Happily Ever After Please – By La Mariposa

“Okay Father, you know I always come through for you…Alright I’ll talk to you later…Good-bye!”

 

“Kristen? What was that about?” John asked suspiciously. He had only heard the tail end of her conversation, but he could have sworn he heard Kristen address her father.

 

Marlena sighed as she sat down at her desk. She didn’t know what to do with herself. Her room in the mansion was so large and extravagant; it made her feel small…lost in it’s grandeur. Left alone, with not even a sleeping child to watch over, she let her mind wander.

 

What am I doing here? I hate the DiMeras…hate: I don’t hate many things…but …I hate everything they stand for and I hate them for all the pain they have caused me and my family…I try to be strong, for myself, for Belle…and yet the slightest sound can make me jump. I can’t let this fear take control of my life. I will not hide like coward…I have too much to live for! Why did I agree to this? It doesn’t make any sense! If I’m trying to get away from Stefano…what am I doing in his house?

 

The sounds of John and Kristen’s heated argument reached Marlena’s room. Her ears perked up, curious to hear what all the fuss was about.

 

“Don’t you TRUST me, John?!!”

“Come to think of it, Kristen, no I don’t! I thought I knew you, I thought you’d always be there for me, but you actually thought I could have killed Tony!! How could you think that?! Don’t you KNOW me at all? You showed me that you’ll side with your family over me.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re bringing THAT up again!! I thought we had worked through that? I thought you forgave me? I am so sorry that happened, but Tony and I were very close! You have to understand that!!

 

“In one very sick and twisted way!!”

 

“All the evidence was pointing towards you! Logic would dictate–”

 

“Logic would dictate that you stand by the one you love. I’m supposedly the one you LOVE. You should have known that I was innocent and every word I said was the truth. The only one who stood by me was Marlena. Now SHE helped me. She put EVERYTHING on the line for me. EVERYTHING. If it weren’t for her I wouldn’t even be here in this room with you!!” Kristen was fuming. All the pent up frustration, all the jealously…it was all boiling to the top…

 

“UGH!! No, we are NOT talking about Marlena again!!” her rage only building, “If I have to hear one more time how perfect your precious Doc is I am going to scream!! Everyday I have to hear you ramble on about how you have to protect her, take care of her, about how much you are indebted to her….I’m sick of it! You are with ME, not her, in case you haven’t realized that! I swear you spend more time worrying about where she is than where I am. Was it really NECESSARY that you bring her here to live with us? I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself.”

 

“I need to be there to protect her! I’m not taking any chances…she’s the mother of my child–!!”

 

“OH MY GOD…here we go again!” And Kristen stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She ran out of the mansion as fast as she could. She had to get away…”Marlena, Marlena, Marlena!! It’s ALWAYS about Marlena!!”

 

Hearing John’s voice reminded her:

John. I’m here because of John. He’s protecting me…I hate living here, away from Belle, but at least I’m close to John. I do feel safe, knowing he’s around. I know that he’d never let Stefano hurt me or take me away. Oh what I would give to feel his arms wrapped securely around me again…no, no, that won’t happen…he’s with Kristen now…I have no right to interfere, to wish for something like that…I had my chance…

 

A tear fell from the corner of her eye as she remembered what she had with John. Life had been so good then. Then her mind flashed forward and she remembered how much pain her love for John had caused. She hated herself for it; she hated that she held those moments so dear, knowing how much she hurt Roman, her children, her friends, her family…why couldn’t she have been free to love him the way she so badly wanted to? Why couldn’t she have her happily ever after?

 

She wondered what they were arguing about, but decided she shouldn’t eavesdrop and began to busy herself organizing the papers strewn about her desk. She began opening her mail…weeding through bills, junk mail, letters from colleagues…she saw a plain white envelope. There was no stamp, no return address…just “Marlena”

Now what could this be?” she said to herself with a piqued curiosity. Her slender finger traced over her name, following every stroke, as she puzzled over its author. The night was serene and calm; a gentle breeze fluttered the candle on her desk causing the patterned light to dance excitedly in anticipation. She broke the seal of the envelope and unfolded the paper setting the long-hidden words free.

 

If you are reading this letter, then I have been executed. No man is without sin but God knows I did not kill Tony. I have gone with the faith that death is not the end but a summons to a new existence, a summons to live with God in paradise.

 

It was immediately clear to her that John wrote this letter right before he thought he was going to die. She gasped; bringing her hand to her mouth, as she remembered the events of Aremid…the accusation, the trial, the death sentence…she had never been so afraid of losing him. The memories of visiting him in jail…the bars between them, keeping them apart…keeping them apart., as Kristen is now…The whole world was against them, but there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him. The thought of having to live in this world without him was too much for her to bear, even now.

 

Of course, I feel my time has come too soon. But God works in mysterious ways. I leave with few regrets: one is that my children will never know their father: and the other is leaving you Doc.

 

“God does work in mysterious ways,” she thought, “but why, why must we be continually torn apart?! Have we not suffered enough? Have we not proven our love for each other time and time again?” The tears were flowing freely now. She imagined how John had felt writing this letter, his greatest fear not death, but never seeing his children again…never seeing her again…

 

I know that our life together has been complicated: you have been in love with other men, I have been in love with other woman. But the love we shared was something special, Doc. There never was and never could be anyone to fill the special place you hold in my heart. I love you. I know now I always have…and I always will.

 

His words touched her very soul. On some level she had always known how he felt about her, the look in his eyes, the touch of his hand, but she had refused to believe it until now. Her love for John had brought her so much pleasure, so much joy, but it had also brought her so much pain. It had caused so much pain…she had hurt so many people because she had loved John…she didn’t want to hurt people any more. Now that Kristen was in his life, she knew it wasn’t right for her to bare her heart to him again. Kristen was her friend and she would never want to hurt one of her friends.

 

Reading her letter though, stirred so much emotion inside of her that she couldn’t contain it any longer, she felt a warmth in her heart as if John was right there with her. She longed to be with him again, to feel his strong arms wrapped protectively around her…she exhaled as her body filled with forbidden emotion. She had to see him. After slipping on her robe, she refolded the letter and placed it securely in her pocket. The letter gave her strength as she padded barefoot down the hallway toward John and Kristen’s room.

 

John sat on the edge of his bed thinking about Marlena. He pictured her next to him, golden tresses cascading over her shoulders, delicate fingers entwined in his, and bronze specked eyes gazing up at him. He couldn’t believe how close they had come to losing each other. “Fate seemed to arrange it so we wouldn’t be here without each other”, he thought. “This had to be a sign”. He was wondering where she was, what she was doing, if she was ok, if she loved him too. He had to know. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but her. He walked to the door, but before he could open it, there was a knock.

“Who’s there?”

 

“It’s Marlena, I just–” she started to say. John’s heart leapt and he swung open the door before she could finish.

 

“Doc,” he said; the endearment reverberating sweetly off his lips. She was breathtaking. Her white silk robe fluttered about her as a breeze blew through the window. Waves of gold tumbled over her shoulders, catching the dim light. She was just as he had envisioned her moments ago, like an angel. Smiling, he asked her what she was doing here.

 

“I have something important I need to talk to you about” she said and John snapped back into reality, realizing that Kristen could return at any moment. A sense of panic rushed over him, but then he looked into Marlena’s eyes, eyes that were wide, yet calm and the panic faded to concern. She was all he could think about and he saw how urgently she needed to talk to him.

 

“Not here,” he said and he ushered her down the dark hall to an empty bedroom. Marlena trembled, trying to gather the strength to speak.

 

“John, I found your letter. I found the letter that you wrote to me in Aremid, when you thought you were going to die,” she managed to whisper. She clutched the letter to her heart as she tried to judge his reaction.

 

“Oh Doc…” he couldn’t find the words to express the thousand emotions that were running through him at that moment. He had put his whole heart into that letter and now Marlena had it. He wondered if she felt the same way, if she too felt the ache of longing in her heart, if she felt the same unexplainable emptiness in that haunted him each and every day.

 

“I was…I am…so…so…*touched*…by your letter,” she said between sobs, “After everything we’ve been through, after all the obstacles, all the interferences, all the misunderstandings…I mean I thought you were in love with Kristen…I thought you two were going to get married, going to start a family,” her speech accelerated, the words spilled forth unable to adequately express what she wanted to say, “I tried to move on, I tried, I tried, but I couldn’t…nobody could ever compare to you, I didn’t want anyone else, but you…it was so hard to see you with her; it broke my heart…I wanted nothing more than to hold you, to touch you, to *kiss* you…”

 

“Shhhhhhhh, Marlena, it’s–” he interrupted soothingly, afraid she might hyperventilate.

 

“…I love you,” she finished. Three simple words, three clear and simple words held all the meaning in the world.

 

Nothing else mattered now; she loved him.

 

“Doc, every word I wrote in that letter is the absolute truth. I do love Kristen, yes, but it is *nothing* compared to the love that I share with you.” He moved toward her and graced one hand across her cheek, the other running through the silky strands of her hair.

 

“I have dreamed of the day when you would say you love me again. It was so hard to watch you go back to Roman time after time. It killed me knowing that he was with you, that he was *loving* you. Then once he left, I thought you had put our relationship behind you and his too, that whole painful triangular mess. I thought you had moved on. I was afraid, afraid of putting myself out there and getting shot down. So I settled for Kristen. I needed you, Doc. I am so thankful for what you did in Aremid. You showed me just how vital you are in my life. Neither Kristen, nor anyone else has filled the void you left in my heart. You are the one I love. It’s always been you, Doc, it’s always going to be you. I hope you believe that”

 

Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She couldn’t bear knowing how much she had hurt him.

 

“I do believe that. And I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry!! I’m sorry that I hurt you!! I didn’t know what to do. I had responsibilities, I had a family…it was such a confusing time. I was just trying to do the right thing…I was trying to be the person everyone wanted me to be. And then I lost everything. I lost Roman, I lost Sami, I lost my life, and I lost *you*. Every time I saw you with Kristen, it was like a knife in my heart. The agony was unbearable. It was so hard knowing that you were right within arm’s reach, but I couldn’t have you. I had lost my chance,” she sobbed. She had been keeping silent for too long. This expression was good for her, for the both of them.

 

“I feel so stupid. I never should have let you go, but I thought that it was what you wanted,” his eyes cast downward shyly. Her sobs quieted and she calmly lifted his chin with the tip of her finger. His clear blue eyes met with hers as she spoke, “All I want is to feel your arms around me”

 

“I can do even better”

He could hardly control himself as took her into his arms and brought her into a deep, passionate kiss. Her body melted into his. They fit so perfectly together, like two pieces of a puzzle. It had been so long since they had been with each other that they were wondering how they had ever managed to live without these feelings these feelings, these feelings of pure ecstasy. She remembered all those mornings she had awoken to find her bed empty. The loneliness and disillusionment that had plagued her with each new day was finally going to end; this was a dream she would never have to wake up from.

 

“I have missed you SO much,” she breathed while he attacked her neck with searing kisses. He nipped at her ear causing her to gasp. It was such a simple, natural sound, surrounding him like a sweet symphony. Clothes fell to the floor as both were overcome with the beauty of their music, their songs in perfect harmony. Finally, there was nothing standing between them, nothing keeping them apart.

