Labels or Love

[Tasha]

Story Title: Labels or Love

Type of story: short/medium fic

Genre: general

Does story include spoilers: No

Any warnings: No

Summary: Martha left the Bay after making an appearance at Jack and Sam's wedding. She didn't see Jack's "I will"; she only saw Sam's "I do" and left. Three years later, she gets a call requesting her to come back to the Bay. But with a new life set up in the City, will she go back?

A/N: This fic has nothing to do with Sex and the City, or the actual Labels or Love song from the movie by Fergie. I just like the song name, and those on my msn list would know that; and it does sort of go with the fic. No wait, it does go with the fic. Or I'll make it work Anyway, I was working on another fic, when I came up with this idea. It's stupid, but oh well. I will try making it up to 4 chapters, but if I'm lucky, it'll only be 2-3 so yeah. And there is also a lot of dialogue, but it's sort of necessary in this fic. Oh and I'll talk Sydney up a bit in the first paragraph, but that's only because I love the City, so yeah Please read and review

Martha is 24

Jack is 29 (so old)

Aaron is 26

And the others don't matter

~

It was a beautiful spring Saturday morning, and a certain blue eyed brunette was sitting out on her balcony taking in the breath-taking view of Sydney Harbour. Holding a hot cup of coffee in her hands, she watched as the Ferris Wheel at Luna Park began its first rotation of the day; as the tiny 'ants', as they like to say, made the first trip up the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge of the day; and as the many boats and ferries made their way across the beautiful harbour. It was just like any other perfect morning, in Martha's perfect new life.

The sound of the phone ring drew Martha's attention away from the Harbour, and into the house, where which she spotted her boyfriend run towards the phone in just a towel. Releasing a small giggle, Martha turned back to the front to enjoy its view.

"Martha?" Aaron called from the sliding door, once again disrupting her peace, "it's for you. It's your granddad." Aaron handed the phone to a confused looking Martha. She wondered how her grandfather had managed to track her down, let alone get her phone number.

When Martha left Summer Bay, after making the shortest ever appearance at Jack's wedding, she moved to the City, in hope that no-one would ever find her. All she wanted to do was forget her past and her life in Summer Bay, and focus on starting a new one in Sydney City. In her first year here, she studied to get a real estate diploma, and started working at an agent close to her new home. After a year, she transferred to a more prestigious real estate agent, which sold the houses in the more upper class areas. For Martha, not only did this mean better money, but it also allowed her to show off houses that she never imagined stepping foot in. In the three years she lived in the City, she never once heard from anyone from the Bay, not even her granddad, and she preferred it that one, for one reason, and one reason only ... Jack.

"Granddad?" Martha asked nervously into the phone, as she watched Aaron saunter back into the bedroom to get dressed.

"G'day love," Alf responded, less cheerful then she was used to. This began to worry Martha, as she started to get a feeling in her stomach that she wasn't going to like the conversation that was about to take place. "How've you been? It's been, what, 3 years since anyone's heard from you."

"Sorry granddad, I've just been real busy," Martha lied, "But otherwise, I've been good. Granddad, how'd you get my number?"

"That doesn't matter," Alf replied firmly. "Who was that fellow that answered you're phone, anyway?" He tried to change the subject in order to prevent an argument from occurring.

"That's Aaron," Martha said, "my boyfriend. We've been together for about two and a half years now, and we're really happy." She tried to show off her ability to stay in a long, healthy and happy relationship, and Alf sensed it. He was proud of her though, as her longest relationship prior to Aaron, had been Jack, and that was only for, like, 9 months.

"Well that's great to hear love," Alf told her truthfully. "But, love; there is a reason as to why I called. There's been an accident. Jack's in a coma." Alf heard a small crash from the other side of the phone and let out of a sad sigh.

Martha dropped her coffee mug, when she heard the name of the one person she had tried her hardest to forget about in the past 3 years, causing a small crash, and a large mess on the wooden floor. All her hard work had come crashing down. Her once sparkling blue eyes were now drowned in tears, which tried to fight their way out of their prison.

"How long?" she finally managed to ask with a lot of concern evident in her voice. Hearing footsteps from behind her, she quickly wiped away her tears, before sending an apologetic look to her boyfriend, who had just noticed the coffee spilt on the floor. Waving it off, Aaron starting cleaning the mess up.

"Almost a week now," Alf replied softly. He could sense how much she was hurting from this. Despite being away for some years, Alf always knew Martha would always love Jack, no matter what, or who she was with. "You need to come down, love, please?"

"I can't granddad," Martha stated firmly, allowing for her walls to rebuild themselves. "Sam and Rory are there, I'm sure he'll wake up to them. And he has Tony and all his friends there, he doesn't need me. It's been three years granddad, he's probably forgotten about me, and my voice. It won't work again. Things have changed, we have changed."

"Martha, please. Things haven't changed here," Alf exclaimed, knowing how hard it is to convince a stubborn Martha. She's a Stewart, remember, a small voice in his head, always as stubborn as a mule. "If you won't come down for Jack, then please come for Tony. He is the one that wanted to call you. He knows that the last two times Jack's been in a coma, you were there one to wake him up. You're our only hope. Please, Martha, Tony doesn't want to lose another son, you have to come. And trust me; I know Jack would love to hear your voice again. Please?"

Confused by the last thing Alf said, Martha finally agreed to go back to the Bay. Arranging to be there by early afternoon, Martha hung up the phone, and faced a concerned and confused looking Aaron.

"I have to go to go back to Summer Bay today. An old … ummm … friend was in an accident, and has been in a coma for almost a week." Martha started to explain. "He's father wants me to go see him, in hope that he'll wake up. This isn't the first time he's been in a coma, but he's a police officer, so it's never safe. And the first two times, I was always the one he woke up to, so I have to go."

"He?" Aaron asked, concerned of the relationship between his girlfriend and the police officer. Martha nodded, sensing his concern. "You guys must have been pretty close then?" You have no idea, Martha thought to herself.

"He was my best friend," she lied once again. "So yeah, we were pretty close. Anyway, I have to leave now, but I'll try getting back by tonight, alright? Hopefully it won't take too long."

"Let me come with you then, and we can spend the night there and come back tomorrow," Aaron insisted. He didn't like the idea of Martha going back to an old 'friend', but Martha flat out refused, saying that she needed to do this alone. Secretly she hoped that it would bring some sense of closure from her twisted relationship with Jack. After saying a quick goodbye, Martha left. She was heading back to Summer Bay, and now there was no turning back.

~

Two and a half hours later, a shiny black Audi A5 finally drove past the Welcome to Summer Bay sign; one she never thought she'd see again. Stopping on the side of the road next to the beach, a pair of Jimmy Choos exited the car, followed by the rest of Martha, donned in a beautiful Wayne Cooper summer dress. Inhaling the fresh beach breeze, Martha removed her Bvlgari sunglasses and placed them neatly on top of her head, as her loose hair flew with the breeze. I'm home, Martha thought to herself as she took in yet another beautiful view for the second time that day. Feeling a pair of eyes burning into her, she turned her head slightly to find a pair of light blue eyes staring at her from the beach, the owners' lips smiling at her. Politely smiling back, Martha hopped back into the car, and headed to the one place she hated the most ... the hospital.

