Linger

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was a Sunday afternoon; yet another week had slipped by quickly. Everything had gone back to the way it had been before the incident with Brett. Martha had gotten word that her father had been transferred to a small prison in the city; Martha hoped that she didn’t have to see him again.

Things with Jack were going okay. The few memories that she had gotten about him had been pushed to the back of her mind. She tried not to think about them as she knew it would complicate matters.

There was one thing that she had put down as odd. And that was Lucas attitude towards her. He wasn’t being cruel or anything like that, but he was acting weird around her. Sometimes she would find him watching her closely, and he was always on her case about her memory. He was always asking if she had remembered anything else lately. It was like he wouldn’t take no for an answer. It was really starting to bug her.

Today, Martha was working a shift at Noah’s bar. She offered to take her grandfather’s afternoon shift. He was happy to accept, as he wanted to spend the afternoon with Alex. Martha had noticed the close bond that he had seemed to have with Alex. She thought it was sweet.

Martha looked up us a pretty blonde girl walked up to the bar. “Can I just grab an orange juice, please,” she asked.

“Sure,” Martha smiled as she started to pour the drink for her. She handed her the drink and quickly deposited the money into the register.

“So, I was wondering, is there anything interesting to do in this town?” the girl asked Martha. “My brother and I are here on holiday for a few weeks, and we’re trying to find some interesting things to do,” she explained.

Martha laughed. “This is a small town, so there isn’t a great deal of things to do,” she started. “Usually we have to make our own fun. During the day, the best place to be is the beach; obviously. My grandfather owns a boat called The Blaxland; he uses it to take tours around The Bay. You could always try that,” Martha suggested.

“That sounds great, thank you,” the girl smiled in appreciation. “I’m Joy, by the way,” she then said as she sat down on a stool and took a sip of her drink.

“I’m Martha; it’s nice to meet you,” Martha shook her hand. “Anything else you need to know about Summer Bay; just ask me,” she added.

“Well, since you offered; what’s the night life like?” Joy asked.

“Actually, I’m probably not the right person to ask about that; I have a nine month old daughter, so I don’t get out much,” Martha grinned. “But, a lot of people come here of a night time; we convert the place into a bar after five pm. There are some really nice restaurants down by the water, and you might catch the occasional bonfire down on the beach. Speaking of; there’s going to be one next Saturday night; you should go,” she explained.

“I think I will, but now to the most important question. The guys; what are they like?” Joy smiled.

Martha laughed. She liked this girl. She seemed really nice. “They’re not bad,” she admitted. “Lots of hot surfie types,” she pointed out.

“I’ll have to get you to introduce me to some of them,” Joy suggested.

Martha nodded and went to speak again, but stopped when she got a sudden idea. “How do you feel about a blind date?” she asked Joy.

“Depends on the guy I guess,” Joy shrugged.

“He’s great. He’s a cop. Very cute,” Martha trailed off. “His name is Jack and he really needs to get out. He needs some fun in his life,” she explained.

“Okay; I’ll do it. But only if you do something for me,” Joy agreed.

“What is it?” Martha was curious.

Joy started to grin. “You go out on a date with my brother,” she said.

Martha thought about it for a minute. Maybe it would be a good idea; just to take her mind off of Jack. Anything to take her mind off of Jack.

“Sure, why not,” Martha nodded.

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Later that evening when Martha got home, she strolled straight up to Jack and sat down at the table across for him. She smiled at him.

“I need you to do something for me,” she said to him.

“Is it illegal?” Jack looked up from his paperwork.

“No, of course not” Martha laughed. “I met this girl at Noah’s today and she was really nice. She’s in town for a couple of weeks with he brother,” she told him.

“And the point to this story is…………….,” Jack trailed off.

Martha rubbed her hands together. “I want you to go out with her. Actually, you don’t have a choice, coz I kinda already set it up,” she lowered her head and peeked up at his face.

“Excuse me; are you joking?” Jack looked at her in surprise. “Please tell me you’re joking,” he laughed.

“I’m being serious,” Martha frowned.

Jack sighed. “Why would I want to go on a date with another woman when I’m already married,” he looked at her as though she was crazy. “Married to you, that is,” Jack then pointed out.

“Look Jack, you and I; we aren’t together,” Martha said as she stood up. “There’s nothing stopping you or me from seeing other people. Having said that; I’m going out with her brother,” she broke the news.

“What?” Jack growled as he stood up quickly.

“I’m only doing it because Joy asked me. She thought it was only fair that I went out with him; if she was going to go out with you,” Martha tried to explain. “If it wasn’t for that reason; I would be going out with him,” she continued.

Jack didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t stand the thought of Martha going out with another guy. But he knew he couldn’t stand in her way. He didn’t want to be the one responsible for making Martha unhappy.

“So, will you go out with her?” Martha looked at him hopefully. “It’ll be fun. She’s a great girl,” she added.

What could be the harm, Jack thought to himself. He slowly started to nod. “I’ll go; but only because you want me too,” he told Martha.

“Thank you, thank you,” Martha jumped up and down before kissing him quickly on the cheek. “You’re the best,” she pointed.

“So when is this date?” Jack sighed as he sat back down.

“Saturday night; you’re taking her to the bonfire on the beach,” Martha explained. “That’s where I’ll be going with her brother too, so we’ll see each other there,” she grinned.

“Great,” Jack tried to be cheerful; but inside her breaking apart.

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THREE DAYS LATER

Jack walked through the front door of his place; only to find Lucas sitting quietly at the kitchen bench.

“Hey bro, what’s up?” Jack asked as he sat down next to him.

Lucas turned to look at him. “I can’t keep it to myself any longer,” he frowned.

“Is this about last week? You’ve been acting strange ever since that morning on the beach,” Jack said.

“Yeah, it’s about what Mattie told me,” Lucas nodded.

Jack put his hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “So this is about Mattie?” he asked.

“No,” Lucas shook his head. “It’s about Martha,” he told his brother.

“What do you mean?” Jack was curious.

Lucas let out a loud sigh as he scratched his eyebrow. “Martha’s been lying to us,” he started. “She remembered things Jack; things about the two of you. And she hasn’t told you. She told Mattie and Cassie and then Mattie told me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner Jack, but I honestly thought Martha would have told you herself,” he explained.

Jack was stunned. “She remembers me, but she didn’t tell me. Why wouldn’t she tell me?” he fired off questions. They were more to himself; not Lucas.

Jack quickly stood up and walked out of the house. He needed to be alone. He needed to think about this. He needed to think about why Martha would keep that from him.

He wanted to know why his wife was lying to him.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Jack confronts Martha.

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“Hey Luc, do you know where Jack is?” Martha asked Lucas as he walked into the kitchen.

“I think he went for a walk,” Lucas answered as he sat down at the bench. He grabbed a jug of water and poured himself a glass.

Martha let out a loud sigh. “How long does it take to go for a walk? I’ve been home for an hour and he was long gone by then,” she tapped her fingers impatiently on the table.

“He probably just wants some time to think,” Lucas said. “I don’t blame him though,” he frowned at Martha.

“What’s going on?” Martha immediately sensed something was up. Lucas was acting weird. She didn’t like it.

“Nothing,” Lucas lied. “Why do you want him to hurry up and get home?” he then asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing important. I just wanted to see if he wanted to have dinner at the diner tonight,” Martha replied. “You want too?” she looked across at Lucas.

“Sure; why not,” Lucas shrugged.

It was only a few moments later when Jack walked through the door. Lucas jumped up as soon as he spotted Jack.

“Get lost,” Jack told Lucas as he pointed towards the door.

Lucas nodded. “Yeah. Um, I’m gonna go,” he stammered. “I’ll go pick Alex up from dad and Beth’s, yeah?” he muttered as he took off out the door.

“What’s wrong?” Martha asked slowly as she took note of Jack’s tense frame. He looked angry, but she could also detect a hint of hurt flashing across his face. Something was definitely wrong.

“You know what’s wrong,” Jack snapped at her.

Martha flinched a little; surprised at the harshness in his voice. “God, who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?” she frowned at him.

“Stop it. Just stop it,” Jack yelled at her. “Stop pretending as though you don’t know what I’m talking about,” he sneered.

“Stop talking to me like that,” Martha was starting to get angry. “What the hell is your problem?” she wanted to know.

“My problem?” Jack’s anger started to subside; the hurt evident on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me Martha? Why didn’t you yell me that you remembered things about us?” he said in a soft voice.

Martha’s voice hitched in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She didn’t know what to say. All she knew was that she had hurt him; and now she was hurting too. She looked away from his probing gaze; unable to look him in the eye.

“I’m sorry,” Martha choked on the lump that was forming in her throat.

“You’re sorry,” Jack exclaimed as he moved closer to her. “If you’d just told me from the beginning then you wouldn’t have to be sorry,” he frowned.

Martha blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. “I was scared,” she cried.

