Secrets of the Past {Juliet}

[marcus]

17th October, 2009

It had been three weeks since Marcus had met Juliet, his little pixie, his little ray of sunshine, and after the disaster over splitting from Jo he felt as if he had finally found a woman he could truly love and keep a hold of. Juliet was everything Jo didn’t appear to be, she was full of fun and full of life. Although to be fair, Jo had been fun as well, or at last she had been up until the point she started going through panic attacks from the stabbing. That was when Marcus couldn’t take it any longer, the constant panic attacks and slight mood swings from Jo were too much and despite not wanting to appear the monster for leaving her at a time when she probably needed him most, he felt he had enough going on in his life at that moment. He had after all just been reacquainted with his blood family and inadvertently caused the accident which led to his sister being in hospital for a few weeks. He was only just getting over that when Jo ended up in hospital due to the stabbing, it was just too much for him.

Now he had Juliet, who simply raised his spirits, other than when Emma began to walk again and she and Jackson got engaged and Emma announced the pregnancy, Marcus couldn’t think of a moment when he had been happier, than he was now with Juliet, his little pixie. However, even three weeks into their relationship Marcus still hadn’t told Juliet everything there was to know about him. He hadn’t told her how he was in America, and he certainly hadn’t told her about his so called parents who had kept the truth from him. He wished he could go back to the past and ask them why they never told him the truth on his eighteenth birthday like they were supposed to do. Instead he had found out fourteen years later when they died from the crash he had been the sole survivor of. It was at times like this he hated his ability.

Marcus was pretty sure Juliet would be the woman he would want to marry, everything about her was perfection, she was small enough for him to swing about like a china doll and strong enough to stand up for herself, he loved every single thing about her. They had been so happy since they met, other than that little stint in the boxing hall with that idiot whom Marcus had thrown out, he didn’t want to bring the happiness down, but he felt he had to talk to Juliet about his past, if they were going to become a proper couple, like he wanted, then she had to know. So he called her and asked if she would come to his apartment, and now he was just sitting flicking through the television channels waiting for her to arrive. He had bought her a little something, which he hoped would throw a bit of light onto what he had to tell her, really it wasn’t that bad, it wasn’t as if he had killed someone, but he knew if he had the chance to save his adopted parents lives and stop them from going on the flight, he probably wouldn’t, only because they kept the truth from him, and that hurt him, it hurt him more than they would probably ever know.

[jules]

Jules flipped the last chair in the coffee shop, thinking about the evening ahead with Marcus. She had never been in love, she had never experienced any of this. It was all new to her; the fact she can say she has 'a boyfriend', the butterflies in her stomach whenever he texts or rings her, thinking about him before she sleeps, slowing down time when she's with him without her knowing. It's just magical. Juliet's eyes lit up thinking about it. It's all she really had been thinking about for the past few weeks. The fact someone had found her, and that someone was the most charming, gorgeous, wonderful guy any girl could ever wish for. A wide grin appeared on her face thinking about it.

As Jules took her apron off and locked all the doors and pulled the shutters down she couldn't help but get knots in her stomach again. Of course she had heard that this was usual and would wear off, but the truth was, she never wanted it to wear off. Marcus was perfect, everytime she looked into his eyes she felt like she was in heaven and everytime she touched his skin it was like electricity running through her blood. Juliet pulled her jacket off the coat hanger and grabbed her shoulder bag. She locked the back door and began the twenty minutes journey to Marcus'. For the first time in years, Jules realised she was walking in the dark by herself. She didn't have her pepper spray nor did she have her boss walking her home. It was the little pixie by herself. And she was fearless. Of course she could just freeze time to save anyone even approaching her. But, she didn't want too. New York was moving, it was alive. And for the first time in a long time, so was she.

Jules lifted her big headphones out from her bag and put them over her head, she flicked through her iPod, eventually landing on Alice In Chains. She walked in rhythm to the drum beats and sung along in her own little world. As she reached the street where Marcus lived, she pulled her mobile out and looked at the address Marcus had sent her earlier. As she walked along each of the houses and apartment buildings, she finally stopped at the tallest one, noticing the little video buzzer next to the gates. She didn't notice as she scrolled down the text message that Marcus had told her to press the penthouse suite. She bit her lip excitedly and buzzed, headbanging still to Alice In Chains. The little camera would show Marcus who it was, and what they were doing. Jules knew this and kept headbanging, grinning away to herself as she did. She couldn't wait to see him.