 

They were free to connect in the most pure and natural way. He lay just above her; their steamy breath intermingling with every pant. The skin to skin contact was electrifying. All her fears washed away as she let herself surrender to his touch. No more wondering what she might do if she ran into him, no more denying her feelings, no more living alone, no more living in agony.

 

He looked into her eyes, her warm honey eyes, and the whole world seemed to melt away. It was as if they were the only two people in the world. He forgot that they were in Kristen’s house, he forgot that she could walk in on them at any moment, he forgot that the staff could probably hear them; nothing else mattered right now. Their heartbeats were keeping rhythm as they danced together, limbs entwining. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into his back as their tempo accelerated and their reactions could not be contained. The music crescendoed to a peak as the burning desire that had been suppressed for so long erupted into flames of ardent passion.

 

Kristen returned, quietly ascending the stairs to her room. She felt that perhaps she had overreacted. She thought that maybe John did have a right to be suspicious; her father was a very evil man after all. They could work this out; she convinced herself. She just needed to talk to him; she needed to get him to trust her again. There wasn’t anything in this world that was going to keep her away from John. Just then, she heard noise coming from one of the bedrooms. She approached the door, listening intently.

“Oh…my…God…John!!” cried Marlena in a fit of passion.

 

“Oh Doc…I love you so much!”

 

Their words were like a knife in Kristen’s stone heart. She felt a white-hot rage building inside her as the full shock of what she had just heard hit her. It was driving her mad; she couldn’t listen to it any more. She wanted to throw something, to break something. Anger and hate had consumed her. She stormed down the hall to Marlena’s empty room looking for some way to get even with her, some thing she could destroy. Her eyes spotted a picture of John and Marlena on an end table. They looked so happy smiling back at her, which only fuelled her tantrum. She grabbed it violently and threw it hard against the wall; the glass of the frame shattered into a thousand pieces. She cursed Marlena for ever being in John’s life.

 

“Marlena is not right for John; I am. I’m the only one for him and he’s the only one for me. I will get him back, no matter what it takes,” she vowed to herself with clenched fists, and then she crumpled onto the floor, sobbing like a child.

 

John and Marlena were oblivious to Kristen’s rampage. They came together under a flurry of blankets and held each other close, revealing in satisfaction. Her fingers traced the outline of his body, up the length of his arm, over his shoulder and down his chest. The sensation was heavenly and he kissed her sweetly. She snuggled into the crook of his arm and he let his chin rest softly atop her head.

“You just made me happier than I ever thought possible, John”

 

“Well I just can’t seem to get enough of you!” he said as she giggled and rolled him onto his back. Her fingers combed through his hair as she took his mouth in hers, when suddenly the high-pitched wail of the woman in white broke their kiss.

“I have to go to her,” Marlena sighed, not wanting to leave the comfort of John’s arms. She hated living in this house; so many damn interruptions.

 

“What timing!” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. They reluctantly peeled back the covers and got out of bed. He knew that the woman could help him recover his past, but he swore that she always cried out at the worst possible moments. She was more reliable than an egg timer when it came to interrupting!

 

They dressed and headed off to check on the woman in white. Kristen had gotten there first and was trying to soothe to woman, who kept wailing about how she had lost her children. John and Marlena entered the room and Kristen shot them an icy glance. Slightly embarrassed, Marlena tried to smooth her disheveled hair.

 

“What’s going on here?” John asked.

 

“Aaaaaaaaa! Johnny! Please help me!” shrieked the woman as she tossing on the bed.

 

“She’s very upset. I think she’s on the verge of remembering something,” informed Kristen matter of factly. Marlena walked over, took the woman’s hand and patted it with her own.

 

“Shhhhh, you’re okay, you’re okay,” Marlena soothed, “Do you remember something? What’s troubling you? What is upsetting you?”

 

“No, no, no, I don’t want to remember. I don’t want to feel that pain…!!” the woman shouted and then she suddenly froze and fell into a deep sleep.

 

“What happened?” asked a very confused Kristen.

 

“Maybe she was dreaming and talking in her sleep…or maybe the memories were too powerful that her mind couldn’t deal with them,” Marlena said as she tucked the woman back under the covers. “We should let her rest. I’ll call Laura in the morning and we’ll have another look at her.” The three walked back into the hallway, shutting the bedroom door behind them. Kristen was beyond irritated by Marlena’s behaviour. “How can she stand there and act like there’s nothing going on? When I KNOW she was just in bed with MY FIANCE!!” she screamed silently.

 

“It’s late; let’s go to bed, John,” ordered Kristen and she possessively grabbed his hand and tried to lead him back to her room. She felt him resisting. “John, aren’t you coming?”

 

John stood there, frozen in the hallway. Marlena was peeking out from behind him, scared of what Kristen would do.

 

“I think I’ll leave you two to talk…” Marlena said softly, sensing where thing were going, as she started back toward her room.

 

“No, you don’t have to leave, Marlena,” said John firmly and Marlena tentatively turned back toward them. The tension was thick in the suddenly chilled air with neither party wanting to make the next move. Trying to muster up his courage, John’s eyes darted between the two women nervously.

 

“I’m sorry Kristen, but I’m not going with you. Everything changed tonight…Marlena and I are getting back together,” he stated bluntly, expected her to yell and scream, but her non-reaction frightened him. She had never been so humiliated in all her life. The shock hit her like a ton of bricks; the tension was so thick she felt it crushing her. Words were screaming in her head, but her mouth refused to form them. She stared at him coldly, as if icy daggers were shooting from them. Then she slapped him hard across the face.

 

“Get out! Both of you! Get out of my house!” and with that she turned on her heel, marched into her room and slammed the door. She fell onto her bed with heaving sobs, pounding the pillows with her clenched fist.

 

“Well, that went well didn’t it?” John said lightly, trying to break the deathly silence. Having just spoken, he felt the dull pain along his jawbone and his hand gingerly went to his cheek to survey the damage Kristen had done.

 

“She’s very upset, John. Why is it that our love always seems to come at the expense of someone else?” Marlena shook her head sadly. She hated this; she hated seeing Kristen hurt. Kristen had been such a good friend to her. She had been there to help her when Belle was born and when she was possessed; it pained Marlena to know that she was causing Kristen this suffering. Her eyes lowered while her guilt rose. Sensing this, John cupped his hands around Marlena’s chin and lifted her face to his.

 

“It is not your fault. It’s not my fault. We don’t get to choose who we love, so it is better that she found out sooner rather than later. In time, she’ll be okay.”

 

“I suppose,” she said with a frown. Her frown turned to concern as she realized John must be in pain. “Are you okay? We should get some ice on that, before you bruise all black and blue,” she tenderly ran her fingers across his cheek.

 

“Let’s go,” he decided. “There’s nothing we can do for Kristen now. We’ll get this straightened out tomorrow.” He took her hand in his and pulled her close and they walked down to the kitchen arm in arm.

“Oh…my…God…John!!” cried Marlena in a fit of passion.

 

“Oh Doc…I love you so much!”

 

The pillows and blankets rustled loudly as Kristen slept restlessly, haunted by the revelations of earlier that night. It was so vivid in her mind: they were screaming each others’ name, so caught up in the moment that they didn’t care who heard them. Kristen’s heart was aching, becoming a cold, dark hole in the centre of her being. She could hear the bed as it creaked and groaned in unison with their gasps. The sounds grew so loud and pronounced in her head that she jolted herself awake trying to escape the nightmare. Reaching out for comfort, she realized she was all alone. Her face scrunched up and she cried violent heaving sobs until she fell into a fitful sleep once again, the music of the night playing in an endless maddening loop.

 

Marlena sat across from John, holding a glossy piece of ice to his cheek. She was hypnotized by the water running over her fingers: each stream running free from the cube only to latch onto another before meeting the same fate in the pool below. The frigid wetness was numbing her fingertips, but it could not numb away the pangs of guilt that plagued her mind. Another affair: they had just had another affair. John noticed the distant look in her eyes and knew what she was thinking about. He knew that she never wanted to hurt anybody, that she just wanted people to be happy. He only wanted to make her happy.

 

Whether she believed it or not, she had suffered so much that she deserved to be happy and he was prepared to spend the rest of his life making that happen. She realized that John’s eyes were deep with concern and snapped out of her trance.

“John, do you realize what we did to Kristen? You were her fiancé and we went behind her back…oh we never should have done that, John…another affair…I can’t believe it…and I’m just as guilty as you,” she cried, the words running together in rapid succession. Her warm salty tears fell as the melting ice dripped, adding to the shallow pool on the table’s polished surface. John took her hand in his, melting the ice cube completely beneath the warmth of their palms.

 

“Yes, I know…I feel very bad that Kristen had to find out the way she did, but at least she found out right away. It wasn’t quite an affair anyway; it’s not like how it was with Roman. We haven’t been sneaking around and we only finally got together just tonight. I just feel so stupid that I didn’t realize how much you truly mean to me sooner. I hate that I couldn’t see the signs; I hate that I couldn’t see it in your eyes: the love, the longing…the sadness,” he said, letting the last word linger. “Obviously Kristen is going to have a hard time dealing with this, but at least the truth came out before I married her. We’re finally free to love each other, Doc.”

 

She contemplated his words, wringing her hand in his and while she was still unhappy with herself, she decided that Kristen would have been hurt no matter how or when she found out. Kristen never would have been truly happy since John didn’t feel the same way. Laura had been right about that and she could wait to tell her; she smiled. Noting the change in her demeanour, John leaned across the table and kissed her check. He tasted the sweet saltiness of her tears and lapped them up hungrily as he moved toward her mouth. Coaxing her onto the top of the table, his kisses became more urgent. She responded with her expert tongue, reaching into the unknown depths of his mouth, urging him to do the same.

 

Celeste watched in disgust as Stefano sat before a picture of Marlena, caressing her cheek as if the photo could feel. He swirled the glass of brandy that occupied his other hand revealing in Marlena’s exquisite beauty. It was as if she were smiling right to him. The alluring look in her eyes sent tingles down his spine; he wanted her more than anything.

“Ah, Marlena you are perfect; soon, soon we will be together. I will show you just how much love I have to offer and you will realize that you love me too. I saw it in your eyes, in your sparkling hazel eyes, at Maison Blanche. You cannot hide your love from me, my Queen…I shall have you yet”

The sun shone brightly through the sheer drapery into the bedroom where John and Marlena lay sleeping. It was a beautiful May morning; the fresh dewy air was sweet as perfume. Birds were singing on the balcony, waking John to a chorus of glorious rejoicing; it was the perfect soundtrack to this sweet moment of bliss. It had been over a month since they left the DiMera mansion and things were finally settling into place.

 

Kristen had taken it hard. He knew she could be a good actress, but she seemed to be moving on with her life. He wished that she would find love again though because she spent a lot of time hanging around him and Marlena, often showing up at the most inopportune moments. He sighed; if only they didn’t both feel so sorry for her…John shook his head trying to change the subject in his mind. At least Stefano seemed to have disappeared; no reports had been made. He would never be completely satisfied until DiMera was lying cold and dead, but he thought maybe, just maybe, they had finally won. Marlena was asleep with her face snuggled against his chest, feather soft bangs falling loosely across her forehead. She was smiling. He kissed her forehead.

 

“Mmmmmmmm, good morning,” she said sleepily, blinking her eyes at the light.

