~ Chapter 7 ~

Midnight had come and gone as John paced the length and breadth of the penthouse. Marlena still wasn't home.

What has that no-good North done to her?

He couldn't believe how appallingly the evening had spiralled out of control. He didn't blame Marlena. Obviously, North had exerted some form of mind control on her again, to get her to leave the restaurant with him. As for Kate, she clearly was no match for the devious doctor, a misgiving John had harbored from the beginning.

Lowering himself onto the sofa beside Kate, he sighed gratefully as she reached out to massage his tense shoulders. He really should send her home, but he was soothed by her presence. Besides, she was eager to tear a strip off of Alex for abandoning her at dinner, and he was going to enjoy watching as she vented her displeasure. Closing his eyes while Kate's fingers worked their magic, he briefly regained his sense of equilibrium. The echo of laughter from the hall, followed by the rattle of a key in a lock, brought him crashing back to reality. Assuming a confrontational stance, he turned towards the door.

Alex and Marlena's laughter trailed off abruptly as they took note of the hostile reception that awaited them. Placing his arm protectively around his companion's waist, Alex braced for the unpleasantness to come.

"Where the hell were you?" John shouted, unleashing the anger and frustration that had been building for hours. "How dare you leave me at Chez Rouge to worry about you?"

Marlena's face was devoid of emotion as she stared at her husband.

"I didn't appreciate your high-handed treatment of me this evening," she began. Seeing his mouth open to protest, she pressed on before he could get a word in. "I hadn't really wanted to go out tonight, but you were persistent, and I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I wasn't comfortable, and I wasn't enjoying myself, so when I saw that Alex was leaving, I decided to follow him."

"You could have told me. I thought something horrible had happened to you," John shot back.

"If I had told you, would you have let me leave with Alex? I highly doubt it. More than likely, you would have offered to drive me here yourself, and I needed quiet time, so that I could think."

"But you were with him," he pointed out, his voice plaintive.

"Alex gives me space if I ask for it," she assured John, as she smiled at the man who continued to hold her firmly in a shielding embrace.

Exasperated, John backed off, hoping that Kate would see fit to give Alex a piece of her mind. When she remained uncharacteristically silent, he looked at her quizzically, then moved to her side.

"Why aren't you yelling at him, or something?" he whispered, as puzzled by her behaviour as he was by his wife's.

"It won't do any good," she answered, her voice equally soft. "We've been played by a pro tonight, and I won't give him the satisfaction of letting him know how well he succeeded. Let's just take the hit and regroup tomorrow."

Despite his fury at the evening's dreadful outcome, he was rational enough to concede her point. Glaring at Marlena and Alex, who had remained huddled together in what appeared to be a very intimate conversation, John escorted Kate to the foyer.

"Will you be okay on your own? I really don't feel I can leave Doc alone here with him."

"I'll get the concierge to phone for a cab. Call me in the morning," she requested, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out.

As she waited for the elevator, a sly grin spread across her face. It would seem that, without any real work on her part, John might soon be available, courtesy of Alex North.

I'll really have to find a way to thank him for that.


After locking the door and setting the alarm, John squared his shoulders before turning back to the living room to face his wife and her doctor. He swore as he realized that, in the few moments it had taken him to usher Kate out, the twosome had vanished. Pouring himself a drink in an effort to quell his overpowering rage, he downed the amber liquid in one gulp. Feeling no effect, he quickly poured another, choosing to sip this one slowly.

Think. Think!

There had to be some way to stymie Alex North, and to regain control of his wife's treatment. She had become entirely too dependent on the man and, in fact, seemed to value his opinion above that of any member of her family.

How is he doing it?

John knew that Marlena was safe at night – the security system guaranteed that – but what was going on in those daily sessions that Alex kept insisting were vital to his patient's recovery? His mind fogged by both anger and alcohol, John found that he was no closer to a solution than before. Reluctantly, he turned out the lights and headed for the den, to settle in for yet another uncomfortable night's sleep.


Indifferent to the emotional turmoil that John was experiencing one floor below, Alex guided Marlena to her bedroom. The spark that had ignited between them earlier that evening still burned, but he knew he had to ignore it – at least for the moment. As he released his grip on her waist and took a step back, she caught his gaze and held it. The longing that shone from her eyes was mirrored in his own.

"Alex, I…"

"Shh, not now," he whispered, putting his finger to her lips to silence her. "It's late, and you need your rest."

The disappointment that flashed across her face was instantly replaced by an air of anticipation. Her memories of him were becoming stronger, and it was only a matter of time before she pieced together the past they shared.

"Goodnight, Alex" she murmured softly. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Marlena. Pleasant dreams."

"Oh, they will be," she assured him with a deliberate smile.

Before he could divine her intention, she surprised him with a gentle kiss. Within seconds, she was gone, and he found himself staring, stunned, at her closed door.

Replaying the events of the last few hours, he tried to determine if it was merely wishful thinking on his part, or if Marlena was truly remembering. Recalling the way she'd looked at him, and touched him, as they sat beside the river, his doubts turned to certainty. His breath caught in his throat as he realized that his love – the woman who had owned his heart from the moment they met – was on the verge of a breakthrough.

"You'll soon return to me, my darling. I can feel it. You'll finally be back where you belong, and I won't let anything – or anyone – come between us again."