Just The Way You Are: OLTL Fanfic featuring Michael and Marcie

[Schmoopie]

I wrote this a long time ago, back when OLTL was doing the "Love Crew" storyline. There was a segment on the show where Nick was taunting Marcie about her weight. I was hoping and praying that a great storyline would come of it, but as usual for OLTL back then, they went in a different direction. I decided to write my own version of what might have happened.

I must tell you that this story is VERY long (I got carried away!), but I hope you will enjoy it!

Just The Way You Are

Chapter 1

Marcie flipped through the pages of Craze, stopping to read the article for a third time. Her stomach growled and she covered it with her hand. It had been six hours since she had eaten, and she was famished. It would be so easy to get up and walk to the kitchen for a slice of that mouth-watering pizza. Jen and Riley had practically begged her to share it with them, but Marcie flatly refused. Turning down food was difficult; especially when she was hungry.
Her stomach growled when she imagined how wonderful a slice of pizza would taste. Just the thought of mozzarella cheese smothered over rich tomato sauce made her mouth water.

She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator only to withdraw her hand seconds later.
Forget it! She would just feel guilty afterward, so what was the point of eating? With a frustrated sigh, she returned to the living room. The magazine still lay face down on the carpet. She sat on the sofa and re-read the article that had become so familiar. The words on the page seemed to scream out at her, taunting her insecurities... low-carb, beautiful, thin, sexy, swimsuit, and weight-loss.

Her stomach reminded her again that she was famished. However, Nick had made some hurtful comments about her weight while they were at the work site, which had ruined. When they returned home, Jen did her best to cheer Marcie up, but it was no use. Marcie had quickly changed the subject, happy to listen to Jen talk about Riley and not about Marcie’s weight. Jen’s friendship with Riley had bloomed, and Marcie was so proud of Jen for trying to change.

Suddenly, her mind was flooded with memories....

She drifted back to the day of Jen’s dad’s funeral:

"Food isn't the answer, Marcie!" Jen had said when Marcie encouraged her to eat. God, how those words stung. But then she laughed, remembering how she had gone to Angel Square... and ended up kissing Joey! He certainly was surprised, but the person she surprised the most was herself.

The memories continued as images of Al filled her mind, warming her heart. He had defended her so many times against the painful comments people made about her weight. Especially that creep Bradley White, who got Al hooked on drugs.
Then there was Gabrielle. She told Marcie that Al had "put her in her place" when she commented on Marcie's black dress at dinner one evening. The thought made her smile. God, how she missed Al.

And finally there was Michael. She blushed, just thinking about him. He was so wonderful. There was only one thing... he didn't know how deeply Nick's comments had hurt her about her weight. The issue of her weight had never come up, and there was no need to discuss it. She knew he loved her. And she loved him... so much. She really needed him right now... to feel his comforting arms around her.

"Marcie!" Nick's voice boomed in the doorway. She turned to see him smiling at her, but she knew he was just there to torment her. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what he was about to say.

"Hi Nick." She said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Marcie!" Nick said again. "You're reading a magazine? I thought you'd be eating again. You seem to enjoy it."
Marcie felt her throat tighten and tears filled her eyes. She wanted to say something to him, but as usual, she was at a loss for words. If she had said anything, she would have started to cry in front of him, and humiliate herself.

Suddenly very depressed, she made her way toward the stairs. Just as she was about to walk up the stairs, the front door opened. She could hear Jen and Riley laughing, obviously having a good time.

"Hey, Marcie!" Jen said.
"Hi." Marcie said, unable to look at Jen. Her voice was barely audible and she knew it gave her away.
"Marcie?" Riley said, as he walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Marcie turned around, cursing to herself when she felt a tear escape and slide down her cheek.
"Yes, I'm fine." She said, knowing that Riley probably couldn't hear her. "Thank you."
Riley looked at Jen with concern. Jen walked over to Marcie. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Marcie felt more tears sliding down her cheeks. Angrily she brushed them away. "Nothing Jen! Just leave me alone!" she said, as she bounded up the stairs.

[Schmoopie]

Chapter 2

Jen and Riley looked at each other. "What was that all about?" Riley asked.
Jen shrugged. "I don't know. I'll go up and talk to her." She put her hand on the railing and began to walk up the stairs, stopping when she felt Riley's hand on her arm.
"Jen, wait..." Riley said as Jen turned around. "I think she wants to be alone." Then, seeing the worry in Jen's eyes, he added. "Just for a little while. She'll be okay."
Jen sighed. "She looked really upset, Riley." she said hesitantly.
"Just give her some time." Riley said, ushering Jen into the living room.

