Post by Tammy on Aug 17, 2006 12:59:19 GMT -5
Roman sat there at the table catching up with Sami and Belle, while Marlena and John sat there in silence across the table from each other. Every once in a while they would steal glances at each other hoping that the other didn’t notice. During one of these glances John noticed that Marlena was wearing her engagement ring. He smiled with joy, but that smile faded quickly when he remembered what he had to do. He wished with all his might that he could do this some other way, but for the life of him he couldn’t think of anything. He was lost in thought when Belle tapped his shoulder, ”Dad…did you hear me?” John shook his head clearing his mind, “Uh…no Izzy…sorry what were you saying?” Belle gave him a faint smile, “I asked if you have heard anything about the guys?” John shot Roman a quick glance and then looked back to Belle, “No baby…I haven’t heard anything new. But hey…no news is good news right?” John said trying his best to sound positive. Marlena stared at him for a moment and wondered what was going on. She had a very strong feeling that John wasn’t telling the truth. She could always tell when John was trying to hide something and now was one of those times. She broke the awkward silence between her and John, “John…can I talk to you for a minute?” John felt uneasy he wasn’t ready to talk to Marlena yet, he needed to leave and make preparations for what he knew he had to do, “Umm…I really can’t talk right now Marlena. I…have to get to the office.” He stood up and prepared to leave, but Marlena laid her slender hand upon his arm causing what felt like electricity to run through them both, “Please John…it will just take a minute.” John nodded reluctantly. They walked a ways away from the table. Marlena gave John the most heart warming smile, “John…how have you been? I…haven’t seen you much lately.” John felt his heartbreaking at the mere thought of what he was about to say, “Yeah well…that is what you wanted…right…time and space.” he said to her in a mild but flat emotionless tone. Marlena looked at him with a slightly shocked expression. Her mind was running a million miles a minute Why is he talking to me like that? He seems so cold. Marlena shook off his sudden attitude, “I received all the flowers and cards…” John nodded his head, “I see you got the ring back.” Marlena nodded, tears coming to her eyes as she looked at her engagement ring that John had given her many years ago, “Thank you for giving it back to me. It means more than you could…ever know.” John nodded he was at a loss for words as Marlena continued, “I was…well I was wondering if maybe we…we could go to dinner? I think there is a lot…that we need to talk about.” John was getting more and more anxious. He started to get extremely dizzy and disoriented, “John…John are you alright?” Marlena grabbed his arm as he started to sway. After a moment he steadied himself and got his bearings, “I’m…I’m okay Doc…you don’t have to worry about me.” He shrugged a little to make her release his arm, “John…of course I worry about you…I love you.” Those three words were like music to his ears, but he forced himself not to react. John looked at her with no emotion, “Listen…Marlena I really need to go. I have to go to the office…and then I need to go home and lie down. I think…I think I am catching something.” Marlena was about to protest but before she could John cut her off. “I will talk to you later Doc!” John walked back toward the table and Marlena followed close behind. John walked up to Roman and whispered in his ear, “Meet me…at midnight…on the pier.” Roman looked up at him and nodded. John walked up to Belle and kissed her cheek, “Bye sweetheart. I will talk to you as soon as I know something.” Sami looked at him with disgust, “John where are you off to in such a hurry? You and Kate have a hot date.” Marlena gasped at her daughters comment. Roman looked at his daughter in shock, “Samantha Gene Brady!” Sami looked at her father with shock on her face at the tone of his voice, ”What?” “You know damn well what! You make me wonder if the things that Kate have said are true!” Marlena looked at Sami with a look of hurt and sadness on her face, “I am beginning to wonder the same thing myself.” Sami looked back and forth between her mother and father, “Mom…dad…how can you say that! You know that I would never cheat on Lucas…Kate set me up!” As Sami kept pleading her case, John interrupted, “Listen I have to go. See you all later!” was all he said and he quickly turned and walked away. Marlena called after him franticaly, “JOHN!…. JOHN…please wait!” When John walked away without looking back Marlena sat back in her chair feeling defeated. She turned to face Sami, “Thank you VERY much Samantha!” Sami raised her hands in the air, “Now what did I do?” Marlena shook her head, “What you always do Sami…cause trouble. Things are hard enough right now with out you making cruel accusations!” Sami raised her hand to her chest, “If things are difficult between you and John it’s not my fault! He was the one cheating on you with Kate.” Roman looked at Sami with an iron gaze, “That is enough! You know the more I think about it...the more I think that Kate is telling the truth! Just by the way your acting right now I can only imagine the things you have done while your mother and I were gone!” Sami looked at her father, mother and sister. “Why are you all blaming me for everything. Why won’t you believe me!” Belle stood up with anger in her pose, “Maybe we don’t believe you because you are a known liar Sami. When ever you feel that someone has wronged you…you strike out at them. You were vicious while mom and Roman were gone! You blamed my father for mom and Roman’s death and you did everything you could to make his life a living hell…not to mention Kate! And now mom and Roman are back and you are doing your damndest to hurt them because they love people that you don’t like.” Sami shook her head, “That’s not true Belle! I want my mother and father to be happy…more than anything.” Marlena stood and walked over next to Belle, “If you want me to be happy Sami…then quit trying to alienate the man that I love. John and I are having a hard enough time right now without you adding fuel to the fire.” Marlena walked over to Sami and laid her hand on Sami’s shoulder, “Sweetheart…I love you…but you are your own worst enemy. If you want people to believe in you…you have to give them a reason too. Now I have to go and try to talk to John. I will tell you this much Samantha…I will not tolerate your temper tantrums anymore. You need to realize the very simple fact that your father and I are not in love anymore…and we will not be getting back together! We have separate lives now, and that’s the way it’s going to stay!” Marlena and Belle began to walk away, when Roman stopped them, “Wait I will drive you.” He stopped and looked at Sami, “I am very disappointed in you Sami! All these years your mother and I have tolerated your childish behavior…but no more! I know damn well that your mother and I taught you respect, and the last time that I looked John and Kate were your step parents! Now I understand why you and Kate don’t get along…and actually I can’t say that I blame either of you for the way you feel about each other. But you had damn well better start showing her some respect, because she is my wife!” Sami looked at her father, “I don’t give a rats ass who she is! She has never respected me, and I sure as hell have NO reason to respect her!” Marlena approached her, “And what about John? He has never shown you anything but respect and love, and you have done nothing but treat him like dirt! I would have thought that when your father and I “died” you would have reached out to him. It breaks my heart to hear how you treated him. He raised you Sami! He loves you just as much as Belle and Brady…and what did you do…you alienate him and blame him for our deaths!” Marlena begins to cry, and Roman puts an arm around her and looks at Sami, “You better get your act together Samantha. You need to learn to respect your parents…all of them! Or you may have just burnt your last bridge with this family!” Sami opens her mouth to say something but Roman, Marlena and Belle all walk away! Leaving Sami standing there crying in the middle of Salem Place!
