AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is loosely based off several characters from the hit soap One Life to Live.
Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.
This story is AU.
*
John McBain had just stepped from the shower. Beads of water clung to his tall, muscular body. He entered into his living room, wearing nothing but a black towel wrapped around his hips. He was running a hand through his damp dark hair when he heard someone knocking upon his door. It was no doubt Roxie, coming by to pester him again about getting back together with Natalie.
"Yeah, who is it?" he called out, throwing the door open.
There stood Todd Manning with a surprised expression seeing John standing there in nothing more than a towel. "What's going on here?" Todd asked, a half-grin appearing on his face.
"What's it look like, Manning? I just got out of the shower," responded John as Todd stepped inside and John closed the door behind him. "The question is... what are you doing here?"
"Ohhh I just stopped by for a sandwich," Todd replied as he walked over toward the couch.
"A what?" John gasped, looking over at Todd in disbelief.
"Well, yeah... I got hungry...and you make the best sandwiches," Todd said innocently.
John just shook his head, his damp dark hair moving around his face. "Whatever," he breathed. "Let me go get dressed... then I'll make you a sandwich..."
"Alright," spoke Todd as he took a seat upon John's couch.
A few minutes later, John emerged wearing a black t-shirt and a close-fitting pair of black pants. His hair was freshly combed and he looked like he might be ready to go out on a hot date. "Are you going out with my niece tonight?" Todd asked as he followed John into the kitchen.
"Hell no," answered John as he started taking deli meat, cheese, lettuce, pickles, mayo, and other sandwich fix-ins out of the refridgerator. "I gotta go into the station for a couple of hours tonight. There's an important case I am working on."
"Bummer. I was hoping you would stay and chat," said Todd as he watched John preparing a delectable sandwich. Lately the two of them had become good friends which in itself was a bit odd, especially when John had told Todd about his past relationship with Marty. In the past, Todd had been insanely jealous of Marty's boyfriends, but he didn't hold that against John. Somehow he sensed that whatever had happened between Marty and John was now done and over. Marty was now in Ireland with her long-lost, freshly back-from-the-dead husband, so Todd didn't see John as a threat. In fact, the two of them were becoming quite good friends.
"Why don't you stay while I am gone, relax and watch some T.V.? I won't be at the station long, then we can have a beer together when I get back and chat," said John as he finished up with the sandwich, handing the plate over to Todd.
"Sure, we do have a lot to talk about..." Todd agreed as he reached for the plate, his mouth watering hungrily at the sight of the yummy sandwich. John really did make the best sandwiches.
"Okay, have fun eating your sandwich," John said as the two guys walked back into the livingroom together and Todd plopped himself back down on the couch. John grabbed his gun belt and his keys as he was just about ready to go.
"Ohhh and uhhhhh... don't answer the phone while I am gone. I am expecting a call tonight... a call from Ireland..." John warned.
Todd stopped midway in raising his sandwich to his lips, hearing McBain's words. Ireland? Marty was calling... here? Tonight?
Todd just nodded, pretending to turn his attention back onto the sandwich as John said farewell and walked out the door. John's words kept echoing in Todd's head. *Expecting a call tonight... from Ireland* The thought of hearing Marty's voice again after all of these years had his heart pounding. But he knew she wouldn't want to talk to him. John was right. He shouldn't pick up that phone. He should eat his sandwich, then just go.
Todd rested his head back against the couch, grabbed the remote, and flipped on the T.V. He tried to get interested in whatever was on the screen, but suddenly his mind was on other things, namely a certain beautiful woman who would be calling from Ireland. Suddenly even his yummy sandwich lost it's appeal. He was sitting there, just nibbling on it, when the phone rang.
He looked at the phone, his heart racing in his chest. The urge to answer it was unbelievably strong. He needed to speak to Marty, to hear her sweet voice again. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Disguising his voice as John's had worked before when he had spoke to Tomas DelGado, so tonight he would do the same, just for the opportunity to speak to Marty. Putting his sandwich aside, he made a mad dash to the phone.
