The Greatest Sacrifice

[Sabrina]

Amazing chapter!

I hope Rachel is able to help Lucy.

I love how Tony stood up for Rachel.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[charmed60]

Thank you so so much Carina, Red Ranger and Sabrina! You're all fabulous To thank you (if this is any good of a thank you present) I have tried to update quickly for you so here you go A little JM in there for my J&M readers!

Rachel sat wearily on the brick wall outside of the hospital and breathed in the fresh air, begging it to clear the stuffy headache she’d had all day. It had been an awful shift. After hearing about her ‘hysterical outburst’ as they’d embarrassingly named it; Rachel’s manager had forbidden her from any further contact with Lucy; professionally or otherwise. She’d fought it, with every ounce of her strength, begging him to reconsider due to her ability to gain Lucy’s trust but it was no use. She’d overstepped the mark and now Lucy was being punished for it. She hated herself so much for it, hated that she’d let not just Lucy down, but her two young daughters as well. She’d discovered from Derek today that after she’d left yesterday, he’d called the police in light of her accusation but the charges were quickly dropped. It confused her so much, she didn’t understand how they could ignore the injuries she’d sustained; the abuse she’d suffered was clear and the loss of her baby was tragic evidence of his filthy crime. But any information she’d tried gathering today had been quickly hidden from her; Lucy was admitted to a ward corridors away from the emergency department and she’d been kept busy all day.

Sighing she looked at her watch, mentally noting that Tony was late. She was surprised he wasn’t waiting outside the hospital when she left with a big cushion of cotton wool he’d text her so many times. He was obviously worried; seeing her like that had shaken him up she could tell. However as much as it touched Rachel and made her insides do somersaults to know he cared that much, she also felt hugely embarrassed and cringed every time she thought about her behaviour yesterday. She hadn’t meant to react like that, it was like a fire had ignited and all of her emotions had come pouring out at once. Thinking how close she was to him last night made her shiver, she didn’t know how she’d been so brave or where her strength had come from. All she knew was that it was certainly a position she never wanted to be in ever again.

“Hello Doctor” a voice boomed from behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her entire body froze. She couldn’t even turn her head to look at him but she didn’t need to; the sound of his breath drawing closer to her let her know that he was coming towards her. “You made a very big mistake yesterday” he slurred in her ear, laughing as he watched her hands tremble.

“I did what was right” she stuttered as bile forced its way through her throat. She swallowed hard wondering why she didn’t have the courage to turn around and tell him what she thought of him like she had only the day before. She guessed it was the adrenaline and anger which had driven her bravery but without it she was numb.

“And you think spreading a load of lies about me is the right thing do you?” he creepily seethed, his lips only millimetres from her cheek.

“They’re not lies” Rachel gulped, swallowing a hardened lump in her throat. She looked around cautiously with her eyes, desperate for someone to notice his unwanted

attention but no-one was around. Desperately willing Tony to drive into the car park she bit her bottom lip and blinked back a tear, praying he would leave her alone soon.

“Prove it” he whispered, chuckling as he watched her body stiffen as he pressed his body against her back. Cringing Rachel choked back sobs, as she managed to find the strength to move away from him. Her breathing was short and sharp as she turned herself around slowly to look him in the eye. Her heart stopped.

“I’m only going to say this once Doctor so listen carefully” he growled, taking a step closer to her. “If you ever so much as think about a repeat of what you did yesterday…” he paused as he took delight in the fear he could see clouding her eyes. “You’ll regret it. You know what I mean” he whispered, so close to her that his breath blew her hair slightly. Lingering for a moment he then turned away from her before getting into a car nearby and driving off. She noticed he was in his uniform.

Rachel stared at the floor, her eyes frozen in terror. She knew exactly what he meant. Her legs felt like jelly beneath her and she was surprised that she was managing to still hold herself up. You’ll regret it. You know what I mean. The words echoed in her mind, becoming louder and more terrifying as she flung her hands to her ears and pressed hard in an attempt to stop his voice from being heard. She breathed deeply, doing anything she could to distract herself from the reminder of his breath tickling her cheek, his eyes leering all over her.

