He knows he looks as guilty as sin. Because he is.

"Well?" Hope demands again.

He draws his hands back from Marlena and then realizes that simply seals his guilt in Hope's eyes.

Grace looks at Bo and registers the shock in his face. Still, she is a little too shaken by the events of a few minutes previous to completely grasp how perfect this situation really is. It couldn't be any more perfect if she'd engineered it so.

But for now, she simply feels the urge to flee the confined space and find some kind of focus that does not centre on John Black. In fact she needs to figure out why she is constantly thinking about him and work out a way to deal with it.

"I have to go," she murmurs as she pulls on her blouse.

"You're not going *anywhere* until you explain what the hell is going on here," Hope tells her angrily.

Grace's head snaps up as she knots the shirt in the front and she narrows her eyes. "Don't push me, Hope." Her voice is dark as she glares at the woman in front of her.

"Oh, what are you going to do?" Hope raised her dark brows. "Seduce my fiancé?" She snaps her fingers in sarcasm. "Oh silly me, looks like you already tried that one."

"I don't have time for this," Grace reaches for her jacket, but Hope pulls it out of her reach.

"Look, I don't know what is wrong with you Marlena-"

"Hope," Bo interrupts, moving between the two women, "give her a break. This isn't what it looks like."

"Well, it looks pretty open and closed from this angle, Brady." Hope glares at him and then she turns her attention back to Marlena. "What? You thought you'd get a little revenge? Eye for an eye?"

"Something like that." Grace shrugs.

The last thing she feels like is getting into this with Hope. But if the woman is going to push it, who is she to try and smooth the troubled waters?

"Hope-" Bo reaches out to Hope, but she slaps his hands away with tears in her eyes.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me. I thought you were my friend, Marlena."

"Well, imagine *my* surprise..." Grace says sarcastically. "*Please* spare me the crocodile tears, Hope." She pauses but Hope and Bo are both silent as they try to absorb the reality of what is happening here. Grace shrugs. "Okay, so here's the short version. Yes, I was seducing Bo, but Hope honey, you should know that he was ready, willing and..." she smirks as she closes her hand over Bo's butt and squeezes gently, "very able."

She pushes past a stunned Hope and grabs her jacket. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think you two have rather a lot to chat about." The corner of her mouth curls up as she puts her hand on rail above the steps that lead from the cabin. "I can show myself out."

~

The light is fading fast when she lets herself into the penthouse, and Grace goes straight to the liquor cabinet and pours herself a shot of vodka. She follows it with a second one and downs it, the alcohol searing its way down her throat as she struggles to clear her head.

This has never happened to her before. Ever since she regained her strength on Stefano's island, she has always been in complete control of her thoughts and actions. If she wants something, she takes it. She has certainly never suffered from attacks of conscience, and she's never let any man affect her as much as John Black seems to have.

"No." She says out loud as she takes a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she tries to centre herself. "It's just that he won't leave you alone and he's making you a little crazy. That's all."

She opens her eyes, feeling a little calmer. The lights of Salem shimmer in front of her, but she barely sees the beauty as she turns away thoughtfully. The picture of John and Marlena on their wedding day is beside her and she picks it up and studies John's smiling face. He is looking at Marlena with such puppy-dog devotion that Grace feels almost nauseous. But then she smiles.

Maybe there is a way to turn that devotion to her advantage and cripple John Black once and for all.

"Well..." she shrugs as she puts the picture back down on the table. "They do say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Her lips curve into a wicked smile. "All right, Marlena. Let's see what has you so hung up on this John Black shall we? Maybe it's time he learned he doesn't own you any more."

Her inner monologue is interrupted by the shrill of the phone and Grace answers it quickly.

"Grace."

She smiles at the sounds of the familiar baritone. "Stefano," she replies. "My darling, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"That would be the visit I had from John Black earlier," Stefano says without reservation. "Grace, he suspects that something is wrong with Marlena. He thinks that I have done something to make her behave so strangely."

"Well, I suppose you could look at it that way..." Grace smirks.

"Grace," his tone is serious. "I warned you, he is not stupid."

"What does it matter Stefano?" she shrugs as she begins to climb the stairs. "The Bradys are so wrapped up in their own problems that they no longer care. And no-one will listen to John any longer, you can count on that."

"So..." she can hear the smile creep into Stefano's voice. "You told them..."

"Oh yes," she grins as she enters her bedroom. "I wish you could have been there to see their faces. Hope was quite horrified. And dear Bo...." She chuckles as she unbuttons her shirt and slips it off. "Something tells me that Hope and Bo have a few problems now."

"Is there something you would like to tell *me*, Grace?" Stefano knows Grace's modus operandi and he is not at all sure he wants to hear her answer.

Grace unzips her pants and smiles. "It's all right darling, you can breath easy. Hope found us before I could inflict any *real* damage."

"Ah..." Stefano relaxes slightly and laughter spills from his lips. "Now I think might have liked to have been witness to *that* scene."

"Hmmm," Grace hums as she stares unseeing at the shuttered window. Somehow she doesn't think that Stefano would like to know about her little 'problem'. She thinks that might be an issue best left unshared for now. "Stefano, I have to go. The shower is calling me."

"All right Grace. But mind my warning about John Black. Be careful where he is concerned. He could cause us trouble."

"Don't worry Stefano," she walks into the bathroom and turns the shower on. "I have everything under control. John Black simply won't be a problem for much longer."

~

Hope looks at the door in front of her and takes a deep breath. Things hadn't gone well with Bo. After Marlena had left, their fighting had only escalated until she had left in furious tears. It seems he blames her for something she'd had no control over and he isn't sure he wants to try and fix things between them. And she can hardly believe that he would turn his back on her so quickly. And to find him with Marlena....?