Walking through the same white walled hallways that she had somewhat grown accustomed to when living in Summer Bay, Martha made her way to the main reception area of the Northern Districts Hospital. As her heels cluttered against the plain old floors, Martha reached into her Gucci handbag and switched off her mobile, before placing her Bvlgari's into its case and back into the bag.

Feeling eyes, once again, burn into her, Martha felt somewhat out-of-place and uncomfortable. Letting out a small sigh, she made her way over to the reception desk, where she met with the first familiar face since entering the town. Nurse Julie looked up at Martha, shocked to see the transformation from the dark hair beach beauty to the high class City fashionista standing in front of her. Before she could say anything, however, another familiar face, more so voice, disrupted their almost greetings.

"Martha, you made it," Rachel exclaimed as she embraced her old friend. "And look at you! You look like you've just walked off the catwalk at the Sydney Fashion Week." Martha blushed slightly in embarrassment, cursing herself for not dressing more casually.

"Thanks Rach," Martha said politely." You look great too and so happy. And you're married. Oh wow, who's the lucky guy?" Martha picked up Rachel's left hand and examined the stone on her important finger.

"Tony," Rachel replied, somewhat nervously, at the thought of Martha's reaction to her marrying her former father-in-law. Martha just smiled and hugged her friend again, congratulating her. "And we'd be happier if Jack was awake." She added with a sad smile. Martha nodded sadly before giving her friend another hug.

They were soon joined by a relieved Tony. Embracing his ex daughter-in-law, he thanked her whole heartedly for coming down. Martha, who was still confused as to why Sam and Rory weren't around, asked Tony for their whereabouts and a good explanation.

"Jack and Sam didn't get married", Tony replied confused, thinking that she would have been told the news already.

"But I saw Sam walk down the aisle, I saw her say 'I do', Martha exclaimed, feeling the tears starting to crawl up again. Trying her hardest to blink them away, she watched Tony intently, waiting for her explanation.

"Yes, Sam did say 'I do' but Jack said 'I don't", Tony replied with a small sigh. "He couldn't go through with the wedding. He wasn't happy. He wasn't in love with her. He has never been in love with anyone, but you Martha. And I was stupid enough to stop you guys from being together, and in the process hurt my son more than I could possibly imagine, you as well. Jack hasn't been the same since then, and it's not because of Sam, but it's because he lost you, and it still hurts him deeply. These past few years he has been putting his everything into work. He works long hours and doesn't get much sleep at all. And now, years on it has finally caught up to him. Thankfully he wasn't driving the car, Lara was. But she's fine; it was Jack side that got damaged. He's lucky that he only sustained minor head injuries, but he won't wake up from this coma. I know he's waiting for you, Martha." Martha was now sat on the hospital chairs in the waiting area, head buried in her hands, as she processed everything Tony had just told her.

"Where is he?" Martha demanded, after wiping away the tears that had finally escaped. Thank God for waterproof mascara. "I want to see him." Rachel nodded, before leading her to Jack's hospital room, followed by Tony, who could sense Martha's anger towards him.

Entering the room, Martha witnessed a sight she never wanted to see again: Jack lying on the bed, motionless, several wires attached to him, machines following his heartbeat. It killed her inside seeing him life this. Walking over to his bed, she placed her bag at the foot of the bed, before taking his hand into hers, and sitting herself beside him.

"Hi Jack."

Next Chapter: Martha talks to Jack. Will he wake up, or has she just wasted her time?

[Tasha]

(although I'm still waiting patiently for you to finish I Will Be).

And what exactly happened to your other fic I ask!?

Im pretty sure I vaulted that fic, if my memory serves me right. But I do have a good excuse. I was planning on writing the second part during the Easter long weekend, but we went to Brisbane for that weekend, so I didnt have time. And then when we came back, well Martha and Roman were far to cute, Jack and Martha werent exactly a bother anymore, but i decided to put it off until my mid-semester break, which was i think the last 2 weeks of April. And by then, Jack and Martha had finally gotten back together on the show, so i wasnt bothered writing a reunion. And I think it was vaulted. I'll have to check that. So yeh, i hope thats good enough

Great start Tash, although I wont hold my breath for regular updates ... but maybe you'll surprise me *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

Now, unlike I will be, i have planned this whole fic now, so you wont need to hold your breath And surprise surprise, i do have a new chapter for you guys. Now be warned this part has lots of dialogue, mainly because it’s all Martha talking to Jack. And it’s a lot of storytelling, so I apologise in advance if it gets boring or too much. And I used quotes and references to my favourite movie in this chapter, which I’m consequently making it Martha’s favourite movie as well And Martha might sound a bit mean or snobbish or whatever in some parts, but yeah, oh well And, i'll get to work on the next part tomorrow, since my brain has officially been switched off for the past 2 hours. So i apologise if the last couple of paragraphs are crap, because they are. Anyway, please read and review

~

Martha watched as Tony and Rachel finally left Jack’s hospital room, after fussing over her and her comfort, offering to bring her food and drink, which she politely refused, despite beginning to lose patience. Martha was still slightly annoyed at Tony for his involvement in Jack and Martha’s past, but that shouldn't matter anymore right? She’s moved on, she’s happy, right?

Unsure with the thoughts swimming through her head about her current and past love life, Martha looked around the room, admiring the several flowers that were neatly organised around Jack’s room, along with a couple of Get Well Soon balloons.

“Mr Popularity still, I see,” Martha said to an unknowing Jack, as she turned around to look at him, letting a small giggle escape. Rolling her eyes at his lack of response, she went back to examining the flowers and their cards. This should tell me who’s dating who, who’s married and who has kids, Martha thought to herself smartly, sniggering. Picking up the first one, she read the card, before looking confused at the senders’ names.

“Roman, Charlie, Ruby and Nicole?” Martha asked a non-responsive Jack, again. “Who are they? Roman sounds familiar. Oh, he’s the new chef guy that came just before I left, right? Wow, 3 years in the Bay, and he already has two kids. He sure moves fast.” Placing the card down again, Martha moved onto the next one. “Awww … Annie and Geoff are still living with Irene, that's sweet.”

Scanning through the others, Martha learnt that Leah was now with some guy named Miles, and they had VJ and a kid called Jai; while Aden and Belle were together. The remaining were from Jack’s work colleagues, a separate one from Lara, which Martha found suspicious, from her Granddad and Colleen, which she also questioned, and then finally one from Rachel and Tony.

“So, your dad and Rach, huh?” Martha asked a she pulled a single sofa over to Jack’s bedside and sat herself on it. “Who would have thought? I take it that things between Rachel and Lewis didn’t work out then?” Sighing to herself, Martha realised it was pointless asking Jack questions about everyone, since she’ll evidently receive no answers. I’ll just wait till I see granddad, she concluded, and find out what’s going on between him and Colleen. Martha let out a little huff at the thought of her granddad dating someone, let alone Colleen, the sweet, yet annoying town gossip.

Martha spent the next 10 minutes talking to Jack about her career, explaining how she got into real estate, and the kind of people she meets and the houses she gets to show. She talked about her life in the City, and what she’s been up to in the past few years since she left, leaving out the Aaron part of her life.

