Linger

[bay girl]

Hey, here’s a new chapter. Enjoy.

Warning: This fic may contain some stuff which may not be suitable for younger readers. Thank You.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Martha was sitting in the rocking chair in Alex’s room; holding the near sleeping baby. She’d just finished feeding her a bottle and was about to put her down for the night. Martha stood up and started to rock Alex gently in her arms. She then gently placed her in the cot and pulled the blanket up over her small body.

“You are so beautiful,” Martha said softly as she caressed her daughter’s cheek. “At first I didn’t think I was going to be able to do this. I didn’t think I could be a mother to you, but now, I know that I could never give you up. I might not remember you, but I still love you more than anything,” she smiled down at Alex.

“Goodnight Alex,” Martha then leant down and placed a kiss on Alex’s head.

She quietly left the room and made her towards the lounge room; where Jack and Lucas were sitting in the dark watching a movie.

“Did Alex go down okay?” Jack asked her as she sat down on the single chair.

“Yeah,” Martha nodded. “She’s asleep now,” she said.

“I had trouble with her for a while after the accident. She hardly slept. I guess she was just so used to having you putting her down every night,” Jack explained.

“Well, I’m here now. So she should be fine,” Martha told him. “Anyways, you’re back off to work tomorrow aren’t you?” she then asked.

“Yeah, and I’m actually looking forward to it too,” Jack smiled.

“Great,” Martha exclaimed. “What about you Lucas?” she questioned.

“Oh, I’ve got a class tomorrow at Uni, and then a shift at the gym later on in the arvo,” Lucas told her without even taking his eyes away from the T.V.

“What are you studying?” Martha was curious.

“I want to be a P.E teacher,” Lucas answered.

“Cool,” Martha stated.

They sat and watched the movie for about another half and hour before Martha started to grow tired. “I’m gonna hit the sack,” she told them.

“Goodnight,” both Jack and Lucas said at the same time.

Martha changed into her pajamas and then lowered herself into bed. She was so tired and it was only minutes before she drifted off.

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**DREAM PLANE**

She had to get away from him. She had to hide. She had to keep running. She knew what he had done and he was now trying to kill her. She wished Jack would hurry up and find her.

She was tired and her leg and hands was sore from were the barbed wire had pierced her skin. Up ahead she heard the wailing of a police siren. Thank god, she thought to herself as she pushed her way through the scrub.

“Jack,” she screamed out as the police car pulled to a stop. “Jack,” she cried as she threw herself into his arms.

He held her tight and told her everything was okay now. They walked back into the bush together; Jack had his gun out as a precaution. But when they got to the spot where she had left him; he was gone.

They spun around in circles; searching for the insane young man. Martha let out a loud gasp as she was grabbed from behind and held in a head-lock.

She gasped for breath. She couldn’t breathe. She pleaded at Jack with her eyes; wanting him to help her. Save her…………………

Martha shot up with a gasp; clutching at her burning throat. She took in the fresh air, and tried to control her breathing. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking like crazy.

“What the hell was that?” she muttered to herself. “Crazy dream! It felt so real,” she said.

She jumped up out of bed and headed out to the kitchen. She needed a glass of water. She grabbed a glass and filled it up with cold water. She drank it down quickly; soothing her still burning throat. Her breathing had almost gone back to normal, but her hands were still a bit shaky. She filled her glass again and then sat down at the bench.

“Martha,” a voice from behind her spoke. She turned around to find Jack standing a few meters away from her; rubbing at his sleepy eyes.

“What are you doing? Are you okay?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Martha answered; her voice a little shaky.

“You don’t sound okay,” Jack pointed out as he sat on the stool next to her.

Martha let out a loud sigh. “I just had this really strange dream. It freaked me out a bit, that’s all,” she told him. “It’s no biggie,” she exclaimed.

“What was it about?” Jack was curious. “It must have been pretty bad; you’re shaking like a leaf,” he said as he reached out and grabbed her hand; trying to make it still.

Martha took note of the warmth of Jack’s hand. It was nice. “Um,” she snapped out of her thoughts and pulled her hand away. I may as well tell him, she thought to herself.

“Some guy was trying to kill me,” Martha told him.

“What?” Jack was surprised.

“Yeah, it was weird. I’m not sure what it was about, but he was chasing me through the bush and wanted to kill me. But then you arrived in your police car,” Martha explained to Jack.

“Was there anymore? Tell me,” Jack demanded.

Martha looked at him in shock. “Why do you want to know?” she was surprised at his sudden interest.

“Just tell me,” Jack snapped at her.

“Geez, alright, don’t have a coronary,” Martha snapped back at him. “Like I said, it was weird. You and I went looking for this guy, but he was gone. But then he grabbed from behind and he was holding me around the neck. I couldn’t breathe. Then I woke up,” she told him.

“Oh my god,” Jack exclaimed out loud.

“What? What is it?” Martha wanted to know.

“That wasn’t a dream Martha. That was a memory. It actually happened,” Jack told her.

“No way,” Martha was stunned.

“Yes way,” Jack nodded with a smile.

“Wow,” Martha was too shocked to say anything else. She’d actually remembered something. Of course it wasn’t something great. Infact, it was bad.

“Wait, somebody tried to kill me?” she practically spat out.

“It’s a long story,” Jack sighed.

“I’m all ears,” Martha exclaimed.

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[THE NEXT MORNING

“So, Jack told me that you remembered something last night,” Lucas said to Martha the next morning when she came out for breakfast.

“Yeah, in my dream. Apparently some boyfriend of mine tried to kill me,” Martha tried to laugh it off.

“Yeah, Corey was a bit loony,” Lucas exclaimed.

Martha still couldn’t believe it. An old boyfriend of hers had actually tried to kill her. And Jack had been the one who had saved her. At first she was a bit pissed off that she hadn’t been told about it sooner, but she had eventually gotten over it. She and Jack had spoken for about an hour about it the night before. He’d even explained to her about the events that had happened afterwards.

Apparently she’d brought a gun because she was scared and then that gun had been stolen from her car. That gun was then used by Barry Hyde to kill Josh West. Talk about a chain of events, Martha had thought to herself.

“Where is Jack by the way?” Martha asked Lucas.

“Oh, he’s already gone to work,” Lucas answered as he munched on a piece of toast.

“Oh okay,” Martha muttered. After their talk the night before, Martha felt as though she knew him a bit better. But she also now felt indebted to him. He’d saved her life. She’d probably never be able to thank him enough for that.

“Speaking of leaving, I’d better head off too! I don’t want to be late for my class,” Lucas jumped up and grabbed his bag; shoveling the last piece of toast into his mouth. “You’ll be okay with Alex?” he then asked.

“Of course. Now shoo,” Martha pushed him out the door.

“See ya later. Jack should be home by two,” Lucas yelled out.

“Bye,” Martha called in return.

Martha turned to look at Alex; who was sitting up in her playpen. She smiled at her. “It’s just you and me kid,” she exclaimed.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Who thinks that they might be pregnant?

PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey all. Here’s a new chapter. Not much going on in this one. Hopefully it will pick up again in the next chapter.

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Martha had spent the day looking through photo albums and watching home videos. It felt so strange watching herself doing things on screen; things that she couldn’t even recall doing.

The one thing she hadn’t had enough guts to watch yet; was the rest of the wedding video. She watched the first minute at her grandads the week before, but she didn’t have enough courage to watch the rest yet.

She loved going through and watching all the videos with Alex in them. And the one thing that she did notice was how happy she and Jack were together in them. She’d notice that they were always kissing or holding hands. Just from looking at the two of them together, she knew that she must have been deeply in love with him. And she could see that he felt the same.

It made her feel guilty; that she couldn’t love him the way he loved her. She wished so much that she could remember, but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t love him if she didn’t remember.

“Knock knock,” a voice sounded from the door.

Martha looked up and smiled when she found Cassie standing at the door. “Hey Cass, come in,” she invited.

As soon as Cassie stepped inside, Martha could tell that she was upset. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You know how I was telling you about Adam, my boyfriend?” Cassie said to her.

“Yeah,” Martha nodded. “You said that he’s a jerk,” she added.

“I think I’m pregnant,” Cassie exclaimed.

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“Okay, so you peed on the stick?” Martha asked as Cassie sat back down next to her; placing the pregnancy test in front of her.

“Yep,” Cassie nodded solemnly as she rested her head on the table. “This can’t be happening,” she cried.

“Would it be such a bad thing if you are pregnant?” Martha questioned her.

“Yes,” Cassie answered. “I’ve only been dating him for two months, and I’m starting to think that he’s not a very nice guy anyway. He’s always flirting with other girls; I don’t think he appreciates me,” she explained.

“Well, we’ll find out in a couple of minutes. Just keep your fingers crossed,” Martha told her.

“Fingers crossed for what?” a voice asked as they entered the house. It was Matilda.

“Hey Mattie,” Martha smiled.

“Ok, so I came as soon as you rang. What’s going on?” Matilda wanted to know.

“I just need your support,” Cassie answered.

Matilda was confused. “Support for wh….,” she started before trailing off. “Oh my god. What is that?” she emphasized as she pointed at the pregnancy test.

“That my friend is a whole lot of trouble on a little white stick,” Martha exclaimed.

“Your pregnant?” Matilda demanded to know.

“We’re waiting on the results,” Cassie sighed.

