John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 35 - Testing, Testing......

The phone was ringing as Marlena turned her key in the door. Q, Belle, and Brady entered the penthouse behind her, and Q sent the children upstairs to wash up. Marlena dropped her briefcase on the chair before snatching up the phone.

"Hello?" She pulled the gold earring off her left ear and settled the receiver against it.

"Dr. Evans?" The woman on the other end of the phone sounded unsure.

"Yes, can I help you?" She nodded as Q walked past making motions with his hands that she took to mean would she like a cup of tea?

"Dr. Evans, this is Cera from Mr. Black's message service. He wants you to know that he would like to take the children tomorrow night. He will pick them up at six if that is convenient for you."

Marlena was immediately suspicious. John had told her, not two days ago, that he would no longer be using this message service, yet here they were calling and trying to change his plans.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked carefully. "I thought John was busy tomorrow night."

"Oh," there was a hint of surprise in the woman's voice, but she recovered quickly. "I believe that Mr. Black has changed his plans. I can call to confirm if you would like?"

"No, it's alright," Marlena said purposefully. "I'll call him myself."

"Uh, I'm quite happy to call and then confirm back with you," Cera said a little too hurriedly.

"No thank you," Marlena said calmly. "Thank you for calling."

That spelled an effective end to the conversation and Marlena put the receiver down as Q brought her tea over to her.

"Who was that?"

"John's message service," Marlena said with a thoughtful expression. "They wanted to tell me he will pick the children up tomorrow *night*."

"Didn't you say he was going to fire them?" Q asked, his brows knitting.

"Mmmm.." Marlena opened her address book and flicked through to find John's work number. "That's what I *thought* he said."

She dialed the number and waited the several seconds it took for the receptionist to answer the other end. When she enquired about John, she was told he was in a meeting all afternoon and couldn't be interrupted unless it was urgent. Marlena, not deeming her business urgent, told the woman that she would call John later.

She put down the phone and turned to Q, shaking her head.

"Something's going on."

"What do you mean?" Q asked, following her into the living room.

"I mean that I think that John has been telling the truth. I think that someone has been deliberately crossing our wires." She frowned. "It's the only thing that makes any sense."

"And you think that someone is...?" Q questioned.

"One guess."

******

John sat at his desk wondering how the hell he was ever going to get through all this paperwork by the end of the day. He had been working feverishly for weeks now, trying to keep his mind off of Marlena. He had been a little surprised when he had realized that the mess with Kristen hardly figured in his thoughts at all anymore. From the moment he woke up till the moment he eventually drifted off to sleep at night, all he could think about was Marlena and their children. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to make their family complete. He wanted to fill that hole in his soul that he had been denying for so long.