PROLOGUE:

It is July of 1991. After a long series of misunderstandings, Roman Brady (the former John Black) and Isabella Toscano have finally found their way back to each other. But while her love for Roman grows stronger every day, Isabella's relationship with her father, ruthless businessman Victor Kiriakis, is rapidly deteriorating. When she refuses to reveal the location of his runaway wife, Dr. Carly Manning (who is passionately in love with Victor's estranged son, Bo Brady), Victor warns her that her relationship with Roman is built on sand, and angrily says he can take away her happiness with Roman just as easily as he gave it to her. Bo, meanwhile, lies near death in a dingy hotel room, the latest victim of a deadly virus. (It was administered to him in a glass of champagne by an psychotic young woman jealous of his relationship with Carly.) On another medical front, somewhere in the Caribbean, a Spanish-speaking nurse tends to a comatose woman with long blonde hair.

Part 1: The Return of Marlena

Upon learning of Victor's threats, Roman persuades Isabella to move out of Victor's office suite and into Bo's detective agency, extracting a promise that she will not retaliate against Victor for threatening her. Later, while playing a cutthroat game of Old Maid with Isabella and his young twins, Sami and Eric, he receives an invitation from his old friend Abe Carver to attend a police convention in Miami Beach. He asks Isabella to accompany him, but she regretfully declines. Undaunted, he decorates her apartment (the Brady loft) in an island theme and tries to seduce her into going. She relents a little, agreeing to join him there later.

As Isabella kisses Roman goodbye at the airport, they run into Carly, who is just arriving back in Salem. After the two women leave (both of them increasingly concerned about Bo's unexplained absence), Roman encounters Victor and taunts him about losing Carly, while warning him not to threaten Isabella again. He is astonished when Victor apologizes, swearing he didn't mean what he said to his daughter. As Roman departs for Miami Beach, a doctor in the Caribbean clinic surreptitiously disconnects the coma patient's IV.

At the hospital the next day, Carly Manning is bombarded with a number of stunning revelations. After nurse Kayla Brady is suspended for falsifying her brother's blood tests (she was helping him cover up his condition), she finally admits to her friend that Bo is fatally ill. Carly also discovers that one of her fellow doctors was an impostor bent on sabotaging her research into a cure for the disease afflicting her lover. Lastly, she receives a note from Bo and rushes to the hotel, where she finds him in extremely serious condition.

Carly takes Bo to the loft, and he tells her he was kidnapped by two men whom he thinks work for Victor, and that they spoke of having a cure. Carly confronts Victor, accusing him of keeping the cure from his son, but Victor swears he knows nothing about it. While Carly is gone, Kayla, Isabella and ISA agent Shane Donovan find Bo at the loft, and after some heated discussion, the four of them realize that a business rival of Victor's, the sinister Lawrence Alamain, may also be involved in the proliferation of the disease and the suppression of the cure.

While the fight to save Bo's life continues in Salem, in Miami Beach, Roman meets with Abe in his hotel room and tells his friend he is ready to start living again. He says being there reminded him this was the place he last saw Marlena--just before her plane crashed into the ocean--but he is finally ready to let go of the past and start over with Isabella. He calls her to say he loves her and asks when she will be joining him, but she makes an excuse for not being able to come, unhappily conceding to Bo's demand that Roman not be informed of his dire circumstances.

Meanwhile, down in the Caribbean, the blonde woman starts to awaken from her coma. (ad on left courtesy TV Guide)

Back in Salem, Victor strikes bargains with a devil and an angel. The devil is Lawrence Alamain, who says he will trade the cure for the contents of a certain file Victor has locked away in his safe. The file bears the label "John Black". Victor agrees to the trade, after first extracting a promise from his angel, Carly, that she will resume their marriage if he succeeds in obtaining the cure. A rendezvous is set for the exchange, with Bo and Carly both rushing to the site to spy on the proceedings.

