"Oh God!" Marlena pulled away from John abruptly, blinking as her hands covered her belly protectively, the sudden lust all but forgotten.

"What is it baby?" John was immediately on his knees, helping Marlena sit up.
"OH," she hunched over her stomach in an intimation of distress.
"Doc?" he brushed the hair from her eyes worriedly, one arm bracing her shoulders. "Baby, tell me what's going on, please." It was hell as he waited for her answer and the seconds felt like a small eternity as the thoughts bounced around in his brain.

Oh G*d I knew it was a bad idea to take her away from Salem. What the hell was I thinking? What a bloody idiot. Oh G*d, please let her be all right, let the baby be all right.

"Oh," the groan emanated from Marlena's throat as her head fell backwards, her eyes closed.
"Oh c'mon baby, talk to me, please tell me you're okay." John brushed his fingers across her suddenly pale cheeks. "Please Marlena, you have to be okay, I don't think I could bear it if anything was to happen to you now." He had tears in his eyes as he pleaded with her, willing her to open her eyes and tell him that everything was fine.

Because if something was wrong, all the way out here in the middle of nowhere, they could well be in very big trouble.

It seemed like eons to John before Marlena finally lifted her head and opened her eyes.
"Doc?" he asked carefully. The pain in her eyes faded as she looked at him.
"I'm sorry," she said thickly, "he just kicked me and it seemed to set off a kind of a cramping sensation. I'm okay now."

"A cramp?" John looked worried. "That doesn't sound okay."
"It *is* okay," Marlena nodded with assurance. "These things happen occasionally. It wasn't a contraction kind of cramping. It's passed now."
"But Doc," John's face portrayed his deep concern for her, "can you be sure that it won't happen again? I mean we're out here in the middle of...." He shook his head angrily. "What the *hell* was I thinking bringing you out here? If something were to happen-"
"*Nothing* is going to happen," Marlena smoothed the deep furrows in his brow with gentle fingers. "Trust me John, I'm fine and the baby is fine and I am so incredibly glad you brought me out here. It's wonderful."

He looked unsure as he watched her, weighing up in his mind the chances they were taking by staying in the mountains against the obvious good it seemed to be doing her.
"I really don't think staying here is a good idea Doc," he said gently. "If you were to have another turn like you did the other night, if you were to go into premature labour, we'd never get to a hospital in time."
"It won't happen honey," she told him reassuringly. "I promise you. Please, please let's just stay okay?"

He said nothing for long moments as he watched her. The colour was already returning to her cheeks and her eyes were glittering as she looked out over the moonlit valley.
"It's so beautiful here," she whispered, "how could anything go wrong?"

"It could be the most beautiful place on earth Doc, but that's not going to make any difference to that kid in there if he decides he's coming out early." John pointed to her stomach. "I can't take any risks with you, I can't let anything happen to you, you know that."
"Nothing will happen, don't you think I'd know if there was something wrong?" she asked, trying to put his mind at ease. "It's not like this is my first pregnancy, I do have some idea what is going on with my body."
"I didn't say you don't Doc," John frowned uneasily. "But you know as well as anything how fast things can change. I mean it was only sheer luck that I was at the cabin when you were in labour with Belle....."
"And you managed wonderfully," she smiled at the memory.
"We were just *lucky* Doc," John said his voice low and intense. "We almost lost our little girl that night. Maybe we could handle it if something happened, but maybe we couldn't. What is the point in taking a risk with our baby's life? And yours," he added grasping her fingers in his and squeezing them tightly. "You're not the only one that gets frightened Marlena. The thought of losing you," a shiver ran through him even as the words caught in his throat. "I couldn't bear it."

"It won't happen," her eyes were bright in the silvery moonlight. "I understand your fears John, I have them too. But you can't wrap me in cotton wool. I'm a big girl and I can decide what's risky and what's not. And I don't think staying here is risky. It's only a few more days isn't it?"
"That's not the point Marlena," John was starting to get annoyed. She never changed; she was always so damned stubborn.
"Well what *is* the point John?" she pulled her hand away from his and her expression cooled.
"The point is that there *is* a risk and I'm not prepared to take it, even if you are." He began to pack up the picnic dishes. "We'll drive out in the morning."

