• Fall Apart •

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

And here they were. After months of defying the people around them and two years of a perfect, happy relationship, Marc and Bella were fighting and it wasn’t just over some petty thing either. He respected that the situation was a tense one, a difficult one to manage in any rational manner, but her trust in him was coming into play here and he didn’t like the way in which it was heading. He also wasn’t enjoying Bella’s dramatic fit of emotions right now either. This wasn’t some Broadway play and she wasn’t up for an award for her performance, so there was really no need – in his eyes – for her to be getting so worked up over matters that they could sit and down and talk about in a mature fashion like the adults they were. Well, the adults they were supposed to be. Right now that was debatable.

No, that wasn’t fair. None of this was, especially not on Bella. Marc never wished anything like this on her at such a young age, but he couldn’t stop the thoughts from flooding his mind that she was acting just a little immature about the whole thing, trying to run and hide from a possibly pregnancy and from him. Yes, it wasn’t easy and he couldn’t begin to fathom what she was going through in her mind, but he was here for her and he was trying to keep calm about it all, but here she was, acting like a bratty child refusing to take a test, but content to worry about it for hours if not days more than was necessary.

This was out of character for Bella, and a side to her that Marc had never seen before. To be honest, it was also a side that he didn’t like. In this state, he could see exactly how desperate she was not to be the bad guy; a stubborn disposition that Marc saw in many people, but had tolerated in Bella until now.
He wasn’t a violent man, not by any means, and he usually wasn’t one to verbally spar in a hot-headed fashion, but right now, he wasn’t about to sit back and take the blame for all of this. He may not have been an aggressive man, but he did have a backbone and if Bella was going to blow her fuse over a simple misunderstanding that Marc tried – clearly in vain – to explain, then he was not going to let her stomp her feet and hold him responsible for what she mistook as a sexual gesture when, in Marc’s opinion, she should’ve known better after being with him for two years!

When she pulled away from him, he admittedly, was shocked. Her hadn’t expected that reaction from her, let alone the swear word slipping from her lips. He stood there, waiting for whatever the hell it was that she was about to do next, before tightening his jaw at her sudden outburst. There was no need for her to react so harshly and he was not, by any means, about to be the first to bend here for her, when she had been the one to get confused by his words, when she knew full well, that English was his second language and occasionally pragmatics would be lost in translation.

Now she was being the Bella that Marc didn’t want to face, but he would do, albeit reluctantly. He was not to blame here, and he wasn’t about to let her convince him otherwise when it had been her paranoid mind that had led to this situation to begin with when she should have trusted him. After two years, it shouldn’t be that hard, right?!
“I expect you to trust me! I expect to be able to say zhese things to you and you not freak out about them! Eet eez not my fault if you are so paranoid about sex zhat you suddenly think every gesture I make eez in reference to eet, like some slimy frat boy in a night club! I never pushed you into zhis and if zhis eez how you plan on reacting to it, zhen clearly you weren’t ready, but zhat eez your choice, not mine!”

[/color] He walked away, running his hand through his hair and muttering in French to try and calm down. “C’est des conneries! I love you Bella, but I am not going to sit ‘ere and listen to zhis…zhis tantrum of yours vhen eet eez completely unnecessary!”[/color]
He didn’t want to fight with her, he really didn’t, but she was making it so damn hard to walk away from this. He was not going to come out of this as the villain when both of them were to blame for their actions leading up to this moment.
“Zhen stop acting like a child! Stop acting like some spoilt, bratty little child who eez not getting ‘er way in the toy shop and zhen maybe we can talk!”[/color] He snapped at her, before storming to the kitchen.
He needed to get away from her, he needed time to re-evaluate this whole situation with a clear head before he could talk to her rationally again.
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 915
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES! He said “this is bullshit” in French xD Also, do you want me to give him his life changing phone call in my next reply? Or drag this horrible fight out some more? <3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella was waiting for it. She was waiting for Marc to stomp away from her, screaming profanities and calling her every name in the book while he slammed the apartment's door behind him. It was her paranoid, still damaged mind that led to it, and she knew that. She just didn't know how to fix herself enough to entirely trust that Marc wouldn't hurt her or try anything on her. Yeah, it'd been years since high school, but Bella hadn't had another boyfriend other than Marc since then. She hadn't wallowed in romantic flings in order to forget every word, every put-down Linkin had embedded in her mind. Bella couldn't lose her self-respect like that.

And now... now, to her, it was happening again. Marc and her were the absolute perfect couple. Cute, romantic, perfectly formed to mold to each other's embraces. And everything was falling to pieces around them because she was so paranoid about something that should've come as easily to her as breathing. It should've been a perfectly flawless step in their relationship, and she should've been looking forward to having another romantic evening like their last. Instead, she was freaking out like the sky was falling. And she was doing everything in her power to win this fight that had errupted between the seemingly happy love birds.

Bella didn't like to lose. Hell, she hated it with every fiber of her being. That included arguing with the one person she'd never wanted to scream at, to defend herself against. Bella always thought Marc would be the one defending her from the world, not defending himself from her. That's exactly what was going on though. They were protecting themselves from each other. And, frankly, Bella was doing as crappy a job as humanly possible.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, covering her face with her hands. This isn't happening. This isn't happening. Bella's mind kept swirling with thoughts of the present, thoughts of everything Marc had ever done for her, all that they'd been through together. Could she really lose him over something as petty and stupid as sex? No, she couldn't bare it. She's turned down countless traveling job offers for him, saying that life would always be happier with him around than if she was traveling the world living out her dream. She hadn't let herself lose him then, and she wasn't about to do it now. But that didn't mean the stubborn side of her would admit to being wrong.

