Hey! This is a song fic, if any of you have heard Dolly Partons famous song 'Jolene', or maybe even her god daughers (Miley Cyrus's version) but I just...I just wanted to write it, haha love you all

I don't own anything! Even though I wish I did

Enjoy!

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Im begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

Mara didn't want to believe it, of course he didn't. But when she saw them, when she saw him kissing her...she couldn't even find it in her heart to blame him, to hate him, to spite him, to fight him, to wish he would die and cry and weep and beg for her forgiveness. Because she loved him, with all of her heart. She couldn't even find it in her heart to be slightly annoyed by the fact that her fiancé was cheating on her. So she had arrived at her house, Jolene, was her name. She had seen them kissing, and hugging, and Jerome still didn't know that he had been found out. So here she stood, outside Jolene's apartment, and she knocked on the door.

The door opened, and the girl smiled brightly. It broke her heart, this girl, this beautiful woman, Jolene, who was her age, didn't know who Mara was. She knew Jerome was going to get married, but didn't know who he was going to marry. "Hello," Mara said softly "I'm Mara Jaffray." Jolene smiled at her, opening the door wider

"Can I help?"

"You're uh...you're dating Jerome Clarke, right?" Jolene stilled, and she looked down

"You're Mara Jaffray," she repeated, the name having new meaning. "Well...come in," Mara nodded, bowing her head, and she stood in the middle of the apartment. Jerome held his breath, he was stood shirtless in Jolene's wardrobe, they had been kissing mere seconds ago. He watched through the crack, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene

"Listen, Mara I-"

"I'm not here to blame you," Mara smiled sadly, "I just want to...I want to beg you..." she shook her head, eyes watering "Jolene, you a million times more beautiful than I am," her eyes flickered to her hair, beautiful deep red, like flaming locks of gold. Her skin was smooth and pale, much like Jerome's, and her eyes...she had never seen such a vivid green. This girl was her opposite, it hurt her heart. Did Jerome even find her attractive at all? Because evidently, Jolene was his type. "I can't compete, and I'm here to beg you, please, please, please, please don't talk him out of marrying me,"

Jolene's eyes widened, she had expected a fight. She wondered what Jerome thought from the wardrobe, was he laughing at Mara? Or was he laughing at himself, for being such a fool? "Mara, what Jerome and I have...it's nothing, he's just having fun,"

He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene

"I think it means something to him," Mara whispered, she brushed her long black hair back "He talks about you in his sleep," Jolene's eyes widened considerably in surprise, and Jerome almost collapsed against the coats "And I can't...I can't stop myself from crying when he does. That's how I know your name." She brushed a tear away, and Jolene reached out, and held her arm supportively. Ironic. "And I know, that you could take him, take him like that," she clicked her fingers "But...he's my everything, please please don't. I want to be with him forever,"

"After what he's done to you?" She whispered in awe, sitting her down on the sofa "He's cheated on you, merely a month before your wedding. You can't possibly love him,"

"You don't know what he means to me," She wept

You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene

I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene

"You...you could have whichever man you liked, but I could never love again," She wrung her hands tightly. "Listen, Jolene, I had to have this talk with you. Whatever you choose to do...if you choose to become serious with him, be with him forever, or break up with him, my happiness depends solely on what you decide to do," Jolene shook her head

"Mara, you can't possibly want to be with him." She titled Mara's chin up "You're absolutely beautiful. You could find another man easy, someone with a personality as kind as yours, someone else, someone better will love you,"

"But I could never love again,"

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can
Jolene, Jolene

Mara wiped her tears and stood, Jolene watched her with worried emerald eyes "Well, that's all I came to say," she managed a watery smile "Please...I'm begging you..." and she turned and left. Jolene stood, all alone. And moved forward to open the wardrobe door, she gasped at what she saw.

Jerome was on the floor, curled up and hugging his knees, tears pouring from his eyes, which were clenched shut in pain. Vulnerable and scared, she tried to help him but, he recoiled from her touch, crying even louder. And thoughts were racing through his mind so quickly it hurt him to close his eyes, but he just couldn't bring himself to open them. That was his Mara, she had found out, she was hurt, and never ever ever in a million years had he ever wanted to hurt her.

And when he had...she still loved him. She wouldn't even confront him about it. She loved him that much, that she resorted to begging to keep him. Embarrassment and shame, she had grovelled his 'mistress' to stop seeing Jerome.

Line Break

"Mara," Jerome managed a smile as he stepped into their apartment, Mara looked up from where she was cutting vegetables. And he realised that she had picked up a thing or two about covering how you felt. He realised with a sudden jolt that she had built up walls, she was hiding parts of herself from him, and he had never been on the other side of that feeling. She was smiling, her hair back, no trace of the tears that had been there hours ago. "Jaffray, my darling,"

"You're in a good mood," Mara smiled, kissing his cheek. He stood opposite her, across the counter

"What did you do today?"

"Nothing much," she lied smoothly, if Jerome didn't know better he would have believed her.

"You know Mara...I love you," Mara frowned at the knife she was using, but smiled again

"I love you too,"

"I love you more than I've ever loved anybody," he met her eyes and leaned forward "And I'll never ever hurt you again," he could have sworn he saw a flicker of hope, but it was gone in a second

"What are you talking about?" she laughed "Now will you pass me the metal bowl." Jerome's nostrils flared in sadness.

"I never meant to hurt you." he called. She turned arching an eyebrow "Please Mara, I know you know." She pressed her lips together "Jolene means nothing to me. Nothing in the world compared to you."

"You talk about her, when you dream," she whispered "About how she's beautiful, and that you love to run your finger tips across her skin," she put the knife down, and went to fetch the bowl. Jerome cursed his mind.

"Cheat on me." he whispered. Mara scoffed, but he was completely serious "Cheat on me. Go on. Go out there and sleep with someone else, do it, then dream about them." Mara rolled her eyes

"Jerome, it's over. Let's move on. I still love you."

"I love you."

"Well then," she shrugged, placing the bowl in the oven "Let's get dinner ready,"

Line Break

"Fabian," She whispered into her pillow. Jerome, who had been up late at night, stared at her, tears strolling down his cheeks, and he knew this was what Mara had done when he called out Jolene's name. She had done it, she had slept with Fabian because he had urged her too. And Fabian, who had been drunk out of his mind, barely aware of what he was doing, was grateful for any company. "Fabian..." another whisper, and a smile, and her finger twitched, as if she were turning the pages of a book. Another tear fell from Jerome's eye, as he propped himself up on his elbow, watching her.

Line Break

"Fabian," Jerome whispered, on his knees in front of the boy he once tormented in school. Mara was hidden behind the book case, watching. "Please...you gotta help me, you've gotta to help her fall in love with me again..."

Fabian nodded, meeting Mara's eyes through the bookcase, and she was crying. In shame. In awe.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

Jolene...

Jolene...

I could never love again...