Untitled

A/N: I know I said I've basically given up (in fact, I'm talking to no one right now. I know that much), but I've kept this one hidden for awhile and was drawn back out by the announcement of Silk finally coming to America via PBS…On my birthday! All I have to say is that it's about damn time…'Cept I already own all the DVDs…I Imported. Look at me, bein' a hipster. XD Anyway, I hope this will be good for this little fandom and hopefully garner more attention. Now, I'm not sure what to call this one...Hence it being Untitled...(Anyone got a title?) It's another Martha and John interlude with a slight warning for showing that Martha actually has a sex life.

Timeline: Late June 2012

Martha tapped her fingers on the table as she ran over her defense over again, double-checking her facts and making sure everything was in order for the case.

'Alright. We have a seemingly credible alibi here, and on top of that, it's looked like a setup from the beginning…' She thought as she absent-mindedly picked up her teacup and glanced at the clock, which read six AM. She sighed, knowing that she had to get up and get ready to be at chambers by eight to go over some things with Billy before heading to court, but as soon as she stood, her mobile went off.

'Who the hell calls at six in the morning?' She thought, quickly picking it up and then smiling when she read the ID. "Good morning, John," She said.

"Morning. Listen, I know it's kind of early, but, what are you doing this evening?" John asked.

"Probably preparing for the second half of the trial I'm attending today. Why?"

"Do you think you can spare a few hours for a date?"

"Why tonight? Wouldn't be smarter to go out tomorrow when neither of us has to work the next day?"

"Yes, but I only have a month until the end of the term, so I'm beyond busy. Tonight's going to be my only free night for awhile."

"Alright then, what did you have in mind?" She asked, leaning against the counter as she spoke.

"I was thinking that we could go out after I left school, since I know your trial ends far before four fifteen."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Something casual."

"I know of a decent café near your school. I've been there twice for breakfast and don't have any complaints. It's a casual little place, so we could get in right after work with no issues."

"I like that idea. If you give me the name I can meet you there around five."

"I've got a better idea. Since I know where it is, I'll pick you up after you get done. Four fifteen you said?"

"Martha, that's really not necessary."

"Nonsense. I want to. Besides, you have yet to let me drive on a date."

"Well…I…"

"No. I'll be there at four fifteen so be ready. No more arguments."

"Alright. See you then. Bye," John said, knowing that it was no use to argue with her. It was hard to change her mind once it was made up and he didn't feel like it was necessary to argue over something as trivial as this.

"Bye," Martha said before hanging up. She then glanced at the clock again, and, after seeing the time, quickly headed for the shower. Originally, she had planned to take a small, quick shower simply to clean up before her trial, but as soon as she remembered she was going out later, a whole lists of tasks were attached to her shower.

'I might as well wash my hair. I was going to tonight, but if I'm going out…' She thought as she pulled the clip out of her hair and then started the water. 'I should probably shave too…And where did I put that body mist?' She sighed as she pulled off the last of her pyjamas, thinking that while she liked being with someone, looking nice for them was too much work. Granted, she was used to taking a few extra measures here and there to look nice for court, but being in a relationship required extra work and though she sometimes thought it was ridiculous, she loved the end result and the appreciative, loving looks she got from John because of it.

Immediately after her shower, she found and set aside a blow drier and then went to work searching for the new body mist that Niamh had given her as a gift due to a buy one get one free beauty sale at a small shop she frequented. She ended up finding it mixed in with some clothes and set it aside to do her hair and, by the time she finished, it was eight and her mobile was ringing.

"Are you alright?" Billy asked over the line. "You're never late."

"I'm fine. I just overslept," Martha lied. She had yet to tell anyone in chambers-minus Niamh and Nick-that she had a boyfriend and preferred it that way. Many of them were too curious for their own good, especially Billy. "I'll be there soon."

"Alright," He said right before Martha hung up. She then quickly gathered her belongings and hurried out the door, anticipating the trial ahead. It was a major drug case involving not only a group of students from a local public school, but two young teachers as well. She was co-defending one of the teachers with another, higher up QC defending the other. Knowing she had a lot to do, she got her meeting with Billy over with as fast as she could and headed off to court for her con.

"Is she sticking with the story?" Martha asked the solicitor Tammi Maverick, as they walked the halls of the courthouse.

"Yes. It's never once changed. She was with her boyfriend all night and never once left his home."

"It looks like a setup if you ask me. From what I heard, she wasn't well liked among the students, and because she's young and naïve she went along with their plans to gain some credibility."

"You'll have to ask her that," Tammi said.

"I will, along with several other things. We must have everything perfectly clear and in black and white. C.W.'s prosecuting, so if we don't spell it out and confirm the facts, she'll rip our defense to shreds," Martha explained as they finally reached the room where the meeting was to take place.

"Celia Bellmonte?" Tammi asked and the woman in the room, who had been looking at her hands, looked up. "There are some things we need to go over before the trial starts," She said as Martha set her stuff down and pulled out part of the brief and a notebook.

"I just need you to confirm that you weren't there and never have been," Martha told her.

"I wasn't and haven't. I told you, they set me up because they don't like me," Celia explained.

"Do you have any proof of this? Because it's rather easy for people to say things against it without proof and since they're minors, the jury is more inclined to believe them. They could easily say you're just saying those things because they're kids and you don't like them."

"I think the way they act in class is enough proof, but if you really want something to go on, they have a blog page."

"What kind of blog page?"

"One dedicated to bashing the teachers in school. Every one of us has our own section and the things they write are just, for lack of a better word, mean."

"And, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I only found out last night. A friend sent me the link via email. I have a printout here," Celia quickly rifled through her purse and pulled out a few papers.

Martha flipped through them and looked at Tammi. "Can you get this copied and put into the official defense statement?" She asked.

Tammi nodded and left to find someone to do so.

"And to make yourself look better to them, you got involved in their marijuana ring?"

Celia nodded. "I found out by accident, and wanted to tell someone, get them busted. But, they offered me things if I cooperated and I started to help them and my…what do you call him?"

"Codefendant."

"Right, my codefendant. We never meant any harm, and I know I'm going to get fired, but, I can deal as long as I don't end up in jail."

Martha nodded as she took notes and then asked, "Can you tell me about that night?"

"No, because I wasn't there. The students are only saying that to get me in trouble. I was with my boyfriend all night, and he can vouch for that."

"What were you doing with him?"

"We went out for dinner and then to his house to watch a film."

"And, you stayed over?"

"Yes. We…um…We went to bed at ten."

"And he can vouch, you said?"

"Yes. He's here today, ready to be called as a witness."