"I wish you wouldn't do this," she said angrily.
"Do what?" he turned midnight eyes on her.
"Patronize me." She crossed her arms across the top of her belly. "I feel more relaxed and happier than I have in months. That has to be *good* for the baby. And I happen to think that outweighs any small risks." She felt a little hurt as she stared at him. "Do you *really* think I would put my own baby in any kind of danger?"

"Of course I don't Marlena," he sighed, dropping the dishes that were in his hands and sitting down next to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you would. I'm just...." He looked a little embarrassed. "Doc, you know I get overprotective. It's just how I am."
"Of course I know that," she couldn't help the smile that came to her face at his concession. "Doesn't mean I have to like it, or go along with it though. I think at this point, you need to trust my judgment. Because I really want to make the most of this time we have together and I really love it here...." She looked around at the silver-drenched landscape. "Please? Just trust me on this one. The baby is safe and so am I. The moment I feel that change, I promise I'll be the first one in the car to get home."

John looked at her for a moment and then turned to study the panorama in front of him. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought about her plea. Despite her assurances, he was still worried about the possibility of something happening. But if he didn't respect her judgment and took her home, how would that make things between them?

"All right," he conceded eventually. "We'll stay. But if you have so *much* as a twinge lady, I'm putting you in that car and taking you straight to the nearest hospital, you hear me?"
"Well that sounds like enough incentive to behave myself," she smiled as she rubbed the palm of one hand in circles over her rounded belly.
"Good," he frowned, "and right now, we are going back to the cabin and you are going to bed." He silenced her with a firm look that brooked no further arguments.

She stared back at him, wanting nothing more than to sit out here and drink in the beauty of the landscape that surrounded them. But it was her own body that turned traitor and sealed her fate as she gave way to a yawn.

"Right," John allowed himself a grin as he relaxed a little. He was willing to trust her but he would be watching her. And the moment it looked as though anything might be wrong, he was prepared to act. But for now, he would take her back to the cabin and tuck her into bed and hold her through the night.

It seemed that Marlena was right and the next few days at the cabin passed without incident. Marlena spent time reading in the sun while John fussed over her. They went for long, gentle walks along the valley floor, Marlena stopping to pick wildflowers on the way so that the cabin was filled with a profusion of poppies and cornflowers. She was as relaxed as John had ever seen her, her belly burgeoning almost daily and her face vested with the rosy glow of good health.

It had taken him several days to relax enough to completely enjoy himself, but once he was reassured that Marlena and the baby were both safe, John stopped worrying and started enjoying himself.

He called Salem when he could and was grateful to hear that things were going better than anyone could have hoped for. Eugene had settled in as Laura's houseguest and things seemed fine so far. At the loft, Mike and Maya had all but weaned Kristen off the sedative and oddly, she seemed to have no memory of her outburst at all. She even seemed to buy the story of him being on a business trip with remarkable gullibility. None of them were willing to take it entirely on faith however, and Maya was keeping a close eye on the newly acquiescent Kristen, waiting for any sign that she was about to crumble again.

But while those at home assured him that things were under control on that front, John determined to put all his energy into making sure that he and Marlena had a few precious days together to create memories that they would always cherish.

It was early on the morning of the seventeenth that John woke with Marlena stirring restlessly beside him.
"Doc?" he stroked his fingers over her arm. "Doc, are you okay?"
"Mmmm..." her eyes flickered open in the darkness, hugely gleaming with unspoken emotion. He couldn't tell what it was, if she'd been having a nightmare or if the baby was just making it uncomfortable to sleep.
"Are you okay baby?" he whispered, the concern flooding his voice.
"Mmmm...yeah," Marlena brushed her hair back off her forehead and raised herself up onto her elbows, blinking as her eyesight adjusted to the darkness. "Yeah. I was..." she searched back in her mind to locate the discomfort that lurked just below the surface.

