Chapter 6

Bart throws Roman into the room as Marlena runs to his aide. If Bart hadn't cuffed him, Roman would have fought him. Checking Roman over for wounds, he hugged Marlena tightly. He was so happy to see her but he dreaded telling her Tony's plans.

"What happened to you I was so worried?"

"I'm fine Tony just wanted a few words with me. He likes to taunt me and he knew that if it involved you I wouldn't stand for it. I'm just sorry I didn't get a few good hits at his face. He made me so angry, I had never been so angry in my life. Why do the DiMera's have to run our lives?"

"About me what did he say about me?"

Roman sighed softly and escorted Marlena over to the bed. Both took a seat and he looked into her beautiful eyes afraid to let her know what Tony wanted.

"How is the baby?"

"The baby and I are fine, don't change the subject what did Tony say about me?"

"Marlena it was nothing really just relax I'm sure John is on his way here now. What Tony said to me will mean nothing when John gets here."

"I want to know I have the right to know what Tony said!" Marlena shouted angrily at Roman.

"You need to calm down Marlena this isn't good for the baby and you know it."

"Fine I'll ask calmly…What did Tony say about me?"

"He told me that tomorrow you'll be his wife."

Meanwhile back in Salem

Kate is seated on the couch she clutched the picture of Roman to her chest. Her tear-stained cheeks were flushed with color. Nothing compared to the pain she was feeling with the loss of her husband on their wedding day. Except perhaps the day, she was told Austin and Billie were dead. At that time in her life, she never thought she would recover but she had and now she had everything she wanted. All her children were alive and well, she gained a son and a daughter and now she had Roman. Life seemed to deal her a bad hand now that her whole future ended she didn't see the reason to live without her husband. An urgent knock pulled Kate from her sorrow as she headed to her door.

"Kate its John I need to see you right away please let me in."

The sound of John's voice frightened her and quickly opened the door. With the expression on his face, Kate knew something was wrong and it wasn't a good thing.

"John I didn't expect you hear so late do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I'm sorry Kate but I had to come see you right away. I remembered something it might lead us to Marlena and the rest of our family."

"John you aren't yourself lets just talk in the morning."

Kate tried to close the door but John forced his way in her home. Angry at first Kate sighed heavily. John paced impatiently across the room wringing his hands together."

"Oh John something is wrong are you okay?"

"I'm fine Kate it's just this memory seemed so vivid as if I was there yesterday. I know our family is alive, I want you to come with me."

"Where?"

"To Europe."

"Europe John your talking crazy you saw the evidence that Marlena and Roman were dead there were blood stains on their clothing."

"Just listen to me Kate. We thought they were dead before and they weren't. They are alive and we're going to find them."

"Excuse me John we? Are you mad I'm not just going to fly off to Europe because you remember something? What makes you so sure that this memory you are having is real?"

"Because Kate, I can feel it in my heart Marlena and Roman are alive and I need to find her before its too late."

"Too late?"

"Call me crazy but I have this terrible feeling that Marlena is in danger. I need to find her before Tony gets to her."

"John do you hear yourself! Tony is dead just like the others. You have to accept that and move on with your life."

"My life is with Marlena, without her I'm nothing she is my anchor, my life I won't just sit here feeling sorry for myself when my instincts are taking me to Europe."

"If I go with you to Europe and we don't find them can you accept that they are dead and move on with your life?"

"My life has no meaning if Marlena isn't here."

"John you are a great friend if it means so much to you then I'll go to Europe with you."

At the castle, Roman and Marlena are still sitting on the bed. Roman tries to find a way to tell Marlena that Tony is forcing her to marry him tomorrow but he can't find the words.

"Roman I want to know what that man said about me. I have the right to know and this baby does too. Tell me Roman I can take it, as long as you are here with me I can take any bad news."

Roman smiles and takes Marlena into his arms.

"You're right you deserve to hear it. I want you to know that if I wasn't sure that John was on his way here I would never tell you this."

"Roman just tell me."

"Tony is forcing you to marry him tomorrow."

Fear crossed her face as memories of when she was held in Paris flooded her thoughts. Tears form at the base of her eyes as she shook her head.

"I won't marry that man I would rather die then marry him. I can't marry him Roman we have to stop him he can't play God with us Roman he can't!"

"I know that but Tony is a DiMera they don't take kindly to refusal. You know that Stefano tried that before. John always came and saved you it's his driving force. Because of his love for you, you have to believe that he is on his way."

"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you here. I don't think I could bare it if Tony took you away from me. I couldn't then and I can't imagine now. I will always love you Roman I want you to know that. I never stopped loving you and I never will."

Roman touched smiles at Marlena and for the first time in a very long time, he believed what she said.