"Clearly you weren't ready..."

Those four words sliced Bella deeper than everything else he could've possibly said. "He regrets ever doing it with me... I really wasn't good enough... that was all a mistake..." the self-concious, forever damaged part of her mind whispered. "You're not good enough, Arabella." She sniffled, shaking her head. No, no, no. Bella knew she was good enough. She wasn't just some low-life, untalented wanna be. She deserved to be happy. She deserved Marc, and everything he entitled her to.

Bella kept herself hidden behind her hand as he stomped away, his last words echoing around her like she was in some sort of cave. She'd never seen him this mad, let alone this mad at her. And she'd never wanted him to cuddle her more than now. She wanted everything to be normal again. She wanted to rewind to ten minutes ago, re-do everything and be snuggled up to him right now, entirely content and happy.

But a part of her she'd never dared to touch had to be defeated first.

She had to tell him she was sorry, and that, yeah, she was paranoid. Bella had never opened up to him about Linkin, at least not entirely. He didn't know why she was like that. Afraid of being loved, of knowing she was good enough, of love in general. And Bella knew she had to tell him... just not now. She took one deep, shaky breath before emerging from her tiny ball. The silence was starting to kill her, and she wondered where Marc had stormed off to. But she couldn't bare to look at him yet.

"You're right. I'm too childish for this... for all of it... for you," she whispered, staring straight ahead at the wall. Bella closed her eyes, biting back the sobs that were burning her body like fire. "I wasn't ready for that to happen, I was never going to be. And I-I trust you with all my heart, Marc, I do. But... but... I haven't slept in a week, I can't think straight, a-and... I'm just..." Bella got more hysterical with every word she said, and she still couldn't bring herself to look at Marc. He was so strong, and she was afraid he'd start screaming at her again. Bella didn't want him to; she didn't want them to start yelling until they couldn't anymore.

She just wanted everything to be normal.

She wanted her Marc back.

• • •

WORDS: 896!
TAG: Maybe-Baby Daddy <3
LOCATION: The Bedroom, Their Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas
NOTES: Mini make-up, then phonecall? ;3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

What on earth was he thinking? What on earth were they doing?! There was more to this fight than just sex and there were a few unspoken home truths that were starting to bubble to the surface on both of their parts. How had he let himself get so angry? He never let his emotions fail him like that and it was rare that he ever became as defensive as he did just then. So why did it happen? Maybe it was because he’d been here before; he’d had pretty much the same conversation, but in a different language.
The whole ‘possible pregnancy’ thing had been a shock for him, but there…he shook his head. This was bringing back memories that he’d thought nothing of for years now; not since his first move to London at least.

Was that really what was affecting things now? Was it ‘repressed’ thoughts from when he was eighteen combined with everything that had just happened, including Bella’s clear trust issues when it came to sex? How he not noticed them before? Everything had seemed fine – she seemed fine when it had happened, which is how come Marc couldn’t understand how all of this had come about and why it had happened now. Sure, the possibility of a pregnancy was looming over her head, but there had to be something else that had upset her about all of this to make her feel the way she did; explode the way she did.

He regretted this, all of this. He had wanted their first time to be special, meaningful and he had wanted Bella to be comfortable with it. He had asked her repeatedly, reassured her constantly and been as gentle as physically possibly with her and now…now clearly it had all been a disaster for her. Marc didn’t know if he could live with himself now that he knew that and he was ashamed of how he had handled this situation and the girl he was deeply in love with. He wanted to make her happy, ease away her worries and regrets and help her cherish her time with him. He wanted to be the knight in shining armour, the fabled Prince Charming…and yet, right now, he felt like a world class jerk.
Older and knowing better, he should not have let his emotions sway him the way he did, but Marc relied on his heart more than the average man ever should. He was hurt yes, but so was she and he should have done his best to comfort her, rather than to hop on the defensive.

The Frenchman ran his hands through his short curls, rubbing his tired eyes and sighing regretfully. None of this was supposed to happen. He loved Bella and he loved the night they had shared together, taking their relationship – and he thought their trust - to another level, for lack of a better phrase. Now, he just felt like the bad guy in everything and he moved to the kitchen doorway, staring sorrowfully at his beloved girlfriend, broken, in the corner still. He longed to move to her there and then, but he couldn’t; everything was too raw, and then she spoke.

Then, it was his turn to break. He rushed over to her, unable to hear her hysterical voice anymore without wanting to cry himself. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, whispering reassuring, sweet messages to her in French as he tried to soothe her tears. He couldn’t stand the fighting anymore and he wanted to make all of this better. “Bella, you could ‘ave spoken to me sooner. Not just about, you know, vhat may ‘ave ‘appened, but about everything else.”

[/color] He stroked her cheek softly, wiping away her tears with his thumbs before smiling sadly at her. “It vould not ‘ave changed us, Ma Cherie. No matter vhat life brings us, I vill alvays love you, no matter what. If anything, and I mean anything, vhether eet eez me or anyone else, ever upsets or ‘urts you, zhen I vould like you to be able to tell me, so zhat ve can get through eet together.”[/color] He paused, swallowed and smiled at her, a little more confidently now. “You are not getting rid of me so easily, Bella and I am sorry, so sorry zhat you’ve been feeling like zhis for so long.”[/color] He hugged her close, kissing the top of her head and wishing that he could take all of this back, make everything normal again. “Je suis désolé.”[/color]
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 915
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES!THE PICTURE IS SO APPLICABLE TO THIS REPLY <3 <3 <3 And “I am Sorry” in French, ofc!