When it came, she was sorry she had.

All she could see in the darkness was Stefano, standing before her, holding her baby in a death grip. And she, helpless to stop him.

"Doc?" John could see her visibly pale and she shivered as the visions from the dream assailed her. With gentle, warm hands, he helped her sit up. "Baby what is it?"
"I...I don't want to talk about it," she shook her head, her eyes focused on shaking fingers, hiding her face behind a cascade of pale hair.
"Doc," his voice was firm as he slid his finger under her chin and lifted her head so that she faced him. "I won't let you do this any more. I won't let you shut me out. If you're afraid of something, I want to know what it is."

She stared at him, eyes darkly hollowed by fear.
"Stefano," she said through suddenly chattering teeth. "I dream he has the babies."
"You *dream*?" he asked carefully. "You've had this dream before?"
"Variations of it," she whispered. "The other night...." she shivered, her flesh crawling with the memory of the horrific nightmare, "...both you and Gene were.... were dead... and he...... he and Kristen," she choked back a sob, "they had the babies."
"Oh sweetheart," he pulled her into his arms, enfolding her shaking form in his warm embrace. "It's okay. I promise you it'll be okay. There's no way Stefano will get anywhere near our babies."

"How can you say that John?" she pulled away from him, tears threatening to spill from clouded hazel eyes. "He got near Carrie didn't he? Not just once, but twice. You couldn't stop him taking her when I was gone. And you weren't there when he took the twins all those years ago. G*d, he just walked right in and *took* them. Right under my nose." She shuddered and cursed the fear that coiled around her rationality and choked it until it was non-existent. "Dammit, he's out there John. He's just waiting and toying with us until he decides to make his next move." She delved frustrated fingers through her blonde mane.

Now that she could no longer deny the truth that Stefano had been the one that had taken Carrie, pieces were starting to fall into place like a puzzle. A jigsaw puzzle. "He sent you that d*mn puzzle piece before the shooting." John had told her about the mysterious piece while he was in the hospital, but she had refused to believe that it had anything to do with Stefano. Stefano was dead and that was that. Except he wasn't dead. And that wasn't that. *That* was very much this.

"Doc, I won't lie to you," John shook his head. "I believe that Stefano sent that puzzle piece. But his plan backfired and he's off somewhere licking his wounds right now. Roman and Abe are on the case and as long as we keep one step ahead of the old man....." he sighed edgily. "He has to make a slip up some time Doc."

"Does he?" She shook her head almost desperately, her voice hoarse and pained. "In my dreams he doesn't John. He wins. He wins the whole game......" A tear slid muted and hot down her cheek. "I can't... I don't know how we can stop him. He just keeps on taking and I don't know how to stop him." Her fingers curled into icy fists as she shook visibly, her voice drowned in fear. "I don't know if we *can* stop him."

It was the first time she had really voiced her fear of Stefano, the admission that he was alive and back in their lives almost too much for her to cope with and she choked convulsively on the tears that seemed to swamp her.

"It's okay baby," John held her in his arms again, rubbing his hand in comforting circles over her back as she wept warm tears against his bare skin. "It's okay."

He *hated* the fact that Stefano had that kind of effect on her. He would never ever forget the day that Marlena had seen the old bastard when she was pregnant with Belle. He wasn't at all sure how she would cope if she were to come face to face with him now. He only knew he didn't want to find out. And he would *kill* DiMera with his bare hands to stop it from ever happening again. "We'll find some way of making the babies safe. I promise you. We'll all be safe."

Eugene lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. A new ceiling, with a thousand new marks to catalogue and store away in his mind. Information utterly useless, but information nonetheless.

He folded his arms behind his head and sighed softly. It wasn't so bad living at Laura Horton's. She was a nice lady and they were getting along fine so far. But it wasn't the same.

Which is rather the point isn't it? he chided himself.