[marcus]

Marcus continued to flick through the television channels until Juliet arrived, he didn’t even have the volume up, it was on mute, he just couldn’t seem to sit still long enough to concentrate on anything other than looking at the changing pictures as he hopped from channel to channel. Maybe he was nervous at having to tell Juliet about his past, and yet he had no real reason to feel that way, it wasn’t as if he was in the wrong. Maybe what was really getting him worked up, was knowing that Juliet could take him back in time to confront his adopted parents to find out why they kept the truth from him, but he would never ask Juliet to do that, he would never use her ability for his own answers, it wouldn’t seem right. He just hoped that Juliet wouldn’t think he was telling her about it because of what she could do.

Soon enough after about ten minutes of mindless channel hopping he heard the buzzer sound which informed him there was someone at the gate. Marcus couldn’t help but smile at himself knowing fine well it was his little pixie. He quickly shut the television off, the massive plasma which was mounted on the wall and jumped up off the sofa and went to the little intercom thing. The smile which had already been slowly growing on his face turned to that of a grin as he saw Juliet grinning and headbanging to whatever it was she was listening to. He then began to laugh slightly, as he then pressed the button so she would see him as well. “I can see ye, ye know, but ye already knew that roight?” He then for no other reason than being a complete nutcase began to pull some very unflattering faces for a few seconds, then decided to stop mucking about and pressed the button which would open the gates and let her in.

He then slowly made his way to the apartment door, allowing time for the elevator to reach his floor, and then pulled the door open, and stood there leaning against the door frame and waited for the elevator to stop at his floor. When it did, and the doors opened and she walked out of the elevator he kicked the stopper under his door and approached her lifting her up into his arms and swinging her round gently like she was a china doll before placing her back on her feet but keeping his arms wrapped around her waist, he held her in a hug. “I missed ye loike ye wouldn’t believe.” He then closed the gap between them and began to kiss her passionately but with a gentle approach at the same time. After a minute or two Marcus gently pulled apart, to catch some breath, if nothing else, and then lifted her up into his arms and began to walk toward his apartment door.

He looked down at her and grinned, “Aye, I know we’re not supposed to do this until we’re married loike, but I figured what the hell.” He began to chuckle as he carried her over the threshold of the door and then lifted his foot up and kicked it closed behind him and then made his way into his sizeable living room and gently placed her on the floor. He then went into his pocket and pulled out the little silver jewellery box and handed it to her, “I got ye a little something loike, the soon as I saw it I just thought I have to buy that for me Jules, for me lil pixie, ye know?” Inside was a sterling silver pendant with a pixie on it.

[jules]

Juliet waited outside Marcus's apartment building, happily headbanging to Alice In Chains as she waited for Marcus to see her and let her in. She then lifted her headphones off and hung them loosely around her neck. She grinned widely and stared into the camera, "Of course I knew Irishman, but let's face it... you love it!" She shouted throwing her hands up in the air and poking her tongue out. Jules stopped and grinned at Marcus as her pulled a few of his own silly faces, she giggled loudly and hopped up and down on each foot. She then heard the buzzer go and squeezed through the iron gates to the main door of the apartments. She pulled open the glass door and waited by the elevator.

Once again Jules got the butterflies swarm around her stomach as usual, the feeling had become so natural now, that she never wanted it to stop. It was wonderful. She stepped into the elevator as it reached the ground floor and stepped in, pressing the button to the penthouse. As she stepped out, she saw Marcus who immediately swooped her up into his arms. She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around his neck as she took in the wonderful manly smell. It was Marcus's smell, that's all that could be said. No other man nor person smelled like that. It was simply breathtaking. Marcus soon placed her down gently and Jules let go of his neck, holding onto his arms as he kept his arms loosely around her waist.

Marcus spoke, saying he missed her like she wouldn't believe. Juliet smiled warmly, "I missed you too Marcus. But hey! I'm here now!" She grinned up at him, and pressed herself against him. Marcus then moved closer to her, and their lips finally touched. She went up on tip-toes, wrapping an arm around his neck and placing her hand through his hair. She loved how short it was at the moment and couldn't help but embrace him closer. He was the perfect man, the most perfect person in the World. After a couple of minutes Marcus pulled away and Jules kept her eyes shut, smiling widely immediately. Without her opening her eyes, Marcus lifted her up and she gasped, clutching her shoulder bag and placing it in her lap.