They sat on the sofa. "I had a really good time today." Jen said, referring to their date.
"Me too. And you're still here." Riley said, leaning in for a kiss.
Jen wanted to give into the kiss, but she knew it would lead to something they might both regret. She forced her mouth away from his. "I thought you just wanted to be friends." She said.
Riley sighed, and then laughed. "Oh yeah... I did say that, didn't I? God I’m an idiot!"
Jen laughed. "Yeah, you are!" she said, hugging him. She leaned against the back of the couch, and then suddenly sat up when she felt something behind her.
"What's this?" she said, pulling the magazine out from behind her. The pages fell open to the article that Marcie had been reading.
"Oh God." Riley said, glancing at the article. "Look at this...Another one of those articles that says that all women should be thin and perfect. No wonder there are so many insecure people in the world."
"Riley..." Jen said, looking at him. "This was in here earlier when Marcie and I were talking. I saw her reading it before I went upstairs to take a shower."
"Yeah, so?" Riley said.
"So, Riley I think she was reading it because of what Nick said to her." Jen said.
"What did he say?" Riley asked.
"Don't you remember? At the site this morning, when he told her she needed to lose some weight?" Jen said.
"She's still upset over that?" Riley asked.
"Well, she told me that she was on a diet and that she's not happy with the way she looks. Plus she wouldn't eat any of that pizza with us, remember?" Jen said.
Riley stood and pounded his fist into his hand. "Man I would love to kill Nick right now! Where is that loser?" he said, looking around the room.
"Riley, stop!" Jen said, pulling him back onto the couch. "Don't stoop to his level."
Riley sighed. "You're right."
"I hope Marcie's okay." Jen said.
"She'll be fine." Riley said. "She's a good person and she's a lot stronger than she used to be. You're her best friend. If she needs someone, she'll come to you."
"I hope so." Jen said. She stood and stretched. "Well, I'm tired. I'm going to get some sleep." She walked to the doorway and turned to face Riley.
"Me too." Riley said as he turned out the light and followed Jen upstairs.

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 3
Marcie lay on her bed, feeling faint with hunger. She sniffed, rubbing her red, puffy eyes. She looked around the room until she focused on the picture that sat on her dresser. Finally she crossed the room and picked up the picture, planting a kiss on the image. "I love you, Michael”
Her dizziness returned, and she knew she’d better eat something. Throwing on her robe, she crept down the stairs through the darkness. Silently she walked into the kitchen. This time, she didn't hesitate before pulling open the refrigerator door. The pizza box was still there, and she could feel nausea settling in her stomach; a sure sign of severe hunger. Her hands shook as she pulled out the box and sat it on the counter. Finally she picked up a slice of pizza and brought it to her mouth.

"Eating again?" A voice said from the doorway. She must be hearing things. She opened her mouth and started to take a bite, when the light flipped on, revealing Nick, standing in the doorway, smirking at her.
"Shut up, Nick!" Marcie said, forcing her lip not to tremble.
"What's wrong, Fatso? Are you gonna cry?" Nick said.

There was that word again... Fatso... Marcie wished the lights were out so that Nick couldn't see how upset she was.

"Go to Hell, Nick!" she yelled, not caring if she woke anyone up.
Nick scoffed. "What a loser! What guy would ever want to date you?" he muttered, thinking that Marcie couldn't hear him.

Marcie watched as Nick turned and left the room. She could hear his footsteps as he walked up the stairs.
Angry tears burned her eyes and she shoved the pizza into the trash.
Damn him!
A sob caught in her throat and she no longer wanted to eat. She turned out the kitchen light and ran upstairs to her room, sobbing into a pillow. Thank God Shannon was over at Eve's tonight. She needed to be alone.

Well, that wasn't quite right...

She needed Michael...

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 4
The breakfast table was crowded as usual, and Nick grinned at Marcie. As soon as they made eye contact, Marcie looked away.
"Ready to 'chow down', Marcie? Oh, wait. I forgot. You're always ready." Nick said.
"Will you give it a rest, already?" Jen yelled.
Riley stood and grabbed Nick by the shirt collar. "Man, I am gonna knock you into the middle of next week!" He said angrily.
"HEY!" Roxy yelled, startling them all to silence. "This ain't a boxing ring, and I ain't a ringmaster, so KNOCK IT OFF!"
"Riley, I'm fine." Marcie said.
Jen gave Marcie a sympathetic glance. "Marcie, you've barely touched your food!"
"Oh..." Marcie said, looking at Nick, then down at her bowl of cereal. "I'm not really hungry."
"Marcie, you must be starving!" Jen said. "You hardly ate anything yesterday."
"I'll be okay." Marcie said.
"All right, Love Crew!" Roxy yelled. "Time to get movin'!"
Everyone groaned and headed for the door. Marcie was overcome with dizziness and grabbed the back of a chair to steady her.
"Marcie!" Riley said as he ran over and held her to keep her from falling. He looked at Jen with concern. "Marcie, are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Marcie said as she made her way to the door.
Jen sighed and put her arm around Marcie. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
The door closed as they headed for the work site.