It was definitely easier, that was for sure. But somehow life seemed to become sluggish as he missed that wonderful little spark of expectation that came as he saw her around a corner or caught a glimpse of her through a doorway. That moment where his heart jumped into his throat and his knees threatened to resemble a soft jelly. It was insane. He wanted to escape it, but G*d how he missed it.

What scared him the most was that he even somehow missed the dreams.

He sighed again and twisted under the sheets to where he could see the window. The moon shone brightly but even now he could see the ghost of a glow on the horizon where the sun would rise soon enough. Soon enough that he would have to face the fact that he had spent another night sleepless. Soon enough he would face another vacant day wondering why he even bothered.

"Oh Marlena," he muttered miserably. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to get over you."

"Why are you even trying?"

The voice comes as a whisper out of the darkness and it sends gooseflesh rippling over Q's exposed skin.

"No," he utters, disbelieving. "*No*!"

"Marlena?" John moved her trembling body away from him and dipped his head to find Marlena's reddened eyes. "Sweetheart, it'll be okay. Somehow, between us all, we'll make it okay."
"I know you will," she sniffed, wiping the remnants of grief and trepidation away with the back of her hand. "It's just. ...sometimes....... I get frightened John."
"I know you do baby," he took her hand in his, "you wouldn't be human if you didn't."

"I try not to let it get to me," she sighed, pushing back a lock of hair with the heel of her palm. "After all this time, you would think I would have learned not to let Stefano have this much control over me."
"You're a strong woman Doc, but you're not *that* strong," John said softly. "DiMera is like a d*mn cat with nine lives and you never know where he's going to pop up next. You'd be stupid not to be wary of him. Not be afraid."

"Are you afraid John?" she asked suddenly, staring up at him with eyes that were pools of liquid gold.
"Of course I am sweetheart," he whispered, reaching out to stroke her cheek with a trembling finger. "Until we know for sure that he's dead, or behind bars, I'm never in control. I can only anticipate what he might do next." He gazed at her so intensely that it made her chest hurt as she remembered to take a breath. "I'll do anything to protect you Marlena. I'll give my *life* to see you safe."

"Don't *say* that," she said angrily, tears suddenly swimming at the edges of her lashes.
"Well it's *true*," he said in a low growl. "Don't you know how important you are to me?"
"What about how important you are to *me*?" She pressed her lips together so that they blanched a bloodless white. "Do you know what it does to me when you say things like that? I came so close to losing you once already. Please, *please* don't ask me to ever face that again."

"I won't lie to you Doc," he shook his head. "I would do *anything* in my power to make you safe. That's just the way it is. That's the way I feel about you and I can't change it. But if it makes you feel better," he sighed lightly as he saw her face, "I don't plan on leaving you any time soon."
"I'll never forgive you if you do," she said in a tightly serious voice. "Do you have any idea what it felt like to see you lying in that hospital bed and never knowing if I would see your eyes again? Or hear your voice? And that nightmare....." she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as though it was some kind of protection against the terrors that haunted her. "I didn't know that my mind was capable of creating such horrors." She shook her head, her eyes stinging with the salt of her dried tears. "But it's not simply a creation John. It's not inconceivable. You can make as many glib remarks as you like, but when it comes down to it...." Her breath came with a panicked convulsion. "I'm terrified that it will come true. That he will win, he'll take you from me and I will have to live without you. I just don't want to find out if I am capable of doing that."

"You won't." He shook his head angrily. "Dammit Doc, we've made it too far to lose now. I won't let that old bastard take any more happiness from us." He could feel the fury bubble up under his words. She was right, Stefano was apt to come out of nowhere and hit them like a freight train at full speed. But this time, he would just have to be ready for him. There was no other option.

The muscle in his jaw twitched as he looked again at Marlena and then his expression softened. "Neither of us is going anywhere baby. We're stuck with each other, so we may as well get used to it." He smiled tenderly and she eventually nodded, yielding gracefully. He knew that her fears weren't really assuaged and that they were more than valid, but they couldn't live their lives balancing on the edge of a knife blade, waiting for the smallest slip. They had to live every day as it was when they were together, the most precious thing in the world.