After another unsatisfactory phone conversation with Isabella, the worried Roman tells Abe something is wrong in Salem, but Abe speculates that Isabella may simply be feeling insecure about their relationship. Determined to prove his love, Roman calls a jeweler and asks to see a selection of engagement rings, unaware that his long-thought-to-be-dead wife, Marlena, has just awakened from a coma somewhere in the Caribbean. She has managed to get out of bed and makes her way to a mirror. There she wipes it clear and seems surprised to recognize her own face. {photo courtesy Bev}

Marlena isn't quite sure where she is or what's going on, but she knows something is wrong. She finds a calendar written in Spanish and is horrified at the date. What happened to the last five years of her life? Frantic to get back to Roman and their children, she steals clothes and some money from a nurse and hides in the back of a van. It takes her to a small airfield, where she sees crates being loaded onto a plane bound for Miami. She stows away in one and is loaded onto the plane just as Roman is proudly showing Abe Isabella's engagement ring. {photo courtesy Bev}

The crucial rendezvous in Salem is interrupted by a hail of bullets. Victor suffers a minor wound, while Bo collapses and is rushed to the hospital. The shooting was orchestrated by Lawrence, who had hoped to emerge from the encounter with both the cure and the John Black file. He gets the file, but the wine bottle containing the cure is shattered. Carly discovers a small vial in the wreckage and rushes it to the lab for analysis. As Bo's condition deteriorates, Carly finds herself faced with a difficult choice: she finally has the cure, but is unsure of the proper dosage. Too much or too little could be just as fatal as no treatment at all. She makes an educated guess and gives Bo an injection.

While Bo's family waits for news of his condition, Marlena rummages through suitcases in the cargo hold of the plane. She finds some clothes (which she trades for her nurse's garb), and some toiletries and other essential items which she places in a stolen tote bag. {photo courtesy Bev}

Marlena finds a companion in a cat that is also in the cargo hold. She looks at his crate and discovers his name is Monterey. She befriends him and talks to him as the plane gets closer to Miami. {photo courtesy Bev}

When the plane lands in Miami she mingles with the passengers, afraid she is being pursued. She almost bumps into Roman, who came to the airport to meet Isabella, but he gets notice that her flight was canceled due to bad weather. She heads to a ticket counter and discovers a plane ticket to Salem costs $200.00. She is unsure how much money she has, so she heads to the currency exchange area. {photo courtesy Bev}

She checks to see if she has enough money. {photo courtesy Bev}

Marlena decides to call Roman, but someone is using the phone. As she walks away, Roman just misses seeing her. When it is finally available, she picks up a pay phone but the line is busy. Isabella is attempting to call Roman. Marlena can't wait. She overhears the woman whose clothes she stole, and hangs up the phone. {photo courtesy Bev}

Bo starts to recover, and Marlena decides to take a bus to Salem. Upon her arrival, she is disoriented by all the changes that have taken place while she was gone. Marlena asks a girl about the taxi station that use to be across from the bus station. The girl tells Marlena that they got rid of it 4 years ago. Marlena tries to use the phone, but there is no place to put the money. The woman tells Marlena that you need a credit card to use the phone. {photo courtesy Bev}

Marlena's call goes through, but when a woman (Isabella) answers the phone instead of Roman, she is stunned and hangs up without leaving a message. She also tries to reach Roman at the police station, asking for "Captain" Brady, but is informed that "Commander" Brady is away. She again hangs up without leaving a message, but has a smile on her face thinking of Roman's promotion. The good Samaritan gives her money to get the rest of the way into Salem. {photo courtesy Bev}

On the plane back to Salem Roman tells Abe about Victor's threat to take away Isabella's happiness, but Abe tells him not to worry about it. After a call from Roman to say he will be arriving in a few hours, Isabella asks his assistant, detective Brian Scofield, to pick him up at the airport, since she has to take the twins to day camp in the park. As she is getting ready to leave, Shawn and Caroline stop by and tell her what a wonderful job she is doing with the children, and how lucky Roman is to have her in his life. {photo courtesy Bev}

Following the trio to the park, she watches them for a while. Isabella leaves the kids to play. Sami kicks the ball and it lands at Marlena's feet. Eric walks over to Marlena and says," Hi. I'm sorry." Marlena gives the two their ball, but the concerned Isabella calls them back to her and warns them not to talk to strangers. {photo courtesy Bev}

Roman, meanwhile, has arrived at the police station, where he tells his apprehensive underlings that he already knows all about his little brother's brush with death, and is told in return about the mysterious woman asking for "Captain" Brady. He is puzzled and wonders why Scofiled took no message. {photo courtesy Bev}

While Roman heads for home, full of anticipation about asking Isabella to marry him, Marlena continues to watch Isabella play in the park with her children--crying, and saying angrily to herself, "They're my babies." She follows them home, only to see Sami and Eric leave again with Shawn and Caroline. Peeking through the French doors, she is devastated to see Roman place a ring on Isabella's finger, and then kiss her passionately.

