-Roman starts to stir in his bed and slowly wakes up. He turns his head slowly, looks around, and then seems to wake up all at once when he sees that Marlena is not laying next to him. He thinks for a second and then jumps up and grabs his pants, shirt, and gun. He throws his shoes on and races downstairs. He runs towards the door and hears something behind him and when he looks back.......

He sees a sleeping Marlena on the couch, holding a picture of Sami and Eric when they were both a year old.

Roman slowly walks over to the couch and bends down on one knee, gently nudging Marlena as she starts to stir. Marlena wakes up and looks at Roman and smiles slightly........then realizes that not only are her twin babies dead but today is the day they say goodbye forever. Marlena sits up on the couch and looks at Roman. Tears starts to stream down her face as she leans forward and Roman hugs her lovingly. The only words that are spoken as Marlena clutches Roman tightly is..........

Marlena: My twin babies. How do I say goodbye?

Roman slowly shakes his head back and forth as he rocks with Marlena. She knows that her daughter was far from a saint and, even though she was very, very ashamed of her at times, she always loved her precious baby girl. And Roman thought that, as much as he loved Sami, that his son Eric would always be there to protect her..........even after he and Marlena had both passed away.

They both know they have other children and love Belle and Jonathan more than life itself, but to have to bury not one but two children...............only God Himself knew the reasons why.

At that moment, the phone rings. Marlena shakes her head yes and Roman stands up to answer it. The person on the other end is........

Roman: Oh, my. (Wiping tears from his eyes) It’s good to hear your voice.

Jonathan: Thanks, Dad. It’s really good to hear yours. I'm at the Pun right now and wanted to give you and Marlena some time before I called you this morning.

Roman: (Picking up the phone and walking away) Oh, I thank you for that, son. Hard, hard day. I just don’t know........(Starting to cry) How I’m going to........Oh God........

Jonathan: I don’t know, Dad. I just...........I just wanted you to know that I’m here, ok?

Roman: Son, you don’t have to.........

Jonathan: Yes I do, Dad. I have leaned on you my whole life. Time for you to lean on me, ok?

Roman: Yes. Ok, son. Ok. I could really use that right now, you know?

Jonathan: I know, Dad. I’ll start getting ready and I’ll see you later on........before the funerals.

Roman: Ok, son.

Jonathan: And do me a favor.

Roman: Anything.

Jonathan: You tell Marlena..........(Starting to cry as well)...........That I love her, ok? Please?

Roman: I will, baby boy. I will.

Jonathan: See you later, Dad.

Roman: Bye, son.

Roman hung up the phone on a crying Jonathan. He knew that his son didn’t want him to hear him break down and gave him his respect. Roman placed the cordless phone on a small table and looked back at Marlena, who is placing the picture back on their end table. She stares at it sadly and thinks of all the time that she feels was wasted fighting, arguing, and not being close with one another.

Marlena thinks of Roman regaining his identity, her coming back home, and Sami finally making the choices in her life that truly were making her happy. She thinks of Sami’s love for Lucas, the man who helped turn her around, and knows that if this........tragedy........would not have occurred, her and Lucas may have soon enough walked down the aisle as husband and wife. And may, just maybe, she would have started a family of her own.

But now............she realizes that will never be and Roman walks over and holds Marlena from behind as she leans backwards onto him. Both of them can’t stop crying. The pain of losing one child is unbearable.............but to lose two children, at the hands of some madman............it now is almost more than either of them can bear. The scene slowly dissolves away from Roman and Marlena.........

And onto Lucas, who is walking slowly around his apartment, holding a picture of his beloved Samantha. Lucas slowly walks over to the window in the living room and looks out into the beautiful sunlight of the morning. He then thinks to himself......

Lucas: Amazing how when you bury someone, the skies are wide open with sun.

A person standing behind him answers his question........

Will: Yeah. It sure is.

Lucas turns and wipes the tears from his eyes as he sees Will standing there looking at him. Lucas walks over to his son and hugs him. Will hugs him back, trying his best to remain strong for his father. Both men know what today is........and truly don’t want to say goodbye to a lady who they loved no matter what. Lucas slowly backs up and looks at Will, asking him....

Lucas: Well.........do you have........your clothes ready?

Will: (Wiping tears away) Uh, yeah, Dad. Yeah. I laid them out this morning.

Lucas: Good. Good, son.

Lucas walks away and Will asks him........

Will: Are the police guards still outside the door?

