TWO

"I have no idea how many times I have seen you walk through that door, soaking wet," Lucas teased his older brother when he saw him come home. Lucas could remember that a few months ago, Jack and Martha had walked through the door of the Hunter house, soaked through to their skin to tell them a cyclone was on the way. He assumed this time involved Martha as well.

Tony smiled at Lucas's comment. Ever since Martha had come into his life, Jack had been so happy. He had never seen Jack so in love with someone before. But he loved Martha with all his heart and it was so good to see. And he had made a good choice. Martha was a lovely girl. Tony really liked her and hoped that her and Jack would stay together for some time.

Saying all that, though, today, Jack's expression wasn't as happy as what it normally was after being with Martha. He guessed it was to do with the day's events.

"You ok, mate?" he asked.

Lucas also noticed his brother's face. Maybe he and Martha had had a fight and she had chucked him into the water? He didn't really want to hang around and find out, though.

"I'm just going… somewhere… to do something," he stumbled on his words and then left in a hurry.

When he had gone, Tony turned to his eldest son. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, it's just today. Everything keeps spinning in my head. I could have lost Martha and then I remember the last thing I had said to her before she had gone. I told her that I wasn't going to support her in what she was doing. I just feel really guilty."

"But everything is ok now," Tony replied. "From what Alf tells me, Martha thinks you are her hero." He smiled.

"It's not just that," Jack said. "Trying to be a 'hero', I broke the rules and I am now in trouble with McGrath. He is making me choose between Martha or my job."

"What?" Tony asked. "He can't do that, can he?"

"Apparently he can," Jack replied. "He reckons I don't want to be there anymore."

"That's crazy," Tony argued. "You love your job."

"And I love Martha more," Jack replied. "I don't want to lose my job, but it's either that or lose Martha. I know which one will hurt the least."

Tony shook his head. This wasn't fair. Jack had worked so hard for his job. He had given everything, he had fought complaints and now one person was taking all of that away from him. He knew there was no chance he would give up Martha. Any other girlfriend, maybe, but not Martha. He had fought long and hard to win her over twice. He wasn't going to let her go again.

"I have to go, dad," Jack eventually said. "I promised Martha I would meet her at the diner," he headed for the door.

"I don't think Martha will appreciate it if you turn up looking like a drowned rat," Tony teased, reminding Jack he still needed to change. "What happened anyway?"

"Martha and I went to the beach after we left the station," Jack smiled.

"She doesn't know yet, does she?" Tony asked.

Jack shook his head. "I will tell her. I just can't today," he said. "Not after what she has been through".

"You do realise she will tell you your job is more important than what she is? She will want you to choose that."

Jack nodded. "I know that. And I will make her understand that to me, nothing is more important than her." He went to his room to get changed, knowing he would be late to meet Martha and she was not going to be happy about it.

OOO

An hour had past and Martha was waiting in the diner for Jack to turn up. As usual, he was running late. But she was used to it now. He always turned up late to their dates. She used to get worried, but now she just waited, knowing he'd be there eventually. While she was waiting, she was at the counter, talking to Leah. She couldn't stop talking about Jack.

"It sounds like you two are going great, then," Leah smiled. "Better than your last attempt at a relationship," she added teasingly, reminding Martha that this was the second time her and Jack had been together. The first time had lasted all of two weeks, after it had taken a month for them to give into their feelings. She remembered how frustrated Jack had made her feel with all of his teasing and being a cop. But now, she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Martha smiled. "We are going so well," she gushed. "I'm really glad we got a second chance together. Especially after I kept pushing him away." She turned her head at movement at the door, hoping it was Jack. But it was Tasha. "Hey, Tash," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to avoid people," Tasha replied. "Which doesn't explain why I am here," she added. "No one wants to know me right now."

Martha knew very well that no one meant one particular person. "Robbie has been worried sick about you," she said. "Go and talk to him. He'll want to see you."

"You think?" Tasha questioned, sounding a little happier than what she had been a minute ago.

"Of course," Martha replied. "Go now. The sooner the better, hey?"

"Can you come?" Tasha then asked. "I'm not sure if I could face him on my own. Not yet."

Martha looked at her best friend and then shook her head slowly. "I think it's better if you go alone, Tash," she began. "So you and Rob can have a one on one and try and get somewhere. If I'm there, it will make things awkward. Besides, Jack is meeting me here… well was meant to be meeting me here ten minutes ago," she changed her mind, looking at her watch.

Tasha smiled. "You know he always runs late," she said. She turned towards the door. "Oh, look, here he comes now," she smiled as Jack came in.

"Hey, Tash" Jack said.

Tasha smiled again and then waved at Martha. "I'll go now," she promised.

