"No way Doc!" John shook his head with utter certainty. "Absolutely *no* way."
"Excuse me?" Marlena blinked, her expression a mixture of surprise and irritation. "And since when did you tell me what to do?"
"Since obviously you lost the ability to make rational decisions for yourself." John looked exasperated. One of the babies gave a small wail in his crib and both his parents froze. But when he settled, Marlena went back to glaring at John.

"John, it's *not* a big deal," she said convincingly.
"Marlena, you went through a *very* traumatic experience yesterday and you've been under a strain for months now." He came close to her and his voice softened. "I don't want to pull rank on you, Doc, but I will if you insist on thinking you can go home today. There's *no* way I'm going to let you run yourself ragged because you think you have to be some kind of superwoman..."

"It's not about me thinking I have to be superwoman, John," she sighed. "I just think I'd feel a lot more comfortable at home, that's all. You *know* how I am about being in hospital."
"I do know baby, but the twins..." he shook his head. "You need to take advantage of having the nurses around for a few days while you get, while *we* get used to looking after these twinners." He reached out and drew his finger down the side of her cheek tenderly. "It's been a while for both of us; I think we probably need a little time to get used to it."

"I'm a mother, John," Marlena argued stubbornly. "I *know* how to deal with twins, I've done it before, remember?"
"And how old are Sami and Eric now?" John replied pointedly. "Look, I'm not going to have this argument with you, Doc. I'll get Mike and Dr. Robbins in here and *they* can tell you you're not going home if you'd like."

"God, you always have to get your own way, don't you?" She was getting exasperated now.
"Yup." John nodded with a tiny grin. "Kinda reminds me of someone else I know."
"All I want to do is *go* *home*," she snapped grumpily. "I didn't think you were going to make a federal case out of it."
"In case you'd forgotten Marlena," John's tone firmed up, "you *gave birth* yesterday. After Kristen tried to..." He shook his head as his stomach contracted. The pain of knowing what had almost happened to the woman he loved so intensely, and his culpability in that, would always be with him.

"I'm *quite* aware of everything that happened yesterday, thank you," Marlena replied stiffly. She couldn't believe that John was being this obtuse. All she needed now was familiarity and comfort and she wasn't going to get that in the hospital.

"All right," John nodded. "Why don't we talk about what happened yesterday then?"
"Why don't we *not* talk about what happened yesterday?" Marlena returned shortly. The last thing she felt like doing was rehashing the nightmare that was her encounter with Kristen.

"Sweetheart," one corner of John's mouth turned downwards into a half-frown, "don't you think that it's something you need to deal with?"
"I have dealt with it," Marlena assured him. "You don't need to play shrink with me, John."
"You've dealt with it." John repeated disbelievingly. "You've dealt with the fact that Kristen tried to..."
"Yes, John." Marlena nodded tersely. "Kristen tried to *kill* me. See, I can say it, even if you can't. So there we go. Maybe *you're* the one that needs to deal with it."

"Oh, c'mon Doc," tenderness tempered his voice. "I don't mean to make you angry. I'm tyring to help you sweetheart."
"Well, you're not," Marlena glared at him angrily, struggling to hold back the tears. "I just want to leave the past where it belongs. Right now all I want to do is go home and start my future with you and our children. The very *last* think I want to do is dwell on *Kristen* or anything that happened in the past."

"Well, how about the fact that we're actually finally together," John whispered. "Why don't you dwell on that for a few minutes?"
"It's the one thing that makes the past year bearable," she replied, failing to contain the tears that tumbled over her pale cheeks. "To finally have you in my life, loving me. That's all I ever wanted."

"It's all I ever wanted too, baby." He pulled her into his arms and held her close as she wrapped her own forearms around his neck and laid her cheek against the warmth of his sweatshirt. "I love you so much, Doc. All I want to do is make you happy and keep you safe. I'm sorry if that makes me too overprotective. I just can't help it honey."
"I know." The soft cotton of his sweatshirt muffled her voice and he bent his head to press a kiss against the soft gold of her hair.
"Will you humour me, Doc, and stay here for another day or two?" he asked in a quiet voice.

There was a small pause from Marlena as she considered his request and then she sighed gently.
"If it makes you happy honey, then I'll stay."
"It will definitely make me happy," John tightened his hold on her. "Most definitely."

The heavy scent of blooming roses overlaid the air in the penthouse as Q sat heavily on the bottom step of the staircase. It certainly looked like a different place to the previous day. There were some mundane chores that he certainly didn't miss now that he was a Q again. But even the sight of a newly clean penthouse did nothing to lift his spirits.

In truth, it was guilt rather than any kind of self-induced melancholy that had him so glum. No matter which way he looked at it, it was his fault that Marlena had been almost killed. After all, he had left her, had given in to her insistence, finding it easier than to do her bidding than to argue with her. He had played right into Kristen's hands and he had left Marlena alone and vulnerable to Kristen's psychotic overtures.

The fact that she was ultimately safe and was even now, holding her newborn babies in her arms did nothing to quell his self-reproach. He didn't have any idea how he was going to face her, knowing that after everything, after all his words in sincerity and in jest, he had failed to protect her from harm. Knowing that his own sheer idiocy had almost gotten her killed.

His head snapped up at the sound of a knock on the door and he frowned. Who in the multiverse would be knocking on Marlena's door at this time of the morning? He briefly considered just ignoring whoever it was until he heard Laura's voice.

"Eugene? I know you're there. I need to talk to you."

He sighed heavily and rubbed his fingers across his weary face before he snapped his fingers, unlocking the door.
"Come in, Laura," he issued the invitation against his better judgement.

Laura stepped across the threshold of the apartment and looked at her new friend. She had heard the entire story, or as much of it as he knew, from Mike an hour ago and after calling the hospital and ascertaining that Eugene was not there, she had come straight by Marlena's apartment.

It wasn't that she knew him all that well yet, it was more a feeling she had. A feeling that he needed a friend right now. Because while John and Marlena were feeling the joy of holding their new children in their arms, Eugene was more likely to be dwelling on what had happened the day before. And blaming himself for it.

"I'm on my way to the hospital," she said without pause. "I thought you might like some company on the way over."
"I'm not going to the hospital," Q replied tersely.
"And why not?" Laura lifted her brows as though she had no idea what Eugene was talking about. "I happen to know that Marlena will want to see you."

There was a small silence as Q absorbed her words and felt the roiling in his stomach.
"I can't." He said simply.
"Can't?" Laura took several steps towards him. "Or won't?"

Q stared up at her resentfully. He didn't want to go there now, didn't want to think any more about how he had failed Marlena, how he had almost gotten her killed.

"I can't face her," he said eventually. "She's better off without me there anyway. This is her time with her family."
"Do you want to tell me why you feel you can't face her?" Laura asked as she came to stand in front of him.
"Do you want to stop playing shrink?" Q snapped in return.
"It's a perfectly reasonable question, Eugene," Laura seemed totally unfazed. "You are one of Marlena's dearest friends. I would think she would want to share her joy at the birth of her children with you. Don't you?"

