Ha ha I finally finished editing this darn thing in my phone (which by the way is ridiculously hard to do by the way) So I hope you guys enjoy.

This chapter is slow butter the next one has more background on marinas past and why she is so defensive.

****clarke****
He smiled and laughed as Allie talked about how Alec had caught her by taking the other way around the truck. He glanced over at the girl beside him laughing and looking amazing doing so. She glanced over at him as she picked up her glass of sweet tea and took a sip from it smiling before looking back at her sister.

"Oh that sounds hilarious." Her mother gushed. "I can't wait for Michael to hear it when he gets here." She explained making the table grow quiet suddenly.

"Michael, he's coming?" Allie asked in complete surprise.

"Yes, I spoke to him earlier while I was making lunch, I told him about how lovely it was that Marina was here and that Clarke here was equally as charming." "He informed me he would be coming in tonight in time for the party, that he was going to move his flight up." She explained happily.

He looked over at Marina lost at what was going on and saw her sitting stone cold straight up in her chair a look of dread in her eyes making him worry. "I see." She finally stated forcing a smile. "This will be fun." She explained. The rest of the meal was less exciting as before and marina wasn't meeting his gaze anymore. They finally broke and began cleaning off the table.

As they finished he watched as Marina slipped away and headed towards the pool house. He debated on following her and got his answer as shay silently shoved him in that direction giving him a pointed look. He didn't argue and started after her. He opened the door and walked in after her. He gasped in suprise seeing a slew of paintings lining the walls beautifully done. Marina was sitting on the bed with her head in her hands.

"Hey, everything okay." He asked worry in his tone.

She looked up at him with a heavy sigh. "This isn't going to work." She explained defeated.

'Whoa hey why?" "What are you talking about?" He asked concerned. She shook her head and got to her feet.

"You have to go back to Chicago." She explained her voice full of conviction as she finished.

"Wait why, what happened?" He asked alarmed at her sudden statement. She shook her head and brought her hands up to her face covering it as she took a deep breath and let them fall back to her side.

"Michael is coming home for the wedding." She stated simply as if it answered everything.

"Who is Michael and why do I have to leave because he's coming home?" He asked confused. "Is he another ex because I promise I can handle it." He explained hoping it would calm her down.

"No, no he's not an ex, you see I never got around to telling you since you never asked about my family but, Michael is my older brother." She explained finally.

"Okay and that's bad how?" He asked. She shook her head slowly.

"He's my twin older brother." "The only reason he moved his flight up to tonight is that my mom told him that I'm here with a guy that I'm supposed to have been dating for six months." "He's coming here to probably kick your ass." She added.

"Whoa hey now, we have gotten this far without anyone being suspicious." He explained reassuringly.

She shook her head and sighed in defeat. "He'll see right through it and go into big brother mode." "I can lie to everyone on this planet but Michael is the one person I can't and won't lie to." "I know it sounds crazy but I have no secrets from him and he has none from me." "That's our deal."" She explained defeated.

"So just call him and tell him the situation." He reasoned.

"Jeff, I haven't talked to him for a few weeks now." "Since I got the invitation and told him I was coming.' "He flipped because I was single and vulnerable with Silas being here." "He will annihilate you if he finds out I brought you." "No matter how good your intentions are, he's protective of me." She explained.

He nodded slowly as everything started to make sense. He could see the fear in her eyes and the pain of how hard this was for her to say but also her conviction. She wanted it to work out he could tell but she wasn't ready to do this face her ex face her family and friends no problem but lie to her brother her twin brother. She wasn't ready for that.

"He wasn't even supposed to come." She sighed in defeat. "He and allie havent been on good terms for awhile now

and he told me he would just make up an excuse as why he wasn't coming." She said with a bitter laugh. "He would have liked you too under different circumstances." She explained sadness in her voice. He sighed in defeat as she walked over to him and he knew no matter what he said now it wouldn't matter. Her mind was made up and nothing could change that.

"Alright, alright you win." "I'll leave." He agreed feeling his heart wrench as he said it.

She sighed in relief. "Thank you." She whispered gratefully.

He nodded and sighed "I'll just tell them something happened and I need to head back to Chicago as soon as possible." He explained making her nod in agreement. "I guess we just weren't meant to be." He explained in defeat feeling his heart break a little. He saw her flinch at his words and he wondered how in only an hours time they had gone from almost giving this a real shot to him now leaving.

"I'm sorry that you came all this way for nothing." She explained and he thought he almost heard disappointment in her voice.

"Don't worry about it." "It was my choice, I don't regret it." He explained with a shrug trying to lighten the mood between them. He managed to get a half smile from her and shook his head in amusement. "Alright then I'll go pack and book a flight out." He explained.