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 5
They arrived at the construction site, groaning when they saw the amount of work to be done.
"Aww, Man!" Harrison said. "There's more work here than there was yesterday!"
"Well that's why you're here, isn't it?" Ron said, putting his arm around Harrison and smiling.
"Ron!" Marcie said; running to hug her brother. She really wanted to talk to him about Nick, but this wasn't the time. They had to get to work. Feeling Marcie's trembling body, Ron brushed the hair out of her face. "Marcie, you're shaking. Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine, Ron. Don't worry about me." Marcie said.
"Marcie... You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?" Ron asked, afraid that his sister wasn’t being honest.
"Yes, Ron! I'm fine! Stop fussing over me! You're as bad as Erik!" Marcie said, surprising herself when she laughed.
"Okay, then..." Ron said as he kissed Marcie on the head. "Get to work!"
Marcie smiled and walked over to where Shannon was flirting with Nick.
God, not him again...
As usual, Shannon wasn't working.
"Shannon! You know the rules! Everyone works, or we all fail!" Marcie said.
Shannon scoffed. "Get real! There's no way we're gonna finish this stupid building anyway, so what's the point?"
"The point is that I want to graduate, even if you don't!" Marcie yelled. How could Shannon possibly be related to Michael? They were as different as night and day!
"What are you majoring in, Fatso? Food 101?" Nick said as he and Shannon fell into a fit of hysterical laughter.
"Gee, Shannon. I thought you were supposed to be my friend!" Marcie said as the tears spilled onto her cheeks.
"What does that mean?" Shannon asked.
"Nothing, just forget it!" Marcie said as she walked away from them.
If Shannon wasn't related to Michael, Marcie would have really let her have it.
The day dragged on and on. Marcie was beginning to think it would never end. She was overcome with relief when Roxy announced to everyone that it was time for lunch. . She grabbed her brown bag and found a secluded spot behind the work site. She didn't feel like talking to anyone. She just wanted to be alone.
Sitting on a wooden box, she opened the brown bag and pulled out a turkey sandwich, some chips and a soda. Un-wrapping the sandwich, she was finally able to eat in peace. The first bite was so good, that she had almost forgotten what it was like to enjoy eating.

Without warning, her mind drifted back to the last time she heard that name...
Those jerks Deke and Madison had called the police station, pretending to be Al. She didn't know which hurt worse... being so gullible to think that Al had actually called her, or being labeled as fat.
Suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore and she stuffed the barely-eaten sandwich into her bag, wiping the tears away with her hand.

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 6
Michael stood in the hospital waiting room and looked at his watch. It was only noon. The day had been slow and he was missing Marcie like crazy. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. Being without her was making him nuts. She was his whole life, and he hated being away from her even for a second.
He hesitated before opening his cell phone and dialing her number. If he couldn't see her, he at least wanted to hear the sound of her voice. A knot formed in his stomach when the phone began to ring, and he smiled when she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sweetie. How are you? I've missed you." Michael said.
"I've missed you too, Michael." Marcie said.
Michael noticed the quivering in her voice. Something wasn't right.
"Sweetie, are you okay? You sound sad." Michael said, wishing he could hold her in his arms. He heard her sniffle.
"Yeah, Michael... I'm fine. It's these darn allergies." Marcie said.
Michael knew she was covering up something but he didn't want to pressure her.
"Maybe you should have those checked out." he said, playing along with her explanation.
"Okay..." Marcie said quietly. The pain in her voice traveled straight to his soul.
Michael sighed, not knowing what to say. She was hurting and he wished he knew why.
"Marcie?" he said after a long silence. "Sweetie, are you still there?"
"I-I've gotta go, Michael." Marcie said.
"Okay, Sweetie. I love you, Honey." Michael said.
"I love you too, Michael." Marcie said her voice breaking as she hung up the phone.

Michael shook his head. God, he wanted to be with her. She needed him. And he needed her... so badly.

"Dr. McBain to ER, Stat! Dr McBain to ER, Stat!" the voice over the intercom said.
Michael sighed, as he raced into the ER, feeling guilty for wishing he was somewhere else...

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 7
Marcie sat, holding her cell phone as the tears blurred her eyes. She sobbed into her hand, not caring if anyone was looking. God, when was this day going to end? She couldn't take this anymore. She looked at her watch, realizing that she had been sitting alone for much longer than she was allowed for lunch. However, she doubted anyone realized that she hadn’t returned.
Standing, she picked up her uneaten lunch and sat it next to her purse. Then she walked over to the site and began moving the wooden planks, separating them into piles for the construction workers.
The sun beat down, causing her to wipe the moisture from her forehead. It sure was hot. How could anybody stand this heat?
Rex walked around, flaunting his bare chest in front of Jen. Marcie rolled her eyes, smiling when Jen brushed Rex off, causing him to get angry.
Serves him right. He was such a jerk.
Marcie bent over to pick up another wooden plank, when she was overcome with nausea and dizziness. The sky seemed to grow darker and darker, until there was no light at all...