 

“Good morning sleepyhead,” he laughed, pulling her closer against his body with a beaming smile. They wished the moment would last forever, but just then, Belle and Brady ran in, both still in their pajamas. They jumped up onto the bed, sending pillows and blankets flying. The little ones burrowed into the bedcovers, coming to rest securely between their parents.

 

“What are you two doing in here? It’s morning: time to get up!” John teased.

 

“No get up!” Brady protested, trying to pull the blanket over his head.

 

“No get up!” Belle mimicked as she too disappeared into the fluffy cave. Marlena looked at John and laughed.

 

“Oh dear! Where did Belle and Brady go? They must be lost! We shall have to send out the tickle fairy to find them,” she said, playing along with her children’s game. Nodding a signal to John, they both started tickling the children, causing them to squeal with laughter. After the excitement had died down, the four snuggled close in the morning light until Marlena finally pulled the children out of bed so she could get them dressed.

 

Marlena took the kids to the park to play that afternoon, while John had some errands to run. Belle and Brady had spent much of the day chasing squirrels, leaving Marlena tired from chasing after them. Having been so caught up in playing with her children, she hadn’t noticed the eyes watching her from afar. Now she was home, sitting in the living room with the newspaper in her lap and a cup of tea in her hand.

 

Pulling her feet up onto the couch, she settled back into the cushions. Things were finally ok now, she thought to herself. She was back with the man she loved and their two children were still napping peacefully upstairs. John had just called asking if they needed anything in particular from the store. She was expecting him home any minute. The door opened.

 

She turned to the door smiling, but her expression quickly changed to one of fear and disgust.

 

“Hello, Marlena.”

She froze. Voluntary motion had all but disappeared in the shock of seeing her long time nemesis at her front door. The desire to run filled her body, but instinct kicked in as her thoughts went to her sleeping children upstairs. Her memory flashed back to when he had taken Sami and Eric, bringing tears to her eyes. Pleading, begging, crying for mercy…the pain of helplessness had been unbearable. She was relieved that his eyes were focused on her, instead of toward the stairs, but there was nothing she wouldn’t do to protect her children. Relief was short lived as the full awareness of her situation hit her. There was no telling what Stefano would do; she was alone and vulnerable. Her hands trembled uncontrollably and though determined, her eyes were wide fiery orbs of fear.

 

Fear: he thrived off of others’. Her fear and hatred of him only made him want her more. To him, she was a tease. Like a sparkling diamond dangling before him, beckoning, he felt as if he could just reach out and snatch her. He desired nothing more than to possess her. She was valuable; she was beautiful; she was perfect.

 

Stefano stepped across the threshold and Marlena instinctively jumped back off the couch, the hot tea scalding her hand. She let out a slight cry of pain causing Stefano to approach her more urgently and with concern. In disgust, she retreated further away from the door; her eyes never leaving him as he intruded further and further into her home.

 

“Careful Marlena! Did you burn yourself? Here, let me look at it…” he said, reaching his hand out to her.

 

“Stay away from me!!” she cried out, pulling her hand protectively to her chest and hoping to God that somebody had heard her scream. “What are you doing here?! Get out of my house!!” Though she felt like she was yelling with every ounce of her strength, the words merely quivered past her lips. She pointed sharply at the door.

 

He laughed, “don’t be afraid, Marlena; I would never hurt you. I am here because I love you. I must have you! I’ve come to take you with me…to a place where we will be free to love each other. I can give you everything you ever wanted. You will be my Queen! Respected and revered by all!”

 

Tomatoes, broccoli, spinach…John perused the produce aisle, trying to remember how to tell if a tomato was ripe or not. He smiled, knowing that soon he’d be at home, with Marlena and their children. He pictured them sitting around the dinner table and of course Brady would complain that he didn’t like tomatoes. Laughing to himself, he selected a variety of salad ingredients and placed them in the basket. He was walking toward the checkout line, when he had a sinking feeling in his heart. Unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong, he called Marlena. There was no answer. He raced out of the store and sped home.

 

His words made her sick. All she could think about was getting him out of her home, away from her, away from her children. She had already lost so much of her life because of Stefano. Now that she was finally getting it back, she was not about to let him take it away again. If only John would come home; she needed him so badly. She knew she couldn’t overpower Stefano physically, so her mind raced, trying to come up with the words to somehow convince him not to do this. Suddenly, the phone rang. She tried to grab for it, but after taking only a few bounding steps, he reached around her, picked up the phone and then immediately cut the line. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her back away from the desk, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

 

Moist, hot breath on the back of her neck made her skin crawl. She squirmed in his grip trying to free herself, but he only held her tighter. The feeling of his body against hers was making her nauseous. She stomped on his foot while his words of lust hissed in her ears, undeterred. The game was exciting him; he spun her around roughly to face him and smashed his lips into hers. Though she was struggling frantically, he didn’t care; he was savoring the taste of her on his tongue. She was sweeter than he remembered and he ravaged her mouth hungrily. His hands groped at her body so violently that he didn’t even notice his hand getting caught on her necklace. The pearls fell to the floor as softly as rain. Marlena cried out in vain, demanding that he stop his advances. As she struggled and fought, she began to feel her body weakening, her feet no longer steady. Tears blurred her vision.

 

Brady woke up from his nap to what he thought was someone crying, but he could not hear anything else. He lay in bed, straining his ears, wondering what the sound had been, but the room was eerily silent. Then, thinking that maybe Belle was having a nightmare, he got up and walked down the hall to his sister’s bedroom. He found her still asleep, but she was restless. Brady gently nudged her awake. Upon opening her eyes, Belle cried for Marlena in fright. Jumping onto the bed with her, Brady hugged his sister, trying to be brave for her, but he felt scared too and didn’t know why.

Darkness closed around her, shutting her off from the world. The air felt thick, like it was crushing her, forcing her into submission. She heard Belle calling out to her from upstairs, but she already felt herself falling.

“Belle…” she breathed weakly.

 

Stefano felt Marlena go limp in his arms. Worried, he ran his hand down her cheek to her neck, checking her pulse. After figuring that she had only fainted, he smiled that this would make his task much easier. He swung her into his arms and quickly carried her downstairs to the waiting car. He told the driver to take them out of town as fast as possible. The car raced off into the night.

The scenery whipped past his windows as he made his way back to the penthouse. He could barely concentrate on the road because all he could think about was Marlena. He didn’t see a car backing out of a driveway until the very last second, but managed to swerve out of the way. The driver cursed him, but he didn’t care; he just kept driving. Thoughts ran round and round in his head, pulling him into a whirling oblivion.

 

Maybe she just didn’t hear the phone…maybe she was in the other room and couldn’t reach it in time…I should call her again…he dialed the number again, but still no answer. The sound of the endless ring was maddening…where IS she? It is not like her to be careless…what of the children? Is she with them? Is there something wrong with my phone? Is there something wrong with her phone? Come on!! Green light!! Green!! Maybe I’m overreacting…she could just be taking a bubble bath—probably not…please let her be okay…please let her be okay…just let me get home to her, please…please let it not be too late…get a grip, get a grip…she’ll be there, she’ll be fine…she’ll be fine…What if Stefano did get to her…he has tried so many times already… he is obsessed with her…what if he’s with her right now…what if he’s already taken her away? I could kill that man, I swear! God, why do these people drive so slowly! Marlena’s life could be hanging in the balance…I just can’t shake this feeling…don’t worry, Doc…be strong…I’m coming, baby, I’m coming…

 

Kristen flopped down on her bed and smiled devilishly. All the pain of losing John had channeled into hatred for Marlena. She knew that her father had plans to take Marlena away. It didn’t matter to her where Marlena went, or what happened to her, as long as she disappeared. Soon, soon she thought, Marlena would be out of her life and more importantly out of John’s life for good. She had been waiting like a vulture for more than a month now, but at last she felt things were going to turn in her favor. John would be hers and nothing was going to stand in her way.

 

John came through the front door and hearing Belle crying upstairs, threw his keys onto the desk and rushed up to her room He found Brady trying to calm her, but clearly growing distressed as well not being able to help much. John called out Marlena’s name over his shoulder, wondering where she was because she wasn’t in the room with them and it wasn’t like her to let a child cry alone. Belle reached out her hands to her father and his attention turned back to her. He picked up Belle in his arms and sat on the bed indicating to Brady to settle next to him. He asked them what was wrong, but couldn’t make out their words as they tried to speak through their sniffles. Belle cried for her mother again and he realized Marlena was still not there. He set a still whimpering Belle down on the bed next to her brother. After assuring them that he would be right back, he slowly left the room and closed the door cautiously behind him.

“Marlena?” he called, but there was no answer.

 

Growing worried, he looked in their bedroom; she was not there. He went downstairs and saw the tea spilled on the carpet near the couch. Panic began to overwhelm him. He called out her name again, silence. Walking around the couch toward the desk, he saw what was once her favorite strand of pearls scattered about. It had to be Stefano, he thought. It just had to be; he would never give up until he got what he wanted: Marlena. John cursed Stefano and his sick obsession with Marlena under his breath. He lunged at the phone and en route up the stairs, called Abe. The phone seemed to ring forever before Abe finally picked it up.

 

“Marlena has been kidnapped!! We need to do something NOW!! Stefano has her; I am sure of it! I just talked to her on the phone not long ago…he couldn’t have gotten her very far,” having reached his daughter’s bedroom, he lowered his voice to not upset the children further. He could not believe this. After everything they had been through, Stefano was not about to take her away from him now!

 

“Oh my God! Just calm down…just CALM down! I’ll put out an APB right now; we are going to do everything we can to find her and bring her home safely. You won’t be helping matters any if you panic, so try to stay calm,” Abe insisted.

 

“I can’t be calm!! I am going crazy! That bastard has my wife!! What am I supposed to do?! Just sit here and let him get away with that? Thank you for your help…I’m going after him right now”

 

“But John…you don’t…” It was too late. John had already hung up. John called Caroline and told her what happened and asked if she would watch the children. Caroline said that she would be right over. He tried to distract Brady and Belle; he tried to pretend nothing was wrong, but they knew something was wrong. The look in their eyes made him want to cry. John paced about nervously, waiting impatiently for Caroline to show up.

 

As soon as she arrived, John ran out the door, got in his car and drove. He didn’t know where he was going or how he would find her, but he needed to be doing something. He couldn’t lose her, he just couldn’t. They were finally back together, as a family. There was no way he was going to let Dimera take away the one person who made him happier than he ever thought he could be. His phone rang; it was Abe.

 

“John! I think we found him! An officer spotted a car matching the description of one that left the penthouse at high speed just before you arrived. It is heading east, through the woods. I have put every available man on it; don’t you worry, we’ll get her back.”

 

“I’m on my way, Abraham. We’re going to get him, this time!”

 

He could only imagine how scared Marlena must have been, how scared she must be this very second. He tried to comfort himself with the idea that Stefano would never hurt Marlena, but he remembered Stefano had tried to gas them both in Maison Blanche. Stefano was Stefano: evil, manipulative and ruthless. There was no telling what the man might do if provoked. Thoughts of panic and terror flooded his mind menacingly. He pushed them out of his mind and concentrated on the task at hand. He had to find her and he would.

His heart was pounding in his ears as he drove through the back roads trying to reach Stefano and Marlena before they made it to the next town. The police sirens were wailing behind him; the flashing lights and the noise made the night surreal. He couldn’t believe this nightmare was happening and cursed himself for letting it. If only he had been there, Marlena would be with him right now, safe and sound and not in the clutches of the most evil man he’d ever known.