“Scared of what?” Jack was confused.

“I don’t know,” Martha’s shoulders slumped. “Everything has just been so intense these last few weeks. I’m stressing out all the time and I hardly get any sleep. There’s just so much pressure and I can’t handle it all at once,” she explained to him.

Jack sighed. “You still could have told me,” he pointed out.

“No. No, I couldn’t,” Martha shook her head. “I already had too much to deal with. All the crap with my dad was enough; I wouldn’t have been able to handle it all. I didn’t want you getting your hopes up, coz I knew you would have if I had of told you I was remembering things about the two of us. You would have been on my case every five seconds and it would have been too much for me to take at the one time,” a tear slid down her cheek.

Martha brushed the tear away; only to have it replaced by another. The tears were starting to fall a lot quicker. “I need you to understand how hard this is for me,” she looked him in the eye. “I am so confused right now. Remembering these things; it’s really screwing with my head. And to have you stand there and yell at me about it; it’s making it worse,” she told him.

Jack stood on the spot; taking in everything she was saying. She looked as though she was about to have a meltdown.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Jack apologized. “It’s just, when I found out that you had remembered some stuff; I was hurt. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me. I’d been wanting for you to remember something about me; so badly,” he said.

“I know,” Martha nodded.

“I want you to remember the life that we made for ourselves. I want you to remember our daughter; the child that we created together,” Jack held his hand over his chest. “I want you; my wife, to remember how much she loved me. Because I love you so much, and it breaks my heart that you don’t love me back. I know that’s not your fault. None of us asked for this to happen,” he trailed off.

Martha looked up at Jack; feeling guilty. “I really am sorry that I didn’t tell you straight away,” she told him again. “I never wanted to hurt you; I just needed some time to get my head around it. I would have told you eventually,” she added.

Jack nodded his head in understanding. “I’m sorry too. I never want you to feel as though I’m pressuring you. The last thing I want to do is make you hate me. I wouldn’t be able to handle it,” he said.

Martha laughed a little as she wiped her tears away. “I could never hate you; my heart wouldn’t allow it,” she told him as she leant forward and hugged him.

Jack started to laugh also, as he wrapped his arms around her; holding her tight. “Since you seem to be in a friendly mood at the moment, how do you feel about sharing? You want to tell me what you remembered about us?” he asked with a sneaky tone to his voice.

Martha pulled away from him and gave him a playful push. “Don’t push it buster. I’ll tell you when I’m ready,” she smiled.

Jack pouted. “Just tell me one thing; was it hot?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Not telling,” Martha sing-songed. “And if you keep nagging; I’ll never tell,” she teased.

“Oh, hey; do I still have to go on that date on Saturday night?” Jack then asked. “Coz, if there was anyway I could get out of it……,” he trailed off.

“You’re still going,” Martha exclaimed as she pointed her finger at him. “No buts,” she added.

“Just thought I’d ask,” Jack huffed as he sat down and flicked on the remote. “No harm in that”.

PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: The Dates. How will they go? Who will get their feelings hurt?

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“Thanks Irene,” Martha smiled as Irene placed two chocolate sundae’s down in front of her and Jason; her date.

“No worries love.” Irene smiled back as she walked towards the kitchen.

Martha had decided to meet Jason at the diner. There, they would have dinner and then later, make their way down towards the beach; where the bonfire was going to be held. Martha knew straight away that Jason was a great guy, but she also knew that there was no attraction between them. Jason knew it too. He had confided in Martha and had told her that he had actually already met a girl on his holiday and that he really liked her. But he only agreed to the date because his sister had begged. Martha had laughed and told Jason that she only agreed to the date because Joy had also begged her.

“Okay, so let me get this straight; you set my sister up on a date with your husband?” Jason looked at her in shock. Martha had just finished explaining to him, what she’d been through the last couple of months and all about her memory loss.

“Yeah,” Martha nodded. “I know it sounds crazy. But I really wanted Jack to get out of the house and start enjoying life again. He deserves to be happy, and I just make him unhappy,” she explained.

“From what you’ve told me; that is not the case,” Jason said to Martha. “The guy obviously loves you. If he didn’t, he would have given up a long time ago. You can’t blame him for holding out for hope. And like you said; you’ve already started to remember bits and pieces of your relationship with him. I think you should have waited a bit longer before rushing out and setting him up on dates with other women,” he finished.

Deep down, Martha knew Jason was right. But she wasn’t ready to admit that. “I don’t want to hold him back. I don’t to get his hopes up, because there is a chance I won’t remember anything else,” she began. “I want Jack to be happy. And that won’t happen if he sits around and wastes his life waiting around for the day when I remember him and how much I love him,” Martha said with a hint of sadness to her voice.

“From the sounds of it, you already are back in love with him,” Jason exclaimed. “Who said you needed memories to fall back in love him? You could fall back in love with him with out them,” he pointed out.

Martha shook her head; trying to get rid of all the thoughts that were consuming her mind. Jason was right. She didn’t need memories to help her fall back in love with Jack. But she didn’t want to think about that right now.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Martha told Jason. “Can we just concentrate on this fake date,” she joked.

Jason laughed. “Sure. Besides, if we keep talking, our sundaes are going to melt,” he said.

“Exactly,” Martha grinned. “And believe me; you don’t want to miss out on one of these sundaes. They are the best thing since sliced bread,” she told Jason.

“Oh, I know. Joy and I had one here the other day,” Jason exclaimed as he shoveled a heaped spoonful into his mouth.

Martha started to nod and kept on talking. “Yeah, when I was pregnant with Alex I used to eat them all the time. Jack used to bring me down nearly every ni……..,” she trailed off when she realized what she was saying. “Oh my god,” Martha gasped and raised her hand to her mouth.

She remembered; she remembered being pregnant with Alex. She remembered how sweet Jack used to be. He would always bring her down to the diner for one of Irene’s famous chocolate sundaes. And if she was too tired to go out, he would make one for her at home.

Jason looked across at Martha; realizing what had just happened. “Let me guess; that was one of the many things you couldn’t remember; being pregnant with your daughter,” he smiled.

Martha nodded excitedly. “I can’t believe it,” she sighed happily. “The words just came tumbling out of my mouth and I didn’t even have to think about it. But now it’s all there in my mind; like it just happened yesterday,” she explained.

“That’s great. Maybe whatever it is that is blocking all your memories is really starting to fade now,” Jason remarked.

“Maybe,” Martha jumped up. “Look, I hate to be rude, but I have to find Jack. I need to tell him that I remember something from my pregnancy. He’ll be upset if I don’t go and tell him,” she said; her eyes shining with happiness.

“No worries,” Jason laughed at her sheer excitement. “I’ll see you around,” he waved as she practically ran out the door.

Martha’s insides were jumping around. She was so happy that she had remembered something. She couldn’t wait to tell Jack.

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Jack couldn’t believe how much fun he was having with Joy. He had to admit that Martha was right; Joy was a great girl. She was fun and cracked some great jokes. He hadn’t laughed this much in a long time. He was actually glad that Martha had talked him in to going.

At first he was going to bail on the date, and just stay at home with Alex. But Martha had made him go and she had taken Alex over to his dad’s place so that he and Beth could have her for the night.

But now Jack was glad that he had agreed to go. He was having fun.

“Off with the fairies,” Joy laughed as she waved her hand in front of Jack’s face; trying to gain his attention.

“Sorry,” Jack snapped out of his thoughts. “I was just thinking,” he added.

“About,” Joy smiled at him.

“Oh, nothing important,” Jack said as he poked a stick at the bonfire.

“You’re not regretting this date are you?” Joy frowned.

“No,” Jack said a little too quickly. “I’m actually glad that I came. Truth is; I wasn’t going to come. I was going to bail,” he bobbed his head in embarrassment.

“Really?” Joy grinned as she playfully hit him on the arm.

“Yeah, I was going to stay home with my daughter, but Marth….,” Jack started to say but stopped when Joy cut him off.

“Did you just say daughter?” Joy looked at him in surprise.

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “Her name is Alex. She’s nine months old,” he told her.

Joy paused on the spot for a moment; trying to register what Jack had just said. “Wait, wait,” she held her hands up in the air. “Doesn’t Martha have a daughter named Alex?” she was confused.

By now, Jack was also confused. “Martha didn’t tell you, did she?” he asked.

“Tell me what?” Joy shook her head as she frowned.

Jack let out a loud sigh as he held his left hand up. “Martha and I are married,” he stated. “Alex is our daughter,” he emphasized. He was surprised that Martha hadn’t told Joy the truth.

Joy was stunned to say the least, but she soon started to laugh. “This is just plain weird. If you and Martha are married then why did she set you up on a date with me?” she wanted to know.

“It’s kind of a long story, but to put a long story short; about three months ago, Martha was in an accident,” Jack started to explain. “She was in a coma for a month and when she woke up she couldn’t remember anything that had happened in the last three years. Meaning, she didn’t remember me or Alex,” he exclaimed.

