Chapter Ten

Peter: If you'd help us stop Black you'd never have to worry about Father or me again.

Tony: Stop Black. Don't you think I haven't been tempted on time to punch him out?

Peter: What's stopping you?

Tony: He's only loved her from afar. I mean if he'd actually made love to her, it would have been handled differently.

1994

DiMera Mansion
30 minutes later

Kristen hadn't exactly been sleeping as she waited for John, more like setting a world record for the most exercise while alone in bed. When Peter stuck his head through the door to inquire if she was awake, she sighed with relief.

"I thought you'd gone home already."

Peter shook his head as he made his way to her side. "I didn't want to leave you alone here after what happened tonight."

The reminder infuriated her all over again. She'd dreamed of this night from the minute she'd met John and no sooner had she begun to celebrate in earnest, convinced she'd finally accomplished her aim than her family promptly screwed it up.

Grabbing one of the down pillows she'd been laying on, she punched it as hard as she could. It didn't help. There was only one thing that would improve her disposition at this point and chances of Tony forgiving her or changing his mind about the annulment didn't seem all that promising.

Logically, the anger she was feeling should have been aimed at her father but it wasn't.

He wasn't the one who'd promised honesty and not delivered, or the one who had led her to believe for years that he'd take care of her only to show up on what should have been the happiest night of her life and relish the opportunity to humiliate her in public, and as far as she could tell, for the sole purpose of adding a bit of luster to his own tarnished reputation. Added to that, Peter's insinuation that Tony might have been involved with his ex-wife during their brief marriage was definitely making him look the bad guy.

"I appreciate you staying," she said. She'd shoved the pillows back and sat up as Peter came to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. With a faint smile, she reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know John is probably out there looking for Tony but I don't see what good that is going to do…"

He didn't comment, or say anything else until her voice faded away and she knew from his silence that something was wrong. "Peter, what is it? John…" she began, petrified all of the sudden.

"Father has been arrested."

That was the last thing she'd expected tonight.

"How…where?"

"Tony's hotel room."

"Was John there? Is that why he didn't come home, because…"

Peter looked pale and not exactly reassuring as he held her hands and quickly interrupted her speculation. "As far as I know, John wasn't even in the building at the time, and no one has suggested that he was involved unless his argument with Roman earlier was meant to throw people off, including us."
"Roman arrested Father?" She could tell there was more to it than that the way Peter was avoiding eye contact with her. "Come on, you obviously know what went down…did someone get hurt? Is Father ok?"

"The word I'm hearing is this was Tony's doing."

Kristen's eyes widened but after a minute, she laughed.

Peter did not. "I'm serious," he told her.

It was more the turmoil in her brother's gaze than his words ringing true, as though he was relieved the old man might be out of their lives and yet, feeling guilty at the idea, given all Stefano had done for them.

"Are you saying Tony set him up?"

Peter shrugged. "You read the information that came in that packet the ISA sent. Father had him locked away."

"I just can't believe Father would do something like that…not to one of his children."

"You never believed him capable of hurting John and Marlena either."

"Thanks to you and Tony," she reminded him.

Sucking in a deep breath, Peter looked away and then stood up and began to pace the floor.

"What?" asked his sister after his third trip around the bed and back again. To her surprise, he stopped and faced her squarely.

"I understand how you feel after his behavior tonight, but if Tony had done this at any point until this evening, or at least since that night at Maison Blanche, you'd be cheering him on because if it were up to Father, John would be dead right now."

"True, but if Father had his way, Marlena would be gone and out of my life instead of here, under the same roof…in my house and busy sticking her nose into my relationship."

But even before she was finished, Peter was shaking his head. "The problem isn't just Marlena. You told me as much yourself after you found that letter but if you really think about it, this turn of events could be the best solution."

Kristen stared at him as though he was out of his mind.

"John has insisted Marlena remain here because of Stefano," Peter reminded her. "He's the one who worried about her constantly but there won't be a need for that any longer. No one is going to be after Dr. Evans."

"Unless of course, it's John," muttered Kristen in a low voice but one that her brother could still hear.

"No." He shook his head once more. "You've got this all wrong Krissy."

"Says the man who's been married all of five months and is still worried about his wife's ex-husband."

"But don't you see, that's the whole point."

She glared at him obstinately but Peter just smiled, certain he had the answer to her problems.

"Father won't be around to threaten Marlena, but Tony will be here and whatever he said tonight about a divorce, he still loves you." His dark eyes bored into hers. "I know Tony and he still has it bad."

"You can say that, even after the letter you told me about?"

He nodded. "I only told you about that because if we could get our hands on it, you might be able to get the annulment but think about the way he was acting tonight. No matter what happened before the two of you ended up married, would he be this upset if he didn't care about you?"

Kristen felt her heart speed up, beating a little faster. "So you think instead of having to worry about Marlena," she said, realizing what Peter was getting at, "John is going to be convinced that Tony set all this up to get me back." A smile brightened up her face…similar to a cat once it swallowed the preverbal canary, and Peter returned one in kind. "And that is what the divorce is about," she said, "and him insisting on dragging it out?"

"Whatever his intentions, they don't matter…the key is what John sees in them and if Roman, not to mention Shane Donovan, a man John respects weren't able to convince him Tony is in fact, innocent, I kind of doubt anything Tony says will make a damn bit of difference."

"Except that he is."

"Krissy." He sat back down and she could see in his eyes that the specter of Aremid and all that taken place still haunted him too. "Nothing is going to happen to Tony just because John imagines he intends to win you back. And you want John, right?"

There was misery in her eyes but she nodded emphatically.

"You're going to have to decide how badly," he continued, "because things are going to get messy and you can't keep them both happy. One of them is going to get hurt."

"I know. I just wish…"

"It could be different and so do I but its time to be honest with yourself. Which of them do you want?"

Kristen didn't even have to consider her answer. "John."

"Then it's time to take Tony's advice…do whatever is necessary and hang onto your man."

Kristen lay back against the headboard and felt again her husband press a kiss on her check.

Welcome to life as a DiMera.

Even as furious as she'd been, the heartbreak buried in the words he'd whispered in her ear was evident. He already believed it was too late for her. Maybe he was right but she was damn well going to make her sacrifice worth what she was paying for it…she was going to have John and this baby and if she had to use Tony in order to make that happen, so be it.

She looked at Peter who was sitting patiently. "Where is he?"

"John?"

"No stupid. Tony."

"Ah." Peter smiled. "The police station, I believe."

"Want to give me a ride?"