The sleepless nights had turned into tense days. The simple message on the crumpled pink paper haunted their sleep and drifted into their daydreams. They began to suspect it was just a horrible trick, one to put them on guard all day. Finally, the guard began to deteriorate and the life they led before began to trickle back into place. John returned to his work with the ISA; Marlena took on more patients at the hospital, both trying to reform the semblance of the life that they strove so hard for.
John laid in the bed, reading up on that case that was stumping his coworkers. Marlena, fresh from the shower, leaned up against the archway and cleared her throat. "You know, I knew this would happen. You'd get all involved with your work again and just ignore your poor wife." She walked over to the vanity and slipped the robe off of her shoulders revealing his oversized tee shirt, coming just to her mid thigh. John kept sifting through the pages of the files, intent on finding the answers buried deep within their words. Marlena tied her hair up in a ponytail and shrugged her shoulders, seeing her husband was once again captured by the intrigue and adventure that being an ISA agent brings. "Ah well, guess there's nothing else to do but sleep?" She waited for his reply and was disappointed to hear him hum in agreement. She stomped over to the bed and jumped onto her side, making sure to disrupt the papers he'd laid there. "Doc!" John tried to grab the papers before she landed on them, rescuing a few before she landed.
Marlena stretched out and feigned a yawn before closing her eyes in mock sleep. "Doc, I need that paper." John's eyes never left the file that sat on his knees. "Oh, this file, the one under my leg?" She playfully swatted her thigh, daring him to snatch the paper from under her. "Doc, I don't have time for this really, honey. I've got to get some lead on this case, it's driving everyone nuts." John reached under her and gently took the papers and went back to his work. Marlena flipped over on her side and stuffed herself under the sheets. "Yea, you don't have time for a lot anymore. Goodnight John." She flipped the light off on the nightstand and pulled the sheets up under her chin. John scratched his forehead with an exasperated sigh and set the papers down beside him. "Hey, Doc, I know I've been really busy and all. I'm sorry, I'll try to make more time for you and the kids." He leaned over to seal his promise with a kiss, only to find his path marred with the obstruction of the cotton sheet. John pulled himself back up, shaking his head and finding a smile coming to his face. "Goodnight Doc."
"MOOOOOOOM!!!" Brady ran into the room and jumped in the middle of his mother. She groaned as the knees of her son met her stomach. "Brady, what's the matter?" Brady leaned down and looked her straight in the face, finding it hard to catch his breath. "Mama, I... need... a... new... a... new..." Brady's face screwed into a confused look. "DAAAAAD! What did you tell me to ask mom to get me?" Marlena's face brighten with a cheerful smile and she grabbed Brady's small face and smothered him with kisses. "Well, Mr. Big, I think I'm being set up. So you and your sister go get ready and we are gonna paint the town today." Brady jumped up from her and started down the hallway, hollering for his sister to get a move on. Marlena swung her legs out from under the blanket and started toward the bathroom to start her day. The slight crinkle of the paper beneath her feet caught her attention. "Hmm, this must have dropped last night." She shrugged her shoulders and bent to retrieve the missing part of the mysterious file. Her brow furrowed and her eyes widened in a mixture of both wonder and horror. She had parts of this puzzle.
John helped the children dress for their special day out with their mother. He knew she would want him with them, but he needed time to do some things today. He would make it all up to each member of his small family tonight. "Daddy, are you gonna go with us?" Belle pulled away from him while he tried to zip her dress up, trying to face him. "Ah, Belle, honey, Daddy has to do some things right now. But, I promise that you will have me all tonight." John buttoned the top button on her dress and turned her to him. Belle pouted out her lip and looked down toward the ground, giving her best 'pleeeease' that she could muster. Brady decided to join suit and soon John was hit by a barrage of tiny, squeaky voices pleading for him to spend the day with them. "Hey, hey! What's all this?" Marlena made her presence known in the melee of children's voices. "Mama, tell Daddy to go with us!" Belle tugged her mother's dress hem to emphasize her point. "Baby, if you leave Mama alone with Daddy for just a few minutes, I think maybe I can fix it so he can go. How's about that?" Belle jumped up and down with excitement and took Brady's hand as they raced from the room, eager to have their mother talk their father into spending a whole day with them.
