Marco Cortez

**Marco Cortez** was the 5th husband (6th spouse) of Lisa Durant, and father to Franklin Durant.

### Storylines

#### First Intro and Exit

Marco moves into town and catches the eye of Drucilla Nadeau.

Marco proposes to Dru at Lisa's New Years Eve Party and she declines, stating they've not long been together. When Dru is diagnosed with lung cancer, she realises she truly loves Marco and should've accepted his proposal. Marco supports her through her treatment and the two celebrate when she gets put into remission.

Tragedy strikes the relationship when Marco tells Dru he was diagnosed with Fisherman's Syndrome, a rare type of cancer and that his prognosis is bleak. The two decide to elope and have a quick double wedding with Lisa and Marcel. Shortly after saying 'I do' Marco collapses and is sent to hospital. A doctor informs Dru that Marco has died. Dru finds it hard to cope with his death, and a few months after his death, holds a memorial service for him. The state makes her a widow.

#### Return, Baby and Shooting Past

After Lisa was exposed for lying about her illness, she travels out of town to a bar and sees a bearded Marco, alive and well. Marco explains he had to go on a special assignment for a month, which is why Dru needed to believe he was dead. Lisa informs Marco that Dru was devastated at his death, and berates him. Marco reveals his death records will be deleted soon by the WSB (World Security Bureau), meaning he can come back to normal life then. After telling Marco of her own lies, they get drunk and sleep together.

Lisa ends up pregnant and discusses her condition with Marco who begs her not to as he never got the chance to be a father because of his job. Lisa agrees reluctantly and asks why he never settled down; he tells her about the mission for a rogue associate (aka not an official WSB order) he had to gun a man down on Aviva Island, but he got the wrong man and shot him in front of his wife and kids and it scarred him... This story sounds too familiar to Lisa and she asks for the intended target’s name: Jeremiah Baxter. Lisa realises this is the man that shot Tehzib’s husband and Jeremiah’s brother Sean. Lisa tells Marco he caused so much pain for Tehzib and the family and he tells her how sorry he is and that he regrets ever taking an order from Mario Vitali. Jeremiah was in debt to Mario, and he wanted him dead, but when the job went south, Mario watched Jeremiah grieve at the funeral and decided that was punishment enough. Lisa is in pieces but eventually decides not to abort. Marco is convinced to come back to Windenburg so Lisa can have the home comforts of Windenburg.

Franklin Durant is born (later SORASed) Lisa and Marco marry. Dru attends begrudgingly, wanting to save face for the cameras waiting outside the church. Dru forgives Lisa and makes a move on Marco in the bathroom. Marco kisses her back but pulls out and says their marriage is over.
After the wedding while Marco is moving his stuff into the mansion, Lisa comes across a box filled with information about Sean (Tehzib’s husband) and the bullet that shot him. She confronts him and he says he never got around to disposing of that and hands it to her as a wedding present - if he ever breaks her trust, he wants her to use what’s in the box to punish him. Lisa is appreciative but tells him to take the box outside to burn. (In reality, he places the box into a box labelled ‘Books To Donate At Some Point’ and hides them with paper before shoving it up in the attic).

#### Second Exit

Marco meets Dru at the shack and they share a drink. They passionately kiss, but are seen by Marcel... Marcel runs to tell Lisa that Marco is cheating on her with Dru but she refuses to believe it. Marcel shows her a photo of them and she’s heartbroken and sleeps with Marcel. Later that day, someone breaks into the Durant mansion and steals the evidence proving Marco's guilt. The WCPD put an alert out for him.

At Dru’s penthouse, Marco comes over to say goodbye and the pair exchange a tearful goodbye. Lisa realises where Marco might be and rushes to the penthouse and catches him. She realises that their love was fleeting, and Marco hands Lisa divorce papers, drafted up months ago in case Marco had to go on the run ergo sparing Lisa from a lengthy divorce. Marco hands Dru his ring and uses it as an engagement ring and tells her that when he comes back, they can get married again. He apologises to Lisa and convinces Lisa and Dru to make up for good which they agree to. Marco heads to the Durant Mausoleum and repents. He calls someone and makes plans for him to be on a cargo ship tonight. At the Windenburg Backroad, Marco waits for his ride when he steps in the road and is hit by a car and his body is sent flying over the rail to the bottom of the river. The police question Dru and Lisa, but they don’t know where Marco could be and the investigation into his whereabouts concludes that he disappeared on a cargo boat heading to Madagascar and begin searching. The Durants and Nadeaus toast to Marco getting away.

After 6 months of following leads, the investigation is closed.

### Crimes Committed

* Killed Sean Roosevelt on the orders of Mario Vitali

### Health and Vitals

* Punched by Marcel
* Slapped by Dru
* Hit by a car and presumably killed