Chapter 13
As Gina gathers her vanity case and small suitcase to get off the plain, she sighs, sadly. Capri is over, and even though her heart soared as John declared his love for her, she has this nagging feeling that the magic is over, it is now back to the real world. Traveling alone also doesn't help... but they cannot be seen together, she realizes that.
Minutes later, she has had all her documents cleared and her luggage in the boot. She starts the car, and sighs, looking ahead, but seeing nothing. Sighing she puts the car into gear and reverses.
"Is it just my imagination or does the breaks feel like they're slipping?" she puts the gear lever into first and pulls off, slowing for the bend takes much more strength than it should.
"I'll stop at a gas station on the way and get the break fluid checked." she's talking to herself, if for no other reason but to hear the reassuring sound of her own voice.
As she pulls over the hill, she can spot the service station in the distance.
"Almost there..."
She slows down to a lower speed, just in case.
Her thoughts return to John and Capri... Their time together was truly magical... She can still hear John's voice, the tremor on his lips, as he spoke those three little words... she looks up to see a man in the middle of the road. She slams on the breaks, realizing there is none, as he comes closer, she swerves. Rolf? It looked like Rolf, then there is the tree spiraling closer, she pulls at the wheel but knows it is too late, she's going to hit that tree! As she feels the pull on her body, and hears the crash of metal, she remembers John's words... "I love you..."
Everything goes dark..
As John emerges from the jet, a man in a chauffeur's uniform greets him at the foot of the stairs.
"Mr. Dimera has sent a car for you. He has urgent business to discuss regarding the shipping line.." the man explains as he takes John's small over night bag, and opens the back door for him, to get in.
John shrugs. He might as well go to the mansion immediately, he has a lot to discuss with Stefano, especially about Gina – there must be something that Stefano wants badly enough, to negotiate a future for him and Gina. At this point he couldn't really care less what Stefano's price will be, he has to find a way to ensure they have a future. Gina... Where is she now? Probably home.. Jealousy, as sharp as a knife cuts through him, yes, home – with Bo. He doesn't want to hate the man, but he cannot help it. That night that he saw Bo carrying Gina into the house, after she fell asleep in the car, is still fresh in his mind. Who does this man think he is with his paws all over her? A spiteful little voice whispers to him: Her husband. Gina will have to get him out of the picture, he'll never survive the night knowing she's over their with him, sleeping next to him...
His face is set in a determined line as he emerges from the car, entering the foyer of the mansion.
"Stefano, we have to talk..." he starts. Then a blinding headache hits him, and he collapses to the ground. Behind him Marlena stands, holding a vase, looking a little shell-shocked.
"Are you happy now?" Stefano asks, calmly, grimacing.
When she doesn't answer, he directs his next order to Rolf who had just gotten back.
"Get him to the basement, so we can start the data transfer."
"Yes, Stefano."
A light tear runs over Marlena's cheek as she watches John pulling this way and that, back in the same chair she found him in, less than a year ago, the cyclops-like goggles covering his eyes.
"I'm sorry..."she mutters under her breath, ''but it is the only way to get your life back, the only way you can regain everything Stefano stole from you, and us."
She jumps as the lights flicker then goes off, the whining of the computers goes silent, then starts back up, together with a louder noise.
"What is it? What happened?" Marlena ask, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
Rolf re-enters the room.
"Nothing to worry about, just a power failure, the back-up generator switched on."
"Oh...." Marlena returns to her post, staring at John. She looks at his mouth... so sensual, that mouth had been whispering words of love to another woman for the past couple of weeks, and his hands so strong.. those hands were making love to someone else... She shakes her head, willing the thoughts away. It doesn't matter now – if he can forget, so can she....
"Hope!? Hope!?" slowly she opens her eyes to see Bo's worried face leaning over her. "Fancyface? Are you okay?"
She blinks. Everything is so bright and white, is she in a hospital? Incredulously she opens her eyes trying to focus them.
"Bo? Brady, what happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"For the life of me, I can't imagine what have happened to put me in...in... hospital." she stutters, looking around.
"You were in a car accident."
"When?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight? What time is it?"
"Ten to twelve. Your breaks gave in on your way back from the airport."
"Airport?" She lifts her head to look at him, then groans and let it fall back into the pillow.
"My head hurts..."
"You bumped it against the steering wheel and the it bounced back into the head rest... The doctor said you should be fine, but you'll be a little mixed up, and your head will ache for a while. He has prescribed you some killer pain killers, though, unfortunately they couldn't give you any painkillers until you woke up... 'Said something about inducing a coma..."
She closes her eyes, and then painfully opens them again.
"You'll be okay, Fancyface." he lifts his hands to wipe a stray hair out of her face, then thinks better of it, not knowing exactly where the pain is and not wanting to cause her more.
Her eyes slide closed again.
"I love you Fancyface."
She smiles softly.
"I love you, too, Brady."
"All done, and as good as new. Happy now?" Stefano asks, though his teeth.
"How do I know he is himself again."
"He'll come round soon. Now get him out of here. Take him home"
Marlena smiles at the thought of taking him home.
"Wait. How will I explain why his memory is back. I don't want anyone else to know of our arrangement."
"Then take him back to the Salem Inn, no doubt he'll come looking for you once he wakes up, and for no apparent reason has his memory back." Stefano's sarcasm is lost on Marlena as she watches Rolf place him in the car.
"One last thing..."
"What more could you possibly want from me?" Stefano growls.
"I want to borrow Dr. Rolf, to help me get him back to his room.."
Stefano throws his hands up in the air, as if to say, that he couldn't care less, then re-enters the house.
As Dr. Rolf gets into the car with Marlena, he speaks...
"Seems that you didn't need to repair the damn disk..."