlena gave an uncertain laugh.

“Forgive me if I appear to be crude but that seems somewhat

impossible. You see John’s mother passed away many years ago

and his father till this day is unknown,” Marlena explained to the

couple. Belle decided that they should go into another room and

tapped her grandmother’s shoulder, pointing towards the den.

Martha caught on and nudged Frank in the rib, urging him to

leave the room with them to allow the group some privacy. Frank

gestured to John that they were all going into the den as John

gave a slight nod and then diverted his attention back to what

was going on.

“Well see, that’s just the thing, there is a giant explanation to this

puzzle. And I do understand if you become or are skeptical about

all this, but please understand we are not here to cause any harm.

We are simply here to rectify a situation that needs to be dealt

with,” Elizabeth spoke as John walked up to the couple.

“Well please take a seat then… would you like anything to drink?

Water, some coffee perhaps?” John smiled weakly as Aiden moved

his hand back and forth slightly.

“No but thank you… John.” Aiden gave a wide smile as Marlena

instantly became aware of the strong resemblance between John

and Aiden.

“Oh I’m sorry, this is my wife Marlena.” John smiled as Elizabeth

reached for Marlena’s hand and shook it softly.

“Very nice to finally meet you. I have heard so much about the

infamous psychiatrist.” Elizabeth smiled before Aiden’s hand took

over Marlena’s hand.

“Is that so? Well it is very nice to meet you as well?” Marlena

smiled as she sat down extremely slowly, catching the attention of

the couple who she had just met no more than five minutes ago.

“Are you alright Marlena?” Aiden questioned as Marlena quickly

regained herself from the pain she felt just seconds ago.

“Yes, I’m fine. John and I just welcomed another child into our

lives and this is the second day back home. So I’m still a little

sore.” Marlena smiled as she glanced up at her husband who had

now joined her on the couch.

“Oh we are sorry for interrupting then,” Elizabeth said

apologetically as Marlena waved her hand.

“No, No, absolutely not… you both are not an inconvenience at

all.” Marlena winked as John reached for her hand.

“So, let’s get down to the situation at hand. Explain to us how

you could be my parents,” John asked as Elizabeth took a deep

breath and glanced over at her husband.

“Well John, Marlena, you see I was Daphne’s cousin and we were

very close to each other. I am Marilda’s daughter. Do you know

who Marilda is, John?”

“Yeah, that is my aunt…. Right?” John said confused.

“Yes, well technically your grandmother. You see my mother

Marilda was a very strict woman who stopped at nothing to have

the perfect family. I had met Aiden in town once and we seemed

to have many things in common. Well secretly we would see each

other and meet at various times and different locations, so that

my mother and father wouldn’t find out. Well one day we had

given into our feelings and then I discovered a couple of months

down the road, that I had conceived a child. Well that was the

most devastating thing that could have ever happened to

Marilda’s family. I, of course, was deeply frightened and had

confined the news to Daphne. Her family was much more

understanding, so to speak, and she knew she could get away with

having a child. So she had told me that if we ran away together,

just enough time so that I could give birth, she would claim the

child as hers and no one would ever know. I, at first, was very

optimistic about this, knowing I would still be asking for harsh

punishment, but none as harsh if I were to have a baby out of

wedlock. I know you are both probably wondering why I didn’t

just marry. Well my parents would have never allowed Aiden, he

was a city boy. Well then I decided to leave with Daphne and we

stayed in a quiet town not too far from Switzerland. I gave birth

to a healthy baby boy a few months later, who I named Forest

Alamain and soon after we headed back home. Sure there were

many questions and Daphne reversed the entire situation and had

made me the caregiver. She claimed she was afraid and that I had

followed her to prevent her from doing something stupid.”

Elizabeth wiped her eyes with hand as tears escaped one by one.

John quickly got up and brought the tissues to her, as well as

Marlena, who unsurprisingly, had tears flowing as well.

“You know John, not a day went by that I didn’t regret not

claiming you as my own. I watched helplessly as you grew your

first tooth, said your first word, took your first step, and said

the word Mom. That tore a hole in my heart and everyday I wake

up with this terrible guilt, even though my son is a grown man. I

know you are going to find this hard to believe, but trust me

when I tell you that I would not try to hurt you, not ever. I did

once before by denying you and I could never do that again.”

“How can I be sure that you are who you say you are?” John

asked as Marlena looked over at her husband.

“I would ask you to trust me but then again I know the pain you

suffered through Stefano Dimera. You know I never got over my

anger with Daphne for dating that evil man. The only thing I can

tell you John is that you have to have faith, and if that’s not

good enough then there are always tests that prove the

paternity.” Elizabeth smiled as John placed his head into his hands.

“Now Alamain came from whom exactly?” Marlena asked as

Elizabeth claimed it was Daphne’s last name.

John smiled softly as he asked if they would excuse him and

Marlena for just a second. They understood the reason and

turned to each other as John escorted Marlena to the balcony

outside. He slowly closed the door as Marlena looked up at him

with curious eyes.

“Well what do you think?” John asked more for an answer than an

opinion.

“Well I think that they are telling the truth, they seem like an

honest couple.” Marlena smiled as John shook his head. “What…

what is that look for? You asked me a question and I gave you my

opinion John,” Marlena sighed as John ran his fingers through his

short hair.

“I don’t trust one bit of what they said. How do we know they

aren’t working for Stefano?”

“We don’t know that… and besides Stefano is dead.”

“THAT MAN NEVER DIES… YOU KNOW THAT!” John said

frustrated as he turned and placed his hands on the railing,

taking in a deep breath. Marlena placed a gentle hand on his back

as she rubbed him in tiny circles.

“John, honey, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Look we don’t know if they are working for the Dimera’s but I’m

not going to accuse them either. Baby we have to at least take in

the possibility that they could be your parents. And who knows

maybe one day you can learn to trust them.”

“I will never trust them; the only family I have and ever will have is

the ones that are here with me. The only parents I have are the

ones that are in there holding my infant son, that’s it,” John said

aggravated as Marlena tried to soothe him.

“John baby… take it easy. Look no one is telling you to trust

them, just try and accept the fact they just may be your parents. I

mean I was looking at Aiden and I couldn’t help but notice a very

strong resemblance.” John looked up at his wife in shock as she

gave a small smile. “Its true John… come on let’s make a deal.

Let’s get the test done and if turns out that they are, we will try

and accept the fact. And if they are not, we’ll decide what to do

from there, okay?” Marlena smiled as she leaned in to peck his lips.

“Only if we have sex tonight!” John winked as Marlena’s face

dropped and she gave a look of disgust.

“You can’t be serious?” Marlena said in repulsion.

“I’m just kidding… okay well let’s get back in there and lay down

the law. Oh and they are not allowed to babysit our son,” John

said before he reached for her hand.

“John relax… I don’t think we will be going out anytime soon

anyway.” Marlena smiled as she and John walked inside the living

room. A piercing cry filled the room as Marlena glanced towards

the direction of the den.

Elizabeth smiled as she explained that the baby had been crying

for a couple minutes now.

“Oh he is probably hungry, excuse me.” Marlena smiled as she

made her way to the den. Martha was walking around the room,

slightly bouncing him, hoping he would calm down. Marlena

walked into the room as Martha gave a sigh of relief.

“What’s the matter baby? You want Mommy is that it?” Marlena

smiled as her son’s cries died down.

Marlena grabbed her son as he placed his mouth to her breast

and began to whimper. Marlena made a face and let out a laugh

as she explained that she was going to go feed him. She walked

out into the living room as John was talking with Elizabeth and

Aiden. Elizabeth looked up and asked politely if she could see the

baby, which Marlena agreed to.

“Of course you can.” Marlena smiled as she turned the baby so

that the couple could see. “His name is John.”

“Oh my god he looks just like Forest… uh… I mean John when he

was a little boy.” Elizabeth smiled as Aiden nodded. Baby John

screamed a fit of tears as he waved his hands angrily causing

Marlena to cradle him closer.

“I’m sorry, he is very hungry right about now. John honey, I’m

going to go feed him. Elizabeth, Aiden would you excuse me for a

few minutes?” Marlena smiled as she disappeared up the stairs.

John excused himself as he walked over to the balcony and took

a deep breath once again.

“What the hell am I gonna do now!” He said quietly as he stared

up towards the sky.

Elizabeth and Aiden stood by the piano as they glanced at all the

pictures that sat in there sophisticated frames. Elizabeth picked

up the photo of John and Marlena’s wedding, as Marlena was

walking back downstairs. John had been out on the balcony on a

phone call as Martha began putting something together in the

kitchen. Elizabeth heard a creek in the stairs as she turned

around and saw her daughter in law.

“Oh hello, I was just admiring your pictures you have here,”

Elizabeth spoke as she placed the photo back down on top of the

piano.

“Oh that’s fine… make yourself comfortable. I actually wanted to

talk to you both about something though, in private. I see John is

on a phone call, so I’ll tell you before he comes on in. I know this

is all so sudden and this was last thing we expected, but I want

you to know that I do believe what you are saying. I do think that

you are John’s parents, especially Aiden, because of such a strong

resemblance. But I know my husband and I know John is going to

find it very hard to believe. He is very stubborn and it is going to

take him awhile to accept this kind of news, therefore if his

attitude is a little harsh, it is in no way directed towards you.”

Marlena smiled as Elizabeth and Aiden gave a small laugh. “Oh

and just one more thing, I will welcome you into our home but if I

find out that you have any kind of association with the Dimeras

or you are here to do damage instead of good, I will make sure

you never step foot in Salem again. I will not tolerate anyone

harming my family. With that said, I do trust you and you are now

part of our family, so please make yourself comfortable.” Marlena

smiled as John stepped inside, standing behind his wife and

placing a kiss on the back of her head.

“What’s going on here?”

“Nothing darling, I just told your parents to make themselves

comfortable.” Marlena smiled as John gave a small frown.

Elizabeth smiled, as Aiden glanced at his watch and looked up at

Marlena.

“We are actually going to get going… we need to get settled in…

we still haven’t unpacked yet… we haven’t even checked in yet.”

Aiden laughed as John smiled and Marlena made a small pout.

“Why don’t you stay here? We have plenty of room.” Marlena

smiled as John pinched her back gently.

“Marlena…” John whispered as Aiden shook his head.

“No thank you dear… we already have a room ready, we just have

to check in. But may we come back tomorrow and spend a little

time with out grandchildren?” Aiden asked shyly.

John gave a sarcastic laugh as Marlena agreed saying it was a

wonderful idea. She walked them out, as John stood closely

behind her. Once they left and Marlena closed the door, John

gave her an evil look as he decided to pick an argument,

completely forgetting they had guests still.

“Why would you do such a thing… How could you invite them

back or even ask them to stay here?! Marlena we don’t even know

them at all and you have the nerve to ask them to stay here,

especially when we have an infant son here.”

“John would you relax… What do you think they are going to do?

Steal our son… or maybe rob our house?” Marlena asked calmly as

she walked away from him.

“Oh so you think this is a joke now huh? What the hell were you

thinking? I don’t want them here and that’s the end of it!” John

shouted as he waved his hand in front of her.

“Don’t tell me who I can and cannot invite… this is my home too

and if I want to bring a horse home, you better believe I will! Now

I suggest you go and relax a little bit and get off this ego trip you

happen to be on. Now I seriously believe they are your parents

and they have every right to be here to visit.”

“We don’t know for sure if they are Marlena?” John said

sarcastically as Marlena threw a couch pillow at him.

“Jesus Christ John… you look identical to Aiden… I don’t think

it’s a coincidence either,” Marlena shouted as Belle walked into

the living room.

“Uhhh did you forget that Grandpa and Grandma are here. Could

you both pull yourselves together and stop yelling? This is

supposed to be a happy time, not a ‘I’m divorcing you’ day,” Belle

said sarcastically as she walked into the kitchen to go help her

grandmother. Malena gave a pissed off look towards John as she

walked towards the kitchen to go and help her mother while John

walked to the den to go talk to his father in law.

Later that evening Marlena’s parents were getting ready to leave

as John stopped them.

“Woah, where do you think you are going?”

“Salem Inn? Why?” Frank smiled as John grabbed their suitcases.

“What’s wrong with our place?… not good enough anymore for

you both. No we insist, stay here.” John laughed as Frank tried to

grab his suitcase.

“Nope we already have our room.”

“Well then let me pay for it please! In fact, I’ll be right back.”

John said as he walked out to the balcony with his cell phone.

Martha and Marlena were walking back downstairs when they saw

John on the phone outside. He quickly ended his call as he joined

everyone in the living room.

“Alright, everything is taken care of. Frank and Martha, enjoy

your suite on behalf of Marlena and I.” John smiled as Martha

stood there shocked.

“What did you do? Frank why did you let him?”

“If you couldn’t stay with us then at least you will stay in the best

room in town.” John smiled as he helped his inlaws take their

luggage downstairs. Marlena went upstairs to change into her

pajamas while her son made his presence known. She then walked

to his room and gave him a quick change and put him back to

sleep. She made her way back to the room to change just as John

entered the room. Her face frowned as she went back to the task

at hand, while John walked over to her.

“You still upset with me?” John asked softly as he walked up

behind her.

“What do you think?” Marlena spat as she unbuttoned her blouse,

while John removed it for her.

“I’m sorry, I had no right to argue with you. But you know how I

get and how protective I am over my family.” John smiled as

Marlena turned around to face him.

“Yeah I know that… but sometimes you just have to take it easy.”

She smiled as she walked into the bathroom to change. She

slipped into a long white strappy nightgown, as she walked back

into the bedroom, catching John’s attention.

“Why are you wearing that when you know we can’t do anything?”

John asked as Marlena gave him an innocent look.

“First of all, I wear this to sleep sometimes… and..”

“Yeah you wear it to sleep and then you wake up without it on…

remember?”

“Well control yourself… plus it’s hot in here.”

“Well I’ll turn on the air then,” John joked as Marlena lotioned

her hands, giving him a look. John walked up to her as he placed

a gentle kiss on her lower neck causing Marlena to let out a slight

moan.

“John didn’t we discuss this same situation last night and… the

answer… is… no.” Marlena moaned as John sucked the soft skin

on the side of neck.

“Yeah but no one said we couldn’t fool around, they just said we

shouldn’t have sex,” John whispered as his hand slid down the

slight swell of her stomach that was still present after she gave

birth.

“John… wait… ohhh,” Marlena moaned as John backed her up to

the bed and laid her down gently. He slowly crawled over her as

he took her mouth in a passionate kiss that left her breathless.

She looked up at him with glassy eyes as he leaned in and kissed

her neck while her hands found their way through his hair.

“I should be punishing you instead of doing this,” Marlena

whispered as John mumbled against her skin.

“You are because I won’t be finishing up when this is through.”

John made his way down as his mouth latched on to her breast

through the silk of the material. She arched her head back as a

slight moan took over while John sucked hard, feeling the

material become wet from her breast. The sound of a choked cry

slowly crept into the room as Marlena gradually opened her eyes

staring at the ceiling, while John continued his seduction. She

placed her fingers under his chin and made him look up at her,

causing John to give a puzzled look on his face. Then a louder

cry filled the room once again as John caught on and his face

dropped.

“Your son is up… why don’t you get him while I change my gown,”

Marlena said as she slowly crawled up from the bed. She grabbed

another pair of pajamas from the drawer, as she turned around

and looked at her husband. “Oh and by the way, you are getting

up and bringing him to me all night since you left me hanging last

night,” Marlena laughed as she walked into he bathroom as John

let out a grunt.

The piercing cry from a baby filled the master bedroom as

Marlena painfully opened her exhausted eyes and brought herself

up from the bed. She walked into the hallway and into the baby’s

room only to notice that her son was not in his crib. She turned

around hurriedly and looked around the room as she heard his

screams become louder causing her to panic. She ran out of the

room and followed his cries that seemed to be leading back into

her room. Her heart pounded as she raced back into the room

searching for her child. Just as she was about to scream for her

husband, she noticed a tall dark shadow by the window rocking

her son. Her body filled with panic as she assumed the worse until

she heard his all too familiar voice.

“Hey, where were you?” John spoke softly as Marlena placed a

hand over her heart and caught her breath.

“I went to the nursery to go get him and he wasn’t there, and I

began to panic. When did you get him?” Marlena asked as John

walked over to her and placed his angry son in his mother’s arms.

“Around midnight or so…he started crying and when you didn’t

wake up I went to go get him. He was a little wet so I changed

him and brought him back to our room and put him to sleep in

the bassinet.” John smiled as he leaned in and kissed his wife’s

lips. “Relax baby, it’s ok.” Marlena took a deep breath and let out

a small smile.

“I just got a little worried that’s all.” Marlena smiled as she sat in

the overstuffed couch chair, next to the windows that lead to

the balcony, pulling her son to her chest.

“I know you have to get up early tomorrow so why don’t you give

him to me and I will give him a bottle. What time is your

appointment?” John asked as Marlena shook her head.

“No… no… I’ll nurse him. As long as I’m home I’ll continue to do

that. And to answer your second question, I believe it is at 9 am.

But I have to be at my office at 8…and its 2 am right now.”

Marlena sighed as John squatted down in front of her.

“I know we discussed this already and I don’t want to argue again

about this topic at 2 am, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to go

back to work already. I know he is going to be in great hands with

Caroline and Shawn but I think he is a little too young to be going

back and forth already. We both disagreed on a nanny which is

fine with me, I know I didn’t want to go down the same route we

did with Belle and Brady. But Marlena, I think going back to work

after six weeks is really too soon honey.” John explained as

Marlena rolled her eyes.

“John I’m not going to start with you again, we have gotten into

too many arguments over this already. I am so far behind in work,

plus I don’t want my son to become too attached to me where I

can’t go anywhere without him throwing a fit and being on my hip

all the time.”

“Too late…” John smiled as he placed a hand on her thigh.

“My patients need me John.”

“So does your son Marlena. Don’t do this to John like you did to

Belle and Brady.” John said in a serious tone as Marlena’s mouth

dropped.

“Then why don’t you stay with him John.” Marlena raised her

voice as John quickly answered her back.

“Because I have to work Marlena.” John snapped back.

“John we both know that you are the last person that needs to

work. You have more money than God John, the least you can do

is help me out here.”

“Look how insensitive you are being Marlena; I stood with Belle

and Brady most of the time when they were young. I’m not asking

for an applause but just some recognition. You, on the other

hand, were never home and always working. Those kids practically

grew up without their mother, only being with you on weekends

maybe, and holidays or at night.” John said annoyingly as he stood

up and walked out of the room. Marlena sat in the chair, anger

rushing through her body as she swiped the few tears that fell

down her face. She looked down at her son who laid in her arms

and caressed his soft hair. Once he fell back asleep, she placed

him back in his bassinet and crawled back into bed.

Morning arrived too soon as the 6:00am alarm sounded off,

waking Marlena up from her desperately needed sleep. She hit the

off button and slowly sat up, pulling the covers off of her and

giving a small stretch, taking quick notice that John never came

back to bed last night. She let out a sigh and walked over to the

bassinet to check on her son. Once she made sure he was asleep,

she quickly made the bed then went to the closet, finding an

outfit and disappearing into the bathroom. Forty five minutes

later, Little John made his presence known and began to

whimper. Marlena came out of the bathroom, her body wrapped

in a cream colored thin silk robe, her hair fluffed with a slight

wave at the tip and her makeup done to perfection. She picked

him up and sat down on the couch while she slightly moved the

top part of the robe to the side. Her son latched onto her breast

as he began to eat hurriedly, causing Marlena to let out a small

chuckle.

“You most certainly have an appetite like your daddy’s.” She

smiled as her hand rubbed his chubby cheeks. Once he was done,

she quickly covered herself changed his pamper and clothes and

placed him down on their bed. She went to the bathroom and

threw on her suit and her pumps. Grabbing her son off the bed,

they walked to his room where she put a few diapers, wipes, some

clothes, and toys in a bag and headed on downstairs. She got to

the bottom and placed the bag on the desk and walked to the

kitchen to get his bottles. John was walking out with a cup of

coffee the same time she was walking in and he jumped back,

trying to avoid spilling coffee on the baby, instead spilling it all

over him.

“Goddamnit!” John shouted as the coffee stained his shirt and

suit. Little John jolted as he began to cry causing Marlena to roll

her eyes and bounce him slightly.

“Nice going John!” Marlena sarcastically answered as she walked

past her husband into the kitchen.

“Oh I’m sorry, I happen to have hot coffee burning through my

suit.” John sarcastically commented as he slammed the cup on the

counter and wiped the spilt coffee from his hands with a rag.

“Better you then the baby.” Marlena spoke non-caringly. “Where

did you sleep last night?” She asked with a hint of anger in her

voice.

“In the guest bedroom. I got to go change before my body starts

to smell like coffee. You want me to take him to Caroline’s?”

John asked as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“No…” Marlena said as she grabbed his bottles out the fridge and

then walked past John and out the kitchen. “Say goodbye to your

son.” Marlena looked at John as he leaned down and kissed his

baby. He looked up at Marlena and was about to lean in when she

turned her face away and went to grab her purse and diaper bag.

“See you later!” Marlena said as carried her son and left the

penthouse, leaving John alone.

Marlena made her way into the hospital as everyone went up and

hugged her, welcoming her back and congratulating her on the

baby. She smiled and made sure to tell everyone to stop by the

office and see his pictures. As she made her way to her office

she ran into Patty, her secretary who was more than thrilled to

see Marlena.

“Oh my God! Welcome Back! I didn’t know you were coming in

today!” Patty smiled she gave Marlena a huge hug while Marlena

hugged her back with same intensity.

“You should of… I emailed you.” Marlena smiled as Patty gave a

dumbfounded look.

“Oh I thought it was next week. Oh well…. tell me how are you?

How is the baby? Who does he look like?” Patty questioned as

Marlena smiled.

“Well first off, how come you never came to visit me and my son?

You use to call me for no reason and stop by for the stupidest

things.”

“Uhhh they weren’t stupid reasons and hello, you weren’t here!!!

Someone had to work around here. You have no idea how much

work I had or how much you have now!” Patty winked as she sat

down on the couch in Marlena’s office.

“Okay …. Well he is now 7 pounds, his name is John Francisco

Black Jr. and he looks identical to his father, I mean spitting

image.”

“Wow and nothing like you… odd! Who would of thought! John

Francisco Black? That sounds kind of like a Spanish name and last

time I checked you weren’t.” Patty smiled as Marlena rolled her

eyes.

“Oh really….you see I thought I was and what gave you that

impression that I wasn’t latin. Maybe it was my blonde hair or light

skin. No you goof, Francisco is my fathers name and no he is not

latin either.” Marlena explained as Patty began to understand.

“UOOOH so do you have a picture?” Patty asked as Marlena

grabbed her purse.

“As a matter of fact I think I do.” Marlena said pulling one out.

“That’s him, that’s my boy.” Patty’s mouth fell open as she made

soft noises.

“Oh he is adorable and beautiful and is so JOHN’S baby!” Marlena

laughed as a knock on the door disturbed their moment. Marlena

looked up and saw Alex standing there with some flowers in his

hand.

“Welcome back Marlena! A little birdie told me that you were in

today.” He smiled as Marlena walked up to him, giving him a small

hug.

“Oh you shouldn’t have, thank you. Its good to be back.” Marlena

smiled as Alex’s pager went off.

“Ohh hey I got to run but I’ll stop by later, maybe we can do

lunch….see ya!” He smiled as he ran off causing Patty to let out a

annoyed sigh.

“I bet he will! He does know that you are married right! He has

been here nonstop looking for you, he is truly a psycho and I

don’t trust him Marlena…I never have! Please just be careful with

him.” Patty stressed as she pulled Marlena into a hug.

“Patty hey, sweetie relax nothing is going to happen, I promise.

Now let me go see my doctor real quick and then maybe you can

help me with all this work I seem to have.” Marlena said in a small

pout.

“Sure, why are you going to your doctor…oohhh I know why…6

week check-up huh! So is John gonna get lucky tonight or what?”

Patty smiled as she raised her eyebrows.

“John is going to get anything but that! He doesn’t deserve it and

he probably won’t for a while.” Marlena said as a matter of factly

as she placed a file on her desk.

“Woah, do I sense trouble? Is he not helping you with the baby at

night? I think you look pretty damn good for getting absolutely no

sleep with a nursed only baby who is 6 weeks old.” Patty spoke as

she helped bring some more files to the desk.

“Well thank you and I’m sure I won’t look like this forever.

Something tells me I’m about to lose more sleep now than I’ve lost

before. And John and I haven’t been on the same page these past

few weeks. We have been at each others throats lately, about his

parents and about me going back to work. He thinks I shouldn’t

be back at work and I should stay with the baby. I think that its

time for me to come back, what do you think?”

“Well you don’t need the money, so why don’t you stay with him?”

“Because I love my work and I don’t want my son getting too

attached to where it gets to the point that I can’t go anywhere

let alone down the hall without him, you know.” Marlena smiled as

she walked to the door.

“Oh well, whatever you decide, I support!” Patty sighed as she

answered a phone call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kate I need that file now ASAP!” John shouted over the

intercom as he slammed down a folder on his desk.

Kate came in a hurry as she gave him a file and asked if he was

alright.

“Yeah sorry, it’s not your fault. Marlena and I just haven’t been on

the same page lately and it pissing me off. Let me ask you a

question and answer honestly. Do you think I’m wrong for

thinking Marlena should stay home with baby instead of working?”

“Honestly John, it is her career, women these days can juggle a

marriage, children, and work all at once. And more power to her

if she does that, I know she did it with Belle.”

“But she doesn’t need to work Kate, I’m here!” John spoke angrily

as Kate stepped back a little bit.

“Hey I’m just saying John, I’m sure she knows you are there but

it’s her career. And I don’t think it’s about the money or ego, its

just about getting away from the pressure, the daily grind. She

probably just needs to get away for a few hours and I’m sure she

will cut her work load down when she feels the time is right.”

Kate smiled as John began to ease up.

“Yeah you’re probably right! Hey can you take over today, I gotta

go run around and do some things.” John smiled as Kate nodded.

“Consider it done!” She said as she walked out and to her office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ssss….aaaahhhh…” Marlena moaned as Dr. Badar poked at a few

parts on Marlena’s sore skin.

“Sorry Marlena, you seem to be a little tender still, but besides

that everything seems fine and back to normal. So you and John

can get down and dirty tonight, just tell him to take it slow

though.” Dr. Badar laughed as Marlena gave a small smile.

“Why does everyone keep saying that today?” Marlena asked as she

moved her legs off the stirrups.

“Well because you know 6 weeks is a long time and usually when

that time hits, guys usually jump on it before you even give them

the green light. Is everything alright?” She asked.

“Oh yeah…of course…I’m just really tired.” Marlena faked a smile

and slowly got off the table.

“Oh well try and relax…maybe you should take a little more time

off and just take it easy. Let me know if you need anything okay?

How’s the little guy?”

“He’s doing very well. Everything is perfect, his weight, his health.

He just loves to cry though, I mean it’s nonstop. It seems I can’t

go anywhere without him crying and the minute he is in my arms,

he stops.”

“Ohhh and you’re at work…wow I feel bad for who is watching

him. Well that’s a good thing though, at least you’re going back to

work while he still young. But I hate to tell you this, it seems you

two already created a little bond so he’ll get used to other people,

but if you’re in the room, watch out.” Dr. Badar laughed as

Marlena gave a nervous laugh.

“Alright well, I’ll give you call later. Thanks for everything.”

Marlena smiled as she left the room and headed on back to her

office.

Marlena got back to an office that was filled with all kinds of

flowers. She slowly glanced around and began to look for a card

when Patty walked in.

“So who died?”

“Patty you really need to find a job in comical area, honestly!

What happened here?”

“I don’t know, the flower guys just kept on coming.” Patty

shrugged as Marlena gave her an evil look. “Ohh and your

husband called, he said he picked up John and he’ll be at home.”

“That’s it?” Marlena asked, hoping he would of said something

else, but having a really good feeling that all these flowers were

his apology.

“Yep!” Patty smiled as Marlena found a card.

My Marlena,

I just want to tell you that I’m very sorry for last night, actually

every night for that matter. You know I will support everything

and anything you do. I love you with all my heart and not a day

goes by that I don’t. Thank you for everything you have given me,

from my eldest daughter to our newest son. I love you!

Love,

Your Husband John

Marlena’s eyes began to get a little watery as she took a deep

breath.

“Wow…sweet…okay Patty you have got to help me with his work.

I got to get home to my baby before my husband loses his mind.”

Marlena went through endless emails as she tried to respond to

each and every one, however her mind wasn’t concentrating on

work. She grabbed the phone from it’s cradle and dialed the

house number. It seemed to ring a few times causing Marlena to

panic just a bit and the other line clicked.

“John Black” John said hurriedly as the sound of earsplitting cry

was heard in the background.

“Hey there, you okay over there?” Marlena asked amusingly.

“Well I was but now he has been screaming constantly and he

doesn’t want the bottle, he’s not wet, and he doesn’t want to go

to sleep.” John tried to speak over his cries.

“I’ll be right there, rock him in the rocker upstairs. I’ll see you in

10 minutes.” Marlena said in a hurry as she hung up the phone and

grabbed her purse. Just as she reached for the doorway, Alex

walked in front of her, blocking her way out.

“Oh are you leaving already? I wanted play catch up with you.”

Alex smiled as he reached for her hand but she quickly pulled it

away, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I’m sorry Alex, my son is acting up and he can’t seem to be

settled, so I really have to go. But maybe we can tomorrow, and

Patty just put these files away and take the day off. I gotta

run…bye.” Marlena said in a hurry and took off.

She walked through the door 15 minutes later and heard her son’s

screams from upstairs. She took off up the stairs and hurriedly

made her way to the baby’s room, where John desperately tried to

calm him down.

“Oh what’s the matter baby…you don’t want your daddy?”

Marlena cooed as John’s cries died down and Marlena took the

baby from her husband’s tired arms. “Shhhhh shhhh…go to sleep

my love. Did you check his pamper to see if he was wet?” Marlena

looked up at her husband who slowly nodded.

“Okay then….shhhh…go to sleep baby.” Marlena whispered as she

sat in the rocker and rocked him gently, rubbing his soft head,

until his eyes became heavy. The baby finally fell asleep as she

placed him in the crib and walked out of the room with John. He

let out a smirk and tipped his finger under chin.

“I guess you have the touch huh.”

Marlena gave a small smile as she shrugged her shoulders. “It just

adds more to your theory…that I should be here with my son.”

Marlena smiled as John stopped her.

“I was wrong for that and I’m sorry. I support you in whatever you

do and if you want me to stay with the baby, you know I will.”

“Well I decided to work part time, a few hours here and there,

maybe like 3 times a week. Just to get some work done so it

doesn’t stock pile, you know.” Marlena gave a small laugh. “Oh

and thank you for all the flowers, they are absolutely beautiful.”

She smiled as John leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“You are so very welcome. So how was your appointment?” John

winked as his arms slowly made their way around her waist.

“She said another 3 weeks” Marlena smiled as she noticed John’s

face drop. “I’m just kidding, she said everything looked good and

if I do decide to do anything, to take it slow.”

“Oh if you decide huh…and I have no say so in this?” John winked

as he pulled her closer to him, leaning against the wall in the

hallway.

“Nope…with the way you have been acting, you don’t deserve

something so special.” She kissed him, letting her tongue run

along the bottom of the lip.

“Mmmmm well maybe I can prove to you that I’ll be a good and

better boy.”

“Would you really like to know what the doctor said John…” She

spoke barley above a whisper.

“Mmhmmm”

“I’m all yours baby…” Marlena breathed into his ear as he

attacked her neck, pulling her suit jacket, trying to free the

buttons.

“I want you Marlena… And I’m going to have you… now!”

Evening began to fade well into the night as the bright orange sun

began to fade below the horizon, painting the sky with bright red

rays. The gleam of the fading sun penetrated through the blinds

of the window and blanketed the penthouse in an orangie red

color. The entire penthouse grew a calming silence once the baby

fell asleep except for the slight moans that danced along the

walls of the hallway. John’s lips latched onto the soft skin of his

wife’s neck as his hands disappeared into her hair, tugging her

head back. Her eyes were slightly closed as she let the passion

flow through her body. Her mouth was slightly agape as her hands

tugged on the back of John’s dress shirt, trying to pull the silk

fabric from his body. John moved his mouth to her waiting lips as

he sucked the bottom one tenderly before opening his whole

mouth and kissing her lips with pure want. His tongue slowly slid

inside her mouth as it danced along the tip of her tongue, moving

a little further with each second. The sound of a slight choke

snapped them from the throes of passion and they remained still

for a second or two. Once they noticed that their son was just

moving around in his sleep, they gave a silent sigh as John leaned

in for another kiss only to be stopped by Marlena. She gave him a

look of desire and lusty smile as she motioned with her finger for

him to follow her. She slowly stepped backwards as John slowly

crept to her, reaching for her body. Marlena backed up into the

bedroom door as John’s mouth lunged for Marlena’s, taking it

with his own and seducing it like never before. He reached behind

his wife and turned the handle, grabbing onto her so she doesn’t

fall when the door swings open. He continued to make love to her

mouth as he lead them into the room slowly, backing her to the

bed. He moved away from her for just a second, leaving her to

stand there clueless.

“Where are you going?” Marlena asked as John put his finger to

his lips. He began to close the door but Marlena stopped him

midway. “Don’t close it honey, we may not be able to hear him if

he cries.” Marlena smiled as John smiled, gave a shrug and walked

back over to wear she was standing. His hands found the buttons

of her jacket and began to slowly undo them as he took his wife’s

mouth once more.

“You know I really wanted this first time to be kind of special, but

the way it seems to be going with John crying all the time and not

being able to be away from you for more than a minute. I think I’

m going to have to take what I can get, and that’s my wife alone

for about an hour or so.” John winked as he kissed her gently,

pulling the jacket down her shoulders and arms. Once the

material was in his hands, he threw out to behind him as Marlena

gave a tiny laugh. Her fingers found the buttons on his silk shirt

and swiftly began to undo them, pulling off his shirt, while she

attacked John’s neck with her heated lips. A hard moan came

from John’s mouth as he felt her teeth nip at the sensitive skin

below his ear. John’s hands found her breast as he began to

caress them through the silk camisole that covered her upper

body still. She moaned into John’s neck as his hands wrapped

around her waist and found the zipper of her skirt, slowly

unzipping it while trying to pull her skirt down. Marlena smiled as

she stepped back slightly and sat on the bed as John leaned down

and began to pull her pantyhose down, along with her skirt. His

hand then moved to her camisole and he pulled it up and over her

head, leaving her in a lacy bra and underwear. She licked her lips

in anticipation as he unbuckled his pants, pulling the belt from

the loops and onto the floor. He unbuttoned his trousers to

relieve some of the pressure that had been building to an

extreme. John leaned over her and took her mouth as he lay her

down on her back, slowly spreading her legs and settling between

them. He placed her hands above her head and held them there

as he kissed her hard on the mouth, making her squirm in delight.

She felt his arousal as he rubbed into her, still clad in boxer

briefs and trousers. She brought her legs up around his waist and

began to push his pants down, with her feet. She got them half

way down but groaned when she couldn’t the boxers down with

them. John smiled as he released her hands and moved them to

the straps of the bra, pulling them down her arms, and kissing her

breast. She arched her head back as she felt his tongue dance on

her nipple, and then feeling as it were to be swallowed. Her hands

laced into John’s short hair as she pulled him further into her

breast as close as she possibly could. John could taste the milk

that was being released as he sucked hard on her breast, grinding

against her body with anticipation. His hands found the material

of the bra and ripped it from her body as she gasped, part in lust

and in shock. He moved down her body and kissed his way down,

stopping at the small swell of her stomach. John had been very

impressed that she had been able to lose almost all of the weight

from the baby, in such a short amount of time, six weeks to be

exact. He knew she hadn’t gained a whole lot during the

pregnancy but she had a stomach, and now it had almost

completely gone down, except for a tiny bump, which in his

opinion looked more like she had just eaten too much and was

bloated.

He continued to suck on her stomach as his hand caressed her

through her panties, while the other hand held onto her thigh.

She moaned as she arched her back and gripped the sheets, her

breathing becoming extremely heavy. She felt the silk of her

panties slide off her hips and down her long legs, her husband’s

mouth took the place of where the panties were just a moment

ago. She felt the rush of an overwhelming desire take over her

body as his tongue slipped further and further into her, pushing

her to the point of no return. She had always enjoyed oral sex but

this time it had felt so much more pleasurable, more than ever.

She tried to control herself from getting sucked up into the

flames of desire, and she knew she wasn’t going to be able to last

much longer. John felt her squirm and moan, he too knew that

she was about to lose all sense of control. He quickly rose to his

feet and pulled down his boxers, stepping out of both trousers

and boxers. Marlena noticed his very aroused member and licked

her lips in want, sliding higher up on the bed. John quickly gave a

few strokes as he hardened it even more before moving towards

her once more. She slowly parted her legs as John crawled onto

the bed and settled between them, bringing his penis in his hand.

“I Love You Baby…” John breathed as Marlena let out a gasp.

“I Love You Too….” She whispered as she reached up to kiss her

husband’s lips.

“You ready….” John asked as Marlena nodded.

“Mmmhmmmm…just take it slow…okay….” Marlena smiled as

John leaned down and kissed her mouth in a carnal kiss. He

rubbed the tip at her wet entrance, teasing yet preparing for

entry. Marlena breathed out a moan as her leg slid along the

comforter, awaiting his entrance. She felt the head slowly slide in

as she felt the blood rush from her head to her toes. She knew

that this was going to be painful at first but it would nothing else

but pleasurable in the end. As she took a deep breath and closed

her eyes, a long piercing cry filled the hallway and room, snapping

John and Marlena into reality.

Marlena let out a groan as John took a deep breath and slowly

crawled off of her and to the side. He gave a weak smile and

motioned with his hand to go check on him, while he got up and

walked to the bathroom. Marlena grabbed her robe from the

chair and placed it around her body, making her way to her son’s

room. He screamed as he waved his arms and kicked his tiny legs,

his face turning bright red.

“Hey, hey, hey…what’s the matter with you little guy. You can’t be

wet because mommy made sure you were okay before you fell

asleep. Are you hungry baby?” Marlena cooed as her son slowly

lowered his cries but continued on whimpering. She grabbed his

bottle that was on the stand and placed to his lips, but he only

screamed louder. She bounced him a little more and tried again to

place the bottle in his mouth but he refused to take it. His mouth

reached for her breast through the silk robe and he cried as he

tried to grab onto it. Marlena moved her robe to the side as she

began to feed him, his cries instantly coming to an end. She

rubbed his head and rocked him in the chair till he was done. She

gave him a quick burp and placed him back in his crib, making

sure he was covered and comfortable. She walked back into the

bedroom only to find the bed empty. She opened the bathroom

door and saw John taking a shower, she assumed a cold one since

there was no steam.

“John, you relieving some tension.” She joked as John placed his

hands on the tile wall.

“Well it was working until I heard your voice. You know Marlena I

was thinking, I don’t think we are ever going to be able to have

sex again like we used to.” John complained as he let the water

hit his face.

“That’s not true, when he is in high school we will.” Marlena

laughed as John gave her a sarcastic look. “John hey we always

have tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after.”

“No because out of those 72 hours, Jr. will either interrupt, you

will be sleeping or tired, or at work, and I’ll be at work, or the

baby will be up. Please don’t make empty promises.” John said in

frustration as he shut the water off and grabbed a towel,

wrapping it around his body.

Marlena walked up to him slowly and wiped the water from his

chest seductively. “Well we have now, I just fed him and changed

him so he won’t be up for two hours or so.”

“Yeah well I don’t see that happening, he was supposed to be

asleep for an hour and look what happens. My son has a bad

sense of timing, I’m beginning to notice that.”

“Come on John….” Marlena begged as she leaned in for a kiss

only to be stopped by her husband.

“No because the way I want you right now, I won’t be going slow

or gently!” John spoke huskily as he walked away from her and

dressed in pajama bottoms.

“So we’re calling it a night then? Is that what you are telling me?”

Marlena asked as John nodded. “Yep.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A couple weeks had passed as Marlena and John both continued

to work small hours, getting home to their son at an early time.

Belle had taken a couple weeks off from Basic Black per her

father’s request, to help out with the baby. John Jr. seemed to

be attaching to Belle, which became a blessing in disguise to her

father, who could now get Marlena alone for awhile, but not long

enough to get in bed with her. Marlena would either complain

Belle was there, she had meetings and she was tired, or the baby

needed her. John was becoming sexually frustrated that he

couldn’t even get near his wife. It had been almost 9 weeks since

they made love, since she had been pregnant and he was about to

go nuts. Post pardon depression had slowly begun to effect

Marlena, causing her to have emotional outbursts here and there.

Whether it was the frustration or post pardon, she was beginning

to lose the battle. John took careful notice that the baby

adapted to Belle he could actually get away with spending one

night away from Marlena. He discussed it with Belle, asking if she

could handle it just for one night, explaining that her mother

desperately needed the rest. Of course Belle agreed, and John

made plans to be with his wife for one night. Four o’clock rolled

in as Marlena made her way through the penthouse door, being

greeted by her husband.

“Hey you, how are you feeling?” John asked as Marlena let out a

sigh.

“Tired but okay, why? Something wrong?” Marlena asked worriedly

as John shook his head.

“No…not at all…I have a surprise for you, but here is the plan.

Go shower or bath, and change into something really nice and be

ready in 1 hour.”

“First of all, where are we going? 1 hour is no where near enough

time for me to bath and get ready. And what about the baby?”

Marlea questioned as John silenced her by kissing her lips.

“We have a date, an hour is plenty of time, and the baby is going

to stay with Belle. And before you say anything else, I as well as

you, have been noticing that he has attached to Belle, and I’m

sure he’ll be fine for a little while. If he is not, I have my phone

and the minute we get a call we leave, okay?” John smiled as

Marlena gave a not so sure look.

“I don’t know John.” Marlena shrugged as John tipped her chin.

“Hey, you trust me don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” Marlena smiled as John winked at her.

“Well then go get dressed and I’ll see you in an hour.” John smiled

as he tapped her butt as she walked away.

“Where are my kids at?” Marlena turned back as she looked

around.

“Belle took John for a walk around the park in the stroller. They

should be coming back.” John said as he walked into the kitchen.

An hour later, Marlena came downstairs dressed in a somewhat

formfitting black cocktail dress that stopped right above the

knee. Her hair had a featherlike wave to it and her diamond

necklace accented her face. John smiled as he stood there in a

black suit with a silk grey shirt. Marlena smiled as she asked him if

she looked alright and did a slight turn. John noticed how there

was no back to the dress and it plunged low enough, leaving very

little to the imagination.

“Where is the back of that dress?” John smiled as Marlena joked

around.

“Oh I lost it in my closet somewhere? Why does it look alright?”

“Baby it looks damn sexy, I’m not going to be able to keep my

hands off you, that’s for sure.”

Marlena winked as she kissed her husbands lips softly. “That’s the

idea.”

“Ahhhemmmm..” Belle coughed as she held her brother in her

arms.

Marlena turned around and walked up to her children as she

kissed Belle and took her son from her arms.

“Oh look at mama’s little baby…yes you are. Now you behave for

Belle and Mama will be back later on to kiss you goodnight.” She

smiled as she kissed his head and he waved his little hands. Belle

was about to speak up about her coming home, but john waved

his hand hurriedly for her to stop. Belle mouthed the words ‘she

doesn’t know’ as Marlena looked up.

“I don’t know what?” She asked as she rocked her son looking

over at her husband.

“About where we are going for dinner. We better get going, we

have a reservation.” John smiled as Marlena placed John back in

Belle’s arms.

“Call us if he gets out of hand. Ohhh mama loves you, yes she

does.” Marlena cooed as she kissed his cheek and then Belle’s.

“Have fun.” Belle smiled as John and Marlena walked out the

door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh that was so good, I honestly don’t think I have enjoyed

lobster so much the way I did tonight.” Marlena smiled as John

drove his lexus down the expressway.

“I can agree to that, I wanted to tell you to breathe a couple

times.” John joked as Marlena let out a laugh, swatting him on

the arm.

“I had a great time John, and the way you danced tonight, made

me want to have you right there and then.” Malena whispered as

she leaned over and kissed John’s neck.

“Ohh baby, you have to stop that, I’m going to crash.” John said

as he exited off the freeway.

“John baby, where are you going? Our exit is not for another 2

miles or so.” She asked as she looked around.

“Well our night is not over yet?” John smiled as he continued to

drive down the street.

They pulled up along a familiar building and parked the car, John

running around and opening her door.

“John, what are we doing here?” Marlena questioned as John

kissed her lips.

“Follow me.” John demanded as he took her hand and they walked

into the building. As they rode up in the elevator, Marlena would

question away, but only to be silenced with constant kisses. They

walked to the door as John opened it and lead her inside,

removing her coat her purse from her hands and placing it on the

table.

“So back at your old condo huh?” Marlena smiled as John winked

at her and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She wrapped her arms

around his neck and kissed him hard as he kicked the door shut

and backed her into the desk.

“I thought you gave this to Brady?” Marlena breathed as she

removed his jacket form his body.

“Na I kept it for myself for moments like these.” John murmured

as kissed his wife’s neck.

Marlena moaned as she arched her head back and let her husband

work his magic. John’s hands wrapped around her waist and

rested on her ass, pulling her to him hard.

“God I want you?” John panted as he pulled Marlena’s hands to

the bedroom. They entered a room filled with soft music and

candles.

“How did you do this?” Marlena questioned as John pulled her

mouth to him.

“I have my ways….”

The bed was the same way it was before on the first night they

gave into their feelings and made love. With white satin sheets

and a black chenille comforter, the flicker of the candles danced

along the bed. John pulled the straps of her dress down her arms,

revealing her bare breasts. He dipped his head down and took one

in his mouth as Marlena arched her head back, moans slowly

escaping past her lips. John grabbed her breasts together and

licked them before taking the other in his mouth. Marlena’s hands

found the buttons to his shirt and began to undo them as quick

as she could, while John continued his seduction. She the moved

her hands to his pants and unbuckled his belt and undid the

button and zipper. John picked up his wife and sat her on the

dresser as he pushed her dress up her hips. He unhooked the

strap of her stiletto shoes and slip them off tossing them behind

him. He then slid his hands up her thighs, grabbing a hold of the

lace at the top of the nylons and slid them down, one by one.

Nothing turned him on more than seeing his wife wear a pair of

black thigh highs. He pulled the dress up over her head leaving

her clad in only a black lace underwear. He threw his shirt off

and pulled his pants off, throwing them hazardly across the room.

He picked his wife up again as she wrapped her long legs around

him and carried her to the bed, pulling the comforter off the bed

and laying her down on the satin sheets. His very aroused penis

began to hurt as it tried to poke out of his boxer briefs, causing

Marlena to moan in anticipation. John pulled her lacy panties

down as his hand began to rub her in a erotic fashion, causing her

to give a guttural moan. John inserted his finger as he caressed

each wall with urgency, bringing Marlena closer to her

destination. His other finger slipped in as he continued to move

his fingers back and forth, watching Marlena’s facial expressions

very closely. Once he noticed she was about to fall over the cliff,

he pulled his fingers away and pulled his boxers off in a moments

notice. He jerked himself a few times, getting it to the point so it

becomes rock hard. The tip of his member gleamed as the pre

cum oozed down the head. Marlena looked at her husband with

heavy eyelids as she moaned for him to make love to her. John

parted her legs and crawled up and over her, holding his cock in

his hand, rubbing it up and down her centre. She arched her back

and mover her hips up so she can stimulate herself from the

pressure of his penis on her clit. John leaned down and kissed her

mouth erotically as their tongues lapped at each other. John

took his time teasing her, knowing no one was going to interrupt

them this time, and Jr. cries wouldn’t tear her away from him. He

placed the tip at her entrance and looked into his wife’s eyes as

held himself still above her. Her legs were arched along his hips

and her feet rested flat on the mattress as her arm wrapped

around his neck, trapping him into a kiss. She looked up at her

husband as she felt the head move inside and stop briefly. John

reached for his wife’s hand and laced their finger together as he

pushed himself half way in. He watched as Marlena shut her eyes

and let out a moan, her nails raking against john’s back. He held

still until Marlena got used to pressure and began to slowly thrust

when he felt her hips gently thrust forward. John smiled at his

wife as he move in and out of her, leaning down and taking her

lips with his own. She looked up at him and watched him as he

partially closed his eyes, bit his lower lip, and groaned roughly as

he massaged her walls with his penis. Their paces began to pick up

as Marlena met him thrust after thrust. She wrapped her legs

around his hips as he dove into her velvety warmth, pulling in and

out in a wave like manner. He felt the heat rise in the pit of his

stomach and he knew that if he didn’t slow down, he was going to

lose control. As he slowed his thrusts, Marlena pushed him back

and rolled them over, sitting on top of him. She moved her hand

down and found his cock as she held while she slid down on him.