"And why would she want to do that when I'm the one who almost got her killed?" Q asked bitterly. "How can I go into her room and look into her eyes and not be constantly reminded that it was my fault that she almost lost her life?"
"How was it your fault?" Laura asked carefully.
"Because *I* left her alone. I knew how much danger she was in and I left her here. Alone and unprotected." He buried his face in his hands, hating himself for a myriad of reasons. Hating himself for leaving her, hating himself for feeling so wretched, hating himself for being so piteous and weak as to be swamped in self-pity.

"You went to try and help John and Roman." Laura clarified. "You were trying to do the right thing and you made a mistake. I don’t see where the problem is here."
"The problem is Marlena almost *died* because of my mistake," Q snarled. "I *failed* her." He sighed lengthily. He had failed Marlena and almost failed humanity's future in the process. How could these people be expected to understand what rested on the shoulders of Marlena and her babies? Not now, or in the near future, but generations forthwith. They couldn't, and they shouldn't. The ramifications were too great. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Maybe I don't," Laura replied curtly. "But here's what I understand. In your guilt, you'll be punishing Marlena. She's going to want to share her joy with her friends. You will be avoiding her and she will blame herself for your guilt because it was Marlena that asked you to help John. Because of your self-pity and selfishness, you'll take the gloss off of what should be one of the happiest days of her life. Is that what you really want?"

Eugene looked up at Laura in surprise, his cinnamon eyes expressing his astonishment that she should be so harsh with him. And his grudging admission that she was, or course, right. He was being self-indulgent and it would be Marlena that suffered if he didn't pull himself together. However much he blamed himself for what had happened yesterday, she shouldn't be the one that paid the price of his guilt.

"No," he said quietly. "That's not what I want at all."
"Good," Laura's expression softened as she held out her hand. "Let's go then."

"Well, hi there!" Lucie stood in the doorway and shifted Belle on her hip.
"Oh hi!" Marlena's face was transformed with delight as her eyes settled on her children. "Goodness, it's *so* good to see you two!" She laughed as Brady ran to her bed and climbed nimbly to sit on the bedclothes beside her.

"We missed you, Momma," he said simply. "You okay?"
"I'm just fine sweetie boy," Marlena stroked the chestnut brown hair and Brady looked up at her through impossibly thick lashes. "Where's Daddy?"
"Here slugger," John piped up from where he stood behind Lucie. "I just went to get your Mommy a cup of tea." He looked at the young woman who had moved aside and grinned despite his niggling misgivings. "Hi Lucie, thanks for bringing them over."
"I couldn't *wait*!" Lucie let out a giggle. "I desperately want to see my newest charges."
"Mommy?" Belle frowned. "Where your tummy go?" She leaned her head on one side as though trying to work out a particularly complicated puzzle.

"Oh," Marlena looked down at her stomach, which was a lot less prominent than a couple of days previously. "Well, you know how we told you that there was a baby inside Mommy's tummy? A little brother or sister for you?" Belle nodded, waiting for the explanation. She already knew this. What she didn't know was what had happened to her baby brother or sister.

"Well, the baby came out last night," Marlena said with a gentle smile.
"You two kids have *two* brand new baby brothers." John finished for her as he lifted Brady from the bed. "Wanna come and meet them slugger?"
"Uh-huh," Brady nodded his head swiftly as John carried him over to the baby's cribs with Lucie and Belle in tow.

Marlena watched them with an indulgent smile as the children peered into the cribs.
"Dey's wittle!" Belle stated in obvious fascination.
"You were that little once pumpkin girl," John ruffled the little girl's blonde locks.
"Lordy, aren’t they just the cutest little things!" Lucie shook her head. "They look so tiny and helpless in those big cribs." She reached down with her free hand and drew the tip of her finger over the dark, downy hair of one of the babies. But the child let out a forceful wail and she quickly withdrew her hand with a sideways glance at Marlena.

"What are they called Daddy?" Brady asked as the baby quieted again.
"Ummm," John looked over at Marlena who shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know Brady, we haven't really thought about names for them yet."
"You haven't thought about names?" Lucie looked almost bemused. "How on earth do you know which one you're talking about?"
"We don't," Marlena laughed. "They're Tyke One and Tyke Two at the moment."
"Or just the twinners," John added. "No need for differentiation just yet. Only when it comes to feeding time and then it's usually just the one that's crying."
"All extremely scientific," Marlena's eyes fixed on Belle who was looking a little troubled. "Don't suppose you have a hug for Momma, do you sweetie girl?" Belle nodded and Lucie deposited her on her mother's lap with a happy grin.

Marlena hugged Belle to her and after a moment, the little girl relaxed.
"I want you and Brady to know that just because you have two new brothers, it doesn't mean Daddy and I love you any less. We have plenty of love to go around for all of you. Things are going to change a little at home because the babies will be coming to live with us. But the *really* good news is that Daddy is coming to live with us too."

"All the time?" Brady's face brightened expectantly.
"Yeah, all the time Brady," John hugged his small son close. "We're going to be a real family from now on. Your Mom and I are going to get married and we'll all be one big happy family."

"Well, that sounds like some of the best news I've heard all year!" Marlena looked up at the familiar voice and her smile widened as she saw Laura and Eugene standing in the doorway. "I'm *so* happy for you all."
"Thanks Laura," John moved to the bed and set Brady down next to his little sister. The young boy scrambled into Marlena's arms and she folded them around him, dropping a kiss on his warm head.

"Mmmm, thanks Laura." Laura knew Marlena wasn't only thanking her for her words. She was perceptive enough to know why Eugene hadn't been here this morning and she'd obviously deduced that Laura had persuaded him to come.

"Any time," Laura stepped into the room and her eyes alighted on the twin cribs. "Can I see them?"
"Could we stop you?" John joked.
"Nope." Laura grinned as she dropped her purse on the chair by the door and went to look at the twins.

"Gene." Marlena said nothing else, but there were a multitude of invitations and explanations in that single word.
"Hi," he replied uncertainly as he hovered on the threshold of the room.
"I wanted to thank you," she offered the words with a determination that surprised Q.
"Thank me?" he seemed genuinely confused.
"For everything you've done for us," she said by way of explanation. "To bring us to this point."
"You are thanking me?" His brow sprang into deep furrows as he gripped the doorknob with blanched fingers. "After all the times I screwed up? You want to *thank* me?"
"We're here," Marlena barely shrugged, but the gesture was there. "We're safe and our children are safe. I couldn't ask any more than that."
"That's not down to me," his voice was choked in his throat as he looked at her. "I don't know how you can think it is, after yesterday."
"I *made* you go," Marlena had obviously thought this over. "I gave you no choice. The fact that I was alone is *my* fault and my fault only. But you and John came in time to save me and for that, my dear friend and for so much more, I need to thank you."