"Alright. Now I need you to sign the front of my brief. This just makes it clear that I haven't put any pressure on you to go one way or the other," Martha said, handing her the binder and a pen.

Celia signed and then looked up at Martha. "Are you sure you can get me out of this?"

"I'll try, but I make no promises. It's never a good idea to over or underestimate your defense," Martha explained as she stood and then headed out, as the trial began in five minutes. When she arrived in the courtroom, the other defendant's barrister, along with the prosecution, was already there. The teenagers had already been tried and given community punishments. There were a few present at the trial, waiting to be called as witnesses by request.

"Pleading?" Caroline Warwick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Martha replied. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, between you and me, there doesn't seem to be much hope for your client. The young, student teacher who gets involved with drugs just to make her students like her does not sound respectable," Caroline said.

"There's more to it than you say."

"Not from my perspective."

They both stopped speaking as the judge entered and everyone immediately rose, sitting again when the judge did as the trial finally began. The first witness they called was the headmaster who had busted the students in the first place.

"When you caught them that night, was Mr. Fitzpatrick among them?" Caroline questioned.

"Yes," The headmaster said. "It was him and the three students."

"They were gathered in the courtyard, correct?"

"Yes."

"What about Miss Bellmonte? Was she among them?"

"Yes. I saw her from the back, and I heard her voice. She was handing off the marijuana to the students and trying to make a quick escape."

"Yet, she wasn't caught at the scene."

"She ran away, down an alley. She was reported and arrested the following morning at the school. Kind of a cop out if you ask me. She ran while Fitzpatrick stayed, offering to take the drugs and let the students run."

"And when she was arrested, did she go without argument?"

"Yes. I guess she figured she had no choice. It wasn't worth it to make a fool out of herself."

"What about the students? What did they say?"

"They pinned it on her, and considering her actions, I don't blame them. And, aside from that, both her and Mr. Fitzpatrick are adults and should know far better than that."

"No further questions Your Honour," Caroline said as she sat down.

As soon as she sat, Martha immediately stood up. "Mr. Eccles, I'm Martha Costello. I represent Celia Bellmonte. Now, you said you saw her from the back, right?"

"Yes," Eccles replied.

"But it was dark, so, how can you be sure it was actually her?"

"The voice. She has a distinctive one, and a laugh to match. I heard both."

"Yes, but a voice means nothing. You didn't see a face."

"I know it was her."

"Okay, sure. But, can you have someone else attest to that?"

"All of the students and Mr. Fitzpatrick claim it to be true. I have a hard time believing they would lie about such a matter, especially under pressure."

"Well, I believe it's perfectly plausible, especially with what was going on behind the scenes."

"What?"

"Did you not know of the blog page? The one used strictly for bashing all of the teachers at your school?"

"What?"

Martha flipped through the pages of her defense and pulled out her copy of the print out. She handed it over to the clerk, who handed it to Eccles.

As soon as it was handed over, Caroline and the judges flipped through their own papers and found their copies.

'Wait a moment…' Caroline thought before standing up. "Relevance, Your Honour?" She said.

"Miss Costello?" The judge asked.

"It's part of the defense, which is believed to be a setup. These students fitted my client up because they did not like her, which seems petty, but is true, as evident from her statement, the statements of the students and that page."

"But the students have no authority, and even if it is a setup, it's not worth much," Eccles contradicted. "It's known that she was helping them out before."

"Which she has already attested to, but that's a different charge and will be handled later," Martha explained. "We're here because of possession and supply due to the night in question. However, there can't be either intent when she wasn't even there." Inwardly, she sighed, knowing she was starting to sound redundant and that they were back to square one.

"Then explain what I saw."

"I have already informed you that it was a ruse set by the students, which is evident from that log. The sole reason I presented it was so that you could understand where we are coming from in terms of defense."

"Not once does the log mention the drugs," Caroline pointed out.

"That's because it's implied. You can see where they say they will 'get her good' and that 'jail is the only place for her.'"

"I still fail to see the relevance in this."

"Then perhaps my client could explain it better. I'd like to call Celia Bellmote as the next witness."

"That will be our next step, then," The judge said, making a note as Martha sat and let Mr. Fitzpatrick's barrister have his turn at cross-examining the witness.

She took notes as they spoke, knowing that it could be useful for her defense later. By the time the adjourned for the day, she still wasn't sure what to think, as wasn't looking good for either of the defendants.

"I really hate to say 'I told you so'," Caroline said as they were leaving the courtroom.

"What are you talking about? We haven't gotten anywhere yet," Martha said as she turned and left. She then headed to the room the meeting room from before to see Celia for the usual, post-trial briefing. It was to assure she knew what was going on and how they were going to approach the rest of it.

"They don't believe the defense," Celia whined as soon as Martha stepped in.

"They don't believe the defense yet," She insisted. "We still have two more days to go, which is plenty of time to prove your innocence. Give me some time to look over my notes and the log. Once I do that, we'll go from there."

"Alright."

Martha simply nodded and then left, intending to go back to chambers, but was stopped outside by Caroline.

"Where are you off to?" She asked.

"Why?" Martha asked suspiciously.

"I thought we could go to lunch or something."

"I can't. I have work to do, and then I have a date."

"A date? Really? With who?"

"My boyfriend," Martha said before walking off, leaving a shocked Caroline behind. She smiled to herself as she got in her car, though part of her wondered why everyone she told was so shocked that she had a boyfriend. 'Does everyone think I'm incapable of having a relationship?' She thought as she headed off. Once she arrived back at Chambers, she headed towards her room, but was stopped by Billy. "What?" She asked.

"You can't go in there, Mr. Reader has a con," Billy informed her.

Martha sighed. "What about Nick and Niamh's room?"

"Only Mr. Slade is here, Miss Cranitch is in court, but he just got a new brief. No con yet."

"I'll work in there, then," She said as she walked off, pausing to knock on the door of the room.

"It's open," Nick said from inside. "Martha?" He asked once she entered.

"Do you mind if I work in here? Clive has a con in our room."

"Nope," Nick shook his head. "You can use Niamh's desk."

"Thank you," Martha said as she sat to go over her notes from the trial, being careful not to move too much on the desk and glancing over the two pictures Niamh kept. One was a family picture and the other was a fun photo of just her and Felicia in evening gowns. "Niamh doesn't keep any pictures of you?" She asked Nick.

"Huh? No," He replied. "We're not one of those couples that have to have the other's picture around. The only picture of me she has is in her purse and vice-a-versa."