“Cass, you can’t have a baby with Adam. He’s a total creep,” Matilda cried.

“Please Matilda, not now. Let’s just concentrate on this friggin test,” Cassie said to Matilda.

Matilda opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off my Martha’s phone beeping.

“This is it. Time for the results,” Martha told Cassie.

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t look. You read it,” she told Martha.

“Okay,” Martha shrugged as she took the test from Cassie.

She stared at the stick for a few moments before starting to smile. “False alarm,” she exclaimed.

Both Cassie and Matilda sighed in relief. “Oh thank god,” Cassie shrieked as she jumped up and down in excitement.

Matilda and Martha laughed at her; never seeing someone get so excited over the thought of not having a baby.

After her little happy dance, Cassie sat back down and looked over at Martha and Matilda. “What now? What do I do about Adam?” she asked.

Martha smiled sweetly. “Oh, you gonna dump that lil boy,” she drawled.

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“Hello, I’m home,” Jack called out as he walked through the front door.

“I’m just changing Alex. I’ll be out in a second,” Martha called back.

Jack walked across the room and put his backpack down and then took of his jacket. He’d had a long and tiring day at work and he was so glad to be home. He went to the fridge and took out a beer; unscrewing the lid and taking a mouthful.

“That’s good,” Jack sighed in happiness.

Jack then leant down and put the bottle cap in the bin. He was just about to lean back up when something caught his eye; a pregnancy test box.

“What the hell,” Jack exclaimed as he reached in and picked it up.

Jack studied it closely; taking note that it was empty. The test must have already been taken.

Is Martha pregnant? Jack thought to himself.

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“All clean now,” Martha cooed at Alex as she picked her up and walked out to the lounge room. Jack was standing at the kitchen bench, with his back towards her.

“Hey,” Martha said as she placed Alex in her play pen.

“Hey,” Jack said back to her.

“Are you okay?” Martha asked him when she noticed that he still hadn’t turned around to face her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jack smiled as he turned around and looked at her. “I’m just a bit surprised, that’s all,” he told her.

“About what?” Martha questioned. Jack was acting strange; that much she could tell. And now she wanted to know why.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Jack asked as he produced the pregnancy test from behind his back.

Martha started to laugh. She should have known that Jack would find the empty box and then presume that it was hers.

“Why are you laughing?” Jack frowned. “The box is empty so you must have already taken the test. Are you pregnant?” he wanted to know.

“No, I’m not,” Martha stopped laughing, but still kept a smile on her face. “Infact, the test isn’t even mine,” she told Jack.

“Oh,” Jack sighed; disappointment clearly in his voice.

Martha continued to smile at him. “You sound disappointed,” she exclaimed.

Jack shook his head at her. “Why would I be disappointed? We’ve already got one baby. That’s enough for now,” he said as he turned away and through the empty box back into the bin.

“Totally,” Martha agreed. “Besides if I were pregnant, the doctors probably would have found out while I was in a coma,” she said.

“Not necessarily,” Jack pointed out. “I mean, you and I had sex on the morning of the accident. You could have easily fell pregnant then, but then not find out about it until now,” he explained.

Martha felt a warm flush come over her body as soon as Jack mentioned the two of them having sex together. She’d never really thought about the sex life that she had more than likely had with him in her missing years. Of course she knew that they’d had sex. How else would they have gotten Alex?

“Are you blushing?” Jack teased her when he noticed the pink in her cheeks flaring up.

“Why would I be blushing?” Martha shook her head at him as she turned away and sat at the dining table.

“Because you’re thinking about the two of us doing it,” Jack smirked as he sat down across from her.

“What? No, I’m not,” Martha protested.

Jack laughed at her. “So, you haven’t thought about having sex with me?” he questioned her; still smirking.

“No, I haven’t,” Martha stammered, but stood her ground.

“Okay,” Jack nodded and just smiled across at her.

Martha felt herself warming up again. The way he was looking at her made her feel things that she didn’t want to feel. She coughed a little and tried to change the subject.

“So, yeah, I’m totally not pregnant. This is a good thing by the way. I mean, you and I aren’t even together, so it would kinda suck if I had another baby with you,” she said to him.

Martha noticed his face fall. She felt bad. She hadn’t intended for that to sound so harsh. “I didn’t me…..,” she started to say, but Jack cut her off.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry,” he said as he stood up. “I’m gonna take a shower,” Jack told her before walking off towards the bathroom.

“Crap,” Martha muttered. Now things were going to be weird again.

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PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey all. Here’s a new chapter. Not much going on in this one. Hopefully it will pick up again in the next chapter.

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ONE WEEK LATER

Another week had passed and there had been no more changes to Martha’s memory. She had thought that after receiving the Corey memory, she’d probably get some more, but she hadn’t. She was pretty disappointed too! She had really hoped that she’d get a memory of Alex. And a tiny part of her wished that she would remember something about her relationship with Jack.

Things with Jack had been really good over the last week. Martha had thought that things would have been a bit strange between after the whole fiasco with Jack finding Cassie’s pregnancy test and assuming that it was hers. Fortunately, Jack had been totally fine afterwards. Martha had been so sure that she had hurt his feelings. He had assured her that his feelings hadn’t been hurt. Either that or he was just a really good actor.

Martha and Jack had actually spent a fair bit of time with each other over the last week. She had thought that it would be a good idea; that maybe hanging out with him would trigger another memory. But of course it was to no avail. Her mind was still a complete blank.

Martha had also come to the conclusion that Jack was genuinely a nice guy. She could see how much he adored Alex and how much he loved his family. Martha really appreciated that quality about him.

Even though Martha was willing to admit that Jack was a nice guy, it didn’t mean that she liked him any more than a friend. She still called him a jerk to his face and she still managed to pick fights with him whenever the time would arise. It was fun and she enjoyed it.

At the moment Martha was at home with Alex. It was lunch time and she was feeding Alex some new vegetable baby food. Martha gently spooned the food into Alex’s mouth, but she immediately spat it out. Martha laughed as the goo dripped down Alex’s chin.

“No likey,” Martha pouted as she wiped it away with a cloth. Once she had finished wiping Alex’s face, she picked up the bowl and spoon again. “How bouts I have a go hey?” she suggested with a smile. She lifted the spoon to her lips and had a taste. She screwed her face up in disgust at the taste of it.

“My god, that’s horrid,” she exclaimed as she pushed the bowl away from her. “I don’t blame you for not liking it,” she smiled at Alex who was watching her curiously with her bright beady eyes.

“Are you talking to yourself,” Jack suddenly appeared at the door.

Martha looked up at him and smirked. “I was talking to Alex,” she told him.

“You do know that she can’t talk back, right?” Jack laughed at her.

Martha stood up and crossed her arms in front of her. “Oh please; as if you don’t do it. You always talk to her when you think know ones watching,” she pointed out.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Jack winked at her.

Martha scoffed and sat back down. It was at times like this that she really wanted to hit him. He was in his jerky mood again.

“So, guess what I just found out?” Jack said to her as he gave Alex a quick kiss on the head and then sat down at the table.

“Enlighten me,” Martha rolled her eyes.

“Tash and Rob are getting in tomorrow,” Jack answered with a smile.

Martha immediately glanced up at him. “Really?” she practically squealed.

“Yes,” Jack laughed at her reaction. “Dad and Beth’s wedding is only a week away. Also, Hayley and Scott are arriving in a couple of days and Kim and Kit are coming down from the city two days after that.” he explained.

Martha grinned. “I can’t wait. This is so exciting. Thanks for telling me,” she said to Jack.

“Yes, well, since I was nice enough to tell you; I think you owe me a kiss,” Jack smirked at her.

Martha smirked back. “In your dreams Jackie boy,” she exclaimed.

“Thought I’d just try,” Jack shrugged.

Martha stood up and pushed Alex’s still full bowl towards him. “Now, have a taste of that. It’s a new custard and totally delish,” she lied.

“Are you sure? It looks kinda funky,” Jack was unsure as he screwed his nose up and swished the spoon around the bowl.

“Would I lie to you?” Martha smiled innocently.

“No doubt about it,” Jack nodded.

“Just eat it,” Martha whacked him around the head.

“Fine,” Jack said as he moved his head away from her as she swung at him again.

Martha grinned and rubbed her hands together gleefully as she watched Jack spoon the pureed food into his mind. One more second and he’d be spitting that out. But she was completely let down when Jack started to smile.

“It’s not bad,” Jack told her as he put more into his mouth.

Martha let out a loud huff and stomped off into her room. Jack started to laugh and as soon as Martha was out of sight, he spat the food back into the bowl in disgust. He looked over at Alex and tickled her chin.

“Don’t tell her that I just did that,” Jack whispered. “Even though that stuff was completely disgusting; your mother needed to be taught a lesson,” he smiled.

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THE NEXT NIGHT

Martha lay in bed trying her hardest to get to sleep. It was late and she was really tired, but she had a really bad headache and her back was aching.

She let out a loud groan and sat up. She quietly opened her bedroom door and crept out into the kitchen. She flicked on the small lamp and then grabbed a clean glass from out of the cupboard. She poured herself some water and leant against the bench as she drank it.

Martha thought back over the days events. Tasha and Robbie had arrived in the afternoon with their daughter Ella. Martha had been so excited to see them. Because of her memory loss, it had only felt like a few weeks since she had last seen them, but in true fact it had been almost two years.