"We both do," John added. "I know we've had our differences, but I also know we wouldn't all be here now if it wasn't for you. So thanks from me too."

"I don't know what to say," Q blinked unceremoniously.
"All in a day's work for you, isn't it Gene?" Lucie grinned as he looked at her sharply.
"It's a little more than that, Lucie." Marlena hadn't missed the undercurrent of friction that had run between Eugene and Lucie with that comment and it concerned her slightly.
"Just makin' an observation," Lucie shrugged.

"Uh, Laura, could I have a word for a moment?" John asked quietly enough that no-one else in the room could hear him.
"Sure," she looked at the doorway. "Outside?"
"Mmm-hmmm." He slipped out of the room as unobtrusively as possible as Marlena and Lucie talked to Belle and Brady.

"Is something wrong, John?" Laura leaned against the wall and crossed her arms.
"I... I don't know if it's *wrong*..." John shrugged hesitantly, unsure if he was doing the right thing in involving Laura. But he couldn't stand back and do nothing, he knew that much. "It's just that Marlena won't talk about what happened yesterday. It must have been awful for her, but she just won't talk about it. She'll barely admit that it even happened." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair wearily. It had been a long day and a long night following and he wasn't even sure he was thinking straight any more. "She keeps saying she wants to look to the future but Laura, I don't see how she can do that if she doesn't acknowledge what happened."

"I think you're probably right," Laura nodded finally. "You know Marlena probably better than anyone and you know that she's holding this inside, for whatever reasons." She reached out to John in sympathy, squeezing his hand. "I suspect you could do with talking about it too."
"Once Doc is okay," John nodded, "once I know that she's okay...."
"I'll talk to her." Laura knew instinctively that the best person for John to talk to was Marlena. But if she was in denial about this whole situation it wasn't going to make things easy for either of them. "It may be that she's just not ready to talk about it, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Laura," John's wavering smile signalled his relief. "I really appreciate it."
"Any time," Laura gave him a small hug. "You just get the rest of them out of the room and I'll see if I can get her to loosen up a little."
"Done," John turned for the doorway and then looked back at Laura. "Be gentle with her Laura. She's been through a lot."
"I know she has," Laura nodded and patted John on the arm. "And she'll be just fine. You all will. I promise you that."

"Goodness, sometimes I wonder how babies can sleep through all that noise!" Marlena looked over at her boys and sighed softly. "One day they're this age and all they do is sleep and eat the next day you turn around and they're Belle's age and they never want to sleep or eat anything that's vaguely good for them."
"They do grow fast don't they?" Laura looked into the cribs and smiled at the sight of the peaceful babies.
"I wouldn't give up a day of it," Marlena threw back her covers and slipped out of the bed, coming to stand next to Laura. Reaching her hand into one of the cribs, she stroked a tiny cheek with a maternal finger. "I couldn't be happier, Laura."

"You're certainly a lucky woman," Laura agreed, looking at her good friend. "Especially considering how different things *could* have been." Her voice softened as she saw Marlena flinch, almost involuntarily. "Mike told me what happened yesterday."
"Well, things aren't different," Marlena said, a little more harshly than she intended. "Everything is fine now, it’s all over and I don't want to dwell on it." She managed a smile for Laura's sake before she went back to studying her babies. "I have so much to be grateful for. I just want to look forward to a wonderful future with my family. That's all."

"That's all?" Laura raised her eyebrows, knowing full well what Marlena was trying to do.
"Mmm-hmmm." Marlena nodded, ignoring Laura's scrutiny. "It's not the first time I've survived a trauma Laura. And it probably won't be the last."
"How does that make you feel?" Laura took the opening that Marlena had inadvertently given her.
"No... don't do this to me, Laura," Marlena shook her head angrily. "I don't need therapy."
"I never said you did," Laura's gentle fingers closed around Marlena's arm. "I just want to help you and I think you're not admitting to me, or probably even yourself, that you need help. You need to deal with what happened, honey, before you can move on."

"Did John put you up to this?" Marlena demanded, unappeased by Laura's explanation.
"John is concerned about you," Laura replied unapologetically. "And I'm concerned about *both* of you." She frowned and crossed her arms, turning to face Marlena. "What you went through yesterday was exceedingly traumatic. For both of you. Kristen tried to kill you. You could have died. And John was frightened he was going to lose you. You know as well as I do that those sorts of traumas can leave scars on your soul." Love and concern softened her features. "You can't just put it to one side and pretend nothing happened."

"Actually, yes I can," Marlena replied frigidly, "And what's more, I'm going to. Kristen is dead, it's all over and I have no intention of dragging it all up again." She turned away from Laura and went to the doorway of her room. There was no sign of Belle and Brady, no sign of anyone who could intervene for her in this unwanted discussion. "I just want to forget about it, Laura. That's all."

"Okay, Rocky Road for you, slugger," John handed Brady an overloaded cone, "and butter pecan for the little princess here." He grinned as Belle snatched the ice-cream from his hand. "You kids don't get that ice-cream everywhere now, will you?"
"You do realize you're asking the impossible," Lucie's laughter followed in the wake of her words as she watched Brady try and get his little mouth around an entire scoop of ice-cream.
"Yes that I do." John's brilliant eyes sparkled as he watched Belle giggle at the sight of Brady's antics. "And of course you do realize that I'm about to entrust them to your brilliant care while I sort out some business?"
"Oh no!" Lucie feigned mock horror.
"Yup," John pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "The ice-cream faces are all yours."
"Gee, thanks." Lucie looked over at Eugene who was watching the children, seemingly lost in his own world. "I think I'll see if I can go pawn them off on Uncle Gene."
"Good luck," John's smile fell from his face as he looked at Q. "Somehow I don't think he's much in the mood for company right now."
"Oh, don't worry," Lucie winked at him. "I can handle him."

John watched her as she made her away across to where Eugene sat and he saw the expression of discomfort cross Q's face. He couldn't say that he disagreed with the man. There was something about that girl... something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but she made him uneasy.

He looked thoughtfully at his phone. It was probably just his paranoia making him suspicious. She'd given them no reason to dislike her and besides, what could he do about it anyway? Marlena seemed perfectly happy to have her in the house and the children seemed to love her. So where was the problem?

Shrugging, he turned away and dialled the number he had obtained earlier in the morning. If this was to work out, it would be a very nice homecoming for his family.

"Can you?" Laura asked perceptively. "Can you really forget about what happened? Are you telling me that when you close your eyes you don't replay it in your head? That you don't remember the terror you were feeling when Kristen held that knife on you?"