She closed her eyes as he filled every inch of her walls and let out

a moan. Every time he entered her it felt like the first time, and

the pleasure never seem to escape her. She moved her hips back

and forth as john moaned loudly, holding onto her waist and

rocking her lower body. He thrusts his hips up as she rocked

down on him, hitting a spot she so loved. Her whimper filled the

room as John rocked her hips hard onto him, reaching up and

caressing her breasts. John felt her walls begin to tightened so he

threw her down on her back and plunged into her hard. She

screamed his name over and over as he rocked his hips into her

hard, moaning and groaning Marlena’s name as well. The room was

filled with passionate screams as the satin sheets tore from the

mattress and the pillows were all over the floor. The candlelight

danced along their sweat soaked skin as Marlena begged for John

to finish her off, while John moaned hard and loud. John felt

her walls tightened solid, and he watched her face as she came.

Her face became flushed as her eyes closed and a beautiful moan

fell from her mouth into John’s ears. He thrusted a few more

times as the heat in his stomach exploded and he pushed his cock

as far as it can go as he emptied his hot liquid deep inside her. He

held still for a moment as Marlena held him tight, feeling the hot

liquid move through her. He thrusted gently a few more times

into her as he tried to regain his breath. He looked up at his wife

as she smiled at him and kissed his lips.

“God I love you.” Marlena laughed as John crawled off her.

“Me too baby. God that was so good, I think that was better then

your lobster.” John laughed as Marlena burst into giggles.

“Yes it was. Mmmmmm god you are so good.” Marlena moaned as

she rolled over and hugged her husband. “You know what I was

thinking?” Marlena smiled as John kissed her head.

“Whats that baby?”

“We created our son here, in this bed, exactly a year ago.”

Marlena smiled as John winked at her.

“I know and I must say we did a great job. Maybe we created

another one tonight?” John laughed as Marlena gasped.

“Ahhh don’t you say that…please…..your going to ruin the

moment.” Marlena laughed as John smiled.

“What…you never know honey…that was some impressive,

demanding, determined lovemaking.”

“Bite your tongue, John. We can barley have sex with this one

around, imagine another one…..shhhh….please stop mentioning it.

Plus I am taking care of myself so nothing is going to happen.”

Marlena smiled as she kissed her husband. “Why don’t we get

ready so we can get back to our baby.” Marlena moved as John

stopped her.

“Nope…we are going to stay here tonight and make love

numerous times until you can’t walk straight. And before you say

anything, I made sure that everything is taken care of, I planned

this for weeks now. If Belle needs us all she has to do is call and

we’ll be there. In the meantime, get some well deserved rest and

then I’ll love you a little more as the night goes on.” John smiled

as Marlena cut him off.

“But John….” Marlena complained as John took her mouth once

more, pulling her down to the bed. “What if the baby needs me….”

“Then she’ll call us immediately, she has strict directions. In the

meantime, Just one night, when the sun comes up, we’ll be on our

way, okay?” John kissed her as she nodded slowly and they fell

upon the sheets.

John came down the stairs carrying a few folders from work and

a stuffed teddy bear in the other hand. Malena was sitting on the

couch playing with baby John, making funny faces and soft noises

as her son began to smile showing his small dimples. Little John

had begun to get chubbier and more attentive, his smiles constant

and his laugh, noticeable. He was now 5 months old and barely

beginning to sleep well through the night, with a few midnight

snacks here and there. John handed her the bear as he sat next

to her and began going through files, while Marlena tipped the

bear back and forth from the baby. John would give an

occasional laugh as he heard the baby snicker as Marlena tickled

him. He had been thinking of moving them into another home for

awhile now but him and Marlena danced around the issue, not

really taking anything seriously. John placed the folders down on

the coffee table as he reached over and rubbed his son’s head.

“You know honey, I think it’s about that time we get another

home. Now before you say anything, I have been really thinking

about this and I think it’s a great idea. We can have our own

home, pool, backyard, parties.” John smiled as Marlena looked up

from the baby.

“Well it’s not like we have parties all the time and I happen to

think that the penthouse is cozy enough for the three of us. You

do know that there is only three of us here right?” Marlena

laughed as John reached for their son and brought him in his lap.

“Yes but I think it is time for us to have a house of our own.

Come on, look we can still keep this one if you want.”

“And have three homes…the penthouse, the condo, and our new

home. Are you nuts? John, look, we have so much to do

especially with Jr’s christening coming up and the reception for

that. Can’t we just put the house hunting on the backburner for

now.” Marlena asked as she stood up and walked to the kitchen.

“No….I’m going to start looking Marlena, with or without you.”

John shouted to her in the kitchen.

Marlena walked out holding a cup of water in her hand. “Well do

what you want but for the next week, I will be concentrating on

this party, okay?” Marlena smiled as she walked to the balcony.

John stood up with his son and went upstairs to get his diaper

bag. Once he packed everything he needed, he gave his son a

quick change and headed on back down.

“Marlena come on, get your coat.” John shouted to the balcony

as she turned around and walked back in.

“Where are we going?” Marlena asked as she placed the cup down

on the coffee table.

“I got to go get a few things and I want you to come with me and

the baby.” John smiled as he reached for his keys and the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“John, where are we going?” Marlena asked as she stared out the

car window, while John drove up a private circular driveway. She

glanced at the huge house as John pulled to a stop.

“I want you to see this house.” John smiled as Marlena let out an

annoyed sigh.

“Ohhh John, I told you I don’t want to see any houses. I thought

you said we were going to go pick up a few things?” Marlena

sighed as she opened the car door and got out. John got out of

the car as well as he opened the backseat and unbuckled his son

from the car seat, pulling him to his chest.

“Well I knew you wouldn’t go any other way so I had to trick you

somehow.”

“Well you know….” Marlena stopped as she felt a strong wave of

nausea hit her and she closed her eyes for a second.

“Hey sweetie, are you okay? What’s the matter?” John asked with

concern as he walked over to her side, placing a comforting arm

around her.

“I’m fine, I just felt a little sick there for a second. I’m okay,

really. I think I’m catching something.” Marlena smiled as she

placed a hand on John’s face. “Come on and show me this huge

amazing house.” Marlena smiled as she reached for his hand and

they walked up the stairs.

John gave Marlena the baby as he walked around with the realtor

and discussed business while Marlena and the baby explored the

house. She glanced around at the white walls and huge staircase

that went up and curved to the side. The chandelier sparkled as

the sun danced along the gems, filling the room with spots of

glitter. She made her way into the front room as she noticed the

carpet and room was drenched in white. She knew with this kid

around, they could not keep this color in no way shape or form.

She made her way upstairs and glanced at all the bedrooms and

stopped at the double door entrance and glanced around. Her

mouth dropped open as she looked intently throughout the whole

room, her eyes wide in amazement.

“This room has got to be the biggest bedroom I have ever seen in

my life.” Marlena smiled as she rubbed her nose into her son’s

cheek. “Well this room could be fun.” She bit her lip as she

walked to another room that was next to the master, which was

big but nowhere near the one she just looked at. She figured it

would be a good room for her son and made her way downstairs

to meet her husband, who was now looking around as well. She

smiled at him as he explained in a child like tone that he had

something to show her and grabbed her by the hand, leading her

downstairs. One side was a bar and recreational area, while the

other had a two door entrance that lead into a huge tiled room.

John escorted Marlena into the room as she immediately noticed

the Olympic size inground pool and hot tub conjoined to it. John

pointed at the marble walls and sauna, and bathrooms along with

dressing rooms.

“John honey, this is beyond beautiful, but don’t you think it’s way

too much for the three of us.” Marlena asked as John smiled.

“Honestly John, this house can fit all of Salem.”

“It’s expensive, its elegant enough for us, big enough for Salem

but decent for us. Come on…let me show you the yard.” John

laughed as he took her by the hand and they went outside where

there where to levels of stairs, one that drops to the patio, and

then another that drops to another inground pool. She smiled as

she noticed the pool had a lagoon like feature with rocks and

waterfall and a small enclosed area under the waterfall that

housed the hot Jacuzzi tub.

“It’s beautiful John…I guess we can get it, if you really want it.”

She smiled as John laughed.

“Only if you do Marlena.”

“Then my answer is yes John….I would love to live here.” She

smiled as she leaned into kiss his lips. “And I also noticed that

little spot over there where we can put to good use.” She smiled

as she pointed over at the hidden hot tub. John arched his

eyebrow as he leaned in and took her mouth fully, his tongue

slipping in and dancing against hers. The were so into the kiss that

they had forgotten where they were until the baby’s chirp

snapped them from their bliss.

“Okay well let me go get the realtor and we’ll get started.” John

smiled as he walked back into the house, leaving a very happy

Marlena standing outside with her son tightly snuggled in her

arms. She kissed his head as she felt another wave of nausea and

took a deep breath. She felt a small pain in her stomach that

traveled throughout her body. She looked around for a chair and

slowly sat on a lunge chair. She bounced her son a little bit as she

tried to fight the feeling of throwing up. Once it passed, she

smiled at her son and slowly got up, walking inside to meet her

husband. The ride home was quiet as John began to wonder if

she was feeling alright. She reassured him as she continued to

stare out the window. She knew that there had to be something

wrong and whatever it was it could be serious. Her determination

was to keep everything cool and not to let her husband find out

until she knew the problem. As John drove home, he knew

something was going with Marlena but she just wasn’t saying

anything. He was determined to find out what was wrong and he

was going to if that was last thing he did.

Marlena hung her head over the toilet as she tried to catch her

breath, slowly wiping the tears that fell down in cheeks. She

reached over and hit the handle that flushes the toilet and stood

up from the ground, grabbing a towel and covering her face with

1. She turned the water on in the sink and splashed her face a

few times, and placed her head in her hands. She heard John call

her name as she quickly wiped her face, took a deep breath and

walked out of the bathroom, meeting her husband in the

bedroom.

“Hey, what’s up!” Marlena smiled as John held his attentive son in

his arms.

“Are you okay, you look a little pale.” John asked as Marlena gave

a nodd and walked over to the dresser to grab the baby’s toy.

“Yeah I’m fine, I just was in the bathroom and I got this sneezing

spell, I seriously must of sneezed like 7 times in a row. Oh well,

what’s going on my dear.” Marlena smiled as she tipped her son’s

nose.

“Your cell phone kept ringing and your pager went off, I thought

you might want to know.”

“Ohhh it’s probably a patient. You know what, I completely forgot

to tell you that I have an appointment today at 5 pm. I tried to

get one this morning but to no avail, don’t worry honey, it’s just a

regular check-up.” Marlena smiled as John looked at her curiously.

“Today is Saturday honey…Are you sure? You want me to take

you?” John asked as Marlena quickly shook he head.

“No, No…I’ll be fine, and yes I’m positive about the appointment.

Karen said she would take me in since she would be there. Look

its about 3:30 right now, let me get ready, give my patient a quick

call, and go over there. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Marlena headed into her dark office, turning on the light and

placing her purse down. She looked at her watch that claimed it

was 4pm and took a deep breath. Her patient should have been

there by now so she open a file a briefly read through it as she

heard a movement behind her. She turned around and noticed it

was Alex behind her and gave a smile.

“Alex, hey, you scared me.” Marlena said softly as Alex nodded.

“Oh I didn’t mean to. Sorry about that, I was wondering if we

could talk.” He said as a matter of factly.

“Well Alex, I have a patient so maybe we can talk later on.”

Marlena smiled as she tried to walk into the waiting room, but

only to be blocked by Alex. She stopped abruptly and looked at

him as she tried to pass around him only to be blocked once more.

“Alex, what are you doing? Could you please move?” She said a

little agitated.

“You see Marlena, you have no patient coming in, because that

patient is me.”

“What?” Marlena asked, her face filled with confusion.

“Jake Adams….yeah…me..my wife is leaving me and I don’t know

what to do. That was me!” He smiled as Marlena filled with anger.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Marlena asked as she

stepped back from him.

“You know, all the stuff I did for you, I worshipped the ground

you walked on, would of gave you anything you desired and this is

how you repay me. You get pregnant and go back to your

husband.” Alex screamed as he brought his hand back and

slapped her on hard on her face. Marlena felt the sting of the

slap on her cheek as her hand covered the pain and she looked at

him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you! Get out of my office before I

get security to escort you out!” Marlena shouted as Alex laughed.

“I’m not going anywhere and neither are you!” He threatened her

as he hit her again, this time knocking her off balance and onto

the floor, crawling on top of her. Marlena screamed as she tried

to get him off her, swinging her arms into his chest and face. He

grabbed her hands and pinned them to the ground as he placed

his other hand over her mouth.

“Either you shut the fuck up or I’ll kill you. Do you understand

me! Wanna keep seeing that pretty little boy of yours…then SHUT

UP!!!” He shouted as he tore open her blouse and fondled her

breasts roughly. She continued to scream as his hand pressed

tightly against her mouth while tears fell down endlessly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The phone rang a few times as John ran to go pick it up. The

baby was laughing as he played with a few toys here and there,

while John made sure he was okay.

“John Black.”

“Hi John, its Karen Bader. Is Marlena there by any chance?”

“No I know she should be at the hospital to go see you. She

should be there by now, she left a while ago.” John frowned as he

began to feel the urge that something was wrong. Belle walked

through the front door and said hello as she walked over to her

brother.

“Well she had an appointment but we haven’t seen or heard from

her yet. If you see her would you tell her to call me please.” Karen

said softly as she hung up. John held the phone to his ear still as

he looked over at Belle.

“Belle, do me a favor, watch your brother for me really quick. I’ll

be right back, I’ll call you.” John said hurriedly as he grabbed his

coat and ran out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marlena felt her life slipping away as she felt him push up her

skirt and tear her panties. She continued to scream and kick as

he swung at her, this time with his fist. She let out a moan of pain

as her eyes clenched shut and her body went limp. She felt him

enter her hard as she screamed in pain, her nails digging into his

hand. He slapped her again and shoved his way into her, slamming

and pounding on her as her consciousness began to fade. He

removed his hand from her mouth as he placed them on her neck,

causing her to lose her breath. He saw that she was beginning to

faint so he slapped her once more, trying to wake her. She

screamed in agony as body succumbed to the pain while Alex had

his way with her. John was walking to her office when he heard

her scream and ran into her office as quickly as his feet would

carry him. What he saw was an image he would never forget and

forever be burned into his mind. A man who was verbally,

domestically, and sexually assaulting her. He watched as Alex

swung at his wife and all the anger rose from the pit of stomach,

and he charged after him.

“You son of a bitch!” John shouted as he grabbed Alex by his

jacket and swung at him hard. He continued to lay endless

punches into him, knocking him onto the floor and kicking him

until he heard him scream. He picked him up by the lapels of his

jacket and held him against the wall as he pulled his fist back and

smashed it into his face, shattering the bone in his nose and jaw.

Alex fell lifelessly against the wall as blood splurted from his face

and onto the floor. Once he made sure Alex was unconscious, he

ran to Marlena’s side and brought her into his arms. He kissed her

forehead as he coaxed her to open her eyes, a few tears escaping

from his eyes as well. He began to notice blood trickling down her

thighs as he panicked and brought her into his arms, and ran

downstairs with a lifeless Marlena dangling in his arms. He ran to

the emergency as one of the doctors directed for him to lay her

down on the stretcher.

“What happened?” The doctor asked as he began to examine her

while John tried to find the words to speak.

“That sick bastard Alex Claiborne, raped my wife and assaulted

her. He is upstairs in her office, laying on the floor unconscious.”

John said as the doctor touched the bruises that were developing

on her face.

The doctor called for security to go to her office and call the

police. They escorted John out into the waiting room as they

began to examine her injuries. John went to a payphone and

called home, explaining to Belle that something had happened and

that he would update her as soon as he could. He sat in the chair

and waited for what seemed like hours before Karen Bader came

out and sat next to him, placing a sympathetic hand on his

shoulder.

“John I am so sorry about all of this. I would’ve never thought

something like this could of happened, especially Alex Claiborne.”

She said sadly as John nodded and stared at the ground. Karen

looked over at John and bit her lip as she decided to continue on.

“John she has quite a few injuries. She has some deep tissue tears

which is one of the reasons that caused the bleeding and severe

swelling both in her vaginal tissue and body. Her face will be

bruised but should heal nicely with no scars or tissue damage. Did

you know why she was coming to see me John?” Karen asked as

John looked up and shook his head. “Well we examined her and

we found out the second reason she was bleeding, which may be

the reason she was coming to see me.” Karen said softly as she

dropped her head.

“Karen, please tell me…” John trailed off as his head dropped as

well.

“She was pregnant John…” Karen finished off quietly as John

stood up quickly.

“What do you mean she was pregnant, what does that mean?”

John asked hurriedly as Karen held up a gentle hand on his arm as

a tear escaped her eye as well.

“She lost the baby, from the force of penetration and the effects

of the assault. She was only a few weeks along, I would say at

least 3 weeks. I’m very sorry John. We are going to move into a

private room and then you could be with her okay.” Karen

explained as she pulled him into a hug and walked away. John sat

there as he dropped his body into the chair and fell into a heap

of tears.

John sat next to Marlena’s bed as he held her bruised hand

tightly, occasionally kissing it a few times. His tears continuously

flowed down his face as he stared at his bruised wife who had

been sleeping for quite some time. Her lifeless body lay on the bed

as her breathing remained shallow and her movements minimal.

John rested his head down on the bed as thoughts of Alex

pounding into her both physically and sexually, invaded his

thoughts. His anger rose inside him as he stood up angrily and

looked out the window, trying to regain his thoughts. He began

to think about what life would have been like with another baby

in their lives and his mind traveled to the possibility. Another son

or daughter would have been a dream to him and even though

they still had a little one, another one wouldn’t have been so bad.

But then the pain of the losing the child hit John like a ton of

bricks and his anger and grief took over his emotions. A silent

knock on the door disrupted his thoughts as he walked over and

wiped his face before pulling the door open. Brady stood on the

other side as his face was filled with anger. John, who was very

surprised to see Brady there, told him that maybe seeing her right

now wasn’t such a good idea.

“She is my mother and I have every right to see her.”

“Fine, but I just want to warn you, she is pretty hurt.” John said

as put a hand on his shoulder. Brady walked past him and into the

room as he stopped dead in his track as he saw the image in front

of him. He saw the bruises that had begun to develop on her

cheekbones and jaw as her hands lay on the side of her, her

knuckles and fingers bruised and bleeding. Brady felt the tears

burn his eyes as he fought the urge to breakdown and cry. He

wiped the sole tear that dripped down his cheek and sat in the

chair which John was in only a moment ago. He took sore hand in

his and held it as he placed his head down on the bed as well. He

looked up slowly and began to speak to his mother, encouraging

her that when she awakes, she will no longer be in pain and that

he and John will protect her.

“Mom, I’m so sorry that this happened. I promise you that I will

get that son of a bitch and he will pay for this. I would do

anything to be in the position you are now, I never want to see

you hurt. You have so much to live for, and so many people that

love and adore you. You have a baby boy at home just waiting for

you to get home, pick him up, and cuddle him in your arms.

Surely, that should be enough for you to wake up and get well

for.” Brady smiled as tears fell carelessly down his cheeks. He

kissed her bruised knuckle as John walked over to him and placed

a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“How did you find out about this?” John asked as Brady stood up

slowly.

“Belle told me there was an accident and I heard through the

grapevine that Alex was the cause of it.” Brady spat as another

knock at the door interrupted the moment. Marlena’s doctor

entered the room as he shook both John and Brady’s hand,

introducing himself before gesturing for them to take a seat.

“Okay well let’s see, where should I begin. Before I go into any

explanations do both of you have any questions for me?” Dr.

Franklin asked as both shook their heads.

“Okay well Marlena’s condition is stable and she should recoup

quite well. She is going to be very sore though both physically and

internally though. Her bruises should heal leaving no scars or

tissue damage on her face and body. She is going to be bleeding

for about a week or so due to the tear from the penetration.”

Dr. Franklin spoke but was quickly cut off by Brady.

“I’m sorry what? What penetration?” Brady asked as John began to

realize that Brady did not know the extent of the situation.

“Marlena was sexually assaulted, did you not know that?” The Dr.

asked as Brady stood up aggressively.

“That son of a bitch raped my mother as well, WHY DIDN’T YOU

TELL ME THAT?” Brady asked angrily as John tried to calm him

down.

“I though you knew Brady….calm down…relax.”

“No I am not going to relax, she was raped.” Brady spat as Dr.

Franklin tried to calm him down.

“There is more Brady if you would like to know.” Brady stood

quiet as he nodded his head and sat down letting the doctor

finish. “Okay, well she will be bleeding and the tissue is swelled, so

it will be some time before any normal sexual activity takes place

again. I would say at least 5 weeks, depending on how the tissue

looks when we examine her again.”

“Not a problem, all I want is for my wife to become better, sex is

not an issue. I’ll wait forever if have to, if it means for her getting

back to her old self again.” John spoke with concern as Brady

dropped his head, embarrassed and somewhat grossed out to hear

about his parent’s sex life.

“Alright and obviously the miscarriage is going to take a toll on

her.”

“Oh my God….does it get any worse!” Brady asked.

“Your mother was about 3 weeks into the pregnancy however she

miscarried due to the assult.”

“I can’t here anymore…” Brady said as he stood up and walked to

the door. John quickly got up and followed him as the Doctor

began to examine her carefully.

“Son, where are you going?” John asked as he tried to catch up to

him in the hallway.

“To see HIM!” Brady yelled as John attempted to stop him. “I’m

going to see him and there is nothing you can do to stop me!”

John walked back into the room just as the doctor finished up on

his examination. He gave John a soft smile as he patted his

shoulder and left the room. John walked back to the chair and

sat down as he held his wife’s hand causing her to stir. He moved

closely as he whispered for her to open her eyes and kissed her

hand. Her eyelashes slowly fluttered as the dark hazel color began

to appear from under her dark lashes. She tried to regain her

vision as she heard John’s voice encouraging her to open her

eyes. She finally began to see clear as John’s face came into focus

and she gave a weak smile. She wanted to speak but her throat

felt dry and nothing would come out. John hushed her and told

her save her energy and just relax and take it easy. She moved her

head slowly as she looked around at her surroundings then back

at her husband.

“Mmmmm…where is….the…baby?” Marlena managed to say with a

cracked voice as John gave her smile.

“He is at him with Belle, he is just fine. How are you? Do you

know what happened?” John asked as Marlena slowly closed her

eyes and nodded her head. “It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about

it.” John soothed her as she shook her head.

“Where…is….he….”

“In jail, where he belongs.” John said as he kissed her hand once

again while Marlena stared at the ceiling.

“John….I’m so…sorry…for never…believing…mmmm…you. I ….

should…mmm…of known…..that….hmmm…he was up…to know

….good.” Marlena tried to speak as a tear fell down her bruised

cheek.

“Don’t you worry, he has been taken care of and I promise you he

will never step a foot near you again.” John said possessively.

“Tell me….how…bad…am…I…hurt.” Marlena asked as John

wondered if he should tell her about the miscarriage or not. He

figured he better tell her before the doctor does so he thought

of the best way to break the news.

“Well you have a few tears and bleeding, so I can’t love you for

awhile again…” John laughed as he continued. You also will be

pretty sore but your bruises and tissue damages should heal very

nicely. Marlena sweetie, remember how you weren’t feeling well

and you didn’t know why?” Marlena nodded as she prepared

herself for the worst. “Well baby, you were 3 weeks pregnant.”

Marlena felt the tears sting her already swollen eyes as she

managed to let a few words escape her mouth.

“I…was…..”

“You miscarried after the whole thing happened…..I’m sorry

baby…” John cried as he leaned in and held his wife, who let her

tears fall down her face continuously. She felt the pain slam into

her heart as it tore through tissue and ate away everything she

had left. She had lost everything today, from her unborn baby to

her self being, her world fell apart in a matter of a few hours.

****************************************

Marlena lay on the hospital bed staring at the ceiling, paying close

attention to the specks and smudges in the paint. Her vision

became blurry as she felt the tears burn her eyes once more, the

realization of the situation slamming into her conscious yet again.

She felt the doctor poke and probe her from under the sheet,

and not even the sting or burn from the gashes could compare to

pain in her heart and soul. John had been asleep in the chair next

to her, unable to take the sorrow and exhaustion all at once. She

had shut her eyes as she felt an overwhelming pain, letting her

hot tears pour from her closed eyelids down her bruised cheeks.

The doctor rubbed her knee as he told her to hang in there, she’ll

be fine come time. He whispered to her that if she needed

anything at all, to buzz him and he’ll be there in a flash. She slowly

brought her bruised hand to her cheek, wiped her tears and

nodded her head slowly. As if on cue, John opened his eyes and

looked over at his wife. She turned her head away and closed her

eyes as John leaned over and reached for her hand.

“Honey, how are you feeling?” John whispered as he heard

Marlena sigh deeply.

“Like shit…” She muttered as John dropped his head.

“Baby, I know that this is going to be hard for you, for all of us,

but you can’t let this thing eat you alive.”

Marlena turned her face and stared into his soul as her words

came out broken and full of sorrow. “How could you say

something like that…you have never been through this ever…you

didn’t get assaulted both physically and emotionally today…you

didn’t lose a child.” Marlena cried as John stopped her.

“Ok Maybe I didn’t lose a baby physically but damnit, I lost a child

too Marlena…and believe me when I tell you that I feel as much

pain if not more, than you have experienced. You don’t know how

much I wish that I could of prevented it. I am very possessive

over you and I would throw myself off a building before I let

anything bad happen to you. And to see you in so much pain and

being attacked, ripped my heart from my chest. So don’t sit there

and accuse me of not knowing what kind of pain you are in,

because honey you can not be suffering as much as I am right

now.” John spoke angrily as he stood up and walked over to the

window. He heard Marlena sob slightly as he turned around and

walked back to the chair.

“I’m sorry baby, I really am…but please don’t shut me out. I am

here for you to support you and help you…I want to help each

other through this…because it’s just not one of us who

suffering…its both.” John smiled as a tear slid down his cheek.

Marlena gave a weak half smile as she nodded her head. John

heard a small knock at the door and slowly got up, walking

towards the doorway. Belle stood on the other side with her baby

brother in her arms, who was wiggling on her hip.

“Hi Dad…I though maybe I could stop by and see Mom, maybe

she might want to see John.” Belle smiled as John pulled her into

a hug.

“I just want to warn you that your mother is a little hurt right

now, okay.” John smiled weakly as he took his son from his

daughter’s arms.

“That’s fine Dad…” Belle walked in and made eye contact with her

mother. She immediately formed tears in her eyes as she noticed

all the bruises on her face and hands.

“Hi Mom” Belle whispered as she walked over to her mom’s bed

and kissed her hurt cheek.

“Hi baby girl.” Marlena whispered as well as Belle sat and reached

for her hand.

“How are you feeling? Brady told me that you were hurt badly,

how bad?”

“Well sweetie, I have a few injuries, but nothing that won’t heal.

I’ll be fine.”

“I’m so sorry mom…I would give anything to switch places with

you.” Belle spoke as Marlena cut her off.

“No…don’t say that. I would absolutely die if you were put in the

position I was. I don’t want to see you hurt ever.” Marlena cried

as Belle’s tears fell from her eyes.

“Mom…I brought you someone you would like to see right about

now.”

The sound of a baby’s laugh filled the room as a glow appeared on

Marlena’s face, a glow that disappeared since she heard the news.

“Oh there is my boy…mama’s little angel.” Marlena said as she

reached for her son as John placed him gently in his wife’s arms.

Marlena cuddled him as she kissed him endlessly while he snuggled

to his mother and played with her hair. Belle watched along with

father as they noticed the pain she was filled with, suddenly

disappear.

It’s truly amazing how one small life can erase all the pain that an

adult couldn’t. Baby John was a blessing in disguise and truly a

miracle, a miracle that truly blessed their lives in more way than

One.

Two weeks had flown by as the bruises on Marlena’s face and

body healed nicely, leaving no sign of any attack. She had been

back home with her family, trying to grasp onto the normal life

once again. She devoted most of her time to her youngest son,

giving him more attention than he really needed. John had been

dealing with the attorney who was going to be taking of the case

with Alex Claiborne. John had been persistent in making him pay

for what he did to his wife. He didn’t want to sue him for his

money, he wanted to make sure that he rots in jail for the rest of

his life. John had been trying to get Marlena involved with this

lawsuit but she refused, distancing herself away from this entire

case. They had constant debates, some arguments and a few

disagreements, all of which was putting a strain on their marriage

once again. Marlena had basically shut down since she found out

she lost her baby, a baby in which she knew nothing about until

the situation with Alex happened. She would lay in bed and stare

out the balcony windows, dreaming of what the possibilities could

have been with another child around. She knew deep inside she

didn’t want another baby, she used to say she would rather die

than have another one, but it seemed to hurt her a lot more than

she expected. She would cry herself to sleep, wake up sobbing,

and go through the day ignoring others except the baby. Today

was no different, in fact she seemed to be on a roll when it came

to realizing that people actually exist in the house.

John was on the phone with his attorney when the doorbell began

to ring. He shouted for Marlena to get it only to be ignored.

John hurriedly ran to the door with a cell phone to his ear and

hand on the door knob.

“Hi, I’m here to drop of these documents?” A young lady said

dressed in a suit.

“Ok, are these from Michael Monty’s office?” John asked quickly

as the girl nodded. “Perfect, thank you…oh and here you go.”

John smiled as he gave the girl a tip and closed the door. He told

his attorney that he will call him back and they will go from there.

“Marlena!” John shouted as he heard nothing in response. He

walked into the den to find her playing with John on the floor.

“Hey, I’ve been calling you…you didn’t hear me?” John asked as

Marlena looked up and shrugged.

“I guess I didn’t.”

“Hey can you look these over and sign a few papers.” John asked

as he squatted down as Marlena shook her head.

“I’m not signing anything, I told you already. I don’t want to

participate in any of this.” Marlena said angrily as she pushed the

papers away from her.

“Malena what is the matter with you? You want that asshole to

run around and be free after what he has done to you. He will do

it to somebody else if he is free….is that what you want? Maybe

next time it could be someone you love or someone you know.

Because of him you lost the love, trust, and belief our

relationship once had.”

“I haven’t lost it…I just don’t want to be involved, is that so much

to ask John. I know he might be free but I just don’t want him to

come after me again.” Marlena broke down as John pulled her

into his arms.

“He won’t come after you, that I promise! And if we do this thing

together, not only won’t he go after you, but he won’t go after

anyone else either.” John soothed her as he rubbed her back in

lazy circles. “Baby, I promise you that he will never come near you

or are family again.” John smiled as he kissed the top of her head.

A baby’s piercing laugh filled the room as John and Marlena

looked down at their son who was clapping his chubby hands.

They smiled at him as Marlena looked up towards her husband

and nodded her head.

“I’ll do it.” Marlena smiled as John leaned down and kissed her lips

softly.

“Perfect…so lets go over these and we’ll get this thing going.”

John smiled as he pulled his son into his arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“John, do you like this?” Marlena asked as she held up a white

little tuxedo and swayed it in front of him.

“Uhhh…not really, I was thinking more of something like this?”

John smiled as he held up a white gown that looked more like a

dress.

Marlena made a face as she let out a loud giggle. “What the hell is

that? John in case you don’t know, we have a son…not a

daughter.” Marlena laughed as she placed a hand on her chest.

“Well it’s appropriate for a baptism….I like it.”

“Well I don’t…here how about this…” Marlena asked as she

flipped through outfits and held another one out.

“Yeah..that’s perfect. Let’s get that for him.” John agreed as

Marlena gave him a look of approval. She began to walk away as

she came across a mother with a newborn child. Her eyes instantly

filled up with tears and she dropped her head hurriedly. John

immediately caught on as he quickly caught up to her and put his

arm around her. He lead her to a secluded corner of the area and

pulled her into a full embrace.

“What’s the matter baby?” John whispered in her ear as he held

her tight.

“I really wish I could have had that baby, I know I didn’t want

another one John…but you have no idea how much I would love

to take back those words. You know I had this feeling inside

when I was sick, that maybe it could have been a pregnancy but I

quickly dismissed that idea, because having another baby was not

an option. And maybe if the rape never happened I would have

felt the way I used to, but since it did, I feel so guilty.” Marlena

cried as she placed her head into his chest as John tried to calm

her down.

“John if you ask me now to have another baby, my answer would

be no. It just wouldn’t replace anything or solve anything. But

there is not one day that will pass that I won’t wish that I could

of given you that other baby.” Marlena cried as she laid her head

on his chest. John hushed her as he kissed her head and rubbed

her back.

“You gave me our son Marlena, that is all that matters. I wish we

could have had another baby but it’s not what God intended for

1. In the mean time we have our own son and he is the miracle

that brought us together and he is the one that will keep us

together.” John smiled as he tipped her chin up to look at him.

“I love you.” John smiled.

“I love you too. I love you so much.” Marlena smiled through her

tears as she kissed his lips softly. “Come on…let’s go buy this so

we can get home to our son and try this on him.” Marlena smiled

as she wiped her tears from her eyes and grabbed his hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marlena walked into their bedroom with a face of exhaustion as

she placed down Jr’s bottle on the nightstand and walked to their

bathroom. John had been brushing his teeth as she turned on the

shower and began to undress. John had been watching intently as

material slowly disappeared and her soft flesh came into view. He

desired to be with his wife in any way possible but knew he

couldn’t due to her injuries. He had been understanding and

sympathetic for the last couple weeks but now her body and skin

had never looked better and was simply irresistible. She slowly

crawled into the shower and ran her head under the hot water,

letting it travel down the curves of her body. The water soaked

into her pores as the steam rose all around her body and the

shower. John wanted to badly crawl in with her but knew he

would get carried away and the last thing he wanted to do was

hurt her in any way. He simply smiled and told her that he would

be in the bedroom and she hummed her approval. After a half an

hour, Marlena joined John in bed and fell into his awaiting

embrace. She cuddles as close to him as possible as she felt the

sleep slowly take over her. It was going to be a peaceful night,

something she finally needed and deserved. For John, on the

hand, was a whole other story.

******************************

“Marlena, Baby we are going to be late….Come on already.” John

shouted as he looked at his watch and then back up towards the

balcony.

“Well….I’m trying but your son isn’t letting me….” Marlena’s

distant voice was heard from upstairs.

John’s cell phone began to ring as he quickly picked up,

encouraging the person on the other line that they were on their

way. Belle came from upstairs with John’s stylish black diaper bag

and her purse in other hand.

“Where is your mother?” John asked as he snapped his cell phone

shut and placed it in the clip on his hip.

“She is coming…oh my God, you should see your son, he looks so

adorable. Hard to believe his baptism is already here, has it been

four weeks already?” Belle smiled as John gave a wink.

“Yeah time flies…..so my son looks good huh…wanna know why?

he’s my boy.” John smiled as he heard the footsteps from upstairs.

“Here we come finally.” Marlena laughed as she appeared at the

top of stairs dressed in beige long skirted suit. The jacket hugged

her body showing off her slender shape once again and her

matching figure hugging skirt came down to her ankles that had a

slit in the front, that stopped a little bit below her mid thigh. Her

son was hugging her tightly wearing his white tuxedo with his

white shiny shoes. He had a matching blanket that Belle was

holding and his godparents had bought the candle, rosary, and

another silk blanket for his baptism. John smiled as he told them

that they looked absolutely breathless. Marlena gave a big smile as

she blushed a bit while making her way down the stairs and giving

her son to John while she placed her beige coat on along with her

silk wrap and grabbed her purse. Baby John became fussy as he

wiggled and whined, reaching for his mother as his cries became

louder. Marlena reached for him as John pulled him back and

held out a hand for her to stop.

“That’s why he is so spoiled, you always give him the attention.

Come on, we are late and we have to go now. Between you, Belle,

and Junior here, I don’t know who is worse. Come on…let’s

move!” Marlena rolled her eyes as she smiled while Belle walked

out laughing with John right behind them.

John and Marlena walked into the church with their children and

were greeted by John’s parents, Elizabeth and Aiden. Marlena

smiled and hugged them as John stood to the side holding their

son, while Marlena turned around and gave john a look.

“Look at your little grandson, isn’t he delicious.” Marlena smiled

as John walked to them and shook his father’s hand and kissed

his mother’s cheek.

“He is adorable, I have such beautiful grandchildren, much credit

goes to my daughter in law who has blessed these children with

beauty.” Elizabeth smiled as Marlena let out a laugh.

“Oh stop, Liz. Your son was very helpful with the giving the kids

good looks too.” She smiled as Liz laughed as well.

The godparents came up to John and Marlena and took John Jr.

from them as they prepared him for the ceremony. Marlena and

John had been talking to everyone who was standing in the lobby

of the church as the priest flagged them down, signaling for them

that it was time to begin. Marlena nodded her head at Father

Jenson as she smiled at one of the cousins who was talking to her

and John. John excused themselves as he grabbed Marlena’s hand

and pulled her inside the church, telling her they were late

enough. Martha came up to Marlena as she asked for the baby’s

rosary, so they can have that ready to be blessed.

“I don’t know mom, I thought Maggie had it, she is the

godmother.” Marlena smiled as Martha fixed her daughter’s collar.

“Okay well make sure that is all ready…now lets hurry it up.”

Martha smiled as John gave her thumbs up sign while he hurried

Marlena to the front pew.

The ceremony began as the priest and alter boys walked down the

aisle as the sound of music filled the church. Everyone stood up

until the priest arrived at the front and began his speech. He

blessed the room and asked everyone to have a seat while he read

a prayer. Shortly after, he called for John and Marlena to come

to the front along with the baby. John and Marlena stood at the

alter as the priest began his blessing to Little John, who was

clinging onto his mother as he stared at everything around him.

His deep blue eyes stared widely around the room as his rosy

cheeks wiggled while he smiled and made noises. His small body

was held close to Marlena’s chest as the priest asked for the

godparents to join them at the alter.

Maggie and Shane stood at the front as the priest began to ask

questions. Soon after, Marlena placed the baby into Maggie and

Shane’s hands as they lowered him over the marble fountain.

Father Jenson smiled as he blessed the water and the baby and

slowly grabbed the gold glass and filled it with water. He gave the

sign of the cross over the water as he leaned over and poured it

over the baby’s head as John and Marlena looked along. Baby

John made a face that signaled he was about to have a

breakdown and screamed at the top of his lungs while Maggie

tried to comfort him by bouncing him. Marlena made a face too

as she soothed him with her voice as well while her husband

smiled and held his wife closely. Father Jenson then rubbed some

oil on the baby’s head as the baby continued to scream. Maggie

handed him over to Marlena as he instantly stopped crying and

placed his head in the crook of her neck and shoulders, while

everybody awed and laughed. John made a crack about how they

wonder why he doesn’t want to sleep alone at night or doesn’t go

with anyone. The ceremony finished as pictures and video were

snapped and filmed into history. The reception was to be

gathered at The Ritz Carlton Ballroom where a party that would

not be forgotten, was to take place.

The ballroom was filled with white balloons and candles, along

with soft music as everyone in Salem made their way in. A huge

picture of baby John adorned in a gold frame stood in the front

of the room, along with a table filled with seating arrangements.

John and Marlena had been chatting with nonstop guests and

hardly had anytime to talk to each other. Little John had

managed to be away from his mother for about every 20 minutes

or so, but was quickly returned to her anytime a fuss came from

him. The night began to go on without a problem as everyone

enjoyed themselves, tossing back bottles of champagne and

dancing the night away. Marlena was standing near the bar, having

a glass of wine when someone came up behind her and took it

from her hand. She turned around and came face to face with

her husband and took her lips softly in a sweet kiss.

“Are you drinking Mrs. Black?” John smiled as Marlena let out a

laugh.

“Well I was until someone so very rudely took it out of my hand….

it’s just a glass of wine…I’d figure one glass wouldn’t hurt…since

I’m still nursing him.” She smiled as John nodded his head.

“How are you feeling? You okay?”

She smiled as she nodded and then explained a few things. “A few

people have been asking me that…you know since the thing with

Alex happened. It’s just embarrassing, you know? And you know

all these people are coming up to me apologizing and then also

apologizing about the miscarriage. I just don’t want to be

reminded, and my mother keeps checking on me.” She said as she

turned her head towards the noise that her son made. Once she

made sure he was okay, she turned back and focused on the

conversation with John. He placed his hands on her face as he

smiled at her.

“They all love you….they are concerned for you. And I know it is

a pain in the ass to keep hearing it but look at it this way, this will

probably be the last time they ask you that, since you are seeing

everybody all at once.”

Marlena raised an eyebrow as she smiled. “True.” A familiar slow

love song came on as the lights dimmed low. John made a face as

he looked at Marlena and pulled her hand while Marlena began

laughing. As they walked to the dance floor, everyone clapped,

cheered and whistled as John winked his eye while Marlena kept

laughing. He pulled her slender body close to him as his hand

went tightly around her lower waist and his other arm grabbed

her hand and tugged it between their chests. Marlena leaned her

forehead on her husband’s cheek as he sang the familiar song to

her. Their bodies clung to each other as John leaned down and

took her lips in a sensual kiss.

“I love you so much baby?” John whispered as Marlena smiled.

“I love you too.” Marlena smiled as she continued to dance with

her husband.

The party had come to an end as John, Marlena, and a very

cranky baby had made their through the penthouse. John held his

son as baby John screamed his anger and frustration, causing

Marlena to grab him from her husband.

“I’ll go put him to bed, I’ll meet you in the bedroom.” Marlena

smiled as she walked away with her son, who was beginning to

nestle his head on her chest.

Marlena walked back and forth in the nursery as she rocked his

softly to sleep, humming a lullaby. His eyes closed as his tiny body

relaxed as Marlena took that as a sign and placed him down,

covering him and making sure he was fine, before closing the

door and walking to her bedroom. She slipped off her shoes and

carried them into her bedroom, placing them in her closet and

unbuttoning her jacket. John came out of the bathroom as he

walked up behind her and placed a kiss on her shoulder, causing a

small laugh to escape her lips. She unclasped her earrings and

placed them down on the dresser as John helped pull her jacket

off her body. His hands went to the back of her zipper as he

slowly undid that, loosening the skirt from her hips.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” John whispered

in her ear as he kissed it gently.

“Yes you did actually…but then again…I never get tired of

hearing it.” She kissed him as he reached behind her and pulled

her skirt down her legs, leaving her clad in a white short slip. He

leaned down and threw her skirt on the chair along where her

jacket laid and placed his hands on the side of her thighs. He

kissed her legs slowly as she placed a hand in his hair and leaned

her head back, feeling his soft wet lips dance along her skin. He

kissed her stomach through the silk fabric and continued his

journey up, stopping at her breasts. He stood up as he took her

mouth and kissed her hard, pushing her back against the love seat

in the corner in the room. He continued to kiss her as his hands

traveled to the straps of her slip, sliding them down her shoulders.

“Oh baby…I want you…and I need you…Is it alright if we do

this?” John asked as he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

“Yeah, just take it slow baby…the doctor said I was still healing a

few weeks ago but I’m sure I’m okay now. I have an appointment

Monday morning anyway…just make love to me…please…I need to

feel you.” Marlena teared as John leaned down and kissed his

wife with an undying passion that had not faded even after all

these years.

***************************

She felt the silk material of the straps fall down her slender

shoulders and the feeling of soft wet lips replace where the

straps were only seconds before. She tilted her head back as she

let herself get lost in the overwhelming seduction that sucked her

in each second that passed. The small ridges of his tongue danced

along her shoulder blade as his mouth engulfed her skin, caressing

each pore with his lips. Her mouth was slightly agape as soft

moans flew past her lips and into John’s ears. She felt his hands

snake around her body and pull her hips closer to him as his lips

attacked her neck, sucking the life out of her delicate skin that

lay just below her ear, a place that always made her lose all train

of thought. However, at this very moment, flashes of unpleasant

thoughts invaded her concentration and she began to shut her

eyes in disgust, with little hope that the nightmare would fade

away. As John sucked on her neck, a memory of Alex doing the

very exact thing slammed into her mind and the sickness began to

rise in her body. She felt John’s hands caress her skin and move

up to her breasts and she shook her head slightly, trying to erase

the thought of Alex, knowing deep down inside it was her

husband who was touching her. She felt the silk material slip

down the curves of her body and pool around her feet as his face

disappeared into her chest, his hands resting on lower back,

stroking the soft skin that lay there. He looked up at her and

noticed her eyes were clenched shut, her face filled with disgust

instead of pleasure. He tipped her chin with his gentle hand as

she opened her eyes slowly, looking at him from under her dark

long lashes. She leaned and kissed him roughly and erotically as he

tried to back away but she forced her tongue in his mouth and he

slowly gave in. Their kiss turned into a rough act as her lips

traveled to his neck as she bit his skin, doing everything in her

power to evade the thoughts that had begun to haunt her

endlessly. He pulled her down with him as he sat her on the

loveseat, and knelt in front of her, kissing her neck. He leaned

her back as he began a journey with his mouth down her body. His

lips moved along her exquisite curves and explored the soft skin

of her stomach and thighs. She saw his head as it tugged on her

panties, his teeth pulling on the lacy material. His eyes made

contact with hers as he made his way up to her. As he moved up

her body his face morphed into Alex’s as Marlena shut her eyes

and moved her head to the side, putting out her hand to stop him.

She felt his hand grab hers and his voice fill her ears, the calm

and gentleness of the words.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” He asked as she tried to search for an

answer. She opened her eyes as she looked into the eyes, of what

she hoped would be John’s. Luckily, his blue eyes were staring

into hers, demanding an answer of some kind. She felt the hot

tears build up and she closed her eyes, hoping her long eyelashes

could somehow block the waterfall that was about to spill over.

She shook her head as her mouth fell open, but no words

escaping past her lips.

“I’m… sorry. It’s not you fault…not at all. It’s me.” She whispered

as John leaned over her and close to her face.

“Are you having thoughts about what happened?”

She felt the tears sting her eyes and slide down her face. She

opened her eyes and looked at her husband with pain. She

couldn’t think of anyway to say it so she simply nodded her head,

closing her eyes once more to prevent anymore tears from falling.

John’s head dropped as he bit his lip in anger, not with her but

the situation she was thrown into that should of never happened

to her to begin with. He looked up as he caressed her face softly,

whispering for her to open her eyes.

“Hey…it’s ok. I know this is going to take a long time to get over

the fact of what happened. We don’t have to anything until you

are ready baby?” John smiled as Marlena sat up and shook her

head quickly, opening her eyes slowly and revealing her sad hazel

eyes.

“No…please…I want you to make love to me…I need you to. I

can’t go on like this anymore…this nightmare hanging over me. I

need you to remind me of what it’s like…of what it was really

meant to be…a beautiful and unexplainable affair…obsession.

Please baby, make love to me…” She barely whispered through her

tears as she reached for John’s face and pulled him to hers,

attaching her lips to his. She kissed him with a desperate urgency

as he kissed her back, pulling her body close to his. His hands

went to the clasp of her bra as she felt it unsnap and disappear

from her body. His warm mouth took her breast in his mouth as

he kissed and sucked, determined to bring the passion back to

her senses. At first, her fingers clenched the chair in discomfort,

repulsed by what the kisses were bringing back to her mind. Slowly

she let the discomfort ease away and let her mind get caught into

the pleasure of what her husband was bringing. She felt his hands

stroke her through the lacy material that hugged her hips, and

the overwhelming feeling of desire. She felt his strong arms lift

her up and carry her to the soft bed, placing her down on the

comforter. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips touch hers and

his tongue outline the curve of her lips. The roughness of his

hands moved down her body and between her legs, his fingers

rubbing her sensitive area, sending her to a place in paradise. She

arched her head back into the pillows, her back arching off the

bed, her hips clamping down on the mattress. She felt his fingers

slip into the lacy material that had begun to travel down her hips

and long legs. His index finger rubbed her entrance, smoothing

the wetness that developed, all over her lower area. She closed

her eyes as his finger slipped in, stroking her velvet wall. She

opened her heavy eyes and looked at her husband who was

watching her body with pure want and need. He began to remove

his already unbuttoned shirt and undo his belt, pulling it from the

loops. She watched as his fingers worked quickly, unbuttoning

the button and letting down the fly, his huge erection bulging

through his boxer briefs. His pants fell down to his knees as he

knelt over Marlena taking her lips in a powerful kiss, leaving her

begging for more. She reached for him and pulled him down,

wrapping a long slender leg around his hip. He rubbed into her

leaving her a little to the imagination of what was about to come.

As he ground into her, a flash of Alex popped into her mind as

she shut her eyes in disbelief. John moaned as he rubbed his

erection into her mound, feeling her wetness soak him through

his boxers. She reached down and pulled his tight boxers below

his butt and demanded that he make love to her now. He tried to

reach down to remove his pants and boxers completely, but was

stopped by Marlena’s urgent plea. His naked wife lay beneath him

while his half dressed body lay on top, awaiting Marlena’s demands.

