Conclusion
Each second of silence felt longer as she waited for Roman to speak. She could see her own reflection in his eyes and the look of fear on her face sent a wave of nausea through her body. Her hands were on his knees and she realized how hard she was squeezing but she just couldn't seem to release her grip.
Suddenly he stood up and the look on his face told her everything she needed to know. Her worst fears were confirmed and the cold grip of reality tightened around her neck choking her, strangling her, until she could barely breath. She thought nothing could be worse than the look on his face until he began to speak. Kate had never heard that icy tone come from his mouth before and it hurt so bad she wanted to cover her ears, "You knew all along that we'd be through as soon as I found out the truth Kate. How could you use me like you did last night? This morning? You made love to me last night because you knew I would never touch you again after I found out."
He looked at her with empty eyes, that sparkle, that look of love, was gone. There was nothing left. He shook his head, "It must be something in the DiMera genome that just allows you people to toy with others emotions."
"You people." It was like a knife to her heart. He had just found out minutes ago that she was a DiMera and already she was thrown into the same category as Stefano, Tony, Kristen, and every other DiMera that Roman loathed.
"Roman please, I love you, I need you. I would never do anything to hurt you, I'm nothing like Stefano or Tony, their evil, their cruel..."
Roman cut her off, "They're DiMera's just like you Kate. No wonder you spent so much of your life trying to destroy my daughter. The DiMera-Brady feud must be innate. You were born with a natural instinct to attack my family Kate."
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed and choked and began to hyperventilate, "Roman," she gasped, "You don't really believe that do you? Please tell me..."
He stared down at her, "I can barely stand to look at you, you're pathetic Kate. I'm just glad I found out before it was too late. I'm surprised you didn't keep your dirty little secret until you could find a way to use it against my family. I'm going home to be with the people who love me, the people who I love. I'm going to protect them from you and your disgusting family. We're through Kate. I'm going to forget every second we shared because just the thought of kissing, touching, making love to a DiMera makes me sick!"
Kate pounded her fists on the ground, sobbing, as he began to walk away she screamed, "No Roman, don't go, no, please..."
"Kate, Kate, honey wake up, it's okay, I'm here, shh." Kate sat up and looked around she was on the bed and Roman was by her side.
"Where am I? What happened? Roman, I love you, don't leave me. I'm not evil. I would never hurt your family. Don't go. I know you still love me. Don't go if you still love me." Kate strung together a bunch of random thoughts into a long breathless rant that left Roman more than a little confused.
Kate held her breath as he opened his mouth, "If I still love you? Kate I tried to tell you before that nothing could change the way I feel about you," he said softly.
As her brain slowly digested his words and they began to sink in she was overcome with emotion. She wanted to laugh, scream, jump for joy, and kiss Roman all at once but instead she ended up sobbing uncontrollably.
Roman gently wrapped her in his arms and let her cry against his chest. He whispered soothingly in her ear and rocked her smoothly back and forth. "Kate honey, calm down sweetheart. I know you're a little confused right now. One minute you ask me to marry you and the next you were out cold so I carried you in here."
When she had calmed down enough to speak her angry words tore him up inside, "I don't want to be a DiMera. They're sick, twisted monsters, and I don't know how I can live knowing that I'm biologically related to Stefano." She took a shaky breath and looked up at him with swollen red eyes, "Can you look me in the eye and honestly say that it doesn't matter to you? That it doesn't change anything? That you could spend your life with a DiMera?"
He cupped her face with his hands and stared into her hazel eyes, "Kate I love you. I wish I could have been there when you learned the truth yesterday because you obviously needed some comforting but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. You said one important thing just a second ago that you need to remember. You are biologically linked to Stefano." He slowly repeated those words, "Biologically linked. That does not make you a DiMera Kate, there's much more to it than a simple genetic link." He paused and smiled at her, "So I am looking you in the eye and telling you the honest truth Kate Roberts, I don't care if you are related to Stefano, it doesn't change what's in my heart. You are my life, my universe, and I won't let anything, especially not Stefano DiMera, take you away from me. Oh and one more thing, the answer... is yes."
"Yes," she repeated slowly. "Yes! Oh my God Roman we're getting married." She flung her arms around his neck squeezing him with all her strength. "When, where, I have to find a dress, and bridesmaids, flowers, and you, you need a tux and who's going to be your best man, oh I just had an idea, Will, he can be our ring bearer and Abby can be the flower girl. Oh and we need a cake, a huge cake with at least three teirs, and maybe a waterfall that flows down. Oh and I want one of those champagne glass tower thingies where you just keep filling the top glass and it all runs down and fills up the rest and..." Roman knew Kate could go on all night if he didn't stop her right away so he interrupted with a fierce kiss.
She melted into his arms. She had never felt safer or more content than she did at that moment. She knew this was exactly where she belonged, she finally knew how she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Kate realized her life's journey would have more twists and turns but for the time being the path was straight and she could see her future, her one true love, waiting for her.
"Come on Brady, I made you a promise, are you ready to see what I painted today?"
"Lead on lady." He followed her and waited as she slowly pulled the cover off her masterpiece. "Kate Roberts, you made me pose nude for hours and you painted something completely different," he said with a laugh. "It's absolutely perfect though, you are amazing Kate."
Kate stared at the painting and smiled. It was a profile view of a couple dancing. Their bodies were pressed tightly against one another and her head was resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and a blissful smile lit up her face. His expression held the unmistakable glow of a man hopelessly in love. The couple she had painted was Kate Roberts and Roman Brady.
Roman held out his hand to her and she stepped into his arms. They mirrored the exact image Kate had painted. There was no music but they danced anyway, gently swaying to the rhythm of love that beat in their hearts.
