All That You Can't Leave Behind

[Adia]

Awww, I am soooo soooo soooo sorry guys. I keep getting interrupted and sidetracked and all that etc, but here is an update! It might be a tad scary for younger people, but it's not really that bad... the next part will be up shortly after this though!

ChapterSixtySeven:

Matilda rolled her eyes as she listened to Beth ramble on about Rocco as Tony drove them to the diner.

“That boy is trouble,” Beth warned. “And I’m telling you Matilda, if I catch you hanging out with him…”

“Mum! I’m not a kid anymore!” Matilda yelled at her. “Will you just drop it? I’m sick of listening to you harp on about the same thing over and over!”

Beth turned and looked at her in shock. “Do not take that tone with me young lady! I’m your mother and you will obey me!”

“Come on ladies, let’s just calm down a bit okay?” Tony interjected.

Matilda shook her head in disgust. “Stop the car!” she shouted. “Tony please stop the car right now!”

Tony pulled over slowly to the side of the road.

“What’s wrong Tilly?” Beth asked her.

“Oh, don’t try and act all worried and caring now. I’m not some dog that you can order around!” Matilda shouted. “I’m going to be with Rocco and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!” She got out and slammed the door so hard, Beth could feel the vibrations through her body.

“Matilda you get back here right now,” Beth called after her.

Matilda ignored her mother’s cries and walked away as fast as she could. Beth wanted to go after her, but Tony held her back. “Let her go love,” he said calmly. “Give her some time to cool off and think about things okay?” Reluctantly Beth agreed and they drove off.

Matilda walked through the park sobbing. She hated that her mother wasn’t giving Rocco a chance. She hated that she was being treated like a fragile glass ornament. She sat down on one of the benches and started to write down some things in her journal.

“What have we got here?” a man’s voice spoke up from behind her. “You all alone girly?”

Matilda felt a shiver flow down her spine as she closed her book and stood up. She knew who they were straight away. She prayed and wished in the back of her mind that Rocco might happen to pass by and convince them to leave her alone. If not Rocco then someone, anyone. The group of guys were circling around her now and had her closed in.

“Aww, come on now pretty girl, don’t you want out hang out with us?” one of them said to her.

“Look I don’t want any trouble…” she said trying not to be scared.

The guys at laughed at her and started making fun of her, calling her every name under the sun.

One of them grabbed her bag and started tipping everything out, while another guy grabbed the book that she was holding in her hands.

“What’s this?” the guys said flicking through the book. “Secret confessions huh? Very interesting..."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her lips were trembling with great fear. “Please don’t hurt me… please. Take whatever you want…”

“What’s going on guys?” a voice piped up from the background.

“Johnny, just in time,” said Karl putting his arm around Matilda. “We were just getting acquainted with one of the locals. Pretty one isn’t she?”

Johnny stood in front of the quivering and scared Matilda Hunter. His face was almost expressionless and Matilda was afraid that now he was there they might do something to really hurt her. She had seen what they had done to Rocco and she knew that a guy like Johnny Cooper was capable of absolutely anything. The gang all moved and stood behind Johnny.

“I think you’re a little bit too close for comfort there mate” Johnny said to Karl. “I don’t think she likes you very much.”

Embarrassed, Karl let her go and walked over to stand with the other gang members.

Johnny looked at her before he turned his head and looked somewhere off in the distance. “You’re Roc’s little girlfriend right?” he asked her.

Her body was frozen, but she gave him a quick nod.

“All the juicy details are in here Johnny,” Karl laughed waving Matilda’s journal in the air. “You should check it out.”

Johnny snatched the book out of Karl’s hands and flicked through Matilda wondered what he was going to do. Her first instinct was to scream for help, but for some reason she had lost total control of everything in her body. Johnny slammed the book shut and handed it back to her.

“Well take it,” he snapped. She slowly reached out and took the book from him.

“Give her back her bag” he said to the guys. They all stood around and looked at each other awkwardly.

“Today boys…” Johnny said angrily. The guys fumbled around and eventually gave Matilda her bag. She was shocked and surprised but gratefully took her bag and slung it over her shoulders. She wanted to say something, but she stood there dumbfounded over what had just happened.

“Don’t you have to get to school or something?” Johnny asked her. Matilda nodded fearfully and left as fast as she could.

“What the hell was that?” Karl said angrily. “We were just having a bit of fun with her that’s all.”

“Yeah well I don’t want to see that happen again,” Johnny told him. “First thing she’s gonna do is run off and tell Rocco. He’s already on edge and I don’t want him freaking out and doing something stupid like going to the cops.”

“Johnny we can take care of Rocco so that he’ll never talk…” said Karl.

“That’s the last resort, alright?” he snapped. “From now on we keep a low profile, and that means keeping our distance from Roc and who ever he’s connected to. You got that?”

“Why?” Karl asked smartly. “A few days ago you were all for hassling the crap out of him. What’s changed? Is it just ‘cos he’s your brother? I thought we were all family here Johnny?”

“And Rocco is an important part of “this” family” Johnny said getting threateningly in Karl’s face. “I know him. He’ll come back to us, there’s no way that he’d just walk away. We just need to give him time to get his priorities straight.”

