"So Jade I reckon in the next month you should be able to go back to work," Lucas said the following day as he extended her leg checking her range of motion. Jade sighed wanting nothing more than to go back to work and get back into the field again. She pushed her appointment with Lucas back another week because when she got a look at her bruised, swollen face she knew she wasn't going to any appointments soon.

"Thanks Lucas." Jade stood up and shook his hand before rolling her shoulders back.

"It's no problem Jade, just keep working on your exercises and you should be fine." Lucas walked Jade out and Jade sighed when she saw that it had started raining. She quickly pulled up the hood on her jumper and stepped outside into the rain. Jade was planning to run home, but with the rain, she quickly hailed down a cab to get out of it. When she arrived back at her apartment, she was glad she pushed her appointment back with Lucas because after the flashback she found herself tired and crawled back into bed. When she reached her door, she looked to the apartment next to her which seemed to be empty these days.

She hadn't seen Marcus or Marco in the last week which she was glad for because one look and they would be able to tell she wasn't doing fine. Her dreams were filled with memories she tried to bury from her childhood, and when she was awake flashes of her last tour would play like a movie, rendering her still until the moment was over.

She walked into her apartment tired. She was always tired these days. The flashbacks were taking a toll on her as she struggled to function and do regular day-to-day activities. Jade sat down on the couch and turned on the tv for background noise as she drifted off for a quick nap before she started on her washing.

There was a knocking at her door that rose her from her groggy state. She rolled off the lounge and saw that it was almost 5 o'clock. The knocking kept going, and she groaned and clutched her head at the headache that pounded against her head like the bloody person at the door.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." She trudged over to the door and opened it before the idiot on the other side broke down her door. She opened it up and was taken back by Marcus standing there with his arms crossed in a singlet and shorts as if he had just come from the gym.

"You're still alive," Jade stated and walked into her apartment knowing he would follow.

"And you look like shit." Jade snorted in the most un-ladylike fashion and sat back onto her lounge.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Marcus shut the door behind him and took a seat next to Jade. He hadn't seen her in a while because of him working on base all week and seeing her today settled that gut feeling he had every time he walked past her door on the morning commute to work.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jade sighed and closed her eyes rubbing her temple.

"It's nothing." She stated bluntly remembering that he was the one who said they couldn't do anything.

"So what did you want Marcus?" She finally faced him and for a second her heart began to ache at his rejection, but she quickly pushed away from the feelings wanting to know what he wanted so she could get rid of him and sleep.

"I just wanted to see how you are doing." Jade rolled her eyes knowing that wasn't why he was here at all.

"Fine, I wanted to come and apologise for kissing you and try to explain why it can't happen again." Jade didn't think her heart could break anymore, but surely she felt another crack at yet another rejection.

"Please leave. I got it the first time." Marcus went to say something, but the look Jade gave him told him all he needed to know. He fucked up, and he fucked up badly again.

"Jade I just-" Jade stood up she pushed him towards the door.

"Just leave Marcus." Jade pointed towards the door and watched as Marcus walked out the door. When the door was closed Jade felt like she should cry, but she felt angry and pissed off. Looking at the clock she knew she would be late for her appointment with Helen so she rang ahead informing them of her lateness.

The moment Jade sat down in Helen's office Helen knew Jade had something on her mind.

"I am sick and tired of men." Surprised Helen sat back and listen to Jade rant about Marcus and Garrett until Jade had let everything out and gave Helen the chance to talk.

"Okay, where to start off Garrett or Marcus." Jade didn't care because she swore she was done with men being pricks and assholes.

"You just explained what happened with Garrett my first question is, do you want to press charges?" Jade thought about it and as much as she wanted to, just to be spiteful in the long run she just wanted him gone from her life so she could finally move forwards and onwards and not be plagued with him anymore.

"I know what he did was wrong, but no I don't want to press charges. As bad as it got that day I feel a sense of relief that I know I tried to settle things between us and I feel like I can move on knowing that there is nothing left there for us." Helen nodded her head proud that Jade was finally starting to move forward with her life and not let those around her control her.