Jules was about to say they weren't married yet until Marcus got their first, "I was about to say that!" She slapped him lightly on the chest and grinned before the two of them got through Marcus's front door, he kicked the front door behind him, shutting it in the process. He then placed her in the quite frankly huge living room. Jules took her shoulder bag off and placed it on one of the sofa's, looking around the place in awe. It was so modern, so wonderful and so Marcus like. Without her realising, Marcus pulled out a small silver jewellery box. Jules looked down at him, then the box.

It couldn't be could it? It was too soon. As much as Jules had fallen in love with Marcus, she was no way ready for that kind of commitment. But she had a feeling it wasn't what she first expected, knowing Marcus, it was just something to remind him of her. She took it into her hand carefully and smiled, "What is it?" He answered, saying her nickname in the process. She smiled and opened it up, seeing a small sterling silver pendant with a pixie on it, very similar to tinkerbell. She gasped happily, "It's beautiful, it's... perfect." Jules cupped it in her hand carefully and pulled her leather jacket off quickly before pulling the necklace around her neck. "Fancy giving me a hand?" Jules grinned at Marcus, her brown eyes lighting up.

The apartment was still amazing to Juliet, she couldn't believe how beautifully decorated and modern it was. It was all open plan, making it alight with the moon shining through the large windows, "So what's the plan for the evening handsome?"

[marcus]

Marcus couldn’t help but chuckle when Juliet said that of course she knew he could see her. Well with the fact there was a screen at the gate anybody would have been foolish not to know he could see them, just like they could see him. Marcus just loved goofing around though; it was part of what made him who he was. He was very much a changed man from the Marcus who arrived in the States a few months ago. When Juliet add that he loved it, he just grinned at her with his eyes sparkling as always. “Aye, ye better believe I love it.” But then Marcus loved everything about Juliet. He had then gone and pulled some funny faces just for the hell of it before finally pressing the button to let Juliet in the gates. Marcus couldn’t believe how much his life had changed in the past few weeks, he had honestly thought Jo was the one for him, but he just couldn’t handle the panic attacks she was going through, and having to deal with helping Emma recover from her accident was enough for him at the time. He knew Jo had a new boyfriend and a vampire at that, he just hoped that she was happy with her new life, they could maybe be friends if they had both successfully moved on and Marcus liked to think he had successfully moved on with Jules.

Marcus had then waited for Juliet to reach his floor and when she had, he soon scooped her up into his arms, and he saw that smile of hers, which made him smile right back. No female had ever made him feel the way he feels when he’s with Juliet, she was his little china doll, his little pixie and he loved her; he never wanted to be with anybody else. Marcus had then said he had missed her like she wouldn’t believe. He had to smile deeply when she said she had missed him too then she added that was there now. “Aye you’re here now and that’s all that matters loike.” Juliet then moved toward him pressing herself against him, which made Marcus pull her even closer to him before he leaned in to kiss her. As they kissed he soon felt Juliet’s arm around his neck and her hand in his hair. He loved when she did that as it sent shivers down his spine. When Marcus had pulled away from the kiss after a couple of minutes he couldn’t help but smile as he watched her smiling widely with her eyes closed. He had then lifted her up in the manner of carrying someone over the threshold.

Marcus had then commented that he knew they weren’t married yet but he figured what the hell, and he couldn’t help but chuckle some more when Jules spoke saying she was just about to say that and slapped him lightly on the chest. “Aye, I knew ye would have said something loike, so I had to get me point across ye know? Anyway, it will be good practice for when it does happen don’t ye think?” He looked down at her and winked, and chuckled some more. Proposing to her today wasn’t on his agenda, but he knew Juliet was the one for him, and he knew he would propose to her at some point. Juliet was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. After he had put Juliet onto her feet in his living room he hadn’t wasted any time in giving her the pendant he had bought, he figured it would be something nice before he delved into his past with her. Not that he had done anything wrong, but still, it wasn’t every day you had to tell your girlfriend that the parents you thought had been yours for thirty two years of your life turned out to be your aunt and uncle instead.