“So now they are finally married, and I got to be her Maid of Honour,” Martha rambled on, talking about her best friend, Lara’s wedding. “You should see them Jack, they’re so in love, it’s beautiful. They remind me of us, you know.” Martha watched Jack intently, waiting for some sort of response, but failed to receive anything.

“You’re dad told me everything, about how you didn't marry Sam,” Martha said, now getting serious. Her plan, coming back to the Bay, was to talk to Jack about their relationship and where they stood, despite the several years of separation in between. “He told me that you didn't love her anymore, that you …” Wiping away a tear, Martha took Jack’s hand into hers, and stroked his hair gently. “I came to the wedding you know? You probably don’t. No-one knew. But I came, and I saw Sam walk down the aisle. When the Reverend asked if anyone objected, you have no idea how tempted I was to make myself acknowledged. But I didn't. I saw the look on your face, and I couldn't. Your dad said that Sam could make you happy, and you did look happy. You had the look that you had on our wedding day. The look that made me feel like the only other person in the room, the one that made me feel safe, protected, and most importantly, loved. And you gave her that look, and it just broke me.

“When I heard Sam say those two words, ‘I do’, I couldn't take it anymore, and I ran. If only I stay an extra 60 seconds, we probably wouldn't be in this mess,” Martha continued, wiping away a tear that had fallen again. “Jack, I … I never stopped loving you, never. I tried, I tried to forget about you, but it didn't work. I know that sound harsh, but it's the truth. But living in the City, means seeing police officers all the time. And every day, I see a cop, and I think of you, of what we had. ‘The truth is, I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back.’ I never did Jack. You took my heart, and I took yours. And we never returned them.” Letting out a small laugh, Martha remembered back 5 years ago, before her and Jack got married, and they went on a little picnic after a small argument they had earlier in the day.

“I was lying on the blanket and asked you ‘What do you want to be married to me for, anyhow?’ and you replied with your cheeky smile, ‘So I can kiss you anytime I want.’” Martha laughed again at the memory, gently tracing her lips with her fingers unconsciously, remembering the soft, yet passionate kiss Jack left on her lips afterwards, eliminating all the anger she felt for him earlier. “Do you remember that movie, Jack? We used to watch it all the time. Even though you hated it, you’d still watch it with me every Friday night after work. I used to say that our love was like Jake and Melanie’s. Well, with the whole still loving each other so matter who we’re with. Even after Ash, Cam, Michael and Sam, we still never stopped loving each other. I know I never stopped loving you, and I never will. Like Jake was to Melanie, you were the first man I ever loved, and that’s never going to change. You’ll always be my one true love, Jack.”

Martha sighed as she watched Jack softly breathing, his chest slowly. She knew she had to tell him about Aaron, even though this was probably not the best time. Even though her mission was to come to the Bay to wake Jack up, she couldn’t stand the thought of lying to him, especially if he woke up with great expectations for them. For the next few minutes, Martha sat beside the bed, listening to Jack’s soft breathing, with the sound of the clock ticking behind her.

Checking the time, Martha calculated that she had been in the room for almost two hours, and still failed to wake him up. Contemplating whether or not to tell Jack about Aaron, she finally decided to get it over and done with, though the question of whether he’d remember still lingered at the back of her mind.

“Remember how Melanie had an Andrew,” Martha started, taking Jack’s hand once again into her own. “Well, I have an Andrew too, well an Aaron anyway. Isn’t it funny the even the first letters of our names are the same as Jake, Melanie and Andrew’s? Looks like our lives were made into a movie before we even met.” Martha let out another small giggle at yet another one of her lame jokes.

“We met a couple of weeks after I moved to the City, Aaron and I. We were at a party. When I first moved to the City, I lived with some old friends. We went out to celebrate one of their 21sts, and he was there. Aaron is Lara’s brother’s best friend. We hit of straight away, and he asked me out. But, me still trying to get over you, rejected him, and told him that I just got out of a relationship, and wasn’t looking for a new one just yet. This was true, since Michael and I had only broken up a few weeks earlier. Aaron respected that, and we stayed as good friends. A few months later, he asked me out again, and even though I still loved you, I knew I had to move on with my life, just like you had, or I thought you had anyway.

“He’s a lawyer, and he’s really sweet. We’ve been together for over 2 years now. I know what you’re thinking: I can’t believe Martha actually managed to keep a relationship for over a year, but yes, I did manage. Aaron is truly amazing. And he really loves me, and I do love him too. But it’s not the same love as that I have for you, just remember that. Last year he bought a 2 bedroom house overlooking Sydney Harbour. It’s so beautiful. You can see the Sydney Bridge and Luna Park from our balcony. I was actually sitting there just this morning, taking in its exquisiteness. But don't get me wrong, I love Summer Bay just as much. Nothing beats the beach, but the Harbour does come close second.” Martha let out another chuckle, before continuing with her story.

“He asked me to move in with him when he bought the house, so we’ve been living together for over a year now. Aaron’s a lot like you, you know. He sometimes works till late, coming home at weird hours. I actually learnt after us, not to expect anyone to come home when they say they will. And even after late nights, he’ll wake up in the morning to make me breakfast, especially on the weekends.” Martha sighed, as she realised the similarities between the two men she loved.

“You know,” Martha continued, deciding to steer the subject away from Aaron, “these past few day, I’ve been having these constant dreams, the same one every night. Actually, it’s more like a memory being played on loop in my mind. It’s actually one of my favourite memories. I think it was about 6 years ago, and we went up on the cliffs, because I stupidly told you I had a phobia of heights. You remember you dared me to jump off the cliff, and I was really going to do it, twice. But you stopped me both times. And you set me another challenge, which was when you kissed me. Our first kiss; I knew from that moment I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. But that day, that kiss has been playing in my mind for days now and …”

That was when an idea popped into Martha’s head. She knew it was wrong, especially since she already had a boyfriend, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’s done this with Jack while with another man. Trying to ignore the guilt creeping up, Martha convinced herself that this was her last option to try wake Jack up. It has been well over 3 hours now since she first set foot in his room, and she was going nowhere with her plan. You just want to kiss him, that's all, her conscience nagged. “Oh, shut up!” she said to herself as she sat on the side of Jack’s bed, gently caressing his cheeks. Leaning closer to his face, stopping just millimetres from his lips, Martha started to feel a flutter in her stomach. The butterflies that were pushing to get out all afternoon since she arrived had finally been set free. Gently, Martha placed a soft kiss on Jack’s lips, letting it linger for a few seconds.

Reluctantly, Martha pulled away, anticipating a response from Jack, but failed to receive one. Leaning down, once more, Martha placed another kiss on Jack’s succulent lips, but this time more a tad more passionately. Still failing to get a response, Martha pulled away in frustration and jumped off the bed. Feeling the need to be away from Jack for awhile, with an attempt to get rid of the butterflies, Martha walked over to the other end of the room, and played with one of the balloons to try distract her. You enjoyed those kisses, didn't you? Her conscience asked her. “I thought I told you to shut up,” Martha growled to herself, the frustration finally getting to her. Hearing a sound from coming behind her, Martha turned around to face the culprit.

“Martha?”

Next Chapter: Is Jack finally awake, or has Tony finally decided to make reappearance? Will Martha give up and go home, or will she finally succeed?