“I need you now…” She moaned as she leaned up and kissed him,

desperate to get the image of Alex out of her mind. John

reached down and held himself as he guided it to her awaiting

warm entrance. He placed the tip at her wet centre and watched

her face as he prepared to enter her. Her eyes had remained

closed, partly because of the memories she was having.

“Open your eyes Marlena….I want to see your eyes when I make

love to you.” John whispered as Marlena unhurriedly opened her

lust filled eyes and looked into his dark blue eyes. John pushed

himself halfway into her wet entrance slowly as Marlena shut eyes

again once more, breathing in heavily, due to the discomfort and

tenderness she began to feel. John watched intently as he fought

the urge to come right inside her at that moment, and tried to

contain his heavy breathing.

“Mmmmm baby…open those beautiful eyes…” John moaned as he

leaned down and took her breast in his mouth. When he pulled

back up, she did what he asked as he mouthed the words if she

was okay. She nodded slowly and watched as he pushed a little

deeper, causing her to moan out loud with pain. He pulled back

and waited till she gave some kind of sign that she was ready for

him. He pushed back inside, a little slower and moved in small and

half strokes, in and out, massaging her canal. Her fingers tugged

onto the sheets as John moved back and forth, pleasuring himself

more than Marlena. He finally backed away as Marlena opened

her eyes and looked at him pleadingly.

“Why did you stop?”

“Because I’m hurting you…” John sighed as he tried to crawl off

her, before she stopped him, pulling on his arm.

“No…please John…I need you…” She begged as she pulled him

back down, reaching for him and placing him to her entrance

once again.

She felt him slide in and braced herself as he moved back and

forth, watching her face carefully. He finally pushed all the way

in as Marlena let out a moan of pleasure, holding still until she

succumbed completely into it. Her discomfort finally snapped and

bliss began to take over. John began to thrust a little rougher as

his gentleness began to spiral out of control.

She felt his ridges rub against her smooth walls as her passion

threatened to finish her off right there and then. She wrapped

her slender legs around him as he rode into her, his boxers still

hanging below his ass and his pants now around his ankles. He

bumped her hips up hard as she moaned loudly, her nails rubbing

into his back.

“I love…..you…ohhh…John!” She moaned as his groans

overpowered hers, both forgetting that their son was just down

the hall and could awake at any moment due to the commotion.

“Ohhh baby…I Love You Too….mmmmmm….ohh shit…baby…”

John moaned as he thrusted into her back and forth. He pulled

back and unwrapped her legs from his waist as he brought them

into his arms, pulling her to his hips. He held her thighs as he

pulled her into his dick, slamming into her hard.

“Ahhh Baby…I’m going to….uhhhh” John shouted as he thrusted

quickly in and out of her at dangerous speeds. He felt her

tightened around him as she squeezed every ridge of his penis.

She gave a thunderous moan that rocked John to the core as she

came hard, ripping the sheets from the mattress. John thrusted

into her once more, finishing off, spilling his hot liquid into her

captivity. He collapsed on top of her body, fighting to regain his

breath. Marlena finally opened her eyes, finally riding out the

waves of her orgasm. She looked up at him and gave a bright

smile and was about to speak when a shrieking cry took over.

John laughed as he moved off of her, letting her get up to get

her robe.

“I guess we deserve that one…huh..” He smiled as she wrapped

her robe around her body.

“Yeah we do…I’ll be back…” She winked as John licked his lips.

“Don’t be long….I’m not done with you, this time I’m going to

make love to you.”

Marlena looked at her husband as she bit her lip and raised her

Eyebrows.

“So you did get those documents right? Perfect! Okay look we are going to be leaving here shortly, we’ll see you there.” John finished up as Marlena came down the stairs holding a very active little boy on her hips. She was dressed in a very business like black suit as her son was clad in a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and overalls with tiny Nike gym shoes. He simply looked adorable, almost like a child model. Compliments from strangers were made everyday, claiming that John and Marlena had a beautiful son, a very gorgeous baby to look at. Marlena always smiled, being so proud of her pride and joy, which she never failed to mention that he looked nothing like her. She would always tell John how she found it amusing that her son didn’t even have one small characteristic of her. She remembered a conversation they had a few days ago as they sat at a formal business dinner for Basic Black. They sat at the table, chatting with each other when one of John’s assistants mentioned to her on how she saw the baby’s picture and noticed all of her boss’s features.

Marlena laughed as she looked at her husband. “Oh I know, I tell John all the time that I just can’t grasp the fact that he looks nothing like me. I mean not even a highlight of blonde in his hair, or a mixture in his eye color, or his nose, mouth, anything.” She laughed again as John leaned in and nuzzled her cheek.

“Jealous are we?” John smiled as Marlena took a sip of her wine and shook her head, smiling.

“No just a bit shocked, that’s all.”

“Well hey fair is fair, our daughter Belle is the spitting image of her mother. I mean this girl has milky blonde hair, facial structure, eyes, nose, you name it and my girl has it all.”

“Well that’s not true…she has your bright blue eyes. So that has to count for something.” Marlena smiled as she took a sip of her wine while John leaned in and took her mouth in a sweet kiss, after she pulled the glass away from her lips.

“Yeah well I guess you lucked out then when it comes to our son.” John joked about his wife as everyone at the table burst into fits of laughter.

Marlena smiled as she looked at the beautiful little boy that stared up at her with his big blue eyes, his long dark curled eyelashes batting in confusion. He smiled at his mother as she made a funny face at him, his deep dimples dancing along his chubby cheeks. She leaned down and kissed his tiny lips as she looked up at her husband who was just finishing up his call, and snapped his cell phone shut.

“You ready sweetheart?” John smiled as he reached over and grabbed his son while Marlena nodded and grabbed the baby’s Tommy jacket. John held his son out as Marlena maneuvered the Jacket onto the baby while he kicked his little feet and laughed. Marlena smiled as she leaned in and placed a kiss on his little nose and then backed up and grabbed her coat, causing the baby to whine and whimper. John pulled him close and tried to bounce him but the baby continued to cry.

“Stop it John…stop crying…Mommy is doing something.” Marlena sternly spoke as she held up a finger and waved it in front of baby John. He slowly calmed down and when Marlena turned back and went to the closet door, he screamed loud. She quickly pulled on her long coat and reached for her son, pulling him from John’s arms. The baby quickly put his head between the crevice of his mother’s neck and shoulders, and silenced his cries. John shook his head and gave a sarcastic laugh as he mumbled to Marlena.

“Spoiled I tell ya!” John smiled as he reached for Marlena’s purse and the baby’s diaper bag, and placed his hand on Marlena’s lower back.

“Shall we, we are going to be late.” John smiled as he opened the door and motioned for them to leave.

John held Marlena’s hand as they walked into the courtroom, their lawyer Cameron Reese meeting them in the lobby. Marlena fidgeted in the pocket of her coat as she held her husband close while he discussed some documents over with Cameron. They were lead to a huge courtroom where Cameron took their coats and placed it in a nearby meeting room, and had them step inside. Once they caught up on what the situation was going to be like, Cameron led them into the courtroom where she sat both of them at the main table. Before Marlena and John sat down, two officers walked in holding a handcuffed Alex and leading him to the other table. John pulled Marlena close as he felt her body tense at the sight of him. Alex looked at her as he flicked out his tongue and licked his lips, causing John to pull her behind him.

“You son of a bitch!” John yelled as he lunged for Alex causing one officer to block John while the other pulled Alex back.

“Keep it moving…scumbag!” The officer yelled as he yanked on Alex, forcing him to sit in his chair.

The other officer made sure John was okay as he pulled Marlena into his arms, hugging her deeply. She placed her face into his chest and took a deep breath as John rubbed her back in gentle strokes, whispering for her to relax. Once she recollected herself, she sat down and went over a few things with Cameron before the sheriff ordered for everybody to rise.

“Court is now in session, Presenting the Honorable Judge Stevens.” Judge Stevens entered as he asked everyone to be seated. John held Marlena’s hand as they sat and waited for the beginning testimonies. Alex’s lawyer introduced himself to the court as he began his intro on what happened that day.

“I want to begin with the a simple question to the jury. Look at that man sitting right there. Does he look like a criminal to you? Does he look like he could ever hurt somebody intentionally? How are we to know that what happened that fateful afternoon of December 15th, 2004, wasn’t simply an affair gone wrong. That is why we are here ladies and gentleman, to uncover the truth. Remember, you are innocent to proven guilty, and that is what we are going to find out. Thank You.” Alex’s lawyer spoke out as he walked back and sat down while Cameron stood up and began her introduction.

“We are here to simply uncover the truth, Mr. Diamanti is right about that. You may not know Alex Claiborne or Marlena Evans Black personally, but you will learn about them as this case continues. Marlena Evans Black is a very well respected resident and psychiatrist here is Salem. So I ask you, how can someone so prestige, such high life style, happily married woman with a recently new edition to their family, want anything to do with man. Alex Claiborne was known as a respected surgeon as well, excellent for his work. Although he had a background that would make you think differently and that is why we are here, to observe the eituation. I ask you not to make a decision by what you see, just to listen the facts that we uncover. Thank you.”

Alex’s lawyer stood up as he began to go over all the some documentation about Alex’s life before he came to Salem. Shortly after, he called Alex to the stand as he asked him to place up his right hand.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.” The sheriff asked as Alex smiled and said I do.

“Alex, Can you tell me about the time you arrived here to Salem? How did you meet Dr. Evans?”

“Well she worked in the hospital, a very well know psychiatrist, and a beautiful woman I might add. She was a very polite person and welcomed me to Salem, just making herself helpful. We became close over the months and during that time she was currently separated from her husband. I asked her out a few weeks later, which she agreed to and it all began there.”

“What began there?” Mr. Diamanti asked as Alex gave a wicked smile.

“Our relationship, sexually.”

John grunted in disgust as he closed his eyes and bit his lip, preventing himself from shouting out.

“Thank you.”

Cameron Reese stood up as she grabbed some documents off the table. “Mr. Claiborne, could you tell me about your past? Where did you some from?”

He smiled as he tipped his head to the side. “I am came from Honduras.”

Cameron looked up as she gave a quizzical look. “And what were you doing in Honduras? You aren’t from there, are you?” She smiled as he shook his head.

“No I’m not. I had been studying abroad and my work had brought me there.”

“Really, you wouldn’t be trying to escape from anything in the U.S. would you?”

“Objection, this has nothing to do with anything.” Mr. Diamanti stood up

and shouted.

“I have a point you honor.” Cameron gestured to the judge as he bowed his head.

“Overruled.”

“Who is Jessica Silverman, Mr. Claiborne?” Cameron asked as Alex’s smiled faded.

“An old girlfriend.”

“Interesting. Did you ever have any problems with Miss Silverman over the years?”

Alex stood quiet as Cameron waited for his answer.

“Please answer the question?” The judge demanded as Alex nodded.

“Yes we did, nothing that wasn’t irreconcilable.”

“Oh is that so. Mr. Claiborne we have some documents here from a few years ago, hospital and police records claiming Jessica Silverman had been brutally beaten and raped. Call me crazy but almost the same situation Dr. Evans had been in. Don’t you find that odd? So when your girlfriend was brutally hurt, where were you?”

“Jessica and I had broken up a few days before that and I had left to Honduras for my job. Shortly after she had been raped by one of what I thought to be our friends.”

“Was his name Alex Claiborne too?”

“Objection, speculation.” Mr. Diamanti stood up as the judge told him to sit down.

“Ms. Reese, is there proof of this.” The judge asked as Cameron gave him a few files.

“Yes you honor, It has been documented that Jessica Silverman

did in fact describe her attacker, as her ex-boyfriend Alex Claiborne, however he had left the U.S. and they had found no samples of DNA, therefore he was unable to be prosecuted.”

“Alright, I would like to meet with both the lawyers please, in my chamber. 20 minute recess now is session.”

A half an hour later, court had been back in session as Alex Claiborne walked back to the stand to continue on with his questioning. Cameron and Mr. Diamanti also walked into the courtroom as Cameron took a seat while Alex’s lawyer grabbed a document. Marlena looked over at her husband as he gave her a reassuring smiled, holding her hand under the table, and whispering in her ear to relax. She gave a half smile and bowed her head while she waited for the next phase.’

“Mr. Claiborne, Tell us about your relationship with Dr. Evans?”

Alex smiled as he looked over at her and made eye contact causing her to quickly drop her head down, avoiding his stare. “We were in a pretty deep relationship for a couple months, depending on each other and so on. Life couldn’t of been better and I truly believed that she was the one that I wanted to spend my life with.” He looked up as he now made eye contact with John. “I planned to marry her… that is until her husband came back into the picture.”

“Did you break the relationship off when you found out about this?”

“Well I was going too after a long debate on whether I should fight for her or not. But I knew better and told her that is was for the best. It was she who begged me not to leave and that she would find a way to explain to her husband that their marriage was over…so I stood.” Alex said somberly as Marlena’s face dropped in horror and in disgust. She leaned over to Cameron and whispered that he was lying, which Cameron quickly nodded her head.

“So, Dr. Evans decided to keep this affair going on the whole time she reconciled with Mr. Black. Alright, what did you say when you learned that Dr. Evans had been pregnant?” Mr. Diamanti asked as he turned and looked over at Marlena.

“I was shocked in the beginning and then somewhat excited about the idea.”

“Why would that be?”

“Because I thought that she was pregnant with my child, since we were still having sexual relations.” Alex smiled as Marlena let out a groan of disgust as John hit his hand on the table in front of him. John felt the rage rise in the pit of his stomach as he imagined himself running up to him and beating him again, this time for good.

“Explain the situation in Dr. Evan’s office on the fifteenth of December. What exactly happened and why?”

“Well I had gone to surprise Marlena, planning to take her out for a quick bite to eat. Things got a little carried away and we began to make love in her office, that is until her husband came in. She then pretended that I was raping her and that is when John came in and attacked me.” Alex looked over at John and smiled as John stood up in Rage.

“He is lying!” John shouted as Marlena reached for John’s hand, pulling him down and begging him to relax.

“Please sit down Mr. Black…Counselor please advise you client one more interruption and he will be held in contempt. The judge explained as Cameron looked over at John while Marlena tried to sooth her husband.

“No further questions your honor.” Mr. Diamanti smiled as Cameron Reese stood up.

“Mr. Claiborne, you said that Dr. Evans and you began to make love in her office. So according to police records and documentation from the hospital, Dr. Evans had bruises all over her face and body, why is that?”

“She got caught in the brawl and was badly hurt.”

“So how do you explain the vaginal injuries Dr. Evans was hospitalized for?” Cameron asked as Alex bit his lip and looked up at John.

“She liked it rough, what can I say.” He laughed as Marlena felt the tears sting her eyes, the anger and embarrassment tearing her apart.

“Why didn’t you walk away when Dr. Evans chose to stay with her husband. Wasn’t the pregnancy a sign for you?” Cameron asked as Alex hesitated.

“As I told you before, She begged me to stay with her. I was still sleeping with her when she was pregnant. And to answer the second part of your question, I thought she was pregnant with my child, for all I know he could be mine.”

“Well that isn’t a possibility, tests confirm that the baby boy has no DNA

ties to you at all.”

“Well thank god for that! I didn’t really want any kids anyway.”

“Alex can you really sit here and claim that you are innocent?” Cameron asked.

“Objection your honor! That is speculation?”

“Ms. Reese, would you please rephrase the question?” The judge spoke as she nodded her head.

“Alex is there anything you can say that would make the court think otherwise?”

“I would like everyone to know that I cared for Marlena deeply. I would rather cut my hand off before I ever laid a hand on her.” Marlena dropped her head as John reached for her hand and gave her an encouraging tug.

“No further questions.”

“You may step down Mr. Claiborne.” Judge Stevens suggested as Cameron grabbed a folder.

“I call Marlena Evans to the stand.” Cameron demanded as Judge Stevens nodded her head while Marlena stood up, adjusting her suit and walked over to the stand.

Marlena stood in front of the court as she held up her right hand, the words going through her head, spinning and swirling. She felt her body float, her head spin and legs go numb. She felt the blood rush through her brain as it threatened to sweep away any possibility of the memory that evening.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.” She looked over at the sheriff and tried to find the words to say what she needed to say, but she couldn’t. She felt her mouth open but the words wouldn’t exit, they just danced at the back of her throat, teasing her. She cleared her throat as she whispered I do into the microphone. John watched his wife carefully as she sat up at the stand, fidgeting with her hands, twirling her wedding ring around her slender finger. Mr. Diamanti walked up to her as he gave her a quick smile, before looking over at Alex.

“Dr. Evans, can you explain to the court who is Alex Claiborne is?” Marlena nodded as she cleared her throat.

“He is a doctor at Salem University Hospital.”

“That’s it…just a doctor.”

She looked over at the lawyer as she nodded once again. “From what I know, yes.”

Mr. Diamanti nodded as well as he walked over by the jury before turning around once again. “Okay, tell us Dr. Evans…did you have a relationship with Alex Claiborne?”

Marlena felt the blood rush to her head as she froze from the question. She looked at John as she answered the question quietly. “Yes we dated before.”

“Alright so you knew him…so how long did you date?”

“Not very long…I would say about a month.”

Mr. Diamanti walked back to his table as he picked up a document before walking back to where Marlena sat. “Tell me Dr. Evans…out of the whole month that you and Alex were dating, did you have a sexual relationship with him as well.” John nudged for Cameron to stand up and say something.

“Objection, you honor that has nothing to with the case.”

“Overruled counselor, Dr. Evans please answer the question.” Judge Stevens commanded as Marlena nodded her head.

“No we didn’t have a sexual relationship.”

“Never, are you sure?” He asked as leaned in.

Marlena looked up at him as she gave a serious face, the frustration beginning to show.

“ I’m positive.”

“Dr. Evans…Mrs. Black…are we to believe that what happened on the fifteenth of December, 2004 in your office wasn’t a rondevous that simply turned into a struggle once your husband came in.”

“That is not what happened, I ended our friendship soon after my husband and I reconciled our marriage. In no way shape or form did I beg or ask Alex to stay.”

“So you weren’t having a sexual relationship then?”

“No I wasn’t!” Marlena said sternly as Cameron stood up.

“Objection your honor, badgering the witness.”

Judge Stevens looked over at Mr. Diamanti as he gave a sigh.

“I believe Dr. Evans already answered that question.”

“No further questions your honor.” Cameron stood up as she walked over to Marlena.

“Dr. Evans, could you tell the court what happened that evening.”

“I was in my office preparing to meet with a patient named Jake Adams or so he said. After about 20 minutes of waiting I assumed he wasn’t coming and I had a doctor’s appointment in about a half hour from then. As I began to pack up some folders I heard a voice behind me and I quickly turned around, noticing it was Alex. Well he said he wanted to talk and I told him that I was expecting a patient and if we could continue this another time…that is when he said that he was Jake Adams and he was the one who called me. That is when he began accusing me of stringing him along and getting pregnant. He slapped me and when I told him to leave, that is when he attacked me, pushing me down to the ground, and ripping at my clothes.” Marlena cried as she wiped the tears from her eyes, causing Alex to roll his eyes.

“Dr. Evans, did you know that you were pregnant when this situation happened.”

Marlena shook her head as she cleared her throat again. “No I didn’t, I assumed that I was since I had been extremely sick the past week, but it wasn’t a known fact. I found out the truth after I miscarried the baby, after the rape happened.” Marlena cried again, sniffling here and there.

“I know this is hard for you Marlena, but just a few more questions. When the assault had begun, were you conscious the whole time.”

“No, by mid assault I had already begun to lose consciousness. When John came into the office, that was last thing I remembered.”

“So when John came in you… had no idea what happened from there, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. No further questions your honor.”

Judge Stevens asked Marlena to step down from the stand as Cameron called John Black to the stand.

“John tell me what happened when you walked into that office?”

John looked over at Alex as he spoke with venom in his voice. “I heard her screams and cries from down outside her suite so I ran in. I saw him, Alex Claiborne violating my wife, both physically and sexually.”

“And did you attack him.”

“Yes I did, I did what any husband would of done if they seen their wife being abused. I attacked him and I would do it again if he ever came near her again.”

“Mr. Black, please relax and answer the questions properly.” Judge Stevens spoke as she signaled for Cameron to continue.

“When you carried Marlena to the emergency, was she or was she not bleeding, vaginally?”

“Yes she was?”

“And what did the doctors tell you that was caused by?”

John looked over at Alex as watched him closely. “They said it was from severe tissue damage that was torn and also from the miscarriage.”

“Thank you…no further questions.”

After several hours of interviewing doctors, security and police, the jury and judge Stevens had stepped out to make their decision while court when on recess. Shortly after, court had begun as Alex Claiborne and Marlena Evans Black were asked to stand up.

The sheriff brought the paper that jury handed to him, to judge Stevens as she opened and read it carefully. She looked up as she took a deep breath, quickly looking over at Malena and John.

“The jury has found Alex Claiborne guilty with sexual assault and battery. I here by am sentencing you to 15 years in prison with no probation. Your license and residency will be terminated and you will no longer be able to work here United States once you have finished your term. Once your imprisonment has expired you will be placed house arrest until further notice has been givin. You are here by found guilty! Case Closed!” Judge Stevens Slammed the paddle down as John pulled his wife into a huge hug as tears of happiness slid down her face. John hugged her with everything he had left as he leaned down and kissed his wife, holding her as close as possible. John let go of his wife for a second as he shook Cameron’s hand while Marlena pulled her in for a hug.

“Thank you so much!” She whispered as Cameron smiled.

“No, Thank you!”

John and Marlena began to exit the courthouse as photographers and news media swarmed around them, trying to get an exclusive. John looked over at his wife as he took her lips in a kiss, in front of all reporters and cameras. He gave the thumbs up sign as he smiled, claiming justice had been served while he grabbed her hand and walked to their car.

Meanwhile, Alex had been handcuffed and brought to a corner room, where they prepared him for transportation. He sat there is a daze as the realization of the situation became clear…he was done…for good this time!

John! Make sure you have the guys take that box by the den!” Marlena shouted as she moved a few boxes into the hallway. She had been grabbing what was left as Little John played on the empty carpet, where the dressers used to be. As she walked to her closet, John walked through the doorway, leaning down to tickle his son, as Baby John burst into giggles. Marlena turned around and smiled as she carried what was left of her outfits into a suitcase.

“Baby, you know, we could of left all this stuff here.” John smiled as he looked up at her from the floor. Marlena smiled as she continued to place the garments in her case.

“Well I know we could have but…the house is so damn big John, we seriously don’t need to buy all new furniture for it. There is like 18 rooms.” She laughed as she walked into the bathroom while John shook his head and continued to play with his son, before picking him up and whistling for Marlena.

“Come on, let’s go!” John ordered as he reached for Marlena’s suitcase as she ran out the bathroom and threw in some of her cosmetics.

“Okay, Okay…John I feel like I’m forgetting something!” Marlena looked around the room as John rolled his eyes, before he burst into laughter at her reactions.

“If you did, we can always come back, this is still our place.” John tried to regain himself as he grabbed her suitcase and bumped her to move on out.

They made their way downstairs as men ran in and out, carrying boxes into the lobby. Marlena looked around the penthouse, glancing around one last time before John came up to her.

“Alright, say goodbye baby.” John smiled as Marlena looked over at her husband. “Aww man you’re not going to cry, are you?”

Marlena shrugged and then shook her head no.

“Yes you are, come on sweetheart, this still belongs to us anyways…its not like we will never come back here. Now say goodbye and please don’t cry, because I already packed the box of Kleenex.” John laughed as Marlena smilingly swatted his arm, and quickly reached for her son in his arms.

“Let’s go see our new house…mmm” She nuzzled her nose into the baby’s cheek as he laughed and clapped.

A black Lexus pulled into the circular driveway as it parked behind all the moving and delivery trucks. There were movers, decorators, installers, running in and out of the elegant home as John slowly stepped out of the car. A silver Mercedes pulled right along the Lexus as Marlena stepped out as well, pulling her sleeping son from the backseat and cradling him. She looked around at all the chaos that had been going on and glanced at her husband with questioning eyes.

“What? I have a surprise for you…come on…oh and before you say anything, we have plenty of other things to pick out together.” He laughed as he grabbed her free hand and escorted her up the steps and inside the house. As they walked around a few guys, she noticed the living room first which was on their left. The room had beige microfiber couches that sat along the front bay windows and the opposite side of the fire place. The floor was carpeted in beige and beautiful glass lamps had been placed in corners of the room. Light color wooded tables had been put between the couches and corners and a huge glass china cabinet had sat next to the fireplace in the corner of the room. Marlena stared at her husband as she tried to find words to express what she wanted to say.

“John, are you crazy? We have a 7 month old in the house, this room is going to be trashed…and dangerous.” She winced as she carefully looked in.

“Nope, my boy is going to be trained, he’ll know better.” John smiled as Marlena gave him a look of humor.

“Sure…” She smiled as they continued to walk inside towards the family room. The carpet was darker beige and the fluffy leather couches were a light sanded color. A 70 inch plasma TV had been hung along the wall and surround systems had been set up and ready to go. John smiled as he waved towards the room while Marlena laughed.

“This room must be for you?”

“Why do you say that?” John asked as Marlena bounced the baby back to sleep.

“Because look at it…its so guyish. You have surround sound, which I would never use. Satellite TV which always is on man’s wish list, and then there is this huge ass PLASMA TV. So…I don’t think women really use all this.” She said as she continued to rock her son to sleep while John reached for him. As he pulled his son to his arms, the baby began to scream and kick as John tried to rub his back.

“Hey there little guy, relax…shhhh.” John rocked him as he continued to cry and then slowly went back to sleep. “Come on, lets put him in the nursery…let me show you.” John smiled as they walked off and up the curved stairs, towards the nursery. As John opened the light colored wooden door, Marlena walked in as her mouth dropped in awe. The room was decorated in beautifully as a beautiful wooden crib lay near the bay windows while matching dressers and changing table, lay against the wall. A smaller plasma TV hung on the wall as Marlena turned around and gave a lazy point towards the TV.

“Was that necessary?” She smiled as John placed his son down in the crib while Marlena covered him with a light blanket. She smiled up at her husband as he pulled her hand to the master bedroom. As they approached the double doors, he told her to close her eyes. Once she did that, John led her inside and told her to open her eyes. Light colored dressers and chests lay against the wall with pictures of them and their children, on top in fames. Their bed was matching to the dressers and it was somewhat of a canopy bed, with matching nightstands. The bed was dressed in tons of beige pillows with matching covers and a fluffy comforter. Matching lamps along with alarms clocks sat on each side of their tables, along with a small framed picture of John and Marlena. Loveseats also sat in the corner of the rooms, next to the large windows and balcony doors that overlooked the pool area. A plasma tv also hung from the wall above the fireplace, with surround sound speakers mounted high on the corners of each wall. A stereo system, dvd player, surround system, and satellite system were all mounted into the wall so that wires could not be shown. Marlena walked around as she smiled her approval while John walked up to her, grabbing her chin and kissing her deeply. Marlena moaned into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as they battled each other with their kisses. John pushed her back into a wall as he continued to make love to her mouth, while his hands began to roam all over her body, beginning at her waist.

“John, maybe we should stop…” She said breathlessly as John began to kiss her neck.

“No….in a minute.” He moaned as Marlena bit her lip.

“No, come on baby…in a minute, I’m going to throw you down on that bed…come on people are here. Tonight, I promise…we christen this room…what do you say?” She smiled as she finally got John to back up a bit.

“We christen this place, what are you talking about?” John smiled

“With a 7 month old baby here….not a chance…but we can take it one room at a time.” She laughed as she walked past him and into the walk in closet, where she noticed some things had been put away. She heard her son cry again and she quickly walked out of the closet and towards his room, where she leaned over the crib and began to pat him to sleep. The baby began to squirm and scream as his face became red and his tears, endlessly. She lifted him up and brought him to her chest, where her chin rested against his forehead, and she immediately noticed his temperature.

“John honey, he is burning up. Ohhh its okay, mommy’s here…shhhhh” She bounced him lightly as she walked out of the nusery and down the stairs with her husband who was right behind her. “John in the backseat his diaper bag is there, would you bring it here and get out the thermometer out and there is some children’s Tylenol too.” Marlena said hurriedly as John quickly ran out while she walked around with her crying son. John quickly returned with the bag and handed the thermometer to her while he prepared the medicine. He moved over the baby and slid the syringe into his mouth, shooting the red fluid through the baby’s system. Little John cried louder as his hands waved through the air while Marlena sat down on one of the couches and rocked him slightly, placing the thermometer to his ear and pressing the button on the machine. She glanced at the screen as it read 101 and she quickly rose from the couch.

“His fever is too high….we need to take him to the doctor, John!” She said as John tried to stop her.

“Honey, he has his medicine, he’ll be fine in a bit, just relax.” John tried to sooth her but she backed up a bit.

“John he has a temperature of 101…that’s not good…he’s only 7 months old. What if it rises more, we can’t take that chance, its already to high for his age. We need to go…just in case.” Marlena said as she hurried out the house and to the Mercedes, where she placed the crying baby down while John prepared to drive to the hospital.

The waiting area was packed as John sat uncomfortably in a chair while Marlena paced the floors back and forth, watching the emergency doors carefully. She walked over to john and sat in a chair next to him as she placed her elbows on her lap and began to bounce nervously. She looked over at her husband, who was eerily calm about the situation and gave him a weak smile.

“Hey, he is going to be okay? I promise….he’s here and in safe hands. Just relax a little bit baby.” He smiled as he leaned over a gave her a small hug, as she placed her head into his chest.

“I just don’t now what I would do if I ever lost him.” Marlena whispered as Dr. Lelan came out and over to them. Marlena and John quickly stood as the doctor took a deep breath.

“He’s okay, he seems to have a little bug called the flu, and he just caught it, so you both are in for a special treat tonight.” The doctor laughed as Marlena and John gave a sigh of relief. “He’ll be fine, his fever has gone down and he seems to be responding quite well to the antibiotics. You can take him home and if there seems to be something you are concerned about, bring him back, okay. Well he’s all yours, have fun tonight.” Dr. Lelan smiled as he lead John and Marlena to the cubicle where their son was sleeping. Marlena leaned next to her son as she played with his dark hair, while she placed a kiss on his head. John signed some forms while Marlena prepared her son for their journey to his new home.

John locked the double door entrance as he glanced out the window, making sure all cars were cleared from the driveway of their new home. It was going to be their first night there and he wanted to make sure everything was well, that is with a sick 7 month old in the house. He hit the button that shut off the chandelier as he began to make his way up the grand curved staircase. He began to unbutton his shirt as he made his way to his son’s room, checking on the little one before retiring to their bedroom. As he snuck past the light colored oak door, he noticed Marlena holding their son, rocking him back and forth in the couch rocker. She hummed to him as her slender hand grazed through his dark hair while his eyes remained close, his cheeks red from fever. She occasionally kissed the top of his forehead as she continued to rock him, holding him close to her, almost as if she was afraid to lose him. She heard a slight squeak as she quickly turned her attention towards John who was in front of her. She gave him a sweet smile as she motioned with her head to come over by her. John gladly obliged as he knelt down and looked over at their son who continued to move around in his sleep.

“This is going to be a very long night, you know?” Marlena whispered as John looked up at her and smiled softly.

“So everyone keeps saying…It can’t be that bad, he’s a baby for crying out loud. I would think children and toddlers are worse, remember Belle.” He whispered as Marlena began to laugh quietly.

“Yes I do remember Belle, when she was this age…you don’t ever sleep. Sick babies are far worse than toddlers, let me tell you. Babies tend to wake up for the slightest reason and it’s not like you can persuade them to sleep…they just cry and cry and you have no clue on what to do. They can’t speak so they can’t tell you what hurts, what’s bothering them, just cries. You should remember that with Brady.” She smiled as she slowly stood up and placed him down in his crib, covering him up. She stood there and watched him, making sure he was settled in comfortably. Once she realized he was okay, she nudged for John to leave as they both walked out of the room, leaving his door open. Marlena walked into the bedroom first as she began to slip from her clothes, heading into the walk in closet. John was standing in the doorway watching his wife as she pulled the blouse from her body and then her pants. She looked at her husband as she smiled him before grabbing her silk pajamas and placing them along her body.

“Sorry, I need my sleep tonight.” She smiled as John gave a frown.

“But it’s the first night.” John mumbled as Marlena walked past him.

“With a sick baby, may I remind you? You won’t even have time to get down your pants before he starts crying. Save it baby, for another night.” Marlena leaned up and kissed his lips quickly, before sitting on the bed and making herself comfortable.

“Honey, I don’t think John is going to be worse then Belle when she used to be sick. Remember that one night when she was like 5 and threw up all over her room floor and hallway, not to mention me when I picked her up to take her to the bathroom.” John explained as he unbuttoned his jeans and threw them in the closet along with his shirt.

Marlena laughed as she placed her face in her hands. She looked up at him as she tried to regain her composure before speaking. “Yeah, I remember that, and guess who was cleaning it up too….so don’t complain. John that was bad but let me remind you again, that John is a baby, he will throw up and scream and cry through the entire night. So it will be worse, I promise you that. Plus he has a fever, so besides him getting sleep for about every half hour, we’ll be getting 15 minutes.” She grinned as she pulled the covers up over her stomach and made herself comfortable in the pillows. John grabbed the control as he turned on the new plasma that hung above the fireplace, and settled into bed next to Marlena. She turned to her side and closed her eyes while John blankly watched the TV. He bit his lip as he slid further under the covers and made himself comfortable while Marlena began to drift off to sleep. Her eyes slowly opened as she felt John’s warm hand skim across her stomach and down her hip. She grabbed his hand and moved it away from her body as he placed it back. She turned over on her back and looked at him as he smiled while he bit his lower lip.

“John!” She whined as he leaned down and took her lips quickly. She slightly pushed him back but he forced her hands down as his kiss became deeper, leaving her breathless. He backed up and looked at her as he saw the flush appear on her face.

“Alright, hurry up before he wakes up…” Marlena breathed heavily as John began to unbutton her silk top, kissing her lace covered breasts. Marlena’s hands weaved through John’s hair as she closed her eyes and arched her head into the pillows. The blue light from the plasma TV illuminated the light colored bedroom as John and Marlena rolled along the bed, each taking turns in teasing one another. John grabbed his wife as he pinned her beneath him, bringing up her leg to rest up on his hip. He rubbed into her as they kissed feverishly, their hands roaming all over each others heated flesh. John was moving to her silk pants as he undid the silk ribbon, pulling it loose from its silken lock. He removed them from her hips and down her legs as he threw the garment on the carpeted ground, settling between her long slender legs. Her top had been unbutton and opened but still remained on, leaving her clad in her bra and panties. John lowered himself to her stomach as he began to place soft sweet kisses before Marlena stopped him.

“There is no time for that, we are on a time limit.” She smiled as John rose up and began to pull his boxers down when a loud shriek came from down the hallway. Marlena smiled as she bit her lip as John gave an irritated groan and a slight curse as he moved from her silken legs. Marlena hurriedly crawled from the bed and slipped on her pants before running down the hall to grab their son.

The green numbers on the clock claimed it was midnight as John tossed and turned, pulling the sheets along with him as Marlena grabbed them and yanked them back. She turned from her side onto her back, then back to her side as she fought with pillows, trying to make herself comfortable. The ever present cry filled the room once again as she quickly rose from the bed and made her way down the hallway. She picked up her screaming son as she rocked him, hushing him back to sleep. She felt his forehead and noticed that he was beginning to get another fever. She grabbed the Tylenol off the dresser and sat down in the rocker with her son in her lap. She filled the syringe with red syrup and placed it to his mouth, shooting in the medication. John screamed louder as he choked on the medication, spitting some of it down Marlena’s hand and onto her pajamas. She soothed him as she hummed to him, trying to relax his fear. As she moved him to her hip and stood up, the baby instantly stopped his cries as Marlena glanced over at him. He made a coughing noise and then threw up all over Marlena and the carpeted floor. She turned her face away in horror, partly because he just threw up all over the new beige carpet. He began to cry once again as she bounced lightly on her hip, calling for her husband.

John heard her voice calling for him as he tossed to the side. It was so distant and he thought he was dreaming until he heard it again and a cry along with it. He glanced at her side and noticed she was gone and quickly rose up from the bed, making his way to the nursery. The strong smell of spoiled milk filled the hallways as John made his way in the room, the sight of Marlena and the carpet covered in throw up. He wanted to laugh but knew he couldn’t and stood in a daze.

“Would you grab your son please!” Marlena said hurriedly and annoyed as John reached for his crying son as he bounced him slightly. Marlena ran to the bathroom across the hall and grabbed a towel and went back to the nursery. She kneeled on the floor and began to clean up the mess as the baby cried and screamed.

“Honey, here why don’t you take him while I clean that.” John said as he knelt down and gave the baby to Marlena as she stood up and walked to their bedroom. Marlena finally got her son back to sleep and placed him down on their bed as she changed her pajamas and then changed the baby’s. She went to the nursery to check on her husband and was astonished to see he had cleaned everything up and very well. John threw the everything in a basket and began to take it downstairs when Marlena stopped him.

“Just leave that, I’ll get that in the morning.” She smiled as John shook his head.

“No, its going to stink up the house.”

“No it will be fine, leave it in the bathroom with the exhaust fan on.” Marlena said as she grabbed the basket and placed it in the bathroom across the hall. She and John went back to the room and cuddled into bed with the baby as they attempted to fall back asleep. 3 am rolled by as John store at the clock, watching the digital numbers change. He glanced at his wife who was holding their son close to her body as they both slept peacefully, both breathing in the same rhythm. John finally closed his eyes when he heard the baby let out a moan and a small cry, waking both his parents up instantly. They both looked at the baby and noticed that he went back to sleep, both breathing a sigh of relief. As they nestled back down into the covers, he made another noise and then the sound of him throwing up. John jumped up as Marlena pulled back before quickly grabbing her son and placing her hand to his mouth, trying to prevent him from going everywhere. But as John looked along….her reaction…both their reactions…a little too late. The bed was covered and even though Marlena prevented him from being sick everywhere…the bed had been ruined. Marlena and John glanced at each other as he gave a unbelievable laugh.

“You were right…This is going to be a long night.”

The afternoon turned out to be one of the hottest days Salem has had so far. The air was humid and the weather was so hot it was stifling. The sun had seemed to follow you wherever you walked and it pounded through your skin, threatening to get into your blood. Everyone from Salem gathered at John and Marlena’s new home for Little John’s 1st birthday party, all staying indoors where the air conditioning continued non-stop.. The balloons outside seemed as they were dying as they stood outside, refusing to fly in the humid wind. The kids had been playing in the inground pool as the teenagers chilled underneath the waterfall, where a slight breeze would hit them from time to time.

Marlena had been running around the house, making sure the food and drinks were all ready to go while John began to barbeque in the crucial heat. Baby John was playing with a few toys as he sat in Maggie’s lap, smiling and giggling. He was now at the stage whenever he saw his parents or Belle, he would instantly raise his arms to them and today was no different. Marlena had been welcoming people in, placing the gifts on a table as the baby caught glimpse of her, reaching his arms to her. She smiled at him and walked away causing him to burst into screams and cries. Marlena paused from what she was doing and turned around, picking him up from Maggie’s arms and placing him on her hip. He placed his head down on her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen, grabbing a dish and walked outside where her husband was cooking. He looked over at his wife as he leaned down and pecked her lips, causing a whine from the baby, and a slap on the arm. Marlena laughed into his mouth as she backed up while the baby cuddled into her chest, giving his father an evil stare.

“Oh I’m sorry birthday boy…you want a little affection too…huh big guy.” John smiled as he leaned down and nuzzled his face into John’s face, while the baby giggled and cooed. Marlena smiled as she kissed the top of his head.

“Are you almost done with that? Would you like me to take anything inside?” She asked as she bounced her son a little while John shook his head.

“Nope I got it all…you relax…Cause I want you all to myself tonight and I don’t want the excuse that your tired either.” He winked as he playfully tapped her in the butt while she began to walk away.

“I don’t know why you tell me this…you end up doing it anyways, whether I’m up or asleep.” She joked as she walked over to the pool to talk to Belle for a moment.

The clown was painting faces as a magician kept the kids amused while the adults where drinking and eating, laughter and chaos all around. The baby refused to leave his mother’s hip as the party continued on, each moment his crabbiness getting worse. Martha tried to grab her grandson but he screamed and kicked every time he left his mom, so Marlena managed to eat, walk around and socialize, as well grab things with him on her hip. Shortly after, Elizabeth and Martha brought out a huge cake made of Sesame Street Elmo, as everyone gathered around the table. John and Marlena held their son on either side as they forced him to stand on the table, while everybody sang in unison. Marlena glanced up at him as she smiled with pride while John sang in the loudest voice he had. The baby’s eyes were glued to the candle as he smiled and bounced on his chubby legs.

“Blow the candles baby…” Marlena cooed as her son laughed while John leaned him down. He continued to stare at the candle as both parents leaned down and blew the candle for him. Claps and shouts were heard as Little John looked up in horror, immediately making a pout and reaching for his mother. John grabbed him as his son placed his head down in his father’s shoulder. Marlena made a playful frown as she explained that he was very babied as they all can tell. Pictures were taken of John and his son, two identical faces, as Marlena looked along smilingly. John’s mother Elizabeth came along and grabbed her grandson from his arms, the baby reaching for her as well.

After a few hours of the guys hanging in the entertainment room and the ladies by the pool, the party was beginning to come to an end as everyone gathered to leave, while Martha and Elizabeth began to clean up the kitchen. Little John was asleep in his mother’s arms while she thanked everyone for coming and kissed them goodbye. She gave the baby to John as she went to help her mothers in the kitchen.

Hope was walking around as she bumped into Marlena, thanking her for everything.

“Your house is absolutely beautiful…I love it so much.” She gushed as Marlena laughed.

“Thank you so much….Isn’t it huge? I can never find anything around here…it kills me.” She laughed as John walked up to them.

“Are you complaining?”

“No…just when we decided to get a home, my husband here went all out.” She smiled as she leaned up and kissed him.

John winked as he explained the house was a gift for giving him a son.

“Well I gave Bo two sons…and I’m still waiting. I wonder what you’ll get if you have another.” Hope laughed as Marlena cut her off.

“Ahh nothing, cause there isn’t going to be another. I have enough trouble with that little guy right there.” Marlena laughed as she pointed at the sleeping baby in her husband’s arms.

“Oh I was walking around and I went to use the upstairs bathroom and I passed your room….I think your bedroom is bigger then my kitchen and living room put together. Anyways, you’re a lucky girl. I gotta get going, my son is so crabby right now. I will talk to you guys soon.” Hope smiled as she kissed them both and the baby and left, calling for Bo to get a move on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marlena was in the shower as John placed the baby to bed for the night, covering him up carefully. Once he noticed that he was fine, he placed the monitor on and closed his door, heading down the hall to the bedroom. He heard the shower running and decided to creep in the bathroom, and surprise his wife, but his thoughts were jolted when he heard the water shut off. He unbuttoned his shorts and pulled off his shirt, walking into the bathroom where Marlena was drying off. He reached in and turned on the shower as he slipped in, taking a quick shower before slipping into bed and making love to his wife all night long. She disappeared from the bathroom and slipped into a long white negligee as she left to check on her son. When she returned, John had been laying in bed with the covers partially covering him, soft music in the background.

“What are you doing?” She smiled as she slowly walked in, partially closing the door.

“I told you my plans tonight.”

“Ahhh and I assume that I have no say so then.” She winked as she slipped onto the bed, straddling her husbands partially covered hips. His hands rested on her thighs, traveling up to her hips, pulling the silk material further up her legs.

“Nope…” He whispered as she leaned down and kissed his lips, her hands running through his wet short hair. Their tongues lapped against each other as they slowly moved their mouth together in a passionate kiss. Moans from Marlena throat escaped through their attached mouths while John’s hands began to move up and down the length of her body. She felt him harden under the thin sheet and she fought the urge to pull the sheet that had been blocking contact. They sat up and John’s hand found the strap of her gown and began to pull it down her shoulder, his mouth replacing where the material once was. Her head arched back as her eyes closed in ecstasy, while John’s tongue traces her neck, hips lips quickly covering the soft skin.

“Oh god….I love you…” He breathed as he grabbed her face and forced her to look at him before he took her lips in another deep kiss. John’s hand found her other strap and pulled it down as well, as the material begin to drift down her arms and slowly down her chest. As they feverishly kissed, a loud musical door bell echoed through the house as they pulled away from each other and looked in confusion. They both realized that the baby was going to wake if the doorbell rung again and Marlena quickly jumped off John, while she grabbed her silk robe and wrapped it around her. John grabbed his robe as well as he gave a sigh.

“Story of my life….we can’t catch a break here.”

“If it’s not your son….it’s always something else.” She smiled as she ran down the

Marlena ran down the stairs with John quickly behind her as she reached for the lock and pulled the handle. Marlena froze as she stared at the woman in front of her, almost shocked to see her on her doorstep.

“How did you get here?” Marlena asked confused as the woman smiled at her.

“By car of course.”

Marlena bit her lip and dropped her head as she took a deep breath before speaking. “You know what I meant! How did you find us, this home?” John joined Marlena at the door as he instantly pulled Marlena back and stepped in front of her.

“What the hell are you doing here Karen? How did you know where we were at?” John spat as Karen laughed as she tried to enter the house, but was quickly stopped by John.

“It’s not that impossible to track a billionaire, let me tell ya?”

“I want you out of here…and don’t make me call the police.” John warned as Karen placed up a hand, pretending to be affected by his threat.

“I came here for a reason, would you like to hear it?” She asked as John and Marlena looked at her uncaringly. “Fine, I’ll tell you anyway. John, remember when I told you I was pregnant with your child awhile ago, and you refused to believe it. Well you have another son, one I hope you will get to know besides that other little bastard upstairs. My lawyer will be contacting yours, I want child support.”

“What?” Marlena asked as she pushed John aside and stepped up. “What are you talking about?”

“That is a fucking lie and you know it Karen!!!!” John screamed as Karen smiled before winking at him.

“That’s right Marlena, you weren’t the only one he knocked up and the court can prove it too. See you at court John.” Karen smiled and began to walk away but stopped and turned around. “Oh and by the way, his name is Jonathon.” Marlena watched her turn and leave as she dropped her head again, this time turning from the door and walking to the kitchen. John quickly closed the door as he ran after Marlena, grabbing her arm to stop her. She snatched it back, turning around angrily to face him.

“Don’t touch me John…” She said softly as she took a deep breath.

“She’s lying…I know she is.” John stated as he tried to get her to look at him. She glanced up and into his eyes as she felt the tears threatening to slip.

“That’s what you said last time…and I guess that wasn’t a lie too, huh?” She said as she turned around and walked to the fridge. John threw up his hands as he continued to persuade her differently.

“Marlena, what do I have to do to convince you otherwise? Tell me what I have to do?!” John shouted as Marlena quickly faced him.

“Go to court and show me those DNA markers don’t match. PROVE IT TO ME!!!! I know I should be supportive here, but this is not the first time I heard this shit. So what were you doing John? FUCKING HER WHILE YOU WERE FUCKING ME!!!! You are nothing but a whore…that’s all you are.” She spat as she turned around and walked to the stairs as she hurriedly made her way up them, but John grabbed her tightly. Marlena fought to get out of his grip as she screamed for him to let her go, but he increased his hold and dragged her up the stairs. As they reached the top, Marlena shoved him back and pushed him to the wall, as she shouted for him to not touch her.

“You have another child out there….A SON…And on top of it all….HIS NAME IS JONATHON!” Marlena cried as John tried to get her to calm down but she backed away. “DON’T TOUCH ME JOHN!” The baby began to scream as Marlena and John turned their attention towards his room as they realized they woke him. Marlena wiped her tears as she walked to his room and turned on the lamp, reaching for her son and placing him on her hip, kissing his head.

“I’m sorry, did we wake you?” Marlena sniffed as she continued to kiss his head as her son sleepily lay against her chest. John went to reach for his son but Marlena stepped back, preventing John from getting near him. “Don’t touch him!” Marlena warned as John looked at her in disbelief.

“He’s my son! If I want to hold him then I will!” John said as he reached for him again.

“Then go hold your other one!” Marlena angrily snapped as she bounced the baby on her hip while walking to the window to avoid John’s stare.

“You know, just a few minutes ago we were about to make love and everything was perfect. Now you act like someone I don’t even know.”

“Well maybe because I found out my husband has another baby out there and the best part is that he’s the same age as ours. And I don’t want you in my room tonight, we have plenty of other rooms, go somewhere else.” She silently spoke as she looked at her son.

“No! It’s my room too! And until you find out for sure that he’s my kid…don’t call him mine again!” John snapped while walking over to Marlena and the baby. “Look, don’t let her do this, don’t let her tear us apart. Don’t you see that’s what she wants, that’s what she came for! Look lets put the baby back to sleep and let me take you and love you, prove that I belong to you and only you.” John said softly.

