Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Author's Note: I hate not having Microsoft Word. It makes writing fics very difficult. Why won't it work on my computer anymore? (This is all my brother's fault.) That is weird... oh well. So if you see alot of dumb mistakes, please forgive me. Word is good at catching them. WordPad doesn't catch squat.

Also, the real name of the song I'm using as the title of this fic is 'Believe Me Natalie', but I changed the 'Natalie' for obvious purposes.

Mr. Brightside
Believe Me Ann

(Jack's POV)

"Open the door right now! Jack! Popuri, I know you're in there! Come out right now!"

Gray's words echoed through the room, almost demonic-like. Popuri's clutch on my arm grew tighter. I closed my eyes.

"Jack--"

"I got it," I said finally. "All right. You climb out the bathroom door and run back home while I stall Gray. I think five, ten minutes should be sufficient. Just make up a story about you getting lost or something. Don't include me in it at all because I don't have a clue what happened to you last night, all right?"

Her eyes clouded over and shone ever so slightly. I resisted every urge to kiss her again. Finally, she nodded, released me from her grip and walked inaudiably towards the bathroom. I gave her a moment to collect herself before I opened the door.

It more banged open, actually. Gray fell to the floor, then jumped up immediately, his eyes darting around. He didn't speak, so I did.

"Morning Gray," I said innocently, feigning a yawn. "What's all this ruckus about?"

"Popuri... you have her here don't you!" He grunted, looking me up and down.

Holy crap! I realized just now that I was only clad in my boxers. "I don't know what you're talking about. Gray, you're scaring me." At least I told one truth. And I was glad I wasn't wearing tightie-whities, because it would have been more obvious if I had wet myself in fear.

Gray tore savagely around the room. He turned the table over, to my dismay. Nothing. He looked under the bed. Nothing.

"She's in the other room, isn't she!"

"Gray, I told you--"

He ignored me and burst into the kitchen. His head turned in all directions; no Popuri. His eyes fell upon the bathroom door. I tried not to swallow so audibly.

"She must be in there." Gray seemed usually calmed now, almost serene.

I cleared my throat. "For the last time, she's not here." I laughed heartedly, only to cover my trembles. "Really Gray, I think you've gone a little strange."

He snarled at me, his eyes so full of rage and hate that I thought he was going to attack me. Instead, he threw the bathroom door open and went inside. I didn't leave the kitchen, but I had my body half-way through the door just in case I had to make a getaway.

Gray reappeared a moment later. His face was twisted into an angry, confused state. "Sorry I bothered you," he muttered under his breath when he passed me. Gray left my home without another word.

Once I heard his footsteps descend into nothing, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Popuri still loved me! My heart couldn't be happier today. Even though I have no recollect of what happened the night before, it was pretty obvious what two people in love do.

There wasn't much I could do now. It was Popuri's decision to choose whether she was going to leave Gray for good or not. I had total confidence in her that she would make the right choice. It was important for us to make a fresh start. Maybe I we'd pack up and move and start a new life in the city. My dad's offer was still open; I could work for him.

It would be perfect. Popuri and I would live a happily-ever-after life together at last.

(Popuri's POV)

Fearing discovery, I knew there wasn't a better option than the one Jack had just outlined. With one quick glance at the door, I bolted off to the bathroom. I shut each door behind me before stopping at the window. It wasn't a very big window, definately not an escape route. But what other choice did I have? With all my energy left, I swung open the window pane and squeezed myself out.

My mind was in a total jumble when I scuttered off Jack's farm. I wanted to believe that it was entirely his fault for what happened. I wanted to hate him. Assessing blame to someone else was always so easy.

Why couldn't I do it now?

I wanted to give myself a hard slap on the wrist. Gray is my husband, until death do us part. I love him, and he loves me. We were married, therefore nothing could ever happen between Jack and I. Nothing.

"Popuri, what happened!" Ann screamed when she watched me enter through the front gates of the farm.

What could I tell her? Not the truth, definately not the truth. Even though she was my friend, Gray was her brother. They had a bond shared through blood which I could never compete with.

"Oh, uh..." I was hoping I could get changed before anyone approached me. Nevertheless, I oh-so-cleverly fed Ann a story about being attacked in the forest.

"...And then the bear swiped at me with its claws, see? So I crawled into the cave for safety. I was scared, boy was I scared. I fell asleep in the cave. Then I woke up, and came back home."

Ann was staring at me with a sceptical frown. "I don't think there are any bears on this mountain."

"Oh." My upper lip began to sweat. "Maybe it was a wolf or a coyote. Whatever it was, it was big."

"But I'm fine now," I continued when Ann tried to speak. "I think I'm going to change, and we can forget about the whole incident, all right Ann? I don't want to scare the other villagers with my story. Especially the children and the ones who enjoy spending time in the mountain, like myself. We don't want everyone to think the mountain is taboo, do we?"

