John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 66 - Advent

Marlena wiped her mouth with the linen napkin and pushed herself away from the table. Q watched her walk to the door, marveling at how admirably her body filled the pair of Levi's she was wearing. Marlena felt his eyes on her, and she turned as she reached the door.

"Behave yourself," she winked at him before opening the door.

Her face broke into a beaming smile as she saw who stood there. It was almost instantaneous, and the children were in her arms. Caroline couldn't help the twitch of a smile that crossed her face as she saw how happy the children were to see their mother. And that Marlena was just as happy to see them.

"Oh, my beautiful babies," Marlena moved back to take a look at her children's grinning faces. "Oh, Mommy missed you *so* much." She pulled them into another hug.

"We missed you too, Mom," Brady told her.

"You did?" Marlena mussed his chestnut brown hair before looking up at Caroline. "Well, it's just as well Granma brought you home huh?"

"John dropped them off a little while ago," Caroline placed the children's bags by the door. "I thought you'd want to see them as soon as possible."

"Oh, I did, I did." Marlena stood with Belle in her arms. "Thanks, Caroline."

"No thanks necessary," Caroline stood awkwardly in the doorway as Eugene walked up behind Marlena. She was surprised to see that Brady ran to him, and he swung the little boy around in the air.

"Hey, did you have a good time?" he asked Brady. Brady nodded his head boisterously.

"Daddy took us to Disneyworld," he told Gene.

"He did?" Q seemed interested in what Brady was telling him as he carried him to the sofa. Marlena watched them with a smile before she turned back to Caroline.

"Please, come in Caroline," she invited the older woman as she put a squirming Belle back down on the floor.

"Oh well...I-" Caroline was interrupted by a squeal from Belle as she jumped on Eugene. Marlena giggled as he feigned near-death from the impact. With a happy smile, she turned back to Caroline.

"Please," she gestured for Caroline to come in. "We were just having a late breakfast. There's plenty of fruit and coffee." She saw Caroline's equivocation and instinctively took her by the hand. "Just for a few minutes. Please?" Caroline looked at the smiling Marlena and suddenly she didn't have the heart to refuse.

"Alright then," she smiled and shrugged off her coat. "Just for a few minutes."

Eugene poured Caroline a coffee and she sat on the sofa as he and Marlena finished their breakfast. The children ate as well, playing mix and match with Marlena and Q's laps as they did. Caroline joined in the laughter from time to time, particularly when Belle was relating Brady and John's reaction to the rides at Disneyworld. She could see how happy the children were to be back with their mother and a look of regret passed across her face as she considered that the children couldn't have the one thing they really wanted.

"Daddy taked us to the movies,' Belle was saying happily in between bites of juicy watermelon.

"Daddy *took* you," Marlena corrected as she leaned over to where Belle was sitting on Eugene's lap and wiped the sticky mess from her chin. "He did? What did you see?"

"One Hunded and One Dalmashuns," the little girl enunciated slowly.

"Oh, one of my favorites," Marlena smiled before popping a grape into her mouth. "So did you like it?"

"'Cept for the bad lady," Belle informed them nonchalantly. "She was like Kwisten."

Brady looked up at Marlena as he felt her start to cough. Belle was blissfully unaware that she had almost caused her mother to choke. Q started to move, but trying to hide a grin, she waved him away as she nodded her head.