Marlena turned around, her jaw dropping slightly as she looked up at the façade of the hotel in front of her. Q took her hand in his and led her up the steps. The lobby of the Carlyle was small and understated, but the impression was of a subtle opulence. It had an exclusive European feel to it and an eye for detail could discern the elegant and expensive furnishings under the soft glow emanating from Tiffany lamps. Gene turned to her.
"Will this do?" he whispered with a smile. Marlena could only nod, her eyes wide.

She followed him to the desk where the night clerk was on duty.
"Yes sir, can I help you?" The snide look on his face told them that he was less than impressed with their attire and no doubt by the time they had chosen to appear.
"Yes you can," Q wasn't about to let this spotty-faced pipsqueak ruin his night. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a platinum American Express card. He laid it on the counter with a condescending smile. "We need to pick up the key to our suite. We checked in earlier, but you'll probably need the card to confirm."

The clerk nodded, disbelief plain in his eyes as he picked up the card from the polished wooden counter.
"I'll be right back," he managed a haughty smile before he disappeared through a door, no doubt to check the validity of the credit card.
Marlena looked at Q in amazement. She had never encountered this sort of treatment at a hotel before. He grinned back at her.
"Well, we're not exactly dressed to the nines. I guess they're not used to quite *this* degree of casualness." He indicated Marlena's clothing and she looked down. The knees of her white sweat pants were stained with grass and dirt, an adornment that seemed to travel all the way up her rumpled clothing. She chuckled ruefully, a blush seeping into her cheeks as she pulled her fingers through her tangled hair.
"Oh I guess not."
"You still look gorgeous to me," he kissed her forehead.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you." Marlena stroked his cheek with her thumb and then kissed him.

Gene's face broke out into a wide smile.
"How about we blow that morons mind?" he asked her, indicating the door which the clerk had passed through.
"What? How?" Marlena had no idea what he had in mind.
"Just close your eyes for a moment," he entreated her with some excitement. Marlena looked at him, her eyebrows raised, and then did as he asked. She heard a small click and suddenly she felt the cool draft of the air-conditioning drift across her shoulders. She opened her eyes and looked at Eugene. He wore a tuxedo with a blue bow-tie. The sight of it evoked a smile as it called to long forgotten memories.

He took a deep breath, stunned at how beautiful she looked.
"Turn around," he told her in a low voice.
In the mirror before her she saw that her hair was now piled up on her head in an elegant french twist, tendrils framing the sides of her face. Discrete diamonds swung from her ears and nestled at the base of her throat. Her dress was a strapless creation cut from an exquisite mauve-blue satin. Rhinestones littered the straps of her matching shoes.

Gene walked up behind her and pulled the satin wrap closer around her shoulders. She shook her head, amazed and thrilled at the same time.
"I feel like Cinderella." He dropped a kiss on a shoulder that was lightly dusted with freckles.
"You look more beautiful than Cinderella ever did."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," her voice was husky as she turned around in his arms.

However, any further conversation was forestalled by the re-appearance of the clerk . He was looking at the card as he came into the room.
"Mr. Bra-" He was stopped short by the couple with their arms around each other. He closed his eyes and then opened them again. His mouth hung open as he stared at them. Only moments before, they had looked like they had come through an army obstacle course. But now?.. How had they had time to change? For her to look like *that*?
"Yes?" Eugene prompted the man as Marlena stifled a giggle. The clerk blinked a couple of times and then attempted to pull himself together.
"Um?." He looked at the card again and then handed it to Eugene. "Everything seems to be in order Mr. Bradford." He slipped a piece of paper onto the counter and Q quickly signed for it. Then he handed them a key. "Your suite is on the top floor. Enjoy your stay with us."

Eugene wasn't looking at him, but at Marlena when he smiled and said that they sure would. The clerk watched them walk to the elevator and shook his head. He was going to have to go back to his therapist because that was way too weird.

John walked wearily into his hotel and noted that the lobby was empty. He rubbed at his gritty eyes and pushed the button to call the elevator. It arrived almost immediately and he rode it up to the sixth floor alone. He slid the key card into the door and opened it to the darkened room. Closing it and locking it behind him, he threw his jacket on the chair and opened the mini-bar. He looked at the bottle of scotch and for a moment it was tempting, but then it was not tempting enough. More scotch would only give him a headache in the morning, and it probably wouldn't help at all. Instead he pulled out a packet of salted peanuts and went to the window.

