John felt the cool night air beating down on him as he stepped out into the woods. He could feel his legs weakly carrying him along as he moved to check out the noise outside. He turned around the corner of the cabin when he saw a figure that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Going somewhere John?" Roman asked with a smile on his face as John walked to the side of the cabin.

"What are you doing here?" John asked standing up to him. "I thought you were dead."

"Surprise!" Roman exclaimed throwing his arms out in the air. "You haven't gotten rid of me yet."

"This can't be happening." John muttered in disbelief. "I'm not going to let you come between Doc and I ever again. Do you hear me Roman?"

"Doc will never love you when she knows what kind of monster you are John. Your past will be too much for her to bear." Roman laughed looking at John. "Besides, why would a woman like her want a cripple like you?"

John looked down and realized that he was once again back in his wheelchair with Roman laughing at him. He watched as Marlena appeared into the night wearing her pajamas and took her place next to his wheelchair.

"John, what's going on?" Marlena asked looking up at Roman.

"Doc, you have to get out of here." John insisted pulling on her arm. "It's not safe to be here."

"Go on John!" Roman laughed again. "Try to be the hero."

"What's going on?" Marlena asked again turning to face John.

"Go ahead and tell her John. I'm sure she'd love to know all the details of your shady past." Roman insisted with a grin.

"Stop this Roman!" John shouted as Marlena backed away from him. "Doc?"

"I'm sorry." she said moving towards Roman. "I'm so sorry John."

"See, I told you that she'd be mine again." Roman smiled putting his arm around Marlena. "Come on sweetheart, let's leave this thing alone."

"Doc wait!" John cried out trying to get out of his wheelchair, but only managing to fall out onto the ground as he watched Marlena walk away into the night.

"I told you that I'd get her." Roman replied leaning down next to John. "Thanks to me, the two of you will never be happy, but hey look on the bright side, I got Marlena and the baby and you got this nifty chair."

"No!" John gasped opening his eyes and feeling a cold sweat come over his body. "It was just a dream."

John turned his head to the left and glanced at Marlena, who was sleeping peacefully at his side. He looked over at the clock and realized that even though it was only four in the morning, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. He glanced over at the wheelchair sitting next to his side of the bed and he quickly eyed Marlena once more to make sure that she was sound asleep before he began to attempt what he had in mind. He pulled himself up to a sitting position on the bed and was careful to be quiet about it as Marlena rolled over towards him. He gently rolled her back over to her side of the bed as he extended his hand out in the direction of his wheelchair. Once he had a grasp on the top metal handle, he pulled it in towards the bed.

John managed to lift himself out of the bed and into the wheelchair as he heard Marlena roll over once more. He glanced over at her now rolled up in a ball on his side of the bed hugging onto a pillow as she breathed softly. One look at her peaceful face made him realize that right now he didn't want to burden her with the details of the horror he had just felt during his dream.

He quietly pushed his way out into the small living room of the cabin by a door wall with a view out onto the lake. He looked out into the dark morning for a brief second before closing his eyes and letting the details of his dream begin to rehash in his head.

"It was only a dream John." He whispered to himself. "Quit thinking about it. You and Marlena are going to spend the rest of your lives together happy with the children and nothing is ever going to change that. Roman's dead and he can't hurt anyone anymore."

John let his last words sink into his head as he realized that he still couldn't shake the thought that something terrible was beginning for him and Marlena. He had wanted to believe that things were going to be alright, but still he had a bad feeling that he wasn't able to get rid of.

"Roman's dead." he repeated looking out onto the water as he thought about the impact on his life by Roman being dead. He had never thought about it up until this point as he sat watching the night slowly turn into day. He remembered that back in the hospital Marlena had mentioned briefly that Roman had died shortly after John was shot, but she had never said another word about his death. John thought about how the news of Roman's death must've effected his family as memories of the last months of Roman's life began to churn up a whirlwind in his head.

"If only I could've been able to help Roman before things got to the point that they had reached. If only Doc and I never had to lie to him like we did. If only I wouldn't have let him get away that night on the pier, then things wouldn't be like this. If only.......enough!" John ordered himself as decided that he needed to clear his head, so he moved over to the phone and began to dial a number.