Juliet asked what it was but Marcus didn’t give anything away other than saying he had to buy it when he saw it. He then waited for her to open the box wondering slightly nervously if she would like it or not. However after she opened it and she spoke, the slight nervousness he was feeling vanished. She said it was beautiful and then added that it was perfect. Marcus grinned at her, “I’m glad ye loike it Jules, I love ye so much already, ye know that roight?” Marcus had no idea why he was asking her if she knew that he loved her, but maybe he just felt he needed that confirmation before he went into his sad story of his past. He was still undecided on how he felt about his so called parents. If he was given the chance to save their lives, would he? He didn’t think he would, but maybe if he was back in the situation he would think differently. He then watched as Jules removed her jacket and then she asked Marcus to help her put the pendant on. “Aye, sure I’ll help ye put it on me lil pixie.” He winked then and gently took the pendant from her as her as he then gently clasped it together at the back and then allowed his thumbs to rest on her neck slightly as he caressed her before turning back to face her again. “I knew it would suit ye, or should I say I knew ye would suit it.” He then leaned in and gave her another kiss, feeling so happy that she loved the gift he had bought her.

The next thing he knew Juliet was asking what the plan for the evening was. Well he didn’t have too much planned other than telling Juliet about his past and just spending some quality time with each other. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with that though. “Well to be honest with ye, I don’t have much planned; I just thought we could spend some quality time together.” He sighed, wondering if he wanted to bring the evening down with his past, but really she had a right to know about his past, as it was a part of Juliet knowing the real Marcus. “There is something I think ye should know and I think we should talk about, and don’t worry I’m not married or anything loike that, it’s just something about me past I think ye should know.” He then went over to the music system and put on some instrumental music low, it was all songs from movies but instead of artists singing them, it was all done by panpipes.

“Take a seat anywhere ye loike Jules, can I get ye something to drink?” He asked as he made his way over to the mini drinks bar and immediately opened a can of Guinness for himself. Once Jules said what she wanted to drink, Marcus would sit down beside her and start telling her about his past. Then Juliet would know the real Marcus Woods.

[jules]

"That's all that matters now gorgeous." Jules smiled widely at him, her eyes sparkling like brown gems. She pressed herself against him, feeling what she liked to call his 'Irish charm'. His Irish charm consisted of his smell, his warmth and everything in else in general. He was the walking Irish Charm, the one person in the World who could keep her safe, who could be with her and not judge her for being strange, the one person she loved more than anything else in the World. Her heart skipped a beat thinking about it, she had never been so happy in her life. Jules was usually optimistic about everything, but now she had no reason to be. Everything was perfect.

When Marcus spoke about marriage again, her heartbeat increased, beating faster and faster everytime. She didn't think he was proposing tonight, it didn't seem the right time or place to her. But if he was, she would of course say yes, she didn't want anyone else, ever. "I think it'll be fantastic practice, maybe we should practice something else later as well... that married couples do ya know?" Juliet giggled, burying her head in his chest as she began to laugh loudly. As she had relatively fallen in love with Marcus as soon as she saw him, she was still curious about the whole 'love-making' bit. They hadn't done anything as of yet, and she didn't mind, but it had been so long since she had 'made-love' that it seemed now was the best time to finally get it on.

Jules was soon on her feet, dropping her shoulder bag down and taking her little cargo jacket off. She suddenly saw the little box Marcus was holding and her heart again sped up. So soon? It couldn't be. Her initial thoughts were right, it was too soon. And as she opened it, dropping the pendant necklace into her hand, she grinned widely. She told Marcus it was perfect and beautiful, which it was. "I know. I love you too, more than you'll ever know." Her grin remained on her soft little face as she asked him to help her put it on. She felt his thumbs on the back of her neck, and her eyes closed for a moment, his warmth... his breath on the back of her neck. It was the most amazing feeling. "I love it, I love you." She went up on tip-toes as he began to kiss her again. Her butterflies came back, telling her this was it, this was forever.

"Quality time sounds just perfect right now. My legs are hurting from work. Twelve hour shift, harsh or what?" Jules poked her tongue out and collapsed freely onto one of the sofas. Then he suddenly hit her with a bomb, something she was terrified of speaking about. The past. He wasn't married, that was a good thing. But what else could it be? Had he had children? Was he an ex murderer or something? She shook her head quickly, knowing it couldn't be any of them. It wasn't his past she was so much afraid of knowing, it was speaking about hers that she was terrified of.