"Hey Doc," he grinned, "you up to going for a little drive?"
"Now?" she looked confused.
"Yeah now," he took her head and slipped around her and off the edge of the bed. "It's not long till dawn. And I want to see the sun rise with you by my side. I want the world to see how strong and good we are together." He tugged on the bedclothes and her satin nightgown rippled down over her thighs as she stood. "I want to start a new day with you, a new day in our new life. Whaddya say?
"I say it sounds like a great idea," she squeezed his fingers. "Let's go!"

Did I fall asleep and not realize? Am I hallucinating? No, I've just gone crazy. That's it. I've just completely lost my mind. Time for Q to lock me away in some forgotten corner, like the drooling idiot that I am.

"Gene," her voice washes over me like a ripple of sweet velvet, sinking into my blood, re-infecting me.

Not that I was ever cured.

Her fingernail scrapes against my chest, the lightest of touches sending jolts of agonizing pleasure straight to my groin.

"Sweet, dear Gene," she whispers as her fingers idly hook under the sheet and draw it back. Her golden eyes examine me critically and I find myself oddly breathless for a long moment.

This isn't real Q. You're making it all up in your head. You're mad. A veritable hatter. Get over it all ready.

But oh my G*d, her touch feels so d*mn real and her smell..... I can smell her, her fragrance mingling with the sweet spicy smell of her desire. Her desire for me.

"Oh baby," she lifts her fingers to her mouth and licks the end of her finger, almost in the way a cat might. Then she moves her finger towards me until I feel the cool wetness circling my nipple. I'm getting hard as she pinches me firmly. And not just there.

"Oh G*d!" the exclamation dies in my throat as she drops to her knees beside the bed and replaces her fingers with her hot, moist mouth. She licks and sucks me, teasing me as she runs her fingers over my chest and stomach.

And all the time, she watches me, searches me with the golden eyes of a hunter. Knowing she has snared her prey.

And suddenly I don't care if this is wrong. I don't even care if I've gone mad. I just want her so badly that I can taste it. Taste her. The need to feel her is almost unbearable and I catch her wrist between vice-like fingers as I sit up.

"*Q*!" Her voice comes in a shocked whisper but almost immediately a smile drifts across her sensual lips. "Oh Gene." Her eyes smoulder wantonly as she deliberately wets her lower lip with her tongue. I tighten my fingers around her wrist, trying to gain some control. I am nanoseconds away from tearing her nightgown off her golden skin and taking her and the look on her face is all but inviting me to do just that.

"If you want me," her silky whisper echoes my thoughts, "why don't you just take me?"

Oh G*d, I am losing my mind. Q help me. Because I'm beyond helping myself.

"Marlena," her name rolls around my tongue before spilling out into the space between us. My voice is almost hoarse with longing. She merely smiles knowingly as her eyes sweep my trembling body. Then she lifts her hand to mine and pries my fingers from her. I can't help but gasp as I see the white marks my touch leaves.

This is so insane. I can feel her. I can smell her. The senses are so vivid, how can this be a dream? But how on earth can it be real? Marlena is somewhere away with John. Isn't she?

I reach out, my fingers colliding with her smooth, velvety skin and a moan sounds in her throat, familiar, yet strange at the same time. I meet with the satin strap of her nightgown and my eyes are drawn to hers. The look in them is almost enough to make me come. She's hot and wild and she wants me.

Q/Gene.

The name sounds somewhere in my head as she opens her mouth.
"I need you." Her whisper coils around me, sending rivulets of fire down my veins. "I need you to feel me. Feel how much I want you." She stares at me intently. "I want you to take me. *Now*."

I need no more encouragement and I slip my hand under the satin strap and pull her towards me and onto the bed. I twist so that I am on top of her and kiss her, hard and desperate. My hand finds the warmth of her thigh and I slip it under her nightgown as I press myself against her. I'm hard and I need to feel her. I want her so badly it's hurting.