"I'll pay you back for it." She explained making him laugh as he stepped towards her. "No need for that silly girl." He explained as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He felt her give in to him again as he kissed her gently and pulled away.

"Now we're even." He explained making her nod slowly before pulling away.

"I'll go tell everyone and pray Shay doesn't try to kill me." She said sarcastically making him smile and nod. "You'll be fine I think." He explained making her nod before walking away and leaving him there to pull himself together.

****airport****

He sighed as he sat at the bar at the airport waiting for his drink his flight out had been delayed due to weather conditions in Chicago holding up the flight for two hours. He hoped by then he would be able to forget all about this. Leaving had been harder then he thought. Her family was a little bummed but he explained that someone's family member died and he was needed back in chicago immediately. They had understood but he could tell they were a little suspicious. He rested his face in his hands and smirked.

He couldn't stop thinking about the last kiss he had shared with the girl driving him crazy on the inside. He looked up hearing his drink hit the counter in front of him and reached for his wallet.

"No need." Came the bartenders response. "Guy at the end bought it." He explained gesturing to a guy about his age with short dark brown hair and piercing hazel eyes in a dark blue dress shirt. He raised his glass to him and smirked. Clarke smirked and did the same before drinking it. He flinched and took in a sharp breath before placing his glass back down on the bar. He sighed as he ordered another and the man on the other side of the bar started over towards him.

"So what's her name?" The guy asked as he sat on the corner of the bar beside him. He chuckled and shook his head

"That obvious huh?" He asked defeated as he took a sip of his new drink.

"Only a little." The man laughed taking a sip of his. "So what happened if you dont mind me asking?" The man asked casually making him shake his head.

"Its a long story." He explained lowly.

"Well I've got the time if you do?" The man replied making him snort in amusement of the mans curiosity and how pathetic he must really look.

He"Heading to Chicago as well?" He asked curiously.

The man didn't reply making him look over at him a bit suprised. "No actually," the man said laughing nervously, "I'm debating on if I want to head home or not." he confessed making him look over at him confused.

"Why wouldn't you go home?" He asked making the man laugh again.

"It's kinda funny actually but, I asked you first." The man countered making him smile and shake his head.

"Alright that's fair." He admitted with a sigh. "Well to be honest I flew halfway across the country for a girl I barely know." "I mean I really liked her and I thought she felt the same." He explained looking over at the guy beside him.

The man smirked and shook his head. "Kinda sounds a little stalker like." He admitted.

"Nah its not like that, things were actually going great." "I flew here to save her from her ex fiance who us probably trying to worm his way back into her life as we speak." "God I should have thrown him off that balcony." He admitted bitterly making the man beside him laugh.

"Man you should have met my sisters, she had one too although now she is in the process of a break up." He admitted grabbing his phone as it went off. He smirked as he replied back to a text he assumed. "Seems she wants me to try and stop him from leaving." "Kinda hard when I haven't met him." He stated sarcastically. "Like hell i will but, I have to make her think that." "Who knows maybe I'll change my mind." He debated as he placed his phone back down. "You were saying." He said motioning with his hand for him to go on.

"Well, I met her in Chicago at a smoothie store for starters." "She ran right into me and spilled my smoothie all over my jacket." He said with a laugh. "She was so funny panicking and demanding to buy me another one." "She happened to be with a girl I know from work." "I don't know what it was about her but I remeber hoping I would see her again." "That night I was contemplating asking our friend for her number." "I figured it would be a good way to get to know her better." "I'd just call in a smoothie for dinner."

"My treat of course but, then I got a call from said friend that I had 20 minutes to get down to the restaurant they were at for her sisters engagement party and I had to dress nice." "Needless to say I took my shot." "Didn't need to die by Shays hands." He mused with a chuckle. 'Man you should have seen her face when I showed up." "I had to pretend to be her boyfriend in front of her family." He laughed making the man beside him chuckle.

"Sounds fun." He admitted with a smile. "Yeah well it gets worse." He laughed. "We went out for drinks and man it was like she was a whole new person." "She was laughing and smiling with some mutual friends including shay." "I mean she was gorgeous." "I wanted to make her smile like that one day." "So I paid their tab making sure that the bartender kept it secret from them.' "Man it was amusing seeing them trying to figure it out." He admitted. "I walked her home and finally after about ten minutes of her asking about the bill, I told her." "Her face was priceless but then she asked me to come up and man im not that guy." "Unfortunately I thought I bruised her ego seeing as she hasn't dated really since her wedding was well cancelled, to say the least." He admitted.