As Roman reads Isabella a poem expressing his love for her, the shattered Marlena walks away from the house and goes to the church where she and Roman were married. Her despair draws the attention of a young minister, who asks if he can help. She is reluctant at first, but finally says that through no fault of her own she has been away from her husband for a long time, and now he has found someone else to love. He tells her she needs to find out if her husband still loves her, then leaves her to pray for guidance. She ends her day in a grimy hotel room, dreaming of Roman, while Roman and Isabella visit Bo in the hospital and announce their engagement to the ecstatic Brady clan.

The next day, Marlena asks the young minister to come to her hotel room. After hearing her story, he tells her she owes it to her children and her husband to let them know she is alive. She calls the police station again, but still won't leave a message, deciding to go there in person instead. She spies Roman through the window, but leaves before he sees her. She can't bear to have any witnesses to their first meeting. It has to be in private, away from curious, prying eyes.

The twins are overjoyed to learn Isabella will be a part of their family, and with their approval, Roman asks her to move into the house, which she gladly accepts. To everyone's surprise, Victor also expresses pleasure at the news, and again disavows his earlier threat to destroy Isabella's happiness.

Brian makes plans with Carly and Isabella to hold a surprise engagement party for his superior at Roman's house. The decorating is temporarily put on hold, however, when Roman decides to work at home that morning. He is upstairs taking a shower when Marlena comes to the door and leaves a cryptic note asking for a meeting at a bar. He thinks the note is from Isabella (more practice for passing her private investigator's exam), but she denies knowing anything about it. The intrigued Roman heads for the bar where Marlena is waiting, but she rushes out before he gets there after seeing the engagement announcement in a newspaper. She leaves a single strawberry behind her, which Roman finds. Marlena goes back to her her hotel room and cries over the newspaper while Isabella comes to the bar looking for her wayward fiancee.

The engagement party is in full swing when the guests of honor arrive. Roman is startled to see Victor there, and cautiously accepts his congratulations. After an ugly scene with the hotel manager over her rent, Marlena tearfully wanders down to the pier and overhears a couple of old friends, Tom Horton and Julie Williams, talking about how much Roman and Isabella love each other. Going back to the house, she watches the party through the window and is briefly seen by Brian. The detective reports his sighting to Roman, who finds footprints in the flower bed.

Disturbed, Roman tells Isabella he has to leave the party for a few minutes to check something out. Without knowing why, he is drawn to the pier. Meanwhile, Marlena has gone back to her hotel room. She is planning to leave Salem forever, but decides to make one last visit to the place which was so special to Roman and her.

Roman is standing on the pier staring pensively into the fog when he sees a woman standing by the steps. She looks vaguely familiar but he can't make out her features. He is turning to leave when he hears an unmistakable voice call, "Roman." A voice he had thought he would never hear again. Stopping dead in his tracks, he turns around to see an impossible vision walking toward him through the mist. He staggers toward her, whispering, "No" in disbelief, even as she sobs, "It's Marlena." Tears starting from his eyes, he reaches out a trembling hand to touch her face, then pulls her to him in indescribable joy.

Part 2: Two Romans

(From here until the real Roman comes home, Roman Brady will be referred to as Roman I and John Black as Roman II )

Marlena continues to live in the rundown hotel room and spends time with Bo on the Fancy Face, not yet ready to move back into her home and disrupt the children's lives. She knows Roman II has to end things with Isabella and she doesn't want to get in the way. Roman II tells Isabella that Marlena is alive and that he can't marry her. They break off the engagement. Roman II then convinces Marlena to come home and she is reunited with Eric and Sami. They have a hard time bonding with her, having few memories of their years with her. Marlena refuses to sleep in the same bed with Roman II until they can restore some of what they lost while she was away. They share many romantic moments, some of which are video taped by a mysterious man. During this time we begin to see clips of a man in a dungeon cell. We finally see his face and realize he looks exactly like Roman Augustus Brady. His captors are a military type named Luis and a scientist named Gretchen.

The captive Roman I reacts in fury as he watches the tape of Marlena with a stranger. Why is Marlena calling him Roman? Luis says that the trained killer they've put in his place has been accepted by Brady's family and friends. He warns Roman that unless he does what they ask, Marlena is dead.

