A/N: Working on this story's concluding chapter. If all goes according to plan, it should be ready to post in two weeks' time.


~ Chapter 66 ~

Only a small cluster of vehicles occupied the expansive parking lot as Alex pulled into a vacant spot and cut power to his car's engine. Glancing to his right, he noted the almost imperceptible movement as a shudder rippled through Marlena's body. In response, he covered her trembling hand with his own warm and steady one.

"It's not too late. No one's seen us yet. Say the word, and we can go home right now."

She raised their clasped hands and dropped a light kiss on his knuckles before shaking her head in refusal.

"I want to do this. I'm a bit nervous, that's all."

"I'll be by your side the entire evening. If it gets to be too much at any point and you feel like you need to escape, just give me a sign. I'll take care of the rest."

"Thanks. That lowers my stress level considerably."

"Anytime, ma'am. I aim to please," Alex quipped in a mock southern drawl, before exiting the car, crossing to the passenger side and opening the door. Once Marlena was standing beside him, he looped his arm around her waist and slipped seamlessly into a passable French accent. "If you will follow me, madame, your table awaits."


The grand opening of Clair de Lune, Salem's newest supper club, promised to draw a crowd. At this early hour, however, attendance was sparse, with only a few patrons scattered at various tables. As per Alex's request when he'd made their reservation, the duo had been escorted to a private booth near the very back of the vast room. Comfortably settled on the padded bench, Marlena was perusing the list of specials with care. Alex, having already decided on his selection, kept watch on the door, meticulously taking note of each new arrival. He grinned triumphantly as several people that he and Marlena knew began to fill the space, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

"Sami and Lucas are here," Alex confirmed once Marlena had closed her menu, "as well as John and Kate, and Bo and Hope. And it appears as if Maggie has taken a night off to assess the competition."

"Have we been spotted?"

"Well, your daughter and your almost-ex haven't stormed over to confront me, and your friends haven't rushed to greet you. Looks like we're safe so far."

"Good." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I want to do this on our terms, not theirs."

"That's why I made sure that Ben held this particular booth for us."

"How is it that you know him? Or is that classified information?"

"Nope. It's no secret. I helped rescue him from a rather sticky situation with the mob once, long ago. When I discovered that he owned this club, I figured I could call in a favour."

She reached across the table for his hand, confident that their location and the dimmed lights would continue to shield them from prying eyes.

"I'm glad you did. I like the place. The music is wonderful, and the ambiance is incredibly romantic. Plus, it holds no old associations for me. Whatever happens here is fresh and new. We can create our own memories, without them being tainted by my past."

Grasping the bottle of very expensive Cabernet that had materialized as soon as they'd been seated – compliments of the owner, their server had informed them – Alex topped up both of their drinks, then raised his glass.

"To old loves, and new beginnings."

"To our future," Marlena added.

The delicate clink of the crystal stemware echoed softly as the blissfully happy couple revelled in their joy.


The ultra-attentive wait staff had cleared away the dishes – including the plate that had held a delectable triple fudge brownie, which Alex and Marlena had devoured down to the very last crumb. They were chatting quietly and sipping their wine when the house band took to the stage, and they turned their full attention to the group, listening raptly as the trio launched into a well-known jazz standard, followed by a classic show tune. Marlena, who had moved to Alex's side of the booth once their meal had ended, was leaning into his embrace, allowing the music to wash over her. Her head snapped up and her eyes glistened with unshed tears as the opening strains of a very familiar melody drifted across the room. She stared at her love in awe.

"Did you arrange this, too?"

He answered her query with one of his own.

"I believe they're playing our song. May I have this dance?"

Without hesitation, she accompanied him onto the dance floor. Once there, in plain view of the assembled patrons, she allowed him to draw her close. A hush fell over the room – followed within seconds by the rising hum of innumerable voices. Eager to avert a potential scene, Maggie and Hope hurried to the couple's side. As soon as they were within hugging distance, Marlena slipped from Alex's hold and threw her arms around her two dear friends.

"Maggie, Hope, it's so wonderful to see you both!"

Detecting the true recognition on Marlena's expressive face, the women quickly came to the conclusion that her amnesia had lifted.

"You know us! It's really you," Hope enthused.

Although she was equally delighted with the turn of events, Maggie couldn't hide her confusion.

"If you've remembered your past, why aren't you with John?"

"It's a long story, and one I'd prefer not to get into now. Let's meet for coffee tomorrow, and I'll tell you all about it."

"I'd love that, Marlena. We have so much to catch up on. But I'm still puzzled as to why you're here with Dr. North. He's your therapist. This is inappropriate," Maggie persisted.