She nodded and continued looking through her trial notes, thinking, 'There has to be a hole in their defense somewhere, and I can tell one of the students is near cracking. He's changed the story twice since the initial questioning. Then there's this log…Hmm…' She quickly read through it, noting the names and the posts, and then going back when one caught her eye. She then smiled to herself and marked the page before moving onto another part of the brief. 'We've gone over her alibi, but haven't even gotten into the students' motives…They're obvious to me, but we'll need to spell it out…' She thought, highlighting several parts of the defense and rewriting others as she kept a close eye on the time, finally deciding to stop and gather her things at three forty-five.

"Thanks for letting me work here," She said to Nick as she left and then ducked into the bathroom to touch up her makeup. After a quick look in the mirror, she added an extra bit of mascara, reapplied her lipstick added just a bit of coral-coloured blush and finally sprayed just a bit of the body mist of her neck and wrists. She then took in a breath and left, nearly slamming into Niamh on the way.

"My God, I'm sorry," She said.

"It's fine," Niamh replied. "You out of here?"

Martha nodded. "John and I have a date."

Niamh smiled. "Have fun."

"I will." Martha tried to leave, but Niamh grabbed her wrist.

"Wait…what underwear are you wearing?"

"What?"

"I just want to know if you have sexy underwear on."

"Why?"

"Because my intuition tells me that you do. Look at you. You've done your makeup nicely, you're wearing your best blouse, have curled the ends of your hair, and…" Niamh stepped closer. "You smell like sexy body mist."

Martha backed up with a raised eyebrow and said, "That's a bit creepy."

"This would be easier if you would simply tell me," Niamh teased, knowing that was usually Martha's line.

Martha sighed, knowing that she'd never get away unless she confessed. "It's the dark blue with the black lace overlay."

"Wow…" Niamh muttered.

"But it doesn't mean I'm planning anything. You don't jump into bed with Nick every time you're wearing something sexy, do you?"

"No."

"Exactly. I wore it because I like it and it makes me feel sexy."

"And if you feel sexy, you feel confident," Niamh finished. "So, you are learning something."

Martha rolled her eyes. "Are you done? I told John I'd pick him up."

"Yes. For now," Niamh replied as she walked off.

Martha let out a small sigh and moved on, only to be stopped again by Billy.

"In court tomorrow?" He asked.

"Why?" Martha asked back, knowing something was up.

"Can you cover a bail application for Mr. Reader?"

"Why can't he do his own?"

"It overlaps his trial tomorrow morning."

"Get Nick or Niamh to do it then. I have a trial at the same time."

"They're both in court tomorrow."

"What about a pupil?"

"We're interviewing next week."

Martha sighed. "I still can't do it," She said. "I'm sorry." At that, she simply left, brushing past him and out to her car.

'I'm going to be late,' She thought, looking at her watch. She then quickly texted John to tell him so and drove off.

Meanwhile, John sat at his desk going over a few last minute things, picking up his mobile when it went off and smiling at the message. He then turned back to his papers and separated them, putting what he would work on at home in one pile, those that were done in another, and those that could wait in a third. After another brief look, he collected what he needed, double-checked it and headed out. Once outside, he found several of his colleagues gathered by the front door. Some waiting for their own rides for various reasons, and others just hanging around.

"John, I thought you'd be gone by now," Frederick, teacher of the history class under his, said.

"I'm always here until four-fifteen," John said, leaning against a wall.

"But you've never waited around with us. You have your own car," David, one of the math instructors, pointed out.

"My girlfriend is picking me up so we can go out," He said casually, immediately getting everyone's attention.

"Girlfriend?" David asked.

"I didn't know you had one," Andrew, a student teacher in the English department, said.

"I don't see what the big deal is," John said, looking at the expressions on their faces.

"What's her name?" Fredrick asked.

"What's she like?" Liam, another student teacher, chimed in.

"What does she look like?" Andrew asked.

John sighed. 'Sometimes these men are too nosy for their own good. I thought women were nosy, but these guys…ugh…' "Her name is Martha," He said.

"Martha?" David said in an unsure tone.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?"

All of them were silent for a moment before Fredrick finally spoke up. "Nothing it's just that…Martha is…Well…It's such a boring name."

"So because of her name, she's boring?"

"People become their names, you know," Liam said.

"Besides, when I hear that, I think of my grandmother," David said. "It's an old lady name."

"That doesn't mean anything," John said. "There are plenty of people out there who break their name stereotypes."

"What's she like, then?" Liam asked, repeating his question.

"She's intelligent, insightful, has a great sense of humour and is far from boring. She's got quite a bit of northern sass in her."

Andrew raised an eyebrow, prepared to speak again, but was cut off by and turned at the sound of a car pulling up.

"Ready to go?" Martha asked, lifting her sunglasses to look at John.

All of the men glanced first at the shiny, snazzy convertible and then at Martha, who was far from what they had imagined when John told them her name. In their minds, they had seen an older, frumpy looking woman in a sweater and skirt with dark eyes and her hair tied up, but what they saw was a beautiful, slightly older woman with well-curled hair and rather pretty blue eyes in a well-fitting, tailored, black suit and dark-blue blouse, which coincidentally matched with John's own, dark-blue shirt.

Ignoring them, John simply walked past them, giving a quick wave behind his back. He smiled at Martha as he threw his stuff behind the passenger seat and quickly climbed in. They then shared a quick, light kiss before Martha put her sunglasses back on and drove off, leaving his shocked colleagues behind.

"Where do I get one of those?" David asked.

"The woman or the car?" Liam replied.

"Both."

"They thought I was boring?" Martha said as she turned onto the main road.

"Only because of your name. David said it was an old lady's name."

"Blame my mum. She named me. Besides, I like it."

"It's okay. They were just being stupid. I know you're not boring."

"Thanks," She said with a grateful smile.

He smiled back and they drove on in silence, the radio providing background noise until they arrived at the restaurant Martha had specified.

"Did you choose that outfit on purpose?" She asked him.

"What?" John asked.

"You're wearing my colour," Martha pointed out as she hit the lock button on her fob.

"Being honest? No. I hadn't thought about it. Now, tell me about this car of yours."

"It's a blue Alfa Romeo Spider with black interior and a matching, black top," She said, gesturing towards it with her hand.

"I know that much. Where'd you get it?"

"Private seller. It took me months to pay off when I first got it, but it was worth it. My mum says it was my midlife crisis," She said with a laugh.

"You're thirty-seven, Martha. That's hardly midlife."

"That's why it's funny," She pointed out as he kindly held the door open for her.

Since it was far before the dinner rush, they were seated quickly and were able to get a small, private booth in a corner.

"So…"Martha started as soon as they had ordered their drinks. "What else did your colleagues have to say about me?"

"Just what I told you. I wasn't with them long enough to hear anything else. But from the way they questioned me, I think they were expecting a frumpy old lady."

"You don't think about me like that, do you?" She asked in a soft, cute voice.