She groans as I sink my teeth into the delicate flesh of her neck, sucking the fair skin brutally, knowing it will bruise. Or would if this was real. I don't even care what it is anymore. I just need to bury myself deep inside her and forget everything except the white heat of the bliss she brings.

My hand follows the soft curves of her body until I find her breast. Her nipple is already hard and pink under my fingers and I use my other hand to pull down the neckline of her gown so that I can fasten my lips around it. She lets out a cry as I clamp my teeth roughly on her and her back arches under my touch. I feel her fingers in my hair as I continue to suck her greedily reveling in the taste and feel of her and in the sounds of the pleasure I give her.

"Mmmm, Gene," she pants in my ear. "Hurry my love. Hurry." It's all the encouragement I need as I peel the nightgown from her moist, hot body and feast my eyes on her. G*d, she's as beautiful as I remember and her eyes glow amber green as she stares back at me. There's something.... I shake my head...something about her eyes....they don't quite look right....

But then I feel her hands on me, removing my boxers, stroking me, teasing me and I am lost. I groan, my whole body echoing with the sound as I lower myself to her. She's waiting for me and... oh... my... G*d she feels.... oh... wet...hot... tight... oh... oh... oh G*d....oh G*d....

She moans beneath me, her knees gripping my hips as I drive into her, liquid fire bathing me as I find her core.
"Oh Gene," she throws her head back and I feel her nails rake my back. I can barely feel the pain through the fog of lust as I take her again and again. Our bodies are slick with sweat as we move together and she feels as wonderful as she ever has.

"Oh Q, my Q," she gasps in my ear and I feel her begin to contract around me as her orgasm hits her. The feeling of her bucking underneath me is all I need and I come, hard and so fast that the feeling is almost stupefying.

And when I collapse against her, a vague thought crosses my mind. How can something that's so wrong feel this d*mn good?

It was still dark when they reached their field, but they could both see the precursor of the sun in the east. John spread out the blanket and helped Marlena to lie down, her golden hair tumbling into a smooth pool against the dark wool of the rug as she lay down.

"You're amazing you know that?" he told her as he kneeled down next to her.
"What?" she laughed. "Because I'm mad enough to come out in the middle of the night and sit in a field with you?"
"That and so much more," he sprawled next to her and dipped his nose into the fragrant mass of locks. "So, *so* much more."

She gazed at the mountains to the east, watching as the sky lightened and then turned back to John.
"Do you suppose that we'll still do this kind of thing when we're old and grey?"
"Oh, most definitely," John smiled as he propped himself up on his elbow. "All the time actually. I plan to still be making out with you in the back seat of a car when you're eighty-five."
"Wait just a moment," she laughed. "Somehow the back seat of your Jeep doesn't strike me as the most comfortable place to... `make out' *now*, let alone when I'm eighty-five."
"Well how about here?" John ran his finger down her throat suggestively. "You up for a little nookie as the sun makes it's entrance?"
"Oh what an offer," she felt the breath catch in her throat as his hand trailed lower, cupping the outline of a heavy breast through her sweater. "Here?" she whispered in answer to his questioning look.
"Why not?" he shrugged. "It's not like there's anyone around."

"John we can't!" she protested weakly. In all reality, she was getting turned on just thinking about it, but it wasn't practical. "In case you haven't noticed lately, I'm not exactly athletic in that department."
"You don't have to be Doc," he grinned lasciviously. "I have a plan."
"Oh, of course you do!" She couldn't help the laughter that bubbled through her as he pulled his sweater off.
"You think I'd pass up on opportunity to make love to my beautiful fiancée?" John helped her off with her sweater, pausing to plant a kiss on her nose. "I don't think so."
"Well..." she looked regretful; "I guess we won't be able to do this for much longer." She stared down at the bulge, which was covered by a loose shirt. "I can barely manage now!"
"Well baby, let's make the most of it." John pushed her back on the rug and slipped his leg between hers, effectively pinning her to the ground. But she didn't protest as his lips found hers, sweet and demanding, his tongue moist as it slipped into her mouth, tasting her, familiar but new every time.

