All That You Can't Leave Behind

[sazcaz89]

cool chapter. please update soon.

[I love music]

Here's a bit of a filler chapter... kinda boring really...

I missed Nina/Johnny but it was far from boring. And once again the dialogue was very, very realistic.

[Tasha]

Great chapter Adia Arent Ash and Jack drunk from all the beer they consumed, and now they are working?? Oh wellz. Nato is annoying

More please

[Adia]

^ I wondered if anyone would pick up on all the beer drinking! lol. You are always so observant Tasha! I have the next chapter almost done, I just need to end it, so it might be up later tonight when I get home from work...

[vale4eva]

How come I didnt comment on this before Thats bizzare, must have forgotten.

Anyhoo, loved that chapter.

Yeh Tash I thought about the drinking thing (great minds think alike huh!)

Drinking on the job, tut tut *shakes head in disapointment*

Ashton still annoys me lol

Looking forward to the next one Adia

[Adia]

Thankies for your comments guys! You are all just absolutely fantabulous!

ChapterOneHundredSeven:

Matilda burst through the door, her face still frozen with the fear she felt when Martha had called her. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and pulled her hair back, hoping that she looked somewhat presentable after all her running.

“Rocco, are you okay? What happened?” she said kneeling down beside him.

“Maddie, it’s nothing, really,” he whimpered. “I’ve got a few cuts and bruises, but I’m fine.”

“We should call the police…” she started.

“Maddie, No!” he said trying to get off the chair. As he did he grabbed his stomach in pain and quickly sat back down.

“But Rocco…?” she said confused.

“Look I’m fine. I’d just prefer it if we kept all of this quiet,” he told her. “I just didn’t want to have to hide anything from you, but you can’t tell Sal or anyone else.”

“Who else knows?” Matilda asked him.

“Just me and Nina,” Martha interrupted. “We were the ones who found him on the beach.”

Matilda hugged him tightly s he winced in pain. “It’s all my fault…” she said tearily.

“No it’s not Matilda.” Rocco told her. “Please don’t think that.”

“If I hadn’t told you to stand up to Johnny, this never would have happened!”

“It wasn’t Johnny that did this,” he said looking away glumly. “Look, I might just go and lie down and rest up a bit. Promise me that this stays between us.”

“Alright. I won’t tell anyone,” she whispered.

Rocco got up slowly and limped across the room. He stumbled just as he got to the bottom of the stairs, which made Matilda’s heart skip a beat. Before her or Martha could react and go over to help him, he’d already walked up the stairs and out of sight.

“It’s all my fault Martha!” Matilda sobbed. Martha wrapped her arms around her and held her close, comforting her the best that she could.

“Don’t blame yourself Matilda,” she said calmly. “There is no way that this is your fault. Whoever did this, they’re just evil.”

“So what do you think the Commissioner is doing down here?” Jack said as he pulled more beers out of the fridge.

“I don’t know mate, but it must be big,” Ash said as they walked into the living room. “He doesn’t just visit small towns for nothing. I’d say they’re pretty close to busting Nathan.”

“You reckon?” Jack said sitting down. “Yeah, the look on his face when Lara broke the news…”

“Hey mate I’ve been meaning to ask… I was wondering if I could crash here for a few days. You know, till I get myself sorted.”

Jack hesitated for minute, knowing that this was something that he had to consult Martha about. On the other hand, Ash was his best friend, he couldn’t just leave him out in the cold.

“Sure,” Jack replied. “But we’ve kinda got a full house at the moment with Rachel and Kim here too. You don’t mind sleeping on the couch do you?”

Ash nodded as a yawning Martha opened the front door and walked in.

“I see you boys are still having fun,” she growled, glaring at Ash.

“Actually we only just got back,’ Jack told her. “We’ve been down at the station trying to sort out everything with Beth’s car.”

“What’s happened?” she asked standing over them.

“Her car was stolen and ditched just outside of town,” Ash explained. “It was pretty trashed when we got there.”

“God, what the hell is going on around here lately?” she muttered. “First Rocco and now this…”

“What happened with Rocco?” Jack said perking up.

“Nothing, it’s nothing…” She looked at the beer bottles on the table in front of them. “Have you guys been drinking all day?”

“We’ve only had a few Martha,” Jack said trying to save himself.

“Jack… a few?” she said picking them all up.

“Five, ten… that’s a few…” he joked.

“Go easy on the guy will ya,” Ash interjected.

“You stay out of this…” Martha yelled at him. “Jack, you need to start acting a bit more responsibly, you need to set an example. You are a cop after all.”

“Martha, we were just having a bit of fun!” he laughed. “Just chill out.”

“Chill out? We were supposed to spend time together today Jack, instead you’re off getting plastered.”

“As a matter of fact Ash and I are very close to figuring out how Jake, Nina and Nathan are connected. If we bust them, it’ll be really good for our careers.”

Martha rolled her eyes and grabbed her handbag. “It’s always about your career! Don’t you even remember how sick I was last night? And I know for a fact that you are totally wrong about Nina. You’ve just made assumptions ever since you met her. So you know what? If you’re going to have that kind of attitude and put your career before your family, then I don’t think that I want to be around you…”

“Martha wait!” he called out. She stopped just before she opened the door to give Jack one last chance.

“Let her go mate,” Ash said taking a sip of his beer. “Let her cool off somewhere.”

Martha looked at Jack sadly, as if she were begging him with her eyes to do the right thing.