Martha was hyped at having Tasha back; even if it was only for two weeks. Sure she had Cassie and Matilda to confide in, but there were things that she didn’t want to talk to them about; those things being Jack. Tasha was her best friend and she felt more comfortable talking to her about it.

“Can’t sleep?” a voice from behind her asked.

Martha swung around to face Jack. She shrugged at him. “I’ve got a bit of a headache,” she told him. “What about you?” she asked.

“I heard your door open. I thought you might have had another dream or something. Another memory,” Jack said.

“Nope; just a headache. My backs a bit achy too,” Martha told him as he came to stand next to her.

“Sit down. I’ll give you a massage,” Jack offered.

“What? No, it’s fine,” Martha smiled lightly as she looked away from him.

“Don’t be stupid. Sit down,” Jack said again as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down onto a stool.

Martha was stunned by his sudden movement and almost slid off the chair. She steadied herself and stood up straight. “No need to get rough,” she muttered at him.

“Just do as you’re told,” Jack laughed as he pushed her hair over one shoulder and started to knead at her neck with his fingers.

Martha felt a tingle run up her spine. Whatever he was doing; it felt good. She closed her eyes and let her head roll back a little. She couldn’t deny that his soft fingers on her skin felt amazing. So amazing that she found herself thinking what it would feel like if he placed those hands somewhere else on her body.

Realizing what she was thinking, Martha mentally kicked herself. “That’s enough,” she stammered as she moved away from him.

“I only just started,” Jack laughed at her in surprise.

“Yeah, well I’m tired,” Martha blushed.

“Kay,” Jack smirked at her.

“Night,” Martha spat out quickly and then rushed off to her room; leaving an amused Jack by himself.

“She totally wants me,” Jack said out loud to himself.

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“I felt like a complete idiot Tash,” Martha said into the phone the next morning.

As soon as Jack had left the house for a quick walk with Alex, Martha had immediately jumped on the phone to Tasha. She had needed to talk about what had happened the night before with Jack.

“So the massage turned you on then?” Tasha laughed at her through the phone after she had finished explaining.

“What? No way,” Martha tried to fob it off. “Well, actually it kinda felt nice,” she admitted.

“Just nice?” Tasha teased.

“Okay, it felt great,” Martha said. “But it was totally wrong and it can’t happen again. I don’t like him that way and I don’t want to feel those things about him. I can’t feel those things about him, she trailed off.

“Who said you can’t feel anything for him?” Tasha was confused.

“I did. The guy is a jerk and I’d have to be high if I wanted to be with him like that,” Martha told her.

Tasha sighed out loud. “Mac, the guy is your husband. Maybe the feelings you had for him before the accident are starting to come through,” she said.

“No……,” Martha started, but stopped when she spotted Jack walking back through the front door with Alex. “I gotta go; you know who just walked in,” she said and then quickly hang up.

“Who was that?” Jack smiled her.

“Santa,” Martha said nervously.

“Huh?” Jack snorted with laughter.

Martha just shrugged at him and turned away.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked her. “You’ve been acting strange since this morning. Is it because of last night?” he wanted to know.

“No, I’m fine. And why would I care about last night?” Martha rolled her eyes at him.

“You know why,” Jack frowned at her. “You liked it when I touched you last night, but for some reason you won’t be honest with yourself,” he added.

Martha tried to laugh it off. “You don’t know anything. I barely know you; I didn’t feel anything,” she shook her head at him.

Jack scoffed in disbelief. “Your mind may not know me, but your heart and body does. And there was definitely a reaction when I touched you,” he pointed out.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Martha yelled at him. She was started to get frustrated. “You said you wouldn’t do this. You said you wouldn’t push me into feeling things that I don’t remember. The more you keep pushing at me, the more I’m going to dislike you. So just stop it,” she cried.

“I’m sorry,” Jack apologized. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just miss you and I want the old you back. You can’t blame me for that,” his voice broke.

“I don’t. I just need space, coz I feel like I’m suffocating,” Martha told him. “Now, if you don’t mind; I’m taking Alex over to Irene’s so we can see Tash and Ella,” she grabbed Alex from Jack’s arms and walked out without even saying goodbye.

Jack could feel his temper flaring. He grabbed Alex’s bottle from off the table and pelted it across the room with a growl. It flew straight into a photo; knocking it from the mantle and onto the floor where the glass shattered into pieces. Jack cast his eyes over the mess on the tiles.

He bent down and picked up the photo; his wedding photo. He couldn’t hold the pain in anymore. He let out a loud sob. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take

Unbeknownst to Jack, Martha was still standing at the front door; watching him cry. She felt a pain in her heart. She felt guilty knowing that there wasn’t anything she could do to make him feel better…………….

NEXT CHAPTER: It’s Flashback Time Again!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE REVIEW

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[bay girl]

Hey all. Here’s a new chapter. Not much going on in this one.

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Martha stood in the drive way trying to pick up the courage to go inside. She hadn’t seen Jack since the incident earlier that morning and she was feeling a little nervous about seeing him. She also still had a deep guilt wracking her body. Seeing Jack breakdown had really made her see things from his perspective.

Martha had never really thought about his feelings in all this and how he was coping with it all. She had finally realized that this must be very hard for him. She couldn’t remember him or the love they once shared and she knew that must have been hard for him to accept.

Martha gave herself a mental kick and finally trudged up to the house. Before she had come home, she had stopped in at the diner and picked up a cake. She had made sure that she had gotten Jack’s favourite.

She got to the door and paused; taking a deep breath. She then pushed the door open and strode inside. Jack was sitting at the dining table reading the paper.

“I’m back,” Martha said cheerfully as she moved across the room.

“Wow, you seem awfully happy all of sudden. Split personality much,” Jack said as he looked up at Martha.

“My moods change quickly; you should know that by now,” Martha shrugged.

“Whatever,” Jack muttered under his breath. “Where’s Alex?” he then asked.

“She’s with Tash and Rob. They’re going to bring her home later,” Martha answered.

“Okay,” Jack nodded and then looked back down at his paper; clearly not in the mood to talk.

Martha ignored this and continued with her cheery facade. “Anyways, I was just down at the diner and this cake just came fresh out of the oven. And when I think cake; I think Jack,” she said in a sing song voice.

Jack let out a loud sigh and then looked up at her again. “Okay, what have you done? What do you want?” he questioned.

Martha gasped sarcastically. “Me, nothing,” she told him as she raised her hand to her chest in surprise.

“Pull the other one,” Jack scoffed.

“Okay, fine,” Martha huffed as she leant back in her chair. “I feel bad about what happened earlier. I’m sorry I had a go at you; I was just really frustrated,” she explained.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Jack fobbed it off with the wave of a hand.

Martha shook her head at him. “No, it’s not fine. I was a complete cow,” she sighed. “I’ve been so busy thinking about myself and my feelings that I haven’t once stopped to think about how you’re feeling. I never thought about how you were dealing with this and if you were coping or not. I’ve been really selfish; I know that now,” she told him.

“That’s not true,” Jack started. “If you were selfish, you wouldn’t be staying here and you wouldn’t be taking care of Alex. If you were selfish, you would have abandoned her. All that matters is that Alex has her mother; that’s the most important thing. And me; I’ll deal. I may have a moment where I forget or worry about it every now and then, but I’m going okay. I’ll be fine,” he trailed off.

Martha knew he was lying. She knew that he wasn’t fine. She had seen how upset he had gotten earlier. She wasn’t about to let on that she saw him though. She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.

“Okay,” Martha gave a small nod. “But if you ever want to talk about how you’re feeling; you can talk to me. It might be a tad weird, but I’ll listen. I know that it wasn’t just my life that was altered; yours was too,” she said softly.

Jack smiled across at her. “Thanks,” he exclaimed.

“Great. Now lets cut the crap with all this soppy stuff; coz it’s creeping me out,” Martha laughed as she jumped up.

“Tell me about it,” Jack agreed.

“I’ll get us some plates and we can feed our faces with that cake. Yes?” Martha suggested as she grabbed a knife and some plates from the cupboard.

“Sounds good,” Jack answered with a nod.

Martha turned and flashed a grin at Jack. She was glad that things weren’t weird between them. She enjoyed their conversations and the playful tiffs they had. She’d hate for that to be ruined by stupid little fights about love and marriage. She liked having Jack as a friend and she was happy and content with the way things were at the moment. Besides, she didn’t think she was in the right state of mine for it to be anything other than a friendship anyway. And for the sake of her sanity; that’s the way she wanted it to stay.

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ONE WEEK LATER

“Today was so beautiful,” Martha exclaimed as she walked into the lounge room and sat down next to Lucas and Jack on the couch. They were so transfixed by the replay of that day’s footy game that they weren’t even paying attention to what she was saying.

“Hello, anyone in there?” Martha waved her hand in front of Jack’s face.

“Huh? Sorry, what did you say?” Jack finally looked at her.

“Your dads wedding; I just said it was beautiful,” Martha told him.

Tony and Beth had married earlier that day and Martha thought that it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies she had ever seen. It was so great seeing two people finally getting another chance at love. Martha didn’t think she had ever seen Beth look so happy.

“Yeah, great wedding,” Jack nodded, but then once again turned his attention back to the TV.

“I bet if I were sitting here naked, you’d be paying attention to what I was saying,” Martha muttered with a roll of the eyes.