"Okay, now you're just fishing," John teased as he picked up a breadstick and broke it in half, offering her the other half.

Martha gave a small laugh, took her half of the breadstick, and turned back to the menu. After a quick glance over it, she made an easy decision and set it down.

"How are the kids doing?" She asked once he set his menu down.

"Alright, I guess."

"You guess?" Martha asked in a worried tone as the waiter appeared with their drinks.

"Thank you," John said with a nod.

"Are you ready to order, or do you need more time?" The waiter asked.

John glanced at Martha, and reading her look, said, "We're ready." He let her speak first and then gave his order. The waiter simply nodded and headed off, leaving them alone again.

"I don't like what I'm seeing," He continued. "They seemed fine with the arrangement at first, but they've just been down lately. Sophia hasn't been talking much, which is far from normal for her."

"Why don't you ask Emily about it?"

John shook his head. "I try, but she never tells me anything. I've been mulling over filing for full custody for awhile now. It's what I've wanted since the divorce, but her barrister tore that to shreds."

"Personally, I think it would be best. But, you think about it some more, and if you need legal advice, you know I'm here for you," She said, gently placing her hand on top of his.

"I know," John said with a smile. "What about you? How have things been going, Martha?"

"I started a new trial today, but I know you don't want to hear about that."

"I do, actually."

"I can't tell you much, just that it's a school drug case."

"Teachers or students?"

"Both, but the students have already been tried and sentenced. My client has been set up. It's rare that I get innocent clients, but when I do, I try my best to make sure they don't get screwed over."

"And what about the guilty?"

"I do the same thing. Innocent until proven guilty, remember? Four words to live by."

'You're something else,' He thought with a smile. "Who's the client?"

"One of the teachers, which is more than you should know about this. No more questions."

"Alright then. How about I tell you about the tests I've been grading?"

Martha laughed. "No thank you. Unless you've got a funny story to go with it."

"Not today. It was normal today, but I was told that I might get a student teacher."

"So, you'll get a pupil?"

"Basically, but it's not confirmed. The school is simply looking at applicants for the new fall term. The headmaster said that we have quite a few for the history department."

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter appeared with their order, and placed a rather large plate of Florentine ravioli in front of Martha and a smaller, chicken parmesan plate in front of John.

"Are you really going to eat all that?" He asked her.

"Is that a challenge?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but…"

"I haven't eaten all day because we were coming here and I know how big the servings are," Martha explained. "Are you trying to tell me I'm fat?"

"No. Of course not. You look fine," John replied as Martha picked up her water glass.

"Don't nitpick with me John. You'll never win. Nitpicking is what I do for a living."

"Well…That's one word for it."

"Just eat," Martha said with a small smile as she finally picked up her fork and did so.

There were brief pauses in the meal while they talked, but for the most part, it was silent until the end, when Martha asked, "Dessert?"

"You just polished off an entire plate of ravioli and still want desert?"

"We can share," She offered.

"I'm not really in the mood for anything sweet, but you can get whatever you want."

Martha let out a small sigh and motioned the waiter over. He took their plates and made note of her dessert order before heading off into the kitchen, soon coming back with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream and cherry-berry sauce.

"I had to," She confessed as she picked up her spoon.

"I see. Whose turn is it to pay?"

"We'll split it and each pay for our own meals."

"Alright," John shrugged and motioned the waiter back over to ask for the bill so that they'd have it on hand while Martha finished eating.

'I'm still not used to this…' He thought awhile later when she finally finished with the ice cream and they both stood to leave. He waited while she pulled her blazer back on, as she had taken it off upon sitting and grabbed her handbag. They paid up front and were glad to be out right before the dinner rush.

"It's already five fifty," He said. "How did we spend more than hour in a restaurant?"

"We took our time and had a rather nice conversation," Martha replied as she unlocked the car.

"I'm not ready to go home yet," John admitted.

"Neither am I. I'm kind of in the mood for a walk, actually."

"Well, it is a nice evening. It's not raining for once."

Martha laughed. "There's a nice little park up the street if you really want to take a walk."

"Sure, why not?"

She smiled and turned her attention to the road as she drove off. Since the park was just up the road, it took only a few minutes to find it. As they stepped out, Martha took note of and appreciated the nice weather and John smiled at the children running around.

"Are you sure you want to take a walk in those?" He said, eyeing Martha's court shoes and stockings.

"I don't mind as long as we stay on the sidewalk. Besides, I'm used to walking in heels."

John simply shrugged, his way of saying "okay" and reached for her hand.

Martha pulled away and moved to link her arm with his instead. "I like this better," She said.

"Being honest, so do I," He replied as they headed off.

"I want to hear more about these issues you're having with the kids."

"I told you, they're just…not every well off lately. Every time I see them, they look down and they don't look like they've been eating much. My mum has told me that there's been skipped dental and doctor's appointments and the other day I got a call from the school about a missed conference that I knew nothing about. Emily doesn't say anything about these things. She doesn't want much to do with me, and I know that if it was up to her, I'd never be allowed to see them."

"This is rude, but, I hate her."

"How is it rude?" John asked, curious since he took no offense to it.

"I shouldn't say it because I don't know her."

"It's alright. As long as you're not going off on a pointless rant, I'm fine with it."

"I don't want to talk about her or this anymore," Martha decided. "What have Peter and Sophia been up to?"

"Sophia has a ballet recital in two weeks where she's playing one of the main characters."

"You must be proud of her."

"I am. She may seem a little off, but she's really into it. She's been doing it for three years, and it's helped. She had horrible coordination when she was really little."

"And Peter?"

"There's a school concert on Saturday I have to attend, which is part of the reason I asked you out on a Thursday evening. That, combined with the rest of my schedule, has made for a hectic-looking weekend."

Martha nodded. "You're not the only one. My trial runs into Monday, so I'll be working on that most of the weekend. And, on Sunday Niamh has invited me to some party at Felicia's. Apparently she's trying to get extra money by being a perfume consultant for a mail-order beauty shop."

"Felicia is Niamh's photographer friend, right?"

"Yes."

"Just making sure I remember correctly."

Martha smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked on, chatting about whatever came to mind, and simply enjoying each other's company until it started to get dark.

"My God, how long have we been out here?" Martha asked, quickly glancing at her watch.

"A couple of hours at least. Time always goes by rather quickly when I'm with you," John said, ending with a light kiss on her head.

She blushed, unsure of what to think, as it had been awhile since anyone spoke to her like that and meant it. Then, finally, she said, "Why don't we head off then?"

"We have to, it's getting dark," John teased.

"John, we're grownups, I think we can handle ourselves," She teased back as they walked off back to her car.