Everything was still, the moon was still shining and the city looked deceptively innocent. Cabs slid past noiselessly denying any hint of vice. John sighed and walked back into the room. Dipping into his jacket, he pulled out his wallet and slipped out a worn picture of Belle and Brady. He lay back on the bed and held the picture in front of him. His mind traced the well memorized lines of his children's faces, the way their eyes sparkled, the joyous sound of their laughter. The love in their hugs.

He loved his children so much. Even the newest one. He loved the child already and wished again that he could tell Marlena the truth. But then, he wondered how much difference would it make?

Sami's eyes flew open with the loud thump. She held her breath and tried to hear over the howling wind. It was several moments before she heard another loud crash from outside her apartment. Her heart pounding wildly in her chest, she swung her legs out of the bed and onto the cold wooden floor. Pulling a robe on over her T-shirt and boxers, she crept to the door of her bedroom. There was a scraping noise from down the hallway. Tears of fear formed in her eyes as she moved noiselessly towards the front door. Her heart skipped a beat and the icy feeling of pure terror flooded her as her eyes focused on the slowly twisting door knob.

******

Q ushered Marlena into the lift before him and told the attendant that they were destined for the thirty-fourth floor. They stood side by side with their backs to the elevator wall and watched the numbers climb as they ascended the building. Marlena's hand strayed sideways, her fingers searching out and weaving between Gene's. The ride seemed interminable.

Finally the elevator doors slid silently open and they stepped off onto the glamorously appointed top floor of the hotel. Neither of them were particularly interested in appreciating it. By the time they made it to the door of the suite, Marlena was in no mood to wait. She'd been interrupted so many times this evening, there was only one thing she wanted and she wanted it right now.

Before Q could get the key in the door, she was behind him on her tiptoes. Her arms curved around his shoulders and he felt her breath behind his ear.
"Hurry up and open that door would you?" she murmured, her voice loaded with anticipation. Q could feel her pressed up behind him and he almost lost his composure. He couldn't remember ever wanting her more.

With a shaking hand, he inserted the key in the lock and opened the door. They entered the suite and Marlena slammed the door behind them and leaned back against it, her heavy lidded eyes sending out an explicit invitation that Eugene couldn't resist. She shed her wrap as he came to her, framing her face in his hands before he claimed her lips in an explosive kiss. Marlena felt his tongue begin its sweet exploration of her mouth and she buried her fingers in his hair as she surrendered to the sensations that coursed through her.

Q finally broke off the kiss and she tipped her head back, panting and arching her back as she felt his teeth grazing her jaw, taking not so gentle bites between the kisses. A gasp escaped her as she felt his mouth envelop her earlobe, sucking on it gently. Then a shudder echoed through her as he gently blew the tendril of hair aside and another moan slipped out as he moved upwards, his tongue sliding sensuously in and out of her ear.

As he moved back down, plundering her neck, she trailed her fingers down the side of his face and further until they encountered the lapels of his jacket. She tugged at it until he stood back up and shrugged it off. Quickly she went to work on his bow-tie, skillfully unhooking it and dropping it so that it disappeared into the soft blue folds of her wrap.

He caught her lips again and moved backwards into the suite, pulling her with him as the kiss became deeper and more passionate, building to a frenzy as they reached the wall on the opposite side of the room. Marlena was hardly aware of the movement through the room, or the fact that her back was now against the wall, rather than the door. Not that it mattered to her particularly *where* she was. All that mattered was what was happening to her, exquisite as it was.

Q broke off the kiss with thoughts of searching for the bed but she looked up at him with a flushed face and glazed eyes, her hair loosening almost of it's own accord. He couldn't resist her and forgetting all about the bed, he slid his hand around the soft, warm nape of her neck and pulled her close for another kiss. His other hand skimmed her curves and came to rest on her satin-clad behind as he felt her hands fumble with the top button of his shirt.
"Damn!" She pulled away from him in frustration. "Do they make these microscopic on purpose?"
"More haste," he teased her as he slid the top button out of its hole.
"More speed," she quipped as she took the top of the shirt in her hands and pulled the two sides apart, sending buttons showering to the plush cream carpet. With a grin, she wrenched it off his shoulders and pulled on it as he struggled out of the cuffs.

