"No," Marlena can only shake her head with the whispered plea. "No, it's not true." She turns to John, hazel eyes tortured in a blank face. "Tell him it's not true John."
"You fucking *bastard*!" John can't help himself this time and fingers like iron fasten around Stefano's neck. "So help me, this world will be a better place when I kill you." He slams Stefano backwards against one of the poles, the force of the violent movement causing the structure to shudder.
"John!" Marlena catches hold of John's arm, her terror overcoming the fear and grief that are welling in her gut. "John *stop*!"
"I won't let you destroy my family again old man. I won't let you hurt them."
"John," Stefano forces his voice out in a croak as he struggles to fend his attacker off. "Kill me and you will be taken away from your family...."
"Listen to him John," Marlena begs desperately as she notices the crowd gathering. "Stop this *now*."
"He's better out of our lives, Marlena." She barely recognizes his voice as he speaks, glottal and bloodthirsty. "He," he yanks Stefano from where he has him against the pole and slammed him against the window of Ballistix, sending a screaming noise of stress through the glass before a long crack edges its way across the clear material. "He has tried to destroy our lives one too many times."
"JOHN!" Marlena pulls on his arm without success. He is too strong for her and too intent on his prey. "John *listen* to me. You can't kill Stefano. You'll be arrested and you'll be taken away from us all. John, *please*," she begs as the tears begin to fall, "please *please* don't do this. For me. For your children. We need you...."
Desperately, she ducks her head under his arm and wedges herself between John and Stefano so that he cannot avoid her eyes. "John *stop* it now. *STOP IT*." She pushes on him as hard as she can, her eyes intent in their gaze as she begs him silently to stop this madness. And then suddenly he closes his eyes and drops his arms, shaking his head with pain evident behind the movements. Behind her, Stefano staggers away, gasping for breath between harsh hacking coughs.
"John!" she catches his arm, "John, look at me." He backs away, stumbling against the fractured window of the shop, his left hand clutching his head. "Look at me John," she demands in a strong voice, her fingers digging into his wrist.
Slowly, he lifts his head and looks at her, his blue eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry Doc," he whispers.
"It's true?" she drops his wrist like it has suddenly become red-hot. "You slept with Hope? On our honeymoon?"
"It isn't like that Doc," he shakes his head desperately. "I didn't know... I thought she was Gina... they did something to me..."
"You knew it might be your baby and all this time you lied to me?" she takes a step backwards, seeing her husband with new eyes. The eyes of a stranger. "You knew and you *lied*?"
"I thought.... I didn't want to hurt you Marlena," he reaches out for her beseechingly but she pulls away from his touch.
"You *lied* to me," she repeats, stunned as though all the breath has been sucked out of her body. "You said you didn't remember anything of what happened when you went missing in Hawaii," she swallows painfully over a tongue that is parched. "Were you lying then too?"
"Doc, *no*," he winces at her words, knowing instantaneously that he has shattered her trust completely. "She did something to me, she made me forget everything. I didn't know what I was doing...."
"When did you remember?" she ignores his words. She knows he wouldn't have slept with Gina of his own volition. It hurts, but she can forgive that. The real killer is that he has remembered and not trusted her enough to share the information with her. Has not trusted her love for him and the bond they share to get them through this. That is what hurts her more than anything.
"Does it matter?" he is in agony, every one of his nerves on the edge of a knife blade as he faces her. The pain and misery that cloud her beautiful face, and the knowledge that he has done that to her, is almost more than he can stand.
"*When*?" she repeats coldly.
"New Years," he breathes defeatedly. "New Years Eve. At the wedding."
Marlena says nothing as she stares at him. The only betrayal of her inner pain is the tear that trembles precipitously on one lash and the almost imperceptible tremble of her lower lip. All she can think about is how she walked in on Hope and John yesterday. How close they had seemed, how as *always*, Hope brought up the fact that she and John both know how it feels to lose a portion of your life. As though Marlena doesn't know. As though she hadn't been *taken* from her family for four long years. Four years of her life that she has lost, that she will never have back. And now Hope has taken more from John and from her and she will have to watch him be father to Hope's child.
The thought makes her feel sick and she spins away from John, the tears finally tumbling over bleached skin. All the time she has lost to Kristen and her lies. All the time that Belle has not had her father close. And now, yet another woman is claiming John's time, and part of his heart. And he can't even find the courage to be honest with her. What kind of a marriage is this anyway?
A sob tears from her throat as John's fingers close over her shoulder. "Marlena, please talk to me," he begs in a broken voice, "please tell me we can work this out."
Wrenching herself free of his grasp, she whirls around. "*Don't* touch me!" she hisses. "Don't even think about talking to me."
"Oh please baby," he takes a step forward but she shrinks back. "Please you have to understand that I was doing what I thought..."
"I don't understand *anything*!" she screams at him through burning tears. "I don't understand how you could sleep with her and forget I even existed. I don't understand how you thought I wouldn't find out when she's carrying your *baby*, John." Her voice cracks as she glares at him, a man who she loves with all her being but whom she doesn't even *know* any more. "Do you think I'm some kind of imbecile or something? Do you think I'm some kind of doormat who'll put up with everything you wipe off your shoes onto me?"
"Marlena," John can't find the words to calm her as he sees his marriage crumbling in front of his eyes.
"I am so *sick* of all this." Her voice falls as her chin quivers. "I am so *tired* of feeling hurt and betrayed."
"Doc," John reaches out to her again, hoping that she has exhausted herself enough that she will let him explain.
"Leave me alone," the words are choked as she pulls away from him. Turning, she sees Stefano, now recovered, looking at her with ill-concealed amusement. "Just leave me alone!"
The plea hangs in the air as she dashes out of the mall.
"Doc, NO!" John can't let her walk away now, he can't leave this as it is and he starts after her. But the tears blind her vision and she can hardly see where she is going as she tries to outdistance him
It is unlikely to happen though in high heels and she kicks them off as she runs, ripping large holes in her nylons.
"Doc, *stop*!" John is close to her as she sprints across the road and he is coherent enough to see the glint of the chrome bumper of a car as it flies toward Marlena.
*God, NO!*
With a surge of adrenaline that streams through his veins, he launches himself at her, pushing her out of the path of the oncoming vehicle, sending her sprawling to the curb. He winces as he raises his head to see hers hit the pavement with a frightening crunch and he scrambles up beside her.
"Doc?" he brushes the hair from the side of her face and gently rolls her over. The area above her right eyebrow right down to her temple is covered in blood and he begins to shake as he strokes her cheek. "Doc baby? Marlena? C'mon sweetheart, don't do this to me. Doc, wake up please!" Tears fall on her jacket, darkening the midnight blue to indigo as he rubs her hand. "Oh God, don't take her away from me now. Not now. Marlena. Marlena, please baby." The terror in his voice does nothing to rouse her and he looks around desperately.
"Call an ambulance," he bawls to the crowd that is gathering nearby in horrified fascination. "For God's sake, somebody call an ambulance!"