"Better safe than sorry."

"You…You're something else, do you know that?" She said with a laugh.

"I've been told that before. Usually by my sister."

With another small laugh, Martha drove off. At first, she had intended to drop John off at his flat, but her mind had other ideas. Though she refused to admit it aloud, she knew that she was starting to fall for John. She had been thinking about it for awhile, wondering when or if they'd ever take the next step. And, though her common sense told her to wait, she knew she'd rather not and let that sense lead her back to her flat.

"What are we doing back here?" John asked.

'Good question…' Martha thought when her normal sense came back to her. "Being honest…I'm not sure. But as long as you're here, why don't you come in for a drink or two? It's still early," She said as she stepped out of the car, not at all surprised when he followed.

"That may be true, but I have work to do. It is a school night, Martha. And I don't want to trouble you since you're already home, so I can take a cab or the underground."

"Then why are you following me?"

"Because I'm walking you to the door," He said as he grabbed her hand and did just that. "I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Are you sure you don't want to come in for a moment?" She asked as she unlocked the door.

"Martha, I told you…"

She didn't pay attention. She simply sighed with frustration, thinking, 'He just not getting it, is he?' Then, she grabbed the end of his tie and pulled him closer. "Since you're obviously not getting it, let me make myself clear. You're coming with me, John. I want you in my bed."

"Now?"

"Yes, now," Martha snapped as she pulled him down to her level and pressed her lips against his in a hard, heavy kiss.

At first, John tried to pull back and shove her away, both shocked and unsure about this, but he quickly gave in, knowing that he wanted it. He took control, pushing her up against the door while responding with an equally deep kiss and gently biting at her lower lip until she relented.

Though it was hard for her to think straight, Martha managed to gather enough sense to feel behind her back for the door handle. Without a second thought she pushed it down and broke the kiss.

"Inside," She urged, again grabbing him by his tie as she dragged him in behind her. She paused to close and lock the door, then stepped towards him, set her hands on his chest and leaned up slightly for another kiss. This time, she started off softly, but quickly gave that up when he returned the kiss with a hard, deep one and pushed her up against the closest wall.

It had been a great while since John had had sex with anyone and had tried to put it off with her, wanting them to ease into the relationship. He had never expected this, but had to admit that he loved it and thought it was hot when she took charge of him and demanded he come with her. 'She obviously wants this as much as I do…As much as I have for awhile now,' He thought as she relented to his silent requests and their tongues met yet again.

Martha moaned against his lips. The last person she had been with was three months ago after the ball, and though they had done something similar, it hadn't felt like this. She couldn't remember the last time she had true, passion-fueled sex, as many of her recent encounters had been one-night stands. She gasped as he broke the kiss and moved down to her neck, gently scraping the skin with his teeth. She then closed her eyes for a moment and let instinct take over as she took her hands to his tie and pulled again, this time with the intention to pull it off.

As soon as he felt her hands on him, John took to kissing her lips again, hoping to distract her as he took his own hands to her blouse, fumbling with the buttons due to his trembling hands as he felt the tie finally slip to the ground.

'She's quick…' He thought upon realizing that three of his buttons were undone already. As soon as he finished the thought, Martha grabbed the back of his head, her hand tangling in his hair as she once again closed the small distance between them with a deep kiss that he quickly took control of.

She moaned against his lips again, this time louder as she hooked a leg around his waist-mainly for support, as, she already felt as if she'd collapse despite them not doing much. She simply assumed it was a mix of the sensations and the fact that she hadn't been with anyone in a long while-not like this anyway.

John smiled against her skin as he moved back down her neck, still fumbling with the remaining buttons on her blouse, and resisting every urge to simply rip it off of her, knowing it was her favourite.

Martha, however, was less gentle and when he paused to kiss her again, she used it to her advantage and simply ripped the remaining four buttons on his shirt open, ignoring his gasp and aggravated sigh. She simply smiled against his lips and threw her arms around his neck, gasping when she felt his hands on her stomach and his kisses on her breasts, meaning that he'd finally gotten her blouse open. She then blushed as she realized that he was going to be seeing her naked. She'd never been completely confident in her body, and had even had a few men in her past call her fat, one of which made her cry when she was twenty-four and thought she was in love.

Sensing that something was wrong, John stopped and came back up to look in her eyes a moment, gently placing a hand on her cheek. "You okay?" He asked.

She nodded, not wanting to ruin this or make him stop. Though she still felt a bit self-conscious, she refused to let it get in the way of taking the next step in the first real relationship she'd had in awhile.

John spent another moment looking into her eyes, just to make sure she was truly fine and quickly resumed kissing her as he took his hands back to her clothes, eagerly pulling off both her blouse and blazer at once as she easily slipped his shirt off. Then, she stopped for a moment and shrugged out of her clothes herself and pulled him as close as she could as he moved her further up against the wall, using his hands to tease and explore her body. He ran his fingers over every curve, drawing small patters with them as he moved down.

Her breath hitched once she felt his hand gently trailing up her thigh, his finger gently running in another pattern. She couldn't help the rather loud moan that formed on her lips when she felt him skimming over the black lace that made up part of her panties, and then, finally, into her, just a bit surprised to find her already perfectly wet for him.

"John…" She gasped. "Bed…Now…" As much as she would have loved to stay and let him take her there, she knew they'd have plenty of time for that and she wanted this to be a bit…special.

With another kiss, he boosted her up even more, allowing her to wrap her other leg around him as he carried her off into the bedroom. This time, he didn't fumble around, and was able to quickly deduce which of the rooms was her bedroom, not even pausing when both of her shoes hit the ground. Once in the bedroom, John carefully lowered her to the bed and then stopped to pull of his own socks and shoes before climbing on top of her and capturing her with another series of kisses as he again moved down her neck. This time, however, her clothes weren't in the way, allowing him to go as far as he wanted. He made a soft trail of kisses from her neck to her breasts, occasionally scraping his teeth along the skin and smiling at the small, sensual gasps he got in response. He then took a minute to stop and look her over, thinking, 'So this is what she's been hiding under all those layers of clothing…She's…Well…She's beautiful.' His hands acted almost on their own, finding and skimming over the black lace that covered the blue satin of her bra.

"This has to go…" He whispered huskily. Though sexy, it was in his way and he wanted to see her. All of her.

With a slight blush, Martha grabbed his hair and pulled him back for another kiss as he slipped a hand under her back, easily finding and unhooking her bra. She could only be grateful that it was dark because it hid her obvious blush as he moved back down to her breasts.

John started with the right one, his kisses soft and lingering, as he wanted to properly savour her. He relished in every small gasp and moan that escaped her parted lips, knowing he was the cause.

