“What? What is it?” he asked, catching her staring at him as he wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped through the bathroom door.

“Hm- oh, nothing. Just thinking that you never use that lovely robe I got you for Christmas,” she replied. A faint smile curved her lips as she watched him walk across the floor. His skin was still damp from the shower, the steam following him into the room as he strode quickly past her. Without a doubt, he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

As if reading her thoughts, his cheeks flushed a faint pink, and she knew that he could feel her eyes following his every move. He was such a little boy in so many ways. Of course, in other ways....

“What?!”

“Nothing!” She tried to look innocent, but the laughter bubbled up despite her best efforts.

“Is this about last night?”

“What about last night?” she asked, her face a study in innocence.

“Women!” he muttered, turning his back on her in an attempt to ignore her stare. He fumbled around for a pair of matching socks and tried to pretend she wasn’t there.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her breath sliding across the damp skin of his neck in a way that made his entire body shiver. One slender arm curled around his waist as the inviting heat of her plastered itself to his back.

“You’re forgiven,” he croaked.

“It’s just, I seem to be suffering from a very severe case today.”

“Severe case of what?” He heard his words from a distance, the blood roaring in his ears as her hand played with the knot that held the towel closed.

“Penis envy- a very severe case indeed.”

“You could borrow mine,” he grunted, his hips jerking forward as if eager to share.

“What’ll it cost me?”

“What do you got?”

She chuckled, her teeth skimming down the side of his neck as the towel dropped to the floor. Her left hand circled his chest, teasing lightly across one dark nipple. With slightly more pressure, the fingernails of her right hand scrapped the sensitive skin of his groin.

“Deal,” he wheezed out as every red corpuscle in his body raced to the beckoning call of her fingers. A low moan that spoke of nothing but need leaked from his throat and he turned in her arms. He tugged at her dress, trying hard to resist the urge to simply rip it from her body. He could never get enough of her. Never. The more he had, the more he wanted.

“Don’t leave me,” she moaned, even as he pushed her down on the bed and pulled the nightgown over her head.

“Could never leave you. Never. I’ll be back. I swear it.”

His words hissed in her ear, more threat than promise. Their meaning was lost before it could be found, her hips arching from the bed as practiced hands stroked her slender thighs. Soft lips swallowed her cries, the two of them moving together as one single being. It was only much later, when he rose on trembling legs and turned away from her, that she realized they weren’t.

“You’re still going?” she said, pulling her nightgown to her as if the thin silk could replace his warmth.

The muscles in his back clenched and when he spoke, his words were cold. “You have to ask?”

“Yes- I do. What aren’t you telling me, Roman?” She slipped from the bed, cornering him against the bureau when he tried to walk away. When she put her hand to his chest to stop him, he flinched from her touch.

“Tell me,” she repeated.

“You worry over nothing,” Roman muttered. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Don’t lie. It doesn’t suit you.” Reaching out, she forced his head up until he had no choice but to meet her gaze. “Tell me.”

“I’ll be back,” he finally said, pulling gently free of her grip. “I’ll be back, that’s not a lie.”

“Don’t do this, Roman. We couldn’t survive without you.”

“You survived without me once before,” he snapped, his voice suddenly hard. Her face went pale and he cursed his own stupidity. “I’m sorry! God, Doc, I’m sorry.” He circled her resisting body with his arms. “I didn’t mean....”

Shaking her head frantically, she pushed away from him and he let her go. “We did not survive without you! We waited for you, Roman Brady! I waited for you.” Dashing away the tears from her cheeks, she locked her eyes on his. “I would be waiting for you still.”

“I know, babe. I’m sorry,” he said, taking her hands gingerly into his own. “I was just.... You think this doesn’t make me angry? You think I want to leave? I have to do this Marlena and you fighting me on it just makes it harder. I just… you know I can’t fight with you. I didn’t mean what I said. I was an ass and I’m sorry.”