"Laura, just *leave* it!" Marlena snapped uncharacteristically. "I don't need this. I don't need your pop-tart psychology; I just wish you'd mind your own business."
"I can't do that, Marlena," Laura's voice deepened with concern as she neared Marlena. "I care too much about you to let you do this to yourself."
"Oh Laura, I'm sorry," her shoulders slumped as she turned back to the room. "I didn't mean that, really I didn't."

"I know you didn't," Laura said soothingly, "but the fact that you did say it tells me that this is really bothering you because you're trying to suppress your real feelings about what happened and pretend everything is all right." She took Marlena's hand and held it tightly. "Marlena, honey, it was attempted *murder*. You can't just put a bandaid on that and expect it to be okay. It's going to come back to haunt you and it's going to affect you and John *and* your children if you don't sort this out know. You *know* that, so why are you trying so hard to fight it?"

"Laura, this was supposed to be the happiest day of my life," Marlena's voice trembled with fragility. "We want to be able to tell our friends and family that we're back together and share our joy with them. But instead, I have to tell them how Kristen died because I was trying to defend myself while she was trying to kill me. Do you have any idea how that feels?"
"No, I don't," Laura replied gently. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Laura, I can't *do* this!" Marlena tore from Laura's grasp and made it across the room to her bed before she gave into the dizziness, propping herself up on the bed with wavering arms. One of the twins gave a raucous wail, as though roused by his mother's distress, and almost immediately, the other baby joined him, battering Marlena's already frail self-control.

"Excuse me, Allie," Laura caught the attention of a nurse that was walking by the room. "I think Dr. Evans could use a little time out. Could you please arrange to have the babies taken to the nursery for a couple of hours?"
"Sure thing Dr. Horton," the petite nurse nodded, her dark hair bouncing with her head. "I'll do it right away."

"*No*!" Marlena glared at Laura in outrage. "Laura, how *dare* you decide where my babies should be."
"Because *I'm* a doctor and you, right now, are a patient. And because I don't think that right at this very moment, you are in any fit state to take care of those babies." Laura said firmly.
"They're my babies," Marlena looked as though she was about to burst into tears. "They're not safe down there."
"It's only for a couple of hours." Laura told her gently. "It's the middle of the day. Nothing is going to happen to them. I promise you that."

"How can you be sure of that?" Marlena's attention was distracted as two nurses came into the room. The fact that she knew both of them on a first name basis eased her fears slightly. But still, the fear gnawed at her and her stomach clenched. "I don't want them to go."
"They're going." Laura affirmed as she turned to the nurses. "Please make sure that there's someone watching these babies at all times. For Dr. Evans’ peace of mind."
"No problem," Faith, the blonde nurse, nodded. "I'm on a break now, so I'll stay with them."
"Thank you, Faith." Marlena breathed her relief almost audibly. "I appreciate it."
"Any time Dr. Evans," Faith lifted a dark haired baby into her arms. "They're just adorable, I'm quite happy to spend time with 'em."

"So..." Lucie climbed onto the cafeteria table that Q was sitting on and plopped herself down next to him. "I guess this all changes things quite a bit huh?"
"What does?"
"Kristen, kicking the bucket." She saw his confused look and grinned mischievously. "You know.... shuffling off this mortal coil. Croaking. Biting the big one-"
"I *know* what you're talking about," Q said irritably. "But what do you mean it changes things?"
"Well, John and Marlena, of course." Lucie swung her legs under the table like a big kid as she watched Brady chase Belle around the near-empty cafeteria. "I mean, now he doesn't have to go running off to make sure Kristen's not getting into trouble every five minutes any more. All worked out quite nicely for them if you ask me."

"Nicely?" Q's forehead buckled in time with his frown as he turned to Lucie. "She almost *killed* Marlena and you think it all went *nicely*?"
"Well, apart from that..." Lucie said blithely. "Anyway, I said it *worked out* nicely. Now they get to be together and no watching their backs for the next time Kristen pulls a stunt and no nasty custody battles or anything...."

She sighed happily and leaned her head on one side. And then, as though the thought was just striking her, she lifted her head again and looked at Q.

"Kinda leaves you out in the cold though, doesn't it?" she looked quite innocent, but Q knew there was more hidden behind the façade and for a moment he looked at her with suspicious eyes.

"I mean, you don't have to protect her now," Lucie carried on, seemingly not caring about the scrutiny she was under. "John will be there all the time. You get to go back to being just a friend." Her eyebrows were naturally fair and the right one arched in a beautifully symmetric curve. "Do you think you can do that?"
"I've been Marlena's friend since you were a child," he replied stiffly, his eyes carefully examining her for any kind of reaction. "I think I can manage."

There was definitely something about her, something that tugged on his senses, setting off alarms that he couldn't quite hear. But there was no indication that she was Q. And surely if she had been Q, there would have been no way he could miss it. Not after living with her for so long. Q couldn't hide their true selves from the Continuum. The Q consciousness was simply too interlinked. Maybe, if a Q fled to the farthest corner of the galaxy, they could hope to escape the analysis of the Continuum... but not when they were sitting next to another Q.

"Oh well," Lucie shrugged, "if you say so."
"I *do*." So if she wasn't a Q... then maybe she was just a particularly annoying individual human. After all, humans were particularly annoying as a race. There was nothing to say that a particularly obnoxious one couldn't rub him up completely the wrong way. John did, after all.
"You keep telling yourself that Genie boy," she grinned as she slipped off the table. "Maybe one day, you'll believe it. Don't count on anybody else buying it though."

"Okay then," Laura closed the door behind her. "It's just you and me now. No-one else to pretend for. No-one to be strong for."

Marlena looked over at Laura with haunted eyes and for a moment Laura wondered if she'd pushed Marlena just a little too far.

"Honey, it's okay. It's all going to be okay, you do know that, don't you?"
"As long as Stefano is out there, it's *never* going to be okay, Laura," Marlena shuddered, her arms achingly empty. She had never wanted to hold her babies more than she did at this moment.
"Stefano can't get in here," Laura neared Marlena with caution. "He can't hurt you."
"That's what they said about Kristen," Marlena sucked in a lungful of air, trying to keep a hold of her emotions. "John and Gene, they promised me so many times that it was going to be okay, that she wouldn't hurt me again..."

"They didn't know Marlena," Laura sat on the bed beside her. "They couldn't have known. They made a mistake."
"*No*," Marlena shook her head. "It was *me*. *I* made the mistake. I should have *known*, Laura. I should have been able to do something...."

"Honey, *how* could you know?" Laura shook her head, her moss-green eyes shaded with concern. "She was insane. How could you predict *anything* that was going on in her head?"
"I'm a psychiatrist Laura," Marlena replied harshly. "It's my *job* to know, to predict people's behaviour."
"Not when you're so involved in a situation." Laura shook her head. "There was way too much at stake for you to be objective."
"That's cold comfort Laura," Marlena gave a snort of disgust. "When the lives of my children are at stake, I can't *afford* to make excuses."
"What about *your* life?" Laura asked briskly. "Weren't you frightened for your *own* life?"
"Of course I-," Marlena looked across at Laura and pursed her lips. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Why are you being so damn stubborn, Marlena?" Laura demanded brutally. "Was it *really* that terrifying that you don't think you could survive reliving it?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Marlena slid off the bed and went to the window, feeling strangely short of breath.
"Well then, what are you so afraid of?" Laura asked feeling an ache in her heart for Marlena's obvious pain. "Do you really want to wake up at night screaming with nightmares because this won't leave you alone?"

