Chapter 13: Arguing

18 May 2002

Mark lay on a blanket in the park, playing tug of war with Nero. Nero had been slowing down lately, but he was twelve years old, and that was only to be expected. Sarah sat next to him, reading a book.

Nero finally let go of the rope and lay down, putting his head on Mark's lap to be pet.

"I don't know why you're reading that book again," Mark said. "You've only read it six hundred times since we got married."

Sarah smiled, setting down her well-worn copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. "Because I love it," she said simply. "Some days, more than I love you," she teased.

"Ouch," Mark said flatly, holding his chest. "I'm wounded to the core."

Sarah smiled and kissed him, before picking up her book. Mark grabbed his, a new copy of Dreamcatcher by Stephen King. Nero, realising that he wasn't going to be pet again, grabbed his bone, starting to gnaw on it, ever vigilant for people that wanted to give him some loving attention.

They relaxed like this for a long while, letting the nice morning turn into afternoon. Mark looked down at his watch when he felt his stomach rumble.

"It's gone one," he said softly to Sarah, who was deep into her book. Sarah waved at him. "I've got five more pages. We can go after I'm done."

"It ends the same way," Mark said, raising an eyebrow. "I can guarantee you nothing's changed since you last read it in January."

Sarah waved him off again, and he silenced, watching Nero starting to lick his paw. People were walking around the park enjoying the nice day, unusually warm for the last day in May.

Mark closed his eyes, relaxing against a tree when he heard a noise that sent his eyes flying back open.

It was a loud, distinctive laugh, one that he hadn't heard in ages, but would never forget as long as he lived.

"Shit," he murmured. "Sarah, we have to go."

"I already told you, at the end of this book, Arthur!"

"No, Sarah, we really have to go."

Sarah looked up at him, irritated. "Why?"

Mark pointed across the path, where a woman and a man were walking with their children. The man was silver haired, but the woman had dark brunette hair and a scar down her cheek. The little finger of her left hand was missing.

"Alex," Sarah hissed. "You should go say hi."

Mark shook his head. "I told you, that's impossible!"

"You went and saw your mum!"

"Yeah and that turned out well."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Go over there," she whispered.

"No."

Sarah sighed and they looked at the family. The boy was dark haired and had a broody expression on his face, similar to the one Gene always wore. The girl was brighter, with long blonde hair and a smile that matched Alex's.

They settled down on the patch across from Mark and Sarah, and Mark turned his back. "Can we please go now?" he asked.

"No," Sarah said, raising her eyebrow. "I'm going to finish my book."

Mark clenched his jaw, keeping his back turned, trying not to listen to the family's conversation.

It was for that reason that when Nero suddenly jumped up and ran, he couldn't react in time to grab Nero's collar. Mark turned to see Nero suddenly tackle Gene. Sarah had looked up from her book with an expression of utter horror on her face.

"Not again," she said. "You should bloody deal with this crap," she hissed as she threw her book to the ground. Mark picked up the book, hiding his face behind it, just enough to see.

"Jesus Christ!" Gene was yelling. "Sodding dogs..."

The others in the family were laughing at him as Gene flailed, unsuccessfully trying to remove Nero from his face. Sarah was already at their blanket, apologising profusely.

"Nero, down!" she ordered. Nero got off of Gene, his tail and ears dropping. "Sit," Sarah ordered.

Nero sat, looking up at her balefully.

"I'm so sorry," Sarah said. "I don't know what he was thinking."

Alex waved her hand in dismissal. "It's okay," she laughed. "That's the second time that's happened here, and it's actually funnier the second time!"

Gene had sat himself up, glowering. He spoke too low for Mark to hear, but he figured it was something along the lines of 'fucking dogs.'

Alex had finally stopped laughing and looked up at Sarah properly. "Wait a second...You're the woman whose dog jumped on Gene last time...Sarah Noble..." Mark read the last two words, and he assumed that she said them to herself, or just loud enough so Sarah could hear them.

"Sarah Newton, now," Sarah smiled. "Unfortunately, I still seem to have no control over my dogs."

"I can tell that," Gene said angrily.

"Dad, relax," said the boy, who was looking at the dog delightedly. "Hey, boy. Dad, why couldn't we ever get a dog?"

"Keep your nose out of it, Mark."

Mark jumped at the mention of his name. Oh, there was no way that he was going to tell them he was alive now! They had named a child after him?

"I really am sorry about Nero. He's a bit calmer than Iggy was, and at least he listens to me as well as Arthur. He just ran before either of us realised he was going anywhere."

"Is that your husband over there?" Alex asked kindly, pointing directly at Mark, who had hidden his face behind the book at the mention of the word 'Arthur.'

"Yes, but he's very shy. He's terrified of coming over."

If he hadn't have been hiding been hiding behind the book, Mark would have shot her the dirtiest glare imaginable.

"Well, that's a shame," Alex said. "I'd quite like to meet him. After all, this is the second time we've met in this park..."

"Mum, what are you talking about?" the girl asked.