[Tasha]

Well you sure proved me wrong

I want to get this fic finsihed before i leave on Wednesday. Thats why im staying up till 1am writing it, so i can at least get it done by monday night

And Katie, yes, sorry. Luc didnt die, he has gone to ... ummm ... America, for his writing stuff. So Tony never gets to see him. And Jack is all he has left in the Bay. And Rachel of course, but who cares about her Anway, heres a new chapter. Yay me But its really long. I apologise in advance. Im not entirely happy with this one, but oh well. Enjoy!

~

Martha stole a quick glance at Jack, who she swore she saw move, before turning to tired looking Tony. She graciously accepted the coffee that Tony had bought for her, before taking a sip from the hot cup. The long hours she had been sitting in the small room had finally beginning to taking a toll on her, but she was now quite certain she had made progress.

“Flat white with one sugar, right?” Tony asked, as he watched Martha taking another sip before nodding. “Jack always said that was your favourite.” Martha let out a small smile, before turning her attention back to Jack. She was sure she saw his eyes open before, and was confused as to why he didn't open them again now that his father was in the room.

“Thanks for the coffee,” Martha said politely, before taking another sip. “Could I have about another half hour please? I think I might be finally getting somewhere.” Martha had a feeling Jack was just waiting for Tony to leave the room before he opened his eyes again. And she was glad of this, because she wanted to share a few minutes with him, alone, before everyone came in his room. Tony gave Martha a grateful smile, before leaving the room again.

“Jack?” Martha asked anxiously, placing her coffee cup on a nearby table, and racing to his bedside. She let out a soft sigh of relief when she saw his eyes open again, and a small smile form on his lips.

“Hey stranger,” Jack croaked, amazed by the beauty sitting in front of him. “Water?” Martha understandably reached for a glass of water that she had been drinking from previously, and took it over to Jack. After taking a few sips, he nodded his thanks, indicating Martha to put it away.

“You’re here,” Jack stated with a glowing smile, taking Martha’s hands into his. “I thought I was never going to see you again.” Martha smiled back at him, and squeezing his hand assuring him she wasn’t going anywhere … yet.

“Granddad called me this morning, and told me what happened,” Martha said with a sad smile. “I wasn’t going to come, to be honest. I know that sounds mean, but I wasn't sure if I could face you and Sam again. But then granddad said something, and here I am.” Jack smiled, mentally thanking Alf for saying whatever he did.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Jack said with a goofy smile. “Sam and I never got married, you know that right?”

“I do now,” Martha replied, “you’re dad told me when I got here. I was shocked, yet slightly relieved, which I guess is wrong of me … but yeah.”

“Did he tell you why I didn't marry her?” Jack asked. Despite it being many years since they've seen each other, Jack wanted Martha to know that he never stopped loving her, and never will.

“Jack,” Martha exclaimed, knowing where this was going, “please don't. Just don't!” She jumped off the bed, and walked to the other side of the room again, unable to look at Jack, knowing very well that if she did, she’d ruin everything she’d built in her new life in the City, with Aaron.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Jack said with a sad sigh. “I hoped everyday that you'd come back to the Bay, come back to me.” Jack watched Martha attentively, studying her body language. Martha remained stationery at the other end of the room, taking in everything Jack had just said.

“I’ve missed you too,” Martha said softly, but just enough for Jack to hear. She finally turned around to see a satisfied smile on his face. Taking a seat next to Jack on his bed, the pair sat in silence just enjoying each other’s company.

“Stay,” Jack said, breaking the silence. Martha looked at him with a confused look on her face, while Jack let out a sigh of frustration. “Please Martha, stay here. Don't go back to the City. Stay in the Bay; Stay with me. We can be together like we always wanted to. Like how Melanie and Jake got back together and had a daughter. Let that be us in a few years time. Martha, I love you. I always have and I always will.” Watching the tears fall from her angel eyes, Jack went to wipe them away, only for Martha to push him away.

“I can’t Jack,” she said softly, wiping away her own tears before getting off the bed once more. “I … I just can’t. I have a life in the City. I have a job, I have a home, I have friends, and I have a … a …”

“Boyfriend,” Jack said sadly, finishing off her sentence. He watched as she sadly nodded, wiping away the tears that were now falling freely. Martha walked to the end of Jack bed, and grabbed her bag, before turning to face Jack one more time.

“I should probably go,” she said, straightening her dress out, and fixing her hair and makeup in a small mirror. “I’ll tell your dad that you’re awake, and I’ll come see you tomorrow before I leave.” Just as she was about to walk over to Jack, the door opened, surprising the both of them.

Tony looked to his right, and saw his son lying wide awake in his bed. Letting out a sigh of relief, he walked over to give Jack a hug. “Thank God you’re awake. I was beginning to wonder when you would.”

“You can’t get rid of me for too long dad, you should know that,” Jack chuckled, trying to lighten the tension in the room. Tony gave Jack a small punch on the shoulder, before turning to Martha, who was standing quietly on the side of the room.

“Thank you, Martha,” Tony exclaimed gratefully, giving her a hug. Martha returned the hug awkwardly, before pulling away and walking over to Jack. Leaning down, she gave him a small kiss on his cheek.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said as she wiped away a small tear that had fallen from his hazel eyes. “Try stay out of trouble till then, okay?” Watching him nod, she gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead, before giving him one more apologetic, yet sad smile and walked out of the room.

~

At Noah’s, Alf got off the phone from Tony, who had just called him with the good news. Roman was sitting with his daughter Nicole at the Bar listening intently to Alf’s conversation.

“He awake?” Nicole asked anxiously. Roman and Jack had eventually become best friends after the almost wedding. Roman moved into the Bachelor Pad with Jack and Rachel, and the three become good friends. When Nicole moved to the Bay, Roman moved out into another house, so that the Pad wasn't all too crowded. But when Jack wasn't working, he’d be over at Roman’s place, drinking and watching whatever game was on. Nicole, had also formed a strong friendship with her father’s best friend, and always looked up to him.

“Yeah, he woke up about an hour ago,” Alf said with a smile. “I don't know what Martha did, but it worked, and Tony is ecstatic now.”

“Well after three hours, something had to have worked,” Martha said as she walked towards the Bar. Alf turned around to come face to face with his little angel. A true angel, he thought, as he walked over to her and embraced her in a long hug.

“Oh love, I’ve missed you so much,” Alf said softly, not wanting to let her go. He hated not being able to contact her over the past few years, but was glad to have her home again. Martha let out of a little snigger, since it had been the second time in the past hour she had been told that.

“I’ve missed you too, Granddad,” Martha said, pulling away from his hold. “And I’m sorry I haven’t called. I hope you’re not mad.”

“I could never be angry at you, love,” Alf replied, placing a small kiss on her forehead. “Now let me have a look at you.” He twirled her around, and gasped in amazement. His little angel was now all grown up, and very well groomed. “You’re as beautiful as ever.” Martha blushed, but thanked her grandfather with a kiss on the cheek.

That was when she noticed to very two blue eyes that had been staring at her when she stopped earlier by the beach, which were once again staring at her, with a smirk on his face. Ignoring him, Martha asked her granddad for a glass of wine. She was in need of a good drink after the afternoon she had.

