Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, this chapter's a bit longer than usual, I got a bit carried away, hope you like it.

Chapter number 39. The devil himself.

"Oh my gosh, so he's had a daughter for like... years and he never knew?" Martha exclaimed when Rose finished telling the previous days events.

"Yeah" Rose nodded, "I'm still trying to come to terms with it all, I mean I'm a step mum... and now I feel bad about not wanting it" Rose admitted, "don't get me wrong, I don't hate the idea ether, it's just..."

"Not what you thought you were marrying in to?" Martha finished her off.

"Exactly".

"I'm so sorry Rose" Martha said sympathetically, not even wanting to try and understand what a mess things must be for her at the moment.

"It's not your fault... It's no ones fault really, just a big mess that no one could do anything about".

"But what about Danielle's Mum? Surely she should of said something to Boyd" Jack suggested.

"She tried, but Boyd had already left when she found out, and she didn't have a clue where he went to, he just... tock off. Like I said before, it's no ones fault, I wish it was though... then I'd have someone to blame".

Martha and Jack just nodded and gave her a knowing smile of hope, there was nothing more they could say.

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He was standing there, his feet directly in front of Lara's face that was level with the ground, she looked up, and he was looking down at her. Evilness was in his eyes, like fire burning through everything until it got to the target, what ever that was.

"What do you want from me?" Lara gasped, longing to get out, out from the night mare, away from the danger.

"Not much" Jesse snarled, "but you want something from me" he answered, carelessly sitting down in front of her, he didn't ask for a reply, nor did she give him one, so he continued on his happy ramble, "you want me to let you go" he spoke for her, "but your going to have to do something for me first" he explained, looking around to Jemma who had been completely silent, "you too babe".

"Don't call me that!" Jemma snapped, "were not doing anything for you".

"Well, well well, we do have an attitude now don't we" Jesse perked up, seeming amused by her anger, "now haw about you let the cop speak for herself, I'm sure she's a little more willing than you are" he added, looking around to Lara who just gave him a disgusted look.

"I'm not doing anything for you, your a sick creep".

"Amen" Jemma exclaimed.

Jesse wasn't so cheerful anymore, his evilness turned from picking teasing fights to, anger, cold hard anger.

"So what are you going to do know?" Jemma sighed impatiently when she realized she was getting to him, "I'm starched, could you go get me a coke or something?" she asked cheekily.

Lara bit her lip to try and hide her smile and the laughter that was welling up inside her, she had to admit seeing the look on Jesse's face was pretty hilarious.

"Or maybe" Jemma continued, "maybe some coffee would be better, the caffeine might do me some good, these floors don't exactly give a lot of good rest if you know what I mean".

By then both girls were laughing, Jesse just sat there, as stiff as a brick with evilness in his eyes, stone evilness, the laughter was echoing in his head, fading softer and softer, bringing his mind back to a time when he could laugh, when he had people to laugh with, those were the days ha longed to return to; the good days.

"Shut up" he finally spoke, moving only his lips before they returned to the same straight serious look they held before. He got up, stood tall and looked right down at the two women on the floor, "you two better watch yourselves" he warned, "cause what I say goes, and you'll be sorry if you don't do things my way". He turned around towards the door and began to walk slowly yet confidently, he had to look like he was on control, he was in control, well in control of everything except his life, but he would be soon, things were going to get better, he just had to make things right first, make things right for her, then she'd see he was worth it.

"None of this is going to bring her back you know" Jemma called out, making him come to a stop in his tracks, but he didn't dare turn around, he knew what she ment, and she was wrong, it would bring her back, it would, he knew it would, he took another step forward and was on his path again to the door. Not giving up Jemma tried again, "None of this is going to bring Martha back". He stopped, turned to face her, glaring at her, begging her to take it back, but she didn't, she just kept her serious face, looking directly at him with a knowing look, "I know you miss her, but Jesse this isn't the way, your only making things worse for yourself".

"Yes it is" he shot out, by now he had lost it, his eyes were glassy, holding his emotions in like his father had always taught him too, "only wussy boys cry" he'd remembered hearing.

"Jesse" Lara spoke, making him turn from Jemma to look at her, "you need help".

"Lara's right" Jemma agreed, "she's a cop, she can get you the help you need, then there won't be any need for all of this pointless revenge, it's not good for you".

"Shut up" he shouted, trying to hold in a tear, but was too late, it was already rolling swiftly down his cheek, "you don't know... you don't know why I have to do this".

"No we don't" Jemma started, seeming comforting in her voice, but it was all just to try and make him see sense, "and I don't think you really do ether, that's why you need help... professional help" she finished, studying Jesse's face with anticipation, trying to see any sign of making his head click back into place.

"You think I'm a loony don't you" he said dully, like he was drunk, drunk with emotions, that's when the anger came, he was already five meter's away, soon it became four... then three, "you think I'm a joke, that's why you were laughing wasn't it?" he continued, making it to two... then one.

"No Jesse we just want to help you" Lara jumped in.

"No you don't", he sniffed, "you want to lock me up, you want to treat me the way I treated Loyd".

"Jesse all this nonsense talk isn't helping" Jemma interrupted, her voice quivered slightly, she knew Jesse well, he was getting worked up, his anger was boiling, and she could already see his fist clenched.

"It's not nonsense and you know it!" he yelled, closing his fist tighter as he screamed. The room was suddenly silent as the echo from Jesse quickly faded, both girls were still, so still they didn't know whether there hearts were still beating, he was looking over them, and not at all like an angel from heaven would, it was like the devil, flames in his eyes, fuming with hate, "looks like you've finally found your place" she spoke normally again, letting his hands rest back in a normal calm position, then placed them behind his back and paced slowly back and forth in front of them, deciding what to do with them now. He couldn't make them do his work for him, they'd find some way to stuff it up, leaving them here would only mean having to find food for them... well if he wasn't too angry with them.

