I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story. All of your comments have touched me, and encourage me to continue writing this fic to share with you. From the bottom of my heart I thank you. :)
And now, here's a little something for you to enjoy. Be forewarned this update is quite lengthy. I hope you like it.
Happy Thanksgiving. :)
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Audrey sits drenched in the early morning sun, perched in the corner of the wide hay door, cradling her bent legs in her arms. Beside her stands her easel salvaged from the small car concealed beneath the bales of hay, a precaution taken by the always cautious man of the house. Despite the plethora of supplies at her fingertips, and the talent in her blood, Audrey cannot bring herself to lift a brush, having lost the ability to find joy in painting, feeling as though all the passion for the life she once loved is slipping away.
Lost in her thoughts, she playfully fidgets with the gold chain around her neck. The small charm dangling from the delicate chain catches a ray of sunshine, sending prisms to bounce off the worn wooden planks of the barn.
A small smile finds its way to her lips, a stark contrast to the wells of tears evident in her eyes. The small sliver of joy she gets watching the light playfully dance around helps ease her mind, leaving her a feeling of hope she can cling to.
x X x X x
Jonathan sits at the head of the table, watching his son from over his cup of coffee. It's obvious Clark is working through something in his mind, a site that always sets his father on edge.
"What is it, Son?" Jonathan asks setting down his cup, already unable to relax given the presence of Audrey just outside their home.
"She was crying last night," Clark says, uncharacteristically ignoring the food on his plate.
Martha sits down the pitcher of orange juice, taking a seat beside him at the table.
"Did she tell you how she knows your name?" Jonathan prods, hoping to quickly get to the bottom of the mystery that landed on his doorstep.
Martha remains stoic, not even flinching with the knowledge that Audrey knows more, much more than just Clark's name.
Clark shakes his head, frustrated at the feeling of being powerless when it comes to Audrey's fears, most especially since she won't reveal what they are.
"Did she say anything to you?" Martha asks gently, curious if Audrey had shared with him any glimpse into the history slowly coming into focus for Martha.
"Not really," Clark says, concern draping his face. "But, I can't help but think she's in some sort of danger."
"Danger!" Jonathan says, screeching his ladder back chair against the floor as he rises from his seat. "What kind of danger are we talking about?"
Martha's eyes widen, Audrey's reason for seeking out Clark becoming more evident by the moment.
Hoping to diffuse the situation, Martha seeks to calm her pacing husband. "I don't think she's dangerous, Jonathan," she says, concealing the bits of information she's privy to that would send her husband through the roof. Just a mention of Audrey being intimately involved with the Luthors would be more than her husband's temper and heart could stand.
"We know nothing of her, Martha," Jonathan forcefully says, his weathered skin pinkening from his punctuation. "Have you considered that she could know a lot more about our son this just his name?"
Clark watches his parents, feeling guilty that because of him they have to be so guarded. Because of him they could not so easily trust someone like Audrey.
"I'm sure she just heard the girls talking about Clark while she was in the Talon," Martha says coolly, able to cover her lie impeccably.
"Maybe she just got lost and saw our name on the mailbox," Clark suggests, convinced what his mother said is fact. "Didn't you say it looks like she was living in her car?"
Jonathan stops mid step, clutching the back of his chair with his large hands, his cheeks now blushed with embarrassment. He had not considered that even in Smallville things can be just as they seem. Not everyone has an agenda of evil, or seek to expose his gifted son. Sometimes people fall down in this life, and he's ashamed that he ever questioned his family for wanting to pick someone like Audrey up.
x X x X x
Chloe fingers fly atop the keyboard, happy to stop when Clark Kent taps on her shoulder.
"Clark!" she says, her grin wide as the horizon. "Tell me you've got your interview done," she says, hoping for some good news.
Clark's face is as clear as a bell. This gigantic man is scared to tell his pint-sized editor that he's behind with a story once again.
Considering the look she's giving him it's really no wonder.
"At least tell me you've started it." she prods, glaring at him.
Again, his face gives him away.
"Clark!" she says, jumping up from the computer, mowing past him towards the layout wall.
"How many times have I told you we work in deadlines around here?" she asks, shifting the layout around yet again on another edition of The Torch.
It's true, Clark doesn't work well with deadlines, but that's no news flash. Chloe's reaction seems a little over amped for something pretty typical in their relationship.
