The plane finally touched down on land. All the passengers on board said a prayer again for their safety. John walked out and looked over the terrified passengers. “OK everyone, we are safe for now. I don’t know where we are but we have safely landed. I want you all to stay onboard while Bo and I go see where we’ve landed and get help.”
“No John!”, Marlena cried, “You can’t leave us.”
John looked at her with his cold blue eyes and in a hard calculated voice, “Yes I can Marlena, and I will. I am in control of this situation until we are rescued. Bo and I are going out this door and all of you are staying here. Does everyone understand?”
Marlena stared in shock at this man barking orders at her and her loved ones. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she wouldn’t question him now. She needed to make sure her children were safe and comfortable. She could buy her time, and then she would get to the bottom of it. “We understand.” she whispered in a clearly hurt voice.
Eric and Belle looked at their parents, they weren’t sure what had happened to him and why was he yelling at their mother. They didn’t understand, and they didn’t like it. Each child, in silent unison joined their mother and put a protective arm around her. She smiled tenderly at each of them as tears ran down her face.
As a united front, the three looked at John and he could see the confusion and the pain in their eyes, he couldn’t think of that now, he had to get them to safety, then he could explain to Marlena.
John shook his head and turned to leave the plane. Before he was completely out the door, he turned and looked at Marlena and his children, “Eric, come lock this door behind us. Don’t let anyone leave or anyone onboard, understand?”
“Don’t worry, no one will leave until you and Bo get back.” Eric said as he walked slowly to the door.
As they stepped outside, they could see the trees and hear the ocean. “Where are we John? Do you have any idea?” Bo asked as the walked cautiously over the terrain. They were both trying to mark a trail as the walked so they could return to the plane without a problem.
“I’m not sure. It looks like we landed on an island and I didn’t see any lights when I was trying to land. That’s why I wanted everyone to stay on the plane, we don’t know them wondering around and getting hurt out here in the dark.”
Bo and John walked until they reached the ocean and followed the shoreline trying to find a town. Within an hour, they were right back at the plane. “Well at least we know we are on an island.” John sighed.
“A deserted island at that. Look maybe we should get back to the plane. Everyone is really worried about us.” Bo suggested.
“Yeah let’s get back. I have some explaining to do.”
“This is Marlena we’re talking about John. You are going to do a lot of explaining”, laughed Bo.
John simply grinned and started for the door of the plane.
As they stepped on to the plane, the first thing he noticed was that everyone was resting. How in the world, in the face of disaster were all of the people so calm. That’s when he noticed his wife. The love of his life was helping Belle and Mimi get rested with blankets and pillows. Sean was in the seat behind Belle and Mimi, he was laying waiting on his father to return. Alice, Doug and Julie were all in the sleeping compartment. Eric and Greta were in the sitting together, wrapped in blankets, trying to sleep. Lilli and the pilots were still out cold, thank goodness. And Marlena, his lovely golden Marlena was trying to be the voice of reason. Making sure everyone was calm and keeping them relaxed.
Through the terrifying ordeal, while he was turning into some kind of mercenary, here was Doc, calmly helping others around her, making sure everyone was OK, not thinking of herself. How was he going to explain this to her? Could he make her understand? Bo walked in and pulled Shawn into a hug. “Dad, I’m so glad your back.” Shawn yelled as he jumped from his seat.
“Ssshh, don’t wake the others. Sit back down and we can talk.” Bo grabbed a blanket and tried to get comfortable in the seat by Shawn.
Marlena was walking back to get more pillows and blankets when she felt a hand on her arm. Before she could even jerk her arm free, she felt his lips by her ear, “Marlena, come with me, I need to talk to you.” Sensing that she was going to protest and make a scene, he pulled her through the door and led her away from the plane as quickly as he could, not stopping until they were far enough away. “John!” He kept walking, not releasing his hold on her arm. “JOHN!”
They had reached the rocks he had spied earlier, he quickly pulled her in the rocks on the cliff and then let her go. “John, what is going on? Who are you? Why are you acting this way?” She was trying to get all of this out in one breath.
“Well, the plane almost crashed. I’m your husband. And what way am I acting?” he answered just as quickly.
“No!”
“No? No What?”
“No, you are not my husband.”
“Yes I am. What are you talking about?”
“Well for starters, my husband doesn’t know anything about fixing planes, flying or landing planes. My husband would never slap a woman in the face.. . . . .”
“Marlena, I was trying to .”
“See – my husband never calls me Marlena.” she cried, “what happened to Doc?” she was crying and started walking back to the plane.
“Damn it Marlena, come over here.”
“No, I’m going back to the plane with my children.”
“Like hell you are, you are going to listen to what I have to say.” he yelled as he grabbed her arm.
“My husband would never hurt me like this” she cried as she tried to pry his hand from her arm. He looked down and released her arm, regret filling his eyes. “I am your husband. I’m sorry that I hurt you. Yes I have been acting strange, but damn it Doc, we almost died up there. I almost lost you and our daughter. So forgive me if I’m acting a little different. I don’t know where the knowledge of the plane was coming from, but it saved our lives so I’m not going to question it.”
“Fine, you saved our lives, but why are you treating me like a complete stranger?” her golden eyes questioned him.