“Oh my gosh, that must have been very hard on you,” Joy remarked. “So, does that mean that Martha still doesn’t remember?” she then asked.

“She’s remembered a few things about our relationship, but she won’t tell me,” Jack answered. “I mean, it’s understandable. She’s been stressing about it a lot lately and I don’t want to push her. But she’s made it clear that we aren’t together anymore and I want to respect her wishes,” he finished.

“So, it’s okay for you to be here on a date with me then?” Joy smiled flirtatiously at Jack.

Jack shrugged. “She’s the one who wanted me to come. And I’m glad that I did; I’m having fun,” he smiled back at her.

“So am I,” Joy exclaimed a she reached out and softly rubbed his arm. “I’m glad that you came, because I really like you,” she said honestly.

Jack smiled and nodded at her before turning back to the fire. From the corner of his eye, Jack thought that he saw Martha watching him, but when he turned to take a closer look, she was gone.

He knew that it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him. Martha was with Joy’s brother and she was most likely having a lot of fun. So why on earth would Martha be there watching him?

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Martha knew she had no right to be upset. She was the one who made him go out with Joy in the first pace. So why did she feel a pain in her heart?

She saw the way Joy had touched Jack, and she noticed the smile he had given her in return. Maybe Jack really liked Joy. Maybe he was actually going to move on. Maybe he was actually getting over her.

She had no right to be hurt. She was the one who kept pushing Jack away. But now as she ran up the beach, away from the bonfire, she let the tears start to fall.

Why was it that something as simple as a touch from another women, be the one thing that made Martha realize that she was in fact in love with Jack.

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: Now that Martha has accepted her love for Jack; will she tell him? Or will she push him straight into Joy’s arms; resulting in even more heartache.

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

“Good morning,” Jack said cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen the next morning.

Martha looked up from her bowl of cereal and gave him a small smile. “Morning,” she said in return.

Jack sat down opposite Martha and poured himself a bowl of his own cereal. He needed to eat quickly, or he would be late for work.

“So,” Martha looked at Jack curiously. “How was your date last night?” she asked.

“You were right,” Jack grinned. “Joy is a great girl. I actually had fun with her,” he told her.

“Yeah, I bet,” Martha muttered.

“What was that?” Jack asked with a mouthful of food.

“Nothing,” Martha shook her head at him as she quickly looked down. “So, you liked her then?” she put on a fake smile.

“She was nice. She’s actually asked me to meet her at Noah’s tonight for drinks,” Jack answered.

Martha tried her hardest not make some sarcastic comment. She was pissed. She was pissed off at the fact that Jack had actually had fun with Joy, and was going out with her again. She had no right to be angry, but she was. And now the only thing she could do was pretend to be happy about it.

“What about you?” Jack then questioned Martha.

“What about me?” she was confused.

Jack scoffed. “Your date with Jason; how was it?” he laughed at her forgetfulness.

“Oh, it was alright,” Martha shrugged. “I actually came home early. I didn’t feel too good,” she lied. She wasn’t about to tell him that she ended her date early because she wanted to see him and tell him about her memory.

“What?” Jack was surprised. “I bet Jason was bummed about that. He probably thought you were blowing him off,” he exclaimed.

“No, he was totally cool about it,” Martha shook her head. “Truth is; we both saw each other as only a friend. There was nothing but a friends vibe there, and we both made that clear at the start of the night,” she explained to Jack.

“Oh,” Jack suddenly felt a little guilty. Here he was out having fun with another woman, while Martha was stuck at home alone.

Martha laughed at his discomfort. She could tell that she was making him feel bad, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

“Like I said from the very beginning; I only went out with him because Joy begged me to,” Martha started. “I didn’t do it because I was looking for a relationship or anything. I just done it as a favor,” she continued.

Jack was silent. He obviously didn’t have anything to say. Good; I hope he feels bad, Martha thought to herself.

“I mean hello, I’m a married woman for goodness sake,” Martha joked as she stood up from her chair. “I shouldn’t be out chasing around after other men. That would be like, totally betraying my marriage vows or something,” she continued to joke; while taking pleasure at the distraught look on Jack’s face.

Knowing that she had gone too far, she started to laugh. “Kidding,” she exclaimed. She placed her bowl in the sink and then glanced at the clock. “Oh gee, is that time? You’d better hurry up or you’re going to be late for work. I’m going to pick up Alex from your dads; I’ll see you later tonight when you get home from work,” she ranted as she waltzed passed Jack.

Jack wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying. He seemed to be off in a world of his own, and Martha knew it was because of everything she had just said.

“Relax,” Martha laughed again as she ruffled his hair. “I told you; I was just kidding. We’re not together, so we can do whatever the hell we want. Stop worrying,” she said one last time before leaving.

Once she was out of Jack’s sight, she let out a loud sigh. What she had just done was completely uncalled for and she hated herself for doing it. She had made him go on the stupid date with Joy, so she shouldn’t have been making him feel bad.

Martha scolded herself and made a promise not to do it again. It made her look like a manipulative bitch. And she hated the thought that people would think that of her. She just hoped that she could stay true to her promise.

If Jack wanted to go out with Joy again, then it was his decision. Martha wasn’t going to stop him. She wasn’t going to let her stupid feelings get in the way of Jack having fun and being happy.

Martha knew what she had to do. She had to push her feelings aside and let Jack have a chance with Joy; even if it meant getting her feelings hurt.

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Martha had just put Alex down to bed when Jack got home later that night. She hoped that things weren’t weird between them; especially after everything she had said that morning. She was feeling a load of guilt and it seemed to grow worse with every passing minute.

Martha turned around and gave Jack a smile when she heard him at the door. But that smile soon turned into a frown

“Oh my god; what happened?” Martha asked when she noticed the trail of blood trickling down the side of his face.

“Just had a bit of trouble trying to arrest this guy,” Jack laughed. “It took three of us to get him into a cell. He took a few swings at us and I was the one who ended up getting punched in the face,” he explained.

“I should take you to the hospital and they can fix it up,” Martha sounded worried as she stepped close to him and took a closer look.

“No, no, it’s only a small cut,” Jack waved it off. “I’ll clean it up myself,” he told her.

“I’ll do it,” Martha suggested. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. She hurried off towards the bathroom and came back with a small bowl of warm water, a cloth, some antiseptic cream and packet of small butterfly stitches.

“Sit down,” Martha pushed Jack and he fell into a sitting position on the couch. She knelt down in front of him and pushed herself between his legs. She grabbed the wet cloth and rung it out before starting to dab at the small wound beside Jack’s eyebrow.

“Ow,” Jack winced at the sting that coursed through his head.

“Stop being a baby,” Martha smiled at him.

As Martha set to work on cleaning the wound, she found herself lowering her gaze to Jack’s lips. She had a sudden urge to just lower her hand and trace her thumb across them. She wanted to bring his face closer and brush her own lips across his; just to see if he tasted the same as he had in her dreams and memories. But she knew it was bad idea. It would just confuse things; for him and for her.

“Are you ever going to tell me?” Jack’s voice broke Martha from her thoughts.

“Tell you what?” Martha was confused as she stopped what she was doing and looked deep into his eyes.

“What you remember about me; about us,” Jack answered her.

Martha opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She should have known that Jack would bring it up again.

“Why are you so desperate to find out?” Martha asked him as she started to rub some antiseptic cream onto his face. “Do you think things will change if you knew,” she wanted to know.

“I don’t know,” Jack shrugged. “I don’t think you know either. But if you tell me; perhaps we’ll find out,” he said as he reached out and brushed a piece of hair over her shoulder.

Martha felt a tingle course through her body as she felt Jack’s fingers on her bare shoulder. She knew he had no intention of removing his hand until he heard what he wanted to hear. Martha let out a loud sigh when she knew she no longer had a choice. She knew she had to tell him.

She continued to rub in the cream as she started to speak. “We were up at the cliffs,” she started. “I said something about burning hoops and then you kissed me,” she said quickly; trying to play it down.

“Our first kiss,” Jack stated with a small laugh.

“I guess,” Martha shrugged as she placed the tiny bandage over Jack’s cut. “There; all done,” she smiled before gently running her thumb over the bandage and down his the side of his face a little. She then moved away from him, only to have him grab her wrist with his spare arm; pulling her back towards him.

“What else? You said there were two things; what’s the other?” Jack looked her right in the eye as he subconsciously rubbed her shoulder.

Martha felt the tingle rush through her body again and butterflies started to flutter around in the pit of her stomach. She was trying her damned hardest to push the feelings away, but it was so hard.

“Please Martha,” Jack practically begged her.

Martha couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable about telling him; especially in the close proximity that they were in right now. Their faces were only moments away from each other and Jack still had a firm grip on her wrist and her shoulder and she could tell that he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon. Martha swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat and let out a deep breath. She looked away from his eyes as she began to explain the memory to him.

