Two Lives

Two Lives: Jack and Martha. Is it too late?

Prologue

And as she came in to start her shift, there they were. All six of them. Three happy little couples. As bright, as bright can be. This was going to be awkward. She had avoided contact with both since the kiss. And she could only suppose they'd been avoiding her in turn. It was bound to happen though. Only bar in town and she worked there. People need to drink. Kim looked up from the group merriment and caught her eye across the room. She gave a casual wave and then pretended to be in a rush to start serving.

Noticing Kim's friendly smile Jack turned around to discover the identity of the recipient. It was as suspected. It was strange; acting like strangers. The kiss had created a barrier and he wasn't sure either wanted to knock it down. It was easier like this. There could be no confusion, no question marks. Just his life and hers. If they were ven diagrams they were mutually exclusive. If there were journeys they were destined to travel they were mapped out on different pages and in different time-zones. No more intersections – not anymore.

She walked along the foreshore and there they were again. All six of them. Again. She put her head down to avoid making eye contact.

"And then Rach thought it was three instead of thirty," Kim said and they all cracked up. Dinner party conversation on the beach. They even had the sparkly to sip. Jack raised his head and noticed her striding out above his eye-line. She was alone and she appeared to be in a hurry. A pang of guilt. Should he have invited her? He doubted she would have appreciated any such offer. Still perhaps he could run up now and suggest she join them. But already it was too late; she was someway off and to catch up would look strange. That word again. Having to watch what you said and did, having to avoid contact because of what it meant. Or didn't mean. He never thought it would come to that with her.

They were all watching tv together – the four of them – when the other two popped their heads in the door.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Nothing, just NCIS."

"Okay, just wondering if you all wanted to come to dinner at our place tomorrow night? Seven o'clock."

"Sounds great. You're free right Jack?"

"Yeah," Jack said, without much enthusiasm.

"We're in," Kit and James added.

"Great," Kim replied.

"So it's just the six of us?" Jack enquired casually. "No one else is coming?"

"Well we've only invited you guys so far. There's no one else is there?"

Jack felt a tinge of annoyance at that comment. She was a no one now was she? She'd shared a house with those two; Kim had been lost in the bush with her. Even though she'd become pretty distant lately, and wasn't in a twosome, she was hardly a no one. He felt the need to remind them she was a someone, for reasons he was not quite sure of.

"There's others," he replied.

"Oh?" Rachel asked friendly. "Who did we forget?"

Jack tried desperately to think of others who weren't Martha. "Dan and Leah." He didn't particularly want them to be invited – another couple – but he couldn't think of anyone else. He really needed to introduce more single friends into the group.

"Dan's parents. Leah told me the other day," Rachel explained.

"There's Martha," Jack added, and snuck a sideways glance at Sam to read her reaction. They hadn't really discussed her or the kiss since the explanation on the beach. It wasn't an elephant but it was untested water. However she appeared impassive, unperturbed.

"Well we were thinking it's kind of a couple thing," Kim said, providing Jack with the answer he knew was coming, and dreading.

"It's always a couple thing," he tried to say lightly. "It's the six of us and that's it. I mean it's always going to be a couple thing is what I'm saying. So does that mean we'll never do anything with Martha anymore, invite her to anything? Unless she becomes a couple too?" Everyone looked at him a little strangely, except Sam, who remained unperturbed. Did anything fluster her? The kiss, but she soon got over that, it seemed.

Rachel, ever the diplomat, tried to smooth the waters. "You're right. We should invite Martha. It feels like ages since I've seen her. We just didn't want to make her feel awkward, but I'll ring her tonight."

"She probably won't come," Jack mumbled. "It doesn't matter, I was just saying."

"No, I'll give her a call. Anyway see you tomorrow guys."

"Yeah, see ya," they all chorused.

"That was a bit weird back there, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"Jack talking about Martha. Being all protective."

"He's just looking out for her. They are good friends after all."

"Yeah, I guess."

Martha lay on her bed with her eyes closed trying to shut out the world. Her phone denied the possibility. She checked the caller id and it was Rachel. Strange. Rachel rarely called her.

"Hello?"

"Hey Martha, it's me, Rach."

"Hi Rach. How's things?"

"Great. I was just calling to see if you wanted to come to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Dinner?" Martha asked, as though the concept was unheard of.

"Yeah, with me, Kim, Sam, Jack, Kit and James."

It was all Martha could do not to laugh. Three couples plus one. No thanks.

"Sorry, I'm busy." Martha tried to sound apologetic.

"Oh? You could pop round after maybe?"

"I'm busy all night," she stated bluntly. For no reason that was fair she was annoyed that they'd even asked her. Did they have no idea in their happy little couple kingdom?

"Oh, ok. Well another time."

"Yeah, another time." Martha angrily pressed the red button on her phone to end the conversation before chucking it aside and pushing her face deep into the pillow, allowing darkness to envelop her.

"You suggested it?" She honestly didn't think, off all six, it would have been Jack's idea. "Yeah, well it feels like we haven't hung out in ages."

"That's because we haven't."

"Exactly."

"No, not exactly. You don't get it do you? I don't want to hang out with you Jack. You and your perfect family, with your perfect partner friends. I'm sure I sound like a bitter, twisted bitch right now, and maybe I am, but I can't do it. You have your life Jack and it's great. Sam's great, Rory's great, the whole thing is great. And don't get me wrong, I really am happy for you. You are the best man I know and you deserve all that you have. But I don't have that, any of that, and it's my fault. My fault entirely. I chose my path and you chose yours. They're different paths Jack."

"That doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"It doesn't feel like friendship anymore. It feels like pity."

"That's not what it is."

"My problems are my problems Jack, not yours. You've got your life. Go live it. And I'll live mine."