In Salem, Roman II is obsessed with the secret of his wife's disappearance. Marlena wonders if the quest is an excuse to avoid choosing between her and Isabella. The rivals meet accidentally on the pier and awkwardly greet one another, although neither is giving up on Roman II. The Bradys and Hortons celebrate Marlena's return with the opening of Alice's restaurant. Roman II confides in his mother that he loves both women. She says he has a hard choice to make. During the event, the video taper lurks, taping images to be sent to Roman. At the same time, the Fancy Face is set on fire.

Roman II wonders if Marlena's San Cristobal coin could be the clue to her missing years. Meanwhile, Luis puts a similar coin around Roman's neck, telling him that it is the symbol of a new army. Marlena and Roman II grow further apart as she realizes how much has changed in five years. Can they ever regain what they had together?

Isabella's investigation of the fire on Bo's boat leads her to an arsonist named Ray. Roman II suspects he works for Victor. As Roman II and Isabella chat, they are nearly drawn into a kiss. At Roman II's request, Isabella subtly questions Victor about the medallion. He pretends to know nothing then later proceeds to take an identical coin out of his safe.....

Roman I makes an attempt to escape by hanging himself. He manages to overpower the guards but Luis catches him. He tries to make a key by filing down the coin against the stone wall of the cell. As he does, he uncovers the writing: San Cristobal 1587.

Marlena undergoes hypnosis with Kim. She recalls being in a doctors office, eyes bandaged after plastic surgery. A Spanish - speaking couple gives her the medallion and tells her that St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers and that they are taking her home to her husband now. Where did they take her and why? Marlena worries that the search for the truth will only bring more heart break.

Roman II spies a man spying in his window. The guy gets away, but leaves a video camera behind. The tape features Roman II and Marlena sharing tender moments. It makes Roman II even more concerned for Marlena's safety.

On the island Luis forces Roman I to look at the constellations and tell him what he knows. Sexy Gretchen observes, while Roman I sees a map, deduces where he is, and plots to get out. In Salem, Marlena recalls their first meeting, which bothers Roman II, since he can't remember it. She flashes back to her coma and the words: MONTEFUEGO ESTA ENOJADO. Roman II is determined that Montefuego is a volcano on one of the Tiberon Islands. Unbeknownst to him, that is where Roman I is being kept. Roman II is fired up to find the island, and Marlena wants to go too. A storm delays their plane and allows Marlena to bond with Eric and Sami.

In order to protect Isabella, Roman II lies about his trip. By the time Dr. Marcus Hunter informs her that her pregnancy test is positive, her ex-fiance has already left town. When Isabella discovers his whereabouts, she gets on a plane, intending to tell him the news, not aware Marlena is with him. In Miami, Roman II and Marlena prepare to unravel the mystery on San Critsobal with help from Abe. Marlena is upset by Roman II's almost instinctive knowledge of the island though he swears he's never been there. Afterward, Marlena relaxes her antsy husband with a massage. When they become affected by the touching, she walks away not wanting to push him. Later, Abe tells them he has arranged passage for them to the island. Caught up in the joy of the moment they kiss. Isabella arrives and spots the entwined couple. Crushed, she retreats and returns to Salem. She asks Abe about the situation and he tells her Roman II and Marlena are meant for each other.

Roman II and Marlena land on the island. Despite the danger, she wants them to stick together. Roman I escapes his captors, takes Gretchen hostage and hijacks a helicopter. They struggle over the radio and crash back on the island. Roman I struggles to continue his journey and is stunned to see Roman II and Marlena. Roman II and Marlena grow closer as they search the clinic where she was held captive. Roman II is unnerved by the vision of being held in the same cell that Roman II was held in. In Salem, Isabella decides she doesn't want Victor or Roman II in her life. Marcus urges her to tell Roman II that she is pregnant, but, convinced he loves Marlena, she secretly schedules an appointment at an abortion clinic.

Roman II tells Marlena it's time to go home. Roman I spots his wife and tries to get a note to her that the man she is with is an impostor, but she doesn't see the note. As Marlena and Roman II make their way back to the plane, Roman I is able to get Roman II in his gunsight and wound him. When Marlena comes face to face with Roman I, she faints and is carried off to a jungle hut by Roman I who tenderly cares for her, promising that no one will come between them again. At the same time Roman II regains consciousness and is about to go off looking for Marlena. Then his cellular phone rings. The call from his captors instructs him to follow the muddy footprints and track down Roman I and Marlena. Grabbing his Uzi, Roman II heads out into the jungle to fulfill his mission. Once in the hut, Roman II's captors order him to kill Roman I and Marlena. Instead he turns his gun on Luis and the prison guard.