Her head felt light as his hand found the bottom of her shirt and untucked it from her track pants. And she felt the moan flourish in her throat as his cool hand negotiated the broad curve of her belly. The moan exploded from her as he found her breast and with deliberate fingers, set about teasing her. At the same time, his lips swept over the soft angle of her jaw and down to her throat where he could feel the quick jump of her pulse under his touch.

The stubble on his chin grazed her as his mouth continued to explore downwards until he was thwarted by the buttons on her shirt. Marlena's only answer was to guide his hands downward to seek the waistband of her track pants. She wasn't in the mood for foreplay; his touch burnt her skin with fiery trails searing their way through her body until they reached the warmth between her legs.

Part of her was still recoiling from her nightmare and she wanted to wash away the fear and the horror. She wanted to feel John's strength and take strength from him. She wanted to feel alive and to feel him moving underneath her. Moving inside her. She wanted to feel his heat and his desire for her and forget everything for just a few divine moments.

John took her lead and pulled the pants down around her hips, his fingers brushing the pale taut skin as he gazed at her quite longingly.
"Too slow," she growled as she kicked off the fleecy pants.
"Doc-"
"Shut up Black," she used one hand to push him onto his back and she deftly unbuttoned the fly of his jeans with skillful fingers.
"Oh G*d, Marlena!" His words sounded more like a curse as he felt her fingers negotiate the folds of his boxers.
"Shhhh," she smiled mischievously. "You'll wake up the wildlife."
"Scr*w the wildlife," John exclaimed frustratedly.
"No, that wasn't exactly the idea," she let out a throaty laugh as she pushed up his t-shirt, exposing his broad, sculptured chest.

Before John could say anything else. Marlena dipped her head to his chest and circled her tongue around his nipple, her hot breath only heightening the sense of torture. Oh God, oh Marlena, oh God....oh please...don't...now...oh please Somehow, the words were all there, they just weren't coming out of his mouth. Especially as he felt her fingers surround him, running lightly down his length and teasing him free of his confines.

It was almost too much for him and he clutched a handful of blanket on one hand as he let a guttural grunt explode from his lips. The sun was peeking over the horizon as Marlena looked up at him, her eyes echoing the golden gleam of the morning light. She was rewarded with another groan as she tightened her hand around him and began to stroke him, at first slowly and delicately. But as she felt him begin to move unconsciously with her, she picked up the pace, her fingers creating a pleasant warm friction against his hot, sticky skin.

"Oh Doc," she heard his whimper, or rather felt it in his throat, as she bent her head, her lips and tongue exploring his roughened skin. "Baby.... oh, oh my G*d!" His eyes were shut tightly and she could see that he was having trouble controlling himself.

In fact, she was having a hard enough time herself. She was moist with wanting him and every moan he made just seemed to resonate through her, echoing in her growing heat and need to feel him.

The sun was now quarter over the horizon and the countryside around them was flooded with the amber-gold rays of the new day. As she relinquished her touch, John opened his azure eyes and looked up at her. She almost lost her breath at how gorgeous he looked, in the way his eyes drew her in and swamped her like they were an ocean of their own making.

"Here," there was a catch in his throat as he helped her off with her panties. G*d she looked beautiful with the newborn sunshine caught in her hair and her cheeks flushed with lust. "Do you know how much I love you?" he whispered as she straddled his hips.
"A lot," she answered with a slight smile.
"A real lot," he agreed, lifting his hands to her hips and supporting her as she lowered herself onto him.

"Oh," she closed her eyes and bit her lower lip as she felt him slide into her, hot and hard, filling her as he brought her down to where her thighs embraced his denim covered hips.
"Oh Marlena," she could feel his groan vibrate through his chest as she brought her hands down to steady herself. "Mmmmm, oh...oh...oh baby...."

She began to move against him, rocking her hips in a familiar dance. Wanting to feel as much of her skin as he could, he burrowed his hands under her shirt and held her waist as he moved in time with her.

