Broken Pieces

[pamy]

Story Title: Broken pieces

Type of story: long story

Main Characters: Martha, Jack, Tasha, Robbie, Ric, Matilda, Luke

BTTB rating: T rated

Genre: General

Does story include spoilers: No

Any warnings: no (will mention above chapters if necesary)

Summary: Martha was six years old when her mother was murdered and her father jailed for her murder. Together with her younger brother Ric she was send away. Now 15 years later they return to Summer Bay to discover the truth of what happened that night. But Summer Bay has many secrets. And Martha finds herself drawn to Jack, and in the middle of a rivaly between Jack and Robbie. While Ric finds himself drawn to Matilda, who is unfortunatly dating Luke. But Martha and Ric's father is still in jail, waiting for the truth to out. And the real killer to be caught...

Here I am. My exams are finished (finally, never been so glad) and I've decided to post the first chapter to my new story. not so sure about the title though, might change it later. First chapter is a prologue.

Prologue

There was a full moon that night.

The night he decided to set in motion his plan. His plan which will untimely destroy himself, of this he is sure. It’s late when he sets out. There’s nobody out. He’s grateful for nobody can see nor recognize him now. He tries to act calm. Like he’s just out for a walk. In the off change he does run into someone, he does not wish to call attention to himself. He wants to look normal. Forgettable. The path he is walking on is a dangerous path. One wrong move and it will all go wrong.

He knows what he must do.

He does not dwell on it. He will not dwell on it. What has to be done will be done. He will not back out now. She has done this to him. With her lies and her secrets, she has driven him this far. She has driven him crazy. And this is the only way out now. He takes deep breaths as he keeps going. Slowly he creeps trough the darkness. Silently. Making sure nobody is out. Until he arrives there where he must be. The house is bathed in darkness.

Nobody is awake inside.

He begins to walk faster. So not to attract attention to himself. On the off change one of the neighbors is looking out. If only one person sees him, his entire plan will fall apart. The plan he has been working on for months. To make her pay. Pay for what she has done to him. If he fails it will all have been for nothing. He opens the door quietly. He prays nobody hears the door closing. He will not turn on the light; He does not wish to wake up the children within the house. All he wants is her.

Nobody will ever know he was here. If everything goes well by tomorrow she will be dead. And he will pay for her mistakes. They will both have paid for what they have done to him. Silently he makes his way up the stairs. Praying that the stairs don’t crack. He knows where he has to be. He has been here before after all. Still he does not walk to her room immediately. He stops at the first door inside.

He almost turns around.

Almost. Inside the room a young baby boy sleeps. Just a year old. And he almost turns around. He does not wish to make it suffer. But it will. It will suffer for mistakes made by those around him. He is almost sure that the boy is his son. Not completely. But it does not matter. He will never know. To find out will be to call attention to himself. And he has made his choices. He shall do this. Despite the pain he knows he will cause the boy. This will probably be the only time he ever stands this close to his son. He closes the door.

What will come next should never be heard by a child.

Three doors on the right. And the door is also open. He knows who sleeps in here. The daughter. Just 6 years old. Old enough to remember her mother. Not old enough to understand what is happening. Not old enough to be marked by her mother’s cruelty. She’s an innocent child. She will suffer more than her brother. She will remember it all. He closes her door as well. He does not wish to scare the children. He does not wish to hurt them more than they will be hurt.

Two more doors. On his right again.

He opens the door and walks in. He’s here now. Now he truly can’t turn around. Now it must be done. He has made his choice to punish her a long time ago. But now he truly has to do it. Before he could still turn around. Before this time he could still pretend he had never come. She’s beautiful even in her sleep. It’s no wonder he fell in love with her. He wanted her to love him as well. She never did. She pretended and in the end she betrayed. And now here you are.

He sits down on the bed next to her.

He places a soft kiss on her hair. He grabs the gun hidden in the closet by his friend. With a whisper of ‘I love you.’ He bits her farewell. Before he can hesitate. Before he can change his mind. He aims the gun and shoots. She never wakes up. She probably never suffered as well. It takes him a moment before he can actually move. Move and check if she is still alive. Finally he gets up and walks away.

He stops at his son’s door. One last time.

This is the last time he will see him. He will never search for him. He will let his live run it’s course. This will be his punishment for what he has done. He knows he is going to hell. But he also knows she will be there waiting for him. He leaves the gun behind. There are no fingerprints on it after all. He was extremely careful. He opens the front door. Turns around and looks at the stairs one last time. He walks on out and closes the door behind him.

He walked in an innocent man. Now he is guilty. His hands are covered in blood. Her blood.

Nobody will ever now. The man disappears into the darkness.

As if he was never there.

*********

It’s her father’s screams that wake her up.

Maybe it’s her brother crying. She’s not sure what came first. All six year old Martha knows is she’s awake. And she does not understand what is happening. Her father is screaming. Her brother is crying. But she can not hear her mother. Slowly she gets out of her bed. Terrified of what she will find outside. She doubts for a second what to do. Go to her father? Go to her brother? In the end she goes to her brother’s room. He’s the one that cries the most.

She will be grateful for her choice for the rest of her life.

Her father is not there. And she is to young to take the boy out of his crib. But she hopes her voice, her singing a lullaby for him, will calm him down. It does. And Martha begins to realize there are more sounds. Voices from outside. Siren’s. Her father is still screaming. And she can not understand what is happening. And she’s scared. Here eyes rest on something on the floor. A golden ring. She will never understand later why she does it. She picks it up and puts it in her pocket.