“We were here. You were sitting at the table doing some paperwork and I had just put Alex down for the night. I was in our room and I was putting my blue robe on,” Martha had to stop for a moment; she could a blush starting to rise up her neck and onto her cheek.

“Keep going,” Jack urged her in a whispered voice.

Martha looked up into his eyes. She could see the anticipation on his face. She could see how desperate he was to know. She took another deep breath before continuing again.

“I came out here and I turned out the lights. It was dark; you thought the power had gone out,” Martha laughed a little. “But it was just me. I walked across the room and lit some candles. And to cut a long story short; we started kissing, I took off your shirt and then my robe. I told you that I loved you and you said that I was amazing……,” she trailed off.

“And then we made love on the floor,” Jack finished off or her.

Martha looked at Jack in surprise. He obviously remembered that night clearly. “I can only guess that that is what we did,” she told him. “Before we got any further; everything faded and I snapped out of it. I don’t remember anything else,” she sighed.

“Well I remember it clearly; it was the night before the accident. It was the last time that we….,” Jack started but Martha cut him off.

“Stop,” she raised her finger to his lips; shushing him. She knew what he was going to say. It was the last time they had made love. Martha closed her eyes and willed the tears away. She could feel them beginning to brim in her eyes. She couldn’t bear to talk about this anymore; it was hurting too much.

“Are you sure you don’t remember anything else about that night? Like how happy you were with me?” Jack raised his hand and cupped her cheek.

“That’s all I remember,” Martha tried to move away from him.

But Jack held her tighter. “Let me help you remember,” he whispered in her ear. He ran his other hand up her arm and gently teased her skin. “Let me remind you of how great it was. Let me show you how amazing we were together and how much we loved each other,” he said huskily as he moved forward and trailed his lips across her neck.

Martha let her eyes close again. She let out a soft gasp and fell limp in his arms; falling prey to his tender touches. Tiny sparks were shooting through her body; she had never felt so good in her life. She let her head drop back as Jack continued to nuzzle at her neck. What she wouldn’t give to join her lips with his; but she knew she couldn’t. She remembered the words that he had said to her this morning; she pulled away from him.

“I can’t,” Martha cried. She jumped up quickly and composed herself. “I’m going to go and check on Alex. And you need to get ready for your date with Joy. You don’t want to keep her waiting,” and with that Martha took off towards Alex’s nursery.

Jack sat on the couch in shock. What the hell just happened, he thought to himself. For just a minute he had thought that he’d made progress with Martha. She’d finally let down the stone wall that she’d been holding in place and she had finally let him in. But then it ended as quickly as it had started. She’s pushed him away once again and had almost demanded that he get ready for his date with Joy.

He honestly didn’t know what was going on in Martha’s head. It made him more frustrated by the second. Jack let out a loud groan and rolled his head back onto the couch. What was he supposed to do now? Should he go out with Joy and respect Martha’s wishes; or should he stay home and go with his heart?

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: Decisions!! Tears and heartache!!! Alcohol!!! Jack, with Joy’s help, makes a decision that will shock and hurt Martha. What will he do?

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“Are you sure that you’re okay?” Joy asked Jack as she passed him a beer. “You’ve been distracted ever since you got here,” she added.

Jack nodded. “It’s nothing,” he took a swig of his beer.

In the end, Jack had decided to keep his date with Joy. He’d hung around the house for a bit; in hopes that Martha would come out of her room and talk to him about what had happened between them. But she hadn’t come out, so Jack decided it would be best if he left her alone. He’d then gotten ready and met with Joy at Noah’s.

“It’s not nothing,” Joy frowned. “Come on; you can tell me,” she smiled at Jack.

“It’s Martha,” Jack sighed. “Let’s just say that I’m pretty sure our marriage is well and truly over. I think she made it pretty clear tonight,” he told Joy.

“What happened?” Joy was curious.

“It’s kinda personal; I don’t want to go into the full details,” Jack shook his head. “It’s just; I thought I was making some real progress with her, but after tonight; I think things have taken a step back,” he explained.

Joy opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped. She took a deep breath and then started again. “I thought you already knew your marriage was over. I mean, if there was still a marriage, you wouldn’t be here with me. You never would have agreed to go out with me in the first place; right?” she started.

Jack wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I guess,” he shrugged.

“I don’t want to sound harsh, but, you need to get over it. Your marriage is over and you need to accept that,” Joy told him. “You need to get over it. Get over Martha and move on. You see; that’s why I thought you were here with me; coz you were moving on. I guess I was wrong” she seemed a bit upset.

“No, I do want to move on. And obviously Martha wants me to aswell; that’s why she set me up with you,” Jack began. “But you are right; I need to get over it and move on. There’s no use in wallowing. But I think I need to take it slow. I don’t want to rush into anything too serious,” he exclaimed.

Joy smiled. “I’m glad that you’ve see sense. You shouldn’t be feeling sorry for yourself or moping around. You should be having fun and meeting new people; like me,” she pointed out with a grin. “Now, tonight is the night you are going to start afresh, okay? And to do that; there is one major thing you need to do,” Joy was being serious.

“What is it?” Jack wanted to know.

Joy sighed. “The wedding ring; it has to go,” she said softly.

Jack was stunned. He definitely wasn’t expecting that. “I don’t know…..,” he trailed off.

Joy placed her hand on Jack’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You need to. It’s the first step in moving on. Your marriage is over. There is no reason to wear it anymore, right?” she crossed her arms.

Jack was hesitant at first, but then realized that Joy was right. “Martha took hers off a while ago. It was a couple days after she came out of the coma. I guess I probably should have taken mine off then too,” he shrugged. “No better time than the present,” he added as he looked down at his hand and slowly slid his wedding ring off his finger.

“You’re doing the right thing,” Joy assured him.

Jack suddenly felt naked. He felt bare and empty without his ring on his finger. But he knew that it was the right thing to do. He needed to move on from Martha. Their marriage was over.

“How does it feel to be a free agent?” Joy then laughed. “I know that I’m happy. I guess that’s because I’m first in line,” she flirted.

Jack faked a laugh. He wanted to be happy, but inside he couldn‘t be. He didn’t want to hurt Joy’s feelings, so he just had to play along for her sake. He looked over the ring one last time before dropping into the pocket of his jeans. It all felt real now; his marriage was over.

Unbeknownst to Jack; someone had just witnessed everything.

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Martha felt her heart break as she watched Jack removing his wedding ring. That was the one thing that she didn’t expect him to do. But he had done it and he looked pretty happy with his decision.

Martha knew that she had messed up royally. She had been at home watching movies with Lucas and Mattie, and she hadn’t been able to take her mind off Jack all night. She kept thinking about their encounter earlier and how good it had felt. She’d come to the decision that it was what she wanted. She wanted Jack. She didn’t want to deny it anymore.

She had jumped up from her spot on the couch and had asked Mattie and Luc to watch Alex. She’d headed straight for Noah’s; knowing that Jack was there with Joy. She felt awful about ruining there date, but Martha needed to tell Jack that she loved him and that she wanted to be with him. She couldn’t put it off any longer.

But she was too late. The damage had been done. Jack had finally given up on her. He’d removed his wedding ring. He wanted to move on; probably with Joy too!

Martha covered her mouth and held in the sobs that were starting to wrack her body. She turned around and rushed from the bar. She needed to get out of there. She needed to get away from them. She couldn’t bear the pain that came with seeing them together.

Martha hated herself. She hated herself for ruining the one thing she had always wanted; someone who loved her. And Jack had loved her; that much she knew. But it was gone now. She’d pushed him away one too many times. And now she was being punished for it. She’d lost him.

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Martha was sitting in the dark at the kitchen bench, when Jack arrived home a few hours later. When Martha had arrived home earlier, she had pretty much demanded that Lucas and Mattie go away and leave her alone. She’d also asked them to take Alex with them. Mattie had been happy to look after her niece for the night.

As soon as they’d left, Martha had found a bottle of vodka in the cupboard. She’d opened it and skulled down a glass within seconds. She loved the burning pain it brought as it slipped down her throat. She wanted to forget about Jack and the only way she could do it would be if she drank him away. The alcohol brought forth a new pain, and she was happy about it. She’d prefer the burning pain over the love pain any day.

She was pouring herself another glass when Jack walked in. He walked across the room and flicked on a lamp; it lit up the room in a soft glow. Jack got a bit of a fright when he realized Martha was in the room.

“You startled me,” Jack laughed.

“I startled you?” Martha said sarcastically as she raised the glass to her lips.

Jack; realizing that Martha was drinking, walked over to the bench. “Hitting the sauce?” he exclaimed.

“Self medicating actually,” Martha answered with a slur to her words.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked her. He seemed worried.

Martha looked away from him and took another sip of her drink. “Just go away and leave me alone,” she said to him.

