Going Home To Doc
- Reads 10,989
- Votes 349
- Parts 28
MatureOngoing9h 26m
Last published Wed, Jul 8, 2026
It's late 2014 when John wakes from a coma believing it's still 2012, and that he and Marlena are still married and deeply in love. But in reality, they're divorced-broken by pain, time, and choices that can't be undone.
Marlena tries to guard her heart. John only remembers how to love her.
Going Home to Doc is a slow-burn, second-chance romance that asks: can soulmates ever truly let go?
Notes about the use of canon in this universe:
John & Marlena have been married since 1999 and that marriage was fully intact until 2012. There was no Princess Gina, no RoboJohn, no Alex North, no reasons for multiple separations and marriages over the years. Until 2012 their relationship was solid and the tests to their relationship always came from the outside but their relationship itself was upenetrable.
2012 changed everything.
All Rights Reserved
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
It's Never Too Late
An Aremid canon divergence story rewritten with a John and Marlena love story at its center.Complete
Never Forgotten
Yet another love story. It's 2018...Marlena never stopped John from leaving Salem in 1993. Will they ever meet again and what would happen if they did meet after 25 years apart.Complete
Mrs. Brown: For Better or For Worse(Book 2)
Ashanti thought marrying the man of her dreams would be the beginning of her fairytale, but being Mrs. Brown comes with more than love and vows-it comes with battles she never saw coming. From scandalous rumors and jealous exes to the pressures of fame and family expectations, Ashanti and Chris must learn that happily-ever-after doesn't come easy. As their love deepens, so do the challenges. Every secret threatens to break them, every headline tests their trust, and every whisper makes them question who's really on their side. But through it all, one thing is clear: Ashanti and Chris are willing to fight for each other, no matter the cost. Because marriage isn't just about the perfect wedding day-it's about what comes after. And for Ashanti Brown, it's about proving that she's ready to face it all... for better or for worse.Complete
Until the Light Returns
The morning Marlena Evans Black returned home from Greece, the sunlight hit the floor of their townhouse like a warm kiss. John Black had made sure of it. He had opened the curtains in every room, even the ones she wouldn't go into yet. Light, he told himself, would help. Light was honest. Safe. He didn't want her walking back into shadows-not after what she'd survived. Marlena stepped inside slowly. She wore a dark blue sweat suit that made her look fragile, though John knew better. She had survived Megan Hathaway's twisted captivity, the chamber, the drug-induced darkness. She had clawed her way back to life. But surviving didn't mean healing. Not yet. "Home," John whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. She didn't answer. Her eyes scanned the room like a stranger seeing a museum of her former life.Complete
Possession
Can John and Marlena rediscover their love as they fight to save her soul?Complete
𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ⁽ᵇᵘᶜᵏʸ ᵇᵃʳⁿᵉˢ ˣ ʸ/ⁿ⁾
They stopped being lovers long before they stopped being in love. This isn't a story about falling in love - it's about surviving after it ends. They let go of each other, but not the love. Love brought them together. The silence pulled them apart. They fell in love. They built a life. Then it all quietly fell apart. Inspired by Marriage Story - no heroes, just real people trying to let go.Complete
Serendipity
Marlena's life has been in a slow downward spiral ever since her husband Roman came back into her life six years ago. Struggling to be the perfect wife and the perfect mother is slowly killing her. Just when she felt like she was drowning a stranger walks into her life and changes everything.Complete
Gertie
After Mexico, John left Salem without a word. Nearly a year later, a chance encounter in San Francisco brings John and Marlena together for one night, that changes everything.Complete
Seventh Regret Series
John left Salem in 1994, after he was no longer able to live on the sidelines watching the life that he once had. No Isabella nor Brady. If the twins were 9 in 91, makes their graduation (in my timeline) 2000. It is soon after this that Marlena and John bump into each other. These chapters discuss the idea of regrets and fate helping two people who are meant to be. Quite the rewrite from the original version out there.Complete
Avenoir
This is another one-shot but I am posting it in sections as I write it so keep checking back because I'll be updating it every few days! This story takes place in early 1997, mere days after John married Susan, masquerading as Kristen, in the delivery room as she gave birth to Elvis Jr., or John Jr., whichever you prefer. You might remember a rather delicious kiss that John and Marlena shared in Kristen's hospital room in the days following John Jr.'s arrival, while Kristen was trying to seduce her 'husband' into bed and Marlena was struggling with telling John the truth about his 'wife'. Well, that's where this short story starts. I think we all know where it's gonna end....Complete
An Aremid canon divergence story rewritten with a John and Marlena love story at its center.
More detailsContent Guidelines