Martha's senses were reeling. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had made her feel like this. It was a heady, steady mixture of passion, pleasure and just a bit of torture, as he was a bit slow for her taste. But the different taste and the fact that they were still both only half dressed heightened the excitement as she threw her head back and moaned as he finally took her nipple into his mouth to suck on it, occasionally stopping to tease it with his tongue, caressing and fondling her other breast with his hand. She took her hands to his hair, using them to tease it as he moved to her other breast, leaving a series of love bites in his path and smiling against her skin at the small moans he received in response.

He gave the second the same treatment as the first, again using his free hand to tease the untouched one. As he did so, he couldn't help the comparison that formed in his mind, though he wouldn't dare say it aloud. He noted that while Emily's breasts had been smaller, and could easily fit in his hands, Martha's were firmer and spilled out of his hands, not that it mattered of course, he thought she was beautiful regardless.

As soon as he removed himself from her chest and started to move down, Martha grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him back up for a long, deep kiss that she took control of. She smiled at the groan she received from him in response and took her hands to his chest. She ran them over every inch, exploring and taking him in, occasionally scraping him with her nails as she moved down to his trousers and eagerly pulled at his belt.

Realizing this, he helped her strip him, soon thinking that it wasn't right that he was naked and she wasn't. After another kiss, he moved down her body, placing light kisses on every piece of skin he came across while he fumbled with her skirt, taking a moment to find the zipper in the back. Once he did, he practically ripped it off of her, leaving her in only her stockings and panties. He then slipped his tongue into her navel, smiling as she moaned and shivered in delight and then moved even farther down. He gripped one of her legs as he kissed his way down her thigh, scraping his teeth against her skin along the way until he reached the hem of her stocking, which he took between his teeth, easily and quickly pulling it off that way. Once he threw it aside, he did the same to the other, struggling to keep control amidst her small, sexy moans and sensual gasps.

It seemed liked forever to Martha as he did this, taking his time in carefully peeling each of the stockings off of her. She knew he was doing it on purpose, yet, she loved it. He was careful and attentive, making sure that while he had fun with the teasing, that she enjoyed it. She hated making comparisons, but it was nothing like her recent encounters which were all fueled by pure lust-this was passion, real passion.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, John came back up to kiss her and then immediately moved back down and, as he did with the stockings, began to carefully pull her panties off with his teeth. Once they were thrown aside, he grabbed one of her legs and kissed his way back up. Starting with her ankle, he made a trail of hot kisses up her leg, to her inner thigh until he finally found her.

'Oh, God. He's not going to…' Martha thought, only to have the thought cut off when she felt his tongue slide over her. As soon as she felt it, she forgot everything she was thinking, threw her head back and let out a slightly high-pitched cry of pleasure. She then took to biting her knuckles to hold back anything more, knowing how she was and how unappreciative her neighbours would be if she got any louder.

Like he had the whole time, John took his time, using the moments to savour her. His strokes were long, languid and rather slow, and, after a few moments he decided to add to it by slipping two fingers inside of her.

That was all it took for her to snap. Martha threw her head back again, crying out without a care when the orgasm hit her hard and fast.

"Oh, no you don't," John whispered as he came back up, and, before she had a chance to completely come down from her high, he grabbed her and took her, easily slipping up and into her.

Martha cried out again as she threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around him with the intent to pull him closer.

He drove her in slow but powerful thrusts, not wanting to push too far too fast, kissing her every time he came back up.

She knew what he was doing, but it didn't do much for her. Finally, in between kisses, she gasped, "Harder…Faster."

Without a second thought, he more than willingly obliged, groaning when he felt Martha's hands on his back. She carefully ran them over him, scraping him with her nails as she did so, trying not to dig too deeply, but failing at some points. Eventually, she gave up with that and gripped his arms as he came back to kiss her yet again and she arched even further into him, knowing she was on the brink. Luckily, she managed to hold out a bit longer and they soon reached a hot, heady climax together, both of them unashamedly crying out their pleasure.

Grabbing the back of his head, Martha pulled him in for one last kiss before he collapsed next to her. They lay in silence for a moment, trying desperately to steady their breathing.

Finally, after the long silence, John spoke, saying, "Can I be honest?"

"Of course," She replied, her head still spinning.

He moved, propping himself up on one arm while resting the other hand on one of Martha's breasts. "Yours are bigger than Emily's."

Martha giggled. "I don't know if I should be flattered or offended."

"Why would you be offended?"

"Because," She said, pushing him onto his back so that she could rest her hand on him. "You're talking about your ex in my bed."

"Be flattered, it was meant as a compliment."

"Fine. I'll let it go this time, but don't you ever compare me to her again. Even if it's supposed to be flattering."

"Alright, I'm sorry."

Martha smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

John smiled against her lips, and gripped her shoulders, pulling her in closer as he deepened the kiss.

As soon as the kiss broke, Martha moved him completely onto his back and climbed on top of him. "Now it's my turn," She said.

"And just what do you plan to do with your turn, Ms. Costello?" He teased.

"You'll see," She said, then she gave him a hard, deep kiss and the moved down to his neck to start a hot trail of kisses down his body…

Afterwards, she was the first to fall asleep, leaving John alone with his thoughts for awhile. As he lay, letting the day's events replay in his mind, he discovered, much to his surprise, that Martha was a cuddler, the sort of woman who burrowed in and wrapped around. So, he drifted in and out of thoughts with her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder and her hand resting on his chest while her body curled around him, wrapped up in the majority of the blanket.

'She's a blanket hog,' He observed as he pulled at the blanket to get some of it, eventually giving up and using the extra blanket at the foot of the bed as he finally drifted to sleep.

The following morning, he was up at five due to his internal clock and had to stop for a moment before he remembered where he was. He glanced next to him to find that Martha had moved over in the night, and slept curled up with her back to him. The sight made him smile as he moved a strand of hair out of her face. He then looked at the clock on the wall and inwardly gasped.

'It's already five! I have to be at school at seven and I still have tests to grade!' John thought as he quickly got up and began to grab his clothes, pulling them on as he found them until he remembered that his shirt was somewhere on the lounge floor. But, as he made his way out the door, he stopped and looked back. He didn't want to disturb her by waking her to tell her of his leaving, but didn't think it was right to not say anything either, as that would make it look like he was a fuck-and-run kind of guy. Then, he got an idea and once he was in the lounge he grabbed a piece of paper, and a pen and wrote a small note explaining why he'd left and then went back in the bedroom and laid it on the pillow next to her so she'd find it right away.

"I'll see you later," He whispered, giving her a light kiss on the head that she barely responded to. 'So, she's a deep sleeper…' He thought as he left, hoping he could catch the next train and get home to get ready for school and do his forgotten work.