Jack frowned at her. “Is this about what happened between us earlier?” he wanted to know.

Martha stood up and moved across the room; glass in hand. “Please,” she scoffed. “Not everything is about you,” she staggered and tripped a little. Luckily Jack was close enough to stop her from falling.

“Maybe you should put the drink away,” Jack suggested.

Martha pulled herself away from his grasp and turned to glare at him. “No. No, you don’t get to do that. You don’t get to tell me what to do,” she snapped. “We’re not married, remember? You don’t get to tell me what to do. So why don’t you rack off and go back to your new girlfriend. I’m sure she’d love to have you over,” she sneered.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Jack said softly.

“Could have fooled me,” Martha muttered to herself.

“Martha, what is going on?” Jack questioned as he took a hold of her arm.

“Don’t touch me,” Martha cried. “Just don’t touch me,” she pulled away from him and rushed off to her room. A few moments later, Jack heard the door slam.

Jack stood rooted to the spot; wondering what had overcome her. He let out a loud sigh and moved towards the bench. He sat down on the stool and took hold of the Vodka bottle. He raised it to his lips and took a swig; wincing at the burn in his throat.

As he sat the bottle back on the bench, he noticed something sitting beside it. He picked them up; Martha’s wedding bands. He wondered what they were doing there; why she had them out. Was she just looking at them? Or did she get them out so that she could give them back to him?

Jack slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out his own wedding ring. He placed it in his hand with Martha’s and squeezed them tight in his fist. Jack didn’t understand why he was feeling like this. He felt as though he was doing the wrong thing by taking his off. He fought the urge to put it back on. His heart was telling him to do it, but his mind was telling him to keep it off.

In the end his mind won. If Martha no longer wore hers; then he shouldn’t either.

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Martha was up and gone by the time Jack got out of bed the next morning. He’d had a really restless night and every time he closed his eyes; he saw Martha’s face.

Jack had a quick breakfast and decided to go for a walk down the beach. As he reached the waters edge, he noticed Joy walking towards him with another man. Jack guessed that it must be her brother.

“Hey Jack,” Joy smiled when they reached him. “This is my brother Jason,” she introduced him to her brother.

“Hi mate,” Jack smiled as they shook hands.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Jason smiled in returned. “Martha told me a lot about you the other night. Great girl,” he then added.

Jack nodded. “Yeah, she is. She actually told me that you’re date went bust,” he laughed.

“I didn’t mind,” Jason grinned. “But I bet you were glad that she went and told you straight away. You should have seen her face man; I’ve never seen someone look so excited before,” he said.

Jack was confused. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Joy herself was confused.

Jason paused for a moment; unsure of what was going on. “Didn’t Martha come and tell you?” he questioned.

“Tell me what?” Jack was feeling agitated.

By now Jason had realized that he had put his foot in his mouth. He sighed. He knew he had to tell Jack. “She remembered something the other night at the diner. Something about you taking her there every night so that she could have a sundae while she was pregnant with Alex,” he started. “After that she left straight away. She headed down to the bonfire so she could tell you. She was really excited about telling you,” Jason explained.

“Well, we didn’t see her,” Joy huffed.

“Actually, I think I did see her. But I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me,” Jack scratched his head.

Jason frowned. “I wonder why she didn’t tell you then?” he exclaimed.

“I have to go,” Jack said quickly as he turned around and started to walk off.

“Do you want to meet up later?” Joy called out to him.

“I don’t know,” Jack was hesitant. “We’ll see,” he shrugged before walking off.

Joy turned around to glare at her brother. “Why did you have to open your fat mouth?” she sighed loudly.

“What did I do?” Jason was surprised by her attitude.

“I really like Jack,” Joy told Jason.

Jason shook his head at her. “I hate to break it to you Joy; but Jack is in love with Martha. You’d have to be stupid if you think you could take her place,” he said.

“I’m not stupid,” Joy pointed. “Beside’s Martha doesn’t want to be with Jack,” she added.

Jason started to walk away. “News flash Joy; she’s falling for him again. I could see it in her eyes whenever she mentioned his name. She’s crazy about him; she loves him,” he pointed out.

“This isn’t fair,” Joy pouted.

“You’ll get over it,” Jason laughed.

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: There's been an accident; who gets hurt?

[bay girl]

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

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

Sorry that this chapter took so long to be added and sorry it isn’t very long. There was a death in my family last week and add to that; me being a little sick. So, I haven’t been in the mood to write. But hopefully things should pick up again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

For the next couple of hours Jack sat at home waiting patiently for Martha. They needed to talk; he knew that much. Things were starting to get way to intense and something needed to be done about it. Something was going on in Martha’s head and he wanted to know what it was. He needed to know what she was feeling.

Jack stood up from his chair and walked towards the fridge; getting a bottle of water out. He was walking back to his chair when Martha appeared at the front door with Alex.

“Hey,” Jack said to her.

“Hi,” Martha said in return as she dropped her bag on the ground.

“I need to talk to you,” Jack told her.

“Fine,” Martha exclaimed as she placed Alex in her high chair. “What is it?” she asked; sounding uninterested.

“I saw Jason and Joy down at the beach earlier,” Jack started. He didn’t fail to notice the roll of Martha’s eyes when he mentioned Joy’s name. “Jason told me what happened at the diner the other night; about you remembering being pregnant with Alex. He also told me that you got really excited and that you ended you date just so you could come and tell me. Of course he was surprised when I told him I knew nothing about it,” he finished.

Martha wasn’t in the mood to have this conversation. She really just wanted to be left alone. “And?” she waved her hands in the air.

“So you did come looking for me down at the bon fire?” Jack asked, although it was more of a statement; not a question.

Martha knew that she had been caught out. There wasn’t much point in lying about it. “Yeah, I did. So what,” she shrugged as she walked into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle.

Jack sighed in frustration. “So why didn’t you tell me?” he wanted to know.

Martha slowly turned around to face Jack. “You looked busy,” she spat out.

“I knew it,” Jack laughed a little. “This is because of Joy. You’re all moody because of Joy and because I went out with her. Am I right, or am I right?” he said smartly.

Martha raised her eyebrows at him and then turned back to the kettle. What was the point in answering; she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“Don’t turn away from me when I’m talking to you,” Jack grabbed Martha’s shoulder and pulled her back around. “I don’t know why you’re upset; you were the one who made me go out with her. I didn’t want to, but you kept on pushing and pushing. So don’t get mad at me,” he growled at her.

Martha huffed. “You really must like her, huh?” she tried to sway the conversation a bit.

Jack shook his head at Martha in disbelief. “Stop it,” he said seriously.

“Why?” Martha snapped. “I mean, you’ve only known the girl for three days and she already managed to convince you to take off you wedding ring. What does that tell you? Coz it tells me that you must really like her a lot. And you must if you can do that. Take off your wedding ring for her, I mean,” she ranted.

Jack stood on the spot; shocked. He was unable to speak. How did she know that Joy had asked him to remove his ring? “How did….,” he trailed off.

“I saw you,” Martha frowned. “I saw you taking it off. I saw you looking pretty happy with your accomplishment,” she said sarcastically.

“You took yours off first,” Jack said in a quiet voice. “Why was it alright for you, but not for me?” he asked as he looked down at his feet.

“It was different,” Martha yelled. “I lost my memory. I didn’t know who I was anymore,” she cried.

“It still doesn’t explain why you’re angry at me,” Jack started. “You told me to go out with Joy. It was your stupid idea for me to move on. I thought it was what you wanted,” he yelled back at her.

“Well it wasn’t,” Martha hissed. She then started to laugh. “And here I was thinking that maybe you and I might……,” she started but was cut off by a knock at the door.

“We’ll finish this later,” Jack pointed his finger at Martha. “Come in,” he then yelled to the person at the door.

The door slowly opened and Tony poked his head through the gap. “I could hear you two from the street,” he frowned. “Is everything okay?” Tony asked.

Martha smiled. “Peachy,” she exclaimed as she glanced at Jack; sending him an icy glare. “So, what’s up?” she wanted to know.

“We just got a call from Belle,” Tony started. “It’s Irene; there’s been an accident,” he said.

Martha gasped; raising her fingers to her lips. “When? What happened?” she asked.

Tony sighed. “I haven’t got the full details, but it was a car accident. It was only about two hundred meters from her place,” he explained.

“Oh my god,” Martha was stunned. “Is she okay?”

Tony shook his head. “It’s pretty serious. She’s pretty banged up,” he answered.

“We should go to the hospital and see what’s going on,” Jack suggested.

“Yeah,” Martha nodded in agreement. “I want to see Belle and make sure that she’s okay too,” she said as she picked up Alex and put her on her hip.

“I’ll follow you in my car,” Tony nodded at them.

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: Will Irene be okay? And who is the strange woman that Martha see’s at the hospital?

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Belle,” Martha called out as she ran down the hall towards her friend.