She doesn’t think about it. She’s a child after all.

Eternity passes before she hears the door open. Before her father stops screaming. People run up the stairs and past the door. But they never stop. They never look in. There’s a silence before her father begins to cry. And Martha get even more scared then she was before. Finally after an even longer eternity the door opens. It’s a young man. Younger than your father who walks in and crouches in front of you. He introduces himself as Roy.

He tells her everything will be alright.

She just has to go with him. He’s a police officer. He will make everything alright. She asks what’s happening. She asks for her parents. There’s sadness in his eyes. He tells her everything will be alright. Somebody will explain what is happening. Martha asks if her brother can come. Roy just smiles. Of course he can, he says. She doesn’t notice her father standing there until Roy sees him. He tells her father it will be best if you both come with him. Her father doesn’t argue.

He’s crying. Her father never cries. He’s strong.

But now he is crying. And Martha can’t understand what is happening. She doesn’t understand. But her father tells her to go with him. That he’ll explain everything later. He places a soft kiss on her hair. And tells her he loves her. He picks up the baby and kisses him as well. Before handing him to Roy. Roy takes her hand and leads her out of the house.

Martha turns around one last time. Her father is still standing there.

It’s the last time she sees him.

[Barbara]

Yay, you wrote another fic. And JM will be in it! I hope your exams went well!

Great and interesting start!

Poor Martha and Ric! Losing their mother like that at such a young age.

I wonder who really killed Martha and Ric's mother if it wasn't their father.

I'm guessing the ring Martha picked up belonged to the murderer and he must have dropped it at some point.

More please.

[pamy]

Decided to post the first chapter today. Well Barbara for now my exams in my mind went well, of course I haven't received my grades yet, so for all I know it went horrible. I'm not going to think about it until I get my grades.

Chapter 1

Fifteen years later

There’s silence at first.

There’s always silence first. And she thinks she’s safe. For about a second. Then the sounds begin. At first there’s crying. The distant crying of a baby. Closely followed by screams. She wants to ignore the sounds. But she can not. Of course she can not. Slowly she gets up and opens the door. She knows where she is instantly, even though she has not been here for years, she is home. In the place she called home for the first six years of her live. She wants to walk towards the crying. But her legs guide her towards the screaming instead. She does not want to go there, she doesn’t but her legs lead her there anyway. She opens the door.

The world around her changes.

And she finds herself standing on a cemetery. In front of a grave stone. Her mother’s grave. The screaming has stopped. The crying has not. It has taken her this long to realize, she is the one who is crying. The world around her begins to change. As a man beside her hold out his hand she takes it. Her father suddenly stands there, hands covered in blood, smiling at her. As if it’s all a game. A voice – which she admits is her own – says loudly guilty. He raises a gun and points it at her….

Martha screams. Her eyes fly open and it takes her a moment to realize where she is. In her house. In her own house. She’s not in Summer Bay. She is not in that place. She has not left her own room. She is safe. He is in jail. He can not get to her here. Her breaths come on top of each other. She tries in vain to calm herself down. Fifteen years have passed since that fateful night. But the nightmares have never truly disappeared. Eventually she does calm down. She has to calm down. She’s safe. He can not reach her here. When she’s calm again she looks at the clock. It’s still night. She pulls the covers away and gets out of bed. Slowly and silently she makes her way trough the small house.

The house she has been living in since she turned 18. She’s still shaking. It’s not the first time she’s had a nightmare like that. Still it scares her just as much every single time. She takes slow steps towards his room. She opens the door slowly to reveal a sleeping Ric. The sight of her little brother sleeping peacefully calms her down immensely. Without waking him up she closes the door again. Sometimes she envies him. He was to young to remember any of it. She is scared by that night. Destroyed by what she knows. In the end Martha isn’t sure which event scared her most. The murder of her mother or the discovery that it was in fact it was her own father who murdered her.

She supposes it’s a bit of both.

*****

Ric is not plagued by nightmares at night. But that does not mean that he is not scared because of what has happened. Or traumatized by what he knows. The fact that his mother was murdered already changes him from his friends. But that his father was the murdered, turns his world upside down. He thinks about it sometimes. He tries not to but it’s not like he can escape it. He’s never known either one of them. He was just a year old, far to young to remember either one of them. Sometimes he thinks he remembers her voice, singing to him. A long forgotten lullaby.

He’s probably just mixing her voice with Martha’s. He knows she sang for him as well. But he wishes the voice he remembers is his mothers. He prefers to think that. Martha tried to tell him about his mom. And though he’s very grateful for the stories (the little she knows anyway) it’s not exactly the same as actually remembering her. It is not the same. Sometimes he wonders about his father as well. What kind of man was he? Had he been a good father? Does Ric in any way resemble him? He never voices those questions to Martha. It will only hurt her.

It’s not that he wants to know the man. Nor does he in anyway think he is innocent. He knows what he has done. Rick will never forgive him for taking his mother away from him. Never. But that does not mean he doesn’t wonder about the man. About how he had been before that. He doesn’t remembering him either. Sometimes he wonders what exactly had driven him to murder his mother. What had she done – in his eyes – that made him lash out so? What had they done? Rick does not wonder much about his father. But when he does he always asks himself the same questions.

They lost them both that night. He doesn’t know what hurts most. The death of his mother, or the betrayal of his father. A little bit of both he supposes.