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella clung tightly to Marc's chest as his arms slid around her. He was warm and strong, and exactly what she needed right now. She needed him, just him. Her face buried into the familiar scent of his cologne, of Marc in general. It made her relax a smidge, but her tears still dripped down her cheeks as his words tumbled around her. He was apologizing? To her? She shook her head as he finished speaking, knowing without translating that his final words had been "I'm sorry". But why was he saying sorry to her? She'd been the one to over react and cause all of this. It was her fault, everything was. It was because she wasn't mature enough to handle this much drama. She wasn't strong enough to keep up with Clairice and the acting career she so dreamed of. She wasn't tough enough to bare the love that her and Marc shared. She wasn't read enough to be a mother when she could barely take care of herself and her own relationships.

"Stop it, stop it," she mumbled sadly, shaking her head and burying her face back into his chest. Bella curled up against him, wanting to believe that she deserved this, that she deserved a guy who would tell her she's beautiful, that would dry away her tears like this. But, in her eyes, she wasn't. She was a bitch who couldn't trust anyone, or even herself. She judged people too quickly, let her temper flare whenever it chose, and usually couldn't care less about anyone but herself when it came down to it. Bella was too broken for someone as perfect as Marc. Not even he could fix her, though she wished with all her heart that he could.

But, how could she explain? How could she find the words to tell him why she was so nervous and paranoid? He'd think she was half insane, and then where would his "I love you"s be? Bella couldn't bare to let him go, lose him because of Linkin. She'd lost so much because of that boy, but she was finally refusing to let him take this one thing from her. Marc was hers, and she'd given herself up to him in almost every way possible now. Bella wouldn't let him go, and she'd try her damnedest not to cause him to want to forget about her.

So, she wouldn't tell him. She'd keep her past locked away from him, make up some excuse about being exhausted or pregnancy moods. But, Bella knew she couldn't lie to Marc. She could lie to every other person on the planet, even her own sister, but she couldn't pull it off with Marc. He saw through her each and every time. Because, well, let's face it, her heart showed all her emotions like a movie and he just so happened to own the largest piece of it.

Keeping her face pressed tightly into the safe haven of his chest, Bella took one deep breath while she tried to gather words to say. He shouldn't be apologizing, and she knew that. She could've given in and just gone with it, but something wasn't letting her. "I-I should've told you, I know. I just couldn't think of what to say," she started off with, closing her eyes so she wouldn't look at him. Bella knew that the moment she did, every piece of her confident mask would fade and she'd become even more of a mess. "I c-can't tell you. Not yet," she whispered, breath catching on a sob as the words fled her lips. She'd meant to say something comepltely different. Something that would brush over the topic of her paranoid mind and what had led to it, save it for another day. Too late now.

"I don't want to get rid of you," she whimpered quickly, almost too quickly. The mere thought of him leaving... Bella closed off the thoughts and clung closer to him, as if to hold him tight enough so he wouldn't ever leave her side. "Stop... stop saying you're sorry. This isn't your fault," she said softly, shaking her head. "It's mine; everything is. I was so stupid not to tell you, a-and to run away like that. I'm so stupid," she sniffled, covering her face with her hands again. Bella knew it'd been idiotic to hide this from him, hide everything from him. He would've found out one way or another, so what was the point?

She was afraid he'd look at her differently if he knew. She wouldn't be his innocent little Bella anymore, and the thought alone almost killed her. If he started growing apart from her, letting her go... then where was she?

Alone.

And she wouldn't live through another trial of that.

• • •

WORDS: 881!
TAG: Maybe-Baby Daddy <3
LOCATION: The Bedroom, Their Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Marc knew that there was still something bothering Bella; something that had pushed her to act the way she did today, but he wasn’t about to push her for more information. He could wait for her to tell him the rest of her story, he just wanted her to know that he’d be there when she was ready to talk about it and that once it was over, he’d be there to help mend the pieces of her broken heart. Nothing could chase him away from Bella and he could never imagine his life without her anymore. No matter what happened, he’d always come back to her and he’d always be there whenever she needed him, regardless of how hard life became of what came in their way. He was in this with both feet and there was no chance in hell of him running away from it now. He just knew that he had to convince Bella of that.

She’d always been strong and independent and yet, at this moment in time, he’d never seen his much-loved Bella so weak and shattered. It was like he was holding the pieces of her in his arms, trying desperately to put her back together as she crumbled even more. He didn’t want to let her go, holding her tightly in his arms as if it was the only way to keep them both together.

He didn’t know what was worse; seeing her like this, or the screaming match they’d been having only moments before.

Marc was beyond caring about what was. He was here now, and he wanted her to understand that, but he felt like words weren’t enough; not in English anyway. In French he could probably have given her a speech that was worthy of a greater audience, but never in English. Right now was one of the moments when he wished that he were in Arles, where he could speak in his own tongue without fear of misunderstanding or confusion. His English was good after the years he had spent in English speaking countries, but he still wasn’t completely comfortable with it when the situation was so emotional that he couldn’t trust his own heart not to betray him. Bella needed him to be strong right now and the last thing he wanted to do was break down too, despite his heart threatening to let him down and bring the tears to match his girlfriend’s.

Somewhere, in the bedroom, he heard the familiar tune of Help by The Beatles, but he made no movement to acknowledge the ringing phone or to even to attempt to answer it. It was his family ringtone, but right now, Bella was more important than his mother finding time for a friendly catch up and her not so subtle encouragement for a wedding and more grandkids for the Delabarre brood. Eventually, it stopped and Marc still remained in the same position; cradling Bella in his arms as if he could protect her from everything just by doing so.