Belle was sitting between Matilda and Cassie; hugging her knees to her chest as she cried. When she spotted Martha, she jumped up and threw herself into her arms.

“It’s okay,” Martha soothed as she rubbed Belle’s back.

“Has there been any news?” Tony asked as he and Jack stepped towards them.

Beth, who was there with Matilda and Cassie, stood up and shook her head. “She’s still in surgery,” she told them as she reached out and took Alex from Jack. Beth gave Alex a soft kiss on the fore-head.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Belle said as she pulled away from Martha and sat back down next to Cassie and Matilda. Each girl took one of Belle’s hands in their own. They wanted their friend to know that they were there for her.

“What exactly happened?” Jack wanted to know.

Belle shrugged. “I don’t know much. All I know is that she smashed into a tree and it was only down the road from her place,” she cried as she used her thumb to wipe away some stray tears. “The cops said they’ll drop by after they are finished at the scene,” she added.

“I might go give them a call and see how long they’ll be,” Jack nodded in Belle’s direction and then walked off.

Martha looked back over at Belle and sighed. The girl was devastated and looked so distressed. She walked over towards her and knelt down in front of her.

“Irene is strong. She’s a fighter,” Martha reassured Belle. “She’s going to be fine,” she squeezed Belle’s hand tight.

“Why does this keep happening?” Belle shook her head in sadness and then looked at Martha. “It was only a few months ago that we were here waiting for news on you. And now it’s Irene, lying in there. We have all been through so much these last few years; why can’t we just get some peace. It’s so unfair,” she sobbed.

“We’ll get through this. If I can survive, then Irene can too,” Martha smiled warmly. “Like I said; she’s a fighter,” she pointed out.

Belle tried to smile. “Thanks for being here,” she told everyone.

“Irene is our family too,” Beth smiled. “We wouldn’t be anywhere else,” she exclaimed.

Martha looked up when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. It was Jack.

“Anything?” Belle looked up at him hopefully.

Jack frowned. “Nothing yet,” he shook his head.

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A couple of hours flew by and there was still no word from the police or the doctor’s for that matter. Many of Irene’s other friends had dropped in to see how things were going, but so far there had been no word. Everyone was starting to grow impatient, when finally Rachel appeared.

“Please give us some good news,” Tony said as he stood up.

“The surgery went okay, but there were a few times when I thought we might lose her. But Irene is a very lucky woman. She pulled through,” Rachel smiled at the group as she explained.

“Can I see her?” Belle pleaded.

Rachel nodded. “Of course. But only you for the moment,” she replied. “Irene isn’t awake and she may not wake for a few more hours yet. But you are welcome to go and sit with her,” she smiled.

“Thank you,” Belle smiled gratefully as she brushed past Rachel and took off down the hall towards Irene’s room.

“Want to grab a coffee?” Martha placed her hand on Rachel’s shoulder.

“I would love too,” Rachel answered her with a smile.

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Martha stood at the counter in the hospital cafeteria; waiting for the coffee’s. While the young girl made them for her, she turned and looked at Rachel; who was waiting for her in a table. Rachel looked so tired. She dropped her face into her hands and rubbed at her eyes. But the tiredness is worth it, Martha thought to herself. Rachel had saved Irene’s life.

“Here you go,” a voice said from behind the counter.

Martha turned back around and smiled as she handed over a few dollars for the coffees. She picked up some lids and slipped them over the cups. She picked them up and swung around only to run straight into a middle aged woman.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Martha apologized.

The woman laughed. “No, it was my fault,” she smiled.

“I should have been paying more attention. I was off in my own little world,” Martha said to the woman.

“Hospital’s tend to do that to a person,” the woman exclaimed.

Martha nodded in agreement. “Especially when somebody you love is lying in a hospital bed,” she sighed.

“I know the feeling,” the woman frowned. “Well, I’ll let you pass. I think someone is waiting for that coffee,” she laughed as she pointed over at Rachel.

“She definitely deserves this coffee,” Martha stated. “Sorry for running into you,” she apologized once more before brushing past the woman and making her way towards Rachel.

“One coffee; just the way you like it,” Martha grinned as she sat down opposite Rachel and slid the hot drink towards her.

“Thanks,” Rachel smiled gratefully. “Who was that woman you were just talking to?” she then asked.

“I don’t know,” Martha shrugged. “Does she look familiar to you?” she then asked suddenly.

Martha didn’t know what it was, but there was something oddly familiar about the woman. She wished she knew what it was. But it was probably just her mind playing tricks on her. If the woman knew her, no doubt she would have mentioned it.

“I’ve never seen her before,” Rachel answered with a slight shake of the head. “Why? What’s wrong?” she questioned.

“It’s weird,” Martha scratched at her eyebrow. “She looks familiar to me. But I just can’t place her,” she felt a little frustrated.

“Maybe she was someone you knew before the accident, and that’s why you don’t remember her,” Rachel suggested.

“I doubt it,” Martha shook her head. “If she knew me, she would have said something,” she pointed.

“Your right,” Rachel agreed.

“But still; there’s just something about her,” Martha sighed as she watched the woman exit the cafeteria with a coffee. Martha’s eyes lingered on the woman until she was out of site. There was definitely something about her. But Martha wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

“So,” Rachel’s voice brought Martha out and away from her thoughts. “How’s things with Jack?” she asked.

Martha groaned. “Don’t ask,” she hung her head. “It’s a long story,” she exclaimed.

“I’m totally open for a long story,” Rachel smiled at her. “If you want to talk; I’ll listen,” she offered.

Martha pondered the idea for a moment and then nodded. She needed to talk to someone and Rachel seemed like the perfect choice.

“I’m a total idiot……..,” she started.

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Jack got up from his seat and walked over towards his father and Beth. They were talking quietly amongst themselves. Alex was sound asleep in Tony’s arms.

“Dad, can you do me a favor?” Jack plonked himself down next to his father.

“Sure, what is it son?” Tony nodded.

“Can you and Beth take Alex tonight?” Jack asked him.

“Of course, we’d love to have her,” Tony agreed. “May I ask why?” he then said.

Jack let out a loud sigh. “Me and Martha need to have a long chat. Things are starting to get out of hand, and I need to sort it out. Martha will probably try to use Alex as a distraction and as a way to get out of talking. So, I thought that it be best if she just stayed with you tonight,” he explained. “I’m gonna tell Luc to get lost aswell,” Jack then added.

“Things that bad, huh?” Tony felt sorry for his son.

Jack groaned. “It’s driving me nuts dad,” he nodded. “I can’t even have a proper conversation with my wife without upsetting her or getting into a fight with her. I just want things to go back to the way they were,” he sighed.

Tony could do nothing but nod in understanding. But there was one thing he wanted to ask about. “I noticed that you’re not wearing your wedding ring,” Tony pointed out.

Jack laughed sarcastically. “Who knew that a wedding ring could cause so much trouble,” he muttered.

“What was that?” Tony looked up.

“Nothing,” Jack answered. He went to speak again, but stopped when he spotted McGrath walking down the hall towards them. “Boss,” Jack greeted him.

“Is Irene awake yet?” McGrath asked the group.

“No, she hasn’t been out of surgery long,” Jack told him. “It could be a few hours before she wakes up,” he explained.

“Okay,” McGrath nodded.

“So, what can you tell us?” Tony then questioned.

“I’m afraid that it’s not good news,” McGrath sighed.

“What is it?” Jack frowned.

“I’ve had Irene’s car checked over and it seems that her break lines have been tampered with,” McGrath told them.

“What are you saying?” Beth stammered.

“I’m saying that this wasn’t an accident; someone has purposely tried to kill Miss Roberts………

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: Will Jack and Martha talk things through?

[bay girl]

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

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

I know I said that there would be a big J/M conversation in this chapter, but there actually isn’t. It’s going to be in the next chapter; which will hopefully be on Thursday. Sorry this chapter isn’t very long.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“This is insane,” Belle shrieked as she threw her hands up in the air in disbelief. “Who, who would want to hurt Irene,” she stuttered as a tear rolled down her face.

“We don’t know,” McGrath took a step away from Belle. “But we are looking into it. We’re in the process of taking fingerprints, so hopefully we can pick something up from there,” he explained.

“Hopefully? Hopefully?” Belle spat out. “No, not hopefully. You bloody well better find something. You’re a cop; it’s your job,” she shouted.

“Come on sweet; calm down,” Beth placed a comforting hand on Belle shoulder. “Let’s go back into Irene’s room and sit with her for a while. She could wake up soon and I’m sure she’d love to see you there when she first wakes up,” she then suggested.

Belle gave a small nod. “Okay,” she sniffed and then turned around and followed Beth down the hall.

Martha couldn’t stand seeing her friend this way. It was heartbreaking. Martha let out a loud sigh and sat down on a chair next to Tony. She looked up and her eyes met with Jack’s. They held each others gaze for a few moments before Jack turned away and walked out of the foyer with McGrath.