"I'm already sitting Irishman." Juliet winked at him and propped her feet neatly behind her bum on the sofa. "Ah I'll have a Guinness too, why not?" She smiled at him as he brought it over and sat down next to her. Her eyes were sparkling once more as she could smell his Irish Charm, she closed her eyes for a moment, embracing it. "So what do you need to tell me, is it somethin' bad?"

[marcus]

When Jules said that was all that mattered and called him gorgeous, he grinned and winked at her. Marcus wasn’t one of these up himself people so he never thought that he was that handsome, but he didn’t look in the mirror and think he was ugly either. He was comfortable with the way he looked but even a guy could feel good about compliments. But he couldn’t help but reply with, “Don’t ye think it should be me calling you gorgeous?” He winked at her and chuckled a little, truth was he did think Juliet was gorgeous, every single thing about her, his lil pixie. She completed him; his life had gone from being so dark to being so light, finding his birth family and now finding what he hoped was true love. Juliet was the one for him, he was sure of it.

When Marcus had lifted Jules up to carry her over the threshold of his door he had made a point of saying he knew he wasn’t supposed to do that until they were married but he figured it didn’t care and done it anyway. When Jules commented about it more he had said it would be good practice for when it did happen. Yes Marcus was so sure about how he felt with Jules that he was talking about practicing something which would happen after the wedding. He had to laugh a little when Jules replied agreeing that it would be good practice and then basically hinted at something else being good practice too and then she buried her head into his chest and laughed.

Marcus looked down at her, and smiled, his eyes twinkling somewhat and began to chuckle a little before he replied, “Aye, ye’re roight, that would be good practice, is that a hint loike because it’s one I loike very much ye know.” Marcus hadn’t been in a sexual relationship for quite some time now; he was the type of guy who never rushed into these things. Whenever he got into a sexual relationship it was always with a woman he truly loved, because he didn’t like to refer to it as just having sex, he liked to refer to it as making love. He was now very curious about what it would be like to make love to Jules. He knew he had irrevocably fallen in love with Jules the moment he saw her in the cafe and the thought of being one with her, well it was sending shivers up and down his spine.

Marcus had then given Juliet the pendant, and told her how much he loved her already and she replied telling him she loved him too more than he would ever know. This made Marcus grin widely, he was so happy because it seemed they both felt the same way about each other. “I think I’ve got a fair idea loike, I mean ye’ve just hinted at making love with me ye know, that has to count for something roight?” He chuckled lightly and then Jules asked him to help her on with pendant which he did, caressing the back of her neck slightly with his thumbs as he did so. Once he had the pendant on, she said she loved it and that she loved him. “I love ye too, ye’re definitely one of the best people to come into me loife recently.” He had then kissed her again. This was definitely the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Jules had then asked what he had planned, but really he hadn’t planned anything, other than to tell Juliet about his past, he was glad to hear that she didn’t seem too bothered about the fact he just thought they could have some quality time together. Juliet then commented she had just done a twelve hour shift adding that it was harsh; he had to agree with that. Even at the boxing hall the longest shift he ever had was about ten hours and that was bad enough. “Aye Jules, that is harsh loike, ye moight be best to lay yer legs on me lap and I can massage yer feet or something if ye loike?” He would do anything for Juliet and when your feet ached after a harsh twelve hour shift nothing could beat a gentle massage.

Marcus had then said there was something he should tell her, and she could take a seat anywhere she liked, he hadn’t even noticed she had already flopped down onto one of the sofas, so he had to chuckle when she said she was already sitting. “Aye, so ye are, I didn’t see ye do that loike.” Jules then agreed to have a Guinness too. So he opened another and brought the two of them over. He then sat down beside her and handed her the can. Jules then asked him what it was he had to tell her and was it something bad. Marcus swallowed some of his Guinness before he replied, “Aye, well it’s sort of bad ye could say. Just don’t know the best place to begin loike ye know?” Marcus then shook his head; the best place to begin would be the start obviously. “Alroight, ye see me folks? Well it turns out they weren’t me folks after all. For thirty two years I grew up thinking that me uncle and aunt were me mam and dad. Me uncle had agreed to tell me when I was eighteen who they were and why they had me.” He took another sip of his Guinness before carrying on a little more, “Apparently me blood mam felt she was too young to look after me when she had me, and me uncle said, if ye want we’ll raise him. She agreed, but wrote a letter to me and told me uncle to give it to me on me eighteenth birthday; I never got the letter loike.”