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped back instinctively, screaming before being pulled towards his chest.

“Rach, calm down it’s only me, I’m sorry I’m late I got stuck in traffic” Tony soothed, rubbing his hands over her back as he felt her body shaking in his arms. “I’ve been calling you from the car but you didn’t hear me” he mumbled, wincing as she took handfuls of his t-shirt into her fists. She was so frightened that she couldn’t even find the strength to cry. “Rach, what’s happened?” Tony asked, concern flooding his body as he stroked her hair, tightening his grip on her. After no reply he loosened his grip and placed his hands either side of her face, forcing her to look at him. “What happened” he repeated, shocked at the fear etched in every line on her face.

“He…Lucy’s husband…he came up to me” Rachel stuttered, her fear slowly dissolving as she realised Tony was here and she was safe.

“What did he say” Tony calmly asked, trying to hide the anger which was beginning to ignite in the pit of his stomach.

“He threatened me” Rachel choked, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean…” she began, embarrassed by her reaction.

“No it’s okay” he assured her, kissing her forehead softly. “You’re safe; he’s not going to lay a finger on you I promise okay?” Tony pressed his lips together tightly as the anger threatened to take control of every fibre of his body. It was taking all of his strength not to tear through every ward until he found Lucy’s husband and make it so that he could never mutter another word. “Come on, Jack’s at home, this as gone too far, we’re going to sort this out.” he promised her, taking her hand as he led her towards the safety of his car. Cursing himself for being late he opened the door for her and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders as she quietly thanked him. Her fragile smile broke his heart, making him want nothing more than to be able to take her home and never let her out of his sight again. “He’s not going to get away with his” he promised her, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I promise.”

********

“What is that amazing smell?” Jack questioned as he walked into the kitchen having changed out of his work clothes. He turned to his side to find Martha place something on the side of the unit, a sly smile on her face.

“I baked a cake” she beamed, proud of herself for how it had turned out. “I thought it would be nice to have for dessert.”

“It looks amazing” Jack gasped, wrapping an arm around her waist as he reached out to cut a bit.

“No you don’t mister” she giggled, smacking his hand away. “You’re going to have to wait.”

“Junior, tell Mummy to let Daddy have some cake. He’s been working really, really hard at work today” he begged, rubbing Martha’s bump.

“Don’t make Bubba pick sides” she warned, “it’ll spoil your dinner if you have anything now. But…I know you’ve been working longer hours for the extra money and I’m really grateful. And proud of you” she smiled, kissing him softly on the lips.

“Since when did you become so domesticated?” he queried, eyeing her up in her blue striped apron.

“Well, we’ve got a baby on the way whose going to need a Mummy who can cook cakes for the kids at school for parties and bake sales…”

“You’ve got a good few years before little one’s gonna need you to do that, you’re getting a bit of a head start aren’t you?” he laughed, amused at the way she’d changed ever since becoming pregnant.

“Well I don’t want to be behind the other Mum’s” she shrugged, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. “Plus I want to take care of my husband and I know how much he loves cakes” she giggled, stroking his face gently.

“Hey guys” Tony called out as he opened the door, holding Rachel’s hand who followed closely behind him.

“Hey, you’re just in time for dinner. Martha made cake” Jack smiled proudly before noticing how pale Rachel was and the look of concern on his Dad’s face. “What’s happened, Rach you okay?”

“Your superintendent friend threatened her outside the hospital” Tony spat, pulling out a chair for her to sit down on.

“What” Martha shrieked. “Rach you must have been so scared, I’ll get you a glass of water” she offered.

“Guys I’m fine honestly, there’s no need to fuss” Rachel assured, having managed to calm down on the journey home. She hated the effect that this man was having on her, she was usually so strong and collected yet every time she came into contact with him it sent her emotions haywire in the worst possible way.

“You were not fine when I found you” Tony replied, fitting his jacket around her shoulders as it began to slide off as she sat on the chair.

“I was just in shock, I’m okay now” she smiled, embarrassed by all the attention.

“You still look pretty pale” Martha noted, handing her over a cold glass of water which she gratefully received.