 

The road through the woods was winding and poorly paved. It was a treacherous route to take, especially at night and the sun was swiftly setting behind the trees. Stefano urged his driver to go faster despite the dangerous conditions. He was on such a high from the thrill of this little cat and mouse game that his thinking was irrational. He had his prize, now he just had to escape. It was all he could think about. Stefano looked hungrily at Marlena, still unconscious in the back of the car. He was beginning to worry because she had not awakened yet. Grazing her cheek with the back of his hand he thought to himself; he had to get Marlena safely away so that they could finally start their lives together.

 

“Mr. Dimera, I strongly advise that we slow down. This road is very dangerous and I cannot see very far ahead of me.”

 

“No! Keep going at this speed! John and the police have surely discovered Marlena is missing now and they will be sending out people to look for her. We must get as far away from Salem as possible.”

 

The car jolted over a pothole, shaking Marlena violently back into consciousness. She weakly called out to John, her vision not yet clear. Stefano was angered at her thoughts of John, vowing to rid John from her memory once and for all. He was sick of John; sick of hearing about him, sick of him ruining his plans, sick of keeping him from the one thing he truly wanted: Marlena. The rage was boiling up inside of him, but he suppressed it as he spoke sweetly to her.

 

“Hello my love…” she turned away in disgust, but he turned her chin back toward him. “Shhhhhhh, soon we will be safe. It will be like a dream come true” Finally able to see again, she pushed him back violently and tried the door of the car, not caring that they were speeding down the road, but it was locked and she was unable to open it.

 

“LET ME GO!!” she screamed. Stefano laughed at her feeble attempt at escaping; he loved seeing how feisty she was though. She started reaching around the driver’s seat to try and flip the switch that controlled the doors. The driver had to fend off her furious hands and was having a hard time driving at the same time. Tears were streaking her face at the seeming hopelessness of her situation.

 

Just then, Stefano yelled out for the driver to stop. A car was speeding right into their path at the next intersection and he recognized it. They were on a collision course with John! He began to panic. He couldn’t get into an accident, but he couldn’t let John catch him.

 

“Slow down enough so he crosses in front of us! Then once we are in front of him, speed up!” Stefano ordered and the driver complied. The car was screeching to a halt, but unfortunately for them, so was John’s. John knew what kind of a game they were playing and he wasn’t about to let Stefano get past; he was going to stop that car one way or another. Since the two cars had slowed considerably, they were still heading for collision.

 

Marlena was screaming in fright. Stefano’s driver tried to swerve at the last moment, but the car skidded off to the side of the road. The driver’s head slammed against the window, knocking him out cold. Having passed them a little ways, John spun the car around back toward the crash. He prayed that Marlena was not hurt. Acting quickly, Stefano made a call and rattled off orders for his secondary getaway plan. The police sirens were approaching as was John, so Stefano grabbed Marlena’s hand and pulled her out of the car. He gripped her hard and forced her to run with him through the forest. She felt like her arm was going to come out of its socket he was dragging her so forcefully. They moved so fast that she felt as if her feet were barely on the ground. John jumped out of his car and ran off in pursuit of them.

 

By now the police had found their way to the crash site and had detained the driver, but he refused to say anything. The local news had also caught wind of this car chase and kidnapping and was setting up along the roadside, interviewing anyone who would talk to them. Abe and a group of officers went into the forest after John, Marlena and Stefano. John caught up to Marlena and Stefano, held his gun toward Stefano and demanded that he let Marlena go.

 

“Let her go, DiMera! Or I will shoot you!” shouted John. It took every ounce of strength to resist the temptation to shoot him right then and there. Hatred was burning in John’s eyes as he held the gun steady. Stefano stood there smiling mockingly. He was overly confident as his eyes changed their focus to the sky. Marlena was shivering in his arms. Her heart swelled at seeing John; she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She tried to go towards him, but she could not get free.

 

Gusts of dirt and leaves were blown up around them as a helicopter hovered above the tree tops. A ladder lowered next to Stefano and Marlena and he was attempting to pull her up with him. Marlena cried in protest. John took careful aim and fired a shot at Stefano’s arm, which caused him to break his grip. As soon as Marlena’s feet touched ground she ran straight toward John. With his other hand, Stefano drew his gun and fired at John. John pulled Marlena to the ground to get her out of the way of the shot, but luckily Stefano was not that good of a marksman. The police were circling in and Stefano had no choice but to try again another day. He flew off into the night.

 

“John! I knew you would come!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a full embrace. She buried her tear soaked face against his chest in comfort. It felt so good to be back in his arms, safe. She was so overcome with emotion that she could barely speak.

 

“Of course I came, Doc…I swore I would never let anything happen to you…and I intend to keep that promise,” concerned, he lifted her head to his and looked into her eyes, “you are not hurt are you?”

 

“No, I am okay…I hate that Stefano got away again though. He deserves to rot in jail after all he has put us through,” she sobbed and the two sat down on the mossy forest floor. John held Marlena close to him, never wanting to let go; he couldn’t believe how close he had come to losing her again.

 

‘I don’t know what I would have done if he’d taken you away. You are my life. When I think of that man with his hands on you, I want to kill him. I swear to you Marlena, we are going to find him and he’s going to pay for everything he has done to us. Nothing is going to keep us apart…” he looked at her. Her face was ghostly white in the dark night and her eyes seemed glazed over. She was trying to breathe slowly. “Doc? Are you ok?”

 

“John, I–I think I’m going to be sick–” she managed to choke out before jumping to her feet and running off. She didn’t get very far for she felt the world spinning under her feet. The night swirled around her and she grasped futilely at the air. Her legs gave way and she collapsed onto her hands and knees retching convulsively.

 

“MARLENA!” he cried, seeing her fall and he sprinted over to her. He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket and brushed back her hair. Her eyes were closed, but she was crying. Kissing her forehead he picked her up and headed for the car.

 

Kristen was flipping channels on the TV when she stopped on a breaking news report. We are here in the woods just outside of Salem where Stefano DiMera attempted to kidnap respected psychiatrist Dr. Marlena Evans.

“Couldn’t finish the job, eh, Father?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

 

Just moments ago, our cameras caught this high speed chase, ending in a minor accident. The driver of Mr. DiMera’s car was knocked unconscious during the collision and is now in custody. Mr. DiMera and Dr. Evans were seen running off into the woods, followed by Mr. John Black. The events that transpired in the forest are unknown, but several shots were heard. Mr. DiMera appears to have escaped by helicopter and we are told that Mr. Black and Dr. Evans are heading to Salem University Hospital…more information to follow after the break.

 

“Oh my God, what if John is hurt?!” Kristen leapt out of bed, grabbed her things and rushed off to the hospital.

John paced back and forth in the waiting room wondering what could be wrong with Marlena. The monotony of the room was oppressive. From the glaring white walls, to the fluorescent lights, to the scratchy upholstery of the chairs, comfort was all but absent. It certainly wasn’t alleviating John’s worry that is for sure.

 

She had almost passed out during the mad dash to the hospital. It had scared him how pale she had looked. Was she ill? Could Stefano have given her some kind of drug? There was no telling what that man could have done to her.

John was dying for news, praying that she would be okay. Mike was in with her at that very moment and John sighed in impatience. It seemed like he had been waiting in this room for ever. She was only a few doors away, yet she seemed so far. The look she’d had in her eyes as they had wheeled her away was haunting his memory. He longed to be with her, comforting her in his arms, kissing away her pain. Abe saw him from the hallway and entered the room with a comforting smile.

 

“How are you holding up, John? I’m sure she’ll be fine; don’t worry,” he said, patting his hand on John’s shoulder.

 

“Yea, I’m fine, partner. I just wish Mike would come back with some information. I hate not knowing what’s going on. You should have seen her, Abraham…she was so scared. Stefano is going to pay for this,” John said; his eyes flecked with lingering flames of vengeance.

 

“You know John, maybe she was just in shock from the whole experience and that’s why she got sick. Mike will be back soon, you’ll get to see her and everything will be okay.”

 

“I know, I know…hey, any word on Stefano?”

 

“Sorry…unfortunately no; he disappeared…we haven’t been able to track him down”

 

“Damnit!” said John, banging his fist on the table.

 

“We’re doing everything that we can, but he’s just simply disappeared. You know how when he doesn’t want to be found, nobody can find him. He’s probably going to lay low for a while…we just have to make sure Marlena and the children are protected.”

 

“I called Shawn and Caroline not long ago and the kids are sleeping soundly. They should be fine…hey, thanks for being here, man, I really appreciate it,” he said, giving Abe a hug. “I just love Marlena…so…much…”

 

“I know you do. I’m just so thankful that you two finally told each other how you feel. I was going crazy not being able to say anything!” Abe laughed and John let out a little chuckle too.

 

“Hey John, sorry to interrupt…” said Mike laughing along with them as he entered the room. John rushed over, eager to hear something.

 

“Mike! How is she? Is she okay?”

 

“Easy, easy…calm down now…she’s fine, John. She wants to see you, just go on in…it’s the first door on your right,” Mike laughed. After thanking him, John was out the door like a flash of lightning. He took a deep breath to compose himself as he opened the door to Marlena’s room. She was sitting on the foot of the bed, fully dressed and smiling nervously. Hopping onto the tiled floor, she took his hand and pulled him close. She looked much better, but he would not be satisfied until he knew what was going on. He went up to her and took her hands in his.

 

“How are you feeling, Doc?” he asked concernedly, rubbing her hands.

 

Kristen slid around the corner in the hallway at full speed. All she could think about was getting to John. Scenes of her father shooting John flashed endlessly in her mind and her worry only grew more panicked. She was running so fast she almost lost her shoe; then she heard John’s voice. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but she followed the sound and pressed her ear to the door of the room containing its source. Her heart sank when she heard Marlena’s voice answering him; she felt like strangling her, wanting her to feel the same pain that stabbed in her heart.

 

The woman caught up to Kristen, who was clinging desperately to the doorframe. She had seen Kristen dash out of the house in a hurry and had wanted to know where she was going at this hour. The woman watched Kristen from behind her veil. She was a nervous wreck. Hearing about Stefano’s attempt to kidnap Marlena only flooded back the memories of her own time with him. She didn’t want to face those memories; she wanted to forget.

 

She wanted to erase everything that had to do with Stefano, but she couldn’t…she felt the need to protect Kristen. The connection between the two of them had been so strong since they met in Aremid. The woman was so grateful that Kristen had taken her in and was trying to help her, but she had a feeling in her heart that their bond went even deeper. She longed to understand why.

 

“I don’t think there’s a word to describe it. I feel scared, relieved, happy, nervous… and wonderful,” she clasped her hands around his and gazed deeply into his sparkling blue eyes. Taking a deep breath, “we’re going to have a baby,” she said and brought his hands to her stomach. He gasped as his hands touched her body. Her eyes, having followed her hands, now rose slightly to judge his reaction. He was stunned; a thousand thoughts ran through his mind in that moment. He envisioned her holding their new baby in her arms. He already could hear the first words, picture the first steps; their family would finally be complete. Emotion was overwhelming him so much that he could barely breathe.

Taking her into his arms, he kissed her tenderly. Then he hugged her close and whispered into her ear.