"My thoughts exactly," Sami chimed in, having edged her way into the ever-widening circle that was forming around Alex and Marlena. "It wasn't enough that you were spotted getting cozy with him at the fair the other night, but now you're at a club opening, flaunting this unethical relationship in front of half the town. What is wrong with you, Mom?"

"Your mother's perfectly fine, Sami. She's here to enjoy some good food and some even better company," Alex retorted with a smirk, while pulling the woman in question back into his embrace.

"Get your hands off my mother, Dr. Feelgood. You have no right to be pawing her."

"We're just dancing, Sami. There's no law against it," Marlena countered.

"You aren't just dancing, Mom. You're making a spectacle of yourself, and almost everyone you know is here. This seems deliberate."

"Well, we did assume that Clair de Lune's grand opening would draw a crowd. What better place for a public declaration?"

"A public declaration of what?"

"That's what I'd like to know, Doc," John's angry voice broke in, interrupting the mother-daughter conversation.

"Why, that I'd regained my memory, John. I figured this would be a lot easier than making a bunch of phone calls or sending out multiple texts."

"You didn't need to drag him along. Why not just come by yourself?"

"As I've told you before, I feel safe when I'm with Alex."

"But you remember everybody now. Why would you need a human safety blanket?" John's derisive tone left no doubt as to his opinion on the matter.

"Maybe because even the people I know don't always have my best interests at heart," Marlena fired back, eyes flashing.

Her veiled reference to the previous night's events caused John to cringe inwardly, and he briefly considered letting the matter drop and walking away – until he spied his rival running his fingers lightly up and down Marlena's spine in a soothing motion. John's control shattered and, despite being aware that silence was probably the better option and that nothing good could come of criticizing Alex, he was unable to hold his tongue.

"You're a bit slow on the uptake, North. Haven't you learned your lesson yet about being overly chummy with a patient?"

Although Alex didn't miss John's unintentional confession, he exhibited no outward sign of having done so.

"Well, since someone did me the very huge favour of getting me suspended, I'm no longer in a position of conflict – which I wasn't anyway, since I'd already relinquished Marlena's care to another therapist."

Both of Alex's detractors grimaced at the unwelcome news that their allegations against the psychiatrist seemingly bore no basis in fact. Sami was the first to question his assertion.

"Didn't you just say that you've been suspended? Why would that have happened if your behaviour was above reproach?"

"You know how it is. When people lodge complaints, the APA has to do something."

"Only if you broke the rules," John insisted.

"I suffered a few lapses in judgment. The ethics officer who interviewed me yesterday felt it necessary to administer a slap on the wrist," Alex admitted nonchalantly.

"You call not being able to practice psychiatry a 'slap on the wrist'? It seems a lot more serious than that. How can you be so blasé about it?" Hope wondered.

"Easy. While I might quibble about the timing, this is a golden opportunity. Whoever reported me to the APA gave me a gift."

Alex stared pointedly at Sami. A fervent denial of his unspoken accusation sprang to her lips, but before she could utter a word, he dropped his angry façade.

"Your mother and I will take full advantage of my involuntary vacation," he assured the young woman with an exaggerated wink.

Temporarily defeated, Sami stalked back to her table, sank onto her seat, and immediately reached for her wine. After a fortifying swallow, she turned to Lucas with a heavy sigh.

"Well, that completely backfired."

"What did? Confronting your mother and her shrink at the opening of a supper club?"

"Reporting the guy to the APA."

"I thought they told you he'd been suspended. Sounds like a win to me."

"He has been suspended. But he's happy about it!" Sami sputtered incredulously.

"Not the reaction I would've expected. After all, most people don't take kindly to being deprived of their livelihood. Is he independently wealthy, or something?"

"How should I know? But it certainly sounds as if he has plans. Said he'll be treating it like a vacation."

"Maybe he's going to spirit your mother away on a cruise. Or maybe they'll just hole up in that mountain cabin of his."

"Ha! Even though my mom and John are about to be divorced, there's not a chance in hell that he'd let her go off with that guy."

Lucas gazed pensively across the room at Alex and Marlena, who'd been left alone with John once Maggie and Hope had made their way back to their respective significant others.

"I don't think John's going to have any say in the matter. Your mother's an incredibly determined woman when she puts her mind to something, and Dr. North seems very protective of her. I mean, look at how he's positioned himself now that it's just the three of them. It's as if he's shielding her from John."

Sami quickly appraised the situation.

"You're right. And I can feel the tension radiating off all of them from here."

"Too bad you're not close enough to listen in on their conversation."

"Not to worry," Sami chuckled darkly. "I have a hunch that, within minutes, they'll be putting on a show."


True to Lucas' observation, Alex had slipped his arm around Marlena's waist and proceeded to subtly angle them so that she was beyond John's reach. The latter, still livid at the pair's obvious closeness, couldn't resist trying to burst the psychiatrist's bubble.