"Hello," he said, making his voice deep and whispery, just like John's.
"John? Is that you?" a voice spoke on the other end of the line. Todd nearly forgot to breathe. It was her! Marty!
"Uhhh... yeah... it's me... " Todd answered, clearing his throat a little and trying his best to sound just like John.
"Do you have sore throat or a cold? Your voice sounds a bit funny, John," Marty said with concern, realizing almost immediately that something seemed sort of "off" about this particular call.
"Ummmm yeah... that's it," Todd said, laughing just a little as he continued to speak like John. "So, how are you, Marty? How's Ireland?"
"Ohhh it's alright... I guess. That's why I called. Patrick and I- we broke up," Marty said sadly, feeling truly miserable. "I'm sorry, John. I know you wouldn't want to hear this. You have your own life... but I still consider you and I to be friends, and I have no one else I could talk to..."
"That's okay. No worries," he said as he wondered what could have happened between Marty and her Irish boy-toy. "Why did you and Patrick... break up?"
Marty let out a little sigh, clutching the telephone reciever in her hand. "Well, John, I just wasn't feeling it anymore. Patrick and I had been apart for so long... and I had moved on in my life. When he came back, I tried to recapture with him what I had before, but it just wasn't the same. And then I heard ... that this certain person from my past had returned, and I realized, I just don't want to be with Patrick, so I broke it off. I'm coming back to Llanview tomorrow."
Todd nearly dropped the phone. What in the world was Marty talking about? He was on a sudden mission to find out. "Marty, I don't follow. Certain person from your past? Who are you talking about?" he demanded, almost forgetting to disguise his voice in his rising excitement.
Marty hesitated a second, but finally she spoke. "You know that when you and I were together, I was never able to give myself to you fully. It's been like that with every guy I've been with and it's hell. There has only been one guy...one guy ever that I felt totally connected to... as though I belonged with him, but you know, it doesn't really matter. I can never be with him. He's got his life, and I've got mine. He can never forgive himself for hurting me, so I know it's over. I want him, but I can never have him."
Todd didn't know what to say. Was she talking about him? Or was he just wishful thinking? Now that he was back in Llanview and had regained his life, had Marty been thinking about him? "Marty, uhhhh... I think we should talk about this..." Todd said as he tried to get Marty to tell him more about this mystery guy she was hung up on. "Tell me about this guy."
Marty let out a little sigh as she felt a bit strange sharing all this with John, but she just had to talk to somebody. "Alright... I will tell you about him, but this is just between me and you... if this ever got back to him..." Marty said, sucking in her breath a little as she thought of the man that for years she hadn't been able to shake. "No matter who I am with, no matter how much I try to be happy, I always think of him..."
"I miss him... and I want him... and I fantasize about him," Marty said softly.
"Really? You... uhhh... have fantasies?" Todd said, the words thick upon his lips.
"Yes, really naughty fantasies. I think about him all the time. It's driving me crazy, because I know I'll never have him..."
*Tell me about it,* Todd was thinking because he was in the same boat himself, longing for Marty and yet knowing he would never have her.
"And when you are ... uhhhh ... thinking about him... do you... ummm... touch yourself?" he asked quietly.
"YES," she admitted, knowing she should feel terribly embarrassed, telling all of this to John, but strangely she wasn't.
"Marty, I think it would help if you told me about these fantasies, get it all off your chest so to speak," said Todd, once again almost forgetting to disguise his voice, considering he was feeling surging desire at the thought of Marty's kinky little fantasies.
"Well, uhhhh... I dunno..." Marty said quickly, not knowing if she should go there. That woudn't really be appropriate, telling her ex all her sexy fantasies about another guy.
"Ohhh come on... I want to hear it," he said persuasively. "Tell me, Marty... and don't spare any detail..."
"I really don't know. I might- I might get excited."
