In the wake of the 2016 Salem Supervirus, everybody's fine, but J&M are stuck in the hospital for twenty-four more hours. And judging from her reaction to that kiss, Marlena's not gonna last that long... All but the weakest of the virus patients had been transferred out of the ER to allow the staff to …
Desperate Times – By Susan_m
PLEASE READ THIS! This story is the direct result of a challenge from a friend who requested "something like the caveman scene, but the other way around." As such, it contains a brief element of somewhat dubious consent. If the caveman scene in the show didn't bother you, this isn't going to, either, but I …
Hey, Stranger – By Susan_m
Story Notes: In Chapter 3 of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," Marlena issued a challenge to John. This is his answer. Author's Chapter Notes: If anyone reading this is a travel agent, I apologize for the typecasting. It felt so strange, Marlena mused when she spotted him, to watch John walk into a bar …
Homecoming – By Susan_m
Story Notes: I barely managed to get this posted before Thursday's John-comes-home-to-Marlena episode, so I'm sure it'll be AU in less than two days. Oh, well. This is what could have happened. I expected John to be exhausted when he got home. He’d missed his original flight in a TSA delay at LAX, gotten stuck …
Quiet Understanding – By Susan_m
This story was inspired by a request from faithful fic-reviewer Strawberry1, who finds it "odd and unifinished" that John seems to be unaware that Marlena is a rape survivor. She asked me to try to fill in that gap, and I gave it my best shot. Author's Chapter Notes: Trigger warning: This story deals with …
Reset Button – By Susan_m
“I wish I could just shut off my brain for a little while,” I finally whisper, breaking the lengthy silence that fell over us when we lay down. Admitting that out loud feels like defeat, but it’s the truth. John’s arm tightens a little around my shoulders. We’re lying in bed, John on his back …
Resolution – By Susan_m
Story Notes: This is set in 2016, some time after Eric’s sentencing, but it’s an attempt to deal with a bit of the ugliness that went on in 2013 that the show never really resolved to my satisfaction. It’s not my usual at all, so if you’re looking for #NumNums or witty repartee, look elsewhere. …
Take Me Out To The Ballgame – by Susan_m
Story Notes: This story was inspired by John and Paul’s planned ballparks-of-the-East-Coast tour and is set sometime later in 2016, after they’ve both recovered from the plague or whatever we’re calling it. John’s Cubs fandom is based on dialogue from the ep that aired 1/2/15. Yes, I am aware that the Cubs and the …
Teamwork – By Susan_m
Story Notes: It bothered me that the show skipped from Marlena and John agreeing to bring Paul home from the hospital with them to John suddenly being in Karl's office in LA with no bridge in between. He did say he'd been "cleared by his own personal doctor," but that was a conversation I would've …
The Best Laid Plans – By Susan_m
Story Notes: This is set in early 2015, after John rejoined the Salem PD but before the big reveal about Paul. Marlena and John are still "taking it slowly" at this point, so the general rating isn't a typo. 😉 I knew when I agreed to carry a badge again that something like this would …
The Jarlena Journal 