This comment got Jack’s attention within a second. “Take em off and lets see,” Jack motioned at her clothes with a smirk.

“Not on your life mister,” Martha scoffed at him as she stood up. “I’m getting a hot chocolate; anyone want one?” she asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“Yeah, thanks,” Jack nodded as he followed her.

“I’m fine thanks,” Luc gave his answer. “The game’s finished now, so I might head off to bed. Night,” he called softly as he wandered off to his room.

Martha quickly made the hot chocolates and sat down at the kitchen bench with Jack. “So, you had fun today?” Jack asked her.

“Yes,” Martha smiled. “Today was great. It was so good seeing Beth so happy. It’s really nice seeing them getting another chance at love. They both lost their first loves, but they got another chance. They’ve both got the chance to be happy again. It’s beautiful,” she exclaimed.

“When did you turn into a romantic,” Jack teased her.

“Stop it,” Martha laughed as she hit his arm.

Martha and Jack sat in silence for a few moments; sipping quietly on their hot drinks. Martha had a question right on the tip of her tongue and she was waiting for the right moment to ask it. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“What was our wedding like?” she asked him.

Jack seemed a bit surprised by the question and paused for a moment. He snapped at of his stupor before finally answering the question. “It was beautiful,” he exclaimed.

“Really,” Martha smiled softly.

“Really,” Jack nodded as he smiled back at her. “You know, you could always watch the wedding video if you’re that curious,” he the said.

“I know. I just don’t think I’m ready yet,” Martha sighed.

“That’s understandable,” Jack exclaimed. “Besides, you already know how it ends,” he said.

“Yeah, a crazy lady blew it up,” Martha tried not to laugh. “Maybe it’s a good thing that I don’t remember,” she told Jack.

“Maybe,” Jack agreed.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Jack finally broke it. “Did Alex go down okay?” he asked Martha.

“Yeah, she went off to sleep straight away,” she answered. “It was a big day for her. I hope she sleeps all the way through the night,” Martha continued.

“She’s actually been sleeping really well. While you were in hospital, I had a lot of trouble with her. I guess she knew that you weren’t around,” Jack started as he took another gulp of his hot drink. “But having you back these last few weeks; I’ve seen a change in her sleeping patterns. She’s got her mum back,” he said.

Martha nodded in understanding. “You know, I gotta admit that it’s kinda nice knowing that somebody needs me and depends on me. I never knew being a mother would feel like this. It’s an amazing feeling,” she grinned.

“I know what you mean,” Jack began. “Sometimes I wonder how something so beautiful and precious could be a part of me,” he said.

“She is definitely precious,” Martha exclaimed.

“Definitely,” Jack agreed with a smile.

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THE NEXT NIGHT

Martha was getting ready for bed and had just finished taking a hot shower. She pulled the blankets down on her bed and fluffed her pillows a bit. Suddenly feeling a bit chilly in just her shorts and singlet, she opened up her wardrobe and took a look around; in hopes of finding a robe or something.

Finally at the end of the rack, she spotted a deep blue silk robe. She guessed it must have been something that she had brought in her missing years; as she had never seen it before. She grabbed the hanger and pulled it from the cupboard. She removed the gorgeous silk from its hanger and then slowly moved back to the bed.

Martha gently ran her fingers over the silk; taking in the softness of it. Suddenly from out of nowhere she felt a heavy feeling in the bottom of her stomach; and that’s when it hit her.

****FLASH****

Martha gently wrapped the silk robe around her naked body. She then raised her hand and pulled her long hair from its tie. It fell in soft curls down her back and around her shoulders.

She smiled seductively to herself as she exited her room and made her way into the lounge room where her husband was working hard on some paper work at the dining room table. He had his back to her, so he hadn’t spotted her yet.

Martha reached out and quickly flicked off the light; leaving the room in total darkness.

“It’s just me Jack,” Martha said in a soft voice.

“I thought the power may have gone out or something,” Jack called out to her as he shuffled around.

Martha smiled inwardly and moved across the darkened room until she reached the mantel. She picked up a packet of matches and quickly lit the candles that she had lined across it. Martha blew out the match and then turned to Jack; who was looking at her curiously.

“What are you doing?” he smiled at her.

“I think it’s time for a break,” Martha answered in a husky tone as she moved across the softly lit room; towards Jack.

“What sort of break?” Jack started to play along.

Martha didn’t need words to explain to her husband what she meant. She placed her hands on his chest and leant up; kissing his lips softly. Jack immediately deepened the kiss; wrapping his arms around Martha’s tiny waist and pulling her closer to him.

“I’m thinking yes to this break you mentioned,” Jack said against her lips.

Martha pulled away from him and quickly removed his shirt from his body. She then moved away from him and pulled at the tie around her waist. She pushed the robe from her body; the soft silk slipping quickly over her hot skin and landing quietly on the floor around her. “I thought you would,” she smiled seductively at him.

Martha noticed Jack’s eyes fill with lust as they roved over her naked body. “Come here,” Jack whispered to her as he held his hand out for her to take.

“I love you,” Martha moaned softly as Jack claimed her lips in a hot kiss

“You are so amazing Martha,” Jack said against her neck as he lavished it with sexy kisses

“Martha……………”

****END OF FLASH****

“Martha…………

“Martha…………

A voice suddenly snapped Martha from her thoughts. She spun around quickly; only to find Jack standing at her door watching her curiously.

“Are you okay?” he asked her.

“I’m fine,” Martha gasped for breath. She hadn’t even realised that she had been holding her breath for so long.

“Are you sure?” Jack questioned her. “You look a bit flushed or something,” he added.

“Yeah, I’m totally fine,” she tried to smile at him. “Why don’t you go to bed,” she suggested.

“Okay,” Jack was a bit hesitant. “Goodnight,” he said and then turned away; making his way to his room.

Martha quickly closed the door and then threw herself onto the bed. “What the hell was that?” she said to herself in a hushed voice.

Martha’s body was tingling all over; from her head to the tip of her toes. She looked at the robe still grasped tightly in her hands and then threw it onto the bed. Did I get that just from touching the robe, she thought to herself.

Martha raised her hand to her chest and she could feel her heart pounding hard against it. There was no doubt in her mind that that was memory. A memory in which she was about to make love to Jack. A memory which made her feel so alive.

Jack had made her feel like that. He made her feel alive. Martha wondered if that’s what it felt like every time he touched her so intimately. She didn’t think she’d ever felt something so powerful. It was only a memory, but it had felt so real.

It was only a memory, but it was a memory of which she craved more of……………..

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PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey all; here’s a new chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!!!

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

NOTE: For anyone who wants to know; Martha has been out of the coma for just over a month now.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Martha took her time getting dressed the next morning. She was extremely nervous about facing Jack. That memory that she had received the night before would not leave her mind. It was all she could think about and it was driving her crazy.

Martha looked in the mirror and checked herself over; smoothing her hair down. She let out a loud huff before slowly exiting her room. She walked out into the kitchen quietly and stood there for a few seconds; watching the morning ritual that Jack and Lucas had going.

Lucas was sitting at the table; with Alex sitting on his lap. He was sneakily giving her small pieces of toast while Jack has his back to them. Martha then cast her eyes onto Jack; immediately regretting it.

He was standing at the bench making up Alex’s morning bottle. He had no shirt on and Martha could clearly see the muscles twitching in his back. Martha had a sudden urge to just walk over to him and run her hands all over his smooth body; just like she had in her memory.

“Oh geez,” Martha groaned inwardly to herself as she rubbed her blushing face.

She mentally slapped herself for having such thoughts. This was not supposed to happen, Martha thought to herself. And if she had it her way, she wasn’t going to let it go any further. She wasn’t going to let herself lust after him and she definitely wasn’t going to let herself fall for him. She wouldn’t let it. She couldn’t.

“Morning,” a cheerful voice snapped her from her thoughts.

Martha looked up and found Jack and Lucas laughing at her. “What?” she asked.

“Off with the fairies this morning, are we?” Jack smirked at her.

“What? No,” Martha spat out as she sat down next to Lucas at the table. “I was just thinking,” she added.

“About?” Lucas asked.

Luckily Martha had a good answer for that. “Oh, just that stupid thing of Colleen’s that I have to go to today,” she groaned.

“Oh yes, the Italian slideshow,” Jack exclaimed. “Luckily Luc and I have work today, so we don’t have to go,” he pointed out.

“Totally unfair if you ask me,” Martha huffed. “If I have to watch the stupid darn thing, then so should everybody else,” she stated.

Lucas and Jack once again laughed her. “You’ll get over it,” Jack shrugged.

“Yeah, after years of counseling,” Martha muttered under her breath.

Jack laughed at her once more before sitting down and taking Alex from Lucas’s arms so that he could feed her. A silence soon filled the room, so Martha took the time to grab a bowl and fill it with cereal.

A few more quiet minutes flew passed before Jack finally broke the silence. “So Martha, last night, was everything okay?” he asked.

Martha flicked her eyes up at him. “Huh?” she stuttered a little. “Nothing was wrong, I was fine,” she told him.

Lucas, who had been engrossed in his newspaper, looked up curiously. “What happened last night?” he wanted to know.

“I just found Martha off in a world of her own. It took me a few tries to get her attention,” Jack explained to Lucas.

“Another memory?” Lucas looked up hopefully.

“No,” Martha shot out a little too quickly and loudly. “I mean, no. I would say if I got another memory,” her voice softened a little.