“I don’t want you near me…I don’t want you to touch me. You want to fuck someone, then call Karen…I AM NOT YOUR WHORE!!!” Marlena yelled as the baby began to cry, forgetting the he was there and he could actually hear what’s going on. She would have never used those words in front of her kids, but she was so upset she couldn’t help it.

John bit his lip as he fought the urge to say anything, meanwhile the baby cried even louder. “You know if you weren’t so caught up with this bullshit, you might actually acknowledge the fact that this shit can’t possibly be true!!!!”

“MAMA!” The baby cried as he placed his hands in his mouth while tears fell from his blue eyes. Marlena and John froze as they both looked at their son. Marlena smiled for the first time since the whole incident happened, squeezing him tightly.

“Ohh did you say my name…you said mama.” She smiled as he lightened his cries and placed his head on her chest. John smiled as he watched Marlena’s excitement take over. In this case, he didn’t mind at all, whatever helped calm her down. Marlena looked up at John as she smiled, excitement showing all over her face. “Did you hear him?” She asked as John nodded.

“Yeah, that’s great honey. He said Mama….nothing like hearing those first words, let me tell ya.” John joked as he walked over and reached for his son, this time succeeding by grabbing him and carrying him in his arms. Marlena pinched the baby’s cheek as she jumped up with joy that he said mama.

“Well, hey maybe we shouldn’t get him too excited, he needs to go back to sleep.” Marlena smiled as she tried to take the baby, but John pulled back and told her to go relax in the room and he’ll put him to sleep. “No John, I’ll do it…here.” Marlena said as she reached but John pulled back again.

“I got him…go relax….I’ll be there in a minute.” John smiled softly as Marlena nodded and left the room after kissing her son goodnight. Twenty minutes later John walked into the bedroom, placing a bottle on the dresser while and looking over at Marlena, who was staring out the bay windows. He slowly walked up behind her as he noticed tears falling down her face. He placed his hands on her shoulders as he watched her inhale deeply, her arms and hands never leaving from around her waist.

“Still thinking about what Karen said?” John asked quietly as he began to massage the kinks from her shoulders.

“Yep…I just don’t understand…” She whispered but was quickly cut off.

“She’s lying…There is no possible way that baby is mine…I will stake my life on that. I know she is doing this to tear us apart and I won’t allow it. Don’t you find it odd that if she were pregnant, wouldn’t she have shown up before, showing off her stomach. She should of took me to court long time ago, proving the child was mine, but she didn’t. That fact alone should tell you right there that this whole thing is a lie. Besides I told you already and I’ll tell you again, I wasn’t sleeping with her anymore…there is no possible way that baby is mine.” John explained, almost as if he was begging her to listen. Marlena turned around slowly and looked at him as she wiped a stray tear.

“I know you are telling the truth…I’m sorry for saying all those things to you. I didn’t mean them…” She whispered as John hushed her with his hand.

“I love you….that’s all that matters.” John whispered as he leaned down and kissed her lips, taking them and sucking them tenderly. He slipped his tongue into her mouth as she arched her head back, their mouths dueling with each other in a passionate embrace. Her hands found their way around his torso as she moaned into his mouth, kissing him back with urgency. John grabbed her by her waist as he backed her to their bed, unloosening the silk sash from her robe. He slipped it from her shoulders as it dropped to the floor while his hands found the straps to her gown. Her slender hands moved to the sash of his robe and ripped it apart. She pushed back the material leaving a very naked man standing in all his glory, watching her with passion filled eyes. Tonight was a night she least expected, a night she was never going to forget. As she stared at her husband, she was determined to give herself to him and that was just what she was going to do.

John backed her down onto the bed, her skin coming in contact with the soft cushion of the mattress and the silk of the sheet. He made sure she was comfortable as he lifted her legs so they were arched and her feet were resting on the frame of the bed, below the mattress. His hands went down to her calves and slid up her long silk legs, bringing the satin material of her gown up with him. His hands slowly traced her legs as they rose up to her knees and then higher up her legs and to her soft thighs. The satin gown hung around her mid thighs as John caressed her skin with his strong hands, while Marlena arched her head into the bed, her hands running through the sheets. She felt his hands disappear under the gown and rub her sensually, his fingers encircling an area she loved so much. She bit her lips, stifling a cry she wanted to let out as he moved his hands further into her, tracing every part of her, almost as if he were memorizing her.

John watched her face carefully, burning the memory of her reaction into his brain. Her legs were slightly parted as his hand rested between them, rubbing the soft, wet skin that lay beneath the satin. Her mouth dropped open as a moan fell from her cherry colored lips, her eyes clenching tightly and then relaxing. He kneeled down in front of her as he placed his lips to her soft skin, tracing the outline of her with his tongue. He felt her buck against him the moment his tongue teased her entrance, and he took the opportunity to lick her slowly yet strongly. He was rewarded when he heard a slight moan fill the room, and he continued with the task at hand, this increasing the pressure. Her legs twitched as her hands danced along the bed and then in John’s hair, as she tugged him further to her. John gave a slight smile as he persisted in bringing her to the edge of passion, teasing her until she falls over the edge. His hands went to the thighs as he lifted one on his shoulder while the other he held it open and tightly. Marlena groaned as she felt the burning begin in her stomach, traveling through her body slowly but surely. She felt as if her body was about to explode and unconsciously she began to shake from the shiver of ecstasy. John slowly pulled away from her and pushed her gown further up her legs until it rested above her hips. He began to kiss her lower abdomen and worked his way up her body, painfully slow. Her breathing began to spiral out of control as she fought to regain some type of power again, her arms in search for something to grasp. She felt his hands travel higher up her body, skimming across her flat stomach and spanning around her ribcage, while the satin gown teased its way further away from her skin. She closed her eyes as his hands tipped her breast, slowly kneading them before his mouth took over. She felt his caress along her sides while he passionately made love to her breast with his mouth. He pulled back as he pulled the rest of the gown up her body, pulling it above her arms and throwing the soft material behind him, onto the floor. He settled between her legs, partially still standing and leaning over her. She wrapped her legs around him as he teased her by rubbing himself into her. She moaned into his ear as his erection rubbed against her sensitive area, pushing her into a world of pleasure.

“Oh please baby….please…” She moaned as John looked into her eyes before leaning down and taking her mouth with his. He pulled away again, this time glancing down and grabbing his erection, pointing it towards her entrance. He slid the tip inside and waited until he felt her walls open to accept him. He felt the warm liquid as he pushed further in, hearing a loud moan from her, as she dug her nails into his arms. He closed his eyes and let out a groan as he felt her tighten her walls, trapping him in hard. He wanted to move but the pressure was too tight and he held his breath, hoping not to burst at any moment. She slowly opened her hazel eyes and looked up at him as she nodded while John kissed her. He began to move slowly, pushing his way in and out of her body, expanding her walls as much as he could.

“I love you so much…” She moaned into his neck as he continued to thrust into her, their breathing now taking over the moans in the room.

“I love you baby…I will always love you.” John panted as he pushed himself in her, further than before. He pulled out of her and placed her further upon the bed as he finally climbed up onto the bed as well. She laid against the pillows and waited as John joined her, once again settling between her legs and leading himself back into her warmth. She flinched as she felt him slip in and took a deep breath as he began to thrust once again, this time with more force than before. She moaned his name each time he pushed higher in, causing a smile to appear on his lips. He lightly grabbed her thigh and opened it wider as he rode into her, making sure she feels every inch of him.

“Ohhh Baby…you belong to me….I love you.” John moaned as he slammed into her, bringing her close to the peak.

“John, honey….oh…show me how much you love me…” Marlena moaned loudly as John increased his speed, riding her body as if were his own personal pillow.

“Oh I love you….You will….uhhhh…never know how….muchhh” John moaned back as he pulled back and brought her up. He sat on the bed as he placed her on his lap, sliding into her easily as she arched her head back in passion. Her long legs clasped along his sides as she rode into him, holding his body close to her chest. Her fingers ran through his hair as she forced him to look into her eyes, while she held her position above him. John ran his hand through her hair and tugged it back as he leaned in and bit her neck hard, kissing and sucking it hard. He slid in and out as he mumbled her name into her neck, moaning as loud as he could. They assumed the baby wouldn’t hear, for the room was so big and his room was a little further down the hall. John had made sure to close the door before he came into the room and now he was glad he did.

John knew he was about to burst and he wanted to hold out a little longer but the way Marlena was moving, it was hopeless. He threw her down on her back and plunged into her as they both screamed in the fit of passion. She let herself go as she felt the ecstasy run through her whole body, shivering in delight. John gave a final push and exploded deep within her, shooting all his hot liquid in her captivity. They both collapsed onto eachother as they fought to regain their breathing, both sweating and twitching. John pulled out of her as he rolled over and lay on his back, pulling her body towards him. She rested her head against his chest as she breathed in and out, while she listened to John’s rapid heart beat. John kissed her head as he held her close, afraid of letting go.

“I love you Marlena…” John whispered as Marlena laughed into his chest. She looked up at him and kissed his lips.

“I know you do…you just showed me how much. I love you too.” She smiled as they cuddled closely and fell into a peaceful slumber together, forgetting about the problems that surrounded them.

The moonlight glimmered through the windows as it shone upon the room, the soft light dancing along the satin sheets. The light swirled in different patterns on the covers as it followed the naked bodies of John and Marlena while they lay upon the sheets, sleeping well into the night. John slowly awoke as the light skimmed across his face, tearing him from the dream world he had been in only moments before. He rubbed his eyes as he looked towards Marlena, who had her back to him. He smiled to himself as he watched her closely, his eyes following the curves of her body. The satin sheets clung to every deep curve she possessed, hugging he hips and draping along her upper body. Her bare back was gleaming as the light danced across her skin, revealing a smooth creaminess that made John want to run his tongue along her perfect silkiness. It was like a scene from a movie or maybe even a dream, but what ever it was, was causing him a painful erection. His hand grazed across her hips as he brought his naked body closer to hers as she let out a tired moan and unconsciously cuddled closer. John leaned down and placed a small kiss on her shoulder as she stirred from her sleep yet again, this time awakening.

“John, honey…what’s the matter?” She mumbled as John continued to kiss her back lightly.

“Shhh…nothing baby, just lay down.” He whispered as he pulled Marlena closer yet again. She knew what he was trying to do as she bit her lower lip while he rubbed into her. She placed her head back down on the pillow as she sleepily stared at clock on the nightstand. 2:30 am…the green lighted numbers burned into her eyes as the moonlight gleamed throughout the whole room. She closed her eyes as she felt John’s hand encircle her from under the sheets and rub her softly. His hand traveled to between her legs where it teased her till no end. She let out a moan into the pillow as his finger slipped inside, rubbing around her walls, sending her into an erotic frenzy. Her breathing picked up a notch as John continued to toy with her as his other hand began to wander all over her body, adoring every single curve she possessed. He lifted her leg and rested it along his hip as he snuggled in closer while kissing the back of her neck. His penis found her entrance and he slowly pushed up, as it slid in slowly into her velvet warmth. He heard her moan and he pushed a little more as he slid in completely while he brought her ass closer to him. His right hand grasped her hip from under the sheet and pulled her hips to him roughly, as she moaned his name. He pulled the satin sheet down from her chest as he fondled her breasts, kneading them tenderly. His left hand reached up and grasped hers as they intertwined their fingers while he pumped into her, pulling her body close to him. She reached her right hand behind her and placed it on his ass as he rode into her. They remained on their sides as John leaned down and kissed her neck while she arched her head and moaned as lightly as she could. She was wild with passion as John brought her to a newer height in lovemaking. John loved his wife with so much intensity, it was nearly impossible to show her anymore then what he already has. He bit her neck as she moaned loudly into the pillows, somewhat hushing her cries.

John pulled away and rolled her down on her back as he placed himself between her legs. He kissed her as he entered her roughly, causing her to gasp into his mouth, while he thrusted back and forth. He pinned her arms above them as he shoved himself all the way in while Marlena shut her eyes, desperate to hold on to any will power she had left. As John pounded into her, a very audible moan slipped from his mouth as well. He watched her face as he felt her tighten up and her fingers squeezed his while she gasped roughly. He released her arms as she brought them down and around his body, her nails dragging across his muscled in his back. The sound of his name never sounded so good and sweet, as she moaned it out loudly while she reached her climax. Her hands grasped his back desperately and her legs tightened around his thighs. His pace quickened as he felt himself losing the will to hold any longer. He slammed into her hard, releasing himself deep within her as he collapsed on top of her tired body. They both wheezed as they tried to regain their breathing, glancing at each other and smiling. John leaned down and kissed his wife’s lips gently before rolling over and laying on his back. She cuddled closer to him as exhaustion began to set in once more, this time deeper then before. She let out a yawn as she kissed her husbands cheek before closing her eyes.

“Goodnight baby….” He heard her whisper as he smiled to himself.

“Goodnight my love….” He smiled as he kissed the top of her head and allowed sleep to take over. Their bodies cuddled together tightly as they both traveled to a world of hopes, dreams, and beauty. A world where problems do no exist, and troubles have not been created. Tonight is the night they surrender to their dreams and forget their troubles, but what the morning shall hold….is just mere hours away.

The house was filled with loud sounds of pots falling and banging on the floor as a small child’s laughter bounced off the walls. John was walking down the stairs, dressed in a suit and preparing to leave for work when a loud sound came from the kitchen. He quickly walked into the kitchen as he smiled at the scene in front of him. The baby was sitting on the ground, pulling out all the pots from the lower cabinets and throwing them to the ground. As if almost on queue, Marlena ran into the kitchen as well from the opposite direction as she watched her son slam things into the ground while he laughed with his high pitch baby laugh.

“Belle!!” Marlena shouted as she leaned down and picked up her son from the floor as he laughed and pulled his mommy into a baby hug, placing a kiss on her cheek. She smiled as she bounced him on her hip, looking over at her husband and shaking her head.

“What’s the matter Marlena?” John laughed as he leaned down and picked up the pots while Marlena let out a sarcastic laugh.

“John, I was getting ready for work and went to grab my cell phone from the living room and I heard a crash. So my first reaction was something happened and he was hurt, so I ran in here as fast as I could.” She smiled as she nuzzled her son’s face with her nose. “Belle!!”

Belle ran into the room as she watched both her parents look over at her, almost as if she were being convicted of something. “What?”

“Why weren’t you watching your brother?” Marlena asked seriously as Belle began to laugh.

“You’re joking right? I went to the washroom and he was on the floor playing…what could he have done?” Belle asked as John laughed.

“Sweetheart, he could of hurt himself with these pots.” John lifted up and pot to show his daughter.

“Oh my God, You guys are acting like he is your first kid? Relax…he’s fine and baby’s are going to do things like this from time to time.” Belle shrugged it off as she went and grabbed her brother from her Mom’s arms.

“Belle, I need you to be serious about this? Now please keep a very close eye on him and don’t let him out of your sight.” Marlena asked as she kissed her daughter and son goodbye.

“Yeah, Yeah….I got it! Would you two go to work already?” Belle smiled as she walked to her father and gave him a kiss goodbye before going to the living room with her brother as Marlena grabbed her purse while John went back to grab his briefcase. Marlena grabbed her coffee mug and her purse off the counter as she made her way to the garage. John was throwing his brief case in the car as Marlena walked in and they both walked up to each other, leaning in for a kiss and then walking back to their cars.

“Have a good day sweetheart.” Marlena smiled as she got it,

“You too baby, I’ll call you later.” He said as he slipped into his black Lexus and closed the door. They both drove off to work, each of them going in a separate direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Patty, I need that file on Jack Pilsen…Please!” Marlena said hurriedly as she scrambled around her cabinets looking for a document. She snatched a piece of paper from her drawer as she slammed it down on the desk before calling for her assistant once more.

“I’m right here…what’s the matter?” Patty asked as Marlena looked up at her.

“Do you have that file I asked for?”

“Yeah, its right here and Kristan Sandorian is waiting for you in the lobby.” Patty asked as Marlena looked up confused.

“Who?”

“Ms. Sandorian? Your next patient.” Patty stated as Marlena shut her eyes in anger.

“Oh God…I completely forgot. Oh shit….tell her to give me a few minutes and you can send her in….I’ll send you an IM on the computer.” Marlena quickly spoke as she threw some files in a drawer and closed up some documents on her computer.

She quickly typed a message and clicked on the screen to close.

“You are all set Kristan, you could go on in.” Patty smiled as she rose from her chair and opened the door for Marlena’s patient.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well thank you Tom, may I say it has been a pleasure doing business with you.” John smiled as he shook his client’s hand.

“The pleasure is all mine, John. I couldn’t help but notice that cute picture sitting on your desk there. Is that your little boy?” Tom asked as John smiled.

“Yes it is…he is the newest edition to our family. His name is John as well and actually here is a picture of the rest of the kids.” John laughed as he grabbed the other frame on the shelf, that pictured Brady, Belle, and John.

“Oh wow, you have a great looking family, and you weren’t kidding when you said he was the newest edition. He is the baby of the family. Surprise?” Tom laughed as john winked.

“Completely a surprise…was the last thing both of us were expecting, let me tell you.”

“Well yeah, I mean the kids got to be at least 18, right?”

John smiled as he glanced up for a moment and then laughed. “Belle is 18 and Brady is 21.”

Tom gave him a thumbs up sign as he glanced at the photo once more. “I take it Belle and Brady look like their mother because the little one is all you big guy.”

“Well, Ironically, Brady is my son from my first marriage and she passed away when he was a baby. Since then, my wife has raised him and so technically, she is his mother in every way, and they even look alike which is odd. Belle is the spitting image of her mother, Marlena’s daughter in every sense of the word.” John giggled as Tom glanced at another photo on John’s desk.

“May I?” Tom asked before picking up the photo. John gestured him to do so as Tom glanced at a photo of John and Marlena. “I take it this is Marlena, your wife?”

“Yes that’s her.”

“You have a very beautiful wife John. You are a lucky man in every sense of the word.” Tom smiled as he placed the picture back down before shaking John’s hand. “See you at the convention then.”

“You betcha, we’ll be there.” John laughed as he walked Tom out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay, Kristan, tell me about what happened after that incident.” Marlena smiled as Kristan began to speak but was quickly cut off by a ringing phone. Marlena glanced at her phone and then at her patient as she apologized, stating it was her private line ringing.

“Go ahead…Please answer it.” The woman smiled as she glanced around, spotting a portrait of children.

“This is Dr. Evans.” Marlena asked quietly as she heard her son on the other line, screaming in the background.

“Mom!”

Marlena felt the panic rush through her body as she sat abruptly. “Belle, what’s wrong? Is it the baby? What happened?”

“Mom, he is fine….everything is fine.”

“Belle, you scared me to death. Why is he screaming?” She asked as she smiled apologetically at her patient and placed one finger up, motioning for her to give her a second.

“He is watching Barney on TV, and is going nuts about it. But that’s not the reason I’m calling you. This delivery guy is here and he has this huge box with holes in it and says it needs to be opened immediately. Should I accept it?”

“No! Call your father right now and ask him if he ordered a package, and leave me a message letting me know. If it is a complete emergency then call back on the private line.” Marlena smiled at her patient as she instructed her daughter and quickly hung up the phone.

“Sorry about that…kids!” Marlena laughed as Kristan smiled.

“How many kids do you have Dr. Evans?”

“Uhhh I have four children….I have twins from a first marriage and then a daughter and son from my current marriage.” She smiled.

“Ohh I was looking at the photo on your desk of just the three kids in there and your daughter looks identical to you. Is that her baby in there?” Kristan said as she pointed towards John.

Marlena made face as she laughed. “God no…that’s John…he’s my son. He’s the newest edition to the family.”

“Wow…he’s so much younger then the others.”

“Yes he was definitely an unplanned and unexpected surprise, but he is our precious little miracle baby boy. He brought our family closer together in more ways then one. Now the hassle I put up, trust me I could do without.” She laughed “Okay well let’s get back to your session.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“John Black”

“Dad!”

John sat up in a hurry as he took a deep breath “What the matter Belle! Is it the baby? What happened?”

“OH MY GOD! Do you realize I just called mom and she said the same exact thing you did right now. Do you both not trust me or what?”

John let out a sigh of relief as he gave a small laugh “I’m sorry honey, you know we do, its just a new baby around, tends to throw your nerves off track. What’s up?”

“Well look I can’t talk long but there is this package here and it has holes in it and the delivery guy just dropped it off, saying open it immediately.”

John stood up as he quickly closed a folder. “Oh good, its there! Open it immediately and whatever you do, do not tell your mother what it is…I’ll be there soon.” John smiled as he hung up the phone and gathered his things.

The sound of Marlena’s car was heard as it pulled into the driveway, the hum of the engine quickly being turned off and the door being open. She pulled her keys from the ignition and she reached over the seat and grabbed her purse and briefcase from the passenger side. She slipped out of her car as she struggled to grab both her bags and bumped her car door closed. She made her way to the front door as she unlocked it and reached for the handle, pushing it open gently. The sound of laughter and baby screams filled the house as she heard her husband’s laughter as well. She placed down her bags on the side table as she threw down her keys onto the little dish while she closed the front door, announcing she was home. The laughter stopped as the baby screamed with joy and the sound of tapping along the wood floor, getting closer and quick. As she glanced around, a small black puppy ran up to her and jumped on her legs, attacking her ankles as she yelped in astonishment.

“JOHN!” Marlena shouted throughout the house as the dog continued to play around with her ankles. John hurriedly ran to the corridor, holding his son closely as he laughed at her expression. Marlena looked up at him in anger as she took a deep breath.

“What the hell is this?” Marlena exclaimed annoyed as she moved her feet from side to side, trying to keep away from the puppy.

“It’s our dog….for security?”

“What do you mean our dog….I don’t quite understand when you say OUR DOG….I don’ get that!” Marlena sarcastically asked.

“Well for security reasons, and we could use a pet around the house.”

“Why, we have alarms…and why the hell would we need a pet, we have him!” Marlena stated as she pointed at her son in his arms, who was staring at the puppy. “John, don’t you think you should of….uh…asked me about this…..John could you get him away from me…please!” Marlena said angrily, mostly from being nibbled on.

“Hey, come here!” John whistled and demanded as the puppy left Marlena and walked over to John. “It was a surprise Marlena, you don’t like it?” John knew she was mad so he tried to lighten up the mood a little. “What should we name him?”

Marlena looked up at her husband as she gave him an evil stare. “How about John?” John’s smile faded as he fought to find the right words.

“What?”

“Yeah I think that sounds about right, because from this point on you and him will be the best of friends. You will eat together, play together, you will even sleep together. You both are dogs.” Marlena angrily spoke

“Mar, that was a little harsh, don’t you think?”

Marlena glanced up from the baby as she made a face. “I don’t think so…I thought it was perfectly well put. Where is he going to sleep John?”

“In his little dog house, in the back room. Why?” John asked as Marlena up to both him and her son as she leaned in close to her husband.

“Good, cause that is were you’ll be sleeping too.” Marlena smiled as she grabbed her son from his father’s arms as she kissed him and squeezed him tightly.

“Hi baby, how are you? Did you miss mommy? Mommy missed you so much today, it is absolutely ridiculous.” She cooed as he cuddled to his mom.

“Mama….mama…” Baby John laughed as he hugged his mom closely, as she smiled proudly.

“Marlena, come on….you can’t be serious?”

“Why didn’t you inform me of this idea?” She asked as she finally made eye contact with her husband.

“Because you’d say no!”

Marlena’s mouth dropped as she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Oh so bring in the dog and expect me to be completely accepting towards the whole situation. You know I don’t even want to look at you right now.” Marlena said in disgust as she walked away with her son.

“Marlena, its for security and so the baby can play with him. I know we are not going to give him another sibling.” John accused as Marlena turned around, anger in her expression.

“Oh don’t turn this around John! Me not wanting to have another baby should be no excuse for going out and getting a dog. And look at the choices you gave me, have a baby or get a dog….gee thanks. Look we don’t need the dog for security, we have state of the art alarm systems, and this dog is going to get big, he can hurt the baby.”

“He won’t!”

“You don’t know that!” Marlena snapped back, “Look, just leave me alone.” She mumbled as she walked out of the room, leaving the puppy and John in the corridor.

The 10 o’clock news came on as John shut the TV off downstairs and placed the sleeping puppy in its cage. He slowly walked upstairs and into their bedroom as Marlena was changing into her pajamas. She looked at him as she mumbled for him to get out.

“This is my room too, honey?” John smiled as he walked past her and into the closet.

“I don’t want you here…” She snapped as she threw on her silk top and slipped on her silk pants. John unbuttoned a few buttons as he rolled his eyes, before getting an idea that she may not be able to refuse.

The door downstairs opened as Belle slipped in quietly, hoping not to disturb the household. The dorm was way too loud and she just couldn’t rest so de She walked into the kitchen, grabbing s pop from the fridge and then going into the family room, turning on the TV. She heard a sound as she turned around and saw a cage behind her, noticing the puppy behind the bars, wagging its tail. She quickly ran over to it, like a child on Christmas morning and opened the gate.

“Doc…I am sleeping here, just get over it!” John smiled as he walked closer to Marlena, who was now standing near the bed. She turned around and noticed he was right in front of her and tried to back away but was thrown off guard when his hands went in her hair and his mouth latched onto hers. She tried to pull away as she moaned her disapproval and slightly pushed on his chest with both of her hands.

“I will not do this with you…” She complained as he grabbed her once again, attacking her lips.

“Yes you will!” He grunted as his hands went to her pants, yanking on the material and trying to push it down. She continued to move out from his grasp but he pushed her down on the bed and pinned her, finally moving the silken pants down her legs.

“This is rape John!” Marlena moaned as John kissed her neck.

“I already told you, it’s not rape, when you want it. Plus you’re my wife…so give it to me baby!” John whimpered into her soft skin as he felt her leg wrap around his waist. He kissed her passionately and knew she was giving in, just by the way she was reacting to his kiss. He began making love to her as she moaned her approval and was completely oblivious to the sounds in the hallway. It was when Marlena heard a slight chain jiggling that she tried to push John from her, but he refused, claiming it was the bed. She heard the sound get closer as she stopped John, asking him if he put the dog in the cage. He moaned a yes and continued to love his wife, when a black puppy ran into the room and jumped onto the bed, scaring the hell out of Marlena, causing her to scream.

“You didn’t close the door, John!” Marlena whined as they heard Belle’s loud voice.

“Sorry..Sorry, I was playing with him and he totally got away.” She spoke loudly as she walked down the hallway before entering the room.

“Belle NO…Don’t come in!” They both yelled in horror as Belle walked past the doors and into the room.

“I’ll get him…don’t worry….OH MY GOD!!!! GROSS!!! I’m SORRY!” She screamed as she found her parents in a very compromising situation. She turned around quickly, and ran from the room and down the hall, making her way down the stairs. John jumped up from Marlena as he pulled up his pants and ran after his daughter. The baby screamed, as he awoke from all the commotion, calling for his mother. She hurriedly threw on her silk pants and ran to his room, picking him up and swaying him calm.

Belle ran to the living room and grabbed her things as she began to hurry out of the house, but was stopped by her dad.

“Hey Tink….Look I’m sorry you walked in on what you did but…things happen and you don’t have to go.” John said out of breath, partially both from doing what he was doing and running after his daughter.

“I didn’t mean to intrude…I shouldn’t have come.” Belle said softly as John hushed her.

“This is your home too. You may come and go whenever you please! Now please put your stuff down and relax. Did you meet the newest family member?” John smiled as Belle laughed, watching the puppy jump at her feet.

“Yeah…he’s cute. Dad…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry…I should of closed the door.” John laughed as he pulled her in for a hug.

Marlena finally got her son back to sleep and made her way downstairs to check on the situation. She glanced at her daughter, as a deep crimson color washed over her face.

“I’m sorry sweetie…that was completely wrong and embarrassing.” Marlena smiled as she pulled Belle in for a hug. They all sat for a bit while Marlena played with puppy in her lap as Belle decided to ask about the case with Karen.

“Well tomorrow we go back to court and we see what the lawyers have to say. They can pull together as many facts as they want, but that child is not mine. The only brothers you have is the little one upstairs and that little one in your mother’s lap.” John smiled as he pulled his wife closer while Belle smiled.

“Tomorrow the truth shall come out!”

“Maaaaa……” Baby John screamed as he reached for his mother, while sitting in his high chair. Marlena was washing a few dishes in the sink as she soothed her son with gentle words. Belle came into the kitchen as she picked up her brother who instantly began kicking and screaming, waving his hands towards his mother. Marlena quickly shut off the water as she wiped her hands with a nearby rag and walked over to her son, quickly pulling him into her arms.

“You know, that’s how come he acts that way.” Belle snubbed as she walked to the fridge. Marlena smiled as she kissed her son’s cheek.

“Oh you were like that too baby girl….in fact a little more screamish though.” Marlena laughed as John walked into the kitchen. “Hey honey…you ready?” Marlena asked as the baby played with his mother’s feathered hair while John shook his head.

“Nope! I am actually not looking forward to go to this crap. This is going to drain 6 hours out of my life.” John smiled softly as he poured some coffee into a mug.

“John, I know what you are saying, but you are there to prove something that is false allegations. Once that is proven, that is one less thing to get off your chest.” She smiled as she nuzzled her husband’s neck. “Now, Belle would you take your brother and watch him closely, do not let him play with the dog unless you are supervising.” Marlena ordered as she placed the baby in his sister’s arms and walked to the table to grab a bottle.

“Mom, I got it. What time are you coming back?”

“Uh, not sure…I would say around 2 or so. He goes down for a nap around 11:30 or noon, so make sure he does. If you need me, call my cell. I will see you both later.” She said as she kissed her daughter and son. He began to squirm but quickly stopped after Marlena gave him a bottle. John placed his mug in the sink and kissed his kids goodbye as he and Marlena walked to the driveway.

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“John, close your eyes…come on!” Belle demanded as she rocked a very wide awake baby. He laughed every time she bounced him roughly and made cooing noises with every sigh she made. “Oh My God….would you close your eyes and go to sleep…Mom said you should be napping, what is the problem.” Belle smiled as he laughed at his sister. A sound of crashing glass filled the house as both Belle and the baby turned their attention towards the doorway.

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Marlena was standing in the lobby checking her voicemails when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She quickly turned around and was faced with the presence of Karen and her baby. She hung up the phone and took a deep breath, preparing to hear the lies that were about be spewed.

“Marlena, I don’t believe you have met Johnathon. Doesn’t he look like his daddy?” Karen smiled as Marlena stared at the little boy in her arms. She couldn’t contain her amusement and burst into laughter as Karen stood their angry.

“What’s so damn funny?”

Marlena held up a finger, motioning her to give her a second as she tried to regain her composure. “I’m sorry, it’s just that you said this baby looks identical to his father. Well Sweetheart, John doesn’t have blonde curly hair or brown eyes and neither do you, so what cradle did you steal him from, Karen?” Marlena smiled as she noticed how the baby was staring at Karen, almost as if she was a stranger to him. As a mother of a son the same age, she knew that the last thing a child of that age would do, would be so distant from it’s mother.

“Well blonde hair runs in my family, and so does John’s.” Karen said sarcastically as Marlena laughed yet again, this time with pure enjoyment.

“Yeah okay…and I just met my husband. I know his family, all of his family, after all I have been married to him for 15 years. So unless his family ties have changed in the past year, I’d suggest you get a better story.” Marlena smiled as she gently tipped the baby’s chin and walked away. “Cute baby by the way…Good job in finding him.” Marlena smiled again as she walked into the courtroom, leaving a very angry woman standing there.

John stood in front of the judge as Marlena looked along helplessly, wanting to simply reach out and hold him. She knew that Karen was lying, the baby’s looks itself told everything that should be known. She bit her lip and dropped her gaze as she stared at shiny diamonds that adorned her slender fourth finger on her left hand. Her slight daze was snatched as she heard the Judge begin his introduction to the case. Her gaze left john and followed Karen, who was standing on the opposite side, wearing a ill colored pant suit, her hair wavy and frizzed. ‘What John ever saw in her is beyond me’ she thought to herself as she looked at the baby who was sitting on the lap of a middle age man. That baby had not one feature of her husband, and neither of his mother, if she even was his mother. She turned back towards John just as he was about to answer the judge.

“Your honor, I have known Karen for two years and some months. We dated before for about a year and shortly after my wife and I reconciled after a separation. She did tell me a few months later that she was pregnant but I knew that was physically impossible, for we did not have any sexual relations, for quite some time. I saw her a couple times after her announcement and her figure still had shown no sign of pregnancy, by then she would have been over 5 months. Since then she has not tried to contact me about this situation, not until two weeks ago.” John said confidently as the Judge told him to take a seat. His gaze turned towards Karen who stood there shocked.

“Any comments Ms. Smith?”

“Your honor, I agree with John that we have known each other for quite some time. However, I do disagree with him not knowing about this baby. I announced the news to him as soon as I found out myself, and he was completely devastated by the idea. But it turns out he was sleeping with his wife as well and she turned out pregnant at the same time, and he left me for her. I did try to contact him endless times but he always made himself unavailable.”

“And why are you addressing this to the court now? Why didn’t you bring this to the court’s attention from the very beginning?” The Judge asked curiously as John looked over at Karen.

“Because your honor, countless times he said he would pay and he never came through. Like a fool I kept believing in him and gave him several chances. Now I have had enough and demand that he be there for this baby.”

“Ms. Smith, excuse me if I appear to be somewhat rude but this story is not making much sense. However, we still need to go by procedure and test the DNA. If it turns out that Mr. Black is indeed father of the child, then we will do what the law says…until then, we need facts, so let’s get to them. I hearby order that Mr. John Black, Ms. Karen Smith, and Jonathon Smith, to be submitted for DNA testing. Court is recessed until 1 o’clock this afternoon.” The Judge sternly spoke as he slammed the paddle down and stood up, leaving the courtroom. John turned back and looked at Marlena, who was clearly being supportive. She gave him the thumbs up sign and mouthed the words I love you as an officer escorted John to a backroom.

Meanwhile, Marlena left the courtroom and checked her messages yet again, this time paying close attention. There were a few from the office and one from Brady, but none from home. She had begun to worry, thinking maybe something was wrong, but quickly got herself together. “Come on Marlena, Belle is a responsible and trustworthy girl. Everything is fine.” She said aloud as she closed her phone and stared out the window.

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The sound of crashing glass filled the house as Belle placed her brother down in his crib. She gave him a teddy bear as she told him that she would be right back and to don’t move. He watched her leave as his eyes filled up with tears, panic rushing through his mind. He was left alone, and for being only one, he felt as if he were being abandon.

Belle made her way downstairs quickly yet cautiously as she noticed all the glass from a window broken. She assumed that maybe the puppy had did something but quickly took notice that he was still in his cage, and barking. She began to fill with worry and panic as she walked around all the glass, reaching for the phone. As she dialed her mother’s cell phone number a gloved hand went around her mouth as she screamed and kicked. She felt herself get thrown onto the wall, as the pain swelled throughout her body.

“You scream and I’ll kill you…you got it!” A man’s voice said as he stood in front of her, pointing a gun towards her head. He was dressed in black with a dark mask covering his face as he shouted at her, tears running from her eyes.

“What do you want?” She whimpered as she slightly shook from fear.

“Where is all the money, the safe?” He shouted as he took a quick glance around the house.

“There is no safe, there isn’t any money…” She cried as the man screamed at her and placed the gun onto her head.

“Don’t you fucking lie to me!!!” He screamed as the cry of baby John distracted him. He slowly backed up as he continued to point the gun at her. “Don’t you move!” He hurriedly backed away and ran up the stairs as Belle screamed. He made his way into the nursery as he smiled to himself, while Baby John screamed louder.

“Jackpot!” He laughed as he leaned over to grab the baby. Belle ran in and jumped on him, swinging her fists into his head and neck.

“Don’t you touch him!” She shouted as the baby cried with fear, his hands in his mouth. The man swung Belle onto the floor as he slammed the gun into her face, silencing her fro the moment. She blocked out as he leaned over and took a crying John as he made his way downstairs. He placed the baby on the couch and began searching through all the cabinets and slamming things onto the floor as if to show he were looking for something. He then picked up the baby and left the house, leaving an unconscious Belle on the floor and a barking dog in his cage.

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“Court is now back in session…please rise for honorable Judge Marks.” The officer stated as Marlena stood there in a daze. She couldn’t seem to shake off this feeling that something was wrong. As she watched the Judge closely, she felt as if his judgment was going to be a disappointment. Instead she shook her head and listened closely as the Judge began his verdict, while glancing at the files in front of him.

“Will the parties please rise.”

John and Karen both stood as they glanced at each other before turning their attention towards the Judge.

“It is hearby proven that the results of the DNA test show that John Black is Not the father of Jonathon Smith. Karen Smith it is also noted here that your DNA test as well don’t match his. There will be another court hearing for this situation that you have brought to my attention. With that said, no custodial finances nor visitation will be necessary for Mr. Black…You are free to go. Case Closed. Court is adjourned” The judge said as he once again slammed the paddle down. John closed his eyes and smiled as he turned back to look for Marlena. He walked back over by her as he pulled her into a tight embrace, before claiming her lips with his own.

“I told you baby she was lying.” He whispered as Marlena laughed.

“I know she was….I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first.” She smiled as she kissed her husband once again.

Karen threw her hand down on the table as she took a deep breath, knowing that she dug a deeper hole then it should have been. She turned around and gave a dirty look towards John and Marlena as she told her friend to get moving. As they reached the lobby, her phone began ringing.

“What?” She asked in annoyance as her eyes became wide. “Perfect! Meet you in 20!” She hung up the phone and hurriedly made her way out of courtroom as John and Marlena walked out side by side. Marlena took out her cell phone as she called home, hoping that the baby was sleeping.

“So you want to go and get some lunch?” John smiled as Marlena frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“Belle’s not picking up the phone. Honey, would you mind if we stopped off at home first before we go and get something to eat. I just want to check on the kids.” Marlena smiled, hoping everything was okay.

“Yeah, come on.” John said as he grabbed her hand while they exited from the building.

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Belle slowly opened her eyes as she felt a strong pain run through her head. The warm thick fluid pooled around her face as she lay there on the carpet. She slowly rose from the floor as the liquid began to our down her face. She slowly brought her hand up to stop the fluid and noticed the dark red color all over her hand. As she tried to stand, she noticed that the baby was gone and her body went limp. She felt her legs shake and her knees go out. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her world went black. Her body fell once again to the floor, blood falling around her.

The Black Lexus pulled into the circular driveway as Marlena watched the house carefully, almost as if she were examining it. John pushed the gear in park as he looked over at his wife, who could not take her eyes off the front door. He leaned over and tipped her chin with his finger as she finally made eye contact with him.

“What’s the matter?” John smiled as Marlena dropped her eyes contact and turned back towards the house.

“I don’t know. I can’t shake this feeling that something is wrong. Belle hasn’t been picking up the phone and I tried like 6 times already. Come on!” Marlena said hurriedly as she quickly swung open the car door and crawled out of the car. John watched her as he swung open his door and met her in front of the vehicle, grabbing her arm.

“Hey, everything is fine. She probably put him to sleep and she is downstairs swimming or listening to music. I’m sure everything is fine.” John said softly as Marlena bit her lip.

“I guess you’re right.” She smiled as he leaned down and kissed his wife’s lips. They quickly glanced at eachother as they turned and walked to the front door. John placed his hand behind her back as she walked into the house first, coming to dead stop as she looked around at all the broken glass and scattered drawers. John looked around as well as Marlena reached for John behind her, tears welling up in her eyes.

“John….” She whispered as she looked around while John ran down the hall to the kitchen, examining the whole chaos. He hoped that this was caused from the puppy but as he saw the extent of damage, he knew that couldn’t be possible. He heard a bark and looked at the cage, noticing the dog was still inside and trapped.

“Oh shit!” He said in panic as he ran back to the corridor, where Marlena had already taken off upstairs.

“Belle!! John!! Where are you my babies!” Marlena screamed as she frantically searched the rooms, running in and out of them. She came up to the nursery and almost fainted from what she saw. Her daughter’s slender body lay sprawled out along the floor, blood pooling all around her head. Marlena instinctively ran to her, throwing herself on the ground, pulling Belle in her arms, blood running through her hands.

“JOHN!” Marlena shouted as she held her daughter tightly, slightly rocking back and forth. As if on cue, john ran in the room, shock and disbelief written all over his face. Marlena looked up at him from the floor, tears running down her face as she cried uncontrollably. “She’s hurt John…” She cried as John kneeled down next to her, now taking over as Marlena looked up in a daze, glancing towards the crib. “Oh My God!!! THE BABY!!! Where is he?” Marlena cried as she stood quickly, stammering to the crib and began throwing sheets and blankets as she called for his name.

John looked up from Belle as Marlena screamed for the baby, tearing apart the crib, almost as if he were hiding under the sheets. She hurriedly ran out the room and down the hall, screaming for her son as she searched each room desperately. John held his daughter as he examined her carefully, talking to her. Belle’s eyes slowly fluttered open as a moan escaped her lips.

“Baby, there you go! Open those eyes! Come on sweetheart!” John soothed her as she slowly began to focus around her. The sound of her mother screaming for her brother filled her ears as she tried to understand what was happening.

“Dad?”

“Yeah sweetheart….could you tell me what happened?” John asked patiently, hoping she could tell him. He knew he needed her to tell him quickly, time wasn’t on their side.

“Daddy…he took… him. He took John.” She mumbled as John held her close.

“Who took him, tell me!” John asked angrily as Belle coughed.

“A man….he had a mask….please find..him.” Belle said quietly as John pulled out his cell phone.

“Belle, you stay with me, I’m calling an ambulance.” John said as he took out his cell phone.

Marlena ran throughout the house, screaming and crying as she threw everything around. She heard the sirens from outside as she ran to the door, swinging it open as the paramedics jumped out of the truck and grabbed their equipment. Marlena hurriedly told them to go upstairs as she ran upstairs behind them, watching as they administered help to their daughter. John stood up and walked over to Marlena as she broke down crying, falling into his arms.

“They took him….They took my son! Someone has him John!” Marlena cried as she balled up her fist and slightly hit them against his chest. John felt the tears burn his eyes as they began to travel down his face but he remained strong, he had too, for his wife’s sake. He pulled back and looked at her, reassuring her.

“We are going to find him, I promise you that!” John said angrily as he pulled her back into his embrace, his hands running through her hair as she cried, tears blurring her vision.

The paramedics placed Belle onto a stretcher as they strapped her in, preparing to take her to the emergency room. They asked John and Marlena if they were going to attend but Marlena became hysterical as she exclaimed that they have to find their son. John tried to control her but Marlena screamed at him, telling him they need to get him back.

“We will Marlena! But we need to make sure Belle is alright too!” John shouted at her as Marlena ran out of the room, running down the stairs and grabbing John’s car keys off the table and going towards the car. John chased after her as Marlena got in the car and turned on the ignition, slamming the gear in reverse and stepping on the gas with full force. The Lexus’ engine roared as she zoomed out of the driveway, shifting the car carelessly in drive and taking off. John watched helplessly as his wife sped down the street, making a sharp turn at the end of the block, the tires screeching loudly. John ran back and told the paramedics to take Belle and he would be there soon. He grabbed Marlena’s keys from the kitchen and slid in her car, zooming after her, hoping to catch her.

“Marlena drove down the street at dangerous speeds, her eyes blurred with tears as she cired her for son. “Where are you?” She cried as she swerved in and out of cars, constantly hitting the accelerator. John was driving down the same street as he too, swerved around cars, mostly looking for his wife before she got herself hurt, or worse killed. The sky began to get dark as lightening flashed above, signaling a storm was arriving within minutes. He stepped on it as he put the Mercedes to the test, bringing it newer speeds then ever before. As John cut off a car, the rain poured down hard, visibility quickly fading as John continued to speed throughout the streets.

Marlena swerved around the corner, the car skidding in the rain as she sped through a slick street. She had no idea where she was going and what she was going to do. As John sped up, he finally caught sight of the black sedan sliding along the road as he stepped harder on the gas. He took notice on where they were going and wondered if Marlena was purposely heading that way for a reason. As they turned down a street, Marlena swerved onto the curb and slammed on the brakes, the front part of the car partially on the sidewalk while the back was in the street. She ran out the car, rain pouring down around her as she ran to the porch of the house, pounding on the door, screaming for them to open it up. John slammed onto the brakes as he ran out of the car, grabbing Marlena and dragging her from the porch.

“What are you doing Marlena?” John shouted as Marlena cried, swinging his arms away from her.

“Let Go Of Me!” Marlena cried as she tried to reach for the door but John pulled her away and onto the sidewalk.

“He’s not here!” John screamed as Marlena placed her hands in her hair.

“YES HE IS!!! THAT BITCH TOOK HIM AND I WANT MY SON!!!!” Marlena yelled loudly as the rain came down even harder, soaking them to the bone. “I WANT HIM!!!! MY BABY IS GONE!” Marlena broke down in tears as she fell her knees go out. John ran to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as she let herself go. The only thing that could be heard was her sobbing as the chimes coming from the car doors being open, danced through air. Soon the chimes had stopped as the sound from the rain fell on the ground and roofs of the houses.

“Come on, Let’s go to the hospital! I will contact ISA and we’ll talk to the police. We’ll Find Him! I promise you that!” John said sternly as he held her face in his hands as he kissed her head. They both looked at Karen’s house as they slowly walked back to the cars.

The waiting room was quiet and empty as Marlena watched nurses and doctors, running around in the hallway. She must have sat in 100 different positions in the past hour, now leaning over and resting her elbows on her lap, while her face buried itself in her slender hands. John had been making phone calls to all his connections, explaining the situation and demanding high investigation. Marlena felt the tears rise as her eyes began to get the familiar sting, and her legs began to bounce from nervousness. She took a deep breath as she stood up quickly, pacing the floor, trying to calm down before she had an anxiety attack. John stood up slowly as he softly stopped her, his hands reaching out to cup her face.

“Baby, everything is going to be alright? I’ve talked to ISA and Salem PD, and they are investigating the house, fingerprinting, and checking the security system. We are gonna find this asshole.” John said seriously as his thumbs reached out to wipe the tears that were falling down her face.

“My son is out there John, with some stranger. God only knows what that person is doing to him? What if they hurt him?” She cried, unable to contain her strength.

“We need to stay positive, and we are going to find him, we just need some clues.” He said softly as a nurse walked up and interrupted them.

“Sorry to bother you Mr. and Mrs. Black but I just wanted to let you know that Belle has been out into a room. You may see her now.” She smiled as they nodded and followed her.

They slowly walked into the light colored room as one of the nurses was checking Belle’s vitals. Marlena smiled softly as she made herself comfortable in the chair, next to Belle’s bed, instinctively reaching for her hand. John sat on the other side of the bed as he watched Belle closely, her bruised eye and cheek, a thick bandage covering the side of her face.

“Oh sweet girl, how are you?” Marlena whispered as let a few tears fall. “Belle, who did this? Sweetheart you have to wake up and tell us so we could make sure they don’t ever do this to anyone else.” Marlena placed her hand in her hair as she caressed the soft locks, hoping that she was going to be alright. John touched his wife’s hand as he gave her a small smile while Marlena placed her head down, next to her daughters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What did you do?” She asked as she saw the baby sitting on the bed, crying his eyes out in fright.

“I just walked in there and acted like I was looking for money, and whala! But the dumb bitch scratched me when I was trying to take him, so I swung my gun into her face and she went out like a light.” He laughed as the baby cried louder. “Shut the fuck up already! You little bastard!” He shouted as the baby cried even louder, his face red and his eyes swollen with tears.

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Karen smiled as she picked him up and tried to comfort him but he screamed and kicked.

“I tried that shit already…it doesn’t work…just return the little fucker.” He yelled as he got up and looked out the window.

“NO! If I can’t have John, then I will have his son!” She complained as she put the baby down, looking for a bottle. “Did you bring anything for him to eat?”

“No…what do you think? You think I had time to raid the fridge…I grabbed the baby and I got my ass out of there.” He said sarcastically as he looked around outside.

“Well from now on baby, I will be your new mama. How does that sound?” She smiled as the baby continued to cry, continuously calling for his ‘mama’. “My god, you look nothing like that woman….your all daddy, aren’t you!” She laughed as she walked to the kitchen.

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After hours of debating, John and Marlena headed to the penthouse, staying there for the night while police sealed off their house for investigation. They somberly crept into the house as Marlena looked around at the bare place, only couches and tables filling the room. No pictures or flowers, candles or momentos, just plain rooms. She walked to the balcony doors as she looked out, tears falling from her eyes.

“Oh my baby, where are you? Mama needs you so much.” She whispered as John came up behind her.

“You should get some sleep baby?” John asked as Marlena shook her head.

“I’m not tired, plus I’m not going to rest until I find my son.” She said angrily and she swiped at the tears falling.

“I lost my son too, you know?” John commented as he turned around and sat on the couch. Marlena turned around and watched him sit as she followed him, sitting next to him.