Clark, concerned that something else is going on, walks over to her. "Is everything all right, Chloe?" he asks, his large hand on her shoulder.
Throwing herself down in her chair, temporarily defeated Chloe lets the damn break. "I was counting on landing my interview for the front page, and now every lead I have isn't panning out."
"Every road I chase Audrey Peyton down is a dead end. It's like she vanished into thin air or something," Chloe says, aggravated that her journalistic skills and sources have not been able to catch a woman she just had her hands on a day ago.
Clark stands frozen, unsure what to say.
"I mean, I realize this is Smallville, and some pretty odd things happen around here, but people don't drink a hot chocolate one moment and disappear the next," Chloe says, back up to her target heart rate. She grabs one of the many folders stacked on her desk, thrusting one of the documents in it in Clark's direction.
He takes it into his hand, reading aloud, 'Metropolis Atrium Apartments'.
"That's where Audrey had been living up until the other night when I saw her at The Talon," Chloe says, clueing Clark in on the mystery.
Clark looks up, intrigued for his own personal reasons.
Chloe stands up, feeling the need to clue him in further. "It's an eviction notice, Clark," she says, her words causing his eyes to widen. Still seeing that he's not fully caught on, she moves in closer, highlighting the signature on the bottom of the document with her finger.
"Lionel Luthor?" Clark reads, confused over what he's seeing.
"Lionel Luthor," Chloe confirms with a sullen tone.
Leaving Clark to digest that, she reaches back over to the desk producing another document. "This is a copy of her contract on her art gallery," Chloe says, handing it over to Clark.
"It too just happened to expire two days ago," Chloe says, knowing she is on the trail of something.
Clark stands puzzled, trying to put the pieces together in his head.
"I think she's staying somewhere in Smallville," Chloe declares, her voice possessing an heir of confidence.
Clark's head whips around, concerned that Chloe may know what he's hiding.
Her eyebrow raises, a light bulb going off in her head. "Clark, do you think Lex might know where she is?" Chloe asks, both relieving him, and worrying him with that question.
x X x X x
Lex slams the stick into fourth gear, cradling his cell phone against his ear with his free hand. His jet black porsche hugs the curves of the highway as he speeds past the cars around him.
His plum dupioni tie catches the wind, gently billowing against his deep purple shirt, the bright sun beaming off his Ray Bans.
"Three dozen white," he speaks into the phone, his lips slightly curled into a smile.
"Immediately," he insists, knowing the name Luthor has a way of snapping people into action.
As he nears his destination, the whirling globe of the Daily Planet cuts the skyline, his view now that of sky scraping buildings, rather than tall stalks of corn.
x X x X x
Lex's shoes glide over the scuffed wooden floors, sending echoes through the empty loft. His hand grazes the bare wall, pausing to finger one of the nails remaining in the dry wall, its beautiful counterpart now gone with the wind. He allows his curious eyes to sweep across the vacant space, saddened to find it now a shell of what it used to be.
Taking in every detail of the now desolate place, Lex stops in front of the large glass windows, peering outside to the garden terrace. He pauses, perplexed, his hand gripping the door handle, frozen for a moment. Pushing through the thoughts in his head, he opens the glass door to outside, walking to the edge of the balcony that overlooks the busy city. He inhales, taking in his surroundings, his eyes not missing a single inch of the elaborate terrace and cityscape.
As Lex turns to leave the loft, his eyes catch something in the doorway. Moving in to take a closer look, he realizes there's a small note stuck to the door. He carefully peels it off, his eyes fix as the words reveal them self to him. It's a delivery notice from The Metropolis Flower Shoppe. The elaborate bouquet ordered express never reached the hands of the recipient.
x X x X x
Lex walks into the office of Metropolis' Atrium Apartments, his mere presence commanding attention.
"Good morning Mr. Luthor," the nervous doorman says, the site of a Luthor invoking fear. "What can I help you with today?"
"Could you please direct me to Ms. Peyton's apartment?" Lex asks, calming the help with his benevolent tone.
"Ms. Audrey Peyton?" the doorman asks.
"Yes," Lex clarifies.
The doorman adjusts himself in his swivel chair before having to deliver "I'm sorry, Sir. Ms. Peyton..."