He smiled softly down at her, ignoring his phone when it started up again seconds later. Softly, he brushed the silky tendrils of hair from her face and wiped away her tears lovingly. “I understand, Ma Cherie. Vhen you are ready, I vill listen.”

[/color] He leaned down and kissed her forehead sweetly, tightening his hold on her and not wanting to let her free from his embrace until everything was better again. “No matter vhat eet eez though Bella, I vill still love you. I vill always love you and nothing about you, your past or anything else, vill ever change that.”[/color] He smiled softly.

“I’m going nowhere, Ma Cherie. I vill keep coming back to you every day until the end of eternity.”[/color] He sensed her grip tightening, and he soothingly began to rub her back, gently reassuring her that everything would be alright, that nothing could tear them apart. He shook his head at what he believed to be nonsense. “You are not stupid. You are intelligent, amazing, talented and beautiful. I love you more zhan words could say.”[/color] He smiled and sighed, shaking his head gently. “I should not ‘ave shouted. Zhis ‘as been ‘ard on you and I should ‘ave been more accepting of how you reacted. I think zhat, I could ‘ave ‘andled zhis more appropriately and I failed. So, stop putting yourself down and stop blaming yourself. I vill not ‘ave eet.”[/color] He told her, smiling playfully at the end in the hopes of coaxing a soft semblance of a smile out of her.

In the bedroom, his phone continued to ring, but Marc made no move to answer it. Arles could wait for him and he was certain that nothing that important could be happening; probably just a paranoid mother thinking Marc was lost in New York or something.
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 865
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES!<3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella didn't know what was currently worse. Listening to Marc repeatedly take the blame for everything again, or the sound of his phone ringing annoyingly in the background with a little dog yipping at it like it was her job. She sighed softly, closing her eyes to fight off the headache that was beginning to scream against her temples. Her entire body was screeching at her now, but she didn't dare move or complain. She just wanted to sit and be cuddle by Marc. He'd make her better; he always did.

Her face stayed pressed close to him, face relaxing under his always gentle touch. Why was she so afraid of this? Of him? Obviously, he'd never hurt her in any way imaginable. But, why was she in tears then? Bella tried to close off the thoughts, but the answer flitted into her mind before she could stop it. It was because he'd been yelling at her. Granted, she was yelling right back and she usually got screamed at for a living, but it wasn't the same with Marc. It was him yelling at her. The guy who always told her how perfectly wonderful she was, who supported her through even the smallest of bad days. Suddenly, he was the one pointing out her short comings and everything she'd done wrong. That was why she'd been crying. She never expected that from him, and it brought up so many untapped emotions that she had to break down. But she was glad he was there to catch her. Like always.

She relaxed ever so slightly as his grip tightened, and his lips pressed against her warm forehead. "I love you. So much. Ne jamais s'en aller, je n'ai jamais vous voulez," she whispered lovingly. His words comforted her, though, and Bella had to admit to that. He wasn't going to leave her; at least not for now. But, she couldn't even think about that. If he went away, she knew her world would fall apart. He was too big of a piece for it not to. So she'd have to keep trying to make sure nothing happened that would rip them apart.
"Really?" she smiled every so softly as his hands worked on her back. Bella liked that idea, him coming back to her every single day. It was soothing enough by itself, but his caresses were helping more than she could express. Her grip relaxed a smidge, but she still clung to him as tightly as she could. "You stop blaming yourself. You always do," she scolded in return, shaking her head before tucking it back under his chin. Bella didn't want him to take the blame yet again for her mistakes. He couldn't save her from everything, though she had a feeling he wished he could. And, truthfully, she wished he could, too.

Bella snuggled closer to him, frowning as his phone continued to ring in the other room. She recognized the ringtone, and part of her wanted him to answer it so the stupid thing would shut up. But, that would involve him moving, of her moving, and she sure as hell didn't want that. At the moment, she never wanted to move.

Though, that phone was getting annoying as hell.

• • •

WORDS: 600!
TAG: Maybe-Baby Daddy <3
LOCATION: His Arms, Their Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas
NOTES: "don't ever go away; i never want you to" & it's short because it's rushed >.<

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

That damn phone. Whichever relative was on the other end was determined to get his attention and draw up a pricey long distance bill in the process. He didn’t want to move though. He was scared of moving away from Bella after everything that had just happened. He hadn’t meant the things he had said and she was trying to convince him to stop blaming himself, which was easier said than done considering some of the harsh things that had left his lips.
It had all been on impulse, he had uncharacteristically snapped and just yelled whatever had come into his head without thinking of the impact of his words. He was too busy focusing on the fact that Bella’s trust in him had faded; something that had almost pierced his heart as deadly as a bullet.

He didn’t want to believe that all of this pain was caused by his words, but until the day came when Bella was ready to open up to him about her past and why she was so affected by it, he would. How else could he really explain the tears if she herself wasn’t ready to really tell him? Never mind. It was something that could wait for now…unlike whoever was calling him repeatedly. Had patience lost its status as a virtue in Arles all of a sudden or something?! The phone was on its fifth repeat of the ringtone that was now more annoying than enjoyable.

Marc smiled down at her and kissed the side of her mouth softly, wanting to be tender with her, but not wanting to scare her when she was still in such a fragile state. “ils ne vont nulle part. Vouz avec mon coeur pour toujours.”