"What about Marcus? You said before you don't like rejection so how did that make you feel. His rejection?" Jade sighed and tapped her finger on her thigh.

"At first I was sad and upset. I try everything to avoid rejection ever since childhood, but no matter how hard I try I always get rejected. So now I would say I am pissed. I am sick of people thinking I am flexible and I am sick of not getting what I want." As much as Jade thought she sounded like a child it was true, she was tired of not getting what she wanted.

"There is nothing wrong with that Jade. There is nothing wrong with making the first move and getting or having what you want." Jade thought about this for the rest of the session and by the time she left she was ready to take what she wanted. On the way home the more Jade thought about Marcus and his rejection, the more pissed off she became.

How dare he come into her home and apologise when he was the one who started the kiss. How dare he continuously flirt and tease her as if he wanted her, only to push her away.

When she arrived back at the apartment her blood was boiling and she was out for blood. Not caring about the consequences she stormed up the stairs like a scorned woman and right next door to the arrogant, hot-headed, sexy sergeant. She didn't even bother knocking as she stormed in with luck on her side. The door was unlocked, and she walked in and right up to a shocked and stunned Marcus and shoved him with all her might.

"You fucking arrogant prick." Still stunned Jade was able to push him again.

"You don't get to do this to me. I am sick and fucking tired of men walking all over me like I am a fucking object for their use." She swung her hand back and came in contact with his hard smooth chest. She was sick of it, she could blame it on the lack of sleep or the fact that Marcus made her irrational or the fact she was sick of being rejected.

"I am tired of playing your game." She went to swing again, but Marcus finally snapped out of his daze and trapped her hand and twisted her around so her back was to his chest.

"Calm down kitten." He purred into her ear incredibly turned on by Jade's temper. She wanted to fight him and all Marcus could think about was fucking her.

"Fuck you." She slammed her foot onto his causing him to loosen his grip giving Jade enough room and break his hold. She went to kick him, but Marcus recovered quickly and caught it before it came painfully in contact with his side. He threw her leg away causing her to stumble. Frustrated Jade charged at Marcus recklessly causing her to fall right into his arms.

"You wound me kitten." Jade hissed just for effect as she struggled to get out of the hold.

"You don't get to be fucking hot and cold about whether or not you want me." Marcus laughed a deep belly chuckle.

"Oh, trust me, Jade, there is no hot and cold about whether or not I want you." He grabbed Jade's hand and placed it over his hard cock. That had been throbbing the moment Jade barged into the house with her foul and sexy mouth.

"Does this feel like I don't want you?" Jade gasped and still struggled against his hold, but for a different reason.

"Then why fucking kiss me and say it can't happen again." Not wanting to answer why he tried to keep his distance he slammed his lips onto hers.

At first Jade resisted, scared to be rejected yet again, but finally took her friend's advice and get what she finally wanted.

Jade kissed him back with as much passion and lust she felt it deep to her bones that it rattled her to her core. She felt herself light up from inside out and felt Marcus everywhere dominating her body the way he knew would excite her and leave her wanting more. With her hand still on his cock, she tested the waters and in return got a deep throaty groan from Marcus and was lifted off her feet and carried to what she assumed was his room.

Marcus threw her onto the bed and lifted his shirt over his head showing off his bronzed tone body and deep cut muscle that made her weep at the sight of such as masculine bronzed body and the power behind the man. He crawled onto the bed and over her like a panther ready to devour its meal. She reached out and touched his toned chest and all she wanted to do was lick off the light sheen of sweat that made his chest glisten that gave him this primal sexy look. She wanted his thick arms wrapped around her as she lost herself in both the man and the pleasure.

"We shouldn't." He whispered, but Jade wasn't having it. She was sick of not getting what she wanted and tonight she was taking what she has been longing for since she moved in. She hooked her legs around his waist and rolled them over and made quick work of slipping her hand inside of his pants and stroking his cock from base to tip in quick longing strokes that had him begging for more.