Lex interrupts him by pressing his hands down on the counter. "I'm sure she won't have a problem with me coming up," Lex says, a sly smile creeping across his confident face.
"Oh no, it's not that," the doorman says, overcompensating for Lex's misunderstanding with a firm shake of his head. "Don't you know? Ms. Peyton no longer lives here."
"Why would I know?" Lex asks, genuinely befuddled.
The doorman swallows, unsure how to proceed.
"Then perhaps you could produce her forwarding address? Surely a professional like yourself wouldn't allow her mail to go into the trash," Lex asks.
"I'm very sorry, Sir," the doorman begins, "I'm afraid she didn't leave one." He slips his hand into his coat pocket and retrieves a card which he shifts to his pants pocket, hoping Lex didn't see him do it.
Lex doesn't see the switch. Not liking what he's hearing, his jaw clenches, his knuckles cracking as he pushes his weight off the counter. He stops himself, realizing that the young man behind the desk doesn't have anything to gain by lying to him.
Disappointed, he turns to leave the apartment building, pausing in the atrium, a far off look in his eyes.
x X x X x
"I think it's good you're out and about," Martha mothers Audrey, pouring her tea from the freshly delivered pot. "It's not healthy to be cooped up at the farm all day long, every day. Believe me, I know from experience."
Audrey doesn't respond, letting Martha's words fall flat.
Although The Talon was her first Smallville experience, and nothing jumped out and bit her, Audrey is not comfortable to be out in the open like this. She can't help but feel like the Christmas goose on Christmas Eve.
Determined to calm her young friend, Martha grabs the sugar bowl, plucking up a cube with the tiny tongs.
"One or two?" Martha asks.
"Two pink," Audrey responds, scoping out her surroundings.
Martha looks down at the sugar cubes, not having a clue where to get a pink one.
Audrey's attention snaps back to Martha. She laughs nervously, her tenseness not easing.
"I'm sorry, Martha, pink packets. Sweet and Low," Audrey says, taking the packets herself, swinging them briefly in the air to pack the sweet crystals before ripping the package open. Perhaps if she shows a little interest in the tea, Martha will mistake it for politeness and not notice the panic screaming through Audrey's head.
"Perhaps this was a bad idea," Martha grabs her purse, ready to go.
Audrey grabs Martha's hand to keep her there. "No, I just...need to adjust."
The last thing Audrey needs to do is offend her host and savior. If Martha wants to have tea, then Audrey needs to oblige. But, there are still those pesky nerves to deal with.
Trying to keep her nervous hands occupied, she picks up a pen off the table meant to be used on the comment cards. The cheap little bic has been decorated to match the shoppe, the pen cap now adorned with an artificial daisy.
"Well, isn't that cute?" Martha smiles.
Audrey grins, allowing her hand to guide the flowered pen across her paper napkin, effortlessly scrolling a mini piece of art.
"Jonathan said you were painting this morning," Martha begins, hoping Audrey will open up to her.
Audrey answers, not looking up from the napkin. "I haven't painted in some time. But,I used to have my own gallery."
"That's tremendous, Audrey," Martha enthuses.
"Used to," Audrey replies quite distantly, reminding Martha the operative word in her story. "That pretty much sums up my life: used to."
"You lost it?" Martha hopes for more information.
"It was taken from me. Everything was taken from me. My gallery. My apartment. The man..." Audrey trails off.
At first Martha assumes that the memory of this man, whomever he may be, is the reason for her shutting down, but when Audrey's hand crushes Martha's, she knows something much more terrifying is here.
Outside the window, beyond a black car, is the Gentleman, standing immobile in the street.
Audrey jumps from her seat, the chair slamming back to the floor.
"Audrey!" Martha's concern erupts. "What--" she begins to ask, but Audrey doesn't stick around for the reply.
Audrey makes for the counter, each step surprised to find solid ground there, her legs quiver with fear. She rounds the counter and disappears into the back.
Martha gathers up her purse and drops money on the table for the bill. She's poised to follow her friend when the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"Martha?" an all too familiar voice coolly calls after her.
Martha turns around to reply, "Mr. Luthor."
"Mr. Luthor?" Lionel repeats, disapproving. "I thought we were on more familiar terms than that, Martha."
"I'm sorry, Lionel, you just caught me off-guard," she says.