She dropped it on the floor behind him and quickly pulled him against her again, this time exploring his neck with her tongue and teeth. Q's breathing sharpened as she nipped at the sensitive skin of his chest, stroking the tips of her fingers down over his tender nipples. He pressed his lips together to keep from making a noise and, taking her hands in his, he pushed her back against the door. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against his and then pulled away. He repeated the movement, teasing her with the hint of a kiss and then withdrawing. Frustrated, Marlena managed to loosen one of her hands from his and swing her arm around his neck. Her satin clad body rubbed against him as she slid her tongue into his mouth, kissing him fiercely. Gene let go of her other hand, allowing her to fling her other arm around his neck. His hands moved lightly over her shoulders and then down over the top of her dress. His fingers traced the line either side of her zipper, down the small of her back and over the soft curve of her buttocks.

She could feel him through the fabric of her dress, his arousal apparently equaling hers as she pressed against him. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her legs around him, but the satin skirt constricted her somewhat.
"Oh God," she murmured in his ear, "I want you so much."

She felt his breath quicken again and a small moan escaped him.
"Do you want me baby?" she teased him. His answer was to push her back against the door and kiss her again, wanting to taste all of her that he could. He quickly kissed down her throat, lingering for a moment to kiss the hollow, where her pulse throbbed under the fragrance that had settled seductively into her skin. He continued to taste her downwards, over the swell of her breasts which disappeared beneath the cladding of satin. He dipped his tongue into her cleavage, tickling her with his warm breath.

She forced down a swallow as she felt his hands move back up her gown until the found the hidden zipper. His eyes met hers as he slowly lowered it. When it was all the way down, he slid the satin garment down over her hips and let it slither to the ground in a puddle of blue satin. Marlena stepped out of it and kicked it to one side. She looked down to discover that Q had not only dreamt up her surface clothing, but also her underclothes as well. She was wearing cream lace, from the bustier down to her lacy thigh high stockings.
"Oh boy," Eugene breathed. Marlena looked back up at him, her face flushed, a shy smile dawning on her face.
"How do I look?"
"You look so sexy," was all he could say.
"Show me," she whispered sensuously.

He didn't need any more encouragement as he pushed her back against the door, the satin and lace of her bustier rubbing against his chest as he buried his fingers in her hair, his lips ravaging her already bruised ones. Marlena awkwardly managed to kick off her shoes as she returned his kiss with equal desperation. Lifting one nylon clad leg, she wrapped it around Gene's thigh and felt him quiver in response. His hand drifted down from her hair, into the curve of the small of her back and over her satin panties. His fingers teased the bare flesh of the underside of her thigh, making her shiver. He urged her leg slightly higher and slowly began to move against her as he felt her moan against his mouth.

Marlena was enjoying herself immensely, but she was still frustrated, this time by the fact that Eugene still wore his trousers. He had her almost beside herself she was so aroused, it was about time to give him a taste of his own medicine. She drew her toe down the back of his calf until she reached the floor and then pushed him away a little. He had a question on his lips but she touched her index finger to them to quiet it. Reaching up behind her, she pulled the remaining rhinestone clips and pins out of her hair, letting it tumble over her shoulders.

Q felt her hands on his shoulders and then her lips on his. She repeated his ritual from earlier as she kissed his throat, continuing down over his chest. However, she kept going, kneeling when she reached the waistband of his trousers. She undid the top button with nimble fingers and then his eyes widened as she took the zipper between her teeth.
"Ohhh," Q had to brace himself against the wall as she inched the zipper downwards, infuriatingly slowly. When she reached the bottom, she drew the pants over the satin boxers that he wore, and down over his hips, from where they fell to the floor.

"Baby," his voice made her look up. "Come here," he beckoned. She took his hand and he helped her up. He kicked away the pants with a flourish that made them both break into giggles. It was over quickly though as Marlena reached out and ran two fingers across Gene's forehead.
"I love you," she mouthed. He felt his heart thump loudly in his chest.
"I love *you*," he repeated back to her, his voice full of emotion. Her hazel eyes gleamed as she took his hands in hers and placed them on the lace that covered her breasts. Then her arms circled his neck and her lush and bruised lips stopped inches from his.
"Then make love to me," she implored before she swooped her lips over his again.

Without a word, Gene's fingers searched out the hooks that fastened the back of the lacy garment together. Skillfully, he began to unhook the top hooks, but it became very quickly difficult to concentrate as he felt Marlena's mouth sucking at the sensitive skin of his throat. His fingers fumbled as they moved downward and he felt her teeth first on his neck and then biting gently at his shoulder. He threw his head back, his breathing ragged as he undid the last hooks of her bustier. He discarded it on top of the growing pile of clothing.