*****

Jack Holden does not ask for much. He really doesn’t. He’s always had it all. A beautiful house. Great clothes. Fast cars. And a lot of money. But he’s never really cared. Those are the things his father gives him. But in a way he wishes he didn’t have them. Because his father never looks at him. Never truly talks to him. Never does he spend one moment longer with him then he has to. Jack knows it’s always been like this. It doesn’t mean he has to like it.

He doesn’t understand why. He doesn’t know what he did wrong. What it is he did that upset his father so much that he can barely look at him. In a way he knows this is ridiculous. He was a child. Whatever he did could never have been this bad. And it’s not like he’s just a bad father. He’s a great father to Luke. Just not to him. Jack thinks it might have something to do with his mother. Maybe he just reminds his dad to much of his first wife. Jack doesn’t ask for much. He just wants his father to love him. Is that so wrong?

Jack supposes he’s made it hard for himself as well. His father expected him to go and work at the family firm. To be a part of it. As the oldest son. As the heir. But he didn’t. He chose to do something else instead. He became a cop. Sometimes Jack thinks he choose that profession specifically because he knows it would make his father angry. For anger was the only emotion Jack could sometimes get out of Tony Holden. Sometimes he wonders if there is even a small part of Tony Holden that is proud of him. Just a small little part.

The only thing his father has been doing lately is attempting to get him married. He’s trying to find the girl he thinks is right for his son. A rich young girl who will convince him to step in his father’s foots. To give up his own dreams, and live his father’s. But Jack refuses to do that. He will live his live the way he wants to live it it. And he knows. He knows there is a girl out there for him. A beautiful brave girl, who’s not afraid to do what she wants. A girl who will never force him to do the things he does not wish to do.

There is a girl out there for him to love. He just hasn’t found her yet.

*******

Matilda looks at a picture of them. Taking less than a year ago. She smiles as she sees how different it was back then. How much they had loved each other. Of course it’s just a picture. She can see what she wants in it. But she was there. And she knows how it was back then. Back then Luke was nice. Back then Luke had truly loved her. She’s sure he still does, but it’s different somehow. He’s different. Or maybe he’s still the same, and she’s the one who has changed. She’s not sure.

Back then everything seemed so clear. Back then everything seemed so nice. So beautiful. The rush of her first love. Feelings that developed deep within her. And of course she’s just sixteen, but she felt like she had found the one. The one she would love forever. She supposes it was childish and stupid. She thought she could love him forever. She thought they would always be the same. But everything has to change eventually. Everything becomes different. Nothing stays the same.

It all started when he made his new friends. Some new kids had started school six months ago. That’s when Luke slowly began to change. She of course didn’t notice at first. She in fact didn’t notice until he had become a completely different person, that the boy she had fallen in love with. So different. Sometimes however he still seems like that boy. Most of the time in fact. It’s so that she sometimes wonders if she’s not imagining the change. If perhaps it is just her. But it’s not. She knows she’s not going crazy. She’s not imagining this.

Luke is slowly changing. And Matilda is not sure she likes the man he is becoming.

*****

Martha wonders about that night a lot. It’s like she’s haunted by it. When she was a child she preferred to forget it had happened. At first she didn’t understand what was happening. No matter how hard Roy tried to explain it to her, it never truly worked. They’re still in touch with him. He sends them Christmas cards. Calls every now and then. She knows the cop that took her out of that house better than she knows her father. Better than she will ever know him.

As she grew older however that night began to resurface. And she began to understand what had happened that night. What her father had done. She understood what had happened. But she could not understand why it had happened. Why he had done it. The little she did remember about her father did not go with a man who coldly murders his wife. The mother of his children. Of course Martha realizes that she was only six; the chances she saw the real man that was her father are very slim. Still she doesn’t understand.

Sometimes she wonders why he screamed. That is perhaps the hardest part to understand. Why did he scream like that? Was it a way to try and convince them he hadn’t done it? But that didn’t make much sense. There were only two people in the house. A baby and a six year old girl. And nobody was going to listen to something a little girl said. The only thing he truly accomplishes was scaring his little girl.

Some nights she thinks he might be innocent. When she was younger she almost believed this. She supposes it’s normal. Who wants to believe their father murdered their mother? Nobody does. She wanted to believe that they were wrong. That her father was not a monster. It wasn’t until she truly understood what had happened, that she knew he was one. A real monster. Not the imaginary type. But sometimes she wonders. She supposes it’s a childish fantasy of a girl who lost both her parents.

She knows what he has done. But there are things she doesn’t understand. Like why. Why did this happen. Nobody ever told her why. She could go and ask him. She could. But she has no desire to see the man who robbed her of her mother. But she does need those answers. She needs to know. If only to be able to move on. To accept. She twists the ring around in her hand. That and the screaming are perhaps the biggest question marks of that night.

She doesn’t know who’s ring it is. It’s not her mother’s. At least she doesn’t think it is. She was only a child after all. It’s highly possible it is. After all she had probably not seen all of her jewelry. But the initials inscribed inside the ring do not belong to her mother. But if it is not her mother’s nor her father’s than who’s is it? Who dropped the ring? Was there perhaps somebody else in the house that night? She shakes her head, if it is not her mother’s, it probably belongs to a friend of the family. Who lost it on one of their visits to the baby. Maybe it belonged to the house keeper.

Martha needs answers. Her eyes fall on an old picture on her nightstand. Her mother smiling brightly at the camera her arms around her little girl. On a beach. A sad smile appears on Martha’s face.