"That's *exactly* what I'm afraid of Laura," Marlena turned back to her, terrified eyes glassy with tears. "I *can't* let the fear in because I'm afraid if I do, it'll never go away."
"But she's *dead*, honey," Laura came to the window and folded her fingers around Marlena's chilled digits. "She can't hurt you any more."
"She is, but her father isn't." Marlena's free hand curled into a little ball.

"You think he's going to want to exact some kind of revenge?" Laura asked, surprised that the thought hadn’t already occurred to her.
"He already does," Marlena replied quietly. "If John's right and he was the one that set Carrie up to kill him..." A tiny intake of breath shuddered through her chest. "Who is he going to blame for Kristen's death?"

"Logically?" Laura knew it was a moot point, but she was going to make it anyway. It couldn't hurt, surely. "He should know no-one is to blame. It was Kristen's own warped insanity that put her in the morgue. No-one else had a whole lot to do with that, and you know it Marlena."
"*I* know it," Marlena shrugged, the fragile gesture only accentuating her vulnerability, "but since when did Stefano ever apply logic to *anything*?"

"It must have been terrifying," Laura said softly, returning to the main point of the conversation. "To be faced with her, with that knife... knowing that she wanted you dead."
"Knowing that she'd already killed the nurse that John had hired..." Marlena paled noticeably. "You have no idea, Laura. I thought I was..." she took a shaky breath, fighting off the tears as best she could. "She locked the door and there was no way out. She just kept coming for me and she wouldn't stop. And yeah, she wanted me dead; she made no bones about that."

"You thought you were going to die, didn't you?" Laura went back to Marlena's unspoken words, gently probing that little bit deeper. "You thought that after everything that had happened, after everything that you had done to keep the babies safe, she was going to win and you were going to lose everything."

Beside her, Marlena tensed and through her hand, Laura could feel the tremor that filtered through her body. And still she didn't give in.
"C'mon Marlena, tell me. You know it will help. You know I won't hurt you. What happens in this room, stays in this room."
"Oh God," Marlena choked back the tears, the terror of the previous day starting to revisit her. "She had... she had her hands around my throat and there was just nowhere to go, Laura. I felt so helpless and I hated her but I couldn't stop her...." she lost the battle and her resolve crumbled, the tears coursing down her face as she gripped Laura's hand for dear life. "...I just couldn't stop her."
"I know, honey," Laura slipped her arm around Marlena's shoulder and hugged her as Marlena sobbed. "I know...."

"John!"

He was brought up short by the sound of Laura's voice behind him.
"Laura, is she-" A sudden fear surged through his consciousness.
"She's fine, but she's exhausted. She needs some sleep." Laura's heels clicked on the linoleum as she led John to a row of seats by the wall. "I got her to talk. It wasn't easy but she finally gave in."
"Do you..." John looked across at the closed door to Marlena's room. "Do you think it helped?"
"I think, ultimately, it will," Laura leaned back in the chair and ran her hand through her hair in a disclosure of her own weariness. "I just think it's going to take a while before she feels safe again."

John looked down at the floor and scuffed at a dirty mark with his toe.
"If I could get my hands on Stefano and put that old bastard behind bars, she *would* be safe."
"She's afraid he's going to seek some kind of revenge," Laura said softly. She didn't think Marlena would mind her divulging that to John. It was a very real fear, after all.
"She's probably right to," John sighed. "At least if she realizes the danger she might not be so damn stubborn all the time."
"John, you know Marlena," Laura managed the hint of a smile, "she'll always be stubborn."
"I know," John replied grimly, "and it gets her into trouble."

"Do you blame her for what happened yesterday?" Laura asked curiously. "I mean, for sending Eugene to you instead of letting him stay with her at the penthouse."
"*Blame* her?" John looked shocked for a moment and then thoughtful. "No, of course I don't blame her. Does she think that I think this was her fault?"
"I can't really tell you what she thinks, John," Laura smiled regretfully. "That's not my place."
"Confidentiality," he nodded and closed his eyes as he leaned back against the wall. "*Damn* the DiMeras! When will they stop screwing with our lives?"
"I don't know John," Laura shrugged. "That's your department, not mine."
"Not doing a great job at it, am I?" he asked miserably.
"Hey, you have two beautiful sons and a woman who loves you as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. I don't think you're doing too badly," she said gently. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
John was silent as he looked at the door to Marlena's room.
"You said she's sleeping?"
"Mmm-hmmm," Laura nodded. "The babies are down in the nursery and one of the nurses is staying with them." She could see John's concern as he watched the silent room. "She's okay John, she'll be okay. Just give her some time and be gentle with her."
"I will," he nodded. "Believe me, Laura, I'll do anything it takes. I'd do anything at all for her."
"I know you would."

Laura couldn't help the smile that sprang to her lips at John's devotion to the woman he loved. Marlena had what most women dream of their whole lives, a man who would do anything, even literally die for her. It was such a rare and profound love they shared, it made Laura almost believe in fairytales to see them together.

"You know John, if you feel like *you* want to talk..." she paused, knowing that if he talked to anyone, it would be Marlena. Still, she had to offer. "You know where I am."

There was silence from John again as he turned back to Laura and nodded.
"Thanks. But I know who I need to talk to." He patted the back of Laura's hand and stood. "When Marlena wakes, tell her I'll be back as soon as I can, would you?"
"Of course," Laura nodded but she couldn't quite cover her surprise. "Can I tell her where..."
"It's kinda private." John interrupted. "Just tell her I'm okay and I'll see her soon."

Stefano sat in the deep leather chair, with a glass of brandy sitting on the table in front of him. The conversation with the informant rang tortuously in his ears as he stared blindly at the amber liquid. After all those long months recuperating in the tunnels of Paris after the cave-in, he had never even conceived that this could come to pass. He had been so intent on conjuring a plan to punish John for taking Marlena from him, a plan that would expunge John from the lives of the *damned* Brady family, he had neglected to consider what was happening in Kristen's life.

It was not that he did not care, or even that he could not have found out if he had wanted. It was just that he had been so obsessed with making John pay for his crimes and taking back what was rightfully his, he had almost forgotten about Kristen.

The girl had provided him with sketchy information. He had known that John and Marlena had gone away together, he had known that the offspring that Marlena had carried was John's.... But it had not concerned him. He had been convinced that once John was gone, Kristen would recover from her infatuation with him and move forward. He had not realized that infatuation would destroy her.

