Pawned Virtue - #wattys2015 BK4 TPBS - Completed 1st draft

-73-

Not edited.

Damon knocked quietly on the door. He could see that Lucas was asleep and judging by the hold he had on Tara he wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.

"Hey Taz, how's he doing?"

She turned to face the door.

"Not great Damon. I don't know what to do."

Damon scrunched his face briefly before asking if he could come in. He motioned to the end of the bed in an unspoken ask allowing him to sit down.

"He's not as tough as he makes out."

"I... he shocked me. He's always in control and..."

Damon nodded as he watched his brother sleep.

"If I wasn't family then he'd probably have me worried but I am thank God! Lucas' main weakness is his family. He has this drive to protect each and everyone of us. You especially. In his mind Ellie's already dead but with Gemma it's made him question his decision."

Tara listened intently. Just when things were looking good... she blew out a loud breath.

"Maybe... maybe it would be better if I wasn't here."

Damon looked at her in shock and then his face darkened.

"Don't you ever say that! Look who he came to! You! He needed to be with you!"

"But Damon, if I wasn't here then he could forget about Ellie and get to know Gemma."

She was trying to be reasonable even though what she really wanted to do was scream at the world and ask why. Why did everything lead to her being unhappy.

"Tara. No. Look I know the way you two started wasn't good... hell it sucked. You didn't deserve what happened but you have to understand that it wasn't about you. Regardless as to qho it may have been Lucas would have done the same thing. He refused to break down those fúcking walls for anyone. He broke them down for you. You got through Taz. Just you. If you want to kill him then leave" he paused "but I've seen the way you look at him. You're in love with him just as much as he's in love with you."

They both grinned when Lucas cut into what he was saying with a funny snore that disturbed him just enough to pull her closer to him.

"Look at him Taz" Damon spoke quieter than he had before "it's you he wants. He'll get past this whole Ellie thing. Once he gets past the shock of having a sister he'll have another plan for Ellie. Do you really want to walk away from him?"

"No. No I don't."

"Then don't talk about leaving anymore. It takes two people to make a marriage work and trust me it isn't always easy. Hell Anna will tell you that I'm impossible to live with. I like things done in particular ways but she has me on my toes. I made a choice for us. I'm still me but I make sure I'm mindful about what my wife wants. Are you willing to make the sacrifices you need to in order for your marriage to work?" He held up his hand as she went to speak. "I don't mean now Taz. I mean through your life together. Sometimes walking away when you're angry and hurt is the only way you can come back and talk things through sensibly. The trick is to know how far to walk. Running away doesn't solve problems it just delays them and everyone gets hurt in the process."

Tara sat through his talking with an almost disbelief at how her brother in law was talking to her.

"I don't want to leave but I don't want Lucas to have to..."

"Lucas chooses you. Hell if he had hold of you any closer I wouldn't be able to be in the room!"

She grinned an embarrassed smile as her cheeks blazed as red as a ripened strawberry.

Damon chuckled.

"Look. Whatever happens with Gemma it'll work out like it supposed to. As for Ellie... trust him Tara... she won't get the chance to hurt you again."

He stood up and took two steps along side the bed and with a hand to the side of her head he lent down and touched a kiss to her forehead.

"We all need you little sister."