She needs answers. Maybe she’ll find them in Summer Bay….

[Barbara]

That's how I did it. I forgot about the exams and waited for my grades. Sometimes, it was a long wait as some teachers didn't want to give us the results until June. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

He knows there is a girl out there for him. A beautiful brave girl, who’s not afraid to do what she wants. A girl who will never force him to do the things he does not wish to do.

Yes, there's a girl out there for him and her name is Martha. Well, I hope it's her.

Martha and Ric don't even know that their father isn't the murderer. The man must feel awful if he knows his kids think he's responsible for their mother's death.

Tony sounds like a mean man. A father should love his sons equally. I hope his first wife wasn't Martha's mother or Jack and Martha won't work. In case you were wondering, I'm JM obsessed!

I think Lucas shouldn't hang out with his new "friends" if he has changed so much according to Mattie.

I wonder how Martha and Ric will feel when they arrive in Summer Bay.

More please.

[pamy]

Long chapter. I'd like to point out that i'm not great with dialogue. Tell me what you think. Don't worry BarbaraI'm completely Jack and Martha obsessed as well, i hate the writers, they always destroy my favorite couples. Moving on.

Chapter 2

The smell of eggs and bacon fills the small house.

Ric opens his eyes. His eyes wonder to the radio clock. It’s early. To early for most people to be awake on a Sunday morning. But both he and Martha have never been normal people. Always different. Always haunted. Ric knows why Martha is always up so early. Even though she never truly speaks of it. It’s those nightmares. The ones that haunt her at night. They never talk about it. But sometimes he hears her scream at night. At first those screams always scared him. But over the years he grew used to it. He supposes this is not exactly a good thing.

They never speak of it though. She never tells him about them. And he doesn’t want to let her know he knows about them. If she wants to talk about it, she will. He knows she is trying to protect him. Just like she always has. But he doesn’t think she should. Just because she is the oldest one, doesn’t mean she’s in destructive. He’s sure that she to sometimes needs a shoulder to lean on. But he also hopes that she knows that if she ever needs him, he will be there. Always. No matter what.

They would help each other trough everything. They only had each other after all.

******

Martha hears his footsteps before she sees him.

She puts the eggs on a plate before she turns around. He still looks sleepy. And for a second she feels guilty. She’s sure she’s woke him up way to early. But they’ve never really slept in. Neither one of them has ever slept much. She supposes it’s that night that still haunts them. Or perhaps it’s just something that runs in the family. Something they have grown used to. A tradition. To make sure that they always have breakfast together. No matter what they have planned that day.

Ric smiles at Martha as he tells her good morning. She eyes him nervously. He knows that look. It means she wants to tell him something she’s sure he won’t like. Or at least she thinks he won’t like. His eyes wonder around the room for the first time, until effectively landing on a suitcase. He begins using his brain – not easily done this early in the morning – to try and remember. Is she going somewhere? Did she tell him and he perhaps forget – it wouldn’t exactly be the first time – or are they going somewhere? What the hells is going on.

‘Are we taking a trip sis?’

‘No. I am. I need you to listen to me. It’s hard to explain.’ She pauses for a moment. Nervously she seeks out his eyes. He smiles at her reassuringly. She has always been able to tell her little brother everything. But this is in so many ways different. ‘I’m going to Summer Bay. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. And I know that this is hard to understand. I want to go visit Roy. But it’s not just that. I’ve been remembering and dreaming a lot about that night. And there are some things that I don’t understand. Things I need to know. Questions I need answers on. And I have feeling, I’m only going to find them in Summer Bay. But I’m not dragging you along on this quest. I need to know these things, even if they will hurt me. But that doesn’t mean you should hear or know them. So I’m going to go, and I promise I won’t be gone long. I’ll be back before you can actually miss me. I would never leave you alone long. I’m not leaving you. I promise.’

There’s a silence as Ric stares at his plate. It takes a while before he looks up and answers.

‘I’m going with you.’ Martha opens her mouth, to protest he supposes, but he motions for her to be quiet. ‘I know you’re trying to protect me. But we have always been together. We’ve never been apart. And I don’t want to start now. I know what you’re going to say, that you won’t be gone long, but that doesn’t really matter.’ He begins to play with the egg on his plate. There’s silence for a couple of minutes before he continues. ‘But that’s not the only reason. I know things are different for each of us. And I don’t want to be alone, I don’t want you to be alone. Especially not when you are going to face this. But most of all Mac, those questions you need answers on? I have them to. And I need those answers, just as much as you do. So I’m going with you. No matter where you go.’

Martha smiles at him. ‘Okay. You should probably pack then.’ She’ll never tell him, but she’s grateful. She doesn’t think she can actually face this on her own. But she doesn’t think she had to ask him. Ask him to face things he perhaps did not want to face. Make him feel things he doesn’t want to feel. Remembering things he perhaps did not want to know. She’s grateful he’s coming with her. She doesn’t want to be alone. She doesn’t want him to be alone.

Ric spends the rest of the morning packing his bag. He picks up a picture of his mom. What he didn’t tell Martha, but is equally as important as the rest, is that he wants to see Summer Bay. He wants to walk on that beach. He wants to live in the town, even if it’s only for a little while, that his mom had once called home. It’s his only connection with her.

******

It’s always the same.

