Avenoir

Avenoir - Laura

Laura

I stare directly at Kristen, daring her to claim, yet again that I am crazy.

I'm not crazy. I'm gleeful, I'm furious and I am vindictive. But I am not crazy. I have never been more lucid than I am at this moment. The moment before I finally bring Kristen DiMera to her scrawny knees.

I knew as soon as I walked in that everything I had hoped for was coming to pass. It's obvious, looking at Marlena, that John found her and finally wrangled the truth out of her. She has, they both have, a glazed look about them like they've stumbled into a dream; like they've finally hit the jackpot. Their clothes are crumpled, Marlena has the beginnings of bruising on her neck and when John looks at her, he has the look of a man who is head over heels in love and no longer cares who knows it.

It has clearly rocked Kristen's smug, self-satisfaction, causing the bubbling anxiety that has probably been plaguing her for months, as she desperately prayed for all the pieces to stay in place, to finally spiral into a full meltdown.

First, Marlena found out the truth, both about John's feelings and Kristen's efforts to keep the truth from her. Then John married Susan, and the baby she stole from Susan and claimed as her own was sick. On top of that, she walked in to find John and Marlena canoodling in her hospital bed, Marlena ready to tell John everything. And now, well John clearly knows Marlena still loves him. And despite thinking he's married to Kristen; he has thrown caution to the wind and Marlena finally has her man back. And If I am not wrong, she will probably be rather achy and tender right now.

So, all that remains is for me to deliver the coup de grâce, and release them from any lingering guilt or regret they might be feeling over their actions. John deserves to know the truth, as much as it might hurt to know that little Elvis Jr. is not his child, I hope it will be balanced out by the relief that he is no longer tied to Kristen and is free to be with the woman he loves more than he has ever loved any other.

"Susan?" I nod at her. It's time for her to do her thing. Then we can all go back to our lives. John and Marlena together, Susan with her baby, and Kristen...? Well, with any luck, Kristen will be staring at the inside of a Statesville prison cell for the next five to ten years.

Susan looks furtively at Kristen, who is glaring angrily at her.

"Don't worry about her," I tell Susan gently and patiently. She assured me she could do this, but I know she is scared of 'that mean, mean, mean Kristen DiMera' and the other 'vampires'. "She can't hurt you, Susan, not with all these people around. John won't let her hurt you, will you John?"

"No." John looks confused, poor love. I don't blame him. I am pretty sure his brain has been scrambled by mind-blowing sex with Marlena. I suspect that's why this part of the hospital was cordoned off, not that imaginary gas leak that I am fairly sure darling Alice invented to keep Kristen away from John and Marlena's long overdue and probably noisy reunion. "No, Susan. Kristen won't hurt you. I give you my word."

"Thank you, Mr. John Black," Susan smiles awkwardly, her egregious teeth glistening as she sucks on her lower lip. "You are such a kahnd, kahnd man. Ah sure wish you were the real daddy of mah baby."

John looks across at Marlena, his brow crumpled in confusion. Marlena shrugs, equally bemused, although I fancy I see a glimmer of understanding starting to blossom in her eyes. Her young secretary Hillary stands next to her, her hand on Marlena's arm. Her eyes narrow as she looks from Susan to Kristen and then back again and I see her lean into Marlena and whisper something. Marlena's eyes widen and then narrow as she looks at Kristen and then at John.

Whilst all this is going on, Susan turns her back on everyone and puts her carpet bag on a chair. She opens it and begins to rummage around. For a moment everything is silent as each person in the room tries to figure out what is about to happen.