"Enjoy yourself while you can, pal, but don't assume it means you've got a shot with her. She told me herself that she's reconnected with some guy she knew in college. Said he's her true love," John sneered, clearly delighted at giving his hated rival what could only be construed as bad news.

"Is that so?"

"Sure is. So don't get too comfy in the penthouse. She'll be kicking you out in no time." When Alex's confident expression didn't falter, John's eyes narrowed. "Don't you get it? She's tossing both of us aside for some old med school flame."

"Marlena and I met in med school," Alex announced serenely, his face the picture of innocence. "Did I never mention that?"

It took mere seconds for the full import of Alex's revelation to sink in.

"You bastard!" John snarled. "That crosses every ethical boundary. I'll report you to the APA."

"Don't trouble yourself. The APA is aware of our history. Just a little side benefit of yesterday's command performance in Washington."

Instinctively, John's fists clenched, and he took a threatening stride forward. Before he could act on his impulse, a dark-haired, muscular man blocked his path.

"While you two gentlemen have been the source of a great deal of entertainment tonight, you're upstaging the band. They're talented, and I want them to agree to perform here again. I can't have them thinking I'm running some cheap dive bar."

Alex, shifting his attention to the club owner, was instantly contrite.

"Sorry, Ben. This guy tends to bring out the worst in me, but I shouldn't have let it get this far."

"You're not the one who was about to fly off the handle," Ben corrected his old acquaintance, before turning to John. "Reluctant as I usually am to offend a paying customer, I won't hesitate to throw you out if you cause any trouble."

Kate, who'd wisely opted to stay out of the fray, suddenly appeared at John's side. Without a word, he took the hand she offered and trudged dejectedly back to their table. Once John was out of earshot, Ben directed his next comment Alex's way.

"I expect you to behave." Although he'd adopted a stern tone, the upward curve of his lips negated Ben's attempt at solemnity.

"We'll be the very models of propriety," Alex vowed, his smirk matching that of his host.

"That's what I'm counting on. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

The moment Ben retreated from their sight, Alex quirked a brow at Marlena.

"Where were we before the world so rudely interrupted us?"

"I believe you promised me a dance."

"That I did. And I'm prepared to make good on that promise."

For the remainder of the band's set, they gave themselves over to the music and moved as one.


After a few more spins on the dance floor and a final round of drinks, Alex had readily agreed to Marlena's request that they call it a night. Having retrieved their coats, he was patiently waiting for his love to finish talking to her eldest daughter when the movements of someone a few feet away drew his attention. Stepping closer, he pulled out a chair and sat down beside the stranger.

"She's taken," Alex stated without preamble.

"I'm well aware. We're neighbours."

"You'd like to be more."

"You're very perceptive," the man responded drily.

"And you're not from around here." The psychiatrist extended his hand in greeting. "Alex North."

"EJ Wells." The younger man was silent for a beat before delivering an observation of his own. "Samantha's none too fond of you."

"I'm apparently not the only one who notices things. Then again, given that she's been your sole focus all evening, our little interaction would've been hard to miss," Alex teased.

EJ chose to ignore Alex's comment, opting instead to probe more deeply into what he'd witnessed.

"Why are you in Samantha's bad books?"

"I love her mother."

"And that's a problem because…?"

"Because Sami sees me as an impediment to her parents getting back together."

"Would they be doing so if you weren't in the picture?"

"No," Alex replied succinctly.

"Interesting." EJ filed the information away, then purposefully changed tack. "Will she be annoyed with me for speaking to you?"

"Possibly."

"Good to know."

"Or, conversely, it might just add to your appeal." Alex leaned closer, prepared to dispel EJ's obvious skepticism. "The attraction's hardly one-sided. She watches you when she thinks no one's looking."

Before EJ could fully absorb this wholly unexpected disclosure, Marlena walked up to the two men, and Alex made the requisite introductions. After a few minutes of small talk, Marlena leaned her head on Alex's shoulder. Taking note of her evident fatigue, he flashed EJ an apologetic smile.

"We've had a couple of long days. This beautiful woman needs her sleep."

"Understandable." EJ rose, and clasped Alex's hand warmly. "I enjoyed our chat. It was most… enlightening."

"Glad I could be of service."

They'd barely exited the club when Marlena pivoted to face Alex, eyes ablaze with curiosity.

"What, exactly, did you enlighten him about?"

"I just reminded my new friend that circumstances are seldom as bleak as they appear – and that there's often reason for optimism in matters of the heart."

"Very true. But, while it was generous of you to impart your hard-earned wisdom to the new guy in town, I don't want to share you with anyone else tonight. Please, take me home."

She didn't have to ask twice.