On the island it's the battle of the Roman's, each insisting that the other is the impostor. Marlena is stuck in the middle and doesn't know which husband to take home. She insists that they must all work together to uncover the truth. As the trio head back to Salem, it's questionable whether these two different men can get along together at all. In Salem, Isabella rethinks her decision to get an abortion and is distraught that Roman II is away with Marlena.

The Brady's are stunned when they come face to face with Roman I. They aren't sure who to believe. Which Roman is their son? In an attempt to uncover the truth once and for all, both Romans undergo DNA testing, but all the samples mysteriously disappear.

Carly falls down an elevator shaft that Victor had rigged for Bo and Victor postpones his and Carly's annulment hearing until Carly is completely well. Victor also spends his time trying to see why Isabella seems so preoccupied. Isabella tells Roman II that she loves him no matter who he is, but Roman II still feels obligated to protect Marlena. Isabella hopes he'll come around for her sake - and the baby's. Desperately determined to prove that he is Roman, Roman II tries to remember the details of his childhood. Frustrated when he cannot remember, he goes to Victor, convinced that Victor can reveal his true identity. When Victor claims to know nothing about it, Roman II attacks Victor. Abe arrives and saves Victor. Roman II is still convinced that Victor knows more than he is letting on. Roman I is also determined to figure out Victor's part in the ordeal. Roman I goes behind Roman II's back and convinces the ISA to continue with the DNA testing of both Romans. To Roman II's devastation, the tests prove, beyond a doubt, that Roman I is the REAL Roman Augustus Brady. Roman II wonders where he fits in now that the truth has been revealed. Who is he?

Call him Roman II, Not Roman, or John Black, (the name he used before becoming Roman) the man has a problem. He has no identity. At first John doesn't believe he's not Roman Brady. But Marlena convinces him to work with her and Roman to discover who set them up and then get on with life.

Part 3: The gang heads to Chichen Itza and Torres becomes a threat

Disgusted with Victor Kiriakis' presence in their lives, John and Bo devise their own plan to nail the crime kingpin. Meanwhile, Isabella still can't bring herself to tell John she's pregnant. She's also furious with her father - she believes that Victor has turned John into one of his clones.

Another woman who has reached the breaking point with Victor is his ex-lover, Caroline Brady. She's had it with his attempts to destroy her family and ponders a course of action. Victor plans his own death and to frame Carly for the murder.

Victor Kiriakis is dead. Protective Bo attempts to take responsibility for his father's murder, but the butler and bodyguard finger Carly. When Dr. Manning is questioned by the police, she denies killing her husband, although she must admit she hated him enough to want to pull the trigger. Based on available information, Carly is arrested on suspicion of murder. Though Isabella posts her bail, Carly and Bo must stay apart to avoid a scandal and harmful publicity. Isabella tries to cover her tracks the night of the murder. To help John she swipes the John Black file and the San Cristobal medal from the Kiriakis Mansion. The numbers on the file stir up strange feelings for John.

Meanwhile Roman has a similar reaction when he sees the digits on top of the last case file he was working on before he disappeared so many years ago. Coincidentally - or not so coincidentally - Lawrence Alamain possesses the same set of numbers. Is he the person who holds the key to the mystery surrounding the two Romans?

Their minds are taken off the case for a bit when psycho Cal Winters kidnaps Kayla and Kim. Shane and Brian join Roman, John, and Bo, to eventually free them. It's the first time we see John and Roman working as a team. They realize that the Bradys will always be John's family too.

Roman, Marlena, and John discover that the strange numbers in the John Black file are connected to astronomy. They suspect that Lawrence may be playing a key role in the mystery. Roman reveals the pyramid sketches drawn by Lawrence and Gretchen. Everyone wonders what this new clue means.

As jury selection for Carly's trial commences, no one is aware that the murder victim, Victor, is alive! He's plotting to keep Bo and Carly apart and find the hidden treasures.

Isabella continues to hide her pregnancy, although she wants to help John as much as she can. She is shocked when John admits he's been having flashbacks of being tattooed in the same cell where Roman was held prisoner.