“I know, I’m sorry.” Marlena cried as she cuddled into her husband’s chest and cried her eyes out. After what seemed liked hours of crying, she fell asleep, tucked in his embrace. He had hope she would, as he played with her hair and rubbed her head, purposely trying to get her to calm down. When John noticed she was gone for the night, he gathered her in his arms and took her upstairs, tucking her into bed. She began to whimper and reach for him, as he quickly joined her, bringing her into his arms. As they lay there, he stared at the ceiling, for the first time letting out his fear in tears, knowing that they may never see their son again.

A few weeks passed in Salem as the investigation for the richest baby in the nation was still under way. There had been no sign of Little John Black Junior, in fact not a clue or trace of his suspected whereabouts. It had begun to take a toll on John, who had complete faith they would find their son, but in the end, devastation was taking its win. Marlena had already fallen apart, refusing to eat, unable to sleep, drowned in her sorrows. She had begun to lose massive weight, her frame becoming much smaller then what it usually was. John would beg her to eat, but she would shove it away, unable to look at the meal, let alone eat it. As mornings turned into nights, days turned into weeks, Marlena felt her depression succeeding in her everyday life. She couldn’t live with out her baby, taking a child away was like taking her soul.

Marlena had been lying down in the bed, staring at the ceiling as tears burned her eyes yet again. She shut her eyes tightly, hoping to stop the hot tears from escaping, but failed. She began to painfully sob as her thoughts traveled to her baby boy. As she lay there, she could have sworn she heard her son’s laugh, and then his cry. She sat up hurriedly, hoping that her fears were finally at rest and her baby was back. But then it her and she knew, that he wasn’t home, and he probably wasn’t ever going to be. She crawled off their bed and slipped on her Nike running shoes. She had to get out, go for a drive, walk somewhere, anywhere. As she made her way downstairs, she stopped by and peeked around the corner, noticing her husband deep in thought along with some ISA agents. John seemed to catch a vibe that she was watching him as he looked up, a slight worry written on his face. He walked over to her as he reached for her slender cold hands, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m going to take a drive, I need to get out of here.” She said softly as she looked around their home, an unwelcome coldness traveling throughout the mansion.

“I’ll go with you…” John began to say but Marlena quickly cut him off.

“No…I need to clear my head….I can’t think. Please, I’ll be fine….I’ll be back soon.” She smiled as John frowned at her suggestion.

“You know I don’t like you out by yourself, not when all this going on.” John said as Marlena shook her head.

“I’ll be fine John….I’ll see you later….if you need me, I have my cell.” She said quickly as she kissed his lips and left out the front door.

She drove for miles, not really having or knowing a destination. She parked her car along a darken street as she looked around at where she was at. The navigation claimed it was an unknown road, but it seemed familiar to her somehow. She exited the vehicle as she zipped up the sports jacket, trying to stay warm. She began to walk down the street, thinking of how her baby is, if he is even alright. She had prayed that God was taken care of him and that he would soon be reunited with his parents. Floods of memories came washing up as her tears once again found their way out. She wanted to scream, she wanted to breakdown, but it had seemed she had no energy to even do that, not anymore. As she walked around the corner, she saw a young, tall, and slender man standing with a lady as they exchanged something suspiciously. ‘What the hell part of town am I in?’ she asked herself as she kept walking, trying to avoid the couple in front of her. But the man couldn’t take his eyes off her, noticing her, recognizing her from somewhere. As she continued to walk he began to follow her, making Marlena uneasy and worried. She picked up her pace as she continued to walk, this time back towards her car. The street seemed to get darker as their paces picked up, while images of what could happen, flooded Marlena’s mind. As they reached the corner, the man yelled out at her, causing her to stop. She turned around as he continued to walk up to her, unsure of where he knew her from. And then it hit him, she looked identical to the girl that he hit with the gun, the girl from the mansion. ‘She had to be her mother, but why would she be in this part if the town.’ He thought as he gave her a smile, before placing out his hand apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else.” He smiled as she stared at him cautiously, wondering why he was looking at her a certain way. She gave him a weak smile as she told him that it was alright and walked to her car. She slipped into her vehicle as she watched the man from a distance, noticing that he was getting into a car. There was something about him that was so suspicious and usually she wouldn’t think much of it, but at this point she was at the end of her sanity. The van began to drive away as she slowly pulled the Mercedes away from the curb and began to follow it, wondering exactly why she would even do such a thing. She stood a safe distance behind, the other driver never noticing that they were being followed. They pulled into a dark, trashy neighborhood, the streets which happened to be very unlit. Marlena had shut off the headlights as she pulled to the side, watching the van as if her life depended on it. A dark car pulled up along side of the street as the car door flung open, revealing a very excited woman. As Marlena squinted her eyes, concentrating on the face of the woman, her mouth dropped opened. She fought the urge to run out of the car and beat this woman to her death however she continued to remain attentive to what that woman and man were doing.

“I knew it….I knew there was something going on. What are you doing with him Karen.” Marlena whispered to herself as she watched the woman look around and then back at her car. She opened the back car door and pulled out a sleeping baby, as Marlena sat up abruptly, looking closely and making sure this wasn’t the same kid from court. As the hood of the jacket fell down from the baby’s head, Marlena knew that was her son. His dark hair and small body was hanging loosely against Karen’s body, as she pulled him tighter in her arms. Marlena reached over in her purse, pulling out her cell phone, her eyes never once leaving the scene. She hit the number 2 and press dial as it began to ring, while she watched Karen carry her son into a broken down house.

“Hey Sweetie, what’s up?” John said on the other line as Marlena hurriedly cut him off.

“John, I need you to get down here now, on a…” Marlena stuttered as she looked around and then realized she had navigation. “Um 23rd and wood.”

“What the hell are you doing over there Marlena?”

“John I can’t talk right now, but get your guys and get down here immediately.” Marlena said quickly as she hung up the phone and slowly got out of the car. She made her way to the house and she slipped around to the side, sneaking by a window and glancing in. She watched as Karen put John down and unbuttoned his coat while he continued to sleep. Marlena noticed how thin her son was, his bone structure inn his face becoming apparent. He no longer had those chubby cheeks, the rosy color, and the baby fat. He was thin, and probably malnutrition from what she could see. She heard Karen laugh as she walked into another room, claiming she needed a babysitter and since he took him the first time, the baby should be used to him.

“But don’t hit him! I know he cries and can be a pain in the ass but only I can do that.” Karen smiled as Marlena bit her lip in anger. She looked around to see if there was a way she could get in and was about to when she heard the man say something.

“Hey I think I saw the mom of this kid. She’s blonde right, about 5’7ish, slender and really hot. Yeah she looks identical to the daughter. She was walking around by Elm street and I was wondering why that chick looked familiar and then it hit me.”

“What the hell….did she follow you here. You careless idiot, why didn’t you call me.” Karen screamed as the guy rolled his eyes.

“Would you relax! We just exchanged glances, that was it. But I can see why John left you for her, she is really hot!”

“Oh give me a break! She is not that cute…she’s just an ordinary person.” Karen snapped as she grabbed her purse and prepared to leave. Marlena saw the back door and quickly hurried to it, opening it and slipping inside. Karen made her way to her car and she got in and drove off, leaving the guy to sit back and turn on the TV. Marlena slowly walked through the house as she looked around the rooms carefully, before she snuck into a room on the side, closing the door quietly. As she turned towards the bed, her eyes lit up as a smile appeared on her face for the first time in weeks. She leant down by the bed as her hands went to her baby, pulling him to her body. His eyes slowly opened as he was shifted from the bed to a body as he rubbed his eyes. He placed his head down, closing his eyes once more, but realizing this person holding him was not the same from before. He moved his head up as he slightly pulled away, noticing his mother’s face as he smiled, showing his dimples and baby teeth.

“Mama…” He giggled as she smiled, whispering she was there and no one was going to take him from them anymore.

“Daddy’s coming and he is going to get these bad people…okay.” Marlena whispered as she slowly stood up, tightening his jacket once again. “You ready to go bye bye.” She smiled as she heard a sound coming from the hallway. She placed a finger to her lips as she hushed her son, telling him to stay quiet for just a minute. She looked around the room for something, anything that she could use to defend herself and her baby. She found a bat in the closet and grabbed it tightly as she watched the doorknob turn and the door open. She backed up a bit as the man walked in, looking over at the baby and frowning.

“When did you get up?” He asked as the baby began to make pouts and then bursted into tears. “Oh don’t cry you little shit….uhhh…you don’t want me to hit you again!” He shouted as Marlena filled with anger. She hurriedly walked up behind him and swung the bat hard, slamming him behind the head and knocking him down to the ground. Marlena dropped the bat as she tried to catch her breath, and then reached for her son and pulled him to her chest. She ran out of the room and walked into the living room, just as Karen walked into the room as well.

“Drop the baby Marlena!” Karen screamed as she pulled out a gun, pointing it towards her.

“He is my baby! And you will never get your hands on him again!” Marlena shouted as the baby cried, placing his head into her shoulder.

“Put him down or I will shoot him, and then you will never have him again.” Karen snapped as she motioned with the gun for her to put him down. Marlena bit her lip as she looked at her son, and knowing she can’t put him through danger. She placed him on the couch as he screamed louder, reaching for his mother. She backed away a bit as Karen moved closer, holding the gun up and reaching for her son. Marlena flinched but Karen moved the gun again, screaming that if comes near again she’ll shoot. As the baby screamed, Karen lifted her hand to hit him while Marlena charged after her, knocking the gun out of her hand and pushing her into the wall. Karen lost her balance and fell to the ground as Marlena hit her in her face, instantly busting her lip open. Karen swung to push Marlena off but the anger in Marlena rose, and the protectiveness of motherhood kicked in. She punched her in cheek hard as Karen rolled to the side, holding her face. Marlena reached for the gun and pointed it towards her.

“I won’t hesitate to use this Karen! You stole my son, attacked me, and tried to murder not only me but my son. As far as I see it, its self defense.” Marlena shouted as Karen placed her hands up, inhaling deeply. Karen smiled as Marlena watched her closely.

“Go ahead and shoot me, you don’t have the balls.” She yelled as Marlena swung the gun into her face, knocking her out completely.

“No, I just prefer to see you rot in prison, bitch!” Marlena said as she turned around to get her son, noticing the man standing in front of her. She immediately raised the gun and pointed at him, telling him not to move. Blood poured down his face and on his shirt as he stood there and smiled.

“What are you going to do…. shoot me!” He smiled as he stepped closer. She pulled the trigger but the gun froze, refusing to shoot. She heard him laugh as she looked at him, watching his movements. “Did you forget it was on safety lock BITCH!” He screamed as Marlena never took her eyes off him and clicked the button on the side with one finger.

“Did you forget my husband is ISA asshole!” Marlena said as she fired the gun, shooting him over and over in the chest, as he fell down to the ground. Marlena watched as his lifeless body fell to the ground, blood spilling form his body. She dropped the gun as she grabbed her crying son, and ran out of the house. As they got to the sidewalk, John pulled up in his Lexus as a few SUV’s drove up behind him, agents running out of the car. John ran up to his wife and son and pulled them into his arms, tears of happiness and relief rushing from their faces. Marlena cried as she held on tight to her son while John refused to let them go.

“How did you find him…” He asked as Marlena tried to breathe.

“I bumped into this guy on the street and he seemed suspicious and I don’t know why and I followed him and we came here and Karen was here and she had him.” Marlena rambled on as John pulled back and looked at her.

“Karen had him!” John asked the agents told John they were moving inside.

“Yes! I told you she did, she had our little boy.” Marlena cried as John reached for his son and brought him in his arms, holding him tightly. He placed a big kiss on his head as he pulled his wife closer to them.

“John, I shot the man inside! He tried to go after us and I had no choice. Karen tried to shoot us first and I we ended up fighting and I hit her with the gun.” Marlena said quickly as John looked at her confused. “Go see for yourself!” Marlena said quietly as she pointed in the house.

“John! We got a few bodies in here!” One of the agents said as John nodded his head. “Take care of the issue, I’m taking my family home. All questioning will take place at the house.” John said as he pulled his wife into his arms while they walked to the car.

Investigators walked in and out of the mansion as questions of what went down tonight, were asked non-stop. Marlena had been sitting on the couch, holding her son tightly as she answered each question, the same as she had with the others. John sat beside her, clinging to her hand, as they both watched their sleeping son, who lay in his mother’s arms.

“Marlena, why did you shoot the man?” One of the detectives asked as Marlena looked up from her son.

“In self defense, not only for me but for my son. I was not going to let anyone come near him or take him from me again.” She spoke silently as John caressed her face with his hand before asking the investigators if they were done here.

“Just about….We have one more question and then we’ll be out of here. Do you know if Karen had a hand in this or did she just happen to be there?”

Marlena glanced around the room, almost as if she were staring at a bunch of idiots. “I watched her take my child out of her car and give him to that man I shot. She was associating with him before she left the house. Don’t ask me if I’m positive if she had anything to do with this…she was the whole reason behind my son’s disappearance.” Marlena raised her voice as she fought the anger that was building inside her.

“Okay well that’s all we need….Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Black for cooperating. If we have any further questions, we’ll be contacting you.” The investigator smiled as he stood up as John lead them all out while Marlena stood up, bringing her son to her chest and taking him upstairs. She took him to her bathroom, where she slowly undressed him, pulling off the filthy clothes and removing his pamper. She noticed how thin he had become and it shook her to the bone, unnerving her in more ways then she thought possible. She glanced at the clock, noticing how late it had become and decided to go against the bathtub decision. He slowly began to awake as he rubbed his tired eyes, watching his mother as she started the shower, and began removing her sweater. She slowly pulled her clothes off as she grabbed her son and stepped into the hot steam as the water beaded down on both their bodies. She hugged him closely, closing her eyes as she gave a silent prayer that he was back in her arms again and was safe and sound. He usually hated showers but being in his mother’s arms was so comforting that he let himself relax as he placed his head down on her shoulder. Marlena gently poured some baby soap in her hands as she gently washed his body, almost as if she were trying to wipe away the infectious diseases of Karen’s touch. After 20 minutes of soaking away all the worry and pain that she felt, she shut off the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping her son and placing him on the vanity chair as she wrapped herself in a robe. She then grabbed her son and lay him down on the bed, wrapping him tightly while she left to grab a pamper and his pajamas. John had come up shortly after locking everything up for the night, and decided to bring up a warm bottle. He slowly walked into the bedroom just as Marlena had hurried back and quickly placed both items on him. She looked up at her husband as she smiled at him, asking if he could feed him while she went and changed into her pajamas as well. John sat on the bed, bringing his son into his arms and placed the bottle to his mouth, which at first he refused by turning away.

“Hey come on buddy, you gotta eat.” He whispered as he gently probed the bottle to his mouth once more. The baby finally placed it in his mouth as his hands grasped the bottle, holding it tightly as he began to drink. After a few minutes, his eyes became heavy as they slowly shut while his breathing turned heavy. John pulled the bottle away and placed it on the nightstand, gathering his son into his arms and preparing to place him in his room.

“John, sweetie? I want him to sleep with us tonight. I don’t want to be far away from him.” She said softly as she came from the bathroom and smiled. John nodded his head and placed him under the covers, in the middle of the bed. John made sure he was comfortable before he joined his wife in the bathroom, where she was lotioning her hands.

“He’s sleeping…are you okay baby?” John asked, concerned for her with all that has happened. She looked up at him through the mirror as she gave a nod.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiled weakly before returning her attention to her hands.

“Are you sure?” John said softly as he knelt down in front of her, pulling her silky hands into his. She stared at him as she felt the protective barrier break, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. She dipped her head down as she slowly shook her head, from side to side.

“No, I’m not….I killed a man today John.” She whispered as John pulled her into a tight embrace. “I watched him die as I stood there helplessly, selfishly…as a doctor, I’m supposed to help those in danger, not kill them.” Marlena cried as she clung to her husband tightly, unable to let go of him.

“Baby, it’s not your fault. You did what any normal mother would have done in a situation like that. You protected your child, and if it meant by taking it to extreme costs, then that’s what needed to be done.” John whispered as she sobbed into his shoulder. “You saved your son, our son, and that’s all that matters. He is safe and he is at home and in our bed. We have him and we are never going to let him go again.” He kissed her head as he pulled back a bit and looked into her watery eyes. “And I am here to protect you, all of you, and there is no length I wouldn’t go, to protect my family.” He smiled as she nodded, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall. John knew she was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing he could do was to try and sooth her, hold her, and encourage her that she did do the right thing. Marlena slowly pushed him back as she stood up from the chair, clearing her throat and wiping her eyes.

“I think we should go to bed.” Marlena smiled as she moved away from her husband and crawled onto the large bed, snuggling under the huge comforter and bringing her son to her body. John watched as she completely shut him out, ignoring the fact that he even cared about her. He shrugged it off, knowing that her concern was for their son and he was finally back and in their arms. He slipped into bed as well, kissing his son’s head and watching Marlena as she closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as well, hoping that a night of full sleep was in store for them, but secretly knew it wasn’t a possibility.

A few hours passed into the night when John awoke to the sound of moans. He opened his eyes and quickly looked around the room, noticing the baby was still asleep but Marlena was gone. He hurriedly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, searching around but finding nothing. He checked the closet to see if she was in there but still found nothing. Another moan came from down the hall, and he quickly left the room in search for his wife. As he walked to the end of the hall, he followed the sound into the nursery, catching a glimpse of a dark figure. He reached for the light switch and stood still, fear and panic rushing through his body, his face filled with horror.

The house was so dark and cold, the air was suffocating and room was spinning. John stood in a daze, unsure of what to do, what was happening, or how to handle it. He watched helplessly as his life began to turn upside down, and torn right down the middle. Just when things got right back in order, the way it should have been, something like this occurs.

He stepped forward as Marlena let out a whimper, her eyes flooded with tears of fears and panic. She wanted to scream but it was as her voice was caught in her throat, unable to cry out her anger, her nightmare. She felt the cold sharp blade at her neck as it slightly dug into her skin, slightly scratching at the surface, daring her to go ahead and make a move. She closed her eyes as the knife went a little deeper this time, the tip of the blade working its way into her skin. She let out a cry as she felt the warm liquid surface at the scratch on her neck.

“You move and I cut her!” The man warned as he held the knife closer to Marlena’s throat.

“What do you want?” John asked as he slightly held his hands up, backing up a bit.

The man smiled as he tightened his grip in Marlena’s hair, pulling her closer to him. She screamed slightly and then bit her lip as the blade inched closer to her skin. “Funny you should ask that! There are many reasons I’m here…let’s start naming them shall we. Um well the first one…she killed my best friend in cold blood….two…she put my other friend in jail…..and three…..I want your son!”

“DON’T GIVE HIM THE BABY!” Marlena managed to yell out as the man pulled her hair harder, threatening her with the knife.

“SHUT UP BITCH!” The man shouted as John tried to step forward, his mind scrabbling for ideas, his heart raving in horror. “You know I was thinking John…I knew your wife was a looker, but I had no idea she had a body.” He smiled as he led the knife down her body, caressing the blade along her breasts. Marlena shut her eyes tightly, tears pooling down her face. “It got me thinking…maybe I could borrow her for about 10 minutes.” He smiled as he licked the side of her face, never taking his eyes off John.

John felt the rage fill his body and did everything in his power not to go after him. It was possible but it could very well place his wife in danger.

“Look! You want money, I’ll give you whatever you want! Just tell me how much!” John said quickly as the knife went back to her neck.

“I don’t want your money! I want your son! Now show me where he is!”

“NO!” Marlena screamed again as the guy pulled her body to him hard.

“I’m warning you…I will kill you!” He snapped through closed teeth as he watched her husband, preparing for any last minute actions.

John stood there helplessly, hoping he could somehow bargain with the man. “Let her go, leave my son alone…and take me…I’ll give you how ever much you want…I’m worth that…please take me instead.” He begged as he watched Marlena cry as she whispered no.

The man shook his head as he bit his lip in anger. “I got a better idea, tell me what you think! You see I brought this,” the man smiled as he let go of Marlena’s hair but kept the knife tightly at her neck. He pulled out a gun from the back of his pants and pointed it towards John. “How about I shoot you in the leg, or stomach…or both and leave you there…in the meantime tie your wife up so she won’t move, then tie you up…and then I fuck her right in front of you! And when I’m done, I slice her throat and you can watch her die right in front of your very own eyes. And I will take your son either way.” He laughed as John thought quickly before deciding to make a move. Marlena watched John as she bit her lip and thought. The guy backed up a bit and placed the gun down on the stand while he reached for some rope, when Marlena pushed his arm away from her neck and ducked onto the ground, as John lunged for him. John shoved him into the wall, knocking the knife out of his hand and slamming punches into his face. Meanwhile Marlena had crawled away from them quickly, picking herself off the ground and running to the door. She heard John yell her name and to run, but something told her to turn around. She did turn and notice John was on the floor, getting stabbed in the arm and chest as she screamed loudly, freezing in shock. The guy looked at her as he took off after her with the knife in hand. She started to run but he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to him roughly, knocking her off balance. She screamed as he grabbed the knife and brought it to her neck again.

“You wanna play the hard way, then we will! You shouldn’t have done that! It just pisses me off even more! Hey John!!! Watch this!” They guy said as he slid the knife along her neck, blood pouring all around her. Her eyes shut as she quickly lost consciousness, her body going limp. He threw her onto the floor as he watched John’s face closely before leaving the room.

“NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” John screamed as he watched his wife lay across the floor, blood spilling all over.

NOOOOOOOO MARLENA!!!” John screamed as he watched his wife lay on the floor, her life seeming hopeless by the second. He wanted to crawl to her but he couldn’t move, his body feeling as if he were almost paralyzed. “NOOOOOOO….MARLENA!!!!” John shouted as he sat up, screaming for his wife, fighting to regain his breath.

Marlena sat up hurriedly, glancing at her husband with dazed eyes, confused and scared. She watched him as he looked around the darken room, almost as if he were lost. She reached over and touched his arm, trying to sooth him. He quickly glanced at her as his eyes became wide, unsure of what was happening.

“Marlena…” He whispered in a deep, raspy voice. She watched him carefully as she nodded before climbing over their son and sitting in front of him, her hands grasping his face.

“What’s wrong sweetie?” She asked as he shook his head in confusion.

“You’re alive….Thank God…..you’re alive.” He breathed as he grabbed her hands from his face and held tightly.

“Of course I am alive….I’ll always be here for you.” She smiled as John nodded blankly. “Wanna talk about it?” She asked as she tilted her head to the side, knowing that what he dreamt about was still very much on his mind.

“No…No…It’s okay.” John said as he took a deep breath and got up from the bed, walking over to the balcony doors. Marlena watched him as he leaned on the doorway, both of his hands running through his hair. She slowly slid off the bed and walked over to her husband, placing her gentle hands on his back.

“Baby, I know it’s still bothering you. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it.” She whispered as John turned around, taking a deep breath.

“I don’t know what I would ever do if I lost you. I couldn’t go on if anything happened to any of my family, but with you I would simply die.” He spoke sadly as Marlena took him in her arms.

“I know how you feel….I couldn’t go on if I lost you. I don’t know how I managed before but now that I do have you back, I don’t want to find out what it’s like without you again.” She whispered into his neck as she placed a gentle kiss, before blowing on it gently. John backed up a bit and looked into her eyes as he leant down and kissed her lips softly, causing a slight moan to escape her.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, more concerned for her, since she experienced some traumatizing experiences today.

“I’m okay…I have our son back, I have you, our daughter is safe, and the woman who stole our child is behind bars. What more could I ask for?” She smiled as John gave her a smirk.

“How about the guy you shot tonight? You okay with that?” John asked as Marlena’s face dropped, anger and disappointment evident on her face.

“Well I am still a little upset with that situation, but I’m sure with time I will get over it. I did what I had to do, and I’ll be damned if I was going to let him take my son again.” Marlena whispered angrily as she backed away from her husband. A moan of annoyance snapped them from their conversation as they turned towards the baby. He turned to his side as he began to whimper and sigh. Marlena walked over to the bed, picking him up and cradling him to her chest. She whispered for him to go back to sleep as she rocked him back and forth, comforting him with her voice. John walked up to them as he kissed Marlena’s head, telling her he’ll be back in a bit.

“Where are you going?” She asked as he turned around, looking at her quickly.

“I’m going to go in the hot tub, I gotta relax and clear my mind.” John smiled as he walked out. Marlena continued to rock her son until he was completely knocked out and then took him to his crib. She turned on the baby monitor and went downstairs, assuming her husband was in the basement. She crept through the basement glass doors as she entered the well lit marble room, the sound of pumps and water swishing, echoing through the room. She reached for the huge plasma TV on the wall and clicked it on, setting it to the signal of the camera in her son’s room. It was part of the high tech new security system John had put in, shortly after the kidnapping had happened. She walked up to the slightly raised marble hot tub, which was hovering over the pool, as the water spilled through a slot and into a pool, the effect of a waterfall. She watched as John leaned his head back, his eyes close as the jets soothed away his tension. She walked up to him, standing above him as he opened his eyes, giving a smile. His hand went to her calf as he caressed it up and down slowly, in a sensual way.

“Wanna join me?” He asked shyly as Marlena looked back at the screen.

“The baby is upstairs alone.” She turned back as John hushed her.

“We can see and hear him if anything happens or goes on. Come on in, it’s nice and hot, just how you like it.” He laughed as Marlena gave a big smile.

“I didn’t bring my bathing suit…” She said shyly as John raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t either…come on baby…join me.” John asked softly as Marlena let out a small smile. She slowly pulled off her robe as she began to unbutton her silk pajama top. She then pulled down her thin satin pants as she stepped into the hot water, flinching somewhat from the temperature. Together they sat as the jets massaged them from each angle, relaxing all of the tension that has built up in the past few weeks. John opened his eyes as he watched his wife, relaxation filling her face. He moved from his spot and crawled up to her, kneeling in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes as she smiled at him while he leaned down and kissed her lips softly and very slowly. He pulled back as she looked at him, a dark color of lust beginning to shadow her hazel eyes.

“Call me crazy and I know this is probably inappropriate timing….but I want you so bad Marlena. I haven’t had you since I don’t now how long.” John whispered in her neck as Marlena’s hands ran through his hair.

“Than have me….” She whispered as John looked at her with heavy eyes. “Make love to me…”

Marlena sat at the counter in the kitchen, staring blankly out the window as she sipped her coffee carefully. Her mind was lost, drifting back to memory of last night where John broke down in a strange hallucination. She wondered what was happening to him, could it have been the stress that finally got through to him. ‘Maybe it was his dream, but what was it about?’ she thought to herself as she took another sip, fighting to stay awake this morning. She had went to bed late last night, mostly from trying to calm her husband and coaxing him back to sleep, which didn’t happen to early this morning. He needed his rest and she figured she would let him have that before her interrogation began.

Little John’s cry never sounded so pleasant and welcoming as it echoed throughout the room. Marlena stood up quietly, enjoying the cry once again, glad he was now back in their arms. She made her way up the stairs and to his nursery, running into her husband who was already there. She gave him a look of shock before smiling softly and rubbing his arm gently.

“I got him, go back to bed. You need to get some sleep honey.” Marlena said lovingly as she reached down and picked up her son.

“I heard his cry and I flew up….I guess it’s instinct. I can take him Marlena.” John pleaded as he tried to reach for his son but Marlena quickly stepped back as she shook her head.

“Go back to sleep John….please. I know there is something wrong with you, not sure exactly, but we will find out soon. You are going to immensely need your sleep, so for me, would you do that.” She said quietly as she grabbed his hand and led him to the room, before hitting his behind and hurrying him back to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh my God!!!!! Who is that handsome little boy?” Patty squealed in delight as she seen Marlena walk through the door, carrying her son on her hip. “Marlena he is so big, Wow how old is he?”

“Oh Patty, he isn’t that big? He’s only a year old and he still my little baby boy.” Marlena cooed as she rubbed her face into the baby’s cheek, causing him to burst into smiles, showing off his deep dimples.

“Uh yeah he is….wow…..I bet you’re relieved now that you got him back safe and sound. I’m very happy for both you and John.” Patty said softly as she rubbed the baby’s arm.

“Thanks sweetheart and yes we are….I don’t know what I would have done if we lost him. My life was falling apart for those few weeks and how I made it is beyond me.” Marlena smiled as she handed her son to her assistant. “Hey would you take him for a sec. I got to grab some files and review a few things and then I will be out of your way, I promise.” Marlena smiled as she rubbed Patty’s arm while she nodded.

“Hey I’m still waiting for you to come back. Must be nice to have a career that you don’t have to show up to and still get paid for sitting at home. The privileges of a shrink, I tell ya.” Patty laughed as Marlena waved her hand in disgust.

Patty entertained the baby as Marlena skimmed through some files, hoping to encounter any similar situations John is experiencing. She took a few files and a couple books, hoping to catch up on solutions. She knew better then to counsel her husband as a doctor. Sure there was nothing in the books that you couldn’t help family, but she felt it may interfere with their relationship, their marriage, their bond. She was determined to help him and if it took a toll on them, so be it. It was a consequence she was willing to accept, if meant the well being of her husband. Marlena closed a few folders and placed them back in the cabinet, and shutting it. She walked back to where Patty and her son were as the little John called for his mama.

“Well I think he wants to go with you mama. Hey if you need anything at all, you know where I am. Just give me a call and I will be there in flash.” Patty smiled as Marlena gave her a wink before pulling her into a hug.

“Thanks hon.”

“Just make sure to add me to your security list so I can pass the checkpoint to your billion dollar mansion.” Patty joked as Marlena swatted her gently on the arm before giving her a peck on the cheek.

“Oh stop it, you. Hold up the fort for me, I’ll be back soon. And you better come out and visit me.” Marlena smiled as she prepared to leave, telling her son to say bye bye. He waved his hand slightly as Patty and Marlena both laughed before she and the baby left the office.

John had been in the shower when Marlena and Little John got home from the hospital. He was holding his head as he tried to block out the images from his dream last night that seemed to be flashing non-stop. Blood and screams filled up his thoughts as the same nightmare tormented his mind, with an undying vengeance. He squatted down as he pulled on the strands of his hair, begging for it all to stop. Marlena placed the baby down in their bedroom as she put on a DVD of Barney before going in the bathroom to check on John. As she walked into the bathroom, she noticed John on the floor holding his head tightly. She quickly walked to the shower stall and opened the door, coaxing her husband to stand up. He glanced up at her and saw her bleeding profusely as her eyes turned dark and her skin white. He shouted as he backed up into the wall, shaking his head in confusion and horror. Marlena reached for him as he snapped, turning around and slamming his fists into the tiled wall. Marlena in a desperate plea to help him, jumped into the shower with him, her clothes and hair becoming soaked. She grabbed her husbands arms and held them down and she yelled for him to look at her. She reached for his face as she held him there, forcing him to look at her.

“John, let me help you baby. What is the matter? Tell me please so that I could help you.” Marlena begged as John tried to catch his breath, as he noticed his wife staring back at him, scared and confused. He broke down as he pulled her tightly to his body, crying into her hair.

“I need help….please help me baby.”

Marlena sat on the bed with her son cradled onto her chest as John lay next to them sleeping. The baby had been amused with Barney on TV while Marlena was more interested in what was happening in her husband’s mind. After what seemed like hours of coaxing him to tell her what happened after he admitted he needed help, he shut the world out. He seemed to go into a secluded state, unable to face anybody, unable to come to terms what was happening. Marlena had quickly changed her clothes and laid him down, getting him to fall asleep.

Her fingers played with her son’s short hair, as she caressed his head, hoping he too would go to sleep for a much needed nap. His eyes were heavy and it was only a matter of time before he too went down for the count. The credits rolled on TV as Marlena slightly moved her head, checking to see if her son had gave up the challenge of staying awake. She smiled as she noticed that the sleepiness succeeded and quickly took him to the playpen in their room, laying him down and covering him up. John had begun to toss and turn as Marlena turned her attention from the playpen to the bed and watched carefully, observing his facial expressions, his moans. She crawled back on the bed, cuddling close to his body as he stopped moving and relaxed somewhat, taking in the comfort of her arms. Her fingers played with the skin on his arms and back and then traveled to his hair, where they caressed lazy lines into his scalp. John slowly opened his eyes and took a slow breath before turning over on his back and glancing at his wife. He watched her carefully as her hazel eyes sparkled back at him, the love and protectiveness shining brightly. Her slender hand skimmed across his face, as it rubbed his cheek gently and lovingly.

“Why are you up?” She softly asked as she gave him a small smile.

“I’m not tired anymore.” He said quietly as he brought his hand up to hers, holding it tightly.

“Are you feeling better?” She asked concernedly, hoping that this would spark their conversation of what has been happening. His smile faded as he slowly turned his attention to the tall ceilings, admiring the way the white ceiling fan spun slowly. She continued to lay down, watching him closely, waiting for his answer.

“A little….look baby, I don’t want to talk about it right now.” John said as he took a deep breath as he looked back at his wife, who still lay on her side with her hands under her head. She gave him a sympathetic look as she slightly nodded her head, realizing maybe it wasn’t the right moment to discuss it, at least not yet.

“What would you like to talk about then?” She smiled softly as he gave her an unsure look.

“I don’t want to talk at all….I don’t think there is anything we should talk about.” He shrugged as he turned his attention to the TV. Marlena reacted quickly as she turned over to the nightstand on her side and reached for the remote, quickly shutting the TV off and sitting up.

“What do you mean there isn’t anything to talk about? John, how could you say that? You know its one thing if you don’t want to talk about something, but it is completely another thing when you shut me out of your life.” The words came out angrily, with a touch of pain in each syllable that was spoken.

“Woah…calm down. I said I don’t want to talk, that doesn’t mean I want to shut you out. It means I think we should do other things that don’t involve talking.” John smiled as he leaned over to kiss his wife. Marlena quickly backed away from him as she placed a hand out on his chest to stop him from coming any closer.

“I don’t want that.” Marlena said quietly as John smiled softly before dropping his head.

“What do you mean you don’t want it? You never turn me down…you could never get enough of this. Since when do you act this way?” John coldly complained, more frustrated with what was going on with him than at her. He was turning into a person he didn’t even know, and it was scaring the hell out of him.

“Since Now! Yes, Maybe before I didn’t turn it down….Maybe last month I didn’t need to…..Maybe last week I couldn’t…….Maybe yesterday, I refused too….but today is a whole another story, and today I refuse to give in to what you THINK you need! You don’t need sex….You need help…. emotionally and mentally….and that’s what I want to give you.” Marlena snapped as she removed herself from the soft cushion of the bed. She held in her tears as she walked out their room, knowing that if they continue this conversation they were not only going to wake their son, but drift further apart from eachother. John quickly followed her out the room, grabbing her arm before she could make it down the hallway.

“Who do you think you are, Marlena? You think you know me? You think you know what’s wrong with me? Then Fix Me Doctor!!!! GO AHEAD!” John yelled as Marlena watched him in disbelief. He was a man she no longer knew. He was not the man she married. He was not her husband, her lover, or her children’s father. He was a stranger that she was staring at that moment. She turned her face away, unable to stare into his icy cold eyes and his painful accusations. The tears burned her eyes, flowing uncontrollably down her face. She tried to make it stop, desperate to prove that she was strong and wasn’t going to back down, but her emotions got the best of her. She tried to remove her arm from his grasp but he held on tighter, pinning her to the wall behind her.

“Let go of me……You’re hurting me John.” She complained as John stared back at her with anger and frustration. He realized what he had been doing and released her arm from his excruciating grasp, slightly pushing her away from him. She shook her arm slightly, trying to get the blood flow going once again and then wiped her tears as she walked down the stairs. Unsure of where she was going or what she was going to do, she headed outside to the patio, where she sat by the pool. She stared at the ripples in the water, taking in the way it swirled and bounced, almost similar to the way her mind was at that moment. She felt the tears fall down her cheeks again, the salty moisture gathering at her lips as she swatted them away again.

“What is wrong you, John?” Marlena asked herself quietly as she watched the water fall from the rocks into the pool. He had turned into completely someone other than her loving husband. She sat there and fought with ideas and solutions, wondering what was the right and wrong thing to do. She turned around when she head foot steps behind her and smiled as their puppy came running up to her, placing his head in her lap. She pet his head as her nails scratched down his shiny black coat. “What’s the matter Cocoa?” She smiled as the puppy wagged his tail and licked her hand before getting up and running around again. She decided she had to talk to John, whether they screamed or fought, it had to be done and quickly. The house was quiet as Marlena made her way inside, looking around for John. She heard a noise downstairs and decided this is what she had to do. She took a deep breath as she headed down the narrow stairs, catching John’s attention, who was playing a game of pool. He watched her closely as he laid the stick down on the table, walking over to her.

“Something you need?” He asked coldly as Marlena nodded.

“We need to talk?” She said as John gave a weak smile.

“Then do it!”

John sat up in a daze, staring around the room for some kind of sign of what had happened there. Things were tossed to the ground, glass was broken, and picture frames thrown. He glanced down at himself noticing that he was half dressed and soaking wet, his shirt ripped and thrown in the corner of the room. He searched for his wife, but she was nowhere to be found. ‘What the hell happened?’ was all that was running through his mind. He crawled up from the floor as thoughts invaded his mind, violently taking over his mind. He heard his wife’s cries, her screams, he even felt her slaps as she begged him to stop. He closed his eyes as he held his head in pain, falling to the floor and crunching up in a ball.

“John! Please Stop!” Marlena screamed as she tried to push his body from her.

“No, You came down here for a reason, and I’m just reacting to that reason.” John shouted as he grabbed her body and pushed her down to the floor, pinning her hands above her, tightly.

“Stop! Please!” She yelled as his mouth latched over hers, his tongue instantly probing her mouth violently. His hands traveled to her blouse as the fabric tore from her body, his hands quickly roaming her body. “JOHN!!!!! STOP IT…PLEASE!” She cried as she desperately tried to free her hands from his grip.

John opened his eyes as he began to wonder what exactly he did to her. He tried to sit up but more thoughts invaded his mind, thoughts of hurting her. He began to scare himself as he fought with the notion of what he hoped were nightmares instead of reality. Thoughts of Marlena crawling away from him and fighting with him, invaded his brain as her cries filled his ears.

“Ohh Marlena!!!!!” John grunted as Marlena screamed and cried, begging him to stop. She tried to swing her arms at him but he pinned them again, slamming them into the ground below them. Her capris now long gone and ripped from her body as John dove into her roughly, cries instead of moans could be heard. She kicked her feet against the carpet as she tried to move away, but each time she moved, he pinned her down harder. His thrusts now uncontrollable as her screams faded and her kicking, discontinued.

Marlena had locked herself in the bathroom as she sat in the shower while the hot water poured over her body. Her tears fell endlessly as her body shook uncontrollably from the terror of what just happened downstairs. Her body screamed in pain as the soreness traveled from her hips to her insides. She hunched over in pain as her emotions exploded in full force. Her husband was not the man she knew and because of what just happened, she decided staying there with him was now considered a problem. She wanted to help him, she needed to help him, but it was quickly spinning out of control and out of her hands. She rested against the tiled walls as her mind flashed to what had happened only moments ago. Flashes of her being raped flooded back to her mind as well and both images flashing constantly left her broken and torn. She closed her eyes as she felt Alex rip through her walls, the pain and displeasure screaming through her body. As she turned her head, images of John pinning her down and pummeling into her body with dangerous speed.

“John NO!!!! Please!” Marlena shouted as John began to finish up his motions, pushing her hard into the ground. No sooner then he climaxed, Marlena shoved him off her as she crawled away, grabbing her pants and backing away from him. She hurriedly slid them on, tears of pain and disturbance running down her beautiful face. Her bra remained on as she looked around for a top while John began to get up.

“Don’t come near me!” She yelled as she moved away from the couch and back around the table.

“Hey, did you not like it? I thought you were great…I like feisty Marlena!” John smiled as he reached for his wife over the table, causing her to scream and jump back. Marlena moved around the table but John caught up to her as he drug her back to the floor. She kicked him off her as she got back up and reached for anything. She threw cups and frames at him, hoping to slow him down. When she turned around he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her to him roughly. She reached for a vase and hurled it at him as she took off running to the pool area, where John came behind her quickly.

“What is the matter with you, John?” Marlena shouted as John reached for her, causing Marlena to slap him hard in the face with her fist. John lost his balance as he slipped into the pool, pulling his wife in with him. They hit the water hard as John banged his head on the cement at the edge of the pool. Marlena quickly came up for air as she hurriedly swam to the edge, holding onto the cement for dear life, as she fought to regain herself. She cried hard as she pulled herself from the pool and looked back to see if John were still in the water. She realized he was still underneath and his body rested at the bottom of the pool.

“John!” Marlena called out, unsure of what to do or to even help him. Instinct kicked in as she dove back in, swimming down to him and pulling him back to the surface. She got him to the ladder as she quickly crawled up and pulled him up onto the cement. Flashes of what he had done to her swarmed her conscious but it didn’t stop her from saving him. No matter what, she loved him and he was her husband. She made sure he was ok as she ran from the room and up the stairs, to their bedroom.

Marlena turned off the water as she stepped from the shower and grabbed a towel. She hurriedly put on some clothes as she ran through the room and packed whatever she thought the baby and her may need. She threw in pampers, blankets, clothes, bottles, shoes, her make-up, and all other necessities. She grabbed her son from the bed and made her way downstairs as she ran into her husband. She quickly backed up as she pulled her son closer to her, cradling his head into her shoulder.

“Where are you going?” John asked worriedly as he tried to reach for his wife, but she flinched away.

“I….I’m leaving. I think you need time to concentrate on what’s going on with you. I will contact you later.” Marlena said as John looked at her in disbelief.

“Why are you leaving? You are leaving me? Why? What happened? What did I do?” John asked hurriedly, scared of what may have happened downstairs, afraid that what he thought he imagined was true.

“Stay away from me and the baby John. Look I will send you help and until things change, you can’t see me or the kids…at least for now.” She said in panic as she tried to move around him.

“Why are you afraid of me….Marlena please, tell me what I did?” John began to cry, unsure of what was happening to him. He dropped to his knees as he reached for her, pulling on her legs, begging her to stay. She watched in agony, unsure of what was going on and why this was happening to him. She stepped away from his arms and walked to the couch, where she put her son down. She went back to her husband and she slowly squatted down, explaining that something terrible went on between them and he wasn’t safe to be around, not with his mood swings.

“Marlena…..Tell me something? I’m having these flashes of hurting you….please tell me I didn’t do that? Please…I couldn’t bear to know that I hurt you.” John cried as tears fell from Marlena’s eyes.

Marlena remained quiet and still, the only thing heard was the sniffs she made as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She had no clue on what to say, should she tell him the truth…should she lie? He watched her reactions very closely, his fears being answered just by her hesitation. Unsure of what to say she closed her eyes, nodding very slowly as her head dipped down, almost as if in shame. John shut his eyes in pain, the mere fact of him attacking her sexually, or even worse, physically, made him sick to his stomach. He dropped his head to the ground as he broke down in a tearful plea, apologizing for his actions. Marlena painfully watched his apologetic plea as waves of emotions swept her away to a world of forgiveness. She was so unsure of what to do or how to handle this that her body began to shake in nervousness. She reached down and grabbed John by his arms, coaxing him to stand up for her. Once she got him up, his legs went limp as Marlena reached for him yet again, this time holding him tightly so that he couldn’t fall.

“Stand up John….come on honey?” She encouraged as he finally found his strength once again. He refused to look at her, unable to see the pain that lay beneath those hazel colored eyes. She grabbed his face with both her hands as she forced him to look at her. “Look at me, John. I am going to help you, I promise you that…but I am not going to stay here with you. You are far to estranged from your normal personality and we need to find out why that is. I want you to sit over here on the couch and relax….I am going to go call one of my associates….the best one I know and we’ll get you help….I promise baby.” Marlena cried as she held onto him, almost afraid to let him go, but knowing she had too. She made sure John was relaxed as she leant down and kissed his forehead, tears falling from her cheeks to his face. She grabbed her sleeping son from the couch and placed him on her hip while she grabbed their bags. She began to walk away as she bounced her son back to sleep, making soft cooing noises so that he would drift back to a peaceful dream world. She turned around and looked at her husband who was watching her leave with sadden eyes, almost as if they were begging her not to go. She shut her eyes tightly, letting the warm tears fall harder than before as she turned back around and continued to walk away. John heard the door to the garage close as he let out a scream, a scream filled with pain, anger, and devastation. His body shook from the pain and torment that burned into his soul…his wife and his children had left him because of what was happening to him. And nothing was more devastating to a man then losing everything that he loved, his family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marlena drove to the penthouse slowly, her mind racing on what to do, what she should have done, and what could she have done. Tears blinded her eyes as her emotions raided her body and mind, clouding her judgment. She reached the penthouse and pulled into the parking garage as she parked the car. She grabbed her son and her things and made her way to the elevators where she hit the button to her floor. Once she reached their door, she unlocked it and walked in slowly, looking around the apartment somberly. She carried her son upstairs and placed him in what used to be their old bedroom. She sat down on the bed as she stared out the window, crying her heart out, not knowing what to do for the first time in her profession. She stood up and began unpacking things here and there, not knowing how long she and the baby would be staying there. A huge wave of nausea hit her as her memory traveled back to what happened earlier between her and John. The rough way he pushed her to the ground, the way he pinned her tightly so that she couldn’t move. He wasn’t making love to her, or make up sex, or even sex…..it was something she thought she would never say….it was hate sex…sex that was so not welcomed. All that was missing from it was the fact that he wasn’t calling her a whore or bitch as he was doing it.

Marlena placed her hand over her mouth, trying to stop the unwelcoming bile that was beginning to rise in her throat. She ran to the washroom and she placed her head down by the sink, turning on the cold water and letting it hit her in the face. She stood there for awhile, until the nausea melted away, giving her enough strength to go back and finish what she needed to do. She grabbed her cell phone and placed a call to one of her close friends. The last thing she wanted was for her friends to know about this, but she had no choice, it was now out of her hands.

“Sandra… Hi! It’s Marlena…I know we haven’t talked in forever…I’m fine, doing well….yes the baby is great, getting big.” Marlena smiled sarcastically, knowing she had to play this off well. “Hey, the reason I’m calling you is because I need a second opinion on something and I trust you more with anything in this world.” She asked as she glanced at a picture of her and John. “I need you to observe something for me….like I said second opinion….and the doctor/patient confidentiality does apply. How soon can you meet me?” Marlena asked as she checked on her son. “Perfect, I’ll see you then. Bye.” Marlena hung up as she stared at her son, who reminded her so much of her husband.

“If I can’t help you John…then nobody will. And if it means risking me or our marriage….I have no choice….I need to help you. God I love you so much….” She whispered as she dialed Belle’s number.

“Hey sweetie, it’s your mom. Hey when you get a chance, give me a call on my cell….I need you to watch your brother for me, it’s urgent. I will tell you all about it later, but please call me a.s.a.p. I will need you to be at the penthouse by 6 this evening. Love you…bye.” Marlena said as she hung up the phone. Hoping she gets the message soon, she goes off and changes, making sure to grab her medical bag and some sedatives.

Marlena sat as she watched her husband scream and complain, saying that he was perfectly well as he paced back and forth. She watched in disbelief, telling herself that we was not the man she wanted, the man who made her quiver inside and out. Her friend Sandra, tried to persuade John to relax and trust them, they were only trying to help. John grabbed a glass vase as he hurled it at the window, breaking everything in a million pieces, as Marlena and Sandra flinched from the sound. Marlena stood up as she grabbed John by the shirt, begging him to calm down for his sake. John pushed Marlena away as she fell onto Sandra, while John threw things around the house, smashing everything in sight.

“JOHN NO!!!!!” Marlena screamed as he grabbed things that were sacred to them and threw them carelessly on the ground or into walls. As if something inside him snapped, he looked up and saw his wife in tears. He hurriedly ran to her and pulled her into an embrace, kissing her head, telling her to help him. She held him tightly as she cried into his shirt, yanking on the material as she took out her frustration on the cotton. Sandra watched closely as she took mental notes on what he was doing and how his personality was changing. Marlena turned slightly as she signaled for her bag while Marlena continued to hug her husband while Sandra filled the syringe with a sedative. Marlena backed away from John as she reached for what Sandra had in her hand and then asked John to sit on the couch. He hesitated at first but followed the instructions while Marlena sat next to him, pulling his head into the crook of her neck.

“I love you…do you know that?” She whispered in a raspy voice, due to the tears that seemed to be stuck in her throat. He simply nodded as she grabbed the syringe and placed it to his arm. “Don’t move, okay?” She cried as she placed the needle in his arm, quickly pushing the all the fluid in before John could react violently. John looked up at her as he gave her sad eyes as Marlena broke down, holding him close as she kissed his forehead. “I love you so much….I promise I will help you if it’s the last thing I do.” She whispered as John slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep as Marlena laid him down on the couch, making sure he was comfortable. She walked over to Sandra as she gave her a sympathetic look, brushing her arm with a gentle hand.