An hour later, Martha got up due to her own internal clock and, remembering what had happened, felt the other side of the bed. Upon finding it empty, she quickly sat up and looked around the room, hoping to hear some kind of noise that indicated he was still around. She refused to believe he'd just shag her and run off, but became doubtful until she saw the note next to her. It was folded in half with her name printed on it in decent cursive, and she opened it without a second thought.

Dear Martha,

First off, good morning! Second, I know my leaving without saying a word seems rude, but there is a reason for it. I promise that I am not the type of guy that fucks and runs, besides you're worth far more than a quick shag. Long story short, I got up at five and had to leave to avoid being late for school, as I still had to go home, get cleaned up and changed and finish the work I forgot about because of our date last night. I didn't tell you in person because I didn't want to disturb you while you were sleeping, though I doubt I could've woken you. Do you know you sleep like you're dead? You didn't stir once, despite all of the noise I made in my rushing around this morning!

Anyway, this is just to say sorry for taking off, but I had to get to class. It's nothing against you and I promise I'll call you later when I go to lunch at twelve-fifteen.

Love,

John

'Class…what is he…?' She thought, then after thinking for a moment she mentally slapped herself. 'He's a teacher! Duh, Martha!' She then smiled as she reread the note. Even though she would have preferred he had tried to wake her, she appreciated his courtesy and the effort he put into the note to make sure she knew he wasn't just going to leave her hanging. She read it once more and paused at the end. 'Love?! What does that mean? Is he…in love with me? Or is he just being polite? I…I have to get to work!' At that, she quickly got up, threw a dressing gown on and headed for the shower. She spent as little time as possible getting dressed and then went to gather her brief that had been neglected last night. As she pulled it out of the car, she took notice of her handbag and grabbed that as well, remembering she had left her mobile in it. As she was searching for it, she came across something else, something she'd only recently started to carry around as her a John's relationship started to get serious.

'Wait a minute…If this was is the car, then last night…Oh, shit. I don't have them anywhere else and I don't remember him pausing to use anything, which means he could've of…I could be…SHIT!' She thought, her mind going into full panic mode as an array of memories came back to her in a blurred flood. The night with Clive…The pregnancy test…Gary Rush…Everything.

'I have to talk to John…Soon…Wait, he said he'd call me…So, lunch time then.'

She spent much of her day worrying, but managed to put it aside when the trial started and her client was called at a witness.

"So, you caught the students smoking on break two months prior to this incident?" Caroline asked Celia as she stood in the witness box.

"Yes," Celia replied.

"And you agreed not to bust them because they asked for your help?"

"Yes and no. They…Threatened me and I know I should have said something, but I thought I could gain some credibility by not turning them into the headmaster. It was after that that I got involved in their little ring. But, I never had any dealings with them, my job was simply to help hide the drugs and keep it a secret. They turned it on me and threatened that they'd turn me in, and then this happened."

"So, you agreed to help just to make yourself seem appealing to teenagers? But, you're the teacher. Shouldn't you have known better?"

"I should have, yes."

"Both at that time and the night in question?"

"No, because I was not there that night."

"Because you were with your boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"How long were you with him?" Caroline asked.

"All night and into the morning," Celia replied.

"And what were you going?"

"He came to pick me up at six. We went out to dinner and then back to his flat to watch a film."

"What film?"

"A new film on BBC1, Butlerette. It was a murder story, that much I remember."

"And afterwards?"

"I simply stayed over."

"You never left?"

"No. We finished the film and went to bed at ten."

"But, you didn't sleep?" Caroline speculated.

After a moment of hesitation due to embarrassment, Celia responded, "No."

"He did, though."

"No, we both did…After…"

"After what, Miss Bellmonte? I'm confused, I'm sure the jury are."

"After…After we…Well…After we…Made…Love."

"No further questions you honour," Caroline said as she sat and Martha stood.

"As you can see, your honour, my client just cleared her alibi, saying where she was and what she was doing," Martha said, feeling unusually overconfident that day. "Never once has she or her boyfriend changed the story. However, one of the students has. I'd like to call Andrew Gray as a witness."

"Granted," The judge said.

Once Andrew stepped up, Caroline was the first one up to question him.

"You are in Miss Bellmonte's fourth period class, correct?"

"No. It's Mrs. Henderson's class, she simply acts like it's hers," Andrew snapped.

"Regardless you are still in the same room being taught by her."

"Yes."

"Can you tell us about the incident that occurred two months prior to this one?"
"Yes. It was break time at school, and a friend of mine invited me and a few others over to our secret corner to smoke."

"Secret corner?"

"It's a small area on the far side of the courtyard. It's covered by several trees, making it virtually unnoticeable. We've been using it for months now."

"For what?"

"Trading, selling and smoking marijuana. At first it was just my friends and I, but then Mr. Fitzpatrick found out and got involved. He kept it quiet for us and then Miss Bellmonte got involved. She found us smoking one day and threatened to turn us in, so we made a deal with her. She's a pathetic sucker really, believing she'd actually establish credit with us."

"Stick to the facts, Mr. Gray," Caroline instructed. "Now, tell us about the incident in question."

"A few days prior, my friends and I had made plans for a huge sale with some students from another school…"

As he spoke, Martha took notes, wondering what the story would be this time.

"They arrived late, so we stood, trading with each other."

"Was Miss Bellmonte there?"

"Yes. She showed up late, and was supposed to act as accountant. She handled the money for us, and occasionally supplied us with extra drugs when we ran low. She grows them in her house, she told us."

"What happened with her that night?"

"The students showed, and we started the trade with her handling the money and measuring, and just as we were finishing the headmaster came around. We forgot that he stays late. He immediately called the police and ordered us to stay. We did. Mr. Fitzpatrick offered to take the money and drugs and let them pin it on him while Miss Bellmonte said nothing. And, when the police arrived, she resisted arrest and ran down an alleyway."

"No further questions your honour," Caroline sat and Martha stood.

"Mr. Gray, explain to me how your story can possibly be true if we have already cleared Miss Bellmonte's alibi."

"She's lying. She has to be."

"Or, you are. Are you aware that this is the fourth time you have changed your story? The first time, you said she was lookout and ran away when the headmaster came, the second time, she simply bailed out, the third she ran off down an alleyway and now she's resisting arrest? Yet, how can this be possible when the police did not touch her until she arrived at school the next morning?"

"I…I don't know."

"How about we try the truth for once, Mr. Gray?"

"I'm telling the truth this time! She was there and ran."

"Oh, really? Do you remember the internet page you created for bashing her?"

"Yes, but that was just a venting tool."

