Several weeks had passed since the incident with Marcus in her kitchen and they'd some how managed as best they could to avoid each other. Yet here and now in the late evening hours Abby sat alone in medical, her mind weakened by a number of sleepless nights, her thoughts drifted to the feeling of his warm hands grazing the back of her neck, his breath and the way her heart raced at the gesture. Now her hand ghosted the skin where his had been and her mind drifted into dangerous territory. 'God who does he think he is' she muses. How can he cause so much animosity yet leave her wanting more. He always had that effect on her and she hated him for it. She sighed deeply, maybe she didn't, that was the real problem and she'd always known it.

She'd be lying if she told anyone that she never thought about him when she touched herself, and even worse when she was with her husband. It was the dark part of her conscious that she kept hidden, her split personality. On the outside she was the responsible doctor, loving mother, and adoring wife. 'Well two out of three wasn't bad' she thought with a cynical chuckle. Of course she loved Jake but was she ever in love with him? It didn't matter anymore this was her role and she would play it.

She enjoyed the silence in medical this late at night, it gave her a break from her reality for a while. She wasn't expecting the sound of footsteps that led her way, but what really surprised her was who walked in. 'We can't avoid each other forever' she though as she took in Marcus's appearance. His face slightly pale, hair and clothes disheveled as he held a cloth to his bleeding forehead.

"Is Jackson here?" He asked

"No you're stuck with me. If you can act like an adult" she replied with no humor in her voice

"Abby I…"

She cut him off by holding up her hand "Just sit on the cot Kane. What the hell happened to you anyway?" A change in topic was probably the best way to go.

He crossed the room as he spoke "I was trying break up a fight between mechanics one of them swung a wrench. Caught me in the forehead."

"Did you lose consciousness?" The doctor in her took over.

"No not really"he sat on the cot closest to her desk.

"What does not really mean?" She crossed her arms

"I'm mean. I may have blacked out for a second or two but I'm sure it's nothing"

"Uh huh" she stepped into his space to start her assessment. He removed the cloth to allow her to look at his cut.

She check the depth and severity of his would by pushing and manipulating his forehead, probably a little rougher then was necessary. "Ow really" he complained.

"Yes really. Your going to need a few stitches and you probably have a minor concussion" she shines her pen light to check his pupils. She tried to ignore the fact that she was standing between his parted knees. Her mind flashing back to her earlier thoughts and she can't help my notice his eyes grow dark as if he could read her mind.

"Abby.." he started not sure what he's about to say as he places a hand on her hip. There it was again, the lightening hot feeling that burnt through her skin as his thumb grazed just under her shirt.

Their eyes having an unspoken conversation or an argument Abby wasn't quite sure. What she was sure of was that if she didn't stop it now a line would be crossed. She pulled away quickly and moved back several steps to allow her room to think. "Kane please you've got to stop this"

He stepped boldly toward her "why?" He smirked his eyes still dangerously dark.

"You know exactly why"

"You know it's been all these years and I'm still a little fuzzy on the details." He moved closer.

"What do you mean" she was playing dumb and she knew it. He let out a huff of a laugh.

"I see you Abby. I always have." He moved closer still her back hitting the wall. Abby's not sure how she lost control of this situation. "What I don't understand is how he won" his voice lowered to a growl.

Something about his anger always left her at his mercy and now under his dark gaze she was about to break. "Marcus…" she breathed staring at his lip that were tantalizingly close.

"Oh I'm Marcus again?"he seemed too proud of himself flashing a smug grin and something inside her snapped after years of repression. She grabbed his jacked, crashing her lips roughly to his. He took no time in his response pressing her against the wall and tangling his hand in her hair. There was nothing slow or gentle about it. He coaxed her mouth open with a sharp bite to her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood, but she felt no pain. She moaned into his mouth as he lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist, pinning her against the wall. The undeniable evidence of his want for her pressing against her core.

The loud ring of her data pad brought the two out of their haze of ecstasy. "Oh God Marcus wait." She pushed him back and he gently set her back on her feet. She didn't need to say it, he knew it was Jake calling for his wife.

She walked over on slightly shaky legs and tried her best to fake a natural tone as she answered "hey sweetie what's up…yeah I know it's late I lost track of time working on inventory…..yeah I'll be heading back soon. Actually Kane just came in with a nasty bump to the head I'm going to stitch him up real quick then head home…sounds good…love you too." She bowed her head with a heavy sigh as she hung up.

"Do you want me to find Jackson?" He offered her an out.

"No. No that would be weirder. Raise more question then I'm prepared to deal with right now."

"Abby I don't mean to cause you anymore stress, but I've loved you for almost 20 years and I'm not sorry for it. I won't apologize."

"Marcus please.. just.. just not right now ok. I have to think. There's just too much…." She pleaded with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

He reached out to cup her face and softly brushed away a tear. He took pity on her and just nodded "Okay. Then then I guess it's a few stitches for me and I'll be on my way" his voice cracking with emotion.

It wasn't her best work, her hands shaking slightly as she stitched him up. Her mind already racing to how she would have to return home and face her husband, as if what just happened didn't. She wouldn't be able to just forget the feel of Marcus pressed against her or let go of the desperate need she now had to feel him inside her. This wasn't playing fair. She finished her job and true to his word Marcus left without saying a word but for the emotion she could see in his eyes as he looked back at her on his way out.

In school she often wondered how drug addicts became addicted when they know full well the drugs they took were so damning to them. This was how, because even though she know this is killing part of her all she want is more. She walked lost in thought back to her quarters. The quarters she shared with her beautiful family. She took a deep breath as she reached to door. Time to play her role again.

"Hey I'm home" she greeted as she found her husband reading on the couch of their small living area.

"Bout time babe. You had me worried you were working yourself too hard. You know you need sleep too." He replied with a smile. "How's Kane?"

She paused momentarily from setting down her paperwork at the sound of Marcus's name but some how held it together. "He'll have a hell of a headache tomorrow but he'll live."

She crossed to room and gave her husband a peck on the lips. 'This is normal she thought'. When she pulled back he had a curious look on his face "Hey what happened to your lip? Looks like you were bleeding." His finger grazed the red and inflamed skin where Marcus had bit down not too long ago.

"Ah yeah bit it eating dinner while working earlier. Guess I got distracted." It almost seemed lame as she said it.

"See I told you. You're working too hard." He nodded

"Yeah someone has to do it. What about you how was your day."

"Same as always. Holding a space station together with duct tape." He chuckled. "Although we did find a weird glitch in the life support system. I'm going to have to take a better look at it tomorrow."

"Anything serious?"

"Nah I'm sure it nothing." He dismissed.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do."

A muted "yeah" was his only reply. Like he was holding something back, but she didn't question him further.

That night she laid in bed with her husband curled asleep into her back like always, blissfully unaware that he wasn't the man on her mind. Marcus had unleashed the darker side of Abby and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to stop. What kind of person does that make her? The kind of person that has the ideal life with her family but would risk it to feel the adoration she felt in Marcus's eyes and in his touch.