“I love you so much. I didn’t think my life could be more perfect, but now it is.”

 

Tilting her head back so she could see his face, she said, “oh John, I’m so happy, but I’m also so scared.” Her words began to run together frantically and her hands were desperately trying to illustrate what the words would not say. “I never thought I’d have another baby; I thought I was done having kids…I don’t know how I’m going to be able to do this again…IF I can even do this again! My gosh, Sami and Eric are all grown up now…this is crazy…is this crazy?” Tears laced with emotion fell down her cheeks as he listened, eyes softening.

 

Her voice was quivering as she fought the urge to cry, “I was so shocked when I found out about Belle …of course, a lot of it had to do with our affair, but I was so scared…so scared…I thought I’d done it all. I’d been the mother, the kids were grown, it seemed like time to more forward…I remember Roman had asked me, before Belle, if I had wanted another baby…and I didn’t want one…he was so hurt…I hated that.” She paused and the guilt stung her as she remembered everything she had put Roman through because of her affair. She still hadn’t been able to fully forgive herself.

 

He tried to speak, to reassure her, but she cut him off, wanting to finish. She shook her head in self-disapproval, then, breathing away her memories of Roman, she continued, “I didn’t think I’d ever want another baby….but then…but then…I realized that I was still in love with you. I want to start all over, to go back and experience everything we were denied, everything we should have done, everything that was stolen from us, everything we deserved.” His hands were combing lovingly through her hair as she spoke. “I am so thankful for Belle. I hope you know that, John.

 

Not a day goes by that I do not feel blessed to have her in my life. My only regret is that we didn’t know you were her father sooner…but things are different now. This baby, this wonderful gift, was created out of the love we are finally able to express again. It is our love personified. We will nurture it, protect it, let it grow and let it flourish. I only hope we are able to welcome a healthy new son or daughter into this world…together.” She took his mouth in hers and wrapping her arm around his neck, kissed him passionately.

 

“I swear to God, that you will pay for taking John from me, Marlena. Enjoy this moment because it is not going to last. You and your baby are going to pay!!” Kristen muttered angrily with a clenched fist and her mind was already calculating her next move.

“What did you just say, Kristen?! How could you say a thing like that about Marlena?!” exclaimed the woman. Kristen was seething with anger; she felt like she was going to explode.

 

Highly irritated by the woman’s impeccable timing, she attempted to keep her quiet. “Shhh!! You didn’t hear a thing! Don’t ever mention this to anyone–“

 

“–but Kristen! I heard you say–!!” the woman protested just as Laura, Sami and Carrie rushed over to them.

 

“Not a WORD” ordered Kristen, shooting the woman a menacing glare, before masking her insanity again to meet the others. Not wanting them to know she had been eavesdropping, she ushered them out of the hall and back into the waiting area.

 

The woman knew she should tell somebody about what she heard, but something inside her kept her from doing it. She felt compelled to keep Kristen’s secret despite what her mind was telling her and just then, an image of Kristen as a young girl flashed in her mind. Breath escaped her and she wandered aimlessly behind the group, as the memories engulfed her once again.

 

Laura and Carrie were desperately quizzing Kristen on any news of Marlena and Kristen was getting awfully tired of it. She was thankful when Abe and Mike came over to occupy the women’s attention. As Kristen settled into one of the chairs, she noticed that Sami was hanging back, taking in the scene and in that moment identified with the girl. Kristen felt like the intruder in this little family reunion and desperately wanted to be the centre of attention. However, Carrie noticed that despite her silence, worry was evident in Sami’s eyes. As much anger as Sami held toward her mother, it was times like these when she could let down her defenses and allow herself to love her. Carrie wished things were better between her and her sister, as well as between her sister and Marlena. Almost losing their mother tonight had made their boyfriend problems seem so trivial.

 

The commotion settled as John and Marlena walked into the room, their steps perfectly synchronize. She was leaning her head on his shoulder and their arms were wrapped around each other. Feelings of joy and happiness radiated from their hearts, illuminating the whole room. Marlena felt her heart leap when she saw Carrie and Sami. Earlier that evening she had been wondering if she’d ever see them again and here they were in front of her.

 

She ran a few steps toward her daughters and gave them each a big hug as tears of joy sprinkled her now rosy cheeks. Then she saw Laura, her best friend. She remembered the countless times she had gone to see Laura for advice about John. She’d always been there to support her, to encourage her, to listen to her, and to offer her a shoulder on which to cry. Laura had so desperately wanted her and John together and now she was overjoyed to see them like this. Marlena whispered a heartfelt “thank you” in Laura’s ear and she hugged her tight.

 

“I’m so glad that you are safe and sound, Marlena! You gave us quite a scare today, but I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what you went though. How are you doing?” Laura asked as the embrace ended.

 

“I’m fine, Laura. I’m here with my friends and my family. I couldn’t be happier,” she smiled. Marlena walked back to John and slid herself back snugly into his arms. All eyes were on them. “We have some news…”

“Do you want to tell them or should I?” asked John, trying to contain his excitement. He was so giddy he thought his heart might burst.

 

“You go ahead,” she tilted her head up towards him and smiled. Being back in his arms, being there, surrounded by people that she loved, made her feel so safe. She could forget about the ordeal she had just gone through and revel in thoughts of her future. For just a few glorious moments, the dark cloud of fear that had plagued her for months had dissipated.

 

“Well, come on now, we can’t stand the suspense!” laughed Abe as he was followed by a chorus of agreement.

 

“We’re going to have a baby!!!” exclaimed John, throwing his hands up in jubilation. The voices all began at once. Cries of happiness and congratulations filled the air, enveloping him in pure bliss. He didn’t even notice Kristen, annoyance plainly written across her face, slouched in a corner chair. John was so ecstatic; he wanted to yell it from the mountain tops. It was as if he were becoming a father for the first time all over again. He had always hated that he hadn’t been there for Marlena when she was pregnant with Belle. So many moments had been stolen from them. Now they would be able to make up for lost time.

 

“Oh my gosh, is it really true, Marlena?” asked Carrie as she hugged her.

 

Marlena nodded with a beaming smile, “yup, I’m really pregnant!”

 

“I’m so happy for you, Marlena! I knew things were going to work out, I just knew they would.” This gave Carrie hope that someday, she too would be free to love the man she knew she should be with, Austin. “I can’t wait until I have my own children some day, so if you ever need a babysitter, you know I’ll be there!” she laughed, “Oh, Belle and Brady are going to have so much fun with their new baby brother or sister. What are you hoping for? A boy or a girl?”

 

“Oh Carrie, you know it doesn’t matter to me. I am just so happy. Isn’t this great news, Sami?”

 

Sami remembered back to the last time she found out Marlena was pregnant. Her father had been so happy, thinking that the baby was his, but she had known better. She had had her suspicions; the image of John and her mother making love during the Titan party had been forever burned into her memory. If only her suspicions hadn’t come true, her father would still be here now.

 

She missed him so much and she still blamed John for breaking up her family. She wanted to let go of that anger, desperately. She remembered how much she had loved John as a child and deep down she still did, but she couldn’t forgive him, not yet. Now that her mother and John were having another child together, she knew there was no way her parents were ever going to reconcile and her heart grew cold. Her mother’s voice snapped her back to the present. “Of course; it’s great news. Congratulations,” she said superficially, but politely.

 

Marlena let out a little sigh. She wished that she could get through to Sami. She knew how much she was hurting inside, but Sami wouldn’t let Marlena help her. “Thank you, Sami,” she said; they would just have to take this one step at a time. She suddenly felt that familiar wave of nausea in her stomach and her legs grew weak. Marlena sat down on a nearby chair and closed her eyes, waiting for it to pass.

 

“Are you okay, Marlena?” asked Laura with concern.

 

“I’ll be fine…I’ll be fine…” she said with a wave of her hand as she began to feel a little better.

 

John was joking around with Abe, when he looked over to Marlena. Her demeanor had changed and he began to worry. Going over to her, he asked what was wrong.

 

“Doc? Is it the baby? …Laura? Is she okay?” he asked as he brushed her soft hair back behind her ears.

 

She opened her eyes to meet his, “I’m okay. I just felt a little sick for a second” and she gave him a little smile.

 

“You’ve had a very…long…day today. You must be exhausted. We should get you home.”

 

The woman went over to Kristen. She had remembered who she was; she was Kristen and Peter’s mother. The memories that had been suppressed for so long had finally resurfaced, but she was so afraid of what Stefano might do if he found out she knew this. She wanted nothing more than to hug Kristen and melt her problems away, but she couldn’t. She was afraid, afraid of her past, afraid of her future. The veil that she wore protected her, made her feel safe. The intricate lace filtered her vision and she saw her daughter as a poor misguided soul. She wouldn’t let herself believe Kristen had become as cold-hearted and evil as Stefano.

 

Kristen was beyond irritated at the celebration taking place before her. “Would you look at them? They are so deliriously happy; it’s sickening. There’s no way that I am going to let Marlena get away with SEDUCING and STEALING John away from me!! I love him, he loves me and WE are going to be together again, this time forever.” Her voice was dripping with venom.

 

“Can’t you see how right they are for each other, Kristen? You must stop being so selfish,” the woman pleaded.

 

“Selfish? What’s Marlena going to think when she realizes that John doesn’t love her as much as he loves me? She’s only going to be heartbroken. I’m simply saving her the pain! When she told him about that letter he wrote, it just brought back all the old memories. That’s all she is to him, a memory. Marlena is his past, but I will be his future. I just have to get him to realize it.”

 

“Kristen, you have to calm down or you might do something you regret.”

 

“I’m thinking very clearly…I have to plan this out perfectly….I am just waiting for the perfect moment…oh look at her, she’s so pathetic! She always has to have people fawning over her all the time. I don’t get why John would want to be with someone as weak and mealy-mouthed as Marlena. I can’t take this anymore.” She threw her hands up in frustration. With that, Kristen pushed herself out of the chair and stormed out of the hospital. The woman trailed after her, floating swiftly through the corridors like a ghost.

 

“I want to see Belle and Brady. We should go and pick them up.” Marlena said, as John helped her to her feet.

“Are you sure you’re up for that? You’ve had a rather eventful day and when I called Caroline she said they were asleep already.”

 

“I’m fine, I promise. It’s just that when Stefano was trying to kidnap me tonight, I was so scared that I would never see them again. I need to be with them. I want us all back home together, as a family.”

 

“Okay, okay, shhhh, let’s go then,” he said as he kissed her forehead. They said their goodbyes and headed over to the Brady’s. The night was clear and the stars were shining brightly above them. A peaceful breeze tickled their skin as they walked to the car. They walked arm in arm, wondering the future had in store for them.

A new day dawned and Marlena woke to a glorious sun shining through her window. Several months had passed and the baby was growing bigger and stronger each day. She was so happy to wake up and not feel sick for once. Turning to face John who was sleeping beside her, she watched as patches of sunlight danced across his face. The rise and fall of his chest as he breathed kept a steady time. Everything seemed to be in sync. She wrapped his arm around her like a blanket and snuggled close, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

 

John woke up to find a head of silky blonde waves under his chin. He buried his face in them and kissed the top of her head. She turned to kiss him sweetly on the lips before settling her head back down on the pillow.

 

“Good morning, Doc, how are you feeling?”