“Martha, meet Roman and Nicole,” Alf said, handing his granddaughter her glass. “Roman moved his a few days before you left actually. He’s the new co-owner of the Diner.” Martha just nodded uninterested. “Nicole, here, was just asking how Jack was doing. We’re all very pleased to hear his awake.”

Martha just nodded again, not really wanting to think about Jack. She was still confused about her feelings for him. She knew she loved him, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave Aaron to come back to Jack. She and Aaron have been together for over 2 years and always happy and in love, whereas her marriage to Jack barely lasted 4 months. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Martha took a sip of her wine, before once again meeting the staring blue eyes. Remembering one of the cards from Jack’s hospital room, she decided on how to get Roman off her back.

“So, are you the same Roman as in ‘Roman, Charlie, Ruby and Nicole’?” Martha asked smartly, looking at the blonde straight in the eyes. Before he could respond, she continued. “So, Charlie must be your wife or girlfriend then? I’m sure she wouldn't appreciate you ogling at other women. Neither would your daughters.” Martha rolled her eyes at Roman’s dumbfounded-ness, and went back to drinking her wine.

“Charlie is actually dad’s fiancé,” Nicole finally spoke up. “I’m his daughter from a high school relationship, and Ruby is Charlie’s younger sister, who is my age.” Martha laughed, nodding thanks for their little life story. She noticed Roman’s face turn a shade of red from embarrassment, which kept her entirely satisfied.

“So, how long as you here for, love?” Alf asked, breaking Martha from her thoughts.

“Ummm … I’m going to go see Jack first thing tomorrow morning, and then I have to head back.” Martha replied while swirling around her wine. “That reminds me, I should call Aaron. Guard my drink, please granddad.” And with that, Martha grabbed her bag and left the bar for the beach.

“She’s a feisty one, Alf” Roman exclaimed, finally overcoming his embarrassment. Alf chuckled, before handing him another beer to calm his nerves. “So, who’s this Aaron?”

“The boyfriend in the City,” Alf said with a sigh. Roman looked shocked and saddened by the thought of Jack losing Martha again. “They’re been together for over 2 years, and she seems happy with him.”

“Poor Jack,” Nicole exclaimed, as Roman nodded. “He really loves her, and she’s in love with someone else.”

“I wouldn't be so sure of that,” Alf said knowingly. He knew his granddaughter very well, and he knew she was still very much in love with Jack, going by her reaction to his name this morning when he had called. Nicole and Roman gave him a confused look, but he just brushed it off, indicating the end of the conversation.

~

Martha walked down the beach, dipping her toes in the sand, enjoying the feeling it gave her. Finding a place to sit, she took her phone out of her bag, and turned it on to find 5 new voice messages. Placing the phone to her ears, she listened to the first one. “Martha, it’s me. Just calling to check if you got to the Bay safely. Please call me back when you get this. I love you.” Sighing, she moved on to the next message. “Martha, it’s been 5 hours since I’ve heard from you. Please call me; I need to know if you’re alright.” Laughing at his sweetness, she listened to the next message. “Martha, if you don't call me, I’m going to have to come up and see you. Please sweetie, call me. I love you.” Martha loved it when Aaron worried about her, but sometimes he needed to minimise the worrying. The final two messages had been from Lara, asking if she was alright and why she wasn't answering her phone. Pressing her speed dial 2, she listened to the phone ring, waiting for Aaron to pick up.

“Martha?” Aaron exclaimed, the concern in his voice dying down.

“Hey,” Martha said sheepishly. She felt slightly guilty for not answering his calls, and also for most of the things that had happened and were said in that hospital room. “I’m sorry I didn't call. I switched my phone off when I got to the hospital. Please don't be angry.”

“Oh sweetie, I’m not angry.” Aaron said gently, hearing the fear in her voice. He knew Martha didn't like fighting with him, and he didn't want to upset her when he wasn't there to comfort her. “I was just worried. I thought something might have happened to you. I even called Lara to ask if she’d heard from you. But she said she didn't even know you were going down. You usually tell her everything.” Aaron let out a sigh of relief when he heard his girlfriend chuckle on the other side.

“Yeah, I got a couple of messages from her,” Martha said, as she watched the sun set over the ocean. “I’ll call her later and explain everything. And Aaron, thank you for worrying, even though you didn't need it. I love you for that.” And she did. She loved everything about Aaron, but just not the same way she loved Jack.

“I love you too, honey,” Aaron replied sweetly. “How did things go at the hospital anyway? Did your friend wake up?”

“Yeah, he did.” Martha replied slightly proud that she was once again able to do the job. “Took over three hours though, but I got there in the end. He’s fine now, which is good. I’ll go see him again tomorrow before I come home. I really miss you.” This was also the truth.

“I miss you too, sweetie.” Aaron replied with a smile, which Martha could feel over the phone. “Come home soon.”

“I will, but right now I’m hungry and tired,” Martha said, feeling her stomach grumble a little. “I’m going to grab some dinner and find a comfy bed to sleep on. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”

After their goodbyes, Martha hung up and headed for the Diner, where which she received a warm reception from her old friends. She ate her meal with Belle and Aden, who, she found out, were expecting their first child. As they ate their meals, Belle explained to Martha what had been going on in the Bay since she left, including Colleen finding out that she was Alf and Morag’s older half-sister, which flabbergasted Martha, and Sally finding her long lost twin, Miles, who was now dating Leah, who had lost Dan only a couple of months after Martha left.

Once she finished her meal, and caught up with everyone, Martha jumped into her car and drove off to the only house she’d know would be empty. Pulling up the driveway, she looked at the Bachelor Pad before her, and smiled at the good memories she had in the house. Finding a spare key that Martha had secretly hid behind the pot plant all those years ago, she entered the house to be presented with another entirely new decor.

Smiling at the homely feeling she got, she walked over to Jack’s room, which was the same one as they shared. However, he now had a new bed, side tables, and tall boy. Sighting a picture frame on the side of his bed, Martha walked over to take a look, but was shocked when she saw the photo inside. It was one of her and Jack on their wedding day. Jack was looking at her like she was the only person in the world. Her heart sank at the realisation of how much she threw away with Jack.

Feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her, Martha took out a pair of pyjamas shorts of Jack’s, and a singlet, before getting changed and jumping into the cold bed, which felt like it hadn’t been slept in for days, of course. Picking the picture up from the bedside table again, she pulled it close to her heart, as she pulled the covers over her to get warm.

Martha cried herself to sleep that night, torn between the two men in her life, both of whom she loved with all of her heart.

A/N: Ok, I’m completely torn. I don't know who to put Martha with. Even though I am the God in this world, i.e. what I say goes; I don't know what to do. I could write Aaron as a complete jerk, which could make it easier for Martha to go off with Jack, but I just love him. I know he is my own character, but I like his relationship with Martha. And she has the perfect life with him. The life I want But then there’s Jack. Her soul mate. Her one true love. The man she is meant to be with. Dammit! Why does Aaron have to be so perfect? Anyway, so that's the third part. The next should be the last. And thank you guys for reading.

[Tasha]

And did you just give her boyfriend an 'A' name so it would fit in with SHA?