Marcus took another drink of his Guinness and decided to throw in a little bit more before letting Juliet take in what he had said already, “Me and me folks were going on a trip and the aeroplane crashed, everyone was killed apart from me, aye that’s roight, me and this amazing ability I have stopped me from getting a bloody scratch on me. I was classed as the freak survivor and all these people started hunting me down wanting to know me story. It was hell Jules, ye have no idea. I found the letter when I was going through their personal effects.” Just thinking about the moment when he had found that letter and began to read it brought back the memory of the night clearly and he could feel tears burning at his eyes. He didn’t want to cry in front of Jules, he was a man for God’s sake but he was feeling it.

[jules]

Jules giggled when he said if it was a hint, and if it was, it's one he liked very much. She slapped his chest lightly, "Oh wouldn't you like to know Irishman." She rolled her eyes playfully and then grinned, "If it is... what would you say?" Juliet had only been in one serious relationship in her life before Marcus, and that was with Florin Michaels. The only other love of her life other than Marcus himself and her family. Her eyes grew sad for a moment as she thought about him. Florin had died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade centers. He had died whilst waiting for an important interview in the first (North) tower on the 71st floor. Jules realised she had to snap out of it, unless Marcus felt like listening to her speaking about her ex dying, she really shouldn't have thought about it at all.

All those thoughts passed when Marcus gave her the pendant, she realised how much he loved her right there and then. Something inside her lit up, a spark she had never felt before. Marcus was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, she knew it. Jules giggled when Marcus told her about the hint again, "Well wouldn't offer if I didn't want too." She giggled again, blushing ever so slightly. Once Marcus had put the pendant on and Jules turned around and told him she loved him, he said he loved her too and that she was one of the best people to come into her life recently. "Well can't deny it handsome, you are one of the best people to come into my life... ever." She smiled at him and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She let go soon after, but it was just to show him how much she loved him. Hell, Jules could barely keep her hands off him.

Marcus then asked her whether she wanted a foot massage, "Naw, don't worry. My flippers will be alright for now. Just tired is all." It was then he dropped the bombshell that he needed to tell her something. What it was, she didn't know. She was slightly worried. Marcus then brought over two cans of Guinness after Jules said she would drink one too. A pint of Guinness after work, couldn't beat it really. When he sat down next to her, Jules snuggled up to him, intertwining her hand with his free one. "Guinness in one hand, you in the other... doesn't get much better really does it?" She grinned at him and then asked him whether it was bad, what he was about to tell her.

Jules could tell he was nervous, he was almost shaking. "Just start from the beginning my love, it's fine. I'm not going to run away or anything, whatever it is." She then let go of his hands and stroked one side of his face with the back of her hand. The stubble on his face tickled her skin slightly. Juliet then took his hand again and began to listen to him tell her of his past. She listened to it all, not saying a word, even between his gaps for a sip of Guinness. It wasn't until he had finished she gasped, putting the can of Guinness she had on the table. She looked at his face, his beautiful sad face. Without thought, she climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing one hand on the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. How awful... oh God, now I don't want to tell you what happened to me. I know I have to, you should know, but I don't want you too. Marcus, don't you dare blame yourself, it was never your fault. It was an accident, a freak accident, something that should never of happened." She then pulled away, cupping his face in her little hands as she stared into his teary eyes, "I love you, so so much. This doesn't change anything, it's horrible, but it's not your fault, it was never your fault okay?"

Before she knew it, Jules fell back into the space next to Marcus, and sighed deeply. The God-forsaken incident and Florin filled her mind. She had to tell him, it was the only way he would ever know who she truly was. But where to start? How could she tell him what happened? He would be so angry. Not with her, but with them. "My love, I need to tell you some things too..." She sighed, grabbing the Guinness can and gulping a few mouthfuls down. "Before I turned seventeen, now nearly eleven years ago, I was coming home from seeing Flor..." She couldn't say it without a lump appearing in her throat. "My boyfriend at the time, Florin. I saw a gang kill a man by shooting him in the head. They saw me and chased me down, managing to capture me. What happened next is kind of a blur still..." Jules lied. She remembered every moment perfectly, every kick, every punch, everything... "They beat me until I was nearly unconscious, then they... they raped me, all of them." This wasn't the upsetting part for her.