[Schmoopie]

Chapter 8
"Marcie?" Jen called, wondering where Marcie had gone. Something was definitely wrong, and she began to worry. Marcie barely ate breakfast, and then she disappears at the work site. It wasn't like her at all.
She walked around, seeing the neat piles of wooden planks, stacked according to size, and she smiled. That Marcie... she was always doing her best in everything. No wonder Michael loved her so much.
Turning the corner, she saw what looked like a shoe, lying on the ground. Slowly, she moved closer, gasping in horror at what she saw.

"Marcie!" she screamed, as her entire body began to tremble.
Riley rushed over to Jen, but stopped suddenly when he noticed her horrified expression.
"Jen, what happened?”
Jen pointed to Marcie, lying on the ground.
"Oh my God!" Riley said, dropping down to Marcie's side. He turned her over, noticing that her skin was warm. He took her face in his hand, patting it gently.
"Marcie, honey? Can you hear me? It's Riley."
Tears streamed down Jen's cheeks when Marcie didn't respond.
"Somebody bring me a wet cloth, NOW!" Riley yelled as he continued to pat Marcie's face. "Marcie, honey, wake up, please!"
Jen could barely see as she dialed the hospital's number on her cell phone. Please be there, Michael...
The phone rang, and Jen's heart raced as she waited for the hospital to answer.
"Llanview Hospital.” The receptionist said.
"I-I need to page Dr. Michael McBain. It’s an emergency."
"Okay, Miss. What is your name?"
"Uh, Jen... Rappaport." Jen said, knowing her voice was shaking as much as her body was.
"Please hold." The receptionist said.

Jen watched as Riley talked to Marcie, begging her to wake up. Damn it, what is taking that receptionist so long?
"Okay, Miss Rappaport. I've had him paged. It should be just a few minutes."
Jen sighed. "Okay. Did you tell him it was urgent?"
"Yes, he's probably getting the message now."
Jen paced the area waiting for Michael to come on the phone. Instead she heard another voice.
"Miss Rappaport?" The man said.
"Yes, I need to speak with Dr. McBain right away." Jen said.
"Dr. McBain's extremely busy with a trauma case right now." the man said. "I'm Dr. Wilford. Is there something I can help you with?"
Jen sighed again. "No. this is extremely important, okay? Can you give him a message?"
"Yes, of course." Dr. Wilford said.
"I’m calling about Marcie Walsh. She's just passed out, and we're still trying to revive her."
"Oh I'm afraid Dr. McBain won't be available for quite a while. You should call 911." Dr Wilford said.
Jen turned to find Riley blotting Marcie’s face with a cool, damp cloth.
"I think she just got overheated." Riley said.
"Is-Is she all right?" Jen asked.
Riley turned to see Jen crying. "Jen... “He said, giving her a sympathetic look.
"I-I called Michael at the hospital." Jen said in a shaky voice.
"Is he coming?" Riley asked.
"I don't know. They said he’s extremely busy, but...” Jen said.
"Damn it!" Riley said. "We need him now!"

Having just heard about his sister, Ron rushed over to Marcie. “Can you hear me?" Riley handed Ron the cloth and he ran it over Marcie's face again. "Go get her some water, okay?" Ron said. "She's dehydrated."
Jen ran to the cooler, filling a cup with ice water, and rushing back over to Ron. "Here." she said, handing him the cup.
"Thanks, Jen." Ron said, taking the cup. He poured some of the ice cold water onto the cloth and blotted Marcie's face. He sighed with relief when Marcie moved her head. "Honey, it's me, Ron."

"Ron..." Marcie said faintly. Suddenly she sat up and looked around, giving Ron a worried look. "Where am I?" she asked.
"You fainted, honey." Ron said. "You must have gotten overheated. Just sit here and drink this water. You'll be fine." He stroked her hair, holding the cup to her mouth while she took a drink.

Jen walked around, wiping the tears from her face. Just then she spotted Marcie's lunch sitting by her purse. She picked up the brown bag and looked inside. "Oh God..." she said, realizing that Marcie had barely touched her lunch.
"Jen..." Riley said, walking up to her. She turned to look at him, and he smiled sadly at her, brushing away her tears.
"Oh Riley!" Jen said, burying her head in his chest. He held her tightly while she cried. "It's okay, Jen. Marcie's gonna be okay."
"No..." Jen said, causing Riley to let go of her.
"Jen, she'll be okay. She just got overheated." He saw the fear in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
"Riley, look at this!" Jen said, handing him the brown paper bag.
"Looks like lunch." Riley said.
"Yeah, it's Marcie's lunch!" Jen said. "Look, she barely even ate one bite!" She started to cry again. "Something's really wrong."
"Did you get a hold of Michael?" Riley asked.
"No." Jen said.
"Let's get her over to the hospital. He's probably there. He'll take care of her." Riley said.
Jen looked at him, and his heart ached, seeing how scared she was. "Jen, she'll be okay." He said quietly as he kissed her cheek. "She's gonna be fine."

