Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.
This story is slightly AU. In this story, Marty DID NOT attack and kill her psychiatrist, stab Kelly, or push Natalie from the roof at Angel Square. In this story, those events did not happen. Also, in this particular story, Marty left on the plane alone (Patrick is not alive).
~*o*~
*39 years prior*
On a dark and dismal evening, Irene Manning gave birth in the middle of a thunderstorm. She couldn't believe this was happening to her, going into labor all alone. As the lightening lit up the sky, the first of the twins were born. Irene barely had time to register that her infant was a son before intense contractions overcame her once again. Fifteen minutes after her firstborn son's delivery, Irene had given birth to a second baby boy. "There are two,"
she gasped in surprise because she hadn't known she had been carrying twins.
As Irene lay there marveling over her newborn twins, she knew sadly what she must do. "I have to give one of these babies to him... and the other one, I will hide," she murmured.
Looking down at her precious babies, it was difficult to make the choice. They were both beautiful, innocent, and deserving of happiness and love. How could she give one of her tiny babies to that horrific monster? But knowing she had no other choice, she kissed them both and told one of them goodbye.
Thomas Todd and Thomas Kane. Both would leave their mother's embrace. And unbeknownst to Irene, both of them would leave in the arms of a monster.
*Present Day*
After a few months in Ireland, Marty Saybrooke returned to the states. That day of her departure, Marty had mistakenly believed she could put her past behind her, forget all the confusion and the chaos, and find some peace and harmony within her life. She couldn't have been more wrong. She had ran away from her troubles like a frightened child. In her fragile state, she had thought time and distance could provide solace to her damaged heart. But in truth, Marty knew it would not be so. She had to return to Llanview. She had to face her demons head-on, fight her battles, and make some sense of the tangled web which had become her life. When a letter had arrived from John, urging her to return, Marty knew what she must do. She boarded a plane, arriving in Llanview on a sultry August evening.
The first person she contacted was John McBain. "Hey, John, it's me... Marty. You said you needed me ... and it was urgent. I'm here in Llanview. Where can we meet?" Marty asked when she finally had him on the phone.
"Meet me at my place," answered John. "We have a lot to talk about, Marty."
After they ended their conversation, Marty's curiousity peaked. John was always the tall, dark and mysterious one. Now was no exception. What was so urgent that John insisted she rush over from Ireland? She was surprised John even wanted to talk to her after that crazy stunt she had pulled, changing his unborn child's DNA test to make it look like Brody Lovett was the baby's father. Now that Todd had told John the truth, Marty had been sure that John would hate her.
As wild thoughts crashed inside her mind, she took her rented to car to Angel's Square and just a few minutes later she arrived at John's apartment. "Marty," John said, a half-smile coming to his face when he met her at the door.
"Hello, John," she said when he asked her to come inside. She took a seat upon his couch waiting anxiously as he stood there in silence, regarding her with piercing blue eyes.
Finally, Marty spoke. "Come on, John, why did you ask me to come here? Is it about Liam... and the awful things I did?" Marty asked uneasily. "I swear to you, I'm sorry for all the hurt I put you and Natalie through. I regret ever kidnapping Liam ... and changing those DNA tests was so terribly unforgivable-."
"DNA tests?" John exclaimed. "What are you talking about, Marty?"
A frown crinkled Marty's brow. "Todd didn't tell you?" she asked.
John shook his head. "No, Marty. Todd has a shitload of secrets. What the hell was Manning supposed to have told me?" John demanded.
"Before I left for Ireland, he promised to tell you that I changed the DNA tests. John, Liam is your son," Marty divulged. "Ohhhh, I knew I shouldn't have trusted Todd!"
John stood there in a state of shock. What the hell was Marty saying? Liam was his son?
"Is it true, Marty? Is Liam REALLY my son?"
"I swear it on my life, John. I changed those DNA tests. The baby was yours all along," Marty said softly and regretfully. "Knowing what I did, I suppose you hate me now... and if you do, I don't really blame you. It was a horrible... awful thing for me to do..."
"Why the fuck didn't someone tell me this? You knew... Manning knew. Liam is my son, and you kept it from me," John said as a muscle twitched in his jaw. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for this, Marty... but that has nothing to do with why I called you back from Ireland. When I asked you to come here, it had nothing to do with Liam, Natalie, and all that other crap we went through just before you left Llanview.
"Alright," Marty said as she looked up at him. "What does it have to do with then?"
"A man has come to Llanview and he's in need of your expertise. He's lost his memory. I'm afraid he's been brainwashed so to speak. The only memories he has are those of his own identical twin brother. Poor guy... having such a disgusting snake for a brother..."