“Where do you want me to start?” Sandra asked as Marlena shrugged in confusion.

“How about the beginning….tell me so I’ll know if it’s what I’m thinking.” Marlena smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed back more tears that threaten to come out yet again.

“Well you know I can’t be sure without extensive testing, however, his signs are showing major multi personalities…which can be many things. Marlena, I believe he suffering from PSP syndrome.” Sandra explained as Marlena nodded, turning back to look at him.

“That’s what I thought too.”

“Well you know one of the early symptoms of PSP is loss of inhibition. And with you being a doctor as well. You know we all have potentially dark or negative sides; we’ve learned or been conditioned how to keep the regretful and unwise decisions, actions, and language in check. In our profession, we understand the characteristics of how to control ourselves in disagreement or hold our peace in response to an irritant, for example. Those self-control mechanisms are embedded in the nervous system…unfortunately with others, it may need a little work to train those mechanisms. Knowing what we know about PSP, no need to say more.”

Marlena glanced at the broken window as she slowly walked up the glass, before turning around and making a statement. “Sandra, most PSP patients are fully aware of their worsening conditions…in some case they are hopeless but others pull through with a little therapy and help from their loved ones. Frustration, anger, sadness, fear are all irritants and they tend to come out during moments of disagreements or unhappiness. John has seemed to possess this loss of inhibition, and I can experience an earful on different occasions when situations tend to lose control. I know patients of mine before may have said or done things that are totally out of character, things they would have never said or done (or even thought) back when they did live their normal lives…and I am afraid John is showing these signs too. If PSP is what he has, then yes, it’s a disease. A disease we may not be able to cure unless we do something quickly…and I desperately am asking for your help Sandra….please. You know I wouldn’t if this weren’t extremely important to me.” Marlena begged as she walked up to her friend and reached for her hands.

“Marlena, you know I will…but we have a lot of work to do. We know one thing for sure, the loss of your son when he was kidnapped triggered this disease. The stress he kept and bottled finally snapped, pushing its limits. I know you have an idea about what I’m going to say…he has to be restrained….his condition has become much too violent.” Sandra spoke as Marlena gave a nod as tears fell from her eyes.

“I know…alright well he’s asleep, so call in your guys and lets do this, quickly.” Marlena said as she gathered some things while Sandra made a phone call.

Hours passed as John slowly opened his eyes, fighting the urge to close them again. His eyes twitched and blinked, unable to take the bright lights in the room. He finally managed to glimpse somewhat as he slowly noticed the white ceiling. He shook his head, thinking he saw wrong in the beginning but as he focused again, he took quick notice the white padded walls. He tried to sit up but something pulled him back down as he glanced up at his arms,that were secured tightly onto the bed frame.

“Oh what is this shit!!!!!! Marlena!!!” He screamed as he shook hard, trying to loosen the restraints on his wrists. He fought for a couple minutes, screaming and threatening, that he was going to get loose soon. He heard the door unlock and open as he turned towards it, watching who appeared. Marlena walked in slowly, wearing a lab coat with a clipboard in her hand, never taking her eyes off him. She noticed how his eyes burned with anger, venom waiting spewed the minute words came from his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” John shouted as he tried to shake his wrists.

“I am your doctor John…from now on I am here to make sure you get the help you need. I will observe everything you do, say, behave, and so on. Only through me, will you be able to be released from those…and from here.” Marlena spoke professionally as she pointed at the restraints on his wrists and the room. “I love you John…and I’m only doing you because I love you and I care about your health.” She admitted, letting her professional speech take a back seat and her emotions drive.

“YOU LISTEN TO ME…..THIS MARRIAGE IS OVER…YOU GOT THAT MARLENA!!!!! I AM DONE WITH YOU…WRITE THAT DOWN ON YOUR CLIPBOARD!!!!! WE ARE THROUGH….IT’S OVER!!!! YOU BETRAYED ME! AND THAT I WILL NEVER FORGIVE” John screamed as Marlena watched him, trying her best not to let this get to her. But as he screamed , she couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes.

Baby John screamed loudly as Marlena bounced him on her hip, grabbing a bottle from the fridge as she talked on the phone with Sandra. The baby had seemed to be catching a head cold and his temper had gotten out of control, no longer being the happy baby he is. Marlena apologized to Sandra as she explained to her that she would have to call her back. She put the phone down as she grabbed her son and held him closely, rocking him so that his cried would come to a stop. She placed the bottle to his lips but he grabbed it and threw it to the floor, once again crying in annoying screams.

“John, what is the matter baby?” Marlena asked as she sat on the chair in the kitchen, pulling him to her body, examining him. He continued to cry, hitting his mother’s hands away as she checked his teeth, felt his head, and rubbed arm. “John, where does it bother you?” She asked, not really expecting an answer since he was a year and half old and didn’t really talk much, or in complete understandable sentences. He did however comprehend what people were saying and did respond. He placed his head into his mothers chest as he cried and cried, leaving her clueless on what to do. She didn’t have much sleep for the past week, knowing that John had been secured in a padded room, unable to be free like he once was. It killed her to know that he was tied up, when a two weeks ago he was walking around, coming and going as he pleased. But what killed her more was that he was repulsed by the mere image of her, refusing to see or work with her. He became violent every time she stepped into the room, kicking and screaming for her to get out, and how she was the blame for this situation. She decided to back off a little bit, leaving Sandra to watch over his condition, but to be updated on everything that went on with him. If she couldn’t be in the room to help him, then she was going to do it from the sidelines.

After what seemed like an eternity of screams and cries, the baby finally dozed off in her arms, tears drying on his face, his breathing raspy. Marlena took a deep breath as she looked up towards the ceiling, giving a silent thank you as she continued to rock him.

“What made me think I could handle motherhood again is beyond me?” She smiled as she rubbed the baby’s face. She stood up and walked to the family room, switching on the plasma and making herself comfortable on the couch with her son. Her eyes fluttered, unable to control the drowsiness that refused to disappear. Out of the whole week, she must have only slept about 10 hours tops, sleeping in their bed was quite impossible these days. She placed the baby on the couch with a blanket and slowly got up, shutting off the TV. She placed the control on the stand and noticed a family picture of John, her and the baby. It was a black and white one, adorned in a tasteful chrome frame, taken about 3 months ago…if that. John was dressed in Black, while Marlena wore a white blouse with black pants and in the middle of them, was their son, who was dressed in his cute overalls with a striped shirt. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered the day they took that….complete chaos trying to get the baby to look at the camera. They must have took 20 different shots, by the end Marlena and John having fake smiles while the baby began to show his real one. She glanced at another family portrait, one in color and of the whole Black family. Little John was only 3 months old, barley aware of his surrounding or who they all were. She put the picture down as she wiped her eyes, grabbing the phone and dialing Sandra.

“Hey it’s me, sorry about earlier. John is coming down with something and he is really crabby, but it’s not like I have to tell you that obviously.” Marlena joked as Sandra laughed.

“Yeah I heard. Marlena, um, John is asking for you and he wants to see you. He said he wants to talk and it’s really important.” Sandra said softly as Marlena looked out the window, unsure of what to decide.

“Did he say what it’s about?” Marlena asked as she heard her son make a noise.

“No…he said he needs to see you.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in about an hour. I have to bring the baby in for a check-up anyways…when I get there, have his restraints removed.” Marlena asked as she began to pack some things in John’s small and extremely stylish diaper bag. Her husband had bought it for her at Nordstrom’s when she was pregnant, explaining that diaper bags were now made to look like regular purses…and that she should have one with style.

An hour later, the door opened to John’s room as he sat on the bed, reading a magazine that Marlena insisted for him to have that day. She came in the room, dressed in a short black coat, the belt undone and hanging slightly, her coat unbuttoned. She had a black turtle neck and jeans, contrasting quite beautifully in the white room. Her hair was done neatly, waves curling here and there from the bottom of her layered hair. Her makeup was unbelievable, so natural and yet so breathtaking.

“You wanted to see me?” She asked, uncertain how she should behave in front of him.

“Yes actually…I wanted to talk to you about something important.” He said softly, placing the magazine down in his lap. “Oh and thank you for the magazine by the way, nothing better then feeling like a normal human being.” He smiled as he gestured for her to sit down on the bed.

“I’ll stand, if you don’t mind.” She replied, unable to handle the harshness that may come from him.

“Fine, suit yourself. I’ve noticed you backed away from me for the past week. You can’t take the pain in seeing me tied up anymore? Or is it you just feel plain guilty about all this?” John asked calmly, but knowing it had an effect on Marlena. She stood there with a blank look on her face, a bit nervous on how to answer.

“John, you made it clear you did not want me here, or near you. So why the change now?” She asked as she moved her hand, gesturing around the room.

“Like I said, there is something we need to discuss.”

“Then let’s discuss it.” She said quickly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“I’ve been thinking, while I was laying here, strapped to the bed, like a criminal. I don’t know exactly what was happening between us when I was going through this disease….but I do have flashes. And I know that you are not going to tell me what happened just in case a relapse should happen….so as much as this pains me….I think I am too dangerous to be around for you or the kids. I want a divorce and I want you to get a restraining order for you and the kids…from me. That would be the only thing that could possibly help me….so would you do that?” John asked somberly, refusing to let his emotions be shown, even though he felt them in his eyes and in his throat when he spoke.

Marlena stared at him in shock, not capable to comprehend what he just told her. She dropped her head for a second, biting her lip to stop the tears that wanted to pour from her. “And what about us…me…the kids. What if they don’t want that…what if I don’t want that? Don’t you see…the only thing that can help you is your family…without them…us…you will be lonely and hate and rage will take over your body.” Marlena stated as she walked closer to him.

“Then explain how this all started if I did have my family?” John asked as tears began to fall.

“Because the stress that you bottled in when our son was kidnapped. You tried to be strong for the family, for me, unable to show your true feelings and because of that, you had a breakdown.” Marlena explained sincerely, hoping to get through to him.

“My mind is made up…it’s best for all of you. I will file for the divorce…you can have it all….and I mean everything. Just sign the papers Marlena, and get the restraining order.” He whispered as Marlena shook her head.

“John…no…please don’t do this.” Marlena whispered, barely audible as tears fell from her eyes.

“There’s nothing you can do anymore…Just remember one thing…that the real John Black loves you so much…I love you so much….Too much that I refuse to put you or the children in harms way. Now go and do what you have to do.” John spoke quietly as he dropped his head, refusing to look at her pain filled eyes. “Just go baby…”

Marlena stood there in shock, unable to control the tears that were falling from her eyes. She wasn’t sure what she should do, if she should grant his wishes, if she should fight them. John had his head down, refusing to show her the tears that fell; afraid she would disobey what he told her and stay. She walked up to him, sitting on the bed as she placed a hand on his arm, begging him to look up at her.

“John? We don’t have to go down this road?” She whispered as she watched him carefully, hoping that he would look up at her and change his mind. “Honey, there is so much that can be done, this isn’t the answer to it.” She continued on.

He looked up at her, his eyes piercing deep into her hazel ones, realizing for the first time how much pain she was in. He wanted to say something, anything, but there weren’t words to describe what he felt. “There is nothing else that can be done sweetheart. I need you and our children to be safe, that is all that matters to me.” John said softly as tears continued to fall from Marlena. She shook her head slowly as she reached for his hands, but he pulled them away, afraid to feel her soft touch, afraid it would stir his decisions. She somberly moved her hands back, the rejection killing her, the torment eating her alive.

“Fine…” She mumbled as she stood up slowly, pulling her jacket close. “Before we walk out of your life, I want you to see your children…your son especially.” She whispered, her voice raspy from emotion. When he didn’t look at her she began to walk away.

“Marlena, I don’t want to see any of them. Don’t let them come and see me here, please!” John exclaimed as he stood up from the bed, walking towards Marlena. She had her back to him, refusing to look at him and give into his plea. She knocked on the window as she waited for the door to open, looking down at her shoes, not saying a word.

“Marlena! I do not want to see anyone!” He said louder, hoping she heard him this time. She looked back at him and gave a small smile as she left the room, leaving him in suspense as to what she was going to do.

As soon as Marlena walked out, John hit the wall with his fist, bursting into a rage of tears. He slid down onto the floor, holding his head in confusion, as his vision became blinded by salty moisture.

After a half an hour, the door clicked open once again, this time without John looking up. He was no longer interested in what was going on, who was there to see him, or what was going to be done. It was only when he heard her voice that he looked up and saw her there, holding their son to her body. He slowly got up and walked to them, unsure of what to say or what to do. She watched him carefully, knowing deep down inside that he wouldn’t do anything that could hurt them. He looked at his son closely, taking in everything about him, memorizing each feature he possessed. His eyes filled with tears yet again as he pulled his wife and son into his arms, holding them tightly. He cried their names over and over as Marlena hid her face into his neck, her tears falling as well. Only did she back away when she felt him step back as the baby made his presence known, by shouting. They both smiled as Marlena bounced him a bit as John walked to the bed and sat down.

“You want to go with daddy?” She smiled as her son’s dimples danced as his hands clapped. She laughed as she walked over to her husband, placing their son onto his lap as John held him tightly.

“Hey there little guy…how have you been? Are you giving mommy a hard time?” John asked as the baby smiled, looking into his father’s eyes.

“He has a cold….he was terrible this morning. That is why he is here…he had a check-up…didn’t you baby? And you behaved very well John…Mommy’s very proud of you.” Marlena smiled as John bounced him on his lap a little bit. She looked up at her husband as she noticed his affection, knowing if she went through with his wishes, he would simply die. “John, I can’t take him away from you….I can’t be away from you.” Marlena said softly, practically whispering the last sentence. He looked up at her as he shook his head, silently telling her to stop fighting his decision.

“You know what I want…please don’t bring this up again.” John spoke softly as Marlena dropped her head.

“Do you even care what I want?”

“This is all about you Marlena…You think I’m doing this for me….NO…I’m doing this because I want to protect you…and John!” He cried as Marlena threw up her hands in confusion.

“Da-da” A loud squeak filled the room as both parents went quiet. John looked down at his son as Marlena squatted down in front of them, reaching for her son’s hands.

“What’s his name….tell mama what you just said.” Marlena smiled as John reached for his mother.

“Mama” The baby laughed as Marlena shook her head and smiled.

“Yes I’m mama…but who is he?” She pointed towards his father as he looked up at him.

“Da-da” He laughed as Marlena and John both burst into laughter, happiness filling them. After a couple seconds they both looked at eachother, knowing the decision about staying away was the worst.

“John? I am not leaving you, I don’t care what you say. Our family is more important then anything you are suffering through. I saw how your eyes gleamed when I brought John in…and that gave me my answer right there.” Marlena softly spoke as she gave a weak smile, hoping that what she said encouraged him.

“You know I’ve been sitting here for the past 5 minutes, thinking what the hell is wrong with me. I don’t want to lose you…or him…and if I do go along with what I say….it will kill me in the end. I love you and I will make this work…Just promise you will be there.” John smiled as the emotions began to rise again, while Marlena gave a big smile. She stood up and sat next to him, embracing him as much as she could. She held him tightly, never wanting to let go. John pulled back as he grabbed her chin, pulling her mouth to his, in a soft yet sensual way. She closed her eyes, giving into him, as they sealed their deal with a kiss, while the baby looked around the room.

“Da-da…mama!” He yelled as John and Marlena pulled away from eachother, both laughing at their son.

“Everything is going to be okay….I’ll make sure of that!” Marlena smiled as she hugged her husband tightly, kissing his head.

A couple months passed as the lives of the Black Family seemed to be getting back to normal. John had finally been released from the hospital, his condition improving but not yet cured. Marlena had a big hand in his dismissal from the hospital, discussing with specialists that as a professional, she felt his condition was well enough for him to continue on with his life. After many endless meetings and numerous testing and check-ups, John Black was released and sent back to his home with his family.

Marlena was waiting for him in the hallway as he was escorted from the doorways of the psych unit and into the main hospital. She gave him a million dollar smile as she walked up to him slowly, pulling him in her arms and holding him tightly. He held onto her body with such force, afraid to lose her again, afraid that she may slip away. After what seemed like an eternity of being wrapped up in each others embrace, they parted for a moment and just smiled at each other, taking in the happiness.

“You ready to go home Mr. Black?” Marlena smiled as she reached for his hand while he nodded his head.

“I have been ready the moment I walked in here. Dr. Evans, please do show me the way.” He smiled as they walked down the hall hand in hand, making their way to the parking garage. The drive home was almost impossible for Marlena, as John’s hands refused to leave her body, touching and caressing anything he saw.

“Would you stop John? I have to concentrate here or we’ll never make it.” Marlena laughed as she made a turn onto the expressway. “Now seriously, you have to stop because this is one good way to kill us. Oh there is something we have to talk about, when we get home.” She straightened up as John leaned over by her ear, whispering something ever so gently. She gave a smile as she pushed him back with her hand, telling him to sit there and don’t move. They drove for about 10 minutes before pulling off at their exit and driving down the road. John was looking out the window, taking in everything he hadn’t seen in awhile. Marlena turned their car into the private club entrance as she made her way down the narrow roads, finally turning down the street that led them to their house at the end. She pulled into the driveway, letting the large black iron gates pull open and then proceeded to drive up to the house.

“When did you get these?” John asked as he turned back and looked at the gates and cameras.

“Right after you were admitted to the hospital. It wasn’t for you either…it was just a precaution so that a situation like what happened before, doesn’t happen again, with the kids.” Marlena said as she parked the car and looked over at her husband, reaching for his hand. “How are you feeling?” She asked quietly, waiting for his answer.

“A little uncomfortable…so many things have changed and I wasn’t here to see it….I had no hand in it…you know what I mean.” He said sadly as Marlena smiled lightly, trying to think of something to lighten up the mood.

“Well if it makes you feel better, you kind of did. It was your money that was used to put all this up.” She laughed as he looked over at her. “I’m just kidding….it was our money but still….I made the decision for us, for our family…we talked about this even before you went into the hospital. I just made sure that it got done, that’s all baby.” She said quietly as she leaned over and kissed his lips softly. They both exited the car as they walked up the stairs and opened the door. John slowly walked into their house as he looked around the room, noticing things here and there that were changed, but not drastically.

“We’re home!” Marlena called out as she placed her keys down on the table as John stood there awkwardly. She turned back and looked at him, pulling his hands to her.

“Sweetie, what is the matter? This is your home….don’t act like you don’t belong here.” Marlena smiled as the barking of dog sounded through the house. Coco came running to the front door, jumping up on Marlena and John. The dog was going crazy with affection as he attacked them playfully, jumping and barking at the same time.

“Coco…relax….come on boy….wanna go outside.” Marlena smiled as she led him out to the back. John smiled as he walked around, looking at things he may have not seen when he left.

“You know its amazing, for not wanting a dog you sure have gotten close to him.” John laughed as Marlena walked into the room.

“He took some getting used to but he’s my baby. He has been my companion these past few months you were gone. He took care of the family, watched the house, played with the baby….speaking of the baby, where is he? Belle!” Marlena called out as she waked to the stairs. Belle came down the stairs slowly, carrying her brother, explaining that she was giving him a bath and she couldn’t hear them until the dog began to bark.

“Mama!!! Go wif you!” The baby spoke loudly as he reached for his mother. Marlena smiled as she pulled him to her, carrying him on her hip and walking over to her husband.

“Belle, Come say hi to your father.” Marlena smiled as she played with her baby, tickling him and mimicking him.

John glanced at his daughter as she ran into his arms, pulling him in a tight embrace.

“Daddy! I missed you! How are you feeling?” She asked as John pulled back a bit.

“Good…much better! I missed you too Tink! How is everything going?” John asked as Belle shrugged. Marlena was standing behind her with the baby as Little John called for his daddy, reaching for him. Marlena tickled him a little more, waiting till Belle was done with her conversation before the baby took over.

“Good I guess. Oh did Mom talk to you yet? She has some important news to tell you….you’ll love it!” Belle yelped as Marlena made a face at her, while Belle covered quickly. “I have to go get something, I’ll be back.” Belle said as she ran down the hall and up the stairs.

“What was that about?” John asked as he took his son from Marlena’s arms while she smiled.

“Hey why don’t you sit down….there is something I have to talk to you about.” Marlena said gently as he bounced his son a little bit before walking to the couch and sitting down.

“What’s going on baby?” John asked softly, as he kissed his son’s head. Marlena took a deep breath, knowing what she was about to tell him was probably going to hurt him, since it happened under those circumstances.

“Sweetheart, I don’t want you to feel guilty about this in anyway…because we couldn’t control this. Promise me John, that what I’m about to tell you, you won’t blame yourself for.” Marlena asked quietly as a tear slid from her eye.

John froze, unsure of what to say or what she was talking about. “Honey, what is going on?”

“Promise me!” She said sternly as he nodded, hoping she would just tell him already.

“You have been gone for a few months and in those few months, some things have changed and some things were discovered. Things you couldn’t have possibly known, or I couldn’t tell you because I didn’t want to prolong your stay at the hospital, so I kept it to myself until you came home. You are going to find this out sooner then you think, and I don’t want to keep this as a surprise, because I would only be hurting you…if I pretended that it was all just a surprise….when the whole time I did know and never told you.” She began to fidget with her hands as she rambled on and on, not even knowing what she was saying anymore. She looked up into his eyes, afraid to say what she had to say, knowing that when something like this did happen, he wanted to be there or at least to remember it someway, somehow. “John…..there is something you need to know…and you to need know now…before you find out on your own.”

John stood still, waiting for the news that she had to say. Part of him screamed that it was the worst news he was going to hear, while the other part was shouting how bad could it be. She stared at him for a few seconds before dropping her head and letting out a small laugh, sniffing back her tears. The baby jumped on his fathers lap, clapping his hands and calling for his mom, as Marlena looked up and took him from her husband.

“John…ummm….well I don’t know how to say this.” Marlena mumbled as the baby fought to remove himself from her arms and onto the floor. She let him stand but held him tightly by his hand as he bounced and jumped on his plump little legs. “John, why you were gone…..your son has become quite the performer.” She laughed as John smiled, unable to see where this conversation was going.

“What’s going on baby? Just tell me honey.” John whispered as he leaned forward and tipped Marlena’s chin, persuading her to tell him.

“John, the baby took his first steps about a month ago and I know how badly you wanted to be here for that. Anyways he is walking now….but just a little bit…he still falls and tumbles…so you didn’t miss too much.” She smiled as John dropped his gaze to the floor, quickly snatching the smile from her face. “Are you upset?”

John took a deep breath as he ran his hands through his hair, before standing up and moving over to a picture of the three of them. He picked up the frame and stared at for a few seconds before placing it back down and looking at his wife. “No I’m not upset…well not at you or the baby anyways. I’m upset at the situation, the reason why I missed a milestone for my son. You know I was dying to see this, I have been waiting for this all my life…and then when you told me you were pregnant with him….everything…all his first time things flashed through my mind, things I missed with Belle. And now I missed this! But don’t get me wrong baby, I’m not devastated, I’m just glad I got here when I did.” John smiled as he wiped a few tears that fell down his cheeks. Marlena stood up as she picked up her son, and walked over to John as she reached for his hand.

“Well there is more baby…and I really don’t want to kick you while your down, but you have to know this too.” Marlena smirked softly as he shook his head.

“What?”

“He talks a little bit too.” She gave a small laugh as the baby reached for his Marlena’s face and placed a kiss on her lips. “And kisses too.”

John let out a laugh as he reached for his son, bringing him close to his chest. He let a few tears slide down, happiness in some of them, but mostly anger in most of them. He couldn’t believe that in the months he was gone, his son began his milestones…each of them incredibly priceless, ones he will never get to see again. But deep down inside he knew that the baby didn’t achieve them to perfection and he still had some time to catch what he could.

“You know sweetie, this is pretty bad news for me. And yeah it kills me to know that all this happened and I wasn’t here but it isn’t the end of the world and I know there is so much to come. Was this all the news you had?” John asked, almost afraid to hear anything else that she may have to say. She smiled as she shook her head, leaning in to kiss her husband’s lips.

“No that’s about as terrible as it gets.” She laughed as played with the baby’s hands.

John took a deep breath, relaxing just a bit, knowing that if that’s as worse as it gets then everything should be okay. “Oh baby! You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. I was actually thinking you may have been pregnant and that it happened when I did…that..against….” He stopped, embarrassed to bring up what happened and not wanting to dwell on it…it was over..and it’s done with.

“Oh God NO!” She giggled as she tapped John on his arm. “Forget about what happened that day….its over and we don’t have to worry about it anymore.” She smiled as she leaned up and took her husbands mouth in a kiss. “I love you so much, do you know that.” She asked as John leaned back down to take her lips.

“I do know that. I love you too. Oh and later on I want to discuss with you about what I mentioned when I was in the hospital….the divorce thing.” Marlena stared at him, unsure of what was going on now. “No…No…its not what you think…I want to apologize but I will do that much later tonight, more appropriately, something I have been wanting to do since I have been in there.

“Ohhh sounds nice….oh there is one more thing too.” Marlena smiled as John nodded.

“He’s been sleeping with me, everyday…and trying to separate him would be near impossible. So we might have to wait for that conversation, another time.” She smiled as John’s face dropped.

“Dada…down…toy….toy.” The baby squeaked as John placed him down on the ground, watching him take unsteady steps to the toy. He lost his balance just in time as Marlena caught him and sat him down near the toys, before going to her husband and grabbing him around the waist.

“Why did you think I was pregnant?”

“Well I don’t know….that was the worse thing that could come to mind…that is under the circumstances we were in. But if you were to get pregnant now….now that’s a whole another story.” John mumbled as Marlena laughed, shaking her head.

“Nice try John….My answer still remains the same….NO! Did you not see how hard my labor was with him? You might as well put a gun to my head.” Her laughter filled the house as John hugged her tightly, enjoying their lives once again. Tonight he would prove to her what she means to him….and what it means to their future.

The moonlight glimmered past the slightly open curtains, gleaming throughout the walls, filling the darken room with a soft light. The baby was staring up at the ceiling, watching the patterns and shapes the light formed. His exhaustion seemed to disappear once the light hit his face, awakening him from his sleep, leaving him curious. He slowly pulled himself up, sitting in the fluffy blankets and staring around the room. His small baby toddler hands grabbed onto the bars of the crib as he lifted himself up, glancing down at the carpeted ground. He smiled as he jumped on his stubby legs before pulling himself over the ledge and trying to get down himself.

Meanwhile the bedroom doors of John and Marlena’s had been slightly open, a usual habit since the escapade with their son happened a while back. Not trusting even the state of the art security systems, they decided leaving their door open every night would be their safe bet. Soft moans could be heard as they both lay along the sheets, touching, kissing, and caressing every part of each other. Marlena’s body slithered down John’s as she kissed each inch of skin she came across while John hands gripped the pillow above him, crushing it with all his might. Marlena’s tongue was magic as it danced along his skin, sending goosebumps all over his body. John pulled her face back up to him, knowing if she continued this little journey, she would take it elsewhere, a place where he couldn’t handle. He hadn’t been with her in months and this sort of thing would send him right over the edge, and he couldn’t afford that. He flipped her over on her back as his wet kisses soaked into her silky skin, leaving her with anticipation for what was to come.

“Oh God…Give it to me John…” She mumbled as her hands went to John’s hair, tugging on him, pulling him closer to her skin.

John bit her skin as he sucked hard before sliding further down her slender body, resting his face in a place he wanted to be at for so long. Marlena gripped the sheets as she called her husband’s name, begging him to stop the torture.

Back down the hall, the baby had slid from his crib and onto the floor with complete success, searching around his room before walking unsteadily to the doorway. He slowly stumbled into the hallway after pulling the heavy door slightly open. He looked around the darken hallway as he placed his hand in his mouth before walking a little more. He came across the huge stairway as he looked down it, almost as if he were debating if he could do it or not. He was about to step forward when he heard his mother’s voice calling John’s name. He stopped himself and turned around, making his way to the master bedroom.

“Ma..ma…” He called out as he picked up the pace on his small plump legs. “Mama.”

Marlena felt John’s tongue swirling and tapping at her sensitive skin, teasing her till no end. She grabbed him and yanked him up her body, her mouth instantly snatching on his. She fell back onto the sheets as John’s hands slammed onto the mattress, stopping him from putting his full weight on her. He moved his right hand to her thigh as he opened it wider from the other, placing his body between her legs.

“You want me baby?” John asked heavily, seductively as Marlena looked up at him with heavy eyes.

“I want you John.” She whispered as he rubbed himself hard between her legs.

“You want me to make love to you?” He whispered before his lips latched onto the skin of her neck.

“Mmmm no….I want you to fuck me.” She said as she bit her lip while he rubbed into her again. John positioned himself when he heard the door creak open, both Marlena and John looking over at the door. Coco slowly crawled in as he glanced at them before walking to the couch in the corner and jumping on it, making himself comfortable.

“Hey…what is this?” John said as he pulled himself back while Marlena hushed him.

“When you were gone, I let him sleep in here too.” She smiled before taking his lips once again. John grabbed her mouth roughly as he sucked her lips hard, before letting his tongue dance throughout her mouth. He grabbed himself as he led it to her sweet centre, watching her face as he entered her quickly. She moaned painfully before biting his shoulder to stop from screaming out.

“John…..mmm wait….we can’t do this in front of the dog.” Marlena panted as she looked over at the dog who was watching them. John began to move his hips back and forth, knowing that he had to hurry before he exploded. Marlena squint her eyes, trying to adjust to his size and the pain it was bringing, but not doing anything to stop him.

“He doesn’t know Marlena….uhhh stop talking baby….come on.” John breathed as he pushed himself deep in her, causing Marlena to groan.

“John…uhhh…we can’t….he’s looking at us.” She protested as John reached for her hands and pinned them above her head. He rode into her with such force, the bed squeaked loudly, evident to what was happening in there. Marlena bit her lip as she raised her slender legs and hugged his torso, her body clinging to him in every sense of the word.

“Ohhh John….”

The baby had entered the room long ago as he watched his parents, obviously unsire of what was happening. After all, he was only a baby, not knowing anything about life at all. He began to make sad faces, thinking they were hurting eachother. Little John was at that age where children didn’t want their fathers to be affectionate with their mothers. Most children became jealous whenever their fathers would try and kiss their mothers…and little John was no different. Lately he would let not even his siblings or the dog come near Marlena, holding onto his mom for dear life. That was his mother and that was the end of the story for him.

“Ohhh Baby….Give it me Marlena!” John shouted as Marlena moaned loudly, her nails clinging to the skin of his back now.

Little John walked up to the side of the bed, unbeknown to John and Marlena. His hands balled up into fist as he clung them to his chest before screaming out in a terrible fit.

“MAMA!!!!!”

Marlena screamed as she shoved her husband off her, while the dog jumped up and his loud bark sounded throughout the room. The baby jumped from fright as he broke down in big tears, reaching for his mother. Marlena pulled the covers to her as she reached for her son, bringing him up to her and cradling him. John laughed as he reached for his boxers and slid them on before grabbing the dog and leading him downstairs. Marlena put the baby down on the bed as she reached for gown on the floor, and sliding it on quickly.

“How did you get in here John?” She asked softly as she held him tightly to her, making sure there were no bruises or scratches. After inspecting for any cuts and bruises, she pulled him to her and rocked him tightly.

“Mama….cry….da..da….bad….mama cry.” He mumbled as he rested his head on her chest, while Marlena wiped the tears from his eyes

“Daddy wasn’t making mama cry baby…shhhh shhh don’t cry…come on let mama put you to sleep.” Marlena soothed him as she rocked him when John entered the room.

“No! Da..da…mama cry!” The baby screamed as he pointed his finger towards his father as John smiled, looking over at his wife.

“John stop it!” Marlena looked over at her husband as he shrugged.

“What! I didn’t even do anything!” He laughed as the baby screamed louder. Marlena stood up as she carried the baby to his room, determined to get him to sleep. She knew this kid was dead tired, he was just being stubborn and she was going to put him to sleep, even if it takes her all night.

John looked at the bed as he dropped his head, before letting his body fall onto the mattress. “Welcome home Black!”

The door to the master bedroom slowly creaked open as Marlena snuck in, leaving the door slightly open. She glanced at the clock with her tired eyes, noticing the green numbers gleaming back at her. She dropped her head for a moment, realizing it took her two hours to put their cranky son to sleep. She thought he was never going to give into the night. Every time he closed his eyes, she slowly got up to put him in his crib, which he would then wake up and scream. So she would continue her routine of sitting back on the rocker, humming to him as she played with his hair, while rocking at a slow pace. And now at three am, she stared around the quiet room. Marlena let out a yawn as she slowly crawled onto the bed, glancing at her husband who was sleeping peacefully. She felt bad for not finishing what they had started, knowing it was probably killing him the most. She slowly crawled over him, straddling his boxer covered hips, waking him from his slumber. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision and his mind, trying to accept the concept of what was happening. His large hands unconsciously went to her hips as they grasped them lightly, holding her still.

“What’s wrong baby?” John whispered softly, clearing his throat a bit as he blinked again.

“Shhhhh…just relax.” She whispered before leaning down and taking his mouth with hers. “No talking….just lay back and enjoy the ride.” She smiled as she rubbed her body along his hips, making sure to stroke all the right areas. John bit his lip as he felt her hips move further into him, sending waves a pleasure running through his body. Marlena felt his arousal shoot up, hitting her hard in certain parts that threatened to kick her straight into paradise. She bit her lip as she let out a small whimper as John lifted his hips up a bit, making sure that she feels every bit of him. Marlena reached down and moved his boxers down a bit, letting his member jump free and rise to meet her expectation. He lifted her nightgown up a bit just above her hips, before moving her hips down to him. He tried to remove her gown completely but she stopped him, knowing that this rush of passion wasn’t going to last long and it was going to end sooner then they anticipated it to. She push his hands away as she reached down and held him straight before letting her hips fall down him, slowly and increasingly pleasurable. She closed her eyes as he filled her to the max, stretching her walls to a dimension that should be forbidden. He bit his lip as he closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath that warned him that he was going to lose this battle within moments. He felt her hips rotate and circle around his shaft, gripping him tightly and then releasing, while her velvet walls stroked the soft skin and hugged every crease. He looked up at her as she watched him with heavy eyes, her mouth slightly open as moans fell past her swollen lips. The straps of the nightgown began to fall from her slender shoulders and down her arms, the silk becoming heavy and slowly falling from her chest. John’s hands grasped her hips with powerful pressure as he slammed her down on him, giving her a rough ride. She began to lose her balance and gripped the headboard in front of her, balancing her from the rough rocking. John sat up as he threw her arms from the headboard, forcing her to wrap them around is neck as he thrusted up into her harder.

“Ohhh John….baby…I’m almost….” Marlena moaned in his ear as John’s breathing overpowered her sweet confessions. John pushed her down on her back as he plunged into her with impressive force and dangerous swiftness. Within moments he felt her clasp around him as a whimper and his name filled the room. She breathed heavily, wondering how long this ecstasy was going to continue on throughout her body. John pushed deeply, knowing these were the final moments before it all ended for the night. He groaned her name as he exploded deep inside her, finishing off his seed. They collapsed together, breathing the same air, fighting to control themselves. John leaned down and kissed his wife before pulling away from her and adjusting her nightgown and his boxers.

“God I missed you baby….I love you so much!” John whispered as Marlena took his lips, giving a sweet but deep kiss before parting away from him.

“I missed every second with you too. I’m so glad I have you back here with me, where you belong.” She held him to her as they began to relax, coming down from their natural high. Slowly Marlena closed her eyes, resting peacefully for the first time. John held his wife’s slender body close, taking in the comfort of having her so near, something he was without for months. This time he promised that he would be there, for good, forever, for all eternity.

The moans from both Marlena and John could be heard throughout the hallway as the early morning hours rolled in. The sun began to poke through the windows as the birds’ distant singing snuck past the window panes and into all rooms of the house. The baby had been fast asleep, snuggling his blanket as his face was buried into a soft pillow. After the stunt he pulled last night, hours of fighting of trying to go back to sleep, had definitely knocked all the energy out of him. Meanwhile, Marlena cried her husband’s name as he plunged into her body, bringing her to her climax and fast. Her long legs draped lazily around his hips, as they worked rapidly, slamming into her hips, pulling in and out as hard as he can. John’s hands pinned her hands above them, plastering them to the bedpost as he finished her off hard and quick. Their bodies were drenched in sweat as their ride came to end all too soon. John made his final pushes before emptying what was left of him, inside her body, pushing in as far as her body would allow him. He collapsed on top of her, breathing in deeply as Marlena sighed and moaned. She loosened her grip from her legs and placed them down, resting against the sides of John’s hips. He pulled up a bit to look at her, smiling softly before pulling her into a kiss.

“I got to turn on the air in here, I’m dying.” John laughed as he pulled away from her body and slowly stood up from the bed of entangled covers. She smiled at him as she breathed heavily, noticing for the first time that the comforter was thrown on the floor along with pillows, the sheets were pulled from the mattress, and the frames on the nightstand had been shoved and tossed.

Marlena took a deep breath as she pulled the thin silk sheet that was hanging off the side of the bed, and slightly covered her heated body. The fabrics coolness was a welcomed comfort as she began to close her eyes, giving into the deep exhaustion that was now overwhelming her. She turned her weak and sore body a bit as she got into a comfortable position, before falling into a deep sleep. John walked into his son’s room, making sure that he was still sleeping peacefully. John stared at his son before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his head, running his hand through his thin dark hair. He continued to lean over the crib, watching him sleep for what seemed like hours, taking in everything about him. He slowly stood back up and walked back to their bedroom, leaving the doors wide open this time, knowing that no more encounters were going to happen, or at least not for the first few hours anyway. He slowly crawled onto the bed, pulling his sleeping wife into his arms and laying with her. He placed a gentle kiss on her head, feeling at peace for the first time in a very long time…the simple fact of just being able to lie like this. Together they slept for a few more hours before the loud voice of their son would awake them.

NOOOOO!!!!!” Little John screamed throughout the house as John asked him to pick up a toy. “MIII…NE!!!!”

“John! What are you doing to him?” Marlena asked calmly as she came down the stairs slowly, dressed in a suit, holding a few folders in her hand.

“Nothing, this kid really has a temper problem.” John laughed as the baby snatched his toy in his hand and held it close to his chest.

Marlena smiled as she put the documents down on the counter and grabbed bottled water out of the fridge. “Just like his father!” She giggled as John looked up and made a face.

“Funny! Hilarious! Where are you off to?” John asked as he stood up from the chair, leaving the baby alone in peace.

“I told you, I have a meeting at 2.” Marlena said softly as she took a sip of water before placing the folders in her briefcase.

“Uhh no you didn’t.” John smiled as his face dipped to the back of her neck.

“Uhhh yes I did! I told you this morning….mmm…stop that…I have to get to a meeting.” She laughed as she dipped her head to the side, trying to prevent John from kissing her.

“Uhhh when this morning, because it sure wasn’t early this morning, unless your constant moaning of my name was suppose to be your explanation of leaving. And after that we slept for three more hours until our son woke up, which I attended to and you slept. So now this is the second time I am seeing you since this morning, whereas the first time you were much less dressed than this…which by the way….you look really good right now!” John smiled as he bit his lip while Marlena moved away from his roaming hands.

“I thought I did tell you, guess I didn’t. Well I have a meeting today, please watch John and don’t fight with him so much.” She kissed her husband’s lips before walking over and bending down to her son and giving him a quick peck and hug.

“You be good for daddy…mommy loves you so much! Can I have a kiss?” Marlena smiled as baby John looked up from his toys and placed a sloppy kiss on her lips. “How about a hug?” She whispered as he put his toys down and placed his tiny arms around her neck and smiled. “Ohhh Mommy loves you so much!” She cooed as she hugged him tightly back while John looked along.

“Uv u too ma..mi!” He giggled as he turned his attention back to his toys. Marlena stood up as John walked over to his wife, placing a soft kiss on her lips as little John stared at them.

“NO!!!!!” The baby screamed loudly as Marlena bent down to her son.

“John, stop screaming. What are you screaming about?” Marlena asked as the baby threw his toy at John. “JOHN! Don’t throw things…you do not throw things at people and you do not yell at daddy.” Marlena grabbed her son’s hands and pulled them to her, holding them tightly as he stared at his mother, upset and angry. “Tell daddy you are sorry.”

The baby glanced at his father as his bottom lip quivered and pouted. “so..ree… da…da.”

“Oh my son…it’s ok.” John smiled as Marlena gasped.

“No it’s not ok…now you be a good boy for daddy…Mommy will be back soon.” She kissed his head. “John if you have any problems, have me paged and I’ll be home in a moments notice.” She smiled as John shook his head.

“We’ll be fine….go to your meeting. Love you.” John smiled as Marlena leaned in and kissed his lips.

“Love you too. Be good boys.” Marlena smiled as she grabbed her things and walked to the garage.

John looked at his son as they stared at each other. “Now what should we do kid?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So where would you like the patient to be placed then?” Marlena asked as she tapped her pen against the clipboard, waiting for his amswer.

“I think it would be in the patients favor to send him to another facility, a facility where they can pay close and careful attention.” Marlena sat there confused and angry, knowing that her patient has improved to a level of impressiveness.

“In my opinion as his doctor, I feel that it would be best if he stayed here at this hospital. He doesn’t need another facility that can further care for him. I have observed my patient carefully now for 24 months and he has accomplished all that I expected.” Marlena said sternly as the new chief of staff shook his head.

“He needs to be out of here. I know you had a lot of pull here before Marlena…”

“Dr. Evans!” Marlena corrected him as the man smiled.

“Well Dr. Evans, like I was saying…you had your way here….but there is a new sheriff in town….and things are going to change. He is dismissed from this hospital at the end of the week.”

Marlena stood up hurriedly, grabbing her things and bringing them in her arms.

“Well I hope you know what you are doing Dr. Lindin.” Marlena said softly as she pulled the door open and let herself out. She was going to stop at her office, hoping to go over some files but after the meeting she had, she just wanted to go home. Just as she hit the button to the elevator, her assistant Patty came running up to her, stopping her from leaving.

“What’s the matter Patty?” Marlena asked quickly.

“Ohh nothing….your husband called for you and told me to tell you to meet him at the park when your finished with your meeting.” Patty spoke softly, trying to get back her breath.

“Oh God Patty, you scared the hell out of me, I thought something happened. Ok thank you for the message, I’ll head over there now.” Marlena smiled as she gave a small rub to Patty’s arm and entered the elevator.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The baby was playing with a ball in the grass as Belle watched him, pushing the ball back and forth, and trying to expand his running skills. Marlena watched from a distance as she exited the car, her heart filling up with pride and joy. She adjusted her dark Gucci sunglasses as she made her way to her kids, taking quick notice that her husband wasn’t there. Just before she reached them someone beeped the horn as she turned around, noticing her husband in his car across the street. She smiled as she walked over to him, but her heel got stuck in the crack of the cement, causing her to bend down and pull it out. John laughed as he watched her struggle with her shoe, barely noticing his children and what they were doing. Belle had pushed the ball so that the baby could get it but instead he ran unsteadily towards the sidewalk. Belle was looking for her cell phone in the bag when she glanced up and saw her brother heading the opposite way.

“Da..da!!!” Baby John yelled as he continued to run, heading towards John who was sitting across the street. John heard his son laughing loudly as he caught glimpse of his son running towards him, across the street.

“JOHN!!!!! No…Get Back Here!” Belle Screamed as she stood up and ran towards him.

“OH JESUS NO…..MARLENA…GET HIM!!!!!!” John yelled as Marlena glanced up, looking over to her side and seeing her son run.

“OH GOD!!!! JOHN NOOOO!!!!!” Marlena screamed as she jumped out of her shoes and ran after him, trying as much as she can to reach him before he ran into the street. A car was coming quickly down the street just as Baby John reached the curb.

“JOHN HELP!!!!” Marlena noticed the car coming and picked up the pace as she screamed towards her husband just as John jumped out of the car.

“NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Marlena screamed loudly as tears fell from her eyes, watching her whole life flash before her eyes.

John smiled as he watched his wife trying to get her show unstuck from the crack in the concrete. He barely noticed his son calling his name and running towards him, as he sat in his car across the street. It was only when a small figure bouncing up and down and the loud shriek of his daughter’s voice that made him glance in their direction.

“OH JESUS CHRIST….MARLENA!!! STOP HIM!!!!” John shouted from the car as he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the car door. It was then when John heard the roar of the engine from a sports car coming down the street. He waved his hand as he tried to stop him but the car picked up even faster, causing the blood to sink from John’s head. He searched for his wife, noticing how fast she was running trying to catch up to the baby as well as Belle, but still too far to get anywhere near him, considering the baby had been quite a distance from them. Everything froze and in slow motion John watched as his son took the last steps onto the curb, everything went silent except for the loud thud of his heartbeat. Marlena’s scream, calling her son, played over and over in slow motion, as he watched the fear in both her and Belle’s eyes. John prepared to run into the street to grab him but the baby had gotten too far already and last minute John came up with an idea. He jumped into the black Lexus as he shoved the gear in drive and slammed on the accelerator, turning the wheel hard and swerving in front of the sports car, blocking it just as their son ran into the street. The loud shriek of tires filled the air as the horn sounded off from the sports car as it plowed into the side of the Lexus at full speed. Marlena grabbed her son swiftly, yanking him up into her arms and pulling him back as they fell upon the sidewalk as the glass from the cars shattered and parts of the vehicles flew all around. Little John jumped as the cars collided violently, both losing control and sending the cars to spiral out of control and into the parked cars. Time stood still as both cars lay crumbled while smoke rose from both vehicles leaving an image of what seemed like a terrible scene in action movie. The horn of the sports car remained on as the airbags from the Lexus all deployed while John lay against the wheel, almost lifelessly.

“OH MY GOD! MOM!” Belle screamed as she ran up to her mother and brother who were on the laying on the sidewalk, Marlena hovering over her son. Marlena slowly pulled herself up, automatically checking for injuries on her son, making sure that he was not hurt or worse, dead. It was only then Marlena realized that her son had been screaming and crying, that she breathed a sigh of relief.

“BELLE!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING THAT YOU WERE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHERE HE WAS AT?” Marlena screamed as tears fell from her eyes. Belle just stood there as she cried, unsure of what to say, knowing there truly wasn’t an answer.

“Mom he was chasing after the ball and he was right in front of me. I was looking for my cell phone that I dropped on the ground and when I looked up, he was gone!” Belle explained as Marlena stood up, grabbing her son and holding him close to her. It was then that Marlena had finally realized that her husband was not by them and glanced towards the accident.

“JOHN!” Marlena shouted as she gave the baby to Belle and ran towards the cars, neglecting the pain that stung her feet as she stepped on glass and metal. She ran to the car door as she swung the driver door open and reached for her husband. “JOHN! Honey…please answer me….baby?” Marlena cried as she held John’s face in her hands, tapping him on his cheek, hoping he would awake. His eyes slightly fluttered as Marlena gave a silent thank you as she looked up before slowly reaching for her husband and checking his injuries. “John honey? Tell me where you are hurt?” Marlena asked as she began to search herself, not even waiting for his answer.

“Marlena…..the baby….where is he? Is…he….” John breathed heavily, unable to get the words out.

“Shhh its ok baby….He is fine, he’s safe. I need to know where you are hurt?” Marlena asked again as John gave a slight moan before attempting to move. He was quickly stopped as Marlena told him to stay still and that she will go and get help.

“Marlena….I’m fine…Just let me…. get out of…. this car.” John spoke quietly as he tried to push Marlena back, but was stopped yet again as she told him to sit still. “Marlena, check on the other car….I think they… may be hurt.” John said quietly as Marlena glanced up and noticed how bad the other car was.

“Ohhh wait here…” She said as she hurried to the other car, helping the injured persons. “Are you badly hurt?” She asked as they slightly shook their heads as they crawled out of the car, examining the damage.

“Oh what the shit is this? What the hell is your problem Pal?!” The young guy asked as John slowly got out from his car.

“The problem Punk…is that you were speeding down a side street….. across from a public park with children here. A child was running into the street….. and if I didn’t block you when I did… you would have ran over him! AND YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF TOO!!!” John shouted as Marlena walked over to him, trying to calm him down, noticing that he was still in shock and probably a little hurt.

“Look…everything seems to be okay…no one is badly injured…right?” Marlena asked as they all shook their heads. “Okay so we all have insurance….and our insurance will pay your damage. Sorry about all this….John, you and the baby need to go the hospital to get checked out….please come on.”

“Marlena, we need to call the cops…this has to be documented.” John spoke angrily as he watched the young kid closely.

“No John! We need to go Now!….Look, here is our numbers.” Marlena said as she reached into their smashed car and retrieved two of hers and John’s business cards. “Call us if you have any questions, our insurances will take care of it all.” Marlena spoke quickly as she glanced back to check on her crying son.

“Wait a minute….your that billionaire John Black…” The kid asked as John looked at him coldly.

“Yeah! And?”

“Well what if I want to sue?” The kid asked as John prepared to go after him, but Marlena quickly grabbed John’s arm.

