After Maison Blanche

Chapter 18

All of the rage, and anger that Sami had been hanging onto for the last year and a half evaporated, when Eric parked the car in front of a purple house with grey trim. Sami started crying all over again, and Eric knew, in that moment, that life might be hard, but they were going to be okay. They were all going to be okay.

Standing outside the car, they both looked up at the large home. Eric reached for his sisters hand, "Are you ready to do this?"

"I am," Sami said quietly. "I'm so tired of being angry. I just want to be happy again. I want us all to be happy again."

"You know that's going to take time, but what did I tell you?"

Sami smiled at her brother, "Therapy works."

"That's right," he said. "Trust the process."

They walked towards the steps, and climbed towards the house. John answered the door to find Sami, red-faced, with tear filled eyes, and a young man he hadn't seen in years. Eric looked at him with a sheepish grin, and said, "Hi, Dad. We're home."

"John, honey, who's at the—" Marlena asked, as she came around the corner.

As soon as Sami's eyes landed on her mother, she was lost to another round of tears, as she cried, "—it's purple!" Sami sobbed uncontrollably, throwing herself into her mothers arms. Marlena started crying too, because that's really all Sami needed to say. She knew why Marlena had painted the house purple. She remembered. That's all that mattered. Marlena cried with joy at having her daughter in her arms again, and then she cried harder when she heard Eric say, "Hi, Mom. I missed you," and he wrapped his arms around them both.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roman left town almost as soon as Marlena's pregnancy was announced, choosing to leave, and go on an ISA mission rather than stay. Even as he left town, he still refused to sign the divorce papers, and Mickey had to push the divorce was through the courts in his absence. Roman's bruised pride caused Sami, Eric, and Carrie to lose their father all over again, and John had naturally fallen back into the role. As a family they came together, with John and Marlena being the glue that held them all together.

Sami and Eric had chosen to move into the purple Queen Anne with their mother and John, rather than stay living with their grandparents. Eric took the room in the turret, secretly pleased that he'd gotten the room he'd dreamed of as a small boy. Sami took a room on the second floor, in the rear of the house. It overlooked the yard, and she would sit in her window for hours, staring off into the trees.

Marlena was happy that Sami was willing to go back into therapy, and they sometimes attended with her as a family. It was hard. It was painful. There were tears, and shouting, but there was also hugs, and promises. Promises to always be there for each other, no matter what. Marlena wanted her daughter to know that even though Sami had made mistakes, and gone about things in the wrong way, she loved her completely. John loved her too. And while Sami faltered at times, her family would always be there to love her, and support her. Always.

Marlena and John loved the chaos of a full house, although, with two teenagers, and two children under the age of five, they didn't get a lot of alone time. They were both happier than they had ever been. Marlena found herself waking some mornings and remembering where she was, who she was with, and that her children were in rooms around her, and she would cry from joy. John found himself reflecting daily on the turn their life had taken after Maison Blanche. The horror that they had experienced, and the blessings that had come after it, seemed at odds with each other. While Maison Blanche had served them with nightmares and trauma...what they had as a family, helped them all heal.

Marlena was still half asleep when she heard John's husky voice in her ear, "Doc, you are so fucking sexy." She felt his rough palm run up over her hip, and around her very swollen belly. His fingers dipped into her pussy finding her wet already, and brought them up to his mouth to taste her. "I swear I can't get enough of you..." he told her, rolling his hips into her.

"John, I'm huge..." she mumbled, but then immediately followed with, "—oh, yes, right there..." as his fingers found their way back to her pussy, and began circling her clit. She felt his cock pressing against her buttocks, and she moaned again. It felt delicious, and her whole body was responding to him.

"When I look at you, your belly rounded with our babies...you're the sexiest thing around." John rolled her onto her back, and began sucking on her swollen breasts. Marlena knew she was beginning to leak breast milk, but that seemed to turn John on more. His mouth sucked at her voraciously. "You taste so good..." he rasped out as his hips jutted forward, pushing his turgid cock into her hip. His hand pinched her nipple, and pulled at her breast roughly. "You look amazing...and I love you so fucking much, baby."

"Oh, G-d, John..." Marlena moaned, as he rolled her to face away from him, and pulled her back, holding her solidly against his frame. The coarse hair of his chest, rubbed against the soft skin of her back, and she shivered in anticipation. Marlena remembered back to New Orleans when John had made love to her this way, how deep he went, and how frantic they were to get closer. Nothing had changed. Even almost nine months later, they still made love as if it was their first time, as if it would be their last time.

John slid his cock into her wet heat, and groaned at the sensation. "This is going to be hard, and fast, Doc...I can't hold back..."

"I'm almost there already—oh!" John began pistoning his hips at frenetic pace, pushing deeper into her body which each thrust. One of his palms held her hip tightly, while his other arm anchored his body with her shoulders. John sucked at her neck, and Marlena felt her orgasm building almost instantly as his cock brushed her g-spot, and pushed into her cervix. A jolt of pain, followed by pleasure so intense she thought she might pass out.

She shook, and trembled violently, and as her orgasm began. Her pussy started grasping, and pulling at John, and he couldn't hold back anymore. John started coming, "G-d, Doc, I love you!"

Moments later, Marlena lay in his arms, both of them sweaty, and breathing hard. John's cock was still buried deep within her body when they both felt it...a pop, and rush of liquid. Marlena cried out, "Oh! Uh, John...I think we..."

John jumps out of their bed, grabbing some clothes haphazardly, and threw them on. "I'll get the bag, and let the kids know we're going to the hospital," he said, rushing from the room. Marlena heard him run down the hall, throw open Sami's door, and tell her they were leaving for the hospital.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marlena was in her hospital room recovering after a c-section holding her babies to her chest with an exhausted smile on her face. "Seven children...John...we literally have seven children," she mumbled, as she smiled.

"I know. Isn't it great? The best part is that Sami, Eric, and Carrie are old enough to babysit!" John said laughing. He reached over, and brushed his hand over his daughters dark curls. He found it amazing that all of their children had blonde hair...except this little one. He kissed his sons blonde head, and then kissed Marlena. "Doc, I'm so happy."

"Are you still okay with the names we chose...now that we've met these two, and before we introduce them to the family?"

"Absolutely," he said, staring at her in adoration.

"Okay, well then," she said with a smile, "...let them all in. It's time to introduce them to the newest family members."

The room was filled with the happiness of family and friends, as they filed into the room. John and Marlena had decided months earlier that they wanted everyone to learn the names, and genders, of the twins together.

"Oh my G-d, mom, they're beautiful," Sami gushed, as she touched one of their little hands.

John looked around the room, and it was obvious to everyone there that he was the proudest father that ever was. Brady decided to yell in that moment, "My babies!" and was immediately followed with Belle saying, "Babies!" John's grin got even bigger. He was in love with Marlena, and he was in love with his family. His heart swelled with pride.

Marlena looked at John, and said softly to the people they loved most, "We wanted you all here to introduce you to the newest members of this very large, extended family. We'd like you to meet Alais Caroline and Abraham Thomas Black."