 

“Wonderful,” she replied with a huge smile on her face. She was positively radiant.

 

“Good, because I have big plans for today!” he said and then sighed in awe, “You look like an angel,” he teased. Her happiness was contagious. Joy emanated from her heart and out through the shimmering highlights of her hair, the golden orbs of her eyes…the pearly whiteness of her smile.

 

“Well you are my guardian angel. I know you will always be there to watch over me and to protect me”

 

“And don’t ever doubt that,” he smiled and lightly tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger. “How is the little one today?” he asked, reaching his hand under her top. He still couldn’t believe he and Marlena were actually going to have another baby. Their baby was there, under his hand, with just mere inches of flesh separating them.

 

Marlena shifted her position so she was lying on her back and pulled up her pajama top exposing her growing bump. “Why don’t you ask for yourself?” she giggled.

 

“Hello baby, how are you?” he cooed as his hand circled around her navel. “Do you know how much your Mommy and Daddy already love you?” He leaned in and kissed the top of her belly gently. She gasped as the baby kicked for the first time. John had flinched and instinctively pulled back, but now he laughed. She took his hand in his and held it to her middle so he could feel the baby moving. In that moment, it all became real to him. He was really going to be a father again.

 

“Do you feel that?” she asked “That’s our baby.” He kissed the baby again and this time continued up the length of her body as his hands nimbly undid each button on her shirt. He stopped in between the soft mounds of her breasts and gently nipped her skin. Her skin was smooth like white chocolate and just as delicious. He wanted to devour her. He looked down at the child she was carrying, their child, and knowing he was responsible for that drove him wild with desire. She gasped and arched her back, wanting to get closer to him. Her fingers clenched around the sheet below her and her eyes forced themselves closed signaling descent into an oblivion of ecstasy.

 

“Mmmm, don’t stop,” she moaned in a low thick voice, grabbing him closer. His hot, wet tongue was now running along the edge of her ear and her toes began to curl. Her neck craned toward him as he sucked on the lobe. Her breath quickened as her body began to writhe. She reached up and pulled him, a fistful of hair in her hand, back to her hungry mouth.

 

“And now…how do you feel?” he panted between kisses.

 

“Dirrrrrrrrty,” she purred and her hips instinctively thrusted upward to meet his.

 

“We’re going to have to clean you up then, aren’t we?” he teased. Nothing short of a tornado would have thrown clothes about more quickly and soon the two found themselves under the steamy hot wetness of the shower. The scent of the citrus-y soap was invigorating as she covered his chest in a frothy lather. His fingers seemed to send sparks under her skin as they ran up and down her slippery curves.

 

Not being able to suppress the fire within her any longer, she pulled him toward her and ravaged his mouth. Her hands ran the length of his muscular back, tracing every curve. The water cascaded over their heads and down over their faces like a tropical waterfall. His roaming hands were tangling her soaked hair, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t get enough of him, nor he of her. Her back hit the cool hard tiles of the back wall and she gasped. John felt her leg wrap around his middle, guiding him toward her. Guttural moans echoed in the mist as two became one, body, mind, and soul.

John leaned comfortably on the bed pillows as he watched Marlena finish dressing. He watched her twist her long golden tresses expertly into a French twist, letting not a strand fall out of place. It amazed him how deft her fingers were as she pinned up her hair with a single fluid motion. She took out a tube of lip gloss and applied it liberally, enhancing the natural pinkness.

 

John licked his own lips as the sheen caught his eye. They looked so full, so wet; he wanted nothing more than to take them in his own. She knew he was watching her because she could see him in the vanity mirror, but she enjoyed the game. Pretending as if she hadn’t seen him, she bunched up the first of her silk stockings and slid her toes in. Seductively, she pulled them up the length of her leg. Once she passed her knee, her skirt slid upward too. She stopped mid-thigh and then ran her hand down her calf in order to smooth and straighten it before repeating the process on the other leg.

 

“Aren’t you going to get dressed?” she asked turning to fully face him. “I thought you had an appointment downtown. You’re going to be late,” she said while clasping her watch around her wrist.

 

“No, you see, I can just throw on a suit and be out the door in 15 minutes, whereas you have been getting ready for the past 45,” he laughed.

 

“Well you would know, you’ve been watching me the whole time,” she teased.

 

“Baby, I could never take my eyes off of you,” and then he rose to kiss the now strawberry flavored lips he loved so much. She let her body melt into his as strong hands pulled her to him. The obnoxious sound of their alarm clock snapped them rudely back to reality.

 

“It’s a good thing we woke up before the alarm went off,” he laughed as he switched it off.

 

“Yea, showering together isn’t exactly a time saver,” she said playfully as she headed for the door. “Now, hurry up and come to breakfast”

 

Birds were chirping outside the kitchen window as they sat down to eat. There was a vase full of daisies in the centre of the table; tiny spots of bold yellow sunshine amongst delicate petals of white. Marlena smiled, inhaling the fresh summery scent. “Pwetty fwowers,” said Belle, trying to reach across the table to grab one. Marlena laughed and intercepted her daughter’s curious hands. “They aren’t as pretty as you,” Marlena said as she kissed Belle’s forehead.

 

John walked in and after greeting both his children, sat down opposite of Marlena, who was nibbling on her toast. “What do you have planned for today, Doc?”

 

“The usual,” she replied. “Laura and I are concerned about the woman from Aremid. She doesn’t seem to be doing any better. For a while, she had seemed to be improving, but lately she has taken a turn for the worst.” We can’t figure out why and she’s becoming less cooperative.

 

“That’s too bad…I know you two will find a way to help her, but tonight, I want you to clear this evening. No patients, no meetings, no nothings. I’m taking you out to dinner”

 

“That sounds wonderful,” she said, letting the words linger in the air. It had been a while since they had gone out. “I will be there, just say the word.”

 

“Be at the Penthouse Grille at 6 o’clock sharp.”

 

“I can’t wait,” she smiled and gazed dreamily out the open window, “Gosh, what time is it? It’s already scorching hot.” She fanned herself lightly with her napkin.

 

“Well Doc, you know it IS the middle of the summer. Were you expecting snow?” he laughed. She rolled her eyes at him and took a sip of water. “Do you want any eggs?” he asked, taking some on his fork and moving it toward her. She nearly choked on the water she was swallowing as she turned her head away in disgust.

 

“No! Are you TRYING to make me sick?” she said, rubbing her turning stomach with her hand. The smell alone was making her nauseous and she waved his offer away with her free hand. Once the feeling had passed, she regretted snapping at him, “I’m sorry–“

 

“It’s okay, baby, I’m sorry I forgot. We had better get going anyway,” he said, changing the subject. “I have a lot to do before tonight,” he said, finishing the last bites of his breakfast.

 

“Yes, I’m going to be late if I don’t leave soon. I have a patient first thing today,” she stood up and ushered the children into the living room so she could put on their shoes. She was going to drop them off with Caroline on her way to the hospital. Belle wouldn’t hold her feet still while Marlena tried to tie the bows on her little pink shoes. “Let me…,” said John as he came downstairs. He knelt before his daughter, “Belle, sweetie, hold still for me,” and she obliged long enough for him to get both shoes securely on her feet.

 

“I love you,” Marlena said as he stood up and graced her cheek with his hand. “And I love you,” he replied as he kissed her goodbye and walked out the door. “6 o’clock,” he called over his shoulder, “don’t be late!”

Kristen stretched her arms over her head as she woke up from a deep slumber. She smiled a devilish grin to herself as she recalled the dream she’d just had about John. She longed to kiss him, to touch him, to make love to him and after tonight, she was convinced she would finally get what she wanted.

 

Her plan was working fabulously. The woman was the only person who knew just the kind of person Kristen had become. Since the woman had overheard Kristen in the hospital after Marlena had been rescued from Stefano, she had become a threat. Kristen knew she had to destroy the woman’s credibility because she didn’t trust her to keep quiet, so every night she had sent the woman to bed with a glass of warm milk, laced with a mind altering drug. The woman had become more and more disoriented as the drugs latched hold of her mind. She became confused and paranoid; hardly anyone could approach her anymore. And to top it off, Peter was happy with the plan as well because now the woman would be unable to incriminate him in the whole mess with Jude St. Clair. Yes, Kristen was quite proud of herself.

 

Now that the first phase of her plan was complete, she would be able to do the second: getting rid of Marlena. With the woman’s mind now practically undone, there was nobody who would be able to link Kristen to the crime. She had been dying to carry out this part of her plan for months and now the time was finally right. She was so tired of pretending to play the part of the caring friend around Marlena. Soon it would be all over and she could continue onto the final phase: making John forget all about his precious Doc and making him hers for ever. Soon all the pieces would fall into place.

 

She put on her robe, walked over to the desk and pulled open the drawer. She picked up a sleek black handgun. Her fingers ran over the cold, hard metal and her mind filled with malice. It was begging to be fired. The thoughts scared her for a second. She wondered if she could really do this. She’d always considered herself such a good girl. Marlena was the bad one, she convinced herself. Marlena was the one who had an affair with John, the one who led John to cheat on her that one night, the one who stole him from her. Kristen remembered hearing them through the door and she was seething; she wanted Marlena out of her life FOR GOOD. She would make John forget all about Marlena if it was the last thing she did.

 

Marlena sat at her desk trying to concentrate on some paperwork. The clock read 4:30 and she couldn’t wait to leave. All she could think about was John. The baby kicked and she ran her hand across her belly, smiling at the reminder of their love. She fingered the charm bracelet around her wrist and wondered what he had planned for them tonight. Her eyes fell closed as she imagined his lips on hers and she let out a breathy sigh. Opening her eyes, she glanced at the clock again. She shook her head and tried desperately to focus on her work, but no sooner had she picked up her pen when there was a knock at her door.

 

“Come in,” she said and Laura walked in carrying a file filled with papers. She looked very concerned.

 

“Marlena, I just got the test results for the woman in white back from the lab. There’s something fishy going on here,” she said as she handed Marlena the file. “There’s a severe chemical imbalance…she’s either taking a drug…or…someone is drugging her.”

 

“I know she was emotionally disturbed, but I can’t believe she would become addicted to a drug that could do this all on her own…not after she showed remarkable progress. But who would drug her? It doesn’t make any sense!”

 

“I’m not sure, Marlena. Do you think maybe Stefano could have done it?”

 

“But how would he get access? And nobody has seen him for months. This would certainly explain her rapidly deteriorating mental condition though. I suppose it’s possible he found some way to administer the drug…maybe the woman knows some vital information that Stefano wants to keep secret.”

 

“We shouldn’t rule out the possibility that she’s taking the drug herself, at least not until we examine her more closely,” said Laura as her pager went off. “Oh, it’s Jennifer, I’ve got to run. We’ll continue this tomorrow, okay?”

 

“Of course,” replied Marlena still puzzling over this latest revelation. Laura closed the door behind her as she left. Marlena was beginning to put away the papers she had on her desk when there was another knock on her door. It was a delivery man carrying a bouquet of red roses and baby’s breath in his arms.

 

“Are you Dr. Marlena Evans?” he inquired.

 

“Yes, I am,” she said excitedly.

 

“These are for you from a Mr. John Black. Have a good night, ma’am,” he said as he handed the flowers to her.