It was as instinctual as breathing, as their bodies created a rhythm that was antagonistic and yet completely in harmony. It was as though every movement was orchestrated and divinely interpreted in the cleansing flame of the dawn rays. And as they moved together, their muted cries echoed softly in the secluded spot.

Marlena could hear her name rolling from John's tongue, feel his hands on her as they traveled over her rounded curves and she could feel him, hard and strong as he moved surely inside her. Her senses were filled with him and through the cracks in her awareness that were not filled by his presence; she could sense her own moans and the way his name sounded in her throat.

The velvety sounds that she was making washed over John like a wave of hunger, inflaming almost every nerve in his body so that he burned with the need of her. And so that he moved swiftly, thrusting into her, burying himself in her sweet moistness, the friction between them igniting what seemed like liquid fire, that burned white hot through all his senses.

"Oh G*d Doc, Marlena....oh Marlena!" he held her against him as he came, his hips moving rapidly beneath her as his orgasm triggered hers. She could do nothing but whimper his name as the tidal wave broke over her, sweeping her away in the incandescence of the glistening sunrise.

It was long moments before John could form a coherent enough thought that he was able to roll Marlena over onto the rug. Holding her in his arms, he pulled the corner of the rug over her and then brushed his fingers over the bangs that were plastered to her face.

"That wasn't so embarrassing was it?" he whispered with a teasing smile.
"No so much," she answered with a grin of her own. "It was rather a new experience anyway."
"Always do one thing before breakfast that you haven't done before," he laughed as she looked sideways at him, "or something along those lines anyway."
"Sometimes I really wonder about you," her lips struggled to keep the smile subdued but failed miserably.

Shielding her eyes, she turned to look at the horizon. The thin threads of cloud that drifted above the hills did little to obscure the rays of the flaming golden-orange orb and the sight was enough to strike awe into the hardest of hearts.
"That really is incredible," she sighed blissfully.
"Yeah, it is," John whispered into her hair, not even glancing at the sunrise. "Really very, *very* incredible."

Q opened one eye warily and turned awkwardly to look at the window. The sun had risen, maybe an hour ago and he felt like he'd had all of an hour's sleep.

Closing his eyes, he rolled his head back and groaned. Missing the dreams huh? What a complete a**hole he was. He had thought that once he was away from her things would get easier. He had hoped that she would stop pervading his every waking moment. And he had prayed that she would stop infecting his dreams. And it seemed that neither had happened. In fact, the dream last night had seemed so real and so intense that it was almost frightening. Maybe he really was losing his mind. Maybe he should run it past Laura Horton and have her lock him up. Not that that would probably stop the dreams.

He opened his eyes with a defeated sigh and swung his feet out of bed. Coffee. Even immortals sometimes needed a kick-start. He pulled on his robe over the boxers and stumbled out of the bedroom, pulling his fingers through chaotic hair as he made his way down to the kitchen.

"Oh hi Gene!" Q felt his heartbeat slow and the sound of the eggshell breaking and the coagulating sizzle as the white hit the hot pan was almost deafening. "You don't look like you slept so good," the sweet Tennessee accent smothered the sound of the cooking food and Lucie's green eyes appeared concerned as she moved in front of him. "Do you want some breakfast? Mike and I are cooking up some bacon and eggs." She smiled confidentially as she leaned closer, "he's not only cute and great in the sack, but he can cook too."

"Uh, excuse me." Gene thought he might be sick as a wave of nausea overcame him and he headed for the bathroom. There he splashed cold water over his face and looked up into the mirror, seeing only haunted eyes buried in sunken sockets. His skin was ashen and he suddenly realized that he was trembling.

Deciding, on reflection, that a shower might do him some good, he locked the door securely and reached into the shower to turn on the faucet. But he caught his breath at the stretching, burning sensation across his back and with a frown; he pulled his arms from the robe and let it hit the floor unhindered.

Turning around, he examined his back in the mirror. What he saw made him pale even further. For scored into his back were fresh scratches that had been made by fingernails.

Fingernails that only existed in a dream.

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