Jules never did mind if she got hurt, she just hated the ones she loved getting hurt, which was why the next bit would be so hard to tell him. "I survived as you can see and everything's all good. But when I was eighteen, the boy, well guy I was seeing and in love with, Florin Michaels who I had been dating since I was fifteen..." She remembered it all so clearly...

"Hey cupcake, I'm just waiting now, I'm on the hundredth floor! It's so high up!" Jules smiled as she continued walking along the Brooklyn bridge towards Manhattan, she was meeting Florin at ten to go for coffee after his interview and go to the cinema. "Wowie! Wish I was there with you Flo, don't be nervous though, you'll get the job fine." She grinned and then looked above as suddenly an unusually low airplane flew through the air. "That's odd, a mighty low plane just flew overhead..." Florin got up from his chair and looked out the window, only to see a plane, one flying straight towards the building. "Oh shit." The whole building shook and Florin was knocked across the corridor. He still clutched the phone in his hand, he could hear Jules screaming. "Jules? What happened? What's happened?" Tears ran down her face, she was running as fast as she could towards the towers. Being little, she could squeeze in between people. "A plane, a plane just hit, are you okay? Florin!" He smiled, "Jules I'm fine I promise. There's an escape route I'm sure, I'll find it darling, just stay on the phone will you?" "I will..." He sounded so calm, so cool. Deep down he knew, he knew he had no chance of escaping. If the planes had hit below the floor he was on, it would be a burning wreck, there would be nothing left. He found the stairwell and began running down it, only to be stopped by a huge fire and molten metal burning it's way through the floor. "Juliet?" He began coughing loudly, trying to get back up the stairs as quickly as possible. People were screaming all around him as they tried to ring their loved ones and escape the building. "I'm here Florin, oh God, I'm nearly there, just hang on." He shook his head smiling as he did. "No, don't come near here, just stay where you are, run away, run away as far as you can." Jules gasped and ran into a block of apartments, running up the stairs faster than she had ever run in her life. Once she was on the rooftop, she saw the second plane. Florin heard it and looked out the now broken window he was next to. "There it is..." Juliet gasped, holding her hand to her mouth, "You knew this was going to happen?" "No cupcake, I painted it a few weeks ago, but I never knew when it was going to happen." Juliet started shouting down the phone, but then ended up collapsing on the floor and sobbing as she watched along with others on the rooftop as her boyfriend told her it would be okay, everything would be fine. He stayed on the phone for an hour and forty minutes before she heard him speak something she would never forget, "Funny Jules, you're here now. You're trying to save me, but I'm not letting you. You gotta let go now darling, it's gonna be over in a few minutes." "I'm there?" She asked, still crying heavily. "Yeah, you've been here for the past hour with someone called ...., but you've gone now, you know it's about to happen." Juliet stood up and watched as it began to fall... "I love you Juliet." The phone went dead and everyone watched as the first tower collapsed after a hundred and two minutes of burning. Juliet let out an inhumane scream and was taken to safety by a firefighter.

Tears strolled down her face as she remembered it all. She had just told Marcus something only her father knew. Florin was adopted, he had no parents so to speak. No next of kin other than herself. He was alone in the World, he died alone. "I'm sorry..." She whispered to no one in particular as the tears took over and she began sobbing heavily.

[marcus]

Marcus loved Juliet’s giggles and smiles; they lit up her whole face, that beautiful face he loved so much already. She was playing around a little but Marcus didn’t mind and he just went along with it, when she playfully slapped his chest, he put his hand up quickly and held her own there for a few seconds. When she said wouldn’t he like to know he nodded his head, “I would loike to know a matter of fact.” He replied and winked at her as he then chuckled, joining in with her own giggles. Then she asked if it was a hint what he would say. His eyes began to twinkle as he grinned at her, still holding her hand to his chest, “Well I’d say why the hell not? I love ye Jules, ye know that and what better way to express that, than making love?” He then moved the hand which had been keeping hers on his chest and lifted it up to his lips and kissed the back of it, before he kissed her again tenderly but making it linger. This was it for Marcus, he was in love with Jules, she was the one, and there was no going back, ever.