Marlena. Now there's something that Hope thinks she might have a handle on. Marlena, who is acting so.... well, unlike Marlena. Everyone else seems to be in denial about what a *bitch* their precious Marlena is being. But Hope has had plenty of first-hand experience today. And she doesn't buy the story that Marlena is so cut up over John's betrayal and Roman's death, that it would lead her to behave so strangely.

Steeling herself, she knocks on the door. There is silence inside the penthouse and she waits a few moments before knocking again.

"Marlena?"

Nothing. "Marlena, I know you're in there. I want to talk to you." There is still no answer and she starts to get angry. "Marlena, dammit, open the door. You can't just ignore me. We need to talk."

She hears sounds of the door being unlocked and it swings open. Marlena is standing in the open doorway in a revealing chemise.

"We do?" Grace raises her eyebrows as she shrugs on her matching robe. Then she turns and walks back into the apartment. "I can't think of anything more I want to say to you, Hope."

"Well, fine, you can just listen to me then." Hope slams the door behind her. "Look Marlena, I know you're having a really tough time, but that doesn't give you the right-"

"Shut up Hope," Grace spins around. "I don’t really give the first fuck about what you think you know. As far as I'm concerned, if I never saw your face again, it'd be too soon."

"Marlena-" Hope blinks and takes a step backwards.

"Why don't you just *go*," Grace sighs and looks at her watch. "I really do need to get my beauty sleep."

"No," Hope shakes her head, her suspicions blossoming into full-blown fears. "No, I can't do that. I'm *worried* about you Marlena. It's almost like you're doing your damndest to deliberately cause trouble in this family, and I have to ask myself why you would want to do that."

"Now you're not only rude, you're delusional," Grace rolls her eyes. "You're right, why would I want to hurt my family?"

"Because you're not Marlena." Hope narrows her eyes. "Are you?"

"Oh, *please*," Grace laughs. "Really Hope, you are starting to sound a just a *little* farfetched."

"You forget Marlena, *I* know." Hope raises her eyebrows with a small smile. "I mean, I don't remember what it was like after Gina took over, but I know how easy it is. And I know that Stefano had you... had Marlena," she corrects herself, "just like he had me...."

"Oh come on Hope," Grace rolls her eyes. "You really think that everyone Stefano comes into contact with is going to come down with M.P.D? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?"

She really doesn't have the energy to deal with Hope's accusations; it's been an awfully long day. And besides that, the woman is coming uncomfortably close to the truth and coming right on top of her phone conversation with Stefano it's making Grace a just a little unnerved. If Hope was to go to John with her suspicions, the jig could well be up, a little sooner than she intends.

"It might sound ridiculous, but *I* think it's true." Hope has noticed that her words have served to ruffle Marlena's composure and it merely increases her conviction that she is right. "And something tells me that if I was to mention it to the rest of the family, they'd probably agree with me."

"I think you should leave now Hope," Grace says sharply. "Maybe a good night's sleep might make you feel better." She pushes past Hope and climbs the stairs.

However, Hope follows her, despite her bulging stomach.

"Marlena. Whatever you call yourself...." She catches Grace's arm, her palm sliding over the crimson satin of her robe. "I won't let you do this to my family."

"Oh, you think you can stop me do you?" Grace's turns, wrenching her arm free of Hope's grip, her golden eyes ice with resentment and fury. "You're *pathetic*. You don't even have any idea what you're up against."

"I know how strong my family is," Hope says firmly, undeterred by the anger in the other woman's eyes. "They won't give up on Marlena, just like they didn't give up on me."

"Well, it will be a pointless battle," Grace says, her eyes narrowing. It is far too late to pretend that she is anything other than she is. Hope, even though she doesn't consciously know it, has recognized the truth through the eyes of one who has suffered a similar fate. But that does not necessarily mean that she is a threat to Grace. Not if she takes the right precautions... "Marlena is gone. And besides, no-one is going to tell them anything...."

"Oh, you're wrong there," Hope shakes her head, her eyes glittering with anger, fuelled by this stranger's threats. She hates that she has betrayed Marlena with John, however it happened. But maybe this is a way she can make it up to her, by helping the family to bring her back to them.

Grace smiles maliciously as she looks down the steep staircase and then back up at Hope. "Oh, no I'm not."

Hope's eyes widen as Grace shoves her backwards and her arms flail as she desperately tries to clutch at Marlena, at the railing, at anything that will save her balance. But Grace simply steps back out of her reach and Hope loses her fight. Her scream is followed by a sickening thud as her body hits the staircase and Grace stands and watches dispassionately as she tumbles down the steps, her limbs and head tangling with the railing in a series of painful thumps before she reaches the bottom. Leaning over the railing, Grace sees her come to rest in a crumpled heap at the foot of the staircase and she allows herself a victorious smile as it becomes apparent that Hope isn't going to get up and walk away from this little altercation.

"Oh my God, Doc! What the hell happened?" Her head snaps up to see a horrified John standing in the open doorway and her own expression quickly transforms into one of stunned shock.

"John, oh God... thank God you're here. Hope just fell... she just fell down the stairs and I couldn't stop her. I couldn't help her...." she clutches the railing and sinks to her knees dramatically, the tears bubbling up in her throat as she watches John go to Hope and check her pulse.

"It's okay honey," he looks up at her, "she's not..." he gets up and reaches for the phone. "I've gotta call the ambulance baby, you just stay there. Everything is going to be okay. I promise you it will be okay..."

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