"What are you talking about John?" Marlena asked confused by his sudden declaration.
"I'm not leaving the penthouse when we bring Roman back. I'm staying here from now on." John explained staring into her eyes.
"But John I thought that we agreed not to tell Roman the truth until he gets back on his feet again." Marlena began to plead with him.
"Fine. We won't tell him the truth then, but I'm not leaving and that's final." He said crossing his arms and looking at her.
"John, you're being impossible." she announced surprised by his behavior. "You're acting like Brady or Belle right now. What's come over you?"
"Let's just say I'm doing this for my children." he explained to her. "I had a long talk with the two of them in the car and they're miserable Doc. I'm not going to leave them when they need me so badly."
"John we don't have a choice right now." she said feeling her heart beat faster. "We have to do what's right for everyone."
"That's just it Doc." John explained looking her over. "This is right for everyone."
"We can't do this to Roman..." Marlena began as he reached for her hands.
"Doc," he said squeezing her hands and bringing them to his lips as he kissed them, "what would be right? Leaving you with Roman so that he can hurt you again? Or better yet would it be right for me to walk out on my children without an explanation?"
"No John." she said with tears filling in her eyes as she pulled her hands free. "You know I'm not asking you to do that. All I'm saying is that we have to take Roman's health into consideration."
"Doc, what about Belle and Brady's health?" John asked as she began to retreat towards the window.
"They're fine John." she said turning to face him.
"Think about it Doc. Your a psychiatrist. You of all people should know that this may potentially have long term psychologically damaging effects on them."
"I've explained the situation to them over and over again John." she said with tears in her eyes as she felt her body tighten up. "They understand that I have to take care of Roman."
"But they don't understand why I can't be here to help you." John explained looking into her eyes as his released his anguish. "I can't take this any longer Doc. It's tearing me up. The thought of leaving this house and not being able to come home to you tonight and make love to you terrifies me."
"You think that I like this?" she yelled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Do you think that I enjoy lying day in and day out to Roman? I hate it, but we don't have a choice right now John."
"That's just it Doc." he pleaded with her. "We do have a choice and if we work together to find a solution to the problem at hand anything is possible for us."
"John it's not that simple." she said turning away from him. "What will we say to Roman? How would we even begin to explain you being here?"
"That's not important right now Doc." John said moving closer to her. "What's important is the way I feel about you and the way you feel about me."
"John, we can't worry about our feelings right now. They can't hold any weight in what we have to do." she said closing her eyes as the tears quickly ran down her cheeks. "We have to think about Roman's well being."
"Doc, I'm tired of hurting our family with these lies." he said standing right behind her.
"So am I." she said turning to face him as she began to pound on his chest with her fists. "Don't you think that it's gotten to me? Don't you think that the pressure is getting to me? Don't you think that I just want to forget about this obligation that I have to Roman and get on with my life?"
"Doc, I just wanted to explain to you..." he began as she started pounding on his chest harder.
"Let me explain to you Mr. Black." she cried as she continued to hit him. "I hate being away from you. I hate not being able to spend every waking moment of my day with you. I hate not being able to wake up in your arms, but you know what? There isn't a damn thing I could do about it. So there John!!!"
"Doc...I...I..." he said trying to speak as she continued to hit him.
"Don't Doc me John." she said looking at him as her frustration grew. "I'm sick and tired of this. I don't want to spend another day without...."
John grabbed her fists as she started to weaken and he placed them behind her back before she could cause any harm to him. He looked into her face as she began to cry and shake hysterically.
"Let go of me John." she yelled at him as she tried to break free.
"No Doc." he said calmly as she struggled.
"Look John...this is an impossible conversation and we shouldn't even be having it. You know that we can't...." she began as he pressed his lips to hers and silenced her with a kiss before she could say another word.
"Now Doc calm down." he said moving back slightly.
"John...I won't calm down." she said still angry, but slightly off-guard. "I hate it when you..."
"Quiet Doc." he said kissing her again with more intensity as he pulled her down onto the chair.
John realized his only defense against Marlena's anger was to distract her. He needed her to feel how much he loved her so that she could understand what he was feeling. He wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her closer into him. He pressed his mouth against hers. She instantly began responding to his kisses holding him tighter with all of her emotions running wild.