Lucas: Actually, no. Victor sent some men over late last night and they have been there all evening. He has some over at Roman and Marlena’s as well. With Orpheus running loose........

Will: (After a pause) If I ever see that bastard.......

Lucas: NO! I don’t want to hear that from you. You must stay out of this.

Will: That bastard kills my mother and I can’t wish death on him?!

Lucas: Son..........I don’t want the anger to eat you up, ok?

Will: How can I stop that from happening?! She’s dead, Dad.

Lucas: You don’t think I know that?!

Will looks at his father as one tear falls from his eyes........

Lucas: I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. It is beyond painful just for me to breathe from moment to moment. All I see........is her. I feel her. I sense her. And then..........(crying)..........I am reminded that she will never walk through that door again..........or laugh out loud at one of my stupid jokes........or jump into my arms........

Or tell me.........how much she loves me. And I can’t tell her............how truly blessed I was to have her in my life, despite everything. (Looking at Will) So yes, son. I know what you’re going through........

Because I’m going through the exact same thing.

Will slowly walks over to Lucas.........and hugs Lucas from behind as he breaks down once again and sobs deeply. Lucas is wracked with emotion as Will tries to comfort his dad. All Will can do is to softly say into Lucas’s ear.....

Will: It’ll be alright, Dad, Trust me. It’ll be alright.

Will continues to hold a sobbing Lucas as the scene slowly pans up and then fades to black.

-Later that morning, loved ones start to arrive at the Brady Pub. Kayla and Kimberly greet people as they start filing in. Kimberly looks over at a small table in the back and sees Caroline sitting there, holding a picture of both Samantha and Eric. All Caroline can do is rock back and forth and shake her head. Kimberly wheels herself over and when she is near, places her hand gently on Caroline’s wrist. Caroline slowly looks at Kimberly.......and then leans forward, resting her head on Kimberly’s shoulder and breaking down completely. Kayla sees this and walks over to her mother, followed closely by Steve.

All Steve can do is pat Kayla on her back as both sisters try and comfort their mother. Steve then looks towards the door.......and sees Bo and Hope walk in. He excuses himself and walks over to his best friend, hugging him deeply as Hope watches on, fighting back tears. The men look at each other as Steve tells him......

Steve: So sorry, man.

Bo: Thanks. But it’s Marlena and Roman who are going through hell. Both twins........gone.

Steve: (After A Brief Pause) Let me talk to you for a minute. Hope......would you mind?

Hope: No, Steve. I’ll be over here with the ladies.

Steve and Bo step outside and Bo turns, looking at Steve and asking him......

Bo: What’s up, man?

Steve: I want in on this. I know.....that you and Victor have something special planned for that bastard and I want in.

Bo: Steve, look.......

Steve: Don’t tell me that! They were my people too, man.

Bo: Damn right they were. And you are my brother, just like Roman is. Let me handle this, ok?

Steve: After everything we’ve been through.......you can say this to me?

Bo: Roman was gone for so long after Stefano shot him. And you just came back home. I lost two brothers who mean the world to me. I’m not losing anyone else.

Steve: Then it’s time for this family to go on the offensive. We find Orpheus and Stefano.........and we make these sick bastards pay, dude.

Bo takes a few steps away from Steve and ponders his words. He then turns back, looks into the Pub at all of his loved ones who are gathering, and tells Steve in a menacing tone.....

Bo: Fine. You win. We make every last one of these [!@#$%^&*] regret the day they EVER crossed paths with this family.

Steve: Good deal, man.

Both men shake on this newfound alliance as they both walk back into the Pub to join the gathering. What they didn’t know is that their conversation was overheard......

By none other than Victor Kiriakis, who tells Nico.......

Victor: I think my son is finally coming into his own.

Victor and Nico walk into the Pub as the scene slowly fades to black.

-At the Horton home, Alice is getting ready for today’s funerals when Maggie walks in and asks her how she’s doing. Alice tells her she’s just about ready. She reminds Maggie that it wasn’t too long ago that they all said goodbye to Marie. Now, another tragedy. Maggie asks her if Salem will ever know any type of peace again and Alice responds, saying that they will. Maggie sits down next to Alice as Alice pats her hand, telling her that at the end of the day, all they really have is each other. She recalls telling that to Samantha once. She is so sorry now that the precious dear didn’t realize that until the end of her life.