She ceased her assault on him as his fingers swept around to her stomach, and then up and over her breasts. A cry escaped through compressed lips as he teased her swollen nipples with his fingers. Her hands sought the wall to steady her as his mouth replaced his fingers, his tongue arcing around her nipple. He drew back slightly and blew on her sensitive flesh, puckering it. Marlena's moans became louder as he continued to lick and bite her, heightening her arousal even more.

Finally, when she thought she might no longer be able to stand it, he started downward again. His hot, wet kisses burnt a path of desire over the soft swell of her stomach and over the lace of her panties. She moaned loudly as he kissed the inside of her thigh before he nipped her lightly with his teeth. He continued down until he encountered the lace of her thigh high. He thought about paying her back with the teeth trick, but decided that it was too fiddly and would take way too long. Instead, he lifted her foot onto his knee and hooked his index fingers either side of the stocking. Gently, he pulled it down over the smooth skin of her thigh and down the length of her leg. He repeated the motion with the other stocking and threw both of them over his shoulder. He grinned up at Marlena and then teased his way up the inside of her other thigh. By the time he was standing again, her eyes were closed and her lips were parted.

Eugene reached out to caress the softness of her golden locks and twisted it around his fingers as he moved against her. Marlena opened her eyes, revealing the lust and invitation that was echoed by the rest of her body. The kiss that followed was the most heated yet.

Gene's hands strayed downward yet again, embracing the curve of her buttock and encouraging Marlena's leg upwards. She didn't really need a lot of encouragement, and he felt her foot brush the back of his thigh as she wrapped her leg around his hip.

"Oh," it was from surprise as she felt his fingers move between her legs, feeling the dampness constricted only by the panties. She almost stopped thinking as he began to move against her again. She could feel him through his boxers, and she wanted him to make love to her so badly it hurt. She couldn't say anything though as he was kissing her again, so instead she slid her hand downwards and began to stroke him through the silky fabric. She was gratified by a loud groan from Eugene.

Finally they had to stop, when their bursting lungs reminded them that they had to breathe. Not wasting any time, Marlena's other hand skated rapidly over Gene's shoulders and they met at his behind. However, instead of squeezing it, she insinuated her hands beneath the elasticized waist band of his dark green boxers and pulled them down. Q finished the job by wriggling out of his boxers and then divested Marlena of her panties in a very similar manner.

"I want you so much," Q whispered breathlessly in her ear.
"Then take me," Marlena bent her head and kissed his chest, "make love to me now. I need you now." Q gently kissed her warm forehead before brushing away her damp bangs. Then he brushed her nose with a sweet kiss and pressed his lips to hers. Her hands were on his shoulders as she returned the kiss, feeling his tongue collide with hers at a frantic pace. His hands were tantalizing her again, moving over her body, driving her crazy, even as he moved against her in a slow, but steady rhythm.

Marlena's leg again wrapped around him and her arms moved further around his neck, so that her bosom was pressed up against his chest. He could feel her shallow breathing as he cupped his hands under her rear and lifted her slightly, supporting her against the wall. She lifted her other leg and wrapped it around his hip, crossing her feet behind him.
"I need to feel you inside me now," she demanded.
"That soon?" he teased her.
"Yes," she wasn't in any mood for playful banter.

She moaned his name as he entered her, throwing her head backward against the wall, she concentrated on the way it felt as he slid all the way into her. He kissed her throat and then began to slip back out of her again. She opened her eyes.
"Oh no you don't." She tightened her grip on his hips and pressed herself against him, pulling herself slightly away from the wall. Leaning her head down, she ran the tip of her tongue along his lower lip and then insinuated it between his lips.

He impelled her back against the wall and began to move, slipping in and out of her slowly at first. Marlena began to moan against his mouth as she moved with him. Then she hovered above his ear.
"Oh, that feels so good," she murmured so that he could feel her hot breath moistening his ear. He didn't need any more encouragement as he almost unconsciously began to pick up the pace.

After all the frustrations of the evening, neither of them had any sort of willpower and the rhythm of their lovemaking became faster and faster. Neither of them were conscious of anything but themselves and the other. Q felt Marlena's teeth digging into his shoulder as she tried to keep from crying out. Those grooves were replaced by nail prints as she rested her forehead against Gene's.