“Maybe you should listen to him,” she said quietly. “Maybe you should just let me go…”

Jack was torn between his best friend and his wife, but in the end he did nothing. Disappointed, she shook her head angrily before slamming the door.

“You want another beer?” Ash asked him.

[Roccoluver]

I was praying it was an update and it was!

I hope the P.C doesnt get to pissed off when he see Summer Bay's fineist drunk and pass out

poor Martha and Rocco and Matilda and Beth, Great update. Not happy with Ash, is he trying to get into Jacks pants this time?.

[vale4eva]

I have tears in my eyes Adia! How can you do this to me...

I just wanna scream at stupid Ashton (and Jack for that matter) and cry for Martha

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Im not happy

Uh! I hate Ashton

Great chapter, as always.

Update soon please

[beckyboo]

Well you:

Martha wait!” he called out. She stopped just before she opened the door to give Jack one last chance.

“Let her go mate,” Ash said taking a sip of his beer. “Let her cool off somewhere.”

Martha looked at Jack sadly, as if she were begging him with her eyes to do the right thing.

“Maybe you should listen to him,” she said quietly. “Maybe you should just let me go…”

Jack was torn between his best friend and his wife, but in the end he did nothing. Disappointed, she shook her head angrily before slamming the door.

“You want another beer?” Ash asked him.

:(:(

Meanie

Ashton

Update ASAP

[Adia]

Awww sorry for making everyone sad! If it makes you feel better I want to scream at Ashton too...

Lol Jane... well you never know!

I really should be in bed, this late night writing is turning into a habit...

ChapterOneHundredEight: (Part A)

“Right, so what’ll happen is, when we trip the alarm, the security guards are gonna come and check it out. Once they get there and think it was just a false alarm - Spud and Alex, you guys will hold them down and tie them up… while the rest of us boys loot the place.”

Johnny grinned as the guys all nodded in agreement with his plan. There was no doubt that he’d been distracted lately, and he’d been worried about how the whole thing would come together. But so far, there hadn’t been any objections to anything.

“I’ll say we’ll have about 8-10 minutes at the most to wrap things up,” he continued. “Jase and Karl will drive around to this side street here so we can make our getaway.”

“What about the safe?” Karl interrupted. “You’ll never get it open in that time frame.”

Johnny smiled wickedly. “That’s why I’ve brought in Jakey here,” he said slapping Jake hard on his back. “Dude is a magician. We’ll be in and out of that safe in no time, right mate? Any other questions?”

The boys all shook their heads.

“I’ve got one Johnny!’ Jase piped up. “Can we hit the grog now?”

“Go for it mate,” Johnny laughed. He turned to Jake and quickly took him aside. “Your sis won’t mind that we’re making all this noise will she?”

Jake studied Johnny’s face carefully before he answered. “Nah, I don’t think she’s even home. She said she had a date or something…”

Johnny looked at his watch and tried not to let Jake’s comment get to him. But deep down, he was worried that maybe something had happened to her.

It was almost midnight, and as the boys partied on, Johnny sat quietly on the sofa where he could easily view the hallway and the front door. The one moment that he took his eyes off the door, she crept in and tip toed past the living room. She peered in to see what was going on and their eyes met for a split second. She smiled shyly at him before she disappeared into the shadows.

“Where’s your bathroom mate?” Johnny called out to Jake.

“Ah, last door at the end of the hall…” Jake yelled back. “Don’t be too long, I’ve given those twins a call. They’re coming over with some of their friends…” He winked and Johnny nodded, trying to play it cool before he got up and disappeared down the hallway.

She threw her bag down in the corner and fell backwards on her bed, rubbing her head as she listened to the music vibrate through the walls.

“Hey beautiful,” Johnny whispered as he snuck into her room.

“Johnny? What the hell are you doing?” she said sitting up. “If my brother catches you in here…”

“You really think I’m that scared of your bro?” he said as he shut the door.

She smiled, getting up off the bed and walking straight into his arms. He kissed her tenderly on her lips, easing his hands up and down her back as he held her. She couldn’t help but close her eyes every time he did that. It was as if every other feeling in her body melted away and there was only that warmth between them that was left. A feeling that neither of them thought they would ever share with anyone.

“You’re late,” he whispered cupping her face and leaning his forehead against hers. “And I was worried. Where have you been all night?”

She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. “I was at the library, studying…”

He laughed quietly, smoothing out her cheeks with his thumbs before he kissed her again.

“You are so bad…” he grinned. “But you know that turns me on…”

“Do not get any ideas,” she told him. “As much as I want you to, you know you can’t stay.”

“Yeah about that,” he whispered. “I was thinking that maybe… when all the boys leave… I could maybe, sorta, kinda… sneak back in.”

“You’re kidding right?” she said half smiling, half worried. “Do you really have a death wish? My brother will kill you if he catches you here.”

“Yeah but you’re totally worth it. My place is a hole and your bed is a lot more comfortable…”

“No way Johnny,” she said laughing. “First of all, it’s so easy to get caught. Second of all I don’t think I could do anything knowing that my brother is in the next room.”

“So you’re not such a bad girl after all?” he said sarcastically.

She bit her lip, knowing that she was unable to resist that charm that he could cast when he wanted something.

“Come on, I’ve been going crazy waiting to see you all day,” he told her. “You’re not really going to leave me hanging like this are you?”

She buried her head in the collar of his jacket, deeply breathing him in.

“Okay Johnny,” she sighed. “Okay…”