"Of course not..." Ann trailed, still frowning. I took the open opportunity to dash off into the room Gray and I share to change into something clean.

As the stained dress hung on a wall-hanger, I scrutinized it. The tomato probably already left pernament blotches that would be impossible to remove no matter how many cycles of washes it went through. How appropriate. Sin is a mysterious and articulate thing. I committed infidelity, and I have this once beautiful pure white now cruelly discoloured red dress as a reminder.

Once I was fully changed, I decided it was time to talk to Pastor Johnson. A quick glance at my watch told me I had about thirty minutes to get there and ask for forgiveness before the children came in. I didn't want to set a horrible example for them.

Luckily, there was not a single person out on streets in town. I wasn't particularly in the mood for mindless chit-chatter. After what seemed like the longest and most mentally-draining walk I've ever had the priviledge of taking in my entire life, I finally reached the church. With a sharp breath, I turned the knob and entered.

"Hello Popuri," Pastor Johnson greeted me with a warm smile. He had a spray bottle in one hand, and a cleaning rag in the other.

"Good morning Pastor Johnson. I was wondering if I could talk to you."

"Oh, of course," he stepped down from the organ bench, placed the cleaning articles on the floor and took a seat beside me in one of the aisle benches.

"I..." This was without a doubt the most difficult thing I had to do. "I have sinned, and I want to ask for forgiveness."

Pastor Johnson looked a little displeased, but did not say a word to convey that feeling. "Well Popuri, what is it that you have done?"

In a tiny voice, I told him, "Marital infidelity."

His eyes grew round with alarm. "My my Popuri, in God's books, that is quite a sin."

I nodded quietly.

"You say you want to ask for forgiveness? There are a few things you must do. First of all, you must pray. Pray to God, ask him for forgiveness. You must be thoroughly sorry for what you have done to be awarded forgiveness. Then, you must resolve to never commit that sin again." Pastor Johnson took off his glasses and rubbed eyes with the back of his hand. "Otherwise Popuri, you will go to Hell."

You will go to Hell. That was the only thing I could not bear. I had to go to Heaven, along with grandma and grandpa, and every other good person.

"All right, I will follow your instructions," I told him. "Thank you very much Pastor Johnson, you have been a great help."

"It's nothing dear," he stood up with me. "I wish you the best of luck. God speed."

Just then May, Stu and Kent sped into the church for their morning lesson. "Hi Popuri!" they all chirped excitedly in unison.

"Will you be with us today?" Stu asked me eagerly.

I laughed and patted his head. "No Stu. I was just talking with Pastor Johnson. I think I have to go now, so I don't bother all of you."

There was a chorus of "Aww"s from the children as I gave them a farewell and left the building.

Aw, the innocence of childhood. How I envied it.

There was nothing else to do but to face Gray now. I was terrified of what he might do. Gray was a little unpredictable by nature, and the way he barged into Jack's home earlier that morning certainly didn't help his reputation. But I had to face him sometime, and the later I put it off, the worse it will look.

"Popuri!" Gray took my hand when he saw me and gave me the most thoughtful kiss I'd ever experienced from him.

"Gray..." My eyes misted with tears. Knowing he worried about me made my heart happy. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"Ann told me," Gray wrapped his arms around in a tight embrace. "I'm happy you're safe."

Sure, Gray can be totally anti-social and a bit of a pain, but he can also be really sweet sometimes. It was just a shame that it takes an incident for him to come out of his shell.

After what seemed like sufficient interaction with him, I decided to steal away and talk to Ann. The story according to Gray and the one I had panned to Ann didn't exactly check the same.

"I think I know what happened," Ann fumed when I found her tossing hay into the animal feeders.

I twisted the ends of my skirt nervously. "You... you do?"

"I know you love my brother. I know you loved Jack too. But I also know if I told Gray what happened last night, it would just crush him." Ann paused to look me in the eye. "Some things are just better left between certain people, and not spoken. I did it not only to protect him, but you as well. But Popuri, I need you to promise me that you will never do what you did again."

"Oh Ann, I do promise. I feel so awful about everything. I don't know how it happened, but I spoke to Pastor Johnson, and I'm going to pray to God for forgiveness for my sins. And I do love Gray. He's my husband, and I don't ever intend to hurt him."

Somehow I knew Ann was wondering whether I was being sincere, or if she could believe me. Finally she said, "I know you don't."

"I mean everything I say," I said in a quiet voice.

"I know."

There was nothing else I could say to convince her of my devotion to Gray. With a deep sigh, I exited the barn and decided to begin my quest for forgiveness.

Author's Note: I got the 'how to achieve forgiveness' thing from Desperate Housewives, so if it's wrong, then blame them :P. Lol, I'm just kidding. This was supposed to be the final chapter, but it got to be so long that I decided to split it into two. Please take the time to review this fic!