When Jules said she loved him more than he would ever know he had replied saying he had a fair idea because of what she had just hinted at and it had to count for something. He had to chuckle a little when she said she wouldn’t have offered if she didn’t want to and then she giggled and blushed slightly. “No, I guess ye wouldn’t have offered loike.” When Jules had said she loved him and he said it back adding that she was one of the best people to come into his life recently he had to grin as she more or less said the same thing back to him. “I’m sure glad ye feel that way loike Jules.” She then jumped up wrapping her arms around his neck and he held her there with his own arms wrapped around her waist.

When Jules declined the foot massage saying her flippers were fine, which he assumed was referring to her feet, he nodded his head and replied, “Alroight then, if ye’re sure.” Then he had asked if he could get her a drink and Jules asked for a Guinness, which was what he was going to drink himself. Once he had brought both cans over handing one to Jules he had sat down which led to Jules to snuggle up to him and intertwining her hand with his free one. He absentmindedly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb in circular motions. He had to smile at what she said about a Guinness in one hand and him in the other and how it didn’t get much better. “Aye, I feel the same way ye know.” He had then said he didn’t know where to begin with what he had to tell her and she prompted him by saying he was just to start from the beginning telling him she wasn’t going to go anywhere no matter what it was. She then let go of his hand and he soon felt it stroking the side of his face.

He sighed gently, “Aye, the beginning, the best place to start really.” Jules then took his hand again and once more he used his thumb to caress the back of her hand. Marcus had then begun to relay most of his sorry tale about his past. He hadn’t told her anything about what happened when he finally came to New York but he hadn’t wanted to hit her with everything at once. However Jules had soon sat on his lap wrapping her arms around his neck as she put one of her hands on the back of his head saying how sorry she was. It was nice and Marcus wrapped his arms around her once more, holding her close to him, but he couldn’t keep his emotions in check but he couldn’t stop the burning tears any longer as they began to fall. She added that didn’t want to tell him what happened to her, but knew she had to and that he wasn’t to dare blame himself. Soon enough he felt her cup his face in her hands telling him it wasn’t his fault. “Aye, I know that Jules, that’s not really what’s upsetting me loike. It’s the fact that I know if I got the chance to confront them, ask them why they kept me real parents from me, I wouldn’t warn them about the floight, I’d just let them perish all over again. Is that so wrong?” Marcus was completely torn. What would Jules think of him now?

He took another sip of his Guinness before relaying the final part to her. He ran his hair messily through his hair, as he tried desperately to compose himself. “After I found the letter, I made it me mission to find out where me real family were. Turns out they were based here in New York. So I came to foind them, and the first one I found was me sister, Emma. I shouted out for her and told her I was her brother loike, and she just sort of stood still in the middle of the road, obviously stunned at what I had said. Then as quick as anything and before I could get to her to shield her, she was hit by a car, I nearly killed me own sister Jules. It’s so focking annoying to have this ability and not be able to protect anybody when I want to. I could have gotten to her Jules, but it all happened so focking fast.” This just fuelled the burning emotions within Marcus again and once more the tears were building in his eyes. At least it was all out in the open now, Juliet knew about his past and she knew why he was in New York and about causing his sister’s accident by mistake even though he’s always blamed himself.

It was then Juliet’s turn to open up to Marcus and with his emotions already all over the place he thought he was going to get up and punch a hole in his wall as he heard Jules relay the first part of her story, his face was going into all contortions. How could someone do that to her? She was so petite, like a china doll, who would want to hurt her, she was perfect in every way. Jules hadn’t interrupted him and he wasn’t about to do the same thing, so he just continued to listen to everything she had to say as she then told him the story about her ex boyfriend Florin, the last man she had truly loved. His heart was aching for her in so many ways. She was sobbing heavily and as Jules had comforted him before, it was his turn to do that now. He scooped her up into his lap, wrapping his arms firmly around her, and bent his head down so he kiss the top of her head a few times, just cradling her.

“I’m so sorry for everything ye went through Jules me sweetheart. Looks loike we both have things we wished we could change for one reason or another. I love ye Juliet Tyler, and I swear on me loife, I’m never going to let anyone hurt ye loike that again, loike what those guys did to ye. I can’t change anything, but I can focking well make sure it doesn’t happen to ye again.” As he continued to hold her in his arms, keeping her safe he knew he was going to marry her. He would have proposed to her there and then if he didn’t think it was too soon, but somehow he thought it was and not quite the right moment just now either. But he will propose, and he knows it will be soon.