“I couldn’t help it”, he walked slowly toward her and reached his hand to her cheek, “I couldn’t let my mind stop on you. I knew if it did, my heart would win and all I wanted to do was find you, wrap you in my arms and hold you. That wouldn’t have saved us Doc, or our daughter, does that make any sense to you?” She stepped away from the hand on her cheek and turned her back to him. He had saved their lives, why should she get upset for that. She jumped as his hand gently moved the hair away from her neck. “I’m sorry Doc. Please look at me”, he whispered in her ear.
She turned around and looked up at him. Her eyes full of love for this man, yet she was still hurt and confused from all that had happened. John saw the love shining through, yet he couldn’t miss the pain that shot through them, he had to help her with this.
“Can you understand what I did? Can you forgive me for the way I treated you?”
“Yes, I know you wanted to protect us. I really don’t care where you learned these things, you saved my baby’s. . ., our baby’s life and for that I will always be grateful. But you have been acting strangely around me, even before the plane was in jeopardy. My husband would never have. . “
“STOP IT!” he grabbed her silky blond hair and thread his fingers through it, pulling her flush against him, “Stop saying that. I am your husband.”
He bent his head close to her and his lips were almost touching hers as he whispered, “ No matter what my name is, Roman, Forrest, John – I love you.” he barely touched his lips to hers.
“No matter what I am doing, being a cop, a priest, or your husband, I love you.” he slowly licked her upper lip.
“I have always loved you, from the first moment I saw you. I will always love you, nothing can change that.” he gently sucked on her bottom lip.
“I love you”, he could stand no more and slipped his tongue in her warm mouth, and tasted her sweetness.
She moaned deep in her throat and slipped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer. All thoughts and explanations were gone, all she wanted was this man – her husband, to hold her, kiss her, love her.
When he heard her moan, he deepened the kiss. One hand was firmly laced through her golden locks, assuring his kiss would continue. The other hand was slowly heading down her back, finally resting on her waist.
He wanted to taste her neck, but her turtleneck was in the way. He pushed her away from him and slowly peeled the shirt off of her. He groaned when he saw her creamy flesh exposed. Grabbing her once again, he crushed her to him once again and began to taste her skin.
Moaning as his lips left a moist trail down her neck, Marlena cried out as his lips grazed her skin through the lace of her camisole. She disentangled her hands from his hair and pulled at the bottom of his shirt, trying to feel him. She wanted his flesh touching hers. She wanted him.
John stopped his assault on her and helped remove his shirt. As her hands gracefully started working on his belt and jeans, he threw his head back and tried to remain calm. Her hands were bringing him closer to the edge.
They removed the remaining clothes as quickly as possible, and looked at each other with desire. This was what they were both wanting. Needing.
John grabbed her body and drew her against him once again. With a will of their own, her legs wrapped around his body as he lay her against the rock. Their bodies melded together perfectly, as if they were made for each other. As he entered her, she cried out and drew her nails down his back. He began the rhythm and she picked it up instantly. Together they moved in harmony. Together they reached the climax and screamed in ecstasy. Her head was buried in his neck, she was willing her body to slow down again. To get her heart and breathing back to normal. How he could make her loose all sense of self-control was amazing to her. She loved this man. Her husband. John raised his head and looked at her. She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was his. He couldn’t lose her, that wasn’t an option, he couldn’t live without her. He had to do whatever it took to make sure that she was his forever.
“Marlena, I’m sorry about losing it earlier.” he whispered against her neck, “I love you and didn’t mean to scare you. I was only trying to. . . “
“Sshhhh, honey I know” she murmured, her voice deep from their lovemaking, “just kiss me, please?”
He wasted no time in granting her wish. He teased her, barely touching her lips and then pulling back just short of a kiss. That was all she could take as she grabbed him and plunged her tongue in his mouth. She placed all of her love for him in the kiss. All the emotions that she was feeling for him. But John couldn’t let this go. He pulled back and looked at her, “I love you so much, please forgive me”.
“John, there is nothing to forgive. You saved my life, you saved Belle’s life and everyone on the plane should be thanking you. You risked your life for us. I love you, I will always love you.”
“I know, but . . . “
She cut him off once more with a kiss. Slowly she pulled back and looked at his blue eyes, all she saw was love. He may not have acted like her husband earlier, but he loved her.
“I love you. You love me. What more do we need to know?”
They kissed.
She pulled back and looked around for their clothing, “John, we need to get dressed. We have to go check on Belle and Eric.”
He looked at her and kissed her gently on the nose, “I love you, please don’t ever forget that.”
After they had finished dressing, Marlena walked over to a rock and sat down. So much had happened since this morning in Salem. How could they get out of here? What would happen to them?
“Doc, I need you to promise me something.”
“What John? What do you need?”
“I need you to trust in me. Believe in our love and know that I would never hurt you.” he begged as silent tears fell from those crystal blue eyes, “Trust me to get us out of here.”
“John, my husband, I do trust you. I trust you completely to handle this situation and get us back home safely. I love you.”
He was amazed by the love she had for him and kissed her once more, “Thank you.”
“Now John, will you do me a favor?”
“Anything Doc, just name it”.
“Please hold me for a minute, before we go back.” she sighed as he took her gently in his arms and held her.
After a few minutes, he kissed the top of head and they started walking back to the plane. They would rest tonight. Tomorrow they would find a way out of here.
Their hands were joined, fingers laced tightly together. Confident that their love would save them.
The Jarlena Journal 