Roman, John, and Marlena may not agree on much, but they all come to one inescapable conclusion: A journey to Cancun, Mexico is needed to finally get to the bottom of their mutual dilemma. They arrive with high hopes that they will be able to solve the mystery and find all the answers they need.

Roman excitedly figures out that The Castillo is the name of the pyramid that he and John have been having flashbacks of. In his free time, Roman attempts to rekindle the flames of passionate love he had with his wife. However, she is still very apprehensive about renewing a sexual relationship just yet. There's also the confused John, to whom Marlena feels a responsibility. John recalls running along the beach a long time ago, as if he were in rigorous training for something.

Isabella is off on her own quest. She's hot on the trail of her father, more convinced than ever that Victor is alive and pulling the strings. But will she be able to find him before he pulls off his master plan?

After receiving an urgent phone call from his sister, Bo leaves Carly to join Isabella in Mexico. He vows to bring back Victor and thus get Carly off the hook for the murder charge. Bo is stunned to find a fugitive from justice seated next to him. It's Carly, on the lam from the authorities.

Does the key to the past lie countless of miles from Salem among the ancient ruins of Mexico? Marlena, John, and Roman are convinced it does. Down in Chichen Itza, the trio is joined by Bo, Carly, and Isabella, who begin exploring the site of the long ago Mayan civilization. With the help of an American professor, they discover that the hidden treasure they're seeking consists of Mayan codices (scrolls) buried in the ancient Castillo.

While exploring the Mayan ruins, John makes another discovery. He is stunned when Isabella tells him that she's pregnant with his child. John decides to keep the news a secret from Marlena, but Marlena already has her suspicions.

Bo asks Carly proposes amidst the Mayan ruins where the acoustics allow him to speak to Carly in a normal voice while standing more than 100 feet away from her. Although still legally wed to Kiriakis, Carly accepts Bo's unique proposal: They'll exchange vows in a traditional Mayan Ceremony. But wedding plans must wait, while Bo and Carly hunt for answers. Their quest leads them to a dungeon, where they find Victor imprisoned. A weak, despondent Kiriakis finally reveals to Bo who their arch enemy is: Stefano DiMera. Fearing for Roman and Bo's safety, Bo rushes to tell them the truth.

In the Castillo, Roman and John search for the missing codices. Just as they're about to strike gold, they're confronted by Lawrence and Gretchen, who finally reveals her ISA connection. Lawrence slyly claims his only motive in recovering the codices was altruism. He planned to turn them over to the Mexican government.

But suddenly the mastermind shows his face. It's Stefano DiMera, (Not Joseph Mascolo, but another actor whose face we never really see). He demands the codices in return for a satchel that will reveal John's true identity. John, agrees, but Stefano tries to double-cross him. In the ensuing shoot-out, the evil DiMera is believed to be killed by a bullet meant for John. A fire starts in the Castillo and John gets trapped, but he is rescued. John's life is saved, but his past may never be reclaimed, because the satchel is burned in the fire. John is devastated, but Gretchen says the ISA will share the results after they've analyzed the satchel.

Reunited, and feeling new hope for the future, John and Isabella make love. Roman is ready to rebuild his life with Marlena, but she still has to face her feelings for John. In a powerful confrontation with Kiriakis, Bo denies him as his father. Bo and Carly file formal charges against Kiriakis, then celebrate their love in a pre-wedding Mayan torch-lighting ritual.

In Mexico, Bo and Carly exchange wedding vows in a traditional Mayan Ceremony atop the Castillo with Marlena and Isabella and John and Roman as witnesses.

BO AND CARLY'S MAYAN VOWS

I know not if the voice of man can reach the sky;
I know not if the gods will hear as I pray;
I know not if the gifts I ask will be granted;
I know not what will come to pass in our future days;
I hope that only good will come, my love, to you.

I know now that the voice of man can reach the sky;
I know now that the gods have heard as I prayed;
I know now that the gifts I ask have all been granted;
I know now that the word of old we truly have heard;
I know now that our future days will have no number;
I know that only good will come, my love, to us.

Even though the marriage isn't legal, in their hearts, the lovers feel married. The next day, they embark on a romantic honeymoon in Cancun.

Marlena is delighted when she learns about Isabella's pregnancy; so is Roman. He's sure that impending fatherhood will keep John focused on Isabella, not Marlena. Meanwhile, John tells Isabella that he cares about her and the baby, but he must find his true identity before he can devote himself to his new family.