"Why are you off in such a rush?" Lionel says, hoping any conversation will keep her in the room for just a few moments longer.
Martha searches her brain for an excuse, a lie, anything to get her out of here to attend to her friend. Luckily, her cell phone, which she had gathered from the table, still resides in her hand.
"Clark needs me," she lies very well having had years of practice, "he just called from school."
"Far be it from me to keep you, then," Lionel pivots, allowing her access to the front door.
Martha nervously eyes the counter, and the back way she's sure Audrey took.
"You have such a bond with your son, Martha," Lionel stalls her for just one moment more. "One that I envy."
"It's not hard, you just have to respect the person they're bound to become," Martha didn't mean to make her comment so snide, but secretly pleased it was.
"Excuse me," she pushes past him.
Lionel is no fool, he can easily sense the urgency and shock in Martha. He scans the table she was obviously just at, and sees the napkin Audrey had scribbled on. His hand lands on it like a lion's paw would a mouse, and he turns it around to see it clearly.
It's an odd scribble, more like a symbol than anything. But, it's one he recognizes.
x X x X x
Not knowing what else to do, Martha heads to the truck. She's relieved to find, tucked down in the floorboards, is a shivering Audrey.
Knowing better than to speak to her, Martha climbs in and points the truck back to the farm.
The whole time she does, she's under the scornful eye of Lionel Luthor.
x X x X x
Lionel bursts into the study of Luthor Mansion unannounced. Much to his surprise, Lex is not seated at his desk, nor is he anywhere else in the mansion.
An annoyed grin creeps across Lionel's lips. Lex is one step ahead of him this time. He catches a glimpse of the small print Lex has on the shelf. His eyes fix, hardening as he moves closer towards it. He reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out the napkin from the Talon. He brings the napkin up next to the small print now in an elaborate frame.
He exhales, his breath almost growling, as he confirms the little mark in the corner of the print, the artist's unique signature, and the scribble upon the napkin are one in the same. Both art created by hands that have once again slipped out of his grasp. He crushes the napkin in his hand, his jaw locking with anger.
x X x X x
"Audrey, honey, I promise I will do whatever I can to help you, but first you have tell me what's going on," Martha says, disliking having to be so blunt, but knowing all too well that the Luthors do not let things, or people, slip through their fingers. Their only hope of a defense against someone as powerful as Lionel Luthor will be knowledge, the knowledge Audrey holds within herself.
Audrey takes a breath, unsure just how far back to go to begin her tale.
"Have you ever felt like you were all alone in the world?" Audrey asks, her heart sinking.
Martha swallows, instantly thinking of that horrible summer after her miscarriage. Weeks of despair spent dreaming of the child she lost, and worrying about the one who had left.
Nodding, she offers Audrey a pair of sympathetic eyes, urging her to continue.
Audrey tastes her next words, deciding it's best to speak others. Her heart can't bear reliving all of the tragedy she had been forced to endure.
Bringing her eyes up to the clear blue sky, she gazes at the warm sun shining down. No, she would not spoil such a pretty day with talk of the dark clouds looming over her. She would start at the beginning, allowing Martha to see a sliver of the beautiful light that had once shined upon her.
Audrey smiles, beginning to let the fear fade from her eyes, "Lex...," she breathes, her lips seeming to savor the taste of his name escaping her mouth.
Martha's eyes widen, disbelieving that which Audrey is about to say.
"I love him," she whispers, as though a revelation from her very soul.
Opening her heart, Audrey paints a picture for Martha to step into, allowing her to glimpse into the dream she once lived; the love she once had.
x X x X x
Standing in the shadow of the street lamp, two silhouettes melt into each other, making it hard to discern where he ends and she begins. The way the two lovers are entangled, it's hard to imagine just a few hours ago they were perfect strangers, ready to live the rest of their days without the missing piece of themselves.
Audrey looks into Lex's green eyes, feeling as though she can see his soul. He takes her hands into his, his gentle gaze assuring her what they both are feeling is real. She could live there forever, bask in the feeling that they are the only two people on Earth. They stand, poised on the edge of the greatest discovery either would ever make, the discovery of each other's heart.
The day that just closed before them had been an unusual one, frozen time taking both Lex and Audrey to a place neither would have fathomed. The little garden terrace high above the city dissolved into the 'La Vie En Rose', where over tiny spoonfuls of decadent dessert, Audrey learned about the woman named Lillian; the richness of the fine dessert holding no candle to the sweetness of the words he spoke when remembering his mother.