But Jen wasn't so sure...

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 9
"I'm such an idiot!" Jen said out loud to no one in particular. "I'll just try Michael on his cell phone."
Jen held Marcie's cell phone in her hand, scrolling through the list of numbers. Finally... Michael McBain's name scrolled across the screen. Jen pushed the button, praying as the phone began to ring.

"Hi Sweetie!" Michael said.
Jen closed her eyes. Michael must have looked at his caller ID and thought it was Marcie calling. She suddenly felt very guilty. She should have called from her own phone.
"Michael? It's me, Jen."
Michael chuckled, as though he were embarrassed. "Sorry Jen. Why are you calling me on Marcie's cell phone?" There was a pause, and Jen could hear him gasp slightly. "Wait. Jen, what's wrong? Is it Marcie?"
"Did you get the messages I left for you?" Jen said. "I talked to a Dr. Wilford. He told me you were really busy."
"Damn it!" Michael said. "Who the hell does he think he is, forgetting to give me my messages?"
"Michael, about Marcie..." Jen said.
"What happened, Jen?" Michael asked.
"Well, she passed out a few minutes ago at the site." Jen said.
"What? Is-is she alright?" Michael asked, becoming frantic.
"She's awake now." Jen said. "Riley and Ron took care of her, but we were gonna take her over to the hospital, so you could look at her."
"I don't understand. Why would she pass out like that?" Michael said.
"Well, Riley and Ron both think it's from heat exhaustion..." Jen said.
"But you think it's something else?" Michael said, finishing her sentence.
"Yeah. Um. It's hard to talk right now. I'll tell you when we get to the hospital. We're leaving now." Jen said.
"Okay, Jen. I'll be waiting. Michael said.
Jen hung up the phone and left to go to the hospital with Ron, Marcie and Riley. She crossed her fingers, praying that Michael would be able to help.

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 10
The hospital doors slid open, and Michael dropped his paperwork when he saw Jen walk in with her arm around Marcie. He ran over to them, taking Marcie in his arms.
"Come on, Baby. I've got you." he said, kissing her. He held her tighter, when she almost collapsed into him. "I'm gonna take her to the ER. Where are Riley and Ron?"
"Oh, they're parking the car." Jen said. "They'll be right back."

"Tell them that Marcie’s in the ER, and to meet me there. I'll be there in a few minutes. I want to make sure she's okay. Then I'll talk to you about what happened, okay?" Michael said.
Jen nodded. "Sure. We'll meet you in there."
Michael led Marcie through the hallway and into the ER. He laid Marcie down on one of the available beds, gasping when he felt how warm she was. "Baby..." he said, kissing her lips.” Sweetie I'm here."

Marcie sat up and looked around. "Michael?" she said weakly.
"Yeah Sweetie. I'm here." Michael said. "I'm not going anywhere."
He thought about their earlier conversation on the phone. He should have known that something wasn't right. He remembered how sad she sounded toward the end. He could have sworn he heard her voice breaking. Just the thought of her being sad broke his heart.
"Michael, I don't feel well." Marcie said, holding her stomach.
"Okay, Sweetie, hang on." Michael said, running to get a nurse. The nurse came over and helped Marcie out of bed. "We'll be right back, Dr. McBain." she said to Michael.

Michael walked into the lobby just in time to see Jen, Riley and Ron coming toward him.
"Hey Riley." Michael said. "Thanks so much for bringing her here."
"Absolutely. I'd do anything for her." Riley said.
Michael shook Ron's hand. "How're you doin’, Man?"
Ron smiled. "Well, I'd be better if Marcie was well again. How is she?”
Jen and Riley nodded in agreement.
"I'm not sure yet." Michael said. "She seemed pretty nauseated, so the nurse is taking care of her. Any idea what caused this?" He asked, writing on a clipboard.

"Yeah. I do. Nick is the cause of all this!" Jen said; the anger evident in her voice.
"Who's Nick?" Michael asked.
"Nick's the jerk who works with us at the Love House." Jen said.
"Yeah." Riley said. "He's been harassing Marcie for days about her weight. I'd love to kill him. He tears into her every chance he gets."

"So why did she pass out?" Michael wanted to know.
"Well, she's been pretty upset over this." Jen said. "Michael she's hardly eaten anything for two days now."
"Are you sure?" Michael asked. "That's not like Marcie. She's pretty confident in herself. That's what I love most about her."