When they return to Salem, it's a heart-wrenching time for John who knows he must relinquish his life as Roman Brady. Struggling with his emotions, he tells Eric and Sami that he's not their dad, Mr. Patrick is. The twins cling to John in their confusion. Marlena thinks they just need time to adjust, but she's ready to accept Roman now - and they make love.

From his Salem jail cell, Kiriakis hires March and as his attorney. Caroline is furious when she is asked to be a character witness.

Roman is deeply touched when the Bradys throw him a surprise welcome home party. His marital situation seems to be improving, too. More and more, Roman and Marlena are finding themselves on the same wavelength romantically as they try to rebuild their lives and their family.

Desperate for information about his identity, John confronts Lawrence, who denies knowing anything. Alone, Lawrence studies a drawing of a wolf nurturing two infants, which has been pulled from the John Black file. Lawrence then calls Ivan and requests his presence in Salem immediately.

Isabella agrees to testify against Kiriakis. She and John share a loving moment when he places her guardian angel ornament on the Christmas tree. All the Bradys are thrilled about Isabella's pregnancy. But there's one jarring note. The twins are hostile when John visits them.

John finally receives the satchel from the ISA, but is devastated to find only a broken half of a locket, a picture of an unidentified woman with a birthmark behind her ear, and a gnarled piece of gold. Later, we see that Carly has the same birthmark.

Returning to Salem, Bo and Carly tell an ecstatic Shawn-Douglas that Carly's moving in. They're determined to nail Victor to the wall for fabricating his own death, not to mention attempted murder. Meanwhile, Victor sets up a mysterious meeting with mobster Rafi Torres and his mob family.

Marlena's new patient, John, hopes a few psychiatric sessions will unlock the past. Meanwhile, John's estrangement from Isabella deepens when he bends the gold piece from the satchel into what seems to be a wedding band. He may be married.

John walks out on his first session with Marlena, because he can't open up to her. He feels too guilty over the fact that he may have been married to someone else while he was married to Marlena. Bo urges John to wear the newly discovered ring in case it sparks his memory. Although John swears Bo to secrecy, Isabella accidentally finds the ring and assumes the worst.

Bo and Carly are shocked when Kiriakis changes his plea to NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF TEMPORARY INSANITY. Unbeknownst to Kiriakis, Roman observes him meeting with a member of the notorious Torres family.

John embarks on a bumpy trip down memory lane when he allows Marlena to hypnotize him. During the hypnosis, he becomes terrified when he feels himself thrust into a stormy ocean, and suddenly he is unable to speak. Marlena insists that they break off the session. Once he's out of the trance, John is more confused about his past than ever.

Isabella is subpoenaed as a defense witness at Kiriakis' criminal hearing. Although she's being called to testify on her father's behalf, she assures John that she won't skirt the truth; she intends to tell the judge what an evil man Victor is.

With Isabella's help, Roman plants a bug in Kiriakis' house and begins to observe his every move, hoping to gain evidence to expose Victor and his connection to the corrupt Torres family. Isabella tells John that she knows about the alleged wedding ring, and realizes he may have been married. They agree that John should continue to wear the ring in the hope that it will jog his memory.

Bo and Carly are ecstatic when Carly's annulment from Victor is finalized. Their joy is short-lived, however, when Carly receives her invitation to a party celebrating the discovery of the Landis codices - hosted by Lawrence Alamain. Neither Bo nor Carly is aware that the birthmark matches the one on the mystery woman in John's picture.

Carly is furious when she receives an anonymous painting. She knows it's from Lawrence, so she sends it back. He's pleased it evoked such a passionate response from her. Lawrence thinks Carly remembers more of their affair then she'll admit. Bo's curious, too, but Carly swears she's told him all about her past.

At the preliminary hearing, Isabella reluctantly supports Kiriakis' claim that mental illness made him fake his own death. Then a stressed-out Isabella collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Luckily, she and her baby are unharmed.

A mysterious phone call forces John to leave the party celebrating the Landis codices discovery. Later, at Lawrence's post-party reception, Bo and Carly announce their official marriage plans. Meanwhile, a masked theif steals the codices and leaves behind a calling card with a picture of a wolf's head on it. When the police investigate, John can't recall his whereabouts. He's blacked-out the entire night....In a faraway town, a woman pores over a picture of John's flawed ring. Amazingly, her own ring has a wolf's head design.