“Then I would take legal action against you for trying to run down my kid…What I did was to protect my child…. and there is not a court in this world….that won’t side with me.”

“John STOP! We need to go…Please…we’ll meet with you sometime in the week to go over this situation.” Marlena asked as they agreed. She looked over their car, noticing it was totally not drivable. “We’ll take my car…let’s go! Belle!!! Call a tow truck and have them take this to the penthouse….I’m going to the hospital!” Belle nodded as she gave a crying John to her mother, as he clung to her closely, placing his head onto her shoulder.

John reached for his son, kissing the top of his head as held them for a few moments before Marlena pulled back. “Come on!” Marlena urged as she pulled John’s arm, quickly walking to the parking lot where her car was parked. John slowly reached down and grabbed her shoes from the sidewalk, where she left them before chasing after her son. Once they arrived to the car, Marlena buckled her son in tightly as he sat there and cried and kicked his legs while she put on her shoes that John tossed to her. After a few minutes of Marlena breathing in and out deeply, she started the car and headed to the hospital, knowing when they got there, there was something she was bound to hear, that she was not going to like at all.

“Don’t do that!” John moaned as the doctor examined the wound on his head while a nurse filled a syringe. “What are you going to do with that?!” John asked as the nurse smiled.

“You know Mr. Black, for a grown man, you sure are acting like a child.” She smiled as John gave a grunt, while the doctor touched his cut.

“That’s because I said I don’t need any assistance…I am fine!” John hissed as he tried to get up from the table but was quickly pushed back down, held against his will.

Marlena had walked into the room after being called by one of the nurses who couldn’t get John under control. She watched from the back room as John complained and argued with the doctor, telling him that he was feeling fine.

“John! Honestly just sit and relax….they need to make sure you are alright.” Marlena spoke in an annoyed tone as she walked over to the bed and leaned by him. “My god you are acting worse then the baby!” She complained as she nodded for the doctors to continue.

“Marlena! I told you I didn’t need a doctor and you go and pull something like this.” He said through clenched teeth flinching in pain while the doctor cleaned his wound.

“Well obviously you need it because you wouldn’t be flinching in pain if it was nothing. Now stay still! I have to get back to our son….are you going to be okay John?” She asked softly, tilting her head to the side. He gave a slow nod as Marlena leaned down and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back….please don’t make another scene…okay baby?”

Meanwhile the baby was crying as he sat there in the room while another doctor tried to make him laugh. Marlena walked into the room as he reached for his mother, screaming at the top of his lungs. She sat next to him as she pulled him in her arms, kissing his head and whispering for him to calm down.

“What’s the verdict doc?” She asked as he smiled. The two had known each other for awhile, even back when she was dating Alex during her separation from John. They had held a close friendship during her separation, him always being the pillar of strength for her…however she never dared to tell her husband about him.

“Well….first of all… have I told you how much he looks like John?” Darren laughed as Marlena nodded her head and smiled.

“I know I know…You haven’t told me that yet…but everybody and their mother have told me. My baby just wasn’t privileged enough to have his mommy’s great looks…isn’t that right sweetie.” She smiled as the doctor laughed before sliding up to them and placing a gentle hand on the baby’s cheek.

“He is adorable though…”

“Oh yeah he is beautifully adorable and such a great looking kid of mine…..but he doesn’t have my looks…imagine what he would look like if he did.” She laughed as the baby tugged his face into her shoulder.

“He is perfectly fine Marlena. Not one single cut or bruise on his body. You got one lucky kid here.” He said as he rubbed his hair while the baby screamed and took his hand and swatted him away.

“John…Stop that.” Marlena said softly as she glanced at the doctor. “Sorry about that. Yeah I do have one lucky kid here. You know so many things have happened since he has been born…almost as if it was an omen for me to bring in another child into this world. What are we like the worst parents alive out there….I can’t even keep an eye on my child, I can’t even protect him…what is wrong with us!” Marlena dropped her head, the emotion finally pushing her to the breaking point.

“Marlena! Stop…relax…look that doesn’t make you a bad parent. I swear kids these days have gotten much worse, their much quicker, much active, and much more accident prone. Trust me as a pediatrician…I know. You are a great mother and John is a great father….this baby here is so lucky to have you two. Don’t ever say that you are bad parents….bad parents leave their kids behind…they lock them in a house for a week without supervision, they abandon them, they abuse them. Not you guys!” He smiled as he placed both his hands on her face as she finally looked up at him, tears still running down her face. She gave a soft smile as she dropped her vision to the baby, while the baby began to fall asleep in her arms.

“Do you really think I am fit for this.” She asked softly.

“A little too late to be asking this question but yes…you are fit for any child. You are a great mother and that’s what matters. Now dry those tears…you have a son to raise.” He laughed as Marlena smiled, reaching up and grabbing his hand gently, silently thanking him.

The door opened quickly as they glanced over and noticed John standing in the doorway, his face filled with anger. Darren took his hands away from her face as Marlena cleared her throat.

“John…hey baby.” Marlena smiled as John looked over at Darren.

“How is everything…fine.”

“Yes actually all is good…turns out the baby is perfect.” Darren smiled as Marlena watched her husband closely.

“That’s good to hear….tell me Doctor…are you not a pediatrician?” John asked calmly as Marlena stood up quickly, knowing where this was going.

“John….” Marlena said softly as John ignored her.

“Why yes I am…why do you ask John?” Darren smiled, unsure of what he was getting at.

“Then what the hell are you doing examining my wife.” He said coldly as Marlena walked over to her husband and reached for his hand.

“John…Stop This!” She said through clenched teeth as John stepped forward a bit.

“Answer the question!” John asked coldly as Darren stood confused, looking between John and his wife.

Darren stood quietly as he dropped his head for a second while Marlena tried to convince John to leave. John refused to leave the room, desperate for an answer, frantic for a reason why he was touching her. As he was about to walk forward, the baby had opened his eyes, calling in a tired voice for his father, snapping John out of his rage. The baby lifted his head from his mother’s chest as he reached for John, who instantly took him from Marlena’s grip. Marlena gave a sigh of relief as she looked at Darren apologetically before leading her boys out of the room. John turned around glancing at Darren as he gave a smirk.

“We’re not finished here…another time…another place.” John said angrily as Marlena pushed him a little more, closing the door behind her.

“John just move…please.” She said quietly as John took off hurriedly, wanting to get out of the public place so he can have this conversation with her. They reached the car as he buckled his son and prepared to slide in the driver’s side, but Marlena walked up to him as she tried to take the keys.

“I’ll drive…you relax.” Marlena said softly as John snatched back his hand.

“No I’m driving…get in now.”

“No! You are in no condition to drive…now let me!” Marlena fought back but quickly was cut off.

“Either you get in now Marlena or I leave you here!” John snapped as he jumped in the car as Marlena bit her lip and walked around to the passenger side. She slowly got in as she leaned back to check on her son, before fastening her seatbelt. John slammed on the accelerator quickly, zooming off down the street, surprising Marlena.

“John! Slow Down! We have the baby in the car and we don’t need another accident.” Marlena complained as John ignored her plea.

“So who was he?” John asked angrily as he swerved in and out of cars.

“John I’m not going to tell you again…Slow this car down now!”

“And I’m not going to tell you again….who was he?!” John asked as he turned onto the freeway, picking the car up at high speeds.

“John! If I tell you who he was, will you please slow this goddamn car down?!” Marlena protested as she gripped onto the dash in front of her. John released his foot off the pedal a bit, taking a little more careful measures.

“Go ahead!”

“He is a friend okay, simply a friend and nothing more.”

“So a friend who feels the need to touch your face and look into your eyes, while your faces are mere inches apart. JUST A GODDAMN FRIEND HUH?” John shouted as he hit his fist on steering wheel, causing the baby to cry.

“John, would you relax…please! He was a friend of mine while we were separated back then, nothing more than that. He was comforting me when I broke down about the baby almost being hit by the car today! Why must I have to explain everything to you…do you have so little faith or respect for me?” She shouted, trying to hold back the tears that were welling up in her hazel eyes.

“You know what….I don’t want to argue with you about this in here….when we get home we will discuss this!” John said sternly as Marlena turned her face away.

“I don’t want to discuss this…there is no need too. I know what happened and that’s the end of it!” Marlena said as she looked out the window. “What we should be doing is trying to figure out how to be better parents…I mean last night he walks in on us, the next morning he almost gets killed by a car in front of us. Don’t you think we have better things to discuss!” She spat as she leaned her head against the headrest.

John ignored her suggestions as he pulled into their driveway, waiting for the gates to open and then proceeding forward. Once the car came to a stop, Marlena quickly opened the car door and jumped out, reaching for the back door and pulling her son from his carseat. She angrily walked to the front door, placing her keys into the slot and walking into the house, slamming the door behind her, shutting it hard on John. She went upstairs and changed the baby’s clothes and his pamper, before trying to rock him to sleep. It didn’t take very long, for the baby was much overdue for his usual nap and was out within minutes. She placed him in his crib and headed out the room and downstairs, preparing for one evil conversation that she knew no matter how hard she tried, the dreaded talk was going to happen, and there was nothing she could to stop it.

The living room was much too quiet as she descended to the bottom of the stairs, looking around the hallways. She slowly crept to the corner of the room as she noticed her husband pacing back an forth, almost as if he were a cat waiting for a mouse to exit the hole in the wall. She softly cleared her throat, getting his attention as he relaxed his legs for a moment, standing still and looking at her.

“Let’s talk!” He said quickly as he gestured for her to sit down on the loveseat. She shook her head from side to side, refusing to give into his jealousy.

“There is nothing to talk about. Nothing was going on…nothing was happening! I refuse to argue about this with you…You want to be miserable all your life by living your life like this then go ahead…but don’t drag me into this with you.” She spoke arrogantly as John’s mouth dropped in shock.

“Drag you into this! Marlena! You were the one who put yourself into this! And what do you mean there is nothing to talk about…like hell there isn’t. I walked in on you and this doctor guy, someone caressing your face, almost as if he were your lover.”

“Oh Stop this John!” Marlena complained, throwing her hands up into the air.

“You stop this bullshit Marlena! This man was grabbing your face, the look in his eyes, the simple inch away from your face….don’t you tell me he has some professional friendly agenda with you. And you had the fucking nerve to do this…that in front of my son!” John snapped, throwing his car keys into the wall, watching as they left a small dent in the paint.

“How much shit do you have to ruin around here….shit that I have to get fixed….shit that I have to pay for! And I was not doing anything in front of MY SON! Like I told you before and I will TELL YOU AGAIN….HE IS MERELY A FUCKING FRIEND! And the cherry to top the fucking sundae… you were about to cause a scene…a scene that could have left you back into that padded room you liked so much. After all the shit I had to do to get you out of there….you try and pull some bullshit like you have done today!” Marlena screamed as she pointed her finger at him, showing him that she had had enough. “Now I don’t have time to deal with this….you want argue…I suggest you go find someone else to pick a fight with. A lot happened to us today…a lot of things that could have changed our lives forever….so excuse me if I have to go and rest while I try to absorb it all!” Marlena viciously spoke, the venom in her attitude now seeping out in her words. She was about to walk away when John walked up to her and grabbed her by the arm.

“I am not finished talking to you!”

“Talking or accusing? Insulting? Being Vindictive? Being an asshole!” Marlena snatched her arm back as she prepared to walk from the room once again.

“You know what Marlena? I guess you didn’t learn your lesson from the other doctor you dated! Funny, I thought maybe you would have got the clue by now….should we go around for round 2….maybe this one might knock some sense into you this time!” John shouted as Marlena’s mouth dropped, her head turning back to look at him. She lifted her hand as she slapped him in his cheek violently, the sting also affecting her skin on her hand. John’s face fell to the side, taking in the impact of the mind blowing slap she just gave. John bit his lip roughly, refusing to let his anger boil to the top…refusing to give into to what he really wanted to do. If it were any other woman besides Marlena who slapped him the way she did now….he would have back slapped the shit out of her…even though abuse on a female was against his moral. She watched him carefully, almost feeling guilty for what she had done, knowing abuse was not the answer at all. She backed up and was about to leave when John pinned her to the nearby wall, grabbing her face roughly in his big hand and squeezing her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“John!” Marlena whimpered as she closed her eyes, tears spilling from her under her dark long lashes. He leaned in and kissed her roughly, forcing his tongue into her mouth as he sucked the life from her. She moaned her complaints, trying to push his body from her, but her hands were quickly pinned behind her by his. She refused to give in, refused to go this far, refused to let sex get in the way, but that all too familiar burn in her stomach was beginning to creep its way up. She felt his mouth move erotically against hers, the way his tongue danced along hers so smoothly, yet so passionately. He bit her lower lip, nipping here and there before pulling back and stripping her jacket from her body. His hands went to her blouse, caressing her breasts through the silk material, fondling her with a strong urgency.

“I can’t John! Stop!” Marlena begged, but knowing deep down inside she wanted it just as bad as he did. He silenced her again with a kiss as he undid her pants swiftly, yanking them down past her hips along with her panties. He broke the kiss as he bent down and ripped the material from her legs tossing it behind him, while placing his face at her sweet centre. She dipped her back into the wall as she bit her lip, ashamed that she was giving into his seduction. She felt his tongue slide against her lips as they skimmed past them, flicking against that hot little button that was hidden past the swollen flesh. A moan fell from her lips, deceiving her, giving away what she was truly feeling. She did not want to prove to John the passion he was brewing, but little did she know, each minute that passed that she didn’t stop him, was only more fuel to the fire for her husband. He rose to his feet quickly as he took her mouth yet again, this time the kiss much more violent than the last. The sound of his belt buckle jingling and his zipper coming undone filled her senses as his hands left her body and shoved his pants and boxers down. His hands went back to her ass as he squeezed them roughly before lifting her up and slamming her back into the wall, forcing her legs to grip around him tightly. She felt him enter her hard as she painfully gasped out at the violent intrusion. He filled her to the max, not even giving her the chance to adapt to him in anyway. He slammed his hips up into her as he thumped her body into the wall, pushing himself as far as he could go.

“John! Oh God!” She moaned as he thrusted in and out of her with quick speeds, her legs clamping onto him for dear life. She felt the hard cold wall as her back rocked against it, the thump being heard throughout the house, not including the grunts and moans from both of them. She felt herself giving in and falling, the feeling of orgasm coming way too soon. He slid out of her as he looked into her eyes, watching what her reaction was going to be. When he noticed the sense of loss, he shoved himself back in, touching that sensitive spot in her tissue that always made her lose control. She clasped onto his hair, ripping it from its scalp as he plunged into her harder then before.

“You are mine….And ….no…..one….will have this….but ME!!!!!” John shouted as he felt her tighten around him. She shut her eyes in erotic pleasure as she let herself go, releasing the built up desire, letting her juices break free from its dam. John felt her warmness as he pulled her from the wall and placed her on her feet. He quickly bent her over the arm of the couch as he entered harder then before, slamming himself as far as he could possibly go. She bit the fabric of the couch, trying desperately to control the screams that were barely being suffocated by the couch. Her hands gripped the cushion as she dipped her head into the soft leather, unable to take the desire that was beginning to build yet again. John help her hips in his hands as he slammed her back into him, screaming her name, while trying to control his rapid breathing. He felt himself about to let go when she pulled away from him, lifting up from the chair and backing away from his body.

“What are you doing?” He asked harshly as he tried to reach for her. She shook her head as she dipped her head low.

“I can’t do this with you….” She whispered as John’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“You had yours and I’m going to have mine.” He smirked as he grabbed her and lowered her to the carpet, falling between her long legs. She let herself go, knowing she needed this just as much as he and moaned as he entered yet again. She rested her foot on the glass coffee table next to them as she elevated her hips up, giving more stimulation for both of them. John grunted loudly as he slammed into her roughly, picking up his pace as fast as he possibly could, while Marlena’s nails ripped through his skin at the back of his neck. He moved his hand underneath her ass as he lifted it while he slammed into her yet again, this time pushing her to no limit. She tensed up and closed her eyes as she her hands grasped his short dark hair, her mouth dropping open and a deep ‘yes’ falling from her lips, before it was engulfed with a deep guttural moan. John smiled as he bit his lip, finishing up his thrust as they now became violently quick. He felt his body tighten and his blood explode as he poured his hot creamy liquid into her body, holding her as close as humanly possible. She shut her eyes, taking in the deep pleasure that was flowing through her body while her husband collapsed onto her body, with an impressive force. His hands traveled up and into her hair as he pulled her mouth to him, kissing her with deep passion. He tugged on her blouse that had still remained on while she tugged on his shirt back, smiling.

“I’m sorry baby! I had no right to say what I did. You know I would move heaven and earth to protect you.” John said softly, causing a sweet smile to appear on her lips

“I know that you would. I’m sorry for hitting you….I had no right to do that. You know I am against that and still I did it…I’m sorry!” She whispered as a tear escaped past her eyes.

“You know what…you had every right to slap me….I give you permission too if I say anything stupid like that again. I am also sorry for accusing you of having something with that doctor. I know that you don’t and I know that you never will….I just get jealous you know….you know how I am.” He smiled as Marlena nodded her head.

“And I’m sorry for being so rough too.” He laughed as Marlena giggled.

“Actually I didn’t mind the rough part…once you get past the agony of something huge getting shoved into you unexpectedly, it actually feels real good.” She laughed as John leaned down and kissed her lips.

“I love you baby….I love you so much! And I just want you to know that I have so much faith and respect in you…I would never assume you as unfaithful.”

“I love you too baby….and I am forever yours….you have nothing to worry about.” She smiled as she leaned her head up to kiss him again.

John raised an eyebrow as he thought of an idea while Marlena looked along curiously. “What?”

“Wanna take a swim?” He asked as Marlena smiled but looked towards the stairs.

“What about the baby?”

“Well we can swim in the downstairs one if that makes you happy, therefore we can watch him on the screen.”

“Actually I wanted to go to the hot tub outside, the one that’s hidden under the waterfall…How about tonight when he is sound asleep.” Marlena smiled as John gave a small wink.

“You got yourself a date baby!”

A few months passed as the lives of The Black’s seemed to become a lot more hectic then usual. The baby was now getting into everything, running through the house back and forth, not to mention repeating everything he heard. John and Marlena had become quite cautious with their choice of words as of late, hoping that when an accidental curse slipped, the baby was nowhere around. Even their affection had become extremely limited, Baby John now beginning the horrible habit of sleeping with his parents every night or refusing to leave them alone for a second or two. He had now most definitely become an obstacle in their everyday lives and it had seemed nothing was about to change, not for awhile.

The wedding of their close friends, Pete and Linda’s daughter had been every girls’ fantasy and every woman’s dream. The room was filled with ivory colored roses as sheer drapes hung while the soft candlelight filled the room. Soft music played throughout the crème colored room as guests began to arrive slowly, taking time to chat with the happily married couple while others made themselves comfortable at the bar. John, Marlena, and Baby John had just walked through the lobby doors when little John slowly awoke from his nap he just had in the car. He rubbed his eyes as he lifted his head off his fathers shoulder while glancing around the room, taking in all the things he could possibly break. Marlena, who was dressed in long dark crimson hugging gown, her soft highlighted waved hair falling all her slender shoulders, while her eye make-up and lip color was darker then usual, toned to match her dress. She began to pull at the buttons on her long black elegant coat as she turned to her son and began unbuttoning his little black Burberry jacket, loosening it from his body. She smiled as he pushed her hands away, turning his head to look at the kids running around. John held him tightly, refusing to put him down, knowing the minute they did, something awful was bound to happen.

“Marlena, here…I’ll take off his jacket.” John said as he put his son on the ground, holding his arm so that he doesn’t run off, and pulling the designer coat from his little body. The baby stood still, dressed in a little black suit, his hair combed to the side, planning his diversion while Marlena bent down by him and fixed his tie.

“Daddy didn’t do such a great job on this, did he? Mommy has to fix both your ties.” Marlena smiled as she adjusted the fabric before standing up while her husband pulled her coat from her. “Thank you sweetie.”

John smiled as he handed Marlena their son’s hand while John removed his coat and checked them in at the coat room. Baby John tried to pull his hand away from his mother, knowing he could pull all stunts with her but would never dare with his father.

“John, stop it or you’re going to walk with daddy.” Marlena warned him as she began to walk along her husband and into the elegant room. They both took quick notice at how delicate everything looked as they both glanced down at their son.

“Maybe we should have left him at home.” John smiled as Marlena nodded, suggesting they both keep a very close eye on him tonight. They began to say their hellos, hugging and kissing family and friends while the baby tugged on their hands, hating that he was constantly watched.

Dinner began shortly after as the baby sat between his parents, picking at the fries and chicken nuggets they brought out for him while his parents ate their meals. Many of the guests tried to talk to him but he refused to make conversation, his moodiness becoming a constant thing these days. Marlena had tried to take the habit away from him but it seemed his shyness is what caused it and that she could not help.

“So John, how is the business doing?” Tom Jacobs asked, one of the investors who knew John from a few charities they had done in the past.

John looked up from his plate as he smiled before speaking. “It’s doing very well Tom…better then it has been in ages. Although, I took some time off from it for awhile, spending some time with my family.” John smiled as he looked at his wife, knowing that nobody in Salem knew about what had happened to him or the situation they went through. It was a private family matter and it was for no one else’s concern.

“Well that is really good. Basic Black has made a huge success in the fashion industry, bringing fashion in a whole new direction.” Tom smiled as Marlena gave a small laugh and a simple nod.

The party was now kicked up a few notches as the lights dimmed and the music became louder. Marlena and John tried to associate with as many people possible, taking turns on who was keeping an eye on little John. Maggie had offered to keep an eye on him as she persuaded John and Marlena to have a drink and dance. John took the gracious offer as his hand slid around her slender waist and led her to the dance floor. She laughed as his lips grazed hers before their hands clasped onto one another and their bodies slid along each other.

“Wow, who would have thought in the past few weeks we would have had a moment alone like this.” Marlena smiled as John leaned in by her ear.

“Well I was pretty damn close to throwing you on the ground this morning in the bathroom and taking you right there but of course our son came bolting through the door. I haven’t made love to you in weeks…I’m dying here baby.” John groaned as Marlena giggled.

“Eventually we will get back to our normal schedules…just not anytime soon.” She smiled as she pat his chest before leaning up and kissing his lips softly. After a couple minutes, John had gone to the bar while Marlena went to find her son and chatted with a few others on the way. As she walked into the lobby, she was horrified to see her son yelling at his godmother at the top of his lungs, pointing his finger. She hurriedly walked over to them as she reached for his hand that he was pointing and took it in her own, bending down to scold him.

“John, don’t talk to your Aunt Maggie that way…what is the matter with you? You know better then that…Do you want me to get Daddy?” Marlena scolded as the baby shook his head.

“She no wet me pway.” He said in his baby’s voice as Marlena stood up and grabbed his hand.

“Thank you Maggie…I am very sorry about his attitude.”

“Marlena don’t worry about it…he’s a baby…he’s only 2.”

Marlena smiled as she gave a slight roll of her eyes. “Terrible two…his tantrums have gotten way out of control as of late and we have to stop that soon.”

After what seemed like hours of talking to Maggie, the baby snatched his hand away and ran after the kids, playing with them as Marlena turned to grab him.

“Let him play Marlena…he’ll be fine.” Maggie said as Marlena tuned back and looked at her friend. As they continued to chat, the sound of a glass crashing to the floor sounded throughout the room as Marlena and Maggie turned and looked at the kids. All the kids were surrounded by the broken glass as Little John looked along, almost with a face of guilt. Just as the kids were going to run away, Marlena walked up to them as she asked her son of he did that, which was quickly denied by the baby.

After all the glass had been cleaned up by one of the workers, Marlena was about to take her son back in the room when she seen him grab one of the little boys and shove him to the ground. Marlena’s mouth dropped and just as she was about to run and grab him, her husband suddenly came from behind her and picked him up with force, bringing him close to his chest.

“What is the problem John!” John spoke sternly as the baby froze, while Marlena walked up to them.

“I think it’s time for us to get going…he is beginning to get out of hand.” Marlena said as John nodded.

“It’s getting late anyways…..lets start saying our goodbyes and get this kid home. You are in big trouble when we get home son.” John warned him as the baby stood still in his arms. Marlena knew John had been disciplining their son early and much tougher then he ever had on Belle in her whole life. They would often debate on the child rearing, Marlena being against the hitting at such a young age, where John embraced it, saying he needed it. Many nights of arguments and going to sleep angry had taken place and finally they agreed to an agreement that as long as John didn’t spank him hard and for a good reason, she was fine with it.

The drive home was quiet as Marlena glanced out the window while John drove down a different route they had never taken before. The baby had been sound asleep in his car seat his body slumped along the chair. As they drove down the quiet dark road, the car shook as it hit some debris on the road, causing Marlena to turn her face to John.

“What was that?” Marlena asked as John hit the steering wheel and turned the car to the side.

“We have a flat tire…damnit!” John said angrily as Marlena dipped her head back into the seat, unable to handle this situation now. She looked out the window and noticed that there was no street signs, no street lights, the only light coming from the moon…and it was a long lonely dark road. John unbuckled his seat belt as he reached for the door handle.

Marlena turned her head towards him and gave a look of concern. “Where are you going?”

“I need to fix the tire…we got to get out of this road.” John said as he put his hand on the lever.

“John just call the roadside assistance….that’s what they are paid to do.” Marlena said softly as she removed her seatbelt.

“Marlena I think I can handle changing a tire.”

“With what light John? Will the moonlight be enough to guide you?” She sarcastically asked as John glanced at her before yanking out his cell phone and giving a groan, quickly searching for the number. After a grueling call of trying to explain where they were, he slammed the phone shut as he put it on the dash as he hit the dome light off in the car, total darkness filling the inside. He turned on some soft gentle music as he locked the doors and leaned back, running his hands over his face and taking a deep breath. Marlena turned towards him as she ran a slender hand through his hair, before reclining her seat back and closing her eyes. John looked around at all the trees that hovered over the car, a perfect road for a murderer to hunt his prey.

“Marlena, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m sorry.” John said softly as she turned and glanced his way.

“It’s okay…I understand. I’m just glad you’re here.” She smiled as he leaned over and gave her a kiss. The mouths moved slowly against one another, sensually sucking each lip’s fullness. Their kiss picked up a bit as John’s tongue sneaked past her lips and glided against hers, caressing around eachother. His hands brought her face closer to his as he smothered her mouth with his, sucking the life from her. Soft moans echoed past his lips as her hands grasped his face as she held him there, refusing to let the kiss end. John pulled back a bit as he hit the button for the steering wheel to raise and push in. He pulled Marlena closer to him as he sucked her slender and smooth neck while Marlena’s fingers traveled through his hair.

“Come here baby…get on top of me.” John spoke softly as he tried to pull Marlena closer. She backed up a bit as she smiled before giving him a quick poke under his chin.

“The baby is in here….no.”

“He’s in the back Marlena….sleeping…he’ll never know and we’ll be quiet.” John moaned as he tried to pull her to him again. He grabbed her lips with his mouth as he kissed her again, this time harder then before. “Marlena, you looked so good tonight…you look even better right now…I need you honey….I’ve been needing you. Come on!” John begged as he finally got a hold of Marlena’s waist and pulled her on top of his lap. He hit the recline button as Marlena straddled his hips, kissing his mouth hard and letting her tongue roam. John’s hands reached under her dress as he brought it up her hips, caressing her through her silken panties, causing Marlena to moan into his mouth. She felt his erection and it was painfully hard against her thigh, the excitement flowing throughout her body. She imagined him inside her and that sent chills down her spine. She heard the clasp of his belt and the zipper of his trousers as her panties were shoved to the side as his fingers caressed her roughly, sliding in and out of her body. His fingers quickly withdrew from inside her as his erection rubbed against her lips, poking and probing at her sensitiveness. She felt his hand move the fabric of his boxers down as he led his penis to her opening, preparing it for entry. She closed her eyes as the tip was inserted and took a deep breath, preparing to stifle a cry. She felt him raise his hips as his member slid up in her slowly yet still excruciatingly painful. As his hardness filled her soft walls, his mouth quickly latched onto hers, sucking the cry from her. They stood still for a few moments before John began to move her hips up and down him, slowly. She felt every single ridge of him as it slid along the creases in her body and it took everything in her will power to fight off the climax. She knew this was going to be a quick session so she made what she could out of it.

There bodies rocked slowly, making gentle movements, partially because they didn’t want to hurry it, the other because of not wanting to wake the baby from the car rocking. She never would have agreed to do something like this on an abandon road, but right now it felt perfect. John’s hands went under her dress as he tried to get a better grip on her but success was not in his cards. He ripped the silk undergarment from her body as she let out a gasp as he thrusted hard in her, grasping her hips in his hands. She bit her lip as she watched her son sleep behind them, hoping that he doesn’t open his eyes for at least another few minutes. She felt her husband’s hands grasp her ass as they rode it into him, guiding her onto his hardness. She felt him increase his speed and his grunts became louder as she latched onto his mouth, stopping both his and her cries. He yanked her dress down as his mouth clasped onto her breast, sucking her nipple and tugging on it with his teeth. She dipped her head back as she released herself to the ecstasy he was creating throughout her body. She grabbed his face and looked deep into his eyes and they kissed while their hips clashed against one another. John bit his lower lip as he felt her clamp around him and slammed her hips down on him with an impossible force. She bit his neck as she finally released her climax, her body falling onto him in a desperate moment of strength. John pick his hips up as he emptied himself into her, holding her hips completely still as he felt himself pour. Their hips then began to leisurely buck against one another, until no feeling was left inside. They looked at each other as they shared a kiss before hearing the sigh of their son, who was simply switching positions. They sighed in unison, thanking the Lord above that he had not witnessed what was happening.

After minutes of trying to regain their breath, Marlena had been the first to speak, voicing her own opinion. “So what do you want to do now?”

The cool air filled the master suite, the cold wind blowing past the balcony doors and bringing an unwelcoming chill. Marlena slowly got up from the soft cushion of the bed as she pushed the doors shut, locking the handle and rubbing her arms up and down. She heard the doors close behind her as she quickly turned around to see her husband looking at her.

“Hey, why did you leave these open?” She asked as she pointed towards the balcony doors.

“It was hot in here.” John smiled as he slipped his watch off and placed it on the dresser.

“So is the ceiling fan broken?” She mumbled as she walked towards her husband, kissing the back of his neck before mentioning their son. “Did he fall asleep?” Marlena asked as John simply nodded. She noticed his loss for words as she stepped to his side and searched for his face. “What’s the matter? What did he do now?” She asked somewhat irritated, fed up by the recent events between both of them lately.

John took a deep breath before looking at his wife. “Marlena, he needs to be disciplined badly…and it needs to be through you too.” Marlena rolled her eyes as she took a deep breath before dropping her gaze to the carpet.

“John we have discussed this already…and I am not going to go through this again with you. I do discipline him…just not the way you do.”

“Marlena! He does not listen and he knows that he can pull all stunts with you.”

“So what do you want me to do John? Beat the living hell out of him….like you do! No I’m sorry I won’t do that and since we’re on this topic….I want you to stop hitting him too. You practically take your anger out on him. He is only a child John!” Marlena stressed as John bit his lower lip.

“I do not beat the hell out of him Marlena…I spank him….And that’s more then I can for you.” John said as he walked past her and sat on the bed.

“I will admit his attitude needs to be taken care of from time to time… but hitting him constantly is not the way to do it. You know I have been against this thing from day one but I remained quiet, respecting your view in this parenting role. But I have had it and I am done with it. Do not touch him anymore.” Marlena pointed her finger at her husband as she demanded to be heard. John stood up quickly as he pushed her finger away from him and then shoving her hands away that tried to stop him from leaving.

“Did I ever once tell you stop your disciplining on Belle when she got out of hand….when you constantly were on her back a couple years ago… right up until the very day before he was born. No! I didn’t!”

“Well someone had to discipline her…you weren’t doing anything to control her!” Marlena argued back as John threw up his hands.

“And neither are you with our son Marlena! So step back and let me take care of him like you took care of Belle!”

Marlena’s mouth dropped as she grabbed his arm. “He is my son and I won’t let this go on any further. And I did not hit Belle when she was 2….sure an occasional spanking…but beating the shit out of her everyday…No I didn’t! And I refuse to let our son be afraid of you…more then he already is now.” John snatched his arm back as he went to the balcony doors and opened them once again. “John do you remember the night we went to the wedding, the night we had a flat tire and we were stuck on that abandon road.” Marlena asked as John nodded.

“What about that night?”

“Well we both knew the baby was out of control that night….but he was tired and he needed to get home to be put to sleep. So when we finally got home, I put him to bed and then went to our room where you had other ideas on your agenda besides sleeping, which was fine. But the way you acted when he walked into our room just because he wanted to sleep with us, was completely unnecessary and that is why we argued and have been arguing ever since. I want you to keep your hands off my kid…you got that!” Marlena spat as she reached for the handle on the door. John stood shocked as he walked behind her and placed a hand on the door to stop her.

“That was a mighty nice choice of words…don’t you think?” He asked as she gave a small nod.

“Sound familiar….it should! Isn’t that what you told me about Brady when I tried to discipline him….after I raised him as my own…in fact he was and still is my own. And now I am telling you….keep your goddamn hands off MY SON.” She glanced at him before opening the door slightly to leave the room.

“Or What? What are you going to do about it Marlena?” John asked as she dropped her head.

“Well I would hope you don’t let it get that far…and if you do…you’ll be making a big mistake!” She hissed as she yanked the door open and walked to the end of the hall, disappearing into her son’s room and slamming the door.

The loud scream of baby John’s cry filled the room as he began to throw his usual tantrums. Months had passed and instead of his attitude getting better, it got worse, causing John to lose his edge more and he and Marlena to be at constant bickering. Even though she had expressed to him how she felt and even gave him an ultimatum, it didn’t stop his disciplining, in fact he became tougher with it. John and Marlena had began drifting apart, living two separate lives under one roof. Separate bedrooms had now become the sleeping arrangements, and hardly any communicating was done with one another unless they were arguing.

Marlena made her way into the room as she knelt down and grabbed him by his tiny arms, making sure he looked at her. “What is the matter John? Why are you crying?”

His lips pouted as his eyes searched for his toy before looking back at his mother and dropping his gaze. “M…mmm…my toy…it no come out.” He stuttered as he began to cry again, leaving a very confused looking mother.

“What? What toy?” She asked as she grabbed his toy car, holding it up. “This toy?”

He nodded as she began to pull the stuck little figurine from under the wheel, struggling to pull it free. After what seemed like hours of trying to pull it, it finally released causing a very loud laugh to escape her son. She rubbed his hair back and slid her hand down his face as she smiled at him and kissed his head.

“See all better….now stop crying okay?” She smiled as he nodded and sat back down with his toys while she walked to the kitchen. The phone started ringing as she reached for it while opening the fridge, and grabbing John’s snacks. She heard his all to familiar voice as she gave a small sigh.

“What are you doing home, I thought you had patients?”

“I did have patients…two canceled last minute and so I was free for the rest of the day. I decided to spend it with my son, is that okay with you?” She asked sarcastically while she tried to rip open the bag of gummy bears.

“Look it was a simple question Marlena…don’t make this into something its not.” John said defensively as he tapped his pen against his desk, annoyed with this whole situation.

“Is there a reason you’re calling John or is it that time to start another debate.”

“Actually there is a reason…I will be home late tonight…I have a conference call and a business dinner…so don’t wait up.”

Marlena gave a frown as she was concentrating more on the bag in front of her then with the conversation they were having. “I don’t anyways…I’ll see you later…bye.” She grabbed the phone and clicked it off as she walked back to where her son was. John held the phone to his ear as he slowly brought it down to the cradle. He glanced at the photo on his desk of Marlena and their son, as he reached for it and picked it up, studying it closely. ‘How could something so perfect go so wrong?’ He thought to himself, placing the picture back down and getting up from his chair. He stared out at the window as his mind traveled to the happier times in their lives, a time that he thought his love would have never faded. He heard his phone ring as he reached for it and brought it to his ear.

“Yep…Fine….I’ll meet you there…8pm.” With that he hung up the phone and grabbed his coat and keys, before closing the door to his office and leaving.

A few hours passed as Marlena found herself slowing opening her eyes as she lay on the couch with her son tucked right along the side of her body, sleeping soundly and peacefully. She checked the clock on the entertainment center as she rubbed her eyes before scooting away gently, making sure not to disturb her son. She grabbed the phone as she dialed John’s office, hoping he wasn’t in his conference. She had forgotten to tell him earlier that she needed him to bring some milk home and after several rings, she had given up on that idea. She leaned on the counter and placed her face in her hands, unsure of what had been happening to them. She knew she was the cause for the friction between them lately but she couldn’t back down from what she demanded, instead deciding to be even crueler, which was tearing their marriage to shreds.

Meanwhile, John sat at dinner with Kate as they went over some business proposals and possible business trips. She was surprised John decided to attend this dinner, for he always turned late night events down, unless his wife was attending with them. But Kate was no fool either, she knew there was trouble in paradise; she knew the minute it began, which caused her heart to swell.

“John, I’m surprised you’re out with me tonight? Usually you’re home with Marlena and the baby?” She asked softly as John looked up from his plate, unsure of what to say.

“Well we had business to take care of and we have this huge account to do…so yeah desperate measures. Plus Marlena is home with the baby and she knows I have to get these things done and out the way.” He smiled as he took another bite of his steak as Kate gave a small nod. She took a sip of her wine as she gave an evil smirk, knowing she had him all to herself that night. The quiet ring of John’s cell phone snapped her from her daydream as John reached for his phone on his hip. He glanced at the caller id as he excused himself while he flipped open the phone and stood up.

“This is John!” John answered quickly, knowing very well who was calling but still decided to be formal.

“Hey it’s me…Are you still in your meeting?” Marlena asked quietly as she rested her head in her hand while she waited for his answer.

“Yeah…I’m still at the dinner…did you need something?” He asked as he looked back at Kate and then back at the bar.

“Yes…would do you bring home some milk please.” She said softly, sadness taking over body and mind, unable to fight with this man anymore.

“Yeah..I will….I gotta go…see you soon.” And with that she heard the line click as she pulled the phone away from her ear. She dropped her head as she let a tear fall from her eye and down her cheek. She loved him so much…more than she ever had with any other man…and they were falling apart…all because of her. She dropped her face into her hands as she let herself breakdown, thinking of all the possibilities that could happen.

John walked back to the table as he sat down, picking up his wine glass and taking a sip. Kate smiled as she asked if everything was alright, while John gave a small nod, explaining it was a client of his. “Now where were we?” He smiled as he leaned forward, ignoring his problems at home with his wife and trying something new…something that should take his mind off his problems.

John looked around the crowded room before turning his attention back to the brunette in front of him. She smiled as she reached for his masculine hand and studied the diamond band on his fourth finger of his left hand. She ran her slender finger along the diamonds as she glanced up and into his eyes before giving a small smile.

“How is Marlena doing? I haven’t heard you mention her in awhile…is everything okay?” She asked as John nodded and gave a small shrug, before smiling a bit more.

“She’s good….she’s spending a lot of time with the baby and right now we’re in the process of potty training….but it seems my son has a bit of a learning problem with that situation….I think he likes his pampers.” He laughed as Kate gave a giggle before taking a sip of her wine.

“Well he is still young….he’s two right?”

John gave a nod as he smiled. “Yep the terrible two….soon to be three.”

“Well he’ll learn…just give it time. Are you and Marlena planning on having anymore kids?” Kate asked curiously, but knowing very well what the answer was.

“NO! We are done….he is the last. I know I shouldn’t feel like this but I just feel sometimes as if he were a mistake. Don’t get me wrong…I love my son with all my heart and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my son…but I can’t help but wonder that if he never was conceived….would Marlena and I be together today. I don’t know, call me crazy but I really believe that we wouldn’t.” John said softly as Kate looked along sadly. She lifted her wine glass and gave a small toast.

“Well forget about all that for tonight…we have a business trip to Rome in two weeks…and tonight I will make sure all your problems will be forgotten…just give me a couple hours.” She smiled as John reached for his glass and raised it.

Marlena lay in bed as she stared at the clock, the bright numbers shouting back at her. She knew John wasn’t home yet and she also had an idea who he may have been out with this whole time. Her mind began to wander as she finally realized that their marriage may be in serious trouble…for the first time in a long time…and because of her decisions. She felt the warm tears build up again as she swiped at them, before turning on her stomach and hiding her face in the soft cushion of the pillow. She wanted to breakdown and completely fall into the cave of depression that she had begun to dig for herself in the past few months. Endless questions of what to do and where to go…swam around in her mind, threatening to push her beyond her limits. It was then that she heard the garage door open and the security alarm beep, causing her to sit up and wonder what to do now. Should she confront him….Should she pretend to be sleep and let him be in his; as of now room that used to be a guest room. She pushed the comforter back and she slowly slid off the bed as she walked to the double doors of their bedroom, softly opening it and walking into the hallway. She peeked over the balcony to try and catch a glimpse of him, debating on how to handle the situation. She saw him stumble into the family room as he giggled before heading for the stairs and climbing the long stairway. She wrapped her robe around her body tighter as she met him at the top of the stairs, grabbing his arm before he slipped back and down the stairs.

“John! Are you drunk?” She asked as she noticed his state and the slight smell of alcohol on his breath.

“What’s it to you? Would you like me to crawl into bed with you and show you what a real man can do?” He slurred as he laughed before walking past her and to his room while she watched in anger. She knew that fighting with him was a very bad idea, especially now, but she had to talk to him…if only for now. As she went after him, she noticed a few buttons on his shirt ripped off and the smudge of what looked like lipstick, on his shirt color. She grabbed him by the arm as she brought him closer to her…desperate to see what was on him. Her assumption was right….it was lipstick and it surely wasn’t hers either.

“What the hell is this? What is going on John? Why are you doing this?” She asked angrily but by the time she reached her last question, her emotions got the best of her as her voice cracked.

“ME…..oooooohhhh me you say? Well let me tell you….babe…you did this…and if you don’t want me….there is others….who….who….want me and they will give it to me.” John slurred again as he took his arm back and staggered to the guest room. Marlena placed her hand to her mouth as she felt sick to her stomach, unable to control the bile that was building up by the second. The thought of him fucking that woman made her sick to her stomach. Not so much the adultery, even though it played a major part in her disgust, but the fact that it may have been Kate he was with. She ran after him as she grabbed him again, this time forcing him into the door and making sure he looks at her.

“If you have cheated on me then this is it…I will leave and I will take your son and you will never see him or me again. I can tolerate your attitude, I can tolerate your anger, but I will not tolerate your adultery. You listen to me John….It is over if I find out you have rolled around in someone else’s bed tonight?” She threatened as the tears poured from her eyes, unable to handle all this pain.

“Then so be it!” John smiled as he nudged her back a bit before stepping into his room and throwing off his dress shirt. His hands went to his belt as he fumbled with the clasp before releasing it from its hold, and yanking it off. Marlena followed him into the room as she watched him undress, unable to shake off what he told her. Did he just suggest that he committed adultery, was it the alcohol talking and not her husband. She knew that drunk people don’t lie….they can’t even try when they are in such a state.

“Did you sleep with her?” Her distant voice filled his ears as he turned around and glanced at her. He gave a simple shrug as he laughed before turning back around and getting back to undressing himself.

“Who wants to know?”

“Your wife…”

He laughed as he yanked down his pants before turning to her. “My wife huh? Let me tell you something about my wife….we haven’t been married for months…well technically yes….but physically, emotionally…we might as well be divorced. And if my wife really would like to know that answer….tell her to pay close attention and then she will find….ooooohh…find her answer.” John stumbled as he hit the dresser with his leg before regaining his composure and walking up to Marlena. “Now tell me something? Would my wife like me to join her tonight….make love to her until the sun comes up?” Marlena looked up slowly as the tears glossed her eyes and sadness filled her face.

“NO…” A stern yet simple answer. “Not when my husband already had his fun and wants more from someone else….I won’t play that fool and I refuse to settle for something as Petty as that.” She turned away and walked out the guest room as she heard his laugh.

“Petty huh? You exactly aren’t ringing my bell these days…and haven’t for months. If I want someone to lie on their back and not do anything besides lay still while I just move in and out of them…I might as well use my hand. I’ll be sleeping if you change your mind.” He laughed as Marlena disappeared into her room, closing the door and falling back against it, crying her heart out. For the first time since they reconciled…she felt the pain hit her hard…the pain of losing someone. And for the first time….she knew this was completely over and there was no going back anymore.

John hung his head over the toilet as his the pain in his head increased, the ache pounding all round. He emptied the last of whatever was in him as he flushed the toilet and reached for the towel, as he buried his face into it. He slowly stood up from the bowl as he reached for the faucet in the sink and splashed cold water all over his face. After a few minutes, he shut off the faucet and walked into the bedroom slowly. He looked around the room and realized that he hadn’t heard his son once this morning and decided to check on him. He made way downstairs after taking notice his son wasn’t in his room, and slowly walked to the kitchen. There he noticed his son on the ground, playing with his toy cars while watching the TV at the same time.

“Hey there son…whatcha doing?” John asked as he squatted down slowly while his son smiled as showed his car.

“I pwaying daddy.” He smiled as turned his attention back to his toys. John looked around the room before asking his son a question. “Where is Mommy?” Little John looked up at his father as he pointed towards the stairs. Just then the heels of Marlena’s shoes could be heard as she walked into the room, glancing at her son and then her husband before turning her face and walking to the counter to grab her purse. John noticed her attitude and immediately stood up, preparing to walk towards her.

“You ready to go sweetheart?” Marlena asked as he son stood up hurriedly and clapped.

“Yesh Mommy…” He laughed as Marlena smiled and walked past John and scooped up her son, never making eye contact with her husband.

“Where are you two going?” John asked, finally deciding to break the silence.

“To work and he is going by your mother’s.” Marlena said quietly as she finally looked into her husband’s weak eyes. “Can’t you tell?”

“Marlena…what is the problem…why are you acting this way?” John asked somewhat annoyed, unsure what the problem actually is.

“Me….You have not a clue why huh? Well you know what… why don’t you think about it…long and hard and then get back to me. I don’t want to discuss this in front of the baby so…..I gotta go.” She said softly as she adjusted her son in her arms while John leaned over to kiss his son goodbye but she pulled him away and turned her body. John pulled back and looked at her with confusion, seriously unsure what the hell was going on.

“Leave him alone….we have to go…see you later.” Marlena turned and grabbed his diaper bag as they walked to the garage. John chased after his wife just as she was putting their son into his carseat.

“What the hell is going on….tell me Marlena?”

Marlena turned around quickly as she shut the car door and gave him an evil stare. “Why don’t you go upstairs and look at you clothing and then ask me the same question. Do you even remember our conversation last night?” She spat as he watched her with a blank stare. “Well let me give you an update then….I asked you straight out what happened between you and whoever last night and you basically told me what I needed to know. Now I am late and I don’t have time for this….I have to go.” She walked past him as he reached for her arm but she snatched it back. “Don’t touch me…not now and not ever again. You lost that privilege and this time you lost it for good. We have to have a serious talk later.” She said as she dropped her gave to the door handle.

“About what?”

She looked up with saddened eyes and adjusted her voice so that it wouldn’t crack. “Its not working out for us anymore…I thought we could do this again…but we can’t…especially now. I want a divorce.” She whispered as she turned her face to hide her tears and hurriedly got into the car as John froze. He heard the engine click on and ran to her window as he tapped on it, asking her to stop and open up. She shook her head and pulled the gear into reverse as she pulled the car back and drive off. John watched in agony and then quickly ran upstairs and to the bedroom where his clothes lay. He snatched his shirt up and noticed the buttons ripped and the lipstick smeared. He closed his eyes as the pain in his head pounded and the memories of last night filled his head.

They had been drinking massive amounts of alcohol, celebrating their achievement for winning a position is Rome. Kate had become so drunk that her feeling began to emerge full steam, as her emotions went wild. John had called a taxi for both of them, leaving their cars behind. It was then when Kate decided to make her move as she reached for his mouth and kissed him unexpectedly before John pushed her back, smudging Kate’s lipstick along his shirt. ‘I can’t do this…I can’t…I have my wife and my children.’ John pleaded as Kate shook her head. ‘That doesn’t matter…all that matters, is that we have now and we want eachother.’ John stared at her with drunken eyes, and even in his state he refused to be with her, no matter how bad his marriage was at the moment. ‘Kate I love my wife…I would never betray her.’ Kate pulled away as she smiled before reaching her hands onto his shirt and pulling at the fabric. ‘You’ll change your mind…let me show you.’

“Kate stop this…Kate knock it off.” John shouted as he yanked Kate’s hands from his shirt.

“Come on John…you were never this shy before.” Kate slurred as she ripped the buttons off his shirt.