"Hey man I respect a guy who doesn't talk advantage of a girl I have two sisters so." He said shrugging as he looked at his phone again and rolled his eyes as he replied. He looked back over at him with a nod to continue.

"Well I wanted to kiss her but, I didnt want to push my luck and she was intoxicated but, she kissed me." "Man it was...it was amazing." He said reminiscing about it. "Anyway the next day she shows up at my job with doughnuts to apologize." "She said it was a mistake and man that hurt."

"Anyway, I had a short shift and ran into a Kelly who is a mutual friend of ours as well." "He totally set me up, he told me I had a shot, that I was the first guy he had actually seen her open up to in years and had me a little hopeful, so I took the bag of groceries, he had a guy we know who's an excellent cook get and before I can protest, he tells me about how her dad has just probably told her about her ex fiance being with her former bridesmaid."

"So after that piece of information I headed to her apartment.' He explained. "Whoa wait her ex fiance is dating one of her friends." "Damn that's cold.""I like your friends they seem amusing." He admitted with a small laugh. "Yeah well it gets better, I showed up there and after I told her I'd give her the wine if she let me cook dinner for her she agreed."

"Man it was horrible I burned the meal got whatever the sauce was supposed to be on my shirt and we wound up ordering pizza." He said laughing as he remembered her picking on him. "Then we talked for hours but it felt like minutes." "I mean damn I told her things I cant even tell my shrink, and I pay him." He explained in frustration. "She's the most amazing complex person I have ever met." "Hearing about her past didnt scare me." "I guess she thought it would but everyone has their baggage." He mused sipping his drink.

"Anyway I eventually started to leave and this time when she offered for me to stay again, I walked away." "It was hard, I mean I was there in her apartment with her alone." "I just couldn't, it wasn't that I didn't want her but, I just wanted more from that then a one night stand." "So, I left and was almost to the exit but, I just couldn't leave it like that so." He shrugged.

"So you got a goodnight kiss then." The guy asked making him laugh and nod. "It was even more amazing that time." "She thought I was coming back for the shirt." He laughed. "Hell had I remembered I could have blamed it on that but, I didn't care about the damn shirt." He explained ordering another drink.

"Wow man I have to say it sounds like your already falling for this girl." The man admitted finishing his drink. "I am...was I guess, but it doesn't matter. He admitted disappointment creeping into his tone.

"Alright well then tell me how you ended up here." The man asked intrigued now making him laugh.

"Well I knew she was leaving for here the next morning so I wrote her a note, and stuck it ien a sudoku book I bought, but never opened and stuck it in there." "Figured I'd bring it to her on my way into work the next day." "So I showed up at the airport and she was freaking out." "She was not gonna get on that plane with her ex and her former friend, alone." "So I finally walked over and told her to get on the plane." "She was so surprised to see me I almost laughed at her expression but I had to pretend I was her boyfriend with her family so close." "So I pep talked her into finally doing it and gave her the sudoku book and before she went to board the plane she kissed me and god I was shocked." He admitted with a smile.

"As I left she finally called me, she read my note and after a few minutes finally told me she would call me when she landed." "I waited for awhile and sadly doubt and second thoughts crept up on me." "I mean I was getting emotionally invested so quickly with her that I was scared it was for the wrong reasons." "So I didn't answer when she finally called, man it was hard." "I sat up for hours going back and forth and finally I did what anyone would do, I went see a few friends for a minute that knew her and knew me."

"They assured me that she was worth it and that if I didnt have a chance there was no hope." He admitted. "Guess I have to tell them that the hope is gone." He whispered taking a sip from his drink.

"So then what happened?" The guy asked sending a message before looking back up at him. "Then I finally called her and the second we started talking I knew they were right." "I went back to the firehouse and texted my friend Kelly who is here with them and explained what I was thinking of doing and he told me to get my ass here." He admitted with a laugh. "So I called up a guy at another district looking to pick up shifts for some overtime, he's having his first kid." He explained. "I got it all approved with my chief and the next morning I decided I'd get some sleep and surprise her at the ball that night." He explained taking another sip from his drink.

"Ball?" The guy asked confused. "Yeah her sister is apparently not the most modest of people and wants a Disney themed wedding, it is not cheap that is for sure." He mused playing with his half empty glass. "Wow I can imagine not." The man agreed.

"Yeah, so I found out that I needed a metallic blue colored shirt because she was going to be belle and well...you had to be the beast." The man finished and laughed making him smile and shake his head.

"Yep, sure did." He admitted. "So I hoped a flight here and took a cab to her parents house." She called right as we pulled in the driveway." "I answered and tried to pay the guy, get my luggage, and talk to her without her suspicious, but as I walked up the steps of the porch she was storming down the stairs ready to head home and there I was."