"Let me hear you," he begged. He loved to hear the pleasure he was bringing to her.
"Oh Gene," she whimpered, "oh?.mmmm?oh." He felt her begin to tense against him and her cries became louder.
"C'mon sweetheart," he urged in her ear, knowing that it often was enough to send her over the edge, "I want to know how you're feeling. I want to hear you when you come." He was right this time as Marlena felt the first waves of her climax overtake her, the glorious warmth pervading her body and her senses.
"Oh god," he felt all her muscles tensing as he continued to move with her, their bodies totally in tune. "Ooh Gene, oh, oh?.." She went rigid against him, her legs tightening around him and she threw her head back, her eyes closed and her breath coming in short, laboured pants. She looked glorious and he watched her for a moment, enjoying her pleasure. But it wasn't long before the combination of her muscles tightening around him and her screams brought him to his own orgasm. He cried out her name over and over, his voice coiling around her whimpers melodiously as his thrusts became even more forceful, bringing her immediately to a second orgasm. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as her hips rocked with his, the waves of long suppressed desire and lust enveloping both of them and melding them momentarily into one.

They both became aware of their own breathing as it settled several moments later. Marlena opened her eyes to find Gene smiling at her, his face reddened and damp.
"Wow," she panted as she brushed her own damp bangs from her forehead with the back of her hand and then leaned her head back against the wall. He bowed his head and laid a trembling kiss on the side of her neck before murmuring something against her cooling skin. "Hmmm??" She hadn't caught what he'd said.

Q looked at her, a sudden measure of embarrassment in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter," he answered, not meeting her eyes, but drawing a finger down the beaded moisture that laced her temple.
"Gene," she wasn't about to be put off that easily. She caressed her palm down over the plane of his cheek and the more angular curve of his jaw until she was holding his chin and looking into the eyes that were almost a darker reflection of her own. "Please tell me."

He took a deep breath, trying to fight back the surge of emotion that threatened to strangle his response in his throat. When she looked at him like that, the love he felt for her was completely overwhelming and it sometimes caught him by surprise. She was like a drug to him and he couldn't get enough. He had almost completely abandoned all thoughts of the future, all that was important to him was to have her in his arms and to see that beautiful smile transform her face. All he wanted was to make her happy. In doing so, it turned out she was giving him something he thought he had lost forever.

"Gene?" she was starting to look concerned so he smiled and lifted his finger to her lips.
"Let's get a little more comfortable," he suggested as he backed away from the wall and carried Marlena into the bedroom. He laid her gently on the cool cotton sheets and pulled the cream chintz comforter over as he slipped into the bed beside her.

She didn't say anything, but propped herself up on her elbow and stared at him. A smile ghosted his lips.
"You don't give up do you?" It was her turn to grin.
"You always told me I was too stubborn for my own good."
"Nice to know that some things don't change." He began to play with her fingers, tracing each one down to a perfectly manicured nail.

Marlena watched him with a hint of curiosity.
"No some things don't do they?" She remembered that he had always found it easier to avoid the subject of his feelings. He was so sweet and sensitive that wearing his heart on his sleeve had always led to pain for him. So he had developed the slightly goofy demeanor that had served as quite an adequate shield, protecting him to some degree from pain and heartache. And yet it seemed that he had spent all this time since, perfecting the art of avoidance. And if what he had told her over the last few months was true, he had later used arrogance and even cruelty as his weapon of choice until he no longer let anyone behind the façade that he had skillfully created. Until they had sent him back to her.

She watched him stroke his fingers up her arm, raising little bumps of gooseflesh as he went. She couldn't imagine him being anyone but Gene. She couldn't imagine him wreaking havoc just for the sake of it, she couldn't imagine him being cruel just to provoke a reaction, but then she realized, she didn't know what he'd been through since he'd been here last. It was just another thing he refused to talk about. She saw hints of it from time to time, but never when they were alone, or with the children. Then he was just her Eugene, her friend and confidant, and now her lover. She hadn't been lying when she had told him that she loved him, and she hoped that now he could trust her enough to tell her what he obviously had wanted to.

"Gene," she whispered, "I know you find it hard to open up, but honey, you know how I feel about you. You know I'm not going to hurt you." She caught his eyes with hers. "Do you trust me?"
He nodded his head, but for a moment she saw a flicker in his eyes that she wasn't sure how to read.
"It wasn't a big deal, really Marlena."