Lucas and Jack looked at Martha in surprise after her sudden outburst. Martha was feeling a little uncomfortable, so she quickly changed the subject. “Oh gee, is that the time? Jack, you should be getting ready for work,” she jumped up and took Alex from him. “I’m going to go give Alex a bath; I’ll see you later tonight when you get home,” she said before quickly walking off in the direction of the bathroom.

“What was that?” Lucas looked at Jack in amusement.

“Beats me,” Jack shrugged.

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“Well, that was the un-fun of the millennium,” Martha remarked as she and Tasha exited Sally’s house; pushing the prams in front of them.

They’d just finished watching Colleen’s slideshow from her trip to Italy and it had honestly been a waste of time.

“How great was that slideshow, huh?” Martha said sarcastically. “This is a tree. This is another tree. Oh look, this is the tree that I picked Italy’s best apple from,” she mocked Colleen’s speech.

Tasha laughed at Martha’s dead-on impression of Colleen. “Hey, don’t forget that last tree,” she pointed out to Martha with a giggle.

After a few more minutes of laughs and Colleen impersonations, the two girls finally arrived at the diner. They sat down at an outside table and placed an order with Lisa, the waitress.

“Okay, so spit it out,” Tasha suddenly piped up.

“What are you talking about,” confusion was written across Martha’s face.

“You’ve been distracted all day. Something has happened since I saw you yesterday and now you’re going to tell me what it is,” Tasha smiled at her.

“Everything is fine,” Martha shook her head at Tasha as she looked away

“I know when you’re lying to me,” Tasha exclaimed.

Martha sighed. Maybe she should tell Tasha about the memory. It would be good to speak to someone about it. “I remembered something last night,” she said quietly across the table to her friend.

Tasha’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Really,” she practically squealed. “Tell me. What was it?” she grew even more excited.

Martha felt a blush rising up into her cheeks. There was no going back now. “It was about me and Jack,” she told Tasha.

“What were you doing?” Tasha was growing impatient.

“You know?” Martha said softly and looked down at her hands.

Tasha shook her head. “No, I don’t kn…… ,” she started, but then stopped when she came to a realization. “Oh. Ohhh,” Tasha laughed.

“Yeah, sex,” Martha shook her head vigorously. “Out of all the things that have happened over the last three years; that’s what I bloody remember. I’m like a dirty old man,” she let out an exasperated sigh.

Tasha was still laughing but stopped when Martha gave her a dirty look. “So, you remembered sex with Jack,” she stated.

“Well, we weren’t actually doing it, but we were pretty much on our way there,” Martha explained with the roll of her eyes.

“Martha, you should look at this as though it’s a good thing,” Tasha started. “It means that you’re starting to remember things. And that’s what is important,” she said.

“Yeah, but why did it have to be about that? Why couldn’t it have been something about Alex?” Martha was growing frustrated.

“Why don’t you tell me what you’re really upset about?” Tasha frowned at Martha.

Martha started to laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she fobbed Tasha off.

“You liked it, didn’t you?” Tasha said knowingly. “You liked it and that’s why you’re upset,” she stated.

“Tash, don’t be stupid. I didn’t like it,” Martha told her.

“Yes, you did Mac. And that is why you’re upset about it,” Tasha started to say. “You keep saying that you don’t want Jack and that you’re better off as friends. Yes, that was easy for you to accept at first, but now you’re starting to remember things. You’re starting to remember Jack and the way he used to make you feel. And that memory reminded you of that. And now you’re angry with yourself because you’re starting to feel things that you said you wouldn’t feel,” she finished.

Martha knew Tasha was right. She was starting to feel things for him. She didn’t want to, but it was something that she had no control over.

“Okay, so maybe I did like it a bit,” Martha finally admitted. “After I remembered it, my body felt like it was on fire. I was tingling all over. The memory felt so real; like it had only just happened. It left me wanting more,” she explained.

“Are you going to tell Jack?” Tasha wanted to know.

Martha shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Not right now anyway. I don’t want to get his hopes up,” she said. “Maybe a bit later on, I’ll tell him. Maybe after I’ve remembered a few more things,” she sighed.

“Okay. It’s your decision,” Tasha nodded. “But just remember what I said; look at this as though it’s a good thing. You’re starting to remember and that is what is most important,” she exclaimed.

“Thanks for listening,” Martha smiled at her friend. “I’m really going to miss you when you go back to Boston,” she sniffed.

“I’m only a phone call away. So just pick up the phone whenever you need to talk,” Tasha reached across the table; squeezing Martha hand. “But hey, there’s still another week until we leave, so lets not get too upset just yet,” she laughed.

Martha wiped at the stray tear that was falling down her cheek. “You’re right. Let’s leave the waterworks until the day you leave,” she smiled.

The two girls pulled apart when they noticed Lisa coming back with their coffees. Their conversation soon changed to Tasha and Robbie’s adventures in the U.S. Martha was glad to get her mind off Jack. She’d have plenty of time to think about him and her problems later.

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THE NEXT DAY

Martha had just finished washing up the dishes from lunch and was now heading over to the couch were Jack and Lucas were watching a footy match. She sat down on the floor and fell back onto a pillow. She was just getting comfortable when they heard a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it,” she sighed; knowing full well that a visitor at the door wouldn’t gather the attention of Jack and Lucas; especially when there was a footy match on T.V.

Martha let out a loud huff when all she got was ignorance from the two young men. I really have to teach them two some manners, she thought to herself.

Martha threw on a smile and pulled open the door; only to have that smile fall from her face almost immediately. She couldn’t believe who was standing there. She had honestly thought she would never see him again. But there he was; standing at her front door, looking back at her.

“What are you doing here?” was all she could say.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Who’s at the front door?

PLEASE REVIEW

Here’s a small bit of info about my new fic. I will be starting it once ‘Cry To Me’ is finished.

Summer Bay is divided into three parts. Six main families make up these 3 groups. They are the Stewart/Holden's. The Macklin/Mackenzie’s and the Nadar/Henderson’s. One of these families will do anything they can to make sure they rule all of Summer Bay.

[bay girl]

Hey all; here’s a new chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!!!

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

Not very long; but it’ll do!!!!!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Hi Martha,” he smiled at her.

“What are you doing here?” Martha asked once more.

She wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries. All she wanted to know was why he was there. She wanted to know why her biological father was standing on her doorstep.

“I’m here to see my daughter,” Brett answered.

Martha looked at him in disbelief. “Daughter,” she scoffed. “Is that what I am? Coz last time I checked I wasn’t good enough to be your daughter,” she yelled.

“What’s going on?” Jack finally stood up from the chair and joined Martha at the door. Lucas watched from his seat in front of the TV.

“Jack, this is the man my mother had a baby with,” Martha said sarcastically.

“You mean your father,” Jack exclaimed.

“Whatever,” Martha shrugged her shoulders. “If that’s what you want to call him,” she added.

“Please Martha; I’m not here to fight,” Brett reassured her. “I know I hurt you very much, but I want to make up for that,” he told her.

Martha rolled her eyes. “How many times have I heard that?” she laughed. She had no reason to believe anything he said. “Tell me why I should believe anything that comes from your great trap,” she snapped.

Jack placed a hand on Martha’s shoulder; trying to calm her down. “Don’t be too loud, you’ll wake Alex,” he pointed out to her.

Martha shook away from Jack’s grasp and kept on glaring at her father. “Well,” she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.

“I’ve changed Martha. I’m not the person I used to be,” Brett promised her.

Martha opened her mouth to speak, but was unsure of what to say. She felt Jack’s arm rest on her shoulder again, so she turned to look at him. “Maybe we should let him in. Just to hear what he has to say,” Jack suggested.

Martha screwed her face up at the suggestion. “No,” she hissed at him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she told him.

“What’s the harm in letting him in for five minutes? Besides, he’s your father,” Jack exclaimed.

“Fine,” Martha huffed. She then turned back to look at her father. “You’ve got five minutes,” she sighed.

“Thank you,” Brett smiled gratefully as he stepped inside. He then looked at Jack and stuck his hand out. “You must be Martha’s husband,” he said.

“Jack Holden,” Jack nodded as he shook Brett’s hand. “That’s my brother Lucas,” he then pointed to his brother who was still sitting on the couch.

“Hey,” Lucas nodded. Brett nodded back in return.

Martha groaned inwardly. She didn’t like this. She didn’t want Brett in her house trying to suck up. He always had some secret agenda and no matter how many times he said he’d changed; Martha would never believe it. A leopard could never change its spots.

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“So, you had better start talking, coz I’ve got things to do,” Martha said as she passed some coffees around the table.

Jack and Lucas had joined Martha and Brett at the dining table; as they were also very interested in what Brett had to say. Lucas was more interested in the fact that he was sitting at a table with ‘The’ Brett Macklin; owner of Macklin Corp. Well ex owner; as Macklin Corp went bust after Brett was sent to prison.

“Actually, first up I want to know when you got out of the slammer,” Martha asked bluntly. “You did screw around a lot of people and well, let’s be honest, you did try to kill Josie Russell,” she added.

Brett let out a loud sigh. “I’ve been out for three months now; I’m out on good behavior. I suppose it also helped that the judge went pretty light on me,” he explained.

Martha snorted into her drink. “Gee, I wonder if money had anything to do with that,” she muttered.