They never quit seek each other out. Tasha is at least grateful for that. She’s never truly understood why they hate each other so much. They’re both nice guys. Protective. And she thinks that if they would just sit down and talk, they would truly like each other. But for some reason – a reason she thinks she might be to female to identify – they hate each other. Really hate each other. She supposes something must have happened in the past. Before she moved to Summer Bay.

They don’t seek each other out. But when they see each other it’s always the same. One of them says something. The other one answers back. And before she knows It - before anyone truly sees it coming – they’re arguing. Screaming at each other. It rarely goes physical though. She’s only twice seen them really fighting. Truly. It had been years since they had done that. If she remembers it correctly they had both ended up in the hospital. It might have been hilarious, if it hadn’t been so ridiculous. Sometimes she wants to ask them why it is they don’t like each other. She never does.

Someone always breaks them up before it gets violent. Tasha is grateful she at least never has to step in. She’s literally caught in the middle. And she doesn’t know how to get out. How to escape. Jack has been her best friend for years. He’s in so many ways the big brother she never had. But she and Robbie were in class together. And she can’t truly understand why they don’t like each other. They are in so many ways the same. And she knows neither one can understand how she can get along with the other one. She has grown tired of defending them.

What she struggles most with are her feelings. Jack is like her big brother. But Robbie is something else. Every time she is around him her heart begins to accelerate. And she knows she is blushing. She stumbles over her words and sometimes even over her feet. She knows she is completely and totally head over heels in love with him. She’s been for at least a year. But she can’t act on it. She’s to afraid. Jack is like her big brother. And she can’t exactly tell him she’s in love with the guy he once warned her about. And she’s not even sure how much of that warning was actually based in reality.

Besides it’s not like it matters. He could never feel something for her.

*****

It’s easier to forgive your enemies, then it is to forgive your friends.

Whoever said that was, in Jack’s mind at least, a genius. For truer words were never spoken. Sometimes he thinks he should forgive Robbie. It has after all been years. And that is in part the problem. So many years have passed since they drifted apart, since their friendship was destroyed. They are so far from who they once were, that they can’t go back. No turning around. No nothing. Sometimes he thinks he should forgive him anyway. The feeling lasts until he sees him.

In the end Jack knows he can’t. And he knows Tasha doesn’t understand either. He’s never properly explained. He doesn’t know how to. He can’t find the words to tell her what happened. What it was that went so wrong between them. How it was that they – who had once been so close friends, practically brothers – managed to drift so far away from that to arrive at what they were now. Enemies. Rivals. He prefers not to think about Robbie. About who he once was – about who Jack thought he was. – And maybe in some way still is. He supposes he will never know.

There’s a fine line between love – friendship – and hate. He read that somewhere once. It’s easy to cross. But once you go over to the other side, you can’t go back. At least not completely.

*****

Matilda doesn’t like this. She doesn’t like it at all.

She’s not really sure what exactly it is. There’s something about Luke that has changed. Something that makes him different from who he once was. But she’s not completely sure what it is. Not at first. Maybe that’s why she stayed with him. Maybe that’s why she’s still with him. She knows she loves him – or at least she thinks it is love, she is after all only 16 – but she’s not sure if she’s in love with him. At least not this part of him. She thought a girl-talk with Cassie might help. In the end it somehow – unintentionally – made everything worse. Somehow.

They hadn’t made plans. She was sure of that. She even left him a message on his phone. So he wouldn’t go look for her. Still she saw him on the beach. At first he smiles. He smiles and Matilda begins to think that she imagined what happened. That she imagined the change within him. He still looks the same. Maybe it’s all in her head. Maybe she’s just feeling insecure. He smiles and walks up to her and asks her if she wants to go to the diner. She tells him she can’t.

When Matilda thinks about it later, she knows that was her mistake. She should have told him she’d already made plans. She should have told him about the message. Instead she just said ‘I’m sorry. I can’t.’ She knows it came out wrong. She knows it was her fault she made him angry. Which means – logically – that everything that came after that was her fault as well. And not his. He got angry – of course he got angry – after all she was practically telling him she didn’t want to spend time with him.

She ignores that small voice in the back of her mind. The one that tells her it is not her fault. That he shouldn’t have gotten this angry. That she’s not his property. She can spend time with her friends if she likes. ‘What do you mean you can’t?’ ‘I already made plans.’ ‘What kind of plans?’ ‘Well I’m going to see Cassie. We might go shopping or something.’ There’s silence for about a minute, and Matilda thinks that perhaps he has accepted this. That he understands. Instead he begins to raise his voice.

She’s not completely sure of what he said. Nor is she sure if he knows what he said. In the end it came down to one thing. That she shouldn’t be spending so much time with her friends instead of him. That he had never liked Cassie. That Cassie was somehow – thought Mattie had no idea how he came to this conclusion – turning her against him. And on and on. And all Mattie could think was Who is this? This is not Luke? It can’t be. She wants to tell him so many things. She wants to say she doesn’t like his new friends either. But she’s afraid of him – even though she’ll deny it later – he scared her. Really and truly scared her. It’s not what he was doing. As much as the reason why he was doing it and the difference with the person he once was.

She turned around. She didn’t think staying there would help the situation in anyway. So she turned around and began to walk away. Thinking that he just needed to calm down. That he was losing his mind. He grabbed her arm and tuned her to face him. ‘where do you think you’re going? I’m talking to you!’ Mattie takes a deep breath to calm herself down. Then hoping her voice is not shaking she answers him ‘I’m going to Cassie. Let go of me Luke.’ He doesn’t. He keeps talking and talking and all that time he doesn’t let go of her arm.