It wasn't that he had said anything really embarrassing, but now she was making a big deal of it he, for some reason, felt shy. He found it very difficult to tell her how he felt and he didn't like to discuss his life in the continuum with her, because, with her he was a completely different person and he found now that he didn't particularly like the old Q.

He smiled as he looked back up at her. She had that stubborn look on her face that he knew meant that she wouldn't let this go. He knew her to well to be in any doubt of that.
"All I said was thank-you," he looked down again.
"Thank-you?" She sounded a little confused. "What for?" He took her hand in his and kissed her palm before he looked at her with darkly serious eyes.
"For being you. For caring about me. For that beautiful smile that brings out the sun and the stars all at once." He felt his heart thumping as her eyes began to brim. "I want to thank you for making me remember what it's like to be alive again." He lifted their entwined hands and stared at them for a long moment. "You can't understand what it's like to be immortal. To live for so many years that you no longer have a reason to live. To exist merely for the sake of existing. It's cold and it's very lonely. You lose your soul when the joy dies."
"Oh Gene," tears spilled through Marlena's lashes. She had never stopped to think what it must mean, and he had never ventured to tell her before. "I?"

He looked up at her with a smile that hid the centuries of isolation
"It's okay. Really it is. Because you've given it back to me. The love and the joy." Marlena felt her heart aching for him and for herself as the tenderness shone from his eyes. "I never dared to believe I could feel like this ever again. So I just wanted to thank you."

Marlena shook her head as she loosened her hand and brushed the wetness from her cheeks.
"I didn't have any idea?.." she reached out an unsteady hand to him, her fingertips brushing his cheek, "I'm sorry Gene."
"Please don't Marlena." He caught her hand and kissed it again. "What's past makes no difference."
"But it does," Marlena slid closer to him. "Our friendship and our relationship has all been about me. You've been helping me and I haven't stopped to ask you the first thing about your life. I have hardly stopped to wonder." Her tears began to fall again. "Can you forgive me for being so selfish?"
"Selfish?" Q looked at her incredulously. "Sweetheart, you're about the most *unselfish* person I've ever known." He brushed her tears away with his fingers. "If you remember, I haven't exactly been willing to volunteer information. I don't really see the need to revisit it. What's happening now is far more important to me and I'd prefer to keep it that way." He leaned over to her and tenderly kissed her on the nose. "Okay?" She looked at him for a moment. His eyes told her it was what he really wanted. He wanted his past to remain a closed book and that was the way she would leave it. For now.

Slowly she nodded her head and he smiled with a hint of relief.
"Good," he traced her lower lip with his index finger. "Because I can think of things I would much rather be doing right now."

The doorknob came to its full zenith and the door rattled in its frame. Sami watched, frozen to the spot as the intruder tried again. Shaking herself out of the trance, she looked around, hoping to see something that she could use as a weapon. The door rattled again, more violently this time and she automatically whipped around to check it. In doing so, she lost her balance and fell heavily against the hall chair which went crashing to the ground. Sami cursed loudly as she followed the piece of furniture. It was a moment before she heard the silence from outside the doorway. It was followed by the thump of footfalls as the intruder seemingly ran back down the corridor.

Sami rubbed her shin and brushed the tears angrily from her face. This was getting to be way too much. She pulled herself up off the floor and limped into the living room. She picked up the phone and dialed the number automatically. Austin's sleepy voice answered.
"Austin," her voice was trembling and she was on the verge of a fresh bout of tears. "Austin, someone just tried to break into my apartment."
"Sami?" Austin discerned through a haze of early morning sleep.
"Austin, I'm really scared he might come back." She felt almost hysterical, but she was just managing to hold it together.
"For god's sake Sami, get over it." Sami was shocked to hear the angry tone of Austin's voice. "Stop playing your pathetic little games and let me get some sleep. Goodbye."

Sami looked at the phone in shock as there was a click followed by a loud dial-tone. She stared at it for just a moment longer and then slammed the receiver back in its cradle.
"How *dare* you!" she yelled at the phone. She couldn't believe he would treat her like that. It didn't even occur to her that maybe she had cried wolf one too many times and she was now paying the price.

She bit on her lip and plumped down on the sofa, one leg crossed under her. She looked around the apartment with haunted eyes wondering what to do next. She thought about calling the police but nixed it after realizing that there was probably nothing they could do anyway.

