A/N: if you are an ardent J/M fan to the point you can't see them with anyone else, you'll not want to read this. They don't end up together. Also if you can't stand Tony with Marlena, this probably isn't for you.

The idea for this originated with a comment Deidre made once in an interview. She thought it would be interesting for Marlena and Tony to have an affair and that is the basis for the story. I will mention that they don't end up together, its more of a learning experience that guides them both back to people they have more of a connection to.

A couple of things you need to know: In this story, the man that came back to Salem in 1993 was Tony, not Andre (who is most definitely deceased). Also, I haven't changed Tony's paternity, so per Reilly in 1993, Tony is Stefano's biological son. As for Aremid and who was responsible, that is part of the mystery involved...

Roman in this story is still Wayne Northrop's version.

Prologue

Buddy beware
Buddy better take care
Though at heart I'm a pearl
I'm a difficult girl
So buddy beware

Cole Porter, Anything Goes 1934

England, spring 1996

Roman knocked on the door to Shane's office. It opened and a hand grabbed hold of his arm and hauled him inside. "You're late Brady. What took you so long?"

"I wanted to be sure they'd be done before I barged in again." He glanced from his partner over to the other occupant in the room who wasn't paying attention to either of them, but stood, lost in thought it appeared or perhaps simply enjoying his freedom and the London skyline.

"Yes. Completely done, and…" Shane followed Roman's eyes, "he wishes to speak to you privately, so I'm going to take care of some other business and then we can discuss what to do next."

Frankly, Roman had been dreading this conversation. He had a fairly accurate idea of what it was about and though Shane had offered to be the one to break the bad news, he didn't know Tony as well as Roman. This wasn't going to be pretty, not when Tony learned how much of his wife's affair had gone on behind his back. Honestly, Roman had yet to meet a DiMera who'd put up with that and Tony was no exception to the rule, though in this particular case, Roman couldn't blame him in the least.

He waved his partner off and turned to the task at hand.

It had taken him and Shane nine long months to find Tony and the first few months of it an uphill battle getting anyone at the agency to take them seriously. All they had to go one were a few phone calls he'd made to Shane. The Count had reached his limit with Stefano. He was determined to see the man behind bars and out of his life, only as quickly as the contact between him and Shane had begun, it stopped. Roman and Shane both worried almost immediately that something wasn't right but with nothing to go on and no behavior out of the ordinary on Tony's part they were stuck. There was nothing to do but wait, which they did until the night of a benefit in Salem that included a dangerous magic stunt that went awry and nearly killed John. There was no proof of course that it was Tony or whoever had replaced him but it was the first of many incidents that suggested that Tony was no longer the man living in the DiMera mansion.

The aspect of the whole mess Roman knew they'd catch hell for when it all came out was their silence during the trial in Aremid. Perhaps it would have made a difference though they had no more proof at that point then they had from the beginning and he didn't believe for a second that John would have bought it anyway. In addition, the judge presiding was in Stefano's pocket, which meant the old man would have been alerted to their plans and lost them any chance of finding Tony in the end.

Not that Roman expected John to see it from the agency's perspective.

You're stalling, Brady.

He glanced over at Tony, who had his back to him. After a week in the agency's infirmary, and a couple more days answering questions, Roman figured most men would look a wreck. Tony managed to look as though he'd just come from his tailor.

Using Shane's stash he kept for visiting dignitaries and senior agents, he poured Tony a scotch and soda, and grabbed himself a beer. Time to get this over with.

"Tony."

His friend turned with a smile and took the glass. Together, they drank a toast.

"I know," Tony began, "I said this already the day you brought me here, but I owe you my life."

"Yeah, yeah. Just return the favor when I disappear and we'll call it even."

"You disappear on practically an annual basis, Roman."

"Exactly."

Both men's laughter rang with wry amusement, though Roman's died away first.

"There's something I've put off talking to you about and I think we should do it now."

"Something or someone?"

Roman took a few steps back and sank down into one of the old leather chairs. "You haven't asked about her once since we found you."

The other man's dark expressive eyes glanced briefly in Roman's direction and then returned to the window. "I've been told she got an annulment."

"Yes, but it wasn't your signature. You didn't agreed to it, so the document's invalid."

Tony didn't comment. He just stood and after a swallow from his glass, continued to stare out into the sunshine dancing off the windows of the high-rise buildings around them.

"She hasn't married John yet," Roman pointed out.

"But that is her wish."

He knew there was no way around this. "I believe so, yes."

"How long?"

"Since the annulment? Last summer around August or maybe it was September. I'm not sure of the exact date."

But he'd not finished saying the words before he found himself confronted by Tony's piercing gaze. "You didn't hold off discussing Kristen with me because she'd dissolved the marriage. There has to be more to the story than her moving on with Black."

Roman sighed and fiddled with his beer, reluctant now that the moment had arrived to be blunt. He'd had his guts ripped out. And having to be the messenger to someone else in the same position brought back all the old feelings. "How the hell did we end up here…both of us alone and him back there playing stud to every married woman who catches his eye?"

"That would be my father's doing," said Tony, a thin layer of disgust making his accent even more distinct.

"Not completely I'm afraid."

Something in the back of Tony's dark eyes hardened and Roman felt the same sick feeling in the pit of his stomach he'd experienced the day of Belle's baptism.

"Spit it out, Roman."

The moment of truth, thought Roman sarcastically, the one a man felt he just had to have because living with uncertainty was so much worse…until he learned just how ghastly the truth was.

"It came out during the trial as part of a deposition. Your brother wanted to show as much motivation on John's part for the murder as possible and an affair on top of all the other evidence…"

"Affair."

It couldn't have come as a total shock and yet there was plenty of it mixed in with the betrayal and burgeoning rage that transfixed Tony's face.

"After you came home from Maison Blanche," said Roman, dreading the questions he was expecting but Tony asked none and thankful for that small mercy, Roman waited silently.

In front of the window, Tony struggled to maintain his self-control.

He'd feared the worst from the day he'd heard the nurses gossiping at the hospital but having to listen to Roman of all people confirm it pained him more than he would have imagined possible. It hurt as badly now as it had the day he first suspected. He'd thrown away so much for her…his friends, his past…his pride…the last fucking eighteen months of his life and all for a woman that existed only in his head…a woman who preached honesty all the while she was busy flaunting the love and patience he'd shown to her in the most demeaning manner possible. Yeah, he'd lied to her about Stefano and few other things but he'd never pretended to be something he wasn't to save face.

"It started between them before I ever came back to Salem." He didn't make it a question, though Roman answered it anyway.

"I'm sorry but yes."

"And ten to one, Stefano knew all about it, though he wouldn't come right out and tell me of course."

"Yeah, well he knew what your response would be too."

Tony swallowed the remainder of his drink in one long gulp.

"Stefano was wrong," Tony said, turning to face Roman finally. "Before the wedding, I would have listened to her and if John was the man she wanted…" he sighed, "I would have tried to change her mind, fought for her..."

"No matter what?"

"You mean while she used my pride as an excuse for her behavior?" he countered, mockery in his voice. "No. And neither would you," he reminded Roman. "Not that is matters. It's too late to go back."

"Tony…"

Their eyes met and though the understanding in Roman's expression was plain to see, there was the merest hint of censure as well, aimed at the cold threat he'd just heard and in any other mood it would have amused Tony greatly. But this was different.

"I appreciate you being honest, Roman, but…"

"…it's none of my business?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, I'm not Andre. Murder is messy and unimaginative and not nearly humiliating enough."

"That makes me feel so much better," chuckled Roman sarcastically.