 

She took the bouquet in her hands and then brought them to her nose, inhaling the sweet fragrance. She was so caught up in this thoughtful gesture that she didn’t notice the man had left. Her eye caught sight of the clock on the wall and she realized she had to get home so she could change for dinner in time to meet John. Just then, Kristen ran into her office.

 

“Marlena!! I’m so glad I found you. You have to come quick! The woman…she needs you…now…something is wrong….” Kristen panted, out of breath.

 

“Calm down Kristen. It’ll be okay. Let me just call—“

 

“No! There’s no time!” Kristen said as she grabbed Marlena’s arm before she could reach the phone and dragged her hurriedly out of the office. As soon she Kristen got Marlena into her car, she turned the ignition and sped onto the street.

 

“Kristen, if it is an emergency, why didn’t you call 911? I’m supposed to meet John for dinner and he’s going to wonder where I am,” Marlena said, flustered and confused by what had just happened. She looked out the window and wasn’t very familiar with this part of town. “Kristen, where are we going?” she asked, but Kristen said nothing as she continued to speed through the streets, focused only on reaching their destination. “Kristen?” she asked again, this time more urgently, but there was no answer. Marlena was getting nervous; something wasn’t right here. “Answer me, Kristen! Where are we going?!”

 

“Would you just SHUT UP?!” Kristen snapped back, with a glare in her eye. Marlena gasped in shock and then retreated meekly back into the seat, trying to make some sense of her situation. A few moments later, Kristen stopped the car.

 

“Get out, now!” she said gruffly as she opened the car door. Marlena obliged silently and got out of the car, still carrying the roses. She looked around. They were in some kind of alley way. The tall buildings to either side appeared to be abandoned, with windows boarded up here and there. There were no lamps, no streetlights to break the shadows that surrounded them, hid them from the outside world. The night was hot and humid, but a chill ran through Marlena’s bones. There was evil in the air.

 

John straightened his tie as he sat down at the table. He wanted everything to be perfect tonight. The music in the background was soft and sensual, the perfect accompaniment to the candles dancing in the centre of the table. Scanning the room to make sure Marlena hadn’t walked in, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet covered box. He flipped open the top and admired the pink diamond ring he had chosen. The stone was a true rarity, a perfection of beauty and elegance and just as if he were looking at her, he became lost in its sparkling brilliance.

 

He remembered proposing at her bedside 10 years ago. He remembered the look in her eyes when he presented the ring, remembered her saying yes when he asked her to marry him. He remembered standing before her at the altar, pledging his eternal love, and then kissing her as his wife, as they began their life together. He wished that those days had never ended, but this time, he thought, they would be married forever. The montage of memories in his head ended and he looked toward the future. He had no speech prepared; the words in his heart were all he needed.

 

Glancing at his watch, he realized it was 6:15; she was late. He snapped the box closed and returned it to his pocket, wondering where she was.

Even in the darkness of the night, Marlena could plainly see the fiery glare of Kristen’s eyes. She didn’t know what was going on, why Kristen had brought her here. There was no way out, no escape, just blackness that seemed to continue on endlessly. The roses in her hand, a comfort, as her other hand brushed against the grimy brick of the wall behind her.

 

“Kristen, what is going here? Would you kindly explain to me what we are doing here?”

 

Seated in a leather chair with a glass of brandy in his hand, Stefano felt secure in his hideout. Nobody suspected that he was living right there in Salem. He had to be in town to keep an eye on Marlena and he watched, waited for the perfect opportunity. Soon, he thought, soon, he’d finally be able to make a move and take her as his own. “Tell me, what are the good people of Salem doing tonight?” Stefano inquired of one of his henchmen like on any other night.

 

“Well, Sir, the woman from Aremid seems to have had a complete mental breakdown, due to the drug Kristen was administering.”

 

“Ah, good, now all our secrets will stay hidden forever! She was such a pain to have around with all her wailing and screaming. It’s one less thing to worry about,” he said, never having realized that the woman was his one time love, “And what of Marlena?” he asked eagerly, with a grin on his face.

 

“I’m not sure…Kristen took her downtown…”

 

“You idiot!! Why did you not tell me this sooner?! She could be in danger!” Stefano yelled, knowing full well what his daughter was capable of. He’d watched the jealously slowly take control of Kristen these past few months. He’d watched her heart grow cold and her mind more calculative. “Take me there now! I must get to them before it’s too late!”

 

The air was heavy and stagnant as Kristen eyed a very nervous looking Marlena. Kristen loved having this control over Marlena. It brought her great pleasure to see Marlena before her, confused and afraid. Voices filled Kristen’s head. Just do it, Kristen. She deserves to die after all she did to you. But I can’t, I can’t…I can’t kill her, that’s wrong. She’s the one who ruined your life! She’s the one who stole John, the love of your life, away from you!! It’s not wrong, Kristen…THIS is justice! You have to set things right! Marlena must PAY for what she has done!

 

Marlena was getting annoyed at Kristen’s silence. She looked at her watch again; it was past 6:30 now. John must be worried by now, she thought to herself. She wished she could call him, she longed to be with him, enjoying a romantic dinner together, but she didn’t have her purse, she didn’t know where she was; she was alone. Marlena continued to try and get the attention of Kristen, who seemed lost in her own thoughts.

 

Suddenly, something snapped in Kristen; her mind focused on her ultimate goal: killing Marlena. Her eyes went cold. She drew the gun out of her purse and aimed it forcefully at Marlena. Marlena froze.

 

Images flashed through the woman’s mind, but she couldn’t make sense of them. She saw fire all around her, drowning everything into a flaming orange haze. Her hands flew to her head, trying to make the memories stop. Nothing made sense anymore; she was panicking. It was as if the fire was engulfing her; she could barely breathe. She had to get out, she had to escape; she could hear the man laughing in the distance: Stefano. She’d lost, lost everything. The fire had stolen it all: her life, her identity, her memories. They all went up in flames.

 

She couldn’t think. She knew Kristen was troubled, that she had become dangerous. Her eyes were hard now, uncompassionate, just like Stefano’s. The woman didn’t know what to do. She had failed; failed to protect her daughter from Stefano’s influence. Kristen was no longer the good-hearted girl, she had raised all those years ago; that girl was gone. It was overwhelming, suffocating; she had to get out. Her face felt hot, as if the scars on her cheek were burning anew. The woman ran out the door as fast as she could, trying to escape the memories, the fire that raged on in her mind, but she couldn’t. It was driving her mad. She ran and ran, out of the house, down the street, white cloth fluttering about, until she reached the river. Water. The murky waters rushed below, calling her. She jumped. The river parted and accepted her body willingly. The cold water doused the flames that had engulfed her and she sank deeper and deeper into abysmal oblivion. Water filled her lungs and she didn’t fight it. Soon it was all over. The white lace that had once billowed freely about her was now wet and clung to her lifeless body as she succumbed to the river currents.

 

John was now getting very worried. It wasn’t like Marlena to be this late and not call. He got up from the table and went into the hallway to call her. There was no answer and he was getting the distinct feeling that something was wrong. He called Laura and asked if she had seen Marlena. Laura answered that she’d seen Marlena right before she left to get ready for dinner.

 

“She was very excited, John. I don’t know why she hasn’t arrived yet.”

 

He thought to himself as he ended the call: No, no, not again! Please, God, don’t let Stefano kidnap her again!

 

His phone rang. It was Abe.

 

“John, we just got a report that a woman was seen floating in the river. It seems she matches the description of the woman from Aremid”

 

“Okay, I’ll be over soon…Abraham…have you heard from Marlena at all, tonight? She was supposed to meet me for dinner an hour ago and I’m worried. I’ve called around and it seems she was planning to come. Something had to have happened on her way home from the hospital or on the way here.”

 

“Sorry, John. I haven’t heard from Marlena at all. Are you sure she’s not just running late?”

 

“I’ve called her and she doesn’t answer. That’s not like her. She doesn’t just drop off the face of the earth. I’m starting to fear that Stefano might have taken her again”

 

“Okay John, let’s not jump to conclusions, but we can never be too careful where Stefano is concerned. We’ll start looking for her now. Meet me down by the riverfront and we’ll get started…hopefully what happened with the woman in white is not related to what happened with Marlena.”

 

Marlena’s heart skipped a beat. “Easy, Kristen, easy now, calm down…” She was clutching the roses in front of her body and her hand went instinctively to her middle, trying to protect her baby. “What is this about? Please, don’t do anything you’ll regret…”

 

“Oh don’t you worry about me. I’m going to be just fine. You will be gone and John and I will live happily ever after together!! Now, MOVE!” She indicated with a twitch of her head that she wanted Marlena to walk further down the alley.

 

Marlena had no choice but to oblige. Slowly she turned and proceeded further into the night. Upon reaching a dead end, she turned around. The heat pricked the back of her neck and beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead in the breeze-less night. She was shocked, bewildered, by Kristen’s sudden violence. Had she really not noticed any of the warning signs? How could Kristen change from a pious, respectable woman, to one so desperate and disturbed in so little time? She tried to read Kristen’s face, tried to come up with some sort of explanation for this outlandish behavior. Only one thing was clear: Kristen was filled with hate and this was an act of desperation. Marlena was paralyze with fear, she wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to startle the woman aiming the gun at her. Her heart pounded in her ears and her hands trembled uncontrollably, but she tried to stand strong.

 

“Kristen, please…you don’t want to do this. This isn’t like you! You’ve always been so kind and so loving. Remember how you helped me when I was possessed? I will always be grateful for that. You’ve always been such a good friend. Remember, you were there with me when Belle was born…” Marlena feared for her unborn child’s life more than anything. If she died, so did the baby.

 

“Yea, well I thought YOU were ‘such a good friend’ too until you STOLE John away from me!!” Kristen yelled with her voice full of spite.

 

The pangs of guilt struck Marlena as she listened to Kristen’s words. She hadn’t meant to “steal” John from her. She hated that being with John had caused so many people pain. This was all her fault, she thought, and now her baby was in danger because of it. “I didn’t steal him away from you, Kristen. He made a choice too. We love each other; we’ve always loved each other. It would have happened sooner or later.”

 

“But you didn’t have the DECENCY to wait for him to break it off with me before you hopped right into bed with him!!” Kristen rolled her eyes.

 

“I’m sorry, Kristen. I’m sorry…” tears were now falling down her cheeks. “Please, let’s just talk about this…” Panic and desperation were evident on Marlena’s face. There was nothing she could do now, but try to talk her way out of this. Her heart raced as she stared at the barrel of the gun.

 

“Don’t you dare try to play shrink with me! I don’t want to talk about this!! I’ve waited far too long for this moment.” Kristen was thoroughly enjoying making Marlena squirm and suffer. Drunk on power and control, she loved seeing her pleading like this.

 

“You have every right to be angry, but please…show some compassion…think of John. John is going to be devastated if he hears that you SHOT me and our baby, an innocent baby! He’s not going to want to be with you after that.”

 

“Sure, John will be pretty upset at first, but with time, he’ll forget about you and your baby. He and I will start a life together with a family of our own. There is no way in Hell I’m letting you out of here alive and don’t care one bit about that baby! John’s never going to find out what happened here tonight…I’m not stupid; I’ve got that all taken care of. Soon you’ll be lying cold and I will be comforting John in my arms. Enough of this conversation!! It’s time you shut up.”

