Marlena stared unseeingly at the window and the dark sky beyond. Beneath her, John's heart beat steadily and calmingly. His arms fit snugly around her and his steady breaths whispered past her ear. Moving her head slightly, she looked at the clock. The bright glow of the numerals told her that barely two hours had passed since they had first been locked in the bedroom. Silently she surveyed the rest of the room. Her lips curved into a wry smile as she noted the clothes, which seemed to have gravitated to the four corners, as far away from the bed as they could possible get.. The scent of the roses drifted lazily across the room, and the candles burned as brightly as they had two hours ago.

Taking a deep breath, Marlena stretched and then rolled onto her stomach, pulling the sheet with her.
"Hey!" John pulled the sheet back over himself. "Where'd you think you're going with that sheet?"
"I thought I might check the door again." Marlena smiled at him sweetly as she propped herself up with one arm.
"Do you *have* to?" John moved closer to her and ran his palm across the soft flesh of her stomach. "I could think of much more *exciting* things to do." Marlena closed her eyes as his exploration sent tremors through her again.

Abruptly she pulled away from him and slipped out of the bed. Scanning the floor, she picked up his T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Pulling her long blonde hair free, she picked her way across to the door. John couldn't peel his eyes away from her as she tried the door and found it still locked. Her face was suffused with that glow he recognized so well. The flush that touched her cheeks and lips was a dead give-away of their recent love-making. His eyes travelled further down, over the curve of her breasts and down to where the T-shirt stopped abruptly, just below the soft curve of her behind. His gaze continued it's sweep down her long shapely legs.

"It's still locked." Marlena said pointedly. "Now if you've finished getting your eyeful, maybe we can figure what to do about getting out of here." John grinned.
"And what an eyeful it was!" Marlena narrowed her eyes and walked over to where he lay in the bed, the sheet draped strategically over his lower torso. She bit back a smile.
"If you've finished, maybe we could get back to the matter in hand?" John leaned forward and whipping his hands around her, pulled her onto the bed.
"Which matter would you like in hand?" he whispered softly in her ear. "This matter?" His hand dove under the T-shirt . "Or perhaps *this* matter?" Marlena gasped as his hand found it's way between her soft thighs.
"Oh God John!" She batted his hand away. "Stop it. I'm, trying to be serious."
"So am I." John's finger on her lips and the earnestness of his eyes made her falter and she almost lost her resolve. But steeling her determination, she moved away from him.

"I'm worried about the children. I want to make sure they're okay." The mention of the children caught John's attention and he looked thoughtful.
"Have you heard them at all?" he asked.
"No, but then," She paused, her eyes glinting in the candlelight, "I haven't really been paying much attention to..."
"..Outside influences?" John finished for her. "No, I haven't either." He leant his head on one side and chewed on his lip for a moment.. "It's hard to tell what's going on outside this room." He took a deep breath. "Brady! Belle!" he called loudly. There was no answer.

"Perhaps we could try ringing someone to get us out of here." Marlena suggested as she moved into a kneeling position. John nodded and twisted his body around to pick up the receiver. After a moment he put it back down with a frown.
"Dead?"
John nodded. "He really thought of everything, didn't he."
"Well, I guess we just have to trust that he is looking after the children." Marlena's calm facade belied the tension she was feeling.
"Well," John paused and then took Marlena's hand in his. "You trust him. And I guess that's good enough for me." Marlena smiled thankfully at him, his confidence easing her worries. She was still for a moment as her thoughts played. Then her face broke into the impish grin that was so reminiscent of Belle.
"You were talking," she pulled the sheet back with a flourish, "about taking matters in hand. How do you feel about *this* matter?" She was rewarded by a moan from John.

Q entered the Brady pub, a child's hand in each of his. Caroline came towards them with an expression somewhere between concern and relief on her face.
"Eugene dear." She greeted him.
"Granma!" Belle and Brady squealed simultaneously. Tearing themselves from Q's hands, they threw themselves at the Brady matriarch Kneeling down, she gathered them into her arms.
"Well now. Hello you two." Caroline squeezed them. "Why don't you go and see Granpa. He's in the kitchen." Belle and Brady ran off, disrupting the patrons with whoops and shouts.