Following the path along the lake, they found more than just beauty in their surroundings, they found it in each other. She opened her heart, sharing with him the intimate details of the loves she had lost, and the dreams she still had.
Holding onto her words, he's amazed that someone who appeared so fragile could've survived so much. For every thing she was denied in life, he promised to provide. A statement to which she replied, "you already have."
As the two clutch hands, savoring the dwindling twilight, the heavens open, raining down a baptism upon the two lost souls, uniting them as they hold onto each other; the water covering their skin seeming to wash away their inhibitions and memories of a time when loneliness plagued them.
The streetlights highlight the gentle storm as thousands of droplets fall from the sky, splashing against the asphalt sparkling in the moonlight. The steady rhythm of water hits the rooftops, creating a delicate symphony to surround the two lovers unaware of the storm brewing around them. Paying no regard to their elegant attire, Lex and Audrey lose themselves in each other, enraptured in a moment seeming tailor made for only them. The wind whips down the alley, catching the chiffon of her gown freeing it to billow along with his coat in the
breeze, as crashes of lighting flash across the black sky, matching the power of the electricity between their bodies.
Pressing her toes against the ground, Audrey lifts her body to meet perfectly with his adoring eyes. Without having to utter a single word they speak volumes, both finally able to feel their hearts beat seemingly for the first time.
Her wide eyes blink away the raindrops, sending trails of mascara down her blushing cheeks, stripping her to her raw natural beauty. Instinctively her hand goes to her face, hoping to somehow salvage the remnants of make-up not ruined by the rain. He smiles, tenderly taking her hand away from her face kissing it gently, his sparkling eyes assuring her that in this moment she could not be more beautiful.
His fingers glide up her silky skin, delicately caressing her arms with his fingers. Softly he sweeps away the drops of water running down her arms as his hands run up them. He leans in, teasing her with his lips upon her skin, his warm breath sending a thousand shivers down her spine. She gasps, opening her mouth to the falling rain, her breathing becoming labored by the intensity of his touch. She allows her head to fall back, losing herself in the moment, as he cradles her small frame in his hands.
"Please...," she breathes, her head telling her she must protest this choice to go so far so fast.
"Please...," she pleas to herself as she bites her lip, her heart swearing it will shatter if he is to stop.
His finger goes to her lips, silencing her fears as his eyes reassure her.
Together they are swimming in an endless abyss, no longer feeling the chill of the rain on their flesh, just the heat between their bodies as their hearts pound in unison. Drenched in their passion, they cling to each other; sustained by their surrender to this perfect moment.
The chiffon gown clings to her skin, the dampness highlighting the curves of her body. He stands breathless, seeing her as though Venus shrouded in lavender ribbons.
How desperately he longs to unwrap such a treasure.
x X x X x
Swept up in each other, Lex and Audrey move towards her apartment, ridding their bodies of their soaked formal attire one small piece at a time. With every floor the intensity doubles, both gaining passion from the sweet taste of each other's skin.
Effortlessly he raises her off of the ground, lifting her to meet his eyes, her legs instinctively wrapping around him, longing to feel him with every ounce of body. Driven by their desire to be one, he pins her back against the wall, passionately kissing her, paying no regard to anyone who may be watching.
His arousal presses against her, intensifying her own, making her yearn to feel him deeper, feeling him already deep inside her soul. As her toes curl she hears one of her heels hit the floor, the sound seeming so distant from the world in which she is enraptured.
Slowly he unzips her gown, his fingers caressing the small of her back as more delicate skin is slowly revealed. "Yes," she whispers, letting go.
x X x X x
Audrey wraps herself in the sheets rolling away from Lex, perhaps to hide her smile from him, but also perhaps to keep it to herself.
Lex admires his prey, savoring the curve of her lower back and the skin as it rounds down to her soft thighs.
The door is just a few yards away and Lex is seized with a familiar urge to go through it. However, he peers one last time at her, and sees that the cheek of her face is rumpled, turned with just the slightest smile. Feeling his own lips curl into a smile he suddenly realizes there is no way he can leave her.
