Stupid Mistake
by SoapSud & JG

Jim and Marie's hotel room in the Algarve. It's certainly not marital bliss. They're both lying in bed; Marie is all over Jim.

***

Marie nudged Jim. "We're on our honeymoon!"

"I'm tired!"

"If you're like this now what are you going to be like when we get back?"

"Just leave me alone for one minute will you!"

"Worn you out have I?" Marie smirked.

"Just... let me have some peace for a moment, Marie you never shut up."

"Never heard you complain before"

"Yeah well, things are different now."

"Things are supposed to be better. We're married now." She snaked her hand up his leg.

"Yeah."  Jim said, moving away.

"Are you too tired?"

"I'm lots of things."  He mumbled into the pillow.  "I'm tired, I've got a headache and I need a drink."

"Thought it was only us girls who used headaches as an excuse." Marie laughed.

"Why is everything a joke to you?"  Jim snapped, sitting up to face her.

"What is up with you today Jim. We're meant to be on our honeymoon for god's sake. All you can do is sulk."

"Well maybe I have good reason."  Jim got out of bed and walked over to the window of their room.

"Talk to me Jim. I don't like it when you're like this."

"This is what you signed up for.  I can't be upbeat all the time, and you... you're beginning to..."

"Beginning to?"

"You're beginning to annoy me."

"I'm what?" Marie sat bolt upright. "I'm annoying you... I'm not the one resisting any chance of romance on our HONEYMOON."

"Romance!  You don't know the meaning of the word!  Its all sex, sex, sex and when we're out you're dragging me round and shouting and..."  Jim balled his hands into fists.

"You complain if you're cooped up in the room all day, you complain if I take you out and try to have some fun."

"Fun... your idea of fun, not mine."

"Well if you don't make any suggestions as to what you want to do... I'm not a mind reader Jim. And sex was never a problem to you before."

"That was before... I knew.  It was different before I knew."

"Before you knew what Jim." Marie sighed. "Stop talking in code. This isn't doing my hangover any good."

"Hangover."  Jim laughed.  "That's something else."

"What's the bloody matter with you. This isn't the Jim Carver I married � it's some miserable old git. Can I have the old Jim Carver back please."

"THIS is the real Jim Carver."

"So the Jim I married was an impostor then?"

"The Jim you married was a fool."  Jim walked over to the bed and picked up a pair of jeans.

"I beg your pardon." Marie stood and moved round the bed to beside him.

"I said, the Jim you married was a fool.  He was sleepwalking into a ridiculous fantasy relationship with someone he hardly knows."

"Let just rewind a bit here Jim." Marie sunk down onto the bed. "Last night you couldn't keep your hands off me, what the hell has changed?"

"I thought I could do this, I thought we could work, but... I can't..."

"I don't understand Jim. We're married now, we can work things out."

"Marie, you assaulted a child."  Jim pulled on a T-shirt. 

"He deserved it." Marie hissed. "He ruined Sonia's grave."

"And that's another thing, Sonia.  She only died, what two months ago?"

"Yeah, so..."

"So how come you're like... this?"

"Like what? What are you talking about Jim."

"You hardly ever mention her.  I haven't seen you cry."

"Crying isn't something I do. It's hard to talk about her..."

"Yeah, because you never stop talking about yourself."  Jim slipped a pair of shoes on, then pulled a suitcase down from the top of the wardrobe.

"What the hell are you doing now?"

"What does it look like?"

"You're not going home. I won't let you."

"And how are you going to stop me, exactly?"

"I'll find a way."

She wrenched the suitcase from his hand and threw it onto the floor.

"I don't need my stuff.  There's only one thing I need." 

Marie moved over to the bedside cabinet and pulled both passports out. "You aren't going anywhere without this are you?"

"Give that to me."  Jim grabbed for it.

"No." Marie stuffed both passports down her top. "You're not leaving me."

"Marie!"  Jim grabbed her arm.  "You can't force me to stay!"

"And you cant just up and leave like this."

"I can.  I've made a mistake and I have to put it right."

"We can sort this out - you're just cranky because you're tired."

"There's nothing to sort out.  June was right."  Jim lifted her top up and pulled out the passports, finding his own and throwing hers to the bed.

"Bloody June. Wonder when she'd crop up in this."

"Don't speak about her like that."

"I'll speak about her how the hell I want. She's your ex Jim. Forget her."