[/color] He whispered, happy to be able to say something in his native French tongue. It reassured him, if not her, and almost made it seem like everything was better again.
If only life was that simple.
He knew it would take most of the night to calm both of them down entirely and get back to some level of normality, though even that would take time after what had happened here. He almost forgot about the chance pregnancy too, which would only add more tension to their situation until they had resolved the matter with a definite answer.
“Every day, for the rest of our lives. I promise you.”[/color] He smiled, gently committing his heart to her for eternity; something he had no qualms or doubts about. If anything, this was something he had been certain about for some time.
A small, almost silent chuckle escaped his closed lips and he cuddled Bella closer, toying with her hair as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. “Ve both said stupid things. So let’s stop blaming ourselves and settle vith zhat. Eet’s over now, Bella and we’re both still ‘ere and zhat eet all zhat vill ever matter.”[/color]

The ringing of his phone was also still there and with great annoyance, he let out a frustrated sigh. “I better get zhat…and verbally maim the person on zee other end.”[/color] He said, kissing the top of her head again. “I vill be back in a second, Ma Cherie.”[/color] Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, squeezing her hand before breaking contact completely to stride across their apartment to where the small piece of technology was dangerously close to falling off his desk, thanks to the vibrating feature of the slick, black phone.

He was far from surprised to see a family photo flashing on the screen, signalling that the call came from his old home. He sighed, turning around in the doorway to face Bella, wanting to keep her in his sight to reassure her. He pushed his hand into the pocket of his jeans and flipped the phone to answer it. “Bonjour?”[/color]

Marc had never heard such frantic tones to his mother’s voice before and instantly he realised that something was wrong, and that was the reason for the excessive calling. He listened, carefully, as his mother rushed through a story that she didn’t even understand and that his brain refused to process at first.
The phone almost slipped from his hand and he could feel the colour draining from his face. “Non…Quand?”[/color] He began to pace, running his fingers through his dark hair as the unthinkable was spoken across the miles. This could not be happening. Things were spiralling out of control already in New York without him needing to hear this!
“She’s asking for you Marc…She needs you there, to tell you something. She’s not going to make it...”
His eyes fell on Bella and his heart wrenched with agony. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He had to do it though; he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he stayed here, not right now. He closed his chocolate eyes and bit his lip, shaking his head and fighting back tears as years of painful memories flooded back to the twenty four year old. “I vill be on zee next plane.”[/color] He hung up the phone and then took a shaky breath.

He looked at his girlfriend again, sorrow, hurt, anguish and regret in his eyes. He shouldn’t be leaving her at a time like this, but then he couldn’t ignore this call and what it meant either. He was too much of a good guy to do that and deny her her…her final wishes. “I ‘ave to go to Arles. Something ‘as ‘appened.”[/color] He said in a quiet voice before rushing to the bedroom to collect a few things; his wallet, jacket and passport mainly. He didn’t care about packing anything, he could buy things when he got home, but right now…he needed to be on a plane.
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 1016
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES!I will go nowhere. You have my heart forever <3 <3 <3 Then he said nothing of importance on the phone!

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella relaxed against his chest as his lips brushed the corner of her lips softly, and she closed her eyes. He wouldn't hurt her, of this she was completely and utterly positive. It was obvious from how gentle, yet posessive he was being right now. She was practically squished up to his chest, but he was still being as gentle and quiet as a lamb. That was what Bella loved the most about him sometimes. He kept her so close she almost couldn't breathe on occasion, yet he was entirely sweet and charming and absolutely amazing about it. She loved him so friggin' much.

And, she did trust him. She really did. It was herself that she didn't trust. Her own insecurities, her own fears, her own everything. It was all Bella and her paranoid mind. But, what did she really have to be paranoid about? Linkin was all the way back in London, along with the rest of her family and a good chunk of her past. Marc was a slice of her past, the whole of her present, and the rest of her future. He was with her now, and he'd promised numerous times to be there forever, no matter what happened to them. Bella was looking forward to that day when their forevers would be forever official. And she was looking forward to being completely his and not having to worry about others crushing her heart anymore. She'd be Marc's, he'd be hers, and nothing would be able to break them.

Bella had spoken in French for a reason. She knew it calmed him down and comforted him, and it often got her out of trouble. There were reasons she'd worked hard to re-learn the language, and rewards came with it every time she saw his eyes light up while she spoke his native language. "Forever," she whispered back, turning her head to press her lips against his neck softly. Bella kept her head resting against him, enjoying how well his entire body seemed to welcome hers into the intimate embrace. This was one of her favorite places to be with Marc, especially now that they could do this all night long. Merely cuddling with him was enough for her, and she guessed it would be for a long time. He was so strong. And she needed the strength to make up for her occasional own lack of it.

True, Bella often broke down more than Marc did. Okay, hell, she'd never seen him spill over like that before this evening. It was always her whose armour was penetrated, not the other way around. But, on reflection, Bella knew she should've held her tongue better in this situation. She should've been able to filter her mind, and actions. Then, this wouldn't be happening. They'd be normal, their lives would be, everything would be. And normal happened to be so gall-darn lovely.

"Then, I promise to be waiting for you every single day of our forever," she smiled back, reaching up to seal her promise with a very gentle kiss. It was the best thing she'd heard or said all night, and the one she'd been the most confident about in weeks. Marc was her forever. And, without him, the world would probably turn so dark, she wouldn't be able to find her place in it again without a lot of hard work and assistance. But, even then, she doubted she'd be normal. Marc was a part of her now, of her whole soul, heart, and mind. Losing him would be like losing a piece of herself. "Just you and me. We're all that matter," she nodded in agreement. Bella's eyes closed as his cheek rested against her head, and she smiled wider as his fingers twirled in her silky hair. She liked it when he did that, though she definitely enjoyed being snuggled up to him better. Really, it didn't matter. As long as he was touching her, Bella was happy as could be.