“It’s just been a long day, I’m tired” she sighed sleepily, running her fingers through her hair. She wanted nothing more than to be able to sleep so that today would be over.

“Well dinner’s ready so I’ll dish it up now and then you can go and have a nice sleep” Martha smiled encouragingly, running her hand over her bump.

“Jack, what do we do?” Tony enquired, noticing his son’s suspicious silence since they’d come home.

“About what?” Jack queried, nerves filling his body. He lay out the plates in front of everybody and hoped his Dad would drop the subject quickly.

“Have you not been listening to anything I’ve just said?” he queried, his brow creased in confusion. “He can’t get away with threatening Rachel like this, I want something done, at least a restraining order so that he can’t come near her.”

“It’s not that easy Dad” Jack sighed, feeling a headache brewing.

“Well make it easy” Tony seethed, furious that Jack was being so difficult. “You’re a police officer Jack; you’re supposed to protect people whose lives are endangered…”

“I know” Jack sighed in frustration. “And I’m really sorry Rach, what he’s doing to you, it’s terrible. He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it. But the point is he will. There is no use trying to do anything Dad because he’s a superintendent. In this job, your colleagues protect you and they’d find a way to cover it up. The best thing you can do Rach is drop your interest in Lucy and stay out of his way. That’s all I can advise you.”

“So that’s it is it” Tony shrieked, throwing his hands up in the air. “You’re all afraid of your big bad boss so you’re going to just let him get away with beating up his wife and harassing Rachel.”

“Tony, it’s not worth Jack risking his job for” Rachel softly interrupted, smiling encouragingly in an attempt to calm him down as she laced his fingers with his.

“He gets away with beating his wife because she denied any abuse from him” Jack shot back at his Dad, offended that he was taking his anger out on him when he was completely helpless. He knew if he tried intervening it would be no use and he would end up being ostracised from the members of the station.

“She what” Rachel echoed, her heart stopping in her chest.

“I didn’t know how to tell you” Jack whispered, sliding into a chair to sit opposite her. “Dr Young called the station last night to report his suspicion concerning domestic abuse between Mrs Reynolds and her husband. One of my colleagues went to the hospital and spoke to her and she denied that he’d ever layed a finger on her, she said that she’d fallen down the stairs and landed on her stomach which she’s blaming for her miscarriage.”

“Damn it, I knew they’d let him in to see her. He obviously got to her…” Rachel closed her eyes in frustration as she realised that everything she’d done had been in vain. She couldn’t help but be angry at Dr Bentos; he should have trusted her instincts as a doctor and believed her when she’d begged him not to let her husband in.

“What about Rachel’s safety” Tony interrupted, “there has to be something that we can do. Something needs to be said to him. It makes me so angry that he’s getting away with this just because he’s a police officer.”

“Yeah I know” Jack bowed his head, feeling the frustration himself. “You can file a charge but it will be dropped. There’s no point. Just stay out of his way Rachel.”

“No that’s not good enough” Tony shook his head, his protective instincts taking control. “I thought I could trust you to sort this out Jack but obviously you’re protecting your own. So if you’re not going to do something then I will.” Tony kicked back his chair and left the house, slamming the front door behind him.

“Tony, don’t” Rachel screamed after him, worried about what he was going to do. She considered running after him but when she heard the car screech off of the driveway she knew she was too late. Worry pulsated through her veins as she tried to call his mobile and convince him to come back.

“Rach” Jack whispered, “Dad’s wrong, I’m not doing this to protect him, I hope you know that. I’m 100% behind you and know that what you’re saying is true it’s just…”

“I know” Rachel smiled, “don’t worry I understand. I wouldn’t want you risking your whole career for this, it’s not worth it. Tony’s just upset and frustrated that nothing can be done I think, he’ll come around” she assured him, praying that what she was saying was true. She sighed as she again reached his voicemail. “Jack I can’t get hold of him and I’m worried about what he’s going to do. Will you go after him?”

“Sure” he agreed, picking up his keys before kissing Martha’s cheek. “I’m sorry about dinner, I’ll have some of that cake later” he winked, leaving the house.