“You were an ass,” she said with a grim nod.

“I know.”

“And mean. You were mean, too.”

“I’m sorry I was mean. I’m sorry I was an ass.” He hung his head and looked up at her, finally coaxing the slightest smile from her lips.

“And those socks don’t match.”

“You’re pushing it,” he said with a crooked grin.

“You deserve it,” she replied, her smile echoing his.

“I know,” he said softly, pulling her to him.





Resting her head against his chest, she closed her eyes and tried not to be afraid. “I must love you a lot to put up with you.”

“I know,” he repeated, rocking her gently. After a long moment, she turned her head and looked up at him.

“If you aren’t back in a few days, I am going to hunt you down and kick your butt.”

“I know that too.”

Roman jogged down the stairs, still not certain if he were forgiven. A rapidly dwindling stack of French toast greeted him and he quickly snagged a chair and a glass of juice.

“You’re a little late this morning. Busy night?” Carrie teased, raising a spatula in salute.

Roman blushed and shot his eldest child a dirty look. “Sounds like someone’s growing up a little too fast. Maybe we should bring you back home for a few years rather than let you stay in that coed dorm you were telling us stories about last night.”

“No way- I am not going back to sharing a room full time!” Glaring across the table at her father, Sami raised a fist in mock warning.

“You’re dressed kinda casual. Going on a stake-out today?” Eric asked, ignoring his sisters entirely. Their curiosity piqued, all three kids focused their attention on him.

“Sorry guys, nothing nearly so dramatic. I just have to take a little plane trip down to New Orleans and I’d rather travel in comfort.”

The awkward silence stretched out indefinitely, and Roman came to the belated realization that Marlena was not the only one likely to disapprove of his little trip.

“It’s just for a couple of days. It’s just meetings, nothing dangerous,” he continued casually, painfully aware of the fact he hadn’t considered the children’s reactions.

“Do you have to go Dad?” Sami finally asked.

“Yes kiddo, it’s an important meeting. Don’t worry guys, this isn’t even field work. I promise I’ll be back by the time you two have your learner’s permits, if that’s what’s got you worried,” he said, trying to lighten the tension. “Really, I’m not doing this to avoid teaching you two how to drive. Really, that’s not it, I would never do such a thing!” His sarcasm finally elicited faint smiles from the twins, but Carrie didn’t look convinced.

“Are you sure it will be okay dad?” Carrie asked.

“Positive punkin- I’ll be back in no time, I promise you. Now, enough of this. Give your old man a hug and let me get out of here. I’ve got a plane to catch and some reports to go over before I do. Come on- group hug,” he said grinning. He gathered the three of them up in his arms and held on, maybe a little tighter than normal.

“Love you guys, and I promise to bring back presents,” he said, kissing each on their forehead. He let go, stepping back to see Marlena watching him fondly, a faint smile on her face that could not quite hide the worry in her eyes.

“Let me walk you to the door, lover. I want to see you for as long as I possibly can,” she said, slipping an arm about his waist.

At the door, she turned him to face her, forcing his eyes to meet hers. “Promise me, promise me on our love...you will take care and you will come home to me.”





Roman pulled her into a tight embrace, forcing himself not to squeeze too hard. For an instance he wavered, wanting nothing more than to go back inside his home and forget that Stefano Dimera had ever existed. Running his fingers through her hair he breathed in her scent, memorized the feeling of her skin beneath his fingers. He wouldn’t risk her. He couldn’t risk her. Stefano Dimera alive was a risk, and a risk to her could not be tolerated.

“I promise you, I will be fine,” he finally said. “I love you, Doc. Nothing and no one could keep me from coming back to you. Back to you, our children, my family- you are my life. Never doubt that.” He felt the pain his words caused her, the hurt his leaving brought. Ducking his head, he broke their embrace and walked steadily to his car. He never looked back. If he looked back, he knew he wouldn’t leave.

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