His thoughts were interrupted by Lara who had finally found the courage to speak, "please just tell us what you want to do with us".

"Well I hadn't actually decided myself" he told her, walking to the back end of the room and dragging a bench stool along to sit up high in front of them, "I could always just kill you and send my calling card to that precious boyfriend of yours, now that would be a bit of entertainment" he sighed, running his thumb and index fingers up and down opposite sides of his chin in amusement.

"Your sick, you know that" Jemma said in disgust.

"Really? Never knew that" he said sarcastically, "I thought I might of got the hint the first time you said that while I've been in this room".

"Well looks like your slow" she muttered under her breath when Jesse looked away.

"What was that?" Jesse asked, raising his voice slightly and looking directly at her waiting for her answer.

"Nothing".

"Yeah sure". He laughed, she was scared of him, she was below him, just the way he liked it. "You too chicken are you?" he teased.

Jemma didn't answer, she didn't even dare open her mouth this time, she just looked at him.

"Just tell us what you want and let us go" Lara butted in before Jesse could let out another of his remarks.

Jesse turned his attention to the direction of the floor where he heard Lara's voice come from, "You really think it's all that easy don't you princess... well welcome to the real world, you don't get what you want, just everything you don't want, my life's been that way for years, so get over it".

"So that's the reason your doing all this is it?" Jemma asked, "you think that the real world is so cruel that you have to be cruel to get somewhere".

"Yeah I do, got a problem with that?" Jesse answered defensively, getting up off the stool and took two steps towards Jemma.

Two minutes ago, Jemma would of just given him the answer he wanted to hear, but she was sick of this, she was sick of him, even if he killed her it would be better of living... with this. "Yeah I do actually" she said confidently, taking him by surprise.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that".

"I'll talk to you however the heck I want too" she told him bluntly.

That was the last straw for Jesse, he'd had enough, so he grabbed her, tight around the throught and lifting her in the air.

"Let her go!" Lara screamed, "Let her go" she repeated, using all her strength th move her legs that were still tied together to kick him.

Jesse dropped Jemma to the floor, looked at her and crouched down, "let that be a warning" he whispered. And with that, he walked back up the stairs and closed the door behind him.

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"I should be out there looking for her" Peter yelled, banging his fist down hard on the desk.

"Were all doing the best we can Peter" Jackie reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Look I'm sorry" Peter apologized.

"It's ok" she answered, nodding with understanding, "your allowed to to be upset".

"I just... I don't know what I'd do if-".

"Peter" she stopped him, "you can't start talking like that". She pulled up a chair and sat next to him, waiting a second while he took in another deep breath and buried his face in his hands for a second before looking back up. "You love her don't you" Jackie spoke.

"Yeah" he sighed, "more than anything".

"Well get her back" she whispered, "well find a way" she added, giving him a pat on the back before walking back out to join the search.

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Martha walked down the stairs to the bottom floor of the house with Rose along side her. "Was it just me or was mum and dad not so happy about hearing that I'm moving out".

"It wasn't just you, like mum was happy for you, but dad didn't take it that well". And she was right, Brett hadn't been too happy about hearing that his daughter was moving to summer bay, he just stood there while Ruth held Martha in her arms and told her that she was now sentenced to visiting often as possible, not that Brett wasn't happy that his daughter was moving on with her life, he really was glad to see her smile, but the last few years had been kinda like getting to know his daughter, he hated himself for not taking on his roll as father when she was growing up, but now he was finding it hard to let go.

"I'm sure he'll come round, he was just in shock" Rose added, trying to make Martha smile, but it didn't work.

"Rose?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

"Well of course I do, I'm going to miss you, but that doesn't mean it's not the right thing. Are you having second thoughts?"

"I don't know" Martha admitted honestly, "it's going to be different... but you know, I want Dylan to have the chance to know his dad" she said as the came into Martha's room and sat down on the end of the bed.

"But what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what's in it for you, and don't say nothing cause I saw the way you and Jack were looking at each other across the table earlier. What's going on Marth?"

"Well..." she started.

"Well what?" she encouraged her.

"Well were not exactly.. you know, in a romantic relationship".

"Could of fouled me, and don't you try telling me that your just friends, cause I know thats rubbish".

"Yeah it is rubbish cause were more than friends, were stuck in the middle somewhere".

"Does Jack know this?" Rose asked raising an eye brow.

"Yeah he does, we talked about it, and we both agreed that it's too soon after Serena".

"Oh yeah I almost forgot about her" Rose realized, "what, how long has it been now?"

"About a month and a half" Martha answered before the room when silent for about thirty seconds.

"How do you think she did it?" Rose sighed with he chin rested on her hand.

"Accepted a step son without even having a thought of shock".

"Rose please don't start with the bad step mum thing again, because you reaction is perfectly normal, Serena only reacted differently because she was in a different situation".

"No she wasn't" Rose shot out.

"Yeah she was, ok so yes you both had the same situation of realizing you married into more than you thought you did, but Jack and Serena hadn't even decided what they wanted for their future, you've already started having a family and planing stuff like that, they hadn't. And like you were saying to me and mum before, you don't know if this Janae girl is going to turn up wanting Boyd back, Serena already knew that me and Jack were history at the time".

"I guess so" Rose nodded, putting on a slight smile.

"So no more talk about being a horrible step mum ok?"

"Ok" she agreed.

Please review and tell me what you think, I'll continue when I've got two.