"Yeah, well Nick ruined that in a big hurry." Jen said. "He even commented on her weight at the breakfast table this morning."
Michael nodded. "That must be why she sounded so upset on the phone at lunch today. Did she eat anything today?"
"She didn't eat her breakfast, and she only took one bite of her sandwich." Jen said. "She wouldn't even eat any pizza with us last night."

"Okay." Michael said, writing on the clipboard. "I'll go check on her again. Did you guys want to see her?"
"Yeah." Ron said. Riley, Jen and Ron all followed Michael into the ER and over to Marcie's bed.

"Hey, Sis. How're you doing?" Ron said, taking Marcie's hand.
"Oh, I'm okay." Marcie said. Her skin looked extremely pale, but no one mentioned it.
Ron kissed Marcie's cheek. "You're gonna be fine, Marcie. Michael's gonna take care of you."
"Okay..." Marcie said, her voice trailing off.
"Bye, Sis." Ron said, kissing her again.

Riley kissed Marcie on the forehead. "You had us worried there for a little while." he said with a smile. "Don't do that again, okay?"
"Thanks, Riley." Marcie said.

"Jen..." Marcie said, noticing that her best friend was holding her hand.
"Hey, Marcie." Jen said, as a tear ran down her cheek.
"I'm fine, Jen." Marcie said weakly.
Riley took Jen and led her away from Marcie. "We'd better go." He said to Michael.

Michael smiled. "Don't worry. I’ll take care of her." He saw the worry in Jen's eyes, and added. "I love her too much to lose her."

Jen smiled. "And she loves you, Michael. More than you could ever know."
"Thanks, Jen." Michael said, smiling at her.

He held Marcie's hand as he watched Jen, Riley and Ron walk out of the ER.

Michael looked at Marcie, and his heart warmed when she smiled at him. "I love you, Baby." He said, grinning as he leaned over and kissed her passionately.
"I love you too, Michael." Marcie said, as he held her close.
"You'll be fine, I promise." Michael said. "I'm gonna go talk to the nurse, and I'll be right back, okay?"
Marcie nodded and leaned back on the pillow, as though she were exhausted.

Michael walked over to the nurse, holding his clipboard. "Excuse me; can I talk to you about Marcie Walsh?"
The nurse nodded. "Yes, of course. She was very ill a few minutes ago, but..."
"But what?" Michael asked.
"It seemed like she hadn't eaten in quite a while." The nurse said. I tried to get her to eat some crackers, but she kept saying "No food, no food."
Michael sighed. "Thank you, for taking care of her."

He looked at Marcie again. He had to get to the bottom of this, and he knew just where to start.

[Schmoopie]

Chapter 11

"Come on, Sweetie." Michael said, walking Marcie to the front door of the Love House.
Marcie sighed. "Michael, I really don't want to go back here."
Michael leaned over and kissed Marcie tenderly. "It'll be okay." he said, smiling at her.
Reluctantly, Marcie followed Michael inside. "Michael..." she said as the anxiety grew within her.

"Marcie, how are you?" Jen asked as she and Riley walked up to hug her.
"Oh, I'm okay." Marcie said. "I hate being away from the site, though. I really want to graduate, or my dad will kill me!"
Michael ran his fingers through her hair. "Sweetie, everything will work out, I promise." he said, giving her another tender kiss.
Marcie caressed his cheek, but turned away from him when she saw Nick coming down the stairs.

"What's wrong, Sweetie?" Michael asked, noticing the pained expression on her face.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Here comes trouble." she said to Riley.
Riley nodded. "Yeah. He'd better not try anything or he's going to have to answer to me."

They all stared as Nick approached them.

"Well!" Nick said when he saw Marcie. "If it isn't Fatso!"
Michael grabbed Nick by the collar. "What did you just say?"
"What, are you deaf? Can't you see how fat she is?" Nick said, smiling when he saw the hurt in Marcie's eyes.
Jen put her arm around Marcie, as Marcie buried her head in Jen's shoulder.

"Man, I warned you!" Riley said as he punched Nick in the jaw, watching him stumble.
"Everyone STOP!" Marcie yelled. "Just stop it!"
"Let me guess. You must be Nick." Michael said.
"Yeah, I'm Nick. Who the hell are you?" Nick said, rubbing his jaw.

"This is Dr. Michael McBain. Marcie's boyfriend." Jen said.
"Wait a minute..." Nick said as he looked at Michael. "You're the boyfriend? Wow! What'd Marcie do, pay you to go out with her?"
"Damn you!" Michael yelled. "Get the Hell out of here!"

"I'm going to the kitchen." Marcie said, as she left the room.
"Don't eat too much in there." Nick said. "We don't need a food shortage around here."