"Oh, it was more than that. You used it to make plans in code."

"What?"

"On page two, your fellow schoolmates state that they want to 'get her good' and 'put her where she belongs.' 'Her,' being my client, Celia Bellmonte," Martha said, adding the last part for the sake of the jury. "Then, on page seven, the day after all of this happened you said, 'we really tricked him' and 'now she'll be where she belongs.' Now, tell me Andrew, what trick do you speak of?"

After a long silence, Andrew spoke again, saying, "She wasn't there. One of the girls wore a suit to make it look like she was, but she wasn't."

"It was all a setup then?" Martha asked.

"Yes. To get rid of her. God, we hate her and her class."

"So, let me get this right. You fitted my client up, because you don't like her. You made it look like she committed this crime, when she was actually with her boyfriend all night, all because you don't like her. And, the police are inclined to believe you because you're a minor and she's an adult who should know better."

"Yes, alright?"

"No further questions, Your Honour," Martha said as she sat down.

"Miss Warwick?" The judge asked, looking at Caroline.

"The prosecution has no further evidence to offer, therefore, we rest on this case."

"In that case, we will proceed to sentencing on the defendant, Celia Bellmonte, after lunch."

"The trial is to run on another day, Your Honour," Mr. Fitzpatrick's barrister said.

"The prosecution rests, and as of this morning, your client put in a guilty plea. There is no need to waste any more time on this."

The man sat and soon the court was dismissed. Once outside, Caroline found Martha and said, "Not as impressive as usual, but a well-proved defense."

"I'm just doing my job. It's good to have an easy break sometimes," Martha said with a shrug as her mobile went off. "Excuse me." She quickly walked away. "John?" She asked, immediately remembering what she had to talk to him about.

"Martha," John said back.

"So, you do keep your promises."

"Always."

"Listen, John. I need to talk to you, what are you doing this evening?"

"Picking up the kids and then grading make up work."

"So, you're not free?"

"No. Can it wait?"

"No. This is really important. I need to see you as soon as possible. I know. What are you doing tomorrow morning?"

"Nothing I know of, but I have the kids every weekend Martha."

"I know. I just need an hour or two. Can you give me that?"

"I'll ask my mum if she would mind looking after them and come over for breakfast tomorrow. Is eight alright?"

"It's perfect. Thank you."

"It's fine. I know you wouldn't push unless it was important." There was a pause. "I have to go, there's a whole pile of papers here that needs grading."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye." At that, John hung up and Martha wandered off to find something to eat. Afterwards, she hung around outside the courthouse until the clerk from the court came to get her.

"Miss Costello?" She asked.

"Verdict?" Martha asked.

The woman nodded and Martha followed her back into the courtroom after putting her cigarette out.

"Has the jury reached a verdict upon which all of you are agreed?" The judge asked.

"Yes," The speaker nodded.

"On count one of the indictment, possession with intent to supply, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty."

"On count two of the indictment, selling a controlled substance to minors, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty."

"As the defendant has pleaded guilty to possession of a class B drug, we will proceed with sentencing on count three of the indictment on Monday. Case dismissed."

"Thank you," Celia whispered to Martha as she smiled at the result.

The case finished, Martha headed back to chambers to tell Billy so and was given another brief that she immediately started on, taking a pause in her work the following morning as she waited for John to arrive. He had called saying he'd be a few minutes late, which made her even more anxious than she was to see him, but she managed to keep it together when she answered the door.

"Good morning," She said, his reply being a light kiss.

"Morning. Now, did you make breakfast or are we going out?"

"I made it. This is something that can't be discussed in public," Martha said as she lead him into the kitchen, where she had set up a small, traditional breakfast.

"Looks good. I didn't know you could cook."

"I don't like to, that's why. But, when I do cook it's usually pretty good."

John smiled and sat while she set two cups of tea down. "Now, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Eat something first, then we'll get into it."

He nodded and she sat to eat as well. Their conversation started as small talk, but halfway through the meal she finally got to the point.

"I'm not sure how to start, so I'm just going to say it. Of course you remember fucking me the other night."

"Martha, I didn't fuck you," John said. "I made love to you. However, I could fuck you if you really wanted it."

She kicked him under the table, something she had picked up from Niamh. "This isn't funny John! Did you ever realize that we didn't use any sort of protection? We did it twice and still didn't use anything! What if I'm pregnant? What am I supposed to do?!" She said, her voice gaining a bit of panic. "Oh, God…John."

"Martha, calm down. There's no way you can be pregnant."

"How do you know?! You have no idea how my body works and don't know how to use anything, so…"

John grabbed her hands. "Martha, listen to me. You are not pregnant, you can't be."

"Why?"

"I'm neutered," He said with a slight smile.

"What?"

"After Sophia was born, Emily and I decided that two kids were more than enough, and I got a vasectomy. Mind you, I was never pushed into it. I did it by my choice."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?!"

"You didn't ask," John shrugged. "Besides, that's not something you readily tell people."

"John…" Martha sighed.

"Why are you so worried about it anyway? I know women are supposed to be shocked when they find out, but you went into a panic just thinking about it."

Martha sat back and sighed. "Do you really want to know?"

"We said we'd be honest with each other."

She sighed again, took in a breath and relayed her entire story about the one night stand with Clive, her getting pregnant, the deal with Gary Rush and finally, the miscarriage caused by him.

"I can't even imagine being put in that situation again. I may seem strong, but that broke down a lot of the walls I put up. I never think about it because I let it go. My mum and I figured that the reason behind it was that I was being challenged. It was the universe's way of telling me I wasn't ready to have children, so I don't dwell on it."

John nodded. "I know you don't like it when people pity you, so I'll just say that I guess you're glad that I can't get you pregnant now."

Martha gave a small, relieved laugh. "I was afraid to ever tell you because of what you might say."

"Martha, I've been through an equal amount of shit, remember? I'm not turned off by your past, there's a reason they call it the past, which I know is weird for a history teacher to say."

"No, some things are meant to be left. But others you study, because they can teach you a lot about the future. You told me that on our second date, remember?"

"Of course I do."

"How much time do you have left?"

"I told my mum I'd be back at ten, and it's already eight forty-five, so I've got time."

"Good."

"Good?" He asked in confusion as she got up and sauntered over to him.

"Now that I'm not worried anymore, why don't we make good use of our time?" She said, leaning down to kiss him.

John smiled. "But, what about the dishes?"

"They can wait," She said and the whispered in his ear, "I want you." She then got up, and pulled him with her, only to be pulled back for a hard, deep kiss.

"How do you want me? In your bed?"

"I can't wait that long," She said with a smile as she quickly pulled him toward the sofa…