And how could he? He was not all seeing. He was powerful, yes, but he did not yet have all his powers. The accident in Paris had decimated his health and until the renegade Q had come to him, he had been crippled in his quest for revenge.

And now, his beloved daughter lay dead on a pathologist' table and once again, it was John Black's fault.

"Hey there punkin'," John pulled up a chair beside the bed and picked up his eldest daughter's hand in his. "What's happening around this joint?" There was no response, not that he expected one after all these weeks. It just felt good to be close to Carrie, to talk to her, even if she couldn't hear him. They had been so close once; somehow she had always seemed to know how he was feeling, even when she was a little girl. He missed being her dad so much it hurt sometimes. And even more, he missed her smile and her soothing words. He could really do with them right now.

"Sorry I haven't been to see you for a while punkin' girl," he sighed, running his thumbs across her once-manicured fingernails. "It's been kinda hectic at home." He blinked as he looked at her swollen belly and realized once again how much she was missing of her own life. As much as this didn't seem like his Carrie, he knew she was trapped in there somewhere and he vowed, once this business with Stefano was over, he would devote his time to trying to find her.

"It was a pretty scary day yesterday," he stopped and sighed. "I really f*cked up, Carrie. I let my guard down and Kristen slipped right through it. She set us up and Marlena almost died because of it."

There was no response but John saw a slight movement under the skin of Carrie's bulge. "You listening to me in there kiddo? Yeah, you're right, I was a complete moron. I fell for it just like she knew I would. And meanwhile she had a knife and she went to the penthouse...."

He recalled the sight of Kristen with her hands, tight around Marlena's throat and his own constricted. "How can she think this was *her* fault? Christ, she was the one that was almost killed. Kristen tried to stab her and when she lost the knife, she tried to choke her. It was only luck that we managed to get there in time." He looked down and saw that Carrie's fingertips were red with confined blood and he loosened his grip, feeling a little ashamed. "I'm sorry Carrie. I've failed Marlena..., all of you, so many times. I just wanted this time to be able to protect her and the kids."

The mound under the sheet moved again and the corner of John's mouth twitched into a smile as he reached out to lay his hand over it. "There is a good side though, punkin'. Marlena is okay and we have brand new twin boys. You have two new brothers. Isn't that a blast?"

There was a clatter from the corridor outside the room and then all was quiet again. "I guess I shouldn't be complaining. At least Marlena is safe and so are the boys. Stefano is still out there, but I promise you Carrie, I'm going to get him and he's going to go down for what he did to you." He lifted her hand and propped his elbows on the bed.

"I'm so sorry punkin," he pressed the back of her hand to his cheek. "I'm so sorry for it all. I love you kids so much and along the way I seem to have pretty much screwed it up with *all* of you, one way or another."

He paused for a moment, almost ready to swear that he had felt Carrie's finger twitch. But there was no movement and his eyes saddened at the realization that he wanted Carrie to come back so badly that his mind was starting to invent things. "I need you to get better Carrie honey, I need you to teach me how to be a good father to these two boys. I know I must have been a good father to you once. I remember you told me so..." His voice faded at the recollection, the small, blonde Carrie and her smile that lit his world with sunshine. "And punkin', you turned out ot be such a sweet, generous, compassionate and beautiful young woman, inside and out." He let out a chuckle, "though that was probably more Marlena's doing than mine." He stroked his thumb across the back of her hand gently and then lifted it from his face. Pressing a kiss in the centre of her palm, he forged a trembling smile and reached out to brush the blonde hair from her fragile skin. "But I think I must have done something right sweetheart..."

He ached as he watched her in the bed, the broken husk of the beautiful daughter he had once played and laughed with. He had so many precious memories of his time with Carrie and the twins. Memories that no-one could take away from him, however hard they might try. He treasured those memories so fiercely that it hurt sometimes. But because of those memories, because of his place in the Brady family, Carrie's life had been destroyed and he hated that almost more than anything.

"I wish the new twinners could meet their big sister. Maybe Marlena and I can bring them up here once they get home..." He sighed and closed his eyes, bowing his head. "What am I going to do? How am I going to protect Marlena and the kids from Stefano? How am I going to stay out of the old man's path myself if he's trying to kill me, and still be able to protect them. God, that sounds so selfish. I would lay down my life in an instant for Doc, Carrie. For any of you. But if I did that, then who would stop him?"

"You can..."

John's head snapped up, his eyes wide at the sound of the scratchy voice. His heart thumped painfully as he met Carrie's green-eyed gaze, and a grin spread across his face as he saw the sparkle that revealed the soul that had broken free of it's invisible fetters.

"You can... work it out." Carrie told him, pained with the effort of talking with a long unused voice.

"Carrie!" John couldn't quite believe his own eyes for a moment and he wondered briefly if he was imagining things again.
"Mmmm," she managed to nod as her eyelashes fluttered.
"Oh G*d! Honey, I can't believe it!" He pressed shaking fingers to her cheek as he looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "It's really you? You're really okay?"
"Okay?" Carrie looked a little dazed and he felt her tentative fingers reach out for his grasp.
"Yeah, it's okay honey. Just let me get the doctor to come and have a look at you." He pushed his chair away from the bed and stood with an excited grin. "It's all going to be okay, I promise..."

Stefano stared at the brandy, his expression full of venom as his mind traced back over his conversations with Peter. Peter, who had lost his sister. Peter, who blamed both John and Marlena.

Marlena....

Marlena, his Queen of the Night.... He had offered her *everything*. He had offered the world and anything she desired in it. But she had refused. Turned him down as though he was worth *nothing*. And instead, she had chosen the one thing that he would not offer her. John Black.

The brandy shimmied inside the crystal snifter as Stefano thumped the table with his meaty fist. Blind fury coursed through his consciousness as he faced the reality of her betrayal.

Marlena, the goddess of his dreams, had spurned his pure and passionate love, instead choosing to turn again to his nemesis, John Black. And in doing so, she had taken John from Kristen, and taken what was rightfully his daughter's.

And now Kristen was dead, what responsibility did Marlena bear in that fact?

John's culpability was simple. He was as guilty as sin and Stefano had no qualms about wanting him dead. He had wanted John Black dead long before this had happened, Kristen's death merely, if such an intense desire could be classed as mere, heightened his thirst for revenge.

But Marlena..... Marlena..... He could not deny that he still loved her. The need for her was like a fire in his blood. But time and again, she had thrown everything he had offered her back in his face and she had chosen to pursue John Black, and in doing so, she had taken him from Kristen. And now Kristen was dead.

Stefano took a mouthful of the brandy and relished the burning as it slipped down his throat like liquid silk. He contemplated the brandy with a scowl. The bitter truth was that even if Marlena bore a portion of the blame in this affair, he could no more stop loving her than he could stop breathing.