‘Damn it Luke, Let go of me. Let go of my arm. Luke you’re hurting me.’

He lets go of her arm immediately. As if it electrocuted him. There’s a complete silence as they both stare at each other. Mattie turns around and runs away from him.

Luke just watches her go.

*****

Jack hates being the new guy.

Though he does love his job, he just hates that he’s the new one. He is the one left behind to answer all the phones. He’s the one who gets the dirty jobs. And though he likes his boss – partner. He’s not really sure about this one, there aren’t that many cops in a town this small – it doesn’t change that small fact. He hates being the new guy. But he has to get trough it. Simply get trough it. It can’t exactly last forever. Someday somebody else will show up, and they will be the new one. He just hopes that day come soon.

Until that time Roy has left him in charge of the phones. The phones that hardly ever ring. It’s not like much happens in a town this small. He’s just glad neither his father nor his little brother take much interest in his job. He has no desire to tell them that instead of running around catching criminals, he is left behind to babysit the damn phones. He just hopes they ring soon. It will give him something to do. Somebody up there must be smiling down at him, because at that moment the phone does ring.

‘Summer Bay Police Station. Constable Holden speaking, how can I help you?’

‘Good afternoon. I’m trying to contact Roy.’

‘Detective Hanson is not here at this moment.’

‘Euhm,… when is he arriving?’

‘I’m not sure. Would you like to leave a message, I’m sure he’ll call you back as soon as he’s in.’

‘Yeah, just tell him that Martha called and she would like him to call her back. As soon as possible please.’

‘Martha? Do you have a last name?’

‘He knows who I am. Could you just tell him to call me?’

‘Of course. Have a nice day Martha.’

‘Have a nice day Constable Holden.’

The line goes dead. Jack writes down the name of the girl and leaves the message on Roy’s desk. He spends the rest of the time wondering about the girl. About who she could be. Perhaps a girl friend? An old friend? He doesn’t really know Roy that well.

Maybe someday he’ll find out.

****

It’s the silence he misses the most.

He’s almost forgotten what it feels like. Complete silence. It’s never completely silent in jail. Never. There are always sounds. Prisoners that scream. Guards that walk by. Locks that are closed. It’s never completely silent. It’s what he misses the most. Other inmates talk about the darkness. That’s also a reality about jail. It’s never completely dark. There’s always light. Always. He’s not completely sure why this is though.

He doesn’t miss the darkness. He thinks this is because it doesn’t matter how much light there is outside. Once you close your eyes there’s complete darkness anyway. But he misses the silence. The not being able to hear a thing. He’s been here for fifteen years. Fifteen long years, and yet he has not gotten used to it. It still bothers him. What bothers him more however, is the fact that he can’t remember. He can’t really remember what the silence feels like. Everyday that passes he forgets more and more about the outside world. And it scares him.

What he misses the absolute most – more than the silence and the freedom – are his children. His children. His eyes wonder over to the only picture on his wall. The only picture he has left. It’s an old picture. Tears shine in his eyes as he looks at his wife – his beautiful wife, so full of live. He misses her as well. But she is never coming back – with her arms around his daughter. Martha. His son, Ric, lies in the sand next to her. His children. His two only children. He knows they hate him. They hate him for what they think he has done. And based on only that information he can’t truly blame them. Sometimes he hates himself as well.

But he didn’t do it. He didn’t kill his wife. But they think he did. He remembers that day as if it happened yesterday. It’s clear. He remembers walking up to his room – he felt weird. Almost as if he knew something wasn’t right about this, something was wrong within this house - and finding her there. He doesn’t remember screaming though. He knows he did it. He just doesn’t remember starting to. He heard his son cry somewhere – he registered that fact at least – but he couldn’t move. Not until he was told his wife was truly dead. That’s when he remembered the children.

He’ll never forget it. The look on her face. She had been so scared, so confused. She didn’t understand what was going on. She was far to young. He remembers how the police officer had taking his son out of his hands and held Martha’s hand as he walked them out of the house. She had turned around one last time. It had been the last time he had seen her. She had never come to visit. Neither one had. Neither one of them had ever send him a card, of any sort. He knows that to them he is dead. He doesn’t really blame them.

But he knows that somewhere out there the true killer is still lose. And he has lived his life for fifteen years. Fifteen years he stole from his wife. Fifteen years he stole from his children. Fifteen years he stole from him. And he’ll find him. He’s made many friends over the years, so he is sure he will find him. Someday. Somehow. He’ll find him. And he will make him pay for everything he has done.

He’s got nothing left to lose after all.

****

It’s silent as they drive to their destination.

Neither one has spoken much since they got into the car. There’s not much to say. And neither one is sure of what to say either. It’s not easy what they are about to do. They’re going to dig up a past, a past of which they are sure it would be better if it stayed hidden. But they need to know. They know what happened. But they can’t understand it. There are to many things they don’t know. To many questions. To many things they should know.

Welcome to Summer Bay.

Martha drives past the sign, without truly looking at it. It’s been a long time since she’s been here. She doesn’t really remember much about it. She was just six years old after all. A child. How was she supposed to know she was leaving it behind. She keeps driving until she reaches a small diner. They have been driving for hours, and Martha thinks they should eat something, before they go and find a place to stay.

Her eyes wonder over to the ocean. And as she looks at it Martha feels something else. For the first time in fifteen years she feels like she’s finally come home. That she’s finally where she belongs. Where she always should have been.

