Roman sat in the small hospital chapel. He could feel the priest’s eyes watching him. He ignored the eyes, his words meant for God alone only God could help him now. For the first time since he had come back, Roman Brady prayed.

He prayed for forgiveness. He prayed for guidance. It had all gone so terribly, terribly wrong. All he had wanted to do was pick up where he had left off to have the family he had dreamed of for all of the long years locked in that damn cell. That family was gone. He had realized it the moment he had entered the house, the home he had created with Marlena and his children. The home that wasn’t his anymore.

Everything he saw, everything he touched, it had belonged to someone else. John might have been gone, but his presence lurked in every picture, every piece of furniture, every damn poster on his son’s walls. Baseball players. Yankee pennants. Roman didn’t even like baseball, yet there was ‘his’ mitt sitting in the corner with Eric’s own, waiting for their weekend game of catch a game he had never played. With a sigh, he admitted that he had been free for over four months and he still hadn’t played that game of catch.

The fault was his. He had let his anger consume him, his bitterness over the fact that they had accepted someone else in his place. Anger, pain, maybe even fear the fear that he wouldn’t be as good a father as the one they had had he had let it all drive him away. He had avoided his family by focusing on the men who had taken him away from them and now he might have lost them for good.

Please, God the baby could not be Dimera’s. He had been angry when he found out that Marlena was pregnant. The baby, it would have been a constant reminder of how she had betrayed him with another man. He had been angry at both of them. But in his heart, he had known that John wouldn’t claim the child, that he would not try and take it from Marlena. And there had been satisfaction in knowing that the man would watch from afar as Roman raised his only child. There had been a cosmic justice in that.

Roman had felt almost guilty at John’s trial, seeing the things that had been done to him, remembering the evidence of his own eyes. He had actually been relieved when the man had been set free. He had thought it had signaled a new beginning. A fresh start. How wrong could one man be?

Stefano was not John. He would not let go of this child. He would not care what Marlena wanted. No, Dimera would use this to his advantage. Use it to draw her closer.

Bowing his head, Roman Brady prayed.

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned…

“Roman!” Marlena laughed. “You do not have to be so careful with me. They only kept me in the hospital overnight for observation. Mike says I’m perfectly fine.”

“You are not fine, you are pregnant. And I am going to cater to your every whim from this point on.” Matching actions to words, he bowed before her as he unlocked the front door.

With a grin, Marlena took the proffered hand and walked in, only to be greeted with a shouted, “Surprise!!” The twins were waiting in the living room, a cake with burning candles on the table.

“Welcome home, Mom!” Sami called out, a smile on her face.

Marlena laughed, recognizing the fact that they were trying to take her mind off of her problems the scare of a miscarriage, the knowledge of the baby’s father. She was surprised to find that it was working. “So what are the candles for?”

“Why, to decorate the cake, of course,” Roman replied teasingly.

“Well then, what is the cake for,” she asked, sighing in mock exasperation.

“The cake is for all those chocolate urges you get when you are in this ‘hormonal state’.”

“Oh, now really I’m not that bad. Am I, you guys?” she asked, looking around at her children for support. Without hesitation, they collectively nodded their heads and she burst out laughing. “Well, come on then. Let’s dig into this cake.”

Marlena lay back in the kingsized bed. After all these months, it still felt wrong to be sleeping in it alone. Unconsciously, her hand floated across the empty spot where he should be. He wouldn’t be back he couldn’t be. She just wished she could get used to a life without him.

Still, for the first time in a long while, she felt hope. John had been right, it didn’t matter who the father of her baby was. This baby was hers, that was all that mattered. She laid a hand on her belly, marveling at the feel of an elbow poking her hand. Oh! Maybe that was a knee! She smiled, realizing how she had missed the feel of this. She wished she had someone to share it with.

Roman. He had tried so hard today. He finally seemed to be trying to reconnect with his family. She owed him that chance. She had loved him once. With all her heart, she had loved him. Before she had met John, she had loved him.

Her fingers tapped across the slight swell of her stomach in silent communication with the child inside. She had loved Roman, but to take him back into her bed into her heart… Even thinking about it seemed a betrayal- a betrayal of herself. But Roman was her husband. By both God’s law and man’s, he was still her husband. If Roman still wanted to be with her, she owed it to him to try. The least she could do was try.

She glanced at the clock. Only 10:30 not too late for a little snack before she turned in for the night. Roman definitely remembered how she was when she was pregnant the hormones made chocolate more a need than a desire. With a small smile, she eased from the bed and tiptoed out of the room.