Haha no. I actually named him Aaron because i like the name, and I cant remember anyone on the show ever being called Aaron. The SHA thing came to me after I named him

Anyway, i know i said there'd be 4 chapters, but this chapter was too long, so i decided to split it. The final chapter should be up tonight or tomorrow, because im going away on wednesday. So please enjoy and review

~

Tony strolled into the quiet bachelor pad, the following morning. Jack had asked his father to bring him some of his clothes and iPod, if he was to stay in the hospital for a couple more days. Walking into Jack bedroom, Tony was shocked to see someone curled up in the bed. Moving to the other end of the room, Tony witnessed a scene that broke his heart. Noticing the redness of her nose, and the black marks running down her face, Tony knew she had a tough night. When he saw the picture frame in her arms, held close to her, as if never wanting to let go, he knew right away that his former daughter-in-law never stopped loving his son. Leaving Martha to her peace, Tony quietly gathered a few of Jack's things, and left the house.

~

"She was wearing my clothes?" Jack asked astonished by the tale his father had just related to him. It had been about an hour since Tony had left the Pad, and immediately told Jack everything he saw in the bedroom. Watching his father nod sadly at the sight he had seen earlier, Jack felt a sudden surge of relief at the thought of Martha possibly coming back to him.

"And she was holding that picture of the two of you from your night stand," Tony continued, watching his son's mood change from the gloomy person he had been since Martha left the day before. "It looked like she didn't want to let go either, her grasp was so tight. But she looked so peaceful, after what I assume would have been a difficult night."

"I wonder how she got in," Jack pondered out loud, watching his father shrug. That was when he remembered a conversation him and Martha had many years ago when Tony first moved out, and Jack was living at the Pad alone with Kim. "She had a spare key made, from hers, She hid it somewhere, but she never told me where. I can't believe I forgot about that. It's been like 5 years, and she remembered."

Jack and Tony spent the next few minutes reminiscing on Jack and Martha's relationship before they got married; on all the good times they had shared, and tough times as well. Both men turned their heads when they heard the door open, and saw the topic of their conversation standing in front of them, looking as beautiful as ever.

"I'll leave you two to it then," Tony said, standing up from his seat. Martha gave him a nod of thanks before watching his walking out, leaving her, once again, alone with Jack.

"Good morning," Martha said shyly, as she manoeuvred over to the seat, previously occupied by Tony. "Sleep well?"

"It is a good morning now that you're here," Jack said with a smirk. He let out a laugh as he watched Martha roll her eyes at his comment. "I slept alright. Question is did you sleep well?" He watched as Martha's face in a state of shock and confuse.

"Ummm … yeah … the Sands is … ummm … always comfortable, you know." Martha stuttered out, but frowned when Jack started to laugh again.

"I guess I should take that as a compliment," Jack stated letting out a small snigger, as he watched Martha's face look even more confused. "Well you are comparing my bedroom to the Sands are you not?" Jack's face fell when he saw the anger cross Martha's face. He knew he had taken it too far, but he couldn't help enjoy himself.

"I hate you," Martha said angrily, as she got off her seat and walked away from Jack. She couldn't believe the nerve of him, taking the mickey out off her.

"Hey, there's no need to get angry now," Jack said gently, motioning her to come back to him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. But why didn't you just tell me you stayed at my place? Why did you stay at my place? Dad saw you this morning when it went to collect a few of my things" he added as she saw her confused face replace her angered face.

"Oh!" Martha replied sheepishly, as she retook her seat by Jack's bed. "I stayed there because I knew it was the only empty house, and I just needed to be alone, to think about everything, about yesterday. Jack you have no idea how difficult of a position you put me in …"

"I'm sorry," Jack said adamantly, "Is that you what you want to hear, Martha? I'm sorry for loving you. I'm sorry for wanting you to be with me. I'm sorry for not wanting to give up on us again. I lost you once Martha, I don't think I can lose you again. These past three years have been hell. All I wanted to do was hold you in my arms, and never let you go. But I couldn't. I didn't even know where you were. Heck, you could have been in Amsterdam for all I knew. But I wanted you in Summer Bay, with me. And you never came back. You changed your number, your email address, everything. It was like you didn't want to be found. I'm right, aren't I?"

Jack could feel all the anger and hurt he felt for her coming back, and even though he didn't want to, he felt the need to get it all off his chest once and for all. He watched as the tears fell down her face, a scared look present. No-one had ever raised their voice at her like that since she left Summer Bay and the sight of Jack yelling at her like that really scared her. Jack took her hand in his, and gently pulled her up so that she was sitting in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Jack said with an apologetic smile, "I shouldn't have yelled at you." He gently wiped away the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. "Please stop crying." He watched as Martha slowly nodded, and wiped away the last of her tears.

"I'm sorry Jack," Martha said slowly. She didn't realise just how much she had hurt him, despite not knowing that he didn't get married. "I should have called, I know. At least granddad, and got an update as to what was happening. But, I couldn't. I just wanted to move on with my life. I wanted to move on from all the hurt I felt when I left the Bay. I just wanted the pain to go away, and to do that, I refused myself any contact from the Bay."

"Martha," Jack said, taking her hands into his, holding them with a gentle grasp, "I love you more than anything in this world. I could never love anyone more than I love you. You are my heart, my soul, my reason to breathe, my reason to wake up every morning. You are the last person I think about every night before I go to bed and the first person every morning, even though I haven't seen you in so many years. But I have that picture on my bedside, to remind me of the love that we shared, and we always will share. Martha, I love you so much, and I know you love me too, please just …"

"No!" Martha exclaimed firmly, pulling away from his hold and off the bed. "Don't Jack, just don't. I have a life in the City. You just can't be saying these things expecting me to just drop all that and be with you. And, in case you've forgotten, I also have a boyfriend, who I love very much, and who loves me just as much. And we're actually happy, Jack, really happy."

Jack watched as she paced around the room, clearly frustrated by their conversation. Martha finally stopped some minutes later and turned to look at Jack, who hadn't said a word since her mini rant. She watched as he patted the space on the bed in front of him, that she had previously occupied, and reluctantly strolled back, and took her place before him.

"Tell me you're not in love with me anymore," Jack said softly, taking her hands into his, only for her to move them again, releasing a frustrated sigh. "Jack, don't do this please." She pleaded with him, but he wasn't going to budge.

"I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you're not in love with me," Jack said firmly, gently putting his hand under her chin to make her look up, "and I promise I'll leave you alone and let you get back to your new life." He added in a soft, but sad whisper.

Martha sat opposite him, looking him fixedly in the eye, but was unable to say the words. As much as she wanted to, for Aaron's sake, she wasn't able to, because she knew it would only be a lie. Jack watched as she blinked away the tears that were once again fighting to be released. He placed his hands, softly, on her cheeks, gently allowing his thumbs to caress her cheeks, before leaning toward her, lips millimetres apart.

Jack looked directly into Martha's beautiful blue eyes, to see the look of love that he had been wanting. Finally, he places his lips on hers, holding a kiss, awaiting a reaction from Martha. To his surprise, and hers, she started to kiss him back, which eventually turned into something more intense and passionate. Jack wrapped his arms around her and placed his head onto the pillow, pulling Martha on top of him, they're lips never part.