Her next thought was to call the pub and ask her grandparents if she could stay with them for the night. She even started to pick up the phone but the next moment she pulled her hand away. She wouldn't let him drive her out of her home. She was stronger than that and she could deal with this on her own.

John dialed the number and waited while the phone rang. It was late, he knew but he just had to make sure the kids were okay. Shawn Brady answered with a bleary "hello".
"Shawn?" John fingered the picture of Belle and Brady. "Hi, it's John."
"John?" Shawn's voice suddenly took on an alertness that it hadn't had before. "Where are you boy?"
"In New York but I'm planning to come home tomorrow."
"Well it's a relief to hear from you," Shawn admitted. "We were starting to wonder what had happened to you."

"Sorry," John suddenly realized that, thanks to his own pity party, he had skipped town with almost no word, leaving his children and their grandparent's with no idea where he was or when he was due back. "Something came up and I had to leave unexpectedly. I should have called and let you know where I was." He paused, still holding the picture of his children. "Are Belle and Brady okay?"
"Yes, the kiddies are just fine, but they're missing their Daddy," His tone was a little uncertain. Caroline had, of course told him about the scene in the penthouse at the weekend that had occurred after he had taken the children downstairs. But that left him in an awkward situation now. He wasn't sure how much he should tell John, or if he should even mention it all.

John negated the need for a decision as he spoke, his voice a touch acerbic.
"Yeah well, I'm sure they're missing their Mom too. That's why I'm cutting my trip short. I'm going to have my car driven back to Salem and I'll fly in tomorrow on the earliest flight I can get." He consulted his watch. "Tell the kids I love them very much and that I'll see them tomorrow morning." A sudden smile crossed his lips. "And would you tell them I'll have a little surprise for them," he added.

"Okay," Shawn could sense the undercurrents that flowed through John's words, but was unable to decipher the meaning behind them. Smothering the questions that burned in his throat he accepted John's words at face value and told him that he would let the children know as soon as they awoke.

John thanked him again and they said quiet good-byes before the line was broken. John yawned and rubbed at the itchy stubble on his chin again. With another quick glance at his watch, he picked up the phone again and dialed the operator, looking for flight information.

Marlena awoke with a jolt to find her pulse racing. Already, she couldn't remember the dream that had unsettled her so much. She looked at Eugene and found to her relief that his eyes were closed and she hoped he was sleeping. After their conversation, they had made love again, this time with a slow and loving tenderness that had taken them well into the night. But still, haunted by the look in Gene's eyes earlier, Marlena was finding sleep elusive.

Carefully, she sat up in the bed and hugged her knees as she watched the rise and fall of his chest. She reached out and laid her fingers lightly over his. They had been through so much separately and together, she just wished he'd share more of his past with her. She felt a twinge of guilt as she thought about his earlier revelations but then brushed it aside. He hadn't told her in order to foster any sense of guilt and she knew that there really was no reason for her to feel responsible. Maybe it was just so ingrained by now that it was an automatic response.

She sighed gently and then froze as Gene murmured in his sleep before kicking off what was left of the sheet. He settled again and Marlena smiled as his face relaxed in slumber. Lifting her hand off his, she drew the rumpled sheet around her and with care, slipped off the bed. The sheet trailed behind her as she tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the living room of the suite. It was a stunning room, but Marlena barely noticed it as she made her way to the french doors that opened out onto a small balcony. All she wanted right now was some fresh air.

Holding the sheet around her with one hand, she unlocked the door and opened it. It swung open with a soft creaking and Marlena stepped into the frigid early morning air. With a shiver, she retreated to the safety of the doorway where the air-conditioning was warm on her shoulders but from where she could still gaze over the drowsy city. The lights winked in front of her as she leaned back against the doorframe.

She was lost in her thoughts when the touch on her shoulder made her jump. She turned around to find a robed Gene watching her with concerned eyes.
"Trouble sleeping?" he asked. She smiled ruefully and nodded her head. He said nothing in return, not wanting to press her any further. Instead, he just stroked his thumb over the light freckles that dusted her shoulders.

It was only a moment before her hand found his and drew it over her shoulder. He slipped his other arm around her and she leaned back into his embrace with a noiseless sigh, her arms tucked under his. He brushed her neck with a kiss and then pressed his cheek against hers as they gazed out over a city which was awakening to the promise of a new day.

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