Bella sighed softly as he finally pointed out his ringing phone, she clutched his hands for a second as he stood up, reluctantly releasing him and sitting in the warmth he left on the couch. She pulled her knees up to her chest again as he went into the bedroom, giving him a small smile as he came back to stand in the doorway. It was like him to make sure she was still fine, even if he wasn't holding her for that one second. He was so over-protective. And yet, Bella found it adorable.

But, apparently, this phone call wasn't so nice and happy to fit their slowly recovering mood. Bella watched the changes come over his expression, and her own began to grow worried. Something was wrong, that much was obvious, but she couldn't pick up the garbled words of the other person's franic-seeming speech. Marc definitely could, however, and he didn't look so good. And then he said something entirely unsuspected by her.

"What the hell does he mean 'he'll be on the next plane'?!" she shrieked mentally, eyes widening as he hung up the phone. Bella met his gaze, her own heart breaking slightly as she looked into the agonized chocolate pools she usually found laughing and sparking at her. But, he was gone in the next second with a mumbled phrase, leaving Bella even more in the dust. She gaped at the door for a moment before getting up, trying her best not to run into the bedroom.

Bella forced her way in front of him, making him stop whatever the hell it was he was about to start doing. "What do you mean something happened? Who called? What's going on, Marc? Why're you leaving?" she asked quickly, lip quivering as she came to the final question. He'd just promised her numerous times he wouldn't leave, would always be there for her. And now... now he was leaving to go race back home?

What the hell was this?!

• • •

WORDS: 1056!
TAG: Maybe-Baby Daddy <3
LOCATION: The Bedroom, Their Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

For anyone who didn’t know Marc, this would make no sense at all. A woman who he hadn’t been in contact with for roughly six years was requesting to see him and he was already tripping over his own feet in his rush to get there. She was dying. It was only fair that he saw her one last time if that was really what she was requesting.
His mother had sounded devastated on the phone and he knew that back then, she had adored the woman whose life was about to be cruelly snatched from her. He didn’t know why it was so vital for him to rush back to Arles, but he knew that it was something he simply had to do. He would not be able to cope, knowing he’d ignored something that apparently was keeping her holding onto the thread of life that remained.

How could he explain this to Bella? He couldn’t even understand it himself and without knowing why he was needed, he couldn’t expect Bella to comprehend it either. It wasn’t fair to keep her in the dark, but after what had just happened between them, he believed it to be for the best, at least for now. He could call her from his hometown and explain everything once he knew what was happening and exactly what the reason was behind his mother’s distress. They had lost relatives before and his mother had always been calm, composed and collected, never letting her children see the tears fall and yet, in that two minute phone call, Marc genuinely believed that the world was ending, just from the tone and the ache of her voice, her words tainted by thick, heavy sobs that he didn’t recognise.

He couldn’t believe it. One minute everything was just getting better and then this happened and he felt as if the walls were crumbling around him and there was nothing he could do to save them. She was dying, the doctors were certain about it and there was only a short amount of time left for her to say what she needed to say and that meant that he really had no time for detailed explanations or stories; he had to be on the next plane to London and then jump one to Montpellier. If he was lucky, he could be there in ten hours and then a taxi from the airport to Arles would take fifteen minutes, maximum. He just hoped that she was strong enough to hold on that long for him. If she went through all the effort of contacting his mother, then he could at least make it in time for her to have her final wish.

Marc had just vowed to Bella that he’d never leave and that he’d return to her at the end of each and every day…now this?! It wasn’t fair on her, not after what they had just been through, but he couldn’t help this. He needed to go home and he…he needed her to stay here for logical reasons like work and her dreams. Work…he’d have to phone the college and explain to them what was happening too. Oh, god, this was too much for the nerd to handle. He had to get to the airport, get on a plane and then try to deal with all of this before it overwhelmed him completely.

As Bella blocked his path, full of questions, Marc gave himself a second to breathe. He shook his head, exhaling heavily as the shock settled in even more. “Zhere…an accident…a collision, she was in ‘er car…a truck... she’s dying…I…I ‘ave to be zhere.”

[/color] He couldn’t form a complete sentence, his mother’s frantic words still swimming around his head as he struggled to make sense of everything that was happening and why this was happening. His devastated eyes met Bella’s and he swallowed hard, refusing to cry yet. “I’m sorry…zhey need me in Arles before…”[/color] He couldn’t finish the sentence, refusing to accept the tight time frame in which he had to travel over a thousand miles. “I need to get to zee airport…I need to be on zee next plane.”[/color] He was starting to feel numb, his emotions and thoughts whirling into a poisonous concoction that threatened to upset his stomach.
This. Was. Not. Happening.
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 775
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES!<3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella wanted to know what the hell was going on. Marc looked like he'd just found out the world wasn't flat, and now he was rushing around saying he'd be on a plane to somewhere. Well, Bella had figured that it'd be Arles. She recognized the ringtone on his phone. But, why was he going back? What had happened?

She blinked at him expectantly, gently resting her hands on his chest as he let out a deep breath. He was so tensed, so... shocked. Almost instantly, the word "she" made Bella's spine straighten. "She" the hell who? She brushed it off, though, forcing herself to take in Marc's broken speech. It was her turn to help him, but she couldn't figure out how to until she knew what was wrong. She didn't want to be left out of this; especially not if it was causing him to run back home like this. Bella was being a bit selfish, but she didn't want him to go home. She wanted him here where she could cuddle him and smile and laugh and enjoy his fabulous cooking. With him on the otherside of the globe, none of this could happen. With him on the otherside of the globe, his recent promises would mean absolutley nothing.