“He misses you,” Tony’s voice broke her from her thoughts.

“Sorry?” Martha was confused.

“Jack. He misses you,” Tony said again.

Martha looked away from him and closed her eyes. “Things are complicated,” she sighed. “Very complicated,” she added.

“They don’t have to be,” Tony exclaimed.

Martha gave Tony a smile. “Jack’s lucky to have a father who cares so much. If only mine was as supportive as you. I got the rough end of the stick. I got Brett Macklin,” she looked down at her hands.

Tony reached over and took one of Martha’s. “Hey, I’m not just Jack’s dad,” he started. “I’m yours too,” he told Martha.

“Thank you,” Martha squeezed his hand tight. She felt her eyes tear up a bit. Jack and Lucas were so lucky to have him.

Martha and Tony sat in silence for a few more minutes before Jack returned. “Are you ready to go?” Jack asked her.

“Yeah,” Martha nodded as she stood up. She turned back towards Tony and reached her arms out to take Alex.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Jack stopped her. “Dad and Beth are taking Joey tonight,” he said.

“Oh, okay,” Martha was a little surprised. “But I’d still prefer if she came home with us now. I’d like to give her a bath and pack some stuff for her before she goes away for the night. Is that okay?” she said to Tony.

“Of course love,” Tony nodded. “Beth and I will be sticking around here for a while, so we will stop in and pick her up on our way home. How bout that?” he suggested.

“Sounds great,” Martha smiled as she took Alex into her arms. “When Belle comes out; can you tell her to call me if she needs anything?” she then asked

“I will,” Tony answered.

“Thanks,” Martha nodded in appreciation.

Martha and Jack said their goodbyes and then walked down the hall towards the exit. Just as Martha was about to walk outside, she spotted the woman from earlier. She paused on the spot and looked over at her. Martha cleared her mind and thought hard; trying to figure out how she knew that woman. But nothing popped up. But still, Martha felt as thought she had met her before. The feeling was quite strange.

“Who are you staring at?” Jack shook her arm; trying to gain her attention

Martha snapped her gaze up to Jack’s face. She ignored his question and asked her own. “Have you ever seen that woman before,” she asked.

Jack looked in the direction that Martha was looking. He noticed a woman sitting in the waiting room; reading a magazine. “Nope,” he shook his head. “Never seen her before,” he added.

“I think I know her,” Martha exclaimed.

“What do you mean?” Jack was slightly confused.

“I don’t know,” Martha sighed in frustration. “Something in my head is telling me that I know her; or have at least seen her before. It’s really bugging me,” she told Jack.

“Why don’t you just go and asked her,” Jack suggested.

Martha looked at Jack as though he had two heads. “No I will not. She’ll probably think I’m nuts or something. Lets just forget about it and go home,” she gave the woman one last glance before walking outside with Alex in her arms; Jack close behind her.

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She glanced up and smiled to herself as she watched Jack and Martha Holden leaving the hospital. She knew that they had been watching her. She could tell that Martha was confused.

She wondered how long it would be until Martha remembered who she was. It was only a matter of time before Martha remembered that they had met before. It was only a matter of time before the wall started to break away; the wall that was blocking her memories. No doubt her mind would soon be free.

But of course, if she had her way, Martha would never remember. If she had her way, Martha Holden would be dead before she even had the chance to remember a thing.

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“I think I’ll go and have a bath,” Martha told Jack later that evening after Tony had dropped in and picked up Alex for the night.

“Alright, but don’t be too long,” Jack said as he put some dirty dishes in the dishwasher. “You and I need to finish our conversation from earlier,” he pointed out,

“What if I don’t want to finish that conversation,” Martha rolled her eyes. She really wasn’t in the mood to hear anything he had to say.

“Too bad; you don’t have a choice,” Jack exclaimed. “I asked dad to take Alex for the night, just so we could talk without any interruptions,” he told her.

“You palmed her off to your dad, so she wouldn’t interrupt?” Martha glared at him. “I should get in the car right now, and go and pick her up,” she scoffed. She really couldn’t believe his nerve.

Jack groaned. “Martha, this is serious. We can’t just push this to the side anymore,” he started. “This isn’t just some stupid teen romance we’re talking about; this is our marriage. Its real life,” he finished.

Martha looked away from his tense glare. She knew he was right. “Fine,” she huffed. “Give me half an hour to shower and get changed; then we can talk,” she sighed before walking away to the bathroom.

She really was not looking forward to this conversation.

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PLEASE REVIEW

NEXT CHAPTER: Martha and Jack talk. Will Martha admit her feelings? Or will she keep pushing Jack away?

[bay girl]

It's finally here; a new chapter. Sorry for the delay guys. I hope this chapter makes some of you very happy.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Martha took a deep breath before stepping into the kitchen; where Jack was sitting and waiting patiently. She thought about turning around and walking back to her room, but she knew that she would look like a coward if she done that. There was no way she was going to get out of this conversation, and that was probably a good thing. Everything needed to be sorted out and it had to be done tonight.

Martha sat down opposite Jack and started playing with her hands. She was nervous. Very nervous.

“Your hands are shaking,” Jack pointed out.

“I’m fine,” Martha said in quiet voice as she looked up at him. “Lets just say what has to be said and call it a night, okay?” she then said.

“Why are you being like this Martha?” Jack frowned.

“Being like what?” Martha snapped at him.

“Cold,” Jack exclaimed. “And you keep pushing me away. But I know that you don’t want to,” he added.

Martha shook her head. “You don’t know what I want, Jack,” her eyes were starting to tear up.

“If that’s what you want to believe,” Jack nodded as he stood up. “But I do know what I want. And I want you,” he said confidently.

Martha looked back down at her hands and closed her eyes. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t know what she was supposed to say back to him. She wanted to tell him that she felt the same, but it was just so hard.

“I want you to come back to me Martha,” Jack started again. “I want my wife back. I want to be a family again. And you’re the only one who is stopping that from happening,” he finished.

“I don’t know what to do Jack,” Martha stood up and walked towards him. “I am so confused. I just don’t know if can do what you want me to do,” she cried.

Jack let out a loud sigh. He was starting to get highly frustrated. “I just need to know what’s going on. I need to know if I’m wasting my time with us,” he growled.

“I don’t know why you’re getting angry with me,” Martha suddenly snapped. “You want to be with me so bad, yet, you’ve taken your wedding ring off. I thought that meant you’d given up and was deciding to move on,” she was angry.

“I thought it was what you wanted,” Jack protested.

“Well, it wasn’t,” Martha scoffed.

“Fine,” Jack started to laugh sarcastically as he put his hand into his pocket. When he brought it out again, he thrust it towards Martha. He opened his fist and produced two wedding bands. He snatched his up and slipped it back onto his finger. “There, you happy? It’s back on,” he exclaimed.

“Jack,” Martha started but was interrupted by Jack.

“Your turn,” he said to her as he held her wedding band up in front of her face; between his thumb and pointer finger. Martha was rooted to the spot. Surely he didn’t expect her to just put it back on like that.

“What are you waiting for?” Jack waved the ring around; being smart. “I put mine back on, so now you can too,” he almost ordered.

Martha couldn’t do it. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t just reach out and take the small band from him and slip it onto her finger. After all, it was as simple as that.

“Didn’t think so,” Jack said smugly as he let his hand fall to his side. “You’re such a hypocrite Martha. You stand there and make me feel bad about taking my wedding ring off, but yet it’s okay for you not to wear yours. I put it back on because I could see how much it hurt you when you realized I wasn’t wearing it anymore. So why can’t you do the same for me?” he was clearly upset.

“I don’t know,” Martha shrugged as a tear slid down her cheek.

“You don’t love me. It’s as simple as that,” Jack stated as he placed her ring down on the counter.

“Jack, please,” Martha reached out to him.

“It’s okay. Just forget it,” Jack brushed her off and walked off towards his room.

Martha started to sob. She rushed over towards the couch and flung herself down onto it. She curled up into a ball and let the tears continue to fall.

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Martha sat on the couch crying for about an hour. Jack had yet to reappear; the house was in a complete silence. It was like nobody existed.

She’d been thinking a lot over the last sixty minutes. She’d come to the conclusion that she was a fool. Jack had just offered her complete happiness and she’d practically thrown it back in his face. All because she was too scared to admit that she loved him.

But not anymore. She was going to tell him. She wasn’t going to put it off anymore. She wanted to be happy; happy with her husband and her daughter. She knew things would never go back to the way they probably had been before her memory loss, but she was willing to accept that. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t remember a lot of things. But she could remember that she loved Jack, and that’s what was most important.

Martha slipped off the couch and made her way towards the counter; where Jack had previously placed her wedding ring. She picked it up with her delicate fingers and held it up in front of her face. It was a pretty ring; simple but beautiful.

She was preparing to put it back on when she heard a creak behind her. She spun around and came face to face with Jack.