“Look, I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about you,” Brett frowned. “I heard about your accident, and that’s why I’m here; to make sure that you’re doing okay,” he told her.

“Who told you?” Martha was curious.

“I ran into Morag one day in the city. She’d informed me that you were in a coma,” Brett started to explain. “Truth is; I even came and visited you a few times while you were in hospital,” he said.

“Did you know about this?” Martha turned her gaze onto Jack.

“No,” Jack answered. “Today is the first time we’ve met,” he said honestly.

“Nobody knew I was there. I always went late of a night; when I knew you wouldn’t have any visitors,” Brett began. “I knew I’d get ripped into if I ran into your grandfather or your cousin; Ric. I knew it would be best if I kept myself scarce,” he sighed as he took a sip of his coffee.

“How thoughtful,” Martha muttered.

“The next time I went back to the hospital, you were gone. You’d woken up,” Brett said. “A nurse there also informed me of your memory loss,” he added.

“And it’s taken you this long to come and see me,” Martha said harshly. “Gosh, don’t I feel special,” she sarcastically.

“I was a coward. I didn’t have enough guts to come and see you, so I decided to leave it for a while. But I couldn’t wait any longer; I needed to see you and my granddaughter,” Brett looked at her with hope in his eyes as he mentioned Alex.

“You know about Alex?” Jack finally piped up.

“Yes,” Brett nodded.

“How?” Martha wanted to know. If she found out that he had been spying on her there would be trouble.

Brett swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and started to answer. “Ruth sent a package to the prison just after Alex was born. She sent some photo’s of her and even some photos from your wedding,” he admitted.

Martha couldn’t believe that her own mother would go behind her back like that. “I think me and mother need to have a little chat,” she remarked.

“Look Martha; being in prison changed me. I know now that I made a lot of mistakes and I want to make up for all those mistakes. If I could redo my life then I would have stayed with your mother and she never would have had to give you up for adoption,” Brett tried to touch Martha’s hand, but she quickly pulled it away. “I just want to get the chance to know you and my granddaughter. You are the only child I’ve got and the only one I’ll ever have. I don’t want you to despise me for the rest of your life,” he said softly.

Martha closed her eyes and thought hard. She couldn’t do this right now. She couldn’t make a decision about this straight away. “I need some time to think. I’m in a really difficult spot in my life right now. I’m still trying to remember who I am and what I want. I don’t need all this extra stuff weighing on my shoulders. I need you to understand that I need some time,” she explained to her father.

“I understand completely,” Brett nodded as he stood up. “I’ll give you all the time you need. I’ll be staying at The Sands; so give me a call, anytime you want,” he told her.

Martha didn’t say anything. She just nodded at him.

Jack stood and walked Brett to the door; saying a quick goodbye. He then walked back over to the table and sat down again. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said to Martha.

Martha shrugged. “I guess not,” she answered.

She let out a loud sigh and then turned her head to face Lucas. He was still sitting there in a silence. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked.

“I don’t get it,” Lucas threw his hands up in the air as he started to rant. “I’m actually really disappointed. I’ve been reading about him and Macklin Corp for years now and they always made him out to be this big tyrant,” he was flabbergasted.

“Tyrant?” Martha laughed.

“The guy is boring. He wasn’t even wearing a suit,” he muttered to himself. He then stood up and excused himself from the table. “I need to be alone,” he hung his head low.

Jack and Martha broke into a fit of laughter. “What is up with him?” Martha giggled.

“He likes shiny pretty things,” Jack laughed “And then gets disappointed when they aren’t as shiny or as pretty as he had expected,” he added.

“Strange boy,” Martha pointed out.

“Hmm,” Jack nodded in agreement.

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NEXT CHAPTER: More memories for Martha. And is Brett being totally honest with Martha, or is he hiding something?

PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey all; here’s a new chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!!!

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Martha hummed softly to herself as she carried in the shopping bags; dumping them up on the kitchen bench.

“That was quick,” Jack exclaimed as he walked out from the hallway.

“I like to get things done quickly,” Martha said to him. “No use in beating around the bush,” she remarked.

Martha had just been down to the supermarket and had picked up a few groceries. She had gone by herself as she knew that it would get done quicker if she went without Miss Piggy and Wilbur; otherwise known as Jack and Lucas. When it came to food, those two guys were pigs.

“I just hope you got everything. You know how Lucas is without his co…..,” Jack started but Martha cut him off.

“Yes Jack, I got Lucas’s coco pops,” Martha groaned. “I’m telling you right now; they are the things that get him so hyperactive and wound up at times. I think we need to wean him off them,” she ranted.

“Good luck with that,” Jack muttered under his breath as he started to help Martha pack the groceries away.

“Where is Lucas by the way?” Martha then asked.

“He’s taken Joey for a walk down to the beach,” Jack answered.

The next few minutes flew by in silence as the rest of the items were put away into cupboards. Martha looked up just in time to find Jack watching her. She didn’t like it. It made her feel uncomfortable. Ever since she’d remembered their sexual antics together, she had been feeling a little strange around him.

Whenever she found him watching her, she wondered what he was thinking about. Was he thinking about ripping her clothes off? Was he picturing her naked? Was he desperately wishing that he could make love to her? It drove Martha insane. She hadn’t been able to look him directly in the eye since.

There was also the fact that Martha wouldn’t mind if he threw her down and made love to her right there on the spot. Of course she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. She didn’t even want to admit it to herself for god’s sakes. She just wanted to forget about him and any sexual encounters from the past.

Martha turned around; still feeling Jack’s eyes on her. Frustrated; she spun back around to face him. “What?” she huffed at him.

“I need to tell you something,” Jack said in a quiet.

“What have you done?” Martha said to him; noticing the guilty look on his face.

“Brett called. He asked if he could come over,” Jack started. “I said yes. He should be here in about five minutes,” he finished.

“You what?” Martha yelled. “Are you insane? I don’t want to see him yet. It’s only been three days. I haven’t made a decision about what I want yet. Which by the way; is heading more towards the direction of kicking his ass to the curb,” she was beginning to rant.

“I’m sorry,” Jack apologized with a shrug.

“Sorry my ass,” Martha growled. “You are so not sorry. You had better run, coz I am going to beat you down,” she moved towards him but was interrupted by a knock at the door. “This is so not over,” she pointed her finger at Jack

He smiled smugly at her before moving towards the door and answering it. Of course, it was the last person she wanted to see. Brett.

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“So you still haven’t decided if you want us to be a part of each others lives?” Brett frowned at Martha.

“No, I haven’t,” Martha sighed in annoyance. “And the more you nag me about it; the longer I’ll take,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Brett held his hands up in defense. “Can I at least see Alexandria?” he pleaded with his eyes.

“No,” Martha stood her ground.

“Why not?” Brett asked; clearly upset.

“She’s young. She doesn’t need new faces around confusing her,” Martha explained. “Besides, she’s not here. And no; I’m not telling you were she is. I know what you’re like; you go looking for a sneak peak,” she said, starting to get wound up.

Brett let out a loud sigh. “Look, I can see that me being here is upsetting you. I’ll come back tomorrow. Bye Jack,” he called out and quickly left before Martha could tell him not to bother coming back until she called him.

“Am I still in trouble?” Jack pouted as he walked up behind her.

Martha whipped around to face him. “Hell yes,” she shrieked.

“How bouts I lean over the chair and you beat me with my baton,” Jack suggested with a laugh.

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Martha smirked. “But as tempting as it is; coz believe me, I’d love to beat on you. But yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I’m actually gonna go for a walk. I need to clear my head and think about a few things,” she told Jack.

“Where are you going?” Jack wanted to know.

Martha shrugged. “Where ever my heart and mind leads me,” she smiled weakly before grabbing her phone and walking out the door.

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Martha had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that nagging feeling in her gut was telling her to go this way. She’d never been this far before and she had no idea where it led too.

Eventually she came to a cliff edge. She let out a loud gasp and stepped back. God, she hated heights. She turned around and started to walk back in the direction that she came. But still, there was something inside of her telling her to go back.

As much as she hated heights, she knew her gut instinct would get the better of her. She carefully sat down on the edge and dropped down to the cliff face below. It was a wide area that overlooked the water and in the distance she could see the beach.

Martha felt as though she had been there before, but she just couldn’t remember when. She walked right over to the edge and sat down. She looked over into the water and took in the marvelous view. It was so beautiful up there.

Martha sat there for about half an hour, trying to come to a decision about Brett. In the end, she decided that it would be best if they stayed out of each others lives. Martha had too much going on in her life right now. She still had so much to overcome and she didn’t need her father there making things more confusing for her.

She already had one person in her life that made things confusing for her. Jack. And he was someone who wasn’t going to go away, no matter how hard she tried. Not that she wanted him to go away. She had a soft spot for him; that much she knew. There was also the fact that he was Alex’s father, so she wouldn’t be getting rid of him anytime soon.

“Jack, Jack, Jack. You’re not even here and you’re driving me crazy,” Martha laughed out loud to herself.

Martha stood up and brushed the dirt away from her jeans before starting to walk away from the edge. She turned around and took another look out into the ocean. She really liked it there; she’d definitely come back.

She’d only taken a few steps when something flashed through her mind.

***FLASHBACK***

“What? You want me to jump through burning hoops on the way down?” Martha smirked at Jack.