"About a year before you two were born, we were in the park and her dog trampled your father," Alex said, laughing.

Sarah smiled. "Nero's from the same sire and bitch. He and Iggy are pretty much brothers."

"Same mentality," Gene said, glowering at the dog, who had started to sniff his son. The young Mark smiled and started to scratch the dog's ears.

"We broke him out of that habit nearly a decade ago. I can't imagine why he attacked you."

"It's his aftershave," Alex said, and everyone but Gene laughed. The kids were growing bored, however, and started to play with the dog, Gene staring at them angrily.

"Please," Alex said. "I know you refused coffee last time, but please let me buy you a coffee this time."

Mark saw Sarah glance towards him before smiling.

"Yes," she said. "Why not?"

Mark clenched his teeth together furiously. Why was she doing this to him? She knew that he wasn't supposed to reveal his existence. The man that Alex Drake knew was dead. Mark Evans was dead. He had been for eighteen years. He barely responded to the name Mark now. He heard Alex and Sarah laughing together and then Sarah calling to Nero.

He looked up over the book as they approached him, throwing a furious glare at Sarah.

"We're leaving now," he said fiercely, throwing her book at her and grabbing Nero's lead, clipping it onto the dog's collar. He walked away, leaving her to catch up with him. She jogged to catch up with him, walking in time with his footsteps.

"Arthur," she said, just as angry as him. "Stop it now. There's no harm in me having coffee with Alex. She's a lovely person."

"Except you're married to a man she's convinced is dead!" he said back, his voice rising. He lowered it, realising that people were starting to look at him. "What if you let something slip, Sarah? You're going to have to talk about me. I know her. She's too curious not to ask."

"You told me yourself, she doesn't know you like I do!" Sarah said tensely. "You told me: She doesn't know your back story. She doesn't know who your parents were, what happened to your dad. You spent less than half a year with her. And in those few months, she spent most of her time painting! You really got to a lot of talking didn't you? She knows absolutely everything about you, from your favourite food, to the fact that you don't really like animals. She knows that you prefer coffee over tea and you hate soda. She knows the location of every scar on your body and how you received each one. She knows the torture that you endured in your days as part of the government. And most of all, I forgot. She knows EXACTLY what you've been doing for the past eighteen years. That whole believing you were dead thing, she knows it's a front. As soon as I start talking about the man I met in Bath, she'll know exactly who I'm talking about. Yeah, you're right. This is extremely dangerous. Besides, I can't be trusted to not call you Mark, to remember that you're a man who runs his father's old paint shop."

Sarah glared at Mark, who clenched his teeth together.

"If you two get coffee, what happens then? You get closer, become better friends, eventually they're going to wonder why Arthur never is around. She'll invite you to dinner and you'll go alone. You'll have to make up excuses for me. It'll be a never ending web of lies, and that's unhealthy."

"Well that's all your life is!" Sarah yelled, stunning him to silence. "The foundation of Arthur Newton is a lie. Your whole existence is nothing but a falsehood created by the damn government."

"You've never had a problem with it before! You've known since 1985 who I really was!"

Sarah just shook her head. "You just don't get it, do you? Give me Nero. Find a hotel room. I don't even want to look at you today."

"Fine," Mark said. "Let me at least grab some clothes."

Sarah nodded stiffly. "Fine," she said.

They walked home in tense silence and Mark went straight up to their room to pack his things. Nero followed him around mournfully. Mark threw clothes into a suitcase and then moved to the bathroom to grab his toiletries. As he closed the suitcase, Nero whimpered sadly.

Mark knelt down and smiled sadly, scratching the dog's ears.

"Goodbye, boy."

He stood, grabbing his suitcase and walking downstairs, where Sarah was waiting with an angry look on her face. He could see the pain in her eyes but chose to ignore it.

"I'm glad that a damn cup of coffee was worth this," he said softly, walking out of the house as Ben pulled up outside.

Ben got out of the car, looking concerned. "Arthur what's going on?"

Mark swallowed angrily. "Your mum wants me out, so I'm going."

Ben stared at him desperately. "You can't leave, Arthur! You two...you're perfect..."

Mark shook his head. "Apparently not anymore. My false identity has finally gotten to her," he said.

"But..."

"I've got to go," Mark said quietly. "I hope it all works out, Ben. I really do."

"You can't just go!"

"I have to."

Mark looked back to the house, where Sarah was staring out the window at him. She looked furious and desperate at the same time. Nero was howling loudly.

"Arthur, please...for Emma. She's right here."

Mark looked at the little girl in the back of Ben's car, fast asleep in her seat.

Danielle got out of the car, picking Emma up out of her seat. Emma peered around blearily before falling back asleep.

"Arthur, surely you can fix this?" she asked.

"I don't know right now," he said. "I just don't know."

He swallowed the lump in his throat and put his suitcase in the car. He started the ignition and with one last look at the windows, he drove off, leaving Ben and Danielle staring disbelievingly at him driving away.