Michael was fuming. "I said.... GET THE HELL OUT!" He opened the door and shoved Nick so hard that he fell onto the ground. Finally he slammed the door and pounded his fist on it in a fit of anger.
"It's okay, man." Riley said, putting an arm around Michael's shoulder.
"Where does he get off, talking about Marcie that way? I love her!" Michael said.
"I know. Listen, he's just a jerk. Marcie's strong, though. She's become a lot stronger since the two of you hooked up together." Riley said. "She'll get through this."

Michael walked to the kitchen and pushed the door open, peeking inside when he saw Marcie crying in Jen's arms.
"Marcie, don't listen to Nick." Jen said. "He's just a stupid jerk."
"But he's right." Marcie said. "I'm fat and I-I'm ugly..."
"Marcie! That is not true! Why would you say that?! You're smart, funny, and the best friend anyone could have! Michael loves you so much. He told me how he feels about you in the hospital today. He was really worried about you and so were Riley and I." Jen said.
Marcie looked down at the ground. "He says he loves me but I just don't know..."
"Trust me; Michael loves you more than anything." Jen said, hugging Marcie. Jen turned, surprised to see Michael standing at the doorway. She started to say something, but he silenced her with a finger to his lips.

Michael went back into the living room and put his face in his hands. Dammit! What did this Nick moron done to the woman he loves? How could she possibly think that he doesn't love her?

He knew he'd better think of something brilliant to show her how much he loves her, or risk losing her forever...

[Schmoopie]

Chapter 12

Michael walked into the kitchen, being careful not to startle Marcie.
"Hey, Sweetie." he said when she looked at him. "Are you ready to go?" he reached over and ran his hand down her cheek. His heart warmed when she smiled at him.
"Yeah. Let me get a few things together." she said.
Michael followed her up the stairs. "I'll help you. Then we can leave, okay?"

As they reached her room, Marcie looked at him. "Michael, I really don't like it here. No one likes me."
Michael's heart ached, hearing Marcie talk about herself this way. Maybe this was more serious than just her feelings being hurt.
He looked into her eyes, and smiled as he took her face in his hands and kissed her so tenderly that the feeling lingered on her mouth even after he pulled away. "Sweetie, I love you. You know that, right?"
Marcie smiled and Michael took her in his arms when her eyes filled with tears.
"I love you too, Michael." he heard her whisper as he held her close.

***Michael opened the door to Marcie's room and they went inside. Shannon was sitting on the floor, listening to a CD.
"Hey, Shannon!" Michael said.
"What are you doing here?" Shannon asked.
"Just waiting for Marcie." Michael said; smiling at the woman he loved so deeply.
Shannon's eyes widened when she noticed that Marcie was packing a bag.
"What the hell is this? She yelled.
"Marcie's gonna stay with me for a few days." Michael said.
"Whoa... wait a minute!" Shannon said. "Why does she get to leave?"
Michael watched as Marcie looked away from Shannon. Boy, his cousin really got on his nerves sometimes. "Shannon! Knock it off!" he said.
"Suit yourself!" Shannon said, throwing her backpack on and walking out of the room in disgust.

"Well, I'm ready." Marcie said smiling at Michael.
"Me too." Michael said, bringing his lips to hers once more. "I can't wait to have you all to myself."

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 13
"We're home, Baby." Michael said, nudging Marcie out of her sleep. He smiled thinking about how wonderful it felt to have her sleeping on his shoulder as they drove home.

They got out of the car and walked into the Angel Square Hotel lobby. Nigel looked up, surprised to see them.
"Why Dr. McBain! Miss Walsh! What a nice surprise!" Nigel said. "Miss Walsh, I thought you'd be at the house with Roxanne."
Michael looked at Marcie and put his arm around her. "Ah, Marcie wasn't feeling too well, so I'm going to keep an eye on her for a few days." He said, trying to sound professional.
"Oh! Very well then." Nigel said.
"See you later, Nigel." Michael said as he took Marcie's hand and led her up the stairs to his room.

"Okay, Sweetie." Michael said as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. He closed the door, glad that no one was around.
"Well..." he said, grinning slyly at Marcie. "Alone at last." he walked over to his dresser and lit a candle, hoping to improve the mood of his drab hotel room.
He moved toward her, capturing her lips with his. He could feel his insides burning with the urgent need to show her how much he loved her.
He wanted her: body and soul.

Marcie smiled as he took her hand and eased her down onto the bed. Her emotions whirled and skidded as Michael's lips came down on hers, and she gave herself freely to the passion of his kisses.
"Marcie..." Michael breathed in-between the kisses that Marcie hoped would never end.

Slowly, Michael unbuttoned his shirt, smiling when Marcie slid the shirt off his body and down his arms. She ran her hands over his smooth, tanned skin, causing Michael's resistance to shatter into a million pieces. He smiled at her. God, she was beautiful... His hands made their way to her blouse, and his fingers trembled as he began to undo the buttons one by one.