Caroline watched them reach the door and then turned to Q.
"Marlena asked me to bring them over." He said by way of an explanation.
"Oh." Caroline nodded her head, not quite believing Q, but not finding any reason to disbelieve him. "Why? Is she going out.?"
"Let's just say, she's...otherwise engaged." Q chose his words carefully. Caroline was thoughtful for a moment.
"I thought John was going to pick up Brady from Marlena's today. "
"He was." Q paused. "He's busy too." He smiled and held out his hand. " It's nice to see you again Mrs. Brady." She extended her hand and shook his.
"You too." She said slowly.
"Well, I have to run." He wore what he liked to think of as his most cheery smile. "I have some business to take care of." He turned around.

"Wait." Caroline said quickly. He turned back and looked at her expectantly. "Do you know when they'll be in to pick up the children?"
"I wouldn't know." Q shook his head. "Whenever they've done what they have to do I guess. But I wouldn't expect to see them before the morning." He winked and tipped an imaginary hat.
"Caroline!" Caroline turned around as she heard Shawn's voice. Turning back to say good-bye to Q, she discovered he was already gone.

John groaned again as Marlena's fingers worked their expert magic.
"Doc!" He pulled her hand away. "Much more of that and I won't be any good to you..."
"Any good for what?" she asked mischievously.
"Come here and I'll show you." John pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed her palm.
"No." Marlena said seductively, pulling her hand away. "Why don't *I* show *you*?"
"Why don't you do that." John gave in, his voice husky with desire.
"Hold that thought, I'll be right back." Marlena slipped off the bed. John watched her walk to the en-suite, fascinated with the way the T-shirt was riding up, giving him glimpses of her beautiful rear. She returned quickly, a bottle in her hand.
"Roll over." she commanded firmly.
"Ow!" John uttered as he swiftly obeyed. "This isn't all that comfortable Doc..."
"I'll take care of that in a few minutes." Marlena promised with a smile as she climbed on the bed.

Unscrewing the top of the bottle, she poured some of the aromatherapy oil in her hand and put the bottle back on the bedside table. She rubbed the palms of her hands together to give some warmth to the oil and then applied it to John's generously broad shoulders. Working the oil in, she began to massage his shoulders and neck.
"Oh God Doc, I'd forgotten how good that feels." John muttered into the pillow.
"I hadn't." Marlena answered, working her thumbs up his neck.

Procuring some more oil in her hand, she swung her leg over and sat astride him, working the oil into his back. Her hands made broad arcs over his back, eliciting fresh groans from him every time she found a new muscle group. Reaching his waist she ran her hands over his buttocks without hesitating. Working the last of her handful of oil into that particular area, she ordered him to roll over again. As he obeyed, she stripped off the T-shirt with a wicked grin.

Taking the bottle, Marlena tipped it up and watched, her lips parted as the thin stream of golden liquid fell among the black hair of John's chest. John stared at her, mesmerized as she put the bottle back on the table and moved over him again. Her body was silhouetted by the candlelight and her breasts swung tantalizingly near. Her hair fell in a curtain round her face as she spread her fingers and worked them up his chest. Making sure the oil was worked to all areas, she proceeded to massage his chest, paying particular attention to his pectoral muscles.

Noticing he had his eyes closed, she bent her head and took one of his nipples in her mouth. John shuddered as he felt the hot wetness of her tongue circling him and then let out an involuntary cry as she nipped it lightly with her teeth. With a smile of satisfaction, she sat back up and shifted further down his body. Pouring more oil in her hand, she massaged down his stomach until she reached her goal. Smiling at John, she took him in her slippery hands. Pausing, she couldn't resist.
"Well, it looks as if these matters have come to a head." she said, before a laugh burst sexily from deep in her throat. John could do nothing but moan.

Watching his face carefully, she explored his hardness with her fingers, and then with firm, smooth strokes, she ran her hands up his length. Feeling John moving in time with her, she increased the tempo of her caresses. When John couldn't stand it any more, he caught her hand and pulled it away.
"What do you want John?" she asked before wetting her lips. John swallowed, not trusting himself to open his mouth he was concentrating so hard. "Come on John. I want to hear it from you. What do you want?" she demanded.
"You ." John croaked.
"What was that?" Marlena said softly. "I didn't hear you."
"I want you Marlena." He stared at her intently. "I need you."