Perhaps the only outcome of this nightmare was that he hardened in his determination to take Marlena for his own. Once she was under his influence and with John Black dead, she would begin to understand exactly how foolish she had been to defy him time and time again.

A slow smile expanded across Stefano's cruel lips as he swirled the brandy around the snifter. After all, where there was pain, there was also a certain amount of pleasure....

"Doc?" Marlena looked up to find John standing in the doorway.
"Well, *hi* Dad," she grinned as she cradled one of the twins in her arms and John's heart lifted considerably. "Where have you been?"
"Visiting..." he said elusively. "How are you doing? Did your talk with Laura help?" The concern in his voice and his expression touched Marlena and she didn't have the heart to be angry with him for his interference. Anyway, the truth was that she had really needed to talk about her feelings and she loved him for taking the risk and forcing the issue.
"Yes, it helped a lot," she smiled gently. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" He grinned quizzically. "I didn't think that was quite the reaction I was going to get."
"I've had a couple of hours to calm down," she teased him as he sat on the edge of the bed. She saw him peering at the baby and she held out the tiny bundle for him to take. "You just missed their feeding."
"Awww, that's too bad," he grinned lasciviously.

"So... visiting huh?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Uh-huh," he nodded. "I pretty much needed to talk to someone myself." He looked up at Marlena and reached out for his hand, closing her fingers over his. "So I went to see Carrie."

"Oh," she nodded with understanding. John and Carrie had been very close once and since the shooting he had spent a lot of time with her. "Did it help?"
"More than I ever could have dreamed." John's face lit up with a smile that left Marlena almost breathless. "Doc... Carrie, she woke up. Our little girl is back!"

"She's awake?" Marlena's mouth dropped open for a moment. "Really?"
"Really," John laughed. "We talked honey. I told her about the twinners and she wants to see them as soon as possible."
"Oh my," Marlena pressed her fingertips to her mouth, trying to hold in all the emotions that threatened to spill out. "I can't believe it." She took a shaky breath before laughter bubbled from her throat. "It's perfect! John, everything is finally perfect."

"Mmmmm."

The soft hum of Marlena's pleased sigh tickled John's ear and he smiled contentedly.

"Happy?" he turned his head and raised one eyebrow. She lay next to him, her golden halo of hair tousled and adorable."Couldn't be *more* happy," she murmured, nuzzling his cheek gently.

It had been a wild few days since Carrie had awakened. Family and friends, brimming with questions and dissatisfied with the lack of answers, had visited Marlena. There were babies to be bathed and fed and small children to be reassured. And John was in and out of the hospital, attending mysterious appointments, the contents of which he would not divulge to Marlena.

But through it all, there were smiles and kisses and now that John had Marlena and the children home he was grateful just to be with her and hold her in his arms.

"I want to make you happy, Doc," he whispered. "I've caused you too many tears. From now on, I only want to make you smile."
"Just hold me," her voice was almost inaudible as it caught in her throat. "That's all I want. To know, wherever you are, you want to hold me."
"Always, Doc." He curled his arms more tightly around her and pulled her to him. "Sometimes I think you fit into my arms like we were made to go together."

"We were," she looked up at him with bright eyes. "I think we were."
"I think we were too." He grinned and pressed his lips to her nose in a gentle kiss. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met, you know that?"
"Am I?" her lips formed a tiny but undeniable smile.
"You're perfect, honey." He lifted his hand and brushed away the gentle curls that had fallen across her cheek. "Absolutely, positively, perfect."
"Oh, I love you." She kissed him and then sighed softly, snuggling against him, weary and satisfied.

A comfortable silence filled the bedroom for a few moments before the sound of a baby's wail disturbed them.
"Oh," Marlena struggled to release herself from John's arms, but he stilled her with a glance.
"I'll get him," he told her. "You have to rest, remember?"
"John-" her expression didn't hide her annoyance but he was already out of bed and across at one of the matching cribs.

Scooping the tiny baby out of the little bed, John cradled him in his arms.
"Yes Doc?" he asked innocently.
"I'm not helpless," her glare softened as she watched him look down at the tiny bundle he held.
"Would I ever dare say that you were?" he raised his eyebrows with a mischievous smile.

"Was that a baby I heard?" A curious Belle and Brady followed Lucie into the room and Marlena relaxed against the pillow as she watched the children peer at their tiny siblings.
"Yes," Marlena answered with an amused smile wondering how their bedroom could go from a haven to busier than Grand Central station in a matter of mere seconds. "But Daddy has it under control."
"So I see," Lucie ran her eyes admiringly over John's shirtless chest. "Don't suppose you need a hand there Daddy?"
"He's fine," John replied flushing with embarrassment with Lucie's brazen assessment of him. "He's gone back to sleep already."

Marlena watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.
"Momma?" Brady trotted over to the bed and climbed onto the rumpled covers without any hesitation.
"Mmmm-hmmm? What do you want sweetie boy?" Marlena mussed his shiny brown hair with a smile that conveyed her delight.
"Are we really going to be a family?" he asked shyly.
"Oh Brady," she reached out and cupped the little boy's uncertain face in her hand. "We talked about this last night honey; of course we're going to be a family. Daddy is going to live here with us," she paused, looking around the room, "or maybe we'll find somewhere a little bigger for all of us."

She could see that Brady still looked as though he needed a little convincing and it concerned her. The little boy had had a confusing few years with Kristen in his life, trying to use him to win John's affections and get her own way. Marlena had tried to keep Brady sheltered from as much confusion as possible but she knew that it was unlikely that he would have escaped completely unscathed. And now with two new baby brothers to contend with, he might feel even more isolated. She and John had to be careful to give him all the love and attention he needed until he felt secure again.

"What has you worried honey?" she asked gently. "You know you can tell me anything you're feeling, don't you?" Brady nodded and she pushed herself upright as she looked over at John. John nodded and he laid the baby back down in the crib. Lucie led Belle out of the room and John followed them. However he stayed inside the room, closing the door and leaning against it.

"Are you frightened about something?" Marlena asked as she smoothed the chestnut locks of the little boy. Brady shook his head and she smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," she said easily.

"Kristen said she was going to be my mommy," he said suddenly.
"She did huh?" Marlena looked thoughtful. “She thought she was going to make a family with you and your daddy didn’t she?”

“Uh-huh,” Brady nodded his head. “But she goed away.”
“She *went* away honey,” Marlena corrected him with a slight smile. “Does that make you sad?”

Brady immediately shook his head.
"No, Momma," he paused, biting on his lower lip.
"But?" she gave him an encouraging little smile.
"Is you gonna go away too?" He blurted out the words as if he was afraid of hearing her answer.
"Oh *no* honey," Marlena shook her head as she pulled the little boy close to her. She could understand his fear. After losing his mother when he was still a baby he needed a stable mother figure in his life. Kristen was hardly that. She only hoped she could be worthy of his love. "I'm *never* leaving you. Not if I can possibly help it."