“You okay?” Martha asked Rachel as she saw her bottom lip wavering.

“Yeah just…horrible day” Rachel choked, breathing in deeply as she fought back tears.

“Have a hug” Martha smiled as she wrapped her arms around Rachel, “men hey, you can’t trust them to behave” she joked, empathising with Rachel’s concern. She experienced the same thing every day just from Jack leaving the house to go to work. “He’ll be okay” she assured Rachel. “Want some cake?”

Preview:

Tony confronts Superintendent Reynolds

Martha begins to feel unwell

[HighwayUnicorn]

Wow, I'm glad Lucy's husband cleared off before doing anything else to Rachel & hurting her. But he's an awful man for even threatening her!

As much as I want Rachel to help Lucy, Rachel also needs to stay safe & I love how protective Tony is over her. It's a beautiful relationship to read.

& I'm getting the feeling that Lucy's husband did get to her. She's clearly scared of him & is more concerned about what he's going to do to her or the children.

I know I've said it before, but this is spot on behaviour of both Lucy & her husband.

Lucy's obviously scared & is worried because not only can her husband control her, threaten her & hurt her (physical, emotional & mental), he can get to her by threatening the children.

& that characteristic is portrayed so well. The fact that it's not so easy to leave someone like that, when you beieve you're not good enough for anyone else.

Not only is her husband physically abusing her, but he's emotionally & mentally abusing her too which is impacting her life so negatively.

& her husband as well - his characteristics are spot on too. Knowing just how to control everyone who gets involved, the lies to tell, how to control Lucy.

Such a taboo subject yet written so well & so beautifully.

Well done & I look forward to more.

The preview sounds amazing.

Love Carina xxx

[Red Ranger 1]

Lucy's husband is a genuinely frightening individual, you portray that well.I can really feel Tony and Rachel's frustration that he seems to be untouchable.You're really writing this story well and conveying the situation perfectly.Looking forward to more!

[Sabrina]

Fantastic chapter!

Poor Rachel I can't believe Lucy's husband threatened her. Thankfully he didn't do anything else.

I loved the JM scene.

I hope Jack is able to stop Tony before he does something stupid.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[KirstyEkua]

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to comment!! No excuses, it's my bad.

I have nothing but praise for this story. Every chapter is brilliantly written and the unsettling/dark subject matter is handled with sensitivity and with a scary sense of realism. I love Jack and Martha's story. It's nice to have something light and happy going on around all the drama and although they have their issues, i like that they're relatively normal and the part they are playing the bigger story.

I really adore Tony in the story. His support towards Rachel has never faltered and his genuine concern and worry for her well-being is really sweet. As much as i understand and admire Rachel for not giving up on Lucy i can't help but feel she is just going to end up making things much worse for everyone involved. I do think that's very much in-keeping with Rachel though, she has always been very driven and determined, certainly not the type to let go when someone is in trouble. My heart breaks for Lucy. She is in a terrible situation and what makes it so much worse is her two young daughters being involved as well. Her confessing to Rachel about how her husband had 'done it again' and losing the baby was tragic. I felt sorry for Rachel here too, you could tell she was trying to hold herself together and do all she could but she couldn't quite keep her emotions in. I did love her outburst at the hospital, however badly it reflected on her although i am worried by what she told Tony afterwards, i hope she does eventually open up to him. He has been amazing in this and i can't tell you how much i love him! His endless support and concern for her is lovely and they already seem to have a pretty solid relationship.

I can't believe what Lucy's husband did to Rachel!! He is disgusting. It was all quite intense and just proved how dispicable he really is. I'm glad Tony turned up in time though, although i kind of wish he'd witnessed Rachel being harrased. I loved him being all protective though

Again, the Martha/Jack stuff was really cute and sweet, i love the little arguements they have! And Martha being all domesticated

I do understand where Jack is coming from though, with regards to Tony asking him to get involved. Jack is in a really difficult situation and as tragic as it is for Lucy, there's nothing anyone can do until she admits herself that she is being abused. I also understand Tony's anger though, all he is thinking about is Rachel and protecting her and that's totally understandable. I love all the little twists in this and how it is panning out, i can't wait to see what happens.