“What are you doing?” Jack looked at her curiously.

“I’m sorry,” Martha said softly as she took a few steps towards him. “I’ve been a total fool, and a hypocrite; just like you said,” she said to him.

“Martha,” Jack started but Martha cut him off.

Martha reached out a placed her finger on Jack’s lips. “Ssshhh,” she said in a hushed tone as she pressed softly against his warm lips. “But you were wrong about one thing. You were wrong when you said that I didn’t love you. Because I do; I do love you Jack. And I don’t want to hide it anymore,” she whispered to him.

“What are you saying?” a small smile started to make its way to Jack’s mouth.

Martha smiled in return and slid her hand down Jack’s chest. “I’m saying that I want to be with you. I want to be your wife again. I want us to be a family; you, me and Alex together. The way it’s supposed to be,” she answered his question.

“I can’t believe it,” Jack laughed happily as he lurched forward and pulled Martha into a tight embrace.

A soft sigh escaped Martha’s lips as she felt a hot tingle course through her body. She loved the feeling of being in his arms. She felt protected and wanted.

“I love you so much,” Jack kissed her neck lovingly.

Martha pulled away slightly and looked into Jack’s eyes. “And I love you,” she exclaimed.

Jack nodded, before dipping his head and brushing his lips against hers; wanting to confirm their love. Martha moaned into his mouth softly as her hands slid up his muscular back and rested on his shoulders; clinging onto him as though she was afraid her legs would give way.

After a few more intense minutes of passionate kisses, they eventually pulled away; gasping for air. Jack looked down at her as she smiled up at him. He cupped her face and traced her lips with his thumb softly while gazing into her blue eyes.

“So, I think we have a little catching up to do,” Martha kissed him again.

“Mmmm,” Jack grinned against her lips as he started to pull her back towards their room.

“Actually..,” Martha started as she pushed her body into Jack’s. “I’d like to think of it as more of a reminder. A reminder of what I’ve been missing out on,” she panted as Jack started to trail his mouth down her throat.

“I’ll remind you all right,” Jack growled seductively as he nibbled on her skin.

Martha let out a squeal as Jack picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, and gave the door a swift kick so that it would close.

“Now, where were we?” Jack smiled as he pounced.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Uh Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bay girl]

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

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

CHAPTER THIRTY

“This is nice,” Martha murmured as she placed a kiss into the palm of Jack’s hand. “Waking up next to you I mean,” she then added.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Jack smiled at her. “And just think; you’ll get to wake up next to me every morning for the rest of your life,” he pointed.

“I think I can get used to that,” Martha laughed.

It was morning; the morning after Martha had admitted that she loved Jack and wanted to give their marriage a shot. It really didn’t matter to Martha that she couldn’t remember everything that happened once before, but she had great confidence that it would all come back to her one day.

Jack was feeling the same. It still hurt that Martha couldn’t remember their life together from before the accident, but in some ways it was a good thing. A new spark had been rekindled between them. It was like they were falling in love all over again. And Jack loved the feeling.

Martha rolled over and rested her chin on Jack’s chest. She looked up and him and smiled shyly. “I’m glad that I decided to come clean. I’d hate to have seen what would have happened if I hadn’t of come back to you,” she said to him.

“Well, I’m not even going to think about it,” Jack said back to her as he ran a hand down her bare back. “I’ve got you back now. You’re mine again and that’s all that matters,” he exclaimed.

Martha sighed. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch these last couple of months,” she apologized.

“Don’t apologize. A bitchy Martha is hot,” Jack laughed at her. “I liked it. A total turn on if you ask me,” he wiggled an eye-brow at her.

“You are so dirty,” Martha giggled. She paused for a moment before she started to smirk. She pulled herself up his body until they were face to face. “I like it,” she whispered as she leant down and pressed her mouth against his in a hot kiss.

“I like it a lot,” she hushed against his lips as she deepened the kiss; turning into some much more.

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“I can’t believe its lunch time already,” Martha said as she entered the kitchen; whilst brushing her now wet hair.

“We had a lot to catch up on,” Jack turned around and winked at her.

“Tell me about it,” Martha sighed happily as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I’m totally worn out,” she added in a cheeky tone as she sat down at the kitchen bench.

Jack laughed before sitting down next to her. “I made us some toast and scrambled eggs,” he told her as he pulled some plates towards them.

“Yummy. I’m famished,” Martha exclaimed as she reached for her fork. She was just about to take her first bite when her mobile started to ring. “Who dares annoy me?” she muttered as she snatched the phone up. She looked at the caller I.D. It was Belle.

“Hey Belle,” Martha answered the call.

“Mac, I need you to come to the hospital straight away,” Belle cried down the phone.

A bad feeling appeared in Martha’s gut. “Hey, hey, calm down,” she soothed. “What’s going on?” Martha asked.

“Irene’s just woken up, and she’s totally freaking out,” Belle started to explain. “She keeps asking for you. She wants to see you,” she cried.

Martha started to panic. Why on earth would Irene want to see her? “Okay, tell her I’ll be there soon. Just let me finish getting ready, and I’ll be there as soon as possible,” she told Belle.

“Thank you,” Belle exclaimed. “I’ll see you soon,” she added before hanging u the phone.

Martha placed her phone back on the bench and turned to look at Jack, who was watching her with a curious look on his face. “What’s going on?” he wanted to know.

“It was Belle. Irene just woke up and apparently she wants to see me,” Martha frowned. “I really don’t understand why Irene would want to see me. I mean, you’d think she would want to be with Belle or something. It’s weird. In fact everything has been weird lately. It’s really starting to freak me out,” she rubbed at her temples. She could feel a headache coming on.

“I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation to why Irene wants to see you,” Jack placed a hand on Martha’s back and started to rub in a soothing motion. “You should probably get going. It does sound pretty important,” he added.

Martha nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go now,” she agreed as she stood up. “What are you going to do while I’m gone?” she then asked Jack.

Jack let out a loud groan before standing up. “I think I may have to go and speak to Joy,” he answered Martha.

Martha tensed up at the sound of Joy’s name. “I forgot about her,” she stated; not even able to look Jack in the eye.

“Hey,” Jack cupped Martha’s chin and made her look up at him. “Nothing ever happened between us,” he told her.

“Not even a kiss?” Martha was curious. She was really scared of what the answer would be.

Jack shook his head. “Nothing,” he told her again. “I would never betray you,” he touched her cheek softly.

“But we weren’t together,” Martha pointed out.

“But I still loved you, and that never wavered. I wasn’t going to risk losing you for good,” Jack explained,

Martha smiled at him. “So you were just friends?” she exclaimed.

“From my end; yes,” Jack said. “But I think she wanted something more, and that’s why I’m going go and see her and explain everything. I don’t want to lead her on and let her think that there could be something between us,” he sighed.

“Okay,” Martha nodded. “Well, I’d better go and you’d better go and see Joy. I’ll give you a call when I’m on my home, and we can meet up somewhere and then go and pick up Alex,” she suggested.

“Sounds good,” Jack agreed as he leant down and kissed her softly. “I love you,” he told her.

“I love you too,” Martha kissed him back. She then quickly pulled away and grabbed her phone and bag. “See you later,” she waved as she left the house.

Jack walked to the front door and watched as she pulled out of the drive way. He stood there and watched until the car was out of sight. He smiled to himself as he walked back inside. Everything was perfect now. He had Martha back. They could finally be a real family again. And nobody was going to ruin that for him.

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Martha rushed down the hall towards Irene’s room. She spotted Belle, pacing back and forth.

“Martha,” Belle sighed in exasperation when noticed her walking towards her. “Thank god you’re here. Irene’s waiting,” she pushed her towards the door.

“Can you please tell me what is going on?” Martha was frustrated.

“I don’t know,” Belle shrugged. “Irene wouldn’t tell me anything. She just wants to see you. That’s all I know. She’s totally freaking out Martha,” she cried.

“Okay, okay,” Martha placed a reassuring hand on Belle’s shoulder. “I’ll go and talk to her and find out what’s going on,” she said as she placed her hand on the door handle; giving it a soft push. She walked into Irene’s room; closing the door behind her.

“What took you so long girlie?” Irene was clearly upset.

“Irene, what the hell is going on? Why do you want to see me so bad?” Martha fired questions at her.

“Did you see her? Did she follow you here?” Irene only threw more questions back at her.

“Who? What are you talking about?” Martha was starting to worry.

“He’s using her to get to us,” Irene cried. “He may be locked up, but he’s using her to get to us,” she blathered on.

“Irene. Who?” Martha yelled at her.

“Corey,” Irene looked up at her with scared eyes. “He still wants us dead Martha,” she added.

“Corey?” Martha’s face paled. “But he’s in prison,” she stuttered.

Irene nodded in understanding. “Yes, he is. But his mother isn’t………….”

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NEXT CHAPTER: Martha finally remembers what really happened to her?