If I wrote the Brady/DiMera feud...

This is how I would have done it, without the lame Colleen/Santo thing.

Following the birth of son Antony, Stefano DiMera and his wife Daphne moved to Ireland to run the family's Irish business. Unbeknownst to Stefano, Antony wasn't his son because Daphne had cheated, but that's another story. The DiMeras worked closely with the Bradys. Because of this closeness, Daphne grew to know Shawn Brady and they had an affair. Daphne became pregnant and claimed the child was Stefano's. Daphne knew better, though, and she faked a stillbirth and gave the child to her sister Philomena Alamain to raise. This child was named Forrest and grew up to be John Black. Remember, years ago, Andre/Tony showed John a letter from Daphne that said she had another son that she gave up to be raised by the Alamains.

Shawn Brady was actually a bad boy and a member of the IRA. He bombed a building that killed Stefano's parents and six brothers. Stefano vowed bloody revenge on the Bradys. Shawn realized he had made a huge mistake by aligning himself with the IRA and moved to Salem where he met Caroline and married her.

Years later, when Stefano learned the truth about John Black, he tracked him down at a seminary, kidnapped him, and turned him into his Pawn.

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But since John is Colleen and Santo's child, this is how I'd change things...

Antony was not Stefano's son because Daphne had cheated. When Daphne became pregnant by Stefano for real, she feared for the child, seeing how Stefano's evil influence was rubbing off on Tony. So she faked a stillbirth and gave the child to the Alamains. This child is Lawrence Alamain.

Since we know Daphne had a child other than Tony, and we know Daphne gave the child to the Alamains, and we know that child wasn't John, logically, Lawrence Alamain is actually Daphne DiMera's son. Now, the letter never said that Stefano was the father, but for dramatic effect, I'd have Lawrence be Stefano's biological son, thus connecting the DiMeras and Alamains through blood. This would also explain how John and Lawrence's DNA matched years ago when they thought they were brothers...it matched because they are both biological DiMeras.