Abruptly, Marcie covered his hand with hers, and sat up. Her eyes were blinded by tears. "Stop it, Michael!" she said.
"Sweetie, what is it?" Michael asked. He leaned over to kiss her but she pushed him away.
"Michael, I said 'stop'!" Marcie said, as the tears spilled onto her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" Michael said, in that soft, sexy voice that she loved. However this time, it only brought her pain.
She stood and began to button her blouse, doing her best to control her emotions that were whirling inside of her.

"I can't do this, Michael!" Marcie said.
"Marcie, please tell me what's bothering you! I love you!" Michael said.

"Don't you see?" Marcie said, beginning to sob. "Nick was right. I'm fat and ugly!" Without waiting for Michael's reaction, she ran out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Marcie! Sweetie, wait!" Michael yelled down the hallway. "Baby, please!" He shut his door, and sat down on the bed, burying his head in his hands. The tears in his eyes were making their way down his cheeks, and he wondered how in the hell he was going to make her realize that she was his life, his whole world, his future...

His heart squeezed in anguish when he thought of how much she was hurting right now. He had to get through to her... somehow...

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 14
Marcie's hands trembled as she opened the door that led to the rooftop. Tears choked her as she walked outside, feeling the rush of fragrant air on her face. The roof was still wet from the fresh summer rain, and the crisp, clean aroma filled her senses.

She walked over to the edge of the rooftop, gazing at Llanview Hospital in the distance. She smiled as she remembered how Michael had saved her life when Dr. Long pushed her over the edge. She trembled, realizing that she could have lost Michael forever. She was so scared. Michael was too. His loving words echoed in her mind: "Sweetie, we almost lost each other. But our love is too strong for that. Our love is stronger than anything."

None of that mattered now, though. Why had it taken her so long to see that Nick had been right? She was overweight and unattractive, and right now she didn't like herself at all. Why couldn't she be thin and beautiful like Natalie, Jessica or Jen?

She came to the spot where she and Michael had made love for the first time. The thought of his loving touches, warm kisses and gentle words wrapped around her heart, releasing all the pain she felt inside. She sat on the ground, pulling a blanket around her and cried herself to sleep.

Nick's voice filled her head with those harsh words... Fatso, overweight, ugly, loser..., which were repeated over and over. Suddenly she saw Michael looking at her, pointing and laughing as he said the words she hated so much....

Marcie awoke with a start, shivering with chills that she knew had nothing to do with the air around her. It had been a dream, but it seemed so real...

"Michael, I need you..." she sobbed, knowing he wouldn't come looking for her.

[Schmoopie]

CHAPTER 15
"God, I hope she's okay." Jen said as she and Riley sat in their room, talking about Marcie.
Riley reached over and took Jen's hand. "She will be. Michael is with her."
Jen sighed. "I know..." she said as they walked into the hallway and down the stairs.
"What's wrong, Jen?" Riley asked.
"Nick really hurt her with his comments. Marcie is strong. A lot stronger than she used to be. Mainly because of Al. Now that she has Michael, she's a completely different person. I don't want Nick to change her back to the way she was." Jen said.
"You're a different person, too." Riley said.
"And I'll always be grateful for that." Jen said, smiling at him.
Riley blushed. "I didn't do anything."
"Riley, are you kidding? I owe my life to you!" Jen said.
"Jen, don't you think you're being over dramatic?" Riley asked.
"No." Jen said, taking his hands in hers. "No, I don't. Riley you're the only guy I've ever been just friends with. I was thinking about what you said, before and I don't want to rush into a romantic relationship right now that could crash and burn just as it gets started." She laughed when she saw the disappointment in Riley's face.

"I'm sorry, Riley." Jen said.
"Don't be sorry." Riley said. "I love hanging around with you, talking about things I can't talk about with anyone. I don't want that to change because we rushed into a relationship."
"Thanks, Riley." Jen said, hugging him.

"Hey, where's the fat girl?" Nick said from the doorway.
"Shut the hell up, Nick." Jen said.
Riley stood and walked over to Nick. "Man, if I didn't think I would get arrested, I would kill you right now!" He yelled.
"Fine." Nick said, fuming as he left the room.

Riley and Jen sat on the stairs. "One of these days, that jerk is gonna go too far!" he said to Jen.
"Riley, we have to do something!" Jen said. "If Nick doesn't stop harassing Marcie, there's no telling what it will do to her. Look what it's already done."
"I know..." He said, rubbing her shoulder. "We'll talk to Viki tomorrow. I'm sure she'd love to know what Nick's been up to."

Jen put her hand on her forehead.
"Are you okay?" Riley asked.
"I'm still really worried about Marcie." Jen said.
"Jen..." Riley said, holding her close. "Marcie will get through this."
Jen sighed. "I hope you're right."