Martha nodded and then looked at Jack. "Tasha is going to talk to Robbie," she said.

"That's good," Jack replied. "I hope the two of them can work things out. I know how much Robbie has been missing her."

"Tash knows she made a mistake," Martha answered. "They'll be fine. Us, on the other hand. You always turn up late on me," she complained.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologised. "I got held up with dad and then I was about to leave, but realised I was still in wet clothes. I didn't think you'd be too impressed if I showed up wet."

Martha laughed. "Maybe not," she replied.

"So, do you guys want to get a seat and I'll be with you in a minute?" Leah questioned, wondering if they were just planning on staying there and chatting all night.

"Actually, I've changed my mind," Martha said. "I have a surprise for you, Jack," she smiled cheekily and then took his hand. "Close your eyes," she said.

"Close my eyes?" Jack questioned. "Martha, what are you planning?" Martha's surprises weren't always good surprises. He remembered she had tried to surprise him with a fake spider once and it had landed him in hospital. But at that stage, she hadn't meant for it to be a nice surprise.

He closed his eyes reluctantly and then followed Martha out of the diner, being guided only by her hand.

Martha was bounding along happily, a plan forming in her mind as she went. She was going to pay him back for chucking her in the water today. It was fun to play games with Jack. They always found something to laugh about. Before they were together, they used to do it all the time, just to let the other one know that they weren't going to back down. But she had stopped it after one had gone horribly wrong and Jack had ended up in hospital. He kept giving her a hard time, because he thought she had feelings for him. She kept denying it. Truthfully, she wasn't sure whether she hated him or loved him at that time and wasn't going to admit anything, not matter how much everyone pushed her. Jack had lost his hearing out of one ear for a while and she had felt so guilty about it. With Jack hating her, it had made her realise how much he really did mean to her. She could admit her true feelings then and she realised how much Jack really meant to her. Jack cared about her like no one else could. He had searched high and low to rescue her from the clutches of Corey and he had done it again, just today with the Believers. He was the love of her life and she never wanted to lose him again.

She stopped walking when she reached the edge of the water again. It was exactly where they had been earlier that day. "Ok, open your eyes," she said.

Jack opened his eyes, not sure what he would find. He knew they were on the beach, but that was about all. When he saw that was all it was, he turned to Martha.

"Do you want a picnic on the beach? Because you forgot one thing; the food."

Martha laughed. "No," she said. "I want to pay you back for throwing me in the water today and ruining my clothes," she said.

"So you want to throw me in the water so I ruin my clothes?" Jack was catching on. "In case you have forgotten, you did pull me in with you today."

Martha smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You're going in," she told him. "But I like this shirt, so I don't want that ruined," she ran her fingers along his chest, indicating to his shirt.

Jack took it off and threw it on the sand. "If I'm going in, you're coming too," he said.

Before Martha had time to react, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into the waves, this time deeper than before.

"Jack!" Martha cried, splashing water in his face. She swam out so the water came up to her shoulders. "I hate you." She pushed him under water.

"You know I could have you charged for assaulting a police officer," Jack teased.

"But you wouldn't dare," Martha replied.

"Watch me," Jack said with a smile.

"What kind of cop would you be if you charged your own girlfriend?" Martha questioned. "Anyway, you love me too much."

Jack didn't reply for a while and then nodded. "You're right" he agreed. "I do. And that's why I'm sorry for making you wet… twice."

"So you should be," Martha splashed water at his face. "You're buying me new clothes for that."

This time, Jack's smile wasn't as genuine. Money. With no job, he couldn't buy Martha things that she deserved, or what he wanted to get her. What about her birthdays, or Christmases? But before all that, how was he going to tell her he was quitting his job?

"Hey, it was a joke," Martha said, noticing his change in mood. "You don't have to."

Jack shook his head. "No, it's not that, it's just that…" he paused. No, he couldn't tell her. Keep her happy for the rest of this day.

"It's what?" Martha wanted to know.

"It's nothing," Jack diverted the topic. "How about I take you home, or back to my place at least. We can have dinner there."

They got back to the shore and realised that it was not a good idea to go swimming at night, because it was really cold when you got out of the water.

"How about you stay the night," Jack then suggested. "You're freezing."

"I start work at eight," Martha replied. "Grandad put me on the late shift."

"I'm sure he'd understand if you didn't want to work," Jack argued. "After the day you have been through."

Martha shook her head. "I want to work, Jack," she said. "It will help keep my mind off everything. But I finish at eleven, so if you're still up by then, I'll come around."

Jack smiled. "Even better, I'll pick you up," he said.

Martha wrapped her arms around his waist, trying to find warmth and then began walking back up to Jack's car.

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