Jack smiled sweetly at her before moving forward and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. They slowly pulled away; staring deep into each others eyes. Martha let a tiny smile escape her lips before moving back towards Jack; connecting their lips once more in a kiss. This one much more passionate.

***END OF FLASH***

Martha let out a deep breath; one that she didn’t even realise she was holding in. Martha looked around her, once more, taking in her surroundings.

That kiss; it happened there. She remembered it. Martha lifted her fingers and ran them softly across her lips. She remembered how sweet it was and how soft and gentle Jack had been. She remembered it as though it was just yesterday.

Their first kiss.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Martha discovers what Brett is hiding.

PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey all; here’s a new chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!!!

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Martha walked back to her place in a bit of a daze. Remembering her first kiss with Jack had pretty much knocked her for a six. She could remember exactly what she was feeling at the time, and how it felt when he was kissing her. It felt like magic.

Martha was walking up the driveway when she heard a female voice calling out to her. She spun around to find Cassie and Matilda walking towards her.

“Hey,” Martha managed a smile. She still wasn’t quite with the program. “How’s it going?” she asked them.

“Good,” Cassie nodded.

“We’re about to go to the beach for a swim; do you want to come?” Matilda then asked.

Martha shook her head. “No, but thanks for asking me. I’ve actually got some things to do,” she answered whilst looking away into thin air.

“Are you okay?” Cassie asked; noticing Martha’s dazed state.

“Huh? Oh yeah,” Martha nodded a little too enthusiastically. “I’m totally fine,” she smiled.

“She’s not fine,” Matilda said to Cassie as they looked at each other.

“Not fine,” Cassie agreed before looking back at Martha. “What’s going on? You know you can tell us,” she said.

Martha sighed loudly. May aswell tell them. “Can you two keep a secret?” she questioned them.

Cassie and Matilda looked at each other; giggling like two little schoolgirls. “No,” they answered simply.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Martha laughed at them.

“Of course it’s a yes,” Cassie smiled. “Now tell us what’s going on,” she pushed.

Martha rubbed her face; she was nervous. “I just went for a walk up to the cliffs, and I kind of remembered something,” she spat out.

“Oh my god; what was it?” Matilda said desperately.

“My first kiss with Jack,” Martha exclaimed with a soft voice. “Honestly, it’s more like the second memory I’ve had of me and Jack together,” she told them.

“Have you told Jack?” Matilda wanted to know.

“No,” Martha shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet anyway. All this crap with my dad and now this; it’s really driving me crazy. Besides, it doesn’t really change anything. I still don’t remember the love we shared, so these two memories are pretty pointless. And I don’t want Jack getting his hopes up,” she explained.

“I guess we can’t really push you into telling him,” Cassie sighed.

“I will tell him; but only when I’m ready too,” Martha pointed out.

Which will probably be never, Martha told herself truthfully.

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“You’re being serious aren’t you?” Brett looked at Martha in distress.

“I’m sorry. But that’s just the way it’s gotta be,” Martha told him.

She had finally told him that there was no place in her life for him right now. She didn’t like telling him that, but it was for the best.

“Martha this is ridiculous. I’m your father for god’s sakes,” Brett tried to reason with her.

“I’ve made up my mind and I’m not changing it,” Martha stood her ground. “Now, I think it would be best if you left,” she said.

“No,” Brett was upset.

“If Martha has asked you to leave, then I think you should do as she says,” Jack entered the conversation.

“Stay out of this,” Brett snapped at Jack.

“Get out,” Martha yelled at her father. “You do not come into my house and speak like that, okay?” she started to push him towards the door.

“Martha please, I want to see my granddaughter,” Brett begged as he grabbed a hold of Martha’s wrist; gripping it tightly with his fingers.

“Let me go, you’re hurting me,” Martha’s voice was starting to grow louder.

Brett wouldn’t budge. “Please don’t do this Martha. Don’t push me away,” his grip was growing even stronger.

“Let go,” Martha screamed as she wriggled away from his grasp.

By now, Jack was seething. He moved towards Brett and grabbed him by the shirt. “You ever touch her like that again; I’ll have you arrested and you’ll be thrown straight back into that prison cell. Got it,” he growled and then pushed him outside; slamming the door in his face.

He turned around to look at Martha; who was gently rubbing her wrists. “You okay?” he asked her.

Martha nodded. “Yeah, thanks for getting rid of him for me,” she smiled gratefully.

“Not worry about it,” Jack waved it off. “Nobody should ever touch you like that. They don’t have a right too,” he exclaimed.

“I know. But thanks again,” Martha nodded in appreciation.

“If he comes around hassling you again, just call someone ok?” Jack then told her.

“Yeah, I will,” Martha raised her hand to her head and started kneading softly at it. She had a headache coming on.

“Something about this doesn’t feel right,” Martha suddenly said. She finally noticed that she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“What do you mean?” Jack was curious.

“I don’t know,” Martha was confused. “It was something about the way he just grabbed me. Kind of like it’s happened before,” she explained.

Jack opened his mouth to speak but Martha cut him off with a laugh. “You know what? I’m being stupid; just forget I even said anything. It’s crazy. I probably just need to lay down,” she told him.

“Um, okay. I’ll wake you up when dinners ready,” Jack watched her carefully as she trudged of towards her room.

Martha closed her door and sat down on her bed. She didn’t like this feeling she was getting. She didn’t like it one bit.

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Martha sat up quickly; breathing heavy after the dream she had just had. She rubbed at her eyes; wiping the sleep away. She started to cry. How could he do it? He was a liar. He was a gutless coward.

Martha jumped up out of bed and ran out into the kitchen, where Jack was getting breakfast ready for himself.

“I remember,” Martha cried to him.

“What’s wrong?” Jack rushed up to Martha. He couldn’t stand seeing her like this.

“It was Brett. He was here and he got angry and grabbed me,” Martha was stuttering.

“Martha, what are you talking about?” Jack was beginning to worry.

“Yesterday, when I said I felt as though Brett had grabbed me like that before,” Martha began to explain. “It’s because he did Jack,” she exclaimed.

“What?” Jack was more than confused.

“He’s the reason I don’t’ remember. He was here the day of the accident. He did this to me,” Martha ranted.

Jack was still trying to put together everything Martha was saying, but he was having trouble as Martha was starting to speak in riddles. But then she said it. The one thing he did understand.

“He got angry. He’s the one who put me in a coma…………………..”

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Sorry guys, but i couldn't be bothered writing the flashback scene about Brett being at Martha's on the day of her accident. So, i just had Martha waking up from the flashback dream instead.

[bay girl]

Hey all; here’s a new chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!!!

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“Okay, so I need you to tell me everything that you remember,” McGrath said to Martha as he sat down across from her in the interview room.

She hated doing this. She’d already been through all this with Jack. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She didn’t want to think about the fact that her father was the one who had hurt her. She couldn’t believe that he would do something like that to his own child. She hated him; now more than ever before.

“Come on Martha. I can’t do anything about this if you don’t tell me anything,” McGrath said to her.

“Okay,” Martha nodded. She let out a loud sigh before starting. “I’d just put Alex down for a nap, I think. After that, I walked out into the lounge room and Brett was just standing there; at the front door. I immediately got angry with him; telling him that he had no right to just waltz back into my life like that. I told him to leave, but he just ignored me,” she trailed off.

“Keep going,” McGrath urged her on.

“Then he said that he’d heard that I’d had a baby. He begged me to let him see Alex, but I wouldn’t allow it, and then he got really upset. I tried to push him out the door, but he grabbed onto my arm,” Martha was starting to get upset. “When he realized he was hurting me, he stopped. I pushed him out the door and he left,” she continued.

McGrath seemed a bit puzzled. “If he left then how do you know that he was the one who hurt you?” he questioned her.

“Because a few minutes later he came back,” Martha answered. “I heard a knock on the door, but then after that it all went blurry,” she exclaimed.

“What do you mean it all went blurry?” McGrath asked.

“It’s kind of strange,” Martha was feeling frustrated. “I think my mind is still trying to block it out, coz after that all I can remember is seeing blurry outlines of things and our voices were muffled, so I can’t remember what we were saying. But I was really scared, and then I remember falling and hitting my head on the table as I went down. Everything went dark after that,” she finally finished her story.

McGrath nodded as he jotted things down on a piece of paper. “That’s all you remember?” he needed to make sure he had heard everything.

“Yes. That’s it,” Martha rubbed her temple.

“May I ask you a question?’ McGrath looked up at Martha. “But please don’t get upset,” he added.

“Sure,” Martha was curious.

“Are you absolutely sure it was your father who you saw the second time? I need you to be absolutely sure that it was him, because your father’s lawyers, they will argue with the fact that you don’t vividly remember the attack,” McGrath started. “You still don’t remember exactly what happen. You still don’t remember the full details of the attack. Brett’s lawyers will argue that it could be possible that it was another person and not your father. Do you understand what I’m saying?” he explained.

“Of course I understand. I’m not a child,” Martha snapped at him. “And yes, I’m sure it was him. I may not remember the actual attack clearly, but I know it was him. I can just feel it. I feel it in my gut,” she told him.

“That’s good enough for me,” McGrath nodded as he stood up. “That should be all for now. I’ll speak to you again, once I’ve finished the interview with your father,” he said.

“Thanks,” Martha smiled as she too stood to up and followed him out into the main foyer of the police station.