[Tasha]

awwww...isnt Johnny a nice guy Poor Mattie. Beth is an idiot *slaps her* Great chapter

More please

Whens J/M coming back??

[xMissxKeatzx]

Hey! I've just read ALL of it and I love this! its brill! I really like the Johnny/Nina thing I like the idea of love changing people for the good! And Mattie and Rocco are so cute! Love it! Well done! Keep up the good work!

[Adia]

Thanks Miss Keatz (Nic)! Glad you like it!

Here is some more just for you Tasha... J/M will be back after this, perhaps with some fluff! Perhaps...

Chapter SixtyEight:

“Hang on a minute?” Rocco asked again. “Johnny was the one that told them to leave you alone?” They were standing around thier lockers as Matilda explained what had happened to her.

“God, that must’ve been so frightening,” said Nina. “Those guys are pretty scary…”

“Yeah…” Matilda said still reeling from her experience. “I honestly thought they were going to all attack me or something. I mean just the way they were looking at me. When he came… he told them to give me my things back.”

Rocco put his arm around her. “And you’re sure you’re okay?” he asked.

She nodded and smiled. “Fine, now that you’re here.”

“So, maybe you’re brother is not such a bad guy after all?” said Nina as they walked down the hall to their classes.

“Well, there is that…” Rocco replied. “But you guys don’t know Johnny like I do… something must be up. He doesn't just turn goody two shoes for no reason.”

“So what happened with you and Ric last night Nina?” Matilda said cheekily changing the subject.

Nina smiled. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Ric has to be the most sweetest guy I have ever met.”

“And... nothing?” Rocco asked.

“We talked…” she told them. “But I think right now Ric just needs some time on his own.”

“Right…” Rocco laughed. “We better head off to Geography. What have you got now?” he asked Nina.

“Actually I’ve got a study period” she replied. “So I might just head up to the library.”

She sat in the corner alone and went over Jack’s blood results. The paper had all sorts of figures based on what they had analysed in his blood. She had no idea where to start interpreting it and honestly wished she had paid attention in biology.

She looked down the list. They had tested for just about everything, but it was mostly focused on liver functions. She scanned the page… Glucose levels, white blood count, Hemoglobin levels, Iron, Proteins, Enzymes…

The protein levels looked familiar to her. She wrote them down on piece of paper and looked back at the liver results. She compared the figures and flicked through a text book before reading Jack's test results again.

She gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

[Tasha]

OMG whats wrong with Jack??? Adia now you really have to update, like NOW!! Because im going away for a week, and im not going to spend my whole week wanting to know what is wrong with my baby, so pleeeeeeeease update, im begging you, i dont usually beg, but this time i am. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!!! Great chapter though. Rocco is so sweet

More please

[xMissxKeatzx]

That was so good!! You've really got me worried now! lol! You really know how to get peoples interest! Brilliant!

[Adia]

This was going to be J/M but I decided I should give Tasha her wish... It wasn't going to be revealed until a bit later but yeah, I've squeezed it in here... I hope it's not too confuzzling...

ChapterSixtyNine:

McGrath read over the piece of paper carefully.

“Well?” Nina asked him. “Are you going to do anything about it?”

He sighed and shook his head as he sat down behind his desk. “Listen to me kiddo, we have to move on from that now before people start asking questions. Let Nathan deal with the rest of it.”

“But you have to admit, it’s compelling right?” she argued.

“Do they not give you homework anymore?” McGrath said sarcastically. “The fact of the matter is… you stole the results from the hospital and you’re not a doctor… those results could mean anything.”

Nina sighed and slumped down in her chair. “It’s just… well the guy almost died… and that wan't meant to happen... I had to be sure.”

“I know,” he nodded sympathetically. “But we’ve got tons of the same kinds of cases that are still unsolved and we both know that they usually stay that way. If anything connected to this comes up, I will look into it, but admit it… in the grand scheme of things it’s not that important. Besides I’m sure if you can figure it out, trained professionals might be able to as well…”

Nina rolled her eyes. “I’m not just a pretty face Uncle Darren, you know that. How many times have I avoided being arrested because of ‘technicalities’.

Darren laughed. “Look you… get those results back to the hospital. I’ll tell Nathan, but he’ll say the same thing I just said.”

“Just promise me you’ll keep it in mind,” she said to him. “If everything comes out, you might be able to use it to save your skin.”

“How’s that exactly?” he said interested. “Who on earth would want to do such a thing? And to Jack? He’s the straightest cop there is…”

“I don’t know the who or the why, but put it this way, someone else has got it in for Jack Holden... because Nathan wasn’t the only one to drug him that night…”

[Tasha]

Nathan didnt drug Jacky. I know who did, that stupid head Ashton. Gosh, Adia kill that scumbag already. His bad news, and his going to steal Martha from Jacky, and if that happens, you'll be even more trouble then you already are Great chapter though

More please

[xsianx]

Don't listen to Tasha, keep Ash alive!

[Adia]

^Still deciding about Ashton... I'll think about it some more....

I may not be able to update for a few days, although I will really try... so here are some teasers:

Jack and Martha make a decision about their future and Beth's hostility towards Rocco pushes Matilda further away...