"She was a little apprehensive at first and I didn't blame her but, after a few minutes I convinced her to stay and that we could make it through the rest of the week." "If she never wanted to see me again after then I wouldn't fight her over it." So needless to say after two outfit changes I was ready." "She dug up an old war coat from a reinactment her dad was in and we were off." "Everything went great, she was stunning to say the least and I resisted the urge to throw her ex off the balcony for accusing her of paying me to be her date and asking if I was gay." He scoffed sipping his drink. "I slept on the floor and got up way early the next day with her dad and sisters future husband and we went fishing, it was great." "When we got back they were already back from the mall."

"She had no summer weather clothes and its definately warm here." He mused. "She was gorgeous I mean a knockout in a white tank top and shorts." "She was being super sweet and affectionate and man I could have stayed in that moment forever." He admitted truthfully.

"However her mom told us that her brother was going to come to the wedding and was flying in today, her twin brother to be exact." He clarified with a sigh of defeat "She went from zero to one hundred in a second and before I knew it she was telling me she couldn't do this anymore." "She could lie to everyone but her brother, because they talked all the time and she was scared he'd murder me for trying to take advantage of her or something." "So I agreed to leave I made up a story of why I needed to go back." "Kissed her for what was probably the last time and caught a cab here." He finished with a heavy sigh.

"Wow," The man replied shaking his head, "You sure did need that drink then." He teased making him laugh.

"Yeah well what about you, now that you've listened to my sob story what's yours?" He asked finishing his drink as he sat back in his chair.

"Nah mines not important, what is important Clarke, is that you get your butt back in that cab and go back." The man explained nonchalantly. He stiffened at his reply.

"How do you know my name?" He asked suspiciously not remembering telling him. The guy smirked and grabbed his phone. He took only a few seconds to do whatever he was doing and offered it to him.

"This came in a few minutes ago." He explained as he handed him his phone and he took it. He froze and lost his breath for a second. Staring back at him was a picture of him and Marina dancing last night. Below it said, "His name is Jeff Clarke."

The sender name read Sister.

He looked up at him in disbelief. "Michael." He more stated then asked. The man nodded.

"In the flesh, seems my sister decided to tell me about what she has been up to." He explained taking his phone back. "Seems she felt guilty for not telling me before all of this started." Michael explained. He smirked and nodded.

"Seems so." He agreed.

"Yeah well that and for the record, I wasn't coming here to murder anyone." 'I was honestly curious, I thought my sister had finally learned how to keep a secret from me and I wanted to meet the guy who she brought home to the family." He admitted. "She panics so much more now since the wedding was called off." 'Always guarded and protected,I swear fort Knox has nothing on her sometimes." Michael confessed making him laugh.

"Yes but when she is off her guard she is amazing." Clarke admitted with a smile. Micheal laughed now and shook his head.

"Wow you really are in deep." Michael commented. He nodded and sighed.

"I am." He confessed. "I don't want to hurt your sister ever, just keep her happy, keep her safe, and make her laugh as much as possible." He explained turning towards him. Michael stared at him for a moment and smirked.

"Alright then, shall we go then?" He asked.

"I'm sorry go where exactly." He asked confused.

"Back to my parents of course for this cocktail party." Michael explained getting to his feet. He stared at him in disbelief as he slowly got to his feet as well.

"I don't get it." He confessed making Michael smile.

"Your a good guy and seem to really care about my sister." "That and you want to throw her ex over a balcony as much as I do." Michael added with a wink making him laugh. "So I figure you've got two options now." "You can get on that plane and leave and never know if this thing with my sister could be something or, you can turn your ass around and get in the cab with me and finish winning over my sisters heart." Michael offered making him stare at him in shock.

"She doesn't want to see me, I think it would probably be best if I left." He explained shaking his head in defeat. Michael nodded and smirked.

"Alright then suit yourself, just figured you weren't the type of guy to give up so easily." Michael replied with a sigh. "It was good meeting you though." He added grabbing his suitcase.

"Have a safe flight." He offered as he turned and headed towards the exit. He stood there watching him before turning back to the bar. He stared down at his suitcase beside him trying to figure out if he should head back or not.

Part of him was screaming to get his ass up and follow him and the other was frozen in place in fear. He really didnt want to go back there and just get shot down. Leaving this time was hard, harder then he had imagined it would be. Putting himself out there again for rejection is something he did not do often. He sighed and shook his head in annoyance as he grabbed his bag and went after him.

I hope you enjoyed i promise the next ones much better...I just have to edit it XD