John, still seated on the floor, looked up at his wife with a wince on his face. " I guess I'm still in the doghouse, huh?" She held her hand out to him and raised her eyebrow in mock agreement. John took her hand and started to pull himself up, instead pulled her down to him. Her laugh erupted great joy in his heart and soon they both were filling the air with laughter. Marlena's eye caught the paper held in her other hand and hopped up off of the floor. "John, we need to talk about this." John rose to his feet and questioned her with his eyes. "I found this on the floor, I think it fell out of your file. John, I'm not quite sure how to tell you this, but I have information about this case."
The dark haired man finally made his way to the infamous Salem Inn. Registering under the name of Mr. O. Eurydice, he made his way up the steps to his room. Finally, he managed to balance the suitcase and the key to the door and made his way in. "Well, it's certainly not the more luxurious of the hotels, but for my purposes now it will be perfect. Now, to make a few calls." A smile settled on his lips and he made his way to the bedside phone to announce his arrival.
John took the paper from her and looked it over. For months the ISA had been searching for some break in this case, for just one hint, and now his wife stands there and says she has an answer. "Doc, what do you know?" Marlena started to tell him, but stopped mid breathe, deciding to use it to her advantage. "You know, if you were to, oh I don't know, spend the day with your children and your wife, I could be persuaded to make a deal with you." Her eyes twinkled with a child-like mischievousness, hoping John would succumb to her advances. "Marlena, I really need to follow my leads..." He saw he was losing this battle and waved the paper over his head in defeat. "Okay, you got yourself a deal. Let's get you ready and then you will have me all day." Marlena clapped her hands and jumped in excitement, before noticing John's arms cross in front of him. "BUT... we are going to talk about this tonight." "Hey, that sounds like a deal to me." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, patting it in her absence. "Give me 30 minutes and I'm all yours." She rushed out of the room and down the hall. "30 minutes? Yeah, that's gonna happen." John grabbed his children's ball gloves and bounded out the door to spend the day with his family.
Stefano sat in his great living room, pondering his chessboard. It had not only become a game he played, but a very part of his existence, the way he ran his life was somehow dictated by the small elegant pieces on the mahogany board. He gently placed his finger on the top of the queen, toddling it back and forth before finally laying it on its side. His mind drifted and was abruptly snapped back to by the shrill ringing of the phone. "Eliana!" Stefano continued with his thought processes, but was once again interrupted by the ring. Placing his snifter on the table, he rose to answer the persistent phone himself. "Hello?" His rich baritone resounded off the phone into the ears of it's recipient. "Hello, my friend." Stefano's eyes narrowed in recognition. "Where have you been? It's time." "Yes, I know. I have my reasons. I'll explain them to you in due time, but now, we need to meet. Send a car for me, we have a meeting to attend to." Stefano smiled as he clicked the phone down on the carriage. "It's time. Oh how long this day has been waiting." He bellowed Eliana's name again and she came down the steps with great speed. "Yes, sir?" "Get the driver, I have an engagement to attend to." She was gone before he could even get all the words out. The car immediately was at the front door, Stefano waited for the driver to open the door and was on his way to meet the man he called his 'friend'.
The day with his family had been wonderful for John. The lines that marred his face were now soft and barely noticeable. "Ya know, for being your children, our kids sure do have some great skills and athleticism." He smiled at his wife, who to his amazement was smiling back. "Yes, and isn't it wonderful that they get their brains from me!" She threw the ball at her husband who caught it with deft hands before it hit the table lamp. "Good thing you throw like a girl too." He tossed the ball in the air and caught it once again while flopping on the couch. Marlena walked quietly over to him and knelt beside him, catching the ball in her hand when he tossed it up again. "Good thing I do other things like a girl too huh?" John stared straight up at the ceiling, his airway suddenly becoming a little constricted. The corner of her mouth turned into a smug smile and she rose to her feet, but not before plunking the ball square in his chest. "I have to go get your children cleaned up from their big day." She laughed at his pained face, as he rubbed his chest in the spot where'd she left her point, and proceeded up the stairs to her children.
Stefano faced straight ahead as his driving companion entered the darkened limo. "Stefano, it's good to see you again. It's been far to long." "Ah, yes. You were supposed to be back quite some time ago, what happened?" Stefano finally faced the man and saw the face he hadn't seen in over ten years. "Our plan has its final pieces. Now we are ready to proceed as planned. Salem will wish they had never heard the name Stefano DiMera." Stefano clapped his hands in expectation, but was puzzled to find a hand smothering his celebration. "You must not forget we are a team now. Eye for an eye." Stefano threw his hands up forcing the opposing hand to fly away. "I will not forget, now you must remember, I get what I want and you shall be vindicated... Orpheus."
To be continued...