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Chapter Seven: Flashing Back

Paige checked Marty's vitals and afterwards Cole said goodbye and John took him back to the apartment, driving the entire way in complete silence.

"Are you coming in?" Cole asked as they approached the door.

"Nah. I'll be back tomorrow for Christmas Eve since I can't let you spend it alone. Besides I don't feel like being alone anyway."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

John nodded and left the apartment building feeling completely empty inside as he drove to the Angel Square Motel. Upon walking inside his small room he divested himself of his clothing, and not bothering turning on the lights he simply climbed into bed for what he hoped would be a dreamless sleep.

Marty meanwhile was in her hospital bed slowly falling asleep do to the low dosage of pain meds they were giving her and she only hoped she could remember something about John.

Marty walked into John's office at the Llanview Police Department carrying two cups of coffee and cinnamon rolls knowing him the case he was working on was driving him crazy. He most likely hadn't slept or eaten in days. She wasn't needy or anything but if this was the way she would have to spend time with her boyfriend it would have to do.

"Knock, knock."

John looked up from the computer screen his eyes had been glued to for what seemed like forever to see Marty shutting the door behind her and carrying two cups of coffee and a paper sack from a bakery. Smiling at her he got up from his chair and took the cups of coffee from her as she sat down in the chair across from his desk.

"Hey," He greeted sheepishly, "Sorry I haven't been around lately."

"It's all right. I guess I'll have to spend time with you at the station instead of at the park or at the movies or dinner," Marty says with a smile, "You know proper dates boyfriends take their girlfriends on."

John chuckled and shook his head as he sipped his coffee while Marty handed him a cinnamon roll wrapped in a napkin. Neither of the two said much as they enjoyed their breakfast but then again much never needed to be said between them anyway.

He watched as she daintily sipped her coffee unable to take his eyes off of her lips. Deciding it had been too long since they kissed, he moved his chair back from his desk and helped Marty out of hers. Slowly he began moving his hands up and down her arms enjoying the silkiness of her skin. Then he tilted her chin upwards so they were eye level and she blushed crimson under his gaze.

Finally he conquered the distance between them, blanketing her lips with his delicately at first. His tender assault then became intense within a matter of seconds. Gently he pried her mouth open with his tongue and soon her body's soft curves were pressed against his body's lean lines; a feeling both had missed.

Marty's eyes immediately flew open from the memory and her fingers gently touched her lips as if she could still feel the intensity of that kiss. The memory she remembered of the kiss began stirring feelings inside of her that she couldn't figure out. Her heart was beating rapidly and all her senses were heightened from a simple memory of a kiss.

Shaking it off she took deep breaths and managed to calm herself down. Slowly but surely she fell asleep again her mind still reeling from the memory of a kiss, but one that felt so real.

Back at the Angel Square Motel in room 334 John's hope for a dreamless sleep wasn't granted. All he could think or dream about was Marty.

John sighed as he knocked on the wooden door whose lacquered name plate courtesy of Llanview Hospital read Dr. Margaret Saybrooke. He found himself spending a lot of time in her office lately. The feelings that were now swimming around in his head and his heart had changed drastically from when he had first met her.

At first he couldn't stand her and practically resorted to begging to get her to stay out of his head. Then all of the sudden she had been taken hostage by Truman and things changed drastically. When he found himself getting close to her son, which was unexpected things changed more.

Suddenly he found himself wanting to catch glimpses of her when she would stop by the station to drop off profiles. He was finding reasons to show up at her office here at the hospital. Well it all stopped now. He was sick of running around in circles in his head. He was going to step up and tell her how he felt.

Marty stopped putting away her files when she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door to reveal a seemingly calm and cool detective McBain. Flashing him her signature bright smile she opened the door wider for him to pass through and almost immediately his demeanor had changed. He was now pacing wildly about her office as if he was trying to decide whether to tell her something.

She sat down on her office's comfortable leather couch, waiting patiently for him to say something as she watched him continuously pace. His pacing stopped and he walked over to the couch to sit on the other side while she turned to face him.

As John stared into Marty's sparkling chocolate eyes, his mind became jumbled and suddenly telling her how he felt went out the window. His eyes then moved over her face as if memorizing every detail before they finally landed on her full petal like lips.

He found his voice and all he could say was, "I want to kiss you."

Marty blushed demurely at John's surprising declaration of his feelings. Her insides were a jumble of nerves but instead of showing it she moved closer to him and winked saucily at him.

"Many have wanted. Few have dared." She taunted pleasantly surprised at her own boldness.

"I've always liked a good dare."

With that statement now spoken John's lips were firmly pressed against hers and immediately the kiss intensified. It was sweet, gentle and passionate everything a kiss should be.

John groaned at the memory as he rolled over in his bed and glanced at the clock on the night stand. It was 2:30 in the morning. On and off throughout the night he had slept, each time awoken by another memory of Marty. At the rate he was going he'd never sleep again.