"John, maybe we should take the kids to the park today? It's a lovely day and we haven't spent so much time with them this year, obviously." Marlena said, but she had more than one reason for wanting to take the kids to the park. She needed to escape the real world for one last day before Kristen comes home, she needed to live in the fantasy world were only she, John, Belle and Brady excised. If just for a few hours.
"I think that's an excellent idea, Doc. I think we all could use a little break from reality." John said and called out for the kids, "BELLE, BRADY, COME DOWN HERE FOR A SECOND". It didn't take long before the Black kids came running down the stairs, "Mommy, Daddy" Belle said and flung her arms around her parents, she was only 2, almost 3 years old but she had missed her parents and were really happy they were both back home, with her and Brady. "Hi, baby girl" Marlena said and kissed her daughter's cheek.
"Mommy had a brilliant idea.. What about we all ask cook to make us a picnic basket and we go to the park, all four of us?" John asked his kids. Brady smiled and said, "I always knew mom was smart, way smarter than you dad." Then he hugged his mother, John took the whole thing as a joke but Marlena's shrink radar feared it was more behind Brady's words than just a joke on his father.
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The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud on the sky. It was the warmest last week of September Salem had ever seen. "You were right Doc. It really is a beautiful day" John said when they reached the park; "Of course, I'm always right" Marlena said with a smirk and went to find the perfect spot. "Yeah, you are." He said and followed her.
Marlena did find the perfect spot; it was in the middle of the park so they had a great overview. Marlena knew the kids loved running around, and she wanted to keep an eye on them. She knew none of them were safe as long as Stefano was still out there, wanting her. He had kidnapped her children once and she did not doubt that he could do it again. Then it was the baby she was carrying inside of her, his genes, his DNA. But she was 100 determined to have this baby and to raise him or her with all the love she could possibly give it.
"Hey, Doc…Where were you just now?" John asked, "Why?" she said instead of answering She did not want to spoil this day by talking about DiMera and the threat they were all under. "Brady tried to get you to join them in doing whatever it is they are doing, but he gave up. You seemed a thousand miles away."
"Maybe I was," she said and gave him one of those mischievous smiles of hers. John loved her smile, no matter the reason for it. When she smiled, the world just seemed a little brighter. He remembered walking up to that smile, her beautiful face, kissing her good morning. "Seems like I'm not the only one who is a thousand miles away today." She said when she saw the dreamy look on John's face.
"I'm only reminiscing" he said, but added "about a better life" to himself. He wished he still had the opportunity to wake up to her in the mornings, and kiss her good morning. He missed the little things, the things he only shared with Marlena. The way her hand always fell upon her stomach has she slept, the way he felt when she looked at him after she had gotten out of the shower. The connection they shared when they danced so close that it felt like they were one.
"About?" Marlena asked, wondering what put that big smile on his face. "You…and me." He smiled at her, "and the kids. Being here like this brings back a lot of memories of trips like this with Carrie and the twinners." He missed Carrie and the twinners almost as much as he missed Marlena. He knew that he would always love them as his own, they were his own in every sense except biological, and he only wished that they could see that.
"Yeah, it sure does," she said, rather surprised by his answer. She knew that John missed Carrie and the twinners and that they would always have a special place in his heart. You don't stop loving somebody, especially not children. But still, he was building a family with Kristen. Why is he dreaming about a past life, a past family? But Marlena knew, because she could see it in him, that he wasn't as happy as he had been with her or even Isabella. She couldn't just see it she could feel it. They had that soul-deep connection that most people long to find, and she felt like he wasn't as happy as he could be.
Maybe that was her fault, maybe he was starting to regret his decision about her baby. Maybe he was starting to realize that this could ruin his life, maybe she had ruined his life…"Doc, what's wrong?" John asked when he felt like a part of him was worried because of something. "How did you know?" Marlena asked. "I just do, Marlena. I always have." It was the only explanation he had, "So, what's wrong?" he asked again, wanting an answer this time.
"Are you doubting or regretting your decision about my baby? Have you changed your mind?" she asked, she had to know, She had to know if she had made the right choice accepting his offer, or if she just turned a bad situation worse. "No, I've never been surer about anything in my whole life. You were there for me in Aremid, you believed in me when nobody else did. Now it's my turn to stand by you, protect you, and believe in you." And he meant every world.
He had realized that he loved Marlena in Aremid, or realized he never stopped was more like it. He knew he had always loved Marlena, and he knew he always would. It was something about their connection that was so unique, so special and so deep. He knew he should tell her that, he was just so afraid of ruining everything again.
"Are you sure?" she asked, and instead of simply answering her, giving her the answer she wanted to hear, he placed his hands gently on her face and as blue locked with brown, he placed a gently yet loving kiss on her lips.
But when he pulled away, he felt the last thing he expected she pulled him back, to a kiss that was far from innocent, and John felt a passion that had been hidden for years, a passion he hadn't felt since... Since the last time he and Marlena had been together, since they had chosen to deal with their feelings instead of hiding them, when they had realized that a love like theirs would not die.
She opened her mouth to give access to his tongue, it was like they had forgotten time and space. As if they were the only two people left in the world, and this moment, this exact moment was the only thing that mattered. John had never felt like he was supposed to be somewhere, like he was at the exact right place, like he belonged anywhere like this before.
When they broke apart, Marlena said, "I've been wanting to do that for years, and if you didn't notice I love you" and she pulled him into another fiery kiss.
"DAD!" he heard and was brutally ripped out of his fantasy. He looked at Marlena and said, "I'm sure"
