John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 26 - Tale As Old As Time

"Look, I know I'm not your favourite person right now. Or anyone's for that matter." Q stood in front of an expressionless John. "Look John, just hear me out. Please. For Marlena's sake." His invocation of Marlena's name finally elicited a reply from John.

"Leave Marlena out of this," he growled menacingly. "Say what you have to say and then go."

"Alright. You can't go in there and confront Kristen. More than likely she would lose the baby and then after you had calmed down, you would blame yourself. And more than that, Marlena would blame *herself*. The whole reason she never told you about Kristen was that she wanted to protect the baby. Your baby." Q tried to reason with John, hoping that the idea of hurting Marlena again would be too much for him to bear.

"But everything that she *did*..." John was beginning to falter, but he couldn't let go of his anger so easily.

"I know John. It was horrific. But you have to think of Marlena now." He laid a halting hand on John's arm and began to relax when John didn't shake it off. "Leave it for a day or two. When you are a bit calmer you will be able to see a little more clearly. And if you still want to confront Kristen then, when you are totally aware of *all* the consequences, I won't try to stop you." A little pressure from his hand guided John to the seats that lined the wall of the corridor.

"You knew all this didn't you?" John asked Q through the tears that once again drenched his face. Q nodded somberly.

"Unfortunately, I let my anger at Kristen get the better of me. And I may yet live to regret the consequences of my actions. I wouldn't want to see you make the same mistake." He frowned. "She's a nasty piece of work John and she's manipulated the people of this town for far too long. Don't give her another weapon to add to her armory." John's nod was slow and miserable. "Good. Now I'm sure you have *other* matters to take care of." He looked at John, his eyes full of significant messages that John wasn't sure he was ready to comprehend.

Finally, John acquiesced with a nod and stood up, looking as if he bore the weight of the world on his slumped shoulders. With one final pained look towards Kristen's door, he turned and shuffled down the hallway. Q watched him go with interest. He looked shattered. A broken man. And Q wasn't sure he didn't deserve it.

Slowly he turned his attention to Kristen's room. Kristen had to have a backup plan. She wasn't just going to let John go. Although she might find it a little difficult to hang onto John now he knew the truth. Still, she was a DiMera, by learning if not by breeding. And if there was one thing you never did, it was underestimate a DiMera.

******

Belle shed her coat on the living room floor and immediately picked up her favorite video tape.

"Momma, you watch Booty an' Beast wif me an' Bady?" Her impish grin gave away the fact that she thought she was putting one over on Marlena.

"No Belle honey. And I'm afraid you and Brady won't be watching it either. At least not until you've washed up and eaten your dinner." Marlena replied with the hint of a smile.

"Aw Mommy!" Belle complained.

"Belle. Don't argue with me please. The two of you go upstairs and get ready for dinner." Belle flinched at Marlena's tone and headed for the staircase to escape any further castigation. Marlena, angry at herself for her shortness, cut the children off at the bottom step. "I'm sorry sweetie. Momma's just had a bad day." She kissed Belle on the top of her little blonde head and wrapped her arms around both the children. "You two get ready for dinner and then after we've eaten, we can all watch Beauty and the Beast together. How's that?" Belle nodded with a grin.