Brilliant work so far

[charmed60]

Thank you so so so much Carina, Red Ranger, Sabrina and Kirsty, my ever faithful readers! Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been away for a couple of weeks but I hope you'll enjoy this chapter

“I need to speak to Superintendent Reynolds right now” Tony boomed as he stormed into the police station and thumped his fist down on the desk.

“I’m sorry but he’s not available right now, is there something I can help you with?” a uniformed police officer asked, cautiously backing away from the desk as he sensed his anger.

“No, no that’s not good enough” Tony stuttered, “trust me, what I need to talk to him about you don’t want me blurting out in front of everybody here in this office so I would appreciate if you could let him know that I am here to talk to him and it’s urgent.” Tony gasped for breath as he watched the officer begin to shake his head. “He’s just been accused of raping his wife hasn’t he” he added, aware that it would cause an immediate reaction.

“Do you mind lowering your voice” the officer warned, his face tinged with red as he reached for his phone and whispered into it. Tony tapped his fingers on the desk and looked around, noticing the wary looks he was receiving from the officers. They could obviously sense his overpowering anger. Good he bluntly murmured to himself.

“Follow me” the officer demanded as he walked towards a closed office door and opened it, holding out his hand for Tony to enter. Tony cautiously stepped inside, turning his head immediately to see the man who’d been making Rachel’s life hell.

“Oh, it’s you” Superintendent Reynolds laughed, almost breathing a sigh of relief. “Had me worried for a second there mate.”

“I’m not your mate” Tony growled “and you should still be worried.” He straightened his back instinctively in an attempt to make himself appear taller and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I think we need to have a little chat.”

“Yeah I think we do” Reynolds agreed, moving around to the other side of his desk so he was standing only inches away from Tony. “I think you need to put a muzzle on your girlfriend…”

“Don’t you…” Tony warned, pointing his finger at his face.

“I assume she is your girlfriend” Reynolds interrupted, a satisfied glint in his eye. “Or is she your daughter.”

Tony squeezed his fist together, desperate to stop himself from doing something he might regret.

“You’re a jerk” Tony scoffed, staring him directly in the eye. “And you know you can say what you want about me, I don’t give a damn. But the minute you start bad mouthing Rachel or threatening her” he paused, emphasising his point. “That is not okay, do you understand me.”

“I think you need to learn to control your anger Mr…”

“Holden” Tony quickly answered. “And I think it’s a bit rich for you of all people to be telling me that I have anger control issues when you’re the one who uses your wife’s

body as a way of dealing with yours.”

Tony saw the colour immediately drain from Superintendent Reynold’s face and felt a momentary sense of pleasure. He watched the police officer begin to fidget and his demeanour changed quickly from a confident, self assured man to one who knew his reputation was quickly being learnt.

“I er, I think you are…mistaken” Reynold’s stuttered, wiping his brow as beads of sweat formed.

“You know full well that I am not mistaken” Tony seethed, pleased that he had the upper hand. “And I swear that if you so much as touch a hair on Rachel’s head or even breath in the same space as her, I will make sure everyone in this station, in this town…knows what you’re doing to your wife.” Tony breathed heavily, never taking his eyes off of the officer in front of him. As an awkward silence filled the room Tony began to move slowly towards the door, knowing his point had been made and

understood. As he reached his hand out towards the door knob he jumped back in surprise as it flung open.

“Geeze Jack” Tony exclaimed, holding his hand to his heart in shock. Jack paused wide eyed , trying to pick up the atmosphere as he slowly turned to look his boss in the eye.

“Sorry for interrupting Sir” he apologised, raising his eyebrow at the shocked state he was in. “Come on Dad, I’ve come to give you a lift home” he offered, relieved that Tony hadn’t done anything stupid.

“Dad” Superintendent Reynolds exclaimed, “you’re Jack’s father, of course you are” he scoffed. “Your father young man, has crossed a line…” he warned, enjoying the feel of having someone to speak down to.

“I’m sorry” Jack spluttered, hating that he had to bow down to a man he despised.