“KATE STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! I am your boss…I am married…Happily…and I love my family…my wife…too much to ever do something like this. Now get this through your head…I do not want you…I am not attracted to you…and you are simply a partner in business to me…nothing else…nothing ever.” John said sternly as Kate looked at him disappointed, embarrassed that she was turned down. She grabbed the handle to the taxi cab and yanked the door open, sliding in and slamming the door shut. John watched as the car drove off and then went back into the lounge and downed a few more drinks before proceeding home.

John threw the shirt and ran to the phone, quickly dialing Marlena’s cell phone number, hoping she would pick up. Not to his surprise, he got her voicemail and snatched closed his phone. He threw on some clothes and washed up, and jumped into his car, racing to the hospital to go meet up with her. He had to know what kind of conversation they had last night and he was determined to change her mind, before it was too late.

John jumped out of his brand new Lexus as he raced through the parking lot, hoping to catch up to Marlena. As he ran past endless cars, the slight beep of an alarm caught his attention as he turned his head towards the silver Mercedes and spotted his wife walking away from her car. She made eye contact with him as she dropped her face and gave an annoyed sigh before continuing to walk away from her car. John stopped dead in his tracks as he ran up to her, holding out his hands, telling her to stop for a minute.

“What am I waiting for? An explanation of what you did with Kate last night?” She said softly as she slowly looked into his eyes before turning her gaze away to a parked car.

“No Marlena! I came here to tell you what really happened. Now I don’t know what I told you last night and if I hurt you in anyway then I am so deeply sorry because I have not a clue what the hell I said last night. Look I don’t want to lose you….God knows I won’t survive if I do lose you or my son….I can’t lose you baby….just give me this chance to explain.” John begged as his hands reached for hers, desperately hoping to get through to his wife or at least hoping she would hear him out.

“I’m sorry…after last night…there really is nothing more for me to say. You think I didn’t lose sleep from last night, debating on where to go from here! You think I just woke up and said…. ‘Oh I think today would be a good day to leave my husband!’ No John! You did this and you are the only reason behind my decision….so don’t stand there and accuse me of walking out on you for absolutely no apparent reason.” Marlena raised her voice as she swiped at the tears that fell from her eyes. She choked on a sob as she dropped her head and turned her body away from John, ashamed to even show her weakness in this situation.

John felt his own tears sting his eyes as he walked up behind her and placed a gentle hand on her upper arm, silently begging her to hear him out. “Look Sweetie….I don’t want to hurt you…I don’t ever want to hurt you. You are my life…you and my children and I couldn’t bear to lose you all. Please don’t take him away from him and please don’t take your love away from me…I need you both so much.” John’s voice cracked as Marlena sniffed back her tears as she continued to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“You should of thought about that before you did what you did last night.” She whispered as John let out a groan.

“Oh Jesus Marlena…tell me then, tell me what I did! Obviously you know something I don’t!” John complained as Marlena turned around angrily, annoyed with this entire situation.

“Look I don’t have time for this…my patients are waiting and I need to go.”

“What about me…your husband? So that’s it….you are going to walk out of my life just like that….take my son from me. So after all the talk about how you never want to put a child through divorce…here we go again and this time we are separating a young child from his parents.” John said softly, hoping to grab Marlena’s attention. As if on cue, she glanced in to his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting the tears fall down her face.

“You think I want our son to have to go through that….No I don’t but I also have to what is best for us… for me. And I have had it John….we tried to work through this before and we tried and for awhile it was going good….but it was only a matter of time before you went back to Kate! And I should have known that but I was too naïve to realize that…hoping that I was just being paranoid.” Marlena cried as John dropped his head.

“Marlena, you don’t understand! I never touched Kate, I never slept with her…And I certainly wouldn’t change my feelings no matter how bad our marriage has gotten. You are my wife and I love you and only you. You are the only one I want to be with….you are the only one I need and you are the only one I made a commitment too. There is no other woman in this world who can take me away from you…you must believe that!”

Marlena took a deep breath as she stared into her husband’s eyes. “Last night you told me that you had other friends in mind if I refused to give you what you wanted. Last night you told me that our marriage was over and it was all my fault. And last night when I asked you if you have betrayed me, you laughed and said what I do is my business. Now how am I suppose to feel….there was lipstick on your fucking collar….what I am suppose to roll over and say its ok honey…you go and fuck who you like! No well I’m sorry but I refuse to stoop that low. Now I need to leave and you should go home and do what you have to do.” Marlena hurriedly spoke as she gathered her purse and briefcase once again.

“What is that suppose to mean?” John asked worried, hoping she wasn’t suggesting what he thought she was….asking him to move out.

“I know you have a business trip to Rome tonight….go pack and get ready to go.”

“This is more important…it’s canceled for all I care! That is not important….you are…this marriage is.”

“You should have thought about that before John…now it is a little too late. There is no more marriage…its done and over with us! I have given all I could and you have proven it to me that there is no use fighting anymore. When you get back from the trip, my lawyer will contact yours and we will begin the negotiations. I have to go John…please just go! I will see you when you get back from Rome.” Marlena sobbed as she walked past him, leaving a brokenhearted man standing in the middle of a parking lot, unable to believe that he may have just lost everything he loved.

The airport’s lounge was jam packed, everyone killing time while their planes were either delayed or just barely arriving. John sat at a cozy corner table booth, twirling his straw around in his mixed drink, his eyes transfixed on the ice cubes that swirled in circles, similar to the way he felt his life was going. Kate stared at him for a few moments before turning around and glancing around the room. She turned back and watched him carefully before deciding that she would break her silence.

“John, are you alright? You don’t seem like you are in right state of mind right now to be leaving on this huge business deal to Rome.” She said cautiously, unsure on how he would react. He looked up from his drink as he gave her a small smile before taking a deep breath.

“Yeah well I guess I need to get away for a bit. Marlena and I aren’t on the right page lately and I think maybe me going away for a few days would help somewhat…clear our minds I guess.” John said as he dropped his gaze back to his drink, before continuing to stir the cubes once again.

“Is everything okay?” Kate asked, pretty sure she saw a few tears in his eyes before he dropped his gaze.

He shook his head as he closed his eyes before snatching the straw and throwing it on the table. “She wants a divorce Kate! She said that we have gotten to a point where we don’t even recognize each other anymore.” John spoke somberly as Kate look on curiously.

“What? Why?”

John threw up his hands somewhat before looking at Kate and then back down at his drink. “Last night with you and I….the incident outside,” John said as Kate dipped her head and tried to wave her hand, as if saying to drop it. “We both know nothing happened but your lipstick smeared off on my shirt, and when I got home later that night, she saw it and I guess she asked me what I did. In my drunken state I must have said something so stupid and something I am painfully regretting right now…and today she just like threw in the towel. She is going to leave me….and she is going to take my son with her too. I feel as if my life has just ended and now I am left with nothing. I don’t even know how I am going to walk in that room with the investors and talk business when I have this over my head. I know when I get back, I will have some papers waiting for me and those will just kill me.” John whispered as a tear slid from his eye. He looked at his watch as he slowly stood up and grabbed his briefcase. “We got to catch our plane….lets go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marlena was lying on what used to be their bed as she stared at the ceiling, so torn and confused. Divorce was the last thing she wanted and she knew this would solve nothing, if anything, tear their son apart emotionally. Tears fell endlessly from her hazel eyes as she thought about how John looked at her as he left the house that night. She had arrived with her son as the baby ran to his father as if hadn’t seen him in weeks. John lifted him up in his arms, hugging him tightly with an undying passion, while kissing the top of is head. Even though they had constant arguments about his upbringing and his discipline, Marlena knew John loved their son to death and he was simply the pride and joy in John’s life. That right there should have been a sign that she shouldn’t end their marriage but she refused to play games and she refused to be second in line.

While John finished packing the last items in his suitcase, Marlena had put the baby to sleep, refusing to be in the same room with her soon to be ex husband. She couldn’t face him, she didn’t want to see the betrayal but most of all, she couldn’t bear the look of sheer pain in his eyes. After an hour, she thought he would have been gone as she slipped form the baby’s room and downstairs where she ran right into John, who was ready to leave the house.

“Marlena, please let me stay and let me explain. I love you and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Please just don’t do this!” John begged as Marlena turned her head before crying yet again.

“I want you out…just please leave and go do what you have to do. I am so sorry John but I can’t live like this anymore…it’s over.” Marlena whispered as John placed down is suitcase and reached for her. She quickly gasped out a choked cry before backing up and putting her hands out. “Just go John! Don’t do this…”

“Marlena please!” John asked softly as she shook her head and continued to cry. “Fine I’m leaving…but please do me a favor, promise you won’t make any drastic decisions till I get back home. Lets talk about this…lets come up with solution.” John asked as she finally looked him in the eyes. She dropped her gaze before crying a bit more and then nodding her head.

“Fine…but I do want the divorce…But I will wait to you’re back before I go and request the papers. Be careful while you’re out there.” Marlena cried as she turned around and walked away from him.

Marlena closed her eyes as her body trembled from the emotions that overtook her whole being. She gripped the pillow tightly and she hid her face in the cushion, wishing she could just suffocate herself and end this all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John leaned back into the chair as the plane flew down the runway before lifting off the ground, while he watched Salem disappear from view and clouds cover the town. He felt as if he wanted to die, like his life was speeding away from him and there was nothing he could do to try and persuade his wife otherwise. For the first time in a very long time he felt absolutely useless and worthless. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that he could somehow just awake from all this madness and hope this was all just some terrible nightmare. But as he heard the all too familiar sound of Kate’s laughter, he knew all too well that this was all very much true and very much happening.

Their hands met in a handshake as John put on the fakest smile he could as he met with the investors for a new company in Rome. Kate had taken quick notice and began introducing everything, speaking for John and handling all. As they all sat down, John stared off into space as all the mumbo jumbo of the business began while his thoughts traveled to Marlena. He felt his phone vibrating as he reached for it on his hip and glanced at the ID before excusing himself from the meeting and stepping out into the hallway.

“Belle sweetie…What can I do for you?” John said softly as he heard his sweet daughter’s voice.

“Hi Daddy! What are you doing in Rome? Mom told me today that you left for business but you didn’t mention anything before when I talked to you a couple days ago.

“Well actually the Rome thing was a last minute trip and we had to meet the investors….it was kind of a do or deal off. You talked with you mother…how is she?” John asked as he heard Belle take a deep breath.

“She is okay…I guess. She seems a little down right now but she won’t say. Did you two get into an argument before you left town?” Belle asked as John closed his eyes and hesitated before speaking.

“Umm yeah kind of….look sweetie I don’t want to get into that right now because it is a very long story but I will tell you what you need to know right now. Your mother asked for a divorce and before you ask away…I don’t know much right now and I promised we would talk about it when I get back.”

“WHAT!!! What is going on? Why would she ask that?” Belle asked in a hurry as John took another deep breath.

“Belle honey…I told you I have no idea and I don’t know all the answers. Just look after your mother and I will be home soon. I love you baby?” John smiled as he heard his daughter’s sniffs on the other line.

“I love you too Daddy….please try and make this work, don’t end this please!” Belle pleaded as John gave a weak smile as he stared out the large window in the office.

“Honey I will try and do the best I can but I can’t make any promises…at least not this time I can’t. I got to run baby but I will talk to you soon.” John said as he hung up the phone and stared out the window for a few more seconds before turning back to the room and walking I inside.

Meanwhile Belle hung up the phone as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She grabbed her purse and her car keys as she left out the door and headed to Basic Black. She was determined to help in anyway she could to help out her parents’ marriage. As she drove down the quiet streets of Salem, she tried to think of different ways to fix this situation. And then it hit her as her eyes got wide and her mouth dropped, while she reached for her phone. She quickly dialed her father’s phone number and left him a message, telling him that she has a plan and to lay back and relax…She will have a surprise for him and to go along with anything she does. She quickly turned her car around and made her way to her parent’s home, driving as fast as she could.

She had barely parked her car as she jumped out the door and ran to the front doors of the house and unlocking the locks. She ran inside in a hurry as she called for her mother, screaming for her to come downstairs. Marlena had been in the kitchen as she ran to the corridor, grabbing her daughter by her arms and asking her what had happened. Belle was sobbing as she tried to speak but couldn’t get the words out.

“Mom….something happened. I was at Basic Black and a phone call came in for me and it was one of the investors in Rome. He said something happened to Daddy and that he was in an accident and they need someone to fly out immediately.” Belle cried as Marlena looked along horrified, panic and devastation filling up her senses.

“What?! What happened Belle…tell me exactly what they said?” She asked, hoping to get the story straight before she began to overreact.

“Mom that’s what they said….they said that he was in accident and someone has to come out.”

“Belle sweetie…listen to me! What hospital is he at? What happened and how badly hurt is he? Tell me!” Marlena cried as Belle looked down at the floor.

“I don’t know Mom….They said to have someone fly out and they would meet us at the airport 8pm their time…so someone would have to board a plane now! Mom, just go and check on Daddy! Please…we have no idea how badly he is hurt! I will watch the baby while you are gone…just go now!” Belle cried as Marlena pulled her into a hug, sinking her face into Belle’s hair and letting her tears fall as well. She kissed her daughters head as she backed up a bit.

“Will you be okay with John for a couple days? I’ll have grandma come down and help you or Caroline.” Marlena asked as Belle nodded, explaining she will call them when she leaves.

“Okay…Let me go and throw a few things in a bag and I’ll go and catch a flight. If you need anything call Grandma or Caroline okay baby girl!” Marlena smiled as she kissed her daughter’s cheek before wiping her tears and running upstairs, while Belle smiled and turned around and giggled.

In the meantime, John sat at the table as they all came to an agreement before rising and shaking hands. Kate smiled as she announced that this would be a company that will knock Rome off its feet. They all laughed as John smiled softly before excusing himself and checking his voicemail. He listened carefully at what Belle was saying and waited till she called him back later, just as she stated in the message. Kate came out shortly after as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn around slowly.

“You okay?”

“Yeah…just a little tired….didn’t sleep very well last night.” John said as she nodded lightly before looking into his eyes.

“Want to go and get a drink?”

“Uhhh no why don’t you go ahead….I’m going to the hotel….I have to go rest! I’ll see you later.” John smiled softly before walking away from her and leaving the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Belle! Would you grab him?” Marlena shouted as she carried her black Prada bag and her son on her hip. Belle ran up to them as she reached for her brother who shook his head and moaned while tugging his head into his mother’s neck.

“John come on!” Belle pleaded as the baby swatted at her hands.

“John stop that and go with your sister!” Marlena asked softly as the baby shook his head.

“I stway wit you mommy!” Little John asked as he lay his head on his mother’s shoulder.

“No baby, you have to go with your sister…mommy has to go somewhere.” Marlena said as she put her bag down and reached for her son with both her hands, pulling him out of his grasp. “Belle he just awoke from his nap…He’s crabby and I think he is still a little sleepy so why don’t you try and see if he’ll go back to sleep. I will talk to you soon….I’ll call you…I got to run…I love you….ooohhhh I love you so much baby!” Marlena smiled as she leaned in and kissed her son and hugged him before kissing her daughter goodbye. “Be a good boy for mommy!” Marlena smiled as she reached for her bag and purse and then left out the door. Belle smiled as she looked at her brother before snuggling her face into his.

Marlena’s plane touched down as it slowly came to a stop on the runway of Rome’s airport. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself, her nerves working overtime and threatening to push her into a nervous breakdown. The whole flight there her thoughts were of her husband, hoping that he was alright. She felt immensely guilty about all of this, knowing that she forced him to Rome, refusing to be near him and now here she was, because he may be in a life death situation. She loved him with every part of her soul and there is nothing she wouldn’t do for him. When Belle broke the news to her, she felt as if her soul was ripped from her body, her breath snatched from her lungs, and her heart torn from its tissue. She unbuckled her seat belt and slowly rose from the seat as she grabbed her black bag and exited the plane. Her legs were like Jello as the tension began to overwhelm her. She reached the end of the terminal as a man in black stood still, waiting till he saw a woman of who was described to look as Marlena. As she continued to walk, the man walked up to her slowly as he asked if she was Mrs. Black.

“Yes I am…are you taking me to my husband? Is he alright?” She asked nervously as the man nodded his head while reaching for her bag.

“Yes Madame…please if you will come with me and I will take you to him.” Marlena swallowed the lump in her throat as she followed him to the awaiting black limo and slid on in. The whole ride her mind swarmed with horrible thoughts that he was in grave danger, that this may be the last time she sees him, after the horrible way they departed from each other last night. Visions of her dressed in black, holding her son’s hand while Belle and Brady stood behind their mother, as they watched John’s coffin go down to it’s grave, haunted her thoughts and played with her sanity. She closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes, hoping that this isn’t what it has come to. She felt the limo come to a stop as she opened her eyes once more, before looking around at the surroundings. Her door opened as she slipped out slowly before explaining that this isn’t where they should be.

“My husband…I need to go see him…why are we at the hotel?” She asked almost as if she were scared. The man dipped his head as he gave her bag to the bell boy where he led her inside. “No you don’t understand…my husband has been in an accident…I need to see him. Please…I need to go to the hospital…take me to him please!” She begged as the man turned away and the bell boy led her down the lobby. She felt the tears burn her eyes as she ran up to the boy and grabbed his arm. “My husband…I need to see him!” She whispered as the boy smiled, unsure of what she was saying to him.

“This way Madame.” He simply stated as they walked to the elevator corridor.

“Where are we going? I don’t have a room here? What are we doing?” Marlena asked as the elevator doors opened. She turned her head towards the doors as her eyes met John’s, shock written on both their faces.

“Marlena! What are you doing here?” John asked as Marlena’s mouth fell open.

“I was told there was an accident and that you were badly hurt…what are you doing up…why are you walking?” She asked, still somewhat confused as to what was going on.

“What! Who told you that? I am fine.” John said as Marlena dropped her gaze as everything became clear to her now.

“You set this up didn’t you? You made Belle pull this whole charade that something was wrong…and you make me worry myself sick and you had the nerve to make this up!” Marlena argued as the bell boy looked between them. John looked at him as he directed him to take her bags to his room.

“No…I will get my own!” Marlena interrupted but was quickly cut off.

“Please take her bags upstairs! Marlena we need to talk and I am not about to argue with you in the lobby.” John said yet again, this time reaching for her arm, ut she quickly yanked it back, fighting her tears that once again tried to surface.

“I am not going anywhere with you! How could you do this John!” Marlena cried as she turned around and ran from the corridor, leaving John and a bell boy in shock.

“Take her bags to my room please.” John said as he ran after her, calling her name. She had just reached the revolving doors when John grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “Marlena, baby don’t do this! Let’s sit down and talk.” John begged as Marlena fought to get free of his grip.

“No there is nothing to talk about…you set all this up! You played me for a fool again and this time I am so done with you. Why would you do something this cruel to me!” Marlena cried as she dropped her head and broke down while John pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. For the first time she relaxed in his arms, bringing her arms around him as tightly as she could. John kissed the side of her head as he held her, swaying back and forth gently until she somewhat relaxed.

“Marlena, why don’t we go upstairs and talk.” John asked as he felt her shake her head.

“No…I am not going to your room.” She said softly as she backed up and hesitated to look into his eyes.

“We need to talk honey…please. Then let’s go in the lounge and get a drink then…come on.” John smiled as he grabbed her hand and led her to the fancy lounge in the corner of the lobby. They slowly walked in and sat in a corner booth as John ordered their drinks.

They looked at each other before Marlena turned her gaze to the table, unsure of where this conversation was going to go.

“So let’s talk and let’s start with why you came to Rome…not that I mind…but just curious.” John smiled as Marlena gave a weak grin and raised her eyebrows slightly before making eye contact with her husband.

“Well it all started this morning…Belle had ran in the house sobbing and screaming for me, saying that something had happened to you and that there was this horrible accident. At first I thought she was just overreacting but she clearly wasn’t calming down and then I began to worry. She said I should fly out and check on you and she would watch the baby while I was gone. I didn’t want to come but when I had heard that you were hurt, I couldn’t ignore the love that was forcing me to come here.” She smiled softly before dropping her gaze yet again, causing John to smile a bit.

“Oh Marlena….sweetie I am fine. What did you think happened to me?”

“I don’t know….something horrible.” Marlena said softly as she took a sip of her wine.

“That little booger, she left me a message on my phone saying she had a surprise and to just relax and sit back but I had no idea she would have done something like this.” John laughed as Marlena sat somewhat confused.

“So she did this then?” Marlena asked cautiously, not sure on who to believe just yet.

“Yeah, I swear I had nothing to do with this…I would never do something that horrible to you or my family….come on, you should know that by now.” John said as he took a gulp of his drink. Marlena raised her eyebrows a bit as she shifted in her seat a bit before taking another sip of wine. “Marlena, I think you know what I want to talk about next.” John said quietly as she looked up from the wine in her glass.

“I don’t want to discuss that right now.”

“Well I think this is a perfect time…because I for one don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose the best thing that has ever happened to me and I refuse to let you go.” John leaned over a bit as if trying to get through to her.

“John! I have made up my mind and I know what I want and it’s not us….not anymore. I have thought long and hard about this and you don’t think this has killed me too….well it has and I just can’t take it anymore.” Marlena raised her voice a bit as a single tear slid down her cheek.

“Marlena, look let me explain something that might help. I know the other night I came home drunk and you saw a smear of lipstick on my collar. Look at me Marlena….I swear on the lives of my children I was not and have not been unfaithful to you. You are the only one I want, I depend on, I need, I long for….and I refuse to have anything else from anyone. That night when you called me and asked me to bring home some milk, I know I was being an asshole and I cut you off pretty quick, and there is no excuse for that. I guess I left a lot of open ended questions and what ifs…running through your mind and I didn’t try in anyway to defuse those thoughts and that I am so sorry for. Well I was so upset that we were falling apart and I actually expressed my feelings to Kate about it. Well after many drinks, I decided it was time to go home but she had other plans and tried to kiss me….well she did…but I pushed her back causing her lipstick to smear on my shirt. I told her that I am married and that I love my wife….and there is not a thing in the world to make me turn from you…not matter how bad things got! She wanted to try again but I became pretty aggressive and shoved her into a cab and warned her not pull that…I was her boss and that’s all it would ever be. After she left I went back in and drank some more…for absolutely no reason….and when I got home or how I got home…I have no clue. That is why I have no idea what I told you until you told me yesterday and I am so, so sorry for that Marlena! You have got to believe me….I would never do anything to disrespect you or our marriage. I love you more than anyone I have ever loved before in my lifetime and if you leave me now…I will be nothing….half the man that I was on the day you married me…half the man that I was two weeks ago….right now I am half the man I used to be…simply because you aren’t here with me.” John pleaded as tears glistened down his cheeks, unable to hide his emotions anymore. Marlena’s tears now flowing freely, closed her eyes as she wiped the moisture from her skin with her delicate fingers.

“John….please don’t do this….I have made up my mind already!” She cried as John stood up and walked over to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hand.

“Baby please! Give me this chance….this one opportunity to show you that no one in this world means more to me than you…my wife, the mother of my children, my whole life, my reason for living.” John begged as he pulled her slender hand close to his chest. She dropped her head and with her other hand, rose it to his face as she cupped his cheek tenderly.

“John….Promise me that nothing happened with you and Kate or whoever any night.” Marlena asked quietly as John smiled happily for the first time in a long time.

“Baby I swear to you….in fact I will climb on this table and shout at this whole lounge that I have only dedicated my life to you and only you. I never and will never be unfaithful to you….you are my life and you mean the whole world to me….Please don’t punish me this way…don’t make me lose everything that means most to me! I love you Marlena! God I love You!” John smiled as Marlena burst into laughter, wiping her tears yet again.

“Ohhh John…I love you so much!” She smiled as John leaned over and tackled her into a hug, laughing hysterically. He picked her up from the chair as he squeezed the life out her before pulling back and looking into her watery eyes.

“I love you baby…I love you so much!” He whispered as she whispered the words back. His lips slowly began to trace the skin of her cheek until they found her mouth, where a gentle kiss was given. They closed their eyes slowly as their mouths opened a bit more and their lips entangled with each other, the kiss becoming deeper by the second. After a few moments, she backed up a bit as her hand roamed the back of his head and then came to rest on his cheek.

“You know, when I was told about the news that something had happened….I thought my soul died. I was never hit with such a powerful sense of loss and grief and for a while there…I actually wanted to die myself. I didn’t want to lose you and from that moment on….I wasn’t going to! I needed you just as much as you need me. I was a fool to ever mention Divorce….I can’t be without you John!” She smiled as they met for another kiss, this one deeper then before.

“So you mean I didn’t have to say what I just said! I just wasted all my good material! Why didn’t you say anything before?” John laughed as Marlena smiled widely.

“Because I wanted to hear you say it!”

“Oh Baby…you never going to stop hearing it!” John kissed her again, this time allowing his mouth to caress hers slowly and erotically. She mover her lips back, searching for his eyes as she smiled.

“Take me to your room and make love to me baby.” She whispered as John leaned down and kissed her lips again before reaching in his pocket and throwing some cash on the table, before leading her out the lounge.

Marlena’s eyes roamed the penthouse suite, completely overwhelmed at how luxurious the room actually was. She slowly walked away from her husband’s wandering hands and began to look around the huge room, taking in the beauty and exquisite décor. She turned back to look at him, silently asking him with questioning eyes about this room. He simply smiled before walking over to her and pulling her body to him, kissing her cheek and mumbling unclear words. She smiled as she backed away from him, this time turning her body away and walking to the French doors that led to a private balcony. As she moved the drapes to the side, she stared out at the beautiful well lit city, taking in its magnificence.

“You know sweetie…I know what you’re thinking. But let me tell you that no matter how beautiful this city is, no matter how luxurious this room can be, it’s wasn’t the same until you arrived here today. I don’t want to have a suite this grand if I can’t have you here to share it with me.” John whispered into her ear as he stood behind her, his arms encircling her waist, causing her to close her eyes softly. She took a deep breath as she felt his hands wander over her hips and then back up to her waist, slowly skimming over the buttons of her fitted white blouse. “Have I told you yet, how good you look in this outfit?” He whispered again as a smile crept on her lips.

“I wasn’t really trying to impress anyone; I just threw something on and ran out the door to catch a plane.” She breathed heavily as his hands skimmed along her chest and then back down.

“Well you did an excellent job then….this blouse accents everything about you that I’m utterly in love with, and these black slacks brag about how shapely you really are and how long these legs really do go.” He ran his tongue along her ear as she turned her head to the side, silently giving him all the permission in the world. “You know…..when I first saw you…I was shocked…and then I couldn’t get over how damn good you look.”

She felt his fingers undo the small buttons on her blouse, each one coming undone leaving the material to travel apart from each side. The cool air slipped past her blouse and danced along her heated flesh, sending increasing chills through her body. Her hands long gone from the drapes had now been behind her, as they skimmed through her husband’s hair while he seduced the side of her neck. She bit her lower lip as his hands slipped off the material from her shoulders and tossed it behind them on the coffee table. He turned her face to the side as he attacked her lips, her body still facing the French doors, while he hovered over her back. They passionately tangled their mouths with one another as soft moans escaped from Marlena, giving away all signs that she was falling completely for this man. He slowly pulled his mouth from her as he turned her body to him, slowly squatting down and running his mouth all the way down her stomach. He glanced up at her, noticing how flushed she had become, her heavy eyes now dark and her lips wet and slightly apart. He smiled as he turned his gaze back to her pants, leaning in and placing his mouth on the button of her black pants. His teeth danced along the object, loosening it from its hole as he yanked it free. Shortly after, she felt his lips dance along her skin again before feeling his mouth tug on the zipper, sliding it down with his mouth. His hands held her hips as her hands roamed his short hair, dying from this sweet seduction he had begun. How could she have ever thought to leave this man, he was the reason she what she was, the proud wife, a wonderful mother, excellent doctor, and a giving lover. She was what he made her to be….a completely, devastating, crazy in love woman.

The soft material from her pants slowly drifted from her hips and down her long legs, as John guided her feet out of her black heels and then her pants. He ran his hands up her soft and smooth thighs, leaving trails of wet kisses along them as he stood up to meet her lips again. His eyes roamed her half naked body, admiring her choice of lingerie as his mouth dropped.

“Are you sure you weren’t trying to impress anyone?” He laughed as she gave him a soft look.

“I’m positive…why?”

“Because your lingerie is telling me otherwise.” He smiled before kissing her hard on her mouth, running his fingers through her hair. Unconsciously, her hands began to roam his chest and she slowly pulled at the buttons, freeing them from their hold. As their mouths worked against one another, his shirt had been shoved from his body and onto the floor, while his belt was now coming undone. Before she could finish the task, she felt her body rise as her feet came off the ground. He lifted her into his strong arms, kissing her still with undying passion and began his journey to the hidden bedroom. She heard the door thump against the wall as her husband kicked it open, concentrating more on the kiss that he was sharing with her. She felt her body lower onto a cool soft, plush comforter, a very welcoming feeling against her heated skin. She smiled against his lips as her hands left his neck and skimmed above the satin pillows above her. He watched her with his heavy bedroom eyes, as he yanked the belt from its loops and threw it onto the carpeted ground. He crawled over her body as her hands grasped the button of his pants and quickly ripped it apart, tearing the zipper down. He held his weight above her on one hand as the other opened her legs for him. He then placed his body down, taking her mouth again in a feverish kiss that left both of them gasping for air. His mouth traveled down to her chest as he bit her softly through the lacey material, seducing her into his sexual world. She dipped her head back into the comforter, softly calling his name as he now moved the material from her breast and slid his mouth along her risen tissue. She bit her lip as his mouth danced along her nipple, teasing and tugging it with his tongue and teeth. She wanted to scream, she wanted to give in to this sexual desire that was washing her away. John lifted up a bit as he yanked the material from her chest and threw it to the side, before leaning down again and sliding past her abdomen. She closed her eyes tightly as she felt his mouth slide over her sensitive area, kissing her roughly. Her fingers clenched the sheets as she cried in want, holding onto her pleasure with everything she had left. She found the energy to move her hands from the sheets and to his head where she pushed him away from her.

“You have to stop….I can’t take this anymore.” She breathed as John looked up at her confused.

“What do you mean? You want me to stop completely?” He asked as she shook her head.

“No I meant the foreplay…I can’t take anymore. I want you now!” She whispered as John smiled and then went after her mouth once again. He pulled the lace material from her hips and down her legs before pulling down his trousers. She reached down and grabbed him through his boxers, caressing his hardness, causing him to moan loudly.

“Ohh Marlena!” She smiled as she took his mouth once again, this time removing them down his hips but not getting much farther then the back of his thighs. She moaned in his mouth as his erection poked at her sensitive button, dancing between her welcoming heat. He pushed his boxers down completely as he kicked out of them before sliding along her body and between her slender long legs. She arched them along his torso as they kissed again, this time letting their tongues collide against one another sensually. After minutes of their deep kiss, John stared into his wife’s hazel eyes as he filled up with adoration and devastatingly love for this woman. He reached down and guided his hardness to her entrance, teasing her a little more till she begged. He got the reaction he wanted after a few seconds and slowly slipped inside, taking his time, paying close attention to her discomfort. He knew she was going to be uncomfortable; after all it had been awhile since he had been with her…so intimately connected. She softly closed her eyes as she felt him expand her tight walls, threatening to rip her tissue in two. She kept her moans of discomfort in, knowing she couldn’t even disguise them with sounds of pleasure like she had done so many times in the past. John had always knew she faked those moans though, knowing that as tight as she was around him, it definitely couldn’t be as pleasurable as she was making it sound.

John watched her face as he slightly moved a bit in her, hoping that she would accommodate him soon before he reached his destination much too soon. As he moved a bit more, she let out a moan, her nails digging into his shoulder urging him to stop. He refused to pull out of her; afraid she would tense up and then lock up, never allowing him access again. She slid her feet along the back of his upper thighs, the prickly feeling of his hair tickling the bottom of her feet. She felt him push again, this time a little further then before. He pinned her hands above them as he leaned down and kissed her softly, enjoying the feeling of having her under him again.

She gave her mouth to him willingly as their lips danced along each other, sucking and biting. He pushed more as she wrapped one of her legs around him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing his body onto hers. She let a moan as she breathed in his scent while he moved back and forth slowly. After a few minutes of teasing, Marlena had finally accepted him as they began to make love, grasping onto each other’s skin, and softly pulling at each other’s hair. John held his wife closely as his hips dove into hers in such a slow wave like manner, while they kissed and touched one another. Slowly they rolled along the king size bed as Marlena now straddled him while John held onto her waist. She lifted her hips up a bit before slowly rocking them back and forth, causing John to scream out in the fit of passion. He clenched his eyes shut and held her hips still, hoping that the feeling of orgasm would pass and he wouldn’t end this soon. She smiled as she rocked more, holding onto his chest for support as she dipped her head back while her moans filled the room. He sat up and dipped her back onto the bed, falling between her legs once again as he moved back inside her, calling her name over and over.

“Oh baby…God I love….you so much! I don’t….uhh…ever want to….lose you!” John shouted as he pounded into her while Marlena held onto his body.

“John….Ohhh…I love you…love you…love you…John!” She moaned over and over, grasping onto his skin for dear life. She felt his pace pick up as his thrusts now much stronger and quicker. She wrapped her legs around his sweaty body, fighting to stay with his quick pace. She felt that burn in her stomach, signaling her orgasm that was beginning to build strongly. John used all his strength he had and opened his eyes as he stared down at his beautiful wife. Her blonde hair now tangled and splattered all around the sheets, her forehead and neck glistening with perspiration, the color of her skin now becoming a light crimson, her eyes closed in pure ecstasy, and her lips swollen and apart. She opened her eyes and stared at her husband as they smiled weakly at one another before they leaned in and kissed each other once more. Right before the kiss ended, Marlena moaned loudly in his mouth as she closed her eyes tightly and dug her nails into the skin of his back. John felt her walls tighten as he now slammed his hips into hers, knowing these were now the final moments. He gripped her hair, causing her to dip her head back into the bed as she released herself, falling into her incredible orgasm as the room filled with her moans of pleasure. John pushed deeper then before as he pounded into her roughly, shaking the bed hard while Marlena desperately tried to ride out the waves of her finishing orgasm. Never before had an orgasm felt so incredible as it had tonight for her, maybe because of the situation they were in, maybe because it had been a long while since they had been like this, or maybe it was just the case of being away from home that made it feel so incredible….either way she never wanted it to end.

John screamed her name loudly as he emptied himself into her body, spilling everything that was built up for months. He shut his eyes tightly as he slowly grinded into her hips, dipping what was left of him into her. She breathed harshly as she gripped her husband’s body tightly, refusing to let him go from her arms. He wrapped his arms under her body and around her slender form as he continued to place gentle thrusts until he lost all feeling. He opened his eyes again, staring down at the beauty in his arms before laughing and kissing her yet again. He removed himself from her body and crawled away from her silken traps, cuddling alongside of her body.

“Honey?” He heard her ask as he hummed his answer, unable to find the energy to speak. “Maybe we should get under the comforter.” She smiled as she began tugging on the blanket. John smiled as he slowly lifted his body up and pulled back the sheets, sliding into the coolness of the silk below the goose down comforter. He felt his wife’s hands skim along his chest before her head cuddled where her hands just were.

“Baby…you have no idea how glad I am that you came here? What just happened has never been better and it made me realize that I never could or want to lose you.” John whispered as he kissed her head, causing her to give a sweet moan.

“Oh John….I knew I couldn’t leave you…I knew that the minute you walked out the door. I wasn’t planning on calling a lawyer, or asking for divorce. I was going to try and work things out with you…because no matter how bad things get….You are the love of my life and my soulmate and that only comes once in a lifetime. You are the reason for everything I do and the reason our children are so proud of our family. God I love you!” Marlena said softly as tears slowly slid from her eyes and landed on her husband’s chest. He picked up her face with his fingers and made her look at him before giving her a soft smile.

“You are everything I am not….you are my other half! You know

I can walk around here or back home, and have all the money in the world, own businesses here and there, but I am nothing without you. And you realize this when that one part of your life is suddenly threatened or gone…and its amazing how much you change. You suddenly are walking around half empty and going insane. I need you baby…I need you always….and there will never be or could be any other woman who can fill that void…cause Marlena you own me…you own my heart…you own everything I own. I do love you baby and there is not a damn thing in this world that matters more to me, then having you in here with me right now.” John smiled as he wiped the tears from Marlena’s eyes. He slowly leaned and kissed her lips, reuniting once again in a passionate kiss. He slowly pulled the sheet out from between their bodies and crawled over her again. Together they rolled beneath the satin sheets as they fell back into their private little world of undeniable love and unexplainable lust. Tonight was a night like no other….tonight was a new beginning….a new path for them….and a night of miracles and dreams that came true.

The snow fell softly outside of Salem, covering the city with what looked like white powder. A whole year had passed as everyone gathered for Christmas at the Brady Pub, celebrating such a joyous occasion and once again proving that family was the most important thing. Little John was now four and attending preschool, which was a huge relief for both parents but a tear into his mother’s heart, the separation between mother and son a little too much for her to take. The Black family had been better then ever, proving that there was such a thing as a rich and functional family.

The door to the pub opened as John walked in with his son, both their dark coats covered in white snow. Everyone in the pub smiled, completely astonished at how much little John still resembles his father in so many ways, even matching with their clothing. John ducked down a bit and unbuttoned his son’s coat before pulling it off and then pulling his. Shawn Sr. had walked up to them, laughing as he took their coats and patted John’s back.

“Did you find that toy you were looking for?” Shawn laughed as John smiled before looking down at his son.

“Well you know Shawn….it doesn’t matter how old our son gets, he proves over and over again that he is certainly the baby still. And very much a mama’s boy because all he has to do is complain to his mother, and she snaps her fingers at me and tells me to do what he asks.” John laughed as he grabbed his son’s hand.

“Kids…Gotta love them! Marlena is over there if you’re looking for her. Go eat up and have fun!” Shawn laughed as he took off with their coats while both John’s walked over to the food platter. Marlena had noticed when they walked in but was in deep conversation with some family members therefore she couldn’t greet them at the door. She hurried up and finished her conversation with Hope as she walked up to them, sliding down to her son and asking if he got his toy, while smoothing back his short hair.

“Yes mommy. See…this is what I wanted.” Little John smiled as he showed her, while she laughed and then leaned in and kissed his forehead. She slowly stood up and kissed her husband’s lips while John gave her a huge hug.

“Thank you baby for taking him…You will be rewarded greatly tonight.” Marlena laughed as John raised an eyebrow before kissing her lips softly once again.

“Everything good while I was gone! Are you having fun? Did you eat?” John asked as Marlena held up a hand and started laughing.

“Woah sweetie…Yes everything is fine…I ate already and yes I am having much fun. Is the weather getting bad out there?”

“No not too bad….snowing a little bit…but it’s the light snow…nothing threatening.” John smiled as he bit a carrot while giving his son a cookie. Marlena made a face at her husband as John smiled.

“John he needs to eat dinner?” Marlena complained as little John shook his head back and forth, continuing to eat his cookie.

“He’s fine baby…its Christmas Eve….let him have his fun.” John laughed as he picked at another carrot and munched on it.

“Look at my two gorgeous men….who would have thought my two boys would be wearing almost the same thing today. I wonder whose idea that was.” Marlena laughed as John pointed at his wife.

“I wonder who? The only one I know dumb enough to run with his wife’s idea…was me!” John laughed as Marlena playfully swatted him on his arm, while her son hung closely to her side, eating his cookie and playing with his toy truck along the table. Just as John was about to speak, a loud cry filled the room as both Marlena and John turned towards the sound. “Sounds like someone is upset?”

Jennifer walked up to Marlena as she held the crying baby, trying desperately to sooth the baby with soft rocks. “I think somebody wants her mommy?” She smiled as Marlena made a face before reaching for the baby girl.

“She always wants her mommy…I seriously can’t catch a break here.” Marlena smiled as she rocked the little girl in her arms, soothing her with gentle words. “Mommy’s here…shhhhh….don’t cry sweetie. Come on Melissa…close your eyes.” John looked over his wife’s shoulder as he stared at the baby smiling.

“Is she hungry?”

Marlena slowly shook her head as she rocked the baby back to sleep. “No she just ate right before you got here…I think she just got a little crabby and wanted to be with her mother…what else is new.” Marlena smiled as John kissed his wife’s cheek. Little John ran off to play with the kids as Marlena sat down in one of the chairs while she continued to rock the baby.

“I still can’t believe you had another baby…So what happened Marlena? All this talk about no more babies and boom!” Jack asked as Marlena smiled.

“I know…what can I say…I was tricked!” Marlena laughed as John gave the thumbs up sign.

“She had it coming!” John laughed as Marlena tried to reach over and hit him without disturbing their sleeping daughter.

“Truth be told….She was very unexpected but we couldn’t love her more.” Marlena smiled as John leaned down and pecked his wife’s lips.

Dinner began shortly after as everyone gathered at the large table, talking and laughing. Marlena sat at the corner end of the table, her son next to her and John at the end side of the table. Marlena had just finished cutting little John’s chicken into pieces and was about to pick up her fork to eat, when the baby began to cry once again. She closed her eyes softly as she smiled before looking at her husband and reaching down to get her daughter from her car seat. John motioned that he would take the baby but she waived her hand, signaling for him to eat up. Everyone at the table laughed as Marlena bounced her daughter in her arms, while John gave everyone a wink.

“Oh poor Melissa or should I say poor Marlena!” Maggie smiled as John explained that their daughter is just like how their son used to be. Marlena gave a giggle as she slowly calmed her daughter’s cries before picking up her fork and eating a little bit.

“So how does it feel to have another little one around?” Hope asked as everyone laughed, causing Marlena to smile widely.

“As you can tell…it’s wonderful!” Marlena said sarcastically, while John continued to eat proudly.

“It’s never been better…right honey?” John winked as Marlena shrugged.

“He would say something like that…what a dog! He’s as helpful as he was when John was born…let me tell you! Actually she isn’t too bad….she has her moments. Most of the time she cries for a reason unlike my little one here, who never let his mother sleep for a second.” Marlena smiled as she leaned down and kissed the top of her son’s head.

“Well Marlena…let me tell you, you look excellent for just having that baby just less then two months ago. You got your figure back and didn’t really gain much with her to begin with. You know…I think half of us here were shocked when we found out you were pregnant again.” Jennifer smiled as Marlena and John laughed in unison.

“She was too….You should have seen her reaction when she found out….I think she cried for days…or was it weeks. I know I was blamed for it every hour on the hour.” John laughed as Marlena shook her head to everyone, trying to protest that it wasn’t true.

“He’s lying…I wasn’t that bad…although I was pretty disappointed at first! I did blame him though…still do! Like I said before and I’m sticking to it…I was tricked!”

John put down his fork as he leaned over and tipped her chin with his hand, leaning in to kiss his wife softly. Everyone made soft coos as John and Marlena looked at each other lovingly.

“Ah ha…you see that’s why you got that little one right there.” Bo smirked as hope hit his arm before motioning him to be quiet. “What! And they were shocked when it happened.”

“Correction…she was shocked…I wasn’t.” John laughed as the table howled, waking baby Melissa back up, causing her to scream once again. Marlena glanced down as she rocked her softly before putting a pacifier in her mouth, hoping that would sooth her in the meantime.

“I was shocked…I thought all was going well…that was until my husband and my prescription failed me.” She joked as little John looked up at his mother and smiled.

“Were you sick mommy?” John asked as Marlena smiled down at her baby boy.

“No I wasn’t sick…but the prescription was kind of like vitamins…you have to take them everyday so you don’t get sick.”

“Too bad it didn’t work for you like you had planned.” Brady smiled as Belle threw her napkin at him, while John tossed an ice cube at his son.

“So what I want to know is where did you come up with her name and where was this little one’s fate decided?” Lexie asked as John and Marlena looked at each other and then at their son who was sitting next to them.

Marlena smiled as she told her son to go get the diaper bag from the back room and motioned for her kids to close their ears.

“ILL Mom…We don’t want to hear that!” Belle complained as Sami, Brady, and Belle slowly began focusing on their food, ignoring the words that were about to be said.

“Well Melissa was a last minute name…since we had no clue what we were having. When I was pregnant with John we already had an idea of what the names would be, but with this one, I wasn’t really prepared for anything…including the names. So when I gave birth to this little girl…whom I thought was going to be another boy….We kind of looked at each other and John was the one, who said he liked the name Melissa, which I had no debate on. So we have the J&M’s….John and Marlena….and John and Melissa Black.” Marlena laughed as her son walked back to the table with the bag.

“And the second part of the question?” Jack asked as John smiled before looking at his wife.

“You could answer that…I answered the first one.” Marlena smiled as John cleared his throat before asking his kids if they were ready. They began to hum as everyone laughed.

“Well Melissa I believe was conceived when we were in Rome…So that was our souvenir.” John laughed as Marlena dipped her head in embarrassment, while everyone giggled.

“What I am dying to know…is why do I have another child that looks nothing like me?” Marlena asked as everyone at the table broke down in laughter, half of the table almost choking on their meal. “I’m serious….I mean one kid okay…but two that look just like my husband….now there has to be a problem.” Marlena smiled as John gave her a sexy wink.

“That means I was doing something right…not once but twice. Maybe you should have participated more that night!” John joked as his kids whined.

“OH GOD DAD!!!!!! That’s Gross!” Belle complained as she pretended to gag.

“Marlena the baby resembles you a little bit.” Hope smiled as Marlena shook her head slowly.

“Stop trying to make me feel better Hope! I know who my kid looks like and it so isn’t me. The second she was born and put into my arms I was like Oh God…another one like John!” Marlena joked as John pretended to look offended.

“I’m beginning to think you don’t like my looks.” John smiled.

“Oh I love your looks….I just wish my kids would have some of my features.”

“Belle does!”

“Well besides one of my kids with you. And she has your eyes so she doesn’t count.” Marlena protested as Belle smiled and flipped her hair to the side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fireplace burned brightly as sounds of wood cracking and fire burning filled the room. The Christmas tree flickered of multi colored lights as it stood in all its glory, showing off it beauty and the gifts beneath it that were neatly wrapped and waiting to be opened. John was lying on the couch as he flipped through endless channels, realizing that nothing was on for the night. He felt his wife’s slender hands as they skimmed across his chest before her body clung to his side and she placed her head onto his chest.

“Nothing on?” She asked as John smiled and kissed the top of her head.

“Nope….well it is almost midnight…so I don’t really expect anything good to be on anyways.” John mumbled into her hair as he slowly closed his eyes for a moment. “the kids asleep?”

“Mmhmmm and waiting for Santa!” She laughed softly as she closed her eyes as well, exhaustion settling in.

“Hmmmm well since they are asleep…wanna watch a porno?” John laughed as Marlena moaned in disgust.

“Ehhhhh God John…It’s Christmas Eve!”

“I’m Kidding….well since they are asleep how about you and I have a little one on one time…just me and you.” John whispered as he reached for is wife’s chin and raised it towards him.

“I dunno…we have a long day tomorrow…all the family will be here.” Marlena smiled as John gave a slight wink before leaning down and grabbing her mouth with his.

“Come on Mrs. Black….Just a little bit.” John whispered as his hands wandered over her slender body, pulling her hips closer to him. Just as their lips were about to meet again, a cry filled the house as Marlena dropped her gaze while John tipped his forehead to hers, grasping onto her thigh that was already hung over his hips.

“Well it was a nice thought…” She smiled as she slowly pulled her leg back and rose off the couch, disappearing down the hall.

John sat up a bit as he flipped through some more channels before his wife returned with their daughter in her arms. She slowly sat down as John hovered over Marlena as they both played with their newborn daughter’s fingers. Her eyes were a deep blue, her hair dark and slightly waved, and her color was a mixture between both parents. Her eyelashes were dark and long, her chubby cheeks rosey, and her nose was like a little button. Marlena ran her finger along side of Melissa’s tiny face as she cooed gentle words to their daughter.

“God I love you so much…” John whispered into his wife’s ear as she smiled and turned her head to kiss her husband’s lips.

“Mommy…Daddy!” Little John stood at the entrance to the room as Marlena and John both turned to him.

“Sweetie….your suppose to be sleeping?” Marlena said softly as he shook his little head.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Alrighty buddy….come here then.” John patted his lap as little John ran to them, jumping on his father’s lap and cuddling between them. After several minutes of chit chatting, the baby and little John had fallen asleep in both parent’s arms. Marlena cuddled their daughter closer to her body as John adjusted their sleeping son in his arms. They looked at each other as they slowly brought their faces together, meeting for a kiss.

“Merry Christmas Baby!” John whispered gently as Marlena gave him her most beautiful smile.

“Merry Christmas Sweetheart!” Marlena whispered back as their mouths came together in a deep kiss, their lips moving against one another in a sweet exchange. With their children in their arms, they enjoyed the passionate moment, promising to never take it for granted. Their world had went from good to bad and then to perfect. All was well for them and there was nothing that could tear them apart….they had each other and that’s what really counted. Forever they promised each other and forever it would be….but something about forever wasn’t good enough….and secretly they knew…they would be like this for all eternity.

The End!