Moments later, as things were starting to get more sensual, a buzzing sound started to come from Martha's bag, bringing her back to reality. Abruptly pulling away from Jack, she scowled herself for giving him to him. She had just, not only, cheated on her boyfriend, something she promised herself she'd never do, but she possibly gave Jack the impression that she wanted to get back together with him, and left herself even more confused as to who she wanted to be with.

Moving off Jack, Martha jumped off the bed, before fixing her dress up and grabbing her mobile from her bag. Seeing a missed call from Aaron, a huge wave of guilt washed over her again. Feeling her phone vibrate again in her hand, Aaron's name and a picture of him, flashing across the screen, she stole a glance at Jack, who was watching her intently, hurt by her reaction, before answering the call.

"Hey sweetie," she answered the phone softly, turning away from Jack, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes. "How are you?"

"Hey, I'm good," Aaron replied on the other end of the phone. "Just missing my beautiful girlfriend. When are you coming home?"

"I miss you too," Martha said truthfully, "I'm just at the hospital saying goodbye to Jack. I should be home within a few hours."

"Okay, good. Drive safely, and I'll see you soon. I love you," Aaron said sweetly. Martha smiled at Aaron's sweetness, momentarily forgetting about her dilemma sitting behind her.

"I love you too, bye." She then put the phone back in her Gucci bag, before turning to face a pissed off looking Jack.

"So after that kiss, you're just going to walk out, and back to your perfect boyfriend, as if nothing happened?" Jack yelled angrily.

"That kiss was a mistake, and it should never have happened," Martha rebutted, her voice rising too. "And you kissed me, in case you forgot."

"Oh please, you kissed me back, and you enjoy …" Jack started only to be cut off by a infuriated Martha.

"Shut up Jack! Just shut up," Martha yelled furiously, shocking Jack, as he had never heard her yell at him like that. "I was caught up in the moment, but now I regret it. Look, I do love you Jack; I never stopped and I probably never will, no matter how hard I tried. You know that, I know that, heck; the whole damn Bay knows that. But that can't change anything. I want us to still be friends Jack, because I don't think I could not have you in my life again, but just friends. I don't want to hurt Aaron. I hate lying to him, and I hate myself for betraying his trust like that. So I'm sorry, but the best I can do is trying and salvage our friendship."

Jack finally agreed to this, realising just how much Aaron meant to Martha. He was willing to give her up, if it meant her being happy. And he'll just have to get used to having her as a friend again, which never really worked in the past, so amused him as to how it'll work in the future.

"Well, I should probably go," Martha stated, taking her business card out of her bag and handing it to Jack, before gathering the rest of her belongings. "Call me when you get out of the hospital. And promise me one thing; you'll never get yourself admitted in here again. I don't think any of us can handle you being in another coma, okay?"

"I promise," Jack replied laughing. "Look after yourself, Martha. Aaron is a really lucky guy to have an amazing girlfriend like you." Martha smiled at him appreciatively, before giving him a hug. Jack watched the only woman he'll ever love walk out of his life again.

Next chapter: Final chapter. Who does Martha pick? Aaron or Jack?

[Tasha]

Yay, final chapter is here. Im quite proud of myself. I managed to finish this fic in less than a week Anyway, thanks guys a heap for the wonderful comments. First to clear up something ...

Maybe you should think about resurecting your other fic. *hint hint*.

Hehe, no. Im going away on wednesday, hence why i finsihed this so quickly. Because if i left it till i got back, i would never have finished it. And then when i come back, i only have 2 weeks left of holidays. I dont want to be writing anymore This fic was more of a time passer. The other was because i had an idea, but now i've forgotten it

Now, please enjoy this final chapter. Its long, and I dont really like the ending. It wasnt quite the way i wanted it, but oh well. Im too tired to conjuer up another ending So enjoy and please review

~

Martha walked out of the elevator on the 12^th floor of her apartment building, some hours later. In the car ride home, she decided to tell Aaron the truth about absolutely everything, if she wanted to keep an honest relationship with him. She hated keeping secrets from him, and this was her biggest one to date.

Walking through the entrance of her apartment, she called out for Aaron, hoping he'd be home. She found him watching Sunday afternoon football, with a cold beer sitting on a coaster on the coffee table.

"You're home," Aaron exclaimed, walking up to give his girlfriend a hug. "Never leave me for that long again, I missed you too much." He said softly, still holding her, not wanting to let go.

"I was only gone for a night," Martha said, slipping a small chuckle. Since her and Aaron moved in together, they had never spent a single night apart. Aaron leaned forward to give her a kiss, only for her to turn her head, resulting him kissing her cheek. Pulling away, he looked at her in confusion, asking her what was wrong. Martha meandered over to the balcony door, taking in the beautiful scene before her, while trying to gather her thoughts up.

"We need to talk," she stated seriously, moving towards the couch, and taking a seat in her corner. She watched Aaron walk over to take a seat next to her, with a look of confusion and sadness in his eyes.

"I wasn't completely honest with you yesterday," Martha began, looking at Aaron, who let out a small sigh.

"This has something to do with Jack, right" he asked, calmly. He watched as Martha nodded, confirming his fears of their relationship being something more than just friends. "He wasn't just a friend, was he?" he watched as Martha shook her head slowly, before continuing. "Was he an ex-boyfriend?" Aaron was shocked to see Martha shake her head again.

"He was my ex-husband," she said slowly, looking back into his eyes, only to see confusion and hurt. An ex-husband was the last thing Aaron expected. "It happened about 4 years ago."

"4 years?" Aaron asked in complete shock. "That means, you were, what 19? You got married at 19?" Martha saw the disappointment in his eyes and heard it in his voice.

"We were young, and in love," she exclaimed, trying to explain her past to him. "We wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We wanted to have a house full of children, and then to see our children have their own children. We wanted to grow grey and old together. We were just so in love, all we wanted was each other forever." Aaron watched as tears started to pour from her deep blue eyes. He hated seeing her cry, and pulled her in for a hug.

"So what happened?" he asked softly, wiping away the tears that were falling down her face.

"Being a police officer, he started to work a lot," she started again, her heart breaking at the memories. "He would work late, never calling me. He broke a lot of his promises, and never had time for me. Four months into the marriage, I walked out of him, giving up. He always put me second, and I didn't like it. I gave up on everything I wanted, without giving it a chance. We would always fight about the most trivial things, and we finally decided to officialise our separation. It broke the both of us, but neither of us was ready for a marriage. Eventually we both started dating other people, and we tried to move on from each other. Even after those relationships, whenever we tried getting back together, something would happen, and we never got our second chance."

Martha continued to tell Aaron about her past with Jack; everything from the first time they met at Rob and Tasha's party, right up to Jack and Sam's almost wedding day. She even told him the reason why Jack didn't marry Sam. Aaron watched his girlfriend talk animatedly about all the good times she had in the Bay with Jack, and watched her face fall with all the bad things, including the abortion and pole dancing. Aaron was extremely shocked and amazed to hear this, trying to imagine his girlfriend flinging around a pole in skimpy outfits, though he did make a joking comment about her doing a demonstration for him, which annoyed Martha, more than amused her.