"Hearing that from you Marlena means a lot to me; because you know that I never stopped loving you we had something very special."

"I know I remember what we had. We have two beautiful children together and they mean everything to me. My family is my life I know you believe that too."

"Do you ever wander what our lives would have been like if Stefano hadn't interfered the way he did?"

"Yes I do you know all that time you were away after our divorce and before I married John I thought of that. I thought that we would have grown old together watched our children grow and you would bounce our grandchildren on your knee."

"Really?"

"Roman the day I married you was one of the best days of my life. I meant everything I said to you that day. I never took a day for granted being Mrs. Roman Brady. Then I thought you were dead and everything changed."

"I know we missed the best years of our kid's life. I can't help but think that if Stefano hadn't done what he did Sami wouldn't be so bitter."

"Roman you can't blame yourself for what Sami has done in her life. She's an adult, and as much as I want to believe that it was Stefano, I know that Sami is the way she is because she's very dependant. Who's to say that she wouldn't have turned out this way if we weren't separated from her? John was a good father to the twins and he is still a good father Sami is to blame for her actions not us and as much as I hate to say it neither is Stefano."

"You know Doc, for a long time I was angry with John. I blamed him for everything that went wrong in my life after I came back. I was angry that he raised our kids and I was angry that Sami, Eric and Carrie called him dad. I was their father not him and seeing him interact with our kids bothered the hell out of me. I just wanted him to leave us alone and to move on with his life. When we found out you were pregnant with Belle I thought finally he let you go. I didn't know then she wasn't mine. The day I found out she wasn't was the worse day of my life. I wanted her to be mine and I prayed that she would be mine. That she would glue us back together and we would finally be a real family again."

"When Kim first suggested that I was pregnant with her I was angry that she even suggested it. I mean we wanted to have more children but after several unsuccessful years, I just thought I was only meant to have the twins. Oh, I wanted more children so much and each year became more difficult. When I finally had given up, I learned I was pregnant again. I just thought fate had stepped in to let me know that my life was with you."

"It was Kim?"

"Yes, I just wanted to kill her I kept saying I had the flu I think I convinced myself that I did. I don't know what possessed me to take that home test. The day of the Bella board meeting, I saw two bright pink lines on that test. I thought I was seeing things I mean I couldn't be pregnant not after all these years. That's when I pulled out my calendar and learned the baby was conceived in February. As much as I wanted to tell you about John, I just thought it was impossible that he was the father. I was with him one night. I was scared I didn't know what to do I wanted to tell you but something was holding me back. I'm sure you noticed I was a little skittish that night."

"Yeah I did."

"The next day when Abe brought us breakfast I thought you would suspect it. If Carrie had done what she did, I probably would have said it then. I just wanted to find out if it was real. When the tests came, back it was a dream come true but it was also a nightmare. I didn't know the father of my baby. I didn't think I would have ever done what I had if I never was with John."

Tears begin to form in Marlena's eyes

"Done what you had? What did you do?"

"Do you remember the day I got mugged?"

"Yes it was the happiest day of my life. I was going to be a father again and I found you unharmed. Then the doctor told us you had a head injury and it was as if my whole life just flashed before my eyes. I was so frightened for you life and at that point I was more concerned with you then the baby."

Tears flowed freely as Marlena tries to control her emotions.

"What you didn't know was that I considered having an abortion. I just didn't think that I deserved to be a mother again, after what I'd done. I was on my way back from the clinic when I was mugged."

"An abortion? Marlena you would never even consider that what made you even go to that clinic?"

"I was just so scared and so ashamed of what I had done with John and what I had done to you and our vows I just wasn't thinking. It was as if God told me that the reason I was mugged was to protect the baby, as if it was fate. I don't know if I would have gone through with the abortion but at that moment, I panicked. I just know that if I would have gone through with it I would regret it every day for the rest of my life."

"Why didn't you tell me that day in the hospital after the sonogram that you were considering an abortion?"

"I guess I just saw how happy you were about the baby that it was better if I hadn't said anything."

"Don't take this personally but I'm glad you were mugged because if you weren't and you hadn't been you would not have Belle today and I know how precious she is to you and John."

"She is so precious to us. I thought she was my last baby and now I have this one and it's as if God stepped into my life again and John and I were going to be parents again. Then Tony had to take us away from each other and I just thought Belle was it but she isn't. Do you know what this baby means to me to us?"

"I don't' need to know it's written all over your face. I can see how happy you are and I can see how scared you are too that Tony will find out. However, I want you to know this I will protect you and this baby until John gets here. He would do the same if our positions were reversed. John will be here and he is going to be so happy when he finds out he's going to be a father again."

The two share a friendly hug something they seemed to be doing a lot of.

TBC…Chapter 7