Light showed from under the crack in the kitchen door and she wondered who had beat her to the fridge. The sound of an angry voice made her hesitate, her hand on the doorknob John’s name, spat out like an epitaph, and she froze in place.

“I told you, John Black is not the primary target. Dimera is the head of the cartel. He’s the one we have to take down.” Roman’s voice, even muffled by the closed door, was easy to hear.

There was a long pause and Marlena realized he was talking to someone on the kitchen phone. His voice rang out, louder this time. “No! That is not an option. It makes us no better than they are. Killing him is not an alternative. What is your problem? Dimera is the one in charge. Even if you took Black out, the cartel would still go on. If this is some kind of personal vendetta, you can count me out!”

“No, don’t you even pretend to threaten me. I have enough on you to take you and your whole organization down. If you start killing people, that is exactly what I will do!”

The phone made a loud crash as it was slammed angrily down. Marlena slowly pushed the kitchen door open, stopping in the entry to look at her husband.

Roman turned from the phone, his eyes darting guiltily away when he saw her. “How long have you been standing there?”





“Long enough,” she replied. “Roman, tell me what is going on. What are you involved in? What does it have to do with John?”

“It’s just work stuff nothing you have to be concerned about,” he replied, still avoiding her eyes.

“It didn’t sound like work, Roman. It sounded like threats. I have a right to know what’s going on. I want you to tell me!” Going to the kitchen table, she sat down and looked at him, prepared to wait all night if that’s what it took.

“I will take care of this. Now is not a good time for you to be getting upset about things.”

“I worry about the things I don’t know. Now, please tell me. Did you have anything to do with John and the diamonds?”

“Remind me not to forget what a smart woman you are, Doc,” he replied almost sheepishly, easing himself down in the chair opposite her. “But, as to your question yes, I helped set John up on the smuggling charges.”

She blinked back the disappointment and took his hand in hers. “I want to know everything.”

“Roman, why? Why would you go along with such men?”

Roman shrugged, knowing he didn’t have good answers to her questions. “I was mad, Marlena. I saw Stefano getting away with it. Getting away with everything he had done to me to us. At the time, it just seemed that bending the rules a little to get to somebody like him, it seemed worth it.





“I swear to you, Doc I was after Dimera. I didn’t know John was involved in the operation. But when I saw him… John started to lecture me about being here for you and the kids. Well, I guess it struck a nerve. All I could think of was bringing him down. Showing him up. I called my contact and told him I had a high level member of the cartel located. I told him how we could work it, how we could set him up. I’m sorry, Marlena. I know it was the wrong thing. But I promise you, I will make sure it all works out. I know it was wrong and I’m going to fix it. You believe me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” she replied. “I know you will make this right, Roman. I trust you. You should know that. But what are you going to do? That conversation I overheard sounded ugly.”

Roman nodded. “They wanted me to help set John up again. But this time, the goal was to get him out into the open, get a good shot for a sniper. They wanted me to help them kill him.”

“They want him dead?” she asked, her face going white. “They would do that. Just shoot him down in the street?”

“Yea they would. And it doesn’t make sense. John isn’t even the head of the organization, but it’s like they’re fixated on him. I get the distinct impression that I’m doing somebody’s dirty work and that is going to stop. It wasn’t an empty threat when I told my contact that I had evidence against the members of the Brotherhood. I’ve managed to identify most of the members. I’ve got good intelligence on their operations, funding and structure. I’m going to turn it all over to Jameson and bust this organization wide open! I will make this right, Marlena. I will.”

Instinctively, Marlena reached over and held his hand in her own. “Are you sure it’s safe? These men sound dangerous.”

“It’s the only option. If I won’t go along with them, they are bound to view me as a threat. The safest thing for me to do is get the information to the authorities,” he replied, squeezing her hand. “It really will be okay. Now, why don’t you get back to sleep. You and the baby need your rest. And I have a lot of work to do if I’m going to get these files in to Jameson tomorrow.”

Standing, he offered his hand and she took it. As he helped her up, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Roman. Thank you for being honest with me. It’s nice to know some things will never change.”

Roman half stumbled into the kitchen, still tired after too little sleep.

“Well, hello sleepyhead!” Marlena called with a smile, looking up from the kitchen table. “You missed the kids, they already headed off to school.”