"C'mere. Slow down," she said calmly. Bella reached one hand up, gently tucking a stray curl from his face and trailing her fingers down his cheek and jaw. "Slow down, take a deep breath. And, I'm coming with," she added, resting her hand on his chest again and giving him that look she only used when she wanted something. And, right now, she didn't want to give up her Marc. Bella wanted him all to herself, and, if that meant traveling to France, then so be it. As long as she got to stay with him, she'd be good.

"I'll call and get tickets. Pack. Calm down. Breathe," she commanded quietly, standing up on her tip toes and pecking his nose. "Détendez-vous, mon amour, tout ira bien," she added softly, soothingly. Bella had absolutely no clue what was going on. But, she knew Marc needed her to be calm now, instead of the other way around. She would be the strong one and, no matter what excuse he made, she was going with him.

But... Clairice. She had a major audition tomorrow, one Bella was supposedly getting to participate in, as well. It was a bright spot for her, but... she'd give it up if it meant going and helping Marc get through whatever the fuck it was that was going on at the moment. Though, it was such an opportunity... "Stop being so selfish!" she scolded herself. No, she'd go with him. She'd drop everything, just like he had for her, and travel the thousands of miles to make sure he was alright.

Though, a bit more warning would've been freakin' nice.

• • •

WORDS: 540!
TAG: Maybe-Baby Daddy <3
LOCATION: The Bedroom, Their Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas
NOTES: "relax, my love, everything will be fine" & Short and Sweet... again xD

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

It wasn’t that Marc didn’t appreciate Bella’s offer or the fact that she was currently being the rock he needed instead of things being the opposite away around, like they usually were, but she simply couldn’t join him in Arles, not this time. He knew that he was unable to explain to her his reasons for going, that he was going to see Daphne; that she was the one dying. If Bella knew the truth, she’d freak out to say the least and the fact of the matter was that there was simply not enough time for them to have another argument in which her trust in Marc would be the centre focus for his mind, at least.

He was unable to think straight right now. There were old memories flooding back to him, old feelings and then the fresh wounds of the fight with Bella this afternoon and everything it symbolised about their relationship. There would be another fight if he told her the truth right now and then he’d miss the next plane out of JFK and…and then he may never get another chance to find out why Daphne wanted him when she was dying. He knew that it had to be important. She had never been the kind of person to make a big fuss and she wasn’t one to call him out on anything unless it was vital that he was there. Sometimes, he remembered, she apologised for calling him when her car had broken down or when she was stranded at school in the rain…it had been one of the things he had loved about her all those years ago.

He had to go and see her. Money wasn’t an issue, but the timing was. Stopping now to pack material things would waste those valuable seconds that Daphne didn’t have to spare. The same applied to explaining everything to Bella. He loved the little actress standing in front of him, but this was something that he needed to do without her holding his hand and while he knew that it wasn’t fair to leave her here, in the dark, it was something that had to happen. He couldn’t believe how this day was panning out, but he needed the flight to collect his thoughts and feelings together before actually visiting the hospital and facing her for the last time ever. It was chilling, heart breaking and filled Marc with so much regret that the poor man couldn’t even begin to deal with.

He took a deep breath and placed his hands over Bella’s, holding them gently as he looked down, meeting her eyes with pain and sorrow trapped in his own. It would kill him to do this, but he had to…there was no other way this could happen and he had to be out of their apartment in a matter of minutes or it could be too late. “No. Ma Cherie, you cannot come. Eet eez illogical for both of us to go.”

[/color] He moved the hair from her eyes and tried a smile, though it was as broken as he felt. “I appreciate zee offer, but I think zhey need me to come alone. Eet eez a…a tragic time for everyone…I just…I’m sorry.”[/color] He tried to compose himself, but one tear slipped from his eye, slowly travelling over his skin. He kissed Bella’s hands tenderly and tried to collect himself together before he broke down completely. “You ‘ave a big veek at vork zhis week and I do not vant you to miss eet, not for me. I insist zhat you stay ‘ere for zhat, at least. And Gemma, who vould look after ‘er if you came?”[/color]

Marc stepped back and grabbed his keys, though he was not going to be driving. It was a sense of habit, routine and plans that kept him from crumbling right now and he was determined to not show this breakdown to Bella. He needed her to stay in New York and only by convincing her that he was strong enough to cope alone, would she do that. He slipped his arms into his jacket and moved towards the front door, remembering at the last second to collect his glasses from the table. “I do not ‘ave zee time to pack. I ‘ave some things at ‘ome anyway. I vill grab a ticket at the airport vhen I get zhere.”[/color] He looked back over at Bella and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her lips gently before pulling back just enough to whisper against her lips; “I love you so much, Ma Cherie. I vill be back as soon as I can.”[/color] He kissed her again and then reached for the handle of the door.
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 828
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES!<3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella wanted to go with him with all her goddamn heart. And, it wasn't for selfish reasons anymore. It wasn't because she wanted to snuggle with him and kiss him and enjoy just being with him. It was because he was obviously dying inside from whatever the hell this was. And, wasn't it her job to make sure he as alright? Bella thought so, at least. After all, she was his girlfriend, wasn't she?

