Breathe

Chapter 3

Carrie slid into the booth across from John at the diner with a questioning look on her face. The music was loud and the noise of the talking patrons made meeting John here safer than somewhere quiet. They normally met once a week, and since she had just seen him the day before, she knew something was wrong. She could see it in the lines of his eyes, and the set of his jaw. She'd also seen Roman earlier, and he's been in a horrible mood. Ranting and raving about John, and making her promise to stay away from him. Roman hadn't so much as mentioned John's existence in the past two months. One look into John's intense blue eyes, and Carrie was asking, "So, are you going to tell me what's going on, Dad?"

He reached for her hand, realizing how much he loved the fact that she was so direct. It reminded him of Marlena, even though Marlena hadn't been in their lives for six years. "I promised you when Roman came back that I would never lie to you, and I won't, Punkin', but damn, if this isn't hard," John said, running the fingers of his free hand through his hair.

He had left Shane's house, and came straight to the diner. Making sure that no one he knew was there. He'd asked to use their phone, calling around for Carrie, and finally located her at the fish market. He'd heard Roman's booming voice in the background, and at one point in their conversation, Carrie had called him Jaimie. It meant a lot to him that even with Roman's threats over the last year, Carrie had maintained her faith in him. His trust with Carrie had been incredibly fragile when Roman had come back to Salem, and John's promise to always tell her the truth was essential to the survival of their relationship, even if he felt like this was a lot to put on an eighteen year old girl. He knew that if he didn't tell her, his relationship with Carrie might be broken irrevocably.

Stroking his thumb over the top of her hand, he said softly, "Last night, as I was leaving the house, someone called. I waited, listening as the answering machine picked up, just in case it was an emergency, and...and the voice I heard...G-d! It was Marlena's voice, Carrie."

Her heart rate increased as she stared at him dumbfounded, "What?"

"I know it sounds crazy, even far-fetched, but Carrie, it was Doc. I would bet my life on it. I swear to you, it was Doc," John said. "She said that Stefano has her. He's had her this whole time... and she said... he has Hope, too. I know this is a lot to take in, and I'm sorry for that. It's just that I promised you–"

"--you told Roman?" she asked. But then she realized he had to have told Roman. Her father had practically cornered her at the fish market demanding that she stay away from John, and threatening to withdraw her college tuition if he heard that she was speaking to him.

John sighed, "I did, and he's—"

"—he wouldn't listen. Would he? I know he wouldn't listen, because just before you called, he'd given me the lecture about talking to you, and he hasn't done that in nearly six months. Do you think it was really her?" Her life had been so absolutely miserable over the last year. She wiped the tears from her eyes. If she needed anyone in her life at that point it would be Marlena.

"Carrie, punkin' girl... I swear it was her. It was her. I know it was her," he said emphatically.

She stared at him for a moment. John would never be this adamant about something unless he felt it so deeply there could be no doubt. "What are you going to do? I know you're going to do something," Carrie told him. He wasn't the type to sit on information.

He glanced around quickly, before leaning towards her across the table, "Bo and I—"

"—you went to Bo?" she asked in surprise.

"Damn right I did, punkin'. Right after your father kicked me out of his office. Of course, I went to Bo. I wasn't sure if he'd believe me, but I was damn sure going to tell him," John said in low tones.