 

Kristen aimed the gun carefully, her cackling laughter echoing into the night. The shot rang in her ears and a scream pierced the thick air. The smell of gunpowder filled her nose and she felt the recoil of the gun, as she watched Marlena’s body crumple before her. The smoke cleared and everything was silent. The flowers, no longer in Marlena’s hand, had fallen across her body. Under the dim moonlight, red and white petals blanketed her lifeless form while blood trickled from her head.

Kristen couldn’t believe she’d actually gone through with it. At last! Marlena was gone, all her problems were gone and she was free! Free!! She had to make sure the good doctor was really dead. She was peering down over Marlena, who lay motionless on the ground, when the sound of a police siren in the distance sent icy cold waves of fear through her body. She began to panic. There was no way that she could let anyone find her like this. Beginning to hyperventilate, she ran frantically back through the alley to her car.

 

Stefano urged on his driver impatiently. He wondered how he could have let this happen; he’d known for months that Kristen had fallen into a downward spiral of hatred and loathing for Marlena, but he hadn’t done anything to stop her. His Queen was now in mortal danger and he only hoped he wasn’t too late. Cursing each red light that hindered his advance, he sank into his seat. The shadows closed in over them as they made their way deeper into the centre of the city. The tall buildings and smoky air blocked the light; there were no stars, just gloom in the night. As they rounded a corner, Stefano spotted Kristen hurriedly getting into her car.

“Quickly! Over there!” he ordered, indicating their intended destination with his finger. Kristen sped off, not noticing him at all.

 

“Do you want me to follow her?” the driver asked.

 

“No, Marlena was not with her…stop in the alley, it might give us a clue to what happened. Kristen was obviously in a hurry for some reason.” The driver stopped the car at the entrance to the alley, right where Kristen’s car had been moments before. Stefano got out and looked around; he surveyed the tall brick walls to either side that enclosed them in canyon of shadow. His eyes lowered to the ground sadly as he did not see any sign of Marlena. He was about to leave when he spotted a single red rose petal, a slice of velvety scarlet against the drab gray cement. Intrigued, he continued further down the alley and he found another. He gasped aloud when he reached the source of the trail.

 

“Marlena! My darling Marlena!” he cried, rushing over to her limp body. He cradled her head in his arms gently. Her blonde hair was streaked wet with blood, sticky in the summer heat. There were gashes on both sides of her head: one from where the bullet had grazed it and the other from the impact of her head hitting the ground when she fell. Stefano placed two fingers on the side of her neck and felt for a pulse. She was alive! He felt a faint wisp of breath escape her lips and was instantly relieved. He had always vowed to never let anything harm her and he had failed. Picking her up carefully, he carried her to the car.

 

The body bag was zipped closed. The woman in white was declared dead at the scene. She had longed for freedom, freedom from the memories that had haunted her and now she had it. The memories were gone, the pain was gone, she was gone; she was free. At last, she could sleep peacefully.

“Do you think it was a suicide? Or could it have been a murder?” asked John.

 

“We’re not sure. We’ll have to wait for the results of the autopsy, but I would say suicide is a good bet considering her mental state.”

 

“But the woman also knew things about my past, about Stefano’s past…it’s possible she was killed in order to keep her quiet.”

 

“Well, whatever the cause…at least she’s resting peacefully now. We have to figure exactly what happened here, but it’s too late to save her…for Marlena though, there is still time. We have to find out where she is and I pray the reason she didn’t meet you for dinner is as simple as falling asleep on the couch.”

 

“You’re right, Abraham, time is of the essence here; we need to find her. She’s not at home though; I called Carrie and had her check earlier. I also called Laura again and she’s not in her office. Laura said she found Marlena’s purse and keys still on her desk. That’s not right; she wouldn’t have gone anywhere without them. I’ve called everyone I can think of and nobody has seen her.” John said just before Abe got a call. Abe stepped aside to take it and when he finished, relayed the information to John.

 

“There were reports of a gunshot downtown. A witness says that he thought he heard a single shot in the street below, but when he looked outside his apartment window, he didn’t see anything. BUT, he looked out a few minutes later and said he saw a man carrying a blonde woman into a car. Authorities are now closing off the scene. We should get down there, John. That woman could have been Marlena.”

 

“Her condition is stable, as is the baby’s, Mr. Dimera. I’ve done all that I can for her; just hope and pray that she regains consciousness soon. Her head took quite a beating tonight, the effects of which remain to be seen,” the doctor said to Stefano. Stefano had hired only the best neurosurgeon to oversee Marlena’s care in the makeshift hospital room he’d created in his hideout.

After the doctor left the room, Stefano sat at Marlena’s bedside and stroked her cheek. “Please Marlena, please wake up soon…”

 

John and Abe arrived at the scene, which was now cordoned off by police tape. John’s feared what he would find behind those barricades, deep in the shadows. The fact that they were sealing off the alley told him there was evidence in there. He hoped that there would be something in there that would lead him to Marlena.

“Commander Carver here, I need to get through,” Abe told one of the officers on guard. “And he’s with me,” he added, indicating John. The officer let them pass, “Yes, sir” he replied robotically.

 

John noticed the trail of rose petals under his feet. The trail led to a small pool of blood, the rest of the bouquet scattered about it. His eye suddenly caught the light reflecting off a small metallic object on the ground. He gasped in horror and picked up a gold star shaped charm from among loose pebbles that littered the alley floor. “A star…for light,” he remembered. It all fit together in his mind now. The red roses all around were from the bouquet he’d sent Marlena earlier this evening and the star was from the charm bracelet he’d given her for Christmas 4 years ago.

 

“Abraham!!” John shouted, running over to his friend, “Doc was here! I’m sure of it…I found this.” He held the star up in his fingers. “I gave her this charm…” he paused; the blood on the ground scared him. Marlena could be hurt…or worse yet, dead. Where had she gone? He couldn’t bear it if she were dead. Then he remembered what Abe had told him earlier on the docks. “I need to talk to that witness!!”

“Salem Police Department! Open up, please; we have some questions we need to ask you,” said Abe as he pounded on the door. They hoped this witness could give them more information about what happened to Marlena. The lock clicked open and a rather disheveled looking man opened the door.

 

“We’re sorry to disturb you at this hour, sir, but I understand you saw something happen outside your window earlier this evening,” said John as he walked into the apartment uninvited. The room was dimly lit and very musty. Old newspapers were stacked to the side of the couch and there was a mysterious smell in the air.

 

“Do come in,” said the man with slight annoyance. “Yes, I did see something…and you two are…?”

 

“Commander Abe Carver,” he said with authority as he flashed his badge.

 

“John Black, and your name?”

 

“Name’s George Benson.”

 

“So, Mr. Benson, what can you tell us about what happened tonight?” said Abe as he began the questioning.

 

“Well, it was a night just like any other. I was heating up some soup in the kitchen over there,” he pointed toward a doorway in the back of the apartment. “And that’s when I heard a ‘bang’! This neighbourhood isn’t as safe as it used to be, so I look out the window to see if there’s anybody below on the street. I didn’t see nobody though. Figured, maybe it was just a car backfiring or something. I went back to my dinner and didn’t hear anything else. By chance, I happened to look out the window when I was standing by the sink over there, and I saw a man carrying a woman into a car. They drove away and that’s all I saw. I called the police because I thought the woman might have been shot.”

 

“Can you describe the man and the woman for me?”

 

“We’s are pretty high up here, so it was hard to see clearly, but the woman had long blonde hair and she was wearing a white outfit. The man had short, dark hair and he had a long black coat. Sorry I can’t tell you more than that; the streets aren’t well lit in this part of town.”

 

“Can you remember ANYTHING else about the woman? Was she conscious? Did she look hurt?” asked John as he rose to his feet, his frustration was growing. This was supposed to have been the most perfect night of their lives. He and Marlena would have been engaged by now. The ring was still in his pocket. Why did the nightmare never seem to end?

 

“John, John, calm down. Scaring the man isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

 

“Sorry, she just means SO much to me. I don’t know if she could go through being Stefano’s prisoner again, especially now that she’s pregnant. We have to find her, for her sake and the baby’s.” John settled back on the couch and fingered the small star in his fingers, remembering how her face had lit up when he’d presented the bracelet to her.

 

“Do you know which way they went?” asked Abe more calmly.

 

“They went down this street heading east. The car turned right on Water St. and I couldn’t see them after that.” John slammed his fist onto the hard wooden coffee table, dissatisfied with the man’s answers. They were getting nowhere

 

Kristen danced along the riverbank. She felt invincible. Nobody was ever going to find out what she had done and she’d have John at last. There was just one last piece of business to take care of: the gun. She pulled the gun out of her purse and flung it into the river. It hit the water with a small splash and she laughed gleefully.

She noticed a small crowd of men standing near the edge of the riverbank and wondered what they were doing. As she got closer, she recognized the police tape and a chill ran through her.

 

“Miss, you’ll have to step back. We’re still working here,” said one of the officers.

 

“What happened?” she asked.

 

“That crazy woman in white was found dead tonight. She drowned.”

 

“Oh my God, that’s terrible!” lied Kristen as she backed away from the scene. She couldn’t believe it…first Marlena and now the woman. Could this night get any better for her? Kristen skipped off into the night with a huge smile on her face. Once she was out of earshot of the men, she burst into a maniacal laughter.

 

John had spent a sleepless night pouring over various maps, charts and other files, trying to find something that could lead him to Marlena. He refused to give up; she meant too much too him. He cursed himself for allowing Marlena and their unborn child to be in danger. Despite dead end after dead end, he worked on, relentlessly. He didn’t want to fail her again.

“John, you should go home. You need to rest; your children need you to be strong for them.”

 

“I just can’t sit here and do nothing, Abraham, not when Doc and the baby could be in serious trouble.”

 

“Yea, well, you aren’t going to be any good rescuing Marlena if you make yourself sick.”

 

Kristen wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, “Abe’s right, honey, you need to take a break. Come on, I’ll buy you lunch”. John was annoyed that Kristen wouldn’t leave him alone while he was trying to work. “Kristen, do you think you could give me a little space here?”

 

“Fine,” she said with a huff. She extricated herself from John and sat in a nearby chair.

 

“I can’t BELIEVE this is happening all over again! And we don’t have a single lead.” John shook his head tiredly.

 

One of the lab technicians walked into the office with the woman’s autopsy report. “We found something odd when we ran the blood test. The woman was under the influence of a mind altering, hallucinogenic drug.”

 

“What?!” said John, “Could this drug have caused her to throw herself off the docks?”

 

“She wouldn’t even have been able to tell what she was doing, so I’d say, in a way, yes.”

 

“But how did the drug get into her system…?” asked John. Kristen froze.

 

It was well into the next day and Marlena had still not woken up yet. She was as pale as the white sheets that surrounded her. Stefano seated himself at her bedside and took her hand. He felt how smooth and soft her skin was, how perfect each pearly manicured nail was and he had never wanted her more. At last, he had her and now he thought of how grateful she’d be, knowing he had saved her and brought her back to health. He wished for her to wake up so they could begin their lives together. He bent over her and was about to kiss her lips when she stirred.

 

Her eyelashes fluttered a bit and then opened. Blinking the picture into focus, she woke to see a man hovering over her. She grabbed the blanket and pulled it to her chin with a shrieking scream. Her eyes were wide with fear.

 

“Who are you?!” she cried, trembling in fright.