What Goes Around

Marty walked into Heavenly Coffee her shoulders slumped, but in need of comfort. If one thing had come out of her miscarriage it was that she could have her daily jolt of caffeine again.

As she crossed the room, she caught sight of a familiar figure and stalked towards her: "Well I guess you got what you wanted, oh no, wait, John's still with me," she snarked at Natalie, who looked up wide eyed and surprised at the blonde who she hadn't even notice walk into the coffee shop and whom she hadn't spoken to since she had apologized for her harsh words and the lose of the other woman's baby.

"Leave me alone, Marty," Natalie sighed as she put down her cup of coffee.

"Right, like you left me alone?"

Natalie rolled her eyes: "Marty, you were the one who was constantly in my face. When I went to apologize for those horrible things I said you just pushed me out of your way and then LIED that I was the one who pushed you."

"Oh, puh-lease, you might have John fooled but once I talk to Nora…"

"What? She's going to buy it? Funny I heard Todd threatened you too. Think she'd go after him faster then me," Natalie replied.

Marty smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest: "no denial."

"I gave my denial to the only people who counted," she admitted sadly. "But I will say, I would never hurt an unborn child."

"Right," Marty shot back. "Like you have any idea what having a child would be like."

"Oh, I might not have a child, but I have loss one," Natalie shot back as she looked down to start gathering her briefcase and other belongings while trying to keep the tears that the memory brought up at bay.

"Your sister's kids, who you tried to take over, don't count."

"You're not the only one to miscarry John's baby," she blurted out without noticing how John was coming up behind Marty. "But hey, at least you have people around who care. When I did, John, was chasing your skirt and my family were too worried about Jessica," she said then added as she straightened up and looked the blonde in the eye: "you blame me for wrecking your relationship with John. Manipulating him? Why don't you go look in a mirror. We were supposed to get engaged when you butted in and I didn't use a pregnancy to try to hold onto him. Come at me again and I'm filing for a restraining order along with a libel and slander suit," she challenged, then froze as she realized that John was standing behind Marty, shell shocked. Rolling her eyes she looked back to Marty: "I'm not my siblings and I won't let you tarnish my reputation the same way you did Kevin's. You never did apologize for lying about him raping you did you?"

"My memory was a bit off. He's not vindictive like someone else to hold it against me."

"Memory off? Same as when you said you killed Truman and didn't? Same as you lying about me pushing you down those stairs and neglecting to say that Todd had threatened you? Gee, Marty maybe you better see someone about those memory problems, oh, and this time, don't expect an apology. Either of you," she said looking over to John. "Grief only gets a person a pass for so long. I won't be constantly harassed."

Marty looked back to John about to say something as he looked at Natalie: "Is what you said true?"

"If you think I would lie about that you really never knew me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded in an icy cold voice.

"You had moved on and I wasn't going to use a baby to hold you to me," she told him flatly. "I wasn't that far along. I would've told you later. But… well later never came did it? Seems to never come for us," she added tiredly. "Take care of your new one true love. I'm outta here."

Watching her go, John tried to ignore Marty's calls for his attention, but then Natalie was gone and he was faced with an irate girlfriend. "Can you believe she would use our loss like that? Make up that lie?" she demanded of him.

"She wasn't lying," John said softly.

"John, really? The timing's awfully convenient to make that open declaration, especially with you standing there."

"She didn't see me or she wouldn't have said it. She clearly never wanted me to know."

Huffing Marty shook her head: "how can you be so blind to her and her tricks?"

"She's not the only one with tricks, Marty," John answered her sadly. "Look, I don't want to fight about this. Let's just have our coffee and then go to work."

"You're not going to go after her later are you?" she asked him insecurely.

John shook his head: "Natalie made my place in her life clear. Just like she did when she said she wouldn't interfere with our relationship."

"Like she hasn't? She turned town gossip about my pregnancy!"

"Actually that was more Roxy. How was she supposed to know you let her know and not me?" John asked.

"I explained…"

"Just like she did a lot of things. Neither of you believe the other and look where we all ended up," John replied tensely. "Stay away from her Marty. She's hurting and she will do what she said."

"And what about me," Marty asked, grabbing hold of his arm. "I'm hurting too. I'm hurting more. I lost our baby in part because of her. If I hadn't been trying to get away from her I never would've used the stairs. Never been pushed. It was her fault."

"Let it go, Marty," John sighed as he kissed her forehead. "I'm going to go get our drinks."

"The hell I'm letting this go," Marty muttered as she watched him walk away. "Because if I don't keep you focused on our loss I'll loose you too. And I refuse to loose you to her.

No… I did my job right. Did just what I was told. I headed the messenger and as soon as you are completely mine I get my answers. He will hold up his end of the bargain."