"I don't know, John. The case sounds really complicated and I'm not sure if I could help him. But I'm up for a challenge, I suppose, and I would do everything in my power to help this man regain his memories," Marty spoke. "Why me though? There are other doctors here in Llanview... capable ones? Why did you call on me to help him?"
"He suggested you, actually," answered John. "Since he has all of his brother's memories, he thinks he knows you."
"Knows me?" Marty said with a little laugh. "Exactly who is this man's brother? And when will I meet him?"
Suddenly then, a man came strolling into the room. A man with Todd Manning's face, scar and all. "Here I am, Marty. Long time no see," said a familiar voice as Marty gazed at the man in shock, the color draining swiftly from her face.
"Todd," Marty said softly, disbelieving she was looking upon the face of the man who had raped her all those years ago. How could this be? If Marty hadn't have been sitting down, she would have collapsed in a heap upon John's livingroom floor.
"No," he responded. "They tell me that's not my name. Todd is the name my identical twin brother. I'm Kane; Thomas Kane Manning."
Marty tore her eyes away from him to look at John, wanting some answers to explain this totally bizarre scenerio. Todd had a twin? A twin brother whose mind was infused with Todd's twisted and complex memories? "Is it true, John? This man is Todd Manning's twin?" Marty asked, wanting confirmation as she was having trouble coming to terms with the fact that another man possessing Todd's old face existed upon this earth.
"Yeah, we had the DNA tests checked over twice. This man is Todd Manning's identical twin. Irene Manning's diary confirmed it. On the night she gave birth to Todd, she also gave birth to Todd's twin brother. Todd was given to Peter and Barbara Manning to raise. No one knows what happened to Kane, nor where he has been all these years. He showed up here in Llanview a month ago with no memories of his past. The only memories he has are those of Todd. This man needs some serious help."
Marty's eyes shifted to Kane, disbelieving that any of this could be true. This had to be some sort of strange, crazy dream! Bad enough there had been one Todd... but now there were two?
Looking into her eyes, he softly spoke. "I remember raping you, Marty... but mostly I remember how much I loved you..."
Marty had no response to that as she sat there upon the couch, questioning her own sanity. "Well, I'll leave the two of you alone to get acquainted. I need to go talk to Natalie now about Liam," John said, breaking both Marty and Kane out of their thoughts.
"Alright, John, we'll talk later," Marty said to John as he walked out the door quickly in his eagerness to reunite with Natalie.
After John had left, there was total silence. All Marty could hear was her own frantic heartbeat in her head. This man really thought he was Todd. He certainly looked like Todd; sounded like Todd. And his effect on her was the same as that of Todd. He made her feel as though there was fire in her veins, as if her soul had been set aflame. Only Todd Manning had ever had that effect on her. Whenever he had walked into a room, Marty had been rivetted toward him, no matter what the circumstances. Staring into this man's hazel eyes, Marty knew that it HAD to be true. This man no doubt must share the exact same DNA as Todd. They had to be identical twins.
"What's the matter, Marty? Cat got your tongue?" he suddenly asked, startling her.
Marty shook her head, looking at him warily. If this man were anything like Todd, she'd have to be extremely careful. Lord knows that Todd Manning could strike like a snake at any minute. His brother could be just as dangerous.
"John requested that I help you . I'm going to do my best to assist you regain your memories, but I need your full cooperation. To be honest, I've never worked on a case such as yours where someone has lost their memory and assumed the life experiences of another," Marty told him. "We'll need a quiet place to work where you will feel comfortable. Where are you staying?"
"I'm staying at Vicki's gate house. You can come over and we could work there. That is if you aren't afraid to be alone with me?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes as though he were attempting to search her soul.
"Wh- why would I be afraid to be alone with you?" Marty asked softly, returning his smouldering gaze.
"Because I raped you..."
"Technically it was Todd who raped you, but I have the memory of it, too," he added.
"Well, if you aren't Todd, then we have nothing to worry about. I will be safe with you. But you'll have to trust me, too," Marty stated.
"What are you going to do to me, Doctor? Make me lay down on the couch while you pick apart my mind?" he asked her sarcastically.
*Now that sounds like Todd* Marty was thinking.
"I'll come over to the gate house tomorrow morning," said Marty, rising to her feet to abruptly leave. This man was too intense. She couldn't take another moment here. It was as if he had sucked away all the air.
"I'll be there," Kane responded as he followed her to the door. After she walked away, he closed the door and leaned back against it. A half-smirk came to his face.
*Marty Saybrooke has no idea what she's getting herself into* he thought to himself. "I'm not Thomas Kane Manning. I - AM - TODD.*