Maggie tells her that she is glad she saw it, though. Just like Eric. Alice reminds Maggie that Eric always knew that. He was a splendid young man, Alice says. Just like his father. The both of them came from good, good stock and that is what will carry them through this pain. Alice then asks if the men who were outside all night are still there. Maggie is shocked, saying she didn’t know men were outside. Alice tells her that Abe sent them over. Maggie tells her that all she noticed last night were the cars driving up and down the streets all night. Alice says that when she went downstairs to get the morning mail, she had a letter that was addressed to her with no return address. When she opened it.....all it was was a picture..........of a Phoenix.

Maggie asks her if she was sure they were Stefano’s men and Alice tells her that’s all she can get from that letter. Maggie wonders...........is it really possible that Stefano DiMera actually has a heart? Alice responds, saying only......

Alice: We’ll see.

Both ladies laugh as Maggie helps Alice stand up. She helps Alice out into the hallway...........where Shane, Doug, Will and Lucas are standing. Alice walks over to Will and Lucas and each man reaches out to her. She takes both hands and tells them both that they will get through this with the love they have for each other and the love from their families. Both Lucas and Will nod their heads in agreement as they help Alice down the stairs and out to her limousine.

-At the Pub, Victor walks over to a grieving Caroline. She stands up and Victor gives her a warm embrace. She thanks him for coming to the funerals. Victor tells her he just couldn’t be by her side at this time. She wonders if Maggie will be upset and Victor says he talked to Maggie and she understands. He asks how Roman and Marlena are doing. Caroline says that Roman is at home but she doesn’t know what has happened to him. He seems to blame himself for what happened.

Victor says he knows what Roman is going through. He blamed himself when Isabella died. Caroline tells him that wasn’t his fault and Victor says he found that out later but it still didn’t stop him from laying all that guilt on himself. Caroline just hopes that Roman comes to his senses soon, before he does something he’ll regret for the rest of his life.

Before Victor can respond, Bo looks out the window and slowly turns, telling the gathering that the hearses and limousines have arrived. Caroline sinks into Victor’s arms and Kimberly places her hand over her mouth, to keep from crying out. Kayla hugs Steve, who looks at Bo and nods his head. Bo responds in kind as Hope walks over to her husband and hugs him gently. The gathering then starts to slowly walk out of the Brady Pub and make their way to the limousines as Victor places Caroline in his personal car. He leans into Nico and tells him something and Nico then gives a signal.

At that moment, a car rides in front of the hearse and stops. When everyone has gotten into their cars, two young ladies stand up through the roof of the first car and, as the cars start to pull away, they throw white rose petals in front of Samantha’s hearse. The scene then pans up towards the beautiful sky as the fleet of cars drives off into the morning. People stop their cars and wave at the Brady family as they drive by and Caroline lets her window down, as school children run up to the side of her limousine and hand her long stem white roses as her car slowly drives by.

The fleet makes their way towards Roman and Marlena’s home. When the phone rings in the living room, Marlena picks it up and says that they are ready and thanks the person who called her. She hangs up the phone and looks out the window as Roman walks down the stairs. He looks at her as a tear falls from his eyes and she tells him that everyone is out front. He walks over to her and hugs her again, trying his best to keep Marlena from collapsing in his arms. He puts his jacket on and opens the front door. He leads Marlena outside as everyone watches this almost overwhelming scene of grief being displayed.

Roman looks up and towards the fleet of cars, as if asking for help. Bo jumps out of his limousine and runs over to them and helps Roman take a now crying Marlena to her car. Kayla and Hope get out of the same car and race over to Roman, who stops dead in his tracks. He then doubles over with grief and Kimberly watches on as the two ladies try to hold Roman up long enough for him to make his way to the limousine. At that moment, a car slowly drives by the fleet and, when it stops near Marlena and Roman’s limousine, the window comes down. Marlena lowers her window and her and Roman see the person inside the car.......

And it is Stefano DiMera, who nods his head at both of them. Roman wipes his face and hands Marlena a handkerchief. He then sits back and the window goes back up as the limousine drives away slowly. Roman closes his door as Kayla, Bo and Hope sit with Roman and Marlena, as she places her head on Roman’s shoulder. He places his arm around her and tells her.......

Roman: Ok, Doc. Let’s take our twins home.

She cries in his arms as the fleet starts up again and as they all drive off, the scene pans up and slowly fades to black.

ON THE NEXT SALEM LIVES...

THE FUNERALS OF ERIC BRADY AND SAMI BRADY COMMENCE. DON'T MISS PART 2 OF THIS EMOTIONAL EVENT. PLUS, DON'T MISS A SURPRISE!!