By the time she finished her story, the tears were let lose. Aaron held her, wanting to take away all the pain that was caused. Martha sat in his arms, not wanting to let go. She felt safety and comfort in his arms, but she knew that would all be taken away when she told him the last part of the story; the events of the past 24hours.

"There's something else I need to tell you," she said reluctantly, moving away from his arms, to get a look at his face, only to see a lot of confusion and sadness. "I … he … we …" she stuttered, unable to get the words out in fear of breaking Aaron's heart. He took her hands in to his, assuring her that it was alright to go on. "I kissed Jack yesterday, but only to try wake him up, which worked. But then today … he … ummm … he kissed me, and I kiss him back."

She watched as Aaron pulled away, and walked away from her. He couldn't believe she had kissed him; he had a feeling that there was something more to Jack and Martha's relationship yesterday when she told him she was going back to the Bay, but he tried his hardest to push any thoughts of her still having feelings for the police officer, in fear of losing her.

"Do you still love him?" he asked firmly, afraid of the answer he was going to get.

"I love you Aaron," Martha replied, her eyes pleading with him to drop the subject. How was she to tell the man that she loved, that she was still in love with her ex-husband, after 3 years of not seeing him?

"I know you do, and I love you too," Aaron said adamantly, "but that doesn't answer my question. Are you still in love with Jack?" He knew his answer, when he saw her bow her head in shame with the inability to look in his eyes anymore. Aaron could feel the tears forming in his eyes, knowing that he had just lost the woman who had taught him to love.

"Then you should be with him," he said as-a-matter-of-factly. But Martha didn't want to hear any of it. She didn't want to just give up on their relationship. She couldn't. She promised herself she would never mess up another relationship, and she had done just that with her perfect man.

"No," she said, starting to get angry at him just giving up. "What about us? I love you Aaron. Please don't do this. I need you. How can you just give up on us like that? OMG is here someone else?" Now the tears had subsided once again.

"No, of course not," Aaron said softly, taking her into his arms. He had made her cry, something he never wanted to do. But he knew it was the right thing for her. "I could never do that to you. I love you too much. But I don't want you wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life. You love Jack. You haven't stopped loving him for over 5 years, and you never will be able to. And it's clear that he feels the same way for you, so go be with him. He needs you, and you need him more than you need me. Go to him Martha. You deserve to be happy and now you can. You can have the life you always wanted with Jack. I don't want to stop you from that."

"But, what about you?" she asked softly, finally realising his words. As much as she wanted her perfect life with Aaron, she was finally given the life she always wanted with Jack, on a silver platter, and she didn't want to throw that away. "I don't want to lose you."

"Hey, I'll be fine," Aaron said with a little chuckle. "And you won't lose me. We can still be friends. I can some visit some weekends, or you and Jack could come here. I would love to meet the guy who had the guts to give you a speeding ticket." Martha let out a little laugh.

"Thank you Aaron," Martha said gratefully. "I will always love you, and I'll never forget what we had."

For the next hour, Aaron and Martha packed all her belonging into suitcases and boxes. Martha was now sat on the balcony, taking in the beauty of the harbour one last time, while Aaron was packing all her things into her car. Tears slowly fell down her delicate cheeks as she remembered all the special times her and Aaron shared in the apartment, and together over the past 2 and a half years.

"You ready?" Aaron's voice asked from the sliding door, breaking Martha away from her thoughts. Turning around, she gave him a small nod, before taking Aaron's hand heading out the apartment, to her awaiting car.

"Now, you promise you'll look after yourself?" Aaron asked, as he walked her to the driver's side of the car. Martha nodded, as Aaron opened the door for her.

"I love you," she exclaimed, giving him a bear like hug. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I love you too," Aaron said, holding her closely. "And I'll see you soon ok? I'll come down over Christmas. Or you can come up for New Years Eve with Jack. You know how amazing the view of the fireworks display is from the balcony. And I'll call you tonight." Martha nodded, and gave Aaron one last kiss; a soft and gentle one, on the lips, before reluctantly getting into her car and driving off. She looked into the rear-view mirror, and watched Aaron waving her goodbye, his figure becoming smaller the further she drove. Wiping away the tears, she focused on the road ahead, leading her to her new future with her old husband, and the love of her life, Jack.

~

Martha pulled up in the hospital car park for the second time that day. It was now the evening, the sun was starting to set and Martha was extremely tired. She had spent the past couple of hours at Jack's house, now her home. She took a long shower, made herself some dinner, and called Lara to explain everything, and then Aaron to tell him she got back alright. She tried to put off going back to the hospital in fear of what Jack would say to her, or more so, what she would say to him. But she finally convinced herself that it was the best thing to go see if, especially if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

Martha walked down the hospital corridor, this time just donning a pair of grey Sass and Bide jeans, and white Marc Jacobs blouse. As she walked past the nurses' desk, she heard a small gasp. Turning her head slightly, she gave Nurse Julie a small smile, before heading in the direction of Jack's room.

Gently knocking on the door, she heard a small 'come in' indicating her permission to enter. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, and thanked God that Jack was alone. Tony must have gone home for the day, she thought to herself as she walked to Jack's bedside.

Jack tore his eyes away from the cricket that was playing on the TV in front of him, to see a face he wasn't expecting to see again. He smiled as he took in her beauty, allowing for her sweet scent of her perfume to wash over him. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked, patting the space next to him, for her to sit.

"You're looking at your new roommate," Martha said excitedly. She watched as Jack's face formed a huge smile, as though it was Christmas morning and his tree was filled with dozens of gifts to open. "Say hi roomie."

"Hi roomie," Jack said with a snigger, taking her into his arms, unable to believe that she had come back to him. He held her for a long time, in fear that if he let go, she'd disappear again, something he most definitely did not want. "What happened to Aaron?"

"We broke up," Martha said softly and sadly, looking down at her hands as if they were the most interesting things in the world. "I told him everything about us, and he let me go. He wanted me to be happy and with the man I'm in love with. But we're still friends. And I will always love him."

"What do you want, Martha?" Jack asked, afraid that he may have just taken Martha away from the only man that had treated her the way she deserved to be treated, like a princess. But if she wanted to be with him, he would promise to never neglect her, but always love her and protect her with everything he had.

"I want to be here with you, for always," Martha said with a small, loving smile. "I just need time to get used to all this." Jack nodded understandingly.

Jack opened up his blankets, making space for Martha to lie, who in turn took her shoes off and curled up next to Jack. Jack placed the blanket over her, and held her close to him. She laid her head on his chest, and listened to the soft beatings of his heart, the heart that belong to her, her arm wrapped around his body, not wanting to let go.

"I love you," Jack whispered softly into her soft, orchid scented hair, placing a small kiss on her head.

"I know," Martha said as she lifted her head to look at him, a loving smile forming on her lips. "I love you too." She then placed a kiss on his lips, allowing it to linger for a few seconds, before pulling away and taking her former position on his chest.

Jack started to feel her warm tears seep through his top and felt his heart break from her pain. He knew she was still hurting, and wanted her to know that he was never going to leave her again.

"Please, just hold me Jack," Martha said delicately. Jack pulled her closer into him, holding her with all his energy and love.

Moments later, the newly reunited couple fell into a deep slumber, where they dreamt of their new life together.

The End!

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