It's long I know.

[Red Ranger 1]

Just stumbled across this and, wow, it's really good.Brilliant idea, it's really got me intrigued.Plus it's got loads of characters I liked in it which is always a plus.Looking forward to seeing where you go with it.

[Barbara]

I'm an expert at shipping couples that don't get a happy end (no matter what show I'm watching)!

That was a long chapter! Not that I'm complaining. I loved every bit of it!

I'm glad Ric decided to go with Martha. They'll both need each other if/when they find answers.

I feel so sorry for Martha and Ric's father. I hope he doesn't do something stupid if he ever finds the real murderer.

I like the fact Jack is already wondering about Martha after hearing her once on the phone!

I wonder what happened between Jack and Robbie. It must be something big to break their friendship like that.

Luke! I can't believe he actually hurt Matilda. It's something I wouldn't have expected from him but then again, I'm probably influenced by the Lucas from TV.

More please.

[pamy]

It took me a while to get the new chapter up. It's just that school started again, and I got a bit sidetracked. Then there was this crazy weather yesterday.

Barbara. Don't worry you are not the only one. I also alway ship the couples that never make it. My friends have already learned in any show and sometimes even in movies and books. When I like a couple, they shoudl stay away from it. Because there is a big possibility that they will never make it. in fact so far the only ones i've really liked that have made it are Tasha/robbie and Ric/Matilda, but that's only because they left the show. God only knows what would have happened if they stayed.

Anyway. Here we go.

Chapter 3

Summer Bay.

He’d spend many years trying to imagine what the little sea-side town would be like. Somehow he had imagined it almost magical. He supposes this is in some way because it is the only real connection he has to his mum. He has Martha’s stories, but a seven year old can only tell so much. And pictures don’t tell stories at all. You invent stories, but they don’t really tell you something. They’re just moments frozen in time.

Frozen in time forever.

But he’d always tried to picture Summer Bay. The sea and the beach. And now he’s here. Fifteen years later, and he’s finally here. The last town his mom lived in. Actually the only town his mom ever lived in. As far as he knows anyway. Sometimes it seems strange that they never returned. Martha must have had friends here. There entire family – what was left of it. Which was in retrospective not much – lived here or close by. But they never returned.

Martha had never wanted to return.

He didn’t either. So many feelings were connected to this place. So many things they wanted to forget. Questions that were never answered. Answers they were now here looking for. RIc wants to know. Ric needs to know. But even though he wants and needs to know, there’s a part of him that wants to run away. A part of him who doesn’t want to understand his father. A part who never wants to look back. Never hear things he always wanted to know but had been to afraid to know at the same time.

Answers he needed. Answers he was also afraid of.

*****

Divide and conquer. That was their Moto.

Or something like that at least. Martha was going to the police station. To talk to Roy. He was going to find them a place to stay. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go with Martha. Just that he had never really talked to the guy. He knows who he is. He knows. But he’s never really felt connected to him. Martha had. Roy had protected her during the case and the trial. They had stayed friends after so many years. He sends Christmas cards.

But Ric knows he’d feel uncomfortable.

And Martha won’t. So it’s much easier – much, much easier – for her to go talk to Roy. And for him to go find a place to stay. At least that’s what it seemed like. An hour ago. You would think – you would really think – there is no way to get lost in a town so small. And yet he has done it. Everything looks the same here. He’s pretty sure he’s been walking around in circles this entire time. He always ends up at the beach of course. He’s just never sure where exactly he is.

Eventually he asks for help.

Martha would roll her eyes and say ‘boys’. And wonder out loud why it was that boys never asked for directions. But Ric felt stupid and ridiculous asking how to get to the caravan park in a town this small. Especially when the man pointed at the road he’d been walking on and said ‘Just go straight ahead. Five more minutes and you’re there.’ He didn’t laugh though. So maybe he wasn’t the firs person who had encountered this problem. Or maybe the man was just to polite to laugh in his face.

He should have gone with Martha.

****

Matilda tried not to think about what had happened.

It’s not like Luke had really hurt her. Not really. Her arm didn’t even hurt. It was more that he had actually grabbed her. As if he was going to drag her wherever he wanted her to go. As if he had control over her. As if he could decide where she would go. When she would see people. She hadn’t told anyone what had happened. Not Cassie. Not Robbie. Not her mom.

It seems small and stupid when she thinks about it.

Maybe she’s overreacting. Maybe it was nothing. If she would have told someone they might have told her to take it easy. Not to make a big deal out of nothing. Because that’s what it was. Nothing. She had seen the look in his eyes when she told him he was hurting her. He probably didn’t even realize he was holding her arm that tightly. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He was still the same Luke she fell in love with. Still her Luke.

A soft knocking on her door brings her back to earth.

Slowly she gets up. Maybe it’s Luke coming to apologize. It isn’t. It’s someone else instead. She’s pretty sure she’s never seen him before. For a moment – just a second – she wonders what the hell a stranger is doing at her door. Then her brain – her stupid slow brain – finally kicks in. She lives in a Caravan park. People might actually come by and rent one. It doesn’t happen very often. But it might occasionally happen. She wonders suddenly how it is possible that the caravan park still exists. With the little costumers it gets it should have been out of business years ago. She doesn’t realize how long she’s been silent, until he coughs to catch her attention. She looks up to meet his eyes.

Her heart skips a beat.

*****

There’s seems to be nobody home.