"Fuck." Marcus groaned lifting his hips off the bed and pleasure coursed through his body at his sexy kitten finally taking what he knew she wanted for so long. He quickly stopped her hand from moving, but that didn't stop her from giving him a good squeeze making all logic and what a bad idea it was fly out the window.

"You little minx kitten." He chuckled and rolled her over as he ripped her shirt off and pulled down her bra so he could latch onto one of those rosy nipples he dreamed about while he dipped his hand down into her shorts to find her dripping with pure primal female lust.

"Shit." Jade hissed knowing it had been too long since anyone had touched her and made her feel the way Marcus was. Her body felt on fire and a deep hunger settled into the pits of her stomach as Marcus played her like violinist pulling all the right strings that had her quickly building up to a well overdue climax.

She grabbed onto his hair and yanked him up and planted her lips onto his. Her skin tingled everywhere Marcus touched and before she knew it they were both naked with him hovering over her with a lustful look which made her squirm with need.

"You sure?" Jade didn't care, she was so filled with lust and desire that she would agree to anything he asked.

"Fuck me, Marcus." Marcus grinned to himself and slowly lowered himself into Jade giving her just a tease of what was to come. He did this repeatedly as Jade became frustrated quickly at not getting what she wanted and Marcus was loving every second of it. Seeing her tied up and tangled in her own pleasure as she begged for more. She tried pulling him in deeper, but Marcus didn't let her as he rolled his hips just a little causing mewls of desperation to escape Jade mouth.

"You want this don't you." Jade groaned as he pushed in just a little more, but not enough to satisfy her.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Marcus again chuckled and Jade growled as she was she flustered and so turned on she was about to combust at any given moment.

"Say please," Marcus said hovering over her.

"Fine, pretty please, will you fuck me already?" Laughing at her frustration Marcus finally gave them what they both wanted. Jade saw the high heavens quickly as everything inside of her felt like it was on fire and the only person who could satisfy this need and hunger Jade was craving was the sexy man currently on top of her.

"Shit Jade." Marcus's throaty groaned filled the room as sweat dripped from his face onto Jade chest.

"It's been too long," Jade muttered to herself as she lost herself in the feeling of having Marcus everywhere. She felt like she couldn't get enough of him. She needed him on top of her, inside her everywhere and anywhere he could get his hands. She needed him deeper, harder and faster to settle the siren inside of her who had been dormant for too long.

"God, you are so fucking sexy." She tilted her head to the side as Marcus nipped along her neck while maintaining an easy, steady rhythm that was maddening.

"Faster." Her husky, lustful voice strained as she met him thrust for thrust eager to have more of him. Marcus sped up his pace and soon they both seeing stars to the point Jade blacked out for a second from the intense waves of pleasure that flowed through her right down to her toes and fingertips.

Marcus collapsed on top of Jade but was careful to keep his weight off her. His skin was wet and sticky from sweat and his breathing was laboured as he rolled onto his back and tried to catch his breath back.

"Whoa." Jade opened her eyes and found her vision out of focus as sweat glistened her skin and her body hummed with pleasure.

"Mmmm." Was all she could respond with as she tried to catch her breath and come down from the pleasure high that had her body craving for more. After a few moments, Marcus rolled Jade onto her side and found she was completely out of it and fast asleep chuckling to himself he spent a moment admiring the women he had come to care for deeply over the last few months.

He tried to stay away and as much as he wanted to keep his distance he didn't regret a single moment he spent with her. He memorised the shape of her body and how perfect she was despite the scars that she carried around from battles that she fought for both the country and battles of her own mind. He brushed a finger along her creamy rough skin knowing he wasn't going to get a chance like this ever again.

To have her in his arms with the ability to memorise every inch of her without her feeling embarrassed or ashamed of her body. He could imagine waking up to her every morning and he let himself imagine what life might be like if he took the chance.

Feeling the weight of a busy day and sex Marcus settled into a deep sleep next to Jade knowing this would be the last time for a while he would be able to feel this at peace with himself.