He flashed her a grin and took the chair across from her, cradling a cup of coffee in his hands. “Sorry I missed them. Stayed up later than I thought working on this report,” he said, tossing a thick file on the table.

“I was up too thinking about it,” she replied, ignoring the folder. “Roman does John know you were the one who set him up in Paris?”

“Probably. It’s not that hard to figure out. Why?”

She stared down at the table top, her shoulders lifting in a shrug. “You don’t think he would do anything about it, do you?”

“No. I really don’t think he will. I mean, he could have been waiting for the outcome of the trial, but he’s had enough opportunities already. If he wanted to, to retaliate, he probably already would have. I didn’t get the impression that subtlety is his strong point. Besides, he knows it would hurt you.”

Her cheeks flushed and he felt the familiar surge of jealousy. He’d be damned if he’d let it come between them once again. “Marlena, it’s okay that you still care about him. Really, it is,” he said, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head up until she had no choice but to meet his eyes.

“I may not like it, but I do understand it,” Roman continued softly.

“I never meant to hurt you, Roman. I hope you know that,” she whispered, blinking back the tears.

“Never doubted it, Doc. Not for a second.

“Now you need to quit worrying about John Black. He’s not gunning for me. Hell, he even told me I’d better stay with you or else! John isn’t a threat to us anymore. Once I bust this whole Brotherhood organization, he might even thank me!”

As he had hoped, that elicited a smile.

“Well, I wouldn’t count on it,” she chuckled, brushing at her eyes. “But I do think you’re right. He knows how important you are to everyone he wouldn’t risk hurting you. I just, I don’t know him anymore and sometimes that scares me. Sometimes, he scares me.”

He trailed his finger across her cheek, wiping away the last of the tears. “Doc, I don’t want you scared, not of anything. After today, this will all be over. I called Jameson, the Assistant Director. Told him the whole story. I’ve got to meet him at 11, turn over the files, and then this is all out of my hands.

“And Doc? When I see him, I’m turning in my resignation. I’m going back to being just a plain old cop. We won’t have to worry about Dimera, or John, or the ISA again. Okay?”

“It’s more than okay, Roman. Thank you.” Becoming uncomfortable at the intensity of his gaze, she drew back. “Why don’t you go get a shower, I’ll clean up in here.”

Roman walked into the kitchen, dressed in a suit and tie and feeling like he was finally home again. “Better?” he asked, striking a model’s pose.

She looked up from the files and flashed him that dazzling smile. “Much.”

“Doc, you really don’t need to be worrying about that stuff,” he said, peering over her shoulder at the pile of pictures she had strewn across the table.

“Sorry, I just meant to take a peek. This is fascinating, Roman. Do you really think all of these men are involved in the Brotherhood?”

“Marlena, that’s really a pretty small group for an operation like this. I’ve probably missed one or two, but I’ve got dossiers on 18 men who I know are involved in the organization. Those are their pictures that I had put so nicely in order,” he teased. “The list of names is mostly just soldiers, the enforcers they send out to do their dirty work. Given enough time, though, this group could have builtup a real power base. It’s a good thing I’m getting it in to Jameson before they can get completely entrenched. Now, help me get this stuff together. I need to get out of here.”





As she walked him out the front door, he casually reached down to hold her hand in his. Walking arminarm with his wife, he recognized for the first time that he might actually have a chance to get his family back. When they reached the car, he leaned against the door and she shifted in his arms to face him. The uncertainty was still in her eyes and he opted for a quick peck on her cheek. “Hey, how about tonight, we go out? Do a little celebrating, just the two of us. After I drop this file off, we’ll finally be able to concentrate on us for a change.”

She glanced away, and for a moment he thought she would make excuses. Instead, she looked up and gave him a broad grin. “I would love to go out, just the two of us.”

“It’s a date, then,” he said, indulging in a tight hug. “Wear something slinky!”

“Oh, right! I’ll look really sexy with this bowling ball in my belly!” she called, laughing as he slammed the door shut. With one last wave, she turned to go back into the house, already trying to figure out what she had in her closet that still fit. None of her maternity wear was really suited for a night on the town. Maybe it was time to do a little shopping…

The honk of a horn stopped her before she got halfway to the door.

“Make sure it’s something red,” he called, leaning out the car window. “I love you in red!” He loved her in anything, but had sense enough not to say so just yet. Still holding her eye, he shifted into reverse and the car went up in a flash of light.

His smile was the last thing she saw before the white fire consumed her. 

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