He’s been wondering around for an hour. And now there’s nobody home. For a brief moment he wonders if it wouldn’t be better if he goes to look for Martha. They can come back later. But he’s tired; and he just wants to unpack his stuff. Besides. He’s not entirely sure where the police station is, and he has no desire of wandering around aimlessly for several hours. He could just wait here until somebody shows up. Or he could just knock on the door and make sure nobody’s really there.

He decides to do the latter and knock.

It takes a while, but eventually he hears footsteps. The door opens to reveal a girl. She’s got to be about his age. Ric freezes for a second. She has to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Her brown hair reaches till her shoulders. She doesn’t really seem to notice him at first. Her eyes are distant – and sad – so sad. And for a second he wants to ask her if she’s alright, if there is something he can do for her. Then he remembers. He doesn’t actually know her. At the same moment he realizes they have been standing here in complete silence for a while. She’s actually starting to concern him. Maybe this was just a bad time?

He coughs softly to get her attention. Willing her to smile at him. If only just once.

She looks up and smiles. He wonders if he should say something, or wait for he to speak. ‘Hi. Umh.. I’m here to rent a Caravan.’ She looks at him stunned for a second, before recovering and smiling at him. ‘Of course. I’m sorry I’m just a little distracted. Please come in. I’ll get the paperwork.’ She ushers him to the table, tells him to take a seat. He does. And waits for her to return. As he sits there he wonders what she’s like. ‘Alright. I’m just going to need your details. Just for one person?’ ‘Two actually.’ A look crosses her face, but it’s gone before he can truly identify the feeling. Jealousy perhaps? Or is he just wishing for things that aren’t there? ‘Yeah. Me and my sister. I think everything has to be under her name. Since I’m just sixteen.’ ‘Alright. You’ll need one of the bigger caravans then.’ ‘Yeah.’ Suddenly he realizes that during this entire time, he has never given her his name. And he wants to know hers, so badly. ‘I’m sorry. I never gave you my name. I’m Ric.’ ‘Matilda.’

She smiles. And he swears his knees go weak.

He’s grateful he’s sitting down.

****

Matilda smiles as she sits back down.

It seems weird somehow to feel this. She’s not even entirely sure what this is. It somehow feels like her feelings for Luke. But that isn’t possible. She’s just met him. He’s cute. She admits that. But she loves Luke. So she can’t feel anything for this new guy right? It’s just because he’s so cute, and kind and nice. That’s it. She figures he could probably be a good friend. That is if Luke would ever let her. The way he’s been acting lately he might not.

There’s another knock on the door.

And for a second she wonders if he has returned.

****

Ric looks around the small caravan. For now it will do. He’s not entirely sure how long they are staying here. But if they decide to stay longer they can always find somewhere else to live. For now here is good. He can’t stop thinking about her though. Matilda. For a brief second he allows himself to wonder if she could ever like a guy like him. He dismisses that thought immediately. He’s just met her. He’s just met her. She’s beautiful and kind, but he can’t have feelings for her. Not yet. He doesn’t really believe in love at first sight. He doesn’t believe in many things. Love being one of them.

Something tells him that has probably something to do with his father killing his mom. It’s just a thought really. But nevertheless he can’t stop thinking about her. He’s sure she could be a good friend. It’s not like it really matters what he feels anyway. A girl as beautiful and kind as her, probably already has a boyfriend. One she loves very much.

He would never have a change with a girl like her.

He doesn’t believe in love after all.

****

Flowers. And a card which reads ‘I’m sorry.’

And hour ago this might have meant something. Now she doesn’t really know. He did hurt her arm. And she’s not sure if he deserves a second change. And then there’s the guy. The cute guy in caravan number 22. And she’s not entirely sure what she feels right now. And she can’t go back to Luke. But she loves Luke. She knows this. She does. She might think Ric is cute, but she’s sure Luke has checked out other girls. She should forgive him. Forget this happened.

He was probably just having a bad day.

As she stares at the flowers another realization hits her. He didn’t come buy. He scared her. Screamed at her. Hurt her arm. But he didn’t come to apologize. He simply sends her a note. Which might have made her forgive him immediately an hour ago. But right now she doesn’t really know.

Flowers. And a card which reads ‘I’m sorry.’

And all she wonders is if he’s really sorry. Or if he just wants her to believe he is.

[Barbara]

It took me a while to get the new chapter up. It's just that school started again, and I got a bit sidetracked. Then there was this crazy weather yesterday.

Barbara. Don't worry you are not the only one. I also alway ship the couples that never make it. My friends have already learned in any show and sometimes even in movies and books. When I like a couple, they shoudl stay away from it. Because there is a big possibility that they will never make it. in fact so far the only ones i've really liked that have made it are Tasha/robbie and Ric/Matilda, but that's only because they left the show. God only knows what would have happened if they stayed.

Tell me about it. About 960 kms of traffic when there was like 3 cm of snow? How crazy is that?

Fortunately, Tasha and Robbie left together. I liked Ric and Matilda but I loved Lucas and Matilda so that's just one couple who got a happy ending for me.

---

Lucas should have brought the flowers himself and apologised in person. At least, he knows he did something wrong.

I liked the way you described Matilda and Ric's instant attraction.

I had to laugh when Ric got lost in Summer Bay. Why is it that so many men are afraid to ask for directions?

Please update soon.

[Red Ranger 1]

I loved Ric and Matilda.I miss them.So I'm really glad they're in your fiction and you wrote their first meeting just right, they were so sweet.Really looking forward to more of it.