"Hey slugger," John came to the bed and slipped onto the covers next to Marlena and his son. Brady turned around in Marlena's arms and gave his father a shy smile. John mussed his hair with an affectionate touch. "You don't have to worry about Marlena going away. She's going to be your mom as long as you want her to be."
"I'll never take the place of your real momma, Brady, but I'll be here, loving you as long as you need me." She paused and smiled tenderly at the boy she thought of as much her own as any of her other children. "And even when you don't need me, I'll still love you. You're my special boy, you know that don't you?"

"Uh-huh," Brady nodded his head, pacified by his mother's words. "I love you too, Momma."

Marlena smiled widely and tightened her arms around him, squeezing him tight. Burying her nose in his warm hair, she let out a little noise of delight. "Oh, you're so yummy I could just *eat* you all up."
"Hey, better watch out kid," John grinned, "Mom hasn't had breakfast yet. She might just be serious, so maybe we should distract her." He raised his hand, taking in a deep breath and both Brady and Marlena immediately knew what was about to come.

Brady shrieked with delight as John's fingers swooped in to tickle Marlena and she dissolved into peals of helpless giggles. She could barely feel Brady's childishly nimble fingers join John's as she struggled weakly amid the gales of laughter.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Lucie's voice floated over the tangle of limbs in the bed. "Somebody's supposed to be resting!" With a grin she watched John raise his head guiltily.
"Thank you!" Marlena gasped as she manoeuvred herself out of John's clutches.
"No, I actually meant me." Lucie gave a half-snort as John suffered a moment of confusion. "Sorry. Can't help myself sometimes. Okay kid," she pointed at Brady, "come with me. Your sister needs some help devouring the batch of chocolate chip cookies we made yesterday. And *you*," she pointed at John, "behave yourself!"

"Yes ma'am," he looked back at Marlena, his cheeks red.
"*You*," she took over from Lucie, her finger crooked as she pointed at him, "are in major trouble, Mister!"
"I surrender!" He raised his arms above his head with an irresistible grin. "Just don't hurt me!"

"Oh no," Marlena laughed. "You don't get away with it *that* easy!" She pushed him back on the bed and pinned his arms above his head. "I'm..." she shifted so she was half on top of him, "...going..." she bent her head and her tongue danced like a whisper across the base of his throat, "...to make..." her lips travelled up across his jaw and he felt them fasten around his earlobe. He groaned as her tongue made a swift investigation before she let go, "...you suffer..."

With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she released his wrist and drew her hand down his arm to his chest. At the same time, she brushed her lips against his and whispered "want me yet?"

"Marlena!" John squirmed beneath her, his voice rasping. "You don't play fair. You know *I always* want you."

"Just making sure," the corner of her mouth curled up as she slid her hand even lower.

"Doc!" John's eyes widened. "Ohhh, no you don't." He grabbed her hand and rolled her over so that he was half on-top of her. "Don't start something you can't finish."
"Spoilsport!" Her golden eyes glittered with unspoken challenges as she looked up at him. "Oh and by the way, we really need to think about getting a bigger place. One where I can have you all to myself and not have to share your wonderful, shirtless body with the hired help."

"Jealous are we?" he teased her.
"Not even slightly," she grinned as she stretched one arm up over her head. "I got you right where I want you, babe."

"God, you're beautiful," he breathed, his eyes drawn to her lips. "Why do you have to be so damned irresistible?"
"Shut up and kiss me," her voice sank to a whisper and she slid her foot sensuously along his calf. "Just kiss me, John."

He didn't bother answering her, just bent his head, brushing his lips against hers, her soft, fragrant warmth saturating his senses....

"Mmmm," Marlena came up for air several minutes later, her smile settling into one of pure pleasure as John wrapped her in his broad arms. "This is so nice."
"Almost heaven, Doc," he breathed in the scent of her and pulled her just a little bit closer. "I can't believe I finally have you, after all this time."
"You do have me," she whispered, cupping his cheek in one hand, "for as long as you want me."
"I'll want you forever," he said in a voice that made her shiver. "You have my heart in your hands, Doc. And I can't wait to tell our family and friends that this afternoon."

He took her hand and held it against his chest. There was utter sincerity and adoration in his impossibly blue eyes and she felt a breathless, almost painful fluttering in her chest. "You make me whole, Marlena. You make me complete, awake, alive, and you make me strong." He shook his head. "You make me a good man, one who wants to make you and our children proud of him."
"You *are* a good man, John," she told him, her whole body singing with the closeness of him. "You always have been."

"No Doc," he shook his head with determination. "I was weak, I was foolish and I've done so many things I'm ashamed of."
"But-" Marlena tried to argue with him, but he silenced her with a finger against her lips.
"I don't know what much of my past holds. I do know that I don't much care." He shuddered slightly, thinking of the darkness he was sure could unfold in the hidden depths of his past. That Pandora's Box was better left unopened. "I don't want to know what I was before you. It's so bleak without you in my life that I don't ever want to remember anything before you."

Marlena lifted her hand and moved his from her mouth.
"I don't care who you were, John. I only know I love you and I have always loved you. I love your heart and your soul and I *know* that you are a good, generous, kind, loving man and a wonderful husband and father. And that's all I need to know."

"It's your faith in me that makes me all those things," he reiterated with the hint of a smile. "You believe in me and because of that, I can believe in myself. And I can trust that I will make you happy."
"You *do* make me happy," her eyes shone, echoing her words. "You make me *very* happy."

"And you," he closed his fingers around the back of her hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her palm, "make me the happiest man on this earth."

"Are you ready to go, Doc?" John shifted impatiently from one foot to the other, keys jingling in his hand as he waited for her to appear at the top of the staircase.

"John," she looked down at him, a cream pump in her hand. "We're not due at the pub for almost an hour. What's the hurry?"
"We're making a detour," he tapped his watch. "So hurry up."
"You could have told me that before." She looked at him in irritation. "*Why* didn't you tell me that before?" She paused, but before he could answer, she tacked on another query. "And where are we detouring to?"
"I was trying to avoid the inevitable barrage of questions," he grinned. "So just put your shoes on and get that cute ass down here, okay?"

"You are so cruel to me!" She couldn't help the smile that curled her lips as he watched her. God, she loved him. Even despite his penchant for teasing her.

"Guilty as charged." He climbed several stairs so he could watch her as she made her way back to the bedroom. She was wearing a pink dress, the colour of which that reminded him of the night she had come to him on the plane. He loved her in pink. He loved her out of pink. God, he just loved her to distraction.

"What?" she asked with an almost shy air as she came back to the landing and found him looking at her.
"Just counting my blessings, Doc," he held out his hand for hers, one corner of his mouth curling. "Y'know, wondering how on the earth I got so damn lucky."

Marlena simply smiled and leaned in to kiss him.