“Don’t you dare apologise to him” Tony shrieked in anger, “you know what he’s done to Rachel, his wife, you can’t excuse that.”

Jack felt his cheeks burn as he heard Reynolds gasp and he began to stutter, feeling his mouth go immediately dry.

“She can’t keep her mouth shut can she” Reynolds growled, feeling his anger reach an unimaginable point. “I want you to both leave my office right now” he screamed, slamming the file he’d been clutching in his hand down on the desk.

“Remember what I said” Tony whispered as Jack grabbed his arm and led him out of the office. As the door closed behind them Superintendent Reynolds skimmed his arm along the desk, causing a pile of case files and a couple of glass frames to go crashing to the floor. That familiar feeling spread throughout his body right to his extremities. If Jack knew then he was well aware that it wouldn’t be long before others did to, gossip spread like wildfire in this job and he knew his livelihood, his job that he’d worked hard for were at risk. The only option he had was to find a way to make sure she didn’t…couldn’t tell anyone else about his personal life. And that was what he was going to do.

*****************

“You’re home” Rachel breathed a sigh of relief as she dropped her phone on the side and rushed forward to embrace Tony. “Are you okay?” she questioned, taking his face in her hands to check for any injuries.

“Yeah I’m fine” he smiled, his mood appearing somewhat deflated.

“I’m gonna grab a drink does anyone want a beer? Dad?” Jack questioned, moving past him as he kissed Martha’s head.

“No I don’t want a beer Jack” Tony spat back, rolling his eyes. Rachel raised her eyebrow before turning to face Martha who to had appeared to pick up on the obvious

atmosphere.

“Are you really okay?” Rachel whispered, taking his hand in his.

“Not really” he murmured back, his eyes fixed to the floor. Rachel signalled for him to follow her as she led him towards the bedroom, sensing his need for some privacy.

“What’s happened?” she asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as he positioned himself next to her, his head resting in his hands. “Did you put him in his place?” she smirked, poking him playfully in the chest when he didn’t respond.

“Of course” Tony smiled back, his mood improving. “I let him know how I feel, told him what I’d do to him if he ever came near my girl again.”

Rachel’s heart fluttered and she beamed widely. Just the thought that someone was willing to go to lengths to protect her made her feel so safe and brought home to her how lucky she was to have him.

“Well it was a stupid thing to do, you could have got hurt” Rachel lectured, a sly smile on her face; “but thank you.”

“I think he’ll back off now” Tony winked, rubbing his eyes in tiredness.

“Good” Rachel whispered, concealing from Tony how relieved she was. “So if everything went well then what’s the reason for all this atmosphere between you and Jack?” She watched as Tony’s eyes flickered and he tensed up.

“I’m just, I’m disappointed in him Rach. I brought him up with morals you know, I thought I’d taught him that he always has to stand up for what’s right. That’s why I was so proud of him when he told me he wanted to go into the force.” Tony hesitated as he felt regret for what he was saying; he hated feeling this way about his own son. “But the way he was sucking up to that jerk it made me so angry, he should have been defending me, defending you” he shrieked, the frustration causing his voice to pitch higher.

“He’s in a difficult position” Rachel shrugged, hating the fact that she’d caused tension between Tony and his son.

“I know and I understand that I do but at the end of the day, you’re his friend Rach. And that guy, no matter who he is deserves to be punished for what he’s doing, not just to you but his wife as well.”

“I absolutely agree” Rachel nodded, taking Tony’s hand. “But if Jack gets involved and turns against Reynolds then it’s going to cause problems for him at work and…it’s not really fair on him that he suffers for something that is my problem.” Rachel paused for a moment to allow Tony to consider what she was saying but she could see that he wasn’t convinced. “Tony if he shows any bias towards me rather than remaining impartial he could be in trouble at work, even lose his job, you know what politics in these sort of jobs can be like, I see it in the hospital all the time. And he’s got a wife and a baby coming soon that he needs to provide for. Maybe it’s a good thing that he remains silent on it and doesn’t get involved, that way he can give us a heads up on anything that we could maybe use to one day make Reynolds pay.” She slipped her hand around his waist and moved closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder. “You know I’m right…”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh and he linked his arm through hers and rested his hand on top. “I guess so, it’s just frustrating” he sighed, “I just want you to feel safe and I don’t want that idiot getting away what he did.”