She didn't care about missing the audition. There'd be more; which she knew perfectly well. She honestly didn't care about Gemma. With one phonecall, she could have a pet-sitter arranged for as long as they were gone. Hell, she didn't even care about clothes, one of her biggest loves, right now! Bella wanted to make sure she was there for Marc, no matter what she had to sacrifice to make sure that happened.

Her fingers intertwined gently with his, and she squeezed his hand lightly. Bella could practically feel her heart breaking as she looked into his crumbling eyes, and she longed to make everything better. She felt bad for causing that fight. Er, more so than she already did. But, she was also mad he wasn't explaining anything to her. Oh well. She'd make him explain on the plane... which, apparently, she was going on. Bella's eyes widened at his words, confusion and that hint of heartbreak filling every inch of the dark circles. What did he mean she couldn't come with? And when the hell had logic ever played a part in their relationship?

However, his next sentence sparked that self-loathing piece of her mind. What if... what if his family didn't even want to see her? Was that why he was discarding her like this, leaving her entirely in the dark and running home with merely a two minute goodbye? Did they hate her? Bella's eyes broke more at the thought. He was leaving her for his family after one short-as-effing-hell phonecall.

Pushing the thoughts of her own shattering heart away, Bella softly brushed the tear off his skin. Her fingers traced over his cheek lovingly for a long moment as he continued to speak again. "Screw work! I'll get other auditions, Marc. You're not okay, and I shouldn't be so selfish as to stay here because of an audition. I should be going with you to make sure you're alright," she said. Her voice started out somewhat fiercly, but died down to almost a whisper as she finished. Bella felt like he was pushing her away, and she didn't like it. She wanted to help him, wanted to go with. She wanted to prove she wouldn't take everything he did for her for granted.

Bella let him step back from her, but she followed after him as he rushed to the door. She knew he wasn't okay, she was more then one hundred percent sure about it. But, she couldn't figure out why he was locking her away here and going off to face whatever it was alone. Why couldn't she come with? Did he think she'd ruin everything, upset his family, do something entirely stupid?

Her face buried into his chest for one moment as his arms locked around her, and she took a second to memorize this feeling. Bella pressed her lips tenderly to his, kissing him back with as much passion, love, and comfort as she could muster up in the quick moment their lips were together. "You promise you will come back?" she whispered, looking up at him with devastated eyes as he reached for the doorknob.

Was he... was he really running away from her for forever?

• • •

WORDS: 690!
TAG: Maybe-Baby Daddy <3
LOCATION: Heartbroken, Their Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

He loved how stubborn and determined Bella could be and usually he’d give in to her wishes and they’d both be on the plane in a matter of an hour, but it was his turn to be stubborn now. Arles was no place for Bella right now and he couldn’t turn up with her clinging to him when Daphne was dying, it would be a terrible thing for her family to see and that was something he didn’t wish to put them through. As much as he needed her right now – just to hold and kiss whenever he felt small and terrified of what may be waiting for him, he knew he had to do this alone, just this once.

Plus, knowing Bella, she’d have a fight over what he was doing and then they’d cause a scene in the hospital or in front of his family and whilst he loved Bella and understood every reason why she’d be upset about him returning to see his ex-girlfriend, he knew that his family would place the blame elsewhere but on their son and try to accuse her of being inconsiderate about being so jealous over a woman who, in a few hours, wouldn’t even be breathing. Marc wouldn’t lie to her, but he would simply delay telling her the truth until the timing was better and until he knew exactly what was happening. His mother had been so frantic and devastated that he didn’t quite catch everything that she said. Words were choked down the phone line and her sobs distorted anything other than the bare basics of the situation.

He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his other gently resting on her neck, thumb brushing her jawline softly. “Stay. I vant you to go to zhis audition and I do not think zhat you are selfish. You ‘ave worked ‘ard for zhis opportunity and I vant you to take it.”

[/color] He kissed her forehead lightly and sighed, his heart heavy for what was about to come and because he had to say goodbye to Bella for the time being. “I do not know exactly vhat is ‘appening right now in Arles, but eet eez bad; zee kind of bad zhat vill not be pleasant for you or me to see. I promise, I vill call you the moment I know everything and zhen, if you still vish to come out, zhen you can, so long as eet eez appropriate with zee family. Zhis eez all too complicated for me to explain right now, Ma Cherie. I am sorry.”[/color] He kissed her gently, closing his eyes as he wished that things could be different. He wished that he hadn’t fought with Bella, that Daphne wasn’t dying and that he didn’t have to race back to Arles as if the end of the world would happen if he didn’t. “I vill be okay, I promise. I am just in shock right now. Zee flight vill calm me down before I know it. Do not panic about me, Bella.”[/color] He smiled as best as he could and kissed her again.

Marc knew that Bella had questions, so many questions, but he couldn’t answer them now. Time was of the essence and the longer he stayed here the chances of things getting worse become more likely. He’d be back before either of them knew it hopefully and then everything would be right as rain again. He could explain what had happened, reassure her to no end and then make up for running away like this in the first place. He’d take her on a weekend vacation and treat her like the princess she was in his eyes. Now though…
“I meant my promise Bella. I vill come back to you always, no matter vhat happens. I love you with all my ‘eart, Ma Cherie and zhat vill never change.”[/color] He kissed her lovingly once more and then opened the door, stepping into the corridor with sad, mournful eyes. “Goodbye, Ma Cherie. I vill be back before you know eet.”[/color] He leaned in for another kiss; a goodbye kiss.
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• • •

TAGGED! Mommy?
WORDS! 725
OUTFIT! Stay with me?
LYRICS! When I Go - - - Slow Club
NOTES! <3 <3 <3