Each second of silence felt longer as she waited for Roman to speak. She could see her own reflection in his eyes and the look of fear on her face sent a wave of nausea through her body. Her hands were on his knees and she realized how hard she was squeezing but she just couldn't seem to release her grip.
Suddenly he stood up and the look on his face told her everything she needed to know. Her worst fears were confirmed and the cold grip of reality tightened around her neck choking her, strangling her, until she could barely breath. She thought nothing could be worse than the look on his face until he began to speak. Kate had never heard that icy tone come from his mouth before and it hurt so bad she wanted to cover her ears, "You knew all along that we'd be through as soon as I found out the truth Kate. How could you use me like you did last night? This morning? You made love to me last night because you knew I would never touch you again after I found out."
He looked at her with empty eyes, that sparkle, that look of love, was gone. There was nothing left. He shook his head, "It must be something in the DiMera genome that just allows you people to toy with others emotions."
"You people." It was like a knife to her heart. He had just found out minutes ago that she was a DiMera and already she was thrown into the same category as Stefano, Tony, Kristen, and every other DiMera that Roman loathed.
"Roman please, I love you, I need you. I would never do anything to hurt you, I'm nothing like Stefano or Tony, their evil, their cruel..."
Roman cut her off, "They're DiMera's just like you Kate. No wonder you spent so much of your life trying to destroy my daughter. The DiMera-Brady feud must be innate. You were born with a natural instinct to attack my family Kate."
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed and choked and began to hyperventilate, "Roman," she gasped, "You don't really believe that do you? Please tell me..."
He stared down at her, "I can barely stand to look at you, you're pathetic Kate. I'm just glad I found out before it was too late. I'm surprised you didn't keep your dirty little secret until you could find a way to use it against my family. I'm going home to be with the people who love me, the people who I love. I'm going to protect them from you and your disgusting family. We're through Kate. I'm going to forget every second we shared because just the thought of kissing, touching, making love to a DiMera makes me sick!"
Kate pounded her fists on the ground, sobbing, as he began to walk away she screamed, "No Roman, don't go, no, please..."
"Kate, Kate, honey wake up, it's okay, I'm here, shh." Kate sat up and looked around she was on the bed and Roman was by her side.
"Where am I? What happened? Roman, I love you, don't leave me. I'm not evil. I would never hurt your family. Don't go. I know you still love me. Don't go if you still love me." Kate strung together a bunch of random thoughts into a long breathless rant that left Roman more than a little confused.
Kate held her breath as he opened his mouth, "If I still love you? Kate I tried to tell you before that nothing could change the way I feel about you," he said softly.
As her brain slowly digested his words and they began to sink in she was overcome with emotion. She wanted to laugh, scream, jump for joy, and kiss Roman all at once but instead she ended up sobbing uncontrollably.
Roman gently wrapped her in his arms and let her cry against his chest. He whispered soothingly in her ear and rocked her smoothly back and forth. "Kate honey, calm down sweetheart. I know you're a little confused right now. One minute you ask me to marry you and the next you were out cold so I carried you in here."
When she had calmed down enough to speak her angry words tore him up inside, "I don't want to be a DiMera. They're sick, twisted monsters, and I don't know how I can live knowing that I'm biologically related to Stefano." She took a shaky breath and looked up at him with swollen red eyes, "Can you look me in the eye and honestly say that it doesn't matter to you? That it doesn't change anything? That you could spend your life with a DiMera?"
He cupped her face with his hands and stared into her hazel eyes, "Kate I love you. I wish I could have been there when you learned the truth yesterday because you obviously needed some comforting but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. You said one important thing just a second ago that you need to remember. You are biologically linked to Stefano." He slowly repeated those words, "Biologically linked. That does not make you a DiMera Kate, there's much more to it than a simple genetic link." He paused and smiled at her, "So I am looking you in the eye and telling you the honest truth Kate Roberts, I don't care if you are related to Stefano, it doesn't change what's in my heart. You are my life, my universe, and I won't let anything, especially not Stefano DiMera, take you away from me. Oh and one more thing, the answer... is yes."
"Yes," she repeated slowly. "Yes! Oh my God Roman we're getting married." She flung her arms around his neck squeezing him with all her strength. "When, where, I have to find a dress, and bridesmaids, flowers, and you, you need a tux and who's going to be your best man, oh I just had an idea, Will, he can be our ring bearer and Abby can be the flower girl. Oh and we need a cake, a huge cake with at least three teirs, and maybe a waterfall that flows down. Oh and I want one of those champagne glass tower thingies where you just keep filling the top glass and it all runs down and fills up the rest and..." Roman knew Kate could go on all night if he didn't stop her right away so he interrupted with a fierce kiss.
She melted into his arms. She had never felt safer or more content than she did at that moment. She knew this was exactly where she belonged, she finally knew how she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Kate realized her life's journey would have more twists and turns but for the time being the path was straight and she could see her future, her one true love, waiting for her.
"Come on Brady, I made you a promise, are you ready to see what I painted today?"
"Lead on lady." He followed her and waited as she slowly pulled the cover off her masterpiece. "Kate Roberts, you made me pose nude for hours and you painted something completely different," he said with a laugh. "It's absolutely perfect though, you are amazing Kate."
Kate stared at the painting and smiled. It was a profile view of a couple dancing. Their bodies were pressed tightly against one another and her head was resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and a blissful smile lit up her face. His expression held the unmistakable glow of a man hopelessly in love. The couple she had painted was Kate Roberts and Roman Brady.
Roman held out his hand to her and she stepped into his arms. They mirrored the exact image Kate had painted. There was no music but they danced anyway, gently swaying to the rhythm of love that beat in their hearts.