Jack jumped up as soon as he spotted Martha. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yep, it’s fine,” Martha assured him. “Can we go home now?” she wanted to know.

“Sure,” Jack nodded. He placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her towards the front door. But suddenly their exit was blocked.

Two officers came in; leading in Brett, who was restrained with handcuffs. “Martha, please,” Brett begged at her.

Martha was having none of it. “How could you?” she spat out. “I’m your daughter; you’re supposed to love me. How could you do that to me? How could you just leave me there like that? You could have killed me,” she started to cry.

“I admit that I was there that day. But I did not hurt you. I did not lay a hand on you in an improper way; I swear to you. I would never harm you like that,” Brett tried to tell her.

“I’m sick of all your lies,” Martha cried. “You’ve done the unthinkable and I’ll never forgive you. I never want to see you again. And there is absolutely no way that I will let you see Alex now. Not now, not ever,” she snapped. She then grabbed a hold of Jack’s arm and dragged him out the front door.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked in a soft voice.

“I don’t want to talk okay,” Martha all but whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Okay,” Jack nodded in understanding.

He lead her to the car; opening the door for her. No words were spoken on the trip home and Martha went straight to her room as soon as she got home.

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“Has she come out of her room yet?” Lucas asked Jack.

“No,” Jack shook his head. “She must be taking this really hard,” he told his brother.

“I would be too,” Lucas started. “If I found out that my father had hurt me like that; I’d be really upset,” he added.

“Well, we don’t have to worry about anything like that, because dad would never do something like that to us,” Jack remarked. “Speaking of dad; do you think you could take Alex over to his place? He’s offered to look after her for the afternoon,” he said.

“Sure,” Lucas nodded. “I have to go and see Mattie anyway. Apparently she’s got something really important to tell me,” he grinned.

“Why are you smiling? It could be something bad. Maybe she’s going to dump you,” Jack teased.

Lucas shrugged. “I think it might just be some gossip. Nothing too important,” he exclaimed. “Seriously, Mattie and Cassie are going to become the next Colleen Smart and Madge Wilkins. Those two have so much trouble keeping things to themselves,” he laughed.

“Well if it’s some good goss, you know you can always tell me,” Jack said. “You know; just incase you really need to talk about it,” he hinted.

Lucas shoved Jack. “You’re such a girl,” he tormented as he picked up Alex. “Come on Joey; let’s go and see poppy,” he cooed as he picked up Alex’s change bag.

“See you later loser,” Jack waved goodbye.

“You’re the loser,” Lucas stated as he walked out the front door.

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Martha lay in on her bed; staring up at the ceiling. She’d been lying in the same position for the last two hours; thinking over the same stupid things.

Brett; she hated him. She’d never forgive him for what he had done. She’d never forgive and she’d never forget. He’d treated her as though she was nothing; unimportant. He’d left her to die; left her to die like a mangy animal. What kind of human being could do that to another person? And especially to a person who was their own flesh and blood.

Martha now knew for sure that he never cared about her. She’d always known, but now she knew for sure. And she knew that he’d never change.

Martha wished that she wasn’t upset about it, because she knew that her father didn’t deserve her tears. She was so much better than him and she deserved more than just some selfish bastard as a father.

It was at times like this that she was really thankful for her adopted father. He loved her as though she was his own; no questions asked. So why couldn’t Brett be like that? Why couldn’t he love her unconditionally?

Martha felt a new tear roll down her cheek. A strangled sob escaped from her lips as she rolled over and pushed her face into her pillow. As more tears started to fall, she heard a noise coming from the door. She knew immediately that it was Jack.

She raised her head a little and looked at him. He was worried for her; she could tell by the look on his face. Martha didn’t know why, but seeing Jack upset for her, only made her feel even worse. Sob’s started to wrack her body as she looked away from Jack’s caring eyes. Jack did the only thing he could do; he walked closer to the bed and slipped in beside her.

Martha couldn’t push him away. She didn’t want too. She rolled towards him and with a small cry; she wrapped her arms around him. Jack placed a hand on her back and gathered her to him; holding her close.

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PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey all; here’s a new chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!!!

WARNING: This story may contain some stuff that isn’t suitable for younger readers. It may contain violence, sexual references, adult themes and a bit of course language. Thanks. You have been warned.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Martha peeked her head around the corner; checking to see if Jack was up yet. She let out a sigh of relief when he was no where to be seen. She relaxed a bit and walked out into the kitchen; flicking the kettle on. She needed some coffee. Hopefully it would sort her head out a bit.

Martha sat down on a stool and waited patiently for the kettle to boil. After a few minutes it started to whistle; letting her know that the water was boiled. She grabbed a mug from out of the cupboard and filled it with the required condiments.

As she did so, she thought back to the day before. She’d let her guard down; with Jack that is. She’d been upset about her father’s lies and betrayal and she had let Jack comfort her. He had made her feel so safe and calm; so much so that she had fallen asleep in his arms. As much as she hated to admit it; she liked it. She had liked it so much that when later on that evening she had woken up and found Jack gone; she was upset. Truthfully; she wanted to know what it would feel like to wake up in his arms. Unfortunately though; that didn’t happen.

And now, the next morning; she felt like an idiot. Jack had seen her in one of her most vulnerable states and she felt embarrassed. So far, she had managed to keep her stone wall up. But now it just seemed to be crashing down all around her. The feelings she was feeling were growing stronger. Her feelings for him were growing stronger and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

“Morning,” a voice startled Martha from her thoughts.

Martha spun around quickly; almost spilling the hot water on her hand. She came face to face with Jack. “Oh, hey. Good morning,” she smiled politely before turning back around to stir her coffee. “Do you want a coffee?” she offered.

“Thanks,” Jack sat down and rubbed at his tired eyes. “So, how are you feeling today?” he then asked.

“I’m okay,” Martha answered. “I just want to forget that my father ever existed. I don’t want to think about it anymore,” she told Jack.

“Well, if you do want to talk about it; you can talk to me. You know that right?” Jack said.

“Yeah, I know,” Martha smiled. “Listen, about yesterday arvo; thanks for being there for me. I must have looked like a blubbering mess. But um, thanks for comforting me or whatever,” she started to shake her head as she got flustered.

Jack laughed at her. “Its fine,” he assured her. “Besides, you’re my wife; I’m supposed to comfort you. Oh and hey, don’t take that as a form of me hitting on you. I hated seeing you upset, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I actually thought you’d wake up this morning and start accusing me of taking advantage of you while you were in a vulnerable state or something,” he said.

“Were you trying to take advantage of me?” Martha smirked at him.

“What? No,” Jack stammered as his cheeks started to flush.

Martha took her turn to laugh at him. “I know; I’m just kidding. I know you were just helping me; it’s fine,” she exclaimed.

“Right,” Jack nodded.

Martha was about to sit down when she heard a cry coming from Alex’s room. “She’s awake; I’ll go get her,” she offered.

“How about I make us some pancakes for breakfast,” Jack offered before Martha was out of sight.

“Sounds great,” Martha called back to him as she walked down the hall.

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Jack strolled along the beach; holding Alex safely in his arms. He was in a happy mood today. He finally felt as though things were going back to normal. Of course Martha still didn’t remember their life together; but now, Jack was starting to accept it. There was use in feeling sorry for himself. He still had Martha in his life and there was still a chance that he could win Martha’s love. He knew it would be a much easier task if Martha remembered just a few little things about him. But like he’d said; there was no use in feeling sorry for himself.

In the distance, Jack spotted Lucas sitting by himself. “There’s uncle Luc; let’s go and say hi,” he grinned at Alex.

Alex responded by smiling up at her father. Jack kissed her cheek. He loved that smile of hers. It reminded him of Martha’s.

“Hey little brother,” Jack called out as he approached Lucas.

Lucas looked up quickly; surprised to see Jack. “Jack. Hey,” he tried to smile. “Hey,” he said again while scratching his head.

“You look as though you’ve just been caught with your hand in a cookie jar,” Jack laughed. “Wait; did you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar? Did Martha beat you down?” he teased.

“What? No,” Lucas shook his head. “I haven’t even seen Martha today,” he added.

“What’s wrong then?” Jack asked as he sat down on the sand; sitting Alex on his knee.

“Nothing is wrong,” Lucas lied. “Why would you think something was wrong?” he said a little too quickly.

“I can tell by the look on your face,” Jack pointed out. “Oh no; Mattie dumped you, didn’t she?” he frowned.

“No, she didn’t,” Lucas assured him.

Jack knew something was wrong. His brother was acting weird and he didn’t like it. “Has this got anything to do with the conversation you had with her yesterday?” he questioned.

“No Jack,” Lucas snapped. “Can you just leave it please; stop asking me about it,” he yelled as he stood up and started to walk away.

“Hey Luc, come on,” Jack called out after him.

“I have to go to work,” Lucas called back.

Jack looked down at Alex who was burying her hand in the sand. “That was weird,” he shrugged at her.

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Lucas felt like a complete jerk. He was hiding some very important information from his brother; Information that Jack should know about. Lucas hated lying to him, but he knew it wasn’t his place to say anything.

Martha had to tell Jack herself. She had to tell him that she remembered him; remembered their love. And she had to do it soon. If she didn’t, then Lucas wouldn’t have any other choice. He’d tell Jack. He’d tell his brother the news he had been waiting to hear.

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: Who's going on a date?