"I CAN'T!" Jim yelled at her.  "Face it, Marie, this was a sham from beginning to end."

"It's June isn't it? Remember what you said about there being three people in this relationship - I think you meant four."

"I should never have left her."

"She's not right for you Jim."

"She is.  It took this farce to make me realise it.  Down in the cellar, she wanted me to hold her when we thought we were going to die and as soon as I touched her I knew."

"I beg your pardon..."

"I knew that June and I are meant to be together."

"That's not what I meant. She was all over you on OUR wedding day."

"She wasn't all over me.  She just wanted me to hold her.  She's always been my best friend... there's a bond between us that I should never have broken."

"She just won't give up will she? Can't accept she's lost you." Marie shook her head. "Pathetic really."

"At the reception she told me to call her Sergeant Ackland."

"Well that is her name." Marie cackled.

"That's when it hit me.  I can't live without her as a friend.  I can't live without HER." 

"It's her not wanting to be your friend - not the other way round. She's a sore loser Jim. Can't stand the idea of you being happy with someone else."

"But I'm not happy."

"You're just tired." She stood and crossed the room to stand next to him, rubbing his arm gently. "Get some sleep and you'll feel a lot better."

"Get OFF me!"  Jim yelled.  "There's no fixing this!"  He checked her had his passport and wallet and headed for the door.

"Don't you dare leave me now Jim Carver." Marie hissed, grabbing his arm and digging her fingernails in. "You'll regret it."

"You're hurting me."

"And you're hurting me."

"Nothing hurts you.  Does it?"

"What are you trying to do Jim? Humiliate me." She tightened her grip on his arm. "Did you marry me for a bet or something?"

"I thought you were someone you're not.  Now get off me!"

"I'm the same person you married Jim. It's you that's changed."

"No.  I haven't changed, I've just come to my senses."

"And now you want to go running off back to June do you?" She stepped closer to him, still holding his arm tightly.

"I don't think she'll even have me back but I can't stay with you.  You're... you're insane."

"That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. You calling me mad. Looked in the mirror lately?"

"I'm leaving Marie.  Accept it."  He wrenched his arm away.

"Not like this you're not." She moved to block the door.

"Get out of my way!"  Jim pulled Marie out of the way of the door. 

"You'll regret this Jim Carver." She grabbed at him.

"Regret it?  What are you going to do?!"

"Make your life hell." She hissed.

"Like you've done to mine.  This is a nightmare."

"And don't forget June - I can make her life hell too. She broke confidentiality remember."

"Who do you think they'll believe, June or you?  You're... you make my skin crawl, how I ever loved you..."  Jim pulled the door open.

"You'd better watch your back. And hers too."

"Sort yourself out, Marie.  You can't have everything you want.  The world doesn't revolve around you."

"This isn't over Jim. If you walk out now you're going to regret it."

"The only thing I regret - is marrying you."

"You don't know what I'm capable of do you?"

"Oh, I do.  But I'm not scared of you, and neither is June."

"She will be."

"You do anything to hurt her and you'll have me to deal with."

"Oh Jim Carver... everyone's hero." Marie laughed.

"Marie... do me a favour."

"Why should I?"

"Just one."

"Depends what it is?"

"Just shut the hell up.  I'm sick of your whiny voice."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." She slapped his face. "I'm your wife."

"In name only."  Jim placed a hand to his cheek.  "That's two assaults in a week.  As soon as you get back to London, we can have you arrested."  He walked a few steps away.  "Who's scared now?"

"Not me. You can't prove it."

"I'm a police officer.  You admitted assaulting the boy, you assaulted me."

"Prove it."

"Your history speaks for itself, Marie."

"Thought you'd drag that up again."

"I told you about my history.  You had plenty of chances to tell me about yours."

"It's not relevant."

"Of course it's BLOODY relevant!"  Jim shook his head.  "Goodbye, Marie."  He headed for the stairs.

"Go back to your tart in London then. See if I care." She shouted after him.

"I'll tell you again, DON'T speak about June like that."

"Who are you to tell me what to do? I'm only speaking the truth."

"Whatever.  Goodbye Marie."

"You'll regret this."

"No, I won't."  He started off down the stairs.

"So you keep saying. But you couldn't get me up the aisle fast enough could you?"

"That was your idea."  He said as he descended lower.

"You didn't disagree."

Silence from Jim.

"You've gone then. Good riddance."

Two flights below, Jim rolled his eyes,  "Good riddance to you, too."









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