Marlena merely smiled and moving up the bed, she positioned herself over him. Lowering herself, she stopped just inches above him.
"How much do you want me?"
"You have *no* idea." John shook his head, his eyes pleading with her to finish what she had begun. She paused for a moment and then, her own urges getting the better of her, she decided to take pity on him. John grasped her hips and guided her down, gasping as he felt her warm, wet flesh on his.

Gently at first, Marlena moved up and down, and then faster, as she abandoned herself to the feeling of having him inside her. John opened his eyes and was transfixed by the sight of her on top of him, moving to an unheard rhythm. Her eyes were closed and her back arched, her fingers digging grooves into his shoulders.

Suddenly she stopped, lifting herself off him. Steadying herself, she dropped back down again, burying him inside her, as far as he could go. Hearing John's panting and echoing it with her own, she repeated the movement, building it into a steady repetition. The sweat that covered their bodies made it difficult for John to get a firm grip on her hips and he moved his hands up to her breasts. Cupping each with a hand, he began to massage them. With each movement, the rhythm became stronger and faster, their lovemaking more frenetic.

"Oh God. Doc, I can't..." John cried, knowing he couldn't hold off much longer. Marlena responded by renewing her pace. Every thrust now brought a cry from deep within her, and with one final supreme effort, she moved forward, the waves of her climax overtaking her. Unable to help himself, John let out a long loud moan as he joined her discharging himself deep inside her.

Exhausted, Marlena rolled off John and on to the tangled mess of sheets that lay on the bed. John lay unmoving, staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he rolled onto his side to look at her.
"Thank you Marlena." His voice was soft and sensual.
"For what?"
"For reminding me again of what we share. I must have been *blind* not to realize..." his voice faded as he ran his finger down the side of her cheek. Marlena wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her.
"That I loved you?" He nodded as tears blurred his vision. "Well, just make sure I don't have to remind you again," she said gently. He shook his head and reaching up, softly kissed her.
"You won't." Relaxing, he rested his head on the soft pillow of her breasts while she ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing it into place around his face.

Marlena stared at the roses, trying to collect her thoughts. The evening had been so wonderful, she didn?t want to spoil it for John by recounting Kristen?s various plots and schemes over the previous few months. That could wait until the morning. Or later. Still, the topic of Kristen could not be allowed to rest entirely. Not until they?d decided what to do.

"John?" She ventured, breaking the peaceful silence that had settled over the room.
"Mmm-hmm?"
I hate to have to ask this, but what do you plan to do about Kristen?" John let out a small groan.
"Let's not ruin a perfect evening by talking about her." he entreated.
"I'd rather not either," Marlena granted, "but we have to discuss this. Kristen lost her last baby. She could just as easily lose this one. And this certainly has the potential to cause just that." John sighed.
"I know. I just don't know how we can avoid it."
"I think that any way you tell her is going to be risky. Of course, there's always the other option," she said slowly, running her finger leisurely down his arm.
"What option would that be?" John asked, making his own exploration of the delectable curve between her waist and hip.
"The one where you don't tell her."

John tore himself away to look at her face.
"No way Doc." He shook his head vehemently. "I won't do that. I've lived a lie for far to long. I refuse to live it any longer." Marlena brushed his hair from his forehead.
"I didn't mean-"
"I know exactly what you meant Doc, and I'm not doing it." He took her hand in his
"I love you Marlena Evans and I want the world to know it. I'll tell Kristen tomorrow that I'm leaving. I'll be as gentle as I can but she has to know the truth. If something happens-" he paused, "well, I'll have to take that chance."

Marlena smiled and studied his hazel eyes.
"Are you sure John? I know how much you love this child and what it means to you."
"Yes I do love this child. And I love the child I have with you. Belle and Brady deserve to have and be part of a family. And we can give it to them. We don't have to wait. And after tomorrow," he pulled her closer, "we won't have to." He was taken by surprise as Marlena kissed him passionately. She eventually broke away and looked at him with a delighted smile.
"And we can finally be a proper family."

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