During the very first Days Prime -Time special ONE STORMY NIGHT, a severe rainstorm hits Salem, and Isabella's car swerves out of control and careens into the river! Meanwhile, Lawrence uses the storm as a ploy to trick Carly into rescuing him. Carly fends off his attempts to seduce her, but she's shaken by the romantic feelings he stirs up. She rushes back to Bo and they make love. Meanwhile, Roman's daughter, Carrie, hitches her way back into Salem. She is accosted by the driver that gave her the ride. John rescues her and is shocked to see that the girl he rescued is Carrie. Having heard from her mother, Anna, that John isn't her real father, she refuses to have anything to do with him. (Carrie Brady is played by Tracy Middendorf at this time.)

John rescues Isabella after her car plummets into the river. The Bradys are relieved to hear that Isabella and her unborn baby are both okay. Later, John and Isabella find out that his mysterious ring may not be a wedding band at all, but part of a missing insignia. In Italy, a beautiful woman with the same ring wonders if John could be her long lost love.

Bo gives Carly an official engagement ring, but he's puzzled about one thing: Why didn't Carly ever mention she'd lived in a convent after her breakup with Lawrence? Jenn's puzzled about it too, but she presses on with plans to throw Carly a surprise bridal shower. Expecting to meet Bo at Wings, Carly is completely taken aback by Jenn's shindig. Meanwhile, Bo realizes that Carly is the mysterious woman in John's picture. However, he never gets a chance to tell her. He is knocked unconscious by Rafi Torres' thugs and they drag away his lifeless body.

During a press conference, Lawrence tries to coerce Roman into arresting John for stealing the Landis Codices, when in fact Lawrence is the one who really has them! When John finds out that Lawrence tried to get him jailed, he nearly strangles Lawrence to death. Isabella and the Bradys are shocked by John's violent outburst.

Kiriakis swears he's innocent when Roman accuses him of kidnapping Bo. Soon afterward, though, Kiriakis learns from Rafi that Bo won't be released till Roman backs off investigating the Torres family. Kiriakis urges ISA Chief Tarrington to tell Roman the truth before it's too late for Bo.

Disobeying orders to back off the Kiriakis case, Roman spies on Kiriakis and Rafi near the tunnels under Wings. Then, while checking out another lead, Roman is nearly killed by a falling crate. Later, Roman finds Bo's chains from his Merchant Marine medals attached to a mysterious note.

John is haunted by nightmares. In his dreams, he sees a mysterious thief stealing a painting, which makes him suspect a connection to the theft of the Mayan artifacts. Isabella hears him call out the name Romulus in his sleep. Later she discovers that the guard who was injured during the museum robbery awoke from a coma and also whispered Romulus.

Roman suspects that Kiriakis' connection to the Torres family involves the tunnels underneath Wings. Carly tells Rafi that she'll spy on Roman for him if he'll release Bo, but Rafi sees through her ploy. He realizes that Roman is watching their exchange, and responds by threatening Roman's life. Commander Brady is now a marked man. Knowing Rafi means business, Tarrington advises Roman to get out of town and assume a new identity, but Roman refuses to leave his family again. Carly and Bo receive a videotape proving that Bo is alive. Roman and Shane agree to let Rafi unload his drug cargo in Salem warehouse in exchange for Bo's release. But the rendezvous at the warehouse is a trap. Gunfire erupts and Rafi's brother is killed. Rafi then gives Roman an ultimatum: Either Roman leaves Salem immediately or he and Bo will die. Marlena wonders if Roman is slipping away from her again.

Lawrence offers to help find Bo, but Carly refuses to trust him. Shane warns Carly to stay out of the investigation or she could make things worse for Bo....Danielle arrives in Salem and rents an apartment across from John's. When John doesn't recognize her the first time they meet, she tries a more direct approach, tricking John into finding her naked in the bathtub.

After being reunited with his best friend Abe, Roman confesses he's considering going undercover to free Bo. Because of this possibility Roman draws even closer to the love of his life, Marlena. John admits to Carrie that his emerging memories of the past are not good. Not knowing the trouble she's causing, Carrie passes this information on to Lawrence.

to be continued...

Thanks to Ruth for writing part I of this story. Thanks to Angela for writing part II. Thanks to Stacy for the SOW cover. Thanks to SOAP OPERA DIGEST for their Weekly Summaries from which much of the information for part two was gleaned.

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