Atop the side table rests a crystal vase filled with white roses. The intricate pattern of the cut glass casts prisms as the candlelight reflects through, coloring the wall with soft pastel hues. Lex reaches over, pulling a single long stem rose from the vase, letting it slide between his long fingers as it breezes beneath his nose, his eyes sparkling.
Gently he slips the flawless bloom under her nostrils, the soft petals delighting her with their intoxicating fragrance. She turns, arching her neck, allowing her head to sink further back into the down pillow, inhaling the soft aroma with more than a desire for renewed breath. Although she longs to lock her eyes with him, see his mind working as he explores the body she is meant to share with him, she holds on to her promise, keeping her eyes closed, an act he rewards with gentle kisses on her shadow swept lids.
Tracing the delicate features of her face, he glides the white rose over her soft lips, the softness of the flower intensifying her desire to be united with his kiss. He is but a breath away, yet, she clings to the sheet beneath her, not allowing herself to explore the luxury of his skin just yet.
Taking the role of artist, Lex allows the rose to gently brush across her skin, her flesh pinkening with blush from the tenderness of the moment. She is his canvas, and he delights in teasing her supple skin with the flawless, fragile petals created by God's hand. It's obvious from the skill of his touch, she is not the first to be pleasured by his hands, yet the look in his eyes, the fact that he's holding his breath for her, makes her confident she'll be the last. Beyond his personal desires, he seems driven to only please her; body, mind and soul.
Only her silk sheets covers her flesh, allowing him to see the silouhette of her body; her aroused breasts pressing against the silk teasing him with anticipation. Driven by how his touch summons such a reaction, he continues his restraint, only allowing himself to gently brush against her skin, multiplying the chills already present beneath her flesh.
Their eyes lock, willing each other through this moment of frozen time, he pulls the silk, sliding it down her breasts, freeing her bust to the only breath of cold between them. Gently he cradles her breasts in his hand, caressing her alabaster skin with his delicate touch. Softly his mouth goes to her, teasing her lips with a sensual kiss, pleasing her mouth with his own and her breasts with his hands with an equally delicate touch. Still lost in their kiss, one hand moves to the small of her back, supporting her as the intensity of his kiss seems to leave her weak.
He breathes in the now familiar scent of her hair, sweet herbal hints of jasmine and lavender able to captivate him as the combination did on the terrace. Entangling his fingers in her hair, he allows his lips to deliver soft kisses down her neck, his perfect execution causing her head to fall back, presenting more delicate skin for him to caress.
He cradles her in his hands, the feel of his kisses on her beginning to make her delirious. He continues on, gaining passion from her pleasure, his nose brushing against her neck as he continues caressing her with his lips, now driven by the hint of perfume lingering on her skin.
How beautifully feminine she is, like the exquisite rose now laid upon the table, this creature he holds in his hand possesses all the qualities he lacks; and all he can hope to do is be welcomed to cherish her just a little longer.
Taking her hands into his, he raises her arms above her head, resting them gently against the plush pillow upon which she rests. Delicately he peels off the thin layer of silk separating their bodies, finally allowing himself to see her at her purest. This time he will savor his treasure.
x X x X x
Audrey closes her eyes, leaning her head back, allowing the hot shower to spray her face. The suds pour from her hair, gliding over the curves of her body as she works her hands through the lather. The warm mist of steam envelops her, cradling her bare flesh as its silhouette is cast upon the shower door. Only a hint of light pierces the darkness, the waning moments before dawn allowing her to ease back into the real world slowly. 'Was it all a dream?' she wonders, still feeling as though she's floating on a cloud, the memory of last night lingering in her mind. For when twilight faded, so did all of the rules she made for herself, realizing that love, the kind causing her head to spin, and her heart to pound, cannot be contained by even the strongest walls built between two people.
x X x X x
Audrey sits on the corner of her bed, wrapped only in a thick terry cloth towel, her long hair trailing down her back. Resting peacefully for the first time in a bed that is not his own, is Lex. Gently she kisses her finger, a gift she delivers to his sleeping smile. Reassuring herself, she whispers, "No, this is real."
x X x X x
"We spent every moment together, letting all of the things in our crazy lives just fall away. It felt like time had stopped for us. I remember laying beside him hoping that it really had," Audrey tells Martha, stepping back into present day.
She pauses, breathing out the words, "Unfortunately as much as we wanted to be together, fate had different plans for us."