“Me either” Rachel agreed, resting her head down on his shoulder. “But you know you do make me feel safe. And just knowing that you’re doing everything you can to look out for me means the world.”

“I just wish I could do more” he smiled sadly.

“You could make up with Jack” Rachel cheekily suggested, “come on I don’t like you guys fighting. It makes it awkward and we have to hide away in my bedroom all the time which is no fun.”

“I dunno, it could be fun” Tony winked, running his finger down her cheek.

“Naughty” Rachel blushed, hiding her face from his in embarrassment. “You will stay tonight won’t you?” she blurted out, her mouth going dry. Her confidence dissipated as the fear she’d been trying to conceal from him came to haunt her at the thought of being alone that night.

“Of course I will” Tony nodded, noticing her tense up. He stroked her arm reassuringly and lay down next to her, wrapping the duvet around them. Whilst he was still angry with Jack, he knew that it was pointless to carry it on and maybe Rachel was right, perhaps it would easier to forgive and forget and he was expecting too much from his son. At the end of the day, all that mattered was Rachel’s safety and if speaking to Reynolds tonight had ensure that then it had been worth it.

*************

“Jack, he’ll come around” Martha soothed, running her hand lightly along his biceps. She knew how much his Dad meant to him.

“He’s right though” Jack muttered, “to be angry.” He took a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. “I wish there was something I could do Martha I

really do but there isn’t. I don’t have the power that Dad seems to think.”

“I’m sure he knows that, deep down” Martha assured, running her fingers over his hand. “He’s probably blaming himself to and just taking out his frustration on you.”

“I always knew there was something not right about Reynolds but I never…I never suspected this” Jack mused, “I hope Rach doesn’t hate me.”

“She doesn’t” Martha quickly replied, “I spoke to her earlier, she completely understands. Now let’s turn this frown upside down and eat some of my cake that I lovingly slaved away for hours making for you” she cheered, standing up quickly in excitement. A wave of dizziness washed over her which caused her to reach out and grab a shelf in order to maintain her balance. She breathed deeply, desperately trying to remove the stars which were dancing in front of her face, causing her to feel sick.

“You okay?” Jack frowned in concern, standing up suddenly as he placed a hand on her lower back to support her.

“Yeah yeah I’m fine” she smiled weakly, “just stood up too quickly that’s all. I’ll just get you some of that cake.” She kissed him on the lips softly before carefully moving towards the fridge, trying to swallow the worry which was building up in her. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, she’d been feeling unwell for the past few days. But with everything going on with Rachel she didn’t want to cause a fuss and so decided to keep it to herself. But a sharp nagging pain had begun to develop in the lower right side of her stomach which was making her maternal instincts kick in and she wondered whether it was something more than just normal pregnancy symptoms. If they hadn’t subsided by tomorrow she was going to speak to Rachel she decided; too embarrassed to go to the doctor’s in case they saw her as an over paranoid pregnant woman. “One piece or two Jack?”

Preview:

Superintendent Reynolds takes action with devastating consequences

Martha takes a turn for the worst

[HighwayUnicorn]

My gosh ... I loved Tony in that chapter ... being all rpotective over Rachel & knowing that Lucy's husband has to be punished.

The preview sounds awesome ... but poor Martha & I wonder what the 'devastating consequences' will be

I look forward to it ... well done ... I loved that update & I can't wait for more.

Love Carina xxx

[Red Ranger 1]

I absolutely loved Tony standing up to Reynolds and showing him up for a coward but I'm very worried that Lucy will have to suffer the consequences...Looking forward to more of this!

[Sabrina]

Amazing chapter!

I'm glad Tony stood up to Reynolds. I loved how protective he was of Rachel.

Hopefully Tony and Jack will make up soon.

Oh no, I hope Martha and the baby are ok.

The preview sounds amazing. I can't wait for the next chapter.