"Brady Pub, Caroline speaking. How may I help you?" her voice spoke on the other end as John remained silent for a second listening to the warm tone in her voice. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Mom?" John asked with tears in his eyes as the reality of everything hit him.

"John?" she questioned wondering why he was calling the pub so early in the morning. "Is something wrong?"

"No," John began softly listening to her voice, "I was just thinking about you and Pop that's all."

"How are you doing son?" Caroline asked sensing pain in John's strained voice.

"I've had better days." John admitted as he looked out into the early morning once more.

"You sound upset. Is there something that you'd like to talk about?" Caroline asked worried about him.

"I had a dream about Roman earlier." John confessed realizing that he had to get it out.

"R-Roman?" Caroline choked out surprised.

"Yeah," he sighed looking out the window once more as the sun began to rise. "I wanted to see how you and pop were dealing with his...........his......."

"His death." Caroline finished sensing that John was trying to come to terms with what had happened on his wedding night.

"Yes? How are you doing?" John asked concerned.

"We're dealing with it day by day." Caroline answered honestly. "Sometimes it's hard to think that our son is dead."

"I'm so sorry about what happened to him." John apologized realizing the pain of her loss. "I never wanted things to end this way."

"Neither did we son." Caroline answered realizing that she was met by a long silence from John. "John? Are you alright?"

"I just can't stop thinking about that night. Roman was saying things to me that didn't make much sense. Towards the end, I know that he wasn't himself, but that night it was as if he knew something that.........oh I don't know." John explained to her. "There are so many unanswered questions."

"Well, sometimes it's best to leave them in the past and try to move forward." Caroline suggested not wanting to re-live the horror of the wedding night. "Right now, you need to forget about Roman and concentrate on getting back on your feet again."

"I'm trying, but it just seems to get harder and harder each day to see myself walking again." John replied letting out a sigh.

"You just have to keep pushing yourself John." Caroline insisted. "You're a fighter and I know that you won't give up. Soon enough you WILL be back on your feet again taking on the world."

"Yeah, well it's easier said than done." John replied half-heartedly wanting to change the subject. "Hey, how's everyone doing back home?"

"Everyone is doing just fine dear." Caroline explained to him. "Bo and Hope were here last night and they announced their engagement to everyone. If only you and Marlena could've been here."

"That must've been fantastic." John thought glad that Bo and Hope had found some happiness. "And Eric. How's he doing?"

"Eric seems to be busy between work and Jenny. He never seems to have a dull moment." Caroline explained looking over at Eric who was sitting at the bar eating breakfast. "Actually, he's here if you'd like to talk to him."

"Could I?" John asked eagerly as Caroline went over to get Eric.

"It's John." Caroline explained handing him the phone.

"Hello," Eric said as he placed the phone to his ear.

"Eric, how are you doing?" John asked him.

"Pretty good and you?" Eric replied.

"Oh, I've had better day and I've had worse." John informed him quickly. "You know, I was kind of bummed that I missed your call yesterday. I walked in the house about a minute after Marlena hung up the phone."

"Oh, well it wasn't anything important." Eric said not knowing what his mother had told John about Stefano yet.

"Well listen," John began as an idea popped into his head, "I was thinking about surprising your mother and putting together some kind of family picnic later today if you're interested in coming out here. You can bring Jenny too if you'd like to."

"Are you sure you're up to company?" Eric asked remembering how John hadn't wanted to be around everyone when he had first been released from the hospital.

"I'm positive." John replied realizing that a day with the children would do all of them well. "Why don't you call your sisters and invite them over too? I know how much you and Sami used to love cooking on the grill when you were younger."

"Actually Sami left town for a little while," Eric paused listening to John's silence, "but I'm sure that Carrie would love to come over."

"Good, then it's settled." John smiled proud of his idea. "Then how about you all come over around three?"

"Sounds good." Eric agreed happily. "I'll bring up some of Grandma's chowder too."

"Sounds like a deal." John laughed feeling his mood lighten. "Then I'll see you all later."

"Okay. I love you dad." Eric said into the phone quickly.

"I love you too son." John replied hanging up the phone and realizing that he did the right thing by calling the Pub.