Every Memory Repeats

Chapter 21

Right after Marlena left John's apartment to pick the twins up from school, Shane called. The telephone call lasted less than an hour, but it left John stunned. The ISA had confirmed that what Marcus had removed from John's neck, was a microchip. A very sophisticated microchip, that had the memories of several different individuals on it.

Shane was convinced that John would eventually recall all of his early memories, and that the chip he'd had wired into his nervous system had been suppressing them. John was able to confirm that he was beginning to recall events from his earlier life, without the use of hypnosis, but he'd yet to speak with Marlena about it. With the information from Shane, and the fact that the microchip was still being studied by code breakers working for the ISA, because some of it was encrypted, a conversation with Marlena was going to need to happen sooner, rather than later.

Marlena was at home, just cleaning up after dinner, when the telephone rang, "Hello?"

"Hey, Doc," John said softly.

Marlena smiled, as she cradled the receiver against her shoulder, and continued washing dishes, "John..."

"Shane called me this afternoon to give me an update on the microchip Marcus removed from me."

"So it was a computer chip?"

"It was, although they're still working on trying to get through the encrypted portions," he said. "I was hoping maybe you could give me a call after the twins go to sleep? We can talk about it."

"I can do that," she said quietly, still smiling to herself. "It'll be a couple hours. I have to make sure they take baths, and do their homework."

"Don't rush," he said. "I'll be home all night... I love you, Doc."

Her heart soared, and she smiled again, "I love you."

John hung up the phone with a grin, thinking about their time together earlier. He missed her already, and he knew that until they had their situation worked out, he would continue to miss her.

Marlena stared at the phone after she hung up, and then impulsively picked it up, dialing John back. When he answered, she said, "Can you come over? I'll have the twins in bed by 8:30, and I miss you—"

"—I'll be there," he said quickly. "I'll be there."

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When Marlena answered the door, John stepped inside, and closed the door behind himself. Wrapping his arms around her hips, he pushed her gently into the corner by the closet, and held her face in his hands, staring into her eyes for a moment.

Marlena stared up at him with wide eyes, breathing erratically, and she whispered, "Kiss me."

With a smirk of satisfaction, John's lips took hers with a groan of need. He licked at her mouth, his tongue softly stroking over her soft, pillowy lips. He bit at the corner of her mouth, and said, "I swear, I missed you so much, baby. How is that even possible?"

Marlena smiled, touching his face gently with her fingertips, and said, "I missed you, too."

John rested his forehead on hers, and allowed his fingers to slide under the hem of her sweatshirt. When he felt the warm skin along her lower back, he growled, low in his throat, "I swear I came to talk to you...but you are such a temptation."

"I think being in love with my best friend is...it's the most amazing feeling."

"That's a fact," he said, softly kissing her mouth once more, before stepping back, and lacing his fingers through hers. Pulling her towards the couch he said, "We need to talk about that chip Marcus dug out of my head." John kicked his shoes off next to the couch, and sat down with his back against the arm rest and one leg up on the cushion, "C'mere, Doc."